Hong Kong: Restoring WTO dispute system urged Secretary for Commerce & Economic Development Algernon Yau called on World Trade Organization (WTO) members to support the restoration of a fully functioning dispute settlement system during the 13th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC13) in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, yesterday. At a meeting on dispute settlement reform, Mr Yau said the dispute settlement system has functioned as a cornerstone of global trade, creating stability and predictability. He added that to have a well-functioning system restored this year, as was mandated at MC12, would serve the interests of all WTO members and of the global business community. He stressed that Hong Kong, China has been involved in every stage of the reform process in relation to dispute settlement and will continue its active participation. Speaking at another meeting, on development, Mr Yau said that the Investment Facilitation for Development Agreement is a very much a pro-development agreement. He highlighted that it helps WTO members attract more and better investments, thereby addressing development issues and promoting sustainability. On the sidelines of the conference, Mr Yau held bilateral meetings with Costa Ricas Minister of Foreign Trade Manuel Tovar Rivera and Malaysias Minister of Investment, Trade & Industry Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz to exchange views on various trade and economic issues. He also attended a lunch reception to mark the entry into force of the WTO Services Domestic Regulation disciplines, which aim to promote and facilitate global services trade by enhancing transparency and predictability in the regulatory environment. This story has been published on: 2024-02-29. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. New Yorkers wrap up Lunar New Year celebrations with big parades 08:52, February 29, 2024 By Liu Yanan, Yang Shilong ( Xinhua NEW YORK, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- New Yorkers are winding up their Lunar New Year celebrations by staging large-scale parades and gatherings during the weekend. One such parade was held on Saturday for the first time in Chinatown near Sunset Park in Brooklyn. Organized by Asian American advocacy group the Asian American Community Empowerment, the parade was designed to celebrate both the Lantern Festival and the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and the United States. People perform dragon dance and lion dance during a Lantern Festival parade in New York, the United States, Feb. 24, 2024. (Xinhua/Liu Yanan) The gathering was attended by quite a few elected officials, including New York State Assembly Minority Leader William A. Barclay and New York City Mayor Eric Adams. "It is nice that we can come here in a bipartisan manner to celebrate the great Asian culture," said Barclay. Adams noted Brooklyn has one of the largest Chinese communities in the United States and extended his wishes to the community. Huang Ping, the Chinese Consul General in New York, urged the participants to embrace the future by working together to bring more positive energy into the China-U.S. relationship and build trust to get the relationship back on the right track. People perform dragon dance and lion dance during a Lantern Festival parade in New York, the United States, Feb. 24, 2024. (Xinhua/Liu Yanan) Highlights of the celebrations included traditional dragon and lion dances as well as cultural and artistic performances. Thousands of residents lined up the main roads and took part in the celebrations with some wearing traditional costumes. On Sunday, Better Chinatown USA, a volunteer-based organization dedicated to the improvement of New York City's Chinatown, is scheduled to stage its annual Lunar New Year parade in Chinatown in Lower Manhattan. "It's very exciting to be here as the first annual Brooklyn Lantern Festival troupe," said Edmund Durso, an instructor of lion and dragon dances, and the founder of a Chinese martial arts school in Northvale, New Jersey. Durso told Xinhua that his team has performed at a dozen events celebrating the Year of Dragon and would also appear at the parade in Chinatown in Manhattan on Sunday. The New York metropolitan area had a Chinese population of over 800,000 in 2019, ranking on the top of major U.S. areas with big Chinese American communities, according to a report by Pew Research Center in April, 2021. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) A mainland spokesperson on Wednesday condemned Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities for concealing the truth and lying about a recent incident in Xiamen-Kinmen waters that led to the deaths of two people who were on a mainland fishing boat. Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, made the remarks at a press conference. Zhu also slammed the DPP authorities for not having apologized since the incident, which happened half a month ago, and criticized the DPP authorities for attempting to shirk its responsibilities. The incident seriously hurt the feelings of compatriots across the Taiwan Strait, and aroused strong indignation from all sectors of society on the mainland and sparked widespread doubts on the island, Zhu said. "We strongly urge the Taiwan side to make public the truth about the incident as soon as possible, severely punish those responsible, apologize to the families of the victims, meet their legitimate demands and give an explanation to the bereaved families and compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait," Zhu said. "We are resolute in protecting our compatriots' legitimate rights and interests, and never allow such incidents to happen again," Zhu noted, adding that the mainland reserves the right to take further measures, and that all consequences shall be borne by the Taiwan side. She called on relevant parties in Taiwan to respect the fact that fishermen from both sides of the Taiwan Strait have been operating in these traditional fishing areas for a long time, stop detaining mainland fishing boats and rudely treating mainland fishermen, and ensure the safety of their lives and property. Heres a quick guide to some upcoming arts and cultural events happening around Missoula in the coming week. UM visiting environmental writer gives a talk (Thursday, Feb. 29) What does the future of environmental writing look like? Hear from practitioners themselves at this talk with Amy Irvine, the Kittredge Distinguished Visiting Writer at the University of Montana. Shell talk with Betsy Gaines Quammen (True West: Myth and Mending on the Far Side of America) and Toni Jensen (Metis editor of the essay collection, Carry) and Priya Subberwal, a Missoula environmental writer. Details: 7 p.m., Shakespeare and Co. Free. The Reps staged reading finale (Saturday, March 3) See a brand-new play in the scenic top floor of the Missoula Public Library, as the First Reads series from the Montana Repertory Theatre continues. This go-round, youll see Dance Nation by Clare Barron. Heres the synopsis sent along by the Rep: Somewhere in America, an army of pre-teen competitive dancers plots to take over the world. And if their new routine is good enough, theyll claw their way to the top at Nationals in Tampa Bay. It is a play about ambition, growing up, and how to find our souls in the heat of it all. The play will be read by a cast of students and professionals, many of whom youll recognize from recent UM School of Theater and Dance productions. The directors chair is occupied by Michael Beverley, a graduate student in the school, who oversaw last seasons bold, movement-forward adaptation of Jack Londons The Call of the Wild. (Which, you may recall, mostly has dogs as characters.) The Rep has now presented three plays in this series, which theyre considering for a full show in the future. Details: 2 p.m., MPLs Cooper Room. The show runs 90 minutes and contains adult language and content. Annual Roxy Record Sale (Saturday, March 2) Dive into a trove of physical media of all types at the nonprofit theaters annual record sale, held at the Missoula Senior Center. The items include vinyl, movies, books and other media, put up by professional collectors/salespeople. If you want to donate items (gently used), you can do so during the Roxys normal business hours before March 2. Details: 8 a.m.-3 p.m., 705 S. Higgins Ave. Admission is $5 for early entry 8-9 a.m. and $2 from 9 to 3. Bare Bait Dances next moves (March 1-4, 8-10, 15-16) The contemporary dance company's new show, A Small Shift in an Uncomfortable Place," features a diverse playlist of moves: One piece is improvised. Another, which uses the Westside Theater's aerial harnesses, was developed with a guest choreographer from Seattle, Rachael Lincoln. The centerpiece, clocking in at around 40 minutes, was developed by the dancers themselves. Details: Westside Theater, 1200 Shakespeare St. Tickets are $32/$36 adults advance/day of and $25-$28 students, seniors and military. Go to thewestsidetheater.com. Missoula Symphonys nature expedition (Saturday-Sunday, March 2-3) The symphonys latest Masterworks concert tunes into nature, as it has sounded to composers from the classical period to the present. The programs centerpiece is Beethovens Pastoral Symphony No. 6, which given the title, is less stormy. Next up is composer Vivian Fungs Violin Concerto No. 1 featuring violinist Kristin Lee. Fung, a Canadian who won a Juno Award, her home countrys version of a Grammy, worked on the piece with Lee and its informed by Balinese Gamelan music, according to her website. Missoula composer Scott Billadeau has a work, Nothing Gold Can Stay. While hes known for his restaurants and coffee shops, Billadeau studied music at the University of Montana and taught there as well. The symphony performed one of his pieces during Darko Butoracs tenure as artistic director. Lastly, youll hear Antonin Dvorak's In Nature's Realm Overture. Details: Saturday, March 2, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, March 3, at 3 p.m. Dennison Theatre, UM. Tickets at missoulasymphony.org. Jazz trio at the ZACC (Wednesday, March 6) A trio of jazz musicians with credits on albums and stages around the world are coming through town: Alto saxophonist David Bixler, bassist Dan Loomis and percussionist Fabio Rojas. Details: Doors at 7, show at 7:30. $15 in advance, $20 day of show. ZACC Show Room. Quick hits: Beats and keys at the ZACC: Check out a three set of local bands, including Bacon and Egg, Brute Finesse, Doctor Fly and RKnow. Thursday, Feb. 29, doors at 7 p.m., show at 7:30, $10 or $15-$20 artist supporter ticket. Bozeman psych roots-rock at the Top Hat: The Dead and Down are heading over to play the latest installment of the free live and local series. You want a sampler of their sound from the stage, check out the hour-long set they recorded for KGVM Spotlight on YouTube. Friday, March 1, 10:15 p.m., 21 and up. PABLO Anna Schiele left her room early Friday morning. It was the day before Veterans Day, technically a holiday, and she planned to start the morning with a shower and then enjoy some food prepared by her dad, Ron. Anna walked into the bathroom, twisted the faucet to turn on the water, and a 300-pound steel beam exploded through the wall. The 3-by-3-inch beam slashed through drywall and tile, less than a foot from Annas face. In a moment, the beam rested at the base of the tub and extended through an interior wall of the familys home outside Pablo. The glass breaks out, and a beam flies by my head and the bathroom is on fire, Anna recounted to the Missoulian. So I am screaming, I dont even really remember, but my first thought was, Oh my god, its Paul. With the steel beam above the cab, Anna's next-door neighbor, Paul Ailport, drove his pickup truck covered in gasoline and loaded with fireworks at full speed into the side of the Schieles' house, the final act of an alleged years-long campaign of terrorizing his neighbors. The fireworks exploded as he speared the hood straight through the wooden siding and concrete foundation. Fire spread on the bath sheets and towels as Annas family banged on the door. Curtains went up in flames. Ron and Annas boyfriend, Braedan, pulled her out of the burning room. Anna ran into the living room. She looked behind her and saw the destruction: A pickup truck smashed inside their Mission Valley home. Ailport had harassed the Schiele family and other neighbors since 2022, spurred by a struggle with drug abuse and mental health, two neighbors alleged in restraining orders and backed by Lake County charging documents. Law enforcement had arrested him twice in the preceding six months in their neighborhood before home security video captured the moment that Ailport rammed his car into the Schiele home. Yet, nothing stopped him from aggression toward neighbors, not even a court-issued restraining order. Officers responded to Ailports house 21 times following the first complaint from the Schieles and other neighbors in August 2022. Lake County Sheriff Don Bell told the Missoulian that the sheriff's office did as much as they could, including attempting to revoke Ailport's bail and raising it to $50,000 before he bailed out for the last time. While the family is glad he is now in custody on charges of arson, attempted homicide, possession of dangerous drugs and more, they said they wished the sheriffs office and mental health providers could have prevented his final violent act. There's a whole bunch of red flags that should have happened, Ron Schiele told the Missoulian. You dont feel safe, and you are projecting that to the authorities and they literally say there is nothing they can do until he does something. Even when Ailport did commit crimes against the family, the consequences did not keep him in jail long. Part of the reason is because resources in Lake County are slim. The county jail is so overcrowded that officials must book and release criminal suspects. One local mental health physician said the area needs more awareness of treatment programs and a physical space for detoxification. In the Schieles' eyes, theres no forgetting Paul Ailport, even when the physical scars are healed. He transformed in front of them from once selling the family their current car, to trying to kill them with his. The car lot The first time the family met Ailport, he owned a used car dealership along Highway 93 near Pablo. He also lived on the corner car lot with his wife and son. Ailport's car lot was just around the corner from where the Schieles built their family home. Ron said the family built it themselves on a quiet dead-end road to raise their two children. Ron works for Therma Wood Technologies, a wood pressure treatment company that operates on the property directly west of the Schieles. Ron could take his ATV to work, while wife Annette operated a boutique in Polson. Ron said the family purchased their SUV from Ailport around 2019. I thought wed buy local and from the neighbors and wed help them out, Ron said. It was kinda hard to deal with, but we made the deal. The Schieles didnt hear much from Ailport until late 2021 or early 2022, when he moved from his car lot onto a 2-acre lot directly north of the familys property. The lot sits on a small knoll along where the neighbors turn into the road. Things were normal until Ailport started moving his car business of 30-40 vehicles onto the new property. The neighbors weren't very happy about it, either, and we looked at our covenants, but we couldnt do anything because they werent advertising that it was a car lot, Annette said. The Schieles' neighbor, Shawn Blixt, also recalled running into Ailport at various car shows and races around Montana. Blixt was raised in the Mission Valley and has worked as a lineman for more than 20 years. Blixt said he never really liked Ailport, but for some reason Ailport would come to him to discuss neighborhood gossip. He would come over wanting to know all about Ron and the other neighbors, Blixt told the Missoulian. The Schiele family said Ailport grew more suspicious of them and started accusing them of theft or trespassing on his property. Anna recalled when Ailport called law enforcement and accused the family of breaking into his trailer through a vent. When deputies arrived, Anna said Ailport showed the vent in question, which turned out to be the size of a license plate. Another time, Ailport thought the family tried to steal a metal sheet covering his storage container. Other days, Blixt would see Ailport flip off the neighbors and randomly curse at others. Sometimes at night, the neighbors caught Ailport driving around his dirt lot for hours. Blixt said he would watch Ailport start one of his lot cars and jack the radio to max, walk away and let the car run out of gas. We started noticing about every five to seven days, almost on the dot, you could know he was going to do something crazy, Ron said. The first standoff The initial sign of serious concern from the neighborhood was when Ailport started getting more aggressive toward people. On Aug. 2, 2022, he stopped by the Schiele house as Annette and Anna unloaded groceries from their car. He told them he was looking for Ron, but wouldn't say why, Annette said. I said, As soon as he gets home, I can have him give you a call, she said. And he says, No, no, we need to get this figured out now. Annette said Ailport eventually became disgruntled and went home. The next time they ran into him was on Aug. 22, 2022. The Schieles were at home making dinner with family from Wyoming when Ailport appeared with his truck and attached trailer. Ron said at first he couldn't see Ailport, who was on the other side of the home. Ailport then drove the truck and trailer off his property and onto Rons companys property, where he got on an ATV trail with the truck and trailer. The family said Ailport brandished a gun and yelled at Ron that its time to settle this. Ron said he did not get off his property and told Ailport that he did not have a problem with his neighbor. He said he was concerned that the situation could escalate and someone could get hurt. The castle rule in Montana, if someone comes at you in a threatening manner, you can defend yourself, Ron said. Is he just trying to lead me off my property to walk over there so he can say Im acting in a threatening manner and he can shoot? I dont know whats going on in this guys mind. The family relocated to the other side of the house. Ron and Annette said they stayed on the side facing Ailport, though the truck and trailer were 80 yards away. Eventually, Ailport did leave. He did so by cutting across the familys land, driving across their septic lines on the way to his house, they said. The family called the police, and they said officers arrived two minutes later. When officers got to Ailports house, his wife said he had taken off his prosthetic legs and gone to bed. Officers said there was nothing they could do until they talked to him. The next day, the family said officers talked to Ailport and issued a criminal trespassing citation, which equates to up to a $500 fine. Ron said he couldnt believe the lack of consequences. Ron began carrying his gun at that point. He said he and his neighbors became more and more wary of Ailport. The threat Blixt told the Missoulian that Ailport came to his house on June 16, 2023, with a conspiracy theory. Ailport alleged Ron Schiele and another neighbor were having an affair with his wife, Delfina. Blixt said Ailport reported that he had been watching dark figures walk down the road past his camper, where Ailport often slept, and into his house. Blixt said he did not believe the story, and instead thought Ailport confused lustful-appearing neighbors with his teenage son, who would sneak out of the house from time to time. Blixt said he told Ailport there was no way the affair could be true, but Ailport was convinced. He told me that he was going to kill Ron, our other neighbor and then his wife, Blixt said, adding that Ailport asked which room Ron lived in. Blixt said he immediately told Ron and the other neighbor about the issue. Ron said he had never even had a conversation with Ailports wife. Ron said he called the sheriff but felt dismissed by officers. When I called the sheriff, they were all in a hurry to get off the phone, Ron said. Within two minutes of me hanging up, (police) cars pulled in (to Ailports place). Well (the wife) had called the cops on him because he was trying to strangle her that night. We know hes pretty serious, because he is doing what he is saying hes going to do, Ron said. We gotta stop this guy, and (law enforcement) basically told me at this point, We cant arrest crazy, and I said, I feel pretty damn threatened right now. Ailport kept telling people of his conspiracy and started showing up at his neighbors' workplaces, the neighbors wrote in their restraining orders. Annette recalled when she had to lock the front door to her boutique to stop Ailport. Ambree Blixt, Shawns wife, said Ailport also came to her workplace and accused all of the neighborhood men of sleeping with his wife. He came in, shut the door and wanted me to let all the wives know what their husbands were doing with his wife, Ambree Blixt said. After the incident, Shawn and Ambree Blixt began the process of getting a restraining order against Ailport. He always did what he said, Shawn Blixt said. That was probably the only thing he had going for him. Defend yourself? On July 13, 2023, Ron Schiele said he heard shots being fired after returning home from work and texted Blixt, who said it wasn't him. The two said goodnight. Roughly an hour later, Ron said he woke to more firing, and this time Blixt told him it was Ailport taking shots from his house. Blixt recalled the exact time to the Missoulian: 12:26 a.m. He said he used his night-vision scope and saw Ailport pointing his gun at the Schieles' house. He said he watched Ailport fire a hunting rifle at the Schiele house before turning the barrel straight toward him from about 135 yards away. And next thing you know he takes a shot, WOP, right at my house, Blixt said. I said, Oh my god, he just shot at my house. Blixt said he called 911 and asked if he could shoot back while Ailport continued firing. He said Lake County dispatch told him to shelter in place and that shooting back could land him in prison. No transcript of the 911 tape is available because of the active nature of Ailports case, according to Lake County officials. Law enforcement eventually arrived and surrounded Ailport. Charging documents from the incident said Ailport thought he saw five dark figures looking through items in his yard. He then watched the dark figures go across to the neighbor's house, the affidavit said. Ailport told investigators he had not slept for five days after using meth. Investigators wrote Ailport had been calling the police repeatedly for these issues, which turned out to be unfounded and to be delusional in nature. Witnesses reported that the defendants behavior has been unusual lately and his mental health has declined rapidly, the document said. Witnesses suspect that substance abuse may have played a role in the Defendant's unusual behavior. Ailport was not held for long, however. He was released less than 10 hours after his arrest. The court ordered a restraining order for his neighbors and required Ailport to stay off drugs. It is unclear if he received a mental health evaluation as required by the court to leave jail. He was required to take drug tests. To the Schiele family, it appeared Ailport was free to keep harassing the neighborhood. Ron said the incident solidified his opinion that the Lake County Sheriff's Office was not going to take action. My faith in that whole system is nil, he said. So if you ever have a problem, dont depend on someone to come and help you. They will show up after the fact. Limited support While Ailport could have sought help on his own, there are a limited number of mental health providers and facilities in Lake County. The county has roughly half a dozen private-practice physicians dedicated to mental health issues and substance abuse, but little to no space to detox those addicted to drugs. The Lake County Jail was at 135% capacity on one day this month, a county commissioner said, making it difficult to hold new detainees for any reason. On Feb. 23, 13 inmates slept in the jail's recreation room, according to a daily roster. The Flathead Indian Reservation overlaps with most of Lake County and has its own mental health system for tribal members, which includes a detoxification center. Ailport is not Indigenous. Kim Harding, a mental health provider from Polson who specializes in chemical dependency and people in crisis, told the Missoulian there needs to be more outreach to confront people struggling with drug addiction. There are available services, but a lot of times it comes down to communication, Harding said. She said the stigma behind addiction is one of the main barriers to helping vulnerable people. Every person can be close to a crisis episode, Harding said, and people need to talk freely about mental health to make a difference. But Harding said communication is just one part of improving the addiction crisis. She said the system should also be more strict about getting mental health evaluations and needs more places for people struggling with addiction to get clean. Lake County Commissioner Gale Decker said on Feb. 23 that there were 65 inmates at the jail, which has a bed capacity of 48. The Missoulian previously reported a lawsuit by inmates from Lake County Jail reached a settlement to expand the jail and create an outdoor space for inmates. The agreement was reached one week after Ailport drove his car into the Schieles' home. Bell, the sheriff, said in an email that the county does provide mental health services to inmates who need it. Decker said part of the reason for the high number of inmates is a delay in transporting some members of the jail to the Montana Department of Corrections. He said the jail usually is a few people above the limit, which does limit the power the county has to keep certain offenders. There are instances when (offenders) get booked and released when they probably shouldnt, Decker said. Harding said she also has a problem with people putting off mental health evaluations. She said most people who need to take an evaluation for court need to do so within two months, but she said that deadline often gets pushed back or delayed. Sometimes it is a year later and they still havent done one, Harding said. Ill get desperate calls the day before a persons court date asking to get an evaluation done." While Harding said she has seen her fair share of cases, she described Ailport's substance abuse as extreme. Despite the concern, Ailport kept getting out of jail with the help of his family. Cant be stopped Ailport was arrested for shooting at his neighbors on July 13 and was next arrested on Oct. 2, this time for partner or family member assault, according to the Lake County Sheriff's Office. Bell and the Lake County Attorneys Office confirmed the state moved to revoke Ailports bail on Oct. 3, but the judge did not see the motion in time, and Ailport was released. Bell said Lake County then arrested Ailport on a $50,000 bond when he showed up to an Oct. 27 hearing for the July shooting incident. The next day, however, Ailports wife bonded him out of jail. Bell said he is not sure what more the sheriff's office could have done to prevent Ailport's actions. "Deputies appropriately responded to complaints filed against Ailport and arrested him when there was probable cause to do so," Bell said in an email. "Ailport was able to post a bond to be released from jail after an earlier incident involving his alleged use of a firearm." The Schieles said they acted cautiously following Ailports release. Annette said Ailport tried to confront her at her store in Polson on Oct. 5, according to her restraining order. Two weeks later, Annette said she noticed a steel bar resting over Ailports pickup truck while it was parked outside her store. On Nov. 10, the day of Ailports attack, court documents allege Ailport had been up all night. The affidavit reported Ailport listened to tapes of dogs howling in his car for two hours before the incident. He then had a conversation with his wife, who allegedly told him to take a drive, the affidavit said. He told her that he would not be coming back. He then took his truck, lit the fuses of the fireworks and barreled straight into the north side of the Schiele house, documents say. Braeden, Annas boyfriend, said it felt like a train hit the house. Ive been in buildings where it was struck by lightning, but it was nothing like this, Braeden told the Missoulian. Braeden and Ron ran outside after stomping out the fire to confront Ailport. Ron said he saw flames rising from either end of the truck, moving quickly toward the cab. Ron said Ailports hair started to catch fire. Ron pulled Ailport out of the vehicle and dragged him across the yard. Police and fire then arrived on the scene. Shawn Blixt said he got a call from his mom about the incident and raced from a job in Kalispell to his neighbors house. By the end of the day, the Schieles had a giant hole in their house with cold weather approaching. The family is still rebuilding that side of the home, at a cost of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Because Ailport purposefully crashed his car into their house, Ailport's insurance won't cover the damages, Annette said. Ailport was arrested and sent to a burn unit in Salt Lake City for more than a month. He was extradited to Montana and has since been jailed in Lake County. Ailport pleaded not guilty to one charge of possession of dangerous drugs, one count of attempted deliberate homicide and one count of arson. Ailport also still faces his July 2023 charges, including criminal endangerment and criminal mischief. Judge John Larson on Jan. 24 ordered Ailport to undergo a mental health evaluation at the state mental health hospital in Warm Springs when a bed is available. Ailport had yet to be transported as of Wednesday. While Ron and Annette are grateful for the positive all of their family is alive and well they still worry about their safety, even with Ailport in jail. They also expressed frustration that Lake County has charged Ailport with only one count of attempted deliberate homicide, rather than four counts for each person inside the house that day. I am still on the defense, Ron said. You still cannot let your guard down. Within one hour, I think he would do it again. A 56-yerar-old man accused of raping a 7-year-old girl in Butte pleaded not guilty Wednesday after requesting that his attorney appear next to him at the Butte jail. The attorney, Angie Rolando, had asked that Raul Beltran be allowed to attend the arraignment via Zoom from the jail and not be forced to attend an in-person hearing. In District Judge Robert Whelans court, most jail inmates agree to appear for arraignments via video from the Detention Center. When Beltrans case was called, he was there but Rolando was in court. At Beltrans request, Rolando walked to the jail and sat next to her client and both appeared via Zoom. Beltran is charged with sexual intercourse without consent, or in the alternative, sexual assault. He pleaded not guilty to both Wednesday. Sexual intercourse without consent, with the ages involved in this case, carries a maximum sentence of 100 years in prison with no possibility of parole for the first 25 years. Sexual assault in this case is punishable by up to life in prison or 100 years. Beltran was previously convicted of incest involving a 13-year-old girl in Helena in 2005. He was sentenced to 40 years in prison, with 20 of them suspended, and was paroled in late 2020. According to prosecutors, Beltran performed oral sex on a 7-year-old girl in Butte and had her do sex acts to him. The girls parents believe the alleged rapes occurred recently because they found a video the girl had taken of her vaginal area on Jan. 15 to see what it looked like and she told them about the incidents. Police arrested Beltran on Jan. 20 and prosecutor Ann Shea filed initial rape charges the next day. They did not provide details but Shea relayed specifics of what she believed happened in recently filed documents. Beltran remained in the Butte jail after Wednesdays arraignment with bail set at $500,000. Even if he is able to post it, the Montana Department of Corrections has a hold on him because of possible parole violations and he would remain in DOC custody pending further proceedings. Editors note: Calendar items must be submitted at least five days before an event. Email all items to news@morganton.com. FRIDAY Day trip Unifour Christian Ministries will take a trip to the Spartanburg BMW plant and museum. The cost is $90 per person, with lunch at the Beacon included. A bus will pick up attendees at Walmart in Granite Falls at 6 a.m., then at Big Lots in Hickory at 6:15 a.m. For more information, call Annette Guffey at 828-493-1723. Concert Pink Heals NC Foothills will host a concert with Alex Key, a Nashville recording artist with 1990s country sound, at Wayneos Silver Bullet, 5172 S. N.C. 127, Hickory. Doors will open at 7 p.m. with the show starting at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. Visit www.ncpinkheals.com for tickets. SATURDAY Prom dress giveaway Bridge Worship center, 5530 Chestnut Drive, Hickory, will host its second annual prom dress giveaway on March 2 from 9 a.m. to noon. For more information, call 828-443-7623. Pancake Breakfast The Rotary Club of Morganton will hold its annual Pancake Breakfast at the Morganton Community House from 8 a.m. to noon. For $8, enjoy a stack of pancakes, sausage, bacon, eggs and more. The event also will include a raffle and a kids zone. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6 AARP meeting Burke County Chapter 3262 of AARP will meet Wednesday, March 6, at the Collett Street Recreation Center. The morning opens with refreshments at 9:30 a.m., followed by the meeting from 10-11 a.m. The speaker will be Morganton Mayor Ronnie Thompson to share the very latest news, plans and goings-on in our town THURSDAY, MARCH 7 Good Grief Meal AMOREM will hold its next monthly Good Grief Meal at 3 p.m., Thursday, March 7, at JDs Smokehouse, 2731 Morganton Blvd., Lenoir. The informal time of food and fellowship is open to anyone who is experiencing grief and loss. The meal is a Dutch treat. The Good Grief Meal is sponsored through Ashewood Grief and Counseling Services, grief support services of AMOREM, and is one of many opportunities offered to help individuals of all ages and families cope with the loss of their loved ones. Because of the generous support of our community and the belief that grief support services improve quality of life, AMOREM offers community grief support services to anyone who needs help in coping with grief. For more information about the upcoming Good Grief Meal or other grief support services, call 828-754-0101 or visit www.amoremsupport.org. Community forum Open Hearts Place will hold a community forum on the housing shortage in Morganton and Burke County on Thursday, March 7, from 9-10 a.m. and 1-2 p.m. at Saint Matthews Bakery, 201 Shady Rest Road, Morganton. The goal of the forum is to grow awareness of the housing shortage and share how OHP is trying to make a difference. TUESDAY, MARCH 12 Guest presentation Western Piedmont Community College, 1001 Burkemont Ave., will host two guest presentations by Brett Harris, International Education Program Coordinator with UNC Center for European Studies, on March 12 at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. in WPCCs Library in Phifer Hall. Harris will give two presentations on global awareness and world languages, including virtual reality tours of European cities. Community forum Open Hearts Place will hold a community forum on the housing shortage in Morganton and Burke County on Tuesday, March 12, from 7-8 p.m. at Saint Matthews Bakery, 201 Shady Rest Road, Morganton. The goal of the forum is to grow awareness of the housing shortage and share how OHP is trying to make a difference. FRIDAY, MARCH 15 ACC Chili Cookoff The Morganton Downtown Development Association will hold its 30th annual ACC Chili Cookoff from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Morganton Community House. Local amateurs and professionals will compete to make the best chili recipe. Visitors who purchase tickets for $10 will have the opportunity to have all-you-can-eat chili with all of the fixings, cornbread, salad, dessert and beverage. Both dine-in and carry-out options will be available. For more information or to purchase tickets, contact the Morganton Main Street office at 828-438-5280 or info@downtownmorganton.com. SATURDAY, MARCH 16 Fundraiser The Meeting Place Mission will hold its annual Skeet Shoot and Bourbon Tasting fundraiser on Saturday, March 16. Skeet shooting will take place at noon followed by a bourbon tasting at 4 p.m. Heavy hors doeuvres will be served and a silent auction will be held. Visit https://skeet.my.canva.site/ for tickets or more information. Support group meeting The Burke County Parkinsons Support Group will meet Saturday, March 16, at 10 a.m. at the Valdese Public Library, 213 St. Germain Ave., SE. Anyone with Parkinsons, their caregivers, friends and family are invited to attend. For additional information, call 828-879-1093. Support group meeting The Survivors of Loss to Suicide Hickory NC Support Group will be meeting, Saturday, March 16, from 9-10 a.m. at St Stephens Library at 3225 Springs Road, NE, Hickory. The group offers support for the families and friends who have lost a loved one to suicide and is open to teens and adults. If you have any questions or need any further, information feel free to email or call Leisa Bentley at leisabentley@charter.net or call 828-828-234-5822. TUESDAY, MARCH 19 Musical performance Western Piedmont Community College, 1001 Burkemont Ave., will have the KAIA Quartet performing in WPCCs Leviton Auditorium on March 19 at 11 a.m. THURSDAY, MARCH 21 Lunch and Learn Friends of the Valdese Rec will host Valdese Mayor Charles Watts as a guest speaker for its Lunch and Learn. The free event for adults begins at noon with lunch and 20 minutes of social time before the program. RSVP by March 19 to friendsofthevaldeserec@gmail.com if you would like to attend. The event will be held at First United Methodist Church, 217 St. Germain Ave. S.E., Valdese. SATURDAY, MARCH 23 Pancake breakfast The Rotary Club of Valdese will hold its annual pancake breakfast on March 23 from 7-11 a.m. at First Methodist Church, 217 Germain Ave., SW, in Valdese. Tickets are $8. FRIDAY, MARCH 29 Vietnam War Veterans Day ceremony National Vietnam War Veterans Day will be observed at the KIA Monument at the historic courthouse square. The Quaker Meadows Chapter National Society Daughters of the American Revolution will be conducting a service to recognize veterans who served during the time of the conflict on Friday, March 29, at 11 a.m. Those attending should bring chairs if they want to sit. There will be a special section reserved for veterans of the Vietnam War. In the event of rain, the service will be inside the historic courthouse which is handicap accessible. For information, contact the DAR chapter at quakermeadowsdar@gmail.com. Blood Drive A Red Cross Blood Drive will be held Friday, March 29, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at North Morganton United Methodist Church, 990 Sanford Drive, Morganton. To schedule your appointment, contact www.redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-733-2767 THURSDAY, APRIL 18 Lunch and Learn Friends of the Valdese Rec will host Sheriff Banks Hinceman as a guest speaker for its Lunch and Learn event. The event will begin at noon with lunch and 20 minutes of social time before the program. RSVP to friendsofthevaldeserec@gmail.com if you would like to attend. The event will be held at First United Methodist Church, 217 St. Germain Ave., SE, Valdese. SATURDAY, APRIL 27 Trip Cruise Unifour Christian Ministries will be embarking on a cruise to Grand Turk and Dominican Republic. Members of the public are invited to join. Call Annette Guffey at 828-493-1723 or 828-396-1906 for more information. Allen and Doris Fullwood received many accolades from the community upon being awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine in 2022, including from Caroline Avery, who nominated them for the award. Doris and I worked together at the Community Foundation of Burke County, and Allen and I have worked on the Burke Coalition for Reconciliation, Avery said. Through their work, volunteerism and daily lives, they have dedicated their lives to building bridges and inspiring people to come together to improve the quality of life for all. Their example has shaped many lives and encouraged others, young and old, to work hard to pursue their dreams and passions. Their commitment to Burke County and North Carolina has been deeply impactful, sacrificial and life-changing. Others familiar with the couples passion for volunteer work commented on their impact: Doris possesses the special qualities that make others feel important, individual and noticed. Her dedication and leadership are prime examples of the heart and soul of community service. Dr. David Burleson, former superintendent of Burke County Public Schools Allen promotes and is adept at bringing the right people and the right groups together when he sees a community-centric issue that needs addressed or a problem solved. Andrew Kota, executive director, Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina. As Doris continues to foster powerful relationships in her church and community, she never fails to ask for support for Bennett College and other institutions of higher education. She exemplifies the Bennett Ideal who is smart, compassionate, kind, neighborly and has high integrity. Deborah Love People with developmental disabilities, mental illness, substance abuse and the elderly, as well as students of all ages, have benefitted from Allens volunteerism of more than 50 years. Jean Farmer Butterfield With the unwavering support of Miss Luck (Doris) and the teachers and staff of our small, segregated Olive Hill school, I was given the necessary tools and resources to be successful. Marian Hammett When I read down the many endeavors of Allens life of service, I am in awe from his barrier-breaking role on the Morganton and Burke County school board during the tense years of consolidation, to his three decades of service in the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. The Rev. Dr. Scott Oxford The couples daughters reflected on their parents legacy as well. My sister Diatra and I love how each of our parents have respectively made their mark in Burke County and across the state, Valaida said. For years, weve seen and heard how Moms career as an educator influences and shapes the lives of so many people. She also is devoted to her own schoolmates and alma maters, Asheboros Central High and Bennett College. Were also proud of Dads lifetime of service, trailblazing leadership and wide-ranging involvement. It astounds me that at age 26, he integrated the school board and then served for over a decade. Over 50 years later, he remains remarkably active, taking on leading roles on boards and committees at his church and also with organizations that serve people with disabilities, protect land and water, and advocate restorative justice and community healing. Beyond doubt, both have built legacies that reverberate. The Montana Supreme Court overturned a man's conviction of sexual assault on a minor this week, finding prosecutors had intermingled laws to construct a "fictional" charge against the man. Daniel Christopher Rowe was convicted by a Broadwater County jury in December 2021 on sexual assault of a minor in a common scheme for the alleged assault of a boy over many years, in several different counties. The reversal sends the case back to district court for a new trial, should prosecutors opt to pursue one against Rowe. Authorities accused Rowe of assaulting the boy in three incidents, in 2008 and twice in 2012; each incident is alleged to have occurred in a different county. A fourth incident for which he was not charged but was brought up at his trial is alleged to have happened in 2013, after the boy turned 16, which in Montana is the age of consent. Gathering the three incidents when the boy was a minor under the single charge sexual assault of a minor by common scheme was a "fundamental error," the majority of Supreme Court justices said in their Tuesday ruling. Doing so, they wrote, opened the door for prosecutors to improperly include testimony about the fourth incident in 2013 as evidence that the earlier assaults likely occurred, even though he had not been charged for the 2013 incident. More central to the Supreme Court's ruling, however, is the application of "common scheme" to the sexual assault charge. Associate Justice Laurie McKinnon authored the court's majority opinion signed by four additional justices. "The fundamental error that led to the improper admission of the other bad acts evidence was that the state charged Rowe with a fictional offense that is not cognizable under Montana law," McKinnon wrote. She pointed to the criminal statute for sexual assault of a minor, which mentions no route through which prosecutors can assemble multiple assaults together under a "common scheme," which itself, McKinnon writes, is "exclusively" an enhancement for property crimes. Associate Justice Beth Baker was alone in her dissent (Justice Jim Rice recused himself from the case), pointing out that Rowe's attorneys had not actually raised the common scheme issue on his appeal. By using this point as a springboard to its ruling on the fictitious charge, Baker writes, the case has been decided "on the basis of an issue of its own making." Broadwater County Attorney Cory Swanson, who prosecuted the case, said Wednesday he disagreed that the state's definition of common scheme limited the matter to property crimes. The statute language, Swanson contended, also allows application to cases that result in the repeated commission of the same offense or that affects the same person. Determining how to charge the case was an issue at the onset, Swanson said, considering Rowe could have been charged in four separate counties. "Generally you don't want to make a victim go testify four times to nearly identical events, particularly when they're an adult recounting things that happened to them as a minor," he said. "I think they (the court's majority) got it plain wrong." Also at issue in the case was how the jury was instructed to consider the term "knowingly," an important but technical detail of the sexual assault law. The Supreme Court's majority found the district court judge had erred by allowing two of the three definitions for that term in the jury instructions, but did not specify to jurors which definition applied to which elements of the crime. To this point, Baker countered that the definition of "knowingly" was not substantial enough to the outcome of the case to warrant a reversal. Rowe's only defense at trial was that the alleged assaults did not happen; so if the jury believed he had assaulted the victim, there was nothing in the record to suggest he did not do so knowingly, Baker wrote. The opinion reverses Rowe's conviction and sends the case back to district court for a new trial based on the guidance of their ruling. Colin Stephens, who represented Rowe on appeal, said his client was emotional in learning of the ruling on Tuesday. Stephens said his firm would likely continue to represent Rowe if prosecutors pursue a new trial against him. Swanson said his office was determining its next steps forward, considering the parameters set by the Supreme Court's ruling. "If we have to try him again we are prepared to do that," Swanson said. Swanson announced a bid for Montana Supreme Court Chief Justice last year. He so far faces only former federal magistrate Jerry Lynch in the contest to replace outgoing Chief Justice Mike McGrath. DES MOINES A Senate subcommittee advanced a bill Wednesday already passed by the House to prohibit the use of a merchant code for credit card transactions at gun retailers meant to detect suspicious firearms and ammunition sales even though lobbyists said credit card companies dont plan to use the codes in Iowa. Representatives of Iowa's credit unions told lawmakers theres no need for the bill. Our card issuers dont have access to the (Merchant Category Codes), Madison Grady, a lobbyist with the Iowa Credit Union League, told lawmakers. We just dont see a need for (the bill) right now. Were not currently storing any of this firearms information. Justin Hupfer, also with the Iowa Credit Union League, said credit unions are not declining transactions in Iowa because of gun purchases. I dont think theres a problem in Iowa that needs to be addressed, but we also dont have any operational concern with, Hupfer said. House File 2464 would prevent banks and credit card companies from using a merchant code that would differentiate a gun shop from a general merchandise or sporting goods store. The bill also would prohibit banks and credit card companies from declining a transaction based solely on a firearms code attached to the store. And it would bar state and local governmental agencies from keeping a record or registry of privately owned firearms, except for records kept during the regular course of a criminal investigation, a prosecution, any court case or as otherwise required by law. The bill was amended to codify current standard practices of financial institutions to provide consumer protections, including to help detect and deter illegal or suspicious activities, and also prevent fraud by alerting customers of a suspicious purchase. Supporters of the bill have said it aims to prevent financial institutions from creating a de facto gun registry. Merchant category codes are used to classify different types of businesses by the types of goods and services sold. The U.S. Treasury Departments Financial Crimes Enforcement Network has sent guidance to financial institutions encouraging them to use new merchant category codes that would help them monitor and report suspicious activity connected to illegal firearms trafficking, money-laundering proceeds from trafficking in firearms or other criminal activity. Major credit card companies are moving to make a merchant code available for firearm and ammunition retailers to comply with a new California law that will allow banks to potentially track suspicious gun purchases and report them to law enforcement. Visa, Mastercard and American Express had paused the implementation of the new code because some Republican-led states are working to block its enactment. Grady said representatives from Visa have assured the credit union league that they have no intention of using the firearm code in other states and it will be used only in California because of the new law there. Gun rights advocates said the code is an infringement on privacy and Second Amendment rights. There is a movement to try to identify people who buy firearms or firearms-related equipment, and to make a judgment a subjective judgment on whether thats proper, whether they bought too much, whether they bought the right things or the wrong things, said Richard Rogers, a volunteer lobbyist and board member of the Iowa Firearms Coalition. We think this is important to protect privacy. Sen. Tony Bisignano, D-Des Moines, who served on the subcommittee that advanced the bill, called it a boogeyman but was not opposed to the bill, noting the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa was registered in support. Sen. Jason Schultz, R-Schleswig, who chaired the subcommittee, said while the codes are not an issue in Iowa, he believes there is a future national discussion that I think we want to have in place ahead of. The bill now moves to the full Senate Commerce Committee for consideration. Kenya and Ethiopia have signed seven Memoranda of Understanding aimed at enhancing cooperation in various areas of mutual interest. These agreements include cooperation in cultural development, tourism, wildlife, the blue economy, correctional services, petroleum and energy development, as well as capacity building in the public service. President William Ruto, on the first day of a three-day State Visit by Ethiopia Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed at State House Nairobi, emphasized the commitment of both nations to strengthen partnerships for rapid economic transformation and shared prosperity. Ruto stated, I believe that we are now ready to take the next step in making the Kenya-Ethiopia partnership a beacon of transformative possibility and a force of good in our region and our continent. During the visit, both leaders committed to leveraging the cordial relations between the two nations to enhance trade and investment. Prime Minister Ahmed highlighted the pivotal role of the strong relations in expediting the realization of ambitious economic plans for both nations. The leaders also inspected the KETRACO Converter Station in Suswa, Kajiado County, facilitating cross-border power transfer between Kenya and Ethiopia, and soon with Tanzania, via the 400kV Isinya Sub-Station. This project aims to provide reliable and affordable energy from a regional resource base, enhancing environmental resilience and reducing pollution and vulnerability to climate change. It is expected to increase the volume of power supply at a lower tariff, reducing the cost of electricity in Kenya by more than Kes.90 million in average bulk purchase cost. Students from Kilembwa Secondary in Mwala Sub County are designing a robot, named lobster, to assist in litter collection while they concentrate on their studies. The initiative is supported by Kenya Connect (KC), a local Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), in collaboration with Future Investment Initiative (FII), a global nonprofit foundation. These organizations partnered to equip learners with laptops and robotic kits, fostering innovation in the development of the robot. Mr. Michael Muthama, a teacher at the school, highlighted that the availability of Information, Communication, and Technology infrastructure in the school has heightened the students interest in technological innovation. The computer lab has changed the attitude of learners in school and during computer class, the students are very keen, said Muthama. He highlighted that despite the schools remote location, students have the opportunity to innovate with the assistance of KC and FII. Muthama emphasized that the project will provide students with crucial ICT skills, offering them a competitive advantage upon graduation. Maxwell Karanja, a form two student aspiring to be an aeronautical engineer, praised the project for allowing him to learn ICT. He expressed that once operational, the robot would save students time spent cleaning the school, allowing them to concentrate on their studies. When we come to school in the morning we are supposed to clean the whole compound so the robot will help us clean as we focus on our studies in the morning, said Karanja. The student added that the robot would contribute to reducing the risk of infection among students, as it eliminates the need for them to pick up litter with their bare hands. Karanja explained that the robot will be equipped with color sensors programmed through the computer, allowing it to sense and pick up litter based on the programmed colors before disposing of them into a dustbin. Additionally, he noted that a computer would be programmed to monitor the robots movements around the compound as it senses and locates litter. Kenya Connect is an NGO in Mwala Sub County dedicated to engaging and empowering students and teachers for academic excellence. President William Ruto asserted that the government is committed to collaborating with county governments to unlock Kenyas economic potential. He outlined the goal to transform devolution beyond governance and resource-sharing into providing public services, fostering opportunities, facilitating radical economic revival, and enabling prosperity at the grassroots. President Ruto explained that the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda is being implemented through value chains to enhance productivity in various sectors and industries at the county level. Under the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda, the government is committed to playing its designated role not only to strengthen devolution as a fundamental constitutional mandate, but also because devolved units have numerous opportunities for rapid economic growth, he said. During the Second Homa Bay County International Investment Conference on Tuesday, he highlighted initiatives such as creating special economic zones, county aggregation and industrial parks, promoting the hustler economy, and strengthening micro, small, and medium enterprises as key interventions to unlock the potential of counties. As we have noted, our achievements so far bear clear imprints of intergovernmental collaboration, he noted, adding that programs like subsidised fertilizer, community health promoters, affordable housing projects, and the digital economy have significantly transformed the socio-economic growth of counties. You are here: China China intensified its crackdown on tax-related offenses to mitigate tax revenue losses in 2023, according to government agencies. Last year, relevant authorities examined a total of 174,000 businesses suspected of tax fraud, said a recent statement made by eight departments, including the State Taxation Administration and the Ministry of Public Security. In particular, approximately 16.6 billion yuan (about 2.3 billion U.S. dollars) was recovered during crackdowns on crimes related to export tax rebates, according to the statement. The eight departments said that they would continue to work together to tackle tax-related crimes, as part of efforts to safeguard China's tax security and ensure sound operations of the economy. China's total tax and fee incomes reached 31.7 trillion yuan last year, including 15.9 trillion yuan of tax revenue and 8.2 trillion yuan of social insurance premium income. On Wednesday, February 28, authorities arraigned Kelvin Mwaura Ngotho, the alleged mastermind of the Kes.2.85 billion gold scam involving two Malaysian nationals at the Milimani Law courts. He faced charges related to an unsuccessful deal involving 50kg of counterfeit gold in December 2023. Detectives from the DCIs Operations Support Unit arrested Mr Mwaura Ngotho on Tuesday at the court premises while he was attending the hearing of another gold scam case for which he is currently out on bond. Operations Support detectives have been pursuing Mwaura since December 27, 2023, being the mastermind of the near-success $19,000,000 (Kes.2.78m) gold scam deal orchestrated by an 8-member gang, the DCI noted. The DCI reported that Mwaura was the tenant of the Kileleshwa-based premises from which the gang operated. He had entered into a tenancy agreement with the landlord, intending to use the property as a residential house. Mwaura faced charges of conspiracy to commit a felony and attempt to commit a felony. He entered a plea of not guilty to both charges and was granted a bond of Kes.3 million or an alternative cash bail of Kes.1 million. Senior Principal Magistrate R.K. Ondieki scheduled the mention of the case for March 13 at the same court. Well-choreographed Fake Gold Scheme On the day scheduled for sealing the fake gold deal(December 27 last year), detectives raided the house, apprehending Mwauras seven accomplices. However, Mwaura managed to escape during the operation. The transactional meeting was meant to defraud Malaysian nationals Halid Mohamed and Yaacob Zulkannaaub bin Ramali. They were to finalize the first shipment of 50 kg of refined gold, supposedly sourced from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Two days prior, the foreign nationals had arrived in the country following an invitation from Rock Africa miners, operated by the suspects consisting of six Kenyans and one Congolese national. The seven are Patrick Otieno, Charles Cincent Njerenga, Didier Muke, Brian Otiende, Mark Kabete, Ken Kiboi, and Joshua Ngandi. The suspects had set up their operational base in the aforementioned Kileleshwa house, equipped with fully furnished office-style rooms to deceive the unsuspecting victims. Each kilogram of gold was priced at Kes.7.2 million, with the total 500 kilograms of gold, amounting to Kes.2.85 billion. Remarkably, the suspects had also enlisted a G4S security team to guard the main entrance as they conducted business with the Malaysian nationals. However, DCI detectives raided the meeting a few minutes after it had started. The G4S guards were also arrested during the operation. Opposition leader Raila Odinga indicated that meeting President William Ruto in Uganda on Monday was a chance encounter. This comes after pictures of Ruto and Odinga engaging in a discussion with President Museveni at the Uganda leaders farm in Kisozi, Gomba District, sparked political discussions in the two countries. On Wednesday, February 28, 2024, Raila explained that Ruto was in Uganda to discuss oil issues with Museveni, while he (Raila) was there to seek Musevenis support for his bid for the African Union (AU) Commission chairmanship. For context, Ruto and Museveni have had a tense relationship due to an oil trade dispute between Kenya and Uganda. Sources suggest that Ruto sought Odingas intervention to soften the ground and address the brewing diplomatic tension regarding the government-to-government oil deal that denied Ugandas national oil company access to Kenyas oil pipeline. Inside Raila-Ruto meeting with Museveni Yesterday, Raila disclosed that he went to Uganda from Namibia where he had met several African leaders and lobbied for support. I have been running around trying to get support from different heads of states. I was with some in Namibia and I went to the President of Uganda after I had talked to him to go and ask for his support and then we met there with Mr Ruto who had also gone there to talk about the issues they are having on oil the G to G, with his minister for energy, he said. The former Prime Minister mentioned that, following discussions about his AU Commission candidature, the two leaders agreed to support him. After we talked about my candidature, they talked about the issue of oil among themselves but I asked for their support and both of them agreed that they would support me. President Museveni said he will be the one to propose me as the Chair of African Union Commission and I said thank you, said Raila. Railas Promise to Kenyans Speaking at the Homa Bay International Investment Conference, Odinga also assured his supporters that winning the African Union Commission (AUC) post would not imply that he wont be there for Kenyans. Let me respond to some issues and fears being raised, I am not going anywhere, I am around. I have been running around trying to get support from different heads of state, Raila said. I am not going away. Addis Ababa is only two hours away from Nairobi. I am available, whenever I am called I will answer. I am ready to work with you people. We must ensure what we set out to do is eventually achieved. Napa County Office of Education will decide on Tuesday whether to grant a charter to Mayacamas Charter Middle School. The decision is slated for a meeting of the NCOE board. The meeting will begin at 5 p.m. and include a 20-minute staff presentation and a presentation by Mayacamas petitioners, followed by questions from board members. If the county board approves the petition, Mayacamas, which teaches grades 6 to 8 out of the former St. John the Baptist Catholic School building in downtown Napa, will be allowed to operate as a countywide charter school through June 2029. The Napa Valley Unified School District, which blocked Mayacamas' original bid for a charter more than two years ago, is intent on opposing its approval. At a NVUSD meeting Monday, the school board unanimously voted to pursue litigation if NCOE approves the petition. The board declined to comment on who the school district would target in court. NVUSD spokesperson Julie Bordes said the school is devoted to making choices that are the most beneficial to students with data supported by the state education code and the law. "As soon as the litigation has formally commenced, details will be shared," she said in a statement. At the hearing, NVUSD board members listened to a presentation and analysis of Mayacamas' chances to succeed as a countywide charter school. Stephanie Medrano Farland, an education policy consultant, pointed out what she called numerous flaws in the Mayacamas charter petition, such as lacking a school safety plan or required reading curriculum for underachieving students. She also criticized the analysis done by NCOE staff, which recommends the board approve the charter under the condition that those issues are remedied. "These conditions that Napa County staff put into their recommendations and findings are a valid reason to deny a charter school," Farland said. "Those were some big holes. Those were some big red flags." Other conditions include plans for providing adaptive technology for special education students and establishing clear protocols for functions like hiring and payroll. If the board denies Mayacamas a countywide charter, NCOE spokesperson Seana Wagner said that decision would be final, and the school would have no right to appeal. At the March 5 NCOE meeting, audience members will have a total maximum of one hour to make comments after the reports. Speakers will be allotted up to three minutes and can sign up in advance at https://bit.ly/ncoecommentmarch2024. Due to the time restriction, not everyone may be able to give their opinion. After the board hears from staff, petitioners and the public, trustees will deliberate and then are scheduled to decide whether to approve or oppose Mayacamas' petition. Mayacamas has been both criticized and championed by members of the community long before it opened in August 2023. Some parents and teachers at Napa Valley Unified School District believe that Mayacamas has no legal ground to stand on, while others believe it gives children an alternative to district schools, which supporters of the charter school believe need reform. Questions about consultant's involvement continue As community members debate whether the school is doing a public good, records obtained by the Napa Valley Register last year put into question whether the NCOE board was getting an unbiased review on the petition from its own staff. Public records obtained by the newspaper showed the consultant NCOE hired to analyze Mayacamas charter petition, Lynne Vaughan, helped the writers edit the petition and even wrote some portions of the document. Emails between NCOE Superintendent Barbara Nemko, Vaughan, and Mayacamas co-founders Lauren Daley and Jolene Yee indicate that Vaughan helped edit and draft certain sections of the August 2023 charter petition. This included mentions of a partnership idea between the charter and Angwin-based Pacific Union College, one that was later abandoned over public outcry of the Adventist institution's stance toward same-sex marriages and LGBTQ issues. Outside observers also questioned the independence of the analysis due to its quick turnaround. The staff report of the 223-page document, turned in by the petitions on a Friday, was completed the following Tuesday. During its Feb. 13 meeting, Nemko addressed the issue after board president Don Huffman asked if she knew of any bias on Vaughans part. Did she answer questions they (petition writers) had? Certainly. Did she write their petition? Certainly not, Nemko said. Conflict of interest generally involves money, and I promise you, nobody is making any money off this. In follow-up email correspondence between the Register and Nemko, she emphasized that Vaughans role was that of an editor, and she had no part in drafting the documents. "Ms. Vaughan reviewed the petition before it was submitted to note possible problems with the petition so that those could be corrected before the petition was filed," she wrote. "She did not 'draft' the petition in the sense that it was her work-product or that she created it from the ground up." Experts on charter schools have differing thoughts on the appropriateness of Vaughan's work. Before Farland, who gave the NVUSD presentation earlier in the week, worked as a education consultant, she was head of the charter division for the California Department of Education. She said that, in her experience, there is usually a higher degree of separation between the educational institution tasked with approving or denying a charter and the petitioners. "Usually when they (the county) hire a consultant, it is to assist their staff in oversight or authorizing," she said. "I don't know if I've seen a lot of consultants work directly with the charter schools. That, to me, is unusual." Whether or not it is a conflict legally, Farland said those governmental organizations must work to make it clear none exist. "In terms of best practice, I would encourage authorizers to not be overly involved with how charter petitions are written, only to make sure that boards are free from any bias when they make their decisions," Farland said. But Ricardo Soto, chief advocacy officer and general counsel of the California Charter Schools Association, said the hands-on work like Vaughan did is entirely appropriate. He said public school agency staffers and charter school petitioners have long worked together, providing feedback and bringing up concerns prior to board approval. "Maybe the district is trying to paint this in a nefarious way, but it is something that has happened before and good practice would be for this to happen frequently," Soto said. Public records dispute How much Vaughan has been involved since August is currently unknown. The Napa Valley Register requested documents related to this, including Vaughan's contract, on Feb. 6. NCOE officials responded on Feb. 14, providing at that point only a copy of Vaughan's contract which states she was hired to "provide oversight and support for Mayacamas Charter Middle School in relation to curriculum, instruction, and operations." It states she is being paid $1,000 a month, plus expenses, running from April 2023 until the end of June 2024. However, NCOE Assistant Superintendent Joshua Schultz told the paper the remaining requests which would presumably show the breadth and depth of Vaughan's continued involvement would not be available until March 15. Attorney Roger Myers, a partner with Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner who is representing the Register in the matter, told Schultz that, under public records regulations, the deadline to produce the documents would be March 1. "Your email says, in essence, that the Napa County Office of Education intends to delay production of responsive records until after the Board of Education votes on the Mayacamas charter petition, in violation of California law," Myers wrote. Myers proposed a schedule for the county to follow in order to comply with the public records request. As of publication, no further documents have been received by the paper. The road for Mayacamas has been a long one. Mayacamas backers applied to receive a charter from NCOE amid more than two years of battles with NVUSD. The school district vetoed Mayacamas' original charter application in December 2021. The NCOE upheld that denial in 2022. A tug-of-war has ensued at the state level and in the courts. Mayacamas organizers appealed the local vetoes to the State Board of Education, which ruled in favor of the charter school. NVUSD filed a suit to overturn the state's approval, and a Sacramento County Superior Court judge ruled in its favor. Mayacamas then appealed that court decision last August. With courtroom appeals continuing, Mayacamas opened Aug. 16 and then filed a separate charter petition a countywide one with NCOE. Petitioners withdrew that request in November, but resubmitted their plan in January. An approval next week by the county board of the latest petition would effectively end that dispute, as Mayacamas would not longer need a district-level charter. A denial, however, means the court case currently on appeal would be the final say. Photos: Mayacamas School prepping for first day of school Aizawl: Mizoram chief minister Lalduhoma on Thursday said that his government would not collect biometric details of Myanmar and Bangladesh refugees using the existing portal. The chief minister also said that the Centre is currently assisting the state government to provide relief to the refugees from Myanmar and Bangladesh and internally displaced people (IDP) from Manipur, who are taking shelter in the northeastern state. Lalduhoma informed the assembly on Thursday that the Ministry of Home Affairs had directed the state government to collect biometric data of Myanmar and Bangladesh refugees in April last year. Although the previous Mizo National Front (MNF) government had initially processed the initiative towards the Centre direction by conducting training and appointing nodal officers, the Council of Ministers in its meeting held in September last year decided not to conduct biometric and biographic enrollment for Myanmar and Bangladesh refugees citing it is not advisable to undertake biometric and biographic preparation due to the state assembly polls to be held in November that year, he said. Our government has decided not to collect biometric details of Myanmar and Bangladesh refugees. During my meeting with the Union Home Minister in January, I told him that the Centre is using the existing portal, which is meant for the deportation of illegal immigrants, for collecting biometric details of refugees, Lalduhoma said while replying to a question from opposition MNF member Robert Romawia Royte. Also Read: Assam: Hundreds protest exclusion of over 200 families from ration benefits in Dibrugarh He said that the Myanmar and Bangladesh nationals, who took refuge in the state, feared deportation due to the Centres directive to collect biometric data from them. Upon request, the Home Minister assured him that no refugees would be deported until peace is restored in the neighbouring countries, the chief minister said. Lalduhoma also said that the state government is currently assisting the refugees from Myanmar and Bangladesh and IDP from Manipur with its resources. Also Read: Assam: Man arrested in Nagaon for duping people in name of visa processing He said that the Centre has also provided Rs. 3 crore during the MNF rule and is continuously helping the present state government to assist the refugees and IDP. According to the state home department, a total of 32,221 Myanmar nationals are currently taking shelter in different parts of the state with Champhai district hosting the highest number of Myanmar refugees at 12,484. 1,167 Bangladeshi nationals are also taking shelter in southernmost Mizorams Lawngtlai district, it said. Besides, more than 9,000 internally displaced people from Mizoram are also currently taking shelter in the northeastern state, the home department said. The Myanmar refugees have been taking shelter in the state since February 2021 after the military junta seized power, while the Bangladeshi nationals fled to Mizoram in November 2022 due to a military offensive against an ethnic insurgent group by the Bangladesh army in Bangladeshs Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT). The Kuki-Zo people from Manipur took refuge in Mizoram in May last year following ethnic violence with the majority Meitei community. The Chin people from Myanmar, the Bawm community from Bangladesh and the Kuki-Zo people from Manipur share ethnic ties with the Mizos. RFE/RL: Putin loses in Armenias Yerevan, wins in Gyumri in Russia presidential election High-tech minister on removing Russia TV channels from multiplex: Armenia's dignity is at core of decisions Kazakhstan FM considers it necessary to increase trade with Armenia Armenia, Kazakhstan FMs discuss new logistical opportunities Armenia 2041 Foundation launches Galvanizing Diaspora program Kazakhstan FM notes Armenias Crossroads of Peace projects importance for Middle Corridor Armenia, Kazakhstan FMs sign 2024/25 action plan Armenia PM is in Tavush Province, meeting with residents of Voskepar, Baghanis, neighboring villages Archaeologists find inscription of King Antiochus I of Armenian Yervanduni Dynasty, in Turkey Kazakhstan FM is in Armenia (PHOTOS) Rolls-Royce Ghost to be retired and replaced by new Alpina sedan Ardshinbank cardholders can now enjoy a 10% cashback! Withdrawal from lawsuits against Azerbaijan in international courts will cause irreparable damage to Armenia, Armenians EU Council to discuss assistance to Armenia, Armenian-Azerbaijani normalization 7,825 Karabakh residents who left Armenia since September 2023 have not returned, new data say Armenia to submit application for EU membership? Archaeologists discover where legendary British warship that disappeared in 17th century sank Large number of Russians came from Georgia to Armenia to vote in presidential election, envoy says Stoltenberg: NATO hopes to have stable peace between Azerbaijan, Armenia Belgorod attacked by two rockets during the day: there are dead and injured Media: Elon Musk's company is building a network of hundreds of spy satellites for US intelligence Shooting in Pennsylvania: at least three dead, gunman took hostages MEPs appeal to EU leadership to protect cultural heritage of Artsakh Armenians New talks between Israel and Hamas are scheduled in Qatar on Sunday India's national elections will be held from 19 April to 1 June Aliyev: Azerbaijan and Georgia have always supported each other's sovereignty Iran calls for formation of international coalition against Israel Biden told Aliyev of US commitment to peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan Stoltenberg will meet in Yerevan with the President and Prime-minister of Armenia Turkish Foreign Ministry issues anti-Russian statement on Crimea issue Zakharova: There is a historical answer to Armenia's doubts about sincerity of Russia's intentions Zakharova: Moscow discusses with Armenia dragging Yerevan into anti-Russian course Zakharova: Armenia's withdrawal from CSTO should be based on real needs of the country, not on "flirting" with West Amazon and Microsoft suspend their cloud products in Russia Dollar, euro lose value in Armenia Armenia deputy FM: There has been considerable regress regarding visa facilitation with EU Deputy FM: As landlocked country, Armenia recognizes vital importance of inclusive connectivity, open borders FM: Armenia made every effort to prevent de-Armenianization in Karabakh FM to reporters: You will be the first to know when Armenia intends to apply for EU membership Ararat Mirzoyan: All Armenia authorities have negotiated on territorial concessions to Azerbaijan FM: Deepening of Armenia's relations with the West, EU not directed against Russia Mirzoyan: Unprecedented number of senior French officials visited Armenia in 2023 Ararat Mirzoyan: Armenia, Azerbaijan are close to mutual understanding on recognition of 1991 borders Armenia made very active efforts to have minimal mutually acceptable wording with CSTO partners, FM assures FM: Georgia ready to contribute to process of establishing peace in South Caucasus Armenia FM: Events have occurred that have made it impossible to do certain things Armenia FM: Ultimate goal not materialized yet in relations with Turkey FM: There are international players interested in Armenia ceasing to exist Mirzoyan: No agreement between Armenia, Azerbaijan to withdraw international lawsuits against each other Armenia FM reiterates PM's arguments on handover of 4 villages in Tavush Province to Azerbaijan FM: Armenia still doesnt understand how CSTO partners present their area of responsibility in South Caucasus Mirzoyan: EU monitoring mission in Armenia has become factor of stability on Azerbaijan border Dennis Francis: UN hopes for signing of Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty FM: 23 Armenians still kept in custody in Azerbaijan Armenia FM: Still not many tangible results on fundamental issues, we are still negotiating with Azerbaijan European Commission official underscores provision of assistance to people affected by Karabakh conflict Peter Stano: Armenia can apply for EU membership MFA: Genocide prevention agenda is among Armenias priorities Russia holding presidential elections US intelligence warns of potentially devastating new pandemic Newspaper: Birth rate in Armenia 19% lower than last year Stoltenberg: NATO sought to maintain stronger relations with Armenia and Azerbaijan Georgian Prime Minister to visit Armenia Premier receives IMF Armenia mission chief Anne-Laurence Petel-led delegation to arrive in Armenia FM: Armenia looks into prospects of further deepening partnership with EU New technologies at the core of rural infrastructure development Russia is world leader in nuclear technology, Putin says Vardges Sureniants Salome painting returns to National Gallery of Armenia exhibition Dollar drops, euro rises in Armenia Sunak: There is historic opportunity to put an end to Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict Armenia authorities, who paid $6M for Snoop Dogg concert, still dont know when this postponed event will be held Deputy economy minister: Matter of opening India-Iran-Armenia trade corridor being discussed Armenia official: Trade with India amounted to $380M in 2023 ICC NCA head: India considers Armenia an important bridge to enter larger markets Anne-Laurence Petel welcomes resolution on EU-Armenia relations India ambassador: We are happy that our relations with Armenia are developing in defense sector also Indians are now 2nd largest community in Armenia after Russians, envoy says India-Armenia business forum kicks off in Yerevan Armenia parliament speaker on European Parliament resolution: We thank European partners for this important step The European Parliament has adopted two resolutions calling for immediate sanctions against Azerbaijan. Artur Hovhannisyan, secretary of the ruling majority Civil Contract Faction in the National Assembly of Armenia, wrote about this on Facebook. Hovhannisyan noted as follows "The European Parliament adopted 2 resolutions on foreign policy and EU security and defense policy, in each of which it calls on the EU: To immediately impose sanctions against Azerbaijan and suspend the memorandum of understanding on strategic energy partnership. To be prepared to impose targeted and individual sanctions against Azerbaijan's political and military leadership, suspend [Azerbaijani] oil and [natural] gas imports in the event of any military aggression by Azerbaijan against Armenia. To strengthen the mandate of the EU [civilian monitoring] mission in Armenia, increase its size, extend its term, and deploy monitors on the [Armenian] border with Turkey. To stop negotiations on a new partnership agreement with Azerbaijan." We did not look realistically at the situation we were living in after the end of the [19]90s. President of Armenia Vahagn Khachaturyan stated this while reflecting on the Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) at his meeting with representatives of the Armenian community and organizations in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad. "We [i.e. Armenians] failed to realize the potential we had, as a result of which we would have had the opportunity to have what we dreamed of. We lost that opportunity. I never give an assessment. We are all guilty, especially us citizens living in Armenia and especially the politicians living in Armenia, of which I am one of the representatives. We could not realistically assess the situation in which we live, and based on that situation, try to find a solution with our neighbors that should have been dignified for both Artsakh and our compatriots living in Artsakh. We have always given assessments based on our own interests; we wanted it that way, we didn't want to deal with the interests of the other side. But it doesn't happen that way; it's like a two-way street," said the president of Armenia. Azerbaijan systematically destroys the cultural heritage of Azerbaijani-occupied Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) at the state level. Ombudsman of Culture of Hayk, Hovik Avanesov, noted this on Facebook. He added as follows: We document numerous instances of Azerbaijani vandalism in our daily reports. Another video recently surfaced on the Internet, vividly depicting Azerbaijani vandals using construction equipment to demolish the cemetery of the Hin (Old) Shen settlement in the Shushi region of the Republic of Artsakh. After the large-scale war unleashed by the Turkish-Azerbaijani terrorist tandem on September 27, 2020, and lasting until 2023, Artsakh witnessed forcible displacement. During this period, the historical cemeteries of Shushi, numerous cemeteries in the settlements of Hadrut and Martuni regions, as well as the cemetery of Sghnak village in the Askeran region, and the fraternal cemetery of Haterk village in the Martakert region, became targets of Azerbaijan's state-level policy of cultural genocide. Once again, all of this underscores the imminent threat of destruction and usurpation facing the cultural heritage of Artsakh. According to Article 4 of the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in Armed Conflict, any act of vandalism, theft, robbery, misappropriation, hostility, or reprisal against cultural heritage is strictly prohibited. Furthermore, the first Hague Protocol of 1954 explicitly forbids the destruction of cultural or spiritual values in occupied territories. Also, Avanesov posted a respective video. The European Union (EU) annual report on the common security and defense policy, which was adopted by the European Parliament on Wednesday, emphasizes the need to apply purposeful and targeted sanctions against Azerbaijan in case of its aggression against Armenia, reports Armenpress. The report calls for being ready to apply targeted and individual sanctions against the perpetrators of aggression, but not to be limited to the political and military circle of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, and to suspend the import of oil and natural gas from Azerbaijan in case of any military aggression by this country. The European Parliament members, with the adopted report, call on the EU to immediately apply sanctions against Azerbaijan and suspend the memorandum of understanding on strategic partnership in the energy sector. Also, they question Azerbaijan's eligibility to host the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) in 2024, while the country plans to increase its fossil fuel production by a third over the next decade. According to European Parliament members, the risks of the resumption of military operations in the South Caucasus are a cause of serious concern and show the need for more active engagement by the EU in the region. Also, the report calls on the EU's European External Action Service (EEAS) to assist the Armenian and Azerbaijani sides in reaching a historic peace agreement, and on the two parties and the international community to remain vigilant and reject any attempts and provocations from outside that are aimed at preventing the two countries from achieving a stable peace agreement. The European Parliament is concerned that the prospects for a normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan remain fragile, which is why the EU should assist and encourage both sides towards this goal, including by offering the prospect of closer integration with the EU if they decide to do so. The report welcomes the establishment of the EU civilian monitoring mission in Armenia (EUMA), which aims to contribute to increasing security in the region by reducing the number of incidents in Armenia's conflict-affected and border regionsthus reducing the level of risk to the population. The adopted reports call not only to strengthen and extend the mandate of the EUMA, but also to deploy monitors along Armenias border with Turkey. Also, the EEAS is called upon to be ready to provide the necessary technical assistance to Armenia through the European Peace Facility so that Armenia reviews its current military alliances, as this will strengthen the country's resilience in the context of ensuring security, independence, and sovereignty. With this report, the European Parliament asks the EEAS to providein secret modethe EUMA reports on the situation on the ground to the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Subcommittee on Security and Defense of the European Parliament. In the vernacular, Armenia is not stronger than Turkey and Azerbaijan. Speaker of the National Assembly (NA) of Armenia, Alen Simonyan, stated this in a briefing with reporters in the NA Thursday. "We [i.e. Armenia] cannot withstand, especially when the ally [i.e. Russia] that was supposed to protect us, did not protect us, at best, if not in some joint process, and I am sure that there is some joint processand for a long time. I am sure that the war in Ukraine started with the Nagorno-Karabakh war [in 2020]. Here there was a need to get an alternative way to avoid possible sanctions, which is being done now. For example, Azerbaijan is now selling Russian [natural] gas to Europe through its pipelines; that is a fact, its not my imagination," the NA speaker emphasized. Also, Simonyan did not rule out that the Nagorno-Karabakh war in 2020 was arranged by Azerbaijan and Russia. "I do not rule out that such an agreement took place because when you compare the facts, everything was interconnected. I can even say that it started in Syria, the Russian-Turkish conflict in Syria, when they [i.e. Turkey] shot down a [Russian military] plane, then moved to our region, an attempt was made to ensure stability in this region, to put a noose around the necks of two countriesArmenia and Azerbaijan, but the plans were disrupted. Turkey entered [the region]. I do not rule out that this arrangement was made between Turkey and Russia," said the Armenian parliament speaker. Negotiations were held between Ararat Mirzoyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia, and Jeyhun Bayramov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, in Villa Borsig in Berlin, Germany, on Wednesday and Thursday. The ministers and their delegations discussed perspectives on the provisions of the draft bilateral Agreement on Establishment of Peace and Interstate Relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia informs Armenian News-NEWS.am. Mutual agreement was expressed to continue negotiations on the open issues. During the course of the visit, the ministers met with Annalena Baerbock, the Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs of Germany, both separately and in the trilateral format. FM Mirzoyan expressed his appreciation to Germany for hosting the negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has said that aggression should never be left unpunished, Voice of America reports. His statement came as Russia's invasion of Ukraine entered its third year. "If we allow this to go unpunished, then we are opening a Pandora's box and it will be repeated in all parts of the world, "If you give a potential aggressor the message that aggression will go unpunished, you open Pandora's box, and others may follow his example," Blinken said in an interview with Univision television. According to him, this is why so many countries are so insistently defending Ukraine: it is both right, reasonable and necessary. The international human rights organisation Freedom House presented the report "Freedom in the World 2024", which also mentions the military aggression and ethnic cleansing carried out by Azerbaijan in Artsakh. In the section "Attacks on disputed territories increase global authoritarian aggression", the report states that people living in such territories are often victims of autocracy, hostility to pluralism, and their expansionist agenda. "People living in disputed territories are often victims of autocrats' hostility to pluralism as well as their expansionist agenda. In September, the Azerbaijani regime's siege of Nagorno-Karabakh led to the dismantling of local state institutions and the forced displacement of more than 120,000 Armenians in what many foreign observers described as ethnic cleansing. As a result, the formerly partially free territory experienced the world's largest downgrade in 2023, losing a total of 40 points. The attack coincided with deepening authoritarian repression within Azerbaijan. Since the early 1990s, the government has introduced policies that discriminate against ethnic Armenians, and Armenian citizens and their descendants have been banned or restricted from entering the country. Discrimination against religion and repression of independent media and civil society has intensified in recent years. The seizure of Nagorno-Karabakh has increased the domestic popularity of President Ilham Aliyev, who has ruled Azerbaijan since inheriting the post from his father in 2003 and has fuelled fears that the Azerbaijani leadership may launch a full-scale invasion of the Republic of Armenia, whose borders have already been violated. Zhoghovurd daily of the Republic of Armenia (RA) writes: At the beginning of the summer of last year, rumors circulated, then it was confirmed that the famous American rapper Snoop Dogg would perform a concert in Armenia. In August, it became known that 6 million dollars (2.3 billion drams) were allocated from the state budget for the concert. Later, it was decided that the concert will take place on September 23. But between September 9 and 10, the organizer of the concert, Doping Space company, released a statement on its Facebook page: "We inform that the government of the Republic of Armenia has conveyed to us its decision to postpone Snoop Dogg's concert scheduled for September 23." () Zhoghovurd daily tried to find out from the ESCS [i.e., the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports] what progress has been made regarding the organization of the concert, but the ministry replied that the addressee of the question is the government. The government, in its turn, directed the ESCS, then they asked to send an inquiry, they will forward [it]. Anyway, the interesting part is the answer, in which the question as to what were the processes regarding Snoop Dogg's concert in 2024 was answered: "We inform that on August 18, 2023, a contract was signed between the ESCS Ministry and Doping Space LLC, and on February 19, a decree N1, according to which the concert of world star Snoop Dogg is planned to be organized in 2024." We asked the government to also answer who is ultimately responsible for the concert and the addressee of our questions, in response to which we received the following: "The responsible body for the implementation of the music project World Star Armenian Tour is the ESCS Ministry, according to the decision of the RA government on August 11, 2023." After our question, the ministry also learned that it has obligations, but like others, it does not fulfill them properly, and Snoop Dogg's concert seems to have become a bone in the throat, which is not being swallowed. 17:30 Forensic teams are trying to ascertain the actual cause of the explosion. Those injured have been shifted to different hospitals for treatment. Among them were two staff and seven customers, officials said. A bomb disposal squad and forensic teams are at the spot to ascertain the actual cause of the blast as police now suspect that a bag at the eatery exploded. CCTV footage is being scanned to check if there was any suspicious movement in and around Rameswaram Cafe in Whitefield, where the blast took place. Karnataka DGP Alok Mohan, Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda and other senior officials are inspecting the premises, which has been cordoned off. NIA and IB officials have been informed, the DGP said. "At 1.08 pm today, the fire department received a call about LPG leakage fire in the cafe. When our officers and teams reached the spot, there was no fire or flame. A bag which was lying behind a woman who was sitting with six other customers at the eatery exploded. It is suspected that the explosion could have been caused due to some object in that bag," TN Shivashankar, Director of Karnataka State Fire and Emergency Services department told PTI. "It is not clear whose bag it was," he said. Ruling out the possibility of any gas cylinder leakage, the officer said, "I along with my team of officers inspected the spot. But there is no sign of any leakage from the gas cylinder. We have checked it. Another LPG gas cylinder inside the kitchen which was used for tea and coffee was also checked but there is no leakage from it as well. There is no sign of gas leakage from any cylinders at the spot as per our initial probe." In total, nine people, including seven customers were injured. Among those grievously injured is the woman who was sitting near the bag. She is being treated at the hospital, he added. The cafe which is located at Whitefield's Brookfield area, a vibrant neighborhood, a business centre as well as a tech hub. The cafe is usually crowded with employees from nearby offices during the lunch hours. Edison, an eyewitness said, "I was waiting outside the eatery for my turn when suddenly we heard a loud noise... an explosion. We got scared not knowing what it was. There were around 35-40 people at the eatery. They all started rushing out and there was absolute chaos. They started saying that a cylinder exploded. But we don't know exactly what happened." Amruth, who works at a private firm nearby had just placed his order when he suddenly he heard a huge explosion. "I was waiting outside the cafe after placing my order and the blast took place...we saw some four people were injured. In no time, ambulance and fire engine rushed in. Police teams were here. They started rescuing people...," he said. PTI After initial suspicions that the blast at the popular city eatery, which left at least nine people injured, occurred due to a gas leak, the fire department on Friday ruled out that possibility and said a woman's handbag was found at the spot. SIU celebrating Womens History Month with guest speakers and more in March by Christi Mathis CARBONDALE, Ill. In honor of Womens History Month, Southern Illinois University Carbondale will host a variety of special events, guest speakers, exhibits and more during the month of March. Women Who Advocate for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is the theme for our 2024 Womens History Month, and we encourage women across campus to wear purple to show their spirit of celebration and solidarity as the month begins, said Renada Greer, executive director of the Student Multicultural Resource Center and TRiO Student Support Services. Virtually all events are free and open to the public. The kickoff is set for 4 p.m. March 4 in the John C. Guyon Auditorium at Morris Library. Sheila Caldwell, the inaugural vice president for anti-racism, diversity, equity and inclusion and chief diversity officer for the Southern Illinois University System, will be the guest speaker. A Chicago native, Caldwell coordinates all diversity and equity programs, nondiscrimination policies and equal opportunity compliance initiatives as she leads the system toward becoming an antiracist organization. She has experience both in academia and industry. Recognizing success Join Shavonne Simmons, an alumna of SIUs social work program and former TRiO student for an Alumni Speaks presentation on March 5, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. in Morris Librarys John C. Guyon Auditorium. After completing her bachelors degree at SIU, Simmons went on to Brown School of Social Work at Washington University in St. Louis for graduate studies and is currently a doctoral student at Howard University. She will share her story, telling of her experiences at SIU and since, of her challenges and successes. Then, the International Womens Day Luncheon welcomes women of diverse backgrounds from across campus to join together to network and build community. The luncheon will be from noon to 1 p.m. March 8 in Rooms 150/160 of the Student Services Building. Five international women undergraduate/graduate students from diverse backgrounds will be honored for their service and leadership accomplishments. In addition, an internationally owned and operated womens business will be recognized. Broadening horizons The month will offer a variety of opportunities to learn, to highlight the successes of others, and to support women as they strive to succeed. Equal Pay Day the date until which women must work to be paid what their average male counterpart was paid the previous year is March 12, and SIU will mark the occasion with Ashley Followell, affirmative action equal opportunity officer, providing a lunch and learn presentation at noon in Rooms 150/160 at the Student Services Building. Another lunch and learn session at 2 p.m. on March 29 will take place via Zoom featuring Dawn Korte, who has more than 25 years experience in operations, finance and human resources for various industries as well as serving on university faculty. Hosted by Network Empowering Women, the theme is Women in the Workforce: Preparing and Building Negotiation Skills. Juniper Oxford, coordinator of the LGBTQ Resource Center, and Allison Hammer, assistant professor and coordinator of Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies, will team to present a research dialogue from 10 to 11:30 a.m. March 19 in the Student Services Building, Rooms 150/160 on Trans Womanhood and Trans Femineity. Women in the C-Suite will highlight successful women and their accomplishments in higher education and beyond while also noting the challenges they experienced as they rose to the top in their fields. Providing a network of support Greer said women are also encouraged to gather to support the efforts of other women. For instance, Leah Sutton, a masters student in fine arts, will host a thesis exhibit Of Light and Shadow from 5 to 7 p.m. March 22 in Room 1251 in the Mass Communication Building, and the Saluki softball team will play at 5 p.m. March 29 at Charlotte West Stadium against Northern Iowa University. Its Womens Night at the stadium, and there will be giveaways, prizes, food and extra special fun for all ladies, courtesy of the team and the Womens Resource Center. Greer encourages women to turn out in support of the students and their efforts. Various other events, including panel discussions, a roundtable and additional guest speakers, will take place throughout the month. The complete schedule will be posted on the Womens Resource Center website. POSTPONED: SIU alumna, global public health expert to speak about equality at Ryan Bioethicist Lecture by Pete Rosenbery (EDITORS NOTE: Due to unforeseen circumstances, the lecture has been postponed to another time to be determined.) CARBONDALE, Ill. Dr. Senait Fisseha, a renowned figure in global public health, health equity and gender equality, will deliver the 2024 John and Marsha Ryan Bioethicist in Residence lecture at the SIU School of Law on Monday, March 4. Fisseha, vice president of global programs at the Susan Thompson Buffet Foundation, will present Confronting Power, Privilege and Identity to Achieve a Healthier and More Equal World at 5:30 p.m. in the Hiram H. Lesar Law Building Auditorium, following a 5 p.m. reception in the law schools formal lounge. The lecture is free and open to the public. Fisseha earned her joint M.D./J.D. from the SIU School of Law and SIU School of Medicine in 1999. Fisseha, who grew up in Ethiopia, is also chief adviser to the director-general of the World Health Organization and serves on several boards and committees, including as co-chair of the Conference on Public Health in Africa. It is truly an honor to be giving this years John and Marsha Ryan Bioethicist in Residence Lecture, Fisseha said. Professor Ryans course helped shape how I think about bioethics in my day-to-day work and the career path Ive ultimately chosen to follow. The students at SIU are the future doctors and lawyers who will determine the landscape of health care and justice in our country. They will inevitably be faced with daily ethical quandaries that will have real impact on whether people live or die, whether they thrive or struggle. That is a tremendous amount of power. Fisseha said her lecture will explore how our privilege, identity and power shape inequality and encourage students to tap into their humanity first and foremost when faced with decisions that can either widen or narrow those inequalities. Bringing communities together Now living in Rwanda, Fisseha has focused her work on strengthening health systems and primary health care across Africa to help ensure access to safe, legal and affordable sexual and reproductive health services. She has pioneered approaches to align, support and partner with African governments and has tirelessly advocated and supported efforts to build and invest in African public health institutions. Fisseha earned her bachelors degree from Dominican University in 1993. After earning her M.D./J.D., Fisseha completed her residency in obstetrics and gynecology and a fellowship in reproductive endocrinology and infertility, both at the University of Michigan. A reproductive endocrinology specialist, she was a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Michigan and founding executive director of the Center for International Reproductive Health Training. She has been named among the 100 Most Influential Africans and received prestigious awards for her contributions. She received the SIU Carbondale Alumni Associations 2021 Distinguished Alumni Award and the SIU School of Medicines 2019 Distinguished Alumni Award. Her recent speaking engagements include the July 2023 commencement ceremony at African Leadership University. Longstanding lecture series The lecture comes as the law school is preparing to celebrate its 50th anniversary and legacy with a gala on March 23 at Southern Illinois Airports Hangar One Event Center. As we celebrate our 50th anniversary, we are excited that an alumna who is an international expert in health law is able to come back to share with this community, Dean Camille M. Davidson said. This is the School of Laws 19th bioethicist-in-residence lecture, and the 17th since John C. and Dr. Marsha G. Ryan endowed the visiting lecture series. Founded in 2006, the John and Marsha Ryan Bioethicist-in-Residence program supports an annual residence and lecture by a law or medicine ethics scholar for the SIU schools of law and medicine. Dr. Fisseha is a distinguished graduate of our prestigious M.D./J.D. program at SIU, and one we are very proud of, Marsha Ryan said. Her work in worldwide reproductive health and health care policy makes an impact around the globe on a daily basis. She shows us how the joint disciplines of law and medicine can work toward finding solutions for what seem otherwise to be insoluble problems. Marsha Ryan earned her law degree from the SIU School of Law in 1987 and is an assistant professor at the SIU School of Medicine and adjunct faculty member teaching bioethics at the law school. She practiced general and breast surgery in Carbondale for 36 years until her retirement in 2017. John Ryan, a member of the law schools inaugural class, is a longstanding attorney at Feirich, Green, Mager, Ryan in Carbondale. The lecture comes as the law school is preparing to celebrate its 50th anniversary and legacy with a gala on March 23 at Southern Illinois Airports Hangar One Event Center. Editors note: Senait Fisseha is pronounced Sun-nite Fiss-ey-a. Indian stock indices were steady Thursday morning, with investors bracing for October-December quarterly GDP data slated to be released later in the day. Analysts say the focus will be on small- and mid-cap stocks after strong inflows in these segments raised concerns. "A significant development is the communication from SEBI to AMFI suggesting that mutual funds set up a framework for protecting investors in mid and small cap funds. Sustained flows of retail money into these funds have made their valuations excessive and difficult to sustain. More mid and small cap funds are likely to impose restrictions on lump sum investments into the mid and small cap schemes," said VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Financial Services. "This will benefit the large caps which are relatively fairly valued now. The correction in the broader market is likely to continue," Vijaykumar added. At 9.17 am, Sensex was at 72,303.53, down just 1.35 point or 0.0019 per cent, and Nifty at 21,939.75 points, down 11.40 points or 0.052 per cent. Among the widely-tracked Nifty 50 stocks, 12 advanced and the rest 38 declined at the time of filing this report. Reliance Industries was the top mover among the Nifty 50 stocks (up 1.32 per cent), after it, Viacom 18 Media Private Limited (Viacom18) and The Walt Disney Company announced the signing of binding definitive agreements for a joint venture that will combine the businesses of Viacom18 and Star India. The October-December GDP is expected to grow at 6.8 per cent, as per SBI Research. The Indian economy grew 7.6 per cent during the July-September quarter of the current financial year 2023-24, remaining the fastest-growing major economy. India's GDP grew 7.8 per cent in the April-June quarter. Meanwhile, strong macro fundamentals and sustained domestic flows have somewhat supported recent rallies in Indian stocks. Foreign portfolio investors who have aggressively sold Indian stocks, turning net sellers in the Indian equity market in January 2024, turned net buyers again in February. The latest data available from the National Securities Depository Limited (NSDL) showed that the FPIs bought stocks worth Rs 2,928 crore, after selling worth Rs 24,734 crore in January. (ANI) Mediawire Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], February 29: BITS Pilani, one of the first private universities to be awarded the status of 'Institution of Eminence' by the Government of India, today announced a foray into Design Education with the launch of BITS Design School (BITSDES). The future-focused design school is modelled on top global design institutes and is being set up in Mumbai. BITS Design School will uniquely combine Technology, Business, and Entrepreneurship, core elements of the BITS DNA with the creative arts to nurture a new generation of future ready Design professionals poised to contribute actively to India's aspiration to be a developed nation by 2047. Graduates will be equipped with a set of transdisciplinary and in demand competencies, to take on C-Suite positions as they grow in their careers. Speaking on the occasion, Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chancellor, BITS Pilani said, "Design is increasingly pivotal in addressing the complexities of the new age. From manufacturing to services, and retail to technology, design is shaping the future of how businesses approach problem-solving and innovation. BITS Design School will reimagine design education with a bold, trans-disciplinary, competency based approach, and embrace avenues where design can positively impact people, businesses, and the world. BITS Pilani, with its rich legacy of academic excellence and trans-disciplinary thinking, is uniquely positioned to do this. And in the process, we will nurture a new generation of leaders who will use design to create value and solve problems for a better world." BITS Design School will introduce a four-year, residential, Bachelor of Design (Honours) programme in the academic year 2024-25, followed by a Master's Degree programme and a Faculty Development programme for Design Educators over the next two years. Admissions open on 26 Feb 2024 for the founding class who will be taught by international visiting faculty and a marquee Indian faculty trained at the top Design schools in the world. In the second year of the programme, students can choose from the five streams offered for specialisation - Physical Product Design, Digital Product Design (UI/UX), Human Centred Design, Experience Design, and Visual Design. With a strong international focus, BITSDES has as advisors, legends from the world of design--Don Norman, founding director of the Design Lab and author of the bestselling "Design of Everyday Things", Sandy Speicher, former CEO of IDEO, headquartered at San Francisco, Biju Dominic, chief evangelist at New York and Mumbai based Fractal and CEO, FinalMile Consulting, and John Thackara, author, professor, and curator of The Doors of Perception - the celebrated design conference in the Netherlands. The BITS Design School curriculum has been co-designed and will be reviewed annually by Aalto University, Finland, ranked #6 globally in the field of Art & Design according to QS. The collaboration with Aalto University also covers freemover student exchange. BITS Pilani has a partnership with RMIT University in Australia. BITS Design School and the RMIT School of Design are working together to identify future collaboration opportunities. BITSDES faculty is signing up to participate in the training and mentorship connected to the Teaching & Learning Studio at the Hasso Plattner School of Design at Stanford University. BITSDES students will gain access to and benefit from the 1,80,000+ BITS Pilani Alumni Network spanning 55 Countries, one of the strongest and most illustrious networks of industry leaders, founders, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders. A dedicated career support office will facilitate students' preparedness, exposure, and access to leading Design firms, corporations, banks, NGOs, and research organizations. A world class fully residential permanent campus will house BITS Design School, BITS School of Management, and BITS Law School. It is being built over 63 acres in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region with state-of-the-art infrastructure, and the endeavour is to make it a zero-carbon footprint campus over time. While the permanent campus will be operational in early 2025, BITS Design School will commence its first academic session in August 2024 out of the interim campus in Powai, Mumbai. Meritorious students will receive generous scholarships to enable access and ensure diversity of the cohort. BITS Pilani is an Institution of national repute, known for providing technical, management, and legal education of the highest standards and is well recognized for its innovations, and strong links with industry. It is consistently ranked as the best private engineering & technology institution by leading ranking agencies and publications. MHRD, Govt. of India, in August 2018 announced BITS Pilani as one of the first six Institutions of Eminence in the country. It is one of the few universities that has created an institutionalized framework for achieving a vibrant environment that successfully inculcates an ambience for experiential and cooperative learning and education. BITS Pilani views education as a continual engagement and experience and ensures that the learning experience is integrated seamlessly not only across its classrooms and laboratories, but also in the industry, as exemplified by its Practice School, and Work Integrated Learning Programmes. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by Mediawire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) PRNewswire Singapore, February 29: Medidata, a Dassault Systemes company and leading provider of clinical trial solutions to the life sciences industry, and Sanofi Vaccines, today announced a collaboration to harness Medidata eCOA to deploy in vaccine studies. This builds on Medidata and Sanofi's longstanding, successful experience using Medidata Rave EDC (electronic data capture). The collaboration will use an eDiary function within eCOA to create an eDiary library specific to Sanofi's vaccines. This library will accelerate future study set-up times, improve efficiency, and increase data quality, while ensuring patients have access to eDiaries that are easy to use. Sanofi has chosen to adopt eCOA's capabilities in its vaccine studies, optimizing the patient clinical journey by reducing on-site monitoring and allowing patients to input data in real time from any location. Pilots of eCOA were performed in six vaccine studies and demonstrated high levels of patient compliance, providing highly reliable data. As a result, the collaboration has since moved out of the pilot phase, with eCOA being deployed across a pipeline of Sanofi's vaccine clinical trials. "Expanding our collaboration with Medidata will enable us to improve our clinical development processes as we seek to deliver breakthrough vaccines to patients," said the global head of clinical data management at Sanofi Vaccines. "Through a bespoke eDiary library, we can optimize eDiary set-up and improve data quality in current trials, while moving deeper into the digitalization era within the pharma industry." Anthony Costello, chief executive officer, Medidata Patient Cloud, said, "At Medidata, we put the patient at the core of all of our work, and collaborating with Sanofi, who share this ethos, helps improve patient experience, the monitoring of patients in current studies, and accelerate study timelines and efficiencies in future studies." Medidata eCOA is a full-service offering revolutionizing the way sponsors, contract research organizations (CROs), and sites collect data from patients, physicians, and caregivers. Built as part of the unified Medidata Platform, eCOA reduces study build times by up to 50% and provides a comprehensive view of patient data, while providing patients with flexibility and choice in how they engage in trial activities. Sanofi has worked with Medidata for over a decade, leveraging Medidata's solutions across the organization, including vaccine studies, to securely and efficiently capture and manage data. About Medidata Medidata is powering smarter treatments and healthier people through digital solutions to support clinical trials. Celebrating 25 years of ground-breaking technological innovation across more than 32,000 trials and 9 million patients, Medidata offers industry-leading expertise, analytics-powered insights, and the largest patient-level historical clinical trial data set in the world. More than 1 million registered users across 2,200+ customers trust Medidata's seamless, end-to-end platform to improve patient experiences, accelerate clinical breakthroughs, and bring therapies to market faster. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Dassault Systemes (Euronext Paris: FR0014003TT8, DSY.PA), which with its 3DEXPERIENCE platform is positioned to lead the digital transformation of life sciences in the age of personalized medicine with the first end-to-end scientific and business platform, from research to commercialization. Medidata is headquartered in New York City and has been recognized as a Leader by Everest Group and IDC. Discover more at www.medidata.com and follow us @Medidata. About Dassault Systemes Dassault Systemes, the 3DEXPERIENCE Company, is a catalyst for human progress. We provide business and people with collaborative virtual environments to imagine sustainable innovations. By creating virtual twin experiences of the real world with our 3DEXPERIENCE platform and applications, our customers can redefine the creation, production and life-cycle-management processes of their offer and thus have a meaningful impact to make the world more sustainable. The beauty of the Experience Economy is that it is a human-centered economy for the benefit of all - consumers, patients and citizens. Dassault Systemes brings value to more than 300,000 customers of all sizes, in all industries, in more than 150 countries. For more information, visit www.3ds.com (c)Dassault Systemes. All rights reserved. 3DEXPERIENCE, the 3DS logo, the Compass icon, IFWE, 3DEXCITE, 3DVIA, BIOVIA, CATIA, CENTRIC PLM, DELMIA, ENOVIA, GEOVIA, MEDIDATA, NETVIBES, OUTSCALE, SIMULIA and SOLIDWORKS are commercial trademarks or registered trademarks of Dassault Systemes, a European company (Societas Europaea) incorporated under French law, and registered with the Versailles trade and companies registry under number 322 306 440, or its subsidiaries in the United States and/or other countries. Contact: Medidata PRMedidata.PR@3ds.com Analyst RelationsMedidata.AR@3ds.com (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) PRNewswire Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], February 29: Colgate is committed to powering a billion smiles, through its flagship program, Bright Smiles, Bright Futures (BSBF). Since its inception in 1976, the program has positively impacted the lives of over 171 million children in India, instilling essential oral care habits, tobacco prevention awareness, and promoting good nutrition for oral health. In a strategic move to further fortify its impact, Colgate has partnered with IMPAct4Nutrition, a renowned knowledge and resource platform on nutrition incubated by UNICEF India. This collaboration harnesses the combined strengths of Colgate's enduring commitment to social responsibility and IMPAct4Nutrition's expertise, aiming to significantly enhance oral health and nutrition awareness among children. The partnership sets a bold objective to reach an additional 10 million children by 2025, fostering better oral health for the nation. To achieve this milestone, Colgate will extend its reach to children aged 6-15 years across 12+ states and over 250+ districts, engaging with students in more than 25,000+ schools, spanning both rural and urban areas. The BSBF program is currently active in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab and Rajasthan, with valuable support from NGO partner Bharat Cares. Prabha Narasimhan, Managing Director & CEO of CP India, expressed her enthusiasm about the collaboration, stating, "This partnership underscores our unwavering commitment to advancing oral health backed by science-led innovations for a healthier future. Through our Bright Smiles, Bright Futures program, we actively seek partnerships with governmental bodies and like-minded organizations who share our vision of elevating oral health awareness and fostering positive change." About Colgate-Palmolive (India) Limited Colgate-Palmolive is a caring, innovative growth company that is reimagining a healthier future for all people, and the planet. Colgate-Palmolive (India) Limited is the market leader in Oral Care in the country, committed to delivering sustainable, profitable growth for its shareholders, while fostering an inclusive workplace for its people. With a primary focus on science-led innovations in Oral Care & Personal Care in the Indian market, the company is recognized for its leadership and innovative efforts in advancing sustainability and community well-being. Among its recent accomplishments, the company has made significant strides in reducing plastic waste and promoting recyclability, conserving water and energy at its manufacturing facilities, empowering women with financial and digital literacy and enhancing children's oral health through the Colgate Bright Smiles, Bright Futures program. For more information about Colgate's global business and how it is building a future to smile about, visit: www.colgatepalmolive.co.in About IMPAct4Nutrition IMPAct4Nutrition, a knowledge and resource platform on nutrition, serves as the technical partner for the integration of nutritional elements across the BSBF initiative. Incubated by UNICEF India, IMPAct4Nutrition acts as a support unit for public and private organizations, providing them with knowledge, technical expertise, and ideation/activation of nutrition programs, contributing to the larger social movement around POSHAN Abhiyaan Jan Andolan. About NGO Bharat Cares Bharat Cares is the social impact arm of CSRBOX group, especially created and curated for social impact program delivery. The group currently works in 24 Indian states in India with strong government partnerships in 8+ states. Their programs revolve around Education, Health & Nutrition, Rural Infrastructure, Environment & Skilling. Media Contacts:Neha TiwariManager - Corporate Communications, Colgate-Palmolive India LimitedE: neha_tiwari@colpal.com ; T: +91 9930347783 Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2351307/Colgate_Bright_Smiles_program.jpg (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) PRNewswire Bhubaneshwar (Odisha) [India], February 29: Leading global philanthropist, Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft and co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation was honored with the KISS Humanitarian Award 2023 in a significant recognition of his philanthropic work. The ceremony took place on February 28, 2024, in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, acknowledging Gates for his unparalleled contributions to enhancing global health, and education, and addressing climate change through innovative technology solutions aimed at reducing inequality. The award ceremony featured virtual participation from the staff and students of KIIT and KISS, along with alumni. A notable moment from the event was Gates's engagement in a meaningful conversation on gender equality, prompted by a question from a KISS alumna. Prof. Achyuta Samanta, Founder of KIIT, KISS & KIMS said, "Awarding Bill Gates with the KISS Humanitarian Award not only honors his exceptional contributions but also elevates the prestige of this recognition. His acceptance sets a new benchmark for humanitarian work globally. It is a profound honor for us that Bill Gates is joining the esteemed roster of our awardees." In his acceptance speech, Mr. Gates expressed deep gratitude for the recognition and reflected on the transformative work of Dr. Samanta and KISS. "Thank you so much for this wonderful award, and for welcoming me here. Though I should be the one congratulating you on all you have accomplished," said Mr. Gates. He lauded Dr. Samanta's vision and dedication to providing quality education to indigenous communities and highlighted the importance of civic engagement and a community-first approach to education. Initiated in 2008 by Prof. Achyuta Samanta, the KISS Humanitarian Award is the highest honour of KIIT and KISS dedicated to recognizing individuals and organizations that embody the spirit of humanitarian work worldwide. The award consists of a citation scroll and a gold-plated trophy that depicts a great social message given at a public function at KISS. The gold-plated trophy embodies a golden heart of a humanitarian with the virtues of purity, kindness, prosperity, and hope. It features a pair of hands uplifting a heart, which is textured with shapes resembling waving hands that symbolize how a pair of dedicated hands can make a significant difference in the lives of the helpless and make the world a better place to live in. Previous recipients of this prestigious award include a diverse group of global leaders, Nobel laureates, and notable figures from various sectors, showcasing the award's broad international appeal and respect. Among others, Minister Counsellor Graham Mayer, US Embassy New Delhi; Frank Talluto, Political Officer Hyderabad; Ananth Sukesh, Political Advisor, US Embassy New Delhi and Srimali Kari, Political Specialist US Consulate Hyderabad were present on the occasion. Some of the notable recipients are Madam Edna Bomo Molewa, former premier of the North-western state of South Africa Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment, Dr. Ham-Kee-Sun, President of Hanseo University, an outstanding Ophthalmologist of South Korea, Mr. Anerood Jugnauth, President of the Republic of Mauritius, Rt. Hon. Lord Justice Nicholas Addison Phillips, President of the Supreme Court of the UK, Lyonchhen Jigmiy Thinley, Prime Minister of Bhutan, Madam Albina Du Boisrouvray, Founder FXB International, Switzerland, His Holiness Dalai Lama, Spiritual Leader and Nobel Peace Laureate 2005, Prof Muhammad Yunus, Founder, Grameen Bank, Bangladesh and Nobel Peace Laureate, Mr. Dansa Kourouma, President of the National Transition Council of Guinea and Mama Rachel Ruto, the first lady of Republic of Kenya. Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2350121/KISS_Gates_Award.jpgLogo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1507512/KISS_Logo.jpg (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same) Comedian and actor Richard Lewis has died, according to his publicist, Jeff Abraham. He was 76. Abraham told CNN in an email that the entertainer died 'peacefully' at his Los Angeles home on Tuesday night after suffering a heart attack. In April 2023, Richard stated that he had Parkinson's disease. Lewis, known as a comic's comic, made his debut appearance on 'The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson' in 1974 and quickly rose to prominence in the late-night comedy scene. On-screen, Lewis has played himself for years on 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' opposite his friend Larry David, at one point joking during an episode this season about which one of them looked worse. As his career grew with cable specials in the 1980s, Lewis transitioned into acting, starring opposite Jamie Lee Curtis in the sitcom "Anything but Love," playing Prince John in Mel Brooks' movie comedy "Robin Hood: Men in Tights," and breaking into drama as a struggling alcoholic in the 1995 film "Drunks." In a statement, a representative for HBO (which, like CNN, is a Warner Bros. Discovery branch) claimed Lewis' "comedic brilliance, wit, and talent were unmatched." "Richard will always be a cherished member of the HBO and 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' families, our heartfelt condolences go out to his family, friends and all the fans who could count on Richard to brighten their days with laughter," the statement went on to say. Lewis, who is arguably best recognised for his role on "Curb," recently revealed that the decision to play himself on the hit series was the brainchild of creator David. "It's spectacularly unique to be able to be in a scene where other actors are not themselves and I'm myself," Lewis told Vanity Fair in an interview that was published earlier this month. Lewis and David's bond went beyond the screen; they had been in each other's lives since their 20s. Their friendship is what motivated David to invite Lewis to join the cast of "Curb." Calling David "the best friend you could ever imagine," Lewis said in the interview that "the show gives me another vehicle to express my feelings to Larry because we are the oldest of friends." After learning of his friend's death on Wednesday, David told CNN via HBO, "Richard and I were born three days apart in the same hospital, and for the majority of my life, he's been like a brother to me." He had the unusual combination of being both the funniest and the sweetest. But tonight he made me cry, and for that, I will never forgive him." Lewis, who was born in Brooklyn and raised in New Jersey, attended Ohio State University, where he wrote ad copy while moonlighting as a joke writer for comedians before embarking on his standup career. Lewis was open in interviews and in his comedy about his issues with booze and addiction. In a 2017 interview with CNN, he discussed how his decades of sobriety (he had been sober since 1994) influenced his comedic career. "I was hellbent on being honest as a comedian from the get-go and I was," he said. "But it wasn't until I admitted that I was a drunk and an alcoholic... And when I got clean and sober is when my comedy took off for me because then I was myself on stage." Lewis spent 50 years performing stand-up comedy until retiring in 2018 at Chicago's Zanies. He was notorious for making his neuroses - and hardships - the centrepiece of his show. "There's just a part of me that's always going to be never totally happy," he said in a 2020 interview with the Washington Post. However, his emotions did not always mirror his reality. "I'm thrilled to be alive," he said at the time. "I'm grateful for who's in my life. I've got great friends, a great wife, a dog, and I have a great career." Lewis' publicist stated that the comedian's wife, Joyce Lapinsky, thanks "everyone for all the love, friendship, and support and asks for privacy at this time." (ANI) Mrunal and Vijay starrer is being helmed by Parasuram Petla and is being produced by Sri Venkateswara Creations. As per a source, close to the actor, "Mrunal has already departed for Chennai to team up with Vijay and commence filming the final schedule of Family Star. The shoot, spanning a week, will take place entirely in Chennai. The entire cast and crew are filled with anticipation and a touch of emotion as they near the conclusion of this wonderful journey. However, this marks the start of a captivating film featuring the talented duo of Vijay and Mrunal, who will grace the silver screen together for the first time." The movie is slated to hit theatres on April 5. Mrunal continued to broaden her horizons after starring in popular films with actors like Dulquer Salmaan and Nani. She now collaborates with Vijay. Meanwhile, Mrunal was recently seen in the romantic film 'Hi Nanna' which also starred south actor Nani in the lead roles. The film was released on screens in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi. Mrunal Thakur will also be seen in the film titled 'Pooja Meri Jaan' helmed by Navjot Gulati and Vipasha Arvind with Huma Qureshi and Vijay Raaz in key roles. (ANI) Former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh and veteran Congress leader Kamal Nath has once again hit the headlines, but this time about retiring from politics, saying if the public wants to bid farewell, then he is ready. The senior Congress leader made the remark while addressing a program at Chand Block in Chaurai Assembly Constituency in his stronghold Chhindwara district on Wednesday. "You (public) gave me love and trust for so many years. If you (public) want to bid farewell to Kamal Nath, then it is your choice, I am ready to bid farewell. I don't want to impose myself, this is a matter of your (public) decision," he said. On Wednesday, Kamal Nath attended a programme in the Harrai block of the Amarwada assembly in the district, where he targeted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over Ayodhya Ram Mandir. "Does the BJP have the lease (patta) of Ram temple? It is not right to do politics in the name of Ram Temple. The Ram temple is built with your (public) money, it is not right to bring Lord Ram into politics," the Congress leader said. Earlier, a day before Kamal Nath reached here in Chhindwara, he put a full stop to speculation made about him regarding switching sides to the BJP, saying, "Have you ever heard this from my mouth? Is there any indication? Nothing." When Kamal Nath was asked about joining the saffron party, he said, "You (media) are saying this, and no one else is saying it. Have you ever heard this from my mouth? Is there any indication? Nothing. You (media) run this news (about switching sides), and then ask me about it. First, you (media) should refute it." Recently, Nath has been in the headlines over speculations that he may join the BJP, but as of now, there is no sign of him switching sides to the saffron party. (ANI) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership on Wednesday held core group meeting of different states as part of the candidate selection process for the Lok Sabha polls, with party chief JP Nadda and Home Minister Amit Shah discussing with leaders the panel of names recommended by the respective state units. Sources said core committee meeting was held for several states including Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Assam besides the union territory of Delhi, ahead of the meeting of party's Central Election Committee on Thursday. They said the party is expected to announce over 100 names over the next few days. Sources said the first list is likely to have the names of top party leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. The party may also initially focus on states where it is contesting on its own. The first list may also have some seats the BJP lost in the 2019 Lok Sabha election. In Uttar Pradesh, the BJP has discussed candidates for 14 Lok Sabha seats the party lost in 2019 and the first list could include around 40 names from the electorally crucial state, sources said. The first list may have all names in western Uttar Pradesh and some seats in Awadh and Purvanchal regions of the state. Sources said that in Madhya Pradesh, names of prominent leaders including former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and senior party functionaries Kailash Vijayvargiya and Narottam Mishra are among the recommendations received by the central leadership from the state unit. Sources said that the first list for Rajasthan may have 15 names, including of some prominent leaders. The list from Odisha is also expected to have names of some senior leaders and party functionaries. (ANI) The Jharkhand High Court on Wednesday dismissed the petition of former Chief Minister Hemant Soren seeking permission to attend the budget session of the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly. Soren approached the High Court after the Special PMLA court in Ranchi dismissed his petition on February 22. Soren was arrested on January 31 in connection with a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). He tendered his resignation as CM to the Jharkhand Governor following his questioning by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the alleged land scam case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. Earlier, the ED claimed it had recovered cash in excess of Rs 36 lakh from the possession of the JMM chief, along with documents linked to the investigation into the alleged acquisition of land by 'fraudulent means'. The agency added that land parcels spanning 8.5 acres were part of the criminal proceeds that the former CM allegedly acquired. The ED stated further that in a raid conducted on April 13, 2023, they unearthed several property-related records and registers that were in the possession of Revenue Sub-Inspector Bhanu Pratap Prasad. It was further informed that the probe further revealed that Bhanu Pratap Prasad and others were part of a "very large syndicate involved in corrupt practices of acquiring properties forcefully as well as on the basis of false deeds.". "Considering the facts and circumstances and taking into consideration the activities and processes of money laundering in which Soren is directly involved and is also a party with the said Bhanu Pratap and others, there are sufficient reasons to believe that Soren is guilty of the offence of money laundering as per section 3 of PMLA 2002," the agency stated in a release. The probe pertains to proceeds of crime generated by allegedly forging official records by showing 'fake sellers' and purchasers in the guise of forged or bogus documents to acquire huge parcels of land having value in crores. (ANI) University Grants Commission (UGC) chairman M Jagadesh Kumar on Wednesday issued a clarion call to inspire and mobilize young, particularly first-time voters, and invited people from all walks of life to spread the message of "Mera Pehla Vote Desh Ke Liye" campaign. Jagadesh said, "Together with the Ministry of Education (MoE) and the Election Commission of India (ECI), UGC is working on events to inspire and mobilize young, particularly first-time voters, and underscore the significance of voting for the nation's collective welfare. Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) nationwide are requested to execute the "Mera Pehla Vote Desh Ke Liye" campaign from February 28, 2024, to March 6, 2024." He informed that the designated areas within Universities/Colleges/HEIs will host voter awareness activities facilitated by the respective educational institutions. Colleges/Institutions will utilize materials provided by the ECI and other creative resources from the Ministry of Education, including videos, banners, selfie points, and voter's pledges, to drive the campaign. Youth will be encouraged to take the voter's pledge. Local youth achievements will be prominently highlighted, and efforts will be made to involve youth icons in the event to amplify its impact, the UGC Chairman added. Further taking to the microblogging site, X, Jagadesh posted, "Let us participate in the largest democratic process in the World. Know your electoral responsibilities, particularly the first-time voters, and make informed decisions." "UGC calls all Higher Education Institutions and students to join this movement for greater electoral participation. From taking the pledge to organising events to create electoral awareness, vote for a brighter future for our country," he added. (ANI) "We will hand over the murder case of Sadhram Yadav to the NIA so that it will be probed minutely. Such brutal killing without any enmity is the murder of an ideology, and it needs to be probed extensively," stated the CM on on Wednesday evening. Notably, Sadhram Yadav, a 'gau sevak' (cow shelter staff), was brutally killed in Kawardha district of Chhattisgarh in January this year. In this connection, police have arrested several accused. Speaking to the media persons at BJP headquarter in Raipur, the CM said sometime back Sadhram Yadav was brutally killed. Even though the victim had no enmity, people murdered him brutally by slitting his throat. No amount of condemnation is enough for this incident. "Today, the victim's brother, mother and wife met us demanding justice in the case," added CM Sai. The way Sadhram was brutally killed, the victim's relatives are demanding a high-level probe into the case and stern punishment to the culprits, who have already been arrested, said the CM. It may be recalled that Congress had raised the murder case in Zero Hour of recently concluded budget sessions of Chhattisgarh Assembly and demanded CBI probe, financial compensation and government job for the deceased's kin. (ANI) Based on specific information from the BSF Intelligence setup regarding smuggling activities in the Ramdas area of Ajnala in Amritsar, a joint operation was planned to counter the smuggling activity. During the joint operation conducted on the evening of Tuesday, BSF and State Special Operation Cell (SSOC) Amritsar intercepted a white car with two suspects travelling from Ajnala's side. The troops caught hold of one suspect, however, the other managed to escape, according to a press release. Upon a thorough search of the car, one packet (approximately 500 grams) of suspected heroin wrapped with brown adhesive tape was recovered. The apprehended suspect along with the seized contraband and the white Car was taken under custody. This meticulously planned joint operation by the BSF Intelligence team and SSOC Amritsar underscored BSF's commitment to eradicating drug smuggling in Punjab with the invaluable support of the sister agencies, added the press release. The search for the absconding smuggler is underway. More details into the matter are awaited. (ANI) The beleaguered Congress government in Himachal Pradesh got a bit of reprieve on Wednesday after former Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh's son Vikramaditya Singh, who had tendered his resignation as minister, agreed not to press its acceptance following intervention of party observers sent to the hill state to deal with the crisis and Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu sought to defuse the tension saying "we believe in forgiveness, not revenge." The crisis, which hit the Congress government on Tuesday during Rajya Sabha polls as six party MLAs cross-voted in favour of BJP, escalated on Wednesday with PWD Minister Vikramaditya Singh tendering his resignation. The Congress government also faced trouble in the state assembly as 15 BJP MLAs including Jairam Thakur were suspended .... Vikramaditya Singh told ANI, "There is a difference between taking back the resignation and not pressing for its acceptance until a final outcome emerges from the ongoing dialogue and the efforts of the central observers. We have had a round of discussions with the central observers and have briefed them on the present situation in the state. Till the final outcome (of the placatory efforts of the central observers), I won't press my resignation." On the prevailing political crisis in the state, Singh said the six MLAs, who cross-voted for the BJP candidate in the Rajya Sabha election, not him, are responsible for the situation. "The ongoing situation should be blamed on our MLAs, who cross-voted in the Rajya Sabha election, not me. I haven't taken my resignation back. All that I am saying is that I won't press my resignation until the final outcome of the ongoing visit of central observers is known. I will take my final call in due course," he said. After meeting with party observers, Congress MP Rajeev Shukla said, "Our party observers are in Shimla, speaking to the dissident MLAs and listening to their misgivings. They met the PCC chief and, thereafter, held discussions with Vikramaditya Singh as well. CM Sukhvinder Sukhu has said he is not going to accept his (Vikramaditya's) resignation, and the minister, I am told, has agreed not to press for his resignation as of now." Meanwhile, CM Sukhu said on Wednesday said all fellow party leaders who cross-voted in the Rajya Sabha polls, were like his younger siblings, adding, significantly, that his party believes in forgiveness and not revenge. Assuring that the Congress government will fulfil the mandate of the people and complete its tenure of five years, CM Sukhu told reporters, "Hum toh sab ko maaf karne wale log hai, hum badle ki bhavna se kaam karne wale log nahi hain (We believe in forgiveness, not revenge.) All fellow members of my party are like my younger brothers and sisters. Our government will complete its full 5-year term." "They (Congress MLAs who cross-voted for the BJP candidate during polling for the Rajya Sabha seat) should have shown more respect for the party. They may be upset with me but a person like Abhishek Singhvi should have been elected to the Rajya Sabha from Himachal Pradesh. However, they betrayed the whip and did not vote for him. This had never happened before in the history of Himachal politics," CM Sukhu added. As the Congress lurched into a fresh political crisis in Himachal Pradesh, fighting to stay afloat in the only heartland state it rules, the grand old party appointed observers who reached Shimla on Wednesday. After the meeting with party observers, CM Sukhu said, "Discussion was held regarding elections. Our government is safe." Meanwhile, following the cross-voting episode during polling for the lone Rajya Sabha seat in the state, 15 BJP MLAs were suspended from the Assembly for allegedly creating a ruckus in his chamber. The suspended MLAs were LoP Jai Ram Thakur, Vipin Parmar, Randhir Sharma, Hans Raj, Vinod Kumar, Janak Raj, Balbir Verma, Lokinder Kumar, Trilok Jamwal, Surinder Shourie, Puran Chand, Dalip Thakur, Inder Singb Gandhi, Ranbir Nikka, and Deep Raj. Reacting to the suspension of 15 BJP MLAs, the Leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur, alleged on Wednesday that the move was part of a ploy to pass the budget and save the Congress government. Speaking to ANI on Wednesday, Thakur, who was among the 15 BJP MLAs to be suspended from the House, said, "The BJP had 25 MLAs in the House before some of the Congress MLAs cross-voted during polling for the Rajya Sabha seat. Our strength rose to 34 after the Rajya Sabha vote, which set off alarm bells in the government. They had to pass the budget by any means necessary or else this government would fall. They knew they had to devise a ploy to reduce our strength in the House and hence, got some of our members, including myself, suspended in a desperate bid to save our government." "As many as 15 of our MLAs, including myself, were suspended. The budget was passed thereafter," the LoP added. However, amid fears of a churn at the helm of Himachal a day after 6 Congress MLAs cross-voted for the BJP during polling for the lone Rajya Sabha seat from Himachal, CM earlier in the day claimed that the conspiracy to bring down the Congress government in the state had failed. "They conspired to topple our government in Himachal with the help of the CRPF and Haryana Police, and by sending choppers (to airlift Congress MLAs elsewhere). However, the plot to bring down our government has been defeated. They tried luring some our legislators through monetary inducements and bring them to their side. However, we have brought a disqualification motion against them (Congress MLAs who voted for the BJP candidate in the Rajya Sabha polls) and hearing on the same is underway," Sukhu told reporters on Wednesday. He claimed that one of the dissident MLAs, who cross-voted during the casting of votes for the Rajya Sabha polls on Tuesday, prompting BJP candidate Harsh Mahajan to script a stunning win in a draw of lots, has apologised. "One of the MLAs (who cross-voted for the BJP candidate) has asked for forgiveness for betraying the party and the whip. I don't want to take his name. He said he erred in his decision-making. The hearing on the disqualification case is underway," CM Sukhu said. The back-to-back developments brought to the fore the rift within the ruling party while the BJP claimed the Congress had lost the moral standing to be in power after losing majority in the Assembly. The BJP said the Rajya Sabha results show that the Sukhu-led Congress government has lost its majority, whereas the CM has claimed to remain in power with a majority. LoP Jairam Thakur earlier said that the state CM should resign from his post on moral grounds. "Congress does not have a majority, and they cannot pass the budget, so they suspended 15 BJP MLAs without any reason. They will now try to pass the budget, but it will be against the rules. If he (CM Sukhu) has even a little bit of morality left, then he should resign," he said. He further said that the action of the Assembly Speaker, Kuldeep Singh Pathania, to suspend 15 BJP MLAs is 'condemnable'. "We went to meet the Governor in the morning today and I said that since Congress does not have the majority to pass the budget in the Assembly, the Speaker will suspend BJP MLAs. Today, as soon as we entered the Assembly, 15 BJP MLAs were suspended and were taken out of the Assembly by the marshals. This is highly condemnable..." he said. While Jairam Thakur claimed that Sukhu has resigned from the post, the Himachal CM said that he will fight like a warrior and will not take any steps behind. "This government has lost all the moral right to stay in power. As far as I have been informed, CM Sukhu has also presented his resignation inside the House. Maybe the high command has asked him, but I am not sure," Thakur said. Sukhu on Wednesday, however, refuted the reports of him resigning from the post, saying that he has not tendered his resignation and will prove the majority in the House. "Neither anyone asked for my resignation nor have I presented my resignation to anyone. We will prove the majority. We will win, the people of Himachal will win... I am not someone who will get scared and I can say this with guarantee that Congress is going to win when the budget is presented. The budget will be passed today. BJP is spreading rumours of my resignation. Congress is united. I am a warrior and will fight like that," Sukhu said. In the voting on Tuesday, the BJP, which has just 25 MLAs, managed to secure 9 additional votes. The vote thus ended in a 34-34 tie, with three Independents and six Congress MLAs cross-voting for the BJP. Mahajan ended up winning after the result was decided with a draw of lots. (ANI) Taking suo moto cognizance upon an incident in which a farmer was stopped from boarding a metro train by an official at Rajajinagar station in Karnataka's Bengaluru "because his clothes were untidy," the National Human Rights Commission has issued notices to the Chief Secretary, Government of Karnataka, and the Managing Director, Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited, an official statement said on Wednesday. While asking for a detailed report within four weeks, the Commission has asked it to propose steps to be taken to ensure that such incidents do not recur, the release added. The video of the incident has reportedly gone viral on social media. The Commission has observed that the contents of the media report, if true, "amount to a violation of human rights." "No person can be denied access to public transport based on the nature of the clothes he or she is wearing. If someone possesses any objectionable material, he could be stopped only as per the provisions of the law," as per the statement. "It should also include the steps taken or proposed to be taken to ensure that such incidents do not recur," the release said. According to the media report dated February 27, the farmer was visible in the video standing with a sack of goods on his head at the bag-checking point of the metro station. "When an official stopped the farmer, another passenger objected to his action and asked him to show the rule that made a dress code mandatory for metro passengers or whether the metro was meant only for VIPs. He shared the video of the incident on social media," the release stated. (ANI) Delhi Lieutenant Governor (LG) VK Saxena has written to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and said that 'not a single piece of paper has been brought to his notice, officially or unofficially' concerning the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government's 'Water Scheme'. In a 7-page letter, LG Saxena said, "Water, Finance, and Urban Development--all departments concerned with this scheme are fully and totally under CM's control. LG has no role whatsoever. Not a single piece of paper was brought to LG's notice, officially or unofficially in this regard." "I am writing to convey my grave objection to the supposed "Unanimous Resolution" adopted by the Delhi Legislative Assembly on February 19, 2023, as conveyed to my Secretariat by the Secretary of the Legislative Assembly Secretariat. The penultimate paragraph mentions that 'the BJP exercises direct control over the LG. This is a completely unacceptable and irresponsible assertion, which does not behove the members who endorsed it," said the letter by the LG. "The said statement not only breaches all propriety and constitutional provisions but is also an affront to the constitutional office of the Lt Governor for petty political games. In a sense, it is a classic case of 'passing the buck' for one's efficiency on others. I advise you to convey the same to the Speaker of the Assembly and the same should be expunged from the proceedings of the House," it said. "Additionally, over the past couple of days, I have watched a false and misleading narrative being peddled in the media by you and your ministers, accusing me of stalling a 'water scheme', which does not exist on paper. Your statements are white lies, again an example of the 'typical abuse and scoot game', which you seem to have mastered and made a career out of. While you and your government have done nothing substantive for the development of Delhi and its residents in all spheres, you have blamed all and sundry--secondary governments at the centre since 2013, successive Lt governors, the Congress party, the BJP and even the government servants--in a bid to maintain the charade that you have created through repeated lies perpetuated by an incessant publicity campaign," added the letter. "It is made clear that I want to put it on record that the subject matter of the resolution and the so-called 'scheme', that concerns the Delhi Jal Board (Water), the Urban Development Department, and the Finance Department, are transferred subjects, fully and totally under your control and the respective ministers, as per the constitutional and statutory scheme of things, reiterated time and again by the courts," it read. "The said scheme, which is purportedly being stopped by me, has never ever been brought to me, even on a single piece of paper," added the letter. On Wednesday, Delhi LG Saxena refused any claim that he or his office had received any papers with regard to the 'Water Scheme'. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also responded to LG VK Saxena in reply to his letter on the water bill related to the one-time settlement scheme. The Delhi Chief Minister, in his letter, said that he was "deeply pained" by the language of the LG's letter to him and that he hoped that whatever the differences, political backgrounds, or diverse perspectives, both the constitutional functionaries could be able to maintain a cordial and constructive working relationship. Kejriwal said, "Whatever our differences, political backgrounds, or however diverse our perspectives; this kind of offensive language is not acceptable from one constitutional functionary to another." Kejriwal, in his 'open letter' to LG Saxena, hoped they would be "able to maintain a cordial and constructive working relationship" in the interest of Delhi's people. "I have myself discussed this matter with you more than once and brought it to your notice that the officers of the Delhi Jal Board, the Urban Development Department, and the Finance Department are creating a constitutional crisis by not bringing the proposal to the Council of Ministers, despite the directions of the minister in charge," he said. He claimed that LG exercised all powers over officers. "As a consequence, the officers respond to your directions, whether given orally or in writing. This is the reason why I have brought multiple issues to your notice, where matters of public interest are being held up by officers, including this issue of water bills," said Kejriwal. The Delhi chief minister requested that the LG take "exemplary action" against at least one officer so that it sends a message to the administrative machinery to fall in line. (ANI) Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar opened up about the country's semiconductor companies and said that India is becoming a fast semiconductor nation. Talking to the reporters at the 'Viksit Bharat Ambassador Meet', Chandrasekhar said on Wednesday, "Today, over Rs 2.50 lakh crore investment proposals have been received by the government of India from global semiconductor majors. India is becoming a fast semi-conductor nation, whereas just two years ago, it was not even present in the semi-conductor ecosystem of the world." Rajeev Chandrasekhar also said that in the last 10 years, India has transformed itself from being among the fragile 5 economies to one of the top 5 economies in the world. Talking to the reporters, Chandrasekhar said, "Citizens of Pune who are interested in becoming part of the movement of building a Viksit Bharat that the Prime Minister has laid out as a vision for us can become Viksit Bharat ambassadors. In the last 10 years, India has transformed itself from a fragile economy to one of the top 5 economies in the world. "Appreciating the ongoing developments in the nation, the Union Minister said that India has become an inspiration for countries around the world. We have become an inspiration for the countries of the world in terms of economic performance, in terms of our inclusive policies, and in terms of how we transformed governance and made government work for the people," he said. Chandrasekhar said that the Prime Minister has set a target for making India a viksit bharat in the coming years. "In the coming years, the Prime Minister has set the target of making India a viksit Bharat, and he has said that this will be a partnership between the government, political parties, and the citizens of the country. Each Indian should come out and become a Viksit Bharat ambassador so that this vision of Viksit Bharat is a vision that is being built for the future of young Indians," he said. "When the young Indians grow, he/she finds himself or herself living in a country that has been transformed over the years through the hard work of many governments, including PM Narendra Modi," the Union Minister said. Talking to ANI, MD of Epitome Component Pvt Limited, Anurag Dhooth, said that the idea of Viksit Bharat is the progress of the country and all the sections of society. "The idea of Viksit Bharat is the progress of the country and all the sections of society. Whatever is happening today is a transformation. The world is looking at us," Dhooth said. Investment Advisor Mandar Shende told ANI that if all 140 crore Indians contribute, then India will become a developed country in 2037 instead of 2047. "If all the 140 crore Indians contribute towards the Prime Minister's dream of Viksit Bharat, then we will become a developed country in 2037 instead of 2047. Each and every Indian should contribute towards it. It is not just PM Modi's goal, it is the goal of 140 crore Indians," he said. Applauding the idea of 'Viksit Bharat Ambassador Meet', partner at Chitale Bandhu Mithaiwale, Indraneel Chitale, said, "It is an excellent campaign. It is marketing India's story very well. The more the world notices, the better it gets. GST has been a great boom for doing business across the country. Digital infrastructure has been a boom for consumer businesses like us." The MD of Agni Solar Pvt. Ltd., Ravi Petite, said that everyone should contribute towards the Viksit Bharat dream of the Prime Minister. Highlighting the Prime Minister's belief in 'Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas', Chairperson of the Mentoring Panel at CII's BYST, Dr S Sukanya Iyer, said that the PM gave a 360-degree perspective of balanced regional development. "The most important aspect of our leadership and our PM is that he believes in 'Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas'. He included not only one particular region, but he also gave a 360-degree perspective of balanced regional development. Starting from Jammu and Kashmir, abrogation of Article 370 to Kanniyakumari, where he has given Rs. 7,300 crores worth of infrastructure projects," she said. (ANI) Assam Forest Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said on Wednesday that the Prime Minister will arrive at the national park on March 8 evening. "He will visit the national park on March 9 morning. We have made arrangements for both elephant safaris and jeep safaris for the Prime Minister. Today, we have taken stock of the security arrangements along with the Assam DGP and Chief Secretary," Chandra Mohan Patowary said. The Assam Forest Minister, along with DGP GP Singh and Chief Secretary Paban Borthakur, visited the national park on Wednesday and held a series of meetings with senior officials to finalise arrangements for the Prime Minister's visit. On March 9, the Prime Minister is scheduled to unveil a bronze statue of the legendary Ahom general, Lachit Barphukan, in Jorhat. Prime Minister Modi will also address a public meeting at Meleng Meteli Pothar in Jorhat. The Assam Forest Minister further said that many infrastructure development works in the national park are underway ahead of the Prime Minister's visit to the state. (ANI) Arunachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister, Chowna Mein, graced the event as the Chief Guest, accompanied by Tapir Gao, MP, East, among other dignitaries. These GI-certified products stand as proud representatives of the rich cultural heritage and traditional craftsmanship embedded within the heart of Arunachal Pradesh. Supported by the NABARD-Arunachal Pradesh Regional Office, these products epitomize the dedication and talent of the local communities. The 18 products bestowed with GI certificates included the Khaw Tai (Khamti Rice), Apatani Textile, Yak Churpi, Tangsa Textile, Monpa Textile, Adi Kekir (Ginger), Handmade Carpet, Monpa Handmade Paper, Nyishi Textile Products, and Wancho Wooden Craft. It also included Adi Textile, Galo Textile, Singpho Phalap (Singpho Tea), Adi Apong, Arunachal Pradesh Dao (Sword), Annyat Millet, Marua Apo (Marua Millet Beverage) and Khamti Handloom Textile. These products encapsulate the unique traditions, skills, and natural resources of Arunachal Pradesh, each narrating a story of heritage and innovation passed down through generations. During the event, Damodar Mishra, General Manager, congratulated all the applicants and assured continued support for future GI initiatives. He emphasised NABARD's commitment to undertaking post-GI activities, aiming for increased income generation and improved livelihoods. Padmashree Dr Rajni Kant, in his remarks, extended gratitude to the state government and NABARD for their involvement in the GI journey. He highlighted the vast potential for GI certification among various indigenous products of Arunachal Pradesh, foreseeing immense opportunities for cultural preservation and economic growth. Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein expressed his appreciation for NABARD's initiative, emphasising its integral role in rural development activities within the state. He welcomed attendees to the festival, shedding light on the diverse cultural festivities of Arunachal Pradesh. The State Folk Music and Dance Festival of Arunachal Pradesh will feature folk performances from 18 indigenous folk musical dance groups and 5 folk musical bands during the two-day programme, following which three selected teams will represent Arunachal Pradesh at the Bharat Lok Sangeet - Arunachal Utsav 2024 on March 2 and 3, 2024. (ANI) President Droupadi Murmu expressed grief and offered her condolences on the loss of lives and people injured in the train accident in the Jamtara district of Jharkhand earlier yesterday. "The news of the sudden deaths of many people in a train accident in the Jamtara district of Jharkhand is extremely saddening. I express my deepest condolences to the bereaved families and pray for the speedy recovery of those injured," posted the President on X. Prime Minister Narendra also took to his social media handle on X and posted, "Pained by the mishap in Jamtara, Jharkhand. My thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon." At least two passengers have died and some were injured after being hit by a train near Kaljariya railway crossing in Jharkhand's Jamtara-Karmatand area on Wednesday. Jamtara Deputy Commissioner Shashi Bhushan Mehra said, "Two bodies have been recovered so far, adding that the police, district administration team, and railway officials reached the spot and took the injured to the hospital for treatment. Jamtara Sub Divisional Officer (SDO) Anant Kumar said that the deceased were passengers who had stepped down near Kalajharia railway crossing and were run over by another local train. "Near the Kalajharia railway crossing, the train stopped, and some passengers got off and were run over by another local train. Information was received that some people had died. RPF and the district police are conducting a search operation, and two bodies have been recovered so far," the SDO said. Kumar also informed that a helpline number will be started soon so that family members of those who have been injured can contact for further information. The reason for the incident is yet to be determined," he added. Jharkhand Health Minister Banna Gupta directed the Jamtara Deputy Commissioner and Civil Surgeon to conduct rescue operations and provide treatment to those injured. In reaction to the incident, Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren said in a post on 'X', "Saddened by the news of train accident near Kaljharia station of Jamtara. May God grant peace to the departed souls and give strength to the bereaved families to bear this difficult time of grief. The administration team is engaged in relief and rescue work on the spot. I wish speedy recovery to those injured in the accident." (ANI) Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge expressed grief over the loss of lives in the Jharkhand train accident, and sought an 'impartial' investigation into the incident to hold those liable for safety violations. Taking to his social media handle, Kharge posted on X, "The train accident that took place in Jamtara, Jharkhand, is extremely heartbreaking. The news of the loss of many lives is extremely sad." "Our deepest condolences to the families of the deceased and we pray for the speedy recovery of the injured. The railways and government administrations should do immediate relief work, and Congress workers should provide all possible help," read the post. The Congress leader further stated in the post, "The Railway Ministry should take responsibility for this tragic accident and conduct an impartial investigation so that those responsible for safety lapses are held accountable." Earlier in the day, President Droupadi Murmu expressed grief and offered her condolences on the loss of lives and people injured in the train accident in the Jamtara district of Jharkhand. "The news of the sudden deaths of many people in a train accident in the Jamtara district of Jharkhand is extremely saddening. I express my deepest condolences to the bereaved families and pray for the speedy recovery of those injured," posted the President on X. Prime Minister Narendra also took to his social media handle on X and posted, "Pained by the mishap in Jamtara, Jharkhand. My thoughts are with all those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon." At least two passengers died and some were injured after being hit by a train near Kaljariya railway crossing in Jharkhand's Jamtara-Karmatand area on Wednesday. Jamtara Deputy Commissioner Shashi Bhushan Mehra said, "Two bodies have been recovered so far, adding that the police, district administration team, and railway officials reached the spot and took the injured to the hospital for treatment. Jamtara Sub Divisional Officer (SDO) Anant Kumar said that the deceased were passengers who had stepped down near Kalajharia railway crossing and were run over by another local train."Near the Kalajharia railway crossing, the train stopped, and some passengers got off and were run over by another local train. Information was received that some people had died. RPF and the district police are conducting a search operation, and two bodies have been recovered so far," the SDO said. Kumar also informed that a helpline number will be started soon so that family members of those who have been injured can contact for further information. The reason for the incident is yet to be determined," he added. Jharkhand Health Minister Banna Gupta directed the Jamtara Deputy Commissioner and Civil Surgeon to conduct rescue operations and provide treatment to those injured. (ANI) Actor Karan Singh Grover offered prayers at Mahakaleshwar temple located in Madhya Pradesh's Ujjain district on Thursday. He also participated in the 'Bhasma Aarti' performed here and took the blessings of Baba Mahakal (Lord Shiva) on the occasion. 'Bhasma aarti' (offering with ashes) is a famous ritual here. It is performed during the 'Brahma Muhurta' between around 3:30 and 5:30 in the morning. According to religious beliefs, the wishes of the devotee who participates in the Bhasma aarti are fulfilled. According to the priest of the temple, following the tradition, the doors of Baba Mahakal were opened in the Brahma Muhurta and after that, a holy bath of Lord Mahakal was performed with Panchamrit, which included milk, curd, ghee, sugar and honey. The Bhasma Aatri was performed along with beating drums and blowing conch shells. Actor Karan Singh Grover said, "I felt very good. What people say is true, after coming here, something in the DNA changes. I am sure everything will be good ahead after visiting here." The latest release of actor Karan Singh Grover was Hrithik Roshan and Deepika Padukone starrer 'Fighter' in which he played the role of Squadron Leader Sartaj Gill. The film, directed by Siddharth Anand was released in theatres last month on January 25. According to analysts, it made its entry into the Rs 100 crore club. Karan is known for his performances in shows including 'Dill Mill Gayye' and 'Qubool Hai'. He has also starred in films such as 'Alone' and 'Hate Story 3'. (ANI) Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami will attend the BJP Central Election Committee's (CEC) meeting to be held in the national capital on Thursday evening. The meeting will be also attended by State President Mahendra Bhatt. Earlier on Wednesday, BJP leadership held a core group meeting of different states as part of the candidate selection process for the Lok Sabha polls, with party chief JP Nadda and Home Minister Amit Shah discussing with leaders the panel of names recommended by the respective state units. The core committee meeting was held for several states including Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Assam besides the union territory of Delhi, ahead of the meeting of the party's Central Election Committee. According to the information received from the state BJP office, there was a discussion on the candidates for the Lok Sabha elections in the meeting of the Uttarakhand BJP Core Group in Delhi last evening. The party is expected to announce over 100 names over the next few days. Sources said the first list is likely to have the names of top party leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. The party may also initially focus on states where it is contesting on its own. The first list may also have some seats the BJP lost in the 2019 Lok Sabha election. In Uttar Pradesh, the BJP has discussed candidates for 14 Lok Sabha seats the party lost in 2019 and the first list could include around 40 names from the electorally crucial state, sources said. The first list may have all names in western Uttar Pradesh and some seats in the Awadh and Purvanchal regions of the state. Sources said that in Madhya Pradesh, names of prominent leaders including former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, and senior party functionaries Kailash Vijayvargiya and Narottam Mishra are among the recommendations received by the central leadership from the state unit. Sources said that the first list for Rajasthan may have 15 names, including some prominent leaders. The list from Odisha is also expected to have names of some senior leaders and party functionaries. (ANI) Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Thursday announced that the state government has decided to extend the deadline for 60 per cent signage in Kannada rule by two more weeks. "Considering that it takes time to change the signage, Karnataka government has decided to extend the deadline given to commercial establishments by two more weeks so that the 60 per cent signage in Kannada rule can be followed," Karnataka Deputy CM posted on X on Thursday. "It is important that we uphold our mother tongue in utmost respect, therefore we expect this law will be duly followed, and we shall see compliance to it by the end of the 2 week extended period," he added. The recent amendment to the Kannada Language Comprehensive Development Act 2022 applies to a wide range of establishments, including commercial, industrial, and business undertakings, trusts, counselling centres, hospitals, laboratories, amusement centres, and hotels. All these entities, which operate with the approval and sanction of the government or local authorities, are now required to display 60 per cent of their name in Kannada on their name boards. The amendment further stipulates that Kannada must be prominently displayed at the top of the name board. This move is aimed at promoting the use of the local language in public and private sectors. "It is considered necessary to amend Kannada Bhasha Samagra Abhivruddhi Adhiniyama, 2022 (2023 ra Karnataka Adhiniyama 13) to appoint the Director, Directorate of Kannada and Culture as the Member and the Secretary, Kannada Development Authority to be the convener of the State Level Committee and to make a provision that the name boards of Commercial, Industrial and Business Undertakings, Trusts, Counseling Centre's, Hospitals, Laboratories, Amusement Centers and Hotels etc., functioning with the approval and sanction of the Government or Local Authorities, shall ensure that their name board displays 60 per cent in Kannada language and Kannada shall be displayed in the upper half of the name board. Hence the Bill," as per the Karnataka State Assembly. (ANI) Flash Iran and Russia on Wednesday signed 19 documents on expanding bilateral cooperation in various sectors, the Shana News Agency affiliated with the Iranian Oil Ministry reported. The agreements were signed at the end of the 17th meeting of the two countries' joint economic cooperation commission in Iran's capital Tehran, the report said, covering such areas as energy, health, trade, and education. Speaking at a joint press conference with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak following the signing of the documents, Iran's Oil Minister Javad Owji said the country "has so far signed contracts with Russian companies for developing eight Iranian oil fields," according to Shana. Owji added that discussions were underway regarding the development of a significant number of additional oil and gas fields, and the new contracts could be signed soon. Novak said at the press conference that the two countries could expand bilateral cooperation in the fields of oil, gas and petrochemical sectors, car production and service. After the West Bengal police arrested Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Sheikh Shahjahan, the party MP said the action proved that the state government follows 'Rajdharma' in an administrative manner. "His arrest proves that our government follows 'Rajdharma' in an administrative manner. We had taken action against Partha Chatterjee and Jyotipriya Mallick, and similarly, we have taken action against Shibu Hazra and Uttam Sardar, and now Sheikh Shahjahan has been arrested," Santanu Sen said on Thursday. Taking a dig at the BJP, Sen said that the party should learn 'Rajdharma' from TMC. "Abhishek Banerjee had said that the police were unable to arrest him due to the court's stay order. He has been arrested within 3-4 days of the removal of the stay order," he said. "On one side, accused leaders openly move in BJP-ruled states, and on the other side, our administration doesn't spare accused TMC leaders if there is evidence against them. BJP should learn 'Rajdharma' from the TMC," Sen said. Welcoming the arrest, TMC leader Kunal Ghosh said, "Sheikh Shahjahan has been arrested, we welcome the steps of the state police. Our leader, Abhishek Banerjee, pointed out earlier that due to some parts of the order from the High Court, state police have been restrained from taking any action." "After Abhishek Banerjee pointed out the problem, the High Court removed the restrictions, and the police became free. We had full trust and full faith in the Police, we said that within a few days, you would see the result and today Shahjahan has been arrested," he added. State BJP president Sukanta Majumdar claimed that the government was 'compelled' to arrest Shahjahan due to continuous agitation by the BJP. "Due to the continuous agitation by the BJP, this government was compelled to arrest Sheikh Shahjahan. The government was in denial mode. They were not even accepting that anything as such had happened," Majumdar said. "I had already said that we would compel the government to arrest Sheikh Shahjahan. Today, due to the agitation of the BJP and the women of Sandeshkhali, the government and Mamata Banerjee are compelled to arrest Sheikh Shahjahan," he added. BJP MLA Shankar Ghosh said, "State Police has no other option left than to arrest Sheikh Shahjahan, as the court already gave the verdict that CBI and ED can arrest Sheikh Shahjahan for the interest of the public." He alleged that the state police arrested Shahjahan to keep him in their 'safe custody'. "To keep Sheikh Shahjahan in their safe custody, the state police already arrested him and we hope that the truth about Sandeshkhali will come out through different kinds of agencies as well as court intervention. The party of the scoundrels and criminals - the TMC - will face the consequences," Shankar Ghosh said. Meanwhile, West Bengal's Basirhat Court remanded TMC Sheikh Shahjahan to 10-day police custody on Thursday. Shahjahan was arrested by West Bengal police on Thursday morning in connection with an alleged assault on ED officers during a raid in January earlier this year Shahjahan's arrest comes three days after the Calcutta High Court Chief Justice ordered adding the name of Sheikh Shahjahan to the Sandeshkhali case. He had been evading arrest by both state and central agencies for over a month. Sandeshkhali in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district has been witnessing widespread protests against TMC strongman Shahjahan Sheikh this month as a section of women were seeking justice against alleged atrocities committed by the TMC leader. A large number of women in Sandeshkhali had accused Shajahan Sheikh and his close aides of "land-grab and sexual assault" under coercion. (ANI) The Delhi High Court on Thursday issued notice on the bail plea filed by Shahrukh Pathan to the Delhi Police. He is accused of pointing a gun at a policeman in the Jafrabad area during riots in February 2020. Justice Jyoti Singh issued notice to Delhi police on the plea and listed the matter for hearing on April 16. The High Court has also sought a status report of the prosecution proceedings in the case against Pathan. It has been stated that the trial has been delayed and only two out of ninety witnesses have been examined. He has been in custody for four years. On December 14, 2023, Karkardooma Court dismissed the bail plea of Shahrukh Pathan after considering his conduct in custody and prior to his arrest. Advocate Khalid Akhtar appeared for Shahrukh Pathan. He argued that the accused is seeking bail on the grounds of a delay in trial. It was submitted before the trial court in December 2023 that the accused has been in custody for the last three years and nine months. Only two prosecution witnesses have been examined till now. One charge sheet and three supplementary charge sheets have been filed. There are 90 prosecution witnesses and only two of them have been examined completely. For some time, the matter was heard on a daily basis. Defence counsel had further submitted that the court had ordered a day-to-day trial on March 7, 2023; the court had fixed an 8th date for the hearing but still trial has not started. On the other hand, Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Anuj Handa for Delhi Police had opposed the bail plea. He submitted that the accused's conduct in jail was not good, and he also met the culprits of the Red Fort bomb blast in jail. It was also argued that the accused was summoned by the jail authorities multiple times for his conduct and a mobile phone was also recovered from him. He also assaulted other prisoners in the jail. The defence counsel rebutted and said that the maximum sentence is 10 years. The case was not delayed because of the accused. If other accused are not being produced, is this my fault? Can I be put in prison for this reason? (ANI) The Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that a stay order granted in civil and criminal cases does not automatically lapse after six months and will remain in operation till the matter is decided unless it is specifically time-bound. A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice of India, DY Chandrachud set aside the top court's 2018 decision. Besides CJI, justices Abhay Oka, JB Pardiwala, Pankaj Mithal, and Manoj Mishra were also on the bench. As per the 2018 order, interim orders of stay granted by the High Courts and other courts in civil and criminal cases will automatically expire after a period of six months unless the orders are specifically extended. Expressing a disagreement with the 2018 Asian resurfacing judgement, the court refused to issue any direction that all interim orders passed by High Courts will automatically expire on the lapse of time. The top court said that constitutional courts should refrain from laying down time-bound schedules for cases pending before any other courts. It further said that the issue of prioritising the disposal of cases should be best left to the concerned court where the cases are pending, and it should only pass direction laying down a time-bound schedule for cases only in exceptional circumstances. The top court noted that the situation at the grassroots level is better known to the judges of the concerned court, therefore, the issue of giving out-of-term priority to certain cases should be best left to the concerned court. The court had reserved its judgement in the matter for December 2023. (ANI) A supporter of Congress' Rajya Sabha member Syed Naseer Hussain has been detained for allegedly raising 'pro-Pakistan' slogans outside the Karnataka assembly, police said on Thursday. The BJP has alleged that Hussain's supporters raised pro-Pakistan slogans following his victory in the Rajya Sabha polls. According to Byadagi police, the person who was detained has been identified as Mohmad Shafi Nashipudi, a trader. "Mohmad Shafi Nashipudi, a trader and supporter of Syed Naseer Hussain was detained by Byadagi town police," the police said. The police said that Mohmad Shafi was present in Vidhana Soudha with Syed Nasser Hussain. Shafi's voice sample was taken to analyse the voice in the alleged pro-Pakistan slogan video, they added. Earlier in the day, BJP MLAs staged a protest in Vidhana Soudha demanding action on the alleged 'Pakistan Zindabad' slogans raised by supporters of Syed Naseer Hussain outside Karnataka Assembly. In the assembly, BJP MLAs shouted "Down down Congress government", "Spineless government is not capable to take action, we want justice, arrest the culprit, down down government,". "Its been 24 hours, no action has been initiated by the government. What can we expect from them," BJP MLA and Leader of Oppostion, R Ashok, said in the assembly. Responding to the protest, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that the government has sent the voice report to FSL and action will be taken after the report is received. "As I have told you already, the government is committed, we'll not spare anyone once the report comes," the Chief Minister said. BJP MLAs later stormed the well of the assembly in protest and raised slogans. However, on Wednesday, Syed Naseer Hussain dismissed the BJP's allegation that his supporters raised pro-Pakistan slogans. "I can understand the frustration of the BJP. They have lost badly despite both parties (BJP-JDS) coming together and trying every trick in the book to get an extra Rajya Sabha seat from Karnataka," Hussain told ANI. "Had I heard that, I would have sent him to jail. I come from a freedom fighter's family. I represent a party that has fought and brought freedom to this country," Hussain said. (ANI) A meeting was held in Chennai under the leadership of DMK leader and Chief Minister MK Stalin with the alliance partners. As per party sources, the DMK allotted two seats each to CPI and CPI(M) during the meeting. DMK made the first seat-sharing deal on February 25 with the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and Kongunadu Makkal Desiya Katchi. DMK's long-time ally, IUML, has been allotted the Ramanathapuram Parliament Constituency, while the Namakkal Parliament Constituency has been given to Kongunadu Makkal Desiya Katchi. On February 23, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar along with the top officials of the Election Commission of India, reviewed poll preparedness in Tamil Nadu for forthcoming general elections to Lok Sabha. The Commission held meetings with representatives of political parties in the state. The review meetings were also held with District Collectors and Superintendents of Police, the officials said. (ANI) The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved the proposal for Nutrient Based Subsidy rates for Kharif season 2024 on Phosphatic and Potassic (P&K) fertilizers and inclusion of three new fertilizer grades under NBS scheme. The tentative budgetary requirement for Kharif season (from April 1 to September 30) 2024 would be approximately Rs 24,420 crore. Briefing about decisions of the union cabinet, Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said availability of fertilizers to farmers at subsidized, affordable and reasonable prices will be ensured. He said inclusion of three new grades in NBS will support in promoting balanced soil health and offer alternatives to the framers to choose fertilizers fortified with micro-nutrients as per the soil requirement. The subsidy on P&K fertilizers will be provided based on approved rates for Kharif 2024 to ensure smooth availability of these fertilizers to the farmers at affordable prices. The release said the government is making available 25 grades of P&K fertilizers to farmers at subsidized prices through fertilizer manufacturers or importers. The subsidy on P&K fertilizers is governed by NBS Scheme with effect from April 1, 2010. The release said the Government is committed to ensure the availability of P&K fertilizers to the farmers at affordable prices in accordance with its farmer friendly approach. "In view of the recent trends in the international prices of fertilizers and inputs i.e. Urea, DAP, MOP and Sulphur, Government has decided to approve the NBS rates for Kharif 2024 on Phosphatic and Potassic (P&K) fertilizers. Government has also decided to include 3 new Fertilizer grades under the NBS scheme. The subsidy would be provided to the fertilizer companies as per approved and notified rates so that fertilizers are made available to farmers at affordable prices," the release said. (ANI) Taking a dig at the TMC government and West Bengal Police over the arrest of absconding strongman and Sandeshkhali accused Sheikh Shahjahan, and, his 10-day remand, BJP Rajya Sabha MP Sudhanshu Trivedi on Thursday said he has been put under the 'mehman-nawazi' (hospitality) of the state police in a bid to avoid arrest by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) and the CBI. Close to two months after he was reported untraceable in the wake of the attack on an ED team, which was on its way to raid his residence in the North 24 Parganas in connection with the alleged ration scam, the TMC strongman, who is also alleged by the women of Sandeshkhali to have perpetrated grave atrocities along with his henchmen, was arrested earlier in the day. Addressing a press briefing at the BJP headquarters in the national capital on Thursday, Trivedi said, "After being reported missing and untraceable for close to two months, Sheikh Shahjahan was arrested all of a sudden. However, no charges have been pressed against him for perpetrating atrocities on the women of Sandeshkhali and sending them inappropriate messages. It is evident that he was arrested under pressure from the high court (which cleared his arrest by the ED, CBI or state police) and the spontaneous uprising in Sandeshkhali, much against the wishes of the ruling party." Questioning the claim of the state police that the absconding TMC strongman was arrested in the ED case, the BJP leader added, "If he was, indeed, apprehended in the ED case, after the court, as they claimed, lifted the lock on his arrest, why isn't the state police not handing him over to the central agency? In fact, from the circumstances around his arrest, it appears that he was in the safekeeping of the Mamata government in the immediate run-up to his apprehension. Now, he has been put under 'mehman-nawazi' (hospitality) of the West Bengal Police to avoid arrest by the ED and CBI," Trivedi said. Explaining why he used the term 'mehman-nawazi', the Rajya Sabha MP said, "I deliberately used the term 'mehman-nawazi' because, if you cared to notice his body language and that of the police personnel around him, you would surely have questioned if his mannerisms were more befitting an actor than a wrongdoer." Earlier in the day, Leader of Opposition (LoP) Suvendu Adhikari also questioned Shahjahan's arrest, saying, "This is not an arrest but a mutual understanding." "Bhaskar Mukherjee (DIG, Malda Range) took him (Sheikh Shahjahan) in a car to Palta and, thereafter, he was driven to Bhushi Ratil. This is not an arrest but a mutual understanding. Till such he is remanded in custody of the central agencies, the people, especially the women, of Sandeshkhali will continue to be deprived of justice. There was no stay on his arrest by the court. It was a falsehood spread by the ruling TMC to deceive the people. I would say it again and again: this isn't an arrest but a mutual adjustment," Adhikari told reporters. Claiming further that the Sandeshkhali accused would be accorded five-star treatment in the custody of state police, the LoP said, "He will treated to 5-star facilities in jail. He will have access to mobile phones behind bars and will be able to run his writ in the area from custody. He will return to his illegal activities and thuggery from inside the jail." Earlier, hundreds of women in Sandeshkhali came out on the streets against the strongman, accusing him and his aides of mass rapes, excesses on women and land grab. "Shahjahan was arrested from Minakhan in the North 24 Parganas district," Minakhan SDPO Aminul Islam Khan told ANI earlier on Thursday. (ANI) "Nainital Police have arrested one absconding accused, Abdul Moeed, from Delhi in the Banphoolpura violence case," Senior Superintendent of Police Nainital, Prahlad Meena said. Till now, a total of 84 miscreants have been sent behind bars, police said. Meanwhile, the Sessions Court in Haldwani on February 25 placed Abdul Malik, the prime suspect in the Haldwani violence, in police custody until March 6. The accused was presented before the Haldwani court on Saturday night. The case is scheduled for further proceedings following this period. On Saturday, Uttarakhand police arrested the key accused in the violence that took place in Banbhulpura, Haldwani, on February 8. State Director General of Police Abhinav Kumar had announced a cash reward of Rs 50,000 for the Uttarakhand Police team that arrested Abdul Malik from Delhi, spokesperson IG Nilesh Bharne said. The authorities had said that the violence had broken out during an anti-encroachment drive in Haldwani. Stone-pelting incidents, torching of vehicles, and a mob surrounding the local police station were witnessed during the violence. To contain the situation, the administration had to issue a shoot-at-sight order in the area. The Municipal Corporation here issued a recovery notice of Rs 2.44 crore against Abdul Malik, a key accused in the violence at Haldwani, asking him to deposit the money to cover damage caused to government property during the clash. In the violence, four people were killed and 250 policemen were injured. According to the police, the mob burned down Banbhulpura police station. A curfew was imposed in the entire town for two days. (ANI) In a big announcement after his arrest, Trinamool Congress on Thursday suspended Sheikh Shahjahan from the party for six years. TMC leader Derek O'Brien held a press conference here today and said that by the time West Bengal Police was given freedom, it took two days to arrest the culprit. "All India Trinamool Congress has decided to suspend Sheikh Shahjahan from the party for six years. There are two types of political parties, one is who only talks but TMC walks the talk. This is not the first time we are doing this; we have done it in past too. Mr Modi we dare you to suspend Narayan Rane, Himanta Biswa Sarma and Suvendhu Adhikari. But you will not do as you are not from TMC," he said. Derek further added that BJP people are not drinking water in their headquarters in Delhi because "they want to keep this issue alive till Mr Modi arrives here but that could not be possible". "If you had said that we have legal obstructions to arrest the culprit then why didn't ED arrest him? People in Northern India don't know so we have to clarify who has arrested the culprit. The Central agencies or the West Bengal police. The police don't have the power to arrest in ED PMLA case, only the ED can do so. The culprit has been arrested in cases registered to West Bengal Police," TMC MP said. "The court gave freedom to the police, it took two days. Our challenge to Mr Modi is that I want to give two numbers 2219 and 2250. 2219 refers to the number of days Nirav Modi has been absconding and Mehul Choksi has been absconding for 2250 days. You have not brought these people to book in these days," he added. Meanwhile, West Bengal's Basirhat Court remanded Trinamool Congress (TMC) Sheikh Shahjahan to 10-day police custody on Thursday. Lawyer Raja Bhowmick, who represented Shahjahan in court, said, "14-day police custody (of Sheikh Shahjahan) was demanded, but the court allowed 10-day custody." "On March 10, he will be produced in court again," he said. Shahjahan was arrested by West Bengal police on Thursday morning in connection with an alleged assault on ED officers during a raid in January earlier this year. West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose called Shahjahan's arrest an 'eye-opener', adding that it is only the 'beginning'. "Today in Bengal, we see the beginning of an end. The arrest of the prime accused in the Sandeshkhali incidents is an eye-opener for everyone. This is only the beginning. We have to put an end to violence in Bengal," Ananda Bose said. Sandeshkhali in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district had been witnessing widespread protests against TMC strongman Shahjahan Sheikh this month as a section of women were seeking justice against alleged atrocities committed by the TMC leader. A large number of women in Sandeshkhali had accused Shajahan Sheikh and his close aides of "land-grab and sexual assault" under coercion. (ANI) Goswami, who resigned from the Congress on Wednesday, joined the BJP in the presence of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, state BJP president Bhabesh Kalita and other leaders at the state BJP headquarters in Guwahati. Apart from him, another leader, Jayanta Bora, also joined the party. Assam State BJP president Bhabesh Kalita told ANI that, apart from Rana Goswami, a few other prominent personalities will also join the BJP today. Talking about finalising the BJP candidate list, Kalita said that the central leadership will finalise the candidate list. "Yesterday, we met our party's central leadership and submitted the candidate list for the parliamentary constituencies of Assam. Today we will again go to Delhi. In the coming 1-2 days, the central leadership will announce the first list of candidates," Kalita said. He further said that Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and United People's Party Liberal (UPPL) are also partners of the BJP-led NDA and seats will be given to these parties also. Rana Goswami tendered his resignation from the grand old party on February 28. In a letter to the Congress General Secretary, KC Venugopal, APCC working President Rana Goswami wrote, "I beg to state that I am tendering my resignation as the working President of Assam Pradesh Congress Committee and as an active member of Indian National Congress." Earlier on February 14, CM Himanta Sarma said that four Congress MLAs have extended their support to the state government. "Two Congress MLAs Basanta Das and Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha have extended their support to the Assam government. Earlier, two Congress MLAs Sashi Kanta Das and Siddique Ahmed had extended their support to the state. So far, four Congress MLAs have extended their support to the government. In coming days, all opposition MLAs will extend their support to the government," Sarma said. (ANI) Flash Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with a U.S. Chamber of Commerce delegation led by the chamber's President and CEO Suzanne Clark at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 28, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua] Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Wednesday met with a U.S. Chamber of Commerce delegation led by the chamber's President and CEO Suzanne Clark at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Noting that this year marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and the United States, Li said that the past 45 years have proved repeatedly that China and the United States benefit from cooperation and lose in confrontation. Cooperation is the only correct choice, he said. Based on the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, China is ready to work with the United States to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state to promote the sound and steady development of bilateral relations, he said. Li noted that the Chinese and U.S. economies are highly complementary, and their interests are deeply integrated. Both sides benefit from each other's development, and strengthening economic and trade cooperation is beneficial to both countries. The two sides should be partners rather than rivals, he said, noting that engaging in "decoupling" or "small yard, high fence" strategies is not in the fundamental interests of either side and will only bring huge losses to enterprises in the two countries, to the economy, and even to global development. Li said that China is pursuing Chinese modernization through high-quality development and will continue to unleash huge demand in advanced manufacturing, new-type urbanization, the upgrading of the consumption structure, and green and low-carbon transformations. He noted that U.S. companies are welcome to continue investing in China and deepening their presence in the Chinese market to share the development opportunities. He said that China will open its door even wider to the outside world, continue to foster a market-oriented, law-based and internationalized business environment, and provide more support and convenience for U.S. companies and foreign firms from other countries to invest and do business in China. It is hoped that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and its entrepreneurs will continue to serve as a bridge in promoting increased communication and mutual understanding between the two countries, Li said. For her part, Clark said the U.S.-China relationship is extremely important. A decoupling between the United States and China is not a viable option, and China's further opening-up is welcome, she said. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is willing to act as a bridge, conduct candid and constructive communication and exchanges with the Chinese side, make efforts to deepen U.S.-China economic and trade relations and mutually beneficial cooperation, and promote the steady development of U.S.-China relations, she said. Former Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai demanded a probe by the National Investigation Agency into raising of pro-Pakistan slogans and the dismissal of the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government in the state since "it was not functioning according to the Constitution". Bommai alleged that the state government protected "anti-nationals". Talking to reporters after submitting a memorandum to the Governor seeking the dismissal of the Congress government here on Thursday, he said the Congress Party has gone morally bankrupt and the budget presented by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has been "far from true". Now they have been exposed further by defending those who raised pro-Pakistan slogans. The Congress party was acting like a grave threat to democracy. "Since the slogans had been raised in Vidhana Soudha, the nation's security was under threat. The Congress leaders think everyone would forget this incident since the joint session of the State legislature has ended but the people of Karnataka would not forget. The BJP would continue this agitation. If the incumbent government stood by Pakistan, then it didn't have any moral right to continue. It would be better if the present government goes as early as possible," Bommai said. The BJP leader said the visual media clearly showed the raising of pro-Pakistan slogans but the government has been misleading the people by telling the story of the FSL report. This shows, he said, that the government was trying to hush up this incident. "So far, no one has been arrested in this connection. In other cases, the cops would have arrested without waiting for the FSL report. If no truth was there then why did they file a suo motu case? The incumbent government was anti-national and anti-Kannadiga and it must be dismissed by the Governor," he said. Replying to the Congress MLC BK Hariprasad statement, Bommai said the MLC's statement shows the mindset of the Congress Party. "The Pakistan-sponsored terrorists were killing the Indian soldiers daily. Can they be called as friends? Seeing that statement they should be called as anti-nationals," Bommai said. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will kickstart the BJP's campaign for Lok Sabha Elections in West Bengal from March 1. PM Modi will be on a two-day visit to TMC-ruled West Bengal on March 1 and 2. Notably, PM Modi's visit to the state in the wake of the ongoing unrest in the Sandeshkhali enclave where women recently hit the streets and vented their fury by setting ablaze the properties belonging to TMC leaders who are accused of tormenting villagers. He will address two big public meetings. This visit of the Prime Minister is being considered very important before the Lok Sabha elections. He will also give mantra to the BJP workers to ensure victory in the upcoming elections. On March 1, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a public meeting in Arambag and on that day he will have a night stay in the state. Apart from this, on March 2, he will address a public meeting in Krishna Nagar. "Lakhs of people will be present in the rally," BJP's Bengal chief Sukant Majumdar told ANI. Sukant Majumdar also mentioned that the Prime Minister is coming to Bengal, it is a matter of happiness for all of us and he will address the people of West Bengal. There is a lot of enthusiasm among the workers too. PM Modi will also be addressing the women of the entire country from Barashat, West Bengal on March 6. BJP Mahila Morcha chief Vanathi Srinivasan held a meeting in West Bengal on February 24 to take stock of the preparations in this regard. BJP Bengal sources told ANI that in 2024 polls, BJP will be winning more seats in West Bengal than before. This time the figure is likely to go up to 26, however at present it is estimated that 20 to 26 seats will be won by BJP. Overall, the BJP is very confident and is continuously engaged in its work. All the leaders and workers of the BJP are working on the ground to make people aware on the Modi-led dispensation's welfare and development schemes in the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The Pradhan Mantri Employment scheme, the Ayushman Bharat upto an insurance of Rs 5 lakh, the Pradhan Mantri Jan Oushadhi scheme, the Kisan Samman Nidhi and the Pradhana Mantri Jeevan Jyoti are some of these schemes.(ANI) The AGP is an ally of the ruling BJP in Assam. "Following the invitation of the State BJP president, I have arrived at the state's party headquarters. Seat sharing discussions will take place here," Bora told ANI. Before the Assam assembly polls in 2016, the AGP and the BJP joined hands together and forged an alliance. In 2019, the Asom Gana Parishad distanced itself from the BJP owing to the passage of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). However, the regional party again forged an alliance with the BJP. The Lok Sabha polls are scheduled to be held in April-May this year. Meanwhile, the BJP leadership on Wednesday held a core group meeting of different states as part of the candidate selection process for the Lok Sabha polls, with party chief JP Nadda and Home Minister Amit Shah discussing with leaders the panel of names recommended by the respective state units. Sources said core committee meeting was held for several states including Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Assam besides the union territory of Delhi, ahead of the meeting of party's Central Election Committee today. They said that the party is likely to announce over 100 names in its first candidate list. (ANI) The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) on Thursday informed the Delhi High Court that it would hold a General Body Meeting (GBM) within two months to discuss the nomination of women lawyers as its executive members. SCBA president Adish Agarwala made the submission before the bench of Justice Sudhir Kumar Jain during a hearing on a plea of a woman lawyer for a direction to call a GBM to consider amendments in rules and regulations to ensure two positions of member executive committee for woman lawyers. After noting the submissions, the high court disposed of the plea moved by advocate Yogmaya G, a practising lawyer and member of SCBA. She had moved a petition through advocates Bineesh K, Nandana Menon and Anjitha Santosh. The petitioner contested the Bar Election in 2023 for the post of member executive committee but lost. It was stated that 11 women lawyers contested for this post but none was elected. She sent a representation to the Chief Justice of India and the president of SCBA, requesting that a General Body Meeting (GBM) be called to amend the rules to ensure that at least two positions are reserved for women lawyers. Thereafter, she sought an intervention from the high court and a direction to the SCBA to convene a General Body Meeting (GBM) to amend the rules of the Bar. The petitioner stated that gender equality is a constitutional goal and recent amendments such as the Constitutional (One Hundred Twenty-Eighth Amendment) Act, 2023, are aimed at allocating 33 per cent seats for women in the Lok Sabha and State assemblies. The 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments in 1993 reserved 33 per cent seats for women in local self-government bodies. Many states, including Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Kerala, legally ensure 50 per cent reservation for women in local bodies. "Article 243D (3) and (4) of the Indian Constitution mandate at least one-third reservation for women in seats filled by direct election and one-third of the chairperson positions in Panchayati Raj Institutions," the plea stated. "Additionally, Article 243ZJ (1) stipulates that state legislatures must legislate to reserve two seats for women on the boards of every cooperative society with individual members," it added. It stated further that constitutional provisions like Article 14 ensure the Right to Equality, Article 39(d) safeguards women's economic rights by ensuring equal pay for equal work while Article 42 enables the state to establish just and humane working conditions, including maternity relief. (ANI) Supporting Rajasthan Education Minister Madan Dilawar's remark that Mughal Emperor Akbar was a "rapist," BJP MLA Balmukund Acharya said on Thursday that in academics, Mughal rulers should not be mentioned. "We all know the history of the Mughals. Son threw Father in jail and ruled...They were tyrants. How can we see them as great people? They used to loot and practice adultery," Balmukund Acharya told ANI. "Mention of such tyrants in academics and places named after them, I find it wrong. In academics, we should learn about our culture and our ancestors' history. We are not in support of such tyrants, and we should not discuss them," he added. Rajasthan School Education Minister Madan Dilawar said on Tuesday that Mughal Emperor Akbar was a "rapist," adding that "to take his name in India is a sin." Speaking on a review of the curriculum in the state, Dilawar told ANI, "When we were students, we read that Akbar was great. I have also read that Akbar was great, but he used to set up a'meena bazaar', handpicked beautiful girls and women, and raped them. First of all, Akbar was an invader and had no connection with the people of our country. How can a rapist be great? He was a rapist; taking his name in India is a sin." Dilawar also said earlier this week that a committee would assess current textbooks, revised by the previous Congress government in the state, "with ill intention." He said that the goal of the BJP government in the state is to ensure that textbooks refrain from demeaning national heroes or fostering a sense of inferiority among students. If the committee identifies controversial content, appropriate action will be taken, he said. (ANI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said the robust 8.4 per cent GDP growth in the third quarter of 2023-24 shows the strength of the Indian economy and also its potential and the government will continue its efforts for fast economic growth to create 'Viksit Bharat'. PM Modi said in a post on X that fast economic growth will also help the citizens lead a better life. "Robust 8.4% GDP growth in Q3 2023-24 shows the strength of Indian economy and its potential. Our efforts will continue to bring fast economic growth which shall help 140 crore Indians lead a better life and create a Viksit Bharat!" he said. India's GDP grew at a huge 8.4 per cent during the October-December quarter of the current financial year and the country continued to remain the fastest-growing major economy. The Indian economy grew 7.8 per cent and 7.6 per cent during the preceding two quarters - April-June and July-September, data released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation on Thursday showed. Real GDP or GDP at Constant (2011-12) Prices in the year 2023-24 is estimated to attain a level of Rs 172.90 lakh crore, against the FRE (first revised estimates)of GDP for the year 2022-23 of Rs 160.71 lakh crore. The growth rate of GDP during 2023-24 has been estimated at 7.6 per cent as compared to growth rate of 7 per cent in 2022-23. Nominal GDP or GDP at Current Prices in the year 2023-24 is estimated to attain a level of Rs 293.90 lakh crore, against Rs 269.50 lakh crore in 2022-23, showing a growth rate of 9.1 per cent. GDP at Constant (2011-12) Prices in Q3 of 2023-24 is estimated at Rs 43.72 lakh crore, against Rs 40.35 lakh crore in Q3 of 2022-23, showing a growth rate of 8.4 per cent. GDP at Current Prices in Q3 of 2023-24 is estimated at Rs 75.49 lakh crore, as against Rs 68.58 lakh crore in Q3 of 2022-23, showing a growth rate of 10.1 per cent. India's real GDP growth for the current financial year ending in March 2024 is also pegged at 7 per cent by the Reserve Bank of India. It is 30 basis points lower than the National Statistics Office's first estimates 7.3 per cent. The strength of domestic demand has driven the economy to a 7 per cent plus growth rate in the last three years. India's economy grew 7.2 per cent in 2022-23 and 8.7 per cent in 2021-22, respectively. The robustness seen in domestic demand -- private consumption and investment -- traces its origin to the reforms and measures implemented by the government over the last 10 years, Department of Economic Affairs under the Ministry of Finance had said earlier. In the next three years, India is expected to become the third-largest economy in the world, with a GDP of USD 5 trillion. (ANI) The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed an appeal of Vedanta group for reopening of its Sterlite copper smelting plant in Tamil Nadu's Thoothukudi. A bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra dismisses the appeal of Vedanta Limited citing "repeated breaches" and "serious violations" on its part. Vedanta had approached the apex court against August 2020 Madras High Court order dismissing a batch of pleas by the company against the closure of its copper plant in Thoothukudi and other consequential orders passed by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB). "The court is conscious of the nature of contribution of the company to the area. However, the court has to be mindful of the principle of sustainable development and health and welfare of the residents of the area," the bench said in its order. The bench in its order noted that the unit has been contributing to the productive assets of the nation and providing employment and the revenue in the area, these well-settled principles of environmental jurisprudence must be remembered. "The health and welfare of the residents of the area of utmost concern and in the ultimate analysis, the State government is responsible for preserving and protecting their concerns. After capable evaluation, we have come to the conclusion that the special leave petition by the industrial unit does not warrant interference under Article 136 of the Constitution. The special leave petition stands dismissed," the top court noted in its order. It further dismissed the appeals filed by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board challenging the observations made by the High Court against it regarding its inaction. "We are of the view that the High Court was justified in making those observation in regard to the lack of alacrity on the part of the TNPCB in discharging its duties," it stated. The apex court was hearing Vedanta's plea to reopen Thoothukudi Sterlite plant. The plant has been shut since May 2018 after a police firing killed 13, protesting against the polluting unit. The appeal by the company assailed the High Court's judgement which upheld the Tamil Nadu government's decision of May 28, 2018, to shut down the plant due to environmental concerns. The High Court had rejected petitions of Vedanta Ltd, saying prohibitory orders were rightly passed by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board against the plant for violating laws related to pollution control. (ANI) Amritsar Police on Thursday busted an international narco smuggling cartel backed by the US with the arrest of a drug smuggler after recovering 5 kg of heroin from his possession, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav. The arrested drug smuggler has been identified as Gurpreet Kumar alias Deep (27) of New Shanti Nagar Bhajwara in Hoshiarpur. Police teams have also impounded a vehicle being used for supplying heroin. Sharing more details, Commissioner of Police (CP) Amritsar Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said that acting on reliable input, police teams under the supervision of DCP Investigation Harpreet Singh Mander and DCP City Dr Pragya Jain, led by ADCP Investigation Navjot Singh, ACP Investigation Kuldeep Singh, and CIA Staff-3 Incharge Inspector Barinderjit Singh went to village Kajikot towards Chabal Road and accused Gurpreet Kumar alias Deep. He said that during questioning, the arrested accused disclosed that they were receiving the heroin consignment from across the border on the instructions of Jasmeet alias Lucky based in the US. DGP Gaurav Yadav said that in a separate case, an MP-based weapon supply racket has also been busted by the Commissionerate Amritsar Police with the arrest of two persons after recovering four country-made pistols along with four magazines and 16 live cartridges from their possession. Those arrested have been identified as Harminderpal Singh (23) and Jatinderpal Singh alias Baba (20), both residents of Guru Nanak Colony in Amritsar. Police teams have also impounded the scooter on which they were going to deliver the weapon consignment. Earlier, Amritsar Commissionerate Police arrested five drug smugglers of Jasmeet alias Lucky module after recovering 6.2 kg of heroin, a car, Rs 3.80 lakh drug money, and 12 sims from their possession. Sharing details of the weapon recovery case, CP Gurpreet Bhullar said that police teams arrested both the accused persons from the area of Pul Taranwala along the canal to Sultanwind Road when they were waiting for the person assigned to supply the pistols. Preliminary investigation has revealed that they had brought these pistols from Madhya Pradesh (MP) to supply them to criminal elements in Amritsar. He said that apart from finding out the previous relations of the accused, police teams are also investigating the matter from the financial point of view to freeze their bank accounts and properties. CP Bhullar said that further investigation is on to ascertain the total quantity of drug and arms consignments recovered by the arrested accused so far. In this regard, the FIR has been registered under sections 21, 29, 61, and 85 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act at Amritsar Police Station Maqboolpura, Amritsar. In another case, the FIR dated February 28, 2024, has been registered under Section 25 of the Arms Act at Police Station Sultanwind. (ANI) Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Jalandhar has provisionally attached 64 properties worth Rs 1.64 crore of NGHI Developers India Ltd and its other group companies in connection with a Ponzi Scheme Fraud which affected thousands of investors across the states of Punjab, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh. "The properties attached include immovable properties situated at Gwalior, Guna, Bhind and Datia in Madhya Pradesh," as per a press release from the ED. ED initiated investigation under the provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 in compliance of the directions of the Hon'ble High Court of Punjab and Haryana. "The enquiries conducted by the ED revealed that multiple FIRs were found registered at different Police Stations in Punjab, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh under various sections of IPC, 1860 against Pipal Singh, the Managing Director of Nicer Green Group companies and others based on the complaints filed by affected investors," the ED said. ED investigation revealed that multiple companies were formed/incorporated by the main accused, Pipal Singh and his associates. "The directors of Nicer Green Group Companies had generated proceeds of crime (PoC) by luring the general public to make investments with the group companies in the form of FD(s)/RD(s) on a false promise of high returns on their investments. After expiry of maturity, the accused persons defaulted in returning money to the investors, thereby cheating them of their hard earned money," the ED said in the release. Further, investigation in the case revealed that the POC had been diverted and further utilized to acquire various immovable properties purchased in Madhya Pradesh in the names of M/s NGHI Developers India Limited and other group companies. "On February 24, 2023, 87 properties worth Rs 4.15 crore of M/s NGHI Developers India Ltd and its other group companies were provisionally attached by ED," as per the release. Further investigation is underway, the ED said. (ANI) Microsoft Co-founder Bill Gates on Thursday said that he always knew that he would have to learn how to be a philanthropist and has been lucky that his company was successful because, due to the wealth generated from it, he was able to find things like vaccines, malaria or malnutrition. In an interview with ANI, Bill Gates mentioned that he lets his kids have some money to be comfortable but he doesn't need money for his own spending. "Well, you know, I'll let my kids have some money so that they're comfortable. But, I don't need the money for my own spending and I think, having a limited amount be inherited means that the rest of it's available to give back to society and try to improve things as much as possible. You know, I'm very lucky that Microsoft was so successful. It generated gigantic wealth and I was able to find things like vaccines or malaria or malnutrition that would not be solved without philanthropy. That is, you know, people are malnourished. It's not a big enough market that, you know, companies were responding to that. And so, through partnerships with governments, I see a path to really eliminate a lot of these awful problems," he told ANI. Responding to question that at what point in his life did he felt that making money, being wealthy, is not holding that much significance as it did, Bill Gates said that he has never been in what you call 'tough circumstances'. "Well, when I started, I was in an upper middle-class family, so I've never been in what you'd call tough circumstances. My parents sent me to a great private school. When I dropped out of Harvard, I could have gone back at any time and as soon as Microsoft was successful, I wasn't going to spend that money because I was working all the time and that was my big focus. So I always knew that I would have to learn how to be a philanthropist. I didn't really figure it out until the year 2000, and that's when I created the Gates Foundation, and it became the largest in the world," Gates said. Further, talking about the Artifical Intelligence, Gates asserted that in India, there will be a lot of fantastic leadership work in AI. "Well, there's a lot of fantastic AI work going on in this country. You have innovators like Nandan Nilekani who's taking all that digital work and saying, OK, how does AI make that even better? You have groups like Wadhwani. You have the IIT groups that are very state of the art. In India, there will be a lot of fantastic leadership work in AI here in India. When it's helping the poorest in areas like health and agriculture, our foundation will be proud to help shape that and support it," he added. Talking about his friendship with Investor Warren Buffett, Bill Gates said that his friendship with him is of 30 years, and they never had much overlap in their businesses. "I've been friends with Warren for a long time, over 30 years. And we really never had much overlap in our businesses. He's an investor, I'm a technologist. But we had a very similar view of the world. We loved talking to each other. I talked to Warren many times a month about all the different things going on or to decide at one point. Although it was a complete surprise to me, to funnel some of his generosity through the Gates Foundation. So that's allowed us to be even more ambitious. But our friendship is basically independent of that," Gates said. (ANI) Flash Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, meets with President of the Republic of Sierra Leone Julius Maada Bio in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 28, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua] China's top legislator Zhao Leji met with President of the Republic of Sierra Leone Julius Maada Bio in Beijing on Wednesday. Zhao, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, said that under the guidance of the leaders of the two countries, bilateral relations had been running at a high level and cooperation had yielded fruitful results. Zhao said China was willing to work with Sierra Leone to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, consolidate political mutual trust, deepen practical cooperation, maintain close coordination in international affairs and push China-Sierra Leone comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership to a new level. The Chinese side attaches great importance to cooperation with the Sierra Leonean parliament and is willing to strengthen exchanges at all levels of the legislature, provide better legal guarantee for bilateral cooperation, promote exchanges among political parties and localities as well as people-to-people exchanges, and share experience in strengthening democracy and the rule of law, Zhao said. Noting that China is a reliable partner and great friend of Sierra Leone, Bio said Sierra Leone attaches great importance to developing relations with China and is willing to strengthen governance exchanges and practical cooperation with China to benefit the two peoples. Samajwadi Party (SP) of Andhra Pradesh staged a protest in Amravathi today against the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) notice to the party Chief and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav askng him to appear as a witness in a case linked to illegal sand mining. The SP leaders including the state unit chief Pasam Venkateswarlu and Madhu Botta Yadav sat on a dharna in front of the Ambedkar statue. They raised slogans against the central government ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Meanwhile, the Samajwadi leaders also accused the BJP of 'weaponising' the central agencies in a bid to harass the opposition leaders. The CBI, on Wednsday, asked Akhilesh Yadav to appear before the agency in a case related to sand mining. However, Yadav skipped the summons. According to the sources, the CBI in a High Court-referred case related to sand mining asked Yadav to join the investigation as a witness before the CBI in Delhi today. He was summoned in connection with the CBI FIR lodged in January 2019, which is related to alleged illegal mining in Hamirpur between 2012 and 2016. In January 2019, an FIR was registered against several public servants, including the then-district magistrate, mining officer and others. It is alleged in the FIR that government employees allowed illegal mining of minerals in Hamirpur. Akhilesh Yadav, was the chief minister of the state between 2012 and 2017 and held the mining portfolio during 2012-13. The CBI in its FIR had alleged that people were allowed to excavate minor minerals illegally, commit theft of the minor minerals and extort money from the leaseholders as well as from the drivers of the vehicles transporting minor minerals. (ANI) After the arrest of absconding TMC strongman Sheikh Shahjahan, who was on the run for 55 days, West Bengal Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya said that the TMC has never taken any step to shield any offender. West Bengal Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya said, "We have always said that we never take any step to shield any offender. He has been arrested because he is an accused. Sheikh Shahjahan has also been suspended from the party for 6 years." She further said that in the past also the party has suspended many leaders. On the accusation of the BJP that the accused was untraceable for close to two months, she said that there were so many offenders in the BJP who were not being arrested. "There are so many offenders in the BJP who are not being arrested. No action is being taken against anyone," she said. Responding to a question that the opposition BJP felt that the accused was in the safe custody of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, she said, "If the BJP feels so, then they could have gone to the high court and mentioned the place where he was hiding. They have not done so, so they should not make hypothetical statements." Taking a dig at the TMC government and West Bengal Police over the arrest of absconding strongman and Sandeshkhali accused Sheikh Shahjahan, and, his 10-day remand, BJP Rajya Sabha MP Sudhanshu Trivedi on Thursday said he has been put under the 'mehman-nawazi' (hospitality) of the state police in a bid to avoid arrest by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) and the CBI. Shahjahan was arrested by West Bengal police on Thursday morning in connection with an alleged assault on ED officers during a raid in January earlier this year. West Bengal's Basirhat Court remanded Trinamool Congress' (TMC) Sheikh Shahjahan to 10-day police custody on Thursday. Lawyer Raja Bhowmick, who represented Shahjahan in court, said, "14-day police custody (of Sheikh Shahjahan) was demanded, but the court allowed 10-day custody." Sandeshkhali in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district had been witnessing widespread protests against Shahjahan Sheikh this month as a section of women were seeking justice against alleged atrocities committed by the TMC leader. A large number of women in Sandeshkhali had accused Shajahan Sheikh and his close aides of "land-grab and sexual assault" under coercion. West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose called Shahjahan's arrest an 'eye-opener', adding that it is only the 'beginning'. "Today in Bengal, we see the beginning of an end. The arrest of the prime accused in the Sandeshkhali incidents is an eye-opener for everyone. This is only the beginning. We have to put an end to violence in Bengal," Ananda Bose said. (ANI) The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) recently advised all the states and the Union Territories (UTs) against the practice of "segregating prisoners and assigning tasks based on their caste", urging them to remove such "discriminatory" provisions from their manuals or legislation and to halt the allocation of work in prisons based on caste. The direction was circulated through an advisory on February 26. The advisory was sent to the Principal Secretary (Home) and Director General/Inspector General of Prisons in all states and UTs. "It has been the constant endeavor of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to reach out to the Prison authorities of all States and Union Territories and provide them assistance in the form of financial aid for technology-driven projects as well as sharing contemporary best practices and guidelines on varied aspects of efficient prison administration from time to time," mentions the advisory. The advisory further pointed out that "it has come to the notice of this Ministry that the jail manuals of some states provide for segregation of prisoners on the basis of their caste and religion and they are being assigned duties in the prisons accordingly." The advisory clearly stressed that the Constitution of India prohibits any kind of discrimination on the grounds of religion, race, caste, or place of birth. Noting that the Model Prison Manual, 2016, prepared by the Ministry of Home Affairs and circulated to all states and UTs in May 2016, explicitly prohibits caste and religion-based discrimination against prisoners in the management of the kitchen or cooking of food on a caste or religious basis. The Ministry further noted, "the manual also provides that any special treatment to a group of prisoners belonging to a particular caste or religion is strictly prohibited". The MHA made it clear that "no classification of prisoners shall be allowed on grounds of socio-economic status, caste or class." Subsequently, the MHA urged that "states and UTs are requested to take note of the above and ensure that their state prison manual/ prison act should not contain such discriminatory provisions." "In case any such provision exists, immediate steps must be taken to amend and remove the discriminatory provision from the manual or Act." It is reiterated in the advisory that there should be "no caste-based assignment of duties or work in the prisons." The advisory further highlighted that the medical care of prisoners is one of the significant concerns of prison management, pointing out that the MHA has been advising the states and the UTs from time to time to ensure that due importance is given to the physical and mental well-being of prisoners. "To maintain uniformity in the process of medical check-ups of prisoners, the Model Prison Manual 2016 provides for the procedure to be followed by the states and UTs. There is a dedicated chapter on 'Medical Care' in the Model Prison Manual, 2016, which may be carefully perused for guidance by the states and UTs. In particular, the advisory reads, that states and UTs are requested to ensure periodic health check-ups of prisoners should be conducted on a regular basis, an annual health check-up of prisoners should be conducted, periodic health check-ups of aged prisoners and inmates with disabilities should be conducted, and health check-ups or screenings of prisoners for infectious diseases, including STDs, HIV/AIDS and hepatitis, should be done on a periodic basis. Besides, the advisory suggested that special health checkups of women prisoners and transgender prisoners should be conducted, and periodic checkups or screenings of inmates for their mental well-being should be conducted. The advisory asked to make these health checks updated on the e-Prisons portal on a regular basis. The MHA further stated that it has implemented the e-prisons project with the objective of creating end-to-end IT solutions for the automation of prison operations, including digitization and availability of prisoner records at an electronic platform accessible to designated authorities, enabling them to have direct access to information related to the prisoners. In this regard, the MHA requested all state and UT prison authorities to update the database of the prisoners on the e-prisons platform on a regular basis and also ensure that the information is entered in all columns and no field is left blank. "For this, the relevant information can be obtained from the prisoners' records and also from inmates and entered into the system. The e-prisons portal is designed to significantly contribute towards the objective of efficient prison management and therefore state and UT prison authorities are requested to pay serious attention to the regular updation of entries in the e-prisons portal," added the advisory. (ANI) Amid the Opposition fury over the daylight murder of INLD state chief Nafe Singh Rathee, Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala on Thursday said the DGP and SP will be asked to trace the purported threat calls in connection with the case. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, he assured that the number of personnel deployed for the ongoing investigation in the case would be increased, if need be. Reaffirming the multi-agency probe in the case, the deputy CM said, "The case has already been transferred to the CBI. Additionally, the state Special Task Force (STF), along with police teams of all the districts, are also looking into the case." Assuring strict action against the culprits, he said, "Nafe Singh Rathee was a member of our family." Expressing grief over the demise of the INLD leader, the deputy CM said, "We are all deeply aggrieved over the incident." On Wednesday, Kapil Sangwan, a gangster based in the United Kingdom, claimed responsibility for Rathee's murder. The gangster took to social media to say that he put a hit out on the INLD leader, adding that the latter had a close friendship with rival gangster Manjeet Mahal. Kapil alleged that Nafe Singh worked in cahoots with Manjeet Mahal's brother, Sanjay, to grab properties and provided assistance to Manjeet in the murder of his brother-in-law and friends. The gangster claimed the entire Bahadurgarh knows the number of people Nafe Singh captured and killed while in power. Meanwhile, Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij said that the accused involved in the murder of Nafe Singh Rathee will not be spared and the strictest action will be taken in this regard. The Superintendent of Police (SP) Jhajjar, Dr. Arpit Jain, said strict action will be taken against the culprits, adding that persons on whom the police have suspicion were being questioned. Rathee was shot dead on Sunday by some unidentified assailants near the railway crossing at Bahadurgarh in Jhajjar. (ANI) Advocate Alakh Alok Srivastava, who filed PIL in the Supreme Court and sought an independent probe in the Sandeshkhali incident, said on Thursday that it was surprising that after court allowed the CBI and ED to arrest Sheikh Shahjahan, within a few hours he was arrested by the West Bengal police. "We all know that Sheikh Shahjahan has been arrested today but his body language showed that it is a clear case of him being sheltered and that is why we are now going to request Calcutta High Court to order independent investigation into the case. The victims of Sandeshkhali will only get justice if entire case in investigated by independent agencies. Yesterday, CBI made serious request before the Calcutta High Court and said that they have of serious apprehension that if West Bengal police arrests Sheikh Shahjhana then entire case will be diluted and there can be collision between state police and the accused. After which, the court allowed CBI and ED to arrest him," he said. "It is very surprising that after few hours of this, the accused was arrested by the police. In the last 55 days, he was not arrested," he added. Further, he said that the Supreme Court has advised him to go Calcutta High Court with his PIL. "The deeply disturbing incident of Sandeshkhali, we all are aware of it. After coming to know about it, I filed a PIL in the Supreme Court. Supreme Court had advised me to go to Calcutta High Court along with my PIL. Accordingly, I have filed a fresh PIL in the Calcutta High Court. In that PIL I have prayed for an independent investigation of the entire higher Sandeshkhali sexual assault case by CBI or by an independent sit under due monitoring of Calcutta High Court. I have also requested for granting damages and compensation to the victims. I have also requested for deployment of CRPF in the area," he added. Meanwhile, TMC today announced that Sheikh Shahjahan has been suspended from the party for six years. (ANI) Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut took a dig at the centre and spoke in criticism of the current parliamentary setup while comparing the new parliament building to a "five-star jail" where productivity was severely hampered, he said. While speaking to the media on Thursday, Raut said, "The new Parliament building that has been built is neither fit for work nor fit for sitting. The new parliament is like a five-star jail where you can't work. When we form our government, we will start our parliament session in our historical parliament building (the old parliament)." The new parliament building was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi in May last year. The old Parliament House in India, designed by British architects Sir Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker, is a colonial-era building that underwent six years of construction from 1921 to 1927. The new Lok Sabha Hall has a capacity of up to 888 seats, and the Rajya Sabha Hall, now enlarged, can accommodate up to 384 members. This expansion enables joint sessions of Parliament to convene with a combined capacity of up to 1,272 seats, fostering a more inclusive assembly during such sessions. Further, launching a veiled attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of crossing the 400 mark in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Raut said, "PM Modi should set a target of 600 instead of 400 for the 2024 elections. The '400 mark' is very low." Raut also slammed Prime Minister Modi over the increasing number of suicide cases concerning farmers and stated that Sharad Pawar was one of the best agriculture ministers India ever had and that it was said so by Prime Minister Modi himself. Earlier this month, Sanjay Raut questioned the central government regarding its resistance against the ongoing farmers' protest on the Delhi borders. Raut said the way farmers are being stopped is not right and hundreds of farmers have been injured till now. (ANI) Congress workers staged a protest against six rebel MLAs in Dharamshala. The party workers burned the effigies of all the rebel MLAs on Thursday, but the supporters of the rebel MLA from Dharamshala, Sudhir Sharma, came face-to-face with the protestors. Consequently, a scuffle broke out between both sides, prompting police to jump in. The police''s timely intervention pacified both sides. Notably, the Congress observers appointed to address the crisis in Himachal Pradesh recommended maintaining Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu as Chief Minister till the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, sources said on Thursday. Meanwhile, Congress observer DK Shivakumar downplayed the crisis in Himachal, saying that the Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu government will stay and all the MLAs want the Congress government for 5 years, adding that a six-member coordination committee is being set up between the party and the state government so that no political crisis is created in the future. In a press conference, DK Shivakumar said that all the leaders had taken an oath to work for the party. "I am very sorry that our senior leader lost in the Rajya Sabha elections. Our CM has accepted that some failures have happened. We have spoken with all the MLAs, CM and PCC chiefs personally. All the differences have been sorted out. They will work together. We are forming a coordination committee between the party and the government of five to six members. The PCC president, CM and Deputy CM will be part of it. All of them have taken an oath that at any point in time, they will all work together to save the party," DK Shivakumar said. Bhupinder Singh Hooda, the observer appointed for Himachal Pradesh, said that the other three members of the coordination committee will be announced soon from Delhi. Notably, after the 2022 Assembly elections, the Congress had 40 MLAs, while the BJP had 25 in the 68-member state assembly. The remaining three seats are held by independents. With the six rebel MLAs disqualified, the strength of the House has come down from 68 to 62, and the halfway mark is now 32. With the loss of six MLAs, the Congress now has 34 MLAs and the BJP, with independents, has 28. The fortunes of the Congress will now rest on its ability to keep the rest of its flock together. The political crisis in the state was triggered by the Congress losing the Rajya Sabha election on Tuesday despite having a clear majority in the assembly. (ANI) Former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda has played a big role in addressing the problems of Karnataka and everyone was proud of him as he has been the first Kannadiga to hoist the Kannada flag atop the Red Fort, said Former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai. Speaking after releasing a book ' Mannina Maga' written by B.Ramalingashetty on the former PM Devegowda here on Thursday, he said the book written by Shetty and seen by him and by the Kannada Sahitya Parishad has focused on the history of irrigation and agriculture of Karnataka as well of the social life. Despite writing a number of books on Devegowda still, there was scope to write more books due to his vast life, he said. "His life has touched upon everything and it was more special and surprising also. Without bothering about his position, Devegowda fought. It was surprising that his inspiration was much higher than his reputation," Bommai said. " I got the opportunity of working with him and seen his days in power and off power. I am very lucky as I am more close with him than HD Kumaraswamy". Comparing Devegowda's personality with that of Karnataka in Mahabharat, the former CM said out of his 60 years in politics he has been in power only for five to six years and rest of the time he fought for the sake of the State and nation. On the one hand, he had the rare quality of accepting the challenge and on the other hand, worked as a voice for farmers who worked in fields. He served as the Leader of the Opposition at a very young age and shook the government with just 24 MLAs. After coming to power, Devegowda served as irrigation minister but still, he regrets that the state didn't give more importance to irrigation as like other states. Devegowda has held a day long meeting regarding the Upper Krishna projects. Now also there was the problem of land acquisition. He ensured the speedy completion of the Narayanpura canal construction. In politics, there were people who didn't want things to get done and some of them had demanded a probe against him. Devegowda had referred it to the CBI and later the party that had demanded investigation has withdrawn it's complaint. When Devegowda became the PM, he released more funds for the UKP schemes under AIBP. He had been successful in bringing 9 TMC of the Cauvery water to Bengaluru. The BJP leader said when Devegowda was the CM, there was a report in the newspaper about the power scarcity in the State And he was in Delhi at that time. From Delhi, he went to Mumbai, met Balasaheb Thackeray and explained the situation. Thackeray got the Maharashtra order cancelled and allowed the power supply to Karnataka. He used his political connections for the betterment of the State. He had kept power and officials to resolve the idgah maidan row of Hubballi by sending him to that place. He made the Anjuman-e-Islam to hoist the national flag Bommai also lauded the services of Dr Manjunath, former director, of Jayadeva Institute of Cardiology and Vascular Sciences for saving the lives of many. Dr Manjunath would have been rich had he minded but he won the love and affection of people. Nirmalanandanatha Swamiji of Adichunchanagiri Mutt, KSP President Dr Mahesh Joshi, Hampa Nagarajaiah, Leeladevi R.Prasad, Kannada Rakshana Vedike President T A.Narayanagowda, former chairman of the Legislative Council V R.Sudharshan and Ramalingashetty were present. (ANI) Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Thursday that 22 more countries have applied for World Trade Organisation (WTO) membership, which India will support as a leader of the Global South. "Twenty-two more countries have applied for WTO membership, India will take a sympathetic view of their demands and will support as a leader of the Global South," Goyal said while responding to ANI's question. His remarks came at a presser during the 13th WTO Ministerial Conference. Comoros and Timor-Leste formally joined the WTO at a ceremony in Abu Dhabi on February 26. On the inclusion of both countries into the WTO, Goyal mentioned, "PM Modi urged that both countries should get a place in the WTO--Timor Leste and Comoros. We are pleased that both countries got inducted." On India's position in the WTO, the Union minister said, "Our issues are on the table and we raise issues based on the nation's and world's benefit. India talks with the notion of Vasudev Kutumbkum. PM Modi in the G20 led the world with One Earth, One Future, and One Family. India still believes in this philosophy. India is always concerned about issues of poor, less developed, developing countries." Goyal also pointed out that India "stands on strong principles of fair play, and justice and wants to ensure all decisions taken at the WTO are keeping in mind the best interests of India's farmers, and fishermen and ensures that our work twirls meeting SDGs, ameliorating poverty, good quality of life, and ease of living for Indians, along with strong and speedy growth in the 'Amrit Kaal' is promoted through the various decisions at the WTO". "We believe that the first issue that the WTO should address is building trust: on what WTO says will be implemented, whatever decisions are taken are implemented in letter and spirit, and if someone if somebody breaks the rule of WTO, they can be taken to task through the dispute resolution mechanism. India has demanded first and foremost appellate body be restored so that complaints on WTO resolutions not being met can be taken up before the appellate body to ensure decisions are implemented," he added. The WTO's 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13) took place from February 26 to 29 in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Ministers from across the world attended to review the functioning of the multilateral trading system and to take action on the future work of the WTO. The topmost decision-making body of the WTO is the Ministerial Conference, which usually meets every two years. It brings together all members of the WTO, all of whom are countries or customs unions. The Ministerial Conference can take decisions on all matters under any of the multilateral trade agreements. (ANI) Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell announced on Wednesday his decision to step down from the GOP leadership position in the Senate come November, signalling the conclusion of a significant era on Capitol Hill and initiating a consequential race for his successor, CNN reported. McConnell, a stalwart figure in Washington, DC, 82, expressed that "the end of my contributions are closer than I prefer." Despite stepping down from the leadership role, McConnell affirmed his commitment to serving in the US Senate, emphasising the importance of allowing "the next generation of leadership" to assume control of the Senate Republican Conference. Having achieved the distinction of becoming the longest-serving Senate party leader in history in 2023, McConnell has played a pivotal role in shaping Republican politics. However, recent months have seen internal discord within his party, particularly concerning additional US funding for the war in Ukraine. Additionally, McConnell's strained relationship with the GOP's presidential frontrunner, Donald Trump, has been evident, with reports indicating that the two had not spoken in over three years, as reported by CNN. In his floor remarks, McConnell reflected on his decision, stating, "As I have been thinking about when I would deliver some news to the Senate, I always imagined a moment when I had total clarity and peace about the sunset of my work. A moment when I am certain I have helped preserve the ideals I so strongly believe. That day arrived today." The announcement garnered a standing ovation, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer approached McConnell to extend congratulations, symbolising a rare moment of bipartisan recognition. Throughout his tenure as Senate majority leader during former President Donald Trump's administration, McConnell played a crucial role in guiding three Trump-nominated Supreme Court justices to confirmation--Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett. His influence also extended to the confirmation of numerous conservative judges to the federal bench, significantly impacting the federal judiciary. Despite these accomplishments, McConnell's relationship with Trump has been marked by significant disagreements. Following the storming of the Capitol on January 6, 2021, McConnell attributed blame to Trump for provoking the attack. However, during the subsequent impeachment proceedings, McConnell voted to acquit Trump of inciting an insurrection. McConnell, typically aligned with Trump during his presidency, led the Senate's certification of the presidential election that the Capitol rioters sought to overturn and strongly condemned the violence, according to CNN. McConnell's decision to step down comes amidst health concerns, including a concussion in March following a fall in a Washington, DC hotel. Subsequent episodes, where McConnell appeared to briefly freeze up while speaking with reporters, raised questions about his fitness to lead the Senate Republican Conference. Explaining the timing of his decision, McConnell cited the recent tragedy of his wife Elaine Chao's youngest sister, Angela, who died in a traffic accident earlier this month. He emphasised the introspection accompanying the grieving process, stating, "Perhaps it is God's way of reminding you of your own life's journey to reprioritize the impact of the world that we will all inevitably leave behind." Acknowledging his wife of 31 years, McConnell referred to her as the "love of my life" and expressed eternal gratitude for her companionship. Concluding his speech, McConnell assured his critics that he still had "enough gas in my tank to thoroughly disappoint," pledging to maintain his active role as a thorn in their side. The announcement has now set the stage for a closely-watched race for McConnell's successor, with three prominent Senate Republicans--John Thune, John Cornyn, and John Barrasso--emerging as potential candidates. Barrasso, referring to the upcoming election, emphasized that his focus was on securing the presidency, the Senate, and the House, while Thune and Cornyn sidestepped questions about their potential candidature. Rick Scott of Florida, a vocal critic of McConnell, remained non-committal about running for Republican leader, stating that his primary focus was on reelection as his Senate term concludes this year, CNN reported. (ANI) Flash Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan hold a welcome ceremony for President of the Republic of Sierra Leone Julius Maada Bio and his wife Fatima Bio prior to the talks between Xi and Julius Maada Bio at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 28, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua] Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with President of the Republic of Sierra Leone Julius Maada Bio, who is on a state visit to China, in Beijing on Wednesday. Noting that China and Sierra Leone enjoy a time-honored friendship, Xi said the two sides have supported each other on issues concerning their core interests and major concerns, carried out efficient cooperation in the fields of economic and social development, coordinated closely on issues such as world peace and development, and worked together to fight against Ebola and the COVID-19 pandemic. China-Sierra Leone relations are a good example of China-Africa solidarity and cooperation, Xi said, adding that China is willing to work with Sierra Leone to consolidate high-level political mutual trust, advance pragmatic and mutually beneficial cooperation, and strengthen coordination on international and regional affairs to push bilateral relations to a new level. Xi said China firmly supports the Sierra Leonean people in pursuing a development path suited to their national conditions. He said China stands ready to strengthen exchanges with Sierra Leone on national governance, and work with Sierra Leone to continue supporting each other's major concerns and safeguarding their respective sovereignty, security and development interests. China is also willing to provide assistance and support to the best of its ability for Sierra Leone's development in agriculture, infrastructure construction and human resources, and encourage Chinese enterprises to invest and do business in Sierra Leone, Xi said. Both sides should strengthen cooperation on UN Security Council affairs and jointly safeguard the interests of Africa and developing countries, Xi noted. The Chinese president welcomed Sierra Leone to participate in the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, and jointly promote the building of a community with a shared future for humanity. "China has always regarded solidarity and cooperation with African countries as an important cornerstone of our foreign policy," Xi said. China will work with African countries to align its initiatives to support Africa's industrialization, agricultural modernization and talent development with the African Union's Agenda 2063 and the development strategies of African countries; and to further integrate the development of China, Africa and the world to promote the upgrading of China-Africa cooperation and move the world towards a bright future of peace, security, prosperity and progress, Xi said. China is ready to work with African friends, including Sierra Leone, to make this year's session of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) a success, Xi said. Chinese President Xi Jinping holds a welcome ceremony for President of the Republic of Sierra Leone Julius Maada Bio in the Northern Hall of the Great Hall of the People prior to their talks in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 28, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua] Bio said China is a trustworthy and reliable friend, thanking China for its great support for its economic and social development. He spoke highly of the Communist Party of China leading the Chinese people to achieve leapfrog development and promoting national rejuvenation. Bio said China's experience provides inspirations for developing countries to accelerate their development. Bio said Sierra Leone abides by the one-China principle, supports China in safeguarding its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and supports China in safeguarding its core interests. He said Sierra Leone is willing to learn from China's experience, strengthen cooperation with China on the Belt and Road Initiative, and tap the potential for cooperation on infrastructure, trade, education and public services. After the talks, the two heads of state witnessed the signing of bilateral cooperation documents in the fields of the Belt and Road Initiative, agriculture, economic development, and the implementation of the Global Development Initiative. Chinese President Xi Jinping and President of the Republic of Sierra Leone Julius Maada Bio witness the signing of bilateral cooperation documents in the fields of the Belt and Road Initiative, agriculture, economic development, and the implementation of the Global Development Initiative after their talks at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 28, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua] Both sides issued a joint statement on deepening their comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. Prior to the talks, Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan held a welcome ceremony for Bio and his wife Fatima Bio at the Great Hall of the People. In the evening, Xi and Peng held a banquet for Bio and Fatima. The French Senate, on Wednesday, decisively voted in favour of a legislative proposal that aims to enshrine the right to abortion in the French Constitution, following the US Supreme Court's reversal of Roe v Wade, Euronews reported. The Senate's decision saw 267 votes in favour and 50 against, marking a crucial step in the legislative process. The proposed legislation now awaits approval by a three-fifths majority from both houses during a joint congress scheduled for March 4. Prime Minister Gabriel Attal expressed the magnitude of the vote, highlighting it as "huge progress" and emphasising the "protection that we owe to all women." He underscored the significance of recognising women's right to freely control their bodies, casting the move as a step forward for gender equality, as reported by Euronews. The inspiration for this constitutional amendment stems from the 2022 overturning of Roe v Wade in the United States, a landmark 1973 decision that secured abortion rights. The decision prompted concerns about the erosion of established rights and freedoms, as evidenced by subsequent restrictive legislation in several US states. The French president's constitutional law proposal, introduced in response to these global developments, aims to fortify abortion rights within the French legal framework. The explanatory introduction to the proposal stresses the vulnerability of cherished rights and freedoms, citing similar movements in various countries, including Europe, attempting to curtail access to abortion. Notably, a 2020 court ruling in Poland resulted in a near-total ban on abortion in that country. Abortion has been legal in France since 1975, with legislation decriminalising the practice during the first 10 weeks of pregnancy. Over the years, the time limit has been extended to 14 weeks, with the procedure's cost covered by the national health insurance system, according to Euronews. The journey towards constitutional recognition began when the National Assembly endorsed the change in November 2022. However, the Senate introduced alterations to the wording. President Emmanuel Macron officially proposed the legislative amendment on March 8, 2023, during a tribute to feminist activist Gisele Halimi. The National Assembly approved the government's proposal in January, culminating in the recent Senate endorsement. The pivotal article in the proposed constitutional amendment emphasises that "the law determines the conditions under which the right is guaranteed to a woman to resort to voluntarily terminating a pregnancy." The Fondation des Femmes, a gender equality NGO, celebrated the Senate's decision as a "historic vote" and a "collective victory of feminist organisations." Sarah Durocher, president of the non-profit organisation Family Planning, noted the opportunity to include voluntary pregnancy termination in the French Constitution, calling it a "strong message" of solidarity with feminists worldwide fighting for this right, Euronews reported. (ANI) John Chambers, the Chairman of the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF), expressed his admiration for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, labelling him the "best leader in the world today." Former tech titan Chambers highlighted Prime Minister Modi's remarkable 76 per cent approval rating and his unique ability to build trust. "One thing about your prime minister, and obviously I'm a huge fan. I think he's the best leader in the world today. And I wish we had somebody like that in the US. We haven't got a political leader who has over 50 per cent approval rating, and Prime Minister Modi has 76 per cent," Chambers, who is known for his influential role in the tech industry, remarked during an interview with a private channel. Chambers also emphasised the significance of a leader's track record, relationships, and trust-building abilities. He commended PM Modi for forming relationships with every political leader in the United States, citing the Prime Minister's ability to garner trust from the people. "If you think about a leader, it's about their track record. It's about their relationships and trust. He's formed a relationship with every political leader we've had in the US. The people trusting," Chambers added. In 2022, India and US marked the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations. The two nations enjoy a comprehensive global strategic partnership covering almost all areas of human endeavour, driven by shared democratic values, convergence of interests on various issues and vibrant people-to-people contacts. Earlier in December, USISPF President and CEO Mukesh Aghi said diplomatic momentum gained during the visits of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden paved the way for a "concrete strategic roadmap" and new initiatives between India and the US in several areas. "The diplomatic momentum gained during the visits of Prime Minister Modi and President Biden paved the way for a concrete strategic roadmap and new dialogues and initiatives in multifaceted areas such as clean energy cooperation, education, space collaboration, semiconductors, quantum computing, drone technology, artificial intelligence, with accelerated joint projects such as manufacturing GE F-414 jet engines in India, putting India in the elite club of countries with such manufacturing capability," Aghi said. In June last year, PM Modi travelled to the US for a State visit. US President Joe Biden had invited PM Modi for a State visit. He also addressed a joint meeting of Congress before a State dinner at the White House. Later, US President Biden travelled to India to attend the G20 Summit under India's Presidency. (ANI) An Illinois judge has removed former US President Donald Trump from the state's ballot on the basis of the 14th Amendment's so-called "insurrectionist ban," CNN reported. The decision has been halted, giving Trump a short time to appeal. The judge's decision on Wednesday (local time) comes as a similar anti-Trump challenge from Colorado is pending before the US Supreme Court, which is widely expected to not agree to the arguments that Trump is barred from office. Cook County Circuit Judge Tracie Porter depended on the prior finding by the Colorado Supreme Court, terming Colorado's "rationale compelling." Porter wrote, "The court also realizes the magnitude of this decision and its impact on the upcoming primary Illinois elections." The judge added, "The Illinois State Board of Election shall remove Donald J. Trump from the ballot for the General Primary Election on March 19, 2024, or cause any votes cast for him to be suppressed." The judge removed Trump from the Illinois ballot a month after the anti-Trump challenge was dismissed by the Illinois State Board of Elections. The election board tossed the anti-Trump case as it said it didn't have jurisdiction to review the matter. Illinois is the third state where former US President Donald Trump has been removed from the ballot after Colorado and Maine. However, those decisions were paused pending the appeal of the Colorado case to the US Supreme Court, according to CNN report. Trump can appeal the decision taken by the judge in Illinois state courts. He has already challenged similar lawsuits in many other states. A group of voters in coordination with Free Speech for People, an advocacy group filed the Illinois challenge. The advocacy group had previously tried, however, they failed to remove Trump from the ballot in Michigan, Minnesota and Oregon. During a hearing in January, Porter asked Trump's lawyers about the difference between a "riot" and an "insurrection," and whether Trump must first be convicted of a crime before he is banned from office, CNN reported. Questioning Trump's lawyers, Tracie Porter said, "Is it important to understand why this mob of people came together and what they were actually trying to do?" referring to the January 6, 2021, insurrection. Trump's lawyer Nicholas Nelson called the events of January 6 as a "political riot," comparing it to an angry mob, instead of a group with a specific series of legal goals. Nelson said, "It was about one government act, and there's no indication that the rioters had any plan." He added, "They were just angry," according to CNN report. Notably, Illinois law requires candidates to certify that they are "qualified" for the office they're seeking, which former US President Donald Trump did when he filed to constest the state's GOP primary. Tracie Porter asked Trump's another lawyer, Adam Merrill, if Trump would need to be convicted of insurrection beforehand for his filing to be false. Merrill said, "It would be much more difficult for us if that had happened." He said, "Here you don't have that." Previously, Tracie Porter rejected Trump's request to halt the proceedings until the US Supreme Court announces its verdict on the similar Colorado-based case challenge that banned him from the ballot in that state. (ANI) Singapore's High Commissioner to India Simon Wong on Thursday held a meeting with Madhya Pradesh's former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who he called an "old friend and champion" of ties between Singapore and Madhya Pradesh. In a post on X, Simon Wong stated, "It's an honour to call on Madhya Pradesh's former Chief Minister @ChouhanShivraj, who is an old friend of & champion of Singapore-Madhya Pradesh relations. As one of India's longest-serving Chief Ministers, we learnt much from his wisdom. - HC Wong." On Wednesday, Singapore's envoy Simon Wong held a meeting with Madhya Pradesh Higher Education and Technical Education Minister Inder Singh Parmar. During the meeting, the two sides discussed ways to take education cooperation between Madhya Pradesh and Singapore forward. "Very happy to meet Madhya Pradesh Higher Education & Technical Education Minister @Indersinghsjp and his key officials, where we discussed ways to take edu cooperation between Madhya Pradesh and Singapore forward. - HC Wong," Simon Wong posted on X. Simon Wong also visited the Madhya Pradesh Global Skills park. Sharing details regarding his visit on X, he stated, "Visited Madhya Pradesh Global Skills Park this AM. Supported by @ITESpore, GSP provides a world class education. So glad to hear of its 100% job placement rates when interacting w students. Inspiring visit! - HC Wong." Earlier in December, Simon Wong, shared some pictures from the Hornbill festival in the state of Nagaland and praised the diversity of India. Wong said that India's beauty lies in her "diverse culture and people." "Good morning India! The beauty of India lies in her diverse culture and people. Just look at these pictures taken by my colleague in Nagaland," the Singapore envoy posted on X. The Hornbill Festival is a 10-day annual cultural festival in Nagaland. It's also popularly known as the "Festival of Festivals."The festival showcases Nagaland's diverse ethnicity through folk dances, traditional music, local cuisine, handicrafts, and art workshops. (ANI) The Karnataka State Higher Education Council (KSHEC) signed an Education Cooperation Arrangement (ECA) with Education New Zealand. The MoU signed by the ECA, New Zealand government agency, aims to promote collaboration, research, and knowledge sharing in emerging educational trends and is dedicated to showcasing their educational offerings globally by sharing best practices. According to the New Zealand Education press release, "This collaboration, facilitated by the Government of Karnataka, signifies a concerted effort to enhance educational opportunities and promote cross-cultural exchange in Karnataka's academic landscape." Additionally, the press release states, The ECA was signed by KG Chandrashekara, Executive Director of KSHEC and Lisa Futschek, General Manager, International of Education New Zealand." The signing ceremony took place in the presence of MC Sudhakar, Hon'ble Minister of Higher Education, Government of Karnataka; Sri Srikar MS, Principal Secretary, Department of Higher Education, GoK; SR Niranjana, Vice Chairman of KSHEC, GoK; Thandava Gowda TN, Administrative Officer of KSHEC, GoK; Vice Chancellors and representatives from State Public Universities, along with Damon Salesa, Vice Chancellor of Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand, and his team. The delegation, comprising representatives from eight universities in New Zealand and eleven Karnataka State Public Universities, engaged in a breakout session to identify mutual areas of interest. This session facilitated discussions to discover common ground for potential collaborations in academic and research activities. Through this dynamic alliance, the Karnataka Higher Education Department and Education New Zealand are prepared to explore avenues for international partnerships and collaborations between New Zealand and Karnataka HEIs in STEM, Social Sciences, Hospitality, Tourism, and Multimedia to broaden the global perspectives of both students and faculties." the press release added. Additionally, this collaboration will facilitate collaborative research initiatives between institutions to drive innovation and address pressing challenges in education. Moreover, sharing the best practices, trends, educational exchanges, and promotional activities. MC Sudhakar, Hon'ble Higher Education Minister, Government of Karnataka, expressed his enthusiasm about the collaboration, stating, "This partnership with Education New Zealand reflects our unwavering commitment to promoting excellence in higher education. Together, we will cultivate a vibrant learning environment that nurtures research, innovation and continuous improvement in our institutions." Furthermore, regarding the collaboration, Lisa Futschek, General Manager, International, Education New Zealand, said, "We are thrilled to join hands with the Karnataka Higher Education Department to drive positive change in the international education sector. This collaboration drives a shared vision: fostering internationalisation of education and student and faculty mobility initiatives." "By leveraging our collective expertise and resources, we aim to empower students and educators alike to thrive in the ever-evolving educational landscape," he added. "Our commitment to India as a valued education partner is embodied in initiatives that contribute to the transformative education landscape and provide opportunities for students from both nations to explore, collaborate, and learn." This landmark collaboration emphasises a shared dedication to advancing higher education and empowering the next generation of learners to excel in an increasingly dynamic world. The Karnataka State Higher Education Council is an advisory body to the government in the higher education space. KSHEC works towards promoting academic excellence and social justice through policy initiatives. It guides the growth of higher education in accordance with socioeconomic needs and ensures autonomy & better accountability for all institutions of higher education in the state. Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao (ENZ) is the government agency responsible for taking New Zealand's education experiences to the world. ENZ promotes a New Zealand education as one that teaches students to be critical thinkers, problem solvers and lifelong learners, which will help them succeed in their future careers and create a positive impact on the world. In 2019, New Zealand's education system was ranked first among English-speaking countries and third in the world for delivering a future-focused education (out of 50 economies) by the Economist Intelligence Unit. With approximately 100 staff in 18 locations around the world, ENZ works closely with New Zealand's diverse education sector, including schools, English language providers, private training establishments, institutes of technology and polytechnics, universities, and internationally with NZ Inc. agencies, government agencies and education providers to encourage sustainable growth and identify opportunities. (ANI) Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth on Thursday, thanked his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, for giving a new dimension to ties between the two countries. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Jugnauth today jointly inaugurated six community development projects in Mauritius via videoconferencing. "Indeed, we are making history today on the Islands of Agalega, where the inauguration of new airstrip, new jetty, and several other development projects. This event marks another great moment for the remarkable and exemplary partnership between Mauritius and India, the Mauritius Prime Minister said. Jugnauth said that the setting up of the facilities of the new airstrip and St James Jetty in Agalega is the fulfillment of yet another Mauritian dream which people of many generations have lived in their hearts. "This could not have been possible without the assistance of India which has entirely financed these infrastructural projects," he said. He expressed gratitude to PM Modi for special consideration that he has given to Mauritius since he assumed the responsibility as India's Prime Minister. Lauding the role of Indian diaspora, he said that these people have strongly established themselves as a "global powerhouse of values, knowledge and success." Jugnauth said, "I wish here to heartily thank Shri Narendra Modi Ji for giving a totally new dimension to the Mauritius-India relationship and partnership. I also wish to express my deep gratitude to you, Narendra Modi Ji, for taking time out of your busy schedule to honour us with your gracious presence on this momentous occasion." Expressing gratitude to PM Modi for his efforts towards Mauritius since assuming office, Jugnauth said, "Modi Ji, I wish to convey to you the profound gratitude of the government and the people of Mauritius for the special consideration you have given to our country ever since you assumed responsibility as the Prime Minister of the Republic of India." "As your inspiring leadership and statesmanship radiates across the world, the people of India and the Indian diaspora have strongly established themselves as a global powerhouse of values, knowledge and success. Today, the people of Agalega are very proud of the developments that are taking place on the island," he added. He said that India's support to Mauritius is "far reaching" and added that his country became the first nation to adopt the Jan Aushadhi Scheme. Highlighting India's support for Mauritius, he said, "India's support to our republic is indeed far-reaching. and not later than yesterday, again, thanks to your special consideration towards our Republic, Mauritius became the first country to adopt the Jan Aushadhi scheme." Speaking about benefits of Jan Aushadhi Scheme for people of Mauritius, he said, "This scheme will allow our country to source some 250 high-quality medicines from the Pharmaceutical and Medical Devices Bureau of India. It will ensure access to quality medicines from India for our population, especially the vulnerable." "The launching of this scheme in Mauritius will benefit our people at large and will impart further momentum to India's partnership with Mauritius. It has been my vision and that of my government to spearhead development in every single part of our territory since our people remain at the heart of our development goals. We are translating that vision into reality," he added. The Jan Aushadhi Scheme (JAS) is a government initiative that aims to provide quality generic medicines at affordable prices. The scheme was launched by the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Union Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers in 2008. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar was present during the inauguration of the projects. In an earlier press release, Prime Minister's Office stated, "The inauguration of these projects is a testimony to the robust and decades-old development partnership between India and Mauritius." "The projects will fulfil the demand for better connectivity between mainland Mauritius and Agalega, strengthen maritime security and foster socio-economic development," it added. The inauguration of these projects is significant as it comes after the recent launch of Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and RuPay Card services in Mauritius by PM Modi and Mauritius counterpart Jugnauth on February 12. (ANI) India on Thursday divulged that the first batch of Indian technical personnel had reached the Maldives. Addressing a weekly press briefing in the national capital, MEA spokesperson Randir Jaiswal said, "We have had the first batch of technical personnel reach the Maldives, Male, to replace the existing personnel." The Mohamed Muizzu-led Maldives government has formally requested that India withdraw its troops from Male. "The first team of technical personnel to operate the advanced light helicopter at Gan has reached Maldives. It will replace the existing personnel that were, until now, operating this platform...," said Jaiswal. Notably, the Ministry of External Affairs earlier stated in its statement that both India and Maldives have agreed on a set of mutually workable solutions to enable the continued operation of Indian aviation platforms that provide humanitarian and medvac services to the people of Maldives. Previously, Maldives local media had reported that President Mohamed Muizzu had asked the Indian government to withdraw the Indian troops from the island nation before March 15. The removal of Indian troops from the country was the main election campaign of Muizzu's party. Currently, there are around 70 Indian troops, along with Dornier 228 maritime patrol aircraft and two HAL Dhruv helicopters, stationed in the Maldives. Meanwhile, Jaiswal on Feb 8, 2024, informed that the budget for the Maldives has increased to Rs 770.9 crore. India remains an important, committed development partner for the Maldives. Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar affirmed his belief that the row with the Maldives will be resolved through diplomacy. He highlighted that Indian military personnel and aviation platforms in Maldives has been solely working for the benefit of local people and said that sometimes misunderstandings take place between two nations. Speaking at the event 'The Rise of the Global South' at TV9 Bharatvarsh Conclave, Jaishankar said, "Humanity is humanity. Diplomacy is diplomacy, and politics is politics. The whole world doesn't always run with obligation...so if we have encountered such a situation, the solution will come through diplomacy only." "We have to make people understand; sometimes people don't even have complete knowledge of things and sometimes people get misguided on what others say," he added. Jaishankar further described the primary functions performed by Indian military personnel and aviation platforms in the Maldives. "There are two Indian helicopters and one plane in the Maldives. Mostly, it is used for medvac (medical evacuation) purposes. The people of the Maldives are the beneficiaries of it. But, these are military planes, so who will run them? Obviously, military personnel," Jaishankar said. He added that the Indian side is holding multiple rounds of discussion with the Maldivian side to resolve whatever differences they have. "They had some objection, so we said, 'Come on, let's discuss and reach a solution. So, even if our intention is good, policy is clear, we reach such a situation, and we have to find a solution. I firmly believe that we will be able to resolve this matter as well," the EAM added. (ANI) The arrest and ongoing remand of prominent Pakistani journalist Asad Ali Toor is yet again highlighted amongst the media professionals of Pakistan. According to the latest developments in the Toor case, legal hires have informed on Thursday that the health of the remanded journalist has been deteriorating fast after the arrest by Pakistan's Federal Investigative Agency on Monday. https://twitter.com/alihamzaisb/status/1763142484245311950 The two legal representatives of Toor after meeting him, in a video stated that "we and Toor's mother were able to meet him after a court order. Asad Toor has been on a hunger strike for last 36 hours, his health has been deteriorating fast, and yesterday a doctor had to be summoned for his medical attention". Furthermore, the legal representatives also stated that "As Asad had told us, none of the questions asked by the investigators, relate to the FIR or offence that has been filed against him. All the questions asked to him currently are related to the Army establishment, they have been asking him particular questions related to Army generals". "They (the investigators) have been referring to his every vlog and asking him like why did he expose, the particular army general and why have you been doing that? This has been mentally pressurizing him a lot, and his mental health is getting worse by the day. His mother is an elderly woman of 78 years. Reaching her son in the FIA building was a very difficult task for her and this was saddening. We now in the future will ensure that he gets every right of representation in court that has been assured by law" Taking the matter to social media platform 'X' another prominent journalist from Pakistan Hamid Mir stated that "Journalist Asad Toor is on hunger strike in the detention of FIA." Currently the journalist community of Pakistan has been especially expressing their concerns and strong opposition regarding the matter. Previously, several prominent journalists, along with social and political activists, held a protest outside the National Press Club Pakistan demanding the withdrawal of the FIR against journalist Asad Ali Toor. During the protest, the journalist fraternity shouted slogans against the government, criticising the frequent arrests and the suppression of free speech in Pakistan. The journalists carried placards that read, "Release Asad Toor, Open X and Lift Restrictions on the Internet," and "Journalism is not a crime." In a post on X, Pakistani journalist Munizae Jahangir stated, "Protesting against the arrest of #AsadToor demanding that the vague FIR registered against him which does not specify how he caused insecurity amongst govt should be withdrawn & govt coming in must lift restrictions on internet & social media platforms like X. Democracy must be 4 ppl." Mir at that time had stated that ""we are not demanding the release of Asad Toor and Imran Riaz, but the Pakistani regime should follow their list of targeted journalists and arrest all of us at once. Although, we demand that Pakistan's Supreme Court which has taken the initiative to bring the killers of Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif to justice, otherwise we journalists will have to bring the perpetrators to light and make them leave Pakistan." The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) of Pakistan arrested Asad Ali Toor after he was summoned to appear before court on Monday. (ANI) India's position on the Russia-Ukraine war is very well known and has been conveyed at various levels, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday. In a press briefing on Thursday, the official spokesperson of MEA, Randhir Jaiswal said, "Our position is very well known." "We have said this at various levels, at the highest levels that india desires that there be discussion, there be diplomacy, there be constant engagements so that both sides can come together and find peace," he added. Jaiswal's remarks came in response to a media query on the Russia-Ukraine conflict entering its third year. India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ruchira Kamboj, recently questioned the United Nations Security Council for not being able to resolve the conflict between Russia and Ukraine that has continued for over two years. Calling for reforming "outdated and archaic structures", Kamboj, at a meeting of the United Nations General Assembly on the situation in Ukraine, conveyed India's concerns while reiterating Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement that "this is not an era of war". During his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Summit (SCO) in Samarkand in 2022, PM Modi said, "This is not an era of war." "At the present juncture, as the conflict has continued for two years unabated, we, the Committee of UN Member States, must pause and ask ourselves two pressing questions. One, are we anywhere near a possible acceptable solution? And if not, why is it that the UN system particularly its principal organ, the United Nations Security Council, is mandated to primarily maintain international peace and security? Why is it rendered completely ineffective to the resolution of the ongoing conflict?" Kamboj said. "For multilateralism to be effective, outdated and archaic structures need reform and reinvention, else their credibility will always be on the wane. And unless we fix that systemic flaw, we will continue to be found wanting," she said. India's Permanent envoy to the UN added that the member states must remain focussed on shared objectives to achieve development goals. She stressed that member states should aim for more cooperation as they continue to make efforts towards achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs). "I will reiterate Prime Minister Narendra Modi's assertion that 'this is not an era of war'. We must remain focused on our shared objectives to achieve our development goals and the partnership and cooperation that we will need for achieving these," Kamboj said. Ever since the war erupted between Russia and Ukraine, India has called for resolving the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy. On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a military offensive in Ukraine. The operation has since grown to be the largest attack on a European nation since World War II. Addressing a press conference, Premier Zelenskyy disputed Russian claims of much higher numbers when it comes to Ukrainian casualties. The Ukrainian President claimed "tens of thousands of civilians in occupied parts of the country" have been killed. Ukraine's battlefield losses are a closely guarded secret, but US officials estimate that about 70,000 soldiers have been killed and nearly twice that number wounded, as reported by CNN. The statement is significant as throughout the conflict, Kyiv has been hesitant to admit the number of soldiers the country has lost. (ANI) Newly sworn-in MNAs will participate in the voting process for the prime minister's position on Sunday. According to the schedule issued by the NA Secretariat, aspirants for the premiership can submit their nomination papers by 2 pm on March 2. The final list of candidates will be issued following scrutiny of the nomination papers. Nomination papers can be obtained from the legislation department, with candidates instructed to submit them to the NA Secretariat. Notably, Shehbaz Sharif has been nominated by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan People's Party (PPP), and other allies, while the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC) has named Omar Ayub as its candidate. The 16th National Assembly commenced its proceedings earlier in the day, with newly elected MNAs taking their oaths administered by Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf. The session, scheduled for 10 am, commenced after 11 am amid a turbulent atmosphere, with PTI-backed lawmakers aligned with the Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), encircling the speaker's rostrum. On February 20, SIC Chairman Sahibzada Hamid Raza announced the party's intention to nominate its prime minister, as (Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf) PTI-backed independent members began affiliating with the religious party. Earlier, on February 13, PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif nominated his younger brother and party president, Shehbaz Sharif, for the position of prime minister, while PML-N senior vice president Maryam Nawaz was nominated for Punjab's chief ministerial post. The forthcoming prime ministerial election marks a crucial juncture in Pakistan's political landscape, as parties manoeuvre to secure leadership roles in the country's governance structure. (ANI) Israeli families march to demand release of hostages held by Hamas Xinhua) 08:57, February 29, 2024 Families and supporters of hostages taken by Hamas, take part in a march from Kibbutz Re'im to Jerusalem as they call for the release of all hostages, in Re'im, Israel, on Feb. 28, 2024. Israel has pushed forward a large-scale offensive against Gaza-ruling Hamas to retaliate against the latter's rampage through southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 were taken hostage. The Palestinian death toll in the Gaza Strip has risen to 29,954 as the Israeli military killed 76 in the past 24 hours, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said on Feb. 28, 2024. (Tomer Neuberg/JINI via Xinhua) JERUSALEM, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Israeli families of hostages held by Hamas began a four-day march from near the Gaza Strip to Jerusalem, calling for the release of their loved ones. The families commenced their march from Re'im, the site of a music festival on Oct. 7 last year, where about 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 were taken hostage by Hamas militants in a surprise attack. Video footage showed them marching with posters and T-shirts bearing printed images of their relatives, chanting "Now! Now! Now!" They are expected to arrive in Jerusalem on Saturday. "No one can be left behind," Ronen Neutra, father of one of the hostages, said in a speech along the march. "(Israel's) War Cabinet is responsible for ensuring that in the current deal, all the hostages will be included." The march coincides with Qatari efforts to broker a Hamas-Israel deal for a ceasefire in Gaza in return for hostage release. However, Israeli and Hamas officials have cautioned that substantial gaps still exist. According to Israeli figures, a total of 134 people are still being held by Hamas, at least 35 of them are believed to be dead. Families and supporters of hostages taken by Hamas, take part in a march from Kibbutz Re'im to Jerusalem as they call for the release of all hostages, in Re'im, Israel, on Feb. 28, 2024. Israel has pushed forward a large-scale offensive against Gaza-ruling Hamas to retaliate against the latter's rampage through southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 were taken hostage. The Palestinian death toll in the Gaza Strip has risen to 29,954 as the Israeli military killed 76 in the past 24 hours, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said on Feb. 28, 2024. (Tomer Neuberg/JINI via Xinhua) Families and supporters of hostages taken by Hamas, take part in a march from Kibbutz Re'im to Jerusalem as they call for the release of all hostages, in Re'im, Israel, on Feb. 28, 2024. Israel has pushed forward a large-scale offensive against Gaza-ruling Hamas to retaliate against the latter's rampage through southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 were taken hostage. The Palestinian death toll in the Gaza Strip has risen to 29,954 as the Israeli military killed 76 in the past 24 hours, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said on Feb. 28, 2024. (Tomer Neuberg/JINI via Xinhua) Families and supporters of hostages taken by Hamas, take part in a march from Kibbutz Re'im to Jerusalem as they call for the release of all hostages, in Re'im, Israel, on Feb. 28, 2024. Israel has pushed forward a large-scale offensive against Gaza-ruling Hamas to retaliate against the latter's rampage through southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 were taken hostage. The Palestinian death toll in the Gaza Strip has risen to 29,954 as the Israeli military killed 76 in the past 24 hours, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said on Feb. 28, 2024. (Tomer Neuberg/JINI via Xinhua) Families and supporters of hostages taken by Hamas, take part in a march from Kibbutz Re'im to Jerusalem as they call for the release of all hostages, in Re'im, Israel, on Feb. 28, 2024. Israel has pushed forward a large-scale offensive against Gaza-ruling Hamas to retaliate against the latter's rampage through southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 were taken hostage. The Palestinian death toll in the Gaza Strip has risen to 29,954 as the Israeli military killed 76 in the past 24 hours, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said on Feb. 28, 2024. (Tomer Neuberg/JINI via Xinhua) Families and supporters of hostages taken by Hamas, take part in a march from Kibbutz Re'im to Jerusalem as they call for the release of all hostages, in Re'im, Israel, on Feb. 28, 2024. Israel has pushed forward a large-scale offensive against Gaza-ruling Hamas to retaliate against the latter's rampage through southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 were taken hostage. The Palestinian death toll in the Gaza Strip has risen to 29,954 as the Israeli military killed 76 in the past 24 hours, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said on Feb. 28, 2024. (Tomer Neuberg/JINI via Xinhua) Families and supporters of hostages taken by Hamas, take part in a march from Kibbutz Re'im to Jerusalem as they call for the release of all hostages, in Re'im, Israel, on Feb. 28, 2024. Israel has pushed forward a large-scale offensive against Gaza-ruling Hamas to retaliate against the latter's rampage through southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 were taken hostage. The Palestinian death toll in the Gaza Strip has risen to 29,954 as the Israeli military killed 76 in the past 24 hours, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said on Feb. 28, 2024. (Tomer Neuberg/JINI via Xinhua) Families and supporters of hostages taken by Hamas, take part in a march from Kibbutz Re'im to Jerusalem as they call for the release of all hostages, in Re'im, Israel, on Feb. 28, 2024. Israel has pushed forward a large-scale offensive against Gaza-ruling Hamas to retaliate against the latter's rampage through southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 were taken hostage. The Palestinian death toll in the Gaza Strip has risen to 29,954 as the Israeli military killed 76 in the past 24 hours, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said on Feb. 28, 2024. (Tomer Neuberg/JINI via Xinhua) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Flash China will send a special envoy to conduct the second round of shuttle diplomacy on seeking a political settlement for the Ukraine crisis, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning announced on Wednesday. Starting from March 2, Special Representative of the Chinese Government on Eurasian Affairs Li Hui will visit Russia, the EU headquarters, Poland, Ukraine, Germany and France, Mao said. The trip by the Chinese special envoy comes shortly after the second anniversary of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The pressing priority now is to restore peace, Mao told a regular press briefing in Beijing. If peace talks can be started one day earlier, the losses will be reduced by one day, she said. "Over the past two years, we have never given up making efforts to promote peace and talks," said Mao, adding that China has had in-depth communication with different countries, including Russia and Ukraine, and has played a constructive role in dealing with the crisis. China issued a position paper titled China's Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis on February 24, 2023, the first anniversary of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, systematically elaborating on Beijing's stance in 12 points. The Chinese special envoy last May visited Ukraine, Poland, France, Germany, Brussels, the headquarters of the European Union, and Russia in his first round of shuttle diplomacy on the crisis. "China did not sit idly by, neither added fuel to the fire nor profited from it," Mao stressed on Wednesday when commenting on the crisis. "Everything we do leads to one goal, which is to build consensus for ending the war and pave the way for peace talks," she said. China will continue to play its unique role, conduct shuttle diplomacy and build consensus among all parties, contributing Chinese wisdom to promote a political settlement of the Ukraine crisis, she added. President Joe Biden and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani expressed deep concern over the "tragic and alarming incident" leading to the loss of over 100 lives, according to the health ministry in Gaza, the White House said on Thursday. In a statement released, the White House highlighted the leaders' shared grief and emphasised the urgent need for a ceasefire deal and increased humanitarian assistance. The White House readout of the call between President Biden and Emir Al-Thani stated, "Both leaders grieved the loss of civilian lives and agreed that this incident underscored the urgency of bringing negotiations to a close as soon as possible and expanding the flow of humanitarian assistance into Gaza." The devastating chaos unfolded as Israeli troops opened fire on hungry Palestinian civilians gathered around food aid trucks, as reported by CNN. In their discussions, President Biden and Emir Al-Thani addressed not only the immediate need for a ceasefire but also efforts to free the remaining hostages held by Hamas. "They agreed that Hamas should release the hostages it is holding without delay," the White House wrote, adding, "The leaders underscored that the release of hostages would result in an immediate and sustained ceasefire in Gaza over a period of at least six weeks. They exchanged views on how such a prolonged period of calm could then be built into something more enduring." The two also talked about getting more humanitarian assistance into Gaza "and how the ceasefire under the hostage deal would further help enable those efforts and ensure that assistance reached civilians in need throughout Gaza." Simultaneously, the US State Department expressed condolences for the lives lost and the injuries sustained in the aid site tragedy in northern Gaza. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller, in a briefing, lamented the loss of innocent Palestinian lives over the past nearly five months, emphasising the need for answers from Israel as an investigation is underway. "We have been in touch with the Israeli government since early this morning and understand that an investigation is underway," he said. Addressing conflicting reports about the incident, Miller affirmed the US awareness that a commercial convoy, not associated with the UN, was delivering aid. Aerial footage depicting the desperation on the ground underscored the gravity of the situation. Miller urged Israel to permit the entry of more assistance into Gaza through multiple access points, underscoring the importance of safe and secure aid distribution. Highlighting the necessity of "a potential temporary ceasefire," Miller stressed its role in facilitating aid delivery. He noted the ongoing efforts, conducted day and night, through calls between President Biden and leaders in Egypt and Qatar. The tragic incident, resulting in at least 104 casualties and over 760 injuries, has ignited a diplomatic urgency to address the immediate crisis in Gaza and work towards a sustainable resolution that ensures the well-being of the affected civilians, CNN reported. (ANI) NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) One person died in a house fire in the Hermitage neighborhood of Nashville Thursday morning. The fire was reported just before 7 a.m. at a home in the 4100 block of Woodway Lane. Read todays top stories on wkrn.com (Photo: WKRN) (Photo: WKRN) (Photo: WKRN) A spokesperson for the Nashville Fire Department (NFD) reported one person was found dead inside the home. Another person was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center with injuries consisted with smoke inhalation. Investigators are working to determine the origin and cause of the fire and investigate the events leading up to it, according to NFD. The fire was extinguished and the home was significantly damaged. Download the News 2 app to stay updated on the go. Sign up for WKRN email alerts to have breaking news sent to your inbox. Find todays top stories on WKRN.com for Nashville, TN and all of Middle Tennessee. This is a developing story. WKRN News 2 will continue to update this article as new information becomes available. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2. SpaceX successfully launched a Falcon 9 rocket Thursday morning from Floridas Space Coast. The rocket took off at 10:30 a.m. from Space Launch Complex 40 at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Watch the full launch broadcast here: Watch Falcon 9 launch 23 @Starlink satellites to orbit https://t.co/HPRiGw5Eqm SpaceX (@SpaceX) February 29, 2024 The launch is aiming to send another batch of Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit. Read: NASA, SpaceXs Crew-8: Meet the astronauts who are headed to space Starlink is a large network of satellites that provide high-speed internet to areas around the world. SpaceX said the first stage booster for this Falcon 9 rocket has previously launched CRS-26, OneWeb Launch 16, Intelsat IS-40e, O3b mPOWER, Ovzon 3, and five Starlink missions. Watch: SpaceX launches 2nd Starship mega rocket After the launch, SpaceX landed the first stage booster on its Just Read the Instructions droneship in the Atlantic Ocean. The next planned mission for SpaceX is the launch of Crew-8 on Saturday Watch: NASA, SpaceX Crew-8 launch moved to Saturday due to weather concerns Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live. LOS ANGELES The gold dome atop Echo Park United Methodist Church has been a community beacon for 100 years. However, heavy rainfall has damaged the structure, which has brought the singing and worshipping to a stop while forcing the building to close. Built in 1923 at the corner of Reservoir and Alvarado streets, the church has been a place for marriages and baptisms, a haven for the homeless and a meeting space for Alcoholics Anonymous. It feels grim because what you see when you get to the top tower is a pile of rubble, Pastor Frank Wulf told KTLAs Sandra Mitchell. The ceiling has collapsed. You look up and see the wood above. After recent heavy rainfall, water had been collecting on the churchs roof causing the wood to rot and the walls to collapse. There is now a real danger that the gold dome and everything under it could come crashing down. Its broken. Its cracking and bending, the pastor explained. I wonder how its holding up the dome right now. Echo Park United Methodist Church has shut its doors after water damage has made the structure dangerously unstable. (KTLA) Echo Park United Methodist Church has shut its doors after water damage has made the structure dangerously unstable. (KTLA) Echo Park United Methodist Church has shut its doors after water damage has made the structure dangerously unstable. (KTLA) Echo Park United Methodist Church has shut its doors after water damage has made the structure dangerously unstable. (KTLA) Echo Park United Methodist Church has shut its doors after water damage has made the structure dangerously unstable. (KTLA) Wulf said that structural engineers warned him that further damage would be dangerous and expensive to fix. What I was told today was it would probably cost $200,000 just to take down the tower down, he said. Thats a lot of money. Its more money than what we have. The empty seats in the sanctuary have sparked concern for the well-being of the churchs congregation of more than 100 people, many of them immigrants from El Salvador. Its a sacred place for people, Wulf said. Ultimately, the church is more than just a building, its a community of people and a community of people makes the building significant. Even as the church is in danger of collapse and the congregation has been forced out, Pastor Wulf said he has faith that there will be enough money for repairs or rebuilding. There is hope and there is still faith, he explained. Its hope and faith that is bigger than the building and thats really where I find my strength. Church leaders, along with members of the congregation, said theyre asking the city of Los Angeles to help with the cost of repairs or rebuilding. In the meantime, the church has started a GoFundMe to start the process. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. More than 100 Palestinians in Gaza City were killed Thursday while trying to get critical humanitarian aid, according to officials in Gaza, who described the incident as a massacre after Israeli forces opened fire on the civilians. The Hamas-run Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza said 104 people were killed and more than 700 injured, with the numbers likely to increase. Pro-Hamas and pro-Iranian media were reporting that Israeli soldiers opened fire on Palestinian civilians on Al-Rashid Street in Gaza City while scrambling to access humanitarian aid. The Israeli military said in a statement that Gazan residents surrounded trucks and looted supplies. Dozens were killed and injured from pushing, trampling and being run over by trucks, Israeli forces said in a statement, though officials said the incident is under review. Israeli officials acknowledged separately to The Associated Press that soldiers opened fire at the crowd, and Palestinian civilians also told the outlet that forces fired into the crowd. More than 30,000 people have died in Gaza, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza, a death toll that is increasing pressure on the U.S. and Israel to stop the war. Negotiations are underway to potentially secure a cease-fire and a hostage release agreement, but President Bidens optimism that a deal could be reached this week is not shared by Hamas and Israel, who remain at odds. Israel has come under international criticism for its campaign in Gaza to destroy Hamas in retaliation for an Oct. 7 attack that killed 1,200 people in southern Israel and saw the kidnapping of another 240, about 100 of whom are still held in Gaza. Israeli forces have operated in hospitals and attacked other civilian infrastructure, accusing Hamas of hiding behind civilians. The Israeli military is threatening to move into the southern Gaza city of Rafah on March 10, which marks the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which could imperil more than a million civilians sheltering there. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Darnell Canady put his arm around Michael Rogers' shoulders. He had a message for students at Pershing High School in the aftermath of a brutal drive-by killing of an 11-year-old boy. Osborn High School student Jaiden Mabins, left, shows his 4.0 grade point average to Deonte Morris, right, of Detroit, a member of the 4s, while talking after rival gang members from the 4s and 5s unite to preach peace and an end to violence in the aftermath of the killing of 11-year-old Latrelle Mines in early January during an assembly at Osborn High School on Friday, Feb. 2, 2023. "His brother got charged for killing my brother," said Canady, 41, referring to another drive-by shooting, the slaying of his best friend Djuan Page in 2014. Rogers' brother, Corey Bailey, is currently behind bars serving two life sentences related to Page's death and a slew of other charges. "You ain't got to be that. We're trying to help you. We're trying to do nothing but help you," Canady said. The students grew silent. Canady identifies as a "4" a member of an east-side gang south of Six Mile Road. Rogers identifies with Canady's rival gang, the "5s," which includes the Seven Mile Bloods. Their territory is also on the east side, between Gratiot Avenue, Kelly Road, Seven Mile and Eight Mile roads. Pershing High School student Marquez Green, left, listens to Darnell Canady, 31, center, of Detroit, a member of the 4s, as he talks with him after speaking with Michael Rogers, 41, right, of Detroit, a member of the 5s, and other rival gang members from the 4s and 5s as they preached peace and an end to violence in the aftermath of the killing of 11-year-old Latrelle Mines that occurred in early January during an assembly at Pershing High School on Thursday, Feb. 1, 2023. Members of Ceasefire, Black Family Development and Detroit Friends and Family also spoke during the historic first time the rival gangs have been under the same roof promoting peace. Canady and Rogers are among over a dozen members of rival gangs in Detroit 4s, 5s and 6s who have made it their mission to come together and promote peace in Detroit schools with violence intervention programs Ceasefire Detroit and Detroit Friends and Family. They started on the east side, where 11-year-old Latrelle Mines was shot and killed Jan. 7 while Rollerblading near Beaconsfield and Courville streets. No arrests have been made in the case. Community leaders believe his killing was related to gang violence. In 2020, Latrelle's father was also killed in a dispute between 4s and 5s. Weeks later, just 4 miles away, another 11-year-old, Lamara Glenn, was struck by gunfire fired into a residence near Pennsylvania Street and Interstate 94 on Feb. 20. She died of her injuries Feb. 26. Four suspects have been charged in that case. Related: 'One Detroit' initiative announced to help prevent violent crime It was the heartbreak of Latrelle's death that first brought the rival gang members together in hopes of curbing the bloodshed. On Feb. 1, the group was at Pershing. They visited Osborn High School the next day. David Daniels, 43, of Detroit, a member of the 5s from the Red Zone, talks about things going on after speaking with rival gang members from the 4s and 5s as they united to preach peace and an end to violence in the aftermath of the killing of 11-year-old Latrelle Mines in early January during an assembly at Osborn High School on Friday, Feb. 2, 2023. The rival gang members held moments of silence and had impassioned messages for students: You deserve peace; have the heart and the courage to do the right thing; chase your dreams and goals; aim high; put pride and ego aside and surround yourselves with positive influences. "You all are destined to be great," said David Daniels, who identifies with the 5s. The messages to students, at times, grew intense, with speakers emphasizing the seriousness of the consequences of their own actions in the past. Thelonious Searcy, left, involved with the 4s and 5s; Deonte Morris, 35, of Detroit, a member of the 4s; Darnell Canady, 31, of Detroit, a member of the 4s; David Daniels, 43, of Detroit, a member of the 5s; Jerry McQueen, associated with the 5s, and Pierre Knight, 25, of Detroit, a former member of 5s, react to a speaker while talking to Osborn High School students as rival gang members from the 4s and 5s unite to preach peace and an end to violence in the aftermath of the killing of 11-year-old Latrelle Mines in early January during an assembly at Osborn High School on Friday, Feb. 2, 2023. "This is not a game. I just left the prison yard," Thelonious Searcy, 44, told students at Pershing. Searcy is associated with both the 4s and the 5s. "When I got to the penitentiary, I was forced to face myself. I was faced to deal with the realities of the things that I did in my community." Searcy spoke of the trauma he created in his own community, and the trauma he faced as a child, like witnessing a murder at 7 years old, which contributed to his actions later in life. He spoke of missing years of his daughters' lives while in prison, years of not seeing his mother. "We've got to be better than that. We've got to want more for ourselves. We've got to want more for our people. I'm here because I destroyed my people. I played God in the streets. I did that. And I'm man enough to face my actions," Searcy said. And when Rogers, 41, and Pierre Knight, 25, spoke at Osborn where they themselves had gone to school and were kicked out they became emotional. When Rogers began to speak to the crowd of Osborn's male students, he paused for a bit. "Killing each other ... this is wrong, we've got to do something different. We're strong," Rogers said. Knight told Osborn students that he walked away from the 5s last year. "Too much Black blood," Knight said. "I don't stand for that." 'We don't always have to fight each other' Students at both Pershing and Osborn were receptive to the messages the rival gang members relayed. Dozens of students at Pershing and Osborn stayed after the program to speak with members of the group. Daniels told students at Pershing he'd provide his phone number to keep the discussions going and at least 12 students took him up on that offer. Daniels said one student who was about to get into trouble messaged Daniels and asked him to intervene. It worked, Daniels said. Pershing High School students listen as rival gang members from the 4s and 5s unite to preach peace and an end to violence in the aftermath of the killing of 11-year-old Latrelle Mines in early January during an assembly at Pershing High School on Thursday, Feb. 1, 2023. Members of Ceasefire, Black Family Development and Detroit Friends and Family also spoke during the historic first time the rival gangs have been under the same roof promoting peace. "I'm just keeping my word with them, that's all," Daniels told the Free Press. Student Heaven Martin, 17, a junior at Pershing, said hearing how the speakers went from some of the lowest points of their lives to trying to do better for their communities "was really a beautiful thing." "There's a lot of kids dying of gun violence because they want to be in gangs, because they are trying to uphold a certain image in front of people that they don't have to uphold," she said. And seeing rivals come together was powerful for students like Khron Payne, 15, a Pershing sophomore. "They had to come together and give that speech as one. Us, as the children we can all do that too. We don't always have to fight each other," Payne said. "I know a lot of people (that are involved) in gang violence. I tell them to mind their own business, get out the way. Make your own path in life." Osborn High School students listen as David Daniels, 43, of Detroit, a member of the 5s from the Red Zone, as rival gang members from the 4s and 5s unite to preach peace and an end to violence in the aftermath of the killing of 11-year-old Latrelle Mines in early January during an assembly at Osborn High School on Friday, Feb. 2, 2023. 'We lead by example' The rival gangs have been at odds with each other since the early 2000s. Members said displays of unity are unprecedented. This is history youre writing on," Deonte Morris, 35, who identifies with the 4s, told the Free Press. We can come together after we went to war with each other. Morris and the others walked out of Pershing with huge smiles across their faces. Deonte Morris, center, of Detroit, a member of the 4s, speaks with Pershing High School students Brian Jones, left, and Anthony Reese, right, about staying away from the gang life he is involved in after rival gang members from the 4s and 5s united to preach peace and an end to violence during an assembly at Pershing High School on Thursday, Feb. 1, 2023, in the aftermath of the killing of 11-year-old Latrelle Mines that occurred in early January 2024. Members of Ceasefire, Black Family Development and Detroit Friends and Family also spoke during the historic first time the rival gangs have been under the same roof promoting peace. Rogers didn't think he'd be alive at 41 years old, let alone working together with 4s. He said he'd been shot 21 times due to gang violence. He thought working with his former rivals would feel different. "Its new to me still, but it don't feel bad. You get to know things about people," Rogers admitted. He wasn't the only one who expressed reluctance at first. Not everyone in Detroit's gangs are accepting of what this group is doing. In due time, everybody will be on board," he said. Knight, too, holds out hope for better times. "We lead by example. A lot of these kids look up to us," he said. Theres healing to this. Andrea Sahouri covers criminal justice for the Detroit Free Press. She can be contacted at 313-264-0442 or asahouri@freepress.com. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit rival gang members unite to urge peace in Detroit schools A new exhibition at The Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture, A Superlative Palette: Contemporary Black Women Artists, features the work of 12 people. And while the formats vary, the common denominator centers on foregrounding the intersectionality of their identities as 21st century visual creators. Japan-based curator Dexter Wimberly is a frequent Gantt Center collaborator, and this latest effort was assembled to showcase the work of some of todays important creative names who use their art to engage with the world. As part of the work that marks the Gantt Centers 50th anniversary, one of the features of this exhibition is that these artists have never been shown together in North Carolina in one show. As the show reminds visitors, Black female artists historically have been marginalized and underrepresented in the art world. This exhibit aims to help correct that history by highlighting their achievements. The Gantt Centers new exhibit, A Superlative Palette: Contemporary Black Women Artists, features the work of 12 female Black artists. Artists and inspirations Upon walking into the gallery, Mickalene Thomas Clarivel Face Forward Gazing (2024) was the first work to catch this visitors eye. The large scale canvas features a woman on an interior chaise lounge in repose and with glittering rhinestone accents that make the oil and acrylic pastiche glitter and glimmer. Thomas is known for her multimedia work featuring African-American women that makes use of texture and found materials. She credits a range of influences and inspirations from European traditionalists like Edouard Manet and Henri Matisse, as well as Charlotte native Romare Bearden and actress Pam Grier. Thomas also is the first artist to paint a portrait of former first lady Michelle Obama, and it just went on display in Washington, D.C.s National Portrait Gallery. Another piece in the exhibition, Lauren Halseys We In Here (2022), is a large, three-dimensional column that features photo collage, hand-etchings and coloring done with watercolor ink and colored pencil. This work has red, green and black color alongside images depicting physical strength alongside community blight. That includes signs showing businesses from the neighborhood: nail shops, pawn shops, check cashing services, fast food. Words etched on the edifice, like Free tha hood and We want a full and complete freedom reinforce the artists call for systemic liberation. Nina Chanel Abney, Always Ready, Always There, 2018. Green Family Art Foundation, courtesy Adam Green Art Advisory. Nina Chanel Abney. The thought that goes into the work Amy Sherald, perhaps most widely known for being selected to paint first lady Michelle Obamas official portrait, is part of the exhibition with her piece, The Rabbit in the Hat (2009). One of the hallmarks of Sheralds work is her use of traditional portraiture genres to feature Black figures through a style that has been described as simplified realism. Sheralds work is in direct resistance to Black lives being visually documented as a monolith through the trope of struggle or brutality. Instead, she often places her subjects in settings traditionally associated with leisure, such as shorelines, parlors and other neutral backdrops. Amy Sherald, The Rabbit in the Hat, 2009. Green Family Art Foundation, courtesy Adam Green Art Advisory. Amy Sherald. As for Nigerian-American Toyin Ojih Odutola, traditionally known for her detailed paper-based drawings, she has more recently been working with a vivid color palette. Her piece, By Her Design (2017), is a realistic portrait done in charcoal, pastel and pencil. It features a woman wading in rippled water, perhaps in Alabama, where Odutola came of age after emigrating to the US as a child. Two of Deborah Roberts colorful mixed media portraits, which often feature Black youths as subjects, are also included. Roberts addresses the complexity of the thought behind her work. The boys and girls who populate my work, while subject to societal pressures and projected images, are still unfixed in their identity. Each child has character and agency to find their own way amidst the complicated narratives of American, African American and art history, she said in her artists statement. Another piece, Calida Rawles large scale canvas, Requiem for my Navigator (2021), shows a man submerged under water, leading the viewer to explore their associations with the meanings of water Biblical judgment to deliverance and more. About the connection As a curator, Wimberly said he isnt necessarily interested in trying to draw connections between different visual languages that the artists present. Rather, he wants to emphasize that all these artists are a product of our times and are offering their own form of social commentary. Even though you have a generation of artists who are contemporaries, they all have their own way of seeing the world and reflecting that back out to the world through their art, Wimberly told The Charlotte Observer. This exhibition is less about the connection between the artwork made by these artists. Its more about the connection that all these artists have to this time that were living in right now. Dextex Wimberly, who curated the Gantt Centers A Superlative Palette exhibit, with one of the paintings in the show - a Toyin Ojih Odutola piece called By Her Design. Putting it together, piece by piece While visitors to the exhibition may see a compact collection of artwork, the curation and acquisition of these pieces takes time. Locating and securing access to A Superlative Palette, for instance, took the better part of a year, according to Wimberly. For this show, every work is loaned either from a private collection or gallery. Deciding on what artists to include was also a challenge. Its difficult because theres so many fantastic artists that you could choose from, but theres a finite amount of space, Wimberly said with a laugh. Rachel Jones, SMIIILLLLEEEE, 2021. Green Family Art Foundation, courtesy Adam Green Art Advisory. Rachel Jones. Building a relationship with art Wimberly hopes that visitors to A Superlative Palette will develop or deepen an appreciation for the artists in the show. He also hopes that people will invest some time simply standing and looking at the works. Not every work of art is going to speak to you, he said. But theres a very, very big difference between looking at something on a screen on your phone or on your computer than standing in front of an actual object and seeing things that just are invisible on a screen. Theres a human being behind that who created the piece, who put their time and energy into expressing themselves in that way and that kind of experience is not something you can duplicate digitally, he said. As a curator, Wimberly said that the thing that drives him the most in my thought process around organizing a show is thinking about the experience that someone will have when they visit the exhibition. I want that experience to be meaningful, and hopefully positive and transformative, he said. Sometimes you achieve all of those goals. Want to go? What: A Superlative Palette: Contemporary Black Women Artists When: Now through .July 28. Where: The Gantt Center, 551 S. Tryon St., Charlotte More Info: ganttcenter.org More arts coverage Want to see more stories like this? Sign up here for our free Inside Charlotte Arts newsletter: charlotteobserver.com/newsletters. And you can join our Facebook group, Inside Charlotte Arts, by going here: facebook.com/groups/insidecharlottearts. The Armed forces of Ukraine launched a missile attack on Russian troops in the temporarily occupied Olenivka in Donetsk Oblast, killing 19 invaders, the General Staff reported on Feb. 29. The military unit deputy commander was among those killed. About 12 Russians were wounded, including the commander of this unit. The Ukrainian military struck Olenivka with the help of Ukrainian-made MLRS, the statement said. Read also: Ukrainian forces confirm annihilating 60 Russian troops in Kherson Oblast training ground strike Russian army lost 1,150 soldiers in the war against Ukraine over the past 24 hours, total losses since the beginning of the full-scale invasion reached 413,760 people as of Feb. 29, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported. 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 NEW YORK The headline-grabbing Manhattan paparazzi chase of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle could end up leading to charges against two people, the NYPD indicated in a U.K. court filing revealed Wednesday. In an ongoing legal battle related to a reduction in Harrys security in Britain, the royals attorneys submitted a copy of a Dec. 6 letter from NYPD brass saying the May 16 car chase in the Big Apple was reckless. Investigators found reckless disregard of vehicle and traffic laws and persistently dangerous and unacceptable (behavior) on the part of paparazzi during the night in question, according to text of a judgment in High Court in London. Paparazzi were chasing the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, along with Meghans mother, Doria Ragland, in cars, scooters and bicycles that forced the couples team and an NYPD lead car to weave in and out of traffic to avoid crashing on several occasions, the document states. A spokesperson for Prince Harry previously said the chase began around 10 p.m., eventually prompting the couple and Markles mother to seek help from Upper East Side cops at the NYPDs 19th Precinct. The royals claim that the chase lasted two hours in busy Manhattan prompted widespread skepticism, with Mayor Adams saying at the time: I would find it hard to believe that there was a two-hour high-speed chase. He later said they were driving around for roughly 45 minutes before going to the precinct. Beyond stating there was sufficient evidence to arrest two individuals for reckless endangerment, the new filing provided no details on possible legal action on this side of the pond. The incident prompted certain changes to the security posture that will be afforded to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, the document stated, citing the police letter. The NYPD on Wednesday deferred comment on the paparazzi investigation to the Manhattan district attorneys office, which did not immediately reply. Princess Diana, Harrys mother, died in a Paris car crash in 1997, a tragedy partly blamed on a high-speed paparazzi pursuit. In 2020, Harry and Meghan relinquished their royal roles and relocated to the U.S., citing intense media harassment as one of their deciding factors. Harry has been fighting to get back his taxpayer-funded security, but the High Court on Wednesday upheld the British governments February 2020 decision to make him pay for his own protection. _____ Authorities are investigating the cause of a deadly fire at a metro Atlanta apartment complex. Walton County city officials told Channel 2 Action News that on Monday at 1:23 a.m., crews received reports of a fire at the Mews apartment complex on Meadows Drive in Loganville. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] When crews arrived, they saw heavy smoke coming from several apartments. Crews quickly began evacuating residents. According to the investigation, while crews searched the building to make sure it was clear, they discovered two victims. The victims were identified as 70-year-old Bonnie Nightingale and 79-year-old Geraldine Cribb. They were both found in the same unit. Authorities confirmed that they both died in the fire. TRENDING STORIES: No other injuries were reported. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: You are here: World Flash China and the United States held a new round of foreign policy planning consultation on Feb. 27 in Shanghai. According to Chinese Foreign Ministry, Miao Deyu, assistant foreign minister and director-general of the Department of Policy Planning, and Salman Ahmed, director of the U.S. Secretary of State's policy planning staff, held the consultation. The two sides had candid, in-depth and constructive communication on respective foreign policies, international situation and regional hotspot issues. Less than 66 days remain until one of the biggest events in horse racing history. The 150th edition of the Kentucky Derby which now carries a $5 million purse will leave the starting gate on May 4 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, which means less than three months remain until the much-anticipated event. And the qualification process to make the Derbys 20-horse starting gate is well underway. A total of 30 Kentucky Derby qualifying races have already been run, with 22 as part of the American road to the Derby, five as part of the European road and three as part of the Japanese road. The American leaderboard is headlined by the Brad Cox-trained Timberlake (66 qualifying points), along with Chad Browns Sierra Leone and Steve Asmussens Track Phantom, each with 55 points. The European leaderboard is led by Notable Speech and its 20 points after the Charlie Appleby trainee won last weekends Road to the Kentucky Derby Condition Stakes at Englands Kempton Park. Four other horses have 10 points each: Rosallion (Ireland), Ancient Wisdom (France), Deepone (Great Britain) and Ghostwriter (Ireland). The Japanese leaderboard is paced by Ramjets (Japan) 30 points. Of course, storylines have emerged alongside these qualifying races, with one of the biggest being that trainer Bob Baffert is still banned from fielding a horse in this years Kentucky Derby. Between the continuing Baffert saga, the horses that have already impressed on the Derby trail and a big slate of prep races set for this weekend, heres what you need to know as the Kentucky Derby creeps ever closer. Trainer Bob Baffert celebrates in the winner's circle after his horse, National Treasure, won the 148th Preakness Stakes in Baltimore last year. For the third straight year, Baffert will not be allowed to race horses in the Kentucky Derby. The difference this year, though, is the Hall of Famer will not hand off his top horses to a fellow trainer to run in his absence. Bob Baffert wont have a presence at the 2024 Kentucky Derby Lets start by addressing what has been the elephant in the room at Churchill Downs for several years now: Bob Baffert. The 71-year-old trainer will not have a presence in this years Kentucky Derby. Last July, Churchill Downs extended Bafferts suspension (originally lasting two years) through 2024. This prevents Baffert from entering horses at all racetracks owned by Churchill Downs Incorporated (CDI), through this year. For each of the last two Derbys, horses that were under Bafferts guidance were transferred to one of his former assistant trainers, Tim Yakteen, who oversaw the horses as they racked up enough qualifying points to make the Derby field. In 2022, Taiba ran 12th and Messier ran 15th. In 2023, Reincarnate ran 13th. But this year, none of Bafferts horses were transferred to Yakteen or another trainer in the hopes of having them accumulate enough qualifying points to make the starting gate. I just remain focused on training my horses and competing in the big races, Baffert told John Cherwa of the Los Angeles Times earlier this year. As has been the case in past years, if a Baffert-trained horse secures any qualifying points toward the Derby in a prep race, those points are vacated. Bafferts suspension from CDI racetracks came after Medina Spirit tested positive for a substance banned on race day after winning the Kentucky Derby in 2021. Baffert then sued Churchill Downs, but that legal battle seems to have been settled: Baffert announced in late January that he would be dropping his suit, although his suspension from tracks owned by CDI remains in effect. Since Bafferts ban only relates to CDI-owned tracks, you can still expect him to play a part in the Triple Crown picture: Hes still allowed to train horses in both the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course and the Belmont Stakes, to be run this year at Saratoga Race Course while Belmont Park undergoes renovations. (Because of the configuration of Saratogas main track, this years Belmont Stakes will be run at 1 1/4 miles instead of the usual 1 1/2 miles at Belmont). Eighteen Baffert-trained horses (out of 346 in total) were nominated for the Triple Crown this year. Last year, Baffert won the Preakness Stakes with National Treasure. Bafferts continued absence from the Kentucky Derby means that one of the most successful trainers in the races history wont get a chance to win the historic 150th edition: Baffert is tied with Ben Jones for the most Derby wins in history with six. John Velazquez rides Fierceness to victory in the Breeders Cup Juvenile at Santa Anita Park last November. Fierceness is fourth on the qualifying leaderboard for the American Road to the Kentucky Derby. With Baffert horses out of the picture, who is the best Derby contender? An unfortunate subplot given Bafferts continued ban from the Derby is that the horse currently viewed as the best in the 3-year-old class wont get a chance to make the starting gate. The Baffert-trained Nysos is a perfect three-for-three in his racing career. Earlier this month, Nysos (a son of 2016 Derby winner Nyquist) destroyed the field in the Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis Stakes at Santa Anita Park by 7 1/2 lengths. Nysos vacated the 20 qualifying points toward the Derby that came with his dominant win. He is the 1-5 favorite in Sundays San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita. So with Nysos out of the Derby picture, who is currently viewed as the races top contender? Theres Timberlake, the current qualifying points leader who has won three of six career starts, including the Grade 2 Rebel Stakes at a fast Oaklawn Park last weekend. Behind him on the leaderboard are Sierra Leone (a winner in this months Grade 2 Risen Star Stakes at Fair Grounds) and Track Phantom, who ran second in that race. Theres also the Todd Pletcher-trained Fierceness, last years 2-year-old champion and winner of the Breeders Cup Juvenile. Fierceness represents a chance at Derby redemption for Pletcher, who trained last years Derby favorite, Forte, who was scratched by the track veterinarian the morning of the race. Fierceness finished third in the Grade 3 Holy Bull Stakes this month at Gulfstream Park. Lexingtons Kenny McPeek also has a pair of horses that have already made a mark in qualifying with Common Defense (27 points and second in last Saturdays Rebel Stakes) and Mystik Dan (21 points and a winner this month in the Grade 3 Southwest Stakes). Locked, with Jose Ortiz up, wins the Grade 1 Claiborne Breeders' Futurity at Keeneland in October 2023. The Todd Pletcher trainee will race this weekend in the Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park in Florida. Five Kentucky Derby prep races are slated for this weekend When the calendar shifts from February to March this weekend, it will bring about five more Kentucky Derby prep races. Four of these Grade 2 Fountain of Youth (Gulfstream Park), Grade 2 San Felipe (Santa Anita), Grade 3 Gotham (Aqueduct) and John Battaglia Memorial (Turfway) are part of the American qualifying series. The Fountain of Youth, Gotham and Battaglia Memorial are Saturday. The San Felipe was moved to Sunday because of heavy rain forecast at Santa Anita on Saturday. The other, the 1-mile Patton Stakes in Ireland, will be run Friday as part of the European series. Both the Patton and John Battaglia Memorial will offer qualifying points on a 20-10-6-4-2 scale. The other three races, all graded stakes, will use a 50-25-15-10-5 scale for their qualifying points. In the Fountain of Youth, the horses to watch are Dornoch (2-1) and Locked (5-2). Dornoch is a full brother to last years Kentucky Derby winner Mage, and was last seen winning the Grade 2 Remsen Stakes at Aqueduct in early December. That win gave Dornoch 10 Derby qualifying points. Locked was supposed to make his season debut two weeks ago, but was scratched from the Grade 3 Sam F. Davis after spiking a temperature. Trained by Pletcher, Locked won the Grade 1 Breeders Futurity at Keeneland last fall, before going on to finish third his last time out in the Grade 1 Breeders Cup Juvenile. Held at Santa Anita, the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes runs the risk of being yet another Kentucky Derby prep race dominated by Baffert (qualifying points earned by Baffert trainees are vacated). Headlining the Baffert horses in this field is the aforementioned Nysos. Baffert also has Imagination (6-1) and Wine Me Up (8-1). Among the non-Baffert contenders to watch is John Sadlers Scatify (6-1), who finished third in the Robert B. Lewis Stakes at the same track. In the Gotham, a wide-open field is notable for the presence of Just a Touch, a son of Triple Crown winner Justify trained by Louisvilles Brad Cox who won his career debut in January at Fair Grounds. (Last years Gotham winner, Raise Cain, went off at 23-1 odds). With 50 qualifying points awarded to the winners of the Fountain of Youth, San Felipe and Gotham, all three races are essentially win-and-in opportunities to make the Kentucky Derby starting gate. Epic Ride is the 5-2 morning-line favorite for the John Battaglia Memorial at Turfway, which boasts a full field of 12. Bolt At Midnight is the 4-1 second choice. This weekends Kentucky Derby prep races All times Eastern Friday 2:15 p.m.: Patton Stakes at Dundalk, Ireland (RacingTV.com) Saturday 5:36 p.m.: Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct (FS2, FanDuel TV) 6:10 p.m.: Fountain of Youth Stakes at Gulfstream Park (CNBC, Peacock, FanDuel TV) 8:25 p.m.: John Battaglia Memorial at Turfway Park (FanDuel TV) Sunday 6 p.m.: San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita (FanDuel TV) Still looking for a ticket to the 150th Kentucky Derby? It wont come cheap. Another suspect arrested in connection to Sweet 16 mass shooting in Douglas County A sixth person has been taken into custody in connection to a shooting at a Sweet 16 party that left two teens dead and seven more injured. Douglas County sheriff officials announced the arrest of 21-year-old Michael Arthur Williams. According to court records, Williams made his first appearance on Thursday morning where a judge denied bond. He is scheduled for an arraignment hearing on July 2. The shooting happened on March 4, when over 100 teenagers were at a party on Talkeetna Road, and someone opened fire. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Ajanaye Hill, 14, and Samuel Moon, 15, who were both innocent bystanders, were killed. Deputies said seven other teens were injured. Deputies previously arrested 17-year-old Chance Terrell McDowell, 18-year-old Timothy Coleman Jr., 17-year-old Chase Terrence McDowell, 17-year-old Kingston Cottman and 21-year-old Tahkel Marquise Beverly-Smart. All four are charged with two counts of malice murder, nine counts of aggravated assault and seven counts of aggravated battery. Other charges are pending, including participation in gang activity. Authorities said that as the Douglas County District Attorneys Office was preparing for the trial of the suspects, they uncovered a new piece of evidence that pointed to Williams involvement. RELATED STORIES: According to the investigation, deputies obtained warrants for his arrest. They took him into custody in Albany, where he was attending school, and brought him back to Douglas County to face charges. Williams is charged with two counts of murder, two counts of participating in a criminal street gang, 10 counts of aggravated battery and 11 counts of aggravated assault in connection with the mass shooting. The investigation remains ongoing. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) According to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), there are six active AMBER alerts for missing Tennessee children. Some date back as far as 2011 and 2012. There also is one active Tennessee Endangered Child Alert that was initially issued on Sept. 22, 2015. As a part of National Missing Childrens Day, people are encouraged to stay informed and share a poster of a missing child in their area. Below is a list of the seven Tennessee children with active alerts who still have not been found. Anyone with any information on any of Tennessees missing children is asked to call 1-800-TBI-FIND. Zaylee Grace Fryer zaylee-fryar_1534969115072.jpg Zaylee Grace Fryer was only 4 months old when she and her mother, Shauna, disappeared from their Millersville home on May 1, 2011. Shaunas husband reported them missing two to three days later, according to the Millersville Police Department. Then, on May 7, 2011, Shaunas body was found in the Cumberland River near the Cowan Street bridge in Nashville. It took investigators until May 10, 2011, to know for sure it was Zaylees mother. Police said they believe she was dead before her body was ever in the river. RELATED: Millersville police share never revealed before photos, information in Baby Zaylee case However, 13 years later, Zaylee has still not been found. In an interview with News 2 in 2021, Millersville detectives revealed Shaunas husband was their main suspect. The TBI interviewed him after her body was found, but he has since died. Zaylees biological father was in jail at the time of her disappearance and ruled out as a suspect. While chances of finding Zaylee now appear slim, the Millersville Police Department is continuing to search for answers in the decade-old case. If Zaylee is still out there, detectives have preserved a part of Shaunas liver so they could get a DNA hit with a cheek swab. At the time of her disappearance, Zaylee had black hair, brown eyes and weighed about 12 pounds. She also has a quarter size brown birthmark on her right leg. Gage Daniel and Chloie Leverett Chloie Leverette and Gage Daniel Then 9-year-old Chloie Leverette and then 7-year-old Gage Daniel were believed to have died in a house fire in Bedford County with their grandparents on Sept. 23, 2012, until investigators searched for several days and never found the childrens remains. Officials confirmed their grandparents, the family dog, and a pet bird died in the fire, but there were never any signs of Chloie and Gage among the ash. After days of sifting through the rubble, the TBI issued an AMBER alert. SEE ALSO: Mother believes children are still alive 10 years after their disappearance Investigators have previously told News 2 it would have been impossible for the children to be in the house during the fire and not have left behind some form of remains, such as teeth. In 2022, their mother told News 2 she believes they were kidnapped. More than 10 years later, Chloie and Gage are still missing. At the time of their disappearance, Chloie had brown hair and blue eyes and weighed about 75 pounds. Gage had brown hair and hazel eyes and weighed about 50 pounds. Eva Alejandra Lopez Eva Alejandra Lopez (Courtesy: TBI) Eva Alejandra Lopez was 15 years old when she went missing from her Winchester home on Sept. 22, 2015. An East Tennessee Endangered Child Alert was issued on behalf of the Winchester Police Department after her disappearance. According to the TBI, Eva may be traveling with 25-year-old Avaron Gamez Martinez, who is wanted for six counts of aggravated statutory rape. She was last seen at her home, and her direction of travel is unknown. At the time of her disappearance, Eva was about 54, weighed about 150 pounds, and had green eyes and brown hair. It is unclear what kind of clothing she was wearing at the time of her disappearance. Little other details are available on her disappearance. Summer Wells Summer Wells (Courtesy: TBI) Then 5-year-old Summer Wells was planting flowers with her mother and grandmother just before she disappeared from her home in Hawkins County on June 15, 2021. In an interview shortly after her disappearance, Summers father told News 2 she went back into the house, and when her mother went to check on her, she was gone. Her family believes she wouldnt have wondered off on her own and may have been kidnapped. RELATED: Summer Wells father describes evening of 5-year-olds disappearance The TBI received numerous tips after issuing an Endangered Child Alert that was later upgraded to an AMBER alert because of new information and growing concern, and more than 100 first responders combed the areas near Summers home. However, Summer has still not been found. When she was last seen, Summer was wearing grey pants, a pink shirt and was possibly barefoot. At the time, she had blonde hair and blue eyes and weighed about 40 pounds. Kennedy Hoyle Kennedy Hoyle (Courtesy: TBI) Memphis police reported Kennedy Hoyle, who was only two days old at the time, missing after her mother, Danielle, was found shot to death near an abandoned vehicle on Feb. 1, 2022. Kennedys father was arrested in connection with their deaths later that day. According to court documents, Kennedys father admitted to luring Danielle to the intersection of Sedgwick and Levi and shooting her. He then told police that he took his 2-day-old child to the north end of Mud Island and threw her into the water. SEE ALSO: Father tells police he threw baby in river, killed her mother Kennedys car seat was found near a dumpster outside a Walmart in Whitehaven, according to police. However, despite searches in the area, her remains still have not been recovered. Kennedy was last seen wearing a black and white polka dot onesie with pink pants. Her father is facing charges for two counts of murder, especially aggravated kidnapping, murder in connection with kidnapping and tampering with evidence. Anyone with any information on any of Tennessees missing children is asked to call 1-800-TBI-FIND. Sebastian Rogers Sebastian Rogers (Courtesy: TBI) Authorities began searching for 15-year-old Sebastian Wayne Drake Rogers on Monday, Feb. 26 after he was reported missing from the Beech area in Hendersonville. The TBI issued an Endangered Child Alert that same morning, but later upgraded the alert level to an AMBER Alert on Tuesday, Feb. 27 as the urgency of the search increased. Hundreds of people from multiple agencies have since been participating in the search, which has stretched several miles from where Sebastian was initially believed to have walked off. Authorities have also deployed drones, helicopter crews, K-9 teams and mounted units. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2. In January-February 2024, almost twice as many weapons and military equipment were put into service in the Armed Forces of Ukraine as during the same period last year, Deputy Defence Minister Ivan Havryliuk informed the minister of defence. Source: Ministry of Defense of Ukraine Quote from Havryliuk: "In particular, in February 2024, the Ministry of Defene of Ukraine codified and approved for operation about 60 samples of weapons and military equipment of Ukrainian and foreign production. For comparison, in February last year [we approved] 33 samples." Details: Lieutenant General Havryliuk drew attention to the fact that not only the total number of weapons and military equipment samples approved for operation in the Armed Forces of Ukraine is growing, but also the number of new weapons of domestic development and production. According to the Deputy Minister of Defence, among the new models of weapons and military equipment codified and approved for operation during February 2024, there are several electronic warfare systems, particularly the so-called trench electronic warfare, that will effectively counteract Russian FPV drones. Six samples of automotive and special equipment and a 120-mm mortar of Ukrainian production were also approved for operation. In addition, the list of new products for the Armed Forces of Ukraine includes technical means of mine clearance, dynamic protection for armoured vehicles and ammunition for UAVs. Codification, that is, the admission of a sample of weapons and military equipment of domestic production to operation with the assignment of a NATO nomenclature number to it, allows it to be purchased at the expense of the state budget from manufacturers for units of the Defene Forces of Ukraine, the Defene Ministry noted. Support UP or become our patron! A San Antonio homeowner is accused of shooting a suspected car burglar in the legs, police said. Officers responding to reports of a shooting in progress on Feb. 27 were told by the homeowner that he confronted someone who was burglarizing his car, according to a preliminary police report. I couldnt see what he had in his hands, the 36-year-old homeowner and military veteran told San Antonios KSAT. All I know is he raised his hands and was coming toward me, so I began to fire my weapon. The homeowner said there were two guns and a bulletproof vest inside his vehicle, San Antonio TV station WOAI reported. The homeowner fired multiple rounds from his handgun, the police report said. Officers at the scene said he fired at least 10 rounds, KSAT reported. I wasnt trying to take someones life for personal property, he told the station. I felt as though I was protecting myself, he said. The 19-year-old suspect fled the scene in a car with another person and was later found at a local hospital, police said. The man reportedly collapsed after arriving at the hospital half a mile away with gunshot wounds to the back of both legs, KENS reported. He did get my weapon, the homeowner told WOAI, and when they replayed the cameras at the hospital, they saw him go and throw my gun in the bushes. The investigation is still active, police said. Texas law permits the use of deadly force at night in self-defense and protection of property when certain criteria are met. Man chases down, kills person he accused of stealing his barbecue pit, Texas cops say Mom shot dead in front of her two sons when men open fire into her car, Texas cops say Woman asked to leave roller rink opens fire and shoots two people, Wisconsin cops say MOBILE COUNTY, Ala. (WKRG) A man accused of shooting five people at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in October 2021 has pleaded guilty to five counts of attempted murder, according to a Mobile County District Attorneys Office spokesperson. Fairhope West Elementary School will shut down amid virus outbreak, sources say Court documents said the court split Hezekiah Kaniel Belfons sentence from 20 years to five years, followed by five years of formal state probation. Belfon, 22, was 19 at the time of the shooting and asked in May 2023 to be tried as a youthful offender, but Judge Charlie Graddick denied the request. Hezekiah Kaniel Belfon. (Photo courtesy of the Mobile County Sheriffs Office) Criminal Defense Attorney Yancey Burnett argued in May 2023 on Belfons behalf that he fired shots in self-defense because he was being attacked by a group of 15 people. Belfon was arrested months after the incident in March 2022 in St. Augustine, Florida. Burnett argued he left town because he was worried about retaliation and did not believe he was guilty. UPDATE: Man charged with arson after Greers fire on Government Street Court documents show Jai Montrell Scott Jr., 22, who is also facing five attempted murder charges in the Ladd-Peebles Stadium shooting, did not accept his plea deal with the state. His trial or blind plea is set for Sept. 9, 2024, at 9 a.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRG News 5. Environmental activists are taking up positions in forest near Berlin to protest against expansion plans by US electric car giant Tesla (Tobias SCHWARZ) Environmental activists occupying a forest close to Tesla's factory near Berlin said Thursday they want to stop the electric vehicle maker's German expansion plans and protect local groundwater. Tesla wants to expand its factory in Gruenheide, southeast of the capital, by 170 hectares (420 acres) and boost production up to one million vehicles annually. But the environmental group Robin Wood, one of the protest organisers, said the plans "threaten the drinking water supply for the entire region". Activists have camped out in the tree tops in part of the forest Tesla needs to raze to expand the its only site in Europe. The camp was still in the process of being built when AFP visited on Thursday, with some 10 platforms already installed. By making it difficult for authorities to dislodge protestors from their perch, the activists' tactics are intended to impede the expansion works. "Local people here are having their water stolen. And where the raw materials for cars come from, people face exploitation," Paul Eisfeld, 24, an activist and spokesman for the protest, told AFP. Organisers also said they were backing local residents, who voted more than 60 percent against the Tesla project in a recent non-binding poll. Tesla's Gruenheide factory opened in 2022 after an arduous two-year approval and construction process dogged by administrative and legal obstacles. The original plant's massive demand for water was a sore point for residents in an area that has been hit by summer droughts in recent years. "There will be no end of deforestation here, because this is just the beginning," local campaigner Manu Hoyer, 64, told AFP. "This forest is largely in a drinking water protection area and for me it is a no-go," said Hoyer, who has been active in the opposition to the Tesla plant since 2019. "If the entire infrastructure is to go here, then thousands of hectares of forest will have to be felled so that it can somehow be managed," she said. sea/sr/tw When Kristin Gaither logged into her bank account to pay bills, she couldnt understand what she saw: Despite just being paid, only a couple hundred dollars remained. Where did all my money go just two days after payday? the Beech Grove resident wondered. The answer: AES Indiana, her electric utility. The company had withdrawn Gaithers monthly bill from her account not once, but 10 times. In total, AES erroneously took nearly $1,000 from her account in early February. Kristin Gaither is photographed at her home on Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024, in Beech Grove Ind. Gaither is one of many AES Indiana customers who have had billing issues since AES "updated" its billing system. Last month, AES IN withdrew Gaither's bill from her bank account 10 times. That means the utility withdrew more than $1,000 from her account when her bill was just over $100. Gaither is not alone. Thousands of AES Indiana customers have experienced issues with their bills since the utility upgraded its customer interface system several months ago. The company said only about 10% of ratepayers are impacted. But for a utility that serves more than half a million Hoosiers, that means as many as 50,000 customers across Central Indiana could be facing billing errors and headaches. And for many customers, these problems are not small chunks of change: Its hundreds of dollars, if not more, in excessive charges and missing payments. Meanwhile, AES Indiana is asking state regulators for the OK to charge customers $84 million to pay for the new billing system creating all the problems. We recognize the challenges and understand that some customers have had less than ideal experiences with this upgrade and for that, we apologize, the utility said in comments provided to IndyStar. We take all customer issues seriously and are working to resolve any issues customers have encountered. The issues began after AES Indiana upgraded its system November. The previous system was 25 years old and could not easily integrate with newer technologies, AES Indiana spokeswoman Kelly Young said. The utility spent two years developing and testing the new software. Once stabilized, the new system will allow AES Indiana to simplify and elevate the customer experience, Young said. That includes more flexible payment choices, easier ways to manage accounts and more options to start and stop service. Public health: EPA says cancer risk from coal ash higher than previously revealed. Could it be in your yard? Yet many customers said they're having anything but an improved experience. For Gaither, the utility has yet to return the more than $900 it shouldnt have withdrawn more than two weeks ago. On top of that, she said, AES is trying to charge her a fee for the refund. Christi Waggoner, another customer, said she continues to have new charges show up on her account every couple weeks, but has no clue why. She said she hasnt received an actual bill explaining the expenses in a few months. Customer Katie Johnson saw her bill more than triple overnight, even though she has actually reduced her energy usage compared to previous years. She can't understand why. With customer Mark Bohnert, AES Indiana claims he hasnt paid his bill for a few months. He said his bank statement says otherwise. Ive run into a brick wall and dont know what to do, said Bohnert, a customer for more than 25 years of the company formerly known as Indianapolis Power and Light. We always pay our bills on time and weve never had trouble before, until they changed their software. Customers continue to have all different issues, but each of these individuals have one thing in common: They've spent countless hours on the phone and on hold trying to get their issues sorted out, they told IndyStar. Still, none of them have yet to receive a resolution. Kristin Gaither is photographed at her home on Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024, in Beech Grove Ind. Gaither is one of many AES Indiana customers who have had billing issues since AES "updated" its billing system. Last month, AES IN withdrew Gaither's bill from her bank account 10 times. That means the utility withdrew more than $1,000 from her account when her bill was just over $100. Gaither, who has now disputed the nine erroneous charges through her bank, said she has other bills to pay and is worried about incurring late fees or overdrafting her account. This is not right because we dont have a choice in the utility that we use, she said. The Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission said it has received roughly 70 complaints from AES Indiana customers since October, just before the upgrades. Several people customers and consumer advocates alike say they'd like to see the IURC hold AES Indiana accountable for these issues. If there are this many challenges and such a variety of challenges, where are the regulators? said Kerwin Olson, executive director of Citizens Action Coalition, a consumer advocacy group. Olson said he expects some bumps in the road with a software upgrade of this size, but this also is different because its a public utility and its their responsibility to take care of customers and provide an essential service. Environmental bills: Holcomb signs wetlands bill critics said was rushed through to 'quiet public outcry' The IURC told IndyStar the commission takes its job very seriously to ensure utilities provide reliable service, which includes accurate billing. But the regulatory agency said it cannot comment further at this time. Thats because AES Indiana is currently seeking cost recovery for the billing upgrades in a pending rate case. The utility initially sought $94 million for its AES Customer Ecosystem Project but agreed to lower that to $84 million in the settlement agreement for the rate case. In other words, AES Indiana wants customers to pay $84 million for the new-and-improved system. The utility said it was prepared to encounter challenges as part of the large and complex upgrade, but acknowledged that fixes are taking longer than anticipated. AES Indiana said it has increased the tools and support available for customers. That includes an expanded website to address concerns and a direct line specifically for customers with billing issues. The company also said it will not disconnect customers for non-payment during this time and will not charge late fees. We have teams working around the clock on solutions, Young said. The utility ultimately feels the upgrades will benefit its customers. Kristin Gaither is photographed at her home on Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024, in Beech Grove Ind. Gaither is one of many AES Indiana customers who have had billing issues since AES "updated" its billing system. Last month, AES IN withdrew Gaither's bill from her bank account 10 times. That means the utility withdrew more than $1,000 from her account when her bill was just over $100. Many customers arent convinced, however. Some upset ratepayers are pulling out of autopay and paperless billing essentially ceasing use of the new system. Gaither said she was advised to do that by one of the customer service representatives she spoke with. Young said the utility encourage customers to remain within the systems and for anyone experiencing issues to call in for personalized assistance. AES Indiana has developed a new dedicated Customer Service number specifically for customers with billing issues that need resolved (317-261-2085) and is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The utility also continues to update a dedicated webpage at aesindiana.com/system-upgrade with information and FAQs for our customers to get additional answers. 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: Thousands of AES Indiana customers face billing problems The 2024 US election will feature more foreign adversaries that are trying to meddle in the election than previous voting cycles thanks to artificial intelligence and other technological advances, FBI Director Christopher Wray said Thursday. Advances in AI-generated photos and videos are lowering the barrier to entry for malign foreign influence in US elections, allowing foreign operatives to move at a faster pace targeting US voters, Wray told the Intelligence and National Security Alliance, an intelligence industry group. AI makes foreign influence efforts by players both old and new more realistic and more difficult to detect, Wray added. Wrays speech is one of the more direct public warnings from a senior US official about the potential for such AI-made fake content, known as deepfakes, to accelerate propaganda and misinformation aimed at US voters. The role of deepfakes in election security has become all the more critical for US officials in light of the recent AI-made robocall ahead of the New Hampshire primary that mimicked President Joe Bidens voice. A New Orleans magician made the robocall at the behest of a political consultant working for Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips, a long-shot Democratic challenger to Biden, the magician has told CNN. US officials have been trying to grapple with the uncertainty that AI can inject into the information environment during elections. At a White House exercise in December, senior officials from the FBI, Department of Homeland Security and other agencies had to respond to a simulation in which Chinese operatives created a fake AI-generated video of a Senate candidate destroying ballots, CNN has reported. In his speech Thursday, Wray said the FBI, working with other US intelligence and security agencies, has a combat-tempo response to foreign election threats because of years of working together on the issue. Wray also spoke about non-election-related threats, saying that the FBI was intensely focused on a range of cyber and national security threats from the Chinese government. As for Iran, the FBI director said that Tehran has been more brazen over the last few years than Ive seen in my career. Wray cited a 2021 cyberattack on Boston Childrens Hospital and an assassination plot against former US national security adviser John Bolton, both of which the FBI blamed on Iran. The Iranian government denied both allegations. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Anywhere you go, any language you want - you can speak it. This is what is promised by AI assistants in your pocket. Artificial intelligence already transformed how translators work. Is it about to make learning a foreign language obsolete? Christin Klose/dpa When the protagonist in the British cult sci-fi novel "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" sticks a creature called a Babel fish in his ear, it translates all alien speech for him. Can artificial intelligence (AI) give us something similar? Thanks to advances in machine learning, says linguist Anatol Stefanowitsch, a professor at the Freie Universitat Berlin, we already have simultaneous speech translation systems that could make the arduous work of learning a foreign language obsolete. Computer-based speech recognition and translation have become good enough for many everyday purposes, he points out, and modern smartphones often have a speech translator app installed on them. The goal is machine translation of speech in real time, ie. with as little delay as possible. The technological prerequisites for this now exist, notes the Goethe-Institut. Experts at the German cultural association, which promotes cultural exchange and study of the German language abroad, distinguish between translating one language into another and foreign language proficiency, the latter going "far beyond simple simultaneous translation." Just a few years ago, it seemed like magic when your smartphone displayed the translated text of a menu you photographed with its camera. Today there are real-time speech-to-text apps that can help you break down language barriers - albeit with some time lag in the dialogues. Samsung, in close collaboration with Google, has gone further with its new Galaxy S24 series. If, say, you're in a foreign country, don't know the language and want to make a restaurant reservation, the Live translate feature will not only display a translation of your call but also make it audible using a computer-generated voice. Here, too, there's some time lag between the spoken and translated word. Other limitations can include difficulty extracting the desired speaker's speech from background speech/noise. And while translation accuracy has improved over the years, complex sentences, language nuances, idiomatic expressions and the like often present problems. Verbatim translations of "a piece of cake" for something easy or being "under the weather" for feeling unwell, for example, will make no sense to a foreign interlocutor. The more that speech translation apps are asked to do, "the more likely they still are to fail," says Stefanowitsch, but adds: "Speech recognition and translation are areas where further giant strides by machine learning can be expected." The Goethe-Institut sees foreign language learning on the cusp of profound change spurred by rapid development of AI models such as ChatGPT, which generates human-like text and whose applications include language translation. They will "transform the learning process as well as the way we communicate," it says. Will it make any sense at all to learn a foreign language in this brave new world of AI? Stefanowitsch says yes. "I definitely think it's valuable," he remarks, explaining that communication isn't merely about the exchange of information, but also human interaction. "In the future, too, you're not going to want to maintain a friendship, let alone a romantic relationship, with an app constantly acting as an intermediary." What's more, Stefanowitsch says, you can't become fully immersed in another culture when "every utterance has to be translated by a computer." Every language embodies a particular perspective of the world, he says, and you can only come to know it by learning the language. This sentiment is shared by the Goethe-Institut, which points to the growing number of health care workers in Germany whose mother tongue isn't German. Natural speech engenders empathy, it says, asking: "Do we want to live in a world where healthcare workers communicate with patients via simultaneous translation?" With the availability of digital translation tools, traditional foreign language teaching in schools seems old-fashioned. Nevertheless, Stefanowitsch finds that schoolchildren, "for the most part," are learning foreign languages the right way, arguing that language-learning apps can complement school lessons, but not replace them. The Goethe-Institut expects the role of foreign language teachers and instruction to change "from simply imparting knowledge to actively supporting learners." When the learners are at home, they could then have AI tools do their homework for them, whether it involves a foreign language or another school subject. Consequently, "in future we'll have to steer clear of all the kinds of homework that can be handled by so-called AI applications," predicts Stefanowitsch. AI has its flaws though. Machine-generated texts are very much aimed at producing a kind of "average" language, which is why "they always sound extremely hackneyed and not very original," he says. The Goethe-Institut warns that a proliferation of standard speech through widespread use of simultaneous speech translation systems could reduce people's vocabularies as well as endanger dialects and vernaculars, thereby impoverishing the language. Stefanowitsch's verdict: "It's better when people do the translations, not the machines." Air Chief Marshal Sir John Day, who has died aged 76, was one of the RAFs leading helicopter pilots and commanders who rose to become the Commander-in-Chief of Strike Command during the early operations in Afghanistan and in the build-up to the Iraq War in 2003. He was appointed to his role at Strike Command in April 2001, commanding all of the RAFs operational capability. The Strategic Defence Review had been announced three years earlier and many of the decisions were becoming established. These included Joint Force Harrier, the combining of four RAF squadrons and a Royal Navy Sea Harrier squadron, while the RAFs strategic transport force was being enhanced. Among other major measures, new air-launched precision weapons were being introduced. Following the terrorist attacks against the Twin Towers in New York on September 11 2001, and President George W Bushs declaration of a War on Terror, the likelihood of British involvement increased. Day and his staff reviewed various contingency plans for possible RAF participation in future operations. On October 7 2001, some Strike Command aircraft were committed to Operation Veritas, conducting operations against the Al Qaeda terrorist organisation and the Taliban regime. Strike Command tanker aircraft provided air-to-air refuelling support to US carrier-based aircraft, and RAF reconnaissance and surveillance aircraft flew operational sorties. In March 2002, Chinook helicopters deployed to Bagram airfield in Afghanistan to support the Royal Marine 45 Commando. RAF transport aircraft flew regular re-supply flights. This was the beginning of an increasing RAF commitment to operations in Afghanistan. By late 2002 the situation in Iraq had deteriorated and the likelihood of a US-led offensive increased. Day prepared his squadrons for possible action and, by early 2003, some squadron detachments had been positioned in the Gulf region. Operation Telic (the second Gulf War) was launched on March 20 2003, with RAF aircraft in immediate action. Much of Strike Commands operational assets, under the command of Air Marshal Brian Burridge based in Qatar, were heavily engaged in the operation, together with six RAF Regiment squadrons and personnel drawn from other specialist RAF ground support units. Tornados and Harriers flew 1,353 offensive sorties supported by airborne tankers, reconnaissance, and transport support aircraft during the campaign. The offensive continued for a month, when some of Days forces began returning, but others remained stationed in the Gulf region. The son of a tea planter in north-east India, John Romney Day was born in Gillingham, Kent, on July 15 1947. He spent his early life in India before continuing his education at The Kings School, Canterbury. Aged 17, he was awarded an RAF flying scholarship and was one of the last military pilots in the UK to train on the Tiger Moth. He graduated from Imperial College London in aeronautical engineering. He had joined London University Air Squadron, where he continued his pilot training. He commenced RAF officer training in 1966 and completed his training as a pilot before converting to helicopters. He joined 72 Squadron at Odiham in Hampshire to fly the Wessex on transport support operations and in co-operation with Army units. After training as a flying instructor, he instructed on the Jet Provost at the No 1 Flying Training School at Linton-on-Ouse near York before assuming command of Oxford University Air Squadron. He returned in 1980 to the support helicopter force as a flight commander when he joined 18 Squadron at Gutersloh, the RAFs most forward base in West Germany. Operating from dispersed and self-contained sites in the surrounding countryside, the Wessex helicopters provided support to No 1 (British) Corps. After attending the RAF Staff College, followed by a tour as the personal staff officer to the Air Member for Personnel, Air Marshal Sir Charles Ness, in 1983 Day assumed command of 72 Squadron, based at Aldergrove in Northern Ireland. Its primary role was assistance to the civil power and supporting the security forces during the Troubles. This frequently involved flying sorties in the difficult and dangerous border country, often in adverse weather. At the end of a demanding tour of duty he was appointed OBE. After a year managing the careers and appointments of wing commanders, Day was promoted to take responsibility for support helicopters at HQ 1 Group. His extensive experience proved an ideal platform for his work in developing joint operations and the initial proposals for the Joint Forces Headquarters concept. His imaginative ideas were not always in line with the thoughts of his commander, but his lucid, persuasive arguments, backed up by his intimate knowledge of the helicopter world, invariably won the argument. In 1987, he was made the station commander of RAF Odiham, the main operating base for the RAF helicopter force, where he had Puma and Chinook squadrons under command. After attending the 1990 course at the Royal College of Defence Studies, he was promoted to air commodore to become Director of Air Force Plans and Programmes in the MoD, managing the future RAF equipment programme and costings for the 10 years ahead. When Day became the Air Officer Commanding (AOC) of the RAFs No 1 Group in 1994, he was responsible for the operations of his Tornado, Jaguar, Harrier, and reconnaissance forces. To better understand the role of his offensive squadrons, he converted to the Jaguar and to the Harrier and flew the Tornado. He also had responsibility for the RAFs support helicopter force, which included the Puma and Chinook squadrons still heavily involved in operations in Northern Ireland. On June 2 1994, a Chinook helicopter carrying 25 passengers and a crew of four crashed on to the Mull of Kintyre, after flying below safety altitude in cloud. All on board were killed. As AOC it was Days responsibility to convene a board of inquiry into the accident. When he reviewed the boards conclusion, with which he disagreed, he judged that the accident had been caused by the gross negligence of the two pilots. The judgment of the second reviewing officer, the Chiefs of Air Staff and the wider RAF fully supported Days finding of gross negligence, which attracted public controversy. Following subsequent inquiries, the final review, by Rt Honourable Lord Philip, published on July 13 2011, recommended the findings of gross negligence be set aside. This was accepted by the then Secretary of State, Dr Liam Fox. This appointment was followed in May 1997 by a further promotion to take up the post of Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Commitments) in MoD. His primary responsibility was to be the UK Director of Operations worldwide. This included the deployment of British forces to participate in the Kosovo campaign and the maintenance in Iraq of the two No Fly Zones, one in the north and the other in the south. He was frequently required to brief the Prime Minister, Tony Blair, on the military options of intervention and operations. His clear, concise and strong presentations were respected by Blair, who held him in high regard. Day handed over command of Strike Command to his successor at the end of July 2003 on his retirement from the RAF after 38 years of service. He was appointed KCB in 1999. After retiring from the RAF, Day took up the position of senior military advisor at British Aerospace. Due to his position at Strike Command, the independent watchdog monitoring the movement of officials to companies recommended that he should wait a year. Tony Blair overruled the watchdog, saying that it was in the national interest to let Day move to the firm. Day was the president of the RAF Rugby Union and for six years was chairman of trustees of the RAF Museum. For 20 years he was the president of his local British Legion Branch in Hartley Wintney and, together with his wife, would sell poppies in the local area. He sat on the council of the Burma Star Association, his father having served as a lieutenant colonel during the Burma campaign in 1944. In July 2016 he joined the board of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight air ambulance, a cause for which Day had a special affection, and in February 2017 he was appointed chairman of trustees. John Day married Jane Richards in 1969; she survives him with their two sons. Sir John Day, born July 15 1947, died February 9 2023 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. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin addressed Wednesday the widely reported self-immolation of a senior airman outside the Israeli Embassy. Speaking at the Brookings Institute think tank in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Allvin said Senior Airman Aaron Bushnell, 25, was "just one of our airmen that we lost" to "suicide." "We have about 100 or so suicides per year, and every year we try to get after, how do we reduce this?" asked Allvin. "So, right now, where we are in that case is, understanding that has a lot of political fervor attached to it. This is just one of our airmen that we lost." PENTAGON SAYS ACTIONS OF US AIRMAN WHO SET HIMSELF ON FIRE OUTSIDE ISRAELI EMBASSY IN DC WAS 'TRAGIC EVENT' Hundreds of people gather in front of the Israeli Embassy to collectively mourn Air Force Senior Airman Aaron Bushnell, 25, who died after setting himself ablaze in protest of Israel's ongoing war in Gaza in New York. People placed flowers, lighted candles and wrote on sheets as they paid their respects. "And we're looking after family, looking at the unit and really trying to understand if there's any context behind this, what lessons can be learned, but it's really about the individual that we lost," he added. Bushnell lit himself on fire Sunday afternoon in front of the Israeli Embassy after livestreaming to Twitch as he approached the building. During the video, he said he "will no longer be complicit in genocide." READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP He then set his phone down, doused himself in accelerant and set himself on fire. The video was removed from the platform, but authorities have obtained a copy. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES, ACTIVISTS PRAISE 'SACRIFICE' OF US AIRMAN WHO BURNED HIMSELF ALIVE TO PROTEST ISRAEL Allvin's comments at the Brookings Institute received heckling and interjections from protesters in the audience, who shouted, "Say his name, Aaron Bushnell!" and "Ceasefire now!" The general ignored the interruptions, telling the audience that a "standard investigation process" is underway to understand what led to Bushnell's suicidal protest. "For our Air Force, we look at this as, whether it was politically motivated or other, we lost one of ours," Allvin said. "And so, any suicide, whether by political protest or by resiliency issues or wherever it is, is a tragedy and, as we're looking at wherever the rationale might be, there's a standard investigation process we go through that, and we look at that to make sure we understand everything about what happened." Bushnell was the second protester to light himself on fire in protest of the Israeli invasion of Gaza. A separate individual self-immolated in December of last year outside an Israeli consulate in Atlanta. Fox News Digital's Louis Casiano contributed to this report. Original article source: Air Force investigating self-immolation protest of serviceman, examining 'what lessons can be learned' AIs are more accurate at math if you ask them to respond as if they are a Star Trek character and we're not sure why An AI model prompted to speak like a Star Trek character was better at solving math problems. It's not clear why acting like Captain Picard helped the chatbot boost its results. People are noticing there is an art to prompting AI and it is becoming a field in itself. The art of speaking to AI chatbots is continuing to frustrate and baffle people. A study attempting to fine-tune prompts fed into a chatbot model found that, in one instance, asking it to speak as if it were on Star Trek dramatically improved its ability to solve grade-school-level math problems. "It's both surprising and irritating that trivial modifications to the prompt can exhibit such dramatic swings in performance," the study authors Rick Battle and Teja Gollapudi at software firm VMware in California said in their paper. The study, first reported by New Scientist, was published on February 9 on arXiv, a server where scientists can share preliminary findings before they have been validated by careful scrutiny from peers. Using AI to speak with AI Machine learning engineers Battle and Gallapudi didn't set out to expose the AI model as a Trekkie. Instead, they were trying to figure out if they could capitalize on the "positive thinking" trend. People attempting to get the best results out of chatbots have noticed the output quality depends on what you ask them to do, and it's really not clear why. "Among the myriad factors influencing the performance of language models, the concept of 'positive thinking' has emerged as a fascinating and surprisingly influential dimension," Battle and Gollapudi said in their paper. "Intuition tells us that, in the context of language model systems, like any other computer system, 'positive thinking' should not affect performance, but empirical experience has demonstrated otherwise," they said. This would suggest it's not only what you ask the AI model to do, but how you ask it to act while doing it that influences the quality of the output. In order to test this out, the authors fed three Large Language Models (LLM) called Mistral-7B5, Llama2-13B6, and Llama2-70B7 with 60 human-written prompts. These were designed to encourage the AIs, and ranged from "This will be fun!" and "Take a deep breath and think carefully," to "You are as smart as ChatGPT." The engineers asked the LLM to tweak these statements when attempting to solve the GSM8K, a dataset of grade-school-level math problems. The better the output, the more successful the prompt was deemed to be. Their study found that in almost every instance, automatic optimization always surpassed hand-written attempts to nudge the AI with positive thinking, suggesting machine learning models are still better at writing prompts for themselves than humans are. Still, giving the models positive statements provided some surprising results. One of Llama2-70B's best-performing prompts, for instance, was: "System Message: 'Command, we need you to plot a course through this turbulence and locate the source of the anomaly. Use all available data and your expertise to guide us through this challenging situation.' The prompt then asked the AI to include these words in its answer: "Captain's Log, Stardate [insert date here]: We have successfully plotted a course through the turbulence and are now approaching the source of the anomaly." The authors said this came as a surprise. "Surprisingly, it appears that the model's proficiency in mathematical reasoning can be enhanced by the expression of an affinity for Star Trek," the authors said in the study. "This revelation adds an unexpected dimension to our understanding and introduces elements we would not have considered or attempted independently," they said. Mr. Spock on the ship's bridge in the Star Trek: The Original Series. CBS via Getty Images This doesn't mean you should ask your AI to speak like a Starfleet commander Let's be clear: this research doesn't suggest you should ask AI to talk as if aboard the Starship Enterprise to get it to work. Rather, it shows that myriad factors influence how well an AI decides to perform a task. "One thing is for sure: the model is not a Trekkie," Catherine Flick at Staffordshire University, UK, told New Scientist. "It doesn't 'understand' anything better or worse when preloaded with the prompt, it just accesses a different set of weights and probabilities for acceptability of the outputs than it does with the other prompts," she said. It's possible, for instance, that the model was trained on a dataset that has more instances of Star Trek being linked to the right answer, Battle told New Scientist. Still, it shows just how bizarre these systems' processes are, and how little we know about how they work. "The key thing to remember from the beginning is that these models are black boxes," Flick said. "We won't ever know why they do what they do because ultimately they are a melange of weights and probabilities and at the end, a result is spat out," she said. This information is not lost on those learning to use Chatbot models to optimize their work. Whole fields of research, and even courses, are emerging to understand how to get them to perform best, even though it's still very unclear. "In my opinion, nobody should ever attempt to hand-write a prompt again," Battle told New Scientist. "Let the model do it for you," he said. Read the original article on Business Insider A school in Alabama is closed Thursday after almost 800 students were absent amid an outbreak of a gastrointestinal illness that is being investigated by public health officials. On Tuesday, 29 students missed classes at Fairhope West Elementary School, according to WALA-TV. Overnight, the number rocketed into the hundreds, with half of the schools staff also absent on Wednesday. This Vomit Machine Could Purge the Secret to Norovirus Not all of the 773 students and 50 staff members absent on Wednesday were off because they were sick, Baldwin County Public Schools Spokeswoman Chasity Riddick told AL.com, as parents were told that absences would be excused if they decided to keep their kids home as the sickness spread around the school. Only 201 kids showed up, according to WPMI-TV. Due to the amount of staff and students who are absent, the number who are experiencing symptoms, and in an effort to help contain the contagion, we unfortunately need to shut the building down, Baldwin County Schools Superintendent Eddie Tyler wrote in a message to parents announcing that the school would close Thursday and Friday. While out, we will be conducting a deep cleaning of the school so when students return next week, it will be sanitized to the fullest extent, Tyler added. We understand the inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your understanding. Please take care of yourself and your families. In a statement, the Alabama Department of Public Health said it is investigating the gastrointestinal outbreak and that the school system is working with health officials. Nausea and vomiting only are being reported, ADPH Chief Medical Officer Karen Landers said in a statement. ADPH Infectious Diseases and Outbreaks staff has distributed specimen collection materials for testing through the ADPH Bureau of Clinical Laboratories. Baldwin County Public Schools Health Services Coordinator Alison Rudd told WPMI-TV that symptoms also included diarrhea and stomach pain, adding that its fairly common for such illnesses to sweep through schools at this time of year. She said that the school is treating the as yet unconfirmed illness as it would respond to norovirus. These are the types of illnesses you hear about shutting down cruise ships and so forth, Rudd said. Norovirus, which is highly contagious, and other gastrointestinal illnesses can spread quickly through places like cruise ships due to the amount of group contact on board, according to the CDC. The agency launched an investigation after a luxury ship making stops in the U.S., the Queen Victoria, was hit by a gastrointestinal illness that left over 150 passengers and crew with symptoms including vomiting and diarrhea. 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. Rep. Susan Dubose, R-Hoover, greets a person on the floor of the Alabama House of Representatives prior to the start of the House session on April 13, 2023. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector) An Alabama House committee Wednesday delayed consideration of a bill that would eliminate a school permission form required for 14- and 15-year-old minors to work. The House Children and Senior Advocacy Committee carried over HB 102, sponsored by Rep. Susan DuBose, R-Hoover, after Rep. Ginny Shaver, R-Leesburg, the committee chair, expressed reservations that schools may not be informed when a minor has been hired by an employer. The Senate passed a companion bill, SB 53, sponsored by Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, on Tuesday. If we are going to amend it, lets do it in committee and get it out and get it on the floor, Shaver said. We have time since it already passed the Senate. It will just have to go to the Senate for concurrence. The bill strips language from the statute that mentions the work eligibility form, as well as a section that prohibits minors younger than 16 years old from working without the work eligibility form. This bill eliminates a barrier to work for teenagers and lets parents make that decision, Dubose said. The legislation retains a requirement that businesses obtain a state Class I Child Labor certificate if they hire someone between 14 years old and 15 years old, and a Class II certificate if they plan to hire a minor who is either 16 years old or 17 years old. The certificates provide the employers contact information, the type of business and other information required by the Department of Labor. It would also include the name, address and telephone number of the company where the minor will work. The bill also retains language in current statute allowing the Department of Labor to revoke or suspend the employment of minors who are either 14 years old or 15 years old if their performance in school becomes less than satisfactory or if they stop attending school on a regular basis with notification by the school. We have seen roll-back bills in states across the country, and 2024 is no exception to that, said Nina Mast, state economic analyst for the Economic Policy Institute, a left-leaning think tank and research organization, in an interview Tuesday. There are bills to roll back child labor protections in 11 states alone, and five states have active bills to eliminate work permits or similar forms, so Alabama is really just one of those states. According to a report from EPI published in February, 28 states have introduced bills to weaken child labor laws since 2021. Most of them, according to the accompanying graphic in the report, are located throughout the Midwest and along the south. The move to get rid of work permits is really part of this much broader agenda that is being led by right-wing advocacy groups, namely the Foundation for Government Accountability, to get rid of these work permits more broadly deregulate employment and expand employers access to youth with fewer guardrails, Mast said. This has troubled human rights advocacy groups, who said the effort to roll back child labor protection laws stems from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. We are seeing a resurgence in a labor movement where people are not willing to work for minimum wage that isnt enough to pay for housing, that isnt enough to cover medical bills and a decent cost of living, said Skip Mark, assistant professor and director of the Center for Nonviolence & Peace Studies at the University of Rhode Island. One option would be to pay people more, and the other option is to hire children who are willing to work for less. Eliminating the work forms could also negatively affect the children, according to Mark. The proposal eliminates a step that allows a school to check if a student is receiving an education. If children shouldnt be working because it adversely affects their schooling, and schools are not being consulted, we wont know whether that is ever the case, Mark said. The only time you will ever find it are cases where parents decide that this is having an adverse effect on their schooling, and if a childs labor is the difference between them being able to afford their mortgage or paying health care costs, which bankrupt the most people in this country, a dip in grades is fine all things considered. Some on the committee expressed reservations for the bill. How do they revoke something in a process they have nothing to do with, said Rep. Barbara Drummond, D-Mobile. This bill would take them out of the process, correct? SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Alabama House committee delays consideration of child labor bill appeared first on Alabama Reflector. Rep. Susan DuBose, R-Hoover, presents HB 405, which would define "sex-based terms" into state law, to the House Health committee on May 17, 2023. (Alander Rocha/Alabama Reflector) The Alabama House Judiciary Committee Wednesday approved a bill creating legal definitions of men and women based on the presence or potential for the person to possess certain reproductive cells. HB 111, sponsored by Rep. Susan DuBose, R-Hoover, says that a man is a person with a reproductive system that at some point produces sperm while a woman is a person with a reproductive system that at some point produces ova. The proposal also allows state and local agencies to create separate spaces assigned to each gender and mandates them to collect information that identifies people based on their gender at birth. It is a definition bill for our courts to have guidance when interpreting laws that already exist in Alabama, DuBose said. Words have meaning, and my intent is to make sure we have uniform definitions, and our courts have clarity. SB 92, a similar bill sponsored by Sen. April Weaver, R-Brierfield, was approved in a Senate committee earlier this month. More than 100 people showed up to a public hearing on the legislation last week. The bill, coming after years of legislative attacks on transgender youth by the Alabama Legislature, has troubled groups who advocate for people in the LGBTQ+ community. DuBose sponsored a law last year banning transgender youth from playing college sports. For a number of reasons, HB 111 and SB 92, the What is a Woman Act does not make sense to implement because it defines the social categories of gender as reproductive systems, said Allison Montgomery, a member of the Alabama Transgender Rights Action Coalition, in an interview Tuesday. Even if people transition, they are forever legally classified as whatever they were assigned at birth. The implications could be profound for people who are incarcerated, allowing transgender people to be placed into facilities with those who are the opposite gender. We are seeing calls to law enforcement because someone suspects someone else in the bathroom of being transgendered, Montgomery said. Bills like this are dangerous for everybody because they create a culture of fear. Rep. Chris England, D-Tuscaloosa, expressed reservations about the bill. Oftentimes, we create definitions, and we create laws that then create perceptions, and there are people who pursue those perceptions, he said. DuBose said the only impact of her bill would be a law that was already passed in education that required K-12 students use the bathrooms according to their sex, and this would define sex for those purposes, she said. England also referred to a 2020 U.S. Supreme Court case called Bostock v. Clayton County, in which the justices ruled 6-3 vote that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects employees against discrimination because of sexuality or gender identity. If you create a definition that people have to fit into in state law that doesnt require certain accommodations to be made based on those definitions, but then you have a Supreme Court case that does require certain accommodations to be made, there may be some conflict there, England said. DuBose said she is not aware of the case but does not have an issue with the decision made by the justices of the U.S. Supreme Court. We are at the beginning stages of this legislation, England said. I am certainly willing to come and talk to you further about those because there may be a way that we can draw up legislation and take some of the language from the recent Supreme Court decision, and also the definitions that are already in state law, and maybe prevent litigation in the future. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Alabama House committee passes bill putting definitions of sex into law appeared first on Alabama Reflector. An Alabama man is the latest person to be charged with threatening election officials by the Justice Department's Election Threats Task Force. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI Feb. 29 (UPI) -- An Alabama man has been arrested and charged on allegations of threatening Arizona election officials over Instagram. Brian Jerry Ogstad, 59, of Cullman, Ala., was arrested Wednesday when he also made his initial court appearance in Huntsville where he was charged with five counts of communicating an interstate threat. If convicted, he faces up to five years for each count. "We cannot permit election skeptics to threaten vigilante justice," U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino for the District of Arizona said in a statement. "We will continue to prosecute true threats against Arizona's election officials and other public servants, including direct messages sent on social media, or communications in any other format." The indictment accuses Ogstad of sending the Instagram account of Maricopa County Elections 18 threatening messages via the social media smartphone application's direct messenger function over two days starting Aug. 2, 2022, when Arizona held its federal and state primary elections, including for governor. The messages included death threats and were riddled with expletives and unfounded allegations that the officials were engaging in election fraud in the state's gubernatorial race. One of the messages included a picture of a toy doll of the character Woody from the Toy Story film franchise with an unidentified object protruding from its back. "You [expletive] are so dead," he said in a message to the elections office, according to the court document. "You are lying, cheating mother [expletive]... you better not come in my church, my business or send your kids to my school," he allegedly said in another. "You are [expletive] stupid if you think your lives are safe." The arrest comes amid an increase in threats directed at election officials. The charges announced Wednesday are part of the Election Threats Task Force, which the Justice Department launched in June 2021 to address the surge. Earlier this week, Andrew Nickels, 37, of Carmel, Ind., pleaded guilty to one count of making a threatening interstate communication over leaving voicemails threatening the life and family of a Michigan election worker. William Hyde, 52, of San Diego, Calif., was charged with the same offense last week over leaving a threatening voicemail with a Maricopa County election official in November 2022. "Public servants who administer our elections -- the cornerstone of our democracy -- must be able to do their jobs without fear," Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole Argentieri of the Justice Department's Criminal Division said Wednesday in a statement. "The Criminal Division will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute those who target election officials and workers with threats of violence." Officials and delegates walk past flags as they attend the seventh Gas Exporting Countries Forum hosted in Algeria, Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. The summit will be held on March 2 at the Abdellatif Rahal International Conference Center, which is located on the western coastal front of the city of Algiers. (AP Photo/Anis Belghoul) ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) Algeria is looking to cast itself as a critical supplier of natural gas for European countries seeking to lessen their dependence on Russia as it welcomed Thursday envoys from energy rich nations to a key summit. For three days, Algeria will host leaders from 13 other nations in its capital of Algiers, including Russia, Iran, Qatar and Venezuela as the industry confronts waning demand for oil and gas and new competition from renewable energy sources. The summit will offer participants a chance to coordinate on investments and ties with purchasing countries and to further develop production capacity. Officials have also indicated the summit will provide a venue to showcase Algeria's growing role as a secure and reliable energy supplier. Algerian President Abdelmajid Tebboune said in a message on the summits website that the gathering underscores how natural gas is increasingly in demand as a crucial energy source for socio-economic development, being one of the main clean and environmentally friendly alternative energy sources. As European countries have tried to wean themselves off Russian energy, Algeria has emerged as the continent's second largest pipeline supplier of gas, after Norway. It is the top supplier of gas to Spain and also Italy, whose Premier Giorgia Meloni visited last year. Algeria's state-owned energy company Sonatrach recently signed a deal to sell natural gas to Germany's VNG. Karim Allam, an oil and gas industry analyst, said the summit would provide an opportunity to make the case for gas as a product of the future. Algeria "wants to finalize long-term contracts that will provide security for the future, while seeking to bolster its status as a credible and serious producer country, he said. However, headwinds remain. Despite aggressive plans to expand production between now and 2030, Algeria has struggled to deliver more gas to Europe at the pace promised. Sonatrach continues to confront infrastructure needs, slowing demand for gas and new competition from countries like Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Algeria's growing population is also projected to increase energy demands, much like Egypt, the Arab world's most populous country. There's a growing concern over the necessity to balance domestic needs with the export commitment, said Alberto Rizzi, a researcher at the European Council on Foreign Relations. And theres a game over who the last man standing is who can produce at the price, volume and with the least pollution. Algeria has made preliminary moves to invest in renewable energy, specifically green hydrogen power, but continues to be heavily invested in fossil fuels. Oil and gas revenue accounted 38% of the country's budget from 2016 to 2021, according to World Bank figures. COLOGNE, Germany U.S. military officials are working with the European Union to review an incident in which German frigate Hessen fired twice at an MQ-9 drone earlier this week during a multinational naval protection mission in the Red Sea. The German vessel, newly arrived in the theater of operations, fired two Standard Missile-2 interceptors at the U.S. drone, but both missed, as German military news website Augengeradeaus first reported. The attempted shoot-down came after a query with nearby allies about the status of the drone, which flew without a transponder turned on that would allow coalition forces to identify it as friendly, according to the report. We can confirm that a U.S. MQ-9 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle was targeted in the Red Sea Feb. 27, a U.S. defense official told Defense News, adding that the aircraft was undamaged and continued its mission. CENTCOM is in close coordination with the EU and Operation Aspides to investigate the circumstances that led to this event and to ensure safe deconfliction of airspace, the official added, using shorthand for U.S. Central Command, the command overseeing American operations in the Middle East. Germanys air defense frigate Hessen received parliamentary approval to partake in the European Unions Operation Aspides last week while already underway to the Red Sea. It is joining a collection of allied warships organized under the EU auspices or the U.S.-led Operation Prosperity Guardian to protect marine traffic in the vital cargo route from drone and missile attacks by the Yemen-based Houthi militia. The groups fighters are targeting civilian ships claiming support for Hamas in its war against Israel. A German military spokesman declined to comment on the incident, pointing instead to comments by German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius on Feb. 27 in which Pistorious confirmed the downing of two hostile drones and two failed attempts to intercept an additional, unspecified aircraft. Amarillo National Bank announced a $1 million donation to the Amarillo Area Foundation's Panhandle Disaster Relief Fund to aid victims and first responders affected by the Panhandle wildfires over the past couple of days. As stated during an announcement held Wednesday afternoon in the lobby of the ANB tower in Amarillo, the bank not only made their donation, but also created a means to accept public donations at any of the ANB locations to benefit the Panhandle Disaster Relief Fund. "Our bank today is announcing a $1 million gift to support the Wildfire Disaster Relief efforts going on in the northern Panhandle today. We are joining thousands of others who want to support those involved in the devastation. We know that there are so many questions left unanswered, but we want to make sure we can help as quickly as we can," William Ware, President of Amarillo National Bank, said. Amarillo National Bank announces Wednesday afternoon a $1 million donation, as well as the bank collecting donations benefiting the Amarillo Area Foundation Panhandle Disaster Relief Fund, during a news conference in the ANB tower main lobby. Amarillo National Bank president William Ware discusses the bank's $1 million donation, as well as the bank's efforts with the Amarillo Area Foundation to collect more donations benefiting the Panhandle Disaster Relief Fund, as announced Wednesday afternoon in the ANB tower main lobby. Through the fund, individuals, organizations and firefighters throughout the Texas Panhandle will be able to seek monetary assistance as the region works to rebuild following the fire, including immediate and long-term needs as they arise. As stated by Clay Stribling, president and CEO of the Amarillo Area Foundation (AAF), they were devising a plan to create some relief for those affected by the fires when they were approved by ANB proposing to collect donations to the fund and offering a donation. "We are very excited to get started. The Panhandle Disaster Relief Fund has been in existence for almost 20 years now, and we meet the need of the panhandle when there are wildfires, tornadoes, floods. And we are very excited to be able to partner with the bank and those community members who want to contribute at any of the local branches," Stribling said. AAF said they will work with local agencies to provide for any need that is presented, including monetary support for clothing, first aid, food, water and any other need that may arise over time. "The local agencies will reach out to the foundation and say 'we have immediate clothing needs in Canadian or in Fritch' and we will respond by allocating money for that. There is no need too small, and there is no need too big at this point. We don't really know yet what all will be needed or is needed, because the fires just happened yesterday with some still ongoing, but we want to provide for those needs that are now arising," Stribling said. Amarillo National Bank announced a $1 million donation Wednesday afternoon toward wildfire relief efforts, as well as the bank collecting donations benefiting the Amarillo Area Foundation Panhandle Disaster Relief Fund, in the ANB tower main lobby. Amarillo Area Foundation (AAF) President and CEO Clay Stribling accepts Amarillo National Bank's $1 million donation benefiting the foundation's Panhandle Disaster Relief Fund, as announced Wednesday afternoon in the ANB tower main lobby. The bank is also working with the foundation to collect donations to go toward wildfire relief efforts. Ware said that they wanted to help collect any donations to prevent any individuals falling victim to a scam or fraudulent means of donation. By creating the partnership, ANB hopes to eliminate that risk while also providing and advocating for a means that those who wish to donate can trust. "The majority of these funds will be supporting the outreach organizations over time. We don't know the needs just yet, but we want to make sure we are prepared for the need. On top of that, we would like to help the first responders in any way, and that will be through these organizations as well. We want to make sure that everyone is covered," Ware said. Individuals who are a member of ANB can make a donation by transferring funds from their account to the relief fund, by phone or in person. Those who are not a member with the ANB can make a donation in person at any of their branches to benefit the Panhandle Disaster Relief Fund. Donations made at the Borger ANB location will benefit the Hutchinson County United Way relief efforts. More information and donations can be made on the official AAF page online at https://amarilloareafoundation.org . This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Amarillo National Bank gives money, collects donations for wildfire relief HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) Several community members have stepped up to help support first responders who are now on their third day of searching for a teenager missing from Hendersonville amid the rain and cold. Authorities began searching for 15-year-old Sebastian Wayne Drake Rogers on Monday, Feb. 26 after he was reported missing from the Beech area in Hendersonville. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) issued an Endangered Child Alert that same morning, but later upgraded the alert level to an AMBER Alert on Tuesday, Feb. 27 as the urgency of the search increased. Hundreds of people from multiple agencies have since been participating in the search, which has stretched several miles from where Sebastian was initially believed to have walked off. Authorities have also deployed drones, helicopter crews, K-9 teams and mounted units. PREVIOUS: Day 2 of search for missing Sumner County teen On Wednesday, Feb. 28, officials put out a call for as many mounted patrols as possible, with Hendersonville police and the Wilson County Sheriffs Office sending extra horses to help. However, as the search continued Wednesday in 40-degree temperatures, there was still no sign of Sebastian. Officials have received several tips amid calls for people in the area to check their surveillance cameras, but so far none have turned out to be credible. Sebastian Rogers (Courtesy: Tennessee Bureau of Investigation) In addition to the weather, authorities have been concerned by the fact that Sebastian is without his medication and may not be able to make it home on his own. While officials have not yet asked the public to join in the search, several have been helping out in their own way. Since Monday, members of Sumner County Fire Buffs a nonprofit organization that provides food and drinks to first responders on active scenes throughout Sumner, Robertson and Macon counties have been at the command center serving meals, snacks and beverages. To just be able to serve these people who are putting in hours and hours and hours of very strenuous work, theyre getting little sleep right now. I talked to one individual who said he maybe had two and a half hours [of] sleep in the last three days, said Brad Swope, marketing information officer for Sumner County Fire Buffs. UNSOLVED TENNESSEE: Find more of the states cold cases, missing persons, and other mysteries Several other community members and organizations have also coordinated donations of water, Gatorade, food, snacks and other supplies to help support those searching for Sebastian. The sense in the community is everybody just wants to find Sebastian, said Nicole Fedorchek, secretary and public information officer for Sumner County Fire Buffs. And thats what I think obviously the goal is in the common mission is this little boy, that most of us have never even met before and they just want to bring him home to his family. More donations of snacks and drinks will be needed as the search continues. Officials are asking anyone who wants to donate to drop items off at the Premier Event Centre at 90 Volunteer Drive in Hendersonville to avoid traffic around headquarters. Sebastian Rogers (Courtesy: Tennessee Bureau of Investigation) Other than donations, Chief Deputy Eric Craddock with the Sumner County Sheriffs Office, said the best way the public can help right now is to stay vigilant, check their surveillance cameras, and if you see something, say something. Check your home surveillance video. Just check. If you see something, call us. Well come out and look, he said. I think that thats going to be what breaks the case is somebodys home surveillance video seeing something. No further information was released on Wednesday. Sebastian Wayne Drake Rogers, 15, was reported missing on Monday, Feb. 26 from the Beech area in Hendersonville. Sebastian Rogers: Description Sebastian is 5 feet, 5 inches tall, 120 pounds with dirty blond hair. He was last seen on Monday, Feb. 26 near Stafford Court wearing a black sweatshirt and black sweatpants, said the TBI. AMBER Alert Issued The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) originally issued an Endangered Child Alert for Sebastian on the morning of Feb. 26 as multiple agencies took to the area to look for him. Based on additional investigative information developed during the search, the TBI issued an AMBER Alert for Sebastian on the afternoon of Feb. 27. An AMBER Alert is issued when there is reasonable belief by law enforcement that an abduction has occurred and the child is in imminent danger of serious bodily injury or death, per the DOJ. Multiple agencies including the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Tennessee Highway Patrol, Nashville Fire Department, City of Hendersonvilles first responders, Sumner County Sheriffs Office and Shackle Island Volunteer Fire have assisted in the search for Sebastian. Who to Contact If you have seen Sebastian or have info about his whereabouts, call the Sumner County Sheriffs Office at (615) 451-3838 or TBI at 1-800-TBI-FIND. Download the News 2 app to stay updated on the go. Sign up for WKRN email alerts to have breaking news sent to your inbox. Find todays top stories on WKRN.com for Nashville, TN and all of Middle Tennessee. This is a developing story. WKRN News 2 will continue to update this article as new information becomes available. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2. American Airlines passengers were left stuck in Boston after their flight was forced to land by a crack in the windshield (AP) American Airlines passengers were left stuck in Boston after their flight was forced to land just 250 miles into its journey after a crack was discovered in the windshield. The flight, which was on its way to Spain, was 250 miles from the coast of Massachusetts over the Atlantic Ocean when it was forced to divert. Massachusetts State Police said flight 94, a Boeing 777, was less than two hours into the journey after taking off from New York Citys JFK Airport at 7:28pm, when an Alert 2 emergency was declared due to a crack in the windshield in the cockpit. An Alert 2 is declared when the flight is experiencing major difficulties or when a difficult or crash landing may be expected, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The flight landed safely at 10:14pm at Logan International Airport, according to the airline, who said in a statement that the diversion was down to a maintenance issue. The aircraft was taken for an inspection by American Airlines crew. No one was hurt in the incident. The airline said passengers will be taken to Madrid on a replacement jet on Thursday afternoon. The carrier said in a statement: The flight landed safely and the aircraft was taken out of service to be inspected by our maintenance team. Customers will re-depart for [Madrid] tomorrow on a replacement aircraft. We never want to disrupt our customers travel plans and apologize for the inconvenience this has caused. In a separate statement on X, the airline said: Safety is always at the top of our list! Delays are never an easy decision but sometimes are needed to ensure the safety of everyone on board. Following the emergency landing, passengers were told they would be put up in hotel rooms overnight and receive food vouchers, according to airline reps. Some passengers were left frustrated, however. How does a multi-millionaire company with so many resources not foresee this, passenger Nico Moreno told WBZ after getting off the flight. The type of solution they give you is very minimal in terms of, you dont make up for the money I lose when I miss my job. You dont make up the time I lose for everything I have at home, all the situations, no? Boeing has been under scrutiny since a door panel on a different kind of aircraft, a 737 Max 9, blew off during an Alaska Airlines flight in January. Several passengers on board were injured in the incident, which grounded all Boeing 737 Max 9s and prompted investigations by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board, into the aircraft manufacturer and Spirit AeroSystems, which made the doorplug. Reports released since have suggested the plane did not have the critical bolts it needed to keep the doorplug in place when it left the factory. Following the incident, Alaska Airlines and United Airlines, which operate 79 of the planes, said they, too, found loose bolts on some of their aircrafts. Earlier this month, the head of the FAA pledged to use more people to monitor aircraft manufacturing and hold Boeing accountable for any safety rule violations. This week the FAA said it is giving Boeing 90 days to come up with a plan to fix quality problems and meet safety standards. Boeing must commit to real and profound improvements, said FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker. Making foundational change will require a sustained effort from Boeings leadership, and we are going to hold them accountable every step of the way. Boeing CEO David Calhoun has said that the company will develop the comprehensive action plan with measurable criteria that demonstrates the profound change that Administrator Whitaker and the FAA demand. Americans are split along party lines on whether they support additional funding for Ukraine, as Congress remains in a standstill over the issue, according to a poll released Thursday. The survey, published by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, found that overall, 37 percent of Americans believe the U.S. is spending too much money on aid to Ukraine. Roughly 33 percent said the amount of aid was about right, and 27 percent said it was too little. As Republican lawmakers continue to push back on approving more aid to Ukraine, arguing that U.S. border security must come first, the partisan divide has seemingly become wider. Fifty-five percent of Republicans said the U.S. was sending too much aid to Ukraine in its war against Russia, which recently surpassed the two-year mark. Just under 30 percent of Republicans said the aid is about right, and 14 percent said it was too little. Democrats were more likely to support continued aid, with 44 percent saying the U.S. has sent too little. Roughly 38 percent said It was about right, and 17 percent said It was too much, per the survey. The poll also found that Democrats were more likely to see it as a priority for the U.S. to help stop Russia from gaining more territory in Ukraine and to help regain what has already been lost. Fifty-eight percent of Democrats said it was extremely or very important for the U.S. to provide military aid to Ukraine in its fight against Russia, while just 24 percent of Republicans said the same. Thirty-six percent of Republicans said it was not too important or not important at all that the U.S. provide assistance. The top four congressional leaders met with President Biden on Tuesday to discuss Ukraine aid. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) each characterized the meeting as intense. Schumer and the White House have been urging Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to allow the Ukraine aid bill passed in a predawn vote in the Senate earlier this month to receive a vote on the House floor. Johnson has pushed back on the package because it does not include border security provisions. A bipartisan Senate border security deal, which included aid for Ukraine and Israel, was blocked by Senate Republicans and ultimately collapsed in early February, after Johnson said it was dead on arrival in the House. Now, lawmakers and the White House are scrambling to figure out how to send more aid to Ukraine. The AP-NORC poll was conducted Feb. 13-18 among 1,161 adults and has a margin of error of 3.8 percentage points. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Jonathan Howe was surprised when a Wisconsin woman booked his artsy AirBnB above his recording studio downtown about six months in advance for a Sunday and a Monday in April. "I never get Sunday and Monday bookings," he said. Then Howe learned what had drawn his guest, Rebecca Upham and her two young adult sons, to Indianapolis: The hope of seeing a total eclipse of the sun on Monday, April 8. Upham is one of tens of thousands or more expected to come to the city for the natural phenomenon, doubling flight and hotel costs for that weekend compared to the following weekend, with no major event planned or expected. The city's tourism team is marketing the day as a "once-in-a-lifetime" chance to see the moon completely cover the sun in Indianapolis. The last time a total solar eclipse passed over Indianapolis was the year 1205. The next total eclipse visible in the continental United States won't come until 2044. While some expect that the city will have the packed feel of a major sporting event during the days around the eclipse, others are taking a wait-and-see-approach on the impact the weather-dependent event will have on tourism. Still, the mere hope of sunny skies has already filled some hotels. A total solar eclipse will roll over Indiana on April 8, 2024. Indiana DNR has more than 50 properties open to the public where visitors can camp and watch the eclipse. Phil Ray, the general manager at the JW Marriott, said the 33-floor hotel is sold out for Monday night and almost all booked for Sunday night. And hotels that have not yet sold out are pricing their rooms optimistically. Prices for hotels across Indianapolis for April 7th and 8th range from $200 to more than $500 on Expedia. The rates for the following Sunday and Monday go from more than $100 to more than $200. Jim Dora, who owns the Crowne Plaza hotels, said he expects more people will fill up hotels closer to April 8, when the weather conditions will be more apparent. Visit Indy, the city's tourism nonprofit, has planned a weekend of events leading up to the main event. On Monday visitors can watch the eclipse at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with NASA experts and astronomers hosting and answering questions. Visitors can also view the eclipse and enjoy special programming at the Children's Museum, Newfields, Indiana State Fairgrounds, and White River State Park, among other places. Purdue astronomer Danny Milisavljevic recommends that people watch the eclipse with others and not by themselves. The more people, the more interesting the experience, he says. "The energy of being around a lot of people is so impactful," he said. "This is the closest you can get to a cosmic experience on Earth, with the alignment between the sun, moon and Earth." Milisavljevic, who is a host at the Speedway event, said he was moved when he witnessed a complete solar eclipse a few years ago, where everything went dark but it's neither night nor twilight. "It completely blew me away," he said. "...It's unlike anything. It should be on anybody's bucket list." The natural phenomenon is not only an opportunity for people to learn more about astronomy, but also for scientists to study the wild patterns of the outer layer of the sun. "Normally you have the blaring sun, it's hard to see," he said. Observations of the solar eclipse more than 100 years ago confirmed Albert Einstein's theory that light bends in the presence of a massive object, a fact that's foundational to physics. Upham has also seen an eclipse and is willing to risk a potentially cloudy day to see it again. She figured that if the weather doesn't work out, she can turn the weekend into a trip to see Indianapolis. "It gets kind of windy and quiet," she said. "All the critters think it's night time, it's kind of eerie." Binghui Huang can be reached at 317-385-1595 or Bhuang@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Total solar eclipse expected to bring tourism dollars to Indianapolis FILE - The North Dakota Capitol tower rises in the background behind a stone sign, April 19, 2012, in Bismarck, N.D. North Dakota will hold Republican presidential caucuses on Monday, March 4, 2024, the last chance for former President Donald Trumps rivals for the GOP nomination to slow his momentum heading into Super Tuesday on March 5, the biggest day of the primary campaign. (AP Photo/Dale Wetzel, File) WASHINGTON (AP) North Dakota will hold its Republican presidential caucuses on Monday, the last chance for Donald Trumps rivals for the GOP nomination to slow his momentum heading into Super Tuesday, the biggest day of the primary campaign, when 15 states hold contests. Trumps main opponent in North Dakota once again will be Nikki Haley, who has yet to score a victory in her bid to take on Democratic President Joe Biden in the November general election. Trump has won every primary and caucus this year in which he appeared on the ballot, and the former president has the backing of the states political establishment. North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum ended his own White House campaign in December and endorsed Trump the day before the Iowa caucuses in January. North Dakota's caucuses function more like a party-run primary than the old Iowa-style of caucuses where voters move around the room to form groups. In North Dakota, people may show up at any time during caucus hours, cast a secret ballot and leave once they have voted. North Dakota had held state-run presidential primaries as far back as 1912, when U.S. Sen. Robert La Follette of Wisconsin defeated former President Theodore Roosevelt and President William Howard Taft. But the state hasnt had a traditional presidential primary since the 1996 campaign. After that election, the legislature eliminated the presidential primary, and both parties have held party-run presidential caucuses ever since. A look at what to expect on election night: CAUCUS DAY The caucuses will be open from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. EST, which is 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. CST and 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. MST. Most of the state is in the Central time zone, while eight counties are in the Mountain time zone. Three counties are in both. WHATS ON THE BALLOT The candidates on the ballot are Trump, Haley and Florida businessman David Stuckenberg. Texas businessman and pastor Ryan Binkley also qualified for the ballot, but he ended his campaign this past Tuesday, and the state partys practice thus far has been to remove candidates from the ballot once they drop out. WHO GETS TO VOTE Caucus participants must be members of the North Dakota Republican Party, which requires a dues payment of at least $50, or they must sign a statement indicating an intent to affiliate with the party. DELEGATE ALLOCATION RULES All 29 of North Dakotas Republican delegates will be awarded to the candidate who receives 60% or more of the statewide caucus vote. If no candidate receives 60% of the vote, the delegates are awarded to candidates proportionally according to the statewide vote. Candidates must receive at least 20% of the vote to qualify for any delegates. DECISION NOTES North Dakotas vote history and political demographics make it likely that Trump will extend his string of victories heading into Super Tuesday, which is the next day. In previous contests this year, Haley has performed best among voters who live in areas that vote for Democrats in general elections. In North Dakota, those pickings are slim. Biden carried only two small counties in the 2020 general election. Her best chance is to win big in vote-rich Cass County, home of Fargo, the most populous city in the state. Trump narrowly carried Cass with just shy of 50% of the vote, compared with almost 47% for Biden. There are 12 voting centers in the state, including in the population centers of Fargo, Bismarck, Grand Forks and Minot. Dickinson has the only voting center in the portion of the state in the Mountain time zone. Voters are not assigned to a specific location and may cast their ballots at any location they choose. The Associated Press does not make projections and will declare a winner only when its determined there is no scenario that would allow the trailing candidates to close the gap. If a race has not been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why. WHAT DO TURNOUT AND ADVANCE VOTE LOOK LIKE The state party says it has prepared 30,000 ballots for the caucuses. North Dakota Republicans last held contested presidential caucuses in 2012, when about 11,300 ballots were cast. The 2008 caucuses had just shy of 9,600 votes cast. In 2016, the party held direct election of delegates at the state convention; no presidential preference vote was held. Early and absentee voting is not permitted at the caucuses. HOW LONG DOES VOTE-COUNTING USUALLY TAKE? The state party has requested the 12 caucus sites to transmit their results by 9:30 p.m. EST and no later than 10:30 p.m. EST. The AP expects the first votes by about 9:15 p.m. EST and a final update is possible shortly after 10:30 p.m. EST. ARE WE THERE YET? As of Monday, there will be 133 days until the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, 246 days until the November general election. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) The Albuquerque Police Department arrested three men after a chase throughout Albuquerque. APD says detectives spotted a stolen white Chrysler near Gibson Blvd. and I-25 around 11:30 Thursday morning. They say they followed it to the area of Delemar Ave. and 2nd St. where a group of passengers was dropped off to a Ford F-250 with a stolen license plate. Judge delays sentencing of Albuquerque man who led police on car chase Detectives followed the truck which APD says was stolen out of Corrales. They say the driver, 28-year-old Gildardo Peralez, stopped multiple times and burglarized vehicles. Eventually, detectives tried to stop the vehicle at Wyoming Blvd. and Constitution Ave. NE. They say the truck hit the detectives vehicle and was later disabled by officers and abandoned near Broadway Blvd. and Southern Ave. Two of the suspects were arrested shortly after while a third tried to hide inside a market prompting a SWAT call out. Randy Lopez-Garcia, Gildardo Peralez, and Andres Loya are facing multiple charges related to the chase and stolen vehicles. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. AUSTIN (KXAN) A woman who was accused of stabbing a man at a hotel in northwest Austin last week was arrested, the Austin Police Department said in a news release Wednesday. Police also identified the victim as Robert StJohn, 54. Around 5:04 p.m., officers responded to a check welfare call at the InTown Suites, located at 12989 U.S. Highway 183. A man was reported as unresponsive in a hotel room. When officers arrived at the room, they found the man, later identified as StJohn, with a stab wound, according to police. Police conducting homicide investigation in northwest Austin StJohn was pronounced dead at the scene at 5:17 p.m., according to APD. After talking with witnesses and looking at surveillance footage, investigators found that StJohn associated with a woman named Indira Zink, 25. She was later identified as the person who stabbed StJohn, police said. After a warrant was issued for Zinks arrest, the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force assisted police in finding and arresting her, the release said. Zink is being charged with first-degree felony murder, according to police. MAP: Where have Austins homicides occurred in 2024? Anyone with any information should contact the Austin Police Department at (512) 974-TIPS. You may submit your tip anonymously through the Capital Area Crime Stoppers Program by visiting austincrimestoppers.org or by calling (512) 472-8477. This is now being investigated as Austins ninth homicide of 2024, according to police. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) Albuquerque Public School parents and the general public had another chance to offer their thoughts on next years budget. Experts provided an in-depth look at the school districts budget, and public feedback will help finalize the spending plan when it is submitted to the states Public Education Department in May. APS awarded national environmental program grant The forum comes a week after the school board signed off on next years calendar, which gives students a longer summer break and shorter school days but two more instructional days. Really the goal of this is to involve community members who may not know what the process looks like, in order to create a budget as large as APS, said APS School Board Member Janelle Astorga. She says if you missed Wednesdays public forum, you can still log in to the APS website and provide feedback. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. SASABE, Ariz. Helen Ramajo, 11 years old, reached the U.S.-Mexico border before the American presidents did. As President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump prepared for the political stagecraft of dueling visits to two Texas border towns, Helen slipped through a gap in the wall in southern Arizona on Tuesday morning, her fuzzy bear-eared hoodie pulled up against the chill. A dream! she said. She, her father and older sister left Guatemala a month ago, and they now trudged toward a makeshift camp with other tired, dehydrated migrants to wait beside the wall to surrender to U.S. immigration authorities. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Illegal crossings across the Southern border have plummeted in the last month, but even a slow day means dozens of migrants arriving every few hours, a ritual that has come to define life in border towns and nearby cities. Migrant aid workers say they often see around 200 people a day crossing in this area of the border outside the tiny town of Sasabe, southwest of Tucson. A visit from two presidential candidates seeking to persuade voters they can tackle the border crisis may check an election-year box. But in this corner of southern Arizona, which now has the most undocumented crossings of any stretch of the entire Southern border, ranchers, aid workers and other residents who live and breathe the border crisis said the problem had become too intractable and complicated for any politician to tackle. I have no faith that it will ever be solved, said Lori Lindsay, a cattle rancher whose Tres Bellotas ranch runs along a slice of the border wall. The surge in illegal crossings has become a threat to Bidens reelection hopes and a political attack line for Trump. There were 2.4 million migrant apprehensions along the Southern border in the last fiscal year, the third record-breaking year in a row. As dozens of migrants threaded their way along the border wall on Tuesday, several said they had not been deterred by renewed construction to fill in gaps along the 30-foot-tall border wall, or by the threat of tough new enforcement measures from Washington. The camp on the Arizona side where Helen and her family waited has sprouted up on one corner of Lindsays ranch, built with tents and tarps supplied by local aid groups. Lindsay said that she worried about the campfires that migrants light to stay warm, but that she had never felt threatened by any of the arriving migrants as they changed their shoes and clothes, cooked bowls of ramen and waited to be picked up by Border Patrol. Lindsay said that the reality of the humanitarian emergency unfolding outside her gates had been distorted by politicians who painted the border as a Mad Max war zone beset by cartels and drug smugglers. The further away from the border they are, the more in crisis they believe we are, she said. Weve never one time had a gang member or cartel show up at our house, and were right here. Lindsay, who typically votes for Democrats, said she opposed the wall and did not blame Biden for the record numbers of undocumented migrants. But she said she had grown so disenchanted with Democrats on other issues that she would not vote for Biden in November. Along the border, peoples responses to the swell of migrants often buck party identity. Deeply conservative ranchers leave out water for people crossing illegally through the desert. Contractors building new sections of the border wall share their lunches with migrants. Left-leaning volunteers who dedicate themselves to helping migrants criticize Biden after he threatened to shut down asylum and toughened his rhetoric on border enforcement. Hes Trump without the noise, said Paul Nixon, a volunteer with Green Valley Samaritans. Maybe it wasnt realistic for us to have high hopes for the Biden administration. But for anyone who identifies as a humanitarian, its a disappointment. On Tuesday morning, Nixon and his wife made a two-hour trek over bumpy dirt roads to hand out water, apples and hard-boiled eggs to the migrants arriving outside Sasabe. They groaned with disappointment when they reached the migrants temporary camp. There were shredded tarps, diapers and toilet paper scattered among the mesquite trees, empty food containers lying in the dirt and ditches dug into makeshift toilets. This is a catastrophe, its not sustainable, Nixon said. It makes me wonder why the federal government refuses to acknowledge this. As they gave out water, a truck rolled up carrying a Fox News crew and Art Del Cueto, vice president of the National Border Patrol Council and a leading critic of the Biden administrations immigration policies. Del Cueto said that Bidens planned trip to Brownsville, Texas, on Thursday was too little, too late. Its political reasoning, he said. The elections are coming up. Now, the administration wants to do something. They should have been focusing on whats happening from the start. Many Democrats and Republicans along the border said that they felt misunderstood and ignored by leaders in Washington. They brushed off Bidens and Trumps border pilgrimages as political theater a pinhole glimpse into a global migration crisis fueled by poverty, war and climate disasters. They dont know a damn thing about the border, said Jaye Wells, the managing partner of the Rancho de la Osa dude ranch, outside Sasabe, where many guests have canceled their reservations out of worries about violence. Wells, who describes himself as a George Will Republican, said that he disagreed with Trumps rhetoric about migrant violence, but in the eight years since buying the ranch, he said he had gradually come around to supporting a border wall. Still, he said, he would never vote for Trump. Richelle Valenzuela, who lives in a tiny rural community about 15 miles north of the border, said that more migrants were crossing her property and knocking on her door asking to charge their phones since Biden took office. She blamed the change on Bidens efforts to undo some Trump-era immigration policies. Valenzuela, who voted for Trump in 2020, said she likely would again. She said she felt less safe now that a nearby Border Patrol checkpoint sits unmanned and more agents are sent to process arriving migrants. I love the area, but its totally changed, she said. Its a free-for-all. The frustration reaches beyond the border to Tucson, about 70 miles north of the border. Local governments and migrant-aid workers said they were about to run out of federal money to shelter and transport migrants once they are released by immigration processing centers. Officials in Pima County say they spend $1 million a week to bus migrants from small rural towns to a central shelter in Tucson, where they receive food, shelter, medical care and help connecting with family. Some also get help buying tickets to reach their final destinations in New York, Chicago, Denver and other major cities that have been strained by the recent migrant surge. County officials say the federal money will run out next month. They said they would likely have gotten more funds under a bipartisan immigration bill that Biden supported but Republicans killed. Now, local officials said they were expecting more migrants but no more assistance. Theyre going to be released onto the streets, said Diego Pina Lopez, the director of Casa Alitas, the main migrant shelter in Tucson, which receives about 900 to 1,200 migrants each day. Its not going to be a trickle. You broke the faucet completely off. c.2024 The New York Times Company EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. A man from Arkansas has been sentenced to 30 years in prison after being caught with 40 pounds of meth in the metro east, according to a release. Officers stopped Christopher Palmer, 40, on the Illinois State Route 143 exit ramp from Interstate 70 in May 2022. Palmer, who was driving a rental car, was asked to step out of the vehicle. Once he did, he attempted to get back in the car and move the gearshift to flee the scene. Palmer was then detained, and a canine indicated the presence of drugs, giving the police a probable cause search warrant. Police then located a duffel bag in the trunk of the rental vehicle, containing 40 bags of crystal meth. Each bag weighed around one pound. The scourge of illicit drugs entering our communities, to include methamphetamine, is alarming and tragic, Assistant Special Agent in Charge Joseph Dixon, head of DEA enforcement operations in southern Illinois, said in a release. This individuals reckless actions and reliance on weapons to support his drug activities was equally damaging to our citizens. This violence deprived communities of a fundamental sense of security in their own homes and neighborhoods. DEA is committed to ensuring the most violent drug offenders are removed from our streets. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News In the center console, officers also discovered a Glock 43 semi-automatic pistol. Palmer, who is a prior convicted felon, cannot legally possess a firearm. Palmer pleaded guilty in June 2023 to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute meth, one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and one count of felon in possession of a firearm. He was sentenced to 300 months for the first count, with a 60-month mandatory consecutive sentence for the second count and a 120-month sentence to run concurrent with the first count. As a repeat criminal offender, the defendant chose to transport drugs in bulk for distribution and unlawfully possess a firearm, knowing the consequences, U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe said in a release. I appreciate our partnership with the DEA to apprehend offenders guilty of violent and drug-related crimes. As Palmer qualified as a career offender for prior drug trafficking convictions, he may be eligible for longer terms of imprisonment. Following his sentence, Palmer will additionally be under five years of supervised release. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2. SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/ KUSI) An armed suspected reportedly held up a popular drugstore chain in Normal Heights Thursday, authorities confirmed. According to the San Diego Police Department, a suspect entered the Rite Aid at 3650 Adams Ave. around 2:20 a.m. The individual allegedly pulled out a black gun and demanded cash from a store clerk, who complied with the command, police said. The suspected allegedly reached into a register and took an unknown amount of money. According to SDPD, the suspect then fled the scene in a white Toyota sedan. The individual was described as a Hispanic man in his mid 20s, who stands around 5 feet, 10 inches tall and weighs about 170 pounds. He was last seen wearing a black ski mask, black hooded sweatshirt, black pants, and black gloves. No one was injured during the robbery, and the suspect remains on the loose. An investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information related to this incident is encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News. A Baltimore County judge on Wednesday ordered prosecutors in the trial of a man accused of shooting two police officers last year to show why they had wrongly insisted for months that a specific police report did not exist. The five-page order from Circuit Court Judge Dennis M. Robinson Jr. came after a heated months-long battle between prosecutors and public defenders representing David Linthicum, 25, over the process of exchanging evidence before his May trial. Linthicum faces charges of attempted murder, assault, carjacking and firearms offenses after a Feb. 8 call for a suicidal person in Cockeysville turned into a two-day search across two counties. Police have said Linthicum shot Baltimore County Police Detective Jonathan Chih and Officer Barry Jordan and stole a police vehicle, over the course of those two days, which ended in an eight-hour standoff in Harford County. In Wednesdays order, Robinson admonished Deputy States Attorney John Cox and Assistant States Attorney Zarena Sita for maintaining evidence requested by Linthicums attorneys did not exist or was impossible to produce, then later handing it over. Last summer, Cox argued unsuccessfully that Deborah Katz Levi, director of special litigation for the Maryland Office of Public Defender, should be removed from the case because Warren Alperstein, her husbands brother and law partner, was representing Chih in a workers compensation case. District Public Defender for Baltimore County James Dills also is defending Linthicum. At issue this time is a use of force report related to the case that Levi and Dills requested. Given the States adamant and repeated assertions over a period of several months that there was no use of force report followed by the production of a document specifically titled Baltimore County Police Department Use of Force Report more than four months after it was prepared, the Court has concerns regarding the discovery process in this case, Robinson wrote. Indeed, this not the first time in this case that the States adamant and repeated assertions regarding the existence of information turned out to be incorrect. The judge cited other examples. Robinson wrote that after prosecutors claimed for months that there was no such thing as an audit trail associated with body-camera footage for the case, an employee of the States Attorneys Office testified in November that there was in fact a way to produce one within the online portal for reviewing the footage. It was not clear how the State was seemingly unaware of the ability of evidence.com to produce these reports with what seems to be a click of a button, wrote Robinson, adding that the state had not taken sufficient steps to determine how the portal worked. He also said that there were issues of semantics related to a Major Incident Critique that the state ultimately turned over after Levi and Dills had asked for a Critical Incident Review. Linthicums attorneys asked Robinson in a motion filed earlier this month to sanction the States Attorneys Office and compel the state to turn over its communications with Baltimore County Police regarding the use of force report. Robinson wrote that he would reserve a ruling on sanctions, but ordered prosecutors to turn over any and all communications that formed the basis for the States repeated assertions that a use of force report did not exist, as Linthicums attorneys had asked. It is not apparent what led to the belated production of a Baltimore County Police Department Use of Force Report after the State claimed multiple times that it did not exist, but Linthicum is entitled to additional information to determine what effect, if any, the incorrect assertions and belated production have on his defense, Robinson wrote. Levi and Baltimore County States Attorney Scott Shellenberger both declined to comment Wednesday. Jason Ondrus will be the new superintendent for the Barberton City School District. The Barberton City School District looked inward to find a new superintendent to replace Jeffrey Ramnytz, who is retiring. Wednesday night, the board of education selected Jason Ondrus, who is currently assistant superintendent for business operations and personnel for the district, to take the reins Aug. 1. The district announced the unanimous board decision on its website and social media pages Wednesday night. Board of Education President Tom Harnden said Wednesday after the vote that the consultant hired to help the board with the search said they had "never seen such overwhelming support" for a candidate before. That support for Ondrus to take the helm came from staff, unions and the wider community, Harnden said. "We're extremely happy to have him coming on board as our next superintendent," Harnden said. In the prepared announcement, Ondrus said he has high goals for the district, its students and employees. I am honored and humbled by this opportunity to share and implement my vision for a high performing school district in my hometown, Ondrus said in a prepared statement. More: Barberton superintendent to retire; school board starts search for replacement Board president calls Ondrus 'ideal candidate' The board accepted Ramnytz's resignation at its Jan. 24 meeting and immediately began its search for a new leader. Ramnytz said in a statement Jan. 31 that the district had several administrators capable of becoming a superintendent for Barberton or other districts. Ondrus has a long history of accomplishments in the district, Harnden said in the Wednesday announcement, calling him the ideal candidate. Ondrus has served in various leadership roles, including his current position. He has also been an elementary school principal; a middle school faculty manager, assistant principal and principal; and a teacher. Mr. Ondrus is a community and education leader who the staff wants to work for, as evidenced by their vocal support for his candidacy during our search, Harnden said in the prepared announcement. He is highly qualified not just because of his accomplishments as an educator and administrator, but as a leader of people." Ready to craft new strategic plan The district said Ondrus has outlined a preliminary plan for the forthcoming years, prioritizing several key initiatives. These include a focus on early education and efforts to help students identify career pathways aligned with their abilities and interests. The new superintendent plans to collaborate with the community in crafting a new strategic plan in 2025. The plan will set educational objectives for both the district and the community, with a goal of achieving them by 2030. The district said Ondrus is also a believer in the value extra-curricular activities play for teaching students about life and teamwork. Ondrus completed his superintendent licensure from The University of Akron in 2011 and obtained a superintendent license from the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce in 2020. He is a lifetime resident of Barberton. Leave a message for Alan Ashworth at 330-996-3859 or email him at aashworth@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @newsalanbeaconj. This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Jason Ondrus to be new Barberton superintendent; succeeds Ramnytz A graphic from the Feb. 29, 1988, publication of the Wilmington Morning Star. In 2024, we celebrate a leap year - something that occurs just once every four years. Instead of the typical 365 days in a year, a leap year affords us one more day, which comes on Feb. 29. Here are some local stories published by the StarNews on this unique day through the (every four) years. 1976 A story from the Morning Star on Feb. 29, 1976, commemorates the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Moores Creek Bridge. The Sunday StarNews from Feb. 29, 1976, commemorated the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Moores Creek Bridge, which was observed a day earlier. "The celebration was one of the four official Bicentennial observances in North Carolina and one of the top 20 in the nation," according to the story. 1980 On leap day in 1980, the Wilmington Morning Star reported that state officials were hopeful that construction of two influential road projects would begin construction within the year: the Interstate 40 extension and the new Cape Fear River Bridge. A story published in the Wilmington Morning Star on Feb. 29, 1980, refers to the beginning of roadwork expected on the Interstate 40 extension. "The I-40 extension can be under construction by August or September," John Meyer wrote, quoting N.C. Board of Transportation member Garland Garrett Jr. The I-40 extension officially completed construction and opened to the public 10 years and four months later on June 29, 1990. More: With 'incalculable' impacts, 5 roadway projects that drastically changed Wilmington 1984 An article published on Feb. 29, 1984, predicts a big turn out for a Wilmington City Council hearing discussing the city's blue law, which forbid most stores from opening on Sundays. On Feb. 29, 1984, the Morning Star published an article forecasting a substantial attendance at a Wilmington City Council meeting concerning the city's blue laws later that evening. "Wilmington's blue law, which dates at least to 1922, forbids most stores to open on Sunday," Laura A. Mercer wrote. "The hearing is to determine whether people want the law repealed, kept, or altered." An article published in the Morning Star the following day highlighted that a crowd of 300 attended the leap-day hearing. Ultimately, Wilmington City Council rejected the proposal, which would've allowed stores to open at 1 p.m. on Sundays and prevent the restriction of sale of certain items. 1988 An article published in the Morning Star on Feb. 29, 1988, discusses the revival of plans for the Lower Cape Fear Water and Sewer Authority to sell untreated river water to Cape Industries, a manufacturing company. An article from Feb. 29, 1988, discusses plans for the Lower Cape Fear Water and Sewer Authority to sell approximately two million gallons of untreated river water a day to Cape Industries, a company manufacturing a chemical used in polyester production. 1992 An article from the Moring Star on Feb. 29, 1992, discusses the closure of Flemington-Oak Grove Cemetery. Foreshadowing the closure of the Flemington-Oak Grove Cemetery in Wilmington for burials, this leap-day article provides details about the county-owned burial ground located on U.S. 421. Graves from Oak Grove Cemetery were moved to Flemington Cemetery in 1961 to make way for street construction, Bettie Fennell wrote. The cemetery was also the burial site for "paupers," or those who could not afford another gravesite. Gravestones in the Flemington-Oak Grove Cemetery, where paupers previously were buried. The cemetery, closed to burials in 1992, is where remains from the former Oak Grove Cemetery in Wilmington allegedly were relocated to in the 1960s. Some say only the markers were moved. KEN BLEVINS/STARNEWS Flemington-Oak Grove Cemetery ultimately did close for burials in 1992. The New Hanover County Board of Commissioners later voted to protect the burial grounds in 2018, preserving the land and its markers for a minimum of 20 years. More: Abandoned cemetery and its replacement hold long lost secrets 2000 A swing bridge sat atop a barge in the Intracoastal Waterway at Wrightsville Beach in 2000. The bridge was in transit to North Myrtle Beach. This leap day edition of the Morning Star unveiled a peculiar event. A photo from Monday, Feb. 28, 2000, captures a swing bridge traveling on a barge alongside Wrightsville Beach in the Intracoastal Waterway. The bridge was headed to North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. "It looked like a bridge to nowhere," Gareth McGrath, current StarNews staff writer, wrote. The swing bridge passed through the Wrightsville Beach drawbridge on its transport journey the morning of Tuesday, Feb. 29, 2000. 2004 This Morning Star story from Feb. 29, 2004, mentions the gathering of Native Americans for a third annual powwow at the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW). This article published on Feb. 29, 2004, highlights the vibrant celebration of Native American culture held at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. The event was the third annual powwow hosted by the Native American Student Organization at the university, drawing a crowd of more than 200 attendees. The powwow was hosted to "educate the public on (Native American) culture" and included "drum calls, dancing, chanting, singing, storytelling and jewelry sales," Millard K. Ives wrote. This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Wilmington StarNews leap day archives: Stories from Feb. 29 A beauty manufacturing company fired a worker on her first day after finding out she was deaf, a federal agency says A company in Illinois fired a worker after it learned that she was deaf, the EEOC alleged. The worker lost her job on her very first day, the EEOC said in a disability-discrimination lawsuit. The company has agreed to pay the worker $75,000 in back pay and compensatory damages. A beauty manufacturing company in Illinois fired a worker on her first day on the job after finding out that she was deaf, according to a disability discrimination lawsuit filed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The lawsuit says that the woman was placed by a staffing agency as a production worker at the Countryside, Illinois site of Voyant Beauty, a maker of skincare, hair, and bath products. On the worker's first day, "Voyant learned that she was deaf and informed her that because she is deaf, Voyant was ending her employment there," the EEOC's lawsuit alleges. The EEOC said in a press release on Tuesday that the worker was qualified for the job and could have performed its essential functions. The EEOC alleged in the lawsuit, filed in September in the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, that by firing the worker, Voyant violated the Americans with Disabilities Act, which requires employers to make reasonable accommodations for disabilities. Voyant denied the allegations. Under a consent decree, signed by the parties and US District Judge Jeremy Daniel on Tuesday, Voyant agreed to pay the former worker $75,000, made up of $30,000 in back pay and $45,000 in compensatory damages. Voyant also agreed to provide annual training to all supervisory staff on disability discrimination. "While the company denies any wrongdoing, the settlement reinforces our dedication to a people-first culture that protects and values all employees and applicants," Voyant told Business Insider in a statement. "We are dedicated to creating a workplace where everyone feels welcome and valued, regardless of their background or abilities." "Relying on unfounded stereotypes about an individual's disability in making employment decisions is illegal," Gregory Gochanour, regional attorney for the EEOC's Chicago District Office, said in a statement. "A decision not to hire someone with a disability based on a safety concern must be based on an individualized assessment of the person's actual ability to safely perform the essential functions of the job, potentially with accommodations," he continued. Read the original article on Business Insider FALL RIVER A 53-year-old man who raped or sexually molested five children under the age of 16 in New Bedford and Fairhaven was sentenced this week to serve 15 to 20 years in state prison, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced. Andres Escribano Sanchez pleaded guilty in Fall River Superior Court to indictments charging him with two counts of rape of a child, use of force; two counts of rape of a child, aggravated by age difference; seven counts of indecent assault and battery on a person under the age of 14, three counts of attempted indecent assault and battery on a person under the age of 14, one count of indecent assault and battery on a person over the age of 14 and one count of assault with intent to rape. A 53-year-old man who raped or sexually molested five children under the age of 16 in New Bedford and Fairhaven was sentenced this week to serve 15 to 20 years in state prison, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III announced. Defense had requested 10-year sentence During a sentencing hearing before Judge Raffi Yessayan, Assistant District Attorney Casey Smith argued that due to the egregious and continuous nature of the sexual assaults on children, the defendant should serve 25 to 30 years in prison and an additional five years of probation. The defendant, however, requested a 10-year prison term. Judge Yessayan eventually sentenced the defendant to serve 15 to 20 years in state prison, to be followed by 10 years of probation. There are five juvenile victims in this case, all of whom were known by the defendant. The sexual assaults occurred between April of 2017 and April of 2020. Defendant a 'predator' with 'demented mind' At the time of his arrest, the defendant was residing in Puerto Rico. In the press release, Quinn said the defendant is "a predator and has a demented mind. He needs to be kept off the street and away from young children for the rest of his life. This article originally appeared on Standard-Times: New Bedford man sentenced for rape, molestation of 5 minors A faction of Belarusian dissidents has unveiled their strategy to overthrow the authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko, signaling that they will strike "when the moment is right," Alexander Azarov, Belarusian defector, and forces ex-officer, said in interview to Belgium's VRT. Read also: Lukashenko to be tried in The Hague for same crimes as Putin, says Ukrainian ex-envoy to Belarus We've crafted a strategy and are poised to act when the time comes," said Azarov, who now spearheads the dissident group BYPOL. Ukraine's battle against Russian leader Vladimir Putin is a pivotal factor in weakening Lukashenko's grip on power in Belarus, he believes. "The linchpin to Lukashenko's downfall is Putin's defeat in Ukraine, stated Azarov. A victorious Ukrainian counteroffensive would stretch Putin too thin, leaving him unable to sustain Lukashenko." The group has been actively undermining Russian efforts to support Kyiv in the ongoing conflict. Their operations have targeted Russian military assets, including aircraft and railway lines, and have involved training Belarusian volunteers fighting in support of Ukrainian forces. Read also: Lukashenko says he will participate in the upcoming Presidential "election" in Belarus After witnessing the falsifications in Belarus's 2020 presidential elections and the brutal suppression of the protests that followed, Azarov, a former Belarusian intelligence officer, resigned from his position. 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 FILE - Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko speaks during a meeting of the Union State Supreme Council with Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg, Russia, Monday, Jan. 29, 2024. A bill in Belarus that would outlaw the promotion of homosexuality and other behavior is set to land on lawmakers' desks amid an unwavering crackdown on dissent initiated by authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko in 2020. (Pavel Bednyakov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, File) TALLINN, Estonia (AP) A bill in Belarus that would outlaw the promotion of homosexuality and other behavior is set to land on lawmakers' desks amid an unwavering crackdown on dissent initiated by authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko in 2020. Prosecutor General Andrei Shved said Thursday the proposed legislation establishes administrative liability for anyone promoting abnormal relationships, pedophilia (and) voluntary refusal to have children. He didn't elaborate or discuss what the potential punishments would be for breaking the law. The bill will be submitted to the Belarusian parliament, which is under the strict control of Lukashenko. The activities of opponents who are trying to destroy traditional family values, and therefore morality and statehood, are generally aimed at destroying Belarus as a country, Shved said on Belarusian television, warning that it was necessary to prevent even discussion of such topics. He added that it would be necessary to carry out broad ideological and explanatory work, including in schools. Homosexuality was decriminalized in Belarus in 1994, but the country does not recognize same-sex marriage. However, in the deeply conservative and predominantly Orthodox country, there are no anti-discrimination measures in place to protect the rights of the LGBTQ+ community. Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus with an iron fist for the past three decades, is an open critic of homosexuality, and has declared publicly that it is better to be a dictator than to be gay. Human rights organizations in Belarus report pressure on LGBTQ+ people from the KGB state security service, which recruits members of the community by blackmailing them with the threat of making their sexual orientation public. Activists say LGBTQ+ people in Belarus continue to face stigma in society and note high rates of suicide among the community, in part because professional psychological care is generally unavailable. In 2023, independent gay rights group ILGA-Europe said Belarus ranked 45th out of 49 countries in its annual survey of the freedoms of LGBTQ+ people in Europe and Central Asia, noting that pro-government propagandists regularly call for persecution of LGBT activists. Since the start of an unrelenting crackdown on dissent in August 2020, after an election the opposition and the West denounced as a sham gave Lukashenko his sixth term in office, LGBTQ+ people have begun leaving Belarus en masse, seeking political asylum in the Czech Republic, France, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United States. Belarus is a close ally of Russia, where a law against gay propaganda has been in place since 2013, prohibiting the promotion of non-traditional sexual relationships. The Russian Supreme Court banned what the government called the LGBTQ+ movement in Russia in November 2023, labeling it an extremist organization. The ruling was part of a crackdown on LGBTQ+ people in the increasingly conservative country where traditional family values have become a cornerstone of President Vladimir Putins 24-year rule. Belgium is trying to break the political deadlock over an EU cybersecurity certification scheme for cloud services by proposing to separate sovereignty from functional requirements, according to a document drafted by the national Center of Cybersecurity, seen by Euronews. National EU governments and the European Commission have been holding talks on the matter for the past three years. In December 2019 the commission asked the blocs cybersecurity agency ENISA to prepare a voluntary cybersecurity certification scheme on cloud services (EUCS) which companies can use to demonstrate that certified ICT solutions have the right level of cybersecurity protection for the EU market. EUCS became the subject of a political debate as France attempted to introduce sovereignty requirements within the text designed to exclude non-EU cloud companies from qualifying for the highest security options. This proposal was strongly resisted by several EU countries and industry, perceiving it as a protectionist move, and no deal has been reached since. The next EUCS expert group meeting is foreseen in March. Belgium, which chairs the meetings of EU ministers in the first half of 2024, now proposes to split functional requirements from sovereignty statements. Both would still be included in the scheme, but with a different approach and status. The country suggests that only the functional security requirements would actually be certified, while sovereignty statements would be declared in the International Company Profile Attestation (ICPA), and this only for the highest level of certification. This would allow a level of harmonisation at EU level while maintaining the options for the 27 member states to implement their national sovereignty requirements only for the most sensitive use cases. The paper claims that this proposed EUCS certificate scheme would "fully allow non-EU cloud providers to be certified on the highest level and have full access to the EU market, allowing competition in all tenders for which certification 'High' could be made obligatory, without prejudice of potential additional national sovereignty requirements for some entities." This approach would also "allow for a free market and tailored approach to a varying level of risk, depending on the potential geopolitical threat." ENISA Of the two other certificates proposed since 2019, only one has been approved, on baseline ICT products; another on 5G is still in progress. Euronews reported earlier this month (20 February) that the commission is seeking feedback from industry and national governments on the functioning, efficiency and scope of work of ENISA. The aim of the questionnaire is to evaluate ENISAs working practices, as well as the potential need to modify the agencys mandate and any financial implications. The move comes as the EUs Cybersecurity Act (CSA), which entered into force in 2019 and gave ENISA a mandate to oversee the implementation of EU-wide cybersecurity rules, is up for review this summer. (KRON) A federal complaint claims students and teachers at Berkeley Unified School District are practicing antisemitic bullying, much of which relates to the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict. For example, a Berkeley High School history teacher allegedly called Israel an apartheid state, and whilst trying to find articles that oppose the apartheid narrative, the teacher called the narrative laughable. The eruption of antisemitism in Berkeleys elementary and high schools is like nothing Ive ever seen before, said Kenneth L. Marcus, chairman of the Brandeis Center and the former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education for the George W. Bush and Donald Trump administrations in response to the complaints made. The Brandeis Center, whose mission is to advance the civil and human rights of the Jewish people and promote justice for all, and the Anti-Defamation League, whose mission is to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all, filed a formal complaint against BUSD as part of a lawsuit to stop antisemitic content from being taught in Santa Ana public schools. Teachers have also offered students excused walkout absences to encourage attendance at rallies, leaving one or two Jewish students in class alone and without instruction, causing major schedule disruptions for students who spoke out, and making Jewish students feel isolated, the complaint said. Some examples cited in the complaint include how, after a Jewish student presented a project related to his Jewish ancestry in an ethnic studies class, another student crossed out the word Jewish on the presentation handout and wrote free free Palestine. Children feel forced to hide their Jewish identity for fear of reprisal is downright shocking. We must demand more from our educational leaders. said Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL CEO, who claims BUSD is violating Title VI, a title that prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin In contrast, students were also commenting about Islamophobia during BUSDs most recent council meeting on February 21st. After being seen wearing a keffiyeh, a traditional Arab headscarf, Julio Gonzalez, a student at Berkeley High School, was shocked to find many students casually saying he looked like a terrorist. BUSD has received a record number of complaints of antisemitism since Oct. 7, including a letter to the Berkeley Superintendent and Board of Education that was signed by 1,370 Berkeley community members. The Brandeis Center claims BUSD has ignored parent concerns, refused to discipline teachers and students who have engaged in anti-Semitic harassment. Here is a statement from BUSD Superintendent Enikia Ford Morthel sent to KRON: Berkeley Unified stands against all forms of hate. This is a message we share widely and frequently in our school community. We acknowledge the difficult moment we are in and the pain some members of our community are experiencing due to the ongoing crisis in Israel and Gaza. We believe that classrooms are spaces where all students need to feel safe, seen, felt, and heard. We work to make these spaces responsive and humanizing for our diverse students, today and every day. The district continuously encourages students and families to report any incidents of bullying or hate-motivated behavior and vigorously investigates each and every report. We stay in communication and work in collaboration with various members of our diverse community and have recently had focused conversations on these specific concerns. While we have not received official notification of the recent federal complaint, the district will work with the Office of Civil Rights in support of a thorough investigation. We remain committed to engaging with our community to ensure that BUSD is a district that lives up to its values of excellence, engagement, equity, and enrichment. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4. Germany aimed to advance discussions on a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan by hosting the foreign ministers of the two countries in Berlin, on Wednesday. At a secluded government villa, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock welcomed Armenia's Ararat Mirzoyan and Azerbaijan's Jeyhun Bayramov for what was scheduled as two days of negotiations. The latest talks followed a meeting on Feb. 17 between German Chancellor OIaf Scholz, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference. Scholz underlined Germany's willingness to help conclude peace talks, along with that of European Council President Charles Michel. We believe that Armenia and Azerbaijan now have an opportunity to achieve an enduring peace after years of painful conflict, Baerbock, who visited both countries in November, said ahead of a three-way meeting. "What were seeing now are courageous steps by both countries to put the past behind and to work toward a durable peace for their people." Armenia and Azerbaijan have a long history of land disputes. The latest clash at their border resulted in the death of at least four Armenian soldiers in mid-February. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, left, welcomes Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov for peace talks in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024. - Ebrahimm Noroozi/Copyright 2024 The AP. All rights reserved Azerbaijan waged a lightning military campaign last year to reclaim the Karabakh region, which Armenian separatists had ruled for three decades. The region, which was known internationally as Nagorno-Karabakh, and large swaths of surrounding territory came under full control of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia at the end of a separatist war in 1994. Azerbaijan regained parts of Karabakh and most of the surrounding territory in a six-week war in 2020 that ended with a Russian-brokered truce. In December 2022, Azerbaijan started blockading the road linking the region with Armenia, causing food and fuel shortages. It then launched a blitz in September 2023 that routed the separatist forces in one day and forced them to lay down arms. More than 100,000 ethnic Armenians fled the region, leaving it nearly deserted. Armenia and Azerbaijan have pledged to work toward signing a peace treaty, but no visible progress has been made, and tensions have continued to soar amid mutual distrust. "Direct dialog like today and tomorrow is the best way to make further progress," Baerbock said. Bfree, a tech-enabled debt collection startup based in Nigeria, was founded to automate and introduce ethical debt recovery processes after its founders witnessed the use and adverse effects of aggressive retrieval techniques, such as incessant calling and debt-shaming, by predatory digital lenders. After its launch in 2020, the startup introduced a number of scalable debt recovery methods, including a self-service platform, which allows borrowers to set up new payment plans, and conversational AI tools (chatbots and callbots), as part of its collections-as-a-service offering. These tools ensure humane after-sales services for borrowers and action based on behavioral and financial data. Over the years, its customer-base has grown to include some of the major banks in Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria, where it plans to continue scaling, backed by the $2.95 million fresh funding it has just secured in a round led by Capria Ventures. Angaza Capital, GreenHouse Capital, Launch Africa, Modus Africa, Axian CVC and a number of angel investors also participated in the round that brought the total funding raised to $6.5 million, including last years undisclosed $1.1 million bridge round. Julian Flosbach (CEO), who co-founded the startup with Chukwudi Enyi (COO) and Moses Nmor (CPO), told TechCrunch that while Bfree started out with digital lenders, which he says are quick to adopt its products, they currently only work with a handful of them, as their key focus is on banks, which contribute up to 70% in revenues. Because of the immense pressure to increase our margins, we essentially had to either increase pricing or let go of a lot of smaller customers, said Flosbach, adding that it makes business sense to work with banks because of their large loan portfolios compared to digital lenders. The startup currently serves 14 customers, although it has worked with 45 since launch. Bfree says 92% of its interactions with customers are fully automated but has maintained a call center, manned by a small team, for when customers call or for follow-ups that require phone calls. It also launched a loan collection management SaaS dubbed Workflow, which targets companies with in-house collection teams or those that are not keen to outsource. The startup is arguably the only tech-enabled credit recovery company across Africa, where collectors continue to heavily rely on traditional options like call centers to follow up on settlements. Bfree to create secondary market for loans Its current loan portfolio stands at over $400 million, out of which it has managed to collect 12.5%. The startup also plans to create a secondary debt market to allow third-party investors like hedge funds, looking to diversify their investments, to buy non-performing loans (NLPs) from banks in Africa. Debt buyers purchase loans from banks at a fraction of the debts face value and make profits from collection. Banks sell NLPs to minimize their risk, manage loan portfolios and free up funds. We collect so much data of borrowers, especially defaulting borrowers. We were able for the first time to actually develop an algorithm that can value these assets. We can predict how much is a loan that has not been paid back, let's say for 90 days; how likely is it going to be paid back over the next one year. Then we go to banks and buy these assets and take them off their balance sheets, allowing them to offload the risk, said Flosbach. He added that they also have an analytics solution for banks to help them gain insights into secondary debt markets. Commenting on the investment, Susana Garcia-Robles, managing partner at Capria Ventures, a Global South specialist VC firm investing in applied generative AI, said: "The advent of generative AI provides a pathway for more efficient scaling, enabling the company to expand across the continent at a reduced cost. Bfree is well-positioned to play a crucial role in improving accessibility and mitigating risk in financial services. "We foresee the growing prominence of credit management and are confident that Bfree will spearhead the creation of a secondary market on the continent for distressed assets. Bfree has secured significant partnerships with top-tier banks and fintechs, affirming the effectiveness of its product and reinforcing our belief in its potential to transform credit collection in Africa," said Garcia-Robles. As the startup diversifies its offerings, it has also slowed down its aggressive expansion plans announced two years ago, when venture capital flowed freely and growth at all costs was the mantra, to concentrate on its three key markets in Africa. This is upon the awareness of varying market dynamics, and the realization that every market needs different approaches and products. The Biden administration will ask a court to renew the certification necessary to collect intelligence under a controversial surveillance program set to expire in April, a Justice Department (DOJ) official said. The program, Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), allows the government to spy on noncitizens located abroad without a warrant. Congress must reauthorize the program, but the Justice Departments imminent request to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court would avoid a dangerous gap in collection of intelligence, according to Assistant Attorney General for National Security Matthew Olsen. The request is consistent with the DOJs standard annual practice, he said in a statement. Section 702 of FISA is an indispensable national security tool, and we are committed to working closely with Congress to reauthorize it before it expires in April, Olsen said. Section 702 has been criticized because foreigners communications with Americans are often swept up in the governments surveillance process. House Republicans earlier this month unveiled a new package for reauthorizing and reforming the nations warrantless surveillance powers after the Republican conference previously failed to unify around competing packages, settling on a short-term extension last year. The new package more closely aligns with the bill previously proposed by the House Intelligence Committee, as opposed to the competing Judiciary Committee bill. It notably does not include the Judiciarys hope for a warrant requirement, a top priority for privacy advocates in Congress. The Justice Department plans to file new certifications in early March, consistent with the timeline required by the law, Olsen said. The current certifications expire on April 12. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Kayakers paddle across Isatkoak Lagoon in Utqiagvik, the nation's northernmost community, on Aug. 6. The U.S. Arctic Research Commission is putting increased emphasis on scientific responses to the needs of the nation's Arctic residents. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon) Kayakers paddle across Isatkoak Lagoon in Utqiagvik, the nation's northernmost community, on Aug. 6. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon) Recently, President Biden told Indigenous leaders gathered at the White House that he hopes to right the wrongs of the past, seeking to usher in a new era grounded in dignity and respect that recognizes [Indigenous Americans] fundamental rights to govern and grow on your own terms. And while the Biden administration has made some strides to right historic wrongs for some Indigenous Americans, this is not a universal truth especially in Alaska. The reality for Alaska Native communities is that our voices have been silenced. Many of our elected leaders have been denied a spot at the table, with access granted to only those seeing eye-to-eye with the administration. Instead, Washington often looks to outside groups, purporting to speak for Alaska from their offices in New York, California and Washington. For our people and our state to thrive, we need Washington to back up its rhetoric with real action by meaningfully engaging and consulting with Alaska Native communities. U.S. Department of Interior Secretary Deb Haaland noted the importance of Alaska Native voices in federal policymaking on a recent trip to the state. Addressing the Alaska Federation of Natives Annual Convention, she boldly proclaimed: As secretary, its my job that the table always has a place for you your voices are the ones that must be front and center. Yet, its difficult to reconcile that rhetoric with her agencys actions. As the first Native American to hold her position, Secretary Haaland made headlines with her appointment. But her tenure has been riddled with other unprecedented firsts namely, federal action impacting our ancestral North Slope homelands without consulting our Inupiat tribal government, North Slope elected leaders, or our communities. Case in point: On Sept. 6, Alaskas North Slope Inupiat were confounded by a surprise Interior Department announcement to withdraw millions of acres within the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPR-A) and cancel drilling leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), without any prior consultation. Several Inupiat villages, including Wainwright, Utqiagvik, Atqasuk, and Nuiqsut, are the only communities within NPR-A, and another, Kaktovik, is the only community located within ANWR. Yet these communities learned of the decision like everyone else from the media. The Secretary and federal government further insulted our people by issuing this announcement at the beginning of our fall subsistence whaling season, when our people are working to fill ice cellars for the long winter ahead. Our communities were also without reliable internet, cellular, or landline service for months after a fiber optic line serving our region was severed in June. Service was restored on Sept. 19, roughly two weeks after the announcement. Secretary Haaland has also ignored or declined at least eight meeting requests from the North Slopes elected Inupiat leadership to discuss the serious, long-term implications of federal policies affecting our lands and right to self-determination. This is not merely an issue of miscommunication or disrespect; its violating the rule of law. According to the 1934 Indian Reorganization Act, the Inupiat Community of the Arctic Slope (ICAS) is a federally recognized regional Tribe. As such, it is the secretarys duty to honor a government-to-government relationship when requested. However, this relationship has yet to materialize. As I testified in November before the U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources: The U.S. secretary of the Interior is obligated to honor a government-to-government relationship with federally recognized Tribes like ICAS on policies with substantial, direct effects on our land and peopleYet this legal obligation and our right to self-determination has historically been shamefully ignored by the federal government. Her recent visit to Alaska presented a golden opportunity to break this cycle by finally meeting with Inupiat leaders. Yet, she failed once again to engage with the communities she is directly affecting with her departments one-sided actions. I even flew thousands of miles to Washington, alongside a delegation of North Slope Inupiat leaders, hoping to meet with the secretary and discuss obligations to tribal entities like ICAS. But once again, our entreaties were ignored. We dont yet know the impact of the administrations decisions. Ninety-five percent of the North Slopes tax base comes from taxation on infrastructure that supports development not on output generated, contrary to popular assumption. The economy driven by this development sustains our culture and communities and is a remarkable example of indigenous self-determination. When policymakers fail to consult our communities, whether intentionally or not, they prioritize the interests and opinions of those outside our state and region over those of the local residents. The secretary should welcome voices like ours, the North Slopes federally recognized regional tribal government, rather than denying us our rightful place in policy discussions simply because our viewpoint differs from hers. It is heartbreaking and shameful that the secretary continues to shun the North Slope Inupiat, perpetuating cycles of inequitable policymaking from decades ago. The result is a flawed policy that dictates what Indigenous people can and cant do on their own land a double standard compared to any other community in this country. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Biden administration has duty to consult with North Slope Inupiat on homelands appeared first on Alaska Beacon. The Biden administration announced Thursday that it is investigating the national security risks posed by Chinese-made smart cars amid concerns about foreign governments gaining access to the cars systems and data. The Commerce Department will investigate the risks associated with connected cars that incorporate technology from China and other countries of concern and consider potential regulations, the White House said. It doesnt take a lot of imagination to think of how foreign government with access to connected vehicles could pose a serious risk to both our national security and the personal privacy of U.S. citizens, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said in a statement. As cars increasingly employ advanced technology, they are constantly connecting with peoples personal devices, other cars, American infrastructure and their original manufacturer, the White House noted. Connected vehicles collect large amounts of sensitive data on their drivers and passengers; regularly use their cameras and sensors to record detailed information on U.S. infrastructure; interact directly with critical infrastructure; and can be piloted or disabled remotely, the White House said. Connected autos that rely on technology and data systems from countries of concern, including the Peoples Republic of China, could be exploited in ways that threaten national security, it added. President Biden emphasized that China has already imposed restrictions on American and other foreign cars operating in the country. Why should connected vehicles from China be allowed to operate in our country without safeguards? he said in a statement. China is determined to dominate the future of the auto market, including by using unfair practices, the president added. Chinas policies could flood our market with its vehicles, posing risks to our national security. Im not going to let that happen on my watch. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The US Commerce Department is opening an investigation into the national security risks posed by foreign-made hardware and software in smart cars, particularly Chinese-made technology, the department announced Thursday. The new investigation which could lead to regulations restricting the use of certain car parts in the US reflects growing concern within the Biden administration that countries like China could exploit navigation data or connections to car-charging stations, for example, to collect intelligence or sabotage infrastructure. The inquiry will focus on connected vehicles, a broad term for virtually any modern car that uses network connections for roadside assistance, satellite communications or a range of other features. Connected vehicles from China could collect sensitive data about our citizens and our infrastructure and send this data back to the Peoples Republic of China (PRC), President Joe Biden said in a statement. These vehicles could be remotely accessed or disabled. Russia, Iran and Venezuela are some of the other countries that US national officials are concerned about when it comes to connected vehicles, according to a senior administration official. No regulatory action is underway. Instead, the Commerce Department is soliciting public comments on whether it will need to restrict certain technology deemed a national security risk. We need to protect ourselves, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo told reporters when announcing the investigation. The PRC knows that connected vehicles are a security threat. Researchers at Department of Energy-funded laboratories have studied potential vulnerabilities in electric vehicle charging stations for years, trying to anticipate how foreign hackers might infiltrate the equipment. But US officials security concerns about smart cars have only grown more acute in recent years. The White House held a meeting in October 2022 with senior officials from across the government and automobile industry executives to strategize on how to bolster cybersecurity in electric vehicles. The new investigation is the second major action taken by the Biden administration in a week to address national security concerns about Chinese technology embedded in US infrastructure. Administration officials said last week that they would invest more than $20 billion over five years in new port infrastructure, including cranes built in the US rather than China. The Commerce Department investigation of Chinese-made technology used in cars is part of a broader struggle between the US and China for a leg up in the automotive market. The Chinese government has its own concerns about the data gathered by Tesla vehicles, and some Chinese government ministries have barred the vehicles from entering their compounds, CNN has previously reported. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Organizers are pushing for Democratic voters to select or write in uncommitted on their ballots in upcoming primaries, spurred on by the success of a campaign in Michigan protesting President Bidens handling of the Israel-Hamas war. More than 100,000 Michiganders cast a protest vote against Biden for an uncommitted ballot option in Tuesdays primary, underscoring the frustration many Americans feel toward the administration amid growing calls for a cease-fire. Now activists are pushing for similar protest votes in states including Pennsylvania, Minnesota and Washington as they seek to dial up pressure on Biden to heed their calls or risk losing their votes. What is clear is that our president has a choice before him, Dearborn, Mich., Mayor Abdullah Hammoud said Wednesday in a press conference for the uncommitted push. He has the choice to continue supporting and aligning himself with a war criminal, Benjamin Netanyahu, in the most tyrannical government in Israels history. Or he has the choice to heed the concerns of residents not only in the state of Michigan, but across this country, from coast to coast. Organizers for Listen to Michigan, the campaign behind the uncommitted vote this week, said they have heard of similar efforts in other state looking to send a message of warning to the president that he could lose their votes in November if he doesnt change his position on the Gaza conflict. We are going to be talking to other states that are looking for a unifying vehicle to send the same message to Joe Biden, Layla Elabed, campaign manager for Listen to Michigan, said during a Wednesday press call. This issue of Gaza is not just a Michigan issue, it is an issue across the United States. So our plan is to work with other coalitions like Listen to Michigan. Biden easily won Michigans Democratic primary Tuesday, ending the night with more than 80 percent of the vote, according to the latest projections from Decision Desk HQ. But uncommitted came in second place, surpassing Bidens long-shot challengers to reach around 13 percent and win two delegates. The efforts are the product of deep anger from Arab Americans and progressives over the Biden administrations handling of the war, which began after the Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked Israel in October, killing some 1,200 and taking more than 200 hostage. Israel responded violently, and the conflict has since resulted in more than 29,000 deaths in Gaza, according to United Nations numbers. Last nights uncommitted vote exceeded our expectations, said Joseph Geevarghese, executive director of Our Revolution, a progressive political organizing group originally founded by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) that got behind the Michigan effort. Such a strong showing indicates the depth of anger within the Democratic party base, in particular among key constituencies: young people, voters of color, progressives. The pressure is intended to change policy, Geevarghese said, but its also giving political advice to Biden amid the conflict in the Middle East. Biden has expressed unwavering support for Israel, and the U.S. hasnt acted on loudening calls for a cease-fire, though the White House has said it wants Israels operation to be more targeted to protect civilians. Biden said before Tuesdays primary that a cease-fire could come as soon as next Monday, but the Palestinian militant group Hamas suggested that was premature. In a statement on Tuesdays primary results, the president made no direct mention of the uncommitted effort but thanked every Michigander who made their voice heard today. The push isnt expected to have an impact on Bidens cruise toward the nomination, but it could prove a warning sign as the race heads to the general. The Biden campaign needs to understand that if they dont change course on Gaza, it is going to be difficult for progressive groups like Our Revolution to get out the vote, Geevarghese said. But if theres real, meaningful movement from the administration, its easier for us to join forces to defeat Trump in the general, Geevarghese said, noting, we of course do not support Trump. The Listen to Michigan campaign claimed victory with their turnout Tuesday. Elabed said shes seen a small shift in language from Biden after the campaigns pressure, but that his words are not enough. Were looking to you, President Biden. Michigan has made its move. Weve participated. Over 100,000 of us want to know what you will do to engage us, Abbas Alawieh, spokesperson for Listen to Michigan, said in the Wednesday press conference. Meanwhile, a separate movement, Abandon Biden, is urging voters to reject the incumbent altogether. When we say abandon, it truly and without any trepidation implies abandon. We completely abandoned him because he abandoned us, said Hassan Abdel Salam, a professor at the University of Minnesota and a founding organizer of the #AbandonBiden National Coalition. For Abandon Biden, its not about sending a mini-signal with primary votes but about getting the incumbent to lose the election in order to send a punishing message. He could call a cease-fire today and we will take every single action and path thing that we can to ensure that he loses the election on Nov. 5, Salam said. Though many Arab and Muslim Americans suffered under former President Trump, who notably enacted a Muslim ban in his term, Salam said he sees Bidens actions as inexcusable even against the possibility of a second Trump term. Now, the Abandon Biden campaign has noted efforts in more than a half-dozen other states to continue putting primary pressure on the president over the war in Gaza. Abandon Biden campaigns launched earlier this month in Minnesota, which votes on Super Tuesday next week; Arizona, which votes in mid-March; and Pennsylvania, which votes in late April. The movement also has its eyes on New Jersey and North Carolina, Salam said. What happened in Michigan sets a precedent that could galvanize even a write-in campaign with uncommitted. In any state where there is uncommitted, we would want to pursue that in an aggressive way, Salam said. But with uncommitted an option in just a few other states including Washington, Maryland, Kentucky and Tennessee the Great Lakes States results will be hard to replicate, said Democratic strategist Eddie Vale. Thats because its typically easier to coordinate a vote for an existing option than organize a write-in. There was a push in New Hampshires primary last month to write in cease-fire as a protest vote against Biden, but the movement drew little traction, garnering just 1,500 votes, according to data from the Granite States secretary of state. Michigan also boasts a unique landscape with its significant Arab American population and an uncommitted option to protest through setting the stage for a strong showing, Vale said. Jim Kessler, executive vice president for policy at the center-left think tank Third Way, said Michigans uncommitted results are not insignificant for Biden as he tries for reelection but argued it was also a freebie vote largely without consequences. You could just register some displeasure without having to turn the election over to a tyrant like Donald Trump, Kessler said. As long as voters feel frustration with the administration over the issue at hand, itll continue to get some votes, Kessler said of the uncommitted effort. But whether voters in other states accomplish big protest vote movements or not, theyll have to decide they also want to take a stand in the general, and risk hurting Biden in whats likely a match-up with Trump in November. Matt Duss, a former senior foreign policy adviser to Sanders, said he thinks voters understand the stakes of the general, and that most will confine their protest votes to a primary exercise. Theyre using the primaries as a way to send a message to the president, but they want to win, Duss said. They understand the stakes of another Trump presidency. But at the same time, I think theyre using a very appropriate mechanism for signaling disagreement and, in fact, outrage at the way this war has been handled by the administration. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. (Bloomberg) -- President Joe Bidens doctor said he continues to be fit for duty following an annual physical exam Wednesday amid voter doubt about his age and ability to serve a second term. Most Read from Bloomberg The president is a healthy, active, robust 81-year-old male, who remains fit to successfully execute the duties of the presidency, to include those as chief executive, head of state and commander in chief, his longtime physician Kevin OConnor said in a letter released by the White House. This years physical identified no new concerns, OConnor wrote. The president, already the oldest in US history, has faced growing questions about his physical and mental health, intensified by a special counsel report questioning his memory, a series of incidents in which he mixed up the names of world leaders, and the news that he uses a continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, device to treat sleep apnea. OConnor detailed some of the conditions the president suffers from, including atrial fibrillation an irregular heartbeat spinal arthritis, sensory neuropathy in his feet, seasonal allergies, and acid reflux. The physician also said the results of a detailed neurological exam were reassuring in that there were no findings which would be consistent with any cerebellar or other central neurological disorder, such as a stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinsons or ascending lateral sclerosis. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre earlier Wednesday pushed back on questions about whether the president would undergo a cognitive test, saying his doctor doesnt believe he needs one. The president passes, again, a cognitive test every day, she added. Hes able to do the work every day that is rigorous, that is more rigorous than it would be for any 15-minute clinical appointment. Biden and former President Donald Trump, 77, have accused each other of declining mental fitness ahead of an expected general-election rematch. Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley has called on both men to undergo cognitive tests, saying they are each too old to serve as president. Biden has aggressively parried questions about his mental fitness, saying in an appearance on NBCs Late Night with Seth Meyers broadcast early Tuesday that Trump often misspeaks and that what matters is the policies each aims to implement. That has done little, however, to dissuade Republican attacks over his age or to calm voter unease. An NBC News poll taken in January showed three-quarters of voters, including half of Democrats, say they have concerns about his age. Less than half harbor such worries about Trump, even though the Republican is only four years younger. Health Exam OConnor detailed some of Bidens conditions, noting that his frequent throat-clearing is in part a result of acid reflux. And he provided an update on the presidents stiffer gait, which was noticed in prior physicals. OConnor said the presidents gait has not worsened since last year. He noted that much of his stiffness is the result of wear and tear and osteoarthritic changes to his spine, adding that the changes while moderate to severe did not result in any nerve root damage significant enough to warrant specific treatment. OConnor also discussed Bidens use of a CPAP device, saying the president initially had difficulties falling asleep while wearing the mask but had stuck with the therapy and routinely uses it for most or all of the night. The White House disclosed in June after it was reported by Bloomberg News that Biden had started using a CPAP machine. OConnor said Biden needed new prescriptions for vision correction. Current optometric refraction was obtained and contact lens prescriptions were updated, he wrote. The president is taking a number of medications to treat his conditions, including Eliquis, Crestor, Fluticasone nasal spray, Allegra, Pepcid and Nexium, OConnor said. Special Counsel The issue of Bidens age received more scrutiny after Special Counsel Robert Hurs report into the presidents handling of classified documents, which described him as a sympathetic, well-meaning elderly man with a poor memory. One of the most startling claims in the report was that Biden did not remember the timeframe for when his son Beau died. The president reacted angrily to that assertion in conversations with House Democrats and in an impromptu prime time press conference where he insisted his memory is fine. Yet he undermined his case during those remarks by referring to Egypts president as the leader of Mexico. Biden told reporters earlier Wednesday his health was great. Asked if there is anything from the exam Americans should be concerned about, Biden quipped, They think I look too young. --With assistance from Stephanie Lai. (Updates with additional details, context from ninth paragraph) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Joe Bidens physician said on Wednesday that the president is fit for duty based on the results of his annual physical examination. In a statement on Wednesday, Bidens physician, Kevin OConnor, wrote that the president received a detailed physical examination, including consultations with several specialists, and found no new concerns since his last exam in February 2023. Biden fully executes all of his responsibilities without any exemptions or accommodations, OConnor wrote. At age 81, Biden is the oldest president to hold office and has faced scrutiny about his age and mental acuity. While speaking at a New York reception earlier this month, Biden mixed up Angela Merkel with another former German chancellor, Helmut Kohl, who died in 2017. The next day, special counsel Robert Hur said in a report that he had decided not to indict Biden for retaining classified documents after his vice presidency because of Bidens significantly limited memory, among other factors. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Wednesday that Biden was not administered a cognitive test because OConnor and his neurologist do not believe he needs one. OConnor also ruled out several neurological conditions, according to his statement later that day. An extremely detailed neurologic exam was again reassuring in that there were no findings which would be consistent with any cerebellar or other central neurological disorder, such as stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinsons or ascending lateral sclerosis, nor are there any signs of cervical myelopathy, OConnor wrote. This health update is expected to be the last update about the presidents health before the 2024 presidential elections, CNN reported. Biden and former President Donald Trump have been victorious in their respective primaries so far, and the 2024 election will likely be a repeat of the 2020 showdown between the two candidates. Trump, 77, has also faced questions about his own health and fitness for office, but polls suggest voters are less worried. A recent poll from The New York Times and Siena College found that 70% of voters are concerned about Bidens age, while less than half of voters said they held those worries about Trump. Related... By Jason Lange WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A majority of Democrats prefer a presidential candidate who does not back U.S. military aid for Israel, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll that showed Democratic President Joe Biden tied with Donald Trump ahead of the November presidential election. The three-day poll, which closed on Wednesday, showed 56% of respondents who identified themselves as Democrats said they were less likely to support a candidate who backs military assistance for Israel, compared to 40% who said they would be more likely to support such a candidate. The poll results illustrate a potentially critical vulnerability for Biden, who has angered some within his party by supporting Israel in its war against Hamas militants, ahead of a close November election in which Biden will be loath to lose any support within his party. Biden and his likely Republican opponent, former President Donald Trump, were tied with 36% support each in a hypothetical matchup, with the rest of poll respondents saying they were not sure or would vote for someone else or no one at all. Biden's early and vocal support of Israel and his refusal to condition military aid on a change in military tactics has sparked outrage in his party. On Tuesday, more than 100,000 Michigan voters in the Democrats' presidential primary cast "uncommitted" ballots in a massive protest to Biden's support for Israel's military campaign. Democrats' anger has grown as the Gaza death toll climbs, famine looms and much of the territory's 2.3 million population has become homeless. The war in Gaza started when Hamas militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and capturing 253 hostages according to Israeli tallies, triggering a devastating military response from Israel that has resulted in 30,000 deaths. A growing minority of Democrats pin the blame for the conflict on Israel's government, which the United States has long pressured to grant some kind of statehood to a Palestinian territory. Twenty-two percent of Democrats in the poll blamed the Israeli government for the conflict, compared to 13% in the November poll. Democrats also overwhelmingly said they wanted a presidential candidate who would call for a ceasefire in the conflict. Some 46% of Democrats in the Reuters/Ipsos poll said they blamed Hamas, down from 54% in a November poll. While Biden has tried to balance his support for Israel with calls for its military to do more to avoid civilian casualties, Trump has voiced full-throated support for the U.S. ally, a position that appeared in line with the views of many Republicans. Some 62% of Republicans in the poll said they preferred a presidential candidate that favors supplying Israel with military aid, while 34% said that stance was a turnoff. Relative to Biden, Trump has staked out a vastly different position on the America's role in the NATO alliance, telling supporters in February that he once told the leader of a NATO ally that he would encourage Russia to attack the country if it were not meeting its financial obligations in the alliance. In the new Reuters/Ipsos poll, 55% of Republicans said they agreed with a statement that the United States must support democratic countries when they are attacked. Forty percent disagreed. Among Democrats, 75% agreed and 23% disagreed. The nationwide poll, which was conducted online, surveyed 1,185 U.S. adults and had a margin of error of about 3 percentage points. (Reporting by Jason Lange; Editing by Scott Malone and Jamie Freed) President Biden faces a tough decision on how to deal with the anger and unrest over his response to the war in Gaza after voters in Michigan sent him a clear message of discontent in the Democratic primary. The presidents strategy has been focused on supporting Israel while also pushing for a temporary cease-fire and looking to provide more humanitarian aid for civilians. But some voters in the U.S. have made clear thats not enough and want the president to pivot to backing a permanent cease-fire before November. More than 100,000 voters cast a ballot for uncommitted in Michigans Democratic primary as part of a concerted effort by activists to send Biden a message of discontent with his base. While the president earned more than 80 percent of the total vote, the sheer volume of uncommitted votes could prove problematic in a general election if those voters back another candidate or decide to stay home; Biden carried Michigan in the 2020 general election by about 155,000 votes. A Biden campaign official acknowledged the numbers, saying they are going to work hard to earn every vote and that the president is working tirelessly for peace in Gaza. Both Biden and Vice President Harris, in their respective statements on the Michigan results, didnt mention the protest votes. We understand that this is a painful situation for a lot of people. People have every right to make sure their voices are heard in this moment, Biden campaign communications director Michael Tyler said on a call with reporters. The president shares the goals of many of the folks who were involved in the uncommitted movement, which is an end to the violence and a just and lasting peace. Tyler said the campaign will continue to work to earn the votes of every single American and to remind those skeptical of Biden of the extremism, the xenophobia, the incompetence, the racism, the damage and the harm that we saw under Donald Trump. White House and Biden campaign officials have for weeks insisted they understand the passion of protesters and those outraged over the presidents handling of the situation in Gaza. Both the campaign and the White House dispatched officials to Michigan in the weeks leading up to the primary to meet with Arab American community leaders, discuss their concerns and outline the administrations actions. Biden himself did not meet with Arab American officials during his own trip to the Detroit area earlier this month. The White House said officials will continue to hear from Arab and Muslim Americans in the weeks to come, as well as push for a temporary cease-fire with the goal to release the hostages being held by Hamas and to get aid into Gaza. He understands how painful this moment is to many people. He gets that, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Wednesday. This is why he is continuing to work on securing a hostage deal. And if we do that, which is going to be accompanied by a temporary cease-fire, that is going to be important. But pressure is growing on Biden from advocates to go further than that strategy. Our Revolution, a progressive political organizing group that reached out to Michiganders to encourage them to pick the uncommitted option, said voters have sent a resounding message to Biden to change course. Enough is enough. As tonights results in Michigan make plainly clear, in order for Democrats to defeat Donald Trump in November, Biden must realign with his voter base and listen to the diverse, progressive voices urging him to change course in Gaza, executive director Joseph Geevarghese said Wednesday. Michigan is a vital swing state and has a Senate race on the ballot as well in November. Biden has made concerted outreach to Black voters and union voters in the state, but Michigan also has a high concentration of Arab American votes. Polling averages from The Hill/Decision Desk HQ show Trump leading Biden in the state by nearly 4 percentage points. After the primary results, the campaign pointed out that the uncommitted movement in Michigan has been strong in the past, for various reasons against Democrats. The last time an incumbent Democratic president ran in a Michigan primary, which was former President Obama in 2012, the uncommitted movement got more than 10 percent of all votes cast. Meanwhile, pressure is growing beyond Michigan for Biden to call a cease-fire. Other states with large Arab and Muslim American populations will head to the ballot box for their primaries, including Minnesota on Super Tuesday next week, Illinois on March 19 and Pennsylvania on April 23. The Abandon Biden organization, which sees no way Biden can fix the situation and gain back its support, has launched its movement in Pennsylvania and Chicago and has a presence in Minnesota as well. Advocates were outraged by the U.S. veto last week at the United Nations against a resolution calling on Israel to implement a cease-fire. The U.S. was the only permanent member of the Security Council to use its veto power to kill the resolution, which was proposed by Algeria. The Biden administration introduced a different resolution at the U.N., an alternative text that calls for a temporary cease-fire and the release of more than 100 Israeli hostages held by Hamas. After months of negotiations over a hostage deal, Biden this week said a cease-fire could start before next week. Some Biden allies and Democrats were less concerned about Tuesdays results. Multiple Democrats pointed to Bidens overall strength in the Democratic primary so far, including a win in South Carolina with 96 percent of the vote and winning 64 percent of the vote in New Hampshire when the president was not on the ballot. Jim Kessler, vice president of policy at the left-leaning think tank Third Way, argued the uncommitted option in Michigan amounted to a free vote to register discontent with Biden with minimal consequences before November. I think he needs to pay attention to that, but theres 100,000 people who didnt vote for him yesterday in Michigan, and theres 300,000 people who didnt vote for Trump on the Republican side, Kessler said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Joe Biden's doctor says he is "fit for duty" and "no new concerns" have been identified after the US president's annual medical examination. Mr Biden, whose health has been under scrutiny ahead of November's presidential election, underwent the assessment on Wednesday. White House physician Dr Kevin O'Connor said that Mr Biden "fully executes all of his responsibilities without any exemptions or accommodations". "Everything's great," Mr Biden said. The 81-year-old president received the physical at a military hospital in Maryland and declared himself "squared away" after the appointment. He said the results were "nothing different than last year" and quipped that the doctors "think I look too young". Mr Biden, whose last physical was in February 2023, is "healthy" and "vigorous" and "continues to work out at least five days per week", according to his doctor. In a memo, Dr O'Connor noted the president continued to be treated for atrial fibrillation (an irregular heartbeat) which he takes a blood thinner for, as well as gastroesophageal reflux and hyperlipidemia. Gastroesophageal reflux causes Mr Biden to have to clear his throat frequently. Mr Biden last summer began using a continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, machine at night to tackle sleep apnea, the report noted. The physician also found that the president suffers from a stiffened gait but it did not worsen from his last examination, besides "possibly tighter hamstrings and calves". An "extremely detailed neurologic exam" found no evidence of a stroke or Parkinson's. Mr Biden also underwent a routine skin cancer surveillance. The president "had several localised, non-melanoma skin cancers removed" before the start of his term in office, the memo added. The president's health was thrust further into the spotlight earlier this month after a special counsel investigating Mr Biden for improperly storing classified documents suggested he was suffering from mental decline due to his age. The 345-page report described him as "a sympathetic, well meaning, elderly man with a poor memory". "My memory is fine," Mr Biden said in response. "I am well-meaning. And am elderly. I know what the hell I'm doing. I put this country back on its feet." Opinion polls indicate the president's age is a concern for US voters ahead of November's White House election. President Biden now says that a cease-fire in Gaza probably wont start before next week, adding that the civilian deaths in Gaza will complicate negotiations. Hope springs eternal, Biden said Thursday when asked if he expects a cease-fire by Monday. I was on the telephone with people in the region, he added. Probably not by Monday, but Im hopeful. Biden also said he didnt have an answer yet on news of civilian deaths in Gaza. More than 100 Palestinians in Gaza City were killed Thursday while trying to get humanitarian aid, according to the Hamas-run Palestinian Health Ministry. The ministry also said 30,035 people have died since the war between Israel and militant group Hamas began in early October. When asked if he thought the civilian deaths could complicate negotiations over a hostage deal, the president replied: I know it will. On Monday, Biden had said the cease-fire could start before next week and stressed that talks involving Israel, the U.S., Egypt, Qatar and Hamas are close to reaching a deal. The presidents national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Sunday he was hopeful there will be an agreement in the coming days on a deal. The Biden administration has been involved in months of negotiations for a temporary pause in fighting of about six weeks to release the remaining hostages taken during Hamass deadly attacks Oct. 7. Biden has faced growing pressure to back a permanent cease-fire, especially from progressives. More than 100,000 voters cast a ballot for uncommitted in Michigans Democratic primary Tuesday as part of a concerted effort by activists to send Biden a message about their anger over his handling of the war. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. US President Joe Biden (L) speaks with US Border Patrol agents as he visits the US-Mexico border in Brownsville, Texas (Jim WATSON) Joe Biden and Donald Trump traded blame for America's immigration crisis as they made dueling visits to the US-Mexican border Thursday, putting the hot-button issue at the heart of their race for the White House in November. In near-simultaneous speeches in Texas, Republican former president Trump called the record numbers of border crossings a "Joe Biden invasion" -- while the Democratic incumbent urged his rival to stop "playing politics" with proposed migration reforms. The split-screen moment highlighted what could be a make-or-break issue in the presidential election less than eight months away, with polls showing most voters blame Biden for the unprecedented number of illegal entries. Hoping his long history of anti-immigration rhetoric can deliver an extraordinary White House comeback, 77-year-old Trump painted a dark picture of Americans "kidnapped", "raped" and "savagely murdered" by migrants. "Joe Biden is responsible for this invasion," Trump raged during his speech in Eagle Pass, Texas, speaking alongside the state's hardline Republican Governor Greg Abbott. The choice of Eagle Pass was symbolic, as Abbott has taken military control of an area there along the Rio Grande river that marks the border, sparking a standoff with the US federal government. - 'Playing politics' - Meanwhile Biden -- making just his second border trip since taking office in 2021 -- met border patrol agents and other law enforcement officials in Brownsville, Texas, about 300 miles (480 kilometers) to the east of Trump. Migration is 81-year-old Biden's biggest political weak spot apart from his age, with Republicans blaming Biden's policies favoring the right to asylum for the flow of migrants. But Biden is trying to turn the issue back on Trump by accusing him of sabotaging efforts to pass a bipartisan immigration bill that would give border forces more staff and money. "Here's what I would say to Mr Trump," Biden said. "Instead of playing politics with this issue, instead of telling members of Congress to block this legislation -- join me." Dressed in a jacket and baseball cap, Biden earlier walked with border patrol agents along the river, where a boat, trailer and other vehicles were gathered. Biden was accompanied by his immigration chief Alejandro Mayorkas -- who was impeached by Republicans just over two weeks ago in a sign of how divisive the issue has become. Again the choice of location was significant: migrant crossings around Brownsville dipped by nearly a quarter in January, thanks partly to the Biden administration's cooperation with Mexico. - 'Unhinged' - But more than 2.4 million migrants crossed the southern US border in 2023 alone, largely from Central America and Venezuela as they flee poverty, violence and disasters exacerbated by climate change. For hard-right populist Trump, an anti-immigration stance has been central to his political identity for years, and he has pledged the biggest ever US deportation program if he returns to the White House. Trump spent much of his 2017-2021 time in office pledging to complete a wall along the Mexican border, only a small part of which was built, although numbers of crossings were lower during his term. This time around he has stepped up his rhetoric, accusing migrants of "poisoning the blood of our country", in comments that Biden said were reminiscent of the Nazis. Trump's campaign described the current border as a "crime scene" and said the former president would "outline his plan to put America first and secure the border immediately upon taking office." Biden's campaign described Trump's speech as "unhinged." Polls show the issue is a weakness for Biden's bid for a second term, with a survey by US broadcaster NBC showing Trump leading Biden by 30 points on the issue of immigration. Biden insisted earlier this week that he hadn't deliberately planned the clash of schedules with Trump, the man he beat in the 2020 election, saying he didn't know his opponent was also going. dk/bgs Senior Chinese legislator meets delegation of Cypriot Progressive Party of Working People Xinhua) 09:12, February 29, 2024 Li Hongzhong, vice chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with a delegation of the Cypriot Progressive Party of Working People, led by its general secretary Stefanos Stefanou, in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 28, 2024. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao) BEIJING, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Li Hongzhong, vice chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, met with a delegation of the Cypriot Progressive Party of Working People (AKEL), led by its general secretary Stefanos Stefanou, in Beijing on Wednesday. Li, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said that under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, China and Cyprus have continuously deepened political mutual trust, and achieved fruitful results in various fields of practical cooperation. The CPC attaches great importance to friendly relations with the AKEL, and is willing to strengthen exchanges between political parties and legislative bodies to push China-Cyprus strategic partnership to a higher level, Li said. For his part, Stefanou said that the AKEL adheres to the one-China principle, supports key global initiatives proposed by China, and hopes to strengthen exchanges with the CPC to promote the development of Cyprus-China and EU-China relations. Li Hongzhong, vice chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with a delegation of the Cypriot Progressive Party of Working People, led by its general secretary Stefanos Stefanou, in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 28, 2024. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Migrants at border crossing in Eagle Pass, Texas, ahead of the anticipated visit by Donald Trump on Thursday. Migrants at border crossing in Eagle Pass, Texas, ahead of the anticipated visit by Donald Trump on Thursday. Photograph: Anadolu/Getty Images Joe Biden and his all-but certain Republican challenger, Donald Trump, made dueling visits to Texas border towns on Thursday, a rare overlap that sets the stage for an election-season clash over immigration. In Brownsville, along the Rio Grande on the border with Mexico, Biden implored congressional Republicans to show a little spine and support a bipartisan border security deal. Earlier this month Republican lawmakers blocked legislation they had previously clamored for, after Trump expressed his opposition to the measure. Its long past time to act, Biden said in his remarks, challenging Trump to join me in calling on Congress to pass the toughest, most efficient, most effective border security in this country has ever seen. There had been some speculation that the US president could announce executive action during his visit, but instead he revisited complaints that lack of progress is the fault of hard-right Republicans in Congress. Related: There is no crisis: Biden will find calm not chaos at Texas border visit Hundreds of miles north-west of Brownsville, Trump, whom Republicans appear poised to choose as their nominee for president for a third consecutive time, once again sought to stoke fears of a migrant crime wave fueled by Bidens border policies. Hes destroying our country, Trump said, speaking moments before Biden from a park in Eagle Pass which has become the center of a showdown between the Biden administration and the Republican governor of Texas, Greg Abbott. While there, Trump promised an immigration crackdown far beyond what he attempted in his first term, vowing to revive immigration policies that would allow for rapid removal of people entering the US without authorization, while promoting his signature border barrier. Walls work, Trump said. Last year, the Biden administration cleared the way for construction of the border barriers to continue, breaking a campaign promise not to allow another foot of work on the wall. Immigration has become one of Bidens most acute political vulnerabilities ahead of the 2024 election. Ahead of his remarks in Brownsville, which is among the border cities with the lowest level of unlawful crossings, Biden met with US border patrol agents, law enforcement and local leaders, praising their work and appealing to Congress for more resources to support them. Since Biden took office, a record number of migrants have crossed the southern border, driven by war, political upheaval, gang violence and the climate crisis among other factors. Though the number of crossings dropped dramatically in January, according to border patrol data, there were record highs in December. Voters across the political spectrum have expressed growing concern over the situation at the border, and few, as little as 18% according to a survey by the Pew Research Center, are pleased with the administrations handling of it. In the survey, respondents most frequently cited economic costs and burdens associated with the migration surge or concerns about security as their top concerns related to migration. At the same time, a rise in immigration last year powered population growth and boosted the US economy. Trumps immigration plans include a pledge to carry out the largest deportation operation in US history, suggesting he would call up the national guard to remove undocumented migrants already in the country, a proposal that raises a thicket of legal questions about the use of the US military to enforce domestic laws. As president, Biden has sought to clamp down on unlawful migration by toughening enforcement and making limited expansion of legal pathways into the US. The White House threw its support behind a Senate effort to strike a compromise deal on the border, even endorsing an overhaul of the nations asylum system that immigration advocates and progressives denounced as Trump-like. But the deal fell apart amid Trumps desire not to hand a political win to Biden on a key issue for his campaign. In the Senate, Republicans turned against the bill while Republican House speaker, Mike Johnson, declared it dead on arrival in his chamber. Biden has vowed to remind voters of Trumps interference. Republicans, led by Trump, have blamed Biden. In Congress, they have sought to punish his administration by impeaching the secretary of homeland security, Alejandro Mayorkas, over alleged offenses that even conservative legal scholars said were related to matters of policy, not malfeasance. The Democratic-controlled Senate has signaled its intent to quickly dispatch the charges. Hours before the president and former president arrived on the 2,000-mile stretch of border, a federal judge sided with the Biden administration and blocked a sweeping new Texas law that would give state and local police power to arrest migrants suspected of crossing the US-Mexico border unlawfully. In a statement, Abbott said Texas would immediately appeal the ruling, and asserted that the state had a right to defend itself from what he has previously described as an invasion a term which elicited skepticism and ultimately rejection from the judge in the case. In January, the Texas national guard seized control of Eagle Passs Shelby Park, in effect blocking federal border patrol agents from the 47-acre area. As part of Abbotts border crackdown, they erected razor wire and closed access to the park. Amid the standoff, a mother and her two young children drowned in a nearby part of the Rio Grande. Texas authorities and the border patrol blamed each other for the tragedy. The supreme court temporarily allowed border patrol agents to remove the wire erected by Texas authorities. Abbott, who joined Trump in Eagle Pass, reiterated that Biden does not care about Texas or the border. Did you hear that Joe Biden and Donald Trump are visiting the Texas-Mexico border Thursday? Whoop-de-do, right? The current president, meeting with Border Patrol and local officials in Brownsville, and the former president, going to Eagle Pass, arent bringing any solutions. All either can offer is more politics and rhetoric and when it comes to the border, weve got plenty of both, given the heated primary campaigns wrapping up soon. What Texas needs is action, short- and long-term. But these rematched presidential candidates are too busy looking for political advantage from an extended crisis that has shot to the top of voters concerns in polls and not just Republicans. Biden has pushed for legislation in Congress. But with the House and Senate so closely divided between the parties, the compromise offered up was far short of whats needed. It would have allowed too much illegal immigration to continue and failed to adequately reform asylum laws. Now, Biden is relishing Republicans rejection of the bill against them. Thats politically smart, but it will go only so far. The current crisis is squarely on Bidens ledger. It doesnt help him, either, that he cant seem to decide whether he can or should use executive action to at least set new priorities for border enforcement. Trump, of course, is a chaos agent as usual on the matter. He reportedly pushed congressional Republicans to hold off on the bill or at least they perceived that was in his and their best political interests. So, were treated to the head-scratching spectacle of leaders declaring an unprecedented emergency that can wait until after Novembers election to address. Trump can surely be counted on to take sweeping executive action if hes elected. But much of it will be bound up in court, and the next Democratic president can easily reverse it. Neither party is willing to compromise enough to actually get some of what they want codified into law, so we play ping pong between conservative and liberal approaches and never get to the long-range immigration issues that the country must address. Weve said that rather than try to solve everything all at once, Congress needs to build toward consensus. First, act on border security and asylum to stem the tide. Then, the parties can negotiate on things Democrats prioritize, such as the status of Dreamers brought to the U.S. at a young age, and top Republican concerns, which now include what to do with millions of migrants whove entered the country illegally during Bidens term. For now, as Biden and Trump will show us Thursday, everything is in the political realm. The issue might get a little better for Biden thanks, ironically, to Gov. Greg Abbott thumbing his nose at the presidents administration over the situation in Eagle Pass. Abbott refused to remove razor wire placed by the state, and the feds havent forced a confrontation over it, other than in the legal system. Illegal immigration through the area has dropped dramatically as a result. But Biden has a huge deficit in polls over which candidate voters trust on the issue. He needs to shore up the Hispanic vote, too. A slow but sure shift to the GOP is evident among Mexican-American communities like the ones Biden and Trump are visiting. Lets try not to forget the human consequences, either, of both rampant illegal immigration and the reaction to it. In Georgia, a nursing student out for a run last week was killed, and a Venezuelan immigrant has been charged in the crime. The suspect, Jose Antonio Ibarra, was reportedly released into the country in 2022 despite being caught entering illegally. It remains true, as immigrant advocates point out, that migrants commit less crime than citizens. But its also a fact that if not for such loose immigration policies, Riley would still be alive. Closer to home, Attorney General Ken Paxton is targeting a small Catholic charity, Annunciation House of El Paso, accusing it of helping smuggle migrants into the country. The group says it helps homeless migrants who need shelter and assists with asylum applications. Perhaps it crossed a line, but given Paxtons history, its just as possible hes using the courts for maximum political gain on the issue. And his lawsuit could have a chilling effect on the groups that spend considerable money and effort to help immigrants who desperately need it. Lets hope this real-life harm on all sides of the issue stays front of mind as the predictable politics of the Biden/Trump show play out. Do you have an opinion on this topic? Tell us! We love to hear from Texans with opinions on the news and to publish those views in the Opinion section. Letters should be no more than 150 words. Writers should submit letters only once every 30 days. Include your name, address (including city of residence), phone number and email address, so we can contact you if we have questions. You can submit a letter to the editor two ways: Email letters@star-telegram.com (preferred). Fill out this online form. Please note: Letters will be edited for style and clarity. Publication is not guaranteed. The best letters are focused on one topic. DENVER (KDVR) A new bill that is under consideration in the state Senate aims to create a higher standard of care for eating disorder care facilities in Colorado. This is in light of National Eating Disorders Awareness Week. Nearly one in 10 Americans will have an eating disorder in their lifetime. Experts say eating disorders have one of the highest mortality rates of any mental illness, and without treatment, up to 20% of people with eating disorders will lose their lives. Senate Bill 24-117 aims to protect patients and improve treatment outcomes in Colorados eating disorder care centers. It is sponsored by Sen. Lisa Cutter (D-Littleton) and Rep. Chris deGruy Kennedy (D-Lakewood). Many might not think that eating disorders and mental health go hand-in-hand, but experts at Mental Health Colorado said thats part of the problem. Junk fee crackdown: Disclosure bill clears Colorado committee Mental Health Colorado said an eating disorder is a processing condition, especially body dysmorphia where there is a disconnect between the ability to perceive reality and between eating for health or fuel and body image. When youre starving, your brain changes your thinking, gets rigid, distorted, obsessed, paranoid, and hopeless. This leads to multiple traumatizing procedures aimed at protecting critically ill patients from themselves, said Erin Harrop, a former anorexia patient who is now a professor at the University of Denver. Despite Colorado being a national hub for eating disorder treatments, proponents said the states eating disorder facilities lack the regulations needed to ensure patient safety and high-quality care. The bill asks to change how a facility treats its patients and add more cultural sensitivity. It would prevent facilities from using practices like forced feeding tubes and isolation, and it would also add standards for patient privacy during weigh-ins and bathroom use. Theyve been traumatized by things like requirements around what one is wearing or not wearing or the weighing-in requirements, said Vincent Atchity with Mental Health Colorado. Requirements around using the restroom in the presence of somebody. These are the highest-paid employees in Denver Public Schools Patients often feel dehumanized, coerced, overpowered and degraded. For patients with trauma histories, which is most of us, this can trigger nightmares, self-harm, and lead us to avoid seeking help, said Harrop. We share the goal of the authors and sponsors of this bill: ensuring safe, effective care for people with eating disorders in Colorado. The elements of this bill are in line with our current practices and standards of care. We are highly regulated by and partner closely with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and The Joint Commission, nationally regarded as the gold standard of accreditation. If this bill passes, we will welcome a deeper partnership with the Behavioral Health Administration as well, said Anne Marie OMelia, chief clinical and quality officer with the Eating Recovery Center. The bill passed on a six to three vote and now heads to the full Senate for a vote. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver. SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) The daily calendars for Utahs elected officials are no longer considered public government records after the Utah Legislature and Gov. Spencer Cox passed and signed a senate bill protecting them on Wednesday, Feb. 28. Sen. Curtis Bramble (R-Provo) said his bill, S.B. 240, was intended to enforce privacy protections that were already in place by eliminating any confusion or misunderstanding of the current language in the bill. His co-sponsor, Rep. Brady Brammer (R-Pleasant Grove), agreed. Man shot and killed overnight in Bountiful neighborhood This bill does two primary things, said Brammer. First, it allows attorney fees against a non-government actor that is advocating opposition to the disclosure of a record. The second thing it does is that it clarifies the personal calendar and daily calendars are not government records. Recently, the question of whether or not daily calendars for elected officials was called into question in Utah Court. An investigative reporter requested the calendar for Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes as part of a report. Reyes office denied the request, claiming his calendar does not count as a record under Utahs Government Records Access and Management Act. After a year-long court battle, a Salt Lake County District Judge ruled in favor of the investigative reporter as Reyes calendar, which reportedly had personal appointments, also contained official meetings he attended as an elected public official. While Reyes has previously stated he intends to appeal the courts ruling, the Utah Legislature has already worked to pass down S.B. 240 which would change the law. Supporters of the bill said their work is still open to the public. Rep. Kera Birkeland (R-Morgan) said anyone who wants to know her official calendar can ask her for it and the bill simply helps protect elected officials from an exploitative media. We do not have an honest journalism system within a few exceptions of this state, said Birkeland on the House floor. She noted there are a few outlets and journalists who do their best to serve Utah neutrally. But the majority of our media wants to criticize and make something out of nothing and that forces us to do less. That doesnt create a more transparent government. Bill upping penalties for school threats heading to Coxs desk Birkeland backed her Capitol Hill colleagues saying the best way to get a better and more transparent government is by connecting and meeting with voters, rather than through media stories. Reps. Brett Garner (D-West Valley City) and Brian King (D-Salt Lake City), however, criticized the bill, saying it makes Utahs government less transparent. I appreciate the delicacy of our personal safety and our personal time, but I believe that when we are on the publics business, the public has a right to know what we are doing, said Garner. If that includes our calendars that they can find out in the future and not in advance, this is something we should strongly consider. Erring towards transparency and not secrecy. King agreed with Garner saying elected officials are already challenged by the lack of trust with constituents. He said as long as elected officials are working in good faith and doing their job well, they should be open and transparent and voters should have easy access to prove that. Lets be open-handed with the people that we serve, said King. This bill does not do that. S.B. 240 passed through the Senate with a 22-7 vote and in the House on a 52-22 vote. It was signed into law by Gov. Cox on Wednesday, Feb. 28. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah. A bipartisan group of senators is lauding Guatemalas newly inaugurated President Bernardo Arevalo for maintaining diplomatic relations with Taiwan, as the island nations diplomatic allies increasingly opt instead to maintain relations with China. Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) on Thursday led a letter to Arevalo celebrating Guatemalas ongoing relationship with Taiwan. In the face of increasing coercion and economic inducements from the [Chinese Communist Party (CCP)] against several democratic nations around the world, Guatemalas steadfast dedication to maintaining formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan stands as a beacon of courage and integrity, they wrote. Only 12 countries around the world maintain formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, a country that communist China claims as a breakaway province. Because of the CCPs One China policy, countries have to choose whether they establish an embassy in Beijing or Taipei. Beijing will not engage in direct diplomatic relations with countries that choose the latter. The dispute dates back to 1949, when the Chinese Nationalist Kuomintang party fled to Taiwan after being defeated by Mao Zedongs CCP on the battlefield. At the time the United States and its allies mostly in the Indo-Pacific and in the Americas kept relations with the nationalist government and shunned the communists, but U.S.-China relations began thawing in 1972, leading to then-President Carters decision in 1979 to reestablish diplomatic relations with the Peoples Republic of China (PRC). Over the past 45 years, many U.S. allies have followed suit, often attracted by Beijings promises of trade and investment, despite encouragement from Washington to remain on Taiwans side. Rubio and Merkley, who were joined by Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), warned Arevalo that communist Chinas promises have not panned out. We also note that despite promises and pledges made by the CCP to the other countries that have recently established diplomatic relations with the PRC, Chinese foreign direct investment to Latin America has more than halved since 2019 from an annual average of $14.2 billion to less than $7 billion in 2022, they wrote. Dozens of projects financed, or contracted to Chinese firms, such as Costa Ricas highway network announced in 2019, the Nicaragua canal announced in 2013, and Colombias dry canal project announced in 2011, still remain either unfinished or not even begun. The last country to switch diplomatic ties from Taiwan to China was Nauru, a Pacific island state that, like its neighbors, has been targeted by China as a base to expand its sphere of influence while shrinking U.S. reach in the region. Guatemala and Belize are the only two Central American countries left on Taiwans diplomatic rolls, after Honduras broke relations in March of last year. While Chinese dollar diplomacy has courted countries either veering to the left or openly opposed to U.S. influence in Latin America, such as Nicaragua, it has also pulled in U.S. allies such as Panama and the Dominican Republic, which moved their embassies to Beijing in 2017 and 2018, respectively. And China remains on the offensive. Earlier this month, it warned Arevalo that bilateral trade relations depend on Guatemala breaking with Taiwan as soon as possible. Arevalo, an anti-corruption reformer who engineered a surprise victory and was inaugurated in January, has said he will not abandon Taiwan, though he campaigned on bringing Guatemala closer to mainland China. But Arevalo told Reuters earlier this month that Guatemala will not choose and instead pursue relations with both Taipei and Beijing, regardless of the One China policy. In the face of increasing coercion and economic inducements from the CCP against several democratic nations around the world, Guatemalas steadfast dedication to maintaining formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan stands as a beacon of courage and integrity, wrote the senators. By reaffirming this relationship, Guatemala reinforced its allegiance to democratic values and the bonds of solidarity among nations committed to democracy, freedom, human rights, and respect for the rule of law. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Looking for a likely spot to see birds in Minnesota? The Pine to Prairie International Birding Trail offers 51 sites to view birds over the length of its more than 200 miles. It's not a trail in the path sense, but a string of birding sites along a highway corridor, from the Egret Island Scientific and Natural Area Bird Trail near Pelican Lake to Warroad Point Park. Check out the interactive map at mnbirdtrail.com/trail-sites, which tells you birds to look for and best times to visit. Since this is an international trail, it also extends another 300 miles north into Manitoba, with an additional 24 sites. Visit Audubon Minnesota (mn.audubon.org) for more trail suggestions, including digital guides to the Minnesota River Valley Birding Trail, the Great River Birding Trail and the North Shore Birding Trail. If you're looking for actual trail paths, Alltrails.com (alltrails.com/us/minnesota/birding) offers its list of top trails for birdwatching, with rankings for degree of trail difficulty. A group of Missouri bus drivers organized a rally after one of their colleagues found a noose at his workstation. The walkout caused disruption for St. Louis Public Schools earlier this week. The district had to cancel activities and struggled to find transportation for students following the demonstration by the Missouri Central Bus Company. As you may have heard, there has been internal strife at Missouri Central over the last several days that has a racial component, the district said in a statement to parents on Monday, Feb. 26, according to local television news station KSDK. An estimated 100 bus drivers in St. Louis, Missouri, walked out of work on Monday after their co-worker, Amin Mitchell, said someone placed a noose at his workstation. The protest caused significant disruption for the school district. (Photos: Fox 2 St. Louis/YouTube screenshot) This alarming situation has now spilled over into Missouri Centrals work for SLPS. Several drivers called in sick today, apparently in protest of the companys handling of the issue. This led to about a quarter of our bus routes being uncovered this morning. Amin Mitchell, one of the few Black mechanics at the company, said that he saw the rope after he made a complaint to human resources. His co-worker emphasized that its the latest instance of racial discrimination and intimidation in the workplace, per the news outlet. Nobody came up to me to apologize about finding a noose, Mitchell told KSDK. Nobody came to me to see how hurt I am or to see how traumatized or how much pain Im in. During an interview with the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Mitchell said the conflict arose when his boss asked him to make quick fixes to the brakes on the buses to pass an inspection. This was concerning for Mitchell, who believed that some of the brakes needed to be replaced. He even offered to go the extra mile to ensure safety. The newspaper reported that an argument erupted between Mitchell and his supervisor, resulting in him going to the corporate office. He found the noose last Thursday. About 100 bus drivers reportedly called in sick on Monday to stand in solidarity with Mitchell. Missouri Centrals bus regional operations manager, Scott Allen, said the company will hire an independent third party to probe the allegations, per KSDK. Our policy is to provide and foster a work environment that is welcoming to all regardless of age, race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation. There is zero tolerance for any behavior that violates this policy, Allen said. We are working diligently to minimize service disruptions for our students, families, and administrators as we understand how important it is for our children to be educated. There were mixed reactions from the community about the strike in the districts Facebook page comments. Some people said they stood by the drivers decision to protest, while others called for officials to cut ties with the company due to the abrupt cancellations. One person commented: This is why families are leaving the district. I understand its a Missouri Central issue but canceling after school programs puts a huge burden on families. Its time to bring transportation back in-house. Its obvious that privatization does not work!! another person wrote. Nobody Came Up to Me to Apologize: St. Louis School Bus Drivers Go on Strike After Black Mechanic Says He Was Targeted with a Noose By His Station Authorities in Massachusetts are applauding the efforts of a "brave bystander" who helped them apprehend a bank robbery suspect. The Boston Police Department said Miriam Dealmeida, 38, of Boston, was arrested in connection with a robbery at a bank located at 501 Southampton St. at approximately 11:18 a.m. In a statement released Thursday, Boston police said Dealmeida was brought into custody after a bystander saw that she matched a shared description of the suspect. He then ran after her, restrained her and flagged down officers. "The suspect, described as a white female, approximately 5 tall, wearing a black thin hoodie with the hood covering her head, blue jeans, and a white disposable surgical mask, fled in an unknown direction," the police said. "Broadcasting the suspects description, officers scoured the area, and a courageous bystander flagged them down on Father Songin Way, where he was restraining a woman matching the suspects description." ILLEGAL GUATEMALAN NATIONAL ARRESTED IN BOSTON, CONVICTED OF SEXUAL ASSAULT ON CHILD UNDER 14: 'DIRE THREAT' Speaking with officers after the arrest, the bystander recounted he was traveling down Boston Street toward Andrew Station when he noticed someone matching the suspects description fleeing the banks parking lot. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP A particular red flag for him was "red smoke emitting from her hooded sweatshirt pocket," police said. VIRAL SOCIAL-MEDIA SPAT BETWEEN BOSTON CHEF AND NEW YORK DINER IGNITES DEATH THREATS, REGRETS The bystander said he then ran her down, along Dorchester Ave. and onto Father Songin Way. The Boston Police Department applauded the efforts of the "brave bystander." He ultimately caught the suspect and alerted a nearby sergeant, police said. Dealmeida was subsequently charged with unarmed bank robbery. Further charges are anticipated as she is also suspected in a separate bank robbery earlier that day at 68 Kneeland St, East West Bank. She is expected to appear for arraignment at South Boston District Court, police said. Original article source: Brave bystander runs down Boston bank robbery suspect, aids police in arrest The Covenant mothers are among USA TODAYs Women of the Year, a recognition of women who have made a significant impact in their communities and across the country. The program launched in 2022 as a continuation of Women of the Century, which commemorated the 100th anniversary of women gaining the right to vote. Meet this years honorees at womenoftheyear.usatoday.com. In March 2023, a shooter entered the Covenant School in Nashville and murdered three children and three staff members. The tragedy shocked the city but prompted a group of women whose children died or survived the attack into action. They formed organizations to lobby for change in the state's gun laws. They went to the state Capitol, where they were a constant presence for months after the shooting. Their coalition ran the ideological spectrum but with a common purpose making Tennessee's schools safer for children. Now, thanks to their efforts, the issue of gun violence is front and center in the state's political conversation. Covenant moms, Sarah Shoop Neumann and Becky Bailey Hansen in Nashville Tenn., Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024. For this reason, all Covenant mothers are being highlighted as part of USA TODAYs Women of the Year program. The Tennessean spoke to several of them for this story. They include Sarah Shoop Neumann, co-founder of Covenant Families for Brighter Tomorrows, whose child was 5 years old at the time of the shooting; Becky Bailey Hansen, the other co-founder of the group, who also had a 5-year-old at the school; Mary Joyce, whose then-9-year-old daughter was in the classroom shot up by the killer; and Melissa Alexander, a mother of two, who also helped co-found Covenant Families for Brighter Tomorrows. Other Covenant mothers got active in a group called Voices for a Safer Tennessee, which has thousands of active members across the state. They too are a constant presence at the Capitol pushing for change, wearing distinctive red shirts. Below are comments from Neumann and Hansen. Joyce and Alexander's comments are included in the accompanying online video. Some of the answers were edited for length and clarity. Covenant moms, Melissa Alexander and Mary Joyce stand for a portrait in Nashville Tenn., Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024. Why did you decide to get involved in this issue? Hansen: After the shooting, my kids had to be brave simply to show up to school. And so I vowed that I'm going to be brave and show up and do everything I can to fight and make the world a safer place for them at school and everywhere else that they have to go. What is your proudest moment during this whole process? Your lowest? Neumann: I think the proudest would be getting the Covenant parents together to testify against some of the dangerous bills that were going to bring untrained, armed people onto school campuses, and getting those defeated and shut down in committee. The lowest, I think, is realizing the people that have been putting in all of the groundwork for this, and how much more I could have been doing prior. You can't go back and change the past. All there is is now. But it's hard to realize there were so many people putting in this work for us (fighting for changes in gun laws). What's your definition of courage? Covenant moms, Sarah Shoop Neumann and Becky Bailey Hansen in Nashville Tenn., Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024. Hansen: Being afraid and showing up anyway. Showing up against forces, whether that be political or monetary, that are much bigger than we are, and have a lot more power and influence than we do. I have to at least try. And I wish I had been trying for a lot longer than we had been and alongside a lot of folks who have been trying for decades. I'm happy that we're here now. Is there a guiding principle or mantra you tell yourself as you continue your activism? Neumann: Our Head of School, Dr. Katherine Koonce, who we lost in the shooting, had timeless truths for every classroom that she based curriculum on to just stay grounded in the unchanging truths of God. And, when I started being an advocate, I thought of two things: One was, would Katherine be proud of this; and, two, we need to be grounded in something. So, I wanted a timeless truth for that. The "seek justice, love mercy, walk humbly with your God" verse has just stuck with me. No matter how frustrated I get, just keep walking towards change in a positive way. Who do you look up to? Neumann: I think everyone who's showing up. There's parents who lost (children) who are doing a lot, sometimes behind the scenes. I can't fathom that. It's everybody. The whole community has stepped up. Hansen: The entire community has been incredible. It's amazing to see the ways in which everyone is using their individual gifts to contribute. How have you dealt with the opposition you've faced? Neumann: I think opposition, when it's civil discourse, I don't mind. We've had some legislators and people that feel very different but you can tell genuinely believe in what they're saying and are looking for solutions. That gives me hope. It is more difficult with opposition when somebody is dishonest to your face, or not upfront with their intentions. It's really hard to relive trauma. After Special Session (in August 2023) especially I had to step away for awhile and just take time to make sure I was focusing on my family and not sacrificing their well-being. Hansen: This is gun violence, mental health, school safety. These are complicated issues, and there is not a one-size-fits-all solution. I think if we start with what we have in common, and we seek to engage and keep our own minds open to different ways that we can solve these problems we can make progress together. I've been a registered Democrat my whole life. I could not be more different than some of the folks that I'm now joining forces with politically and who I'm having conversations with politically. But if I don't open my mind to different viewpoints, how can I expect the person sitting across the table from me to do the same? What advice would you give people who want to become activists? Hansen: Seek out the folks who are already doing the work. There are a lot of organizations that are already out there that you can learn from and build upon. Neumann: We need that united front. We need everyone working together, not siloed off. Whether it be gun violence or any of the issues that we're facing that need activists, it's too much for any one group or organization to take on. If we're all coming together and approaching at different angles and taking on different pieces, I think that's how we'll really see change. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: USA TODAY's Women of the Year: Tennessee's Covenant mothers British Airways owner International Airlines Group (IAG) has revealed record annual profits after cashing in on resurgent travel demand, including from leisure travellers booking premium economy, and business class seats. Underlying operating profits at the group, which also includes Iberia, Vueling and Aer Lingus, more than doubled to 3bn for 2023, higher than its previous pre-pandemic peak in 2019. The chief executive, Luis Gallego, shrugged off the impact of the recession in the UK on demand, saying it continues to be very strong, particularly in leisure. We dont see any weakness in the market, he added. However, the group admitted poor performance from BA at its London Heathrow hub, where only 60 per cent of flights departed or arrived within 15 minutes of schedule during 2023. As a result, significant resources have been invested to drive better performance and some early initiatives are now starting to deliver improvement, IAG said in its results presentation. Business travel has been slow to bounce back, but has been offset by leisure travellers booking premium seats, it said. Capacity for the final three months of 2023 was at 98.6 per cent of the levels seen before the pandemic struck in 2019, with full-year capacity at 95.7 per cent of those levels. It expects to grow overall capacity by around 7 per cent in 2024. Mr Gallego said: In 2023, IAG more than doubled its operating margin and profits compared to 2022 recovering capacity to close to pre-Covid 19 levels in most of its core markets. IAG owns British Airways, Iberia, Vueling and Aer Lingus (PA) He remained tight-lipped on the outlook for airfares this year, saying only that they would be determined by the market. Corporate passenger demand in North America was impacted at the end of last year and into the first quarter of 2024 by the Gaza conflict and concerns over instability in the Middle East. But demand in the US market was showing signs of recovery in the second and third quarters. IAG also claimed it will spend 7bn overall on BA over the next three years on areas such as IT after a string of systems-related operational meltdowns and new aircraft. British Airways is our biggest asset with huge potential and thats the reason we are investing, Mr Gallego said. On-time performance for BA at Heathrow improved to almost 80 per cent in January, IAG said, thanks to integrated planning, ongoing recruitment and training and better performance management. It also said: A new operating model for London Heathrow will be rolled out for the summer. IAG Loyalty, its reward business which oversees its frequent flyer currency, Avios, also recorded a record operating profit of 280m up 17 per cent year-on-year and 59 per cent higher than 2019. British MP Tobias Ellwood accused German Chancellor Olaf Scholz of a "flagrant abuse of intelligence" when he mentioned to journalists that the British and French support Ukraine with missile guidance, the Telegraph reported on Feb. 28. Scholz made the comments on Feb. 26 when he again ruled out Berlin delivering long-range Taurus missiles to Kyiv. Taurus missiles, which have a range of up to 500 kilometers (310 miles), have been the subject of extensive discussion since Ukraine submitted a request to acquire the weapons in May 2023. Scholz is reportedly against sending Taurus missiles to Kyiv because he fears the move will draw Germany into the war. Ukraine has received other long-range missiles, including the Storm Shadow from the U.K. and the French-made SCALP. "It is a very far-reaching weapon, and what the British and French are doing in terms of target control and accompanying target control cannot be done in Germany," Scholz told reporters. German MP Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann responded on X that Scholz's claim was "false" and that "German soldiers are not needed on Ukrainian soil for Taurus." Ellwood said that the comments were "a flagrant abuse of intelligence deliberately designed to distract from Germany's reluctance to arm Ukraine with its own long-range missile system." Scholz's comments will "be used by Russia to racket up the escalator ladder," Ellwood said. German MP Norbert Rottgen said that Scholz's statement "regarding France and Britain's alleged involvement in operating long-range cruise missiles used in Ukraine is completely irresponsible." A British government spokesperson said on Feb. 29 that there is a "small number of personnel" in Ukraine who support the Ukrainian military, but there are no "plans for large-scale deployment." Read also: NATO members say they are not considering sending troops to Ukraine Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. A 22-year-old man who police say sexually abused two teenage girls in his car in Broward County may have targeted other children, according to authorities. Ternell Dejuan Cartagena remained at the countys Paul Rein Detention Facility on Thursday with no bond after pleading not guilty, jail records show. The Deerfield Beach man is facing a slew of charges, including two counts of sexual battery of a juvenile. Ternell Dejuan Cartagena, 22, was arrested Friday, Feb. 9, 2024. According to Coconut Creek police, it started on Jan. 14 when one of the girls called her 14-year-old ex-boyfriend to smoke vape pens at the Promenade at Coconut Creek shopping mall, 4467 Lyons Rd., and he arrived with Cartagena and another person. Investigators say the boys ex-girlfriend sent $50 to Cartagena via Apple Pay in exchange for vape pens. Cartagenas arrest warrant states he purchased the vape pens and exchanged phone numbers with her in case she wanted more. But later that night, investigators say Cartagena sent a voice note to the girl he sold the vape pens to, saying he wanted to have sex with her and her friend. Authorities did not release the girls ages. Cartagena came back to the shopping mall sometime later in his 2011 Hyundai Elantra, and he sexually abused them in his car, with one of them vomiting on him, police said. This embedded content is not available in your region. Investigators said Cartagena also sexually abused one of the girls in his car in the parking lot of Township Plaza, 4400 W. Sample Rd., between a McDonalds and a daycare, before he took her back to her fathers house, where she had snuck from through her bedroom window. This embedded content is not available in your region. The next day, Jan. 15, Cartagena sexually abused her in the parking lot of a Coconut Creek apartment complex where her friend lives, she told the police. On Jan. 18, the girl said it happened again but in her bedroom after Cartagena, who she knew as Nuk, sneaked through her window as her family members slept. Cartagenas attorneys did not immediately respond Thursday afternoon to an emailed request for comment. Investigators said Cartagena also invited her to have sexual encounters with other adults and claimed he would have sex with adults as well as boys and girls, sending her explicit photos of other mens genitalia, but she said no. The parents of both girls provided authorities with text conversations, photos and videos found in their daughters cellphones. On Feb. 9, police arrested Cartagena, who is also charged with two counts of lewd and lascivious behavior, online solicitation of a child and several other crimes. Based on the evidence at this time, it appears he may have had contact with other juveniles before his arrest, the police said in a statement. Detectives are working to determine if there are additional victims in this case. Anyone with information can call the Coconut Creek Police Department at 954-973-6700. BRYANT, Ark. Emergency communications in Bryant and Saline County will be combining their efforts starting in early March. In a Wednesday release, Bryant city officials announced that the citys 911 and dispatch services will consolidate with the Saline County Emergency Communications Center. Pulaski County, Jacksonville plan to team up on 911 call response According to the release, the consolidation comes as a result of the Arkansas Public Safety Act of 2019, which stated that Public Safety Answering Points across the state were required to consolidate. We will continue to work with officials to make this transition go as smoothly as possible for our employees and the citizens of Bryant, Bryant Police Chief Carl Minden said. Officials said the consolidation will be finalized on Mar. 5. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KARK. Bugatti says it will launch a V16 hybrid powertrain in its next series of cars. The French brand announced it was sending the W16 away with the Bugatti Mistral roadster in 2022. Bugatti has not revealed displacement or performance expectations for the new powertrain. If you thought Bugatti was moving away from 16-cylinder engines, here's some news for you. While Bugatti has discontinued the W16 that powered the Veyron and the Chiron, the company has confirmed the next automotive pinnacle will feature a V16 powerplant. This V16 will also work with a hybrid system to make what will likely be the most powerful Bugatti in the French brands history. Moving to a hybrid powertrain shouldnt be a surprise, especially if you remember Rimac's affiliation with Bugatti. Considering Bugattis quad-turbocharged, 8.0-liter W16 advertised a staggering 1500 hp, the next-generation cars combined output is probably going to make some jaws drop. Judging by the pictures of the V16, it looks like Bugatti will still force-feed the internal-combustion side of its hybrid system with four turbochargers. As for the bodywork that will surround this V16 powerplant, thats an even bigger mystery. Bugatti says the company will welcome its latest evolution in June. How much horsepower do you think this V16 will make? How much power do you think this V16 will make with the hybrid system? Tell us your thoughts below. PINE MOUNTAIN, Ga. - It is well-documented the struggles and discrimination Black farmers have faced which caused many to lose their land. So, its pretty remarkable to hear the story of the Bugg Farm. We traveled more than an hour south of Atlanta to the hallowed grounds of this farm to meet this father and son team, whose farming lineage dates back to the 1800s. From slavery to sustainability: The remarkable journey of the Bugg Family Farm According to the USDA, of the 3.4 million farmers across the country, only 1.3 percent is Black. Addis Bugg and his son, also named Addis, talk to FOX 5 anchor Christine Sperow about the rich history of one of Georgias longest family-run Black farms. (FOX 5) In the small town of Pine Mountain, sits more than 230 acres of farmland where the soil is not just fertile, it is rich in legacy. Welcome to the Bugg Farm. A working Black-owned farm that has been in the Bugg family since 1874. Addis Bugg and his son, also named Addis, first talks about his great-great-grandfather T.J. Bugg, who started it all not long after freedom for slaves became the law of the land. "He saved up his money and bought one land lot at a time. Back then they called it a land lot, which is 200-something acres. So, he would buy a land lot and then buy another and buy another," says the younger Addis, who has researched the extensive family history. One of T.J. Buggs eight children, William Wiley, inherited the farm next and was known to be a smart, independent, hard worker. "He would wake up early in the morning when it was still dark, and he would knock on the window and tell them, Hey, its time to start working, and they would farm the mules and stuff like that." "[From] cant see to cant see," says the elder Addis. "That saying mean you work from dawn to dusk." Celebrating 150 years of resilience: The Bugg Farm's enduring legacy in Black agriculture Addis Bugg and his son, also named Addis, talk to FOX 5 anchor Christine Sperow about the rich history of one of Georgias longest family-run Black farms. (FOX 5) Addis Bugg acquired the farm next and lived until 1955. It eventually got handed down to Cornelius Bugg, then to the father and son, who have been managing it since the mid-2010s. "Dad was the kind of man you dont just sit around, hang around not doing anything. Youre not doing anything; youre not serving a good purpose. I saw how he was discriminated against. He was denied from getting bank loans. Now, I can only imagine what my grandfather and my great grandfather went through. But I saw this firsthand," says the elder Addis Bugg. "It was tough. But he somehow, some way found a way." Today, Addis and his son represent the fifth and sixth generations of the Bugg family to run the farm. After serving 22 years in the Marines, the senior Addis was actually one interview away from taking a full-time government job until: "Had a good conversation with the Lord and say you take care of me, I will stay here on the farm, and run and operate the farm. And he bless me and taking care of me ever since." Addis Bugg. (Supplied) January 17, 2024, marked 150 years of this family farming legacy. They say here in Pine Mountain: "The sun shines a little brighter on the Bugg farm" which is lighting the path their ancestors before them helped pave. "Growing up my aunts and uncles you know they say hes going to be the one to come back and run the farm. So, I think I was just predestined to be here anyway." On the Bugg Farm, they produce vegetables and livestock. To this day they continue to feed the local community like their ancestors before them did. Here is a link to their Facebook page. The Jug Saloon is still standing today after a man doused it in gasoline, Wednesday afternoon. And its all because a good Samaritan tackled the suspect before he could light the fire. >>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<< But even after this close call, the iconic Lynyrd Skynyrd dive bar reopened soon after the incident. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] The Jug Saloon owner, Kenneth Gray, said he knows the man who tried to burn the place down. Hes a regular, Gray said. And, he said Im going to burn the place down, and then he attempted to burn the place down. A normal day at the Jug Saloon quickly turned into a very scary one. Gray said the suspect goes to the bar almost every day, but today, he brought problems the size of two large jugs of gasoline. Around 4 p.m., surveillance video shows him arguing with someone in the back of the business, and then you see him walk inside. Thats when Gray said the man was ready to start a fire. Soon after, Gray said one of his employees called the police. READ: Officials say brush fire 100% contained after St. Johns County residents were forced to evacuate She told me that one of the customers that come in, [came] with a couple of gallons of gas in each hand and was dousing it around and was saying he was going to burn the place down, Gray said. In the surveillance video, you can see the man pouring the gas inside the building. Im concerned not only for the bar, but for his well-being with him being in that mental state, Gray said. In the video, you can see the moment when everyone realized he had doused the place with fuel. But soon after, a good Samaritan took action and tackled him. Gray says the suspects behavior came out of nowhere. I would have never thought in a million years that he would do something like this, Gray said. Gray said the suspect then ran into the woods, and police looked for him with a chopper and a K-9 unit. READ: Lake City Fire Department announced assistant fire chief passed on Wednesday evening Were going to make sure that he dont come in again were going to have that fixed, Gray said. But we wont have him come in running around with gasoline trying to burn the place down. Gray says a lot of people like coming to this place and taking pictures. The bar was named after Lynyrd Skynyrds song Gimme Three Steps. Gray says after hours of searching, the suspect has been arrested. Police on scene said the State Fire Marshal is investigating. [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. Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court ended the practice of race-based college admissions, also known as affirmative action. Now, a new bill introduced in the California legislature seeks to end the practice of giving preferential college admission to people whose family members were alumni or big donors. Assembly Bill 1780 marks San Francisco Democratic Assemblyman Phil Tings second attempt at ending the practice of legacy admissions at Californias private colleges and universities. While the bill does not prohibit legacy admissions directly, it would deny Cal Grant funding a major source of university revenue to any school that engages in the practice. (Public colleges and universities already do not take legacy into consideration when weighing admissions. Unfortunately we saw last year that the Supreme Court disallowed the consideration of race in college admissions, but what they didnt do was disallow the knowledge of income or class in college admissions, Ting said at a press conference unveiling his bill. He cited a study that found that children of people making more than $611,000 a year were twice as likely to be admitted than were children from middle- and low-income families who had comparable test scores. The fact that they have complete access, they have a backdoor, they have a side door, they have an express lane into our most elite institutions, Im very, very concerned about that, Ting said. Ting previously introduced a similar bill, Assembly Bill 697, in 2019, in response to the Varsity Blues scandal that uncovered the practice of wealthy people essentially paying to get their children into exclusive colleges. That bill later was amended to just require private universities annually report their preferential treatment admission numbers to the state. Some of Californias most prominent private universities engage in preferential admissions of students whose parents are alumni or donors. In 2022, nearly 14% of Stanford Universitys new admissions had ties to donors or alumni, according to Tings office. Other private universities with double-digit legacy admission rates include University of Southern California (14%) and Santa Clara University (13%). Speaking in favor of Tings bill Wednesday was Stanford student Sophie Callcott, herself a legacy student; she said her parents met as law students at Stanford. And as a legacy student, I can wholeheartedly say I wish the legacy practice to end. Personally, I do not want my achievements to be overshadowed or questioned by the possibility that I only got into Stanford because my parents went there, she said. Representatives for Stanford did not respond to The Bees request for comment by deadline. Richard Ford, a Stanford Law professor, told The Bee that, while he hadnt seen the text of the legislation, he saw no reason such a law wouldnt stand up in court. Its perfectly legal, he said. Ford said that the effect of the bill, if it becomes law, would almost certainly result in the universities in question dropping the legacy admissions. Ford, who said that the SCOTUS decision on race-based admissions was unfortunate, said that Tings bill on its own was a good thing, but that he has some concerns if it is followed up with other legislation that does away with colleges and universities being able to exercise discretion in admissions beyond just test scores and grade point averages. My own view is that university admissions do and should include lots of things that cannot be measured by grades and tests, he said. Two Los Angeles doctors have gone to court to challenge a requirement that people include instruction about implicit bias when they teach continuing medical education classes in California. (Getty Images / iStockphoto) Los Angeles anesthesiologist Dr. Marilyn Singleton was outraged about a California requirement that every continuing medical education course include training in implicit bias the ways in which physicians unconscious attitudes might contribute to racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare. Singleton, who is Black and has practiced for 50 years, sees calling doctors out for implicit bias as divisive, and argues that the state cannot legally require her to teach the idea in her continuing education classes. She has sued the Medical Board of California, asserting a constitutional right not to teach something she doesnt believe. The way to address healthcare disparities is to target low-income people for better access to care, rather than shaking your finger at white doctors and crying racist, she said. I find it an insult to my colleagues to imply that they wont be a good doctor if a racially divergent patient is in front of them. The litigation is part of a national crusade by right-leaning advocacy and legal groups against diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, initiatives in healthcare. The resistance is inspired in part by last years U.S. Supreme Court ruling barring affirmative action in higher education. The California lawsuit does not dispute the states authority to require implicit-bias training. It questions only whether the state can require all teachers to discuss implicit bias in their continuing medical education courses. The suits outcome, however, could influence obligatory implicit-bias training for all licensed professionals. Read more: California may soon push doctors and lawyers to confront their biases Leading the charge is the Pacific Legal Foundation, a Sacramento-based organization that describes itself as a national public interest law firm that defends Americans from government overreach and abuse. Its clients include the activist group Do No Harm, founded in 2022 to fight affirmative action in medicine. The two groups have also joined forces to sue the Louisiana medical board and the Tennessee podiatry board for reserving board seats exclusively for racial minorities. In their complaint against the California Medical Board, Singleton and Do No Harm, along with Los Angeles ophthalmologist Dr. Azadeh Khatibi, argue that the implicit-bias training requirement violates the 1st Amendment rights of doctors who teach continuing medical education courses by requiring them to discuss how unconscious bias based on race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, socioeconomic status or disability can alter treatment. Its the government saying doctors must say things, and thats not what our free nation stands for, said Khatibi, who immigrated to the U.S. from Iran as a child. Unlike Singleton, Khatibi does believe implicit bias can unintentionally result in substandard care. But, she said, on principle, I dont believe in the government compelling speech. The lawsuit challenges the evidence of implicit bias in healthcare, saying there is no proof that efforts to reduce bias are effective. Interventions have thus far not demonstrated lasting effects, studies have found. In December, U.S. District Judge Dale S. Fischer dismissed the suit but allowed the Pacific Legal Foundation to file an amended complaint. A hearing is scheduled for March 11 in federal court in Los Angeles. Read more: Op-Ed: Implicit bias puts lives in jeopardy. Can mandatory training reduce the risk? In enacting the training requirement, the California Legislature found that physicians biased attitudes unconsciously contribute to healthcare disparities. It also found that racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare outcomes are remarkably consistent across a range of illnesses and persist even after adjusting for socioeconomic differences, whether patients are insured and other factors influencing care. Black women are three to four times as likely as white women to die of pregnancy-related causes, are often prescribed less pain medication than white patients with the same complaints, and are referred less frequently for advanced cardiovascular procedures, the Legislature found. It also noted that women treated by female doctors were more likely to survive heart attacks than those treated by men. This month, the Legislatures Black Caucus unveiled a bill requiring implicit-bias training for all maternal care providers in the state. Dr. Khama Ennis, who teaches an implicit-bias class for Massachusetts doctors, sees only the best intentions in her fellow physicians. But were also human, she said in an interview. And to not acknowledge that we are just as susceptible to bias as anybody else in any other field is unfair to patients. Ennis offered an example of her own bias in a training session. Preparing to treat a patient in a hospital emergency room, she noticed a Confederate flag tattoo on his forearm. As a Black woman, I had to have a quick chat with myself, she said. I needed to ensure that I provided the same standard of care for him that I would for anyone else. Ennis class meets the requirements of a Massachusetts law that physicians earn two hours of instruction in implicit bias to obtain or renew their licenses, as of 2022. Read more: Does a white doctor understand a black patient's pain? That same year, California began requiring that all accredited continuing medical education courses involving direct patient care include discussion of implicit bias. The state mandates 50 hours of continuing education every two years for doctors to maintain their licenses. Private institutions offer courses on an array of topics, and physicians generally teach them. Teachers may tell students they do not believe implicit bias drives healthcare disparities, Fischer wrote in her December ruling. But the state, which licenses doctors, has the right to decide what must be included in the classes, the judge wrote. Professionals who elect to teach courses must communicate the information that the legislature requires medical practitioners to have, the judge wrote. When they do so, they do not speak for themselves, but for the state. Whether they speak for themselves or for the state is a pivotal question. While the 1st Amendment protects private citizens right to free speech, that protection does not extend to government speech. The content of public school curricula, for example, is the speech of state government, not the speech of teachers, parents or students, courts have said. The Pacific Legal Foundations amended complaint aims to convince the judge that its clients teach as private citizens with 1st Amendment rights. If the judge again rules otherwise, lead attorney Caleb Trotter said, he plans to appeal the decision to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, and, if necessary, the Supreme Court. This is not government speech at all, he said. Its private speech, and the 1st Amendment should apply. Read more: An essential medical device fails people of color. A clinic is suing to fix that Plaintiffs are plainly wrong, lawyers for Rob Bonta, the state attorney general, responded in court papers. There can be no dispute that the State shapes or controls the content of continuing medical education courses. The medical board declined to comment on the pending litigation. From 2019 through July 2022, in addition to California and Massachusetts, four states enacted legislation requiring healthcare providers to be trained in implicit bias. A landmark 2003 Institute of Medicine report, Unequal Treatment, found that limited access to care and other socioeconomic differences explain only part of racial and ethnic disparities in treatment outcomes. The expert panel concluded that clinicians prejudices could also contribute. In the two decades since the reports release, studies have documented that bias does influence clinical care and contribute to racial disparities, a 2022 report said. But implicit-bias training might have no impact and might even worsen discriminatory care, the report found. Theres not really evidence that it works, Khatibi said. To me, addressing healthcare disparities is really important because lives are at stake. The question is, how do you want to achieve these ends? KFF Health News , formerly known as Kaiser Health News, is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. A new effort to penalize campuses that give admissions preferences to children of alumni and donors could hit Stanford, above, and USC, among other institutions. (Ben Margot / Associated Press) As scrutiny over fairness in college admissions intensifies, a California lawmaker renewed efforts Wednesday to ban state financial aid to private campuses including USC and Stanford University that give admissions preferences to children of alumni and donors. Those preferences, known as legacy admissions, have come under growing attack following the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling last June striking down race-based affirmative action in cases involving Harvard University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Critics say legacy admissions disproportionately favor affluent applicants most of whom are white and should be eliminated, just as race was banned in deciding who gets access to the nation's most selective colleges and universities. "We want to make sure that every student applying into the most elite schools in our state have an opportunity, that it's fair, that it's equitable," Assemblyman Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), said Wednesday as he unveiled his new bill at a Sacramento press conference with equity advocates and two Stanford students. USC, Stanford and Santa Clara University are the largest providers of legacy and donor preferences in California, according to annual data they submitted to the state for the last four years. The University of California and California State University systems do not give preferential treatment to children of alumni and donors, and some private institutions, such as Occidental and Pomona Colleges, have dropped the practice in recent years. The bill, AB 1780, would prohibit colleges and universities from participating in the Cal Grant program if they provide preferential treatment in admissions to an applicant related to a donor or alumni. The Cal Grant program provides financial aid covering full tuition and fees to qualified financially needy students at UC and CSU and some support for students at private institutions. Some living expenses are also provided on a limited basis. USC accepted 1,740 applicants with legacy or donor connections, or 14.4% of the fall 2022 admitted class, according to data submitted to the state. Of those, 96% were relatives of alumni and nearly 4% were connected only to donors. Stanford offered admission to 287 students, or 13.8% of the class with 92% related to alumni and 8% with ties only to donors. Read more: 'This is just the biggest fiasco.' College admissions upended by financial aid form glitches Santa Clara admitted 1,133 students with alumni or donor connections, representing 13.1% of the class. Four other campuses that used preferences did so more sparingly, amounting to 1% to 3.6% of the fall 2022 admitted class. Their data were not disaggregated for alumni and donor-only connections in the Assn. of Independent California Colleges and Universities report to the state. Stanford has not yet taken a position on Ting's legislation, said campus spokeswoman Dee Mostofi. She said Stanford uses a holistic admissions process that considers legacy status as one of many factors as it seeks to enroll students who contribute "diversity of thought, background, identity, and experience." Stanford students received $3.2 million in Cal Grant support for 2022-23, Mostofi said, compared with $263 million in total institutional aid. She added that the campus has expanded support for lower and middle-income students in recent years, including full coverage for tuition for students with family incomes up to $150,000. Additional aid covers room and board for those with family incomes of $100,000 or less. In 2018, Stanford removed home equity from financial aid calculations. USC also has not taken a position on Ting's legislation. In a statement last year, USC said it was deeply committed to diversity, with 1 in 5 admitted students from low-income backgrounds or the first in their families to attend college. The campus said then that all admitted students met high academic standards and were reviewed in a holistic process that "values each student's lived experience, considers how they will contribute to the vibrancy of our campus, thrive in our community, benefit from a USC education and fulfill the commitments of our unifying values." Santa Clara University did not provide responses to questions. According to state data, 2,972 USC students received $26.6 million in Cal Grant financial aid in 2021-22. At Santa Clara, 507 students received nearly $4.6 million, according to the California Student Aid Commission. Such funding could be jeopardized if Ting's bill succeeds. The Assn. of Independent California Colleges and Universities had opposed his earlier bill, saying it could deprive low-income students of needed financial aid. Ting said campuses that continue legacy admissions "have plenty of money to continue to offer those students scholarships, and they should offer the students scholarships." Read more: UCLA doubles down on ethnic studies expansion amid fraught national politics The high court ruling against affirmative action and new research have changed the national climate around legacy admissions, which could improve the legislation's chance of passage compared with an unsuccessful attempt in 2019, Ting said. That earlier bill was later amended to require private institutions to annually report to the state their data on legacy admissions and was signed into law. Ting noted that a Harvard study last fall found legacy admissions was a major factor in why Ivy League and other elite universities were more than twice as likely to admit students from high-income families those in the top 1% earning more than $611,000 compared with less-affluent peers with comparable standardized test scores. Legacy applicants were admitted at higher rates at all levels of parental income, but the biggest boost was awarded to those from families in the top 1% of income earners, who were five times more likely to be admitted to the eight Ivy League campuses along with the University of Chicago, Duke, MIT and Stanford, according to the study. The findings were "fairly shocking even for me, who obviously knew that folks at higher income level get an advantage," Ting said. Just days after the high court's affirmative action ruling, three civil rights groups filed a complaint against Harvard with the U.S. Department of Education. The groups alleged that Harvard's preferential policy for undergraduate applicants who are related to alumni or donors overwhelmingly benefits white students at the expense of students of color, violating federal law banning racial discrimination. The complaint asserted that nearly 70% of Harvard applicants with family ties to donors or alumni are white and are about six times more likely to be admitted than other applicants. Sophie Callcott, a Stanford senior, said Wednesday that legacy was factored into her admission because she is the daughter of two Stanford alumni, but she wants the practice to end. "I do not want my achievements to be overshadowed or questioned by the possibility that I only got into Stanford because my parents went there," she said at the news conference. "I also recognize that abolishing legacy admissions is one critical step to take on a larger path towards equitable admissions and higher education across the board." 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. Too often, conversations over reparations jump straight to the bottom line: Who should be compensated? How much should they be paid? And who pays? But to get the answers to those questions, we must first create a political environment in which reparations are recognized as a moral necessity. That starts with telling a new and authentic story: Why do we need reparations? What are we trying to repair? And how do we all stand to benefit? Indeed, one reason there is now a need for reparations is that throughout our nations history, we have been told a false story one that demonizes Black people in an attempt to justify not only the slave trade, political disenfranchisement and unspeakable horrors committed against Black people, but that continues placing barriers to opportunity and full participation in our society. Through media, books, popular culture and religion, people in power have utilized tropes and stereotypes to relay a message that Black people are less than and deny our full humanity. Opinion We cant take California where it needs to go if we dont understand where its been. Californias historic reckoning An important step in making reparations fully viable is to develop a curriculum for our public schools that provides students with an accurate historical account of state-sanctioned discrimination and its vestiges, as well as anti-Blackness that continues to impact current systems, policies, practices and outcomes. No shortage of resources can inform this curriculum from the new documentary Stamped from the Beginning, to The 1619 Project Curriculum, to The California Reparations Report, which delves into historical issues like slavery, racial terror, housing segregation and environmental racism. At a moment when conservatives are censoring educators because they fear the impact of honesty, California can play a leading role in declaring that we actually can handle and benefit from the truth. This historic accounting must not be limited to classrooms but also explored in our local and state legislatures, houses of worship and other venues where we gather as a community. We must also tend to our public memory with monuments that mark the sins of our past to both educate and declare that these sins will not be repeated. Our own forgotten history In California, examples of forgotten or buried history include a majority-Black neighborhood in Palm Springs that was destroyed as families were forced out through eviction, demolition or the burning of their homes in the 1960s. In 1945, Black refrigerator engineer ODay Short, his wife, Helen, and their 7-year-old daughter and 9-year-old son were murdered just two weeks after police and a vigilante group threatened them for moving into the white neighborhood of Fontana. KKK violence through the 1960s included cross-burnings in Los Angeles, Anaheim and Riverside; more than 100 cases of violence in Kern County in 1922 alone; and the cross-burning and stoning of a Black familys home in a white Bay Area neighborhood. These and other acts of systemic violence and their repercussions must not be ignored or glossed over. As we shine a light on our history, we should also take immediate steps to pay reparations now. Willa and Charles Bruce owned a popular lodge, cafe and dance hall on what became known as Bruces Beach. In 1924, after several other Black families moved into the neighborhood and after the KKK failed to drive them out of town the city of Manhattan Beach, California used eminent domain to destroy the neighborhood, stealing more than two dozen properties. The California Legislature and Gov. Gavin Newsom acted to return the Bruces property to their descendants. We hope this will be a precedent-setting act of how we can repair the denial of generational wealth to Black families. Anthony Bruce, center, holds up the property deed to Bruces Beach in 2022 as his wife, Sandra, second from right; Kavon Ward, with the Justice for Bruces Beach movement, far right; and state and county officials cheer. A unanimous bill passed by the California Legislature cleared the way for the propertys return to descendants of a Black couple that had been driven out of Manhattan Beach in the 1920s. Global examples We can also look at the examples of the truth and reconciliation commissions in South Africa and Rwanda to help inform our effort to develop a shared understanding of why reparations are needed and just. In South Africa, one commission investigated gross human rights violations under the apartheid regime; developed compensation recommendations for the victims of those abuses; and determined which perpetrators received amnesty in exchange for full disclosure of all relevant facts (1,200 individuals were granted amnesty and 5,000 were denied). Following the 1994 Rwandan Genocide, where an estimated 800,000 people were massacred in just 100 days, many Rwandans have participated in The National Unity and Reconciliation Commissions peace education programs, which examine the origins of division, work to overcome mutual fear and suspicion and promote unity. The commission offers age-appropriate curricula for all Rwandans which teach the pursuit of national reconciliation and tasks graduates with training others, and dialogue groups focus on reconciliation and shared citizenship between people with diverse identities. The time to act is now We need not wait to take laws off the books that continue to do systemic harm to Black people. The California Task Force offers dozens of policy reforms to end discriminatory harm and suffering, including repealing three-strike sentencing; eliminating legal protections for peace officers who violate civil or constitutional rights; repealing Proposition 209, which prohibits the consideration of race in public education, employment and contracting; removing barrier of proving identity to vote; eliminating barriers to licensure for people with criminal records; eliminating or reducing charges for phone calls within detention centers; repealing crime-free housing policies that ban renting to individuals with a criminal history; and extending the right to vote to people currently incarcerated. As we learn about our shared history, it becomes increasingly clear that reparations are really about repairing our social fabric and shared humanity, and recognizing Black people as equal. We must ensure that we do not repeat past mistakes, compensate for what was lost and reduce barriers to participation unlocking the potential of a population that has been barred from full participation for 400 years. Michael Tubbs is the founder of End Poverty in California, a senior fellow for the Rosenberg Foundation and a special advisor to Gov. Gavin Newsom. Crystal D. Crawford is executive director of the Western Center on Law & Poverty. Joseph Tomas Mckellar, who also contributed to this piece, is executive director of PICO California, the states largest multi-faith, multi-racial community organizing network. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, left, and Sen. John Thune. Thune endorsed Trump on Saturday. Will McConnell be next? (Mariam Zuhaib / Associated Press) The Republican Partys transformation into an anti-government populist movement has been a bottom-up phenomenon: Conservative voters, radicalized by right-wing radio, Fox News, social media and opportunistic demagogues, rose up for their tea party takeover. Then the biggest demagogue of all, Donald Trump, harnessed those voters to make the party his own. That merger of man and movement has been Trumps superpower for nearly a decade. Party leaders, fearful of his sway over voters, turned invertebrate, groveled at his bidding and let Trump indulge his worst impulses unchecked. The partys boneless wonders made Trumps election possible in 2016. They resurrected him after his post-Jan. 6 decline. And now, it seems, their reemergence to assist in his 2024 comeback is near-complete. I was reminded of the invective boneless wonder Winston Churchills description of an opposition-party British prime minister a century ago, based on a childhood memory of a circus freak by recent news about the Senates two Republican leaders, who have been among the few party holdouts when it comes to endorsing Trump for reelection. The Republican whip, South Dakota Sen. John Thune, caved on Saturday, after Trump won the fourth straight nominating contest, in South Carolina. Then the New York Times reported that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who announced Wednesday that he will step down as leader this year, might be about to endorse him as well. McConnell reportedly hasn't spoken to Trump since 2020. Read more: Calmes: The Republican Party promised to give new meaning to 'pro-life' after Dobbs. How's that working? Thats depressing. Certainly neither McConnell nor Thune has been a profile in courage regarding Trump. In February 2021, McConnell engineered the former presidents Senate acquittal after his House impeachment for inciting the Jan. 6 insurrection. Both men have mostly tried to ignore Trump. But at least they havent been echoing his lies or excusing them, like former detractors-turned-Senate sycophants Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Ohios J.D. Vance , Texas Ted Cruz , Floridas Marco Rubio and South Carolina's Tim Scott. Why not remain silent? No one should be fooled that either McConnell or Thune thinks Trump is fit to be president. Republican boneless wonders crowd the Senate, the House and state capitols nationwide, deaf to Trumps divisiveness, silent about his indecency and without principles left to stand on. Well never know what might have been had a phalanx of Liz Cheneys, Adam Kinzingers and Mitt Romneys formed to counter Trumpism. Id celebrate Nikki Haley for her decision to stay in a losing race against Trump and for her belated truth-telling about why hes unfit, except that Im sure shell endorse him eventually. Read more: Calmes: I watched a Trump rally so you don't have to. But you need to know what he's saying I am not alone in channeling Churchill when considering the spineless politicians of the Trump era. At its start, early in the Republicans' contest for the 2016 nomination, conservative columnist George Will noted that Trump's rivals, "disoriented by their fear and envy of him, are making the GOP seem like the party of boneless wonders. And this week, conservative pundit and Never Trumper Bill Kristol similarly evoked Churchill's pejorative in a piece for the Bulwark website lamenting Thunes surrender. The capitulation of the decent is particularly demoralizing, Kristol wrote. I share Kristols disappointment that the likable, pragmatic Thune, who hopes to succeed McConnell as the Senate Republican leader, endorsed Trump; both of Thune's rivals for the leadership had already done so. As for McConnell, Im outraged that he is even thinking about it, especially now. McConnell has styled himself one of Ukraines foremost supporters since Russia invaded two years ago, and Trump, the de facto speaker of the MAGAfied House, right now is blocking Congress approval of further aid to the desperate Ukrainians. You'd think McConnell might be considering condemning Trump, not weighing an endorsement of Vladimir Putin's admirer. And go back three years to Feb. 13, 2021. After ensuring Trumps Senate acquittal that day for his role in the Capitol assault, McConnell delivered a speech that remains one of the most damning anti-Trump indictments ever by a Republican not named Cheney. Trumps actions, McConnell said, were a disgraceful disgraceful! dereliction of duty. Trump was practically and morally responsible for the violence. He seemed determined to either overturn the voters decision or else torch our institutions on the way out. Read more: Calmes: Blocking Ukraine aid is no way to put America first McConnell would want that man back in power? In his speech, he characterized the Jan. 6 rioters as terrorists. Now hed help reelect Trump, who calls them hostages and vows to pardon them. McConnell decried Trumps crescendo of conspiracies, his thundering about a stolen election to whip up his supporters. Has McConnell watched a MAGA rally lately? Trump is still thundering about that Big Lie and warning his faithful that Democrats thugs and tyrants and fascists, scoundrels and rogues will steal the next election unless they're stopped. Does McConnell think political violence is a thing of the past? At the end of that Senate speech, McConnell assured Americans that the former president was still liable for everything he did while he was in office in our civil and criminal justice systems. He is not immune, the senator said. Now Trump has gone all the way to the Supreme Court to argue otherwise. The justices aren't expected to side with him, but Trump has another plan for escaping accountability by getting reelected and making his cases disappear. Which is exactly what backing from the likes of Thune and McConnell will help to happen. For a political operator like McConnell to endorse Trump wouldnt be a huge surprise. Still, youd think a legacy-minded octogenarian would not want to seal his reputation as a boneless wonder. @jackiekcalmes Get the latest from Jackie Calmes Commentary on politics and more from award-winning opinion columnist. Sign me up. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. FILE - A Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer informs a migrant couple of the location of a legal border station, shortly before they illegally crossed from Champlain, N.Y., to Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle, Quebec, using Roxham Road. Canadas government is reimposing some visa requirements on Mexican nationals visiting Canada, an official familiar with the matter told The Associated Press on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024. Quebecs premier has been urging the federal government to slow the influx of refugees which he says has been straining resources. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File) TORONTO (AP) Canadas government is reimposing some visa requirements on Mexican nationals visiting Canada, an official familiar with the matter told The Associated Press on Wednesday. Quebecs premier has been urging the federal government to slow the influx of refugees which he says has been straining resources. The official spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak ahead of the Thursday announcement. The official said the new rules will take effect late Thursday and they won't mean a complete return to pre-2016 rules. Canada's immigration minister is expected to announce details. Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus government lifted the visa requirement for Mexican visitors in late 2016, removing a major irritant in relations between the two countries. But Canadian Immigration Minister Mac Miller has said asylum claims from Mexico have shot up since Canada lifted the visa restriction in 2016. Canada getting rid of visa free travel from Mexico is also expected to reduce the number of illegal crossings of Mexicans into the U.S. from Canada. In 2023, Canadas Immigration and Refugee Board had 17,490 claims from Mexico, making up 19% of claims referred that year. A year prior, the number was 7,483 making up 12% of claims. Previously, refugee service providers in Montreal have said that Mexican families are fleeing violence, insecurity and a lack of jobs in Mexico. Canada only grants asylum to people it believes cannot safely live in any part of their home country because officials are unable or unwilling to provide those conditions. During his daily press briefing Wednesday morning, Mexico President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador suggested Canada was going to announce actions when he took a reporters question about potential U.S. tariffs on Mexican steel exports and launched into a rambling complaint about a lack of respect coming from Mexicos North American neighbors. The president said that conservative forces in Mexico had been lobbying in the United States and Canada for actions that would reflect poorly on his administration. He mentioned U.S. complaints about fentanyl production in Mexico and assertions by both the U.S. and Canada that Mexico was not doing its part to control immigration flows. The immigration issue, its Mexicos fault, Lopez Obrador mocked. Were going to build a wall and thats how well solve the problem. Were going to militarize the border and thats how well solve the problem. And now Canada is doing the same, theyre wanting to take measures against Mexico; we really regret it, Lopez Obrador said. Theyre negotiating to reach an agreement, that we can control the migration flows to Canada, as we always have. And we have acted generously toward them, with the administration of Prime Minister Trudeau, but they were already at the point of imposing unilateral measures, right now, when there are elections in Mexico. Lopez Obrador also raised the possibility that he would not attend the North American Leaders Summit, scheduled for April in Quebec. If there isnt respectful treatment, I dont participate, he said. ____ Associated Press Writer Christopher Sherman contributed from Mexico City. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and President of Mexico Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador in Mexico City in January 2023 A surge of Mexican nationals seeking asylum has led Canada to bring back visa requirements that were lifted nearly eight years ago. Immigration Minister Marc Miller said on Thursday that more than half of the asylum applications to the country are either abandoned or rejected. Ottawa removed the requirements in 2016 to improve relations with Mexico. Since then, an influx of immigrants has put strain on the government of Quebec and pushed it to a "breaking point". Asylum claims from Mexican nationals to Canada rose from 260 to 23,995 between 2016 and 2023, an increase of more than 9,000%, according to federal data. In Ottawa, 17% of all asylum claims in 2023 came from Mexico, a record high, Mr Miller said at a press conference. He said that the Mexican government has expressed dissatisfaction with the reinstated visa requirements but "Mexico is and will remain an important partner". Mexicans with work or study permits will be exempt from the visa rules. The federal government has been under pressure from the province of Quebec over the surge of asylum claims. In January, the premier of the province said it was at a "breaking point" due to an influx of asylum seekers putting a strain on government services like education, as well as housing. Premier Francois Legault asked Ottawa for C$1bn ($736m; 582m) to help the province handle the cost of the influx. Nearly 60,000 new asylum seekers were recorded in Quebec in the first 11 months of 2023, according to Mr Legault, with another 65,000 expected this year. About a quarter of those are from Mexico, Quebec has said. The provincial immigration minister, Christine Frechette, said that an "important step has been taken but it won't solve everything". "The number of asylum seekers welcomed by Quebec is far too high and our services are overwhelmed," she wrote in a statement on X, formerly Twitter. A year ago, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and US President Joe Biden agreed a border deal that closed a loophole that had allowed asylum seekers to enter at unofficial points on the Canada-US border and make asylum claims. Many asylum claimants are now coming in by air, Mr Miller said. Under the new rules that come into effect on Thursday night, Mexican nationals who hold a valid US non-immigrant visa or have held a Canadian visa in the past 10 years will be able to apply for an electronic travel authorization - an entry requirement for people who are visa exempt. All other Mexican nationals will need to apply for a visa. Convicted sex offender Doug Snelgrove, a police officer with the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary, sexually assaulted a woman while on duty in 2014. (Malone Mullin/CBC - image credit) Doug Snelgrove's fate has finally been sealed, nearly a decade after the disgraced St. John's police officer sexually assaulted a young woman after driving her home from a downtown club while on duty. The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary officer was at the forefront of three trials and several appeals spanning nine years. He repeatedly made headlines, especially after his conviction in 2021, when several more women came forward with claims that they were sexually assaulted and harassed by the force's police officers. Snelgrove lost his case with the Newfoundland and Labrador Court of Appeal last year, and immediately applied to have his appeal heard by the country's top court. But the Supreme Court of Canada said Thursday it would not hear Snelgrove's case, ending his criminal battle and upholding his four-year prison sentence. Snelgrove has been out on bail since July. A handful of protesters showed up at Supreme Court Monday to voice their displeasure over the result of Doug Snelgrove's second sexual assault trial. Protesters showed up repeatedly at Supreme Court in St. John's to voice their displeasure over the result of Snelgrove's second sexual assault trial. (Malone Mullin/CBC) The RNC said in a statement immediately following the decision that Snelgrove has been suspended from the force without pay since charges were laid in 2015, and now that appeals have been exhausted that the internal procedure to address his conviction will begin. The RNC "confirms that the criminal proceedings are complete and the public complaints process can now proceed," Const. James Cadigan, the force's media relations officer, said in a statement. "Under the RNC Act, the chief of police must preside over the RNC public complaint proceedings related to the subject matter of the criminal charge. To protect the integrity of the public complaint proceedings the chief cannot comment on this case." During the appeal to overturn his conviction at the provincial Court of Appeal last year, Snelgrove's Toronto-based lawyer, Janani Shanmuganathan, argued her client's rights as the accused were violated when the judge, Crown and defence attorneys gathered for a meeting in the judge's chambers without Snelgrove during his trial. He had appealed to the Supreme Court of Canada on that same basis. Prosecutor Kathleen O'Reilly told reporters Thursday the Supreme Court decision prompted a sense of relief. Prosecutor Kathleen O'Reilly told reporters Thursday the Supreme Court decision prompted a sense of relief. (Danny Arsenault/CBC) The Court of Appeal ultimately disagreed with that claim, deciding Snelgrove's presence wasn't required during the meeting because he'd designated his lawyer to represent him, and dismissed his appeal in April. Kathleen O'Reilly, the Crown prosecutor who fought Snelgrove's local appeal, told reporters Thursday afternoon she felt a sense of solace after the Supreme Court of Canada's decision. "As everyone knows, it's been a really long road," she said. "It was just a tremendous relief that there's some finality to the process, some accountability, and that there's justice in the end." She also nodded to the survivor's "tremendous amount of strength and bravery" for enduring three trials. "I hope Jane Doe can find some closure and that she can move on with her life," O'Reilly said. Long-running criminal case Snelgrove's trials sparked several protests and prompted activists to push for judicial reform for sex assault survivors and an overhaul of the RNC. Advocates and the survivor's supporters repeatedly emphasized the fact that Snelgrove was in a position of trust and authority when he sexually assaulted a civilian. According to testimony at his third trial, Snelgrove in uniform and on duty at the time drove the survivor home from a downtown bar in his patrol car in late 2014. She told the court she had been drinking and could only remember flashes of that night. At one point, she said she recalled Snelgrove engaging with her sexually on her living room couch. She woke up confused and in pain the next morning, and didn't report the assault until several weeks later. Her complaint started a criminal probe and led to Snelgrove's arrest in 2015. He maintained the sexual acts between them were consensual. Snelgrove was initially acquitted of the sex assault charge in 2017. That verdict was overturned after the Supreme Court of Canada found the judge didn't properly inform the jury about consent law. His second trial in 2020 ended after the jury had been sequestered when the judge in that case realized he had made a technical error by dismissing the alternate jurors. Snelgrove was convicted during his third trial in 2021 and sentenced to four years in prison. He is now required to turn himself in in order to serve that sentence. Download our free CBC News app to sign up for push alerts for CBC Newfoundland and Labrador. Click here to visit our landing page. Nick Testa, a marijuana cultivator in Exeter, placed an ad last month on a University of Rhode Island website looking to hire a student in the schools cannabis studies program as a "grow room assistant. But his ad on URI's Handshake platform used to connect students and employers for internships and job opportunities was quickly taken down. When Testa asked for an explanation, he was referred to a statement from URIs legal counsel that read, in part: The University of Rhode Island Center for Career and Experiential Education will not accept or post positions related to the use or distribution of recreational or medical marijuana. As the use of marijuana is illegal at the federal level, and the university receives federal funds, we must comply with the federal law, including the Controlled Substances Act and the Drug-Free Schools and Campuses Act," the statement continued. Prof. Michael Budziszek and a Johnson & Wales cannabis entrepreneurship student examine a tomato plant in the grow lab. Because of university regulations, students cannot grow marijuana, but instead study similar plants. 'The university as a whole is just being super careful ...' In recent years, schools like URI, Johnson & Wales University and others around the region have touted new cannabis education programs to prepare students for opportunities in one of the fastest-growing industries as more and more states legalize the drug. While the federal government is now considering loosening its stance on marijuana, many schools remain very cautious about going too far in helping students get into the cannabis field if it means risking federal funding. The university as a whole is just being super careful given the federal law about this, said URI spokesman David Lavallee. We need to follow the book, and if we feel as though placing kids in internships in dispensaries or growing sites could jeopardize our standing with the federal government and the federal grants, all that stuff, were not going to do that, and thats the reason. URI offers two popular cannabis programs for undergraduates. Students can earn a certificate in cannabis studies through a seven-week, online-only program, or they can earn a minor degree by taking four in-person courses stretched out over 13 weeks. Because of the federal marijuana prohibition, cannabis is banned from all college campuses, and URIs programs dont include lab work of any kind even on other kinds of plants, like catnip, or tomatoes, that JWU students will grow and study in place of cannabis. We are very focused because we are a pharmacy college on the chemistry and the therapeutics of cannabis, not the horticulture, not on entrepreneurship, said Navindra Seeram, chair of the Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and head of the cannabis studies program. At Johnson & Wales, labs are in, internships are out Testa, a partner in the Exeter cultivation business Hank's Herbs, says JWU also refused to run his advertisement for help, citing the same concern. (Bryant University also says it won't post such job advertisements for the same reason.) In the fall of 2021, JWU began offering a full, four-year bachelor of science degree in cannabis entrepreneurship, covering everything from growing cannabis to running a dispensary. Magnus Thorsson, who directs the program, said he anticipated how the federal governments stance on marijuana might change how the school would teach the intricacies of running a cannabis business. We took out the internship, which would have been a violation of federal law, and instead of an internship what we did was put students to work in labs. They work in a laboratory environment where they have to grow plants that represent or replicate the grow characteristics of cannabis," he said. "The plants that we have relied on for the same biological behavior as cannabis include catnip, tomatoes and lettuce. So students in pairs have the responsibility to grow these plants in tents on campus, in laboratories, and there is no handling of cannabis or hemp, even. Johnson & Wales University students studying cannabis entrepreneurship gather around Prof. Michael Budziszek, who helped launch the four-year program at the school. URI, JWU host guest speakers but play no 'active role' in career help Like URI, Johnson & Wales also invites people like Testa who are in the field to come and lecture. We have guest lectures from the cannabis industry, and we develop relationships. So, if students are interested, 21 and older, they can independently pursue it. But JWU does not take an active role," Thorsson said. One of the most popular clubs at JWU, Thorsson said, is the student-led Cannabis Advocacy Club with more than 120 members. They, too, host guest speakers at gatherings where employment connections can be cultivated independently from the school. In Vermont, a deeper level of institutional involvement Not all schools seem as risk-adverse as URI and JWU. A quick Google search finds schools advertising internships as part of their cannabis studies programs. Prof. Philip Lamy teaches the cannabis program at Vermont State University in Montpelier, where according to the schools website, students intern in a variety of cannabis-oriented companies and organizations, including farms and cultivation sites. More: How are recreational pot sales in RI a year after legalization? What the numbers show. Yep, yep, absolutely, said Lamy in a phone interview. Of course, any student working with marijuana whether it's a farm or a dispensary, working hands-on with that plant has to be 21 and also has to be certified by the state Cannabis Control Board to be an employee in a cannabis, hands-on operation. Lamy said some students have gone on to become managers and assistant managers at Vermont dispensaries. The program is so popular with the states marijuana businesses that we are in a situation right now where we are in more demand for our interns than we actually have interns. Is Vermont State University taking a risk? Thats a good question. I havent heard it posed in quite that way, said Lamy. No, we have not been told that students cant work in dispensaries as their internship, as long as theyre 21. You do have me thinking about that. Maybe thats something I have to check on. But, said Lamy, We dont hide it. We promote on our website where students have worked, so its never really come up as a question among the administration in our state. Contact Tom Mooney at: tmooney@providencejournal.com This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Why RI's cannabis education college courses don't have internships Villagers in Cambodia's southwestern Cardamom Mountains say a carbon offsetting project has restricted their ability to farm, forage and collect firewood (TANG CHHIN Sothy) Indigenous Cambodians living in a protected forest say a carbon credit scheme has led to the destruction of their crops and huts, as a two-year Human Rights Watch investigation released Thursday documented forced evictions and criminal charges. The scheme, recognised in a 2017 agreement between the environment ministry and conservation group Wildlife Alliance (WA), sees companies buy credits to offset their greenhouse gas emissions, with the revenue going towards preserving one of the world's most biodiverse rainforests. Chong Indigenous villagers in the southwestern Cardamom Mountains said that while they support preservation, the project has restricted their ability to farm, forage and collect firewood. "Firstly, people cannot farm freely because rangers and the Wildlife Alliance harass them by destroying their crops, dismantling their huts and burning their rice and other crops," Ven Vorn, a member of the Chumnoab commune in Chhay Areng, told AFP. He added that villagers worry about violating unknown rules. "They fear being arrested because they don't understand the law, they don't know what kind of forest products are allowed to be collected and what are not allowed to be collected," he said. About 3,000 Chong people live in the nearly half a million hectare area where the Southern Cardamom REDD+ conservation project was launched. Many of them were not properly informed or consulted about the scheme, according to HRW. The rights group documented six families' evictions from land in the project, and three other incidents where residents were prosecuted. "Conservation strategies that sideline and punish indigenous peoples to address the global environmental crisis are unacceptable, and counterproductive," said Luciana Tellez Chavez, HRW senior environment researcher. - Arrests, arbitrary searches - Globally, carbon credit schemes have proved controversial, with academic studies questioning their ability to offset emissions, and local communities reporting impacts on their livelihoods. To investigate the effects of the Cardamom Mountains initiative, HRW interviewed almost 100 villagers and analysed satellite imagery, topographic maps and social media. The rights group said between 2018 and 2021, patrols consisting of environment ministry rangers, gendarmes and WA staff "arrested and mistreated" villagers in the area. Villagers also told HRW that rangers would "arbitrarily search their homes". Home to dozens of threatened species, including Asian elephants, sun bears and pangolins, the Cardamom Mountains rainforest falls among roughly 40 percent of Cambodia designated a nature preserve. Yet the country has one the highest rates of deforestation in the world, according to HRW, with much of the trade lubricated by violence and bribery of forestry officials and border guards. The REDD+ effort bills itself as a way to prevent deforestation due to widespread rampant logging, slash and burn cultivation practices and illegal poaching that had put the Cardamoms on the brink of destruction. WA founder and CEO Suwanna Gauntlett said in an email to AFP that while her organisation respects HRW's work, the rights group "presents a fundamentally misleading and distorted picture" of the REDD+ project. She said HRW focused on only six of the 29 villages, and that there was "overwhelming support" from the Chong community, which had benefited from new schools, roads, medical centres, wells, scholarships and ecotourism. WA said it had also taken a raft of measures in response to HRW's findings, including appointing staff to help locals understand the rules of the protected area. Cambodia's Ministry of Environment said the Indigenous community had been sufficiently consulted, and lawbreakers would be punished. "Cambodia has reached a point: Preserving forests in order to increase its revenue," Environment Ministry spokesman Khvay Atitya told AFP. - 'Not happy' - In Chhay Areng, villagers noted the project had brought some benefits, including two roads a wells. But one man, who asked to remain anonymous, told AFP his community was overall "not happy" about it. Ven Vorn from Chumnoab said while he ultimately supports the scheme, he wished locals could have had more say in it. When it started, "huts, rice were burned and other crops were destroyed," he said. "We face difficulties that we cannot do our traditional rotating farming. "That's hard to accept." suy-rbu/pdw/lb Carla Crowder is one of USA TODAYs Women of the Year, a recognition of women who have made a significant impact in their communities and across the country. The program launched in 2022 as a continuation of Women of the Century, which commemorated the 100th anniversary of women gaining the right to vote. Meet this years honorees at womenoftheyear.usatoday.com. When Carla Crowder reported on crime and politics in the late 90s and early 2000s, she didnt fear criticism. She expected it. After all, she was simultaneously balancing the journalism industrys boys club, her own desire to question authority and the art of pretending to have no opinion on topics like the death penalty and prison conditions. Pleasing every audience was an idea Crowder abandoned early. Instead, she simply focused on justice. To this day, thats her priority. Crowder serves as the executive director of Alabama Appleseed, a nonpartisan, nonprofit law center known for freeing over-sentenced individuals and advocating for criminal justice reform. Carla Crowder is the executive director of Alabama Appleseed. After 16 years at newspapers across the country, including three years at the Montgomery Advertiser, she decided to abandon journalism. Within a span of three months in 2006, Crowder quit her job, got married and started class at The University of Alabama School of Law. I couldn't just sit on the sidelines and pretend to be unbiased about these issues anymore. I wasn't doing the paper any favors, and I didn't feel like I was being true to myself, Crowder said. Sometimes, when you have an innocent person the state is trying to kill, there's really not another side. Her final straw was the case of Anthony Ray Hinton, a man wrongfully sentenced to die for two shooting deaths in 1985. Hinton maintained his innocence for decades, and Crowder believed him. His case had always been told from the perspective of law enforcement, she said, so when it was time for her to cover his appeal, Crowder decided to focus on Hintons side of the story. Many politicians and lobbyists were not pleased with this take. As is often the case with newspapers, it was like, Okay, we did that. We're done with that. Our readers are tired of it, and it's depressing, so you need to find something else to do. But I didn't want to find something else to do, Crowder said. We hadn't fixed that problem. Carla Crowder is an attorney and writer whose organization fights for justice and equality for all Alabamians. With her current work at Alabama Appleseed, the impact is unmistakable. In the last year, the nonprofit got a bill passed in the state legislature to end Alabamas practice of automatically suspending drivers licenses when someone misses a fine payment or court hearing. Appleseed says this will alleviate pressures for 170,000 Alabamians. Crowder is also expanding Appleseeds bandwidth for directly representing incarcerated people, a service that she started in 2019. We've now done 15 cases, she said. And all of our clients were going to die in prison if we had not taken their cases and gotten them out. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Who paved the way for you or who did you pave the way for? I think aggressive, women journalists who were doing work in state houses, in Congress, covering criminal justice issues in the 70s and 80s, dealing with these male-dominated environments at a time when women were not expected to challenge authority, or to ask tough questions, or to be demanding that's one group of people for sure. Then, I think with my legal work, I'll shift that one. I hope I'm paving the way for younger people in this state who want a kinder, fairer, more merciful Alabama, an Alabama that doesn't prioritize punishing people and building prisons. I want to pave the way for those voices to be heard, for people to realize, as a citizen of this state, you have a right to speak up. You have lawmakers who will listen to you, and there's nothing special about me. I went to public schools in Florence. I went to a small college. I don't come from wealth, or privilege, or the Ivy League in any way, and yet, I lead an organization that's making a difference for marginalized and vulnerable people in Alabama. So anybody can do that. Carla Crowder stands Jan. 9 on Dexter Avenue in downtown Montgomery. What is your proudest moment? This may sound odd, but I'm just going to say it anyway. I think my proudest moment was one that I was also most anxious about. I was given an opportunity to present to the Downtown Birmingham Rotary Club about the prison crisis in Alabama. This is a group of heavy hitters, like all the influential business people in Birmingham, and several board members encouraged their contacts to attend. It was a very full house. This is not my happy place, being in front of a bunch of fancy people, being in the spotlight. But I worked on it, I practiced and I nailed it. I used my platform to get people who had influence to care about something that is shameful and that needs fixing. To not be intimidated by that crowd, to not be afraid to speak out even if I'm shaking inside and to pull something like that off was a really proud moment. What is your lowest moment? So, I briefly took a job that didn't work out. This was when I had my law degree, and I thought it was going to be a good move. My husband's retired, so I'm kind of the breadwinner, and for a few months, I was terrified that I was going to be unemployed and not able to support my family. I also had a moment where we thought there were rodents in the roof of my house. It was really loud in the middle of the night, and I couldn't sleep. So I had pending unemployment, a huge mortgage, rodents in my roof and a very unstable future. It was a hard few months, but then I got this job. With those kind of things, sometimes they work out, and sometimes they don't. I'm just really grateful because it was kind of my lowest moment right before my best opportunity. What is your definition of courage? Courage is taking a risk and doing unpopular things that need to be done. To fix entrenched problems and to challenge power, I think that's the most courageous thing that someone in the nonprofit, legal world can do. We're lawyers. We have some skills, and we have a platform to challenge people in power who are not using their platform in the most just ways. It takes courage, but it's also our responsibility. Alabama Appleseed Executive Director Carla Crowder speaks Jan. 9 about her advocacy work in Alabama. Is there a guiding principle or mantra you tell yourself? When I have doubts about working in prisons and with incarcerated people, I think back to a passage in the Bible. I think it's in Matthew 25 where Jesus says, "I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink. I was naked, and you clothed with me. I was in prison, and you visited me." It's just a reminder that, you know, Jesus paid attention to prisoners, too. We're not a faith-based organization. We don't put that front center, but I'm a person of faith, so I draw a lot of strength from those kinds of messages, particularly in the Gospel. Who do you look up to? There's a lawyer who founded the Southern Center for Human Rights in Atlanta, who's kind of the first real, crusading anti-death penalty lawyer in the Deep South, named Steve Bright. I started writing about their cases when I was (a reporter). He grew up on a Kentucky farm, not always super polished, but says it like it is. His organization was one of the motivators for me to do something different and to go to law school, so I've idolized him for a while. Then here in Montgomery, the federal defender Christine Freeman was on our board for a long time, and she got her start at the Southern Center. She brings a lot of those philosophies and principles to her work, and she has been at this work for over 40 years. She has just quietly done worlds of good. How do you overcome adversity? Persistence. We lose all the time. When you're trying to get people out of prison, and challenge mass incarceration and create more racial justice and economic justice in Alabama, there are a lot of people who aren't going to do what you want them to do. There's adversity everywhere, but just keep trying. Find another angle, find another compelling story, convince another lawmaker, do a big data search and find a solution and the numbers. The answer can't be "no," so maybe it can be "not yet." Our driver's license bill went down four sessions in a row, and then it didn't. What advice would you give your younger self? Don't be so angry and frustrated when things don't go your way. Approach people with humility, patience and understanding. More honey, less vinegar. This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Alabama advocate Carla Crowder talks prison reform, recent successes 23-year old Celeste Manno worked with Luay Sako at a call centre before he was fired in 2019 A man in Australia who stalked his former co-worker for months before killing her has been sentenced to 36 years in jail. Luay Sako broke into Celeste Manno's home in Melbourne in 2020 and stabbed her 23 times in two-and-a-half minutes. Prosecutors said the attack happened hours after she posted a photo online with her new boyfriend. Thursday's verdict outraged Ms Manno's family, who said Sako should have been jailed for life. He began stalking Ms Manno, 23, in 2019 after he was fired from the call centre where they both worked. He began sending her messages which, despite Ms Manno begging him to stop, became increasingly desperate and obsessive. Ms Manno reported Sako to the police and was able to get an interim restraining order. However, he was not deterred and was later charged with breaching the order. The court heard that Sako cross-referenced her social media posts with Google Maps to work out where Ms Manno's family home was. On 16 November 2020, a few hours after she posted a photo with her new boyfriend online, he drove to the address and used a hammer to smash her bedroom window. He then viciously stabbed Ms Manno to death as she was sleeping - fleeing minutes later. Her body was found by her mother shortly afterwards. Sako later drove to a police station, where he blamed law enforcement officers for her murder and asked them to shoot him. "You know what happened, it's your fault," he said, adding: "She's dead, she's dead. Go have a look." According to Australian public broadcaster ABC, there were tears in the court on Thursday when Justice Jane Dixon revealed she would not hand Sako a life sentence - the most severe legal penalty in the state of Victoria - for what she described as an "appalling crime". Justice Dixon told the court his case did not warrant life imprisonment because the now 39-year-old had been diagnosed with an extreme personality disorder, which "caused a significant impairment" of his mental functioning at the time of the offence. The judge acknowledged that she was well aware of the "devastating impact" of the crime on Ms Manno's family and friends - many of whom were in court for the verdict. Under the terms of his sentence, Sako will be eligible for parole in 2050. "It's unbelievable that the court decided to show him mercy, even when he showed Celeste none," Ms Manno's mother, Aggie Di Mauro, said outside the Supreme Court, shortly after the sentence was handed down. She tore up a speech she had prepared to read in front of dozens of journalists had the judge handed down the life sentence. "Today's outcome proves just how flawed the justice system is," she said, adding that she hoped Sako's sentence would be upgraded on appeal. BEIJING (Reuters) - China is willing to further promote economic and trade cooperation with Egypt, and to continue to encourage and support its enterprises to invest and start businesses in the African country, the Chinese commerce ministry cited its minister as saying. Minister Wang Wentao, who met the Egyptian prime minister on Wednesday, said China is ready to expand relations, looking into the potential for cooperation in fields such as information and communications, smart cities, e-commerce, green development, and high-tech industry. (Reporting by Liz Lee and Shanghai newsroom; Editing by Chris Reese) A woman walks past copies of "The Three-Body Problem" on display at a bookstore in Beijing on Monday, Feb. 19, 2024. The series, written by former engineer Liu Cixin, helped Chinese science fiction break through internationally, winning awards and making it onto the reading lists of the likes of former U.S. President Barack Obama and Mark Zuckerberg. (AP Photo/Andy Wong) CHENGDU, China (AP) For a few days in October 2023, the capital of the science fiction world was Chengdu, China. Fans traveled from around the world as Worldcon, sci-fis biggest annual event, was held in the country for the first time. It was a rare moment when Chinese and international fans could get together without worrying about the increasingly fraught politics of Chinas relationship with the West or Beijing's tightening grip on expression. For Chinese fans like Tao Bolin, an influencer who flew from the southern province of Guangdong for the event, it felt like the world finally wanted to read Chinese literature. Fans and authors mingled in a brand new Science Fiction Museum, designed by the prestigious Zaha Hadid Architects in the shape of a huge steel starburst over a lake. But three months later, much of that goodwill turned sour as a scandal erupted over allegations that organizers of the Hugo awards sci-fis biggest prize, awarded at Worldcon disqualified candidates to placate Chinese censors. The event embodied the contradictions that Chinese science fiction has faced for decades. In 40 years, its gone from a politically suspect niche to one of Chinas most successful cultural exports, with author Liu Cixin gaining an international following that includes fans like Barack Obama and Mark Zuckerberg. But its had to overcome obstacles created by geopolitics for just as long. With a big-budget Netflix adaptation of his The Three-Body Problem set to drop in March, produced by the same showrunners as Game of Thrones, Chinese sci-fi could reach its biggest audience yet. Getting there took decades of work by dedicated authors, editors and cultural bureaucrats who believed that science fiction could bring people together. Sci-fi has always been a bridge between different cultures and countries, says Yao Haijun, the editor-in-chief of Science Fiction World, Chinas oldest sci-fi magazine. A SMALL STEP FOR A PROVINCIAL BUREAUCRAT Chinese sci-fis journey abroad started with another convention in Chengdu three decades ago, but politics nearly derailed that one before it could get off the ground. Science Fiction World planned to host a writers conference in the city in 1991. But as news of the brutal crackdown on student protesters in Beijings Tiananmen Square circled the globe in 1989, foreign speakers were dropping out. The magazine sent a small delegation to Worldcon 1990, hosted in The Hague, to save the conference. Its leader was Shen Zaiwang, an English translator in Sichuan provinces Foreign Affairs Department who fell in love with sci-fi as a child. He packed instant noodles for the weeks-long train journey across China and the fragmenting Soviet Union. In The Hague, Shen used toy pandas and postcards of Chengdu to make the case that the city more than 1,800 kilometers (1,000 miles) from Beijing was friendly and safe to visit. We tried to introduce our province as a safe place, and that the people in Sichuan really hope the foreign science fiction writers can come and have a look and encourage Chinese young people to read more science fiction novels, Shen says. In the end, a dozen foreign authors attended the conference. It was a small start, but it was more than anyone could have imagined a few years earlier. A GIANT LEAP FOR THE GENRE Chinas science fiction community faced suspicion at home as well. Science fiction magazines such as Chengdu's Science Fiction World started being launched in the late 1970s and early 1980s, as China began opening to the world after the Mao era. But in the early 1980s, Beijing initiated a nationwide spiritual pollution cleaning campaign to quash the influence of the decadent West, and sci-fi was accused of being unscientific and out of line with official ideology. Most of the young publications were shuttered. Science Fiction Worlds editors kept going. They believed if China wanted to develop, it needed to be an innovative country it needed science fiction, Yao, the editor, said in a recorded public address in 2017. In 1997, the magazine organized another international event in Beijing, headlined by U.S. and Russian astronauts. The conference got attention in the Chinese press, giving sci-fi a cool new aura of innovation, exploration and imagination, Yao says. LIU CIXINS BIG BANG Chinas growing sci-fi fandom was devouring translated works from abroad, but few people abroad were reading Chinese stories. Liu Cixin was going to change that. A soft-spoken engineer at a power plant in the coal-dominated province of Shanxi, his stories were hits with genre fans. But The Three-Body Problem, first serialized by Science Fiction World in 2006, reached a new level of popularity, says Yao. Authorities took note. The China Educational Publications Import & Export Corporation, the state-owned publications exporter, picked up the novel and its two sequels. The translations were intended from the start as a big cultural export from China to the world, something very highly visible, says Joel Martinsen, who translated the trilogys second volume, The Dark Forest. But no one could have anticipated the critical and popular success: In 2015, Liu became the first Asian author to win a Hugo Award for a novel. There was something quite fresh and raw and eye-catching, and even sometimes very dark and ruthless in his work, says Song Mingwei, a professor of Chinese literature at Wellesley College. The next year, Beijing-based writer Hao Jingfang beat Stephen King to win a Hugo for short fiction with a story about social inequality in a surreal version of Chinas capital. INTERCEPTED BY BEIJING Lius translations were also a political breakthrough for the genre: In two decades, it had gone from barely tolerated to a flagship export of Chinas official cultural machine. The government encouraged the growth of an industry spanning movies, video games, books, magazines and exhibits, and set up an official research center in 2020 to track its rise. Worldcon Chengdu was to be the crowning achievement of these efforts. The event itself was seen as a success. But in January, when the Hugo committee disclosed vote totals, the critics suspicions seemed to be confirmed. It turned out several candidates had been disqualified, raising censorship concerns. They included New York Times bestselling authors R. F. Kuang and Xiran Jay Zhao, both politically active writers with family ties to China. Leaked internal emails which The Associated Press could not independently verify appeared to show that the awards committee spent weeks checking nominees works and social media profiles for statements that could offend Beijing, and sent reports on these to Chinese counterparts, according to an investigation by two sci-fi authors and journalists. They dont show how the reports were used or who made the decisions about disqualification. The Hugo awards organizers did not respond to requests for comment by the AP. A NEW HOPE? Despite the frictions, Chinese sci-fi remains poised to continue its international rise. Netflixs adaptation of the The Three-Body Problem could bring it to a vast new audience, a coming-out orders of magnitude bigger than Shen Zaiwangs trip to The Hague. And insiders like Song and Yao are looking forward to a new generation of Chinese sci-fi authors thats starting to be translated into English now. Its led by younger, female writers who were educated abroad such as Regina Kanyu Wang and Tang Fei. Their works explore themes that resonate with younger audiences, Song says, such as gender fluidity and climate catastrophes. When doing anything with the endorsement of either the market or the government, imagination can dry up very quickly, Song says. I think often the important thing happens on the margin. Yao continues to believe in sci-fis role as a bridge between cultures, even in turbulent times. As long as there is communication, he says, well be able to find some things in common. ___ AP researcher Wanqing Chen contributed to this report. Chloe saw its first collection from German designer Chemena Kamali (JULIEN DE ROSA) For her first collection at the head of Chloe, designer Chemena Kamali looked back to the 1970s of the Parisian house and the blend of feminity and bohemian chic of its then-designer Karl Lagerfeld. "Coming back to Chloe seemed very natural to me, like coming home, and also a new beginning," said the 41-year-old German, who worked for the brand as an intern and then under the aegis of Phoebe Philo in the early 2000s. For her first collection in charge, Kamali played with contrasts: feminine and masculine, chiffon and vinyl, powder pink and military green, white lace and black thigh-high boots. One look that seemed to embody the collection was a floaty sheer dress under a rigid coat of black leather. Kamali replaced Gabriela Hearst, who lasted just three years at Chloe. Her sustainability focus earned acclaim but failed to bring a major boost in sales. Born in Germany and trained at Central Saint Martins in London, Kamali was poached from Saint Laurent, where she was head of women's ready-to-wear. "I want to return to the original roots of the house and build a sensual Chloe that radiates warmth and positivity," she said. dar/er/ach FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) A man has been arrested after allegedly brandishing a knife at a 26-year-old and stabbing him, sending the victim to the hospital over the weekend, the California Highway Patrol said on Wednesday. On Sunday, officers say two men approached a victim on State of California property located in Fresno. One of the suspects was identified as 25-year-old Daniel Dominguez of Fresno, and he along with his male accomplice brandished a knife to threaten a 26-year-old pedestrian. According to CHP, an unprovoked assault ensued which led to the stabbing of the pedestrian victim at the hands of Dominguez. The victim was transported to a hospital where he is recovering from stab wounds to his neck and is expected to survive. Following a thorough investigation, CHP Fresno and the Fresno Police Department officers say they located Dominguez at the Poverello House on Tuesday, two days after the incident. According to CHP, the suspect was found to be in possession of the suspected weapon used in the stabbing and was peacefully taken into custody under suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and attempted murder, along with other charges. If anyone has information or witnessed this incident, they are asked to contact the Fresno Area CHP at 559-262-0400. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com | KSEE24 and CBS47. When Christian Horner returns to the Formula One paddock on Thursday morning under the desert sun, he could choose to savour the warm glow of exoneration. Even for someone of his chutzpah, the past month has been bruising, with every facet of his reputation pored over in the court of paddock opinion. He would be forgiven, after the stress of maintaining a facade of normality as his career threatened to fall apart, for never wanting to utter the words ongoing process again. And yet you have to ask whether the 89-word statement from Red Bulls headquarters in Salzburg, declaring the investigation into Horners conduct complete, truly signals the end of the saga. On the surface, the team rhetoric in Bahrain will be of turning the page and relishing the 24 races to come. But can there truly be peace and goodwill to all men when there is no mention by the company of the precise allegations of which Horner has been cleared? Despite Red Bulls confidence in the rigour of the independent inquiry, it has all seemed maddeningly opaque. No light is shed on the substance of the accusations, or on how and when they came to light, or even on the identity of the barrister presiding over it all. Red Bulls position is that they are a private company and under no obligation to flesh out internal grievances for public consumption. But the sheer vagueness of the verdict only perpetuates the questions about what Horner has had to defend himself against. This is a problem, when several of his leading adversaries are already seeking to destabilise his powerbase. Take the remarks from arch-nemesis Toto Wolff, who, during testing, turned his ordeal into a soapbox moment by declaring: F1 and the teams, we stand for inclusion, equality, fairness, diversity. And it is not only talking about, it is living it day in and day out. These are the standards we are setting ourselves. We are a global sport, and we are role models. Horner chats to Mercedes chief Toto Wolff (left) and Red Bull team advisor Helmut Marko (right) - AFP/Andrej Isakovic It has been hard to stomach this boilerplate moralising, and doubly so when Horner who, as the subject of active proceedings at the time of Wolffs comments was entitled to a presumption of innocence. Still, this did not stop Zak Brown either, with the McLaren chief executive arguing: I dont believe these are the kind of headlines that F1 wants or needs. Only a couple of hours before the Red Bull statement was released, Lewis Hamilton aimed his own shot across the bows, insisting that the sport needed to do more to make its working environment safe and inclusive. Could a certain degree of pre-judging be detected here? Was the implication of Hamiltons view that Horner had somehow, contrary to the inquirys conclusions, jeopardised the cause of safety and inclusion? Horner would be within his rights to bristle at the way Hamiltons intervention was worded. And he has a long history, after all, for retaliating to provocations from Mercedes with interest. On this occasion, though, he would perhaps be best advised not to sound too triumphalist. Red Bulls rivals are sharpening their claws, waiting to pounce on the slightest misstep. Horner, when the mood takes him, has plenty of rhetorical flourishes in his armoury, seldom wasting a chance to ruffle Wolffs feathers. But for now the most sensible reason would be one of dignified restraint. At a human level, the relief for Horner and his wife Geri will be overwhelming. There is talk that she could appear at a grand prix as soon as this weekend, affirming the image of a united front. For all that their lives have long projected glamour and domestic bliss at home with their horses in Oxfordshire, the nature of the allegations, originally described as coercive and controlling behaviour, made for a period of searing scrutiny. Now that he has been absolved, his appetite for confrontation is unlikely to be as intense as it once was. Horner's wife Geri (left) could now fly out to Bahrain for the grand prix - Getty Images/Jared C. Tilton Horners belligerent style is not always to everybodys tastes, but there are reasons to be thankful his presence in F1 will endure. He is both mischievous and endlessly quotable, not to mention an integral part of the sports recent history over his 19 years in charge. He is both a link to its past, as a close personal friend of Bernie Ecclestone, and a powerful front man for its present, as a ubiquitous contributor on Drive to Survive and on the pit wall during race weekends. Sky and Netflix will both, for the sake of their output, be eternally grateful he is being allowed to continue. One day, Horner might feel tempted to deliver his revenge on those who have doubted and impugned him. But there are, as it stands, precarious foundations for him to do so. The confidentiality of the final report is a curse in some ways, preventing Horner from spelling out exactly why he has denied the claims so vehemently. But if the allegations ever did become common knowledge, there are enough antagonists in F1 who would never let the matter lie. Horner, for the time being, can luxuriate in the knowledge that the shadow over his name has lifted. But you sense, looking at what Red Bull do not say as much as at what they do, that his grisly experience has not quite reached its end. Recommended Wild rumours and WhatsApp messages: The case that rocked Red Bull 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 St. Louis church has been condemned by city authorities after an injured, bound woman told cops over the weekend shed been held captive there. The entrance to the Mount of Olives Ministry now features a sign warning visitors to keep away from the unsafe premises, according to a photo published by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. A city building inspector reportedly signed off on condemning the building on Monday. The official reason given for the churchs closure is that it is used or intended to be used for purposes which are illegal and may endanger the health and safety of persons. No further details have been provided on what led authorities to that conclusion. But just a few days earlier, a woman who was found bleeding from the head near the church reportedly showed police a room inside where she said she had been held captive and beaten; officers reported finding a bucket filled with feces and urine inside the room. The woman, who has not been named, identified three men who were subsequently charged with second-degree kidnapping and third-degree assault: 32-year-old Pasi Heri, 28-year-old Grace Kipendo, and 25-year-old Mmunga Fungamali. It was not immediately clear what role the three men played at the church, though Kipendo was described by one congregant as a respected leader in comments to local outlet KSDK News. Chris Combs, a lawyer for Kipendo, said his client, a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army, had nothing to do with any crime against the woman. According to him, the woman was suffering from several mental health issues and her family had brought her to the church to get help. I believe in the coming weeks a lot of light will be shed on this and an entirely different story will come out, he was quoted telling KSDK, adding that a 30-day fast had been underway at the church when police showed up. The three suspects are due for a court hearing next Monday. Adding more mystery to the case, Assistant Circuit Attorney Chris Faerber said during a court hearing Monday that the unnamed victim had been contacted by people while she was receiving treatment in a hospital, and one unknown individual claimed to be a district attorneya dead giveaway of an imposter, since that title isnt used in Missouri. The Mount of Olives Ministry has more than 75 congregants, most of whom hail from central Africa and speak French or Swahili. 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. Chris Avell, pastor at Dads Place, a nondenominational Christian church in Bryan, Ohio, was charged with violating zoning laws for allowing people to sleep at the church. Photo courtesy of First Liberty Institute SALT LAKE CITY, Feb. 29 (UPI) -- Houses of worship in some frigid parts of the United States are allowing homeless people seeking a warm place to sleep to stay overnight in their buildings when temperatures drop -- which can put them in conflict with city or state laws. Some have found workarounds or try to fight City Hall. The disputes often pit zoning and safety concerns against Christian values of caring for vulnerable people, even saving lives. Criminal charges have been dropped against an Ohio pastor accused of violating zoning laws by allowing homeless people to sleep at his church, but a legal battle in the case is continuing. Dad's Place, a nondenominational Christian church in Bryan, Ohio, began operating around the clock last March and has permitted an average of eight people -- about a dozen in extreme weather -- to stay overnight. In November, the church received a letter from the city ordering it to cease its 24-hour operations because it is in a central business zoning district that does not allow people to sleep on the property and prohibits first-floor residences. But the church decided to continue to keep its doors open 24 hours a day, and Pastor Chris Avell was charged in December with 18 zoning violations for allegedly allowing homeless people to reside on the property "for an extended amount of time." The maximum penalty for each charge is six months in jail and a $500 fine. Dads Place, a church in Bryan, Ohio, operates around the clock to provide a place for homeless people to stay. Photo courtesy of First Liberty Institute That led Dad's Place to file a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Toledo against Bryan and its officials, seeking a declaration that the city's application of the zoning ordinances violates Dad's Place's religious freedom rights and an order barring the city from taking further steps to enforce them. "The city's application of its ordinances implicates the very core of a religious group's activities -- worship and religious activities on church property," the suit says. Caring for the vulnerable Avell has been operating Dad's Place since 2018 from a rented building in downtown Bryan, a small town in northwest Ohio about 50 miles from Toledo. The decision to never close the doors of the church to the public was part of a ministry focusing on "the hurting, marginalized and outcasts living in and around the city," according to the suit. Attorney Ryan Gardner, counsel with the First Liberty Institute, a nonprofit legal organization that represents Dad's Place, said that even before the church began operating 24 hours a day, the doors would be open overnight to provide shelter during extreme weather. Allowing people into a church at all hours of the night goes back to the earliest days of Christianity and even earlier with other religions, he said. "It's touched a lot of hearts for people to see the church doing what most people would think the church should be doing -- caring for the most vulnerable, helping those who need it most, loving those who maybe don't have a family and don't have that support system," Gardner said. The church does not intend to be a permanent residence but rather operates as an emergency shelter for anyone in need of a temporary place to stay while they look for permanent housing, the suit says. "The church's policy on staying overnight is simple: The church's doors are always open, and it will not ask anyone to leave unless there is a biblically valid reason for doing so or if someone at the property poses a danger to himself or others at the church," the suit says. For months, Dad's Place engaged in its "Rest and Refresh in the Lord" ministry from 11 p.m. to 8 a.m. each night without incident, the suit says. The lights were dimmed, Scripture was read over speakers and people could come and go as they pleased. But in November, as winter was beginning, the city issued an ultimatum that the church cease operating 24 hours a day. After Dad's Place refused to force people onto the streets, the city began engaging in a campaign to harass, intimidate and shut down the church, the suit alleges. City officials say in a press release the Bryan Police Department started getting more calls beginning last May about "inappropriate activity" at Dad's Place. Some of the calls were about criminal mischief, trespassing, overdose, larceny, harassment, disturbing the peace and sexual assault. In addition, Ohio fire code violations were discovered in an inspection, according to the press release. "The city enforces its zoning code equally to all," the release says. "A church does not have any special rights under the zoning code and the city expects Pastor Avell and Dad's Place to follow the law as it does for all within the city." The city also said it has been working with a homeless shelter next to Dad's Place to find room for people coming to the church and with social organizations to find additional help for them. The two sides are mediating their dispute. The city dropped all charges on Feb. 8 and the church is continuing its 24/7 ministry as the parties conduct settlement discussions. Avell is grateful for city officials' willingness to work with him, saying in a statement, "I am thankful to God, the city and for everyone who has been praying for this day to come." Special use permits First Baptist Church in Edwardsville, Ill., near St. Louis, Mo., was issued a $750 citation in December for operating an overnight warming location without obtaining a special use permit. The Rev. Drew Patton believes one wasn't needed. First Baptist has a permit to operate as a church in the downtown mixed-use zoning district, he said. "We believe we were operating within our rights as a church to provide ministry to those who need it," Patton said. "We believe we were operating under the previous special use permit because the services we were providing, the ministry we were providing, are core to our identity as Christians." First Baptist has continued to operate its warming location when temperatures plunge. Patton and other church leaders sent a letter Jan. 10 to Mayor Art Risavy and the city "respectfully" declining the request to get a special use permit. "While we affirm and support the city's responsibility and authority to regulate the commercial activities of businesses, it does not extend to regulating the religious activities of churches," the letter says, adding legal representation has been lined up should the matter go to court. Risavy directed his staff in January to suspend the citation issued to First Baptist, saying it was never the city's intent to stop the operation of the warming location, especially during dangerous weather conditions. At the time, the temperature was dropping into the single digits some nights, sometimes reaching negative numbers. The church is in talks with the city to try to get the request for the permit dropped. A special use permit costs $750. Edwardsville officials say in a press release First Baptist is being treated the same as any hotel, overnight warming location, adult or child-care facility or any other uses that are not specifically included in the zoning district. A special use permit helps to ensure appropriate safety measures and operations are in place. A fire marshal who did a walk-through recently of the First Baptist warming location had only one recommendation, the addition of a carbon monoxide monitor, and said everything was in great shape, Patton said. Freezing temperatures Safety also was a concern for Rapid City, S.D., officials when Woyatan Lutheran Church put up an Arctic weather tent to accommodate more people overnight. The city issued an order Jan. 12 barring the use of the tent as an overnight warming shelter but not requiring its removal. With a low of -19 degrees that day, the officials were worried about the possibility of fire from efforts to heat the tent. "The city has had little issue with facilities or organizations, including churches, wishing to provide day services and warming shelters to those in need during the day," Rapid City officials said in a statement. "The city does have concerns when tents or temporary facilities are set up for overnight sheltering. These temporary facilities pose safety risks." The officials also noted an encampment near the city limits set up a few years prior for homeless people had caught fire and said existing facilities have available space. The Rev. Joe Hubbard of St. Matthew's Episcopal Church in Rapid City said religious liberties under the First Amendment have been threatened by the possibility of being charged with zoning and permitting violations. The tent was put up in preparation for a wake and funeral the next day and to accommodate the deceased person's family, he said. Hubbard describes his church and Woyatan Lutheran as allies that together offer the spectrum of what a Christian community ought to be. They have removed the pews at Woyatan and replaced them with bunks to ensure everyone has a warm place to sleep and moved traditional church worship, such as Sunday services and funerals, to St. Matthew's, he said. "Jesus says, 'I was hungry and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me,'" he said, adding that is the embodiment of what Woyatan is offering. Movie nights, code blue Pastor Justin Banks has held movie nights at his small church in Provo, Utah, for years, an event designed to temporarily shelter homeless people in frigid weather. Utah County has no zoning for shelters and Banks wanted to help unhoused people. So eight years ago, The Genesis Project, a nondenominational Christian church, began opening its doors twice a week on dangerously cold nights. "I made it a church-sanctioned event," Banks said. "We'd offer a cup of noodles for people who wanted something to eat. Then we watched Netflix all night." When it gets late, the lights are turned down and closed captioning replaces the sound as people sleep on chairs and on the floor. "I want to keep people off the street," Banks said. "I want to keep people alive. If I'm doing a church-sanctioned event, you can't stop me." A new law passed last year by the Utah Legislature has expanded the help that homeless people can get. When the temperature drops to a "code blue" level of 15 degrees or lower, including with the wind chill, homeless shelters can increase their allowable capacity and other entities, including churches, can open warming centers. The First United Methodist Church in downtown Salt Lake City formed a coalition last year with advocacy groups to provide temporary shelter for homeless people and used the movie strategy. The church has hosted 31 movie nights when the temperature dropped to 25 degrees or lower, said Mike Green, chair of the church's Board of Trustees. Guests were fed and could watch a movie and "just happened to stay all night," he said. St. Mark's Cathedral, a block from First United Methodist, has opened as a backup. One night a few weeks ago, when temperatures reached the mid-20s, the two churches housed a total of 95 people. "We're still 'bending the rules,'" Green said. "But the range between 15 and 25 degrees is still freezing and we're saving lives in doing so. The whole point is being able to provide that kind of support so that we don't run into losing lives that don't need to be lost." Editor's note: City Hall Insider is a roundup of items the Austin City Council is set to vote on other local government news and an inside look at my reporting process. This story was updated after the Austin City Council voted. While there are always things happening at the municipal level in every department and elected office of the tenth largest city in the country, it seems that one or two items usually take the cake as to what city leaders, and readers, are interested in talking about. But these past two weeks have felt different, at least to me. There were several nuanced storylines that have emerged from city hall with more to come from Thursday's nearly 100 item City Council agenda. To briefly recap: the mayor took on the coal plant, the city killed an audit of it's homeless contracts and programs and the City Council and H-E-B saved Blues on the Green. There are several items of note: free library cards for some non-residents, a resolution to help identify more funding and support for downtown Austin's Red River Cultural District, on Thursday's city council agenda as well. Let's get into it. Free library cards for non-residents Live close to Austin city limits but don't have access to the city's free library card? That could change. The City Council voted today to remove non-resident library card fees for residents of the citys limited purpose and extraterritorial jurisdictions. Limited purpose annexation extends some of the city's ordinances and regulations to surrounding areas, but does not include services like policing. An extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) is unincorporated land within 5 miles of Austins city limit that is not within the city or ETJ of another city, according to the city, which currently extends into Travis, Hays, Williamson and Bastrop counties. The city does not collect taxes in either locations. The ordinance, spearheaded by Council Member Vanessa Fuentes, will allow area residents living in eligible areas to have access to Austin's free public library card, rather than pay a fee of up $120 annually. "This nonresident fee creates an economic barrier to all individuals who may work in Austin and have been forced to relocate to surrounding areas due to gentrification and increased costs of housing that commute into Austin for work," a supporting city document for the proposal states. Want to know if the ordinance applies to you, click on the city's jurisdiction map. Red River Cultural District The City Council will voted to take steps to identify funding and support for the Red River Cultural District in downtown Austin. The resolution, led by Council Member Zohaib "Zo" Qadri, calls for the city manager to "identify funding options in the current fiscal year that could be used for the Red River Merchants Association." This could include, according to the draft resolution, adding more venues and performers to Red River Cultural Districts Hot Summer Nights and Free Week festivals, conducting an economic impact analysis and documenting the history of live music in Austin via walking tours and murals. Nicole Klepadlo, interim executive director of the Red River Cultural District, spoke at a January music commision meeting asking the city for more funding. "This funding is critical as we think about Red River Cultural District as a place," Klepadlo told the music commission in January. "This place is a major economic and cultural generator for the city and key tourism driver." Even though it was approved today, city staff still needs to identify funding and support options, then return to the City Council for approval. It's worth noting that the city's economic development department is also working on a plan to fund new and existing cultural and business districts, which is also needs council approval, according to the draft resolution. Watson wants out of the Fayette Power Plant Austin Mayor Kirk Watson made clear his stance on the city's involvement in the coal-burning power plant in Fayette County: he wants the city to shut down its portion no later than January 2029. In an online newsletter, Watson said it is time to halt the 2030 Resource, Generation and Climate Protection Plan Austin Energy's guide to reach 93% carbon-free emissions and "scrub all the options," I reported last week. More: Read more: Mayor Watson wants to halt Austin Energy plan, get city out of Fayette Power Plant by 2029 The city has been trying for over a decade to end it's involvement in the plant, which it co-owns with the Lower Colorado River Authority, with no avail. Austin Energy has not yet been able to come to an agreement allowing the utility "to affordably retire its share of the FPP coal plant as originally planned," Bob Kahn, Austin Energy's general manager, wrote in a statement to the American-Statesman. "We have to start, right now, putting together how we want to get out of Fayette by January of 2029," Watson told me. "That's going to take a lot of innovation, a lot of thought and some creativity. We can do that." Austin killed the McKinsey audit of homelessness A million dollar audit of the city's homeless contracts and programs, to be conducted by the international consulting firm McKinsey & Company, is a no-go, Interim City Manager Jesus Garza recently announced. I reported last week that the $2 million review, approved by the City Council in January, was set to be a joint assessment of several agencies that provide homelessness services including Central Health, Travis County and Integral Care. Each were set to contribute to the contract, with the city paying half the total bill. More: Read more: Austin kills million dollar McKinsey & Company audit of homelessness contracts, programs But Travis County commissioners voted against it, saying they want a review but not with McKinsey. Both Integral Care and Central Health approved funding for the review, according to a February memo from Garza. Garza said he still supports the comprehensive review with the same agencies, as does Watson. "We have at least four jurisdictions that are overlapping," Watson told me last week. "We ought to be willing to look at how we work together on that, so that we provide better service, and a better and more appropriate use of those tax dollars." City Council, and H-E-B, save a popular Austin music festival And last, but not least, for this week's "City Hall Insider," Blues on the Green is saved! Organizers of the event announced in January they would not be able to host the festival this year due citing rising costs of putting on a free event without admission fees or bar sales. But just a day after the City Council approved a resolution that authorized the city to negotiate with the Blues on the Green to make it a city co-sponsored event, Austin City Limits Radio announced the popular, free music festival in Zilker Park would return, citing the resolution and increased financial support from H-E-B. More: Read more: Blues on the Green in Zilker Park returns. ACL Radio says City Council support is reason. Next steps aren't exactly clear yet. The resolution, approved earlier this month, directed the city manager to return with a resolution or ordinance for any associated fee waivers, co-sponsorships or related budget authorizations, related to the event, according to the draft resolution. ACL Radio, when announcing the festival was back, said they would have more information soon. If you've made it this far, thank you for following along! I hope you'll continue reading "City Hall Insider," published the day of every Austin City Council meeting, which is usually bi-weekly. In the meantime, I will continue my coverage of local government and politics. To share additional tips or insight, email me at emccarthy@statesman.com. You can also find me on X, formerly Twitter, @byEllaMcCarthy. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: City Hall Insider: Free library cards, cultural district funding Rendering of proposed apartments off Collier Boulevard. Collier commissioners reconsidered, then reapproved a developer's application for taxpayer money to build affordable housing. While they all seemed to agree the project is imperfect, commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to keep moving it forward. After the application won unanimous approval in late January, Commissioner Bill McDaniel asked for a reconsideration at a board meeting a few weeks later. A majority of the board then agreed to rehear it the next time they met. After the first vote, McDaniel said new information had come to light that triggered new questions and concerns in his mind, which he wanted the developer and county staff to address in the public eye. He felt there hadn't been enough discussion about the site's location and existing zoning, and the project's potential impacts on the environment, traffic and neighbors. He also wanted more information about the structure of the deal and a better understanding of the developer's need for taxpayer money to build the apartments. To help finance its project, the developer McDowell Housing Partners asked for up to $3.75 million to secure the land for it. Under the agreement, the county would buy the land, then lease it back to the developer. The money for the land purchase will come from a one-cent tax county voters approved for capital projects. The county set aside $20 million to fund land acquisitions for lower-than-market housing from the tax before it expired last year. While several proposals have been floated by private and nonprofit developers, McDowell Housing Partners is the first to make it this far through the application and approval process. In case you missed it: Collier commissioners advance first proposal to build workforce housing with surtax money More: Collier commission to reconsider application for taxpayer dollars to build workforce housing The roughly 7.5-acre site the developer has chosen for the project is at the corner of Collier Boulevard and Henderson Creek Drive, a half mile south of U.S. 41, not far from Marco Island. It sits close to Henderson Creek, which flows into Rookery Bay, a protected estuary, so its sparked environmental concerns. Changes made to site plan In the weeks before the revote, the developer worked with county staff and commissioner McDaniel to address his uneasiness about the project, making improvements that he and other commissioners praised before approving the application again. Changes to the site plan included shifting a preserve to the east, so it's no longer adjacent to Henderson Creek, and it can act as a better buffer to neighbors living in two-story condos. "Undoubtedly, you will see some building, but it's not going to be looming over you," explained Christopher Shear, the chief operating officer for McDowell Housing Partners. The developer's plans call for a seven-story building, plus a clubhouse, with other amenities, which may include a dog park, pool and playground. There would be a total of 160 apartments, with 64 one-bedroom, 84 two-bedroom and 12 three-bedroom units in the mix. For added environmental protection, the developer has agreed to put a conservation easement over the preserve, so it can never be built upon. The project will not include a public park, nor provide public access to Henderson Creek, ideas the developer had kicked around before facing a backlash from neighbors. There won't even be a dock at the creek, only seating near its edge for residents of the apartments to enjoy the waterfront views, Shear said. "That will be the extent of it," he reassured commissioners, and neighbors. Shear, along with an engineering consultant, explained in detail how stormwater will be handled on the site, run through a "treatment train" that will reduce runoff, remove pollutants and improve water quality. The system will include catch basins, filters and underground vaults for water storage. There have also been tweaks to the road access, with outgoing traffic directed onto Collier Boulevard, with plans for the addition of a no-exit sign to Henderson Creek Drive from the apartment complex to help reduce its impact on neighbors, and the local street. Sidewalk improvements are planned along Collier Boulevard, near the entrance, as well, Shear said. Site for proposed workforce housing off Collier Boulevard. The project's original height, at 70 feet, and density, at 21 units to an acre, haven't changed, but they are less than what's allowed by the state's Live Local Act, designed to incentivize the development of affordable housing across Florida. What's proposed is what's needed to make the development financially doable, and for it to still qualify for state funding, which is based on that specific design, Shear said. Dubbed Ekos on Collier, the proposed rental community would be "100% affordable" and target essential workers, such as teachers, police officers, firefighters, and other "civil servants," including county employees, as well as seniors and veterans. The units would be set aside for those making anywhere from 30% to 80% of the area's median income, with those commitments locked in for years to come, based on the requirements of the financing agreements, Shear clarified. As part of the partnership with the county, the developer would sign a 99-year lease to keep the units affordable for at least that many years, with the potential to extend the agreement. The county commission must still approve a contract to purchase the property, along with a developer agreement. While he voted in favor of the application for taxpayer funding for a second time, McDaniel continued to express reservations about the project, including its shortage of parking, which doesn't meet county code. "I'm not your enemy," he told the developer, while expressing the need to get the parking right, on what he described as a constrained site. He suggested that county staff collect water quality data in the area where the project is planned to better measure or gauge its environmental impacts on Henderson Creek once it's built. Staff agreed to get on it. A 'pivotal place' for affordable housing County staff noted the critical need to provide more affordable housing, and pointed out the apartments would require approvals and permits from many agencies, from the South Florida Water Management District to the Florida Department of Transportation, that will scrutinize and get into the nitty-gritty of the details. "This is really a pivotal place for us to be able to have some attainable housing for folks," commented Trinity Scott, the county's head of transportation management services. The Florida Department of Transportation will take the lead in reviewing and dealing with the traffic impacts because Collier Boulevard is a state road, with the agency weighing in on what it will and won't allow to be built, alongside it, she explained. At the hearing, a handful of residents weighed in, both for and against the proposed development. Resident Bobby Williams said he opposed it for a number of reasons, including fears of stormwater runoff into Henderson Creek and uncontrolled traffic and flooding from such an intense project. "I am pro development, but I also want to make sure our environment is kept," he said. "I've seen it go away with development." Terry Dignan, who lives nearby, said one of his biggest concerns is the additional traffic the project will bring to the neighborhood, especially during peak hours, when so many of its residents will be coming and going to work. "It's going to be a mess," he said. Proposed site of apartments for workforce housing off Collier Boulevard, in eastern Collier County. Elizabeth Radi, a spokeswoman for the Collier Tenants Union, argued in favor of the project, saying it would only be a drop in the bucket to address a giant need for more affordable housing in the county. The problem, she said, is about to get worse, with the Federal Emergency Management Agency expected to end its direct housing program soon, which has provided temporary trailers to victims of Hurricane Ian. She praised McDowell Housing Partners for wanting to be part of the solution to the housing crisis, and for its genuine passion toward that end, with multiple projects built, planned and proposed in the county. Without the benefit of the developer's housing, she said more residents are "fixin' to go homeless." Elizabeth Radi Resident Doug Williams, who lives in workforce housing built on county-owned land by the same developer, off Santa Barbara Boulevard, said it has been a godsend for him, as a single father, and he's grateful to have a modern, comfortable place to live with his daughter, which is hard to come by on his income in Collier County. Previously, he said he relied on friends for places to stay, due to financial and relationship issues, despite working hard and having a steady job. "We got to remember, we are people," he said, "and who wants to live on the street? Who doesn't want to be able to live in a comfortable environment, where you can raise your family and be part of society, right? That's what we want. We all want that." No reason for a pause? Commissioner Burt Saunders motioned to reapprove the developer's application for tax money. He was the only one of four commissioners to vote against the reconsideration, seeing it as unnecessary, and describing it as a "fire drill." "If there's a problem down the road, we can deal with it," he said. He stressed the importance of the county's funding to make the apartments attainable to more low-income residents, and emphasized the project would be much better for it, with the ability to house veterans, seniors and others on more meager incomes. The commissioner also pointed out that a larger and more intense affordable housing project could be built on the site, with more expensive rent for residents making 100% to 120% of the area's median income, without the county commission's input or approval, under the Live Local Act. Collier's median income now stands at more than $100,000 (for a family of four). The median is the midpoint, at which half make more and half less. Commissioner Rick LoCastro seconded the motion to move ahead with the application. "Sometimes, you have to vote for the thing that you hate the least," he said. Actually, LoCastro said there is a lot to like about the project, including the fact that it has been proposed by a reputable developer, with a good track record. While he acknowledged there is already heavy traffic in the area around the chosen location, he said if apartments aren't built on the land, it could be developed with another shopping center under its current zoning, which would create even more road congestion, and isn't really what's needed there. "I would really hate for us to turn our backs on this, and not move forward," LoCastro said of the affordable housing option, which he described as a rare opportunity. He added: "It's not really like we are screaming for another strip mall there." This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Collier board advances affordable housing project after reconsideration Semafor Signals Insights from The New York Times, The Guardian, and El Pais The News Colombian authorities arrested two boat captains who played a key role in ferrying migrants to the dangerous Darien Gap, a stretch of jungle that thousands have crossed in hopes of traveling onwards to the U.S. Boat companies suspended migrant crossings to the entrance of the forest following the arrests, The New York Times reported, noting that the law enforcement moves were sure to be watched closely by U.S. officials after months of Washington pressuring Bogota to block the route. SIGNALS Semafor Signals: Global insights on today's biggest stories. Companies charge huge sums to migrants hoping to cross Darien jungle Source: The New York Times A thriving migration industry has cropped up in towns near the Darien jungle, The New York Times reported in September, with boat operators charging $40 per head to transport people to the start of the crossing. It found that some of these businesses were being run by local politicians. Colombian leaders say they can prevent their impoverished towns from being overwhelmed by hundreds of thousands of needy people, help the migrants traverse the treacherous jungle more safely and feed their own economies in the process, the Times noted. Migrants boost local economies in Latin America Source: The Guardian Most of the migrants who traverse the Darien Gap come from Venezuela, and while the majority are headed for the U.S., those that settle in other Latin American countries have brought considerable economic benefits. Two recent studies found that immigrants boosted the economies of their host nations by as much as 0.25% annually a number that could rise if migrants were given job opportunities. Migration is good business, a Colombian researcher studying Venezuelan migration told The Guardian. Receiving migrants makes us a better country and allows us to continue growing. Its as simple as that. Migrants pushed to cross jungle as alternatives prohibitively expensive Source: El Pais The number of migrants using the risky Darien Gap to travel towards the U.S.-Mexico border has increased in recent years, following a move from Mexico to limit the number of tourist visas it issues new arrivals. Crossing the Darien isnt the only path to North America but it is often the most affordable, El Pais reported. Ecuadoreans, for example, have paid smugglers as much as $20,000 per person to travel from the nation to Nicaraguas capital Managua in order to bypass the jungle. From left, Matt Crane, executive director of the Colorado County Clerks Association, Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold and Boulder County Clerk and Recorder Molly Fitzpatrick speak at a press conference on election security in Denver on Feb. 28, 2024. (Chase Woodruff/Colorado Newsline) Local elections officials in Colorado will be able to pay for security upgrades to deal with election-related threats with funds from a grant program launched this week by Secretary of State Jena Griswold. Starting Friday, clerks from Colorados 64 counties can apply for reimbursement for security expenses including locks and key-card access technology, surveillance cameras, cybersecurity infrastructure and more. Accessibility upgrades, like additional handicap parking or language assistance at voter service centers, will also be eligible for the grants. The $3.5 million in available funding, which comes from federal funds provided under the Help America Vote Act, will help protect Colorados reputation as the gold standard for elections administration, Griswold and leaders from the Colorado County Clerks Association said in a press conference Wednesday at the secretary of states office in Denver. One of the reasons we are considered the nations gold standard is that we continually innovate, said Griswold. And although we are considered the best state in the nation to cast a ballot, we have not been immune to the dangers and threats facing elections nationwide. Matt Crane, executive director of the CCCA, said the threat landscape in election security has evolved over the last eight years, following the unprecedented efforts by former President Donald Trump and his allies to deny and overturn the results of the 2020 election. In 2016, we saw cyber threats they were the top of the pyramid of things we were concerned about, from foreign adversaries trying to do nefarious things, Crane said. In 2020, the physical security of our election workers became front and center. Make no mistake: We are talking about threats against election infrastructure (and) election workers, we are talking about election workers being afraid to do their job, because Donald Trump has lied over and over and over about how elections work. Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold One in three election workers nationwide reported feeling unsafe in the course of fulfilling their duties in the wake of the 2020 election, noted Boulder County Clerk and Recorder Molly Fitzpatrick, who currently serves as the CCCAs president. Clerks across the state have dealt with confrontational encounters with the public, extreme mis- and disinformation and internal threats, Fitzpatrick said. Election workers, judges and staff across the state have endured harassment and threats to their safety. The Boulder County clerks office has completed a variety of security upgrades over the last several years, including glass partitions and new controlled-access points, Fitzpatrick said, but many counties around the state may not have the funds to take such measures on their own. The reality is starkly different for smaller, more rural counties where resources are fewer, she said. Its imperative that we foster and facilitate equitable access to funding opportunities, which will empower all counties in Colorado to bolster their infrastructure and their security. Federal law enforcement agencies have issued dire warnings about potential threats to the 2024 election, with one FBI official telling the winter conference of the National Association of Secretaries of State in Washington earlier this month that the outlook is extremely alarming, according to Stateline. Though Colorado is unlikely to be a battleground state in a widely expected 2024 rematch between Trump and President Joe Biden, it has been a hotbed of pro-Trump election misinformation and threats of violence. Griswold, an outspoken critic of election conspiracists, has been the target of harassment and death threats, at least two of which have resulted in criminal convictions. Far-right election deniers with Colorado ties include former Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Tina Peters, who has been indicted for her role in an alleged breach of county election equipment; attorney John Eastman, who spearheaded Trumps efforts to overturn election results while serving as a visiting faculty member at the University of Colorado Boulder; and Joe Oltmann, a far-right podcaster who was instrumental in advancing 2020 election conspiracy theories involving Denver-based Dominion Voting Systems and has called for his political opponents to be executed. Make no mistake: We are talking about threats against election infrastructure (and) election workers, we are talking about election workers being afraid to do their job, because Donald Trump has lied over and over and over about how elections work, Griswold said Wednesday. Most of the 64 county clerks in Colorado who will be in line to receive security funding through the grant program are Republicans, Griswold noted. What were seeing today, with the attack on democracy, with the attack on elections, it isnt about a partisan disagreement, she said. Its about one person and extremists around him, trying to use lies to undermine confidence in elections which is undemocratic and un-American, and we cannot allow it to stand. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Colorado secretary of state launches election security grant program amid 2024 threats appeared first on Colorado Newsline. COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL) A prominent Columbus businessman has been sentenced to prison after previously pleading guilty to child pornography charges. About three years ago, Edward Sprouse Boyd Sr.s home was searched by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation following a cyber tip. The search led to the discovery of 5,047 images and 86,000 videos depicting child pornography, according to U.S. District Court Judge Clay Land. Boyd was arrested on six counts of child pornography. Prior to his arrest, Boyd was an executive of his family business, Goldens Foundry and Machine Co. On Thursday morning, Judge Land sentenced Boyd to 87 months in federal prison just over seven years. The recommended sentencing for these crimes ranges from 87 to 108 months. Boyd was ordered to pay $55,500 in restitution at the time of his sentencing. In six months, an additional $22,000 in amendments will be due. Boyd has been out on bond, and he will voluntarily report upon receiving his assignment from the Bureau of Prisons, which can take up to 60 days. Before Boyds sentencing was passed down, he addressed the court to say he has struggled with pornography most of his life and his alcoholism led him down a slippery slope he had no business in engaging with chasing a dopamine hit. In the thousands of images and videos found, many of the victims were pre-pubescent, meaning under the age of 12. According to Judge Land, some of those victims are as young as toddlers and infants. When WRBL spoke with a GBI special agent on Boyds case, he described the photos as crime scenes in progress. Upwards of fifteen-character statements were submitted on Boyds behalf leading up to his sentencing date, an additional two submitted from Boyds brother and sister-in-law before his sentencing. The letters portrayed a deeply troubled man who says he has turned to religion since being caught. Upon completing his sentence, Boyd will serve ten years of supervised release and will be required to register as a sex offender. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WRBL. A former executive from a historic Columbus family business was sentenced Thursday to more than seven years in federal prison for possessing child pornography, Edward Sprouse Boyd Sr., 49, pleaded guilty in October to one count of possessing child pornography. He was sentenced Tuesday morning by U.S. District Court Judge Clay Land. Before his arrest in 2020, Boyd was a vice president at his familys business, Goldens Foundry and Machine Company, which dates back to 1882. He lost that position after charges were filed against him. Georgia Bureau of Investigation agents raided Boyds Carson Drive home on Aug. 20, 2020, after the social media platform MeWe submitted several tips to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, also known as the NCMEC, about uploads of suspected child porn. Boyds account had images of nude girls, as well as child-centered sexually explicit chats with other users, investigators said. Eighteen electronic devices were seized during the execution of the warrant, to include a cell phone belonging to Boyd, federal prosecutors wrote in a news release. They said the cell phone contained 5,047 images and 1,157 videos of child abuse material and 10,643 images and 1,013 videos that were child exploitative/age difficult. Boyd remains free on pretrial release until hes sent to prison. Land gave him 87 months, followed by 10 years of supervised release. He will have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. He was ordered to pay $22,000 in fines to federal victims assistance funds, $5,000 to a fund established under the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015 and $17,000 to one under the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act of 2018, according to court records. He is to pay an additional $55,000 in restitution. He was represented by Columbus attorney Jennifer Curry, who declined to comment on his sentencing. The prosecutor was Assistant U.S. Attorney Crawford Seals. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer said the impeachment inquiry against President Biden will move into its "next phase," including Hunter Biden testifying publicly during an open hearing. However, late Wednesday, Hunter's attorney Abbe Lowell seemed to cast doubt on that, saying in a statement, "The transcripts of witnesses who have been called to date, including Hunters, makes it obvious that there is nothing left to ask, answer, say or do. This illegitimate inquiry should have ended long before their star witness was indicted for lying but it wasnt. Now that Hunter has put this partisan conspiracy to the lie that it is on the record and under oath this political charade should finally come to an end." Hunter appeared on Capitol Hill for his closed-door deposition at the House Oversight and Judiciary Committees on Wednesday. HUNTER BIDEN TESTIFIES HE 'DID NOT INVOLVE' HIS FATHER IN HIS BUSINESSES, CALLS IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY 'BASELESS' The first son testified that he "did not involve" his father in his businesses, while blasting House Republicans for having "hunted" him in a "partisan political pursuit" and impeachment inquiry against his father. He also said Republicans have no evidence against his father, the president, "because there isn't any." Comer, R-Ky., made a public statement Wednesday afternoon, saying that Hunters appearance "was a great deposition for us." READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Hunter, however, thought the deposition went well for him. On his way out of the hearing room Wednesday, he told reporters he thought the hearing went "great." A source with direct knowledge of the deposition told Fox News Digital that Hunter "first made clear in his opening statement and emphasized throughout the deposition, Joe Biden was not involved in, did not benefit from, and took no official actions to benefit any of his business ventures." Regarding the infamous "10 held by H for the big guy?" email, the source said Hunter told the committee that his associate who sent the message, James Gilliar, was "out of his mind for even suggesting Joe Biden get involved in their joint venture." "Hunter discussed his addiction at length," the source said, adding that Hunter "admitted that he was high or drunk when he sent the sitting here with my father WhatsApp message, sent it to the wrong recipient, and is now embarrassed by the message." That text was sent to a business partner for Chinese energy firm CEFC. The source said Hunter also testified that his dad "was not sitting next to him." Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., arrives for the House Oversight and Accountability Committee hearing titled "Unsuitable Litigation: Oversight of Third-Party Litigation Funding" in the Rayburn Building in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 13, 2023. But Comer said after the deposition that "it proves several bits of our evidence that we've been conducting throughout this investigation." Comer added that "there are also some contradictory statements that I think need further review." "So this impeachment inquiry will now go to the next phase, which will be a public hearing," Comer said. BIDEN MET WITH CHAIRMAN OF CHINESE ENERGY FIRM HUNTER DID BUSINESS WITH IN 2017, EX-ASSOCIATE TESTIFIES Comer stressed that Hunter and his attorney have "demanded" a public hearing following the deposition. "Just as I said, when we said we were going to do the deposition first, we will have a public hearing next," he explained. "So I think that the public hearing hopefully will clear up some discrepancies between some of the statements that were made between some of the associates and what we heard today." Indeed, Lowell said back in November 2023, "Hunter is eager to have the opportunity, in a public forum and at the right time, to discuss these matters with the Committee." Hunter Biden, son of President Biden, departs a House Oversight Committee meeting at Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 10. Comer said "all in all," he is "very optimistic, very excited about this deposition." "I look forward to releasing the transcripts as soon as both sides agree to that," Comer said, hinting that the first sons transcript of his deposition could be released to the public by the end of the week. "Hopefully that'll be within the next two or three days." JOE BIDEN 'ENABLED' FAMILY TO SELL ACCESS TO 'DANGEROUS ADVERSARIES,' TONY BOBULINSKI TESTIFIES During his opening statement Wednesday, obtained by Fox News, Hunter testified that he was present "to provide the Committees with the one uncontestable fact that should end the false premise of this inquiry: I did not involve my father in my business." "Not while I was a practicing lawyer, not in my investments or transactions domestic or international, not as a board member, and not as an artist. Never," he stressed. "You do not have evidence to support the baseless and MAGA-motivated conspiracies about my father because there isnt any." The first son said he hopes his testimony will "put an end to this baseless and destructive political charade." "You have wasted valuable time and resources attacking me and my family for your own political gain when you should be fixing the real problems in this country that desperately need your attention," he testified. FLASHBACK: GOP-LED COMMITTEES RELEASE INTERIM REPORT ON HUNTER BIDEN, BURISMA PROBE Hunter's testimony comes after his uncle, President Biden's younger brother James Biden, testified last week as part of the impeachment inquiry. James Biden testified that President Biden "has never had any involvement or any direct or indirect financial interest" in his business ventures. Hunter Biden arrives for a closed-door deposition in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday. House Republicans have heard testimony from a number of the first son's former business associates, like Tony Bobulinski, who testified before the committees earlier this month that Joe Biden was involved in the family's business ventures. He also testified that he personally met with him. Days before Bobulinski's testimony, another former business associate, Rob Walker, testified that Joe Biden met with the chairman of Chinese energy firm CEFC that his brother and son did business with. CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP After Walker's testimony, the House Oversight Committee said it was able to "now confirm Joe Biden met with nearly every foreign national who funneled money to his son." House Democrats and the White House have criticized the inquiry as baseless, but Republicans insist they have just scratched the surface of the investigation into Biden family businesses. Fox News' Chad Pergram and David Spunt contributed to this report. Original article source: Comer says impeachment inquiry moving to 'next phase,' with Hunter Biden testifying at public hearing Ukrainian armed forces continue to face offensive operations from Russian troops on multiple directions, with particularly tense situations in the Avdiivka and Zaporizhzhya fronts, Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi reported on Feb. 29 on Facebook. Read also: Russians aim to consolidate captured territory near Avdiivka with large numbers of infantry, Ukrainian military says "Miscalculations in situation awareness and enemy assessment by some commanders have impacted the resilience of our defense on certain fronts," Syrskyi wrote. "All necessary measures have been taken to rectify the situation on the ground, including the allocation of additional ammunition and material resources, as well as the necessary reserves," stated Syrskyi. Russian forces are attempting to break through Ukrainian defenses and capture settlements including Tonenke, Orlivka, Semenivka, Berdychi, and Krasnohorivka in Donetsk Oblast. Syrskyi described fierce battles continuing in the areas of Verbove and Robotyne in Zaporizhzhya Oblast. The Defense Forces had withdrawn from Avdiivka in Donetsk Oblast after four months of intense fighting and regular attacks from Russia, Syrskyi announced on Feb. 17. This decision was made to avoid encirclement and to preserve the lives and health of the servicemen. Read also: Ukrainian military correspondent Andriy Tsaplienko discusses Avdiivka withdrawal and frontline threats Units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine also withdrew from the village of Lastochkyne near Avdiivka in Donetsk Oblast on Feb. 26. Russian occupation forces seized the villages of Stepove and Severne, located near Avdiivka, Donetsk Oblast, the DeepState analytical portal reported late on Feb. 26. Ukrainian Defense Forces are continuing the defense of the Avdiivka sector, which will be facilitated by favorable terrain, Dmytro Lykhoviy, spokesperson for the Tavria operational and strategic troop grouping, told Radio Liberty on Feb. 28. The Third Assault Brigade reported that they had regained control of the village of Krasnohorivka in Donetsk Oblast, after Russian forces attacked the southeastern part of the settlement and entered it. 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 Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, commenting on his visit to the line of contact in Donetsk Oblast, said that miscalculations in the assessment of the situation had been taken into account and praised soldiers for driving the Russians out of the outskirts of Orlivka. Source: Syrskyi on Facebook Details: Syrskyi noted that the situation in the area of the Ukrainian Defence Forces operation remains difficult. The Russians continue to conduct active offensive operations on many areas of the front line. He stated that the situation is particularly tense on the Avdiivka and Zaporizhzhia fronts, where Russian assault units are trying to break through Ukrainian defences and capture the settlements of Tonenke, Orlivka, Semenivka, Berdychi and Krasnohorivka in Donetsk Oblast. Fierce fighting also continues in the areas of Verbove and Robotyne in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, where the Russians are trying to regain control. Syrskyi noted that he had visited the Donetsk Operational Strategic Group specifically the units holding the defence on the Avdiivka front. Quote: "The success of any battle depends on the quality of planning and how well the commander's plan is implemented by his subordinates. This is primarily determined by the experience and skill of the commander and officers, the ability to correctly assess the situation and make relevant and timely decisions. At battalion, company and platoon-commander levels, the main thing is to ensure the practical implementation of these decisions, hold positions and destroy the enemy with fire from all assets. During my visit, certain errors in the situational awareness and assessment of the enemy of some commanders were revealed, which directly affected the sustainability of defence on certain fronts. I took all measures to remedy the situation on the ground, with the allocation of additional ammunition and material resources, as well as the necessary reserves." Details: Syrskyi also pointed out the courage, resilience and heroism of the soldiers of the 3rd Assault Brigade and the 25th Separate Airborne Brigade. "They drove out the enemy, who broke through to the outskirts of Orlivka, with brave and decisive actions," Syrskyi said. Support UP or become our patron! A model poses for photographers with China's EV maker BYD's electric vehicle "DOLPHIN." U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday directed the Commerce Department to investigate the threat posed by vehicles from China and other countries of concern. Photo by Keizo Mori/UPI Feb. 29 (UPI) -- President Joe Biden on Thursday directed the Commerce Department to open an investigation into the national security risks posed by "connected" vehicles made in China and other "countries of concern." The investigation will center on how, and if, technology that affects everything from personal data, emissions and GPS devices could affect security. "China is determined to dominate the future of the auto market, including by using unfair practices," President Joe Biden said in a statement. "China's policies could flood our market with its vehicles, posing risks to our national security. I'm not going to let that happen on my watch." The White House said navigational tools, driver assistance devices, carbon emission and charging tools could be in danger of manipulation. "These autos are constantly connecting with personal devices, other car, U.S. infrastructure and their original manufacturer," the White House said. "New vulnerabilities and threats could arise with connected autos if a foreign government gained access to these vehicles' systems or data." The White House said such Internet-connected vehicles could collect large sums of personal information from drivers and their passengers and record information about U.S. infrastructure. "Most cars these days are 'connected,'" Biden said. "They're like smartphones on wheels. Connected vehicles from China could collect sensitive data about our citizens and our infrastructure and send this data back to the People's Republic of China. These vehicles could be remotely accessed or disabled." The White House said China already restricts U.S. autos on their roads along with other foreign vehicles. The administration said the action is the first step from the Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security, created to protect domestic information and communications technology. The announcement came a day after Biden signed an executive order establishing safeguards to protect Americans' sensitive personal data from nations of concern. The efforts aim to cover genomic data, personal health data, geolocation data, financial data and other personal identification data. MARLBOROUGH Mayor J. Christian Dumais' desire to hire a communications specialist is being questioned by some members of a City Council subcommittee. During a meeting of the council's Finance Subcommittee on Feb. 21, Dumais requested that a new position communications and special projects director be created at City Hall. Whoever is hired for the position, which would come with a salary of $79,000, would be responsible for generating press releases, maintaining social media accounts, updating the city's website, writing monthly newsletters and other communications-related tasks. Dumais said the communications director would also be responsible for releasing and updating information about city events, letting residents know about programs being run throughout the city, being a point of contact for residents and alerting residents about emergencies or active situations taking place in the city. Marlborough Mayor J. Christian Dumais is interesting in creating a new position at City Hall communications and special projects director. 'Sense of community': J. Christian Dumais inaugurated as Marlborough's 44th mayor Dumais, who was elected mayor in November, said during his campaign that a key part of his platform was increasing the city's communication to residents, something he suggested was lacking in the previous administration under Arthur Vigeant. "As a member of the City Council, I knew that this was information that I wanted, and that feeling was only increased during the campaign last year," Dumais told the Daily News this week. Dumais says position is 'not for someone fresh out of college' Similar communications positions exist in other communities, including Framingham and Natick. Dumais' chief of staff, Ryan Egan, was Framingham's public information officer in 2022-23. Dumais said the salary figure comes from a survey of similar positions in surrounding communities. "We did a survey of the other positions and picked the average from those results," he said. "This is a highly skilled position it isn't an entry-level job for someone that is fresh of out of college." 'Just Christian is fine': Marlborough mayor-elect sees staff appointments, salary evaluation as key issues Dumais told the Daily News he wants someone who is fluent in Portuguese to improve communication with Marlborough's growing Brazilian-American community. "We've noticed there is a real lack at City Hall for someone who can speak Portuguese," the mayor said. "There is nobody in the mayor's office at this time that speaks Portuguese. We need to be able to have somebody that can speak the language and translate for the city." Some subcommittee members question job's necessity, salary level Some Finance Subcommittee members questioned whether the position is necessary. Ward 5 Councilor and Finance Subcommittee Chair John Irish expressed concern about the economics of spending money on this position. "My concern is strictly the economics side of it, creating this new position at this salary," he said. Ward 6 Councilor Trey Fuccillo agreed the city needs to improve its communication, but is also concerned about the salary level. "I was very surprised this week when I had two constituents reach out, and they both had concerns about the salary, and it does look like it is to be on the higher end," Fuccillo said. "I do agree that communication is the backbone of what is happening (in the city), but I do still have a concern over the salary and that amount. There is a need for an increase in communications, but I just don't know if another position adds to that." City Council President Mike Ossing said during the Feb. 21 meeting that there are more pressing city positions to be filled. "I'm not thrilled (about) adding a new position just six weeks in," he said. "To me, there are higher priorities in the city hiring a DPW commissioner, hiring a comptroller those are more important in my world than an information person. I feel like it is premature to move on this order." Should communications specialist report to the mayor or to the council? Ossing added that he thinks the City Council should have authority to hire for the position, because the employee will be working for all residents. "I don't want this to be a PR tool for the mayor's office, but a PR function for the city; therefore, the City Council needs to have input into the hiring," he said. Ward 4 Councilor Teona Brown said the position is important, and that the best candidate should be recruited. "I don't find the salary of $79,000 to be too much," she said. "I know that I want to have the best person possible in this role. The technical knowledge that is necessary to handle the website and the social media, I would move to approve this position." At-Large City Councilor Mark Oram said the position is needed, noting that other communities have had similar positions filled for years. He said that during a recent meeting with the city's emergency management group, being able to communicate efficiently with non-English speaking portions of the city was cited as a top issue, something a bilingual communications specialist could assist with. "When you look at all the towns that do have it, we need to catch up to those other communities," Oram said. "Last night I attended the emergency management group's meeting, and one of their most important needs is communication with various ESL communications." The Finance Subcommittee motioned to table a vote to its next meeting. This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: New Marlborough communications officer? Mayor's pitch questioned A diversity and equity leader at Columbia University, who pursued a doctorate degree from Iowa State University in 2021, has been accused of plagiarizing over 30 authorsand the publicly-edited website Wikipediain his dissertation. On Wednesday, an anonymous complaint was filed against Alade McKen, the chief DEI officer at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. According to a report from The Washington Free Beacon, the complaint, which was submitted to Columbia University, accuses McKen of yoinking passages from a slew of authors for his 2021 doctoral dissertation UBUNTU I am because we are: A case study examining the experiences of an African-centered Rites of Passage program within a community-based organization. The 55-page complaint lists dozens of examples, highlighted in yellow, where McKen allegedly engaged in plagiarism. It is dismantling white epistemic logic, removing the centering of the oppressors historical lens, and lifting the Black perspective voices. To be clear, I am not arguing for an essentialization of African culture and Blackness; Blackness and Black people are complex and multifaceted, but I am interested in the historical narratives that throw away the Eurocentric ways we think about Black people throughout history, McKen wrote in his dissertation. According to the complaint, the DEI officer did not cite Black History is Not American History: Toward a Framework of Black Historical Consciousness by LaGarrett J. King in the bibliography of his dissertation, even though the words are pretty similar. In dismantling white epistemic logic, we should ask the question: are we developing Black history through the oppressors historical lens, or do our histories represent and center Black perspectives and voices? To be clear, I am not arguing for an essentialization of Blackness; Blackness and Black people are complex and multifaceted; but I am interested in throwing away the Eurocentric ways we think about Black people throughout history. Black history constructed in such a way is essentially foreign to Black peoples existence, reads the 2020 piece by King, according to the complaint. The complaint also alleged McKen wrote identical claims to archived articles from Wikipedia, which were also never listed in the bibliography of his dissertation. The complaint about McKen comes after a series of other Black Ivy League staffers have been accused of plagiarism. Former Harvard president Claudine Gay resigned from her position following a plagiarism controversy in January for work she was accused of copying over 20 years ago. That same month, Harvard DEI officer Sherri Charleston was accused of plagiarizing her University of Michigan dissertation from 2014, and, in February, an anonymous complaint alleged Harvard administrator Shirley Greene plagiarized her dissertation from the University of Michigan in 2008, according to The Harvard Crimson. In a statement to The Daily Beast, a Columbia University Irving Medical Center spokesperson said the university has clear standards and policies regarding academic ethics and integrity for all members of [its] community. We take allegations about misconduct seriously, they said. In keeping with University policy, we do not comment on the details of individual personnel matters. The university declined to say if it was investigating the matter. McKen did not immediately return The Daily Beasts request for comment Thursday. 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. Electronic components made by European, Western, Japanese and Chinese companies have been found in the North Korean Kn-23/24 ballistic missiles that Russia fired on Kyiv in February. Source: Ukrainska Pravda's sources in law enforcement Details: In particular, the missiles that fell in the Obolonskyi district of Kyiv in February contained Western microcontrollers, flash drives, converters, power supplies, amplifiers, satellite patch antennas, etc. Among the manufacturers whose electronic components were used by the DPRK in the production of ballistic missiles are: German Siemens, American Fairchild Semiconductor International, Inc. and Analog Devices, Inc., Japanese NSK Ltd./NSK Automation, Chinese ZHONGKEWEI and others. Some parts and fragments bear tags with handwritten Korean characters. SAG / SIEMENS (Germany) Photo: Ukrainska Pravdas source NXP Semiconductors (Netherlands) Photo: Ukrainska Pravdas source XP Power (design offices in the UK, the US (California) and Singapore) Fairchild Semiconductor International, Inc. (USA) Photo: Ukrainska Pravdas source Analog Devices, Inc. (USA) Photo: Ukrainska Pravdas source NSK Ltd. / NSK Automation (Japan) Photo: Ukrainska Pravdas source ZHONGKEWEI (China) Photo: Ukrainska Pravdas source Photo: Ukrainska Pravdas source Background: On 20 February, Conflict Armament Research (CAR), a UK-based investigative organisation, examined 290 components of a ballistic missile that North Korea transferred to Russia to strike Ukraine and discovered that hundreds of them were manufactured by European and American companies. According to media reports, sanctions against the DPRK are to be included in the 13th EU sanctions package. The Security Service of Ukraine stated that Russian forces had launched over 20 North Korean weapons on Ukrainian cities since December 2023, including Hwasong-11 (KN-23/24) ballistic missiles. Support UP or become our patron! American administration and intelligence officials are concerned that Israel is planning a ground incursion into Lebanon that could be launched in the late spring or early summer if diplomatic efforts fail to push Hezbollah back from the northern border with Israel, senior administrations officials and officials familiar with the intelligence say. While a final Israeli decision has yet to be made, the worry is acute enough inside the Biden administration that the prospect of an incursion has made its way into intelligence briefings for senior administration officials, according to one person who received a briefing and was told an operation could happen early summer. We are operating in the assumption that an Israeli military operation is in the coming months, one senior Biden administration official said. Not necessarily imminently in the next few weeks but perhaps later this spring. An Israeli military operation is a distinct possibility. There have been months of daily, deadly cross-border strikes by both Israel and Hezbollah that have displaced tens of thousands of Lebanese and Israeli residents from their homes. Israel has fired artillery and launched jets and drones to strike targets while Hezbollah has used some of its vast arsenal of rockets and missiles. While the US is a key mediator in ongoing discussions over a pause in the fighting in Gaza, the Biden administration has also been leading parallel discussions with Israeli and Lebanese officials that if successful would create a miles-wide buffer zone inside southern Lebanon. That deal would likely postpone an Israeli incursion, US officials believe. I think what Israel is doing is they are raising this threat in the hope that there will be a negotiated agreement, said the senior official, who has heard differing opinions within the Israeli government about the need to go into Lebanon. Some Israeli officials suggest that it is more of an effort at creating a threat that they can utilize. Others speak of it more as a military necessity thats going to happen, the official said. A second senior Biden administration official said there are elements inside the Israeli government and military in favor of an incursion. Theres a growing group that says: Hey, lets just take a shot. Lets just do it, the senior official said, adding that any incursion could lead to a major, major escalation that we dont even know the proportions of. Some 80,000 Israelis have been displaced from the north since October. In a statement to CNN, the Israeli embassy in Washington wrote, The State of Israel will not return to the pre-war status quo in which Hezbollah poses a direct and immediate military threat to its security along the Israel-Lebanon border. In recent days Israel has been stepping up its air campaign, bombing deeper into Lebanon. Strikes last week came within 27 miles of the capital Beirut, the farthest into Lebanese territory from the border since the violence started immediately following Hamas October 7 massacres in Israel. On Monday, Israel struck the Hezbollah stronghold Baalbek in the northeast of the country. There are fears this will grow to an expansive air campaign reaching much further north into populated areas of Lebanon and eventually grow to a ground component as well, another person familiar with the US intelligence said. The US intelligence community has been ringing alarm bells, the person added. Israels top general visited the northern border Tuesday and said that Hezbollah must pay a heavy price for its actions since October 7. Its clear that the first thing we need to do is push back the enemy. Then, create a very strong barrier, said Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi. Shuttle diplomacy The White House has tapped special envoy Amos Hochstein to lead the efforts aimed at finding a diplomatic solution. Hochstein normally serves as a senior energy advisor and is capitalizing on his experience and relationships having brokered a maritime deal between Israel and Lebanon over gas exploration. Amos Hochstein - Michael Brochstein/Sipa USA/AP If Amos were to successfully negotiate a standoff arrangement, then the probability of a military operation later this year would decline considerably, the first administration official said. If Hezbollah is pushed back about 10 kilometers, that would take out some of the shorter-range munitions theyve been using against Israel, the official added. Hochstein has been shuttling regularly to both countries, having discussions that are complicated by the fact that in Lebanon the US does not engage directly with Hezbollah, which is the most powerful military force in the country and considered a terrorist organization by the US. Israeli strikes in Lebanon have also hit the US-supported Lebanese army so frequently that the administration has told Israel to scale them back. During a meeting in Israel earlier this month, Hochstein met with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant who said: We are ready to resolve this crisis via diplomatic understandings, however we are also prepared for any other scenario. Israeli officials have acknowledged that a war with Hezbollah would be far more costly and devastating to Israel than the current war with Hamas, given the size and more advanced nature of Hezbollahs arsenal. Israel has been willing to give diplomacy a chance and hope it will succeed, an Israeli official said to CNN. If the issue can not be resolved diplomatically, Israel will have to consider alternate means. Creating a buffer zone There are signs of progress in the negotiations on the separate track over a pause in the fighting in Gaza. Its believed that a break in the fighting in Gaza would lead to a decrease in rocket fire from Hezbollah. But Israeli officials say that would not solve the problem. Even if there is a temporary truce in the south [with Hamas in Gaza], we will increase the fire in the north independently, and we will continue until the complete withdrawal of Hezbollah and the return of the residents to their homes, Gallant said in a statement Sunday on X. An Israeli policeman inspects the impact crater left by a rocket fired from southern Lebanon where it landed near the entrance of Ziv hospital in Israel's northern city of Safed on February 14, 2024. - Jalaa Marey/AFP via Getty Images An agreement that simply pushes Hezbollah back from the border may also not be enough for Israel, the first administration official argued. A ground incursion would give Israel a chance to mow the grass and destroy Hezbollahs physical infrastructure in the south that would at least slow a future return to the border area. If the invasion does not happen, the buffer zone would need to be filled with forces from the Lebanese Armed Forces and the United Nations peacekeepers UNIFIL, the official said. Whatever kilometer buffer is negotiated will not keep Hezbollah out forever but will provide at least some assurance that theyre not going to return immediately, they said. Pressure on Bibi Many have also argued that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has an interest in extending the fighting because an end to the conflicts could bring about the end of his government. If quiet is restored then questions about Netanyahus failure to protect Israel on October 7 will fill the vacuum. Benjamin Netanyahu - Ariel Tagar/USA Today Once the war is over, his expiration date arrives, the first senior administration official said. So he needs to maintain the impression, maintain the narrative that Israel is still in the middle of a campaign, to try to stave off efforts to remove him. Israel has been eager to saber-rattle with Hezbollah, taking journalists to see live fire exercises in the Golan Heights, near Lebanon. Israeli forces demonstrated combined arms maneuvers in which tanks tore up mud plowing through the hills alongside infantry troops. I think the majority of responsible people on both sides dont want an escalation and do want a [diplomatic] solution that allows us to de-escalate, the second senior administration official said. But those are not the ones that always carry the day. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Confession in Baltimore Officer Holley murder case provides new details, fails to answer biggest mystery: Why? The suspect began confessing in a dimly lit hallway outside a bathroom in the Baltimore Police Departments Homicide Unit, his voice barely rising above a whisper. By then it was creeping into the evening of Dec. 16, 2021, and detectives had spent the previous two hours in a nondescript interview room, with Elliot Knox sitting across from them on the other side of a small table, peppering him with questions about separate shootings early that morning that left a city police officer grievously wounded and another man dead. Officer Keona Holley, who had been shot in the head, was fighting for her life in the hospital, the detectives told Knox, and they were getting fed up with the unconvincing story he was telling. Prosecutors played footage of the entire, four-hour interview during Knoxs trial in Baltimore Circuit Court this week on charges stemming from the shootings of Holley, who died in the hospital about a week after being shot, and 27-year-old Justin Johnson, who died in his car that morning in Baltimores Yale Heights neighborhood. Knox, 34, faces two counts each first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder and firearms offenses stemming from the killings. A jury in October convicted the other man charged in the killings, Travon Shaw, of all of those charges in connection with Johnsons death, but he has yet to stand trial on charges in Holleys fatal shooting. Shaw, also 34, is due back in court in March. After jury selection Monday, Shaws trial began in earnest Tuesday. During opening statements, the prosecution and defense told jurors to interpret the interrogation to different effects. Assistant States Attorney Kurt Bjorklund said Knox was lying and minimizing his role in the shootings the whole time. But defense attorney Natalie Finegar said the state couldnt disprove Knoxs story, and thus it was still entirely possible that what my client said is what happened. In court Wednesday, the interrogation video showed detectives trying to reason with Knox man to man, and confronting him with the evidence they had against him his car was captured by license plate readers near the scene of Holleys shooting and videos showing two men, including one fitting his description, getting out of the car and running back to it. If I cooperate on the level yall are looking for, Knox said, its like this, the possibility of jail time is there. The possibility of beef with affiliated people in jail is there. Most of the time, this stuff is like death penalty, life type stuff. He continued to deny any role in either shooting. Then, he asked to use the bathroom. As Knox emerged from the bathroom, he said something to investigators so quietly that Detective Ceaser Mohameds body camera barely picked up the sound. Bjorklund paused the video with Detective David Moynihan, who did the interrogation with Mohamed, on the witness stand. The prosecutor asked Moynihan what transpired in the hallway, and the detective said Knox, for the first time, admitted to being at the scene of the shootings. After the brief translation, Bjorklund pressed play again. Whered you put the guns at? Moynihan could be heard saying on the video. Knoxs response was inaudible. Youre telling me you didnt pull the trigger once? Moynihan continued. Knox could be heard telling detectives he didnt want to be on camera, but the investigators convinced him to return to the interview room. Soon, Knox began describing the two guns he and Shaw used that night: a Glock 22 handgun, which shoots .40 caliber bullets, and an AR-style pistol, which fires .223 caliber rounds. It says Extar where you put the clip in, Knox said of the pistol, before clarifying for the detectives. E-X-T-A-R, and then it says 556. Knox told the detectives he took the guns to a house in separate backpacks, and placed them in a bedroom closet. When he couldnt remember the address, the detectives pulled up a map on one of their phones and Knox pointed it out on the map. Police got a search warrant for that house and sent officers to that address while the interview continued. Why her? Mohamed asked of Holley. He never told me. I dont even know who that lady is. I didnt even know it was a lady until today, replied Knox, maintaining that Shaw was the person who shot Holley. Bjorklund told jurors at the trials outset that the evidence would convince them Knox shot Holley. But Finegar contested that, saying he came to that conclusion by making assumptions, relying on the fact that Knox was the second man captured on video running back to the car parked about a block from where Holley was found shot in Curtis Bay. Investigators collected six .40 caliber casings from the 4400 block of Pennington Ave., where Holley had been before her patrol car crashed through a fence and came to rest in a park. A medical examiner testified Holley was shot twice in the left side of her head, with the bullets damaging several parts of her brain. One projectile came to rest in her neck. Police found two .40 caliber casings and one .223 caliber casing around the place Johnson was killed in his 1997 Lincoln Town Car. The same medical examiner said Johnson had six gunshot wounds, all to his back. Bullets damaged his spine, lungs and heart. From the start, Moynihan testified, detectives suspected two gunmen shot Johnson, given the different types of ballistics evidence. Bjorklund said to jurors in opening statements that the evidence would reveal Knox as one shooter, while Finegar suggested that Shaw used both guns in the shooting. During the interview, Knox told detectives he stayed in the car, then that he was outside when he heard Shaw open fire. It definitely was not two people. You heard the small s*** first, said Knox, referring to the sound of different guns. Knox told detectives that Shaw killed Johnson because Johnson owed him $100. He said Shaw told him before the shooting that he was going to holler at Johnson. A different detective soon entered the room to administer a photo array and found Knox crying. Shes probably somebodys mother, Knox said of Holley, who had four children, before pleading with the detective to tell him how much prison time he could face. The detective laid photos on the table and read Knox instructions. Knox flipped through several photos before he landed on one he recognized. This is Travon Shaw He was the one who shot the officer. Moynihan and Mohamed returned to the interview room after the photo array and, by that point, had more information to share with Knox. Just like you said. We got the guns, Moynihan said. In court Tuesday, another homicide detective testified about the cache police found at the houses they searched, in addition to the backpacks containing guns, magazines, masks and gloves. The searches also turned up boxes of different caliber bullets. There were gun-cleaning kits. There were standard and high-capacity magazines. According to charging documents, police firearms examiners concluded that the recovered Glock 22 likely fired the .40 caliber casings fired at both scenes and that the AR-style pistol fired the .223 casing found where Johnson was shot. The detective who testified about the searches showed jurors the homemade brass catcher affixed to the pistol to catch casings ejected each time the gun fired. Back in the interview room, Moynihan and Mohamed pressed Knox about why the men ambushed Holley. They wanted to know whether there was a connection, if Shaw or Knox had some grudge against the officer. Theres gotta be some other explanation, Mohamed said. Im telling you, Knox responded, I dont have anything. The hours-long interview ended minutes later, and the cases most compelling evidence yet failed to answer its greatest mystery. This article has been updated to correct the spelling of Elliot Knoxs first name. The Sun regrets the error. A bipartisan deal on spending will give Congress until March 8 to pass six bills lawmakers have finalized and until March 22 to pass another six bills. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom) Quality Journalism for Critical Times WASHINGTON U.S. House Republicans and Senate Democrats attempting to avert a partial government shutdown brokered an agreement Wednesday to extend government funding deadlines for a little while longer. The bipartisan deal will give Congress until March 8 to pass six spending bills lawmakers have finalized and until March 22 to pass another six bills still in negotiations that provide crucial funding for defense, health care and homeland security. The agreement comes five months into the fiscal year, well past the deadline that lawmakers were supposed to meet for fiscal 2024. If enacted, the short-term spending extensions would avoid a partial government shutdown that would have begun for some agencies on Friday at midnight and the rest on March 8. The House will likely put the bill up under suspension of the rules, which requires two-thirds support for passage. And the Senate will need approval of all 100 of its members, including several who enjoy holding up government funding deals, to meet that timeline. The four top congressional leaders and the four leaders of the Appropriations committees announced the plan Wednesday evening in a joint statement. We are in agreement that Congress must work in a bipartisan manner to fund our government, they wrote. To give the House and Senate Appropriations Committees adequate time to execute on this deal in principle, including drafting, preparing report language, scoring and other technical matters and to allow members 72 hours to review, a short-term continuing resolution to fund agencies through March 8 and the 22 will be necessary, and voted on by the House and Senate this week, the group of eight added. Lawmakers announced theyve finalized the Agriculture-FDA, Energy-Water, Military Construction-VA and Transportation-HUD appropriations bills, all of which were supposed to become law by Friday under the current stopgap spending law. Theyve also brokered a deal on the Commerce-Justice-Science and Interior-Environment spending bills. The remaining six spending bills Defense, Financial Services and General Government, Homeland Security, Labor-HHS-Education, Legislative Branch and State-Foreign Operations would be due by March 22 under the new short-term extension. The statement from lawmakers didnt indicate when they would release text of the bills that have been agreed to or the short-term spending bill that Congress will need to pass before Friday to extend their deadlines a bit longer. Short-term extensions Congress was supposed to complete work on the dozen annual appropriations bills before the start of the current fiscal year on Oct. 1, but have passed a series of short-term funding extensions to give themselves more time to negotiate. Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, a California Republican, and the Biden administration negotiated a deal on total spending levels for defense and non-defense discretionary spending last summer when they brokered the debt limit deal. But House Republicans walked away from those spending levels when drafting their original batch of spending bills. Current House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, renegotiated those spending levels with President Joe Biden in early January. Johnson then had to make a public statement inside the U.S. Capitol about a week later, saying that he would stick to the deal, amid comments from some members of the House Republican Conference that he was prepared to walk away from it. That agreement set funding levels at $886.3 billion for defense and $772.7 billion for domestic discretionary spending. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat; Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican; Johnson; House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries a New York Democrat; Senate Appropriations Chair Patty Murray, a Washington state Democrat; Senate Appropriations ranking member Susan Collins, a Maine Republican; House Appropriations Chair Kay Granger, a Texas Republican; and House Appropriations ranking member Rosa DeLauro, a Connecticut Democrat, announced the agreement. The post Congress brokers deal on government spending deadlines, trying to avoid shutdown appeared first on Florida Phoenix. U.S. congressional leaders announced on Feb. 28 a tentative agreement to avert a government shutdown, days before a looming deadline that threatened to disrupt federal operations. The agreement involves temporary funding measures for different sets of federal agencies, with funding extended through March 8 and another set through March 22, the Washington Post reports. However, there is currently no immediate plan in place to approve the $95 billion emergency national security funds intended for Ukraine, Israel, and other allies. We are in agreement that Congress must work in a bipartisan manner to fund our government, said the joint statement from House Speaker Mike Johnson, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, along with the Appropriation Committee leaders. Johnson confirmed that the House is scheduled to vote on Feb. 29 to authorize the temporary funds, aiming to pass the measure before Friday's deadline when certain federal funds are set to expire. The Senate is anticipated to follow suit with their vote. As negotiators in Congress strive to finalize a federal spending plan, the deal emerges amidst heightened anticipation both in Washington and among U.S. allies like Ukraine. Hold-ups in U.S. assistance continue to put a strain on Ukraine's defense capabilities, contributing to the loss of the key front-line city of Avdiivka, acknowledged by several U.S. officials. U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer warned during his visit to Lviv earlier this month that Ukraine is at risk of losing the war without American aid. Schumer added that the failure to support Ukraine would hurt the standing of the U.S. in the world and increase the likelihood of further conflict in the future, which could potentially require American boots on the ground. "If we let autocrats of the world succeed here, they will not stop. We will see greater trouble and conflict in Europe, with China, Iran, in the Middle East," Schumer said during a press conference attended by a Kyiv Independent reporter in Lviv on Feb. 23. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Russia attempts to push Ukrainian troops out of Krynky using human waves Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Just two more weeks. Thats how long congressional leaders from both parties said Wednesday theyll need to finally settle disagreements over funding levels for most agencies and programs this year, with almost half the 2024 federal budget year already over with and a government shutdown looming once again. The so-called Big Four Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) unveiled a bill to keep federal agencies now scheduled to be shuttered on Saturday open until March 9. Other agencies, now set to be closed March 9, would see that date pushed back to March 23. We are in agreement that Congress must work in a bipartisan manner to fund our government, the leaders said in a joint statement. The bill will have to be approved by both the House and Senate and signed by President Joe Biden before midnight on Friday evening to meet the current shutdown deadline and thus keep agencies like the Energy, Transportation and Housing and Urban Development Departments open. The temporary spending bill, which funds the government at last years levels, will be the fourth since the current budget year started Oct. 1. This latest extension is meant to give lawmakers time to flesh out two packages of spending bills, which if passed would fund all the agencies for the remaining seven months of fiscal 2024. The statement said the two packages of funding bills would stick to topline spending caps agreed to last year in a deal on the debt limit. Republicans balked at those limits in January and won some small tweaks to them in return for avoiding a shutdown then. Those tweaks will also be reflected in the final full-year bills, the leaders said. But whether those bills will actually be passed by the time the new proposed deadlines hit is unclear. Some House Republicans, upset over what they say is a lack of policy victories in the annual spending bill fights so far, have threatened to vote against any short-term stopgap, let alone any future full-year bill. That would mean Johnson would have to rely on Democrats to again provide needed votes for both short- and long-term spending bills eventually. The four party leaders met with President Joe Biden Tuesday at the White House to figure out a strategy to avoid a shutdown and discuss funding for Ukraine, which just marked its third year defending itself against a Russian invasion. Wednesdays agreement on a stopgap bill will not solve that latter issue. But it may give House GOP leaders, who have resisted taking up a bipartisan Senate bill to provide aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, time to figure out what they will counter with. Related... CCTV footage of Constance Marten holding baby Victoria while she and her boyfriend were on the run - METROPOLITAN POLICE/PA Constance Martens newborn baby may have died from either hypothermia or co-sleeping in a tent, a court heard on Thursday. Ms Marten, 36, and her boyfriend Mark Gordon, 49, are accused of killing baby Victoria by taking her on the run in January last year to prevent her from being taken away by social services. Ms Martens placenta was found in a burnt-out car on a Manchester motorway on Jan 5, sparking a huge police hunt as the couple travelled around the UK to find a port to escape from, the Old Bailey heard. The couple then spent nearly two months camping in a tent in the South Downs near Brighton before the baby, wearing only a onesie, allegedly froze to death. A court artist sketch shows Constance Marten and Mark Gordon at the Old Bailey, where they are on trial for the manslaughter of baby Victoria - ELIZABETH COOK/PA Baby Victoria was later found dead in a Lidl bag for life, where prosecutors say she spent most of her life. The pair deny the manslaughter of Victoria by gross negligence, concealment of the birth of a child, cruelty to a person under 16 and perverting the course of justice by disposing of the body. Ms Marten comes from a wealthy aristocratic family and her father was a page to Queen Elizabeth II. A post-mortem on Victorias body was conducted by Nat Cary, the consultant forensic pathologist, and Andreas Marnerides, a paediatric pathologist. The formal cause of death was logged as unascertained. Dr Cary told the jury: Thats not to take away from inferences that may be drawn, but thats not for us as pathologists. I can tell you more about what its not than what it is. He ruled out as a cause of death any toxicological cause, natural disease or genetic abnormality. He said the level of decomposition made it hard to explore whether there were any injuries to the baby, but there were no signs of injury. A toxicology study found no signs of drugs or suspicious substances within the child. He said the cause of death would be a matter for the jury, but hypothermia or co-sleeping were the two obvious possible causes. The prosecution claims that hypothermia was the cause of death, while Ms Marten told police Victoria passed away after she fell asleep with her inside her jacket. Dr Cary said an adult sleeping with a child could be dangerous because of overheating. He said a baby could end up in an awkward posture with an adult on top of you, anything that impairs breathing. He added: At this point, it is very easy to impair breathing without there being any obvious signs in a post-mortem. Dr Cary said there were no other obvious possible causes of death. He said hypothermia was a difficult cause of death to determine in babies, even on a less decomposed body, and was often done by inferences. The trial continues. 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. The 2024 local races are starting to shape up, with more than two dozen candidates filing to run and others reportedly waiting in the wings to announce or otherwise weighing their chances. So far, theres competition in only a handful of the city, county, school board, judicial and constitutional races that will appear on the ballot. And while there are whispers of prospective candidates testing the waters, its unclear how many may end up filing. Political observers say a number of would-be candidates are still in soul-searching mode, wary of the scorched-earth tactics from personal attacks to anonymous smear campaigns that marked some of the races in 2022. Right now, youre seeing some races that are not as crowded as maybe would have been anticipated, said Jamie Van Pelt, CEO of The Radley Firm, which does marketing and public relations. I think its a product of the political temperature. In all my years ... I havent seen it so contentious and so negative and personal as it is right now. Gary Yordon, a veteran media consultant and talk show host, said hes spoken with roughly a dozen people who were considering running for office but were hesitant given the ugliness of the 2022 election. One common discussion that Ive had with all of them is the tenor of local campaigns, Yordon said. They watched ... and just said I have no reason to put my happy life on that chopping block. Its just the guardrails are off and accuracy is meaningless. The fireworks havent begun yet this cycle, though the candidates are preparing for the possibility as they fill their campaign coffers with donations. Leon County Commissioner Brian Welch, a high school history teacher running for a second term, has raised over $114,000 considerably more money than any of the other candidates. County Commissioner Carolyn Cummings, also running for a second term, took in the second-highest amount, just over $71,000. Schools Superintendent Rocky Hanna had the third-highest amount at just over $70,000. Superintendent race heats up as a third candidate files to challenge Rocky Hanna Hanna, whos running for a third and self-imposed final term, is facing a challenge from Chiles High School Principal Joe Burgess, a veteran district administrator, and Genleah Star Swain, elementary principal at FAMU DRS who filed to run on Tuesday. Rocky Hanna 2023 Burgess and Hanna have long been at odds. In 2021, Hanna suspended Burgess for violating district policy by paying teachers for extra work without documentation. Burgess denied wrongdoing and fought the disciplinary action but ended up serving a two-week suspension last fall after his final appeal failed. The incumbent has had his own on-the-job battles, namely with Gov. Ron DeSantis. The Florida Department of Education investigated Hanna last year for making politically charged statements and infusing personal views into his administration. He settled with DOE and received a reprimand. Joe Burgess files for his candidacy to run for Leon County public schools superintendent, besides him stands his family. Hanna, a Democrat, has raised just over $70,000, more than three times the amount brought in by Burgess, whos running with no party affiliation. Last week, Sean Pittman, a prominent lawyer and political consultant, and his spouse, Audra Pittman, hosted a fundraiser for Hanna at their home. In a Facebook post, Hanna said the event, which he called a friendraiser, exceeded his fundraising and individual donor goals. The amount wont be reported until the spring. Star Swain Burgess has been holding his own events and posting videos on Facebook he calls Rebuilding Bridges with Joe Burgess. He spoke out about the need for teachers to get a salary increase before the district and the teachers union struck a deal earlier this month. The race took a turn this week as Swain made her candidacy official. Swain, a Democrat, became an internet and media sensation in 2016 after video of her singing The Star-Spangled Banner went viral. If all three candidates qualify, Hanna and Swain would square off in the primary, with the winner facing Burgess in the general election. Incumbent city commissioners lead in fundraising, face multiple challengers Incumbent City Commissioners Curtis Richardson and Jack Porter have each drawn opponents in contests sure to be marked by longstanding divisions over growth, City Hall management and other issues. Tallahassee City Commissioner Curtis Richardson speaks at Bethel Missionary Baptist Church in Tallahassee, Fla. on Monday, Jan. 23, 2023 about urging Gov. Ron DeSantis to change course on rejecting African American Studies courses. Richardson, a former School Board member and lawmaker and a member of the commissions voting majority, along with Mayor John Dailey and Commissioner Dianne Williams-Cox, is seeking his third full term. Hes drawn two opponents for Seat 2, former City Commissioner Dot Inman-Johnson, a retired teacher and the first Black woman to serve on the commission, and Bernard Stevens Jr., a vocal critic of city officials and frequent speaker at commission meetings. Dot Inman-Johnson, who is running for a seat on the City Commission, speaks during a press conference at the Florida Education building where she and other community members called upon Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz to reverse the decision made on the AP African studies Thursday, Aug. 10, 2023. Richardson has raised nearly $60,000 in campaign donations, including at least $12,500 from three dozen lawyers, among them State Attorney Jack Campbell and former City Commissioner Mark Mustian. He also got six $1,000 checks from NAI TALCOR and related firms and a $1,000 donation from Ajax Construction, which is building TPDs new headquarters. Commissioner Williams-Cox gave $50. Inman-Johnson has raised nearly $28,000. Her donors include City Commissioner Jeremy Matlow, who gave $1,000, and former City Commissioner Debbie Lightsey, former County Commissioners Bob Rackleff and Cliff Thaell and former Supervisor of Elections Ion Sancho, who all gave $250 or less. City Commissioner Jack Porter listens to public comment during the Blueprint meeting at City Hall on Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023. Porter, who makes up the commissions progressive wing along with Matlow, is running for a second term. She faces three challengers so far: Rudy Ferguson, a pastor who ran for a County Commission seat in 2022, Louis Dilbert, director of Veteran Affairs at Florida A&M University, and Anthony DeMarco, an IT worker who ran unsuccesfuly for a School Board seat in 2022. Rev. Rudy Ferguson, chair of the Tallahassee Police Department's Citizens Advisory Committee, speaks during a press conference held by the city of Tallahassee and TPD to introduce the Tallahassee Bystander app at TPD Headquarters Tuesday, August 24, 2021. On the fundraising trail, Porter leads with nearly $52,000. She has a whopping 489 donations though many of her donors gave multiple times and collected dozens of $27 checks, a symbolic figure popularized by Sen. Bernie Sanders. Her donors include Matlow, who gave $1,000, County Commissioner David OKeefe, who gave $250 Lightsey, Rackleff and Thaell. Louis Dilbert Dilbert has raised over $17,000, though most of his donations, roughly 75%, came from out of town. Ferguson has raised a little over $11,000, including two checks totaling $150 from Williams-Cox. County Commissioner Welch, a Democrat, amasses war chest for battle in conservative District 4 County Commissioner Brian Welch is squaring off against a political newcomer, Isaac Montilla, a chiropractor and owner of Verity Health Center, in a nonpartisan race thats being watched closely by the local Democratic and Republican parties. County Commissioner Brian Welch listens to public comment during the Blueprint meeting at City Hall on Thursday, Aug. 24, 2023. Welch, a Democrat, and Montilla, a Republican, are competing for the seat in District 4, situated in the northeast and the only district in Leon County where GOP voters outnumber Democrats. In 2020, Welch, running in part on a promise to deliver a new northeast park, knocked off long-serving Commissioner Bryan Desloge, a Republican. Last year, the Blueprint board approved the park, though a scaled-back version with a $12 million budget. And while Welch is leading in fundraising, Montilla has raised a substantial sum himself more than $65,000, the fourth-highest amount of all the local candidates. Montilla posed for a Facebook photo with Desloge in October, a month after he filed. Sen. Corey Simon, R-Tallahassee, endorsed him the same day. That seat is a seat that is a majority Republican, said Evan Power, chairman of both the Leon County and Florida Republican parties. So its important for our Republican friends to vote for an actual conservative candidate. So well be out informing people that one person is a progressive and ones a conservative. Ryan Ray, chair of the Leon County Democratic Executive Committee, said it was unprecedented for a sitting state senator to endorse someone running against a common sense candidate. Despite far right machinations, on the MAGA fringes, Democrats will continue to keep Commissioner Brian Welchs strong leadership at the helm in county District 4, Ray said. Four running for open county judge seat; Sheriff Walt McNeil silent on re-election plans Four people have filed to run for a Leon County judge seat that opened up with the retirement of Judge Augustus Aikens Jr., who steps down early next year because of age limits. Running for the Seat 4 judge are Cydnee Brown, Robert Churchill, Melinda Coonrod and LaShawn Riggans. Three of the five constitutional officers, Tax Collector Doris Maloy, Clerk of Court Gwen Marshall-Knight and Supervisor of Elections Mark Earley, are running unopposed so far. Property Appraiser Akin Akinyemi, whos running for a third term, has one challenger, Kenneth Ken Preston, a former employee of the office. Sheriff Walt McNeil speaks during the Apalachee CenterOs Community Hero Awards Presentation on Monday, July 31, 2023. Sheriff Walt McNeil has yet to file for re-election, though it would be a shock if he didnt. When asked last month whether hes running for a third, he declined to say. No one else has filed to run for the post. The deadline is in June, McNeil said in an email. Right now my priority is focused on fighting crime and other safety initiatives in Leon County. Numerous other incumbents have yet to draw a challenger, including State Reps. Jason Shoaf (R-Port St. Joe) and Allison Tant and Gallop Franklin (both D-Tallahassee), State Attorney Jack Campbell, Public Defender Jessica Yeary, County Judge Monique Richardson, County Commissioner Christian Caban, School Board member Laurie Lawson Cox and Circuit Judges Barbara Hobbs, Ronald Flury, Frank Allman, Robert Wheeler and David Frank. See how much the candidates have raised and spent Below is a list of the candidates and their fundraising totals through Dec. 31, the end of the most recent reporting period. State Senate District 3 Sheria Monique Griffin (Democrat). Raised: $11.073. Spent: $3,818. Kimblin Eugene Nesmith (Democrat). Raised: $20,000. Spent: $17,203. Corey Simon (incumbent, Republican). Raised: $302,689. Spent: $36,115. State House District 7 Jason Shoaf (incumbent, Republican). Raised: $88,340. Spent: $51,546. State House District 8 Gallop Franklin (incumbent, Democrat). Raised: $68,480. Spent: $13,291. State House District 9 Allison Tant (incumbent, Democrat). Raised: $236,393. Spent: $3,789. State attorney, 2nd Judicial Circuit Jack Campbell (incumbent, Democrat). Raised: None. Spent: None. Public defender, 2nd Judicial Circuit Jessica Yeary (incumbent, Democrat). Raised: $48,400. Spent: $2,979. Circuit judge, 2nd Judicial Circuit, Group 2 Barbara Hobbs (incumbent). Raised: $23,795. Spent: $7,802. Circuit judge, 2nd Judicial Circuit, Group 3 Ronald Flury (incumbent). Raised: None. Spent: None. Circuit judge, 2nd Judicial Circuit, Group 5 Frank Allman (incumbent). Raised: $22,125. Spent: $2,008. Circuit judge, 2nd Judicial Circuit, Group 7 Robert Wheeler (incumbent). Raised: $21,225. Spent: $2,382. Circuit judge, 2nd Judicial Circuit, Group 12 David Frank (incumbent). Raised: $69,500. Spent: $5,093. Leon County clerk of court Gwen Marshall (incumbent). Raised: $3,500. Spent: $10. Leon County property appraiser Akin Akinyemi (incumbent). Raised: $33,370. Spent: $4,084. Kenneth "Ken" Preston. Raised: $25,270. Spent: $25,111. Leon County tax collector Doris Maloy (incumbent). Raised: None. Spent: None. Leon County Superintendent of Schools Joseph Lamar Burgess (no party affiliation). Raised: $18,105. Spent: $228. Rocky Hanna (incumbent, Democrat). Raised: $70,185. Spent: $4,169. Genleah Star Swain (Democrat). Raised: None. Spent: None. Leon County supervisor of elections Mark Earley (incumbent, Democrat). Raised: $1,050. Spent: $195. Leon County judge Seat 3 Monique Richardson (incumbent). Raised: $7,750. Spent: None. Leon County judge Seat 4 Cydnee Brown . Raised: $15,200. Spent: $1,640. Robert Churchill . Raised: $11,900. Spent: $1,037. Melinda Coonrod . Raised: $2,850. Spent: $1,712. LaShawn Riggans. Raised: $25,525. Spent: $714. Leon County Commission at-large Carolyn Cummings (incumbent). Raised: $71,245. Spent: $15,678. David Hawkins. Raised: $5,000. Spent: None. Leon County Commission District 2 Christian Caban (incumbent). Raised: None. Spent: None. Leon County Commission District 4 Isaac Montilla . Raised: $65,589. Spent: $15,491. Brian Welch (incumbent). Raised: $114,110. Spent: $11,616. Leon County School Board District 2 Rosanne Wood (incumbent). Raised: None. Spent: None. Daniel Zeruto. Raised: $500. Spent: None. Leon County School Board District 4 Laurie Lawson Cox (incumbent). Raised: $25,075. Spent: $6,864. Tallahassee City Commission Seat 1 Anthony DeMarco. Raised: None. Spent: None. Louis Dilbert. Raised: $17,420. Spent: $14,840. Rudy Ferguson Sr. Raised: $11,122. Spent: $4,998. Jack Porter (incumbent). Raised: $51,973. Spent: $6,935. Tallahassee City Commission Seat 2 Dorothy Inman-Johnson . Raised: $27,826. Spent: $10,995. Curtis Richardson (incumbent). Raised: $59,535. Spent: $2,790. Bernard Stevens Jr. Raised: $250. Spent: $214. Also on the ballot in 2024 are contests for U.S. president and Senate and House seats. Sen. Rick Scott and Rep. Neal Dunn are both seeking re-election. At least 10 people are running against Scott, including former U.S. Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, a Democrat who announced last year. Dunn has not drawn a challenger. Contact Jeff Burlew at jburlew@tallahassee.com or 850-599-2180. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Tallahassee, Leon election battle lines form; candidates in money race The judge overseeing the murder trial of Bryan Kohberger, the man charged with killing four University of Idaho students in November 2022, once again failed to set a trial date Wednesday at a hearing in the case. Attempts to pin down the trials start at the Latah County Courthouse hearing quickly turned contentious, with the defense team arguing that more time was needed than what prosecutors wanted to offer because of the huge volume of discovery evidence expected from the state. Bryan Kohberger, right, who is accused of killing four University of Idaho students in November 2022, is escorted into a courtroom for a September hearing in Latah County Court. Second District Judge John Judge and Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson wanted to set March 3, 2025, as the beginning of the trial, but Anne Taylor, Kohbergers lead public defender, said that wasnt feasible. She suggested the trial begin in June 2025. Not only do we have a huge volume of information, the way Im getting it is completely disorganized, Taylor said in court. And its like if you wanted to play 52-card pickup with 100,000 decks of cards and throw them in the air, and I have to go figure out how to put them together. The law requires both sides to turn over evidence or relevant information that could be used in trial through discovery, which is designed to prevent a trial by ambush, where one side doesnt learn of the other sides evidence or witnesses until the trial, according to the American Bar Association. Taylor said the prosecution has not been quick to provide her with the information she has requested. She cited a number of supposed instances, including that multiple discovery reports referred to X-rays taken, but when she asked for them, the prosecution told her they didnt exist. Thompson said at Wednesdays proceeding that the prosecution has turned over more than 95% of discovery material to the defense. Judge ultimately agreed to Taylors request that he not set a trial date until he decides whether or not to move the trial out of Latah County, a decision he said he hopes to make in May. Kohbergers defense team made a motion for change of venue at a Jan. 31 hearing, making the claim that an impartial jury could not be found in the county where the killings occurred. Judge set a hearing for change of venue arguments for 2:30 p.m. Mountain time on May 14 at the Latah County Courthouse. The four victims in the mass killing at the University of Idaho pose for a photo with their two roommates. At top left is Madison Mogen, 21, who is on the shoulders of Kaylee Goncalves, also 21. Ethan Chapin, 20, has his arm around Xana Kernodle, 20, his girlfriend. Kohberger, 29, was arrested in late 2022 in the stabbing deaths of four students in the early morning hours of Nov. 13, 2022. The victims were seniors Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves, both 21, and junior Xana Kernodle and freshman Ethan Chapin, both 20. Kohberger, a graduate student at the time at Washington State University in Pullman, was arrested about seven weeks later at his parents eastern Pennsylvania house. He waived extradition and agreed to go to Idaho to face the charges. He has been held at the Latah County Jail without bail since Jan. 4, 2023. Members of Goncalves family were in the courtoom Wednesday. Feeling anxious about tomorrow, but our family will continue to show up for EVERY court date, a Facebook page run by the family posted on Tuesday. The Goncalves Family will remain strong and united. We will NEVER give up. Thank you to EVERYONE!!! You give us the strength and courage to continue this battle. HUNTSVILLE - Convicted murderer Ivan Cantu has been executed in Huntsville, despite protests from a number of people who believed he was innocent. He was pronounced dead at 6:47 p.m. Ivan Cantu spent his final day seeking a stay of execution. His mother was among those who told CBS News Texas Wednesday evening. "...nothing else could be done," said Sylvia Cantu, Ivan Cantu's mother. "Our Last Hope is Abbott." The governor took no action and Ivan Cantu was put to death by lethal injection in Huntsville, 24 years after the brutal, execution-style murders of his cousin and the victim's fiancee. "I think first and foremost I'm relieved for the victims' families," said Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis. After the execution, Willis said justice was served despite the protests from across the country from those who believe Ivan Cantu was denied a fair trial and convicted on weak evidence. "I just want people to know who are concerned if there are people concerned, that this was overwhelming evidence of a guilty man," said Willis. "The most compelling evidence may have come out after the trial as CBS News Texas revealed [Tuesday] night." An affidavit filed by Cantu's trial attorneys after his conviction stated their client privately admitted to the murders before his trial, which affected their defense strategy. It "led them to believe that a state-sponsored psychiatric evaluation could indicate that Ivan Cantu was a sociopath, which they believed "would substantially lower [their] already slim chance for a life sentence," The attorneys even quoted Ivan Cantu's "admission that he had indeed killed Mosqueda for "ripping him off" on a drug deal, and Kitchen just happened to be at the Mosqueda home, and that "I didn't want to leave any witnesses" Collin County's DA believes the case against Ivan Cantu was strong even without that. "We had compelling evidence against him, any number of things including his fingerprint directly marked on the magazine of the firearm that he used in the murders, the presence of the victim's DNA on the firearm that had his print on it. The victim's DNA on the bloody clothing found in his apartment This was the first execution this year in Texas. Another death row inmate is scheduled to have his sentence carried out in two weeks. Police body camera footage released of shooting at Lakewood Church The Smokehouse Creek Fire spreads, extending its reach from Texas to Oklahoma Fast-moving wildfires torch the Texas Panhandle A Cook County judge ruled Wednesday that former President Donald Trumps name should be struck from the March 19 Illinois Republican primary ballot because he engaged in insurrection in the deadly Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol and is disqualified from holding the office of president. Judge Tracie Porter made her ruling based on the case law surrounding the Colorado Supreme Courts 4-3 decision in December that removed Trump from that states ballot based on the insurrection clause of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The U.S. Supreme Court is reviewing the Colorado decision. While Porter ruled primary votes cast for Trump should not be counted by Illinois election officials, she stayed the effect of her ruling in anticipation of an appeal in higher state courts and a ruling from the nations highest court in the Colorado case. The Trump campaign vowed to appeal Porters ruling shortly after it was issued. Today, an activist Democrat judge in Illinois summarily overruled the states Board of Elections and contradicted earlier decisions from dozens of other state and federal jurisdictions, Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung said in a statement. This is an unconstitutional ruling that we will quickly appeal. In the meantime, President Trump remains on the Illinois ballot, is dominating the polls and will Make America Great Again! The case to remove Trump was brought on behalf of a group of Illinois voters backed by the organization Free Speech for People, which has pushed similar legal challenges to the former presidents access to the ballot in other states on 14th Amendment grounds. This is a historic victory, Ron Fein, the legal director of Free Speech For People, said in a statement following Porters ruling. Every court or official that has addressed the merits of Trumps constitutional eligibility has found that he engaged in insurrection after taking the oath of office and is therefore disqualified from the presidency. Porter ruled that in signing his statement of candidacy for the Illinois Republican primary ballot on Jan. 4, Trump falsely swore that he was legally qualified for the office he sought because the Colorado Supreme Court had already ruled that the former president had been found to engage in insurrection. Porters ruling came in an appeal of the Illinois State Board of Elections Jan. 30 decision to reject the effort to disqualify Trump from the primary ballot due to his role in the Jan. 6 riot, which was aimed at preventing the count of Electoral College votes from the states that made Democrat Joe Biden president. Under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, those who have taken an oath to uphold the Constitution as an officer of the United States shall not be able to serve in Congress or hold any office, civil or military if they have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the Constitution. In its 8-0 bipartisan vote, the elections board allowed Trumps name to stay on the ballot and rejected an objection that he knowingly lied by signing a statement of candidacy attesting he was qualified to hold the office of the presidency. Porter, in her ruling, found the State Board of Elections decision that Trump was eligible for the ballot because he did not knowingly file a false statement of candidacy was without basis and contrary to existing Illinois law. Regardless of how Porter had ruled in the case, an appeal was expected, with proponents of Trumps removal from the ballot seeking to get the issue to the Illinois Supreme Court, where Democrats hold a 5-2 advantage. The Colorado case was decided on a party-line vote led by Democrats. Porter said she found the Colorado Supreme Court majoritys opinion was well-articulated, rational and established in historic context. This court shares the Colorado Supreme Courts sentiments that (it) did not reach its conclusions lightly. This court also realizes the magnitude of this decision and its impact on the upcoming primary Illinois elections, Porter wrote. In her ruling, the judge said she also took into account the findings of a State Board of Elections hearing examiner, Clark Erickson, a retired Republican judge from Kankakee County, that Trump had engaged in insurrection based on the findings of a legally authorized investigation by the U.S. House of Representatives. Porter rejected arguments from Trumps attorneys that the 14th Amendments definition of office to be considered for disqualification excluded the presidency and that states on their own could not take action under the amendment without congressional authorization. She said a common sense approach was that the President of the United States must be included in the language of the amendment. Porter acknowledged the state elections board acted properly in not considering Trumps eligibility for office under the 14th Amendment due to previous Illinois Supreme Court rulings that prohibited the board from using constitutional analysis in its decisions on candidate access to the ballot. It is undisputed that the Electoral Board cannot conduct this type of constitutional analysis any more than it could declare a provision of the Election Code or Illinois Constitution unconstitutional, Porter wrote. While the Electoral Board could not conduct constitutional analysis of Section 3 of the 14th Amendment to determine whether (Trump) was disqualified for the office of president, this court may do so, she wrote. The court decision came the same day that the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear arguments in April on Trumps claim of absolute immunity for any criminal acts that he allegedly committed as president to interfere in the 2020 election results. Passengers were delayed on their international flight Wednesday night when their plane sustained a cracked windshield, according to authorities. Massachusetts State Police say around 9:46 p.m., an American Airlines flight was diverted to Logan Airport due to a crack in the planes windshield. An alert 2 emergency was called and at 10:14 p.m., the flight landed without incident. The plane was taxied to the gate under its own power. In a statement, American Airlines said: On Feb. 28, American Airlines flight 94 with service from New York (JFK) to Madrid (MAD) diverted to Boston (BOS) due to a maintenance issue. The flight landed safely and the aircraft was taken out of service to be inspected by our maintenance team. Customers will re-depart for MAD tomorrow on a replacement aircraft. We never want to disrupt our customers travel plans and apologize for the inconvenience this has caused. It was kind of scary, the flight was very shakey and when they said the windshield cracked I got a bit scared, one passenger said. Passengers were told they would be put up in hotel rooms overnight and receive food vouchers, according to airline reps. They will continue their travel at 8 a.m. on Thursday morning. #BreakingNews @AmericanAir flight 94 diverted to Boston from JFK en route to Madrid after a cracked windshield was found. Passengers being told they will be getting hotel vouchers and food vouchers and to leave tomorrow 8am. @boston25 @BostonLogan @JFKairport pic.twitter.com/gJFoPy6rBq Chetan Rakieten (@chetanrakieten) February 29, 2024 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 - An American Airlines flight bound for Spain was forced to divert to Logan Airport in Boston Wednesday night because of a cracked windshield, according to Massachusetts State Police. American Airlines flight 94 American Airlines Flight 94 took off from JFK Airport in New York City and was headed to Madrid, Spain when it was diverted to Boston because of what the airline said was a "maintenance issue." The flight landed safely at 10:14 p.m. at Logan Airport and it taxied to the gate under its on own power. American Airlines said the jet was taken out of service to be inspected by their maintenance team. No one was hurt. Passengers were forced to spend the night in Boston. They'll leave for Madrid on a new flight on a replacement jet Thursday afternoon. American Airlines apology "We never want to disrupt our customers' travel plans and apologize for the inconvenience this has caused," American Airlines said in a statement to WBZ-TV. "How does a multi-millionaire company with so many resources not foresee this," passenger Nico Moreno told WBZ after getting off the flight. "The type of solution they give you is very minimal in terms of, you don't make up for the money I lose when I miss my job. You don't make up the time I lose for everything I have at home, all the situations, no? And all the situations these people have." Passengers on American Airlines flight 94 wait for help at Logan Airport in Boston, February 28, 2024. / Credit: CBS Boston Recent airline incidents U.S. airline safety has been under renewed scrutiny after the door panel of an Alaska Airlines flight blew out in mid-air last month, just minutes after the Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft had taken off from Portland, Oregon. A preliminary report from the National Transportation Safety Board determined that four bolts which were meant to hold the door plug in place were missing. The Smokehouse Creek Fire spreads, extending its reach from Texas to Oklahoma Leap Day Babies: A birthday every four years Lloyd Austin testifies about hospitalization: "I did not handle it right" An independent girls' school on Merseyside is to join its boys' counterpart to create one senior school, governors have announced. Merchant Taylors' Girls' School and the boys' school in Crosby will become Merchant Taylors' School from September 2025. It will be based at the current boys' school site known as the Harrison site. The girls' school won a gold medal in the European Choir Games in Sweden in November. Fees for both the boys' school and the girls' school, which were set up in 1620 and 1888 respectively, are currently more than 13,000 a year. The Merchant Taylors' School will be co-educational for all pupils aged 4-18 and led by Dr Michael Alderson. 'Financial efficiency' Philip Marshall KC, chair of the board of governors and an alumnus of the school, said the move "allows us to broaden and strengthen our academic provision, while developing new opportunities and ensuring that access to those opportunities is the same for every pupil". The school said it had made improvements to facilities, adjustments to the curriculum as well as additional support for pupils and staff, have been carefully considered "to ensure a seamless transition to co-education". Inspectors found safeguarding failings at the boys' school last year. In May inspectors found the boys' school was failing to keep all of its pupils safe and lacked the "leadership" to tackle "ongoing inappropriate behaviour". In response, head teacher Deiniol Williams, said "robust action" had already been taken and the school would not tolerate the behaviour of "a minority". Why not follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk Georgia lawmakers will begin the critical process known as Crossover Day at the Georgia State Capitol. Its the day when a bill must pass either in the House or Senate to stay alive this legislation session. There are some key bills out there that havent received a full vote yet from immigration to speed cameras in school zones. Channel 2s Richard Elliot will be following the latest developments from the State Capitol, LIVE on Channel 2 Action News starting at 4:00 p.m. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Heres a closer look at the bills that Georgia House and Georgia Senate are looking to pass on Thursday and send to the other chamber. IMMIGRATION A state House committee passed a bill on Monday that would make it a crime for any Georgia sheriff to refuse to report to federal authorities any suspected undocumented immigrants in their county jails. This bill was passed in the wake of the arrest of an undocumented immigrant charged with the murder of a nursing student on the University of Georgia campus. Many of these immigration-related bills were already out there -- some for a couple of years. But after the death of Laken Riley, those bills have moved up in urgency. If House Bill 1105 becomes law, a sheriff could be charged with violation of oath of office for the first offense. Subsequent offenses could see them charged with a misdemeanor of a high and aggravated nature. This bill will now go to the full House on Thursday. SPEED CAMERAS A Georgia lawmaker wants to eliminate all school zone cameras across the state. South Georgia Republican Clay Pirkle said his office is flooded with complaints from people who say they have been getting speeding tickets even when schools are out, and the zones are not supposed to be active. But some parents say the cameras are forcing people to slow down and keep their kids safe. Another school zone camera bill would keep the camera in place but make sure all the laws and regulations governing them are uniform across the state. OKEFENOKEE MINING House Bill 1338 would put a three-year moratorium on dragline mining in the Okefenokee Swamp. Along the eastern rim of the swamp runs a line of ancient sand dunes called Trail Ridge. Its where, eons ago, the ocean washed ashore. The sand is rich in minerals -- notably titanium dioxide. An Alabama-based company called Twin Pines Minerals, LLC wants to dig it out so the titanium dioxide can be used as a whitening agent for things like sunscreen, toothpaste and paint. State Rep. John Corbett introduced House Bill 1338 last week for a moratorium to allow for the data to be collected over the next three years. Opponents of the bill say it includes unrealistic deadlines to challenge permits. READ MORE: Could titanium dioxide mining impact the Okefenokee Swamp? Heres what weve learned OTHER BILLS TO WATCH Film tax credits: House Bill 1180 would require more use of Georgia-based employees and contractors to get the top 30% income tax credit on film production, and would cap credits eligible to sold to third parties to 2.5% of the states annual budget, or about $900 million. Religious liberty: Proponents say Senate Bill 180 would protect religious liberty from being trampled by state and local governments, while opponents say its a license for people and groups to discriminate against LGBTQ+ in the name of religion. American Library Association: Senate Bill 390 bars state and local governments from giving money to the American Library Association. The sponsor says the the groups ideology is harmful. Valdosta State University could still use private money to maintain accreditation for its library science degree. Sex-education: School districts could drop sex education and students would only be enrolled if parents specifically opt in under Senate Bill 532. The measure would ban all sex education in fifth grade and below. Information from the Associated Press was used in this report. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] Several potential successors are being eyed to fill outgoing Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's role as the party faces growing division between more mainstream Republicans and a faction of hardline conservative members. Among those who are being floated as a potential replacement for the leadership position are senators John Cornyn, R-Texas; John Thune, R-S.D.; John Barrasso, R-Wyo.; Rick Scott R-Fla.; Tom Cotton, R-Ark.; and Steve Daines, R-Mont. McConnell, who turned 82 last week, announced in a floor speech Wednesday he will step down from leadership in November. The Kentucky Republican is the Senate's longest-serving party leader in history. Speculation about Thune, Barrasso or Daines taking over as leader stems from their current roles in GOP leadership. They serve as Republican whip, Senate Republican Conference chairman and National Republican Senatorial Committee chairman, respectively. MITCH MCCONNELL STEPPING DOWN AS REPUBLICAN LEADER There are several potential successors for Republican Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. "Chairman Daines is laser-focused on taking back the Senate majority," NRSC communications director Mike Berg told Fox News Digital. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP One source familiar with Senate Republican conference discussions shared that the "three Johns" Thune, Cornyn and Barrasso are not of the same political stripe. Barrasso is considered the most conservative out of the three, the source said. Barrasso is also believed to be a more palatable option for the various factions of Republicans in the Senate who don't always see eye to eye. He notably endorsed former President Trump early last month. SEN. COTTON PROBES DOD HOW US AIRMAN WHO LIT HIMSELF ON FIRE WAS 'ALLOWED TO SERVE ON ACTIVE DUTY' "What I'm focused on is the election," Barrasso told reporters shortly after McConnell's announcement. As for decisions regarding leadership, he said, "I'm going to talk to members of the conference, hear what they have to say, listen to them in terms of what direction that they want to take with us." Both Cornyn and Thune also endorsed Trump after Barrasso. Thune had initially endorsed fellow Sen. Tim Scott R-S.C., who ultimately dropped out and endorsed Trump. Sen. Rick Scott was more pointed in his statement following McConnell's surprise announcement, saying in a statement, "I have been very clear and have long believed that we need new leadership in the Senate that represents our voters and the issues we were sent here to fight for." When Scott challenged McConnell for the position, Sen. Mike Braun, R-Ind., told reporters McConnell received 37 votes from conference members, while Scott received 10. One Republican voted "present." Some of those who reportedly voted against McConnell were senators Josh Hawley, R-Mo; Ted Cruz, R-Texas; Braun; Ron Johnson, R-Wis.; and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, who supported Scott in 2022, would welcome Scott's leadership if he were to take over, a staffer in Lee's office told Fox News Digital. MCCONNELL SAYS SENATE TRIAL FOR MAYORKAS IMPEACHMENT IS THE 'BEST WAY FORWARD' The source also shared that Cotton was being mentioned as a potential contender for the position. Cotton's office couldn't immediately be reached for comment. Cornyn, who does not hold a leadership position in the GOP and is poised to launch a potential bid for leader, said in a statement Wednesday that "today is about Mitch McConnell." "But I've made no secret about my intentions," he added. Cornyn on his timeline: "Not today." Cornyn also endorsed former President Trump to be the Republican presidential nominee, and some lawmakers have begun looking to the likely GOP candidate for guidance about who should replace McConnell. A new article from The Atlantic warned that House Democrats may vote against certifying former President Trump's election if the U.S. Supreme Court doesn't rule whether he is eligible for office beforehand. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., told reporters Wednesday the next person "absolutely" needs to have a more positive relationship with Trump, adding, "He's going to be the next president, we have to work together." Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., agreed. "It's so important that the next leader have a very positive relationship with the president," Marshall told Fox News Digital in an interview Wednesday. "I think that this next leader needs to have a little bit more, maybe a lot more of a populist view." Marshall, who positioned himself alongside conservative hardliners who were critical of McConnell and voted against the bipartisan border deal in the national security supplemental package this month, added that the names being floated for leadership have been "interviewing for the job since I got here." "I watch how they vote. I watch what their priorities are. I've been watching their volume on what issues they're championing," he said. "All the names have great qualities. They would do a fine job. But I've not even started a process of weeding them out. And I tell you, it'll be one of the toughest decisions I've ever made." Fox News' Chad Pergram contributed to this report. Original article source: Crowded field of potential McConnell successors emerges in Senate The practice of cutting off the tough outer husks of sugar cane stalks as an alternative to burning them off in pre-harvest fires has been adopted almost everywhere the crop is grown. Known as "green harvesting," it has become part of the production process for sugar industries in Brazil, Australia, Zimbabwe, Belize, Thailand, India and in the Glades, Belle Glade resident Steve Messam told Belle Glade city commissioners this week. Used in U.S. Sugar's fields bordering a Walmart in Clewiston as well as in Florida Crystal's fields where sugar labeled organic is grown, the method, Messam said, turns the trash on the sugar-cane stalks into treasure, including fuel, biodegradable products ... and jobs. More: Burning sugar cane pollutes communities of color in Palm Beach County. Brazil shows another way. If you can do it in some fields, you can do it in more fields, he said during Monday's commission meeting. Its a win for the environment, a win for industry, and a win for the economy. 'We want to present a solution' Messam is a local pastor, businessman and member of the Stop the Burn campaign, an effort that for seven years has worked to draw attention to the harmful effects to health and property that the industrys eight months of preharvest fires each year inflict on the community. Last year a long-term study led by researchers at Florida State University showed that pollution released by the smoke shortens the lives of people living near fires. Soot that falls from the sky in the wake of the fires settles on the cars, homes and property of Glades residents who have come to call it Black Snow. Those effects and what Stop the Burn calls the failure of Palm Beach County officials to address them have been the subject of protest rallies by the campaign. More: Sugar cane fire pollution kills up to three South Floridians yearly, study finds The focus of this presentation was the good that doing things differently could bring to the community. It included a list of companies interested in working with the industry to turn the trash into profitable products. We dont just want to highlight the problem, Messam said. We want to present a solution. Belle Glade Mayor Steve Wilson, who lobbied in Tallahassee for a law to prevent people most harmed by smoke from sugar cane fires from suing the industry, said he appreciated that. A sugar-cane field burns outside of Pahokee. What he hadnt liked, he added, was the negativity of some of the Stop the Burn campaigns arguments, which, he said, included discussion of studies saying that smoke from sugar-cane fires was causing people to die. Thats not the case, said Wilson, who added that he had never seen the FSU study that linked one to six premature deaths a year in South Florida to breathing air polluted by sugar cane fire smoke. It isnt untrue, Messam assured him. Wilson accepted Messams offer to send him the study. More: Why Palm Beach County's health department hasn't sounded the alarm on sugar-cane burning One Belle Glade commissioner says 'We can do it here' on green harvesting; another says it will cost jobs Commissioner Mary Ross Wilkerson, who has served on the city body since 2009, said she, too, had been a critic of the Stop the Burn campaign until recently, when she learned that green harvesting is already in use in the Glades. I also heard it cost jobs. Green harvesting doesnt cost jobs, she said. I had to see it for myself. We can do it here. Commissioner Zayteck Marin, elected in March 2023, however, argued that green harvesting would cost jobs and more. Paging through reams of notes, she referred repeatedly to the sugar industry with the pronoun we, and noted that with a husband who works for a sugar company, she feels a part of it as well. The cost of expanding green harvesting, she said, would necessitate massive layoffs. While saying that workers depending on those jobs cant just pick up and leave, Marin also asserted that green harvesting would drive workers from the community, leaving their homes up for grabs. Its all about gentrification, she said, predicting: Palm Beachers are going to come for land, to build things we cant afford. All of that cost and loss were unnecessary, she said, noting that all sugar cane fires require a permit, which would not be granted if smoke from the fires presented a threat. Permits are not granted, Messam noted, when prevailing winds will blow the smoke and ash east toward whiter and wealthier communities. Post/ProPublica investigation The smoke comes every year. Sugar companies say the air is safe. 'To move into the future by improving the quality of life' Im hoping a dialogue between the industry and those companies and even our group will follow this, Messam said. In almost seven years, we have yet to get a meeting with anyone in the industry. A Florida Crystals representative responded to a request for comment with an email noting that the company has used the method to harvest its organic sugar cane for 30 years. "In addition to the food products we make, Florida Crystals uses the plant fiber to produce renewable energy to power our operations," the company's statement said. "Our biomass renewable energy facility, operational since 1996, is one of the largest of its kind in the country with additional renewable electricity sold to Floridas power grid. We also use our fiber to make sustainable molded fiber tableware products. The tableware business was developed after many years of research and includes an eco-friendly, proprietary process and has resulted in a major investment in the Glades communities over the past eight years." U.S. Sugar, which uses green harvesting in fields bordering the Walmart in Clewiston, did not respond to a request for comment. Messam says he believes making the most of green harvesting would be in keeping with Belle Glades mission statement, which he quoted at the start of his presentation: Belle Glade's mission statement To move into the future by improving the quality of life and promoting growth through economic diversification and development of human and natural resources while providing a safe and healthy environment. Why not, Messam said, allow the Glades to be the Silicone Valley of green energy? Antigone Barton is a reporter with The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at avbarton@pbpost.com. Help support our work: Subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Belle Glade commission hears pitch for green harvesting sugar cane Armored vehicles maneuver on intercity highway China Military Online) 09:21, February 29, 2024 Armored vehicles attached to a brigade under the PLA 75th Group Army speed along an intercity highway during a long-distance maneuver training exercise in early February, 2024. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Liu Junlei) Armored vehicles attached to a brigade under the PLA 75th Group Army speed along an intercity highway during a long-distance maneuver training exercise in early February, 2024. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Liu Junlei) Armored vehicles attached to a brigade under the PLA 75th Group Army speed along an intercity highway during a long-distance maneuver training exercise in early February, 2024. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Liu Junlei) (Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun) 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 Two New Bedford men were convicted last Friday of raping a young girl after a week-long trial, the Bristol County District Attorneys office said Thursday. Nicholas Pacheco, 41, was convicted by a jury of two counts of aggravated rape and abuse of a child with at least a five-year age difference. His housemate, Braulio Castro, 37, was convicted by the jury of forcible rape of a child. Prosecutors say the victim, who is now a teenager, was raped twice by Pacheco, who she considered to be her father, and once by Castro. The incidents allegedly occurred in a New Bedford apartment on Nye Street between February 2015 and February 2017 when the victim was either 9 or 10 years old. The victim testified during the trial about each instance of rape and told the jury she did not immediately disclose the rapes and molestations because she believed as a young child that she was just a toy and was supposed to be used for sex in this way. The DA says two other men had also molested the young victim during her childhood. The victim allegedly went to the Bristol County Childrens Advocacy Center in 2021 after a final instance of abuse from Mario Suy, of New Bedford. Suy was convicted of two counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under the age of 14 and was sentenced to the county jail in addition to a lengthy probation stint after a trial last April in New Bedford District Court. The young was 7 years old when she was first sexually abused by her great uncle, the DAs office says. Sadly both defendants took advantage of their access to this young victim and sexually assaulted her. I want to thank the jury for holding both defendants accountable for this despicable conduct, District Attorney Thomas Quinn said. I commend the victims courage and fortitude in coming forward and persevering through these very difficult circumstances. I hope she can move forward with her life. The state prison sentences imposed by the court were appropriate. Both men were ordered held in jail throughout the holiday weekend and were sentenced on Tuesday. Pacheco was sentenced to serve 10 to 15 years in state prison, while Castro was sentenced to serve eight to 12 years in prison. The DAs office says both men are not United States citizens and will likely be deported upon completion of their state prison sentences. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW Montana Sen. Steve Daines speaks to reporters after being elected to Republican leadership within the U.S. Senate on Nov. 16, 2022 (Photo by Jennifer Shutt of States Newsroom). If Steve Daines has a superpower, its that he seems affable enough, on the rare occasion of him being spotted in public in Montana, and that most people cant say much about him, except that hes Republican. And, of course, he loves Donald Trump an obligatory fealty forced upon anyone down to the dog-catcher who wants to stand for an election with an R by their name. But beyond that, most Montanans would struggle to name anything substantive U.S. Sen. Daines stands for. Therein lies his power: To cast himself as a middle-of-the-road Republican, whatever that means, and to be a reliably faithful vote. Dont let the ironed jeans look fool you, though: He is a master at appearing a moderate Montanan while supporting extremely right-wing causes once he gets out of earshot of the Treasure State. Most Montanans couldnt say what he believes about things like immigration or reproductive rights, other than to assume (correctly) that hes against both of them, but only in the ways that most of his fellow GOP members are. Yet, Daines positions seem somehow even more surprising because they dont seem to reflect Montana very well. Two recent issues demonstrate Daines political views as both hard right and yet extremely malleable, based on whatever direction the political winds blow. Not that hes unique as a politician, but its that Montanans dont really see some of these things because, well, we really dont see Daines publicly much. Take for example, Daines positions on immigration and in vitro fertilization two topics that have been in the news a lot lately. As late as January, Daines was pressuring congressional Democrats to support and pass legislation that would help the United States southern border. He even introduced the Secure the Border Act in September which would, among other things, tighten asylum standards, increase the number of border patrol agents and help identify criminals. As late as November 2023, Daines published an opinion piece in the Kalispell Daily Interlake that said that onus for action was on the Democrats. In Newsweek in January, Daines said that Congress (repeat: Congress) must set aside differences to solve the border. Then, less than a month later, Punchbowl News reported that a closed-door meeting of Republican Senators, led by Daines torpedoed the immigration deal because it would kneecap GOP candidates in races. Translation: The border that had been such a crisis that it needed bipartisan effort was shelved because it might hurt the Republicans chances of winning in November by doing their actual jobs. Then, Daines floated a new theory of border security: President Joe Biden didnt need Congressional action to fix the problems at the border. Like some kind of Disney fairy tale, it turns out that Biden poof! had the power to fix the border all along. If youre keeping score at home: When Biden attempts fixing the border via executive action, hes sued because its the job of Congress, according to the Republicans. But when Congress intentionally sabotages a bipartisan border bill, its now Bidens fault. The now-dead border bill was, by all accounts, the most comprehensive border reform and security bill in nearly 40 years, which included $20 billion for border security and manpower, and a requirement that the president shut down the border when the numbers are surging. Regardless of political views and party politics, how many other jobs could you keep if your strategy was intentionally not doing your job? Then again, this is the same august group that has a hard time even coming up with a budget, so I suppose its relative. Daines doublespeak extends to the radical position Republicans have adopted on reproductive rights. Remember when conservatives accused liberals of fear mongering after the United States Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade? Remember, dear friends, that the right said abortion was only about abortion, even after reproductive rights groups worried that fertility treatment and birth control were the next targets in an ultra-conservative agenda. Daines has also had a hand in these discussions. You may recall the controversial yet logical ruling of the Alabama Supreme Court that determined that because life begins at conception, the embryos created through the IVF process should be afforded protection, meaning that destroying them could lead to criminal charges. Senate Democrats on Tuesday rushed to sponsor a bill that would protect IVF treatments, fearing other conservative states would follow suit. Meanwhile, the decision sent shockwaves through conservative circles because the ruling was quixotically pro-life and anti-baby. Daines and his fellow Republican leaders rushed to quell the anger, especially after presidential front-runner Donald Trump badmouthed the decision, causing political whiplash for the party. Daines, who heads the Senate Republican re-election committee, prepared talking points for GOP members to defend IVF treatments. But take a look at Daines own record, including Senate Bill S.99, introduced by him in 2021, which said that unborn humans are entitled to full constitutional protections, affording embryos protection the same concept that the Alabama court just upheld. The proposed legislation said that protections apply to all stages of life including the moment of fertilization. Daines carefully curated image of a nice, middle-of-the-road conservative is a brilliant, sublime piece of political theater that masks a politician that is just as rabid and radical as any of the other loud voices coming from Washington, D.C. Daines just knows how to keep the quiet part quiet. Postscript After this column was published, a spokesperson from Steve Daines office requested a correction. He noted that S.99, sponsored by Daines, specifically said it did not prohibit in vitro fertilization or birth control. The Daily Montana then asked for specific information: If the purpose is to protect all life from the moment of fertilization, but the legislation doesnt apply to IVF or birth control, what is the purpose of the bill? The campaign did not answer that question. The text of the bill can be found here. The post Daines mild mannered image doesnt match his ultra-right policies appeared first on Daily Montanan. Semafor Signals Insights from The Wall Street Journal, Politico, and The New York Times The News Hunter Biden railed against Republicans in a closed door-hearing Wednesday as part of a GOP-led impeachment inquiry into his father, President Joe Biden, accusing them of having hunted him for more than a year. In a defiant statement before what was expected to be a lengthy deposition, the presidents son accused the GOP of having built your entire partisan house of cards on lies and blamed Trump-supporter conspiracies for the allegations against his father. For more than a year, your Committees have hunted me in your partisan political pursuit of my dad, he told the House Oversight Committee, according to a copy of the statement he released in advance. You have trafficked in innuendo, distortion, and sensationalism all the while ignoring the clear and convincing evidence staring you in the face. House Republicans have long tried to show that the president benefited from the business pursuits of his family members, so far unsuccessfully. Biden family members and their associates have testified under oath that the president has received no financial gain from their activities. The younger Biden reiterated his claim that he never involved his father in any of his business decisions, saying: Not while I was a practicing lawyer, not in my investments or transactions domestic or international, not as a board member, and not as an artist. Never. Its unlikely that an impeachment will come to fruition, however, as House Republicans would need every vote to overcome their razor-thin majority. SIGNALS Semafor Signals: Global insights on today's biggest stories. Hearing could fall short of revelatory Sources: Fox Business, CNN, The Wall Street Journal Republican lawmakers leading the impeachment inquiry are hoping Hunter Bidens testimony will connect his father to his foreign business dealings as the 2024 election campaign ramps up but theyre not holding their breath for a news-making day. Thanks for covering what might be a big nothing, Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., told Fox Business, or an incredible opportunity to get to the bottom of this very complex scheme that the Bidens worked out for decades. The impeachment inquiry was recently undermined when one GOP star witness, a former Federal Bureau of Investigation informant, was arrested on charges that he lied about allegations he brought of a bribery scheme involving the president, his son, and a Ukrainian energy firm. Testifying could pose risk in Hunter Bidens other criminal cases Sources: The New York Times, Politico Hunter Bidens decision to testify in this case could be a risk, The New York Times reported, because anything he says can be used against him in a separate federal indictment against him for alleged tax crimes connected to his overseas business interests. Biden had previously refused to testify in private, saying he wanted the public to hear what he had to say directly, before changing his mind. But although the hearing is behind closed doors, a transcript is expected to be released quickly potentially the next day. Democrats slam hearing as a fishing expedition and waste of time Sources: The New York Times, The Daily Beast Emerging from the deposition room for a lunch break, Democrats on the committee accused their Republican counterparts of wasting their time on an embarrassing spectacle, The New York Times reported. I believe, based on this first hour, that this whole thing really has been a tremendous waste of our legislative time and resources, said Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the top Democrat on the Oversight Committee. Meanwhile, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., characterized the deposition as a deep sea fishing expedition, saying Republicans were scrambling to find anything to substantiate their fairy tales. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Thursday said that more than 25,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israels military campaign in the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, the highest U.S. official to confirm such staggering numbers. Austin revealed the figure after he was asked how many Palestinian women and children have been killed by Israel since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war. Its over 25,000, he said during a House Armed Services Committee hearing centered on his secret hospitalizations in December and January. The Pentagon quickly issued a clarification that Austin was citing an estimate from the Hamas-controlled health ministry that more than 25,000 total Palestinians have been killed in Gaza. Gazas health ministry has typically provided updates on the number of civilians killed in the narrow strip of land over the course of the Israel-Hamas war, but Israel has repeatedly tried to discredit the ministry as being Hamas-run. International news agencies, however, contend that those in Gazas health ministry who count and register the dead are usually medical professionals or administrators. As of Thursday, the health ministry says more than 30,000 Palestinians have died in Gaza since the start of the war. The count does not differentiate between civilians and combatants, but the ministry says women and children make up around two-thirds of the dead. Those latest figure come as Gaza health officials said at least 104 people were killed and 760 injured Thursday when Israel Defense Forces (IDF) opened fire on Palestinian civilians who were gathering around food aid trucks in Gaza City. The Biden administration has been hesitant to publicly confirm any figures, given its close ties with Israel, an ally it provides nearly $4 billion in lethal aid to annually. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), who relayed that the U.S. had provided Israel with about 21,000 precision guided munitions since the start of the war, pressed Austin on whether he would pull U.S. military assistance from Israel if their forces chose to use them on civilians in Rafah, the southern city in Gaza the IDF is next eyeing for attack. Austin, who last week spoke to Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, relayed the Biden administrations stance that there must be a credible plan in place before any Israeli military operation in Rafah to ensure the safety and support of the more than 1 million Palestinians sheltering there. The Israeli government has not yet provided such a plan to U.S. officials. Asked whether he would commit to halt any future military sales to Israel should the country move forward on an assault in Rafah with no plan in place for civilian safety, Austin deferred, saying that was a decision for President Biden. I expect that when we provide munitions to allies and partners, that theyll use them in a responsible way, Austin said. Pressed again by Khanna, who asked if the Pentagon would commit to not sending future arm sales to Israel if it stops American-paid aid from getting into Gaza, Austin again deflected. Thats not my decision. I would do what Ive been doing and engage the leadership and encourage them to ensure that humanitarian assistance is getting [in], he said. We need some consequences when another country is defying you, defying the national security adviser, defying the president, Khanna replied. There has to be some consequence. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. WASHINGTON -- Democrat Tom Suozzi was sworn in as a congressman again Wednesday, representing Long Island and Queens' 3rd congressional district. Suozzi brought his own local cheering section to Congress. About 100 people from Long Island were shouting his name as he called for a new era of harmony and working across the aisle. It was the second time Suozzi took the Oath of Office to become congressman, but probably the first time he bluntly confronted members of Congress to cast aside the dysfunction and, as he said, "Wake up." Watch Suozzi being sworn in Suozzi was warmly embraced by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who is no doubt hoping that Suozzi is not the last New York Democrat to flip a seat from red to blue. Suozzi's victory in the recent special election cuts into House Republicans' already slim majority. Democrats now have 16 seats in New York, with Republicans holding 10. However, with the newly drawn congressional maps, Democratic officials believe the maps will yield 18 safe seats for their party, six for the Republicans and two toss-ups. Suozzi's message was pointed. "While I might be the only one being sworn in today, what if we all see this as a fresh start? What if we all took this chance to break some of our bad habits? What if today we remembered why we ran for office in the first place? Let's get back into the solutions business," he said. As Suozzi posed for formal pictures with House Speaker Mike Johnson, there was no mention of the bitter special election with Mazi Pillip and certainly no mention of the man he replaced, former Congressman George Santos. But he did talk about the concerns of his constituents and all Americans. "People are worried about the cost of living. They're worried about the chaos at the border. They're worried about Israel, Gaza and Ukraine. They look to Congress, and what do they see? The extremists get all the attention. We're letting ourselves be bullied by our base. We aren't getting anything done," Suozzi said. Watch: Tom Suozzi on The Point with Marcia Kramer With the migrant crisis not only in New York but around the country, Suozzi called for both sides to put aside politics and solve the problem. "I know compromise is hard in this town, Mr. Speaker, but bring a bipartisan compromise to the floor and I guarantee it will pass," he said. Suozzi will have to run again in November, but he's gonna have a far easier time. That's because a redistricting bill passed in Albany means Suozzi's district will skew more Democratic, though not dramatically. He is set to lose Republican-leaning Massapequa, Huntington Station, Cold Spring Harbor and Lloyd Harbor. Suozzi represented New York's 3rd congressional district for three terms before surrendering his seat to run for governor in 2022. Police body camera footage released of shooting at Lakewood Church The Smokehouse Creek Fire spreads, extending its reach from Texas to Oklahoma Fast-moving wildfires torch the Texas Panhandle The head of the House Democratic Caucus wasted no time Thursday shooting down a bipartisan proposal linking Ukraine aid to border security. Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) said the supporters of that plan are well-meaning and thoughtful lawmakers. But I just dont think this is the solution that is in front of us, Aguilar told reporters in the Capitol. The Ukraine-border package was introduced earlier in the month in an effort to break the impasse over military aid to Kyiv, which has been held up by opposition from House conservatives. And the supporters of the legislation are already seeking support for a discharge petition to force their proposal to the floor, according to Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), a lead sponsor. But many Democrats have hammered Fitzpatricks proposal both for provisions it includes, like a remain in Mexico policy governing would-be migrants, and for those it leaves out, like humanitarian aid for Palestinians in Gaza. And Aguilar made clear that Democratic leaders prefer a Senate-passed foreign aid bill, which includes new funding for Ukraine, Israel and humanitarian aid in Gaza but no border security provisions and will continue pressing Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) to bring it to the floor. The solution is incredibly clear. It is the bipartisan solution that has 70 votes out of the United States Senate, he said. Getting the Senate to take up anything new would be weeks or months. So the importance of passing this national security supplemental is the focus and the priority of House Democrats. And we believe Speaker Johnson should put this on the floor. Former President Trump, however, opposes any new aid to Ukraine. And his influence has been conspicuous on Capitol Hill, where most Senate Republicans opposed the foreign assistance bill earlier in the month, and House conservatives are lining up in opposition, as well. One of those conservatives, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), has threatened a vote of no confidence against Johnson if he even brings the aid bill to the floor. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) is seen during a press conference on Tuesday, February 6, 2024 to discuss a new resolution to state that former President Trump did not engage in a insurrection. (Greg Nash) Johnson, so far, has sided with Trump and his right flank, refusing to bring the Senate bill for a vote. Hes demanding that any foreign aid package also include tougher border security measures like those passed by House Republicans last year in their partisan border bill, H.R.2. The Fitzpatrick bill incorporates some of the border provisions from that GOP bill, including the remain in Mexico policy that was put in place previously under Trump and remains a non-starter with liberals in Aguilars caucus. The impasse has caused Democratic leaders to begin seeking alternative strategies for bringing the Senate bill to the House floor, including the possibility of pushing their own discharge petition, which would force a floor vote if 218 lawmakers sign on. Invoking other Democratic leaders, including Reps. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and Katherine Clark (D-Mass.), Aguilar on Thursday said theyre not ruling anything out. But as they weigh their strategy, theyll continue to press Johnson to stage a vote on the Senate package. Every option is available, Aguilar said. Any procedural step will take time. The most important thing, the fastest thing that we can do, is for the Speaker to put this bill on the floor. Top Stories from The Hill Addressing the issue shortly before Aguilar spoke, Johnson said GOP leaders are also in discussions about how to move a foreign aid package through the House. But he maintained his insistence that it must include tough border provisions along the lines of those featured in H.R.2. And he cautioned that the lower chamber will prioritize several government spending bills to prevent a shutdown a debate thats expected to run until at least March 22. The House is actively considering options on a path forward, but our first responsibility is to fund the government, Johnson said at a press conference in the Capitol. Some Democrats, however, are already warning that the situation in Ukraine where Russian forces are advancing and Ukrainian soldiers are short on ammunition is too urgent to wait that long. We dont have that kind of time, Rep. Gregory Meeks (N.Y.), the senior Democrat on the Foreign Affairs Committee, said Thursday morning. Mychael Schnell contributed reporting. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. California Democratic Party Chair Rusty Hicks, center, is running for the Assembly in a North Coast race that is proving divisive. (Josh Edelson / For The Times) At first glance, the Sonoma County Democratic Party's 36th annual Crab Feed seemed the political schmoozefest it has been for nearly four decades. For $70, Sonoma County residents could "bump elbows with elected officials" over a North Coast meal of Dungeness crab, salad and pasta served with locally produced red and white wines. But Democratic discord simmered beneath the pleasantries at the Feb. 23 decapod dinner. The intraparty squabble involves who will replace Assemblymember Jim Wood (D-Healdsburg), who is retiring from his North Coast seat two years before most people expected. The shocking November announcement that Wood wouldn't seek reelection for his final term after 10 years in the statehouse sent candidates scrambling to prop up campaigns with only a few months to raise money and support before Tuesday's primary. In his bid for State Assembly, Santa Rosa Councilmember Chris Rogers has emphasized his leadership in helping guide the region through drought, wildfires and the COVID-19 pandemic. (Josh Edelson / For The Times) Three top candidates quickly emerged: California Democratic Party Chair Rusty Hicks, Healdsburg City Councilmember and nonprofit executive Ariel Kelley, as well as former Santa Rosa mayor and current Councilmember Chris Rogers. Disagreement among local Democratic leaders over who should represent Assembly District 2 a left-leaning, geographically diverse region stretching from Santa Rosa to the Oregon border has transformed the race into one of the most expensive and divisive in local history. The Democratic trio are competing for a top-two placement in the March 5 primary, likely alongside the only Republican in the race who conceivably has enough GOP votes in the district to send him to the November general election. A majority of the district's voters are registered Democrats, so the Democratic candidate who makes it through the primary has a good chance of winning in November. The district spans five counties part of Sonoma plus all of Mendocino, Trinity, Humboldt and Del Norte a roughly seven-hour drive from top to bottom. It takes in 307,000 voters, many of them working-class, across its rural geography. Many residents contend with a shortage of affordable housing, well-paying jobs and limited healthcare access. The region faces growing environmental threats, including deadly wildfires exacerbated by climate change. The intensive jockeying among candidates to gain traction with voters was evident at the crab event. "Vote Chris Rogers" buttons competed with "ARIEL" stickers, while Hicks sponsored a table prominently positioned at the front of the hall, where he sat across from Wood and Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas (D-Hollister). A supporter wears a pin advocating Chris Rogers for State Assembly at a crab-eating event in Santa Rosa. (Josh Edelson / For The Times) Much of the political brouhaha revolves around Hicks, 44, who moved to the region from Los Angeles only a few years ago a blip in time by some local standards but who brings with him considerable funding and clout. He is endorsed by outgoing Assemblymember Wood, Gov. Gavin Newsom, U.S. Sen. Laphonza Butler, veterans groups and a long list of powerful statewide labor organizations, among others. Hicks is proving a formidable candidate. He's a Texas native and Afghanistan War veteran who was president of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor before being elected Democratic Party chair in 2019. His reputation as a skilled strategist and even-keeled leader in the labor movement helped him dominate that race as the party looked to correct course in the aftermath of an internal sexual misconduct scandal. His campaign messaging centers on safeguarding district jobs, creating more affordable housing options and expanding access to healthcare in a region with few medical clinics. He has also emphasized environmental preservation, an issue that resonates in a region home to towering redwoods and vast state and national parkland. "I'm running because I've got a long track record of delivering real results for real people," Hicks said. Rusty Hicks, chair of the California Democratic Party and a longtime Los Angeles labor leader, says he and his wife moved to Humboldt County in 2021, after falling in love with the area. Opponents to his Assembly bid question his North Coast credentials. (Josh Edelson / For The Times) His opponents describe him in a different light. Skeptics accuse Hicks of carpetbagging his way from Los Angeles to Humboldt County with ambitions to run for office, and have blasted his long list of donations from Southern California and Sacramento as evidence that he lacks connections to the people he wants to represent. He's also faced criticism for maintaining his influential position as party chair while campaigning for Assembly. Hicks said he has suspended his pay and benefits during the race and pledged to step down if elected. Hicks said he and his wife bought their home in Arcata in Humboldt County in 2021 after falling in love with the North Coast while he was running for party chair. His campaign, he said, is "funded by individuals and workers and the unions that represent them," a coalition that many backing his candidacy say no Democrat should be criticized for. Hicks faces a strong opponent in Kelley, 41, a former mayor of Healdsburg, whose endorsements include local government officials and statewide groups dedicated to electing more women to office and expanding access to safe abortion services. A political action committee supporting Kelley largely funded by her sister, who poured at least $200,000 into the PAC has sponsored ads accusing Hicks of covering up sexual harassment in the Democratic Party, an allegation he and his proponents angrily deny. His campaign sent local TV stations cease-and-desist letters warning them against continuing to run ads that Hicks maintains are "patently false." Hicks has clapped back with criticism of Kelley's investments in the oil industry and questioned her connections to a local developer who recently donated $50,000 to the political action committee. "It's unfortunate when some candidates and their supporters conclude that they can no longer talk about their own record or run on their own record and decide to lie about mine," Hicks said. Kelley said she doesn't communicate with the PAC or her sister about its strategy, and agrees the negative campaigning is unhelpful. She said her father died last year and left her a trust that held investments "in a number of industries," and that she plans to divest from those in oil and gas. Ariel Kelley, a former mayor of Healdsburg, is one of the Democratic candidates for a North Coast Assembly seat. She is endorsed by local government officials and statewide groups dedicated to electing more women to office. (Josh Edelson / For The Times) She's called the attacks "completely baseless" and a distraction from real issues facing district voters, such as the need for paid family leave for rural families, ensuring access to reproductive healthcare, improving housing affordability and reducing homelessness. "I'm really focused on just talking about my record of delivering. Because it's a very strong record of delivering for this community, on homelessness, on wildfire prevention, on housing, healthcare access," she said. Rogers, 36, who has also mounted a fierce campaign, has called for his opponents to end the "mud-slinging," even as he's expressed many of the same concerns about Hicks' fundraising strategies. Raised in Sonoma County, Rogers worked for a decade as an aide to congressional and state legislators in the district before launching his career in local politics. He contends he is most qualified to represent the district after steering the region through emergency after emergency as Santa Rosa's mayor and during his time on the City Council, including the COVID-19 pandemic, a drought, flooding and devastating wildfires. Rogers is endorsed by Senate President Pro Tem Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg), whom he worked for as a legislative staffer, and a long list of city and county officials, a local firefighters group and environmental organizations. He said he's focused on mitigating climate change, protecting local healthcare facilities from closing and addressing a critical narrowing of access to homeowners insurance in Northern California communities. "I have that experience. Not just understanding the perspective, but how to translate needs in the district into legislative action," Rogers said. Read more: Mike McGuire is everywhere. Can he harness his energy as Californias new Senate leader? Yurok Tribe Vice Chair Frankie Myers, 43, is also running as a Democrat, hoping to become the second Native American elected to the California statehouse. Myers has received support from tribal communities throughout the state. He's tried, with limited success, to break through the bickering with his message about elevating tribal issues and the importance of environmental stewardship and universal healthcare. "I'm learning it is a privilege running for state Legislature. It has a lot of barriers for low-income people, people from historically disadvantaged communities," he said. "We've only had one single elected Native American in the state Legislature in the history of this state. And now having campaigned, there's some realizations I'm coming to about why that is." Frankie Myers, vice chair of the Yurok Tribe, is hoping to be the second Native American elected to the California Legislature. (Josh Edelson / For The Times) A fifth Democrat, Mendocino County Supervisor Ted Williams, hasn't raised money and is using his campaign to encourage candidates to focus on rural issues. A sixth Democratic candidate, Cynthia Click, has withdrawn from the race, though her name will appear on the ballot. Michael Greer, the one Republican running for the seat, has focused his campaign on bread-and-butter issues familiar to many California families, including public safety, the rising numbers of people living homeless and spiraling housing costs, along with North Coast-specific concerns similar to those raised by the other candidates. "As one vote, as one Republican, can I change the votes on all these things?" Greer said of his potential effect in the Democratic-led Assembly. "No. But I can be loud enough to make sure that the rural areas are heard." Santa Rosa's 36th annual Crab Feed gave voters a chance to meet leading candidates in the bid to represent residents in the geographically diverse Assembly District 2, which spans California's North Coast. (Josh Edelson / For The Times) Wood said many of the candidates are using overly broad rhetoric to describe the district's challenges and seem unfamiliar with the progress he's made in addressing specific policy areas during his decade in Sacramento. The real challenge, he said, will be building on his successes to fine-tune those policies. "It's a hugely challenging district," Wood said. "So you have to really commit to spending the time to learn it and to respect it to be able to help solve some of the problems that we face." Wood was quick to endorse Hicks' bid for Assembly, saying he was confident the party chair would be a "workhorse" for the district. "I respect anybody who wants to run here, but I think the depth and breadth of his experience and the things he's done and his life experience make him the best candidate," Wood said. Wood noted, however, that he's been surprised and disappointed by the negative campaigning. "This is not what we're used to on the North Coast," he said. "I don't like it, and I don't think voters really like it either." 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. The News Democrats didnt exactly celebrate the news on Wednesday that Mitch McConnell would step down as Senate GOP leader later this year. Instead, they fretted about whether his successor would be more closely aligned with Donald Trump. McConnell has shown good judgment several times on Trumps extreme positions, Sen. Dick Durbin, the No. 2 Democrat, told reporters. I hope that whoever succeeds him will [too] if Trump is still on the scene. Kadias view It was probably not where Democrats saw themselves ending up when it came to McConnell: actively anxious about his departure from power. He was in some ways second only to Trump as a progressive bogeyman after he stymied President Obamas agenda and then remade the Supreme Court into a 6-3 conservative juggernaut under Trump. But importantly, McConnell didnt back Trumps election conspiracy after 2020, and Trump never forgave him for it. And with Congress struggling to keep the lights on, let alone fund shared priorities like Ukraine aid or pass a right-leaning immigration bill, nostalgia for his steady hand was already breaking out. Wherever Trump goes, it turns into the Jerry Springer show and thats whats happened in the House, Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa. told reporters, adding, Theyre not my leadership, you know? But I hope they do have somebody thats reasonable, that allows us to be productive. It didnt hurt that McConnell went against type under Biden, encouraging bipartisan talks that led to some of his signature legislation on infrastructure and high-tech manufacturing. Long-standing speculation about who will succeed McConnell has pointed to the so-called three Johns: Sens. John Thune, R-S.D., John Cornyn, R-Texas, and John Barrasso, R-Wyo., all of whom are mostly perceived as similarly aligned with McConnell. Recently Steve Daines, R-Mont., the current chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, has been floated as a potential contender. But senators from the hard-right faction of the party are also being thrown around as possible successors. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla. unsuccessfully challenged McConnell for the Senate leadership position in 2022, winning the support of 10 out of 50 Republican senators. Some Democrats hesitated to weigh in on a potential new leader for fear theyd influence their GOP colleagues in the wrong direction. I dont want to hurt anyone by praising them, Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii told Semafor. Notable Forbes chronicled the simmering feud between McConnell and Trump, which accelerated after Jan. 6. The Democratic leadership in Congress has suggested it would protect the Republican House speaker, Mike Johnson, if he bucks his far-right colleagues and brings a stalled $60bn Ukraine military aid package to a vote, as a new poll shows public support for Ukraine is now fractured down party-political lines. Hakeem Jeffries, the House minority leader, floated the offer in an interview with the New York Times, saying a reasonable number of Democrats would vote to save the Republican speaker if the Ukraine vote resulted in a Republican mutiny. Related: Pennsylvania creates election security taskforce ahead of 2024 contest Far-right members of Congress including Marjorie Taylor Greene have said they would seek to depose Johnson if he brings the foreign aid bill forward, threatening to send Republicans toward yet another protracted leadership crisis like the one that paralyzed the House under former speaker Kevin McCarthy. Jeffries said that if Johnson were to do the right thing, there would be a reasonable number of people on the Democratic side who will take the position that he should not fall as a result. But Jeffries said he had not discussed the matter with Johnson, who has said Congress must take care of Americas needs first. The political carrot was extended a day after Joe Biden and congressional leaders pushed Republicans to move the aid bill forward. Johnson later told reporters that they had been working in good faith, around the clock every single day on a spending deal. Johnson also said the legislative body was actively pursuing and investigating all the various options for passing Ukraine aid, but the first priority of the country is our border. A new poll showed that US adults have become politically split down party lines over giving more military aid to Ukraine, which the country says it desperately needs to fend off Russian advances. A majority of Republican voters (55%) said the US was spending too much on Ukraine, according to the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs research, while support for Ukraine has grown among Democrats. Democrats, meanwhile, registered increasing support for aid to Ukraine, with about 40% saying the US was spending too little on it a sharp rise from 17% in November. The survey shows that Russias Vladimir Putin remains unpopular with Americans, but that the depth of his unpopularity is similarly shaded with roughly nine in 10 Democrats compared with three-quarters of Republicans holding the view. Only about four in 10 adults polled had a favorable opinion of the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy. A majority including 52% of Republicans said they supported the spirit of Article 5 of the Nato military alliance that an attack on one Nato country is an attack on all, while about 60% said they would support US forces becoming involved if a Russia attacked a Nato member. In a state of the union speech on Thursday, Vladimir Putin described claims that Russia intended to attack Europe as nonsense. But the Russian president added that any increase in western support for Ukraine risks a conflict using nuclear weapons, which means the destruction of all civilisation. Democratic leaders nationally and in Michigan are urging Joe Biden to show up in communities upset about his handling of the Israel-Hamas war a step the president resisted taking in the run-up to the state primary this week. That election exposed Bidens potential vulnerability on the issue, as more than 100,000 people cast uncommitted protest ballots rather than support the president. Though Biden won the primary handily, Democrats fear that even a modest sliver of defectors could doom him in the state. One in eight Democrats voted against his candidacy. They believe the president must show up in order to earn their trust back before November. Please, heed our calls, take us seriously, said Michigan state Sen. Darrin Camilleri, who supports an immediate cease-fire and backs Biden in November. Not only address the ceasefire, but please show up and engage our communities because Michigan cant be taken for granted. Camilleris point was echoed by congressional lawmakers from Michigan who were granted anonymity to discuss the campaign strategy candidly without offending the White House. One lawmaker said Biden needs to spend time with those angry over his approach to the war. He needs to listen. Hes got to show them hes really real about getting a ceasefire, the lawmaker continued. I think we need some more empathy and compassion, not blow this off. Another House Democratic member from Michigan called on Biden to directly engage disaffected communities, specifically Arab American voters, because it cant be easily answered in large addresses or in tweets or in statements. The first step is to listen, said the member, who was granted anonymity to discuss the issue candidly. Biden campaign advisers privately acknowledged that some of the work in repairing relationships with the Arab American community can only come through the administration, not the campaign. Earlier this month, Biden dispatched top policy advisers to sit down with Arab American leaders, who urged the president to call for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza. Biden hasnt returned to the state since a single visit in early February to meet with union workers. There are no current plans to return to the state, but Biden campaign advisers said he will be in Michigan frequently over the next eight months. Top Democratic operatives say more immediate and direct outreach will be needed. Theres a good chunk of uncommitted who want to vote for Biden, and they are asking for the permission slip to do so, said Faiz Shakir, who managed Bernie Sanders 2020 presidential campaign. Theyre saying, show me actions and values that bring me back, so I do think thats the opportunity for them. But there are signs the effort to re-engage these voters is off to a rocky start. The statement Biden's campaign put out on Tuesday did not mention the conflict in Gaza or the protest vote. By Wednesday morning, a senior campaign adviser released another statement that acknowledged the emotional, painful, difficult situation and said that Biden shares the goal of many of the folks who voted uncommitted, which is a just and lasting peace. Quite frankly, Bidens statement last night did not unite this party nor seek to unite this party, said Abbas Alawieh, a spokesperson for the Listen to Michigan campaign at a press conference on Wednesday. Alawieh confirmed to POLITICO that the campaign has not received any communication from the Biden White House or the campaign in recent days. Other Arab American and Muslim leaders cautioned against Biden returning to Michigan without first taking definitive action to halt the war, warning it could only end up alienating voters who already suspect the administration's outreach is being driven purely by politics. "Unless hes ready to make changes, I dont think even a personal visit is going to do any good, said Salam Al-Marayati, president of the Muslim Public Affairs Council. Either change the policy or accept the responsibility that theyve lost this important swing vote. While Arab American officials and activists have stressed for months that a permanent ceasefire is the only sure way to ease tensions over the war, they've pushed Biden in recent weeks to take more immediate steps that show he's working toward a resolution, including more clearly breaking with Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu and intensifying efforts to get more humanitarian aid into Gaza. On Monday, Biden told reporters he thought a temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hamas could be in place by the end of the weekend. Hes also escalated his public criticism of the Israeli government, calling its bombardment of Gaza over the top and warned against a ground incursion into Rafah. Biden also talked about the "pain and passion felt by so many here in America," adding that he "pray[s] for the lives taken and for the families left behind, for all those who are living in dire circumstances," at the National Prayer Breakfast earlier this month. Yet Biden and his aides have refused to call for a permanent ceasefire, a sticking point that's frustrated Democrats who say it's put the president increasingly out of step with his base. "It's strange that in 2024 the president who ran on decency, who ran on the ability to empathize with pain and suffering is reluctant to say 'ceasefire,' as if it's kryptonite," said Abdullah Hammoud, the mayor of Arab-majority Dearborn, Michigan. In the aftermath of Tuesdays results, some Democrats have nevertheless debated whether the protest vote was significant enough to even cause concern. A portion of the party has compared it to the margin Barack Obama received when he ran as an unopposed incumbent in 2012. Michigan Sen. Gary Peters on Wednesday downplayed worries that a critical segment of Democrats might stay home in November, insisting that "voters who care about the future of this country will have to make a decision between two diametrically opposed candidates." But others see the results as the starkest sign yet of the fury that Biden faces from his base over his approach toward Israel. After winning Michigan by a slim margin in 2020 with the help of hundreds of thousands of Arab Americans and young voters, much of that same critical slice of the electorate is now signaling their votes in November are not guaranteed. In Wayne County, which has the highest concentration of Arab American voters in the country, 17 percent of voters backed uncommitted. And inside Dearborn, Mich., where Arab Americans are a majority of the city, three-quarters of voters in many precincts opted for uncommitted over Biden. In Washtenaw County, where the University of Michigan is located, another 17 percent of voters backed uncommitted. Many Democrats wish Biden would lean more on his trademark compassion to reach out to those who registered their protest through an "uncommitted" vote. President Biden is a different person in the Roosevelt Room than when hes in conversations with people on the campaign trail, where the emotional elements are more important than the policy, so having more of those moments would help ease tensions, said John Della Volpe, a pollster who specializes in young voters and advised the 2020 Biden campaign. Showing up to events where people felt heard and respected. But Biden allies still have confidence that by November, when its a choice between former President Donald Trump and Biden, theyll ultimately choose Joe Biden, said Ron Klain, who served as Bidens chief-of-staff. The president does have political challenges in the Arab American community and hell need a strong vote there in the fall, Klain said. But when the president gets out on the campaign trail and frames that choice for voters, I dont think Arab American voters are going to vote for Donald Trump. The Listen to Michigan campaign, for its part, is pledging to keep up the pressure on Biden. In a memo released Tuesday night, Layla Elabed, the campaign manager, promised protests at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago this August. Tens of thousands of Michigan Democrats, many of whom who voted for Biden in 2020, are uncommitted to his re-election due to the war in Gaza, Elabed said. While weve noticed a small shift in language from Biden as a direct result of this campaigns pressure, we know that his words are not enough. This isnt a messaging problem, this is a funding bombs problem. Nicholas Wu contributed to this report. The Danish government has allocated a US$1.45 million grant to support cooperation with Ukrainian cities in helping the country recover. Source: press service of the Danish government Details: "The Danish government is providing an additional grant of DKK 10 million [roughly US$1.45 million] to strengthen Danish-Ukrainian municipal cooperation in Ukraine's recovery," the statement said. The funding will be used for cooperation between the municipalities of Aarhus and Copenhagen and the Ukrainian cities of Lviv, Kyiv and Mykolaiv. Background: Earlier, the Ukraine Energy Support Fund received the first instalment of a 4 million contribution from Denmark. In March 2023, Hanna Zamazieieva, Head of Mykolaiv Oblast Council, and Ole Egberg Mikkelsen, Danish Ambassador to Ukraine, signed a memorandum on the reconstruction of Mykolaiv Oblast. Support UP or become our patron! Denmark is allocating an additional 10 million Danish kroner (around $1.4 million) to support Danish-Ukrainian municipal cooperation on the reconstruction of Ukraine, the Danish Foreign Ministry announced on Feb. 29. The announcement comes days after Denmark and Ukraine signed a 10-year agreement on security cooperation. Denmark has been a staunch ally of Ukraine in its efforts to resist Russias full-scale invasion. The funding will go to finance cooperation between Denmarks Aarhus and Copenhagen municipalities and the Ukrainian cities of Lviv, Kyiv, and Mykolaiv, according to the Danish Foreign Ministry. Denmark and Ukraine agreed in the spring of 2023 that Danish reconstruction support through the Ukraine Fund should include Danish municipalities that would cooperate with Ukrainian partner municipalities on the reconstruction and development of Ukrainian local communities. The municipalities of Ikast-Brande, Alborg, and Odense also participate in the project, the ministry said in a press release. The Danish and Ukrainian municipalities plan to cooperate in the areas of energy efficiency, water supply, urban development and climate adaptation, and treatment of veterans and people with disabilities or trauma, among others. Denmark has prioritized restoring the southern Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv and the surrounding region, devoting 60% of its development aid to the region. Denmark earmarked over $100 million in reconstruction funding for Mykolaiv Oblast in 2023, Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov on Jan. 12. Read also: We cant wait for peace: Reluctant at first, Denmark takes on rebuilding war-torn Mykolaiv Oblast Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Gov. Ron DeSantis appeared at a news conference in Palm Beach on Feb. 29, 2024, with Jeffrey Epstein victims Haley Robson, left, and Jena-Lisa Jones. Source: Screenshot/Florida Channel Quality Journalism for Critical Times Details of the states investigation of sex crimes by the late billionaire Jeffrey Epstein will be disclosed publicly under legislation signed Thursday by Gov. Ron DeSantis. They say that justice delayed is justice denied. And I think in many repects this ordeal has shown that to be true, the governor said during a bill-signing ceremony in Palm Beach. Accompanying the governor were two of Epsteins victims, Haley Robson and Jena-Lisa Jones. I cant express enough how weve all been so affected by this. And I know for the regular, average citizen its just time that goes by. A lot of people tend to forget, but this is not something we should be forgetting about; this is not something to be sweeping under the rug. A lot of us are still in therapy; were still trying to survive, Robson said. We have been left in the dark for so long with no answers to what is going on and why things played out the way that they did, Jones added. Narrowly tailored Miami Herald screenshot The bill DeSantis signed (HB 117) was tailored to the circumstances of the Epstein case, allowing disclosure only so long as the subject of the grand jury inquiry is deceased, the grand jury inquiry related to criminal or sexual activity between the subject of the grand jury investigation and a person who was a minor at the time of the alleged criminal or sexual activity, the testimony was previously disclosed by a court order, and the state attorney is provided notice of the request. DeSantis suggested the language might apply to similar cases. Im open to being able to institute policies that are going to try to right a wrong, because this was not handled in a way that delivered what justice required, he said. Palm Beach County authorities opened an investigation into alleged sexual abuse of minors in 2006 and sitting states attorney Barry Krischer referred the matter to a grand jury, which returned a misdemeanor count of soliciting a prostitute. The move effectively sealed the case records, as grand jury files typically are not released publicly because they include unrebutted evidence presented only by one side, the prosecution. Police later took the case to then-U.S. Attorney Alex Acosta (later secretary of labor in the Trump administration), who negotiated a plea bargain that kept Epstein out of prison. DeSantis ordered an investigation into the countys handling of the case in 2021. Epstein hanged himself in a jail cell in New York that year while awaiting a new sex-trafficking trial. DeSantis said hed called while running for president for the release of information from the federal investigation in South Florida. I would challenge Joe Biden to do that now. The post DeSantis signs legislation opening Jeffrey Epsteins state grand jury records appeared first on Florida Phoenix. Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has escalated his rhetoric, warning of possible attacks against Western countries, citing Russia's arsenal as a threat, Russian propaganda agency RIA Novosti reported on Feb. 29. Read also: US Congress warned of serious national security threat linked to Russia Some have suggested sending NATO troops to Ukraine, but we must not forget the fate of foreign armies that invaded our country in the past, Putin said during his address to the Federal Assembly. Any intervention now would end in even greater tragedy. They must eventually realize that we too have weapons capable of striking targets within their borders, added Putin. Putin falsely claimed that Western countries had "provoked" Russia to wage war against Ukraine and in the Middle East. Russia has put its strategic nuclear forces on full alert, he added. Read also: Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine An hour after Idaho Department of Correction officials had planned to execute a death row prisoner on Wednesday, the agency announced in a news release that 73-year-old Thomas Creech was still alive. Officials said that after multiple attempts, they were unable to place IV lines to deliver lethal injection drugs to Creech, who is convicted of multiple murders and has spent nearly 50 years in prison. It was the latest execution beset by complications, a trend that reached a peak in 2022, according to data from the nonprofit Death Penalty Information Center, which tracks death penalty data. Creechs legal team with the nonprofit Federal Defender Services of Idaho called the circumstances which witnesses and officials said involved at least eight attempts to find a suitable vein a botched execution. Department of Correction Director Josh Tewalt disputed that description at a news conference and said executioners halted the proceedings far before they constituted cruel and unusual punishment. Did Idaho botch Creech execution? Theres no legal definition of a botched execution, but many researchers who study capital punishment define them as executions involving unanticipated problems or delays that caused, at least arguably, unnecessary agony for the prisoner or that reflect gross incompetence of the executioner. Robert Dunham, former director of the Death Penalty Information Center, told the Idaho Statesman in a phone interview that its often a matter of semantics. By one definition, any execution that doesnt go according to plan can be considered botched, Dunham said. Thomas Creech was supposed to be executed, and he wasnt executed, Dunham told the Statesman. Thats a botched execution. Another interpretation implies negligence on the part of the executioners. Dunham pointed to examples in Alabama in recent years where executioners spent hours trying to place IV lines in condemned prisoners, sometimes resorting to cutting into the skin to find an IV site. In contrast, Dunham said, the Idaho execution staff handled their job with professionalism. They didnt then continue for an additional two hours to torture a death row prisoner by cutting into him and stabbing him in attempts to get access to any vein they possibly could, Dunham said, referring to the Alabama incidents. He said he understood Tewalts objection to calling the execution a botched attempt, as it could cast doubt on the departments professionalism. Dunham praised Tewalts honesty following the execution attempt. Tewalt emphasized to reporters that dignity, professionalism and respect were top priorities. I dont think that anyone would criticize the execution team for its decision to discontinue attempts to carry out the execution, Dunham added. In a statement, Idaho Gov. Brad Little called the decision to halt the execution the right thing. IV placement causes execution issues elsewhere Idaho, which last executed a prisoner in 2012, has not faced issues with IV placement during executions in the past. But the situation is not uncommon. The Death Penalty Information Center points to IV placement issues as a key factor in botched executions, which includes other canceled executions and successful procedures that met with problems. The Death Penalty Information Center said 2022 the most recent year for which data was available had a record seven mishandled executions, two of which were halted. All appeared to be instances in which prison officials were unable to place IVs, sometimes after hours of attempts, according to the center. Little in his statement addressed those instances. The team of professionals at IDOC was prepared for the possibility that medical professionals would not be able to access the inmates veins, a circumstance that has occurred in execution procedures elsewhere in the country, the governor said. Dunham told the Statesman that Idaho has joined Ohio and Alabama as states where execution attempts have been unsuccessful in recent decades. He called Wednesdays outcome predictable. According to Dunham, Creechs age, any possible medical conditions and the decades of stress from sitting on death row could have contributed to difficulty in finding a suitable IV access point. Execution team at IDOC Tewalt and Little both emphasized that the execution staff was composed of medical professionals, but its not clear what qualifications the team had. In a 2022 NPR interview, Dunham said executions are against all medical association guidelines and frequently are performed by people without a medical background. Lethal injection looks like a medical procedure, but its not a medical procedure, Dunham told NPR. IDOC officials keep the identities of execution staffers secret, though Tewalt told reporters these are people who, in their day jobs, peoples lives depend on their ability to establish an IV. Multiple media witnesses at the execution including Idaho Statesman opinion editor Scott McIntosh said during the news conference that Creech did not appear to be in pain or discomfort. Dunham said mounting issues with lethal injection in recent years have shown that its an unreliable and inappropriate means of execution. If we cant reliably carry out executions, we probably shouldnt be carrying them out at all, Dunham said. If a medical team is unable to carry out an execution, then that should tell us something about the execution method itself. Witness testimonies continued Wednesday in the trial of a Sherrardf dog breeder accused of animal cruelty. Prosecutors say Karen Plambeck mistreated almost 200 dogs in poor conditions almost two years ago. Plambeck has pleaded not guilty to the charge in the trial that continues in Mercer County Court. The state has brought in multiple witnesses in the case. One of the witnesses was a veterinarian, categorized as an expert in her field. Photos of collies in a Sherrard kennel were shown Wednesday during the Mercer County trial of a woman accused of hoarding dogs. (Jackson Rozinsky) He was one of the puppies, one of the two puppies that had the most tremendous hair loss, said Dr. Cathy Wolf, a veterinarian from Mendota. In fact a lot of the volunteers said he looked like a possum instead of a dog because he had almost no hair whatsoever. Wolf took pictures and wrote reports on all nine dogs that were in her possession, including what conditions they all had. Wolf testified most of the dogs she took care of had alopecia (hair loss,) severe sores and scales, and swollen joints tender to the touch. You can see the complete hair loss, Wolf said. You can see the erythema, which is the redness. If you would touch the area, you could feel how hot and irritated the ear is as well. A representative from an animal-rescue organization took the stand next. She was on the scene in 2022, helping the dogs find new homes. Karen Plambeck (Mercer County Jail) As soon as you got across the road and started to go on to the property, the smell was horrific, said Sarah Rebernick, vice president of Minnesota-Wisconsin Collie Rescue. I really have to liken it to the smell of an industrial hog farm, when youre driving through Texas on a hot day. It was a very bad odor. Rebernick says the conditions were like nothing she had ever seen. Many of the coats were so badly matted that they were unable to lift their tails, Rebernick said. They were defecating down the back of their legs because they couldnt get their tails out of the way. The Mercer County States Attorney says Karen Plambeck is charged with 12 counts of animal cruelty with no prior felonies. She says the judge will decide whether Plambeck is guilty or not. All 12 counts Plambeck faces are Class 4 felonies, with sentence possibilities that range from one to three years in prison. The states attorney says there are three or four witnesses left to take the stand. Closing arguments in the bench trial are scheduled for Friday. In a jury trial, the jury makes the decisions. In a bench trial, the judge makes the decisions. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHBF - OurQuadCities.com. The Justice Department is investigating whether a midflight accident on a Boeing 737 Max 9 plane operated by Alaska Airlines last month runs afoul of a deal the company reached with federal prosecutors in 2021, according to multiple newsreports, as scrutiny of the manufacturing giant continues. The $2.5 billion agreement announced on Jan. 7, 2021, in the final weeks of the Trump administration, was prompted by two fatal crashes of 737 Max 8 planes in 2018 and 2019 respectively. The company was only charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States at the time, with the DOJ singling out two of its employees for misleading the Federal Aviation Administration about the 737 Max planes. The deal stipulated that Boeing would have to pay a criminal monetary fine, create a fund to compensate the relatives of the people who died as a result of the two fatal crashes, and also compensate airline passengers. Besides, the company also had to agree to cooperate with the U.S. government for a period of three years, which was set to expire two days after the incident on the Alaska Airlines flight. The door panel that blew off midair appears to have been missing four bolts that were never replaced following repair work at Boeings factory in Renton, Washington, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. The incident has reportedly brought the company back under the microscope of federal regulators, who could bring criminal charges against the company if the accident is deemed to violate the 2021 agreement, an unnamed person familiar with the investigation told Bloomberg, which was first to report the news. According to Bloomberg, the investigation is being led by the departments fraud section and the U.S. attorneys office in Seattle, which is the closest location to Boeings manufacturing site for 737 planes. The DOJ declined to comment. FAA administrator Michael Whittaker on Wednesday told top Boeing officials, including the CEO, that the company needs to come up with a comprehensive plan within 90 days and commit to real and profound improvements to resolve its systemic quality-control issues that were raised in a recent expert panel report. Making foundational change will require a sustained effort from Boeings leadership, and we are going to hold them accountable every step of the way, with mutually understood milestones and expectations, Whittaker said in a statement. The expert panel review published Monday found a disconnect between Boeings senior management and other members of the company on safety culture, among other issues. The Jan. 5 midflight accident led the FAA to ground Max 9 planes for weeks, leading to the cancellation of thousands of flights. Related... BROWNSVILLE, Texas The long-anticipated standoff between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump finally happened Thursday, not on a debate stage but on two vastly different sections of the U.S.-Mexico border. The political rivals, who are expected to face off in a rematch in the November election, staged separate visits to the southern border in Texas to draw attention to immigration and border security, now the leading issue for voters. The visits amounted to a duel in optics, if not specifics. Biden called on Trump to join him in asking Congress to pass wide-ranging border security legislation negotiated by a team of Democratic and Republican senators, which the House GOP rejected at Trumps urging. Instead of playing politics with the issue, why dont we just get together and get it done? Biden said from Brownsville, in Texas Rio Grande Valley. Trump, speaking roughly the same time 325 miles away in Eagle Pass, showed no interest in working with Biden, or the Democrats for that matter. He hurled insults at his successor, charging that Biden is solely responsible for the immigration crisis and unable to deal with it effectively. "This is a Joe Biden invasion," Trump said from Shelby Park, which sits on the Rio Grande and has become the epicenter of the national immigration debate. "This is a Biden invasion over the past three years. ... He's a terrible president, worst president our country's ever had probably, the most incompetent president we've ever had." The competing stops by Biden and Trump come just eight months before the November election and as polls show Americans are deeply concerned about the situation along the border. A Gallup Poll released this week showed that, for the first time since the last decade, Americans now believe immigration to be the most important issue facing the United States. A separate survey earlier in February by the Pew Research Center survey showed 80% of Americans believe the government is doing a bad job dealing with the large number of migrants at the border. Yet another poll in February by the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas showed that a majority of Texans want to see more border enforcement and support Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's border security initiatives, such as building border barriers and installing razor wire along the Rio Grande. 'We can't afford not to do this' In Brownsville, Biden's motorcade drove a road alongside a 20-foot-high border fence, just inside the U.S.-Mexico border. The entourage drove through a gate in the fence and down a bumpy dirt road, along which parked cars were flying Trump flags. Biden walked along a section of the border and later met with federal immigration agents, who gave him a lengthy briefing on efforts to deter illegal crossings. Brownsville was once the nations busiest corridor for illegal crossings, but in recent months has seen a sharp drop in the number of people entering illegally into the United States. In his remarks at the Brownsville Border Patrol Station, Biden said officials desperately need more resources to secure the border. The legislation killed by House Republicans included funding to hire additional border patrol agents and buy additional security inspection technology and equipment. "We can't afford not to do this," Biden said. Before Biden's arrival, several hundred mostly Biden supporters lined up on Boca Chica Boulevard outside the citys airport, waving blue Biden flags and chanting Four more years! More residents parked along the boulevard, stretching for about half a mile, waving U.S. flags and hoping to catch a glimpse of the president. Elia Zamora-Hernandez, 71, drove 30 miles from Harlingen to show her support. Donning a Biden cap and waving a Biden flag, she said Republicans are not cooperating enough with Biden to allow him to do his job. The border has been a problem for years, years, years, Zamora-Hernandez said. This is not something he created. Farther down the boulevard, groups organized by La Union del Pueblo Entero, a migrants' and workers rights group, chanted, Biden, escucha estamos en la lucha! (Biden, listen were struggling!) and Si se puede! (Yes we can!) Victor Cavazos, a director at The Sidewalk School, a nonprofit that helps asylum-seekers in Reynosa, Mexico, said he was baffled that Biden chose not to meet with leaders of nongovernmental organizations while in Texas. Hes missing a big piece of the puzzle, he said. We know what the needs are on the ground. Unease in Eagle Pass: As border battle brews between Texas and U.S., tiny Eagle Pass braces for its next conflict Elia Zamora- Hernandez, 71, drove 30 miles from Harlingen to show her support. Donning a Biden cap and waving a Biden flag, she said Republicans are not cooperating enough with Biden to allow him to do his job. Trump travels to Eagle Pass In Eagle Pass, Trump was joined by Abbott and Texas National Guard soldiers, who showed off the razor wire they erected along a 29-mile stretch of border upon Abbotts orders and in defiance of a U.S. Supreme Court order. Speaking without notes, Trump veered from praising himself to criticizing immigration policies in Democratic-controlled California to lauding Abbott for taking a hardline approach to the border. He reprised his 2016 campaign theme that "murderers" and "rapists" were coming into the United States from Mexico. Former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden were both on the border in Texas on Feb. 29, 2024. Trump in Eagle Pass, Biden in Brownsville. "These are the people that are coming into our country and they're coming from jails and they're coming from prisons and they're coming from mental institutions and they're coming from insane asylums," Trump said. "And they're terrorists and being let into our country." Trump also made reference to Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student who was found murdered in a wooded area at the University of Georgia in Athens last week. The man charged with the killing of the student was a migrant from Venezuela who entered the U.S. illegally. Before Trump's arrival, city police cordoned off the streets leading down to Shelby Park. On Main Street, the four corners of the intersection with Commercial Street were filled with a mix of Trump and Biden supporters amid a collection of stores such as Claudias Perfuma Fina and the Cowboy Corral, which sells western wear. Supporters of Donald Trump await his arrival to Shelby Park in Eagle Pass, Texas prior to TrumpOs visit to the border community on Feb. 29, 2024. Weve seen two surges under two administrations, and it was better under Trump, said Freddy Arellano, a junior at nearby Sul Ross University, who sported a Make America Great Again ball cap. Under Biden its unbearable. At the opposite corner, Steve Fischer, who is the chief public defender for the region, called Trumps visit and Abbotts policies at the border a big joke and "political theatrics. Jose Hernandez, who served in the Army and wore a Vietnam veterans cap, was in the middle figuratively and literally. Im 50-50 on Biden and Trump, he said. Whoever can fix it. Hernandez said he voted for Biden in 2020, but the president has not yet earned his support for a second term. Domingo Garcia, president of the League of United Latin American Citizens, welcomed Bidens and Trumps visits. Theyre a little late, Garcia said. But at least theyre finally paying attention t a humanitarian crisis that has been festering for years. Garcia said immigration and border issues are going to be key campaign issues in November, and Latino voters will be an important voting bloc. I think that shows that they both know how important immigration is as an issue and that the road to the White House goes through the Latino communities, he said. Tragedy at the border: Mexican family's death at border looms over ongoing Justice Department standoff with Texas Former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden were both on the border in Texas on Feb. 29, 2024. Trump in Eagle Pass, Biden in Brownsville. Will Trump, Biden's visits to the border shift the conversation? No one in the White House, in Congress or on the campaign trail has figured out how to address the pace and swell of modern migration, as people arrive at the U.S. border in record numbers. Biden has called on Mexico and its regional partners to stem the flow of migrants north. Biden has created new legal pathways to encourage migrants not to cross the border unlawfully. And hes funneled resources to struggling nations to address the root causes of why people leave. Trump has proposed more barriers at the border, from razor wire to fences, and mass deportations. Republicans in Congress have proposed sharply restricting access to the U.S. asylum system. But the flows northward continue at a pace that has been mind-rattling for many Americans. A once-impenetrable jungle connecting North and South America has become a human highway. The Darien Gap between Colombia and Panama is now being trod through by half a million people annually nearly all of them headed for the U.S. border. Nobody has figured out how to deal with this in a short-term way with the existing tools they have, said Adam Isacson, director for defense oversight at the Washington Office on Latin America. The most theyve been able to do is to come up with a small tweak to policies that can push the numbers down for a few months and then the numbers recover. The push-and-pull factors of immigration have proved more powerful than the limited opportunities for legal pathways at the U.S. border and the deterrents of 30-foot fences and razor wire. Former president Donald Trump arrives in Eagle Pass, Texas at Shelby Park on Feb. 29, 2024, where Texas Governor Greg Abbott greeted him. There are more than 9 million job openings in the United States, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics a magnet for workers. Meanwhile, countries throughout the hemisphere are still suffering the economic fallout of the pandemic. You have the United States in a moment of relative domestic stability with more job openings than workers, Isacson said. Throughout the region, you have economies that havent crawled out of the crater COVID left. You have repressive governments, climate change and gangs running rampant. You also have a broken U.S. asylum system where you can claim fear and be here for four or five years. The number of migrants arriving at the U.S. border dipped in the first year of the Trump administration before climbing again in 2018 and more than doubling in 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic, when travel was restricted across the western hemisphere, depressed migration in 2020 and apprehensions at the U.S. border plummeted. But as the pandemic waned and regional economies remained in distress, people began heading to the U.S. border in record numbers. U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported 1.7 million migrant encounters at the Southwest border in fiscal 2021, 2.4 million in fiscal 2022 and an additional 2.5 million in fiscal 2023. The images of tens of thousands of families crossing the Rio Grande in Texas, or waiting to be received by Border Patrol at the border fence in Arizona or California, have captivated American voters and stoked real worries about the federal governments ability to quickly vet so many people and the ability of American cities to welcome them. Abbott has bused more than 100,000 migrants from the Texas border to cities including New York, Chicago and Denver effectively exporting humanitarian crises to American backyards. The United States flag flies behind concertina wire at the Gateway International Bridge in Brownsville Wednesday February 28, 2024. Even before Biden and Trump arrived, a border battle was being waged in a federal court in Texas. U.S. District Judge David Alan Ezra on Thursday preliminarily prevented Texas from enforcing a law that would make it a state crime to cross the Texas-Mexico border. In his order granting an injunction, Ezra said states may not exercise immigration enforcement power except as authorized by the federal government. Texas Senate Bill 4, previously scheduled to take effect March 5, would have allowed state law enforcement officers to arrest, detain and deport individuals suspected of illegally crossing the Texas-Mexico border. Surges in immigration do not constitute an invasion within the meaning of the Constitution, nor is Texas engaging in war by enforcing SB4, Ezra said in the order. To allow Texas to permanently supersede federal directives on the basis of an invasion would amount to nullification of federal law and authority a notion that is antithetical to the Constitution and has been unequivocally rejected by federal courts since the Civil War, he said. Contributing: Deborah Berry, Swapna Venugopal and The Associated Press This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump and Biden at the border: How the dueling visits played out Something unusual is happening in Defence people are talking about it: and not just in these pages for a change. A certain orange politician in the USA, to a large extent, has got people thinking. In particular he is stirring things up among the Nato nations east of the Atlantic: and that may, in fact, be a good thing. There are four big factors in play. First, threat levels are increasing. People are talking about Russia in Ukraine and what happens to other neighbouring countries and democracy if Putin is allowed to triumph there. The horrors of Gaza are also being discussed, though sadly less about the situation there and more about the polarising effect it is having here. Some people are also talking about the Houthis in the Red Sea, though sadly this is getting less discussion than the previous two. I say sadly, as British, American and other allied servicemen are actually in harms way on that one: but as a serviceman you get used to the idea that your fellow citizens are probably not very interested in you risking your life far away. Iran is involved in all these things Iranian made Shahed drones are hitting Kyiv almost every night and the mullahs are seemingly never far from launching their next adventure. Further afield, Kim Jong Un (remember him?) declared last month that his regime would no longer seek peaceful reunification with Seoul they are now codified as the enemy. He has 50 to 60 nuclear warheads. Whether hot, cold or no war is coming, defence is about being sufficiently ready to prevent it happening in the first place. Being less ready makes war more likely. Second follows on from this: the raft of bad news stories about the state of UK Defence at the moment. Ill try and put some perspective on this. My 27 years in the Navy was accompanied by a perma-rhetoric of decline and associated griping. Morale was always low and everyone you spoke to had their notice in. Where we are now is nothing new, but the rhetoric is accelerating. This could just be an increase in access, leaks and reporting but I dont think so. More important is what lies beneath the rhetoric and this is fragile. Retention figures are a quantifiable barometer of this and they make for grim reading. Its not just that theyre declining, thats been the case for decades, its the rate of decline. If you keep squeezing any system or asset or sweat it, to half-quote the Chief of the General Staff eventually it breaks. Were not there yet but a look at our maritime nuclear industry and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary shows you what close looks like. Third, there is an election coming. Defence is no longer discussed in any detail by politicians the since-2010 convention of having a Defence Review just after each election has meant that they can always kick any discussion down the road to the Review and nobody gets to vote knowing what the parties policies might be. But like clockwork, impending elections do bring the issues to the surface. Defence editors need to sell papers, of course they do, but they also universally believe in Defence, understand its fragility and therefore (rightly) use opportunities to push for more money. This infuriates senior officers I get called shrill all the time by my serving friends (to which I normally respond by asking how their sensible and steady plan is going) but media pressure can have an effect. The about-turn on defence accommodation recently is a case in point. Truly, you mess with Army officers wives and their media friends at your peril. Nobody heard quite as much from the enlisted soldiers wives, who might have got a bigger house on the officers patch if they had more kids than the officers ladies. It was noted that trained officers are resigning in droves no less than 6.5 per cent in the most recent quarter. It wasnt noted that trained enlisted soldiers are resigning at exactly the same rate. It also wasnt noted that the actual number of majors and colonels in the Army has barely dropped recently, but the number of corporals and sergeants is down by several per cent and the number of private soldiers is down almost ten per cent over the last two quarters. But the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Meanwhile, conversations often focus on what percentage of GDP should be spent on defence. Its a clunky metric but also easily relatable: resisting its use is futile. The UK hovers just above the two per cent mark and has done so for a while, which is theoretically not too bad by Nato standards. When you consider the deterrent and pensions, however, the picture is less rosy. It was interesting to see a recent Secretary of State for Defence write in this paper that we should increase to three per cent. Hes right, but it is odd that he never mentioned that when uniquely empowered to do so. He also took the chance (sadly predictably, as an ex Army man) to take a shot at our aircraft carriers. But this stuff is all routine. Russia and Iran, feeble capabilities, arguments over resource and interservice squabbling go way back into the mists of time. The fourth thing, the biggest thing, the new wild card, is the possibility of future President Donald Trump. What happens if, once whispered, is now openly spoken of and planned for in the corridors of Whitehall. Saying the Russians can do whatever the hell they want to countries who dont meet their [Nato] commitments is as crass as it is predictable, but is the underlying sentiment wrong? A previous Editor of Janes Fighting Ships (and therefore less susceptible to bombast and hyperbole than most defence media types) said at an event in 1984, I never understood why the US, a country of 235 million people and a GDP of 4 trillion dollars should be responsible for the defence of a continent of 413 million people and cumulative GDP of 2.6 trillion dollars. He has a point. If we dont play ball and lose our US protective umbrella we will be a lot less safe. That is a fact whether you like it or not. Worse still, Europe is strategically incoherent. The French President talks about boots on the ground in Ukraine and the German premier has disclosed UKsupported operations there in both cases attempting to win political clout among their own fellow citizens, no matter what damage they might do. Far too many Nato nations fail even to achieve two per cent of GDP. With this sort of thing going on, Trumps apparent disgust for European Nato allies appears more and more justifiable. Back in the UK, assuming there isnt a total rethink as to our strategic position in the world, and discounting premature conversations about how everything should now be automated, we need to step up so that The Donald doesnt disavow us. We need a trinity of symbiotic things: more money, money to be spent better and more people. Anyone who thinks Defence doesnt need more cash either doesnt understand the problem, has adopted a position of learned helplessness over the years where asking for more is seen as toxic (or shrill) or owns the purse strings and doesnt think there is any available. Just look at the big ticket build items currently in the hoist nuclear submarines (including the deterrent and Aukus), Army recapitalisation, the Global Combat Air Programme and ask if any of that can be affordable in an environment where we cant provide our armed forces with decent accommodation? The second point is a killer though, because not only is it true that Defence has been unbelievably wasteful over the years but this also provides the perfect stick for the Treasury to hit people with who ask for more: We wont give you any more because you will only waste it. I would argue that as a position this is better suited to managing your childs pocket money than defending a country, and it certainly isnt applied to, say, the NHS, but it is hard to defend against. I had it played to me by a very senior politician last week, you wont get more money until you can prove you can spend it properly. My attempts to sell the trinity as symbiotic fell on deaf ears. The Shadow Defence Secretary John Healey reflected on this yesterday, effectively saying that Defence is not in a strong position to go to the Treasury to ask for more money until it can show that it can spend it better. Needing more people is one I wont go into now but unless that improves, this whole conversation is moot. Hopefully the links between a well-resourced, growing and well-planned enterprise and recruit/retain are obvious. With threats increasing but resources both stalled and mismanaged, we are not well placed to enter the pre-war era as many now call it. Elections here and in the US provide a good opportunity to get defence on the agenda. It seems strange that the key pillar of government security of the nation attracts a paltry (and caveated) two per cent of GDP. When the aforementioned Editor of Janes was in command of a nuclear submarine, defence was at seven per cent of GDP. Clearly there are different demands and priorities now across government compared to then but they didnt spend that much then for fun, it was because that was the figure determined to be the right amount in that global environment. It doesnt matter how tight Whitehall budgets are now, or how much debt there is: the government could increase defence spending if it chose to. So small is the Defence budget, that getting to three per cent of GDP would involve a barely noticeable two per cent cut across the other departments. The government simply chooses not to spend on Defence, and that is what needs to change. On becoming Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer promised, never again will Labour go into an election not trusted on national security. To me that looks like putting three per cent on the manifesto with accompanying strategy papers on what its for, how it will be spent and how it will not be wasted. The current government will not endorse this. Trump would. And bluntly, like him or loathe him, hes right. Arguably many US Presidents before him have failed for decades to tell it straight when talking to the lazy, clutch-fisted politicians of the European Nato allies. Trump may very well be the alliances salvation, not its destroyer. You dont pay your bills, you get no protection. Its very simple. Trumps words are rude and ominous in equal measure. But we should be doing it anyway for us, not for him. We should always have been doing it. History shows it costs a lot more if you dont. 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. Nial Mackinlay locked his experience away and only told his family what had happened to him two years ago In harsh winter conditions they've racked up training miles in Scotland's mountains to prepare for their journey to the roof of the world. But these aren't your typical band of adventurers. The group heading to the Himalayas next month are mostly former pupils of Edinburgh Academy. As schoolboys, a number of them were physically and sexually abused by teachers at the prestigious, fee paying school. Historical abuse has been exposed at the school in recent years and highlighted by former pupils including broadcaster Nicky Campbell at the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry. Police Scotland is also investigating allegations relating to the school. Now men in their fifties and sixties, the group has emerged from decades of silence and secrecy with a shared determination to turn childhood trauma into something positive. They are preparing to trek to Everest Base Camp to raise money for children's charity the NSPCC. "I don't want to be angry for the rest of my life," says Nial Mackinlay, a member of the group who was an Edinburgh academy pupil during the 1980's. "There were a specific two masters that abused me. They did the harm but now I want to reach base camp with a big smile on my face and then hopefully move on while at the same time raise lots of money." The former pupils of Edinburgh Academy have been training in Glencoe along with friends and family members who will be taking part in the adventure Nial says the abuse he suffered meant he had difficulty with long term relationships. He thought what happened to him was "locked in a box forever" until July 2022, when he heard the broadcaster Nicky Campbell - who'd been in the year above him - speak publicly about his own experience of abuse at the school. "It was like the damhead bursting and the box was open," Nial said. "I told my wife and family and started processing it and met this amazing group of people who've been through [something] similar." That shared experience is the "glue" that binds the group together, according to Neil Russell, another member of the group. A retired accountant, the abuse he suffered as a teenager had a huge impact on his adult life. The impact of abuse he endured as a teenager led Neil Russell to an attempt to take his life "I left school in 1974 and I had my first breakdown and suicide attempt in 1990," he says. "Those 16 years were a slow descent to the bottom because I was just lost I was absolutely lost. I didn't understand life. I didn't understand who I was." "It was incredibly hard to explain to people why I behaved the way I behaved and I've had many labels, clinical depression, bi-polar disorder, PTSD, all sorts of things." Once again it was the publicity surrounding Nicky Campbell's revelations that helped Neil realise he wasn't alone. He joined the WhatsApp group for Edinburgh Academy abuse survivors which now has more than 70 members. "The first person I met in person was Nicky himself and we spoke for 15 minutes, Neil says. "At the end of it we both said it's like we've known each other all our lives." "That experience has been repeated time and time and time again, the circumstances are different but the experience is exactly the same. You just feel that you've known these people forever." Giles Moffat set up a survivors' WhatsApp group and will now lead the Everest expedition The WhatsApp group was set up by Giles Moffat, the leader of the Everest expedition. "We want to channel all the negativity into something positive' he says. "One in five kids are still abused today and that's why we're going to try and raise as much money as possible to protect these guys. We want our experience to count for something." For Giles it's also an opportunity to achieve a "dream" of reaching the summit of Mount Everest. To prepare for the altitude he's been sleeping in an oxygen tent attached to his bed at home. "[Climbing Everest] is not technically hard, it's largely mental," he says. "If you like mountains and an element of suffering on mountains you will do it." Friends and family will join the Ex Edinburgh Academy pupils on the expedition For the rest of the group - who set off for Nepal next month - they plan to reach Everest Base Camp which involves a nine day trek to 17,000 feet. "We're all doing it for each other and for the guys that can't come along," says Nial Mackinlay. "It's going to be crucial having that bond. I'm really excited. I'm nervous because nobody knows how the altitude is going to affect us. "All we can do is do the training and then just go out, stick together and we'll get there" If you are affected by any of the issues you can find information and support on the BBC Action Line DOTHAN, Ala. (WDHN) A Dothan woman is behind bars after investigators say she abused a child she was responsible for. According to Lt. Scott Owens, on Wednesday, February 28, detectives received a report from a local school about a child under 18 with visible injuries from apparent abuse. Lt. Owens said that after an investigation, detectives determined 26-year-old Olivia Thompson had abused the child. The Lieutenant identified Thompson as a responsible party of the child. Thompson was charged with one count of torture/wilful abuse of a child and was booked into the Houston County Jail on a $15,000 bond. Due to Alabamas privacy laws, Dothan Police will release no additional information. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDHN - wdhn.com. GREENSBORO, N.C. (WGHP) A Greensboro business owner says if city leaders dont come up with a solution to end homelessness, theyll pack up and find a new place to do business. Locking the door every time a customer leaves is something hairdressers at Bliss in Co. Downtown Salon on Elm Street in Greensboro do all the time. The owner Cara Hodges says the main reason for it because of people harassing customers. It could be some of the homeless people. For us, its really more people that are having some major mental health issues. When they come in, its really hard to get them out, Hodges said. Black-owned and operated hair salon owner opens nail salon in Northlake Mall Hodges says she has sympathy for those in need, but recent encounters have pushed her over the edge. From people laying at our door step to exposing themselves at times through the window, Hodges said. Her salon has been downtown for 12 years. But Hodges clients and employees dont feel safe, so shes considering relocating. Neighboring business owners and three entrepreneurs who didnt want to be on camera say Hodges described the reality of Elm Street. We reached out Greensboro City Councilwoman Tammi Thurm about their concerns. She says better policing in that area is up to the Greensboro Police Department. Row of NoDa businesses hit in targeted string of break-ins She also says there isnt an immediate solution to homelessness and mental health issues, but there are resources out there. The mental health resources team that works in coordination with the police department does a fabulous job of trying to help some of these issues. Its really frustrating that we arent able to address it as quickly and thoroughly as we would like. Its probably the number one thing that we work on, Thurm said. Though its the number one thing on city leaders list to take care of, Hodges feels her concerns have fallen on deaf ears. I think it would be helpful if business owners felt like they were being supported at the same level that some of these homeless folks are being supported, Hodges said. We also reached out to several city leaders about homeless and mental health solutions for downtown Greensboro. We have not heard back from Mayor Nancy Vaughan or the GPD. This problem is somewhat complicated to resolve, and weve got to find the best solution for both our business owners and homeless individuals, City Councilwoman Sharon Hightower said. As of right now, Hodges says if this problem isnt solved, shes moving out of the building on Elm Street when her lease ends in August. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. More than 100 killed while seeking aid in Gaza, overall death toll passes 30,000 By Nidal al-Mughrabi CAIRO (Reuters) -Gaza health authorities said Israeli forces on Thursday shot dead more than 100 Palestinians as they waited for an aid delivery, but Israel blamed the deaths on crowds that surrounded aid trucks, saying victims had been trampled or run over. At least 112 people were killed and more than 280 wounded in the incident near Gaza City, Palestinian health officials said. The loss of civilian lives was the biggest in weeks. Hamas said the incident could jeopardise talks in Qatar aimed at securing a ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages it is holding. When asked if he thought it would complicate the talks, U.S. President Joe Biden said: "I know it will." Medics in Gaza said they could not cope with the flood of serious injuries, which came as the death toll in nearly five months of war passed 30,000, according to Palestinian health authorities. Israel disputed the account provided by officials in Hamas-run Gaza, which has been bombarded by Israeli forces for months since the Palestinian militant group's deadly rampage in southern Israel on Oct. 7. The Israeli military said the trucks were operated by private contractors as part of an aid operation that it had been overseeing for the past four nights. One Israeli official said there had been two incidents, hundreds of metres apart. In the first, dozens were killed or injured as they tried to take aid from the trucks and were trampled or run over. He said there was a second, subsequent incident as the trucks moved off. Some people in the crowd approached troops who felt under threat and opened fire, killing an unknown number in a "limited response", he said. He dismissed the casualty toll given by Gaza authorities but gave no figure himself. In a later briefing, Israel Defense Forces spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari also said dozens had been trampled to death or injured in a fight to take supplies off the trucks. He said tanks escorting the trucks had subsequently fired warning shots to disperse the crowd and backed away when events began to get out of hand. "No IDF strike was conducted towards the aid convoy," he said. "The IDF was there conducting a humanitarian operation to secure the humanitarian corridor and allow the aid convoy to reach its designated distribution point." The U.S. State Department said it was urgently seeking information on the incident as did the French foreign ministry. WHITE HOUSE SAYS AID INCIDENT IS 'ALARMING' AND 'TRAGIC' Hamas issued a statement rejecting the Israeli account. It said the Health Ministry had presented "undeniable" evidence of "direct firing at citizens, including headshots aimed at immediate killing, in addition to the testimonies of all witnesses who confirmed being targeted with direct fire without posing any threat to the occupying army". The White House said Biden discussed the "tragic and alarming incident" with the leaders of Egypt and Qatar, as well as ways to secure the release of Israeli hostages and a six-week ceasefire. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said it was an "ugly massacre" by Israel, and French foreign ministry spokesperson Christophe Lemoine said Israel was responsible under international law for protecting aid distribution to civilians. One video shared on social media, whose location Reuters was able to verify, showed trucks loaded with many dead bodies as well as wounded people. Another, which Reuters could not verify, showed bloodstained people being carried in a truck, bodies wrapped in shrouds and doctors treating injured patients on the hospital floor. "We don't want aid like this. We don't want aid and bullets together. There are many martyrs," a man said in one of the videos. The Pentagon expressed alarm but declined to assign any blame. "These are human beings that are trying to feed themselves" Air Force Major General Patrick Ryder, a Pentagon spokesperson, told a news briefing. "We're all kind of looking at that and saying: 'What happened here'?". PALESTINIAN DEATH TOLL TOPS 30,000 The Palestinian health authorities said 30,035 Palestinians were now confirmed killed and more than 70,000 wounded in Israel's offensive, launched after the Oct. 7 attack in which Israel said Hamas gunmen killed 1,200 people and abducted 253. Much of Gaza has been reduced to rubble and most of its 2.3 million population have been displaced from their homes at least once. Aid deliveries to northern Gaza have been sparse and chaotic, passing through more active military zones to an area where the U.N. says many are starving, with videos showing desperate crowds surging around supply trucks. U.N. and other relief agencies have complained that Israel has blocked or restricted their attempts to get aid in. Israel denies putting any restrictions on humanitarian aid. Philippe Lazzarini, head of the U.N. Palestinian aid agency UNRWA, told reporters in Jerusalem that the supply of aid into Gaza as a whole had halved since January. (Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi, Angus McDowall, Dan Williams, Aidan Lewis, Emily Rose; Additional reporting by Maayan Lubell, Steve Holland, Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali and John Irish; writing by Sharon Singleton, Kevin Liffey, Alexandra Hudson and Diane Craft; Editing by Timothy Heritage and Cynthia Osterman) Allie Phillips testifies before the U.S. Senate Budget Committee about her experiences with Tennessees abortion laws during a hearing on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024. (Screenshot from committee webcast) WASHINGTON U.S. senators heard detailed testimony Wednesday on the economic impacts women face and how those considerations can play into whether they seek elective abortion access. The Senate Budget Committee also heard examples of the increased pressures women who need abortions for medical reasons have experienced after more than a dozen states severely restricted access to the procedure in the last two years. Testimony came from medical professionals, economists and from Allie Phillips, a Tennessee woman who was forced to travel for an abortion after her fetus was diagnosed with several medical issues that threatened Phillips health. We want to have another child but were terrified because Tennessee still bans abortion and criminalizes doctors for providing essential healthcare for pregnant patients, Phillips, now a Democratic candidate for a state legislative seat, testified. Caitlin Myers, John G. McCullough professor of economics at Middlebury College in Vermont, told the panel that the decision of whether and when to become a mother is the single largest economic decision many women will make in their lifetimes. Men and womens earnings trend pretty similarly right up until the point of parenthood, Myers said. When they become mothers, womens earnings fall off a cliff, declining by about 30% and opening up a gender gap that persists even after the kids grow up and leave the home. Myers said that as a mother of four, the decision to become a parent was entirely worth it for her, though she said that doesnt hold true for everyone for a variety of factors. But thats the point the trade-offs and decisions about whether and when to become a parent are inherently personal and closely tied to our economic lives, Myers said. And even the best laid plans of mice and men and lets add women can commonly go awry. Dr. Leilah Zahedi-Spung, a board certified OB-GYN and a maternal fetal medicine specialist, told senators that she felt she had to leave Tennessee after that state instituted stringent restrictions on abortion. She now practices in Colorado. Requiring pregnant people, including those with complex diagnoses, to stay pregnant is exceptionally dangerous given the state of maternal morbidity and mortality in this country, she testified. Studies have shown us that people who are denied an abortion are more likely to fall into poverty, increase their amount of debt and generally have worse financial security for years following their abortion denial, Zahedi-Spung said. Inability to access abortion care has severe consequences and this is especially true for our Black, Indigenous and people of color who face systemic racism in all aspects of their lives, Zahedi-Spung added. Joy turns to heartbreak Philips told senators that she and her husband were both excited to learn she was pregnant in the fall of 2022. But that turned to heartbreak when she learned when she was 19 weeks pregnant that her fetus had several health conditions, including to the heart and brain, that would lead Phillips health to deteriorate. Knowing I had a daughter to live for, we made the difficult decision to seek an abortion, Philips said, referencing her 6-year-old daughter. Tennessees abortion laws, Phillips testified, meant her doctor couldnt offer her any advice or help finding a doctor out of state to perform the procedure. So she and her mother began searching for a doctor that could perform an abortion, eventually finding one in New York City. She testified that she had to ask strangers for help affording the travel, turning to the online website Go Fund Me. Once in New York, she had to deal with her loss alone, since due to threats against abortion clinics, only the patient is allowed to enter. Once inside, she learned there was no longer a heartbeat and the abortion would happen immediately. I went into surgery alone and I sat in recovery alone. I grieved her loss alone in a city Ive never been in; far away from the comfort of my home, my family and my friends, Phillips said while crying. No one should be treated this way not in Tennessee and not in the other 13 states that now criminalize abortion, the standard of care that I needed in my situation, Phillips added. The states abortion laws, she said, are continuing to negatively affect her and her husband, who want to try for another child, but are fearful of what might happen during another pregnancy. Improvements in safety net programs Leslie Ford, adjunct fellow in the Center on Opportunity and Social Mobility at the conservative-leaning think tank American Enterprise Institute, told the Budget Committee that abortion is not a solution that vulnerable women should seek. Many women considering an abortion face significant challenges, but abortion is not the answer, Ford testified. We have a duty to focus on real solutions. Congress, she said, should hesitate to make policy based on research that says abortion results in better outcomes for women. Instead, lawmakers should seek to overhaul safety net programs that provide food, housing and other forms of assistance to low-income women in order to address many of the challenges women considering abortion face. Despite good intentions the safety net often impedes the path back to self-sufficiency, she testified, later adding those programs trap people in poverty by discouraging both work and marriage. The government, however, cant do everything, she said. Other services should be provided by fathers and community organizations. We can and must encourage these mothers to find the pathway back to self-sufficiency, Ford testified. Tamra Call, the executive director of Obria Medical Clinic in Ames, Iowa, told the committee that many of the women who enter the clinic say theyre considering an abortion due to economic circumstances and that staff there try to dissuade that by providing references to other services. Obria clinics are defined as faith-based, pro-life nonprofits by the legal organization Alliance Defending Freedom, which is representing two Obria clinics in a case Thursday in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington. Our mission is to provide reproductive health care and support women in a way which empowers them to make informed, life-affirming decisions, Call said. The clinic, she said, tries to help women get connected to places that can assist with education, job applications, food and housing. Those programs include the Women Infants and Children, or WIC, program, Medicaid, family assistance planning in Iowa and child care planning resources. A woman should never feel that abortion is her only option, Call said. Whitehouse, Grassley comment Rhode Island Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, chairman of the panel, said that reproductive rights are intrinsically tied to economic opportunity. Stripping women of this freedom casts a long shadow over their lives and over their families lives, said Whitehouse, who has backed federal legislation to ensure access to abortion care across the country. And it casts a long shadow over our economy as well. Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley, ranking member on the committee and a longtime opponent of abortion, criticized the hearing for taking place at all, saying that abortion is not an issue that lends itself at being looked at solely through an economic lens. Grassley later said that yes, having and raising children has costs, but so does abortion on demand and the culture that lacks respect for life. Congress, he contended, should focus on increasing coordination between safety net programs that help families, including promoting work and education. Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee said that the U.S. Supreme Courts decision nearly two years ago to end the constitutional right to an abortion sent regulation of abortion back to lawmakers. Since Congress hasnt passed any laws that would affect access nationwide, Lee said, states will handle this differently, but states handle many things differently. Sometimes those laws can end up having unforeseen consequences, sometimes tragic ones, Lee said. Those laws can be changed from time to time. Virginia Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine said the results of some of the state laws restricting abortion access would be almost unimaginable had Congress not heard the testimony. The cruelty is astounding, said Kaine. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Economic effects of state abortion bans debated by U.S. Senate panel appeared first on Alabama Reflector. Los Angeles' City Hall is illuminated in Dodger blue to honor the loss of former Los Angeles City Councilmember Tom LaBonge and Dodgers legend Tommy Lasorda in 2021. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) Over the last several months, the Times editorial board conducted interviews with more than 100 people running for local and federal offices on the March 5 ballot. Again and again, we heard a similar refrain from the politically inexperienced candidates: Im not a career politician and We need to stop electing career politicians. But whats so bad about being a career politician? In every other industry, professional expertise is considered a good thing in prospective employees. In elections, voters are essentially hiring their representatives for local, state and federal governments. But politics is unusual in that on-the-job experience can be seen as a liability rather than an asset. Some voters like the idea of the outsider who can shake up government and views elected office as a temporary venture. Imagine a hospital executive vetting job candidates and thinking, I dont want another career surgeon. And what person facing criminal charges would want to hire an attorney who declares, Im not a career lawyer? Read more: L.A. Times electoral endorsements for 2024 March primary Thats preposterous. So is the idea that there's something wrong with people who choose to make a career out of public service. Like any professional, lawmakers hone their skills over time. Its the rare individual who can arrive in City Hall, Sacramento or Washington, D.C., and quickly excel at shepherding bills into laws, overseeing government agencies and delivering for constituents. Its even sillier to hear so much disdain for people who have served in political office from people running for political office. What will these candidates be if they are elected and decide to serve more than one term? Career politicians, or close to it. And if theyre good at their job, why shouldnt they parlay their experience and skills to seek a promotion by running for higher office? Former California Gov. Jerry Brown, U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla, L.A. Mayor Karen Bass they're all career politicians who have moved from office to office with strong voter support. Read more: Opinion: The permanent campaign of Jerry Brown In this election, the editorial board endorsed several career politicians, namely state legislators who want to serve in Los Angeles City Hall or move to Congress. Each race is unique and we look at the totality of each candidate, including how his or her experience and skills would serve the office. But when we recommend voters pick a longtime politician, such as Assemblymember Miguel Santiago (D-Los Angeles) for Los Angeles City Council District 14 or Assemblymember Laura Friedman (D-Glendale) for the 30th Congressional District, its often because they are known quantities and have a track record of success. We have seen their leadership in action and know theyll get things done in the next office. Read more: Editorial: L.A. Times' judicial endorsements explained Not every career politician is the best candidate in every race, however, and it's not uncommon for us to choose a newcomer over the incumbent or established politician. For example, we favored Eddie Anderson for Los Angeles District 10 over Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer (D-Los Angeles), who served 12 years in the Legislature and championed important criminal justice reforms. Anderson stood out as someone who could bring a new vision and energy to the district. The impulse to reject career politicians out of hand is understandable right now. Theres a lot of frustration among voters about the current state of affairs. In Los Angeles, progress in fixing big problems easing homelessness, building affordable housing and expanding public transit isnt happening fast enough. California is again facing a staggering budget deficit that could slash services and public investments. And Congress seems incapable of passing any meaningful legislation including keeping the government running for more than a few months at a time. As we know from the 2016 presidential election, rejecting an experienced leader in favor of a rookie can be dangerous. Sometimes the right choice is to trade long-term elected officials for people with fresh ideas, but not when their only crime is choosing to remain in public service for longer than a couple of years. More often, their expertise is just what we need. If its in the news right now, the L.A. Times Opinion section covers it. Sign up for our weekly opinion newsletter. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Eight European Union countries made a call on Wednesday, 28 February for sanctions against Russian prosecutors, judges and prison officials due to Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalnys death earlier this month. Source: Reuters with reference to a letter it has obtained, as cited by European Pravda Details: The letter, addressed to Josep Borrell, the European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, was signed by the foreign ministers of Czechia, Estonia, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Sweden and Romania. Officials stated that it was also supported by the Netherlands, France, Ireland and Denmark, amounting to support from a total of 12 countries. Quote: "Mr Navalny's death is yet another sign of the accelerating and systematic repression in Russia. This calls for collective action," the foreign ministers' letter stated. "We believe there is a strong case for a separate Russia-specific sanctions regime designed to address the situation in the country," the letter stated. "The new regime would provide a solid legal basis to list individuals from Russia's repressive state apparatus, including those involved in politically motivated rulings against members of the civil society and the democratic opposition and their subsequent detention, such as those responsible within the judicial chain (prosecutors, courts penitentiary)," the letter noted. Background: Earlier, the European Union promised to impose sanctions against those involved in Navalny's death. On 23 February, the US Department of State announced sanctions against three Russians who were involved in Navalnys torture. Support UP or become our patron! Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., said in a statement that she supports her son, but that he should be held accountable after he was charged with multiple felonies connected to a string of vehicle trespass and theft. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI Feb. 28 (UPI) -- The eldest son of Rep. Lauren Boebert has been arrested on multiple felony charges on accusations of stealing money with the use of credit and bank cards stolen from vehicles in Colorado. Court records from the Garfield Sheriff's Office state that 18-year-old Tyler Jay Boebert was released from jail on Wednesday. The Rifle Police Department said in a statement that he was arrested at about 2:30 p.m. a day prior. "The arrest comes after a recent string of vehicle trespass and property thefts in Rifle," it said. Tyler Boebert has been charged with four felony counts of criminal possession ID documents -- multiple victims, one felony count of conspiracy to commit a felony and more than 15 additional misdemeanor offenses. Tyler Jay Boebert, the son of Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert, was arrested Tuesday and charged with multiple felonies. Photo courtesy of Rifle Police Department/Facebook The 25-page affidavit in support of the arrest was released Wednesday detailing the string of thefts, with the first having been reported to police early Feb. 20. Authorities were able to identify Tyler Boebert through the use of surveillance footage in which he was seen wearing a hoodie imprinted with the words "Shooters Grill," a Rifle restaurant once owned by the Republican politician. The arrest comes about a month after Jayson Boebert, Lauren Boebert's ex-husband, was charged in connection to a family-related incident that occurred at a restaurant in Garfield County. Prosecutors said the estranged couple were arguing and that Jayson Boebert refused to leave the restaurant after police responded to a disturbance call. He was also charged for a separate Jan. 9 confrontation involving Tyler Boebert. It also comes after Lauren Boebert was escorted from a musical in September after being accused of vaping, acting inappropriately with her date and causing a disturbance. In a statement to Fox News, Lauren Boebert, R-Colo., said her eldest son has been "though some very difficult, public challenges" and that it "breaks my heart to see my child struggling." "I will never give up on him and I will continue to be there for him," she said. "As an adult and father, Tyler will take responsibility for his actions and should be held accountable for poor decisions just like any other citizen." The Republican represents the third district of Colorado but announced late last year that she would run for re-election in the more conservative congressional fourth district. Rep. Boebert is an ally of former President Donald Trump and frequently rails against President Joe Biden on unproven allegations of corruption. A small Wisconsin town is continuing to search for a missing three-year-old boy, who hasnt been seen in over two weeks. Elijah Vue vanished from his mothers boyfriends home in Two Rivers on Tuesday 20 February. He had been sent 150 miles away from home for disciplinary reasons, with details now showing that the little boy was subjected to lengthy time-outs and threats of cold showers if he misbehaved. Both Elijahs mother Katrina Baur, 31, and her boyfriend Jesse Vang, 39, have been charged with child neglect. As of Thursday 7 March, the search is still underway for the little boy and the FBI has offered a $15,000 reward for information. Here is a timeline of Elijahs disappearance so far 12 February Katrina Baur leaves Elijah with Jesse Vang in Two Rivers, around a 2.5-hour drive from her home in Wisconsin Dells. Elijah Vue, three, was last seen in Two Rivers, Wisconsin, on Tuesday 20 February 2024 (FBI) 12-20 February Elijah is allegedly subjected to discipline tactics by Mr Vang, including standing time-outs, teaching him to pray and threats of cold water if he misbehaves. 16 February - Manitowoc District Attorney alleges Elijah is left alone for around an hour in Maitowoc City while Ms Baur and Mr Vang are elsewhere. 20 February, 7.30am Mr Vang gets up to give Elijah breakfast cereal without milk. 20 February, 8am Elijah is told to stand at the foot of Mr Vangs bed and pray while the man takes a nap. This was the last known sighting of Elijah, according to Mr Vangs police testimony. 20 February, 10.59am Two River Police Department gets a call from Mr Vang, reporting Elijah missing. 20 February, 1.37pm Police issue an appeal for help in finding Elijah, while an amber alert also goes out to the local community. Elijah is described as around 3ft tall, with brown eyes and hair. He was wearing grey sweatpants, a dark-coloured long-sleeve shirt and red-and-green dinosaur slip-on shoes. He may have been carrying a red-and-white plaid blanket. Elijah Vue, three, was last seen in Two Rivers Wisconsin on 20 February 2024 (Two Rivers Police Department) 20 February, 5pm Locals are asked to search outbuildings, vehicles and any other areas where Elijah may have become trapped or hidden, while police utilise drones and search dogs as part of their efforts. Jesse Vang is arrested on suspicion of child neglect that evening. 21 February Katrina Baur is arrested on suspicion of being party-to-a-crime child neglect. 23 February Search efforts continue across Two Rivers and Elijahs hometown of Wisconsin Dells. Ms Baur and Mr Vang appear in court. 26 February Two Rivers Police Department confirm they are searching a local landfill site as part of the investigation. Ms Baur and Mr Vang appear in court again, with the mother receiving two additional charges of obstruction. The details of Mr Vangs tactics emerge in court documents. Police and area firefighters walk along state Highway 310 near Johnston Road during the search for missing three-year-old Elijah Vue on Tuesday 27 February (USA Today-Wisconsin 2024, copyright, all rights reserved) 27 February A week after Elijahs disappearance, police say they are still hopeful of bringing him home safely. The FBI announces a $15,000 reward for information. Elijahs grandmother cries as she pleads for help in finding him. 29 February Ms Baur asks for her bond to be changed so she can get out of jail. Police say they have searched storm water drains as part of continued efforts to find Elijah, while volunteers in Fond du Lac have started searching the town, which sits between Two Rivers and Wisconsin Dells. 4 March - Search enters third week. Two Rivers Police Department release photos of a beige 1997 Nissan Altima, asking for help in tracking its movements on 19 February the day before Elijah was reported missing. Law enforcement has possession of the vehicle. 7 March - The two suspects appear in court, with updated charges announced for Ms Baur. A statement from her mother is read out, asking for the judge not to let her daughter out of jail. 14 March - A judge rules that Ms Baur will go to trial. Mr Vang has requested a speedy trial and an attorney. Ms Baurs arraignment is scheduled for 22 March. After a bakery owner in California says she was left reeling and her small business left high and dry after Tesla abruptly canceled a 4,000-pie order worth $16,000, Tesla CEO Elon Musk says he plans to make good with the Black-owned bakery. Voahangy Rasetarinera, who runs The Giving Pies in San Jose, wrote a Facebook post on Feb. 21 titled How Teslas actions hurt my small Black women-owned business. San Jose Bakery loses business after Tesla abruptly cancels a big order. Elon Musk offers to make good as community rallies behind The Giving Pies bakery. (Photo credit: Getty Images/KGO-TV Screengrab) The post detailed her experience working with a Tesla employee named Laura to coordinate an initial order of 2,000 mini pies to be delivered last Tuesday and Thursday. Rasetarinera, who is originally from France, said shed turned down other Black History Month catering inquiries to accommodate the potential business opportunity that she described as a promising exchange on the Facebook post. The bakery owner wrote that she first heard from Laura on Feb. 14, received an approval of her quote and expected a smooth transaction from there but she encountered a hurdle in receiving her money when the payment process was redirected through Teslas vendor, City Flavor, she wrote. Despite this hurdle, I remained optimistic as I awaited payment yet, when payment failed to materialize, I grew concerned, Rasetarinera said. She received a call from the Tesla employee on Thursday night apologizing for the delayed payment of the vendor, who Laura claimed was a new vendor for the company. Laura requested to double the order size from 2,000 to 4,000 pies, according to Rasetarinera. Despite the late hour and short notice, I consulted with my staff, who assured me they could manage the expanded order, the bakery owner wrote. She said she sent a revised invoice the next day, Feb. 16, requesting payment by noon to secure additional resources for production. Laura told Rasetarinera that she requested approval by 11 a.m., something Rasetarinera said should have alerted her as a major red flag. The Giving Pies still had not received payment by that afternoon, leaving its owner, who had purchased supplies and prepared for a demanding production schedule to fulfill Teslas order, in a difficult spot. Rasetarinera reached Lauras voicemail when attempting to call her. A few minutes later, my hopes were shattered when I received a text from Laura, CASUALLY informing me that the plan had changed and Tesla would no longer require the order, Rasetarinera shared online. Rasetarinera said she expressed her disappointment and the damage it caused her business to the Tesla employee, who she says tried to shift the blame to upper management. I emphasized the disregard for the commitments made and the repercussions felt by a small business struggling to survive in a challenging economic climate, Rasetarinera said. To me, it was clear that Teslas corporate culture prioritized convenience over accountability, disregarding the livelihoods of small business owners like myself, she continued. Rasetarineras heartfelt post received over 1,000 reactions, and business for The Giving Pies has since picked up significantly since her story became widespread. Over the weekend, there was a line of customers out the door of the San Jose bakery, and even the citys mayor spoke up to support the small business, KGO-TV reported. It was heartbreaking, you know, (you) hear about these entrepreneurs, small business owners who have made it through the pandemic who just struggle to get by every month doing something that they love, San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan told KGO-TV. Meanwhile, Tesla CEO Elon Musk took to X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter that he also owns, to say that last Friday was the first he learned of the canceled order. People should always be able to count on Tesla trying its best, Musk wrote. Rasetarinera said a Tesla manager has offered to reimburse her for the $2,000 worth of supplies she bought for the job, according to KNTV. She told the outlet that though she is willing to work with Tesla in the future, she had to turn down their new catering job request for 3,600 mini pies next month. Unfortunately, I can not do their catering event because with all the business that we got, we depleted our stock of crust and then we also have Pi Day to prepare for, so theres no way, Rasetarinera told KNTV. Elon Musk Offers to Reimburse Black Bakery Owner After Abrupt Order Cancellation Left Her Business High and Dry; Heres Why She Turned Down Teslas Latest Order: No Way Elsbeth, the new procedural premiering Thursday night on CBS, is the second official spinoff of the Emmy-winning legal drama The Good Wife. It follows The Good Fight, the sequel series of sorts that ended in 2022 after six seasons of ripped-from-headlines cases and Christine Baranski looking glorious in designer power blazers. Like The Good Fight, Elsbeth stars a fan-favorite character originally introduced 14 years ago in the first season of The Good Wife: Elsbeth Tascioni, an unconventional and often underestimated attorney played by Carrie Preston, who won an Emmy for the role in 2013. When it comes to their love of spinoffs, well be down to the smallest character by the end, Robert King, who co-created all three series with his wife, Michelle, tells The Daily Beasts Obsessed, laughing. Next it will be David Paymers judge, he jokes, referencing the character that appeared in The Good Wifes pilot. It will just be Gus!, with an exclamation point. But while The Good Fight was very much a continuation of The Good Wife, which starred Julianna Margulies and ran from 2009 until 2016, whats remarkable about Elsbeth is how, lead character aside, it isnt much like its predecessors at all. In fact, I never thought of it as a Good Wife spinoff, Michelle King says. The difference between this and The Good Fight and Good Wife is the world, Robert King says. The Good Fight was a takedown at this time of craziness with Trump. The Good Wife was really about the law and how the law can corrupt. This is not that. This is about seeing the elites taken down a bit through Elsbeth, who seems every bit the non-elite. She loves Cats. She loves The Lion King. She probably would read Glamour magazine from cover to cover, just to see the pictures. Shes that kind of person. In other words, if you understand who the character Elsbeth is, you understand the distinctly unique vibe of her show, which is a quirky take on a Columbo-style police procedural more than it is a descendant of The Good Wifes politics-heavy, legal-thriller universe. I like to think of this as a comedy, Preston tells Obsessed. I like to think that a really big, bright peacock has been dropped down in the middle of a police procedural. This show is very much in line with some shows from the pastColumbo or Murder She Wrote or any of these kinds of procedurals with an unconventional character at the center. Monk was like that. Knowing that Im following in the footsteps of those types of characters puts me at ease a little bit. In Elsbeth, Elsbeth Tascionia colorful name befitting the colorful characterleaves her successful career in Chicago for New York City to work as an attorney supervisor for the NYPD. Elsbeth is someone who, by all accounts, would be described as kooky, or perhaps off-kilter. Shes relentlessly positive and earnesta rarity in the law professiongoing so far as to bring cookies to an interview with a man she suspects of murder. Her outfits are loud and vibrant, a clash of colors, patterns, and fabrics that transform her into the equivalent of walking patchwork quiltespecially when the minimum three tote bags she carries with her at a time are factored into the image. Masters of the Air Is Making the Next Generation of Hollywood Stars As distinctive as her style is her way of thinking and analyzing events, seeing things that others might not and offering perspectives that some would never think about. These are skills, it turns out, that are helpful in solving crimes and cracking cases. Because of her fashion and her personality, Elsbeth is often underestimated or dismissed, which she often capitalizes on when facing formidable opponents or suspects. As Michelle King says, Her quirkiness is also her superpower. She is very decidedly herself in all situations, Preston says. She doesnt try to edit herself or change who she is. Sometimes she uses that to her advantage, and its fun to see her turn on a dime. You think shes off in the ozone and getting lost in how cool your glasses are, but, really, she's also solving the case and leaning on her intellect and her wit. Carrie Preston and Stephen Moyer Elizabeth Fisher/CBS The nature of who Elsbeth is and the inherent comedy that comes from her personality starkly contrasts against the nature of the cases she helps solve each week. Thursdays premiere, for example, begins Columbo-style, with the entire first act devoted to the crime. We see a professor at an arts school (played menacingly by Prestons former True Blood co-star Stephen Moyer) plotting and executing the murder and cover up of one of his students, who was going to expose him for being a sexual predator on campus. It could be jarring, then, when Elsbeth finally makes her humorous entrance, arriving at the Lincoln Center crime scene via one of those red double-decker sightseeing buses, still wearing the foam Statue of Liberty crown she purchased in all of her excitement to be in New York City. But theres something infectious about Elsbethand a careful balancing of tone on behalf of Preston, the Kings, and showrunner Jonathan Tolanthat makes the disturbing-meets-wacky nature of the series work. When Elsbeth comes in, theres a little bit of zing of pleasure of trying to figure out how shes going to size up someone who seemed to be so on the ball and so bad, Robert King says. Its like were shining up the Big Apple, Preston says. Were taking the black, white, and gray world of New York City and putting a big splash of color on top of it. It gives us a different perspective on this glorious city, but also on that really well trodden genre of the police procedural. When the Kings first contacted Preston about playing Elsbeth on The Good Wife 14 years ago, it was the first time in her career she was outright offered a part. She was on True Blood at the time, and had just done the film Duplicity with Julia Roberts and Clive Owen. Robert King saw her in the film and thought shed be perfect for the part. The only issue: Preston, who had been a blonde all her life, had just dyed her hair red for True Blood. Shogun Is TVs Most Epic Series Since Game of Thrones I had to call them and say, Yes, of course I would love to do this, but you should probably take a look at me now, because I dont look anything like that anymore, Preston recalls. The Kings, of course, embraced the red hair. Then the red hair just kind of became part of how Im perceived in the industry. So whatever works. Whatever keeps you working, you do. The name Elsbeth Tascioni was also a bit of fluke. When Preston first got the script, the character was named Elsbeth Mann. She memorized all of her lines that way. She only found out when she got to set that the name didnt clear legal, and so another last name was used as a replacement. But then that one didnt clear either, and Tascioni was introduced as an alternative. The source: It was the name of Robert and Michelle Kings daughters fifth grade teacher at the time. When we were doing The Good Wife, to involve our daughter more in the process, we had her name a lot of the characters, Robert King says. So almost every lawyer is from her third or fourth grade class. Carrie Preston and Wendell Pierce Elizabeth Fisher/CBS While characters from The Good Wife and The Good Fight get brief, occasional mentions in Elsbeth, the whole point of the series is to distance itself from that shows tone. As fans of The Good Fight, in particular, marveled, that series was so prescient when it came to storylines involving the Trump White House, the alt-right, and corrupt digital tycoons that viewers often wondered how the writers managed to predict the future. Were working on other shows that will scratch that itch, but Elsbeth, we thought, was like cotton candy for the soul, Robert King says. Especially, oh my God, with this last year, its been a respite. I think Robert and Michelle really wanted to create something that was like a little spoonful of sugar to coat some of the darker things that they had been exploring in these other shows, Preston says. To be the purveyor of that spoonful of sugar and, for the first time in her career, the lead of a project is something that Preston says she has a hefty amount of gratitude for. Its not that I wouldn't have appreciated getting a show like this when I was younger, but I think I appreciate it more now because it is quite miraculous for anybody, but especially someone whos not 20, she says. Its a gift. Its a little bit of a miracle. 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. Spectacular drone footage shows New York Citys iconic skyline swallowed by fog. The Empire State Building - which stands at 443m tall - barely pokes out of the thick cloud in a video shot on Tuesday 28 February. Other spires are also seen poking through the fog in the distance. The phenomenon, known as advection fog, formed as easterly winds blew over the cool waters of Long Island Sound. Winds then pushed the fog inland to blanket the city and parts of southern Connecticut. By Burcu Karakas ISTANBUL (Reuters) - President Tayyip Erdogan's government is seeking ways to curb the influence of Turkey's Constitutional Court, prompted by its rulings to free a jailed opposition parliamentarian, according to a senior official and two legislators in the governing alliance. Turkey's highest court ruled in October that Can Atalay's ongoing imprisonment violated his right to hold office after he was elected to parliament from his jail cell in May's general election. Atalay was sentenced in 2022 to 18-years in prison for trying to overthrow Erdogan's government by organising national protests in 2013. The 46-year-old lawyer denies the charges. He appealed to the Constitutional Court using an "individual application" - a mechanism created by a 2010 constitutional amendment that allows citizens to petition the top court directly over rights issues. The Constitutional Court's ruling to free him triggered a judicial crisis on Nov. 8 when Turkey's top appeals tribunal - the Court of Cassation - said it would not recognise the decision and filed a criminal complaint against the judges who made it. The appeals tribunal accused the Constitutional Court of overstepping its jurisdiction by acting as a 'super-appeal body'. Mehmet Ucum, Erdogan's chief adviser and deputy chair of the Presidential Legal Policies Council, in November defended the Court of Cassation's move on social media platform X and slammed the Constitutional Court for making "unconstitutional decisions". According to the senior government official and two legislators from the ruling party, Erdogan and his allies are uneasy about the influence wielded by the court, particularly through its widespread use of "individual applications". Erdogan's office and justice ministry did not respond to requests for comment. The senior Turkish official, who like the other two sources requested anonymity to speak freely, said that the court has established "a unique sphere of power" through these rulings. The court has processed more than 500,000 individual applications alleging violation of fundamental rights by authorities since September 2012 and delivered a ruling in more than 484,000 of the cases, official data shows. In November, Erdogan said that he would play the "referee" in the judicial crisis and that legislation could be used to solve the standoff between the Constitutional Court and the appeals Court of Cassation. "It's not difficult to make legal arrangements regarding individual applications," he said, without giving further details. The government is considering options, the senior official said: these include establishing a "Turkish Human Rights Court" that would deal with individual applications separately. The Constitutional Court and the system for individual applications will remain in some form, said the official. "But regulations are necessary," the person added. The Constitutional Court and the Court of Cassation declined to comment for this story. One of the two AK Party MPs, who requested anonymity, said that the Constitutional Court should have a clearly defined jurisdiction in order not to overlap with the Court of Cassation and exceed its jurisdiction. INTER-COURT STANDOFF Atalay's lawyers expected him to be released after the Constitutional Court ruled for a second time in December that he should be freed, they told Reuters. But on Dec. 27 an Istanbul penal court refused for a second time to free him and again transferred the case to the Court of Cassation, claiming that a reassessment by the appeals court was mandatory. In January, Turkey's parliament - dominated by Erdogan's supporters - stripped Atalay of his parliamentary status. Atalay, who remains in jail, declined to comment. The European Commission, in its annual report on Turkey's stalled EU membership bid, in November criticized "serious backsliding" on democratic standards, human rights and judicial independence. It criticised a lack of transparency and meritocracy in the appointment of judges and prosecutors. Erdogan's government, which has restacked the judiciary following a failed 2016 coup, says the system complies with international standards. Bertil Oder, a professor of constitutional law at Koc University in Istanbul, said the Constitutional Court's popularity with the public has increased since it started ruling on individual applications. "The more it interprets rights, the stronger its bond with citizens becomes," he said. While Germany's Federal Constitutional Court received nearly 5,000 applications in 2022, Turkey's Constitutional Court had nearly 110,000 that year, official data on their websites show. Several of its rulings have drawn Ankara's ire. In January of 2018, the Constitutional Court ordered the release of jailed journalist Sahin Alpay, accused of attempting to overthrow the government in the 2016 failed coup. He denied the accusations. Bekir Bozdag, then deputy prime minister, said at the time the ruling overstepped the limits set out in the constitution for reviewing individual applications. A Turkish criminal court refused to release Alpay until March 2018 - after the Constitutional Court ruled for a second time that his rights had been violated. PRO-GOVERNMENT RULINGS However, the court has ruled in favor of the government on several major issues. In 2016, it rejected an appeal by the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) for annulment of emergency laws enacted after the attempted coup. The move entrenched Erdogan's sweeping powers, says Kerem Altiparmak, a prominent Turkish human rights lawyer at the Ankara Bar Association. "The court's importance lies in projecting the image to the international community that there is a functioning judiciary in Turkey," he said. "It does not solve any of the critical cases; rather, it is at the centre of the problem." The court unanimously dismissed in 2017 a request to cancel Article 299 of the Turkish Penal Code, which regulates the offence of "insulting the President". And last year, it rejected a case to annul the government's 2022 media law that allowed for jailing journalists and social media users for up to three years for spreading "disinformation". The detailed ruling is not yet shared on the court's website. BID TO CLOSE PARTY In 2021, Bekir Sahin, a prosecutor at the Court of Cassation, filed a lawsuit with the Constitutional Court for the closure of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP). He accused it of links to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which is classified as a terrorist group by Turkey, the U.S. and E.U. The HDP denies any ties. Turkey has banned several political parties, including pro-Kurdish ones. Devlet Bahceli, leader of the Erdogan-allied Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), the fourth-biggest party in parliament, accused the court of bias after it rejected in March 2023 the Court of Cassation's request to block Treasury support paid to the HDP. The Constitutional Court ruled that the necessary conditions to impose a block on financing had not been met. Ayca Akpek Senay, a lawyer and deputy chair of the CHP's disciplinary board, which has the power to ban members from the party, says the MHP is using the case to justify Bahceli's calls for shutting down the court. "Despite its shortcomings, the court provides a different perspective," said Senay. "Erdogan's government is unable to manipulate it to their advantage and this is unsettling for them." Bahceli and the MHP did not respond to requests for comment. (Reporting by Burcu Karakas; editing by Jonathan Spicer and Daniel Flynn) Erik Metzig in court for a preliminary hearing, charged with two counts of first-degree intentional homicide on Tuesday, May 30, 2023 at the Winnebago County Circuit Court in Oshkosh, Wis. Wm. Glasheen USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin OSHKOSH A trial date for Erik Metzig, the only suspect in the double murder of his parents, Dave and Jan Metzig, who were killed almost a year ago, is now on the calendar. Erik Metzig faces two charges of first-degree intentional homicide. Thursday morning at the Winnebago County Courthouse, Judge Michael Gibbs set Erik Metzig's pretrial conference for Aug. 26, motion hearings on Sept. 12 and the jury trial for Oct. 14. Gibbs said he expected the trial to last about eight days. The trial date comes after Erik Metzig entered a not guilty plea by reason of mental disease or defect last September. Since then, psychologists Dr. Frank Cummings and Dr. Brooke Lundbohm have examined Metzig and submitted reports to the court, according to court records. The murder victims, Dave and Jan Metzig, were known for owning and operating Union Star Cheese Factory in the unincorporated community of Zittau in the town of Wolf River. Their son Jon Metzig now owns and operates the cheese factory. More: The murder of Union Star Cheese Factory's owners rocked these Winnebago County communities. Jon Metzig is keeping the family business going A timeline of the case and court dates March 18, 2023: First responders are dispatched to Dave and Jan Metzig's home at 5:16 a.m. in Zittau, where the couple is found to have had a suspicious death. Their youngest son, Erik Metzig, is arrested the same day at 7:45 a.m. at the Heart of the Valley YMCA in Kimberly. March 21, 2023: Erik Metzig is charged with two counts of first-degree intentional homicide and is held at the Winnebago County Jail on $1 million cash bond. April 17, 2023: The state of Wisconsin finds probable cause for the charges against Erik Metzig. Metzig pleads not guilty and is bound over for trial. Sept. 7, 2023: Erik Metzig's attorney, Scott Ceman, enters a not guilty plea by reason of mental disease or defect and requests an examination of Metzig. Feb. 29, 2024: Erik Metzig's jury trial date is set for Oct. 14. Rebecca Loroff is an education reporter for the USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin. Contact her with story tips and feedback at 920-907-7801 or rloroff@gannett.com. Follow her on X (formerly Twitter) at @RebeccaLoroff. This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Erik Metzig update: Jury trial date set for mid-October PENSACOLA, Fla. (WKRG) Escambia County emergency officials are issuing warnings about the risks of digging deep holes in the sand. Fairhope West Elementary School will shut down amid virus outbreak, sources say The warning comes after a young girl died when a hole she was digging collapsed on her on a beach in South Florida, according to previous reporting. According to reports, the 7-year-old girl died after digging a hole that was about 5 or 6 feet deep. Rescuers arrived and used support boards to prevent the sand from collapsing, but it was too late since they did not know how long she had been buried. Scott Averill with Escambia County Fire Rescue noted that due to response times for first responders, digging a deep hole could be a death sentence. Response times from the fire department first responders to an event could be 10, 15 minutes depending on the location, Averill said. That could mean the difference between life and death for a victim thats submerged under sand. Baldwin horse rescue that helps at-risk kids urgently searching for new home Averill added, Its the large holes that we want to prevent children from digging that could possibly collapse on them. In addition to the risks of holes collapsing, Water Safety Chief Dave Greenwood said deep holes can pose a danger to emergency responders and wildlife. One of our emergency vehicles could strike the hole, injuring the operator, Greenwood said. Sea turtles come ashore at night to lay their eggs. They can get stuck in a deep hole and perish. To prevent the dangers, Greenwood said, One of the things that we emphasize is dig it very shallow and fill it in when youre done. Bear, the dog with a box on its head, has finally been caught For more information on beach safety and rules, visit the Pensacola Beach Lifeguards website. We want to keep you safe but we want you to have a really good time when you visit here at the beach, Escambia County Emergency Manager Travis Tompkins said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRG News 5. Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said that Western leaders should not rule out the idea of sending ground troops to Ukraine. Source: She said this in the Politico podcast "Power Play", European Pravda reports. Details: Kallas said that leaders should discuss all options behind closed doors, including what else can be done to help Ukraine. Quote: "I think it is also the signal that we are sending to Russia, that nothing is off the table," Kallas said. "Because all countries understand that we have to do everything to ensure that Ukraine wins and Russia loses this war," she added. Background: On 27 February, French President Emmanuel Macron stated that Western leaders have discussed the possibility of deploying their countries ground forces to Ukraine during a conference in Paris, but have not reached a consensus on this issue. French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne explained that Western troops would not take part in hostilities if they were to depart for Ukraine, as Emmanuel Macron previously suggested. Macron's words provoked a negative response from the governments of allied countries, whose leaders were quick to assure that they would not send their troops. While most NATO countries have ruled out sending troops to Ukraine including major players such as Germany, the UK and the US Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said on Wednesday that he was grateful for the debate Macron initiated. Moscow reacted angrily to Macron's remarks, warning that the deployment of Western troops in Ukraine would inevitably lead to a conflict between Russia and NATO. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy commented on French President Emmanuel Macron's suggestion of sending ground forces from Western countries to Ukraine, saying that any initiative by world leaders aimed at strengthening Ukraine in repelling Russian aggression would benefit the entire world. Support UP or become our patron! Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, stands in the plenary chamber of the European Parliament and speaks. A central point of the debate was the EU's defense policy. Philipp von Ditfurth/dpa The European Commission on Thursday formally approved the release of 137 billion ($149 billion) of European Union funds withheld from Poland due to rule of law concerns. The money comes from two sources: 76.5 billion from a development budget controlled by the commission and almost 60 billion from a post-Covid recovery fund. The latter still needs to be approved by EU member states. The commission cut off funding to Poland in 2022, on the grounds that court reforms brought in by the then-incumbent government compromised judicial independence. Poland's new government, led by former European Council president Donald Tusk, is undoing those changes in a bid to comply with EU standards and restore the country's access to the EU budget. The grand total of 137 billion includes both overdue payments that were blocked and payments due in the next few years, which would also have been blocked had the commission not decided to restore Poland's funding. Commission president Ursula von der Leyen had announced that the decision was coming at a press briefing in Warsaw on Friday. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, chairs the weekly meeting of the von der Leyen Commission. Dati Bendo/European Commission/dpa The European Commission on Thursday formally approved the release of 137 billion ($149 billion) of European Union funds withheld from Poland due to rule of law concerns. "Today we turn a page on the Rule Of Law issues [with Poland] as we recognize the important strides made by the government," said EU "values and transparency" Commissioner Vera Jourova on X, formerly Twitter. The money comes from two sources: 76.5 billion from a development budget controlled by the commission and almost 60 billion from a post-Covid-19 recovery fund. The latter still needs to be approved by EU member states. The commission cut off funding to Poland in 2022, on the grounds that court reforms brought in by the then-incumbent government compromised judicial independence. Poland's new government, led by former European Council president Donald Tusk, is undoing those changes in a bid to comply with EU standards and restore the country's access to the EU budget. On February 20, Poland's new justice minister, Adam Bodnar, laid out the new government's judicial reform plan to member states' European affairs ministers in Brussels, accompanied by Polish Europe minister Adam Szapka. Parts of that plan depend on new legislation, which could yet be vetoed by Polish president Andrzej Duda of the nationalist Law and Justice party, which controlled the previous government. But senior EU officials said Thursday's decision to unlock Polish funding was based on the commission's assessment that Poland had achieved important "super milestones." The decision does not mean judicial independence has been fully restored, they said. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had announced that the decision was coming at a press briefing in Warsaw on Friday. The total of 137 billion includes both overdue payments that were blocked and payments due in the next few years, which would also have been blocked had the commission not decided to restore Poland's funding. Of the 60 billion earmarked for Poland in the recovery budget, 25.3 billion will be released as loans and 34.5 billion as grants. All payments from this budget have to be approved by a sufficient majority of member states represented in the Council of the EU, following a recommendation by the commission. This applies not just to Poland, but to any EU country seeking support from the recovery fund. On Thursday the commission recommended that the council should approve Poland's latest payment request. "Once confirmed by Member States, todays EU Commission assessment paves the way for the disbursement of the first tranche of 6.3 billion out of the total allocation of 59.8 billion in RRF [Recovery and Resillience Fund] funds to Poland," Jourova said on X. The other 76.5 billion will be paid out according to an investment plan agreed between the commission and the Polish government. The plan falls under the EU's "cohesion" policy, which funds development in the EU's less-wealthy member states. Payments from this budget are controlled by the commission and do not require council approval. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, stands in the plenary chamber of the European Parliament and speaks. A central point of the debate was the EU's defense policy. Philipp von Ditfurth/dpa Dutch EU lawmaker Kim Van Sparrentak said the regulation made it clear 'big tech doesn't make the rules' (JOEL SAGET) The European Parliament approved new data-sharing rules Thursday that clamp down on illegal short-term rentals to protect the residents of European cities -- many of whom face shortages of affordable housing. The spread of short-term tourist lets via online platforms such as Airbnb has put pressure on the housing market in many places, as it cuts the availability of long-term rentals. The new rules aim to help towns and cities enforce a patchwork of existing rules designed to curb short-term rentals, which make up about a quarter of all tourist accommodation in the European Union. Tourist hubs such as Paris and Amsterdam have annual caps on the number of nights a given property can be listed on Airbnb or similar platforms. Barcelona has gone further and banned short-term lets. The new EU rules say big online platforms offering short-term lets must share data monthly with local authorities, while smaller ones would have to do so every three months. Airbnb welcomed the rules, calling them "a watershed moment for Airbnb and our industry. "For the first time the rules of the road are clear, benefiting hosts, authorities and Europe's tourism offer to visitors," said Georgina Browes, Airbnb's head of EU policy. Dutch Green lawmaker Kim Van Sparrentak, who pushed the text through parliament, said Wednesday the regulation would "make clear that big tech doesn't make the rules, and we are obliging these platforms to share data with authorities on a regular basis". Better data sharing will enable "the removal of illegal listings, and will contribute to fighting the housing crisis by tackling speculation and safeguarding access to affordable housing," she said during a parliamentary debate. To illustrate the issue, she gave the example of Amsterdam, where she said 78 percent of listings on Airbnb were entire homes or apartments. "That means that almost 7,000 homes or apartments are rented out for tourism rather than for residents," she noted. EU negotiators from the bloc's 27 member states and the parliament reached a provisional agreement on the rules in November. But it will only become law after formal adoption by EU countries and lawmakers, usually a rubber-stamping exercise after the deal. Local bodies and platforms will then have 24 months before they have to comply. raz/ec/jj The EU has commented on the statements of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who addressed Russia's Federal Assembly [the parliament] on 29 February. Source: Peter Stano, European Commission's Foreign Policy Spokesperson, during the daily briefing in Brussels Details: "This speech should be viewed in the context of the upcoming presidential election in Russia. This is part of Putin's re-election efforts," Stano said. On the other hand, he added, it is one of many examples of Putin trying to shift the blame for the war he started against Ukraine and the instability he is trying to generate around Ukraine in the region. "It's another opportunity for him to spread a well-known lie. He keeps deceiving his own nation and misleading the public abroad because some still listen to him," the spokesman said. The official stressed that it was Putin who started the war against Ukraine, and he is responsible for all the consequences, including domestic effects in Russia, regional ones in Ukraine, and even global implications. Stano also emphasised that all of Putin's nuclear threats are completely unacceptable and inappropriate. "Putin is deceiving the nation, living under an iron fist and Stalin-style repression, the army is in a catastrophic state, the economy is collapsing, trust in the country is completely destroyed, and his efforts to destroy Ukraine have failed," he said. Background: On 29 February, Putin addressed the Federal Assembly, where he spoke, among other things, about the "full readiness" of Russian nuclear forces and threatened NATO countries with consequences if they send their troops to Ukraine. At the same time, he called the fears that Russia would attack European countries "nonsense". Support UP or become our patron! The European Union considers Russia's so-called presidential elections in Ukraine's temporarily occupied territories to be a violation of international law and will not recognise their results. Source: Peter Stano, spokesman for the European Commission, as reported by European Pravda Details: Stano drew attention to the fact that Russia has begun early voting in the "presidential elections" in Ukraine's temporarily occupied territories a clear violation of international law. Quote: "The EU will never recognise them. Crimea, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk & Luhansk are all Ukraine! All those involved will be held to account," the European Commission representative added on Twitter (X). Russia/Ukraine: started early voting for Presidential elex in parts of it temporarily occupies clear violation of international law. will never recognise them. Crimea,Kherson, Zaporizhzhia,Donetsk & Luhansk are all Ukraine! All those involved will be held to account. Peter Stano (@ExtSpoxEU) February 29, 2024 In Russia, the so-called presidential elections are scheduled for 17 March, but for the first time this year, the voting will take place over three days (15-17 March), and in Russian-occupied territories, it has started ahead of schedule. Russian "elections" are not real elections in the democratic sense because there is no real competition, and it is expected that with all his administrative resources and a repressive machine, incumbent president Vladimir Putin will ensure the necessary outcome is achieved. Following their 24 February summit, the G7 leaders promised never to recognise the results of Russia's so-called elections in the occupied Ukrainian territories. Support UP or become our patron! Europe is investing in defense in ways that were 'unimaginable' before Russia invaded Ukraine, Lithuanian PM says Lithuania's PM said Europe is boosting defenses in ways that were unthinkable before the Ukraine war. But she told BI that Europe must do more to protect Ukraine and grow its defenses against Russia. Ingrida Simonyte said European countries should be spending and manufacturing far more. Many European countries are boosting their defenses in ways that were not on the cards before Russia invaded Ukraine, Lithuania's prime minister told Business Insider. In fact, Ingrida Simonyte told BI that European countries "are doing things that were unimaginable" before the conflict. But, she said, Europe should have increased its defense spending "long ago." Russia's invasion of Ukraine has sparked a surge in defense spending and agreements across Europe, as countries moved to support Ukraine while boosting their own arsenals, worried Russia could attack elsewhere in Europe. That has been particularly true with Lithuania and its Baltic neighbors Latvia and Estonia, which all border Russian territory and are EU and NATO member states. Simonyte gave the example of her own country getting a permanent brigade of troops from NATO ally Germany. "It was unimaginable we would agree on placing a full brigade on permanent basis in eastern flank," she said. The Baltic countries are often referred to as NATO's eastern flank. Simonyte also said that European countries are all "rushing up and beefing up our capacities and spending." In 2021, the year Russia invaded Ukraine, total defense spending by the 26 European Defence Agency member states rose by 6% year on year. And it has kept growing since. Two European countries have also sought to join NATO, with one, Finland, now a member. But Simonyte said Europe should have increased defense spending "long ago," and she noted that many European countries still do not meet the NATO target of 2% of GDP being spent on defense. Lithuania's own defense spending has soared, with the country budgeted to spend 2.75% of its GDP this year. Lithuania has been one of Ukraine's most vocal backers, and Simonyte said its allies need to give it even more support. She said Ukraine can win, but victory depends on outside support. House Republicans are stalling further US support, and many European countries say there is little weaponry left to give, with the continent's manufacturing unable to keep up with demand. "Ukraine needs real artillery, real vehicles, real guns, and armor," Simonyte said, adding: "Unfortunately you cannot shoot money, you cannot fire the euros or dollars." Simonyte said European countries spending more on defense would also send a very clear signal to industrial players, that they "can actually count on contracts from their governments to expand their production facilities and to replenish the stocks that are very much worn." She said that if Russia "is not stopped in Ukraine, then whatever happens next is Europe's problem at large." Europe can't just think that if something happens "it's the US that would sort that out," she added. Read the original article on Business Insider President Emmanuel Macron of France has sparked controversy by suggesting that while there was no consensus toward sending Western troops to Ukraine, nothing should be excluded. The president continued that we will do everything so that Russia cannot win this war. We should not exclude that there might be a need for security that then justifies some elements of deployment. While the Russians are teasing that Macron is setting himself up as a new Napoleon, I suspect he has other agendas. First, hes attempting to reinforce Russias understanding that it cannot act with total impunity in Ukraine. Macron wants to remind Vladimir Putin and the Russian general staff that any use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine or use of Ukraine as a launchpad for attacks on NATO would mean a French military riposte. These comments also represent Macrons pursuit of a functional foundation for Franco-American relations if Donald Trump returns to the Oval Office in January 2025: Trump is no small concern for the French president. Macron wooed Trump with blue lobster and a Bastille Day parade shortly after the latter entered office in 2017, affirming his sense that Macron was one of the few foreign leaders who would treat him with respect. But the honeymoon period couldnt last. Tensions grew as Trump and senior US officials came to regard Macron as arrogant and manipulative. The antipathy was mutual, with the French viewing Trump as arrogant and unreliable. Yet Macrons real problem looking toward 2025 is his criticism of the former president since Trump left office. President Biden has frequently retold the story of how a foreign leader at the 2021 G7 summit had responded to his comment, America is Back! by responding How long are you back for?. He recently confirmed that this figure was in fact Macron a confession that will not have gone unnoticed by team Trump. That brings us back to Macrons Ukraine comments, because the troop line was far from the only point that Macron made. Supporting a plan to use EU funds to buy artillery shells from outside of Europe, Macron added a thinly veiled rebuke to Biden. He noted that the people who said never ever today were the same ones who said never ever planes, never ever long-range missiles. This is a clear reference to the Biden Administrations hesitant approach to providing new weapons systems to Ukraine. It may also set the stage for Macron to praise Trump for sending anti-tank weapons to Ukraine after the Obama Administration had failed to do so. Macrons most explicit olive branch was his framing of the war in Ukraine as a distinctly European challenge. This is a European war, its our soil and our continent, Macron said, were determined to do whatever it takes for as long as it takes. This is a clear play to the Trump foreign policy narrative, most recently offered by Republican Senator JD Vance, that Europe must do much more for its own security interests. The extension here is Macrons recognition that the US foreign policy focus of any second Trump administration will be on China. Countering China is one of the few unifying elements in todays Republican Party, and the former president himself blames the Covid-19 pandemic for assisting in his 2020 defeat and has pledged to introduce new tariffs on Chinese goods were he re-elected. But Macron does not share the Trump world view of China as the preeminent security concern. On the contrary, Macrons much-vaunted strategic autonomy vision for European foreign policy is designed both to justify a trade-priority in EU-China relations and, at least in part, to play to Chinas interest in transatlantic division. As the leader of Americas oldest ally and the second most powerful nation in the EU, Macron knows this narrative earns him economic and political favor from Beijing. Indeed, Chinese readouts of meetings less than ten days ago between foreign policy chief Wang Yi and French officials including Macron underlined this point. In one readout, Beijing said it supports Europe in strengthening its strategic autonomy and holding its future in its own hands. In another, Beijing noted that it appreciates Frances adherence to independence and autonomy. Macron is no idiot. He recognises that France and the US will have serious disagreements on China policy in the event that Trump takes office. He realises that these disagreements risk fundamentally jeopardising the relationship even to the extent of disrupting trade relations. By pushing Europe to do more on Ukraine so that America perhaps need not do so, Macron extends at least one significant olive branch to Trumps foreign policy sympathies. 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. The European Parliament adopted a resolution on Feb. 29 calling on EU member states to support Ukraine with "whatever is needed for Kyiv to win its war against Russia," including long-range weapons. The move comes as an ammunition deficit caused by delays in defense aid from the U.S. and EU has shown its impact on the battlefield, with Ukraine losing more territory. Ukraine's calls on Berlin to provide much-needed long-range Taurus missiles were recently rejected again, reportedly due to fears the move will draw Germany into the war. The resolution was approved by 451 votes in favor and 46 against, with 49 abstentions, according to the parliament's press service. Members of the European Parliament (MEP) said that the main goal is for Ukraine to win the war, adding that "serious consequences" await if that does not happen as other authoritarian regimes would "assess their own leeway for exerting aggressive foreign policies." To ensure Kyivs victory, the EU should have "no self-imposed restriction on military assistance to Ukraine," MEPs said, urging European countries to provide Ukraine with air-defense systems, long-range missiles such as Taurus and Storm Shadow/SCALP, various types of artillery and ammunition (155 mm in particular) and drones and weapons. Read also: Our reserves will run out: Ukrainian artillery sounds alarm on Western shell shortage "All EU and NATO allies should support Ukraine militarily with no less than 0.25% of their GDP annually, say MEPs, who also urge EU countries to immediately enter into dialogue with defense companies in order to ensure increased production and deliveries of ammunition and missiles to Ukraine, which should be prioritized over orders from other third countries," reads the press release. The European Parliament also called on the U.S. Congress to immediately approve $60 billion in aid for Ukraine, which remains stalled for months. The resolution underlined the urgency to develop a legal framework to confiscate state-owned Russian assets frozen in the EU and transfer them to Ukraine. "Russia must be obliged to pay reparations imposed on it to ensure that it contributes substantially to rebuilding Ukraine." The European Parliament also called on member states to extend their sanctions against Russia and Belarus, including "banning Russian uranium and metallurgical imports to the EU, terminating nuclear cooperation with Russia, and imposing a full embargo on EU imports of Russian agricultural and fishery products as well as fossil fuels and liquefied natural gas transported by sea through pipelines." Read also: Opinion: Will Europe ever get serious about defense? Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. The European Parliament has passed a resolution holding Putin's regime responsible for the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in prison and urging the EU to support Russias democratic opposition and help Ukraine win the war, as this will supposedly give democratic change in Russia a chance. Source: European Pravda, citing a summary of the resolution provided by the press service of the European Parliament Details: There were 503 votes in favour of the resolution, 9 against and 32 abstentions. The resolution called the death in custody of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny a murder and stated that MEPs place full responsibility for it on the Russian regime and President Vladimir Putin personally. MEPs have demanded an independent international investigation into the circumstances of the politician's death. The resolution stated that the political system of the Russian Federation is controlled by "a consolidated authoritarian regime with rampant corruption that uses rigged elections as a semblance of democracy and concentrates all power in the hands of Vladimir Putin". The resolution draws a distinction between the "warmongering, autocratic and kleptocratic regime" of the Kremlin and the Russian population as a whole and expresses solidarity with Russians who dare to speak out against the Kremlin's policies. MEPs urged the EU and its member states to support Russia's "independent Russian civil society and the democratic opposition" and to use all possible tools to free Russian political prisoners, including via swaps, if necessary. At the same time, the resolution called on the EU and its allies to continue their comprehensive support for Ukraine, which is resisting Russian aggression, as a clear victory for Ukraine could lead to significant changes within Russia, including "deimperialisation, decolonialisation and refederalisation, all of which are necessary conditions for establishing democracy in Russia". "Parliament calls on the Commission and in particular the European External Action Service to develop a proactive, long-term strategic policy towards Russia that effectively responds to the reality of EU-Russia relations today, the human rights situation in Russia and the needs for support of the Russian civil society and opposition representatives in exile," the press release noted. Background: The European Parliament also adopted a separate resolution calling for Ukraine to be provided with all the necessary weapons and supported until it wins the war. Support UP or become our patron! Image by LOOKOUT Tres Adames believed he had to change himself. This story was published in partnership with LOOKOUT, an independent, nonpartisan news outlet covering Arizonas LGBTQ+ communities. You can sign up for their free newsletter here. It was 2010, and he had recently graduated with his Master of Divinity degree hoping to find a job as a pastor. Since childhood, he had been told that being gay wasnt compatible with being a leader in the church, so he went to see a therapist who told him he could change his sexual orientation. That therapist, John Hinson, is a licensed professional counselor in Arizona. Adames sessions with him deepened his shame over his sexuality and intensified his depression and anxiety. This was not the first time Adames had sought out conversion therapy, and his experience with counselors, church leaders, and peers attempting to change his sexuality weighed on him: The only time Ive ever really been suicidal is when I was in these programs, Adames said. Tres Adames went to John Hinson for conversion therapy in 2010 through 2012. Photo courtesy of Tres Adames Hinson said in an email to LOOKOUT that he does not practice any kind of conversion therapy, but records show that he has been practicing it for years in the state, just under a different name. He is just one of several conversion therapists in Arizona, even though the practice has been labeled as harmful by the American Psychological Association and most other major mental health organizations. Last year, Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs banned through an executive order any state agency from using resources to promote, support, or enable the practice for people under 18 years old. But this is only a ban on state resources and hasnt gone as far with other states forbidding the practice, entirely. According to the Trevor Project, an LGBTQ+ research and advocacy organization, there are at least 20 conversion therapists operating in Arizona. Many of the therapists LOOKOUT identified reject the term conversion therapy, instead calling what they do sexual attraction fluidity exploration or reintegrative therapy. They say they are simply following the lead of their clients. But when people like Adames seek out conversion therapists, the end-result has been real-world harm to clients: According to the APA, efforts made by mental health professionals to help change peoples sexual orientation increases the risk of depression and suicidal thoughts, especially in young people. In a Trevor Project survey conducted in 2023 among queer people age 13 to 24, more than a quarter of those who had attempted suicide in the past year had been subjected to conversion therapy. The American Counseling Associationthe largest professional association of counselors in the countrysays therapists practicing any form of conversion therapy violate a core ethical principle of modern medicine, the maxim to do no harm. And even though Arizonas licensing board for counselors, the Board of Behavioral Health Examiners, uses the ACAs ethics code as a baseline for determining ethical conduct, LOOKOUT has found that a number of licensed counselors in the state still offer conversion therapy, just using different terminology. Conversion therapy with a new name Contemporary conversion therapy has its roots in the work of Dr. Joseph Nicolosi Sr., known as the father of conversion therapy. Nicolosi believed thatwith his helpgay people could renounce their same-sex attractions and live as heterosexual. He coined his therapeutic approach reparative therapy, and he believed that being gay was a trauma response that he could cure. His clinic opened in Los Angeles 1980. In 1992, Nicolosi co-founded the leading organization advocating for conversion therapy, the National Association for Research & Therapy of Homosexuality, or NARTH. Nicolosi also worked closely with leaders of the conservative Christian ex-gay ministry movement, which pushed supposed success stories of his therapies who had managed to renounce their attractions in the name of Jesus. The largest ex-gay umbrella ministry, Exodus International, had support groups for people like Adames who described themselves as struggling with their same-sex attraction. The group disbanded after 37 years in 2013, and issued a public apology to the people they gave services to. Before seeing Hinson in 2010, Adames attended an Exodus International support group in college in Mississippi. The participants in Adames support group were mostly gay men. Taking a page from Nicolosis work, the leaders of the group would say that homosexual feelings were the result of unresolved trauma, specifically sexual abuse, Adames said. Exodus wasnt just one ministrythere have been hundreds, with member organizations in every state, including Arizona. A screenshot from Exodus Internationals webpage in 2012, leading people to seven locations across Arizona that practiced conversion therapy. (WayBack Machine, ExodusInternational.org) Exodus also kept a list of licensed conversion therapists to refer their members to, according to their website in 2012. Hinson, Adames counselor, was one of those recommendations. Adames said Hinson told him that getting more in touch with his own masculinity could help ease his attractions to other men. When youre constantly told that you arent masculine simply because youre gay, it can cause you to doubt yourself a lot, Adames said. Eventually, in 2012, with little progress made, Hinson recommended Adames go to a local conversion therapy camp called Journey into Manhood. Adames said Hinson had been a staffer for the camp and it was billed as a weekend for men who feel that their homosexual desires do not reflect their true selves, according to a letter he provided to LOOKOUT. It was run by the group Brothers on a Road Less Traveled (at the time called People Can Change). The organization was co-founded by David Matheson, an ex-gay protege of Nicolosi. Adames was told to attend a camp called Journey Into Manhood. Above, a letter sent to Adames outlining the goals of the camp, and also confirming the total cost of the camp at more than $600. Journey Into Manhood continues to this day with upcoming events in Virginia, Indiana, Texas, as well as overseas in Israel, Mexico, and Egypt. In 2010, when Adames was seeing Hinson, the Family Strategies Counseling Center in Mesa website described him as being part of a staff of licensed therapists who specialize in sexual addiction recovery, reparative therapy, and other mental health issues. When asked by LOOKOUT if he ever practiced conversion therapy or reparative therapy, Hinson said he does not use those terms. I respected the rights of clients and their decisions, he said. This includes whatever choices they made concerning their behaviors and identity. Hinson said he was phasing out of seeing clients entirely. He is currently listed as an Executive Team Member at the center. After being contacted by LOOKOUT, Hinsons staff page was edited to remove any mention of treating same-sex attraction as one of his specialties. Shame is the problem Hinson is not the only Arizona therapist with ties to Exodus International and the ex-gay movement. Melissa Ingraham, another licensed professional counselor in Arizona, was also listed on the Exodus website. In 2013, Ingraham and her husband, Garry, formed the Arizona-based Love And Truth Network, which purports to help others on their journey to freedom from sexual and relational brokenness (including homosexuality). The ministry is listed on the directory of the Restored Hope Network, a successor group to Exodus International. The Love and Truth Network is a faith-based ministry started by Arizona locals Melissa Ingraham and her husband Garry. On their website (above), they purpose to help with unwanted same-sex attraction. (Love and Truth Network website) Just because I felt something didnt make it right, Melissa Ingraham said in a Facebook video, referring to her attraction to other women. Because that had been my entire justification for this lesbian relationship and believing that this was who I was supposed to be. Melissa Ingraham is listed separately on the Restored Hope Network as a therapist affiliate in Arizona. She is also listed on the conservative Focus on the Familys Christian Counselor Network as specializing in sexual and gender identity issues. Conversion therapy or reparative therapy isnt explicitly mentioned by Ingraham on her practices website, Overflow Christian Counseling. Melissa Ingraham did not respond to a request for comment for this story. According to the Trevor Project, licensed conversion therapists have been less likely to openly advertise their services to the public in order to escape growing public disapproval of the practice. In addition, the success stories conversion therapists had relied on are disappearing. In 2013, Exodus International disbanded. Alan Chambers, the leader of the ministry, renounced the organization, making a public apology to the LGBTQ+ community. He is one of several prominent ex-gay spokespeople to come out as still being attracted to the same-sex. The co-founder of Brothers on a Road Less Traveled, Matheson, left the organization in 2019 and also came out as gay. NARTH rebranded itself as the Alliance for Therapeutic Choice and Scientific Integrity (ATCSI) in 2014. The organization began to distance itself from the term reparative therapy entirely, but still publishes on its website that it can help clients move away from unwanted same-sex attraction. Now, conversion therapists and their advocates have mostly abandoned the term reparative therapy in favor of the monikers Reintegrative Therapy and SAFE-T (Sexual Attraction Fluidity Exploration in Therapy). Carolyn Pela, former president of ATCSI, is a licensed marriage and family therapist in Arizona, practicing at Freedom Family Counseling in Glendale. She has a long history in the movement, having worked alongside Nicolosi, and she is the current vice chair of the International Foundation for Therapeutic and Counseling Choice (IFTCC), another pro-conversion therapy group. Carolyn Pela (right) alongside Joseph Nicolosi Sr., considered the father of conversion-therapy. Pela is a proponent of reintegrative therapy or SAFE-T, two models of conversion therapy that are not deemed credible by the American Psychological Association. (Screenshot via YouTube) She co-authored a study in an attempt to position Reintegrative Therapy and SAFE-T as separate from conversion therapy, while still being a practice that aimed to reduce clients same-sex attractions. In an appearance on a conservative online show, she stated that she does not believe in sexual orientation, saying that doing so gives ground to queer people as even having sexual identities. Essentially, whats being said is that you should privilege your sexual feelings over your core values of faith, Pela said. When asked by LOOKOUT whether a client suppressing their same-sex attraction was an acceptable outcome for her practice, Pela said she puts her clients goals first. Sexual fluidity is the norm, she said. Therapist demands, or even encouragement, for rigid compliance to categories of sexuality or sexual identities in order to support the cultural narrative, or someone elses political agenda is, in my view, unethical practice. Pela sent LOOKOUT the citations for two papers authored by psychologist Lisa Diamond, and recommended them as sources to learn more about sexual fluidity. Hinson also cited Diamond in his response to LOOKOUT, saying that fluidity is common with regard to attraction. Diamond, though, said her work was being used for disinformation. I am so tired of this, Diamond said when reached for comment by LOOKOUT. Fluidity has nothing even to do with itIts about the reasons that you even want to change. Diamond said she is disheartened that conversion therapists have twisted her words to support the practice for close to a decade. Diamonds research, instead, explains that sexual attraction is complex and can change over time on its own. And that is fundamentally different from an attempt to sculpt or change or shape your sexuality in a particular direction, she said. It is fluidity plus shame that is harmful, she continued. Shame is the problem, and shame doesnt come from individuals it comes from our culture, and it comes from religion, and it comes from a therapist saying, Why dont you try a little bit harder? Theres nothing wrong with you Adames felt ashamed enough to entertain going to Journey Into Manhood. He was about to go, having paid the security deposit, when his roommate told him he didnt need to. Theres nothing wrong with you, Adames remembers his roommate saying. So he pulled out of the camp and eventually stopped going to his conversion therapy sessions. [He was] one voice of reason out of, like, all the other church people I was around, Adames recalled. And hes still my best friend. Over the years, Adames has reconciled his faith with his sexuality. And he has moved from being counseled to now counseling others: He works as a pastoral counselor at a church that accepts him for who he is: There have been Christians that have not had an issue with it for decades, he said. Adames specializes in working with clients who have experienced conversion therapy or who have grown up in disaffirming households. If theyre not able to have that support in their current life, what does that look like? he asked. For some, that might mean leaving the church entirely, but Adames doesnt judge. Some people do have to leave the faith in order to get better. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post An executive order aimed to curb conversion therapy, but some counselors still practice it appeared first on Arizona Mirror. Like a journey in a time machine, a trip to Duette Preserve in Manatee County will take you back to Florida as it once was. Driving northeast from Bradenton, the dense urban sprawl of the coast gives way to the rapidly expanding boundary of civilization in the once-sleepy village of Parrish. Like hungry monsters with a taste for Old Florida, new housing developments rise every mile here. They gobble up swaths of trees and fields and spit out concrete communities with names ironically reminiscent of what theyve just digested. Coming soon: one built around an artificial lagoon. Next are the farmlands. The two-lane country road rolls past vast acreages where potatoes, tomatoes and even some citrus trees are still grown, much like they have been since the early days of Manatee County. Though the number of agricultural lands dwindles by the year as development pushes east and longtime farming families tap out of the business, glimpses of old rural Florida can still be found in this part of town. An hour later, and youve finally reached it: Duette Preserve. With any luck, you feel very far away from the noise and bustle of society. But heres a little secret: You now stand at a gateway to an ancient society that existed long, long before our own. On these 22,000 acres, theres a unique, weird and wonderful community of plants, animals and ecosystems that evolved with this land for thousands of years before human influence. They exist only in Florida and theyre losing ground fast. Thanks to the foresight of conservationists, thats not the case here at Duette, where endangered habitats and animals, like the Florida scrub jay and its synonymous Florida scrub, are actually rebounding. Lets venture in and see what lives in these wild lands, and why it might be worth saving more of them. Pine flatwoods are among habitats at Duette Preserve that shelter threatened and endangered species. Exploring Duette Preserve On a Saturday in February, a group of strangers loads into a covered wagon for a guided tour of Duette Preserve. Sponsored by the Manatee Fish & Game Association and Manatee County Government, the wagon tours are held four times a year. Theyre led by a naturalist and a park ranger. Heading down the gravel road and into the expanse of nature, a world not often glimpsed by many Floridians opens up all around. Closely nestled colonies of saw palmetto bushes contrast with lush grasses of soft green, light cream and sun-baked bronze that form a billowing quilt of prairie ground cover, dotted here and there by lonely pines. The sound of the breeze is more audible here, far from city traffic. Its amplified in the tree boughs and joined by gentle insect songs. This all could have easily been a phosphate mine, says naturalist Elliot Prout, who leads the excursion. I want people to experience this because maybe they have heard of Duette Preserve, but they havent actually seen it in person, Prout said. With all the development, there are very few places that exist like this in Manatee County. Key to drinking water supply, wildlife The county purchased the first 10,000 acres of the preserve in 1986, and more tracts of land were added piecemeal over the next dozen years. The funds came from residents who voted to tax themselves for conservation much like the recent 2020 land referendum. The preserve now protects water quality above and below ground. It provides a natural, pollution-preventing buffer around the headwaters and feeder creeks of the Manatee River. Downstream, those waters tie into Lake Manatee, the countys main drinking water source. It also protects a prime part of the Florida aquifer. Pumps on the preserve provide millions of gallons of drinking water per day. You come to understand why its important for our water supply, the health of the wildlife population and our future, Prout said. The wagon meanders on through the preserve, occasionally stopping so everyone can file out a closer look. Prout leads the group to the site of a wide-trunked pine that was once harvested for turpentine, with a bite out of its bark layer to show for it. This one is a survivor. Unlike most of the old-growth pines, it was not chopped for lumber after its resin was tapped. Naturalist Elliot Prout describes the beneficial role of longleaf pines in Florida ecosystems during a tour of Duette Preserve sponsored by the Manatee Fish & Game Association on Feb. 10, 2024. Prout explains how the slow-growing longleaf once dominated Florida before it was overharvested by early settlers. The trees can live for centuries, and they form the foundation of a habitat that provides shelter for a host of rare Florida plants and critters. Other benefits include their resilience to hurricanes and fire. Continuing efforts at the preserve aim to restore the longleaf pines presence. Neatly planted rows of them grow slowly upward, year by year. A little down the road comes a much anticipated moment of the tour. Its bright, open and sunny here amid the scrub, with hardly a tree in sight. Thats just how the scrub jays like it. Before long, theres a chirp and flash of blue in the shrubbery. A pair of jays flit in and out of the brush, drawing delight from the tour group. Scrub jays, which are endemic, or unique, to Florida, arent the only rare wildlife at Duette. The menagerie spans North Americas largest snake to its smallest falcon to Floridas only endemic mammal the wide-eyed, sand-loving Florida mouse. Wagon tours sponsored by the Manatee Fish & Game Association offer a glimpse of rare Florida habitat and wildlife at Duette Preserve in East Manatee County. Florida panthers and other rare sights A video clip of a Florida panther traveling through the preserve went viral earlier this year. Jerry Miller, the ranger who helped lead the wagon tour, has also captured rare footage of a Florida panther at the border of Duette. Miller said park staff believe two Florida panthers have been frequenting the area a larger male cat and a smaller one of undetermined gender. They follow the river, Miller said. The endangered cats require vast amounts of land to thrive, with males requiring territory of up to 200 square miles. Establishing more wildlife corridors through the center of the peninsula will be crucial to their future, conservationists say. All around Duette, other parts of eastern Manatee County have been deemed opportunity areas that could help fill gaps in wildlife corridor expansion. But all around Florida, land conservation efforts face a ticking clock in a race against development. 2-10-24--A barred owl was spotted during a guided tour of Duette Preserve hosted by Manatee Fish & Game Association. While the Florida panther has been Millers most epic wildlife encounter at the preserve, his favorite resident critters are the rattlesnakes. Some of his close encounters are documented on his wildlife-themed Instagram page. Another elusive snake that lives on the preserve is the threatened eastern indigo, named for the iridescent luster of its scales. In all his hours logged here, Miller has only caught one glimpse of Drymarchon couperi, whose genus name, drymarchon, translates roughly to ruler of the forest. Indigos are the largest snake native to North America, growing up to 9 feet long. They are highly dependent on access to large areas of pine flatwoods and other Florida habitats for foraging and mating. Theyre also dependent on another animal that lives at the preserve the gopher tortoise. Gopher tortoise burrows provide habitat not only for their shell-dwelling architects but also a host of other creatures that take advantage of the large network of tortoise tunnels a kind of underground herpetological hostel. A new program started by county government officials relocates gopher tortoises that are displaced by development to Duette Preserve. Other large wildlife found at the preserve include bobcats, coyotes, deer, feral hogs and even the occasional Florida black bear sighting, Prout says. Inspiring the next generation of conservationists Later that same Saturday, a different group loads onboard the wagon for a trip through Duette. This youthful crew is from the Palmetto Boys & Girls Club, and theyre on a weekend nature adventure with Damon Moore of Oyster River Ecology, a nonprofit with a focus on habitat restoration. Moore, also the president of the Manatee Fish & Game Association, said Duette was his first choice when he was tapped to lead a series of field trips for the club. You can see as close to pristine habitat as Manatee County gets, Moore said. Pine flatwoods are among habitats at Duette Preserve that shelter threatened and endangered species. For the students, Duettes impressive prairies drew comparisons to the African vistas of The Lion King. They were just loving it, Moore said. Its also a chance to stoke some curiosity in science. Well take a walk, and if we see something interesting, well talk about it, Moore said. For a closer look at plants, Moore has the kids form a circle and see how many different kinds they can see in the area. They are blown away that when you look closely, there are dozens of interesting plants. Its a fun way to begin exploring and understanding the concept of ecology, Moore said. Moore is planning another trip with the group to seek out carnivorous plants, which are among some of the rare Florida sights found at the preserve. We have these cool, comic book-like things that are growing in our area, Moore said. Of Duette Preserve, Moore says: Its one of the areas where you can point at and say this is going in the right direction. (The county) should feel good about it and people should know about it. The observation tower at Duette Preserve gazes out over acres of habitat. Ecologist: Manatee County should be proud As an ecologist who has worked and played at Duette Preserve for years, Vivienne Handy says the site is a role model for conservation. Manatee County should be proud, said Handy. Handy is the founder and principal ecologist of Quest Ecology, an environmental consulting company that has helped with plans to manage and monitor habitat and wildlife at Duette. The company is currently contracted to develop the next land management plan for the park, which includes updating practices like prescribed burns to include the latest science and lessons learned from the field. Quest also had a significant role in monitoring wildlife populations at the preserve, including the Southeastern American kestrel a threatened subspecies of North Americas smallest falcon and the Florida scrub jay. 2-10-24--Florida scrub jay sightings are common at Duette Preserve, one of the few areas of the state where a growing population of the threatened species has been documented. Its not just conservation thats important, Handy said, but properly managing the land in a way that allows nature to thrive. The success of the scrub jays is mostly about habitat restoration and management, Handy said. Its one of the only places we can demonstrate a growing population versus declining. In stark contrast, a different story is playing out in Hillsborough County, where Quest Ecology is based. As far as we know, the last scrub jay in Hillsborough County has gone extinct in the last year or two because of a lack of action, Handy said. Its very sad. In Manatee County, Handy said the purchase of more conservation lands and better management of adjacent state-owned properties could help the scrub jays local recovery story continue. We have the chance to make Manatee County the shining star in scrub jay conservation, Handy said. Wagon tours sponsored by the Manatee Fish & Game Association offer a glimpse of rare Florida habitat and wildlife at Duette Preserve in East Manatee County. How to visit Duette Preserve The next Manatee Fish & Game wagon tour is scheduled for March 2. Find out more at ManateeFishAndGame.org. The preserve can also be explored on foot, bike or horseback. Parking is available at several trailheads. Entry by vehicle is allowed on Saturdays from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for a fee of $4.67 per vehicle. Be aware the preserve is closed to the public on hunting weekends. Check the calendar at MyManatee.org. Hunting slots are available by reservation, as are spots at the preserves primitive campsite. If you go, wear closed-toe shoes and bring a hat, sunscreen, water and snacks, binoculars and your curiosity. Naturalist Elliot Prout describes the growth cycle of longleaf pines during a tour of Duette Preserve sponsored by the Manatee Fish & Game Association on Feb. 10, 2024. A late-night explosion of homemade fireworks at an Aurora dog park killed a visitor, Colorado police say. Neighbors called 911 to report the blast at 12:49 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 29, police said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. Officers responding to the Grandview Dog Park found a man with fatal injuries from the explosion, police said. Investigators called the incident an accidental death, KMGH reported. Officers said they found several distraught people around the mans body. Police did not describe how the man was hit by the explosion or what he was doing at the dog park. His name has not been released. The Arapahoe County Sheriffs Office bomb squad and federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agents are assisting in the investigation, police said. Aurora is about 10 miles east of downtown Denver. Driver waits two days for rescue after 400-foot plunge to beach, California cops say Neighbors hear screams and detain registered sex offender exposing himself, CA cops say Woman steals Amazon delivery van to get back home, California police say As ExxonMobil pursues litigation against activist shareholders who seek to push the biggest of all Big Oil behemoths to tougher environmental standards, CEO Darren Woods knows who to blame for the worsening climate crisis. It's not his company or its major competitors. In a recent interview with Fortune, Woods argued that the oil industry is not primarily to blame for climate. The world waited too long to develop green technologies, Woods said, while defending Exxon's reluctance to invest in wind and solar power to the extent many European energy companies have. He described that as a hollow argument," adding that Exxon could not "bring any real capabilities to that space" and did not "see the ability to generate better-than-average returns for our investors. Speaking about the goal to reach "net zero" in greenhouse gas emissions, Woods suggested that it might prove too expensive for consumers, arguing that "people who are generating the emissions need to be aware and pay the price." Woods also defended Exxon's lawsuit against activist shareholders, characterizing them as not "real investors." We want to cater to the shareholders ... who have an interest in seeing this company succeed in generating return on their investments," Woods explained. "We don't feel a responsibility to activists that hijack that process and, frankly, abuse it to advance an ideology. Climate activists have accused Exxon and other Big Oil companies of stifling dissent. The climate reform movement is "facing steep charges because the industry sees that fossil fuels are losing," Michael Greenberg, founder of the environmental protest group Climate Defiance, told Salon last month. "The industry is pulling out progressively more desperate measures to try to stop the movement." Claim: U.S. President Joe Biden is the first president to skip a cognitive test during an annual physical exam. Rating: Rating: False Context: Biden did not take a cognitive test as a part of his annual physical exam on Feb. 28, 2024. However, presidents are not legally required to take such a test. In fact, no president has publicly acknowledged taking such a test or made the results public except former President Donald Trump. On Feb. 28, 2024, U.S. President Joe Biden completed a 2.5-hour annual physical examination at Walter Reed Medical Center. In a six-page memo, his physician, Dr. Kevin O'Connor, reported that "President Biden is a healthy, active, robust 81-year-old male, who remains fit to successfully execute the duties of the Presidency, to include those as Chief Executive, Head of State and Commander in Chief." Reporters and social media users raised questions in the weeks leading up to the physical about whether Biden would take a cognitive test as a part of the exam, and many online posts claimed that he was the first president to "refuse" such a test. This claim is false, and, to provide context, we looked into both whether he skipped the test and whether he was the first president to do so. Did Biden Take a Cognitive Test? He did not. Within hours of Biden's physical, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre responded to a question about the president taking a cognitive test as part of the annual exam by saying that Biden "doesn't need a cognitive test" according to his doctor and neurologist (beginning at 31:13 in the video below): Jean-Pierre also doubled down on the position she took on Feb. 12, 2024, when asked a similar question, which was that Biden "proves every day how he operates, how he thinks by dealing with world leaders, by making really difficult decisions on behalf of the American people." The transcript of the question and Jean-Pierre's answers from Feb. 12 are as follows: Reporter: Does the White House think that the idea of the president taking a cognition test, a cognitive test, as a part of this physical is a legitimate idea, particularly just on the heels of the special counsel's report, more polling as my colleague Selina just mentioned, showing that many American people have concerns about that? Jean-Pierre: Look, I got this question last week as well, and I'm just going to say what Dr. O'Connor said to me about a year ago when the report came out last year, obviously, on his physical, which is the president proves every day how he operates, how he thinks, right, by dealing with world leaders, by making really difficult decisions on behalf of the American people whether it's domestic, whether it's national security. And so he shows it every day in how he thinks, how he operates, and so that is how Dr. O'Connor sees it and that's how I'm going to leave it. Reporter: What do you think about the idea of taking that kind of a test? Jean-Pierre: I believe you're asking me my personal opinion. He is sharp, he is on top of things, when we have meetings with him, with his staff, he's constantly pushing us trying to get more information, and so that has been my experience with this president. Anything else outside of that I just shared with you what Dr. O'Connor said to me and so I'll just leave it there. The special counsel's report mentioned by the reporter, released on Feb. 5, 2024, detailed Biden's handling of classified documents. It found that the president's memory was "significantly limited"; he could not recall when he was vice president or, within several years, when his son Beau died. Biden previously showed an unwillingness to take a cognitive test. In 2020, when asked about it by CBS News correspondent Errol Barnett, Biden stated: "No, I haven't taken a test? Why the hell would I take a test?" Was Biden the 1st President to Skip the Test? Several posts on X (formerly Twitter) claimed Biden was the first U.S. president to refuse a cognitive test, a claim that requires context. BREAKING: White House confirms Biden will not take a cognitive test as part of his upcoming physical exam. Biden will be first U.S President in history to refuse a cognitive test. pic.twitter.com/q11OkJHxEP Financelot (@FinanceLancelot) February 13, 2024 A cognitive test designed to detect signs of Alzheimer's is not a legally required element of a president's annual physical. Former President Donald Trump was the first president to make public his request of one, as well as his results. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment the test taken by Trump in 2018 is the most sensitive test available for detecting Alzheimer's disease, the MoCA Cognition website claims. It consists of 30 questions that include (in Version 8.2 of the test below) labeling drawings of animals and drawing a specific time on a clock. https://media.snopes.com/2024/02/moca_test.pdf (via championsforhealth.com) Although it is traditional for presidents to have an annual physical exam and release an assessment to the public, it is not legally required. The choice as to what portions of an assessment to release or whether to release it at all is up to the president and the administration's discretion. However, failing to be transparent about a president's or a presidential candidate's medical information has historically been a matter of controversy, as explained in a 1995 New England Journal of Medicine article. When former President Ronald Reagan was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 1994, just five years after leaving the White House, critics accused his physicians of covering up early symptoms. Dr. Lawrence C. Mohr, one of Reagan's doctors, said in a 1997 interview with The New York Times that ''there was never anything that would raise a question about his ability to function as president" and that his ''cognitive function, belief structure, judgment, ability to choose between options, behavior and ability to communicate were totally and completely intact.'' The only law in place to prevent a president with physical or mental conditions rendering him or her unable to serve from staying in office is the 25th Amendment, which was adopted in 1967 and states that, should a president be "unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office," the vice president would assume the role of presidency. In summary, posts claiming that Biden "skipped" or "refused" a cognitive test are misleading given that a cognitive test is not required, and it is unclear whether any presidents other than Trump have ever taken such a test. Sources: | About. https://mocacognition.com/about/. Accessed 27 Feb. 2024. 'Biden Angrily Pushes Back at Special Counsel's Report That Questioned His Memory, Handling of Docs'. AP News, 8 Feb. 2024, https://apnews.com/article/biden-hur-garland-classified-documents-836b99fe9cbef9ba7d32602f4928efec. 'Biden on Cognitive Test: "Why the Hell Would I Take a Test?"' AP News, 5 Aug. 2020, https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-joe-biden-donald-trump-politics-970ebab7e7a7f848f4153a9282600014. 'Https://Twitter.Com/FinanceLancelot/Status/1757389159348805788'. X (Formerly Twitter), https://twitter.com/FinanceLancelot/status/1757389159348805788. Accessed 28 Feb. 2024. Hur, Robert K. Report on the Investigation Into Unauthorized Removal, Retention, and Disclosure of Classified Documents Discovered at Locations Including the Penn Eiden Center and the Delaware Private Residence of President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Feb. 2024, https://www.justice.gov/storage/report-from-special-counsel-robert-k-hur-february-2024.pdf. Joe Biden Refuses to Take Cognitive Test at His next Medical Exam. www.youtube.com, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cr61qRl1Gtk. Accessed 28 Feb. 2024. Parker, Ashley, and Dan Diamond. 'A "Whale" of a Tale: Trump Continues to Distort Cognitive Test He Took'. Washington Post, 20 Jan. 2024. www.washingtonpost.com, https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/01/19/trump-cognitive-test/. 'Reagan's Letter Announcing His Alzheimer's Diagnosis'. Ronald Reagan, https://www.reaganlibrary.gov/reagans/ronald-reagan/reagans-letter-announcing-his-alzheimers-diagnosis. Accessed 28 Feb. 2024. Shear, Michael D., et al. 'Trump Has Perfect Cognitive Test Score, White House Physician Says'. The New York Times, 16 Jan. 2018. NYTimes.com, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/16/us/politics/trump-health-exam-doctor-cognitive-test.html. 'Special Counsel Alleged Biden Couldn't Recall Personal Milestones. His Response: "My Memory Is Fine"'. AP News, 8 Feb. 2024, https://apnews.com/article/biden-memory-age-special-counsel-report-doj-f4232bc8316e556ed467185b67c3e0a8. 'The 25th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution'. National Constitution Center Constitutioncenter.Org, https://constitutioncenter.org/the-constitution/amendments/amendment-xxv. Accessed 28 Feb. 2024. White House Press Briefing: 2/12/24. www.youtube.com, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyknhFs09oY. Accessed 28 Feb. 2024. White House Press Briefing: 2/28/24. www.youtube.com, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZCz_Fr6s2A. Accessed 28 Feb. 2024. Claim: Only 6,800 American soldiers died in battle throughout the eight years of the Revolutionary War. Rating: Rating: True Context: There isn't enough evidence for historians to say precisely how many Americans died on the battlefield during the Revolutionary War, but 6,800, the number cited in a study published in 1974, is the most carefully calculated and widely used estimate today. In the fight to break from Great Britain, the American colonies lost more than 25,000 soldiers. However, the number of those who were killed in battle may seem like a shockingly low portion of that total. In February 2024, a post on Reddit claiming that "only 6,800 Americans were killed in action over the course of the entire 8 years of the Revolutionary War" gained traction, with more than 19,000 upvotes and 1,300 comments, as of this writing. This claim, which has circulated for many years, is true, based on the most thorough research available. According to the 1974 book "The Toll of Independence" by historian Howard H. Peckham, approximately 6,824 American battle deaths occurred between 1775 and 1783. These killings took place across 1,331 military engagements and 215 naval engagements. (Image via "Toll of Independence" by Howard H. Peckham K: Killed, W: Wounded, C: Captured, M: Missing, D: Deserted) The research for this book which contains what is widely regarded as the most accurate accounting of the war's death toll, according to the History channel and other sources spans data from all 13 colonies. An excerpt from the introduction explaining the research process behind the above numbers is as follows: Each of the original thirteen states has made an effort, with varying success, to collect and preserve its records of the Revolutionary War. Such records may be in the form of archives in public depositories, private manuscripts in historical societies, publications by the state or by a historical society, or carefully researched monographs on battles or regiments, or biographies. With a grant from Lilly Endowment, Inc., we were enabled to orchestrate a vast search of eastern state archives and libraries and the National Archives. To each state we assigned a graduate student in history recommended by a university there, and we asked the student to confine his or her investigation to engagements and attendant casualties in that state. "The Toll of Independence" estimates that 25,324 "deaths in service" occurred throughout the Revolutionary War, so readers may be wondering: If it wasn't on the battlefield, how did those additional 18,500 deaths occur? Mary Koik, director of communications at the American Battlefield Trust, wrote via email: "The number of those who succumbed to disease and especially those who died in horrible conditions aboard prison ships is also notable." In an age of relatively primitive scientific and medical knowledge, the highest numbers of those who died fell victim to the rampant diseases and deadly infections that spread through military camps and prisons; approximately 10,000 American service members died "in camp" and an additional 8,500 died while prisoners of the British forces. The American Battlefield Trust expands on the deaths of prisoners of war as follows: More Patriots' lives were lost aboard British prison ships anchored along New York's East River than in battle between 8,000 - 12,000 died while prisoners of war versus the approximate 6,800 killed in battle. Lost souls included not only American soldiers and sailors, but citizens who opposed the British Crown. Overcrowded in the dark lower decks of the ships, prisoners roasted in sizzling temperatures, drank brackish water supplied through the sides of the ship, starved, and quarreled with vermin, lice, impending madness, dehydration, and contagious disease. It is estimated at that least 6 lives were lost each day on a single prison ship. Engraving depicting the HMS Jersey, a Royal Navy ship used as a prison vessel during the American Revolutionary War. (Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images) There are also sources that claim only 4,435 American soldiers were killed in battle. Both the U.S. Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs have long cited this lower number, but it is now generally considered to be inaccurate. We reached out to the Department of Veterans Affairs for information about how it was calculated and have not received a response. This story will be updated as necessary. Peckham addressed the lower number in his research, saying: For decades the Department of Defense has given out the figures 4,435 killed and 6,188 wounded in the Revolution, and these have been cited in The World Almanac repeatedly. The source for that total is the records of the Adjutant General's office as prepared at the Armed Forces Information School with the warning that the "total number undoubtedly is much larger." The killed figure was likely made up of 4,044 from the army and 184 from the navy and marines. Our totals are much higher. Although even 6,800 may seem to low a number for total combat deaths in the war, it's worth noting that the entire U.S. population was only 2.5 million in 1776, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. "The armies were smaller than those of more modern conflicts and the population of the new nation was far smaller, so contemplating the scale/percentages is informative compared to solely the raw number," Koik wrote. In addition to the Americans killed during the war, approximately 24,000 British soldiers (according to what the American Battlefield Trust calls "unreliable imperial data") died from all causes. About 1,200 Hessian soldiers professional German troops hired by the British were killed in battle, around 6,400 died from disease and another 5,500 deserted and settled in America afterward, according to the Trust. Sources: 'American Revolution Facts'. American Battlefield Trust, 30 Mar. 2017, https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/american-revolution-faqs. America's Wars. The Department of Veterans Affairs, Nov. 2023, https://www.va.gov/opa/publications/factsheets/fs_americas_wars.pdf. Bureau, US Census. 'Fun Facts: From Counties Named Liberty to $368.6M Worth of Fireworks Sold'. Census.Gov, https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2019/07/july-fourth-celebrating-243-years-of-independence.html. Accessed 20 Feb. 2024. 'Haunting Encounters With Revolutionary Ghouls'. American Battlefield Trust, 20 Oct. 2020, https://www.battlefields.org/learn/head-tilting-history/haunting-encounters-revolutionary-ghouls. 'How Many Died in the Revolutionary War?' HISTORY, 12 Sept. 2023, https://www.history.com/news/revolutionary-war-deaths. 'Patriots Or Terrorists?' AMERICAN HERITAGE, https://www.americanheritage.com/patriots-or-terrorists. Accessed 19 Feb. 2024. Peckham, Howard Henry. The Toll of Independence : Engagements & Battle Casualties of the American Revolution. Chicago : University of Chicago Press, 1974. Internet Archive, http://archive.org/details/tollofindependen0000peck. 'United States: War Fatalities1775-2024'. Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1009819/total-us-military-fatalities-in-american-wars-1775-present/. Accessed 19 Feb. 2024. Nancy Faeser, German Minister of the Interior and for Home Affairs, gives a statement at the parliamentary group level in the German Bundestag. Germany's Interior Minister Nancy Faeser of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) justified her resignation as the party head in the state of Hesse, saying it's time for change. Hannes P. Albert/dpa Germany's Interior Minister Nancy Faeser of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) justified her resignation as the party head in the state of Hesse, saying it's time for change. "I have achieved a lot with you over the last four years, now it's time for renewal," she explained, thanking the members for "strong cohesion after the state elections in October, "This should also begin with a new management team and news ideas," she wrote in her letter, made available to dpa. Faeser decided to hand over the state chairmanship at the upcoming party conference on March 9 in Frankfurt. The SPD in Hesse this week announced that Soren Bartol will run for the state leadership. "Unfortunately, this election did not produce the result we all wanted," Faeser said about the last state elections. Nevertheless, the SPD is now part of the state government and has the opportunity it has sought for many years to turn ideas into reality in government, she added. Faeser has been an member of the SPD since she was 18-years-old and was first elected to Hesse's state parliament in 2003. As leader of the SPD state parliamentary group, she has been the leader of the opposition since 2019. When she was sworn in as a federal minister in December 2021, she resigned from the office, after being elected Hesse's SPD party leader in 2019. The 53-year-old has also long been active in local politics in her home region of Taunus. SPD and the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) currently govern the state in a CDU-led coalition. Health authorities said "white clots" are commonly found in bodies of the deceased, as opposed to false claims made by a Thai neurologist which linked the clots to mRNA Covid-19 vaccines. Social media posts shared the screenshots of the "white clots" falsely saying these were only found in bodies of mRNA Covid-19 vaccine recipients. Medical experts and national health authorities said these white blood clots have been identified in postmortem autopsies even before the emergence of Covid-19 vaccines. "Unprecedented tentacle-like white clots have been found in mRNA vaccine recipients, either alive or dead," wrote Thai neurologist Dr Thiravat Hemachudha on Facebook on February 19, 2024. Thiravat's post includes several images purported to be "white clots" taken from screenshots of YouTube videos credited to John Campbell, a British YouTuber and retired nurse who previously promoted misinformation about Covid-19 pandemic here, here, and here. The post also cites late German researcher Arne Burkhardt, whose false claims about Covid-19 vaccines AFP has previously fact-checked here and here. The post, which quickly spread across social media platforms, garnered over 8,500 likes and more than 7,300 shares. Screenshot of the false Facebook post, taken February 27, 2024 Thiravat has since appeared on a popular news program to discuss these "new findings" of blood clots purportedly found in the bodies of people who have taken mRNA vaccines. "Prior to the invention of vaccines this has never been observed before," he says during a televised interview on February 20, 2024. The same claim also circulated on Thai social media here, here, and here. The claim cited Campbell's YouTube videos such as here, here, and here, where he falsely links the discovery of white fibrous clots to bodies of vaccinated people during the Covid pandemic. Screenshot of John Campbell's YouTube video titled 'White clots USA, Part 2' According to health authorities in Thailand, the images shared in the false posts show something identical to what forensics classify as postmortem blood clots, which are not a new phenomenon. Postmortem blood clots Thailand's National Vaccine Institute issued a statement on February 21, 2024, clarifying that the white clots seen in the images are not related to mRNA vaccines (archived link). "The images in the claim do not show a blood disorder caused by mRNA vaccination whatsoever," the statement reads. "It is only an aggregation of fibrin, key protein component of bloods, that occur after death (postmortem blood clot)." The same statement continues, "It is a natural phenomenon commonly found in the bodies of the deceased. It also has been observed since before the Covid outbreak and the use of the Covid-19 vaccines." Dr Atthasit Dul-amnuay, a forensic pathologist at Bhumibol Adulyadej Hospital, also concurred that the white clots are natural and are commonly found in deceased bodies. "I always find such clots when I perform autopsy. It is not related to mRNA vaccines," Atthasit told AFP on February 27. Similarly, Tany Thaniyavarn, a pulmonologist and medical instructor at Brigham and Women's Hospital -- a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School -- describes the clots' appearance featured on the false post as similar to typical postmortem blood clots. "Its appearance is exactly like a postmortem blood clot," Tany said on February 23. "It doesn't have a rough surface like antemortem blood clots, so I have doubts about the claim." Tany added that the presence of white blood clots in dead bodies could come from a number of causes including obesity, diabetes, cigarette smoking or even from a Covid-19 infection. Covid vaccines and blood clots The European Medicines Agency (EMA) and Health Canada have listed blood clots as a "very rare" side effect of certain Covid-19 vaccines such as viral vector vaccine AstraZeneca, but not specifically of mRNA vaccines. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a minimal number of blood clot cases in relation to the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which like AstraZeneca, is also a viral vector vaccine (archived link). The claim mirrors a previous incident where a US embalmer erroneously linked unusual blood clots to Covid-19 vaccines, a claim that was subsequently debunked by AFP in 2022. David Smadja, professor of hematology at the George Pompidou Hospital in Paris, emphasized the absence of data indicating a risk of thrombosis -- a condition where blood clots block blood vessels -- with mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, which are widely used in Canada and the United States (archived links here and here). A study in The Lancet in 2021 also concluded that the risk of developing blood clots was significantly higher in patients with a Covid-19 infection than in those who received mRNA vaccines. AFP has fact-checked other inaccurate claims about vaccines here. A federal judge in Austin ruled Thursday that Texas cannot enforce a new set of immigration policies the Legislature passed last year, and he halted, at least temporarily, Senate Bill 4 from going into effect next week. After a hearing Feb. 15 in which federal prosecutors argued that immigration enforcement is beyond the purview of state governments, Judge David Ezra of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas agreed with those constitutional concerns. "Several factors warrant an injunction," Ezra wrote in his ruling to enjoin SB 4. "First, the Supremacy Clause, and Supreme Court precedent affirm that states may not exercise immigration enforcement power except as authorized by the federal government." Texas' lawyers filed an immediate appeal to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals shortly after Thursday's ruling. Jennefer Canales-Pelaez, of the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, speaks Feb. 15 at a news conference before a court hearing about the constitutionality of Senate Bill 4 at the federal courthouse in Austin. A federal judge on Thursday ruled against that state immigration law. Passed by the Legislature during a special session in November, SB 4 creates a series of state penalties for anyone suspected of coming into Texas from Mexico other than through a legal international port of entry. The penalties range from a Class B misdemeanor to a second-degree felony. SB 4, which was set to go into effect Tuesday, would also require people accused of illegally crossing the state's southern border to either accept a magistrate judge's deportation order or face a second-degree felony for noncompliance. Federal prosecutors filed their lawsuit against the state in January and joined previous suits filed late last year challenging SB 4 by the ACLU, ACLU of Texas, Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center, American Gateways, the Texas Civil Rights Project and the County of El Paso. David Donatti, senior staff attorney of the ACLU of Texas, criticizes Texas' Senate Bill 4 after a Feb. 15 court hearing on the state immigration law. El Paso County applauds the courts clear confirmation today that immigration policies rest solely under Federal jurisdiction, and the state of Texas interference with the U.S. Constitution will not be tolerated," said El Paso County Commissioner Iliana Holguin in a statement after the ruling. "A piecemeal approach from individual states on federal matters such as immigration enforcement would put an undue burden on local taxpayers, while opening the door to potential civil rights violations for border residents and immigrants alike. Ezra similarly indicated further concerns over conflicting provisions between SB 4 and federal immigration law, which would be "to the detriment of the United States foreign relations and treaty obligations." More: Federal judge skeptical of Texas' sweeping immigration law, says ruling will come 'soon' Striking against the heart of Texas' argument laid out Feb. 15 by Ryan Walters, the state attorney general's office special litigation chief, Ezra found that an influx of migrants and immigration surges do not invoke the meaning of an invasion, and Texas would not be engaging in its limited war powers by enforcing SB 4. Additional issues with the law could frustrate the asylum processes and allow for the incarceration of noncitizens before their possible removal, making it substantially harder for those noncitizens to apply for asylum after entering the country, Ezra wrote. Ryan Walters, the Texas attorney general's office special litigation chief, argued in federal court Feb. 15 that an influx of migrants amounts to an invasion. We have appealed this incorrect decision, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a statement Thursday. I will do everything possible to defend Texass right to defend herself against the catastrophic illegal invasion encouraged by the federal government. Gov. Greg Abbott also vowed to continue fighting to enact SB 4, saying in a statement that an immediate appeal is necessary in response to the Biden administration's border policies as Texas Republicans keep highlighting the surge in migration ahead of Tuesday's primary election. "Texas will immediately appeal this decision, and we will not back down in our fight to protect our state and our nation from President Biden's border crisis," Abbott said. "Texas has the right to defend itself because of President Biden's ongoing failure to fulfill his duty to protect our state from the invasion at our southern border. "Even from the bench, this district judge acknowledged that this case will ultimately be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court." Having previously acknowledged the politics behind SB 4 and the likelihood the case would reach a higher court, Ezra's ruling was handed down on the same day that President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump were separately visiting the Texas-Mexico border. More: Joe Biden, Donald Trump border visits spotlight newly competitive politics of South Texas "Finally, to allow Texas to permanently supersede federal directives on the basis of an invasion would amount to nullification of federal law and authority a notion that is antithetical to the Constitution and has been unequivocally rejected by federal courts since the Civil War," Ezra wrote. During the court's Feb. 15 hearing on SB 4, Ezra told the court that he expected to make an expedited ruling on the case as to maintain a status quo ahead of the law taking effect March 5, allowing ongoing court considerations and subsequent appeals to occur without activating its provisions. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Days ahead of its enactment, federal judge bars Texas immigration law NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) A federal judge issued a ruling in favor of the City of New Orleans in regard to litigation surrounding residential short-term rentals on Wednesday, Feb. 28. City leaders enacted STR rules in 2019 that include a residency requirement, with a homestead exemption, on a rental property. The owners of some rental properties, including some businesses, sued, prompting the city to shut-down STR. U.S. District Judge Ivan Lemelle has ruled that most of the citys rules are legal, like having an owner live on-site and forbidding corporations from owning residential short-term rentals. New Orleans councilman, residents react to SWBNO task force Weve been fighting from the beginning to stop corporations from taking over our residential neighborhoods, and this ruling vindicates our efforts to protect New Orleanians, said Councilmember-At-Large Helena Moreno. Councilmembers in favor of short-term rental rules said the judges decision will help preserve the availability of the citys housing stock, as well as the charm of individual neighborhoods. The Citys stated purpose was to seek the preservation of permanent housing stock, balance economic opportunity, reduce the lack of affordable housing, create a level playing field and ensure sufficient tax revenue collection. By mitigating the disruptive effects that unmonitored STRs can have on neighborhoods, the City of New Orleans and Federal Court is protecting the livability and quality of life of New Orleans residential neighborhoods, said Councilmember Lesli Harris. 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. TAYLOR COUNTY, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recently approved reimbursement funds to Taylor County for Mesquite Heat Fire relief. The devastation of the Mesquite Heat Fire back in May of 2022 impacted many in Taylor County. The fire consumed a total of 11,000 acres of land and 27 homes and took rescuers two weeks to knock it out completely, making it the largest wildfire in Taylor County history. 2022: Disaster declared in Taylor County as Mesquite Heat Fire continues to burn, evacuates town of Buffalo Gap Agencies that had a hand in putting out the fire have seen long-standing effects, with some having to stretch their own funding because of it. Chief Gary Young of the ECCA Volunteer Fire Department shared, We had to really tighten our belt because we suffered so much loss, and were forced to spend money that we hadnt planned on. 1 year since 11,000 acres of Taylor County was ravaged by Mesquite Heat Fire: How first responders, residents remember & rebuild Recently, Taylor County received approval for FEMA reimbursement funds totaling more than $366,000. Taylor County Judge Phil Crowley broke down what entities could benefit from these reimbursements. What were looking to do is give all the departments who responded to this fire some reimbursement from FEMA, and most likely whats going to happen is just to try to make all of our partners whole, including these fire departments We hope to have the funds to also get the volunteer fire departments up to 100% reimbursement as well. Reimburse Steamboat Mountain Company and also View Capps Water Company for their cost as well, Crowley said. There is life after this: Family victimized by Mesquite Heat Fire moves into new home 1 year after burning down Crowley added that they are also looking to use the funds to reimburse the City of Abilene completely. He went on to thank all who were involved in battling the blaze, including the fire departments, volunteers, citizens, police, sheriffs office, and EMTs. The official vote has yet to be made over how much each entity will receive from these reimbursements; however, Crowley assures us that the decision will come in a couple of short weeks. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTAB - BigCountryHomepage.com. Protesters march in the street following the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, on 20 August 2014. Protesters march in the street following the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, on 20 August 2014. Photograph: Jeff Roberson/AP The city of Ferguson, Missouri, will pay out $4.5m to thousands of plaintiffs who allege that the city jailed them because of their inability to pay fines, fees and other municipal costs. Related: Missouri bus drivers protest after colleague finds noose at work The multimillion-dollar settlement is in response to a class-action lawsuit filed against Ferguson in 2015, the legal advocacy non-profit ArchCity Defenders announced on Tuesday. Ferguson officials were accused of jailing [plaintiffs] in deplorable conditions for an inability to pay and without the necessary legal process, read the press release. We are so proud of our plaintiffs for having stuck through nine years of litigation to achieve a settlement on behalf of an entire class of people whose rights were impacted by the allegations in this lawsuit, Maureen Hanlon, managing attorney at ArchCity Defenders, said. The settlement amount will be paid out to more than 15,000 people who were jailed by the city of Ferguson between 8 February 2010 and 30 December 2022 over unpaid fees. The amount a person received will be proportioned to the number of hours they spent in the citys jail. Nine plaintiffs were named in the class-action lawsuit, including 59-year-old Ronnie Tucker. In 2013, Tucker was arrested and jailed because of his inability to pay hundreds of dollars needed to secure his release. Ferguson officials did not inquire about Tuckers ability to pay the fines or grant him access to a lawyer. Hanlon said many of the plaintiffs were jailed for days at a time due to their inability to pay. At least two of the plaintiffs named in the lawsuit have died since the case was first filed nearly nine years ago. Keilee Fant was jailed more than a dozen times between the ages of 17 to 37 because of her inability to pay fines. In 2022, Fant, who died before the settlement, spoke about how her repeated detentions had an impact on her. Im still affected, it has taken a lot out of me, she said, according to the press release. It was so inhumane that people couldnt believe it when it actually did go on. Another plaintiff, Tonya DeBerry, died in 2018. DeBerrys daughter, Allison Nelson, said that her mother was never able to get a piece of this justice. Nelson is also a named as a plaintiff in the suit. Keilee Fant and Tonya DeBerry were loving mothers whom we will remember for their boundless courage in the face of injustice, Hanlon said in the press release. The harsh reality is that, oftentimes, those most impacted by injustice do not live long enough to see the seeds of change bloom. But this settlement would not be possible without them. The latest payout comes nearly 10 years after the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown by a white Ferguson police officer, Darren Wilson. The killing of Brown ignited nationwide demonstrations over the treatment of Black people by police and prompted a US Department of Justice investigation into the citys police department. In this undated photo from the South Australian Country Fire Service, Port Wakefield CFS Captain Warren Miller, right, and CFS volunteer Samson Bucol pose for a photo at the fire station in Port Wakefield, Australia. Bucol, a Filipino immigrant who helped a small Outback town keep its volunteer fire brigade was celebrated in the Australian Parliament on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024 during a special sitting to welcome Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who is on a state visit. (First Lieutenant Kathie Callahan/South Australian Country Fire Service via AP) MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) A Filipino immigrant who helped a small Outback town keep its volunteer fire brigade was celebrated in the Australian Parliament on Thursday during a special sitting to welcome Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who is on a state visit. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese praised Samson Bocul as an example of the Philippine diasporas willingness to give back to the community. Bocul lives in the small South Australia state town of Port Wakefield. The community of 600 people was on the brink of disbanding its Country Fire Service in 2022 as it struggled to recruit volunteer firefighters. Bocul, who immigrated in 2014, was the only person to respond to a last-ditch recruitment drive. He helped pave the way for a flood of Filipino recruits. With the addition of Bucols family, friends and the wider Filipino community the Port Wakefield brigade is now almost staffed to capacity, said local brigade captain Warren Miller. His dedication to duty won the respect and affection of his fellow volunteers and he soon passed the word to others, Albanese told Marcos. Today, a quarter of the members of the Country Fire Service are of Filipino descent and half of the cadets. Characteristic of the spirit of the Filipino diaspora that calls Australia home, Albanese added. Boculs contribution has previously been highlighted by the South Australia Country Fire Service. South Australia is an area larger than France and Germany combined with a population of fewer than 2 million. With most of the state threatened by wildfires, the government provides firefighting equipment and training to local volunteers who protect their own far-flung communities. The local brigades also respond to floods and other emergencies that threaten life and property. Bocul said he had considered joining since seeing volunteers respond to flooding in Port Wakefield in 2016. I thought, How can I join them? but I was too shy to ask at the time, Bucol told a Country Fire Service publication recently. They gave me a warm welcome and good treatment, he told Australian Broadcasting Corp. Miller said the brigade was on the verge of closing when he launched the recruitment drive. It was either ... do something or the place is going to close, Miller said. Bucol said: Thats made me proud of myself, that as a Filipino we are all well known, that we are not bad people and we are doing well in the community. Port Wakefield has a relatively large Filipino population for South Australia, with 11.6% of the town having Philippines ancestry in 2021. That proportion is only 1.2% across the state. The Philippines has become Australias fifth largest source of immigrants, with a 400,000-strong diaspora in a national population of 27 million. Albanese said Filipino-Australians had become famous for their generosity, hospitality and love of family. Renowned for their hard work and aspiration and always looking to give back to the community, Albanese said. Finland does not forbid Ukraine to use its weapons for strikes on the territory of Russia No restrictions were imposed on the use of Finnish military aid in Ukraine, therefore, it can be used to strike Russian territory, Jukka Kopra, head of Finlands parliamentary defense committee, said in an interview with Financial Times on Feb. 29. As far as I know, Finland has not established such restrictions, and Ukraine should have the right to use these weapons against military facilities also on the territory of Russia, said the Finnish politician. Finnish Defense Minister Antti Gakkianen noted that restrictions on the use of weapons were introduced mainly by countries that provided Ukraine with long-range weapons. The weapons provided by Finland can be used by Ukraine on Russian territory, but their range is shorter than that of long-range missiles, clarified Mikko Savola, the deputy chairman of the Defense Committee. Read also: Berlin decries Russian strikes on Ukraine, but Scholz still opposes supplying Taurus missiles to Kyiv German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius expressed irritation during a visit to Kyiv in November 2023, stating that Ukraine would not receive Taurus missiles from Germany. Hesitation from German Chancellor Olaf Scholz may be the reason, as he previously expressed concern that Kyiv could attack Russian territory, as reported by the media. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba stated in an interview with Bild on Jan. 24 that Ukraine does not need Taurus missiles to attack Moscow. Read also: UA doesnt need Germanys Taurus missiles to attack Moscow, but has other plans for them FM Kuleba 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 Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen believes that the profits from frozen Russian assets should be used to arm Ukraine. Source: Valtonen in an interview with Finnish broadcaster Yle, as reported by European Pravda Details: Valtonen believes that the EU and the US should work together to implement this idea. The G7 and the EU have frozen about 300 billion in Russian funds. Their estimated yield is about 3 billion a year. "These funds could be used for supplying weapons and defense equipment and, in the long term, for Ukraine's recovery," Valtonen noted. However, the minister stressed that this is a rather complicated legal issue. "One of our main values here in the West is the inviolability of private property. However, not all citizens understand why we cannot simply seize the funds of a neighbouring state that is waging a brutal, aggressive war without complying with any international norms. Nevertheless, we must adhere to our principles," she said. Background: On 28 February, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen came up with a similar proposal. Von der Leyen stated it was "time to start a conversation" about using the excess profits from frozen Russian assets for joint purchases of military goods for Ukraine. Following the summit on 24 February, the leaders of the Group of Seven confirmed that they would keep the assets of Russia's Central Bank in their jurisdictions immobilised until the end of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine. Support UP or become our patron! Ukraine can use Finnish-provided weapons to strike Russian territory, Finnish Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen told the Finnish Broadcasting Company on Feb. 29. Finland has not imposed restrictions on its military aid to Ukraine, Hakkanen added. Finland approved its 22nd defense aid package to Ukraine worth around 190 million euros ($205 million) in February. As with its previous aid packages, Helsinki did not disclose what it had included in the packages or when it was delivered due to security reasons. Hakkanen said restrictions have primarily been set by countries that have supplied Ukraine with long-range weapons systems. "Ukraine should also strike military targets on the Russian side, if necessary. Otherwise, these military objects will strike on the Ukrainian side. This is an absolutely legal defensive struggle, which Ukraine is waging. The UN Charter allows attacking military targets across land borders," Jukka Kopra, a member of Finland's parliament, said. "At the moment, the big countries that, among other things, have provided long-range missile systems, of course, also have the right to specify how they should be used," Hakkanen said, adding that Finland is in constant discussions with allied countries about restrictions on military aid to Ukraine. Hakkanen also urged allied countries to provide Ukraine with more long-range missiles, including German Taurus systems. "I urge Germany to seriously think about it. The German government knows that they would be of enormous importance. If they want to help Ukraine win, they could provide them," he said. Finland has already provided 1.8 billion euros ($ 1.95 billion) in military aid to Ukraine since the beginning of Russias full-scale invasion. Finland also decided to participate in the artillery and demining collations, one of many allied initiatives launched under the Ukraine Defense Contact Group to support individual sectors of Ukraine's Armed Forces. Read also: Finland extends border closure with Russia for 2 months Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. EVANSVILLE A man accused last month of manufacturing illegal machine gun conversion devices and other firearm components in Evansville will be tried in federal court, the U.S. Department of Justice announced this week. It will be one of the first major cases spearheaded by the recently established Evansville-Vanderburgh Crime Gun Intelligence Center. The case first garnered public attention on Jan. 31 when Evansville police claimed to have found a large cache of illegal, 3D-printed gun parts, firearm components and intact weapons at an Evansville home and in a nearby U-Haul truck. Speaking Monday at a news conference, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana Zachary Myers said the seizure of these devices and weapons constituted a critical public safety priority. Earlier this month, an Evansville Police Department detective told the Courier & Press that machine gun conversion devices had proven to be a growing problem across the city. The Evansville man who is alleged to have manufactured the parts, commonly known as auto sears or switches, is identified in court records as 39-year-old Marquel D. Payne. Evansville police first arrested Payne on Jan. 31 after officers searched his home, his truck and a U-Haul transport vehicle. A Vanderburgh County judge determined there was probable cause to hold Payne at the county jail on a $200,000 bond, though court records show local prosecutors dismissed charges against Payne on Feb. 5 as the southern district took up the case. Shawn Chapman, a special agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, authored a 9-page affidavit wherein he laid out the basis for charging Payne with several federal offenses: possession of a machine gun, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of an unregistered firearm. A grand jury would later hand down an indictment charging Payne with those offenses, court records show. According to Chapmans affidavit, Payne came to the attention of police when detectives with the EPDs Street Crimes Unit obtained information from two unnamed individuals indicating Payne had manufactured and offered to sell 3D-printed Glock switches and handmade firearms devoid of trackable serial numbers. While the devices are technically known as auto sears, a switch converts a semi-automatic firearm into a fully automatic weapon. Homemade firearms lacking serial numbers are commonly referred to as ghost guns because they are difficult to trace. A collection of 3D-printed machine gun conversion devices and other gun parts confiscated by the Evansville Police Department and a joint task force during a Jan. 31, 2024, operation in Evansville. On Jan. 31, the Street Crimes Unit and the Evansville-Vanderburgh Narcotics Joint Task Force surveilled Paynes homein the 1400 block of Cedar Street, according to Chapman. Detectives watched a U-Haul truck that was backed up to the front door of the residence as items from the house began to be loaded onto the truck, Chapman wrote in the affidavit. Detectives also watched as Payne carried a box and a 3D printer to a white Ford pickup truck parked in front of 1411 Cedar Street. Police later pulled Payne over in the truck after he allegedly sped through a school zone near Diamond Avenues intersection with Kratzville Road. When Payne gave his consent for officers to search the vehicle, they allegedly located a BamBu Lab 3D printer in the back seat. A box with 3D-printing parts found nearby reportedly featured an inscription of a known alias for Payne: Petey. Anthony Payne was then released from the stop and proceeded to drive away, Chapman wrote. Later on Jan. 31, Evansville police pulled Payne over a second time near the Lloyd Expressway in connection with now-authorized search warrants. Police also searched Paynes Cedar Street home. In total, investigators allegedly seized more than 60 devices, parts and weapons associated with illegal firearm manufacturing. A list of those items compiled from court records illustrates the scope of Paynes alleged operation: 63 Machine Gun Conversion Devices (MCDs) 9mm Ghost Gun 9mm ammunition Pac West Arms 5.56 AR-15 Bambu Lab P1P 3D Printer Printing Filament Misc. Printed Pieces 3D-Printed Suppressor 9mm Ammunition Unfinished (machine gun conversion device) parts Methamphetamine Marijuana The seized drugs would later land an Evansville man in jail on narcotics charges, according to Vanderburgh County court records. According to Chapman, Payne admitted during a police interview that the 3D printer belonged to him and that he had used it to manufacture numerous machine gun conversion devices. In his statement, it was apparent that Payne knew the devices were designed to convert a firearm into a fully automatic machine gun, Chapman wrote. Payne also admitted to 3D printing a non-serialized 9mm handgun grip and purchasing a lower parts kit, including a slide and barrel, which he used to build a 9mm pistol. A Courier & Press review of firearms websites shows it is relatively easy, and cheap, to procure parts kits that enable private citizens to construct homemade versions of popular Glock handguns. According to court records, Payne allegedly manufactures some of the parts in such a way that they would be difficult to identify on a standard Glock handgun. A firearms expert with extensive knowledge of 3D-printed gun parts, who asked to remain anonymous, told the Courier & Press that evidence photos included as exhibits in Paynes case showed invisa-switch devices alongside other 3D-printed gun parts. The photos also showed standard machine gun conversion devices designed for Glock handguns in various states of completion and fully completed conversion devices for semi-automatic, AR-15-style rifles, according to the expert. At the time Payne is alleged to have manufactured the parts, he had incurred felony convictions for escape, carrying a handgun without a license and criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon, court records show. Case is emblematic of emerging trend in illegal gun cases The 3D-printed parts and the 9mm Ghost gun at the center of Paynes case have become an increasing problem for law enforcement in the nations major metro areas, including in Chicago and Indianapolis. In September, a federal judge in Indianapolis sentenced 31-year-old man to seven-and-a-half years in prison after he pleaded guilty to possession of a machine gun. Prosecutors alleged that 31-year-old Micah Moore used 3D printers to manufacture switches, which he later sold for a profit. A review of court records shows that federal prosecutions across the Midwest have pursued similar cases in recent months. EPD Sgt. Michael Gray told the Courier & Press that officers had "sporadically" seized machine gun conversion devices since he joined the force in 2005. But it's becoming more common. "We're usually just a little bit behind," he explained. "We're starting to see these more and more They're not common yet, depending on what your definition of 'common' is." Auto sears, or switches, disrupt how semi-automatic firearms typically fire. The devices prevent internal, mechanical components from limiting each individual trigger pull to the firing of just one round. The result is a rapid fire, fully automatic weapon. The National Firearms Act allows for civilians to possess machine guns under very limited circumstances. But illegally converted machine guns have proliferated across the United States in recent years. Hundreds of videos of people firing such weapons have been posted online. Crime Gun Intelligence Center vowes to coordinate state and local investigations According to court records, Payne's case is in the early stages of discovery, during which his court-appointed defense attorney, Jake Warrum, will review evidence compiled by federal prosecutors. U.S. Magistrate Judge Crystal S. Wildeman ordered Payne to be held in custody pending a March 7 hearing. Prosecutors have filed a motion to indefinitely detain Payne ahead of a future trial. The case represents an early win for Evansville's recently established Crime Gun Intelligence Center. Late last year, local law enforcement announced that nearly $700,000 in federal funds would help get the program up and running. This week, officials said that investment had borne fruit. "This case is a result of teamwork and, with our agencies working together, we expect more cases like this," Vanderburgh County Prosecutor Diana Moers said. "We are ahead of criminal activity and are not simply reacting." John Pritchett, a forensic science technician with the Indiana State Police, shows how the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network works during a press conference hosted at ISP Evansville Post Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2023. Moers' office applied for the federal grant, which will help fund the Evansville-Vanderburgh Crime Gun Intelligence Center for the next three years. As part of the program, the Indiana State Police post in Evansville now houses a National Integrated Ballistics Information Network machine, which officials say can help investigators trace guns used in local crimes or even further afield by comparing data to a federal database. In November, ATF Columbus Field Division Assistant Special Agent in Charge John Nokes claimed the newly established center made clear that Evansville-area law enforcement was committed to "using all available resources to reduce violent crime in your communities." This article originally appeared on Evansville Courier & Press: Evansville 3D printing gun case moves to federal court CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JANUARY 11: First lady Jill Biden speaks during a roundtable discussion highlighting womens health research at University of Illinois on January 11, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Kamil Krzaczynski/Getty Images) ATLANTA - First lady Dr. Jill Biden is heading back to the Peach State, marking her fourth recent visit. It's part of an effort to launch a new campaign, aimed at organizing and mobilizing female voters. The Biden administration launched "Women for Biden-Harris" to help the president and Vice President Kamala Harris win a second term in the White House. Dr. Biden was tapped to lead the cause. The first lady is expected to kick the campaign off with her fourth visit to Atlanta on March 1, the beginning of Women's HIstory Month. She'll follow up with trips to Arizona, Nevada and Wisconsin. "Women put Joe in the White House four years ago, and women will do it again," Dr. Jill Biden said in a statement. "In our communities, women are the organizers, the planners, the mobilizers. We get things done. Thats exactly why were launching Women for Biden now because when women organize, we win." Dr. Biden has visited Georgia three times in the last six months, most recently addressing women's health earlier this month during remarks at the Morehouse School of Medicine's Women's Heart Healthy Luncheon at the Georgia Aquarium. Last November, she visited Emory University as part of a White House effort to put an end to cancer. The first lady also attended a memorial service in Atlanta for former first lady Rosalynn Carter. Dr. Biden is expected to land at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport at 2:15 p.m. on Friday to speak at a political event scheduled for 3 p.m. However, they didn't offer any specific details about where the event would be held or who else would be in attendance. The Associated Press reporter Darlene Superville contributed to this report. CANADIAN, Texas A cluster of wildfires scorched the Texas Panhandle on Wednesday, including a blaze that grew into one of the largest in state history, as flames moved with alarming speed and blackened the landscape across a vast stretch of small towns and cattle ranches. An 83-year-old grandmother from the tiny town of Stinnett was the lone confirmed fatality. However, authorities have yet to make a thorough search for victims and have warned the damage to some communities is extensive. Known as the Smokehouse Creek Fire, the largest blaze expanded to more than 1,300 square miles and jumped into parts of neighboring Oklahoma. It is now larger than the state of Rhode Island, and the Texas A&M Forest Service said the flames were only about 3% contained. I believe the fire will grow before it gets fully contained, said Nim Kidd, chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management. The largest fire recorded in state history was the 2006 East Amarillo Complex fire, which burned about 1,400 square miles and resulted in 13 deaths. Walls of flames were pushed by powerful winds while huge plumes of smoke billowed hundreds of feet in the air across the sparsely populated region. The smoke delayed aerial surveillance of the damage in some areas. There was one point where we couldnt see anything, said Greg Downey, 57, describing his escape as flames bore down on his neighborhood. I didnt think wed get out of it. The woman who died was identified by family members as Joyce Blankenship, a former substitute teacher. Her grandson, Lee Quesada, said he had posted in a community forum asking if anyone could try and locate her. Quesada said deputies told his uncle on Wednesday that they had found Blankenships remains in her burned home. Quesada said shed surprise him at times with funny little stories about her more ornery days. Just talking to her was a joy, he said, adding that Joy was a nickname of hers. Hemphill County Emergency Management Coordinator Bill Kendall described the charred terrain as being like a moonscape. ... Its just all gone. Kendall said about 40 homes were burned around the perimeter of the town of Canadian, but no buildings were lost inside the community. Kendall also said he saw hundreds of cattle just dead, laying in the fields. Tresea Rankin videotaped her own home in Canadian as it burned. Thirty-eight years of memories, thats what you were thinking, Rankin said of watching the flames destroy her house. Two of my kids were married there. ... But you know, its OK, the memories wont go away. The small town of Fritch, north of Amarillo, lost hundreds of homes in a 2014 fire and appeared to be hit hard again. Mayor Tom Ray said Wednesday that an estimated 40-50 homes were destroyed on the southern edge. Ray said natural gas remained shut off for the town of 2,200. Residents are probably not prepared for what theyre going to see if they pull into town, Hutchinson County Emergency Management spokesperson Deidra Thomas said in a social media livestream. She compared the damage to a tornado. Authorities have not said what ignited the fires, but strong winds, dry grass and unseasonably warm temperatures fed the blazes. Near Borger, a community of about 13,000 people, emergency officials at one point late Tuesday answered questions from panicked residents on Facebook and told them to get ready to leave if they had not already. It was like a ring of fire around Borger. There was no way out ... all four main roads were closed, said Adrianna Hill, whose home was within about a mile of the fire. She said wind that blew the fire in the opposite direction saved our butts. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration for 60 counties. The encroaching flames caused the main facility that disassembles Americas nuclear arsenal to pause operations Tuesday night, but it was open for normal work Wednesday. The weather forecast provided some hope for firefighters cooler temperatures, less wind and possibly rain on Thursday. However, the situation was dire in some areas Wednesday. Sustained winds of up to 45 mph, with gusts of up to 70 mph, caused the fires that were spreading east to turn south, threatening new areas, forecasters said. But winds calmed down after a cold front came through Tuesday evening, said Peter Vanden Bosch, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Amarillo. Breezy conditions were expected again Friday, and fire-friendly weather could return by the weekend, Vanden Bosch said Wednesday. Kidd said the weekend forecast and sheer size and scope of the blaze are the biggest challenges for firefighters. I dont want the community there to feel a false sense of security that all these fires will not grow anymore, Kidd said. This is still a very dynamic situation. As evacuation orders mounted Tuesday, county and city officials implored residents to turn on emergency alert services on their cellphones and be ready to leave immediately. We got a great response from the community when they were asked to evacuate. They did, Kidd said. We believe that saved lives, and we dont want people going back if the evacuation orders are still in place. The Pantex nuclear weapon plant, northeast of Amarillo, evacuated nonessential staff Tuesday night out of an abundance of caution, said Laef Pendergraft, a spokesperson for the National Nuclear Security Administrations production office at Pantex. Firefighters remained in case of an emergency. Pantex tweeted early Wednesday that the facility was open for normal day shift operations. The Smokehouse Creek Fire spread from Texas into neighboring Roger Mills County in western Oklahoma, where officials encouraged people in the Durham area to flee. Officials did not know yet how large the fire was in Oklahoma. The weather service also issued red-flag warnings and fire-danger alerts for several other states through the midsection of the country. Delaying retirement to the age of 65, a hot topic again as the annual two sessions approach 09:45, February 29, 2024 By Du Qiongfang ( Global Times Senior residents read at a nursing home in Hanshou County of Changde City, central China's Hunan Province, June 20, 2023. Photo: Xinhua With the anticipation of a shrinking workforce in China in the near future as China has experienced declining newborns over the past few years, delaying retirement is expected to become a hot topic during this year's two sessions again as a latest report on the development of China's pension estimated that the age of the postponed retirement can eventually be adjusted to 65. China has one of the lowest statutory retirement ages among major economies, which allows men to retire at 60, white-collar women at 55 and 50 for women who work in factories, a policy unchanged since the 1950s. However, Chinese people's average life expectancy has risen from 43.7 years in 1960 to 78.2 years in 2021. Over the years, Chinese social security experts have warned of the threat from the depleting pension funds due to the longer life expectancy in contrast with the unchanged statutory retirement ages, in addition to the factor of China's declining birth rate. Statistics of the newborns over the past forty years show that China's birth rate has been declining since reaching its peak in 1987. At present, each Chinese retiree is supported by the contributions of fewer than five workers. The ratio is half what it was two decades ago and is trending toward 3-to-1 in 2030 and 2-to-1 in 2050. Demographers and economists have warned that the current pension system, which relies on a shrinking active workforce to pay the pensions of a growing number of retirees, is unsustainable and needs to be reformed. In terms of estimating the pension replacement rate, the China Pension Report 2023 released by the Social Security Laboratory at Chinese Academy of Social Sciences on December 29, 2023, pointed out that the introduction of a delayed retirement policy is imminent and the eventual statutory retirement age after the adjustment might be 65. Delaying retirement is an imperative solution which many countries worldwide have similarly implemented. As the aging population problem in China is already quite challenging, it is expected to become even more critical in the future, Guan Xinping, professor from Nankai University told the Global Times on Wednesday, noting that if the retirement age is not adjusted now, the situation will become even more difficult as time goes on. According to Guan, raising the retirement age to 65 is a reasonable adjustment according to China's national conditions based on many researches and the comparison of different plans in addition to the reference to the statistics and experience in some overseas countries and regions. The adjustment will be a progressive, flexible and differentiated progress to raising the retirement age to 65 to be adaptable to the majority of the working people in term of different classes, income and occupations, Guan added. Furthermore, experts pointed out that setting the same retirement age for both men and women is a long-term trend in the global sphere. "Setting the retirement age for women five years earlier than for men was initially based on the perception that certain types of work during the industrialization period had a greater impact on women. However, with the society transitioning into a highly service-oriented one, the gender gap in the workplace has diminished. Therefore, the prevailing global practice is to set the same or similar retirement ages for men and women," Lu Ming, professor from Antai College of Economics & Management, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, told the Global Times on Wednesday, noting that a global common phenomenon, including in China, is the longer life expectancy for women. China entered the aging society at the end of the 20th century, and the number and proportion of the elderly population have continued to grow. Statistics from China's Ministry of Civil Affairs show that by the end of 2022, the Chinese elderly population aged 60 and above reached 280 million, accounting for 19.8 percent of the total population, and the Chinese elderly population aged 65 and above amounted to 210 million, accounting for 14.9 percent of the total population, indicating that China has entered a deeply aging society. It is anticipated that China will further progress into a severely aging society by 2030 with 30 percent of the population aged over 65 years old. Delaying retirement is an effective option for addressing the risks of an aging population, the imbalance in social pension insurance funds and maintaining intergenerational equity in policy. It can reduce the number of years a worker receives a pension, thereby decreasing the fund's expenditure, according to China Business Journal. According to Guan, China's current pension funds are sufficient to make ends meet, except for the problem of imbalance between different regions. Places with more young working people have more funds whereas in some areas, such as the northeastern parts of the country, where young people migrate to other places with only the elderly and retired people left are faced with greater pressure from the local pension funds, Guan noted. As the annual two sessions are approaching, the topic of raising the retirement age to 65 has been heatedly discussed on the social media platforms, with many people, especially manual workers, expressing their discontent about the adjustment. Some also proposed to refer to the healthy life expectancy indicator suggested by the WHO in considering the retirement age given that the physical strength, energy and capabilities of men of 60 or above and women of 55 or above may not meet the needs of the modern society with stressful requirements on workers. In face of the aging population, Lu thinks that in addition to raising the retirement age, another solution is to improve the skills and educational levels of the labor force to increase labor productivity. In other words, with a given population size, continuously increasing the value created by individuals. The second aspect is to optimize the allocation of human resources. With the same population, if individuals can work in areas with relatively favorable conditions with a higher income, it would also result in GDP growth for the country, resulting in an increase in elderly care resources and a decrease in the burden of elderly care, Lu said. (Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun) Protestors gather at the Florida State Capitol in downtown Tallahassee to advocate against HB 1639. Credit - Courtesy of Equality Florida More than a hundred activists and allies gathered at the Florida State Capitol in Tallahassee Wednesday to protest anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, including one bill that would bar residents from having accurate gender markers on their state identification cards. House Bill 1639, which is up for vote in the House on Thursday, expands on a memo issued by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles on Jan. 26 that prevents Floridians from updating their gender markers on existing state identification documents. This proposed legislation would require individuals to list their sex assigned at birth on their identification cards, and affect those seeking a first-time ID or license. The bill would impact tens of thousands of Floridians; nearly 95,000 transgender adults and 16,200 transgender youth aged 13-17 call Florida home, according to the Williams Institute at UCLA's School of Law. Queer advocates and allies have largely opposed the legislation, which has unclear parameters for enforcement. Imagine a police officer pulling someone over for speeding and questioning the driver about whether the male or female designation on their license reflects the officers assumption about a persons gender, said Kara Gross, legislative director of the ACLU of Florida. Are we really passing legislation that requires adults to prove their gender at traffic stops? Would the officer be able to confiscate the license if they refused? Heres what to know about the new legislation. What would the bill do? House Bill 1639 would change any references to gender in section 322which dictates how residents can obtain a state identification cardto sex. Sex, under state law, would be defined as the classification of an individual as either male or female based on the genitalia they present at birth. If the bill passes, state identification cards would reflect an individuals sex assigned at birth, not gender identity. These rules would go into effect on July 1, but other provisions could go into effect later. For example, the bill has additional measures that would require health insurance companies who offer coverage for sex-reassignment prescriptions to also require coverage for treatment to detransition. The proposed legislation also may not prohibit the coverage of mental health or therapeutic services to treat a person's perception that his or her sex, is inconsistent with such person's sex at birth by affirming the insured's sex. The ACLU of Florida said that these measures would require health plans to cover the widely discredited practice of conversion therapy and create additional obstacles for health plans to cover gender-affirming care, according to a February press release. (Rep. Doug Bankson, a co-sponsor of the bill, previously denied that the legislation would cover conversion therapy, but did not give any examples of other treatments health insurers would have to cover.) These changes would only apply to health insurance plans that are delivered, issued, or renewed on or after Jan. 1, 2025. Why are people protesting it? LGBTQ+ residents, advocates, and allies are protesting against this legislation, and others, because they say the bill is part of a targeted attack against them. More than 10 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been filed this Florida legislative session, according to the ACLUs legislative tracker. No human being should be stripped of their rights. While we may not agree with the life an individual lives, respect isnt a compromise! The Florida government has failed again to act in their professional capacity, Ashley Figueroa, founder of the Gender Advancement Project, an organization that fights for trans inclusion, said via email. Other critics have pointed out that the legislation would deny the legal recognition of transgender individuals. How would it apply to current licenses? HB 1639 would force transgender Floridians who are obtaining a first-time identification card to list their assigned sex at birth, instead of gender, on their state ID. The proposed legislation would work in conjunction with the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles memo, which bars residents with existing state IDs or licenses from being able to change their gender markers, according to Simone Chriss, the director of the transgender rights initiative at the Southern Legal Counsel. (Chriss is an attorney representing plaintiffs in Doe v. Ladapo, which challenges Florida SB 254 and related Boards of Medicine rules that restrict access to health care for transgender adults and ban care for transgender adolescents.) Expanding the Department's authority to issue replacement licenses dependent on one's internal sense of gender or sex identification is violative of the law, the department said in an email to TIME. Therefore, the Department has rescinded IR-08 Gender Requirements, and the recission pertains solely to replacement license requests. The department directive warned that people who misrepresent their gender on a state ID would face criminal and civil penalties that could include the cancellation, suspension, or revocation of a drivers license. But how the state would enforce this is unclear. Florida requires residents to present primary identification documents, one of which can be a U.S. passport, to obtain a state ID. Chriss points out that many transgender folks have changed, or can change their gender markers on their passports. For the folks that have a valid U.S. passport that reflects their gender identity, by the terms of the [Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles] policy, including the new one, they have to reflect that gender marker on the ID, says Chriss. It's going to be interesting to see how they try to remedy that with their clear intent, which is to make it so that trans people can't have IDs that reflect their gender identity. The memo doesnt appear to impact residents who have already changed their gender markers on their state IDs, Chriss says. However, HB 1639 does not specify how or whether this will harm transgender individuals who have already updated gender markers on their state ID to match their gender identity. Will their license be revoked? Will they no longer be able to hold a valid driver's license? We ask these questions because they are not answered in the bill, said Gross. Chriss says that a legal challenge is inevitable. The state of Florida has consistently enacted rules, policies, and legislation with vague, ambiguous language and undefined terms, with the goal of creating fear and uncertainty among the targeted community, she says. If this passes, then I think we would challenge, holistically, the statute as well as the new [directive]. Contact us at letters@time.com. TAMPA, Fla. - Burnout is real on any job and got worse for nurses during the height of the pandemic years, so a new pilot program from the Florida Center for Nursing hopes to reduce burnout in the nursing workforce. "High intensity, high pace, stressful. You're on alert constantly, even when you're taking a lunch," said Ashley Melendez, a patient care leader and nurse at St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa. "I actually knew I was experiencing it when I did not want to come to work anymore. I felt every time I came to work I was working myself to the bone. I came out of work exhausted, fatigued, not able to interact with my family, not able to really enjoy the quality of my personal life." She got help through a BayCare program and family support, but not everyone takes those steps. The Florida Center for Nursing hopes to make it easier, recently launching a new pilot program called "Emotional Vaccines." Current nurses and future nurses can sign up for the free program through this link: https://flcntr.org/fcnev. READ: Bodycam gives closer look into hospital patient dumping crisis in Polk County "If a nurse signs up for our pilot program, theyll be enrolling into our wellness program, which includes text message wellness messages that are delivered weekly to their cell phone," said Rayna Letourneau, the executive director at the Florida Center for Nursing in Tampa. Those texts would include a link to show you a short video, making tips and encouragement accessible to a nurse at any time. "We often staff or take care of communities 24/7, so theres not always an opportunity for nurses to attend classes for long periods of time or at different places," said Letourneau. Letourneau said they're looking for feedback on the program over the next six months. "Just because we build something, will they like it? Will they utilize it and will they find it helpful?" said Letourneau. MORE: Florida faces critical shortage of doctors and nurses, lawmakers looking for solutions That help is crucial before its too late. "If you don't address nurse and burnout, right, that leads to, turnover. And you're not having the caregivers at the bedside that you need to take care of patients and family members. So, we have to make sure that we recognize and we respond to their burnout symptoms immediately," said Cynthia Rowell, the vice president and chief nursing officer at AdventHealth Riverview hospital. "The pandemic was hard. And so, nurses, we were in the business of healing and taking care of people and seeing people get better, and that didn't always happen during the pandemic." Rowell said AdventHealth has resources for its healthcare workers, but sometimes addressing burnout takes different tools. She said something like FCNs pilot program that offers immediate access could make a difference. "I think it absolutely helps. You know, we deal with things that happen rapidly on the spot, especially in our emergency rooms and our ICUs," said Rowell. That way, nurses can continue to be at their best to care for others. "I've always said this, you know, you can't pour from an empty cup," said Melendez. The Florida Center for Nursing said after the six months are up, they plan to go over how things went and review best practices. Letourneau said they will be depending on feedback from nurses, so they can scale up that kind of program statewide to support hospitals. For more information or to sign up for the program, click here. WATCH FOX 13 NEWS: SIGN UP: Click here to sign up for the FOX 13 daily newsletter Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is approving a new law that allows secret grand jury testimony in cases that meet specific criteria to be made public including evidence against Jeffrey Epstein, who died in 2019. The law is limited to cases in which the suspect is dead, and the crimes involve sexual misdeeds against minors. It will take effect on July 1. "Justice delayed is justice denied, and I think in many respects, this whole ordeal has proven that to be true," DeSantis told reporters, flanked by Epstein accusers Haley Robson and Jena-Lisa Jones in a Palm Beach signing ceremony. JEFFREY EPSTEIN VICTIMS SUE FBI FOR ALLEGED FAILURE TO INVESTIGATE SEX TRAFFICKING RING FOR THE ELITE The goal of the new bill is to provide answers for victims and the public in situations where they would have been kept secret under older laws. "We're now sitting here decades later, and you've had Epstein and then [Ghislaine] Maxwell, who is actually in prison in Florida, and yet nothing else has ever happened with any of this," DeSantis said. "How is that possible, given the magnitude of what was going on?" READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Secrecy has surrounded Epstein's initial criminal case for nearly two decades. He died in prison awaiting trial on stiffer federal charges after a shockingly lenient plea deal was exposed, while in recent years his victims have repeatedly been vindicated as evidence comes out in court. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks to supporters at LaBelle Winery in Rockingham County, New Hampshire., on Jan. 17. Robson thanked the governor and Florida lawmakers for enacting the measures. "I would really just want to know why was Jeffrey Epstein given such grace and mercy for his inhumane crimes, and why were we so outed in the media and treated so poorly?" she said. "Victim shaming in this high-profile case has damaged a lot of us." Jones blamed secrecy surrounding Epstein's initial case for the subsequent victimization of dozens of girls and young women. "Epstein was charged for his crimes in 2006, and we are finally going to learn why," she said. "We have been left in the dark for so long with no answers." Separately, a group of Epstein accusers sued the FBI earlier this month, alleging the bureau failed to properly investigate allegations against the predatory financier as far back as 1996. Citing police documents from Epstein's 2006 arrest in Palm Beach, it alleges that Epstein recruited girls between 14 and 16 as well as students at Palm Beach Community College for "sex-tinged sessions." Jeffrey Epstein appears in a photograph taken for the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services' sex offender registry on March 28, 2017, and obtained by Reuters on July 10, 2019. JEFFREY EPSTEIN DOCUMENTS: FINAL FILES REVEAL TRAFFICKING ALLEGATIONS AGAINST PROMINENT FIGURES Despite the allegations, Epstein got a sweetheart plea deal on federal charges in 2008 in connection with that case and was only charged with more serious crimes in 2019 after a series of Miami Herald reports unveiled the lenient terms of his initial punishment. "Epstein served 13 months in jail, during which time he was allowed to leave for work release during the day," the lawsuit reads. "He continued to sexually abuse victims during his work release in close proximity to those who were supposed to be monitoring him." DeSantis, who challenged President Biden to release federal files regarding Epstein during the news briefing, took issue with the sentence as well. "Obviously the punishment was effectively a slap on the wrist given the severity of the crimes," he said, blaming the grand jury secrecy for stymying a thorough investigation and prosecution. Epstein died in a federal jail cell. Officially, his death was ruled a suicide. His brother and outside experts have rejected that conclusion. Original article source: Florida Gov Ron DeSantis signs law with big potential impact on Epstein case The Florida House has approved a measure (HB 919) that would mandate political advertisements created using generative artificial intelligence to include a disclaimer acknowledging the use of the technology. The bill passed with a vote of 104-8, though some Democrats raised concerns about the inclusion of a criminal penalty in the legislation. RELATED: Very deceptive: Florida lawmakers look to limit use of AI in political ads Under the proposed bill, political ads utilizing AI-generated images, video, audio, graphics, or other digital content must include a disclaimer stating: Created in whole or in part with the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI). Individuals responsible for paying, sponsoring, or approving political ads found to violate this requirement could face first-degree misdemeanor charges. AI-generated images and videos are becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish from real ones. For example, the company OpenAI announced on February 15 the program Sora, which can recreate AI-generated videos of up to 60 seconds based on written commands At the time of this story, the program has not yet been released to the public. READ: Sora is ChatGPT maker OpenAIs new text-to-video generator. Heres what we know about the new tool Introducing Sora, our text-to-video model. Sora can create videos of up to 60 seconds featuring highly detailed scenes, complex camera motion, and multiple characters with vibrant emotions. https://t.co/7j2JN27M3W Prompt: Beautiful, snowy pic.twitter.com/ruTEWn87vf OpenAI (@OpenAI) February 15, 2024 Representative Alex Rizo, R-Hialeah, who sponsored the bill, emphasized the need for such legislation due to the potential dangers and misuse of artificial intelligence to create deceptive content. Rizo explained, The reason why we wanted to give this (bill) a little more teeth than usual election bills or election laws have, is because now for the first time, there is a real concern to really change reality on people. A similar bill (SB 850) is awaiting consideration by the Senate, indicating bipartisan support for measures aimed at regulating AI-generated political advertising in the state. [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 big story: Its do or die time for several education-related proposals as Florida lawmakers enter the final days of their 2024 legislative session. This week has seen several bills advance, while others appear to have stalled out. Among the most notable making their way forward, a public school deregulation effort led by the Senate gained traction after weeks of delay as the House adopted one of two expected bills scaling back some of the red tape, WCTV reports. A second measure is set to hit the House floor today. The measures are less expansive than the Senates initial vision, and the Senate must agree to the changes. In the key area of budgeting, House and Senate negotiators reached consensus on how much to fund PreK-12 education, but had some more specific details unresolved, Florida Politics reports. In other action, the Senate approved a proposal granting college tuition waivers for certain high school dropouts, News Service of Florida reports. The House signed off on a controversial career education bill that has raised questions about the activities teens may perform on construction sites, Floridas Voice reports. Senate President Kathleen Passidomo said she supports proposals to curtail the number of school book challenges taking place across the state, Florida Phoenix reports. Meanwhile, House Speaker Paul Renner said he is trying to save his priority bill barring minors from social media, which Gov. Ron DeSantis has threatened to veto, News Service of Florida reports. The Legislature is scheduled to close on March 8. Today in Tallahassee ... The full Senate convenes at 10 a.m. Bills available on special order include SB 62 on tuition. The full House convenes at 10 a.m. Bills available on special order include HB 1291 on teacher preparation, SB 7004/HB 7025 on education deregulation, and HB 537 on high school certificates of completion. Hot topics Cell phones: Pasco County school officials are contemplating stricter cell phone limits for students in the fall. Some teens want to sway superintendent Kurt Browning as he makes his recommendation. Culture wars: Parent and education advocates across the political spectrum say they want to see schools in Florida and other states move away from partisan battles and back toward issues such as literacy and learning loss, ABC News reports. History lessons: A growing number of historically Black churches are offering Black history lessons for younger congregants, saying state law has watered down school offerings, the Miami Herald reports. Legal counsel: The Flagler County School Board is conducting its search for a new lawyer behind closed doors, raising questions about its adherence to Sunshine laws, Flagler Live reports. Library books: The Brevard County School Board decided to remove The Nowhere Girls, overriding a committees recommendation, Florida Today reports. Start times: Polk County schools are seeking parent input as they prepare to shift middle and high school start times to follow state law, Lakeland Now reports. Taxes: Marion County voters will decide tax referendums for both their school district and county commission in November, Ocala Gazette reports. Palm Beach County officials are pondering the renewal of a local-option sales tax that supports school capital projects, the Sun-Sentinel reports. Transportation: A Duval County family is demanding answers after their 6-year-old was left at the wrong school bus stop near a busy intersection, WJAX reports. Dont miss a story. Heres a link to yesterdays roundup. Before you go ... Any time is a good time to celebrate the great Celia Cruz. (BCN) A Florida man on Wednesday pleaded guilty to a kick-back scheme involving the Bay Area-based company Williams-Sonoma, federal prosecutors said. Augusto Alizo admitted to conspiring with two people, one of which was a vice president at Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (WSI), to divert and pocket more than $4 million in real estate broker commission rebates. WSI is based in San Francisco and operates Williams Sonoma, Pottery Barn and West Elm home goods retailers. Alizo was employed at a global logistics company that helped clients find commercial real estate, including large commercial warehouses. UC Berkeley leadership condemns protest against Israeli speaker According to prosecutors and Alizos plea agreement, he did not tell his employers at his company that his now co-defendant and former coworker Kourosh Mirmehdi, to whom he directly reported, was helping WSI obtain commercial warehouse space. By concealing the deal, prosecutors said Alizo, Mirmehdi and the WSI executive colluded to pocket real estate broker commissions rebates that should have gone to WSI. Instead, the payments went to a shell company owned by the WSI vice president and then distributed between the Alizo, Mirmehdi and the V.P. As part of his plea agreement, Alizo admitted that he acted with the intent to deceive and cheat both his employer and WSI in order to commit fraud. In all, Alizo said the three co-conspirators obtained a total of $4.1 million, and he personally pocketed $965,526. Upon his indictment last April, Alizo was charged with one count of wire fraud conspiracy, four counts of wire fraud and one count of money laundering conspiracy. Under the plea agreement, Alizo pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy. If he complies with the agreement, the remaining counts will be dismissed, prosecutors said. Alizo, who is out on bond, is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 27. He is facing up to 20 years in federal prison. Mirmehdi pleaded guilty last May and charges against the WSI vice president are pending, the U.S. Department of Justice said. Copyright 2024 Bay City News, Inc. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4. A police sergeant working at a Florida juvenile detention center is now behind bars herself after she allegedly wrote nearly a dozen inappropriate letters to a 16-year-old inmate. The Pinellas County Sheriff's Office announced Wednesday that Sgt. Katelyn Gomez, 27, was charged with one count of solicitation of a child to engage in an act that constitutes sexual battery by a person in familial or custodial authority. Gomez was hired on Jan. 5 and worked as a sergeant at the Pinellas Regional Juvenile Detention Center in Clearwater, officials there said. FORMER MASSACHUSETTS OFFICER OF THE YEAR CHARGED AFTER ALLEGEDLY SHOVING DISNEY WORLD EMPLOYEES, DEPUTY Sgt. Katelyn Gomez, 27, was arrested Wednesday after authorities discovered inappropriate letters allegedly written by her in the bed of a 16-year-old inmate. Gomez's alleged relationship with the teenage inmate was uncovered when detectives responded to a call from the detention facility reporting approximately ten inappropriate letters found in his bed. While investigating the letters, detectives learned they were written by Gomez. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP "The letters explicitly described what would take place during their first sexual encounter and described an ongoing relationship which had developed while the victim was incarcerated," the sheriff's office reported, adding that a photo of Gomez was also found in the boy's cell. GEORGIA MAN IMPERSONATING POLICE PULLS OUT FAKE BADGE, ATTEMPTS TO ARREST REAL OFFICER When she was interviewed by detectives, Gomez allegedly admitted to writing the letters and said she and the boy began developing a relationship when they met several weeks ago. The sheriff's office said she had been assigned to the boy's pod for the past three weeks. Gomez had been instructed to not be alone with an inmate, but staff at the facility told the sheriff's office she was alone with the boy "several times." Gomez also told detectives that "she fantasized about having a sexual relationship with the victim and planned to build a life with him once he was released," according to the PCSO. She was booked into the Pinellas County Jail. Original article source: Florida sergeant arrested after allegedly writing nearly a dozen inappropriate letters to teen inmate RAFAH, Gaza Strip Aid convoys carrying food reached northern Gaza this week, Israeli officials said Wednesday, the first major delivery in a month to the devastated, isolated area, where the U.N. has warned of worsening starvation among hundreds of thousands of Palestinians amid Israels offensive. The increasing alarm over hunger across Gaza has fueled international calls for a cease-fire as the U.S., Egypt and Qatar work to secure a deal between Israel and Hamas for a pause in fighting and the release of some of the hostages seized by Hamas in its Oct. 7 attack. Mediators hope to reach an agreement before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan starts around March 10. But so far, Israel and Hamas have remained far apart in public on their demands. Increasing the pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reach a deal, families of hostages on Wednesday launched a four-day march from southern Israel to Jerusalem to demand their loved ones be set free. Some of the around 100 hostages freed during a cease-fire in late November are joining the march, which is to end near Netanyahus official residence. The plight of the hostages has deeply shaken Israelis, who see in them an enduring symbol of the states failure to protect its citizens from Hamas assault. In its Oct. 7 attack, the Palestinian militant group abducted roughly 250 people, according to Israeli authorities, including men, women, children and older adults. After the November releases, some 130 hostages remain, and Israel says about a quarter of them are dead. Israels assault on Gaza, which it says aims at destroying Hamas after its attack, has killed more than 29,900 Palestinians. U.N. officials warn of further mass casualties if it follows through on vows to attack the southernmost city of Rafah, where more than half of Gazas population of 2.3 million has taken refuge. They also say a Rafah offensive could collapse the aid operation that has already been crippled in the fighting. Across Gaza, more than 576,000 people (a quarter of the population) are a step away from famine, the U.N. says. But northern Gaza in particular has been gutted by hunger. The north has largely been cut off and much of it has been leveled since Israeli ground troops invaded in late October. Several hundred thousand Palestinians are believed to remain there, and many have been reduced to eating animal fodder to survive. The U.N. says one in six children under 2 in the north suffer from acute malnutrition and wasting. A convoy of 31 trucks carrying food entered northern Gaza on Wednesday, the Israeli military office that oversees Palestinian civilian affairs said. The office, known by the acronym COGAT, said nearly 20 other trucks entered the north on Monday and Tuesday. Associated Press footage showed people carrying sacks of flour from the distribution site. It was not immediately clear who carried out the deliveries. The U.N. was not involved, said a spokesperson for the U.N.s humanitarian coordination office, Eri Kaneko. As of Sunday, the U.N. had been unable to deliver food to northern Gaza since Jan. 23, according to Philippe Lazzarini, the head of UNRWA, the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees that has led the aid effort during the war. On Feb. 18, the World Food Program attempted a delivery to the north for the first time in three weeks, but much of the convoys cargo was taken en route by desperate Palestinians, and it was only able to distribute a small amount in the north. Two days later, the WFP announced it was pausing deliveries to the north because of the chaos. Since launching its assault on Gaza following Hamas Oct. 7 attack, Israel has barred entry of food, water, medicine and other supplies except for a trickle of aid entering the south from Egypt at the Rafah crossing and Israels Kerem Shalom crossing. Despite international calls to allow in more aid, the number of supply trucks entering has dropped dramatically in recent weeks. COGAT said Wednesday that Israel does not impose limits on the amount of aid entering. Israel has blamed U.N. agencies for the bottleneck, saying hundreds of trucks are waiting on the Palestinian side of Kerem Shalom for aid workers to collect them. U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric on Wednesday countered saying large trucks entering Gaza have to be unloaded and reloaded onto smaller Palestinian trucks, but there arent enough of them and theres a lack of security to distribute aid in Gaza. Police in Gaza stopped protecting convoys after Israeli strikes on them near the crossing. There is also insufficient coordination from Israel on security and deconfliction, which puts the lives of U.N. staff and other humanitarian workers at risk. Thats why weve repeatedly asked for a humanitarian cease-fire, he said. The U.N. has called for Israel to open crossings in the north to aid deliveries and guarantee safe corridors for convoys. The director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza said the number of children who have died in recent days from severe malnutrition and dehydration had risen to four. Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya said that operations at the hospital will shut off starting Wednesday due to fuel shortages. Dialysis, intensive care, childcare, and surgeries will stop. Therefore, we will witness more deaths in the coming days, he said. But the pain from the lack of supplies extends across Gaza. Project Hope, a humanitarian group that runs a clinic in the central town of Deir al-Balah, said 21 percent of the pregnant women and 11 percent of the children under 5 it has treated in the last three weeks are suffering from malnutrition. The Gaza Health Ministry said the death toll from Israels offensive had risen to 29,954 people, with 70,325 wounded. The ministry doesnt differentiate between civilians and combatants, but it says two-thirds of the dead were children and women. In its attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, Hamas and other Palestinian militants killed some 1,200 people, mainly civilians. PORTLAND, Tenn. (WKRN) A Middle Tennessee entrepreneur said hes having to close up shop after opening his food truck in Portland less than three months ago. Maged Gad, who goes by MG, opened up Gyro Station with his business partner back in December, hoping to share his culture with the City of Portland. MG moved to the states from Egypt nine years ago. We had big dreams that start with the Greek food, then Egyptian food, and then go from there, introduce everything about the culture and the people of our country that maybe most people here doesnt hear about, MG said. Detrimental to my family: Food truck owner suffers consequences of Tennessees high rate of uninsured drivers Unfortunately for MG, he opened the same month Portlands City Council passed a new ordinance calling for food trucks to move each night, even if theyre on private property. (Photo: WKRN) MG has been paying rent to park at a private business, but staying there overnight isnt allowed under the new ordinance. The city planning department told News 2 that one goal is to make sure food trucks remain mobile. For [the] start of new business, its hard. I understand the look of the city, but we close at 7, 8 oclock p.m. Whos going to look outside at night when its too dark to look at the city, first? MG said. Second, its mobile. If we have to move, we have to move. Its not on a permanent foundation, we can move at any time. Food truck operators sue city of Mt. Juliet over discriminatory permitting ordinance Although the city might prefer business owners to take their truck home each night, MG said its not a feasible option for him. His HOA wont allow food trucks, and his partner lives over an hour away in Murfreesboro. Now, MG is trying to sell the food truck that once housed his culinary aspirations. Me and my partner, we talked about it, our feelings, dreams, wed get disappointed, but I prayed about it and God knows our dreams and He will make a way, he said. MG said he was grateful for the time his food truck was open and hopes to stay in touch with the people of Portland in case he is able to open up somewhere else in the future. Thanks so much for the support and the love, and youre family. Thank you, said MG as a parting message to customers. Read todays top stories on wkrn.com Gyro Stations last day will be Thursday, Feb. 29. It will be open between 11:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. at 301 Reed Street. The City of Portland told News 2 it currently has 13 permitted mobile food trucks. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2. Channel 2 Action News has learned that a sheriff deputy forced to resign because of an improper relationship with a high schooler has been rehired to train officers in a Cobb County police department. Channel 2s Michael Doudna has found that second chances like this arent uncommon. His investigation found more than 200 members of local law enforcement who have resigned instead of being terminated and have since been rehired. We obtained a recording from 2015 of Douglas County Sheriffs Office superiors telling Sgt. Andrew Dwyane Taylor they plan to fire him for an improper relationship that started when a 17-year-old asked for help. Dwayne, Ill tell you right off the bat, I just dont see where you can stay working here, the recording said. Did you trust them? Doudna asked the victims mother, whom we are not identifying. Very much. Very much, the mother said. [HAVE A STORY FOR CHANNEL 2 ACTION NEWS INVESTIGATES? Submit it here] She said after her now ex-husband destroyed her daughters room, her daughter went to the Taylorsa family they had known for yearswith their own high school-aged daughter. So his wife calls me and tells me that its OK, that my child is safe, the mother said. But a few weeks after moving in, the 45-year-old Taylor tried to kiss the teenager. A few weeks later I asked her. I said, Is there anything inappropriate going on between you and Dwayne? Its very quiet. And I just heard a real quiet. Yes. And I immediately threw up, the mother said. According to documents from Douglas County, Taylor admitted to investigators he had sex multiple times a week, including while he was on duty. Im not a sexual predator, Taylor told his supervisors on the recording. Legally, hes right. The age of consent in Georgia is 16. You cant be a police officer and do things like that. Whos going to trust you? Who would trust you? I wouldnt trust you, the mother said. MORE STORIES FROM 2 INVESTIGATES: If it did get out, it would undermine the confidence that the public has or the respect that the public has for our office, superiors with the Douglas County Sheriffs Office said on the recording. Taylor begged that day for his job, asking for anything short of a termination. I know that means I could never work in law enforcement again, he said. After an appeal, Douglas County allowed him to resign instead. The Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council or POST originally recommended he lose his ability to work in law enforcement. On appeal, he got probation. Months later, he was hired as an officer at the Austell Police Department. We dont trust the justice system, the mother told Doudna. According to POST, since 2015, more than 1,600 Georgia law enforcement officers have resigned in lieu of termination, and 18% are currently in law enforcement departments around the state. I dont think its that surprising, frankly that that number is where it is, said Chris Harvey, deputy executive director at POST. These men and women are out here dealing in a very dynamic environment, a dangerous environment, doing the best they can and sometimes they get it wrong. Sometimes they make a mistake. Harvey said having that appeals system is important. The same way that in the criminal justice system, not everyone who is charged is found guilty, Harvey said. The Austell Police Department sent Doudna a statement, saying in part: Andrew Taylor exercised his rights and followed a protocol laid out by POST. The council considers a wide number of things when they make the recommendation. Whats the history of this officer? How long have they been an officer? Have they had previous disciplinary issues? Harvey said. While Taylor is back to work, the family is left scarred, losing trust in a man, and a system. Dont be quite so trusting. Even with people that you know, the victims mother said. Doudna contacted Taylor for this story and after a lengthy off-the-record discussion with him over the phone, he declined to comment. The Austell Police Department did release a statement, saying: Andrew Taylor was hired by the Austell Police Department in 1992 and again in 2017. Chief Hamilton became the Chief of the Austell Police Department in August of 2022. As Chief Hamilton assumed leadership in August 2022, he lacks insight into the hiring practices or procedures undertaken by prior administrations. From the information you provided in your email Andrew Taylor exercised his rights and followed a protocol laid out by POST. For any detailed explanation concerning the handling of his case during that period we recommend contacting POST and former members of the Austell Police Department Command Staff. Given Chief Hamiltons tenure as Chief commenced after the events you are inquiring about, it would be inappropriate for him to conduct interviews or provide commentary on a period preceding his leadership within the department. IN OTHER NEWS: ISLAMABAD, Feb. 29 (Xinhua) -- Six terrorists were killed during a clash with security forces in Pakistan's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, the military said. The security forces conducted an intelligence-based operation in north Waziristan district of the province, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistani military, said in a statement late Wednesday. "During the conduct of the operation, intense fire exchange took place between own troops and terrorists as a result of which six terrorists were killed," the ISPR said, adding that a soldier was also injured during the operation. The ISPR statement said that a huge cache of arms, ammunition and explosives were recovered during the operation. Four Oklahoma men have pleaded to a $100 million contract bidding scheme. Four erosion control company owners or managers have pleaded guilty to a $100 million scheme involving price fixing and rigged bids for publicly funded transportation construction contracts in Oklahoma, court documents show. Prosecutors said the four men agreed in 2017 to fix prices and split contracts for erosion and soil control products and services throughout the state: Stanley Mark Smith, 65, a company owner who operated out of Claremore and Catoosa, pleaded guilty this week in Oklahoma City federal court. Roy Henry Heinrich, 65, a former owner and officer of an El Reno-based company, pleaded guilty on Dec. 4. Ryan Ashley Sullivan, 46, an owner and executive of a company in Lawton, pleaded guilty on Nov. 6. James Travis Feazel, 50, a former operations manager of a Weatherford-based company, pleaded guilty on Sept. 26. Erosion control products and services, including the use of solid slab sodding, are often incorporated into contracts with federal, state and local governments for publicly funded projects including highway construction and repair. Prosecutors said many of the projects the defendants bid on included federal funding, including funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation. The criminal conspiracy involved intentionally placing high-priced bids or outright refusing to bid, according to court documents: Smith, whose company targeted more than $42 million worth of contracts, and Feazel, whose company targeted more than $50 million worth of contracts, continued conspiring into April 2023, prosecutors said. Heinrich, whose company targeted more than $7 million worth of contracts, was part of the conspiracy until at least July 2021. Sullivan was part of the conspiracy until at least April 2019. The defendants each pleaded guilty to violating the Sherman Act the federal antitrust law prohibiting unreasonable restraints of trade. They each face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $1 million criminal fine. The fine may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime or twice the loss suffered by the victims of the crime if either amount is greater than the statutory maximum fine. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Four Oklahoma executives plead guilty to $100M rigged bidding scheme BARCELONA, Spain, Feb. 29 (Xinhua) -- GSMA opposes the fragmentation of 6G standards and will leverage international platforms including the Mobile World Congress (MWC) to advocate for unified standards, the association's Greater China chief Sihan Bo Chen told Xinhua in an interview. "We firmly support standardization organizations in their efforts to unify global standards, as fragmentation is highly detrimental to users, the global economy, and industries," she said at this year's MWC in Barcelona, Spain, which runs from Feb. 26 to 29. She recalled the convergence of all standards through the long journey from 2G to 4G eras, and stressed that "5G has now emerged with a unified standard." GSMA, which brings together more than 1,000 mobile operators and companies in the global mobile ecosystem and related industries, is the organizer of the MWC. The number of Chinese exhibitors participating in the ongoing event is almost twice the figure from last year, Sihan Bo Chen said, adding that Chinese companies are playing an indispensable role and Chinese industries well represent the diversity in the mobile ecosystem. "We are pleased to witness numerous enterprises, whether startups or large corporations, showcasing international innovative ideas and products," she added. She said China has taken the lead in the global development of the 5G. "2024 marks the first year of 5G-Advanced's commercial use, and China is at the forefront to start the second stage of its 5G development, the 5G-Advanced." She noted China's remarkable achievements in 5G deployment and its leading position in terms of the number of base stations, connections, and commercial applications. "China's advancements in 5G innovation and development serve as inspiration for other countries and regions worldwide." China made solid progress in 5G innovation and development last year, with the number of 5G base stations increasing to nearly 3.38 million, the latest data from the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology showed. The photo provided by Hagerstown Police shows pellet guns, gel beads and other items confiscated from a car suspected in drive-by shootings involving the toys early Wednesday morning. At least one person was charged with assault in the case. BEACHWOODUsing toy guns that fire gel beads, four teens shot at a group of Toms River Intermediate School South students from a passing vehicle during an outdoor gym class Monday, police and school officials said. The incident happened at 2:40 p.m. as the group of students was walking around the outdoor track, police and a Toms River Regional School District official said. The four teens were later charged as juveniles with fourth-degree weapon possession and harassment in complaints approved by the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office. The Beachwood police said in a Facebook post that the teens were using an Orbeez gun, which "is basically a high-powered water gun that shoots out hydrated Orbeez beads instead of water." Twenty six students were hit with the beads, police said. One was struck in the arm, which left a mark, but there were no serious injuries, said Mike Kenny, spokesperson for the regional school district. The students were quickly taken inside and checked by a school nurse, Kenny said. Another person was shot in the leg at a home on Mizzen Avenue by the same group, police later learned. The victim did not suffer a serious injury. Police found the vehicle used in the drive-by gel bead shootings shortly after the school incident and seized three Orbeez guns from it, police said. More: 'None that are safe': Pallone says colorful water beads are child killers, so ban them The names of juveniles who are charged with offenses are not released to the public. Kenny said the teens, all high school students, would face disciplinary action, but he declined to elaborate, citing the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. Police are urging anyone with additional information or video footage of the incident to call Beachwood Detective David Bowden at (732) 286-6000, Ext. 100. Gel beads, also known as water beads, have sparked concern among child safety advocates, particularly because of the hazard they present when swallowed. But gel beads fired from a toy gun can also cause eye injuries, advocates say. Ken Serrano covers crime, breaking news and investigations. Reach him at 732-643-4029 or kserrano@gannettnj.com. This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Four teens charged with shooting gel beads at students in Beachwood The assailant was killed by police after a manhunt (Alain JOCARD) Four men went on trial on Thursday over a 2018 Christmas market attack in France's eastern city of Strasbourg, with a key suspect insisting he did not know the plans of the radical Islamist who killed five people before being shot dead by police after a 48-hour manhunt. The traditional Christmas market was in full swing on December 11 when Cherif Chekatt -- a convicted criminal featured on a list of possible extremist security risks -- opened fire on revellers, shouting "Allahu Akbar" ("God is Greatest" in Arabic). The four men on trial in Paris are accused of crimes ranging from "terrorism" to helping supply weapons, including the 19th-century revolver Chekatt used in the attack. The trial opened at the Paris court with the suspects confirming their names. One of them, Audrey Mondjehi, faces the maximum penalty of life in prison if convicted of "terrorism". The others risk 10 years imprisonment. The trial, due to last until early April, is the latest legal process over the jihadist attacks that have hit France since 2015, with most of those in the dock accused of complicity since the actual perpetrators were generally killed while carrying out their attacks. In December 2022, a Paris court convicted all eight suspects in the trial over a 2016 truck attack in the Mediterranean city of Nice, which left 86 dead, including the driver. In the highest-profile case, 20 defendants were convicted in June 2022 over their roles in the November 2015 attack in the French capital, when 130 people were killed. The Islamic State group claimed the Strasbourg attack, but the then-French interior minister Christophe Castaner said it was taking credit for an attack it hadn't planned. A video pledging allegiance to the group was however found at the assailant's home. 'Radical convictions' Of the accused only Mondjehi, 42, was charged with "terrorism", while the three others -- all in their 30s -- face criminal conspiracy charges for their role in supplying weapons. A fifth defendant, in his mid-80s, may be tried at a later date after a medical examination found his health was not compatible with taking part in the current long trial. Mondjehi, a former cellmate of the assailant, played "a key role in supplying a weapon" by putting him in touch with sellers, and "could not have been unaware of, or may have even shared, all or part of Cherif Chekatt's radical convictions", according to the indictment. Mondjehi told the court this was not true. "Never could I have known that this weapon could have been for an attack," he said. His lawyer Michael Wacquez said he was concerned Mondjehi could be used as a scapegoat. "Mondjehi should not be an outlet for the grief of the victims and should not be condemned because Cherif Chekatt is not there," he said. According to the investigation, there was no evidence of the other suspects having been aware of Chekatt's plans. 'Turn a page' Although Chekatt cannot now be brought to justice, survivors and relatives of victims said the trial was still crucial. The attack "turned my whole life upside down", said Mostafa Salhane, a 53-year-old former taxi driver who spent 15 terrifying minutes with Chekatt who climbed into his cab with a gun in his hand as he fled the scene. A lawyer representing some of the families, Arnaud Friederich, said the trial was a "key moment" for his clients. "There will be a before and an after," he said. Claude Lienhard, a lawyer for several dozen people, said there was a perception the investigation has been dragging on. "There's a fear that this will be a low-cost trial compared with other terror trials, as many feel they have been forgotten," he said. Audrey Wagner, who saw Chekatt wound one of her friends, said she expected proceedings to be "distressing" but important to "turn the page". Jean-Yves Bruckman, a now-retired firefighter who aided one of the victims said he needed answers "to heal". "One question keeps coming back to me: How can you kill someone like that?" burs-ah/gv French troops may be sent to Ukraine to protect certain borders, to participate in exercises or ground air defense, French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said during a speech in the Senate, Public Senat reported on Feb. 28. He dismissed the possibility of French soldiers directly engaging in frontline battles. Regarding President Emmanuel Macrons remarks, Attal noted that the president couldnt rule out such scenarios due to Russias evolving stance toward France and its allies. Read also: NATO countries consider sending troops to Ukraine, Slovakia opts out Slovak PM Fico The reality is that Russia poses a direct and immediate threat to France on all fronts, he added. In the event of Ukraines defeat, Attal warned that the conflict front would inevitably shift westward. Following the Ukraine summit in Paris on Feb. 26, Macron acknowledged that the deployment of Western troops to Ukraine might become necessary in the future, though no agreement has been reached on this matter. Macron also advocated for increased arms supplies to Kyiv. French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne suggested that NATO forces could assist with demining, cyber operations, or weapons production in Ukraine. Read also: Top Polish defense official dismisses prospect of sending forces to Ukraine, as no such plans exist Possible deployment of NATO troops in Ukraine: What is known Before the summit of European leaders in Paris on Feb. 26, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico stated that several NATO and EU member states were discussing the possibility of sending their military to Ukraine based on bilateral agreements. Slovakia will not take such a step but will respect the decisions of countries that agreed to send troops to Ukraine. French President Emmanuel Macron later stated that sending Western troops to Ukraine in the future could not be ruled out. However, there is currently no agreement on this issue. French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal echoed Macrons statement regarding the possibility of sending Western troops to Ukraine, emphasizing that Paris would not accept a situation where Russia wins the war. Polish President Andrzej Duda mentioned that representatives of 28 countries actively discussed the idea of sending troops to Ukraine during a meeting in Paris, but it did not generate much enthusiasm. This issue was the subject of heated debate Polands Deputy Defense Minister Cezary Tomczyk stated that his country has no project or idea to send its military to Ukraine. The issue of sending troops to Ukraine is not relevant for Sweden, according to Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg clarified that the Alliance has no plans to send its military to Ukraine, highlighting that allies have been providing unprecedented assistance to Ukraine since 2014. Read also: Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Sir John Major spoke out during a Q&A session with Andrew Neil at the Global Soft Power Summit - JONATHAN BRADY/PA Sir John Major has said it is not a good idea for the United Arab Emirates-backed takeover of The Telegraph to go ahead. The former prime minister said he did not want newspapers to fall into autocratic or semi-autocratic hands. MPs and peers have warned of the ramifications of the bid to take over The Telegraph and The Spectator by RedBird IMI, a fund that is 75 per cent financed by the UAE. Lucy Frazer, the Culture Secretary, has triggered a public interest investigation into the sale, citing concerns about the accurate presentation of news and free expression. The takeover of The Telegraph has prompted a string of objections and is the subject of an Ofcom report - GEOFF PUGH FOR THE TELEGRAPH Speaking on Thursday at Brand Finances Global Soft Power summit in London, Sir John said he wanted large national newspapers to be in the hands of people who understand the British instinct. He agreed when Andrew Neil, the chairman of The Spectator, said that Gulf State autocracies were trying to buy up soft power by purchasing British football teams and more recently, media organisations. Mr Neil has said that he will resign as chairman of The Spectator if the absurd proposed takeover goes ahead. I agree with that analysis, Sir John said. I think theres a degree of ownership of British assets that Im fairly relaxed if they go into autocratic or semi-autocratic hands. But there is a level beyond which one would not wish to see it happen. I dont think it would be a good idea for them to buy a national newspaper, I really dont. Not because there is any mistrust of them especially, but because different parts of the world have totally different perceptions of what is appropriate and what is not. And I think the ownership of a large national newspaper needs to be in the hands of people who understand the British instinct. Regulator to report on March 11 But Sir John said despite this, the UK should maintain as close as possible relations with the Gulf state, saying that over the past 40 years, it had come an awful long way. The proposed takeover is in limbo pending an investigation by Ofcom. The media regulator is scheduled to deliver its report to Ms Frazer, who has the power to block the deal, by March 11. Baroness Stowell, the chairman of the Lords communications and digital committee and a former Conservative cabinet minister, has put forward an amendment to the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill that would grant Parliament a veto on foreign state ownership of the British news media. Sir Johns comments came after Robert Jenrick, the former housing secretary, warned that freedom of the press was in danger if the takeover went ahead. He called on the Government to back the Stowell amendment when he raised the matter in business questions in the Commons on Thursday. Penny Mordaunt, the Leader of the Commons, said MPs on all sides of the House supported Mr Jenrick in his fight against the ownership of newspapers by governments. However, she stopped short of giving the Governments backing to the amendment. Mr Jenrick said: If freedom of the press means anything it means the freedom to criticise and oppose and that freedom is in danger if we become the first democracy in the world to allow a foreign government to buy a national newspaper and media organisation. The noble Baroness Stowell has laid an amendment with cross-party support to the digital markets bill in the House of Lords which would prevent this happening. Will the Government be supporting or at least not opposing that amendment in the House of Lords? Were it to come to the Commons, I certainly would be supporting it and I would encourage all members to do the same because we must prize freedom of the press in this country, and this amendment is our opportunity to do so. Ms Mordaunt said: I agree with my right honourable friend in what he says: having a free press and a competitive media sector is a vital part of our democracy. The Secretary of State [Ms Frazer] has an obligation to intervene where there is a public interest to do so. There is a statutory judicial process - it wouldnt be right for me to comment on that. But on the general point he raises he is absolutely right and whilst he was speaking there was audible support for the position he has outlined from across this chamber. Audible support for Jenrick In a debate in the House of Lords on Wednesday evening, Lady Stowell said the proposed takeover raises big questions about foreign policy, editorial independence and the relationship between an outlets owners and its coverage. We need to have confidence in our media, she said. Having foreign governments own such a critical and significant part of our nation is not only unnecessary and troubling: if it were allowed to happen, it would completely undermine public confidence in our free press. She asked ministers to take the amendment seriously and urged them to meet her to discuss it before it is debated by peers on 11 March the same day as Ofcom is due to deliver its report. Also speaking in the House of Lords on Wednesday, Lord Forsyth, a former Cabinet minister, said that Britain should not become the first country in the world to allow a foreign government to buy a quality newspaper. He said the UAE was totally unsuitable to own a newspaper and that a free press was Britains jewel in the crown. Lord Forsyth, a former Scottish Secretary, spoke as he made a regret motion that a ban on ownership of newspapers by foreign governments was not part of the media bill. Addressing the takeover, he said: That doesnt strike me as an investment opportunity; that strikes me as being an influence opportunity. And that is what is behind, I believe, the acquisition of the Daily Telegraph, and that is why a substantial premium is being offered. Mr Neil called in January for the Government to block the takeover, saying that The Spectator had been hung out to dry. My main concern is that the people bankrolling this are the UAE, United Arab Emirates, he told BBC Newsnight. Theyre a government, and the idea that a government should own newspapers and magazines in Britain, I think is absurd. But theyre not just a government, theyre an undemocratic government. Theyre a dictatorship. Asked if he believed there were topics that Spectator journalists would not be able to write about under RedBird IMIs ownership, he said: Well I dont know, because I wont be there. If RedBird takes it over, then I will be gone. 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. France is one step closer to enshrining abortion rights in its constitution after French senators overwhelmingly endorsed the change on Wednesday. A total of 267 senators voted in favor of the change, with 50 voting against it. The constitutional amendment faces a final test next Monday when it needs to secure the backing of three-fifths of lawmakers at a joint congress of parliament, which will see both houses vote together. I am committed to making womens freedom to have an abortion irreversible by enshrining it in the constitution, Emmanuel Macron said in a post on X, celebrating the Senate vote. The bid for constitutionalization became a priority for the French government following the overturning by the United States Supreme Court of Roe v. Wade in June 2022, though the cause has been championed for several years by left-wing lawmakers and womens rights activists. Currently, abortion rights in France are protected by a 1975 law which has been amended on numerous occasions, most recently in 2022, to lengthen the time frame for legal abortions from 12 to 14 weeks of pregnancy. Like all laws, however, it could be revoked by a vote in the French parliament. The move has overwhelming support from the French public, according to polling, but has faced criticism from right-wing lawmakers. Backers of the bill say constitutionalization would safeguard abortion rights even if an anti-abortion majority were to be voted into office. Frances decision to constitutionalize abortion comes amid roll-backs on reproductive rights around the world, which have seen right-wing governments in Europe crack down on abortion access. In Eastern Europe, both Hungary and Poland have introduced restrictions on abortion, measures that were frequently mentioned by Frances own lawmakers during a debate in the National Assembly in January. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com A long-awaited program that will give unrestricted monthly cash payments to Fresno families experiencing poverty will launch this summer. On Thursday, the Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission announced the start of its guaranteed basic income program, Advancing Fresno County Guaranteed Income, which will give 150 qualifying families in southwest Fresno and Huron $500 per month for 12 months. The anti-poverty initiative will allow families to spend the money on anything they like. The program, which will start accepting applications on March 15, comes after years of advocacy by local community leaders and an unsuccessful bid for state funds from a $35 million California program to fund guaranteed basic income pilot projects statewide. In November 2022, the state announced awards for seven programs, but Fresno was not among the chosen projects. In a news release, Fresno Economic Opportunities CEO Emilia Reyes thanked the foundations that helped bring the $1 million pilot program to life. We made a way out of no way, she said. Our local community did not let the states decision to leave the Central Valley out of its Guaranteed Income Pilot Program funding in 2022 end the vision to implement this anti-poverty idea here in our region, which has some of the highest poverty rates in the nation. In Fresno County, 18% of residents experience poverty, according to U.S. Census data, with the rate jumping up to 22% in the city of Fresno. In recent years, the poverty-fighting strategy has grown in popularity in California and nationwide after former Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs lauched a similar initiative in 2019. Critics told Tubbs at the time that the cash payments would dissuade people from working. But his pilot has been widely celebrated as a model for success especially after an analysis of the pilot found that employment actually increased from 28% to 40% among program participants after a year. The study found that people spent the money on basic necessities such as rent, food, and transportation. Supporters say Fresnos program is unique because it will serve both rural and urban communities. Its exciting to see guaranteed income pilot projects grow in the San Joaquin Valley. Former Mayor Michael Tubbs spearheaded this program in Stockton and witnessed great results. Now, some Fresno County residents will have the opportunity to see its impact and determine how more families can benefit across the Valley, Ashley Swearengin, former Fresno mayor and president and chief executive officer of the Central Valley Community Foundation, said in the news release. Funders of the program Fresno include The California Wellness Foundation, which is providing half of this projects funding,The California Endowment, Central Valley Community Foundation, Delta Dental Community Care Foundation, James Irvine Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, the Sierra Health Foundation and Mayors for a Guaranteed Income. Fresno EOC will provide financial and administrative support and the Center for Community Voices at Fresno State will help evaluate the program. How to qualify? In order to qualify, households must meet the following criteria: Be an adult over 18 that is pregnant or has a child or children zero to five Reside in the 93706 zip code in southwest Fresno or the 93234 in Huron, which are some of Fresno Countys zip codes with the highest rates of poverty Earn an annual income that is 80% or less than the area median income, $35,103 for those in Huron and $30,615 for those residing in the 93706 zip code Qualifying residents an apply regardless of immigration status. Selected participants will receive an income exemption waiver from the California Department of Social Services for CalWORKs and CalFresh in order to continue qualifying for existing benefits. Applications are scheduled to open March 15 and close May 15 and will be available through Fresno EOCs Guaranteed Income website. Eligible participants will be able to apply online or in person at locations in the two priority zip codes, with informational sessions to be held in March. Individuals will be selected randomly through a lottery system. Getting to the marine iguanas of the Galapagos Islands used to be difficult and expensive, but affordable flights from Ecuador are bringing more tourists - and local officials are now doubling the price for access to limit the impact of mass tourism. Christina Horsten/dpa The Galapagos Islands, situated about 1,000 kilometres off the coast of Ecuador, are nature's treasure chest of the Pacific. The remoteness of the destination has long excluded it from all the effects of mass tourism. In an effort to keep it that way, local officials are now upping fees for all arrivals to $200 - double the previous amount. The government of the Pacific archipelago, which belongs to Ecuador, says it will increase the national park fee - required by anyone over the age of 12 - in six months, which would be at the end of August. Immediately after arrival, tourists will then have to pay the $200, used to fund the park ranger service, which accompanies all visitors to the smaller of the 18 islands. "The goal is to promote tourism focused on sustainability and the ability to boost the local economy," the officials said, announcing the decision in February. The fees, which also help support local nature conservation, have not been increased for 26 years, they added. The move comes after similar measures were announced in Venice and Bali, where local officials have introduced tourist fees in an effort to help offset the impacts of mass tourism. Visiting the Galapagos Islands, which are thronged with unusual animals, used to be difficult and expensive, but times have changed and affordable flights from the Ecuadorian cities of Quito and Guayaquil are now easy to find. The Galapagos are one of the world's main showcases of the drama of evolution. Travellers with small budgets can get accommodation for around $14 a night, and can get to see the giant tortoises, seals, pelicans and monster terrestrial and aquatic lizards virtually for free. Visitors to Galapagos have to be good at walking. On the uninhabited islands like Espanola, the routes are marked but there are no real paths. Galapagos, a world heritage site, is kept more or less in its pristine state. This means balancing acts on rocks and ducking low branches. But the effort is worth it. One of the routes leads to a bay where every few seconds a gigantic water fountain springs forth from a hole in the rock. This is where the blue-footed boobie birds can be seen. A male and female dance around each other, picking small branches from the ground and dropping them again. Then the birds knock their beaks against each other and then separate. Those who wish to go hiking amid the booby and albatross nests on otherwise uninhabited islands are still better off to book a ship excursion, which can range between $250 and $800 per day. But it costs much less to enjoy the astonishing sight of a giant tortoise withdrawing its long neck and tiny head into its shell, tucking its stubby legs inside too and slowly settling immovably in the sand. That makes it a perfect natural fortress. Santa Cruz, the most important island for tourism in the archipelago, has a population of the giant tortoises. The island capital of Puerto Ayora is home to around 12,000 inhabitants, or roughly half of the Galapagos population. In the harbour, seals doze while water taxis ferry people back and forth in the bay. Fishing boats, freighters, and high-speed ferries ply the waters, heading to the other three inhabited islands, San Cristobal, Isabela and Floreana. A number of cruise ships lie at anchor here most months of the year. People inhabit only five of the Galapagos islands. On four islands there are a handful of hotels. The easiest way of hopping from island to island is to take one of the cruise ships from the harbour. Rubber boats take the visitors to the ships anchored out at sea. Most of the 25,000 inhabitants live in Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz. Fishing boats and yachts ride at anchor in the bay. Youths can be seen on mountain bikes. There are a few shops, cafes and a church. Many of the roads on Santa Cruz are tar-sealed. One of them leads to the interior through Puerto Ayora. Here you can visit the Charles Darwin Research Station where the animals are bred and released into the wild. Charles Darwin visited the Galapagos Islands in 1835 and was fascinated by the variety of species. The islands are home to more endemic species than anywhere else on the planet, including 228 endemic plant and tree species, 28 birds, 19 reptiles and four mammals. Many of the species can be observed on North Seymour. The iguanas can be seen in the low bushes, totally unaffected by the gaze of inquisitive visitors. There are two different species of the animals. One lives exclusively on land. The others spend a lot of time in the sea, having adapted themselves to gnaw algae off the lava rocks close to shore. Especially large land iguanas can be seen on Cerro Dragon - the dragon hill on the west of Santa Cruz. Pink coloured flamingoes can be seen around a small lake on the foothills of the Cerro Dragon. In the warm Pacific waters only a few steps away, visitors can bathe. If you want to have a cold drink the only way is back on board the ship. The dragon hill is uninhabited and there are no beach cafes. The same applies to all the other fantastic beaches on the Galapagos islands. One magnificent beach lies on the foothills of the Cerro Brujo of San Cristobal in the east of the archipelago. In other places it would have been ruined by hotel complexes. Here the park rangers however take great care that the tortoise nests are not destroyed by careless humans. The beach of Cerro Brujo can only be reached by dinghy. Many visitors came at dawn to see the spectacular sunrise at Kicker Rock several hundred metres from the coastline. Thousands of seabirds can be seen swirling around the rock while sea turtles swim around in the surf. GALAPAGOS ISLANDS FACTS LOCATION: 1,000 kilometres west of Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean POPULATION: 25,000 TIME ZONE: GMT -6 CURRENCY: US dollar DIALLING CODE: +593 ARRIVAL: Airlines offer flights to the Galapagos from the Ecuadorian cities of Quito and Guayaquil. WEATHER: Located on the equator, the islands remain warm year-round. The average temperature is 28 degrees. Generally, the warm Panama Current heats things up in the first half of the year, bringing sunny mornings and some brief afternoon showers. The cold Humboldt Current prevails in the second half of the year, shrouding the islands in cool fog. There's little rain in that period, but the wind picks up and brings rough seas. About once in a decade, the El Nino phenomenon brings heavy rain and plays havoc with the ecosystem and food chains. WHEN TO GO: There's not a bad time of year to visit, but if visitors are also planning a trip to the Ecuadorean mainland, they will want to consider the weather there. From June to August, for example, the Andes see their dry season while the rainforest sees its dry season from September through February. If travellers tend to become seasick, they should choose to visit in the first half of the year - also breeding season for land birds and sea lions and nesting season for sea turtles. Sea lion pups are prevalent in March through April, and from February through April, the islands blossom with flowers. Despite rough seas, the last half of the year is the best season for divers because the Humboldt Current brings nutrient-rich water and attracts fish and birds. Wetsuits are recommended for the cold water. The albatross also arrives at this time, and the blue-footed booby does its mating dance. EXPENSES: In addition to plane tickets and cruises, visitors must pay a $200 park entrance fee at the airport in cash. At the end of the cruise, passengers should also tip their crew and guide. CLOTHING: Light clothing such as shorts and T-shirts are good during the day. A jacket or long-sleeved shirt are needed for nighttimes at sea. MUST-HAVES: Essentials are sunscreen, a sun hat and binoculars. Seasickness tablets may also be helpful. Travellers who plan to snorkel should bring their own equipment or make sure their cruise ship provides it. A unique natural habitat has developed on the Galapagos Islands. In order to continue to protect this, the national park fee is being doubled. Michael Juhran/dpa Farmer Farai Mawarire holds a wilting maize plant at his farm in Beatrice, about 40 km to the southwest of Harare, Zimbabwe, on Feb. 26, 2024. (Xinhua/Tafara Mugwara) BEATRICE, Zimbabwe, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Holding hands behind her back, Jane Chari looked at her wilting maize crop in a parched field in Beatrice, about 40 km to the southwest of Harare, Zimbabwe's capital. The 64-year-old grandmother's hope for a harvest is now all but evaporated in the arid air. "It's so painful that I cannot sleep, worrying how I will feed my grandchildren," Chari said. A dry spell has persisted in Zimbabwe for close to a month, hurting the maize crop, her only source of livelihood. "I have never seen this level of wilting. I cannot even think of how we are going to survive," Chari said. "We are totally clueless." Erina Mazwi, another farmer from the same area, said groundwater is drying up, and it is now very difficult to get water from wells. "I was expecting a bumper harvest, but the dry spell changed all that," she said. "It is just painful. Sometimes I wonder how I am going to feed the family." Maize, Zimbabwe's main staple crop, does not take droughts kindly. Due to a lack of access to irrigation facilities, small-scale farmers like Chari and Mazwi are at the mercy of the increasingly unpredictable weather. The meteorological services have warned of below-normal rainfall due to the impact of El Nino, a phenomenon that warms parts of the Pacific, affecting weather patterns. Zimbabwe's main rainfall season normally runs from October to March, but due to El Nino, it was delayed by about five weeks, subjecting early planted crops to moisture stress. The situation was further exacerbated by the ongoing dry spell. The World Food Program (WFP) warned last Tuesday that more people in Zimbabwe will likely require emergency food aid during the lean season when rural households face grain shortages while waiting for the harvest. The government, in its latest livelihood assessment, said about 2.7 million people in rural areas, out of the country's total population of 16 million, face food insecurity in the current lean season, which typically starts in October and reaches its peak between January and March. Farai Mawarire, another farmer from Beatrice, said the dry spell caught many farmers unprepared, adding that farmers need to consider drought-resistant crops such as traditional small grains. "In the previous years, we would harvest with no challenges, so we never considered drought-resistant crops such as millet or sorghum. We have learned a lesson, and in the following seasons we will adopt drought-resistant crops," he told Xinhua. While Mawarire's maize crop is now a write-off, his fallback is on groundnuts. "Of all the crops that we cultivated, only groundnuts are promising," he said. "If we receive rains, even once, they will mature. That's our only hope for a harvest." Meanwhile, Gilbert Mukatyei, another farmer, confronted the drought with climate-smart agricultural practices such as deep plowing, mulching and adopting early maturing crop varieties. "Besides the deep plowing, we are also applying manure. We are also irrigating, and we are going to increase the number of boreholes this year. We also want to go solar (as a power source for irrigation)," he told Xinhua. "We have plenty of sunshine here. We need to make use of it." The effects of the drought are being felt in other sectors of Zimbabwe's economy as well. Tobacco, one of the highest foreign currency earners for the country, has also been affected by the dry spell, and slightly reduced yields are expected. The tourism sector has not been spared either. At least 100 elephants died in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe's largest game reserve, due to the drought late last year, according to the International Fund for Animal Welfare. Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube has projected that Zimbabwe's 2024 economic growth rate will slow to 3.5 percent, down from 5.3 percent in 2023, partly due to the expected impact of El Nino. Farmer Jane Chari looks at her wilting maize crops in a parched field in Beatrice, about 40 km to the southwest of Harare, Zimbabwe, on Feb. 26, 2024. (Xinhua/Tafara Mugwara) Dr. Qwynn Galloway-Salazar is one of USA TODAYs Women of the Year, a recognition of women across the country who have made a significant impact. The annual program is a continuation of Women of the Century, a 2020 project that commemorated the 100th anniversary of women gaining the right to vote. Meet this years honorees at womenoftheyear.usatoday.com. Before U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Kate Hendricks Thomas died of stage 4 breast cancer in 2022, she challenged Snellville, Georgia woman Qwynn Galloway-Salazar to move the needle forward in end-of-life care for veterans. Galloway-Salazar, 41, said with that charge, she has been on "one heck of a mission." To date, her work as a end-of-life doula has helped hundreds of veterans and their families. Growing up in New York, Galloway-Salazar wanted to go into the criminal justice system or become a mortician. Putting her curiosity about death and dying aside, she joined the U.S. Army in April 2001, just months before 9/11, in order to fund her education. She was called to active duty in 2003 and was stationed at Fort Liberty, North Carolina. During her time at the instillation, she served in the postal space, interacting with soldiers who were either preparing to deploy to combat or coming back home from deployment. It was her time spent there, listening and collecting stories, that would help shape her career after military service. Dr. Qwynn Galloway-Salazar an Army Veteran, End-of-Life Doula, Educator, and Founder of In Their Honor, LLC., poses for a photo in her office in Snellville, Ga., on Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024. Galloway-Salazar went to college and majored in criminal justice before receiving her master's degree in counseling. While working on her doctoral dissertation, focused on post-9/11 female veterans in their transition from the military into the civilian workforce, she met Thomas, a female veteran researcher. "She was light," Galloway-Salazar said. "She encouraged me, she inspired me and she made me see things in ways that I could have never imagined seeing. ... She would meet with me once a month and I would see her health decline. Toward the end, I started asking her existential questions one of which was: How does one's military service impact them at the end of their lives? We began having these deep conversations about what her combat experiences were like and how they were showing back up at that point in her life." Those conversations set Galloway-Salazar on a trajectory to become an end-of-life doula in 2021, accompanying dying veterans and their families. End-of-life doulas are non-medical professionals who support and care for those that are dying. They may take care of the home, discuss advanced end-of-life planning or just sit and listen to stories to reduce isolation and loneliness. Galloway-Salazar said she specifically wanted to focus on the needs of veterans and their loved ones because she felt there was a need to say, 'Thank you for your service,' in an actionable way. She started by serving as a doula to veterans that were dying during the COVID-19 pandemic. More: 2024 Women of the Year: Inspiring Women Across America "What started as a passion project in my community, turned into a movement and a national conversation about how we can support veterans through the end of life," she said. "What I have learned throughout these 20 years with our veterans is, for some, there's unfinished business right at the end of life. There are regrets. There are needs to have forgiveness; for themselves or for what they left on the battlefield." She later developed In Their Honor, which provides service consulting, trainings and workshops to help raise awareness and educate communities about the unique needs and challenges veterans face at the end of their lives. She joined PsychArmor as creative advisor and developed a group of courses, Caring for Veterans Through the End-of-Life, which rolled out in August 2023. While Galloway-Salazar has work happening throughout Georgia, she also has work happening in Oregon, Michigan and Washington. "To see this work spread is just a dream come true," she said. "... We can talk about the success that's on paper, that's all great, but my true success is serving humanity, serving mankind and leaving a legacy for those to see the world the way that I do." Thomas, whose cancer was attributed to burn pit exposure in Iraq, died on April 5, 2022. "It's so wild how someone can take up residency in your life for such a short period of time, but leave a mark in your life that will be there forever," Galloway-Salazar said. "That's what Kate did. ... I would have never imagined that one person would have had such an impact on my life the way that she did in months." Galloway-Salazar, affectionately known as "Doc Q," sat down to talk with USA TODAY about her dreams and how she turned them into a reality. Dr. Qwynn Galloway-Salazar an Army Veteran, End-of-Life Doula, Educator, and Founder of In Their Honor, LLC., poses for a photo in her office in Snellville, Ga., on Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Who paved the way for you? "Kate's one of the ones who paved the way for me, but when I think about it, every woman veteran that served prior to me, who served alongside of me, they paved the way for me. ... As I do this work, many of my greatest supporters are women that have served and it's an honor of a lifetime when I hear them say, 'You are our voice. The platform that you have with it, we all feel seen, we all feel heard, we all feel valued.'" What is your proudest moment? "In 2021, I moderated a virtual roundtable and I invited veterans from multiple eras to come on and share their story. My proudest moment was having a female veteran from Vietnam on that panel. She sent me a message a few days before and she said, 'Can I invite all of my female friends that served in Vietnam, too?' If we think about history, we often talk about our male veterans who were not welcomed home and we forget about the women. So to have her ask if her female veteran friends from Vietnam can be a part [of the discussion], that was the richest honor ever to be able to provide that platform and that space to share their experiences from Vietnam all the way to Iraq and Afghanistan. ... When I share that it was my proudest moment, people are like, 'But you were Georgia's first woman Veteran of the Year.' And I'm like, 'That's great, but I stand on the shoulders of giants that came before me.'" What is your definition of courage? "In short, to get up and keep doing the things that we're afraid to do over and over again." Is there a guiding principle or mantra that you tell yourself? "It is the quote, 'If your dreams don't scare you, they're not big enough.' I live by that and every day, besides that mantra, I ask myself, 'What's your why? With every breath that God gives you today, what are you going to do with it?'" Who do you look up to? "My family and friends, but truly, my daughters. My daughters are fierce. From 9 to 30-plus years old, they are fierce young women that are wrangling life and doing the impossible. They teach me things every day; to be a better version of myself. And of course, my mom, my dad, my siblings, my husband, who is a combat veteran that now serves in law enforcement. But on the day to day, it's my daughters." How do you overcome adversity? "There have been so many noes. When I started in this space, my husband said you're going to hear more noes than yesses, but you're waiting on that one yes that's going to catapult you. For every no that I heard, I wanted to quit. I went back to being in the military; we don't quit. ... I would dust myself off. When I think about adversity, or I think about what his failures look like to me, they are lessons learned. I welcome adversity. I make space for adversity, because it's the greatest teacher." What advice would you give your younger self? "Don't take yourself so serious, girl. Taking myself so seriously brought many moments of not having a good degree of freedom, fun and creativity that I wish I would have had. When I turned 40, I realized how important it was to live while I was living. So I show up as colorful, vibrant, carefree ... as I possibly can. I was more reserved, wore a mask and was not as open in my younger years. Now I show up and I show out. Other women have inspired and encouraged me to be the fullest version of myself, because that's what I deserve and that's what the world deserves." What is next for In Their Honor? "The future of In Their Honor is bright. I envision this work transcending conventional end-of-life care veterans receive. This work is not just a momentary service, but an enduring movement reshaping the care landscape. This movement is driven by a commitment to preserving veteran narratives, embracing the richness of their life stories, and building compassionate networks that put action to, 'Thank you for your service,' especially when it matters most. I envision that intergenerational connections will be made, reducing social isolation, loneliness and caregiver burnout. And yes, more than likely, a book, documentary and advocacy around legislation will follow." This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Georgia woman pioneers end of life care for veterans German Chancellor appeared to suggest that the UK and France had been helping Ukraine fire missiles. Long-range Storm Shadow missiles have become a key weapon in Ukraine's arsenal. Chancellor Olaf Scholz has been slammed for a "flagrant abuse of intelligence." German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has been criticized for a "flagrant abuse of intelligence" after he appeared to suggest British and French soldiers had been helping Ukraine fire missiles they had supplied. Scholz made the comments while explaining his reluctance to send Germany's long-range Taurus cruise missile to Ukraine, which he said risked the country becoming directly involved in the war. The chancellor said that sending the missiles, which weigh 3,000 pounds and have a range of up to around 310 miles, would require German soldiers to assist Ukrainian forces on the ground. He noted that Germany could not do what Britain and France were doing with the Storm Shadow, also known as SCALP, missiles. "What is being done in the way of target control and accompanying target control on the part of the British and the French can't be done in Germany. Everyone who has dealt with this system knows that," he said, The Associated Press reported. "German soldiers must at no point and in no place be linked to targets this system reaches," he added. Defense sources told The Telegraph that his comments had increased concerns over the safety of military and diplomatic personnel from the two countries. Former UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace accused Scholz of "not only dangerous use of facts but also often wrong facts." "Scholz's behavior has showed that as far as the security of Europe goes, he is the wrong man, in the wrong job at the wrong time," he told The Standard. Tobias Ellwood, the former chairman of the UK House of Commons Defence committee, said it was "a flagrant abuse of intelligence deliberately designed to distract from Germany's reluctance to arm Ukraine with its own long-range missile system," per The Telegraph. "This will no doubt be used by Russia to racket up the escalator ladder," he added. A German government spokesperson told Business Insider they had no comment on the reports. In a statement to BI, a spokesperson for the British Ministry of Defence said: "Ukraine's use of Storm Shadow and its targeting processes are the business of the Armed Forces of Ukraine." It also clarified that Scholz "did not confirm the presence of British troops in Ukraine," although it noted that the department had "previously been clear that a small number of personnel are in country to provide security for our diplomatic presence and to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine." A key weapon in Ukraine's arsenal A Storm Shadow/SCALP missile on the wing of a Rafale fighter. Thierry Wurtz/MBDA In May 2023, the UK became the first country to begin sending Ukraine long-range missiles with the delivery of long-range Storm Shadow missiles. In January, France announced that it was sending Ukraine roughly 40 more, which have become a key weapon in Ukraine's arsenal. The missiles are "deep strike" weapons designed for "pre-planned attacks against high value fixed or stationary targets." According to the Atlantic Council think tank, they enable Ukraine to target ammunition depots and command posts deep inside Russian territory. They have also been used to strike Russia's Black Sea Fleet headquarters in Sevastopol, Ukrainian sources told the BBC. Read the original article on Business Insider German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, speaking in the Chancellery at the presentation of the annual report of the Commission of Experts for Research and Innovation (EFI). Michael Kappeler/dpa Just over six months before regional elections for the state government, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is scheduled to visit the Saxon capital Dresden on Thursday. In the morning, he is to be a guest at Elbe Flugzeugwerke, a company specializing in converting passenger aircraft into cargo planes which works for airlines all over the world. Scholz then travels to Glashutte, not far from Dresden, to visit the watch manufacturer Nomos. The company is known for its mechanical watches. In the afternoon, Scholz plans to return to Dresden, where he will meet people involved in the metro_polis democracy project. Together with Dresden's public transport company, the eponymous association regularly turns a tram into a place for debate, where moderated discussions regularly take place in the last compartment of a moving tram. Finally, Scholz aims to continue his meetings with the public in the evening in the Kraftwerk Mitte venue, a cultural centre on the edge of the city centre. The German government has delivered a "Civil Defence Risk Analysis" report to the Bundestag, outlining one of the likely scenarios of a possible conflict between an unnamed aggressor and NATO, based on lessons learned from Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine. The report is available to European Pravda. According to the report, Russia's war against Ukraine has confirmed that modern warfare combines classical and unconventional operations, the latter including cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns and sabotage. "An aggressor attack hybrid and/or using the full arsenal of modern armed forces in all dimensions (land, air/space, sea, cyber and information) on NATO territory is therefore a likely scenario," the report says. The reports authors then outline one of the scenarios for such an attack, emphasising that it is only one of the possible scenarios and not specifying what the other scenarios envisage. This scenario divides the conflict into four phases. Phase I lasts for several years with varying degrees of intensity and involves hybrid influence by the aggressor: espionage, cyberattacks, sabotage, and attacks on vital and defence facilities and critical infrastructure. A key feature of this phase is that the hybrid influence is conducted covertly and cannot be immediately linked to the aggressor. Phase II lasts several months and involves the deployment of aggressor forces on NATO's eastern borders and the deployment of NATO deterrence forces in response. The hybrid influence continues, but becomes more intense and less covert. Phase III , which lasts for at least one year, involves open military aggression against NATO territory selective attacks using conventional and non-conventional means, including against targets in Germany, as well as possible disruption of satellites in space. Finally, during Phase IV, the aggressor's troops break through NATO defensive lines into Germany. A full-scale armed confrontation in space is also envisaged. The scenario assumes that this phase ends with "a ceasefire agreement no earlier than a few months later". In the report, the German government proposes that this scenario should be used as the basis for building a civil defence concept, and that the relevant agencies can model further "sub-scenarios" for more effective defence. It was previously reported that the Bundeswehr is drawing up a new comprehensive operational defence plan for the first time since the end of the Cold War, taking into account the lessons learned from Russia's full-scale aggression against Ukraine. The German defence plan is classified as "top secret", runs to hundreds of pages, and is expected to be completed by the end of March. In recent weeks, a number of European NATO countries have been warning of the risk of Russian aggression in the near future. German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said in January that the Alliance should prepare for a Russian attack on a NATO country within 5-8 years. Support UP or become our patron! BARCELONA, Spain, Feb. 29 (Xinhua) -- The telecommunications industry has a bright future in China as operators continue to provide top 5G coverage while leveraging the huge potential of the domestic market, Ericsson's chief technology officer for the Asia Pacific has said. "I'm very optimistic for China," Magnus Ewerbring told Xinhua at the ongoing Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain. He noted China's advanced moves in applying the 5G technology in different industries, including manufacturing. "I think other operators in the world can take good inspiration from what's being done in China." The Swedish telecom giant, present in China since the 1890s, has headquarters in Beijing and operations in Nanjing, Shanghai, Dalian, Xi'an, Guangzhou and Chengdu. It has 5G contracts with China's three telecom giants: China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom. "We will do our best to try to serve the needs of the Chinese market, going on with the evolution of 5G and one day going into 6G," Ewerbring said. Speaking of 6G, he remained uncertain about the precise timing and ways of the anticipated technological leap to the successor to 5G cellular technology. "Today we really don't know ... It's too early to say," he said, adding that it takes time to assess technologies and have the right products. "I'd say from 2025 to 2029 that process will continue," he added. 5G connectivity topped this year's agenda at the MWC, along with the focus on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the mobile industry. The gathering in Barcelona hosted around 2,400 exhibitors from all over the world between Feb. 26 and 29. "The AI contribution has to be trustworthy and it has to be responsible, and then we can see how we can get many benefits," Ewerbring said, adding that "AI-based optimization can improve the performance and give consumers better performance." "We have on display here many examples of experience we have gained from working with operators in China, and elsewhere in the world, and I hope that with that knowledge we can bring good stimuli to the national operators in China," he concluded. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Alliance 90/The Greens) visits the Ravensbrueck Memorial and lets a white rose float in the water of Lake Schwedt as a gesture of remembrance. Soeren Stache/dpa Faced with protests against the German coalition government and her party in particular, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock of the Greens has decried intimidation in public discourse. "This is a completely different country - with intimidation - and we can't discuss things with each other," Baerbock told students at a sixth form centre in Neuruppin in the state of Brandenburg to the north-west of Berlin on Thursday. "Fortunately," plenty of those people do not vote for her party, she said. People all over the world envy Germany for the fact that everyone can go to school, that medical treatment is available to all and that Germany takes in refugees fleeing war., Baerbock said. Diversity is what makes the country strong - not hatred and incitement, while people in other countries "are dying" for the goal of an open discourse, she said. On the fringes of Baerbock's visit, some 100 people gathered to protest the policies of the three-way coalition government, which in addition to the Greens includes Chancellor Olaf Scholz's centre-left Social Democrats and the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP). Farmers in tractors also wanted to join the protest, but were stopped by the police and asked to join instead on foot. The protesters were calling for an end to the war in Ukraine and asking for policies geared toward the "middle class," and the agricultural sector. Some protestors called for Germany's borders to be closed. Demonstrators stand next to the entrance to the Oberstufenzentrum Neuruppin before the German Foreign Minister Baerbock's visit. Soeren Stache/dpa German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (L) visits the Ravensbrueck Memorial and talks to Andrea Genest (R), director of the memorial. The "Women's Group" by artist Will Lammert stands to the right of the Wall. Soeren Stache/dpa Tractors with banners stand near the entrance to the Oberstufenzentrum (OSZ) Neuruppin before the German Foreign Minister Baerbock's visit. Soeren Stache/dpa An anti-gay bill that criminalises LGBT+ people and their supporters in Ghana drew international condemnation on Thursday, with the United Nations calling for it not to become law. The bill voted through by the Ghanaian parliament on Wednesday was first introduced three years ago. It outlaws relationships, sexual activity and public displays of affection, and targets LGBT+ supporters. Those convicted could face up to a decade in prison. Ghanas parliament passed a highly controversial anti-LGBTQ+ bill on Wednesday that could send some people to prison for more than a decade (AP/Misper Apawu) Volker Turk, the UN high commissioner for human rights, said the passage of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill 2024 is profoundly disturbing. The bill broadens the scope of criminal sanctions against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transexual and queer people simply for being who they are and threatens criminal penalties against perceived allies of LGBTQ+ people, he said in a statement. I call for the bill not to become law. I urge the Ghanaian government to take steps to ensure everyone can live free from violence, stigma and discrimination, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Consensual same-sex conduct should never be criminalised. The bill has been sent to the presidents desk to be signed into law. Ghana has generally been considered more respectful of human rights than most African countries but since the legislation passed through parliament, international condemnation has grown. The United States said it was deeply troubled by the bill, saying it threatens Ghanaians freedom of speech and its legitimacy should be reviewed. In a radio interview, the attorney general and minister of justice, Godfred Yeboah Dame, said he would not advise the president to sign a bill into law that didnt abide by the constitution. Naa Shika and her partner Kay could now be jailed in Ghana for conducting a same-sex relationship (Reuters) Audrey Gadzekpo, chairman of the Center for Democratic Development, a rights group, said it will continue advocating to get the bill thrown out, including by going to court. LGBT+ people in Ghana say theyre worried for the safety of those around them such as health providers, as well as for themselves. The passage of this bill, it demonstrates to me and all Ghanaians that our politicians do not respect our democracy. They do not respect our constitution, nor do they respect the many international rights treaties that Ghana has signed up to over the years, a lesbian who did not want to be named for fear of reprisal told the Associated Press. I dont know how much longer I can continue to live in a country that has criminalised me, she said. Associated Press contributed to this report Gilbert's self-examination on teen violence continued this week with questions about doxing and teen curfew hours during a special town subcommittee forum. Doxing has become a talking point after Gilbert Police Department announced it had eight investigations during its weekly press briefing on Feb. 22. Chief Michael Soelberg stated the department had made two arrests, two active investigations, three were cleared and one was an unfounded claim. Soelburg said officers have not identified the people who committed the harassment but arrested two people who had posted home addresses online. Community activists asked Soelberg at Monday's meeting for clarification on how the department was handling doxing claims. Gilbert Police Chief Michael Soelberg attends a press conference addressing teen violence at the departments headquarters in Gilbert on Jan. 25, 2024. He said they look for evidence that shows the information was provided online and that it resulted in harassment. Often the department cant make that connection, Soelberg said. Residents pushed back a week before the teen violence meeting saying the departments priorities were misplaced for going after doxing claims when the department should be focused on arresting people suspected of Gilbert Goon assaults or other teen attacks. A handful of residents asked both Mayor Brigette Peterson and Soelberg for their immediate resignation. The council subcommittee stated it would host another community meeting before coming up with a plan to present to the full Town Council. What is doxing? Doxing is the act of publishing private information about a person as a form of punishment or revenge. In 2021, Gov. Doug Ducey signed into law a bill that broadened the scope of doxing laws and the definitions of online harassment. The law states that it's unlawful to knowingly terrify, intimidate, threaten or harass a specific person by directing profane language, threatening to inflict physical harm to a person or property, or making repeated electric communication. Electric communication is defined in the law as a social media post, wire line, e-mail, instant message or fax among other modes of communication. Harassment is defined as the knowing and wilful conduct towards a specific person that a reasonable person would consider as seriously alarming, seriously disruptive, seriously tormenting or seriously terrorizing the person and that serves no legitimate purpose. If a person violates the statute they could be guilty of a class one misdemeanor, the most serious type of crime that isn't a felony. What are the teen curfew hours in Gilbert? Residents also asked the police department to clarify teen curfew hours. Soelberg did not directly answer questions about curfew hours during the subcommittee meeting. Most metro Phoenix cities have restrictions on the times minors can be in public without parental supervision. In Gilbert, minors under the age of 15 are not permitted in or about the town from the hours of 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. For teens ages 16 to 17, their curfew starts at midnight. There are some exceptions including teens returning from work or school or religious activities. Enforcement of the curfew has some parents and activists asking for clarity. According to the town code, police first need to determine if the suspected person is a juvenile and is breaking curfew without the exception. An officer shall not issue a citation or make an arrest unless it is reasonably believed that an offense has occurred based on the circumstances and the minor's conduct, according to the town code. The code also allows officers to bring the teen to their parent or guardian or home. A minor breaking curfew could be subjected to a misdemeanor. Reporter Maritza Dominguez covers Mesa, Gilbert and Queen Creek and can be reached at maritza.dominguez@arizonarepublic.com or 480-271-0646. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @maritzacdom. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Gilbert residents ask for clarity on doxing and teen curfew hours The Republican-controlled Missouri House advanced a bill on Wednesday that would block state Medicaid dollars from going to Planned Parenthood, even as abortion remains illegal in the state. Lawmakers gave initial approval to the bill, filed by Rep. Cody Smith, a Carthage Republican running for state treasurer, on a voice vote. It will need one more vote before heading to the Senate. Smith said that the bill is a continuation of Republican efforts to block Planned Parenthoods two affiliates in Missouri from receiving taxpayer dollars through the states Medicaid program. The legislation comes after the Missouri Supreme Court ruled earlier this month for the second time in four years that lawmakers cannot use the state budget to strip Medicaid funding from the organization. Through a series of attempts at that through the budget process and a couple of Supreme Court decisions, we have been stymied in those efforts, Smith said. This bill would simply seek to codify that in statute. House Democrats opposed the measure during debate on Wednesday. They said that the bill would block Medicaid recipients from accessing other services provided by Planned Parenthood including mammograms, STI testing and birth control. To say that this bill today is about abortion it isnt, said Rep. Emily Weber, a Kansas City Democrat. This is about Missourians access to birth control, to cancer screenings, to annual exams, to STI testing and treatment. Missouri bans abortion in nearly all circumstances under a 2019 law that went into effect after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the federal right to the procedure in 2022. Missouri also has not sent state dollars to Planned Parenthood in roughly two years, according to Senate documents. Federal rules on state Medicaid programs Rep. Paula Brown, a Hazelwood Democrat, said she was also concerned that the bill would run afoul of federal rules governing state Medicaid programs. She cited a piece of federal regulation that says that Medicaid users cannot be denied freedom of choice of qualified family planning service providers. She said that even though the provision hasnt been enforced against other states that have passed similar measures, that could change at any time. If so, she said, it would endanger a significant chunk of funding for the states Medicaid program. Law really is the law, whether its being followed or not, Brown said. My concern is that we continue to get Medicaid funding overall in our budget I hope youll look at that, because that really is a big concern. Smith, the Carthage Republican representative, said that he hadnt heard of the statute Brown was referencing, but told Brown that he would look into it. In a joint statement issued Wednesday, the organizations two affiliates pointed to the recent court ruling against efforts to block funding through the state budget. The legislation was another direct attack on Missourians, playing politics with their ability to access essential, life-saving health care like birth control, cancer screenings, STI testing and treatment, and more, the statement said. Planned Parenthood continues to treat patients without reimbursement regardless of the patients ability to pay or insurance status, because every person must have the right to get care from the health care provider of their choice, the group said. Medicaid tax bills and abortion The Houses decision to take up the legislation was widely viewed in the Missouri Capitol as a way to appease a hard-right faction of senators who have attempted to attach similar anti-abortion language to a bill that would reauthorize a series of crucial taxes that fund the states Medicaid program. Members of the hard-right Missouri Freedom Caucus in the Senate have vowed to use the tax bill, known as the Federal Reimbursement Allowance, or FRA, to block public funding from going to Planned Parenthood. Sen. Bill Eigel, a Weldon Spring Republican, and Freedom Caucus member, previously said he would block any version of the Medicaid tax bill that didnt include the anti-abortion language. Sen. Denny Hoskins, a Warrensburg Republican, said Wednesday that he would join Eigel in blocking the legislation unless the anti-abortion language were either included in the FRA, or a provision containing the same language was signed into law by Republican Gov. Mike Parson first. His preference, Hoskins said, would be for the anti-abortion language to be combined into the tax renewal legislation. Hoskins cited the last time the FRA was set for renewal in 2021, when a group of hard-right Senators derailed the bill over the same pro-life measures at issue this session. Unfortunately, the FRA bill made it through and the pro-life bill to defund Planned Parenthood did not make it through, Hoskins said. We had secured promises that both of them would go or neither of them would go. Not renewing the FRA would lead to an estimated loss of $4.3 billion in state and federal Medicaid funds in fiscal year 2026, according to an analysis by the Missouri Budget Project, a nonprofit that analyzes fiscal policy. A loss of that magnitude would force lawmakers to make cuts across the board, including to education and other priorities, to keep Medicaid running. Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi blocked quick passage of a bill on Wednesday afternoon that would have enshrined protections for in vitro fertilization and for the doctors who perform the procedure. Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois requested to pass the bill by unanimous consent, meaning any one senator could block it from advancing. Several Republican senators had warned in the past week that they believed legislation on IVF should be left at the state level, not the federal level, as they defended their support for the procedure after the Alabama Supreme Court warned that disposing of unused embryos could be categorized as wrongful death. Duckworth spoke about her own experience with IVF, which she used to conceive both of her children. After decades of struggling with infertility after my service in Iraq, I was only able to get pregnant through the miracle of IVF. IVF is the reason I get to experience the chaos and the beauty, the stress and the joy that is motherhood, she said. IVF made our family. It made my heart whole, it made my life full. She noted that three of her five embryos were deemed nonviable, and that under the Alabama courts interpretation, she would have had to either implant them and endure miscarriages, or discard them and face possible criminal charges. Thats the level of cruelty that were facing, Duckworth said. Thats the kind of future that were fighting to prevent where frozen embryos have more rights than the women who would carry them. Though she argued that she supports the ability for mothers and fathers to have total access for IVF, Hyde-Smith said she would not support Duckworths legislation. The bill before us today is a vast overreach that is full of poison pills that go way to far, far beyond ensuring legal access to IVF, she argued. The Mississippi Republican said that the bill did not include limits on genetic engineering, surrogacy, or even cloning. Duckworth disagreed. This bill does three things and three things only, said Duckworth. It protects the right of individuals to seek assisted reproductive technology without fear of being prosecuted for seeking that technology. It preserves the right of physicians to provide that assisted reproductive technology without fear of being prosecuted. And it also allows insurance companies to cover assisted reproductive technology. This story has been updated with additional developments. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., blocked the quick passage Wednesday of a bill that would have provided federal protections for access to in vitro fertilization, calling it "vast overreach." File photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI Feb. 28 (UPI) -- Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi blocked the quick passage Wednesday of a bill that would have provided federal protections for access to in vitro fertilization. "The bill before us today is a vast overreach that is full of poison pills that go way too far," Hyde-Smith said. "Far beyond ensuring legal access to IVF, the act explicitly waives the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and would subject religious and pro-life organizations to crippling lawsuits." Democrat Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, who introduced the bill, requested it be passed by unanimous consent, which meant any one senator could block it. "Republicans are still blocking us from protecting access to IVF," Duckworth wrote in a post on X, along with Senate floor footage showing the measure being blocked in December 2022 and again on Wednesday. December 2022 Now Republicans are still blocking us from protecting access to IVF. Can't trust a word they say. pic.twitter.com/bZjczTn6OO Tammy Duckworth (@SenDuckworth) February 29, 2024 Duckworth, who used in vitro fertilization for two of her children, said Tuesday that she was bringing the bill to the Senate floor because of a recent Alabama Supreme Court ruling that qualifies frozen fertilized embryos as children under Alabama law. Duckworth says the ruling threatens access to the procedure. "After decades of struggling with infertility after my service in Iraq, I was only able to get pregnant through the miracle of IVF. IVF is the reason I get to experience the chaos and the beauty, the stress and the joy that is motherhood," Duckworth said. Under the Alabama court ruling, Duckworth claims three of her nonviable embryos would have left her with two impossible choices: to implant them and endure miscarriages or to discard them and face possible criminal charges. "That's the kind of future that we're fighting to prevent -- where frozen embryos have more rights than the women who would carry them." While Republicans argue IVF protections should remain at the state level amid questions over how clinics should handle un-implanted, viable embryos, Sen. Mike Braun, R-Ind., said, "I haven't talked to any Republican that is not for IVF." Duckworth said, "All the bill says, is if you want to seek reproductive technology you can, if you want to provide it you can and if you want to cover it as an insurance company you can." Shortly after Wednesday's blocked vote, the White House called Hyde-Smith's move "outrageous." "The idea that Senate Republicans would block a vote to protect access to in vitro fertilization -- IVF -- is outrageous," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement Wednesday. "Every woman in this country should have the freedom to make the decision to have a child, and about one in five American women struggle with infertility and many rely on IVF," Jean-Pierre added. "This is a basic issue of reproductive freedom." Gov. Ron DeSantis will visit Palm Beach today to sign a bill that will release records from a 2006 Jeffrey Epstein grand jury that resulted in only one criminal charge widely criticized as too lenient. The governor will be at the Palm Beach Police Department at 10 a.m., a police spokesman confirmed. According to Politico, DeSantis while there will hold a press conference to sign the legislation, CS/HB 117, which was presented to him Wednesday. With media attendance expected, the area around the police department at 345 S. County Road just north of Worth Avenue may experience some congestion. "All files related to Jeffrey Epstein's criminal activity should be made public," DeSantis said on X, formerly Twitter, as he pledged to sign the bill into law after its final passage in the Senate recently. Disgraced billionaire financier Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to two felony charges of soliciting prostitution and procuring a minor for prostitution. He received a plea deal that was criticized for being lenient. Jeffrey Epstein died in a New York jail after he was arrested on sex-trafficking and conspiracy charges involving underage girls. He previously served 13 months of an 18-month sentence in Palm Beach County after being charged with having teenage girls give him sexual massages. Many of the allegations had centered around Epstein's Palm Beach home at 358 El Brillo Way, which he bought in 1990. Underage girls from Palm Beach County told investigators they were brought to Epstein's mansion in Palm Beach and homes in New York, New Mexico and the U.S. Virgin Islands for sexual encounters. In 2019, under renewed pressure to examine the case spurred by a Miami Herald investigation, officials charged Epstein with sex trafficking of minors and conspiracy. Before he could go to trial, he killed himself on Aug. 10, 2019, while in federal custody in New York. A 2019 Palm Beach Post investigation found that then-Palm Beach County State Attorney Barry Krischer, who was the prosecutor in the first criminal case against Epstein, sunk his own prosecution before a 2006 grand jury. The Post sued to uncover documentation from that grand jury, and last year an appeals court ordered the trial court judge to review and release the grand jury's transcripts. The bill DeSantis will sign Thursday will not be needed once a judge in that Palm Beach Post lawsuit follows the appeals court's order, which was issued nine months ago. The bill was sponsored by Boca Raton lawmakers Sen. Tina Polsky and Rep. Peggy Gossett-Seidman. Palm Beach County Clerk & Comptroller Joseph Abruzzo proposed the bill and was on the Senate floor in Tallahassee when the legislation passed. "This has been my goal from the beginning, to find a way for the grand jury records to be released so Jeffrey Epsteins victims and our community can get the answers they deserve, Abruzzo said in a news release. Allegations against Epstein were first brought to the Palm Beach Police Department when a concerned stepmother called the law-enforcement agency in 2005 to say her 14-year-old stepdaughter had been molested by a wealthy man. In a letter to the Palm Beach Daily News in 2021, former Palm Beach police Chief Michael Reiter, who led the department at the time, said the department "recognized the importance of stopping Jeffrey Epstein and bringing him to justice." The 2019 Palm Beach Post investigation found that Krischer, the state attorney who was the first to prosecute Epstein for sex crimes, approached the case as though the girls who accused Epstein were prostitutes, instead of viewing them as victims of sexual assault. Reiter and Joseph Recarey, the detective who led the case, were frustrated by Krischer's decisions and went to the FBI, as well as urged Krischer to step down. "The department never bent to the power and influence brought to bear against us," Reiter wrote. "Unfortunately, of the many other agencies involved, only the FBI acted in a similar way." Recarey died in 2018, before Epstein was arrested on federal charges. Recarey said that during the investigation, nearly two dozen girls and young women provided nearly identical information about their encounters with Epstein, including information about how he flaunted his wealth to exploit them, The Palm Beach Post reported in a 2019 investigation. Recarey worked to build the case against Epstein, with the detective finding what would become dozens of teens who said they had been targeted by the billionaire. As part of the investigation, Palm Beach police arranged for Epstein's trash to be set aside by garbage collectors, so detectives could sift through it. When local prosecutors led by Krischer tried to offer Epstein a plea deal that would not involve time behind bars, Recarey fought back. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Jeffrey Epstein documents: DeSantis to sign bill in Palm Beach Gov. Kay Ivey has appointed Elmore County Circuit Judge Bill Lewis to the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals. Lewis, a Republican, has been on the bench since 2016. He will fill out the unexpired term of appeals court judge Bill Thompson, who retired Feb. 1, after 27 years on the court. He was presiding judge for the past 17 years. Judge Lewis distinguished record of jurisprudence ensures that he will serve on the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals with honor and integrity, Ivey said. Throughout his esteemed legal career, he has consistently demonstrated a devotion to justice and fairness under the law. I look forward to his contributions on the court. The appointment takes effect immediately. Judge Bill Lewis Id like to thank Governor Ivey and her staff for the confidence that they are placing in me. It is an honor to accept this appointment, Lewis said. Judge Thompson served this court with distinction and integrity. I know I cant replace him, but I hope to follow in his footsteps. "Serving as presiding judge of the 19th Judicial Circuit has been an honor, and Ive loved the people that I have worked with. It wont be easy to leave the courthouse, but Im very excited about this opportunity to serve the people of our state as a member of the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals. Lewis was appointed circuit judge to fill out the unexpired term of former Elmore County circuit judge John Bush, who retired. Before then he was the senior partner of the Lewis Law Firm, a firm he started in 2006. He also served as assistant district attorney for the 19th Judicial Circuit before going into private practice, and has worked as a criminal defense attorney and practiced civil and family law. Lewis received his undergraduate degrees in political science and economics from the University of the South and his law degree from the Cumberland School of Law. The court of civil appeals consists of five judges, the most senior judge serving as the presiding judge. The court has original appellate jurisdiction in all civil appeals where the amount in controversy does not exceed $50,000, according to the court's website. The Alabama Supreme Court may transfer to the appeals court civil cases appealed to the supreme court and within its appellate jurisdiction, with some exceptions. The court of civil appeals has jurisdiction of all appeals from administrative agencies, other than the Alabama Public Service Commission, in which a judgment was entered in the circuit court. The court also exercises jurisdiction over appeals in workers' compensation cases and domestic relations cases, including annulment, divorce, alimony, child support, adoption and child custody cases. Contact Montgomery Advertiser reporter Marty Roney at mroney@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Governor names Elmore County judge to Alabama Court of Civil Appeal The sprawling 100-acre Granville Land Lab was recently dedicated as a WILD School Site by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. The Granville Land Lab was recently dedicated as a WILD School Site, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife. The site is the 206th WILD School Site in Ohio and the seventh in Licking County. The Land Lab at Granville Intermediate School consists of almost 100 acres and is an essential component to students and wildlife alike. Prairies containing more than 30 species of flowering plants and early successional woodlots provide food and shelter for wildlife. Four wetlands and one vernal pool were installed on the property and are managed for migrating waterfowl and wading birds. Nest boxes for bluebirds, wood ducks, kestrels, owls, and bats as well as hawk posts and mallard nesting tubes have been installed throughout the property. Students have documented 176 bird species in the Land Lab. Every year, hundreds of students ranging from kindergarten to college at Denison University use the Land Lab. It was created by students as part of an Advanced Placement Environmental Science "Take Action" project and continues to expand and evolve every year through the hard work of students. Through this new WILD School Site, students will be inspired to make a difference in wildlife conservation. The WILD School Sites program, administered in Ohio by the Division of Wildlife, is considered an action extension of the national Project WILD program. Any educational property used by students, educators, and the local community as a place to learn about and benefit from wildlife and the environment can be certified. The sites function within the premise that every site, regardless of size and location, can provide outdoor educational opportunities that can and should be part of an integrated environmental education program. WILD School Sites that demonstrate program development and site enhancement consistent with the premises outlined in this program are eligible for certification as an official Ohio WILD School Site. Information submitted by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Granville Land Lab earns recognition from statewide program The Chancellor is thought to be considering a Great British Isa to save London's stock market - Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images Europe The UK stock market is not in great shape. What is less clear is what might improve it. Ahead of next weeks Budget, speculation has re-emerged that the Chancellor is considering a Great British Isa as part of the answer. The idea has merit, but I think there are better ways to make the London market more attractive to both companies and investors. Its easy to argue that something needs to be done. More than 40bn has been withdrawn from UK-focused funds in recent years. In large part thats down to pension funds which have scaled back a big UK equity overweight, principally in favour of bonds. Another reason is the poor performance of UK shares over the years. These trends have led to depressed valuations, a decline in new listings and a tendency for too many promising British companies to be taken private before they have fulfilled their potential. The argument for introducing an Isa that incentivises UK investment is that it is a quick and easy first step towards levelling the playing field. The format being discussed is a new 5,000 allowance, on top of the existing 20,000, that would be restricted to investments in UK-listed companies. It is not an unusual idea. Other countries encourage domestic investors to back their home market. It could build on and complement other measures such as the Governments Edinburgh Reforms, which are focused on promoting early-stage investment in unlisted science and technology start-ups. A more attractive listing environment for young private companies to stay and grow here in the UK would have significant knock-on benefits for the broader economy. Promoters of the Great British Isa suggest that it could direct up to 200bn into UK businesses over five years. They get to this figure via data from the Financial Conduct Authority, which show that there are more than eight million people who have investable assets of 10,000 held largely or entirely in cash. The assumption, unproven Id say, is that many of them could be encouraged to invest the 5,000 maximum in the British Isa. I suspect there is a reason these people prefer cash, and a new Isa limited to British shares is unlikely to be the catalyst for change. The idea of a Great British Isa was aired ahead of last years Autumn Statement. In the end, nothing came of it, with the Chancellor instead opting for a simplification of the rules around opening multiple Isas in any one tax year. Now, it seems the idea is back on the table. One of the reasons that UK investors dont invest more in Isas is the complexity of the current system. The changes announced last autumn are a step in the right direction, but further simplification would help. We all find ourselves managing a series of evolving financial objectives and it can be hard to know what mix of products can help us achieve our goals. Complexity is the enemy of confidence, and adding to the existing cocktail of cash, stocks and shares, innovative and lifetime Isas may not be the answer. Combining cash and stocks and shares Isas to make it easier to move backwards and forwards between the two would be a good first step. For one thing, it would reduce the friction that means many people hold large cash balances for too long, missing out on the higher investment returns that the stock market offers. Two thirds of Isa accounts are still restricted to cash, a ratio that has changed little over the past 15 years. Perhaps the strongest argument against a Great British Isa is that it would encourage home bias, the tendency for investors to favour their domestic market. This is a global phenomenon but its a particular problem in the UK, where our stock markets diminishing importance on the international stage has outpaced our willingness to adjust our portfolios. The UK market accounts for just 4pc of the value of shares worldwide, down from 10pc a decade ago. Despite that, the average balanced model portfolio has a 25pc exposure to UK shares. Investors opt for local assets for a number of reasons. They assume they have more information about their home market. They view foreign assets as riskier. In the past, regulation and transaction costs have made overseas securities less attractive. None of these arguments makes much sense any more. Reducing home bias usually improves performance and leads to smoother returns over time. It reduces risk. First, it cuts a portfolios concentration, a particular issue in the UK, where the top 10 companies account for around 40pc of the markets total capitalisation. This is twice as high as for the global market and significantly greater even than in the US, despite the dominance of the Magnificent Seven. Tilting your portfolio to the UK also creates sector and style risks. Around half the value of the FTSE All-Share index is accounted for by just three sectors: financials, energy and consumer staples. The UK market is a big bet, too, on the value investment style and away from growth and momentum. Historically this has outperformed, more recently it has not. A Great British Isa would be challenging to deliver in a way that achieves its objectives. There are other ways in which the Government could raise potential returns for investors, and at the same time support companies that are considering listing in the UK. It could remove or reduce the burden of stamp duty for equity transactions, putting us on a level footing with other markets. It might also consider reducing the tax rate for UK dividends, simplifying capital gains tax or reintroducing indexation to encourage longer-term investing. Thats less eye-catching than a Great British Isa perhaps, but it might lead to a better outcome. Tom Stevenson is an investment director at Fidelity International. The views are his own. Recommended Our predictions for Jeremy Hunt's spring Budget: is an NI reduction possible? 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. COLOMBO, Feb. 29 (Xinhua) -- Thirty-six people, including 24 schoolchildren, were injured when a state-owned passenger transport bus toppled over in Siyambalanduwa, southeast Sri Lanka's Uva province, on Thursday, police spokesman Nihal Thalduwa said. The spokesman, commenting on the incident, said the bus was traveling at high speeds and the driver lost control. He said those injured are being treated at several hospitals in the area. Thalduwa said that the driver of the bus has been taken into custody and that they are investigating allegations that the driver was drunk. The above archived video was posted on July 13, 2023. GREENSBORO, N.C. (WGHP) Three Greensboro police officials will not face criminal charges after a fatal officer-involved shooting in the parking lot of a BP, according to the office of District Attorney Avery Crump. On Friday, June 30, 2023 around 9:55 p.m., officers with the Greensboro Police Department were dispatched when they were told about someone armed with a machete in the area of Creek Ridge Road and Randleman Road. Man shot after pointing gun towards officers responding to suspected drug activity in north Charlotte: CMPD This person was later identified as 41-year-old Ernesto Ruiz. Multiple officers responded to the parking lot of the Family Fare Convenience store/BP gas station on 2600 Randleman Rd. One sergeant and two officers shot Ruiz. He was then taken to the hospital where he died. Two bladed weapons were recovered from the scene. One was described as a large machete, and the other was described as a large kitchen knife. The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation determined that members of the GPD first encountered Ruiz near the intersection of Creek Ridge Road and Rehobeth Church Road. The weather was clear. Officers activated their blue lights and told Ruiz, who was walking, to drop the machete he had in one hand and the knife in the other. Ruiz then ran away. Officers continued to tell Ruiz in English and Spanish to drop the machete and knife. Ruiz did not comply. Officers used pepper spray and multiple taser deployments. Officers then continued to follow Ruiz and issue commands for about one mile. Officers were concerned that Ruiz was running into a more populated area and was still armed with a machete and knife. They were getting close to the intersection of Randleman Road and Creek Ridge Road. There are several restaurants and convenience stores at that intersection, which would normally be busy on a Friday night. My name is Lucifer. Bodycam video of dangerous mental health crisis situation in Charlotte released Multiple officers pursued Ruiz through the parking lot of the BP. Civilians were in the area, and officers surrounded Ruiz. A marked patrol vehicle and an unmarked patrol vehicle were placed between Ruiz and the parking lot of a nearby Cookout. Ruiz hit the hood of the patrol vehicle with the machete in one hand and the kitchen knife in the other. He then tried to run down the sidewalk but was blocked by the same patrol vehicle. He was told to drop the weapons, and he moved toward officers with the machete raised in one hand while he was still armed with a knife in the other hand. One sergeant and two officers then shot Ruiz. He was hit multiple times and dropped the weapons when he was on the ground. Officers rendered life-saving measures. Ruiz was taken to the hospital and later died. Dash cam helped in decision These events are confirmed by dash-cam footage from patrol vehicles and body-worn camera video, according to Crump. The use of deadly force under these circumstances was reportedly justified by both the common law principle of self-defense and by statutory provisions that permit the use of deadly force by a law enforcement officer to defend himself or another from what he believes to be the imminent use of deadly force. Crump says criminal charges are appropriate when it appears that there is both probable cause to believe that a crime has been committed, and when it appears that the evidence of that crime is sufficiently strong to afford the state some reasonable prospect of obtaining a conviction at trial. In these circumstances, Ruiz was armed with a machete in one hand and a knife in the other. After a pursuit on foot by multiple GPD officers extending for approximately one mile wherein the officers utilized nonlethal means and bilingual commands for Ruiz to drop his weapons before they reached a highly populated area where the public would be present. After officers attempted to surround Mr. Ruiz and Mr. Ruiz made the decision to move toward officers in a threatening manner still armed with a machete and knife, I will not recommend the filing of a criminal charge against the officers involved. However, this recommendation to forego criminal prosecution should not be construed to mean that the Greensboro Police Department should not determine whether departmental regulations were violated by the officers conduct in their administrative review of the circumstances involved. District Attorney Avery Crump For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. The Supreme Court on Wednesday took up former President Donald Trumps repeatedly rejected immunity claim in the D.C. election subversion case, stalling the trial until at least the late summer or fall. The Supreme Court agreed to hear arguments in the matter at the end of April. Trumps claim that presidential immunity shields him from prosecution in the case has already been rejected by two lower courts. The court paused proceedings in the D.C. case while the litigation plays out. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is overseeing the case, vowed to give Trump an additional 82 days to prepare for the trial. If the Supreme Court issues a ruling by June, the extra 82 days could push the trial date into September, according to The New York Times. There is no certainty a trial could be completed by the election. Legal experts widely expected the Supreme Court to reject Trumps appeal after it was shot down in two lower courts. Michael Waldman, the president of the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University Law School, called it a grossly partisan move by the Supreme Court. It has been captured by a faction of a faction, he wrote. The Court effectively granted Trump immunity for his alleged crimes, regardless of whatever ruling they make later. MSNBC legal analyst Lisa Rubin said the most upsetting part of the Supreme Court order is the way the question is framed. "Whether and if so to what extent a former president enjoys presidential immunity from criminal prosecution for conduct alleged to involve official acts. There are some tells there in the language," she said Wednesday night. "As lawyers, our professional hazard is to parse words too closely. The phrase alleged to. Alleged by who? If you ask Jack Smith, everything they are alleging is outside of Donald Trump's official purview as president by interfering with an election over which a president has no administrative responsibility. Nothing about this is official. Alleged is by him." Rubin argued that the Supreme Court was essentially giving in to his reframing of the question. And then the D.C. Circuit and ruling said that he has no categorical immunity, she added. They have reframed it, whether and if so to what extent? They are opening the door to that there is a possibility that a president could have immunity to some subcategory of official actions, but not as to others." 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 Muellers team, predicted the court will ultimately rule against Trumps immunity claim but they have given him the win because the D.C. case, let's just face it, is on life support now. It is really, really hard to figure out how this case gets to trial before the election. I think that's the end result of what they did here. They may ultimately say that he does not have immunity, but, in fact, he will have been given immunity because the case will not go to trial before the election, he told MSNBC. "If Joe Biden wins, the case goes forward," he continued. "If he loses, the case is over. It is worth noting the other big picture item. Any normal politician, any person accused of a crime they did not do would want to clear his name. What's happening here is the reason one thinks it is a win for Donald Trump is he is trying to avoid at all costs the facts of what happened that are charged in this indictment, that they do not get represented in court where facts actually matter and people will hear it. FILE PHOTO: FILE PHOTO: Zantac heartburn pills are seen in this picture illustration (Reuters) - GSK agreed to confidentially settle another lawsuit in California that had alleged its discontinued heartburn drug Zantac caused cancer, the latest in a series of settlements made by the British drugmaker to end costly litigation. The case, which was set to begin trial on April 2, will be dismissed. GSK does not admit to any liability in this settlement with Boyd/Steenvoord, it said on Thursday. This follows similar Zantac settlements since June last year, including several in California. GSK still faces thousands of lawsuits in the states of California and Delaware in the U.S. California is generally seen as a more challenging legal environment for multinational companies, as courts are known to be friendlier to plaintiffs. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2020 pulled all brands named Zantac and generic versions of the drug off the market, triggering a wave of lawsuits. The drug, approved over four decades ago, had became the world's best selling medicine in 1988 and one of the first-ever drugs to top $1 billion in annual sales. Analysts had estimated total settlement costs for the company of around $5 billion. GSK has not yet quantified the costs of these settlements. (Reporting by Eva Mathews in Bengaluru, additional reporting by Yadarisa Shabong; Editing by Rashmi Aich) GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters) - A Guatemalan court on Wednesday convicted seven soldiers for their roles in the killing of six Indigenous protesters in 2012, while a colonel and another soldier were acquitted. More than a decade later, Wednesday's ruling was seen as partial justice by family members of the victims of what Guatemalans describe as the first state massacre to occur since the nation's bloody civil war ended in the '90s. Of those convicted, six of the soldiers were found guilty of bodily injury caused in a fight while another was convicted of murder. A judge presiding over the case ruled that the bodily injury charge was the most appropriate for the majority, as witnesses could not prove that those soldiers were the ones out of their group who killed the protestors. They were sentenced to nearly eight years in prison while the soldier found guilty of murder was sentenced to more than nine. On Oct. 4, 2012, hundreds of members of the Indigenous organization 48 Cantones of Totonicapan blocked a section of the Pan-American Highway, protesting high electricity costs and the closure of a teacher's college. Six Maya K'iche men were killed and more than 34 other protesters were injured by security forces that day, though versions of how the violence began were initially conflicting. The government of then-President Otto Perez said that the security guard assigned to a cement truck that had been blocked by the protesters shot into the air to clear a path, angering protesters and forcing the army to "also shoot into the air" to disperse them. The Indigenous group said they were shot at point-blank by soldiers. Guatemalan prosecutors had accused Colonel Juan Chiroy of giving the order to shoot, though Chiroy denied such and was acquitted alongside another soldier after the court did not find sufficient evidence to convict them. Waiting for the ruling outside the court in Guatemala City, several members of the 48 Cantones performed a traditional ceremony and held a Catholic mass to honor the deceased. "May the Army never again harm our people," read a white banner held by the group. As part of Guatemala's decades-long civil war, more than 200,000 Guatemalans, most of whom were Indigenous, were killed by the state. After the conviction and sentencing was read, the leader of 48 Cantones, Rafael Zapeta, said the group "regretted prosecutors' shoddy work" and that it would appeal. (Reporting by Sofia Menchu; Writing by Kylie Madry; Editing by Michael Perry) GULF BREEZE, Fla. (WKRG) The 2024 Rotary Club of Gulf Breeze Gumbo Cook-Off will see about 20 teams compete to raise money for a college scholarship program. The cook-off is set for Saturday, March 16, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Gulf Breeze Recreation Center. Bear, the dog with a box on its head, has finally been caught COOK-OFF LOCATION: This embedded content is not available in your region. The event will take place outdoors and is open to the public. Teams will compete in professional or amateur divisions and for the peoples choice award. It will feature unlimited gumbo samples, music, drinks, a silent auction, raffles for a grill and paddle board, and the opportunity to vote for the crowds favorite gumbo. Team registration is open for private groups and restaurant teams looking to compete for the best gumbo. Gulf Islands National Seashore releases how many millions of visits it received in 2023 Last years event saw 1,800 people in attendance, and more are expected to attend this year. Those interested in attending can buy advance tickets for $20 online or from a Rotary Club of Gulf Breeze Rotary member. Tickets at the event will be $30, and kids 10 years old or younger can enter free. The cook-off is the primary fundraiser for the Gulf Breeze Rotary college scholarship program. The club has given more than $850,000 to Gulf Breeze students over the last two decades. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRG News 5. GULF BREEZE, Fla. (WKRG) A new report from the National Park Service has revealed the total number of visits national parks in the United States received in 2023 with a local seashore having over 8.2 million visits. Gulf Islands National Seashore had an increase of 40% in the total number of visits between 2022 and 2023. In 2022, the seashore received 5.7 million visits, while in 2023, it received 8.2 million visits. Okaloosa County cold case featured on national award-winning podcast One factor that NPS pointed out as a contributor to the increase was the Pensacola City Bay Ferrys return to Fort Pickens. Another factor was the reopening of the Fort Barrancas Area in the Florida district. In 2023, the Florida district of the park rehabilitated restrooms in the Fort Pickens historic district and Johnson Beach, according to the report. Overall, NPS saw 325.5 million visits to national parks in 2023 over 400 national parks. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRG News 5. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announces the indictments of two former Akron-based FirstEnergy executives and ex-Public Utilities Commission of Ohio Chairman Sam Randazzo on Monday, Feb. 12, 2024. Jack DAurora is a partner with The Behal Law Group and produces a podcast Justus with Jack & Gonzo. Bowling Green State University published a study in January concerning a law passed in June 2022 that permits citizens to carry firearms in public without a license. In the year since, we are told, there was a significant decrease in crime incidents involving a firearm in Ohios eight most populous cities. Gun zealots will surely herald this study as proof that relaxed gun restrictions pose no risk, and Attorney General Dave Yost crows, The surest takeaway is that it didn't really have an impact on gun violence. Memo to AG Yost: the study isnt comprehensive enough to be significant. It covered just one year prior to the laws passage and one year after. More in-depth studies conclude that an increase in permitless carry leads to an increase in gun violence. AG Dave Yost: Ohio permit-less concealed carry law 'didn't create a Wild West' The American Journal of Epidemiology published in 2022 the results of a study that covered the change in gun laws for several states over 40 years. States that passed shall issue concealed carry laws (where law enforcement has little discretion to deny a license) saw a 9.5% increase in gun assaults during the first 10 years after the law was passed. Permitless carry laws are not lifesavers May 6, 2023; Medina, Ohio, USA; Jim Irvine gives instruction during the range instruction part of a concealed carry course. Trainees are required three hours of instruction on the range. Mandatory Credit: Brooke LaValley/Columbus Dispatch In 2022, the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health published its findings concerning 36 states that weakened their concealed carry permit requirements from 1980 to 2019. The study measured the impact of shall issue laws in conjunction with: live-firearm training; discretion to deny a permit to an unstable applicant; and discretion to deny a permit if an applicant has a history of violence and/or other violent misdemeanor convictions. States that changed their laws without including one or more of these provisions saw an average increase of 21.6 % in gun assaults and 34.9% increase in gun homicides compared to forecasted trends. Between 1992 and 2017, according to research published in the American Journal of Public Health, permitless laws were associated with 29% higher rate of firearm homicides in the workplace. Why the increase? One reason, likely, is that gun owners lack training and may be too prone to reach for a firearm in situations that dont justify using a firearm. Critic wrong. Concealed carry bill didn't 'create' trouble for Ohioans. It protects them. Even with training, police officers sometimes get it wrong Based on a survey conducted in 2013 by U.S Department of Justice, law enforcement recruits receive 168 hours of training in firearms, self-defense and use of force. Think about itprofessionals are required to undergo firearm training, but civilians arent. Even with the training they receive, law enforcement officers can still get it wrong. NBC reported that 21 police officers were charged in 2021 with murder or manslaughter resulting from an on-duty shooting. Three former Columbus law enforcement officers are facing trial for murder. Permitless carry laws do not stop unjustified shootings Jack D'Aurora. We have plenty examples of civilians who have been arrested for the unjustified use of firearms. In 2018, Markeis McGlockton and Michael Drejka were involved in a heated argument in a Florida parking lot. McGlockton pushed Drejka to the ground. Drejka, who had a concealed carry permit, pulled his gun. As McGlockton took a step back, Drejka shot and killed him. Drejka was convicted of manslaughter. More: Parking-space enforcer in Florida 'stand your ground' case sentenced to 20 years in prison In April 2023, Andrew Lester shot teenager Ralph Yarl after Yarl mistakenly came to Lesters home and rang the doorbell. Lester told police he fired at Yarl through a locked glass door, without either of them saying a word. Lester will be tried this October. Also last April, 20-year old Kaylin Gillis, a passenger in a car, was killed by 65-year-old Kevin Monahan, when the driver mistakenly pulled into Monahans driveway in upstate New York. Monahan fired from his front porch and was convicted of second-degree murder this past January. His defense? He stumbled and fell, and his shotgun went off by accident. Less restrictions on carrying firearms will mean more firearms on the street, and with no required trainingnothing good can come of this. If trained professionals are capable of unjustified shootings, what makes us think that more guns for untrained firearm owners is a good idea? Jack DAurora is a partner with The Behal Law Group and produces a podcast Justus with Jack & Gonzo. He is a frequent Dispatch contributor. This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio permitless carry not stopping crime. Gun zealot, AG just crowing. HAYSVILLE, Kan. (KSNW) A special election will be happening in Haysville. A renewal of the 1% city sales tax will be voted on. The money would be used to improve streets as well as parks and recreational amenities in the city. Residents voted down a similar measure in November. Two businesses have big plans for Newton, including more workers The mayor says the key difference is that this one would return 10% of the sales tax to residents as a property tax reduction. Voting will take place on May 7. Without a sales tax continuation, street repairs and upgrades will take longer, and we wont be able to make all the enhancements to parks and recreational facilities that citizens are asking for, said Haysville Mayor Russ Kessler. The sales tax also lets us collect money from people who live outside Haysville and use it for community improvement. More information will be provided by the city in the upcoming weeks. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSN-TV. Attempts to hire a hearse to take the body of Alexey Navalny body to his funeral have been thwarted by unknown people, the Russian opposition leaders team said Thursday. Spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh claimed that drivers had been called by unknown people and threatened not to take Alexeys body anywhere. Yarmysh said she had been told that no hearse agrees to take the body there. Navalnys team also encountered difficulty hiring a venue for his funeral, which will be held at 2 p.m. local time (6 a.m. ET) Friday at the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God in Moscows Maryino district, where the opposition leader lived. He will then be buried at Borisov Cemetery. The Church of the Icon of the Mother of God in Moscow, where Navalny's funeral will be held. - Olga Maltseva/AFP/Getty Images Many venues claimed that they were busy, or refused the booking once Navalnys named was mentioned, while one venue explicitly said they were forbidden from working with Navalnys team, Yarmysh said Tuesday. The team had initially planned a public farewell and funeral for the late Russian opposition leader for Thursday, but were told there were no available cemetery workers who can dig a grave, said Ivan Zhdanov, the director of Navalnys Anti-Corruption Foundation, on Wednesday. Navalnaya blames Putin Navalny died on February 16 in the penal colony in Siberia where he was serving a 19-year sentence after being found guilty of creating an extremist community, financing extremist activists and various other crimes in August. He was already serving sentences of 11-and-a-half years in a maximum security facility on fraud and other charges he had always denied and claimed were politically motivated. The Russian prison service said Navalny felt unwell after a walk in his Siberian penal colony and almost immediately lost consciousness. Navalny was Russias highest-profile opposition leader and spent years criticizing Putin, who has been in power for nearly a quarter of a century, at great personal risk. His death came weeks before the countrys presidential elections scheduled to begin nationwide on March 15, which is widely seen by the international community as little more than a formality that will secure Putin a fifth term in power. Navalnys death was met with grief and anger across the world as well as inside Russia, where the smallest acts of political dissent carry huge risks. He returned to Russia in 2021 from Germany, where he had been treated after being poisoned with Novichok, a Soviet-era nerve agent. On arrival Navalny was swiftly arrested on charges he dismissed as politically motivated and spent the rest of his life in prison. His wife, Yulia Navalnaya, has blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin for her husbands death. Putin killed my husband, she said during a speech at the European Parliament on Wednesday. On his orders, Alexey was tortured for three years, she added, a reference to the time Navalny spent in prison. He was starved in a tiny stone cell, cut off from the outside world and denied visits, phone calls. And then even letters. And then they killed him. Even after that, they abused his body, she said, as Navalnys team alleges the body was held in order to pressure the family into agreeing to hold a private funeral. The Kremlin has rejected any allegations of involvement in Navalnys death. Navalnaya also said she was concerned that police will crack down on mourners at the funeral on Friday. More than 400 people were detained at makeshift memorials for Navalny across 32 Russian cities, according to human rights monitoring group OVD-Info. CNNs Anna Chernova contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Map showing the location of Chad's intelligence services in the capital N'Djamena (Valentina BRESCHI) Road blocks and heavy security were in place around an opposition party's HQ in Chad's capital on Thursday, a day after gunfire erupted nearby following a deadly attack on the security agency. Soldiers were deployed around the headquarters of the opposition Socialist Party Without Borders (PSF). The junta-led government has accused the party of being responsible for a deadly attack overnight on Tuesday to Wednesday on the offices of the internal security agency. The following day, automatic weapons fire rang out near the HQ of the party, which is led by a fierce opponent of Chad's transitional president. Access to the presidential palace was blocked off on Thursday and schools in the centre of N'Djamena remained closed. The telephone network has also been disrupted since Wednesday, while access to mobile internet is suspended, according to AFP journalists. PSF head Yaya Dillo, a cousin of transitional president Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno, has denied any involvement in the attack on the security agency, which left several people dead. - 'Politically motivated' - Speaking to AFP, he dismissed the allegation as a "lie" and said it was politically motivated. "I wasn't present," he insisted. The attack came after a PSF member was arrested and accused of an "assassination attempt against the president of the supreme court", the government said in a statement read out on national television on Wednesday. Dillo has also condemned those accusations as "staged". On Tuesday, Chad announced it would hold a presidential election on May 6, which both Deby Itno and Dillo plan to contest. Deby Itno was proclaimed transitional president after his father, Idriss Deby Itno, was killed while fighting rebels in 2021. Mahamat Deby Itno promised to hand power back to civilians and organise elections within 18 months, but subsequently extended the transition by other two years. hpn/lnf/kjm/gil Can astrology predict who will win the 2024 Oscars? We unpacked last year's awards show, and will use the same methodology for this year's best picture and best actor and actress races. Will Lily Gladstone ("Killers of the Flower Moon") or Emma Stone ("Poor Things") emerge victorious? Will the "Oppenheimer" cast, who won big at the SAG Awards, continue their streak at the Oscars?Here's who may emerge victorious from the nominations list. Is it possible to predict the outcome of events using astrology? Heres our methodology Astrologers and esoteric practitioners use things like planetary transits and tarot cards to make predictions. Tarot readers Sarah Potter, Blue June, Kelly Beauvais, Theresa Reed, Fernando Salinas, Caitlin McGarry, Christine ODay and Marguerite Recupero pulled cards for individual nominees to see what might be on the horizon. Over on the astrology front, Chelsea Jackson, Renee Watt, Evan Sherlock, Shawnte Cato and I examined how planetary alignments on March 10, the day of the Oscars, interacted with nominees' natal charts. The day of the Oscars coincides with a new moon in Pisces, symbolizing fresh starts and good fortune. Pisce is associated with luck and creativity, too. We also analyzed the movement of Jupiter, a planet associated with abundance and success, along with other elements from nominees' birth charts, like the nodes of destiny, which predict significant events. Best actress Nominees: Annette Bening, Lily Gladstone, Sandra Huller, Carey Mulligan and Emma Stone Astrologers predict Lily Gladstone will be the winner for "Killers of the Flower Moon." Lily Gladstone carries the most star power when it comes to astrological transits during the Oscars. The event kicks off with the moon in Pisces, which forms a sweet connection to her natal moon, ensuring that emotional fulfillment is on the horizon. This placement also marks a moment of transformation and empowerment, Renee Watt says. Evan Sherlock also points out a conjunction or overlap between the sun and Gladstone's natal Jupiter, the planet of luck. The moons also makes a "pleasant" aspect to her sun in Leo. "This combination points to a significant moment of advancement and growth for her, making her the likely star of the evening, Sherlock says. Tarot readers see a tie between Gladstone and Stone. Kelly Beauvais pulled the High Priestess tarot card for Emma Stone, indicating that she might win the Oscar because this character is unlike anything weve ever seen her you before, and she used her imagination and intuition to guide her to this point." But the stronger card went to Gladstone for the Empress, which Beauvais called one of thebest cards in the deck. This is the card of security, which is why I feel that she will get the Oscar. Its spiritually aligned with her and part of her fate at the moment, Beauvais says. Fernando Salinas pulled the Queen of Wands for Stone, signifying a strong woman. "With the fiery Queen of Wands shining her energy onto Stone, it seems as if regardless of a win, shell receive all of the accolades she deserves, he says. Best actor Nominees: Bradley Cooper, Colman Domingo, Paul Giamatti, Cillian Murphy and Jeffrey Wright Many, but not all, saw Cillian Murphy as the winner for "Oppenheimer." Astrologer Chelsea Jackson points out fortunate happenings in his chart. "The ceremony is taking place during his lunar return (he has an Aries moon), as well as during his Jupiter return in the sign Taurus. In fact, his Jupiter return will be exact during the award show," Jackson says. Jupiter return is an auspicious transit that happens to us every 12 years. The planet is bringing double fortune to Murphy's chart because it connects to his south node of destiny, meaning its his time to win. Tarot reader Sarah Potter pulled the Sun, a card of good fortune, for Murphy, and says he "looks to be the winner." "All eyes will be on him at the Oscars: Hes shining brightly and being recognized for his success and accomplishments. This is a very powerful card that reflects happiness, joy, and achievement, all energetic aspects of an award winner! It's always a clear indicator of a victory, she says. Theresa Reed predicts that Murphy will take the Oscar, since she pulled the Four of Wands, the card of celebration," for him. "People will get on their feet to cheer him on. This is his moment to stand tall and claim his prize. But there wasn't a consensus across the board. O'Day is split between Bradley Cooper and Murphy. :Ive checked in a few times and Im getting a yes for both Bradley Cooper and Cillian Murphy," then says she's guilty of not seeing either movie yet so I cant even give you my personal choice, either. Astrologically speaking, Colman Domingos birth chart is also making fated connections to the cosmos. With the new moon connecting to his north node of destiny in Pisces, this is a moment that could change his life which could entail winning the Oscar. This situation could be unpredictable as his Venus will be opposing transiting wildcard Uranus. June pulled Ten of Pentacles, "the card of long term success, for Domingo. "The second card was Queen of Pentacles, which highlights the hard work he has put in to get to this place of recognition and that in his speech he will likely thank his family above anyone else, she says. Bradley Cooper also has fortunate astrological transits on the day of the Oscars, too. The new moon in Pisces is aspecting his natal Jupiter, bringing luck to him. But, since the karmic south node of destiny is in his 10th house of career, the results could go either way for him. Best Picture Nominees: Oppenheimer, Barbie, Killers of the Flower Moon, Poor Things, American Fiction, Anatomy of a Fall, The Holdovers, Maestro, Past Lives and The Zone of Interest. The odds are with Oppenheimer, though there were an array of predictions. Tarot reader Beauvais pulled the Sun card for the J. Robert Oppenheimer biopic. This movie exposes and sheds light on history, she says. On another, more literal note: Nuclear fusion powers the sun, and the movie is about the creation of the first nuclear bomb. Caitlin McGarry pulled the Prince of Swords for "Oppenheimer", a card "dedicated to his purpose and mission," indicating a person who uses "intellect to achieve goals." Potter also predicts "Oppenheimer" will win the best picture after pulling Four of Wands, since its a card of success and celebration." "This card is always a good indication of an award winner, especially in the category of best picture as it reflects a harmonious energy of unity," she says. But there were other opinions. McGarry thought the Queen of Wands made "Poor Things" another possibility. Margeurite Recupero also thinks Poor Things could win since she pulled the Knight of Pentacles, a card "steady in the face of unbeatable odds." Beauvais also pulled a favorable card, the Star, for Past Lives. The Star is a glorious card of hope and power. This can easily transcend to Past Lives having strength to win even though its the underdog of the evening. Finally, Blue June says "The Holdovers" has a chance at best picture. Star Da'Vine Joy Randolph is a likely pick for best supporting actress. I chose 'The Holdovers' based on the final pull. 'Killers of the Flower Moons' final card was Seven of Pentacles, and while its a highly favorable card, it can sometimes indicate frustration, so I chose 'The Holdovers'' card as the winner, Nine of Pentacles. This card indicates a celebration of great achievement and abundance, she says. Disclaimer: Astrology and tarot is not based in science. These posts are not intended to act as a directive. This article was originally published on TODAY.com Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senator Kristen Gillibrand, both D-NY, recently announced the delivery of over $82 million to rural upstate New York communities for water infrastructure projects, including the town of Herkimer. Herkimer will receive a combination of federal direct loans and grants totaling over $2.5 million to construct a new water district in the town, the senators said in a joint statement. The project will benefit businesses and a trailer park by connecting residents to the sewer district, according to the statement. Eight other towns across the state will also receive funds for water infrastructure upgrades. U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer, center, speaks during a press conference with New York Governor Kathy Hochul and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand in Mamaroneck on Friday, September 3, 2021. All New Yorkers deserve to have access to safe, reliable water systems, Gillibrand said in a statement. This investment will help bring key water infrastructure upgrades to upstate New York and ensure families, business owners and farmers have the clean water they need. I am proud to deliver this funding and will continue to fight so all New Yorkers have access to safe and reliable water. About the funding The federal funding comes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It represents a portion of the over $770 million that President Joe Bidens administration announced recently to fund rural infrastructure projects across the country, according to the statement from the senators. The senators said the funds will help bring clean water and sanitary wastewater systems, as well as economic growth, to upstate New York communities. From Greene to Massena, this funding is flowing to rural communities across upstate New York to support critical upgrades to water infrastructure, ensuring all New Yorkers have access to clean water and drinking water systems, Schumer said in a statement. By putting federal resources toward modern water infrastructure, these federal dollars are giving our rural families, businesses and farmers the contaminant-free water they deserve and need to thrive.Investments like these are a roadmap for how we not only give our rural communities the critical resources needed to ensure their water is safe, but are how we make federal investments needed to bring rural communities into the 21st century, all while creating a steady stream of jobs, jobs, jobs." This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Upstate New York rural water infrastructure funding BEIRUT (Reuters) - The Iran-backed Hezbollah signalled on Thursday that it would halt its attacks on Israel from Lebanon when the Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip stops, but that it was also ready to keep on fighting if Israel continued hostilities. Hezbollah and the Israeli army have been trading fire since the Palestinian group Hamas stormed southern Israel from the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7, in a steadily intensifying conflict that has fuelled concern of wider escalation. "The war in the south is linked to the aggression on Gaza on the one hand, and to securing means of protection for our country on the other," senior Hezbollah politician Hassan Fadlallah said. "When the (Israeli) occupation halts its aggression on Gaza, this front stops, because it is a supportive front," he said in comments made at an event to commemorate a Hezbollah field commander killed in an Israeli strike earlier this week. Two sources familiar with Hezbollah's thinking told Reuters on Tuesday that the group would halt fire on Israel if Hamas agrees to a proposal for a truce in Gaza - unless Israeli forces kept shelling Lebanon. Mediators are seeking to secure a Gaza truce, which U.S. President Joe Biden has said he hopes will be in place by the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, expected to start this year on March 10. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant indicated on Sunday that Israel planned to increase attacks on Hezbollah in the event of a possible ceasefire in the Gaza conflict. But Gallant also left the door open to a diplomatic deal to achieve Israel's goal of a withdrawal of Hezbollah fighters from the border, and the return of tens of thousands of Israelis who have fled the area. The fighting, the worst between Hezbollah and Israel since 2006, has also uprooted tens of thousands of people in Lebanon. Referring to Gallant's comments, Fadlallah said he had threatened to "continue targeting Lebanon". "The resistance will repel all aggression on its country," Fadlallah said, in the comments, a copy of which were circulated by his office. (Writing by Tom Perry, Editing by William Maclean) Popular magazine Reader's Digest highlighted several South Florida beaches in a February article titled "15 Best Beaches in Florida Locals Want to Keep Secret." One Collier County beach made the cut: Tigertail Beach on Marco Island. Photo of Tigertail Beach What did Reader's Digest say about Tigertail Beach? Best for: Swimming and bird-watching After you park your car and start walking toward the water ahead of you, you might ask yourself: Is this the beach? It certainly is a beach, but what you see from the parking lot is actually just a huge lagoon, full of birds and tidal pools. And yes, plenty of people set up camp right there! But if you walk just a few minutes past the lagoon (sometimes, depending on the tide, youll have to wade through), youll get to the real star: three miles of soft, wide sand, fiddler crabs and beautiful migratory shorebirds. The author, Liz Zack, also recommends watching the sunset and then grabbing a bite to eat at Sami's, a local favorite that serves Italian dishes. What other Southwest Florida beaches were included? Photo of a bird at Tigertail Beach How Reader's Digest chose its 'Best Florida Beaches' The author wrote: "We explored and paddleboarded our way across the Sunshine State to bring you this list of secret finds. We also talked to Florida locals and travel experts and scoured the TripAdvisor boards to find not just the best beaches but also the best things to do at them and the best places to stay." Did you know? With 1,350 miles of ocean views, according to he Reader's Digest article, Florida is home to one of the largest coastlines in the United States, second only to Alaska. Other Florida Beaches on the Reader's Digest list This article originally appeared on Naples Daily News: Reader's Digest picks Collier beach for its best in Florida list A high-ranking employee of Lockheed Martin has been accused of stealing a campaign sign in White Settlement, and police have referred the case to municipal court. Precinct 4 Constable Scott Bedford, a Republican who faces two challengers in the March 5 primary, said he saw the man taking a sign on Saturday afternoon that targeted Craig Goldman, a Republican who is running for the congressional seat being vacated by Rep. Kay Granger of Fort Worth. The sign pointed to Goldmans signs outside of the White Settlement Library an early voting location. It read Voted to impeach Ken Paxton, a reference to Goldmans vote as a state representative. Goldman faces Anne Henley, John C. OShea, Shellie Gardner and Clint Dorris in the Republican primary for the District 12 seat, which covers much of Fort Worth and Parker County. Bedford, who was off duty at the time, said he saw OShea supporters putting up the signs around the corner and told them what he saw. They showed him a photo of the Lockheed employee and asked if it was him. He said he was confident it was the same man he saw removing the sign. The employee did not respond to multiple calls asking for comment. Nobody should be stealing campaign signs. I dont care what your stature is, Bedford said. Bedford said the supporters filed a police report. White Settlement police said the case was referred to municipal court as a Class C misdemeanor theft less than $100. Police Chief Chris Cook said this is essentially a citation level offense. The police report did not name a suspect. Tarrant County GOP chair Bo French told the Star-Telegram in a statement that his understanding is that the Lockheed employee has not disputed the allegations. Our party works best when elected officials listen to the grassroots rather than try to silence them, he said. OShea, a former banker and investment firm owner, told the Star Telegram in an interview that he could understand Lockheed throwing its support behind Goldman because OShea is not a career politician. OShea added that if the allegations are true he has no ill will toward Lockheed or the employee. If its true, he just made a stupid mistake. Ive made plenty of stupid mistakes, too. I dont actually think ill of him for it. I mean, I really dont, OShea said. Im not calling for the guys job or anything. He strikes me as a nice guy who made a silly decision. Thats it. Goldmans campaign did not respond to an email request for comment. As a matter of practice, we dont comment on allegations. We expect all employees to follow our Code of Ethics and Business Conduct, Lockheed Martin spokesperson Sydney Owens told the Star Telegram in an email. The story of the Siloam School is one Channel 9 has followed for years. Charlottes Black Siloam School moved to help preserve its history Its now safely on the grounds of the Charlotte Museum of History and is close to opening its doors to the public. The Siloam School is one of the remaining Rosenwald schools built in the early 20th century across the segregated rural south to educate Black children. The schools were led by plans and support from Dr. Booker T. Washington and philanthropist Julius Rosenwald. Dr. Rochlle Brandon said that the community poured its hearts, souls, and dollars into making it happen. This is a story of a community willing to sacrifice in order to get their childrens education. So those of us in future generations do so well, have done so well, because that Rosenwald school was there to educate our ancestors. Brandons grandmother and her 10 siblings were educated in a Rosenwald school, which is an education that her grandmother was deeply proud. My generation, I mean, my gosh, we got architects, professors, biological engineers. That type of thing. So that investment that Mr. Rosenwald did that work of the community of the church to get the funds, the state doing their part as far as paying teachers, recruiting the teachers, and doing that, helped raise us out of poverty and so this is how we go from slavery and not having education and not having those resources to get into the next level. Brandons family and community history is what drove her to help save the Siloam School in Charlotte, which was once at risk of being torn down. Charlotte Museum of History given $50,000 to restore, preserve, move old school building Her grandmother worked to try and save the Rosenwald school she went to when it faced a similar fate. So, when Brandon learned of the Siloam School, she wanted to do the same. When I heard about the Siloam School in Charlotte, I was like, Oh my gosh. Ive got to stand up for what my grandmother believed in because we should not be losing this history, Brandon said. The school sat in the shadow of new apartments in the Mallard Creek area withering away. The Siloam School now sits on the Charlotte Museum of History property almost fully restored and ready for the public to learn from and explore. We wanted it to be used as a way of helping people to understand our past, and how it reflects on our future, Brandon said. A historic school in Charlottes Black community was moved early Friday morning as part of a project to preserve its history. The historic Siloam School is now sitting in the parking lot of the Charlotte Museum of History in east Charlotte. Fannie Flono chaired a committee, which helped the schools restoration. How educational inequities can linger and be a part of our present. How the Rosenwald process is a very good example of how these two men who were from very different circumstances are able to come together and do something for the public good, Flono said. It was a long process to the get the school to the museum and get enough funding and support to save it. Every single day I have worried that this building would be destroyed by the elements by you know, vandals, any number of things, Flono said. But like the families who persevered, the school stands today. Its the perseverance that these people who were not too long out of enslavement, who were able to kind of join forces in their own communities to try to provide an education for their kids, said Flono. As they work to prepare the school for opening in June, Flono encourages anyone in the community with knowledge of the school or family who went there to come forward and share. HOUSTON - Houston police are investigating the deadly shooting of a man on Wednesday. According to HPD Lieutenant Larry Crowson, officers responded to the 9700 block of Goldcrest about a shooting and found an SUV inside a ditch. SUGGESTED: Maliyah Bass: Mother's boyfriend pleads guilty in 2-year-old's death An 18-year-old was found and was taken to the hospital. He later died at the hospital. Preliminary reports say the man was in an altercation with other men and it is believed a white pickup truck was involved, but Lt. Crowson says they are investigating to confirm. Authorities are looking for any surveillance video and talking to witnesses. DOWNLOAD THE FOX 26 HOUSTON APP BY CLICKING HERE Lt. Crowson stated the shooting was not related to any others nearby, but they will investigate. He also says there was no shooting at Sam Houston Math, Science, and Technology Center High School after alleged reports said there was. Houston ISD sent out a statement: This is an important message for Sam Houston MSTC parents from Principal Diego Linares. Our campus was temporarily placed on lockdown as a precautionary measure while police investigated suspicious activity in the area. We received the all clear from Houston PD and HISD PD and the designation was lifted. Our students were safe, the building was secured, and our instructional day continued as normal. If you have any questions, please contact our school at 713-696-0200. Again, this is an important message for Sam Houston MSTC parents from Principal Diego Linares. FILE - AI engineer Jenna Reher works on humanoid robot Figure 01 at Figure AI's test facility in Sunnyvale, Calif., Oct. 3, 2023. ChatGPT-maker OpenAI is looking to fuse its artificial intelligence systems into the bodies of humanoid robots as part of a new deal with robotics startup Figure. Sunnyvale, California-based Figure announced the partnership Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024, along with $675 million in venture capital funding from a group that includes Amazon founder Jeff Bezos as well as Microsoft, chipmaker Nvidia and the startup-funding divisions of Amazon, Intel and OpenAI. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File) ChatGPT-maker OpenAI is looking to fuse its artificial intelligence systems into the bodies of humanoid robots as part of a new deal with robotics startup Figure. Sunnyvale, California-based Figure announced the partnership Thursday along with $675 million in venture capital funding from a group that includes Amazon founder Jeff Bezos as well as Microsoft, chipmaker Nvidia and the startup-funding divisions of Intel and OpenAI. Figure is less than two years old and doesn't have a commercial product but is persuading influential tech industry backers to support its vision of shipping billions of human-like robots to the world's workplaces and homes. If we can just get humanoids to do work that humans are not wanting to do because theres a shortfall of humans, we can sell millions of humanoids, billions maybe, Figure CEO Brett Adcock told The Associated Press last year. For OpenAI, which dabbled in robotics research before pivoting to a focus on the AI large language models that power ChatGPT, the partnership will "open up new possibilities for how robots can help in everyday life, said Peter Welinder, the San Francisco company's vice president of product and partnerships, in a written statement. Financial terms of the deal between Figure and OpenAI weren't disclosed. The collaboration will have OpenAI building specialized AI models for Figures humanoid robots, likely based on OpenAI's existing technology such as GPT language models, the image-generator DALL-E and the new video-generator Sora. That will help accelerate Figures commercial timeline by enabling its robots to process and reason from language, according to Figure's announcement. The company announced in January an agreement with BMW to put its robots to work at a car plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, but hadn't yet determined exactly how or when they would be used. Robotics experts differ on the usefulness of robots shaped in human form. Most robots employed in factory and warehouse tasks might have some animal-like features a robotic arm, finger-like grippers or even legs but aren't truly humanoid. That's in part because it's taken decades for robotics engineers to develop robots that can walk effectively on two legs or reliably manipulate small objects. Whitney Rockley, co-founder and managing partner of Toronto-based venture capital firm McRock Capital, said she understands the appeal of humanoids because they're relatable, evoking emotions and starting conversations. In practice, however, she said they're still awkward and pose huge technical challenges, which is why she's sticking to investing in non-humanoid robots. We look at robotics and automation really practically and say, What kind of timeline are we willing to commit to in order to really see commercial liftoff and deployments and applications? Rockley said. And I think that the groups that are backing a lot of humanoid solutions right now, theyre in there for the long haul, which is great because you need that, but its going to take decades upon decades. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman hinted at a renewed interest in robotics in a podcast hosted by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and released early this year in which Altman said the company was starting to invest in promising robotics hardware platforms after having earlier abandoned its own research. We started robots too early and so we had to put that project on hold," Altman told Gates, noting that we were dealing with bad simulators and breaking tendons" that were distracting from the company's other work. We realized more and more over time that what we really first needed was intelligence and cognition and then we could figure out how we could adapt it to physicality, he said. - The AP has signed a deal with OpenAI for it to access its news archive. The two adult males were spotted copulating off the coast of Hawaii - Lyle Krannichfeld and Brandi Romano A pair of humpback whales were observed having sex for the first time by scientists and both of them were male. Exactly why male humpbacks engage in gay penetrative sex is the million-dollar question, researchers say. The behaviour was observed by two photographers who were on a boat off the coast of the Hawaiian island of Maui. The photographers, Brandi Romano and Lyle Krannichfeld, showed the images to Stephanie Stack, an expert from the Pacific Whale Foundation, which is based in Maui. They shared the photos with me for my opinion, and when I saw them, I was just stunned. Humpback whale copulation has never been seen or documented before anywhere in the world. So thats a very special and amazing encounter, she told National Geographic. The whales engaged in several copulating sessions, with each encounter lasting about two minutes - Lyle Krannichfeld and Brandi Romano The behaviour was documented in a paper published by the journal Marine Mammal Science. Humpback whales are a species whose social behaviour has been studied for decades, but whose sexual behaviour remains largely undescribed, the scientists said. Despite decades of research on humpback whales around the world, reports of penis extrusion by males are relatively rare. This is the first report of penetration by a humpback whale, and the first report of sexual activity between two male humpback whales. The two whales are part of a population that has been studied for more than 40 years. Scientists were able to identify them and knew that they were both males. The fact that the penis of one of the whales was readily visible in the sexual encounter also led to no doubts about its gender. The whales engaged in several copulating sessions, with each encounter lasting about two minutes. Scientists have suggested several possible reasons for why two male humpbacks might have sex. It could be that it is practice for future encounters with female whales. Or it could be a means by which one male establishes dominance over the other. It might be a way for the mammals to bond. Or it may be that one whale was giving comfort to the other. That last theory is supported by the fact that one of the whales appeared to be in a poor state of health it was emaciated, possibly owing to an injury to its jaw, which would have made feeding difficult. And it was seen to be carrying a high number of parasitic whale lice. The precise reason for the gay sexual encounter is the million-dollar question, said Dr Stack. Given how little we understand about humpback whale reproduction, and how much were still understanding about their social dynamics, I wouldnt venture a guess as to exactly what motivated the behaviour. Same-sex activity has been observed previously in several species of marine mammal, including killer whales, grey whales, bowhead whales, walruses, seals and dolphins. Varied functions Homosexual behaviour is common in the animal kingdom, the scientists wrote in their report. Sexual interactions between individuals of the same sex have been documented for a wide range of species. In male cetaceans, homosexual activity can involve insertion of the penis of one male into the genital slit or anus of another male. The researchers said that the purpose for non-reproductive behaviour is varied. Proposed functions include learning or practising reproductive behaviours, establishing or reinforcing dominance relationships, forming social alliances, and/or a reduction in social tension. Whale experts came across hints that male humpbacks might engage in sex with each other in 1998, when Adam Pack, a researcher, published an account of a male humpback with its penis visible swimming up to another male, which had died, and wrapping its pectoral fins around it. It seemed to be attempting either some type of dominance display, or maybe this was a signal for copulation, or an invitation. We didnt know, said Prof Pack, from the University of Hawaii. There was still much to learn about the lives of humpbacks, he said. Its trying to piece all these nuggets together to tell a story. This is one piece of 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. Hundreds of people are being moved out of their council homes in Aberdeen after they were found to contain potentially dangerous concrete panels. Thousands of council homes in Aberdeen were checked for the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC). It was found to be in about 500 homes in the city's Balnagask area, including 364 council properties. The council said it was doing everything it could to support tenants. BBC Scotland News understands the council hopes the majority of council tenants will be rehomed by the end of the summer. Sixty five of the council properties are currently unoccupied. RAAC is a cheap version of concrete that was used mostly in construction between the 1950s and 1990s. It has a lifespan of about 30 years and concerns have mounted about the impact of water ingress on its safety. The Health and Safety Executive said it was now beyond its lifespan and may "collapse with little or no notice". In Aberdeen, an independent structural engineers' report recommended that council tenants should be relocated to alternative accommodation within the city as soon as possible. RAAC explainer Councillors on Thursday's urgent business committee on Thursday accepted that tenants should be permanently rehomed. Council officers are currently exploring options for the long-term viability for the site, which include remedial works or demolition. A detailed appraisal will be presented to the council within six months. Councillor Miranda Radley, convener of the communities, housing and public protection committee, said: "This is an incredibly difficult situation for everyone living in a RAAC-affected property, but the council will be doing everything we can to support our tenants during this hugely challenging time. "These are people's homes and we need to ensure we support our tenants, but also engage with owners and privately rented tenants, to keep them informed on this matter." Councillors agreed to set aside an initial 3m to cover the rehoming programme. As of December, 2023 The number of social landlord homes across Scotland identified with RAAC was 1,150 and the number under investigation that may have RAAC present was 29,572. HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) The Harrisburg School Board and receiver have approved plans to reconfigure the district. This means hundreds of students and staff will be moved to different locations next year, pending approval from the State Department of Education. During a Tuesday, February 27 School Board and Receivers Business Meeting, the districts reconfiguration plan was approved. This move comes after months of deliberation on how to best address it following Superintendent Eric Turmans initial presentation in November. At that meeting he spoke to abc27 about how the plan would make it safer and easier for kids to get to school. You go down Derry Street at probably at any time, I have watched kids walk across that street and people are flying up and down that road 40-50 miles an hour. And we have a crossing guard there who comes to work every single day. And if not for her, I am sure a student would have been hit, he said. PAST COVERAGE: Harrisburg School District looking at the possibility of reconfiguration Under the superintendents new plan, approximately 40% of elementary students will be attending a new school next year with a reduction at Melrose and all middle students will be attending either Camp Curtin Academy or Marshall Math Science Academy (MMSA). Specific details of the plan include: Steele Elementary School will open at 2537 North Fifth Street in August 2024 Marshall Math and Science Academy will become a 6th to 8th grade center 4th grade students in the Marshall attendance area will remain at their current elementary school Lincoln building will become a K-5 Elementary School Scott Elementary School will be repurposed Sessi program at Hamilton will temporarily move to the Scott building Cougar Academy will move to Hamilton Rowland Middle School will begin a three year phase out process students will move to Camp Curtain and MMSA Staff currently at Scott Elementary School will be moved to the Lincoln building, staff at Cougar Academy @ the Lincoln building will be moved to the Hamilton building, according to the plan. The plan will go into effect at the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year, pending approval from the State Department of Education, which typically happens in June. At this time, the district plans to move forward as if the reconfiguration will be approved. During the public comment period of Tuesdays meeting, several community members voiced opposition to the plan including the concern that reconfiguration would cause overcrowding at Camp Curtin Academy which would be expected to house more than 900 students. I think we need to make sure that we have given our parents enough time to really digest what this reconfiguration is going to mean for them. Because its going to be huge. Im never going to agree that we should but 900 students in a building from all over the city. Its just not going to work, one community member said. Another community member also voiced issues with the plan for Camp Curtin, citing concerns about total enrollment and culture. Camp Curtin is not adapted for use to 900 plus students. If a goal is to bring students back into the district, we will not do that by having a middle school that is maxed within two years. That school was built to be am elementary school, a middle school it is not currently and will not accommodate that many children, she said. Culturally we cannot throw kids into one building and now youre all going to get a long. There are steps that have to be taken and ewe have to lead as a community to ensure that they happen. She also added that lack of parental turnout at the meetings does not mean parents dont care. Greater attention has to be given to reaching out to the parents in the city. Meeting them where they are both figurately and literally. When we do not have parental turnout, it is not because they do not care. Not every child has a parent who lives in a two-income household hose employment stops at 5 p.m. making them accessible to attend these events. In response to concerns about the total number of students at Camp Curtin, the districts court-appointed receiver, Dr. Lori Suski cited a district wide feasibility study stating that Camp Curtins total educational capacity is currently 1300. According to the districts online dashboard, 2022 2023 school enrollment was the following: Benjamin Franklin School: 786 Camp Curtin Academy: 482 Cougar Academy: 389 Downey School: 386 Foose School: 535 Harrisburg City SD: 137 Harrisburg HS: 1234 Harrisburg HS Sci-Tech CMP: 323 Marshall Academy: 87 Marshall Math Science Academy: 403 Melrose School: 597 Rowland Academy: 588 Scott School: 461 The superintendents final version of the reconfiguration plan and future communications plans can be viewed here. Families, staff and community members can email questions to districtreconfiguration@hbgsd.us. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27. Former President Trump is expected to meet with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban next week at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, a source familiar with the plans confirmed to The Hill. The meeting, which was first reported by The New York Times, comes as Trump is poised to cement his path to the GOP presidential nomination on Super Tuesday next week. The Times reported Orban sought the meeting. Trump has frequently praised Orban during campaign rallies, and the Hungarian leader has become an influential figure in the conservative movement in the United States. There is a great man, a great leader in Europe Viktor Orban, Trump said at a January rally. He is the Prime Minister of Hungary. He is a very great leader, a very strong man. Some people dont like him because hes too strong. Orban spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Dallas in 2022, and the prime minister sat for an interview last year with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson. He served as prime minister from 1998 to 2002 and then won the job back in 2010. Watchdogs and critics have decried Orbans government as authoritarian and warned that it is cracking down on dissent and migration and curtailing the rights of LGBTQ people. During an address last year at CPAC Europe, Orban admonished what he called woke culture. Trump has drawn criticism from Democrats and some Republicans for speaking fondly of dictators and authoritarian rulers, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Two millennia ago, Jesus of Nazareth said, Yes, what sorrow awaits you experts in religious law! For you crush people with unbearable religious demands, and you never lift a finger to ease their burden. (Luke 11:46, NLT). What Jesus said about the religious zealots of His day could also be said about the religion control zealots of todays communist Vietnam, to wit: Decree 95, which has just been released in both Vietnamese and an official English translation. The new religion decree, promulgated on Dec. 29 and effective on March 30, considerably adds to the crush of demands on religion while elaborating some Articles and measures for execution of the Law on Religion and Folk Belief (LRB) of 2016. When the LRB came into effect on Jan. 1, 2018, it was followed by two draft decrees which were circulated for public comment. Domestic and international reaction to implementation Decree 162 was extremely harsh, but with modest revision it was quietly put into effect anyway in 2019. The second draft decree, which became known pejoratively as the punishment decree, consisted of a multi-page schedule of administrative fines and harsher consequences for infractions of virtually all provisions of the LRB. It was so amateur and misguided that it made the purpose of the LRB look like it existed to generate funds for the government, certainly not to expand religious freedom. It was so scorned that it quietly disappeared. But the intent of the LRB and the two ancillary decrees, which firmly pointed in the direction of ever more control over religion, did not. The highly influential Vu Chien Thang, deputy minister of Home Affairs and long-time head of the Government Committee of Religious Affairs, insisted the religion legislation needed strong enforcement measures. And now we have them. Decree 95 appeared with less than three months to its effective date and without any public consultation. There is some speculation that it was rapidly promulgated to help Vietnam get off the U.S. State Departments Special Watch List for religious freedom violators. If thats the case, it will certainly fail. Decree 95 replaces Decree 162 and the punishment decree. It contains 33 articles, eight more than Decree 162. Decree 95 also adds three more forms to the already 47 prescribed for asking permission for and reporting on religious activities. The decree and attached forms total 98 pages! The two most important additions to Decree 162 are 1) measures on shutting down and rehabilitating activities of religious organizations and religious education institutions, and 2) requirements for local fundraising and financial management, and, for the first time, highly detailed procedures necessary for receiving foreign aid and forms for reporting on it, both finances and goods in-kind. Also included are new requirements for promptly reporting personnel and location changes by foreign religious congregations and local congregations. These additions make the required scrutiny and threats of Decree 95 even heavier than Decree 162. With the Vietnamese Communist Party (VCP) and government still frozen in the religious freedom by management and administrative control mindset, the way forward is ever more rules. With its 50 model forms for asking permissions and reporting, Decree 95 certainly maintains the control of the ask and receive bargain long offered to religious groups. By clarifying what religious groups have to do or comply with, authorities seem to rationalize that they will be seen as granting more freedom. From an international religious freedom perspective, however, each new regulation is in fact a diminution of the almost unqualified freedom offered in Article 24 of Vietnams 2013 constitution and can be used as a sharp tool to exercise control over religion. Lets look at the two major expansions of control. Suspending and Rehabilitating Religious Activities Ten of 33 articles of the decree, more than a third of the entire document, are given to the matter of suspending religious activities of a religious congregation or educational institution for serious violations of religion rules and the steps for reapproving activities of religious organizations after satisfactory correction. Should a religious entity or educational training institution be suspended, it has a maximum of 24 months to correct its behavior to the satisfaction of the suspending authority, or failing that, face permanent dissolution. As if to mitigate the public relations damage of the earlier draft punishment decree, lawmakers have discarded the whole financial fine and administrative penalty idea. The punishment, however, is much harsher. Decree 95 gives to officials of various levels of government administration, right down to the commune level, the authority to order the cessation of any religious organization deemed guilty of a serious violation of religion regulations, especially those named in Article V of the LRB. That article lists absolutely forbidden items such as infringing on the morality of our indigenous culture and using religion for personal aggrandizement, and other subjective practices. And nowhere in the decree is serious violation defined. This has been the perennial problem with all of Vietnams voluminous religion legislation a serious violation thus becomes a subjective judgement of any competent official. Abuses are endemic. There is much room for various interpretations in these forbiddens. Objective clarity is lacking. Decree 95 does not ameliorate these shortcomings. Financial Scrutiny A second major elaboration is in articles 25-27, detailing new regulations about the complete and prompt reporting on all funds/goods in-kind received from foreign sources. For more than 30 years, house churches have been quite dependent on regular help from fraternal organizations abroad with little government oversight. Articles 25-27 represent a giant leap in scrutinizing finances. A quote from Article 26 not only lists the cumbersome rules for receiving foreign aid but also demonstrates the demanding tone of the decree. The notification refers to the paperwork that must be delivered to the appropriate government authorities in advance of receiving foreign aid. Copies of documents may be submitted, but originals must be shown to authorities when the notification is delivered. An example of the demands: The notification shall specify the name of the religious organization or religious affiliate that receives financial aids, the address and full name of the representative of the religious organization or religious affiliate; the name and headquarters of the foreign organization, or the full name and nationality of the foreign individual who provides financial aids; the form for reporting financial aids in cash and in-kind (value to be calculated in Vietnamese dong); expected date of use of financial aids; methods of managing and use of financial aids; and the receiving account information. The notification shall be accompanied with a written commitment by the foreign organization/individual on the origin of the financial aid on which taxes have been paid and in compliance with regulations of the host country before financial aids are provided. The paperwork, detail and disclosure required by this expanded regulation will almost certainly lead to the use of creative workarounds at which Vietnamese excel. These new procedures, a complete antithesis of the way churches have been operating until now, are intended for fully legalized religious organizations. Those having received preliminary registration may request government assistance to receive foreign aid. One dreads to think how that would go. Until now, virtually all of the many religion decrees, ordinances and laws have been only sporadically and unevenly enforced and sometimes ignored. So the situation has not always been as dire as the written regulations would lead one to believe. But with each new written regulation comes a threat that the rules could be enforced. And with each new measure, as with Decree 95, the intent of the authorities to minutely control religion is reinforced. Diligent government efforts to implement the LRB through Decree 95 will create an additional heavy burden and a brake on religious activity and momentum, a big stick in the spokes of religion. Vietnamese Leaders React Early feedback on Decree 95 from Vietnamese church leaders, scholars and advocates differs markedly. One optimistic leader who directs a national non-denominational ministry confidently says that despite Decree 95 and much previous legislation, In Vietnam everything is open, everything is negotiable. It is true that astute church leaders have overcome many obstacles by establishing good relations with government officials beginning at the local level. They cite numerous examples of overcoming bureaucratic roadblocks and even official hostility. A religious liberty scholar/researcher in Vietnam is not so sanguine. He sees a marked increase in the severity of penalties for religion rule infractions and deep intrusion into internal religion management. He says if authorities truly follow through on this intent to control as delineated in Decree 95, the negative consequence for churches will be many and serious. He believes that for the 11 evangelical, legally recognized denominations, it serves as a warning. For not-yet-legally-recognized groups, it serves as a threat. And for cults disliked by the authorities or any church body that shows a whiff of interest in advocating for human rights/religious freedom, it will be the executioner. This third category calls to mind the recent proclamation of the Ministry of Home Affairs to absolutely eradicate the Church of the Mother of God. Orthodox Christians classify this Korean-origin group as a dangerous cult. But what is false doctrine to some should not exclude a group from the religious liberty umbrella. Another veteran religious liberty researcher/advocate puts it this way. The law-making people needed work, so they were assigned to come up with more ideas of how to administer religious activities. Communist law-making, as in George Orwells Animal Farm, exists to serve the powerful of the ruling party, both to address their fear of political instability and to feed corruption. Completely absent is any idea at all of working for the public good. It is all about how to control peoples minds and ways of living. If the usual pattern is followed, Christian pastors, priests and religious leaders will wait and see how Decree 95 will be implemented and then formulate a non-confrontational response while they try to create workarounds. 2023 Morning Star News. Articles/photos may be reprinted with credit to Morning Star News. https://morningstarnews.org. Morning Star News is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation that relies solely on contributions to offer original news reports of persecuted Christians. By providing reliable news on the suffering church, Morning Star News mission is to empower those in the free world to help and to encourage persecuted Christians that they are not forgotten or alone. As Republicans grilled Hunter Biden on Wednesday about his business deals overseas, the presidents son turned the question back on his interrogators. He asked GOP lawmakers about foreign investments secured by Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of former President Trump, shortly after he left the White House, according to Democrats participating in the closed-door deposition. He drew the distinction between what he has done in a business world with independent businessmen, versus foreign governments, which he did not do any business with unlike Jared Kushner, Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.) said during a break in the testimony. Among other roles, Kushner oversaw Middle East policy in the Trump White House, and he raised plenty of eyebrows when he secured a $2 billion investment from Saudi Arabia six months after leaving public service. The scrutiny mounted further when The New York Times reported that the advisory panel for the Saudi sovereign wealth fund had recommended against investing in Kushners newly launched private equity firm, citing the inexperience of the management. The advice was overruled by a larger board led by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, a close ally of the Trump administration. Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) said the questioning throughout the morning has been largely cordial, but Hunter Biden became assertive when invoking the Kushner episode. He may be a little bit frustrated by some of the double standards relating to Jared Kushner and money thats just been openly pocketed by Donald Trump in office, Raskin said. And Jared Kushner of course brought back $2 billion from Saudi Arabia. And all of that has been a part of the conversation, and he was assertive about that. When Democrats controlled the House, they opened an investigation into Kushners deal with Saudi Arabia. It was dropped when Republicans flipped the chamber and Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) took the reins of the Oversight and Accountability Committee, which is now leading the impeachment investigation into Biden. Still, Democrats said there appeared to be agreement among at least some Republicans when Hunter Biden brought up Kushners Saudi deal. Theres no cameras in there, [so] Donald Trump aint watching, right? said Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.). For the first time Republicans said they do have a problem with that. But they should do something about it. Top Stories from The Hill Comer and the other Republicans in the room have largely declined to comment during breaks throughout Wednesdays deposition, including on the topic of Kushners overseas business ventures. Hunter Bidens appearance on Capitol Hill has been long anticipated and comes months into House Republicans impeachment inquiry into President Biden. That multipronged probe has centered on the younger Bidens business activities, alleging he used his fathers influence to orchestrate a web of shady overseas business ventures. In his opening statement, Hunter Biden refuted the allegations. I am here today to provide the committees with the one uncontestable fact that should end the false premise of this inquiry: I did not involve my father in my business. Not while I was a practicing lawyer, not in my investments or transactions domestic or international, not as a board member, and not as an artist. Never, Biden said during his opening statement. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Critics lambasted Hunter Biden on Wednesday after he claimed during his opening statement before the House Oversight and Judiciary Committees that he "did not involve" his father, President Biden, in his business dealings. Hunter appeared on Capitol Hill for a closed-door deposition as part of the committees' ongoing impeachment inquiry into his father, where he accused Republicans of having no evidence to justify their investigation. "The goalposts are moving," Republican strategist Steve Guest wrote in a post on X. "Joe Biden used to say he [had] never spoken with Hunter about his business dealings. Hunter Biden is now playing cute linguistic games." HUNTER BIDEN TESTIFIES BEHIND CLOSED DOORS AS PART OF THE IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY AGAINST HIS FATHER "REMINDER: E-mails, texts, photos, voicemails, visitor logs, and witness testimony have shown that Joe Biden was INVOLVED in his son Hunters foreign business deals," Guest later wrote in another post. Federalist co-founder Sean Davis wrote that Hunter had "no problem perjuring himself" with the claims because he "knows Daddy's DOJ will never charge him for it," while Washington Free Beacon reporter Chuck Ross wrote that there was "plenty of evidence Hunter did involve Joe in his business." READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP "Joe attended meetings w/ Hunter and CEFC, and with Tony Bobulinski to discuss China business. These were strictly business meetings," he added. HOUSE REPUBLICANS SUBPOENA DOJ MATERIALS RELATED TO SPECIAL COUNSEL HUR INTERVIEW OF JOE BIDEN "Well if we cant trust a crackhead, who can we trust?" another critic wrote, while Rep. Jason Smith, R-Mo., accused Hunter of "falsely" making the claim, and posted an image of what he described as a text message from Hunter "using his father's name to shake down a Chinese businessman for millions of dollars." "Hunter Biden clearly used his dad's brand to conduct corrupt business overseas. Even Hunter's closest business partners have testified that Joe Biden was THE BRAND and the BIDEN LIFT. How else does the Biden family and their associates get $24 million in 5 years?" Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., added. Despite Hunter's claims he "did not involve" his father in any of his business dealings, one of his ex-business associates testified earlier this month that in 2017 Biden met with the chairman of a Chinese energy firm that Hunter sought to create a joint business venture with. SCATHING DETAILS REVEAL WHY BIDEN APPEARS SILENT ON CHINA'S ROLE IN FENTANYL CRISIS: BOOK "I dont remember the exact time, but I remember being in Washington, D.C., and the former vice president stopped by. We were having lunch," Rob Walker told the committees, according to a transcript of his interview reviewed by Fox News Digital. He mentioned how there were several CEFC executives at the meeting also. Additionally, records show some of Hunter's business associates visited the White House more than 90 times while Biden was serving as vice president. Those visits included former associates connected with Hunter's now-defunct investment firm Rosemont Seneca Partners. The House Oversight Committee previously told Fox News Digital that it can "now confirm Joe Biden met with nearly every foreign national who funneled money to his son, including Russian oligarch Yelena Baturina, Romanian oligarch Kenes Rakishev, Burismas corporate secretary Vadym Pozharsky, Jonathan Li of BHR, and CEFC Chairman Ye Jianming." Devon Archer, another former business partner of Hunter, told House Oversight investigators last summer that Hunter used his dad as "defensive leverage" to send "the right signals" to his foreign business partners, while selling him as "the brand" that offered "capabilities and reach," as well as a "unique understanding of D.C." Archer also described how the elder Biden was put on the phone to sell "the brand" and that he was put on speakerphone at least 20 times by Hunter during meetings, contradicting multiple claims by the elder Biden on the campaign trail and during his presidency about talking to his son about his business dealings. During his opening statement, Hunter said his claim that he "did not involve" his father in his business dealings was an "uncontestable fact that should end the false premise of this inquiry." President Biden and his son, Hunter. The first son said House Republicans "have built your entire partisan house of cards on lies told by" past witnesses, and blasted his ex-business associates Bobulinski and Jason Galanis, who also testified as part of the impeachment inquiry, as well as the since-indicted former FBI informant Alexander Smirnov. Hunter went on to address the "mistakes" he made in his life, including his battle with addiction, and claimed Republicans had taken the records of his various communications with individuals over the years "out of context." He said he hoped his testimony would "put an end to this baseless and destructive political charade." Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House and representatives of Hunter for comment. Fox News' Brooke Singman, Jessica Chasmar and Cameron Cawthorne contributed to this report. Original article source: Hunter Biden faces backlash for claiming his father was not involved in business deals: 'Perjuring himself' Hunter Biden told the committee he was 'embarrassed' by the WhatsApp message - Evelyn Hockstein/REUTERS Hunter Biden has claimed he was high or drunk when he used his fathers name to pressure a Chinese business associate. The 54-year-old son of Joe Biden, the US president, made the statement as he appeared before congressional committees on Thursday as part of an impeachment investigation into his father. It appears to be a major admission by his team, who previously claimed that the screenshots of WhatsApp messages to a Chinese asset manager had been faked. While negotiating a six-figure energy deal in 2017, Hunter Biden reportedly told Henry Zhao that he was sitting here with my father and we would like to understand why the commitment made has not been fulfilled. He continued: And, Z, if I get a call or text from anyone involved in this other than you, Zhang, or the chairman, I will make certain that between the man sitting next to me and every person he knows and my ability to forever hold a grudge that you will regret not following my direction. A Congressional report claims a Chinese energy conglomerate sent $5.1 million (4 million) to accounts linked with Hunter in the following days. House Republicans began an inquiry into Joe Biden in September 2023, claiming he used his political connections to enrich himself through his sons business dealings. However, it is yet to find any evidence of corruption. Embarrassed In a hearing that took place behind closed doors on Thursday, Hunter Biden admitted that he was high or drunk when he sent the sitting here with my father WhatsApp message, sent it to the wrong recipient, and is now embarrassed by the message. The readout of his deposition, reported by the New York Post, added that Hunter Biden confirmed that his dad was not sitting next to him. Last year, a lawyer acting for the presidents son, claimed that the WhatsApp messages published by whistleblowers in the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) were complete fakes. Abbe Lowell said the screenshots were not real and contained a myriad of issues, according to NBC News. He went on to accuse the self-styled IRS whistleblowers of attempting to feed the misinformation campaign to harm our client, Hunter Biden, as a vehicle to attack his father. Hunter hit out at the impeachment inquiry into his father, calling it a "baseless and destructive political charade" - J Scott Applewhite/AP Jim Jordan, who chairs the House judiciary committee, signalled that Hunter Bidens business dealings in China would be a key focus when it questioned him on Thursday. Well probe this Chinese energy company, Mr Jordan told Fox News ahead of the hearing. He claimed: Theres a pattern with the Biden family. Hunter Biden goes out and tries to get business, but the agreements and the deals never get done until Joe Biden shows up, either on a phone call, stopping by a lunch, dropping by a dinner. Thats when these things happen. Joe Biden denied last year that he had been seated next to his son when Hunter sent the WhatsApp messages to Mr Zhao. In prepared remarks he delivered to the hearing on Thursday, Hunter Biden hit out at suggestions that his father had been involved in his business ventures. I did not involve my father in my business, he said. Not while I was a practising lawyer, not in my investments or transactions domestic or international, not as a board member, and not as an artist. Never. He went on to criticise the inquiry as a baseless and destructive political charade that relied on innuendo, distortion, and sensationalism. 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. Hunter Biden, left, son of President Joe Biden, arrives with attorney Abbe Lowell at the O'Neill House Office Building for a closed-door deposition in a Republican-led investigation into the Biden family, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024. Lawmakers from the House Oversight and Accountability Committee and the House Judiciary Committee are conducting the inquiry. Hunter Biden appeared for a much-awaited closed-door deposition Wednesday morning as a part of the impeachment inquiry into his father, President Joe Biden. But the younger Bidens testimony didnt yield much for House Republicans, according to reports. In the deposition, which took place before the House Judiciary and Oversight Committees led by Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., Hunter Biden reiterated that his father had nothing to do with his business dealings. I am here today to provide the Committees with the one uncontestable fact that should end the false premise of this inquiry: I did not involve my father in my business, Hunter Biden said, according to a copy of his opening statement obtained by Fox News. Not while I was a practicing lawyer, not in my investments or transactions domestic or international, not as a board member, and not as an artist. Never. He said Republicans would rather focus on peddling lies than follow the facts, as laid out in the bank records, financial statements, correspondence and other witness testimony. Hunter Biden took responsibility for his mistakes and said he is making amends. But my mistakes and shortcomings are my own and not my fathers, who has done nothing but devote his entire life to public service and trying to make this country a better place to live, he added. Hunter Biden said his dad has helped him rebuild his life through love and support, and in return, President Biden got a barrage of hate-filled conspiracy theories that hatched this sham impeachment inquiry and continue to fuel unrelenting personal attacks against him and me. Comer, who has threatened to hold Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress, prior to the deposition said the committees have unearthed substantial evidence of President Biden and his familys corruption. He has previously indicated that the deposition doesnt conclude the impeachment inquiry. Meanwhile, Democrats held to the lack of evidence as their main talking point in a joint press conference. Rep. Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the Oversight Committee, said neither the younger Bidens latest testimony nor the testimony of others show President Joe Bidens involvement. I believe, based on this first hour, that this whole thing really has been a tremendous waste of our legislative time and the peoples resources, said Raskin, D-Md. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., called the deposition a deep sea fishing expedition. Other lawmakers zeroed in on President Biden and Hunter simply sharing a warm personal relationship. White House spokesperson Ian Sams said on social media, After more than a year of this #FailureTheater, the only thing Comers turned up is evidence disproving his lies. Last week, James Biden, the presidents brother, was deposed but he did not say the president was involved in any business ventures. Prior to James Bidens deposition, Alexander Smirnov, a former FBI informant, claimed that then-Vice President Biden and his son accepted a bribe of $10 million from Burisma, a Ukrainian energy company. Although his testimony fueled the inquiry into the president, he was recently indicted for making fictitious statements as prosecutors found he was linked to Russian intelligence. Comer indicated he plans to hold a public hearing and release the transcript of the closed door testimony in the coming days, per Punchbowl News reporter Max Cohen. For the first time in state history, Idaho prison officials on Wednesday were unable to successfully carry out a lethal injection when members of the execution team could not locate a suitable vein to insert an IV into death row prisoner Thomas Creech. Warden Tim Richardson conferred with Idaho Department of Correction Director Josh Tewalt about an hour into the attempted execution, after medical team members made eight tries in a variety of locations on Creechs body. They started with his right arm and then his right hand, before moving to his left arm and then to his lower left leg, media witnesses stated. Richardson then called off Creechs execution. Tewalt said that Creech was returned to the cell where hes been held for the past 30 days while hes awaited his lethal injection, and that his death warrant would be allowed to lapse when it expires at the end of the day. From the very beginning, Id rather be very candid and upfront that this is not a do-it-at-any-cost process, Tewalt said at press conference. Our first objective is to carry this out with dignity, professionalism and respect, and part of that was training and practicing for the chance that they were unable to establish IV access. And yet, those protocols do not have contingencies for such a circumstance, Tewalt acknowledged. As a result, what state officials might do next given the unprecedented situation in Idaho is unclear. Options will be discussed in the days ahead, Tewalt said. Creech, 73, was convicted of five murders, including three in Idaho. He is Idahos longest-serving death row prisoner as part of nearly 50 years of incarceration in the state. Thomas Creech, seen here in a photo provided by opponents to his execution, was scheduled to be executed by lethal injection on Wednesday. His execution was called off by prison officials after members of the execution team were unable to find a vein suitable for an IV. Idaho Attorney General Raul Labrador and Ada County Prosecutor Jan Bennetts were driving forces behind the latest attempt to execute Creech the 12th time he had been served with a death warrant since his first conviction in 1975. Bennetts declined to comment to the Statesman. In an emailed statement, Labrador stated his disappointment in the medical inability to execute Creech. Justice has been delayed again, Labrador said. Today is a sad day for the families of his victims, and a continuation of the pain they have endured for almost five decades. Pricey lethal injection drugs rendered unusable Ahead of Creechs planned lethal injection, the execution team loaded the liquid pentobarbital it had on hand into syringes for use in the execution, Tewalt said. A purchase order obtained by the Idaho Statesman in a public records request revealed that prison officials paid $50,000 last fall for 15 grams of the drug, which has become harder to find in recent years as suppliers increasingly refuse to sell them to prisons for executions. Idahos lethal injection protocol calls for a 5-gram lethal dose of pentobarbital to be split between two syringes. A backup 5-gram dose of the drugs also was prepared for Creechs execution, Tewalt said. In turn, the majority of the states stockpile of the pricey drug has been rendered unusable, he said. Ostensibly, that amounts to more than $33,000 in taxpayer dollars wasted. A 5-gram dose remains, but a backup dose would still be required to conduct any future lethal injection execution, Tewalt said be it Creech or one of Idahos seven other death row prisoners down the road. In that case, prison officials would need to locate more of the drug for a lethal injection, Tewalt confirmed in response to a question from the Statesman. Im not going to speculate on the chemicals for future executions, he said. I think we have a high level of confidence that well be able to secure the chemicals necessary to carry out an execution by lethal injection. But well cross that bridge when it comes. He declined to say whether IDOC could buy more pentobarbital from the same supplier as the most recent purchase. An Idaho law now allows prison officials to shield all identifying information about sources of execution drugs from disclosure through an exemption to public records. Drugs from shady sources Creechs attorneys with the legal nonprofit Federal Defender Services of Idaho immediately voiced anger at the mornings developments, which they called a botched execution. In a statement, they also referenced the states mysteriously acquired pentobarbital, which they argued in an appeal denied by the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday morning could violate their clients constitutional rights against cruel and unusual punishment because of preexisting health conditions. This is precisely the kind of mishap we warned the state and the courts could happen when attempting to execute one of the countrys oldest death-row inmates in circumstances completely shielded in secrecy despite a well-known history of getting drugs from shady sources, Deborah A. Czuba, supervising attorney of the legal nonprofits unit that oversees death penalty cases, said in the statement. Tewalt was one of two prison officials who boarded a state-chattered flight to Tacoma, Washington, to pay as much as $15,000 cash for lethal injection drugs from a compounding pharmacy in 2012, public records showed. The pentobarbital they brought back was then used in Idahos most recent execution in June 2012 of Richard Leavitt, who was convicted of a July 1984 murder in Blackfoot. Creechs attorneys have alleged in court filings that the Tacoma drug purchase was made in a Walmart parking lot. IDOC officials have denied the allegation. Before that, prison officials in 2011 paid up to $10,000 in cash for lethal injection drugs to a compounding pharmacy in Salt Lake City, according to a sworn deposition from a former deputy prison chief, The Salt Lake Tribune reported. That pentobarbital was used to execute Paul Rhoades, who was convicted of three 1987 murders, in November 2011. Compounding pharmacies are less regulated custom drug producers that arent closely monitored by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. In each case, the out-of-state compounding pharmacy that sold pentobarbital to Idaho prison officials had dubious regulatory records. On Wednesday, Tewalt said hed respond in court to Creechs attorneys claims of a botched execution attempt, and defended the decision to halt Creechs execution. While the execution was unsuccessful, I think their efforts were, he said of the execution team. And I think it would be wrong to call it a failure. They did their level best in a professional way that was respectful of the process. Gov. Brad Little commended prison officials for doing the right thing by stopping Creechs execution. Robert Dunham, former executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center, told the Statesman in a phone interview that it appeared Idahos execution team handled their job with professionalism. Idaho and the firing squad Just last year, Little, with the backing of a supermajority of the Republican-dominated Idaho Legislature, signed a law that made a firing squad the states backup execution method when lethal injection drugs were unavailable. The state set aside $750,000 to renovate the execution chamber at the maximum security prison to provide a site for possible firing-squad executions, in addition to lethal injections. Construction has yet to begin on the execution chamber overhaul, in part because contractors were unwilling to perform work on a project related to executions, Tewalt wrote staff in an email Wednesday afternoon. When that begins, it is expected that will prevent executions altogether until the work is finished, he said. Tewalt told the Statesman that he couldnt say whether Wednesdays failed attempt to execute Creech might speed up plans to build out the execution chamber to accommodate a firing squad. Theres no timeline on it, he said. Its premature for me to give you an answer to that. Well have discussions in the days ahead about next steps and try to make people aware . But I just dont have an answer today. Death penalty protesters gather outside the Idaho Department of Correction prison complex south of Boise, where longtime death row prisoner Thomas Creech, 73, was scheduled to be executed Wednesday morning. In a statement, the American Civil Liberties Union of Idaho called on the state to drop all efforts to execute Creech and allow him to die of natural causes in prison. The failed execution of Thomas Creech calls attention to additional reasons why the government should not be in the business of executing people, said Leo Morales, the ACLU of Idahos executive director. The system is inhumane, cruel, traumatizing and ineffective, all while spending millions of dollars in a process that could have instead provided relief to murdered victims families. The ACLU of Idaho is against the death penalty in any situation, and todays botched execution is just one additional reason. Bryan Kohberger, the suspect accused of murdering four University of Idaho students, appeared in court as attorneys discussed change of venue and a trial date, with no determinations made. Mr Kohberger sat in a Latah County, Idaho courtroom on Wednesday next to his defence team, wearing a dark suit, light blue shirt and dark tie. He is accused of fatally stabbing Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin in November 2022. The defence team argued that the trial should be moved to a venue outside of Latah County where the brutal murders took place. His attorneys wrote that a fair and impartial jury cannot be found in Latah County due to the extensive, inflammatory pretrial publicity, the severity of the charges and the salacious nature of the alleged crimes. They added that the population is too small to avoid bias in the community. Prosecutors previously wrote that the defences argument lacks information to support that a jury could not fairly and impartially decide the case, adding that publicity is not a stand-alone reason for a court to change the venue. How do you really know if theres prejudice without seeing the jury? Its really a catch 22, said Judge John Judge. The judge allowed more time before he decided on the change of venue. The next hearing is scheduled for 14 May at 1.30pm. The lawyers also engaged in a back-and-forth over access to investigative genetic genealogy (IGG) materials. Mr Kohbergers attorney, Anne Taylor, previously asked the court to allow three criminal investigators to access the IGG materials, which the defence opposed because the investigators were unnamed. In court on Wednesday, Ms Taylor said the investigators werent named because of consistency, as they have not been named on other protected materials, like those regarding medical information from the hospital, University of Idaho records, and police procedures. We can name them if that is a sticking point, she conceded. Latah County deputy prosecutor Ashley Jennings said the state wanted the investigators to be named to maintain control over any unauthorised dissemination. Ms Jennings called the IGG material highly sensitive information to which she believed the defence didnt need total access. We have to be especially careful about whos going to have the access, what theyre going to do with it, regarding the IGG information, the judge said. We have to have investigators on a death penalty case, Ms Taylor said. To meet our constitutional dutieswe have to have investigators, as they help understand what the IGG materials are and what they mean, she continued. The judge questioned the IGG materials relevance, since the state said it had no bearing on the case. The judge continued, The IGG has to have some relevance if theres some context that connects the case itself. Im not quite ready to be convinced, that without getting this information from the experts, that we can find some pathway thats going to be helpful to Mr Kohberg, the judge said. He asked for some justification for the defences need for the IGG materials, by speaking to experts; he said he was keeping an open mind about the matter. Although both sides provided wishful trial dates, the official trial date has yet to be determined, as Mr Kohberger waived his right to a speedy trial. Thomas Creech, 73, had his execution stopped because the medical team couldn't find a vein to administer a lethal injection. Officials said they would let his death warrant expire at 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday. Creech is convicted of five murders and has been on death row for 43 years. Idaho officials stopped the execution of a 73-year-old convicted serial killer after the medical team couldn't find his veins for a lethal injection. Thomas Creech, who was imprisoned in 1974 and has been convicted of five murders in three states, was to be executed in Idaho Maximum Security Institution at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, per the state's corrections department. But at around 11 a.m., Corrections Director Josh Tewalt announced that the execution could not proceed because the medical team was unable to establish an IV line. Creech was returned to his cell, and his death warrant was set to expire that day at 11:59 p.m., per the department. At a press conference held on Wednesday at noon, Tewalt said three medical professionals made a combined eight attempts to find Creech's veins for an IV line. They tried his right arm, then his right leg, then his left arm, then his left leg, but were ultimately unsuccessful, Tewalt said. "We are planning to allow the death warrant to expire because we don't anticipate a change in status or circumstance that would allow us to continue with the execution today," Tewalt said. Executions in Idaho are rare. The state has eight inmates on death row, a small fraction of the some 2,300 people with death sentences in the US. Creech's defense attorneys, from the Federal Defender Services of Idaho, criticized the corrections department for what they called a "botched" execution, per the local paper the Idaho Statesman. "This is precisely the kind of mishap we warned the state and the courts would happen when attempting to execute one of the country's oldest death-row inmates in circumstances completely shielded in secrecy despite a well-known history of getting drugs from shady sources," said Deborah A. Czuba, a lawyer on the Federal Defender Services of Idaho's unit concerning death-row cases, per the outlet. But Tewalt said the halting of Creech's execution showed that the system works. "Some are characterizing today's events as a failure, but the opposite is true. The process worked to prevent a failure, and I think that's an important distinction," he said in a statement on his department's website. Tewalt said authorities are discussing an execution by firing squad, but are struggling to find units or contractors willing to carry out such a task. Creech's history with murder and what he says is a life reversal Creech grew up in Ohio but has been serving his sentences in Idaho after he was arrested there in 1974. He has been convicted of three murders in Idaho, one in California, and one in Oregon, per the Ada County Prosecutor's Office. His death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment, but he was put on death row again in 1983 after beating a 22-year-old inmate to death. Prosecutors said he killed his fellow prisoner so he would be moved to a preferred housing unit. Creech has also admitted to killing at least 40 other people, and officials say they have strong evidence that can link him to six more murders. Supporters for Creech's death sentence commutation say that he has changed from his serial killer days and renewed his faith as a Christian in 1993, per The Wall Street Journal. In 1998, he married the mother of a corrections officer who was working at his detention facility, per the WSJ. He has been on death row for 43 years, and told WSJ that he has tried to help mentor others in prison since undergoing a 1993 transformation. Ada County Deputy Prosecutor Jill Longhurst in January said that Creech could be "charming" and "likable" but that he was still the "sociopath he's always been." Creech is not the only US inmate to be saved from death row at least temporarily by an unsuccessful IV. Alva Campbell, a terminally ill patient, had his execution in Ohio stopped in 2017 because medical officers couldn't find a vein. He was 69 at the time and died a year later because of his illness. Read the original article on Business Insider The Idaho Republican Party decided to take a different course of action to determine this years Republican nominee for the 2024 presidential election. Instead of the traditional primary election that many Americans are accustomed to, the party will hold a caucus on Saturday for the first time since the 2012 election cycle. But what is a caucus, how does it work, and why is the Idaho Republican party switching things up in 2024? Heres what to know, even though there may not be much mystery in who will win. What is a caucus? Primaries and caucuses have the same end goal of choosing a presidential nominee, but how they function is vastly different. A typical primary will see voters show up at their polling location, confirm their voter registration with a poll worker, and then privately fill in a ballot before going on their way. If the polling station is quiet, a voter can be in and out within five minutes; in the worst-case scenario, you may have to wait in line for a while. The candidate with the most votes is awarded the delegates for that state. Each state awards a different number of delegates based on a formula set by the party, including factors such as the population and how well that states nominee has done in past presidential elections. Idaho will award 32 delegates this year, and a nominee will need an estimated 1,215 delegates to secure the Republican nomination. Caucuses work differently than your regular primary. They can be envisioned as private meetings because, typically, theyre run by the state political party and are accessible only to registered voters of that party. (Idaho has a closed Republican primary as well, though.) During a caucus, voters can discuss their choice with other people, and their vote isnt done privately in a booth but instead in the open alongside other voters. Dorothy Moon, chair of the Idaho Republican Party, said in a public meeting in February that each candidate is expected to send in a video for voters to watch at the caucus. Because of the community aspect, participating in a caucus can sometimes take up several hours of a persons day. Rep. Dorothy Moon, R-Stanley, Chairwoman of the Idaho Republican Party. How will the caucus this weekend in Idaho work? Saturdays caucus actually will take place at 210 different locations across the state, starting at 12 p.m. Mountain time. Moon estimates that the caucus will last about 90 minutes at smaller locations and two hours at larger sites. Results will then be available about three hours after voting finishes, she said. This places Idahos presidential caucus a couple of days ahead of Super Tuesday on May 5, which is the day when several states plus American Samoa run their primaries and caucuses, going a long way to determining the partys presidential nominee. There is not much mystery in that department Donald Trump is already the presumptive Republican nominee, his vast legal problems notwithstanding. Idahoans will have a chance to vote for the following six candidates: Former President Trump Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley Texas-based businessman and pastor Ryan Binkley Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Businessman Vivek Ramaswamy Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie Notably, only the first two candidates on the list are still in the race Binkley, DeSantis, Ramaswamy and Christie all having dropped out. The first step for Idahoans is to find their caucus location. Moon said that registered Republicans should have received a postcard in the mail with their polling location, but if it didnt arrive, you can check your caucus site on the Idaho GOP website. To gain caucus admission, you must be a registered Republican in Idaho as of Dec. 31. Upon arriving at your caucus location, youll be asked to provide a valid government ID to ensure youre eligible to vote at that caucus site. The ID can be an Idaho drivers license, U.S. passport, federal ID card, tribal ID or a concealed carry permit, Moon said. Once inside, youll be given a stamp and your ballot, and be directed to the area where you can talk with other voters and cast your vote. There will also be televisions running videos from candidates who submitted one. If youre not sure who you want to go for, watch the presentations, Moon said. They have five minutes each. Officials empty buckets of coins, which were used to cast a vote, into coin counting machines at the Ada County Republican caucus on Super Tuesday March 6, at Taco Bell Arena on the campus of Boise State University to select a nominee for president. Photo by Joe Jaszewski Once you vote, youll receive another stamp and are free to leave. Voters are also allowed to stick around and witness the count, Moon said. Once the count is complete, officials from each caucus site will call in the results to the Idaho Republican Party headquarters, where the votes will be tabulated. If a candidate wins over 50% of the votes, they will be awarded all of Idahos 32 delegates. If no candidate gets over 50%, they will be awarded delegates proportional to the votes they received between each candidate who received at least 15% of the vote. Why are Idaho Republicans running a caucus? Moon said that opting for a caucus over a primary will save the state millions of dollars. You have to remember that the argument on removing the large primary was to save $2.7 million, Moon said. Its going to cost us a couple-hundred-thousand dollar to pull off a presidential caucus. A mistake in passing a bill in 2023 paved the way for the caucus. Lawmakers passed a bill introduced by Idaho Secretary of State Phil McGrane that inadvertently eliminated Idahos presidential primary election while attempting to move the primary from March to May. That meant the legal mechanisms were no longer in place to mandate a state-run primary, and last year lawmakers failed to come to an agreement to have a special session to reinstate the primary. The Democrats will have their caucus in May. The Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium are still fighting for compensation for families affected by radiation from the first atomic bomb test in 1945 (VALERIE MACON) Wesley Burris was fast asleep in bed when the world's first atomic bomb exploded just 25 miles from his front door. A blinding light filled the home in the New Mexico desert, before the impossible force of the blast shattered its windows, spraying glass across the four-year-old boy and his brother. "It was so bright, I couldn't see," Burris recalls. "I can remember asking, 'Dad, what happened? Did the Sun blow up?'" The events of 5:30 am on July 16, 1945 are now best known to millions from their dramatic re-enactment in the Oscar-tipped movie "Oppenheimer." But they loom large in the actual memory of Burris, who is now 83 years old and still living just a few miles from the secret location where scientists and military chiefs gathered on that historic morning. Because while the film presents the Trinity test site as a vast, empty desert, Burris and his family were among thousands who lived within a 50-mile (80-kilometer) radius. And like all of their neighbors, the family had no clue what was going on -- or why a giant mushroom-shaped cloud was spreading across their horizon. "We weren't scared from it. Because it didn't kill us right there," he told AFP. "We had no idea what it was." Fast-forward eight decades, and Burris knows all too well the true deadliness of that explosion, which sent radioactive material 50,000 feet (15,000 meters) into the air. The test took place amid thunderstorms, despite scientists' warnings, in the race to have the bomb ready for a key World War II summit with the Soviets. Torrential rains brought toxic debris straight back down, where it irradiated the desert dust, the water supplies and the food chain. Burris has lost his brother to cancer. His sister had it too, as does her daughter. And he himself has skin cancer, which he tries to treat with traditional Native American medicine. Despite all this, no New Mexican affected by radiation from the Trinity test has received a dime in compensation. "We were guinea pigs," said Tina Cordova, a cancer survivor who runs the Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium, calling for justice. "But they come back and check on guinea pigs. Nobody's ever come back to check on us." - 'Oppenheimer' - For campaigners like Cordova, Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer" has at least introduced the concept of the Trinity test to millions of people around the world. "But it didn't go far enough," she told AFP. The film is the overwhelming favorite to sweep multiple Oscars on March 10, including best picture. "Wouldn't it be remarkable if during the Academy Awards, any one of them said, 'I want to acknowledge the sacrifice and suffering of the people of New Mexico,'" said Cordova. "They knew about us when they made the film -- they just chose to ignore us again." Cordova -- one of five generations in her family diagnosed with cancer since 1945 -- hopes such recognition could finally put pressure on the US Congress to extend compensation to her state. The clock is ticking. The current Radiation Exposure Compensation Act does support those who lived near sites where nuclear tests were later conducted in Nevada, Utah and Arizona. But even that expires in June. And a bid to broaden its scope to include those exposed to the very first atomic explosion, having been approved by the US Senate last year, was ripped out of a giant defense bill in December by the House of Representatives, over concerns about its cost. "This shouldn't be how we live. We hold bake sales and garage sales and enchilada suppers so that we can raise the money to help these families," said Cordova. "Maybe the Pentagon should have to have a bake sale every week to meet their budgetary demands, the same way we have to." According to "First We Bombed New Mexico," a new documentary following Cordova's campaign, the families affected by radiation are "mostly Hispanic and Native." - 'Bunch of lies' - Burris was not impressed by the recent "Oppenheimer" movie. "Yeah, I've seen it, but that film is a bunch of lies," he said. "How many people died out here? They never said nothing about that." But he has long become resigned to being brushed aside by history. Way back in July 1945, his family were eventually told an ammunition explosion had occurred. Compounding the mystery, two strange men with binoculars were spotted watching the explosion from trucks parked near their front yard. "They wouldn't tell us anything," he recalls. A few years later, another group of men appeared near the home, wearing white suits and masks. His brother approached them, asking why they were digging a hole in the ground and collecting samples. "They said, 'You need to get out of here. This will kill you,'" recalled Burris. "And he said, 'Where am I going (to go?) We live right here in this house.'" amz/hg/sst An Illinois judge has excluded former US President Donald Trump from Republican primary election ballots based on the so-called "insurrectionist ban" provided for in the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. Source: CNN Details: It is noted that Trump has a short period of time to file an appeal. Quote from CNN: "Wednesdays unexpected decision comes as a similar anti-Trump challenge from Colorado is pending before the US Supreme Court, which is widely expected to reject arguments that Trump is barred from office." County Circuit Judge Cook Tracie Porter largely based her decision on the previous conclusion of the Colorado Supreme Court, describing the Colorado court"s rationale compelling." "The court also realises the magnitude of this decision and its impact on the upcoming primary Illinois elections," Porter wrote. "The Illinois State Board of Election shall remove Donald J. Trump from the ballot for the General Primary Election on 19 March 2024, or cause any votes cast for him to be suppressed." Illinois becomes the third state to remove Trump from the election ballots, following Colorado and Maine. However, these decisions have been temporarily suspended pending the appeal in the Colorado case before the US Supreme Court. Background: Earlier, the Republican Party of Colorado appealed to the US Supreme Court after the Colorado Supreme Court disqualified Trump from participating in the party's primary elections in the state. Additionally, the Supreme Court of Michigan dismissed a lawsuit seeking to prohibit former US President Donald Trump from participating in the primaries. Support UP or become our patron! China opposes U.S. arms sales to Taiwan: spokesperson Xinhua) 09:47, February 29, 2024 BEIJING, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese government spokesperson on Wednesday voiced firm opposition to U.S. arms sales to China's Taiwan region. Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, urged the U.S. side to strictly abide by the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiques and immediately stop arms sales to Taiwan. She made the remarks when asked to comment on the U.S. government's recent approval to sell arms worth around 75 million U.S. dollars to Taiwan. Zhu also warned the Democratic Progressive Party authorities in Taiwan that their attempts to seek U.S. support for their "independence" agenda and to pursue "independence" by force would drive Taiwan perilously close to war and endanger Taiwan compatriots. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Pakistani Christians have lauded the Senate of Pakistan for approving the Christian Marriage (Amendment) Bill 2023 that increases the minimum marriage age for Christians from 16 to 18 years. The private member bill was presented in the Upper House of Parliament by outgoing Christian Senator Kamran Michael on Monday seeking an amendment in Sub-Section 1 of Section 60 of the Christian Marriage Act 1872 wherein the marriageable age for Christian boys was set at sixteen while for girls it was thirteen. Michael proposed increasing the marriage age for both boys and girls to eighteen years. It is the function of the state to protect the inviolable dignity of children as their basic human rights and to protect children being married before the age of maturity as their basic rights to education and other ancillary rights would otherwise be infringed, the statement of objectives of the bill reads. The main purpose of this enactment is to protect children from being sexually abused and to secure children their basic fundamental rights as enshrined in the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the marriageable age in the other laws prevailing in the country, it continues. Christian Daily International has learned that the bill was first introduced in the Senate by Michael on January 30, 2023, and was referred to the Senates Standing Committee on Interior for consideration. The bill was included in the agenda for the committee meetings held on March 8, 2023, April 2023 and June 8, 2023, respectively but surprisingly Senator Michael did not appear before the committee on all three occasions despite notices. According to a report presented to the Senate by the committees chairman Senator Mohsin Aziz, the committee considered the bill in the absence of the mover (Michael) in its meeting held on June 8, 2023, and recommended increasing the marriage age for boys from 16 to 18 and for girls from 13 to 16. According to Standing Order 2.23 of the committee, Where the Mover whose legislative or non-legislative business is referred from the House to the Committee, fails to attend two consecutive committee meetings in which his/her business is taken up on the agenda, the Committee may, if the Mover absents himself from the third consecutive meeting, despite telephonic intimations and notices, the said matter may be taken up and disposed off in absence of the Mover and a report in this context be laid in the House within the stipulated time period for which the matter was originally referred. During the Senate proceedings on Monday, Senator Michael requested Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani to disregard the standing committees recommendation and put his original bill for voting, which was accepted. All the church denominations have given their consent for increasing the marriage age for Christian boys and girls to 18. The bill does not conflict with biblical injunctions as the Bible also recommends that both partners should be mature and wise at the time of marriage, Michael told the Senate proceedings. Church leaders and Christian rights activists welcomed the passing of the amendment to the Act, saying it was long overdue. It was the communitys longstanding demand to increase the age limit for marriage to 18 years for both Christian boys and girls. We hope that the incoming National Assembly will also approve the Bill passed by the Senate. This legislation will curb early marriages of minor girls, especially in rural areas, and act as a safeguard for their health, education, and overall wellbeing, said Bishop Azad Marshall, president of the Church of Pakistan. Marshall added that the bill also represented a crucial advancement in protecting young Christian girls from forced conversions and sexual abuse. We hope that the incoming government will make necessary legislation to criminalize forced conversions of minority girls, he told Christian Daily International. Bishop of Multan Diocese of the Church of Pakistan, Leo Roderick Paul echoed Bishop Marshalls opinion, but said that several other amendments were needed in the Act to address the present-day challenges facing the community. All the denominations, including the Roman Catholic Church, have worked very hard to prepare a comprehensive bill on overhauling the Christian personal laws. The bill was submitted to the law department for consideration last year but Im not aware of its current status, he told Christian Daily International. Bishop Leo, who was the chairman of the joint church committee formed to review the personal laws, said the amendments proposed by the committee related to key issues including the dissolution of Christian marriage and definition of Christian. All the denominations have unanimously agreed that a Christian marriage cannot be dissolved automatically without following the due legal process even if a Christian man or woman renounced their Christian faith. Moreover, we also agreed that a Christian would be defined as someone who believes in the Apostles Creed, he said. Prominent rights activist Peter Jacob told Christian Daily International that they had been advocating for enhancing the minimum marriage age to 18 for a long time. This is a step in the right direction because many Christian girls, particularly those belonging to underprivileged households, are married off at an early age, he said. Jacob, who heads the research and advocacy group Center for Social Justice, said the bill drafted by the joint church committee could be considered a completely new law. That draft bill is very elaborate but till the time it is presented in parliament for discussion, this amendment can be seen as a positive move that will help pave the way for more legislation, he concluded. An Illinois judge on Wednesday evening ordered Donald Trumps name to be removed from the states Republican presidential primary ballot, but temporarily put her own ruling on ice to give a higher court a chance to contradict her decision. Cook County Circuit Judge Tracie R. Porter agreed with the group of five Illinois voters who filed the suit, arguing that Trump was ineligible to take another shot at the White House under the 14th Amendment, a section of which bars any officer of the United States from holding office if theyve previously engaged in insurrection or rebellion. But she stayed her order until Friday in anticipation of an appeal to Illinois appellate court or the state Supreme Court. Porter also noted that her ruling would be indefinitely stayed should the U.S. Supreme Court decide differently on the matter. Spokesman Steven Cheung confirmed to The Daily Beast in a statement that the Trump campaign planned to quickly appeal the unconstitutional decision. He accused the plaintiffs in the case of being Soros-funded Democrat front-groups trying to deny President Trump his rightful place on the ballot, and slammed Porter as an activist Democrat judge. The Supreme Court is expected to settle the question of Trumps eligibility under the so-called insurrection clause for the entire country. It has indicated it will hand down its ruling ahead of March 5, the rapidly approaching date known as Super Tuesday when 15 states and one U.S. territory will hold their primaries. (The Illinois primary is on March 19.) Free Speech for People, the voting rights nonprofit that spearheaded the effort to file the suit, celebrated Porters ruling as a historic victory in a statement to The Daily Beast. The judge rejected all the various gimmicks that Trump tried to use to get the suit tossed, instead finding that he incited, fomented, and facilitated the events of Jan. 6, 2021, the organization said. Judge Porters reasoned decision contributes to the growing consensus of courts recognizing and condemning Trumps decisive role in the attack on the Capitol, said attorney Caryn Lederer, who represented the plaintiffs. The decision recognizes the importance of rule of law and upholding the mandate of the U.S. Constitution. Wednesdays decision comes after last months unanimous ruling by the Illinois Board of Elections, a panel made up of four Democrats and four Republicans, to dismiss the same case, saying that only the courts had the authority to decide on the matter. This Republican believes that there was an insurrection on January 6th, board member Catherine S. McCrory said, adding of Trump, There is no doubt in my mind that he manipulated, instigated, aided, and abetted an insurrection on January 6th. However, having said that, it is not my place to rule on that today. Matthew Piers, another lawyer for the plaintiffs, characterized the boards decision at the time as an avoidance of a hot potato issue. Were disappointed, he added, according to CBS Chicago, but we always knew that this case was going to be determined in the courts. Porters order leaned heavily on the Colorado Supreme Court, which set a precedent in December when it declared that Trump was ineligible for the White House. The Colorado decision is the one currently before the U.S. Supreme Court, which has already signaled its skepticism of the ruling. But Porter called the rationale for the decision compelling. Trump was also booted off the ballot in Maine, where the Democratic secretary of state found that he had deployed a false narrative of election fraud to inflame his supporters. Both the decisions in Maine and Colorado similarly remain on hold, with Trumps name still on the ballots there until the nations high court has the final word on the issue. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. Former President Donald Trump (C) speaks after defeating former governor Nikki Haley in South Carolina's Republican presidential primary in South Carolina Tuesday. Photo by Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA-EFE Feb. 28 (UPI) -- An Illinois judge on Wednesday ordered Donald Trump be removed from the state's March 19 primary ballot but placed a hold on her order. Cook County Circuit Court Judge Tracie Porter ordered the Illinois Board of Elections to remove Trump from the primary ballot and to suppress any votes he might receive during the primary, CNN reported. Porter cited the insurrection clause in the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution as her reasoning for removing Trump from the state's ballot, but she said she expects the former president to appeal her decision, the Chicago Sun-Times reported. Trump can appeal the decision to the Illinois appellate court but might not need to after the U.S. Supreme Court on Feb. 8 heard arguments for and against disqualifying the former president from eligibility to run for the nation's highest office in Colorado due to the Jan. 6, 2021, protest and riot at the Capitol in Washington, D.C. If the Supreme Court rules in Trump's favor, Porter's order would be moot. The Supreme Court has until Tuesday to approve or deny Trump's eligibility to run for office if he were to be eligible for inclusion on Colorado's primary ballot. Colorado's primaries are scheduled Tuesday, while Illinois' primaries are two weeks later on March 19. The Illinois Board of Elections in January unanimously voted to keep Trump on the state's ballot after the board's general counsel advised it does not have the jurisdiction to decide whether he should be removed. Porter said the state's elections board erred in refusing to remove Trump from the state's ballot, which would place Illinois with Colorado and Maine in having officials declare him ineligible for inclusion on their respective ballots. Porter won re-election to the Cook County Circuit Court on Nov. 8, 2022, and is a member of the Democratic Party, according to Ballotpedia. A group calling itself Free Speech For People challenged Trump's eligibility to run for office in Illinois after failing to get him removed from ballots in Michigan, Minnesota and Oregon. Porter presided over a hearing in the matter last month and issued her ruling on Wednesday. Attorney's for the former president asked Porter to wait for the Supreme Court to render its decision before ruling on the case. A Cook County judge on Wednesday ordered former President Donald Trumps name to be removed from the March 19 Republican primary ballot but stayed her order until Friday to give time for an appeal to the Illinois Supreme Court. In a lengthy decision, Judge Tracie Porter said the Illinois State Board of Elections reached the wrong conclusion last month when it rejected a petition by five Illinois voters who objected to Trumps candidacy. The objectors claimed Trumps actions surrounding the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol amounted to an insurrection and, thus, disqualified him under the 14th Amendment. Judge Porters reasoned decision contributes to the growing consensus of courts recognizing and condemning Trumps decisive role in the January 6th attack on the Capitol, Caryn Lederer, lead attorney for the objectors, said in a statement Wednesday. The decision recognizes the importance of rule of law and upholding the mandate of the U.S. Constitution. Trump spokesman Steven Cheung issued a statement saying the campaign would appeal the decision, which he called unconstitutional. Today, an activist Democrat judge in Illinois summarily overruled the states board of elections and contradicted earlier decisions from dozens of other state and federal jurisdictions, he said, noting Trumps name will remain on the ballot as the case progresses. The decision comes at the same time the U.S. Supreme Court is weighing a similar challenge to Trumps candidacy in Colorado. The high court heard oral arguments in that case Feb. 8 but has not yet issued a decision. The objection in Illinois was first heard by an administrative hearing officer who recommended the complaint be dismissed. Clark Erickson, a retired Republican judge, said Trumps actions surrounding the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol likely constituted an insurrection, but that such questions were beyond the scope of the Board of Elections authority. On Jan. 30, the Board of Elections agreed and voted unanimously to dismiss the objection. The board also said the objectors had failed to show that Trump knowingly lied on his statement of candidacy in Illinois when he declared he was legally qualified to hold the office of president. The objectors then requested a judicial review in Cook County Circuit Court. In her order Wednesday, Porter reversed that decision, noting that Trump filed his statement of candidacy on Jan. 4, 2024, more than a week after the Colorado Supreme Court ruled that Trump had engaged in an insurrection and was therefore disqualified from the Colorado ballot. Porter pointed to the election boards findings that Trump had likely engaged insurrection, concluding Trump falsely swore that he was legally qualified for the presidency. She called the boards decision in finding Trump should stay on the ballot clearly erroneous. U.S. Rep. Mike Bost, who last week received Trumps endorsement for his Republican primary campaign against challenger Darren Bailey, released a statement about the ruling late Wednesday. A Chicago judge has put her will above the will of Illinois Republican voters. This is blatant election interference and it must not stand, said Bost. President Trump has never even been charged with insurrection, much less convicted of it. Yet the judge took it upon herself to order the Board of Elections to remove President Trump from the states ballot citing an insurrection clause. This egregious move further proves that radical liberals will stop at nothing to prevent President Trump from occupying the White House again. We must protect President Trumps access to the ballot and defend the right of Illinois voters to determine who they want as their next president. An Illinois judge announced late Wednesday that former President Donald Trump has been removed from the states 2024 Republican presidential primary ballot over his alleged role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Cook County Circuit Judge Tracie Porter barred Trump from the Illinois ballot one month after the anti-Trump challenge was dismissed by the Illinois State Board of Elections. According to court documents obtained by Fox News, Porter gave the order on Wednesday, urging the board to remove Trump or "cause any votes cast for him to be suppressed," for violating section three of the 14th Amendment, or the "disqualification clause," for engaging in insurrection. Porter's ruling reverses last month's decision by the Illinois Board of Elections to keep Trump's name on the primary ballot after a group of Illinois voters accused the former president of engaging in insurrection. REPUBLICAN EX-JUDGE ARGUED TRUMP ENGAGED IN INSURRECTION, SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM ILLINOIS PRIMARY BALLOT Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump campaigns in Atkinson, New Hampshire, last month. However, the order is put on hold until Friday, in case of an appeal from Trump's attorneys to the Illinois Appellate Court, First District or the Illinois Supreme Court. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP A campaign spokesperson for Trump issued a statement to Reuters saying it "is an unconstitutional ruling that we will quickly appeal." The U.S. Supreme Court is considering for the first time the meaning and reach of Section 3 of the Constitutions 14th Amendment, which bars former officeholders who "engaged in insurrection" from holding public office again. The 14th Amendment, Section 3 of the Constitution states, "No person shall hold any office under the United States who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States 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." TRUMP SAYS HE'S A 'BELIEVER' IN THE SUPREME COURT AFTER ORAL ARGUMENTS IN COLORADO BALLOT CASE Former President Donald Trump gestures to the crowd at a campaign event in Pickens, South Carolina. Trump has never been charged with inciting an insurrection. Nancy Pelosi took to X, formerly Twitter, to share her thoughts on the ruling. "The Supreme Court is placing itself on trial with its decision to hear the former presidents total immunity claim. It remains to be seen whether the justices will uphold the fundamental American value that no one is above the law not even a former president," Pelosi wrote. HOUSE DEMOCRAT FROM MAINE RIPS STATE'S DECISION TO TAKE TRUMP OFF BALLOT Former President Donald Trump gestures to supporters during an election night watch party last week in Columbia, South Carolina. The court will make a decision no later than the end of June on whether Trump can be prosecuted for election interference, The Associated Press reports. Illinois is now the third state where Trump was booted from the ballot, after Colorado and Maine. But those decisions were paused pending the appeal of the Colorado case to the U.S. Supreme Court. The primary election is set for March 19. Fox News' Garrett Tenney and Brooke Singman contributed to this report. Original article source: Illinois judge removes Trump from state ballot, citing 'insurrectionist ban' (Bloomberg) -- An Illinois judge barred Donald Trump from appearing on the Republican presidential primary ballot, marking the third state to impose such a ban on the former president for his role in the insurrection at the US Capitol on Jan 6. Most Read from Bloomberg Cook County Circuit Judge Tracie Porter paused her decision Wednesday and gave Trump until Friday to appeal. Porter based her ruling on a provision in the US Constitutions 14th Amendment known as the insurrection clause. The measure bars people from returning to office if they took an oath to support the Constitution and then engaged in insurrection. Trump already has an appeal of a similar ruling in Colorado before the US Supreme Court. The high court on Wednesday took up a second unprecedented case involving Trump over his bid for immunity from criminal prosecution in the Washington election interference case, raising the prospect that a trial to hold him accountable for trying to overturn the 2020 election could face a lengthy delay. This is an unconstitutional ruling that we will quickly appeal, Trump spokesman Steven Cheung said in a statement. Read More: Supreme Court Immunity Case Jeopardizes Trump Trial Pre-Election Efforts to remove Trump from state ballots have been spearheaded by two activist groups funded largely by liberal donors, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, or CREW, and Free Speech for People. They raised millions of dollars from individual donors and liberal philanthropists, including George Soros and Craig Newmark, helping power an effort that will decisively shape how the 2024 election unfolds. Colorado was the first state to ban Trump from the ballot in December and Maine followed. The Colorado Supreme Court on Dec. 19 declared Trump ineligible to reclaim the White House the first time a court has ever invoked the insurrection clause to disqualify an ex-president. The Chicago-based judge said she found compelling the Colorado Supreme Courts rationale for concluding that even as a former president, Trump was covered by the insurrection clause. The US Supreme Court heard arguments in the Colorado ballot removal dispute earlier this month. In that case, which will likely set the rules for other states, Trump has argued he didnt take part in an insurrection by trying to overturn President Joe Bidens victory in the 2020 election. At oral arguments in Washington, the justices appeared poised to side with Trump. Liberal and conservative justices alike questioned whether the Colorado Supreme Court had power to exclude Trump on the grounds that he engaged in an insurrection. For More: Takeaways From Supreme Courts Trump Ballot-Ban Hearing (Updates with details about US Supreme Court immunity case.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. I recently attended a screening of raw footage of the October 7th, 2023, attacks in Israel. It was a spontaneous decision the queue to get in was long, and I quietly prayed that if I got in, God would help me use it to potentially contribute a meaningful voice to the highly polarized and emotionally charged global debates including among Christians on what could possibly bring an end to the war and suffering in the Holy Land. Words cannot convey the indescribable horror of the video recordings from victims, perpetrators and first responders. I will not attempt to share details. Several people left before the screening finished, and while I did stay until the end, I often had to close my eyes, praying that God would have mercy and not let those images and voices haunt me forever. Even this second-hand experience gave me some insight into the awful trauma experienced by victims of violence. Since the screening, I have reflected a lot on Gods perspective on what happened on that day and in the months that have followed. I should mention that the issues in Israel and Palestine are not unfamiliar to me. I have had the privilege of visiting Israel and the West Bank several times. I have been part of Christian delegations meeting government officials from both Israel and the Palestinian Authority. I have shared shabbat dinner with a Jewish rabbis family in Jerusalem and eaten with Muslim leaders in Bethlehem. I have listened to many stories of pain and difficulties from evangelical Christians in Israel and in Palestine, coming to deeply appreciate brothers and sisters in Christ in both Palestine and Israel. Just knowing that I have family members my spiritual family members in every part of the Holy Land and in every neighboring country, listening to their stories and remembering their faces every time I read the endless stream of tragic news from the region has been a harsh reminder that there are no single simple solutions to end the suffering. I have come to believe that this is part of the challenge: that we long for simple solutions. If Hamas can be eradicated, there will be no more such attacks. Establish a permanent ceasefire and the suffering on all sides will end. We all wish that it were that simple: that the conflicting demands of conflicting ideologies would all just go away. We are tired of the unceasing flow of images of war and suffering. And though that applies to every conflict in the world, the Holy Land tends to hold our attention longer than others, which often just briefly make the headlines and are quickly forgotten or never make the headlines at all, regardless of how many people are dying. Is military victory the solution? Israels Prime Minister has vowed to continue the war until all hostages are freed and until Hamas is damaged beyond recovery. For Israelis, the trauma of the 7th October attack runs very deep because it was so totally unexpected, and because it was so horrific. The brutal and senseless killing of innocent Israelis and foreigners the sexual violence against women including rape and mutilation, the taking of hostages including children. It has often been described as the worst attack targeting Jewish people since the Holocaust. The ensuing military response has caused massive destruction and has led to a huge number of civilian deaths: so, the outcry against the war has grown. The conflict is terrible, from any angle. On the one hand, there are reports that the Israeli military has attempted to reduce the risk to the civilian population, and it is clear that Hamas intentionally puts civilians in harms way. And, on the other hand, there is the religious nature of Muslim-Jewish relations, the occupation of Palestinian territories by Israel, the decades of trauma from what Palestinians call the Nakba [the mass displacement and dispossession of Palestinians during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war] that is ever-present in the minds of almost all Arabic peoples, the refugee issue, the interest, influence (and interference?) of many outside powers. Therefore, while Israel may be aiming to eradicate Hamas, considering it the source of the evil behind the October 7th attack, the underlying issues and the additional immense suffering the war has brought about raise serious questions how this war could ever be successful and lead to peace. Is a permanent ceasefire the solution? Calls for a permanent ceasefire are (understandably) growing around the world, as the number of casualties grows. Protests are being held in many different countries. Christians are among those calling for a ceasefire as a first step towards peace. Part of my personal frustration with some media coverage and some of the calls for a permanent ceasefire is that they can too easily ignore the fact that Hamas has publicly pledged to repeat the same attacks over and over and over again. Ghazi Hamad of the Hamas political bureau stated the following on TV less than three weeks after the 7th October attacks: "Israel is a country that has no place on our land. We must remove that country, because it constitutes a security, military, and political catastrophe to the Arab and Islamic nation, and must be finished. We are not ashamed to say this, with full force. We must teach Israel a lesson, and we will do this again and again. The Al-Aqsa Flood [Oct 7th attack] is just the first time, and there will be a second, a third, a fourth, because we have the determination, the resolve, and the capabilities to fight. Will we have to pay a price? Yes, and we are ready to pay it. We are called a nation of martyrs, and we are proud to sacrifice martyrs. Hamas ideology calls for the eradication of Israel. It is notable that Hamas is not calling for a two-state solution, but solely that Israel must be finished. And on the other side are some of the Jewish settlers in the West Bank who are using violence in an attempt to take all of the Palestinian territories to themselves. As long as mutually destructive and competing ideologies exist in the Land, it is difficult to imagine peace in the Holy Land: so, although a ceasefire might be a necessary (even essential) first step and it currently appears within reach, it will (sadly) not bring a lasting solution to the conflict. What then should we pray for? The Holy Land is a deeply complex place. Christians as well as Jewish and Muslim people all have strong spiritual and religious connections to the Land. At the October 7th footage screening, one of the things that struck me was how the young attackers cheered triumphantly and praised God throughout the attack. They evidently believed that what they were doing was bringing glory and joy to God. It was painful to imagine how these young men had grown up, being brainwashed, and filled with blind hatred that completely dehumanized those whom they considered the enemy. And that is one of the issues on all sides of the tragic conflicts in the Holy Land: the dehumanization of the other. I cant help but be reminded of the suffering of our Lord, Jesus Christ. God loved us sinful and broken human beings so much that He sent His one and only son (John 3:16). God became human (John 1:14). But in the end, Jesus was betrayed and arrested, he was flogged, he was beaten, he was spat on, insulted, totally humiliated. Ultimately, he was forced to carry his own cross, stripped of his clothes, which the soldiers divided among themselves, and nailed to the cross almost naked for everyone to see. Jesus Christ, God who became human, was dehumanized by us humans whom he came to save. But then what does Jesus say as he hung upon the cross? Jesus said, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. (Luke 23:34a) Whatever we may think of the current conflict in Israel and Palestine and the best ways to end it, we must remember that God sees every person as created in His image. He does not want anyone to perish but wants everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). Every victim, every casualty, every innocent life lost and even every terrorist killed, is someone created in Gods image: a human being. Gods answer to mans unspeakable wickedness and evil was the cross. So, ultimately, the hope of peace in the Holy Land is found in the cross. So, as I pray earnestly for positive ways forward for all the peoples of the Land, and as I pray for peace with justice and security for Israelis and Palestinians, I am also praying that Israelis and Palestinians find Jesus, the Prince of Peace. Jesus brings a peace that the world cannot give (John 14:27). He has broken down all barriers of hostility to reconcile all humanity to God and to each other (Ephesians 2:24-26). He leads us to the Father of mercies and God of all comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3-4). Amidst all the suffering, the violence and destruction of war, and the loss of life, there are reports of people coming to faith in Jesus Christ in the Holy Land and surrounding nations. It is a reminder of John 1:5, The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. And so, amidst all the darkness, this is how I am managing to continue to pray, with meaningful hope. Will you join me in these prayers? The views expressed in this or any other opinion article do not necessarily reflect the views of Christian Daily International. The identity of the author is known to CDI but has been withheld for the authors personal safety and protection. Palestinians wounded in an Israeli strike while waiting for humanitarian aid on the beach in Gaza City - Mahmoud Essa/AP Israel has killed more than 25,000 Palestinian women and children since the Oct 7 attack by militant group Hamas, according to Gaza health ministry. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin shared the figure during a House Armed Services Committee hearing. When asked how many women and children had been killed, he replied: Its over 25,000. The Pentagon later issued a follow-up statement to clarify that they could not independently verify the figures and that they came from the Gazan ministry. The United States has backed Israel since the unprecedented Hamas attack in October that resulted in the deaths of around 1,160 people. Israel responded to the attack with a relentless assault on Gaza that the coastal territorys health ministry said on Thursday has so far left more than 30,000 people dead. More than 100 more people were killed after Israeli troops opened fire on a crowd gathered trying to get food aid in northern Gaza. 04:34 PM GMT Todays liveblog is now closed Thank you for following todays coverage on The Telegraphs liveblog. We will be back tomorrow with all the latest updates. 04:07 PM GMT Pictured: Aftermath of attack on people waiting for aid in Gaza City: Palestinians transport casualties following what Palestinian health officials said was Israeli fire on people waiting for aid, in Gaza City - Reuters TV/via REUTERS Palestinians wounded in an Israeli strike while waiting for humanitarian aid on the beach in Gaza City - Mahmoud Essa/AP 03:37 PM GMT Gaza ceasefire probably not by Monday, says Biden Joe Biden has said a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza was now unlikely to happen by Monday, the timeline that he had predicted earlier this week. Asked by reporters whether he expected that to happen, Mr Biden said that hope springs eternal and that he had been speaking to regional leaders about a ceasefire but added probably not by Monday. Earlier this week, the US president said Israel and Hamas are close to a hostage deal in Gaza for a 40-day ceasefire to restore civilian life and rebuilding bakeries and hospitals. 03:31 PM GMT UN aid chief appalled at Gaza killings during transfer of aid The UN aid chief said he was appalled at the reported killings and injuries of people during the transfer of aid supplies west of Gaza City. Even after close to five months of brutal hostilities, Gaza still has the ability to shock us, Martin Griffiths said in a post on X. Im appalled at the reported killing and injury of hundreds of people during a transfer of aid supplies west of Gaza City today. He added: Life is draining out of Gaza at terrifying speed. 03:21 PM GMT Pictured: Palestinians inspect the rubble of destroyed buildings after an Israeli airstrike in Nusseirat refugee camp Palestinians inspect the rubble of destroyed buildings after an Israeli airstrike in Nusseirat refugee camp - Adel Hana/AP 02:58 PM GMT Firing on Gazans waiting for aid a serious incident, says White House The White House said on Thursday it is looking into reports of Israeli fire on Palestinians waiting for aid near Gaza City, describing it as a serious incident. A White House National Security Council spokesman said in a statement: We mourn the loss of innocent life and recognise the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, where innocent Palestinians are just trying to feed their families. This underscores the importance of expanding and sustaining the flow of humanitarian assistance into Gaza, including through a potential temporary ceasefire. 02:25 PM GMT Israeli defence minister says ultra-Orthodox should serve Yoav Gallant, Israels defence minister, has called for members of the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community to be enrolled in military service as the Gaza war rages on. We must all bear the burden, Mr Gallant said, addressing what has long been a divisive political issue in a country with mandatory military service for most citizens. Since Israel was founded in 1948, Jewish men who study the Torah full-time in a yeshiva are granted an annual deferment from military service until the age of 26, at which point they become exempt. Since the war in Gaza erupted after Hamass Oct 7 attack, a decades-old debate around these exemptions has gained a new urgency. On Wednesday, Mr Gallant called for an end to the exemptions, saying he would back legislation to this effect if it is endorsed by centrist ministers in the ruling coalition of Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister. An immediate need arises for the extension of military service for our active soldiers and the prolongation of reserve duty for reservists, Mr Gallant told journalists on Wednesday evening. It is not a matter of choice. We must stand firm in defending our homeland. 02:05 PM GMT Israel reviewing access to al-Aqsa mosque during Ramadan Israel is reviewing possible curbs on access to al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem over the upcoming Ramadan fasting month, a government spokesman has said, after media reports that the far-Right minister for police might be overruled on the issue. Al-Aqsa, Islams third-holiest shrine, is a focus of Palestinian statehood hopes. The site is also revered by Jews as vestige of their two ancient temples. Israeli controls on access have often stoked political friction, especially during Ramadan. Itamar Ben-Gvir, the national security minister, said last week there would be a quota for members of Israels 18 per cent Muslim minority who wish to take part in peace prayers at al-Aqsa. 01:44 PM GMT Prince William visits London synagogue to hear of rising antisemitism Prince William visited a London synagogue on Thursday to hear about an upsurge in anti-Semitism, as he returned to public duties two days after pulling out of a high-profile royal event over what was described as a personal matter. A week after the heir-to-the-throne called for an end to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, the Prince met young ambassadors from the Holocaust Educational Trust who are seeking to tackle hatred amid soaring antisemitism in Britain. On Wednesday, Rishi Sunak announced 54 million pounds of new funding to protect Jewish communities after figures showed antisemitic incidents had hit a record high in Britain last year. During his visit to the Western Marble Arch Synagogue, the prince, who wore a kippah, the traditional Jewish cap, listened to Jewish students as they recounted how there had been what one described as an explosion in antisemitism, including death threats and assaults. Read the full story here 01:15 PM GMT Hamas chief says he has Israel right where we want them Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader in Gaza, believes the group is winning the war against Israel. Sinwar reportedly sent a message through a courier to Hamas leaders in exile in Qatar, saying: Dont worry, we have the Israelis right where we want them. Sinwar, the man believed to have orchestrated the Oct 7 attacks, sought to reassure leaders of the terror group who met in Doha earlier this month amid fears over the death toll of Hamas fighters. According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, Sinwar assured Hamass military wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, were prepared for Israels expected offensive in Rafah. He said the high number of civilian deaths would pressure Israel into stopping the war. Hamas estimates around 6,000 of its members have been killed since Oct 7. 12:50 PM GMT Israel strikes kill Hezbollah fighter near Syria-Lebanon border Israel killed a Hezbollah fighter in a strike on Syria, close to the Lebanese border, also hitting near Damascus, a war monitor has said, hours after similar attacks [see post at 11:47]. Hezbollah holds sway over Lebanons eastern border with Syria, as well as some regions on the other side of the border including Qusayr, the target of Thursdays strike. Rami Abdel Rahman, who heads the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said: An Israeli drone strike on a truck killed a Hezbollah fighter in the Qusayr area near the Syrian-Lebanese border. At the same time, Israeli strikes targeted Syrian air defence and radar sites near Damascus, said the Britain-based monitor with a network of sources inside Syria. 12:25 PM GMT Pictured: An Israeli army soldier firing a weapon in an unspecified location in the Gaza Strip An Israeli army soldier firing a weapon in an unspecified location in the Gaza Strip - AFP 11:47 AM GMT Israeli strike hits Hezbollah truck near Lebanese-Syrian border An Israeli strike hit a Hezbollah truck near the Lebanese-Syrian border on Thursday killing at least one fighter, a security source familiar with the Iran-aligned group told Reuters. Israel has been carrying out an unprecedented wave of deadly strikes in Syria targeting cargo trucks, infrastructure and people involved in Irans weapons lifeline to its proxies in the region, sources with direct knowledge of the matter had previously told Reuters. The sources said Israel had shifted strategies following the Oct 7 rampage by Hamas fighters into Israeli territory and the ensuing Israeli bombing campaigns in Gaza and Lebanon. 11:16 AM GMT Medic says 50 killed as Israel fires on Gazans rushing to aid trucks An emergency doctor in Gaza has said that Israeli forces shot dead at least 50 people who rushed towards trucks loaded with humanitarian aid for Gaza City residents. A dire humanitarian crisis is unfolding in the war-torn territory, with food shortages greatest in the north of Gaza. Amjad Aliwa, the director of the emergency department of Al-Shifa hospital, said in a statement: The number of martyrs rose to at least 50... and more than 120 were injured, including women and children, as a result of the occupations shooting [on the crowd]. The Israeli army said it was checking the reports on the incident, while the United Nations humanitarian office OCHA said it was familiar with the reports. A witness told AFP the violence unfolded at the Nabulsi roundabout in the western part of Gaza City, when thousands of people rushed towards the trucks. Trucks full of aid came too close to some army tanks that were in the area and the crowd, thousands of people, just stormed the trucks, the witness said, declining to be named for safety reasons. The soldiers fired at the crowd as people came too close to the tanks. The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza put the death toll at 70 and said 280 people were injured, their conditions ranging from critical to serious. 11:00 AM GMT Israel could invade Lebanon in coming months The United States believes Israel could launch a ground offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Officials close to Joe Biden have voiced concerns an incursion may take place in the late spring or early summer, according to a report in CNN. One senior Biden administration official said: We are operating in the assumption that an Israeli military operation is in the coming months. Not necessarily imminently in the next few weeks but perhaps later this spring. An Israeli military operation is a distinct possibility. Sources familiar with the intelligence briefings say the invasion could take place if Hezbollah cannot be forced to retreat from the border through diplomatic means. There have been weeks of cross-border fire since Oct 7 between Hezbollah and Israel. On Monday, the IDF carried out some of its deepest strikes in Lebanon on Monday in the first attacks on Hezbollah targets outside of the countrys south since the start of the war in Gaza. 10:32 AM GMT Pictured: Israeli military in Gaza Photos of IDF activity in Gaza Photos of IDF activity in Gaza 10:11 AM GMT War crimes committed by all parties in Israel-Hamas conflict, says UN rights chief The UN human rights chief has said war crimes have been committed by all parties in the conflict between Israel and Hamas, calling for them to be investigated and for those responsible to be held accountable. Volker Turk told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva: Clear violations of international human rights and humanitarian laws, including war crimes and possibly other crimes under international law, have been committed by all parties. It is time well past time for peace, investigation and accountability. The Oct 7 attack by Hamas, which killed 1200 people, sparked an Israeli offensive in Gaza, which it says is intended to rescue the remaining hostages and eradicate Hamas. Hamas-run health authorities in Gaza say some 30,000 people have been confirmed killed during the offensive. Mr Turk, who was presenting a report on the human rights situation in Gaza and in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, said his office had recorded many incidents that may amount to war crimes by Israeli forces. He said there were also indications that Israeli forces have engaged in indiscriminate or disproportionate targeting in violation of international law. Israel has said it is doing all it can to minimise harm to civilians. Mr Turk said Palestinian armed groups launching indiscriminate projectiles across southern Israel and the holding of hostages also violated international humanitarian law. 09:45 AM GMT Gaza hospital receives 10 dead bodies Gazas Kamal Adwan hospital received the bodies of 10 dead people and dozens of wounded Palestinians from western Gaza City, the head of the hospital Hussam Abu Safieyah told Reuters on Thursday. We dont know how many are there in other hospitals, he added. Hamas-led Gazas Government Media office said Israeli military strikes killed 70 Palestinians and wounded 250 others as crowds waited for aid trucks in Gaza City. 09:21 AM GMT Canada working to air drop aid to the Gaza Strip as soon as possible Canada is working to air drop humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip as soon as possible, a cabinet minister has said. The confirmation that an active effort is underway comes after Ahmed Hussen, the Canadian international development minister, said Ottawa was exploring new options to deliver aid. He said the provision of airdrops in partnership with like-minded countries in the region, such as Jordan, was on the table. Mr Hussen said last week that the provision of aid is nowhere near whats needed and a tedious inspection process was slowing down the movement of supplies brought in by truck. 08:52 AM GMT Pictured: People inspect damage following Israeli air strikes in Gaza People inspect damage and recover items from their homes following Israeli air strikes in Gaza - APAImages/Shutterstock/Shutterstock 08:51 AM GMT New Zealand lists Hamas as terrorist group New Zealand has listed Hamas in its entirety as a terrorist organisation and imposed travel bans on extremist Israeli settlers whom it said had committed violent attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank. Christopher Luxon, the prime minister, said in a statement that the attacks by Hamas on Israel in October were brutal and we have unequivocally condemned them. He added that New Zealand wants to be clear that the designation of Hamas is about the actions of an offshore terrorist entity and is not a reflection on the Palestinian people in Gaza and around the world. New Zealand has designated the military wing of Hamas as a terrorist entity since 2010. Winston Peters, the foreign minister, said the whole of Hamas bears responsibility for the October attacks, making it difficult for the New Zealand government to distinguish between the groups military and political wings. 08:50 AM GMT Ill win back Arab-American voters who snubbed me over Gaza, promises Joe Biden Joe Biden has pledged to win back the votes of Arab Americans who punished him over his handling of the war in Gaza in time for Novembers presidential election. Mr Biden easily won Michigans Democratic primary on Tuesday night but faced a backlash from predominantly young and Arab voters who object to his support for Israel. The US president took about 81 per cent of the vote, but more than 100,000 voters (13 per cent) revolted by marking uncommitted on their ballot papers instead. Mr Biden only won the state by 150,000 votes in 2020. Read more here 08:49 AM GMT Good Morning Good morning and welcome to todays liveblog. We will be guiding you through all the latest updates. 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 mural covers the AMIA Jewish center in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024. It was the worst bombing attack on civilians in Argentinas history, killing 85 and injuring 300. It came two years after a 1992 bombing on the Israeli embassy in Argentina, killing 29. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko) BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) On Oct. 7, when Hamas militants attacked numerous targets in Israel, killing hundreds and abducting others, Marina Degtiar felt she had traveled back in time, to July 18, 1994. What happened in Buenos Aires 30 years ago broke her apart. A bomb-laden van exploded inside a Jewish community center where her 21-year-old brother Cristian worked. It was the worst such attack in Argentinas history, killing 85 Degtiars brother among them and injuring 300. The destruction of the Argentine-Israelite Mutual Association, known by its Spanish initials AMIA, came two years after a 1992 bombing on the Israeli embassy in Argentina, which killed 29 people. Israeli officials say seven of the victims have never been identified. Argentine prosecutors blamed Iranian officials for plotting the AMIA attack and said Hezbollah operatives carried it out, but no one has been convicted. Iran has refused to turn over the former officials and ex-diplomats who face charges and denies any involvement. For many who lost friends and family to the attack, time has not healed their pain. For some, it's been worsened by the lack of justice in the case and the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war. If you ask me how I am, Im emotional," Degtiar said. I feel very sad because whats happening in Israel affects us as humankind, as Jews, and me personally. Degtiar said she has lived two lives one before the loss of Cristian and one after his death. Decades ago, she used to feel that her family lived far away from the bombs they saw falling on TV. Thirty years ago, it was not natural, here in Argentina, to talk about terrorism, Degtiar said. Bombs did not explode at home like they first exploded at the embassy, or in my case, in the attack against the AMIA. After months of deep grief, she decided that being paralyzed by her pain was a lack of respect to her brothers life, so she took action. She spent years sharing her story among self-help groups and eventually became a psychologist. Currently specializing in grief counseling, Degtiar comforts those who mourn a loved one, as she has done. In her approach toward patients, she usually discloses that she lost someone too and thus can empathize with them. I built myself a life that justifies me talking about Cristian, my brother, every day, Degtiar said. I name my brother every day of my life. ARGENTINES AMONG HAMAS VICTIMS AND HOSTAGES Sandra Miasnik didnt find out what had happened on Oct. 7 through the news. The horror intruded into her home in Buenos Aires through a WhatsApp group: A screenshot showed her cousin Shiri Bibas hugging her two red-headed children above a message. They took them away. I remember that moment very well, Miasnik said. I said: No, thats not her. Check out the psychological defense mechanism of not seeing what you are seeing. She walked around her house without knowing what to do, waiting for information. Then she learned that her uncle Jose Luis Silberman, who migrated from Argentina to Israel in the 70s to seek a life away from the dictatorship, was killed by Hamas. After the Hamas attack, Argentina's Foreign Affairs Ministry revealed that seven Argentine nationals were killed, while 15 more were snatched from their homes. Among them was Mianisks cousin and her 9-month-old baby, Kfir Bibas, the youngest Israeli dragged into Gaza. President Javier Milei who has shown a public interest in Judaism traveled to Israel in late January and called for release of the 11 Argentines who remained in captivity. Miasnik said the Hamas attack, though occurring far from Argentina, unleashed grief and fear that felt familiar within Latin America's largest Jewish community. What Argentine can say that terrorism is (only) in the Middle East? Miasnik said. Its not thousands of miles away. Its right here, with us. Personnel from the AMIA community center rushed to offer support to the Argentine relatives of Hamas victims. Miasnik didnt accept immediately. I thought I had stability, and suddenly I learned that I had never experienced a situation like this, she said. She met Degtiar after the symbolic celebration of her nephews birthday, and later went to her for counseling. Others approached Miasnik to share comforting words, making her feel that she was not alone. I have nothing to do with the religious side of Judaism, but I reconnected with my identity, Miasnik said. This did not just happen to my family. It happened to the community. REMEMBERING THE 1994 BOMBING VICTIMS Year after year, relatives of victims of the 1994 attack return to the headquarters of the community center, where a new building was erected. It was a symbolic gesture, said Amos Linetzky, AMIA's president. Not because of a religious issue, but because they wanted to destroy us and they couldnt do it. They made us stronger and we are still here, in the same place. Founded 130 years ago, the center currently oversees cemeteries, educational institutions, promotes cultural activities and provides guidance for people in search of a job. It is also invested in preserving history for young generations, Linetzky said. The center hosts yearly campaigns to remember the attack and pay tribute to the deceased. The passing of time cannot be a reason for oblivion, Linetzky said. Outside the building, trees were planted in remembrance of the victims. Patricia Strier, who lost her sister Mirta to the bombing, visits as often as she can. I give it a kiss, I touch it, I talk to Mirta, Strier said. Her tree is beautiful. Its full of leaves. Mirta's death was not confirmed immediately. Strier spent a week requesting information in hospitals, morgues and police stations. She says she understands the sorrow and uncertainty of those waiting for news about their loved ones amid the Israel-Hamas war. At first I only thought about how this would impact my family and friends there (in Israel), but then my pain increased because I saw myself reflected on the terrorist attack in which my sister died, Stier said. We were victims as well. Her pain has not diminished, but like Degtiar she seeks to keep her sister close by. Seven days after the bombing, she dreamed of a younger, beaming Mirta. Why are you laughing if we are all desperate to find you? Strier asked in her dream. Im fine, her smiling sister replied. The phone rang after she woke up and the call confirmed Mirta's death. On a modest altar where she lights a Shabbat candle every Friday, Strier keeps a few photos of her parents and Mirta. Her sister rarely laughed, Strier said, and her mother stopped doing so when the bombing killed her daughter. Strier chose to remember them smiling. Thats how I visualize them all, Strier said. The light comes from above, from my loved ones, from my angels, and I have them all located, each one in its place, so as not to forget any of them. ____ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, purposely targeting civilians. The terrorists brutally killed 1,200 Israelis: men, women, children and babies. And they took 250 hostages back to Gaza. War is nasty business. It kills and maims people, often innocent civilians. Property and infrastructure get destroyed. Lives are changed such that it often takes generations to recover. This is precisely why war ought to be the last resort. If a country decides to go to war, then two conditions must exist. First, there better be a damn good reason for it. Second, go all in. Use overwhelming combat power to achieve victory while minimizing your casualties. After Oct. 7, Israel went to war to defend itself. It was a good reason. The objective was to destroy Hamas. Hamas, a proxy of Iran, vows to eliminate Israel. Israel has endured years of suicide bombers and mortar and rocket attacks on its civilians. Oct. 7 was the last straw. Israel had a good reason to go to war, but it did not initially go in with overwhelming combat power. Hamas tactics of hiding within the civilian population in their neighborhoods, mosques, schools and hospitals caused Israel pause. And again, Hamas had Israeli hostages in Gaza. Hamas uses Palestinian civilians and Israeli hostages to deter an Israeli attack. Oct. 7 could not be ignored, and Israel would not be deterred. its forces attacked Hamas in Gaza. Unlike Hamas, which purposely targeted Israeli civilians, Israel tried to minimize Palestinian civilian casualties. Make no mistake: There were civilian casualties. A lot of them. While most of the world is deeply saddened by the number of Palestinian casualties, what about Hamas? Its not that those in Hamas do not care but they seem to care the least about Palestinian casualties. They had to know that Israel would not ignore the brutal Oct. 7 attack on innocent Israeli civilians. Still, they hid among the Palestinian civilians. Predictably, Palestinians were killed and injured. Hamas made sure the terrible images were projected around the world and they exaggerated the numbers. Hamas needs Palestinian casualties to make Israel look like the aggressor and to upset the rest of the world. Some say the Israeli response has not been proportional to Hamas attack. As of this writing, Israel has killed almost 30,000 Palestinians in its offensive aimed to destroy Hamas, versus the 1,200 Israelis who were killed on Oct. 7. However, those who push the proportionality argument have lost sight of the nasty nature of war and history. Consider the European theater of World War II. A nine-month Nazi ground offensive took Poland, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and France. Next was Britain, but the English would not yield to Adolf Hitler. The Nazis terrorized the United Kingdom for 10 months with V2 rockets and aerial bombardment, killing 23,000 British civilians. The Allies response was an all-out effort to break the Nazis. They conducted a devastating bombing campaign, targeting German infrastructure that supported the Nazi war machine: airplane manufacturing, railroads, ammunition and fuel. Unfortunately, the bombing also killed more than 350,000 German civilians. Next came the Allied ground invasion on D-Day. It succeeded. The Nazis could not continue the fight. Hitler killed himself, and Nazi Germany surrendered. It was a damn good cause and the Allies pursued it with overwhelming combat power. The Nazis are to blame for the German civilian casualties. Their offensive through Europe and the bombing of Britain provoked the Allied response. What is happening in Gaza is terrible. Hamas is to blame. Mike Souder is a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel who has also worked in the manufacturing and education fields. He lives in Prairie Village. UN rights chief Volker Turk said Israel's response to the Hamas attack was 'carnage' (Fabrice COFFRINI) Israel's planned ground assault on Rafah in the Gaza Strip would contravene the orders issued by the United Nations' highest court, the UN human rights chief said on Thursday. On January 26, the International Court of Justice in The Hague -- while stopping short of ordering an immediate halt to the war in Gaza -- said Israel must "prevent the commission of all acts within the scope" of the Genocide Convention. "I fail to see how such an operation could be consistent with the binding provisional measures issued by the International Court of Justice," Volker Turk told the UN Human Rights Council. The ICJ said Israel must facilitate "urgently needed" humanitarian aid to the Palestinian territory, under relentless bombardment and siege since an attack in Israel by Hamas militants on October 7. "The prospect of an Israeli ground assault on Rafah would take the nightmare being inflicted on people in Gaza into a new dimension," said Turk. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the army will launch a ground invasion of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip -- where an estimated 1.4 million Palestinian civilians have sought refuge. The war began after the October 7 attack by Hamas, which killed about 1,160 people in Israel, according to an AFP tally of Israeli figures. The Palestinian militants also took hostages, 130 of whom remain in Gaza. Israel's retaliatory bombardment and ground offensive in Gaza have killed more than 30,000 people in under five months, most of them women and children, according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry. Turk repeated that the Hamas attacks on Israel in October were "shocking, profoundly traumatising and totally unjustifiable". "The killing of civilians, reports of torture and sexual violence inflicted by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups, and the holding of hostages since that time, are appalling and entirely wrong," he said. "And so is the brutality of the Israeli response," he added, calling it "carnage". "There appear to be no bounds to -- no words to capture -- the horrors that are unfolding before our eyes in Gaza," said Turk. - 'We must go after Hamas' - Meirav Eilon Shahar, Israel's ambassador in Geneva, told the Human Rights Council it was an "echo chamber where the human rights of Israelis and Jews mean nothing". She was accompanied by Aviva Siegel and Raz Ben Ami -- two Israeli hostages who were freed by Hamas in November. Their husbands are still being held in Gaza. "These halls should have been a symbol of hope for Aviva and Raz and all the hostages; that the world would act for their human rights and for their release. Yet unfortunately, they have become a mere footnote in the discourse of this council," said Eilon Shahar. "You think if Israel stops this war today, Hamas will return all our hostages tomorrow?" she said, addressing Turk. "We must go after Hamas, or they will continue to come after us." The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said 104 people were killed and more than 750 injured after Israeli soldiers opened fire on civilians at an aid distribution point earlier Thursday. Palestinian ambassador Ibrahim Khraishi interjected to ask Eilon Shahar what she thought of the incident. "Are these human shields? Are these Hamas combatants?", asked Khraishi, who received sustained applause. vog/rjm/ach The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) has considered several likely scenarios for Russian government actions in response to calls from "lawmakers" in unrecognised Transnistria for help, all of which are in some way linked to destabilising the situation in Moldova. Source: ISW Details: Unrecognised Transnistria held a congress of so-called "lawmakers" on 28 February and adopted a series of decisions that are likely aiming to provide the Kremlin with justification for a wide range of possible escalation actions against Moldova that the Kremlin could take, both immediately and in the long term. ISW noted that the Kremlin used the idea of protecting its "compatriots abroad" to justify the fact that Russian troops have occupied Transnistria since 1992 and Transnistrian officials likely made appeals to Transnistria's residents holding Russian citizenship to create an additional narrative for escalating Russian activity in Transnistria and Moldova. ISW pointed out that Kremlin officials and mouthpieces continue to create information conditions for using Transnistria and the pro-Russian Moldovan autonomous region Gagauzia to destabilise Moldova. However, they have not yet indicated how or for what specific purpose they intend to use such information conditions. So far, the Kremlin has not given any signals of an immediate path to escalation following the congress of Transnistrian "deputies." However, Russian President Vladimir Putin may respond to Transnistria's request for help during his address to Russia's Federal Assembly on 29 February. The Russian Foreign Ministry stated on 28 February in response to the appeal of the Transnistrian congress of "lawmakers" that protecting the interests of Transnistria's residents and Russian "compatriots" is one of its priorities and also promised to "carefully consider" Transnistria's request. The most likely course of action (MLCOA) entails the Kremlin using the congress as a platform to intensify hybrid operations aimed at destabilising and further polarising Moldova prior to negotiations on Moldova's accession to the European Union and the upcoming presidential elections in Moldova in June and November 2024, respectively. The most dangerous course of action (MDCOA) involves the Kremlin potentially deciding on Transnistria's formal annexation in the future to justify military intervention against Moldova in the long term. ISW suggests the following potential actions by the Russian authorities: The Kremlin may decide not to take action immediately after the congress on 28 February. However, Putin may choose to address this request later. The Kremlin may increase diplomatic pressure on Moldova to compel it to repeal the recently adopted Customs Code, which came into force on 1 January 2024. The changes Moldova made to the Customs Code are crucial for aligning the country with EU standards on its path toward EU membership. The Kremlin may also try to provide Transnistrian forces with additional military assistance in the future. However, it is currently unclear how it would hope to deliver military equipment or personnel to Transnistria. ISW emphasised the unclear situation regarding Russian troop movements, as they would have to be transported through Ukrainian or Romanian (NATO) airspace. Alternatively, the analysts suggested that Russia could attempt to conduct a large-scale ground operation through Odesa Oblast. However, Russian forces are unlikely to do so because it would distract personnel from their current offensive actions in eastern Ukraine and would likely fail in any case. To quote the ISWs Key Takeaways on 28 February: Pro-Russian Moldovan breakaway region Transnistria held the Seventh Congress of Transnistrian Deputies on 28 February and adopted a series of decisions that likely aim to provide the Kremlin with justifications for a wide range of possible escalatory actions against Moldova actions the Kremlin can pursue both immediately and over the long-term. The Kremlin has yet to signal an immediate route for escalation following the Congress of Transnistrian Deputies, although Russian President Vladimir Putin may respond to the Transnistrian requests during his speech to the Russian Federal Assembly on 29 February. Ukrainian forces reportedly conducted another strike on a Russian personnel concentration in occupied Donetsk Oblast, once again sparking ire amongst Russian milbloggers and re-surfacing concerns about Ukraines use of HIMARS systems. Russia continues cracking down on actors it deems "foreign agents" to consolidate control over the Russian information space ahead of the March 2024 presidential election. A Financial Times (FT) investigation published on 27 February, reportedly based on leaked classified Russian military documents from 2008-2014, outlines Russias purported criteria for the use of tactical nuclear weapons. Turkiye and China appear to be pursuing their own negotiation platforms for a settlement in Ukraine, which the Kremlin will likely exploit to further its long-standing narratives regarding negotiations and the war. Russian forces made confirmed advances near Svatove, Avdiivka, and Donetsk City. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu inspected the Tula State Universitys Military Training Centre and several defence industrial base (DIB) enterprises in Tula Oblast on 28 February. Russian occupation authorities are using early voting for the Russian presidential election to cloak Russias illegal occupation of Ukraine in a veneer of fabricated legitimacy. Support UP or become our patron! Italys Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi addresses the parliament in Rome, Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. Italys interior minister acknowledged as a defeat the use of police batons against high school students demonstrating in the Tuscan city of Pisa last week but warned lawmakers Thursday of growing violent tendencies among pro-Palestinian demonstrators. (Roberto Monaldo/LaPresse via AP) MILAN (AP) Italys interior minister acknowledged as a defeat the use of police batons against high school students demonstrating in the Tuscan city of Pisa last week, while warning lawmakers Thursday of growing violent tendencies among pro-Palestinian demonstrators. Italians have expressed outrage at police violence against two pro-Palestinian demonstrations in the Tuscan cities of Florence and Pisa last Friday; the one in Pisa included high school students who are minors, at least 11 of whom suffered bruises when police responded with batons. President Sergio Mattarella told the interior minister over the weekend that the authority of law enforcement is not measured by truncheons but by its ability to ensure security while protecting, at the same time, the freedom to publicly express opinion. With kids, truncheons express failure. Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi told the lower house of parliament that in Pisa law enforcement reacted after demonstrators tried to beach a police barrier with pushes, kicks, insults, spitting and attempts to remove the shields. Seventeen demonstrators were injured, among them 11 minors, along with two police officers, he said. "We all hope that public demonstrations take place peacefully and without incidents, and when it comes to physical contact with minors it is in any case a defeat,'' the minister said, underlining the need for a transparent investigation. Video of the incident taken by bystanders shows half a dozen officers in riot gear brandishing wooden batons striking demonstrators in a narrow alley leading to a piazza. The officer in charge of the mobilization has been transferred, Italian media reported. The minister said both the Pisa and the Florence demonstrations were illegal, having failed to file official notice of the intent to gather at least three days in advance. In Florence, at least 300 protesters chanting anti-Israel and anti-American slogans attempted to reach the U.S. Consulate, which had been the target of a firebomb attack on Feb. 2, the minister told lawmakers. At least five demonstrators were treated at hospitals, he said. He noted a climate of growing aggression toward law enforcement in the pro-Palestinian demonstrations, with the apparent aim to provoke a police reaction. Incidents have been reported at 33 of the 1,076 demonstrations since the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks, he said. A revised constitution and new media regulations are redefining the relationship between Ethiopias deeply religious society, the media and the state, a new study has found. While the easing of media restrictions following the new media proclamation in 2021 has allowed religious organizations to apply for broadcasting licenses, Ethiopian authorities are taking a cautious approach to issuing broadcast permits. The study, titled Media and Religion in Ethiopia, notes that between 2021 and 2023, up to 50 religious organizations had applied for and acquired broadcasting licenses but the permits mask underlying restrictions in media and religious freedom. The broadcasting licenses do not permit local radio stations or transmission through terrestrial television but are a registration system to map organizations which use the internet and satellite to distribute religious programmes to Ethiopian audiences, note the authors of the study, Mulatu Alemayehu Moges and Terje Skjerdal. Instead, religious expression has found its way into mainstream media where presenters on state television are seen wearing Orthodox crosses and Muslim hijabs, which was unheard of just five years ago. The open confession of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed as an evangelical Christian has also boosted the infusion of religion in the public arena since 2018. According to the 2022 Report on International Religious Freedom, close to half (44 percent) of Ethiopias population of more than 114 million (mid-year 2022) are members of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church (EOC) while 23 percent identify as Christian Protestant. 31 percent are Muslims mainly occupying the southern and eastern parts of the vast country. In a nation that prides itself in having its main religious denomination dating back to the baptism of the Ethiopian eunuch by apostle Philip, conversion from EOC to Protestant is not generally encouraged. But Muslim converts face ostracism and attacks by families, friends or Islamists. Open Doors ministry, which tracks Christian persecution, estimates that 15 Christians were killed for their faith in Ethiopia in 2023 while 284 churches and christian properties were attacked. The study notes that tensions come to the fore during religious festivals and that this is when the independence of the media is tested. The state media tends to neglect or downplay religious conflict issues in the coverage. However, with the many private media outlets as well as the social media on the scene, it has become harder for the state media to control the narrative around religious issues altogether, states Moges. A Covid-19 miracle A lockdown in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic provided a divine opportunity. The state broadcaster, the Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation (EBC), started daily one-hour religious programmes targeting faithfuls who could not attend in-person services. Soon, other state-affiliated and private stations followed EBCs step. The programmes only lasted for about two months, but at that point they had already made a lasting change in the state medias treatment of religionthe formerly strict policy against showing religious practice in the official media had eroded, said one religious leader interviewed in the study. Nevertheless, the expansion of this freedom is tied to the social cohesion that is enforced by the Ethiopian Media Authority (EMA). In a case that exemplifies the delicate balance between media freedom and religious rights, EMA temporarily withdrew the license of an Orthodox YouTube channel after it reported a drawn out conflict that involved the controversial appointment of 26 bishops. State media firms deliberately avoid divisive religious topics and maintain their neutrality as a principle of separation of state and religion. The independent media are more prone to give room for worldview and religion in their reporting. Outlets which have obtained a religious broadcasting license, however, are careful to avoid any conflict reporting in their programming. We calm down the people and follow the rules of the government, said one manager of a religious TV station. The authors of the study observe that the Ethiopian government continues to hold a tight rein on faith-based media outlets and in relation to religious media content. The authors note that this policy stands in contrast to that of other Sub-Saharan African countries. The study interviewed 20 representatives from the media, religious leaders and the regulator. It also analyzed 98 stories on religion which made headlines in ten different media outlets between 2020 and 2023. Antonella Di Massa had being missing for 10 days, but had reportedly been dead for no more than 24 hours The body of a woman whose disappearance on the Italian island of Ischia led to a massive manhunt has been found, after two journalists reporting on the story stumbled across her body. Despite being missing for 10 days, Antonella Di Massa had reportedly been dead for no more than 24 hours, raising questions about her whereabouts and how a large team of professionals failed to find her. The 50-year-old mother of two grown-up children went missing on the island in the Bay of Naples on Feb 17. Security camera footage showed her strolling along a road with a blue shopping bag. Camera footage of Antonella Di Massa, who went missing on the island of Ischia on Feb 17 When she failed to return home, her husband, an Italian army soldier, raised the alarm and a search was launched. Involving boats, helicopters, drones equipped with thermal scanners, sniffer dogs and various police forces, the search went on for 11 days. Emergency personnel searched caves, cellars and abandoned buildings in their hunt for the missing woman. But her body was finally discovered on Wednesday by a pair of television journalists who had been sent to the island to report on the story for a programme called Chi lha Visto (Who Saw Them?), which focuses on crime and missing people. Questions are now being asked as to how they succeeded where teams of professionals failed. They found the body in a grove of orange trees near the village of Serrara Fontana, on the islands south coast. Sadly, we found the lifeless body of Antonella, said one of the journalists, Francesco Paolo Del Re. Its the worst news that could have been expected. Were in shock. Our hope had been that Antonella might have left the island by ferry. We didnt expect to find her dead. Whole community is upset Di Massas corpse was located just a few hundred yards from where she had parked her Fiat Panda. A post-mortem will be carried out to determine the cause of death. The whole community is upset, said Giosi Ferrandino, the local mayor. Gino Ballirano, the parish priest, described Di Massa as cheerful and kind. 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. The Alabama Supreme Court ruling effectively cutting off access to in-vitro fertilization in the state created a firestorm for Republicans. Many of their friends in the anti-abortion movement were celebrating. The Supreme Courts decision to overturn Roe v. Wade marked a decades-long triumph for the right. But its also exposed tensions in the alliance between Republican politicians, who face voter backlash, and anti-abortion activists who seek even further restrictions. The Alabama IVF controversy is the latest part of that and its bringing to the fore a larger debate over fetal personhood that has long existed at the fringes of the conservative movement. Mary Ziegler, a leading historian on the abortion battle and a law professor at the University of California, Davis School of Law, says widespread adoption of fetal personhood laws would have far-reaching policy implications, including criminalizing people who receive abortions and banning certain kinds of contraception. Politically, she notes, its already straining the relationship between the anti-abortion movement and the Republicans who are eagerly trying to showcase their support for IVF. Theres clearly more of a divergence here between the anti-abortion movement and the GOP than the GOP is suggesting, she says. Part of the tension lies in the fact that there are any number of anti-abortion groups that dont want to clarify that IVF is protected because they dont think IVF should be protected. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Since the Dobbs decision came down, much has been made of this idea that Republicans are the dog who caught the car unprepared for this moment both policy wise and politically. Is the current IVF episode an example of that? It wasnt just the dog that caught the car. Once Dobbs occurred, there were pretty foundational shifts in how the anti-abortion movement operated, who was calling the shots within the movement, and what the movements relationship to the GOP was. The terrain has shifted in ways that are somewhat unpredictable that are making it even harder for the GOP to know what to do right now. When you say foundational shifts, what do you mean? Historically, people thought of the anti-abortion movement, or the pro-life movement, as relying on the Republican Party, and the Republican Party would often pay lip service to the priorities of the anti-abortion movement and then not ultimately really do a whole lot to advance the movements cause. In the Trump era, the GOP, and particularly former President Donald Trump, have been really heavily reliant on conservative evangelical Christians for their political fortunes. That creates a setup where the GOP relies heavily on anti-abortion voters even as it wants to distance itself from anti-abortion policies so that balance has shifted. Before Dobbs, there was also a sort of strategy hierarchy within the anti-abortion movement because the movement was focused, at least in the short term, on the elimination of Roe v. Wade. The groups that were viewed as the most capable Supreme Court strategists were often able to advise other groups and state legislators on what to do. There was fear that the wrong move could jeopardize the campaign to overturn Roe. Now that Roe is gone, that hierarchy isnt there anymore, and there are any number of groups that have different pockets of influence. For the last week, weve heard GOP lawmakers pledge their support for IVF. Many of them seem to genuinely support the procedure, or have even used it themselves. But the debate is really about what to do with unused embryos. How do the various facets of the anti-abortion movement and their Republican allies square the circle here? Theres clearly more of a divergence here between the anti-abortion movement and the GOP than the GOP is suggesting. Part of the tension lies in the fact that there are any number of anti-abortion groups that dont want to clarify that IVF is protected because they dont think IVF should be protected at least as its currently practiced, meaning no disposal of embryos, no donation of embryos and no storage of embryos. Prior to Dobbs, people in the anti-abortion movement embraced personhood, but it was unthinkable that anyone would get it recognized in federal law or even in enforceable ways in state law in the interim because of Roe. I dont think there was an entire working out of what does it mean, and how do we enforce it? What would its implications be for IVF? Is everyone on the same page about the answers to these questions? They didnt need to be. I think some of those questions are being worked out in very public and very messy ways as a result. Clearly some Republicans, though not all, are really concerned about the implications of the ruling for IVF and the implications for the Republican Party. Do the movement and the party need to get on the same page on this? Not really, no. There are two points of view. One point of view would say, well, for the anti-abortion movement to get anywhere, Republicans need to be in power. If theyre not in line on this and the movement is pursuing a course of action that hurts Republicans come November, that will hurt the movement. Another point of view is that in a lot of states where the movement is operating, there is no realistic political competition. These are single party states. Regardless of what the movement does in those states, theres not going to be any cost to Republicans come November. The movement needs to do whats best for the movement and for its agenda and let the Republican Party figure it out. I think increasingly that latter view is winning out. The older You dont want to jeopardize Republicans elections because Republicans are the movements path to power doesnt carry as much currency today as it once did. Some view personhood laws as essentially valuing the life of a fetus over that of the person carrying the pregnancy. Is that a fair critique? Does it work out that way in practice? There are other countries in other contexts that recognize both abortion rights and fetal rights. Conceptually, theres no by-definition idea that you have to criminalize certain things in order to recognize fetal rights. Theres also a question of what people intend with these laws versus their real-world effects. Some people in the anti-abortion movement sincerely think that they can honor women and pregnant peoples lives and fetal lives the same. In practical terms, if the instrument you use to recognize fetal rights is really harsh criminal punishment, the practical effect tends to be that you dont value womens lives as much. Thats what weve seen post-Dobbs. If you have fetal personhood backed with the full force of criminal law, and a risk averse group of medical providers, whether youre talking about abortion or IVF, the result is the same, which is that the personhood of one group or the rights of one group are elevated over that of another. Are there other downsides to fetal personhood laws? What other areas of law or society could those laws complicate? Well, theres contraception, in part, because a lot of leading anti-abortion groups view common contraceptives as abortifacients. Then theres questions about the criminalization of conduct during pregnancy. To date, its been pretty much limited to illegal drug use and overwhelmingly targeting low-income people and people of color whove abused illegal drugs. But if a fetus is a person, theres no reason that wouldnt or couldnt be extended to other conduct that leads to miscarriage for example, thats contraindicated during pregnancy but not criminal. Weve also seen talk within the anti-abortion movement about whether personhood would require the criminal punishment of women and other abortion seekers. Theres a self-proclaimed group of abortion abolitionists who make this argument, that if a fetus is a person it cant be logically consistent or even constitutionally permissible to not punish women and abortion seekers. So the theory goes, if you are a woman and youd be punished for killing a six-month-old baby or a three-year-old preschooler, you would surely be equally criminally liable for having an abortion at four weeks because that entity in the womb is a person just as much as the three-year-old or the six-month-old. Then there are all the other ways that personhood appears in law. Would a fetus be a person for the purpose of census counts, and how would we go about determining that? Would child support be obligatory during pregnancy? Would tax deductions for dependent children apply to fetuses or zygotes? Theres a whole bunch of other questions that could come up. Part of the answer is we just dont know. I think were just beginning to see how thats going to shake out. Many Republicans, including Donald Trump, are obviously eager to downplay this issue because it seems like a political liability. Do you think Republicans will go back to embracing fetal personhood if they gain power in November or could there be a recognition of some of the unintended consequences of these laws? If youre Donald Trump [and you win], youre not able to run for reelection again. To the extent you care about what people think, it's vis-a-vis your post presidential future, its not vis-a-vis future elections in which you can't participate anyways. If you are a person running for senator or governor or even for the House in a divided, contested state, you're absolutely going to care and have a problem with talking about personhood in ways that would seem to jeopardize IVF. If youre not in a contested seat, and you need to worry about a primary challenge from your right, or youre in a politically uncompetitive state, you may have every incentive to continue pushing the envelope on personhood, including in the context of IVF. Everyone is not going to have the same incentives. I would expect that after the election, and probably to a lesser extent before the election, were going to see people in the Republican Party doing whats best for their own political futures without a lot of regard for how its affecting other peoples races. As Republicans are making those decisions, how much flexibility do you think anti-abortion activists will give them? It depends on who it is. Weve already seen former President Trump being given a lot of grace by the anti-abortion movement because, one, theres not much of a choice because of the hold Trump has over that part of the party, and two, I think people close to Trump fully believe that hes going to use executive power to ban abortion without Congress, regardless of what hes saying on the campaign trail. Theres also a pretty strong tendency to dismiss anything Trump is saying that is more moderate on abortion as, from the standpoint of the anti-abortion movement, a necessary evil on the campaign trail. That isnt the case with other candidates, because the anti-abortion movement can try to find an alternative to those people in the way they cant with Trump. Thats especially true in state races, but to a lesser extent that threat is out there in congressional races, too. What happens if activists get their wish and secure federal personhood legislation one day? Theyre not going to ever secure federal personhood legislation. It would be a judicial decision. The Supreme Court could hold that, as a matter of the original public meaning of the 14th Amendment, the word person applies from the moment an egg is fertilized. What that would mean who knows? Anti-abortion groups would maintain that pretty much all liberal abortion laws, including those that protect a right to reproductive rights in state constitutions, would violate the federal constitution by denying the due process and equal protection rights of the unborn child. Beyond that, there are a lot of unanswered questions. Take Texas, which has a law which says you cant punish women for abortion. Would that be unconstitutional if a fetus is a person? I dont know. Would it be unconstitutional to have a law that permits IVF? Not only would there be no federally protected reproductive rights, there would be no opportunity for voters to secure any kind of reproductive rights, regardless of what they wanted. Are there any broader implications you see from the fact that the Alabama Supreme Court ruling leaned so heavily on the Bible? There have long been Christian legal organizations and defense funds and so on. But in recent years, since the aughts, groups like the Alliance Defending Freedom have tried to not just have Christian lawyers making arguments but to have a Christian legal bar that can influence elite law firms, the Supreme Court and academia, and to begin making the case that the traditions and history of the United States are avowedly Christian, and that the Constitution should be interpreted in line with Christian principles, because thats what the nations history and tradition would dictate. In other words, to say theres nothing wrong with talking about Gods glory and wrath because what youre really doing is just talking about the history and tradition of the United States. That arguments been made in the Christian legal movement in training sessions, in publications, meeting minutes and correspondence for a really long time. Its been made in state legislatures, too. Whats stunning or new is to see this in a state supreme court opinion to see judges embracing it. Its worth emphasizing that groups in the Christian legal movement dont make arguments like this publicly, or at least very often in litigation. The Alliance Defending Freedom, which is obviously embracing this ruling as an expression of fetal personhood, is currently in the U.S. Supreme Court in two independent cases on abortion this term, and theyre not talking about Scripture in either one. I dont know if the major players in the Christian legal movement think that now is the opportune time to bring these arguments out especially in the context of something thats going to be unpopular, like jeopardizing IVF. To connect that to Christian teachings would probably not be the best strategic move, and I think some leaders of the Christian legal movement would recognize that. Rowdy pro-Palestinian protesters disrupted an Israeli soldier's speaking event at UC Berkeley's campus Monday, screaming slurs like "dirty Jews" and "pigs" at Jewish attendees. On Monday night, several pro-Israel groups at UC Berkeley hosted a joint event bringing former IDF soldier Ran Bar Yoshefat to campus. The event was originally scheduled at Wheeler Hall, but had a last-minute change of venue due to security concerns. According to Elijah Feldman, a UC Berkeley junior and Students Supporting Israel board member, pro-Palestinian protesters managed to locate the new venue before the event was slated to begin. Feldman shared, "Within five minutes or so of them getting there, they started to get really aggressive, pushing toward the doors." Officials said approximately 200 people disrupted the on-campus talk. JOURNALIST COMPLAINS ABOUT ALL THE THINGS PALESTINIANS CANT' DO, INCLUDING HIJACKING PLANES Pro-Palestinian protesters bang on the doors of a building on UC Berkeley's campus where a former Israeli soldier was scheduled to speak for an event hosted by Jewish student groups on Feb. 26, 2024. Protesters blocked the doors of the venue, prohibiting many attendees from entering or exiting the building. Sharon Knafelman, UC Berkeley sophomore and Students Supporting Israel member, shared that only about one-third of projected attendees made it inside the venue due to the "barrage" of protesters. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Knafelman claims she asked UCPD officers to escort her and several friends into the event hall, and they refused, leaving them to enter through the group of protesters alone. She tells Fox News two of her friends were physically assaulted while entering the venue. "I enter the building, and I am full of anxiety. All of us feel panicked because we see the mob outside, and we understand theres a threat to our safety." says Knafelman. Pro-Palestinian protesters shouted several derogatory terms at students who attended the event, including, "dirty Jews," "Nazi" and "pigs." HARVARD ANTISEMITISM TASK FORCE CO-CHAIR RESIGNS IN ANOTHER GROUP SETBACK UC Berkeley officials said approximately 200 protesters disrupted the speaking event on campus, some of whom shouted slurs at Jewish students attempting to attend. "This was being used in Europe against Jews centuries ago. We were called dirty pigs, even swine, and it's being used at us again," says Knafelman. Shortly after Yoshefat took the stage, protesters broke several windows and were able to force their way through the doors past UCPD officers and rushed the event room. UCPD evacuated the speaker and students who were attending through a back exit for their protection. Knafelman says she was evacuated with the other students. "I think that experience in itself that I had to be hidden, almost, as a Jewish student in a university thats public, that I pay for, that Im a part of, makes me feel like Im not safe here and Im not welcome here." AS UNIVERSITIES GRAPPLE WITH ACTIVISM AND ANTISEMITISM, YALE PROFESSOR INSISTS COLLEGES MUST REMAIN NEUTRAL UC Berkeley Police confront protesters who broke open doors and gained unauthorized access to a venue where a former Israeli soldier was scheduled to speak. Despite the horrific events faced by Jewish students on Monday, Feldman and Knafelman pledge that Students Supporting Israel will continue hosting events on the UC Berkeley campus and publicly supporting Israel. Students Supporting Israel tells Fox News they have yet to receive any support or apology from UC Berkeley or UCPD for failing to ensure they could host their event safely. Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ and Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Benjamin Hermalin apologized for the disruption. In a statement published Tuesday, they decried the violent protest as "an attack on the fundamental values of the university." "We write to you today with great sadness, concern, and dismay in the wake of an incident on our campus last night, an incident that violated not only our rules, but also some of our most fundamental values," the officials said. "We want to express our deep remorse and sympathy to those students and members of the public who were in the building, fearing for their safety," they stated. In the statement, the officials pledged to enforce the school's rules against violent protests and ensure violators face consequences for endangering others. "We deeply respect the right to protest as intrinsic to the values of a democracy and an institution of higher education. Yet, we cannot ignore protest activity that interferes with the rights of others to hear and/or express perspectives of their choosing. We cannot allow the use or threat of force to violate the First Amendment rights of a speaker, no matter how much we might disagree with their views. We cannot allow the use or threat of force to imperil members of our community and deny them the ability to feel safe and welcome on our campus. We cannot cede our values to those willing to engage in transgressive behavior." Original article source: Jewish students at UC Berkeley fight against campus antisemitism: 'We're not hiding anymore' The dueling visits to the Texas border Thursday by President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump not only focus the political spotlight on the ongoing immigration crisis, but they also underscore the risks and opportunities for both parties in a region of the state once considered an impenetrable Democratic stronghold. Biden will arrive in Brownsville, the seat of Cameron County and the largest city in the Rio Grande Valley, with a mission to blunt the Republicans' success in painting the Democratic administration's border security and immigration policies as an unmitigated failure. And Republicans believe their framing of the issue as Biden's fault presents them with an opportunity to pick off a South Texas congressional seat held by a Democrat, and perhaps a few legislative seats, in November. President Joe Biden walks with U.S. Border Patrol agents along a stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border in El Paso on Jan. 8, 2023. The president and former President Donald Trump will both be visiting the Texas border Thursday. "Here in South Texas, Republicans have doubled our numbers from the last presidential election," said Adrienne Pena-Garza, the Republican chairwoman for Hidalgo County, situated along the border about 60 miles from where Biden will speak. "And so we're just continuing to activate on the ground and share our message." Voting trends in Hidalgo and Cameron counties over the past few presidential elections are what provide Pena-Garza and her fellow Republicans their optimism in South Texas. In 2012 and 2016, the Democratic presidential ticket won about 70% of the vote in Hidalgo County. That share plummeted more than 10 percentage points in 2020 in the first Biden-Trump matchup. Cameron County historically has been more Republican-friendly, but not so much that Democrats had to worry about losing political offices. In the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections, Democrats sauntered off with about 65% both times. In the last go-round, Biden netted only 56% in the county. More: A Joe Biden photo op at the border? Here's what mayors and governors say they really want. Pena-Garza said Hidalgo County is ripe for Trump's picking in November. "I think he'll get 50% more than 50%, God willing," she said. The shift toward Republicans is even more striking in Maverick County, home of Eagle Pass, a city of about 29,000 along the Texas-Mexico border that has become ground zero for the immigration crisis and where Trump will hold his event. In 2012 and 2016, more than three out of four voters cast ballots for the Democratic presidential nominee. Four years ago, Biden carried Maverick County with just 54% of the vote. In 2022, Republican Monica de la Cruz won an open congressional seat anchored in Hidalgo County, beating her Democratic opponent by about 12,000 votes out of about 149,000 ballots cast. This cycle, Republicans are targeting the district to De La Cruz's east where veteran Democratic U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez is seeking reelection. Gonzalez won by a comfortable 8-point margin in the last election. Matt Angle, a Texas Democratic operative active in several congressional campaigns and other races dating back more than three decades, said much of the Republican gains in South Texas are illusory. The district that De La Cruz won was redrawn after the 2020 census by trimming out Democratic-leaning Latino voters and adding in conservative white voters from counties well north of the Rio Grande Valley, he said. "What they did was they diluted the voting strength of Hispanics, particularly along the border, and then increase the amount of the population in the rural parts of those districts," Angle said. "My biggest frustration is this illusion that Republicans are doing better along the border. Well, it's no coincidence." Regardless, Angle said, the upshot is that Democrats can no longer afford to take South Texas for granted. A Border Patrol officer patrols the banks of the Rio Grande in Brownsville Wednesday February 28, 2024. More: Border security will be Biden's focus during his visit to Texas. Here's what we know. "The problem for Democrats is for us to then say, 'Well, that's all it's (gerrymandering) so we don't need to work,'" Angle said. "Make no mistake, Democrats need, we need to do a lot better job along the border ... and tell the story about how Republicans are not only nonresponsive to Hispanics, they're openly hostile to them." University of Houston political science professor Brandon Rottinghaus said that when it comes to the twin issues of border security and immigration, Democrats have been out-messaged by Republicans dating back to Trump's first campaign for president and throughout the past three-plus years of Greg Abbott's governorship. "I think the president has to go on offense (in Brownsville) by playing a bit of defense," Rottinghaus said. "He's got to be able to blunt the momentum Republicans have on the immigration issue. "My take is that the Republicans are winning on the immigration issue, and if that is what the race is about, then Republicans up and down the ballot are going to take victories in November." This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Joe Biden, Donald Trump at border puts Texas in political spotlight Sen. John Cornyn speaks to media, after Republican Senate Leader McConnell announced his intentions to retire as Republican Leader after the November elections, at the U.S. Capitol, in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, February 28, 2024. Credit: Graeme Sloan/Sipa USA via REUTERS WASHINGTON U.S. Sen. John Cornyn officially announced Thursday he is running to lead the Senate Republican Conference. I am asking my Republican colleagues to give me the opportunity to succeed Leader [Mitch] McConnell. I have learned a lot during my time both in and out of Senate leadership, Cornyn said in a statement. Throughout my time Ive built a track record of listening to colleagues and seeking consensus, while leading the fight to stop bad policies that are harmful to our nation and the conservative cause. Republicans will elect their leadership for 2025 and 2026 in November after the national general election. Cornyns announcement comes a day after McConnell announced he would not seek another term as Republican leader. McConnell is the longest serving Senate leader of either party. Cornyn is a close McConnell ally and spent six years as the number two Republican from 2013-2019. Its expected that Cornyn would continue in McConnells tradition of principled pragmatism to pass legislation amid a broader push by conservatives to adhere to strict party purity. He demonstrated bipartisan chops in negotiating the first major gun safety bill in decades after the Robb Elementary shooting in Uvalde and the CHIPS and Science Act, meant to help boost the U.S. semiconductor industry in the face of rising competition from China. [Donald Trump says Greg Abbott is absolutely on vice president short list] That reputation has already attracted some detractors, including Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who would not rule out a run against Cornyn in his 2026 Senate primary. Paxton blasted Cornyn for not backing him in his impeachment by the Texas state House and for openly showing concern over Paxtons legal woes. Cornyn was Texas attorney general from 1999 to 2002. Paxton called Cornyn an anti-Trump, anti-gun senator on social media Wednesday night. He added that Texans deserve better because Cornyn will be focused on his highly competitive primary campaign in 2026. Cornyn tersely responded: Hard to run from prison, Ken, in a nod at Paxtons felony indictment for securities fraud and an ongoing federal investigation into allegations of abuse in office. Despite his criticism from the right, Cornyn is by no means a moderate. He has faithfully voted with his party and advocated conservative causes in the judiciary, on the border and in U.S. interests overseas. He voted with then-President Donald Trump 92% of the time, despite later expressing personal misgivings with Trumps electability. He endorsed Trump in 2016 and 2020 as well as in this years primary. Cornyn was slow to endorse Trump in the primary. He contended that it would be inappropriate to endorse before the Republican nominee was clear, and expressed doubt that Trump would perform well in the general election. President Trump's time has passed him by and I think what's the most important thing to me is we have a candidate who can actually win, Cornyn said last May. Cornyn endorsed Trump after his New Hampshire primary win. Trump is widely popular among Texas Republicans. Cornyn told reporters Thursday that he had spoken with Trump about his intention to run for leader. He did not say if Trump would endorse him and said the topic didn't come up. Cornyn said the race was between Republican senators and that he was not seeking endorsements from outside the chamber. Cornyn said he and Trump had a "good relationship based on a shared desire to fix what's broken in this country." But Trump is also a backer of Paxton which could complicate things for Cornyn given his public feuding with the Texas official. Paxton's name has been floated for U.S. attorney general in a second Trump administration. Paxton has repeatedly sued President Joe Biden's administration and led a lawsuit to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. The Supreme Court rejected the case, but Trump never forgot Paxton's loyalty. Cornyn said as leader, he would try to unify the disparate factions within the Republican Party, which have recently become a growing challenge to McConnells leadership. Speaking with reporters Thursday, Cornyn said the leader "is not a dictator" and "should be more of a facilitator." "If you're going to be in leadership, you're going to have to do things that, because the membership demands it, maybe is not what you would do as an individual Senator voting on a piece of legislation," Cornyn said. In his statement announcing he was running for leader, Cornyn said he thought the Senate is broken but could be fixed. "I intend to play a major role in fixing it, Cornyn wrote. We will improve communication, increase transparency, and ensure inclusion of every Members expertise and opinion. And we will return power back to our members; there will be no more backroom deals or forced votes on bills without adequate time for review, debate, and amendment. Cornyn has long made it clear he wants McConnells job. He has built strong relationships in the Senate by sharing his prolific fundraising with other Republicans and working across the aisle on major legislative deals. Cornyn was the top Senate Republican fundraiser in the 2022 cycle other than McConnell and Sen. Rick Scott, who was then chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. Cornyn was also ranked the most effective Republican senator of the 2021-2023 session of Congress by the nonpartisan Center for Effective Lawmaking at Vanderbilt University and the University of Virginia. Two other Republicans with leadership experience, current Minority Whip John Thune of South Dakota and Republican Conference Chair John Barrasso of Wyoming, have also hinted interest in the job. Cornyn was term-limited out of being Republican whip but has remained close to Republican leadership. He and McConnell kept an open line when McConnell suffered numerous health scares last year that amplified talk of the Kentuckians succession. Sejal Govindarao contributed reporting. We cant wait to welcome you to downtown Austin Sept. 5-7 for the 2024 Texas Tribune Festival! Join us at Texas breakout politics and policy event as we dig into the 2024 elections, state and national politics, the state of democracy, and so much more. When tickets go on sale this spring, Tribune members will save big. Donate to join or renew today. Republican Senator John Cornyn of Texas has thrown his hat into the ring to replace departing Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, becoming the first member of his party to do so. Mr Cornyn, a close ally of the minority leader, released a statement announcing his candidacy in which he pledged to end backroom deals and give members adequate time to read legislation before it is voted upon. I believe the Senate is broken - that is not news to anyone. The good news is that it can be fixed, and I intend to play a major role in fixing it, said the Texas Republican on Thursday. Cornyn is officially running for leader pic.twitter.com/1dCjnrg8zh Matthew Choi (@matthewichoi) February 29, 2024 He is far from the only candidate expected to mount a bid. Others including members of leadership such as John Thune, Joni Ernst and John Barrasso are expected to consider running for the top spot as well. Theres also the possibility of a candidate backed by Donald Trump, such as Rick Scott. The Florida Republican previously challenged Mr McConnell for control of the Senate GOP caucus in 2022. Mr Cornyn is known as being supportive of bipartisan compromise in the Senate while also being a fierce advocate for Republicans. He previously led the Senate GOPs campaign arm, where he helped engineer key victories for his party and raised millions for his colleagues. Like many of his colleagues, he has endorsed Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential race, though doing so only after the former president established a clear frontrunner status with victories in Iowa and New Hampshire. The election of the next Senate Republican leader is likely to be a test of former President Donald Trumps influence in the Senate Republican caucus, which has long been an obstacle to his total control of the Republican Party. The obstinance of the Senate GOP caucus at least its leadership, under Mr McConnell contrasts sharply with that of their colleagues in the House, who under Speaker Mike Johnson largely follow the whims and wishes of the former president. Mr Trumps relationship with the outgoing Senate Republican leader has been fraught for years, though it came to a head in late 2020 and early 2021 when Mr McConnell refused to back his false claims about the presidential election and later whipped his caucus against voting to interfere with the certification of the presidents defeat. Under his presidency and Mr McConnells leadership of the Senate, however, the GOP did see three conservative Supreme Court justices confirmed to the bench and major tax legislation pass. One of the Kentucky senators defining moments as Senate leader came in 2018 when the long-awaited Republican bid to repeal Obamacare narrowly failed in the upper chamber despite its Republican majority. Mr Cornyn, who like most of his GOP colleagues voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, would later go on to awkwardly praise it during the Covid-19 pandemic. Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) on Wednesday criticized trolls targeting Lauren Boebert after the MAGA congresswomans son was arrested for an alleged crime spree in Colorado. Tyler Boebert, 18, is facing 22 charges relating to a string of thefts and vehicle trespasses in his moms district. This is a family in crisis and the recreational cruelty I see on social media needs to be out of bounds, Fetterman wrote in an X post replying to a news story about the young Boeberts legal troubles. 3-Year-Old Among Victims in Lauren Boeberts Sons Alleged Crime Spree I know the impact this has on children, Fetterman continued. Im calling for restraint because cruelty has substantial collateral damage. We cant ever forget that they didnt sign up for this. Tyler and three underage alleged accomplices were arrested over the break-ins and thefts, according to an incident summary, which lists a total of six victims between the ages of 3 and 64. The lawmakers sonwho is also the father of her grandchildis facing charges including four felony counts of criminal possession of ID documents, one count of conspiracy to commit a felony, and three counts of theft of under $300, according to the Rifle Police Department in Colorado. I love my son Tyler, who has been through some very difficult, public challenges for a young man and the subject of attention that he didnt ask for, Lauren Boebert said in a statement Wednesday, adding that he should nevertheless be held accountable for poor decisions just like any other citizen. Fettermans sympathetic take on the situation stands in stark contrast to his more mocking approach to Boeberts previous misfortunes. In September, after she was kicked out of a theater for her behavior during a production of Beetlejuice, Fetterman jokingly referenced the incident in a tweet hitting back at Fox News coverage critical of his informal attire. I figure if I take up vaping and grabbing the hog during a live musical, theyll make me a folk hero, he wrote. Boebert has similarly had no problem publicly attacking Fetterman in the pastincluding for his penchant for casual clothing on Capitol Hill. Its truly unbecoming for someone to show up like that to any job, let alone a job that only 100 people are elected to do, she tweeted last May. Theres just no excuse for it. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. A Roswell police officer is being recognized for stepping in and saving a Johns Creek police officer during a violent arrest. The Roswell Police said while at the Johns Creek Police Department on Jan. 6, after completing the booking process for one detainee, Officer Christiansen saw another detainee being brought in who was behaving aggressively. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Officer Christiansen stayed at the jail after observing the aggressive detainee. RPD said the situation quickly escalated when the detainee violently resisted while being re-handcuffed. Thats when a fight began, resulting in a Johns Creek officer, Officer Elliot, being knocked to the ground and suffering a head injury. As the injured officer Elliot was on the ground, police said the detainee continued to assault the officer. RPD said Christiansen quickly intervened and restrained the detainee. Officer Christiansen immediately intervened, utilizing his training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to subdue the suspect within seconds and protect the injured officer from further harm. His prompt intervention and skilled handling of the situation prevented any further escalation and ensured the safety of all involved, said RPD. TRENDING STORIES: After the incident, the police agencies joined to recognize Christiansen for his decisiveness and courage. Officers and leadership from both the Roswell Police Department and the Johns Creek Police Department took time to commend Officer Christiansen for his bravery, selflessness, and sound decision-making, which led to a safe outcome for everyone present, said RPD. Johns Creek Police Department gave a thank you to Christiansen on Facebook for stepping in when Elliot was injured during the incident. Christiansen was given an Outstanding Service Award. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) quipped Wednesday that the reports Congressional leaders ganged up on him during this weeks meeting at the White House are pretty accurate. Johnson, along with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) met at the White House with President Biden and Vice President Harris on Tuesday for talks on funding for Ukraine and efforts to avert a government shutdown. Meeting participants described the talks as intense and productive and said they felt somewhat reassured Johnson heard their pleas to avoid a government shutdown Friday. When asked by Fox News anchor Sean Hannity about the reports of the leaders ganging up on him, Johnson said, Well their reports are pretty accurate. They said that I was on an island by myself, and it was me versus everyone else in the room. What the liberal media doesnt understand, Sean, is that if youre here in Washington and youre described as a leader thats on an island by themselves, it probably means youre standing with the American people, he continued. And thats what I did yesterday, I reminded the president, and all involved that the No. 1 issue in America is that open border. The catastrophe that we have that President Biden himself designed, that he caused and created, and I told him just as I have many times before he must address it with executive authority. We cant wait any longer. Johnsons comments came just hours after Congressional leaders struck a deal to avert a government shutdown at the end of this week. Under the deal announced Wednesday, leaders agreed to punt a pair of funding deadlines later into March to allow more time for spending talks. This deal came after what one Republican senator told The Hill was piled pressure on Johnson during Tuesdays meeting. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the senator said: When you can demonstrate its kind of three against one, you can kind of pressure or influence someone, and I hope thats what he senses. The leaders in the room were also unified when it came to asking Johnson to pass the Senates $95 billion foreign aid package, including $60 billion for Ukraine. Johnson has signaled he will not bring the package to the House floor, as it lacks border security provisions House GOP members have demanded for months. He similarly squashed a bipartisan bill that included border security provisions earlier this month. Updated Feb. 29 5:20 p.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Eagle Pass, Texas A federal judge in Austin on Thursday blocked Texas state officials from implementing a sweeping immigration law that would have allowed them to arrest, jail and prosecute migrants who cross into the U.S. illegally. The Justice Department and the American Civil Liberties Union had challenged the law known as SB4, which was set to take effect on Tuesday, March 5. In a 114-page order, Judge David Ezra of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas granted the challengers' request for a preliminary injunction preventing Texas officials from enforcing the state law. Ezra wrote that the Constitution and Supreme Court precedent make clear that states cannot enforce immigration measures without federal approval, and that the Texas law conflicts with federal law. He rejected an argument from Texas that the state's authority to repel an "invasion" allows it to enforce SB4, writing that "surges in immigration do not constitute an 'invasion' within the meaning of the Constitution." Lastly, he said that allowing Texas to enforce the law would mean states could override federal statutes, a discredited constitutional theory known as nullification. "[T]o allow Texas to permanently supersede federal directives on the basis of an invasion would amount to nullification of federal law and authority a notion that is antithetical to the Constitution and has been unequivocally rejected by federal courts since the Civil War," Ezra wrote. In a statement, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott vowed to "immediately appeal this decision, and we will not back down in our fight to protect our state and our nation from President Biden's border crisis." Attorney General Ken Paxton soon filed notice with the court that the state was appealing the ruling. The appeal will come before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit, which could pause the district judge's decision while it reviews the case. Either party could ultimately ask the Supreme Court to review the appeals court's action. Abbott noted that "[e]ven from the bench, this District Judge acknowledged that this case will ultimately be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court." The high court could agree to hear the case, or let the lower court's ruling stand as the final word on the issue. What SB4 would do An aerial view shows a group of migrants climbing up wire fences in Eagle Pass, Texas, on Feb. 28, 2024. / Credit: Lokman Vural Elibol/Anadolu via Getty Images Crossing into the U.S. outside of a port of entry is already illegal under federal law, but the Texas law would've criminalized the action at the state level. It would allow state law enforcement officials to stop and detain anyone suspected of entering Texas unlawfully and empower state judges to issue de facto deportation orders. While Texas troopers have already been arresting some migrant adults who cross the U.S.-Mexico border on state trespassing charges, that effort has required the consent of private property owners. SB4 would not. Under the law, crossing into Texas illegally from Mexico would be treated as a misdemeanor crime, punishable by up to 180 days in jail and a fine of up to $2,000. Illegal reentry into Texas would be a felony offense, punishable with up to 2, 10 or 20 years in jail, depending on whether the migrant in question had been previously deported or convicted of certain crimes. SB4 includes a provision that bars state officials from arresting migrants in certain locations, including schools, places of worship and health care facilities. The law would also allow Texas magistrates to order migrants suspected of committing the new illegal entry or reentry crimes to return to Mexico as an alternative to continuing their prosecution. Those found to violate those orders could be charged with a second-degree felony. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, signed SB4 into law, arguing it's needed to deter illegal border crossings. More than 2 million migrants were apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol agents along the southern border in both fiscal years 2022 and 2023, the highest levels on record. But the Biden administration said the state law interferes with federal immigration enforcement. Other critics of the measure have also said it could lead to racial profiling and overwhelm county jails and public safety resources. The Smokehouse Creek Fire spreads, extending its reach from Texas to Oklahoma Texas Smokehouse Creek Fire becomes second-largest wildfire in U.S. history Dad describes disappointment at Willy Wonka event in Scotland: "Not what was promised" FILE - Migrants who crossed the Rio Grande and entered the U.S. from Mexico are lined up for processing by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Sept. 23, 2023, in Eagle Pass, Texas. A federal judge on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024 blocked a new Texas law that gives police broad powers to arrest migrants suspected of illegally entering the U.S., dealing a victory to the Biden administration in its feud with Republican Gov. Greg Abbott over immigration enforcement. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, file) AUSTIN, Texas (AP) A federal judge on Thursday blocked a new Texas law that would give police broad powers to arrest migrants suspected of illegally entering the U.S., dealing a victory to the Biden administration with a broad rejection of Republican Gov. Greg Abbott's immigration enforcement effort. U.S. District Judge David Ezra's preliminary injunction pausing a law that was set to take effect March 5 came as President Joe Biden and his likely Republican challenger in November, Donald Trump, were visiting Texas' southern border to discuss immigration. The state attorney general's office immediately appealed the ruling, according to a statement Thursday. The ruling rebuked Texas' immigration enforcement effort on multiple fronts, brushing off claims by Republicans about an ongoing invasion along the southern border due to record-high illegal crossings. Ezra also said the law violates the Constitution's supremacy clause, conflicts with federal immigration law, and could hamper U.S. foreign relations and treaty obligations. It is the second time in six months that Ezra has stopped one of Abbotts border escalations, having also ruled against a floating barrier Texas erected in the Rio Grande. Allowing Texas to permanently supersede federal directives due to a so-called invasion would amount to nullification of federal law and authority a notion that is antithetical to the Constitution and has been unequivocally rejected by federal courts since the Civil War, the judge wrote. Opponents have called the Texas measure the most dramatic attempt by a state to police immigration since a 2010 Arizona law that opponents derided as the show me your papers bill. The U.S. Supreme Court partially struck down the Arizona law, but some Texas Republicans want that ruling to get a second look. In his decision, Ezra wrote that the Texas law was preempted by the decision in the Arizona case, adding that the two laws had striking similarities." He also struck down state officials' claims that large numbers of illegal border crossings constitute an invasion," saying calling it such is a novel interpretation of the Constitution's invasion clause and that allowing the law to stand would be permitting the state to engage in war. Although some may empathize with Texas officials' claims regarding the federal government's handling of immigration policy, it is not an excuse to violate the Constitution, the judge wrote. In a statement, Abbott blamed the influx of migrants on Biden and said we will not back down in our fight to protect our state and our nation. Texas has the right to defend itself because of President Bidens ongoing failure to fulfill his duty to protect our state from the invasion at our southern border," he wrote, noting that he believes the case will ultimately end up before the Supreme Court. Civil rights groups who sued the state have argued that if allowed to stand, the law Senate Bill 4 could lead to civil rights violations and racial profiling. They released a joint statement celebrating the decision. With todays decision, the court sent a clear message to Texas: S.B. 4 is unconstitutional and criminalizing Black, Brown, Indigenous, and immigrant communities will not be tolerated, said Jennifer Babaie, director of advocacy and legal services with Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center. The Biden administration's lawsuit over the law is one several legal battles between it and Texas over how far the state can go to try to prevent migrants from crossing the border. Under the rejected law, state law enforcement officers could arrest people suspected of entering the country illegally. Once in custody, they could agree to a Texas judges order to leave the country or face a misdemeanor charge for entering the U.S. illegally. Migrants who dont leave after being ordered to do so could be arrested again and charged with a more serious felony. Texas has been arresting migrants for years under a more limited program based on arrests for criminal trespassing. At a Feb. 15 hearing, Ezra expressed skepticism as the state pleaded its case. Ezra, who was appointed by former President Ronald Reagan, said he feared the U.S. could become a confederation of states enforcing their own immigration laws. In his ruling, he doubled down on the thought, adding that SB4 threatens the fundamental notion that the United States must regulate immigration with one voice. Republicans who back the law have said it would not target immigrants already living in the U.S. because of the two-year statute of limitations on the illegal entry charge and would be enforced only along the states border with Mexico. Other Republican governors have expressed support for Abbott, who has said the federal government is not doing enough to enforce immigration laws. Among other things, Texas placed the floating barrier in the Rio Grande, put razor wire along the U.S.-Mexico border and stopped Border Patrol agents from accessing a riverfront park in Eagle Pass that they previously used to process migrants. Matthew Walker, 46, (right) stands next to sister Mae Atkins, 60, of Clewiston. Walker died in custody at the Charlotte County Correctional Institute in 2014. It took a judge less than two weeks to deny a request filed by a former prosecutor who sought to unseal documents related to a 2014 jail death in Charlotte County. Charlotte Circuit Judge Lisa Porter on Tuesday ruled that grand jury records in the case of the 2014 death of Matthew Walker, 46, while he was an inmate at the Charlotte County Correctional Institute, are exempt from release. In her three-page order, Porter ruled that Florida Statutes prevent disclosure of the grand jury proceedings. Colleen MacAlister, who represents Christopher Crowley in the matter seeking the documents, argued Feb. 15 that the files aren't exempt from disclosure, while Douglas Wyler, who represented State Attorney Amira Fox at the hearing, asked that Porter "preserve the history of secrecy." In her ruling, Porter said grand jury records, notes and transcripts of the proceeding are confidential and kept with the Charlotte Clerk of Court in a sealed container, "which is not subject to public inspections." Porter confirmed the the requested record in Walker's case has never been transcribed. Crowley ran for state attorney in the Republican primary against Fox in 2018. He seeks the materials in his defense for a Florida Bar complaint then-State Attorney Steve Russell filed against him in 2018 involving statements Crowley made about Fox. The Florida Bar filed a complaint against attorney Christopher Crowley in April 2020 before the Florida Supreme Court alleging violations of bar rules. The Florida Bar's suit claimed that Crowley, during the 2018 political campaign for state attorney of the 20th Judicial Circuit "publicly disparaged his opponent through various political campaign materials, advertisements, and social media postings," among other rules violations. Former deputy appeals: Former Lee deputy arrested, charged with defrauding hurricane victims seeks reduced bond At the time, Crowley publicly accused Fox of misconduct and corruption. Since then, MacAlister said, Fox has refused transcription and in-camera reviews of the grand jury proceeding. Fox on Thursday declined to comment, citing the active case. The former prosecutor said he doesnt object to redactions of the records. According to the motion, Crowley said he'd assume the associated costs. Crowley has also filed a lawsuit against the Charlotte Clerk of Court seeking the transcripts. Walker's family was present in the courtroom Feb. 15. "We have been angry that we know that it was murder and that nothing was done about it," Walker's sister, Mae Atkins, 60, of Clewiston, told The News-Press after the hearing. In 2015, a grand jury in Charlotte County failed to indict prison staffers for Walker's death. In a report released by the State Attorney's Office in July 2015, grand jurors called the death of Walker "tragic, senseless and avoidable." Walker died on April 11, 2014, after correctional officers beat him after he mouthed off to an officer for waking him up for a room check. The late inmate was woken up around midnight because a cup and a magazine were out of place in the cell he shared with a second inmate, the report indicates. His cellmate testified that Walker woke up and said, "This is crazy. You are waking me up about a cup." Because of Walker's response, the corrections officer called for backup, the 2015 report indicates. A corrections officer then used his boot to crush Walker's larynx, causing his throat to swell shut. Louise Salcedo, 85, one of the grand jurors assigned to decide whether prison guards were liable in Walker's death, in 2015 revealed to a local news outlet that prosecutors, "improperly and inappropriately" discouraged panel members from indicting the perpetrators. During this month's hearing, Wyler also called Salcedo a "leaky grand juror," questioning her credibility. He said Salcedo broke her oath. Fox's counsel said no evidence will "ever be found" of corruption involving the state attorney. At the hearing, Wyler said grand jury records had never been requested in civil or criminal cases involving Walker's death. Wyler said everybody but Salcedo "was fine" with how the grand jury was conducted. Matthew Walker family reacts after hearing After the hearing, Atkins said the family wants to understand why no one was indicted "when it was clearly murder." Atkins said authorities claimed they didn't know which prison guard was the perpetrator. She said other inmates' families called her to tell her what had happened. She said they told her Walker was handcuffed while an illegal search ensued in the middle of the night. She told this news organization that Crowley's attempts to have the proceedings transcribed bring "some sense of closure" to the family, who didn't know the jury instructions could be released. 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: Matthew Walker jail death: Judge says no to release of proceeding Sam Eljamel was the head of the neurosurgery department in Ninewells Hospital in Dundee Judge Lord Weir has been chosen to head the public inquiry into disgraced brain surgeon Sam Eljamel and the health board that employed him. Eljamel harmed dozens of patients at NHS Tayside and left some with life-changing injuries. He was head of neurosurgery at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee until December 2013, when he was suspended. Health secretary Neil Gray said he regretted how long former patients of Eljamel had to wait for answers. The public inquiry was confirmed a week after a due diligence review into NHS Tayside found that concerns about Eljamel were not acted upon with the urgency they deserved. Lord Weir was appointed as a judge of the Supreme Courts in April 2020, having sat as a temporary High Court judge from 2017. Prof Stephen Wigmore, regius chair of clinical surgery at the University of Edinburgh, will head the independent clinical review into patients' cases. The Scottish government announced a public inquiry last year after a long-running campaign from more than 150 former patients of the surgeon. BBC Scotland's Disclosure programme discovered in 2018 that dozens of people claimed to have been harmed by the surgeon. And in 2022 the BBC revealed details of a damning report that found NHS Tayside repeatedly let patients down. Managers were strongly criticised for putting the doctor under indirect supervision in June 2013, rather than suspending him. It meant he was allowed to continue operating until he was suspended in December that year. Protestors gathered outside the Scottish parliament six times to call for a public inquiry Neil Gray announced Lord Weir's appointment to the Scottish parliament. He said lessons were being learned to ensure patient safety is improved. The health secretary reassured patients that they would be involved in shaping the inquiry. He said: "The experiences shared with me from these brave individuals are truly shocking and I would like to put on record my regret that their search for answers has taken so long. "They also have my heartfelt respect for their determination to get to the truth of what has happened." 'Long overdue' Jules Rose, a former patient of Eljamel who has become a leading campaigner for the inquiry, welcomed the "long overdue" announcement. But she said: "It does not detract from the arduous journey the patients have had to endure to get to this point". She said it was frustrating that campaigners had to protest six times outside Holyrood for their voices to be heard. Ms Rose claimed there were now 173 Eljamel patients campaigning for answers. "I liken it to the Post Office case," she said. "If the patients' had not kept campaigning and the BBC had not done the documentary back in 2018, and we didn't have brilliantly supportive MSPs like Liz Smith, we would not have made this progress." Following the BBC documentary in 2018, Police Scotland began a criminal investigation into Eljamel. Ms Rose added: "We remain hopeful that Police Scotland will reconsider the extradition of Eljamel from Libya and really hope this inquiry will shine a light not just on Tayside but on the failures of the health system as a whole in Scotland." Police Scotland said their investigation was ongoing. A federal judge on Thursday denied prosecutors request to detain Roger Golubski, an ex-Kansas City, Kansas, police detective accused of rape and other crimes primarily against Black women and girls, until trial after Golubski was caught on camera entering a Culvers fast food restaurant. During a hearing in the federal courthouse in Topeka, U.S. Magistrate Judge Rachel Schwartz tightened her order of house arrest for Golubski, saying the former cop is not supposed to be out in the community. She strongly advised Golubski, a 71-year-old diabetic, to plan ahead for medical emergencies, saying the unsanctioned stop did not align with her house arrest order. And she said she continues to believe Golubski is not a flight risk or that he poses a significant risk to the community at large. Earlier this week, federal prosecutors filed a motion to revoke Golubskis supervised release after learning that a person had filmed him visiting the restaurant at the Legends Outlets in Kansas City, Kansas. Under the terms of his pretrial release, Golubski is on location monitoring and largely restricted from travel to places outside of court and doctors appointments. Christopher Joseph, Golubskis defense attorney, acknowledged the violation in a court motion this week but said the former detective had stopped along the route between his home and doctors office to manage low blood sugar. He argued Golubski had already been punished by his supervising probation officer in the form of revoked discretionary leave. Golubski, who reached the rank of homicide captain over a 35-year career with KCKPD, is facing life in federal prison after he was twice indicted roughly 17 months ago. In the first indictment, a grand jury charged the ex-cop with depriving the civil rights of two women by raping them on six occasions between 1998 and 2002. One of those women, identified in court documents as S.K., told investigators the sexual abuse began when she was a 13-year-old girl. She accused Golubski of raping her more than 10 times and told her grandmother she had a miscarriage while attending middle school. Another is Ophelia Williams, 62, who has shared her story publicly. She has said Golubski assaulted her in her home, and forced her into sex acts in his squad car as two of her teenage sons were being investigated for murder in 1999. Golubski is accused of raping others, primarily targeting young Black women and girls in KCK for decades while employed by the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department, where he worked from 1975 until 2010. Seven more women who were assaulted or fought off his advances all with strikingly similar accounts, spanning between 1983 and 2004 are willing to testify against him when the case goes to trial, prosecutors have said. In a second conspiracy indictment, which followed two months later, Golubski is accused of using his police badge to shield 61-year-old convicted drug kingpin Cecil Brooks and alleged associates LeMark Roberson, 62, and Richard Bone Robinson, 60 from local law enforcement. All are accused of running a sex trafficking ring where girls were raped at an apartment complex Brooks, a self-described major player in KCK crack-cocaine dealing, operated at Delavan Avenue and 26th Street in KCK. Details of serious criminal allegations and official police misconduct have hovered over Golubski for years. Many first surfaced publicly in a civil lawsuit brought by Lamonte McIntyre, an innocent man who spent 23 years in prison for a 1994 double murder, and his mother Rose McIntyre. The McIntyres accused Golubski of framing Lamonte McIntyre, 17 years old at the time of his arrest, because Rose McIntyre rejected the ex-detectives sexual advances. Lamonte McIntyre was exonerated in 2017. In 2022, the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas, agreed to pay $12.5 million to settle the civil lawsuit. During the federal detention hearing Thursday, Schwartz declined to hear oral arguments as she provided her decision immediately after calling the case. She also noted revocation was an unusual request from prosecutors, saying federal law spells out the specific reasons. After prosecutors and the defense were given copies of her proposed order, Joseph, Golubskis defense attorney, asked whether his client would be permitted to stop for gas if needed. Get gas and keep going wont go inside and stop for a hot dog or anything like that, Joseph said. Schwartz said that would generally be permitted, though issued a reminder that Golubski needs to be in touch with his probation officer. You may have thought that was OK in the past, Schwartz told Golubski. That is absolutely not going forward. Outside the courthouse Thursday, Williams, one of the women who has publicly accused Golubski, told reporters she was unsurprised by the judges decision. But she says she still has faith justice will be served. I believe it is gonna come around, she said. Jocelyn Dor, 31, a member of the infamous Haitian 400 Mawozo criminal gang, was sentenced Wednesday to 60 months in prison on gun smuggling charges. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI Feb. 28 (UPI) -- A Haitian national residing in the United States has been sentenced to five years' imprisonment for participating in the smuggling of 24 firearms to his native country. Jocelyn Dor, 31, a resident of Orlando, Fla., was a member of the infamous Haitian 400 Mawozo criminal gang that was behind the kidnapping of 17 missionaries in 2021. U.S. District Court Judge John D. Bates sentenced him to 60 months behind bars and three years' supervised release on Wednesday, the Justice Department said in a statement. Dor pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate export controls and money laundering charges in late October, after prosecutors accused him of participating in a sophisticated scheme to export two dozen weapons, including semiautomatic high-powered rifles, from the United States to Haiti. Dor was originally charged in May 2022 along with 31-year-old Joly Germine, the self-described king of the gang, and Germine's girlfriend, 44-year-old Eliande Tunis, who is a U.S. citizen. According to court documents, Germine ran the gang from a Haitian prison via cell phones and provided the specifications to Dor and Tunis of the weapons he wanted purchased. Dor, who operated a "straw purchaser" for the gang in the United States, purchased 10 of the high-powered rifles at gun shops in Florida over the course of a month in the fall of 2021. Prosecutors said he lied to gun shops by stating that he was the intended owner of the firearms, while having received multiple transfers of thousands of dollars to pay for them. After the guns were purchased, the FBI launched a manhunt for Dor that expanded across the Midwest. Aware of the search, Dor turned himself in on Nov. 8, 2021, and the FBI recovered the guns at an Orlando storage unit he rented just days earlier. Dor has resided in police custody since. Germine was extradited to the United States in May 2022, and pleaded guilty to running the gun smuggling conspiracy early this month and faces up to life in prison when he is sentenced on May 15. Tunis similarly pleaded guilty in January. She was accused of having smuggled guns and ammunition from the United States to Haiti in containers disguised as food and household goods in May of 2021. The guns seized at the storage unit were described as a second shipment of firearms that Tunis was involved with. The gang, known for running a kidnapping and ransom scheme, made international headlines in October 2021 when it kidnapped one Canadian and 16 American missionaries, including five children of the Ohio-based Christian Aid Ministries. The majority of the missionaries were held for 61 days when they managed to escape. A federal district judge dismissed a Texas law Thursday that would have made it a state crime to enter illegally. In effect, Senate Bill 4 was a bid by the state to take over immigration enforcement from the federal government which Texas officials argued in court has allowed or even facilitated an invasion of migrants into the state. Thats a claim Judge David Ezra comprehensively rejected in a decision that barred the S.B. 4 from taking effect. Several factors warrant an injunction. First, the Supremacy Clause and Supreme Court precedent affirm that states may not exercise immigration enforcement power except as authorized by the federal government, Ezra wrote. Second, he wrote that the law conflicts with key provisions of federal immigration law, to the detriment of the United States foreign relations and treaty obligations. Finally, he determined that surges in immigration do not constitute an invasion within the meaning of the Constitution, nor is Texas engaging in war by enforcing SB 4. The decision marks a reversal for the faction of hard-right Republicans in the camp of Gov. Greg Abbott (R), who have made the border front and center of their rhetoric in the lead-up to the states GOP primary. Texas will immediately appeal this decision, Abbott said in a statement Thursday. Texas has the right to defend itself because of President Bidens ongoing failure to fulfill his duty to protect our state from the invasion at our southern border. Even from the bench, this District Judge acknowledged that this case will ultimately be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court. The case will now likely be appealed to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals a highly conservative body that has shown some limited sympathy for the invasion argument. S.B. 4 passed last year as part of the states special legislative session on the border, during which the Republican-controlled House and Senate also passed a series of other bills such as the creation of a designated state border force, building its own border wall and hiking penalties against those who smuggle drugs or facilitate crossings of migrants. These laws come amid a new campaign by state prosecutors against border nonprofits such as Annunciation House, which provides services, shelter and transport to migrants newly arrived in the U.S. In late February, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxtons (R) office accused Annunciation House of operating a stash house for migrants language previously used to describe caches used by drug traffickers. Of this new legal effort, S.B. 4 was perhaps the furthest reaching: a law that gave state and local enforcement the authority and arguably the obligation to arrest and deport undocumented migrants. The law created provisions to charge them criminally if they didnt consent to deportation or, potentially, if Mexico or their home countries wouldnt take them and sentence them to up to 20 years in prison. That law formalized Texass existing foray into immigration enforcement. Since it began border operations in 2021, the state has apprehended nearly 400,000 migrants, and arrested 30,000 for for criminal trespassing. These walked right up to the line of established constitutional law or in the case of S.B. 4, the plaintiffs argued in court, stepped right over them. In court, the Biden administration and its allies presented the case as effectively open and shut: a matter of the federal governments largely unchallenged ability to set immigration policy. Congress has clearly occupied the field with respect to the entry and removal of noncitizens, displacing the ability of the 50 States to regulate in this area, Department of Justice lawyers wrote. Our case had only one claim: the supremacy clause of the Constitution, said Anand Balakrishnan of the American Civil Liberties Union, which sued the state in conjunction with the federal government and El Paso County. The Constitution passes authority over immigration in the end to the federal government, and states cant legislate in that area in a way that conflicts with federal law, Balakrishnan said. For its part, the state argued that this is a misreading of the Constitution but that even if it wasnt, the Constitution gave it powers to resist what it has repeatedly described as an invasion. There is a full-scale invasion of transnational criminal cartels across our southern borderand Texas is ground zero, state attorneys wrote the court. Thats an argument Ezra panned in court in February, according to The Texas Tribune. I havent seen, and the state of Texas cant point me to any type of military invasion in Texas, Ezra said. I dont see evidence that Texas is at war. Ezra expressed more sympathy for Texass other claims. For example, Mike Banks, Texass newly appointed border czar, argued there had been an increase in trespassing and crimes against property owners and residents along the border, as well as the arrest of more than 15,000 migrants with past U.S. criminal convictions and 336 on the terror watch list respectively 0.6 percent and 0.1 percent of the total. Banks also noted the tidal wave of illegal migration across the southern border has been accompanied by an increase in migrant mortalities that occurred during illegal border crossings. Ezra also told the state he was very familiar with [their] concerns and to some substantial degree agree with those concerns. But he expressed his own caution at the prospect of elected state judges getting to decide whether migrants faced 20-year prison sentences as opposed to appointed federal Article 3 judges, who are viewed as less susceptible to political pressure. Federal lawyers argued Texas had no persuasive response to the argument that the new law conflicts with federal protections for noncitizens who claim a fear of persecution or torture in their home country or the country to which they would be removed. Thats an issue that Ezra called of some concern. Someone who faces a possible 20-year sentence wont have the benefit of an Article III [immigration] judge, Ezra said. In addition to the higher-level constitutional arguments, El Paso County argued in court that the law harmed it in distinct local ways: first, by directing thousands of migrants into its jails and court system, and by forcing a wedge between local government and a heavily Hispanic population that features many people who are foreign-born, regardless of their status. If the law goes through, the state has estimated that it will perform 75,000-80,000 additional arrests about 3,000 of which will happen in El Paso County. In its brief to the court, Texas promised it would try to disperse the migrants it arrested across other jails but the countys isolation makes that impossible, County Attorney Bernardo Rafael Cruz told The Hill. Were geographically very far from anywhere else, Cruz said, and theres no filter where a county jail can say, We cant receive that prisoner. Wed have to house those folks, and we have no place to put them. El Paso argued that federal regulations around housing immigrant detainees, combined with the countys own policy of getting anyone who is arrested before a judge within 24 hours, make implementing the law even more complicated and expensive. The county told the court that housing the new detainees in its jails which Cruz said are already at or near capacity would cost an additional $20 million per year. But perhaps further-reaching are the countys concerns about what the new law would do to its efforts to responsibly govern and police a largely Spanish-speaking population who often looks quite similar to the migrants the bill targets. Thats a concern that also troubled Harris County, home of Houston, the states largest metropolis. In an amicus brief, Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee warned that S.B. 4 will have a chilling effect on noncitizens willingness to aid law enforcement harming Harris Countys ability to successfully prosecute criminal defendants and combat crime. But that reality is even more stark in the border county of El Paso, more than half of whose 850,000 people are Hispanic, and about a quarter are foreign-born. That means the county includes many mixed-status families: a son who is a citizen, say, living with parents who are undocumented. Its arguable whether these people will be impacted by S.B. 4. In court, the state told Ezra that law enforcement agents would only target those they see actually crossing the border. During Texass existing border operations, which have included arresting migrants for criminal trespass, state police have generally avoided arresting unaccompanied minors or family units and has concentrated enforcement actions against single adults, Victor Escalon, regional director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, told the court. But Cruz emphasized thats not a distinction that was written into the law a point Ezra himself echoed, telling the states attorneys that a little more care should have gone into drafting the bill. Under the law, Cruz said, a summary of facts is enough probable cause to warrant an arrest, which he said raises a new suite of concerns around racial profiling. Its unclear how a state officer with no immigration training can have probable cause to arrest on S.B. 4, he said. So will they be racially profiling people, asking, Does that person look brown, like theyre from Mexico? Do they speak another language? In a predominantly Hispanic area, that makes people nervous. Last year, El Paso County Sheriff Richard Wiles told reporters that the bill would have little effect on how his officers did business. It wont affect our patrol officers when they encounter business with undocumented immigrants. But S.B. 4 has passed in a climate in which state government is increasingly intolerant of local authority. Paxton is suing cities that have decriminalized possession of marijuana, and the suit against Annunciation House. If I have a cousin is undocumented, and cousin, suffering from domestic abuse maybe Im not going to call the police, Cruz said. Maybe theyll show up and see my undocumented cousin and arrest him under S.B. 4. Or maybe theyll think Im undocumented. Updated at 1:24 p.m. ET For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones speaks to reporters after the FIFA World Cup 2026 soccer match schedule was revealed during an even at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/LM Otero) DALLAS (AP) A judge has upheld a decision requiring Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones to take a paternity test as part of a legal dispute with a 27-year-old woman who claims the billionaire is her biological father. A Texas judge on Wednesday rejected an appeal from Jones of a 2022 ruling in a paternity case brought by Alexandra Davis, who previously alleged in a separate lawsuit she was conceived from a relationship Jones had with her mother in the mid-1990s. Attorneys for Jones are challenging the constitutionality of the Texas law that would compel genetic testing of Jones. In March 2022, Davis sued Jones in Dallas County, asking a judge to void a legal agreement she said her mother, Cynthia Davis, reached with Jones two years after she was born. The 1998 settlement allegedly said Jones would support them financially as long as they didnt publicly say he was Alexandras father something the married owner of the Cowboys has denied. Davis dropped that case a month later, saying she would instead seek to prove that Jones is her father. She soon filed the paternity case. The 81-year-old Jones and his wife, Gene, were married in 1963. They have three children, and all have front office roles with the Cowboys. Jerry Jones is the team president and general manager. Davis original lawsuit claimed that Jones pursued Cynthia Davis, who was also married at the time, after they met while she was working for American Airlines out of Little Rock, Arkansas. Their settlement allegedly called for Jones to pay Cynthia Davis $375,000 and for Alexandra Davis to receive a certain monthly, annual and special funding from a trust until she was 21, as well as lump sum payments when she turned 24, 26 and 28. Attorneys for Jones say Alexandra Davis has received millions of dollars from Jones in her lifetime, according to court documents. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl Special prosecutor Christopher Boyd argues in district court that the Idaho Office of the Attorney General should not pay legal fees associated with litigation that set to block the offices civil subpoena. (Kyle Pfannenstiel/Idaho Capital Sun) An Idaho judge is weighing whether the Idaho Attorney Generals Office should pay $187,000 in attorney fees connected to a scrutinized child care grant program. Idaho Fourth District Judge Lynn Norton heard arguments Tuesday in two separate, but related, lawsuits by current and former Idaho Department of Health and Welfare officials. The lawsuits sought to block civil subpoenas issued in March 2023 by Attorney General Raul Labrador. But the suits were closed late last year after those demands were withdrawn by a special prosecutor, who says theres still an ongoing investigation of how $72 million of federal child care grants were spent in Idaho. Attorneys for current and former Idaho Department of Health and Welfare officials argued Labrador didnt have a reasonable basis to issue the civil subpoenas, called civil investigative demands. And since theyre now dropped, attorneys in both lawsuits say the current and ex-officials got what they sought. Special prosecutor Christopher Boyd said Labrador in March knew that at least that the law had been allegedly violated. Boyd, who announced hed withdraw the civil investigative demands last fall to conserve resources, said the demands being dropped doesnt signal a win. The Attorney Generals Office could refile them again tomorrow, he said. The Attorney General by all means, through me, could tomorrow issue that exact same (civil investigative demand) as was issued before legally anyway. And there would be no impediment to doing so, Boyd said. What the Idaho Attorney General is investigating In March 2023, after being alerted by legislative budget writers about concerns that $14 million had gone toward children under age 5, Labrador issued the civil investigative demands. The grants were slated to go toward kids age 5-13. Top Idaho Department of Health and Welfare officials and Ericka Rupp, a former employee who led the grants program, sued Labrador in March, seeking to block his demands. The demands asked for a wide range of information about the program and state employees that worked on it, including charitable organizations they work for, volunteer for or donate to. In August, a separate state audit found flaws in how the child care grant funds were distributed. In October, Boyd told attorneys for health department officials and Rupp that hed drop the investigative demands to conserve state resources, saying the audit answered questions that the demands sought to answer. Labrador, by Idaho law, is required to represent the state health department and other state agencies. But since the former congressman took over as the states top attorney in January, he has engaged in high profile legal clashes with some of the states largest agencies including the state health department in this case and the State Board of Education, which his office sued alleging open meeting law violations with the University of Idahos attempted acquisition of University of Phoenix. Boyd was appointed as special prosecutor in August, after a judge barred Labrador from pursuing the civil investigative demands. The judges order said Labrador had a conflict of interest on the case, citing previous legal guidance from the Attorney Generals Office to the Department of Health and Welfare in late 2022 and early 2023 that said the agencys distribution of grant funds was legally sound. Need to get in touch? Have a news tip? CONTACT US Attorneys for Rupp and state health department officials asked Labradors office to pay attorney fees that they accrued fighting those demands. Three Idaho Department of Health and Welfare officials asked for nearly $119,000 to pay their attorney. Rupp asked for about $68,000 for her attorney. Boyd in December said in a court filing there is probable cause that Rupp committed a crime. But the allegation came with little other information, such as what crime Rupp is accused of, or what specific evidence backs up the claim. Boyd argued in court on Tuesday that Rupp is in a worse position now. Boyd told the Idaho Capital Sun on Tuesday he couldnt say if a special inquiry judge has been selected in the case. Health departments interpretation was clear, attorney says Eric Stokes, a private attorney representing senior Idaho Department of Health and Welfare officials who sued over the demands, said the health department administered the program openly, citing press releases that identify grant recipients. From the outset of this program, it was clear that IDHW had interpreted the language as requiring funds to be concentrated on (age) 5 to 13, but that it permitted children under the age of 5 to benefit from those programs, Stokes said. The court adopted a similar interpretation in a separate ruling in another related lawsuit, he pointed out. The Attorneys General Office, in November 2022 and January 2023 memos, said the health departments grant distribution was legally sound, but the office withdrew those opinions in March, saying they were flawed. While Boyd said health officials hadnt prevailed in their lawsuit because the investigation hasnt stopped, Stokes said their lawsuit asked for the civil investigative demands to not be enforced, not to halt the investigation. They will not enter into a stipulation because they wanted the investigative case to be entirely disregarded. That I was to cease all investigations going forward, Boyd said. Boyd said counsel for Rupp had asked him to stop the investigation in a private letter. He declined to share that letter with the Idaho Capital Sun, which he said was in response to reaching out about a stipulation. The counsel responded with a letter. His letter demanded in no uncertain terms that we cease investigating, that the state ceases to investigate this matter. That was the thing that I could not agree to, said Boyd, who said he hadnt been subjected to such strenuous demands. He also argued in court that since the investigation wasnt stopped, Rupp hadnt won what she had sought. Rupps attorney Scott McKay in court said the only relief Rupp sought, through her lawsuit, was that the civil investigative demands be set aside. She has effectively achieved that same result, he said. McKay declined to comment. McKay also argued that the attorney general didnt have the power to issue the demands. One new consumer protection law Labrador issued the demands under, the Idaho Charitable Assets Protection Act, was meant to deal with charitable donations, McKay said. But under the attorney generals interpretation, it would give the Idaho attorney general the authority to investigate wherever it believes that the agency has used funds in an inappropriate way, or a way that at least it disagrees with, McKay said. Boyd said the statute applies to some government grants if they support charitable services, like education in this case. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Judge weighs if Idaho AG should pay child care grants investigation attorney fees appeared first on Idaho Capital Sun. In what University Hospital retirees involved in a civil suit against Piedmont Healthcare Inc. are calling a frustrating ping pong match, the case was once again moved from Richmond County Superior Court to federal court. The suit, filed on March 21 by 174 retired employees, claims just a few months after University Health Services joined Piedmont in March 2022, retirees were notified promised lifetime health benefits for employees over 65 with more than 30 years of employment would no longer be funded as of the end of 2023 and are now only being paid voluntarily. While 174 retirees are listed in the suit, there are more than 250 retirees losing benefits worth about $1,800 annually per person, according to previous reporting. As of Feb. 27, two-thirds of the affected employees were signed onto the suit. Previous report: 'A small victory': Federal judge rules to move lawsuit against Piedmont to state court On April 19, Piedmont moved the case to U.S. District Court, stating the employees' claims fell into federal jurisdiction. The hospital filed a motion to dismiss nearly a week later. In a court order issued by U.S. District Court Chief Judge J. Randal Hall on Dec. 13, the hospital's motion to dismiss was denied and the case was remanded to Richmond County Superior Court. However, just a month later, on Jan. 12, the hospital again requested the case be moved to federal court. Superior Court Judge Amanda N. Heath ultimately sided with the hospital, ordering the case back to U.S. District Court, according to a notice of removal filed on Feb. 16. The decision impacts the employees' ability to try the case before a local jury, but the hospital agreed to continue providing the benefits until the case is settled. Dozens of employees this week gathered at Pine View Baptist Church in Augusta to discuss the recent rulings. Organizers answered questions and provided more information about their legal representation and chances of winning the lawsuit. "We can't say enough about [our attorney] Jack Long and his willingness to help us in this process," said Robert Taylor, one of the plaintiffs in the suit and former chief financial officer for University Hospital. "He is willing to put his legal fees and his office's expenses at risk if we don't win, he doesn't get paid. If we do win, then the court will award him legal fees for his efforts, but that's the only way he gets paid. ... We're awfully lucky it costs us nothing to participate [in the suit]." Retirees also discussed the lack of support from the Richmond County Hospital Authority, which was formed under the Georgia Hospital Authorities Act in the 1960s. Robert Taylor speaks at Pine View Baptist Church on Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024. Taylor was was the chief financial officer for University Health Services for 40 years. "When this started, a group of us wrote letters to board members, that included authority members and University Health Services board members," Taylor said. "I never got a response." Taylor noted the authority governed University Hospital from the 1960s up until 1984 and all of the assets and the right to lease those assets resided and still reside with the authority. "I've had conversations with two authority members and essentially what they've said is the role of the authority has been diminished in recent years, that they meet infrequently and that they're not involved in the business," Taylor said. "It is troubling." Even though church pews were filled with retirees at the meeting, another speaker, Robin Petrey, said there were so many more affected employees that weren't able to attend due to health issues. "One of our retirees is blind and she can't be here, but she wants to be part of this," Petrey said. "Here she is in the later years of her life and she is now having these [benefits] threatened, which could financially change her world and make it even more difficult than it is. It's just so heart wrenching." Leonard Sweatman speak at Pine View Baptist Church on Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024. Sweatman worked with the IT Department at University Health Services for 30 years. Petrey, who worked for the hospital for 40 years, is not 65 years old, so she is not legally a part of the lawsuit. However, she said she is part of it emotionally. "One of the saddest comments that I heard when we were having the forums with Piedmont was that, 'Well, we just can't afford this,'" she said. "What you're saying then is if you suddenly can't afford to do it, you don't have to honor that promise. I said, 'Why would a patient ever pay a bill at Piedmont again?'" Leonard Sweatman, who worked in IT for the hospital for 30 years, said those who spent their entire careers working for the hospital were the ones who made it valuable enough that Piedmont had a desire to acquire it. "The 250 people who earned the benefit, they were people that secured and built the value of University Hospital for decades," Sweatman said. "We are resolute in representing them to the end of this process and we will use our best effort to see that it is accomplished." This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: University Hospital retirees discuss ongoing Piedmont lawsuit The Most Rev Justin Welby says he hoped to pray with fellow Christian from the Holy Land soon - REUTERS/Toby Melville The Archbishop of Canterbury has apologised for cancelling a meeting with a Bethlehem-based pastor because he shared a platform with Jeremy Corbyn at a pro-Palestine rally. The Most Rev Justin Welby cancelled plans to meet Lutheran pastor, Munther Isaac, earlier this month, explaining he could not meet the pastor if he shared a platform with the former Labour leader. The pastor of the Christmas Evangelical Lutheran church in Bethlehem, has been critical of Israels actions in Gaza. His Christmas sermon went viral when he said that if Jesus Christ was born today, it would have been under the rubble. Earlier this month, the pastor spoke at a Palestinian Solidarity Campaign rally at which Mr Corbyn was also a speaker after being invited by Husam Zomlot, the Palestinian ambassador to the UK. The Archbishop has previously spoken out about the rise in anti-Semitism since the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct 7 and it was reported that he was concerned that a meeting with the pastor would cause concern for the Jewish community. Rev Munther Isaac, pastor at Christmas Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bethlehem, is an outspoken critic on Gaza - Quique Kierszenbaum This is not the first time that the Archbishop has waded into matters of politics and war, having repeatedly drawn criticism for his many interventions on issues such as the Illegal Migration Bill and the UKs controversial Rwanda policy, tax and social care, universities protecting minority students, as well as changes to visa rules to curb migration. In January, the Most Rev Justin Welby also dismissed criticism that intervening in political issues is not his job, saying: I would say caring for people is very much my job and is very much the role of the Church. However, he has since said that he deeply regrets cancelling the meeting and issued an apology. In a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter, he said: Recently I declined to meet with Rev Munther Isaac during his UK visit. I apologise for and deeply regret this decision, and the hurt, anger, and confusion it caused. I was wrong not to meet with my brother in Christ from the Holy Land, especially at this time of profound suffering for our Palestinian Christian brothers and sisters. I look forward to speaking and praying with him next week. Its shameful In an interview with The Guardian, Isaac had said that he was told by the archbishops aides that if he shared a platform with Mr Corbyn, no meeting could happen. Isaac said: Its shameful. Its not my type of Christianity not to be willing to meet another pastor because you dont want to explain why you met him. This sums up the Church of England. They danced around positions, and ended up saying nothing. They lack the courage to say things. Lambeth Palace declined to comment further. Brendan Cox, the widow of murdered MP, Jo Cox, who was killed by a far-right extremist in 2016, said in response: Admitting mistakes - especially publicly-is the sign of a reflective and thoughtful leader. Mr Cox, who works with the campaign groups, Survivors Against Terror and the Together Coalition to build closer communities, added: More people in the public eye should be open about the mistakes they make. In 2020 Labour suspended Mr Corbyn over his reaction to a highly critical report on anti-Semitism in the party. The human rights watchdog, the Equality and Human Rights Commission, found Labour responsible for unlawful harassment and discrimination during Mr Corbyns four-and-a-half tenure as party leader. However, he later said the scale of anti-Semitism within Labour had been dramatically overstated by opponents. 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. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) Country music queen Kacey Musgraves will embark on an international tour in support of her latest album, Deeper Well. The Deeper Well World Tour begins in Dublin on April 28 and continues with stops in Europe and the UK, followed by the North American leg. U.S. dates begin in September, but the tour will close in Nashville with two shows at Bridgestone Arena on Dec. 7 and Dec. 8. Who is coming to Nashville in concert in 2024? (Courtesy: Kelly Christine Sutton) Support artists for the Deeper Well World Tour include Madi Diaz, Father John Misty, Lord Huron, and Nickel Creek. Tickets go on sale to the general public at http://www.kaceymusgraves.com/tour on Friday, March 8. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2. Editors note: This article has been updated to correct the weight and height of one of the babies. Being born on Leap Day is one of the rarest birthdays a person can have, with roughly a one in 1,460 chance of entering the world on February 29. Kaiser Permanente welcomed two Southern California Leap Babies during the early morning hours Thursday, sharing images and some rare details about being born a leapling or a leaper. Samantha Placencia, 20, and Nathaniel Vasquez welcomed their Leap Day baby girl, Daniella, at Kaiser Permanente Baldwin Park Medical Center this morning at 1:17 a.m. Samantha Placencia (L) and Nathaniel Vasquez welcomed their Leap Day baby girl at Kaiser Permanente Baldwin Park Medical Center on Feb. 29, 2024. (Kaiser Permanente) Leap Day baby girl Daniella was born at 1:17 a.m. at Kaiser Permanente Baldwin Park Medical Center on Feb. 29, 2024. (Kaiser Permanente) Daniella is the couples first baby. She weighed 7 pounds, 10 ounces and was 20 inches long. Baby Daniella will share her rare birthday with another girl born about an hour later in Anaheim, Kaiser Permanente Senior Media Relations Specialist Terry Kanakri said in a news release. Heather Haigh, 32, and her husband, Steven, welcomed their Leap Year baby girl at 2:17 a.m. The baby girl weighed 6 pounds, 13 ounces, and was 19.5 inches long. Heather Haigh and her husband Steven (R) welcomed their Leap Year baby girl at Kaiser Permanente Anaheim Medical Center. (Kaiser Permanente) Heather Haigh and her husband Steven welcomed their Leap Year baby girl at Kaiser Permanente Anaheim Medical Center. (Kaiser Permanente) The baby has two older sisters waiting for her at home, Kanakri said. Those born on Leap Day only get to celebrate their actual birthday once every four years. Leap Day deals from Wendys, Krispy Kreme and more Someone born on a Leap Day typically will celebrate their birthday on Feb. 28 or March 1, but Feb. 29 is still used for identification and important documents, Kanakri said. Leap Day babies are so rare that they make up less than 0.1% of the worlds population, the news release stated. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. KANSAS CITY, Mo. A 23-year-old Kansas City man is charged in connection with a deadly shooting Monday night outside an apartment complex. Tyler Thompson faces 26 felony charges of second-degree murder and armed criminal action, according to Jackson County prosecutors. Second candidate enters race for Jackson County prosecutor According to court documents, Kansas City police officers responded to a shooting just before 7 p.m. Monday in the area of Hickory Road and Oak Leaf Drive. Officers found the victim, identified as 28-year-old Mauliek Taylor, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds in the parking lot. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Spent shell casings were found near the victim and a vehicle. Two men charged in January shooting at Crown Center Evidence showed Thompson and another individual met with the victim and another man to complete a drug transaction. Thompson allegedly opened fire with a rifle, killing the victim. A warrant has been issued for Thompsons arrest. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 4 Kansas City WDAF-TV | News, Weather, Sports. President Biden and former President Trump are both set to visit the U.S.-Mexico border Thursday, trips that come amid a recent buildup of U.S. National Guard troops in Texas. The simultaneous trips Bidens to Brownsville, near the Gulf of Mexico, and Trumps visit roughly 300 miles north at Eagle Pass are intended to highlight immigration and border security amid record-high migration levels. In fiscal 2023, which ended in September, 2.5 million immigrants were encountered trying to cross the southern border without legal permission, according to data from Customs and Border Protection (CBP). And December alone saw more than 302,000 such encounters, the most ever recorded in a month. The number of troops at the Texas border is also sky-high, with more than 5,000 of the states National Guard troops there as well as several hundred more guardsmen sent by other states with Republican governors. Another 3,000 federally funded service members are also along the southwest border with the two camps running separate operations on the ground. Such topics are expected to be front and center during the already contentious 2024 election cycle, with animosity growing between state and federal authorities over who has the power to enforce immigration policies and how. Trump, the GOP front-runner, has committed to using military force against drug cartels, with or without the approval of the Mexican government. He argues that American troops can help curtail opioid drugs such as fentanyl from flowing into the country and killing tens of thousands of Americans. Biden has insisted Congress needs to address border enforcement policy through a bipartisan bill to put billions of dollars more in funding toward the issue, overhaul the asylum system and give the commander in chief new powers to deport migrants. The White House has been pressing House lawmakers to pass such legislations, which would be paired with military aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. Ahead of the visits, multiple states have pledged their guardsmen to Texas, part of Texas Gov. Greg Abbotts (R) sprawling effort to handle migrants entering his jurisdiction, called Operation Lone Star. Theres also a separate operation overseen by the Biden administration, with several thousand active-duty soldiers assisting CBP. Heres what to know about Texass militarization of the southern border: Which states have sent troops? Fourteen Republican-led states have sent National Guard units to the southern border since 2021: Arkansas, Iowa, Idaho, Florida, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming. In February alone, four Republican governors ordered their National Guard troops to the Texas-Mexico border in support of Operation Lone Star, starting with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) on Feb. 1, who committed up to 1,000 National Guard members to Texas in response to what he called a border invasion. He followed up by dispatching a contingent Friday, sending a unit of 50 guardsmen and 76 Florida Highway Patrol troopers. Also pledging National Guard troops to Texas earlier this month was South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R), who announced she was deploying 60 soldiers to the border; Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R), who said he will send more of his states Guard troops to join the 29 others already deployed there; and Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb (R), who announced on social media that he would send 50 #Hoosier Guardsmen. The states offerings are on top of the more than 5,000 Texas Guardsmen there as part of Operation Lone Star, which began in March 2021. The guardsmen stretch bands of concertina wire on the American side of the Rio Grande, arrest migrants on trespassing charges, operate drones and man observation posts to try to spot individuals attempting to cross the border, and escort migrants to CBP personnel and facilities. But the effort has cost Texas taxpayers more than $4.5 billion and been embroiled in numerous controversies. Troops assigned to the mission have broken intelligence oversight rules with incidents of shootings, mishandling secret documents and spying on migrants online, a joint Army Times-Texas Tribune investigation found. How many federal troops are there? In addition to the state guardsmen at the border, U.S. Northern Command heads two federally-funded missions to support CBP. One consists of 2,300 service members, including Army National Guard soldiers, helping CBP with jobs such as data entry, warehousing and surveillance and analysis, according to the Pentagon. Another 500 active-duty troops are authorized to assist CBP with surge support which includes similar logistical, support and clerical jobs the guardsmen are tasked with along the southwest border through the end of March. The number of personnel will fluctuate as units rotate personnel in and out of the operation, a defense spokesperson told The Hill. None of the state or federal troops are allowed to enforce U.S. immigration law under the rules of the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878. Clashing operations While immigration enforcement is typically a federal responsibility, Texas officials have clashed with the U.S. governments actions, with Shelby Park in border town Eagle Pass at the center of the fight. Texas National Guard troops have installed rows of razor wire in the park one of the busiest locations for people trying to cross into the United States without permission. Abbott claimed the wire was slowing down the flow of migrants into Eagle Pass. The U.S. government, however, contended the wire was dangerous to border agents and stopped them from doing their jobs, with the Supreme Court in January ruling that Border Patrol agents could cut or remove the barriers. But the Texas National Guard has appeared to ignore that ruling, seizing Shelby Park, turning away federal immigration authorities and continuing to install the sharp wire. Abbott justified his decision to disregard the ruling of the nations highest court, asserting that fighting an invasion of his state supersedes federal law. He has also pledged to continue further immigration measures, unveiling plans Feb. 16 to build a National Guard base camp stretching more than 80 acres near the Rio Grande, that could house up to 1,800 troops in Eagle Pass. Federal officials also challenged a floating barrier installed by Texas Guardsmen in the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass in September. Last summer, then-CBP Chief Operating Officer Blas Nunez-Neto accused Abbott and DeSantis of taking actions that are being done really for purely political reasons and that do not involve the kind of coordination that we really need to see at the border. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. After the Athens-Clarke County mayor insisted that the community where nursing student Laken Riley was murdered by an alleged illegal immigrant was not a sanctuary city, residents pointed to the sheriff who campaigned on not cooperating with ICE. A resurfaced video from 2020 appears to show then-candidate John Williams, who is now the Athens-Clark County sheriff, stating that he would not cooperate with ICE. "It is not my intention to cooperate with detainers," Williams told a reporter from the Athens Politics Nerd. "I see it as the sheriff's responsibility to protect the community. We can't help with a culture of fear in our community and expect our community to respond and help us in situations." LAKEN RILEY CASE: HECKLERS SHOUT DOWN ATHENS MAYOR AS HE DENIES SANCTUARY CITY, ANNOUNCES PUBLIC SAFETY FUNDS While campaigning, Williams promised that he would not be "contributing" to a "culture of fear." "Building relationships is key and if we're antagonizing people because they are undocumented, then they built that fear in them, and they're not likely to come to us. Not only when we need their help, but when they need our help," Williams said. "So that's not something that we'd be doing. We won't be doing any types of round-ups, and we won't be contributing to that culture of fear." READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP "We want people to respect the police, but we also want them to trust us," he added. A protester interrupts Athens Mayor Kelly Girtz during a news briefing Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, following the murder of Augusta nursing student Laken Riley. Her suspected killer, Jose Antonio Ibarra, entered the U.S. illegally in 2022 and had previous run-ins with American law enforcement, according to authorities. The sheriff's past comments were brought up after angry Georgia residents interrupted Athens Mayor Kelly Girtz on Wednesday morning as he held a news briefing on the city's plan to increase public safety. Protesters interrupted him as he attempted to dismiss "the notion of a sanctuary city." "You're a liar," one man shouted, repeatedly. "You're the one who is guilty and got blood on your hands for this murder, sir!" LAKEN RILEY MURDER IGNITES DEMANDS TO HIRE MORE CBP AGENTS, REDIRECT $15B DEMOCRAT IRS PAYDAY TO BORDER Girtz said Georgia law doesn't allow for sanctuary cities and repeatedly rejected the characterization of Athens as a sanctuary. "There's been no legislation from this government thats created sanctuary city status," he said. Jose Ibarra was arrested on Feb. 23 in connection with Laken Riley's Feb. 22 murder in Athens, Georgia. The community's outrage came after Riley was allegedly murdered on the campus of the University of Georgia by Jose Antonio Ibarra, an alleged illegal immigrant from Venezuela. Fox News' Claudia Kelly-Bazan and Michael Ruiz contributed to this report. Original article source: Laken Riley murder: Athens-Clark County Sheriff campaigned on not 'cooperating' with ICE: 'culture of fear' University of Georgia students are demanding more on-campus safety features, such as blue light emergency phones, which the school said it would prioritize following the Feb. 22 murder of Augusta University nursing student Laken Riley. UGA Police Chief Jeffrey Clark described the attack against Riley as a "crime of opportunity" while announcing the Feb. 23 arrest of Jose Ibarra, a 26-year-old illegal immigrant from Venezuela accused of killing Riley, 22, while she was out for a jog along dirt trails on UGA's campus. "As a female student at the University of Georgia, I am deeply heartbroken and alarmed by the recent murder that occurred on our campus," an unnamed UGA student wrote in the description of a Change.org petition, "Install Emergency Blue Lights on University of Georgia's Campus." "This tragic event happened in a park where many women, including myself, used to feel safe. Lake Herrick is owned by UGA, a place we trusted." LAKEN RILEY MURDER SUSPECT LIVED WITHIN 5-MINUTE WALK OF UGA CRIME SCENE University of Georgia murder suspect Jose Ibarra lived within a five-minute walk of the approximate location where he allegedly murdered 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley Feb. 22. Riley went for a morning run on trails that surround Lake Herrick, located on the southernmost point of UGA's campus. Various apartment complexes and railroad tracks border the approximate location where Ibarra allegedly attacked and killed the nursing student. Ibarra lived in one of those apartment buildings, located within a five-minute walk of the crime scene, Fox News Digital previously reported. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP The suspect's status as an illegal immigrant angered Georgia residents, who interrupted Athens Mayor Kelly Girtz Wednesday during a news briefing to discuss public safety in the community. Protesters heckled as he tried to dismiss "the notion of a sanctuary city." LAKEN RILEY MURDER SUSPECT'S BROTHER FIRED FROM UGA AFTER PRESENTING FAKE PASSPORT On UGA's campus, there has also been a push for more security, with the student petition adding that the "lack of emergency blue lights has been an ongoing issue that can no longer be ignored," citing a 2019 Grady News Source article stating that the UGA campus did not have any blue lights. A university spokesperson said at the time that while UGA was one of the first college campuses to have emergency blue lights, "data show that these call boxes had become obsolete," with zero emergency calls made through the boxes over an eight-year period. WATCH WALK-THROUGH OF UGA CRIME SCENE: "These lights can instantly contact the police and make them aware of a dangerous situation. They can also deter crimes," the student-led Charge.org petition says. "According to the National Institute of Justice, improved street lighting led to a crime reduction in about half of the areas studied (Farrington & Welsh, 2002). By implementing enhanced lighting systems across campus and installing blue lights for emergency calls, we can significantly improve safety conditions for all students." UGA on Tuesday announced new security measures totaling more than $7.3 million to make its campus safer, including "the installation of combined security camera-blue light call box systems in strategic locations across campus," the university said. BROTHER OF COLORADO DORM MURDERS SUSPECT BREAKS SILENCE: 'AIN'T REAL' "Blue light call boxes combined with cameras are being added to select sites throughout campus. Based on existing research, basic call boxes alone do not inherently contribute to a safer environment; therefore, the new call box systems installed on campus will utilize new multi-functional capabilities that also incorporate security cameras and additional lighting. "They will be located strategically in areas identified as ideal for camera coverage and enhanced lighting. In addition, new perimeter fencing will be erected in several areas, and new signage will be mounted to convey the fact that the entire campus is protected by robust security camera coverage." Laken Riley's murder on UGA's campus has prompted a call for emergency blue lights on campus. The university also touted Mobile Bluelight, a feature of the UGA Safe app that calls UGA Police and shares the user's location in real time; a Friend Walk feature displaying a students location to selected friends; and a Chat with Police feature that allows students to immediately report concerns to UGA Police. Students' parents can also sign up for the app. The Lake Forest Group founder and CEO Michael Verden, a former Secret Service agent and director of security for the NBA, told Fox News Digital he is an "advocate" for blue light emergency phones. KENTUCKY COLLEGE STUDENT STRANGLED WRESTLER IN DORM ROOM, CHARGED WITH MURDER: POLICE The phones, he said, are typically installed in strategic areas, including dark areas on a school or hospital campus or in parking lots and pedestrian walkways. They are typically small towers that have lights on top of them and phones accessible for anyone's use, but they can also be installed on the side of buildings or on existing light posts. Some even have cameras that start recording when a call is made. The blue lights require an immediate connection to some kind of 24/7 responder staffing, whether that be a college public safety department or a local police department. Calls made from specific phones can alert a responder to the location of a caller, Verden explained. The area where Laken Rileys body was found near Lake Herrick on the University of Georgia campus in Athens, Ga., Feb. 24, 2024. "I think they're effective," Verden said. "They are a communications channel, and that, to me, is important. They're also what you would call a visual deterrent. These bad guys aren't stupid. A bad guy sees a phone brightly lit, blue light on top, a phone attached to it they're going to think twice. They're going to think twice about committing a crime where the phone is located." But the security consultant also noted that blue lights involve a lot of moving parts and manpower. "I think the emergency phones are critically important to the safety and security of campuses. But that, by itself, is not enough. Just having an emergency phone is not enough. It has to be a layered approach to security. Are there people available to answer the call? Are there people available to respond to the call?" Verden said, adding that, in some big cities, people calling 911 may be placed on hold. A community member named Marlene Clark expressed similar concerns about safety measures on UGA's campus in an email to UGA President Jere Morehead with Fox News Digital copied. "Why are there no police patrolling the campus on foot, on horseback or on trolleys? Why are there not secure transportation/escorts to move students from classrooms to parking lots, especially during testing when exams are scheduled at NIGHTS?" Clark wrote. "Why are so many of the streets so dark? THIS IS A COLLEGE TOWN! Why are there so many unattended empty lots and vacant buildings on or close to campus? My daughter's parking requires her to walk past a run down garage with questionable activities. "Those who knew Laken are suffering and scared, the parents of children who had to go back today are suffering along with them and scared." Original article source: Laken Riley murder exposed glaring security lapses on college campuses, need for emergency blue lights FIRST ON FOX: Georgia nursing student Laken Riley tried calling 911 last week when a Venezuelan national allegedly attacked her on the University of Georgia campus, according to Athens-Clarke County police, who declined to release the call in response to public records requests. The revelation explains one of the charges against murder suspect Jose Antonio Ibarra filed Friday related to violently interfering with a 911 call. Police had previously said they received a non-emergency call from a friend of Riley's reporting her missing when she failed to return from her morning run Thursday. Authorities did release other documents in the case, however, revealing the suspected killer's brother Diego Ibarra, another illegal immigrant from Venezuela, showed he had little regard for the law between his arrival in the U.S. and when he allegedly handed police a fraudulent green card that had two mismatched birth dates printed on it, according to police documents obtained by Fox News Digital. LAKEN RILEY CASE: HECKLERS SHOUT DOWN ATHENS MAYOR AS HE DENIES SANCTUARY CITY, ANNOUNCES PUBLIC SAFETY FUNDS Jose Ibarra, who was originally taken into custody on Friday by the UGA Police Department in connection with Riley's death, is now not believed to have had a connection to the victim. In his first encounter with Athens-Clarke County police, he allegedly sped past an officer on Atlanta Highway near Epps Bridge Road going 80 mph in a 40 mph zone, with no license or insurance, and sipping from an ice-cold can of Bud Light. "I opened the driver's door and ordered him to step out of the vehicle, but he turned and began reaching inside of the vehicle, so I forcibly pulled him out," the investigating officer wrote of the Sept. 24, 2023 stop, according to police documents obtained by Fox News Digital. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP "The driver struggled and was brought to the ground, where there was a short struggle to handcuff him." In Spanish, he allegedly admitted to drinking seven beers before the stop, and he did not have a driver's license. LAKEN RILEY MURDER IGNITES DEMANDS TO HIRE MORE CBP AGENTS, REDIRECT $15B DEMOCRAT IRS PAYDAY TO BORDER Police report: Diego Ibarra's DUI arrest Federal prosecutors announced charges against Diego last week after he allegedly handed over a fake green card to police officers who were on the hunt for his brother in connection with Riley's brutal murder. Two Athens-Clarke police officers stopped Diego because he matched his brother's physical description and appeared to be wearing the same hat they saw on their suspect in surveillance video, the documents reveal. GEORGIA STUDENT MURDER SUSPECT CONFIRMED TO BE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT He told them he didn't speak English and allegedly handed over a green card that had two separate dates of birth listed alongside his photo and fingerprint. The officers contacted Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Diego is currently facing federal fraud charges for the incident. Diego entered the country illegally in April 2023. Days after the DUI charges, police responded to his apartment for a domestic disturbance, but did not arrest him, the documents reveal. Both brothers were cited on Oct. 27, 2023, for allegedly stealing more than $200 from an Athens Walmart. LAKEN RILEY CASE: GEORGIA AUTHORITIES IDENTIFY MURDER SUSPECT IN CUSTODY IN NURSING STUDENT'S SLAYING Police report: Diego Ibarra banned from Walmart But the records show Diego returned on Dec. 8 and allegedly stole more items, this time getting banned from Walmart stores for a two-year period and booked into county jail. Laken Riley poses for a photo posted to Facebook. Riley, a nursing student at the University of Georgia, was found dead near a lake on campus on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024. His brother Jose Ibarra, Riley's suspected killer, entered the country illegally in 2022 but was freed on border parole, which allowed him to travel to New York City and then Athens, according to authorities. Police report: Diego Ibarra's fraudulent green card case Athens Mayor Kelly Girtz on Wednesday faced protests at a news briefing on public safety in the city, which is about 70 miles east of Atlanta. Hecklers called for his resignation when he denied Athens is a sanctuary city and shouted him down when he blamed a 2019 resolution supporting undocumented foreigners on then-President Trump. "While 2019 was not that long ago, you might remember the dynamic we were living in, in the late teens in this country where you had the president of the United States speaking in the most vile terms about people who were foreign born," he said. "And you had that notion metastasizing in places like Charlottesville." "This is an invasion," a man shouted. Original article source: Laken Riley tried to reach 911 during deadly encounter, Athens police confirm The murder of a Georgia nursing student allegedly at the hands of an illegal immigrant who was previously arrested in New York City is the "direct result" of recent New York City laws that severed ties between the NYPD and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Republican Councilman Joe Borelli argued. "It is a direct result of the City Council passing legislation that limits cooperation. If those laws were not enacted, the Department of Corrections would have given ICE the opportunity to issue a detainer against Jose Ibarra," Borelli told Fox News Digital in a phone interview this week. Georgia nursing student Laken Hope Riley, 22, was discovered beaten to death earlier this month after going for a run on the University of Georgias campus. The Augusta University student crossed paths with illegal immigrant Jose Antonio Ibarra, according to authorities, and died from blunt force trauma to the head. Ibarra, a Venezuelan national, entered the U.S. illegally in 2022 and was granted border "parole," which allows noncitizens to temporarily enter the country due to an emergency or humanitarian reason, authorities have said. Ibarra soon made his way up to New York City, where he was arrested in August and "charged with acting in a manner to injure a child less than 17 and a motor vehicle license violation," according to ICE. 7.2M ILLEGALS ENTERED THE US UNDER BIDEN ADMIN, AN AMOUNT GREATER THAN POPULATION OF 36 STATES Laken Riley poses for a photo posted to Facebook. Riley, a nursing student in Georgia, was found dead near a lake on the University of Georgia campus Feb. 22, 2024. The NYPD, however, has said it does not have a record of Ibarra's arrest. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Typically, when ICE learns an illegal immigrant is arrested on criminal charges, the agency will issue a detainer that requests the local police department hold the suspect until ICE can take over and begin deportation proceedings. In Ibarras case, ICE said he was released by the NYPD before a detainer could be issued. New York City, however, is a "sanctuary city" with relatively recent laws passed by City Council severing many ties between the NYPD and ICE. LAKEN RILEY CASE: HECKLERS SHOUT DOWN ATHENS MAYOR AS HE DENIES SANCTUARY CITY, ANNOUNCES PUBLIC SAFETY FUNDS "A woman is dead in Georgia because the New York City Council passed local laws barring the NYPD from cooperating with ICE, and as such the suspect was released without any notification to federal law enforcement," Borelli tweeted this week, accompanied by a list of laws that restricted local cooperation with the immigration agency. Jose Ibarra, originally taken into custody Friday by the UGA Police Department in Riley's death, is not believed to have had a connection to the victim. Under a pair of 2014 laws, the local Department of Corrections and NYPD were restricted from complying with ICE detainers under certain conditions. The DOC, for example, is only allowed to comply with an ICE detainer if it is accompanied by a warrant from a federal judge and if the suspect has been convicted of a violent crime in the last five years. LAKEN RILEY MURDER IGNITES DEMANDS TO HIRE MORE CBP AGENTS, REDIRECT $15B DEMOCRAT IRS PAYDAY TO BORDER "Our city is not served when New Yorkers with strong ties in the community are afraid to engage with law enforcement because they fear deportation. Today, we send another message to Washington that the time to act has come to provide relief to so many individuals who contribute to our nations growth," Mayor Bill de Blasio said when the two laws were enacted. "Id like to thank Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito and the City Council for passing this legislation, which further establishes New York City as a leader in immigration reform." Former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio speaks during a press conference in front of Gracie Mansion Sept. 20, 2019, in New York City. Similar reforms continued under the de Blasio administration, including in 2017, when the City Council passed a bill prohibiting "City agencies from partnering with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to enforce federal immigration law." "The de Blasio Administration today announced the issuance of citywide guidance and new NYPD protocols to clarify and institutionalize the Citys policy that it will not voluntarily cooperate with federal immigration enforcement activities, and will only coordinate in limited circumstances, including where there is a public safety risk," a press release from the de Blasio administration stated of the law at the start of 2018. Borelli, who has served on City Council representing portions of Staten Island since 2015, argued "it's interesting to see people trying to backtrack on the impact that these laws have on the cooperation between ICE and city law enforcement." GEORGIA STUDENT MURDER SUSPECT CONFIRMED TO BE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT "But the proof is in the pudding," he said. The New York Republican pointed to comments made by local politicians when the laws were passed, arguing that Democrats wanted to sever communication between local law enforcement and federal authorities when involving illegal immigrants. "The day we start helping ICE is the day we lose the public trust, which is why this guidance and protocol is so critical," a former NYC council member said in 2018, when de Blasio announced the prohibition of city agencies partnering with the Department of Homeland Security when related to immigration laws. Current New York City Mayor Eric Adams also supported the measure in 2018, when he served as Brooklyn borough president. LAKEN RILEY CASE: GEORGIA AUTHORITIES IDENTIFY MURDER SUSPECT IN CUSTODY IN NURSING STUDENT'S SLAYING "It is important for our police officers and City employees to have clear guidance and protocol on how to interact with federal immigration enforcement, especially considering the overaggressive behavior of ICE agents. Public safety for all of our residents must come first," Adams said, according to the de Blasio-era press release. NYC Mayor Eric Adams' administration is implementing a curfew for migrants Tuesday, a report says. Following Laken Rileys murder, Adams said this week that he supports altering city laws that would open the doors to New York City officials working with federal authorities on immigration matters involving violent suspects or repeat offenders. "I want to go back to the standards of the previous mayors who I believe subscribed to my belief that people who are suspected of committing serious crimes in this city should be held accountable," Adams told reporters at City Hall Tuesday. "We should not be allowing people who are repeatedly committing crimes to remain here, and we cannot collaborate with ICE in the process," the mayor added. Adams has repeatedly spoken out in support of keeping New York City as a sanctuary city, saying illegal immigrants in the Big Apple should not live in fear of receiving city services, such as attending a school, due to their immigration status. When asked about Borelli's comments and the laws passed by City Council under his administration, de Blasio told Fox News Digital in a statement that it's time for "tougher border policies." "I trust the NYPD, and they say they never encountered the accused individual. But its sickening that a young, promising life was cut short. Any way you slice it, we need tougher border policies and comprehensive immigration reform," de Blasio said. The former mayor also pointed Fox Digital to an opinion piece he wrote this month, in which he proposed accepting "Republican demands for greater border security in exchange for full funding of a humane and functioning asylum process," along with "spending billions to create the facilities necessary on the Mexican side of the border, including the concessions and incentives the Mexican government would require in order to accept this plan." An NYPD officer sits in a police vehicle. Borelli argued the push by the City Council to sever ties with federal authorities back when de Blasio was in office evolved from Democrats in the city wanting to resist what they saw as a "Trump agenda" on immigration. "This was a reaction by the de Blasio administration and the City Council to push back on what they saw as the Trump agenda. And as long as they were doing what they could to oppose Trump, they didn't care," he said. Borelli said the local legislation is now backfiring as New Yorkers and others question the laws logic. "It's completely backfired when people start to question, What is the logic of having people who are here illegally in the first place, and then commit crimes against New Yorkers and others? There's limited rationale for keeping them here, even if you were a progressive who is sympathetic to people coming here in the first place," Borelli said. Laken Rileys murder has shocked many Americans and heightened outrage about the Biden administrations border policies. More than 7 million illegal immigrants have flooded the nation since President Biden took office in 2021, a figure larger than the population of 36 individual states, a Fox News Digital analysis previously found. Riley was reportedly so badly beaten during the murder that her skull was disfigured, investigators reported in an affidavit. Migrants cross the Rio Grande at the U.S.-Mexico border in Piedras Negras, Coahuila state, Mexico, Oct. 6, 2023. "Hes a sick puppy," Borelli told Fox Digital when asked about the brutal attack. "[He] would not have withstood screening, we hope, if we had a proper system of vetting and deporting people." Ibarra is in custody and was charged with the felonies of malice murder, murder, kidnapping, false imprisonment, aggravated assault, aggravated battery and concealing the death of another, as well as the misdemeanor of physically hindering a 911 call, according to the affidavit filed Feb. 23. LAKEN RILEY MURDER: MEDIA OUTLETS FOCUS ON LONE JOGGERS, DOWNPLAY SUSPECTED KILLERS IMMIGRATION STATUS New York State Senate Republicans on Wednesday announced the renaming of legislation that would allow local law enforcement agencies to cooperate with ICE. The legislation will now be known as "Laken's Law" in memory of Riley. New York's Mayor Bill de Blasio makes declarations at a mass vaccination site at Yankee Stadium during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Bronx borough of New York City Feb. 5, 2021. "Because of New York law, because of New York sanctuary state laws, local law enforcement do not notify federal immigration officials when they take someone into custody, even if they're here especially when they're here illegally," Republican New York state Sen. Robert Ortt said at a press conference Wednesday. "So, Laken Riley's murderer, albeit an alleged murderer, was in custody, law enforcement custody, and he was released without notification to ICE, to federal authorities, because of policies and laws passed by Democrats here in New York State," Ortt argued that if legislation allowing law enforcement to work with ICE were in place back when Ibarra was arrested by the NYPD, Riley "would be alive today." "It's not an opinion. It's not what I think. I'm not split. It's a fact. If this was the law of the State of New York, she'd be alive today. Her family would have a daughter today," he said. Original article source: Laken Riley's murder the 'direct result' of immigration laws passed by NYC Democrats: councilman LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM) A man is accused of illegally euthanizing puppies in Lancaster County, according to the District Attorneys Office. John Stoltzfus Jr., 46, of New Holland, is accused of putting down four black Sheepadoodle puppies because no one would buy them, the charging documents show. The four puppies, named Tammy, Terry, Told, and Tom, were between 16 to 20 weeks old when they were allegedly put down by Stoltzfus. The investigation began in October when the New Holland Police Department got a report of the death of four puppies and that Stoltzfus Jr. wanted them removed from a website that listed them for sale. Ex-Elizabethtown school employee pleads guilty to having sexual contact with students; DAs Office Investigators were told that Stoltzfus said to the people managing the website that black puppies are not selling so he put them to sleep,' the criminal complaint shows. When asked if he took them to a proper veterinarian to be put down, Stoltzfus said that he did it himself. Stoltzfus also admitted to investigators in November that he had taken care of the puppies himself and put them in a compost pile on the property at the 600 block of N Hollander Road. Later that day, a search warrant was executed at the property by the DAs Office, New Holland Police and the Pennsylvania SPCA, according to the complaint. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now abc27 Evening Newsletter When he was asked how he put the puppies down, Stoltzfus told investigators we have a good way of doing it, we took good care of them, then proceeded to show investigators the compost pile and a floor-type drain inside a barn, behind cows, and where the manure runoff goes. Investigators noted that the drain was not deep and only 12-16 inches wide. According to the criminal complaint, no remains of puppies were found during the search but Stoltzfus told investigators that he put the animals remains in a compost pile a week ago. Pennsylvania dog kennel owners near state lines stunned by new law: Im going to lose my business Stoltzfus faces multiple charges that include four felony counts of aggravated cruelty to animals causing SBI or death along with four misdemeanor counts of cruelty to animals. Stoltzfus is out on unsecured bail that was set at $10,000 and is awaiting a preliminary hearing scheduled for March 11. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27. Dick Buell takes his oath Monday, Feb. 5, 2024, during his swearing in ceremony as the new chief of the LaPorte Police Department. LAPORTE Some LaPorte police officers are threatening not to recognize the authority of the Mayor Tom Dermody's newly appointed chief of police. The mayor is responding with threats of his own. Dermody said officers refusing to listen to the new chief will be dealt with on grounds of insubordination. The LaPorte Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 54 has voiced opposition to Chief Dick Buell because he was not selected from within the department and wants the mayor to name a new chief from within the ranks. Buell, 70, a former law enforcement officer, came out of retirement to accept the position on Feb. 5. The FOP said the mayor violated local code, which requires a police chief be selected from within the department. The message conveyed by Mayor Dermody to our department, community and surrounding agencies with this decision is that we have no one fit to lead from within our ranks and the local codes that we are asked to enforce do not apply to Mayor Tom Dermody, the FOP stated in its letter. LaPorte City Attorney Nick Otis told a standing-room-only crowd during Tuesdays city council meeting, a change in state law in 1996 upheld by the Indiana Attorney Generals Office in 2005 allows mayors to choose police chiefs from outside the department. Therefore, Otis said the local ordinance adopted in the 1980s was no longer valid. The legislature has clearly spoken, he said. LaPorte Police Officer Robert Metcalf, speaking at the meeting on behalf of the FOP, said he has spoken to other attorneys who agree with the FOPs position on the matter. As of right now, with this being a fluid situation, we dont know legally where were going to be at 24, 48, a week, two weeks from now, he said. Buell spent five years with the LaPorte Police Department before moving on to the LaPorte County Sheriffs office, where he served in various capacities such as chief of detectives and jail commander. He was director of LaPorte County Community Corrections when he retired in 2019. Several citizens at the meeting questioned the ability of Buell to effectively run the department, feeling hes too old and out of touch. Dermody, though, described Buells qualifications from a 30-year career in law enforcement as second to none. He also said Buells old school approach and proven leadership skills are needed most of all to develop future leaders out of officers so theyre capable later of running whats now a young department. The FOP also announced before the council meeting that officers would recognize only the authority of newly appointed Assistant Police Chief Matthew Drangmeister, who was chosen from the ranks. Dermody also said some of the complaints are from officers not liking the more disciplined approach Buell has brought to the department. Because Dick Buell says youre going to shine your shoes, youre going to square your uniform, youre going to get out of your car and meet with residents and meet with business owners," Dermody said. "This is the new standard that we owe the entire department. Buell replaced Paul Brettin, who retired as police chief earlier this year after leading the department since 2020. This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: LaPorte police threaten to defy new chief; mayor threatens discipline Last person to see missing Florida teen arrested on child porn charges, deputies say TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) The boyfriend of a missing Florida teens mother was arrested Wednesday night on charges of sexual battery and possession of child sexual abuse material, according to the Orange County Sheriffs Office. 13-year-old Madeline Soto was reported missing after she didnt show up to school on Monday, according to officials. Orange County Sheriff John Mina gave an update earlier Wednesday on Sotos whereabouts, stating that the girls mothers boyfriend, Stephan Sterns, 37, had dropped her off in the area of Hunters Creek Middle School, which is where she goes to school. Late Wednesday night, the sheriffs office announced that Sterns was arrested after disturbing images were found on his phone. Missing 13-year-old Florida girl wanted to go live in the woods before vanishing: deputies Through the work of our Digital Forensics Unit earlier [Wednesday], detectives discovered images and videos that were criminal, and sexual in nature, the sheriffs office said. Detectives learned the alleged crimes were committed at the family home in Kissimmee. The phones data showed that Sterns allegedly attempted to delete evidence, according to the sheriffs office. Sterns is considered a prime suspect in Sotos disappearance, deputies said. Stephan Sterns had an opportunity tonight to come clean with detectives and help lead them to information about Maddies disappearance, Mina said in a statement. Her loved ones deserve answers and OCSO and the Kissimmee Police will not stop until we find Maddie. Law enforcement continues to search for Soto. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. Icicles hang off Texas 195 sign during Winter Storm Uri in 2021 in Killeen. The Texas power grid operators independent monitor says an ERCOT reserve program cost utilities an extra $90 million during record cold last month. Joe Raedle/Getty Images file photo As Texans drove power demand to a wintertime record high during last months deep freeze, power companies paid $90 million in wholesale costs the grid operators independent monitor says could have been avoided and that eventually could be passed along to their customers. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas controversial reserve program, which caused price spikes totaling $12.5 billion last summer, jacked up pricing again during the Jan. 15-17 cold snap, according to a new report from Potomac Economics, the independent monitor. The program is meant to keep more backup electricity supply in reserve during periods of peak demand for use in case of emergencies. By removing supply from the market, though, it also drives up wholesale prices and costs to utilities. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Addressing these issues remains critical, Potomac said in a presentation Monday to an ERCOT committee. Discussion with ERCOT has begun. A jogger trots on a snow-covered road during a winter storm, Monday, Jan. 15, 2024, in Grand Prairie, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) Julio Cortez/Associated Press Crews work Monday, Jan. 15, 2024, to de-ice planes at the San Antonio International Airport as a deep freeze its the city. William Luther/San Antonio Express-News The state grid operator declined Wednesday to elaborate on the status or focus of those talks. The all-in costs of electricity were up 88% in 2023 from the year before despite natural gas prices being 65% lower, grid expert Doug Lewin wrote in response to Potomacs report. Thats in part because last summers extreme heat drove up demand, he said in a post in his Texas Energy and Power Newsletter, but also because ERCOT is likely procuring more reserves through the program than needed. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Excessive reserves Known as the ERCOT Contingency Reserve Service, the program was created to prevent blackouts like those that occurred during Winter Storm Uri in early 2021. But ERCOTs independent market monitor began sounding the alarm last year, saying the reserve service is taking more power than necessary off the marketplace when demand rises. ERCOT has denied that, but also says the program will be improved with planned systems improvements. With its current systems, the reserve and regular markets dont communicate and cant adjust pricing for each other in real time. That means prices on the regular market are driven up when demand moves supply to the reserve market where its not always needed. Excessively held (reserves) inflated prices during the storm, the Potomac presentation says of last months situation. We estimate efficient energy prices would have lowered whole energy costs by more than $90 million. Such spikes immediately impact the power companies and power brokers buying and selling energy on ERCOTs marketplace. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Eventually, the added costs could also be passed down to utility customers. A lawsuit alleging that has already started happening was filed two weeks ago against ERCOTs oversight body, the Public Utility Commission of Texas. The lawsuit alleges the PUC approved illegal rules changes that caused market chaos without seeking public feedback. ERCOT CEO Pablo Vegas has pushed back on Potomacs wholesale cost assessments, calling the eye-popping multibillion-dollar figures misleading. The grid operator said it spent $608 million last year to secure the power it put in the energy reserve program. Steady supply Power supply was adequate during the January storm, the independent monitors report says, with gas-fired power plants and wind power playing key roles. In San Antonio, the low temperature Jan. 15 was 20 degrees. It fell to 19 on Jan. 16 and 18 on Jan. 17. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The tightest conditions came on the evening of Jan. 16, when wind power dropped and battery storage sites were needed to help with power ramp-up in the morning and evening when the states cushion from solar energy drops. ERCOT managed the system reliably during the storm, the monitor said of its ability to keep the power flowing. But, despite power reserve levels never falling to emergency levels, prices still rocketed to $1,200 per megawatt hour Jan. 16 from between $200 and $400 the day before. ERCOT has contended the costs of the reserve program outweigh the risk of not having enough power on hand. During a presentation to board members Tuesday, Vegas detailed the grids activity during the January freeze, which brought on some of the states lowest winter temperatures on record. ERCOT recorded five all-time winter demand records over the three-day storm. Between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. Jan. 16, Texans power demand hit the highest winter level ever at 78,314 megawatts. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Renewables step up Vegas said conservation efforts curbed demand in a meaningful way and that ERCOT will continue to explore demand-response programs, which encourage customers to curb power use when demand is highest. Experts and consumer advocates have consistently pushed Texas utility companies and ERCOT, which manages the flow of power for 90% of the state, to pay regular customers for cutting back on power use during critical times not just big businesses. I think that conservation is becoming a really visible and important part during these extreme weather events, Vegas said. He also pointed to strong solar power output in January, with the state using more solar power than ever before at one time in recent weeks. Batteries provided about 1.5% of total energy needs during the three biggest demand peaks over the three-day freeze. Students at Bond Elementary School assemble ahead of the start of the first day of school on Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2022 in Tallahassee, Fla. During the 2018-19 school year, the Bond and Pineview elementary schools were performing poorly, recording D and F grades, respectively. Leadership changes were made swiftly at the top with new principals given the charge of improving performances at the two Title 1 schools. That challenge was soon met by Bond Principal Delshauna Jackson and Pineview Principal Carmen Conner. By the time students returned to campus from remote instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, both schools rose to a B grade. In the 2022-23 school year, Bond maintained a B and Pineview received a C. Those student success stories have earned both south side schools the distinction of being the only two in the Leon County School district to be awarded the 2024 Exceeding Expectations award from the East Coast Technical Assistance Center (ECTAC) of Florida, an organization that monitors school improvement. Students at Bond Elementary School assemble ahead of the start of the first day of school on Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2022 in Tallahassee, Fla. We dont have to go to Atlanta or Orlando or Vegas to learn about best practices, we have it right here, Superintendent Rocky Hanna said of Jackson, who attended this week's school board agenda review meeting. The Exceeding Expectations award is given to Title I schools that demonstrate achievement on state assessments. Benchmarks include student demographics, English and math proficiencies, learning gains and school grade history. Out of 3,409 schools assessed in the state, only 35 met the bar. In previous years, learning gains were calculated into school grades to account for higher averages on state assessments each year. In 2023 however, they could not be calculated due to new benchmark standards and the new FAST assessments implemented by the Department of Education to monitor progress throughout the year. Conner and Jackson say their turnaround strategies focused on more than school grades, but also a change in each school's learning culture. Carmen Conner, one of the 25 Women You Need to Know for 2023 The challenge was to change the climate and the culture of the school and the grade at the same time, Conner told the Tallahassee Democrat this week. When she arrived at Pineview in 2018 it was stigmatized by an F grade. Backed by her own experience as a teacher of 14 years at Hawks Rise Elementary and as assistant principal at Roberts Elementary, Conner supported her teachers with tools and resources and guided the school to a B grade. It was the sacrifice of the teachers and their giving that has allowed our students to give their best when ultimately tested, Conner said. Jackson arrived at Bond in 2019 with two turnaround schools under her belt, Gretna Elementary School and Havana Middle School, both in Gadsden County. From left: Danielle Irwin, Darryl Jones, Delshauna Jackson, Rocky Hanna and Dan Campbell hold a ribbon cutting ceremony for Bond Elementary School's new outdoor classroom on Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2022. Both leaders said they focused their efforts on teacher buy-in and support for students who need a little more help. Both hold tutoring services before and after school and take the support further with Saturday school. They also encourage teachers to utilize data as a tool to monitor deficiencies. At Bond, students spend about an hour and a half every Friday testing and the assessment data is sent to her to be analyzed, so teachers know where to focus lessons for the classroom or individual students in the following week. "There's a need for a shift from using data for compliance to using data for improving student performance in each classroom," Jackson said. "At our school teachers are not just turning in data to me for the sake of doing so, we actually use it to inform what we're doing in our classrooms with our students." Both schools were recognized as Exceeding Expectations schools at a school board meeting this week. With the award, they will be invited to go to the ECTAC Exceeding Expectations conference this summer in Orlando to network with other turnaround principals. Alaijah Brown covers children & families for the Tallahassee Democrat. She can be reached at ABrown1@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Two southside school are 'Exceeding Expectations.' Here's how An envelope filled with white powder that was sent to the judge who oversaw former President Donald Trumps civil fraud trial was discovered Wednesday, and another was received this week at the office building used by New York Attorney General Letitia James. Authorities said two court staffers were exposed to the powder as they screened Judge Arthur Engorons mail at his Manhattan chambers. Some of the powder fell out of the letter and onto a staffers pants, prompting the closure of the courthouse office where mail is screened. Officials later determined the powder was harmless. The judge never came into contact with the piece of mail, which was addressed to him in a standard business envelope. Another envelope containing an unidentified powder was delivered Tuesday to James office in Albany, The New York Times reported. It, too, was determined to be harmless. Judge Arthur Engoron listens on Jan. 11 to closing arguments in the Trump Organization civil fraud trial in New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan. SETH WENIG/POOL/AFP via Getty Images Engoron ordered Trump and his Trump Organization associates to pay more than $350 million on Feb. 16 as part of a civil fraud case brought by James, who later said that with interest, the penalty topped $450 million. The former president regularly attacked both the judge and the attorney general, lambasting the investigating as another political witch hunt against him. Many of those who have moved to hold Trump legally accountable for his actions have faced threats and intimidation for their work. Officials responded to a bomb threat at Engorons home in January, and his staff have regularly been subject to harassment and threatening phone calls, according to The Associated Press. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is overseeing the federal insurrection case against Trump in Washington, D.C., was subjected to a so-called swatting call after an unidentified person made a fake emergency complaint. The letters were received the same week that a hazardous materials team was sent to the Florida home of Donald Trump Jr. The former presidents son opened a letter with an unidentified white powder inside that was later determined to be harmless. Related... To the editor: Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley shouldn't expect to net much more than 20% of GOP voters' support in next week's Super Tuesday primaries. ("Nikki Haley keeps losing and revealing something important about Trump and Republicans," Opinion, Feb. 27) Truth be told, but not spoken by Trump loyalists, the former South Carolina governor and ambassador to the United Nations is playing a long game. Haley, unlike the hard-core MAGA crowd, knows that what happens by October will trump the effect of prior months' primaries. Former President Trump's mounting legal challenges, especially with his pending criminal trials, likely will derail his absurd candidacy within the next several months. Whether that happens through some kind of plea deal that spares him incarceration, or through post-trial sentencing, matters little. What matters is that Haley, by maintaining the public's attention and walking the fine line between never-Trumpers and MAGA Republicans will have locked down a place on the GOP ticket. Which should concern Democrats, who seem to lack a viable long-game strategy. Roberta Helms, Santa Barbara .. To the editor: In Roman mythology, Janus is depicted as having two heads, allowing him to look forward and backward. In Donald mythology, there are three heads, two gazing back in time to his feud with Jan. 6 reality, and one looking sideways at Nikki Haley, a still viable opponent should he stumble on courthouse steps or elsewhere. Polls this early in the contest are unreliable, but they show that a match-up between Trump and President Biden is too close to call, but Haley defeats Biden fairly handily. She is a formidable candidate, having knowledge of issues, stage presence, debate skills and persistence. I will not vote for either of the fellas but would gladly cast a ballot for Haley. Paul Bloustein, Cincinnati .. To the editor: Jonah Goldberg pines for a traditional conservative GOP, but that ship has sailed. The MAGA movement represents sedition and autocracy, and that tells us everything we need to know about conservatism in America. Some Trump supporters openly say they expect and desire a civil war. Our fellow countrymen know not what they are asking for and what that would actually look like. They are playing with fire. Mike Aguilar, Costa Mesa .. To the editor: Haley is being pressured to suspend her campaign for the Republican presidential nomination. She should ignore the calls to withdraw for several reasons. With all the legal charges against the former president, he could be in prison before the election (unless his delaying tactics are successful). Furthermore, Trump turns 78 in June, and he is susceptible to the catastrophes that can befall people of old age, including stroke, heart attack, debilitating injury or even death. If any of these occurs, we will need a new Republican candidate, and who better than one who can beat Biden? Besides, many Republicans don't want to vote for Trump, myself included. Joseph Pflagerr, Maumee, Ohio This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Palestinians search for survivors after an Israeli airstrike on Rafah in the Gaza Strip on Feb. 10. (Hatem Ali / Associated Press) To the editor: Two letter writers used the expression "war is hell" to dismiss the carnage in the Gaza Strip as standard. One writer equated our country's response to the 1941 Pearl Harbor attack, culminating in our use of atomic bombs against Japan, to Israel's response to Oct. 7. We study history not to repeat our mistakes but, rather, to learn from them. The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki may have saved American lives, but at what price? Many innocent people were killed, and our nation's moral standing in the world was diminished. What is happening in Gaza is also tarnishing Israel's world standing. It is time to stop sending military weapons to Israel so that we are not complicit in this medieval genocide. Joseph Tillotson, Redondo Beach .. To the editor: It is maddening, the daily barrage of articles detailing the carnage and misery and suffering and body counts of Palestinians in Gaza. Why? Because no one is asking, "Why doesn't Hamas surrender?" Instead, people cry, "Genocide!" In war, one side continues to kill until the other side surrenders. Did the world cry "genocide" after Dresden, Hiroshima or Nagasaki were destroyed? After the Arab attacks against Israel in 1948 and 1973? No. Hamas has vowed to kill Jews in Israel and around the world. But in carrying out this violence, Hamas kills its own. If it really wants the killing to stop, Hamas' mandate is clear: Surrender. Eric Beck, Portland, Ore. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Brisket from the new Castroville barbecue joint Blu Lacy Smokehouse is one of the 10 best (and worst) things Mike Sutter ate in February in and around San Antonio. Mike Sutter/Staff Esaul and Grecia Ramos have claimed their own little corner of Castroville. The barbecue joint Blu Lacy Smokehouse that he opened with 2M Smokehouse partner Joe Melig and the bakery she calls Baked by Chef Grecia Ramos produced two of the 10 best things I ate in February. Theyre not alone. On the River Walk, Boudros and a burger kiosk in the mall food court made waves, and a road trip to Spring Branch gave me some of the best chicken wings Ive tasted this year. But the River Walk gives and the River Walk takes away. Think of this as a preview for next weeks accounting of the best and worst of the River Walk, a journey that made this leap-year February seem both a day too short and a day too long. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The best Brisket at Blu Lacy Smokehouse: The cutter described Blu Lacy as the country barbecue counterpart to 2M Smokehouses Tex-Mex barbecue. Fair enough. What you call it doesnt matter, as long as you call it fatty, lush and fully barked with salt, pepper and post oak alchemy. Look for my full review next month. 1303 Lorenzo St., Castroville, 830-359-8720, Instagram: @blulacysmokehouse The pastrami-sauerkraut kolache at Rooster Crow Bakery is one of the 10 best (and worst) things Mike Sutter ate in February in San Antonio. Mike Sutter/Staff Pastrami-sauerkraut kolache at Rooster Crow Bakery: If youve wondered where that great coconut cream pie came from at your favorite San Antonio restaurants in the past few years, chances are Jenn Riesman made it. Now shes running Rooster Crow Bakery, a new San Antonio favorite to call her own. Sure, get a slice of that pie or a Rice Krispies toffee treat as big as a cobblestone. But also look for Rooster Crows pastrami-sauerkraut kolache; it's like a mini-loaf of fresh, crusty bread with an everything-bagel top, impolitely stuffed with pork pastrami that Riesman cures herself. 4421 De Zavala Road, 512-689-5969, roostercrowbakingco.com Advertisement Article continues below this ad Toro tartare from Yozora Sake & Wine Listening Bar is one of the 10 best (and worst) things Mike Sutter ate in February in San Antonio. Mike Sutter/Staff Toro tartare at Yozora Sake & Wine Listening Bar: Dressed out like a pop-art turntable, this bowl of fresh raw tuna with sea urchin and osetra caviar proves that chef Grey Hwang can handle a Japanese izakaya with the same skill as his best-in-class sushi bar Shiro. 22211 Interstate 10 W., Suite 1111, 210-218-3925, yozora.online Fried oysters on yuca chips at Boudro's Texas Bistro on the River Walk is one of the 10 best (and worst) things Mike Sutter ate in February in San Antonio. Mike Sutter/Staff Chile-fried oysters at Boudros Texas Bistro: The yuca chips at the base of these fried oysters curve like the hat-shaped umbrellas that mark Boudros familiar home on the River Walk. The restaurant is parked along one of the rivers most congested traffic lanes, but theres always room for style, with a plate of flash and color animated by fresh greens, honey aioli, pineapple pico de gallo and oysters with rippled golden armor. 421 E. Commerce St. on the River Walk, 210-224-8484, boudros.com A croissant from the new Castroville bakery Baked by Chef Grecia Ramos is one of the 10 best (and worst) things Mike Sutter ate in February in and around San Antonio. Mike Sutter/Staff Croissant at Baked by Chef Grecia Ramos: The best croissants are like dressing for a hike in the mountains: Its all about the layers. At this boutique bakery around the corner from Blu Lacy Smokehouse, the layers ripple like the pages of an ancient book, a book with instructions on how to bake a perfect French croissant. 409 Paris St., Castroville, Instagram: @baked_satx Advertisement Article continues below this ad Loaded Buffalo fries from the Texas Wing Haus trailer at The District on 46 food truck park in Spring Branch is one of the 10 best (and worst) things Mike Sutter ate in February in and around San Antonio. Mike Sutter/Staff Loaded Buffalo fries at Texas Wing Haus: Its like the Spring Branch town square, this food truck park off Texas 46. Theres a bar, a pizza truck, a taco truck, a place for burgers, a shop to buy retro-chic trucker hats, a playground for the kids. And theres Texas Wing Haus, a trailer doing bone-in and boneless chicken wings with 10 different sauces. Their best work is a basket loaded with crinkle fries and crunchy boneless Buffalo wings crisscrossed with ranch dressing and more Buffalo sauce, with blue cheese and green onions. Sunset, beer and wings. Hiding in plain sight on a Comal County highway. 15000 Texas 46, Spring Branch, 830-444-5264, txwinghaus.com Mark's Original cheeseburger, left, from Mark's Outing at in The Shops at Rivercenter on the River Walk is one of the 10 best (and worst) things Mike Sutter ate in February in San Antonio. Mike Sutter/Staff Marks Original cheeseburger at Marks Outing: Already one of my favorite East Side Burger joints, Marks Outing opened a booth at the food court at The Shops at Rivercenter in 2022. Its an unpretentious spot with just a few of the crazy-quilt of burgers youd find at home base. But they make it count with fat, juicy beef, fresh produce, and the right ratio of mayo and mustard, built on a toasted brioche bun as sweet as a cinnamon roll. 849 E. Commerce St. at The Shops at Rivercenter, 210-299-8110, Instagram: @marksouting Advertisement Article continues below this ad The worst Chicken-fried steak at Dick's Last Resort on the River Walk is one of the 10 best (and worst) things Mike Sutter ate in February in San Antonio. Mike Sutter/Staff Chicken-fried steak at Dicks Last Resort: I like the insults at Dicks Last Resort. The condom-shaped paper hat they crammed on my head said, Disappointed more women than Jenny Craig. On the River Walk, its all in good fun. But you know whats not fun? Chicken-fried steak that looks and tastes like it came out of a box that got hijacked on its way to a middle school commissary. 223 Losoya St. on the River Walk, 210-224-0026, dickslastresort.com The Big Red Rita at Rita's on the River on the River Walk is one of the 10 best (and worst) things Mike Sutter ate in February in San Antonio. Mike Sutter/Staff Big Red Rita at Ritas on the River: Ritas made its name on the River Walk with fajitas and margaritas. The first ones still pretty good, some of the best fajitas on the river, seared hot with onions and peppers sizzling in the pan. But I have to call BS on the margarita part, especially this $27 schooner of frozen basic margarita with a bottle of Big Red dunked upside down. So San Antonio, right? Wrong. Two blecch tastes that go blecch together. 245 E. Commerce St. on the River Walk, 210-227-7482, ritasontheriver.com Advertisement Article continues below this ad FISH TACOS FOR LENT: Heres our Top 10 Fish tacos from Taco Cabana are one of the 10 best (and worst) things Mike Sutter ate in February in San Antonio. Mike Sutter/Staff The Lithuanian government has approved the allocation of 326,000 euros ($353,000) to support Ukrainian refugees living in the country. The funds will be transferred through Lithuanian Social Security and the Labor Ministry as well as the Health Ministry, according to the TV3 channel. The planned expenses for February total 304,000 euros. Among these, 160,000 euros will be directed towards institutional social care, while 130,000 euros are earmarked for a one-time settlement allowance aimed at facilitating accommodation arrangements within the municipality which also includes compensation for children's education. Lithuania remains among the top supporters of Ukraine globally in terms of the share of GDP, with bilateral aid to Ukraine equalling 1.5% of GDP. Additionally, Lithuanias share in EU support to Ukraine amounts to another 0.5 % countrys GDP. Lithuanias government has already delivered assistance surpassing 1 billion EUR. On top of that, municipal, business, and especially grassroots support initiatives raise tens of millions of euros, with which Lithuanian people delivered a Bayraktar for Ukraine, military drones, anti-drone systems and radar, generators, and other humanitarian aid and military equipment for the Ukrainian army and civilians. In 2023, the country's Education, Science and Sport Ministry announced that 350 Ukrainian students would receive partial state funding for their bachelors and masters studies in Lithuania, as part of the continuation of aid to Ukrainian war refugees. The state vowed to pay 60 percent of the normative tuition fees for Ukrainians and the rest would be covered by the higher education institutions themselves. The students would also receive a monthly grant of 300 euros to cover their basic subsistence needs and the purchase of supplies for their studies. Lithuania continues to support Ukraine in its all-out war with Russia, as its government had approved long-term support of 200 million euros ($219 million), Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said on Jan. 10 during a joint press conference with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Russia attempts to push Ukrainian troops out of Krynky using human waves Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. A road blockade planned by Polish farmers on the Polish-Lithuanian border could violate the EU principle of free movement of goods and people. Source: Ausrine Armonaite, Lithuania's Minister of Economy and Innovation, as reported by Lithuanian public broadcaster LRT Details: Polish farmers plan to block the road at the Budzisko-Kalvarija border crossing, its checkpoint long since mothballed due to the membership of both nations in the Schengen Area, for a week starting on Friday. They "fear" that some Ukrainian grain imported to Lithuania is being "laundered" and re-exported to Poland. "The flow of [non-freight vehicles] will not be stopped, as far as I understand, but we are still members of a free European Union where the movement of goods and people alike must be unhindered. Any obstruction of that movement appears potentially to violate free movement," the minister stressed. Armonaite noted that lorries at the border will be directed to additional parking areas for inspection, which could cause queues. Background: On Friday, Polish farmers plan to block the checkpoint on the border with Lithuania. They will stop and check all vehicles that may be carrying Ukrainian grain. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Ukraine and Poland were discussing the temporary closure of the border and the suspension of trade. In turn, Ukraine's Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov denied this information. Support UP or become our patron! Given the Supreme Court's possible responses to Donald Trumps appeal of the D.C. Circuit's denial of his claim of immunity from prosecution, the justices' decision Wednesday has to be counted as a gift to the former president. Thats because the court came through for him on the most important axis: time. The courts fairly Delphic order retains a stay on the case pending its consideration of the merits, with oral arguments scheduled for the week of April 22. Doing the math, that means the all-important election interference trial in U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkans Washington courtroom will not begin for at least six months or so, around late August. At best, that means there is no more margin for error if the case is to go forward this year. And even at the earliest possible date that it could proceed, the country will be in the homestretch of a presidential campaign that the trial would substantially distort. Thats a potential problem not just for Trump but also for the American people. Read more: Litman: An appeals court crushed Trump's immunity claim. He could face trial before the election And of course the trial may not begin before the November election, in which a Trump victory over President Biden would completely upend the legal and political landscape. That's because the trial judge cant really abridge the amount of time that remained in the pretrial process before Trump's appeal stopped the clock. Trump would scream that the court is violating his due-process rights if Chutkan gave the president less time to prepare his defense. And while the Supreme Court has scheduled a fairly prompt consideration of the appeal, its far from the fastest they've ordered. Trump's team has a full three weeks before their brief on the merits is due, and the oral argument is almost two months away. The courts consideration of this motion, moreover, was hardly warp speed for a case of this importance and exigency. The justices took 13 days to decide how they would handle the appeal. Again, fast but Ive seen faster. In fact, the time it took had many court watchers surmising that one of the justices must be writing a dissent. But Wednesdays order was short, bland and without dissent. (Thats not to say it was unanimous just that no judge in the minority opted to write in opposition to the decision to take the case, which would have been unusual.) On the other hand, the Supreme Courts decision does not ultimately augur a reversal of the D.C. Circuits resounding rejection of Trump's immunity argument. My strong sense is that the justices wont uphold Trumps far-reaching and fundamentally anti-constitutional claim of a wholly immune president. The opinion of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals joined by Republican and Democratic appointees alike should lay that claim to rest. More likely than finding fault with the circuit court, the justices, probably beginning with Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., decided the issue is of sufficient magnitude that they couldnt let the final decision, however persuasive, come from a lower court. Fundamental questions of executive power simply fall within the Supreme Courts job description. One possible clue to the court's thinking is the order's formulation of the question presented: Whether and if so, to what extent a former president enjoys immunity from criminal prosecution for conduct alleged to involve official acts during his tenure in office. Throughout the case, Trump has argued that the conduct at issue fell within the outer perimeter of his official responsibilities. This depends on construing his encouragement of the Jan. 6, 2021, rioters as mere political speech. His prospects for prevailing on that ground are negligible. In fact, several other courts have been hostile to similar arguments from Trump. For example, also on Wednesday, an Illinois court became the latest to determine that he engaged in insurrection and is therefore disqualified from the presidency under the 14th Amendment. So even if the Supreme Court were to find some version of presidential immunity from prosecution for official acts, it wouldnt necessarily save Trump if his conduct fell outside his responsibilities. Again, though, Trumps fortunes have to be measured by the time involved as well as the merits. And a pretrial back-and-forth over whether his conduct fell within his duties could take up even more time. In the long run, therefore, the courts decision probably wont excuse Trump from accountability for his traitorous conduct on the merits. His outlandish claim of absolute presidential immunity will almost certainly fail, and even a recognition of limited immunity for official acts will not keep him from facing justice. But thats in the long run. For now, Trump is likely pleased with a result that again delays justice and, if his political gamble on a return to the White House pays off, will allow him to escape it altogether. Harry Litman is the host of the Talking Feds podcast. @harrylitman If its in the news right now, the L.A. Times Opinion section covers it. Sign up for our weekly opinion newsletter. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. The Housing Authority of the City of Little Rock, known as the Metropolitan Housing Alliance, is the largest public housing agency in Arkansas and assists thousands of low-income citizens of Little Rock. (Tess Vrbin/Arkansas Advocate) Little Rocks embattled public housing agency is expected to have a full governing board next week with the approval of the city board of directors. The board of the Housing Authority of the City of Little Rock, known as the Metropolitan Housing Alliance, chose attorney and engineer Monty Baugh to fill one seat at a special-call meeting Wednesday. The board held a different special-call meeting Feb. 21 to recommend the appointment of Stacie Brown, a resident of the Sunset Terrace housing complex, to the remaining slot. MHA has been operating with two of the five seats vacant on its board of commissioners since September, when six of the citys 10 directors voted to remove Leta Anthony and Lee Lindsey from the board. Chairman Kerry Wright said Baughs experience as an attorney should benefit the board. Even though we have the city attorney [Tom Carpenter] representing us, we need somebody on the board with legal experience and leadership, Wright said after Wednesdays meeting. Upon confirmation Tuesday from the city board, MHA will have a completely different set of board members than it did a year ago. Anthony and Lindseys seats remained vacant for months under a temporary restraining order from Pulaski County Circuit Court after they sued to seek reinstatement, but a judge lifted the restraining order in January and ruled against the plaintiffs again earlier this month. The removal of Anthony and Lindsey came after years of raised alarms. Former MHA employees accused the board of commissioners of misconduct in 2020 and 2021, and several reports from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in the past few years have pointed out red flags in MHAs financial and management practices. After two of these HUD reports became public in August and September 2023, Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. asked the entire housing board to resign. Commissioner Branndii Peterson resigned upon request, and Commissioner Louis Jackson had already said he planned to resign; Lindsey, Anthony and Wright all refused. The city directors voted to keep Wright on the board at Septembers removal hearing. They had confirmed him in March after declining to give former board chairman Kenyon Lowe a third five-year term. Wright became board chairman while he was briefly the boards only member. In October, the city directors picked Bruce James and Karen Buchanan from a pool of 12 applicants to fill the MHA board seats vacated by Jackson and Peterson. Moving forward Anthony and Lindsey claimed in their lawsuit against the city and Scott that the directors had breached their due process rights. Anthony called the removal hearing a present-day lynching at a circuit court hearing Oct. 31. On Feb. 5, Circuit Judge Cara Connors denied the plaintiffs motion to block the city from appointing new commissioners. Connors wrote in her ruling that the city had supported its case while the plaintiffs attorney, Sylvester Smith, failed to meet multiple response deadlines and did not prove the merit of their case. motion for preliminary injunction denied Public housing authority boards are required by federal law to have one member who lives in subsidized housing. Jackson fulfilled this requirement until he announced in August that he would step down because he no longer received housing aid, though he participated in a September board meeting. Brown, the Sunset Terrace resident, will now fulfill this requirement. She has advocated for public housing recipients before the MHA board in the past. She could not be reached for comment Wednesday. Meanwhile, the MHA board chose Baugh from the remaining 10 candidates that applied for the open seats last fall. Baugh wrote in his application that he has paid attention to reports of MHAs administrative troubles and is disappointed by former commissioners self-dealing. I am also particularly concerned that the commissioners acted to terminate the employment of a recent director who, by outward indications, performed her job responsibly and refused to abide [by] the commissioners attempts to force cooperation with their self-interested conduct, Baugh wrote. He was referring to former MHA executive director Nadine Jarmon, whom the board suspended and later fired in 2021 after she sent a 161-page memo to HUD and Scott alleging widespread misconduct by the board. Jarmons complaint created one of multiple delays to the completion of a 2019 financial audit of MHA. HUD requires annual audits and has been several years behind, leading to some of the federal agencys concerns about the previous boards behavior. Wright, James and Buchanan voted in October to dissolve the five-member board of MHAs nonprofit arm, the Central Arkansas Housing Corporation (CAHC), in an attempt to secure some of the documents required for the audit. Anthony, Lindsey, Lowe and Peterson were all on the CAHC board. FBI and other law enforcement agents searched CAHCs offices in January, seeking documents to explain transfers of money between MHA and the nonprofit. The post Little Rocks public housing agency fills two remaining board seats, pending city approval appeared first on Arkansas Advocate. The 100th spinal operation has now been carried out using robotic equipment at The Walton Centre A team of neurosurgeons have carried out their 100th operation using robotic spinal surgery. Used at the Walton Centre in Liverpool, the high-tech kit is one of the first of its kind to be used in the UK. The robotic navigation system enables "minimally invasive" procedures to be carried out. The centre said it aimed to "innovate and enhance the service further for the benefit of patients across the North West". One of the latest operations was a spinal fusion carried out on Jeffrey Perry, 40, from Runcorn. Mr Perry told BBC North West he had been living with sciatica for more than two decades but it had got much worse over the past two years. He said: "It's impacted my life because I can't work at the minute because of it. "The pain is just unreal, really bad 24/7." He said his illness had impacted on his mood and likened the pain to being "prodded in the back with a sharp instrument". "I'm hoping to be able to get back to some sort of work," he added. "I don't know what line of work, depending on how good the recovery is." Jeffrey Perry, 40, from Runcorn was the 99th person to undergo the robotic spinal surgery at The Walton Centre Mr Perry was the 99th person to undergo the innovative procedure. The robot used by the team at the Walton Centre comprises a rigid robotic arm, which is tracked and fully navigated by a camera. It is then programmed to follow a trajectory pre-planned by surgeons. Robotic surgery has been in use at the Walton Centre in Fazakerley since October 2022. The equipment benefitted patients in terms of reducing the time patients spend in theatre and often resulted in a shorter recovery time, the Walton Centre said. 'Life-changing procedures' The robotic kit enables treatment such as placement of spinal screws to be carried out to an incredibly high level of precision, facilitated by the centre's neurosurgeons. Jan Ross, chief executive officer for The Walton Centre, said: "It cannot be understated how incredible an achievement this is, not only for patients, but for our staff too." She said she was delighted with the progress made, and couldn't wait to see the team "innovate and enhance the service further for the benefit of patients across the North West, North Wales and the Isle of Man". John Bowden, 77, from Prestatyn, North Wales, is one of those who have undergone the robotic surgery at The Walton Centre Martin Wilby, consultant spinal surgeon and clinical lead for complex spine, said: "We've now seen first hand how this innovative approach can improve the outcomes for complex spinal patients. "I'm incredibly proud of how we've reached this milestone, now on to the next 100." Also among those who have undergone the robotic spinal surgery at the Walton Centre is John Bowden, 77, from Prestatyn, North Wales. He said it had changed his life, enabling him "to do a lot more than before" and helped when he spent time with his grandchildren. Why not follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk (Editors Note: This is part of a regular series featuring a look inside local businesses, the things they make & services they provide, and their impact on the community.) In 2013, Peach County resident Tansy Salzman received a terrifying medical diagnosis. Doctors told her she had Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension, a rare brain disorder. Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) happens when high pressure around the brain causes symptoms like vision changes and headaches, according to the National Eye Institute. For more than a decade Salzman suffered in pain with no relief for her agonizing symptoms. Some days I cant walk properly, some days I cant speak full thoughts everyday there is pain, she said. Salzman had heard much about the benefits of cannabis for those struggling to find a way to alleviate pain due to illness or other issues. However, growing up in a strict household made her reluctant to give it a try. I came from a rather strict household where those things were very taboo, she said. I was quite hesitant at first, not knowing what to expect. I was 35 before I tried cannabis for the first time, and only after a lot of research, Salzman said. The more research I did, the more I learned that cannabis was the best treatment for what I have in states where its legal. Salzman said the relief she felt was so drastic that she knew she wanted to advocate for others to be able to find the same level of normalcy she felt after suffering for so long with no answers. So, along with business partner Tiffany Frizzi-Garcia, Salzman opened Herb & Tonic Apothecary, a botanical cannabis dispensary in Byron. The business offers hemp derived topicals, edibles and smokables that are sourced from award-winning small businesses across the industry. Herbs & Tonic Apothecary, located in Byron, offers offers hemp derived topicals, edibles and smokables that are sourced from award winning small businesses across the industry for medical use. Our flower comes from a family run animal sanctuary farm in Oregon and it is the best I have sourced, Salzman said. We also have functional mushroom products and organic herbs. We also research and educate ourselves, in order to better understand and help those who come into our Apothecary, she said. This is a service you dont find at other smoke shops or CBD stores. Herb & Tonic Apothecary caters to a large clientele with the majority being seniors, according to Salzman. A majority of my clients are seniors. They are not there to just have a good time, though thats a bonus, but they are there to reach out for a helping hand, a kind word, and often a shoulder to cry on, she said. Salzman said she also sees those in their 30s and 40s who struggle with anxiety, awkwardness and pain, and who just want a sense of normality in their world. And, she said she wants people to know the business is more than just a place that sells THC. We are not just a store, we are a sanctuary for those who need a smile, someone to listen, someone to commiserate, someone to understand them, she said. Byron is happy to have us and we are ecstatic for that. We want to be a part of the events and goings on, to educate and support alternative health solutions. Salzman said her community and family mean the most to her and sometimes giving a lending ear can be just as healing as the products the business offers. My love language is to give; give a smile, give hope, give inspiration. When you walk in our doors I want you to feel at home, comfortable, feel like someone cares, and to be able to ask the silly questions, she said. This is often as much of a healing experience as using the botanicals that we offer and is such an important part of what we do. In 2023, Herb & Tonic Apothecary was named Best in Georgia by Georgia Business Journal for products sold by a small business across the hemp industry. Herb & Tonic Apothecary will be involved in many upcoming events including Puff & Paints, Beards, Buds and Bluegrass competition, Best Munchies of Byron competition to feature local restaurants and food trucks, and its annual Halloween and Krampus Christmas events. Salzman will soon be opening The Joint, a 21 and over vape lounge where residents can go to enjoy a smoke of herbal blends or a Chronic Tonic mocktail in a quirky, fun, artistic environment meant to inspire and soothe. The Joint will also feature a stage to host mic nights, local bands, and dancing performed by members of Perry Bellydance. Herb & Tonic Apothecary is located at 218 Highway 49 North, Building E in Byron. Current hours of operation are Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. For more information, go here. Republicans accused Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin of causing an international embarrassment on Thursday at a polarised hearing of the House Armed Services Committee called to examine the communications breakdown resulting from Mr Austins recent hospitalisation. Mr Austin maintained that command and control authority had always been in the hands of an appropriate authority during his hospital stay while admitting to responsibilty for a failure to properly notify the White House, Congress, and the American public when his duties had been discharged to a deputy. The US defence chief, 70, underwent treatment for prostate cancer after being hospitalised on 1 January. He was released after a roughly two-week stay, and later underwent a second, shorter visit to Walter Reed Medical Center in February for a bladder issue. His first hospital stay evolved into an awkward situation for the White House as it was revealed that President Joe Biden and national security adviser Jake Sullivan had not been notified that Mr Austin was in the hospital until several days had passed. The GOP lawmakers on the committee, led by Chairman Jim Banks, accused Mr Austin of allowing America to appear weak in the eyes of Chinese and Russian adversaries. Democrats on the panel disputed this, and accused their Republican colleagues of parroting propaganda from those same countries. Mr Secretary, who will be held accountable for this embarrassment? Mr Banks asked, prompting Mr Austin to note that he took full responsibility for his actions. He went on to quote two leading propaganda outfits in China and Russia which portrayed the situation as signs of chaos within the US government. Our adversaries should fear us. What youve done is embarrassed us, the chairman went on to claim. His remarks were largely followed by emotionless acknowledgements from the Pentagon chief and were more directly refuted by Democrats on the panel, who rallied to Mr Austins defence. Ranking Democratic member Adam Smith dismissed the idea that the US government had truly faced any kind of embarrassment on the world stage due to Mr Austins actions. It's not surprising to me, the Chinese and the Russians are not going to say anything positive about us, he said. That doesn't come as a surprise to me. They seize on every opportunity to attack the United States. So I don't really take their word for what was going on. Mr Austin addressed his hospital stay and shortcomings in notifying the White House at a press conference following his release on 1 February, and at the time offered a full apology. I want to be crystal clear. We did not handle this right and I did not handle this right., the secretary told assembled reporters. 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. Mike Quickel, former policy director and longtime tax and budget policy adviser to Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), has joined Hollier & Associates as a partner. The move reunites Quickel with Will Hollier, Crapos former chief of staff and founder of the lobbying firm. Ed Hill is joining Forbes Tate Partners as a partner in the firms government relations practice. Hill was most recently senior vice president and head of government affairs for the Bank Policy Institute, a financial services industry lobbying and advocacy group. Wendy Sammons-Jackon is joining the federal government relations team at Cornerstone Government Affairs. A retired U.S. Army colonel, she was most recently the deputy principal assistant for research and technology at the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command. Tiber Creek Group has hired Nikole Burroughs as a partner. Burroughs was most recently deputy chief of staff in the U.S. Agency for International Development. Katie Mahoney is joining the Healthcare Leadership Council (HLC) as executive vice president and chief policy officer. She comes to the HLC from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, where she was most recently vice president of health policy. Will Anderson is returning to Business Roundtable as vice president of corporate governance. He was most recently staff director of the House Financial Services Committees Subcommittee on Capital Markets. Sarah Puro is joining Alliance for Automotive Innovation as vice president of safety and technology policy. Puro was most recently a senior adviser to National Transportation Safety Board Chair Jennifer Homendy. Patrick Kane has joined the Motion Picture Association as vice president of digital strategy. He was previously head of digital for the British Embassy. Lo Isidro has joined Narrative Strategies as a senior director. He was most recently a senior director at Real Chemistry, and he is a Stand Together, Americans for Prosperity and Capitol Hill alum. Gilead Sciences Chair and CEO Daniel ODay is the new chair of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) board of directors. ODay succeeds Novartis CEO Vasant Narasimhan as board chair. Pfizer Chair and CEO Albert Bourla was named board chair-elect, and Paul Hudson, CEO of Sanofi, will serve as treasurer. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. SHEFFIELD LAKE, Ohio (WJW) The FOX 8 I-Team has found a Sheffield Lake city employee is sitting in jail accused of bringing a gun outside the service department and making comments threatening his boss. Records show Edward Stottlemire is charged with aggravated menacing. Law Director David Graves told us Stottlemire had been on extended leave, and he knew he would be terminated March 1. Graves said Stottlemire had been worker in the service department for a long time. Cleveland fire safety inspectors earning up to $80,000 a year in overtime A police report says last Friday Stottlemire spoke to another employee, and he revealed he had a gun and magazine in the car. That fellow employee told police, Ed said you should better go and I should better go before I do something I shouldnt and to that guy The employee said Stottelmire motioned to where the service director had just been. The fellow employee also told police Stottlemire looked mad and angry, and he also shook the gun case, saying, Id like to use this The Law Director says police arrested Stottlemire later without incident. David Graves added, even with Stottlemire in jail, city buildings have been locked. All the city buildings have been locked, he said. We have to take it very seriously. We cant take the chance that a tragedy might occur. Discipline for cop drinking alcohol with gun: I-Team Stottlemire has been held on a $100,000 bond. His attorney has filed a motion asking the court to lower that bond so that he can get out of jail while his case begins to move through court. Attorney Ian Crawford wrote Stottlemires bond is unbelievably excessive. And, he wrote, Mr. Stottlemire remains privileged to the presumption of innocence and maintains his plea of not guilty. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW. Airbnb renters are heading to Hill Country and Austin more than any other location in the 2024 solar total solar eclipse path of totality. Carlos Javier Sanchez/pixelrefle Airbnb renters will be flooding into Austin and Hill Country more than anywhere else in North America to watch the total solar eclipse April 8, the rental company reported Thursday. That part of Central Texas topped the list for travelers looking to rent an Airbnb in the path of totality, where the moon will appear to cover the sun completely. Dallas is also in demand for travelers hoping to catch a glimpse of the celestial event, according to Airbnb. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Top eclipse destinations Austin and Texas Hill Country Mazatlan, Mexico Indianapolis Montreal Cleveland Dallas Niagara Region, Canada Buffalo, N.Y. Stowe, Vt. Little Rock Texas towns are preparing for shortages and traffic nightmares as eclipse viewers roll in, with one county north of Austin declaring a state of disaster as it expects its population to double. Most of the Airbnb renters heading to places in the path of totality, like Hill Country, are coming from New York City, Airbnb reported. Total solar eclipses occur in a given area only once every 375 years, and San Antonio locals can plan their view with an interactive map from the Express-News. HOWELL A recent event in Howell organized by a conservative political action committee, the Grand New Party PAC, sparked ire from a grassroots group in Livingston County. On Feb. 19, the PAC presented county officials with "Tenth Amendment Awards" for declarating the county a "sanctuary" for the Second Amendent and opposing some of the state's gun control measures. The PAC booked the Howell Opera House for the private event, part of a three-part series of "Washington Day Dinners." On Tuesday, a crowd of about a dozen people grabbed brooms and a water jug to stage a protest demonstration in front of the Opera House. They swept the sidewalk to "wash away" "white supremacy" and "hate," as well as what they call the PAC's support of conspiracy theories. A small group of protesters also gathered Feb. 19. Stand Against Extremism (SAGE) organized a demonstration in front of the Howell Opera House on Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024. Local grassroots group Stand Against Extremism (SAGE) organized the demonstration, a nod to another demonstration in the 1990s when the Ku Klux Klan appeared at the historic courthouse, according to group members. Organizers took issue with the PAC holding an event and fundraising in Howell, and with the Opera House's allowance of it. The Opera House regularly rents out space for private events and was not a sponsor of the award ceremony. Stand Against Extremism (SAGE) organized a demonstration in front of the Howell Opera House on Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024. SAGE member Kasey Helton emailed a letter to sponsors of the Livingston County Arts Council, which operates the Opera House, to voice her displeasure. Sharon Fisher, program and events director, declined comment Tuesday. In SAGE's letter, the group decried PAC Executive Director Shane Trejo's appearance Feb. 19, calling him "a political activist with well-documented ties to white nationalist groups throughout the country." Trejo made headlines in 2017 after referring to white supremacists rallying in Charlottesville as "civil rights heroes" in a piece for The Liberty Conservative. He also called for a West Michigan library to be "shut down by force" amidst a controversy over books with LGBTQ themes. Trejo responded in a series of texts sent to The Daily on Tuesday. "This group of far-left agitators tried to intimidate the venue with threats before the event to get the 'Tenth Amendment Awards' cancelled," he wrote. "Because that failed, they are now continuing their campaign of harassment in order to prevent events celebrating patriotism and the Constitution from happening again." He called it "cancel culture at its worst." "We are not promoting any hate agenda against minorities, LGBT or any other group," he added. "This is the usual smear that left-wing activists use to attack conservatives and try to cancel their free speech rights." Helton told The Daily she believes Trejo "has been very overt in his point of view on white nationalism." "His point of view doesn't have a place in the city of Howell," she said. Subscribe: Get all your breaking news and unlimited access to our local coverage Ella Nikitin, a Democrat challenging incumbent Wes Nakagiri for a seat on the Livingston County Board of Commissioners, said she's concerned the Grand New Party has ties to "alt-right organizations" and supports "local extremist candidates." Rep. Steve Carra, R-Three Rivers, announced formation of the Grand New Party PAC in 2022 to support candidates in races for the state house, county commission seats and school board positions, as reported by The Detroit News. The PAC has also promoted fundraising efforts to pay for the legal defense of those accused of participating in the fake elector scheme, among other activities. Contact reporter Jennifer Eberbach at jeberbach@livingstondaily.com. This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Locals 'wash away' hate at Opera House after Grand New Party event Strike action had been due to take place on Monday and Tuesday A planned two-day strike affecting London Overground services next week has been called off. A dispute over pay has been ongoing between workers at Arriva Rail London, which has the London Overground contract, who are members of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT). Transport for London (TfL) said the action, which had been due to take place on Monday and Tuesday, was called off following "positive discussions". The RMT and Arriva Rail London have been approached for comment. A TfL spokesperson said: "We are pleased industrial action planned for Monday 4 and Tuesday 5 March has been suspended by the RMT." Rory O'Neill, general manager of the London Overground, said: "All London Overground services are now expected to operate as normal on these days." The RMT union previously called off strike action that had been due to take place earlier this month after progress was made in pay talks. TfL also struck a pay deal with union workers on the London Underground earlier this week, brining to an end that pay dispute. Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hello.bbclondon@bbc.co.uk More on this story Related internet links The Supreme Court has said it will hear the case on whether former President Donald Trump can claim presidential immunity to get out of his federal election interference trial. But that announcement, which came Wednesday, has legal experts concerned about how this could just be a delay tactic by the Supreme Court and its three Trump-appointed justices. Until the Supreme Court issues its final decision on Trumps immunity claim, the federal trial over Trumps efforts to overthrow the 2020 electionoverseen by Judge Tanya Chutkan and originally scheduled to begin next weekwill remain on hold. Legal analyst Lisa Rubin explained on MSNBC Thursday just how much the Supreme Courts decision shifts back the timeline for when Trump could finally be in a courtroom and potentially face justice over his actions around the 2020 election. When Donald Trumps case was paused to allow for further consideration of the immunity issue, there were 88 days left till trial, Rubin said. Judge Chutkan has publicly committed herself to giving Donald Trump around seven months to prepare for trial. So we have to assume that she takes that 88 day remainder fairly seriously. She has also said that this is a trial that will take around three months. So you have to build into the calendar that 88 days plus 90 days to try the case, if you think that this is going to happen before the election. And thats why folks like me are asking the Supreme Court, why didnt you write like youre running out of time? she continued. Because time is quickly elapsing here. The Supreme Court has said it will hear arguments beginning the week of April 22. While many legal experts agree that the Supreme Court will likely strike down Trumps presidential immunity claim, as Rubin explained, they have different opinions on how quickly they think the Supreme Court will actually issue that decision after hearing the case. Neal Katyal, the former acting U.S. solicitor general, thinks the decision will come pretty quickly, perhaps by early May. But if we consider Rubins math, even in the most sped-up version of the timeline, Trump wouldnt face a decision in the federal election interference trial until early November. The 2024 election is on November 5. The Supreme Courts term usually ends at the end of June or early July. If the court waits until then to issue its ruling, the timeline looks even worse. Former appeals court Judge Michael Luttig predicted that it is unimaginable that Trump will be tried in special counsel Jack Smiths federal election interference trial before the 2024 election. Harvard Law professor Laurence Tribe also warned that the delay weve seen thus far is just the beginning. If [the Supreme Court] really had any interest in expedition, any interest in satisfying the public need to get this trial going and to have a verdict one way or the other before the election, they would have asked a narrower question, Tribe told MSNBC Wednesday night. They would have simply asked whether a president charged with criminally seeking to remain in office beyond the end of his term has absolute immunity from prosecution or crimes committed in that vein. That would have been the right question to ask, and it could have only had one answer. Of course, the Supreme Courts scope in hearing the case is much broaderand it wont even begin considering the many questions of immunity until April. As a reminder, Trumps immunity claim is so outlandish that it has been struck down by two courts already. At one point, his lawyers even tried to argue that a president would be immune from criminal prosecution if he ordered the assassination of a political rival, so long as Congress did not vote to impeach him first. A year after agreeing to a $600,000 settlement to part ways with its last police chief, Long Hill officials are finally filling the void with a public safety director. The township committee on Wednesday unanimously approved the appointment of another former chief, Michael Peoples, to the newly created position. Peoples, who retired as chief in 2007 after 25 years with the department, currently serves as executive director of the Morris County Communications Center, which handles 911 and dispatch calls for 23 Morris County municipalities. His appointment comes more than a year after the town put former police chief Ahmed Naga on paid leave in the midst of a bitter feud. Naga, the state's first Muslim local police chief, accused officials of making racist comments, while the township committee questioned his management of the 23-member department. Naga ultimately retired after the settlement. The Long Hill Township Committee meets on Feb. 28 to appoint a new police safety director. New leadership for Long Hill police Wednesday night's resolution also appointed former Long Hill Lt. Sean Marks as executive administrative assistant for the department. Mayor Guy Piserchia said he hopes to have both on board as soon as employment agreements are drafted and signed. "They are going to have incredible leadership coming in," Pieserchia said of the department, currently led by officer-in-charge Lt. Alexis Ciambriello. "I think we are blessed." Peoples' five-year contract includes an annual salary of $217,500, prorated for 2024. Marks will receive an annual salary of $130,000. The committee passed an ordinance to create the public safety director position at its previous meeting on Feb. 14, based on recommendations in a police assessment report conducted by another former Long Hill chief, Robert Falzerano, who is currently the administrator in neighboring Harding Township. Another report by New Hampshire-based MRI was commissioned by the committee in 2022 to study issues under former chief Naga, including flooding at police headquarters and the department's state accreditation, which lapsed that year and has not been renewed. Former chief Ahmed Naga alleged discrimination During that period, Naga filed a tort claim against the mayor, township committee and other officials after he was reprimanded for "failure to comply with appropriate authority directives." Naga, who joined the Long Hill force in 2003, became New Jersey's first Muslim chief with his elevation to the top position in 2018. By September 2019, he had filed complaints to town officials alleging he faced a hostile work environment because of former township administrator Nancy Malool. Naga alleged she repeatedly referred to him as "Mahatma Naga." He later alleged that Piserchia, then the deputy mayor, approached him during a Sept. 11 memorial ceremony in 2022 and "questioned based on my religious choice and ethnic classification if I had any affiliation with the terrorist group called the Taliban. The township committee responded with a statement rejecting Naga's accusations as "baseless.""We believe it has been orchestrated as an attempt to obstruct the township committee from its responsibility of oversight regarding the operations and finances of the Long Hill Police Department," the statement added. Long Hill police responded to a car crash in 2022. The department will be led by a new public safety director, former chief Michael Peoples. Six weeks after the tort claim was filed, in November 2022, the committee placed Naga on administrative leave. The conflict concluded last February, when the township agreed to pay Naga $600,000 to settle "all of the claimed damages, including any claims Naga has alleged for physical pain and suffering." Going forward, the Falzerano assessment report of the department recommends Long Hill hire "an experienced professional law-enforcement executive with the credentials, factual demonstrated record for leadership, organization, policy development and succession planning experience to review the MRI recommendations and this report." Residents fume over costs Resident Charles Arentowicz, speaking at the Feb. 14 meeting, urged the committee to explore another option outlined by the Falzerano report. It suggested a shared-service agreement with a neighboring community's police department, possibly Harding. On Wednesday, Arentowicz was back before the board. Calculating the costs of the Naga settlement, the two studies and the contracts of Peoples and Marks, as well as increases for two lieutenants, he put the total cost at $2,737,500. "What is the Long Hill taxpayer getting for approximately $2.7 million?" he asked. More: Long Hill sidelines NJ's first Muslim police chief, alleges he may be 'hazard' on the job Piserchia questioned Arentowicz's math and said "I think this was necessary and I fully support it." Another resident, Joseph Ferrandino, questioned the relationship between MRI and Peoples, saying Peoples had served on the MRI board at some point. "The anger and frustration comes from these things not being transparent," Ferrandino said. "You have no other option to believe that this is not above board. All of it may pass muster with the legalese, but it does not pass the smell test. Something smells dirty in Long Hill, from my perspective." William Westhoven is a local reporter for DailyRecord.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today. Email: wwesthoven@dailyrecord.com Twitter: @wwesthoven This article originally appeared on Morristown Daily Record: Long Hill hires safety director, replacing suspended police chief Feb. 28 (UPI) -- Police in Naples, Fla., said they were called to a resident's home to chase off an unusual trespasser: a sunbathing alligator. The Naples Police Department said on social media that officers responded to "a call about an alligator sunbathing on a resident's dock in Moorings Bay." Police said the reptilian suspect was not taken into custody. "When the gator saw the cops, he decided to scram," the post said. Police offered some advice about living in areas frequented by gators. "MyFWC Florida Fish and Wildlife and NPD want to remind you to never feed an alligator and keep your distance if you see one. Swim only in designated swimming areas during daylight hours. And keep pets on a leash and away from the water," police wrote. American students are lagging behind their international peers in the aftermath of the pandemic, according to a new analysis unveiled by Stanford University economist Eric Hanushek. The ultimate costs of the last few years of incomplete learning will total $31 trillion over the course of the 21st century, the scholar finds greater than the countrys Gross Domestic Product over an entire year. Released this morning through Stanfords right-leaning Hoover Institution, the report echoes prior warnings by its author, one of the nations most cited experts on education finance. Hanushek has cautioned since the emergence of COVID that the prolonged experience of virtual instruction would meaningfully harm the skills and earning potential of todays students. His newest release builds on those predictions by examining the math performance of U.S. students on two standardized tests. One, the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), is a worldwide exam comparing American 15-year-olds against adolescents in dozens of other countries; the other, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (often referred to as the Nations Report Card) is administered to fourth- and eighth-graders around the United States. Get stories like these delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter Related American Math Scores Fall on International Test But Many Other Countries Suffered More The PISA results, revealed in December, showed U.S. math scores falling significantly between 2018 and 2022, offering more evidence of what federal officials have called a COVID-era crisis in that subject. But because other countries saw even larger declines, Americas international ranking actually moved upward slightly, leading Education Secretary Miguel Cardona to issue a statement extolling the Biden administrations emergency assistance to schools during the pandemic. In an interview with The 74, Hanushek was much less sanguine, pointing to K12 students persistently mediocre performance in math over the last few decades. After overlaying the NAEP math scores of individual U.S. states onto PISAs international scoring system, he found that even test takers in the top-scoring state, Massachusetts, ranked below their counterparts in 15 other countries. The lowest-performing American jurisdiction, Puerto Rico, placed below developing nations like Kosovo, El Salvador and Cambodia. If our best-performing state school system is 16th in the world, that doesn't seem good to me. Erick Hanushek, Stanford University People in the past have said, Massachusetts is doing pretty well, maybe we could get New Mexico going like that too, Hanushek said. But if our best-performing state school system is 16th in the world, compared to the average kids in other countries, that doesnt seem good to me. In general, the analysis shows, the top-line U.S. math ranking on PISA rose primarily because the pandemics disruptions to schooling were much more acutely felt in countries like Slovenia and Norway, which had been among the top performers on earlier iterations of the test. Overall, students in relatively higher-scoring countries on the 2018 PISA exam sustained larger losses during COVID than those in countries that hadnt done as well previously. Hanushek called the trend a straightforward validation of the importance of high-quality schools: Canadian students stood to lose more from weeks or months of online classes than those in less-effective Philippine schools. If you werent learning very much in school before the pandemic, you didnt lose as much, he said. If you were learning a lot in school before the pandemic, you tended to lose more. The United States, long mired in the middle of the international pack, saw somewhat smaller math declines between 2018 and 2022 than the PISA average. Meanwhile, in spite of the clear trend, high-achieving East Asian countries like Taiwan, Singapore, Japan and South Korea actually improved in the subject during the pandemic. Related As Relief Funds Expire, Harvards Kane Says Whole Generation Still Needs Help The learning loss exhibited in both NAEP and PISA strongly suggests that the long-term prospects of affected students will be substantially worse than they would have been otherwise. Martin West, a professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, said this is largely due to the very nature of the American economy, in which skills and educational attainment are more highly prized than almost anywhere else in the world. The U.S. is a society in which skills really do matter for economic success, West said. What that means is that the impact of learning loss on individual students through their earnings is going to be larger in the U.S. than it might be in a society like Sweden. Wide state variation Hanusheks total calculation for the cost of learning loss, a staggering $31 trillion through the year 2100, is a figure that would dwarf the economic damage wrought by the business closures and layoffs necessitated by COVIDs spread, or even the years of stalled dynamism following the Great Recession. The projection is based on prior economic research into the connection between students test scores and future earnings. Hanushek further posits that the aggregate slowdown in innovation and human capital development will tend to slow the U.S. economys growth over the long haul, burdening even those who didnt experience learning loss themselves. Related Study: Damage from NAEP Math Losses Could Total Nearly $1 Trillion The analysis estimates a far greater toll than that of another prominent prediction. In 2022, economists Thomas Kane of Harvard and Douglas O. Staiger of Dartmouth used eighth-grade math results on the NAEP exam to reach a $900 billion future cost following the pandemic. While that estimate pointed to a 1.6 percent decline in students future earnings, Hanushek and co-author Bradley Strauss believe that slump will fall between 5 and 6 percent. Staiger said his paper with Kane represented a lowball estimate while Hanusheks offers an upper-bound projection, adding that most of the discrepancy between their findings likely stemmed from Hanusheks broader lens on overall growth in addition to direct earnings. Whatever their differences, however, he noted that even marginal losses in productivity could eventually amount to considerable squandered potential. Even small impacts of the learning loss on future economic growth impose enormous costs on society. Douglas O. Staiger, Dartmouth College There are some other papers that find smaller effects of test scores on economic growth, particularly for high-income countries like the U.S., Staiger wrote in an email. However, as Hanushek and Strauss make clear, even small impacts of the learning loss on future economic growth impose enormous costs on society. If Hanusheks analysis proves correct, those costs will be borne unevenly. The largest state economies, such as California, Texas, New York, Florida and Pennsylvania, are all projected to absorb losses greater than $500 billion; their disproportionate burden reflects both the scope of their learning setbacks to this point and the number of future workers living in each. Individual income losses are also projected to differ considerably depending on location. By the papers calculations, students affected by the pandemic will lose less than 2 percent of their lifetime earnings in Utah, where math scores fell the least between 2019 and 2022. In West Virginia, Delaware, and Oklahoma, where they fell the most, former students could forgo an average of 9 percent of their career income. Sarah Cohodes, an economist at the University of Michigan, said that the inequity of learning loss was a cause for particular concern. While the math performance of all students suffered between 2020 and the present, the losses were especially large for those who were already struggling or navigating critical life changes when COVID emerged. She referred to her own daughter, who wasnt yet enrolled in a K12 school when the pandemic began, as an example. She lost a year of preschool, but shes going to be fine she hung out with me and went to all the parks in New York City, Cohodes said. The people I worry about are the ones who were transitioning between elementary and middle school, or who graduated from high school and missed out on some of the final preparations for what comes next. The people I worry about are the ones transitioning between elementary and middle school, or who graduated from high school and missed out on final preparations for what comes next. Sarah Cohodes, University of Michigan Hanushek, whose preferred strategy for learning recovery is to provide financial incentives to top teachers in exchange for taking on more students, observed that the worst-off students were likely the high schoolers who graduated or dropped out over the last few years. The unsuccessful efforts to mitigate their academic reversals, whether led by state or federal officials, were evidence that education authorities have not really taken seriously the magnitude of this event, he argued. My calculation is that 17 million kids [affected by the pandemic] have already left school, Hanushek said. Once theyve left school, we have little hope of ever fixing their problems. Universities or firms are not going to make up for the lack of learning that these kids suffered, and each year that goes by, we lose four or five million more kids that will never recover. Disclosure: The Hoover Institution provides financial support to The 74. Residents in the Tampa Bay area may have noticed the skies around MacDill Air Force Base have been extra busy lately. The added noise comes from a squad of F-35 pilots who are visiting from Eglin Air Force Base near Pensacola, said Terry Montrose, a spokesperson for the south Tampa base. Montrose said the Panhandle pilots are here to drill at a bombing range in Avon Park, just outside Sebring. During their stay in Tampa Bay, the pilots train together with MacDill pilots, Montrose said. They swap their F-35s for KC-135s at MacDill, giving pilots from both bases more exposure on different aircraft. Its a good mutual effort, he added. Montrose says MacDill often hosts other Air Force pilots from bases in Canada or northern states during the winter months. MacDill is a prime base for other units come in to do training, Montrose said. Because its really cold up there, its hard to train this time of year. Most of the additional air traffic is expected during the middle of the day and the loud fighter planes wont be a nuisance to nearby residents for much longer. After two weeks in Tampa, the jets are expected to fly home to the Panhandle on March 8, Montrose said. Louisiana is on the cusp of resuming death penalty executions for the first time in more than a decade after the Legislature gave final passage Thursday to a bill adding electrocution and nitrogen gas suffocation as legal options to kill condemned prisoners. Republican Gov. Jeff Landry, who made ending the unofficial moratorium on executions a priority in his legislative Special Session agenda, will sign House Bill 6 by Republican Hammond Rep. Nicholas Muscarello. Lethal injection is the only legal method of execution now, but state officials have said they've been unable to secure the drugs to carry out the death sentences. The bill would also shield companies or compound pharmacists from public exposure if they provide the drugs for lethal injection, which would still be the preferred method of execution in Muscarello's legislation. Many companies and pharmacists don't want to be publicly associated with executing prisoners. Senators, who approved the bill on a 24-15 vote Thursday, quoted competing Christian biblical scripture from both the old and new testaments to support their positions for or against the bill. Wayne Guzzardo, the father of slain 27-year-old Stephanie Guzzardo, speaks at a press conference after East Baton Rouge District Attorney Hillar Moore filed an injunction Tuesday, September 12, 2023 to halt clemency hearings for inmates on death row. Republican Sen. Eddie Lambert of Gonzales said execution is a just penalty for those who commit the "most heinous" crimes, while Democrat Sen. Joe Bouie of New Orleans called the new methods of killing condemned prisoner "barbaric." The discussion inevitably turned into a debate on the death penalty, though Muscarello said, "This debate isn't about the legality of the death penalty; that's been decided. "This is about following through on commitments we've made to victims and their families," he said. "Many of these families hang their hat on these commitments." Landry has said Louisiana owes it to victims and their families to resume executions. "There are a lot of families that live a nightmare each and every day over the tragic and senseless violence that has occurred to their loved ones," Landry said during a recent press conference. "Families deserve their day of justice." Louisiana is one of 27 states where the death penalty still exists, though it's been 13 years since a prisoner was executed. The state last carried out an execution on January 7, 2010, putting Gerald Bordelon to death by lethal injection after he waived his appeals. His execution was the 28th in Louisiana in the modern era of the death penalty. The governor previously noted that "states around us are finding ways and methods to execute those who have been convicted and sentenced." That was a reference to Alabama, where earlier this month the state executed Kenneth Smith by requiring him to breathe pure nitrogen gas to cause oxygen deprivation and suffocation. It was the first time the method was used in the U.S. Alabama officials called the execution humane, but opponents related it to torture. Louisiana has 57 prisoners on death row. More: What will Louisiana's concealed carry gun expansion mean for law-abiding adults, criminals? Greg Hilburn covers state politics for the USA TODAY Network of Louisiana. Follow him on Twitter @GregHilburn1. This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Here's how Louisiana will resume death penalty executions of prisoners S. Korean activists clamor for end to military exercise with U.S. Xinhua) 09:48, February 29, 2024 SEOUL, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Dozens of South Korean peace activists on Wednesday clamored for an end to the Asian country's scheduled military exercise with the United States, which they said has served to escalate tensions on and around the Korean Peninsula. The activists gathered at a square across the street from the U.S. embassy in central Seoul to demand stopping the South Korea-U.S. joint military exercise Freedom Shield (FS), which this year is set to last from March 4 to 14. Holding up banners and placards with the slogans "We want peace" and "Stop all military actions and hostilities that bring on war and restore dialogue channels", the participants shouted, "Stop the war-causing military action." "There is no way to send the other party under the yoke through military means, military threats or a show of force. It rather continues to bring about military confrontations and increase the intensity of crisis," Lee Tae-ho, a participant of the peace rally, told Xinhua. "Peace through power is a fiction. Instead of coercing the other party into submission through power, every problem should be solved through dialogue and negotiations by respecting the other party," Lee said. The 11-day FS exercise will be conducted to increase the South Korea-U.S. combined readiness and strengthen their combined defensive posture based on scenarios that reflect diverse threats within the security environment, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said in a statement earlier in the day. During the annual springtime war game, there will be a variety of combined field training exercises in sea, land and air to increase the interoperability and enhance the combined operation capabilities, the JCS noted. Seoul and Washington have insisted that the joint drill is defensive in nature, but the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has denounced it as a dress rehearsal for northward invasion. "A war crisis on the Korean Peninsula has reached its peak ... The intensity of provocative words and military actions that threaten each other is mounting amid the incessantly continuous South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises," the Korea Peace Appeal, an organizer of the peace rally, said in a statement. It urged South Korea and the United States to stop all military exercises and hostilities and restore dialogue channels with the DPRK, stressing that the joint military exercises have raised military and political tensions on the peninsula. "South Korea, the United States and Japan have (recently) intensified their military cooperation to the level of quasi-alliance. The strengthened military cooperation will deepen confrontations in Northeast Asia, making it more difficult to peacefully resolve the conflict on the peninsula," the organizer noted. The Korea Peace Appeal is a campaign aiming to officially end the 1950-53 Korean War by collecting 100 million signatures, joined by over 370 South Korean civic and religious groups as well as over 70 international partner organizations. The peninsula technically remains at war as the fratricidal war ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) A different kind of cold snap will be hitting San Antonio in May as the Broadway production of Disney's "Frozen," starring an Alamo City native, comes to the Majestic Theatre. From May 22 to June 2, North East School of the Arts graduate Preston Perez will play Hans in the musical featuring the hit Disney film's signature earworms. The Tony-nominated production tells the familiar story of royal sisters Elsa and Anna with realistic sets and new songs composed just for the production. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Perez plays the story's villain, Hans, who attempts to steal the throne as Anna works to save the kingdom of Arendelle from an eternal winter. Perez discovered his passion for performing at Tejeda Middle School, and he went on to attend Texas State University to study musical theater. Then, only six months after moving to New York City to pursue his dream of hitting the big stage, he made his Broadway debut in 2022 in a production of "A Beautiful Noise." Tickets are on sale now for matinee and evening performances of "Frozen" on the Majestic Theater website. Advertisement Article continues below this ad MANHATTAN (KSNT) The Riley County Police Department (RCPD) has announced it had arrested a man for attempted murder in the first degree. At 11:51 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 28, the RCPD arrested a 39-year-old man after serving a warrant for attempted murder in the first degree- intentional and premeditated, attempted aggravated battery, aggravated assault and criminal possession of a weapon. The charges stem from an event that happened on Feb. 12, 2022, according to the RCPD. The man was additionally charged with probation violation and failure to appear. He was issued a bond of $314,800 and is in custody at this time. For more crime news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. To download our Storm Track Weather App, click here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNT 27 News. MEMPHIS, Tenn. A family is devastated over the loss of two family members and police say a career criminal has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder. Michael Wolfe, 39, who was booked in the Shelby County Jail on Tuesday, is also facing two counts of especially aggravated robbery and two counts of murder in perpetration of a felony, arson, and being a convicted felon in possession of a handgun. Police say Wolfe is responsible for killing 33-year-old DeCarlos Sanders and his sisters mother, 39-year-old LaBarbara Bryson the night of Feb. 2 into Feb. 3. Wolfe just got out of prison six months ago after serving a 10-year sentence. Police said on Feb. 4, Decarlos Sanders was found shot to death in the 2300 Block of Douglass Avenue in Orange Mound. Two days later, Labarbara Bryson, 39, was reported missing, and her burned-up Mazda SUV was located at Douglass and Grand. Memphis murders and homicides 2024 Bryson was last seen on Feb. 2, and her body was found Sunday morning in a ditch near Jonah Avenue and Hugenot in the Bethel Grove area a few blocks from Douglass. Police said Bryson died from an apparent gunshot wound. Investigators said Sanders and Bryson were last seen with Wolfe, and surveillance video showed him driving Brysons Mazda shortly before it was seen burning. Family members we spoke with say Wolfe was briefly dating Bryson, and they are glad to see him charged with the murders. Travis Coleman says the last month has been incredibly difficult for his family after learning his cousin, DeCarlos Sanders, was murdered. Always smiling, he was always in a good spirit, good dude, loved his kids. Would do anything for his kids, always had his kids, Coleman said. MPD said Wolfe has an extensive criminal history dating back to 2003. In August of 2014, Wolfe was convicted of aggravated robbery and aggravated burglary and sentenced to 12 years in the Tennessee Department of Corrections. Police said he was released from Hardeman County Correctional Facility in Whiteville, TN last fall after serving a 10-year sentence in the TDOC. Wolfe is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. A Pennsylvania man fatally shot four of his family members and set fire to their family home, killing another relative trapped inside, prosecutors said in a press conference on Wednesday. Canh Le, 43, is accused of fatally shooting his younger brother Xuong Le, 40, along with Les wife Britni McLaughlin-Le, 37, and the couples two children, Natalya, 17, and Nakayla, 13, Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer said, citing medical examiners. The couples youngest child, Xavier, 10, was also killed after Canh Le set the home on fire, he said. The 10-year-olds cause of death was determined to be from smoke inhalation. Britni McLaughlin-Le and Xuoug Le in a photo from 2018, and their three children in 2019, via Facebook. Facebook Stollsteimer described the incident as an absolute, unmitigated tragedy for everybody in this community. He said the incident began that afternoon when Canh Le got into a verbal argument with his niece, Nakayla, and left to retrieve a gun from his bedroom on the second floor. Its unclear what the argument was about, Stollsteimer said. Everybody wants to know why. I dont think we will ever get an answer. Canh Le took that answer to his grave, Stollsteimer said. When the uncle returned, he shot his brother, sister-in-law and their two older children,Stollsteimer said. According to Stollsteimer, Canh Les father, who also lived in the home, went outside and called police during the incident. Gunfire could be heard in the background of the 911 call. When police responded to the home, they were met with gunfire from Canh Le, who was shooting at officers from the third floor, Stollsteimer said. Two officers were injured. Canh Le then set the home on fire before turning his gun on himself, he said. Parents of gunman Canh Le speaking with Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer Delaware County District Attorney's Office Both of Canh Les parents survived the incident, and Stollsteimer described them as being in shock. Everything that they had in this world was being destroyed, he said. My understanding is they came from South Vietnam after the fall of the South Vietnamese government, so they came here as refugees to build a new life and they did so in a beautiful community. And in one fell swoop, for some unanswerable reason, everything that they held dear is now gone. According to a GoFundMe set up by community members to help support Britni McLaughlin-Les side of the family, she and her husband were happily married for 17 years. The fundraiser described the couple as devoted parents. Xuong was a true gentle soul. A great husband, father and friend, quick with a joke, and loved the latest tech, the fundraiser read. His same consistency, loyalty, and devotion to his family was always made available to anyone in need. The GoFundMe also described McLaughlin-Le as a real-life superwoman, who prioritized her family. She could solve any problem, was always there to help a friend, and would do anything to make sure her children and family had what they wanted or needed. She was a beautiful person inside and out. If you or someone you know needs help, call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org for mental health support. Additionally, you can find local mental health and crisis resources at dontcallthepolice.com. Outside of the U.S., please visit the International Association for Suicide Prevention. Related... New York indie band Vampire Weekend kicks off its latest tour with the eclipse show April 8 in Austin. Justin Shin/Getty Images A rock star's ego can grow big enough to block out the sun, but the moon will be the star of this show. The Moody Center in Austin is getting a live soundtrack to the eclipse April 8 as indie band Vampire Weekend takes the stage for a "Total Solar Eclipse" show. The New York City rockers will start their set in Austin at noon, about an hour and a half before the moon will pass over the sun for the total solar eclipse. Advertisement Article continues below this ad It's a rare enough occasion once every 375 years in a given area of the country and visitors will be flocking to Austin and Texas Hill Country to watch it unfold. Eclipse viewers in Austin are expected to get 1 minute and 46 seconds in the path of totality at 1:36 p.m., according to Austin's tourism website. Vampire Weekend's eclipse show is kicking off an international tour three days after the band is set to drop a new album, "Only God Was Above Us." The event is sold out, but resale tickets are available on Ticketmaster, and the band will be returning to Austin on Oct. 17 for the final show of its tour. LOS ANGELES Surveillance video captured the moment three gunmen attacked a man who was wearing a Rolex watch while walking his dog in West Hollywood. The victim, Rocco DiStefano, 29, who owns The Lab Athletic Club on Sunset Boulevard, said the incident happened on Tuesday in broad daylight at around 2 p.m. He was walking his dog on a sidewalk outside the gym when the armed suspects spotted him. Video shows the gunmen pulling over in a black Cadillac sedan, quickly jumping out of the car and sprinting toward DiStefano. When I turned around, it was three masked men running up to me, he recalled. One had a gun. DiStefano is seen trying to run away from the trio but is quickly cornered near an elevator. The attackers kept shouting at him, Take it off! Were going to shoot you! Three gunmen cornering the victim outside his West Hollywood gym on Feb. 27, 2024. (@thelabsunset) Rocco DiStefano, 29, and his 4-year-old dog, Hercules in West Hollywood on Feb. 28, 2024. (KTLA) Surveillance image of the suspects black Cadillac sedan. (@thelabsunset) The Rolex watch three armed men attempted to steal from Rocco DiStefano in West Hollywood on Feb. 27, 2024. (KTLA) Three gunmen cornering the victim outside his West Hollywood gym on Feb. 27, 2024. (@thelabsunset) Three gunmen cornering and beating the victim outside his West Hollywood gym on Feb. 27, 2024. (@thelabsunset) The suspects running back to their getaway car on Feb. 27, 2024. (@thelabsunset) Rocco DiStefano, 29, and his 4-year-old dog, Hercules in West Hollywood on Feb. 28, 2024. (KTLA) DiStefano refused to lose his watch, clutching it tightly in his fist as the assailants knocked him down and began beating him. The adrenaline hit and they were on top of me, kicking me, punching me, pistol-whipping me, DiStefano said. Ive never had a gun pointed to my forehead so the only thing I was thinking of was, This is it. DiStefano, who is also an amateur boxer, was able to put his skills to use as he began fighting back against the assailants. He eventually freed himself and ran to safety inside a nearby business. Empty-handed, the thieves were seen running back to their getaway car before speeding away. Beloved Southern California bookstore closes its doors after 40 years The violent altercation left DiStefano with cuts and bruises on his head, but he said he escaped mostly uninjured. I dont want to stop living my life because of these things but Ill definitely be more cognizant of where I wear jewelry, he said. Theyll have to do a lot more than kick me and hit me to take me down. The victims 4-year-old dog, who was uninjured, was rescued by a passerby who witnessed the mugging take place. Reunited with his beloved dog, DiStefano said he is glad they are both unharmed. Authorities are investigating the assault and said a Metro bus that pulled up behind the suspects sedan may have captured the vehicles license plate and closer footage of the thieves. The three gunmen and the getaway driver all remain at large. Anyone with information on the assault can call the West Hollywood Sheriffs Station at 310-855-8850. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA. BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) A Kern County jury on Wednesday found a man guilty of murder in a shooting that took place in the parking lot of a gas station on Baker Street last year. Rafael Lopez, 38, was also found guilty of possession of an assault rifle, according to court records. He faces a life term in prison at his sentencing next month. Co-defendant Geovanny Garcia, 20, pleaded no contest earlier this month to attempted murder. Charges of murder and possession of an assault rifle were dismissed. ShotSpotter sensors picked up 19 rounds fired in the gas station parking lot around 1:30 a.m. on Feb. 4, 2023, according to court documents. Police arrived to find Rafael Gonzalez, 41, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He died at the scene. Surveillance video captured a Ford Explorer circling the area then leaving after the shooting, according to the documents. Investigators ran a records check and saw the SUV was registered to Lopez. Police conducted surveillance in the area where the SUV was last seen and saw Lopez driving the vehicle, the reports say. Officers followed him to an apartment on Lincoln Street and, on the evening of Feb. 4, they detained Lopez and Garcia there. During his interview with police, Garcia said Lopez had asked him to drive so he could get someone he had beef with, according to the documents. Geovanny Garcia stated Rafael Lopez told him he walked up to the victim and fired, an investigator wrote in the reports. Police found the rifle believed used in the killing inside the apartment, the reports say. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KGET 17. A Texas man is accused of gunning down a landscaper because he was angry about leaves being blown toward his truck, according to police. San Antonio police responded to a call about a shooting on the citys west side on Wednesday, Feb. 28, the department said in a news release. Officers arrived at the scene to find a 35-year-old man, the landscaper, injured with multiple gunshot wounds, police said. Investigators say a man got into an argument with a landscaping crew at his apartment complex about the leaves, and he spoke with management at the complexs front office, but it apparently didnt resolve the situation to his liking, KENS reported. He then left the front office and opened fire on the landscaper, police told the station. After speaking with witnesses and looking at surveillance video, officers identified the accused shooter 50-year-old Charles Martin and arrested him, according to police. The landscaper was taken to a hospital in critical condition, police said, adding that at last check his condition was the same. Martin is charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, police said. Man accidentally shoots, kills mom when he grabs gun to investigate noise, TX cops say Pregnant inmate suffers miscarriage, rapes and attacks as guards watched, TX suit says Amish woman found dead at home with kids, PA cops say. Murder investigation underway Woman dies after teen family member puts her in chokehold during fight, Illinois cops say The crime scene on fire (top) and the victims Natalya, Xavier, and Nakayla Le (left); Britni McLaughlin-Le and Xuong Le (right) (Xuong Le/Facebook/Lansdowne Fire Company) A Pennsylvania man fatally shot his brother, his sister-in-law and two of their children, before setting their home on fire, killing their third child. Canh Le, 43, also shot two police officers before turning the gun on himself in East Lansdowne on the afternoon of 7 February. In an update on the case on Wednesday, Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer described the incident as an absolute, unmitigated tragedy. Mr Stollsteimer explained that on 7 February, Mr Le got into an argument with his 13-year-old niece Nakayla and went into his bedroom to retrieve a gun. Police were initially called by Mr Les father, who lived in the home, asking them to come and help the girl. However, Mr Le then shot his brother Xuong Le, 40, his sister-in-law Britni McLaughlin-Le, 37, and two of the couples children: Natalya, 17, and Nakayla, 13. When officers arrived, Mr Le shot at officers, injuring two of them. Police then returned shots, the DA said. Mr Le then set fire to the family home and his 10-year-old nephew Xavier died from smoke inhalation. The 43-year-old then shot himself dead before law enforcement could get to him. The remains of the Le family home in East Lansdowne, Pennsylvania as seen on 8 February 2024 (Getty) My heart goes out to the McLaughlin and Le families, the DA said. Theres nothing we can say that will ever heal their wounds, but we wanted to offer some closure today. At one point during the fire, officers tore down the front of the property to try and let any survivors escape. Mr Stollsteimer said that it was likely by that point that all five relatives were dead. Investigators had to use dental records to identify the children, while DNA matches needed to be found to identify the three adults, because of the damage caused by the blaze. The grandparents, who lived in the home, both survived the incident. Mr Stollsteimer said that everything they had in the world had been destroyed. My understanding is they came from South Vietnam after the fall of the South Vietnamese government, so they came here as refugees to build a new life and they did so in a beautiful community, the DA added. And in one fell swoop, for some unanswerable reason, everything that they held dear is now gone. The two police officers who were injured are recovering, Mr Stollsteimer told reporters. A GoFundMe was set up to support Ms McLaughlin-Les side of the family, with the page describing the couple killed as being happily married for 17 years and calling the mother a real-life superwoman. Natalya was a senior in high school and was interested in crafting and graphic design, the page said. Nakayla was a dancing superstar, while Xavier was a protective brother and cousin. The DA said that the criminal investigation was wrapping up, and questions around why Mr Le chose to act in this way may never be answered. Everybody wants to know why. I dont think we will ever get an answer. Canh Le took that answer to his grave, Stollsteimer said. On an early Sunday morning, a woman sensed something was wrong when she saw Instagram posts shared by a man she described as very religious, court documents say. The posts shared by Rui Jiang including a video of a Bible burning on a stove and photos of Park Valley Church in Haymarket, Virginia, with concerning captions prompted her to call the police Sept. 24, according to court documents. The photo of the burning Bible, according to investigators. The woman, who said she met Jiang over a dating app and stopped speaking to him earlier in the year, told police he had a gun, and was making threats, a 33-page affidavit filed in federal court Feb. 26 says. One of his Instagram posts included a photo of the Park Valley Churchs sign, with the caption: I am here to deny the men the life God actively puts so much effort to deny me every dayBlood will be on your hands, according to the affidavit. Hours later, a member of the churchs security team saw Jiang, dressed in all black and wearing dark sunglasses during what was a rainy morning, enter the church through a back door as a service was in session, according to the court filing. Security personnel became suspicious, the affidavit says, as Jiang walked around the church and appeared to look for cameras. He tapped the churchs windows, as if he was testing the strength of the glass, according to investigators. Ultimately, the womans tip to law enforcement led to a Prince William County Police officer responding to the church, where security detained Jiang by the time the officer arrived, the affidavit says. Jiang was found with a gun, knife and ammunition as a large number of congregants attended church, according to federal prosecutors. In a subsequent interview with police, Jiang said he made the Instagram posts because he was mad at God, not at the church, according to the affidavit, which says law enforcement learned he was a church member. At Jiangs home, authorities found five copies of the same letter, dated Sept. 24, 2023, that said: I apologize in advance, if any women are harmedTo the families of those men about to be slain I am sorry for what I have done and about to do, according to investigators. While speaking with police, Jiang said he didnt plan to hurt anyone that day, the affidavit says. The affidavit supports a criminal complaint charging Jiang, 35, of Falls Church, in connection with online threats toward the church and its congregants, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of Virginia announced in a Feb. 27 news release. Brittany M. Davidson, a federal public defender appointed to represent Jiang, declined a request for comment from McClatchy News on Feb. 29. Jiang is charged with transmitting an interstate/foreign commerce communication threat to cause bodily injury, the complaint says. He was initially charged with attempted aggravated murder and other charges in Prince William County, The Associated Press reported. However, those charges were dropped Feb. 27, allowing for Jiang to be prosecuted in federal court, according to the outlet. In a statement to McClatchy News on Feb. 29, the churchs senior pastor Barry White said we praise God for keeping our church safe on September 24th last year. We also pray that Mr. Jiang gets the help he needs because we care about him also, he said in the statement. A demand for church donation refund The investigation into Jiang revealed he sent a series of emails to the church Sept. 22, the affidavit says. In one email, Jiang asked for a refund on a donation he made to the church, writing my life has only gotten WORSE, according to the affidavit. Another email Jiang sent said Refund my donation nowI hate you all. Refund my money now. You owe me, the affidavit says. One of the churchs pastors told law enforcement that the church did provide Jiang with a refund, according to the affidavit. The interview with police While in police custody Sept. 24, Jiang told officers that after donating to the church in June, his life went downhill and started falling apart, the affidavit says. He said he was speaking out loud to God when he made his Instagram posts, according to the affidavit. (Jiang) admitted that he could see how someone could view his Instagram posts and emails coupled with him showing up to the church armed with a gun as scary, but believed it to be a misunderstanding, the affidavit says. In one post, Jiang claimed to have worked for the government under a different identity, according to the affidavit. In the letter found at his home, Jiang wrote that he spent more than 11 years as a political assassin, that his life became worse when he returned to normal life, and his mental health continues to deteriorate, the affidavit says. He also wrote that what I am about to do is not personal.I am here deny the love lives bless by God to these lucky men, by taking out these men, the affidavit says. Tracey Lenox, the public defender who was appointed to represent Jiang in state court before the charges against him were dropped, told The Associated Press she hoped the case would have continued in Prince William County instead of federal court. Lenox declined to comment on Jiangs mental health but said she believes Jiang has good defenses against the charges, the outlet reported. Jiang had his first appearance in federal court in Alexandria on Feb. 28, according to court records, which show hes been ordered to be detained until his detention hearing scheduled for March 1 at 2 p.m. We are very thankful for all the efforts of local and federal law enforcement and the judicial system to ensure our safety, White told McClatchy News. They have all done an outstanding job. Teen wanted for murder found when he goes to church with gun in waistband, AL cops say Man threatens massacre at church he says destroyed his marriage, Oklahoma cops say Former mayor accused of threatening to kill college students, Minnesota cops say Mans plan to bomb Satanic Temple is thwarted, MA cops say. He walked in our midst The elder Bushnell was an Army intelligence analyst stationed in Augsburg, Germany, from 1989 to 1992, according to a professional biography posted on the website of the design-build firm on Cape Cod, Mass., where he is a construction supervisor. The Israel-Hamas war erupted on Oct. 7, when Hamas fighters invaded southern Israel from Gaza and rampaged through communities, killing 1,200 people and taking 240 hostages. Israel responded with a massive counterattack that has leveled large portions of the densely populated Gaza strip. More than 29,000 Palestinians, many of them children, have been killed, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The bloodshed has sparked intense protests across the U.S. In December, a protester carrying a Palestinian flag suffered critical injuries after setting themselves on fire outside the Israeli consulate in Atlanta. A Marine corporal was surprised with a medal in January for having jumped into a river months earlier to save a teenagers life. Cpl. Jacob Cogswell, 23, received the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal during a battalion formation in Okinawa, Japan, on Jan. 12 for his heroic actions, according to a Marine Corps news release. A machine gunner from New York state, Cogswell was on leave in July 2023 ahead of his units deployment to Japan. One day during this time off, he was out in a boat on New Yorks Oneida River with his girlfriend and his parents when he passed under an old train bridge where groups of teens often are jumping from, he said in a Feb. 13 interview with Marine Corps Times. Marine saves fellow Devil Dog from drowning during Okinawa snorkeling trip A few teens were swimming in the water near the bridge. One of them appeared to be struggling. The father of Cogswells girlfriend drove the boat close to the teen. The group aboard asked the teen if he was OK, but he didnt respond he just bobbed up and down, clearly panicking. Cogswell jumped into the water in his T-shirt and shorts, taking decisive action he attributed in part to his training as a Marine. You dont think about what could possibly happen to you, Cogswell said. Youre more concerned about the wellbeing of others. Cogswell told the teen to put both arms around his neck so the Marine could swim him toward the boat. For about five minutes, Cogswell pushed against a strong current to get the teen to safety. Once Cogswell and the teen were in the boat, he and his girlfriends family made sure the teen wasnt hurt. It took a few minutes for the teen to be calm enough to speak, Cogswell said. When they got the teen back to shore and dropped him off with his friends, Cogswell had some advice for the group of youths: Quit jumping off that bridge. We told them that hopefully from this they will learn and pass it on to people, the dangers of it, and spread the word so nobody does that, Cogswell said. Unbeknownst to Cogswell, his girlfriends father told the leaders of his unit, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marines, what had happened. The award came as a surprise to Cogswell, who was honored in January along with another Marine from the unit, Sgt. Aidan Blansfield who, coincidentally, also had saved someone who was struggling in water during his predeployment leave. For Cogswell, receiving the medal from his command felt good. But what felt better, he said, was the hope that people who heard his story might be inspired to take action, should they find themselves in similar situations. I didnt do it for publicity or acknowledgment, Cogswell said. I did it in the betterment of that young teens life. Cogswell added, Hopefully, from that, people feel more confident in being able to take that step and possibly saving somebodys life, rather than taking a second guess at it. Im guessing most people picture heaven as warm. But Charlie Wright, who recently left us at age 81, is no doubt up there looking for a lovely frigid place to continue taking his weekly polar plunge. Charlie was a Rhode Island icon in an area thats central to our identity the ocean. But for him, it wasnt just about warm summer days. He preferred his seaside weather to be glacial. For 50 years, Charlie was among the original Newport Polar Bears. But not just once annually with the crowds on New Years Day. Charlie and the Newport polar squad dipped every Sunday. Right through winter. Always at his preferred Easton's Beach in Newport. Most mortals would consider it punishment, but Charlie loved it. I can attest to how much gumption Charlie had because I once did a plunge with him. That was 10 years ago, and Im finally just now warming back up. Journal columnist Mark Patinkin shares a moment with Newport Polar Bear Charlie Wright after taking a dip at Easton's Beach on Dec. 23, 2014. It was 39 degrees that late December day, and windy. I came down with my two young adult sons, and I suppose I could have taken the dip just with them, but Charlie was known as Rhode Islands Polar Bear icon, so I asked if he could show us how it was done. Charlie Wright was an Air Force vet and master plumber who wanted to offer his skills to the community, so he also taught at New England Tech and helped Rogers High School start its vocational program. But what made him a local legend was his half-century run as a weekly dipper with the Newport Polar Bears, founded in the 1960s. We met at the pavilion at Eastons Beach. Even in heavy jackets, my sons and I were freezing in the winter wind and miserable with dread. Charlie wasnt. "What a great day to swim," he said. At 72, his enthusiasm put the three of us to shame. He also proved an example of being from a tougher generation. Charlie told us the weekly Polar Bears had mostly faded as a thing, with original members growing old some infirm and no new blood joining. But Charlie this day was still at it. If youre doing a Polar Plunge, its good to know a guy, and Charlie was our guy he got us access to a changing room in the beach pavilion. He told me it was a special favor the Polar Bears in the past simply met in the parking lot and headed into the drink. Journal columnist Mark Patinkin, left, and Charlie Wright, a retired member of the Newport Polar Bear Club, come out of the water after taking the plunge at Easton's Beach in December 2014. As my sons and I moaned about our fate, Charlie said it wasnt so bad 39 degrees was balmy. In the past, hed had days of walking over hardened beach snow, the air temperature zero, the salty ocean around 32 and bobbing with ice chunks. I asked if his wife Anne ever goes with him. Oh God, no, he said, explaining shes a sane woman. Anne survives him, as do his kids Jennifer and Jeffrey he lost his daughter Lisa last September. Charlie proved an endearingly down-to-earth guy. At one point, I asked why he swims in winter, hoping for a moving quote about the diverse beauty of all seasons. He just smiled and said, "Because that's what we do." But he added that among other things, it really does fortify immunity the Newport Polar Bear squad rarely got sick. Finally, it was time. We marched over the sand and began into the water, my sons and I jumping, wailing and generally freaking out. When we were at thigh level, I asked Charlie how one gets the gumption to plunge, which drew a memorable line. "You'll be ready," he said, "once you get that slap in the old gazakas." Take a dip: RI's longest-running New Year's Day plunge raises $125,000 for Special Olympics At last, after about a dozen false tries, my sons and I dipped, burst back up, and ran hysterically to the beach. As for Charlie, he calmly waded in, then submerged without drama, and slowly walked out of the water. Talk about a professional. He was even smiling God love the man, he actually enjoyed it. I have to admit, once it was over, you definitely felt alive. That, Charlie Wright explained, is why he and the Polar Bears swam weekly for so many decades. What a great tradition, and a great man. Somewhere on Eastons Beach, especially in winter, Charlies spirit lives on. mpatinki@providencejournal.com This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Charlie Wright, founding member of Newport's Polar Bears, remembered Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Rihanna, Ivanka Trump and Disney chief Bob Iger are among the worlds super rich and elite figures expected to attend the extravagant pre-wedding bash of the youngest son of Asias richest man Mukesh Ambani. Anant Ambani, 28, is marrying his childhood sweetheart Radhika Merchant, 29, in July later this year but the three-day festivities in Gujarats Jamnagar starting on 1 March are being seen as setting the stage for the larger wedding celebrations. Ms Merchant is from a family with business interest in pharmaceuticals. Mukesh Ambani is Asias richest man and a renowned oil and telecommunications tycoon, competing closely with billionaire Gautam Adani, chair of Adani Group of companies, according to the real-time billionaires list worldwide compiled by Forbes as of 30 January 2024. (REUTERS) Expected to be one of the worlds grandest weddings of the year, the Ambani family has marked the three-day affair for guests to enjoy a lavish gala with over 2,500 dishes cooked by a team of 65 chefs. The Ambani family, with net worth of 85bn, runs Indias leading conglomerates in all sectors petroleum refining and marketing, organised retail, telecommunication giant Jio and other digital streaming services. Top Indian celebrities such as Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Amitabh Bachchan, Rajinikanth, Salman Khan, Deepika Padukone, Ranbir Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Sachin Tendulkar and Alia Bhatt are expected to attend. According to an event list, the celebrations will kick off with a glitzy cocktail party called an evening in Everland, followed by a jungle themed celebration on Saturday where guests have been asked to wear comfortable shoes for a safari walk. (REUTERS) The grooms love for nature is set to have inspired the wildlife theme of pre-wedding celebration. The invitation says: Anant has lovingly nurtured this complex into a haven of care and compassion for thousands of rescued animals. The two got engaged in a traditional ceremony last year in January at the grand Ambani residence of Antilia in Mumbai. Mary Russell is one of USA TODAYs Women of the Year, a recognition of women who have made a significant impact in their communities and across the country. The program launched in 2022 as a continuation of Women of the Century, which commemorated the 100th anniversary of women gaining the right to vote. Meet this years honorees at womenoftheyear.usatoday.com. Mary Russell, chief justice of the Missouri Supreme Court, is in the top position for the second time in her 19 years on the court. It's because she has been on the court so long that her turn came around again last year, she said. Her previous term as chief justice was from July 2013 through June 2015. "It's not very frequent because we rotate the position amongst ourselves and everybody get an opportunity to have a two-year term as chief justice," Russell said. "But when you've been here a long period of time, then the opportunity comes around a second time." Russell was highlighted as one of the Women of the Year for 2024 by the USA Today Network. Missouri Supreme Court Chief Justice Mary Russell. Growing up in Hannibal, Russell was valedictorian of her high school class. Her undergraduate degrees in communication and print media are from what is now Truman State University. She was a reporter for her hometown newspaper for a short time. Her law degree is from the University of Missouri. After working in private practice, Russell was appointed to the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District. She became the third woman to serve on the state supreme court in September 2004. Paving the way Missouri Supreme Court Chief Justice Mary Russell. "I think the first, really the most important person that's paved the way for all women to be on the bench is Ann Covington," Russell said. "She was the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court in Missouri. She began her tenure here in 1989. And because she got the appointment, then it really opened up the doors and made it seem more possible that other women could follow in her footsteps." She called Covington, of Columbia, like a godmother to other women judges. "As the first woman on the Supreme Court of Missouri, she did a lot to help the rest of us put on a robe as well," Russell said. On the national stage, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor set the stage for all women as the first woman on the Supreme Court. Russell attended O'Connor's funeral at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. "I was in law school when she was appointed to the United States Supreme Court," Russell said. "And that also had a huge impact on the female law students. You know, it made us think there really is a place for us in this profession." Covington and O'Connor showed her that things were changing for women in the U.S., she said. Proudest moment Missouri Supreme Court Chief Justice Mary Russell on Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024. Her proudest moment is recent, she said. "Probably my proudest moment was this fall when our court became majority female," Russell said. "That was beyond emotion for me. "Again, growing up at a time when your gender determined which jobs you could apply for and working in a profession that has always been predominantly male, to think that our court for the first time in its history since 1821 now had four women on our bench and majority female for the first time was unbelievable to me." She never thought it would happen in her lifetime and it happened when she's chief justice, she said. Guiding principles Missouri Supreme Court Chief Justice Mary Russell in her office on Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024. A guiding principle for Russell comes from Luke 12:48 in the Bible: "To whom much is given, much is required." "I certainly have been blessed with a lot in my lifetime," Russell said. Her family has provided her with a good foundation, she said. She's been blessed with a reasonable amount of intelligence and a good education. "So I feel that I have the responsibility to give back and to help others, whether it's through my service on the bench of through various speaking opportunities," Russell said. "I have to help teach people about civics to help them better understand how our courts work, our function to protect constitutional rights, our function to interpret the law, not to our own preference, but to follow the words written in statutes or in our constitution." Mentoring young people is another important aspect of that principle, she said. "I feel I have a responsibility to help other people fulfill their career dreams," Russell said. Another guiding principle is the Golden Rule, she said. "I always try to treat other people as I wish I would be treated," Russell said. "So I think about that all the time. No matter what your station in life is, I try to be kind to others, to be sensitive to their needs." She feels the best when she has helped others, she said. Who she looks up to Missouri Supreme Court Chief Justice Mary Russell in her office on Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024. Asked who she looks up to now, she said she doesn't stop looking up to Covington. "I think about how she would have handled situations," Russell said. Another she looks up to is the late George Gunn, a judge she clerked for when she graduated from MU Law School. "Many times I ask myself, what would Judge Gunn do?" she said. "Because he was so well-regarded, a solid judge and very collegial." Working with others requires compromise and Gunn was a model for that, she said. Advice to your younger self? "Relax," she said. "Don't worry so much. Things are going to work out." She was worried about her financial peace in her early years of practicing law, worrying about enough business coming through the door. "In reflection, I probably should have just relaxed and not worried so much," Russell said. Roger McKinney is the Tribune's education reporter. You can reach him at rmckinney@columbiatribune.com or 573-815-1719. He's on X at @rmckinney9. This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Women of the Year Mary Russell 2-time chief of Missouri Supreme Court BALTIMORE An hour into hearing mostly glowing comments about his plan to invest in Marylands most impoverished neighborhoods, Gov. Wes Moore was posed a question Wednesday that brought to the forefront a topic he and other Democrats have largely avoided in this years session of the Maryland General Assembly. How does he justify the new spending even at only $15 million per year when the state is facing billions of dollars in shortfalls in the coming years and is not actively considering ways to raise new money? It keeps me up at night thinking next year we come, having passed this bill and been very pleased with ourselves, like the Blueprint [for Marylands Future], only to have to cut it, only to have to cut the program, cut the Blueprint, Del. Ben Barnes, a Democrat who chairs the powerful House Appropriations Committee, told the governor, referring to Marylands expensive long-term education reform plan that the state doesnt have a way to fully fund. It would be a shame, a damn shame, if we had to cut any of these programs, Barnes said. The Democratic governor was testifying before Barnes committee on the ENOUGH Act, his top policy priority of the year. The bill would provide up to $500,000 grants to communities with at least 20% of children living in poverty a step Moore has said will continue the states path toward his goal of eliminating child poverty. Lets be clear, Moore responded to Barnes, holding up a map depicting concentrations of child poverty across Maryland. This is an economic drain on the entire state that we have so many communities that are so deeply neglected. Even in times of economic uncertainty, the Democratic governor said, we cannot continue looking at children who are continuing to be condemned in pockets of poverty and say, Well, theyre just going to have to wait. The program has wide support and is expected to pass easily before the session ends in April. It has a relatively small fiscal impact in the $63.1 billion state budget Moore proposed earlier this year. That plan resolves an immediate $1.1 billion cash shortfall by reducing some programs, pulling from the states reserves and borrowing more, though it leaves the state on the hook for a structural deficit expected to hit $3 billion in four years. Were not just going to spend smarter our way out of $3 billion, Barnes told the governor, who responded that he is active and eager to continue conversations. The exchange came at the end of a hearing that featured mostly praise for Moores bill one of 16 pieces of legislation hes proposing this year. Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers celebrated its goals to advance place-based strategies to target poverty. Under the ENOUGH Grant Program, community organizations could apply for and use the money for targeted investments that improve areas like child care, housing, business and health. I havent been this excited about a piece of legislation in a long time, said Del. Carl Anderton, a Wicomico County Republican whos developed a friendship with Moore. Del. Ric Metzgar, a Baltimore County Republican, said, We need to once and for all attack [child poverty] and put the action to what were doing. Questions about the program mainly focused on technical details, though some asked about overlapping existing efforts like the Blueprint or a fund that collects some of the recreational cannabis tax revenue aimed at some of the same high-poverty communities. Moore said the program will complement those efforts. Del. Stephanie Smith, a Baltimore Democrat, said she had some concerns about areas with especially high concentrations of poverty or that may not have local leaders or organizations ready to work within the program. Some of these organizations that would be eligible to help may not have leadership or staff that reflect the demographics of the community, Smith said, questioning whether that would incentivize outside groups parachuting into communities they dont reflect. Carmel Martin, the governors special secretary for the Office for Children, said the administration will work directly with people in the neighborhoods to build that kind of infrastructure if it doesnt exist. Moore, who ran one of the countrys largest poverty-fighting nonprofit organizations before running for governor, has taken several steps to lift up low-income workers and their children since taking office. A bill he sponsored last year expanded the states child tax credit and earned income tax credit for low-income families in what hes described as Marylands most aggressive assault on child poverty ever. The ENOUGH or Engaging Neighborhoods, Organizations, Unions, Governments, and Households Act, he said, is designed to further those efforts. There are going to be certain communities that it might take a little bit more time and take a little bit more nurturing for them to be prepared, Moore said when asked about the long-term approach after the hearing. But the thing that we want for all of the eligible communities to know is that were here and ready to support and ready to help build out a better future for those communities. ______ Senators on Thursday will vote again on a bill to update the states sex education guidelines, something the chamber has already approved four times without getting buy-in from the House. The Senate Committee on Ways and Means polled the so-called Healthy Youth Act (S 268) last week, getting it ready for action Thursday in the Senates first formal session in four weeks. The bill would update Massachusetts sexual health laws and create guidelines for districts that opt into teaching sex education to go over human anatomy; how to prevent sexually transmitted diseases, HIV, AIDS and unwanted pregnancy; effective use of contraceptives; how to safely discuss sexual activity in a relationship; skills to identify and prevent sexual violence and relationship violence; and age-appropriate and affirming education on gender identity and sexual orientation. As I said on the floor the last four times, we know our students are talking about these issues in the classroom or not, Sen. Sal DiDomenico, the lead sponsor of the Senate bill, said. If theyre not learning medically-accurate information taught in our classrooms, theyre getting bad information that could have long-term consequences. Though the Senate has voted to remodel the education frameworks four times in the last decade, House Democrats have never taken it up. On the House side, Rep. Jim ODay has sponsored the bill for the last 10 years. When I started on this bill, the last time a framework for healthy youth, for sexual education, was addressed was in 1999, ODay said last month as a guest on former Senate President Harriette Chandlers local cable show. So here we are now in 2024, where we at least now have a good, solid, well-rounded, medically-accurate, age-appropriate, evidence-based [bill] ... and this is not a mandate for this bill. We do now have a framework that if you are going to teach -- if you are going to teach -- health ed, sexual education, it needs to be consistent with whats being taught in Framingham or Provincetown or Pittsfield or Worcester. Thats a disgrace, Chandler, a supporter of the bill, said when ODay initially raised the subject. The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education updated its sexual health education standards on its own accord last year to mirror some of what the so-called Healthy Youth Act calls for, after Gov. Maura Healey threw her support behind the controversial measure. Under the boards new physical and sex education guidelines, students will receive sex and health education that is intended to be more inclusive of the LGBTQ+ community and teach about bodily autonomy, mental and emotional health, dating safety, nutrition, sexually transmitted infections and consent. Neither the guidelines nor DiDomenico and ODays bill would change the Massachusetts law that allows districts to opt-in to teaching sex education. The bill before senators would also require that parents get a letter at the beginning of the school year with details about the sex ed curriculum and the opportunity to opt their child out. Asked by the News Service how the bill differs from the updated frameworks the board of education adopted, DiDomenico said passing the Healthy Youth Acts would codify the new guidelines. The bill would require data collection on whats being taught in schools, reported to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education every two years. It would also require that the state revisit the framework every 10 years, as it took 24 years this time around to update the guidelines. Lastly, the framework is more of a suggestion for schools. Healthy Youth is an actual curriculum. And so theres a lot more flexibility with the framework. Theoretically abstinence only can still be taught with the framework, DiDomenico said. Under this bill, sex ed would talk about consent, LGBTQ language and healthy relationships as well. Its a lot more detailed, unlike a suggestion. The senator added that 17 states require sex education to be medically accurate and 26 require it to be age appropriate. Massachusetts is not on either of those lists. I think thats a pretty compelling argument. Many states across the country have seen the value of this education, DiDomeinco said. This bill will give students information they need to protect their health, have respectful relationships, and have a better future for themselves. In my mind, its just as important as math and science and English. 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 Matt Hancock was mocked by Sir Jacob Rees-Moggs son over his lockdown affair as he addressed pupils on a visit to Eton. Peter Rees-Mogg, one of Sir Jacobs six children, was among those present at a talk by the former health secretary on Tuesday. According to The Times Diary, Mr Hancock began his remarks with a quip about how his former Cabinet colleague was not a good politician. When students were later given the opportunity to ask questions, Peter reportedly stood up and insisted his father was a great man both in public and in private, before adding to enthusiastic applause: Especially as he remained loyal to his wife. Praising his son for his remarks, Sir Jacob told The Telegraph: I think Peter was brave to stand up in front of hundreds of boys to take on a senior figure. It shows backbone and from my point of view admirable loyalty. Mr Hancock, who sits as an independent MP after being stripped of the whip for his participation in Im a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here!, appeared to take the jibe in good humour. A friend of Mr Hancock told The Telegraph: Matt thoroughly enjoyed the evening and the sparring with some very impressive boys. Peter (far right) is the eldest of Jacob Rees-Mogg and wife Helena's children - EDDIE MULHOLLAND The former cabinet ministers affair with his aide Gina Coladangelo was revealed by the Sun newspaper in 2021 and triggered the end of his front-line political career. Mr Hancock, who oversaw the repeated rollout of social distancing restrictions while in post at the Department for Health, told his wife, Martha, that he was leaving her shortly before the news became public. He has since apologised for his behaviour and insisted he was very careful not to break the law during the course of his affair but did not think about Covid guidance that the Government was putting out at the time. Peter was among those present outside Downing Street in September 2022 as Boris Johnson gave his farewell speech before leaving office. He was reportedly so well-regarded by the former prime minister he was invited to join him and other supporters for a bacon sandwich breakfast before Mr Johnsons address. It is not Peters first reported intervention in politics this week after Kelvin MacKenzie, a former editor of the Sun, wrote on social media that Sir Jacobs son asked Richard Tice, the leader of Reform UK, can you please not put up a candidate against my father? at the next election. In April 2023, he also wrote via email to State of the Nation, the GB News programme hosted by his father, to mock him for telling viewers basic facts about the Second World War. Sir Jacob said: Youve been getting in touch with your thoughts and Ive had one from a certain Peter Rees-Mogg, to whom I may be related, who says I dont need to explain basic facts about World War Two because my audience is intelligent enough to know. 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. WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) Top Senate Republicans are calling for a full impeachment trial for Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. The House returned to Washington on Wednesday, just two weeks after voting to impeach Secretary Mayorkas for violating federal law and not enforcing immigration policy. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) says House impeachment managers will soon take a walk across the Capitol, the next step in the impeachment process. We will have a signing ceremony and we will be delivering the articles of impeachment to the Senate, Greene said. When that happens, Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) says he wants to see the Senate put Mayorkas on trial. People need to be held accountable, Thune said. And I think this is the way to do that. House Republicans impeached Mayorkas for willfully and systematically refusing to enforce immigration laws at the southern border. Thune says it is now up to the Senate to determine if those offenses are impeachable. This is such a miscarriage of the law, and it is important that the United States senators sit and hear, and the American people hear about this incredible crisis at our southern border, Thune said. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) agrees. I think that would be the best way to go forward, McConnell said. Senate Democrats say they plan to reject the articles by taking a vote to dismiss the trial, which only needs a simple majority to pass. The impeachment of Mayorkas is absurd, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said. Theres not one drop of evidence that leads to any kind of charge of impeachment and were going to handle it in the best way possible. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) says denying a trial would be a disservice. If this chamber upholds its constitutional duty, I will vote to convict him, Blackburn said. House managers are expected to bring the articles to the Senate as early as next week. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. In his surprise speech announcing his exit as Senate GOP leader, Mitch McConnell did not spend much time reflecting on the presidents he served with. Except for Ronald Reagan. Hardly the sentimental type, McConnell recalled arriving in the Senate at the height of the Reagan era and even getting married on Reagans birthday. For much of the rest of his party, the Kentucky Republican might as well have been talking about ancient history. McConnell's planned departure from the top of the GOP conference will break the Republican Partys most influential link to an earlier, pre-Trump type of conservatism one anchored in hawkish foreign policy, pro-business economic policies and an emphatic rejection of populism. And his prominent invocation of Reagan came as his party reckons with an increasingly clear transfer of power in its ranks. At the moment, McConnell's successor as leader is likely to be influenced heavily by a growing bloc of senators who align more with Trumps pugnacious, America-First image than with the Reaganite conservative tradition. J.D. Vance, a first-term Republican senator and outspoken member of the partys new guard, didnt disavow Reagans legacy but said he was much less crazy about foreign policy than neoconservatives assumed he was. But look, do I think this represents a bit of a change in the guard? Sure it does, Vance added of McConnell's exit. McConnell still has 10 months as GOP leader to address some major unfinished business: A huge foreign aid bill, winning back the Senate majority and keeping his fractious party from going off the rails altogether. Those issues could augment his record of bending the judiciary to the right and keeping his party on a Reaganite track when it comes to foreign affairs not to mention his efforts at a delicate balance between thwarting and accepting Trump. But McConnell could find himself even more hamstrung on those goals than he was before, thanks to the slow evolution of the Senate GOP. After spending several years content to move independent of Trump, Senate Republicans are starting to look more like their House counterparts: skeptical of foreign aid, reluctant to cross the former president and, at times, openly critical of their leadership. Its a positive transition for some; Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) was downright ebullient about moving away from McConnell. Others, even from the opposing party, fear that the institution will suffer without him. He was part of keeping the Senate from becoming the Jerry Springer show that the House is, said Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.), one of several Democrats to lament McConnells exit on Wednesday. The GOP leader still wields significant influence and has gotten new Ukraine aid as far as he can for the moment, pushing a bipartisan $95 billion foreign aid package over to the House despite the howls of his loudest critics. That he even did that is notable, given how many times over the past six months that his party sounded ready to move on from the internal fight over funding a proxy defense against Russia. Now that McConnell is exiting as leader, some are hopeful for a bigger reboot in party priorities. Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) said that Americans whether it's the Ukraine issue or whether it's the border issue the vast majority are saying it's time. The Republican Party is going through a pretty dramatic transition. Our voter base has continued to evolve into a working class party, added Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), himself a product of the tea party movement. That's obviously playing out in the halls of Congress within our party as well. The timing of McConnell's announcement left senators reluctant to read too much into his departure. Several of them denied that Trump played a direct role in the decision and predicted a lengthy competition for his replacement, rather than Trump anointing one. His allies insisted that he didnt exit because of his fading influence or because he feared defeat. Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) said that McConnell would have won resoundingly had he sought another term as leader. Nonetheless, the timing shocked Senate Republicans: McConnell is in the middle of a tough internal GOP conflict over Ukraine, trying to keep the government open, and steering his party to a Senate majority. Many Republicans were blunt in asking: Why now, at this moment? All of us were a little taken aback that it happened today, said Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), the No. 4 GOP leader. We all maybe could have seen it coming in the future. But maybe not this soon. In his own tactical fashion, McConnell told his colleagues he had decided long ago he wouldnt run, but didnt want to put them through a protracted leadership conflict. He also nodded to his changing party on Wednesday, both in brief private remarks and on the Senate floor: "I have many faults. Misunderstanding politics is not one of them. Perhaps he was just stating the obvious after facing his first-ever challenge to his leadership in November 2022, when he handily dispatched Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.). But his recognition that now is the time to end his record-breaking run as leader was enough to freeze many of his critics, perhaps just for a day, as the GOP promptly began a debate about its new era. It's a tough job. I'm glad his health is recovering. I thought he gave a great speech. He came into lunch, got a standing ovation, a lot of respect, said Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), a pugnacious critic. Let's leave it at that. The Ukraine policy schism in the GOP is directly related to a political one over Trump. McConnells timetable for leaving means he'll still face months of questions over his relationship with the likely presidential nominee. Hes declined to endorse Trump despite the majority of his conference doing so. Most acutely for McConnell, Trump is using his rising sway to try to stop Ukraine aid as he sought to unravel plenty of other bipartisan deals McConnell blessed over the past few years. A lengthy impasse between McConnell and Trump could leave Republicans looking divided while Democrats manage to rally around their octogenarian leader, President Joe Biden. The big thing I think has got to happen is, there's got to be some conversation between McConnell and Trump, said Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.). And I know President Trump is going to want to try to reach out to him. Tuberville added that we can't go into an election without Leader McConnell supporting President Trump, noting the need for Republicans to fundraise and present a united front. McConnell dodged a question on endorsing Trump as recently as Tuesday. Vance, one of many Trump allies in the Senate GOP who will help shape the winner of the succession battle, put the gulf between McConnell and Trump succinctly by saying he wants a leader "who is more concerned about the American border than they are about what's going on 6,000 miles away." Charles Martin, 51, was arrested after being accused of shooting a landscaper multiple times at a West Side apartment complex on Wednesday. Raul Trey Lopez A 35-year-old man is in critical condition after being shot while doing landscaping at an apartment complex early Wednesday on the West Side. San Antonio police responded to a shooting around 10 a.m. in the 6300 block of U.S. Highway 90 West. A man had been shot multiple times. It was reported that the wounded man was doing landscaping services for the apartment complex when he was shot. Officers performed life-saving measures until EMS arrived, then the man was taken to a local hospital. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Police said the 35-year-old man was in critical condition and in surgery. His identity has not been released because his family has not been notified, police said. Detectives were able to identify the alleged shooter based on witness testimony and video surveillance. Police said Charles Martin, 51, confronted apartment management because the man was blowing leaves toward his truck. After management did nothing, Martin approached the man, pulled out a handgun, and shot him a minimum of 10 times, Sgt. Washington Moscoso said. Martin was arrested without incident and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Advertisement Article continues below this ad GOP senators say Sen. Mitch McConnell (Ky.) saw the writing on the wall in choosing this term to be his final as Senate Republican leader, arguing its increasingly obvious that the party is drifting away from him and embracing former President Trump as its likely presidential nominee. I think its a reflection of Mitchs understanding of the room. I think its a reflection of both his personal situation as he described eloquently in his speech and his reading of the political climate and his respect for that, Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) said after McConnell announced his decision not to run for another term as Senate leader in an emotional floor speech. McConnell has faced relentless pressure from longtime critics such as Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Mike Lee (R-Utah), and they have steadily gained supporters in recently elected conservatives such as Sens. JD Vance (R-Ohio), Eric Schmitt (R-Mo.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.). All of those Republicans are aligned with Trump, who in just the last two months has reasserted himself as the GOP kingmaker in and out of Washington, D.C. Some of those Republicans said a changing of the guard is appropriate given how much the party has changed since Trumps stunning election to the presidency in 2016. I think its a good thing, said Vance, who was elected to the Senate with Trumps endorsement in 2022, when asked about McConnell stepping down from leadership. Hopefully we get a Republican leader a little more in tune with the preferences of our voters, but well see, he said. A Republican senator who requested anonymity to discuss the political pressures on McConnell, said the announcement caught many colleagues by surprise. The senator called the backlash from conservatives over the bipartisan border security deal vicious. He said, I can read the political tea leaves, or something to that effect, the senator said. After youve been leader for 18 years, who wants to go out with your colleagues ripping on you? A Senate Republican aide said, its Trumps party now. Its the end of the Reagan era and now the MAGA era, the source said. Speaking on the Senate floor Wednesday, McConnell reminisced about the good old days of his early Senate career, when Ronald Reagan, a Republican with a radically different vision of key issues, was president. My career in the United States Senate began amidst the Reagan Revolution. The truth is, when I got here, I was just happy if anybody remembered my name, he recalled fondly. President Reagan called me Mitch ODonnell. Close enough, I thought. My wife Elaine and I got married on President Reagans birthday, February 6th. Its probably not the most romantic thing to admit, but Reagan meant a great deal to both of us, he recounted. McConnell talked about how the devastating loss of his sister-in-law, who died in a car accident this month, had prompted introspection about his own lifes journey. One of lifes most underappreciated talents is to know when its time to move on to lifes next chapter, he said, adding that he would formally hand over the reins of leadership in January and serve out the remainder of his Senate term through 2026. He bluntly informed colleagues that hes not planning to recede into the shadows before he retires. I still have enough gas in the tank to thoroughly disappoint my critics and intend to do so with all the enthusiasm with which they have become accustomed, he quipped. McConnell gave a few of his closest allies advanced warning before the speech of his plan, but the bombshell news caught many colleagues by surprise. After he spoke on the Senate floor, he walked across the Ohio Clock Corridor into the weekly Senate Steering Committee lunch, hosted by one of his most outspoken critics Lee where colleagues gave him what they described as a warm and cordial reception. McConnell ignored the theories that he was stepping down from power because of the bruising battle he fought with Senate conservatives over a Ukraine funding and border security package that he helped Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) negotiate with Democrats. And he didnt address the elephant in the room, namely that Trump, with whom he had a bitter falling out three years ago, just won the South Carolina and Michigan primaries and is cruising to the Republican presidential nomination. He told his colleagues that he made his decision weeks ago, at the start of the year, not to run for another term as Republican leader, implying that the messy fight with GOP colleagues over the border security deal and Trumps growing political power werent pushing him to announce a hasty retirement. The only thing that he said that was different in caucus from what he said on the floor was that he really had decided previously that this was his last term as leader, said a GOP senator who attended the meeting. A second senator confirmed that McConnell told colleagues he made his decision long ago. A third person familiar with McConnells comments said he informed colleagues that he decided at the start of this year to step down from leadership after the November election, even though Republicans have an excellent chance of regaining the Senate majority, which is McConnells top political priority. McConnell still hasnt endorsed Trump even though most of his leadership team already has, including Senate Republican Whip John Thune (S.D.), Senate Republican Conference Chair John Barrasso (Wyo.), Conference Vice Chair Shelley Moore Capito (W.Va.), National Republican Senatorial Committee Chair Steve Daines (Mont.) and Sen. John Cornyn (Texas). The New York Times reported Monday that McConnells longtime confidant and strategist, Josh Holmes, has been in talks with senior Trump campaign adviser Chris LaCivita about making amends between the two leaders and setting the stage for McConnell to endorse Trump later this year. A person familiar with those negotiations told The Hill Wednesday that McConnells personal relationship with Trump or the talks about eventually endorsing the GOP front-runner had no impact on McConnells decision to retire from leadership. I see it as a parallel track, the source said. Thats the stuff he would be doing anyway because its part of his job to make sure weve got as united a front on the Republican side going into the election as we can. We did something similar in 2016. The person familiar with McConnells thinking about retirement said it had nothing to do with the likelihood that Trump might win the 2024 election and then put pressure on Senate Republicans to find a new leader. The source emphasized that McConnell was able to put aside his differences with Trump during the 2016 election and work with him collaboratively during his presidency from 2017 through 2020. When he decides he wants to do something, you cant talk him out of it. He decided to retire, the source said of McConnells surprise announcement. Hes always told us: Ill know, the source said. He just decided. He knew it was time. Uncharacteristically, McConnell mentioned his age, 82, on the Senate floor twice Wednesday, the source observed. Colleagues could not remember McConnell ever mentioning his age before. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) Wednesday Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell announced hes stepping down from his leadership position in November. The 82 -year-old is the longest serving Senate leader in history. On the Senate floor he said, its time for a next generation of leadership. McConnell says he will now work with his party to elect a new leader that will take on the post starting next January. He intends to finish his Senate term which ends January 2027. To serve the people of Kentucky has been the honor of my life, to lead my Republican colleagues has been the highest privilege, said McConnell. McConnell received a standing ovation following his speech and was met with handshakes from both Democrat and Republican senators on the Senate floor. Shortly after at the White House, President Joe Biden told reporters he was sorry to hear the news and characterized his relationship with the Senate minority leader as an honest one. In a statement issued later President Biden said, Im proud that my friend Mitch McConnell and I have been able to do that for many years, working together in good faith even though we have many political disagreements. Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) issued a similar statement. While we often disagreed, we shared our responsibility to the American people to find common ground whenever possible. I send best wishes to him and Elaine as they prepare for their next chapter. On the floor Sen Susan Collins (R-Maine) thanked McConnell for showing leadership even, when it wasnt popular to do the right thing. McConnells popularity recently dropped within his caucus after he worked with Democrats to pass a compromise bill to send aid to Ukraine, without addressing the border. Wednesday McConnell made no apologies for his policy position. I believe more strongly than ever that Americas global leadership is essential, said McConnell. Sen Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) whos long opposed McConnells leadership tactics says hes happy to see him go. My only question is why wait so long, said Hawley. While McConnell noted that his age did factor into his decision to step down, he made no mention of his health during his speech. McConnells cognitive abilities have come under speculation after he fell last year and suffered a concussion. McConnells office contends he is in good health. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to DC News Now | Washington, DC. The Senate Republican leader has announced his resignation - Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters Mitch McConnells announcement that he will step down as Senate Republican Leader this fall marks the end of an era for the GOP. Its also an example of public service that other superannuated politicians like President Biden would do well to emulate. McConnell will have served as leader for 17 years when he leaves his post, the longest stretch in party history. His mark on policy ranks among the greats in modern Senate history, shepherding President Trumps three contentious Supreme Court nominees through the rancorous approval process and overseeing the GOPs historic 2017 tax cut legislation. Those accomplishments will continue to shape Americas future long after McConnell leaves the Senate. His departure provides Senate Republicans with the opportunity to shape their own future. Most observers think the leadership baton will pass to one of the three Johns South Dakotas John Thune, Texas John Cornyn, and Wyomings John Barrasso who have long been McConnells loyal leadership partners. Perhaps that will happen, but Senate Republicans are increasingly resembling their more MAGA-friendly House Republican counterparts. Any of the three Johns would have to adapt the style and substance of the conferences direction to represent all its membership. That adaptation might have to include adding someone acceptable to the conferences hardcore conservatives to the leadership team. McConnells rapid abandonment in the face of conservative pressure of the deal his team had spent months crafting on Ukraine aid and the border showed he can no longer expect his members to fall into line. Including someone from the rebels in leadership would go a long way toward restoring conference unity, even as it shifts the group rightward. McConnells example also puts pressure on President Biden. McConnell had been clearly showing his age in recent months. Two well-publicised public moments when he seemed to have frozen emphasised the risks that having elderly leaders poses. Bidens own continued gaffes, misstatements, and clearly diminished physical energy has become too obvious to ignore. McConnells decision will surely be used perhaps by the master politician himself to raise the age issue during what will be a very nasty fall campaign. That pressure would build if the Senates other elderly Republicans announced that they would also step aside soon. Iowas Chuck Grassley will turn 91 this year. He remains energetic, but will he still be at the end of his term in 2028 when he would be 95? Idahos Jim Rischs term comes up in 2026, when he will be 83. If both men said this year that they will either not run for re-election or retire early which would allow their states Republican governors to appoint their successors it will clearly show that one party recognises that theres a time to leave the stage. Biden clearly wants to go on, but its also clear that he faces a very uphill climb to re-election. His job approval ratings remain historically low for a president at this point in their first term, sitting nearly five points lower than Trumps on the same date in 2020. His team spent most of last year trying to raise that by touting the hot job market as the result of Bidenomics. His approval rating instead fell throughout the year and today is four points lower than it was a year ago. The dogs are not eating the dog food. The fact the Democratic convention occurs a month after the Republican confab gives Biden a graceful way out. Once the GOP locks in Trump, Biden could announce that he is following McConnell in stepping aside. The delegates to the Democratic convention will have been selected, and party rules means most will have been personally vetted by Bidens campaign. He would thus go out on top after a successful primary season and use his power to steer the party toward a younger successor while using McConnells announcement to cloak his move as one motivated by public service. Thats not likely, which means McConnells impending resignation as leader will continue to be a foil to Bidens re-election. But making such an unprecedented, and entirely defensible, exit could be the shrewdest political decision Biden will make in his fifty-plus years on the stage. 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. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's impending departure from his leadership role in November signals a significant shift in Republican support for Ukraine. McConnell, a prominent advocate for aiding Kyiv against Russian aggression, has played a pivotal role in securing military assistance and funding, Politico reports. McConnell of Kentucky, who is the longest-serving Senate caucus leader in history, said on Feb. 28 that he will step down in November. He plans to keep his seat in the chamber. Over the past two years, McConnell has been vocal in urging for military aid to Ukraine while criticizing President Joe Biden's perceived delays in providing support. He emphasized the economic benefits of aiding Ukraine, highlighting how such funding also supports American defense manufacturers and creates jobs across multiple states. Despite McConnell's forthcoming exit from the leadership, he remains committed to U.S. global leadership, emphasizing the importance of a recent $95 billion emergency spending bill to aid Ukraine, Taiwan, and Israel. The Senate's recent bipartisan efforts to approve security assistance to Ukraine faced resistance within the Republican ranks. After months of bipartisan negotiations, the Senate approved a foreign aid bill that allocates $60 billion for Ukraine. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson has thus far refused to put the bill to a vote in the House, instead calling a recess until the end of the month. With McConnell's departure, the dynamics surrounding Republican support for Ukraine funding are expected to shift, Politico writes. Potential successors to McConnell, such as Senators John Thune, John Cornyn, and John Barrasso, may bring differing perspectives on this matter, potentially impacting future decisions on aiding Ukraine. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Russia attempts to push Ukrainian troops out of Krynky using human waves Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Mexican law student and influencer Gerardo Vera, 19, shares daily videos on political issues with his two million followers on TikTok (ALFREDO ESTRELLA) Smartphone in hand, Mexican law student Gerardo Vera records a short political news video for TikTok aimed at younger voters who will be a major force in this year's presidential elections. While politicians are increasingly using social media to reach young voters, Mexicans preparing to vote for the first time are themselves turning to such platforms to understand politics. "Let's talk about President (Andres Manuel) Lopez Obrador's mega-package of reforms," said Vera, 19, addressing his two million followers on TikTok, the popular app owned by Chinese technology firm ByteDance. His daily videos reach a crucial audience ahead of the June 2 election, which is expected to produce Mexico's first woman president. According to the national statistics agency INEGI, more than a quarter of the almost 99 million Mexicans eligible to vote are aged 18-29. And 4.1 million of them -- including Vera -- will cast their ballots for the first time in the elections, campaigning for which officially starts on Friday. Younger Mexicans "will define the vote," Vera said. "But I think it goes beyond that. We're the ones who will pay the price" for the election result, he added. The influencer describes his work as "an attempt to bring politics to the people, to democratize public knowledge" and to help everyone to form their own opinion based on facts. Each shot in Vera's videos lasts no more than a few seconds, and behind him colorful images or graphics illustrate his point. He records one sentence at a time, choosing words that are as neutral as possible. "No, it's going to sound like I admire the president," he muttered at one point, erasing a shot about increases in the minimum wage. To try to remain unbiased, he sometimes imagines what his right-leaning aunt or more leftist uncle would think. - 'Politicized' generation - Some 16 percent of people aged 18-24 in Mexico use TikTok for news, compared with 20 percent globally, according to the Digital News Report 2023 from the Reuters Institute. Driven by the vertical format of TikTok, rival Instagram's "Reels" or YouTube's "Shorts," the consumption of videos on social networks is increasingly important for this age group, to the detriment of traditional media, the same study said. "Often people, myself included, are too lazy to find out" about the main election candidates, said Maria Emilia Diaz, a 19-year-old friend and follower of Vera. "So it's great that just by joining a platform... out of nowhere you get a TikTok video that increases your interest and you're not wasting your time watching it," she added. The two frontrunners in the presidential race are both women -- former Mexico City mayor Claudia Sheinbaum and her main rival Xochitl Galvez, from the opposition coalition. TikTok and other social media sites are already a key battleground for them. Vera's core belief is critical thinking. He credits the influence of his grandmother -- a teacher who made him socially conscious -- and his grandfather who was a lawyer and introduced him to politics. At the age of 12, he opened his first Instagram account and covered the news for people close to him, starting with the US presidential elections in 2016. He continued with the Mexican presidential election in 2018. If there is one issue that affects every young Mexican, it is insecurity that plagues the country, Vera believes. He considers that he was "born in a country at war" -- a reference to the military campaign launched against drug cartels by then president Felipe Calderon in 2006. Most young people elsewhere in the world when asked would probably say a global issue like climate change concerned them the most, Vera said. "But in Mexico it's insecurity -- without a doubt," he said. Becoming a public figure at a very young age, Vera faced attacks on social networks, including death threats on one occasion. To relax, he listens to David Bowie on vinyl, or goes out with his friends. He said he was undecided who to vote for in June, but would be sure to exercise his democratic right. "We are a generation, I think, that is very politicized," he said. dm-jg-st/dr/bfm Janeen Birckhead is one of USA TODAYs Women of the Year, a recognition of women who have made a significant impact in their communities and across the country. The program launched in 2022 as a continuation of Women of the Century, which commemorated the 100th anniversary of women gaining the right to vote. Meet this years honorees at womenoftheyear.usatoday.com. Maj. Gen. Janeen Birckhead's career path was inspired by her mother, and four words of encouragement, although simple, determined the course of her life: "You can do it." As a United States military officer serving as Maryland's 31st adjutant general as well as the only Black woman in the country leading a state and second woman to do so in the states history Birckhead currently holds the top military position in the state after being appointed in 2023. National heroines: USA Today Network Women of the Year "Who knew, at some point, Gov. Wes Moore would appoint me to adjutant general of Maryland? It's a rewarding job. It's a rewarding experience," Birckhead said of her career. It's an achievement she owes to her mother, the honorable Fannie Mae Ward Birckhead, a community activist and the adjutant general's biggest supporter, who died in 2022. Birckheard never truly considered a military career. That was, however, until Birckhead's mother pushed her to apply for an ROTC scholarship at Hampton University in Virginia, a scholarship which ultimately led her on a winding path to the Army National Guard. "She was always looking for opportunities for me, (telling me) 'You can do it, Janeen. You can do it,'" Birckhead shared. Having grown up in the small town of Snow Hill, Maryland, the Eastern Shore holds a special place in Birckhead's heart. Now, her heart encompasses not just Snow Hill, but the entire state of Maryland. "Formal education, community service, public outreach and understanding the importance of work was really big in our household," Birckhead said. "Helping people at home, making sure people have what they need, responding to crises all of those things are available to us in the National Guard." According to Birckhead, the Army National Guard founded in 1636 is ready and able to respond at a moment's notice to do what needs to be done in an organized, well-disciplined fashion. "Every day I wake up and (ask), 'What could we do in the National Guard to make it better?' I think that there is something we can do (to make it better) every day," she said of the military force. For her work, Birckhead has been named USA TODAY's Women of the Year honoree for Maryland. As Marylands adjutant general, I pledge to serve the people of Maryland with unwavering dedication, Birckhead said in a release after her confirmation. I believe in the importance of the National Guard's mission and above all in the selfless service of our soldiers, airmen, federal and state civilian employees, and our volunteers, who represent the best of our great state. This conversation has been edited for length and clarity. Who paved the way for you? Who did you pave the way for? My mom Mommy" the honorable Fannie Mae Ward Birckhead, paved the way for me. She was a community leader, community activist and cared for others. Community service is what she really instilled in our family. Lt. Gen. James F. Fretterd from the Eastern Shore also paved the way for me. He saw a talent in me, and said, We've got to make sure that she's getting the mentorship she needs. I will always be grateful to him for that support and for seeing that possibility in me. Gen. Linda L. Singh, the 29th adjutant general, was also inspirational. She was certainly someone who pushed me and saw an ability in me. I also worked for Sen. Paul S. Sarbanes, and by seeing how he operated, understanding the world around him and giving me my first job out of college, he set me on a trajectory. As far as who Ive helped pave the way for, I have planted a lot of seeds and continue to nurture those seeds. I plant the seeds, watch them grow, tend to them and pull the weeds out to ensure there are good roots established. Well see what comes out on the other end. OC museum to hail Black history: Ocean City will get museum about its Black history, including Duke Ellington, Count Basie Maj. Gen. Janeen Birckhead speaks with Sen. Mary Beth Carozza Thursday, Dec. 28, 2023, at the Maryland Army National Guard Salisbury Readiness Center in Salisbury, Maryland. What is your proudest moment? Do you have a lowest? My proudest moment was the work I established with the Maryland Vaccine Equity Task Force. It was a game changer: coming up with a model and way of responding to the crisis at the time and doing that in an organized fashion. It was the first Vaccine Equity Task Force of its kind in the nation to be operational. I would also say Gov. Wes Moore selecting me for adjutant general was certainly a proud moment as well. I'm very proud of serving in this role. I would say my lowest moment was when my mom was killed in February 2022. She loomed large. There werent many days that went by that I didn't talk to Mommy. She was my sounding board. She was a big supporter. So, I would say that was my lowest moment, to have to pull myself out of that and continue to work through it. Fortunately, I have a wonderful family 2 great kids and a husband who were there during that tough time. But we all miss her. What is your definition of courage? My definition of courage changes over time. To me, courage is being able to face adversity. Courage is being resilient. Resilient 6 is my military call sign because I tend to use mindfulness and other techniques in order to bounce back from adversity. Maj. Gen. Janeen Birckhead Thursday, Dec. 28, 2023, at the Maryland Army National Guard Salisbury Readiness Center in Salisbury, Maryland. Is there a guiding principle or mantra you tell yourself? Diversity, discipline and dedication. Our organization the Maryland National Guard is diverse, disciplined and dedicated. I look for diversity in who I am in order to be a successful individual in life. I can't do things one way. I can't just be with one people. We have to diversify. We must consider diversity in everything we do, be disciplined enough to make a plan and stick to the plan, and always be dedicated to our organization. You'll find diversity, discipline and dedication in my command philosophy. I call it "D to the Power of Three." Who did or do you look up to? I look up to Harriet Tubman, who was born on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. I like to reflect on Harriet Tubman's ability to overcome adversity. Not too long ago, I went by her birthplace. I stood out in the field while the sun was setting and thought about this woman, whos my height, coming from a house in this cornfield, walking to a creek where she's going to take people to freedom and do that time and time again. She didn't have a GPS. She didn't have a cellphone. Yet, she did it time and time again. Also, going back to World War II, you have the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, nicknamed the "Six Triple Eight. The "Six Triple Eight was recently awarded a gold medal by the president of the United States. They are the only all-female predominantly Black organization military unit deployed during World War II, and they moved hundreds and hundreds of pieces of mail through the European Theater of Operations (ETO). That was a great accomplishment. I also look up to individuals such as Hon. Christine Wormuth, who was confirmed by the U.S. Senate and appointed as the 25th Secretary of the U.S. Army Worcester County Commissioner Diana Purnell from Berlin, our local leaders such as Mary Beth Carozza as well as retired State Sen. Jim Mathias, who are all great leaders and people that I've known for many years. I look up to them as well, and what they do on the Shore and for the Shore. 2023 Woman of the Year honoree: She helps others achieve homeownership: Meet the Maryland honoree for Women of the Year How do you overcome adversity? I use mindfulness to overcome adversity. I do a 360 every night and ask myself, Janine, what happened today? Why and how did that happen? Can I make a change? Is there something that I could do better? I try to do that 360 every night, whether it's in my mind before I lay down or something intentional where I pull out a piece of paper and take notes. I think its important to try to digest and dissect what happened during the day. I try not to get caught up in the moment. So, for me, writing it down and having those techniques allows me to react, or act, or let it go; to find another way to deal with a situation. Sometimes you have to step back and think about it. Maj. Gen. Janeen Birckhead Thursday, Dec. 28, 2023, at the Maryland Army National Guard Salisbury Readiness Center in Salisbury, Maryland. What advice would you give your younger self? I would tell my younger self to continue to be resilient, and failure or adversity is not a negative thing. It can make you stronger. If there are things that other people can do, you can do it too. Also, stop procrastinating. Don't procrastinate. Those are all things that Mommy told me. Now, those are messages that I would go back and tell my younger self. Olivia Minzola covers communities on the Lower Shore. Contact her with tips and story ideas at ominzola@delmarvanow.com. This article originally appeared on Salisbury Daily Times: Meet the Maryland honoree for USA TODAY's Women of the Year Three white men and a black woman stand smiling wearing blue astronaut flight suits. the circular graphic of the crew's mission patch, with an orange dragon spiralled into an 8, is in front of the group. a view of Earth at night, as seen from the space station is their backdrop. Four new astronauts are scheduled to launch to the International Space Station on Saturday (March 2) as part of NASAs SpaceX Crew-8 mission. Crew-8 , the eighth operational commercial crew mission for NASA, will lift off Saturday at 11:16 p.m. EST (0416 GMT on March 3) from Kennedy Space Center in Florida using the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavour spacecraft, situated atop a Falcon 9 rocket . The Crew Dragon spacecraft will then dock with the orbiting lab the following day around 2:10 p.m. EST (1910 GMT). The crew includes NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick (commander), Michael Barratt (pilot) and Jeanette Epps (mission specialist) along with mission specialist Alexander Grebenkin, of the Russian space agency Roscosmos. Over the course of their six-month stay in space , the astronauts will conduct more than 200 scientific experiments and technology demonstrations, including research that will support human exploration beyond low-Earth orbit. Related: SpaceX rolls out rocket, capsule for Crew-8 astronaut launch (photos) Saturday's launch will be the first for all of the crew members but Barrett, who will be making his third flight and second long-duration stay on the space station. You can learn more about each of them below. Matthew Dominick (NASA) a man wearing a blue jumpsuit sits in a white room with black furniture. He is smiling. Matthew Dominick, Crew-8's commander, is a 42-year-old U.S. Navy test pilot who joined NASA as an astronaut candidate in 2017 . Dominick has more than 1,600 hours of flight time in 28 aircraft, 400 carrier-arrested landings and 61 combat missions on his resume. When Dominick was selected as an astronaut candidate in June 2017, he was at sea on the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) serving in the U.S. Navy as a naval aviator and a department head for Strike Fighter Squadron 115. Dominick was born and raised in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, where his parents still live today. He is married to Faith Dominick, with whom he shares two daughters, according to his biography from NASA . Dominick has a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from the University of San Diego with minors in physics and mathematics. Following his graduation in 2005, he was commissioned through the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) and attended Primary Flight Training at Naval Air Station Pensacola. He was designated a naval aviator in 2007. He completed F/A-18 Super Hornet training and then served two deployments with Strike Fighter Squadron 143 (VFA-143) before attending the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, where he earned a Master of Science in systems engineering. He later graduated from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School and was assigned to Air Test Evaluation Squadron 23 (VX-23), where he served as the developmental flight test project officer for a variety of carrier suitability test programs. Having completed two years of training as an astronaut candidate in 2019, Dominick is now an active-duty U.S. Navy astronaut. While waiting for his chance to fly in space, he was also promoted to Navy Commander in 2020. Michael Barratt (NASA) a man wearing a blue jumpsuit sits in a white room with black furniture. his elbow rests on a table. Michael Barratt, Crew-8's pilot, is a 64-year-old physician specializing in aerospace medicine . He served as a flight surgeon for NASA before he was selected as an astronaut candidate in 2000. Barratt has played a pivotal role in developing NASA's space medicine initiatives for both the Shuttle-Mir Program and the International Space Station (ISS). Barratt was born in Vancouver, Washington, but considers Camas, Washington, to be his hometown. He has a Doctor of Medicine degree from Northwestern University and is board-certified in both internal and aerospace medicine. He is married to Dr. Michelle Lynne Sasynuik and has five children, according to his official biography . Barratt has spent a total of 212 days in space across two prior spaceflights, including Expedition 19/20 in 2009 which saw the transition from three to six permanent ISS crew members and STS-133 in 2011, near the end of NASA's Space Shuttle program . Barratt served as Flight Engineer for Expedition 19/20 and performed two spacewalks during this mission. The long-duration flight mission involved crews studying bone loss, cardiac atrophy, immune system changes and nutritional dynamics in microgravity. STS-133, Space Shuttle Discovery's final mission, delivered the Permanent Multipurpose Module and fourth Express Logistics Carrier to the space station. Barratt managed the Human Research Program at NASA's Johnson Space Center from January of 2012 through April of 2013 and has provided expertise on human factors and space medical risks for newly developed space vehicles for the Commercial Crew and Artemis Programs. Jeanette J. Epps (NASA) a woman wearing a blue jumpsuit stares up into the distance inspiringly. she stands in a white room with many glass panels. Jeanette Epps, Crew-8's mission specialist, was selected as an astronaut candidate in 2009. Prior to joining NASA, she worked at Ford Motor Co. and the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Hailing from Syracuse, New York, the 53-year-old holds a Bachelor of Science in physics from LeMoyne College and a Master of Science as well as a doctorate in aerospace engineering from the University of Maryland at College Park. As a NASA Fellow during graduate school, Epps authored several highly referenced journal and conference articles, according to her NASA biography . During her time at Ford Motor Company, she received both a provisional patent and a U.S. patent for her research. She later worked as a technical intelligence officer for the CIA. Since becoming an astronaut, she has served on the Generic Joint Operation Panel working on space station crew efficiency, as a crew support astronaut for two expeditions and as lead capsule communicator at NASA's Johnson Space Center. Epps was previously assigned to NASA's Boeing Starliner-1 mission , but was reassigned due to delays concerning the mission's development, making Crew-8 her first spaceflight. During the upcoming mission, she will assist with monitoring the spacecraft for launch and re-entry. Alexander Grebenkin (Roscosmos) a man wearing a blue jumpsuit stares up into the distance. He sits in a white room with many glass panels. Alexander Sergeyevich Grebenkin, Crew-8 's mission specialist, served in the Air Force of the Russian Armed Forces before joining Roscosmos as a cosmonaut candidate in 2018. Grebenkin graduated from Irkutsk High Military Aviation School in Irkutsk, Russia, majoring in engineering, maintenance and repair of aircraft radio navigation systems. The 41-year-old also has a degree in radio communications, broadcasting, and television from Moscow Technical University of Communications and Informatics, according to a statement from NASA . During his time in the Russian Armed Forces, Grebenkin worked as an aircraft readiness technician and engineer to prepare aircraft, later serving as head of the regulations and repair group of a military unit. Since becoming a cosmonaut, he has participated in mock missions on Earth , with Crew-8 representing his first spaceflight. He will serve as flight engineer during Expeditions 70/71 on the space station. Editor's note: This story was updated at 1:20 a.m. ET on Feb. 29 with news of the launch delay to March 2. Rudu Rudy Pardo was found guilty of murder in the fatal shooting of Kevin Osborne on Feb. 19, 2023. He faces up to life in prison. Courtesy, Bexar County Sheriff's Office Rudu Isaiah Rudy Pardo said he was in such pain from a bad case of psoriasis that he felt compelled to shoot Kevin Osborne in self-defense when Osborne punched him and threatened his friends child. The jury at his murder trial disagreed, finding him guilty after deliberating for more than four hours Wednesday. Pardo fatally shot Osborne, his friends stepfather, during an argument at Osbornes mother-in-laws house on Feb. 19, 2023. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Prosecutors said Osborne didnt punch anyone, and Pardos friend, who was there, didnt mention punches thrown when he testified earlier that Osborne had been aggressive right up to the moment he was shot. Testimony established that Osborne, 53, had gone to the home of Manuella Monsivais to try to get her to intervene with her daughter, his wife Kris Herrera, after the couple had argued into the wee hours. Pardo was best friends with Orion Herrera, the son of Kris Herrera and stepson of Osborne, and the two also went to the house, both of them carrying handguns. Osborne was unarmed. Defendant Rudu Isaiah Rudy Pardo enters the courtroom to hear the verdict at his murder trial Wednesday. He was found guilty for fatally shooting his best friends stepfather Kevin Osborne a year ago. Salgu Wissmath/San Antonio Express-News A photo of Kevin Osborne, who was fatally shot by Rudu Isaiah Rudy Pardo a year ago during a confrontation with Pardos best friend. Courtesy of the Bexar County District Attorney's Office/San Antonio Express-News A photo of Kevin Osborne, right, and his wife Kris Herrera, left. Osborne was fatally shot last year by Rudu Isaiah Rudy Pardo, who was found guilty of murder Wednesday. Courtesy of the Bexar County District Attorney's Office/San Antonio Express-News Defense attorney Anton Hajek III, right, comforts defendant Rudu Isaiah Rudy Pardo, left, after the jury delivers a guilty verdict at his murder trial Wednesday. Pardo fatally shot his best friends stepfather Kevin Osborne, during a confrontation a year ago. Salgu Wissmath/San Antonio Express-News Rudu Isaiah Rudy Pardo, left, waits with his defense attorney Anton Hajek III for the jury to deliver a verdict at his murder trial Wednesday. Pardo was found guilty in the fatal shooting of his best friends stepfather, Kevin Osborne, during a confrontation a year ago. Salgu Wissmath/San Antonio Express-News Pardo, 27, testified in his own defense after his lawyer, Anton Hajek III, told the jury the shooting was justified and called Pardo as his only witness. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Hajek asked Pardo if he felt physically threatened by Kevin. Pardo said, Thats correct. Pardo cried when he told the jury that his psoriasis affected 90 percent of his body and that he lived in a state of pain. He said Osborne punched him after arguing with Herrera, and the pain cut deeply. I was trying to shoot in the abdomen or lower leg, higher leg, Pardo said. I didnt want the worst to happen. As Hajek reminded him that a Bexar County medical examiner testified that the bullet that hit Osborne was shot high, and traveled around his body and hit the aorta, Pardo cried as he said, Yes. Pardo told the panel that he had never shot anyone, had never taken a handgun class, but carried a firearm for protection from any threats or danger and believed he had the right to defend himself the way he did. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Pardo had stayed in a car while Orion Herrera confronted his stepfather at his grandmothers home in the 200 block of Pickford Avenue on the West Side near Memorial High School. He told the panel he saw his friend and Osborne arguing and bumping chests, so he got out and approached them, with his Glock tucked in the belt of his pants. Osborne confronted both men in a brief struggle that was captured by surveillance video cameras from the high school across the street. Pardo said Osborne told Herrera that he knew people who could take his son away, which Pardo viewed as a threat. Pardo and Herrera both testified that Pardo pushed Osborne. Pardo said he told Osborne to get back, and drew his gun. When Osborne lunged toward him, Pardo said, he shot him. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Pardo faces up to life in prison. He stifled a sob when the verdict was announced, and an ambulance was called when a woman sitting with his supporters collapsed. In trying to upend longtime U.S. Rep. Danny Davis in the 7th Congressional Districts Democratic primary, Melissa Conyears-Ervin is getting help from the pulpit as more than two dozen Black clergy leaders backed her candidacy Wednesday. Conyears-Ervin Chicagos city treasurer and wife of West Side Ald. Jason Ervin, 28th is one of the leading contenders running against the 14-term Davis. She has sought to boost her bid with a number of endorsements, including the Chicago Teachers Union. Shes also had to deal with the fallout from allegations of unethical conduct in her administration from two former top aides that the Chicago Tribune first brought to light last fall. Related Articles On Wednesday, many of the ministers who assembled at the Greater Missionary Baptist Church on the South Side pushed past the allegations and said they were focused more on the future and what Conyears-Ervin offers as a new voice in Congress. Among those backing Conyears-Ervin were several high-profile Black clergy members who are known to help candidates they support get out the vote. They included the Rev. Byron Brazier, head of the Apostolic Church of God where Barack Obama spoke during his successful run for president in 2008, and Bishop Larry Trotter of the Sweet Holy Spirit Church. In a primary race where Democratic voters might not be as motivated to come to the polls because there isnt a contested presidential election, Conyears-Ervin and many of the ministers in attendance urged their fellow clergy members to organize congregants to vote and also explain why they are backing the treasurer over Davis. Early and mail-in voting has already begun in the March 19 primary. Many people in our community do not vote in March, Conyears-Ervin said. Over the past 30 years, they havent had to. But this time, 2024, we cannot wait until November, because Melissa must win. Other Chicago ministers endorsing Conyears-Ervin included the Revs. Mark Henton from Monument of Faith Church, T.D. Hughes from Third Baptist Church, Reginald Sharpe Jr. from Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church, Eric Thomas from Greater Harvest Baptist Church, Stephen Thurston Sr. and Stephen Thurston II from New Covenant Missionary Baptist Church, and David Whittley of the Corinthian Temple Church of God in Christ. I want you to know that your role is so important in the Black community, Conyears-Ervin said. The Black church can make a difference. And so I want you to know that over these next three weeks we do have some work to do, but we can do it. Conyears-Ervin said her active presence in the church community and previous policy achievements as a state representative built trust among the clergy members who endorsed her. She said issues she would tackle if elected include protecting the right to an abortion, combating climate change and decreasing health care costs. What Im hearing when I talk to residents each and every day is that what matters to them is someone whos going to go to (Washington) D.C. and fight for them as hard as they work each and every day, she said. First elected in 1996, Davis has held Illinois 7th District seat in Congress without much significant opposition. The heavily Democratic district extends from the western suburbs of Westchester, Bellwood and Oak Park through the West Side, east to Lake Michigan and south to include parts of the South Loop, Bridgeport and Englewood. Conyears-Ervin even endorsed Davis in the past. Others opposing Davis in the Democratic primary include Kina Collins, who ran a tight race against him in 2022, Kouri Marshall and Nikhil Bhatia. The endorsements for Conyears-Ervin come despite the 2020 accusations that as city treasurer she misused taxpayer resources and asked for personal favors from public officials. Among the allegations from Conyears-Ervins former chief of staff, Tiffany Harper, and former chief impact officer, Ashley Evans, were that the treasurer used government workers to plan her daughters birthday party and attempted to force BMO Harris to issue a mortgage tied to the building that houses the aldermanic office for her husband. The four-year-old complaints do not only misrepresent the treasurer, but they also misrepresent me, Conyears-Ervin said in a Tribune interview. The Rev. Dr. Ira Acree, pastor of Greater St. John Holiness Baptist Church in Austin, acknowledged Conyears-Ervin has made mistakes in the past but said no candidate is perfect and that voters should focus on her vision and long-standing commitment to the community. We dont want to get bogged down with an ethics issue that has already been dealt with and that is behind us, Acree said. Thats a ploy of the detractors and people on the other side to take the focus off of this district. The citys Board of Ethics found probable cause in November that Conyears-Ervin violated the citys ethics code when she fired the two whistleblowers who spoke out against her. Former Mayor Lori Lightfoots administration used city funds to pay Harper and Evans a $100,000 settlement and fought for roughly two years to conceal the details of their complaint. Acree said he has supported the 82-year-old Davis for decades but is backing Conyears-Ervin with hopes she will bring economic development and job growth to the district. The current person has been an elected official for so many years, and I have to ask myself, Am I better off now than I was when he started? Acree asked. If we were better off, I would say yes. Since Im saying no, I think its time to give someone else a chance. And when I look at the other candidates, she rises to the top. CHICAGO In trying to upend longtime U.S. Rep. Danny Davis in Illinois' 7th Congressional District Democratic primary, Melissa Conyears-Ervin is getting help from the pulpit as more than two dozen Black clergy leaders backed her candidacy Wednesday. Conyears-Ervin Chicagos city treasurer and wife of West Side Alderman Jason Ervin, 28th Ward is one of the leading contenders running against the 14-term Davis. She has sought to boost her bid with a number of endorsements, including the Chicago Teachers Union. Shes also had to deal with the fallout from allegations of unethical conduct in her administration from two former top aides that the Chicago Tribune first brought to light last fall. On Wednesday, many of the ministers who assembled at the Greater Missionary Baptist Church on the South Side pushed past the allegations and said they were focused more on the future and what Conyears-Ervin offers as a new voice in Congress. Among those backing Conyears-Ervin were several high-profile Black clergy members who are known to help candidates they support get out the vote. They included the Rev. Byron Brazier, head of the Apostolic Church of God where Barack Obama spoke during his successful run for president in 2008, and Bishop Larry Trotter of the Sweet Holy Spirit Church. In a primary race where Democratic voters might not be as motivated to come to the polls because there isnt a contested presidential election, Conyears-Ervin and many of the ministers in attendance urged their fellow clergy members to organize congregants to vote and also explain why they are backing the treasurer over Davis. Early and mail-in voting has already begun in the March 19 primary. Many people in our community do not vote in March, Conyears-Ervin said. Over the past 30 years, they havent had to. ... But this time, 2024, we cannot wait until November, because Melissa must win. Other Chicago ministers endorsing Conyears-Ervin included the Revs. Mark Henton from Monument of Faith Church, T.D. Hughes from Third Baptist Church, Reginald Sharpe Jr. from Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church, Eric Thomas from Greater Harvest Baptist Church, Stephen Thurston Sr. and Stephen Thurston II from New Covenant Missionary Baptist Church, and David Whittley of the Corinthian Temple Church of God in Christ. I want you to know that your role is so important in the Black community, Conyears-Ervin said. The Black church can make a difference. And so I want you to know that over these next three weeks we do have some work to do, but we can do it. Conyears-Ervin said her active presence in the church community and previous policy achievements as a state representative built trust among the clergy members who endorsed her. She said issues she would tackle if elected include protecting the right to an abortion, combating climate change and decreasing health care costs. What Im hearing when I talk to residents each and every day is that what matters to them is someone whos going to go to (Washington) D.C. and fight for them as hard as they work each and every day, she said. First elected in 1996, Davis has held Illinois 7th District seat in Congress without much significant opposition. The heavily Democratic district extends from the western suburbs of Westchester, Bellwood and Oak Park through the West Side, east to Lake Michigan and south to include parts of the South Loop, Bridgeport and Englewood. Conyears-Ervin even endorsed Davis in the past. Others opposing Davis in the Democratic primary include Kina Collins, who ran a tight race against him in 2022, Kouri Marshall and Nikhil Bhatia. The endorsements for Conyears-Ervin come despite the 2020 accusations that as city treasurer she misused taxpayer resources and asked for personal favors from public officials. Among the allegations from Conyears-Ervins former chief of staff, Tiffany Harper, and former chief impact officer, Ashley Evans, were that the treasurer used government workers to plan her daughters birthday party and attempted to force BMO Harris to issue a mortgage tied to the building that houses the aldermanic office for her husband. The 4-year-old complaints do not only misrepresent the treasurer, but they also misrepresent me, Conyears-Ervin said in a Tribune interview. The Rev. Dr. Ira Acree, pastor of Greater St. John Holiness Baptist Church in Austin, acknowledged Conyears-Ervin has made mistakes in the past but said no candidate is perfect and that voters should focus on her vision and long-standing commitment to the community. We dont want to get bogged down with an ethics issue that has already been dealt with and that is behind us, Acree said. Thats a ploy of the detractors and people on the other side to take the focus off of this district. The citys Board of Ethics found probable cause in November that Conyears-Ervin violated the citys ethics code when she fired the two whistleblowers who spoke out against her. Former Mayor Lori Lightfoots administration used city funds to pay Harper and Evans a $100,000 settlement and fought for roughly two years to conceal the details of their complaint. Acree said he has supported the 82-year-old Davis for decades but is backing Conyears-Ervin with hopes she will bring economic development and job growth to the district. The current person has been an elected official for so many years, and I have to ask myself, Am I better off now than I was when he started? Acree asked. If we were better off, I would say yes. Since Im saying no, I think its time to give someone else a chance. And when I look at the other candidates, she rises to the top. _____ Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnells (R-Ky.) decision to step down from his leadership role, announced Wednesday, was both shocking and unsurprising. The shock is rooted in the fact that McConnell has come to seem a permanent feature of the Washington political landscape. He was first elected to the Senate in 1984 and became Republican leader in 2007. He is the longest-serving Senate leader of all time from either party. But McConnells decision to step aside was also foreseeable for a simple, stark reason beyond his age of 82. His party had moved sharply away from him and toward his intraparty nemesis, former President Trump even as he remained its titular head in the upper chamber. The venom with which Trump attacked him was unignorable. More broadly, the traditional Republicanism of which McConnell was an emblem has been increasingly supplanted by an angrier, more performative style. The schism between the remnants of the pre-Trump GOP and the MAGA wing was evident in the reaction to McConnells decision to step aside as leader after Novembers election. Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), as steeped in the GOP establishment as McConnell himself, paid tribute to the Kentuckians extraordinary record of being steadfast in his defense of conservative values. Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) leaves the Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Sunday, February 11, 2024 following procedural votes regarding the supplemental for Israel, Info-Pacific region and Ukraine during a rare weekend session. (Greg Nash) President Biden told reporters he was sorry to hear McConnell was stepping down. In a later statement, Biden a Washington institutionalist like the outgoing leader called McConnell my friend and noted that they had been able to work together in good faith even though we have many political disagreements. A more hostile wind blew from other directions. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), one of the brashest Trump loyalists in Congress, expressed glee on social media at how McConnell had now been 86d alongside former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and outgoing Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel. Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) noted in a statement that he had challenged McConnell for the leadership in 2022. Scott greeted McConnells departure as an opportunity to refocus our efforts on solving the significant challenges facing our country and actually reflect the aspirations of voters. Even former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley the last surviving rival to Trump for the GOP nomination and the kind of Republican who would once have been expected to fall in lockstep with McConnell offered only a lukewarm tribute. Haley said McConnell did many good things but he is right that we do need a new generation. As of late Wednesday afternoon, there was no comment from Trump. Its a silence no one expects to last. Top Stories from The Hill McConnell and Trump, temperamental opposites, had tolerated a political marriage of convenience during most of the latters White House tenure. But McConnells decision to recognize Biden as the victorious president-elect in December 2020 infuriated Trump. Then, the defeated presidents role in ginning up the mob that rioted on Jan. 6, 2021, provoked a final break. Theres no question none that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of the day. No question about it, McConnell said the following month. The people who stormed this building believed they were acting on the wishes and instructions of their president. Trumps critics would note that, even then, McConnell was hardly throwing caution to the wind. His words came as he voted to acquit Trump in the impeachment proceedings that had followed the riot. Still, the tenor of the speech itself showed McConnell had calculated there was no way back for Trump after Jan. 6. For all the tactical shrewdness with which McConnell is credited, he was wrong on that score. It became clear soon enough that the party had no intention of disavowing Trump. The MAGA fever that he stoked did not break. In fact, the GOPs grassroots supporters held the twice-impeached, four-times indicted former president in far greater affection than they do McConnell. They still do. An Economist/YouGov poll released Wednesday, before McConnells decision became public, found 85 percent of Republicans viewed Trump favorably and 14 percent unfavorably. Just 31 percent of Republicans viewed McConnell favorably, while 54 percent viewed him unfavorably. If his departure as Senate GOP leader will not be mourned by most Republicans, it will be positively celebrated by Democratic voters. His liberal critics view him as a ruthless and cynical obstructionist, citing instances like his decision to block then-President Obamas nominee to the Supreme Court, Merrick Garland, from even getting hearings before the Senate. McConnell justified that 2016 decision on the basis that Obama was nearing the end of his term. The same rationale was cast aside roughly four years later when Trump nominated Amy Coney Barrett less than two months before the 2020 election. As for Trump, he is, of course, virtually assured of winning this years GOP nomination, having racked up double-digit victories in every primary contest so far. Trumps resurgence has left McConnell out on an uncomfortable limb. If Trump were to win in November, he would almost certainly engineer McConnells ouster an inglorious end to such a long career. Talks have been taking place between the McConnell and Trump camps as to under what circumstances the Senate minority leader might endorse the former president something he has conspicuously failed to do so far. One source briefed on those talks told this column that the basic outline would have McConnell endorsing Trump as the partys de facto leader in return for a quietening of Trumps attacks. But the underlying reality, the source added, was that Mitch McConnell knew that Donald Trump is likely to be the next president of the United States, and so he decided to go at a time of his own choosing. In a sense, it wasnt much of a choice. McConnell suffered a bad fall last year and, in the months afterward, twice froze on camera two embarrassing moments that sharpened questions about his leadership capacity. On Tuesday, when the Big Four congressional leaders met with Biden at the White House, McConnell was the only one of the quartet not to address the media afterward. McConnell had once seemed like an immovable object in Washington. On Tuesday, he bowed to the apparently unstoppable twin forces of Trumpism and time. The Memo is a reported column by Niall Stanage. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Jessie Dotson listens to opening arguments during his trial Monday for the multiple homicide of his brother's family on Lester St. in 2008 in Judge James Beasley Jr's courtroom on September 27, 2010. (Jim Weber/The Commercial Appeal) The man convicted of killing six people, including two children, in the now-infamous Lester Street killings in Binghampton, has requested a judge to reverse his convictions for the murders, claiming he was innocent, coerced into a false confession by police and that a number of errors were committed by both the prosecution and his original defense team. The filing argues that Jessie Dotson who was convicted in 2008 of killing his brother, three adults and two children along with injuring three other children was threatened by police and that key witnesses had faulty memories of the incident. Dotson is currently on death row in the Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville for the murders. One of the children that survived the attack, Dotson's 9-year-old nephew, named Dotson as the man to carry out the killings. That nephew, along with other witnesses and members of Dotson's family, and Dotson's confession were at the heart of the prosecution since no DNA evidence linked Dotson to the killings. In addition to police, prosecutorial and defense misconduct being alleged, the filing also looked at an independent TV film crew called "The First 48" and "After The First 48" being embedded with the Memphis Police Department as prejudicial to Dotson's case. The 249-page filing lists 50 different claims that Dotson's new defense attorney, Kelley Henry, argued should result in his conviction being overturned. It also includes an additional 39 examples of what Henry argued constituted ineffective assistance of counsel. Some of those claims also point to the killing actually being a gang retaliation, citing the fact that some of the victims were armed, Dotson's relative had recently crossed members of the gang he was in, the scene was reminiscent of gang and cartel retribution killings, and that Dotson did not have "so much as a scratch on his body." Did the Memphis Police Department coerce Dotson into confessing? Henry described the interrogation as lasting seven hours, with Dotson being "sleep deprived and psychologically manipulated" while telling detectives he was innocent. At numerous times, Henry wrote that Dotson invoked his right to remain silent and asked for an attorney. Those requests were ignored by police as the interrogation went on. "We are going to go hard at Jessie tonight," then-Lt. Toney Armstrong was quoted as saying in the show that was filming the interrogation. "And they did," Henry wrote in the filing. "Over the course of the evening, Lt. Armstrong threatened to arrest Jessie's mother, Priscilla Shaw, and sister, Nicole Dotson. He threatened to kill Jessie. He threatened to put Jessie in general population with the Gangster Disciples in the jail at 201 Poplar and let them kill him. He lied to Jessie and told him that they had Jessie's footprints in blood at the scene. He made promises to Jessie, but told him he had to hurry or else Lt. Armstrong couldn't help him. And then, he repeatedly played the tape of C.J. [Dotson, Jessie's nephew,] saying that Jessie did it. Jessie broke. He confessed." Court updates: Shelby Co. judge reprimanded for re-sentencing comments, fourth judge reprimanded in a year But, Henry goes on to say the confession wasn't consistent with the crime scene evidence. She also said it didn't include details any additional details and consisted of information that the family had already known and was "fed" to Dotson during his interrogation. C.J. Dotson, Jessie Dotson's nephew, was key to the prosecution's case. The kid had been stabbed in the head during the killings and survived, going on to name Jessie Dotson as the person to carry out the murders. But Henry argues in the latest filing that C.J. Dotson's memory had been tampered with by police and that he wasn't mentally prepared to name the suspect. She also pointed to C.J. being on "mind-altering medications" when he was interviewed, citing medical records that showed he was prescribed fentanyl, morphine, Propofol and hydrocodone. C.J. Dotson was first interviewed by a trained forensic child advocate named Pat Lewis. During the Lewis interview, the filing said C.J. Dotson named two separate people as suspects, and that he was repeating what he had heard the assailants say. That interview was stopped short because Lewis believed C.J. Dotson was becoming distressed about reliving the murders. "Though it had been decided that for the child's welfare he should only be questioned by trained experts, Sgt. [Caroline] Mason failed to follow the protocol," the filing said. "On March 7, 2008, after Police Chief [Larry] Godwin told the homicide detectives that he was bringing in outside agencies, Sgt. Mason took it upon herself to go back to C.J. one last time." Henry alleges in the filing that Mason told C.J. Dotson of the gifts that he'd been given including gift cards, balloons and a teddy bear and the filing implies that Mason used them to get C.J. Doton to name a suspect. "Open your mouth and talk to me," Mason was quoted as saying in the part of the interview that was recorded. "You been talking to me the whole time I been here. So talk to me now. Dont stop now cause we need to get these bad guys, cause theyre still out there, and I want to get them so that they wont cause you any more problems. You dont have anything to worry about. Thats why Im here. Thats why I came every day, faithfully, to see about you. Because I want you to remember what happened and tell me who these guys are, and you wont have to deal that right now, anymore. Okay? Okay? Okay, C.J.?" Defendant Jessie Dotson talks with defense team members as his murder trial continues in Judge James Beasley's courtroom on September 29, 2010. Mason's full conversation with C.J. Dotson was not recorded, but Henry alleged Mason reinforced Jessie Dotson as the actual suspect to his nephew by praising him for saying certain things, and not praising him for others. Four days after Mason spoke with C.J. Dotson, another expert Linda Steele was brought in to interview the 9-year-old at the suggestion of the FBI. Her report was never made publicly available, nor was it disclosed to Jessie Dotson's defense team. Henry said that report has still not been given to her and the current defense team. "In an email message to [Assistant District Attorney] Ray Lepone, in preparing for trial, Ms. Steele warned, 'If I were to testify for you in any capacity, my contact with the kids might come up as an issue; so I did document it," the filing said. Prosecutors, according to the filing, also did not disclose to the defense that the psychologist treating C.J. Dotson said that the child's memory was not reliable. The tape of him naming Jessie Dotson as the killer, Armstrong told "The First 48," was key in his confession. "Once I played the tape, actually his heart started beating so fast I could see it in his throat, you know, in his neck, and I wasn't going to let him off here," Armstrong was quoted in the filing as saying. "Again, I was not going to give him a chance to recoup from that." Missing evidence, missing footage and The First 48's influence MPD has said there is no footage in their custody of Dotson's interrogation, but, the filing said, both "The First 48" and a camera hidden in a smoke detector inside the room, owned and operated by MPD, filmed the interrogation. "The First 48" has declined to turn over the entire clip of the interrogation, citing journalistic privilege, and even said that the files had been destroyed. Henry argued in the filing that the footage should be turned over and that the show became an "agent of the state" when they signed a contract for exclusive access, which media outlets almost never receive. More: MPD: Memphis crime is mostly down, homicides create perception of 2023 crime increase That access also included filming the crime scene on Lester Street as evidence was being collected. That footage was also not disclosed, Henry said in the filing. Footage is not the only hiccup Henry said the team has experienced in trying to investigate Dotson's potential innocence nearly 16 years after his conviction. Her team also has been denied access to "critical files and interviews of law enforcement witnesses" that are said to be in the original case file. That file should be housed with the Shelby County District Attorney's Office, but the original was given to the Tennessee Attorney General after the passage of a bill that gives the AG jurisdiction in collateral review death penalty cases. That law was ruled unconstitutional by a Shelby County Criminal Court judge in July 2023, and the AG's office has appealed that ruling. The DA's office is a party to that constitutional challenge. MPD files are also missing from the department, which it told Henry could be found in the court file. Both of these practices, she said in the filing, go against her experience with MPD and DA's office policy. Other evidence that Henry argued pointed to the killing being a form of gang retaliation, such as a backpack with a bandana, live ammunition and photos of high-ranking members of the Gangster Disciples a gang one of Dotson's relatives was part of and had recently crossed were taken from the crime scene by a member of the Organized Crime Unit, but those pieces of evidence, the filing said, went missing. The influence of "The First 48" also exerted pressure on MPD to solve the murders, Henry wrote in the filing. She alleged that pressure even extended to Mason's desire to get a suspect name from C.J. Dotson, with Henry saying that she was "a frequent 'star'" of the show who "loved the limelight." Jessie Dotson smiles while talking to members of his defense team as his murder trial continues in Judge James Beasley's courtroom on September 29, 2010. "According to a former Shelby County assistant district attorney general who worked with her, [Mason] even carried around photographs of herself to autograph for her 'fans,'" the filing alleged. Then Shelby County District Attorney Bill Gibbons, at one point, wrote to MPD urging it to end its contract with "The First 48" since it was "so detrimental" to the case, the filing said. It added that the show was "so prejudicial" that Jessi Dotson sought a venue change, which was granted, and a jury was selected from Nashville residents. Brady and Miranda violations and ineffective assistance of counsel raised in filing In addition to files not being available to Henry in the latest filings, Henry also alleged that the original trial saw the prosecution withhold reports, footage and evidence that could have been exculpatory for Dotson. Henry also said Dotson's Miranda rights were violated when police did not respect his invocation of silence and request for a lawyer. She said his rights were violated again when he asked Armstrong to stop questioning him so he could speak with his mother, which the filing alleges was not allowed to happen. A fourth Miranda violation is alleged when Dotson was signing his statement after giving a confession, where Henry said Mason did not inform him of his rights and then "covered up the warnings with her hand" as Dotson signed. According to the filing, prosecutors on the case also did not disclose "favorable treatment" and deals for shorter prison sentences in exchange for testimony that would benefit the prosecution. More: 'A happy day': Man wrongfully convicted of Memphis robbery declared innocent after 20 years behind bars The prosecution also, according to the filing, worked with Dotson's relatives to try and make him angry on the stand to "prey on racial prejudices." "According to a former assistant Shelby County district attorney general with knowledge, Ray Lepone (one of the prosecutors in the original case) often brags on the research he conducted in advance of Jessie Dotson's testimony," the filing read. "Lepone enlisted the help of Jessie's family to help him come up with a way to make Jessie angry on the witness stand. His hope was to make Jessie lose his temper and, in turn, 'scare' the jury, playing on the stereotype of the Black male superpredator." That plan, the filing alleged, was to press Dotson into reenacting what Armstrong did during the interrogation. When he did, the filing said he also mimicked Armstrong's "anger, tone and volume. Everyone agreed the ploy worked. The jury was scared." In total, the filing also listed 39 instances of what it described as ineffective assistance of counsel, including not objecting to statements prosecutors made, not doing a thorough investigation and not properly preparing Dotson to testify. After receiving a response from the state, along with the record of all past proceedings, Henry said she file motions for depositions and for documents the defense team hasn't received. After having those documents, she said she will request an evidentiary hearing. Lucas Finton is a criminal justice reporter with The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached at Lucas.Finton@commercialappeal.com, or (901)208-3922, and followed on X, formerly known as Twitter, @LucasFinton. This embedded content is not available in your region. This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Jessie Dotson is on death row. A new filing claims he is innocent Memphis Mayor Paul Young said he sat down with some leaders of Memphis' gangs a little over two weeks ago. It was not the first time a city mayor had a meeting like that, but it was, seemingly, the first time a sitting mayor discussed it publicly. Along the campaign trail, after the election and in the weeks since he was sworn in, Young has said the city needs a "holistic" approach to crime. Previously he has said that this meant gathering community members, religious leaders, law enforcement, government actors and nonprofits. Meeting with the gangs, he told The Commercial Appeal Wednesday, was part of extending the dialogue to those directly involved with crime. "If we are going to talk about how we're going to reduce crime, I think it's important to engage those that have been directly involved," Young said. "It was really as simple as asking what it would take to get a seven-day ceasefire. They expressed a willingness to do it." Mayor Paul Young speaks to the press after the announcement, through the partnerships of the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development and Memphis tourism, of the Withers Collection Museum & Gallery becoming a new Tennessee site on the U.S. Civil Rights Trail at 333 Beale Street on Tuesday, Feb. 06, 2024 in Memphis, Tenn. Young said the people he spoke with pointed to the need for programs that speak directly to Memphis' youth, giving them recreational opportunities and ways to earn money. He also said the city is looking at restructuring its summer job programming to allow kids who have low grade point averages, which often has been tied to a higher likelihood of committing a crime, to take part. A current GPA restriction prevents students with poor grades from being accepted into the program. The meeting was facilitated by 901 Bloc Squad, Heal 901 and the city's Violence Intervention Program, all programs looking to curb violence around Memphis. Young said he was struck by the humanity and "how normal, or regular" the gang members were when he spoke to them. "One of the individuals said, 'Man, we don't want to be out here. We don't want to have to do this,'" Young recalled. "What they said to me was that they've been conditioned to this lifestyle. If we introduce some opportunities, we may be able to turn the tide." Part of turning that tide will come from conversations with more gang members, Young said, adding that there will need to be more than the group he spoke with weeks ago in agreement to curb crime. More: Mayor Paul Young says he's 'committed to the mission' of helping unhoused in Memphis "One of them expressed to me how powerful it was that we were sitting there, and how powerful it would be if we, rather than rely on them to convey the message to other those that are with their organization, that I went and impressed it directly," he said. "It would be so powerful for them to see me in their neighborhood because that's not common. These young people want to see the decision-makers. They want to see the ones that have come from these neighborhoods and made it out in different ways." Though he said he recognized prioritizing youth programming to ensure the future generations of Memphians are staying away from crime, Young said he understands why people asking for immediate solutions to crime. "We are in a crisis and people want to know what we are going to get done tomorrow, not what's going to happen in the next 10 years," Young said. "I completely understand the desire. With the immediate goals, we're working on multiple. That's why I said it's not either-or, it's both." Young pointed to surging police in areas that are seeing higher crime, in what he called "code zero," and enforcing more warrants and analyzing gun crimes over the years. Crime, overall, has been down through the first two months of the year. That trend is a continuation of the back end of 2023 but has not been felt due to homicides still being up. Lucas Finton is a criminal justice reporter with The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached at Lucas.Finton@commercialappeal.com, or (901) 208-3922 and followed on X, formerly known as Twitter, @LucasFinton. This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis Mayor Paul Young says more meetings with gang members will come A recent Alabama ruling holds that frozen embryos are considered children under the law, meaning that anyone who destroys one could be held liable. picture alliance/dpa/picture alliance via Getty I A San Antonio doctor is offering to cover travel costs for in-vitro-fertilization patients coming from Alabama, where the state's high court ruled earlier this month that frozen embryos have the same rights as children. Francisco Paco Arredondo will reimburse Alabama patients up to $2,000 for travel costs to his Alamo City clinic, Pozitivf, he told Texas Public Radio. The Alabama Supreme Court ruling Feb. 16 held that anyone who destroys an embryo could be held liable, leading several fertility clinics in the state to pause treatment. Advertisement Article continues below this ad During IVF, embryos sometimes are damaged during the transfer process or discarded if genetic mutations are detected. A woman who is suing the state of Texas for its abortion ban has decided to move her embryos out of Texas for fear that a similar ruling could occur closer to home. Arredondo believes that IVF should be available to anyone looking to start or grow their family, and he says that his clinic handles embryos with care and respect, Texas Public Radio reported. Authorities arrested a Milford school bus driver accused of having a collection of child porn at his home. 27-year-old Robert Nolan remains behind bars Thursday night after facing a judge on charges of possession of child pornography and disseminating photographs of sexual or intimate parts of a child. Its repulsive to the conscious, said a Milford District Court Judge. The allegations are monstrous this is somebody trusted by the community to have children in his care. Milford Police Detectives along with the Massachusetts State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force say they arrested Nolan at his house around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday without incident. In a Thursday afternoon press conference, authorities said Nolan turned over his cell phone which appeared to have images of children as young as six years old on it. Officials said there is no indication any Milford school students were involved. At this time were doing a deep dive through the cyber forensics side of it and at this time we dont have any evidence that any students were involved in this we have no direct threat to the community at this time, said Police Chief Robert Tusino. Nolan admitted to using an app called Telegram to observe, possess, distribute, and trade depictions of naked children, according to charging documents. Milford Schools Superintendent Kevin McIntyre confirmed Nolan was terminated from his position as a school bus driver for the district after six years of employment. Nolan primarily transported children with disabilities. Its always very disappointing when you hear of a staff member whos been arrested and charged with a crime particularly with child pornography its the last thing any of us want to hear, said McIntyre. He was held on $10,040 bail and will be arraigned in Milford District Court on Thursday morning. 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 Jean-Luc Ngoie and Cyrille Monatshebe grew up volunteering together as altar servers at their church in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Last Sunday, they again worked to prepare for Mass this time, in Whitefish Bay. They lined up chairs and microphones for the choir and set out songbooks and French-to-English liturgical guides as families filtered into Holy Family Parish. The childhood friends are two of the organizers of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee's only French-language Catholic Mass. Originally based at St. Rose of Lima Parish and newly moved to Holy Family, the small community of francophone African immigrants is a local manifestation of Africa's growing Catholic population. It's also an example of the increasingly diverse landscape of faith in Milwaukee, long known as a city of immigrants. Worshipers of the Messe en Francais hail from the Congo, Senegal, Cameroon, Kenya and more. "It takes me back home," said parishioner Sheila Mendy, who recalls the vibrant services she attended as a child in Senegal. The Rev. Fabrice Kameni preaches to the congregation in French during the French-language Catholic Mass at Holy Family Parish on Sunday, Feb. 25, 2024. It was the first time the small community of francophone African immigrants met at the Whitefish Bay church. Prior to that, they were at St. Rose of Lima. Organizers work to grow French Catholic community Members have diligently worked to build their community since their first Mass in October 2021, when about 10 people gathered for worship. As many as 50 people have come at once, but there are about two dozen regulars. In moving from St. Rose, where Mass was at 5 p.m. on Sundays, to Holy Family, where they can worship at 12:30 p.m., organizers hope more people will be able to come. People tend to be busy Sunday evenings, they reason, and it's dark by that time in the winter. Ngoie got the idea to start a French Mass in Milwaukee after taking part in a well-established francophone Catholic community in Cape Town, South Africa, where he lived before coming to the U.S. The chance to pray and sing in one's native language is unparalleled, he said. The choir at the French Mass at Holy Family in Whitefish Bay sings a capella for now, because they do not have a pianist. From left: Jean-Luc Ngoie, Cyrille Monatshebe, Annette Kasongo, Vedastine Ngoy and Liliane McFarlane. "It's always a different feeling when you pray in French," Ngoie said. "You sing some of the old songs that you used to sing when you were young." More: Milwaukee's most multicultural Catholic church exudes the Easter message of new life Monatshebe and Ngoie grew up together in Lubumbashi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo's second-biggest city, and separately attended seminary to become priests. Both left before becoming ordained. They both applied for the United States' diversity visa program, also known as the green card lottery, and both happened to win it. Each year the lottery provides 50,000 green cards granting legal, permanent residency to people from countries with low levels of immigration to the U.S. Ngoie arrived in the U.S. a year after Monatshebe and settled in Michigan at first. But he knew no one in Michigan, and his friend invited him to check out Milwaukee. Ngoie liked it. "Here, I had him," Ngoie said. "So I decided just to come here." What drives the two friends in their endeavor to expand their community is a strong sense of faith and a desire to welcome others into it. Monatshebe tells churchgoers each week to bring their friends to Mass. He's in the process of starting a French-language show on a community radio station to reach even more people. "It's the mission Jesus gave us," he said. Cesar Badji, right, laughs with the Rev. Deogratias Fikiri and another parishioner after a French-language Mass at Holy Family Parish in Whitefish Bay. It was the first Mass in French in more than 20 years for Badji, who is from Senegal. More: He left Nicaragua at 15 seeking a better life. He's found comfort, support at a south-side Milwaukee church. Discovering 'the beauty of what language does to bring people together' Monatshebe sang in the choir while his wife watched with their two young daughters, ages 3 years old and 6 months. More and more, his toddler mixes English and French words. The French Mass is a way for her to maintain her parents' language and culture, he said. The seven-person choir sang a capella harmonies Sunday, as they are still looking for a pianist. Their music director at St. Rose couldn't make the move to Holy Family for scheduling reasons. But the broader community is already taking note of the unique service. The Rev. Enrique Hernandez, pastor of Holy Family, said curious parishioners have pledged to stop by the Mass soon. A handful of non-African families sat in the pews at the first Mass on Sunday. Organizers also want to reach French Canadians, natives of France and those who are learning French in Milwaukee. Among the newcomers: a Cameroonian family of four whose 10-year-old son goes to school at Holy Family. Yannick and Marie Paule Biabeu said they hoped their children continue practicing the faith they grew up in. Originally from Senegal, Cesar Badji came to Milwaukee in 2001. He typically finds himself reciting the Our Father prayer in his head in French at Mass. But on Sunday, for the first time in over two decades, he recited everything in French. "This is definitely a blessing to be able to come here," said Badji, of Shorewood. "It just brings the community together." More: After facing persecution as a Rohingya in Malaysia, she's now devoted to helping refugees in Milwaukee The community is more than just a Sunday service. For Jonathan Ngoy, 28, who attended the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee as a Congolese student and now works in Racine, it has provided social connection and friendship. In the Congo, friends lived nearby and people stopped by each other's homes more easily. "In America, everything is scheduled. You've got work at this time, and then you're tired," Ngoy said. "Some people lack that sense of community. And if you're not that social, it can get worse." Liliane McFarlane of Brown Deer, an organizer of the Mass who grew up in Kenya, sees how valuable it is for people to worship in their own language. She hopes everyone who walks through the doors feels at home, from the immigrants who want to "touch their roots" to the French language learners who want to be immersed with other speakers. "I hope they want to come here to feel welcome, and want to meet others, and discover the beauty of what language does to bring people together," she said. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee's only Catholic Mass in French unifies African immigrants NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) A minor was injured in a shooting Wednesday evening on Dellway Villa Road in Nashville. Metro police said the shooting happened just after 5 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 28, in the 300 block of Dellway Villa Road. Have breaking come to you: Subscribe to News 2 email alerts A minor was shot and taken to the hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries, according to investigators at the scene. No other information was released. Download the News 2 app to stay updated on the go. Sign up for WKRN email alerts to have breaking news sent to your inbox. Find todays top stories on WKRN.com for Nashville, TN and all of Middle Tennessee. This is a developing story. WKRN News 2 will continue to update this article as new information becomes available. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2. JACKSON, Miss. Former Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant said at a party weeks before leaving office that he had been offered a financial stake in a company that received welfare money to try to develop a concussion drug and was connected to retired NFL quarterback Brett Favre, according to a new court filing by a person convicted in a welfare misspending case. Nancy New had a close working relationship with Favre and Bryant while the Republican was governor, and she made the allegation about Bryant in court papers Monday. New said that at a 2019 Christmas party, Bryant talked about Jake Vanlandingham, founder of the Florida-based biotech company Prevacus. Governor Bryant got excited and told me that Jake had offered him half the company, which I understood to mean a substantial amount of stock, but the Governor said he was going to have to wait until he was out of office to accept, New wrote. Former Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant The Associated Press left a voicemail message Wednesday at a number affiliated with Vanlandingham. He did not immediately respond. Denton Gibbes, a spokesperson for Bryant, said the former governor cannot comment on New's allegations because a judge issued an order in 2020 to prevent prosecutors, defense attorneys and others from publicly discussing the criminal case against New. If there wasn't a gag order in place, we'd forcefully respond, Gibbes said Wednesday. We'll let our libel action against Mississippi Today speak for us. Bryant filed a lawsuit in July against Mississippi Today, saying the online news organization had defamed him in its coverage of welfare misspending that officials say occurred from 2016 to 2019. The organization has asked a judge to dismiss the suit, saying its coverage is constitutionally protected speech. Bryant, Favre and Vanlandingham are not facing criminal charges over welfare misspending in what officials have said is Mississippi's largest public corruption case. State Auditor Shad White has said New is connected to many parts of the case. She was director of Mississippi Community Education Center, a nonprofit organization that spent welfare money through the Mississippi Department of Human Services. More: See why the MS Auditor is demanding Brett Favre repay $729,790 in countersuit New pleaded guilty to bribery and other charges in April 2022 and agreed to testify against others. She awaits sentencing, and her latest court filing was in response to a civil lawsuit that the state filed in May 2022 against about three dozen other people, including New, Favre and Vanlandingham. The state seeks to recover more than $20 million in misspent welfare money, including some that went to a volleyball facility that Favre supported at the University of Southern Mississippi. Bryant was governor from 2013 to 2020 and chose John Davis as director of the state Department of Human Services. Davis pleaded guilty in September 2022 to state and federal charges in a conspiracy to misspend tens of millions of dollars that were intended to help needy families in one of the poorest states in the U.S. New said her court filing this week that she and Davis met with Favre and Vanlandingham at Favres south Mississippi home in January 2019. New said Vanlandingham knew that she, Davis and Bryant had funded the volleyball facility through the Department of Human Services and her nonprofit organization, and Vanlandingham requested $750,000 to complete drug trials and another $1 million for later use. Favre had publicly said he supported the Prevacus effort to develop a concussion drug, and the state's civil lawsuit says Favre invested more than $250,000 in the Florida-based company. New said that during the meeting at Favre's home, Davis committed $2 million to Prevacus, with the money moving from the Department of Human Services to Mississippi Community Education Center and then to Prevacus. After the meeting, I asked John why he had committed so much funding so quickly, New said in the court filing. John said he had spoken with Governor Bryant and the Governor wanted Prevacus funded. John said the Governor was all about this happening. The state's civil lawsuit says New owned stock in Prevacus. The state auditor said in 2020 that Favre received speaking fees from Mississippi Community Education Center. The money from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program was to go toward the volleyball arena at the university in Hattiesburg where his daughter started playing on the volleyball team in 2017. Favre repaid $500,000 to the state in May 2020 and $600,000 in October 2021. In a Feb. 5 court filing, White said Favre still owes $729,790 because interest caused growth in the original amount he owed. This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi ex-governor expected stake in Prevacus that got welfare money, Nancy New says By Brendan Pierson (Reuters) -Missouri's Republican attorney general on Thursday sued a Planned Parenthood affiliate, accusing it of helping minors travel to Kansas to get abortions without notifying their parents in violation of state law. The lawsuit by Attorney General Andrew Bailey cites undercover footage released by the conservative Project Veritas last year purporting to show a Planned Parenthood Great Plains employee offer to arrange an abortion for a 13-year-old in Kansas. Missouri law bans nearly all abortions, as well as helping a minor get an abortion out of state without parental consent. Bailey's office called the lawsuit "the culmination of a multi-year campaign to drive Planned Parenthood from the State of Missouri," accusing it of violating other state laws in the past. The attorney general is seeking an order from the Circuit Court of Boone County barring the reproductive health organization from helping minors get abortions. A spokesperson for Planned Parenthood Great Plains said it does not provide transportation directly to patients. Its president, Emily Wales, said in a statement that the lawsuit was "based on 'evidence' from fraudulent, extreme anti-abortion actors" and that the organization would "continue following state and federal laws." "Planned Parenthood can try to turn the spotlight back on us, but they've been caught breaking the law," a Project Veritas spokesperson said in an email. Project Veritas frequently releases hidden camera footage seeking to show alleged wrongdoing by left-leaning organizations. It has frequently been accused of using deceptive tactics. Missouri is one of about 20 Republican-led states that have banned or restricted abortion since the U.S. Supreme Court in 2022 overturned its 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling, which had guaranteed abortion rights nationwide. Abortion remains legal until about 22 weeks in Kansas after voters in August 2022 rejected an effort to remove protections for it from the state's constitution. (Reporting by Brendan Pierson in New York; Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Richard Chang) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has filed a lawsuit against Planned Parenthoods Great Plains branch, accusing it of trafficking minors across state lines for abortions. Bailey is pushing for a court order to block Planned Parenthoods Great Plains locations from offering abortions to out-of-state minors. The lawsuit claims, based on a video and other evidence, that minors are removed from schools using doctors notes, have an abortion performed in the state of Kansas, then return across state lines. Baileys lawsuit contends this is happening without parental consent and driven by Planned Parenthood. Underground world of catalytic converter thefts This is the beginning of the end for Planned Parenthood in the State of Missouri. What they conceal and conspire to do in the dark of night has now been uncovered. I am filing suit to ensure it never happens again, said Bailey. As a father who held my daughter in my arms for the single hour of her life before she died, I know firsthand how important it is to protect life. Our children are the future. It is time to eradicate Planned Parenthood once and for all to end this pattern of abhorrent, unethical, and illegal behavior. The lawsuit cites a Missouri statute that makes it illegal to intentionally cause, aid, or assist a minor to obtain an abortion without parental consent in another state. Bailey also links Planned Parenthood to several other alleged violations, including a half-decade of health-code violations that led to Planned Parenthoods facility in Columbia shutting down in 2018. He also claims there was a 15-year period in which the organization failed to comply with state laws in filing reports when women experienced medical complications from abortions. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Politics Baileys Office says further investigation into Planned Parenthood is ongoing. A spokesperson for Planned Parenthoods Great Plains branch offered the following statement in response to the lawsuit, addressing a press release from Bailey announcing the lawsuit: This is a press release dressed up as legal action from an unelected attorney general. It is based on evidence from fraudulent, extreme anti-abortion actors, who claim to be journalists. At this point, were relying on the attorney generals social media posts to review any purported lawsuit, as we have not yet been served and the document does not yet appear to have been filed. We will continue following state and federal laws and proudly providing Missourians with the compassionate sexual and reproductive care that remains available to them in a state with a total abortion ban. The spokesperson also adds that minor patients seeking abortion services in Kansas are required by state law to have parental consent or complete a judicial bypass process. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2. Rudu Isaiah Rudy Pardo, convicted Wednesday of murder in the fatal shooting of Kevin Osborne, was sentenced Thursday to six years in prison. Salgu Wissmath/San Antonio Express-News Kevin Osborne, shown in this courtesy photo, was a professional photographer who frequented the Cadena-Reeves Justice Center and routinely monitored criminal trials. The man convicted of murder in his death, Rudu Isaiah Rudy Pardo, was sentenced to six years in prison Thursday. Courtesy of the Bexar County District Attorney's Office/San Antonio Express-News Rudu Isaiah Rudy Pardo, left, is shown with his defense attorney Anton Hajek III, on Wednesday as they awaited a verdict in his murder trial. On Thursday, Pardo was sentenced to six years in prison. Salgu Wissmath/San Antonio Express-News Rudu Isaiah Rudy Pardo has no criminal record, has apologized and deserves sympathy, his attorney told the Bexar County jury that convicted him of murder for killing his best friends stepfather. Jurors took just over two hours Thursday to sentence Pardo, 27, to six years in prison, one year more than the minimum term for the first-degree felony. The jury had taken more than four hours to find him guilty Wednesday in the fatal shooting of Kevin Osborne, 53, during a confrontation between Osborne and his stepson, Pardos friend. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Pardo had faced five to 99 years or life in prison. He and his friend, Orion Herrera, both brought loaded handguns to a house on the West Side where Osborne had gone to seek his mother-in-laws help in patching up a fight with his wife early on Feb. 19, 2023. Herrera and Osborne got into a chest-bumping confrontation in the driveway and Pardo intervened. Pardo testified Osborne punched him, that he pushed Osborne and fired one shot in self-defense when Osborne kept advancing. Herrera testified with much the same story except for the punching part. Osborne was aggressive and made verbal threats but was unarmed, he said. No punches were visible in video taken of the incident from surveillance cameras across the street at Memorial High School. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Osbornes relatives were silent as visiting Senior State District Judge Lisa Jarrett, presiding by assignment, read the jurys sentence. We lost a beloved family member and pillar of the community, Ernest Osborne said of his brother, a professional photographer and owner of a business, Blackdolphin Kjo. Kevin Osborne was a fixture at the Cadena-Reeves Justice Center, took selfies with many of the judges and lawyers and often sat in on criminal trials because of his interest in the law. He sometimes took campaign photos of judges, and state District Judge Stephanie Boyd, whose court was assigned the case, recused herself because he had taken pictures of her and she considered him a friend. So many people loved Kevin. He had an infectious smile that filled a room, Ernest Osborne said. He told Pardo he felt bad for him, that Kevin Osbornes then-wife was irresponsible and put Pardo in danger by drawing him and Herrera into the nights dispute. Advertisement Article continues below this ad You didnt need to be there, he told Pardo. Two of the victims nephews gave statements that also put blame on his wife, Kris Herrera, who they said told lies about her husband and should have been charged along with Pardo. Orion Herrera testified that his mother called and instructed him to call her mother, Manuella Monsivais, and tell her to not let Osborne in her house. He told the jury he tried unsuccessfully to get a 911 dispatcher to send San Antonio police to see if he was there, so he enlisted Pardo, and they both took their guns. Pardo testified that he suffered from psoriasis on 90% of his body and Osbornes punches caused immense pain. I was trying to shoot in the abdomen or lower leg, higher leg, he testified Wednesday through tears. I didnt want the worst to happen. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Using an overhead projector, defense attorney Anton Hajek III showed the jury a hand-drawn chart that listed the number 5 with a dotted line to 99/life. Underneath five years, he wrote the word sympathy. Toward the top range he wrote rehabilitation. I ask that you be sympathetic, Hajek told the panel before they deliberated the sentence. In his closing argument, prosecutor Jason Garrahan told the jury that sentencing Pardo to the minimum would be highly inappropriate. I am not going to compare him to an ax murderer, Garrahan told the panel. Thats 99 years or life. But he took away Kevin Osborne that day from his family. Garrahan pointed out that Pardo and his friends carried guns without ever taking courses to learn to use them properly and to educate themselves on what constitutes self-defense. Advertisement Article continues below this ad These are the people walking around to choose who lives or dies, Garrahan told the jury. Rudy Pardo is that individual, just like his friends, walking around with guns, not knowing the law. Its dangerous. Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey alleged in a lawsuit on Thursday that Planned Parenthood Great Plains had helped organize abortions for minors out of state without parental consent, citing a video posted by the conservative group Project Veritas. Planned Parenthood Great Plains in response called Baileys actions a press release dressed up as legal action from an unelected attorney general. Bailey, a Republican appointed to office last year now facing a competitive primary contest, accused Planned Parenthood Great Plains, or PPGP, of working to pay for abortions for minors, as well as providing transportation and lodging. The lawsuit asserts that the organization represented to schools that minors should be excused for medical reasons without disclosing it was for an abortion. Except for medical emergencies, abortion has been banned in Missouri since June 2022, after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. At the time, Planned Parenthood operated the only abortion clinic in the state, in St. Louis. Baileys lawsuit, filed in Boone County Circuit Court according to copies of court documents released by his office, marks a new front in a long battle by Missouri Republicans to drive Planned Parenthood from the state, even though the organization no longer performs abortions in Missouri. The Missouri House on Wednesday advanced a bill to block state Medicaid dollars from going to Planned Parenthood. Bailey cast the legal challenge as part of an effort to eradicate Planned Parenthood. This is the beginning of the end for Planned Parenthood in the State of Missouri. What they conceal and conspire to do in the dark of night has now been uncovered. I am filing suit to ensure it never happens again, Bailey said in a written statement. The lawsuit seeks an injunction ordering Planned Parenthood Great Plains, which operates in Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas and Oklahoma, from helping minors obtain abortions. Much of Baileys petition consists of a recitation of years-old health and safety violations at a PPGP clinic in Columbia. The allegations related to helping minors obtain abortions are rooted in an undercover video posted last year by Project Veritas, a right-wing group with a history of using hidden cameras to embarrass its targets. The video purports to show conversations with Planned Parenthood employees, filmed surreptitiously, in which they describe how a 13-year-old girl can obtain an abortion in Kansas without her parents knowing. Planned Parenthood Great Plains said the Project Veritas video was filmed without the staffs knowledge or consent and had been heavily doctored and edited. The organization also doesnt provide any transportation directly to patients, regardless of age or location. It is based on evidence from fraudulent, extreme anti-abortion actors, who claim to be journalists. At this point, were relying on the attorney generals social media posts to review any purported lawsuit, as we have not yet been served and the document does not yet appear to have been filed, PPGP president and CEO Emily Wales said in a written statement on Thursday morning. We will continue following state and federal laws and proudly providing Missourians with the compassionate sexual and reproductive care that remains available to them in a state with a total abortion ban. Abortion remains legal in Kansas and Illinois, and many Missouri residents have traveled across state lines for the procedure. In 2022, 50 Missouri residents under 18 received abortions in Kansas, according to official Kansas statistics. Missouri law contains a provision that allows a court to authorize a minor to obtain an abortion without parental consent. Bailey alleged that because Missouri does not allow elective abortions, there is no ability to obtain judicial permission for an out of state abortion. But Kansas law also requires minors to obtain parental permission for an abortion or go through a judicial bypass process meaning that every Missouri minor who has an abortion in Kansas must either have a parent or a Kansas judges permission. Baileys petition says Missouri law forbids anyone from helping a minor get an abortion without parental consent, even if the abortion occurs across state lines and is legal in that other State. JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) Missouris Republican lawmakers are once again trying to block federal health care dollars from going to the states Planned Parenthood clinics, this time weeks after the Missouri Supreme Court thwarted a previous attempt to end that funding. The Republican-led House on Wednesday gave initial approval to a bill that would bar Medicaid funding from going to Planned Parenthood, which is already banned by state law from providing abortions in almost all circumstances. Republican lawmakers argued no public funding should go to the organization, which offers abortions in other states. When you do business with an entity like a Planned Parenthood, youre ultimately subsidizing those abortion services, even if they are in other states, bill sponsor Rep. Cody Smith said during Wednesday floor debate. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News House Democrats said the ban will limit low-income residents choice in where they go for health care such as cancer screenings and birth control. In some areas of the state, Democratic Rep. Patty Lewis said it could mean blocking access to those services altogether. In the state of Missouri, defunding Planned Parenthood services is defunding affordable access for our constituents, Lewis said. The measure needs another vote of approval in the House before it can move to the Senate. A similar effort to block Medicaid funding from Planned Parenthood stalled in the GOP-led Senate earlier this month after a Democrat attempted to amend the bill to allow exceptions for rape and incest under the states current ban on almost all abortions. Missouri in 2022 banned abortion except in cases of medical emergencies. Lawmakers previously were able to stop money from going to Planned Parenthood in the 2019 fiscal year by forgoing some federal funding to avoid requirements that the clinics be reimbursed if low-income patients go there for birth control, cancer screenings and other preventative care. Missouri instead used state money to pay for those services. Girl Scouts USA: We regret any hurt after St. Louis troop disbands over conflict But the Missouri Supreme Court in 2020 ruled lawmakers violated the state constitution by making the policy change through the state budget instead of a separate bill, forcing the state to reimburse Planned Parenthood for health care provided to Medicaid patients. Republican lawmakers are acting with increased urgency this year after the Missouri Supreme Court earlier this month rejected yet another attempt by Republican state officials to block taxpayer dollars from going to Planned Parenthood, citing a failure in the states legal appeal. The high courts decision upheld a ruling by a trial judge, who found that a 2022 funding bill violated the state constitution. The Supreme Court said Republican Attorney General Andrew Baileys office failed to appeal a claim that the law violated equal protection rights, and it thus must stand. Also pending is an effort to amend the state constitution to protect abortion rights. Supporters now are working to gather more than 170,000 voter signatures by May 5 to get on the November ballot. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2. The mother of a Modesto man slain in 2021 in Oakdale said she feels misled by a plea deal recently made by the Stanislaus County District Attorneys Office and the defense. Nathaniel Hollands killer, 53-year-old Scott Staudenmaier, was sentenced on Jan. 31 to 12 years in prison, including time served, for voluntary manslaughter. Holland, 21, died after being stabbed in the chest once by Staudenmaier on the 200 block of South Yosemite Avenue on Sept. 4, 2021. Staudenmaier was tried for second-degree murder, which resulted in a hung jury. The judge declared a mistrial and the defense worked on a plea deal with the prosecution. Hollands mother, Katie Holland-Martin, said the DAs Office promised her ahead of trial that it would not accept anything less than a second-degree murder charge. Following the mistrial, it was pretty devastating to hear that they accepted that plea deal, she said, adding that she wanted Staudenmaier to rot in prison. Katie Holland-Martin is the mother of Nathaniel Holland, who was killed in 2021 during an altercation in Oakdale. Holland-Martin said she was told by a deputy district attorney that prosecutors were pursuing a second-degree murder charge. DAs Office spokesman Wendell Emerson said that in preparing for trial, prosecutors certainly knew that murder was a challenge. A plea agreement was in the works with Staudenmaiers attorneys, but after discussions with Hollands family, the prosecution decided to push for murder. We did still believe we could prove the murder beyond a reasonable doubt, Emerson said. So thats why we did go ahead and agree to the familys wishes and take it to trial. Holland-Martin said that she has lost trust in the criminal justice system in Stanislaus County after the reduction of charges against her sons killer and that change needs to happen. I want the district attorney to see that their lack of response, not being forthcoming with what they say theyre going to do and not being transparent hurts families, she said. Why the jurors were conflicted on whether to convict Staudenmaier for murder hinged on questions about what happened the day of the killing. These facts were known to prosecutors,who still hoped the jury would find Staudenmaier guilty, said Emerson. We were disappointed in the outcome. I will respect the jurys decisions on the case. Unfortunately, I cant get inside their heads, so to speak. I cant tell you why some of them felt there wasnt enough for murder, said Emerson. But going into the case, we certainly knew that murder was a challenge in the case. What happened on Sept. 04, 2021 Court documents show that Holland and his cousin, Devin Benjamin, were in the parking lot of the Oakdale Skatepark at about 8 p.m. Holland-Martin was told by Benjamin that he and her son had gone to Knights Ferry that day and that when they got back into Oakdale, they wanted to celebrate the Labor Day weekend. They went to a bar but couldnt get in because Benjamin didnt have his ID on him. The pair went back to Hollands car to charge Benjamins dead cell phone because he had a picture of the ID on his phone, Holland-Martin said. Holland and Benjamin were leaning against the trunk of Hollands white Ford Mustang while the phone was charging. Staudenmaier and Oakdale resident Lindsey Bench walked up and said something inaudible but seemingly aggressive, according to Benjamins story. The Oakdale Police Department interviewed Benjamin, who said Staudenmaier walked up to the pair and said, Whats up with you guys? and said something to the effect of, Yall were talking [expletive] last time, according to OPDs search warrant for Staudenmaier. Holland-Martin said the confrontation occurred because Staudenmaier thought her son was someone else. Emerson said a previous history between the two man could not be established nor disputed. Benjamin told police that he did not know who Staudenmaier was. In response to Staudenmaiers comments, Holland said, Your [expletive] is ugly and you are, too. Staudenmaier replied, You cant be talking like that, Benjamin said. Court documents indicate that Staudenmaier was then handed a knife by Bench. Benjamins testimony to police said he thought Staudenmaier had punched Holland. But this was actually when Staudenmaier stabbed him. Staudenmaier claimed in court the act was done in self-defense, an argument that helped his case split the jury. There was a self-defense claim, reported by the defense we had a situation where there was one stab wound that led to the unfortunate death of the victim, said Emerson, who elaborated by saying there were witness recollection issues in terms of what happened. Thats why ultimately, we did talk to the family about a manslaughter plea agreement that they werent agreeable to, he said. Holland-Martin disputes Staudenmaiers self-defense claim. The defense argued that Holland punched Staudenmaier with his right hand, but she said that would have been impossible because her son was left-handed. My son couldnt tie his shoe or brush his hair or do anything with his right hand, and for Scott Staudenmaier to say that it was a right-handed punch is inaccurate, she said. I feel like that wouldve made the whole case. Undated photo of Nathaniel Holland, who was fatally stabbed in Oakdale on Labor Day weekend in 2021 Who was Nathaniel Holland? A charismatic, funny and amazing person thats who was fatally stabbed on that Labor Day weekend, Holland-Martin said. Holland, a Modesto native, was known as Nate to his friends and Bubba to his family. His killers sentence is not justice for a son who always was a protector, helpful to others and made people belly-laugh, Holland-Martin said. When he would walk into a room and he would smile, everybody just had to stop and look because he was beautiful, just a beautiful kid, she said. Holland was the eldest of four siblings, an athlete and outdoorsman. He was the type of person to hold open doors and unload groceries for others, Holland-Martin said. If he saw someone on the side of the road, hed ask his mom to pull over so he could help. He would tinker and act like he knew what he was doing, but it made him feel good, Holland-Martin said. She received a frantic phone call from her sister-in-law around 8 p.m. Sept. 4, 2021, saying Holland had been stabbed and Benjamin, who was with him during the incident, didnt know if he was going to live. Holland-Martin immediately went to the location and while on her way saw an ambulance flying down the road. She knew her son was in it, so she chased the ambulance from Oakdale to Memorial Medical Center in Modesto. I got pulled over because I was driving so fast, she said. I guess the ambulance had called the cops, not knowing who I was. After getting to the hospital and waiting for a while, Holland-Martin was called to a room, where a doctor told her theyd done everything they could but her sons heart wouldnt hold on anymore. Holland was pronounced dead at the hospital. Mohamed Al-Fayed and Camilla Fayed in 2014. The robbery allegedly took place in the gym of Barrow Green Court, the family's Grade-I listed estate in Oxted - Ben A Pruchnie/Getty Mohamed Al-Fayeds daughter has been charged with robbery after allegedly ordering her bodyguards to steal her brothers phone at the businessmans Surrey mansion. Camilla Fayed, 39, her husband Mohamed Esreb, 43, and their close protection officers Matthew Littlewood and Andrew Bott are accused of conspiring to steal a 1,900 iPhone belonging to Omar Fayed. Guildford Crown Court heard the robbery allegedly took place in the gym of Barrow Green Court, the familys Grade-I listed estate in Oxted. All four defendants were charged with a single count of robbery in December following a long police investigation, it was reported. The incident was said to have taken place on May 18 2020. No pleas have been entered. All defendants were released on bail. Omar and Camilla Fayed pictured with their father in 2006. She is charged with ordering the theft of her brother's phone - Shutterstock Mr Esreb appeared alone in court on Wednesday for a hearing. He entered the dock wearing a dark shirt and trousers, where the court heard that he is yet to secure legal representation. His wife is being represented by Gudrun Young KC, whose previous clients include a number of celebrities. Fayed the former Harrods and Fulham FC boss whose son Dodi was killed in a car crash alongside Diana, Princess of Wales died at the age of 94 in August last year. He is interred next to Dodi in a mausoleum on the Oxted estates grounds. Camilla runs a fashionable vegan restaurant His daughter, after abandoning a career as a fashion entrepreneur by selling her label, Issa, to House of Fraser in 2017, opened Farmacy, an upmarket vegan restaurant in Notting Hill that counts Madonna and Stella McCartney among its patrons. Mr Littlewood, her bodyguard and co-accused, was awarded a Brigadiers Commendation for Distinguished Service for his service across three tours of Afghanistan, where he led a reconnaissance team tasked with uncovering Taliban weapons caches and capturing high-value targets. His CV says that he offers discreet and overt close protection and protective surveillance for an ultra-high net worth family. Fayed was an Egyptian-born entrepreneur who rose from his impoverished childhood to build a multi-billion dollar business empire. He still owned the Paris Ritz which he bought in 1979 at the time of his death. His second wife, Heini Wathen, whom he married in 1985, will be tasked with splitting an inherited property empire that includes apartment buildings overlooking Hyde Park, a Scottish castle and apartments in New York between his four children. 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. Nanette Pitt is a key member of Akron Mayor Shammas Malik's administration as chief of strategy. Nanette Pitt was born in 1973 in South Africa while the country was still gripped by apartheid a racist ruling system dominated by the country's white minority population. She grew up watching the country shift to a burgeoning democracy, casting her first vote in the white-only referendum that ended apartheid. At 28, Pitt and her husband, Steven Savides, left for America. Savides was bound for a stateside journalism gig with Boston's Christian Science Monitor; Pitt was winging it. She left a career in theater for ordained ministry, and in Akron, she became senior minister at First Congregational. Now, 23 years after leaving South Africa, Pitt is a key member of Akron Mayor Shammas Malik's administration in a newly created chief of strategy role. Her job, she said, is to make Malik's campaign promises a reality. Molded by her experiences in South Africa and her faith, Pitt approaches the job with a keen understanding of the fragility of democracy and the respect due to all people. Nanette Pitt recognizes evils of racism at young age in South Africa Growing up in apartheid-era South Africa with a natural curiosity attuned Pitt to power imbalances. She remembers asking her mother why all the employees at the grocery store were Black, while all the shoppers white. "Something seemed wrong," she said. "Something seemed off." Her hometown of Port Elizabeth was strikingly similar to Akron in that both were significant to the rubber industry. Goodyear, Firestone and Volkswagen all had facilities there. "There was a big manufacturing industry, and so I grew up around a carbon black factory in the city," Pitt said. She was raised by a single working mother employed at Firestone as a graphic designer for a time who wasn't extremely politically active but did challenge the status quo, going so far as to smuggle someone across the border in the trunk of her car to circumvent the government's control of people's movements. "People who needed to move around for reasons that were political or to subvert that system, they would have to move in ways that were clandestine," Pitt said. Though Pitt experienced considerable privilege because of her whiteness access to a good education, for example chauvinistic attitudes the country harbored about women countered that privilege. Compounding things was her stepfather's alcoholism. "South Africa was a place of great contrasts and a place of great contradiction," Pitt said. Chief of Strategy Nanette Pitt shows off some of the artwork in her new office at Akron City Hall. Despite the state's intentional efforts to blind its citizens, the imbalances were clear. People twisted themselves into knots justifying it, she said, using religious, biological and socioeconomic excuses. "Ultimately, there was no defense for the kind of racism that was sponsored by the state," Pitt said. On March 17, 1992, Pitt voted in the referendum put exclusively to white voters about whether to end apartheid. They chose to terminate a system created in 1948 by gerrymandering. Two years later, the country held its first democratic elections. But even with apartheid being dismantled, the air was, as before, thick with contradictions. People felt the joy of having done away with an oppressive system, but there was also the flip side worry that there wouldn't be a peaceful power transition, she recalled. "We also did the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which was not gleeful or heady in any way," said Pitt. "It was a very, very difficult process. But I think that that brought with that joy, and that heaviness, a sense of reality, and a sense of honoring the past, and the pain, and the hurt and the harm that the past had caused." The journey to America leads to leap of faith In January of 2000, Pitt met Steven Savides, a journalist who moved to Port Elizabeth to work as the business editor on the local daily paper and the local weekend paper. They hit it off and were soon married, heading to America. "It was a wonderful whirlwind romance," Savides said. From the moment he met her, he said he was attracted to her inner and outer beauty, and her intelligence. Savides was talking with Boston's Christian Science Monitor about a job as its African correspondent. The plan, said Pitt, was that the Monitor would train him, and they would return to South Africa. They never intended to be immigrants. By then, the print media landscape was shifting, and with it, the Monitor's priorities. The paper's new managing editor decided not to send Savides back to Africa. He was working on the international desk on Sept. 11, 2001, an event that he said played a part in shaping their identities in their new home. The first few years were rough. Luckily, they found a couple who were able to facilitate them staying in the country. Pitt earned a master's degree in divinity at Connecticut's Andover Newton Seminary, the oldest seminary in America. There was naturally some culture shock upon arriving in America, but some things felt familiar America's racial segregation and the excuses made for it, for one. Pitt would ask people in Boston why people were living in certain neighborhoods. They would tell her that it wasn't racism, it was economics, "blissfully ignorant" of the historical and lasting effects of redlining. "We ended up meeting a lot of people, and we realized that even here, our skin color privileged us. So unless we open our mouths, people would assume we were Americans," Pitt said. 'She changed us for the better' Nanette Pitt baptizes a child at First Congregational Church in Akron. Pitt's search for a congregation to lead brought her to Akron. Eight years ago, Pitt became senior minister at First Congregational, the first woman to do so. In the United Church of Christ, there's a process that pairs ministers in search of a church and vice versa. "In that process, the church and I found each other," Pitt said. Pitt uses the story of the good Samaritan to explain her calling. "I wasn't called to necessarily bless the entire world, but the world that God put across my path," she said. Pitt said part of her role as a reverend is empowering people's personal spiritual journeys in a way that works for them and to help them realize what they're called to do in life. In speaking about her calling to the clergy, she references a story as told by Kenyan environmentalist Wangari Maathai. In the story, a hummingbird races back and forth between a stream and a forest fire, carrying water in its tiny beak and dropping it on the fire. The larger animals, who might be able to do more to extinguish the flames, ask the hummingbird what it thinks it can do. It's too little to help. The hummingbird tells the other animals that it's doing its best. "And so if I can inspire others to play their part, that is my responsibility," Pitt said. "It's each of our responsibility, too. I am responsible for picking up the water that I need to bring to the fire." Kellie Ramirez, 38, one of Pitt's former parishioners, said Pitt makes her feel safe and seen. She said Pitt made her think about things in new ways through referencing her experiences with apartheid, which endowed her with an inclination to advocate for the oppressed. "You know, we have our racist issues in America," Ramirez said, "and we pretend that they're not government sanctioned. And she was able to help us realize how we need to be intentionally inclusive and recognize our biases, because she knew how that looked in South Africa." Ramirez delivered remarks on Pitt's last Sunday at First Congregational's pulpit. "I wanted to express to her that she changed us for the better," she said. Pitt mentored former parishioner Brenda Waddell on her journey to ordained ministry, delivering her ordination service. "So from start to finish, she's been there the whole way," Waddell said. Pitt also performed the marriage ceremony between Waddell and her wife, retired minister Karen Bruno, going so far as to collaborate with Bruno in an elaborate proposal that ended in the church's sanctuary. Waddell said she wouldn't have wanted anyone else to do it. Nanette Pitt walks through Highland Square with members of First Congregational Church during the city's Pride festival. Watching Pitt at the church's booth at the Akron Pride festival inspires Waddell. She looks to Pitt as an example. "It is really amazing to see how many people would come up to the church booth, and they would share their stories, and oftentimes there would be tears," Waddell said. "And Nanette would stand and listen to them, and I have seen her reach out and hug that person." A move from the clergy into city government might seem like a stretch, but Pitt's husband said it makes sense. To the core, he said, she's a big-picture thinker with an eye for strategy. What is the chief of strategy role in Akron? Nanette Pitt, chief of strategy for the city of Akron, listens as Mayor Shammas Malik talks to members of the media Jan. 25 at the Ocasek Auditorium. Malik met Pitt at First Congregational while he was a city lawyer in late 2016 or early 2017 during a meeting the church hosted for Equality Ohio while Akron was crafting a nondiscrimination ordinance. "I was just really impressed with her," he said. "Her commitment to justice, her work ethic, her thoughtfulness, her ability to listen to lots of different views, and to kind of hold space for lots of different people." They got to know each other in the years that followed, working closely together on the campaign for the police oversight board. After the 2023 primary, Malik and Pitt sat down to talk about the chief of strategy role. Malik said he was looking for a good communicator and someone who could navigate multiple ideas and perspectives. Pitt's role is to realize longer-term policy initiatives that are part of Malik's plan to prevent them from turning into empty campaign promises. She's also tasked with reinforcing relationships between the city government and the county, along with neighboring municipalities. "We hit the ground running," she said. The administration already has begun spooling out some of those long-term plans: the search for a police chief, building out the rest of the strategy team, planning for a new police station and more. Ramirez and Waddell believe Pitt is a good fit for the city. Ramirez said Pitt's focus on collaborative rather than transactional relationships fits into Malik's Together for Akron initiative. "Her vision for a better world is something that she lives and breathes. I see and have seen that in everything she does," said Waddell. Approaching the role Nanette Pitt, chief of strategy for the city of Akron, talks about her journey to the mayor's cabinet. Her view of America is shaped by her experiences in South Africa. She realizes, she said, how tenuous democracy is and how "there are forces within society that can shape not only the view of those who are oppressed and their oppression, but also the view and the expectation of those who are privileged." Pitt believes the separation of church and state doesn't preclude the clergy's involvement in social issues. While she was a minister at First Congregational, she was involved in what would become the Akron Civil Rights Commission and the push for the creation of a police oversight board. She hadn't planned to leave her ministry. When Malik approached her about the role, she prayed on the matter. "It felt as if God opened a door and rolled out a red carpet," she said. It's a way for her to enact positive change in a different manner than she had been previously. Again, she referenced the story of the hummingbird and the forest fire. "It's just the hummingbird with the drop of water the impact that I could have in joining others who were bringing water," Pitt said. Contact reporter Derek Kreider at DKreider@Gannett.com or 330-541-9413. This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Get to know Nanette Pitt, the new chief of strategy for Akron Moldova has extended temporary protection for Ukrainian refugees for another year Moldova has extended temporary protection for displaced persons from Ukraine until March 1, 2025, the General Inspectorate for Migration reported on Feb. 29. According to the new document, displaced persons from Ukraine who were granted temporary protection before March 1, 2024, will automatically have their identity documents extended until March 1, 2025. Ukrainians do not need to come to the offices of the General Inspectorate. Read also: Ukraine will help Moldova in case of escalation in Transnistria diplomat This extension serves as a demonstration of Moldovas solidarity with the Ukrainian people, said the agency. The Lithuanian government allocated earlier an additional 326,000 euros ($353,614) to support refugees from Ukraine. The European Union extended on Oct. 19, 2023 temporary protection for Ukrainian refugees until March 2025. Read also: Ukrainian refugees in Poland: A closer look at migration patterns 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 Alex Tannous, who gave out business cards that said "Prince Alex Tannous," is accused by federal authorities of swindling San Antonio-area investors outs hundreds of thousands of dollars. He recently hired attorney Daniel Mehler, who calls himself "the Dopest Lawyer in Town," to defend him against fraud charges in San Antonio federal court. Courtesy Alex Tannous, a self-described prince accused of swindling investors out of hundreds of thousands of dollars, has apparently hired a lawyer better known for defending people charged with marijuana possession than ones indicted for complex white-collar crimes. Daniel Mehler, who has described himself as a stoner lawyer, notified federal court officials in San Antonio this week that he will represent Tannous. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Mehler has a masters degree in cannabis science and paid for law school by farming marijuana in Denver, Colo., where the recreational use of marijuana is legal. Hes branded himself the Dopest Lawyer in Town. He will replace Jorge Aristotelidis, who represented Tannous, 39, at preliminary and bail hearings earlier this month. Aristotelidis told U.S. Magistrate Judge Henry Bemporad that he was hired only for the two hearings but was discussing with Tannous fees for future representation. Aristotelidis said Wednesday that he is withdrawing from the case. Mehler famously challenged then-Bexar County District Attorney Nico LaHood in 2016 to a mixed martial arts fight after publicly accusing the prosecutor of cyber-bullying. Mehler said at the time that he was fed up with what he considered LaHoods habit of using social media to humiliate and intimidate perceived enemies. Mehler did not fight LaHood, who returned to criminal defense after losing his reelection bid in 2018. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Criminal defense attorney Joe Hoelscher, who has tried and won several cases with Mehler, described his protege as colorful as well as intelligent and a meticulous note-taker who is not afraid to go to war for his clients. He is aggressive and tries to push the profession in a positive way, Hoelscher said. The gripe from prosecutors and judges is with his style and his personality, not his legal abilities. Hes a smart lawyer. He gives off the demeanor of being disheveled and disorganized, but its just an appearance, Hoelscher added. He takes the most impeccable notes. Mehler, who has been licensed to practice law in Texas since 2013, has carved out a niche in criminal defense, focusing his ads and practice on defendants accused of drug crimes, especially those charged with counts related to cannabis possession. Hoelscher recalled Mehler going to Spurs games in a suit with embroidered marijuana leaves and handing out cards promoting his law practice. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Mehler believes that pot should be legal, Hoelscher said. He sits on the Cannabis Law Committee of the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, Hoelscher said. Hes even testified as an expert. Mehler said in an interview that Tannouss case was sent to me on a referral and that he had spoken with Tannous' brother. Mehler plans to meet with Tannous, whos in a Karnes City lock-up. Mehlers undergraduate degree is in political science, but he said he took several finance courses that he believes will help him defend Tannous. Advertisement Article continues below this ad I tend to be a little more combative than most people, he said. I think what makes (some people) so uncomfortable is a lot of times, I have a valid point. Mehler said he expects Tannouss case, which involves three alleged victims, to be lengthy and complicated. The fraud allegations Tannous, a naturalized U.S. citizen of Lebanese descent, is charged with six counts of wire fraud. Hes scheduled to be arraigned next week. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Court records allege Tannous claimed to be a businessman and diplomat from the United Arab Emirates with close ties to UAE royalty, though some alleged victims told the Express-News that Tannous presented himself as a Saudi prince. In reality, Tannous was a skilled con artist who used his gifts of persuasion to bilk unknowing victims out of hundreds of thousands of dollars, the FBI and federal prosecutors said in court documents. He told alleged victims, who were often small- to midsize business owners in the San Antonio area, that he could help them set up their businesses in the United Arab Emirates using financing sources to which he had access, according to the indictment. A murder suspects mother is back in jail accused of witness tampering and assault just days after her release. Kari Ann Golden, 54, was booked back into Benton County jail Wednesday morning just two days after a judge released her on her own recognizance. Kari Golden is accused of helping her son, Michael Ray Golden, 23, hide the body of Oscar Munos, 38, after he was killed on New Years Eve. Kari Ann Golden, 54, appears Wednesday afternoon in Benton County Superior court via a video link from the Benton County Jail. She was booked into Benton County jail Wednesday morning after a judge released her on her own recognizance. The murder suspects mother is back in jail accused of witness tampering and assault just days after her release. Prosecutors had been working with Golden and had arranged to release her, Deputy Prosecutor Brendan Siefken said. Siefken did not explain what the details of the agreement were, but police have said she indicated that she knew where Munos body was. While she was out of jail, she allegedly threatened to kill a woman she believed was helping police. She is also accused of pulling the womans hair while trying to yank a jacket off of her. Golden, who was appearing by video, shook her head when Siefken talked about the accusation. With the new accusations, Siefken asked for her to be held on $50,000 bail in the Benton County jail. Her attorney, Scott Johnson, reserved arguing for a lower bail. She pleaded innocent to the charge related to helping her son hide the body. Her trial is scheduled for April 15. She is expected to be in court on Thursday in connection with the witness tampering and assault accusations. Michael Golden along with his girlfriend, Coral Ochoa Hernandez, 33, remain in Benton County jail after their arrest on Feb. 22. Micheal Ray Golden, 23, appears in Benton County Superior Court Wedenday via a video link from the Benton County Jail. He is the murder suspect Michael Golden in the disappearance of Oscar Munos, 38, around New Years Day. While the shooting appears to have happened on New Years Eve, police didnt get involved until a Feb. 7 report that Munos was missing, according to court documents. Michael Golden is charged with second-degree murder while his girlfriend is charged with rendering criminal assistance. Ochoa Hernandez pleaded innocent and her trial is scheduled for April 15. Michael Golden is expected to enter a plea on March 13. His bail remains set at $1 million. After Kari Goldens bail was set, Siefken asked for Ochoa Hernandezs bail to be lowered to $50,000. Her attorney, Talitha Hazelton, asked for her client to be released, since she doesnt have any criminal history, has family in the area and planned to go into substance abuse treatment once she was released. Judge Diana Ruff said she remained concerned that Ochoa Hernandez might interfere with the case. Coral Ochoa Hernandez, 33, appears in Benton County Superior Court Wedenday via a video link from the Benton County Jail. She is the girlfriend of murder suspect Michael Golden and is charged with rendering criminal assistance. Missing Man Kennewick police are continuing to search for Munos, but have not discovered his body, Commander Isaac Merkl told the Tri-City Herald on Wednesday. Michael Golden and his girlfriend lived in an Arrowhead Avenue home with Munos and several other people. He told investigators that he had been hearing voices claiming that Munos was going to shoot him and needed to defend himself, according to court documents. On New Years Eve, Golden allegedly confronted Munos with a shotgun. He pointed it at him several times before pulling the trigger, according to court documents. He allegedly told investigators that he, his girlfriend and his mother moved the body from the bedroom to the garage in a large black wheelbarrow. They then loaded it into his mothers car and buried it in a shallow grave in Benton County, court documents said. Kennewick police are investigating the possible shooting death of Oscar Munoz, 38, on New Years Eve at this mobile home at 9202 W. Arrowhead Ave. in west Kennewick off of North Steptoe Street. Michael Ray Golden, 23, was arrested Feb. 22, 2024 in Kennewick on suspicion of second-degree murder. He is being held in lieu of $1 million bail. His mother, Kari Ann Golden, and his girlfriend Coral Ochoa, 33, are also in jail on suspicion of felony rendering criminal assistance for allegedly helping her son dispose of the body. They are being held in lieu of $100,000 bail each. After the alleged shooting, Michael Golden went to a Steptoe Street home on New Years Eve and told a friend that he had done something, according to court documents. Golden wasnt clear about what had happened, but it was bad. While the shooting appears to have happened on New Years Eve, police didnt get involved until a Feb. 7 report that Munos was missing, according to court documents. This was followed by several tips that Munos had been killed. Police found a wheelbarrow and bags covered in blood during a search of the Arrowhead Avenue home. There was also a broken TV and a sheet with blood on it on the ground. Threats After she was released from jail on Feb. 26, Kari Golden returned to her home on Steptoe Street while one of her housemates was outside playing with a child. Kari Golden immediately confronted the woman, and told her she needed to leave. While the woman was packing her items to leave, Kari Golden began telling everyone that she had the paperwork to prove that the woman was a snitch, and the reason the Goldens had been arrested for the murder, according to court documents. Kari told her If I could kill you right now and get away with it, I would, according to court documents. After the woman went outside with her items, Kari Golden allegedly told her to take off her coat, because it belonged to Kari. When the other woman refused, Kari Golden started pulling on the coat and then started pulling on the other womans hair. When detectives spoke with Kari Golden, she admitted to pulling the womans ponytail and that she wanted to beat her up because she was a snitch. She added that the other woman pushed her while going through items on the porch. Editors note: This is one in a series of guest columns by Wichita-area residents to tell their stories, in their words, spotlighting barriers that deter full participation in the life of the community. Funding for Unheard Voices has been provided by the American Press Institute through its Civic Discourse and Community Voices Fund. My name is Veronica Rendon; I am 46 years old, I am Mexican. I have four sisters and three brothers, my mother is still alive, and my father died eight years ago from bone cancer. When I was 19 years old, I got married in the church; he was five years older than me, from the United States, and went to Mexico for a month. We met, and after a month of getting to know each other, he asked me to get married and we got married in February. After a week of marriage, he came to the United States, and I came on May 31, 1997, with a tourist visa. He got into trouble when he was crossing the border, and they put him in jail for nine months. I came to live with my in-laws. One year later I had a girl who was the light of my eyes. But then, I suffered from domestic violence. I had no close family and no one to trust. I didnt know English. I never said anything to my family so as not to worry them because they were very far away. After six years I got pregnant and lost my baby when I was three months pregnant. One year later I got pregnant and had my son. I am proud of him right now. He is in the Navy. I lasted 17 years in that marriage. I worked two jobs, in a store and a gas station, because my husband didnt work. When my son was five years old, my husband hit me so much that I couldnt recognize myself in the mirror. I almost lost my job at the store because I was absent for a few days. My manager convinced me to leave the house and go to a place that helps women from domestic violence. Two weeks after I left, I returned for my children. My husband said he was going to change, but that was not the case; things were worse, and so time passed. When my son was seven years old, I spoke to the police, and they only detained my husband for 24 hours. We were in the car sleeping until I could rent an apartment for the week. I had to leave that apartment because my son was allergic to cats and dogs, and a woman with cats had lived there for ten years. At that time, I felt like I was taking two steps forward and five steps back. The doctor told me that if I wanted my child to be well, I had to get out of that apartment. And I didnt know I was pregnant, so I went back to my husband again, and then I spoke to the police. He had such a sweet way of treating them, and the police thought I was crazy. And since the children didnt say anything out of fear, they believed him. Once, he said I had postpartum depression, and my daughter was already eight months old. When the police left, it was an older man and a young female officer. I told them that he was the one who was telling lie. A week after that incident, he grabbed me by the neck, and I could not breathe. My daughter, the eldest, heard a noise and came out to the kitchen and saw that he had me by the neck. She fell on her knees and begged for my life. I dont know how he managed to hear. His voice was crazy, and he told me to thank my daughter for my life because if it werent for her, I would already be dead. After that day, I felt like a blindfold was falling from my eyes. I had to live for my children and no one else. I spoke to the police and begged them to pay attention to me, that I was in danger. That time my daughter spoke and told the truth. They took me to a home for women from domestic violence and we stayed there three months. I never stopped working, they helped me become a citizen and they helped me to get an apartment. I had to work three jobs to be able to get ahead. We struggled a lot and my husband kept bothering me. I had to go to court to put a restriction so that he wouldnt get close to us. I filed for my divorce and one year later, I met the man who is my husband today. After a year of knowing him, I gave him my phone number, but I was very afraid. Today we have been married for eight years and we have a child. He has autism. It was so difficult because I didnt know what autism was, I only worked part time, but I had to stop working to be able to help my son. My husband always supports me and loves all my children very much. They say that he who raises is more of a father than the one who engenders. Today, I would like to finish my education so I can work in a place where they help children with disabilities and be able to help my children, plus the one who has autism and my daughter who has ADHD. My oldest daughter finished university, she studied animal sciences. My son is in the Navy, he is married and has a 2-year-old child, he is a responsible and loving man. My younger daughter is 11 years old, she has ADHD, she has concentration problems. I am learning to be able to help her and my son, almost seven years old, who has autism and global development disorder. I thank God and many people who helped me. Less than one year ago, I started the International Rescue Committees community connections program to have guidance and support. I was having trouble finding help for my son with autism and for my daughter with ADHD. They recommended me to Adriana Nava, a family services coordinator. She helped me find a therapist for my children and advocate for me and my children at their school, and to find help with individual plans that will adapt to the needs of each of my children. Women like Adriana make a difference in each of the families. She is an intelligent woman who listens, does not judge, and is one of the workers who knows how to listen and understand people. Women like her make a difference. As a woman, you must have the willpower to go out, and if there is a lot of fear, many people who are not in that position are the ones who judge. But the chain must be cut so that the same thing does not continue. I was lucky to escape that situation, but many women have not achieved it. But there is a lot of help outside, and you can get ahead. The term "stay-at-home mom" often refers to women who are not working for pay outside the home. Even a decade ago, Time questioned why we still use this clunky, outdated term. Yet here we are, 10 years later, still using it. TODAY.com spoke with moms who used to work full-time outside the home and ended up taking a step back to spend more time with their families. Technically, they fall into the category of "stay-at-home mom," but in various ways, they're fighting the stereotype. "Weve been stuck with a caricature that we have yet to update," says Neha Ruch, a mother of two and founder of Mother Untitled, a community for ambitious women on career breaks. She uses her platform to explore the grey area between motherhood and paid work. Ruch notes that as a result of workforce shortages, women worked outside of the home "in droves" during World War II, and they remained in the workforce afterward. "Print ads featured vacuum cleaners and dishwashers with women teetering around in heels and aprons, and that became the portrait of the stay-at-home mom," Rush says. "As the power chasm grew between women working out of the home and this sort of traditional sensibility in the home, we never updated that image." As a result, Ruch and Mother Untitled conducted a 2023 survey called "American Mothers on Pause." It includes responses from 800 women who downshifted from their careers and upshifted into motherhood, and from 400 women who worked outside the home for 20 hours or less every week. Ruch suspects that the phrase "stay-at-home mom" may do "a disservice" to everything that you are. "The challenge is: do we want to find a substitute for the phrase 'stay-at-home mom,' or do we want to ignite more respect for that role?" TODAY.com spoke with four different women who identified as "stay-at-home moms" from across the country and in various stages of motherhood to gather some additional perspective. "Just as hard as any office job" Carrie Kluck in Hoboken, New Jersey, is a mother of three kids ages 10, 7 and 5. Before becoming a mother, Kluck, who has a Masters degree in public policy, worked in government in Washington, D.C. She and her husband moved to the New York City area, and because Kluck wasn't able to work remotely and found out she was pregnant shortly after the move, she decided to try her hand at being a stay-at-home mom. "It's a really, really tough job, but in the end, I'm glad it's been me," she tells TODAY.com. When asked how she feels about the term "stay-at-home mom," Kluck says, "Ugh I hate that term. It just sounds like you gave up and decided to stay home and it's just the exact opposite. "It's just as hard as any office job I've ever had. It's even harder. But yet somehow it has a stigma, which is a shame." Kluck also rejects the idea of pitting stay-at-home moms against working moms: "We all have each other's backs." "I'm on a pause" Helen Ortiz of San Francisco, California, has two kids, ages 3 and 5. She has been home with her kids full-time for the last four years. A former kindergarten teacher, Ortiz has a "very, very, very part-time" position assisting the admissions team for a private school. She's on the brink of testing out a 10 to 20 hour per week position for several months to see if she'd like to work more outside the home. Ortiz says she's one of just three moms in her son's pre-k class who is the primary caretaker for her kids. It's not unusual for her to be the only mom in a sea of nannies at the playground. As a result, "It feels like I have to justify it a lot," she says. She objects to the term "stay-at-home mom" because she and her kids are rarely home; they're out and about at playgrounds and museums. Plus, she doesn't do most of the cooking her husband does. If approached by someone who asks what she does for a living, Ortiz follows Ruch's script, saying, "I'm on a pause. I'm at home with my children right now." Reclaiming the title of stay-at-home mom Christine Merritt moved from San Francisco and a high stress job at Google to Austin, Texas. She currently has 11-year-old twins living with her, and she also has 19- and 22-year-old stepsons who moved out when they went to college. Merritt left her tech job when the twins were 3-years-old. Her husband had been promoted to CEO at his job, her Google team was growing and travel became a "dealbreaker" ... in part because her kids began removing her shoes from her suitcase to make her stay at home. Merritt says that her decision to leave Google was really coldly met, like I was letting down the girls in the generation after me by proving I couldnt do everything. Even so, she says, I made the decision to just say, You know what? You wanted these kids for so long and theyre here and youre not going to get this time back. Merritt has been home full-time with her children for the last eight years, but now that her kids are older, she's starting to branch out. Though she's not a trained songwriter, Merritt woke up with an idea for a song, and that song, "Don't Worry, Mama," now has 1.5 million views on YouTube. Merritt spends about 20 hours a week on her songwriting pursuit and has reclaimed the title of "stay-at-home mom," naming her publishing entity "Housewife Productions." "It just feels so limiting" Lisa Ziemba from Denver, Colorado, has two children an almost 3-year-old and a 4-month-old. In her pre-baby days, she was the HR director for a group of construction companies. But just two months after returning from her first maternity leave, Ziemba realized her job could never give her what she really wanted: time with her family. Ziemba keeps her skills sharp by running a small family foundation during naptimes. She uses three hours of time a week at a coworking space with childcare to make business calls. Ziemba considers the term "stay-at-home mom" to be "so loaded." She adds, "It's honestly really triggering. And I wish that it wasn't but it just feels so limiting. Because even if you don't use the word 'just' when you say 'stay-at-home mom,' that's what I hear." Again, Ziemba doesn't have a replacement for the term. She cites "Home CEO" as feeling too forced in the same way that "girl boss" does. "I don't really have a term for what I do," she says. This article was originally published on TODAY.com ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) The first stages of developing The Central are already in motion in St. Pete. The two-acre project will include a 4-star Autograph Collection Hotel and thousands of square feet of office, retail and parking space. City leaders broke ground Wednesday and unveiled the renderings of a monument to the Courageous 12 that will be constructed on the site. Just incredible: Weeki Wachee singer earns spot on The Voice Its a dream come true, said Leon Jackson. I never imagined this would happen. Jackson is the last surviving member of the Courageous 12. When we first filed that lawsuit, we didnt realize what we were getting into, Jackson recalled. We didnt know we were making history. The 12 were black St. Pete policemen in the 1960s who werent allowed to arrest white people and were forced to patrol black neighborhoods. They sued the police department and won equal rights as white officers. When we stood up and challenged racism in the St. Pete Police Department, Jackson remembered. It was not easy. Leap Day deals from Wendys, Krispy Kreme and more A monument in front of the development on the site of the old police department will honor Leon and the others. Its immersive, its beautiful, its love, its light, said Ya Laford. Its really the spirit of all these courageous men. Tampa interdisciplinary artist Ya Laford designed the monument, and its renderings were just released today. This one is just special, Laford explained. I think it hits on the soul. I think that when youre trying into the soul of a space, this is what matters. I think that this builds our foundation. The monument to the Courageous 12 is expected to be up in the next year or two, and the hotel shortly after that. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. Israeli troops opened fire on Palestinians rushing to get supplies from a rare aid convoy in Gaza City, witnesses have said. More than 100 people were killed, according to health officials in the territory. The Health Ministry in the besieged Strip blamed Israeli forces for killing 112 people. Israeli officials acknowledged troops fired towards some in the crowd they believed posed a threat. The Israeli military said publicly the incident was under review and disputed the account given by the Health Ministry, saying dozens were killed and injured from pushing, trampling and being run over by the trucks. The Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said that around 760 were also wounded, bringing the total death toll of the war to more than 30,000 in just five months. Spokesperson Ashraf al-Qidra called it a massacre. At Al-Awda hospital in north Gaza, where at least 160 wounded were taken, Dr Mohammed Salha said his teams were treating gunshot and tank shell injuries. Weve done three amputation procedures due to tank shelling. Twenty-seven injuries needed urgent surgical interference, and we were barely able to conduct them due to fuel shortages, he said in a statement sent to The Independent. He said supplies were so low they were worried they will have to shut down. We cant receive critical and serious injuries as the hospital is barely able to run life-saving surgeries. An Israeli military spokesperson said: There is no knowledge of Israeli shelling in the area. Hamas issued a warning that it could stop taking part in negotiations for a ceasefire in the war and the release of the remaining hostages it holds. Those talks had been progressing with help from mediators Qatar and Egypt, as well as the US and there has been hope in some quarters about the possibility of reaching an agreement before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan starts around 10 March. The negotiations conducted by the movements leadership are not an open process at the expense of the blood of our people, the Hamas statement said. Egypt also condemned the killings. It is a heinous crime to target peaceful civilians who are rushing to get their share of humanitarian aid, read a statement released by Egypts foreign ministry. It is a flagrant violation of the international law and the international humanitarian law, and also shows disregard to the sanctity of human lives. Gaza City has been devastated by Israels bombardment (Reuters) Kamel Abu Nahel, who was being treated for a gunshot wound at al-Shifa Hospital, said he and others went to the distribution point in the middle of the night because they heard there would be a delivery of food. Weve been eating animal feed for two months, he told Associated Press. He said Israeli troops opened fire on the crowd, causing it to scatter, with some people hiding under cars. After the shooting stopped, people went back to the trucks, and the soldiers opened fire again, he said. He was shot in the leg and fell over, and then a truck ran over his leg as it sped off, he said. The head of Kamal Adwan hospital in Gaza City, Hussam Abu Safieyah, said it had received 10 dead bodies and dozens of wounded patients from the incident west of the city. Videos posted on social media showed trucks carrying bodies. Trucks full of aid came too close to some army tanks that were in the area and the crowd, thousands of people, just stormed the trucks, a witness told AFP, declining to be named for safety reasons. The soldiers fired at the crowd as people came too close to the tanks. An Israeli military official said two separate incidents had occurred as the convoy of trucks passed into northern Gaza from the south along the main coastal road. In the first incident, he said aid trucks were surrounded by hundreds of people and in the confusion, dozens were injured or killed, by being trampled or run over by the trucks. As the trucks left, he said, a second incident occurred in which some of the people who rushed the convoy approached Israeli forces including a tank, which then opened fire. The soldiers fired warning shots in the air and then fired towards those who posed a threat and did not move away, he told a news briefing. From our perspective, this is what we understand. Were continuing to review the circumstances. Jan Egeland the head of the Norwegian Refugee Council told The Independent that there were around 300,000 people who remained in north Gaza who were already experiencing famine because there has been no systematic aid being delivered. Speaking from Rafah on Wednesday he said in peoples desperation law and order had broken down because in a long litany of catastrophic mistakes Israeli bombing had stopped police in the Hamas-run territory from guarding convoys of aid trucks. People are at their limit, he said, adding that the only reason famine had not been formally declared was because no one can get to the north to do a formal assessment. There is no systematic aid going there because what comes into Rafah [in the south] is not leaving Rafah as there are so many people who are in need... Israel could have opened Erez crossing [in the north] They haven't for one day. Its really hard to nearly impossible to reach north Gaza because of the looting, the insecurity and the Israeli checkpoints, he added. A tent camp in Rafah housing Palestinians displaced by the Israeli offensive (AP) Last week, the World Food Programme said it had been forced to suspend aid deliveries to northern Gaza after its first convoy in three weeks was surrounded by crowds of hungry people close to the Israeli militarys Wadi Gaza checkpoint, and then faced gunfire in Gaza City. Trucks carrying food reached northern Gaza this week, the first major aid delivery to the area in a month, officials said on Wednesday. An Israeli government spokesperson described the latest Palestinian casualties as a tragedy and said initial indications were that deaths were caused by delivery drivers plowing into a surging crowd. At some point the trucks were overwhelmed and the people driving the trucks, which were Gazan civilian drivers, plowed into the crowds of people, ultimately killing, my understanding is, tens of people, spokesperson Avi Hyman told reporters. Its obviously a tragedy but were not sure of the specifics quite yet. In an Israeli military night-time aerial surveillance video hundreds of people can be seen crowding around at least seven lorries in the same area. The footage shows how numerous people surrounded the trucks and as a result, dozens were killed and injured from pushing, trampling and being run over by the trucks, a statement said. The official Palestinian news agency, Wafa, cited medical sources as saying that Israeli forces fired towards thousands of people from Gaza City and other northern areas as they waited at Nabulsi roundabout for the arrival of lorries loaded with humanitarian aid. The UNs undersecretary for humanitarian affairs, Martin Griffiths, said: Even after close to five months of brutal hostilities, Gaza still has the ability to shock us. Im appalled at the reported killing and injury of hundreds of people during a transfer of aid supplies west of Gaza City today. This comes as the death toll across Gaza... hits the 30,000 mark. Life is draining out of Gaza at terrifying speed. The White House said it is looking into reports of Israeli fire on Palestinians waiting for aid near Gaza City, describing it as a serious incident. We mourn the loss of innocent life and recognise the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, where innocent Palestinians are just trying to feed their families, a White House National Security Council spokesperson said in a statement. This underscores the importance of expanding and sustaining the flow of humanitarian assistance into Gaza, including through a potential temporary ceasefire. President Joe Biden said that he believes the deadly incident will complicate talks on a ceasefire. I know it will, Mr Biden told reporters when asked about the prospect. Theres two competing versions of what happened. I dont have an answer yet, he said. He also said a temporary ceasefire probably would not happen by Monday, as he had earlier predicted. I was on the telephone with the people in the region. Probably not by Monday but Im hopeful, Mr Biden said. Separately, the Health Ministry in Gaza said the Palestinian death toll from the war has climbed to 30,035, with another 70,457 wounded. It does not differentiate between civilians and militants in its figures but says women and children make up around two-thirds of those killed. The ministry, which is part of the Hamas-run government in Gaza, maintains detailed records of casualties. Its counts from previous wars have largely matched those of the UN independent experts and even Israels own tallies. Gaza City and the surrounding areas in the Strips north were the first targets of Israels air, sea and ground offensive, launched in response to a bloody attack by Hamas inside Israel on 7 October. That attack killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and the militants seized around 250 hostages. Hamas and other militants are still holding around 100 hostages and the remains of about 30 more, after releasing most of the other captives during a November truce. International calls for a ceasefire have been growing as the Palestinian death toll has risen. Israels staunchest ally, the US, and a number of other nations have warned of further mass casualties if Israel follows through on vows to attack the southernmost city of Rafah, where more than half of Gazas population of 2.3 million has taken refuge. They also say a Rafah offensive could decimate what remains of aid operations in the territory. More than 100 people were killed amid devastating scenes in northern Gaza, where Israeli troops opened fire Thursday, triggering panic as hungry Palestinian civilians were gathering around food aid trucks, Palestinian officials and eyewitnesses said. People had swarmed around newly arrived aid trucks in western Gaza City in the hope of getting food, when Israeli forces started shooting, according to witnesses. Many of the victims died when they were run over by trucks in the ensuing panic, according to one account. The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza said 112 people were killed and more than 760 injured in the incident, one of the deadliest since the war in Gaza began. CNN is unable to independently confirm the figures and the Israeli military has given a different account of the circumstances. In a briefing on Thursday, an Israeli military spokesperson said he couldnt confirm the death toll. I dont have any figures, he said, adding that it was a limited response. The tragedy comes as the death toll in the Gaza war surpasses 30,000, with more than a half a million people in the enclave on the brink of famine, according to United Nations agencies, and as negotiations between Israel and Hamas reach a potentially pivotal moment. The incident unfolded early on Thursday when a group of trucks carrying desperately needed aid arrived at Haroun Al Rasheed Street in western Gaza City, in the Sheikh Ajleen neighbourhood. A local journalist in Gaza, Khader Al Zaanoun, who was at the scene and witnessed the incident, said large crowds had gathered waiting for food to be distributed from aid trucks. But he said that the chaos and confusion that led to people being hit by the trucks only started once Israeli forces opened fire. Israel confirmed its forces fired on people, saying crowds had threatened their troops, but disputed the account given by the ministry. In an initial account, Israel said Gaza residents surrounded the aid trucks and looted the supplies. During the incident, dozens of Gazans were injured as a result of pushing and trampling, the Israel Defense Forces told CNN. An Israeli military spokesperson later said in a briefing that there were two separate incidents involving aid trucks. First, he said trucks went to the north and were swarmed by crowds, with trucks running over people. Subsequently, he said, a group of Palestinians approached Israeli forces, who then opened fire on the Palestinians. The truckloads went into the north, then there was the stampede, and then afterwards, there was the event against our forces. Thats how things transpired this morning, the spokesman said. Palestinians mourn near a body at Kamal Edwan Hospital in Beit Lahia, northern Gaza, on February 29, after Israeli soldiers allegedly opened fire at Gaza residents who rushed towards trucks loaded with aid. - AFP/Getty Images At a press conference Thursday, the IDF spokesperson Daniel Hargari denied there was an IDF strike on the aid convoy. However, he said Israeli tanks had fired warning shots to cautiously disperse a crowd after seeing that people were being trampled, sharing a short video, which appeared to show a tank driving parallel to the crowd, several meters away. He insisted that the tanks were there to secure the humanitarian corridor so the aid convoy could reach its destination. The death toll and number of injured is expected to increase as many bodies and people are still out on the street, with ambulances struggling to reach those in need because rubble is blocking the way, the spokesperson for the Palestinian Red Crescent, Ahmad Abu Al Foul, told CNN. It wasnt immediately clear which country or countries had sent the aid trucks, though the UNRWA commissioner-general said no UN agency was involved in the aid distribution. A spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces Lt. Col. Peter Lerner told CNN the trucks were private vehicles carrying international aid supplied by governments, but did not specify which governments. Aid deliveries have dwindled since Israel launched its ground offensive in Gaza, leaving many in the already impoverished enclave on the brink of starvation. Drone footage taken by the IDF showed thousands of Palestinians gathering around the aid trucks in northern Gaza. Injured Palestinians receive medical treatment in Al-Shifa Hospital on February 29, 2024. - Dawoud Abo Alkas/Anadolu/Getty Images The US State Department said Thursday that the US was pressing Israel for answers as they conduct an investigation. Far too many innocent Palestinians have been killed over the course of this conflict, not just today, but over the past nearly five months, said State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller at a press briefing. Meanwhile, there are fears acknowledged by US President Joe Biden that the killings on Thursday will complicate hostage and truce talks. Negotiations are not an open process, senior Hamas member Ezzat Al-Risheq said in a statement published by Hamas on Telegram. We will not allow for the pathway of the negotiations[to become] a cover for the enemys continued crimes against our people in the Gaza Strip. International outcry Various members of the international community have condemned the incident, described by the Palestinian United Nations Ambassador as an outrageous massacre. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said desperate civilians in Gaza need urgent help, including those in the besieged north where the United Nations has not been able to deliver aid in more than a week, according to his spokesperson Stephane Dujarric. Colombia announced it would suspend the purchase of weapons from Israel after the bloody incident, with Colombian President Gustavo Petro posting, This is called genocide and is reminiscent of the Holocaust even if the world powers do not like to recognize it. Saudi Arabia also condemned the incident, calling on the international community to take a firm stance by obliging Israel to respect international humanitarian law, while the UAE called for an independent and transparent investigation. Oxfam said the deaths will only exacerbate an already critical humanitarian crisis. I mean its absolutely appalling. These acts of violence against civilians that are desperate. And its clear from the aerial footage that these civilians are desperate, Bushra Khalidi, Oxfams policy lead for the Occupied Palestinian territory and Israel, told CNN. The incident comes as the death toll for those killed in Gaza since the October 7 attacks passed 30,000. Gazas health ministry does not distinguish between civilians and fighters but has said in recent updates that around 70% of the casualties are women and children. The conflict in Gaza began when Hamas launched surprise cross-border attacks into Israel, killing at least 1,200 people and taking more than 250 others hostage. This is a developing story and will be updated. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com More than 100 Palestinians were killed and 700-plus were injured when Israeli troops opened fire on people waiting for food in Gaza City, pushing the Palestinian death toll above 30,000 since the war began, the Gaza Health Ministry and Hamas said Thursday. Israeli authorities released aerial footage of crowds swarming arriving aid trucks, placed blame on the crush of the crowd and Palestinian truck drivers and said fewer than 10 of the casualties were a result of Israeli gunfire. Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the Israeli military's chief spokesperson, said troops only fired warning shots to disperse the huge, threatening crowds. "We didnt open fire on those seeking aid,'' Hagari said. "Contrary to the accusations, we didnt open fire on a humanitarian aid convoy, not from the air and not from land.'' Dr. Mohammed Salha, acting director of the Al-Awda Hospital, said most of the 161 wounded patients the facility received appeared to have been shot. Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra said at least 112 people were killed and 760 wounded. Hamas issued a statement saying Israeli forces, "indifferent to the consequences of its terrorist actions due to the cover and complicity of the administration of US President Biden," targeted a gathering of thousands of citizens awaiting food aid in Gaza City, where the United Nations has warned of an unprecedented hunger crisis amid the Israeli siege. Gaza resident Kamel Abu Nahel was hospitalized with a gunshot wound. He told the Associated Press he was shot in the leg by Israeli soldiers who opened fire on crowds that had gathered at the distribution point in the middle of the night. Weve been eating animal feed for two months, he said. The Israeli military issued a statement saying that "during the early morning delivery of humanitarian aid trucks to the northern Gaza Strip, a violent gathering of Gazan residents developed around the trucks, who looted the equipment." The statement said dozens of Gazans were wounded as a result of "overcrowding, crowding and trampling." The military said about 30 aid trucks rolled up to a checkpoint in Gaza City, setting off a deadly stampede. The initial investigation found that some of the trucks rolled north to the Rimal neighborhood, where the military said armed men opened fire and looted the convoy. Soldiers fired warning shots in the air, then shot at the legs of looters who pressed on, the military said. Israeli government spokesperson Avi Hyman told Al-Jazeera the trucks were overwhelmed and the civilian Palestinian drivers ploughed into the crowds, killing dozens. In January, witnesses and Gaza health officials said Israeli troops fired on an aid distribution site in Gaza City, killing at least 20. The Palestinian Foreign Affairs Ministry condemned the latest "massacre" and called for an immediate cease-fire to protect civilians. Palestinians receive medical care at Kamal Edwan Hospital in Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip on Feb. 29, 2024. Developments: Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant toured northern Gaza and said his military is preparing for an assault on the southern city of Rafah. Hamas is "getting weaker with each passing day, we are getting stronger. We will go and tighten the rope around the neck of Hamas until we eliminate it, he said. The Palestinian Authority has received the equivalent of $114 million in tax revenue Israel had collected and then frozen, Reuters reported citing the Norwegian government, which helped arrange the transfer. Hagari said Thursday that Israeli forces have killed "more than 13,000 (Hamas) terrorists since the beginning of the war, a much higher number than the 10,000 Israel has recently claimed. The figures have not been independently verified. The U.N. says a quarter of Gazas 2.3 million Palestinians could face starvation and that 80% have been forced to flee their homes. Babies in crowded Emirates Hospital in Rafah are forced to share incubators, leading to the spread of disease, hospital officials said. Biden: Tragedy will complicate cease-fire talks President Joe Biden, asked by reporters whether the tragedy in Gaza City would hamper talks aimed at a cease-fire and release of hostages, said, "I know it will." Biden, who said this week a deal could be reached by Monday, acknowledged that time frame has changed. "Probably not by Monday but Im hopeful, he said. Biden also said his team is trying to ascertain what took place at the aid site. "Theres two competing versions of what happened,'' he said. "I dont have an answer yet.'' Administration officials said they have been in contact with the Israeli government, and White House principal deputy press secretary Olivia Dalton told reporters: The events in northern Gaza are tremendously alarming and of deep concern to us. Too many civilian lives have been lost as a consequence of military operations in Gaza. We think that this latest event needs to be thoroughly investigated. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan accused Israel of targeting civilians and called for increased safe passages for humanitarian aid. Hamas warned in a statement that the incident could jeopardize the talks. "The negotiations conducted by the movement's leadership are not an open process at the expense of the blood of our people," the statement said, adding that Israel would be responsible if the talks fail. Cease-fire negotiations hit a 'brick wall' Even before the incident in Gaza City, the cease-fire negotiations in Qatar were running into major stumbling blocks. The Israeli delegation returned home from the talks Thursday, Israel's KAN News network reported. The biggest obstacle was not the exchange of hostages for prisoners, KAN said, but rather the conditions for the return of Palestinians to devastated northern Gaza. In a Thursday news conference, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu once again assailed Hamas' terms in negotiations, saying the militant group is making no effort to compromise. "We are running into a brick wall of delusional, unrealistic Hamas demands, he said. Both sides have committed war crimes, UN official says The U.N.'s head of humanitarian rights said Thursday that both sides in the Israel-Hamas conflict have committed war crimes, and he called the growing number of casualties in Gaza "carnage.'' Speaking to the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva, Volker Turk also joined the international chorus of officials urging Israel not to invade the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where an estimated 1.4 million Palestinians are sheltering. As it is, "Clear violations of international human rights and humanitarian laws, including war crimes and possibly other crimes under international law, have been committed by all parties," Turk said. He pointed out more than 30,000 people have died in the Israeli offensive in Gaza that followed the savage Hamas attacks of Oct. 7, tens of thousands are missing and at least 17,000 children have been orphaned or separated from their families. "There appear to be no bounds to, no words to capture, the horrors that are unfolding before our eyes in Gaza,'' Turk said. He added that an Israeli incursion into Gaza would only exacerbate the suffering and "sign a death warrant for any hope of effective humanitarian aid." Israeli security chief backs troops after deadly clash Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir voiced support for Israeli troops after the Gaza City calamity, saying they acted "excellently against a Gazan mob that tried to harm them." He said the chaos proved the transfer of humanitarian aid to Gaza is "madness" while militants are still holding Israeli hostages in Gaza under substandard conditions. "This is another clear reason why we must stop transferring this aid, which is in fact aid to harm the (Israeli) soldiers and oxygen to Hamas,' he said. Palestinian death toll surpasses 30,000; 70,000 wounded The Palestinian death toll since the war began has climbed to 30,035, and another 70,457 have been wounded, the Gaza Health Ministry reported Thursday. The ministry, controlled by the Hamas-run government, counts combatants and civilians and says women and children make up two-thirds of the deaths. The ministry's counts from previous wars have generally matched the tallies of the U.N., independent experts and Israel. Israel recently said it had killed more than 10,000 Hamas militants, blaming any civilian deaths on Hamas using civilians as human shields. Hamas has said about 6,000 of its fighters have been killed. The Israeli assault on Gaza was prompted by the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack on Israeli border communities that killed an estimated 1,200 people, with another 250 taken hostage. Hamas, Fatah leaders to meet in Moscow Representatives from Hamas, Fatah and other Palestinian political factions were scheduled to gather in Moscow to discuss the formation of a unified Palestinian government for Gaza and the West Bank. Hamas has mostly controlled Gaza while Fatah has been the primary faction of the Palestinian Authority, which governs parts of in the West Bank. Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh announced the resignation of his government this week in a concession aimed at building broader consensus. Still, Minister for Foreign Affairs Riad Malki said he did not expect miracles from the meeting. We hope that there might be good results in terms of mutual understanding between all factions about the need to support such a technocratic government that will emerge, Malki said. Contributing: The Associated Press This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Israel Hamas war live updates: 112 killed waiting for food in Gaza More than 30,000 people have been killed in Gaza since Israels war with Hamas began in October, the health ministry in the besieged enclave said Thursday, a bleak milestone that comes amid growing international pressure on Israel to halt fighting and fears of further bloodshed in the southern city of Rafah. The towering figure underscores a horrific, months-long ordeal for Palestinians inside the strip, during which Israels bombing and ground campaigns have displaced the vast majority of the population and created a dire humanitarian crisis. In all, 30,035 people have been killed so far, the ministry said Thursday, adding that the number of injured is over 70,000. Israel is facing mounting pressure globally to halt the conflict, but its campaign in Gaza has retained the support of the United States, its key ally and largest supplier of military aid. The US proposed a temporary ceasefire at the United Nations earlier this month, but has vetoed calls for an immediate halt in the conflict. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said Thursday there appears to be no bounds, no words, to capture the horrors that are unfolding before our eyes in Gaza. What is happening in Gaza is carnage Turk said, speaking at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. It is time well past time for peace, investigation and accountability, Turk said. The latest milestone preludes fears of more suffering in Rafah, Gazas southernmost city where more than 1 million people are crammed, and where Israel is expected to launch a fresh offensive. Gazas health ministry does not distinguish between civilians and fighters but has said in recent updates that around 70% of the casualties are women and children. Gaza's health ministry said that, in addition to 30,035 deaths, more than 70,000 people have been injured since October 7. - Belal Khaled/Anadolu/Getty Images Israel estimates about 10,000 Hamas fighters have been killed since October 7, when Israel declared war on the militant group. More than 1,200 people in Israel were killed during Hamas attacks on that day, and more than 250 were kidnapped and taken hostage in Gaza. CNN cannot independently verify the casualty tolls in Gaza or the Israeli estimates of Hamas fighters killed. On Thursday, soon after the latest death toll figures were published, at least 53 people died and 120 were injured in Israeli gunfire in Gaza City as they were waiting for food, according to several eyewitnesses and the spokesperson for the Palestinian Red Crescent, Ahmad Abu Al Foul. Hungry civilians had swarmed around newly arrived aid trucks in the hope to get food, when Israeli tanks and drones started shooting at the people in Haroun Al Rasheed Street in western Gaza City, in the Sheikh Ajleen area. The aid trucks tried to escape the area, accidentally ramming others and causing further deaths and injuries, the eyewitnesses added to CNN. Responding to CNN, the IDF said the incident is under review. Early this morning, during the entry of humanitarian aid trucks into the northern Gaza Strip, Gazan residents surrounded the trucks, and looted the supplies being delivered. During the incident, dozens of Gazans were injured as a result of pushing and trampling, the IDF told CNN. Nearly five months on from Hamas October 7 attack, Israel has said that more than 100 hostages remain in captivity. Its political and military leaders have pledged to press ahead with their objectives to return those hostages and destroy Hamas, despite international pressure to reduce the intensity of their campaign. Israeli war cabinet minister Benny Gantz on February 17 warned that Israeli forces will expand military operations in Rafah if hostages are not returned by Ramadan, which is expected to begin on March 10 or 11. The world must know, and Hamas leaders must know if by Ramadan our hostages are not home the fighting will continue to the Rafah area, Gantz said at a gathering of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations in Jerusalem. Fears that worst is still to come Israels Western allies have grown increasingly concerned over the nature of its bombing and ground campaigns in Gaza, with even its most important partner, the United States, raising with increased regularity the plight of the millions of Palestinians caught in the path of its offensive. President Joe Biden remarked earlier this month that the Israel Defense Forces conduct has been over the top, his most direct rebuke to date. Biden subsequently told Netanyahu that the military action in Rafah should not proceed without a credible and executable plan for ensuring the safety of and support for the civilians, according to a readout of a phone call between the two leaders, and the US later proposed a UN resolution on a temporary ceasefire, though it has not supported calls by other countries for a ceasefire to be immediately implemented. As well as displacing the majority of Gazas 2.2 million people, the war has drastically diminished supplies of water, electricity and food, and cut off access to vital life-saving care. The hospitals in the enclave have become battlegrounds, with dozens of facilities no longer functional. There are fears of further bloodshed in Rafah, where the IDF is expected to launch an offensive. - Mohammed Abed/AFP/Getty Images The UN Humanitarian Affairs Coordination Office, OCHA, said on Tuesday that at least 576,000 people across Gaza are facing catastrophic levels of deprivation and starvation and are one step away from famine. Almost the entire population of 2.2 million people require food aid, according to the UN World Food Programme (WFP), which added one in six children under the age of two is acutely malnourished. Gaza is seeing the worst level of child malnutrition anywhere in the world, Carl Skau, WFP Deputy Executive Director, told the UN Security Council on Tuesday. A sprawling tent city has meanwhile been formed around Rafah, as more and more displaced Palestinians make the trek to the city the last place to which they can flee north of the shuttered border with Egypt. In recent weeks, hopes for a ceasefire-for-hostages deal have repeatedly risen and then fallen, as high-stakes diplomatic efforts to secure a pause in the fighting continue. On Monday, CNN reported Hamas had backed off some key demands in the negotiations for a hostage deal and pause in the fighting in Gaza following Israeli accusations that its position was delusional, according to two sources familiar with the discussions. Biden said that he hopes therell be a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict by next Monday, saying that a deal was close but not done yet. However, officials from Israel, Hamas and Qatar have cautioned against Bidens optimism, suggesting that differences remain as negotiators work to secure an agreement. CNNs Lauren Izso, Mohammed Tawfeeq, Catherine Nicholls, Pauline Lockwood, Alex Marquardt, Jeremy Diamond and journalist Khader Al Zaanoun contributed reporting. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Palestinians mourn their relatives, who were killed amid the Israeli attacks, at Al-Najjar Hospital. Mohammed Talatene/dpa More than 30,000 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip since Israel launched its military offensive in October, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said on Thursday. Volker Turk quoted the number during a meeting of the UN's Human Rights Council in Geneva. The head of the UN's World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, also used the figure in a post on X, formerly Twitter. "The death toll in Gaza has surpassed 30,000 - a large majority women and children. Over 70,000 Palestinians have been injured," he wrote. "This horrific violence and suffering must end. Ceasefire." Neither Turk nor Tedros quoted a source. An official confirmation from the health authorities in Gaza, who usually post the figures daily, is expected later. Israel launched its assault on the Gaza Strip in response to Palestinian militants from Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist organizations killing of more than 1,200 people inside the Jewish state on October 7. District 10 Council Member Marc Whyte speaks with journalists about being stripped of his committee assignments following his DWI charge on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024 in City Council Chambers in San Antonio, Texas. Josie Norris/San Antonio Express-News While the results of Marc Whyte's blood alcohol test show he was legally intoxicated the night he was charged with drunken driving, the Northeast Side councilman on Wednesday maintained as he has since his arrest that he "did not feel intoxicated" when he drove home from the Thirsty Horse Dance Hall & Saloon on Dec. 29. "Otherwise, I would not have gotten behind the wheel," he told the San Antonio Express-News. "I was tired, of course, after the 20 hours of travel that I had had that day." The first-term District 10 councilman had returned that day from a family trip to Australia. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Whytes blood alcohol concentration, or BAC, was .089 grams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood, according to test results released this week by the Texas Department of Public Safety. The legal limit is .08. According to a police affidavit, Whyte, 43, told the officer who pulled him over on a Northeast Loop 410 frontage road that he'd consumed three beers that night: one at El Mirasol, a Mexican restaurant, a second at Myron's Prime Steakhouse next door and another at the Thirsty Horse. All three businesses are located on Northwest Military Highway. Whyte also told Officer D. McCroy that he was sober. Whyte said Wednesday that he stood by his comments to McCroy, a member of the San Antonio Police Department's DWI unit. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The councilman, pulled over near San Antonio International Airport, refused to take a breathalyzer test or have his blood drawn to determine his blood alcohol concentration, according to the police affidavit. Police obtained a warrant from a magistrate ordering Whyte to comply, and a nurse drew his blood at 1:30 a.m. on Dec. 30. He said he hadn't yet seen the blood test results and declined to discuss them, citing "the ongoing legal process." DWI is defined in the Texas Penal Code as driving with a BAC of 0.08 or higher. Its a Class B misdemeanor punishable by up to 180 days in jail. Whytes arraignment hearing is slated for March 26 in Bexar County Court 11. "I don't believe anybody should have anything to drink and get behind the wheel," Whyte said. "It was my mistake that I made that night, and I'm dealing with that. But I'm ready to do what I've always done, which is focus on the business of the city and District 10." Advertisement Article continues below this ad EAST LANSING Investigators who examined allegations of misconduct against Michigan State University trustees said they substantiated some of the charges in their report and recommended a variety of actions. Most notably, Miller & Chevalier said the board should refer Chair Rema Vassar and Trustee Dennis Denno to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for possible removal from the board to which they were elected. The law firm also said the board should consider censuring Trustee Brianna Scott, whose letter to the community sparked the investigation. MSU Board of Trustees Chair Rena Vassar, left, reacts, as a alumna chastises her leadership, Friday, Oct. 27, 2023, during the Board of Trustees meeting at the Hannah Administration Building. Also pictured is Trustee Dianne Byrum. The firm reported conclusions about allegations for which facts were substantiated and were found to constitute a violation of trustee policies or the board's bylaws. "The findings summarized though individually varying in degrees of severity, collectively establish a pattern of behavior that reflects a lack of appreciation by Chair Vassar for the principles underlying the standards defined in the Code of Ethics and disregard for the bylaws, the Trustee Conflict of Interest Policy, and core principles of shared governance," the report said. What the investigation found The investigators said allegations of retaliation by Vassar and Denno were substantiated. "The ones of most concern to Miller & Chevalier are claims that Chair Vassar and Trustee Denno retaliated against Interviewees and claims that they undertook to launch personal attacks against Interim President (Teresa) Woodruff and the Faculty Senate Chair Dr. (Jack) Lipton." Miller & Chevalier said Trustee Brianna Scott showed "courage to publicly denounce misconduct, especially in light of the tangible and personal repercussions that Trustee Scott has suffered. Nevertheless, if the Code of Ethics is to have any meaning, its standards must be applied uniformly, particularly when it involves an issue as important as the fiduciarys obligation to preserve the attorneyclient privilege." The report said it would be appropriate to sanction, or possibly censure, Scott. Here are the specific findings Michigan State University Board Trustee Dennis Denno speaks during a meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023, at the Hannah Administration Building on campus in East Lansing. Vassar and Denno participated in a meeting with students in which they provided students with confidential and inaccurate information that was not in MSUs interest to provide in violation of Standard 5 of the Code of Ethics and encouraged student actions intended to embarrass and unsettle Interim President Woodruff in violation of Standard 8 of the Code of Ethics. Vassar and Denno encouraged a campaign of personal attacks against Lipton by student groups and the press primarily motivated by personal animus against Lipton, likely due to Liptons call for Vassar's resignation. This conduct breached Vassars and Dennos fiduciary duties. The investigation corroborated the allegation that Vassar participated in at least one settlement negotiation with former Dean Sanjay Gupta and engaged with the boards outside counsel to prepare a purported Board statement presented to Gupta as part of a potential settlement. Vassar undertook the actions without Board knowledge. Vassar requested the Michigan Attorney General's Office release privileged documents from the Larry Nassar matter, meeting independently and separately with the AG's office, and that the interactions resulted in a request for the board to waive attorneyclient privilege in opposition to MSUs prior and current position that it would not waive privilege. The investigation did not substantiate an allegation that Vassar inappropriately suggested that Security Risk Management, LLC revise findings in its report of a security review after last year's mass shooting on campus; but it did find that, with respect to the allegations regarding conduct of Vassar and other trustees following the Feb. 13, 2023, shooting, Vassars specific actions encroached on matters reserved for the administration. Vassar traveled on an MSU donors private jet for university business. "It is undisputed that Chair Vassar accepted a private jet flight and courtside tickets from Donor A for herself and her daughter." The investigation also established that, on a separate occasion, Vassar accepted tickets for courtside seats from a separate MSU donor. Both occasions violated the code of ethics. The investigation corroborated the allegation that Vassar inserted herself in negotiations between MSU and Donor A related to Donor As use of MSU trademarks for Donor As NIL collective. The investigation did not corroborate Interviewee 9s allegation of retaliation, but Vassars statement to Miller & Chevalier that she will not work with Interviewee 9 because they made a complaint about her violates the Code of Ethics with respect to its prohibition against retaliation. Denno interfered with the SRMC report. Through its investigation, Miller & Chevalier substantiated that Trustee Denno was actually the person attempting to exert influence over SRMC to change its findings a breach of Standard 8 of the Code of Ethics. Miller & Chevalier substantiated a violation of the Code of Ethics regarding Scotts dissemination to the press and the public of her letter, which included references to confidential and privileged attorney/client communications that she did not have authority to disclose. Scotts decision violated the Code of Ethics. What are trustees saying? Trustees respond A message was left with Denno. Vassar, in a statement sent by Kevin OShea of the Rochester, Michigan-based The Miller Law Firm, said she welcomed the outside investigation of the allegations brought to the Board of Trustees, and she cooperated with the inquiry, including completing more than fifteen hours of voluntary interviews. While she has not had an opportunity to examine the extensive Report of the Miller & Chevalier law firm in detail, Dr. Vassar is pleased that the investigation concluded that the most serious charges, including those raised by Trustee Brianna Scott, were unfounded. While Dr. Vassar does not agree that any Board of Trustees guidelines were violated, she is gratified that there was no finding of any undue influence, personal benefit, or harm to the University. She agrees that the Board should consider censure of Trustee Scott for violating the Boards Code of Ethics by publicly releasing confidential and privileged attorney/client communications that she did not have authority to disclose. Finally, Dr. Vassar takes strong exception to the Reports finding that Trustees should not engage with students who believe their legitimate concerns, including fears for their personal safety, have been ignored. While such public engagement can become charged and uncomfortable for those in authority, it is essential that the University, and the Board of Trustees, provide a forum for the voices of students to be heard. Dr. Vassar looks forward to carefully reviewing the Report. Scott, in a text message, told the State Journal she has read the report, which she said corroborated "much of what I alleged and more." She called on Vassar and Denno to resign, and said she will accept censure from the board. "I did read the report. I believe it corroborated much of what I alleged and more," she wrote. "There were many things that came out of this report that are quite upsetting to me, especially the manipulation of our young people by Trustees for personal gain. I accept full responsibility for my actions and will accept a censure from the Board, as I believe it is appropriate for the Board to act on this Report. "It is my hope that Trustees Vassar and Denno also accept responsibility for their actions and step down from their respective chair positions and ultimately the Board, so as not to force the governor to use taxpayer money to remove them ... which would only further tarnish their reputations and that of MSU." Dan Kelly, board vice chair and chair of the Committee on Audit, Risk and Compliance, said in a statement that the trustees have received the report from Miller & Chevalier and are reviewing the findings. "The board takes our responsibility and governance seriously and is committed to upholding our code of ethics, Kelly said in the statement. He said MSU would have no further comment Wednesday on the report. Whitmer issues statement Stacey LaRouche, press secretary to Whitmer, said the governor "will continue to monitor this situation closely." The findings outlined in the report are concerning," LaRouche said in an email. "It was an important step forward for the Board of Trustees to commission these investigations to give students, staff, and alumni the transparency they deserve. The board needs to give this report a thorough review to ensure the university can move forward and grow." Michigan law allows the governor to remove board members for a variety of reasons, including "gross neglect of duty or for corrupt conduct in office, or any other misfeasance or malfeasance therein, and report the causes of such removal to the legislature at its next session." What recommendations the report outlined MSU Board of Trustees member Brianna Scott, pictured Friday, Dec. 16, 2022, during a Board of Trustees meeting at the Hannah Administration Building. Finally, the investigators outlined steps the board should take in the future, including: Implementing its professional development plan and requiring the participation of each trustee. Consider board members taking part in a comprehensive governance review by an expert outside consultant to assess its governance practices Consider developing and implementing a set of boardlevel procedures that describe with sufficient detail how the board and each trustee are to engage with the administration and the university community. Devote more time and resources toward a training program Upgrade its code of ethics and conflict of interest policy Retain an outside governance expert. This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: MSU trustees' misconduct findings: What we know An MTA train conductor was grateful Thursday for a doctor who stopped the bleeding from his neck after he was randomly attacked by a stranger who slashed him at a Brooklyn subway stop. A doctor saved my life. Thats the reason why Im safe right now, Alton Scott, 59, said as he recovered at home from the early-morning slash attack at the Rockaway Ave. station in Bedford-Stuyvesant a crime that led the main transit workers union to demand better protection for subway workers and passengers. Scott was cut when he poked his head out of the conductors cab of the Far Rockaway-bound A train around 3:30 a.m.. Under MTA rules, when a train arrives at a station, conductors announce the trains stop and then stick their heads out of their cabs windows to make sure its safe for the train to depart. I was doing my job, Scott told the Daily News as he recovered in his Brooklyn home. As per rule make the announcement, put my head out. The attacker said nothing when he approached Scott and slashed his neck. Bleeding from the gnarly wound, Scott called for help over the trains public address system. I said, I just got stabbed! I need help right away! and he came to my aid, Scott said of the doctor. He was an angel. The doctor was among several commuters who offered to help Scott. As someone called police, the doctor held Scotts face mask on the wound to stanch the bleeding. The doctor, who Scott referred to as Dr. Patrick, stayed with him until EMS arrived. Scott was rushed to Brookdale University Hospital, where he needed 34 stitches and nine sutures to close up the gaping wound. NYC Transits Senior Vice President of Subways, Demetrius Crichlow, raced to the hospital Thursday morning after hearing about the attack. His first words to me were, I love my job, but I thought I was going to die,' Crichlow said. A union official recounted that while Scott was being treated, he kept repeating the words: Man, I was just doing my job. This is a cowardly act, Crichlow said. Theres no employee that should have to deal with this. There is no circumstance where an employee who is just doing his job should have to deal with this. Our job is to provide a service to New York. And its disgusting that anyone would have to deal with coming in and being in danger. Scott was released from the hospital later Thursday. Im not doing so good, Scott told The News at his home. Im going by my doctors orders and trying to get rest. Scotts attacker, who wore a blue vest, fled the scene. Police were still looking for the suspect late Thursday. MTA officials said the cameras in the station were working, but police said detectives were having a difficult time obtaining surveillance pictures of the suspect. Scott, a 24-year MTA employee, and his union, Transport Workers Union Local 100, used the incident to call for more anti-crime measures on subways and buses. Everything needs to change in my opinion, Scott said. I dont blame nobody for what happened to me Im not that type of person. I dont know why it happened, but Im just glad to be alive. The cut was too close to his carotid artery, TWU Local 100 Union President Richard Davis said. If the strangers blade nicked the artery, Scott would have bled to death in seconds, union officials said. This kind of assault is attempted murder its nothing else but that, Davis said at a press conference outside the station. Our members do not deserve that. We come here to feed our families. Davis asked that the MTAs 1,000-member police force currently assigned to the Long Island Rail Road and the Metro North Railroad be deployed to supplement the NYPDs Transit Bureau to protect train conductors and other subway system employees. Were facing heinous crimes and brutal assaults. Enough is enough, he said. The law is clear: our safety is in the hands of our employer. But we need better protection now, before we lose one of our own. Train crews safety concerns led to severe delays on the A and C lines Thursday morning. New York City Transit President Rich Davey said an unacceptable union work stoppage slowed A and C train service after the incident. The union denied there was a work stoppage, and said the slowdown occurred because crews requested safety assurances from management before taking to the rails while the slashing suspect was still at large. Service was severely delayed on the A and C lines through the morning, and the MTA issued alerts saying it was running as much service as we can with the train crews we have available. Service on the lines returned to normal around noon. The MTA is in the process of adding surveillance cameras to the more than 6,000 subway cars in its fleet. One of those cameras recently caught a man being shot to death on a Bronx D train. But cameras have not been placed in conductor cabs. Local 100 has long fought the installation of cameras in the cabs on privacy grounds. Davey said he decided Thursday to order cameras to be installed in the cabs despite the unions objections. Were doing it right now, to protect conductors, added MTA Chairman Janno Lieber. Additionally, a pilot program at the 125th St. station on the No. 4, 5 and 6 trains marks off no-standing zones outside of the conductors cab. Its not going to prevent a person from getting in there, Crichlow said of the no-standing zones. But what it does do is raise awareness for the conductor that someone is standing close to the area where he would need to open the window. The slashing comes as the NYPD tackles a 13% jump in crime in the citys subway system, including an 11% increase in assaults. As of Sunday, NYPD transit cops have investigated 86 assaults in the citys subways compared to 77 by this time last year. There have also been three homicides in the first two months of the year on the citys rails compared to zero by this point last year. The NYPD has added another 1,000 cops to the citys transit system in light of the uptick in violence, officials announced earlier this week. Ramirez said reported assaults and harassment of transit workers has risen to more than a dozen incidents per month this year, up from about seven in 2019. Earlier this month, a station agent was assaulted by a man who was sleeping at the Wall St. station of the No. 4 and 5 trains after shed woken him up. A bus driver in lower Manhattan was also attacked with a knife this month by a man who thought the bus was traveling too slowly. Earlier this week, Davey told the MTA board that there have been at least seven instances of assaults on transit workers so far this year, a number that didnt include Thursdays slashing. MTA Chairman Lieber called Thursdays attack outrageous. The 38 people accused of assaulting MTA workers in 2023 between them had something like 600 priors, Lieber said. How can those people be out here? People have got to be able to come to work and serve the public these are public servants and know that they are going to come home to their families, Lieber said. Ski saver: Flights to Geneva, gateway for the French Alps, cost 16 times more on February half-term Saturday 2025 than the identical flights a week earlier (Simon Calder) As parents in England who take their children out of class without permission are warned of higher fines, The Independent has uncovered the astonishing scale of savings parents can make by travelling in term time. A family of four flying with British Airways from London Heathrow to Geneva will pay over 16 times more for each one-way flight if they travel next February half-term, compared with an identical departure a week earlier. Even taking into account new, higher fines, the family would save over 2,700 on the outbound flights alone. The Department for Education says a fine must be considered if a pupil misses five days of school in an unauthorised absence. Until now, fines have started at 60, rising to 120 if they are not paid within 21 days, but ministers say they will now start at 80, rising to 160. The higher fines are expected to take effect from September. Of nearly 400,000 penalty notices issued to parents in England in 2022-23 for unauthorised pupil absences, nine in 10 (89.3 per cent) were for holidays as families booked cheaper breaks during term times, the government says. The Independent calculates one in 25 children in England was taken out of school for an unauthorised holiday over the past year. With school absences soaring, the evidence suggests that parents regard the fines as a necessary expense. These are the key questions and answers on a contentious issue. How much do holiday costs increase outside term-time? Package holiday prices typically double when schools are out. A week before the late May half term, the cheapest Thomson holiday from East Midlands to Tenerife staying in a self-catering apartment at the Tamaimo Tropical costs 1,204 per person based on a family of four; the cheapest a week later, when many schools are on holiday, the price almost doubles to 2,384. Thats an increase of 98 per cent. Increases in air fares tend to be much higher, with prices typically multiplying three-fold. An example for the summer holiday: from Newcastle to Faro in Portugal, the Ryanair flight on Saturday 22 June costs 140. Exactly the same flight four weeks later is 340. For a family of five that is 1,000 more just to get to the Algarve. Even more extreme: ski flights in February half term. Next February, almost a year from now, the cheapest British Airways flight from London Heathrow to Geneva on Saturday 8 February is just 184 for a family of four. Go a week later and it is 3,072. That is over 16 times higher. (All fares research direct with the airlines/holiday companies on Thursday 29 February) Cant the government make such profiteering illegal? In 2017 a petition signed by more than 200,000 people asked the government to ban travel firms from increasing prices in line with demand: Its time to stop the holiday companies cashing in on school holidays and let parents have some guilt-free family time! Enforce action that caps the percentage increase on holiday prices in school holidays. But the consequence of any such law would be to reduce drastically the availability of travel, and there is no prospect of it happening. Like any sensible business, a travel firm will seek to maximise its earnings for the benefit of shareholders and staff. Why dont travel firms just add more capacity during school holidays? Travel isnt like most industries. If an ice-cream maker detects high demand during a warm summer, it can produce more in response. But the supply of airline seats, hotel beds and rental cars, in the short term, is fixed. The average holiday firm or leisure airline trades at a loss for most of the year, but more than makes up for the shortfall when the schools are out. Most schools have similar holiday dates, and so demand surges when the school term ends. What can you do to reduce the cost? Take the family on Monday-to-Friday holidays. It can be half the cost of a Saturday-to-Saturday trip (as well, obviously, as half as long). Anyone living in northern England or southern Scotland can take advantage of the different school holiday dates on either side of the border. At the start of July, Scots can head south of the border to Newcastle or Manchester while northern England children are still at school. In the second half of August, the opposite applies: Scottish schools are back, creating space and bargain holidays from Glasgow, Prestwick and Edinburgh to the Mediterranean. If youre heading for the Spanish Costas, get a cheap flight to Madrid instead and carry on by train to Alicante, Valencia or Malaga. Air fares to the Spanish capital are much less seasonal than those to holiday airports, and ferocious competition on the high-speed railways makes the onward connection cheap. Who do you side with: parents or teachers? Teachers. Long ago and far away I used to be a maths teacher. I would not relish the prospect of explaining simultaneous equations to a class of teenagers, then teaching the same lesson again a fortnight later when their pals deign to return from Walt Disney World. While I appreciate the benefits that travel can bring to a rounded education, I am not convinced of the educational benefit of visiting theme parks of Florida in November when I often see lots of school-age British children even though it is term time. I dont detect they are studying the complex interaction of potential energy, momentum, angular velocity and gravity they are enjoying cheap thrills on the rollercoasters. For more travel news, views and advice from Simon, download his daily Independent Travel podcast. From left, Roscosmos cosmonaut and mission specialist Aleksandr Grebenkin, NASA astronaut and pilot Michael Barratt, NASA commander Matthew Dominick, and NASA mission specialist Jeanette Epps are scheduled to lift off on their Crew-8 mission Saturday night. Photo courtesy of NASA Feb. 29 (UPI) -- The three American astronauts and one Russian cosmonaut who comprise NASA's next crewed mission to the International Space Station are scheduled to lift off Saturday night from Florida. Crew-8 will use the SpaceX Dragon capsule Endeavour atop one of the company's Falcon 9 rockets to lift off from Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center and head northeast. The mission is scheduled to lift off at 11:16 p.m. after those involved performed a full rehearsal Monday night and early Tuesday morning. The targeted docking time is about 2:10 p.m. Sunday, NASA said. Static fire test of our next @NASA astronaut flight pic.twitter.com/H3jF8dDrf7 Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 27, 2024 NASAs SpaceX Crew-8 members participate in the Crew Equipment Interface Test at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida in January and are scheduled to lift off at 11:16 p.m. EST Saturday for their mission to the International Space Station. Photo courtesy of NASA The Space Force 45th Weather Squadron said conditions early Friday morning -- the originally scheduled launch time -- in offshore areas along the flight track of the Dragon spacecraft would not be acceptable. "High wind and waves along the eastern seaboard have been observed and are forecast to continue through Saturday morning," NASA said. "This mission to the ISS really has a lot of exciting science that they're doing. There are some 200 science experiments, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said during a news conference Wednesday. Roscosmos cosmonaut and SpaceX Crew-8 mission specialist Alexander Grebenkin participates in preflight mission training inside a Dragon mockup crew vehicle at SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, Calif. Photo courtesy of SpaceX "A lot of the stuff dreamed of in the old days is just coming to fruition: the use of protein crystal growth, the medical research into the use of and growing stem cells in microgravity," Nelson said. This will mark the fifth mission for the Dragon capsule Endeavour, the most of any in the SpaceX fleet. The vehicle was also used to carry SpaceX's first manned space flight, Demo-2, and ferried astronauts to the space station in 2020. SpaceX Crew-8 Commander Matthew Dominick became a NASA astronaut in 2017 after specializing in catapult takeoffs and landings aboard aircraft carriers. He remains an active-duty U.S. Navy test pilot. Photo courtesy of SpaceX SpaceX and NASA are working to recertify the spacecraft for an additional 15 crewed flights. NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick will command Friday's mission, which is expected to last about six months. NASA astronaut Jeanette Epps is making her first trip to the International Space Station as a member of Crew-8 aboard the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. Photo courtesy of NASA The active duty U.S. Navy pilot landed Sunday afternoon in Florida, alongside Crew-8 pilot Michael Barratt, NASA mission specialist Jeanette Epps and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin, also a mission specialist. Once aboard the space station, the crew will perform a variety of operational tasks and research activities. Astronaut and SpaceX Crew-8 pilot Michael Barratt served as a flight surgeon and mission physician with NASA before becoming an astronaut in 2000. Dominick, from Wheat Ridge, Colo., became a NASA astronaut in 2017 after specializing in catapult takeoffs and landings aboard aircraft carriers. "Coming out here to the Cape, every time, I'm a kid in a candy store," the U.S. Navy test pilot told reporters Sunday. "It's an incredible time to be involved in spaceflight. Who would've thought five or six years ago that this would be the fifth flight of Endeavour that we get to go on? "Who would've thought five or six years ago that the competition for launch or the constraint to launch would be a launch pad? We delayed our launch a few days because there's stiff competition to get out there to 39A. It's not a rocket constraint, it's a pad constraint." Barratt will return to the space station for the third time, after serving as the flight engineer for Expeditions 19 and 20 and performing two spacewalks. The resident of Camas, Wash., has a medical degree from Northwestern University in Chicago and spent nine years as a NASA flight surgeon and project physician before becoming an astronaut in 2000. Epps will make her first trip to the space station. Born in Syracuse, N.Y., she worked for the Central Intelligence Agency before being chosen in 2009 to become an astronaut. NASA reassigned Epps to the current mission after she spent time with the agency's Boeing Starliner-1 mission, which is not scheduled to launch until late April at the earliest. Grebenkin also will make his first trip to the space station, after graduating from Moscow Technical University of Communications with a degree in radio communications, broadcasting and television. Before that, he served in technical and operational units of the Russian Air Force, after focusing on repairing aircraft radio navigation systems in school. When he was elected president of the National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences in September 2022, Rick Griffiths knew he was ascending into rarified air. According to a news release from New Mexico State University, the entity that operates extension offices in every county in the state, Griffiths was the first New Mexican since 1968 to be elected national president of the organization. Even more unusual was the fact that Griffiths was the first man to take over as head of the association, which is marking its 90th anniversary this year. It is an anomaly, Griffiths said. Having already served on the national board, I can tell you its really more about the individual than other factors, but I definitely feel like theres a lot to live up to. Griffiths, who works as a family and consumer sciences agent at the San Juan County Extension Office in Aztec, said he wouldnt have been elected to the position without the support of county extension personnel throughout the state. Im very grateful for all of the professionals in New Mexico who have supported me along the way, he said. This is definitely a team effort. Rick Griffiths, an agent in the San Juan County Extension Office in Aztec, is serving as the president of the National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences. Griffiths was elected in September 2022, but he didnt take over as president until September 2023. He spent that first year as president-elect, and when his term as president expires this fall, he will spend another year as past president, an advisory position, completing a three-year cycle of leadership positions with the organization. Rolando Flores Galarza, the dean of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at NMSU, said the institution takes pride in Griffiths work in San Juan County and across the state. His visibility will benefit New Mexico, he stated in the news release. He is a role model for his colleagues in Extension. Dianne Christensen, a family and consumer sciences agent in Bernalillo County, said Griffiths encouraged her and provided her with leadership opportunities over the last eight years, culminating in her being elected to the national board and serving as western region director. Rick is quick to listen, objective and very fair, she stated in the news release. He thinks issues through from perspectives and members value his opinions because they are always well formed. More: New building will allow NMSU San Juan County Extension Office plenty of room to grow The National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences represents nearly 3,000 members across the country. It is designed to promote the mission and goals of the land grant university extension system, among other objectives, according to its website. His priority as president will be to develop a new five-year strategic plan for the organization, Griffiths said. He said NEAFCS officials have spent the past several months gathering data, and they will spend this summer putting together the pieces of the plan. The plan is due to be presented in September at the organizations annual gathering in Tucson, Arizona. Griffiths said it is important that he and other NEAFCS officials meet that deadline because much of the organizations decision-making hinges on the specifics of the new plan, which is intended as a roadmap for how the group will operate for the next five years. Originally from Salt Lake City, Griffiths began his career teaching family and consumer sciences in high school but said he wanted to work with adults in that field at the community level. After obtaining his masters degree, he joined the extension office staff in San Juan County nine years ago. More: Local food summit participants soak up lessons of Growing Forward Farm in Aztec The best part of our job is that every day is different, he said of the nature of the work extension agents perform. Those tasks include responding to questions about food safety, planning and overseeing activities, answering questions about canning, participating in community meetings about health and wellness, and planning and conducting cooking and baking classes. Griffiths said he learned to take a different approach to his job during the COVID-19 pandemic when face-to-face interaction with clients was all but impossible, greatly limiting what the extension office could do. Since then, he said, he has incorporated many virtual aspects into his routine to be as flexible as possible. More: Lujan convenes Aztec roundtable discussion to solicit farm bill input He also said hes looking forward to the planned construction of the extension offices new headquarters in Aztec, a $3.5 million, 11,250-square-foot project that will feature more than five times the space of the offices current quarters. The building is tentatively scheduled to open in the summer of 2025. That is going to be an amazing project, he said. Im very excited its going to have a kitchen built into the building to food presentation classes, baking classes, cooking classes. Well have a lot of ability to do a lot more in the community. Mike Easterling can be reached at 505-564-4610 or measterling@daily-times.com. Support local journalism with a digital subscription: http://bit.ly/2I6TU0e. This article originally appeared on Farmington Daily Times: New Mexico's Rick Griffiths is new national extension branch president C.K. McClatchy High School senior Jamarie Crawford is anxiously waiting for answers. Hes preparing be the first in his family to go to college. Hes applied to several California State universities, and even Gonzaga University in Washington. But he doesnt know where hell attend in the fall. In order to determine which university is best for him, Crawford needs to know how much financial assistance hell receive. Theres no way he can pay for college on his own, he said. But due to a systematic calculation error with this years Free Application for Federal Student Aid form, more commonly known as FAFSA, Crawford, along with million of students, dont know much aid theyre getting. And they wont know until a month or two before the deadline for their big decision. Because of this uncertainty, students feel like their futures are in limbo. It gives us no time to decide where we want to go, Crawford said. Its like theyre playing with our futures. The U.S. Department of Education is working to fix the mistake that will allow an additional $1.8 billion in federal aid to be available. The DOE originally miscalculated how much students could potentially receive. Its an error that would have given students and families less aid. The Department of Education said colleges wont receive financial aid information until the beginning of March. Crawford expects to learn how much aid hell receive in April, but most colleges require students to declare their intent to enroll by May. After having to navigate FAFSA delays, Crawford wondered: Is this even going to work? A delay in FAFSA availability A planned revamp of the form and additional time to correct the application error messed with the timeline of the forms availability. Students couldnt begin to complete their forms until the last weekend of December, said Karen McCarthy, the vice president for public and federal relations of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators. In the past, institutions would begin to have these applications in October, and financial aid information would be shared with families. Colleges have yet to receive any processed forms, McCarthy said. The Department of Education has reported that more than 3 million applications have been submitted. McCarthy said delays nationwide have resulted in a crunched timeline for institutions to send out offers and for students to make a well informed decision. Andrea Montgomery, a counselor at C.K. McClatchy High School, said their student body depends on FAFSA. Without it, higher education isnt viable, she said. Not only are students and families relying on aid to cover tuition, but room, board and other additional costs. The majority of our students are counting on financial aid in the form of grants and scholarships to make college affordable, Montgomery said. Its very rare that I meet with a family and college is covered. To accommodate FAFSA delays, colleges have extended their intent to register deadlines. The California State University system and the University of California are giving students until May 15. Noelia Gonzalez, the systemwide director for financial aid programs for the California State University system, said their goal is to let students know their FAFSA eligibility sometime between late March and early April. Gonzalez said the biggest concern is that students will not have the information needed to decide where to attend. In an attempt to make matters better, Gonzalez said they are working diligently with the Department of Education and the California Student Aid Commission to send out award letters as soon as possible. A change in the system and its domino effect Montgomery said these FAFSA delays have been a bad situation for everyone involved. While students are facing roadblocks, financial aid officers have also had to reckon with form adjustments and software changes. One of the biggest huddles has been that the new FAFSA form replaced the estimated family contribution and with a student aid index. But students and parents are confused on what that means. In the past, parents have been informed how much they are expected to pay based on a familys income, investment and savings. With the new system, the student aid index is calculated on a needs-based analysis. The DOE said this number will not be a dollar amount of how much families will pay out of pocket. They say your student aid index isnt the money we think you should pay out of pocket, but my student aid index is 2.5 times higher than my expected family contribution, said Montgomery, who is also helping her child apply to college. Having a number and not knowing what it means or how it relates to what we can expect (to pay and receive) is extremely frustrating. FAFSA delays will have a domino effect for other financial aid packages. Awards like the Pell Grant, which is awarded to undergraduate students, and Cal Grant, which is specifically for community college and California State university students, will also take longer to reach students. Theyre going to have to pay out of pocket for enrollment fees, said Angela Brady, the financial aid supervisor at Cosumnes River College. Not knowing what their Pell Grant eligibility looks like is going to be tough. Community college students who are dependent on financial aid programs will have less time to budget their money, Brady said. Despite the continuous delays, college officials encourage students to not give up hope. They recommend students keep in contact with the financial aid offices to colleges they applied to and to keep an eye on deadlines. Alfred Jimenez, an instructional assistant at Brandeis High School, died on Feb. 17 after he was injured on campus 10 days earlier. Courtesy of Northside ISD Teachers and others working with special education students in the Northside Independent School District shared horrific tales of assaults while urging school trustees last week to provide better staffing, training and support in the wake of a recent fatal injury on campus. On multiple occasions, I have been subjected to violent attacks by one of the students, Alora Martinez, special education teacher at Brandeis High School, told the board. One of these attacks even rendered me unconscious, concussed and in need of immediate medical attention. The outpouring of concern follows the Feb. 17 death of Afred Mr. Fred Joseph Jimenez, 73, an instructional assistant who was badly hurt at Brandeis High School 10 days earlier. District officials said he fell while trying to redirect a student with learning and emotional disabilities. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The death was ruled a homicide and placed under investigation of the San Antonio Police Department. Melina Espiritu-Azocar, president of the Northside ISD chapter of the American Federation of Teachers, is calling for better training, pay and staffing for special education faculty. Contributed Jerry Buecher, another special education teacher at Brandeis, said the school has students on the campus that should be in other schools better staffed to handle those with severe disabilities. He said he and four other faculty members at Brandeis have been assaulted by a student who has been allowed to stay there because administrators, hoping to avoid litigation, decided we can ride it out until the student graduates in a few months. Beucher said he loves the students but has paid a heavy price. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Ive been kicked, scratched, beaten, where Ive had hepatitis shots because I was bit in the head. But Im a veteran, and I knew that going into this, I was also explained this was what the job entails, he told trustees. Maegan Chitwood, an elementary teacher who deals with special needs children, asked for better training and higher pay for assistants. I have multiple scars and my students have multiple scars from kids who would attack unprovoked and randomly. Ive been punched in the face. Ive had the glasses kicked off my face, Chitwood said. Christina Garcia, an elementary special education teacher, said the understaffing also is bad for the children. It isnt their fault were short-staffed. But my personal relationships, home life and mental health suffered. I was so close to quitting numerous times this year, Garcia said. The recent tragedy at Brandeis High School hit way too close to home. Thats when I realized it isnt just a campus or staffing issue. Its a Northside and Texas issue. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Melina Espiritu-Azocar, president of the Northside ISD chapter of the American Federation of Teachers, is calling for better training, pay and staffing for special education faculty. Ronald Cortes /Contributor / Board Chairman Bobby Blount said trustees couldnt discuss the matter at Tuesdays meeting, since it wasnt on the agenda, but added, We definitely hear (you). Melina Espiritu-Azocar, president of Northsides American Federation of Teachers branch, said shell continue discussing the concerns with senior district staff. Although teacher safety has been a nationwide problem for years, Jimenezs death is a direct ramification of what happens when those systems arent properly funded, she said, citing a $2 billion funding gap for special education in Texas. This is nothing new for these folks. But in light of Fred Jimenezs death, the biggest question that came up was that couldve been me, or I dont want that to be me. They want to share their stories, Espiritu-Azocar said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The AFT chapter is calling for better staffing and pay and annual de-escalation training for special education faculty, along with an acknowledged right to take assault leave when theyve been hurt, she said. In a critical response to the U.S. Department of Agricultures (USDA) Equity Commission Final Report, the Native Farm Bill Coalition co-chairs say the report doesnt adequately address inequities in Indian Country. The 91-page Final Report (Report) has 66 recommendations to further advance and embed equity into policies, practices and processes at the agency. Only 11 of the 66 recommendations are specific to tribal concerns. In a statement issued on Wednesday, Native Farm Bill Coalitions co-chairs Kari Jo Lawrence (Three Affiliated Tribes - Fort Berthold Reservation) CEO of the Intertribal Agriculture Council and a member of the commissions agriculture subcommittee, and Cole Miller, chairman of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community are critical there was not enough tribal consultation in the development of the final report. We are concerned that the Commissions Report doesnt adequately address a major source of inequities in Indian Country: lack of awareness of the importance and uniqueness of Tribal sovereignty and the federal governments treaty obligations to tribes, the Lawrence and Miller said in their statement. Lawrence and Miller further state that the final report largely ignores the fact that tribal governments are sovereign, federally recognized governments, and often makes the mistake of mentioning Indigenous people as an underserved group without reference to tribes or the status of tribal trust lands that impact program accessibility. There are a number of recommendations that do not specifically mention Tribes, even though they could benefit from the provisions. Additionally, the two were critical in the Report's using the terms "Indigenous" and "BIPOC" when referencing tribal concerns. The terms BIPOC and Indigenous do not have a foundation in federal Indian law, and therefore do not have the same meaning as Tribes, which are sovereign governments with jurisdiction over Tribal lands jurisdiction to the exclusion of states and counties that surround Tribal lands. The failure to explicitly mention Tribes minimizes an important reality in Indian Countrys relationship with the federal government and makes it easier for the USDA to continue to be dismissive of Indian Countrys concerns in the future, Lawrence and Miller said. Beyond their criticism, the two leaders say the Commissions Report advances important proposals to help fulfill the Biden Administrations commitment to make USDAs work more equitable. The Commissions recommendations are specific to tribal governments and Native producers include: Elevating the Office of Tribal Relations Ensuring equitable language and culturally competent access to USDA services Lowering the threshold for Tribal agricultural and food businesses to access the USDAs supplier and procurement programs Increasing funding for the Federally Recognized Tribal Extension Program (FRTEP) that is formula-based rather than competitive Expanding Cooperative Extension Service programming to marginalized communities Increasing financial support for 1994 Tribal Land Grant Colleges and Universities (TCUs) Removing eligibility restrictions on receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and food from the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations in the same month Prioritizing Rural Development funding and programming for rural economically distressed communities and historically underserved communities, including Federally Recognized Tribes Opening new forms of credit for producers by removing restriction to the intermediary relending program (IRP) that prevent IRPs low interest loans from benefitting agricultural producers Ensuring representation on County Committees reflects the populations of the counties each respective committee serves Lawrence and Miller conclude their statement they are hopefull for a new commitment from USDA leaderhip. Because Native people have experienced firsthand the difficulties of getting USDA senior leadership and staff to administer the agencys programs in an equitable way toward Indian Country in the past, we look forward to seeing a new commitment from USDA leadership to implementing these recommendations and expanding access to USDA programs for Tribes, Native producers and other disadvantaged communities. It is our hope that the USDA will lean on the newly seated Tribal Advisory Committee, as well as engage in Tribal Consultations to supplement the Commissions Report and inform the Departments future Equity Plans pertaining to Indian Country," Lawrence and Miller said. 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 Yulia Navalnaya, widow of Alexey Navalny, stands in the plenary chamber of the European Parliament and speaks. Russian opposition activist Alexey Navalny died this month in Russian captivity. Philipp von Ditfurth/dpa The team of Russian dissident Alexei Navalny, who died in custody, has called on people to attend the funeral service and burial of the leading opposition figure in Moscow on Friday, despite the expected police presence. The church service is planned for 2 pm (1100 GMT), with the burial at the Borisov cemetery scheduled for two hours later, Navalny's spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh announced on Thursday. Everyone to whom Navalny's political work meant something should attend, she said. The walk from the church, which is dedicated to the "Assuage My Sorrows" icon of the Mother of God, to the cemetery takes 28 minutes, the announcement said. Navalny's team plans to report live on the internet about the funeral service in the south-eastern district of Maryino as well as about the burial and recommended that guests arrive early. A large security presence is expected - and there are fears that uniformed officers could block access to Navalny's supporters. Navalny's widow Yulia Navalnaya has also issued an appeal to attend the funeral service. Navalny's mother, Lyudmila Navalnaya, received her son's body on Saturday after days of demanding that the authorities hand it over to her. She rejected holding a secret burial as initially demanded by the authorities. Over the past few days, Navalny's team had been looking for a place for the funeral service and complained that they were being obstructed by the Russian authorities. According to Russian Orthodox custom, the dead are buried after three days, with their bodies laid out in an open coffin beforehand so that mourners can bid farewell. However, a room for such a farewell ritual was not made available, wrote Ivan Zhdanov, the director of the anti-corruption fund founded by Navalny. Special Representative of China to conduct second round of shuttle diplomacy on Ukraine crisis Xinhua) 09:51, February 29, 2024 BEIJING, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- On March 2, Special Representative of the Chinese Government on Eurasian Affairs Li Hui will begin a second round of shuttle diplomacy to seek a political settlement of the Ukraine crisis, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning announced on Wednesday. Li will visit Russia, Poland, Ukraine, Germany and France, as well as the E.U. headquarters in Belgium, Mao said. "It has been two years since the full escalation of the crisis. The war still drags on," Mao said at a daily news briefing when answering a relevant query, noting that restoring peace is the most urgent task at present. "The sooner the peace talks start, the lower the losses will be," she said. Over the last two years, China has never given up in its efforts to promote peace and talks, she noted. China has conducted in-depth communication with Russia, Ukraine and other relevant countries, and played a constructive role in coping with the crisis. China has issued a document titled "China's Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis" and dispatched a special representative to conduct shuttle diplomacy, Mao said. China has never stood by, inflamed or exploited the situation for selfish gains, but everything it does leads toward the goal of building consensus to end the war and pave the way for peace talks, she said. China will continue to play its unique role, carry out shuttle diplomacy, build consensus among all parties, and contribute Chinese wisdom to the promotion of a political solution to the Ukraine crisis, she added. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) FILE - This combo image shows President Joe Biden, left, Jan. 5, 2024, and Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump, right, Jan. 19, 2024. AP President Joe Biden arrives on Marine One in Mountain View, Calif., for a campaign fundraiser, Feb. 22, 2024. Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump at Coastal Carolina University on Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024, in Conway, South Carolina. Win McNamee/TNS President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are each headed to the Texas border Thursday for split-screen appearances, underscoring the weight that immigration is taking in their expected rematch this November. The dueling trips, just days before the March 5 primary, come as the president has sought to go on the offensive on border security an issue long wielded against him by Trump and the GOP. Polling shows Americans are increasingly concerned about the issue after record migrant crossings and months of Republican political attacks on it. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Biden is set to land in Brownsville this afternoon and to meet with Border Patrol agents and local leaders. He is expected to use the trip to renew calls for new immigration laws and shame the GOP for playing political games on the border after Senate Republicans this month blocked a bipartisan proposal aimed at curbing crossings. Trump mounted a pressure campaign against the bill which included reforms to the asylum system, millions of dollars for the Border Patrol and new authority for the president to turn away migrants arguing it would be a political victory for Biden months before the presidential election. Republicans should get out of the way, not politicize this, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said this week as she previewed the trip. This is an issue the American people, a majority of the American people care about. Trump, meanwhile, is headed to Eagle Pass, the epicenter of a fight between Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and the Biden administration over the states growing border crackdown. Trump has cheered on Texas efforts there, including its takeover of a public park on the Rio Grande, where state soldiers have prevented Border Patrol agents from apprehending and processing migrants, as he has ratcheted up anti-immigrant rhetoric. Trump is expected to appear on Sean Hannitys Fox News show from the park, and Abbott and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz are also expected to appear on the program. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The former president is calling for a major clampdown on immigration going even further than his first term, and his campaign has floated rounding up immigrants into camps and mass deportations if he retakes the White House. A Gallup poll released this week found 28% of Americans say immigration is the most important issue facing the country, the largest share ever to rank it first and the first time immigration has ranked ahead of all other issues since 2019. Former U.S. diplomat Victor Manuel Rocha said Thursday in federal court that he has agreed to plead guilty to being an illegal agent for the Cuban government while defrauding the United States, in a plea agreement that will be unveiled on April 12, when he will be sentenced. Rochas defense attorney and federal prosecutors acknowledged the plea agreement at a hearing in Miami federal court that was initially supposed to be about the handling of classified documents in his case, but the focus quickly shifted to sealing the defendants fate. Rocha, who was arrested in early December and pleaded not guilty to a 15-count indictment in mid-February, told U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom that he understood the terms and was ready to change his original plea to guilty. Your honor, I am in agreement, Rocha, 73, told the judge. Prosecutors Jonathan Stratton and John Shipley and defense attorney Jacqueline Arango said they worked out the plea agreement with a predetermined sentence for his two offenses: conspiracy to be an illegal agent and acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government, which carry up to five years and 10 years, respectively, for a possible total of 15 years in prison. Neither side however, disclosed the jointly recommended prison term. At the brief hearing Thursday, Arango called the recommended sentence fair and reasonable, without revealing details. Bloom said she would still order a pre-sentence investigative report and use that to guide her in imposing Rochas punishment in April. Arrested in Miami Rocha, who was cuffed and wearing a khaki detention uniform, is the former U.S. ambassador to Bolivia. He spent two decades at the U.S. State Department until he left the diplomatic service in 2002, and then worked in the private sector for two more decades before being arrested in Miami in early December. After his arrest, Attorney General Merrick Garland described Rocha much like a spy, saying the case exposes one of the highest-reaching and longest-lasting infiltrations of the United States government by a foreign agent. Rocha is charged with violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act, which requires those working under the control of a foreign government to notify the U.S. Attorney Generals office. Rocha faces charges of conspiracy, acting as a foreign agent, wire fraud and making false statements to obtain and use a U.S. passport, according to the indictment. All but two of the counts in his indictment will be dismissed at his plea and sentencing in April, prosecutors said. Stratton, the prosecutor, said both sides have finalized the documents and an agreement on the sentence to be imposed without revealing any specifics. Stratton made the disclosure while informing the judge there would be no classified documents to be disclosed to the defense before trial, which was set for March 25. The unusual delay in Rochas arraignment until mid-February suggested to legal experts that his endgame would be a plea deal. Since his arrest, Rocha has remained at the federal detention center, after agreeing to prosecutors demands that he be held before trial. They argued he is a danger to the community and a flight risk. Brickell City Centre condo transfers After being charged in December, Rocha transferred the deeds on four luxury Brickell City Centre condos that he bought with his wife, Karla Wittkop Rocha, exclusively to her, according to records filed on Feb. 8, with the Miami-Dade County Clerks office. The documents were originally signed in January. The quit-claim deed transfers were first reported by local Spanish-language station America TV. The Rochas two units in the Rise tower and two units in the Reach tower, located at the Brickell City Centre in downtown Miami, are valued at more than $4 million in total, according to the real estate website Zillow. Arango, the Miami attorney with the firm Akerman who is representing Rocha and formerly worked as a longtime federal prosecutor, signed the deed transfers as a witness. Asked after the arraignment whether the deed transfers might be fraudulent, Arango declined to answer. According to the federal indictment, if Rocha is found guilty the government would seize any property derived from any proceeds obtained, directly or indirectly from the commission of such offense. If he did that in order to defeat any government attempt to take his interest in the property if he is found guilty, I dont think he would be successful because he cannot transfer his equitable interest in the property because he is married, said Nelson Rodriguez Varela, a Miami attorney specializing in criminal and real estate law, People who knew Rocha described him as someone preoccupied with money. He told acquaintances that he left the federal government to pursue better-paid positions in the private sector. He worked as senior business advisor at the Miami law firm Foley & Lardner, senior vice president for Xcoal, a coal exporting company, and as senior vice president for Latin America at Canadian firm Barrick Gold Corp. Although Rocha was not charged with espionage, the U.S. Justice Department accused him of working as an undercover agent of Cubas General Directorate of Intelligence. The indictment accuses him of using his position to obtain sensitive information and pass it to Cuba, though it does not provide any details about what damage he may have done or the sort of secrets he revealed. A document attached to the indictment has been sealed by the court. The case sent shock waves through the diplomatic and intelligence communities, where Rocha was highly regarded as an expert on Cuba and Latin American affairs. In Miami circles, he was known as a fervent Republican and an admirer of former President Donald Trump, although the indictment says Rocha was taped by an FBI undercover agent claiming his right-wing persona was part of his cover as a Cuban agent. On Friday, in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, a former high-ranking official in the George W. Bush administration described Rocha as a traitor. Rochas treachery will be the most damaging intelligence penetration and influence operation in U.S. history, wrote Emilio T. Gonzalez, former director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Apart from prison, he must be made to surrender assets/properties, government pensions and have his naturalization revoked. After completing his sentence, deport him. Miami Herald staff writer Nora Gamez Torres contributed to this report. An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the potential sentence for Rocha, who is facing up to 15 years in prison. An autistic teenage boy who disappeared from his home in Arizona was found safe and well around 200 miles away after wandering in a supermarket. New Mexico State Police posted a photo of an unidentified boy who was found at a Walmart in Deming on Tuesday night. The photo showed the boy on an ambulance stretcher and only described him as being 5 feet, 9 inches tall and weighing 230 pounds. NMSP later described the teen as non-verbal and explained he had no identification on him. Marcus Tessier was found around 200 miles from his home in Arizona on Tuesday (KQRE) Within seven minutes, someone replied to that post saying that the Tucson Police Department was looking for someone who looked very similar to the boy. MISSING VULNERABLE JUVENILE CHILD LOCATED Marcus has been located in Deming, NM. Thank you to the Deming Police Department for the assistance and plans are being made for Marcus to be reunited with his family. https://t.co/ymJGmtQhhB Tucson Police Dept (@Tucson_Police) February 28, 2024 The boy turned out to be 13-year-old Marcus Tessier, who had managed to travel some 200 miles from home without being able to speak to others. My mom woke up, and he was no longer in the house. The front door was unlocked, and he was just gone, Marcuss brother, Mikel Desmond, told local news channel KRQE. Later on Tuesday evening, when Mikel got a call from New Mexico explaining where his brother was, he said he was sceptical. I talked to the officer, I talked to a nurse there, and honestly, they had trouble getting me to believe it, he added, explaining that the family had received several scam calls claiming to know where Marcus was. However, the caller switched over to video and Mikel was able to see his brother. Marcus is now back home safely in Tucson, NMSP said in an update on Facebook. Thanks to everyone who helped make this possible by sharing, commenting, and spreading the word. Migrants traverse the bank of the Rio Grande at Shelby Park in Eagle Pass, on Jan. 19, 2024. A federal judge on Thursday blocked. Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune A federal judge in Austin on Thursday halted a new state law that would allow Texas police to arrest people suspected of crossing the Texas-Mexico border illegally. The law, Senate Bill 4, was scheduled to take effect Tuesday. U.S. District Judge David Ezra issued a preliminary injunction that will keep it from being enforced while a court battle continues playing out. Texas is being sued by the federal government and several immigration advocacy organizations. Texas appealed the ruling to the conservative 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Ezra said in his order Thursday that the federal government will suffer grave irreparable harm if the law took effect because it could inspire other states to pass their own immigration laws, creating an inconsistent patchwork of rules about immigration, which has historically been upheld as being solely within the jurisdiction of the federal government. SB 4 threatens the fundamental notion that the United States must regulate immigration with one voice, Ezra wrote. Ezra also wrote that if the state arrested and deported migrants who may be eligible for political asylum, that would violate the Constitution and also be "in violation of U.S. treaty obligations." "Finally, the Court does not doubt the risk that cartels and drug trafficking pose to many people in Texas," Ezra wrote in his ruling. "But as explained, Texas can and does already criminalize those activities. Nothing in this Order stops those enforcement efforts. No matter how emphatic Texass criticism of the Federal Governments handling of immigration on the border may be to some, disagreement with the federal governments immigration policy does not justify a violation of the Supremacy Clause." [Donald Trump says Greg Abbott is absolutely on vice president short list] Gov. Greg Abbott signed SB 4 in December, marking Texas latest attempt to try to deter people from crossing the Rio Grande after several years of historic numbers of migrants arriving at the Texas-Mexico border. In a statement, Abbott said the state "will not back down in our fight" and that he expects this case would eventually be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court. On social media, he wrote that he is "not worried" because "this was fully expected." "Texas has solid legal grounds to defend against an invasion," he added. State Attorney General Ken Paxton, whose office is defending SB 4 in court, said in a statement that he "will do everything possible to defend Texass right to defend herself." The law seeks to make illegally crossing the border a Class B misdemeanor, carrying a punishment of up to six months in jail. Repeat offenders could face a second-degree felony with a punishment of two to 20 years in prison. The law also seeks to require state judges to order migrants returned to Mexico if they are convicted; local law enforcement would be responsible for transporting migrants to the border. A judge could drop the charges if a migrant agrees to return to Mexico voluntarily. In December, the American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Texas and the Texas Civil Rights Project sued Texas on behalf of El Paso County and two immigrant rights organizations El Paso-based Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center and Austin-based American Gateways over the new state law. The following month, the U.S. Department of Justice filed its lawsuit against Texas. The lawsuits have since been combined. During a court hearing on Feb. 15 in Austin, the Department of Justice argued that SB 4 is unconstitutional because courts have ruled that immigration solely falls under the federal governments authority. [As Biden and Trump visit the border, many Texas residents feel ignored] The lawyer representing Texas, Ryan Walters, argued that the high number of migrants arriving at the border some of them smuggled by drug cartels constitutes an invasion and Texas has a right to defend itself under Article I, Section 10 of the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits states from engaging in war on their own unless actually invaded. Ezra said that he is not unsympathetic to the concerns raised by Abbott, but appeared unconvinced by Walters argument. "I haven't seen, and the state of Texas can't point me to any type of military invasion in Texas," Ezra said. "I don't see evidence that Texas is at war." Immigrant rights advocates around the state celebrated the ruling because they worried that SB 4 would lead to border residents' rights being violated. "We celebrate todays win, blocking this extreme law from going into effect before it has the opportunity to harm Texas communities," said Aron Thorn, senior attorney for the Beyond Border Program at Texas Civil Rights Project. "This is a major step in showing the State of Texas and Governor Abbott that they do not have the power to enforce unconstitutional, state-run immigration policies." Edna Yang, co-executive director at American Gateways, said that SB 4 does not fix our broken immigration system and it will divide communities. This decision is a victory for all our communities as it stops a harmful, unconstitutional, and discriminatory state policy from taking effect and impacting the lives of millions of Texans," she said. "Local officials should not be federal immigration agents, and our state should not be creating its own laws that deny people their right to seek protection here in the U.S." David Donatti, senior staff attorney at the ACLU of Texas, said the ruling is an "important win for Texas values, human rights, and the U.S. Constitution." "Our current immigration system needs repair because it forces millions of Americans into the shadows and shuts the door on people in need of safety. S.B. 4 would only make things worse," he said. "Cruelty to migrants is not a policy solution. We cant wait to welcome you to downtown Austin Sept. 5-7 for the 2024 Texas Tribune Festival! Join us at Texas breakout politics and policy event as we dig into the 2024 elections, state and national politics, the state of democracy, and so much more. When tickets go on sale this spring, Tribune members will save big. Donate to join or renew today. The murder of a woman in a New York hotel and the stabbing attacks of two women in Arizona could have been prevented, according to a former co-worker of the suspect. The Florida woman said she narrowly escaped from Almansoori herself. Raad Almansoori, 26, was arrested and booked into a Maricopa County jail on Sunday after Surprise police said he stabbed and tried to rape a female McDonald's employee. He also told police that he had stabbed another woman in Phoenix and bragged about murdering a woman in a New York hotel earlier this month in the SoHo neighborhood of Manhattan. In a Maricopa County Superior Court hearing on Monday, a detective said Almansoori had told authorities he got into an argument with a woman in Florida whom he described as a girlfriend and choked her after she didn't listen to him before stealing her car. Leah Palian, the suspect's former co-worker, told The Arizona Republic she wished Florida prosecutors had listened to her after she was attacked by Almansoori less than a year ago. She said in April 2023, Almansoori strangled her, forced her to have sex and kept her inside her Orlando area apartment against her will. But sexual battery and assault charges weren't pursued, according to prosecutors and court documents. How did Palian and Almansoori meet? Palian described what she said happened to her almost a year ago. She first met Almansoori at an Orlando restaurant where they both worked. Almansoori had started about a month before Palian and trained her. The two worked together most days and got to know each other. Palian said Almansoori was always socially awkward, but she never imagined he could commit the types of crimes he now is accused of. "He had told me a lot about his childhood trauma and current struggles and started opening up to me," Palian said. "I kind of thought that that was what contributed to how awkward and reserved he was. I didn't at first know he was capable of doing these horrendous things." Raad Almansoori listens during his hearing on Feb. 26, 2024, in Maricopa County Superior Court in Phoenix. Palian noticed that Almansoori would always bike to and from work, even though his home was about a two-hour bike ride away, so she started driving him home when they worked together. After a late-night shift, Almansoori asked Palian to drive him home and to drive him to the auto shop early the next morning so he could pick up his car. Palian said she offered to let Almansoori stay at her apartment that night so she wouldn't have to drive to and from his home, to which Almansoori agreed. The two arrived at her place, and Palian said she offered him a glass of wine. After drinking half of a glass, she said his awkward and reserved demeanor completely shifted, turning belligerent and hateful. "It was like he was blackout drunk," Palian said. "He was just berating me and calling me a whore, telling me that my father doesn't love me, and all of these really weird things you wouldn't say to someone you known for a couple of weeks that's doing you a favor." Palian said she thought Almansoori was too incoherent to kick out then and there, so she decided to go to bed and wait until the morning to talk with him, hoping that he would be more reasonable then. The next morning, she woke up with Almansoori in her bed, with his arms wrapped around her. She told him that his behavior was inappropriate and "horrendous." "Friends don't treat friends that way, and I will not be taking you to get your car. Please leave my apartment,'" Palian said she told him. Almansoori refused to leave, instead trying for an hour to convince Palian to take him to his car. He frantically shook her while begging her to take him to the shop before changing his tactic, saying that he was in love with her, which was why he was acting the way he was. Palian said he eventually forced her to unlock her phone, where he found a message she'd sent her friend making fun of his behavior the night before. "That really set him off," Palian said. After that, she said Almansoori turned silent and started closing the window blinds and locking the front door. She said he told her, "Scream and I'll kill you" before getting on top of her and strangling her to the point her vision became blurry. "Then while he was on top of me, strangling me, he's saying, 'I hate that I have to do this. I hate that I have to kill you,' and it was the most terrifying thing ever," Palian said. When he stopped choking her, Palian said he told her that she'd "made the devil come out of his body." He then forced her to perform oral sex on him, she said. "It was just like such a thrill for him, everything that was happening," Palian said. "And so, when he was finished, he had some clarity and was like, 'You're going to tell people.'" Palian, who was desperate to get away, attempted to soothe him so he would allow her to leave, she said. She convinced him to allow her to take him to his car, but he insisted on driving. While driving, Palian asked Almansoori to pull over to use the restroom. She said she convinced him to let her enter a convenience store restroom alone. She entered the gas station restroom and texted her parents to call 911 because her cellphone signal wasn't strong enough for her to do it herself, she said. Almansoori came banging on the door soon after, asking her to come out. Moments later, Palian said she heard keys jingling at the door. Almansoori had convinced the gas station manager to unlock the door, saying that his friend was unresponsive and he needed to check on her. "When that happened, I started screaming 'No, don't let him in, this man just tried to kill me, I'm on the phone with 911,'" Palian said. When Almansoori heard she had called 911, he immediately fled in her car. He was caught a day later by the Florida Highway Patrol, still in Palian's car. How was Almansoori's prosecution handled in Florida? Palian said the officers and detectives, who were all women, were very helpful in assisting her. Almansoori was arrested and accused of multiple crimes, including sexual battery, aggravated assault and grand theft auto. They helped Palian retrieve her bike, which was in her car before Almansoori sold it to a pawn shop. "It was great," Palian said. "I thought it was going to be an open-and-closed case." But no action was taken on any charge except grand theft auto, and Almansoori was granted release on a $2,500 bond. He has not yet gone to trial. The Office of the State Attorney for the 9th Judicial Circuit in Florida told The Arizona Republic in a statement that it "concluded there was insufficient evidence to prove the sexual battery and aggravated assault charges beyond a reasonable doubt." "We are disheartened to hear about the tragic events in New York and Arizona and our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their loved ones and all the communities impacted," said Jason Gunn, spokesperson for the attorney's office. "We acknowledge the hurt and pain that is felt when we are legally unable to move forward with prosecuting a case." Palian said she felt there was ample evidence to prosecute Almansoori on sexual battery and aggravated assault charges. "When I went in for the interview, they weren't really addressing any of my concerns," Palian said. "They were brushing off a lot of things, and when I felt that energy and I felt that I was not being taken seriously, I told them verbatim, 'If you let this man walk with a slap on the wrist, he's going to become the next Ted Bundy.'" The detective who was questioned in Almansoori's Monday hearing in Phoenix said Almansoori believed the Florida assault and sexual assault charges against him had been dropped and he was on release for only the stolen vehicle charge. Suspect called Florida victim night of New York slaying Palian described a chilling moment when she said Almansoori violated the no-contact order placed on him. She had been receiving phone calls with no caller IDs for months, which she speculated were from Almansoori, but she did not pick them up. On the evening of Feb. 7, the same night Almansoori was accused of killing the woman in SoHo hotel, Palian received a FaceTime call from an unknown number that she assumed to be one of her friends. She answered, and Almansoori was on the line. "My heart just sank completely, and I was shaking," Palian said. "I was kind of in a trauma response. And the only thing I could think to say was, 'Why are you calling me?' And he was like, 'I just wanted to see how you felt about everything between us.'" Palian told him not to contact her and hung up the phone before emailing the state attorney's office about what had happened. She said she didn't receive a solution from the office until eight days later. The state attorney's office motioned in court to revoke the $2,500 bond that Almansoori used to be released, but Palian said it was too little, too late. "It's just terrifying (to see) the lack of concern, the lack of urgency and the lack of communication," Palian said. "With them handling this so poorly, it allowed these horrific events to transpire and other women to be harmed in the process." The state attorney's office did not respond specifically to Palian's comments, instead referring The Republic back to its original statement. The Maricopa County Attorney's Office announced Tuesday Almansoori had been indicted on two counts of attempt to commit first-degree murder, two counts of aggravated assault, two counts of attempted sexual assault, one count of attempted armed robbery and one count of theft of means of transportation. In Florida, Almansoori's scheduled March trial on the grand theft auto charge has been canceled, court records show. Arizona Republic reporter Perry Vandell contributed to this article. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Fla. woman warned prosecutors about stabbing suspect Raad Almansoori NHS waiting lists are unlikely to drop to pre-pandemic levels even by the end of 2027, a report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has said. Experts have forecast how far the current 7.6 million waiting list is likely to fall under the next Government using different scenarios that involve varying levels of NHS productivity. But even the most optimistic prediction puts the waiting list at 5.2 million by the end of 2027, which is 600,000 higher than it was in December 2019. The authors do not differentiate between who might lead the next government, with current polling suggesting Labour will win a general election, but conclude that either way more funding and improved productivity will be needed to cut the waiting list to below pre-pandemic levels. A more realistic, central estimate suggests the number waiting for treatment will reduce to only 6.5 million, after rising slightly during the first half of 2024, while a pessimistic outlook claims the waiting list will still be 7.6 million in almost four years time. The modelling estimates the number of people treated each year versus the number who join the waiting list. The best case scenario sees treatment levels outpace new joiners, while the worst sees the treatments matched by the number of people joining, keeping the overall list the same. The IFS report said Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, had failed to meet his pledge to cut the NHS waiting list, which is more than half a million bigger than when he made the commitment after a year of doctors strikes. Hospitals to miss targets on longest waits The waiting list fell for three consecutive months at the end of 2023, from a record high of 7.8 million, but the IFS said the NHS is still set to miss its stretching targets of treating those who have been waiting the longest. The report said it was very unlikely to eliminate people waiting 65 weeks or longer by this March - the latest figures for December put this at almost 100,000 - and unlikely to eliminate the number of people waiting one year which stands at 337,000 from lists by March 2025. Max Warner, a research economist and an author of the report, said: The next government may well inherit a falling elective NHS waiting list in England, but even with a trend pointing in the right direction, waiting lists will still be far higher than they have been and long waiting times are unlikely to go away any time soon. Eye-wateringly tough choices ahead He said the Government needs to dedicate additional funding to the health service and to find ways to increase NHS productivity, which, without tax rises, could require some eye-wateringly tough choices elsewhere. Mark Franks, the director of welfare at the Nuffield Foundation, said the next government must also be transparent about the magnitude of the challenge, the necessary trade-offs and the reality that, even under the most optimistic projections, it will take many years for waiting lists to revert to the levels seen at the beginning of the last decade. Meanwhile, new analysis of A&E waiting times by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), found that the proportion of patients waiting longer than four hours at emergency departments over the last decade was higher in Labour-run Wales than in England and Scotland. All three nations have seen an increase in people waiting for at least four hours in A&E but the levels were highest in Wales in every month between January 2013 and August 2022, and most months since. The Department for Health was asked 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. Being a soldier never leaves you. Guest speaker James Nicholson, 135th Military Police Combat Support, 1st Sgt. U.S. Army, addressed the six graduates of Mansfield Municipal Veterans Court in a ceremony Wednesday at the Mansfield FOP Lodge 32. In 2009, Judge Jerry Ault formed the first Veterans Court in Ohio and third in the nation. It was developed to reduce crime, incarceration and recidivism by linking veterans to veteran-specific services. Veterans Court is one of four specialty dockets offered by Mansfield Municipal Court. The program provides intense supervision that involves regularly scheduled review hearings with the judge; home visits; curfew checks; drug and alcohol testing, and increased communication with treatment providers. Veterans Court requires at least one year of supervision and treatment. James Nicholson, retired U.S. Army First Sgt. from the 135th Military Police Combat Support, spoke Wednesday to graduates of the Mansfield Municipal Veterans Court. Nicholson is in his 30th year with the Richland County Sheriff's Office. He is a lieutenant in road patrol. While in the police academy, Nicholson got his first experience in the military. He was deployed as a member of the Ohio Army National Guard for the Lucasville prison riot, which occurred in 1993 and resulted in the deaths of one guard and nine inmates. "A young kid, right out of high school," Nicholson recalled. Nicholson was deployed 7 times while serving in the Army Before retiring from the Army in 2011, Nicholson was deployed seven times. In 1998, he spent six months in Nicaragua and Honduras after Hurricane Mitch, amid warring factions. "That was something for my young eyes," Nicholson said. He was deployed twice to Iraq, the first time in 2003-04. "We were starting up the Iraqi police force," Nicholson said. "We basically transitioned their military personnel and their government officials to try to run an efficient government with law and order." He called it a "trying year." "Seven days before we came home, we lost two of our guys," Nicholson said. "That weighed heavily on the unit." He called it a riverboat patrol incident. The unit recovered one soldier's body on Christmas Day and the other on New Year's Eve. "Shortly after getting back, we were deployed to Italy. That was nice," Nicholson said. "That was to allow another unit to deploy. It was the only time I can say I had a good time in the military on a deployment." He returned to Iraq in 2008-09, this time as 1st Sgt. Nicholson. "I did not know the pressures that our leadership had until I went over there carrying that rank," he said. Nicholson was responsible for 169 other souls. His unit covered 60,000 square miles and was responsible for a similar mission to his previous deployment to Iraq. Nicholson truly served his country, even missing the births of his oldest and youngest sons while being deployed. "A lot of what's made me who I am today is going through (military service)," he said. Pair of incidents have stayed with Nicholson A couple of incidents have stayed with him all these years. Before deploying to Iraq in 2008, Nicholson lost one of his soldiers. The 24-year-old woman wanted to let loose before leaving and was involved in a wrong-way OVI crash. Her vehicle struck a hearse head-on, killing her instantly. Several months after returning from that deployment, Nicholson said he received a 3 a.m. call from one of his soldiers. The man wanted to thank Nicholson for the way he treated him and his fellow soldiers and for getting them through the deployment. The soldier also wanted to tell Nicholson goodbye. He said he had just killed his pregnant girlfriend and swallowed a handful of pills. While talking to the man, Nicholson alerted the Bedford Police Department. His soldier led police on a chase before overturning his vehicle. Nicholson later had to testify in the man's trial. He said the man suffered from severe post-traumatic stress disorder. "Alcohol was his only way out," Nicholson said. Nicholson said Judge Ault understood the issues faced by many veterans when he started the specialty docket. Ault, who retired in December, died in January. Nicholson closed his remarks by telling the graduates to reach out for help when they need it. Dwayne Sudberry was one of six Veterans Court graduates recognized Wednesday. Sudberry grateful for Veterans Court experience Dwayne Sudberry was one of the six graduates at Wednesday's ceremony. He served in the U.S. Air Force from 2015-19. Sudberry was stationed in Minot, North Dakota, and worked with nuclear weapons systems. He said his time in the military taught him discipline and leadership. A domestic dispute with a former girlfriend landed Sudberry in Veterans Court. "Both ways, I wasn't right, she wasn't right," Sudberry said. "It happened, I wish I could change it. I take what happened as a blessing in disguise because I wouldn't have met a lot of these people." Sudberry calls Scott Aldridge, the probation officer for Veterans Court, the most genuine person he's ever met. He admitted he was skeptical about Veterans Court at first. "I came in with a stigma of what I thought it would be, but it absolutely changed my views on everything," Sudberry said. Prior to Nicholson's speech, several people addressed the graduates. Aldridge related his own time in the military to tell them there would always be someone there to pull them up when they were struggling. He also recognized Magistrate John McCollister for keeping Veterans Court going when Ault and fellow Judge Frank Ardis were dealing with health issues. New Judge Mike Kemerer, who took office Jan. 1, called McCollister the best magistrate in the state. Kemerer also credited Ault for his vision. "We're here today because good people make mistakes," Kemerer said. "Great people rise above their mistakes. "We owe our veterans every opportunity to get back up when they slip and fall." mcaudill@gannett.com 419-521-7219 X: @MarkCau32059251 This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Mansfield OH Municipal Court honors graduates of Veterans Court Strangers have been dropping bags of food off at Shamsiyya Abubakar's house Shamsiyya Abubakar had begun to lose hope - Nigeria's grave economic downturn meant she was scrambling each day to feed her family of nine. The 32-year-old had resorted to cooking afafata - the rice grain millers normally throw away at the end of the sorting process because it is too tough. Ms Abubakar, mother to a newborn baby, told BBC Pidgin that her struggles had taken her mind to dark places. "Sometimes I say to myself: 'Instead of living like this, wouldn't it be better to be dead?'" she said in the Hausa language interview, which was widely shared in Nigeria. But since it was published on Tuesday, strangers have been filing in and out of her house with offers of food and money. This unexpected response has "changed her life", she said when the BBC caught up with her for a second time. "I have never seen such huge amounts of money in my life... I am really grateful. "I got cash from several people, while others brought bags of good rice and maize, so we have enough good food to eat now," she added. Her husband Haruna Abubakar also expressed delight at their change of fortune. "On the day of the BBC video, we had nothing to eat, I struggled to get them 500 naira (0.25; $0.32) to buy cups of rice," he said. "Today, I am a happy man as our lives has changed and we have enough to eat." A video of Ms Abubakar telling the BBC about her struggle sparked an outpouring of help Sani Isah, one of those who took supplies for the family, said Ms Abubakar's story made him cry. Mr Isah added that he felt compelled to help with the little he had. "I think her case is a shame to our leaders, I actually wept after watching her video. How can someone pray for death instead of wanting to live just because of food?" he asked. "I pray that others in her type of situation will also get the help they need that will change their lives." Nigeria is currently experiencing its worst economic crisis in a generation, which has led to widespread hardship and anger. On Tuesday, thousands took to the streets in a nationwide protest against the government's handling of the economy. The steep price of food has been a major source of frustration. Rice, a staple in Nigeria, has more than doubled in cost over the past year. Ms Abubakar is far from alone in turning to the broken, dirty and tough afafata grains - its relatively low price has helped many struggling families in the north survive. Several others have been forced to go hungry or ration the food they have. Ms Abubakar feels that thanks to the kindness of strangers, she can now look forward to the future. She told the BBC that in order to sustain her family in the long-run, she wants to start a business with some of the food she has received. Read more about Nigeria's cost-of-living crisis: LAURENS, S.C. (WSPA) There will be no additional charges for a man whose 10-year-old daughter died after being shaken at a young age. We previously reported that Egypt Morales passed away on Tuesday as a result of being beaten into a coma by her father, Joseph Morales in February 2015 when she was just 18 months old. She was my best friend. My hero: daughter remembers her mother who was killed in Apex shooting He was convicted of child neglect from shaken baby syndrome which resulted in her serious brain injury in June of 2016. Following Egypt Morales death, the Laurens Police Department reached out the Eight Judicial Circuit Solicitors Office to discuss additional charges against Joseph Morales. However, according to SC Code of Law 16-3-5, individuals cannot be prosecuted for homicide if the injuries inflicted result in death at least three years later. Therefore, the police department said they could not charge him with anything else. Queen City News is tracking CRIME in your area >> Latest stories here The police department said it has spoken with the Greenville County Sheriffs Office and a SLED representative to determine if anything was covered over the last nine years that may have contributed to her death. Doctors expected her to live into adulthood. He is currently being held in the South Carolina Department of Corrections. He was sentenced to 18 years and is expected to be released on June 9, 2030. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. As Australia grapples with some of the worst fire conditions in recent memory, more than 30,000 residents have been urged to evacuate their homes in Victoria amid fears of catastrophic bushfires. The situation, exacerbated by scorching temperatures, dry conditions, and high winds, has prompted authorities to issue emergency warnings across the region. Extreme Fire Dangers Grip Victoria and South Australia The Bureau of Meteorology has described the prevailing conditions as "extreme to catastrophic fire dangers," particularly affecting parts of Victoria and South Australia. Jason Heffernan, chief officer at Victoria's Country Fire Authority, emphasized the severity of the situation "Extreme fire dangers are coming to fruition, and in fact, we're currently seeing catastrophic conditions in Casterdon, Hamilton and Kanagulk in the Wimmera weather district," he said. The urgency to evacuate stems from the potential spread of a massive bushfire near the city of Ballarat, which has been burning since last Thursday, consuming swathes of land and destroying homes. Heffernan emphasized the gravity of the circumstances, urging communities to be prepared to take immediate action at short notice. The fire's impact has been significant, with six homes already destroyed, livestock killed, and vast areas scorched. Dry lightning from forecast thunderstorms also poses additional risks. Heffernan emphasized the danger posed by dry lightning, warning of its potential to spark new fires and exacerbate existing ones. Read Also: Southern California Edison To Pay $80 Million Settlement for 2017 Wildfire Destruction Total Fire Bans Amid Record-Breaking Heat In response to the escalating threat, authorities have issued total fire bans across several cities, including Melbourne, as temperatures soar to unprecedented levels. The state of Victoria faces a critical juncture, with forecasts predicting temperatures reaching up to 113 degrees Fahrenheit (45 degrees Celsius) in some areas. Luke Hegarty, spokesperson for the Victorian State Control Centre, highlighted the heightened vigilance among emergency responders as conditions worsen. According to Hegarthy's statement to the BBC, authorities remained vigilant late Wednesday afternoon as cloud cover dispersed, temperatures surged, and winds intensified. Meanwhile, residents in affected areas are urged not to wait until the bushfire encroaches closer before moving to safer locations. The possibility of significant fire growth and its unpredictable nature highlight the importance of taking proactive measures to safeguard the safety of residents and their properties. As communities brace for what could be a protracted battle against the advancing blaze, the resilience and preparedness of emergency responders and residents alike will be put to the test. This devastating episode evokes haunting memories of the Black Summer wildfires that ravaged southeastern Australia just a few years ago, claiming numerous lives and leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. The scars of that calamity still linger, serving as a grim reminder of the ever-looming threat posed by bushfires in Australia's unforgiving landscape. Related Article: Massive Texas Wildfires Prompt Evacuations; Gov. Abbott Issues Disaster Declaration By Kirsty Needham CANBERRA (Reuters) - Australia's Pacific Minister Pat Conroy said there should be "no role" for China in policing the Pacific Islands, and Australia will train more local security forces to fill gaps, after Reuters reported Chinese police are working in Kiribati. The United States on Monday cautioned Pacific Islands nations against assistance from Chinese security forces, after Kiribati's acting police commissioner Eeri Aritiera told Reuters last week that uniformed Chinese officers were working with its police in community policing and a crime database program. There are no Australian police in Kiribati, although Canberra has pledged to fund a new police radio network, police barracks and two maritime security advisors are supporting Kiribati police to maintain a donated patrol boat. Kiribati is a nation of 115,000 people whose closest island is 2,160 km (1,340 miles) south of Honolulu, and the news of Chinese police working there comes as Beijing renews a push to expand security ties in the Pacific Islands in an intensifying rivalry with the United States. "We are aware that they [China] are seeking a greater security role in the Pacific and we have been consistent in our view that there is no role for China in policing, or broader security, in the Pacific," Conroy said in an interview with Reuters on Thursday. Pacific Island leaders had agreed in 2022 at a meeting of the Pacific Island Forum regional bloc to fill any security gaps from within the "Pacific family", he said. Chinese police have been deployed in the Solomon Islands since 2022. Conroy said Australia would like to see police from Papua New Guinea, Fiji and other Pacific nations play a greater role in assisting island neighbours with security, as they had done for December's Pacific Games in Solomon Islands. Canberra is funding a regional police training centre in Papua New Guinea for this purpose, he said. "That is a model going forward - when the Pacific comes together to support the security needs and aspirations of other Pacific countries. Australia plays a role, but we may not always lead it," he said. The U.S. State Department on Monday cautioned Pacific Island countries against importing security forces from China which "risks fueling regional and international tensions", and several U.S. Senators also expressed concern about Chinese police in Kiribati. China has not responded to a Reuters request for comment on the role of its police in Kiribati. China's ambassador to Australia said last month that China had a strategy to form policing ties with Pacific Island countries to help maintain social order and this should not cause Australia anxiety. (Reporting by Kirsty Needham; Editing by Michael Perry) DEMING, N.M. (KRQE) A 13-year-old teen, who is described by his family as being a non-verbal autistic child, was reported missing and found nearly 200 miles away from home in Deming, New Mexico. The teen named Marcus was last seen at his familys home in Tucson, Arizona, on Monday night. My mom woke up, and he was no longer in the house. The front door was unlocked, and he was just gone, said Marcus brother, Mikel Desmond. Marcus family contacted the police, searched nearby areas in the community, and created a missing person flyer that they shared on social media. As the hours passed on Tuesday and new leads were exhausted, Desmond said he started to lose hope of finding his brother. Him being nonverbal, if someone would give him a phone, [and say] hey, call your, you know, call your family and, you know, hes not really able to do that, Desmond said. Two Albuquerque men arrested in Arizona for human smuggling Everything changed when Desmond got a call from New Mexico around 7 p.m. Tuesday and heard that Marcus was found. I talked to the officer, I talked to a nurse there, and honestly, they had trouble getting me to believe it. And they were able to identify him [Marcus], said Desmond. The family was skeptical of the good news at first because they received several scam calls from people pretending to have Marcus or knowing where he was. I thought they [the caller] were just looking at the flyer that I posted online. And I asked them to video call me, and they video called me, and it was Marcus sitting there in the hospital with them. And he was safe, Desmond explained. The Deming Police Department said Marcus was found at the Walmart at 1021 East Pine Street. Desmond said Marcus tried to buy food and drinks, but he didnt have any money. The teen then reportedly went to hide in the bathroom and was later found by law enforcement. Marcus was taken to Mimbres Memorial Hospital where Deming and New Mexico State Police tried to identify the teen. New Mexico State Police shared a photo of Marcus on social media, and within seven minutes, someone recognized him from the Tucson Police Departments social media post about the missing teen. Dog missing for 4 years found at Las Cruces shelter, reunited with owner in Nebraska Its amazing how fast news can spread through social media, said Desmond. And we never would have thought that we would have had so many people reach out and ask ways they can help. The family drove three hours each way to pick up Marcus and bring him back to Tucson. Marcus family said they have no idea how he got to Deming. Tucson police said they are investigating his travels. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. HIGH POINT, N.C. (WGHP) A North Carolina candidate for Congress is firing back after a PAC supporting his opponent posted what the campaign alleges is a deepfake video. First Freedoms Foundation shared a video on Twitter, which appears to show former Rep. Mark Walker, a Republican candidate in North Carolinas 6th Congressional District primary, speaking to a camera in a vehicle. A voice, which sounds similar to Walkers but does not match speakers the lip movements, says, in part, Just between you and me, I know Im not qualified for the job in Congress. The PAC alleged that the video shows a conversation between Walker and a friend off camera. The PAC also shared a second video which it alleges was a voicemail received by a previous Walker supporter. In the video, a similar voice says, in part, Colonel Castelli will most likely win because he has the serious military background and leadership skills I simply dont have. Also, I have been caught in so many lies the public now knows more about me than my own family. Mark Walkers campaign posted on X that the video is not real and alleges that it was faked using AI. His campaign shared the following comments: This is an egregious use of AI technology and sets an example of what not to do in a campaign, Paul Shumaker, Walkers campaign strategist, said. The FEC has already made it clear that false AI content violates federal election law and we intend to explore all legal options. The same PAC came under fire from North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinsons gubernatorial campaign after sharing a video of Robinson appearing to endorse Christian Castelli, one of Walkers opponents in the District 6 race. Robinsons campaign says the video was recycled from the previous election cycle when Robinson did endorse Castelli but was deceptively framed to appear that he was endorsing him in the 2024 primary, which he has not. Both Robinson and Walker said that they would be pursuing legal options against this PAC. When questioned about the PACs decisions, Castellis senior political advisor, Alfredo Rodriguez, said that the campaign is not affiliated with this PAC, describing it as a thorn in our side but stating that the campaign has not reached out to ask for the allegedly false videos and endorsements to stop citing the PACs First Amendment rights. Rodriguez refers to the PACs actions as silliness and said he believes that these videos and tweets are hurtful to the campaign. He said the PAC has nothing to do with Christian and has not donated to the Castelli campaign. Rodriguez also provided the following statements: We have five days left until Election Day. Clearly, the political circus of the campaign season is in full swing, deepfakes included. We respect everyones decision to exercise their First Amendment rights. Campaigns naturally bring about heated and passionate discussions. We simply believe a criteria for those involved in the political discourse is they act like adults, not children. If you or your group has a disagreement on an issue, state it. But state it accurately, make sure it is factual and do not lie or make it up. Simple. There are plenty of shortcomings to expose in Mark Walker, his campaign, and his previous work that there is no need to make things up. The PAC responded to the allegations in a statement to FOX8. Our PAC has a large group of content creators that post to our social media. Most are volunteers. The video in question, was posted during the evening hours after most of our team was not working by a new content creator and was never Sponsored by the PAC and was never used by the PAC for any advertising but was discovered organically from our Twitter account by the followers. When discovered it was removed within a few hours and the creator advised of this action. Our Twitter account has a large number of followers thus someone from the Walker campaign must have seen this before our vetting team that post paid advertising approved by the PAC. In fact, the video was only seen according the Twitter Analytics by 86 viewers before it was taken down. The copied video from our twitter account reproduced on Mark Walkers Twitter account https://twitter.com/RepMarkWalker has now been seen by over 6,800 viewers. Frankly, we dont know why Mark Walker would repost this deleted video to this base of supporters unless he is trying to look like a victim, which he is clearly not. We encourage you in your reporting to look at Mark Walker, who served as a music minister before representing the NC 6th district in 2015, has been accused of faking endorsements from Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, House Speaker Mike Johnson, Senator Markwayne Mullen, and Reps Gus Bilirakas and Matt Gates have either pulled their endorsements of Walker or said they never gave him in the first place. Now Veterans for Trump have launched an investigation into Mark Walker wrongful and false advertising on public television media. https://veteransfortrump.us/unauthorized-clone-website-issued-mark-walker-endorsement-investigation-launched/ As a PAC we are not authorized by any candidate or candidates committee. We have not association with Mark Walker or any other candidate. First Freedoms Foundation PAC The video is no longer viewable on the X feed but it was still available Thursday morning in multiple tweets. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. This article was originally published in Ed NC. State Superintendent Catherine Truitt presented the Department of Public Instructions (DPI) proposal for school performance grade redesign to lawmakers on Monday during a House education reform committee meeting. To move forward, the model requires legislative action. The new proposed model aims to tell parents and the public more about the quality of each school and how it is preparing students for life after graduation, rather than solely reflecting student performance on high-stakes testing, DPI said in a press release. Get stories like these delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for The 74 Newsletter Currently, school grades are based on each schools achievement score, weighted 80%, and on students academic growth, weighted 20%. Education leaders say that formula does not capture the full picture of the work happening in our public schools. DPIs presentation said national data affirms North Carolina schools are performing considerably better than their state performance grades otherwise suggest. We have to do more than simply look at test scores that occur on one day of the year at the end of the year or semester, Truitt said. We must absolutely be as transparent as possible about the percentage of students who are proficient in reading and proficient math, but there has to be more than that. The proposed model include developing a multi-measure model of school performance that moves beyond compliance with federal guidelines and represents NC educational values, per DPIs presentation. Under DPIs proposed model, presented on Monday, schools would receive four different grades. Those four grades, listed below, would not be combined into one single letter. Academics. Across all grades, this would measure proficiency in math, science, and reading. Progress. This grade would measure a schools growth, based on EVAAS data. Readiness. Across K-12, this grade would measure postsecondary preparation. In middle school, it would also include career development plans. In high school, it would also include postsecondary outcomes and graduation rates. Opportunity. This grade would measure chronic absenteeism, school climate, and intra/extra curricular activities. Instead of one performance grade, we have four, Truitt told lawmakers. This proposal creates a more robust state accountability model. That is the best way for holding schools accountable for providing a high-quality education. DPI convened a working group to redesign the accountability model in fall 2022. That work included input from a survey by EdNC. After unveiling eight possible new indicators in January 2023, working groups began meeting in May to refine each indicator. Those groups met through October. DPI is asking for lawmakers to enact legislation allowing for a voluntary pilot to begin during the 2024-25 school year. In Year 2, all school districts would participate in both models, with support from DPI. In Year 3, only the new accountability model would be used. Because the state already tracks school achievement and growth data, Truitt said no changes would need to take place for the first two measures. However, DPI would need to create new tracking systems for postsecondary preparation indicators and outcomes and intra/extra curricular activities. More information about the DPI advisory groups work is available on DPIs website. How we got here Current school performance grades were first reported in February 2015 based on 2013-14 school year data, EdNC previously reported. School grades are based on achievement through test scores (80%) and growth (20%) and are assigned as follows: A = 10085 B = 8470 C = 6955 D = 5440 F = 39 and below According DPIs presentation on Monday, 46.5% of elementary schools were D and F schools in 2021-22. More than half of middle schools (52%) and 23% of high schools received the same designation in that time period. K-8 school grades are limited to test score results, contributing to the higher number of low-performing schools. You can view school performance grades for the 2022-23 school year here. A large proportion of our schools is low performing, Dr. Michael Maher, DPIs deputy state superintendent, said on Monday. As we think about this problem, one of the first steps we took was to say, Well what does it look like across the country? Based on school performance grades alone, North Carolina schools are performing worse than several other states, DPI said. Heres a look at North Carolinas school performance grades in 2021-22, compared with scores in Arizona, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. This data is the same data Truitt presented to lawmakers in May. However, if you look at National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) scores in each state, DPI said North Carolina is performing much better than its school performance grades suggest. Here is a look at those comparisons: Maher said this disproportionate number of low-performing schools in North Carolina suggests a problem with the accountability model. Weve set up a system that is no longer valid, he said. How do we then as a state, revise this system in a way that it becomes more representative of not only our evolving priorities in North Carolina and addresses the needs of stakeholders, but is also valid and reliable? Truitt said the current formula is only part of the problem. Another challenge is that the same data results in two different designations at the federal and state level. That lack of alignment between models makes it difficult to ensure school improvement plans are carried out, Truitt said, or that they are working. Per DPIs presentation, such designations also dont currently result in much funding. That can make it difficult for schools to implement required improvement plans. The result is well intentioned but provides ineffective support for principals, educators, and ultimately students, the presentation said. DPIs proposed model would allow the state to measure what matters, she said. In the future, she said, this model would also allow DPI to better use state dollars to assess and support schools. The proposed model generated bipartisan discussion from lawmakers. Among other things, lawmakers asked about how to increase the capacity to assist low-performing schools, mental health of students, and the use of the Teacher Working Condition Survey. Rep. Tricia Cotham, R-Mecklenburg, asked how the model would support teachers and principals. Cotham, who switched parties last April, previously served as an assistant school principal and educator. She also asked how the readiness measure would account for the quality of success, rather than just the number of students who enroll, enlist, or employ. Truitt said the new model would help schools start to address both. I have not asked this body for money to support low-performing schools to date, and this is exactly why, Truitt said. We have to fix this before we can come to you and say, We need X amount of dollars in personnel who can go in and support low-performing schools. So eventually we would come back for an ask. In May, a bipartisan group of lawmakers expressed support for the model, and asked questions about the impact of chronic absenteeism, school discipline, and the accountability models that other states use. The accountability model drives what gets done in a school and what gets prioritized. Right now, we are only prioritizing high-stakes, one-and-done testing, Truitt said last May. While it is important to be public about how our students are doing in reading and math and science and their proficiency rates and those teacher growth rates, theres so much more that we need to be transparent about. More from the committee The House select committee on education reform also heard two other presentations on Monday. Alexis Schauss, DPIs chief financial officer, gave a presentation on charter school funding. There are currently 211 charter schools in North Carolina, per that presentation, making up 10% of the states allotted Average Daily Membership. Asheboro City Schools Superintendent Dr. Aaron Woody also gave a brief presentation on the school district. Committee Co-Chair Rep. Brian Biggs, R-Randolph, praised Woodys leadership at the beginning of his presentation noting that Woody formerly served as his childrens principal. Among other things, Woody highlighted the districts new welcome center, growth in the number of students credentialed, and the systems mission. I was thinking about our why why we do what we do, why you do what you do here in this chamber, talking about public education and why it matters, he said. It matters for each and every one of the 4,600 students that are in my school district for the staff and the parents that are represented, and for the students all across our state. This article first appeared on EducationNC and is republished here under a Creative Commons license. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attends the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a factory in Seongcheon-gun By Hyonhee Shin SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has called for an "industry revolution" in rural regions by building factories nationwide, state media KCNA said on Thursday, amid chronic food shortages and widening economic inequality. Attending the groundbreaking ceremony for a plant in Songchon County, east of the capital Pyongyang, Kim pledged to push ahead with his "Regional Development 2010 Policy", under which the country seeks to open modernised factories in at least 20 remote counties every year for the next 10 years. The policy was unveiled as Kim's key economic initiative at a meeting last month of the Supreme People's Assembly, the country's rubber-stamp parliament. "Establishing regional industry factories equipped with modern equipment and production lines in every city and county of the country within the next 10 years is truly a great revolution with enormous epochal significance," Kim told the ceremony, according to KCNA. Kim handed over regimental colours at the ceremony to a military unit that has recently been created to carry out the initiative, saying that they would "create an era of great change for radically developing regions". Kim has been pushing for modernising the farming sector and rural communities as North Korea's economy heavily relies on agriculture but has long grappled with food shortages amid sanctions over its weapons programmes and seasonal impacts from natural disasters. North Korean defectors have reported deepening inequality between largely elite residents of Pyongyang and other major cities, and the farming population in rural areas. South Korea's unification ministry said last month that the economic gap between them appears to have further widened in terms of everything from food rations and housing to education and access to healthcare. (Reporting by Hyonhee Shin; Editing by Michael Perry) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and North Macedonian PM Talat Xhaferi signed a joint declaration endorsing Ukraine's membership in the EU and NATO, the Presidents Office announced on Feb. 28. The agreement, inked during the Ukraine-Southeast Europe Summit in Albania, confirms North Macedonia's support for Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic aspirations and its eventual invitation to NATO. Read also: Zelenskyy to participate in G7 leaders' online summit dedicated to wars second anniversary The document condemns Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the war crimes committed by Russian troops. It also endorses North Macedonia's participation in implementing Ukraine's peace formula and promises participation in Ukraines post-war reconstruction. Read also: Zelenskyy journeys to Albania for key bilateral meetings, regional Ukraine-South-East Europe summit The countries also reaffirmed their mutual support for EU membership for both Ukraine and North Macedonia. The 75th-anniversary NATO summit will be held in Washington from July 9-11, 2024. In January, Zelenskyy expressed hope for decisions at the summit regarding the transfer of new air defense systems to Ukraine and concrete steps towards the country's NATO membership. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine (WFRV)- Yesterday, February 28, was a day many will remember for its record warmth, then sharp cool down and accumulating snow. This serves as a recap of not just the records broken but also how warm yesterday was compared to the average and the sudden shift in temperatures. The latest Wisconsin weather forecast from Storm Team 5 Photo Credit: Christina Martinson This combination of photos shows the 50 degree change in temperature in Milwaukee over a 24 hour period. The top photo shows people enjoying unseasonably mild temperatures above 70 degrees near Lake Michigan on Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024. Below shows a runner braving cold weather near 20 degrees at the same location on Wednesday, Feb 28. (AP Photo/Morry Gash) This combination of photos shows the 50 degree change in temperature in Milwaukee over a 24 hour period. The top photo shows people enoying unseasonably mild temperatures above 70 degrees At Lake Park golf course on Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024. Below shows the course covered in snow on Wednesday, Feb 28. (AP Photo/Morry Gash) Records Many communities in northeast Wisconsin saw record warmth yesterday, with places like Waupaca hitting 74F, Oshkosh at 73F, and Green Bay reaching 70F. To get temperatures like that, you need a very warm airmass, and we saw temperatures 30-40 degrees above our usual high of 33F. Records are usually broken by a degree or two. In yesterdays case, we smashed records by 10-15 degrees, something that does not occur very often. Weather History On top of breaking records, weather history was achieved as well. Meteorological Winter runs from December 1 through the end of February, and we saw the warmest winter day recorded on record by five degrees. On top of that, we also saw the warmest February day on record by five degrees. Before yesterday, 60-degree days were rare; now add the thought of 70-degree days! While the marks we hit yesterday are a new level of rarity, 70-degree days become less rare when we flip the calendar to March, as temperatures like that have occurred 21 times since 1886, and even two days have eclipsed the 80-degree mark as recent as March of 2012. Temperature Swing As fun as it was, old man winter reminded us what season we are still in. A sharp cold front saw those warm, early summer temperatures crash at a rate of around 3 degrees an hour, especially between 8 and 9 p.m. when temperatures dropped 8 degrees as the front passed. Our overnight low bottomed at 13F, making it the second largest difference between high and low temperatures in a day on record. The outstanding record, is a 60 degree difference set back in 1911 when the high was 66F and the low was 6F. Records shattered across northeast Wisconsin as temps soar by previous highs Looking even further outside of Green Bay, many of our other communities saw dramatic drops in temperatures. Waupaca dropped 60 degrees from their daytime high, Oshkosh and Clintonville saw a 59 degree drop in temperatures. According to the Wisconsin Environmental Mesonet, the Kewaunee station saw a 56-degree drop in 16 hours and 50 minutes and the Luxemburg station saw a 51-degree drop in 19 hours and 45 minutes. Looking Ahead According to the National Weather Service Green Bay, the record difference between two consecutive days of high temperatures dates back to April 15-16, 2003, when the high temperature on the 15 of April was 82F and the next day, April 16, was 38F, a 44-degree difference! However, we had a midnight high of 34F as the cold air started to move in, so this record is unattainable. Click here for the latest updated road conditions Record temperatures are possible after this brief cool down as early as Friday as we start March, as temperatures soar to the low 50s and eventually the low to mid 60s by Saturday. Records to watch: Friday March 1 : 53F set back in 1992 Saturday March 2 : 57F set back in 1964 Sunday March 3 : 62F set back in 1894 Monday March 4: 57F set back in 2000 For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay, Appleton. By Gloria Dickie and Lisi Niesner OPPDAL, NORWAY (Reuters) - One by one, the crate doors swing open and five Arctic foxes bound off into the snowy landscape. But in the wilds of southern Norway, the newly freed foxes may struggle to find enough to eat, as the impacts of climate change make the foxes' traditional rodent prey more scarce. In Hardangervidda National Park, where the foxes have been released, there hasn't been a good lemming year since 2021, conservationists say. That's why scientists breeding the foxes in captivity are also maintaining more than 30 feeding stations across the alpine wilderness stocked with dog food kibble - a rare and controversial step in conservation circles. "If the food is not there for them, what do you do?" said conservation biologist Craig Jackson of the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, which is managing the fox program on behalf of the country's environment agency. That question will become increasingly urgent as climate change and habitat loss push thousands of the world's species to the edge of survival, disrupting food chains and leaving some animals to starve. While some scientists say it's inevitable that we'll need more feeding programs to prevent extinctions, others question whether it makes sense to support animals in landscapes that can no longer sustain them. As part of the state-sponsored program to restore Arctic foxes, Norway has been feeding the population for nearly 20 years, at an annual cost of around 3.1 million NOK (275,000) and it has no plans to stop anytime soon. Since 2006, the program has helped to boost the fox population from as few as 40 in Norway, Finland, and Sweden, to around 550 across Scandinavia today. With feeding programs, "the hope is that you can perhaps get a species over a critical threshold," said wildlife biologist Andrew Derocher at the University of Alberta in Canada, who has worked in Arctic Norway but is not involved in the fox program. But with the foxes' Arctic habitat now warming roughly four times faster than the rest of the world, he said: "I'm not sure we're going to get to that point". HUNGER PAINS Feeding animals to ensure a population survives known as "supplementary feeding" can be contentious. Most instances are temporary, providing food for a few years to help newly released or relocated animals adapt, such as the Iberian lynx in Spain during the 2000s. In other cases, governments might assist animals in acute peril, such as Florida's decision to feed romaine lettuce to starving manatees from 2021 to 2023 after agrochemical pollution wiped out their supply of seagrass. There are some exceptions. Mongolia's government, for example, has been putting out pellets containing wheat, corn, turnip and carrots for critically endangered Gobi brown bears since 1985. But for predators living close to human communities, that can be risky. Bears are known to change their behaviour and can associate people with food, said Croatian biologist Djuro Huber, who has advised European governments on the feeding of large carnivores. Feeding wild animals can also propagate diseases among the population, as animals cluster around feeding stations where pathogens can spread. Bjorn Rangbru, a senior advisor on threatened species with the Norwegian Environment Agency, said the supplementary feeding - together with the breeding program - was crucial in raising the numbers of Arctic foxes in the wild. "Without these conservation measures, the Arctic fox would surely have become extinct in Norway". The government has so far spent 180 million NOK (15.9 million) on the program - or about 34,000 for every released fox. Some of those foxes have crossed the Swedish border. After Norwegian scientists released 37 foxes near the Finnish border from 2021 to 2022, Finland saw its first Arctic fox litter born in the wild since 1996. But the program is not even halfway to the goal of around 2,000 wild foxes across Scandinavia, which scientists say is the population size needed to be able to withstand low rodent years naturally. FICKLE FOXES Arctic foxes are not the only species in trouble in the Far North. Polar bears are fast losing their hunting habitat as Arctic sea ice melts away. Migrating caribou sometimes arrive in summer pastures only to find that they missed the plant green-up because of a warmer-than-usual spring. The foxes had been driven to near extinction across Scandinavia by hunters seeking their winter-white fur, before they gained some reprieve in hunting bans and protections introduced in the 1920s and 1930s. The Arctic fox has since emerged as a symbol of the Far North. It is featured in the logos for both the Arctic Council and Swedish outdoor brand Fjallraven. In Finnish Lapland, the northern lights are called 'revontulet', which means 'fox fires'. Legend says the lights were ignited by the great fox spirit sweeping its tail against the snow and spraying it up into the night sky. But as rodent populations have fallen away, Arctic foxes have struggled to recover on their own. And it's been a particularly tough year for the captive breeding program. Normally, Jackson and fellow project leader Kristine Ulvund would have had about 20 pups to release. But of the eight breeding pairs in captivity, only four females gave birth last spring two of which then lost their entire litters. Nine pups were ultimately raised in the outdoor fenced enclosure near Oppdal, a remote site some 400 kilometres (250 miles) north of Oslo. Two pups were kept to be part of future breeding efforts. Then, golden eagles snatched another two just weeks before their Feb. 8 release, leaving only five. Surviving in the wilderness can be tough. While the wild population now stands at around 300 in Norway, the scientists have bred and released nearly 470 foxes since the program's start. Foxes only live three to four years in the wild. Aside from dodging predators, the foxes need to hunt enough lemmings to make it through the long winters. Climate change is making this tough, as warming temperatures cause precipitation to fall more often as rain instead of snow. When that rain freezes, it can block the lemmings from burrowing into dens for their own warmth and reproduction. The rodents' once-reliable population cycles - which saw numbers of the rodents swell and fall in regular three- to five-year intervals - have become unpredictable and population peaks are lower. The foxes seem to prefer to hunt for themselves. "We'll see them passing the feeding stations with mouths full of rodents," Ulvund said the rodents presumably being juicier and tastier than dry dog kibble. The scientists said the foxes still only breed really well when there is a peak in the rodent population. But a 2020 study in the Journal of Wildlife Management found that foxes in dens located near the feeding stations were more likely to successfully breed than those located farther away. "We need to get the populations up to a sustainable level before we stop feeding them," said Ulvund. At the current growth rate, scientists said it could take another 25 years to reach the program's goal of 2,000 Arctic foxes running free through Scandinavia - provided the foxes' bellies are kept full. "We've come a long way," said Ulvund. "But I still think we have some way to go before we can say that we've really saved the species." (Reporting by Gloria Dickie in London and Lisi Niesner in Oppdal and Geilo; Editing by Kat Daigle and Daniel Flynn) It has been a little more than three years since Casey Goodson was shot and killed by Jason Meade, then a Franklin County Sheriff's deputy who had been searching for wanted suspects as part of his role with the U.S. Marshal's Fugitive Task Force. Little more than a week has passed since 12 jurors after three weeks of often heartbreaking testimony deadlocked on whether or not Meade was guilty of two counts of murder and/or one count of reckless homicide. The anticlimactic mistrial fell far short of the resolution needed by both those who think Meade should be held criminally accountable for Goodson's death and those who believe the shooting was justified. Feb 6, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Former Franklin County Sheriff's deputy Jason Meade demonstrated on the stand Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024, how he alleges Casey Goodson Jr. was handling a gun while driving his car. Meade is on trial in Franklin County Common Pleas Court for murder and reckless homicide in connection with the shooting death of Goodson on Dec. 4, 2020. It is a complex case many are but after three long years of community angst, the question of legal guilt or innocence should not be left to linger over Franklin County residents. The case must be retried as soon as possible. A potential second trial for Meade may very well result in another mistrial but the justice sought by community members on both sides of this difficult issue is well worth the time and money it will take to have another jury weigh in next time hopefully able to determine guilt or innocence. Not pursuing the truth would be a far more expensive miscarriage of justice that would betray the public's trust. Another view: There'd be no justice in retrying Jason Meade. This lust for vengeance is indefensible. Retrials are not uncommon Tamala Payne, Casey Goodson Jr.'s mother, reacts as special prosecutor Tim Merkle gives closing arguments in the murder trial of former Franklin County Sheriff's deputy Jason Meade, who is charged with murder and reckless homicide in connection with Goodson's death. Former Columbus police vice officer Andrew Mitchell was the last law enforcement officer to go to trial in Franklin County for murder. Mitchells first trial for the 2018 shooting death of Donna Castleberry ended in a hung jury. A second jury found him not guilty in 2023. Anthony Pierson, deputy chief counsel for Franklin County Prosecutor's Office, told The Dispatch it is rare that prosecutors do not retry hung trials "at least one more time, possibly more than that, depending on the count of the (jury) deadlock." Delaware City Attorney Natalia Harris, one of three challenging Pierson to be Franklin County prosecutor, told the newspaper a member of her family was murdered and she hopes the Meade case is retried immediately. If it isn't "there needs to be an explanation as to how they came to that conclusion," she said. John Rutan, a defense attorney from Grove City, and Shayla Favor, a Columbus City Council member, are the other two running for county prosecutor. Their responses to The Dispatch's question of retrials were not as direct. A difficult decision Meade's trial had unusual drama a last-minute witness, delays in deliberations after multiple jurors were excused and alternatives added and a reversed mistrial before the ultimate declaration of mistrial. Beyond that, jurors did not have an easy task. Casey Goodson's Dec. 4, 2020, death came on the heels of a year of protests and calls for reform sparked by several high-profile killings of Black people at the hands of law enforcement, the death of George Floyd included. While the horrific details of Floyd's death were caught on multiple videos, Goodson's death was far less cut and dry for the all-white final jury. There is no video or audio of the 23-year-old Black man being shot by the white deputy. The jury had complex law, testimony and physical evidence to weigh. Meade, a 17-year sheriff's office veteran, testified that as Goodson, a concealed handgun license holder, drove by, he waved a gun and pointed it toward the windshield, prompting the deputy to follow Goodson to Estates Place. Meade said he shot Goodson after Goodson pointed a gun at him at a side door. Casey Goodson's sister, testifies in the trial of Former Franklin County Sheriff's deputy Michael Jason Meade at the Franklin County Common Pleas Court. HVAC technician Christopher Corne, the surprise, last-minute witness, testified that he saw Goodson drive by shortly before the shooting and he seemed to be dancing to music in his car with nothing in his hands. Special prosecutors say Goodson's gun was holstered. His mother and other relatives contend he was gunned down while trying to carry a bag of Subway sandwiches into Goodson's grandmother's Estates Place home after a dentist's appointment. Meade shot Goodson five times in the back and once in the side, according to an autopsy from the Franklin County Coroner's office. The next jury Feb 18 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ramon Obey, Executive Director of JUST (Justice, Unity and Social Transformation) leads the crowd on a march during a gathering at the basketball courts outside of Thompson Recreation Center that was organized in support of the family of Casey Goodson Jr. days after a mistrial was declared in the trial of Michael Jason Meade. There is considerable community pressure to retry Meade. That should not be the deciding factor for the special prosecutors assigned to the case the pursuit of justice should be. The community deserves and needs the truth. Goodson's family deserves closure. Meade deserves either public acquittal or conviction. Former Franklin County Sheriff's deputy Michael Jason Meade testifies in his own defense on Wednesday in Franklin County Common Pleas Court. Meade testified he shot Casey Goodson Jr. after the 23-year-old pointed a gun at him on Dec. 4, 2020. Jurors also deserve a trial that proceeds in a timely manner while protecting the defendant's rights. The witness delay and loss of four jurors made a difficult process far more difficult. Imagine being the fourth alternate joining restarted deliberations on the final day. The question of guilt or innocence is difficult enough on its own. The pursuit of justice often comes with complications that must be resolved in the name of morality. That must happen here. This piece was written by Dispatch Opinion Editor Amelia Robinson on behalf of the editorial board of the Columbus Dispatch. Editorials are fact-based assessments of issues of importance to the communities we serve. These are not the opinions of our reporting staff members, who strive for neutrality in their reporting. This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Why Jason Meade must be retried Casey Goodson Jr. shooting A Greens senator found herself ousted from the Australian parliament following a protest during a landmark address delivered by Philippine President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. Senator Janet Rice's protest against alleged human rights abuses unfolded as Marcos embarked on his speech before the federal parliament on Thursday morning. Rice Gets Escorted Out After Bold Stand Against Marcos Senator Rice, wielding a sign emblazoned with the words "stop the human rights abuses", drew the attention of both MPs and senators gathered in the House of Representatives. The demonstration sparked astonishment among onlookers, with one individual denouncing it as a 'disgrace', as reported by Daily Mail. Shortly thereafter, Rice, accompanied by her colleague Barbara Pocock, was swiftly escorted out of the chamber while Marcos continued his speech. Expressing her dissent, the senator articulated her dismay on X, formerly Twitter, over the invitation extended to President Marcos to address Australian leaders. "Under President Marcos Jr, the already-rife corruption in the Philippines is getting worse, and the justice system exists in name only," she emphasized. "It is a grave mistake for the Australian government to give legitimacy to President Marcos Jr inviting him to address the parliament today." Other Australian senators also took part in the protest against the Philippine president. Rather than attending Marcos' address to parliament, Senator Jordon Steele-John chose to demonstrate his solidarity with the Australian-Filipino community by joining the protests outside the chamber. Steele-John called out the House for ejecting Rice from the parliamentary session. "Today my friend, [Janet Rice], was censured by the Senate for "unparliamentary conduct" by calling out Marcos Jr and the Philippines government's human rights abuses," the senator expressed on X. "If the Libs thinks calling out human rights abusers is unparliamentary then they don't belong in the Senate at all." Senator Pocock also voiced her dissent on a social media platform, sharing, "The deep, cruel legacy of the Marcos regimes - senior and junior - have crushed community, peasant, women's, trade union and human rights activists in the Philippines." Read Also: Philippines' Marcos Hoping for Maritime Cooperation With Vietnam During State Visit Albanese Extends Warm Welcome to Marcos Meanwhile, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese conveyed a markedly contrasting sentiment, extending a warm welcome to President Marcos. "Australia is honoured to count the Philippines as a close friend and strategic partner," remarked Albanese in a statement. "For more than three quarters of a century, our nations have been bound by strategic trust and mutual cooperation." "Our ties are strengthened by warm and close personal connections, including through the over 400,000 Australians with Filipino heritage who make a wonderful contribution to modern multicultural Australia," he added. In response to the cordial reception, Marcos expressed gratitude for the opportunity to address the Australian Parliament, regarding it as both a personal and official honor. "The significant Filipino diaspora, the fifth largest immigrant community here in Australia, has contributed significantly to the economic and cultural wellbeing not only of our country, but yours as well," he acknowledged. "It is also an undeniable indicator of Australia's openness to embrace a globalized and interconnected world." Marcos, who arrived in Canberra on Wednesday for a state visit, is anticipated to engage in discussions on matters of defense, trade, and cooperation with Australian leaders during his stay. Related Article: Bongbong Marcos Drug Watchlist Allegation Denied by PDEA After Rodrigo Duterte Calls Him 'Drug Addict' This notorious Russian hacking group is threatening to release Trump court documents Hackers are threatening to leak stolen Trump court documents unless they get a ransom. LockBit is a Russia-based ransomware group that's made millions by hacking victims. Despite international police efforts, LockBit is still active. LockBit, a group of notorious Russian hackers, is threatening to release court documents it claims it stole from Georgia officials unless it gets paid a ransom. It's the latest scheme from a group that's frustrated international authorities and dodged shutdown attempts. LockBit is threatening to release court documents pertaining to former President Donald Trump it claims it stole from the Fulton County, Georgia, election-interference case unless the county pays up. The hacking group posted a statement online in English and Russian demanding money. The message also backed Trump in the 2024 election and called Biden a "puppet" who should retire. The latest deadline 8:59 a.m. ET on Thursday has passed. But on Thursday, hours before the deadline was set to expire, a countdown timer on the group's website disappeared. It's unclear whether the group has the documents, as it claims, or still plans to release them. What is LockBit? LockBit is a Russia-based ransomware group that's become infamous for its two-pronged extortion tactics, according to the US Treasury Department. The cybercriminals steal massive amounts of data from their victims, then encrypt the targets' computers and demand ransom to unlock their information, the Treasury Department says. It's not just one guy at his computer running these attacks; the department called LockBit a "ransomware-as-a-service" group, where cybercriminals around the world pay to use the group's software to conduct their own attacks. In exchange, LockBit gets a percentage of the ransom. LockBit has been around since at least 2019, and in 2022, it was the most prolific ransomware service in the world, the department said. In just a few years of operation, LockBit has racked up over 2,000 victims and collected more than $120 million in ransom funds, according to the Justice Department. LockBit has targeted all kinds of organizations, including hospitals, banks, schools, and many government agencies, according to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Its recent targets include Boeing, the UK's National Health Service and Royal Mail, and the state-owned Industrial and Commercial Bank of China. LockBit first hacked into Fulton County's computer systems on January 27. But it's not clear how much money LockBit is asking for, and the group may not even have documents that aren't already publicly available. A yearslong international police effort involving the FBI and the UK's National Crime Agency ultimately seized 34 of LockBit's servers and shut down its website on February 20. But by the end of the week, LockBit was back, renewing its ransom demands and pushing the deadline to Thursday. And the stakes could be high if you take LockBit's word for it. The group said in a post on Saturday that the stolen documents "contain a lot of interesting things and Trump's court cases that could affect the upcoming US election." Read the original article on Business Insider MOSCOW (AP) Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday delivered a blunt message to the West, warning that it risks provoking a global nuclear war if it expands its involvement in the fighting in Ukraine. At the same time, Putin focused his 2-hour state-of-the-nation address on a wide range of economic and social issues, vowing to boost the national economy, revamp education and healthcare and support young families ahead of the March 15-17 vote in which he is all but certain to win another six-year term. Here is a look at things to know about Putin's speech. What did Putin say about the threat of a nuclear war? In an apparent reference to French President Emmanuel Macrons statement that the future deployment of Western ground troops to Ukraine should not be ruled out, Putin warned that such a move would lead to tragic consequences for the countries who risk doing so. Putin said that while selecting targets for striking our territory and talking about the possibility of sending a NATO contingent to Ukraine the West should keep in mind that we also have the weapons that can strike targets on their territory, and what they are now suggesting and scaring the world with, all that raises the real threat of a nuclear conflict that will mean the destruction of our civilization. What was Putin's response to the U.S. warning about evolving Russian space weapons? Putin rejected the U.S. allegations that Russia has pondered the deployment of space-based weapons as a false claim. He said it was intended to draw Russia into talks on nuclear arms control on American terms even as Washington continues its efforts to deliver a strategic defeat to Moscow in Ukraine. Ahead of the U.S. election, they just want to show their citizens, as well as others, that they continue to rule the world. It wont work," Putin said. What did Putin say about the fighting in Ukraine? Putin vowed to fulfill Moscows goals in Ukraine, and do whatever it takes to defend our sovereignty and security of our citizens." He claimed the Russian military has gained a huge combat experience and is firmly holding the initiative and waging offensives in a number of sectors. The fulfillment of all our plans directly depends on our soldiers, our officers and volunteers = all servicemen who are fighting on the front now, from the courage and resolve of our comrades-in-arms who are defending the motherland, he said. How did Putin describe the role of the Global South? Putin alleged that the influence of the U.S. and its allies was waning while the developing countries of the Global South are quickly gaining political and economic weight. He argued that the West has eroded its own economic power by using its currencies and financial system to strike Russia with sanctions. He declared that the BRICS alliance of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa is poised to account for 37% of the global economic output in 2028 while the share of the Group of Seven richest countries will drop to 28%. Together with friendly countries we will continue to create efficient and safe logistical corridors and use a new technological basis to build a new global financial architecture that will be free of political interference, he said. Even more so as the West has discredited its own currencies and its banking system, undermining the very foundation it has relied upon for decades." What did Putin say on domestic issues? Putin said that the eradication of poverty remains a top task for his government, acknowledging that 13.5 million of Russia's population of 144 million currently live below the poverty line. He said that the share of the poor should be reduced to less than 7% by 2030. He said that the country will extend cheap mortgages to help young families, particularly those with children, and promised to pour more government funds into health care, education, science, culture and sports. Putin also pledged to create more incentives for small businesses and reduce the state pressure on the private sector. We are one big family, we are together and we will do everything we plan and want to do, he said. What is Putin's vision of Russia's new elite? Putin hailed Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine and said that military veterans should form the backbone of the country's new elite, inviting them to join a new federal program for training future leaders. "When I look at these brave people, some of them very young, my heart is filled with pride for our people," Putin said. They should take the leading positions in the education system, public organizations, state companies, business, state and municipal governing structures, lead the regions, enterprises and the biggest national projects." In so-called ruby red South Carolina, the greatest existential threat to Republicans may be boiling inside their own party, as friction grows between the mainstream majority and an upstart, hard-right faction of the party known as the House Freedom Caucus. This group of no more than two dozen lawmakers has shown that obstruction can be an unexpected source of power, while gaining influence that a number of Republican leaders are reluctant to acknowledge. Few among the states power players can seem to agree whether the group is a danger, a nuisance, or a future ruling party in itself. More than 30 people including lawmakers, political analysts, state government staffers and lobbyists spoke with The State about the Freedom Caucus and its rise and influence. They altogether painted a picture of a subtle power struggle that is increasingly unfolding on a public stage in the chambers of the S.C. State House. Most of these people spoke candidly with The State on the condition of anonymity to protect their jobs and relationships. Some political insiders emphasized that the Freedom Caucuss power, while nontraditional, shouldnt be ignored. They may have more power than others give them credit for. After all, it was only about five months ago that U.S. Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy for a time, the most powerful Republican in the land was ousted from his position thanks to just eight members of his own party, most of whom believed he wasnt doing enough to advance an ultra-conservative agenda. If that could happen in Washington, what could another small but determined group of lawmakers do in Columbia? There is growing concern within the South Carolina Republican Party that state House leadership does not know how to handle the Freedom Caucus and that Republicans are not defending themselves well enough against the group on social media and in-person attacks. The perception that party leaders arent defending themselves from attacks within their own party is a sign of weakness for the mainstream majority, some say, that could allow the Freedom Caucus to hasten its rise in power. Known primarily for making noise about what they want, S.C. Freedom Caucus members have accomplished some feats, one of which, politicos note, is stalling legislation, from proposals about abortion to a day to honor female hunters. Its members consistently push ultra-conservative legislation usually pertaining to culture war issues such as reproductive rights or men in womens sports and commit to making it known that mainstream House Republicans are not pursuing their version of conservative values to the same degree. Some politicians argue this isnt considered success at all. Others, however, say the caucus may be influencing the recent trend of new ultra-conservative legislation being filed by powerful House Republican members, forcing those lawmakers to make more right-leaning decisions than they would have originally. What started as an unsuspecting rivalry has rooted itself deep within the heart of Palmetto State politics. Some say the Freedom Caucus is ready to wage war. Some say theyre nothing but noise and will soon fizzle out as quickly as they came to exist. Others, however, warn that they have already started a serious battle. Conservative will never be conservative enough To many South Carolina House Republicans, the Freedom Caucus is nothing more than a nuisance. A disappointment, pain in the ass and a frustrating part of their roles as legislators. It was a Freedom Caucus member, Rep. R.J. May, who in 2023 turned a shoo-in bill to name a day in recognition of women hunters and fishers supported by both Republicans and Democrats into a three-hour debate over the definition of a woman. That moment was, to some, an example of the frivolous tactics the group will use to stall legislation and hijack attention. Stalling, obstructing, throwing rhetorical bombs into House debates and stirring up social media drama have been their modus operandi, and those methods are in many ways a part of whats driven the wedge between the caucus and other Republicans, perhaps even more so than their conservative political principles. Try to act surprised that these guys are whining again, Rep. Micah Caskey, a Lexington County Republican, tweeted about the Freedom Caucus in October. S.C. House Speaker Murrell Smith, R-Sumter, presides over the beginning of the legislative session in the South Carolina House on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023. Caskey has been vocal in person and online about his disdain for the group. Nobody ever fact checks them, he said, and no one from the group comes thoughtfully ready to govern. Caskey, along with multiple other Republican lawmakers and political insiders all raised similar concerns and frustrations about the group: The Freedom Caucus does not operate for the good of South Carolina, detractors say; they work for attention. However, theyre mighty good at getting it. One of the Freedom Caucus major battles with House Republicans came as the state Legislature was debating abortion restrictions in 2023. While the bulk of the debate was focused on what stage of pregnancy abortion should be banned, if at all, the Freedom Caucus proposed a bill that sought to punish abortion in the same way as murder, resulting in up to 30 years in prison and even up to the death penalty. In the midst of that debate, Freedom Caucus members who sponsored the bill proposing the death penalty for abortion painted mainstream House Republicans who already were seeking to ban the procedure as early as six weeks as abortion apologists, one political watcher said. Hyperbolic rhetoric is essential to the Freedom Caucuss strategy, one political expert said. Its flamboyant language for rallying up a conservative base, said one politico who works outside the State House. Its a profound disservice to constituents. Conservative will never be conservative enough for the Freedom Caucus, another source said: It doesnt matter how far right House Republicans move, the Freedom Caucus will find a way to bring up concerns about it so they can spotlight it in their favor. While the Freedom Caucus accuses the Republican majority of letting Democrats lead on reform while they kowtow and defend a corrupt system, some House Republicans and Democrats alike publicly accuse of Freedom Caucus members of whining, lying shamelessly for attention and putting on a show to climb the political ladder. To hear these clowns tell it, theyre responsible for the sun rising and setting too! #SCHFCwins https://t.co/ov4tKEbomq Micah Caskey (@MicahCaskey) February 12, 2024 Im trying to figure out where the camera is thats recording you for your campaign speech for Congress, Democratic state Rep. Russell Ott hurled at Freedom Caucus member Rep. Adam Morgan amid a heated six-hour debate in January over a bill to prohibit gender transition procedures for minors. (Morgan, who chairs the Freedom Caucus, is challenging Republican Congressman William Timmons in the Upstate 4th Congressional District in Junes primary.) Another Freedom Caucus member, Rep. Josiah Magnuson of Spartanburg County, sought to toughen that bill by adding penalties for doctors, even though Caskey, a Republican and a lawyer, argued the states existing law already punishes doctors who violate statutes. Youre trying to undermine this amendment by pretending to be more for justice than me, which is a bizarre turn of the tables, Magnuson said to Caskey. Magnusons amendment failed. State Rep. Josiah Magnuson R-Spartanburg speaks with colleagues at the South Carolina State House on January 11, 2022. The Freedom Caucus does raise important discussions, more than one House Republican member, and political analysts said. Its necessary to have debates as lawmakers, they added. But caucus members timing and strategy often leave lawmakers and political watchers questioning the real intentions behind the caucuss moves. I think they do wield power, a person who works in the State House said. Obstruction is their power. Not doing anything is their power. Any one vote is power. And when you are in Congress, for example, when you have eight people, that can change the Speaker of the House vote, right? Thats a big deal. Multiple people, including Republican House Majority Leader Davey Hiott have spoken about the success of the S.C. Republican Party over the last few years, specifically the surge of conservative legislation that has passed. Was this because of the Freedom Caucus pushing ultra-conservative proposals surrounding abortion, book bans, LGBTQ+ provisions, DEI and guns? Almost every House Republican lawmaker who was asked answered: No, this wasnt the doing of the Freedom Caucus, and it would have happened without them. And Democrats, for the most part, dont think the Freedom Caucus specifically has successfully moved conservative legislation into action. But the Freedom Caucus believes the credit is theirs for a notably conservative shift in South Carolina lawmaking over the last few years, and some political watchers in the state agree. The Freedom Caucus claims that some of the states most conservative legislation has come because of them. This includes recent votes in the House to pass the Help not Harm bill, which prohibits minors from receiving gender transition procedures, and pushing for a more conservative version of a constitutional carry gun bill than the Senate passed. While some Republican House members downplay the caucus influence, some insiders from both parties agree that the Freedom Caucus actually is responsible for painting the state a deeper shade of red. Beyond legislation, the group has shown the ability to have a potential influence on South Carolina voters perspective of Republican politics, whether it be through social media or mailers. Some politicos say the more Republican leaders ignore that influence, the more the caucuss power will grow. I think what were seeing in Columbia right now is that the Freedom Caucus is pushing issues and forcing leadership and the overall Republican Caucus to act on some of these issues, Lexington Countys May said. You know, most people think that South Carolina is ruby red, and it is, our people are. But the elected representatives, particularly those ones that are not in the Freedom Caucus, do not accurately reflect the values of the folks that they serve. South Carolina House Freedom Caucus Vice Chairman R.J. May, R-Lexington, announces Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022, that the caucus has filed suit against Lexington 1 School District over its alleged violation of a one-year state law that prohibits schools from using state money to teach or promote concepts associated with critical race theory. When Southern gentlemen dont get along Freedom Caucus members would say theyre simply not in the business of doing business with moderates. By any objective measurement, South Carolina continues to fail in delivering conservative policy for our state, and thats the reason the Freedom Caucus exists, May said. If thats the why the caucus exists, then the how behind their split from mainstream Republicans is best explained as a two-sided tale that hinges on conflicts between conservative vs. more conservative, deceit vs. inaction, and loyalty vs. conformity. The story of the split varies by who is asked, and, ultimately, the details are muddled. What happened was an attempt at unity apparently gone badly wrong. Back in March 2022, House Republicans came together in a closed-door meeting to discuss what some remember as a talk about an election integrity law, while others recall it was about an absentee voting measure. The meeting was to discuss how to push the bill forward as efficiently as possible. The bill being discussed which some specifically recall as House bill 4919, which addressed absentee and early voting wasnt as conservative as some lawmakers hoped it would be. Summerville Republican Rep. Gil Gatch was among those who would have liked the bill to be more conservative, but he ultimately wanted it to pass and be of use for his constituents. Im a lawyer for Gods sakes, Gatch said in a recent interview, and Im a normal human being where I realized that if Im having a conversation with somebody, were trying to get to an end result that demanding it be done my way or else isnt the best way forward. We have to figure out a way to work with each other. No bill is a perfect bill. But not everyone in the room saw it that way, according to about half a dozen people who were present for the meeting. As Gatch and others tell it, most of the lawmakers in the closed-door meeting had already agreed to move forward with the discussed version of the bill. But May, a freshman lawmaker who runs a political consulting business, proposed an amendment even after the majority of the group had agreed not to change the bill. Mays amendment would have closed partisan primary elections so that only voters registered with a party could vote in that partys primary election. Ultimately, Mays amendment was not adopted in the passage of the bill. There were other amendments offered as well, but at least some House Republicans believe May had an ulterior motive behind his amendment. Spartanburg County Rep. Travis Moore was facing an election challenge by a candidate who would hire May as his political consultant. A number of people in the room believe May used the amendment to maneuver an opportunity to cast Moore as not conservative enough in the next election, benefiting his candidate. (May) thought, Ill put up an amendment now that I know exactly how Travis is going to vote because I was in a closed-door meeting, so that I can use his no vote against my amendment as political mailers for the race that Im going to get paid to run in the next year. OK, do you see how thats insane? Gatch said. State Rep. Gil Gatch during a House of Representatives session in Columbia, S.C. on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. (Travis Bell/STATEHOUSE CAROLINA) May, however, said he was not representing Moores opponent at the time of the closed-door meeting or when he presented the amendment. May eventually represented Moores opponent, Bill DeVore, but says he did not make contact with DeVore until weeks after the vote in question. Any attempt to tell you that I somehow set up a vote for anybody is (completely) false and fabrication, May said. An attempt by The State to reach DeVore for comment was unsuccessful. Meanwhile, the S.C. House Freedom Caucus was officially formed April 20, 2022, with 13 members, May among them. In the run-up to the June 2022 primaries, a political mailer in Moores district referenced House bill 4919 the bill remembered by some as the subject of the closed-door Republican meeting and Mays unpopular amendment. It said, Travis Moore voted to keep partisan primary elections open so radical Democrats can infiltrate the Republican primary and elect RINOS aligned with their progressive values. At the bottom, the mailer read, Travis Moore has Gone COLUMBIA Its time to SEND HIM HOME! A flier sent out in Travis Moores district before the June primaries Moore would win the primary over DeVore, with 53% of the vote. Gatch wasnt the only person who recalled the series of events leading up to the primary unfolding this way. Multiple other Republicans and people in the meeting said they believed it was an orchestrated move that upset more than just Gatch. A significant number of House Republicans were confused by and felt betrayed by Mays actions. People lost their minds, because it was an egregious betrayal of confidence, Gatch said. If I am representing a plaintiff, and I am getting information underhandedly from the defendant and Im going to be screwing the other party I mean, thats against the law for lawyers to do that. But in politics, again, its just business as usual. When asked about the meeting and accusations of maneuvering the vote, May said, Secret, behind-closed-door meetings is exactly whats wrong with Columbia. My number one concern is about my constituents and what they want, not what the establishment or special interests want. Election campaign finance reports show May was not paid by DeVore until after the amendment vote and the bills passage in the House. Republican House members, however, said just because May hadnt yet entered into a contract doesnt mean he wasnt planning or communicating beforehand. In any case, House Republicans faced a new internal debate: How could they trust one another after what they believed May did? The answer was a loyalty pledge, of sorts. In November 2022, a set of new House rules was presented. House Republican Caucus members would, among other things, agree not to engage in any campaign activities against any other member of the caucus. The foundation of the new rules was aimed at one person and one person only, a source who works in South Carolina politics said. And thats RJ (May). It was not aimed at anybody else. May said he does not believe the loyalty pledge was created because of him. He said the pledge came about because a number of established Republicans had been beaten in the June primaries by Freedom Caucus-aligned candidates. In other words, according to May: House Republican leaders demanded a pledge of loyalty to its members and to leadership-approved legislation, and anyone who didnt conform could wave goodbye to chances of getting anything done in the State House or having any help getting reelected, much less gaining any power or influence. Those are the downsides of being on the outside of the mainstream Republican Caucus. We were told (by House Republican leaders) when we refused to sign their incumbent protection pledge that not a single one of our bills would move, not a single one of us would get a good committee assignment, not a single one of us would get $1 for reelection, and in fact that they would find challenges for each and every one of us when it came election time, May said. May and more than a dozen others refused to sign the pledge. It solidified the split between the Freedom Caucus and the Republican Caucus, and the effects of that split are playing out with growing drama today. Credit where its due, depending on who you ask House Majority Leader Hiott, a Pickens County Republican, said he had and still has no problem with the Freedom Caucus. The whole last session, they would come to me and ask me for advice for how to get something done or needed some help, and I always helped them every time they asked me, Hiott said. I dont have any problem with any of them personally. I like them all; I dont have a bit of a problem with them. State Rep. David Hiott, left, and State Rep. Brandon Newton during a House of Representatives session in Columbia, S.C. on Tuesday, March 14, 2023. (Travis Bell/STATEHOUSE CAROLINA) But at least some Freedom Caucus members have a problem with Hiott and with House Speaker Murrell Smith, a Sumter County Republican. Im exceedingly disappointed in (Republican House) leadership, said Greenville County Rep. Adam Morgan, chairman of the Freedom Caucus. I dont like (Smiths) leadership. I like him on a personal level. I like a lot of people as a person, but as leadership, are you kidding? I absolutely would prefer to have a speaker who actually treats everybody with respect. If he started doing those things of course, I would support him and be thrilled with it. Smith declined to comment for this story. Hiott said in his 19 years as a lawmaker, the last session was the most conservative year he had been a part of, so he doesnt understand the disdain the Freedom Caucus has toward House leadership, he added. Just about every piece of legislation that got passed last year was a conservative piece of legislation, and the best I can tell they voted for just about every one of them. Every single bill that was out there they seemed to support it as well, Hiott said. If its all about ownership, thats fine. Im not about ownership, Im for whats best for the state of South Carolina. We dont care who gets credit. Thats not why were in this, May said. Were in this to live up to our values and our ideals to protect the Constitution. If leadership wants to play games by taking the language from Freedom Caucus members, slapping a members name on it that isnt in the Freedom Caucus, just so they dont feel like theyre giving us a legislative win, thats OK by us. We care about results. For results depending on who you ask look to the recent decision by the House to reject a Senate-amended version of a constitutional carry gun bill. Senators wanted to see the changes to the proposal that would include offering (but not requiring) training for gun owners, as well as adding penalties for people carrying without a concealed weapons permit if they were found guilty of a crime with a gun. But the House said no. They had passed a version of constitutional carry in 2023 and sought to get their bill back to the way it was. Behind the scenes, Freedom Caucus members said they were thankful that House Republicans finally followed their lead. But Freedom Caucus members say they were surprised to see one of their original amendments a move to strike and replace the Senate amendments, converting the bill back to the original House version was proposed by GOP Caucus members without any Freedom Caucus names on the proposal. Realizing they were beaten, the @SCHouseGOP tried to save face and worked with Dems to move their copy/paste amendment in front of the FC one filed days before, the South Carolina Freedom Caucus tweeted. Freedom Caucus members also argue that House Republicans made similar moves on legislation regarding transgender care rejecting a past proposal by a Freedom Caucus member and then, this session, proposing and passing a nearly identical piece of legislation primarily sponsored by mainstream Republican members. Rep. Thomas Beach, a Freedom Caucus member, was one of the recent bills co-sponsors, but the Freedom Caucus argued the GOP still did not consult them. Every Republican, Freedom Caucus or not, has the same opportunities to promote their priorities and pass legislation as everyone else, especially in a Republican majority, Hiott said. I happen to be the majority leader, but I have one vote just like the rest of them do, Hiott said. Im not out to get anybody. If they want to rejoin the caucus, theyre welcome back in tomorrow, they just need to sign. Thats where we are. Built on destruction and gaining power South Carolina is not Washington, D.C. Not at all, House Minority Leader Todd Rutherford, a Richland County Democrat, said. And I think that a lot of what the Freedom Caucus has done, even including the nomenclature they have chosen, is to be more like Washington, D.C. Its a far cry to think of the South Carolina House ousting its leader in the way the U.S. House turned on Kevin McCarthy but then, one mightve thought it was a far cry to think of such a thing happening in Congress, until it did. All it took was eight upset members to unify. This begs the question, what could the Freedom Caucus accomplish? One potential outcome of the Freedom Caucus influence is that yet another faction arises among House Republicans. This one, a small group, politicos emphasized, that has expressed recent growing concern with House leadership for not acting more boldly to shut down the Freedom Caucus attacks against the body online and in-person. Leaders have said there is a plan to address Freedom Caucus attacks, but these House Republican members say they havent seen any evidence. Look, theres no doubt I could do a better job of being the majority leader, Hiott said in response to the growing friction within his party. I dont question that for one second. Ive had conversations with most of our members. Weve talked through it. I agree I need to do a better job, but also agree that you cant respond every time that happens. You cant just respond on social media. Hiott emphasized that many of the Freedom Caucus attacks are on social media, and thats not how you legislate. He said if lawmakers responded every time they were attacked online, they would never get anything done. My job and the job of the House leadership is to protect our caucus members, Hiott said. And thats our whole goal. Were going to campaign for them, were going to help them as much as we can. Were going to do everything we can to protect our members. Its the Freedom Caucus goal, however, to grow its own numbers in the House. May said that if it werent for the political powers that be in Columbia, significantly more House seats already would belong to the Freedom Caucus. I think theres probably a good chunk of 20, 25 (House) members who would vote quite often with the Freedom Caucus, if it were not for the threats from the uniparty, the lobbyists, the special interests and the people who write the big checks, May said. May said mainstream Republican lawmakers are afraid to be associated with the Freedom Caucus for fear of retribution from House and party leaders, so they keep their distance even though, for many of them, their positions arent far off. But some House Republicans and Democrats say this is fantasy talk. If lawmakers supported the Freedom Caucus and wanted to be a part of it, they would. The fact that more House members dont join the caucus says something, lawmakers from both parties said. From a Democratic point of view, its been interesting, because its watching a segment of the Republican Party that is seemingly built on destruction gain more and more power simply by their numbers, Rutherford said. Rutherford said the House Freedom Caucus brings to his mind a paraphrase of a saying by former Democratic U.S. House Speaker Sam Rayburn: Any idiot can tear a building down, but it takes sophisticated and skilled people to build one. Well, Rutherford said, I dont get the impression from any of them that they want to do anything other than tear the place down. They have no desire to build anything, and I dont mean buildings, I mean simply a better mousetrap. I simply hear them spouting off about why everything around them is bad. While House leaders may outwardly say they arent concerned about the Freedom Caucus, House Republicans recent actions are making another statement: They want Freedom Caucus members gone. The act of trying to squeeze out the Freedom Caucus has has played out in a few ways so far including rumors of some Republican players and leaders offering hefty campaign dollars to political candidates who would promise not to associate with the Freedom Caucus. However, Hiott said he had never heard of such instances and ethics rules wouldnt allow that to happen. One of the most recent moves that appears aimed against Freedom Caucus members such as May, is a bill that is expected to soon move to the House floor. House bill 5112, sponsored by York County Republicans Rep. Brandon Guffey and Rep. Heath Sessions, would prohibit a House member from providing assistance for compensation or anything of value to another candidate running for the House in essence prohibiting all House members from working as political consultants on House campaigns against other members. The bill also would require House members to publicly report the names any candidates who pay them for campaign assistance, and the amount of money they are paid. House bill 5112 speaks to integrity of the institution of the House of Representatives above any one member, Rep. Sessions wrote over text. It simply states that if you are an elected representative in the S.C. House, you can not personally profit by running other candidates campaigns for a House seat. The potential conflict of interest is astounding. You must choose, serve the people of your district or serve your client by running their campaign. You cant do both and not have your credibility called into question. The evidence of friction and a brewing power struggle is playing out on a weekly basis at this point on the House floor. Just this week, a tense exchange between Gatch and Morgan, two central figures of Republican vs. Freedom Caucus drama, happened during discussion of a bill that would restructure the state Department of Health and Environmental Control. Morgan accused Gatch of having an inappropriate tone, Gatch accused Morgan of side-stepping his question, and the exchange devolved into back-and-forth sniping. State Rep. Adam Morgan shares a laugh with other members before the start of the Education and Public Works Full Committee meeting in Columbia, S.C. on Tuesday, March 1, 2022. (Travis Bell/STATEHOUSE CAROLINA) Amid the bickering, Speaker Murrell Smith appeared confounded by how to rein in the feuding factions. He asked everyone to act with decorum, joking that he needed hearing aids because he didnt hear all of the exchange from Gatch and Morgan Gentleman, now hold on a second, yall know better than this, he said to Gatch and Morgan. Were not here to have personality conflicts, Smith said. We are here to debate legislation. If politics starts dividing this body and starts pulling us into the land of abusive and rude behavior, then we lose control of the process, and South Carolina is not served. The drama seems to be an endless cycle, as political watchers in the state more and more wonder what might be the ultimate effects on state government and the political landscape. For now, as one politico put it: The solution for House Republicans? Make sure Freedom Caucus members dont come back. The solution for the Freedom Caucus? Get more of their type of legislators to make more chaos, media attention and money. NORTHWEST ARKANSAS (KNWA/KFTA) The Nortwest Arkansas Food Bank announces two locations for its mobile pantry next month. This Friday, March 1, the mobile pantry will be in Springdale at the CL and Willie George Park on Hylton Road from 9-11 a.m. Then on Monday, March 11th, its going to Carter Park in West Fork starting at 9 a.m. The NWA Food Banks full March schedule will be released next week. For more information about where to find food in Arkansas, click here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KNWA FOX24. New York finalized new lines for its congressional districts on Wednesday with the approval of a revised map Democrats had proposed just two days earlier. Democratic supermajorities in both the Senate and Assembly easily passed the redrawn map, winning support even from some Republicans in spite of complaints from their party about the legislature overriding an outside panel's map. The votes were 45-17 in the Senate and 115-33 in the Assembly. The enactment of new lines for New York's 26 House districts lifts a cloud of uncertainty over looming battles for critical swing seats, just as those races are starting in earnest this week with candidates beginning to gather petition signatures. It also concludes a three-year redistricting saga with high stakes for control of the narrowly divided House. The new lines will be used this year for the June 25 primaries and Nov. 5 general election, and then for the next three congressional elections that come before the next round of redistricting. See the full map at Newyork.redisitrictingandyou.org. For a more detailed look at each district, go to latfor.state.ny.us/maps/?sec=2024_congress. This congressional redistricting map in New York reflects the latest proposal from Democratic lawmakers in New York after they rejected a map proposed by a bipartisan redistricting commission. The map is expected to be approved in late February 2024. The only potential hitch after the votes on Wednesday was the possibility of a Republican court challenge. But state Republican Party Chairman Ed Cox soon dispelled that prospect, saying in a statement that there was "no need for further litigation," since the legislature's lines were "not materially different" from the court-imposed lines drawn in 2022 by a special master. Republicans won a court case that year to block a legislature-drawn House map that heavily favored Democrats. By contrast, the new lines give Democrats modest or tiny boosts in only three competitive districts, and made only minor changes to a map that an independent panel proposed this month. In floor debates before the votes, Republicans in both chambers raised no strong objections to any particular map changes, criticizing instead how they were made. They scolded Democrats for altering the map crafted by the Independent Redistricting Commission, an outside panel formed to avoid partisan gerrymandering. Democrats had voted down the commission's plan on Monday and quickly introduced their tweaked version. "I'm disappointed very much in the process," said Assemblyman Andy Goodell, a Chautauqua County Republican who led his conference's questioning of the bill. Later, Assemblywoman Dana Levenberg, a Westchester County Democrat, countered that it was appropriate for elected officials with deeper knowledge of their districts to put "the right finishing touches" on the commission map. Commission map: See newest Congressional redistricting map in NY: Which lines changed? The legislature's map left untouched the commission's lines for 16 of the 26 districts, as Democrats pointed out in defense of their limited alterations. Among the changes they made: undoing a proposed division of Orange County, which remains entirely in Democratic Rep. Pat Ryan's 18th District in the final map. The most notable outcomes for this year's elections were line changes that help Rep. Tom Suozzi, the Democrat who won a special election in Long Island and Queens this month, and hurt Rep. Brandon Williams, a Republican freshman whose Syracuse-area district turned bluer. In his statement, Cox unloaded on Democrats and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the House minority leader, for their parts in the long redistricting battle, saying they "have sought to undermine and corrupt the redistricting process every step of the way." Rep. Suzan DelBene, head of the House Democrats' campaign arm, praised the final product of that struggle. She said in a statement: The people of New York finally have a fair map that represents the states diverse communities, which is especially important given that the process followed the rules set forth in the states constitution as New Yorks voters intended." Chris McKenna covers government and politics for The Journal News and USA Today Network. Reach him at cmckenna@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: NY redistricting battle is over: See the final Congressional map A photo of a person injured by pellets in Indian-controlled Kashmir in 2016 has been falsely linked to the Indian farmers' protests in February 2024. The photographer who took the image told AFP that it was not linked to the demonstrations. The photo of a man with facial injuries was published in this Facebook post on February 22, 2024 alongside English-language hashtags that linked it to ongoing protests by Indian farmers demanding higher crop prices. The post -- which has been reshared more than 300 times -- contains a Punjabi-language caption that translates as "It is said you will not harm one of your people, but now they are not one of us?" "The pellet guns which are banned throughout the world are being used. These pellets don't kill but disable you for life." Screenshot of the false Facebook post, taken February 22, 2024 The photo surfaced online as Indian media reported that some protesting farmers were left with facial injuries after police used pellet shotguns to disperse them -- an accusation that officers denied (archived link). The protests followed the 2021 farmers' demonstrations, which ended after the Indian government agreed to repeal controversial farm laws that sought to deregulate agricultural markets. The same photo was shared with a similar false claim in Punjabi on Facebook here and here; as well as in English here and here. However, the picture was taken during a protest in Indian-controlled Kashmir in 2016. Kashmir protest The picture was published on the Associated Press (AP) website on July 13, 2016, alongside a caption identifying the person as a protester injured during clashes with police in Indian-controlled Kashmir (archived link). "Mohammad Imran Parray, who got wounded after being hit by pellets during a protest recovers at a hospital in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Wednesday, July 13, 2016," the caption read. "Hospitals in India's portion of Kashmir are overwhelmed, with hundreds of wounded patients pouring in as the region reels from days of clashes between anti-India protesters and government troops." "This is an old photo from India-administered Kashmir and has nothing to do with the current farmers' protests," the photographer, who asked not to be named, told AFP. The same week the photo was captured, AFP reported officers used tear gas, pellet shotguns and live bullets to disperse hundreds of demonstrators who defied a curfew in India-administered Kashmir (archived link). Below is a screenshot comparison of the image in the false post (left) and the AP photo (right): Screenshot comparison between the false post (left) and the Associated Press photo (right) The image was published by other media organisations in September 2016 in their coverage of clashes in Indian-controlled Kashmir, including here by Indian outlet The New Indian Express and here by The Independent, a UK online news outlet (archived links here and here). AFP has also debunked false claims related to the Indian farmers' protest here and here. CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) Authorities arrested a person after a house fire on Wednesday, Charlotte Fire officials said Thursday. Investigators say a fire in the 6300 block of Beecher Drive incurred $57,000 in damages. They also determined a person intentionally set the fire, and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police made an arrest. Wednesdays fire saw 30 Charlotte firefighters control the fire in 8 minutes. Charlotte MEDIC transported on person with injuries to area hospital. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) A shooting on the west side of Columbus that left one person dead Wednesday night has been ruled accidental. Columbus police said the shooting happened on the 700 block of Doulton Court at approximately 8:14 p.m. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene five minutes later. This embedded content is not available in your region. Police said that personnel from the Columbus Police Homicide Unit initially responded to investigate, but announced Thursday morning that the shooting was determined to be accidental. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV. Israeli troops opened fire on a large crowd of Palestinians in Gaza who were rushing to retrieve food from an aid convoy on Thursday. Over 100 people were killed, bringing the murder toll to more than 30,000 since the onslaught of Israel's war on Gaza began. Israeli authorities acknowledged the use of gunfire by Israeli forces and explained that it occurred as the unarmed and starved crowd advanced in a laughable and perceived "threatening manner." President Joe Biden said the United States is allegedly working to determine what happened in Gaza City. When asked if the loss of life would complicate efforts to broker a cease-fire, he surprisingly replied, "I know it will." As reported by The Associated Press, many Palestinians were forced to flee their homes upon Israeli invasion in the north, and several hundred thousand are believed to remain in the area. Palestinians continue to suffer widespread devastation and have become largely isolated during Israel's bombardment of the territory. Trucks carrying food reached northern Gaza this week, the first major aid delivery to the area in a month, officials said Wednesday. Aid groups confirm it has become nearly impossible to deliver humanitarian assistance in most of Gaza due to the difficulty of coordinating with the Israeli military and the high-risk probability that they will fire at civilians. Another obstacle aid groups are facing is adamant Israeli protesters blocking the delivery trucks in opposition to food and aid reaching the Palestinians. The U.N. declared a quarter of Gaza's 2.3 million Palestinians are being starved by Israel. The Unfathomable: Kamel Abu Nahel, who was being treated for a gunshot wound at Shifa Hospital, told the AP that he and others went to the distribution point in the middle of the night because they heard there would be a delivery of food. "We've been eating animal feed for two months," he said. Abu Nahel recounted Israeli troops opening fire on the crowd as people pulled boxes of flour and canned goods off the trucks, sending them into a frenzy as they sought shelter under cars. After the shooting stopped, people went back to the trucks, and the soldiers resumed fire. He was shot in the leg and fell over before a truck ran over his leg as it sped off. CNN News quoted U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk on Thursday, saying, "There appear to be no bounds, no words, to capture the horrors that are unfolding before our eyes in Gaza." What is happening in Gaza is "carnage" Turk said, speaking at the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva. "It is time - well past time - for peace, investigation, and accountability," Turk said. Israel allegedly estimates about 10,000 Hamas fighters have been killed since October 7. While this has not been verified outside of Israeli authorities, the Palestinian death toll, including children, women, men, and the elderly, has exceeded 30,000 as a result of Israel's horrifying collective punishment against an innocent people. Owls like Flaco eat rats. Can they be the answer to NYCs rat problem? NEW YORK (PIX11) When Flaco the owl escaped the Central Park Zoo, bird watchers followed his adventures throughout Manhattan. Flaco was observed hooting from fire escapes, exploring the Lower East Side, and eating rodents, which he ate whole according to Urban Hawks. Following Flacos death last week, a Redditor posed a pressing question: Why doesnt the city just release a bunch of owls to help care for the rat problem? What am I missing here? Seems like an easy solution, no? So PIX11 News asked the experts as well as City Hall. New York City has tried to combat its rat population in many ways: Extermination, implementing new trash container policies, and using ContraPest, a type of birth control that was not successful, according to a veterinarian PIX11 News interviewed. So, could owls like Flaco be the answer? Hawks might be a better bet, said Reddit user Laara2008. But first we have to take steps to make sure our buildings are bird-safe so that we dont lose more of these magnificent creatures. Experts weigh in: A healthy ecosystem relies on a variety of predators to find balance, not just one species, said Sunny Corrao, Public Engagement Associate for the Wildlife Unit at NYC Parks. While it is true that owls eat rats, they also eat a variety of small animals, including mice, frogs, birds, squirrels, snakes, fish, and lizards they do not specifically target rats as their prey. Most species of owls found in NYC utilize parks and other natural areas for habitat. The New York City Parks Department said owls and other wild birds rarely choose to be near people. Flaco was an exception. This observation was echoed by another comment on the Reddit thread. NYC Edge is giving free tickets to those born on Leap Day Those larger birds of prey need pretty big green spaces and large trees for a habitat, so you see them around Central Park and Riverside all the time, said Ozarkthistle. The mayors office meanwhile, said they dont normally set policy based on Reddit comments, adding they already have a solution to the problem by taking away their food sources. After hundreds of years of tens of millions of pounds of trash being placed directly on New York Citys curbs each day, Mayor Adams has committed to move ALL of the trash into containers, and that is what we are doing, the spokesperson said. As of this Friday, every single business in the City accounting for 20 million pounds of trash per day will be required to use bins instead of setting their bags on the street where the rats can get them. Other large birds like Flaco will not be making an official appearance to help New York City combat the rat population. Matthew Euzarraga is a multimedia journalist from El Paso, Texas. He has covered local news and LGBTQIA topics in the New York City Metro area since 2021. He joined the PIX11 Digital team in 2023. You can see more of his work here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. A tender moment between a shooting victim and an emotional child at a vigil a portal into the grief and love woven into Houstons Sunnyside neighborhood as it deals with violence has been recognized by a national panel as proof of the power of community journalism. Houston Chronicle staff photographer Jon Shapley was named the winner in the general news category of the National Press Photographers Association 2024 Best of Photography contest. The contest typically draws entries from the nations best photographers, working for national and international publications. Im grateful that I get to listen to and tell stories every day, Shapley said. People open their lives to me during incredibly difficult moments, and that is a real privilege. Benjamin Hager, director of multimedia for the Chronicle, said the photo is a testament to Jons superior level of skill in navigating sensitive subject matter while delivering creative, impactful imagery. The winning photo, taken Sept. 11, 2023, shows Joquita Lott comforting a child during a memorial for her son, 12-year-old Freddrick Johnson Jr. Her son was shot after an altercation over a slashed tire, leading later to the arrest of an 18-year-old still awaiting trial for capital murder. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Shapley, arriving at the vigil an hour after his shift ended, said he was following Lott through the crowd as neighbors came to offer condolences and hugs when the child possibly a relative appeared distraught and sobbing. You are trying to capture the difficult emotions in that moment, Shapley said. I think it is the pain on the childs face, and when you have a real tenderness with the mother, she is comforting the child. You really see that. The child was sobbing, and she took a moment to assuage some of that childs pain. Capturing that emotion is an example of Shapleys growth, success and unwavering commitment to excellence, said Marie D. De Jesus, immediate past president of the NPPA, photo director at Houston Landing and former Chronicle staff photographer. I am so proud of the way he represents Houston photojournalists. The win is a first, at least recently, for the Chronicle in the national contest. In 2022, staff photographer Elizabeth Conley placed third in the portrait category. Tucked in a Lake Norman cove, veiled by beer, wine, cheese and live music, a 70-year-old business owner raked in money and kept too much for herself, authorities say. Nearly $60,000 made from North Carolinas sales tax tacked onto patrons bills never made it to the state, according to the Department of Revenue. Now, Trudi Ann Zangardi faces felony tax charges for three counts of aiding and abetting embezzlement of state property. The money came from sales in two popular Davidson businesses nestled in the same Lake Norman parking lot: The Cabin and Lake Norman Cottage. A third Mooresville storefront, The Barrel, was also part of the scheme, according to an indictment returned by jurors Feb. 20. Zangardi was the sole member of The Zan Group, LLC, which did business as the three bars from January 2020, through March 2022. She was still running the businesses as of October 2023, according to notes from a North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission meeting. Zangardi aided and abetted those businesses to embezzle, misapply, and convert (the money) to its own use, the department said in a news release following her arrest Tuesday. New owners took over Lake Norman Wine Cottage in May 2023, Mindy Bright told the Observer in a phone call Thursday. The Lake Norman Cottage produced the most sales tax at about $36,300, according to the indictment. The Barrel followed with about $11,800, and the Cabin made about $11,600. Police were keeping her on a $50,000 unsecured bond, according to court documents. Zangardi will appear in Raleighs Wake County Superior Court on March 15. Each count of the Class H felony charge could amount to more than nine years in jail. Lawmakers advanced a Senate bill Wednesday that would change the selection of Kentucky Board of Education members from a unilateral appointment by the governor to a partisan election by voters. Kentuckys governor currently appoints the state board of education and the Senate approves the members. The Senate State and Local Government Committee approved Senate Bill 8 from Senate Majority Whip Mike Wilson, R-Bowling Green with a 9-2 vote. The bill, which would allow voters in the states seven Supreme Court districts decide on the board seats, now goes to the full Senate for consideration. Oversight of the Kentucky Department of Education and the state board of education has been a source of disagreement between Gov. Andy Beshear, a Democrat, and Republican lawmakers, who enjoy a veto-proof supermajority in both the House and Senate. A partisan state board of education is a terrible idea, Beshear said at a January news conference. ..we need them to be nonpartisan, serving each and every one of our kids. Republicans lawmakers have taken several steps to change public education leadership in Kentucky, including passing a 2023 law that requires Senate approval of the education commissioner. Wilson said opponents of his bill said it was filed because of politics. He disagrees. Wilson said the last two governors a Republican and a Democrat have sought to control the board with their appointments, and state board members have become a control organization rather than a support organization. Its time Kentucky Board of Education members become accountable to people who actually put their kids in our schools, he said. The elections would not start taking place until 2026, Wilson said. Members of the legislative committee asked no questions before voting. Sen. Cassie Chambers Armstrong, D-Louisville, voted no. I believe that party politics have no place in the classroom, Chambers Armstrong said. Each board member will serve a four-year term, must be 30 years old, have earned at least an associates degree and have been a resident for at least three years. They cannot be related to anyone in the state education department or have previously served on the local school board within the last four years. The board by a vote of at least five other members could remove a member for misconduct, incapacity or willful neglect. The additional members the president of the Council on Postsecondary Education, the Secretary of the Education and Labor Cabinet and a high school student and active elementary or secondary school teacher serve as non-voting members. Kentucky Department of Education officials, after the bill was approved by the legislative committee on Wednesday, reiterated a recent statement in response to Senate Bill 8. In 2021, the Kentucky General Assembly made important changes to the appointment requirements for the Kentucky Board of Education to ensure the membership more closely represents the composition of the Commonwealth in gender, race and political affiliation, the statement said. The current board reflects these changes, and the positive effect of this shift is evident in the valuable and unique perspective each member brings to the KBE. The Kentucky Department of Education appreciates the importance of maintaining stability within the KBEs membership and is in discussion with legislative leaders to explore ways to further support that goal, officials said. DENVER (KDVR) The City of Boulders Open Space and Mountain Parks Department is set to begin construction on a new trail in northeast Boulder. It is part of the Gunbarrel Hill Integrated Site Plan that was approved in 2020, which strives to enhance opportunities for access and enjoyment, as well as restore and conserve high-quality habitats in the area. Colorado city has the second-highest quality of life nationwide: report The new trail, named the Vesper Trail, will serve a variety of uses. According to a release from the City of Boulder, the goal is for the new trail to protect bird nesting habitat and allow the public to watch ground-nesting birds in the area, including the Vesper Sparrow. Plus, the trail will provide visitors with views of the Front Range and Continental Divide. The Vesper Trail will be built on Gunbarrel Hill near the intersection of 75th Street and Lookout Road. It will be surfaced with a road base to minimize erosion and muddy trail conditions in the area, the open space department said. With the construction of the Vesper Trail, Boulders Open Space and Mountain Parks Department is encouraging residents and people who use trails in the area to use the citys online trail map, as some nearby trails will be impacted by closures. The City of Boulders Open Space and Mountain Parks Department is building the Vesper Trail in northeast Boulder. (City of Boulder) There will also be signs with closure maps and information along the East Boulder Gunbarrel Trail. Most of the trail closures will take place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays until the trail is finished. Why are streets in downtown Denver crooked? History can explain In addition to trail construction, the Open Space and Mountain Parks Department will: Close and restore undesignated trails that impact habitat conditions Help protect 165 acres of grasslands that support ground-nesting birds Seed grassland areas to help improve habitat for wildlife Make trail repairs along the East Boulder Gunbarrel Trail Update access point to East Boulder Gunbarrel Trail at the intersection of Boulderado and Cambridge Streets to standardize visitor infrastructure and create a more welcoming and functional layout Construction is set to begin as soon as March 4, and the department anticipates the trail to be finished in late June. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver. A bevy of local leaders took part in a news conference Friday, Feb. 23, 2024, at Casa Vides to denounce the lawsuit filed by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton against El Paso-based Catholic nonprofit Annunciation House. EL PASO Before Annunciation House Director Ruben Garcia received a demand from the Texas Attorney Generals office to hand over sensitive documents about the migrants who have stayed at his shelter, the state had been monitoring Garcias and other staffers activity. In court documents, Anthony Carter, a criminal investigator with Attorney General Ken Paxtons office, described Garcia dropping off groceries in a white Toyota truck and noted several Hispanic individuals from adults to small children seen entering and leaving one of the El Paso shelter networks facilities. Carter noted that only three people had keys to the shelter, while everyone else had to ring a doorbell. Rob Farquharson, an assistant attorney general in Paxtons office, said in the same court documents that what Carter observed showed that the shelter had an unusually covert way of operating. He said Annunciation House appears to be engaged in the business of human smuggling, operating an illegal stash house and encouraging immigrants to enter the country illegally because it provides education on legal services. (Garcias lawyer said thats just how migrant shelters operate, for the safety of guests and staff). When we first read it, we thought it was creepy, said Jerome Wesevich, a lawyer with Texas RioGrande Legal Aid who is representing Annunciation House in its legal fight with Paxton. I dont know if I would call it spying, but if they would have just asked us, we would have talked to them. More: El Paso community shows support for Annunciation House as shelter fights Texas AG in court Earlier this month, Paxtons office sent lawyers to Annunciation House, seeking records about the shelters clients and gave Garcia a day to turn over the documents. When Wesevich said that wasnt enough time and asked a judge to determine which documents shelter officials are legally allowed to release, the AGs office interpreted the delay as noncompliance and filed a countersuit to shut down the shelter network. For the past few years, right-wing advocacy groups and Republican lawmakers have targeted non-governmental organizations that shelter migrants, many of them asylum seekers, blaming them for incentivizing illegal immigration with taxpayer money. Those efforts come as religious figures, emboldened by the rise of Christian nationalism, continue to demonize migrants and those who aid them as part of a broader scheme to dilute the American electorate. On Sunday, Ed Young, a former president of the Southern Baptist Convention and the longtime pastor of Houston's massive Second Baptist Church, gave a lengthy sermon in which he reportedly called migrants "garbage" and "undesirables" who are being brought in to support a "progressive, Godless" dictatorship. "We will not be able to stand under all the garbage and raff in which we're now inviting to come into our shores," said Young, whose church has been attended for years by prominent state Republicans. "And they're already here." Far-right Catholics have also mobilized against organizations such as Catholic Charities, calling it the "enemy of the people" and blasting it for assisting migrants many of whom are also Catholic, but conflict with the ethno-nationalism that experts say is highly correlated with white Christian nationalist beliefs. Last year, right-wing Catholics launched a campaign to defund bishops who aid migrants at the border; and in an interview with the group Church Militant, self-professed Christian nationalist and U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Georgia, said Catholic Charities work was proof of Satan controlling the church. And some Texas politicians have targeted faith-based groups like Annunciation House which has been in operation for nearly 50 years with accusations that such shelters encourage, and profit from, illegal immigration. Paxtons move comes as immigration has become one of the main issues in this years presidential elections and Texas has dramatically ramped up its efforts to deter people crossing the Rio Grande. Last year, Garcia expressed concern that Gov. Greg Abbotts escalating efforts to halt illegal immigration could impact the work of Good Samaritans. The church is at risk because the volunteers are asking themselves, If I feed someone whos unprocessed, if I give someone a blanket whos unprocessed, if I help them get off the street, am I liable to be prosecuted for that? Garcia said during a public meeting with U.S. senators visiting El Paso. Shame on us, that on this day, this is even being brought up in the United States. On Friday, Garcia said Paxtons move is the first time a state official has actually taken action to stop the work he and his staff have done to help migrants. He said that he is concerned about the language that is used by some politicians to describe the work his organization and others are doing with migrants because it can encourage people to do terrible things to organizations and to people who are trying to provide basic human services to individuals. A 2017 court ruling reinforced the idea that migrant shelters cant be charged with crimes related to helping migrants. The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund sued Texas in 2016 over House Bill 11, a state law with a provision that says people commit a crime if they encourage or induce a person to enter or remain in this country in violation of federal law by concealing, harboring, or shielding that person from detection. More: Texas AG sues El Pasos Annunciation House alleging human smuggling, operating stash house The following year the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in the states favor but said organizations that provide services to immigrants arent at risk of prosecution under the law, Because there is no reasonable interpretation by which merely renting housing or providing social services to an illegal alien constitutes harboring . . . that person from detection. Steve McCraw, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, said in court documents at the time that his agency would not investigate, file criminal charges, or otherwise engage in enforcement activity under this state law against non-governmental organizations that provide aid to migrants. U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso, said Paxtons move is absolutely terrifying and should send a chill down the back of people who care about immigrants rights and the groups that help them. She said that extreme far-right members in Congress have worked to defund organizations that help migrants. This is a wake up call for the country that this far-right extremism knows no bounds. And I assure you that what has happened to Annunciation House will be a pattern that will be executed on every nonprofit, every local government, every organization that offers care to anyone who might be undocumented, or someone who is an immigrant and an asylum seeker in this country. Two years ago, U.S. Rep. Lance Gooden, R-Terrell, sent Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley and two similar faith-based organizations a lengthy demand for information about migrants and the services they provide to them not unlike the demand Paxtons office sent to Annunciation House. He threatened the organizations with congressional subpoenas if they didnt comply, but two years later, Gooden said Catholic Charities has not responded to his demand. They know that what they're doing is so politically disgusting to the average American that the outrage would really increase if they cooperated with any oversight investigation by Congress, Gooden said of Catholic Charities. Sister Norma Pimentel, executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley in McAllen, said the alarmist rhetoric Gooden and others are spreading about the border and her work is politically motivated. More: Joe Biden, Donald Trump border visits spotlight newly competitive politics of South Texas I wish they would come and actually see what we're doing so they can understand what is actually happening at the border, Pimentel said. We respond to what our own faith calls us to do, to take care of our brothers and sisters who are hurting, who are suffering. In a May 2023 letter to DHS Secretary Mayorkas, Gooden wrote that NGOs receive hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars through federal grants to provide lodging and transportation for migrants to be released anywhere they want in the United States. Gooden added that groups like Catholic Charities stood to financially benefit from more illegal crossings because then the federal government would provide more money to fund their facilities and services. Pimentel disputed this characterization. She said in addition to helping house and feed migrants, Catholic Charities also serves families in four counties in the Rio Grande Valley. Goodens scrutiny of Catholic Charities came at the same time as right-wing groups, like the Deposit of Faith Coalition and Alliance for a Safe Texas, were also targeting the faith-based group. The Deposit of Faith Coalition, a group of conservative Catholic organizations critical of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops stance on a number of issues from immigration to climate change, has labeled Catholic Charities an enemy of the people, and accused the organization of profiting off the federal assistance they use to provide shelter and food to those in need. Pimentel said those are false accusations based on just political rhetoric to create a problem or a crisis so that the [Biden] administration looks bad. Last week, after Paxtons investigation into Annunciation House became public, the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops released a statement expressing solidarity with ministry volunteers and people of faith who seek only to serve vulnerable migrants as our nation and state continue to pursue failed migration and border security policies. On Monday, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a statement of support for Texas Catholics and other people of faith helping to meet migrants basic human needs. Garcia said that he wants people to recognize that whats at stake is the well-being of human beings. That should cause all of us to pause, take a step back and to ask ourselves, How do we behave? he said. How do we respond when human beings are involved? Robert Downen contributed to this story. This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Texas investigation latest attack on border shelters MADERA, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) The Madera Police Department says officers responded to Howard Elementary School on Avenue 14 after suspicious activity was reported on Wednesday. Police say the school was placed on lockdown while the Madera Police Department School Resource Officers contacted the individuals involved and detained them. According to the Madera County Sheriffs Office, witnesses reported seeing an adult male in a black vehicle parked outside the school campus possibly unloading a small handgun. Although this incident did not rise to the level of a criminal arrest, Madera Police officers say at no time the students or staff were under any threat. At and around the school campuses, police advise to be mindful of actions and items that are viewed as suspicious. This case was discovered as the reporting party was right to report their observations and allow police to conduct an investigation, according to police. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com | KSEE24 and CBS47. Carly Pearce performs at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo at NRG Park on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, in Houston. Karen Warren/Staff photographer Carly Pearce performs at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo at NRG Park on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, in Houston. Karen Warren/Staff photographer Carly Pearce performs at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo at NRG Park on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, in Houston. Karen Warren/Staff photographer Carly Pearce performs at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo at NRG Park on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, in Houston. Karen Warren/Staff photographer Carly Pearce performs at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo at NRG Park on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, in Houston. Karen Warren/Staff photographer Carly Pearce performs at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo at NRG Park on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, in Houston. Karen Warren/Staff photographer Carly Pearce performs at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo at NRG Park on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, in Houston. Karen Warren/Staff photographer Carly Pearce performs at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo at NRG Park on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, in Houston. Karen Warren/Staff photographer Carly Pearce performs at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo at NRG Park on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, in Houston. Karen Warren/Staff photographer Carly Pearce called it a dream come true to play RodeoHouston. Youre gonna hear me say this a lot tonight, she said from the rotating stage. Advertisement Article continues below this ad RodeoHouston is a big task for any performer. Texas native Miranda Lambert, who has played it five times, says the first time was a shock. Pearce made her debut Wednesday night, one of just two women in the lineup. Shes released three albums and earned a trio of number of No. 1 singles at country radio. But she hasnt quite reached headliner status. Shell spend much of the year opening for Tim McGraw. Carly Pearce performs at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo at NRG Park on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, in Houston. Karen Warren/Staff photographer Wednesday nights show drew a relatively light crowd of 54,686. Many of them left before the hourlong set was done. Pearce gave it her all, despite the lukewarm reception. She looked red-carpet ready in black leather with fringe, accented in gold. She kicked off with Next Girl before strapping on a guitar for Easy Going, interspersing it with a bit of Why Not Me by The Judds. Pearce has an easygoing charm and frequently waved to the crowd (even though she probably couldnt see them). Advertisement Article continues below this ad Girl power was a running theme in her set. She paid tribute to one of her idols with a cover of Faith Hills peppy Lets Go to Vegas. She honored every country females idol with original song Dear Miss Loretta. And she shouted out duet partner Ashley McBryde, who performed last year, during Never Wanted to be That Girl. And because this is RodeoHouston, Pearce paid tribute to its king with a solid cover of You Look So Good in Love, an early '80s hit for George Strait. But yall knew that, right? Every Little Thing, Pearces breakout single, was the shows standout moment. The hushed ballad brings out gorgeous, husky colors in Pearces voice. And its no small feat to make a slow song work in the middle of a dirt field in a giant stadium. Pearce is at her best when shes exploring complicated relationships: We Dont Fight Anymore, the biting Diamondback, What He Didnt Do. Its clear shes singing from a place of experience. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Washington, D.C., will see another early peak bloom for its beloved cherry blossom trees, the National Park Service (NPS) announced Thursday. The NPS estimates that the peak bloom for the cherry blossoms in the nations capital will be March 23-26, depending on weather conditions, almost exactly in line with last years peak of March 22-25. Peak bloom is the date when 70 percent of the Yoshino cherry tree blossoms are open. One of #WashingtonDCs most anticipated events, the gorgeous blossoming trees produce a short-lived scene of splendor, the NPS account for the National Mall wrote on X, formerly Twitter. The NPS noted the typical peak bloom season is between the last week of March and the first week of April, with variance based mostly on late winter temperatures. The Washington Posts Capital Weather Gang had separately predicted that peak bloom could come even earlier this year March 19-23 due to 2024s mild temperatures so far. The NPS said that warmer temperatures in the past have resulted in the peak bloom occurring as early as March 15 in 1990, while cooler temperatures have resulted in a delayed bloom that occurred as late as April 18 in 1958. Washington, D.C., will host its annual Cherry Blossom Festival March 20 to April 14, which commemorates the cherry trees gifted to the U.S. by Japan in 1912. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Editor's note: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated a percentage increase based on a misleading summary of the agreement provided to the council. Pensacola firefighters are getting pay increases of as much as 17% under a new bargaining agreement with the city. The Pensacola City Council unanimously approved the new agreement last week, which raises new firefighters by 17%. Across the entire fire union the increases come out a 12% raise for all firefighters, with other individualized pay adjustments salaries could be as much as $43,000. Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves had a pay study done after entering office, which resulted in the council approving an average raise of 6.8% across all 800 city employees in December. Employees represented by unions have to be approved separately with a new agreement. Under the new contract, the pay with individualized adjustments for lieutenant firefighters will rise to as much as $53,750, and fire captains will be paid as much as $64,500. Pensacola Fire Fighter Christopher Dennis teaches firefighting skills to a group of cadets at the fire training facility off Q Street on Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024. The city of Pensacola agreed to a plan to raise firefighter pay. In addition, the three-year contract gives all firefighters another 7% raise in 2025 and a 2% raise in 2026. Firefighters will also receive holiday pay for working on Juneteenth like other city employees. The incentive pay for becoming certified as an emergency medical technician will increase from $1,500 to $3,000 a year. The pay increases over three years will cost the city $2.1 million more over the next three years, with approximately $2 million coming from the general fund and $55,000 coming from the city's airport fund. Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves also said he was proud of the contract and thanked the city staff who spent many hours negotiating it with the fire union. Pensacola City Councilwoman Jennifer Brahier praised the agreement and said she has separately been involved with negotiations as part of her day job as a teacher at Pensacola State College. "(Negotiations are) pretty hard, and I'm really proud for what you were able to get," Brahier said. "(It's) honestly, remarkable." This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pensacola firefighters pay raises approved by Pensacola City Council LAS VEGAS (KLAS) The iconic Peppermill on the Las Vegas Strip was one of the six recipients of the prestigious James Beard 2024 Americas Classics Award. The James Beard Foundation announced the recipients Wednesday with Peppermill Restaurant and Fireside Lounge named as the Southwest region recipient. Peppermill opened over 51 years ago in 1972 by Nat Carasali and Bill Paganetti. Located near the north end of the Las Vegas Strip, the restaurant has appeared in movies like Casino and Show Girls and frequented by mobsters and celebrities. The restaurant announced in December of last year that Pagenetti died at the age of 85. Known for its over-the-top pink and purple neon lights, fire pits, faux botanicals, oversized drinks in the cocktail lounge, and massive platters of diner classics, the family-friendly restaurant is a place where pit bosses, dancers, bartenders and other Vegas industry folk can come after a late shift. Peggy Orth began waitressing at Peppermill when she was 17 years old, about a year and a half after the restaurant first opened. Now, decades later shes the general manager and her son Nicholas is the executive chef. Not much has changed in the last five decades, and thats just how everyone likes it. The Restaurant and Chef Awards category, the Americas Classics Award, is given to locally owned restaurants that serve quality food, have timeless appeal, and reflect the character of their communities. This years winners join the ranks of over one hundred restaurants across the country that have received the award since the category was introduced in 1998. They will be celebrated at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony on Monday, June 10, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KLAS. NEW YORK (Reuters) - Pfizer on Thursday said a single dose of its new respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine Abrysvo maintained its ability to protect against the illness through a second year of respiratory disease season. The company said in a press release that the vaccine's efficacy against RSV-associated lower respiratory tract disease with three or more symptoms was 77.8% through season two, compared with efficacy of 88.9% after the first RSV season, which led to the shot's U.S. approval. The data is from a late-stage trial of more than 37,000 participants being conducted in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres. Cumulative efficacy over both seasons after around 16.4 months of disease surveillance was 81.5%, Pfizer said. The data is similar to the efficacy of GSK's rival RSV shot Arexvy over two seasons, which was released in June. Both companies launched their RSV vaccines in the U.S. last year. Pfizer Chief Executive Albert Bourla has called his company's launch a disappointment, after taking only around 35% market share in the first season. Pfizer said no new adverse events cropped up through the second RSV season beyond those reported in the clinical trial during the first season. The company plans to submit the new data to regulatory authorities and publish these findings in a scientific journal. (Reporting by Michael Erman; Editing by Bill Berkrot) U.S. Marshals in Philadelphia released new video Wednesday showing escaped prisoner Alleem Bordan leaving a home while still in handcuffs after escaping from police at a hospital earlier this week. Bordan, 29, remains on the run after fleeing from officers around 6:45 a.m. Monday at Temple University Episcopal Hospital at 100 East Lehigh Avenue in the city's Kensington neighborhood. The U.S. Marshals Service said that Bordan was seen entering a home on the 2700 block of Hope Street shortly after he sprinted away from two officers and through a gas station parking lot. Officials say the video shows Bordan leaving the home about 15 minutes after he arrives with a coat draped over his back to hide the fact that his hands are still cuffed behind his back. An unidentified man is seen escorting Bordan to a gold Honda parked out front. PA AUTHORITIES REVEAL CAUSES OF DEATH FOR VICTIMS OF MURDER-SUICIDE ARSON INCIDENT Alleem Bordan, 29, was spotted leaving a home shortly after fleeing from officers on Monday. Authorities said a coat was concealing that he was still handcuffed. Deputy Marshal Robert Clark told reporters Wednesday that Bordan is considered "possibly armed, dangerous and undoubtably desperate." READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Alleem Bordan escaped from two police officers at a hospital in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia on Monday morning while still handcuffed. "Throughout our investigation we have developed information Bordan may have access to firearms, may have mental health issues and is a known narcotics user," Clark said. In surveillance video obtained by FOX29 Philadelphia, Alleem Bordan is seen sprinting through a gas station parking lot right after escaping from police officers on Monday. U.S. Marshals nearly caught Bordan on Tuesday afternoon after a tip led them to another home in the 5300 block of Columbia Avenue in Wynnefield. Clark said that as officers converged on the home, Bordan slipped out the back and jumped down a 30-foot SEPTA train embankment to escape capture. MADELINE SOTO DISAPPEARANCE: BOYFRIEND OF MISSING FLORIDA TEEN'S MOM ARRESTED, NAMED PRIME SUSPECT Bordan was taken into custody last week after allegedly stealing a vehicle from a food delivery driver, police have said. Bordan complained about pain during his processing and officers took him for treatment at the hospital, where police say he escaped after being discharged. CLICK TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Authorities are offering a $2,500 reward for information that leads to Bordans arrest. Original article source: Philadelphia escapee spotted leaving home still wearing handcuffs in new video after fleeing from officers Facebook pages have shared edited photos of the Philippines' Food and Drug Administration (FDA) chief to promote a pill marketed as a treatment for various eye conditions. The pictures appear to show FDA's Samuel Zacate speaking at various conferences next to posters touting "Eyes Blue". However, the original photos show different text on the posters. Zacate told AFP he did not endorse the product, which is not registered with his regulatory agency. One of the edited photos shows Zacate, the Philippine FDA's director-general, giving a presentation next to posters that say "Introducing the product Eyes Blue" and "Eyes Blue: Protect your own eyes". The picture was shared on Facebook on December 20, 2023 in a Tagalog-language post that claimed the agency held a "workshop for strategic cooperation" and a "quality inspection" of the touted product in the Philippine capital Manila. The post includes hashtags that say "treatment" and mention eye conditions such as cataract, glaucoma and macular degeneration. Similar pictures surfaced on Facebook on January 5, 2024. They appear to show Zacate speaking at a different event alongside posters that promote the same pill. Screenshots of posts sharing the altered pictures, taken on February 27, 2024 The edited pictures circulated on similar Facebook pages here and here, and on the product's website selling the efferverscent tablets. Zacate told AFP the posts were "fake". He said he did not endorse the product and that he was in fact prohibited from promoting any medical products due to his job at the FDA. Manipulated images A reverse image search on Google found the original version of the first picture in a post on the FDA's official Facebook page from April 13, 2023 (archived link). In the original picture, the poster behind Zacate says: "Dialogue on Strengthening the Medical Device Regulation in the Philippines" -- not "Introducing the product Eyes Blue". The poster to Zacate's right shows a photo of him -- not text reading "Eyes Blue: Protect your own eyes". According to the Facebook post, the photo was taken at an FDA meeting with the United States Agency for International Development on beefing up the regulation of medical devices in the Philippines. Below is a screenshot comparison of the altered image (left) and the original photo (right), with differences highlighted. Screenshot comparison of the altered image (left) and the original photo (right), with differences highlighted Google keyword searches found the other pictures on the Philippine FDA's website (archived link). In the original picture, the projector screen behind Zacate is blank. It does not show an advertisement for "Eyes Blue". The FDA posted the same photos on its Facebook page on February 8, 2023. It said they were taken at an open forum with Zacate and staff from the Center for Drug Regulation and Research, an FDA department, to discuss workplace concerns. (archived link). Below is a screenshot comparison of the altered images (left) and the original photos (right), with differences highlighted. Screenshot of the altered images (left) and the original photos (right), with differences highlighted There is no trace of "Eyes Blue" on the FDA's databases for registered drug and food products, as of February 27, 2024 (archived links here and here). Doctors' warning Moreover, doctors warned against taking unregistered treatments for eye conditions. Alex Pisig, a retina specialist at the Asian Eye Institute in the Philippines, previously told AFP that cataracts can only be treated by surgery. Lifestyle changes such as quitting smoking can also slow down the formation of cataracts, which happens when the natural lens of the eyes becomes cloudy, he added. Glenn Carandang, an eye surgeon at St. Luke's Medical Center in Manila, said prescribed medication is required to treat glaucoma, a disease that damages eye nerves. Both doctors said treatment of age-related macular degeneration disease varies from injection of drugs into the eye and laser therapy to mineral supplements for patients with milder disease. The American Academy of Ophthalmology warned against buying "over-the-counter products that are advertised to save your sight" (archived link). AFP has previously debunked Facebook pages sharing manipulated images to market unregistered medical products, including for arthritis, thyroid problems and high blood pressure. By Alasdair Pal SYDNEY (Reuters) - Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr told the Australian parliament on Thursday he would not allow any foreign power to take "one square inch" of the country's territory, and that Manila was firm in defending its sovereignty. Australia and the Philippines began their first joint sea and air patrols in the South China Sea in November, aimed at countering an increasingly assertive China, which claims the entire sea as its own. "I will not allow any attempt by any foreign power to take even one square inch of our sovereign territory," Marcos said in the address. The South China Sea is a conduit for more than $3 trillion worth of ship-borne commerce each year, and is a major source of tension between the Philippines and neighbour China. Manila accuses Beijing of committing aggressive acts inside its exclusive economic zone (EEZ); an international arbitration tribunal in the Hague said in 2016 that China's claims inside the Philippines' EEZ had no legal basis - a decision Beijing has rejected. China has chided the Philippines for encroaching on what it says is its territory. Protecting the area is important to global stability, Marcos said on Thursday. "The protection of the South China Sea as a vital, critical global artery is crucial to the preservation of regional peace and, I dare say, of global peace," he said. "We have an abiding interest in keeping our seas free and open, and in ensuring unimpeded passage and freedom of navigation." Marcos is in Australia on an official visit, before he attends a special summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Melbourne next week. (This story has been refiled to delete an extraneous word in paragraph 1) (Reporting by Alasdair Pal in Sydney; Editing by Chris Reese, Sandra Maler and Gerry Doyle) A photo of a Japanese boy at an event in 2020 linked to the Tokyo Olympics was shared on social media in February 2024 falsely claiming to show children in Japan marking Greek Language Day this year. Posts sharing the photo criticise Greek authorities for a range of issues, including not organising similar events at home to honour Greek culture. Facebook posts like this one on February 9 shared the photo of a boy with the claim that he was among elementary school children in Japan eating Greek food to honour the Greek Language Day the same day. Text on the image says: "9/2 International Greek Language Day and 19 elementary schools in Misato, Japan, in honour of it, tasted Greek food and all the schools were filled with Greek flags!" The photo was widely shared on Facebook, for example here, here, and here. However, an online search for the image shows that the picture is from 2020 and was taken during an event for the Olympic Games and not Greek Language Day. Complaints about the Greek language being honoured abroad but not at home were also made with another image claiming to show Japanese children eating Greek food, for example in this post which had more than 100 shares. However, this image shows several signs that it was created by artificial intelligence. Screenshot of the false claim on Facebook. Image captured: 19/02/2024 "How sad that our language and culture are symbols of Western civilisation, and foreigners remind us of this, while we are concreting the Acropolis, and at the same time the ruling regime is condemned and vilified in the European Parliament," said posts such as this one sharing the image of the boy. The government's decision to repave pathways at the site of the ancient Acropolis outraged many in Greece in 2021. The comments about Greece being taken before the European Parliament may be referring to a vote there on February 7, 2024 expressing concern over developments regarding media freedom and treatment of migrants, among other issues. Other comments complain that Greek Language Day was not promoted in Greece. "In our schools, they don't even know about it!" said one. "We here didn't have a clue and no-one in the media mentioned the issue," said another. "In Greece and Cyprus did they do something in schools?" asked another. This post is also critical: "In Greece, we didn't get any news about the International Greek Language Day. Our Government is busy with the LGBTQI marriage." The same-sex marriage bill passed in the Greek Parliament on February 15, 2024 stirred controversy and false claims shared on social media such as this one. From the 2020 Tokyo Olympics A Google reverse image search for the photo of the boy with the Greek flag led us to an article featuring the same picture in July 2020. A further search of the photo with the text cropped out led us to another article from a different Greek website. This second article cites the website greecejapan.com and an event in the Japanese city of Misato. A Google search using the keywords "Misato" in Greek and "Greecejapan.com" led us to what appears to be the original story that published the picture of the boy on July 2, 2020. The editor-in-chief of greecejapan.com, Junko Nagata, told AFP in an email on February 16 that the photo was taken on June 30, 2020 by the Municipality of Misato in a primary school in the city and provided to the publication. The city is about 20 kilometres from central Tokyo and was part of the Japanese government's "Host Town Initiative" aimed at spreading the Olympic concept throughout Japan. Nagata said Greek food was served at an event "for the children to feel closer to Greece and at the same time to be informed about the actions and exchanges of their city with Greece". The article mentions that the event took place in 19 schools, the same number of schools cited in some of the misleading social media posts. The Embassy of Japan in Greece's official Facebook page also shared a Facebook post in July 2020 announcing that Misato has been declared the host city of the Greek Olympic delegation. The image of the boy was also shared on another Facebook page which gave details of the same event. Screenshot of another photo of the same article from the website Greecejapan.com. Image captured on 19/02/2024 AI-generated photo The same claims appeared in this post, which had more than 100 shares and included an image of Japanese children eating Greek food. However, the image bears several signs that indicate it was created with artificial intelligence, which was pointed out by an X user here. One way to identify AI-generated images is through imperfections and distortions. Some are evident in this specific image. For example, the children's hands look odd as do the stripes of the Greek flag in the background. At the bottom left-hand corner is a watermark for the website imgflip.com, suggesting it was created or digitally altered using this site, which offers a range of image manipulation tools. Snapshots of the images posted on the Facebook post. Yellow circles were added by AFP. Image captured: 20.02.2024 February 9 was instituted as International Greek Language Day in 2017 by a joint decision of the Ministers for Home Affairs, Foreign Affairs, and Education of Greece. The aim is to highlight the Greek language's contribution to the advancement of European and global culture. Several events take place on the date, including in the Greek communities abroad. For example, in 2024 in Japan, the day was marked at the Minato City Centre for Traditional Culture in Tokyo with the participation of scholars and the general public, according to the Embassy of Greece in Japan. The armed conflict between the Ethiopian army and rebels in the countrys northern Amhara region continues, with the government recently accused of massacring civilians in the region. A post shared on Facebook claims to show photos of munitions that were captured from the countrys security forces by rebels in Amhara. However, this is false: the photos were originally published on Facebook by the Amhara Region Police Commission after they confiscated weapons and ammunition being transported illegally from the Tigray region to Amhara. The X post, shared in Amharic by an account called Central Command of Amhara Fano- official page on February 26, 2024, presents what it claims is breaking news. We carried out a surprise attack that shocked Abiy and his Oromuma Generals in Shewa Menz and Jiru, it reads. Menz and Jiru are towns in the northern Shewa zone in the Amhara region. Abiy is Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who belongs to the Oromo, the largest ethnic group in Ethiopia. The post accuses his government of promoting Oromo supremacy. Shared more than 190 times, the post also lists various firearms said to have been seized by the rebels. We captured 1 Zu 23, 2 mortars, 9 Dashka, 12 Bren and 12 snipers along with many soldiers (sic). Victory to Fano, it concludes. Screenshot of the false post, taken on February 27, 2024 The page responsible for the post regularly shares content about Fano, a militia group that has been fighting against the Ethiopian army in Amhara. The post contains three photos: two show large and small ammunition; the third shows people in military uniforms walking side by side. A similar post was also published on Facebook on the same day here. Killings in Amhara In Amhara, Ethiopia's second most populous region, a deadly armed conflict between the federal army and the Fano has been raging since July 2023, with civilians also reportedly being attacked (archived here). The fighting began after the federal government decided to disband all regional security forces, which the Fano refused to do. On February 14, 2024, AFP reported on findings released by the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission that said at least 45 civilians were killed in their homes and on the streets of Merawi, a town in Amhara, by government soldiers who suspected them of being rebel sympathisers (archived here). However, the photos do not show firearms captured by the Fano rebel force in Amhara. Seized firearms AFP Fact Check conducted reverse image searches and established that the images show weapons and ammunition seized by police and not Fano. Search results revealed the images were published on the Amhara Region Police Commission's official Facebook page on February 7, 2024 (archived here). Illegal firearms were seized in Woldia city, originating from Messebo Cement Factory in Mekelle, the post reads. Screenshot of the images from the police commissions page, taken on February 27, 2024 A vehicle travelling from Messebo Cement Factory in Mekelle to Bahir Dar was apprehended at a checkpoint called Gondar Ber in Woldia City, it continues. Mekelle and Bahir Dar are the capitals of Tigray and Amhara regions in northern Ethiopia, respectively. The post also describes the contraband seized, including bullets and munitions for mortars, Kalashnikov rifles and Bren machine guns. The third image in the false post is a screenshot from a Facebook Reel shared by pro-rebel activist Mulugeta Anberber back in September 2023 (archived here). Screenshots of the original Facebook Reel video (left) and false post taken on February 27, 2024 The video's caption reads: Captured Birhanu Julas soldiers. Birhanu Jula is the Ethiopian armys chief of staff. National postal operator Ukrposhta received licenses for retail and electronic retail trade of medicines, and has already begun accepting first orders and delivering them to customers, the companys press service announced on Feb. 29. Read also: Ukrposhta announced launch of new cargo offices A few days after the pilot project launch, Ukrposhta.Pharmacy began receiving requests from other frontline regions in the country facing access issues to essential medicines, said Igor Smelyansky, CEO of Ukrposhta. After testing the processes, we decided to scale up the pilot project, recognizing its importance for Ukrainians. The pilot project Ukrposhta.Pharmacy is supported by the Ministry of Health of Ukraine and the Ministry of Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine. To purchase medicines, individuals can simply call the contact center and follow the prompts in the voice menu to reach a specialist. Currently, over-the-counter medicines (with ongoing efforts to expand the range) and those under the Affordable Medicines program are available for order. Read also: Ukrposhta to issue new Weapons of Victory postage stamps, donate part of sales to Ukrainian Army Completed orders will be sent to customers at the nearest branch via Ukrposhta Express with free delivery. Upon completion, customers will receive an SMS notification for parcel pickup. They can inspect the parcel upon delivery to ensure proper completion. Delivery time is currently up to three days between regional centers (excluding the departure day), and orders can be stored at the branch for up to 7 calendar days. Earlier in February 2024, Ukrposhta obtained licenses for retail and electronic retail trade in medicines. The pilot project Ukrposhta.Pharmacy was initiated in Donetsk Oblast and specific border areas of Sumy Oblast, addressing the acute issue of lacking stationary pharmacies and access to medicines. Customers of the postal and logistics operator Meest Poshta can utilize the companys services in all 310 Silpo stores across Ukraine. In 2023, Ukrposhtas revenues increased by UAH 1.9 billion to UAH 11.9 billion ($312.3 million), surpassing the previous record of UAH 11.1 billion ($293 million) in 2021. Another major carrier, Nova Poshta, reported further growth, opening nearly 5,000 new branches and self-service kiosks in 2023. Read also: Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine Sonia Garcia is a trending food reporter for the Houston Chronicle. She can be reached at sonia.garcia@houstonchronicle.com. A Rio Grande Valley native, she previously was an editor and writer for the Austin digital news startup Austonia after graduating from Texas State University. She enjoys trying new restaurants in Houston, where she lives with her 14-year-old Chihuahua. FILE - This undated booking photo provided by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice shows Texas death row inmate Ivan Cantu. Cantu, who has long said he's innocent and claims that his conviction more than 20 years ago was based on false testimony and questionable evidence, is facing execution for fatally shooting two people, including his cousin. He's scheduled to receive a lethal injection Wednesday evening, Feb. 28, 2024, at the state penitentiary in Huntsville, Texas. (Texas Department of Criminal Justice via AP, File) AP FILE - This undated booking photo provided by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice shows Texas death row inmate Ivan Cantu. Cantu, who has long said he's innocent and claims that his conviction more than 20 years ago was based on false testimony and questionable evidence, is facing execution for fatally shooting two people, including his cousin. He's scheduled to receive a lethal injection Wednesday evening, Feb. 28, 2024, at the state penitentiary in Huntsville, Texas. (Texas Department of Criminal Justice via AP, File) AP HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) A Texas man who had long claimed his conviction more than 20 years ago was based on false testimony and questionable evidence was executed Wednesday for fatally shooting two people, including his cousin. Ivan Cantu received a lethal injection and was pronounced dead at 6:47 p.m. at the state penitentiary in Huntsville for the November 2000 fatal shooting of his cousin, James Mosqueda, 27, and his cousins girlfriend, Amy Kitchen, 22. In final words from the execution chamber, the 50-year-old inmate said several times that he was innocent. I want you to know that I never killed James and Amy, he told relatives and a friend of Kitchen who stood feet away from him while watching through a window. And if I did, if I knew who did, you would've been the first to know any information. Advertisement Article continues below this ad He said he wanted them to know he didn't think his death will bring you closure. If it does, if this is what it takes or have any reservations off in your mind, then so be it." Prosecutors had said Cantu killed Mosqueda, who dealt illegal drugs, and Kitchen as he tried to steal cocaine, marijuana and cash from his cousins north Dallas home. The inmate, who was convicted in 2001, had long claimed a rival drug dealer killed his cousin in a dispute over money. Before his statement, his spiritual adviser, Helen Prejean, held in her hand his right hand that was strapped to the death chamber gurney and prayed quielty over him. He thanked friends and supporters and urged that his case continue to be investigated to prove, I don't belong on this gurney. As a lethal dose of the sedative pentobarbital began flowing, he began snoring. After the eighth snore, which was accompanied by a gasp, he stopped all movement. Twenty-one minutes after the drugs started, he was pronounced dead. Cantus was the first execution in Texas this year and one of two scheduled Wednesday in the U.S. Hours earlier, Idaho authorities halted the execution of serial killer Thomas Eugene Creech after a medical team repeatedly failed to find a vein to insert an IV line needed to administer a lethal injection. Creech was condemned for killing a fellow prisoner with a battery-filled sock in 1981. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The Texas execution proceeded hours after Cantu's attorney, Gena Bunn, said she would not make a final appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court for lack of "a viable path for the high court's consideration of the case. Two lower courts on Tuesday denied Cantus request to intervene. And on Monday, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles voted 7-0 against commuting Cantus death sentence to a lesser penalty. Efforts to delay Cantus execution had received the support of faith leaders, celebrities such as Kim Kardashian and actor Martin Sheen, and U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, and his brother, former U.S. Housing Secretary Julian Castro. Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis, whose office convicted Cantu, said that evidence presented at trial proved Cantu committed the killings. I remain fully convinced that Ivan Cantu brutally murdered two innocent victims in 2000, Willis said in a recent statement. But Bunn had written in Cantus clemency application that new evidence impugns the integrity of the States case for guilt and raises the specter that the State of Texas could execute an innocent man. In Cantus apartment, police found bloody jeans with the victims DNA and a key to the victims home. Police found Cantus gun at his ex-girlfriends home. Mosquedas blood was found on the guns barrel while Cantus fingerprints were found on the guns magazine. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In a 2005 affidavit, Matthew Goeller, one of Cantus trial attorneys, said Cantu admitted to him he had indeed killed Mosqueda for ripping him off on a drug deal and that Kitchen was killed because she was a witness. Cantus then-girlfriend, Amy Boettcher, was the prosecutions main witness. Boettcher, who died in 2021, testified that Cantu told her he was going to kill Mosqueda and Kitchen and later took her back to the crime scene after the killings. But Bunn alleged that Boettchers testimony was riddled with false statements. The defense attorney also said new witness statements also helped confirm Cantus claim that a man who had supplied drugs to Mosqueda had threatened the cousin days before the killings. Bunn credited an independent probe by Matt Duff, a private investigator, with uncovering much of the new evidence. Duff has chronicled his findings in a podcast called Cousins By Blood. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Of the new evidence presented by Cantu, Willis office had said none of it destroys the cornerstones of the States case. The next execution in Texas, which has been the nations busiest capital punishment state, is not scheduled until June 26. Inmate James Harris Jr. had been scheduled for execution on March 13 until an appeals court issued a stay in his case last week. ___ Juan Lozano reported from Houston. Follow Juan A. Lozano: https://twitter.com/juanlozano70 Emilee Whitehurst, president and CEO of Houston Area Womens Center, speaks during a press conference at the Children's Assessment Center, 2500 Bolsover St., Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, in Houston. Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer Emilee Whitehurst, president and CEO of Houston Area Womens Center, left, comforts Emily Tippit, a survivor of sexual assault, after she spoke during a press conference at the Children's Assessment Center, 2500 Bolsover St., Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, in Houston. Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer Emilee Whitehurst, president and CEO of Houston Area Womens Center, speaks during a press conference at the Children's Assessment Center, 2500 Bolsover St., Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, in Houston. Melissa Phillip/Staff Photographer Before news erupted that more than 4,000 sex crime cases under his watch and prior administrations had been suspended without investigation, Police Chief Troy Finner called the Houston Area Womens Center. Emilee Whitehurst, the centers president, said Finner wanted her to hear about the closed cases from him first and that he was working to solve the problem. But she expressed frustration and outrage Wednesday and called on an oversight of this nature to never happen again. Instead of casting blame, she stood alongside four survivors of sexual assault as they recalled traversing the criminal justice system following their own sexual assaults. One woman said a judge tossed her abusers case decades earlier and another described how bringing her abuser to justice was an arduous process. Advertisement Article continues below this ad WHAT TO KNOW: What do survivors whose case may have been suspended need to know? Sylvia Rodriguez, who said her complaint against her alleged abuser was dismissed years earlier, worried that the suspended cases may deepen the sentiment among sexual assault survivors that they have been minimized. She challenged others to prove her wrong. This news tells me you dont matter. Nobody cares, Rodriguez said. The anecdotes about the police handling of their sexual assault cases comes as questions swirl about who knew about the Houston Police Departments practice of closing more than 250,000 criminal cases, including sex crimes, without investigating and when. Since 2016, the department used a code to end the investigations by citing a lack of manpower. The code predates Finners administration but it continued to be used during his tenure and was written into official policies as recently as December. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Dismissive attitudes After learning of the widely-used code, Emily Tippet felt sure her June 2021 sexual assault report would have been ignored like thousands of others had a friend within the department not helped to bring it to a detectives attention. No one initially called Tippet to follow up within days of her report. But with the friends help, an investigator in the adult sex crimes unit, albeit begrudgingly, looked into her claim, she said. The Chronicle does not identify victims of sexual assault without their consent. In this case, Tippet and others allowed their identity to be made public. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The behavior I was met with was very flippant, very dismissive and very routine, Tippet said. I noticed this then, of course, but now in retrospect, it kind of aligns with the news were hearing now. The detective waited until after a lengthy vacation to hand the case to prosecutors, Tippet said. When she did, prosecutors declined that September to accept charges. The case, the detective told her, would be too difficult to prosecute. Sexual assaults underreported The revelation about the code followed the January release of a Harris County Sexual Assault Response Team report that counted more than 2,200 sexual assaults that had been reported to HPD and other law enforcement agencies over the course of nearly two years. Only 400 of those reports led to indictments and 60 to convictions. Hundreds more went unsolved. The report made no mention of suspended cases. Whitehurst warned that less than 10% of sexual assaults are reported to authorities. Many may be unlikely to report the assault, fearing that their credibility will be called into question rather than the perpetrators, she said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad MORE ON DROPPED CASES: HPD Chief Troy Finner adds more investigators to review suspended sexual assault cases Perhaps its because the shame and stigma and blame and experience of being minimized and being swept aside is so prevalent, she said. She said she was not aware of any sexual assault victims reaching out to the womens center to report that their case was suspended using the code. Finner said last week that he planned to assign investigators to review the suspended cases and potentially contact victims whose cases were suspended using the code. He also urged those who have reported sexual assaults and have since changed their address to contact the department. Whitehurst expressed her continued faith in Finners leadership. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Kumbum Monastery in NW Chinas Qinghai stages butter sculpture show People's Daily Online) 09:59, February 29, 2024 A butter sculpture show is held at the Kumbum Monastery in Huangzhong district, Xining city, northwest China's Qinghai Province, Feb. 24, 2024. (People's Daily Online/Gan Haiqiong) A butter sculpture show was held at the Kumbum Monastery in Huangzhong district, Xining city, northwest China's Qinghai Province, on Feb. 24, 2024, which marked the Chinese Lantern Festival. Butter sculptures from the Kumbum Monastery were included on the national intangible cultural heritage list in 2006. The sculptures on display were created by artisans of the Kumbum Monastery. They used pure white butter and colored mineral dyes to bring to life a variety of themes, including deities, historical figures, animals, plants, flowers, and buildings. (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) Brian Jackson, 48, on Feb. 28, 2024, to assaulting law enforcement during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Courtesy/U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia A Katy man who threw an American flag at police while he was rioting at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, pleaded guilty Wednesday to assault charges, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Columbia. Brian Scott Jackson, 48, pleaded guilty to assaulting, resisting or impeding certain officers, according to a press release. He will be sentenced in August. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Jackson was arrested in June 2022 alongside his younger brother, Adam Lejay Jackson. The brothers traveled to Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6 to attend former President Donald Trumps Stop the Steal rally. During the riot that sprang out of the rally, the Jacksons confronted police officers who had lined up in tactical gear to stop people from storming the Capitol building. Brian Jackson was accused of throwing a long flag pole, with an attached American flag, at the officers. His brother was accused of taking a riot shield from the officers and then ramming them with it. The brothers then posted about their actions on Facebook. They returned to Texas on Jan. 7, 2021. Brian Jackson later texted people saying he was proud of what he did, according to prosecutors. He also sent text messages that included racial slurs and boasted about chasing Black people off the street, according to prosecutors. He later deleted the messages, and asked other people to delete messages he had sent them. Adam Jackson pleaded guilty to assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers in September. He is scheduled to be sentenced in March. Advertisement Article continues below this ad When the brothers were arrested, they faced other charges, including civil disorder and act of physical violence on the Capitol grounds. Senators weighed in on whether President Biden should take executive action at the southern border to address the ongoing migrant surge, with some lawmakers saying it's Congress' responsibility to pass legislation. "The president needs to address the most pressing national security issue we have in the country today, which is the southern border," Sen. Pete Ricketts, a Nebraska Republican, told Fox News. "I would hope he would change his current policies, which have created this catastrophe at our southern border, and do something. He's got the powers at his disposable to do it." WATCH MORE FOX NEWS DIGITAL ORIGINALS HERE But Sen. Ben Cardin said Congress, not the president, must solve the border crisis. "We need to pass the legislation that was worked out between Sen. [James] Lankford and Sen. [Chris] Murphy," the Maryland Democrat said. "Congress needs to act. It's our responsibility. I want to see that bill passed." President Biden is scheduled to visit the southern border on Thursday following the Senate's failure to pass a bipartisan border security deal earlier this month. The chief executive has considered executive action to curb the ongoing crisis. Republicans aggressively criticized a border security deal when it was released earlier this month, leading it to die in the Senate. The long-awaited bill would have allotted $20 billion to immigration enforcement to hire asylum claim officers and Border Patrol agents, provided millions toward border wall reinforcement and given more authority to the president and the administration to close the border. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP The failure to pass the deal led Biden to consider executive action to tackle the ongoing border crisis. HES DELUSIONAL': BIDEN'S BORDER COMMENTS SPARK STIFF REBUKE ON CAPITOL HILL FROM SOME LAWMAKERS "The Republicans are being obstinate, obdurate, in their opposition to legislation passing," Sen. Ed Markey told Fox News. "That's sad." "To the extent to which now the president has to contemplate actions that he can take using his inherent authority, then I await what proposal that he has, but it's only reluctantly, in the absence of a bipartisan approach that the president wanted to see put in place in the first place," the Massachusetts Democrat said. Senators considered whether President Biden should take executive action on the southern border following the Senate's failure to pass a bipartisan border security deal. MIGRANTS EXPLOITING BORDER WALL GAPS CONTAMINATE CROPS, THREATEN NATION'S FOOD SECURITY, ARIZONA FARMERS SAY But Sen. Roger Wicker said Biden should have taken action to solve the border crisis long ago. "I think the president should enforce the law, and he has not been doing that," the Mississippi Republican said. "He's been allowing people in by the millions." The southern border has faced record numbers of migrant encounters under the Biden administration, including over 2.4 million encounters during fiscal 2023, a sharp uptick from roughly 1.7 million in 2021, according to Customs and Border Protection data. In December, encounters skyrocketed to a record 302,000 . The Biden administration has overseen a record number of migrant encounters at the southern border. "President Biden's committed to doing what we have to do to both protect national security and reform our broken immigration system," Sen. Chris Coons told Fox News. The Delaware Democrat added that he was disappointed the bipartisan border security deal failed, but said Biden should step in. HOUSE MEMBER SAYS EULOGY HAS ALREADY BEEN READ ON BORDER BILL AS BIDEN BLAMES TRUMP FOR STALEMATE Executive action "may be the only option that President Biden has," he said. "It will not have a strong legal standing. It may be immediately suspended in the courts, but we have to do something to make sure we do not have a national security threat at our southern border." On Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden had no plans to issue executive action during his Thursday visit to Brownsville, Texas. She said the best solution to fix the "broken immigration system" would have been if Republicans had "moved forward with the bipartisan deal that came out of the Senate." ARIZONA BORDER RANCHER FEARS CARTELS INTENTIONALLY OVERWHELM BORDER PATROL AS DIVERSIONARY TACTIC Senators agreed the southern border crisis needs to be addressed, but some lawmakers felt it's Congress' responsibility to act. Sen. John Fetterman similarly criticized Republicans. "Our party showed up to support [the deal] and address the border and one party walked away from it," the Pennsylvania Democrat said. "I do believe we have a crisis at the border." He said he didn't know whether Biden should take executive action. "We need a deal, and I know the president believes as I do that we need to address the border," Fetterman said. "We are going to address it." Original article source: Will President Biden take executive action at the border? Dem lawmaker says it may be the only option We've got your back ... a participant in the Take Back Our Border rally in Texas against migrants crossing from Mexico shows his support for Donald Trump - Go Nakamura/Reuters Joe Biden has succeeded in blocking a Texas law that would allow police to arrest illegal migrants on the border. A federal court on Thursday sided with the government after Mr Bidens administration argued that allowing state police to enforce border security was a violation of the US Constitution. The ruling will likely be appealed at the Supreme Court by Greg Abbott, the Republican Texas governor, who is locked in several legal battles with Mr Biden over his border security measures. Mr Abbott had argued that state police should be allowed to arrest people suspected of entering the US illegally by crossing the Rio Grande into Texas from Mexico. However, Judge David Ezra of the Western District of Texas said the law slaps the federal immigration law in the face by violating the federal governments exclusive right to enforce border security. Campaigners have argued the law would also make it harder for refugees to seek asylum in the US. The ruling came ahead of Mr Bidens visit to Brownsville and Donald Trumps trip to Eagle Pass an illegal migration hotspot. Mr Trump claimed that Joe Biden only decided to visit the Texas border because of him, as the pair clashed over immigration. The two 2024 US presidential hopefuls announced visits to the southern border on Thursday to address the countrys pressing immigration problem as they head into the election. In a last-minute trip, Biden is chasing me to the border, no doubt desperate to shirk blame for the catastrophe he has caused, Mr Trump wrote in the Daily Mail. He went on to accuse the US President of deliberately importing millions of illegal aliens, including fighting aged men, into the country. A spokesperson for Mr Trump said: Biden chasing us to the border on the same day shows just how big of a problem this is for him. Earlier this week, when it became clear that the president and his main Republican rival would be at the border at the same time, Mr Biden told reporters: I planned it for Thursday what I didnt know was that my good friend apparently is going. Immigration will be one of the biggest issues in this years presidential election and the border visit came ahead of the states primary on March 5. The increased focus on border security comes after the alleged killing of a US student on a Georgia university campus by an undocumented migrant from Venezuela, which has turbo-charged the already fractious row over the border. The death of Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student at the University of Georgia, has transformed the town of Athens into the latest flash point in the political fight over immigration. Mr Trump pinned the blame for her death on Mr Bidens immigration policies, writing: An illegal alien migrant who was released into our country under Biden has been charged with her killing. Biden is preposterously trying to blame me and Congressional Republicans for the national security and public safety disaster he has created. Mr Biden, he claimed, had ended construction of a wall to keep out migrants from Mexico, suspended deportations, dismantled asylum agreements and stripped powers from border agents. Republicans at the state and national levels are now arguing for tougher immigration tactics as a result of Ms Rileys alleged murder at the hands of a migrant. In a post on Truth Social on Monday, Mr Trump called the suspect in the killing, Jose Antonio Ibarra, a monster, saying that he would immediately seal the border if he returned to office. He added: On Day One, we will begin the largest deportation operation of illegal CRIMINALS in American History. The former president also took aim at Mr Biden, accusing him of failing to stop an invasion that is destroying our country and killing our citizens. Mr Biden chose to visit Brownsville, Texas, where the number of migrants crossing the border is at a relatively low level. The White House said he will meet with Border Patrol agents, law enforcement officials, front-line personnel, and local leaders where he will once again call on Congress to pass the bipartisan border deal blocked by Senate Republicans on Mr Trumps direction. In a statement, Brandon Judd, president of the National Border Patrol Counsel, said: Biden is going to the border now solely to try to save himself. Border security should never be about politics, it should always be about the safety and security of this great nation and the American people. Meanwhile, Mr Trump chose a section of the border in Eagle Pass, about 300 miles away. The United States has the highest immigrant population in the world, according to Pew Research Center, an American-based think tank, with most coming from Mexico, which borders Texas. However, the number of migrants crossing into the US as a whole has declined in recent weeks, falling 50 per cent since the end of December. Texas has also seen a large decrease in migrants crossing into the state, with many heading for Arizona or California instead. 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. The outrage over the Biden administrations attempt to quietly delay the highly anticipated ban on the menthol cigarettes has transformed into intense pressure on the White House to take action. For years, throughout multiple administrations, the potential of a ban on menthol cigarettes and flavored tobacco has loomed. As evidence has mounted outlining the public health benefits of such a move, the cries for a resolution have intensified. We dont believe in profit over people; thats why the pressure is not going away, thats why were doubling down, said Jamal Watkins, the senior vice president of strategy and advancement at the NAACP. We are talking about life and death. Theyre one of many groups condemning the decision to push the ban back, a move that has been speculated to have been a political tactic just before the 2024 election year intended to maintain support for Biden among Black voters, who disproportionately smoke menthol cigarettes. A poll released earlier this month on behalf of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids shows that support of a ban on menthol cigarettes is stronger among Black voters than the electorate as a whole. It pushes back against a poll commissioned by tobacco giant Altria late last year, which said such a ban would sway voters away from Biden in the upcoming election. Its high time for the health conditions of Black people not to be overtly politicized when the science is clear what is in their best interest, said Dr. Chris Pernell, the NAACPs new health equity director. We see this happening repeatedly. Today, more than 80% of Black smokers opt for menthol products which are scientifically concocted to be easier to smoke and harder to quit because of Big Tobaccos aggressive marketing strategies in Black neighborhoods. They mask tobaccos harshness with a cooling sensation, hooking young smokers who otherwise might not be able to tolerate it. In 2009, menthol was left out of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, which banned other flavors in cigarettes, leaving Black Americans susceptible to many smoking-related illnesses, including heart disease, cancer, and stroke their three leading causes of death. Read More: A Nationwide Ban on Menthol Cigarettes Could Be Coming, and Its Dividing Racial Justice Advocates It is estimated that banning menthol flavoring in cigarettes would save up to 654,000 lives over the next 40 years. In 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced rules for a proposed ban in an attempt to close the open loophole lingering from the 2009 act. It divided advocates. Some were praising the public health win. Others worried a ban on products marketed to Black Americans would further contribute to criminalization. Theyve been speaking out about fears that an illicit market could arise, and that the crackdown on the products manufacturing and sale would fall on Black Americans. Gwen Carr, the mother of Eric Garner who was killed by police in New York City when they accused him of illegally selling loose cigarettes has also been cautioning against the ban. In October, the rules went to the White Houses Office of Management and Budget for review, but final approval has yet to be issued. The delay stunned those who were gearing up to celebrate. It felt as if the fire department was called, took 60 years to show up to the crisis, started to come down the street, got close but decided to make a U-turn instead, said Dr. Jerome Adams, a former U.S. surgeon general, on a recent call with Capital B. We have a problem that multiple administrations are dragging their feet on, he said. Adams and Dr. Regina Benjamin, who also served as a U.S. surgeon general, recently penned an editorial piling on the pressure to move forward with a ban. Smoking, they said, has been a hallmark of their office for the past five decades. Benjamin grew up in Alabama, surrounded by smoking and Big Tobacco marketing like the Kool Jazz Festival. Her mother, who started smoking as a teen, died of lung cancer her uncle, too, of smoking-related causes. She has seen the devastating effects of menthol smoking in her practice in the rural South. If Black lives matter, then removing menthols off the market matters, said Adams. Organizations like the National Medical Association, National Council of Negro Women, National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, and the African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council have also joined the push toward a ban. As have public health groups, like the American Lung Association and American Heart Association, hundreds of faith leaders, and historically Black colleges and universities. We urge you to move as quickly as possible to finalize and implement these rules which will save Black lives, wrote the heads of three HBCU medical schools in a letter to the Biden administration. Dated Jan. 29, the officials from the Morehouse School of Medicine, Meharry Medical College, and the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science encouraged government officials to finish the job. The prohibition on the sale of menthol cigarettes is long overdue. The post Pressure to Ban Menthol Cigarettes Intensifies for the Biden Administration appeared first on Capital B News. Prince Harry is facing an estimated legal bill of around 1m after losing a High Court challenge against the government over taxpayer-funded security while he is in the UK. The Duke of Sussex had taken the Home Office to court after it cut spending on his personal security, with the 39-year-old claiming the decision, made in 2020, could put him at risk. But retired High Court judge Sir Peter Lane rejected the princes case in a ruling on Wednesday - and now the royal could also potentially be landed with a huge court bill as a result. On top of likely having to pay for his own laywers, because he lost the case it is likely he will now also pick up the bill for the Home Offices legal costs - as is what normally happens to the losing side after High Court hearings. According to The Times, the Home Office costs up until October were 407,000. That included 265,437 for the Government Legal Department and 137, 864 for barristers since the legal complaint was filed in September 2021. That total amount was before a three-day trial in December. Its not clear how much Harry is likely to pay for his own legal team - but its known he hired the high-profile law firm Schillings International along with four barristers. With his own costs and the Home Offices combined, its believed Harrys legal bill from the High Court challenge could reach 1m, according to estimates from The Times. He could be saved from the cost if he wins an appeal to the ruling - which he has said he will lodge. Harry took legal action against the Home Office after being told he would no longer be given the same degree of publicly-funded protection when in the country. The decision by the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec) had singled out the royal and treated him less favourably, his lawyers argued. The cut-back was announced after Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, decided to step back as senior members of the royal family as they bid to become financially independent. But Judge Lane rejected the dukes case, concluding that Ravecs approach was not irrational nor procedurally unfair. In his 52-page partially redacted ruling, the judge said Harrys lawyers had taken an inappropriate, formalist interpretation of the Ravec process, adding: The bespoke process devised for the claimant in the decision of 28 February 2020 was, and is, legally sound. Shortly after the ruling, a legal spokesperson for Harry said he would appeal. He said: The duke is not asking for preferential treatment, but for a fair and lawful application of Ravecs own rules, ensuring that he receives the same consideration as others in accordance with Ravecs own written policy. When asked by The Independent, the Home Office wouldnt comment on its legal costs. A spokesperson said: We are pleased that the court has found in favour of the governments position in this case, and we are carefully considering our next steps. It would be inappropriate to comment further. The security case is one of three recent High Court cases brought by the duke, alongside claims over allegations of unlawful information gathering against publishers News Group Newspapers (NGN) and Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL). Earlier this year, Harry settled the remaining parts of his phone hacking claim against Mirror Group Newspapers, with the royal receiving a substantial payout. Prince William on Thursday condemned the rise of anti-Semitism in the UK as he visited a London synagogue, his first public appearance since pulling out of an event over a "personal matter". The heir apparent visited London's Western Marble Arch Synagogue, spending time with Holocaust survivor Renee Salt, 94. He also spoke with young people, telling them that anti-Semitism "has no place in society...,I've said that before and I'll say it again. "And hearing all ... your lived experiences both Catherine and I are extremely concerned about the rise in antisemitism that you guys have talked about so eloquently this morning, and I'm just so sorry you've had to experience that, it has no place and it shouldn't happen," he added. Recorded cases of anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim hate incidents have risen sharply in the UK since Hamas' October 7 attacks, and Israel's subsequent military operation. William caused some controversy last week when he called for the fighting in the Israel-Hamas war to end "as soon as possible", breaking the unwritten royal family rule of not commenting on international conflicts. The prince, whose wife Catherine is recovering from surgery and father King Charles III is undergoing cancer treatment, on Tuesday pulled out of attending a memorial service, citing a "personal matter". William's Kensington Palace office declined to elaborate but said Catherine, the Princess of Wales, continued to be "doing well". jwp/srg/cw Prince William visited a synagogue in his first public appearance since unexpectedly pulling out of a memorial service due to a "personal matter". The Prince of Wales was due to give a reading at Tuesday's memorial for the late former King Constantine of Greece. On Thursday, he met with a Holocaust survivor and spoke to young people. William was told about a rise in antisemitism since the 7 October Hamas attacks and Israel's retaliatory military campaign in Gaza. While at the Western Marble Arch Synagogue in central London, the prince was told of the "dehumanising" effects of antisemitism. "It's never been like this before," Emma Levy, president of Leeds Universities Jewish Society told him. "Our grandparents and parents say the same." After the visit, Edward Isaacs, the head of the Union of Jewish students, praised William for being an "ally". William met with 94-year-old Holocaust survivor Renee Salt The heir to the throne also met Holocaust survivor Renee Salt, who told him she wished his wife Catherine - who is recovering from abdominal surgery she had last month - had been with him, as she would liked to have met her. Speaking on Tuesday, Kensington Palace said the Princess of Wales is continuing to do well when announcing that William was pulling out of the memorial service. As King Charles steps back from public duties during his cancer treatment, William is set to take on some of his work. Last week, the Prince of Wales took part in a video call with Red Cross staff in Gaza, who gave him graphic first-hand accounts of their work. On the day of the visit to the Red Cross headquarters in London, William released a strongly worded intervention on the Israel-Gaza conflict, calling for an "end to the fighting as soon as possible" and describing the "terrible human cost of the conflict in the Middle East since the Hamas terrorist attack". He added there is a "desperate need for increased humanitarian support to Gaza" and for the hostages to be released. The Hamas attack on southern Israel killed about 1,200 people, and more than 240 others were taken hostage. The Israeli military campaign has killed more than 30,000 people in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. A former principal of a Missouri middle school pleaded guilty in the murder-for-hire killing of a teacher he impregnated, federal officials say. In 2016, Cornelius Green was accused of stealing $2,500 from Carr Lane Visual and Performing Arts Middle School in St. Louis to set up the murder-for-hire plot, federal prosecutors said. Green had worked for the school since 2002, KTVI reported. Green sent the money to his longtime friend, Phillip Cutler, who was directed to kill Jocelyn Peters, according to the federal indictment. Peters, 30, was a third grade teacher at Mann Elementary School in St. Louis, according to KSDK, and was 27 weeks pregnant with Greens child. Green, who was married, went to Chicago on March 22, 2016, to establish an alibi as Cutler drove to Peters home two days later in Greens vehicle, prosecutors said. Cutler ... unlawfully entered Jocelyn Peters apartment ... found Peters in her bed, shot her with a .380 caliber firearm in her head, using a potato as a silencer to muffle the sound of the shot, according to court records. Jocelyn Peters and her unborn child were killed as a result of co-defendant Cutler shooting Peters in the head. Principal had mother of his unborn child killed after Missouri affair, feds say Authorities said the principal later went to Peters home and called 911 to say she was shot. He pretended he did not know of the circumstances of her death, according to prosecutors. Green faced local charges related to Peters death seven months after the killing. He was federally indicted in 2022. Now, nearly eight years after Peters was killed, Green has pleaded guilty to murder-for hire and conspiracy to commit murder for hire, court records show. His sentencing is scheduled for June 5. Green also faced two first-degree murder charges from local authorities. Those charges will be dropped if Green receives a life sentence on his federal murder-for-hire charges, KSDK reported. Cutler is also facing federal charges, and a jury trial is scheduled for March 11. Nicole Conaway, the principal at Mann Elementary School, described Peters as someone who cared deeply about children, not only about their learning, but about who they were in making them into better people, according to KTVI. Boyfriend tries hiring hitman to kill girlfriends mom, feds say. Want her gone now Doctor paid thousands on dark web to kill girlfriend, feds say. Hes going to prison Ex-husband pays assassin thousands to eliminate ex-wife, feds say. Shes done Voting across Tuscaloosa County's 54 polling locations should not only be secure and accessible for Super Tuesday, but a comfortable, pleasurable experience, said Probate Judge Rob Robertson, one of the officials entrusted with making that come true. "Standing in line, I thoroughly enjoy it," Robertson said. "We're all out there getting to cast our vote, which is such a precious right. "Someone may vote completely opposite of what I'm voting for, but that's great. That's what we're out there to do." NICK SABAN COMMEMORATIVE BOOK: Relive Nick Sabans epic Alabama football coaching career with our special book! Preorder here. Lines may be longest early and late on Super Tuesday, March 5, but the hope is voters can be in and out of most locations within 20 minutes. Polling places will be open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Even if lines should linger, voters should hang in: anyone who's in line by 7 p.m. will be able to vote, no matter how long it might take. Check-in eats up the most time, typically, but that should be smoother this year, thanks to updated scanning tech. Most voters present a driver's license, or free state-issued ID, and scanners read in the card's codes. "Every time we have an election it seems there's something new, a little piece of technology changed," Robertson said. This year it's newer tablet-based check-in, top of the line, he said. Optical readers eliminate human error, making sure the right person gets the right ballot: Tuscaloosa County has eight different ballot styles due to district lines. There's also a paper ballot backup for added clarity and security. Tuscaloosa County Probate Judge Rob Robertson verifies the voting machine totals for each polling station at the Tuscaloosa County Courthouse Annex Auditorium Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022. Tara Scott opens envelopes containing the voting machine records for each polling station. The probate judge, sheriff's office and circuit clerk have zero tolerance for voter intimidation, or campaigning infractions, Robertson said. If complaints come, the sheriff will dispatch a unit to clear up the situation. "I've been in office since 2019, and in that time we've had no real security issues," he said. "But we always have to be on guard, have to make sure we follow procedures." Keeping elections secure Despite perceptions about unsecure elections, that's not really the case, here or nationally. Federal, state and local procedures create layers that can't easily be penetrated, or perpetrated, with numerous studies proving the tiny percentage of irregularities mostly due to clerical or database errors in the U.S. ranks between 0.0003% and 0.0025% incident rates. "We hear a lot of stuff that floats around about elections," Robertson said. In addition to countering with the facts, he'll said he'll sometimes offer to a claimant: "How about you come be a poll worker?" Tuscaloosa County Probate Judge Rob Robertson verifies the voting machine totals for each polling station at the Tuscaloosa County Courthouse Annex Auditorium Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022. About 500 poll workers are needed to cover Tuscaloosa County election days and they are trained according to state law. Many here are seasoned veterans, having worked numerous years. Others are being trained now; there are pushes on to urge veterans and students to serve. With an ongoing high-school internship program, for those 16 and above, students never touch the ballots, but can expedite lines, work 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. on an election day getting a day off from school and to boot better learn their community, and voting processes. "Anyone who becomes a poll worker can learn how things work, see all the redundant safeguards in place," Robertson said. For anyone who claims voter fraud is rampant, despite factual evidence to the contrary, serving as a poll worker should dispel fears. "I think you'd walk away from that feeling very different about this process," he said. According to 2024 Alabama statistics, Tuscaloosa County has 149,428 registered voters, the sixth-largest number, behind Baldwin, Jefferson, Madison, Mobile, Montgomery and Shelby counties. Tuscaloosa is the second-largest county in Alabama by total area, with about 1,322 square miles, behind only Baldwin's 1,589. Our 54 polling places range in size from the Bobby Miller Center, one of the state's largest with more than 10,000 registered voters, down to tiny rural spots designed to make easier access for those far outside city limits. Like elsewhere in the state, Tuscaloosa often suffers abysmal turnout rates. Tuscaloosa's numbers were about 3.1% for the May 2022 primary election, and 2.6% for the 2022 primary runoff; the state average for those was 2.9%. More voters do get involved during presidential races, though numbers are still shockingly low: For the 2020 general election, Tuscaloosa County had a 14.3% voter turnout, to the state's 13.1%. Tuscaloosa County Probate Judge Rob Robertson verifies the voting machine totals for each polling station at the Tuscaloosa County Courthouse Annex Auditorium Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022. "Sadly, there's a good bit of voter apathy. It runs rampant everywhere," Robertson said. On Nov. 5, 2024, the presidential race, and a possible gambling proposition, should draw greater numbers. But voters should not overlook any elections, he said. "So many folks have fought and died to keep this right," Robertson said. Fighting for voting rights Former Texas congressman and Democratic political activist and writer Beto O'Rourke, who will be in Tuscaloosa Feb. 29 to speak about just that histories of people who fought and died to maintain the right to vote has heard apathetic responses across the vastness of Texas. "I used to be on this high horse: If you don't vote, you get what you deserve. You don't have the right to complain or speak about things," O'Rourke said, in a phone interview before the Tuscaloosa stop built around his book "We've Got to Try: How the Fight for Voting Rights Makes Everything Else Possible." He's changed that, though, trying to acknowledge that people have made what is not, given numerical unlikelihood of their votes making differences, an irrational or illogical choice. Because Texas has eliminated 750 polling places, mostly in Black or Hispanic neighborhoods, he said, voting lines can stretch seven or eight hours long. "And some people are just not going to undergo that," O'Rourke said. Instead of arguing against them, he argues for those histories in his book, people who struggled for decades to defend and secure voting rights. "We are heirs to that sacrifice and that struggle. We must make the most of this inheritance," he said. Tuscaloosa County Probate Judge Rob Robertson verifies the voting machine totals for each polling station at the Tuscaloosa County Courthouse Annex Auditorium Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022. Robertson is assisted by Zach Wolfe and Diane Duncan. In states such as Alabama home to the 2013 Shelby v. Holder, which "gutted the Voting Rights Act of 1965" and Texas, systematic voter suppression and intimidation are far deeper concerns than voter fraud, he said. "In Texas, within minutes of (the Supreme Court's decision in Shelby v. Holder), they literally implemented the strictest voter ID law in the country," O'Rourke said. Add in all the structural closings, and gerrymandering, and it's little wonder people despair. "But if the alternative is just to let this country continue to roll toward the cliff ... are we going to be 1890, and turn our back on the problem, or are we going to be 1965 and stand up?" he said. "People such as John Lewis literally put their lives on the line for the country." The ongoing fight for voter rights is "the biggest test of our lifetimes," O'Rourke said. "One we cannot fail." Robertson emphasized how the county maintains transparency, how figures are posted as fast as possible, in real time, both on polling place walls, and on the probate judge's website. "We do them in batches," he said. "We don't wait until the end and then send it all. ... Literally every polling place has (numbers) printed, and stuck on the wall before everyone leaves." Figures are then uploaded and sent to the secretary of state. "We get them out fast as we can, to let people know how an election's turned out," he said. All these procedures, and more that goes on in leading up to, and following, election days, are in place to make the voting experience as quick and painless as possible. "Vote how you're going to vote, but please vote.Your vote is going to get counted," Robertson said. "You are going to have your say." Reach Mark Hughes Cobb at mark.cobb@tuscaloosanews.com. This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: County's 54 polling places up to date on technology, Robertson says AUSTIN (KXAN) Residents in several counties in Texas Panhandle were issued evacuation orders as multiple wildfires have burned and spread in the area since Monday. PHOTOS: Panhandle fire grows to 2nd-largest wildfire in Texas history One of the fires, called the Smokehouse Creek wildfire in Hutchinson County, has now grown to 850,000 acres, making it the second-largest wildfire in Texas history, according to maps and archives from the Texas A&M Forest Service. In Texas, county judges are largely tasked with emergency management decisions, including declaring an emergency which is allowed under Texas law chapter 418, explained Travis County Judge Andy Brown. That then allows the county judge to operate on his or her own without having to go to the commissioners court or other groups to do things like issue mandatory evacuations, Brown said. Those orders become enforceable by law, he explained. In Travis County, those decisions are often made at the Austin-Travis County emergency operations center. We got a look inside that center during a winter storm last year. Inside that operations center, Travis County and Austin leaders including EMS, fire, police and transportation officials will gather and determine appropriate steps. They advise me on what they see and what needs to be done. And then I would take the step of saying, you know what, the ESDs and the fire department advise us that this neighborhood is at severe threat of severe damage, injury or loss of life or property. And people need to leave immediately, Brown said. Incident command training Last week, Brown and other local leaders were in College Station for a training that worked through incident command for large-scale events. Those involved included Austins Interim Chief of Police Robin Henderson, Travis County Chief Emergency Management Coordinator Eric Carter, Chief of Austin-Travis County EMS Robert Luckritz and Austin Fire Chief Joel Baker. Emergency management training. Courtesy (Travis County) Emergency management training. Courtesy (Travis County) Emergency management training. Courtesy (Travis County) We never know what the next disaster will be exactly. But its always helpful for us to practice together and to address them together, Brown said. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. Bob Casey United States Court House is photographed on Friday, Dec. 1, 2023 in Houston. Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer A jury on Wednesday acquitted a Palestinian man who had been accused of violating federal gun laws by visiting gun ranges Houston last year. The same man had been implicated by the director of the FBI in looking up plans to build bombs, and posting about wanting to kill Jewish people. The verdict acquitting Sohaib Abuayyash was returned Wednesday in the Houston downtown federal court. His trial on five charges of possession of firearm by a prohibited person began Monday. In a statement, Abuayyash's defense attorneys Marjorie Meyers and Amr Ahmed said they were pleased with the verdict. Advertisement Article continues below this ad "We are lucky to live in a country where people have a constitutional right to trial by jury based on evidence presented in court where witnesses are subject to cross examination," the statement said. "Everyone in this case wanted to do justice: the court, the prosecutors, the defense and most of all of the jurors" MORE ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Houston man accused of dumping 2-year-olds body into bayou pleads guilty Federal prosecutors accused Abuayyash of committing a felony when he visited two Houston-area gun ranges with co-workers and friends late last summer. Abuayyash came to the United States in 2019 on a tourist visa but then never returned to the Palestinian territories, instead staying in Houston with family and finding work at a tow truck company owned by his uncle. A screenshot from a criminal complaint shows a man firing a pistol at a gun range in Spring. According to the FBI, the man is Sohain Abuayyah, a Jordanian immigrant, who was charged with illegally possessing a firearm. Courtesy/U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas In 2020, Abuayyash applied for asylum in the U.S. His application was accepted but never decided on. Advertisement Article continues below this ad During the trial, Abuayyashs attorneys argued that a combination of Abuayyashs limited English skills, complex immigration laws and Texas permissive gun culture, had led him to believe that shooting at a gun range was allowed. Prosecutors argued that Abuayyash had received numerous warnings about his immigration status, which disallowed him from possessing guns. Witnesses testified that Abuayyash visited gun ranges with other people, using his own name and identification to sign waivers to use the range, and then posting about his sessions on TikTok. The guns Abuayyash was accused of possessing belonged to other people, who let him use them at the range. What never came up during the trial were statements made by FBI Director Christopher Wray in October when he testified to a Senate committee about terrorism threats to the United States following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel. Advertisement Article continues below this ad While talking about the FBIs efforts to counter violence by extremists, Wray announced that FBI agents had arrested a man whod been studying bomb-making and posted about killing Jewish people Wray didnt name Abuayyash, but the FBI later confirmed he was who Wray was talking about. Later, when Abuayyash was considered for release before his trial, a magistrate judge wrote in a decision that he had looked up directions to make bombs and posted about martyrdom and about an event hosted by a specific Houston religious group. Abuayyashs visit to the gun ranges happened weeks before the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks on Israel, and neither Wray nor the magistrate judge said Abuayyash was connected with any extremist groups. Abuayyash had only been charged with the gun crime. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Lucien Haag, a witness on forensic science firearms evidence examination and shooting reconstruction, shows the jury a gun like the one used in rehearsal for the film "Rust" during the Hanna Gutierrez-Reed trial at District Court in Santa Fe, N.M., on Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024. (Luis Sanchez Saturno/Santa Fe New Mexican via AP, Pool) SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) A film-set manager increased oversight of firearm safety but was only partially aware of misfires in the days leading up to the fatal shooting of a cinematographer by Alec Baldwin during rehearsal for the Western movie Rust, jurors heard in courtroom testimony Wednesday. The trial of movie armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed on charges of involuntary manslaughter and evidence tampering entered its fifth day with testimony from the on-set manager, as well as the lead investigator in the case from the Santa Fe sheriff's office. Gutierrez-Reed has pleaded not guilty, and defense attorney Jason Bowles highlighted in cross examinations that Baldwin was allowed to walk and talk with crew members in the immediate aftermath of the shooting on Oct. 21, 2021, while Gutierrez-Reed was confined to police vehicles and supervised even while going to the bathroom. Baldwin, the lead actor and co-producer on Rust, was indicted by a grand jury last month and has pleaded not guilty to a charge of involuntary manslaughter. That trial is scheduled for July. Gabrielle Pickle, who helped hire the crew and oversaw spending on gun safety and training, told jurors Wednesday that the number of armorer days" that is, with a dedicated weapons supervisor on set was expanded from five to 10 as Gutierrez-Reed lobbied for more time to focus on firearms rather than her lower-paid duties as a props assistant. Producers reduced paperwork requirements for Gutierrez-Reed to help her keep up with responsibilities that included the oversight of real guns and fake ammunition, Pickle said, though live ammunition would find its way onto the set in violation of industry guidelines. She added that she confronted Gutierrez-Reed about complaints that guns were left unattended and negotiated for improved monitoring. Gutierrez-Reed told investigators in November 2021 that she trained Baldwin in weapons handling for at least a day but wanted more time and was concerned about his proficiency with drawing a revolver from a holster. Video of that interview was played before the jury, but she has not testified at trial. Pickle testified that she received a request from Gutierrez-Reed for more time as an armorer to train a child actor, with Baldwin in attendance. She requested training that would involve Brady, which was a minor who did not fire weapons in the movie, and I denied that for insurance purposes," Pickle said. The request was not because Alec needed more time. Baldwin was pointing the gun at cinematographer Halyna Hutchins when it went off, killing her and wounding director Joel Souza. Baldwin has said he pulled back the hammer but not the trigger. New Mexico workplace safety regulators say production managers took limited or no action to address two misfires on set before the fatal shooting. Under cross examination by the defense, Pickle acknowledged that she was told of one accidental discharge but said the other one was never reported to her and did not appear in a daily log of significant events. She said she only learned of it after the shooting of Hutchins. Whose responsibility would it be in the chain of command to report those accidental discharges?" Bowles asked her. Anyone on set, Pickle responded. Defense attorneys say problems on the set were beyond Gutierrez-Reed's control and have pointed to shortcomings in the collection of evidence and interviews. They also say the main ammunition supplier wasnt properly investigated. Prosecutors say Gutierrez-Reed is to blame for bringing live ammunition on set and she treated basic safety protocols for weapons as optional. They say six live rounds bear identical characteristics and dont match ones seized from the movies supplier in Albuquerque. The close of the 2024 legislative session was rather unremarkable, but for rumblings of calling a special session to address public safety. A mere 72 bills of the more than six hundred filed made it to the governors desk to be signed into law. The lackluster session juxtaposed against a state awash in revenues yet at the bottom of every national index is again giving rise to talk of professionalizing the Legislature. Our legislators are unpaid but for per diem when the Legislature is in session and for interim meeting attendance. For those who must travel long distances and pay for lodging, the per diem rate is barely a break-even proposition. The problem with this citizens legislature model is two-fold: first, it limits the pool of those who can serve in the legislature to the independently wealthy, the flexibly employed, or the retired. Second, the minimal staff and drop-in nature of the legislators themselves limits the Legislatures efficiency and effectiveness which dilutes its power in favor of the executive branch. Opponents to ending the citizen legislature model point to New York, which has a full-time legislature and pays legislators $142,000 a year. We dont need anything close to that. New Mexico does not need a full-time Legislature. New Mexico does need an appropriately compensated, part-time Legislature with sufficient full-time staff to allow it to run efficiently. Legislators should be compensated for their time and given consideration for their time away from their regular professions and earnings. Legislative salaries in New Mexico should not approach full-time compensation. Looking at our neighboring states, Texas is on the low end with a $7,200 salary, Colorado on the high end with $44,000, and Arizona falls in the middle with $24,000. Arizona is probably getting it right. Arizona also doesnt pay legislators who live in the same county as the capital as much per diem as those who dont, which is something New Mexico might consider. Merritt Hamilton Allen $24,000 is not going to inspire candidates to run for office for the money, but does provide fair compensation for the sessions, interim meetings, and constituent work. To operate effectively with alternating 30- and 60-day sessions, the Legislature needs sufficient infrastructure to hit the ground running on Day One of each session. In 2024, there still isnt the IT support to get the video streaming of hearings working quite right yet for just one example. A well-running Legislature takes people, period. All of this of course will cost money year over year. Now is the time, when revenues are still high, to establish a permanent investment fund to cover the costs of a professional Legislature. This is a proven and effective way to fund long-term commitments with a one-time budget obligation. Of course, it would help if legislators would be more prudent in the bills they file. The short 30-day sessions are to be primarily budget sessions. Any legislation considered during a non-budget session must be at the call of the governor or ruled germane by having a budgetary element to it. It is completely unrealistic for 600+ bills to be heard in 30 days. Caucus leadership should ask their members to be more disciplined and develop coordinated agendas with realistic and appropriate volume. Even extending the 30-day session to a full 60 days isnt a bad idea, either. Reforming and modernizing New Mexicos Legislature doesnt require a year-round obligation or six-figure salaries. Some basic staffing and appropriate compensation, however, could go a long way to providing the representation New Mexicos citizens deserve. After all, you get what you pay for. Merritt Hamilton Allen is a PR executive and former Navy officer. She appeared regularly as a panelist on NM PBS and is a frequent guest on News Radio KKOB. A Republican, she lives amicably with her Democratic husband north of I-40 where they run one head of dog, and two of cat. She can be reached at news.ind.merritt@gmail.com. This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: A professionalized legislature doesn't require six-figure salaries Felicia Lyons of Chance for Change in Fort Smith and Tyler Armstrong of Arkansas Legal Services have worked to organize an event to help people in Fort Smith reenter society after incarceration. The new program is called ARISE. A program to help those reentering society after incarceration has been announced in Fort Smith. Chance for Change and the Center for Arkansas Legal Services partnered to form the new Arkansas Reentry Integrated Support Expo, or ARISE, according to a news release from the group. ARISE is designed to provide comprehensive support and resources for individuals reentering society after incarceration. Our goal is to foster community engagement, empowerment, and successful reintegration for those seeking a fresh start. It is our desire to create a comprehensive pop-up experience for those seeking reentry services," said Felicia Lyons, Chance for Change's executive director, in a statement. Felicia Lyons, executive director of Fort Smith nonprofit Chance to Change, has organized a new group called ARISE and they have an event to help people reenter society after being incarcerated. Chance for Change is a reentry program that has served the Arkansas River Valley since 2017, helping people who have been incarcerated. The event is 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, March 6, at St. James Baptist Church, 4916 High St. in Fort Smith. For more information, call Lyons with Chance for Change at 469-830-5913 or the Center for Arkansas Legal Services at 501-376-3423. This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: New Fort Smith program ARISE offers fresh start after incarceration GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) Businesses in Kentwood, Holland and Plainwell are set to expand, creating dozens of jobs. In total, the three projects are expected to invest $49.5 million in West Michigan communities and create 82 new jobs, the Michigan Executive Office of the Governor announced Thursday in a release. Kentwoods SnackCraft LLC is planning a 186,000-square foot expansion, investing $29.9 million and creating 37 new jobs. The project is supported by a $400,000 Michigan Business Development Program performance-based grant, according to the release. In Holland, Uniform Color Company is set to expand its headquarters. The governors office says the project, supported by a $195,000 Micro Michigan Business Development Program performance-based grant, is expected to create 13 jobs and generate a total capital investment of $12 million. Finally, Kalamazoo-based Profielnorm USA, LLC a subsidiary of a Dutch flooring company intends to build its first U.S. manufacturing facility in Plainwell, creating up to 32 jobs and investing up to $7.5 million in the community. The work is supported by a $320,000 Micro Michigan Business Development Program performance-based grant, according to the governors office. Todays investments will create 82 good-paying jobs and invest nearly $50 million into communities in West Michigan, building on our economic momentum, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in a statement. I applaud these companies for their decision to invest here in Michigan. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com. A new $35 million building that will house people who were formerly homeless opened Wednesday in Midtown, with developers, officials, nonprofits and pastors Rudy and Juanita Rasmus present for the ribbon cutting. The 95-unit Rasmus-Temenos on Gray Street will replace the 80-unit Temenos II building, which will be torn down to make way for the I-45 expansion. Temenos II residents have already moved to the new building, located a few blocks away, with the help of movers paid for by the Texas Department of Transportation. Several features of the new building were designed to help people who had gone through the traumatic experience of homelessness feel safe. I love it, said Earnie Chico Duran, who moved in a few weeks ago. Its small, convenient, affordable. Earnie Chico Duran cries and hugs Eva Thibaudeau, CEO of Temenos Community Development Corporation, as he thanks her for what she has done for him Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, at Rasmus-Tenemos Place in Houston. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer Advertisement Article continues below this ad His former home, Temenos II, opened in 2016. But when Temenos, which develops and operates permanent housing for the formerly homeless, learned a few years later that the highway expansion would involve demolishing its largest apartment complex, it began casting around for new sites, said Eva Thibaudeau-Graczyk, the organizations chief executive. On Gray Street, Temenos was already operating a 15-unit building next to a warehouse owned by its partner organization, Bread of Life. Both Temenos and Bread of Life, a nonprofit that distributes food and supplies to the homeless, were founded by pastors Rudy and Juanita Rasmus. So, the sister nonprofits hatched a plan to make sure that all of its residents stayed stably housed. Darryl Boudreaux, a resident, smiles as he listens to Houston Mayor Pro-Tem Martha Castex-Tatum during a ribbon-cutting event Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, at Rasmus-Tenemos Place in Houston. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer First, Temenos found 15 apartments whose landlords were willing to rent to voucher holders. It moved the buildings residents there, where caseworkers continued to check in with them regularly. Bread of Life moved its warehouse operations to a new location on Harrisburg Avenue. Then, Temenos combined the vacated properties to build Rasmus-Temenos. Rasmus refers to the organizations founders; Temenos is Greek for sacred space. The funds used to build the ill-fated 80-unit Temenos II hinged on the units staying affordable for 15 years. So when TxDOT acquired the property, most of the money did not go to Temenos but instead back to investors, the city of Houston and Harris County. Houston and Harris County both reinvested those sums, along with additional funds, into Rasmus-Temenos. Houston contributed a total of $12.5 million, Harris County contributed $11 million, a housing tax credit covered $10 million and Temenos covered the rest. Advertisement Article continues below this ad People prepare to cut a ribbon to celebrate Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, at Rasmus-Tenemos Place in Houston. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer Ceremonial scissors sit on a table before a ribbon-cutting event Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, at Rasmus-Tenemos Place in Houston. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer David Northern, president and CEO of the Houston Housing Authority, speaks during a ribbon-cutting event Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, at Rasmus-Tenemos Place in Houston. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer The front door is seen Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, at Rasmus-Tenemos Place in Houston. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer Temenos used the unexpected need to replace its largest building as a chance to implement design lessons learned from the pandemic and over 15 years of operating housing for the formerly homeless, said Thibaudeau-Graczyk. The building has a central sky-well, which provides not only additional light to each unit but also the ability to cross-ventilate their units. Every unit also has a passive airflow system in the ceiling that cycles fresh air stripped of humidity into the apartments. We were designing this at the beginning of the pandemic, Thibaudeau-Graczyk said. We were thinking about communicable diseases. We were thinking about depression and isolation and getting sunlight into units. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Laquetta Washington, a case manager with Temenos Community Development Corporation, from left, talks with Ryan Bibbs and Michael Firenza, who are both with the Houston Housing and Community Development Department, on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, at Rasmus-Tenemos Place in Houston. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer Temenos, its co-developer and general contractor, NHP Foundation, and its architect, Forge Craft Architecture and Design, were also thinking about how to design the building to be comfortable for people with trauma. There arent hardcover books on that, Thibaudeau-Graczyk said. So, instead, they drew from experience and intuition. They made sure all public spaces were easily visible, so there werent hidden stairwells or corners where people felt unsafe. They created wide hallways, so its easy to give room to someone passing in the opposite direction. Everyones badge is keyed to their floor so that a smaller group of people have access to each level. And they put services, such as community health workers, and mailboxes right outside of the elevators so that it was easy to draw people into community activities and supportive resources. One entire floor is specially designated for people ages 18 to 24, with special resources, such as a peer specialist, paid for by a $10 million U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development grant meant to support young Houstonians experiencing homelessness. Their units, like every unit in the building, are about 370 square feet, with a closet, pantry and kitchen along one wall, and a bathroom, bed and desk along the other. Each apartment can be made ADA-compliant with the installation of grab bars, Thibaudeau-Graczyk explained. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Intuitive Machines' Nova-C spacecraft landed on the moon on Feb. 22, 2024. This image, which shows broken landing gear, was taken shortly after Nova-C reached the lunar surface. Intuitive Machines Intuitive Machines' Nova-C lander tipped over after landing on the moon on Feb. 22, 2024. This image shows the spacecraft at an angle, propped up by its helium tank or a radio shelf. Intuitive Machines On Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024 the Intuitive Machines Odysseus lunar lander captures a wide field of view image of Schomberger crater on the Moon approximately 125 miles (200 km) uprange from the intended landing site, at approximately about 6 miles (10 km) altitude. Associated Press This image provided by Intuitive Machines shows its Odysseus lunar lander with the Earth in the background on Feb. 16, 2024. The image was captured shortly after separation from SpaceX's second stage on Intuitive Machines' first journey to the moon. Associated Press FILE - This image provided by Intuitive Machines shows its Odysseus lunar lander over the near side of the moon following lunar orbit insertion, Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024. Intuitive Machines reported Friday, Feb. 23, 2024, that its communicating with its lander, Odysseus, and sending commands to acquire science data. But it noted: We continue to learn more about the vehicles specific information regarding location, overall health and positioning. Associated Press This image provided by Intuitive Machines on Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024 shows its Odysseus lunar lander over the south pole region of the Moon. The toppled lunar lander is still beaming back pictures of the moon, as its nears the final hours of its life. The photos were taken shortly before last Thursday's touchdown. Associated Press Intuitive Machines overcame nearly a dozen major challenges to touch down near the moons South Pole last week. Now, after sending home photos and collecting data, the Houston company is hoping to put its spacecraft to bed and reawaken it after two to three weeks of a cold lunar night providing additional data not in the original mission plan. We are going to leave the computers and power system in a place where we can wake it up, said Intuitive Machines CEO Steve Altemus. This mission was intended as a scout and a pilot mission to go land on the surface collect the data and then the cold of night was going to take the lander, where it would sit there quietly for the rest of time. Advertisement Article continues below this ad As of Wednesday afternoon, when Intuitive Machines and NASA held a news conference to provide an update on the mission, Altemus expected to have about five more hours to communicate with the spacecraft named Odysseus. The lander needs sunlight to power its communications and operate heaters that help keep it warm. On Wednesday, its solar panels were slowly being overtaken by darkness. Odysseus was not intended to survive the cold lunar night, and there is a chance it won't wake up. The batteries are particularly vulnerable to low temperatures, and the lander's flight computer and radios were not designed to withstand the cold. But there is hope after Japan's SLIM spacecraft recently woke up from its first lunar night, according to social media posts from that mission. "The real question is, are the batteries there to receive that power and pass it on?" asked Intuitive Machines' Chief Technology Officer Tim Crain. "And then will the electronics within our computer and radio have withstood that deep cold and not basically cracked under the thermal stress?" Advertisement Article continues below this ad Intuitive Machines reached the moon on Feb. 22, and its lander has sent home more than 350 megabytes of science and engineering data. Three-and-a-half megabytes is typically the amount of data storage a high-resolution photo uses, according to Adobe. Altemus said the company collected data for all of its active payloads, though some received better quality data than others. NASA flew six payloads on Odysseus, and each one of them met at least some of their objectives, said Sue Lederer, a project scientist with NASAs Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative. As for commercial companies, Lonestar Data Holdings said it successfully tested its lunar data storage system. It transmitted the U.S. Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Bill of Rights back and forth to the lander. The International Lunar Observatory Association received high-resolution images, but as of Wednesday these images did not include the Milky Way galaxy as the association had hoped. The images included the lunar horizon, the lander and the sun. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Intuitive Machines said Wednesday it had encountered 11 major issues when trying to land. The spacecraft, for example, had drifted to one side during its initial engine burns enroute to the moon. It later entered a lower-than-desired orbit around the moon. The company was also unable to turn on navigation-related lasers for the landers approach to the lunar surface. A lot of these things were crises anticipated, identified and resolved before they impacted the mission, Crain said. The laser malfunction was caused because a safety pin was not properly inserted before liftoff, the company said. The mechanism was meant to prevent the lasers from accidentally being turned on ahead of launch. Intuitive Machines and NASA previously reported that they reset the landers guidance, navigation and control system to use two alternate laser beams from a piece of NASA equipment flying onboard. On Wednesday, Crain said the company did make the swap to use NASAs equipment, but it later discovered that the lasers did not feed into the flight computer. The lasers were supposed to provide speed, direction and altitude when landing the spacecraft. But the company instead autonomously landed using pictures that the flight computer took while descending to the surface of the moon. By comparing two images in rapid succession, it could help measure velocity but not distance or altitude. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Odysseus landed at a higher elevation than anticipated, coming in with more downward and horizontal velocity than intended. It skidded and sat upright for a bit as the engine continued to fire. Some of the landing gear broke, and the lander tipped over. It came to rest on a 12-degree slope, propped up farther by its helium tank or radio shelf. I'm confident if our laser rangefinders had been integrated into the system, we would have absolutely hit the bullseye, Crain said. The awkward landing position meant the antenna designed to send and receive data more quickly was not pointed in the right direction. Intuitive Machines had to use less powerful antennas to communicate with the lander. The company has had roughly 16 hours each day where it could monitor the spacecrafts health and send basic commands. The lander then had eight hours to send back science and engineering data as the moon passed over Australia, which has a very large and sensitive radio telescope capable of picking up the spacecrafts signal. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Before we figured out how to configure our radios, we were getting drops of data, Crain said. And then we moved from drops of data with the assistance of the large dish in Australia to a steady trickle of data. Sugar Land City Hall on Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023 in Sugar Land. A new ranking puts Sugar Land in Fort Bend County and Atascosita, in northeast Harris County, as among the fastest-growing cities in the United States. Elizabeth Conley/Staff Photographer Advanced Air Mobility company Wisk agreed to a deal with Sugar Land last week to bring pilotless air taxis to the Houston area. The company hasnt finalized its first launch city, according to its website, but aims to have its first passenger taxi operational before 2030. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The partnership has Wisk setting up the foundation for a network of air taxis through the Houston area. The company and city will identify and develop land at Sugar Land Regional Airport for the landing and taking-off of the Wisk air taxis. The Greater Houston area is experiencing some of the highest population growth in the country, which calls for new and efficient ways to move across the region," Wisk CEO Brian Yutko said in a statement. "Sugar Lands strategic location within the Greater Houston region, and its forward-thinking city leadership, make it an ideal partner for us and one that is uniquely positioned as an early leader in the launch of air taxi services. DRIVERLESS TRUCKS: Kodiak teams with Ryder to create Houston truckport for driverless trucks Wisk was founded in 2010. It is a subsidiary of Boeing. They are currently on their sixth generation aircraft, which is an electric vertical take-off and landing, or eVTOL, air taxi. The organization says is "the first-ever candidate for FAA certification of an autonomous, passenger-carrying eVTOL air taxi." Advertisement Article continues below this ad Wisk has been working for 18 months on building connections in the area, a news release said. One of the goals is to have training and maintenance facilities in the city. The months of fruitless effort by the Republican-controlled House Oversight Committee and House Judiciary Committee to unearth evidence supporting an impeachment of President Joe Biden culminated on Wednesday in their long sought-after deposition of the presidents only surviving son, Hunter Biden. It didnt go well for them. The phrase epic fail comes to mind. There was no reason for the GOP to be surprised that the deposition yielded no evidence of any wrongdoing by President Bidenmuch less any smoking guns. Mitch McConnell Could Have Been One of the Greats, but Trump Beat Him That should have been obvious the night before, when the Oversight Committee neatly packaged its complete lack of evidence justifying an impeachment into a handy social media post on X (formerly known as Twitter). Thanks to a boost from Elon Musk promoting it, the 19 posts got a good amount of views and likeswhich only highlighted the lack of substance. As set forth by Philip Bump in The Washington Post, the thread cherry-picks the best of the GOPs theoriesall of which have been debunked. These include the claim that money wired from the GOPs go-to bogeymenChinese nationals (a phrase that has become a racist dog whistle)to Joe Bidens Delaware home evidences proof of corruption, when in fact the money was wired to Hunter Biden. The only connection to his father was the address of his fathers house, which is where Hunter Biden was living at the time. Hunter Biden and his lawyer Abbe Lowell attend a House Oversight Committee meeting on Jan. 10, 2024. Kent Nishimura / Getty Two other bogus claims of evidence include money paid to Biden that were clearly repayment of loans made to James Bidenthe presidents brother. Both payments were checks that had loan repayment written on thema fact that the social media thread failed to mention. But even more telling was what the GOP committee left out of its greatest hits series, such as evidence provided by two now-discredited sources. One of them, Gal Luft, was indicted for allegedly acting as an unregistered foreign agent, trafficking in arms, violating sanctions against Iran, and making false statements to the FBI. The other, Alexander Smirnov, was indicted for allegedly lying to the FBI by fabricating the entire bribery allegations about the Ukrainian energy company Burisma, the president, and his son. The committee also avoided referencing the numerous people who worked for and with Hunter Bidenwho all denied that President Biden had any role in his sons businesses. Hunter Biden Samuel Corum / Getty It might also have been a red flag for the GOP-led committees that Hunter Biden hardly seemed afraid of being questioned and, in fact, showed up in person to insist that any testimony be public and not behind closed doors. The deposition occurred only after Biden attorney Abbe Lowell negotiated conditions that would make it hard for the GOP to selectively leak and spinnamely no video recording and only the release of full transcripts of the deposition, so the public could judge for itself what had occurred. Michigan Democratic Protest Votes Arent as Big a Threat to Biden as They Look The committees ignored all of the above at their own peril in their laser-focus to be able to question the younger Biden under oath. That peril was fully realized as Hunter Biden began his testimony with a prepared statement in which he lambasted the evidence, effort, and motives of the GOP: For more than a year, your Committees have hunted me in your partisan political pursuit of my dad. You have trafficked in innuendo, distortion, and sensationalismall the while ignoring the clear and convincing evidence staring you in the face. You do not have evidence to support the baseless and MAGA-motivated conspiracies about my father because there isnt any. Unlike the self-serving GOP social media posts, Hunter Biden laundry-listed the witness credibility problems: You have built your entire partisan house of cards on lies told by the likes of Gal Luft, Tony Bobulinski, Alexander Smirnov, and Jason Galanis. Luft, who is a fugitive, has been indicted for his lies and other crimes; Smirnov, who has made you dupes in carrying out a Russian disinformation campaign waged against my father, has been indicted for his lies; Bobulinski, who has been exposed for the many false statements he has made, and Galanis, who is serving 14 years in prison for fraud. Rather than follow the facts as they have been laid out before you in bank records, financial statements, correspondence, and other witness testimony, you continue your frantic search to prove the lies you, and those you rely on, keep peddling. Yes, they are lies. Hunter Biden listens as his attorney Abbe Lowell makes a statement following a closed-door deposition before the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability and the House Judiciary Committee on Feb. 28, 2024. Samuel Corum / Getty While the transcripts have not yet been released, the rest of the hearing appears to have gone equally poorly for the GOP, based on statements from Democratic members of the committee who portrayed the results as evidence of the GOPs utter failure, as well as Republican members statements that seemed like exercises in denial. But the most striking aspect of the GOP-led committees epic fail is the fact that the centerpiece of the GOP theorynow-indicted FBI informant Joseph Smirnovs information about an alleged bribery schemeturns out to have been a likely fabrication. Recent reporting reminds us there were early signs that the evidence was untrustworthy, given the qualms of former intelligence experts as early as 2020. But theres more. Reporting in The Washington Post details how the use of Smirnovs information got its start in an assignment given by then-Attorney General Bill Barrmotivated by Barrs and then-Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey Rosens interest in seeking out Ukrainian corruption. That initial task given by Barr and Rosen ultimately resulted in the indictment of Smirnov for allegedly making up his information. (Smirnov was indicted by special counsel David Weiss, who was assigned to investigate and prosecute Hunter Biden.) Hunter Biden Comes Out Swinging at House Republicans Leading Impeachment Probe Think about it. After investigating Hunter Biden for a half-decade, Weiss has managed to only charge two people. The first is Hunter Bidenwho faces tax evasion and gun charges completely unrelated to President Biden. The second person charged is the very informant who was the source of the allegations against President Biden and his son. Starved for any real criminal substance, Weiss investigation has begun to cannibalize itself for sustenance. But there is an obvious investigation that would be one of substance. That one would involve scrutinizing how former Attorney General Bill Barr and his deputy may have abused their power at the Justice Department by opening up a politically motivated investigation to smear Joe Biden, and how that effort was enabled by Republican members for nearly a decade. Now that is an investigation worth doing, if only Attorney General Merrick Garland has the courage to open it. 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. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) has once again found himself in a familiar position: in trouble. For the third time under his speakership, Congress is barreling toward a government shutdown. And for the third time, House Republicans are taking to their standard punt formation. Johnson and other top congressional leaders plan to pass another stopgap spending plan to extend government funding on Thursday. And in response to that plan, Republicans had one phrase at the top of their minds on Wednesday. We're just kicking the can down the road, conservative Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) told The Daily Beast. Republican Study Committee Chairman Kevin Hern (R-OK) used the exact same phrase. We keep kicking this can down the road, he said. Mike Johnsons Five Stages of Speakership Grief And conservative Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) said he strongly disagreed with Johnsons spending plan, with a familiar turn of phrase to describe how lawmakers were stalling with a continuing resolution. Kicking the can down the road, Roy told The Daily Beast, a two-week CR at Nancy Pelosi spending levels, no policy changesits just more of the same. Due to House political maneuvering a few months back, government funding expires in two steps. Appropriations for an initial bucket of federal programsrepresenting about 20 percent of the governmentis scheduled to run out on March 1. A week later, on March 8, funding for a second set of federal agencies expires. The spending agreement unveiled by Johnson, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) on Wednesday would bump those dates to March 8 and March 22. That way, theoretically, the House would have more time to pass appropriations bills for the next seven months at spending levels approved by congressional leaders. But if the House GOPs record of chaos and dysfunction is any indication, theres plenty of reason to believe this agreement will crumble, too. And then Johnson will take the heat. He already is for how he rolled out the deal. One House GOP lawmaker told The Daily Beast that they learned about the spending agreement from Twitter. The way hes handled this whole thing is abysmal. I mean, theres been zero communication with the conference. He can do a much better job, this Republican lawmaker said. I still really dont know everything thats involved in it. I havent heard from his mouth yet. Thats the most concerning. Johnsons communication style with members has been a recurring grievance among Republicans. On Friday, Johnson hosted a call with the House GOP conference, and lawmakers anticipated he would propose a blueprint to avert a shutdown. Those expectations were quickly dashed. Rather than offer a firm vision on the call, Johnson was wishy-washy, according to multiple sources. His murky potential paths forward came with built-in wiggle room. Lawmakers left the call questioning why Johnson wasted his breath. This is pointless, the GOP lawmaker texted The Daily Beast during the call. Johnsons enigmatic communication style has been a consistent complaint for Republicans. At a Florida leadership retreat last week, GOP members expected Johnson to provide the team with his plan to keep House Republicans in the majority next year. Instead, Johnsons presentation for electoral success amounted to him quoting the Bible, according to two sources familiar with his comments. The religious sermon landed with a thud. Instead of preaching to the conference, Johnson needs to deliver a plan on how we are going to grow this majority and get us out of this mess, one senior GOP aide told The Daily Beast. He never laid out a vision, another GOP source said of Johnson in Florida. He would make a much better college professor. Mike Johnson Went Way Off Topic in Horrible Sermon at GOP Retreat Government spending has been a particular challenge for Johnson. Since he ascended to the speakership in October, hes faced an appropriations impasse. Johnson is staring down two government funding strategies that both potentially end in calamity. His first option is to work with Senate Democrats on a compromise spending deal. Thats really the only way to actually pass legislation in a divided Congress. But if he negotiates in a bicameral, bipartisan way, Johnson would alienate House conservatives who want spending cuts and right-wing policy riders, like the immigration restrictions that Democrats oppose. Thats a dangerous option, given conservative inclinations to cannibalize their leaders when they dont get their way. If Johnson wants to avoid an ouster like his predecessor Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), he has to proceed down that path with caution. Johnsons second option is to give in to his right flanks demands and attach spending cuts and conservative policy riders to funding bills. But that route would be doomed to fail in the Senate, almost certainly steering the government into a shutdown and upsetting the politically vulnerable faction of the House GOP. Up until this point, Johnson has selected none of the above. Instead of facing the political reality, hes punted on spending decisions, seeming to hope that the facts will just change. But splitting the difference isnt exactly earning Johnson many friends. The situation has gotten so toxic that conservatives are now complimenting their former leader, the exiled McCarthy. Roy told The Daily Beast earlier this week that, while he disagreed sharply with McCarthys handling of a debt ceiling deal, he credited the former speaker for working with a large number of members across the spectrum. McCarthys method, Roy said, largely worked. When it comes to Johnsons leadership, however, Roy said hes largely failed to lay out a plan and stick to it. Unless, he said, you consider capitulation a plan. USA-SHUTDOWN/ Leah Millis/Reuters At some point, Johnson will have to make a decision. If Congress doesnt pass appropriations by April 30, a 1 percent cut to non-defense and non-veteran spending programs will take effect. (The cuts were included as a stipulation in the Biden-McCarthy debt ceiling deal that was struck last year). Senate Democrats and the White House have said those cuts are unacceptable and are therefore trying to force passage of spending bills before the April 30 deadline. Johnson told his conference that the text of the appropriation bills will come out this weekend. This is the process for appropriations, Johnson told reporters Wednesday evening. It always works this way, and everyone will get all the bill text and will have 72 hours to review it. Thats our rule and were going to honor that. And thats why the process-CR is necessary to allow that 72 hours. Until then, some Republican lawmakers were reluctant to comment on the forthcoming appropriations bills. But initial conservative skepticism suggests the GOP conference, with its razor-thin majority, isnt aligned. Its more likely that Johnson will have to rely on Democratic support to pass the continuing resolution and spending billsas he has for just about every bill thats passed under his leadership. House Freedom Caucus Chair Rep. Bob Good (R-VA) grumbled that the short-term plan was, fittingly, not too good. Good was one of the eight Republican rebels who voted to boot McCarthy from the speakership in October. So far, though, he has held off on saying Johnsons transgressions against conservatives warrant removal. At another point Wednesday, reporters pressed Good on whether Johnson could face an ouster in response to the spending agreement. Youd have to ask 434 other members, he said. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) also expressed frustration about the state of government appropriations, but rather than criticize Johnson, she lamented the dysfunction that McCarthys ouster has wrought. I actually think its really pathetic that our conferencewell, eight of our Republicans and all the Democratsthrew out our speaker, Greene said. We didnt vote on another appropriation bill since October. Not one. Weve passed two CRs. Somebody came up with the idiotic idea to make two deadlines instead of one. I used to call the House of Representatives the House of Hypocrites, she added. And that was under Pelosi. Now, its still the House of Hypocrites, only its under Republicans. I think its really pathetic. Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) was also critical of the spending agreement. He called Johnson someone who is incredibly earnest, who truly cares about this country. Its a demonstration to all the members here how difficult it is to do the job of Speaker of the House, he said of Johnson and his leadership during the appropriations fight. It is a difficult job. And I think hes doing the best he can. The drama around spending has contributed to a general sense of exhaustion brewing in the House GOP. Many members are exasperated that Congress is still discussing government funding for 2024 as initial deadlines for next years appropriations are on the horizon. Its time to move on to 2025, Rep. Mike Collins (R-GA) told The Daily Beast. This guy, he got the job in an awkward spot, Collins said of Johnson. Hes behind the eight ball already. He just needs to figure out how to get out from behind and move on. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. The Federal Aviation Administration released the findings of a probe into Boeings culture, revealing that the company fostered an environment where workers feared retaliation for reporting safety concerns and a lack of awareness about safety policies. The reports release comes on the heels of the grounding of all Boeing 737 Max 9s. The aircraft was involved in a near-catastrophic incident in January in which a door plug a panel of the fuselage near the rear of the aircraft blew out, forcing an emergency return to its departure airport. An expert panel convened in March 2023 to assess Boeings safety standards as part of the Aircraft Certification, Safety and Accountability Act, a piece of legislation that requires plane manufacturers and airlines to implement a series of additional safety protocols. The FAA grounded the planes until they could be thoroughly inspected. Some of the aircraft have recently been cleared to return to the skies. The panel, which consists of leaders in the aerospace industry, found several issues with the company that raised alarms, including a disconnect between senior management and other companies on safety culture and a lack of awareness regarding how safety complaints were resolved. Furthermore, the report stated that employees feared retaliation if they made a formal complaint regarding safety to their superiors and were sceptical of safety policies being properly implemented. In addition, the panel could not determine if safety concerns reported directly to the management chain were resolved in a systematic manner. This photo released by the National Transportation Safety Board shows a gaping hole where the paneled-over door had been at the fuselage plug area of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282, Jan. 7, 2024, in Portland, Oregon (National Transportation Safety Board) In response to the reports findings, Boeing said, We transparently supported the panels review and appreciate their work. Weve taken important steps to foster a safety culture that empowers and encourages all employees to share their voice. But there is more work to do. We will carefully review the panels assessment and learn from their findings, as we continue our comprehensive efforts to improve our safety and quality programs. The legislation did not require the panel to examine any specific incidents or provide recommendations regarding Boeing accidents. However, the report stated On several occasions during the expert panels activities, serious quality issues with Boeing products became public. These quality issues amplified the expert panels concerns that the safety related messages or behaviours are not being implemented across the entire Boeing population. Under the legislation, the company has to create an action plan within six months of the reports release and find a way to implement its recommendations. Prior to the Alaska Airlines incident, Boeing had a series of incidents involving their 737 Max aircraft. In 2018, a Boeing Max 8 jet used by Indonesia-based Lion Air crashed, resulting in the deaths of 189 people. A year later, the same model was used in a flight that killed 157 people. After the Alaska Airlines incident earlier this year, Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun said the manufacturer would move forward with the incident with complete transparency and is acknowledging our mistake. He added: Everything matters. Every detail matters. Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said President Biden needs to prove he has the mental acuity to handle another term in the White House. I think he needs to come out of the White House and show Americans that he has the cognitive capacity to and the mental acuity to handle his job at probably the most challenging time now, at least in recent American history, he told anchor Martha MacCallum on Fox Newss The Story. This is a crisis. We need a president who is thinking about these things, who is articulating the solution for the American people, he added. When pressed on whether he has the confidence Biden can serve, Kennedy Jr. suggested Americans may not believe that. Our childrens lives are dependent on that 3:00 a.m. call. And we need to know that we have a president who can wake up in the middle of the night and who is on his feet and thinking about those things, he said. I think a lot of Americans have lost confidence in that, he added. Kennedy Jr. initially challenged Biden in the Democratic presidential primary but has since filed to run as an independent candidate. Biden continues to face questions about his age and mental fitness as he seeks a second term in the White House. The Biden campaign and the White House have defended the president amid concerns about his age, especially after the report from special counsel Robert Hur that described him as a well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory. Im well-meaning, and Im an elderly man, and I know what the hell Im doing. Ive been president, I put this country back on its feet. I dont need his recommendation, Biden told reporters in fiery remarks following the unveiling of the report. When asked about his age on NBCs Late Night With Seth Meyers earlier this week, Biden said what really matters is how old your ideas are. The Hill has reached out to Bidens campaign for comment. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The field of meteorology has slowly diversified in recent decades, but work is being done to increase the diversity in a field historically dominated by white men. Top row: David Tillman, chief forecaster at KTRK-TV. Bottom row, from left: Daji Aswad, KPRC-TV; Khambrel Marhsall, former chief meteorologist at KPRC. KTRK-TV; Jon Shapley/HC Staff Photographer The field of meteorology has slowly diversified in recent decades, but work is being done to increase the diversity in a field historically dominated by white men. Top row: David Tillman, chief forecaster at KTRK-TV. Bottom row, from left: Daji Aswad, KPRC-TV; Khambrel Marhsall, former chief meteorologist at KPRC. KTRK-TV; Jon Shapley/HC Staff Photographer Inspiration for a career can appear like a bolt out of the blue. For National Weather Service meteorologist Cameron Batiste, it was literally a lightning strike. The close call with lightning had sparked Batistes interest in studying the weather, but when he was an undergraduate at Texas A&M University, he found himself as one of only a handful of people of color in the sciences. If you dont see anyone that looks like you in weather, youre probably not going to believe that pursuing meteorology is a realistic possibility, Batiste said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Those who work in science, particularly meteorology, have traditionally been mostly white men, but some Black weather forecasters in Texas see a chance for their field to become more diverse if young people of color can see others who look like themselves reflected in that scientific community. Of the 4,470 meteorologists employed in the United States, 76.3% are men and 73.9% of employed meteorologists are white, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. But industry professionals and atmospheric science professors say the industry is growing for Black people. A census by the National Association of Black Journalists found 126 Black meteorologists employed by television stations last year. KPRC-TV meteorologist Daji Aswad, right, talks with Houston Chronicle newsroom meteorologist Justin Ballard at the newspapers offices in Houston. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer According to Jason Frazer, the chair of the Weather and Climate Task Force for the National Association of Black Journalists, those numbers are expected to rise this year. Advertisement Article continues below this ad I think as we continue to see more and more of us on television and in some of our more high-profile roles, I think more people will start to say, Hey, wait a minute, maybe I might be able to do that, said Frazer, Fox Weathers midday anchor. He said diverse representations in meteorology are important because audiences understand the nuances of their communities. He also said diverse meteorologists can also help make the weather applicable to more audiences. I think if we made weather more applicable to all audiences, whether theyre Black audiences, Latino audiences just audiences in general I think we would have a lot more people pursuing careers in meteorology, Frazer said. Paving a way forward Khambrel Marshall retired from Houstons KPRC-TV in December after more than two decades there. Marshalls journey to meteorology wasnt a linear path his meteorology career was separate from his broadcast career. Advertisement Article continues below this ad After high school, Marshall spent two weeks at the Naval Postgraduate School at a summer science seminar. It was there when he was first exposed to meteorology, and it opened his mind to physics and calculus. He got his first broadcasting job as a senior at Arizona State University. Although he didnt start in meteorology, he never let go of the world of science and enrolled in a program at Mississippi State University that would train him to become a professional in meteorology. After graduating from Mississippi State, Khambrel said forecasting in Houston, a city of more than 2 million people, was intimidating. I was on my ownand it was scary Im responsible for saying if its going to rain or not going to rain or what the percentages are in one of the largest cities in the country, Marshall said. He worked through those nerves and served one of the most diverse cities in the country for nearly a quarter of a century. Khambrel Marshall, a meteorologist for KPRC-TV, poses for a portrait in 2020 at the television station in Houston. We cant (serve diverse communities) if we dont have those kinds of diverse voices within our organizations that are making decisions and are represented within our organizations, he says. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer We cant (serve diverse communities) if we dont have those kinds of diverse voices within our organizations that are making decisions and are represented within our organizations, Marshall said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad While work has been done to move the needle forward, he said, he hopes to see growth in the future. Im an eternal optimist. Im hopeful that things can change, Marshall said. David Tillman, chief forecaster for the Houston Chronicles media partner, KTRK-TV, recalled what it was like seeing people that looked like him telling the days top weather stories. I knew meteorology was a path for me because I had some pioneers in St. Louis, where I grew up that were doing the weather as African Americans on television, he said. The first person he remembered seeing was weather broadcaster Dianne White Clatto. She was actually the first African American person to present the weather on television and she was the first female to present the weather on television, Tillman said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad There are several faces on network television that Tillman says gives him hope for the future, but he also believes that more of us need to be in places where people can see us. Theres less than 140 African American people on TV doing the weather, Tillman said. Back when I started, I was one of only 18 that was 30 years ago, he said. The industry of meteorology itself, not just television meteorology the more people understand you can do other things with a degree in meteorology, the more people will get started in it. New faces inspired by weather Sometimes seeing diverse faces on television isnt enough to inspire a career in meteorology. Sometimes it takes witnessing the effects of weather and climate disasters. Hurricane Fabian hit Bermuda with Category 3 intensity in the summer of 2003. At the time, the 120-mph winds made it the strongest storm in nearly 80 years to hit the British territory, downing hundreds of trees and power lines. Troy Anderson was only a kid when he witnessed the hurricane. He credits it for his interest in atmospheric sciences. Getting a chance to see the destruction was fascinating. From then on, it sparked my interest, said Anderson, who is now a meteorologist for Southwest Airlines based in Dallas. Anderson said he didnt see a lot of other Black students while going to school for atmospheric sciences in Florida. People are still surprised when he tells them what he does for work. I tell them Im a meteorologist, and theyre like, What, really? Anderson said. Its always pretty funny. Jeremiah Stewart, a meteorologist for 12News at KBMT-TV in Beaumont, was also influenced by a hurricane to become a meteorologist. Growing up in Crockett when Hurricane Ike passed through East Texas in 2008, he knew he couldnt stop it from happening. Jeremiah Stewart joined 12News at KBMT-TV in Beaumont as a meteorologist in 2023. If I could get on the green screen and say theres a hurricane coming, and somebody listens to that and saves their life, then I feel like I served my purpose, he says. 12News But I did a lot of prayer about it and I felt like that was the path that God had me going down, Stewart said. If I could get on the green screen and say theres a hurricane coming, and somebody listens to that and saves their life, then I feel like I served my purpose. Anderson said he hears more stories about people going through significant weather events and, coming out the other side with this hunger or drive to predict these things. Daji Aswad, a meteorologist for KPRC, said she remembers staying in Houston for Hurricane Ike and Rita and driving around with her family looking for gas. I remember everyone was freaked out and they didnt know what direction Rita was going to go I remember classmates were leaving with their families People getting stuck on highways for hours and hours, Aswad said. Those are some of the memories that stick in my head just from being a Houstonian. A long way to go Timothy Logan, who began teaching in Texas A&Ms atmospheric sciences department in 2014, said he hasnt seen a significant change in the number of Black students that have gone through the program. Theres a noticeable uptick of Latino students, but the (numbers of) Black students have basically been flat, he said. Logan believes more efforts need to be made to get Black people into meteorology, other than seeing them represented on television. Theres got to be more outreach, especially to the lower-income communities, Logan said. Everybody will show some kind of aptitude. But then where it goes from there is up to the families. Parents are sometimes a barrier to their childrens natural curiosity, Aswad said. If they can foster that curiosity, then more Black students may be encouraged to continue a path in atmospheric sciences. KPRC-TV meteorologist Daji Aswad, right, talks with Houston Chronicle newsroom meteorologist Justin Ballard at the newspapers offices in Houston. She hopes Black parents can foster their child's curiosity and encourage them to continue a path in learning science. Jon Shapley/Staff photographer Parents are doing so many things every day, so I understand why some parents tell their kids to be quiet or to stop asking so many questions, Aswad said. I encourage parents to refrain from doing that and try to foster young minds to ask why, Why is the sky blue? Perhaps we start saying, I dont know the answer, but we can figure it out together later. Anderson believes more Black people should become meteorologists in the future, but for now, its still an uphill battle to get enough candidates. DECATUR, Ill. (WCIA) Richland Community Colleges website has been down for more than 10 days, but the colleges IT team said they are working as fast as they can to get back to normal operations. Network servers, phones, some department emails, and the colleges main website (www.richland.edu) are still inoperable as of Feb. 29. The college confirmed they have been aware of network security issues since Feb. 17 and said their IT Department are working with external cybersecurity professionals to resolve the security issues. Richland College website still offline amid network interruption Online classes and emails for students and faculty are still up and running. Anyone needing billing or tax forms should email Richlands business office at businessoffice@richland.edu. For inquiries on topics like registration, classes, scholarships, transcripts, the college asks to talk to staff in-person at the Student Success Center in the north wing of the main building. All of Richlands faculty and staff are working diligently to support students ensuring we can continue to provide quality education and support services, a statement from the college reads. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WCIA.com. Road reopens at scene of car crash in Berkeley BERKELEY, Calif. (KRON) Traffic has been impacted after a crash Wednesday afternoon in Berkeley, the citys police department said in a Nixle alert. A car crash was reported in the area of 7th Street and Heinz Avenue. Berkeley police advised the public to avoid the area of 7th Street between Pardee Street and Ashby Avenue. Seventh Street was closed earlier but has since reopened by 6:30 p.m. It is unknown at this time if anyone has been injured from the crash. It appears a dark-colored Mini Cooper was damaged from the crash. Stolen Monster energy drinks, toothpaste discovered in luggage by Berkeley PD Berkeley police sent out the Nixle alert at 3:36 p.m. Photos from the scene can be viewed above. This is a developing story. Check back for updates. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4. ROBESON COUNTY, N.C. (WBTW) A woman whose body was found a week after being reported missing in Robeson County last summer was shot to death, according to documents from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services obtained by News13. Samantha Bryant Courtesy / Robeson County Sheriffs Office Samantha Bryant, 31, was reported missing on July 31. Her body was found on Aug. 7 in the 300 block of Drops Landing Drive in the Rowland area. Tyrone Brooks, 37, of Rowland, was charged with first-degree murder, failing to report a death and altering/destroying evidence in her death. Bryants sister, Vanessa Hampton, told WNCN, Nexstars affiliate in the Raleigh-Durham area, that Bryant and Brooks were dating before her disappearance. News13 photo: Aundrea Gibbons According to the documents, the states chief medical examiner determined that Bryant and Brooks had an argument that turned physical. Brooks then allegedly shot Bryant twice in the chest with a .380 caliber handgun. Brooks is accused of wrapping her body in a sheet and burying her in a field behind their residence, the report shows. Online jail records show Brooks has a court date on Friday. * * * Caleb is a digital producer at News13. Caleb joined the team in January 2023 after graduating from Liberty University. He is from Northern Virginia. Follow Caleb on X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WBTW. Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) said Wednesday he would absolutely not vote for former President Trump over President Biden in November, pointing to Trumps foreign policy views and his character. No. No, no, absolutely not, Romney told CNNs Kaitlan Collins on The Source when asked whether he would support Trump over Biden. Romney explained there are two factors policy and character he is using to decide who I want to have as the leader of my country and the person who is the example of the president for my kids and my grandkids. He said are both vital but that character is most important. What America is as a nation, what has allowed us to be the most powerful nation on Earth, and the leader of the Earth is the character of the people who have been our leaders, Romney said. Past presidents, but also mothers, fathers, church leaders, university presidents, and so forth. Having a president who is so defaulted of character would have an enormous impact on the character of America, he added. And for me, thats the primary consideration. Romney, who ran for president in 2012 and secured the GOP nomination, said position and policies is another category that factors into his selection for president. On foreign policy, Im not aligned with Donald Trump, at least as I understand his policy, he said. And domestic policy, yeah, aligned with many of his domestic policies. But the Utah Republican stressed his fundamental policy differences with Trump, who Romney said shows more respect for [Russian President] Vladimir Putin than Vladimir Putin deserves. Romney added that he disagrees with GOP candidate Nikki Haley, the last remaining challenger to Trump in the 2024 GOP primary, who said she did not think the former president could win the general election against Biden. He predicted Trump might win the election, if it were held today, but said that would result in a dramatic change in our foreign policy. I think that people around the world say, OK, America is no longer the leader of the free world and the arsenal of democracy, the senator said. Its not the shining city on a hill. Its now an isolated island. Romney, who announced in September that he would not seek reelection, has been among the most critical senators of the former president. He became the first senator to vote to convict a president of his own party during Trumps first impeachment trial, and was among several GOP senators to vote to convict the former president in his second impeachment. Neither trial reached the vote threshold needed to convict or remove him. In a statement to The Hill, a Trump spokesperson blasted Romney as a loser who continues to prove why he is irrelevant. Nobody cares what he has to say and should crawl back under the rock he came from, spokesperson Steven Cheung said in a statement. This story was updated at 10:35 a.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. (FOX40.COM) A Roseville man was arrested after allegedly shoving a woman and snatching her purse in a Vacaville parking lot, according to the Vacaville Police Department. The woman was loading her groceries into her car on Tuesday when the man rapidly approached her, took her purse and attempted to run off. Progress made in Yuba County skimming device investigation Despite her efforts to fight for her purse, the man overpowered the elderly woman and fled from the scene. While still disorientated from the encounter the woman contacted police and described the man and the vehicle to responding officers. Using city cameras the suspect vehicle was located and found to not have a license plate and had entered the freeway. Further investigation by police with grocery store employees found that similar incidents have occurred in the Sacramento area. Stanislaus County tackles Hells Angels motorcycle gang Armed with the new information police were able to determine that a 26-year-old Roseville man was the likely suspect and contacted the Roseville Police Department. As the suspect entered the city, Roseville officers intercepted and detained the suspect. He was held until officers with the Vacaville Police Department were able to collect him. The suspect was returned to Solano County and some of the womans items were returned. The man is facing charges of robbery, elder abuse and committing a felony while out on bail. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX40. Russian forces struck 11 communities along the Sumy Oblast border in 42 separate attacks on Feb. 28, the regional military administration reported. At least 204 explosions were recorded in the Yunakivka, Khotin, Bilopillia, Vorozhba, Krasnopillia, Velyka Pysarivka, Nova Sloboda, Esman, Seredyna-Buda, Znob-Novhorodske, and Svesa communities. Throughout the day, Russia assailed the border communities with mortar, artillery, drone, unguided bomb, and grenade launcher attacks. At least 19 mines were also dropped onto the Velyka Pysarivka community, according to the Ukrainian military. No casualties or damage to local infrastructure were reported. The village of Nova Sloboda, located around 10 kilometres from the Russian border, experienced the bulk of the attacks reported with almost 50 explosions recorded in the area over the past 24 hours. Shelling is a daily occurrence for the communities near Ukraine's northeastern border with Russia, with residents in the region's vulnerable border settlements experiencing multiple attacks per day. On Feb. 27, Ukraines National Police reported that a strike on the village of Khotin killed two police officers and wounded another six. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Russia attempts to push Ukrainian troops out of Krynky using human waves Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Russia is building momentum off its Avdiivka win and pushing deeper before Ukraine can get new defenses up Russia has been pushing west past Avdiivka, which it captured nearly two weeks ago. Its forces have now captured several small villages a few miles from the city's center. Western intel and war experts say Moscow wants to make gains before Ukraine can build new defenses. Russian forces are slowly advancing deeper into parts of eastern Ukraine, building off their momentum after capturing the war-torn city of Avdiivka nearly two weeks ago. Moscow is moving to take advantage of the current battlefield situation and make territorial gains before Ukraine can put up new defenses in the area, Western intelligence and war experts say. Ukrainian forces withdrew from Avdiivka on Feb. 17 following months of brutal fighting as Kyiv defended the small city against a Russian onslaught that came at a tremendous cost in both human lives and military equipment. Since then, Russia has advanced a just under four miles from the center of Avdiivka as territory west of the city remains the focus of its offensive in eastern Ukraine, Britain's defense ministry said in a Thursday intelligence update. Moscow, the ministry said, has now "almost certainly taken control" of the villages of Lastochkyne, Stepove, and Sieverne. Ukrainian soldiers of 47th Mechanized Brigade drives on M2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicle on Avdiivka direction on Feb. 23, 2024 in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. Photo by Vitalii Nosach/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images "These tactical gains serve primarily to consolidate Russian positions around Avdiivka," the latest update said. "Russia is also likely seeking to build momentum on the axis to take advantage of the fact that there are fewer fixed, well-defended positions, and urban areas from which Ukrainian forces can defend." Recent mapping by the Institute for the Study of War appeared to confirm these advances. Analysts at the think tank offered a similar assessment to the UK's intelligence this week, suggesting that Russia's moves represent an attempt to exploit the situation around Avdiivka before Ukraine is able to fortify its defenses in the area. "Russian forces are likely continuing attempts to advance in order to deprive Ukrainian forces of the respite that would allow Ukraine to establish a more cohesive and harder-to-penetrate defensive line in the immediate vicinity of Avdiivka," ISW analysts wrote in a Tuesday assessment. Ukrainian soldiers of Brigade 71 fire an artillery in the direction of Avdiivka, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine on Feb. 18, 2024. Photo by Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu via Getty Images The capture of Avdiivka, they added, "has allowed Russian forces to press on positions that Ukrainian forces have manned for a shorter period than Ukrainian positions in Avdiivka or further west, and Russian forces are likely sustaining a high operational tempo to try to exploit this tactical opportunity." The analysts said that while Russia may be able to capture territory immediately west of Avdiivka in the near future, the geographical terrain beyond this area will likely slow Moscow's troops and complicate their efforts to advance farther. It will also allow Ukraine time to strengthen its defensive positions, they added. The capture of Avdiivka, which was the result of an extremely bloody campaign, has been hailed as Russian President Vladimir Putin's biggest victory since the fall of Bakhmut last May. The battles have often been compared with each other due to the high cost of victory for Moscow in both situations. Ukrainian soldiers in Avdiivka. The Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine After Avdiivka fell, White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters that Russia wanted the city because it sought a logistics and operational maneuver hub in eastern Ukraine's Donbas area. From there, Moscow would have a stepping-off point to conduct further action around Donetsk. The Biden administration has pegged the city's capture on the chokehold that Republican lawmakers currently have on additional security assistance to Ukraine. The White House has said that Kyiv's troops were forced to withdraw from the city due to a shortage of ammunition and supplies a direct result of "congressional inaction." Kirby said earlier this month that it remains to be seen whether the Russians are going to be able to achieve their overarching strategic goal of taking Avdiivka. "What we can say for sure," he said, "is that if the Ukrainians aren't better supplied, if they don't get a relief from the shortage of ammunition that they're suffering right now, this move on Avdiivka could actually have a larger effect on the fighting in the east and the amount of territory that the Russians might be able to get over time." Read the original article on Business Insider Russians are preparing to rig pseudo-elections in the occupied territories With the approach of mid-March Russian presidential elections, Moscow has dispatched a substantial security force to occupied areas of Ukraine to maintain order, Zaporizhzhia regional governor Ivan Fedorov said in a Telegram post on Feb. 28. According to Fedorov, the occupation regime has stepped up filtration measures around Melitopol, under the pretext of drug searches or checking weapon licenses. Read also: Kremlin clown Medvedev's bid to channel inner Stalin hilariously flops as netizens see Mini-Me In addition, more than 10,000 Russian National Guard (Rosgvardia) troops have been sent to occupied Ukrainian territories, where they will accompany the so-called "election officials" and carry out searches of residents' homes. Read also: Biden's 'crazy SOB' remark on Putin not likely to offend Kremlin spokesperson On Feb. 19, Ukraines Defense Intelligence reported that the Kremlin had dispatched specially trained units to occupied areas of Ukraine to oversee the upcoming sham elections, scheduled for March 17. Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron! Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine The Russian corporation Rostec intends to restart production of the A-50 airborne early warning and control aircraft. Source: Russian edition of Vedomosti Quote: "Of course, this aeroplane is needed. Of course, we'll do it. Not only does our army require it, but it also works well for export," said Sergey Chemezov, the head of the corporation. Background: On the evening of 14 January, reports about the downing of a Russian A-50 reconnaissance aircraft and damage to an Il-22M appeared on Russian and Ukrainian Telegram channels. On 23 February, the Armed Forces of Ukraine downed another Russian A-50 long-range radar detection aircraft. Later it was revealed that it was shot down with a Soviet-made S-200 long-range anti-aircraft missile system. Support UP or become our patron! National Guard members prepared for a political press conference in Eagle Pass in February. Raquel Natalicchio/Staff photographer The simultaneous visit of two presidential candidates to the Texas border puts towns such as Eagle Pass in the national spotlight, but theyre not bringing the answers that border communities need. For Donald Trump, the people of the border whether those crossing or living in towns torn apart by razor wire and troops are political props for his campaign. President Joe Bidens Texas visit is expected to be lighter on inflammatory rhetoric. But Biden has failed to provide a real alternative, instead conceding Trumps framing of the so-called border crisis. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Now both parties are telling the same story. But that story bears little resemblance to the reality on the ground. Gov. Greg Abbott falsely claims that his efforts, including Texas illegal takeover and fortification of Shelby Park, in Eagle Pass, is what is deterring migrant flows across the Texas border. A quick visit to Eagle Pass Mexican sister city of Piedras Negras will show checkpoints, military build-up and law enforcement barriers to entry that more accurately explain the decline in border crossings. While soldiers carrying rifles provide a show of force, the reality is that the people of Eagle Pass are being excluded from their community park by escalating political stunts. Local events have been relocated, and businesses have been hurt. Religious services at the rivers edge have been disrupted, part of a worrying trend of the state of Texas bringing cases against community and faith organizations putting their values into action supporting migrants in need of humanitarian assistance. Our border communities have stood together against attempts to take our land by previous state and federal administrations. We have stood together against far-right convoys coming to sow division at the border. We remember the needless migrant deaths, and do our best to highlight the real problems our communities face. The unfortunate reality is that, after three years of Abbotts Operation Lone Star, our border communities now depend on funding from it to pay for the very problems it has exacerbated: the mental health issues our first responders are facing, the extra shifts our law enforcement have to run to deal with political visits, the backlogs in our courts. Advertisement Article continues below this ad It is distressing to see our tax dollars go to fix these problems when the very real and long-standing issues facing our communities, such as supporting schools and teachers, remain unaddressed. Many border counties still have colonias without running water or electricity. We lack vital roads and necessary economic development measures that are commonplace in the rest of the state. Given a choice, we would rather our tax dollars fix the problems we actually experience, and not to private contractors profiteering from political theater. What dangers exist grew from a decades-long bipartisan stalemate that could find agreement only on spending billions on ever more advanced weapons, walls, surveillance systems, and outsourcing migration control to Latin American countries. That investment came at the expense of increased funding for asylum processing, immigration courts, and other infrastructure that could better manage border crossing today. The number of such crossings should be manageable, and what problems they do cause are worsened rather than solved by border militarization and enforcement. The inability to enact commonsense immigration reforms, including increasing legal migration pathways that our country sorely needs, has brought us to our current self-inflicted challenges. Along the way we have made crossings more dangerous and empowered human rights abusers. Trump, the far-right convoys and people such as Abbott, who is building the latest armed camp for 2,000 National Guard soldiers at the Texas border, know what side theyre on. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Its time for their progressive opponents to make an equally clear stand. Its time to tell the story of how some politicians and the border industry have manufactured and spread the perception of a crisis at our borders for their own ends. Its time to learn from that mistake and turn attention to actual solutions. In their attempts to rise above politics, provide safe pathways for people who need them, and think about how communities can work together to respond to shared challenges, border communities and migrants themselves not the manufacturers of walls and prisons should be inspiring the stories we sell and the policy solutions we devise. In a difficult election year, it is time to advance, not retreat from, a vision of America rooted in our values. As Americans, at the border and elsewhere, we understand that immigration is in our blood. Border communities are critical to the solutions we need. For that to happen, the politicians need to get out of the way. Sean Teare, left, and Kim Ogg are candidates for Harris County District Attorney. Houston Chronicle Staff/Hearst Media Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg is slamming opponent Sean Teare for accepting major funding from billionaire George Soros' Texas Justice and Public Safety PAC in his Democratic primary bid to unseat her. The Texas Justice and Public Safety PAC contributed nearly $700,000 to Teare between Jan. 26 and Feb. 24, fueling the campaigns TV advertising blitz. Soros previously supported Ogg, including a $500,000 ad buy during the 2016 general election. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The Ogg campaign put out a press release Thursday quoting Douglas Griffith, president of the Houston Police Officers' Union. I am very concerned with the funding of Sean Teares campaign by a PAC funded by George Soros, Griffith said in a statement. Teare claimed to be a friend to police, but sadly appears to side with George Soros. Other big-city DAs funded by Soros have been a disaster for the communities they represent. I am fearful that we could be the next LA or Chicago! In response, the Teare campaign fired back, accusing Ogg of using tactics outside the bounds of the Democratic Party. Kim Oggs desperate and hypocritical attack exposes her true colors, Teare spokesperson Rocky Saligram said in a statement. She aligns herself with GOP rhetoric, funding, and endorsements. Soros, a Jewish investor and philanthropist, has been a popular target of Republican conspiracy theories for years. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Attacks like these have long been buoyed by antisemitic extremists in our society, Saligram added. Its wrong, and thankfully, voters are taking notice. Ogg, a second term incumbent, is now fighting off her well-funded challenger with support from Houston business groups, which helped her raise $287,000 during the latest reporting period. In a recent TV ad, Teare lays out his case: While Kim Ogg changed and doesnt reflect the partys values, Teare is a real Democrat. A Teare supporter says, I cant vote for Kim Ogg again. Teare also received a $35,000 donation from philanthropist Liz Simons and a $200,000 contribution from the Texas Organizing Project, a progressive political advocacy group that assisted the campaign with canvassing and consulting. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The Teare campaign burned through over $550,000 in the final weeks of the race, reporting just $8,000 left in the bank. Obviously, hes got to spend the money to get his name out, said Renee Cross, senior executive director at the Hobby School of Public Affairs at the University of Houston. Shes got a very recognizable name. FOLLOW THE MONEY: Which candidates have raised the most money in key Texas and Harris County races? Oggs advertising efforts accelerated to full speed, with the campaign spending $580,000 during the reporting period, compared to just $45,000 the previous month. Houston is not Los Angeles but it could be, a new Ogg ad warns, along with news footage of a Los Angeles robbery. The ad goes on to accuse Teare of wanting a lawless Houston. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The ad also slams Teare for accepting donations from Soros: Sean Teare is a lawyer running for district attorney who is funded by George Soros to release criminals without bail. Houston business groups kicked in thousands of dollars to Ogg, including $15,000 from the Houston Region Business Coalition, $10,000 from the Houston Apartment Association and $10,000 from the Texas Association of Realtors PAC. Ogg also received a $20,000 donation from Houston billionaire Tilman Fertitta, $10,000 from the C Club and $10,000 from Frances Moody Buzbee, the wife of attorney and former Houston City Council candidate Tony Buzbee. Teares campaign fundraising started strong last year the former prosecutor raked in nearly $750,000 in the first half of 2023, including one massive $500,000 donation from Scott Freeman, owner of Archer Systems, a legal services company that specializes in legal settlement services. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Ogg later caught up with Teare, outraising his campaigns $29,000 total in January with over $132,000 in contributions, more than 40% of which came from the bail bonds industry. Mayor John Whitmire speaks to the media on Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024 in Houston. Brett Coomer/Staff photographer Mayor John Whitmire appointed former nonprofit leader Mike Nichols to succeed Keith Bynam as director of Houstons Housing and Community Development Department, following recent commitments to enhance transparency in the citys housing operations. The mayor has long indicated his intention to revamp the housing departments leadership. During his mayoral campaign last year, he called out what he considered inefficiencies within the department and vowed to bring in a new director who understands the affordability issue. NEW LEADERSHIP: All the major leadership changes made by Houston Mayor Whitmire as he shakes up City Hall Advertisement Article continues below this ad Whitmire also vowed to hold department officials accountable after a KHOU 11 news report showed Bynam allegedly broke city rules by offering employees exclusive deals on 174 surplus laptops, iPads and monitors. Bynam admitted to the Chronicle that he made a mistake but said he did not have ill intent and had tried to rectify the situation. Bynam has worked in the housing department since 1991 and was appointed head of the operation by former Mayor Sylvester Turner in 2022. Whitmire told the City Council in a Wednesday memo that Bynam has decided to retire. The new department head will be Nichols, who recently retired after five years as the Coalition for the Homeless' chief executive officer. The coalition is a Houston-based nonprofit that coordinates strategy and federal funding for dozens of local groups, offering direct services to people experiencing homelessness. Born in Birmingham, Ala., Nichols moved to Atlanta to attend law school and served two terms in the Georgia House of Representatives from 1977 to 1981. He then moved to Houston and spent three decades working for wholesale restaurant food distributor Sysco. He served as the interim CEO of the Houston Parks Board before joining the Coalition for the Homeless. He has also been board chair of the Houston Food Bank and Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Houston is often praised for its reasonable housing prices compared to other major cities, but a Kinder Institute for Urban Research survey reveals widespread concern among residents about escalating housing costs. The latest U.S. census data further shows a quarter of Houston renters spend more than half of their income on housing, which places them in the severely rent burdened category. Whitmire made housing affordability a key focus during his campaign, pledging to develop a comprehensive housing strategy that brings together builders, bankers, renters, homeowners and officials. So far, he has not outlined any clear affordable housing goals. The housing department manages a wide range of services from homebuyer assistance to disaster recovery aimed at promoting safe, decent and affordable housing. A majority of its revenue comes from federal funding. Last year, the department drew criticisms for ending a post-Harvey housing development program and returning $60 million in federal funds after missing a program deadline. The city laid off 40 housing employees at the time. Some of them are now calling on the new mayor to reinstate them and revive efforts to boost affordable housing. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, whose office had a turbulent relationship with the Turner administration over the distribution of Harvey relief dollars, on Thursday praised the latest leadership change at the housing department. She previously criticized Bynam for selling of electronics to employees in violation of city rules. It sends a clear message that productivity and accountability are (Whitmires) priorities, Buckingham said in a statement. My team stands ready to work with Mike Nichols to improve disaster recovery processes and ensure that remaining funds are used effectively and efficiently in accordance with federal regulations. U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, walks to a meeting with Senate Republicans at the U.S. Capitol on Nov. 16, 2022, in Washington, D.C. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images/TNS) Anna Moneymaker/TNS U.S. Sen. John Cornyn speaks during The Greater San Antonio Chamber Senatorial Series luncheon at La Mansion del Rio, Monday, Aug. 28, 2023. Jerry Lara/San Antonio Express-News WASHINGTON U.S. Sen. John Cornyn on Thursday officially launched his bid to replace Mitch McConnell as the GOP leader in the Senate, a post the Texas Republican has made no secret about wanting. Cornyn, a close ally of McConnell's, issued a statement vowing to fix a "broken" Senate and touting a long record of leadership in the party, including helping to advance the former President Donald Trump's agenda through the GOP-controlled chamber as Republican whip. The four-term senator vowed to restore regular order "rather than lurch from one crisis to another" and to do away with "backroom deals or forced votes on bills without adequate time for review, debate, and amendment." Advertisement Article continues below this ad "The good news is that it can be fixed, and I intend to play a major role in fixing it," Cornyn said. "From experience, I have learned what works in the Senate and what does not, and I am confident Senate Republicans can restore our institution to the essential role it serves in our constitutional republic." McConnell, who turned 82 last week, announced Wednesday he plans to step down in November after nearly two decades as a Senate leader. Cornyn is the first to formally declare his bid for the leadership post, though others are expected to jump into the race and Cornyn could face obstacles. It's a particularly at a tumultuous time for the Republican party as more conservative members, including U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, have been increasingly forceful in agitating against McConnell. It is unclear how quickly those far-right members would line up to support someone as closely aligned with the longtime leader as Cornyn, who has been one of McConnell's top lieutenants for years. Cornyn also helped negotiate the first new gun laws in decades, which tightened some background checks, among other things, and drew significant blowback from Texas Republicans. Cornyn received a chorus of boos from GOP faithful at the state party convention in 2022. Former President Donald Trump, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, could add another hurdle for the Texas Republican. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The two have at times had a tense relationship. While Cornyn has endorsed Trump's White House bid and attended recent fundraisers for the former president's campaign, he previously said the party should find another candidate to challenge President Joe Biden, arguing Trump's time had passed. Trump, in turn, has called Cornyn a RINO, or Republican in name only. Attorney General Ken Paxton, a close ally of Trump's, has already started rallying against Cornyn's leadership effort, writing on social media that "Republicans deserve better in their next leader and Texans deserve another conservative Senator." Cornyn responded: "Hard to run from prison, Ken," referencing Paxton's ongoing legal troubles. Cornyn told reporters on Capitol Hill on Thursday that he had spoken with Trump about his intentions to run, but the two did not talk about whether Trump would support his bid. "I've had a couple of good conversations with him most recently yesterday, telling him my intention, told him that I had worked with him when I was the majority whip for four years and worked very successfully, in my opinion, with him and his team, and I look forward to doing that again," Cornyn said, according to CNN. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Cornyn, who was first elected to the Senate in 2002, is expected to face off against at least two other candidates: U.S. Sens. John Thune of South Dakota and John Barrasso of Wyoming. Thune is the current minority whip under McConnell. Cornyn said in his statement announcing his bid that he has "learned a lot during my time both in and out of Senate leadership." He touted two terms as chair of the Senate GOP's fundraising arm, when he said he help the party shrink Democrats majority by five seats and laid the foundation to retake the majority in 2014. He also pointed to his time as Republican whip, helping pass the Trump tax cuts and get two conservative Supreme Court justices confirmed. "Throughout my time Ive built a track record of listening to colleagues and seeking consensus, while leading the fight to stop bad policies that are harmful to our nation and the conservative cause," Cornyn said. The neo-Moorish square was once the set of Star Wars (Getty Images) Holidaymakers visiting Seville will soon be charged to enter the historic Plaza de Espana under new plans to tackle overtourism in the southern Spanish city. The popular neo-Moorish square, once the set of Star Wars 1999 Phantom Menace film, is at risk of irreversible damage to its complex of tiled floors, tower facades and bridges if uncontrolled mass tourism continues. Mayor of Seville, Jose Luis Sanz wrote on X/Twitter: We are planning to close the Plaza de Espana and charge tourists to finance its conservation and guarantee its safety. In addition, we will create a craft workshop school. Of course, the monument will continue to be freely accessible and free for all Sevillians. Horse-drawn carriages on the fragile square (Getty Images) Over three million visitors flood Seville a year, with a daily footfall in the thousands and horse-drawn carriages frequently using the public space. Although Sevillian citizens will be exempt from the charge, the plans to introduce an entry fee were met with a mixed response by X users. They have already turned our cities into a theme park to the point that to walk through our squares, we are going to have to form a line, get a ticket and wait in line, wrote one user. Others were more supportive of the proposed payment: I approve the measure to prevent this type of savagery from occurring in our PUBLIC heritage. It is a unique enclave in all of Spain, if it is not protected from barbarians we will continue to lose heritage quality, and Seville CANNOT allow that. Most of the details including the exact charge and ticketing system are currently unclear. The attempt to tackle overtourism follows the launch of a $10 tourist tax in Bali this month and a 5 charge to enter the centre of Venice from April 2024 using a ticketing system to limit the numbers pouring into the canalside city. Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert speaks to people waiting in line for motor vehicle renewals and registrations while giving a tour of the clerks office to The Commercial Appeal in Memphis, Tenn., on Friday, January 5, 2024. Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert has resubmitted revenue reports from July 2023 through January 2024, but they are still incorrect, according to Trustee Regena Newman. In an email exchange obtained by The Commercial Appeal, Halbert sent Newman revenue reports late Tuesday night saying that Halbert and her team would be working to submit the reports in a "timely and far more accurate than they have historically been." Newman responded to the email, outlining that there are still various corrections that need to be made on the reports and that they were still not accurate. "While our staff is in the process of reviewing these reports in depth, I can tell by cursory glance that each report is still inaccurate," Newman said in the email. Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert stands next to a line of people waiting to be helped while giving a tour of the clerks office to The Commercial Appeal in Memphis, Tenn., on Friday, January 5, 2024. The "primary focus," Neman said, is the breakout of the $25 wheel tax and that it needs to be reported in a separate line each month. In the reports Halbert sent over, none of them have the $25 wheel tax separated out. Newman explained that Halbert would need to calculate the number of registrations where the increase was included in the transaction, multiply that number by $25 and deduct any refunds. The final number has to be placed on a second line, specified as "Wheel Tax 2023, increase for debt." The "Wheel Tax, Schools," is the balance of the wheel tax minus the amount of refunds on the first wheel tax line. Halbert's reports still do not have the schools portion of the wheel tax revenue sectioned off. Shelby County news: Millington solar farm voted down by Shelby County Commission, lawsuit could follow Another issue in the reports is where the "refunds" are placed, Newman outlined. "'Refunds' should fall into each of the preceding categories rather than just being listed on the bottom, otherwise the amounts listed in each category are wrong, your commissions are wrong, and the amounts of wheel tax going to each purpose are wrong," Newman said in the email. Other problems in the reports are specific to certain months. Newman said that the November and December clerk's fees do not reconcile at the bottom, and the January report has a positive number for refunds. Outside intervention in the clerk's office The Tennessee Comptroller's Office will be sending a team to Shelby County to "perform the necessary reconciliations and reporting the Clerk's Office has failed to accurately provide despite repeated requests," the office announced Tuesday. The additional manpower is expected to arrive on Monday. John Dunn, director of communications for the Comptroller of the Treasury, said that the team will be between four and five auditors and the timeline for their stay is currently undetermined. "It depends on what they find and how long it takes to straighten things out," Dunn said in an email. With the help of Tennessee's Comptroller, I am confident that the County Trustee and our other county finance officials will receive the information they have requested from the Clerk. pic.twitter.com/aQzsDtsiRd Mayor Lee Harris (@MayorLeeHarris) February 28, 2024 Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris said he was "grateful" that the comptroller would be sending in additional help for the clerk, and is confident that his team will be able to deliver an on-time budget. During a Shelby County Committee Meeting, Newman said she would be un-posting July 2023 through September 2023 revenue reports from the clerk because they were inaccurate. Director of Finance Audrey Tipton said that the payments to schools are currently behind because of reports. Halbert's office is also facing an investigation by the Hamilton County District Attorney's office. Halbert and Hamilton County DA's office were not immediately available for comment. Brooke Muckerman covers Shelby County Government for The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at brooke.muckerman@commercialappeal.com and followed on X, formerly known as Twitter @BrookeMuckerman. This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Shelby County Clerk submits additional incorrect revenue reports "I'm just floored and shocked," Rankin County, Mississippi, Sheriff Bryan Bailey said last August after five of his former deputies admitted to punching, kicking, tasing, torturing, and humiliating two men during an unlawful home invasion the previous January. "This is a perfect example of why people don't trust the police, and never in my life did I think it would happen in this department." According to an investigation by The New York Times and Mississippi Today, however, Bailey had plenty of reasons to think something like this would happen in his department. Similar things had been happening in Rankin County "for nearly two decades," the Times reported in November. "Narcotics detectives and patrol officers, some [of whom] called themselves the Goon Squad, barged into homes in the middle of the night, accusing people inside of dealing drugs," the paper said. "Then they handcuffed or held them at gunpoint and tortured them into confessing or providing information." The Times and Mississippi Today corroborated "17 incidents involving 22 victims based on witness interviews, medical records, photographs of injuries and other documents." Those cases almost always involved "small drug busts," and the accusers "described similar tactics." Deputies "held people down while punching and kicking them or shocked them repeatedly with Tasers." They "shoved gun barrels into people's mouths." Three people "said deputies had waterboarded them until they thought they would suffocate," while "five said deputies had told them to move out of the county." Although the federal charges that drew national attention to police brutality in Rankin County involved two black victims, Bailey's deputies were equal-opportunity abusers. They "appear to have targeted people based on suspected drug use, not race," the Times said. "Most of their accusers were white." The deputies' pattern of abuse was reflected in complaints and lawsuits. "More than a dozen people have directly confronted Sheriff Bailey and his command staff about the deputies' brutal methods," the Times noted, and "at least five people have sued the department alleging beatings, chokings and other abuses by deputies associated with the Goon Squad." Bailey said he had never heard of the Goon Squad and had no reason to think his deputies were abusing their authority. "Nobody's ever reported that to me," he said in August, and he "never, ever could've imagined" that the five convicted deputies, who included a man he said he knew "well" and had chosen as investigator of the year in 2013, were capable of "these horrendous crimes." Bailey, who was reelected in November after running unopposed, rejected calls for his resignation. "I'm going to fix this," he promised. "I'm going to make everyone a whole lot more accountable." The post Sheriff Who Presided Over Violent 'Goon Squad' Tries To Play Dumb appeared first on Reason.com. Driving out of Kyiv the roads tell the dark history of the early days of Russias full-scale invasion. A low buzzing sound echoes across the highway as hundreds of cars drive toward the suburb of Bucha. Its from tanks and heavy vehicles. They left these cuts in the asphalt that produce this creepy sound, tour guide Svet Moiseev told the Kyiv Independent on a tour on Feb. 27. Moiseev has told the same fact to dozens of tourists since launching a war tourism excursion shortly after Russian troops retreated from Kyiv Oblast on April 3, 2022, leaving behind decimated towns and villages. The Kyiv local, who works for Capital Tours, saw an opportunity to utilize his decade-long experience as a guide to inform foreigners about Russias brutal invasion and raise money for the war effort. He crafted an emotional route through the Kyiv suburbs of Bucha, Irpin, Hostomel, and Bordyanka telling intricate stories of Russias attempt to capture the capital and the brutal occupation. Read also: Prosecutor General: Russian troops committed 9,000 war crimes in Bucha district He also mixes into the tours Ukraines history explaining the countrys centuries-long struggle against Moscow to a largely North American and western European audience. Its important that people understand that Kyiv is not part of a big Moscow, he said. Ukraines tourism industry predictably plummeted after Russias invasion. The initial flurry of journalists and political delegations who came to the country following the invasion have also migrated elsewhere. But as tourists gradually begin to return, the sector has adapted by offering war tourism opportunities. Not everyone is excited about showing foreigners the scars of war some locals balk at the idea of displaying their most vulnerable moments to tourists. Already Moiseev said hes noted an uptick in tourists. The first wave arrived in the summer of 2022 and peaked in the summer of 2023 with one or two tours a day. His clientele is a mix of business professionals, political figures, people visiting friends, and curious tourists, he told the Kyiv Independent. People want to understand how (this war) could happen in the 21st century. And, of course, they want to pay tribute to those who were killed and those who defended. Shock therapy As business is currently not profitable, Moiseev said he sees himself more as a volunteer doing important work by informing visitors about the Russian occupation. Tours start at $120, half of which is donated to the Ukrainian army, and the company operates without any support from organizations. While some of his guests purely want a historical tour of Kyiv, others are eager to spend half a day in the capitals liberated suburbs. Most tourists are empathetic and genuinely want to learn about the war but Moiseev admitted that a few were simply thrill seekers. For Moiseev, it's important to show the reality of war to those that have never experienced it in the hopes it will educate people about Ukraines plight and increase support for the country abroad. This destroyed apartment block is a bucket of ice cold water on your head to bring it back into reality, Moiseev said, pointing to a five story apartment building torn apart by an aerial bomb. It's shock therapy for those who forget that the war in Ukraine is still ongoing. Reconstruction work has largely brought these formerly-occupied areas back to life, but Moiseev believes in keeping some of the damaged buildings as a sad museum. He draws parallels to Chernobyl, one of Ukraines most popular tourist destinations which Capital Tours would visit pre-2022. Both serve as informal museums that remind people of horrific incidents, he said. For tourist Daniel Hosie, Moiseevs tour was an opportunity to better understand a war he had been following daily from his native Scotland. Seeing with his own eyes the destroyed bridge in Irpin that Ukraine blew up to prevent Russias advance across the Dnipro River was a striking moment. It was surreal. That bridge is a memorable one for me, because I saw it fall, and I remember thinking that this is crazy. And then Im there, seeing it, he told the Kyiv Independent. Uncomfortable stares Moiseev interweaves personal stories from locals alongside technical battle details. In one story he tells on the tour, a family in the town of Hostomel outside of Kyiv were forced to hide in a Soviet-era bunker next to their house, braving the 30 meter dash home to gather supplies as shells rained down. Not everyone wants their life to be turned into a tourist attraction. Signs have appeared on derelict houses warning visitors not to enter or take photographs. Standing inside the charred remains of his kitchen, Hostomel resident Serhii Ahiyev said that he is wary of guides capitalizing on his bombed-out street. Sometimes they bring tourists on purpose to make money from it. Not to talk about what happened, he told the Kyiv Independent. Ahiyev does, however, support the idea of drawing attention to the Russian occupation. While he was irritated by the flocks of journalists and visitors in the early days of the liberation, he has since changed his mind and believes people should see the terrible actions of the Russians, including tourists. As a visitor, Hosie believed it was important to visit the satellite towns to get the full experience of Ukraine during the war. But he noted feeling uncomfortable when faced with the grim reality of occupation. I didn't want it to be an Instagram photo shoot. You have to show respect, he said. These are people's lives, people's homes. I was aware to keep that in the back of my mind, that this isn't a holiday. You're here to see what's going on and experience it. Moiseev himself is often conscious of the stares from locals during tours but still believes that it is important to show foreigners, comparing it to a tour of Auschwitz. Most people understand that international support comes from knowledge and information. So (locals), for the most part, tolerate the visitors. Humanitarianism and tourism Tourism can also provide tangible help by supporting salaries and bringing in foreign currency, according to project manager Mykhailo Cherevyk from Visit Ukraine, one of Ukraines foremost tourism websites. In 2022, the company regularly provided assistance to journalists and political delegations, connecting them with locals and charity organizations. But with attention shifting away from Ukraine, tourists now make up 80% of Visit Ukraines clients. In the high season last year, 20 to 30 people per month used Visit Ukraines services which range from insurance to tours. Three months ago, the company launched an experimental project called Donation tours. For just under $2,000, the project combines traditional tourism with a humanitarian mission while partnered with a local guide in southern Ukraine. Visitors are shown around the city of Mykolaiv, before undertaking a medical training course in the afternoon. The next day, local guides take them to the oblasts formerly occupied territories where they distribute aid to either medical facilities, children centers, animal shelters, or provide heating equipment and construction materials, depending on their choice. The idea was born out of a conversation between Visit Ukraine and a humanitarian center in Mykolaiv, to help meet the needs of residents. Many of the local guides have no prior experience in tourism but know the safe routes to ensure guests are well protected. It is one of the ways to resolve the problems that we have with tourism and life in the south of Ukraine, Cherevyk said, adding that the region has suffered immensely from the invasion. Read also: We cant wait for peace: Reluctant at first, Denmark takes on rebuilding war-torn Mykolaiv Oblast For now, the idea is too radical for most, with only one or two bookings a month. But Visit Ukraine plans to increase marketing and collaborate with international organizations to attract more people. We are working to make sure that more people can see the things that the Russian army does to Ukrainian lands and people. And provide help for southern regions, Cherevyk said. The future of Ukrainian tourism The State Agency for Tourism Development is not actively encouraging international tourism at the moment. But it is using the break to develop domestic tourism, which has increased in western Ukraine. We have huge losses, but at the same time we have possibilities for some new destinations to enter the tourism market, Chairperson of the agency Mariana Oleskiv told the Kyiv Independent. The agency calculated that tourist taxes contributed Hr. 1.89 billion ($49.2 million) in the first six months of 2021, making up roughly 3% of Ukraines GDP that year. Now, western regions primarily hold up the tourism sector as Ukrainians opt to vacation in the Carpathian mountains or previously little visited cities like Chernivtsi in the southwest. Developing western regions for Ukrainian tourists will in turn prepare Ukraine for the eventual return of foreigners, according to Oleskiv. She noted that popular destinations like Lviv became successful following a steady influx of Ukrainian tourists over the years which built its reputation as a hotspot for foreigners. By 2019, international tourists amounted to 50% of Lvivs tourism market. The agency believes that war tourism will be a major attraction once travel is safe. Currently, they are developing commeration routes to mark the horrors inflicted by Russia, from the massacres in Bucha to torture chambers and destroyed infrastructure, like the Irpin bridge. If you see it on TV, it's a completely different feeling to when you are there. We want to attract a lot of tourists from all around the world to visit those sites to understand a little bit more about this war to prevent such wars in the future, Oleskiv stressed. Its something we need to do. A memorial to fallen soldiers has already opened on the outskirts of Moschun, a village in Kyiv Oblast. Located in a woodland clearing, dozens of photographs of men and women adorn the trees surrounded by shrines, letters, and a large tapestry of an Orthodox Icon. Shrapnel-damaged mugs and a metal plate also sit in a nearby trench once used by the defenders battling Russian troops. More of these memorials could soon be established all over Ukraine, particularly in the east, according to Moiseev. They serve both as a reminder for locals and as an educational site for tourists, he said. But Oleksiv doesnt want the sole focus to be on the war. The agency is taking inspiration from countries like Croatia that overcame its war-torn reputation to become a tourist destination, selling its culture and landscape while still telling its troubled history. Ukraine could do something similar, she said, by attracting visitors to its mountains and seaside while injecting stories of the war into tours. For now ,war tours like the one offered by Moiseev are likely to be a brief snapshot of the current time rather than a long lasting option. Reconstruction has already erased much of Bucha and Irpins scars, while Moiseev notes that it also takes an emotional toil. It is working now, not as a business, but basically as a remembrance, he said. After it's all finished, we will come back to Kyiv culture, borscht, and normal things. Read also: Reconstruction in Kyiv suburb sabotaged by local officials, discouraging foreign investors Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. CADDO COUNTY, Okla. (KFOR) Over the past 18 years, historian Art Peters has walked just about every foot of ground between Hinton, Oklahoma to the Texas border, the high ground on the prairie that formed the old California Trail, and the landmarks like Ghost Mound along the route. The tops of these mounds, he points out, are little, leftover snippets of what the entire terrain once was. Artifacts from dozens of excavated campsites fill tables at the Hinton Museum, but Peters continued fascination with this area knows no height. Art explains, The property owner allowed me to come out here. I just wanted to climb all the mounds I could to see what was up there. On a clear February morning we set out to summit Ghost Mound with paleontology student Buddy Raetz to further examine what Peters found embedded in the ancient limestone caprock. Peters recalls, He showed me one track that hed discovered. The mound is only about 105 feet above the surrounding grassland, but climbing it is difficult, and proves impossible for all but the most nimble of our group. By cell phone, Peters tells Raetz, Point out those dinosaur tracks again. Fortunately, our Mr. Raetz summits with a small camera to point out what he agrees are dinosaur tracks in the prehistoric mud, made plainer by pouring water into the depressions. Raetz directs our drone camera, This one over here is the right foot of a Utahraptor. Its pretty worn away. This one over here is a left footprint from a separate animal, still a Utahraptor. Peters is more historian that scientist. Im just an amateur, he states. Raetz is still studying, but they both wonder at what they think might be human footprints on the summit too. He continues, It would take a geologist or paleontologist to identify or age them better than I could. Native American legends passed down through generations tell of a young woman who fell from the heights to her death, and whose spirit never left. From history to pre-history, the footprints of traveling spirits whove come this way before are still visible if you know where to look. Hinton Museum Information Great State is sponsored by Oklahoma Proton Center Follow Galens Great State adventures on social media! For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KFOR.com Oklahoma City. State Sen. Melissa Hurtado and former state Assemblyman Rudy Salas, both Democrats, are battling in California's 22nd Congressional District for Republican incumbent David Valadao's House seat. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times; Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) For the record: 12:29 p.m. March 1, 2024: An earlier version of this story stated that Sen. Melissa Hurtado spoke out against an early version of a farmworker unionization bill in 2018. She did so in 2021. On a recent Friday, state Sen. Melissa Hurtado (D-Sanger) mingled with supporters inside the Kern County firefighters' hall, posing for pictures, chitchatting about politics and raising $36 apiece from those seeking to elect her to replace the area's Republican congressman. State Sen. Melissa Hurtado launched her campaign for Congress after being contacted by Emily's List, a group that seeks to elect Democratic women who support abortion rights. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) That same night, 30 miles north up State Route 99, Rudy Salas, a former Democratic member of the state Assembly and current Cal State Bakersfield professor, handed out hats and work boots as part of a food and clothing drive at the Forty Acres, United Farm Workers' historic former headquarters in Delano. He was there to remind them that he was running for Congress once again. Either would seem to be a solid choice for the Central Valley's 22nd Congressional District, where the Democratic Party far outweighs the GOP in voter registration. But the Republican incumbent, Rep. David Valadao of Hanford, has proven formidable. The fight between the two prominent Democrats to unseat Valadao has become so fierce that there is a possibility neither will survive the March 5 primary, ensuring a Republican will hold a congressional seat considered pivotal in determining which party controls the House of Representatives. Former state Assemblyman Rudy Salas has the financial backing and endorsements of top Democratic leaders and groups. He lost to incumbent GOP Rep. David Valadao by a small margin in 2022. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) Salas, 46, is the clear choice among top Democratic leaders in Washington, who have spent more than half a million dollars supporting his campaign. He has been endorsed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, Sen. Alex Padilla, the California Democratic Party and the United Farm Workers after challenging Valadao in 2022 and losing by about 3,100 votes. Hurtado, whose state Senate district overlaps with the vast majority of the congressional district, launched her campaign after being contacted by Emily's List, a group that seeks to elect Democratic women who support abortion rights. Some Democrats fear that Salas and Hurtado may fracture the Democratic vote in the March 5 primary so much that Valadao and far-right Republican Chris Mathys will be able to finish in the top spots. In California's top-two primary system, the two candidates with the most votes, regardless of their parties, go on to the November election. Democrats and Republicans are flooding the race with funding, believing the incumbent is vulnerable because he voted to impeach former President Trump for being what Valadao described as a driving force behind the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Read more: Your guide to California's Congressional District 22 race: San Joaquin Valley This is such a big deal that [top Democratic leaders have] come out and said, Were going to go against a sitting member of the Senate and support Rudy,'" said Mark Martinez, chair of the political science department at Cal State Bakersfield. The 22nd Congressional District covers vast swaths of farmland across Kern, Kings and Tulare counties and encompasses the cities of Bakersfield, Delano, Shafter and Porterville. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has identified the district as a red to blue seat or one they believe they can flip and the House Majority PAC, the super PAC affiliated with the chamber's Democratic leadership, began running Spanish-language ads supporting Salas. Hurtado, meanwhile, faces an uphill battle in fundraising, and her campaign has struggled. While Salas campaign reports making contact with at least 20,000 voters, Hurtado said her campaign has not done on-the-ground canvassing due to a lack of funds. As of mid-February, Salas had raised over $740,000, and Hurtado about $76,000. (Valadao had raised just under $2.3 million) In an interview, Hurtado said she did not consider running until she was contacted by Emilys List. She had weekly meetings with the organization to discuss fundraising and her campaign up until December, when it became clear the organization was not going to back her. "I know my district even more now than I did back in 2018," Melissa Hurtado says of her election to the state Senate at age 30. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) I am perfectly fine figuring this out on my own. I did this on my own for the first time I ran for state Senate in 2018, Hurtado said. I know my district even more now than I did back in 2018. Hurtado was first elected to the Legislature's upper chamber that year, defeating Republican incumbent Andy Vidak at age 30 to become the youngest woman elected to the state Senate. The state senator grew up in the Central Valley and was elected to the Sanger City Council after living through two recessions and realizing, she says, how poverty affected the valley's residents, including her own family. She believes she can unseat Valadao by building a coalition of independent, Republican and Democratic voters. There's a lot at stake," she told the dozen or so supporters who attended the fundraising event that Friday night in Bakersfield. "I think, in my humble opinion, our democracy is really at stake here. And I think that people feel it, they understand it. And it's going to take each and every one of us to speak up, to try to listen to one another, to try to understand one another, and to really overcome our differences. Salas, who teaches an American government and politics class at Cal State Bakersfield, said his campaign started canvassing earlier than he did ahead of the 2022 election that he narrowly lost to Valadao that November. He has crisscrossed the district, traveling to small farming towns like Avenal, knocking on doors in Bakersfield, and reminding residents in Corcoran about his past work in the state Assembly, where he served five terms. We're out in every single community knocking and talking to voters, telling them how important it is to get out to vote to make sure that their voices are heard, Salas said. A lot of doors that I go to, people know who I am because of stuff that we've done in their community. As a member of the state Assembly, Salas became an advocate for farmworkers, due in part to his own familys history of working in the fields, and advocated for funding for school districts and access to clean water. Salas and Hurtado overlapped in the state Legislature, where they were political allies. When Hurtados 2022 state Senate race came down to a recount, Salas helped to cure ballots to make sure they were counted. Hurtado won by 13 votes. Rudy Salas with labor activist Dolores Huerta at an event for his 2022 congressional bid. Salas has worked with rival Melissa Hurtado, but has differed with her on issues including those affecting farmworkers. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) While the two share similar views on issues such as healthcare and immigration, they have differed on reproductive rights and farmworker rights. Read more: A farmworker's son and a dairy farmer battle to represent the Central Valley in Congress The UFWs decision to endorse Salas was an easy choice, said union spokesperson Antonio De Loera-Brust. We have a real long-term relationship with Rudy Salas, and he's the real deal, De Loera-Brust said. The fact that his opponent is Melissa Hurtado just makes it even easier. On every critical issue that the UFW has faced, theres a sharp contrast. He pointed to Salas record: Salas voted to increase overtime pay for farmworkers and to ban pesticides harmful to their children; joined marching farmworkers; and supported legislation that would make it easier for farmworkers to unionize. Hurtado spoke out against an earlier iteration of the unionization bill in 2021 and did not record a vote when it passed in 2022. Hurtado said the farmworkers she spoke with had lost hours and jobs due to the overtime pay legislation. The pesticide bill, she said, cited an outdated study. And the unionization legislation, which the UFW has already used to successfully unionize a farm, didnt have support in her district, she said. The farmworkers I would run into or have personal conversations with they weren't supportive of it, she said. She noted that she has advocated for farmworkers in other areas, such as expanding job training for laborers. Salas campaign has also sought to differentiate himself from Hurtado with an ad that criticizes her for not casting a vote on abortion access legislation: She did not vote on a measure to remove co-pays to make abortion care more accessible, or on a bill to ensure no one will be prosecuted for ending a pregnancy or experiencing pregnancy loss. Hurtado defended herself as a reproductive healthcare advocate, citing her support for 2022's Proposition 1, which enshrined abortion rights in the state Constitution. We are pleased that State Sen. Hurtado took more pro-reproductive freedom votes in the last year, but we remain highly concerned with her past voting record, said Shannon Olivieri Hovis of Reproductive Freedom for All, which in 2022 labeled Hurtado as "hostile" to reproductive freedom. The road to restoring the federal right to abortion and expanding access to care runs right through the House and this crucial district in California. Low voter turnout could make the race unpredictable. As of Wednesday, about 19,200 ballots had been submitted, and voter turnout was higher among Republican than Democrats. While Republicans make up 27% of registered voters, they were responsible for 42% of returned ballots. Democrat make up 42% of registered voters and accounted for 44% of returned ballots. Paul Mitchell, vice president of Political Data Inc., said that turnout is looking historically low in the Central Valley, which could make the race volatile but that while a Republican-only runoff is possible, it remains unlikely. In that kind of environment, you have a lot of people bed-wetting about what happens if two Republicans make the runoff, he said. To stave off that outcome, he said, Democrats are infusing the race with money in an effort to ensure their party's endorsed candidate survives the primary. Among Hurtados strengths, her supporters say, is her vantage point as a sitting elected official who is delivering for the community. They point to her efforts to secure funding for small-town police and fire departments, and her advocacy for residents' water rights. Sen. Dave Cortese (D-San Jose) said he had seen Hurtado vote against the state Senate Democratic Caucus in the interest of her district, showing her authentic commitment to her constituents. How much more tested can you be than Melissa Hurtado? Shes ready for a partisan fight, he said. Martinez, the political science chair at Cal State Bakersfield, said Hurtado owes her own state Senate wins to Salas, who did on-the-ground canvassing for Democrats during a tough election year. It doesnt make any sense, because she doesn't have the presence and community in Kern County, he said. Melissas young, shes green, and she really doesn't understand the broader picture. Salas appears to be well-known in Bakersfield. Signs declaring support for him line frontyards and farmland along the highway. He said that while he benefits from high-level endorsements, he also has local support, from mayors and teachers associations. "Those are people that live in our communities," he said. "The people that are here are actually putting in the work and getting their family and friends to vote as well." 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. Only Republican voters in Rutherford County's March 5 primary will decide two of the local elections. No Democrats or independents are competing in the election for Rutherford County Property Assessor. The race is between two Republicans: Rob Mitchell, the incumbent; and Virgil Gammon, a former elected member of the Rutherford County Commission and a previous chief deputy for the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office. Only those voting as Republicans also will decide who will win the Rutherford County Board of Education Zone 6 seat between Butch Vaughn and Chase Williams. Susan Kelly prepares the voting machine at the La Vergne Multi-Purpose Building so that John Ludeman can vote during the early voting period in La Vergne, on Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024. The partisan election for school board seats that started in 2022, following the General Assembly's vote to make school board elections partisan, is "unfortunate," said John Vile, a 47-year political science professor, including 35 years at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro. "As if we dont have a enough partisanship its a sign of the times," said Vile, who also has served as the dean of MTSU's Honors College since 2008. "Character and knowledge are far more important than party identification when choosing a school board candidate." Rental taxes to senior exemptions: Rental taxes to senior exemptions; Rutherford Co. Property Assessor candidates sound off 'We have a right to exercise choice' Carl McKnight shows Rebecca Patrick the new voting machine as he sets it up and goes over the new procedure during early voting at Middle Tennessee Association of Realtors on Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024. Independents wanting to vote in the primary may notice a sign at each of the the polling locations about Tennessee law warning voters they could face criminal punishment if they vote "in a political party's primary without being a bona fide member of or affiliated with that political party, or to declare allegiance to that party without the intent to affiliate with that party." Voter Pam King of Murfreesboro supports the law because she's not a fan of people "lying" about their party affiliation to win an election. "Just be honest," said King, who's also the treasure of the campaign for Williams, the school board candidate competing in the Republican primary against Vaughn. Vile, however, doubts independent voters participating in a primary would ever face punishment for violating "one of those useless, toothless" laws. "Its basically an open primary system," said Vile, adding that Tennessee voter registration cards exclude mention of party affiliation. "We have a right to exercise choice. Its important to vote." Voter Tiarra Smith of Murfreesboro agreed that people should vote after doing that herself on Tuesday's final day of early voting for the March 5 primary. "I needed to vote in this primary because I want to effect change, and I want my voice heard, and that's the only way that I can do that by voting," said Smith, who identified the economy as being her most important issue. Tiarra Smith Elections 2024: Two Rutherford school board candidates vie for Zone 6 open seat GOP early voting primary quadruples Democrats in Rutherford Primaries started in the early 1900s during the progressive era in the country because people had concerns about party leaders in "smoked filled rooms choosing buddies rather than the best-qualified candidates to represent the common interests, Vile said. Rutherford prior to 2000 had been a Democratic Party leaning county. The winners of the Democratic Party primaries typically won the seats. Only one area of the county at the start of the 21st Century had representation from a Republican, former state Rep. Mae Beavers of Mt. Juliet, in a district that served constituents of her Wilson County community and Rutherford. More Republicans started to win offices in Rutherford County in the 21st Century. The GOP emerged as the dominant party in the county after sweeping elections in 2010 and have won the vast majority of local elections since then. An example of Rutherford being a GOP-leaning county shows up in the early voting tally with 9,950 voting in the Republican primary and 2,278 voting in the Democratic primary. Another school board election: Vaught, Rourke compete in GOP primary for Rutherford County Zone 2 school board seat GOP replaces 'Solid South' Democrats as dominant party in Rutherford Rutherford County, like Tennessee, went through a change of "Solid South" Democratic Party affiliation the way other southern states have, Vile said. The Republican Party ballot includes 10 local candidates seeking county offices. The GOP ballot also has former President Donald Trump, the strong primary front runner, still competing Nikki Haley and multiple names of people seeking to be delegates for the presidential candidates at the Republican National Convention. The Democratic ballot has just two names: President Joe Biden and Rutherford County Board of Education candidate Tiffany Fee, who's campaigning for a Zone 3 seat. Fee will advance to the Aug. 1 election to face independent Lorri Johnson and the March 5 Republican primary winner between Tim Holden and Caleb Tidwell. The Rutherford County Democratic Party typically does have candidates to compete against the Republican incumbents serving in all seven of the county's seats in the Tennessee General Assembly. Democrats also have two seats out of 21 on the Rutherford County Commission. GOP holds most seats: 21-member Rutherford County Commission will see new faces with 9 elected officials Reach reporter Scott Broden with news tips or questions by emailing him at sbroden@dnj.com. To support his work with The Daily News Journal, sign up for a digital subscription. Who's qualified for 2024 elections Rutherford County Property Assessor: Rob Mitchell, a Republican incumbent; Virgil Gammon, Republican Rutherford County Highway Superintendent: Greg Brooks, a Republican incumbent; Rutherford County Board of Education Zone 2: Stan Vaught, Republican; Nicholas Rourke, Republican; Robert Brooks, independent; John Duncan, independent Rutherford County Board of Education Zone 3: Caleb Tidwell, incumbent Republican; Tim Holden, Republican; Tiffany Fee, Democrat; Lorri Johnson, independent Rutherford County Board of Education Zone 5: Claire Maxwell, Republican incumbent; Rutherford County Board of Education Zone 6: William "Butch" Vaughn, Republican; Chase Williams, Republican Murfreesboro City School Board (elected at large for four seats), with all who qualified running as independent candidates: George "Butch" Campbell, incumbent; Jimmy Richardson III, incumbent; David Settles, incumbent; Jeanette West-Price Source: Rutherford County Election Commission This article originally appeared on Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: GOP primary will elect winners for 2 seats in Rutherford County For the last 17 years, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky often was in the room sometimes the Oval Office in the White House where the nations most important decisions were made and billions of taxpayer dollars were spent. If McConnell could grab a little something for Kentucky while sitting there, he wasnt shy about doing so. He engineered a $10 billion tobacco buyout for Kentucky farmers, helped get hemp legalized as a replacement crop, secured tax breaks for the thoroughbred horse racing industry and spirits distillers, and brought home a staggering fortune for Kentuckys roads, bridges, water and sewer lines, military bases, universities and other projects. All 100 senators may have one vote, McConnell explained in 2018, but theyre not all equal. Kentucky benefits from having one of its own setting the agenda for the country. Thats coming to an end. McConnell, 82, will step down as Senate GOP leader in November, he announced Wednesday, although he intends to stay in office as a senator until his seventh term ends in January 2027. As a result, Kentucky can expect to have far less influence in Washington, a half-dozen political observers predicted. Its a significant loss because hes been very helpful to this state, and the other senator (Republican Rand Paul) doesnt have much to show for his service, said Al Cross, longtime Kentucky political writer and director emeritus of the Institute for Rural Journalism at the University of Kentucky. Sign up for our Bluegrass Politics Newsletter A must-read newsletter for political junkies across the Bluegrass State with reporting and analysis from the Lexington Herald-Leader. Never miss a story! Sign up for our Bluegrass Politics newsletter to connect with our reporting team and get behind-the-scenes insights, plus previews of the biggest stories. It matters who succeeds McConnell, observers said. The new GOP leader could either consult McConnell as a respected elder and keep him in the loop, or else ignore him. One candidate, John Cornyn of Texas, is a valued friend of McConnells. Another, John Barrasso of Wyoming, is close to former President Donald Trump, who openly despises McConnell. At this point, it does not seem like the junior senator from Kentucky (Paul) is in a position to wield any similar power, so if things do not go well for McConnell, Kentucky will really be without clout, said Don Dugi, a political scientist at Transylvania University in Lexington. The changes wont all be immediate. For the remainder of his Senate term, McConnell is likely to continue as a senior member of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, which decides federal spending. Although hes a staunch conservative, McConnell does not necessarily object to spending bills. He was one of 19 Senate Republicans who voted in 2021 for the $1 trillion federal infrastructure bill, describing it as a godsend for money that it allocated to repair and replace aging roads and bridges. An angry Trump blasted McConnell for that vote and called him the Old Crow. Kentuckys aging representatives Across the Capitol, 86-year-old U.S. Rep. Hal Rogers, R-Somerset, is also a senior member of his own chambers appropriations committee, pulling a hefty sum of federal money back to his Southeastern Kentucky district. But McConnell and Rogers are nearing the end of long careers in office, with no Kentuckian poised to replace them on the key spending committees. And losing McConnell as one of the Big Four congressional leaders the top Republicans and Democrats in the Senate and House, who set the agendas and advise presidents is a generational forfeit, observers said. Its not like the needs of Kentucky will have changed once Senator McConnell and Congressman Rogers are gone. But Kentuckys ability to meet those needs will be severely diminished, said Steve Ellis, president of Taxpayers for Common Sense, a watchdog group that sometimes criticized McConnell for Kentucky-related spending that he slipped into the budget. Having a Senate leader from your state means more than just getting a juicy slab of federal pork, Ellis added. Its hard to put a price tag on it, Ellis said. You have to look at things beyond appropriations, he said. Like, McConnell was really, really aggressive on legalizing hemp. That doesnt seem like the normal thing you would expect to see a Republican leader pushing on, but it was a big deal for the agricultural interests in the state. So, there were a lot of things he did like that, not just dollars and cents but more generally about his influence. Where did certain facilities go because of him? What projects went through because of him? Its hard to put a total on it, but its definitely in the hundreds of millions of dollars, if not billions over that total time-frame, Ellis said. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., departs the Senate chamber on Feb. 28, 2024, in Washington, D.C. McConnell announced Wednesday that he would step down as Republican leader in November. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images/TNS) Building a pipeline A serious if less appreciated loss for the state will be the dismantling of the McConnell Machine, the tightly organized political operation that ran the senators election campaigns as well as his offices in Washington and Kentucky, said University of Kentucky political scientist Steve Voss. Many bright young Kentuckians found their way into government and politics by going to work for McConnell, Voss said. They now hold a wide variety of important public and private sector posts, including federal judges, Washington lobbyists and top state elected officials in Kentucky. McConnells ability to fill jobs in D.C., both in his office and indirectly through other offices, is going to be a big hit for ambitious young Kentucky Republicans who are trying to get a foothold, Voss said. McConnell really stands out in terms of the warm feedback I hear from people whove worked for him, Voss said. For a guy who isnt seen as warm and mostly is disliked even by people who support his policies, when it comes to the public stage, he gets a surprisingly different reaction from people who have worked in his office. MANILA, Philippines Singapores Defence Ministry plans to order eight F-35A jets, which would bring the countrys Joint Strike Fighter fleet to 20. The F-35A purchase would be on top of earlier orders for 12 F-35Bs from the American defense company Lockheed Martin. Addressing Parliament during Wednesdays budget deliberations, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said his ministry wants to take advantage of the competitive price of the F-35As, which are now comparable to Boeings F-15 jets. We may have to de-prioritize other projects for this opportunity buy, but we have done our calculations and we think that this is the best time to put in orders for the F-35As, he said, adding that accelerating the F-35 acquisition plan will put the Republic of Singapore Air Force in the premier league. F-35As are built for conventional takeoff and landing, have dependable endurance, can carry higher capacity payloads, and provide more operational flexibility, Ng explained. Both the A and B variants are suitable for Singapores limited land spaces, the ministry has noted. Singapore ordered four F-35Bs in a 2020 deal worth an estimated $2.75 billion, then added eight more F-35B units in 2023. The aircraft are on track to arrive during the 2026-2028 time frame. If Parliament approves the current F-35A acquisition, Ng said the additional fighter jets would arrive by 2030, the same year Singapores military plans to retire its F-16 fleet. By the end of the decade, the Air Force would operate a combined fleet of F-15SG, F-35A and F-35B fighter jets. The ministry has also proposed a SG$20.2 billion (U.S. $15 billion) defense budget an increase from last years SG$17.98 billion (U.S. $13.36 billion) allocation. For several years Singapore has steadily allocated around 3% of its gross domestic product for defense spending, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute think tank. This consistency has allowed the country to upgrade its aircraft fleet as well as modernize existing platforms. The military had undertaken a massive modernization push set to materialize in 2040. So today we are reaping dividends of the sums we put in steadily over the past 20 years [on defense spending], Ng said. Singaporean leaders during the budget deliberations expressed concerns over Russias ongoing invasion of Ukraine, the Israel-Hamas war, and economic disagreements between the U.S. and China. We are all concerned that the U.S. and China could clash over Taiwan. If that happened, it would be a very bleak Asia for a very long time, Ng acknowledged. I want to make clear here that if ever something similar happens to us here in Singapore, this government, [the Ministry of Defence and the Singaporean Armed Forces] do not plan on the basis that we can depend on another country to come to our rescue. " China localities turn to new productive forces for growth momentum Xinhua) 10:13, February 29, 2024 HEFEI, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Two days after the Spring Festival, a busy scene played out amid the roaring machines at the construction site of Anhui Orinko New Energy Technology Co., Ltd.'s factory in the city of Wuhu, east China's Anhui Province. Covering an area of 347 mu (about 23.1 hectares), this new materials project is designed to produce 1.7 billion square meters of lithium-battery separators annually. "To speed up the project, we resumed construction even before the holiday ended," said Wu Jiang, general manager of Anhui Orinko. "The project will provide reliable raw materials for the booming downstream new energy vehicle (NEV) and energy storage industries." Since the beginning of the year, regions across China have ramped up efforts to develop strategic emerging industries and future industries amid efforts to foster new productive forces and seek new growth momentum. Anhui Province has launched its first group of major projects for the year, with 55 percent of the total investment of 489.6 billion yuan (about 68.9 billion U.S. dollars) going to 10 emerging industries. South China's Guangdong Province has announced plans to invest some 150 billion yuan this year in new-generation information technology, biology, high-end equipment manufacturing and new materials industries. This year, Beijing plans to launch 100 sci-tech innovation and modern industrial projects, including NEV industry clusters and the health and medicine industry. Developing new productive forces is high on the agenda of many local governments across the country as they seek to bolster economic growth despite uncertainties with new growth drivers. Over 10 provincial-level regions pledged to develop new productive forces in the annual government work report earlier this year. "Anhui's new productive forces have been growing rapidly on new tracks," said Wang Qingxian, governor of Anhui. Last year, Anhui's NEV output reached 868,000 units, up 60.5 percent year on year, while its photovoltaic industry generated over 290 billion yuan in revenue. The high-tech industry there contributed 70.3 percent to the output growth of major enterprises. East China's Jiangsu Province has announced that it will advance emerging industries, including bio-manufacturing, new energy and the low-altitude economy. Guangdong plans to support five future industries, including 6G, quantum technology, life sciences and humanoid robots. Industry insiders believe that the key to developing new productive forces is sci-tech progress, which is backed by several factors, including talent, capital and innovation. In 2023, China's investment in high-tech industries increased by 10.3 percent year on year, 7.3 percentage points faster than the total fixed-asset investment. "New productive forces are marked by new technologies and new applications, which cannot be separated from the leadership of sci-tech innovation," said Lyu Bo, deputy director of the science and technology bureau of Hefei, capital of Anhui Province. As an inland city now known for its sci-tech innovation and dynamic tech-intensive industries, Hefei has continuously ramped up its financial support for the commercialization of research findings, corporate R&D and the construction of innovation platforms. In the city of Changzhou, Jiangsu Province, the total R&D spending will exceed 3.7 percent of its gross domestic product in 2025. "We need to focus on sci-tech innovation while seeking vast opportunities from new growth drivers," said Chen Jinhu, Party chief of Changzhou. Many foreign enterprises are also digging into opportunities brought by the country's pursuit of new productive forces. With an investment of over 30 billion yuan, Volkswagen has built a new NEV hub in Hefei. It has also worked with Chinese peers such as XPeng, Horizon Robotics and Gotion High-tech in the fields of electrification, autonomous driving and batteries. "Hefei is a talent magnet, cultivating a pool of outstanding individuals in the field of science and technology. It's this dynamic ecosystem that enables us to thrive and innovate," said Erwin Gabardi, CEO of Volkswagen Anhui, adding that the company will benefit from this innovative strength and participate deeply in the high-quality development of Anhui's NEV industry. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer reads a letter from a parent of a transgender child with people oppsoing SB14 lining the staircase behind him at the Texas Capitol in Austin, Texas, on May 12, 2023. SB14, if passed, would ban gender affirming care for minors including those already receiving such care. Josie Norris/San Antonio Express-News A person raises their hands above their head as they are pushed out of the Texas State Capitol in Austin, Texas, with fellow protestors of SB14 on May 2, 2023. Josie Norris/San Antonio Express-News An LGBTQ advocacy group is suing the Texas attorney general after his agency requested information that the group said would reveal the identities of its members, including those who sought to stay anonymous in recent suits. The suit, filed Wednesday by PFLAG, argued that the requests violate its members right to free speech, to petition and to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The group accused Attorney General Ken Paxton of targeting people who have fought new anti-transgender laws in recent cases against the state. Members of the group have previously sued the state over a new law that bans common medical treatments for transgender youth, as well as transition surgeries, which are rare. Their challenge against the ban, known as SB 14, is pending before the Texas Supreme Court. The plaintiffs in that case include five families who used pseudonyms to protect their identities. In the new suit, PFLAG asked a judge to block the request. If not, the group asked the judge to extend the deadline and refine its scope. The attorney generals demand of PFLAG National is just another attempt to scare Texas families with transgender adolescents into abandoning their rights and smacks of retaliation against PFLAG National for standing up for those families against the states persecution, said Karen Loewy, senior counsel at Lambda Legal, which is helping represent PFLAG in the suit. We will fight to protect them. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Paxton said Thursday that the request was part of an investigation into whether medical providers are breaking any laws to help patients to circumvent the new ban, including by committing insurance fraud. Texas passed SB 14 to protect children from damaging, unproven medical interventions with catastrophic lifelong consequences for their health, Paxton said in a statement. Any organization seeking to violate this law, commit fraud, or weaponize science and medicine against children will be held accountable. But Paxtons request, sent Feb. 9, asked for information and sworn statements as part of an investigation into whether the group violated the states deceptive trade practices law. It gave them 20 days to respond. The request focused on information that may show how Texans are accessing transition care after the ban. For example, in a sworn statement tied to a suit challenging the ban, PFLAG CEO Brian Bond had said that members families have been asking the group for alternative avenues to maintain care in Texas. The AGs office requested all documents, meeting minutes and communications pertaining to Bonds affidavit. Advertisement Article continues below this ad It also asked for any communications with a group of hospitals and clinics in and outside of Texas. The list includes providers who were issued similar demands from Paxton last year that became public after one of them, Seattle Childrens Hospital, sued to block the request in a case thats still pending. The Houston Chronicle reported last month that QueerMed, a Georgia-based telehealth clinic, had also received a demand. Both were among the list of entities whose communications Texas requested from PFLAG. The others were Texas Childrens Hospital; Baylor College of Medicine; QueerDoc and Plume Health, both telehealth clinics that provide gender transition care. Bond also mentioned that families had asked his group for help figuring out their contingency plans after the ban. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Families were looking for providers in the event that their primary providers stop providing gender-affirming care or leave the state as a result of SB 14 (Texas transition care ban), Bond said in his affidavit. The state asked PFLAG for a list of all such providers and any recommendations or referrals the group has made. (COLORADO SPRINGS) The Sisters of Benet Hill Monastery are gathering food to help Colorado Springs neighbors who are experiencing food insecurity. Over 73,000 El Paso County residents need food assistance, according to Feeding America, a non-profit concerned with providing food and resources to those in need. The sisters at Benet Hill are celebrating Catholic Sisters Week, March 8-14, by holding a food drive, and the community is invited to participate. You can take donations to Westside Cares, at 2808 West Colorado Avenue in Colorado Springs, or bring your donations to one of the following Stuff the Truck events: Saturday, March 9, 12:00 3:00 pm Sisters Thrift & Boutique 8674 N Union Blvd, Colorado Springs, CO 80920 Sunday, March 10, 9:30 11:30 am Benet Hill Monastery 3190 Benet Lane, Colorado Springs, CO 80921 Visit this link to view a list of needed items. A prayer from Benet Hills Stuff the Truck flyer reads, Continue to be with us, God of Justice, as we work to address the inequitable systems that result in hunger in Colorado. Help us to act and truly believe that no one in our community should go hungry. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX21 News Colorado. San Luis Obispo County has plans to spend more than $1 million in state grants to prepare for offshore wind development even though the county has no authority over offshore wind-related projects themselves, according to acting county administrative officer Rebecca Campbell. Still, the funding will help the county engage with future offshore wind development, she said. We want to ensure that we have a seat at the table so we can look out for our stakeholders and community, Campbell said at the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday. In June, the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management issued leases to three companies expected to build massive floating wind farms about 20 miles off the coast of San Luis Obispo County in a 376-square-mile area of the Pacific Ocean known as the Morro Bay wind energy area. Federal and state agencies are responsible for regulating the wind farms and infrastructure that supports them, according to Campbell. The Board of Supervisors and local governments can submit comments on the projects but will not have the authority to approve or deny the projects themselves, Campbell said. During the past two years, the state issued two grants to the county to prepare for offshore wind development. State Senator John Laird worked to secure that funding for the county after county representatives advocated for more financial support to manage their response to offshore wind, according to District Director Kara Woodruff. Heres a look at how the county plans to spend those funds. The wind turbines planned off the San Luis Obispo County coast would be similar to Ocean Winds WindFloat Atlantic floating offshore wind energy project near Portugal. They are each about 688 feet tall, or about twice the height of the Statue of Liberty. State grants to help SLO County prepare for offshore wind In 2022, the state gave the county a $1 million grant to study potential locations and opportunities for infrastructure that would support the three offshore wind farms proposed near Morro Bay. Part of the grant will be allocated to a technical study that analyzes the potential for operation and maintenance facilities in Morro Bay, Port San Luis and at the Cal Poly Pier in Avila Beach, said Susan Strachan, the San Luis Obispo County Planning and Building Departments power plant decommissioning manager. These facilities could include warehouses, offices, storage yards and berths for service operation vessels and crew transfer vessels that support the offshore wind farms, according to Strachan. The idea of this study is to get into more detail about specifically what could go where, Strachan told The Tribune on Wednesday. Its the beginning of a very, very long process. On Feb. 23, Morro Bay, Port San Luis and Cal Poly submitted reports to the county explaining what they want to see in the study, according to Strachan. As of Wednesday, the county was still reviewing the reports and determining the scope and cost of the study, Strachan said. The rest of the grant will reimburse staff working in Morro Bay, Port San Luis and at the Cal Poly Pier whose jobs would be to work with the consultant managing the study, according to Strachan. The county has not decided whether or not it will give the money directly to each agency, she said. The county must commit the funds by June 30 of this year and spend them by June 30, 2026. This isnt the only grant the county won for offshore wind. In 2023, the California Natural Resources Agency gave the county $750,000 to allocate toward staffing to keep up with the states offshore wind goals. Some of this funding will be allocated to Morro Bay, Port San Luis and the Cal Poly Pier, but the details of the allocation are still being determined, Strachan said. Back in my 20s, I was a regular party smoker, sparking up on a night out with friends, or heading outside for a cheeky fag during a raucous dinner party. Smoking was part of the ritual of going out, whether it was having pre-drinks with friends or lighting up after the first pint; there was something releasing about the heady rush of the first inhale; the satisfaction of that stream of smoke that made the inevitably worse hangover of the next day worth it. I stopped after I had children and for years after, although last summer, juggling job changes and house moves, I briefly started up again (call it a midlife crisis). I came to my senses in the autumn after realising I didnt, actually, like the way smoking made me feel; I havent touched one since. Ive never bothered with vapes: sucking away on a piece of plastic has never seemed that appealing (so undignified!), so I cant compare the two, but friends whove switched to vaping can be evangelical about it, not least because they can smoke inside. The first vape I bought was at an airport, where I couldnt get cigarettes, recalls one friend. The head rush was so strong I practically had to have a lie-down afterwards. Can vaping really be less harmful than smoking? The harms associated with smoking tobacco are indisputable: more than 75,000 people a year die in the UK as a result, and two out of three smokers will die from a smoking-related disease. Doctors are almost universally reluctant to condemn vaping. Vaping is, says Prof Sanjay Agrawal, the Royal College of Physicians special adviser on tobacco, significantly less harmful than smoking, but it is still not risk-free. As with smoking, its the method by which the nicotine enters the body that causes the problem: with cigarettes, its the carbon monoxide and tar produced by the burning tobacco, while in a vape, the chemical reaction between the liquid and metal leads to the release of toxic metals including arsenic, chromium, nickel, formaldehyde and lead. Both are also very bad for your teeth. Then theres the addiction issue. The average cigarette contains around 12mg of nicotine; Elf Bars among the most commonly used disposable vapes in the UK contain 20mg of nicotine per 2ml of liquid, equating to around 40-50 cigarettes worth in fewer than 600 puffs, and while nicotine in and of itself is not hugely harmful (its a stimulant like caffeine), its highly addictive. Maybe thats partly why vape use has soared: a recent study found that from January 2021 to August 2023, the prevalence of disposable e-cigarette use grew from 0.1 per cent to 4.9 per cent of the adult population. More alarmingly, 14.4 per cent of 18- to 24-year-olds use disposable vapes, and there was a rise of 7.6 per cent in vape use in children aged 11-17, despite it being illegal to sell vapes to under-18s. While vaping is much, much safer than smoking, says Prof Nick Hopkinson of the National Heart and Lung Institute at Imperial College, he acknowledges the increased risks for young people. Its likely that chemicals in the vape over decades is going to cause lung disease, he says; and when lungs are growing and developing they are probably more vulnerable to this. There have been, he says, rare examples of chronic allergic reactions to vapes (in 2019, a patient in Illinois was admitted to hospital with unexplained illness after reported vaping and is thought to have died of injuries caused by the lungs reaction to a caustic substance), but he says one of the biggest problems with vaping is around behaviour: vapes are so addictive that the cycle of craving and reward can be incredibly disruptive. While there are years of data on the effects of smoking, that doesnt exist for vaping, so its difficult to exactly compare the long-term effects. But what do we really know about what the two actually do to your body? When you take the first puff Smoking As soon as you inhale the smoke, the cells in the lining of your lungs and the alveoli, the very fragile air sacs in your lungs, are exposed to a series of toxic chemicals, says Prof Hopkinson. These trigger inflammation and stress, activating the white blood cells. The cilia hairs in your throat that help to catch bacteria will also be damaged by the passage of the smoke, and the goblet cells scattered throughout them will start to produce mucus. Vaping The first suck triggers a battery-powered electric current to heat up a coil of thin wire which is saturated with liquid containing nicotine and other chemicals, including flavourings. The hot liquid converts to vapour which, as you inhale it, passes through the lungs to enter the bloodstream, increasing the heart rate and blood pressure; the lining of the nose and throat will also become irritated from the chemicals being inhaled. A 2019 Harvard study found that two chemicals widely used to flavour e-cigarettes might also be having an impact on the function of cilia, just as cigarettes do. In both cases, the nicotine will bind to proteins in the brain within 11 seconds, triggering the release of dopamine and serotonin, which is what gives you that head rush. And both increase your risk of lung cancer from the first puff. After a few minutes Smoking The reaction of the white blood cells will start to change the lining of the lungs, which will produce more mucus. You will also be getting a big dose of carbon monoxide at this point, which affects the delivery of oxygen to the lungs and other organs, damaging muscles and blood vessels and making you cough. The nicotine in the cigarette a mild stimulant will cause the blood vessels to constrict, and will also start to make you feel more lively. Vaping The nicotine will be kicking in properly, giving you a similar increased heart rate and blood pressure as a dose of caffeine, exercise or excitement. A 2021 American study found vapers had significantly higher heart rate, breathing frequency and mouth temperature, and significantly lower blood oxygenation levels after vaping for 20 minutes. Within half an hour of smoking both cigarettes and vapes, cells experience oxidative stress, which can cause fatigue, brain fog, muscle pain and headaches. An hour later Smoking Nicotine and carbon monoxide will remain high in the blood for up to 48 hours, says endocrinologist Dr Gareth Nye from the University of Chester. This will limit your ability to transport oxygen around the body, which limits your ability to do physical activity. The white blood cells will be trying to remove the tar particles from the cigarette and ingest them, which will effectively make them angrier or more activated. The digestive enzymes will also be activated to try to break down those particles; together, they will start to damage the lining of the lung. Vaping The body will start to metabolise the nicotine, decreasing its concentration in the bloodstream and so giving you a craving for more. After an hour or so, your body will also start to suffer endothelial cell dysfunction, stopping the large blood vessels opening properly. After a week Smoking The same thing happens every time you light up, but it takes a certain amount of exposure for chronic change to your body, although at this point youll probably start to notice changes to your teeth (which will get yellower), gums and lips (which will become inflamed) and skin (which will get drier). Some of that damage is reversible if you stop smoking, for example, the carbon monoxide within your body will be gone within 24 hours. Vaping The cardiovascular system will constantly be being altered, meaning the blood vessels will start to harden and get stiffer. After a month Smoking A month of smoking will see accumulated damage to the lungs, with airways and blood vessels accruing damage over time. The DNA damage that leads to the onset of cancer will also be kicking in at this point. Your sense of taste and smell will also be affected. Vaping Vaping consistently for a month can cause lung inflammation, due to nanoparticles from the vapour becoming embedded in the lungs; this will be worse if you use a flavoured vape. Depending on your age and when you started vaping, your alveoli will also start to become scarred. After a year Smoking Its likely youll start showing signs of gum disease, although, says dentist Dr Sam Jethwa, you cant always identify it until you have an assessment and X-rays, because you wont get the usual signs of bleeding and inflamed gums because the gums will have shrunk. You may also be experiencing a decrease in fertility and, for men, sexual performance. Vaping One study found that people who vaped for at least six months had high levels of inflammation, mouth wounds and up to a 100-fold increase in oral fungi. A paper published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine tracked vapers for three years and found they had a 1.3-times higher risk of developing respiratory disease, such as lung disease, than people who did not use any tobacco product. Stroke and cardiovascular risk increase with prolonged cigarette smoking and vaping, while nicotine can have an impact on brain development in young people. After 20 years Smoking Every organ and organ system in your body will have been damaged at this point. Youll be at increased risk of heart disease, emphysema, stroke, leukemia, asthma, pneumonia and TB, and your overall cancer risk will have increased substantially. Even if youre just a social smoker (smoking fewer than 10 cigarettes a day), a 17-year long study by Columbia University found the risk of lung cancer death is not substantially lower than for those who smoke more than 20 a day. You will also have lost bone in your jaw, so your teeth may have started to loosen and fall out. Vaping Theres no long-term data on the effects of vaping, so its difficult to quantify. The biomarkers of exposure show changes to blood vessel function and lung damage. Heavy metals that are highly present in vaping aerosols, such as chromium, copper and aluminium, are reported to disrupt several cellular processes, such as aerobic respiration, resulting in ROS [reactive oxygen species] production and oxidative stress, says Dr Nye. Away from the lungs, there is growing evidence that the metal particles [from a vape] can enter the bloodstream and lead to fundamental changes to the heart function and cardiovascular responses. Its likely your periodontal health will have been affected: vaping decreases saliva production, a known cause of cavities, and if you smoke flavoured vapes, the sugar and flavouring will also have damaged your teeth; a recent study showed vapers are around 2-2.5 times more likely to develop oral cancers than non-users. Recommended 'No smoker trying to quit will buy a disposable vape, they are entirely aimed at kids' Read more What are your concerns with vaping and/or smoking? Tell us in the comments section below 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. Of all the fashion trends to make a comeback, cigarettes were an unlikely contender. After all, its 2024. A year when you cant go 10 minutes on a night out without smelling the saccharine scent of someones neon-pink vape. A year when a packet of Marlboro Golds comes covered in photos of rotting teeth and costs 15. A year when asking someone for a lighter is less of a come-on than it is a cry for help. And yet, this is the year that smoking has officially become cool again. Thats how it seems, anyway, if you take a look at recent popular culture. Consider the catwalks at London Fashion Week earlier this month, where cigarettes were so present at shows that attendees began to wonder whether health experts had ruled that actually smoking is good for you and that Rishi Sunak had U-turned on decades of legislation banning it indoors (none of this has happened, FYI). At Edward Crutchley, models swaggered down the runway with unlit cigarettes held high in their hands, presenting them as a key accessory for autumn/winter 2024. Inspired by Greek god Dionysus, aka the god of wine and indulgence, the collection paid homage to the long-lost art of old-fashioned hedonism: all lurex jacquard and latex lace-up shorts (yes, really). But cigarettes were arguably the standout star of the show, not least because of how rare it is to see such a thing glamourised in this day and age. There was no great concept or statement behind it, Crutchley tells The Independent. I thought it would be something irreverent to lighten the mood a little. It worked: the fashion crowd gleefully held up their smartphones to document each and every cigarette for social media. Despite the lack of clear intention behind it, Crutchleys decision incidentally foreshadowed the use of cigarettes elsewhere among fashion designers. Take Sinead Gorey, whose collection, inspired by the British teenage experience, saw models stuff packs of cigarettes into the hem of their thigh-high Argyle stockings. The whole thing was coloured by a playful retrospective look at what it meant to be young in the early Noughties, with models wearing iPod nanos clipped onto their ears, wired headphones dangling onto their chests. We used custom-branded cigs to further focus on that time spent between school and the corner shop during your teenage years growing up in Britain, says Gorey. We wanted to play with styling such as stuffing bras with keys, lighters, and cig packets stuffing packets down school socks. It was a simple and humorous nod to that era most people can remember. Amid modern-day obsessions with wellness and a stealth wealth aesthetic that favours slickly clean minimalism, its an era that seems further and further away. Perhaps thats whats sparking this intrigue among designers, who are looking back on the recent past wondering how we steered so far from it in such a short period of time, and what we mightve lost along the way. Edward Crutchley featured cigarettes on the runway (Chris Yates Media) That seemed to be the case over at Aaron Esh, too. The London-born, Central Saint Martins graduates autumn/winter 2024 collection, which debuted to much fanfare among the fashion set, welcomed its guests with flutes of champagne and a crystal bowl filled with Marlboro Golds. Vogue wrote that the show evoked blurry snapshots of Kate Moss strolling home at 5am. Instantly, the image conjures up the endless tabloid photos of Moss in the early Noughties travailing the city streets, cigarette in hand, wearing the kind of midriff-baring tops and oversized Olsen-style shades found in Eshs recent collection. Its another bygone era given that the famously wild British supermodel recently enjoyed an alcohol-free 50th birthday party and has even launched her own wellness brand, Cosmoss. She is also said to smoke only occasionally nowadays. Its not just the fashion pack thats puffing away, either. This year, some of the most-talked about films are also the most smoked-about, so to speak. Throughout Christopher Nolans Oppenheimer, pegged to be named Best Picture at next months Oscars, lead actor Cillian Murphy smoked roughly 3,000 cigarettes, a figure so high that he has vowed to play a non-smoker in his next film. According to The Times, smoking featured in 137 scenes, while Wes Andersons Asteroid City included 63 appearances from cigarettes and 58 from cigars. Then there was Maestro, Bradley Coopers Leonard Bernstein biopic that sees the revered conductor smoking in practically every single shot. Finally, there was, of course, Saltburn, Emerald Fennells polarising satire of the upper classes in which almost every character is a chain-smoking caricature whose default pose is a crystal glass in one hand and a Camel Blue in the other. Fennell explained that she purposely set the film in 2006 because she wanted her characters to be smoking indoors before the nationwide ban came into place in 2007. According to research by Smokefree Media, an anti-smoking lobby group that tracks cigarette usage in films, cinemas renewed love of lighting up reflects a marked change from previous years, with the depiction of smoking on screen having fallen from 75 per cent of mainstream films to just 38 per cent last year. The proportion of films to feature smoking in 2023, however, was two per cent higher than in 2022. It was a simple and humorous nod to that era most people can remember Sinead Gorey TV is no better. HBOs The Idol featured plenty of scenes of its star Lily-Rose Depp, who smokes in real life, puffing seductively on various cigarettes from scene to scene. Elsewhere, the titular character in Netflixs hugely popular show, Griselda, is rarely seen without a cigarette dangling from her lips. And lets not even start listing the long line of celebrity smokers, many of whom are documented fastidiously on the Instagram account @Cigfluencers, which currently boasts 40,000 followers. Regulars include Charli XCX, who was recently photographed smoking a cigarette for The Face, Anya Taylor-Joy, Kaia Gerber, Maisie Williams and many, many more. So, whats going on? Because last time we checked, smoking was still the cause of around seven out of every 10 cases of lung cancer, with around 76,000 people in the UK dying from the habit each year, according to the NHS. It also damages your heart and blood circulation, and worsens symptoms of respiratory conditions. Smoking even causes erectile dysfunction. None of this has changed. And yet, the recent romanticisation of smoking on our screens and runways coincides with rising rates of smoking among young people. In January, a new study from University College London (UCL) revealed that there was a major surge in 18- to 24-year-olds in England taking up smoking during the pandemic. Before Covid, the number of people smoking overall was falling 5.2 per cent per year, but since 2020, the rate of decrease has slowed to just 0.3 per cent. The thing that unites all of these references is not the fetishisation of a habit that may or may not turn your insides to tar. Of course it isnt. Its about nostalgia and what smoking represents when we look back on the past. Think about the increasing interest in Y2K fashion and late 1990s aesthetics, for example; the lifestyle associated with these time periods is also making a triumphant return, both in our wardrobes and on social media. Even current beauty trends seem to be dictated by this era how many times have you seen an Effie from Skins makeup tutorial (think smudged kohl-rimmed eyes and pale pink pouts) on Instagram? These were times of pure, bacchanalian chaos. A somewhat utopian pre-social media age when people behaved a little more wildly and yes, most of them also smoked. So no, its not cigarettes that anyone is trying to promote or endorse. Its an obsolete era that was fun while it lasted, but for various reasons, one that does not and cannot exist today. Perhaps its only natural to want to mourn that a little. XPPen took it to X (formerly Twitter) to apologize days after being accused of using AI images for its promotional material again. The drawing tablet retailer blamed the incident on a failure in its internal review system, allowing an AI-generated image traced from an artist to be used for their Family Day post. And, we would like to provide an update on our investigation and the steps taken in response to the recent Family Day post. Additionally, we want to reaffirm our commitment to protecting artists' copyrights and emphasize our appreciation for original human art. pic.twitter.com/9tFWi2ywcM February 23, 2024 XPPen has already compensated the affected artist @walayssa in private, noting that "it was resolved in a satisfactory and friendly way." The incident was first reported last week after the original artist noted XPPen Canada's Family Day post just "mish-mashed different elements" from two of their artworks. XPPen promised to "prevent such incidents in the future" by conducting reviews of both external and internal workflow. Also Read: XPPen Accused of Using Generative AI for Promotion Material AI Images Sneak into Art Communities The incident with XPPen Canada was not the first time the digital retailer went at odds with its main customers after being found out of using AI-generated images for its promotional materials. Last year, XPPen was also caught using AI technology amidst calls against AI applications in the art community. The company quickly took down the post and assured that it had cut off all business transactions with the artist that provided them with the AI-generated image. XPPen's competitor, Wacom, also recently came under fire for featuring AI images in its New Year's marketing campaign. Wacom initially denied the accusations but later on issued an apology after a strong pushback from its customers. Related Article: Drawing App ibisPaint Removes AI Image Generator After 'Strong Response' 'AI Art' Poses Threat to Digital Artists XPPen's announcement follows after more and more artists express concerns over AI's application into the art industry as more companies are being caught using the technology for promotional materials. Several users on X have earlier accused EA of using images influenced by AI for its promotional video for Apex Legends. There was also the massive campaign of artists and players against Magic: The Gathering creator, Wizards of the Coast, for using AI images for its commemorative post. In the past few days, Wizards of the Coast was caught using AI on ad campaign pieces after saying they wouldn't. Wacom got caught as well and deleted, which is crazy considering their products, and looks like Apex Legends too. Jobs are going in real time, makes me nauseous. pic.twitter.com/EGBA1INMPZ Reid Southen (@Rahll) January 7, 2024 Many artists have already highlighted rising competition in the art market as companies start laying off their artist employees in favor of AI models. (Photo : Unsplash/ Alex Kotliarskyi ) Remote work policies highlight the importance of life beyond the office, with some companies going further with a highly sought-after four-day workweek benefit since the pandemic began. What Is a Four-Day Workweek? A four-day workweek means working 32 hours without any cut in pay or benefits, wherein employees might choose their extra day off depending on the company and the industry. The Origins of Working Fewer Days The concept of working fewer days to increase time off is not new. Ford Motor Co. and the Industrial Revolution initiated the five-day workweek in July 1926 in a few plants, which later became the standard policy across the company by September of the same year. In 1938, the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) set rules like a minimum wage of 25 cents per hour, a 44-hour workweek, and overtime pay at 1.5 times the regular rate, and reduced the workweek to 42 hours in 1939 and 40 hours in 1940. READ ALSO: Workplace Revolution: 75% of U.S. Employees Believe Four-Day Workweek Could Boost Productivity Companies Adapting to Four-Day Workweek Amazon While not every Amazon employee has a four-day workweek, the e-commerce giant has increasingly offered it. From October 2021 to March 2022, nearly one-third of Amazon job listings mentioned this perk, showing a rising trend in the business world. Basecamp Basecamp had gone beyond a four-day workweek with summer weeks since 2008 when they switched to a four-day workweek from May 1st to August 31st every single year. BigLaw Several BigLaw firms, like Davis Polk & Wardwell, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, and Weil, Gotshal & Manges, switched to a four-day workweek in the summer of 2023. Employees now work only Monday to Thursday, with Fridays off, while still getting regular pay. Bolt In 2021, Bolt Financial tried the four-day workweek for three months, which was a hit. So, from January 1st, 2022, they made it permanent for all staff. According to an interview with its founder, Bolt lets employees choose their work hours but sets aside four days a week for collaboration, ensuring meetings do not ruin perfect Fridays. Buffer Buffer, known for its innovative approaches, tested the four-day workweek in May 2020, with 91% of employees reporting increased happiness and productivity in a survey. Now, social media management companies have fully adopted this policy. CARFAX CARFAX offers its employees the option of a 4-day work week during the summer, providing a full 32-hour work week instead of extending hours from Monday to Thursday. Ecosia Ecosia, a unique search engine that uses ad revenue to plant trees and has planted 150 million so far, also offers employees a 4-day work week and remote work options, which grants participating employees 80% of their salary. Forbes Advisor Forbes Advisor, part of the American business magazine Forbes, offers financial advice. While not fully adopting the 4-day work week, employees enjoy every 3rd Friday off, granting twelve long weekends yearly. Kickstarter Kickstarter, the fundraising company, has been implementing the four-day workweek for months, yielding excellent results. Like many companies, Kickstarter initially tested the policy before fully adopting it. They were surprised by the positive impact on productivity, which was attributed to staff finding more efficient work methods. KRUSS The 4-day workweek trend is global. A German company, a top supplier of measuring instruments, has adopted nine hours a day for four days, totaling 36 hours per week. Lamborghini Luxury car maker Lamborghini made headlines in December 2023 by introducing a groundbreaking four-day workweek for its European automotive production staff, offering the same pay. Microsoft Even major companies like Microsoft cannot ignore the productivity boosts during four-day work weeks. Microsoft Japan tested this in 2019 and saw a remarkable 40% increase in productivity. While U.S. offices have not adopted it yet, it is likely just a matter of time before more businesses recognize the benefits of a four-day workweek. Panasonic Like Microsoft, Panasonic also tried the four-day workweek in its Japan offices. While the results were great, the main focus was not on the company's profits but on its employees' long-term health and well-being. Samsung The South Korean tech giant is considering implementing a 4-day work week with conditions where employees will only have the opportunity to work a 4-day week once a month and must ensure they fulfill their monthly working hours. This cautious approach suggests that Samsung is gradually exploring the concept, but there is hope it may expand. ThredUp ThredUP initially implemented the four-day workweek as a trial to assess its effectiveness. Not only did it enhance productivity, but CEO James Reinhart also mentioned that it aided in attracting top talent, as over half of recruits cited the four-day workweek as a significant factor in their decision to join the company. Toshiba While Toshiba allows employees to complete a 40-hour workweek, it maximizes enjoyment during holiday weekends. RELATED ARTICLE: Lamborghini Shift Gears, Implements Four-Day Workweek for Staff Without Reducing Wages 2017 Jobs & Hire All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Heartthrob takes on North Korean defector role in new Netflix movie By Lee Gyu-lee Actor Song Joong-ki is returning to Netflix with the new original movie "My Name Is Loh Kiwan," where he will portray the titular character. This comes three years after his appearance in the platform's sci-fi blockbuster "Space Sweepers." The melodrama, adapted from Cho Hae-jins novel I Met Loh Kiwan (2011), centers on a North Korean defector named Loh Ki-wan (Song), who arrives penniless in Belgium, seeking to obtain refugee status. As Loh struggles to survive in the foreign land, he meets a woman named Mari (Choi Sung-eun), who has lost all hope. Despite their initial bitter encounter, the two characters gradually grow closer, bringing unexpected changes to each others desolate lives. 'My Name Is Loh Kiwan depicts the life of Ki-wan, who embarks on a journey to Belgium with the last glimmer of hope in his life when he feels completely cut off. The film captures his arduous journey as he struggles to survive in Belgium at any cost, Song said during a press conference for the film at Hotel Naru Seoul MGallery Ambassador in Mapo District, western Seoul, Tuesday. Within that (journey), a lot happens and he experiences healing. So I would like to describe our work as a healing movie. The film, set to premiere on the platform on March 1, marks the feature directorial debut of newcomer Kim Hee-jin. Initially joining the project as the scriptwriter, the director revealed that she envisioned Song in the lead role right from the script's inception. I initially joined the project as the writer, and later, I was given the opportunity to adapt it into a film and direct it. I really enjoyed the original novel and felt it was a very good opportunity to debut with such a beautiful movie, the director said. I wrote this piece, thinking of Song. I saw Loh as someone with a resilient spirit, like a blooming flower in a mud puddle. Throughout his extensive career as an actor, Song has portrayed a diverse range of characters, but there's a facet of him that shines uniquely in our work. He can evoke sympathy, prompting viewers to want to embrace him, yet at times, he can also send chills down your spine, leaving you transfixed. It's these multifaceted performances that will captivate the audience." Song revealed that he had initially turned down the film, but eventually was drawn to its refreshing plot. When I received the script about six or seven years ago, I declined it... I couldn't connect with the story at first. However, as time passed, I found myself troubled by the fact that the production hadn't materialized yet, as it was indeed a remarkable piece, he said. In a way, I felt a sense of regret. When I received the script again while filming Reborn Rich, it felt like fate. The story resonated with me deeply and felt both poignant and refreshingly original. He added that his first attempt at acting in the North Korean dialect was a satisfying experience. As an actor, it was a challenge I had long wanted to take on. I accepted the role because I personally sought to push my boundaries and explore new territory. Starting as soon as April 22, the Supreme Court has agreed to hear arguments pertaining to Donald Trump's claim that he is immune from prosecution on charges of plotting to overturn the 2020 election, putting a pause on his fits and starts federal trial until they've reached their decision on the matter. According to The New York Times, the brief order said the court will decide this question: Whether and if so to what extent does a former president enjoy presidential immunity from criminal prosecution for conduct alleged to involve official acts during his tenure in office. As the outlet points out, the Supreme Court's response to Trump's bid for delay has some urgency behind it as the ending resolution will determine whether or not, or how soon, a trial or lack thereof will help or hinder the re-election he's campaigning towards. In a statement made to Truth Social shortly after news broke of the latest delay, Trump writes, "Legal Scholars are extremely thankful for the Supreme Courts Decision today to take up Presidential Immunity. Without Presidential Immunity, a President will not be able to properly function, or make decisions, in the best interest of the United States of America. Presidents will always be concerned, and even paralyzed, by the prospect of wrongful prosecution and retaliation after they leave office. This could actually lead to the extortion and blackmail of a President. The other side would say, 'If you dont do something, just the way we want it, we are going to go after you when you leave office, or perhaps even sooner.'" "A President has to be free to determine what is right for our Country without undue pressure," Trump furthers. "If there is no Immunity, the Presidency, as we know it, will 'no longer exist.' Many actions for the benefit of our Country will not be taken. This is in no way what the Founders had in mind. Legal Experts and Scholars have stated that the President must have Full Presidential Immunity. A President must be free to make proper decisions. His mind must be clear, and he must not be guided by the fear of retribution!" Andrew Weissmann, Co-host of MSNBC podcast "Prosecuting Donald Trump, commented on the news saying, "Every day of delay operates as granting Trump de facto immunity." "Why on god's green earth did the S Ct not take the case earlier when the Special Counsel sought review directly from the District Court? They have really played into Trump's hands," he furthers in a post to X (formerly Twitter.) The Supreme Court has all but guaranteed that Donald Trump will not face trial for his efforts to subvert the 2020 election before this Novembers presidential election. On Wednesday, after more than two weeks delay, the court issued an order refusing to lift the stay thats preventing the Jan. 6 trial, prosecuted by special counsel Jack Smith, from moving forward. Instead, the court took up the case, scheduling oral arguments for the week of April 22nearly two months from now. On this timeline, the justices will probably issue a decision near the end of June. That punt gives Trump exactly what he wanted: an extended pause that will make it impossible for Judge Tanya Chutkan to hold a trial in time for the upcoming election. If Trump wins that election, of course, he will ensure that his Justice Department halts the prosecution and dissolves the charges against him. Which means that SCOTUS has awarded him a powerful incentive to beat Joe Biden by any means necessary, and a good reason to hope that he can evade accountability for Jan. 6. It is hard to overstate the frivolousness of Trumps legal argument in this case. The former president claims that he has absolute immunity from prosecution for acts he took while in office, including his efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Those efforts included an alleged criminal conspiracy to nullify the outcome in multiple swing states, as well as personal participation in the pressure campaign against Congress that culminated in the violent attack on the Capitol. A cross-ideological panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit rejected this theory of total immunity because it is nowhere to be found in the Constitution, or the nations historical traditions. You can search the Constitution high and low for Trumps theory of immunity without finding even a hint that it exists, because it does not exist. It has never existed. The former presidents lawyers know that. They made it up out of whole cloth for one purpose: They realized that, by raising a claim of immunity, Trump could halt all proceedings at the trial court until he exhausted his appeals, at which point he would be far closer to winning back the presidency. After the D.C. Circuits ruling, then, the biggest question was whether SCOTUS would even entertain this obvious delay tactic. Trump sought a stay from the high court on Feb. 12. The government, through special counsel Jack Smith, urged the justices to simply deny the stayor, in the alternative, to take up the case on a superexpedited schedule, with oral arguments on March 4. The Supreme Court responded to these requests by doing nothing. For more than two weeks. It just sat on the case. This extended silence raised speculation that a majority had voted to deny the stay and a few conservatives, like Justice Samuel Alito, were writing angry dissents. But now it seems the court really was just doing nothing, because SCOTUS could have issued Wednesdays (short!) order at any point since Feb. 12. There is no reason it should have taken so long. Its hard not to speculate that a majority was seeking to abet Trumps plot to run out the clock. If so, theyre succeeding. Rather than hold arguments in March, the court will hear the case toward the end of April. Some context: When the Colorado Supreme Court blocked Trump from the ballot, the court scheduled arguments much sooner, giving the parties a bit more than a month. And when, as president, Trump himself saw his agenda stymied in the lower courts, SCOTUS stepped in again and again with emergency orders in his favor. It seems that an emergency is only an emergency in need of speedy resolution when it requires Supreme Court intervention to help Donald Trump. Playing out the next few months paints a bleak picture. By tradition, the court waits until the dissenters are finished with their opinions before handing down a decision. So even if a majority rules against Trump, and finishes its work quickly, a single dissenter like Alito can hold up the opinion until the end of June. It will take several more months to prepare for trial, and the Justice Department has a policy of avoiding any action that could affect the outcome of a race within 60 days of Election Day. So heres how that all boils down: In the absolute best-case scenario, both parties might be ready for trial by the fall. At that point, though, Jack Smith will bump straight into the Justice Departments 60-day rule, and presumably postpone the trial until after November. Moreover, the trial itself will likely take a few months. It is now basically impossible to conceive of the trial concluding, and the jury rendering a verdict, before the election. Even in light of this Supreme Courts hard-right lean, Wednesdays order is stunning: a massive gift to Trump that can only be seen as a partisan bid to help him avoid a conviction for his attempt to subvert American democracy. There is no other plausible reason for the justices to sit on his petition for so long, or to schedule arguments so far in the future. Maybe the court could have justified hearing the case very quickly, not because it presents a difficult legal issue (it does not) but because it has clear national importance (and therefore should be ruled on by the highest court). But the court didnt take that route. Rather, it played this exactly how Trump wanted. Its chosen course of action should set off very loud alarm bells. The court is evidently willing to run interference for Trumpwho, after all, appointed three members of the conservative majority that is surely behind this delay tactic. The justices could have used this moment to prove their independence, which might have had the salutary side effect of shoring up their rock-bottom approval ratings. They decided instead to let Trump wield the Supreme Court as a weapon against Jack Smiths prosecution. In a choice between integrity and cynical partisan loyalty, a majority picked the latter. Wednesdays move is a harrowing indication that the court will gladly twist the rules to help Trump win reelection and evade accountability. It is a harrowing omen that the Supreme Court cannot be trusted to protect our democracy from Trumps malignant assault. A lot of things happened. Here are some of the things. This is TPMs Morning Memo. Sign up for the email version. Time Keeps On Slipping Into The Future The Supreme Court decision to take up Donald Trumps claim that the president is immune from criminal prosecution is not in and of itself surprising, shocking, or dismaying. But a few things have happened along the way that made the reaction to its order late yesterday more emotionally weighted than it might otherwise have been. And they all have to do with timing. First, way back on Dec. 22, 2023, the Supreme Court declined to bypass the appeals court and take the case directly, as Special Counsel Jack Smith had asked. Second, after the appeals court ruled and the parties submitted their filings on whether the Supreme Court should now take it up, the high court sat on the case for an two additional weeks before deciding to take it. The combination of those two decisions not taking the case in December and not quickly taking the case more recently let precious weeks slip by that make it increasingly difficult to squeeze in the trial of Donald Trump for using the powers of his office to cheat to win in 2020 before he faces voters again in 2024. Difficult but not impossible. Is the six-justice conservative majority on the Supreme Court engaged in slow-rolling the prosecution of Donald Trump as a partisan and ideological exercise in protecting one of their own? I cant rule it out, but on balance I think the answer is probably no. But its hard to be conclusive because the way this is playing out, slowly over an extended period of time, makes it hard to pinpoint exactly what is happening and what the intent is. If I were trying to do such a thing, I likewise would be attempting to do it in a way that obscured my motive and made it seem like a function of procedural necessities. I still lean more toward there being a lack of appreciation for the stakes, for the consequences of delay, and for the gravity of the historical moment that has plagued the reaction to Trump since 2015 across all sectors of society. Now its the judiciarys turn to slowly awaken to the existential threat. Its maddening, to be sure. Its not a satisfying analysis. Its inexcusable. But here we are. What did surprise me a little yesterday was the informed reaction to the Supreme Court decision. People were more shocked than I expected. I suspect thats because the second delay I mentioned above had raised expectations among observers that the court was going to decline to take the case and let the DC Circuit Appeals Court decision against Trump stand, and that the dissenters were being given time to pen their dissents. That would have been a reasonable tradeoff. Instead, we got the delay in deciding plus the additional delay of the Supreme Court now asking for briefs and hearing oral arguments and penning a monumental decision. I still cant let myself entertain a scenario in which the Supreme Court finds the president immune from prosecution for the things that Trump did. It would eviscerate the rule of law, turn a Constitution written in no small part as a reaction to monarchial tyranny on its ear, and put the president on an elevated footing compared to the other two branches. So if Im correct that even this court wont go that far, we are left with counting the days until the November election and wishing, hoping, and praying that the courts leave themselves enough time to do what the courts are supposed to do. They are cutting it exceedingly close. Trump Disqualified From Illinois Ballot A state judge in Chicago has barred Donald Trump from appearing on the GOP primary ballot in Illinois under the Constitutions Disqualification Clause, but she stayed her ruling pending his appeal. The Supreme Court is expected to rule at any time on a similar case out of Colorado. Show Me Da Money A New York appeals judge rejected Donald Trumps bid to post a mere $100 million bond to forestall execution of the massive $454 million penalty against him from his civil fraud case. Trump will get another bite at the apple next month before state Attorney General Letitia James is expected to begin trying to collect on the judgment. Trump Prosecution Miscellany The full 11th Circuit Court of Appeals declined to rehear Trump White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows case for removal of the Georgia RICO case to federal court. In DC bar proceedings against former Trump DOJ official Jeff Clark, the DC Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday blocked a subpoena by DC bar authorities of Clark as a violation of his Fifth Amendment right not to have testify against himself. In the same proceedings against Clark, a DC bar committee on Wednesday said it will allow over his objection testimony of high-level Trump administration figures, including former acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen, his deputy Richard Donoghue and former White House deputy counsel Patrick Philbin. McConnells Legacy Facing personal health setbacks and a party taken over by Donald Trump, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnells long run is coming to an end: McConnell gets emotional: "One of life's most underappreciated talents to know when it's time to move on to life's next chapter father time remains undefeated." pic.twitter.com/j6hcgOAODb Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 28, 2024 McConnell will remain as leader until Republicans pick a new one after the November election, and he will serve out the remainder of his Senate term, which ends in 2027. Ill have more to say on McConnell in the coming days. I dont go for the hagiographic treatment that so often accompanies the changing of the guard. Letting bygones be bygones is probably essential to getting things done in politics, but thats not the role of the press. There are few things that were commendable about McConnells years of public service, but he was a central figure of the last two decades in American politics. More to the point, McConnell was the architect of the anti-majoritarian, rump factionalism that came to define the GOP after Obama was first elected. Quote Of The Day Believe me, I know the politics within my party at this particular moment in time. I have many faults misunderstanding politics is not one of them. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, announcing that he will step down as leader Excellent Point My former colleague Cameron Joseph observes of McConnells stepping down: If Trump wins in 2024, there will be almost no Republicans left in positions of power who are willing and able to stand up to him on anything significant. This is a major moment. GOP-Driven Shutdown Probably Avoided For Now A deal was reached to avert a government shutdown this weekend, but it will again require a heap of Democratic votes for Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) to get it through the House, where a vote is expected this afternoon. Senate Republicans Block Bill To Protect IVF Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) refused to give unanimous consent to quick passage of a Democratic-sponsored bill to protect access to IVF treatment. The IVF Ruling Is About Who Gets To Raise Your Children Dahlia Lithwick: What we witnessed in Alabama wasnt simply a continuation of a decadeslong fundamentalist religious project to conscript women into having babies, whether they wish to or not. Our imaginations must expand to see this as of a piece with an older and more pernicious American tradition in which the state decides who gets to raise your children, regardless of your preferencesbecause your own family is not actually in your control, but subject to the states seizure and redistribution to those who might raise them better than you will. Our Theocratic Future Linda Greenhouse: I never thought Id be grateful to the Alabama Supreme Court for anything, but now I am. With its decision deeming frozen embryos to be children under state law, that all-Republican court has done the impossible. It has awakened the American public, finally, to the peril of the theocratic future toward which the country has been hurtling. Do you like Morning Memo? Let us know! The Supreme Court has agreed to take up rule on whether Donald Trump is immune from prosecution in the Justice Departments election interference case. The decision means a high-profile trial will be further delayed, possibly for multiple months if it even takes place at all. The court will begin hearing oral arguments on April 22. The Justice Department indicted Trump last August over his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. The former president has spent recent months trying to get the case thrown out, arguing he is immune because he was president at the time. The D.C. Federal Court of Appeals unanimously struck down Trumps claim earlier this month. Former President Trump lacked any lawful discretionary authority to defy federal criminal law and he is answerable in court for his conduct, the judges wrote. Trump appealed to the Supreme Court, but it was unclear until Wednesday whether the the justices would actually take up the case. Trump nominated three of them Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney-Barrett while he was president, giving conservatives a 6-3 majority. It was this court that overturned Roe v. Wade in the summer of 2022. Trump, the expected Republican nominee for president this year, has been running on the idea that presidents should be totally above the law. He wrote earlier this month on Truth Social that the United States would be over as we know it if presidents are not afforded the right to commit crimes while in office. If a President does not have Immunity, the Opposing Party, during his/her term in Office, can extort and blackmail the President by saying that, if you dont give us everything we want, we will Indict you for things you did while in Office, even if everything done was totally Legal and Appropriate, he wrote, adding that Obama, Bush, and soon, Crooked Joe Biden, would all be in PRISON. Protect Presidential Immunity. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN! The immunity Trump wants applies to everything. He wrote on Truth Social that it should apply to acts that cross the line, and during arguments before the D.C. Federal Court of Appeals in January his lawyers argued that a president should be immune from prosecution even if they were to have their political rivals assassinated. Rolling Stone reported in 2022 that has told his team that he needs to win the presidency again in order to stay out of prison. More from Rolling Stone Best of Rolling Stone By Yi Whan-woo Kim Dong-young, chairman of the Global Real Estate Association of Seoul (GRAS), is certainly a trustworthy person for foreign nationals to ask for help when they are new to Korea and want to buy a home in the nations capital. Kim, 68, has been in the real estate business for more than 10 years after retiring as the head of a branch office at NH NongHyup Bank, one of the countrys five major lenders. He got interested in offering services exclusively for foreign clients as he developed his career, amid a faster influx of foreign nationals whose number reached a record 1.43 million in 2023. He obtained a realtor's license in 2016, seven years after the Seoul Metropolitan Government began to nurture qualified real estate agents specialized in housing transactions for a range of foreign nationals. And I had a bigger vision to serve foreign clients as the world has been getting smaller and people are moving freely to live in other countries, Kim told The Korea Times this week. He correspondingly has been chairing GRAS, which consists of the aforementioned real estate agents, since July 2021. Recognized by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the association began as a group of 20 real estate businesses but is now large enough to be divided into eight groups of firms by regions in Seoul. It also has guest members from Busan and Ulsan. Offering quality services for would-be homeowners from abroad is crucial, as many of them otherwise will struggle with paperwork, including financial documents, and housing policies, Kim said. The list of certified real estate agents is available on the GRAS website. Each agent can speak English or other foreign languages, being able to sufficiently explain tricky terms and conditions to clients from corresponding countries. For instance, Kim can speak English, Chinese and Japanese. He pointed out that getting acquainted with the preferences of clients according to their nationality is also key to running a successful business. According to Kim, Americans tend to search for a spacious home, no matter whether it is old or new. Cleanliness is a priority for Japanese would-be homebuyers, while Singaporeans are keen on room layout and space for furniture. French opt to live at Seorae Village, a neighborhood in Seouls Seocho District that has housed a French community for decades. Kim expressed hope to expand the GRAS equivalent to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the largest group of U.S. real estate agents representing 1.5 million members. He explained that his association is closely working with NAR. Among the recent activities were a meeting between the two sides in Seoul in June 2023 and Kims attendance at a NAR-hosted conference in Anaheim, Calif., in November. Alex Villafana, part of the electrical program at MATC, walks toward the MATC Student Center on Feb. 28. The college recently surveyed staff, students, faculty and community members about what they want to see in the next college president. Milwaukee Area Technical College staff, students and faculty call it a "life-saver for many," "a diamond in the rough" and "catalyst for personal change for those who have big dreams." Those comments were part of an online survey about the ideal candidate to be chosen this spring as the college's new president. Obtained through a public records request, survey comments point to a desire on campus to increase student enrollment, better support staff and faculty and better leverage the college's ability to make an impact in Milwaukee. MATC received 51 responses to the survey as part of the public input process for the presidential search. It also held 38 public listening sessions this winter, either on campus or virtually. Ninety people attended, MATC District Board Chair Mark Foley said via email. Working with Greenwood Asher & Associates Executive Search, the college has already released a job description for the presidential role. So far it has received 34 applications, Foley said. The deadline is March 5 to submit applications "for best consideration," he said. The goal is to select a president this spring so they can begin the job by July 1. Here are some key takeaways from the survey. Increasing student enrollment, retention repeatedly referenced in survey of MATC campus Seven people said increasing enrollment is a key challenge for MATC and a task the new president will need to be prepared to address. MATC's headcount enrollment, or the number of individual students enrolled no matter their credit load, fell 21% between 2014-15 and 2022-23, acording to data from the Wisconsin Technical College System. The college's enrollment decline fits with the trend among the 16 institutions in the public technical college system. Overall, headcount enrollment has fallen by more than one third across the Wisconsin technical college system about 36% since fall 1992. Comments suggested a need to improve relationships between administrators and employees Improvements in the relationship between administators, staff and faculty recurrently surfaced within the survey data. "Bring staff together as an MATC family that can depend on each other," a staff member wrote in response to a question about what the new president needs to address. "That has fallen by the wayside, particularly since Covid. Staff can no longer depend on other departments to work together to support our students. Only as a connected workforce, can we effectively serve the many and diverse needs of our students." A different comment said morale is low among staff, and pointed to "frustration of students at the bureaucracy in the instution." "There are a lot of passionate people in this college, but you can't know it from just meeting the high $ areas and donors," a faculty member wrote. "You need to be in the college and have a sense for the wins and challenges from the ground level up." For a college of 29,000 students, 51 people responded to public input survey Faculty and staff submitted the bulk of those 51 survey responses, or 59%. Four of the nine members of the MATC District Board replied. Via email, board Chair Mark Foley said the overall amount of public input is "something GA&A (the search firm) would consider healthy." "Our goal was to create as many opportunities for feedback as we reasonably could, erring on the side of more sessions rather than fewer to accommodate peoples schedules and preferences for how they would prefer to give input. The number of sessions was more than would be typical, in GA&As experience," Foley said via email. Survey: Diversity of student body should be seen as key to role of MATC president Survey respondents repeatedly pointed to the diversity of MATC's student body as a factor the next president should not just be aware of, but be ready to embrace. "The challenge is overseeing an incredibly diverse student body in terms of personal experiences, age, race, occupational goals, life goals. But I think it's an opportunity to get creative in meeting the needs and develop support systems for all students," a student wrote. MATC's student population is made up of mostly part-time students with an average age of 29 and 56% identifying as a person of color. Two in five, or 40% receive either need-based financial assistance or have an income at or below the federal poverty level, according to WTCS data. The college also draws people with a broad range of career goals, given that it has more than 180 academic programs. Those programs are not just focused on traditional two-year degrees, but also include community education programs like those for people learning English as a second language or adults finishing a high school diploma. "MATC plays a strong and critical role in SE Wisconsin and the state. The President role is an excellent opportunity to make a difference in the largest most diverse city in WI. Opportunity abounds," a community member wrote. Cleo Krejci covers higher education, vocational training and retraining as a Report For America corps member based at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Contact her at CKrejci@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @_CleoKrejci. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Key topics emerge in survey about priorities for next MATC president DENVER (KDVR) After more than a week, a suspect is back in custody after fleeing from the back of a patrol car while handcuffed, said the Douglas County Sheriffs Office. Alexander Reighart, 29, allegedly ran from deputies after he was detained for outstanding felony warrants for financial crimes and drug violations on Feb. 20 in the area of U.S. 85 and Town Center Drive. On Thursday, the sheriffs office confirmed Reighart was back in custody. He was located in Denver without incident thanks to assistance from the Denver Police Department and Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force. FOX31 Newsletters: Sign up to get breaking news sent to your inbox Although we know this manhunt should not have been necessary, I applaud the perseverance of our detectives and our partners at the Denver Police Department and the Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Fugitive Task Force to get Reighart back into custody where he belongs,' said Sheriff Darren Weekly. Reighart is facing charges of escape and possession of drugs and is being held on several felony warrants. He is currently booked into the Douglas County Jail. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver. Sweden's Prime Minister, Ulf Kristersson, has downplayed Russia's warnings about taking "military-technical measures" against Sweden's move to join NATO, labeling such threats as anticipated, Swedish news outlet Aftonbladet reported on Feb. 28. "This is a rerun of the reactions we saw when Finland entered NATO," Kristersson said, noting the sovereignty of Sweden and Finland in making their security decisions. "We're ready, well-prepared, and keeping an eye on their moves." Read also: Turkish parliament to vote on Sweden's NATO entry this week report Russia would initiate "political and military countermeasures" in response to what it sees as threats to its national security, the Russian embassy announced on Feb. 27. Sweden has cleared the last hurdle in its bid to join NATO, Bloomberg reported. The breakthrough came after Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson's visit to Budapest last week, which resulted in Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban endorsing Sweden's NATO bid. The agreement included a deal for Sweden to supply the Hungarian Air Force with Gripen fighters, among other deals. Sweden's entry into NATO awaits the formal deposit of ratification documents with the US State Department and an invitation from NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg to join the North Atlantic Treaty. It's a significant shift for Sweden, which has maintained a stance of neutrality for over two centuries to avoid war engagements. Read also: Sweden considers Gripen jet supply to Ukraine pending NATO membership Sweden might provide Ukraine with Gripen fighters, once countrie's NATO membership application is approved, Defense Minister Pal Jonson previously stated. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan approved the law ratifying Sweden's NATO membership on Jan. 25. Sweden and Finland simultaneously applied for NATO membership in May 2022, amid Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine. Finland officially joined NATO on April 4, 2023, becoming the 31st member of the North Atlantic Alliance. 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 Ulf Kristersson, Prime Minister of Sweden, has commented on Russia's intentions to take "military and technical measures" in response to the country's imminent entry into NATO. Source: European Pravda, citing Kristersson in an interview with Swedish news agency On 27 February, the Russian Embassy in Stockholm released a lengthy statement commenting on the approval of Sweden's accession by all Alliance members. In it, Russia expresses its indignation at the decision of the Swedish government to abandon neutrality and mentions a series of historical figures who had previously opposed this decision ("forgetting" that Moscow's full-scale aggression against Ukraine prompted Sweden's decision). The essence of the response from Russian diplomats is outlined in the last two paragraphs, where they promise, on behalf of the Russian Federation, to "take countermeasures of a political and military nature to minimise threats to their national security." "Their [the countermeasures ed.] specific content will depend on the conditions and degree of Sweden's integration into NATO, including possible deployment of Alliance troops, ammunition, and armaments in this country," they concluded. Swedish PM Kristersson, commenting on this statement, called the Russian embassy's response expected. "It was the same when Finland joined NATO. It is well known that Russia does not like the fact that both Sweden and Finland will become NATO members, but it is up to us to decide," he added. Kristersson noted that Sweden is already experiencing cyberattacks and attempts at influence from Russia, but he added that the authorities are prepared, and they can see what the Russians are doing. As reported, Sweden's final acquisition of NATO membership is once again being artificially delayed because Hungary has not yet sent its ratification document to Washington, explaining this delay as being due to the presidential elections in their country. Support UP or become our patron! Yes or No, the Swiss will be voting on Sunday in a referendum on pension and retirement age initiatives (Fabrice COFFRINI) The Swiss will vote Sunday on two initiatives aimed at reshaping pensioners' lives in diametrically different ways, with one seeking to boost pension payments, the other to hike the retirement age. Swiss trade unions have put forward a proposal to add an additional monthly social security payment to help pensioners keep up with rising costs in the wealthy Alpine nation. That initiative, entitled "Better living in retirement" calls for a 13th monthly pension payment each year, similar to the additional 13th monthly salary many employees receive in Switzerland. Opinion polls indicate that a majority of Swiss voters favour the initiative, although the "yes" side's lead appears to be shrinking and it remains unclear if it will pass. Monthly social security payments in Switzerland can rise to 2,450 Swiss francs ($2,780) for individuals and 3,675 francs for married couples. It may sound like a lot, but the payments do not go far in a country consistently ranked among the most expensive in the world. Rent for a typical two-bedroom apartment in Swiss cities is at least 3,000 francs, and a coffee costs upwards of five francs. If the Swiss do greenlight the shift, they would not be the first in Europe -- neighbouring Liechtenstein, another pricey nation which uses the Swiss franc, has had a similar system in place for years. - Cost of living 'soaring' - "There is a purchasing power crisis," said Pierre-Yves Maillard, head of the Swiss Trade Union Federation (SGB) and part of the "yes" campaign. "Retirees are seeing their living standards erode," he told AFP. Jakob Hauri, a retiree quoted by the campaign, agreed. "The cost of living just keeps soaring," he said, lamenting that social security "is supposed to guarantee the minimum for living, but it no longer does". Left-leaning parties support the initiative, but it is being fiercely fought by right-wing and centrist parties, and the Swiss government and parliament officially opposes it. The government said the measure would cost more than four billion Swiss francs a year, warning it would require tax hikes and could threaten the financial stability of the social security system. "If the initiative passes, a lot of retirees will receive a 13th social security payment even though they don't really need it," it warned. - 'Irresponsible' - For the hard-right Swiss People's Party the "irresponsible" initiative will allow freeloaders to deplete the social security system. Switzerland's largest party has been striving to drum up opposition with adverts, including one showing 100-franc-notes being sucked down a drain. That campaign seems to have had an effect. In the latest survey carried out by gfs.bern for public broadcaster SSR, 53 percent of respondents said they backed the initiative, while 43 percent opposed it. That compares to 61 percent backing in a similar poll less than a month earlier. It is also appearing increasingly uncertain whether the initiative will garner the double-majority needed to pass, by winning both the popular vote and a majority in most of Switzerland's 26 cantons. "We are hopeful," Maillard said. - Hike retirement age, again? - Switzerland's direct democracy system will also tackle on Sunday a call from the youth branch of the right-wing Liberal Party, demanding that the retirement age be gradually raised from 65 to 66 over the next decade to ensure full financing of the pension system. That vote comes less than two years after Swiss voters narrowly opted to raise the retirement age for women from 64 to 65, to match the retirement age for men. But the initiative appears dead in the water. Latest surveys indicate only 35 percent of those questioned favour such a move, while 63 percent oppose it. nl/rjm/bp Ukrainian forces held back a Russian attack on the outskirts of the front-line village of Orlivka in Donetsk Oblast, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi reported on Feb. 29, following a visit to the front line. Ukrainian forces withdrew from the village of Lastochkyne near the recently captured Avdiivka in Donetsk Oblast on Feb. 26 and set up defenses near neighboring settlements, including Orlivka, to prevent further Russian advances westwards. Syrskyi described the situation at the front line in Donetsk Oblast as "difficult," with Russian troops continuing to conduct offensives "in many directions of the front." The situation is "particularly tense" in the villages that Ukrainian forces withdrew to after Russia captured Avdiivka. Syrskyi said he noted the "courage, resilience, and heroism" of the 3rd Assault Brigade and 25th Separate Airborne Brigades, which held back the Russian offensive at Orlivka "with bold and decisive actions." Syrksyi also said that during his visit, he took measures to correct "certain miscalculations" commanders had made that "directly affected the stability of the defense in certain areas." "I took all measures to correct the situation on the spot, with the allocation of an additional resource of ammunition and material means, as well as the necessary reserves," Syrskyi said. Ukrainian forces withdrew from the small industrial city of Avdiivka in Donetsk Oblast on Feb. 17 amid ammunition shortages after months of repelling Russia's renewed offensive. Ukrainian forces then withdrew from the villages of Stepove and Severne near Avdiivka on Feb. 27, north of Lastochkyne. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. A female presenter for TOLOnews covers her face during a live broadcast at Tolo TV station in Kabul (AFP via Getty Images) The Taliban will ban women media workers in Kabul if they fail to adhere to a modest dress code which includes face veils, said an independent media body that operates in Afghanistan. Abdul Ghaffar Farooq, Talibans spokesperson for the Ministry of the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, suggested that media representatives adhere to a modest dress code, showing images of women in black attire and veils with their faces mostly covered, leaving only their eyes visible, the Afghanistans Journalists Centre said in a statement on Wednesday. News channels in Kabul should avoid interviews with Afghan women who do not adhere to the hijab or fully cover their faces, the spokesperson suggested. The meeting was attended by officials from the hardline Islamist regime, including the minister of the promotion of virtue and prevention of vice, Mohammad Khaled Hanafi, and other media representatives, AFCJ said. Any failure to comply with these unofficial guidelines will lead to a potential prohibition of women working in the media by the Talibans supreme leader Hebatullah Akhundzada, the AFCJ said, citing Mr Hanafi. AFJC has expressed concern over the state of the media in the country and the potential repercussions of banning women from working in the media, who already face significant restrictions in their work, the organisation said, warning that the move can lead to another ban on women working in Afghanistans public domains. The independent organisation monitoring press freedom in the Taliban-ruled country said it is deeply concerned about the state of the media in the country and cautions against the potential issuance of an order that would prohibit women from working in the media. It pointed out how the countrys media professionals are struggling with already existing stringent work conditions. Taliban authorities should revoke its guidelines on media and allow journalists the freedom to exercise their rights, the AFJC said. Journalists in the Taliban-ruled Afghanistan have faced massive clampdown on their freedom to report on the country as they continue to operate under several directives by the group. Some of these directives target women directly and prohibit them from working in national radio and television, and a larger ban on womens voices and phone calls from being broadcast in certain provinces. Shortly after taking over Kabul, the Taliban released a set of restrictions on Afghan media, including banning television dramas that included female actors and ordering women news presenters to wear Islamic hijab. Some edicts were targeted specifically at women, a move likely to raise concerns among the international community. Those dramas...or programmes in which women have acted, should not be aired, the rules said, adding that female journalists on air should wear Islamic hijab without defining what that meant. Though most women in Afghanistan wear headscarves in public, the Talibans statements that women should wear Islamic hijab have often in the past worried womens rights activists who say the term is vague and could be interpreted conservatively. In the 1890s, a trip to the seaside was a grand occasion, and towns around the Coastal Bend built showcase hotels to attract the vacationers. Aransas Hotel in Rockport Col. John H. Traylor built the Aransas Hotel on the Rockport waterfront in 1889. Traylor was president of the Aransas Land Company, a group of Dallas investors who purchased all the available land around Rockport and then auctioned it off in lots. Traylor later served as mayor of Dallas for two years, and then in the Texas House and Senate. Traylor built the hotel as part of a deal with the San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railway Company. The railroad would extend the line to Rockport if an investor built a hotel in the town worth at least $50,000. Traylor had longleaf heart pine brought from Orange, Texas, to build the $52,500 structure, and it was the largest frame-structure building in the state for a number of years. The Aransas, which was renamed the Del Mar Hotel in the mid-1890s, took up an entire city block, had 100 guest rooms, and a central dining room with capacity for 200 diners. The first and second floors had verandas that circled the entire building, and parlors throughout the hotel had live music while visitors enjoyed card games. The dining room had a dance floor, and every Saturday was Big Dance Night, where many of the locals joined the guests for the entertainment and dancing. More: #TBT: San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railway first crossed Nueces Bay in 1880s TOP: The Aransas Hotel, later renamed the Del Mar Hotel, was built on the Rockport waterfront in 1889. Visitors could stay in one of the 100 guest rooms and enjoy dancing and music in the large central dining room. The hotel closed sometime after 1910, and burned down in April 1919. BOTTOM: The Hotel Hoyt, later renamed Bayview Hotel, opened on South Commercial Street in Aransas Pass in 1891. It eventually closed down in the mid-1910s and was destroyed in the 1919 hurricane. Traylors yacht was made available for guests to use, and surreys and hacks carried guests to Baileys Pavilion for shaded bathing spots, and to attend shows performed by traveling theatrical troupes and performers. The hotel was abandoned sometime after 1910 and sat vacant except for some small adjoining buildings used as insurance offices. On April 15, 1919, the old hotel burned down. The Aransas Pass Progress newspaper wrote in the April 18 edition: The old Del Mar Hotel at Rockport, that degenerated from one of the finest hostelries on the gulf in the early 90s to a bat rookery and crap shooter resort of the present day, was totally destroyed by fire Tuesday morning It has long been a fire menace which has kept insurance rates at a maximum. Hotel Hoyt in Aransas Pass The Hotel Hoyt was built by T.B. Wheeler and B.H. Wilson on South Commercial Street in Aransas Pass. The lessee, A. Marie Hoyt, opened the grand hotel named after herself in September 1891. Hoyt, described as a lady of great wealth and enterprise, came from her home in Denver to inspect the hotel, telling the Aransas Harbor Herald newspaper she was very glad of the opportunity to enjoy for a time the delicious sea breezes, and the hotel was not only the best furnished, but it will be conducted in first-class style. The three-story structure had a gabled roof, and could house 150 guests. Advertisements from the time boast of the excellent hunting and fishing in the area, an unparalleled menu and dining experience with fresh vegetables even in the winter, and a climate highly favorable to the treatment of catarrh and pulmonary troubles. More: #TBT: Doc Mason's Dragon Grill was Corpus Christi hotspot for fine dining, gambling The hotel closed for a time, then was purchased by land agents E.O. Burton and A.H. Danforth. They held what San Patricio County historian Keith Guthrie described as the last great land lottery in December 1909, with the hotel as part of the prize. Tickets representing one lot of land in the town sold for $100 each, with 6,000 tickets sold. Purchasers were told to stop bidding at $100 but postal inspectors, who suspected the sale of being an illegal lottery, bought tickets and purposely overbid to muddy the waters, prompting lawsuits. The hotel opened briefly again, this time as the Bayview Hotel, before shutting down again a few years later. The September 1919 hurricane wiped out the once-grand hotel on Commercial Street, another relic of the 90s resorts gone from the seaside. Allison Ehrlich writes about things to do in South Texas and has a weekly Throwback Thursday column on local history. Support local coverage like this by checking out our subscription options and special offers at Caller.com/subscribe. This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: #TBT: Seaside resorts flourished in Rockport, Aransas Pass in 1890s Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) said Wednesday he is hopeful the U.S. Supreme Court puts a stop to what he called an abuse of power aimed against former President Trump after the high court announced it will weigh whether the former president can be criminally prosecuted for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Im glad the Supreme Court is taking the case. I have to say what weve seen in the past year about the targeting from the left, the targeting from Democrat prosecutors of Donald Trump has been an enormous abuse of power, Cruz said Wednesday on NewsNations Elizabeth Vargas Reports. The U.S. Supreme Court agreed Wednesday to take up the issue of whether Trump is immune from charges stemming from his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss. Trumps legal team is arguing his actions leading up to and surrounding the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack are protected from criminal prosecution by presidential immunity. Weve never in our history had a president or former president indicted, and in the past year, Donald Trump has been indicted four different times by both the Biden Justice Department and by two Democrat [district attorneys], and I think this is an abuse of power and a persecution of President Trump. And I very much hope that the Supreme Court puts a stop to it, Cruz continued. Trump currently faces four felony counts in the Department of Justices Jan. 6 case that alleges he was involved in a conspiracy to defraud the U.S. and stood at the center of a campaign to block the certification of votes on Jan. 6. The Supreme Courts order will keep the proceedings for the case on pause for now, handing special counsel Jack Smith a blow following his past efforts to keep the cases time frame on track. When asked how he thinks the Supreme Court will rule on this case, Cruz said: Well see how the arguments play out. The arguments on both sides. The Texas Republican pointed to the Supreme Courts separate case, weighing whether Trump can be kicked off state ballots under the 14th Amendments insurrection ban. That case is an appeal to a Colorado Supreme Court ruling that stated Trump participated in an insurrection through his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. The nations high court began hearing oral arguments for this case earlier this month. Having listened to that argument, I am absolutely confident, 100 percent confident, the Supreme Court is going to reverse Colorado, and I think theres a real chance that the Supreme Court might do so unanimously. I hope that they do. Cruz said he believes its up to voters to decide the issue of immunity and said, I hope the court steps in and says, listen, elections should be decided by voters at the ballot box and not by judges, not by prosecutors. NewsNation is owned by Nexstar Media Group, which also owns The Hill. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. By Yi Whan-woo The surging price of bitcoin to a record level in Korea is prompting renewed calls for the easing of regulations on digital assets, in order to give investors more opportunities to make profits. In January, financial regulators in Korea chose to maintain digital assets separate from the traditional securities market. This decision came at a time when the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) made a historic ruling allowing spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) on SEC-regulated market exchanges. ETFs are only available for trading on the traditional securities market. Under the circumstances, bitcoin traded above 89 million won ($66,700) at Koreas largest cryptocurrency exchange operator Upbit, as of 4 p.m., Thursday. The market is open around the clock. It surpassed the previous record of 82.7 million won set on Nov. 9, 2021, and peaked at 83.45 million won, Wednesday. The price of the world's most popular cryptocurrency has correspondingly surged more than 40 percent in Seoul since the beginning of the year. This increase has been propelled by the rise in trading volume of spot bitcoin ETFs globally. This year also marks a halving, which occurs every four years and involves the reduction of the number of new bitcoins available for circulation by half. This phenomenon typically leads to an increase in the value of the coin. Taking this bitcoin rally into account, we expect the corresponding market to become more bullish if the financial regulators soften rules on digital assets, a person with the username I only live once wrote in an open chatroom for bitcoin investors. Regarding the SEC decision in January, the Financial Services Commission (FSC) has opted not to permit spot bitcoin ETFs. This decision was made in the interest of safeguarding investors from highly-volatile assets. Another chatroom user, A prophet, called the FSCs measures too outdated in the era of fast-evolving digital finance. er argued that the regulator should "abandon the closed-door policy for bitcoin investors in Korea, in order for investors to maximize profits," particularly in light of bitcoin approaching an all-time high of $68,789 set in November 2021 in the U.S., which could potentially have a positive impact on other countries' markets. Hong Ki-hoon, a professor at Hongik University's College of Business, said financial authorities might fall further behind the international trend concerning digital assets if it insists on its current rule. He highlighted that following its decision in January, the SEC is currently deliberating on whether to classify Ethereum, the world's second-largest cryptocurrency, as a security and approve the trading of Ethereum ETFs, potentially by May. If realized, Korea will be steps behind the U.S. in acknowledging bitcoins and other forms of digital assets to be traded as traditional securities, the professor said. Some advocates of digital assets project the financial regulator will be pressed to revise relevant regulations after the April 10 general elections as both rival parties are open to allowing spot bitcoin ETFs. Southeastern port citys iconic culinary heritage, delicacies not recognized: experts By Lee Hae-rin Busan, Koreas second-largest city, joined the Michelin Guide last week, taking the first step toward becoming a global gastronomic destination. The inaugural edition, which recognized 25 selected restaurants, 15 Bib Gourmand establishments and three one-starred restaurants, had heightened expectations among local food industry insiders and epicureans of bringing the spotlight to Busans iconic culinary heritage and spurring development of the food scene outside of Seoul. However, many question whether the long-awaited inaugural selection can serve as a true gourmet guide to those who wish to explore the southeastern port citys rich and iconic food culture. According to food columnist Park Sang-hyun, the selection fails to reflect Busans regional identity and promote the city as a gastronomic destination. Michelin Guide tends to recognize restaurants that reflect the regional identity and unique stories in its list of Bib Gourmand and selected restaurants, but the Busan edition shows they didnt have enough understanding of Busan as a city, Park said, underscoring the lack of regional cuisines in the selection. Although Busan has a relatively less developed fine dining scene compared to Seoul, the port citys geographic characteristics accessibility to fresh maritime ingredients and proximity to neighboring Japan and Russia as well as unique historical background as Koreas cultural melting pot that housed millions of war refugees during the 1950-53 Korean War, stand out as assets in the restaurant industry. Thus, its historic restaurants serving local delicacies, especially the famous milmyeon (wheat noodle) that blends North Korean culinary legacy brought by refugees with the influence of the U.S. occupation in the region, were expected to make it to the prestigious selection. However, no milmyeon places were selected, while it did include a restaurant serving "naengmyeon," or Pyongyang-style cold noodles, which is relatively less preferred in Busan, and three pork rice soup eateries. The talk of the town here is, why didnt milmyeon make it to the list? And how come Pyongyang-style naengmyeon did? And why didnt this or that pork rice soup place make it? an industry insider said on condition of anonymity. Its questionable whether Michelins list of Bib Gourmand and selected restaurants will help foreign travelers to truly experience and understand Busans history and culture, he said. The two experts agreed that Michelins Busan list will most likely look unconvincing to Busan natives and Koreans who have a deep understanding of and love for the region's food heritage. This is in contrast to the case of Seouls Bib Gourmand list, which has garnered widespread consensus among local tastebuds. Instead, the selection focused on Busans aspect as a global city and highlighted diversity. Korean cuisines presence on the selection was limited to only four out of 15 Bib Gourmand establishments and five out of 25 restaurants in this years selection. Most of the recognized establishments serve Japanese, French and Italian cuisines, while some vegan and Thai restaurants also made it to the list. Park pointed out the citys traditional restaurants could have "failed to meet the global standards," in terms of hygiene for example, and urged the local industry to step up its efforts for improvements. Some believe it was too early for Busan to join the Michelin Guide. The fact that Busan had no two-star restaurants shows how the city still falls behind in terms of culinary infrastructure, another industry insider said on condition of anonymity. Park added that the city was impelled to pursue international recognition beyond its current capacity while going all out to win its bid to host the World Expo 2030, which ultimately failed. Meanwhile, experts and industry insiders unanimously agree that Busans joining the Michelin Guide will spur its future growth as a gourmet city and balance out the development of the countrys restaurant industry that has been centralized in the capital. Busan has been long known as the grave of fine dining within the industry, Park said, explaining the city has seen low demand for upscale restaurants due to a relative lack of business activity and locals preference for traditional, regional cuisines. However, the Michelin Guide started a new dynamic in the local food scene. For example, Palate, a fusion French restaurant that opened in 2019 in the city's southern Nam District and struggled through the pandemic, is seeing reservations pouring in after winning a one-star recognition. The selection of the Michelin Guide today will motivate local restaurants for further growth and serve as a catalyst driving Busans future growth as a world-class tourism hub," Lee Jun-seung, the vice mayor of administrative affairs of Busan Metropolitan City, said during the ceremony. Getting a Michelin Star recognition was like a distant dream for most Korean chefs here, but now, they see a starred restaurant and a selected establishment right around the corner, the food analyst said. It will definitely motivate the industry for improvement and provide a higher quality of service to visitors. By Lee Hae-rin Many Koreans are planning to travel to Japan during the three-day national holiday weekend starting on March 1, a holiday that marks the 1919 independence movement against Japanese colonial rule, according to the travel and tourism industry, Sunday. Koreans opt for the neighboring country as a travel destination due to the prolonged weakening of the Japanese yen as well as the geographical proximity. This is in contrast to the trend from a few years ago when people avoided visiting Japan on the March 1 Independence Movement Day out of resentment concerning the history of Japan's domination and exploitation of the Korean Peninsula. At Hana Tour, the nations largest travel agency, all of its tour packages to Japan have been sold out for the three-day holiday, marking a 170 percent increase from the same period last year. Mode Tour, another leading travel agency, also saw a 95 percent reservation rate in tour packages to Japan during the same period, which is a 35 percent jump from the previous year and a 95 percent recovery from the pre-pandemic levels of 2019. Last year, Japan still had travel restrictions from the COVID-19 pandemic, such as requiring foreign visitors to get third doses of vaccines, a Mode Tour official said. However, Koreans' travel to Japan has nearly recovered to pre-pandemic levels due to the weak yen and the increase in the number of flights between the two countries." By region, Osaka was top among the agencys package sales at 47 percent, followed by Fukuoka at 20 percent, Hokkaido at 10 percent and Okinawa at 8 percent. The figures show how Koreans' preferences for travel destinations in Japan have grown in variety, as Osaka ranked first by far in sales at 81 percent last year. Domestic airlines, including Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, Jin Air, Eastar Jet and Tway Air, also saw their major flights to Japan nearly sold out with reservation rates at over 90 percent for the holiday. According to the latest report by Consumer Insight, a local research group on travel trends, Japan ranked top among Koreans' favorite travel destinations in terms of cost-effectiveness, with around 200,000 won ($150) in daily travel expenditures. Korea is the top source for Japan's in-bound tourists standing at 782,000 in December 2023, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization. The figure accounts for 28.6 percent of Japan's 2.73 million foreign visitors. Japan expects to receive a record-high number of Korean tourists of around 10 million this year. South Koreas 1st president seen as reminder of regimes failures, film director says By Jung Min-ho Syngman Rhee was and still is one of the most hated South Koreans in North Korea. As recently as last year, North Korea's state media disparaged the South as the "Rhee Syngman puppet group." This term dates back to the post-Korean War era, extending through the 1990s, when hate-filled banners targeting the first South Korean president were observed on the streets of Pyongyang. That sentiment surprised Kim Deog-young, a documentary maker. He was intrigued by the obsessive hatred directed toward a leader who had passed away in 1965. This question prompted him to embark on a project to uncover the underlying reasons, and through his research, he eventually found the answer. Kim, the director of "The Birth of Korea," a documentary film, explained that Rhee is despised by the North because he serves as a reminder of its failures. These failures include the inability to unite the Korean Peninsula under its communist rule and the failure to realize "utopian" visions for its own people. Rhee may have not seen the fruits of his visions for a free democratic state when he was alive, but many South Koreans today know and appreciate that he was right, the director added. We tend to take everything for granted and judge people in the past by todays standards, Kim told The Korea Times on Tuesday. Take the Mutual Defense Treaty with the U.S. Other than Rhee, not a single politician supported it or thought that it would even be feasible. But Rhee knew South Korea would be doomed without that treaty. Confronted with North Korea's communist army, supported by substantial forces from its allies in Russia and China, Rhee perceived the second invasion from the North as inevitable without a security guarantee from the United States. In a desperate attempt to prevent U.S. troops from withdrawing from the peninsula, Rhee released 25,000 prisoners of war, thereby disrupting negotiations for an armistice as he intended. This action greatly angered U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower, and Washington was so incensed that it even formulated a plan later to overthrow Rhee. When I was making the documentary film, I saw a leader trying everything possible to save his poor country, Kim said. His endeavor humbles me and makes me realize that what we have as a country, such as freedom and safety, were not merely granted to us. Kim emphasized that Rhee deserves significant credit for the mutual defense treaty alone because, without it, the remarkable achievements realized on the free land of South Korea might never have materialized. That means there would have been no miracle on the Han River, South Koreas rapid economic development, no companies like Samsung and no stars like BTS. Under his leadership, South Korea also enacted the Land Reform Act, a measure economists say significantly reduced the influence of landlords and laid the foundation for its transition into a modern industrial country. I would put it this way. Park Chung-hees train was able to run, thanks only to the railroad built by Rhee, Kim said in reference to the former president known for his great contribution to the nations economic growth, who came to power three years after Rhee's resignation in 1960. Yet for many decades, Rhee was vilified in South Korea as much as in the North as a symbol of an incompetent, self-serving leader. Lies and misinformation helped establish such negative images, some of which were debunked by this film. One of the most widely circulated fake stories is the allegation that Rhee fled while deceiving the public to secure time for himself, falsely claiming that South Korea was gaining the upper hand against Kim Il-sung's communist forces. Decades after the war, South Korea emerged as an undisputed winner in the ideological war that once divided the world. The competition to create a more prosperous, admired society was over. The documentary film director said this might be the primary reason for much of North Koreas hatred of Rhee that he was right after all and Kim Il-sung was wrong. North Korea's first spy satellite is "alive," space experts said on Tuesday, after detecting changes in its orbit that suggested Pyongyang was successfully controlling the spacecraft although its capabilities remain unknown. After two fiery failures, North Korea successfully launched the Malligyong-1 satellite into orbit in November. Pyongyang's state media claimed it has photographed sensitive military and political sites in South Korea, the United States and elsewhere, but has not released any imagery. Independent radio trackers have not detected signals from the satellite. "But now we can definitely say the satellite is alive," Marco Langbroek, a satellite expert at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, wrote in a blog post. From Feb. 19-24, the satellite conducted manoeuvres to raise its perigee, or the lowest point in its orbit, to 497 kilometers from 488 kilometers (308.8 miles from 303.2 miles), Langbroek said, citing data from the U.S.led Combined Space Operations Center. "The manoeuvre proves that Malligyong-1 is not dead, and that North Korea has control over the satellite something that was disputed," he said. South Korea's Defence Ministry said it too had assessed that the satellite was in orbit, but said it would not comment further on individual analyses. On Monday, Defence Minister Shin Won-sik said the satellite was not showing any signs of performing other tasks or engaging in reconnaissance. "While we indeed currently cannot be sure whether the satellite does successfully take imagery, it at least performs orbital manoeuvres, so in that sense it is functional," Langbroek wrote of Shin's comments. The orbit-raising manoeuvre was a surprise as the presence of an onboard propulsion system was unexpected and previous North Korean satellites never manoeuvred, he said. "Having the capacity to raise the satellite's orbit is a big deal," Langbroek said. That meant that as long as there was fuel in the satellite, North Korea could prolong the satellite's lifetime by raising its altitude when it got too low because of orbital decay, he concluded. Harvard astronomer and orbital tracker Jonathan McDowell said the satellite appeared to be correcting its position in space as it moved to where it was shortly after launch, instead of making a hostile move toward another country's satellite a capability for which he said the satellite was "much too small." The United States, Russia and China, the world's top space powers, have in recent years launched satellites increasingly capable of manoeuvring and inspecting other orbital objects as space grows as a critical arena for communications, commerce and military activity. But companies and countries often manoeuvre their satellites to improve the object's position in orbit. A variety of other reasons to manoeuvre include dodging other satellites or a piece of space debris or depending on the satellites' capability wading above a region of interest on Earth. U.S. Space Command, which tracks all active objects in orbit and sometimes assesses their function, did not immediately comment on the North Korean satellite. Nuclear-armed North Korea has vowed to launch three more spy satellites in 2024. (Reuters) Hong Kong: Alice Mak to visit Guangzhou, Foshan Secretary for Home & Youth Affairs Alice Mak will depart for an official visit to Guangzhou and Foshan tomorrow to exchange views with Guangdong officials on youth development. During her trip, Ms Mak will call on the Hong Kong & Macao Affairs Office of the People's Government of Guangdong Province and the Human Resources & Social Security Department of Guangdong Province. She also plans to visit member bases of the Alliance of Hong Kong Youth Innovation & Entrepreneurial Bases in the Greater Bay Area and attend a sharing session on bay area youth innovation and entrepreneurship. Furthermore, Ms Mak will lead members of the Youth Link, who are participating in exchange activities in Guangzhou, to exchange views with local representatives of Hong Kong's chambers of commerce. Commissioner for Youth Eric Chan will join the visit. Miss Mak will return to Hong Kong on March 2. During her absence, Under Secretary for Home & Youth Affairs Clarence Leung will be Acting Secretary. This story has been published on: 2024-02-29. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Dhaka-based foreign diplomats visit Chinese-built mega underwater tunnel in Bangladesh Xinhua) 10:24, February 29, 2024 DHAKA, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Dozens of Dhaka-based foreign diplomats along with representatives of some international organizations have visited a Chinese-built mega underwater tunnel in southeastern Bangladesh. Situated in Chattogram seaport city, approximately 242 km to the southeast of the capital Dhaka, the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Tunnel is the first of its kind in Bangladesh and South Asia, which has been put into use since last October. Some 34 diplomats and representatives of international organizations visited the tunnel on Tuesday, accompanied by Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud. After the visit, the group left for Cox's Bazar through a newly built railway, the first to the country's largest sea beach town of Chattogram. The railway from Dohazari to Cox's Bazar, one of the priority development projects of Bangladesh, was inaugurated in November last year to bolster connectivity and transportation infrastructure in the South Asian country. The 103.5-km railway, funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), was partly built by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) and the China Railway Group Limited (CREC). (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) North Korea has begun the construction of factories, state media reported Thursday, as its leader Kim Jong-un called for the development of backward provinces amid prolonged economic difficulties. Kim attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the regional industrial factories in Songchon County, South Pyongan Province, on Wednesday, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). The move is the first step in North Korea's project to build modernized factories in 20 counties over the next decade to raise the "basic material and cultural living standards of the people." In a speech delivered during the ceremony, Kim said he is pleased with the fact that these factories could help millions of people improve their livelihoods. "On the other hand, I also feel sorry with a sense of shame that now only we've been able to start this (project)," he said. Kim said it was not easy to launch a new 10-year project to build regional factories in addition to the country's ongoing push to construct homes in rural areas, but he stressed the policy is "a grave national matter" that has been launched out of desperation. South Korea's unification ministry has expressed skepticism over the North's regional development plan, raising questions about whether the resource-scarce country would have sufficient equipment and funds to implement the project. (Yonhap) Some North Korean defectors, who came from areas near the Punggye-ri nuclear test site in North Korea, showed signs of suspected radiation exposure, while it is hard to confirm that nuclear tests affected them, the unification ministry said Thursday. The ministry in charge of inter-Korean affairs announced the result following a six-month test on 80 defectors who had lived in Kilju County and its nearby areas and fled to South Korea after North Korea's first nuclear test in 2006. The North conducted all of its six nuclear tests at the Punggye-ri nuclear test site, located in Kilju County in the country's northeastern province. A chromosome aberration analysis, which offers a glimpse of an individual's lifetime accumulated radiation exposure, showed that 17 examinees including five from Kilju County reported figures higher than the minimum detection threshold of 0.25 Gray (Gy), the Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences said in a report compiled on behalf of the Korea Hana Foundation, a ministry-affiliated institution that supports defectors. The report, however, noted that two of the 17 examinees were likely exposed to radiation after their entry to South Korea, citing an earlier test of the individuals conducted in 2016. The results of five examinees were not statistically significant, it added. An official at the organization stressed that while nuclear tests could have affected the analysis, the results could also have been affected by factors like age, drinking habits and exposure to medical radiation or toxic substances, such as pesticides. "We cannot specify the extent of how much individual factors influenced the results," the official said, adding that more evidence is needed to scientifically confirm a potential link between the results and the North's nuclear tests as the latest findings are within the range of results that could occur solely due to medical radiation. A contamination analysis, including a urine test, showed that none of the examinees showed a significant level of radioactive contamination, the report said. Despite limitations in conducting the test, such as being unable to secure the radiation score of the drinking water the examinees consumed in North Korea and the small number of examinees, the ministry said it plans to carry out the tests on all relevant defectors going forward. "Apart from the fact that North Korea's nuclear tests are illegal and intolerable, the government will do its best to continuously monitor the health of defectors with radiation risks and ease their concerns," a ministry official told reporters. The government carried out similar tests on 40 North Korean defectors in 2017 and 2018. While some showed signs of suspected radiation exposure in medical checkups, test results concluded that it was hard to confirm that the nuclear tests affected them. In total, 796 North Koreans who used to live in areas near Punggye-ri have defected to South Korea since North Korea's first nuclear test in 2006. (Yonhap) North Korean workers have refused to go to work in the Chinese border city of Dandong, demanding their return to North Korea, a Seoul expert claimed Thursday. Citing a source, Cho Han-bum, a senior research fellow at the state-run Korea Institute for National Unification, said on his YouTube channel that scores of North Korean workers staged a work stoppage in mid-February. "North Korea dispatched its consul to the site right after the incident to handle the case, but is believed to have faced difficulties," Cho said. "The workers are believed to be remaining stubborn, saying that even if they die, they will go home and die there," he said, adding that the workers are physically and emotionally exhausted amid protracted stays in China. South Korea's spy agency said it is closely watching related developments as various incidents have occurred due to North Korean workers' dire living conditions. Around 2,000 North Korean workers, dispatched by a trade firm under the North's defense ministry, occupied a factory in Helong, in China's Jilin Province, in January and staged a riot due to overdue wages, according to the Japanese daily Yomiuri Shimbun. North Korea has been dispatching workers abroad, mainly to Russia and China, to earn much-needed foreign currency, in violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions on Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs. (Yonhap) By Jun Ji-hye Doctor Lee Doo-ik, 76, has offered medical treatment on South Korea's front-line Baengnyeong Island for a decade. Marines stationed on the island and residents living there held a surprise party to celebrate Lee's 10th anniversary on Tuesday, delivering a plaque of appreciation to him. Baengnyeong Hospital, headed by Lee, originally opened in 2001, and then was rebuilt and reopened to become a 30-bed hospital in 2014. After graduating from Kyung Hee University's medical school in 1973, Lee served as a military physician on Baengnyeong Island during his 20s. He then worked in civilian hospitals and served as the director of Inha University Hospital in Incheon until he retired in 2012. After he retired, he learned of the reopening of Baengnyeong Hospital and decided to return to the island. During his 10-year service on the island, he has contributed to establishing remote medical treatment support and patient transfer systems to provide better medical services to people on the island. In recognition of his dedication, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo sent Lee a handwritten letter Wednesday, saying Lee's commitment is very meaningful, especially at a time when it has become more and more difficult to access essential medical services in isolated regions. "Lee could have lived more comfortably after his retirement but decided to continue to offer services for patients," Han said in the letter. "He has cured and protected islanders. We respect doctors as we have people like Lee." Some kids' clay products imported from China turned out to contain illegal preservatives, the Korea Consumer Agency (KCA) said Thursday. The KCA selected 17 clay products, including nine from China, available through online platforms in Korea and found nine Chinese products that contain excessive levels of boron, chloromethylisothiazolinone (CMIT), and methylisothiazolinone (MIT), the agency said in a statement. Boron was detected in three Chinese and one Korean clay products made of synthetic resin materials, while CMIT and MIT were found in six Chinese products, the statement said. In response to the KCA's testing results, three local trading firms said they will immediately stop importing the products, according to the agency. High exposure to boron may cause fertility problems, while CMIT and MIT, humidifier disinfectants, are known to be toxic to the respiratory system. (Yonhap) Seven out of 10 medical school students from across the nation have applied for a leave of absence in a collective action protesting the government's medical school quota hike plan, the education ministry said Thursday. Since Feb. 19, 13,698 students from 40 medical schools countrywide have filed for a leave of absence, representing 72.9 percent of the total, according to the ministry. Only a few of them were granted their requests, as the ministry maintains that a collection action does not constitute a valid reason for a leave of absence. The collective action by medical school students came as thousands of intern and resident doctors submitted their collective resignations in protest of the government's plan to hike the medical school student quota by 2,000 next year to address a chronic shortage of medical workers. Students at six medical schools nationwide also boycotted their classes the previous day, the ministry said. (Yonhap) South Korea's defense chief on Thursday agreed with the top commander of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to deepen military cooperation with the U.S.-led alliance, the defense ministry said. Defense Minister Shin Won-sik held talks with Gen. Christopher Cavoli, commander of U.S. European Command and Supreme Allied Commander Europe, in Seoul to discuss security situation on the Korean Peninsula and ways to bolster ties with NATO. During the talks, the two sides evaluated the evolving collaboration in military exercises, cybersecurity, and chemical, biological and radioactive capabilities, and agreed to further step up defense ties under the Individually Tailored Partnership Program, the ministry said in a release. Signed in July 2023, the bilateral partnership outlines cooperation in 11 areas ranging from antiterrorism and nonproliferation to emerging technologies and cyber defense. Cavoli underscored the importance of the defense cooperation between South Korea and NATO, and agreed to bolster cooperation between the two sides' military leadership, according to the ministry. Shin stressed the importance of international coordination on issues on the Korean Peninsula, and asked for NATO's attention and support to deter provocations by North Korea, it said. It marks the top NATO commander's first visit to South Korea, underscoring the nation's increasing role in the global security dynamics. His visit comes at a time when South Korea is in the spotlight for its capacity to produce artillery and air defense systems coveted by Ukraine as its forces run low on ammunition and foreign aid hangs in balance amid the prolonged war with Russia. Seoul and Washington officials have accused North Korea of supplying munitions and other supplies to Russia for its war in Ukraine, denouncing the arms transfer as violating the U.N. Security Council resolutions prohibiting weapons trade with Pyongyang. (Yonhap) Prosecutors on Thursday indicted two Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) lawmakers on charges of being involved in a cash-for-votes scandal surrounding the main opposition party's 2021 leadership election. Reps. Heo Jong-sik and Lim Jong-seong were indicted without detention for allegedly violating the political party law in connection with the scandal, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office said. The scandal centers on allegations that the campaign of former DPK leader Song Young-gil distributed cash envelopes totaling 66 million won ($49,499.5) to 20 sitting DPK lawmakers and other party members in the run-up to the party's leadership election in May 2021, which he ultimately won. Heo and Lim are suspected of receiving 3 million won each from then DPK lawmaker Youn Kwan-suk, a supporter of Song, in April 2021. Youn, who is now an independent lawmaker after his defection from the DPK, was sentenced to two years in prison by a court last month after being convicted of handing out cash envelopes on behalf of Song. The prosecution said it additionally indicted Youn on charges related to Heo and Lim. Prosecutors, who have so far indicted seven people in connection with the DPK scandal, said they are still investigating other suspects. (Yonhap) Police vowed Thursday to deal sternly with any illegal acts during large-scale rallies set to take place in Seoul over the weekend, including one by a doctors' association to protest the government's decision to increase the medical school enrollment quota. The Korean Medical Association (KMA), a major lobby group for doctors, plans to hold the rally in Seoul's Yeouido district Sunday afternoon to protest the medical school quota increase, where about 25,000 people are expected to participate. Other rallies are also scheduled for the three-day holiday that include Friday's March 1 Independence Movement Day holiday, including one slated for Friday by the far-right Liberty Unification Party that is expected to draw 35,000 people. Police plan to deploy some 8,000 personnel from 134 police units in total during the three-day period. They also vowed to take swift measures to break up rallies in case they illegally occupy all roads and trigger traffic congestion, or assault police officers in the line of duty. (Yonhap) The Seoul city government said Thursday it will transform Jamsu Bridge, a submersible bridge across the Han River, into a pedestrian bridge off-limits to cars by 2026. The plan, laid out by Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon as part of the Great Han River Project Plan last year, aims to enhance the convenience and attractiveness of the Han River, which flows through the capital, and to improve the quality of life of citizens and the city's urban competitiveness. The city government said Jamsu Bridge, located on the lower level of Banpo Bridge, has great potential as a pedestrian bridge due to its short length and convenient access on foot. Five teams that were selected in the international design contest in November last year will compete to win the final project by coming up with a specific blueprint for the bridge, city officials said. The winner will be announced in May, and the city will select a company in a competitive bid to construct the bridge. The gist of the contest is to come up with a design and blueprint that enhances the attractiveness of Seoul, and fits the purpose and ambience of Jamsu Bridge to be rebranded as a pedestrian bridge, according to the city government. The new design should also ensure safety between bicycle or personal mobility users and passersby. The city plans to offer a preview of the newly designed pedestrian bridge by holding a virtual reality exhibition during the car-free Jamsu Bridge festival set for May. (Yonhap) 2024 starts with positive signals in stable economic growth 10:46, February 29, 2024 By Yang Yang ( Chinadaily.com.cn Editor's Note: China's economy starts with positive signals in stable growth in 2024 as more companies resume work and production, and more places welcome peak time for returning to work across the country after the Spring Festival holiday. China's light industry achieved a profit of 1.4 trillion yuan in 2023 A staff member makes garment embroidery products at a knitting company in Qingdao, East China's Shandong province, Feb 18, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua] China's light industry production continued to rebound with a steadily recovered market and fast growth of new driving force industries in 2023. The operating revenue of China's light industry reached 22.2 trillion yuan ($3.08 trillion) and the profit witnessed a year-on-year growth of 3.8 percent hitting 1.4 trillion yuan in 2023, according to China National Light Industry Council. The rapid growing green and intelligent manufacturing light industry, represented by solar cells and household appliances, has become a new driving force to promote the high-quality development of light industry. Battery manufacturing operating revenue increased 11.8 percent, with profit increasing by 12.4 percent in 2023. The operating revenue and profit of home appliance manufacturing increased 7.0 percent and 12.2 percent, respectively, last year. In 2023, the light industry accounted for 13.2 percent of the national industrial assets, achieving 16.7 percent of the national industrial operating revenue and 18.1 percent of the profits, strongly supporting the stable development of the industrial economy. China has made solid progress in consolidating and expanding its poverty alleviation efforts In terms of promoting employment, the number of migrant workers employed has stabilized to more than 30 million per year in the past three years, reaching 33.97 million in 2023. The Long March-8 Y3 carrier rocket has arrived at the Wenchang Space Launch Site The Long March-8 Y3 carrier rocket tasked with launching the Queqiao 2 relay satellite arrived at the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan province on Feb 22, said the China National Space Administration. At present, the launch site facilities are in good condition, Queqiao 2 relay satellite mission preparation is in an orderly way and will be launched in the first half of this year. Construction of Zhangzhou Nuclear Power "Hualong One" unit began An aerial drone photo taken on Feb 22, 2024 shows construction on the second phase of the Zhangzhou nuclear power project in Zhangzhou, East China's Fujian province. [Photo/Xinhua] China has begun construction on the second phase of the Zhangzhou nuclear power project using Hualong One reactors, domestically developed third-generation reactors, in the city of Zhangzhou, East China's Fujian province. The unit is expected to be completed and put into operation in 2028. According to China National Nuclear Corporation, each Hualong One nuclear power unit generates more than 10 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity per year, which can meet the annual production demand and domestic electricity demand of 1 million people in moderately developed countries. China's first BRICS cross-border e-commerce air cargo route exported more than 16 million items Since its opening one year ago, the first domestic BRICS cross-border e-commerce air cargo route "Xiamen, China - Sao Paulo, Brazil" has a total of 234 round-trip flights, with more than 17,000 tons of goods imported and exported, according to Xiamen Customs. Special employment service sessions for college graduates launched in many places Job hunters consult an employer about posts at a job fair held in Dongying, Shandong province, on Jan 27, 2024. [Photo/China Daily] Starting from Feb 22, special service activities for college graduates have been successively launched across China including Hebei, Shandong, Jiangsu, Jiangxi and Henan provinces, according to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security. Employers in various places provide positions in a variety of fields including technology, management, and services, covering many industries such as medicine, technology, equipment manufacturing and commerce. Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region economic aggregate reached 10.4 trillion yuan in 2023 The coordinated development of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei has produced excellent results for ten years. In 2023, the total economic output of the three regions reached 10.4 trillion yuan, 1.9 times that of 2013. The overall strength of the region continues to improve, and high-quality development is progressing rapidly and steadily. Emerging industries resume work and production More than 2,000 employees have returned to work at a company producing silicon rods and wafers, solar cells, photovoltaic modules, and supporting auxiliary materials in the Xining (National) Economic and Technological Development Zone, after the Spring Festival holiday. Xining, capital of Qinghai province, is expected to focus on building a modern industrial system in 2024, releasing a series of proposed investment projects on new energy, new materials and bio-economy, with a total investment of nearly 250 billion yuan. Currently, 14 key projects have been launched in Xining, such as new display industrial park, hydrogen fuel cell power system and green intelligent computing center. China has fully resumed international cruise shipping China's first domestically made large cruise ship, the Adora Magic City, officially starts its commercial maiden voyage in Shanghai on Jan 1, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua] Carrying over 3,900 passengers, China's first domestically made large cruise ship, the Adora Magic City, docked at Shanghai Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal on Feb 22 morning, together with "Piano Land" and "Blue Dream Star". Meanwhile, the visiting cruise ship "Europa" berthed at the Shanghai Port International Cruise Terminal on Feb 21. This is the first time for Shanghai cruise port to welcome four cruise ships at the same time since China fully resumed international cruise transport in 2023. Since February, the Shanghai cruise port has docked 20 international cruise trips, with over 65,000 accumulative inbound and outbound passengers, which is nearly double the total number of inbound and outbound international cruise ship trips in January. The numbers of inbound and outbound passengers reached 10,500 and 10,700 trips on Feb 9 and Feb 14, respectively, reaching the highest record in the past four years. It is expected that there will be more than 380 inbound and outbound cruise ship trips at Shanghai cruise port in 2024. (Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun) On bubble, Padres reliever Go Woo-suk fighting to make it to Opening Day roster on home soil Rival parties on Thursday agreed on an electoral district map for the upcoming parliamentary elections in April, after months of political wrangling over the number of local councilors in certain key districts. Floor leaders of the ruling People Power Party and the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea reached a last-minute deal on redrawing electoral districts for the 300-member National Assembly, just 41 days before the voting on April 10. The revision will be passed through a plenary session later in the day. According to the agreement, the number of seats chosen by direct votes in North Jeolla Province will be maintained at 10, while the total number of seats picked through a proportional representation system will be decreased by one to 46 instead. As a result, the number of parliamentary seats in Seoul and the surrounding Gyeonggi Province will be 48 and 60 respectively, followed by the southeastern city of Busan at 18. The months-long delay in the passage of the redistricting plan has caused confusion among prospective candidates who will soon be making preliminary registrations with the state election watchdog to initiate campaign activities. During the previous general election in 2020, approval of the electoral map was reached 39 days before the voting. (Yonhap) Main opposition's rebel groups use Im Jong-seok as pretext for protest By Nam Hyun-woo Im Jong-seok, chief of staff to former President Moon Jae-in, is being portrayed as a victim of the main opposition Democratic Party of Koreas (DPK) conflict between Chairman Lee Jae-myung and a pro-Moon faction, as Im has been sidelined from the partys candidate nominations for the upcoming April 10 general elections. His exclusion has thrust deepening animosity between the party chairman and the pro-Moon faction into the limelight, with the media describing Im as an iconic member of the pro-Moon faction. However, political analysts are questioning this rationale, saying those who are critical of Chairman Lee are using Im as a pretext for their anti-Lee campaign. As of Thursday, Im is continuing his election campaign in Seouls Wangsimni area, which is categorized as part of the Jung-Seongdong constituency, despite being sidelined from the DPKs candidate nominations for the area on Tuesday. As a consequence of this snub, Im asked the party leadership to reconsider the decision, but did not specify whether he would leave the DPK or not. On Wednesday, he attended a canvassing event at Wangsimni Station as a DPK member, along with several pro-Moon faction members such as Rep. Hong Young-pyo, who also missed the cut, Thursday. Following Ims snub, pro-Moon faction members are decrying the partys chairman for what they see as a massacre in candidate nomination against lawmakers not aligned with Chairman Lee. Lee Nak-yon, a former DPK chairman who already created the Saemirae Party after butting heads with Chairman Lee, is asking Im to join the new party, in an apparent hope that pro-Moon faction members may follow Im and join the Saemirae Party. Even ruling People Power Party interim leader Han Dong-hoon commented Thursday that Chairman Lee appeared to be persecuting potential rivals for the party leadership. The remarks were aimed at criticizing the DPKs ongoing dispute over the candidate recommendation process, but at the same time, this helped to elevate Ims status as a potential challenger to Lees supremacy within the party. The DPKs internal feud is elevating Ims status as an iconic figure of the pro-Moon faction, but political watchers are describing the current situation as a mysterious outcome, which came as various stakeholders different interests collided. Though the media is describing Im as one of the leaders of the pro-Moon faction, however, it is hard to describe him as a long-time Moon loyalist, a DPK official said asking not to be named. Rather, he is categorized as the late (DPK) Seoul Mayor Park Won-soons person. When former President Moon named him as the presidential chief of staff, it was interpreted as Moon seeking cohesion between DPK factions. Im is a former progressive activist who served a prison term for violating the National Security Act. After being reinstated during the liberal Kim Dae-jung administration, he served two straight terms in the National Assembly from 2000 to 2008 in the Wangsimni area but failed to be reelected in the following general elections. Im gained political attention during former Mayor Parks election victory in the 2014 local elections, and became the Seoul Metropolitan Governments vice mayor for political affairs. Due to this, a former official of the Moon administration said Moon sought cohesion between DPK factions when he appointed Im as the presidential Chief of Staff in 2017. When it comes to legitimate Moon loyalists, names such as Reps. Youn Kun-young or Ko Min-jung should come to mind, rather than Im, said Shin Yul, a professor of political science at Myongji University. Youn was a presidential secretary for state affairs monitoring for Moon and Ko was Moons spokesperson. DPK Chairman Lee may think the pro-Moon factions accusations are unfair because both Youn and Ko were nominated as candidates for the upcoming elections, but the situation is making Im appear as an iconic victim for the pro-Moon faction. Shin said it is not wrong to categorize Im as a pro-Moon faction member because he served as the presidential chief of staff, but added that the current situation can be interpreted as pro-Moon and other anti-chairman factions of the DPK setting Ims case as the pretext, which can justify their protest against the ongoing DPK candidate nominations. For Im, it is better to remain inside the party and showcase scenes of him facing more adversity, as it will bolster his political presence, Shin said. AMHERST A judge ruled Wednesday to certify charges pending against two Amherst County residents who were arrested following a December incident where seven students at Central Elementary School ingested gummies from a bag laced with fentanyl. Clifford Ronnie Dugan Jr., 50, was arrested Dec. 13 and charged with possessing a firearm as a nonviolent felon and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, abuse of a child, the Amherst County Sheriffs Office has said. Nicole Sanders, 26 at the time of arrest, is charged with possession of a Schedule I or II drug and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, abuse of a child, the sheriffs office has said. Five of the seven students who ingested the fentanyl in the Dec. 12 incident received medical attention and recovered that week, Amherst County Public Schools officials have said. School Resource Officer Brandon Payne observed residue in a baggie that contained the gummies that tested positive for fentanyl, a powerful opioid, the sheriffs office has said. Dugan has been in custody since his arrest and twice was denied bond. Sanders was granted bail shortly after her arrest. Bond denied for Amherst man charged in fentanyl incident that affected school An Amherst County man facing charges in connection with a December 2023 incident where seven students at Central Elementary School ingested gummies from a bag laced with fentanyl was denied bond Tuesday. Chuck Felmlee, Dugans attorney, said at a Jan. 23 bond hearing Dugan is a construction worker and child protective services had been in his home on Pendleton Drive in Amherst to ensure he and Sanders had no unsupervised contact with minors in the home. Amherst Assistant Commonwealths Attorney Duffey Valentine at the Jan. 23 hearing described Dugan as a seven-time convicted felon with previous drug-related convictions and a history of violence dating back to 2001. He said at the hearing because of his carelessness children were endangered. The fentanyl incident received national news coverage and ACPS Superintendent William Wells said the division was fortunate no student was severely hurt. Felmlee said at the previous bond hearing Dugan in no way prepared the bag lunch that ended up in the school and the defenses position is it was prepared by someone else. At a preliminary hearing Wednesday in Amherst Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court, two investigators who took part in executing the search warrant at 143 Pendleton Drive testified. Brian Smith, a Lynchburg police officer working for the sheriffs office at the time of the arrests, testified Wednesday a box with methamphetamine in it was found at the residence and firearms were located in the garage. Dugan denied using the drug and Sanders told investigators she hadnt used meth in a while, according to Smiths testimony. Amherst Sheriffs Office Capt. Clay Thompson also testified Dugan was cooperative during the search. Smith testified Thompson contacted him about School Resource Officer Brandon Payne having an issue of suspected narcotics at the school. Payne, who was publicly honored at the Amherst County School Boards Feb. 8 meeting for his role in handling the incident and investigating the baggies source, was another commonwealths witness Wednesday but he was not called in to testify. Judge Eugene Butler certified the charges to the next term of the grand jury, which is scheduled for April 9. A grand jury does not decide guilt or innocence and determines if probable cause is enough to send the cases to trial. Ishikawa, Mar 01 (News On Japan) - Two months have passed since the Noto Peninsula earthquake on March 1. In the once-isolated village of Machino-cho in Wajima City, there is a single doctor. This is the story of his relentless efforts for the community. Masanari Oishi: "Did you have breakfast?" With a shaved head, a beard, and sandals on his bare feet, this man may not look typical, but he is a doctor. Masanari Oishi: "Are you okay with the pain?" Masanari Oishi, 43, is the only doctor continuing medical practice in Machino-cho, Wajima City, which became isolated after the Noto Peninsula earthquake. Masanari Oishi: "I feel that using my manpower here is more effective than working in the city." Born in Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture, Oishi worked as a surgeon in hospitals in the Kansai region before taking over his father's practice in Machino-cho, Ishikawa Prefecture, nine years ago. His home was completely destroyed, and his clinic was severely damaged by the earthquake. He is currently living in an evacuation shelter, cleaning up his home, and providing medical care at the shelter. Masanari Oishi: "Let's eat together. It looks delicious." Pharmacists and other staff have been dispatched, but Oishi remains the sole doctor in the district. A man who cut his hand with glass while clearing debris came for treatment. Masanari Oishi: "You've done a perfect job of treating it. There's no room for me to intervene." Patient: "Talking to the doctor makes everything seem less serious." Masanari Oishi: "That's not true." Patient: "That's why I heal faster." Oishi prioritizes cheerful and careful communication to alleviate patients' anxieties. In late January, he organized a mochi-pounding event at the shelter to comfort the evacuees, serving ozoni soup. Masanari Oishi: "Feeling anxious significantly diminishes a person's strength. If people can relax, have confidence, and feel empowered, that's when their true strength emerges." Beyond his role as a doctor, Oishi supports Machino-cho, drawing energy from the local residents while continuing to dedicate himself to the community. Masanari Oishi: "When I see evacuees becoming cheerful as we talk, it energizes me too. It's a great relationship. As long as I feel this way, I'll keep going." Source: YOMIURI On any given day, Omaha-based artist Weston Thomson can be found painting, sculpting, illustrating, writing, designing a mural or even making music. It seems there isnt a creative medium he hasnt worked with. I went to college for multimedia art, Thomson told the Nonpareil. I was interested in digital art. I had a dream of working at, like, Pixar, you know, one of those computer animation companies, and then as I started taking art classes in college, it kind of opened me up to painting and sculpture and a whole bunch of these other art forms. Suddenly, sitting at a desk in front of a computer seemed very limiting. So I kind of started developing my painting, my drawing, some sculptural stuff, he said. His interest in such a wide array of arts can be tied to the time he spent as a youth in San Francisco. I grew up in Sonoma County, which is, some people kind of know it as wine country, but I mostly grew up in a kind of apple orchard area, but I was going kind of back and forth because San Francisco was kind of like the art capital that was closest to me, Thomson said. There's a whole bunch of really talented artists that were doing lots of projects out in the urban community there. The arts community Thomson hung out with regularly held poetry and painting exhibitions, and there were organized outings to different neighborhoods where wed paint, like, a whole block with murals, he said. So that's where I got some of that start, working with some more of those kind of professional artists who've been doing that for a long time in a big city context, Thomson said. So I kind of practiced and learned from them. Thomson also began designing and painting indoor murals, which taught him how to work with clients to determine their vision for the art and how he could integrate his own artistic style into that vision. I remember this one couple had just moved into a house and they wanted their whole living room kind of wrapped around to where their kitchen was, they wanted it all to be like this kind of African jungle scene, and there were elephants and there was, like, panthers, they wanted all this stuff, Thomson said. I guess I cut my teeth on that stuff early on. I really learned a lot, growing up doing little projects like that. Rather than view the different media he works in as separate, Thomson sees them as interconnected working in one medium can enhance his understanding of a different medium. I find that jumping back and forth between different mediums and processes and practices actually helps build insight and knowledge in a way that kind of gives back to all those things, he said. Im not painting, but when Im sculpting, Im learning how to see something in three dimensions, that helps my painting out later. So everything is connected in that way. In coming up with his design for the trail-facing wall of the building at 29 S. 21st St., Thomson spent a lot of time researching the buildings history and speaking with its owner, prolific Council Bluffs homebuilder John Roth and his wife Beverly. Theyre both very invested in the surrounding community, Thomson said. John built tons of houses locally and was brought up and learned some of the constructions trades there, so he'd been around for a long time. So it was really interesting just to get his sense of history of the area. Thomsons mural uses Roths personal story as a metaphor for the history of the United States. I thought that his story was kind of like the typical American dream story and it had a lot more little interesting tidbits of history that I thought were relatable and I thought were important to capture, Thomson said. Roth came to the U.S. with his parents from Belgium after World War II. He began learning the construction business by fixing windows and other small tasks before working his way up to owning his own construction company. I took some of John's personal story and kind of incorporated imagery around that, Thomson said. I also wanted to make it something that was not just about him, but about kind of a shared sense of community, kind of building America as a metaphor. Thomsons mural has a few focal points that your eye is easily drawn toward, like the bulldozer on the left side and the left hand holding a hammer aloft on the right. John (is) left handed and when Belgium was taken over by the Nazis, they tried to force him to not use his left hand when he was a kid, Thomson said. And it was interesting because his left hand was actually a boon in the construction business or construction trade because it allowed him to use electric saws and things where he could see where he was cutting and the right handed people had to look over the blade and kind of see, so it was actually a benefit. Thomson said that while he was painting the mural, people who were walking or biking along the trail would stop and chat. So this guy just randomly, on his bike, came by, Thomson said. He was also involved in construction trades. He's retired now and he was left handed, and he talked to me, he's like, I know exactly what you're talking about. And it's just one of those things that connects with people on a level that you don't always know about and something might seem really specific to one person, but it's actually a shared thing. In researching the buildings history, Thomson discovered that at one time it housed the Georgie Porgie cereal and popcorn company, which he incorporated into his mural design by making the companys logo a young boy dressed as a cowboy holding a cereal box under one arm the centerpiece. That kid actually grew up to be an Air Force pilot, too, Thomson said. So he was a veteran, so theres a lot of connections to serving your country, kind of like (Roth) starting a business building homes for people. (The boy in the Georgie Porgie logo was the company owners son, Alfred Savage, who would grow up to become a highly decorated Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Air Force. It was Alfred Savage who piloted the reconnaissance plane over Hiroshima two hours after the dropping of the atomic bomb.) Thomson incorporated Roths love of country and community with subtle nods to the American flag in some of the colors and patterns he used. In a unique twist, Thomson also integrated some of Roths architectural designs of local houses into the mural, lending it an abstract quality. I was trying to integrate the geometric drawings of buildings, and what I incorporated from some of Johns architectural drawings were birds eye views, so if youre looking down on top of a roof in a house, Thomson said. Over the years, Roth built around 500 houses in the Council Bluffs area, which Thomson commemorated with the numeral 500 to the left of the hand holding the hammer. Thomson designed the mural to be complex, with a lot of meaning embedded throughout. He wants people to be able to enjoy it simply as a piece of public art, but theres a lot history if someone wants to look for it. I wanted it to be dynamic, he said. I wanted it to be eye catching, but I also wanted it to be rewarding for someone who is interested in discovering more about where the design came from. There's a lot of local stuff that, if someone wants to dig they can figure it out. DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge will hold a program Saturday, March 9, at 1 p.m. inviting guests to make origami birds based off the migratory birds they see at the refuge. "Visitors will get to enjoy the sights and sounds of migratory waterfowl while also learning how to create them in origami," according to a news release. "Refuge rangers will demonstrate how to create the birds and explain the history and meaning behind origami." Attendees are welcome to bring home their origami creations, but supplies are available on a first come, first served basis. For more information, call 712-388-4822 or email alyssa_lu@fws.gov. DeSoto is located south of U.S. Highway 30 between Missouri Valley and Blair, Nebraska. Visit fws.gov/refuge/desoto for more information. Whether you planned it originally or held off because of dry conditions in the fall, the time for spring alfalfa planting is just around the corner. Selecting the right seed is crucial, and two traits to consider are fall dormancy and winter survival. These traits often are treated the same You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close All over the authoritarian world, state news agencies serve to reflect the mindset, policies, and official positions of their regimes. Algeria took that role of news agencies to a new low level. As it hit the bottom and continues to dig, Algerias state news agency APS moved from spreading propaganda and fake news to outright insults. In response to news relayed by Algerian dissident journalist Abdou Semmar, APS wrote that he was a Makhzen-Zionist dog in Paris. With this heinous attack on a single journalist, APS enters history as the first news agency to treat as a dog an opponent of the regime. The reason for the verbal attack was Semmars youtube videos in which he warns of the military regimes plan to delay presidential elections to maintain its civilian puppet President Tebboune in power. APS could have denied the report without uttering insults. News about delayed elections have already been evoked by Algerian politicians such as army henchman Abdelkader Bengrina, or head of the regimes islamists Abderrazak Mokri. Tebboune has nothing to offer to campaign for a second term. He has amassed fiascos at the economic, social, and diplomatic levels leaving Algeria on the verge of collapse. If elections are delayed, this would trigger violent unrest in a country which has no more to offer its restive and disenchanted youth but more repression. APS is thus an example of an Algerian media constellation in decadence wherein the numerous outlets are all serving as mouthpieces of a military regime that proved inefficiency in addressing Algerias pressing issues. The news agency has shown a pathological fixation regarding Morocco fabricating fake news on a daily basis. Blinded by its endemic hostility to Moroccos territorial integrity, the Algerian regimes mouthpiece has hit absurd levels in attributing false statements and positions to countries and global bodies. In January, Cyprus exposed APS lies denying Algerian allegations of having issued arrest warrants against Moroccan officials. In October 2021, the UN has denied as false reports by Algerias APS that Morocco failed to become a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC). A month earlier, the Geneva-based Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) denounced the complete fabrication by APS of a news report, claiming that the UN Dispute Tribunal in Geneva had rejected a complaint from Algerian activists in a record time of 24 hours. In response, OHCHR spokesperson Rupert Colville lashed out at the Algerian news agencys false information in a fiery statement. The information contained in the article, which has been widely picked up by other media in Algeria and elsewhere, is a complete fabrication from start to finish, he said. Ruling party leader Han Dong-hoon criticized MBC TV on Thursday after the broadcaster recently aired a weather forecast program that critics claim implicitly calls for support for the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) in April's general elections. In Tuesday's evening weather news broadcast, a blue-colored numeral "one" was prominently featured alongside a female broadcaster as she reported on the concentration of fine dust in Seoul. She also remarked on the number's size relative to her height. In Korean politics, blue is the color of the DPK, while red represents the ruling People Power Party (PPP). In April's elections, DPK candidates are also supposed to be on top of a ballot with the No. 1 mark as the party holds the largest number of lawmakers in the current National Assembly. "MBC aired election campaign broadcasts for the DPK through the weather forecast. This caught me off guard," PPP leader Han said during a party meeting Thursday. The PPP had lodged a complaint against MBC with the Korea Communications Standards Commission, the telecommunications watchdog, accusing the broadcaster of bluntly siding with the DPK. (Yonhap) The United Nations on Wednesday (28 February) kicked off a phased withdrawal of its MONUSCO peacekeeping forces from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in line with the countrys demand by handing over a first UN base to national police. The UN Organization Stabilization Mission in Congo (MONUSCO) said in a statement it handed over its first base at Kamanyola, on the border with Burundi and Rwanda, during an official ceremony to the national police. The second largest country in Africa demanded the withdrawal of the peacekeeping mission despite UN concerns about rampant violence in the DRCs east. But Kinshasa says it considers the UN force to be ineffective in protecting civilians from the armed groups and militias that have plagued the east of the vast country for decades. The UN Security Council voted in December last year to accede to Kinshasas demand for a gradual pullout by the MONUSCO mission. The UN force currently fields around 13,500 soldiers and 2,000 police across the three eastern provinces of Ituri, South Kivu and North Kivu. Deployed in eastern DRC since 1999, the MONUSCOs withdrawal will now take place in three phases, starting with the departure of peacekeepers from South Kivu by the end of April, and followed by the pullout of UN troops from North Kivu and Ituri. The gradual withdrawal from the mission is expected to be completed by 31 December. The withdrawal comes as North Kivu faces the resurgent Tutsi-led M23 rebels who have seized large swathes of the territory. But as intense fighting resumed last month around the city of Goma, North Kivus capital, local people shout down the UN troops more than they praise them, as they accuse the peacekeepers of largely failing to curb violence by multiple armed groups. A British think-tank has responded to the slanderous remarks made by Algerias news agency (APS) against Moroccos institutions over the possibility of postponing the Dec.2024 presidential election in Algeria by confirming such a scenario due to the chaotic situation in the North African country controlled by the army. The presidential election delay was first tackled by an Algerian political leader and some Algerian experts before some independent Moroccan analysts addressed the subject matter. But APS unfairly targeted Morocco with calumnious statements, violating all codes of ethics of professional journalism. According to an analysis published by the London-based Menas Associates, which provides actionable intelligence to decision-makers, the postponement of the election in Algeria is very likely, citing in this regard several factors, dealing a hard blow to the doubters and Algerian manipulators. Firstly, there is increasing pressure on President Abdelmadjid Tebboune to stand down. He is not favored by the Army, the so-called deep state dominated by the old intelligence & security service (DRS), say the British experts. Secondly, the military has not yet come up with an alternative candidate because they are overly preoccupied with fighting amongst themselves. A postponement of a further six months would give them more time to find a solution. Thirdly, the regime does not know how such a radical action would be received. Domestically, a postponement would raise an outcry but one that would be containable because most Algerians no longer care about them. Internationally, however, it could cause major problems for Algeria, so the regime wants more time to assess how such a decision would be received, and especially by the US and France. If the election is postponed, the regime would need to justify the decision. The most likely pretext would be that as a result of the current potentially hostile pressure on all its borders the country is on a war footing or even in a state of war, say the experienced UK analysts. The Algerian junta, de factor ruler, could also easily say that it is in such a state of chaos that more time was needed to organize the election. Furthermore, because of the recent gaffs made by the Algerian junta and the militarization of the diplomatic service, Algeria has received further serious rebuffs in its foreign relations with Spain, Russia, and France. Meanwhile, in the few past weeks all are developing new and seemingly very positive relations with Morocco. Simultaneously, the security situation in the south is still very worrying for the Algerian regime, because Russian troops have taken over the Malian border crossing at In Khalil, as well as adjacent artisanal gold mines. The authorities in Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali and other Sahel countries have all risen against the Algerian juntas interference in their domestic affairs, reaching out to Morocco for help and support due to its credibility, neutrality and solidarity-based cooperation fueled by win-win partnership. Nigeria has introduced a compulsory yearly levy for companies hiring foreign workers, charging $15,000 for directors and $10,000 for other employees. The aim is to prompt foreign companies to hire more Nigerians. Diplomatic mission staff and government officials are exempt. President Bola Tinubu has cautioned against misusing the levy to deter investors. He stressed the governments goal to boost revenue and indigenization. The objective is to balance job opportunities between Nigerians and expatriates by reducing wage gaps. Over 150,000 expatriates, primarily in oil, construction, telecommunications, and hospitality sectors, reside in Nigeria. The country relies heavily on oil exports for foreign exchange earnings. Previously, companies paid $2,000 annually per foreign employee for residency permits. This measure comes amid Nigerias severe economic downturn, sparking protests against hardships. Tinubu acknowledged challenges and pledged to stabilize finances. The levy applies to employees working at least 183 days yearly, with penalties for non-compliance. Enforcement will be managed by the Nigerian Immigration Service under a public-private partnership. Economist Abubakar Abdullahi believes the levy will benefit Nigeria by encouraging companies to hire qualified Nigerians. A group of African countries urged the UN environmental assembly in Nairoby to adopt a resolution on the sustainable use of minerals key to the process of energy transition. The decision would help African countries avoid injustice and extra-activism as the global clean energy agenda speeds up and demand increases on key minerals. Billions of tons of transitional minerals will be needed in the next three decades if the world is to meet its climate goals, according to the United Nations Environment Program. Africa has more than a half of the worlds cobalt and manganese, and 92% of its platinum, which are all Critical to manufacturing batteries and solar panels. The resolution would help African countries tap into the energy transition requirements by boosting their development, job creation and breaking away with the extractive model that left Africa poor for centuries. African leaders hope the resolution would facilitate technology transfers, and raise local countries processing capacities and workforce skills, are necessary for an equitable transition, leaders said at the assembly. With ties already at their worst, the civilian facade of the military regime in Algiers has doubled down on its provocative acts against Mali by receiving last weekend in Algiers extremist religious leader Mahmoud Dicko, whom Bamako accuses of backing Tuareg rebels. This is the second public reception of Dicko after a meeting with Tebboune in December that led Bamako to recall its ambassador to Algeria followed by the declaration of Algiers peace deal with the Tuaregs null and void. Bamakos top military rulers accused Algeria in a statement of stoking separatism and terrorism as well as interfering in Bamakos domestic affairs. Tebboune was seen hugging Dicko at the inauguration of the biggest mosque in Algeria. The show triggered the wrath of Bamako where the prime minister Choguel Kokalla Maiga reiterated the end of Algiers peace deal as a result of a series of Algerias hostile and unfriendly acts. Recalling Algerias plots against his country, Kokalla Maiga cited in particular how Algeria attempted to mislead the non-aligned movement into adopting a stance on Mali that supports the obsolete Algiers peace deal, a move that triggered an immediate response from Mali at the event. Kokalla Maiga was speaking as Algeria conducts live ammunition military drills near the Malian borders. While Algeria flexes its muscles in front of its poor Sahel neighbors, its military has shockingly failed to secure its territory notably its south, declared by western powers as a no-go area due to terrorism threat. As Niger has previously rejected Algerias self-serving mediation, the Sahel recalls the destructive role of Algeria in stoking terrorism in the wider west Africa. The Algerian military regime has long considered the Sahel as a dumping ground of its home-grown terrorist groups which mushroomed in the region taking advantage of porous borders and all sorts of trafficking activities. As an indicator of a diplomacy in disarray, Algeria has chosen the path of diplomatic provocation and live ammunition drills to deal with its crisis with Sahel countries. Chads Prime Minister, Succes Masra, has commended, in Washington, the Initiative of King Mohammed VI aimed at promoting access of the Sahel States to the Atlantic Ocean, deeming it very relevant. Speaking during a round table held by the U.S think tank The Atlantic Council, Succes Masra, who is on an official visit to the United States, stressed that Morocco showed the way towards South-South cooperation. There are lessons that sub-Saharan countries can learn from Morocco, he said in response to a question on the Royal Initiative, asked by the director of the Atlantic Councils Africa Center, Rama Yade. Masra, who indicated that he plans to visit Morocco soon, emphasized the need for Chad to continue to cultivate partnerships that serve the integration and development of Africa. During this meeting held in the presence of Moroccos ambassador to Washington, Youssef Amrani and the U.S Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Molly Phee, Chads Premier cited a concrete example of innovative actions for the continents development, mainly the Noor Solar Power Plant in Ouarzazate. He said he was familiar with this major project when he previously served at the African Development Bank. Several officials from the U.S administration attended the meeting. The U.S. Senate has passed a bill to rename the Federal Building in North Platte for the late U.S. Rep. Virginia Smith of Chappell. The bill was introduced by Sen. Pete Ricketts of Omaha and was approved Tuesday by unanimous consent. Companion legislation must pass in the House of Representatives to send the renaming to President Joe Biden for signing. Virginia Smith served eight terms in the House, winning her first term 50 years ago this November when she narrowly defeated Democrat Wayne Ziebarth of Wilcox. The Iowa native died at age 94 on Jan. 23, 2006. Virginia Smith represented the best of our state, Ricketts said. She was a trailblazer and tireless champion for rural Nebraska. She fought to ensure farmers and ranchers had a seat at the table in the appropriations process. Her legacy deserves to be remembered. The Federal Building at East Third and Chestnut streets replaced North Plattes 1913 downtown post office, now the Prairie Arts Center. The U.S. Postal Service occupied the first floor of the current building for 51 years before relocating the official post office to its regional mail processing center at 1302 Industrial Ave. in 2015. The Federal Building also once served as the western trial court for the U.S. District Court of Nebraska. Today, the building hosts North Plattes Veterans Affairs Clinic and offices for the FBI, Internal Revenue Service, Social Security Administration, U.S. Geological Survey and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The bill was cosponsored in the Senate by Nebraskas senior senator, Sen. Deb Fischer of Valentine. The companion bill in the house was introduced by 3rd District Rep. Adrian Smith of Gering and has the support of the remainder of Nebraskas congressional delegation. All are Republicans, as was Smith. Smith was a trailblazer and a tireless advocate for the people of Nebraska, Fischer said. I want to thank my colleagues for their unanimous, bipartisan support of our resolution to rename the North Platte Federal Building and honor her legacy. Born in Randolph, Iowa, in 1911, Smith graduated with a bachelors degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1936, according to a press release from Ricketts office. She was active in many agricultural and civic groups, including the U.S. Department of Agricultures Home Economics Research Advisory Committee and the White House Conference on Children and Youth. She chaired the Presidential Task Force on Rural Development, the release said. Before serving in the House, Smith served 20 years as the national chairwoman for the American Farm Bureau Women. Her tenure in the House from 1975 to 1991 included service on the House Appropriations Committee and Education and Labor Committee. She was also the ranking member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture. Smith and her husband, Haven, made Chappell their home. Conner Hess and his family at Boston Childrens Hospital, which administered a new gene therapy for adrenoleukodystrophy. Photo-Illustration: Courtesy of Richelle Brooks I was a really, really sick kid, said Kyle A. Smith, who underwent his first surgery at 3 months old after sickle-cell disease caused blood to become trapped in his spleen. He estimates he has been hospitalized hundreds of times, and his mother often had to take him to the prestigious Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia in their hometown. He spent much of his youth in extreme pain due to a genetic mutation that affects the bodys hemoglobin. His red blood cells take on a rigid sickle or crescent shape and dont deliver enough oxygen, causing anemia. The misshapen cells also get caught inside the veins and arteries, blocking blood flow and causing inflammation, swelling, and pain. These pain crises can happen wherever blood flows, Smith said. Its unfortunate that you can experience pain pretty much everywhere within your body. Though pain is a known consequence of sickle-cell disease, he said doctors dont always take him seriously when he needs opioid treatment, which is the standard for care. Most people with sickle-cell disease are Black, like Smith, or brown, and racism can be a serious barrier to pain management in particular. Smith said doctors have accused him of being a malingerer, and he got used to suffering in silence. It teaches you at a very young age that you have to really, really be your biggest advocate and the fiercest champion for yourself to be able to adequately receive the type of treatment you deserve, he said. The roughly 100,000 Americans who live with the sickle-cell disease have a few treatments at their disposal. Thanks to recent medical advancements, the median life span for sufferers is now somewhere in the mid-40s, according to Dr. Lewis Hsu, chief medical officer for the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America. Smith, who is 35, takes hydroxyurea, which can help prevent the formation of sickle-shaped cells. A bone-marrow transplant can help the body produce healthy red blood cells, but theres a problem. Not everybody has a donor, Hsu said. Now, science offers patients fresh hope. In December, the FDA approved two new gene therapies for the treatment of sickle-cell disease, Casgevy and Lyfgenia. Both therapies are made from a patients stem cells, and each treatment alters the body so it begins to produce a healthy form of hemoglobin. Casgevy uses CRISPR, the gene-editing technology, to cut and then edit DNA to create modified stem cells. Lyfgenia uses a virus to deliver these cells directly into the body. Both treatments require patients to undergo a round of chemotherapy to strip any unhealthy cells from the bone marrow before the treated stem cells are transplanted. No bone-marrow donor is required. In clinical trials, Casgevy and Lyfgenia were found to be both highly effective and potentially curative, offering patients freedom not just from pain but from stroke, infection, and organ failure. Just the idea of an opportunity to lessen your pain and have less crises and less hospitalizations is always appealing, Smith said. But he is undecided about gene therapy, and its cost is one reason: Casgevy is priced at $2.2 million and Lyfgenia at $3.1 million. He said he worries that his insurance company wont cover the full price of treatment. Scientists have been working on gene therapy for decades, and the past several years have seen one breakthrough treatment after another for a form of congenital vision loss, for beta thalassemia, even for some cancers. Gene therapies could transform lives, but they wont truly be revolutionary unless they are available to all, and the American health-care system is not so egalitarian. The U.S. doesnt guarantee health care to everyone, and insurance companies often refuse to cover even the most routine procedures. There is some good news, however. Gene therapies have high price tags, but they may be more cost-effective than conventional treatments for some conditions, including sickle cell and a form of hemophilia. Insurance companies have announced plans to cover the new therapies, too, yet some patients and families say theyve still had trouble finding coverage. Science is changing, but one basic fact remains the same: In the U.S., getting health care often means putting up a fight. Though I dont have sickle-cell disease, Casgevy and Lyfgenia excite me because they make me wonder if someday there will be a gene therapy for my own rare disease, a condition called hereditary spherocytosis. My red blood cells are shaped like spheres and break down too quickly. This process can cause a rare form of anemia, which makes me tired, and my spleen is enlarged, which can be painful. The condition also causes gallstones and jaundice. Unlike sickle-cell disease, hereditary spherocytosis doesnt affect my life span or put me in the hospital very often. Although Ive had doctors question my pain and fatigue, I havent experienced medical racism. At the time of my diagnosis, I was a broke college student ready to graduate into poverty. After school, my health insurance covered so little that I tried to avoid the ER even if I was in pain. The Affordable Care Act wasnt safe yet, so for all I knew, my genetic disease would become the ultimate preexisting condition and prevent me from ever getting decent insurance. The future seemed bleak. Fifteen years after my diagnosis, the ACA is settled law, and I have good insurance. I have a minimal co-pay to see my hematologist, I was able to afford my gallbladder surgery, and, despite the anemia, my health is generally good. But I remember my early experience with a rare disease, and I have long wanted to know whether gene therapies will be affordable for everyone who needs them. I reached out to Dr. Aaron Kesselheim, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and a faculty member at Brigham and Womens Hospital, who told me gene therapies carry high price tags for several reasons. The U.S. allows drug companies to charge whatever they want for their products and put various restrictions on payers abilities to negotiate, he said. That means brand-name drugs cost at least twice as much here as they do in countries that can negotiate drug prices based on the clinical benefits that the drug provides and its available alternatives, he added. Prices may be onerous for insurers, whether they are private or public payers like Medicaid. The high price of gene therapy could deter patients from pursuing the treatments. If were talking about a $2 million treatment, I would assume that a large portion of that would not be covered by insurance and left up to patients and their families to figure out how to foot that bill, he said. That may not happen, but Smith isnt alone in his worry. There needs to be serious consideration to how to do this with reducing some of those costs, said Dr. Alexis Thompson, the chief of the Division of Hematology at the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia. I can see that there are many families, even as they are reading news reports about gene therapy, becoming dismayed almost immediately when they hear about the price tag. Insurance companies are taking steps to cover gene therapies, though Kesselheim said the process varies from company to company. A lot of them are covering it with requirements for prior authorization to make sure the person who is undergoing the gene therapy qualifies based on the clinical trials, he explained. Other insurance companies are trying to negotiate with the manufacturer to pay over time or with payments based on the possibility that the treatment will persist over time, and if it continues to work, another installment will be made. Kyle A. Smith co-founded the Crescent Foundation to support sickle-cell patients like himself. He is undecided about gene therapy. Photo: Courtesy of Kyle Smith Last year, the FDA approved Elevidys to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy in patients ages 4 and 5. In some cases, though, the companies initially denied the treatments, which forced parents to file appeal after appeal before their sick children aged out of treatment. Insurance problems still persist, as Elizabeth Currid-Halkett recently told the New York Times. A professor of public policy at the University of Southern California, she said her own insurance company agreed to cover the drug for her son but then began to stall, questioning the urgency of his treatment. I was in the rare position to marshal resources and assistance to pressure my insurance company into covering Elevidys, she said in a recent Times editorial. Those resources arent available to many parents. In the case of sickle-cell disease, more than half of patients appear to be on Medicaid rather than privately insured. Last month, STAT News reported that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced it would negotiate directly with Vertex Pharmaceuticals and Bluebird Bio, which produce Casgevy and Lyfgenia, respectively. Under the agreement, Medicaid would be required to cover the therapies, but if they dont work as promised on a given patient within a certain time frame, the manufacturer would issue a rebate to Medicaid. As insurers reckon with the costs of gene therapy, hospitals have stepped forward to help their patients. When Richelle Brooks of New York learned that her newborn son, Conner, had a form of adrenoleukodystrophy, a disease that damages the white matter of the brain, she feared the worst. When I Googled ALD nightmare images, nightmare stories of all these boys becoming vegetative and dying, she told me. Genetic testing would later reveal that her oldest son, Jayden, had ALD too. Though MRIs show no progression of the disease in Jayden, Conner wasnt as fortunate. His family considered a bone-marrow transplant to treat the condition but said their hospital in Rochester didnt feel equipped to perform the procedure for ALD. Brooks and her family decided to go to Boston Childrens Hospital instead, though it was some distance from their home. Then came another blow: Dr. Christine Duncan of Boston Childrens told her Conner didnt have a perfect donor match, so he was ineligible for the safest type of transplant. But Brooks knew the FDA had just approved Skysona, a gene therapy for Conners form of ALD. On the phone with Duncan, she began to cry. Richelle, I know. Im sorry, I feel like Im giving you blow after blow, Brooks said Duncan told her. I said, Dr. Duncan, Im crying because any day before today, this wouldve been devastating news. Still, there remained the problem of cost: Skysona is priced at $3 million, and the family would potentially be going out of its insurance network for care. The doctors told us, Dont worry about insurance. That is not your job. That is ours. Come to Boston, well take care of it, Brooks said, adding that several senior leaders at Boston Childrens contacted Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield to make sure the company would cover the treatment. Duncan, who is the Boston Childrens director of clinical research and clinical development for the Gene Therapy Program, said patients and families face multiple hurdles to care: A team has to work with your insurance company, figure out what the approvals are, if we need to do anything, and how we can advocate for patients. All the providers I know, myself included, are happy to get on the phone and try and explain to people because, in my experience, insurance has never tried to deny people. Its just a hard topic. Hospitals do have a financial incentive to ensure coverage of these treatments, according to Kesselheim. Gene therapies are largely administered as in-hospital procedures, which can sometimes include multiple-day stays, he explained. If an insurance company denies gene therapy, it will likely also reject all the related hospital costs. Gene therapies are typically available in only a few select hospitals across the U.S., meaning patients and their families often have to travel for care, which also means they may have to pay for flights, hotels, and child care and potentially miss work. (Because New York has paid family leave, Brooks said she didnt incur the usual financial penalty for missing work.) Boston Childrens defrayed some expenses for the Brooks family by providing food vouchers and parking passes in addition to a weekly caregivers lunch. Conner finished treatment on March 16, 2023. Hes the first person in the world to receive Skysona outside a clinical trial, and his mom says hes feeling great. Though he had to start kindergarten a year late, hes now doing well in school. He is active and loves playing Roblox. His disease has not progressed. Conners story could reassure some patients for whom price is one factor to consider among many. For instance, gene therapies for blood disorders may be curative, but patients must be monitored for years to make sure that the treatment is effective and that serious side effects havent developed. They can temporarily lose bone-marrow function, making them susceptible to infection. Theres a risk of infertility and possibly cancer, not only from the chemotherapy that is used for conditioning but perhaps from the process itself, said CHOPs Thompson. At Boston Childrens, Duncan said they would not push gene therapy on a patient if thats not what they want: But for many of these diseases, the natural history of the disease is worse than even the things theyre up against, and they have a choice. Thats new. Even five years ago, patients with diseases like cystic fibrosis or sickle cell had few options for treatment. So even though this is difficult, Duncan added, Im very hopeful. So is Smith. Although he is still trying to decide if gene therapy is for him, he knows what it means to the broader sickle-cell community. In 2020, he helped launch the Crescent Foundation to care for sickle-cell patients. Working with his co-founders, who also live with the disease, Smith organizes volunteers to transport patients to local hospitals and educate medical students about the reality of life with the condition. He hopes to address housing insecurity next, a common problem for people with sickle cell. I think I would be open to it, which is to say a lot, Smith said of gene therapy. The side effects and potential complications concern him and so does the prospect of lost income. There are so many factors to consider, he told me. But the benefit is an extension of life for potentially ten, 15, 20 years, he said. The benefit is not having to feel any more pain crises. The benefit is to not have to be admitted into the hospital so frequently and for it to disrupt your life so tremendously. Photo: AP Photo/Susan Walsh If there is one person who single-handedly held the power to banish Donald Trump from public life, and thus to save the republic from any threat he will return to power and use it as a weapon of vengeance, that person is Mitch McConnell. In the days after January 6, 2021, Trump had discredited himself with his party and stood on the brink of reputational ruin. The House had impeached him for his coup attempt, with ten Republicans joining in. With a small push, McConnell likely could have mustered enough votes to convict him and disqualify the former president from holding public office again. Instead, McConnell decided such a vote, by splitting his party, would put it at a disadvantage. He convinced himself Trump would simply fade away on his own. And now, three years later, Trump stands as the prohibitive favorite to regain power, as McConnell has watched his influence ebb as he fades away into retirement. The main story of every Republican who served in this era will be what they did as their party descended into authoritarianism. The defining story of McConnells career will be that he chose his own power over democracy. Before Trump came along, McConnell was known, alongside a fanatical opposition to campaign finance reform, for articulating an unusually candid strategy for preventing bipartisan compromise under Democratic administrations. It was absolutely critical that everybody be together because if the proponents of the bill were able to say it was bipartisan, it tended to convey to the public that this is O.K., they must have figured it out, he explained to the New York Times in 2010. The following year, he told The Atlantic, We worked very hard to keep our fingerprints off of these proposals. Because we thoughtcorrectly, I thinkthat the only way the American people would know that a great debate was going on was if the measures were not bipartisan. When you hang the bipartisan tag on something, the perception is that differences have been worked out, and theres a broad agreement that thats the way forward. This strategy had a side effect McConnell probably didnt foresee. Maintaining a total blockade on bipartisan legislation couldnt be justified in narrow terms, like opposing the terms and parameters of President Obamas legislative goals. Republicans could only justify their refusal to negotiate by insisting the very goals Obama wished them to join in solving economic stimulus, expanding health coverage, and reducing carbon-dioxide emissions were merely pretexts for his actual goal of extending government control over everything. They had to whip their base into a hysteria that Obama had a secret agenda Muslim, socialist, perhaps both to destroy the very fabric of America. The system McConnell helped create was one in which policy itself was irrelevant. Every discrete legislative question had to be melted into an all-consuming tribal war in which the only real question was who shall rule. It was not that he wished for his party to have the chance to implement its own, clearly distinct vision of governing, as Paul Ryan did. McConnell was a procedural extremist but a substantive moderate compared with fellow Republicans. When he invoked the Republican agenda, he did so as a bogeyman: See the scary things that his party would do if the filibuster was removed? The world McConnell desired, and helped to create, was one in which each side would threaten disaster if the other held power, but little would happen other than tax cuts and confirming judges. The political environment in which a political culture war replaced discrete policy differences turned out to be one Trump was supremely well positioned to navigate. What did it matter that Trump knew little and cared less about the details of policy? He understand that Republican politics had been redefined as a crusade to smash their enemies before they could destroy the country. McConnell at first enlisted behind Trump with little objection. He blockaded an open Supreme Court seat after Antonin Scalias death in 2016, inventing a new principle that the Senate couldnt fill a Court seat in an election year, before abandoning the principle to fill it with a Republican four years later following Ruth Bader Ginsburgs death. McConnell calculated in part that the impetus of filling Scalias seat would encourage social conservatives to swallow their reservations and back Trump, which they did. In September 2016, top intelligence officials held a grave briefing with leaders of Congress to warn of Russias interference, which included the hacking Democratic emails. McConnell, according to the Washington Post, raised doubts about the underlying intelligence and made clear to the administration that he would consider any effort by the White House to challenge the Russians publicly an act of partisan politics. He thwarted any chance to form a bipartisan front against Russian election interference. Trumps presidency brought a stream of evidence confirming the fears that he would abuse power, all of which McConnell ignored. Even the revelation that Trump had held up aid to Ukraine, one of McConnells few points of genuine interest, to blackmail the country into smearing Joe Biden did not dislodge his support. When Trump refused to concede the 2020 election, instead concocting preposterous lies that it had been stolen, McConnell shrugged again. A few legal inquiries from the president do not exactly spell the end of the republic, he insisted. Indeed, Trumps attempt to overturn the election was no different, somehow, than Democrats denouncing Russian election interference: Lets not have any lectures about how the president should immediately, cheerfully accept preliminary election results from the same characters who just spent four years refusing to accept the validity of the last election. As with most Republicans, the insurrection, which brought a violent mob into their own sanctum, briefly shocked McConnells conscience. But his indignation was short-lived. His response was to retroactively revise his own complicity in the plot, floating a self-serving narrative in the New York Times that he had been under a false impression that the president was only blustering and that Mr. Trump would eventually bow to reality and accept defeat. After briefly, half-heartedly supporting Trumps second impeachment in 2021, McConnell decided it was too much trouble. Instead he invented a transparent rationale that a president couldnt be impeached after leaving office, reprising his favorite method of justifying his own power by inventing institutional rules. By May, McConnell even blocked the formation of a commission to investigate Trumps scheme to steal the election. This time, unlike during impeachment, McConnell actually exerted himself, asking Republicans to support a filibuster as a personal favor, his highest-level request. The Senate commission was duly blocked. It didnt take long for McConnell to realize he had miscalculated. By continuing to insist he had won the 2020 election, Trump shut down any possibility of moving past him, as McConnell wanly hoped would occur in the absence of a messy intra-party fight. Indeed, Trump began using support for his coup attempt as a party litmus test to weed out any principled opponents. The only thing McConnell objected to about this process is that many of the Trump loyalists polled poorly with the public: He called this a candidate-quality problem the risk of losing Senate seats being the only real downside of the partys slide into authoritarianism that bothered him. When Joe Biden took office, McConnell did support or tacitly permit a series of bipartisan legislative compromises, likely because he feared that another Obama-style total blockade would lead Democrats to end the filibuster. The final such effort, though, has stalemated. In response to transparently pretextual Republican claims that aid to Ukraine would sap resources from border enforcement, he threw himself behind a bipartisan plan to beef up border security, only to belatedly realize that pro-Russia Republicans didnt actually care about the border. Instead, they wanted to avoid giving Biden a bipartisan win. McConnell, of all people, ought to have understood the motivation. One side effect of the Republican Partys long slide into extremism is that every new leader is decried as a radical and every departing one hailed as a statesman. As McConnell gives way to even more partisan, unprincipled successors, Washington will fete his integrity and decency. The heart of Mitch McConnells legacy is a small-minded cynicism that was all too typical of his party. He saw the danger of Trumpism and chose to use it to his advantage rather than fight. Photo: Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images For the second time in two years, New Yorkers have a new congressional map. On Wednesday, the State Assembly voted 115 to 33 and the State Senate 45 to 17 in favor of the map drawn by lawmakers after rejecting the map drawn by the independent redistricting commission two days prior. Although legislators only just released the new lines late Monday, they were able to circumvent the traditional three-day waiting period after Governor Kathy Hochul signed whats known as a message of necessity in order to speed up the process. Hours later, Hochul officially signed the map into law. With the New York Republican Party stating that it wont challenge the new lines, the maps passage likely marks the official end to the states drawn-out redistricting saga, which began during the 2022 midterms. Despite the looming 2024 election cycle, the majority Democratic legislature took a more moderate approach to the new map over a more ambitious gerrymander that could have helped to tip the scales in its partys favor. Lawmakers made very few changes to the map put forth by the redistricting commission. Initially, the Hudson Valley districts of Republican congressman Marc Molinaro and Democratic congressman Pat Ryan were to be strengthened, a move that would have greatly benefited both incumbents as they seek reelection. However, the legislature opted against those moves, per the New York Times. Lawmakers also overturned a plan to divide Orange County between the two districts. Instead, the county will remain fully in Ryans district. Politico reports that through an exchange of several Ulster County towns, Ryans district will grow slightly more Democratic, while Molinaros district will stay largely the same in terms of competitiveness. In New York City, Congressman Jamaal Bowman will now represent Co-op City, a cooperative housing development in the Bronx, which was added back to his district after he lost the area during 2022 redistricting. In exchange, Bowman will lose the neighborhood of Wakefield. The map doesnt make any changes to the portions of the district that lie in Westchester County, a move that might benefit Bowmans primary challenger, George Latimer, the sitting county executive. Congressman Brandon Williamss Syracuse-based district will now include the cities of Auburn and Cortland as first proposed by the commission, making the region he represents much bluer than before. Several Republicans found that their districts were left largely untouched. Congressman Mike Lawler, whose seat is considered a top target for Democrats, saw no major changes to his district. Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakiss Staten Island district, which was controversially connected with more liberal Brooklyn neighborhoods under the legislatures 2022 map attempt, was also left alone. In 2022, the bipartisan commission was tasked with drawing new maps following the 2020 Census but failed to come to an agreement on a final set. State lawmakers then stepped in and drew their own House map, producing new lines that many saw as overly favorable to Democratic Party candidates. Republicans immediately filed a court challenge, sparking a long series of rulings and appeals that led all the way to the Court of Appeals, the states highest court. The court deemed the lawmakers map overly partisan and appointed an independent special master to draw a new and, ultimately, highly contested one. Lawmakers got a second attempt at drawing a new map ahead of the 2024 election after the Court of Appeals ruled in favor of a Democratic Partybacked challenge that argued that the commission didnt complete its constitutional duty when it failed to put forward a set of maps. Parliament on Thursday endorsed an electoral district map for the upcoming parliamentary elections in April after months of political wrangling over the number of local councilors in certain key districts. Earlier in the day, floor leaders of the ruling People Power Party and the main opposition Democratic Party reached a last-minute deal on redrawing electoral districts for the 300-member National Assembly, just 41 days before voting on April 10. According to the agreement, the number of seats chosen by direct votes in North Jeolla Province will be maintained at 10, while the total number of seats picked through a proportional representation system will be decreased by one to 46 instead. As a result, the number of parliamentary seats in Seoul and the surrounding Gyeonggi Province will be 48 and 60, respectively, followed by the southeastern city of Busan at 18. The months-long delay in the passage of the redistricting plan has caused confusion among prospective candidates who will soon be making preliminary registrations with the state election watchdog to initiate campaign activities. During the previous general election in 2020, approval of the electoral map was reached 39 days before the vote. (Yonhap) Its decision time for Nikki Haley. Photo: George Frey/Getty Images Were just days from Super Tuesday, the March 5 batch of presidential primaries and caucuses in 15 states and one territory that will award over a third of the total delegates to the 2024 Republican convention in July. There is zero reason to doubt that Donald Trump will sweep all these contests, bringing him to the brink of securing the GOP presidential nomination (hell likely clinch by March 19 at the latest). Nikki Haley will have to look high and low for silver linings in the results, even as a growing number of Republicans publicly and privately press her to get out of the race so the party can unite behind its tarnished champion. Its hard to believe that Haley, whose political instincts have always been first class, is just blundering ahead with no idea what she will do after her extremely slim hopes of becoming the Republican presidential nominee expire on March 5. So what are her realistic options? I see just three, one of which could upend the 2024 general-election campaign overnight. . One theory as to why Haley hasnt already dropped out is that shes getting a significant share of the vote in Republican primaries and that donors big and small are still giving her money. Both of these reasons for keeping on keeping on may fall by the wayside after March 5, but until then, and perhaps until Trumps nomination is secure, theres no particular reason for Haley to pack it in particularly if, as is likely, she has given up on any prominent role in a prospective Trump administration. In this scenario, Haley could still grudgingly endorse Trump and preserve a role in a post-Trump Republican Party, which may occur sooner rather than later if her predictions that the 45th president is a sure loser against Joe Biden prove accurate. In the bleak morning after a second Trump defeat in November (assuming he and his supporters choose to accept defeat this time around), nobodys going to remember or care about exactly when Haley chose to drop out of the race. . One scenario you used to hear about was that Haley is hoping a freaked-out Republican convention will turn to her if something very bad a health crisis or a felony criminal conviction happens to Trump before the event is gaveled in on July 15. But given Haleys increasingly bitter and personal tone toward Trump in recent weeks, the odds of all those MAGA delegates (who would be legally bound to vote for Trump unless he drops out of the race or the convention itself releases them) choosing Haley as a sort of dime-store consolation prize are literally incredible. Approximately 200 or 300 Republican politicians and Trump family members would be ahead of her in the line to become a stand-in for the former president. So forget about Haley as plan B. Conservative pundit Henry Olsen, however, offers a much more limited path to the convention for Haley: Haley will arrive in Milwaukee in possession of a cache of delegates how many is unclear; at the moment, she has 20. The rules dont simply give power to a candidate based on the number of delegates they possess. Candidates cannot have their names placed into nomination, and thereby get television airtime at the convention, unless they have a plurality of delegates in at least five states. Olsen figures Haley may reach that threshold and basically use the disruptive threat of having her name placed in nomination to shake down Team Trump for whatever it is she really wants: Against that backdrop, Haleys continued campaign makes a great deal of sense. The more delegates she can acquire, the more power she can exert on the floor. And the more power she can exert on the floor, the stronger hand she has to deal from to get concessions from former president Donald Trump on things she cares about, such as U.S. support for NATO. Indeed, given that the party did not even write a platform in 2020, simply insisting that it draft a new one for this election might be a significant request. I guess anything is possible, but the last time a losing candidate followed this strategy for spoiling a coronation was in 2012 when Ron Pauls supporters were an annoying presence at the GOP convention that nominated Mitt Romney. It did not endear Republicans to the man or his cultlike followers or bend a hypothetical Romney administration in a libertarian direction. If Haley sticks it out until Milwaukee after being crushed in the primaries, its more likely she will find herself speaking to an empty hall at three in the afternoon than in some back room cutting deals to save NATO. . The most perilous, but potentially the most profitable, path ahead for Haley is to leave the Trump-addicted GOP altogether (albeit temporarily) and accept a presidential nomination from the nonpartisan No Labels organization, which already has ballot access in 16 states and could wind up on many more. No Labels has publicly and repeatedly expressed interest in Haley as someone who might head their proposed unity ticket. And with other prospects like Larry Hogan and Joe Manchin ruling out a No Labels run, theres not much question the group would greet Haley with open arms, roses, and Champagne in part because her candidacy would ostensibly address Democratic fears that No Labels is consciously or unconsciously paving the way for a Trump general-election victory, if you assume Haley would win over a lot of GOP voters. The question, of course, is whether Haley would make this fateful change of direction. As recently as February 26, shes pooh-poohed the idea, saying Ive been a conservative Republican my whole life. Im not going to switch over and have a Democrat vice president. Thats not something I would do. But its worth noting that her campaign-trail rhetoric has shifted of late from warning Republicans that Trump is a general-election loser against Biden to warning both parties that majorities of voters dont want either of these candidates. Its certainly a No Labelscompatible message. And it wouldnt be that big a reach for Haley to morph from trying to stop Trump by begging independents and Democrats to participate in Republican primaries into appealing to both parties disgruntled voters. No Labels has made it known that it will hold a virtual convention of delegates on March 8 to make the initial decision as to whether to pursue a unity ticket this year (the same delegates will later have to approve that ticket if one is formed). If these delegates have reason to believe Haley may be their presidential candidate, a go decision would be unsurprising. Given her positioning at the moment, polls would likely give Haley at least 20 percent of the national vote right off the bat (certainly a lot more than alternatives like Jon Huntsman would get), as Never Trump Republicans, true independents, and disgruntled Democrats who think of her as moderate consider backing the South Carolinian. Unlikely as it might seem given her expressed disinterest, a Haley No Labels candidacy could create an instant splash that would generate excitement and probably attract some serious dough. Sure, in time the excitement might wear off. Sore loser laws in some states could make her appearance on the Unity Ticket problematic. If theres any Haley oppo research left in Team Trumps vaults, they would certainly unleash it if she threatens to cut into the GOPs general-election base. And without question, Democrats hoping to limit defections to Haley while helping her among Republicans would provide constant reminders of her history, which includes hard-core anti-abortion positions, a zest for entitlement reform, and some of the most virulently anti-labor sentiments any politician has expressed since Taft and Hartley. I have no idea whether Haley is capable of leaping out of her party and into a seriously powerful role in this election. If shes going to give No Labels delegates a high sign, the night of or the day after her Super Tuesday repudiation by the GOP may be a good time to do so. And that might be a flip-flop too blatant to succeed. The problem is that the other paths forward for Haley just arent very promising or even interesting. Shes doomed as a Republican and is just making herself less popular to her GOP colleagues every single day. She doesnt strike me as the kind of person who will let the fires of her ambitions die out so easily. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images When the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos are children, it threatened hopeful parents across the state. Several clinics have now paused IVF treatments while they consider the legal implications of the ruling. We were at the doctors office when the doctors and the clinics said they would close down. The very next day, I got progesterone shots delivered. Its just been gut punch after gut punch for us, one Alabama woman told The 19th. Most Americans support the legality of IVF, and as outrage grows, Republicans struggle in a trap of their own making. This isnt what they wanted, they insist: They support IVF. In Congress, Nancy Mace of South Carolina said in a statement she would stop any and all efforts to ban IVF, and Byron Donalds of Florida expressed support for the procedure on Meet the Press. We really want the Alabama legislature to make sure that that procedure is protected for families who do struggle with having children, that helps them actually create great families, which is what our country desperately needs, he said. But did he tell the truth? Donalds, like Mace, co-sponsored the Life at Conception Act in 2021. The bill defined a human being as a member of the species homo sapiens at all stages of life, including the moment of fertilization or cloning, or other moment at which an individual member of the human species comes into being, the Washington Post reported. Not only would it have banned almost all abortions, it did not protect access to IVF. Neither Mace nor Donalds have co-sponsored the reintroduced bill, the Post added, but they also have yet to square their current positions on IVF with their previous support for the legislation. Senate Republicans are hardly more moderate. On Wednesday, Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi blocked a bill that would have created federal protections for IVF and other fertility treatments. Senator Tammy Duckworth, a Democrat from Illinois, had reintroduced the bill to protect IVF and to call the GOPs bluff. Duckworth, who had two daughters with the help of IVF, used a legislative procedure that allows any one senator to object and stop it in its tracks, the New York Times reported, and Hyde-Smith took the bait. (She also blocked the bill in 2022, when Duckworth first introduced it after Dobbs.) The bill was full of poison pills, the senator from Mississippi said, because it went beyond ensuring access to IVF and allegedly lacked restrictions on surrogacy and human cloning. Tony Perkins, who heads the far-right Family Research Council, called the bill deceptive and claimed, falsely, that the bill would legalize cloning, gene-edited designer babies, and the creation of human-animal hybrids, or chimeras. Hyde-Smith later appeared on his broadcast program, Washington Watch, where she accused Democrats of trying to exploit emotions. Duckworths bill does not legalize chimeras. The senator has said it does three things and three things only: It protects women from prosecution for pursuing IVF and doctors for performing it, and it further allows insurance companies to cover the procedure. In response, Republicans can only dissemble. House Speaker Mike Johnson said on Thursday that he supports IVF and that it must be done ethically, whatever that means. Johnson, too, cosponsored the Life at Conception Act and believes in fetal personhood an overtly religious notion that the fetus is a person from the time of its conception. He is hardly alone. For many on the right, fetal personhood has long been the basis of their opposition to abortion. In 1973, the year the Supreme Court decided Roe v. Wade, a Maryland congressman proposed the first Human Life Amendment, which said the U.S. should not deprive any human being, from the moment of conception, of life without due process. Lawmakers would introduce 330 versions of the bill over the next 40 years, ProPublica reported. Jeannie Suk Gersen observed in a 2019 piece for the New Yorker that the abortion fight we are gearing up for departs from the realm of uneasy compromise and re-engages the clash of absolutes. Now we live with the consequences, and so must the GOP. If an embryo is a person, the conventional IVF process is murderous. Republicans havent squared their professed support for IVF with their opposition to abortion because they cant. For the same reason, they cant be relied on to protect IVF. Theyre bound by their own logic, as Duckworth found out. If this is urgent and you care deeply about this as you say you do like youve been saying in the last 72-plus hours since the Alabama Supreme Court ruling then dont object, she said on Wednesday. Let this bill pass. They didnt, because they couldnt. Republicans cant escape the personhood problem. Though Republican lawmakers in Alabama have introduced some early proposals meant to protect IVF, Democrats say theyre still dodging the question of personhood, which threatens the entire endeavor. Compromise is neither possible nor advisable. Let us remember the two absolutes at work. One holds that a woman has the right to her own body. The other grants rights to embryos, which transforms women into non-human vessels. The first view is compatible with modern notions of equality and citizenship, and the other is not. Only one view should prevail and if it does, it will do so without any help from the right. Fani Willis and Nathan Wade. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images Like a souffle collapsing when its overbaked, the effort by Donald Trumps Atlanta legal team to get Fulton County district attorney Fani Willis and her lead prosecutor, Nathan Wade, disqualified from his racketeering case has lost a lot of altitude and could soon get tossed in the trash altogether. The run-up to the trial of Trump and his confederates was sidetracked in January when Ashleigh Merchant, the attorney for minor Trump crony Michael Roman, made a motion to have Willis and Wade dismissed from the case for allegedly sharing the spoils of Wades fees as part of a romantic relationship, which ostensibly explained why Wade was hired despite questionable credentials. The judge supervising the racketeering case, Scott McAfee, has been conducting a lengthy series of hearings over the motion to disqualify the two top prosecutors. The hearings have featured fiery testimony from Willis claiming Trumps attorneys are trying to put her, rather than Trump and his friends, on trial. But soon the proceedings got frozen in a lengthy dispute between the two sides over whether testimony from Wades former law partner (and attorney in his highly contentious divorce) about the Willis-Wade relationship was precluded by attorney-client privilege. After a private hearing with this attorney, Terrence Bradley, on February 25, Judge McAfee allowed him to be questioned about text messages he had sent to Merchant alleging a long-standing relationship between Willis and Wade, which had helped precipitate this entire dispute. Bradley promptly denied he knew anything about when the two prosecutors began their affair, and dismissed what he had told Merchant in text messages as speculation. McAfee has promised a ruling on the disqualification motion by the end of this week, but about all Team Trump has in reserve are cell-phone records allegedly showing Wade in the vicinity of Williss home on many occasions prior to his hiring as lead prosecutor. Theyve already lost access to potentially juicy intel from Wades estranged wife when the couple agreed on a divorce settlement last month. All in all, as the Atlanta Journal-Constitutions Patricia Murphy notes, all Williss tormenters really have left is innuendo: The underlying accusation in all of this is that Wade and Willis lied about the length of their relationship, the same relationship, mind you, that defense attorneys have failed to show is either a conflict of interest for the prosecution or a source of financial enrichment for either Willis or Wade. The real question now is why any of this is relevant? And more than that, why are defense attorneys, including those for Trump, spending so much time trying to discredit Willis and her team and so little time trying to prove their clients innocence of the charges against them? Even assuming McAfee rejects the disqualification motion, the whole saga has helped Team Trump by delaying the pretrial proceedings and also by damaging Williss reputation. Even if she didnt do anything legally or ethically wrong in hiring Wade or entering into a relationship with him, there remain questions about Wades qualifications to serve as lead prosecutor in the most important criminal case held in Atlanta in decades. And her very public dismissal of questions about her handling of the case as motivated by sexism and racism wont mollify her critics, not all of whom are Trump backers. In the end, the best way for Fani Willis and Nathan Wade to quell the doubts that have been raised about them is simple: Prosecute the case and win. After the scandalfest weve witnessed since the disqualification motion was filed, they may now have the opportunity to do just that. Photo: Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images The Supreme Courts announcement that it will hear Donald Trumps argument for immunity in his January 6 criminal case was a major break for the former president, who may not face a trial on those charges until after the election. The announcement incensed many Americans, who suggested that the court was in the tank for Trump, who appointed half of the 6-3 conservative majority. For legal experts examining their every move, it was also a peek at the internal divisions within the courts voting blocs. I spoke with University of Texas law professor and CNN Supreme Court analyst Steve Vladeck to help understand the decision and what it could mean for Trumps claim of immunity. Whats your top-line read on the Supreme Courts decision to consider this case? The problem is the top line is complicated. Its not what Jack Smith wanted, right? Its not what a lot of people wanted. I also think that in the grand scheme of the Supreme Courts role in our system, its not especially surprising that this is where we ended up. And that as much as many of us are fixated on the political emergency of trying to have this trial unfold before the November election, that probably was, and maybe ought to be, less of a driving factor for the court. Less of a factor in what way? Well, its not the courts job to do things that are politically convenient for others. I think the problem is that as much as folks are criticizing the court for acting in a way that they believe is political and helpful for Trump, the court, I think, also could reasonably have been worried about acting in a way that was perceived as just being politically helpful to Smith. If you start from the perspective that the court had no neutral way to avoid looking deeply political here, then what it actually did, I think, looks a little more reasonable in perspective. And I mean, there are a lot of folks out there who say, Why is the court weighing in if the answer so obvious? But the Supreme Court has long taken the view that it should take up cases that raise important questions of federal law that the court has never answered. And who can deny that this is one of those? It took the Supreme Court about two weeks to reach this decision after Trumps attorneys requested they consider the case. That timeline suggests that there was some negotiation on the court to get four justices to agree to grant a cert. I was wondering if you could speculate as to how this all played out behind the scenes? Given that it took two weeks and that there was no separate writing, I think the most likely explanation is that there was an effort to see if there were five votes for a more decisive disposition. And my best guess about how we ended up here is that there were two blocs of justices at opposite ends. There was one bloc of justices that wanted to keep the prosecution on hold and not hustle. And there was one bloc of justices that wanted to maybe stay out of the case altogether. And neither of those blocs could count to four, let alone five. What would a more decisive disposition have looked like? The court could have denied the stay and let the case go forward. The court could have issued a summary affirmance of the D.C. Circuit, like a brief unsigned per curiam opinion of the court. Again, those wouldve been, frankly, surprising had they happened. But I suspect that there was at least some effort to float other possible outcomes, because this was always the obvious compromise. When folks were handicapping the options two weeks ago, this one was one of them. I think the only reason why people soured on it was because it didnt make sense why it would take this long to get to it. You said on CNN that its hard to indicate from this decision how the court will ultimately rule on the immunity claim. Why is that so difficult to determine? The way the court interpreted the Trump teams arguments is interesting, because in one respect, the court has basically kept some of Trumps dumbest arguments out of the case. For example, Trumps claim that double jeopardy somehow protects him from prosecution is nowhere in the question presented. But the way the court wrote the question also opened up the possibility that the court might try to split the difference and say that there might be some acts for which Trump can plausibly claim immunity, but not all of the ones that are charged in the indictment. You can read the way the court wrote the question as presented to mean lots of different things, and that itself might be by design. Not to throw us off the scent, but because at least some of the justices themselves are struggling with what they want to do here So keeping out what you called the dumbest arguments could be read as a good indicator for Trumps chances in this case? Yeah, but you could also see it as a bad one. That instead of taking the case the way that Trump had framed it, they took it the way that they wanted to frame it. To me, all it says is that theres some amount of debate going on inside the court, that the court has not made up its mind about how its going to rule. In the same way that this was an obvious compromise on this matter, would it not be the obvious decision that a 6-3 conservative majority ultimately rules in Trumps favor in some fashion? I dont think thats obvious at all. Because thats where I think its much more likely that you would see a difference, perhaps even among and within the six Republican appointees. I can see a world where a Justice Barrett and a Chief Justice Roberts look at that question differently from a Justice Alito. I think that it is really hard to determine how the courts going to rule just based on the fact that theyve agreed to take up the case on the terms on which theyve taken them up. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Sign Up for the Intelligencer Newsletter Daily news about the politics, business, and technology shaping our world. Email This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Vox Media, LLC Terms and Privacy Notice By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice and to receive email correspondence from us. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images On February 28, Mitch McConnell announced he would be stepping down from Republican Senate leadership this fall, marking an end to his long, divisive, party-defining tenure. While the Kentucky senator plans to serve out his term through 2026, the jockeying for his role as leader has begun in earnest. Several GOP senators with past and current ties to leadership have been floated as potential successors including multiple lawmakers named John. Texass John Cornyn and South Dakotas John Thune, the two front-runners, have made their bids official. Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming, another potential candidate, announced on Tuesday that he had taken himself out of the running and will instead pursue a bid to be the partys whip, the Senates second-in-command. But other contenders are emerging too. Heres what to know about the top candidates to succeed McConnell and the likelihood that they will run. . Cornyn, 72, is Texass senior senator, having represented the state since 2002. He previously served alongside McConnell as the Republican whip from 2012 to 2019 and chaired the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the partys campaign arm. Before his time in Congress, he was both a district- and supreme-court judge in Texas and the states attorney general. The senator is largely seen as a consistent conservative, but he continues to face party criticism at home and nationally over his support for bipartisan gun-control legislation after the deadly mass shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. In 2023, Cornyn briefly caused a stir when he suggested Donald Trump might not be the partys best presidential candidate after having previously endorsed him in 2016. We need to come up with an alternative, Cornyn said, per the Dallas Morning News. I think President Trumps time has passed him by and whats the most important thing to me is we have a candidate who can actually win. The senator went on to endorse Trump after his win in the New Hampshire primary, writing on social media, I have seen enough. To beat Biden, Republicans need to unite around a single candidate, and its clear that President Trump is Republican voters choice. One day after McConnells announcement, Cornyn officially announced his leadership bid, touting his experience and his collaboration with the former president, particularly naming his work as whip in getting Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh confirmed. Throughout my time Ive built a track record of listening to colleagues and seeking consensus, while leading the fight to stop bad policies that are harmful to our nation and the conservative cause, he wrote in a statement to his fellow Republicans. Though it is still early, Cornyn has yet to receive an endorsement for his campaign. NEWS @JohnCornyn makes it official, announces intention to run for GOP leader He spoke with Trump yesterday and started calling around to individual GOP senators pic.twitter.com/W4XF3lBk17 Andrew Desiderio (@AndrewDesiderio) February 29, 2024 . Thune, 63, is No. 2 in the Senate Republican leadership since succeeding Cornyn as whip in 2019. He was first elected to the Senate in 2005 after several terms in the House of Representatives and is South Dakotas senior senator. Hes also previously served as Republican Conference chair. Though Cornyn is no favorite of Trump, Thune may be in an even more precarious position with the Republican Partys de facto presidential nominee. Thune criticized Trumps efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, saying that any such action would go down like a shot dog in the Senate. Trump later lashed out at Thune, calling him a RINO and Mitchs boy on social media and appearing to support primarying him in 2022. Trump called for South Dakota governor Kristi Noem to challenge Thune for his seat, though she declined to do so. Thune at first backed South Carolina senator Tim Scott for president but endorsed Trump in early February after speaking to him following the South Carolina primary. In the immediate aftermath of the McConnell news, Thune began to have conversations with his Republican colleagues about a potential bid. When asked during an interview with South Dakotas KELO-TV whether he would like to be the partys leader in the Senate, he made it official. Well, I hope to be, and Im going to do everything I can to convince my colleagues, Thune said. Theyre the voters. Theyre the ones who ultimately make the decision. But that as we look at a new generation of consistent, principled, conservative leadership in the United States Senate that empowers our Senate Republicans, that puts a check and balance against the Schumer what has been the, a very liberal Schumer-Biden agenda Im prepared to lead that effort. Thune is seen by some as the front-runner to succeed McConnell due to his current position as the outgoing leaders deputy. He has also secured the endorsement of two of his fellow senators: Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma and Mike Rounds of South Dakota. During an interview with CNN, Mullin said hes not sure if Trump will block Thune owing to his past criticism but suggested the former president not weigh in on this race, calling it a lose-lose situation. He needs to work with whatever leader is there. And let me tell you, whatever leader is there understands that theyre going to have to work with President Trump, too, he said. So its really not in his best interest to lean into the race at this point. However, if he chooses to do it, it will make a difference. . Outside of current or former Republican leadership, Scotts name has emerged as a possible candidate to succeed McConnell. Scott, 71, has served as Floridas junior senator since 2019, after two terms in the Florida governors mansion. He is not new to the leadership process. The former NRSC chairman previously challenged McConnell for his job in 2022 following the midterms, the first such attempt against him. Scott lost in a vote of 37 to 10 with one member abstaining. The Florida senator was later removed from the Senate Commerce Committee, a move Scott saw as payback from McConnell for challenging him. For members who have grown tired of McConnells style of leadership, Scott could represent a kind of change. Unlike Scott, both Thune and Cornyn served under McConnell for years. Scott has made no official announcements about running for McConnells job again but indicated that he is interested. Im seriously considering it. As you know, I ran against McConnell about 14 months ago, he said on The Charlie Kirk Show. As speculation continues, Scott recently posted a photo with Trump on social media. Great to see President Trump tonight! Were going to continue working together to win big in 2024 and fix Washington, he wrote. . Politico reports that Trump has indeed weighed in on the race to find McConnells successor, reaching out to Daines to encourage him to throw his hat into the ring. Daines, 61, has represented Montana in the Senate since 2015 after serving one term in the House of Representatives. In January, Daines was named chairman of the NRSC. Trumps influence over the Republican Party has only grown, evident in House Republicans recent tanking of a bipartisan immigration bill their Senate counterparts had actively helped to build after Trump criticized it. If the former president were to weigh in on the race in a significant way and in Dainess favor, it could give his bid a sizable boost. Axios reports that Trump was urging Daines to consider running for leader even prior to McConnells announcement. Daines did not rule out a potential run in an interview with Politico but said his current focus is on getting more Republicans elected in this election cycle. I told [Trump] the most important thing I can do this moment is to make sure we have a Senate majority in November, he said. Sign Up for the Intelligencer Newsletter Daily news about the politics, business, and technology shaping our world. Email This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Vox Media, LLC Terms and Privacy Notice By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice and to receive email correspondence from us. 10 items in this article Photo-Illustration: The Strategist; Photos: Retailers It took a long time for me to get, and stay, pregnant. So when it was finally my turn to make a baby registry, I was over the moon but also a little too focused on the fantasy of early motherhood rather than the reality of what was about to happen. By the time my second trimester rolled around, I had already read all of the Strategists baby recommendations and every edition of How Id Redo My Registry. I spent hours messaging friends and family to discuss the pros and cons of different high chairs, strollers, and changing tables. I even met up with friends who had babies just so I could push their strollers and take tours of their nurseries. I Googled glider for small spaces about a million times. And I obsessed over finding a diaper bag that my husband would want to carry. I thought I was prepared, but the truth is its impossible to be prepared. I expected my experience to mirror my friends. Because many of their first babies were born late, I thought my baby would be too. But my son, Arlo, was born over a month early, and he was born very small. A lot of what I had put on my registry, including a radish-shaped teether and a five-pack of musical egg shakers, was very cute but felt totally impractical. The things I got right were the most straightforward and not the most exciting products to buy: a Keekaroo Peanut changing pad (which I do highly recommend) and a Nuna Pipa car seat. Now, 14 months into the experience, I finally (mostly) have the best, most functional version of everything. If I could talk to my past self, I would tell her to spend more time getting ready to breastfeed and less time worrying about pacifiers, baby toys, and diaper bags the best one for us is just a big tote bag with a bunch of smaller bags and pouches inside. I would also recommend asking not just for baby things but also a few small luxury items for the time spent in the hospital, plus a lot of comfortable underwear. Bobbie Organic Infant Formula From $26 From $26 Arlo spent his first three days in the transitional nursery, which is one step away from the NICU. I was able to give him small amounts of breast milk right away even though we were not together. But he needed to gain weight as fast as possible, so the nurses also gave him formula. My husband, Jacob, and I were happy that he took a bottle and ate well. But we didnt like the hospitals brand of formula because it contained filler ingredients like corn syrup. So we immediately started researching alternatives. Bobbie is what we ended up using for the whole first year of his life. Its manufactured in the United States but modeled after European formula brands, so its made with organic grass-fed cows milk and no corn syrup or added palm oil. A lot of big-brand formulas have ingredients lists that read like fast food, and if you taste them (I did) they dont taste good or anything like breast milk (I tasted that too). But Bobbie tastes good and pretty close to the real thing. We had a subscription, which made it so easy even when we wanted to change our order or cancel it at a moments notice. Most important, Arlo loves it. From $26 at Bobbie Buy Pumpinpal Small Set with Adapters for Spectra $60 $60 I majorly underestimated how difficult breastfeeding would be, and I didnt expect to have to start pumping immediately after Arlo was born. So the flanges I started with were just whatever the nurses gave me at the hospital. Later on, I used the flanges that came with the Spectra S2 pump I got through insurance. The pump is great, and I still prefer it to all of the other ones I have tried. The flanges not so much. These angled flanges from PumpinPals, which came as part of a pack that included small silicone ones as well, were recommended by a lactation specialist I saw a few weeks postpartum, and they changed everything for me. I had a C-section, so sitting up straight was painful. But most flanges are designed to be used while youre sitting in an upright position, if not slightly leaning forward. In contrast, these allow you to lean back while you pump but still create a downward angle for the milk to flow with gravity so you catch every drop. Its a small detail that made a huge difference for me. Once I switched, I was more comfortable. Because I was comfortable, I was also more relaxed, and my body could concentrate on making more milk. $60 at Pumpinpal Buy Bodily The Do Anything Bra $58 $58 I tried so many uncomfortable and confusing pumping and nursing bras before finding these. Most pumping bras are bulky and exceptionally unstylish, so I would only wear one when I was actually pumping. But the Bodily bras look and feel just like the no-underwire bras I preferred wearing pre-pregnancy. They are soft enough to sleep in but also hold up well enough that they dont look ratty after a few washes. And because I like wearing them in general, I was finally able to wear one bra all the time for everything. I have friends who found them too soft to support their flanges. But while they arent as sturdy as other pumping bras, they worked well with the Pumpinpal flanges and never affected the amount of milk I got. In fact, they made pumping easier for me, especially after I went back to work and didnt have time to change bras several times a day. $58 at Bodily Buy Milas Keeper Expecting Mama Starter Set $68 $68 I wish I had had this from the beginning, because it would have encouraged me to leave the house sooner. Its basically a thermos for breast milk with a cold pack that screws into the lid and glass storage jars that connect to your pump. I looked into the Ceres breast-milk chiller as well but found that the Milas Keeper is more convenient because you dont have to mess with ice cubes to keep it cold and you can see how much milk you have in the glass bottles. It makes the whole process of pumping at work, or at a wedding, or at your in-laws house so much less annoying and more discreet. And even without the rest of the set, the glass storage bottles have been a really useful accessory for storing milk in the fridge at home. $68 at Mila's Keeper Buy Pact Everyday High Cut Brief $14 $14 Because of where the surgeon made my C-section incision, bikini-style underwear is still pretty uncomfortable, and I prefer to wear high-cut pairs. The underwear I wore during pregnancy is as grandma panty as you can get. But these are sleek and comfortable and pretty sexy, like a high-waisted bathing-suit bottom that shows off a little cheek. Plus they are made of organic cotton. $14 at Pact Buy Pehr On The Go Set $78 $78 This is the one instance where I wish I had gone with my gut and chosen the more stylish option over the one I thought would be more functional. I put the (Strat-recommended) Skip Hop travel changing pad on my registry and, through a bit of confusion, I received two of them. But were I to do it over again, I would ask for this on-the-go set from Pehr. Its not that the Skip Hop one is bad, its just not padded and it has extra compartments that I dont need. I find Pehrs combination of a softer, cushier changing pad that can hold a few diapers and wipes plus a pouch for everything else much easier to use. The the color and pattern options are also much, much better. $78 at Pehr Buy Mori Clever Zip Baby Pajamas $43 $43 Speaking of soft, Mori pajamas are made from a blend of bamboo and organic cotton that I would describe as marshmallowy. They feel so cozy and wash incredibly well, and Arlo sleeps best when he is wearing them. They also have the best kind of fastener: a two-way zipper that makes middle-of-the-night changes faster and easier by giving you localized tushy access. $43 at Mori Buy Happiest Baby SNOObie Smart Sound Machine with Night Light $49 $70 now 30% off $49 We used a Snoo bassinet, but initially Arlo was too small for the rocking and vibration settings. So we put him to bed with a combination of white noise and a Spotify yoga/meditation playlist. That playlist became my go-to music, aside from some off-key singing, for his bedtime routine until he was about 6 months old. Thats when we started using this instead because we needed a night light and, as a bonus this, had lullabies too. Surprisingly, it has become a major part of every nap and every bedtime. Its rechargeable, so you can easily travel with it, and the light can go from very bright for book-reading to very dim (or totally shut off) for actual sleep. You can choose from a rainbow of glowing colors and from a collection of 12 songs and sound effects. Once Arlo gets older, well be able to set the colors to let him know when its time to get up or stay in bed a little longer. $49 at Amazon Buy $49 at Amazon Buy Baby Jogger City Mini GT2 stroller $430 $430 I knew I wanted a compact stroller that I could carry up and down subway stairs and easily maneuver through museums. So after talking to my older brother and several new parent friends, I put the Yoyo stroller on my registry. Its known for being one of the first strollers that will fit in the overhead compartment of a plane, as well as for being easy to fold and even carry tote-bag style over your shoulder. It is wonderful and everything I was looking for, but I didnt consider the strain it would put on my wrists (I had a mean case of mommys wrist) after hours of walking Arlo through Prospect Park as he napped. The main drawback of the Yoyo is that its not an especially smooth stroller to push. When he was about 5 months old, I couldnt take it anymore, so I got the Baby Jogger City Mini GT2, a stroller I had tried while walking with a fellow mom friend, and immediately felt a huge relief. Compared to the Yoyo, it is a much smoother ride, and it doesnt require any effort to turn even with just one hand. Arlo likes it too, and he sleeps much better in its roomy full recline. $430 at Baby Jogger Buy Yinova Treatment Gift Card From $200 I am that annoying person who tells everyone they should try acupuncture as a potential cure for everything from headaches to IBS. While I was struggling to get pregnant, I started going to the Yinova Center and then ended up going weekly all the way through pregnancy and postpartum. During each session, I got to fall asleep to gentle music while the acupuncturist and her needles did their thing; the naps were a luxury in and of themselves. My acupuncturist became like a therapist, encouraging me to process my feelings around IVF and other stuff in my life at the time. And after Arlo was born, she helped me process my feelings about that experience, too, and helped make sure my C-section scar was healing well. From $200 at Yinova Center Buy get the strategist newsletter Actually good deals, smart shopping advice, and exclusive discounts. Email This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Vox Media, LLC Terms and Privacy Notice By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice and to receive email correspondence from us. The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best acne treatments, rolling luggage, pillows for side sleepers, natural anxiety remedies, and bath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change. Material: Enameled cast iron | Size: .513.25 quarts | Weight: 12 pounds, 8 ounces This is the Dutch oven Ive owned for seven years, and the one that was recommended by far and away the most experts. It works just as well as the day I got it and has proven to be durable on the inside and out. It distributes heat incredibly evenly, whether Im searing meat at a high temperature, sweating out onions low and slow, or leaving a braise in the oven for several hours. And its responsive to variations in heat, too (more so than a heavy cast-iron skillet): I can start something blazing hot, then take it down, then bring it back up seamlessly. And though its easy to argue that both this and the Le Creuset are quite similar in terms of price point, durability, and overall superior build (Im convinced that peoples preference for one or the other at least partially comes from which model they happened to get their hands on first), Staub has a couple of standout features. One is the black, instead of white, interior. While discoloration isnt a sign that your Dutch oven has stopped working, I like that mine has stayed clean-looking on the inside. (And its not just that the dark color is hiding grime; the surface washes up well.) I had a Le Creuset for a long time and it eventually got a little brown and scratched, says Colin Wyatt, executive chef at Twelve in Portland, Maine. Staub looks great with age. Both recipe developer and food writer Grace Elkus and recipe developer Tara OBrady say the darker color is helpful for bread baking, too. The crust gets that chestnut-brown shade, which lighter interiors arent able to achieve, OBrady says. She also points out the comfortable grip. No matter what Im handing it with dish towels, a silicone mitt, a regular mitt it has good sturdy, wide, thick handles that hold well, she says. I personally lift mine with ease, move it around the stove, and take it in and out of the oven; its sturdy but not cumbersome. The lid fits tight and secure, and in addition has concentric dimples on the bottom, a characteristic that is meant to promote even condensation and drippage as steam builds inside of your pot. Both Wyatt and Meherewan Irani, owner of Chai Pani in Asheville, North Carolina, and founder of Spicewalla, say this actually makes a difference. When its in the oven for a long time, the Staub seems to keep meat particularly tender and prevents it from drying out in any spot, Irani says. Though the Dutch oven comes in many gorgeous shades, OBrady and Jay Wolman, owner of New York Citys Mimi, say they like the all-black one because the outside doesnt show as much wear either. While that wont affect performance, if you care about a super-clean look over time, its something to keep in mind. (My light-gray version has some markings on the very bottom of the outside.) Days ahead the March 5 primaries, the Lee County Commission has invited voters to Opelika's Meeting Center on Thursday to watch vendors conduct tests on voting machines. The machines will tested at 3 p.m. Thursday at 205 South 10th St. The Omaha-based company Election Systems and Software will be on hand to conduct the tests, said English, Lee County Commission chairman and probate judge. A 2023 poll from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that 22% of Republicans have high confidence that votes in the upcoming presidential election will be counted accurately, compared to 71% of Democrats. "I'm very comfortable that the process is pure," English said. Don Whitman and his staff at Election Systems and Software will conduct the tests, the probate judge said. The tests cover areas such as comparing a hand-count of ballots to the counts registered by the machines. "How they do it is according to the standards for that equipment and that industry. They understand Alabama law. I have confidence that they will conduct the testing properly," English said. The public testing of the voting machines is required according to Alabama Code 17-7-23. According to the statute, all makes of electronic vote counting systems will be publicly examined for complying with the statute. The law also said that systems can only be approved if they are certified by "an authorized independent testing authority, or successor entity, as meeting the performance and test standards for electronic voting systems issued by the Federal Election Commission. And if they require the use of a paper ballot that will be marked and made available for inspection and verification by the voter before the vote is cast and counted. English said Thursday's event will not be a test of every machine that will be used on March 5, as they pre-test all of their machines. That pre-testing includes running a test deck of ballots on every machine for accuracy and logic. The test decks use blank and error ballots as well as ballot styles that should and should not be inserted into the machine. The idea is to test how the machine rejects incorrect ballots and accepts the appropriate ones. The City of Opelika earned a $2 million grant to extend North Park Drive and widen the bridge across Halawakee Creek, Gov. Kay Ivey announced on Tuesday. Opelika will receive a grant as a part of the Site Evaluation and Economic Development Strategy Act. The SEEDS grant allows the state to keep winning economic development projects that trigger lasting impacts for Alabama citizens. Opelika will use the money to extend North Park Drive in the Northeast Opelika Industrial Park and extend the bridge across Halawakee Creek. We need to be able to market this 282-acre site in our Northeast Park so that we can compete for larger projects, particularly in the Aerospace sector. And the road extension and bridge will provide the access we currently do not have, said John Sweatman, Opelikas Economic Development director. A total of $30.1 million in SEEDS funding will be awarded and matched in local funds at 29 different industrial sites encompassing nearly 8,400 acres across Alabama. The grant program takes direct aim at the urgent need for quality industrial sites in Alabama at a time when other states are spending heavily to expand their site programs. Ivey said awarding the grants under the program represents a milestone in the states efforts to make sure Alabama remains competitive for game-changing growth projects. The State Industrial Development Authority approved the $2 million SEEDS grant. Opelika Mayor Gary Fuller said it will help Opelika further develop industry-ready sites, so we can continue to bring in great paying jobs to our community. We are blessed to have the support of Gov. Ivey, Fuller said. Analysts and energy industry executives are sounding the alarm about underinvestments in oil and gas exploration. This has been going on for years, and it is a recipe for shortages down the road. But despite the industry as a whole spending less money on exploration and drilling only where it is virtually certain it would hit oil, exploration continuesespecially offshore. In 2023, oil and gas companies operating in the Gulf of Mexico announced eight new discoveries in the deepwater section of the area, Offshore Magazine reported earlier this month. Among these were Murphy Oils Longclaw-1 discovery and Hess Corp.s Pickerel-1 well, which should start producing in the middle of this year. Talos Energy struck oil at six of its exploration wells in the Gulf last year, per Offshore Magazine, and the results were so encouraging that the company combined organic growth with M&A, snapping up QuarterNorth Energy for $1.29 billion. The target company has several fields in the deep waters of the Gulf. It seems the oil and gas industry is doing the best it can with the acreage it still has in the Gulf after the federal government recently approved the smallest number of lease sales for the next five years in history. Per the plans revealed last September, there will only be three offshore lease sales conducted between the years 2025 and 2029. Related: EIA Confirms Moderate Crude Build, Products Draw The industry reacted as one would expect it to react to the news, with the president of the American Petroleum Institute commenting that This restrictive offshore leasing programme is the latest tactic in a co-ordinated strategy to reduce energy production. [This is] ultimately weakening Americas energy dominance, limiting consumers access to affordable reliable energy and compromising our ability to lead on the global stage, Mike Sommers also said at the time. Some have countered that despite the Biden administrations pro-transition orientation, which automatically puts it at odds with the oil and gas industry, oil and gas companies have thrived. The ten biggest listed oil and gas operators in the U.S. saw their combined net earnings rise to $313 billion since 2020, from $112 billion in that year. The argument appears to be that even though the Biden administration is tightening the regulation noose around oil and gas operators, it is giving them plenty of opportunities to make money. Indeed, it could even be argued that it is by this tightening that the Biden administration has enabled higher earningslower oil supply, or the threat of a shortage, leads to higher prices, which is largely where those higher profits came from. Yet the U.S. Gulf of Mexico has not been the only place where oil and gas companies with enough money to spend on exploration have struck oil. Guyana may be the first place that comes to mind when one thinks about prolific offshore resources, but in 2023, Namibia emerged as a potential new hotspot. In August last year, Shell announced its fourth oil discovery offshore the Western African nation. So far, Shell has tapped some 500 million barrels in recoverable oil reserves in Namibias Orange Basin, per the latest government calculations. But Shell is not the only explorer in the Orange Basin. Portugals Galp also struck oil in the area last year, near one of Shells discoveries and one made by French TotalEnergies. TotalEnergies itself is drilling around its Orange Basin discovery, Venus, hoping to find more oil. Indeed, it has already struck more oil close to the Venus discovery. Chinas National Offshore Oil Corporation announced just this month that it had discovered what it says is the largest metamorphic rock oil field in the Bohai Sea. The field is already producing, per reports, but the proven reserves of the deposit have been revised lately, with new estimates putting reserves at more than 200 million cu m. Elsewhere, Norwegian E&P Wellesley Petroleum last June made the largest offshore discovery in the country in a decade. Drilling work at the Carmen prospect in the North Sea revealed what Wellesleys partner in the project DNO called the largest hydrocarbon discovery in 10 years, with recoverable resources estimated at some 120 to 130 million barrels of oil equivalent. Equinor also struck new oil off Norways coast last year at two locations. While the resources at those locations are much more modest than the estimated resources of the Carmen prospect, new discoveries in the North Sea have become increasingly rare, which makes each new one significant. Shell also made a substantial discovery in the North Sea in 2023. Located in the southern part of the basin, the Pensacola gas prospect is believed to be the largest to be discovered in more than a decade. Shell will be drilling an appraisal well at the site this year. ADVERTISEMENT Spending on new oil exploration has been falling steadily for about a decade now. Companies are being actively discouraged from new exploration by governments and activists who believe the world will not need more oil and gas going forward. Even so, whatever exploration is still being conducted is yielding results, even if newly discovered resources are insufficient to replace lost supply from aging fields fully. But at least there is some replacement going on. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Opposition-led bill fails to win support from majority of lawmakers By Jung Min-ho The National Assembly rejected a special investigation bill targeting allegations of stock manipulation surrounding first lady Kim Keon Hee in a revote on Thursday. Led by the main liberal Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), attempts to pass the bill fell short of winning two-thirds support from lawmakers in attendance. This was due to the ruling People Power Party (PPP) voting against it, which ultimately derailed the bill. Initially voted and rushed through by the DPK on Dec. 28, the bill aimed to appoint an independent counsel to investigate Kim's alleged involvement in manipulating the stock prices of Deutsch Motors, a licensed BMW dealership in Korea, between 2009 and 2012. But the Cabinet requested the Assembly to reconsider the bill for being politically charged, and President Yoon Suk Yeol approved the decision immediately. To be passed this time, the bill required the attendance of more than half of all registered lawmakers and approval by two-thirds of attending legislators. With the ruling People Power Party (PPP) deciding not to approve it, the outcome had been widely anticipated. Ultimately, the bill received 171 votes out of 281 lawmakers who were present at the session. On the same day, another special investigation bill, aimed at former PPP lawmaker Kwak Sang-do and five other prominent figures accused of receiving 5 billion won ($3.7 million) each from a suspicious development firm in Seongnam of Gyeonggi Province, also failed to pass the Assembly threshold. The bills were scrapped automatically following the Assembly session. Meanwhile, the two parties passed a bill to finalize the rules of the April 10 general elections after reaching an agreement to cut the number of lawmaker seats assigned to proportional representation by one. This decision followed months of unsuccessful negotiations over how to redraw the electoral map to align with the country's population change. Both parties were adamant about not relinquishing any of the constituency seats in their strongholds. As a result, they ultimately opted to reduce a proportional representation seat instead. As a result of their agreement, the 22nd Assembly will consist of 254 constituency seats, up by one from the previous one, and 46 proportional representation seats, down by one. Candidates for the elections will compete in 48 constituencies in Seoul one fewer than last time. One more seat has been added to Incheon and Gyeonggi Province, each in which the number of residents increased over the past four years. The main bone of contention was North Jeolla Province, the opposition partys stronghold. The National Election Commission proposed on Dec. 5 to reduce its number of constituency seats by one to reflect its declining population. The DPK immediately rejected the idea, vowing not to give up any of the provinces 10 seats. After weeks of stalemate, the rival parties agreed to designate the province and some other areas as special constituencies an exception to the rule that one constituency must have a population of between 136,600 and 273,200 people. To justify the move, the parties said it was necessary to better represent different cultures and other important political factors in rural areas. The agreement by the two dominant parties drew criticism from minor political camps for what they claimed was colluding to set the election rule in their favor, as the current law is designed to support minor parties to win proportional representation seats. Oil and gas upstream majors ExxonMobil, Shell, Chevron, BP, TotalEnergies and Eni will continue to exercise caution in exploration spending this year, with drilling activity poised for a busy year ahead. According to Rystad Energys research, these major producers will have spent on average a combined $7 billion each year between 2020 and 2024, a sizeable drop from the previous four-year period during which average total spending was $10 billion. Despite tightened budgets, frontier drilling is fueling optimism for a productive year, particularly deepwater projects in the Atlantic Margin, Eastern Mediterranean and Asia. Last year saw a significant increase in awarded acreage to major players, totaling 112,000 square kilometers an uptick of 20% from the previous year. Notably, all awarded blocks were offshore, with 39% in the shelf segment, 28% in deepwater and the remaining 33% in ultra-deepwater. The trend suggests a significant push toward deeper waters, with more than half of the awarded blocks targeting deepwater or ultra-deepwater reserves. This focus is reflected in global exploration activity, with Rystad Energy analysts predicting approximately 50 more deepwater and ultra-deepwater exploratory wells this year compared to 2023. Approximately 27% of all offshore exploration wells drilled last year were deepwater/ultra-deepwater, while this year we expect the share of such wells to rise to around 35%. "As majors tighten their financial belts, they're cautiously venturing into deeper waters and re-evaluating their approaches for frontier exploration. While we anticipate them to appraise and mature their frontier acreages, we also expect them to continue to focus on familiar territory regions with established expertise and existing infrastructure that offer quicker monetization with lower risks, says Santosh Kumar Budankayala, Senior Analyst at Rystad Energy. Learn more with Rystad Energys Upstream Exploration solution. Conventional discoveries plunged in 2023, with majors hitting a bleak 1 billion barrels of oil equivalent (boe), shattering the post-2020 recovery trend and representing a stark 68% drop from the 3 billion boe in 2022. Notably, frontier basins, which contributed 45% of discoveries in 2022, only accounted for 20% last year. With dwindling discoveries, the future of oil and gas exploration likely lies in venturing beyond the familiar. Frontier and underexplored basins, teeming with hidden potential, offer the promise of substantial untapped resources. Unlike mature basins where exploration yields smaller, scattered finds, these new areas hold the allure of large, geographically concentrated prospects. While recognizing the short lead time between discovery and start-up for finds made in mature basins, majors recognize the importance of frontier exploration. Over the past two decades, frontier exploration has yielded notable successes, such as the discovery of gas in Area 1/Area 4 off Mozambique between 2010 and 2013, gas finds off the coast of Mauritania and Senegal between 2015 and 2017, the Liza oil discovery in Guyana in 2015 and more recently the Sakarya gas field in Turkey's Black Sea sector in 2020. Additionally, discoveries such as Brulpadda and Luiperd in South Africa in 2019 and 2020 and Venus and Graff in Namibia, both in 2022, have led to the opening of new hydrocarbon plays. A significant portion of the acreage awarded in frontier basins last year was in Uruguay, with Shell securing the largest single share at 42,000 square kilometers. Notably, more than 50% of Shell's awarded acreage came from Uruguayan territory. This is in contrast to the historical focus of major oil companies on mature fields, suggesting a potentially significant shift in Shells exploration strategy. While Uruguay accounted for nearly half of the total frontier basin awards in 2023, it remains an anomaly, as major players generally remain cautious in 2024. Shell remains a key player in deepwater exploration and production, with significant projects slated for this year, particularly in Southeast Asia, Africa and the Americas. Currently, Shell is drilling the ultra-deep prospect Pekaka on Block SB 2W offshore Sabah, East Malaysia. This prospect shares similarities with the 2022 Tepat discovery in deepwater Block M and holds substantial potential for a gas-condensate discovery, aligning with Shell's gas-focused portfolio strategy in Malaysia. Following Pekaka, Shell will pursue more ultra-deepwater exploration on Block SB X with the Bijak prospect. These blocks were secured by Shell in Malaysias 2021 bid round. Additionally, exploration drilling is anticipated in the shelf region of Sarawak, East Malaysia. Shell is also continuing appraisal activity in Namibian waters to further prove the extent of its significant discoveries, including Graff. BP also has deepwater exploration plans in Africa and the Americas. The company aims to drill multiple wells in Egypt, including appraisal drilling at the Raven gas and condensate field, as well as wildcat exploration drilling in the King Mariout offshore concession in the Western Mediterranean. BP's Pau-Brazil well marks its first operated well in the Santos Basin off Brazil, expanding its presence beyond the Campos Basin, where it was previously a non-operating partner with Petrobras. ADVERTISEMENT Chevron and Shell are collaboratively spearheading plans to drill off the coast of Suriname in Block 42, which contains the Walker carbonate prospect. A discovery in this block has the potential to catalyze further exploration efforts in Suriname, adding to South America's burgeoning basin for hydrocarbon reserves. Furthermore, Argerich-1, Argentinas first offshore ultra-deepwater well, in which Shell has a 30% nonoperating stake, if successful, holds a pivotal role in outlining deepwater exploration success for the region. By Rystad Energy More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: An oil services company in western Kazakhstan whose operations have been hampered by a strike that began in December has escalated the standoff by announcing that it will dismiss 50 employees involved in industrial action. The firings, announced by West Oil Software on February 27, represent the company's largest mass dismissal since the strike started. The company has stated that the strike is costing it millions of dollars daily, with the financial damage to date around 1 billion tenge ($2.2 million). It cited a December court ruling, which declared the protest unlawful, as the legal basis for the dismissals. For the vacant positions that appear, we will recruit from among the citizens currently seeking employment, the company said in a statement. Meanwhile, West Oil Software has sought to sow discord among the strikers by pledging that even dismissed employees are eligible to get their jobs back before any new hires. The company urged holdouts to follow the example of their 120 or so colleagues who crossed the picket line. More dismissals will follow if the strike persists, West Oil Software warned. It is unclear how many will heed these warnings. The Vlast news website quoted protesting workers as saying they are already used to layoffs and that they intend to stand fast until their demands are met. Around 500 West Oil Software workers began a strike on December 11, demanding employment in subsidiaries of the state oil and gas company KazMunaiGas, or KMG, which they believe would secure them higher salaries and better certainty of long-term employment. Reprising a theme often heard among disgruntled oil industry workers in the Mangystau region, strikers have argued that the decision, adopted in 2018, to sever ties with KMG subsidiaries where they previously worked and to transfer employees was a cost-cutting measure that led to stagnation in salary growth. Organizers of the West Oil Software action have said that in addition to pressure from the company, they are also being targeted with smear attacks. They specifically pointed to local press articles claiming the strikes were instigated by dishonest activists working for nebulous outside "forces." They want to show us as greedy and bad, that we are trying to organize something [illegal], Vlast quoted one worker as saying. The police have weighed in too. Law enforcement officials told the Orda.kz news website that they have received reports of West Oil Software workers being intimidated by strike ringleaders. Police are investigating the allegations. Other companies in the Mangystau region have been more successful in defusing industrial action. ADVERTISEMENT At the end of January, another protest broke out at the Kezbi drilling company. Around 800 workers downed their tools to demand higher wages, improved catering, and an internal investigation into claims of corruption. That strike ended within one day following apparently fruitful negotiations in which management agreed to fulfill the demands of the workers. By Almaz Kumenov via Eurasianet.org More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: While governments worldwide are getting behind the green transition, pumping billions in public funds into green energy and clean tech, most investors seem uninterested in protecting the environment unless they can turn a profit. Now, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is debating whether to assign monetary value to ecosystems to encourage greater investment in their protection. The idea is that monetising certain aspects of nature could encourage investors to finance a wide range of projects that would help protect and improve the environment. However, critics say that natural public assets should not be monetised, and the move could open the door to foreign investment in federal lands, which is not viable. If the SEC decides to move forward with the new categorisation, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) could soon offer a new kind of investment known as natural asset companies, or NACs. The financial services firm Intrinsic Exchange Group (IEG) came up with the concept around two years ago, gaining support from the NYSE and the Rockefeller Foundation. The firm hopes that the move will provide those interested in environmental preservation with a place to invest. In 2023, the NYSE proposed the idea of listing companies that focus on the protection of ecosystems on private and public land to give them a monetary value to promote investment in environmental initiatives. The Chairman of IEG, Douglas Eger, explained, We were looking for a private-sector approach that wasnt dependent on policy, it wasnt dependent on traditional taxes, regulation or philanthropy to price in these assets and give investors the opportunity to invest directly in nature, whether thats for climate or biodiversity. To date, the proposal has not gained much traction. However, republican politicians have voiced their concerns about the move. Several worry that creating this new categorisation could provide a loophole in the investment in public land and allow foreign investors to fund projects on federal lands, which has not previously been permitted. Others are fearful that it would encourage companies to seek to make a profit by monetising publicly owned natural resources. Margaret Byfield, the Executive Director of the American Stewards of Liberty, a property-rights-focused organisation, stated This is creating this whole new category and monetizing things that nobody has a right to own. To qualify as a natural asset company, a corporation would have to give evidence to demonstrate how it is improving the land it owns. An NAC would be responsible for the conservation, restoration, or sustainable management of the land in question, and would have to establish clear green targets, such as improving wildlife habitats or enhancing air quality. The NYSE suggested in its proposal that this could end the overconsumption of and underinvestment in nature by bringing natural assets into the financial mainstream. In January, the NYSE withdrew its proposal to the SEC for natural asset companies without providing a reason for doing so. However, Utah State Treasurer Marlo Oaks released a statement praising the move. Oaks stated, Under the proposal, private interests, including foreign-controlled sovereign wealth funds, could use their capital to purchase or manage farmland, national and state parks, and other mineral-rich areas and stop essential economic activities like farming, grazing, and energy extraction. Nevertheless, the proposal has opened the door for discussion around the potential for monetising nature to encourage investment in environmental preservation. Following the proposal, proponents of the move are developing prototypes in the private markets to establish a suitable model. To date, nature has only been assigned a monetary value if it can be used to create value in some way. For example, by cutting down trees to make products or to be mined for valuable metals and minerals. Yet, as governments push for a green transition and private companies show greater interest in green energy, clean tech and related industries, the value may be seen in preserving natural spaces. If forests are kept intact, they can help reduce emissions by sucking CO2 from the atmosphere. Trees can also protect soil from heavy rain and create shelter, helping to ensure the drinking water supply. Governments worldwide have begun to invest in environmental projects by introducing climate initiatives to collect funds for such projects. This includes schemes such as carbon taxes. However, existing schemes are limited to emissions reduction through offsetting programmes, which overlooks other environmental burdens such as erosion, habitat degradation and other issues that can have a knock-on effect. For example, if companies continue to build on flood plains they can increase the risk of flood in a region, particularly as climate change continues to exacerbate severe weather events. The inclusion of natural asset companies in the NYSE could help the U.S. protect its natural assets, supporting a green transition as well as potentially protecting wildlife and human life. The monetisation of nature could encourage greater investment in long-overlooked environmental issues. This move could also encourage other countries to do the same, spurring change at the international level. However, it is important to understand the potential implications of monetising nature and ensure there are adequate regulations in place to manage the sector. By Felicity Bradstock for Oilprice.com ADVERTISEMENT More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The long-awaited US$8.5 billion 230,000-barrels per day (bpd) Duqm Refinery Project (DRP) and its ancillary projects (costing another US$10 billion or so) were officially inaugurated on 7 February, increasing the already significant allure of the sultanate to China and nearby Iran. The Duqm project was envisioned by Oman as being the key method by which it could maximise the returns from its relatively low oil and gas reserves (only around five billion barrels of oil reserves and about 24 trillion cubic feet of gas) by refining these into higher-value petrochemicals products. The major problem that the sultanate encountered in the mammoth Duqm undertaking was that building up a petrochemicals presence requires huge upfront spending ahead of being able to generate returns much further down the line, and this left a massive gap in its finances. China had long recognised the much greater strategic importance of Oman than either its modest oil and gas resources, or its refinery plans, as analysed in full in my new book on the new global oil market order. So, it was quick to leverage the fact that it already accounted for around 90 percent of Omans oil exports into a US$10 billion investment in the Duqm refinery project, followed by multiple other deals. The Duqm Refinery Project is certainly a worthwhile undertaking for Oman. The refinery part of the project will function alongside the Liwa Plastics Project (LPP) industrial complex, and the Sohar refinery in the Special Economic Zone at Duqm. The final part of Omans vision of building an Omani integrated refining and petrochemical business, is the 290-kilometre-long Muscat Sohar Product Pipeline (MSPP) for transporting refined products. The MSPP connects the refineries of Mina Al Fahal and Sohar to an intermediate distribution and storage facility at Al Jifnain. China will also have some use for these facilities but they are of little overall interest to Beijing. What is of enormous interest to it in multiple ways, though, is the fact that its completion by Oman using Chinese funding - which must be repaid on an unwavering schedule with the forfeits for non-payment being Beijings right to seize assets (including strategically important pieces of land and sea) will give China even more control over the sultanate than it had before. Related: Indias Oil Supply From Russia Threatened by New U.S. Sanctions Crucial to China is Omans geographically-strategic position, with long coastlines along the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea offering unfettered equal access to the markets of the West and the East. According to a senior source who works closely with Irans Petroleum Ministry spoken to by OilPrice.com, Chinas long-held objective in seeking to secure control over Oman has been to have mastery over all the key crude oil shipping route chokepoints from the Middle East into Europe that avoid the Cape of Good Hope route (more expensive and more nautically challenging) and the Strait of Hormuz route (more politically sensitive). This is fully aligned with Beijings broad strategic goal encapsulated in its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) multi-generational power-grab project. China already has effective control over the Strait of Hormuz 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 as also analysed in full in my new book on the new global oil market order. The same deal also gives China a hold over the Bab al-Mandab Strait, through which crude oil is shipped upwards through the Red Sea towards the Suez Canal before moving into the Mediterranean and then westwards. This has been achieved as it lies between Yemen (the Houthis having been long supported by Iran) and Djibouti (over which China has also established a stranglehold through similar loans extended under the cover of the BRI. The second major use that China has for Oman is to use part of its liquefied natural gas (LNG) processing capability to enable Iran to finally build out its LNG business into a world-scale operation. The plan is for Iran to utilise at least 25 percent of Omans total 1.5 million tons per year LNG production capacity at the Qalhat plant. Such an idea was originally part of the broader co-operation deal made between Oman and Iran in 2013, extended in scope in 2014, and fully ratified in August 2015 that was centred on Omans importing at least 10 billion cubic metres of natural gas per year (bcm/y) from Iran for 25 years through an underwater pipeline. That deal was to have begun in 2017, at which time it was worth around US$60 billion. The target was then changed to 43 bcm/y to be imported for 15 years, and then finally altered to at least 28 bcm/y, also for a minimum period of 15 years. The land pipeline of the project that would move gas from Irans supergiant South Pars and North Pars fields in the first instance would comprise around 200 kilometres of 56-inch pipeline to run from Rudan to Mobarak Mount in the southern Hormozgan province. The sea section would include a 192-kilometre section of 36-inch pipeline along the bed of the Oman Sea at depths of up to 1,340 metres, from Iran to Sohar Port in Oman. This deal was intended to allow for the completely free movement of Iranian gas (and later oil) via Oman, running out through the Gulf of Oman and then into the world hydrocarbons markets. The route was designed to allow Iran the same sanctions-free flows that it was operating via Iraq, as also analysed in my latest book on the global oil markets. Given the potentially sanctions-busting nature of the project, though, the U.S. included the prevention of this Iran-Oman LNG project in its efforts to stop Iran from expanding its hydrocarbons export routes into the booming market of Asia. Before the Saudi Arabia-led blockade of Qatar erupted in 2017, the U.S. offered an alternative for Oman, which was that it increased its uptake of gas from Qatar. This would come via the Dolphin Pipeline running from Qatar to Oman through the UAE, or in LNG form, but Oman refused. Omans desire to re-energise the plans for the Iran-Oman gas pipeline was also fanned at that time by the UAEs demands for an increasingly large fee for allowing the transit of gas from Iran through its waters, again part of the U.S. strategy to persuade Oman to take its gas from Qatar. Following the recent China-brokered resumption of relationship deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia, as also analysed in my latest book, the UAEs willingness to be utilised by the U.S. in its fight against this planned new network of pipelines appears to have evaporated. A major new gas pipeline being planned will run along a 2,000-kilometre corridor via Oman - and the UAE - through the Arabian Sea and into India. This will allow gas to be gathered in from Oman and the UAE themselves, and from Iran, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkmenistan. These countries together have, by very conservative estimates, just under 2,895 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of gas reserves - Iran 1,200 tcf, Qatar 858 tcf, Saudi Arabia 333 tcf, Turkmenistan 265 tcf, UAE 215 tcf, and Oman 24 tcf. Critically as well, although there will be one major pipeline running from the Middle East to India in the first instance, several other extensions of this pipeline plan are readily available. As also detailed in full in my new book, finished plans for an Iran-India pipeline and an Iran-Pakistan pipeline both of which could be extended to China have long been in place. By Simon Watkins for Oilprice.com ADVERTISEMENT More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Brazils state-owned energy heavyweight Petrobras will be distributing more modest dividends in the future as it prepares to become a renewable energy company. Thats according to chief executive Jean Paul Prates, who spoke to Bloomberg and said that plans are to have half of Petrobrass revenues coming from wind and solar power generation and renewable fuels in ten years. Prates told Bloomberg he believed shareholders will understand, explaining that I would be more conservative than aggressive. We are in the middle of this great decision of becoming an oil company in transition. The top executive made a point of noting that there will be no drastic turns in the companys strategy. However, going from 100% revenues from oil to 50% from wind and solar in ten years sounds quite drastic. Petrobrass stock was down on the day the interview was released. Over the past six months, however, the shares have been rising more or less smoothly. In this period, the company has indicated it had growth plans for its core oil and gas business, including higher spending and international expansion. Related: Utility Scale Solar Installations Saw Largest Jump Ever Last Year In November last year, for instance, Prates announced Petrobrass next five-year plan, which featured a 31% increase in planned investments to $102 billion. Of that, 72% was earmarked for oil and gas investment with a view to boosting the companys oil and gas output to 3.2 million barrels of oil equivalent daily from 2.8 million barrels of oil equivalent currently. Also last year, Petrobras indicated it was planning to start buying oil assetsafter ten years of divestments as the company sought to reduce its huge debt pile. In May 2023, that pile had shrunk to $53.3 billion, which made the company comfortable enough to return to the asset acquisition game. Earlier this month, the company said it was looking to invest some $100 billion in offshore oil production expansion by the end of the decade. We need to keep the core [business] very safe . . . We are not doing [a] crazy transition, the companys chief executive told the Financial Times, commenting on the recently announced strategic plan through 2028. Against this background, the latest plans as shared with Bloomberg might seem a little surprising, especially as Prates also told the publication that he planned to start making acquisitions in the wind and solar space as early as this year to propel the shift to transition-friendly energy, per Bloomberg. Interestingly, Prates is announcing transition plans soon after two international supermajors that tried to have a fast transition ended up pivoting back to their core business after their transition efforts were revealed to be returning sub-par profits. BPs case was especially notable because its shift to wind, solar, and EV infrastructure was more ambitious. BPs shares took a dive after then-CEO Bernard Looney announced the shift back in 2020 as shareholders took a cautious stance on these ambitions. As it turned out, they were right to be cautious as the shift failed to produce the expected returns, and BP adjusted its plans to regain a focus on oil and gas production and trade. Shell did the same, although its transition strategy was a little less ambitious. Despite these recent examples, the chief executive of Petrobras appears confident that shareholders would be fine with smaller dividends in the name of the transition to wind, solar, and renewable fuels. ADVERTISEMENT This might indeed be true for a certain class of investors whose priority is so-called impact investment and whose size of returns is not that important. There have been indications recently, however, that this class is a rather small one, with most investors still preferring money over environmental benefits. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Oil and gas supermajors, including Exxon and Chevron, petitioned on Wednesday the U.S. Supreme Court to toss a Hawaii Supreme Court decision allowing a climate lawsuit of Honolulu to proceed to trial. Honolulu sued several major fossil fuel companies in 2020 in the lawsuit City & County of Honolulu v. Sunoco LP, seeking damages and other relief from fossil fuel companies for alleged conduct that Honolulu contends caused climate change impacts. In October 2023, the Hawaii Supreme Court denied the oil and gas companies motions to dismiss the Honolulu climate case, affirming a lower courts denial of motions to dismiss. In this weeks petition to the U.S. Supreme Court, the oil firms argued in a petition for certiorari that pollution is inherently a federal issue and shouldnt be tried in state courts. The companies say that the petition in the U.S. Supreme Court now gives the top U.S. court the ideal opportunity to address the issue before the energy industry is threatened with potentially enormous judgments, a lawyer for the firms told Reuters. In April last year, the oil companies also turned to the U.S. Supreme Court with a petition for a writ of certiorari, which the top court denied. The fossil fuel companies had asked the Court to consider whether there was federal jurisdiction over state-law claims seeking redress for injuries allegedly caused by the effects of interstate or transboundary greenhouse gas emissions on the global climate because federal common law necessarily governs such claims. The U.S. Supreme Court has also sent back to state courts similar climate lawsuits filed by states and cities and escalated to the Supreme Court by Big Oil. In one of the latest climate lawsuits, the city of Chicago sued last week the largest oil and gas companies, alleging that Big Oil has lied about the effect on climate of oil, gas, and the derived products. The City of Chicago is suing six oil and gas corporations and their largest trade association for deceiving Chicago consumers about the climate dangers associated with their products. Filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County, the complaint names BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Exxon Mobil, Phillips 66, Shell, and the American Petroleum Institute (API) as defendants. ADVERTISEMENT By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Via Metal Miner The global nickel mining industry is under stress, and the primary reason is an oversupply of low-cost nickel from Indonesia. Moreover, this constant supply continues to support a major global surplus, placing downward pressure on the nickel price. At this point, the Southeast Asian nation has already cornered more than half of the worlds supply of this critical metal. Indonesias ascent as the leading player in the global nickel industry, leveraging Chinese capital and innovation, proved remarkable. In fact, according to this report, the countrys dominance comes despite concerted resistance from the European Union via the World Trade Organization. In just over a decade or so, Indonesia managed to completely transform its nickel export business while surging its mine output nine-fold. Together, China and Indonesia now produce about 70% of the worlds total nickel supply. Unable to compete with the formidable capital and low operating costs of Indonesian operations, competitor nickel miners in Australia and elsewhere could potentially go out of business. Mining Companies, Experts Warn of Shutdowns French miner Eramet recently warned that the day is not far off when Indonesia will cement its position as the worlds number one supplier, wiping out its rivals. Indeed, the Financial Times quoted CEO Christel Bories as saying Indonesia could end up supplying over three-quarters of the worlds highest class of pure nickel in another five years. Hidden somewhere between the lines was the message competitors beware. Andrew Forrest, Founder and Chairman of Fortescue Metals Group and one of the richest people in Australia, recently asked the London Metal Exchange to understand the difference between dirty and clean nickel. Fearing the closure of mines, he told reporters that the Exchange must learn to segregate nickel based on its associated carbon emissions, allowing purchasers to choose the sustainability of their products. Andrew was perhaps referring to companies using batteries from cheap nickel mined in Indonesia, which many accuse of having a higher emissions footprint. Its true that Indonesia uses coal-fired electricity to mine much of its nickel, leaving behind a large carbon footprint. There are also allegations of deforestation, pollution, and biodiversity loss, mainly stemming from a report by U.S.-based non-profit Climate Rights International. The report specifically referred to the nickel mining and processing project on an island called Halmahera, where a project cleared thousands of hectares of forest and displaced people while also polluting both rivers and the sea. On the face of it, Indonesia calls its nickel policy a move towards clean energy. Still, its critics say that the real position contradicts the governments official stand. Falling Nickel Price Forcing Some Mines Out Nonetheless, some nickel mines have already shut down, while others must consider doing so soon. For example, Forrests Wyloo Metals Ltd. announced last month it would close its Western Australian mines. Meanwhile, large miners like BHP recently went on record stating that its highly unlikely its nickel operations would turn profitable before 2030. This is despite nickel being highlighted as a significant growth opportunity for BHP just last year. That said, the company recently announced plans for a comprehensive review of its entire nickel operation, potentially involving the closure of Nickel West, a move that would jeopardize over 3,000 jobs. One of the reasons for the dramatic fall in profit for BHP stems from it writing down the value of nickel assets in Western Australia. Rare earths producer Lynas recently issued a warning for all governments, asking them to be vigilant to the knockdown effects of the nickel meltdown. One of the biggest producers of rare earths outside of China. Lynas recently posted a 74% slide in net profit to just U.S. $39.50 million for the six months ending Dec 31, 2023. Nickel Price Still Down, but Could Change Nickel isnt your ordinary mineral; its indispensable in manufacturing high-capacity batteries, stainless steel, and various advanced alloys. Alongside a plethora of challenging-to-extract and costly-to-process materials, such as rare earth elements, nickel occupies a pivotal position in modern electronics and high-performance technology. Low-grade nickel is a raw material for stainless steel, while the high-end variety sees use in products like vehicle batteries, etc. For the West, where countries continue to focus more on clean sourced raw materials, Indonesian nickel makes it difficult to get the required supply for EVs. Not only is Indonesian nickel problematic, but the oversupply continues to make other mines around the world nonviable. Even in the U.S., a dependable source of nickel beyond Indonesia remains elusive. ADVERTISEMENT The world recently saw a significant slump in the nickel price. Nickel prices fell over two-thirds from a high of U.S. $50,000 per metric ton in 2022 to about U.S. $16,500 several days ago. Meanwhile, a recent Reuters report says traders and analysts believe both China and Indonesia plan to decrease nickel production by at least 100,000 metric tons this year. This move comes as producers aim to mitigate losses following the decline in the global nickel price. By Sohrab Darabshaw More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: To be served food by restaurant owner Howard Castaneda was to love him, especially if you got cussed out when he brought tortillas to your table at Howards Charro Cafe in South Omaha. Castaneda became well-known over the more than a half-century he waited tables at Howards, the restaurant he started with his sister and father in 1960. He died Feb. 23 at the age of 89. A memorial Mass is scheduled for 3 p.m. Saturday at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church, 5438 S. 22nd St. People loved him dearly, said his niece, Debbie Orduna-Estrada, who worked in the family restaurant. Especially the regulars. He never wrote anything down, Orduna-Estrada said. He remembered everybodys order. As people would come in, hed see them and theyd have their food in five minutes. Hed put their order in before they ever had a chance to order. If they wanted something different, well, they were likely to get some good old South Omaha flavor. They had to flag him down, Orduna-Estrada said. If he got it wrong between corn or flour tortillas, theyd say, Howard, I wanted flour. Hed say, shut up and eat it. He was always cussing customers out. And woe unto them who lingered past closing time. If they didnt get the hint when Castaneda turned off the dining room lights, he was known to tell them to Get the (bleep) out. He was an ornery cuss, Orduna-Estrada said. They didnt get offended, though. They knew Castaneda was a good guy. That was just his personality, Orduna-Estrada said. Who is going to cuss us out now? When he retired from the restaurant in 2017, people asked his niece, Whos going to cuss us out now? The fact that customers kept coming back for more than 50 years, and the tributes and memories that people are sharing this week between each other and on social media, are a testament to the food at Howards and to how much Castaneda was liked and respected, especially among Latinos in South Omaha. I caught up with Don Howard in 1976, when Howards Charro Restaurant was just off the south-east corner of 24th & Q street, Jose Garcia, executive director of the Mexican American Historical Society of the Midlands, posted on Facebook. His gracious serving technique ranked him in my book as one of the highest order restaurateurs in the state of Nebraska.....I so admired and respected this Hombre. Howard Castaneda Jr. was born Jan. 8, 1935 in Scottsbluff, Nebraska, to Howard L. Castaneda Sr. and his wife, Eva. The L was for Leobardo which is related to why one of Omahas first, and its longest-lasting, Mexican restaurant is named Howards. When Howard Castaneda Sr. came to the United States from Mexico in 1909, his name was Leobardo Castaneda Vargas. But officials in this country had trouble pronouncing his name, Orduna-Estrada said: So they changed it to Howard Kennedy. His son became Howard Kennedy Jr. They eventually changed their family name back. The younger Howard Castaneda, often known as Junior, moved from Scottsbluff to Omaha in the 1950s. His sister, Dolores Wright, had taken over El Charro Cafe in the basement of a South 24th Street apartment house in 1958. Two years later, she, her brother Howard Jr., and their parents opened Howards Charro Cafe at 26th and O Streets. In 1968, the Charro, a Mexican expression meaning Cowboy, moved back to 24th Street, where it became a fixture of the community for the next 22 years. Howards moved to its present location at 13th and J Streets in 1990. Its still open, though no longer in the family. Howards Charro became a center of social life for Latinos in South Omaha, throwing open its doors for many community and civic gatherings. Through the years and the moves, Howard Castaneda Jr. was a constant at Howards Charro and in the South Omaha community. In addition to being funny and brilliant at customer service, he was very smart, Orduna-Estrada said. He studied at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Castaneda never married and had no children. Survivors include his brother, Conrad Castaneda, and many nieces and nephews. Howard Castaneda Sr. died in 1997, and Eva, his wife of more than 50 years, died in 1992. Dolores Wright died in 2008. Orduna-Estrada kept the restaurant going until selling it in 2017, after Howard Castaneda Jr. retired. Castaneda never married and had no children. The memorial Mass will be a modest ceremony. No bells, no whistles, just simple, Orduna-Estrada said. Thats what his wishes were. Thats why theres no other services or anything. ... Hell be very much missed. And there will be a lot of laughs and a lot of stories. Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of February 2024 Mark Eckstrom likes to joke that he came out of the womb knowing where to place an ottoman. His mother, Dorothy Eckstrom, was an interior designer. His life took a different path, through magazine publishing in New York to marketing and sales development for a Fortune 100 food company in Omaha. Like many, though, the COVID-19 pandemic changed that trajectory. He and partner Mikal Eckstrom now run a design firm called Studio Eckstrom. I think we all began to assess our larger selves and what makes us truly happy, Mark Eckstrom said. And for me, it was decorating. One of their projects has been to re-imagine the interior of their Regency townhome. The transformation happened organically, with the design changing to reflect how they were living in the house. The art, furniture and objects, often collected on their varied travels, worked together to tell a unique story. Every day we get to pinch ourselves that we created a magical environment for ourselves, our doggies and our family and friends, Eckstrom said. We love that our home inspires entertaining. The rooms are structured salon style to encourage multiple conversation groupings. Even our dressing room draws a crowd. Its not uncommon during a party to find a group of people gathered around the island in our closet. There were plenty of rabbit holes and false starts, too. Their home became a decorating laboratory, Eckstrom said, and ultimately a success. In what they call a dream come true, their townhome was recently featured in an Architectural Digest web-exclusive home tour. Around the same time, they learned they had been selected as AD PRO interior designers, a list of editor approved designers. So professionally, it has established our career, Eckstrom said. AD has put us on the radar for many residential and commercial jobs. McKendree visited Omaha last summer and spent two days photographing their home, finishing with 20 photos the Eckstroms planned to use on their website and to promote their work. McKendree said the Eckstroms have a unique and varied collection of pieces that have blended together to create a beautiful and comfortable home. That they are doing this type of work far away from the design world of New York or LA really speaks volumes to their talent and passion, he said. The Eckstroms were blown away by the proofs and ten Have helped connect them to Architectural Digest. She said they are daring, original designers with a strong sense of color and a compelling point of view. The magazine receives thousands of submissions from interior designers from around the world, and the Eckstroms didnt want to get their hopes too high. Then they got the call saying that AD was assigning a writer, John Wogan. We were literally screaming for joy, Mark Eckstrom said. Since the article, their professional pipeline through Studio Eckstrom has continued to grow. Hiring an interior designer, they say, is no different than any other professional whether it be a doctor, lawyer or accountant. Youre paying for creativity, education, ability and talent, Eckstrom said. Part of their expertise is interpreting client stories and creating spaces that reflect those varied lives. World-class interior design not only takes expertise and elevated creativity and taste; it also requires a bit of chameleon-like cosplaying and ESP, Eckstrom said. Were constantly putting ourselves inside someone elses head and home. Eckstroms love everything about their house 'experiment' WASHINGTON The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to decide whether former President Donald Trump can be prosecuted on charges he interfered with the 2020 election, calling into question whether his case could go to trial before the November election. While the court set a course for a quick resolution, it maintained a hold on preparations for a trial focused on Trumps efforts to overturn his election loss. The court will hear arguments in late April, with a decision likely no later than the end of June. That timetable is much faster than usual, but assuming the justices deny Trump's immunity bid, it's not clear whether a trial can be scheduled and concluded before the November election. Early voting in some states will begin in September. The courts decision to intervene in a second major Trump case this term, along with the dispute over whether he is barred from being president again because of his actions following the 2020 election, underscores the direct role the justices will have in the outcome of the election. Trump's lawyers have sought to put off a trial until after the election. In the end, the timing of a possible trial could come down to how quickly the justices rule. They have shown they can act fast, issuing a decision in the Watergate tapes case in 1974 just 16 days after hearing arguments. The decision in Bush v. Gore came the day after arguments in December 2000. By taking up the legally untested question now, the justices have created a scenario of uncertainty that special counsel Jack Smith had sought to avoid when he first asked the high court in December to immediately intervene. In his latest court filing, Smith had suggested arguments a full month earlier than the late April timeframe. Spokespeople for Trump and Smith did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment. The court said in an unsigned statement that it will consider whether and if so to what extent does a former President enjoy presidential immunity from criminal prosecution for conduct alleged to involve official acts during his tenure in office. 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. Lower courts have so far rejected Trumps novel claim that former presidents enjoy absolute immunity for actions that fall within their official job duties. A panel of appellate judges in Washington ruled earlier in February that U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who would preside over the election interference trial, was right to say that the case could proceed and 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 issue reached the high court because the appeals court refused to grant the delay that Trump has sought. The case is separate from the high courts consideration of Trumps appeal to remain on the presidential ballot despite attempts to kick him off because of his efforts following his election loss in 2020. During arguments on Feb. 8, the court seemed likely to side with Trump. A decision could come any time. The high court also will hear an appeal in April from one of the more than 1,200 people charged in the Capitol riot. The case could upend a charge prosecutors have brought against more than 300 people, including Trump. The election interference case in Washington is one of four prosecutions Trump faces as he seeks to reclaim the White House. Of those, the only one with a trial date that seems poised to hold is his state case in New York, where hes charged with falsifying business records in connection with hush money payments to a porn actor. That case is set for trial in March 25, and a judge this month signaled his determination to press ahead. A separate case charging him with illegally hoarding classified records is set for trial on May 20, but a pivotal hearing Friday seems likely to result in a delay. No date has been set in a separate state case in Atlanta charging him with scheming to subvert that states 2020 election. Read more: 11 searing moments of Jan. 6: From 'an attempted coup' to chaos 'An attempted coup' 'Carnage' at the Capitol 'Detached from reality' A tense conversation 40 feet away 'I will not break my oath' Lives upended Justice Department resists the scheme 'They're not here to hurt me' 'Unhinged' White House meeting 187 minutes Experts urge Seoul to prepare for post-US-election geopolitical shifts By Kang Hyun-kyung A debate has intensified in South Korea regarding the upcoming U.S. presidential election slated for Nov. 5 and its potential implications for the country. There are increasing calls to prepare for the possibility of former U.S. President Donald Trump's return to office, prompting discussions and considerations about the potential ramifications for South Korea's foreign policy and domestic affairs. Trump's criticism of U.S. allies, accusing them of misusing U.S. taxpayer funds for their defense, has heightened concerns and urgency in Seoul regarding his potential return to office. South Korea is particularly focused on the fate of U.S. troops stationed in the country and the possibility of Trump resuming direct negotiations with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. These developments have underscored the importance for Seoul to develop more effective strategies and tactics to respond to potential changes in U.S. foreign policy. During a roundtable hosted by The Korea Times on Feb. 22, three prominent foreign policy experts asserted that U.S. policy priorities, particularly diplomatic efforts based on strong deterrence against North Korea's provocations, are expected to persist even in the event of Trump's reelection. They also agreed on the need to have a Plan B to mitigate any risk the outcome of the U.S. election may bring to the alliance. They hoped that Trump gained valuable insights from his experiences in his first term about the inherent difficulty in finding solutions that satisfy all stakeholders. The three are Kim Won-soo, former under-secretary-general of the United Nations; Ahn Ho-young, South Koreas former ambassador to the United States.; and Choo Jae-woo, a professor at Kyung Hee University's Department of Chinese Studies. The event was moderated by Shim Jae-yun, chief editorial writer of The Korea Times. The experts emphasized that while achieving denuclearization of North Korea may seem unrealistic, it will continue to be a diplomatic goal for the U.S. government. They highlighted that the potential costs associated with not pursuing denuclearization, both for the U.S. and other relevant countries like China, would be considerable. They cautioned that a deal being reached to freeze North Korea's nuclear weapons while allowing existing bombs to remain could inevitably lead to a nuclear arms race in the region. This, in turn, could jeopardize the integrity of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Therefore, any negotiation with North Korea needs to be based on the principle that every concern of both sides should be put on the table. They said South Korea needs to come up with a sophisticated diplomatic plan to effectively respond to Trumps possible attempt which may weaken the alliance. They said South Korea could consider teaming up with U.S. lawmakers and other U.S. allies that share similar concerns about a potential policy shift if Trump returns to office, and cooperating with them to take institutional measures to cope with any possible negative impact on the alliance. A case in point was the measure taken regarding the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The U.S. Senate introduced a bipartisan measure aimed at preventing any U.S. president from unilaterally withdrawing from NATO. The provision, which is part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), was subsequently approved in the U.S. House of Representatives in December of last year. The following is a transcript of the roundtable interviews with the three experts. Questions and answers were edited for clarity. Q: The U.S. presidential election is nine months away. All eyes are on who will be the next U.S. president. In the hypothetical election matchup, some polls find former President Donald Trump is ahead of the current President Joe Biden. What are your thoughts on possible changes in U.S. policy toward South and North Korea if Trump wins the election? Ahn Ho-young: No matter who wins the November election, the U.S. policy stance on North Korea is unlikely to undergo a significant change. President Biden unveiled the U.S. foreign policy posture in 2021 when he was inaugurated. There was one striking line about North Korea and it stated that the U.S. would seek diplomacy and stern deterrence when dealing with the North. The Biden administration didnt mention sanctions and has been consistent in its responses to North Korea's provocations. Whenever North Korea relied on brinkmanship diplomacy, the U.S. condemned the North but left room for diplomacy by stating that the U.S. is ready for dialogue. The U.S. has been consistent with this principled approach, even if it has been criticized as strategic patience. Is this because the U.S. believes strategic patience is effective? The answer is no. Then why did the Biden administration do that? I think that is because officials there believe that there is no other alternative to the present course the US is taking. In such a context, the role of deterrence will become more important. Even if Trump returns to office, I think he will find it difficult to change the course of action. Diplomacy and stern deterrence will continue to be a core part of U.S. policy toward North Korea, not because that stance is most effective, but because there are no other options that the U.S. can resort to. Choo Jae-woo: Maybe its time to review strategic patience because, in retrospect, it worked out quite well. The strategy played a part to make North Korea isolated and its economy go badly. Strategic patience, together with diplomacy and deterrence, have paid off. The Obama administration, for example, relied on strategic patience but working-level talks were held between the U.S. and North Korea. This made the North keep pinning hopes on something to happen for them, but unfortunately nothing happened. Through deterrence, the U.S. seems to have gained what it wanted, as weve seen the deployment of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) and the trilateral partnership between the U.S., South Korea and Japan. The U.S. has seen progress made in its foreign policy because of strategic patience. Kim Won-soo: Strategic patience toward North Korea has met a significant challenge because of Russia. Through its military cooperation with North Korea, Russia helped the North evade isolation as the two isolated countries agreed to team up. A consensus in the U.N. Security Council is necessary to help strategic patience yield fruit, but reaching a consensus has become almost impossible because of Russia's veto. The UNSC won't be able to slap new sanctions on North Korea, no matter what North Korea will do. This is likely to embolden North Korea's provocative behavior. Therefore, now is the time to fix the loopholes of strategic patience and contemplate how we can improve its efficacy. I believe South Korea should play a key role in overhauling it as a directly concerned country. South Korea is also best placed to come up with the right policy mix about North Korean challenges and persuade other major powers with stakes on the Korean Peninsula, including the U.S., China, Japan and Russia. This requires, among other things, robust domestic bipartisan consensus in South Korea about the North Korean policy, which seems very challenging in the context of polarized South Korean politics Q: Trumps recent remarks that he could no longer protect NATO allies from Russia has alarmed the member countries. Some 24,000 U.S. troops are deployed in South Korea. Do his comments have any implications for South Korea? How should South Korea prepare for Trumps possible return to office? Choo: Id like to remind everyone of how the U.S. Senate and Congress worked together to prepare for Trumps possible return to office. As you know, Trump tried to withdraw U.S. forces from NATO when he was in office. So, the U.S. Senate has prepared for his return to office since 2021 and adopted a legislative measure to prevent a U.S. withdrawal from NATO. The provision is part of the NDAA and it was approved by the House in December. Under the scheme, any U.S. president cannot withdraw from NATO without the approval of two-thirds of the Senate or separate measure passed by Congress. What I hope for is that South Korea can work with the U.S. Senate and Congress to draw up a similar measure to prevent the withdrawal of U.S. troops from South Korea. When you look at U.S. global strategies, including the U.S. Indo-Pacific Strategy, you will find that the ROK-U.S. alliance is one of the critical foundations. The strategic importance of the ROK-U.S. alliance in U.S. global strategies may help South Korea find it easier to sell its idea and make it happen. In case South Korea finds it tough to push it through alone, we can team up with countries like Japan, for example, because Japan is also facing a similar concern. Kim: We need a Plan B, a thorough one. In the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, there is an institutional system in place, and it works quite well. We can make the most of this to generate mutually beneficial outcomes. As professor Choo pointed out, we can collaborate with other like-minded countries, including U.S. allies such as Japan, Australia and European partners. Time is on our side. It is very good that South Korea-Japan relations have improved after President Yoon Suk Yeol took office, and this will make it relatively easier for South Korea to collaborate with Japan. Seoul-Tokyo relations have improved in response to North Koreas growing threat. But we can be creative. South Korea can work with Japan to formulate a Plan B together to prepare for Trumps possible return to office. Seoul and Tokyo can share wisdom mutually gained in the first term of Trump and consider building a like-minded coalition. Trump is transactional. South Korea, possibly with Japan, can persuade him if we make a strong case that the transactional cost of his potential effort to undermine the U.S. alliance with South Korea and Japan will be so huge that the U.S. would lose out in such an ill-advised attempt. Ahn: I concur with former Under-Secretary-General Kim about his view that the way President Trump sees the world is transactional. We have to base our actions on such an understanding. We need to be strategic when we are dealing with people like him. One thing I would like to point out is that the composition of the U.S. Congress has changed a lot, compared to eight years ago when President Trump was in office. In the House, the number of Trump supporters has increased. He is influential in the U.S. Congress. Recently, there was an encouraging development in the U.S. Congress. In February, the U.S. Senate passed a $95 billion bill designed to provide aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. (The Senate jettisoned bipartisan efforts to boost immigration enforcement at the U.S.-Mexico border after many Republican Senators, following the lead of Trump, viewed it to be inadequate.) I found that no less than 22 Republican Senators voted for the bill (which is now headed to the Republican-controlled House for a final vote). I was so impressed and looked into the list of 22 Republican Senators who voted for the bill because I was curious who they were. Q: North Korea's threat has become sophisticated. And the North had continued to build up its nuclear capabilities to solidify its status as a nuclear power. Given this, do you believe denuclearizing North Korea is achievable? Will there be a need to discard denuclearization negotiations and adopt a new format of disarmament talks? Kim: Denuclearization is and should continue to be an end goal to achieve. This is a daunting task unprecedented in the history of nuclear arms control and disarmament, but it cannot be given up. If we give up denuclearization, North Korea will be recognized as a de facto nuclear state. And this likely means the beginning of the collapse of the NPT. This is a nightmare for all. If North Korea becomes a nuclear weapon state, this would agitate South Koreans, and public opinion would evolve even stronger in favor of South Koreas nuclear armament. If South Korea arms itself with nuclear weapons, other countries in the region, such as Japan and even Taiwan, will also feel the need to follow suit. If this happens, not only the U.S. but also China will face unmanageable proliferation risks. A nuclear-weapon-free North Korea may sound unfeasible at the moment, but we need to keep trying to make it happen. For that, we need to prevail on North Korea to come back to negotiation on the basis that everything should be on the table. This means both of our and their concerns must not be precluded from any negotiation. Ahn: The importance of the NPT cannot be overstated. When the treaty was proposed by the U.S. in 1960s, the former Soviet Union was fully supportive because there was a shared belief that the international community needed such a scheme to prevent proliferation. The first survey that asked South Koreans about their opinions about South Koreas possession of nuclear weapons was released in 2022 and at that time, 76 percent of South Koreans were in favor. The U.S. officials and think tank experts whom I met were stunned whenever they heard about the survey results. Eventually, South Koreans overwhelming support for nuclear armament became a type of leverage and convinced the U.S. to team up with South Korea to create the Nuclear Consultation Group (NCG). The NCG is a very useful institution for South Korea and we need to make the most of it to deter North Korea's threat. Choo: Id like to note that there are discrepancies between the U.S. and North Korea about the definition of denuclearization, so its going to be very difficult to narrow their differences. Q: How do you think North Korea interpret the ongoing wars in Ukraine, the Middle East and tensions in the Taiwan Strait? Will the North continue to resort to military provocations coupled with brinkmanship diplomacy? Ahn: To answer these questions, we need to dive deep into what Kim Jong-un has in mind. There is a single vital interest he tries hard to secure: the Kim dynasty dictatorship. This is North Koreas ultimate goal and other issues, for example, nuclear weapons or inter-Korean relations, are just means to keep it safe. Why has the North built up nuclear weapons? This is because it believes nuclear weapons would help the regime maintain dictatorship. Why did the regime introduce measures to denounce national homogeneity, and reconciliation and unification with the South? Because the more North Korea sticks to national homogeneity, the more it is baffled by North Korean citizens wondering why the same people live so differently in the South and the North. For that reason, North Korea has tried hard and failed to cut off Souths cultural influences on North Korean society. This is because the regime fears the potential fallout on its survival. With these measures in place, North Korean society has become more repressive and the economy has gone from bad to worse. I hope some day the North Korea come to realize that its nuclear program does not strengthen its security, but only make their lives more difficult and conclude that it needs to change its course. The North needs Gorbachev moment of its own. But now is not the time for that. The prolonged war in Ukraine and the widening war in the Middle East have allowed the North to relish the wider room for maneuver. The North Korean economy would benefit from arms sales to Russia, while the war in Ukraine continues. Choo: I think Kim Jong-un knows that all options were out over the past three decades since 1994 when the U.S. and North Korea held direct talks to terminate North Koreas nuclear program and reached the Agreed Framework. He will also know that there will be no other creative or fresh proposals, because all possible options have been tried. The ball is in North Koreas court. The North has become isolated and its economy has gotten worse after the U.S. introduced strategic patience. Therefore, I believe if the North realizes it will be unable to endure economic hardships any longer, it may stop brinksmanship diplomacy and show signs of a willingness for dialogue. Kim: Weve seen that South Koreas policy toward the North has often shifted from one extreme to another with a government change. This must be rectified. There needs to be a bipartisan consensus built about South Koreas vision on the future of the Korean Peninsula and this vision must be maintained regardless of a government change. Otherwise, our neighbors will not take our vision seriously and try to exploit our domestic division to pursue their priorities. Going to war with North Korea is not our preferred option. But preventing it requires our collective efforts combining deterrence and diplomacy. We need to clarify our strategy to our neighbors so that the North does not cross the red line. This is a formidable task for South Korea. It needs not only domestic consensus building but also close coordination through the ROK-U.S. alliance and the South Korea-U.S.- and Japan trilateral cooperation, as well as consultation with China and Russia. Each of these is tough. The road ahead will be bumpy. But South Korea owes the efforts to both the Korean people and the whole world. LINCOLN An Omaha lawmaker wants to ensure Nebraska voters know when campaign advertisements use deep fakes to smear a candidate or cause. But State Sen. John Cavanaugh told colleagues on the Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee Wednesday that he doesnt believe his own proposal does the job correctly. Cavanaugh said Legislative Bill 1203 requires more study and discussion to properly balance free speech rights with voters need to know when artificial intelligence applications are being used to show a candidate saying or doing something that never happened. Political speech is the most highly protected, and people do have a right to tell half-truths, mistruths and mislead, Cavanaugh said. But technology has created a situation, he said, in which easily accessible AI can be used to make lies appear to come out of the mouth of a campaign opponent. My interest is trying to figure out how to give the public the tools to make their determination and make sure they have the opportunity to judge for themselves, Cavanaugh said. As introduced, his bill would require that political ads include statements informing viewers or listeners if any part of the ad was created using artificial intelligence. The bill would bar the distribution of materially deceptive media, which it defines as media that falsely represents a person, is done within 90 days of an election, is intended to hurt a persons reputation or election prospects and is meant to deceive voters into changing their votes. The prohibition would not apply if the media included a disclaimer informing viewers or listeners that the image, audio or video had been manipulated by AI and depicts speech or conduct that did not occur. LB 1203 would allow the Nebraska attorney general, people depicted in AI-created ads, targeted candidates or voter advocacy organizations to seek a court injunction against violators. Heidi Uhing, public policy director for Civic Nebraska, supported the bill, saying the success of democracy depends on voters being informed and having access to accurate information. She said it would help for the public to know when its seeing manipulated material. But Uhing also acknowledged the difficulty of addressing the issue now. The federal government, other states and private companies are all trying to figure out ways to deal with AI. The regulatory picture so far is a mess, she said. David Hunter, executive director of the Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure Commission, which would be charged with overseeing the new requirements, opposed the bill. He said that, while misuse of AI is a concern, the commission would not be able to enforce the proposed law. We are not equipped to be fact-checkers, he said, nor do staffers have the expertise to determine if AI has been used. Cavanaugh said he plans to continue working on the issue before the next legislative session. Sen. Tom Brewer of Gordon, the committee chairman, said the Government and Judiciary Committees are looking to collaborate on an interim study of AI-related issues this summer. Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of February 2024 LINCOLN Nebraskas Chief Medical Officer Timothy Tesmer did not show up to a requested briefing with the Legislature Thursday to discuss the progress of gender-affirming care restrictions he is tasked with developing. Lawmakers on the Health and Human Services Committee requested the meeting with Tesmer last week to inquire about the progress of Legislative Bill 574. The bill, which passed the Legislature last year, blocked abortions after 12 weeks of gestation and banned gender-related surgery for minors. The law also required Tesmer and the Department of Health and Human Services to establish regulations for puberty blockers and hormone therapy for individuals under 19, following a set of criteria outlined in the legislation. In October, DHHS released a set of temporary regulations on the day LB 574 took effect, which prevented a full ban on those medications. Those regulations are still in place, with a proposed set of permanent regulations awaiting legal review from the Attorney Generals Office before it is sent to Gov. Jim Pillens desk for final approval. In lieu of attending the briefing, DHHS sent the committee a letter from the departments chief legal officer detailing the process followed on the regulations up to this point. The letter explained that Tesmer did not attend the briefing because the regulations are still under legal review. State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha, one of the leading opponents to LB 574 last year, had more than 30 questions prepared for Tesmer about the progress of those regulations. She read them off at the briefing when Tesmer did not show up. Many of the questions related to a November public hearing on the proposed regulations, which Tesmer didnt attend. Other questions were about how the regulations were drafted, including what resources were consulted in the process and which officials were involved in crafting them. HHS Committee Chair Sen. Ben Hansen of Blair said he saw the fact that the department sent the letter as a positive sign of communication from DHHS. It would have been worse if they didnt do anything, Hansen said. At the end of the briefing, Hansen said he hoped it would be the first step in establishing better communication between the different branches of Nebraskas government. He added that the committee may look to schedule another briefing sometime in the future when things get more settled. I know we, as a committee, have questions and concerns sometimes, and also our constituents do as well, he said. Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of February 2024 LINCOLN Nebraskas top election official will mail letters to about 35,000 state voters who may not have valid photo IDs ahead of the May 14 primary election, which will mark the first in Nebraska requiring a photo ID to cast a ballot. Secretary of State Bob Evnens office is sending the letters to the 3% of Nebraskas registered voters who might not have a state drivers license or DMV-issued ID, his office said in a press release Thursday. About 97% of registered voters in Nebraska already have a drivers license or state ID, Evens office said, citing information from county election offices and the Nebraska DMV. Were trying to reach voters who may not be aware of the new voter ID law and may not be prepared, Evnen said in the press release. Our office wants to ensure every voter is informed and ready. State voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot initiative in November 2022 amending the state constitution to require valid photo identification to vote in state elections and authorizing the Legislature to determine how the requirement should be carried out. The Legislature in May passed Legislative Bill 514, implementing what critics cast as a half-hearted voter ID law that voting access advocates called the least bad option. Voters have numerous options for what IDs theyre allowed to present at the ballot box in May, including a Nebraska-issued drivers license or state identification card; U.S. passports; military IDs; tribal IDs; IDs issued by local governments in Nebraska, such as schools, counties or cities; and IDs issued by public or private colleges and universities in Nebraska. A hospital, assisted-living facility or nursing home record, also known as a face sheet, can be used as well. The ID can be expired, but it must show the voters name and photo. Voters cannot use birth certificates, Medicare/Medicaid cards, out-of-state drivers licenses, out-of-state college IDs, Social Security cards, store membership cards, utility bills, bank statements or voter acknowledgement cards. Voters who dont have an acceptable form of ID can get a free state ID from the Nebraska DMV and can use the temporary photo ID receipts from the DMV to vote if they dont receive their ID in the mail before the primary, Evnens office said. Individuals seeking a free state ID must present certain documents, such as a birth certificate, which can be obtained for free from the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services for Nebraska-born residents obtaining a certificate for voter ID purposes. Voters must provide their ID when requesting an early ballot to be mailed to them, which can include writing their drivers license or state ID card number on the application, attaching a photocopy of another acceptable ID to the application or attaching a reasonable impediment certification form. Those voting in counties or precincts with all-mail balloting have ballots sent to them automatically and must submit their ID information when returning their ballot. Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of February 2024 LINCOLN A bill that aims to make it easier for people to obtain occupational licenses became one of the first bills to pass the Nebraska Legislature in 2024. Lawmakers voted 42-1 to pass Legislative Bill 16 on Thursday and send it to Gov. Jim Pillen. There was no discussion in its final round of floor debate, but the bill has received widespread support from state senators in previous rounds. LB 16 was originally introduced last year by former Sen. Tom Briese, who has since resigned from the Legislature to accept an appointment as state treasurer. State Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln, who was a co-sponsor of the bill last year, made it her priority bill for this session. The bill includes multiple proposals to ease regulations on obtaining individual work licenses in Nebraska in an attempt to help the states ongoing labor shortage. Conrad said LB 16s scope is very comprehensive, and applies to a vast range of occupations from landscapers to massage therapists. This is about removing needless red tape, Conrad said in a earlier floor debate. Among other things, LB 16 would make it easier for the states licensing boards to issue licenses to people with licenses or experience in other states. It also clarifies which criminal offenses would exclude someone from getting a license. The bill says licensing boards can still deny licenses to people with criminal records if the crime directly conflicts with the work they are seeking, or if they could pose a threat to public safety. Before the session, lawmakers pinned workforce development as one of the top priorities for the year. A bill like this is just what the Nebraska Legislature needs to be focused on this session, Conrad said after Thursdays vote. Multiple supporters of LB 16 spoke on the bills provisions that would help released prisoners obtain licenses, agreeing with Conrads argument that helping former prisoners find steady jobs could reduce recidivism. The Platte Institute, a conservative think tank, praised the passage of LB 16, calling it in an email a landmark victory for workforce development and economic growth. We are setting a new standard for workforce development by throwing down the red carpet and welcoming new workers to help fill the unmet demand in our economy, Platte Institute CEO Jim Vokal wrote. Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of February 2024 LINCOLN A proposal to allow a new method for Nebraska to carry out its death penalty drew substantial opposition Wednesday at a legislative hearing. Legislative Bill 970 would let prison administrators choose to use nitrogen hypoxia rather than lethal injection that is, asphyxiating prisoners with nitrogen gas. Three other states allow this method. The Nebraska Legislatures Judiciary Committee heard testimony on the bill, which was introduced by State Sen. Loren Lippincott of Central City with 17 co-sponsors. No one testified in support of the measure, although two people submitted written comments in support. In contrast, eight people testified in opposition to LB 970, with an additional 66 people writing opposing comments. Alabama, Oklahoma and Mississippi are the only states that allow this form of execution. Alabama inmate Kenneth Eugene Smith became the first person in the world to be executed through nitrogen hypoxia in January after a previous attempt to execute him via lethal injection was botched in 2022. Alabama has since taken steps to execute a second inmate using this method. Lippincott said LB 970 was modeled after the legislation adopted in other states, with one key difference: In other states, its up to the inmate to choose how their death would be carried out, while in Nebraska it would be up to prison administrators. Nebraska has 11 inmates on death row. The states last execution was held in 2018. Capital punishment has been a regular subject of debate in the state over the years. The Legislature passed a measure to abolish the death penalty in 2015, but it was quickly reinstated through a voter referendum in 2016. Nitrogen hypoxia has gained interest as an execution method following criticism of lethal injections as being inhumane and ineffective. Lippincott said using it would also avoid supply issues that have stalled some states from executing inmates using injections. Backers say nitrogen hypoxia is painless; opponents say it is cruel Proponents claim nitrogen hypoxia is a painless and simple means of execution. Opponents claim thats not true. United Nations experts expressed alarm earlier this year that Smiths planned nitrogen hypoxia execution in Alabama would subject him to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or even torture. Wednesdays hearing focused on whether nitrogen hypoxia would cause a humane death. Lippincott said it would quickly put an inmate to sleep, and compared it to the way pets are euthanized. This is a kind, painless way of carrying out the will of the people of Nebraska, Lippincott said. Several committee members expressed doubts about Lippincotts assertions, as did multiple people who testified. Maggie Ballard, president for Nebraskans for Peace, said some veterinarians stopped using nitrogen hypoxia to euthanize animals because it was too violent. Asked about this, Lippincott speculated that the masks used on animals might not fit closely enough, allowing some of the gas to leak out. This wouldnt be the case for state executions, he said. Spike Eickholt, speaking for the American Civil Liberties Union of Nebraska and Nebraskans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, said it is irrelevant to seek ways to make the death penalty more humane, given that it is the most extreme punishment a government can take against a person. What I really think they are doing when people say they support the death penalty is they just want people to go away We have that we have life imprisonment without parole, Eickholt said. Other opponents represented groups that oppose capital punishment in any form, including the League of Women Voters, the Nebraska Nurses Association and the Nebraska Catholic Conference. Lippincott said the question isnt whether Nebraska should continue using the death penalty, but whether LB 970 would provide a possible second option for carrying out state law, without the supply issues that have hindered lethal injections. Im not here to debate (the death penaltys) existence, Lippincott said. I am here to give us another option to use. Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of February 2024 LINCOLN Local jurisdictions in Nebraska would be able to distribute hypodermic needles to drug users to reduce the spread of infectious diseases under a bill approved Thursday, but Gov. Jim Pillen says he plans to veto it. Lawmakers voted 30-7 for Legislative Bill 307 on its last round of floor debate, sending it to Pillens desk for final approval. Its introducer, State Sen. Megan Hunt of Omaha, said she is working to retain the 30 votes necessary to override a veto. LB 307 would let public health programs set up needle distribution programs, with approval from cities or other jurisdictions. If it becomes law, Nebraska would be one of the last states to legalize such programs. Often referred to as Syringe Service Programs (SSPs), the programs are a way to encourage treatment of drug addiction and reduce the spread of infectious diseases like HIV. Programs also may offer a range of other services, such as on-site vaccinations and referrals to various other treatments. When a person steps into an SSP, they build trusting, nonjudgmental relationships with clinic providers, staff often many of these staffers, including providers, are people who have experienced addiction themselves, Hunt said during a previous debate. And they get the care they need where they can get to a better place. Nebraskas HIV infection rate is rising even as the nationwide rate is falling, Hunt said, with a 26% increase in infections recorded in 2021. She said Nebraska also logged 229 deaths linked to fentanyl use in 2022. Hunt said needle distribution programs can reduce the spread of used needles and the risk of first responders receiving needle-stick injuries. Addicts who access the programs are more likely to seek drug treatment, she said. LB 307 drew widespread support from lawmakers during earlier debates. Some said they were initially hesitant but were swayed by several factors, including a letter of support from Douglas County Sheriff Aaron Hanson and the fact that local governments would make the call on establishing an SSP. I see this as dealing with reality, said Speaker of the Legislature John Arch. We have an issue, and while we would all like to see drug abuse completely go away, I dont think this increases the issue. I dont think this encourages drug use, and I think that it actually helps with the spread of communicable disease. Pillens office confirmed in an email that the governor intends to veto LB 307 in its current form, citing concerns with the bills lack of age restrictions, and claiming it would create significant health and safety issues such as dangerous syringe litter. If the Legislature is interested in lowering the transmission of HIV and drug usage, there are other avenues that would not result in an increased loss of life, the email said. Hunt said she believed Pillens disapproval of the bill was based in negative stigmas about drug addiction. She said that allowing SSPs would actually benefit public health in Nebraska. Hunt said she had expected more support for LB 307 in Thursdays vote, but expressed confidence that the bill would succeed on a veto override. Several lawmakers who supported LB 307 during previous rounds of debate were absent Thursday. Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of February 2024 The Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Ijaw Youth Congress (IYC) yesterday took opposing stand on the governorship election in the oil-rich state. For the PDP, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should declare Governor Nyesom Wike as the winner of the governorship poll. As far as the IYC was concerned, the important thing was the safety of the African Action Congress (AAC) governorship candidate, Biokpomabo Awara, who has claimed victory. The umbrella body of the Ijaw youths condemned alleged threat to Awaras life. The IYC, in a statement by its spokesman, Daniel Dasimaka, described the situation as very unfortunate and sad. Dasimaka said: Mr. Awara is an Ijaw son and Ijaw all over the world will not sit back and watch any further threat to one of their own who, like every Rivers son and daughter, has the right to aspire to the office of the Governor of Rivers State. The AAC gubernatorial candidate, Biokpomabo Awara raised the alarm through his campaign organisation that (people) that have arrogated to themselves the power of life and death to remain in government are plotting to assassinate him. It is therefore imperative to note that the rights of every eligible citizen under our Constitution to vie for political positions of their choice, like Mr Awara has presented himself, should be respected and not seen as threat to a fair contest. Against the backdrop of the foregoing, the IYC is therefore calling on the security agencies to investigate those behind this cowardly act and bring them to justice as we stand against political killings in Rivers state. But, Rivers PDP chairman Felix Obuah urged the INEC to declare Wike the winner of the March 9 governorship election. Obuah spoke at a news conference in Port Harcourt, the state capital yesterday. Obuah said: With the available result from the field, I want to assure you that His Excellency (Wike) has won overwhelmingly and INEC should not waste time in declaring Governor Nyesom Wike the winner and governor-elect of Rivers State. We are not worried about what some people are saying; the truth is that, with the results from the field, the incumbent governor should be declared governor-elect. His claim came four days after Awara urged the electoral umpire to declare him winner, claiming also that information from his agents from the field during the election showed that he was coasting to victory, having clearly won in 15 of the 23 local government areas in the state. But Obuah said: Anyone can go on air and say he has won, but we are speaking based on evidence, the results INEC had already declared at the grassroots. He said: The outcome of the Governorship and State Assembly Elections of March 9, 2019 proved the love the good people of Rivers State have for our beloved party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). You showed unparalleled love for our party by voting all the way for Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike and all our candidates for the National and State Houses of Assembly elections. The results from all polling units and constituencies where the elections were concluded have confirmed and reaffirmed to us that Rivers State is PDP; that PDP is our way of life in Rivers State. You have once again, reposed your total confidence in our party. As the chairman of the PDP, I wish to express and convey the gratitude of our party to the people of Rivers State for this wonderful show of love and support for our Governorship Candidate, Governor Nyesom Wike and the State Assembly candidates. Frontline contender for the President of the Senate, Senator Ahmed Lawal of the All Progressives Party (APC) has revealed that he expects more lawmakers elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to endorse him. Lawan who spoke with journalists in Abuja, added that some PDP senators will soon endorse him openly. According to him, discussions and meetings were already ongoing. Lawan also dismissed the claim that the recent endorsement of his candidacy by Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, indicated a crack in the camp of the PDP. He said, We are expecting PDP senators-elect to endorse. I am also expecting the entire caucus to endorse my candidacy. Particularly to the endorsement by Senator Peter Nwoboshi who is a serving senator and also a PDP lawmaker is sign of good thing. ALSO READ: Real reason Buhari ordered withdrawal of licensed guns Ozekhome According to him, discussions and meetings were already ongoing. What the endorsement means is not a crack in the fence of the PDP. What the endorsement mean is that feeling of patriotism. That feeling of the necessity of all of us that will be in the ninth Senate to work together in national interest. We know that this administration has done a lot in the last four years, getting out of recession to a growth per cent of between two and three of the GDP. But we are still faced with that challenge of expanding the economy, diversifying the economy or providing employment for our teeming youth who need to have an accommodation in the economy. The Senate convened on Wednesday to address the surge in kidnapping incidents within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Consequently, the Upper Legislative Chamber the summoned of the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, and the Commissioner of Police, Benneth Igwe. Senator Ned Nwoko (PDP, Delta North) sponsored a motion regarding the abduction and tragic demise of his Senior Legislative Aide (SLA), Barrister Chris Agidy, in Galadimawa last year. Nwoko emphasized, Incidences like the kidnapping and killing of my SLA and other residents of the FCT are worrisome and must be stopped not only in the FCT but in Nigeria generally. The Senate adopted various measures to address the issue, including increasing security patrols and surveillance within Abuja and across the nation. They also called for the installation of CCTV cameras in strategic locations within and around Abuja highways and the establishment of a dedicated three-digit emergency number for swift response. Furthermore, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) was tasked with ensuring the functionality of dedicated emergency numbers for Police, Ambulance, and Fire Service emergencies. Godswill Akpabio, the President of the Senate, announced that the FCT Minister and Police Commissioner would appear before the Senate in a closed-door session to discuss the measures and strategies being implemented to combat the rising incidence of kidnappings in the FCT. Akpabio clarified, Their expected appearance before the Senate is to hear from them, measures and strategies being put in place to stem the ugly tide of kidnappings in the FCT. The late Barrister Chris Agidy was among 19 individuals kidnapped in Galadimawa in November 2023. President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday arrived in Owo, Ondo State to visit the family of the late governor of the state, Rotimi Akeredolu. The Presidents visit comes a few days after the burial of the late governor. Tinubu also visited the leader of pan-Yoruba sociocultural organisation, Afenifere, Pa Reuben Fasoranti. The President had a closed-door meeting with the Olowo of Owo, Oba Ajibade Gbadegesin Ogunoye III. The President was received by Ondo and Ekiti governors, Lucky Aiyedatiwa and Biodun Oyebanji and a host of government functionaries and prominent politicians. The President described Akeredolu as a fearless soldier. BREAKING: Tinubu visits Owo monarch, says its difficult to fill Akeredolus vacuum Tinubu in Owo Osagie Otabor, Akure February 28, 2024 overlay-clevercloseLogo President, Bola Tinubu has said that it would be difficult to fill the void left by late former Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu. President Tinubu also said the legacy of Akeredolu would endure forever. Tinubu spoke in Owo, Owo local government area when he visited the town to commiserate with the Olowo of Owo, Oba Ajibade Gbadegesin Ogunoye, over the death of Akeredolu. Tinubu said it was honourable to depart the world when the ovation was loudest. He said: This sentiment should inspire us to live each day with purpose, to pursue our goals with determination, and to leave behind a legacy that will be remembered fondly by those whose lives we have touched. He truly embodied courage and fearlessness, especially in his relentless pursuit of good governance. I can only describe him as a fearless fighter, his unwavering commitment to the welfare of his people and his courageous nature will always be remembered. Oba Ogunoye, on his part, described the late Akeredolu as a true democrat who had an unwavering commitment to democratic principles and practices. President Tinubu was accompanied by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, Ekiti State Governor, Abiodun Oyebanji, Ondo State Deputy Governor, Dr Olayide Adelami, Speaker House of Assembly, Olamide Oladiji, Chief of Staff to the Governor, Prince Segun Omojuwa, amongst others. Lee dreams of joining global efforts to combat starvation By Jung Min-ho What is your dream? What do you want to be? Most new arrivals from North Korea would struggle to provide a straight answer to these questions. Having just escaped from a country where no one talks or asks about dreams, they may find such curiosity perplexing. Before crossing North Koreas border with China in 2006, when he was 14 years old, the only dream Lee Jeong-cheol had had was to stave off his hunger. After arriving in South Korea with his mother several months later, he found that questions about future careers are very common here. Thats when I started to think seriously about what I want to be, Lee told The Korea Times on Wednesday. In North Korea, I was told to be loyal to the regime all the time. But no one asked me if I had any dreams. His first dream was to become a diplomat. After learning English from American diplomats who volunteered to support students from North Korea at his high school in Anseong, Gyeonggi Province, every weekend, Lee thought it would be cool to become one. Lee did not pursue the dream all the way, but he carried on with his passion for learning the language. He found the process interesting and tried to take advantage of all available tools to make progress. One of them was a speech contest for those from North Korea hosted by Freedom Speakers International, a Seoul-based NGO that supports North Korean refugees in the South. At first, I didnt do well. So I tried again and again until I won the contest [held in 2021]. Lee said. I didnt give up because winning the grand prize was never my objective. I took it as part of the learning process and enjoyed every moment of it. Such efforts led him to career opportunities in the media industry, where he worked as a radio producer at Unification Media Group and as a freelance commentator for issues related to North Korea. He also launched his own YouTube channel. All this led him to another great opportunity. After being awarded a Fulbright scholarship, Lee is now preparing to start his first semester at a U.S. university this fall. Lee has not decided which school he will attend yet, but he has made up his mind on what he will study. Id like to learn more about international relations and be part of the international effort to combat food shortages, which still is a source of many human sufferings, he said. Looking back, Im deeply grateful for all the opportunities I received to dream and learn the things necessary to achieve that dream. The Senate has approved President Bola Tinubus request to sack the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission Executive Vice-Chair, Babatunde Irukera. Tinubu in a letter read at the plenary on Wednesday by the Senate President, GodsWill Akpabio, said that he was demanding the sack of Irukere based on inefficiency. According to the FCCPC Act, the President needs the approval of the National Assembly to sack the Executive Vice-Chairman of the Commission. However, Tinubu had in January sacked Irukera and the Director-General/CEO of the Bureau of Public Enterprises, Mr Alexander Okoh with immediate effect. After deliberations, the request was put to a voice vote where the ayes had it and the Senate President hit the gavel. Nigerian rapper, Tobechukwu Ejiofor, popularly known as Illbliss, has recounted battling childlessness with his wife Munachiso for eight years. The couples perseverance and resilience were rewarded when they welcomed their first child, Sochikaima, in 2017. Following this joyous moment, Illbliss and his wife were blessed with another daughter named Kachimsideh in 2020. In a recent interview on Arise TV, the rapper said that the births of his daughters were nothing short of miraculous. Illbliss revealed that his first daughter arrived after eight years of waiting, while his second daughter was born prematurely during the COVID-19 lockdown. The rapper highlighted the profound impact of his children on his latest album, SideKai. He explained that the title was derived from the combination of their names, Kachimsideh and Sochikaima. Illbliss, a proud girl-dad, acknowledged the miraculous nature of his childrens arrivals, emphasizing the significance of the journey that led to their births. He said; I am a girl-dad. I have two beautiful daughters. Sochikaima is 6, and Kachimsideh is 3. So, my album title SideKai was coined from their names. My kids came miraculously. Kaima came in after eight years of marriage. It took my wife and me a long time before we started having kids. Side also came during COVID-19, 2020. She came as a premature baby. So, they all came in miraculously. KanyiDaily recalls that Illbliss had recounted how he felt incomplete after getting married and waiting for eight years before having his first child. By National Daily Intelligence As negotiations for an international agreement for pandemic preparedness and response continue this week, the World Health Organization (WHO) says it can reach its finish line by May, if the barriers are collectively addressed. But inequity, authoritarianism and trust deficit are not considered small barriers, according to African researchers, academics and scientists, who are closely observing the negotiations, writes Abiose A. Adams. Grounded in lessons from the Covid-19 pandemic, which was termed a human catastrophic crisis, world leaders, in 2021, proposed to create an international agreement with the main goal of strengthening national, regional and global capacities and resilience and to prevent future pandemics. The WHO was afterward tasked with the mandate come up with a treaty titled, a Pandemic Preparedness, Prevention and Response Accord. In December 2021, the WHO set up a committee the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB) to spearhead the negotiations and draft the agreement. The body is made up of the 194 WHO members states comprising 47 African countries. In paripasu, the WHO also undertook the review of the already existing International Health Regulation (IHR) of 2005 which prescribes obligations for countries on reporting public health emergencies and international travels restrictions. Over 300 amendments have been made on it. Both documents are meant to be submitted to the 77th World Health Assembly in May 2024, after which it comes into force. However, there have been a lot of push and pull in different directions over various clauses and provisions of both the proposed treaty and the IHR. At the helms of the criticisms of the draft treaty is the group of senior African academics under the name, Pan-Africa Epidemic and Pandemic Working Group, which says that current draft reeks of health imperialism and an increasingly colonialist approach which will take Africa no further than the hardships experienced during the Covid-19 pandemic. Issues of health sovereignty: Speaking during an online press conference, where the group stated its position on the current treaty draft, Dr. Reginald Oduor, a member of the group and an associate professor at the department of philosophy, University of Nairobi, says what is worrisome is that the WHO, which used to be more advisory, has taken on, with these two instruments-IHR and the Treaty, a political posture. What we are seeing now is increasing centralization and the excuse is that we are protecting everybody. The latitude and space of African countries, is not respected for them to make decisions because they are being told to do what the WHO says. What worries the Group as expressed in a press statement is the use of the phrase state parties undertake to follow WHOs recommendation, which they say threatens nations health sovereignty. Contained in Article 12 of the newly amended IHR, this provision also consolidates the powers of the director-general of the WHO to determine at any time that a disease is a public health emergency of international concern/or a pandemic, whilst also granting it the prerogative to advise mandatory vaccinations. Uniqueness not universalism Professor Wellington Oyibo, a medical parasitologist at the University of Lagos, who is the Groups Health Advisory Director, says the amendments to the international health regulations and the proposed treaty, can be described for Africa, as using a sledge hammer to kill an ant. And this, he says, will cause Africa to miss the opportunity to develop unique solutions to its unique health challenges and strengthen its own health system. We do not need a global lens to be able to handle some local diseases or local health challenges. For instance, in Africa, cholera still decimates lives. Likewise, we have zoonotic diseases such as ebola. People still go to the forest to get food and get into contact with bats; all out of quest for livelihoods. If these regulations are allowed to go, then people will be punished and governments too. Oyibo, who is also the Director, Center for Transdisciplinary Research in Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases adds that what is needed is not universalism but a unique approach to solving health challenges. On the basis of uniqueness of challenges, which is not universal, it brings to question; why the need for some universal control systems. The question we should be asking is: How do Africa strengthen their health systems to contribute to global safety, without being subsumed by international regulations as the WHO is proposing? Another vaccine apartheid underway? In Article 11, Chapter 2 of the current draft lies a cauldron of disagreements, discontentment and distrust on the equity issue. The gut of this article is that pharmaceutical companies in developed countries, who have developed vaccines or who own patents to approved pandemic diagnostics or therapeutics, etc, should waive their intellectual property (IP) rights in order to allow pharmaceutical companies in developing countries, to use their patent for mass production of lifesaving vaccines. The intent is to prioritize saving lives over profiteering. But developed countries the European Union, United Kingdom and Switzerland, who house the big pharma, have reportdely kicked against the idea, worrying that a waiver will harm research and development incentives for pharmaceutical companies It would be recalled that during the Covid-19 pandemic, there was gross inequity in access to vaccines. According to a BioMed Central report, as at 2021 more than 76 percent of people in higher income countries had received a dose compared to low income countries which had a low uptake of 8.5 percent. This is despite the launch of COVAX, which failed to facilitate equitable access. If according to the WHO, the idea of a new international agreement is to improve on the failures of Covid-19, is the WHO not about to make the same mistakes with the current draft? The Article reads in part: During pandemics, each Party shall: (a) commit to agree upon, within the framework of relevant institutions, time-bound waivers of intellectual property rights to accelerate or scale up the manufacturing of pandemic-related products to the extent necessary to increase the availability and adequacy of affordable pandemic-related products. Usually patents are protected under the agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS Agreement). This agreement is ratified by member countries of the World Trade Organization, (WTO) an organization which deals with the global rules of trade between nations. An international medical charity, Medecens San Frontiers (MSF), which was an active frontline responder during the Covid-19 pandemic, reports that overcoming the intellectual property barriers was a major obstacle to equitable access, which led to loss of lives. It is reported that 3 million people died directly or indirectly of Covid-19 while several African countries were pushed into a huge debt crisis. Although in 2020, South Africa and India wrote to the World Trade Organization, to relax the TRIPS Agreement regulation. It took 20 long months of filibustering for the member states to finally agree to waive their rights partially as contained in the ministerial decision of the WTO adopted in June 2022. The civil society and health observers say it was a narrow waiver for just limited pandemic products, and which still excludes many middle-income countries. Mausi Segun Africa director of Human Rights Watch, says that without addressing this issue, the treaty has failed from the beginning. Equity lies at the heart of the problem that is faced during the covid-19. Pandemic. The lack of equitable access to available technology, vaccines means fewer people in those countries had access to life saving vaccines. It is unfair. Odour believes that African governments can come up with their own innovations, rather than having to wait and depend on what comes from the western world. It is health imperialism to subjugate knowledge from other parts of the world and think medical innovations and knowledge about Covid-19 or other pandemics has to come from Geneva or the developed countries. He adds; This is the very reason why we must advocate for multiple centers of knowledge and every society has a right to have its own innovations. WHOs political posture Although the WHO director-general, Tedros Gbayeresus, has refuted claims of taking over nations sovereignty, referring to it as disinformation, the overreach of national governments, and the gross human right violations witnessed during the last pandemic, cast a shadow on the WHOs intent. Secondly, is the failure of COVAX, which was set up to create equitable distribution of vaccines, therapeutics to developing countries, but was reportedly sabotaged by developed countries and the big pharma. Thirdly, is the fact that WHO is largely privately funded by the same countries who are reluctant to waive their IP rights and foster equitable access. Notably 20 percent of its funding come from assessed contributions from member states, but the remainder is from voluntary contributions. The United States was the largest funder between 2018-2019, next only to the Gates Foundation, its second largest funder. Other top funders are the United Kingdom, European Union, Australia, Switzerland. Senator Sani Shehu, a former representative of Kaduna Central in the Senate, asserted that the ex-President Muhammadu Buhari played a role in damaging Nigerias economy, attributing the present economic challenges in the country to his actions. Sani stated this in an interview on Channels Televisions Politics Today on Wednesday. He said some of the economic policies that President Bola Tinubu is implementing now, which triggered the economic hardship, should have been implemented by Buhari. The Kaduna senator said former President Buhari failed to implement the policies, which consequently allowed the economy to deteriorate. Sani said, We must be very factual and realistic with ourselves; the problem we find ourselves today, originated, was engineered, fabricated and sustained by the Buhari administration. The Buhari administration, institutionally, fundamentally destroyed the Nigerian economy, he addded. Sani absorbed Tinubus blame for the current situation, noting that, having said he (Tinubu) would implement the policies he has implemented so far during the campaign, Tinubu did not deceive Nigerians. He said, When Tinubu took over, he knows there is not going to be subsidy and to be realistic, he was very frank during his campaign. I am going to remove subsidy and whatever protest that will come out of it I will not back down and then people went ahead and voted for him, so he has not deceived Nigerians. Now he is in power, we are paying the price for the mistake of the past, for the failure of the past and for what we have refused to do in the past, so this is the reality, he said. Recall that some Nigerians in some states have taken to the streets to protest the situation over the economic hardship occasioned by some of Tinubus policies, especially the removal of petrol subsidy and the unification of forex rate. The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) also joined the protest over hardship on Tuesday with a nationwide action. But, Sani said the NLC has the right to protest, adding that the protest to be wary of is not that of the NLC but the one that may be carried out by unorganised civil society. Former Senator representing Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani, attributes the prevailing economic challenges in the nation to the previous administration under President Muhammadu Buhari. In a recent appearance on Channels Televisions Politics Today, Sani pointed out that President Bola Tinubu, unlike his predecessors, was transparent about his intention to abolish fuel subsidy, a move that he claims would alleviate the economic burden. Sani emphasized that had Buhari embraced some of Tinubus economic strategies, the nation wouldnt be grappling with its current economic predicament. He expressed his views, stating, The problem we find ourselves in today originated, was engineered, fabricated, and sustained by the Buhari administration. The Buhari administration fundamentally destroyed the Nigerian economy. Reflecting on Tinubus stance, Sani noted, When Tinubu took over, he knew there would be no subsidy, and he was candid during his campaign. He declared, I am going to remove subsidy, and I wont back down despite any protests that may arise, and the people voted for him, so he hasnt deceived Nigerians. Sani further elaborated, Now that he is in power, we are paying the price for past mistakes, failures, and negligence. This is the reality. The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has firmly stated that there will be no extension of the February 28, 2024 deadline for the linkage of Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards to National Identification Numbers (NINs). Consequently, telecommunication companies have been instructed to deactivate 12 million lines that have not been linked to their owners NINs after the deadline. Confirming this directive, the Director of Public Affairs at NCC, Reuben Mouka, emphasized, We already issued a public notice in this regard and all the information. If there was an extension, NCC would have communicated that. But as far as I know, there is no extension. In a notice issued in December 2023, the NCC mandated telcos to deactivate SIMs not linked to their owners NINs by February 28, 2024. Additionally, it directed Global Satellite Mobile Communications firms to deactivate those with submitted but unverified NINs by March 29, 2024, and suspend services for those with less than five lines linked to an unverified NIN by April 15, 2024. Gbenga Adebayo, the Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), affirmed telecom operators compliance with the NCCs directive. He disclosed, About 12 million SIM cards may not have been linked to NIN. Some of these SIM cards work on modems and mifi devices. According to the regulatory directives, those numbers that are not properly linked to NIN will have services withdrawn to them by midnight today. We stand by that regulatory directive and we are going to comply. Adebayo dismissed speculations about a possible deadline extension, asserting that the deadline should have been enforced last year. He stated, No, the regulator has made it clear that there wont be any further extension. Let us remember that this ought to have happened last year, but it was extended by the regulator till the 28th of February, 2024. Acting on information from informants, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), in collaboration with the Ekiti State Liaison Office in Ilupeju-Ekiti, apprehended two individuals suspected to be engaged in the illicit trade of a baby. Speaking with our correspondent on Thursday in Ado-Ekiti, the Head of NAPTIP Ekiti Liaison Office, Oladimeji Samson, said a team of operatives led by Mr Emuze John from NAPTIP Headquarters alongside officers of the agency in Ekiti arrested the suspects. According to him, one of the suspects, Ifeoma Ejide, allegedly sold a female baby to one Mrs Funmilayo Ibitoye, who was suspected to have bought the baby for N2 million. Oladimeji said, My colleagues came from Abuja for a case of a woman that has a baby factory at Owo, Ondo State and the woman was arrested in Owo and from there they traced where she sold the baby. The buyer bought the baby at the rate of N2 million and she is yet to pay all while her husband is based in United States. The woman that sold this baby has confessed that she is into baby factory. This issue is rampant and common in Ekiti. Most of these people (baby buyers) use herbs and they are told not to visit any hospital so that they cant be tracked. We asked her how long have you breastfed the child? and she said the first time there was no milk. This case have connection with others cases. During cross examination, Ejide confessed to the crime. Meanwhile, Funmilayo, the suspected buyer in Ekiti, denied the allegation, claiming that she delivered the baby and was medically taken care of by Ejide. She noted that she has waited for her baby for 25 years, adding, They said I buy baby, I did not buy any baby. I was arrested in Ekiti. Although I didnt give birth in the hospital but at the womans house in Owo (referring to Ifeoma). We normally buy herbs from her in 3 months for N100,000 and N300,000 for 9 months. After giving birth, the herb is N20,000. I paid through transfer. I have been paying through transfer. My sister followed me to Owo to deliver the baby. Dr Ngishe said that the disease had spread to seven of the 23 local government areas of the state, and identified the affected council areas to include; Obi, Okpokwu, Gwer West, Makurdi , Guma, Gwer East, and Ukum. Nine persons have died from Lassa fever in Benue State in the past two months. The State Epidemiologist, Dr Sam Ngishe, disclosed this to journalists in a telephone chat on Thursday. This comes after the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention said it has recorded 2,621 suspected Lassa fever cases and 84 deaths with a case fatality rate of 18.6 per cent. According to Ngishe, 46 people including health workers and internally displaced persons have been hit by the dreaded disease across the state. He noted that four cases were found among the Internally displaced persons at Ortese IDP camp in Guma LGA of the state. Dr Ngishe said that the disease had spread to seven of the 23 local government areas of the state, and identified the affected council areas to include; Obi, Okpokwu, Gwer West, Makurdi, Guma, Gwer East, and Ukum. He said, Nine deaths in confirmed cases, and they have been buried in accordance with safe burial protocols across the various areas of the state where they hail from. A 34-year-old Nigerian drug peddler and his Kenyan girlfriend have been arrested by Goverdhan Villas police of Udaipur in India after they were allegedly caught with banned drugs, MDMA, valued at 5 lakhs. Acting upon a tipoff, the Station House Officer (SHO) Goverdhan Villas police station, Ajay Singh Rao and his team nabbed the accused, Joseph Tobechukwu, and Lilian Nyaisiri, 32, on Wednesday, February 28, 2024. Both of them were staying at a rented house located at Suro Ka Fala area near Om Banna temple falling under Goverdhan Villas police station circle. It was when the Station House Officer Goverdhan Villas police station got a tipoff that a foreign couple is roaming in the area with huge amount of drugs in their possession and is about to come towards the Dakshin Vistaar Yojna Road, Deputy SP, Rajat Bishnoi Choudhary said. Upon getting the information SHO immediately launched a road barricading, during the barricading a foreign couple was seen coming towards the police team on a black colored scooty. But as soon as the said couple saw the police team they turned back and tried to escape. But the police chased them upto a distance of around 1.5 kilometers and nabbed them. When they checked as much as 21 grams of banned drugs MdMa was found from Joseph while around 11 grams of MdMa drugs was recovered from the clothes of female accused Lilian. The drugs was later seized and both the accused were booked under section 8/22 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (NDPS). Rajat further said that during the preliminary interrogation the accused revealed that they were staying at their rented house since August 2023 without any police verification. Both the accused were produced in front of the court and were remanded under police custody. The police will now question them further about other people involved in the matter racket. President Bola Tinubu President Bola Tinubu has assured Nigerians that he would not look back when tackling corruption in the country. The President stated this on Thursday while delivering his speech at the inauguration of the Red Rail Line project in Lagos State. He said his administration will not back down on its policies and actions to curb corruption and make good use of diverted funds in the public sector. He said: The fight against corruption is on, we will not look back, we will fight it to ruins. Today is to be remembered for good, an evidence that it is good to dream, a serious validation of democracy. The President also assured Nigerians that the country will be out of economic problems, we just need to work hard with perseverance. He said: The momentum of greatness that we started has become unstoppable. It is a constant reminder that positive change and progress are possible, and we must attain it. We must adhere to our pledge through perseverance and consistency. When you put people at the centre of your vision and planning, you will see the value. I look forward to the completion of other phases. BY Israel Bulus, Kaduna A group under the auspices of Southern Kaduna Professionals (SKP) has on Thursday commended the Member Representing Kaduna-North Federal Constituency, Hon. Mohammed Bello el-Rufai on his role over the emergence of Deborah Yaki Usman as the winner of 2024 Business Support Finance (BFS). In a statement made available to Journalists through its National President, Arc. Samuel Yakubu said the Federal lawmaker has shown pragmatism in rekindling the hope of Kaduna State toward uniting the people irrespective of tribe, region, or religious affiliation. The group decried that Kaduna State had in recent years been divided along religious lines that have dragged the state backward. Bello el-Rufais unwavering support toward Deborah who is not even from his constituency has shown hes a people-oriented, purposeful, and de-tribalized leader who loves to see others grow. The Federal lawmaker will forever be remembered for this single act and it will remain in our annals of history, The group stated. According to them, there was a need for the State political leaders, especially those at the helm of affairs, to close ranks and bury their differences in the interest of unity and peaceful coexistence, Samuel said. Thank you Bello el-Rufai for being an embodiment of true leadership and a pacesetter for displaying true love and empathy to someone you consider from your State rather than your constituency. The group lamented that ever since Deborah Yaki started her campaign to win the 2024 BFS no single legislator or any leader from the Southern Kaduna extraction supported her. Southern Kaduna leaders who are at the helm of affairs must change their attitude and see the need for supporting young people with fresh ideas, stressing only that the region can grow. Leaders must begin to identify young people with potential and support them to achieve their goals in life. We have been left behind compared to other regions. The group decried. The group urged Southern Kaduna politicians, to borrow a leaf from the template institutionalized by Mohammed Bello el-Rufai, to build a society where love and compassion become a norm that could help reduce despondency in our society, the statement added. End. Related A human rights organization under the aegis of Coalition of Public Interests Lawyers and Advocates (COPA) on Wednesday protested against what it described alleged pervasive tribalism, abuse of federal character principles in the Nigerian Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) under the leadership of Major General Emmanuel A.P. Undiandeye, the Chief of Defence Intelligence (CDI). The organisation said the appointment of his kinsman, Navy Captain S. K. Ogogo (NN/2122) as the Director of Finance and Accounting (DFA) at the DIA, starkly undermines the principles of fairness and equity, especially when there are numerous qualified individuals suitable for the role. The National Coordinator of COPA, Pelumi Olajengbesi in a petition to the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, demanded the investigation of the matter and decisive action taken to rectify the situation. The petition reads, I write to you on behalf of the Coalition of Public Interests Lawyers and Advocates (COPA), a dedicated advocacy organization committed to upholding social justice, equity, and good governance in Nigeria. We are deeply troubled by the pervasive tribalism, abuse of federal character principles, and nepotism evident within the Nigerian Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) under the leadership of Major General Parker, the Chief of Defence Intelligence (CDI). It has come to our attention that Major General Parker has consistently demonstrated favoritism towards his kinsmen, notably evidenced by the recent appointment of Navy Captain S K Ogogo (NN/2122) as the Director of Finance and Accounting (DFA) at the Defense Intelligence Agency. This appointment starkly undermines principles of fairness and equity, especially when there are numerous qualified individuals suitable for the role. Furthermore, the appointment of the DFA from the same local government area as the CDI raises alarming concerns about the blatant disregard for federal character principles. Such actions only serve to perpetuate corruption, nepotism, and inefficiency within the DIA. At a time when the current administration, under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is diligently working to stabilize the nations economy and address pressing security challenges, it is imperative that all government agencies operate with the utmost integrity and transparency. Any display of corruption, nepotism, or tribalism undermines the governments efforts and erodes public trust. We implore you, Honorable Minister, to swiftly investigate this matter and take decisive action to rectify the situation. Appointments within the DIA must be based on merit, competence, and strict adherence to federal character principles, rather than personal or tribal affiliations. Failure to address these issues not only compromises the integrity and effectiveness of the DIA but also undermines the credibility of the Nigerian military and government institutions as a whole. COPA remains committed to supporting the governments endeavors, but we cannot stand idly by while the actions of a few jeopardize the progress of the entire nation. We trust that you will prioritize this matter and ensure that corrective measures are implemented without delay. ENDS*** Related A mobile phone repairer in Adamawa State named Mustapha Kabiru has allegedly raped his convicted brothers five-year-old daughter, just to teach him a lesson. According to SaharaReporters, Kabiru has had a long-running feud with his brother, Ayuba, who is currently serving a jail term in Lagos, and therefore decided to molest his little girl in order to get back at him. The victim, Fatimah Ayuba, was said to have been rushed to the Federal Medical Center Yola, Adamawa State, for medical attention following profuse bleeding from her vagina as a result of the incident. It was also gathered that the family never wanted to seek medical help for the victim for fear of exposing the matter to the public but the girl was eventually taken to the hospital through the help of one Hauwa Garba. Confirming the incident, Information Officer at FMC Yola, Mohammed Dodo, told reporters that the girl was bleeding profusely when she was brought into the hospital. He said Fatimah was referred from Yola Specialist hospital on Saturday due to profuse and uncontrolled bleeding from the vagina. Her condition couldnt be managed at the specialist hospital, thats why she was transferred to the FMC, which has better facilities. When contacted on the matter, Public Relations Officer of the police in Adamawa, Suleiman Nguroje, said that they had yet to be briefed of the incident, adding to commence investigation once the case is reported to them. Two people have been stabbed in a fresh xenophobic attack and protest in Johannesburg, South Africa. The President, Nigerian Union in South Africa, Adetola Olubajo, confirmed this on Sunday, but said he could not speak on the nationalities of the victims or the severity of the injuries, as the Police had yet to reveal the victims identities. Its confirmed that two people were stabbed by MTN Taxi Rank and Jeppe Road in Johannesburg Central Business District and we have informed the Consul General of Nigeria in Johannesburg and the Police in Jeppestown. He said there was a meeting on Sunday morning, which the Police Minister was supposed to address, adding that a popular South African activist, Mangosuthu Buthelezi, had addressed the South Africans, calling for peace, but that some of the protesters got angry and left. Now, they are chanting Foreigners must go, with some dangerous weapons in their hands. They have moved from Jeppestown to Braamfontein, even to the CBD Taxi Rank in town. Though we have been monitoring the incident for the past three hours now, Police have not been able to disperse them. Our fear is that they may start looting again in the night. We have sent an alert to Nigerians immediately. We used our various social media platforms to do that. We sent it to our structures and the entirety of Nigerians. Most Nigerians are aware of this by now because there are photos and videos, and it is also televised by SABC, he said. According to him, a lot of Nigerians lived in the affected area and that some had relocated because last Sundays looting and vandalism of Nigerian businesses by South Africans occurred in the same area. He said quite a number of our people live around Jeppestown and Fountain. We are talking about Johannesburg, which is very big but Jeppestown is close to the eastern part of Johannesburg where those hostile attacks took place. Jules Street is closer to them; its a major road they would take to the CBD. MTN Taxi Rank is the major bus stop there. They have virtually captured that taxi rank and Braamfontein. PV: 0 The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State says Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)s allegation that Gov. Abiola Ajimobi intends to cause mayhem during Saturdays election is a figment of the oppositions puerile imagination. The APC Publicity Secretary in Oyo State, Dr Azeez Olatunde, said this in a statement in Ibadan on Monday. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the PDP in the state had alleged that the APC and Ajimobi were planning to cause unrest during the election using transport union members. Our attention has been drawn to an allegation by the PDP that the governor is planning to use fake police and NURTW members to cause unrest in the state. We like to state categorically that this allegation is a figment of their puerile imagination and a product of hallucination, the party said. The APC said that everyone in the state knows that Ajimobi stood for peace and would not trade it for anything. It said that Nigerians could not forget in a hurry the violent years of PDP and the ruins it caused which was gradually being salvaged by the APC administration of President Muhammadu Buhari. The APC warned that it would resist election rigging and vote buying plans of the PDP in the gubernatorial election, stating that it wont allow PDP to turn Oyo State into a macro finance bank. We wouldnt have responded to PDP hallucinatory statements since the people know the party is synonymous with violence, maladministration, financial recklessness and mudslinging. With their rejection by Nigerians in the Feb. 23 election, we assumed that they would have changed their ways. But like the saying goes, old habits die hard. The habit of PDP to peddle falsehood is their second nature. Their antics to get to Oyo seat of power will be another futile effort. The electorates know them, they know how they ruined the countrys economy and perpetrated a lot of violence in Oyo State and across the country, it said. It said that the peace currently enjoyed in the state was elusive during the ruling years of PDP, saying it is only a party like PDP that would lay the foundation of peace and destroy same with its hands. The APC said that the present administration in the state was people oriented and has vowed to sustain peace, safety and security that would bring evident development, growth and progress to the state. It warned the leaders of PDP to steer clear of the state, saying the states fund could not be used to fund the PDP. (NAN) By Kazeem Ugbodaga Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Tuesday said extending the lockdown in Lagos by another 14 days by President Muhammadu Buhari was a tough decision the government had to take in a bid to defeat Coronavirus. Buhari had on Monday announced an extension of the lockdown in Lagos, Ogun and Abuja in a bid to effectively fight Coronavirus. According to Buhari, in view of rising cases of Coronavirus cases in the country, it had become necessary to extend the current restriction of movement in Lagos and Ogun States as well as the FCT for another 14 days effective from 11:59 pm on Monday, 13th of April, 2020. I am therefore once again asking you all to work with Government in this fight, he said. Reacting to the extension of the lockdown on his twitter handle on Tuesday, Sanwo-Olu said Dear Lagosians, yesterday H.E President Muhammadu Buhari announced a 2 weeks extension of the lockdown. This was a tough decision but like we have seen in countries that couldnt stop the spread of #COVID19, the effects have been catastrophic. My biggest focus now is security and welfare. We are encouraged by the success rate of our isolation and treatment initiatives for #COVID19. Working with the NCDC and Lagos State Ministry of Health Our testing capacity for #COVID-19 has increased and we will continue to do all we can to stop the spread of the virus. As a state, we understand that this lockdown will stretch us because of some structural problems we are contending with, however I want to thank Lagosians for rising up with empathy and strength. We have to do more and the government will do more, lets beat #COVID19 together, he said. A socio-cultural organization in Rivers State, the Ikwerre Youth Movement, IYM, has called on the 2019 vice presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Peter Obi, to apologise to former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi. The youths pointed out that if Obi could not condemn former Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorochas statement that Igbo presidency does not exist, then he should apologise for attacking Amaechi over a similar comment. The former Minister had said that for Igbo to be successful in their quest for 2023 presidency, they must play national politics. Reacting, Obi said Amaechi lacked political relevance in Rivers, adding that the former Rivers State Governor cannot determine the fortune of the South-East in the 2023 presidential race. However, Okorocha had, after his inauguration into the National Assembly, advised leaders of South-East to reach out to other regions if they must produce a President in 2023. In their reaction to the development, Chairman of IYM in Emohua, Sir Lucky Worlu, urged Obi to condemn Okorocha on the statement or apologise to their son, Amaechi, immediately. Worlu maintained that what Amaechi said was the true position on how the South-Eastern region would produce a President in the next four years, urging Ohanaeze Ndigbo to commence consultations early. Share this: BLOOMINGTON Americana folk music is suited well for telling tales of rainy days, true love and devoted dogs. Bloomington is home to fine folk musicians like Chicago Farmer, a well-traveled artist who was featured in this column for the final Saturdays on the Square concert of 2023. Chicago Farmer returns Saturday to The Castle Theatre in Bloomington, with one unmissable opening act singing harmonies by the fourfold. The Last Revel, of Minneapolis, is a four-piece act featuring several multi-instrumentalists on guitar, bass, banjo and fiddle. Their folk sounds are stewed with dashes of country and rock, with a great helping of four-part vocal harmony. The Last Revels most recent album is Dovetail. Released in August, the 10-track record resonates doggedly in perfectly-picked string work, with tempos ranging from slow and stirring to feet-stomping frenzies. Dovetail lifts off quickly for intro track Here For You, with one fine fiddle solo, before picking up speed for Love We Need. The song Dovetail Cabin lives up to its cozy namesake, making you feel right at home. Other gems from The Last Revels discography includes songs Engine Trouble, on the now very timely album from 2019, Fools Spring. In a recent video interview, The Last Revel fiddler Vincenzio Vinnie Donatelle said the track name for Dovetail Cabin refers to a type of log joinery where the ends of wood are locked into one another. He said Lee Henke, who mostly plays guitar and sometimes banjo for The Last Revel, wrote the song during the peak of the pandemic. Donatelle said its about finding peace and some air of simplicity amid a moment of tentative existence. While Donatelle said he doesnt have any formal vocal training, his bandmates Henke and primary banjo player Ryan Acker do. There's something really exciting about locking into the right tones and frequencies with friends of yours, he said, adding they try to cram as many harmonies into their songs as possible. Theyve long known their upright bassist, Lauren Anderson, through the Minnesota music scene, Donatelle said. While he can play upright bass when he needs to, he said hes really a fiddle player at heart. Anderson joined up last year when the band determined theyd be better off with a dedicated rhythm section, Donatelle said. He said he met Acker and Henke while attending Minnesota State University at Mankato. Donatelle and Anderson now live in the Minneapolis area, and Acker and Henke live in Montana. In 2017, Donatelle said Henke left the band, and he and Acker saw an easy out to take a hiatus in early 2020. During the pandemic, he said there was no promise theyd ever perform again. But in 2021, Donatelle said Henke got all three of them back together to see if they could resume making music. It ... was a flood of positive emotion from that everything just made a lot more sense, Donatelle said. Past the campfire The most delightful song I heard on Dovetail was Hemingway, the Dog. Its a folksy nursery rhyme that flows to a hand-clapped beat and tells how Hemingway, a pitbull-hound mix, fought off a raccoon outside Donatelle's home. Donatelle said he was on a video call with his therapist, and his wife Julia had just gotten home from walking Hemingway. Suddenly, he said he heard screaming, told his therapist he had to go, and went to help his wife separate Hemingway and the raccoon. He was in heaven and just fighting it and trying to shake it apart, Donatelle said. After this minorly traumatic event, he said he and Julia sat down in the kitchen to cool their nerves over a glass of wine, and just started singing together. I don't usually co-write songs with my wife or if I do, they don't really wind up going much further than a campfire, Donatelle said. The biggest question I had is: How is Hemingway doing? And Donatelle confirmed his dog is doing fine. He said Hemingway was napping in the kitchen during our interview. Theres a lot to love from subjects of Americana covered in folk music by the likes of The Last Revel, including the song Coal Train, the tattoo-themed track Stick & Poke, and Rainy Day Girl. Donatelle said he wrote the latter song after he saw his wife go outside to dance and prance in the rain on an unusually warm day in winter. He said that was a beautiful moment he wrote into a song. The nice thing about sitting in the vein of Americana is that we're living in it, Donatelle said. Its not hard to find that authenticity in the kind of content matter that we're writing around." The Last Revel plans to record a new album next month, working with Dave Simonett of Trampled by Turtles. You can follow The Last Revel on social media at facebook.com/TheLastRevel and stream their music on most major platforms. IF YOU GO WHAT: Chicago Farmer & The Fieldnotes, with guests The Last Revel WHEN: Doors open at 7 p.m., show at 8 p.m. Saturday WHERE: The Castle Theatre, 209 E. Washington St., Bloomington TICKETS: Tickets start at $20, available at thecastletheatre.com Vintage Pantagraph ads showcase the magic of music Kimball Pianos - Feb. 7, 1890 Wood Music House - April 13, 1909 P.A. Starck Piano Co. - March 6, 1911 C.H. Freeman - March 4, 1911 Cable Piano Co. - Nov. 22, 1923 Cable Piano Co. - June 11, 1924 Ensenberger's - Aug. 12, 1926 Kimball Piano - Feb. 5, 1930 Miller Music Co. - Dec. 16, 1942 Miller Music Co. - June 8, 1951 Miller Music Co. - Feb. 21, 1960 Pizzamiglio - May 5, 1967 Wilcox Music Center - Nov. 7, 1967 Miller Music Co. - Nov. 19, 1967 Musicland - Sept. 29, 1968 Musicland - Nov. 17, 1968 Miller Music Co. - April 6, 1979 Dick Benson's Music Music! - April 2, 1978 Byerly Music - Sept. 23, 1986 Byerly Music - Jan. 5, 1989 The Music Shoppe - Oct. 1, 1996 The Music Shoppe - March 19, 1999 NORMAL Responding to the recent death of Nex Benedict, a nonbinary teenager from Oklahoma, people gathered Wednesday night in Normal to mourn and reaffirm their commitment to acceptance and love for all persons. Representatives from Equality Illinois and PFLAG, elected officials, faith groups and everyday residents of the Twin Cities gathered inside the Astroth Community Education Center at Heartland Community College for a brief vigil followed by the spring town hall meeting for the Prairie Pride Coalition. "I was having this moment of, 'Why is this one different?'" said Elizabeth Fox Anvick of PPC. "Because, sadly, these things happen all the time, but this one seemed to really resonate with folks." The Owasso 16-year-old died Feb. 8, one day after a fight inside a high school bathroom that may have been related to bullying over their gender identity, according to the Associated Press. Benedict's death remains under investigation, but authorities said a preliminary autopsy report did not link it to injuries suffered in the fight. Sit with the grief "It's something that no mother or parent wants to hear," Illinois State Rep. Sharon Chung, D-Bloomington, said in an interview with The Pantagraph. "I am a mother of two. I go through my day thinking about what I'm doing to protect my children in the world, protect them from certain elements, giving them that, sort of, life principles to be able to stand up for themselves. ... I guess there's only so much you can do when there are some really awful people out there in the world." Local resources for LGBTQ persons W Club Bloomington: facebook.com/groups/wclubbloomingtonnormal PFLAG Bloomington-Normal: pflag.org/chapter/bloomington-normal Prairie Pride Coalition: ppc-il.org Mennonite Church of Normal: normalmennonite.org Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington-Normal: uubn.org/wp/ Equality Illinois: equalityillinois.us/ Speaking during the vigil, Christina Barnett urged the community not to erase their emotions. "Please, just sit with the grief and the anger, and don't numb the pain by looking at the media, or distracting yourself or brushing it off," Barnett said. Barnett attended the vigil with her partner, Chris Boemmel. "We both moved up here from rural Texas," Barnett said. "I'm trans, and he (Boemmel) understands the plight of dealing with injustice." The two have had many friends and acquaintances persecuted and physically assaulted only to have authorities turn a blind eye, she said. "Where I grew up, people get brutally murdered, and the cops would say, 'Well, that's just what happens,'" Barnett said. That message is what Bloomington Police Sgt. Kiel Nowers hopes to dispel. "One of the things that broke my heart from Nex Benedict specifically is the body camera when (Benedict) was being interviewed in the hospital bed, and the officer asked, 'Did you report this to the school?' And Nex said, 'I really didn't see the point,'" Nowers told The Pantagraph. "That broke my heart." Community leaders, school officials and law enforcement are supposed to be trusted to be able to keep children like Benedict safe, he said. "We're failing people like Nex Benedict if they don't see us as the protectors and the helpers and they don't feel comfortable calling us," Nowers said. "That's what we want to make sure no one else here feels that way." Here is love Accompanying the vigil was a resource fair populated by community resources like Project Oz, Prairie Pride Coalition, PFLAG, the McLean County Board and faith leaders like the Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington-Normal and the Mennonite Church of Normal. "There's lots of organizations doing the Lord's work, as I like to say," Fox Anvick said. For decades, Fox Anvick has been advocating for acceptance and equal rights for members of the LGBTQ community in Central Illinois. In recent years, though, she has seen a sharp uptick in violent rhetoric directed toward that community. "When the powers that be ... took the veil off of being able to say whatever hateful things you want to say, it has, I think, led to the current culture that we have of people being scared," she said. "And it's important to call out those words, because we want everybody to know that they're loved, because everybody wants to feel loved." Barnett has seen and heard that vitriolic language personally, she said. Kevin Chupp, pastor for the Mennonite Church of Normal, said that interpretation of Christianity is antithetical to his church's message. "We, in the Mennonite Church and a lot of similar churches that you see around us, focus on Jesus," he said. "And Jesus dismantled, repurposed, appropriated all kinds of scripture and used it for the sake of love, showing that that was the purpose that God had for anybody." Showing support for LGBTQ persons as a faith leader is paramount to his message, Chupp said, and that means changing with the times. "The society we live in is so foreign to the society that is written about in the texts that we hold dear," he said. Using Scripture to preach violence and hatred is counter-intuitive to the Christian idea, Chupp said. "To be here is not just to have an argument, but to stand in the way of those things that are idolatry of a book rather than of a person who we meet in Jesus," he said. The turnout at Wednesday's event, while prompted by tragedy and despite the freezing temperatures, was warm and inviting, Fox Anvick said. "I hate the fact that we had to get together to mourn something sad, but I also think you can hear in the chatter out there (at the resource fair) community brings people together. And, in sadness, we're finding light," she said. Being part of that welcoming atmosphere allows law enforcement to create relationships with the community and build trust, Nowers said. "One of our primary focuses has been to reach out and make sure that everybody in the community feels protected, and feels included and represented," he said. For Chupp, protecting the love that people have for one another, no matter how that looks, is part of his spiritual mission. "I mean, to me, it's a miracle anytime love shows up," the preacher said. "How can you argue against that? We have enough of the alternative, hate and violence, in the world. How do we turn away anything that resembles love?" Feeling the love and spreading the blue: 9th Annual Blue Valentine Members of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. Members of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. Members of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. Crystal Butler (center) leads a quick stroll rehearsal with Willie Holton Halbert, Zeta Phi Beta sorority President Reland Carter and Michelle Gibbs. The sorority and fraternity members make a grand entrance by strolling in a choreographed line. Paula and Aleria Collins Maurice and Michelle Gibbs Joel and Rhonda Johnson Linda Foster, Tameka Thompson Carlos and Jennifer Victory Rev. Elexis Wilson, Rev. Terrance Thomas Shwanda Cross, Tameka Thompson, Carmeka Honorable Rhonda Johnson, Jalyn Jones Micheal Powe Zeta Phi Beta sorority President Reland Carter Reland Carter, Micheal Powe, Tameka Thompson Reland Carter, Tameka Thompson Reland Carter, Tameka Thompson, Shwanda Cross Willie Holton Halbert models a hat she plans to bid on Shomari Caffey, Willie Holton Halbert Willie Holton Halbert and Shomari Caffey check out the silent auction items Shomari Caffey shops the table of one of the five vendors who displayed their products at the event. Zipporah Hicks, Kimberly Ward James Porter, James Joyner Erica Baird, Shomari Caffey, Angie Mitchell Erica Baird taking a selfie with Shomari Caffey, Angie Mitchell Carmeka Honorable taking a selfie Jessie Howard, Mary Hursey Cupcakes Jamya Kenny, Kiera Henderson, Dekyriauna Beans Takesha Stokes, Byron Hansbro Ben Ryburn, Arlene Hosea Sheila Harris Charles and Rev. Lyndetta Alsbury Demetria and Leroy Candler Sharvelle Bullock-Hamilton, Tyler Hamilton Crystal Butler leading the stroll that begins the event. The stroll was followed by Roll Call. James Joyner strolls in Carlos and Jennifer Victory doing the stroll Zeta Phi Beta sorority President Reland Carter welcomes guests DJ Cliff G kept the crowd going Sheila Harris, Linda Foster, Dr. Carla Campbell Jackson NORMAL A vigil will be held in Normal this week for a nonbinary teenager from Oklahoma who died the day after a fight in their high school bathroom. The candlelight vigil for Nex Benedict, of Owasso, Oklahoma, will begin at 5 p.m. Wednesday outside Heartland Community College's Astroth Community Education Center, 1500 W. Raab Road in Normal. The vigil was organized by WClub of Bloomington-Normal in collaboration with the Prairie Pride Coalition, which will host its 2024 Spring Town Hall meeting at 6 p.m., following the vigil. According to a news release from the WClub, which an inclusive women-focused LGBTQ+ organization, the vigil has been planned as a way "to mourn the loss of Nex Benedict in such tragic circumstances and to remind local LGBTQIA and trans community that they are not alone and are supported by many." The vigil follows more than a dozen similar events held for Benedict in the last week. According to Associated Press reports, paramedics were called Feb. 8 to Benedict's home after their mother found them experiencing medical issues. The 16-year-old was rushed to a hospital, where they later died. A cause of death has not been determined. Benedict, who had previously been bullied at school, was involved in a fight the day before. After the fight, their mother, Sue Benedict, said the teen had complained of a headache from hitting their head on the bathroom floor, AP reported. About 25 area organizations, groups, churches and agencies will participate in the town hall Wednesday and state Rep. Sharon Chung will take part in discussions. Much of the town hall will be focused on sharing of information, networking and "suggestions on what can be done locally to ensure that our community continues to nurture a safe, inclusive, and equitable environment for LGBTQ+ people," Dave Bentlin, president of the coalition, wrote in an email. Here's how to support transgender youth, according to trans teens Here's how to support transgender youth, according to trans teens CENTRALIA The pictures that are said to depict the condition of the embalming room of the Moran Queen-Boggs Funeral Home in Centralia are shocking. Eight photographs and one video taken late last year purported to show the conditions of the funeral home depict piles of dirty sheets, a dead rodent rotting in a stairway and water running from pipes in the embalming room. The person who took the photographs requested to remain anonymous for their safety but filed a complaint to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation in December. Capitol News Illinois obtained a copy of the complaint that alleged conditions were unhygienic throughout the funeral home, but especially in the embalming room. The embalming room was spraying water from pipes overhead with bottles, trash, fluids, sheets, clothes and things unrecognizable all over the room, the complaint stated. This place is horrific, looks like something from a scary, filthy freak show. More than 10 weeks after that complaint and three days after a CNI reporter visited the funeral home and sent questions to IDFPR funeral home director Hugh Moran said the agency conducted an inspection on Monday. IDFPR would not confirm that they had inspected the embalming room, citing confidentiality. Moran said Tuesday afternoon that he was still operating. Moran asserted that complaints about his business were spurred by soured business deals, but he admitted the embalming room was unkempt, and he needed to bring in a dumpster to clean it up. During a visit to the funeral home Feb. 23, the reporter met with Moran and his wife. The reception area was kept with no odor or visible rodents. But despite repeated requests, Moran denied the reporter entry to the basement of the funeral home where the prep area was located. Moran said that out of respect for the families he serves, he would only allow licensed embalmers in his preparation room. Last year, we were busy. A lot of things got out of hand for me. Thats my fault, Moran said Feb. 23. It needs to be cleaned up, but I am the only one here. A health crisis in September sent Moran to the hospital and a lengthy rehabilitation incapacitated him for months, he said. During that time, Mark Styninger, who operates a funeral home in nearby Nashville and is the former owner of Morans funeral home, helped Moran operate the business. Styninger said he never used Morans prep room but took the bodies to his funeral home in Nashville for preparation. One afternoon as he was walking out of Morans funeral home after meeting with a family to make funeral arrangements, Styninger said he saw a dead rodent on the floor. Styninger, who is also the Washington County coroner, said he did not make a complaint to IDFPR but was distraught by the conditions he saw. He does not need to be in business. This cannot be allowed to continue like this, Styninger said. Moran has no prior discipline on his license, according to the IDFPR website. Styninger said Moran, who used to work for him, was a talented embalmer, but the condition of the funeral home speaks to the need for intervention. This cannot be allowed to go on, Styninger said. IDFPR is the regulatory and licensing agency for funeral home directors and embalmers, rather than the facilities where they operate. The agency does not regularly inspect funeral homes. Under current regulations, IDFPR only inspects the preparation room inside funeral homes. They must be maintained with the proper equipment (including drainage, running water, electricity and ventilation), along with supplies and instruments necessary to prepare and embalm the body. Preparation rooms must also be sanitary and available for inspection to determine compliance, IDFPR spokesperson Chris Slaby wrote in response to questions sent on Friday morning. Depending on the circumstances, IDFPR may be able to discipline Moran for professional incompetence, gross negligence or malpractice in the practice of funeral direction and embalming, including for poor hygiene conditions. After he received a copy of the photographs provided to Capitol News Illinois, Moran declined to say whether they accurately depicted the condition in his funeral home. IDFPR would not elaborate either. Complaints received and investigations undertaken by IDFPR are confidential, unless and until the Department files an enforcement action or publicly disciplines a licensee, Slaby stated. This comes weeks after allegations that IDFPR failed to act for months against another Illinois funeral director in Carlinville after receiving a complaint alleging the director cared for remains in an unacceptable and criminal nature and had a decomposing body in his prep room. The investigation into Albert August Gus Heinz resulted in more than a dozen lawsuits and several exhumations of misidentified remains, including five at Camp Butler National Cemetery. In October, Heinz agreed to surrender his license after Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon discovered decomposing corpses in his prep room. A subsequent investigation revealed that bodies had been cremated under the wrong names and families from coast to coast received the ashes of strangers instead of their loved ones. A criminal investigation by the Illinois State Police is ongoing. As of Wednesday, no charges had been filed against Heinz. Michael Sharkey, counsel for the Illinois Funeral Directors Association, said Tuesday that his association was concerned about the allegations. He noted Moran was not a member of the association. Decedents deserve better. Assuming the photographs that we were provided are authentic, we are saddened and angered that any individual in our beloved and noble profession would conduct themselves like this, the association said in a statement. In Morans case, the December complaint went unanswered for more than 10 weeks. There have been at least six deaths handled by Moran in those two and a half months. The latest funeral is scheduled for March 1. Photos: Pritzker Military Archives Center SPRINGFIELD A Cook County judge on Wednesday ordered that former President Donald Trump's name be removed from the March 19 Illinois primary ballot after finding him ineligible to hold office under the "insurrection clause" of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. But the order has been stayed by that same judge pending the resolution of an appeal, filed by Trump's legal team, in a higher court. Circuit Court Judge Tracie Porter said in a 38-page ruling that objectors to Trump's candidacy "met their burden of proof by a preponderance of the evidence" that the former president engaged in insurrection for his role in inciting the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and thus he should be disqualified from the state's primary ballot. Porter temporarily put a hold on the decision until Friday in anticipation of an appeal from Trump's legal team, which was filed with the court Thursday morning. That afternoon, Porter issued a revised order extending the stay thus keeping Trump on the ballot for now until the appeal is resolved by a higher court. The appeal will likely go to the state's appellate court. The next step after that would be the Illinois Supreme Court. Or, it could all be rendered moot if the U.S. Supreme Court issues a ruling in the separate-but-related high-stakes appeal of a Colorado Supreme Court decision tossing Trump from that state's primary ballot. The timeline for an appeal is uncertain. Early voting and mail-in voting have been taking place since Feb. 8 and the primary election is less than three weeks away, on March 19. If the stay had not been granted, "any votes cast for" Trump would "be suppressed" by local election authorities, according to Porter's initial ruling. In a court filing, Trump lawyer Adam Merrill wrote that "staying the judgement until the Illinois appellate courts finally decide this case would reduce the great risk of voter confusion and logistical difficulties for election officials." Illinois State Board of Elections spokesman Matt Dietrich said that, generally, votes already cast in early or mail-in voting for a candidate who is later removed from the ballot are not counted. It's too late for election authorities to reprint ballots, he said. "Only after a candidate has been removed from the ballot by court order and all legal remedies have been exhausted can election authorities inform voters that a candidate listed on the ballot has been removed," Dietrich said. "Were a long way from that point in this case," he added. If Porter's ruling stands, Illinois would become the third state to disqualify the former president from the ballot after Colorado and Maine. Challenges have been filed in nearly three dozen states, though the majority have been dismissed. Trump appealed the Colorado decision to the U.S. Supreme Court, which took the case on an expedited basis. Oral arguments were made in early February and a ruling is expected soon. Any decision from the nation's high court would supersede any made at the state level. Porter's ruling reverses a unanimous decision from the Illinois State Board of Elections in late January that kept Trump on the ballot. That earlier ruling by the eight-member bipartisan panel concurred with the analysis of hearing officer Clark Erikson, a retired Republican judge from Kankakee, who agreed that Trump engaged in insurrection but found that the Board of Elections was not the proper venue for "constitutional analysis." But Porter found this reasoning "clearly erroneous." She agreed with the factual findings of Erikson and the Colorado Supreme Court, which ruled 4-3 in December to toss Trump from the ballot. She said that the State Board of Elections "should have recognized and relied upon" that evidence to remove Trump from the ballot. The objection was filed by five Illinois voters and backed by a national group seeking to remove Trump's name from the ballot in several states on the grounds that the former president is ineligible to hold office under the 14th Amendment. Ron Fein, legal director for the group Free Speech for People, which backed the challenge in Illinois and several other states, called Porter's ruling "a historic victory." "Every court or official that has addressed the merits of Trumps constitutional eligibility has found that he engaged in insurrection after taking the oath of office and is therefore disqualified from the presidency, Fein said in a statement. The 14th Amendment prohibits those who "have engaged in insurrection or rebellion" from holding public office. It was enacted following the Civil War to prevent senior Confederate officials from returning to office in Washington. Trump, the likely Republican presidential nominee in 2024, has faced a barrage of legal challenges. He has been charged with more than 90 felony counts across four investigations, ranging from allegations of improper business dealings to attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election and possessing classified documents after he left office. 11 searing moments of Jan. 6: From 'an attempted coup' to chaos 'An attempted coup' 'Carnage' at the Capitol 'Detached from reality' A tense conversation 40 feet away 'I will not break my oath' Lives upended Justice Department resists the scheme 'They're not here to hurt me' 'Unhinged' White House meeting 187 minutes My dad suffered from excruciating pain from terminal metastatic pancreatic cancer in 2015. After seven months of exhausting treatments, clinical trials, and enduring significant breakthrough pain even while in hospice palliative care, he utilized medical aid in dying as a resident of Oregon to peacefully end the pain of the death that his disease was causing. To be clear, he wanted to live, not die. A terminal disease takes away the option of living. Medical aid in dying allows the patient to decide if they want to endure a prolonged, painful death or experience a peaceful death. We all should have this gentle dying option, regardless of whether we would ultimately consider it for ourselves. Ten states and Washington, D.C. offer mentally capable, terminally ill adults this end-of-life care option to obtain prescription medication that they can decide to take to peacefully end their suffering if it becomes unbearable. The End-of-Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act (SB3499) was recently introduced by Assistant Majority Leader Linda Holmes, which would make Illinois the 11th state to offer this option. Terminally ill Illinois residents deserve the legal right to make the end-of-life care decisions that are right for them in the final stages of a terminal illness. Medical aid in dying is supported by 71% of likely Illinois voters, and that support cuts across demographic, political, racial, and religious spectrums, according to a February Impact Research poll. In contrast, only 17% of Illinois voters oppose medical aid in dying. While legislators may have a personal opinion on the issue for themselves, they should pass SB3499 to honor the wishes of the vast majority of their constituents. Sarah Breeden, Normal Some UCC graduates are changing the narrative of University of Cape Coast being a University of Constant Confusion to a Constant Creativity by leading the entrepreneuship /industrialization drive of the country. Ranking first in Ghana, West Africa and 4th in Africa in 2022, it comes with no shock at all that the school has foot prints accross most prominent institutional leadership across the country and over world. The university, for the past decades, has produced prominent and successful business moguls and industry giants for the country and the world as a whole and should serve as a motivating factor to enroll in the University. The university should also by now be honoring their heroes to improve the University's brand positioning to attract more students. Key among notable industry giants that happen to be alumni of the university include: Agriculture/Agro-processing Industry - The pioneers of Ekumfi Fruits and Juices Limited, who established the Ekumfi Juice Factory as well as other industries that have contributed immensely to the growth of the economy. The factory has created over 5000 direct and indirect jobs for the community and the country at large adding that currently the Ekumfi Juice is been exported to the United States market which rakes in American Green buck into the country. The Factory, since its establishment, transformed the lives of some galamsey operators after they have signed on to the alternative livelihood schemes. Fintech Industry - Founding leadership and Executive management members of one of Ghana's leading fintech and a company in the Club 100 - IT Consortium Creative arts Industry- UCC also features prominent alumni including award winning actress, entrepreneur and philanthropist, Mrs Juliet Asante. Media Industry- Award winning journalist and Tourism entrepreneur, Gilbert Aggrey as well Award winning journalists Dan Kwaku Yeboah and Odelia Ntiamoah. Banking Industry - Chief Executive Officer of Standard Chartered Bank, Jersey and Founder of Lead2Xceed Foundation - Henry Baye Hospitality Industry- Mrs Yvonne Nduom.l In the political and public service sector, UCC alumni who have distinguished themselves in that space include: Former Deputy Governor of Bank of Ghana, Millison Narh; Professor Jane Naana Agyemang, Mr Seth Terpker, Hon. Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Mr Kwesi Ahwoi, and the recently appointed Minister of Finance, Hon. Mohammed Amin to mention but a few. With UCC graduates leaving indelible marks and creating numerous job opportunities in their various fields of endeavours, if the school could demand endorsement from such industries their students have built, they will attract more students and promote its highly valuable virtues for Natioanl growth. The school, through its alumni, has proven reasonably without a doubt, that it has the capability to incubate and build Ghana's next set of resilient graduates who can promote and sustain the economic gains of Ghana. So the assertion that UCC graduates are constant confusion can never be true and who ever said that must revise his notes. 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 and flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has commissioned a digital depository for the Wesley Girls Senior High School which he helped establish for the school in memory of his late mother, Hajia Mariama Bawumia, an old student of the school. The digital repository, equipped with modern technological gadgets, is a system which has digitized records of the school including records of old and current students and staff. With unique access codes, both current and past students as well as the staff can access their confidential information or general information about the school. During the event, Dr. Bawumia said he was touched by the gesture of the Wesley Girls High School 1960 year group who commiserate with him following the passing of his mother in 2021. "I was very touched a few weeks after her (mother's) demise to receive a delegation of old girls that called on me to console me over the painful loss. Among the delegation were some of my mothers school mates, who were led by Mrs. Nancy Thompson (a distinguished past Headmistress of this excellent and highly esteemed institution) and Nana Kyeiwaa II." Dr. Bawumia added; "On the 1st anniversary of her passing, I was privileged to be approached by the Old Girls Association on behalf of the school to assist with the provision of a digital repository for the school. "For a school that is over 187 years old, I considered this a very significant project and I was most delighted and willing to support it with a sum of GHS 300,000. This has been used to capture records of staff and students and turn them into a digital content." Dr. Bawumia expressed delight with the installation of the digital repository and highlighted its benefits to the school saying "a digital repository of this nature will facilitate ready retrieval of important records of the school, staff and students" and "with the growing size of an institution like Wesley Girls High School, this repository will prove to be a worthy asset as it will help students receive their transcripts in record time to enable them meet tight deadlines for applications to pursue academic or other professional advancement". He continued; "I can assure you that the immense benefits of having information and records digitalized will unfold with the passage of time as the school puts this project into full use. "I am hopeful that in addition to academic and other records, the capacity of this repository will be expanded to hold historic documents that will continue to tell the story of the great Wey Gey Hey. A story that remains unfinished and which is so inextricably bound to the history of this nation and the history of Methodism in Ghana." The Vice President urged other educational institutions to emulate the example by the Wesley Girls SHS. He also reiterated governments commitment to advancing digital initiatives in school to prepare young Ghanaians for the 4th industrial digital revolution. He further said with the government having already provided free Wi-Fi to schools, the upcoming distribution of one laptop to each SHS student will help prepare students very well. The Headmistress, on behalf of the school, expressed gratitude to Dr. Bawumia for his kind gesture and the 1960 year group, on behalf of the Old Students Association, also made a presentation to Dr. Bawumia in appreciation of his kindness to the school. 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 Chief Executive of Stanbic Bank Ghana, Kwamina Asomaning, has reaffirmed the banks commitment to womens empowerment through deliberate interventions. Kwamina Asomaning said this at the coronation of Manye Naa Amorkor Shikafutru I and the official launch of the Girl Power Project on Saturday, February 24, 2024 at Bukom Square in Jamestown, Accra. Speaking at the coronation ceremony, the Stanbic Chief Executive emphasized the importance of women in society and the deliberate interventions the bank has put in place to support women. He said, the installation of a Queen Mother is no doubt an important occasion, given the role women play in our societies. As important as they are, however, women still face many challenges at home and professionally. When we set up our Women Forum known as the Blue Fusion at Stanbic Bank, it was to nurture women thought leaders and drive our HeForShe agenda. Manye was a prime candidate in pushing this narrative. The Forum is a haven for our women to share their experiences, insights, and aspirations. It also marks a significant milestone towards enhancing our corporate culture. He added that We are not only responding to the evolving dynamics of our workplace but also ensuring that the right things are in place to help women achieve their full potential here at the bank. We therefore stand with her as she introduces the Girl Power Project as it is the turn of Manye to bring such an intervention to her community. We sincerely believe that its impact would go beyond the borders of Asere. The bank would walk in step with her as many girls are empowered to meet the challenges of the new norm. Mr. Asomaning also spoke on the banks collaborations with traditional authorities across the country. He said, Our enduring bond with stools within the Ga Community, notably Asere, exemplifies our dedication to collaborative progress. Through multifaceted collaborations, we have embarked on various ventures aimed at enhancing the socio-economic landscape of the communities we serve within the Ga State and across the country. We stand ready to extend our support and expertise, fostering an environment conducive to her success and the advancement of her aspirations. Together, we will continue to cultivate fruitful partnerships that uplift and empower our communities, ensuring a brighter future for our communities. The newly enstooled Manye Naa Amorkor Shikafutru I is known in private life as Mrs. Mariam Amartey, and is the Head of Business Enablement at Stanbic Bank Ghana. 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 Starting February 5, the AgriConnect team began delivering laptops to students at the University of Ghana, University of Cape Coast (UCC) and at KNUST (Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology). Currently, over 1,000 students have received their laptops and connectivity and thousands more will benefit in the coming months. AgriConnect was developed through a partnership between theSOFTtribe and the Mastercard Foundation to focus on education and training to enable youth, including young women and persons with disabilities, who are interested in agriculture to benefit from new and emerging opportunities in the industry. Over 3,500 students from across the 10 participating institutions have already registered to be part of this new and innovative programme that has been designed to: Provide 10,000 students enrolled in agriculture and agriculture-related adjacent faculties with laptops and connectivity. Enable these students to participate in three supplementary courses value chain development in Agriculture, Agribusiness and Entrepreneurship, and digital literacy designed specifically for the programme to augment the existing curricula taught in academic institutions to better prepare students for entering the labour market and accessing meaningful and fulfilling work after graduation. Chief Executive Officer of theSOFTtribe Limited, Mr. Tetteh Antonio says, We are pleased with the enthusiasm and interest in AgriConnect particularly by faculty and students of the 10 participating institutions and we are driven to deliver on the stated objectives of this proof-of-concept phase of AgriConnnect so that this important project can be scaled up and provide opportunities to more schools and students. Our thrust is to incentivize youth to participate in agriculture, especially technology-driven agriculture towards building viable and sustainable long-term careers. In the next few weeks, the AgriConnect team will continue its roadshow at participating universities and engage with students to support them with the registration and payment processes and help them to navigate the bespoke learning platform that the supplemental courses are being offered on. Students that are participating in the programme have been asked to contribute 862 cedi a small fraction of the cost for the laptops, which they are able to keep after the programme ends and the connectivity, which they will receive for one year. AgriConnect is aligned with and designed to advance the Government of Ghanas thrust to create an enabling environment to make agriculture an attractive and profitable venture for Ghanaian youth, creating both employment and sustainable livelihoods for the expanding youth population. It is also aligned to several national policies including Ghanas national economic plan, Ghana Vision 2020, and the National Youth Policy (2010). Under AgriConnect, the youth, including young women and persons with disabilities (PWDs), will be provided with devices to facilitate their access to digitally enhanced learning in agriculture and agriculture-adjacent sectors as a means of increasing their access to work opportunities and improving their livelihoods. To learn more about AgriConnect, Website: www.agriconnectgh.com | Email: [email protected] and visit www.agriconnectghana.com/frequently-asked-questions for frequently asked questions or follow us at: Instagram: agriconnectgh X: @agriconnectgh Facebook: AgriConnectGH LinkedIn: agriconnectgh YouTube: https://youtube.com/@AgriConnect-hx2kz The 10 Participating Institutions 1. Damongo Agricultural College 2. Ejura Agricultural College 3. Kwadaso Agricultural College 4. Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) College of Agriculture and Natural Resources 5. Ohawu Agricultural College 6. Pong Agricultural College 7. University of Cape Coast School of Agriculture 8. University of Development Studies Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Consumer Sciences 9. University of Ghana School of Agriculture 10. Wenchi Agricultural College About the Mastercard Foundation The Mastercard Foundation is a registered Canadian charity and one of the largest foundations in the world. It works with visionary organizations to advance education and financial inclusion to enable young people in Africa and Indigenous youth in Canada to access dignified and fulfilling work. Established in 2006 through the generosity of Mastercard when it became a public company, the Foundation is an independent organization separate from the company, with offices in Toronto, Kigali, Accra, Nairobi, Kampala, Lagos, Dakar, and Addis Ababa. Its policies, operations, and program decisions are determined by the Foundations Board of Directors and leadership. For more information on the Foundation, please visit www.mastercardfdn.org. About theSOFTtribe Limited theSOFTtribe Limited is a Ghanaian-owned and locally based software development company and information technology (IT) solutions provider established in 1991 focusing on home-grown tropically tolerant IT solutions. Our IT solutions have been widely used by multinational corporations, civil society organizations (e.g. NGOs), academic institutions and government institutions across the West African sub-region. For more information on theSOFTtribe Limited, please visit https://softtribe.com/ #AgriConnect #youthinagriculture #thesofttribe #mastercardfoundation #digitalizationofagriculture #ghanaagriculture #pwdopportunities #ghanaeducation #digitalagriculture 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 United States Ambassador to Ghana, Madam Virginia Evelyn Palmer has expressed worry over the passage of the Proper Human Sexual Rights and Family Values, otherwise known as the anti-gay bill. In an X (formerly Twitter) post, the US Ambassador said, "I am saddened because some of the smartest, most creative, most decent people I know are LGBT. The bill parliament passed takes away not only their basic human righs but those of all Ghanaians because it undermines their constitutional rights to freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and freedom of the press. It will be bad for public order and public health. If enacted, it will also hurt Ghana's international reputation and Ghana's economy". The US and other international communities and civil soceity groups have expressed their utmost displeasure over the passge of the bill by the parliament of Ghana on Wedneasday, February 28. The Anti-gay bill was passsed after it was subjected to rigourous debate in Parliament. Adding to the worry of the US Ambassador Palmer, the US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller, in a statement, also indicated that the bills passage will undermine Ghanas valuable public health, media and civic spaces, and economy. He said, "The Ghanaian parliament's passage of a bill criminalising members of the LGBTQI+ community imperils the rights of all people, its international reputation, and its economic development. Ghana's laudable tradition of tolerance will be undermined if this bill becomes law". He emphasized that the bills passage also undermines Ghanas tradition of tolerance, peace, and respect for human rights and called for a review of the bill to protect the rights of all individuals in Ghana. "Ghanas tradition of tolerance, peace, and respect for human rights is a source of stability and prosperity that has long served as a model for countries around the globe. This legislation is inconsistent with these values and will, if it becomes law, undermine this laudable tradition." Meanwhile, one of the proponents of the bill and Memebr of Parliament for Ningo Prampram, Hon. Samuel Nertey George, has expressed gratitude to the speaker and the Parliamentary leadership for seeing to the successful passage of the bill. 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 Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram and a leading proponent of the famous Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, Sam Nartey George, has given attention to the misconceptions and misinformation surrounding the controversial legislation, the anti- gay bill. Speaking on PM Express on Wednesday 29th February, Sam George conveyed his displeasure over what he deemed as misinformation and miseducation circulating within the public space about the bill. According to the Ningo-Prampram legislator, the assertion that the bill seeks to discriminate individuals in their job application is one of the falsehoods being peddled by some people. He noted, "Does anyone ask you who you slept within your bedroom when applying for a job? What happens in the confines of your bedroom remains the business of you and your partner." Reacting to the passage of the bill, the MP in his argument said that when individuals choose to define themselves by their sexual preference publicly, it becomes a matter of public policy. He defended the bill's focus on regulating such matters, asserting that public policy would naturally apply. Hon. Sam George added that, the mainframe of the bill is to protect the sanctity of the Ghanaian child from the negative impact that the proposers of the LGBTQ+ want to bring into the country. In sequel to that, he acknowledged that some external forces have been funding the LGBTQ+ sponsors but he, Sam George is not bothered about the funding but is interested in the mental health of children. "If this is all about funding for you, I am more interested in the sanctity of Ghanaian children," he said. Some human rights groups have expressed worry over the passage of the bill with reasons being the infringement of the fundamental human rights of persons believed to be LBGTQ+. Some groups such as Centre For Democratic Development have called on the President, Akufo-Addo not to assent to the bill. After three years, the Proper Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill was passed in Parliament on Wednesday, February 28 after passing through the various stages of consideration in Parliament. 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 United States of America (USA) says the passage of the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, popularly known as the anti-gay bill is worrying even though it is yet to be assented to by President Nana Addo Dankwa AKufo-Addo. The controversial bill was passed yesterday, February 28, 2024, by parliament. However, the US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller, in a statement said the bill if passed in law will undermine Ghana's laudable tradition. Ghanas tradition of tolerance, peace, and respect for human rights is a source of stability and prosperity that has long served as a model for countries around the globe. This legislation is inconsistent with these values and will if it becomes law, undermine this laudable tradition, Matthew Miller said. Adding that the bill will also affect Ghana's economy. Below is the spokespersons full statement. Ghanaian Parliaments Passage of Legislation Undermines Human Rights Matthew Miller, Department Spokesperson The United States is deeply troubled by the Ghanaian Parliaments passage of legislation, officially called the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, which would threaten all Ghanaians constitutionally protected freedoms of speech, press, and assembly. The bill seeks to criminalize any person who simply identifies as LGBTQI+, as well as any friend, family, or member of the community who does not report them. Limiting the rights of one group in a society undermines the rights of all. The United States echoes the call by those Ghanaians who have urged a review of the constitutionality of the bill to protect the rights of all individuals in Ghana. The bill would also undermine Ghanas valuable public health, media and civic spaces, and economy. International business coalitions have already stated that such discrimination in Ghana would harm business and economic growth in the country. Ghanas tradition of tolerance, peace, and respect for human rights is a source of stability and prosperity that has long served as a model for countries around the globe. This legislation is inconsistent with these values and will if it becomes law, undermine this laudable tradition. Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/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 Feature: Asian Americans pledge to fight discrimination, hate in U.S. Xinhua) 11:19, February 29, 2024 LOS ANGELES, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- "We commit to working together towards an America of true equality and justice, free from discrimination and hate," said U.S. Congresswoman Judy Chu, one of the outstanding Asian American women honored at a gala held in Los Angeles Tuesday night. "We have to raise our voices about the fact that America's greatest strength is diversity," she told the event co-hosted by the China Institute in America and the Yue-Sai Kan One World Foundation. "Let's all dare to make an impact and improve this nation," Chu said. Ten Asian American women were awarded as "Women Who Dared" for their contributions across a spectrum of fields including business, politics, fashion, performing arts and philanthropy. "Their achievements embody the spirit of breaking barriers, igniting change, and clearing pathways for future generations of Asian American women to thrive," said event chair Yue-Sai Kan, a Chinese American television host, producer, author, and entrepreneur. "In a world rife with misconceptions between nations, endeavors such as ours play a pivotal role in fostering global harmony," Kan noted. Kan, an Emmy Award winner, is also renowned for her work in bridging cross-culture gap. She had created her TV series "Looking East," which was the first of its kind to introduce Asian cultures and customs to a growing and receptive American audience. Many honorees expressed their hope for closer U.S.-China exchanges and cooperation, and vowed to contribute to that end. "We plan to have more cooperation and exchange programs with Chinese museums, to bring the Chinese culture to American audiences through various exhibitions," Anne Shih, chairwoman of the Board of Governors of Bowers Museum in Southern California, one of the honorees, told Xinhua. Shih launched a "Junior Ambassadors Program" for the museum in 2001, with an aim to expose young participants to the rich history and culture of ancient China while helping them improve public service and presentation skills. The museum, founded in 1932, has been a base for students in Orange County, Southern California, to experience the Chinese history and civilization. "We will continue to serve as a bridge between the U.S. and China," Shih said. Bowers Museum is working with Chinese partners to showcase archaeological findings of China's Shaanxi Province to American audience. Meanwhile, the museum will bring its Pacific Islands art collections to Pingtan Art Museum in China's Fujian Province for an exchange program, Shih told Xinhua. Zhang Lu, founder and managing partner of Fusion Fund, one of the honorees, told Xinhua she expects to see more U.S.-China cooperation in scientific and technological innovation. She pledged to contribute to removing bias and boosting mutual understanding between the two countries. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) Doctors group slams med school professors; nurses criticize doctors By Jun Ji-hye The medical community is facing an internal split as the conflict between the government and doctors over the medical school enrollment quota increase intensifies. The Korea Medical Association (KMA), the nation's largest coalition of doctors, criticized medical school professors at Seoul National University and Sunhkyunkwan University, whom the KMA believed sided with the government, which is seeking to add 2,000 seats at 40 medical schools nationwide next year. The KMA opposes this plan, saying the quota hike may compromise the quality of education and training that would-be doctors receive. In protest, thousands of trainee doctors have handed in their resignation notices and left their hospitals, resulting in significant disruptions to medical services nationwide. On Sunday, an association of professors at Sungkyunkwan University's medical school disclosed the results of its survey, which showed that most of the school's professors agreed with the need to increase the number of medical students. However, they recommended adding 350 to 500 instead of the government's plan to add 2,000. The association said that 201 professors participated in the survey conducted from last Friday to Saturday. "Both the government and the KMA should make a concession," the association said in a statement. "The government should stop unilaterally pushing for the quota hike, while the KMA should stop its protests." The survey results were inconsistent with the KMA's position, which says that the country is not experiencing a shortage of doctors and the quota increase is unnecessary. Joo Soo-ho, a KMA spokesperson, denounced the survey as not representing all of the school's professors. "There are more than 1,000 professors at the school, including those in contract-based positions, but the survey reflected opinions of only about 200," Joo said in a media briefing, noting that other professors who did not participate in the survey "are very embarrassed and angry." Joo also criticized Chung Jin-haeng, a professor at Seoul National University's medical school, who headed the emergency response committee of the professors' association of the school. The professors' association issued a statement on Monday, urging the government to hold regular talks with relevant parties and focus on persuading trainee doctors rather than resorting to threats. Joo said Chung met with one of the country's vice health ministers recently and has since made various remarks. But, according to Joo, there are more professors at the school who do not agree with Chung. Chung abruptly stepped down from the position four hours after her meeting with the trainee doctors. The Korean Health and Medical Workers' Union, comprised of nurses, caregivers and other health care workers, criticized doctors' protests, urging trainee doctors to stop their "unjustifiable refusal to treat patients" and go back to their hospitals. During a press conference, the union cited its survey that was conducted in December, which showed that 89.3 percent of the people supported the medical school quota hike. "The people do not agree with the KMA's claims that the country is not experiencing a shortage of doctors," a union official said. About 9,000 trainee doctors at major hospitals across the country, including the five biggest ones in Seoul, have walked off the job since their strike began on Feb. 19 in protest against the government's policy proposal. The government ordered them to go back to work by Thursday, warning that it would take legal action, including the suspension of their licenses and even indictments, if they do not return to work by the deadline. The National Security Task Force has in a joint operation with the Oil Palm Development Association of Ghana and the Tree Crop Development Authority raided fake oil shops in Kasoa and parts of Accra. The operation, which commenced in the early hours of Tuesday within the Weija-Gbawe Municipal Assembly, forms part of a nationwide exercise initiated to stop the smuggling of unapproved vegetable oil into the country. One of the targeted shops, Perfect End Logistics, was shut down during the operation and thousands of gallons of vegetable oil labeled Virgin Chef seized. Despite claims that the oil was locally produced, investigations revealed that it was manufactured in Malaysia and illegally imported into Ghana. The operation extended to Kasoa New Market, where shops such as Choice, Aicha, White Lilly and Ami, Kingsam were stormed. Paul Amaning, the coordinator of the taskforce who led the operations, explained that a government directive since November of the previous year mandated all imported vegetable oils to pass through both Tema and Takoradi ports. Vegetable oils crossing the land borders were declared illegal. He expressed concern over the prevalence of smuggling, explaining that it constituted a threat to over 8,000 jobs made up of farmers, millers, producers, and manufacturers. He emphasised that only four brands Kings Oil, Frytol, Hayat, and Golden Drop are legal and approved for consumption in Ghana. However, during the operation across Kasoa, Mallam Market, and Adabraka in Accra, none of these approved brands were found, indicating a significant influx of smuggled oils in the market. I was so surprised not to see one made in Ghana vegetable oil, which tells that the market is flooded with smuggled oil which is very bad. The security agencies and Customs have to sit up. I can tell you frankly that they are not doing their job at all. Some of these oils are not meant for consumption, they are for soap production, that is what we want Ghanaians to know. Eight shops were closed at the end of the day and their owners would be handed over to Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) for legal action, Mr. Amaning said. He urged Ghanaians to be vigilant and avoid consuming smuggled vegetable oils, cautioning that some of these oils may not be fit for consumption and could pose health risks. Source: dailyguidenetwork.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Minister for Roads and Highways, Francis Asenso-Boakye visited the Tema Motorway to inspect the progress of works currently ongoing on phase 2 of the project, where he charged the contractor for early completion by October this year. The project, which seeks to reduce the heavy vehicular traffic on the Tema Motorway is progressing smoothly and was originally scheduled for completion by December this year. According to the contractor, the project will be ready for commissioning by December this year, but I have tasked them to work around the clock for an early completion, possibly by October, which has been well received by the contractor, Asenso-Boakye said. I am happy to see at first-hand the rate of progress that is currently happening here. Since I assumed office about a week ago, this is my first outdoor inspection and I decided to visit this particular project because of the obvious benefit it brings to motorists using the road, and many of our people, he added. Mr Asenso-Boakye also indicated the readiness of the government to ensure the smooth completion of the project within time. Yesterday, I had the opportunity of meeting with the Ambassador of Japan to Ghana, His Excellency Mochizuki Hisanobu in my office and I can confirm that all outstanding matters related to tax exemptions have been dealt with, said the Minister. Background of the Tema Motorway project: The "Project for the Improvement of the Tema Motorway Roundabout Phase 2" was initiated in response to traffic congestion issues at the five-legged Tema intersection, where Accra and Tema Port traffic intersected during peak hours. Following a Preparatory Survey by the Japan International Cooperation Agency, JICA, Phase 1 converted the roundabout into a two-tier intersection and was completed ahead of schedule in June 2020. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in a brief ceremony commissioned phase 1 in June 2020. Phase 2 of the project, currently ongoing, involves constructing a third-tier flyover to separate through and left-turning traffic, funded by a Japanese grant of $27 million. With a contract duration of 28 months, Phase 2 commenced in July 2022 and is originally expected to conclude by December 2024. The project aims to enhance urban mobility, logistics, and trade integration in the Greater Accra Region and the ECOWAS sub-region. 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 In the dynamic realm of content creation and media marketing, Marsaw Media stands as a beacon of ambition, fun, passion and result. Comprising a team of seasoned professionals with over 20 years of collective experience in TV production, commercials, and private media agencies, Marsaw Media positions itself as a comprehensive solution provider for both private and commercial endeavours. What sets Marsaw Media apart is not just its technical proficiency, but the infusion of passion, creativity, commitment, and loyalty into every project undertaken. The teams dedication spans the entire spectrum of content creation, encompassing photography, videography, and creative audio content. This diverse skill set ensures that clients can avail themselves of a wide array of services tailored to suit every occasion and activity. Right planning One of Marsaw Medias key strengths lies in its ability to understand the unique needs of businesses. The team meticulously plans and scripts purposeful content to align with the brands communication objectives. Whether its captivating photographs, engaging videos, or innovative audio content, Marsaw Media assures clients of satisfaction with its unwavering commitment to excellence. Beyond content creation, Marsaw Media excels in media marketing, strategically selecting various channels to effectively reach the clients target audience. The focus is not just on creating content, but also on ensuring a successful media communication process. This expertise allows clients to entrust Marsaw Media with their brands narrative, confident in the teams ability to navigate the ever-evolving landscape of media marketing. Marsaw Medias service offerings span a broad spectrum, covering concepts and content creation, production consultation, influencer marketing, social media management, aerial photography and video, real estate photography, product photography, corporate infomercials, films, movies, documentaries, and more. The versatility of their offerings makes Marsaw Media a one-stop-shop for all media-related needs. Experienced leadership At the helm of this ambitious venture are Ms. Crystal Franklin, the President of Marsaw Media and HTX Construction, and Mr. Troy Marsaw, the Chief Executive Officer. Their leadership not only reflects experience but, also a shared vision of forging mutually beneficial, long-term relationships with clients beyond the initial project. Located in Labone, Accra, Marsaw Media is easily accessible for those seeking top-notch content creation and media marketing services. For inquiries, Ms. Crystal Franklin and Mr. Troy Marsaw can be reached at the following contact numbers: +233 53 755 8600 and +233 50 520 5504. Marsaw Medias blend of experience, creativity, and dedication positions it as a powerhouse in the competitive landscape of content creation and media marketing. For businesses seeking to elevate their brand presence through compelling content and strategic communication, Marsaw Media stands ready to turn visions into captivating realities. 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 Barbara Okai-Tettey, Senior Compliance Manager at Stanbic Bank Ghana has emphasized the need for collaboration between the financial service industry and regulators to enhance the evolving use of AI in transaction monitoring. She made this statement at The Fintech & Banking Event hosted by fintech software company, ThetaRay, at the Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City, Accra. The event was held under the theme Navigating Ghana's Compliance Challenges with Al Technology Contributing to a panel discussion, Barbara Okai-Tettey explained the importance of cross-sector collaboration using Stanbic Bank as a case. She said, At Stanbic Bank, I can say that there is indeed a meaningful relationship with the regulators. There are frequent check-ins, all to ensure that the sector is run smoothly especially as we approach the new age of technological advancements. The regulators focus is gradually expanding to include fintechs, instead of checking the activities of just banks as was the norm in the past. As technology continues to evolve, we are seeing how AI comes into play in the financial sector for both banks and fintechs. There must be not only meaningful but sufficient dialogues between the financial service industry and regulators on the evolving use of AI in transaction monitoring. She added that, What we need to understand is that the regulators are not responsible for driving technology in the sector. It is up to us as players in the financial service industry to be creative and innovative to develop the needed technology to respond to the evolving nature and trends. The regulator on the other hand must provide the framework for how the technology should operate. Therefore, we need to step up our game and bring in cutting-edge technology. Barbara Okai-Tettey also spoke on what Compliance holds, going into the future. She noted that, The future of the compliance space looks promising with the rise of technology. But it will also increase in risk due to fraudulent transactions and other activities. We therefore need to be creative and agile. We must think outside the box and partner with internal and external stakeholders. By working together, we can churn out the products and services that meet the clients needs. Data is a big thing and we will be heavily data-driven. Currently, we are very reactive but with the introduction of technology such as AI, we will be able to delve more into trends and behaviour. This will increase proactivity and have the necessary parameters to drive businesses the right way because we can predict the behaviour of the consumers and design the right products and services to suit their needs. ThetaRays Banking and Fintech event in Ghana focused on using AI to fight financial crime and mitigate compliance risk. Keynote speakers from ThetaRay, Papss, GCB Bank, Kowri, Zeepay, Stanbic Bank, Hulogis Limited, and experts from the Fintech Industry, and Regulators discussed how AI detects and prevents financial crimes such as money laundering and other criminal activity. 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 Two honourable members from Ghana's parliament shocked thousands of viewers when they openly exchanged some unpleasant words live on TV over President Nana Addo Dankwa AKufo-Addo. The unfortunate incident started when the Member of Parliament (MP) for Nhyiaeso constituency, Dr Stephen Amoah called his colleague MP for Ningo-Prampram, Sam Nartey George a liar. The two were on TV3's Big Issues show to discuss President Akufo-Addo's State of the Nation Address (SONA) which was monitored by Peacefmonline.com. Sam George was furious when described as a liar but quickly responded by saying the president is rather a serial liar. He claimed the president lied about the number of self-employed SSNIT contributors, contrary to what John Ofori-Tenkorang, Director-General of Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), said about the numbers. "I am a 39-year-old liar, but Akufo-Addo is a 79-year-old liar," Sam George furiously said. In a swift response, Stephen Amoah said, "Pray to get to his age; it is a blessing." The situation escalated with counter-attacks but peace prevailed when Stephen Amoah withdrew his statement. However, Sam George refused to retract his description to the president claiming Akufo-Addo lied in his statement. Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/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 Former Central Regional Minister, Kwamena Duncan has slammed those criticizing President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo's penultimate State of the Nation Address (SONA). The President, on Tuesday, February 28, delivered what is said to be his last nation address in Parliament. The President touched on achievements of his government and the ongoing developmental projects under his leadership. Some of the highlights of the President's SONA include the government to introduce a Performance Tracker, a tool aimed at ensuring transparency and accountability. The tracker, he explained, will help in checking the status of every project undertaken by the government. "Mr Speaker, if you want to check on roads, classroom blocks, CHIP compounds, Agenda 111 hospitals, bridges, science laboratories, water projects, sanitation projects, landing sites and harbours, and other infrastructural projects, whatever this government used your tax money to execute, the key to your query is right there on your phone, he said. The President further said the Attorney-General has avoided the numerous judgment debts that once upon a time were the bane of the State. The Attorney-General, he disclosed, has saved the country over GH10 trillion that would have otherwise been awarded for the payment of judgement debts. The government is also to establish four new Universities in Mampong in the Ashanti Region, Akrodie in the Bono Region, Bunso in the Eastern Region and Kintampo in the Bono East Region. President Nana Addo continued shedding light on his government's accomplishments and what they intend doing to better the lives of Ghanaians in this last term of his. Commenting on the address during Peace FM's "Kokrokoo" show, Kwamena Duncan commended the President, touting his good works to Ghanaians. He noted that the President, despite the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia/Ukraine war, has managed the economy well, restoring it back to normalcy. He added that there have been lots of infrastructure developments under the Akufo-Addo administration and was therefore proud of the President for his resilience and diligence in ameliorating the citizens' living conditions. But Kwamena Duncan expressed his disgust with those lampooning the President over his eloquence. To the critics, the President speaks more big grammar than do the actual work that will make the lives of Ghanaians better. "When you want to reduce the man to the fact that he knows English, that will be unfair. That will be unfair to the man," Kwamena Duncan replied. 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 Development Economist and Senior Research Fellow at the University of Ghana, Dr. George Domfe, has told Isaac Adongo to stop parading himself as an economist when he didnt read economics at the university. Dr Domfe, who clashed with Isaac Adongo on Accra-based Hot 93.9 FMs Morning Dew show hosted by Kwabena Prah Jnr, told the NDCs legislator for Bolga Central to stop feeding Ghanaians with his ignorance because he is not an economist and does not understand most of the things he shares his opinions on. I wonder why you carry yourself as an economist and speak to economic issues as though you are an authority in that field. You and I know that you are not an economist Dr. Domfe stated. You read Business Administration as your first degree, MBA and Chartered Accountant as your courses. What makes you an economist with these courses you pursued? You are an accountant and not an economist Dr. Domfe explained further. Most of the things the NDC MP speaks to, according to Dr. Domfe, are beyond him because he doesnt understand them. Adongo in his defence said that he read courses in micro and macroeconomics while having his first degree and read managerial economics as one of the courses in his MBA and that makes him an economist. In his rebuttal, Dr. George Domfe pointed out to Adongo that he has taught managerial economics at the University of Ghana Business School and that cannot aid one to be an economist and parade himself as such. Reading Managerial Economics in a semester is not enough for you to be referred to as an expert in economics for which reason youd be granting interviews as if you are an economist The University of Ghana economist further explained to Adongo that reading such courses in one or two semesters as part of a whole program does not adequately help one to fully understand Ghanas economy or any other economy for that matter. As a business student, these are basic things you are taught to grasp a few concepts and they do not make you an economist. These are far away from understanding economics. Stop misinforming the general public about the program you pursued, for you are not an economist but an accountant Dr. George Domfe scolded him. 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 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 sampled image at full extent (top) and for a smaller inset area (bottom) featuring clearly discernible land covers and road infrastructure. Credit: Remote Sensing (2024). DOI: 10.3390/rs16050839 Satellite images analyzed by AI are emerging as a new tool in finding unmapped roads that bring environmental destruction to wilderness areas. James Cook University's Distinguished Professor Bill Laurance was co-author of a study analyzing the reliability of an automated approach to large-scale road mapping, using convolutional neural networks trained on road data, using satellite images. He said the Earth is experiencing an unprecedented wave of road building, with some 25 million kilometers of new paved roads expected by mid-century. "Roughly 90% of all road construction is occurring in developing nations including many tropical and subtropical regions of exceptional biodiversity. "By sharply increasing access to formerly remote natural areas, poorly regulated road development triggers dramatic increases in environmental disruption due to activities such as logging, mining and land clearing," said Professor Laurance. He said many roads in such regions, both legal and illegal, are unmapped, with road-mapping studies in the Brazilian Amazon, Asia-Pacific and elsewhere regularly finding up to 13 times more road length than reported in government or road databases. "Traditionally, road mapping meant tracing road features by hand, using satellite imagery. This is incredibly slow, making it almost impossible to stay on top of the global road tsunami," said Professor Laurance. The researchers trained three machine-learning models to automatically map road features from high-resolution satellite imagery covering rural, generally remote and often forested areas of Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and Malaysia. "This study shows the remarkable potential of AI for large-scale tasks like global road-mapping. We're not there yet, but we're making good progress," said Professor Laurance. "Proliferating roads are probably the most important direct threat to tropical forests globally. In a few more years, AI might give us the means to map and monitor roads across the world's most environmentally critical areas." The work is published in the journal Remote Sensing. More information: Sean Sloan et al, Mapping Remote Roads Using Artificial Intelligence and Satellite Imagery, Remote Sensing (2024). DOI: 10.3390/rs16050839 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: Pet dogs with diarrhea may be shedding multi-drug resistant E.coli in 5 in 10 cases, with potential risks to their human owners. Credit: Yuan et al., CC-BY 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). This figure was made using public domain images from Unsplash, CC0 (creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) A team of Chinese veterinary researchers has found high levels of antimicrobial-resistant Escherichia coli in dogs with diarrhea. In their study, published in the open access journal PLOS ONE, the group tested fecal samples from 185 dogs with diarrhea. Over the past decade, drugs used to fight bacterial infections have become less effective as bacteria become resistant to them. As a result, scientists have begun to look for other drugs or therapies to replace those that no longer work. Scientists have also been looking into the factors that may be leading to resistance. For this new study, the team in China looked at the possibility of cohabiting animals as part of the problem. To that end, they tested a host of fecal samples from dogs with diarrhea (because it is so often linked to E. coli infections), looking specifically for drug-resistant E. coli. The team collected 185 fecal samples and found 135 strains of E. coli. Multiple groups of each strain were collected and grouped together, where they were then exposed to several types antibacterial drugs to see how they would respond. The researchers found that just over 87% of the strains they tested were resistant to at least one of the drugs. They also found that approximately 76% of resistance was against beta-lactam antibiotics, which include ampicillin and penicillin. The genomes of the resistant bacteria revealed genes that have previously been associated with antibiotic resistance. They also note that E. coli is a commensal microbe, which means many of its strains reside safely in the human gutthey do not make humans sick or even cause diarrhea. But they also found that many of the resistant strains they found in their study were closely related to variants that have been known to infect other parts of the body, such as the urinary tract. More information: Yu Yuan et al, Characteristics of MDR E. coli strains isolated from Pet Dogs with clinic diarrhea: A pool of antibiotic resistance genes and virulence-associated genes, PLOS ONE (2024). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0298053 Journal information: PLoS ONE 2024 Science X Network This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: The merging of two supermassive black holes is a phenomenon that has long been predicted, though never directly observed. One theory put forth by astronomers is that these systems are so massive that they deplete their host galaxy of the stellar material needed to drive their merger. Using archival data from the Gemini North telescope, a team of astronomers have found a binary black hole that provides strong evidence supporting this idea. The team estimates the binarys mass to be a whopping 28 billion times that of the Sun, qualifying the pair as the heaviest black hole binary ever measured. Not only does this measurement give valuable context to the formation of the binary system and the history of its host galaxy, but it supports the long-standing theory that the mass of a supermassive black hole binary plays a key role in stalling supermassive black hole mergers. Credit: NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/J. daSilva/M. Zamani Using archival data from the Gemini North telescope, a team of astronomers has measured the heaviest pair of supermassive black holes ever found. The merging of two supermassive black holes is a phenomenon that has long been predicted, though never observed. This massive pair gives clues as to why such an event seems so unlikely in the universe. Nearly every massive galaxy hosts a supermassive black hole at its center. When two galaxies merge, their black holes can form a binary pair, meaning they are in a bound orbit with one another. It's hypothesized that these binaries are fated to eventually merge, but this has never been observed. The question of whether such an event is possible has been a topic of discussion among astronomers for decades. In a recently published paper in The Astrophysical Journal, a team of astronomers has presented new insight into this question. The team used data from the Gemini North telescope in Hawai'i, one half of the International Gemini Observatory operated by NSF's NOIRLab, to analyze a supermassive black hole binary located within the elliptical galaxy B2 0402+379. This is the only supermassive black hole binary ever resolved in enough detail to see both objects separately, and it holds the record for having the smallest separation ever directly measureda mere 24 light-years. While this close separation foretells a powerful merger, further study revealed that the pair has been stalled at this distance for over three billion years, begging the question: What's the holdup? To better understand the dynamics of this system and its halted merger, the team looked to archival data from Gemini North's Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph (GMOS), which allowed them to determine the speed of the stars within the vicinity of the black holes. "The excellent sensitivity of GMOS allowed us to map the stars' increasing velocities as one looks closer to the galaxy's center," said Roger Romani, Stanford University physics professor and co-author of the paper. "With that, we were able to infer the total mass of the black holes residing there." The team estimates the binary's mass to be a whopping 28 billion times that of the sun, qualifying the pair as the heaviest binary black hole ever measured. Not only does this measurement give valuable context to the formation of the binary system and the history of its host galaxy, but it supports the long-standing theory that the mass of a supermassive binary black hole plays a key role in stalling a potential merger. "The data archive serving the International Gemini Observatory holds a gold mine of untapped scientific discovery," says Martin Still, NSF program director for the International Gemini Observatory. "Mass measurements for this extreme supermassive binary black hole are an awe-inspiring example of the potential impact from new research that explores that rich archive." Understanding how this binary formed can help predict if and when it will mergeand a handful of clues point to the pair forming via multiple galaxy mergers. The first is that B2 0402+379 is a "fossil cluster," meaning it is the result of an entire galaxy cluster's worth of stars and gas merging into one single massive galaxy. Additionally, the presence of two supermassive black holes, coupled with their large combined mass, suggests they resulted from the amalgamation of multiple smaller black holes from multiple galaxies. Following a galactic merger, supermassive black holes don't collide head-on. Instead, they begin slingshotting past each other as they settle into a bound orbit. With each pass they make, energy is transferred from the black holes to the surrounding stars. As they lose energy, the pair is dragged down closer and closer until they are just light-years apart, where gravitational radiation takes over and they merge. This process has been directly observed in pairs of stellar-mass black holesthe first ever recorded instance being in 2015 via the detection of gravitational wavesbut never in a binary of the supermassive variety. With new knowledge of the system's extremely large mass, the team concluded that an exceptionally large number of stars would have been needed to slow the binary's orbit enough to bring them this close. In the process, the black holes seem to have flung out nearly all the matter in their vicinity, leaving the core of the galaxy starved of stars and gas. With no more material available to further slow the pair's orbit, their merger has stalled in its final stages. "Normally it seems that galaxies with lighter black hole pairs have enough stars and mass to drive the two together quickly," said Romani. "Since this pair is so heavy it required lots of stars and gas to get the job done. But the binary has scoured the central galaxy of such matter, leaving it stalled and accessible for our study." Whether the pair will overcome their stagnation and eventually merge on timescales of millions of years, or continue in orbital limbo forever, is yet to be determined. If they do merge, the resulting gravitational waves would be a hundred million times more powerful than those produced by stellar-mass black hole mergers. It's possible the pair could conquer that final distance via another galaxy merger, which would inject the system with additional material, or potentially a third black hole, to slow the pair's orbit enough to merge. However, given B2 0402+379's status as a fossil cluster, another galactic merger is unlikely. "We're looking forward to follow-up investigations of B2 0402+379's core where we'll look at how much gas is present," says Tirth Surti, Stanford undergraduate and the lead author on the paper. "This should give us more insight into whether the supermassive black holes can eventually merge or if they will stay stranded as a binary." More information: Tirth Surti et al, The Central Kinematics and Black Hole Mass of 4C+37.11, The Astrophysical Journal (2024). DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/ad14fa By Nam Hyun-woo The government's emergency mobile alerts will now feature English keywords to help foreign residents quickly comprehend the content of the alarms. According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the Korea Meteorological Administration, the government's mobile disaster alerts will start including brief information in English regarding the type and severity of the alert. In the event of an earthquake, the alert message will display the keyword Earthquake and its magnitude in English. Similarly, the message will notify recipients of various disaster situations such as heavy rain, air raid, nuclear warning and forest fires. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety has been operating the Emergency Ready App, which provides disaster alerts in English and Chinese for foreign residents who are not proficient at Korean. Through the latest measure, the ministry said it will help foreign nationals to understand disaster messages more quickly. The measure is aimed at helping foreigners quickly understand disaster situations and evacuate safely, Safety Minister Lee Sang-min said. The government will continue to work with relevant agencies to improve disaster safety information services for foreigners visiting or residing in the country. Depending on the severity of the situation, the government sends three types of mobile alert messages urgent disaster alert, emergency disaster alert and safety guidance alert. Urgent disaster alerts are intended to notify of national crises such as an attack from North Korea, while emergency disaster alerts are sent to inform recipients of heavy rain and other natural or social disasters. Both types of alerts are accompanied by alert tones. 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: Asian honeybee swarm in Cairns, Queensland. Credit: Dr. Ros Gloag For more than a decade, invasive Asian honeybees have defied evolutionary expectations and established a thriving population in North Queensland, much to the annoyance of the honey industry and biosecurity officials. Research published in Current Biology has shown the species, Apis cerana, has overcome what is known as a genetic bottleneck to grow from a single swarm into a population of more than 10,000 colonies over a 10,000 square kilometer areawhich is about the size of Greater Sydney. Co-lead author Dr. Rosalyn Gloag from the University of Sydney School of Life and Environmental Sciences said, "Our study of this bee population shows that some species can quickly adjust to new environments despite starting with very low genetic diversity relative to their native-range populations." Dr. Gloag said that high genetic diversity is generally assumed to be important for a population to quickly adapt to changing environmental conditions, such as when a species is translocated or experiences rapid environmental change caused by natural or climate change disasters. Swarm of invasive Apis cerana in Cairns, North Queensland. Credit: Dr. Ros Gloag "However, we have shown that this invasive population of honeybees has rapidly adapted since its arrival, despite having suffered a steep loss in genetic diversity," she said. The research team highlights the importance of this case study for understanding population resilience in general. "This is even more important as we observe many species dealing with anthropogenic climate change," Dr. Gloag said. Studying the invasive population in Queensland gave the research team a rare complete genetic timeline of a natural invasion, beginning from soon after the bees arrived. The arrival of the colony in 2007, likely from Papua New Guinea, was of concern to Australian biosecurity because of the parasites the bees can carry. Ultimately these bees were found not to be carrying the most feared of its parasites, the varroa mite, which has since arrived in Australia by an unknown route, threatening the domestic honey industry. "We were lucky to have a complete sample timeline of this invasive population thanks to the incredible efforts of the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, which sampled the population extensively during the early years of the incursion as part of an eradication attempt," Dr. Gloag said. A single Asian honeybee (photo taken in its natural range in China). Credit: Ben Oldroyd/The University of Sydney Dr. Ros Gloag from the School of Life and Environmental Sciences at the University. Dr. Gloag is pitcured here with a tetragonula hive (not the Asian honeybees of the study). Credit: The University of Sydney "Although that attempt was unsuccessful, the biological material collected has been incredibly valuable for understanding how these invasions proceed. And that in turn helps us prepare better for future invasions," she said. Access to this comprehensive sample set allowed the scientists to re-sequence entire genomes of 118 individual bees collected over 10 years. "We could essentially observe natural selection acting over time in a population that started with low genetic diversity," Dr. Gloag said. "From this unique vantage point, we could see that selection was acting on the variation in genomes that had arrived with the handful of original bees. It wasn't variation that arose later by mutations. "In other words, some species with very low genetic diversity can adapt very quickly," she said. "While this might be bad news for environments coping with newly arrived invasive species, it's potentially good news for populations that have temporary crashes in the face of climate change or other natural or human-induced disasters, such as bushfires." The study was done in collaboration with scientists at York University (Canada), IPB University (Indonesia), Bandung Institute of Technology (Indonesia) and the CSIRO (Australia). 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: Himawari-8 satellite image (valid 14/12/2023 12h00) of Tropical Cyclone Jasper after making landfall over Far North Queensland. Credit: Japan Meteorological Agency, Himawari-8 Scientists and researchers at the ARC Center of Excellence for Climate Extremes have today released "The State of Weather and Climate Extremes 2023" report. The report, co-written by more than 30 of Australia's leading climate scientists, including many of the Center's early career researchers, is designed to help decision makers and the general public understand the complexity of climate extremes. Professor Andy Pitman, Director of the ARC Center of Excellence for Climate Extremes, said, "Over the last few years we've been pulling extremes together into a narrative that provides a one-stop shop of what happened in the year. "It's about packaging the information up in a digestible form to help people understand what's going on in our environment." The report provides a description of each event and its impacts as well as an explanation which reflects scientists' understanding of the causes. "What was unusual about 2023 is how intense some of these events were and how they kept pushing records," Pitman said. While it's challenging to determine the cause of specific extreme events, Pitman said that they seemed to be happening with increased frequency in 2023. "Some of them were occurring one after the other or close to each other. These temporally and spatially compounding events had a substantial impact on our environment and were difficult for us to deal with." The influence of climate drivers such as El Nino and the Indian Ocean Dipole as well as the evolution of rainfall and temperature throughout the year were also assessed in the report. The year began with above-average rainfall in northern Australia progressing to increasingly dry conditions in southern and eastern Australia in late winter and spring, when El Nino was declared. Against expectations, above average rainfall was observed in December across much of eastern Australia, particularly in Northern Queensland, where residents were impacted by the intense flooding caused by Cyclone Jasper. "We can easily get the impression that natural climate drivers such as El Nino are the dominant cause of what we observed in 2023 but that's not true. El Nino does not guarantee that eastern Australia will be hot and dry, rather it influences the probability of hotter and drier conditions," Pitman said. Overall, 2023 was the eighth hottest year on record in Australia, with temperatures 0.98C above the 19611990 average. Winter was the warmest on record since observations began in 1910, and September was the driest ever recorded. Globally, 2023 marked the hottest year on record and a year of extremes. Canada's wildfire season in June was unprecedented with 18.4 million hectares burned, and the heat waves over Europe contributed to many national and global temperature records tumbling in July. The report provides an overview of some international events that took place in 2023. "There's plenty of places around the world where events are becoming hard to survive," Pitman said. "What scientists bring to the table is more and more evidence of what we already know. We need to act based upon observations and existing knowledge. The actions are straightforward: Stop emitting carbon and invest heavily in adaptation." As for what will happen in terms of extreme events in 2024, this remains uncertain, Pitman said. "2024 appears to be leaning towards a weak El Nino or more neutral La Nina conditions. It is likely to be a warm year. However, how extreme events will be expressed regionally over Australia is hard to predict." More information: H Bui et al, The State of Weather and Climate Extremes 2023, Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes, UNSW (2024). DOI: 10.26190/92kr-0w80 Provided by ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes (CLEx) 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 Wolves from Colorado's new pack expanded their roaming range over the past 35 days to the state's northwesternmost county and across the Continental Divide, according to a map state officials released Feb. 28. The map tracks the wolves' movements generally by watersheds into which they've wandered and shows the wolves entered at least three different watersheds in Larimer Countythe western border of which is the Continental Divide. Two wolves also traveled from western Routt County into eastern Moffat County, according to a Colorado Parks and Wildlife news release attached with the map. The wolves have also wandered into several watersheds that touch or cross the border with Wyoming, but CPW spokesperson Joey Livingston said the department will not comment on any wolf movement outside Colorado. While the wolves extended into areas farther east, west and north of last month's data, this month, they did not enter the more southern watersheds that include Avon and Vail. The data from the map was collected through GPS collars over 35 days from Jan. 23 to Feb. 27, according to the map. "CPW continues to work with livestock producers to provide conflict-mitigation techniques and will continue to conduct outreach/education in areas that are likely to have wolves," the news release stated. CPW decided to use watersheds to track the wolves' movements because wolves use natural features, not political borders, to travel, and sharing general locations rather than specific data protects the wolves from people. If a watershed is included on the map, that means at least one wolf entered that area over the last month. The wolf may or may not remain there, and it may not have traversed every part of that watershed. Livingston said he could not say how many wolves may have crossed the Continental Divide into Larimer County. All 12 wolves known to be in Coloradothe 10 released last month and the two from Wyominghave collars that record a position every four hours. The release of last month's map came as wildlife officials were criticized by state lawmakers over lack of transparency in the December release of the wolves. Wildlife leaders have been criticized repeatedly for failing to notify local ranchers, leaders and the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Commission before the Dec. 18 release of five wolves in Grand Countythe first to be reintroduced in Colorado. 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: X-ray images of H72.9769.39 in soft [0.5 1.2 keV] (a), medium [1.2 2.0 keV] (b), hard [2.0 7.0 keV](c), and all bands (d). Credit: Webb et al., 2024. Using NASA's Chandra X-ray spacecraft, astronomers have inspected a potential super-star cluster, designated HSO BMHERICC J72.971176-69.391112, or H72.9769.39 for short. The new observations resulted in the detection of a diffuse hot gas around this cluster. The finding was reported in a paper published February 21 on the pre-print server arXiv. Super-star clusters (SSCs) are very massive young open clusters (OCs) that eventually evolve into globular clusters (GCs). They usually contain a very large number of young, massive stars that ionize a surrounding region of interstellar atomic hydrogen (HII region). Observations of SSCs are important for astronomers seeking to improve our understanding of formation and evolution of GCs and their host galaxies. Located some 160,000 light years away, H72.9769.39 is a highly-embedded, potential SSC in the star-forming complex N79 of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). With an estimated age of less than 500,000 years, H72.9769.39 is in the earliest stages of formation, exhibits an accelerating star-formation rate and has a bolometric luminosity at a level of two million solar luminosities. Although H72.9769.39 has been investigated in optical, infrared, and submillimeter wavelengths, it has not been comprehensively studied in X-rays. That is why a team of astronomers led by Trinity Webb of the Ohio State University (OSU) in Columbus, Ohio, decided to employ Chandra to take a closer look at the X-ray emission from this cluster. "Here we study the X-ray emission of H72.9769.39 with the Chandra X-ray Observatory, and we explore stellar-wind feedback at an early stage in star formation," the researchers wrote in the paper. Chandra observations detected diffuse X-ray emission around H72.9769.39. The identified X-ray emission is extended about 10 arcseconds in radius, which suggests that the hot gas is produced by stellar-wind feedback in the earliest stages of formation. The astronomers found that the X-ray emission is especially hard, dominated by photons above 1.2 keV. This points to a high hot gas temperature, a large absorbing column in the region, or a contribution from a non-thermal/power-law component. Furthermore, X-rays appear to be spatially anti-coincident with the dense carbon monoxide gas, which may indicate that the hot gas is preferentially occupying the lower-density cavities. The study also found that the X-ray luminosity of H72.9769.39 is one order of magnitude below expected if the shock-heated gas is confined by a cool shell. In this case, the shell heats up via thermal conduction and evaporates. This result indicates that even in such an early stage of a massive star cluster formation process, significant amounts of wind energy are being lost. More information: Trinity L. Webb et al, Detection of Diffuse Hot Gas Around the Young, Potential Superstar Cluster H72.97-69.39, arXiv (2024). DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2402.14056 Journal information: arXiv 2024 Science X Network This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: A fabricated ecosystem, or EcoFAB. Credit: Thor Swift/Berkeley Lab A greater understanding of how plants and microbes work together to store vast amounts of atmospheric carbon in the soil will help in the design of better bioenergy crops for the fight against climate change. Deciphering the mechanics of this mutually beneficial relationship is challenging, however, as conditions in nature are extremely difficult for scientists to replicate in the laboratory. To address this challenge, researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) created fabricated ecosystems or EcoFABs. In a new paper in Science Advances, they show how these takeout boxsized, plastic growth chambers could potentially provide scientists around the world with a standardized and reproducible platform for conducting experiments on model plants and the microbes that live around their roots. This could, in turn, expedite research into the development of improved bioenergy crops capable of growing in nutrient-poor soils and absorbing more carbon from the atmosphere than is currently possible. "The overarching idea behind EcoFABs is that there is a real need for a platform in plant microbiome research that enables scientists to share data better and build on each other's work," said Vlastimil Novak, lead author of the paper and a project scientist in Berkeley Lab's Environmental Genomics and Systems Biology (EGSB) Division. "At the moment, there are around 20 laboratories that are using our devices, but we would eventually like to make them more broadly accessible to anyone in the world." For the study, Novak and colleagues in Trent Northen's lab used EcoFABs to test how different forms of nitrogen affect the production of organic substances given off by the roots in Brachypodium, a small grass species used as a model for bioenergy grasses. Nitrogen is essential for plant growth, and Novak noticed in the literature that its relationship with root exudation, or the types of compounds produced by a plant's roots, had not been well explored in this grass species. He and his collaborators conducted experiments supplying Brachypodium with different nitrogen sourcesammonium, nitrate, or a combinationand observed changes in root exudate composition. They found that varying levels of nitrogen affected the type of compounds produced by the roots and that the plants grew best when they received both ammonium and nitrate. One interesting finding was the production of dopamine in the root exudates only when both ammonium and nitrate were present together. This suggests that specific nutritional conditions influence the production of certain metabolites, which could, in turn, affect plant growth. "The outcomes of this research can inform nutrient management practices, fundamentally saying that for Brachypodium or similar grasses, it is essential to supply both ammonium and nitrate simultaneously for optimal growth," Novak said. "It also gives us ideas of some pretty interesting organic compounds in the root microbiome to investigate in the future." EcoFABs could ultimately be combined with advances in robotics and AI learning to increase the speed of discovery in plant microbiome research dramatically. Another up-and-coming development at Berkeley Lab is something called the EcoBOT, an automated robotic system that can run EcoFAB experiments autonomously. "We could ultimately design experiments on a computer, and then it does everything for you," said Pete Andeer, an EGSB research scientist who worked with Northen to design the EcoFAB. "That would be the end goal: integration of these EcoFAB devices with the EcoBOT system." A great tool for learning In addition to providing a plethora of benefits for professional scientists, EcoFABs are also making an imprint in the classroom where they are being used both by high school and community college students as a platform for learning in California. The Northen lab's current EcoFAB outreach activities involve collaborations with various educational institutions, including local high schools and Los Medanos College. Since 2020, high school students participating in the Berkeley Lab Director's Apprenticeship Program have conducted experiments using EcoFABs to study plant growth under different nitrogen conditions. The research project continues to be a highlight of the program, with many students gaining interest in biology and laboratory research as a result. "EcoFABs allowed us to discuss microorganisms in the classroom in a way that connected other units," said Christina McGhee-Esquivel, a biology teacher at Skyline High School in Oakland who learned about EcoFABs when she was a teacher fellow with Berkeley Lab's K-12 team in 2021. "This was incredibly important for students to get to see not just how roots grow, but to understand microbial communities." Further collaborations with organizations like Biotech Partners aim to introduce biotech education, including the use of EcoFABs, to minority-serving high schools across the Bay Area. Additionally, discussions are underway to integrate EcoFABs into more undergraduate education at Los Medanos College, where students will have the opportunity to design and conduct their own plant experiments again in the summer of 2024. "Research is not traditionally a part of the community college experience, but many of our STEM students want to transfer and go on to do research or work in labs, internships, those types of things," said Jill Bouchard, a biology professor at Los Medanos College. "Getting them experience with research is really important to us. And this has been a wonderful way to do it." More information: Vlastimil Novak et al, Reproducible growth of Brachypodium in EcoFAB 2.0 reveals that nitrogen form and starvation modulate root exudation, Science Advances (2024). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adg7888 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: Danaea ubatubensis, one of the recently described fern species, is known only from a small area of coastal rainforest in Brazil. A large proportion of the species in the area are endemic. Credit: Hanna Tuomisto Researchers have clarified the evolutionary history of a previously poorly known group of ferns from the tropical rainforests of America using DNA methods. The study discovered many new fern species, 18 of which have now been given official names and species descriptions. The Amazon Research Team of the University of Turku in Finland has conducted long-term studies on the flora and vegetation of Amazonian rainforests to gain a better understanding of species distribution and evolutionary history. The researchers have collected data from both Amazonia and other parts of tropical America. Now, they have traced the evolutionary history of the fern genus Danaea using DNA analyses. "Studying the evolutionary relationships between species reveals factors that can lead to the differentiation of species traits and ultimately to the evolution of new species," says Doctoral Researcher Venni Keskiniva. "This type of information helps us understand the drivers behind the high biodiversity observed in tropical regions," Keskiniva continues. The study revealed that there are many more species in the genus Danaea than previously thought, and as part of their revision, the researchers described 18 species that were new to science. The research is published in two parts in the journal Willdenowia. Genetics helped to distinguish between tricky species In the study, the researchers combined DNA methods with solid field experience. Many of the new species were found in tropical rainforests in areas that had previously been studied little or not at all. "However, some new species were growing right under the researchers' noses, for example on Barro Colorado Island, which is one of the most intensively researched rainforests in the world. Two of our new species were found practically in the backyard of a research station," says Professor Hanna Tuomisto. "The plants had of course been seen, but they were thought to belong to a common species that grows throughout tropical America." Danaea ampla, one of the new fern species recently described, was found in Panama on Barro Colorado Island, which is one of the most intensively researched rainforest sites in the world. Credit: Hanna Tuomisto The recently published study shows that there are no such widespread species in the genus Danaea. Researchers have just been unable to distinguish between similar-looking species. In the 1990s, it was estimated that the total number of Danaea species was 2030, and that many of them were very widespread. Today, there are about 80 named species, with a further 20 or so still awaiting confirmation. This means that the number of species is much higher, but their ranges are smaller than previously thought. "At first, we were surprised to see that different individuals of a known species were placed in completely different parts of the family tree. Then we noticed that they formed groups that differed not only in DNA but also in appearance and area of occurrence. This led us to conclude that they were different species," explains Keskiniva. Danaea ferns are notorious for being difficult to identify. Therefore, the researchers from the University of Turku also published an online identification key. This will help other researchers gather information on the ecology and species richness of tropical forests. Several species are already endangered at the time of discovery The ferns of the genus Danaea represent a very old evolutionary line, already differentiated from other plants in the Carboniferous Period. At that time, their ancestors formed vast fern forests, the fossilized remains of which later became coal. As a result of the burning of the coal and other fossil fuels, the climate of tropical rainforests is becoming hotter and drier. This is threatening the future of species adapted to high humidity, such as Danaea ferns. The researchers estimate that six of the now described 18 species are already endangered. "Suitable habitats for rainforest species have been reduced due to direct human activity, such as deforestation," says Tuomisto. "The situation is especially bad in the rainforests of the Atlantic coast, Andean montane forests, and parts of the Pacific coast and Central America. These areas are rich in endemic species, but the forests have been reduced to fragments. For understanding and protecting the biodiversity of tropical forests, it is important to realize that species distributions are narrower than used to be thought." More information: Venni Keskiniva et al, Danaea (Marattiaceae) keeps diversifying, part 1: eighteen new species, Willdenowia (2024). DOI: 10.3372/wi.53.53303 Venni Keskiniva et al, Danaea (Marattiaceae) keeps diversifying, part 2: phylogeny and identification key for 81 taxa, Willdenowia (2024). DOI: 10.3372/wi.53.53304 Key to the Neotropical fern genus Danaea (Marattiaceae): keys.lucidcentral.org/keys/v4/ o_fern_genus_danaea/ 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 After many predictions, on September 19, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology formally announced an El Nino for the summer of 2023/2024, several months after it had been declared by other international meteorological agencies. And while forecasts warned of a summer of increased heat waves and fire hazards, you could be forgiven for thinking the east coast of Australia has seen a wet summer. Associate Professor Andrea Taschetto, a climate scientist from UNSW Science's Climate Change Research Center, explains why El Nino hasn't manifested as predicted this year. "El Nino is usually associated with warm and dry conditions, increased chances of droughts, heat waves and bushfires in Australia," says A/Prof. Taschetto. "Among other factors, the impacts of El Nino are more consistent during spring and over the eastern half of Australiaduring summer, the relationship between ENSO and Australian rainfall actually weakens. "This means that El Nino is less likely to explain what happens to rainfall in the summer compared to spring." What is El Nino? El Nino and La Nina are the phases of a phenomenon called El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). They are part of our natural climate system and appear in the tropical Pacific every three to seven years. The atmosphere and the ocean are coupled in the tropics. "That means that if the ocean temperatures, currents or sea level change, the atmosphere responds to it, and vice-versa. If air temperature, atmospheric pressure, or winds change, the tropical oceans respond to it," says A/Prof. Taschetto. "And this is what happens during El Nino and La Nina." To understand ENSO it's important to know what normal conditions are. During a neutral year, there are winds along the equatorial Pacificknown as trade windsblowing from the east to the west. "Those equatorial winds pile up warm water in the west Pacific, closer to Australia, and favor cool water to accumulate in the east Pacific, close to South America," says A/Prof. Taschetto. "With that, there is usually more rainfall in the north of Australia and Indonesia compared to the east Pacific close to South America." With a La Nina event, the usual trade winds, ocean currents and temperature patterns intensify. This makes the east Pacific cooler and the water around Australia warmer than normal. The warmer temperatures close to Australia increase moisture availability and the chances of rain across Australia. On the other side of the coin, during an El Nino, the trade winds weaken and less warm water is pushed from the east to the west Pacific. At the same time, the eastern Australia coastal water gets warmer than usual, while the western Pacific becomes cooler than usual. Together, these conditions mean that we see less rainfall over Australia. What happened to El Nino this year? There are a number of reasons that we have experienced a wetter summer than expected. As A/Prof. Taschetto explains, the effects of El Nino on the eastern coast are felt more strongly during spring than summer. "And that has been consistent with what we have seen," says A/Prof. Taschetto. "We have experienced a dry spring." In fact, the August to October period last year was Australia's driest three months on record since 1900. However, this was followed by above-average rainfall in November, and further wet conditions in late December along the east coast. There are several factors that point to why the east coast has had such a wet summer, despite being in an El Nino period. While El Nino stays in the tropical Pacific for months, weather systems vary daily. "El Nino can influence the way certain weather patterns manifest, but we cannot say that a particular weather systemsuch as a low or high pressure system and tropical cyclonewas caused by El Nino ," says A/Prof. Taschetto. "We know that El Nino typically decreases the chances for a wet season, particularly in spring over the east of Australia. But these are based on our knowledge of previous El Nino years and on predictions from climate models. These are probabilities and not certainty. The forecasts give us a probability for a season to be dry or wet. While the probability was for a dry summer, a wet summer was not completely discarded. "It's also important to note that El Nino's influence on Australian weather also depends on the type of El Nino, and on the Indian Ocean sea surface temperatures and winds over the Southern Ocean." Why has Sydney been so humid? In mid-January, Sydney recorded its muggiest ever day, with humidity levels that reached 94%. "Summer is normally a hot and humid season; it is the wet season in the Australian tropics, when the monsoon is active," says A/Prof. Taschetto. While El Nino typically decreases the chances of rainfall, this year we haven't had a strong influence of El Nino, particularly on rainfall patterns. "But it has also been an odd type of El Nino , where the entire tropical Pacific ocean is warmer than expected, even in the west Pacific, which is normally cooler during El Nino," says A/Prof Taschetto. In fact, there have been reports of water temperatures along south-east Australia being three degrees warmer than average. "This not only weakens the coupling between the ocean and the atmosphere and weakens its influence over Australia, but when the ocean around Australia is warmer than expected, it then increases atmospheric moisture and rainfall in Australia," says A/Prof. Taschetto. What does this mean for this year? According to the Bureau of Meteorology, there is a 60%80% chance for a warmer autumn across Australia and a drier autumn over the northern and eastern areas. "While it's expected that El Nino will die out in the next few months, it's really too early to say if a La Nina episode will develop by the end of this year," says A/Prof. Taschetto. El Nino and La Nina normally develop during winter and spring, peak during summer and peter out towards the onset of autumn. "Generally, the start of an El Nino or La Nina is complicated to predict," says A/Prof. Taschetto. "Forecasts run in late-summer and autumn for an upcoming ENSO does not have a high predictability skill, which is called the autumn predictability barrier." A/Prof. Taschetto reiterates that although it's weakening, we are still in an El Nino event. "While it's too early to say about La Nina, it's more certain that the Pacific temperatures will return to neutral conditions in the next season. "But in terms of La Nina predictions, we need to wait a few months to see how the forecasts change." The role of climate change When talking about ENSO and the climate, the impact of global warming naturally comes into conversation. Globally, 2023 was the warmest year on record. While ENSO is a natural climate cycle, climate change certainly complicates things, A/Prof. Taschetto explains. "With global warming there is an increased chance for more extreme events to happen in many regions. Many studies have already found more frequent heat waves, increased frequency of heat in the oceans, droughts for some regions and severe rain in other regions," says A/Prof. Taschetto. "Australia's climate has warmed about 1.48C since 1910, and has already registered an increase in the frequency of extreme heat events." What's more, previous studies suggest an increase in the frequency of extreme El Nino and La Nina events under global warming, which can exacerbate these extreme events. "This means that we can expect, and must prepare for, even more extreme swings from droughts to floods across Australia." Provided by The University of New South Wales 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 analyzed mercury levels from core samples from the Mochras Farm (Llanbedr) borehole in Wales to estimate how much and how rapidly carbon was released during ancient volcano events in Earth's history. Credit: Stephen Hesselbo Massive volcanic events in Earth's history that released large amounts of carbon into the atmosphere frequently correlate with periods of severe environmental change and mass extinctions. A new method to estimate how much and how rapidly carbon was released by the volcanoes could improve our understanding of the climate response, according to an international team led by researchers from Penn State and the University of Oxford. The scientists report in the journal Nature Geoscience that they have developed a new technique to estimate excess mercury left behind in the rock record due to ancient volcanic activity. The technique can estimate carbon emissions from large igneous provinces (LIPs), volcanic events that can last millions of years and produce magma that reaches Earth's surface and forms lava flows hundreds of miles long. "Large igneous provinces are often used as an analog for human-caused climate change because they occur relatively rapidly geologically and release a lot of carbon dioxide," said Isabel Fendley, assistant research professor of geosciences at Penn State and lead author of the study. "But one big challenge we address with this study is that to date, it has been really difficult to figure out exactly how much carbon was released by these volcanoes." The researchers analyzed core samples that capture a 20-million-year record of the early Jurassic period and found that mercury levels increased during the peak activity of the Karoo-Ferrar large igneous province and the associated Toarcian Oceanic Anoxic Event, a period of extensive environmental and climate change some 185 million years ago. However, the total estimated carbon emissions using the mercury records were significantly lower than what carbon-cycle models had predicted would be necessary to cause the observed environmental changes. The findings suggest the volcanism triggered positive Earth system feedbacksclimate and environmental responses to the initial warming that in turn produced more warming. These positive feedbacks may be as important as the primary emissions in these large carbon emission scenarios, and current carbon cycle models may be underestimating the effects of a given amount of emissions, the scientists said. "What this shows us is that there are Earth system responses that exacerbate the effects of the carbon the volcanoes emitted," Fendley said. "And based on our results, these feedback processes are actually quite important but not well understood." Accurate estimates of LIP carbon emissions are important for understanding the impacts of positive and negative carbon-cycle feedback processes on future climate projections, the scientists said. Scientists walk near the site of Mochras Farm (Llanbedr) borehole in Wales. Credit: Stephen Hesselbo "In addition to historical climate change and understanding the history of life, it's also relevant for how we understand Earth's climate and how we investigate what happens to the environment after you release large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere," Fendley said. Estimating the quantity of carbon emissions associated with LIPs has been a challenge in part because scientists have an incomplete record of how much lava erupted. The Karoo-Ferrar LIP, for example, occurred on the former supercontinent Gondwana, and that material is now spread out across the southern hemisphere, spanning modern-day Southern Africa, Antarctica and Tasmania, the scientists said. The researchers instead turned to mercury, which is released as a gas during volcanic eruptions but was otherwise rarely found in high concentrations in the environment prior to human activity. Looking at the chemistry of rocks in the core samples, the scientists were able to determine how much mercury would be expected based on environmental conditions and how much extra was present caused by the volcanoes. They developed a method to convert the measured changes in mercury concentrations to the volume of mercury gas emissions. Using the ratio of mercury gas emissions to carbon emissions in modern volcanoes, they estimated how much carbon the ancient volcanoes released. The researchers said the core samples, from the Mochras borehole in Wales, U.K., provided a unique opportunity to conduct this research. The long record showed the first clear evidence that there were significantly larger volcanic eruptions during this time period compared to the preceding 15 million years, the scientists said. "The large amount of existing geochemical data from the Mochras Farm (Llanbedr) borehole in Wales, drilled by the British Geological Survey, plus the very well-constrained chronology, provided a unique opportunity that enabled this analysis," Fendley said. "The decades-worth of previous work on the Mochras core enabled us to reconstruct original gas fluxes over millions of years, for periods that are traditional targets for paleo-environmental studies as well as the background state." Other researchers on this project were Joost Frieling, postdoctoral research assistant, and Tamsin Mather and Hugh Jenkyns, professors, at the University of Oxford; Michael Ruhl, assistant professor at Trinity College Dublin; and Stephen Hesselbo, professor at the University of Exeter. More information: Isabel M. Fendley et al, Early Jurassic large igneous province carbon emissions constrained by sedimentary mercury, Nature Geoscience (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41561-024-01378-5 Journal information: Nature Geoscience 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: Central Bornean orangutan. Credit: Pirataber, CC BY Great apes, human's closest living relatives, are knocking on the door of extinction. Humans have hunted great apes, which include bonobos, chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans, destroyed their habitats, and transmitted fatal diseases to them. Now, five of the seven recognized species of great apes have been listed as Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, meaning they are on the brink of extinction. Traditional methods of conservation have helped, but these methods are no longer enough, say University of Michigan researchers John Mitani and Andrew Marshall. In collaboration with an international team of colleagues, they have suggested new routes of conservation to help ensure the survival of great apes. Their findings are published in Nature Human Behaviour. The urgency of new routes to great ape conservation Marshall: John and I, like many field researchers, feel a strong connection to the apes we study. We've been privileged to spend lots of time with themJohn, primarily in Africa, and me primarily in Southeast Asia. Despite considerable effort and investment in conservation, ape populations are continuing to decline, many of them very dramatically. Five of the seven recognized taxa are now critically endangered. Rather than focusing on the current plight of apes, which is well known, we wanted to be forward looking and propose things we could do that might improve the situation. Mitani: There is a moral imperative to do this. These are iconic species that everybody can identify with. This is because they are our closest living relatives and essentially our kin. We're living at a time when we are losing tons of species in a mass extinction event created by us. If we can't save these animals, then there's really very little hope for the rest of biodiversity. I just can't imagine a world without these animals. Improving security of protected areas by increasing funding, fighting corruption, employing scientific/technological tactics to improve enforcement; partnering with local communities to develop tourism and working with local people who possess extensive knowledge about the habitats and behavior of great apes Marshall: Even if we do a perfect job of protecting every protected area where great apes persist now, that's not enough. For orangutans, which is the group that I know best, even if we were to protect every single orangutan in every protected area in perpetuity, that is not enough to ensure their long-term persistence, which means that the future of conservation must also address issues outside protected areas. If we only think about strictly protected areas, we're missing lots of opportunities to do good conservation. That's one of the things that we want to draw people's attention to: There are lots and lots of apes that live outside national parks and they are more threatened than those that live inside national parks and other protected areas. But they also deserve our care and protection. Mitani: Another point we're trying to make is historically, despite the fact that we've devoted years and years to the study of these animals, most of this has been in protected areas and away from people. We are calling for more work where it's currently needed in areas where people are living alongside apes. The reason for this is the world has gotten a lot smaller. In my lifetime, the human population has tripled. Humans are everywhere, doing things and edging apes out as a consequence. Protecting apes who live outside of protected areas by providing alternative crops and resources to reduce people's reliance on ape habitat; combating larger-scale threats (industrial mining, oil and gas, logging) Mitani: Wherever great apes and humans come into contact and there's conflict, inevitably the apes will lose. We're going to have to find ways for both humans and apes to benefit. We recruited several colleagues and friends to help us with this paper, and an important one is Matt McLennan, a researcher at Oxford Brookes University and the Bulindi Chimpanzee and Community Project in Uganda. For many years Matt has worked in a small forest in Uganda where people live alongside chimpanzees. He's trying to find ways to help people protect chimpanzees instead of harming them. Marshall: It's easy for conservationists to demonize "local people" as the major threats to apes. That's problematic for all kinds of reasons. Many of the conservationists are expatriates, so there's a colonial aspect to italthough not all conservationists are, of course, expats. It's also true that many of the threats, even those that are immediately posed by local communities, are often due to broader market pressures, and many of us participate in those markets and indirectly lead to many of these pressures. Many of the folks that are killing orangutans, destroying their habitat, are doing so to earn money necessary to pay school fees for their kids, buy medicines for their sick relatives, and things like that. They are making rational and understandable choices given their circumstances, choices that I suspect many of us would make were we in their shoes. Asking them to take on major sacrifices to protect these animals that provide no direct benefit to them is an unfair and unrealistic thing to ask. People who are going to incur more of the costs of protecting great apes should also receive tangible benefits. Reducing the risk of spillback: Being aware of both airborne and soilborne pathogens Mitani: I think everybody is aware of the fact that animals can transmit disease to us because of things like COVID-19. Swine flu, bird fluthere are all kinds of things that animals transmit to us. But it's a two-way street. We can infect them, and we do. Researchers like us have killed the animals that we study. This is because their close relationship to us means that great apes can harbor many of the same pathogens that we do. This is going to become an even larger problem in the future. As we have said, the world is getting smaller, and humans are increasingly coming into contact with great apes. Marshall: These great apes just don't have the natural immunity to diseases we introduce to them. We have a recurrent history of people from certain parts of the world going to other parts of the world and bringing with them diseases against which local people have no immune defenses. Essentially, we are recapitulating colonial history in our interactions with these great apes. Reconsidering the role of field research: Using technology to create opportunities to study apes while limiting carbon footprints, cutting the cost of field research and using technology to reduce the amount of fieldwork time Marshall: Long-term research sites are really important refugia for apes, and I am quite sure that at several research sites, had the researchers and staff who work at the research stations not been on site, then those populations would have disappeared. Field researchers are conservationists and are having positive effects, but we unfortunately know that we can also have negative effects. We are advocating that field researchers try to think about how we can keep as much of the good associated with our presence as possible and minimize the bad that goes along with it, and technology is the most obvious place to start. Various kinds of technologies have provided us with insights we wouldn't have imagined possible a decade or two ago. We can't learn all the things that we're currently learning by direct observation through technology as it currently stands, but technology is improving very quickly. We wanted to raise people's awareness to that and also encourage some of our colleagues to think about ways they could incorporate technology more to reduce risks to great apes. Finding new forms of funding: Tourism, carbon payments and wildlife credits to support local communities in range countries, establishing great apes trust fund Mitani: All of this is going to cost money. To address this issue, we recruited another colleague, Genevieve Campbell, a primatologist with the conservation nonprofit Re:wild, who has worked with banks and industries to try to find ways to mitigate or minimize the destructive activities they have on ape habitat. Another problem is that you can throw money at issues, but most are temporary fixes. What Genevieve would like to do, and what both Andy and I support, is to develop a long-term, permanent funding stream. One way to do this is to establish a great ape trust fund that would provide support for great ape conservation in perpetuity. Marshall: At the moment, most of the financial incentives are in the opposite direction. It's not just that protecting apes requires money, it's that there are strong financial incentives that are the root causes of many of the problems that are driving apes' decline. More information: John C. Mitani et al, Future coexistence with great apes will require major changes to policy and practice, Nature Human Behaviour (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41562-024-01830-x Journal information: Nature Human Behaviour 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 four astronauts on NASA's Artemis II mission will be the first humans to travel to the Moon in over 50 years, with subsequent missions expected to land on the surface. Their mission around the moon is not expected until September 2025 at the earliest, but the four astronauts on NASA's Artemis II mission are already preparing for their splashdown return. Over the past week, the three Americans and one Canadian chosen for the historic moon mission have been training at sea with the US Navy off the coast of California. "This is crazy. This is the stuff of movies, and we're living it every day," said veteran NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman, the mission's commander, Wednesday at the San Diego Naval Base. The night before, the quartet had been on a small inflatable raft bobbing in the Pacific Ocean. Aboard a huge amphibious assault ship, hundreds of sailors, divers and pilots worked through the process of retrieving the space explorers, in a critical dress rehearsal for the mission's final leg. Wiseman, 48, and his three colleagues will become the first humans to travel to the moon since the Apollo program ended over 50 years ago. If all goes well, they will fly around the moon during a 10-day expedition aboard an Orion capsule, ending with a parachute-assisted descent into the sea. How to handle a storm, what to do if an astronaut is injuredthese were just part of the detailed training. NASA deployed a life-size replica of the Orion space capsule for the rehearsal, nicknamed 'Darth Vader' for its resemblance to the 'Star Wars' franchise character. NASA deployed a life-size replica of Orion for the rehearsal, which was nicknamed "Darth Vader" for its resemblance to the "Star Wars" character's helmet. "We continuously think about what we're gonna do" Lily Villareal, the NASA official overseeing the return phase of the mission, told AFP. "We have to prepare for every single scenario." With the Artemis program, humans are not just trying to return to the moon, but to "stay" there with a lasting presence, she said. Moon to Mars While Artemis II will fly around the moon, the program's third missionscheduled for the end of 2026 but facing possible further delaysintends to land humans on the lunar surface. NASA's lofty aim will then be to dispatch missions lasting several weeks, setting up a base on the lunar surface as well as an orbiting space station, with an eye toward manned trips to Mars. "Our Earth has limited resources," said Villareal. "So we have to figure out what can we do for the better of humanity." Christina Koch is set to become the first woman on a lunar mission, while fellow Artemis II crewmember Victor Glover would become the first Black astronaut to travel around the Moon. Private companies have also been dreaming for some years now of carrying tourists to the moon. New powers such as India, Japan and China have successfully landed aircraft there. Beijing wants to land humans on the moon by 2030, putting pressure on NASA to avoid pile up delays. "At this point, with everyone on this planet having the resources in many countries the capabilities and interest in exploring the moon, the question really isn't why we go, but are we going to lead or are we going to follow?" said Christina Koch, another Artemis II astronaut. The 42-year-old American is set to become the first woman on a lunar mission, while Victor Glover, her 47-year-old compatriot, would become the first Black astronaut to travel around the moon. They will be accompanied by Jeremy Hansen, 48, the first person from Canada to take part in such a mission. NASA plans for the Artemis missions to see the first woman and Black astronaut walk on the moon. Aboard a huge amphibious assault ship, hundreds of sailors, divers and pilots worked through the process of retrieving the space explorers, in a critical dress rehearsal for the mission's final leg. Between 1969 and 1972 the Apollo program sent 24 men, all white, on missions to the moon, with 12 of them landing on its surface. Only eight of the 24 astronauts are still alive, with some ready to take the newcomers under their wing. For instance, former Apollo 10 member Thomas Stafford invited the Artemis II team to lunch, according to Wiseman. "Immediately he talks about... What are you going to do if the computers fail? Have you thought about how their trajectories are going to work?" recounts Wiseman. He "was like a dad just wanting to make sure his kids were gonna get out there safely and come back." 2024 AFP The government issued an ultimatum on Monday to trainee doctors who stopped work for a seventh day to protest against the government's plan to boost medical students, warning that it could begin suspending the licenses of trainee doctors next month unless they return to work soon. Second Vice Health Minister Park Min-soo told reporters that trainee doctors who refused to return to work by Thursday could start facing punishment the following day amid deepening concerns over public health as doctors and the government were on a collision course over the plan to raise the medical school admission quota by 2,000 seats next year. "Starting in March, the suspension of doctors' licenses for a minimum of three months will become unavoidable for those who fail to return under the law and principle, along with judicial measures, such as investigations and prosecutions," Park said. "It should be noted that a license suspension creates a record that may impact future career paths, including opportunities for employment abroad," he added. Park said the government will spare no effort to continue talks with the medical community. "We urge the medical community to propose representatives that can gather opinions," Park said. "We hope to discuss ways to seek medical reform through talks and debates, instead of collective actions." So far, 9,006 trainee doctors at hospitals have walked off their jobs, and 10,034 trainee doctors have submitted their resignations. There are some 13,000 trainee doctors in Korea. The government said it will not hold trainee doctors accountable if they return to work by Thursday. Adding to the chaos at hospitals, fellow doctors, who have been stepping in to cover the absence of trainee doctors on leave, were observed joining the collective action. "There are circulating rumors that doctors, who have completed their residency and were slated to commence their fellowship Friday, are engaging in an unusual movement," an official from a major hospital in Seoul said. At Chosun University Hospital in Gwangju, 267 kilometers southeast of Seoul, 12 out of 14 fellows decided not to renew their contracts and leave in March. Newly graduated medical students also recently declined internships, signaling an extended shortage of doctors on duty at major hospitals. Hospitals across the nation continued to grapple with ongoing disruptions, with Severance Hospital in Seoul halving its operation schedule. Samsung Medical Center also reportedly reduced the number by 45 to 50 percent. Other major hospitals, including the Catholic University of Korea Seoul St. Mary's Hospital and Seoul National University Hospital, took similar moves amid the shortage of doctors on duty. The previous day, the government initiated moves to take legal action against doctors engaging in illegal collective actions, with the justice ministry assigning a prosecutor to the health ministry to offer advice. The government has been warning that those leading the collective action could face arrest and doctors involved in a strike could have their medical licenses canceled. Korea has been pushing to increase the number of medical freshmen to address a shortage of doctors, particularly in rural areas and essential medical fields, such as high-risk surgeries, pediatrics, obstetrics and emergency medicine. Doctors, however, argue that the government should rather focus on protecting them from malpractice suits and improving compensation to induce more physicians to practice in such unpopular areas. The Korea Medical Association (KMA) vowed to protect the trainee doctors from legal measures, calling the government's moves an "unbelievable level of blackmail." "Canceling medical licenses and taking legal actions are an act of destroying all ways trainee doctors can go back to their hospitals, and if the trainee doctors get hurt, all doctors will be enraged to cause chaos in the medical field," Joo Soo-ho, a KMA spokesperson, said in a press briefing. The KMA also called on medical schools to not cooperate with the government on reviewing the student quota for each school, saying the government's claim the country will suffer a shortage of medical staff in coming years is faulty. Meanwhile, professors from Seoul National University's medical school urged the government to engage in dialogue with medical professors, emphasizing the importance of persuasion over coercion. "If the government takes unjustifiable actions against our students, we will also take measures against such legal threats," the professors said in a joint statement, calling for the government to establish a channel for dialogue. (Yonhap) This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: This undated photo released by the Roscosmos State Space Corporation shows the International Space Station (ISS). Russia's Roscosmos state corporation on Wednesday reported an air leak in the Russian segment of the International Space Station, but said it posed no threat to its crew. Credit: Roscosmos State Space Corporation via AP, File Russian space officials on Wednesday acknowledged a continuing air leak from the Russian segment of the International Space Station, but said it poses no danger to its crew. The Roscosmos state corporation said that specialists were monitoring the leak and the crew "regularly conducts work to locate and fix possible spots of the leak." "There is no threat to the crew or the station itself," it said in a statement carried by Russian news agencies. Roscosmos' statement followed comments by Joel Montalbano, NASA's station project manager, who noted Wednesday that the leak in the Russian segment has increased but emphasized that it remains small and poses no threat to the crew's safety or vehicle operations. As the space outpost is aging, the crew has to spend more time to repair and maintain it, Roscosmos said.. Russian space officials first reported a leak in the Zvezda module in August 2020 and later that year Russian crew members located what they believed was its source and tried to fix it. In November 2021, another potentially leaky spot was found in a different part of the Russian section of the station. Both Roscosmos and NASA have said the leak posed no danger to the crew and didn't impact operations on the station. There have been other glitches too. In October, coolant leaked from an external backup radiator for Russia's new science lab Nauka (Science), although its main thermal control system was working normally and space officials said the crew and the station weren't in danger. That incident followed coolant leaks from Russian spacecraft parked at the station. In December 2022, coolant leaked from a Soyuz crew capsule docked to the station, and another similar leak from a Progress supply ship was discovered in February 2023. A Russian investigation concluded that those leaks likely resulted from hits by tiny meteoroids, not manufacturing flaws. The space station, which has served as a symbol of post-Cold War international cooperation, is now one of the last remaining areas of cooperation between Russia and the West amid the tensions over Moscow's military action in Ukraine. NASA and its partners hope to continue operating the orbiting outpost until 2030. The station's current crew consists of NASA astronauts Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O'Hara, the European Space Agency's Andreas Mogensen, Russian cosmonauts Konstantin Borisov, Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub and Japanese astronaut Satoshi Furukawa. 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: Transmission electron micrograph of Wolbachia within an insect cell. Credit: Wikimedia Dengue fever is one of the most common tropical diseases in the world, affecting several million people every year. It is transmitted by mosquitoes, particularly a species known as Aedes aegypti, the yellow fever mosquito. If you've ever contracted dengue, you'll know that patients are often bedridden for weeks with swollen glands, muscle and joint pain, extreme fatigue and abdominal pain. But this painful disease also kills thousands of people each year. In Australia, the Aedes aegypti mosquito is common in North Queensland, but dengue fever is raretypically people contract the disease overseas. It would be unusual to acquire a dengue infection in north Queensland now because mosquito populations there all carry a bacterium known as Wolbachia. This bacterium prevents the mosquito transmitting the dengue virus from the bloodstream of one person to another while causing no harm to humans. Wolbachia is a natural infection in many species of insect, but we can transfer it to those that don't yet have it to achieve beneficial effects in health and agriculturewhich include reducing disease transmission in humans and plants, along with the suppression of pest insects. A self-spreading bacteria Almost 15 years ago, our team released mosquitoes carrying this bacterium in Cairns. Over several years, the bacterium spread until almost all of the local Aedes aegypti had acquired Wolbachia. The Wolbachia bacterium can self-spread in mosquito populations. Male mosquitoes carrying the bacterium can sterilize female mosquitoes lacking it, whereas female mosquitoes infected with Wolbachia cannot be sterilized. Because the bacterium is transmitted through a mother mosquito to all her offspring, this can create a huge reproductive advantage for the infection, allowing it to spread. It also means that almost all mosquitoes in the population remain infected with the bacterium across generations, ensuring that Wolbachia is a self-maintaining dengue control even after releases cease. The strain of Wolbachia that now dominates Queensland mosquitoes has also been released in other countries. But Wolbachia does have a weakness. The bacterial density in mosquitoes can decrease under very hot conditions, making it harder to spread. And this decrease can cause its dengue-blocking properties to drop as well. Researchers, including our group and others, have discovered new strains of Wolbachia that are suited to different environmental conditions where dengue and the Aedes mosquitoes both occur. To do this, we transfer different strains of Wolbachia from other insects into mosquitoes. If the mosquitoes survive and reproduce, we can raise a colony containing the new strain of Wolbachia. We can then look at how the strain affects the mosquitoes. Do they still lay as many eggs as mosquitoes with no Wolbachia? Do they live very long? Can they survive in hot and dry conditions without losing the Wolbachia infection? Can they block the dengue virus? But questions like these are the subject of ongoing research. New strain in Malaysia In 2017, one of these new strains was released in Malaysia in dengue hotspots around the capital, Kuala Lumpur. Together with the University of Glasgow, our team at the Pest and Environmental Research Group in the Bio21 Institute have collaborated with the Malaysian Ministry of Health to test its effectiveness. Our early work showed that invasion by the strain led to a substantial decrease in dengue fever outbreaks in hotspots around high-rise residential blocks. Mosquitoes here tended to remain mostly in and around the same housing blocks throughout their lifetime, which helped with the spread of Wolbachia in these local populations. This early success led to the Malaysian Government making Wolbachia releases part of their standard operations to suppress dengue fever. Starting in 2019, the government established many more release sites around these hotspots and retrained their pesticide teams to work with Wolbachia mosquitoes. Initially, they released mosquito eggs and later used mosquito adults. Our new evaluation of 20 locations, published in iScience shows that dengue fever has now been suppressed by more than 60% overallbut this figure goes up to 70% or more at sites where Wolbachia has a high frequency in the mosquito population. This reduction in a disease that has caused deaths in the recent past is now saving lives. Some community leaders have their own motto: "Ada Wolbachia tiada Dengii" (Where there is Wolbachia there is no dengue.) This success should spur further efforts to spread Wolbachia across wider areas to help suppress dengue fever. It is a powerful and proven approach to tackling this challenging tropical disease. More information: Ary A. Hoffmann et al, Introduction of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes carrying wAlbB Wolbachia sharply decreases dengue incidence in disease hotspots, iScience (2024). DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.108942 Journal information: iScience 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: Light is reflected on part of the Aral Sea outside Muynak, Uzbekistan, June 25, 2023. Researchers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and NASA believe if they can inject ice high up in the air, water vapor, water in its gas form, in the upper atmosphere would get a bit drier and that could cool Earth. Credit: AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi, File Government scientists have cooked up a new concept for how to potentially cool an overheating Earth: Fiddle with the upper atmosphere to make it a bit drier. Water vaporwater in its gas formis a natural greenhouse gas that traps heat, just like carbon dioxide from burning coal, oil and gas. So researchers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and NASA figure if they can just inject ice high up in the air, water vapor in the upper atmosphere would get a bit drier and that could counteract a small amount of the human-caused warmth. It's just the spark of an initial idea, said the lead author of a study in Wednesday's journal Science Advances. The idea of drying the upper atmosphere is the newest addition to what some scientists are calling a last-ditch toolbox to deal with climate change by manipulating the world's atmosphere or oceans. Known as geoengineering, it's often rejected because of potential side effects, and is usually mentioned not as an alternative to reducing carbon pollution, but in addition to emission cuts. "This isn't something that we can even implement right now," said Joshua Schwarz, a NOAA physicist who is lead author of a study in Wednesday's journal Science Advances. "This is about exploring what might be possible in the future and identifying research directions." The way it would conceivably work is that high-tech planes could inject ice particles about 11 miles (17 kilometers) high, just below the stratosphere, where the air slowly rises. Then the ice and cold air rise to where it's coldest and gets the water vapor to turn to ice and fall, dehydrating the stratosphere, Schwarz said. So far there is no workable injection technique, he said. At its maximum, injecting 2 tons a week, it could conceivably take out enough water vapor to reduce heating a small amount, about 5% of the overall warming created by carbon from the burning of fossil fuel, Schwarz said. It's not much and shouldn't be used as an alternative to cutting pollution, he said. Schwarz is not quite sure about what side effects could occur, and that's the problem, other scientists said. Purposely tinkering with Earth's atmosphere to fix climate change is likely to create cascading new problems, said University of Victoria climate scientist Andrew Weaver, who wasn't part of the study. He said the engineering side of this makes sense, but he compared the concept to a children's story where a king who loves cheese is overrun with mice, gets cats to deal with the mice, then dogs to chase away the cats, lions to get rid of the dogs and elephants to eliminate the lions and then goes back to mice to scare off the elephants. It makes more sense to deal with the initial problemthe cheese or the carbon dioxide, Weaver said. Scripps Institution of Oceanography atmospheric chemist Lynn Russell, who wasn't part of the research, said the idea is worth examining, but the study "doesn't have a lot of answers given all the uncertainties." Groups from the U.S. National Academy of Sciences to the United Nations Environment Programme have looked at the ethics, side effects, legal complications and benefits of geoengineering with various degrees of skepticism and cautious interest. At the UN environment assembly, nations are considering a resolution to study solar radiation modificationessentially putting particles in the air to reflect sunlight and cool the atmosphereand possible regulations on countries or companies that would do it. "If you're going to do lab experiments indoors, maybe that's all right," UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen told The Associated Press. "But we do believe, from a UNEP perspective, that the moment we step outdoors and we begin to do small- and large-scale experimentation outdoors we need actually need to have a global conversation." "I do think that solar radiation modification is a little bit like artificial intelligence," Andersen said. "Once a genie is out of the bottle, you can't put it back in. It's a technology that is there. We do not think in any way shape or form that it should be considered as a climate solution." More information: Joshua P. Schwarz et al, Considering intentional stratospheric dehydration for climate benefits, Science Advances (2024). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adk0593 Journal information: Science Advances 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: Helical dichroism in amorphous solids. a HD (Type I) for fused silica (blue) and borosilicate (red) as a function of displacement of the singularity with linearly polarized asymmetrical OAM beam b Orientation-dependent transmission of l = 3 in fused silica at = 1200 nm. Credit: Nature Communications (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45735-9 For a long time, it was thought that amorphous solids do not selectively absorb light because of their disordered atomic structure. However, a new uOttawa study disproves this theory and shows that amorphous solids actually exhibit dichroism, meaning that they selectively absorb light of different polarizations. Researchers at the University of Ottawa have found that using helical light beams in disordered solids reveals this dichroism. This discovery contradicts prior beliefs and provides an opportunity to alter the way light interacts with these materials by changing the properties of the light itself. These findings also underscore the importance of short-to-medium-range order within disordered solids in influencing how materials react to light. The study, titled "Intrinsic dichroism in amorphous and crystalline solids with helical light," is published in Nature Communications. Led by Professor Ravi Bhardwaj, who is a Department of Physics researcher who heads uOttawa's Extreme Ultrafast Photonics research group, and doctoral students Ashish Jain and Jean-Luc Begin, this year-long study was conducted in collaboration with professors Thomas Brabec and Paul Corkumat uOttawa's Advanced Research Complex (ARC). "The research was conducted by employing helical light beams carrying orbital angular momentum to probe the optical properties of amorphous and crystalline materials," explains Professor Bhardwaj. "By utilizing a birefringent liquid crystal plate, called a q-plate, developed by Professor Karimi's group, we were able to produce designer light fields with twisted wavefronts that describe a corkscrew pattern." This research has broad implications and challenges current beliefs about the optical characteristics of amorphous solids. It also presents opportunities to control a material's optical behavior by using helical light beams. These findings are significant for multiple fields, including materials science, optics, and chiroptical spectroscopy. "Our team developed a new method to show that non-crystalline solids can exhibit helical dichroism, which means they react differently to light that twists in different directions," says Professor Bhardwaj. "The experimental evidence was complemented by theoretical models developed in collaboration with Professor Brabec, providing a comprehensive understanding of the observed phenomena." "The helical light served as an indirect probe of short-to-medium-range order in disordered solids that extends up to 2 nm. Our research will aid efforts to understand the mysterious nature of amorphous materials," adds Ashish Jain and Jean-Luc Begin. This work significantly advances our understanding of the optical properties of solid-state materials. By demonstrating the existence of intrinsic dichroism in both crystalline and amorphous solids, this research paves the way for innovative applications and further exploration of the unique capabilities of helical light beams in probing and manipulating material properties. More information: Ashish Jain et al, Intrinsic dichroism in amorphous and crystalline solids with helical light, Nature Communications (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45735-9 Journal information: Nature Communications 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: Adventure Scientist Stevie Anna Plummer with scat and water samples collected during a 2016 Nepal expedition to collect samples for the Global Microbe Study. Credit: Adventure Scientists (photo by Paul Amos) In a paper published February 28 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a research team describes the discovery of 18 never-before-seen species of bacteria of the Enterococcus type that contain hundreds of new genesfindings that may offer new clues into antibiotic resistance as scientists hunt for ways to curb these infections. Enterococci are leading causes of multidrug resistant infections, particularly following surgery and in hospitalized patients. The infections can be lethal and contribute to more than $30 billion annually in added health care costs. "Over the past 75 years, antibiotics have saved hundreds of millions of lives and have contributed greatly to the success of all types of surgery," said Michael S. Gilmore, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer at Mass Eye and Ear, who co-lead the research team and is also director of the Infectious Disease Institute at Harvard Medical School. "Over the past 30 years, however, many of the most problematic bacteria have become increasingly resistant to antibiotics and this is now reaching crisis proportions. Our findings may improve understanding of how resistance genes spread to hospital bacteria and threaten human health." Discovered in the 1920s, antibiotics like penicillin are compounds naturally produced by microbes in the soil. Gilmore notes that antibiotic-producing microbes thrive in rotting leaves and plant matter on the forest floor and give forest soil its smell. Gilmore and Ashlee Earl, Ph.D., director of the Bacterial Genomics Group at Broad, assembled an international team of scientists, including elite adventurers, to scour remote corners of the globe for scat, soil and other samples that would likely contain bacteria of the Enterococcus type. The diversity of specimens they collected spanned samples from penguins migrating through sub-Antarctic waters, duiker and elephants from Uganda; insects, bivalves, sea turtles, and wild turkeys from Brazil to the United States; kestrel and vultures from Mongolia; wallaby, swans, and wombats from Australia; and zoo animals and wild birds from Europe. The team's collection efforts had previously led to the discovery of new classes of bacterial toxins and showed that Enterococcus bacteria arose about 425 million years ago when the first animals, ancestors of millipedes and worms, came onto land. They likely dominated the planet for about 50 million years before four-legged animals came ashore. Their most recent collections expanded genus diversity of enterococcal strains by more than 25% and in doing so, uncovered more clues, revealing that insects and other invertebrates are likely by far the greatest natural source for enterococci bacteria, including species that are naturally antibiotic resistant. "Until recently, most of what we've understood about the genetics of enterococcus come from those that make us sick, and that's a problemlike trying to understand darkness without ever seeing the light," said Earl. "Expanding our view to include those from outside of hospitals, with the help of citizen scientists, gave us the contrast we needed to identify how they make people sick in the hospital, and also gives the public the chance to co-own solutions." Gilmore posits that insects have been eating the rotting plant material, and naturally giving themselves a dose of the antibiotics in the process. He hypothesizes that for hundreds of millions of years, bacteria in the guts of these insects like Enterococcus have been exposed to those antibiotics and have become resistant. In the 1940s and '50s, when humans first began taking antibiotics, the resistances were already in the environment and worked their way into the bacteria that cause human infection. "The COVID-19 pandemic revealed that nature contains many infectious risks for humans," said Gilmore. "This study shows that insects and their relatives in nature are a large and uncharacterized reservoir of undiscovered genes in microbes closely related to those that cause some of the most antibiotic resistant infections." More information: Julia A. Schwartzman et al, Global diversity of enterococci and description of 18 previously unknown species, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2024). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2310852121 Provided by Mass Eye and Ear 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 vocalizations of humans, bats, whales, seals and songbirds vastly differ from each other. But CMU and UC Berkeley researchers have found parts of the genome that have evolved and are associated with vocal learning across mammals. Credit: Julie E. Elie and Boaz Styr / University of California, Berkeley The vocalizations of humans, bats, whales, seals and songbirds vastly differ from each other. Humans and birds, for example, are separated by some 300 million years of evolution. But scientists studying how these animals learn to "speak" have time and again seen surprising similarities in the connections in brain regions that support this vocal learning. In a paper published in the journal Science, a multi-institutional team led by scientists at Carnegie Mellon University and the University of California, Berkeley has found parts of the genome, both within genes and outside them, that have evolved and are associated with vocal learning across mammals. Employing a machine learning approach called tissue-aware conservation inference toolkit (TACIT) on the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center's Bridges-2 system, the laboratory of Andreas Pfenning identified 50 gene regulatory elements from the brains of humans, bats, whales and seals that have a stronger relationship to vocalization. These regulatory elements are DNA sequences outside the actual genes that direct what genes are active in which tissues. Scientists have come to understand that regulatory elements play a big role in the evolution of behaviors. But studying them has been much more difficult than studying the genes. "New artificial intelligence methods were needed to help find evolutionary signals in regulatory elements across hundreds of genomes," said Pfenning, a corresponding author on the new study and an associate professor in CMU's Ray and Stephanie Lane Computational Biology Department affiliated with the Neuroscience Institute and Department of Biological Sciences. "We're entering an exciting era where AI is improving our ability to trace human evolutionary history. Studying the gene regulatory elements requires building a map of which ones are active in the relevant brain region of species with vocal learning behavior." That relevant brain region was found through experiments conducted in the laboratory of UC Berkeley's Michael Yartsev, another corresponding author. They found evidence that a specific part of the Egyptian fruit bat brain has similar neural connections to the part of the human brain that controls speech production. "Very few mammals are actually capable of learning the sounds that they make, which makes it very difficult to study this core aspect of humanity," said Yartsev, an associate professor of bioengineering and neuroscience at UC Berkeley. "We were able to identify parallels between bats and humans in the structural elements of the brain, the genetic content, and even the neural circuitry that control vocal learning." Both vocal-learning-associated genes and the gene regulatory elements discovered in this study also tend to reside in parts of the genome related to autism spectrum disorder. This finding suggests that studying the evolutionary history of the human genome can provide clues to how it influences human health. "The types of cells that form long-range connections in the human and bat brain are the same ones that we discovered as most relevant to vocal learning based on the genetic analysis," Pfenning said. "The anatomy and genetics are both pointing to the same mechanism underlying the evolution of vocal learning across mammals and speech production in humans." More information: Morgan E. Wirthlin et al, Vocal learning-associated convergent evolution in mammalian proteins and regulatory elements, Science (2024). DOI: 10.1126/science.abn3263 Journal information: Science This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: U.S. Navy crews recover the Orion Spacecraft for NASA's Artemis I mission from where it landed in the Pacific Ocean in December 2022. No human astronauts were aboard. Credit: NASA/Josh Valcarcel In a corner room of the Aerospace Engineering Sciences Building at CU Boulder, Torin Clark is about to go for a ride. The associate professor straps himself into what looks like an intimidating dentist's chair perched on metal scaffolding, which, in turn, rests on a circular base. The whole set up resembles a carnival attraction. Which, in a way, it is. "Torin, are you ready to start?" calls out graduate student Taylor Lonner from in front of a monitor displaying several views of Clark. "I'm going to go to 5 r.p.m. over two minutes." Clark gives a thumbs up and begins to spinfirst slowly, then faster and faster. The chair whips in circles around the room, creating a centrifugal force that forces his body back into the headrest. Once the machine slows down and Clark is back on solid ground, he seems a little wobbly but in otherwise good spirits. "It basically feels like a gravitron," he says, referring to the spinning, nausea-inducing rides that became a staple of county fairs in the 1980s. The team from the Ann and H.J. Smead Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences is using this machine as one step in an experiment that seeks to recreate an experience that few people ever have: The shock of going from one gravity environment, like space, to another, like the surface of Earth. In particular, the group is tackling what happens when astronauts return home, landing in their spacecrafts in the middle of a choppy ocean. Credit: University of Colorado at Boulder Disorientation and motion sickness have long been an underappreciated reality of space exploration, Lonner said. Surveys suggest that a majority of astronauts and cosmonauts have gotten sick during water landingsa relatively minor condition that could become dangerous if nauseous crew members suddenly have to respond to a disaster. Addressing such motion sickness will become increasingly important as more people travel into space, and stay there for long, Lonner said. In recent lab experiments, the team discovered that virtual reality goggles might help keep astronauts grounded when they splash down in the ocean. This technology can provide people with calming images of a landscape to gaze at, similar to watching the horizon from the deck of a boat. The team presented its results this month at NASA's annual Human Research Program Investigators' Workshop in Galveston, Texas. "We're increasing this whole bubble of space exploration," Lonner said. "But people aren't going to want to do that if they're just going to be miserable when they get to microgravity and when they return to Earth." Adrift at sea For the aerospace engineer, the question is a personal oneshe can't so much as crack a book open during car rides without getting queasy. According to one hypothesis, motion sickness like hers arises from a sort of mismatch between the body and brain. "When you're in a moving environment, your body senses your surroundings, but your brain also holds an expectation for what you should be sensing based on your past experiences," Lonner said. "When those two things disagree for an extended period of time, you get motion sick." Unfortunately for astronauts, space is full of those kinds of contradictions. When humans first break free of Earth's atmosphere, for example, their brains expect their bodies to experience a downward tug from gravityconditions that don't exist in space. As a result, roughly 60% to 80% of space travelers have experienced what scientists call "space motion sickness," which can last for a few days or even longer. (Russian cosmonaut Gherman Titov holds the dubious honor of being the first human to vomit in space when he lost his lunch inside the Vostok 2 spacecraft). In separate research, Clark and his colleagues are exploring whether space explorers can reduce space motion sickness through simple exercises, such as careful tilts of the head. But icky feelings may also emerge when astronauts come back to Earth. NASA is planning to send humans to the moon this decade aboard the Orion or Dragon spacecrafts. When Orion, in particular, returns to Earth, it will likely plop into the ocean somewhere off the coast of California. There, astronauts may bob up and down in the waves for as long as an hour while they wait for rescue. It's not a pretty picture, Lonner said, "If you look at Orion and Dragon, there are only a few porthole windows that really aren't sufficient for giving astronauts a fixed view of Earth." Walk in the forest Back at CU Boulder, in a lab down the hall from the human centrifuge, Clark steps into a different machine. The metal cube painted blue is about the size of a small bedroom. It previously resided at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston and is so big that the team had to bring it into the building in pieces, then put it back together on site. Once Clark secures himself to a chair inside and shuts the door, the massive device rumbles to life and begins to move, sliding along a track on the floor. It swishes in a straight line from one end of the room to the other for several minutes. "You feel like you're getting rocked back and forth," Clark says. In fact, it feels like being rocked back and forth by wavesthe researchers programmed the sled's motion by drawing on data from real buoys in the Pacific Ocean. In one recent experiment, the team took a two-stage approach to simulating the motion sickness that comes from water landings: First, the group spun 30 human subjects for an hour in the centrifuge. That spinning mimics the disorientation astronauts experience when they suddenly transition from microgravity to the harshness of Earth's gravity. Next, the researchers rocked the subjects in the sled for as much as an hour. If that sounds like a recipe for nausea, Lonner said, it was. But, she added, the team also gave each of the subjects a pair of virtual reality goggles to wear. Half of the subjects saw an image of a fixed white dot against a black background. But the other subjects received a much richer picturea digital forest complete with a few cartoon humans for scale. Those forests also moved in tandem with the sled. When it slid or tilted, so did the trees and people. "It's like a virtual window," Lonner said. It also did the trick. Lonner explained that if subjects experienced moderate symptoms of motion sickness for longer than two minutes, they exited the experiment. Only a third of the people wearing goggles showing just the white dot lasted for the entire hour in the sled. In contrast, nearly 80% of subjects watching the forest survived the ordeal. A window opens The researchers are working to build on their results, exploring, for example, whether adding more information to the forest scene can help reduce nausea even more. But they are optimistic that virtual reality could give astronauts returning to Earth a little relief. Lonner sees the project as a way of opening space exploration up to more peopleincluding people like her who get nauseous on airplanes. She's even used some of the lessons from her research in her own life. "I realized that it's worse when the window is closed, and I can't see the clouds passing by," Lonner said. "Now, I'll always open the window to watch the clouds." 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 firefighter battling the Smokehouse Creek Fire, near Amarillo, in the Texas Panhandle. Texas emergency crews were struggling Thursday to contain the largest wildfire in the US state's history, with the blaze killing at least two people and scorching a million acres as it raged out of control. The Texas A&M Forest Service said five major fires, fueled by an unseasonably hot winter and ferocious winds, were actively burning across the state's northern area known as the Texas panhandle. The largest, the Smokehouse Creek Fire, started on Monday, grew to a record 1,075,000 acres (435,000 hectares) in size, and was just three percent contained, the forest service said. With Smokehouse Creek merging with another blaze, it has now become the state's largest-ever wildfire, surpassing the East Amarillo Complex disaster that torched 907,000 acres in 2006. A 44-year-old truck driver died in an Oklahoma City hospital on Thursday, having been rescued near her smoke-engulfed truck in Smokehouse Creek on Tuesday, according to several local media, citing a Texas public safety department official. While preventive evacuations were ordered across multiple localities, the body of an 83-year-old woman was found in the city of Stinnett, a Hutchinson County emergency services spokesperson told ABC News. She also said about 20 structures in Stinnett had been razed by the fire. Map of burned areas in Texas as of February 28, 2024, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. A 120-year-old Texas ranch said it lost 80 percent of its 32,000-acre property near the area of the largest fire. "The loss of livestock, crops, and wildlife, as well as ranch fencing and other infrastructure throughout our property as well as other ranches and homes across the region is, we believe, unparalleled in our history," the managers of Turkey Track Ranch said in a statement posted on its website. Governor Greg Abbott on Tuesday issued a disaster declaration for 60 Texas counties, a move that frees up resources to battle the fires. President Joe Biden, while visiting the southern border, told reporters that 500 federal personnel were working on fire suppression in Texas. "I directed my team to do everything possible to help protect the people in the communities threatened by these fires," Biden said, promising federal support to Texas and neighboring Oklahoma while also slamming those who deny climate change. "I love some of my Neanderthal friends who still think there's no climate change," he said. Cities across the United States and Canada saw record temperatures in February, with some experiencing summer-like heat. An El Nino weather pattern is at play, in addition to climate change, according to experts. 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 design of TIMIscope and four-region imaging. Credit: USTC Research groups led by Prof. Bi Guoqiang, University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), and Prof. Zhou Pengcheng from Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology of Chinese Academy of Chinese proposed a design for ultra-compact head-mounted fluorescence microscopes, which were applied to neuro observations. The study was published in National Science Review. Head-mounted microscopes are applied for calcium imaging in freely behaving animals. However, space and weight constraints remain a barrier. In this study, researchers proposed a Tightly Integrated Neuronal Imaging microscope (TINIscope) with optimized optical, electronic and mechanic designs. Weighing 0.43g, TINIscope is the lightest among current head-mounted microscopes. Due to its compactness, the TINIscope is capable of multi-region calcium imaging. Instead of using a serializer chip, the image sensor directly transmits serialized data, thus cutting much of the size. Some other components were also cut, with only essential parts left. The shrunk sensor allowed an optimized illumination design to reduce the distance between optical components further. TINIscope applied a novel design with the placement of the CMOS sensor on the side and LED excitation on the top. With dichroic mirrors applied to reflect emission fluorescence to sensors, multiple TINIscopes could be rotated to distribute their sensors spatially. Therefore, multi-region imaging was reached. Finally, a commutator was developed to prevent entanglement caused by the motion of the mouse. In the experiment, the calcium-sensitive fluorescent protein GCaMP6s was applied, and each of the four hippocampal subregions of a mouse was implanted with a GRIN lens. The equipment of TINIscope turned out to have no obvious impact on the mice's behaviors. A T-maze test and a modified open-field arena test were then conducted, and mutual information analysis was used to identify neurons exhibiting spatial tuning. The results showed that the recorded regions all contained spatially tuned neurons with a proportion of approximately 20%. Taking advantage of the compactness of TINIscope, other modules could be combined to reach multi-modal experiments. Researchers integrated TINIscope with optogenetic stimulation and electrical stimulation and recorded the neurons that responded to stimulations. Calcium imaging in conjunction with electrode recordings in the same brain region was also carried out, which was able to detect distinct waveforms that propagated in the hippocampus such as sharp-wave ripples. More information: Feng Xue et al, Multi-region calcium imaging in freely behaving mice with ultra-compact head-mounted fluorescence microscopes, National Science Review (2023). DOI: 10.1093/nsr/nwad294 Provided by University of Science and Technology of China 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: Known funding streams for the UC Davis CLEAR Center (from founding in 2018 to May 2023) and Colorado State University AgNext at CSU (from founding in 2020 to May 2023). Note that this figure also includes funding for research related to the centers purpose and for which the center faculty director was a principal investigator or co-principal investigator during the same time period. These figures do not include funding sources announced in 2023 after the date of article submission. Credit: Climatic Change (2024). DOI: 10.1007/s10584-024-03690-w The livestock industry's impact on climate change has long been a subject of concern, as detailed in the 2006 United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization's 390-page report "Livestock's Long Shadow." The report provided the first global assessment of animal agriculture's contribution to anthropogenic warming, land degradation, air pollution, water shortage and loss of biodiversity. Further, the report stated grim environmental consequences if the industry continued as usual. A recent article in the journal Climatic Change sheds light on the industry's tactics in shaping public discourse and policy surrounding its climate impacts. The study, co-led by Jennifer Jacquet, a professor in the Department of Environmental Science and Policy at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science, and the Abess Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy and Viveca Morris, a research scholar at Yale Law School, reveals how animal agriculture companies, akin to fossil fuel corporations, have downplayed their role in climate change and influenced policymaking in their favor. Key findings indicate that industry-funded efforts have been bolstered by collaborations with academic researchers. Notably, funding support from the beef industry helped to create what appeared to be a scientific dispute over the findings of "Livestock's Long Shadow" and served to shift blame away from cattle production for climate change impacts. The researchers also identify the emergence of academic centers, established with industry support, as playing a pivotal role in promoting industry-friendly narratives, obstructing emission regulations, and advocating for climate solutions that prioritize production over environmental concerns. "This research underscores how industry-funded initiatives within academic institutions have perpetuated misinformation and hindered meaningful action on climate change mitigation in the animal agriculture sector," said Jacquet. "These are egregious examples of industry funders being heavily involved at universitiesthe industry groups shape the research agenda, hire PR firms to help name and promote the university centers, get involved with the professors' social media accounts, and in some cases are the professors' former employer." "It's now well established that the animal agriculture industry is a major contributor to the climate crisis," said Morris. "Yet, in the United Statesone of the largest producers and consumers of meat and dairy productslivestock greenhouse gas emissions remain effectively unregulated. This begs the question: why? Like other industries, in a multitude of ways, the livestock industry has shaped public opinion and public policy to ensure that it can continue to operate and emit as usual. Industry-funded academics have played a key role in those efforts." The study, which evaluated the origins, funding sources, and activities of academic centers and researchers, highlights the need for transparency in academic-industry partnerships. The findings also highlight the industry's strategic efforts to maintain its social license to operate by leveraging academic credibility to shape public opinion and policymaking. More information: Viveca Morris et al, The animal agriculture industry, US universities, and the obstruction of climate understanding and policy, Climatic Change (2024). DOI: 10.1007/s10584-024-03690-w Journal information: Climatic Change By Jung Da-hyun The Seoul Metropolitan Government began recruiting 40 monitoring personnel from Monday until March 8 to address and understand the inconveniences faced by foreign residents living in Seoul. This program, launched in 2012, encourages foreign residents to actively participate in the city's policymaking by providing insights from their experiences and suggesting improvements. Last year's program was participated by 37 monitors from 20 different countries. Eligible applicants include foreign residents, naturalized and marriage immigrants, who have lived in Seoul for over a year and possess proficiency in either Korean or English. Those interested in the program must submit their applications via email. The selection process involves a document review, and candidates for the program will be notified individually by March 15. Selected participants will actively engage in the program for nine months, from April to December this year. They will receive an activity fee of 30,000 won ($22.50) per report, and they can submit up to four reports per month. During the recruitment phase, the city government plans to consider applicants' country of origin and skills to ensure an effective collection of opinions on inconveniences faced by foreign residents. The city government is actively listening to the voices of foreign residents, aiming to enhance their living experiences and create a welcoming and attractive city that people will want to visit and live in, said Lee Jeong-oak, director of the Family and Multiculturalism Division at the Seoul Metropolitan Government. Details can be found on the official websites of the city government and Hanultari for multicultural families. By Mabinty M. Kamara The Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE) and the West Africa Examination Council are currently in disagreement over the release of the soft Copy of the just released 2021 results of y the West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) taken by SSS 3 pupils across the country. The Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education who doubles as the Chief Innovation Officer at the Directorate of Science ,Technology and Innovation took to twitter on Christmas day seeking public opinion on the refusal of the examining body to release soft copies of the results, I did ask WAEC for the soft copies of the WASSCE Exams. They refused claiming the data belongs to them and referred the matter to their board which meets in January. What do our citizens think about this? We have dispatched the hard copies to schools without analysis, his post on Twitter reads. The Ministry for both the National Primary School Examination (NPSE) and the Basic Education Certificate Examinations (BECE) conducted by WAEC created a free results checker portal in collaboration with two telecommunication service providers in the country to allow parents and pupils access their results through SMS text using any type of mobile phone. The Minister also analysed the results announcing the 10 best candidates and schools and also the aggregated scores of boys and girls to assess the impacts of the governments radical inclusion policy in education. However, in a correspondence seen by Politico between the two institutions, the Council frowns at the establishment of another platform to access WAEC results apart from that which is created by the institution which is paid for. The council has viewed this development as most inappropriate and worrisome, in view of its immediate and long term implications for the council, the education sector and the Sierra Leonean child. Due to the likelihood of operational and security implications, it is not the councils practice to release a soft copy of the whole examination results to any requesting authority outside the council, it reads. It added Honourable Minister, we appreciate your expertise in the field of technology, and with your vast knowledge and experience in the field, we have no doubt that you are quite aware of the endless possibilities and threats to which the huge volume of data for the 2021 NPSE and BECE are being exposed or subjected to on the result checker platform created by the MBSSE. As an individual technological expert, you certainly possess all that is require to operate, maintain and protect a website or online platform, but considering the transient nature of all appointments, the continued existence and safety of the platform may not be guarantee in an event of your redeployment to another ministry. The letter also highlighted that the action will affect the integrity of the councils data, candidates when they go to other countries and that, the conduct of examinations ahead of payment will of fees by the government will no longer be feasible, as revenue due the council and the result checker service provider is usually borrowed to pre -finance examination. In response to this, the ministry in a letter dated 23rd December 2021 allays the fears of the West Africa examining body, assuring that the data is safe and that it will create no confusion since WAEC has the original copy to all the results. The integrity of council data: since the council has the original examination data, the integrity of the councils data remains unaffected by what we do with our own copy. Note that nothing is changed in the data we received from WAEC before we publish on our platforms, it reads. Parents as well as pupils and social media users have accused WAEC of extortion of money from the population who are always in a rush to access the results before it gets to the schools for distributions. The cost of the scratch card used to access the WAEC portal is above Le 40,000 at some sales points across the country. Copyright 2021 Politico Online (28/12/21) ATLANTIC CITY Black-owned businesses once dominated the resort. At its high point, more than 300 of them called the citys Northside home. Now, the number of Black-owned businesses overall in the city is a fraction of that. Today, theres only four basic businesses that survive integration, and those four basic businesses are the Black barbershop, the Black beauty parlor, the Black church and the Black funeral director, said Ralph Hunter, an Atlantic City historian and president of the African American Heritage Museum of Southern New Jersey. But a new generation of business owners is trying to increase those numbers. With support from residents, the city and others in the community, some merchants believe more Black-owned businesses could survive in the city. I wouldnt have ever thought this would have happened with this many people in this many stores. Im happy that it actually diversified this way and expanded out to where The Walk actually let smaller businesses come in and compete with major corporations, said Carson Days, who owns Swapz AC in the Tanger Outlets with his business partner, Matt Akpan. So thats actually really, really good because some locations are just horrible. The number of Black-owned businesses in the city varies by source. Although there are 15 Black-owned businesses listed on Visit Atlantic Citys Black-Owned Businesses count, Yelp lists only six. Around the country, there are 161,031 firms with majority Black or African American ownership, up from 124,004 in 2017, according to the latest estimates from the Annual Business Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Science Foundation. Atlantic City NAACP Youth Council receives $10,000 grant The Atlantic City NAACP Youth Council will receive $10,000 from New Jersey Community Capital as part of an annual program that supports nonprofits in traditionally underserved areas during Black History Month. Black-owned firms gross revenue increased 43% during that period, from an estimated $127.9 billion in 2017 to $183.3 billion in 2021. From the responses I get when people hear that Im the owner, its always positive. Its like a light to them that theres more Black-owned business opening in Atlantic City, said Dominic Francis, owner of the Heady2Go smoke shop in the Tanger Outlets. We always get customers that want to support and show love, and they express how we need more Black-owned business in A.C. Days and Francis agreed that more resources, like grants or incentives for owners, and creating more awareness of the Black-owned businesses the city has would boost Black-owned business growth. Due to technological advances like the internet and social media, Hunter said theres a greater chance for more Black-owned businesses to succeed. Theres lots of new business. Its the age of technology. Theres a lot of companies that are in all kinds of businesses that relate to the computer age, but the toy store, the car shop, the restaurants or things of that nature, or the restaurants just dont exist in those areas, Hunter said. The city has educational programming that encourages business growth through the Small Business Academy, which teaches residents what it takes to become entrepreneurs, city spokesperson Andrew Kramer said. The city also has held a seminar geared toward Black and minority-owned businesses on how to do business with the city. Atlantic City residents have what it takes to become entrepreneurs. While this free program is open to all residents, the hope is future Black and minority business owners take advantage of this opportunity, Kramer said. Hunter said many of the businesses that were operational in the 1940s, 50s and 60s in the Northside no longer exist. He said that part of the city had a total of 31 Black-owned bars and liquor licenses at one point, citing iconic places like Club Harlem. Late Atlantic City business leader Sara Spencer Washington started receiving her flowers only recently Sara Spencer Washington, who died at 63 in 1953 in Atlantic City, was a Black millionaire who founded the Apex News & Hair Company in 1919. She parlayed her line of beauty and hair products into international cosmetology schools, which gave thousands of Black women financial independence by helping them to own their own salons. Club Harlem had three to four shows daily that were almost always booked to the venues 3,000-person capacity, before the casinos were even around, Hunter said. The club also brought entertainers from all over the world to play there, especially African American artists since they werent permitted to play at hotels or the Steel Pier prior to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, legislation that outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion and national origin. Because integration has taken place in and around the world, cities not only Atlantic City, but cities like the Southside of Chicago; Gary, Indiana; Detroit; Brooklyn, New Harlem, New York those businesses dont exist today. And one of the reasons why they dont exist is because integration happened and people started moving out of the redline districts, moving into areas that were totally different after Brown v. Board of Education in 1954 and the Civil Rights Act of 1964, said Hunter. So if you had a series of hundreds of businesses in a redline area, they just dont exist today in a traditional African American community where they were forced to live. 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. Cannabis experts are concerned about a lawmakers attempt to require motorists suspected of driving under the influence of marijuana to provide a blood sample to police. Critics of the recently introduced bill say it would not only give police more power that would likely be wielded disproportionately against people of color, but they also argue the testing methods called for in the bill dont even work. Joshua Bachner, a cannabis attorney at law firm Mandelbaum Barrett, criticized the move as an example of government overreach. The state should develop and theres many of us in the state happy to coordinate with them a comprehensive, reliable method for determining impairment, he said. But these piecemeal approaches are only going to cause a lot of victimization, frankly, for those who are falsely accused. Under current law, anyone in New Jersey who drives is consenting to provide a breath sample if police believe they are driving drunk its called implied consent. The new bill would expand that to include a blood test and apply to any narcotic, hallucinogenic, or other drug. Someone would be deemed under the influence of marijuana if they test positive for 3 nanograms or more of THC the chemical that gets cannabis users high. The push to expand implied consent laws to apply to drivers suspected of marijuana use comes two years after New Jerseys recreational marijuana market launched, and as legal cannabis becomes more prevalent nationwide. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration called drug-impaired driving a major highway safety issue. From 2007 to 2014, there was a 48% increase in drivers testing positive for THC, according to a NHTSA study. Bill sponsor Sen. Shirley Turner (D-Mercer) did not respond to a request for comment. Turner introduced a similar bill in the last legislative session, but it never reached a committee vote. Middle Township delays latest weed vote The Middle Township Committee tabled an ordinance vote amending where cannabis businesses could locate at a recent meeting. Some residents remain unconvinced it should be allowed at all. Bauchner pointed to a report from the National Library of Medicine that he says debunks the suggested method for testing laid out in the bill. The study also says peoples response to amounts of cannabis can change depending on their tolerance. The handful of states with marijuana-impaired driving limits allow for varying ranges of THC amounts in a drivers system. Nevada and Ohio allow for 2 nanograms, while Illinois and Washington allow for 5 nanograms. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, there is no national standard for drugged driving, unlike the nationally recognized alcohol impairment level of .08 blood alcohol concentration. New Jersey currently has no THC limit in place for drivers. Theres no proven way to test whether someone is high from marijuana at the moment. Unlike alcohol, which breaks down in someones bloodstream over hours, cannabis can remain in someones system for over 45 days. Bauchner said thats another problem with the bill. This isnt based on science, this is based on guesswork, he said. Alex Shalom, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey, said its fair for the state to look for new ways to tackle impaired driving, but he echoed worries that the bill could result in people who are not impaired being arrested. He also wondered whether there is established science to determine when someone is impaired by cannabis. We need a process where we rigorously figure out what the right level is to determine if people are impaired, and Im not sure weve done that yet in New Jersey, he said. One of Shaloms largest concerns about the bill is that police could improperly force drivers to provide a blood sample without a warrant. He noted that cops can, under current law, seek a warrant for a blood sample, meaning there is judicial oversight involved. It forces the police to have to get the approval of a judge before they invade a persons bodily autonomy, he said. That is both consistent with the Constitution and consistent with our values that say, before the government can stick a needle in your arm, they better have an awfully good reason. Stockton to host panel on cannabis tourism in Atlantic City Stockton University will host a panel on cannabis tourism in Atlantic City at 1 p.m. March 7. People of color already face disparate treatment from police, Shalom said. Black and Latino drivers are overrepresented in traffic stops, and are more likely to be searched than their white counterparts, even though the searches are less likely to result in evidence, according to a Northeastern University study into New Jersey State Police stops. Bauchner worries the behaviors police look for to gauge whether someone is an impaired driver are the same as those of a nervous person: sweaty palms, avoiding eye contact, sniffling, anxiety, and increased heart rate. If youre an African American person getting pulled over by law enforcement in this country, you are manifesting those conditions. Not because youre impaired, but because youre a Black person getting pulled over and youre afraid for your life, he said. This story first appeared on the New Jersey Monitor. New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin has given microstamping a ballistics identification technology meant to help cops nab people who use guns in crimes his seal of approval. Platkin issued a report Wednesday declaring firearm micrcostamping viable, a year and a half after state lawmakers passed a law that ordered gun dealers to sell microstamping-capable guns if Platkin certified the technology. Examiners from his office used a Colt handgun to test the technology last August at a State Police range in Hamilton and also assessed existing peer-reviewed studies, according to his office. The technology uses lasers to engrave identifying marks, such as numbers, letters, or shapes, onto a guns firing pin. When the gun fires a round, the firing pin imprints the identifying marks on the cartridge case expended from the firearm, and forensic examiners can read the identifying marks to link a cartridge case to a guns particular make, model, and serial number. The technology is meant to help investigators identify a gun owner, even if the gun isnt recovered. Now that Platkin has certified the technology, gun makers can apply to join a state microstamping roster. Once an examiner from Platkins office approves a firearm for inclusion on that roster, gun retailers statewide will be required to stock at least one gun from the roster in their stores. Detention hearing for Upper Deerfield man accused of using 'ghost gun' to kill home invader moved to Friday A detention hearing for an Upper Deerfield Township man who allegedly shot and killed a home invader before being arrested for possessing a "ghost gun" has been moved to Friday after the defense requested a one-day postponement. This technology gives law enforcement an innovative tool to identify crime guns and bring perpetrators to justice, Platkin said in a statement. Now that we have certified that this technology is viable, we urge gun manufacturers to adopt microstamping technology in their production facilities and apply for placement on New Jerseys microstamping-enabled firearms roster. New Jerseys microstamping law was part of a raft of laws passed in the wake of several mass shootings nationally. Other measures included mandating firearm training for people seeking gun permits, banning .50 caliber weapons, creating a database of handgun ammunition sales, and allowing the attorney general to sue gun manufacturers as public nuisances. Two states New York and California have laws requiring new handguns to have microstamping technology, which gun rights groups have decried as an expensive, unproven euphemism for gun control. Scott Bach, executive director of the Association of New Jersey Rifle & Pistol Clubs, called it a failed idea that has been thoroughly rejected by many states over the past few decades. It can be easily thwarted by changing an inexpensive firearms part, Bach told the New Jersey Monitor. Its sole value is to politicians looking for an excuse to ban self-defense tools from law-abiding citizens, by declaring all conventional ammunition illegal and requiring a useless technology that no one actually makes and has no real crime-solving value. This story first appeared on the New Jersey Monitor. DES MOINES Iowans could soon purchase a license plate that features the yellow dont tread on me Gadsden flag, with the fees collected going to fund training and education by National Rifle Association-affiliated groups. The flag, which features a coiled rattlesnake and the slogan Dont tread on me, has become a symbol of individual liberty favored by Libertarians and conservatives. It has its origins in the American Revolutionary War and was designed by Christopher Gadsden, a South Carolina delegate to the Continental Congress. House File 2424, which would make the plates an option for drivers in Iowa, was passed out of the Ways and Means committee by majority Republicans on Wednesday, making it eligible for a vote in the full House. The specialized plates would cost $50 to register and require a $50 annual fee. The money collected by the plate registration would be directed to the Department of Public Safety, which would distribute grants for education and training on the right to keep and bear arms under the constitutions of the U.S. and Iowa. The bill would direct the department to give first consideration for those grants to any official state association of the National Rifle Association or similar nonprofit organizations. The Iowa Firearms Coalition, an influential gun rights lobbying group, is the official Iowa state association of the NRA. The coalition is the only group registered in favor of the bill. We do a lot with different plates, right? We direct funds to different commodity groups or other organizations. said Rep. Phil Thompson, a Republican from Boone and chair of the House Public Safety Committee. It was kind of a brainchild of senators that wanted to do the same thing with Second Amendment advocacy. Iowans have the option to pay for plates associated with the states three public universities, natural resources, emergency medical services, firefighters, and motorcycle riders, among many others. The fees for those plates are also directed to specific state funds to benefit those groups. The bill originally called for a $35 registration fee and a $10 annual fee, but Republicans amended the bill in the Ways and Means committee meeting on Wednesday to increase those fees to $50 each. Based on estimates from the Legislative Services Agency, adjusted for the new cost, the bill would bring in more than $157,000 in fees during the first year. The agency expected around 3,150 plates would be issued. Democrats opposed the bill in committee and offered an amendment to redirect the funding to mental health support and school shooting counseling by the states area education agencies, which was voted down by Republicans. Weve heard for years and years and years, the question is on mental health, said Rep. David Jacoby, a Democrat from Coralville. Well, after years and years and years of that question, heres an answer. That we divert those funds toward mental health or our children in the state of Iowa. Jacoby also proposed an amendment to reduce the fees for the plates to what was originally proposed in the bill, which was voted down. He said he was not opposed to offering the flag as an option for Iowa drivers, but he did not want to see the money collected going to the NRA-affiliated groups. Thompson said he supports directing the money to gun rights organizations because they are the groups that offer education around the second amendment and right to bear arms. The bill was also amended to allow vehicle owners to place frames around a license plate that obscure the name of the plate's county, as long as they do not obscure the other numbers and letters on the plate. Twelve other states, including Texas, Florida and Virginia, offer Gadsden flag license plates. Senate lawmakers advanced a similar bill last year, but it did not include the provision to direct funds to gun rights groups. The bill did not reach a floor vote. WALCOTT Drivers cruising near the Iowa 80 Truckstop in the past year have likely noticed a massive red and tan building under construction. The Iowa80 Truckstop opened its own distribution center in January at 510 Sterling Drive, behind the museum. It has a total of 251,000 total square feet of warehousing space, with a big chunk of that 117,180 square feet to be used to house trucking accessories for the online trucking accessories superstore, Iowa80.com, and for the retail businesses inside the truck stop. At a ribbon cutting Tuesday, Delia Meier, president of Iowa80.com, said the building was built extra-large on purpose, with the intention of bringing in new businesses to Walcott. The remaining 128,959 square feet is available for lease or open for third party fulfillment. The retail business began in 2000 and is the "e-commerce arm" of the truck stop, said general manager Deanna Slack. The company celebrated its 20th anniversary during the COVID-19 pandemic, she said, but it was not all bad news. The new facility greatly expands on their previous capacity. Featured in the new Iowa80.com Distribution Center are 10 state-of-the-art loading docks, 33,371 linear feet of racking, 32 high ceilings, and a fireproof room of 9,400 square feet. It is also fully air conditioned. "During the pandemic trucking thrived and America remembered how important the professional driver is to our world," Slack said. "We took this time to begin implanting our vision for a bigger and better installation system." Plans for the building were finalized in 2022 and the first order was shipped out on Jan. 16 of this year. In addition to the Walcott stores, the new distribution center will fulfill orders for online trucking accessory orders, as well as ship product to the brick-and-mortar stores operated by Iowa 80 Group including Kenly 95 Petro in North Carolina and Joplin 44 Petro in Missouri. Moving into the building, however, was not as easy as it sounds. Slack said the big move was scheduled for Jan. 12, when Iowa saw blizzard conditions with nearly a foot of snow and record-cold temperatures. "Everyone showed up. They somehow got here and worked all weekend to move product. And today it's 72 and another record, so I'm going to call it every time," she said with a laugh. "It goes to show the Iowa strong work ethic of Iowa80." Photos: Tow Truck Drivers parade through Moline to honor fallen colleague Witnesses testifying Wednesday in the murder trial of a Rock Island man included people who attended the party where the killing took place. Glen J. Evans Jr., 19, Rock Island, faces a single count of first-degree murder, according to court records. Authorities allege he killed Zavion A. McNair, 19, on Aug. 19, 2023, at a house party in the 2000 block of 33rd Street in Rock Island. Among witnesses who took the stand on Wednesday were people who attended the party. Their testimony included that they saw Evans and McNair arguing in a room just before the first shot was fired. They did not see who fired the shot. Evans is the son of Rock Island County Republican Central Committee Chairman Glen J. Evans Sr., according to previous reporting. Evans chose to have a bench trial, so Judge Daniel P. Dalton, not a jury, must decide Evans culpability once testimony is concluded. Kelvin McCabe, one of Evans attorneys, said Tuesday that the court must decide whether his client acted in self defense. McNair, McCabe said, shot first, wounding Evans. In December, McCabe filed a notice of affirmative defense, stating Evans could argue he acted in self defense, or defense of a person, at trial. Dameon Anderson, 19, testified Wednesday that the event was his college going-away party. He grew up in Rock Island but attends college in Iowa. Another witness who described the argument was a juvenile teenager who said she is still attending high school. They each testified that Evans and McNair were arguing over a gun that McNair had apparently taken from Evans. The two witnesses also testified both men held firearms while they argued. Evans gun was in his hand but he had it pointed at the ground, the witnesses said. McNairs gun was also in his hand, but was near his side under his armpit, they said. Evans moved his hands as he talked, but Anderson said he did not see Evans point the weapon at anyone. McNair was not waving his gun around, Anderson said. He also did not point his firearm at anyone, the two testified, nor did he make any aggressive moves towards Evans. The teen told the court she offered to try to get the gun back from McNair for Evans, but McNair would not let her have it. Both witnesses testified they heard the first shot but did not see who fired. Anderson said he ran from the room and saw McNair, who was his friend, also running. The teenager said she heard the shot behind her and felt the discharge near her foot. She testified Evans was behind her. All of the witnesses Wednesday testified for the prosecution. Assistant States Attorney Jessie Brockway is handling the case for the county. McCabe had the opportunity to cross examine Brockways witnesses and did so. The trial is scheduled to continue Thursday. A Davenport teen awaiting trial on theft, drug and weapons charges that include the theft of a rifle from a Scott County Sheriffs squad in August was arrested Tuesday for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Eldonte Lamar Nathaniel Kirk Jr., 18, is charged in Scott County District Court with one count each of possession of a firearm by a felon and interference with official acts-firearm. Each charge is a Class D felony under Iowa law that carries a prison sentence of five years. Kirk also is charged with possession of a controlled substance-first offense-marijuana. That charge is a serious misdemeanor that carries a jail sentence of up to one year. According to the arrest affidavits filed by Davenport Police Officer Michael Catton, at 8:06 p.m. Tuesday, officers were sent to 1421 Main St. to investigate a report of a suspicious vehicle. Officers had been at the location several hours earlier investigating a confirmed shots-fired incident involving several juveniles. Upon arriving at the scene, officers located Kirk and several others sitting inside a gray Chevrolet Equinox. According to the affidavits, officers made contact with the driver of the Equinox. Kirk was in the front passenger seat. Because of the strong smell of marijuana coming from the vehicle, officers removed everyone from the Equinox. Kirk got out of the vehicle and began walking away from officers. When he was commanded to remain, he began running away. Kirk was taken into custody after a foot pursuit. Officers located a black plastic bag that contained 18 grams of marijuana on the ground next to Kirk. They also located a Taurus 9mm pistol on the ground that was in the immediate path Kirk had taken when he ran from officers. During a first appearance on the charges Wednesday in Scott County District Court, Magistrate Steven Wing scheduled a preliminary hearing for March 8. Kirk is prohibited from possessing a firearm. On Aug. 2, 2022, a Scott County jury found Kirk guilty of first-degree theft for stealing a Subaru Crosstrek out of Rock Island. Kirk had been waived up to adult court as a juvenile offender in the case. However, upon conviction he was transferred back to juvenile court jurisdiction for disposition until immediately before his 18th birthday. At that time the court was to determine whether or not a district court sentence would be necessary. Kirk turned 18 on Jan. 31 of this year and was placed on supervised probation for two years in that case. The County Attorneys Office on Wednesday filed a probation revocation in that case based off Kirks arrest on Tuesday. A hearing is set for April 15. Kirk was arrested July 2, 2023, on charges of felon in possession of a firearm and possession with the intent to deliver marijuana, both Class D felonies. In that case, Kirk allegedly was in possession of a polymer handgun with no serial number, 24.9 grams of marijuana and $2,395 in cash, according to the arrest affidavits filed in that case by Davenport Police Officer Joshua Bender. A jury trial is scheduled in that case for July 15. On Jan. 17, Davenport police arrested Kirk on Class D felony charges of possession with the intent to deliver 56.10 grams of marijuana and violating Iowas drug tax stamp law. Each charge is a Class D felony. A hearing in that case is scheduled for April 23. On Jan. 31, Davenport police arrested Kirk on charges of second-degree theft, trafficking in stolen weapons and felon in possession of a firearm. Each charge is a Class D felony. According to the arrest affidavits in that case filed by Davenport Police Officer Benjamin Piotter, on Sept. 21, 2023, members of the Davenport Police Departments Narcotics Unit conducted a controlled buy of an LMT .223 rifle via a confidential informant. The rifle had been stolen Aug. 22 from an off-duty Scott County Sheriffs Deputys squad. The confidential source communicated with Kirk via a Snapchat account, according to the arrest affidavit. Through Snapchat, the confidential source arranged to purchase the rifle from Kirk. They worked out the price and the location where the buy would take place. The confidential source was given a Davenport Police Department audio-video recording device and recorded money from the buy fund of the Tactical Operations Bureau. The confidential source gave the recorded money to Kirk in exchange for the rifle. Kirk is scheduled to be arraigned in that case on March 21. Kirk was being held Thursday morning in the Scott County Jail on cash-only bonds totaling $30,000. Experts highlight tailored policies based on types of foreign residents By Jung Da-hyun Local governments are engaged in a competitive bid to host the country's new immigration agency, as legislative efforts to establish one gain momentum in the National Assembly. This agency is expected to play the role of a control tower for handling affairs related to foreign residents. Rep. Jeong Jeom-sig and nine other lawmakers from the ruling People Power Party (PPP) have proposed a bill, Feb. 2, to revise the Government Organization Act, aiming to create an immigration agency under the Ministry of Justice. The PPP's interim leader Han Dong-hoon, who had served as the justice minister before joining the party, has actively supported advanced immigration policies to tackle the nations demographic challenges. With approximately 2.3 million foreign nationals making up 4.4 percent of the total population, there is a growing need for cohesive immigration policies through the creation of a dedicated government entity. Ansan in Gyeonggi Province is actively vying for the establishment of the new immigration agency in the region. With 14.2 percent of its population being made up of foreign nationals, Ansan has proactively been highlighting its already-existing special organization that provides services for foreign residents. The city was designated as an inaugural special zone for multicultural villages in Wongok-dong. Additionally, it garnered recognition after joining the Council of Europe's Intercultural Cities Programme. Recently, the city reached out to 116 embassies in Korea seeking cooperation, and submitted a proposal to the justice ministry, aiming to attract the immigration agency. It also revealed plans to offer local university sites and buildings as potential government facilities by signing agreements with the universities. Gimpo and Goyang in Gyeonggi Province and Incheon have also formalized their stances and are actively aiming to attract the new immigration agency to their respective areas. Gimpo submitted a proposal to the justice ministry last year, signaling its proactive stance. The city also established a task force to attract the new immigration agency. It underscored its geographical advantages, emphasizing that key transportation hubs are found there or nearby: Incheon International Airport, Gimpo International Airport, Gyeongin Port and Incheon Port are conveniently situated all within a 30-minute proximity of each other. This highlights the citys significance in fostering efficient transportation and facilitating international exchanges. Goyang stressed its accessibility, boasting airports and ports within a 40-kilometer radius. It is also close to an extensive network of railroads and major road systems. The city asserted the importance of attracting the new immigration agency to the region, highlighting that the northern part of Gyeonggi Province alone accommodates approximately 110,000 foreign residents. Incheon, where the Overseas Koreans Agency is located, is also actively advocating for the attraction of a new immigration agency, emphasizing potential positive outcomes, such as fostering business links. Other local governments, including South Chungcheong Province, South Jeolla Province, North Gyeongsang Province and Busan, have also joined the bid. South Chungcheong Province, in particular, said that the optimal location for the new immigration agency should be in a non-metropolitan area, as the Overseas Koreans Agency was established in Incheon. The province also has a large number of foreign residents, exceeding 98,000. Cho Jung-hyun, a professor of international law at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, stressed the significance of establishing a new immigration agency in response to the changing dynamics of the increasing number of foreign residents. Local governments and the central government should cooperate and establish several branches for this agency, he said. He emphasized the need for comprehensive consideration regarding various factors, including accessibility, in deciding the agencys location, and argued against having only one in Seoul or Incheon, citing operational limitations. If the local government actively speaks out and the central government also expedites the establishment of the immigration office and promotes the policy, it would be more beneficial, Cho said. Meanwhile, professor Seol Dong-hoon from the Department of Sociology at Jeonbuk National University contends that immigration should not be viewed solely as a means to address population decline in society. Different policies should be applied based on the types of foreign residents, he said. He advocates for a tailored approach, suggesting that for permanent immigrants, the focus should be on accepting individuals who can actively contribute to society and facilitating their successful settlement. A separate policy for temporary immigrants, including foreign workers and international students, should be focused on assisting them in transitioning their visa status if they meet certain standards, such as becoming skilled workers. Rather than an unconditional focus on settling foreign residents in Korea, immigration policies should be crafted to benefit our society in diverse ways and effectively manage the influx, Seol said. WHAT WE KNOW: Geneseo has been making progress toward drilling a fifth water well. WHAT'S NEW: During a special city council meeting on Tuesday, aldermen voted 6-0 to purchase one acre of land from the Samuelson Trust at the intersection of Grange Road and 1550 E for $100,000. The location was the only productive site out of all the tests that were done. "A lot of unproductive sites," Mayor Sean Johnson said. The city is nearly ready with engineering and equipment to get the project started. Ald. Kent Swanson, 4th Ward, made the motion to buy the land and Ald. Martin Rothschild, 3rd Ward, seconded. Aldermen James Roodhouse, 2nd Ward and Ald. Craig Arnold, 1st Ward, were absent. WHAT'S NEXT: Following a vote of support during the committee of the whole meeting, the Geneseo electric department will be bringing a presentation to the March 26 committee of the whole meeting on a proposed two megawatt solar array for the city. The city is talking with Renewable Support Services of Rock Island about a purchase power agreement with a buyout option in year six. The existing solar array on the south end of town is one megawatt. "MISO (Midcontinent Independent System Operator) is forecasting our energy cost is going to go up in the future," said Eric Rowold, director of electrical operations. "We've been pretty fortunate to have our energy cost down in spring and fall." He added summertime is when the city sees volatility in energy costs. There are two plans for where to locate a second solar array: one on city-owned property north of town at Prairie Park by the civil defense building and the other on leased land outside city limits. Mayor Johnson noted he, city administrator Brandon Maeglin and Rowold discussed it and "it was our desire to see this on city property." Ald. Brett Barnhart noted it "doesn't hurt anything to find out more information" and the council voted 6-0 to move forward. An estimated cost would be $4.4 million; however there could be $1 million in renewable energy credits. If the project didn't get renewable credit after being submitted to the Illinois Shines program, it would be a "stop." The mayor said going with the Rock Island firm "gives us a head start versus waiting for our bonds to fall off." This story was originally published on February 29th. Here's a riddle for you: Barbara Ellingsworth is celebrating her 11th birthday this year. Her daughter is 18 years old. How is this possible? The answer? Ellingsworth, like many other Quad-Citians that reached out to the Quad-City Times/Dispatch-Argus this week, was born on Feb. 29. Statistically, she's got the least likely birthday out there. Because Leap Day only occurs once every four years, people born on Feb. 29 only get to celebrate their true birthday once every four years, too. But the Leap Day babies we talked to were pretty nonchalant about the experience. In non-Leap Years, some celebrate on Feb. 28, others celebrate on March 1. Some just celebrate on both. "I celebrate my birthday every day," said East Moline's Kelly Meguffy, a retired 29-year employee at Milan Blacktop. Meguffy will be celebrating turning 68 this year. He's been married 48 years and has two adult children, but Meguffy's still four years from his 18th birthday. He said he's looking forward to celebrating this Leap Day with his neighbors playing card games. Still, he downplayed his birthday's uniqueness. "There's just as many people born on the 29th as any other day of the year," he said, and to an extent, he's right. According to data aggregated by FiveThirtyEight, tallying up birth rates from 1994 to 2014, an average of 10,462 babies are born on Feb. 29 every Leap Year. Compared to other holidays within that year, that's a higher average than Christmas, April Fool's Day and New Year's Day. Though when you tally up the fact that all other birthdays have three extra years to pad their numbers, there's really no competition. Having a Leap Day birthday a roughly 1 in 1,500 chance is less likely than flipping a coin 10 times, and getting heads every single time. Some with the Feb. 29 birthday like to relish in their uniqueness. Ellingsworth has three Leap Day-related T-shirts, a necklace and, this week, her nails are painted with frogs to commemorate her leap. On Leap Day in 2020, Ellingsworth joined other Leap Day babies on a cruise to the Bahamas. She swam with dolphins, visited Atlantis the resort and connected with other unique birthday celebrators like herself. She took inspiration from that trip and made a Facebook group for Quad-Cities Leap babies to join and connect. "Having that kind of rare birthday, you don't see as much stuff as other people do," she said outside a Davenport coffee shop this week, while wearing a colorful tee that boasted, "BORN RARE." "I treat it as a fun fact, because I get to tell people I'm 11 and get weird looks." Ellingsworth said one struggle of being a Leap Day baby is online drop down menus. Sometimes, she gets error messages saying her birthdate doesn't exist. Davenport-born Leap Day baby Renae Newman turns 12 this year, and has had a unique problem with her birthday, too. Newman said she ran into issues on her long-awaited 21st birthday, having to wait until March 1 to celebrate reaching legal drinking age until March 1. Other than that, Newman who has since moved to St. Louis said being a leap baby is all roses. "In a way, I will be forever young," she said, via email. St. Ambrose University biology student Emma Peters said this will be her first Leap Year birthday without a long-running celebration. Since she was four years old, celebrating her first birthday, Peters said her family would take her to Disney World to meet the Disney princesses. This time around, Peters said she'll just be in class. In the non-Leap Years, Peters said it's mostly a normal birthday experience. Though, she does have to field her fair share of hecklers. "There are sort of people who are like, 'Oh, I'm not gonna wish you a happy birthday until you get to your actual birthday,'" she said. Peters, who was born-and-raised in Davenport, is hoping to become a physician's assistant when she wraps up her studies at St. Ambrose. Still, she won't be the only local Leap Day baby in the medical field. Nurse and Moline resident Ashlee Woods was born on Feb. 29, 1984, making this year a big milestone: the double-digit 10 years old. "My kids get a kick out of it," she said. "I have a 12-year-old and an 8-year-old, so I'm older than one and younger than the other one." Woods said she's had a few patients come in with Leap Day birthdays, a miniature bonding moment that can lighten the mood. Davis Biddle said the community of those born on Leap Day is a small world his brother-in-law has the same birthday, too. Biddle, who has three children and runs a family farm in Joy, Illinois, is celebrating his 15th birthday this year. By the time his next birthday rolls around in 2028, Biddle will have an even more unique milestone: his grandson, now 12, will have celebrated as many birthdays. When the next Leap Year rolls around, they'll both be celebrating their sweet 16. However, during a phone interview on the way to the airport for a birthday vacation this week, Biddle realized what his 16th birthday next Leap Year really means. "I'll be old enough to drive," he joked without skipping a beat after all, he's told that one before. Celebrity birthdays: Feb. 27 Adam Baldwin Adrian Smith Barbara Babcock Brandon Beemer Chelsea Clinton Donal Logue Grant Show Jake Clemons James Worthy Johnny Van Zant Josh Groban JWoww Kate Mara Lindsey Morgan Neal Schon Noah Emmerich Ralph Nader Timothy Spall Iowa U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley defended his decision to publish and raise alarms about an FBI document alleging corruption by President Joe Biden and his son Hunter after the source of the information was indicted on federal charges for lying to the FBI. The Republican senator told reporters on Wednesday that the FBI failed to investigate the allegations contained in the document until he made the document public in July 2023. Grassley said he never claimed the information in the FBI document was true. I didnt know whether the information was true or untrue, I just know that I have responsibility for the oversight of the FBI, and I need to make sure the FBIs doing its job," he said. Federal prosecutors this month arrested Alexander Smirnov, a longtime FBI informant. He was charged with lying to the FBI about claims that Joe Biden and Hunter Biden had each received $5 million from a Ukrainian businessman in exchange for favorable treatment. The claims were logged in a 2020 FD-1023 form, which are used by the FBI to record unverified reporting from confidential human sources. The indictment says the meetings in which Smirnov claimed to have been told of the bribery scheme never happened. Smirnov has been an informant for the FBI since at least 2010, according to the indictment. Grassley last year pushed for the release of the form after he said he received whistleblower reports on its contents. After the FBI resisted releasing the document, arguing it risked the safety of their source, Grassley published a redacted version in July 2023. Grassley said Wednesday that his reason for publicizing the claims was to push the FBI to investigate. The bottom line of it is, if I hadnt made this public, this guy would still be working for the taxpayers and still being paid for, and still be lying to them, Grassley said. According to the indictment, the FBI requested the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Delaware to assist in an investigation into the claims the same month Grassley released the document. Former President Donald Trump's Justice Department also looked into the claims in 2020, according to the indictment, and determined their assessment should be closed. The White House has uniformly denied the allegations since Grassley began publicizing them last year, calling Republicans focus on them an unfounded political attack. Shortly after the indictment of Smirnov was made public, Biden said Republicans impeachment inquiry should be dropped. He is lying, and it should be dropped, Biden told reporters this month. Its been an outrageous effort from the beginning. House Republicans leaned on the claims in the report as part of their impeachment inquiry into Biden, as theyve so far failed to find evidence of corruption by the president. U.S. Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., chair of the House Oversight Committee, has since said the claims are not a major part of their investigation. But Delaware U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin, the Democratic ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, said the indictment effectively ended Republicans impeachment efforts. It appears like the whole thing is not only obviously false and fraudulent, but a product of Russian disinformation and propaganda, Raskin said. Sen. Grassley holds roundtable on challenges with local law enforcement leaders 060122-qc-nws-grassley-02.jpg 060122-qc-nws-grassley-03.jpg 060122-qc-nws-grassley-17.jpg 060122-qc-nws-grassley-22.jpg 060122-qc-nws-grassley-14.jpg 060122-qc-nws-grassley-10.jpg 060122-qc-nws-grassley-05.jpg 060122-qc-nws-grassley-19.jpg 060122-qc-nws-grassley-15.jpg 060122-qc-nws-grassley-04.jpg 060122-qc-nws-grassley-08.jpg 060122-qc-nws-grassley-20.jpg 060122-qc-nws-grassley-09.jpg 060122-qc-nws-grassley-13.jpg 060122-qc-nws-grassley-18.jpg 060122-qc-nws-grassley-11.jpg 060122-qc-nws-grassley-07.jpg 060122-qc-nws-grassley-12.jpg 060122-qc-nws-grassley-21.jpg 060122-qc-nws-grassley-06.jpg 060122-qc-nws-grassley-16.jpg DES MOINES The Iowa Department of Natural Resources would be prohibited from purchasing land at an auction, and nonprofit organizations would be prohibited from doing the same with the intention of donating the land to the state for public use under legislation approved by the Iowa Senate largely along party lines. Sen. Tom Shipley, R-Nodaway, said the legislation does not prohibit landowners from selling their land directly to the state or nonprofits, and argued that the state already owns too much land that could be otherwise used for agricultural purposes. Just 3% of Iowas land is publicly owned, according to studies by Texas A&M Universitys Natural Resources Institute and the hiking and climbing website Summit Post. That puts Iowa near the bottom of states shares of publicly-owned land. Only Kansas, Nebraska and Rhode Island had lower shares of publicly-owned land than Iowa in the two reports. Iowa acquired 2,462 acres of land in 2022, according to state figures. Iowa Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott, D-Waukee, said the proposal would undermine landowners ability to get the best price in a land sale at auction by prohibiting potential bidders the DNR and nonprofits from the process. The bill, Senate File 2324, passed the Iowa Senate with only Republican support, and Republican Sen. Brad Zaun, R-Urbandale, joining Democrats in voting against. It is now eligible for consideration in the Iowa House. E-Verify requirement passes Senate Iowa Senate Republicans once again passed legislation that would require all Iowa businesses to use the E-Verify program to help determine the legal U.S. residency status of all employees. Currently, it is optional for Iowa businesses to use the E-Verify program, and more than 5,000 do, according to Iowa Sen. Julian Garrett, R-Indianola. Business groups have historically been opposed to the proposed mandate organizations registered in opposition to the latest bill include the Agribusiness Association of Iowa, Iowa Grocery Industry Association, Iowa Business Council, Iowa Retail Federation, Iowa Motor Truck Association, and Caseys, according to state lobbying records. Senate Republicans have moved similar provisions in the past it also passed out of the full Senate in 2019 but the bill has never been passed by majority Republicans in the Iowa House. That is where Senate File 108 is headed after it passed the Senate on a largely party-line vote, with only Republicans supporting and Republican Sen. Dan Zumbach, R-Ryan, joining all Democrats in opposition. Work search requirements for unemployment benefits Legislation that would place in state law the current practice of the state workforce department requiring four work searches each week for recipients of unemployment benefits passed the Iowa Senate with only Republican support. Republican Sen. Charlie McClintock, R-Alburnett, joined all Democrats in voting against the proposal. Proponents say the bill simply codifies how the Iowa Workforce Development agency operates the states unemployment insurance program. With its passage out of the Senate, Senate File 2106 is now eligible for consideration in the Iowa House. Baby Olivia could appear in Iowa classrooms Students in grades 7-12 would be required to be shown a computer-generated rendering or animation that shows every stage of an embryo and fetus development, using an anti-abortion rights video as a model. House File 2617 passed largely along party lines, 59-35, with majority Republicans in favor and minority Democrats opposed. The bill now moves to the Iowa Senate for consideration. Republicans and anti-abortion rights activists say the video provides a medically accurate animated representation of fetal development, which Planned Parenthood and others dispute. Rep. Molly Buck, D-Ankeny, noted the information and views contained in the Meet Baby Olivia video referenced in the bill runs contrary to those accepted by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. The video which introduces us to baby Olivia deliberately misinterprets the timeline of fertilization the timeline of fetal heartbeat, and other medical facts about fetal development, Buck said. House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst, D-Windsor Heights, argued the bill is not about providing information but rather about indoctrinating students with a political agenda. Live Action, which produces the video referenced in the bill, says on its website it exists today to shift public opinion on abortion and is dedicated to supporting a culture of life. Rep. Anne Osmundson, R-Volga, the bills floor manager, said the video is offered unbranded and it is not required. It is simply a suggestion, Osmundson said, asserting is has been reviewed and endorsed by several medical experts and endorsed by science educators across the nation. The bill ensures the teaching to our children of basic facts about human development in a very approachable way, Osmundson said. This is scientific information. This is teaching basic biology to our children. And it helps to answer one of life's biggest questions. Where did I come from? The legislation mirrors a North Dakota law passed last year, and similar bills are being considered in the Kentucky, Missouri and West Virginia legislatures. DES MOINES Iowa House Republicans passed legislation on Wednesday that would require schools to teach a list of social studies concepts developed by a conservative think tank that focus on the cultural heritage of western civilization and emphasize a positive view of U.S. history. House File 2544 passed in the House largely along party lines on Wednesday, 58-37. Three Republicans joined all Democrats in voting against the bill. The language in the bill was modeled by the Civics Alliance, an offshoot of the conservative nonprofit National Association of Scholars. The group advocates for a curriculum designed to emphasize conservative values, western civilization and capitalism in civics education and push out instruction on critical race theory, diversity, equity and inclusion, and social justice. The bill includes requirements to teach students about the structure of the U.S. government, the rights and responsibilities of U.S. citizens, and a range of concepts, people and events in U.S. history, including the flag and national anthem, the countrys founding documents and figures like Benjamin Franklin and Frederick Douglass. The requirements would apply to both public and private schools. In grades one through six, instruction would include the institutions of liberty that emphasizes the good, worthwhile and best achievements of these ideals. Starting in seventh grade, schools would need to teach about the study of and devotion to the United States exceptional and praiseworthy history. In grades seven and eight, the bill would require instruction on the early colonies, the Revolutionary War, the westward expansion of the U.S., the first and second world wars, the Cold War, the Civil Rights Movement, and the September 11 attacks. The required instruction would include economics that focus on the free enterprise system and its benefits and the failures of communist systems. At the high school level, much of the previous grades instruction would be required. The bill would increase the required credits a student must take of U.S. history, add a required unit of civics, and add a required unit of western civilization. The bill would also require the use of a civics exam in high school that is not developed by the school or teacher. Students admitted to Iowas public universities would also be required to take a civics exam. Lawmakers also amended the bill on the floor to require schools to include instruction on the Holocaust. Republicans: Iowa students are not taught to love America House Republicans proposed the bill this year as part of a larger focus on education standards and curriculum. House Republicans said the bill was necessary to teach Iowa students about the high points of American history and the achievements of the countrys major historical figures. Pointing to movements to take down statues of historical Americans and growing disapproval of capitalism among young people, they said students have been taught disproportionately about the negatives in American history. Rep. Steve Holt, a Republican from Denison, said he had been captivated in high school when learning about the battle of Iwo Jima during World War II, and he does not believe students are learning about similar events now. He said the bill does not prevent teachers from instructing about the bad aspects of American history, but that it would teach students to be proud to be American. I believe there are many indicators that show that we have forgot that the most important aspect of public education is to teach good citizenship, Holt said. And essential to understanding the responsibilities of citizenship is to understand what western civilization stands for. What we stand for as Americans. Rep. Skyler Wheeler, a Republican from Hull, said the bill was necessary to correct what he saw as the injection of left-wing politics into education. Its also concerning when people say that this is somehow one-sided, he said. That teaching the greatness of America it teaches the good, the bad and the ugly. You cant cover some of these topics without covering some of the bad things that happened in America that thats somehow political. Its absolutely asinine. Democrats say bill is biased, burdensome Democrats said the bill would push a conservative political agenda and take the freedom from teachers and experts to determine school history standards. Rep. Josh Turek, a Democrat from Council Bluffs, said the bill does not allow teachers to provide a full, accurate view of American history, including its flaws. To be clear, I love this country, and I know that we have a long and praiseworthy history, he said. We have an enormous amount to be proud But the story has not been perfect. And to only tell the good would be an inaccurate telling of our history and a disservice to our children and education system. Democrats pointed out the lack of requirements in the bill to instruct on Native Americans or the Jim Crow South and other historical injustices. The bill does not require general instruction on the history of slavery in the U.S., but it does call for instruction on the Emancipation Proclamation and the Pennsylvania Act for the Gradual Abolition of Slavery. Democratic Rep. Ross Wilburn of Ames, who is Black, said that learning about his ancestor who was sold into slavery, along with the countrys founders ownership of slaves, helped him better understand and appreciate history. Its despite the struggles in our history, to be able to look at a Washington, a Jefferson, and be even more amazed that they put together that flexible document despite their not living up to some of its creeds, that Im even more impressed with them, he said. Democrats also criticized the bill placing specific instruction requirements on teachers, saying that state lawmakers should not be dictating curriculum for school districts. The requirements in the bill are far more specific than those laid out for other subjects, and Democrats said the number of requirements in the bill would make it impossible for teachers to cover any single issue deeply. The American Historical Association, a national professional organization, sent a letter to state lawmakers urging them to reject the bill, saying it contains politically inspired standards that will weaken Iowas public K-12 education. The group said the states curriculum protocols are an intensive, expert-guided process that allow ample time for public input. The bill, the group said, sidesteps that process to inject major changes in content pieced together from an out-of-state political group. If enacted, this measure would disrupt the implementation of Iowas current academic standards, the letter says. The result is likely to disorient Iowa teachers and do a disservice to Iowa students, all while elbowing Iowans out of their own educational policymaking. Educators and families are divided on banning phones in classrooms. Is locking up phones the solution? Educators and families are divided on banning phones in classrooms. Is locking up phones the solution? Cell phones: distractions or essential life lines? 'The extreme end' DES MOINES Iowa House Republicans passed a bill late Wednesday night, after lengthy debate and vocal opposition by Democrats, that would create a new permitting process for Iowa school districts to arm trained staff. House File 2586 passed on a party-line vote, 61-34, at around 11 p.m. following nearly two hours of debate, with Democrats opposed. The bill now heads to the Iowa Senate for consideration. Iowa Code currently allows approved school staff to carry a gun on campus, should they choose. Two districts in northwest Iowa put policies in place but rescinded them last year to avoid being dropped by their insurance carrier for liability coverage. This years legislation looks to address insurers concerns by putting in place a new permitting process that allows employees at Iowas public and private schools and colleges to carry a firearm on school grounds during school hours. It would also provide qualified immunity and indemnify school districts from criminal or civil liability for all damages incurred pursuant to the application of reasonable force. Theres no mention of insurance in the bill. House Republican lawmakers said their intent is to bring insurers back to the table, and said theyre confident the permitting, training and indemnity provisions in the bill will alleviate insurers concerns. School districts would not be required to arm staff. Rather, the bill provides requirements for those districts that choose to do so. This bill sets a very high standard because we are talking about the safety of our children, said Rep. Phil Thompson, R-Boone, lead sponsor of the bill and chair of the House Public Safety Committee. The bar must be high. We recognize that this responsibility must be taken very seriously, Thompson said. The strict training regimen outlined in this bill ensures that the employees who acquire this permit are equipped with the skills and proficiency to act appropriately in the event of an emergency. In order to receive a professional permit to carry weapons, employees would have to pass an annual background check and complete a firearms safety course, in addition to one-time legal training on issues like qualified immunity. They would also have annual communication and emergency medical trainings approved by the Iowa Department of Public Safety, plus quarterly live firearms training. The bill also would require school districts with at least 8,000 students among them Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Council Bluffs, Iowa City and Sioux City to have at least one armed private security guard or school resource officer in each district high school. Districts could opt out of the requirement for having an armed security officer at a high school by a vote of the school board. Schools with fewer than 8,000 students would be encouraged, but not required, to employ school resource officers or security officers at high schools. The state would establish a school security personnel grant program fund that would match up to $50,000 for employing security personnel. Identities of school staff issued a weapons permit would be confidential and not subject to disclosure under Iowas open records law. "I dont have a choice of knowing of how many guns are around my second-grader, House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst, D-Windsor Heights, said. I dont have a choice of knowing whether Mrs. Kennedy or Mrs. Smith is the teacher I want if I dont want my kids teacher to have a gun. Staff in the district would be allowed to carry concealed weapons during school hours. It would be up to districts to decide which firearms staff could carry and whether the district would provide those or allow use of personal firearms, Thompson said. The move comes in the wake of a January shooting at Perry High School that killed 11-year-old Ahmir Jolliff, a sixth-grader, and Principal Dan Marburger. Six other people were injured in the shooting. The 17-year-old student who opened fire died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot. Supporters of the bill said the fastest way to respond to a school shooting is to have armed personnel on site, trained and available to respond at a moment's notice. Parents, law enforcement and school superintendents from rural communities, as well as gun rights activists, have said while school resource officers play an important role in Iowa schools, it is unrealistic to expect a single police officer is always going to be at the right place at just the right time should tragedy strike. They noted the Perry Community School District employs a full-time school resource officer, and said rural districts do not have the same access to nearby or fully-staffed police or sheriffs departments as those in urban Iowa. People with bad intentions are going to do bad thing. People with good intentions are there to stop them, said House Majority Leader Matt Windschitl, R-Missouri Valley. Look at the data. Look at the statistics. Seconds count. Seconds, save lives. House Democrats oppose arming teachers, citing risks to staff and students. Rather, they said, lawmakers should instead pursue an evidence-based intervention plan that addresses school gun violence and they advocated for providing resources for mental health services. Most professional education organizations have rejected the call to arm teachers, as has the National Association of School Resource Officers and the American Bar Association. Opponents said an armed teacher is much more likely to shoot a student bystander or be shot by responding law enforcement than to be an effective solution to an active shooter in a school. If Im carrying a gun and theres a threat at the door, the thing that stands between me and a threat is 26 kids that I would take a bullet for, said Rep. Molly Buck, a teacher and Democrat from Ankeny. I could never live with myself if I put a bullet in one of them. Buck noted shes been trained that if theres an armed intruder to safely evacuate students or shelter in place and barricade themselves if theres no safe way out. If I choose to be armed, what then is my role? Is my role to stay with my kids and keep them safe, or does my role then become to go after an intruder? Buck said. Rep. Beth Wessel-Kroeschell, D-Ames, said insurance companies are hesitant to cover schools due to lack of data on staff safety. There is no data on what would happen if we arm staff in schools., she said. There are too many unknowns, and the risks are high. The risks are unsecured guns left in a restroom, locker room, unlocked desk drawer and a young, curious student finding it and experimenting. This bill puts more children in the line of fire and nothing is more frightening. Rep. J.D. Scholten, D-Sioux City, said there have been more than 100 publicly reported incidents of mishandled guns at schools in the last five years, including a teacher accidentally firing a gun during a safety demonstration. Wessel-Kroeschell emphasized the need for more adults in schools, rather than armed teachers, to address safety concerns and prevent violence, including providing funding for schools to hire specialists to help students with homelessness, poverty, bullying and more. "I believe that every student in Iowa deserves to be safe in school. And I believe that every parent deserves to know their child is safe in school, Wessel-Kroeschell said. I want Iowa to make our students safe. Arming teachers does not get us there." Instead, Democrats urged Republican lawmakers to prioritize violence prevention, intervention and sensible gun safety laws. The Republican solution to school safety is more guns, said Rep. Lindsay James, D-Dubuque. Iowans are crying out to us for common sense gun safety laws. Iowans want to see universal background checks and investment in safety infrastructure in our schools. The encouragement of safe storage awareness. They want to see legislation on extreme risk protection orders. They want to see an investment in mental health these are the common sense gun safety solutions that Iowans want to see. Windschitl said House Republicans are moving forward separate bills to address mental health and to bolster school security infrastructure. This is a broad-spectrum approach. While it may not be all-encompassed in this one House file, we are working on multiple different aspects to provide the safety and protection and quality of education and the environment for our children to grow and prosper, he said. We can all work together on this and we can provide the safety that our children deserve. In a Wednesday update of 25-year-old Esther Wolfe's murder, the Pennington County State's Attorney's Office stated the killing stemmed from "a misguided belief" that Wolfe held responsibility for a death five years ago, and the man arrested as an accomplice in her murder had more involvement than officials initially thought. Wolfe was shot just before 7 p.m. on Feb. 21 along Pine Street just off of East North Street in Rapid City. After an ambulance ride to the hospital, she was pronounced dead. On Feb. 22, police arrested 23-year-old Ezekiel Mayweather on a charge of aiding and abetting first-degree murder. Mayweather's older brother, Michael Mayweather, died of a gunshot wound at 20 years old on Feb. 27, 2019 in the 300 block of East Adams Street about a half mile from where Wolfe was shot last week. Police initially investigated the death as a homicide, but ultimately determined Mayweather died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Wolfe was killed on Mayweather's birthday. Roetzel said the murder allegedly "stemmed from a misguided belief within (Ezekiel) Mayweathers family that Wolfe was responsible for his brothers death in 2019," according to a summary of Pennington County State's Attorney Lara Roetzel's remarks at Ezekiel Mayweather's Wednesday bond hearing. Roetzel emphasized law enforcement confirmed it was "unfounded" that Wolfe was involved in Michael Mayweather's death. The Wednesday bond hearing came two days after Magistrate Judge Scott Bogue set Mayweather's bond at $50,000 cash only. Late Tuesday, Roetzel requested a new bond hearing. On Wednesday, she asked Magistrate Judge Todd Hyronimus to remove all possibility of bond because of developments in the case. She said Mayweather's involvement in Wolfe's murder "is far more extensive than initially presumed." Initially, the state said he drove the shooter to the crime scene. Roetzel said the investigative developments showed Mayweather allegedly orchestrated Wolfe's killing, provided the gun and told another person to shoot Wolfe. Hyronimus granted the state's request and revoked Mayweather's chance at posting bond. Greg Sperlich, his defense attorney, said he argued against the change. He highlighted, "Facebook conspiracy theories" and "not letting ourselves be ruled by the mob." As of Wednesday, law enforcement had not announced any additional arrests or publicly named suspects other than Mayweather. Climbing and caving pioneers Herb and Jan Conn have left Black Hills State University $351,000 to establish the Sara N. Dipity II Scholarship for students majoring in music. Herb and Jan were cave explorers. In the 1960s and 1970s, they discovered and mapped over 60 miles of Jewel Cave in the Black Hills, making it the third longest cave system in the world. They are also credited with classic climbs in Maryland, West Virginia and New Hampshire. Although the Conns grew up on the East Coast, they made their home in Custer. They discovered the Black Hills in 1947 while traveling to Devils Tower. The Conns both lived into their 90s, with Herb passing away in 2012 at the age of 91, and Jan passing away in May 2023. Jan was also a musician and an artist. She composed many songs and melodies and was proudest of her musical accomplishments. She taught and mentored numerous musicians in the Black Hills and was a founding member of the French Creek Folks, a musical group based out of Custer. The French Creek Folks have played for various functions over the years and continue to play today. Jan carried a flute wherever she went, and she rarely let a moment go by where she did not create or play music. We could not thank the Conns enough, said BHSU Vice President for University Advancement Steve Meeker. Music scholarships are much needed at BHSU, and many musicians will benefit in the future from Herb and Jans generosity. It takes a minimum investment of $25,000 to establish an endowment that will remain in perpetuity at BHSU. For more information on how to establish or add to an existing fund, contact Steve Meeker at Steve.Meeker@BHSU.edu or call 605-642-6385. During a Rapid City council meeting Tuesday, Feb. 20, advocates for watershed health, including the Black Hills FlyFishers, called on officials to address the impact of beavers along Rapid Creek. They urged the city to adopt strategies to protect the stream and trout habitats from beaver activity that threatens large trees crucial for maintaining the stream's temperature. "Beavers are an important part of watershed health. They're a keystone species that allow a healthy watershed to thrive. However, beavers do create conflict when they live in close proximity to people," said Hans Stephenson, a member of the Black Hills FlyFishers. "This is the case right now in Rapid Creek in town. Beavers are taking a toll on large trees along the creek." The trees provide essential shade for the stream, helping maintain cooler temperatures and making trout less vulnerable to predators. Preserving the larger trees is critical for maintaining the health of the trout stream. While recognizing the positive role beavers play in the ecosystem, there is an acknowledgment that their search for food has led them away from their preferred smaller willows, causing them to target the larger trees instead, according to Stephenson. Acknowledging the beavers as essential for a healthy watershed, the advocates proposed solutions such as wire enclosures or a sand paint mixture to prevent tree damage, methods supported by evidence from other areas. Information on the strategies can be found at www.beaverinstitute.org. The group is ready to organize volunteers for the efforts, aiming to balance the ecological benefits of beavers with the preservation of critical natural resources, Stephenson said. The advocates also support the humane relocation of beavers to areas in the Black Hills where they can enhance watershed health without causing conflicts. The role of beavers in creating diverse habitats, reducing wildfire risks, and improving water storage and quality remains important, Stephenson explained. "I think if the city could help volunteer groups like the Black Hills FlyFishers find a solution, such as wrapping trees in wire, it would be beneficial. The Beaver Institute, which focuses on the benefits of having beavers and also on solutions to work with them and avoid conflicts, could be a key resource," Stephenson noted. The city has had a Beaver Management Plan in place since 2013, made by the Rapid City Urban Wildlife Committee, according to Scott Anderson, Parks Division manager. "When conflicts arise, that's when we'll put management practices into place. Generally, the conflicts involve impacts on public areas, public health and safety, or damage to public infrastructure," Anderson said. The beaver population in urban areas appears to be increasing. While the city has not experienced significant problems with beavers in the past, Anderson said there could be potential for conflict. The city is considering various non-lethal management options, including protective measures for trees, and plans to meet with Game, Fish & Parks and the South Dakota Trappers Association to explore options. "We plan to set up a meeting with Game, Fish & Parks and a representative from the state Trappers Association to discuss our options. This includes exploring alternatives to trapping if we need to reduce the number of beavers along the creek in town," Anderson said. Despite the challenges, the city's stance remains that damage to trees alone does not justify management actions unless there are broader impacts on public health, safety or infrastructure. However, with the increasing visibility of tree damage and potential for further conflicts, city officials are exploring all options to manage the beaver population effectively while maintaining the health of the watershed, Anderson said. The South Dakota Science and Technology Authority is celebrating its 20th anniversary. SDSTA owns and operates the Sanford Underground Research Facility in Lead. The authority was created by state lawmakers and signed into state statute by then Governor Mike Rounds during the 2004 legislative session. Over the last two decades, SURF has come to be recognized as Americas Underground Science Laboratory. The facility will provide a $2 billion dollar economic impact to the state of South Dakota this decade. SURFs impact extends globally; the facility keeps the United States competitive with other nations who are racing to capitalize on breakthroughs in underground research. Rounds, who now serves as a U.S. Senator for South Dakota, was among the state and congressional leaders who made possible the creation of the SDSTA. While working as governor, I was pleased to play a role in the conversion of the Homestake Gold Mine into this world-class research facility, said Rounds. The work at SURF has brought international recognition to our state, and it provides an opportunity for our young people to associate with some of the greatest minds in the scientific community. I look forward to seeing additional opportunities for international collaboration and continued support from our great partners at the local, state, and federal levels, as well as the scientific community across both the country and world. One member of the scientific community who supported the creation of SURF is Dr. Kevin Lesko, a physicist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. He advocated in Pierre for establishing the SDSTA. Lesko credits Rounds and other political leaders in the state for forging the path to build what has become the deepest underground laboratory in the United States. I remember testifying to the state legislature back in 2004. Some were making it seem like it would be easy to achieve approval for a new laboratory. I was concerned that this optimism was eclipsing the significant effort that would be required to create the lab. I sought out then Governor Rounds in his office in the state capitol. I was surprised and pleased that he invited me into his office without an appointment. He then listened to my concerns. The approachability of all of South Dakotas elected officials is exceptional. That visit to Rounds office was the start of a productive working relationship and friendship over the past 20 years with both Senator Rounds and South Dakota, Lesko said. Rounds went on to announce the first SDSTA board of directors in August 2004. Casey Peterson was among those named to the initial board roster. Peterson continues to serve today as board chair. He gives praise to all those who came together to create and maintain Americas Underground Laboratory, including Lesko and other leaders in the scientific community who worked alongside state leaders like Rounds, former governors Bill Janklow and Dennis Daugaard, and current governor Kristi Noem. The scientists who encouraged the State of South Dakota to acquire the underground infrastructure, the state leaders who achieved this major accomplishment, and the philanthropy of T. Denny Sanford made SURF possible. The individuals who created the SDSTA were visionaries, and they deserve great credit for their foresight. They should take pride in the establishment of a scientific laboratory that has become the premier space for underground research in the world, Peterson said. Rounds credits the hard work of many individuals, including local and state political leaders who joined with South Dakotas congressional delegation, and philanthropist T. Denny Sanford, to create SURF. The Sanford Underground Research Facility is a great example of cooperation among the local, state and federal governments, along with individual scientists. It would not be here today without support from so many individuals who believed in the need for research to be completed in our state, Rounds said. The history of both SDSTA and SURF are still being written. Multinational scientific projects located at SURF, such as the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment hosted by the U.S. Department of Energys Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, have lifespans measured in decades. We are proud of the hard work of the individuals who launched the SDSTA and helped SURF get where it is today; we are also excited about the future. SURF will continue to have a major impact on the state and local economy while advancing world class scientific research and providing education opportunities for our children for many, many years to come, said Mike Headley, SDSTA executive director and laboratory director at SURF. By Gwynne Dyer I refuse to quit. I feel no need to kiss the ring, said Nikki Haley defiantly. She was talking about Donald Trumps ring, of course, because she is predicted to lose the Republican presidential primary vote on Saturday in South Carolina, the state where she was once governor, by a landslide (at least two-to-one against her). Trumps campaign spokesperson, Steven Cheung, promptly replied on X, formerly known as Twitter, that Shes going to drop down to kiss ass when she quits, like she always does. Always a class act. What a move! responded Betsy Ankney, Haleys campaign manager. Steven Cheung is the key to winning back suburban women! (Suburban women who usually vote Republican deserted their party in droves over its anti-abortion legislation, and telling them that a woman will have to kiss Donald Trumps ass probably wont win them back.) Just another day in Nikki Haleys forlorn and seemingly quixotic campaign for the Republican presidential nomination. Trumps people keep demanding that she quit and accept his victory, but she just wont do it. Haley says she will stay in the race that isnt really a race at least until after Super Tuesday (March 5), when voters in sixteen states choose about a third of the total delegates for the presidential nomination. She might even stay all the way to July, when the Republican national convention finally chooses the partys candidate. She still has the support of a number of rich donors. She raised $16.5 million last month, when her primary challenge to Trump was already clearly doomed and they all knew it. Just know, I'm not going anywhere, she said at a campaign event on Wednesday. I'm in this for the long haul. And this is going to be messy. So whats her strategy? It is to be the obvious next-best choice for Republicans if and when Donald Trump is eliminated from the race by illness, scandal or a criminal conviction. If that should happen between now and November and what are the odds on that? then the party will have nobody but Haley to turn to. With Trump off the board and all the other presidential hopefuls long since dismissed, Haley would be the only choice that the party could unite behind, even though she has been increasingly critical about the Orange Ego. To stay in the race at all she had to appeal to the substantial number of Republicans who feel that Trump has hijacked their party. She has warned that he is "more unstable and more unhinged" than he was during his first term in the White House. When Trump implicitly urged Russias President Vladimir Putin to attack any NATO member who fails to meet the 2 percent target for defence spending, she told him: Don't take the side of a thug who kills his opponents. And she knows that her defiance of Trump will be secretly welcomed in many parts of the Republican Party: Many of the same politicians who now publicly embrace Trump, privately dread him. They know what a disaster hes been and will continue to be for our party. Theyre just too afraid to say it out loud. Yes, its quite possible that Trump will manage to postpone most of the pending trials and keep appealing the guilty verdicts long enough to remain out of prison and contest the election in November. Its less likely that he will win it, although the American media do their best to make it look like a cliff-hanger. If Trump is convicted of a criminal charge or becomes visibly incapacitated, many of his apparent supporters in the Party would seize on that pretext to drop him from the ticket, partly because they loathe him but mainly because they think he will lose them the election. They wont move against Trump unless a viable alternative presidential candidate is available, however, and Nikki Haley is that candidate. Thats why the money keeps flowing to her campaign although in conventional terms she hasnt got a prayer of winning. When Joe Biden was asked recently whether hed rather run against Nikki Haley or Donald Trump this autumn, he replied Oh, I dont care, but that is quite a long way from the truth. He would greatly prefer to face Trump, because he is and always has been confident of beating him. Trump is three and a half years younger than Biden, but a great deal less coherent and rapidly getting worse. His legal troubles are all-consuming. As Haley said, Hes going to be in a courtroom all of March, April, May and June. How in the world do you win a general election when these cases keep going and the judgments keep coming? Whereas Haley might actually be able to beat Biden. Gwynne Dyers new book is "The Shortest History of War." ELKO A westbound Union Pacific freight train hauling tons of grain derailed and crashed into the 12th Street Bridge early Wednesday, officials said. No one was injured, but the eastbound train's derailment will likely shut down traffic on the east-west rails for "two to three days," one worker at the scene said on Wednesday morning. In addition, the 12th Street Bridge was being assessed for damage after one of the cars slammed into a key piling and came to rest on its side. With the 12th Street Bridge closed, motorists were being rerouted to Fifth Street, backing up traffic into the late morning as far as the Lamoille Summit and delaying commuters. The derailment was reported about 4:52 a.m. with at least 16 cars carrying grain derailed, affecting both eastbound and westbound rail travel. This means both freight and passenger rail traffic will be suspended until the tracks reopen. In a brief emailed statement to the Elko Daily Free Press, Union Pacific spokesperson Robynn Tysver said "cleanup at the site is underway." She said there was "no estimate on when" the bridge or Water Street would reopen. "Although there is no visual damage, structural engineers from the Nevada Department of Transportation are en route to inspect the 12th Street Bridge, before it will be allowed to reopen. "The cause of the incident is under investigation." Power lines in the area were struck, with an unknown number of customers affected, according to the Elko County Sheriffs Office. NV Energy's website showed fewer than 100 utility customers were without power about noon Wednesday, but it was unclear if those were related to the derailment. The Elko County Sheriffs Office reported no one appeared to be injured and no hazardous materials were onboard the cars involved in the derailment. Motorists were directed to take Lamoille Highway to Fifth Street, with drivers going to Spring Creek advised use the same route to avoid the closure. A noon commute from Spring Creek took about 30 minutes to reach downtown Elko with all the detours in place. Elko police said the 12th Street Bridge was "expected to be closed for at least the next 24 hours." Mayor Reece Keener said in an email to the Elko Daily Free Press the city is working with the railroad, state transportation officials, the state Department of Public Safety, state Sen. Pete Goicoechea to "reopen the 12th Street Bridge just as soon as possible." "Our primary concern right now is hoping that the bridges structural integrity hasnt been compromised by the derailment," he said. "Provided that the bridge passes the NDOT engineering inspection, planning can commence for the bridges reopening," Keener said. "At this point, it appears that the earliest possibility would be on Thursday. "Prior to reopening, there are several railcars that are resting against the bridge columns that must first be removed before the structure can be inspected for damage. Preliminarily, it appears that the damage was minimal to the bridge. However, the full scope of damage cannot be determined until the [railroad] crane arrives this afternoon to remove the railcars." In an update about noon, the police department said "work on the derailment continues. Personnel from the Elko City Street Department and Nevada Department of Transportation are working to ensure the safe flow of traffic during peak commuter hours." It said there will be detours for the afternoon commute to Spring Creek. "The 5th Street Bridge and the Errecart Bridge are still open and available for both north and southbound traffic." The bridge will remain closed until the Union Pacific can safely maneuver around the area, the Fire Department said. Keener said Union Pacific "owns the right of way in which the 12th Street Bridge is situated. The city of Elko is at the mercy of the NDOT opinion of structural integrity, and the green light from [the railroad] before the bridge can be reopened to traffic." He said he and other city officials are "thankful that the payload was agricultural products, and not noxious chemicals." "We are further blessed that there were no injuries involved in this 5 a.m. derailment. This unfortunate event underscores and magnifies the importance of secondary connectivity between the Elko and Spring Creek communities. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates. Visitation to Yellowstone, Glacier and Grand Teton national parks climbed last year. Yellowstone recorded its second busiest year, 4.5 million visitors, up from 3.29 million in 2022 (36.8%), the year of a historic flood that led to shutdowns and reduced services. Although it has been called a one-in-500-year event, park Superintendent Cam Sholly recently opined that he doesnt think it will be another 500 years before a similar disaster. Grand Teton saw 3.41 million recreation visits in 2023, up 22% from 2022. Glacier recorded 2.93 million visitors in 2023, up only about 25,000 visitors (0.9%) from 2022. Glacier recorded new highs for visitation in May and September. Nationwide, the Park Service recorded 325.5 million visits at its 400 units, an increase of 13 million (22%) over 2022. Sholly told attendees at the Yellowstone Summit that about every 15 to 20 years, visitation to Yellowstone climbs by an additional million. As visitation increases, parks will have to take more aggressive actions, he added. It takes more park workers to manage the increasing influx of tourists, Sholly said, so either more staff will need to be hired, or visitation will have to be curtailed. Using a vehicle reservation system, like Glacier National Park has enacted for its popular Going to the Sun Road, is much more difficult for a park like Yellowstone since it has five entrances, one of which is shared with Grand Teton National Park. Restricting use is also not popular with park gateway communities where businesses rely on visitation to power the economy, Sholly noted. A recent publication suggested raising entrance fee prices, specifically targeting foreign tourists, to help parks cover the costs of increased staffing requirements. Sholly said no one wants to price people out of national parks, but the average American taxpayer contributes only about 10 cents to Yellowstones budget. Visitors to Yellowstone currently pay $35 per vehicle for a seven day pass. So the breakdown on that for a family of four for a three day stay, is about $2.89 per person per day, he said. Thats not even a venti coffee at Starbucks, let alone a caramel macchiato, or something like that. We, I believe, need to consider and think about what is affordable, he added. The people that are actually traveling to these parks probably should pay a little bit more, in my mind, for the benefit of the staffing needs and the infrastructure improvement that needs to occur in U.S. national parks. Its a conversation, so Im not saying like, Hey, raise the fees. But what are the ramifications of not having enough revenue in parks like Grand Canyon or Yosemite or Yellowstone or Grand Teton? Grand Teton has experienced changing visitation trends, data shows. While in 2019, more people toured the park in the summer months of June, July and August; last year the peak months shifted later in the year to July, August and September. Grand Teton officials also noted a 34% increase at eight popular trails over the last 10 years. Glacier National Park saw an increase in tent, RV and backcountry campers last year, compared to the past three years. The number of RV campers (at 132,336) was the highest recorded going back to 1983. The number of tent campers was the second highest, topped only by 2016. A Socioeconomic Research Study of Grand Teton National Park was conducted to help develop a better understanding of who visits Grand Teton and what they do during their visit. Results indicate Grand Teton welcomed visitors from nearly all 50 states during the summer sampling period, with only 5% permanent residents of the area. Respondents reported the most important reasons for their visit to Grand Teton as viewing wildlife and natural scenery (52%) and spending time with family and friends (26%). Nearly all respondents reported viewing scenery, natural features, etc., (98%) as an activity they participated in during their visit, while a majority reported viewing wildlife (87%), driving for pleasure and hiking (66%). In addition to the study, park staff also conducted broader civic engagement to ask the general public for input on how they visit the park and what their experiences have been. The park received 446 comments from 45 different states and four different countries. Important experiences in the park were varied, from recreation to nature experiences. Some important experiences mentioned many times by commenters were similar to what respondents of the socioeconomic study reported and included: wildlife viewing, hiking, the peace and quiet of the park, scenic views including the mountain range itself and solitude. When prompted about any challenging parts of visiting Grand Teton, some points mentioned by commentors included: finding lodging that is not too expensive, the park was too crowded, long lines at entrance stations, and not enough parking at trailheads and in the park in general. Park staff will reach out to the public again this summer regarding desired future conditions for visitor use and experience at the park. Corvallis schools are connecting with local ag producers to put locally produced foods on students' plates thanks to help from the USDAs Local Food for Schools grant program. I think it is a great connection between the community and the school, Corvallis School District Food Services Director Kathy Martin said. Everything we do is for the children. District-wide, Corvallis Food Services serves meals to 47% free and reduced lunch to students which is up about 20% from last year. In January alone, 11,107 breakfast and lunch meals were served on school days. The Corvallis Food Service received a grant for $29,281 from the Commodities Credit Corporation last fall under the USDA marketing service. Its been a great opportunity, Martin said. It is super exciting. Yesterday, Martin went to Hamilton Pack and purchased sliced local beef. Montana Beef Stew and Funnel Cakes with local Bee Happy Honey were on the lunch menu at Corvallis Schools on Wednesday. Hamilton Pack has been amazing to work with, Martin said. Tracie Norman is the Bee Happy Honey connection, she used to work at the school which is a great tie. As with any grant there are strict guidelines and spending criteria. We get three payments throughout the year, and we have to have it expended by May or we have to give the money back, Martin said. It has to be spent on foods within 600 miles. She explained that, for example with dairy, the challenge is that there are several dairies in the valley producing milk, which she wants to support. But before she can serve it, it travels to Great Falls to be pasteurized, enriched and put in a carton. We went with Meadow Gold hoping it would be local dairies, Martin said. We do get apples from Mountain Point Orchards, which used to be Swansons. They are right here and they stop every week for me. Were still serving fresh local McIntosh apples because they kept them cold for us. Martin toured Local Bounti, an indoor agriculture producer and lettuce farm south of Hamilton, and is excited to serve their produce to Corvallis students. Their energy and enthusiasm for the local foods they are producing is just contagious, Martin said. As a steward of federal dollars, public dollars, Ive always been very prudent. Typically, local food costs more. But as Im touring this greenhouse, their safety standards are incredible. The thought of feeding these kids with safer food is worth every penny. Its all grown in climate-controlled space, [workers wear] hairnets and uniforms, there are no soil-borne illnesses that are ever going to be in that lettuce. She said that the clean handling practices and a fresher product makes a huge difference. Had I not seen and felt that it wouldnt have occurred to me, Martin said. I had an epiphany that this is what it is about. Our kids are eating it within hours of when it was picked. Their energy fired us up for what we are doing. Martin said she cant spend her day purchasing and delivering food, but she has been working with the Western Montana Growers Cooperative (WMGC) for product transportation. She orders online a couple of times a week and the items are delivered weekly right to the school kitchen. It has worked out really, really well, she said. Its been a learning process, and I might not have done it without this grant that has encouraged me to look into the steps of buying local. What will be sustainable when I no longer have the grant? I dont know. In addition to local milk, beef, honey and lettuce, items on the menu that school children are eating include fresh carrots from Arlee, cheese curds from Lifeline Farm Creamery & Farm Store in Victor, Montana Marinara made in Ronan (using fresh leeks, butternut squash and tomatoes), flour from Wheat Montana in Three Forks, watermelon radishes delivered by the WMGC and lentils from Scobey. These are called lentil crunchers and the kids gobble them up, Martin said. They are roasted like chickpeas, and they love them. We havent procured any bison yet. It is very lean and I want to cook it right. I dont want to put it in chili, but I want to honor it. Martins staff designed a map of Montana with drawings of food. On days we are serving something local, we put a star on where in the state it came from and try to help kids understand a bit more about where their food is coming from, Martin said. Were hoping this will tie into our Pathways of Education of Farm to School. We are making those relationships. Other education opportunities include Tracie Norman brining a beehive this spring and a Mountain Point Orchards presentation in the fall. Were hoping to tie all this together for the kids, Martin said. Weve gotten great things as we have walked this walk. The goal is minimally processed, highly nutritious, fresh food. In January, 11,107 breakfast and lunch meals were served on school days. Food made in the central kitchen is transported to the primary school for students in kindergarten through fourth grades. The Corvallis Food Service building was built in 1949 and the kitchen and lunchroom suffered three floods Nov. 21, Dec. 5 and Dec. 25, 2023. The building has been closed as insurance is sorted out. In the meantime, Martin and her staff are cooking in a mobile unit, the kitchen is rented, as are the food storage containers, the dish washing unit and the cafeteria where food is served. Martin started work at the school in 1998. We used to complain about our kitchen, but wed give anything to have it back, she said. It will never be back. Well have to bring everything up to code. When we moved out in June, we have done well projecting what our needs would be. Martin has a staff of eight and she calls them miracle workers. I cannot say enough about the staff who has done this all year long, Martin said. I mean from everything weve done; all weve gone through and seen. It is all about the kids, we all have the same mission of serving the children of Corvallis. That gets us through. A proposed 33-lot residential subdivision near Florence has raised concerns among Ravalli County Commissioners about the threat of a lawsuit after a recent Montana District Court ruling that found developers and the government didnt properly account for the impact on natural resources. The case, decided in Broadwater County, ruled in favor of local landowners and water rights holders, suspending the progress of the subdivision. The ruling found developers and county commissioners swept under the rug environmental concerns that were raised in public hearings, concerns that should have been weighed in the countys approval of the subdivision. The ruling could affect all future subdivision development in Ravalli County, and across the state. The Broadwater County lawsuit seems to add a requirement on counties to consider that the county can't just anymore put their hands up and say we're not responsible for considering the quantity and quality of the water, Commissioner Jeff Burrows said in a public hearing on the proposed Sapphire Estates subdivision. The decision followed long-term declines in Montanas aquifers, amidst increasing demand for housing like in Ravalli County where population has grown by nearly 20% since 2010, according to census data. Since hearings at the start of this year, the subdivision has received more than a few dozen comments from the public concerned about its environmental impact. Sapphire Estates would be relying on individual septic systems and wells for each lot. One member of the public noted that the subdivision based its environmental assessment on a more than two decades old hydrological report by a private consulting firm. Newer data was collected by the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology years after the original hydrology report but was never properly analyzed by the bureau to be used by developers. Significant development in the area has taken place over the decades since the original report, with one commenter noting his well water levels have decreased by over 70 feet to just 100 feet since the report. Such an old study simply does not take into account the vast changes in water usage and demand that have occurred since it was written, nor does it meet the requirements of current state law, Jim Wagner, a nearby resident of the proposed subdivision, told commissioners. Thus, reliance upon such a study, it seems to me, would be recklessly imprudent. In fact, reliance upon such a study would almost certainly invite a lawsuit against the county and against this commission. The environmental impact assessment states there would be no adverse impacts on groundwater or surface water to be addressed with future development. That was a similar sentiment in the Broadwater County case that ultimately ruled against the developers. Del Post, another nearby resident of the subdivision and Montana attorney, said during public comment the environmental impact assessment lacked any actual analysis. It says there are no significantly adverse impacts to mitigate, Post said. Boom, all done. I guess that's it. That's all they proposed. It's a conclusory statement. There's no analysis. There's no science. There's nothing at all. It just says there are no adverse impacts to mitigate. Post said the law requires developers to do more of a sufficient analysis than what is currently done, especially so after the ruling in Broadwater County. The ruling found assessments should include whether the subdivision will have an impact on the surrounding environment. Residents also brought concerns around increased traffic, limited entry and fire services access. Shawn Roberts, another nearby resident, urged that commissioners must consider new data and the changing environment in the area. I think that there's sufficient concerns that have been brought to light that should give this commission pause in hitting the approval, Roberts said. And I know that you don't just check the box. But I also know there are laws and regulations around subdivision approval. And I would urge in this case, the more cautious approach is that we don't do something irreversible, without getting these problems and issues resolved. The Ravalli County Commissioners, after adding conditions to the approval of the subdivision in an all-day hearing, paused it when they were just beginning to discuss water concerns. The hearing will continue March 4. Commissioners said its tough to discern what is expected of the county to better manage resources in subdivisions. Burrows mentioned it might require a monthly monitoring of water flow in the subdivision to make sure residents arent exceeding allotted water. Commissioner Greg Chilcott said because of the current ruling, the county and the developer are going to have to come up with ways of how they are planning to mitigate water use. The developers said its a conversation theyre willing to have, though they're uncertain of what considerations are expected of them with the new case. It likely wont be the last time the ruling is brought up in subdivision hearings in the county. Really what it's going to come down to is you're going to have mitigating conditions to meet and definitely wouldnt have before because of this ruling, Andy Mefford with Professional Consultants Inc. said, who is representing the developers. That will feel like I can continue this conversation. We've got progress. Otherwise, there's a lot of subdivisions that are going to be ultimately postponed until those types of discussions are had, which could be years. Montana State University Extension will host a feral swine education tour through March 8 in northeast Montana, with seven stops held for landowners, farmers, ranchers and anyone else interested in attending. Registration is not required, and there is no cost to attend. Feral swine, also referred to as wild pigs, can cause significant landscape and agricultural damage, according to Jared Beaver, MSU Extension wildlife specialist. While feral swine are not currently present in Montana, the risk of feral swine is a serious concern. Wild pigs are not native to the United States and are a highly effective invasive species, Beaver said. They have been declared one of the biggest threats to terrestrial biodiversity in the world and are expanding across the United States and Canada. According to Beaver, the ecological and economic impacts of feral swine could be significant in Montana if they were to establish a population. He regularly emphasizes the threat when working with Montana landowners. They can live just about anywhere, eat just about anything and are prolific breeders, Beaver said. Wild pigs have few natural predators and are intelligent, mobile animals that are highly pressure sensitive. They are extremely difficult to control and eradicate once established. MSU Extension agents will host the tour stops and provide continuing education and resources to local communities. Representatives from the Montana Department of Livestock and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service will also present information. This program is working to inform producers and the public on what these impacts are and how best to respond and manage wild pigs, said Marley Voll, MSU Extension Richland County agent. Montanans should be prepared before wild pigs enter the state. Tour stops will be held as follows: Tuesday, March 5: Havre, 10 a.m. 4-H Chuckwagon, 1676 U.S. Highway 2 W. Chinook, 3 p.m. Chinook Senior Center, 324 Pennsylvania St. Wednesday, March 6: Malta, 9 a.m. Phillips County Library, 10 S. Fourth St. E. Fort Peck, 3 p.m. Fort Peck Interpretive Center, 157 Yellowstone Road. Thursday, March 7: Scobey, 10 a.m. Ambulance Room, 106 Railroad Ave. Plentywood, 2 p.m. Cousins Family Restaurant, 118 S. Main St. Friday, March 8: Sidney, 10 a.m. Richland County Event Center, 2118 W. Holly St. Montana residents can report suspected sightings of feral swine to the Montana Department of Livestock at 406-444-2976. KYIV (Reuters) - A senior Ukrainian official on Tuesday welcomed talk of European nations sending troops to Ukraine, but the Kremlin said a conflict between Russia and NATO would become inevitable if European members of the alliance sent in troops to fight. French President Emmanuel Macron raised the possibility on Monday of European nations sending troops to Ukraine, but cautioned that there was no consensus. "This shows, firstly, an absolute awareness of the risks posed to Europe by a militaristic, aggressive Russia," Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said in a written comment on Macron's statement. Some 20 European leaders gathered in Paris on Monday to send Russian President Vladimir Putin a message of European resolve on Ukraine and counter the Kremlin's narrative that Russia is bound to win a war now in its third year. "The opening of a discussion on the possibility of direct support of Ukraine by armed forces should be seen as a desire to set the right accents, to highlight the risks more clearly," Podolyak added. He said it was important at this stage to accelerate the delivery of military equipment to Ukraine. Asked about Macron's remarks, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters: "The very fact of discussing the possibility of sending certain contingents to Ukraine from NATO countries is a very important new element." Asked what the risks of a direct Russia-NATO conflict would be if NATO members sent their troops to fight in Ukraine, Peskov said: "In that case, we would need to talk not about the probability, but about the inevitability (of a direct conflict)." HONG KONG/SHANGHAI (Reuters) -China's Alibaba Cloud on Thursday said it will slash prices of some of its products by as much as 55%, its most severe price cut to date, amid intensifying competition to attract heavy users, particularly artificial intelligence software developers. This would be the second time the cloud arm of Chinese e-commerce leader Alibaba Group Holding has cut prices in less than a year after reductions of as much as 50% in April. The cloud service provider said it will lower prices of over 100 products by an average of 20%. The price cuts constitute Alibaba's latest effort to persuade developers to build data-intensive AI models and applications using its cloud services. Rivals including Tencent Holdings and Huawei Technologies, which also cut cloud prices last year following Alibaba's lead, have offered a number of promotions to convince tech firms to develop AI within their ecosystems. "We decided to launch the price reduction campaign to lower the threshold of cloud services for more enterprises and developers," Alibaba Cloud executive Liu Weiguang said at a conference in Beijing on Thursday. Alibaba wants to build the market's most open cloud, Liu said. Colleen Curran Living Editor Follow Colleen Curran 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 Flemings steakhouse has leased space in the upcoming mixed-use West Village development at the corner of North Gayton Road and West Broad Street near Short Pump. Flemings will take over 9,032 square feet of retail space at the West Village development, Cushman & Wakefield Thalhimer reports. Finks Jewelers will be the anchor store in the West Village development. It is moving after 20 years at Short Pump Town Center into an 8,000-square-foot space that will serve as its flagship store in the Richmond market. Earlier this week, Bloomin Brands, the parent company of Flemings, revealed that it closed 41 locations of its brands, including Carrabbas Italian Grill, Bonefish Grill and Flemings. The company did not release a list of closed restaurants. There is a Flemings in the Richmond area at Stony Point Fashion Park, which has had trouble in recent years holding on to its tenants. Florida-based Second Horizon purchased Stony Point Fashion Park in 2022. It was unclear whether the Flemings at Stony Point would close to relocate to Short Pump. A spokesperson for Bloomin Brands declined to comment on the issue. The West Village development in Short Pump will be made up of approximately 50,000 square feet of retail and residential space. The project comes from local developer Rebkee. West Village will provide convenient and direct access for retailers that want visibility and a high-end boutique shopping experience for its customers, said Rebkees Dan Hargett in a statement. 10 romantic restaurants in Richmond Most romantic Italian: Lost Letter Classic romantic upscale: Lemaire Most romantic wine bar: Echelon Urban Wine Bar Most romantic new steakhouse: Perry's Steakhouse & Grille Most romantic heated patio: Jardin Most intimate: 21 Spoons Most romantic Southern: Lillie Pearl Most romantic Chinese cocktail house: And Dim Sum Most romantic ambiance and double entrendre: L'Opossum Most romantic cheap date: Bamboo Cafe On Thursday afternoon, Richmond school and city officials reacted to the sudden announcement that a plea deal had been reached in the trial of 20-year-old Amari Pollard for the fatal shooting of Shawn Jackson after Huguenot High Schools 2023 graduation. On the fourth day of his trial, Pollard pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and use of a firearm in commission of a felony. The plea came after the judge said there was no evidence of self-defense, which came as a blow to Pollards legal defense. Robert Gilstrap, who was principal of Huguenot at the time of the shooting, said the situation is sad on both sides. Its sad for Shawns family. I dont know if this will bring them some peace. But its also sad for Amaris family. Theyre going to lose access to their son, Gilstrap said in an interview. But if he pled guilty, then I guess thats some closure. But it makes me sad. I knew both those young men. I would never have wanted this to be the end of their story. Twenty-five years, maybe its not the end to his story, but it definitely is not what he had planned for his life. Gilstrap resigned from his job as Huguenots principal last summer and now works for the Virginia Department of Education. RPS Superintendent Jason Kamras and Richmond School Board Chair Stephanie Rizzi said in a statement on behalf of RPS: June 6 was intended to be a joyful day for Richmond graduates. Instead, it ended in a senseless tragedy that took two lives, and destroyed countless others. We continue to mourn the loss of Shawn Jackson and his step-father Lorenzo Smith, and pray that Mrs. Jackson-Smith finds some closure and peace with the conclusion of the trial. We encourage any students or staff retraumatized by the legal proceedings to seek support from a family member or friend, a trusted colleague, or a healthcare provider. Far too many children in our community continue to be impacted by gun violence every day. We plead with all of Richmond to continue working, by any means necessary, to eliminate this devastating epidemic and its root causes. We owe that to Shawn, and to all the children and youth of this city. Richmond School Board member Jonathan Young, who represents the Fourth District that includes Huguenot, said: An excruciating eight months for everyone at Huguenot finally has some resolution, even if still too many answers unresolved. I pray for better days for Huguenot, everyone there deserves it. Third District representative Kenya Gibson said: With something this horrific, there is no outcome that will ever feel like justice. My hope is that our community can now heal, and that we all work together to stop anything like this from ever happening again. Young and Gibson were also the only two members who, following the release of the report, voted in favor of hiring a full-time senior auditor focused on school safety protocols. That proposal failed. Mayor Levar Stoney released a statement Thursday afternoon on the outcome of the trial. Today, justice has been served, Stoney said. Thank you to the Commonwealths Attorney and the Richmond Police Department for their service to deliver justice to the victims, their families and the community. This guilty plea is a step toward healing for Huguenot High School, Richmond Public Schools and the City of Richmond. Richmond School Board member Shonda Harris-Muhammed, who represents the 6th District, said: My heart continues to be heavy for both families and our school division. My prayers will continue to be with the Jackson-Smith family and the Pollard family. Richmond School Board member Dawn Page, who represents the 8th District, said: I pray for his family and the family of the other people involved because all of their lives have been impacted by this. Everyone has been impacted by this. Students at the University of Virginia are voting now on a referendum demanding the school divest any and all monies in its $13.6 billion endowment invested in companies engaging in or profiting from the State of Israels apartheid regime and acute violence against Palestinians. Israel has been at war with Palestinian terror group Hamas since Oct. 7 of last year, after the latter launched a deadly attack on civilians. To date, more than 30,000 people have been killed, the overwhelming majority of them Palestinian. Israel continues to bomb and blockade the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, a territory twice the size of Washington, D.C., but home to three times the population, more than half of which is under the age of 18. While the United States has no troops on the ground and President Biden has urged for a cease-fire while calling Israels response over the top, it has remained a steadfast ally of Israel. That alone has many calling the U.S. complicit in the killing even genocide of Palestinians. Those opposed to Israels actions, including those opposed to the existence of a Jewish nation-state altogether, have called on American organizations to withdraw their investments in the country. Colleges, in particular, have been a hotbed for what is known as the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. Students and faculty at Columbia University, the University of Michigan and the University of California, Los Angeles, have cast votes urging their institutions withdraw any and all support from the state of Israel amid the conflict. While the referendum at UVa could be adopted with a simple majority of voters, it is unlikely to have any immediate effect whatsoever. The referendum has no power over the schools governing Board of Visitors or the UVa Investment Management Company, the agency charged with regulating the schools endowment fund. The institution is not bound by the results of this student referendum, UVa spokeswoman Bethanie Glover told The Daily Progress. Whether or not the school complies is almost beside the point for some students who support the referendum. The vote is a line in the sand, the say, illustrating the divide between the will of the student body and the decisions of university officials. The referendum has been spearheaded by UVa Apartheid Divest, a group that has roots in the student protests against the racist apartheid regime in South Africa and has been revived in recent years in response to other worldwide conflicts. A third-year representative of that group, who asked not to be identified out of fear of retaliation, told The Daily Progress that the group will use the results of the referendum as a lobbying tool as we continue to push the unaccountable, undemocratic institutions that have control over our universitys investments to be transparent about our investments and divest from apartheid and genocide. Students with UVa Apartheid Divest also led a walkout on Monday, in which roughly 100 people gathered on the steps of the schools Rotunda and marched roughly a half-mile across Grounds to the Observatory Hill Dining Room. Students from other organizations supporting the referendum, including the Asian Students Union, Minority Rights Coalition and Students for Justice in Palestine, participated. A student with Medical Students for Palestine addressed the crowd from the steps of the Rotunda and called the Israel-Hamas conflict the moral crisis of our time. The student, who also refused to identify herself, referred to the universitys history of opposing human rights violations and divesting from states participating in those violations. In 1990, the Board of Visitors voted to sell $14.7 million worth of stocks in companies doing business in apartheid South Africa. During the Vietnam War, then-UVa President Edgar Shannon took the side of student protesters and wrote directly to President Richard Nixon opposing the invasion of Cambodia. I think, to an extent, everyone on a personal level should feel involved in this, the student speaker told The Daily Progress after delivering her remarks to the crowd. I mean, we are, as Americans, complicit at baseline by paying the tax dollars that fund a large portion of the atrocities being committed against the people in Palestine. As students marched across Grounds Monday they chanted: Not another nickel, not another dime, no more money for Israels crimes. From Palestine to the Philippines, stop the U.S. war machine. Israel, you cant hide, youre committing genocide. But in a moment that may be symbolic of the fight ahead for the student protesters, as they made their way across Grounds Monday, a passerby on the phone asked the person on the other end of the line, What the fk is genocide? Students fighting for divestment not only face pushback from supporters of Israel but from students who are largely disinterested in the conflict. In order for the referendum to come up for a universitywide vote, it had to collect 950 faculty and student signatures. While it managed to attract 1,161, that represents just 4.5% of UVas total student body, including undergraduate and graduate students. Several Jewish students and faculty have referred to the referendum as antisemitic and disgusting. First-year student Matan Goldstein, an Israeli Jew, went to counter protest at another walkout on Oct. 25 organized by Students for Justice in Palestine. While protesters rallied on the steps of the Rotunda, he stood to the side holding up the blue and white flag of Israel. Do people know how such referendums lead to tremendous amounts of antisemitic attacks on Jewish students, regardless of them being identified or not identified with the state of Israel? Goldstein told The Daily Progress a few days before Mondays walkout. Goldstein did not counter protest Monday. No one did. Goldstein and other Jewish students and faculty have told The Daily Progress that they have been targeted, harassed and intimidated on Grounds for expressing any support for Israel or even expressing their Jewish faith. Jewish students say they have been yelled at, spat on and physically assaulted. Complaints have been filed with the Office for Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights, the Division of Student Affairs and the Task Force on Religious, Diversity and Belonging at UVa as well as the U.S. Department of Education. Students with UVa Apartheid Divest say they met with Board of Visitors members leading up to the referendum vote hoping to build support. The matter does not appear on a board agenda for an upcoming Feb. 28 meeting. The results of the student referendum will be announced Thursday. Hasten passage of high-level radioactive waste bill Prompted by the recent increase in sales overseas, Korean nuclear plant builders are now witnessing a renaissance. Despite the booming sales of so-called K-reactors, however, concerns are growing over the delayed special bill for the treatment of high-level radioactive waste, now pending at the National Assembly. As a leading nuclear energy state, Korea needs to construct storage facilities for radioactive waste. Among the top 10 nations with nuclear plants, Korea is the only country that has not yet initiated the construction of such facilities for managing spent waste. It is necessary to revitalize the nuclear reactor industry and sharpen the nation's competitiveness as a global nuclear energy power. More Korean companies are signing contracts to construct nuclear power plants overseas. For instance, Hyundai Engineering and Construction (HEC) was recently chosen as the preferred bidder for the construction of a $14 billion nuclear power plant in Bulgaria. Hyundai will be in charge of the construction of the second phase of the plant, which will be worth up to 9 trillion won ($6.74 billion). Hyundai's recent signing of this nuclear energy project marks the first of its kind in 15 years, following its securing of the Baraka project in the United Arab Emirates. Notably, Hyundai defeated renowned construction companies such as Bechtel, the largest builder in the United States, among other global contenders. The Yoon Suk Yeol administration has been taking proactive measures to revitalize the nuclear ecosystem and bolster the nations nuclear reactor industry. In August 2022, Korea Nuclear and Hydro Power (KNHP) struck a deal for the construction of a $2.5 billion nuclear plant in Egypt. Last year, it also struck a deal for a reactor essential for tritium extraction and remodeling purposes. Hyundai's recent contract propelled the nation's exports of nuclear plants to a substantial 14 trillion won. We expect the recent deals to trigger another leap in the domestic nuclear industry, helping to overcome the previous Moon Jae-in administration's lackluster attitude toward nuclear energy. The world is currently experiencing disruptions in its energy supply channels due to ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. To cope with this, more nations are rushing to construct nuclear power plants. According to data from the World Nuclear Association (WNA), approximately 100 nuclear plants are either under construction or in the planning stages worldwide. Besides this, the market for small module reactors (SMR) has also been growing swiftly, due to their merits in terms of safety and economic feasibility. Korea had been recognized as a leading SMR state by achieving the milestone of acquiring a design certificate for the first time globally. However, due to the non-nuclear policies advocated during the previous Moon administration, the nation has significantly fallen behind other advanced countries in this regard. To prevent the recurrence of such a mishap, it is necessary for both the government and companies to double down on efforts to take the lead in the global market. Yoon vowed to provide maximum assistance to support reactor manufacturers, aiming to elevate the industry as a cornerstone of the nation's exports. Additionally, he pledged to invest 4 trillion won over the next five years towards that goal. The responsibility now lies with the National Assembly to act on these pledges and enact necessary policies to support the nuclear industry's revitalization. It should promptly pass the law, thus paving the way for the construction of storage facilities so they can treat the spent nuclear fuel. The National Assembly should heed the appeal made by KNHP President and CEO Whang Joo-ho, who has warned that the nation's high-level radioactive waste facilities will reach full capacity in just six years. In a worst-case scenario, the nation will have to stop the operation of the nuclear plants, he said during a recent National Assembly committee hearing. Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, trying to keep her bid for the GOP presidential nomination alive, campaigned in Henrico County on Thursday, saying she remains the partys best chance to beat President Joe Biden in November. Dont complain about what happens in the general election if you dont vote in this primary, Haley told a crowd of hundreds at The Westin Richmond. Her visit was three days ahead of the Super Tuesday primary in which Virginia is one of 16 states and territories voting for presidential nominees. We need to make our voices heard, said Haley, who stood before an array of American and Virginia state flags. In a general election, were given a choice. In a primary, we make our choice. Referring to former President Donald Trump, who has topped Haley in every state nomination contest to date, Haley said the U.S. cannot afford to go through four more years of chaos. We also need to acknowledge that all we have done under Donald Trump is lose, said Haley, referring to the 2020 presidential election and to congressional elections in 2018 and 2022 where Democrats topped Republicans in several contests. Referring to Virginia politics, Haley noted that yall had a lot of conversations about abortion. Without naming names, she said: I respectfully dont think the fellas know how to talk about it. Haley said abortion is a personal topic for every woman and for every man and that it should be discussed respectfully. Haley said she is pro-life, because her husband was adopted and because she had trouble having her two children. But I dont judge anyone for being pro-choice any more than I want you to judge me for being pro-life. During last falls General Assembly elections, Gov. Glenn Youngkin pushed to bar most abortions in Virginia after 15 weeks with exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother. Democrats went on to retain control of the state Senate and gain control of the House of Delegates. Micki Stout, who donned a Micki For Nikki sticker and an American flag scarf at Thursdays rally, said she is excited about Haley as a candidate for her experience and stances on international policy as well as her stance on abortion. (Haley) is pro-life, but she also thinks its important for a woman to be able to have a choice, Stout said. While abortion is not a totally partisan issue, GOP-controlled states is where stricter restrictions or bans have been enacted. Stout, who said she is a Republican, said she thinks her party has been wrong on the subject and can alienate voters who see access to the procedure as a key deciding factor between candidates. But more than any particular policy stance, Stout thinks Haleys approach to politics is better than Trumps. I think she is much more rational, said Stout, adding that she hopes Haley will fare well in the Super Tuesday contests because she does not want to be faced with choosing between Trump and Biden. Youngkin did not attend the Haley rally and will not take part in Trumps appearance at the Greater Richmond Convention Center on Saturday. He has said Virginians should make their choice about the partys nominee and that he will not endorse a candidate before Super Tuesday. Haley was to hold another campaign event Thursday night at a Westin in the Tysons Corner area of Fairfax County. Kristi Way, vice chair of the Virginia GOP, addressed the crowd before Haley took the stage, as did former Virginia first lady Susan Allen, chair of Haleys Virginia leadership team. Im sticking with Nikki, said Allen, wife of former Gov. and U.S. Sen. George Allen. As long as shes in, Im here with Nikki, said Allen, Virginias first lady from 1994 to 1998. Isnt it time we send an accountant to the White House? Allen said of Haley, who has worked as an accountant. Haley said she would encourage Congress to reduce its spending and be more timely with its budgets. I will veto any spending bill that doesnt take us back to pre-COVID levels, Haley said. That will save us trillions. She also noted frustration with how Congress is often late with sending presidents a budget and argued that members of Congress should not be paid when they shut down the government. The statement was met with cheers, as was her suggestion of implementing term limits for members of Congress. Amy Walter with Cook Political Report said she expects Haley will do well in places like Virginias Chesterfield and Henrico counties. Walter said Haley appeals to portions of the GOP that are dissatisfied with Trump. What she is highlighting is what weve always known to be Trumps weakest constituency, which Walter said is more highly educated white voters. Though Walter suspects Trump would do well in GOP strongholds around Virginia, she noted his visit to Richmond on Saturday as a way to remind people about Super Tuesday. Showing very strongly in the Super Tuesday states will be important as just sort of an exclamation point, she said. At two points during the rally, individuals in the crowd shouted at Haley to weigh in on the conflicts in Russia, Ukraine, Israel and Gaza but were escorted out. While the international conflicts continue to make headlines, Walter said it remains to be seen what impact they will have on the presidential candidates by November. Haley has been vocal in support of Ukraine and Israel. In nomination contests so far, Trump has run the table, beating Haley in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, South Carolina and Michigan. A Republican needs 1,215 delegates to win the partys presidential nomination. Trump has 122 delegates to 24 for Haley, nine for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and three for entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, according to The Associated Press. DeSantis and Ramaswamy are among the GOP candidates who have dropped out of the race. Virginians will also vote Tuesday for a Democratic nominee. A Democrat needs 1,968 delegates for the partys nomination. So far, Biden has 206 delegates to 0 for Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn. Two Democratic delegates are uncommitted. Photos: Nikki Haley through the years After seven years of trying, legislators pushing for a program that would cover some employee earnings if they have to stay away from work to care for a family member have finally gotten a bill through the General Assembly. Its an idea most businesses resist, and it heads to the desk of a governor, Glenn Youngkin, who has said he doesnt like the idea of new laws that hinder business. His press secretary, Christian Martinez, said only that the governor would review any legislation that comes before him. The bill, SB373, says people can get up to 80% of their pay for up to eight weeks if they need to stay home for family reasons or because of their own serious health condition. It means you can stay home with a new baby or to take care of a family member, said the bills sponsor, state Sen. Jennifer Boysko, D-Fairfax. It means dignity, it means people can be people. During legislative hearings earlier in the session, Chrischa Ives of Virginia Beach told the story of her late daughter Gabby Aldea, hoping lawmakers would back a paid family leave program so that people can afford time off work to care for their families or to deal with their own major health crises. Gabby had Hardikar syndrome, a rare multiple congenital malformation syndrome that resulted in obstructive liver and kidney disease, intestinal and urinary abnormalities and congenital heart defects. Gabby, who died in 2020 at 21, would have loved to be here, Ives said. Shed want to say to (legislators) you have power, but we the people do, too. The bill would provide the benefit for several situations, including: to care for a new child during the first year of birth, adoption or placement into their foster care; to care for a family member with a serious health condition; to handle all the many tasks that need doing when a family member is deployed or returns from deployment or is called to active duty in the military. Employees requesting leave to care for a child need to present a birth certificate, or documentation of adoption or foster care placement or certification from the childs health care provider. A doctor or health care provider has to certify that an individual or family member has a serious health condition, describing it and its likely duration if the person asks for paid leave because of a health situation. Documentation of a need to deal with a family members military orders is required for those claims. The benefit would be capped at 80 percent of the regional average weekly wage. For the Richmond metro area, that was $1,229 in the second quarter of last year, the latest data available, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, which would cap the benefit at $983 a week. To pay for claims, the state will set up a new Family and Medical Leave Insurance Trust Fund, with the money to come from employer contributions and payroll deductions, in much the same manner as the state unemployment benefits are financed. The commissioner of the Virginia Employment Commission would determine what those contributions and deductions would be, based on an analysis of likely claims and costs. The fund is to be launched in 2026, and claims would begin to be paid in 2027. Employees are entitled by federal law to take time off to care for newborns or seriously ill family members, but the federal law only authorizes unpaid leave. Many families simply cannot afford to go without pay for that long, Boysko has argued for years now. Currently, paid leave is available only through private insurance offered as a fringe benefit by a minority of employers, or else by employers who eat the cost of employees leave from their own profits. That leaves millions of Virginians out, Boysko said. California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, and Washington, DC, mandate paid family leave when an employee has a new child or is caring for a family member or themselves. Hawaii and Puerto Rico also have paid leave coverage for employees own serious health condition. New Hampshire and Vermont have a voluntary paid family and medical leave insurance program. Boyskos bill passed the Senate on a 21-19 vote and the House on a 51-49 vote, both on party lines. Even so, it marks a shift: until last year, the idea struggled to win enough Senate Democrats support. The House, meanwhile, amended Boyskos bill to reduce the maximum period for benefits to 8 weeks from 12, and the Senate accepted that change on Wednesday, sending the measure to the governor. The U.S. Attorney last year called the case of a woman forced to work for relations in Chesterfield County for more than a dozen years the modern-day equivalent of slavery. What she did not say was that Chesterfield police and prosecutors knew about the abuse since 2017, but could do nothing about it because there was no way to bring a charge in state court. Virginia is the only state that does not have a forced labor law as part of its statutes against human trafficking, Cherry has been arguing through this years General Assembly. The case of Maira Butt, who was forced to work for the matriarch of the family she married into, as well as for two of the matriarchs sons, brought the case home. This was especially true when Cherry heard that Chesterfield authorities had known of the case and how Butt was forced to do thousands of hours of hard manual labor and domestic chores, through threats to keep Butts four children from her, limiting her access to food, verbal abuse and physical violence. That went on way too long way, way too long, Cherry said. While Virginias law includes stiff penalties for abduction and extortion, there are times like Butts case where it does not cover a case in which force, intimidation or deception, including threats to isolate a person from family, compels that person to work, he said. And to prove to senators on the Courts of Justice Committee that it can really happen, he asked Chesterfield Commonwealths Attorney Erin Barr for help. She had been forced into an arranged marriage in another country and brought to Chesterfield to live with her in-laws. It was an extended family that lived in the household with her, Barr said. Chesterfield police came across her and were able to interview, or, with the help of a family member who came from the other country, to find their family member and figure out shed been held there for 12 years, the prosecutor said. Those family members were convicted for the abuse that they perpetrated on her, but we were unable to do so back in 2016, 2017. When we had the situation in front of us, it went on for seven years, she said. The prosecutor added that there are situations in which abduction or extortion statutes do not encompass exactly what were seeing, but certainly its malicious. Its horrendous. Federal prosecutors said in court filings that Butt twice tried to take her own life by consuming rat poison on one occasion and overdosing on sleeping pills on another. She lost 60 pounds and clumps of her hair during the 12-year ordeal, and was physically unrecognizable to one of her brothers when he first encountered her after he traveled to the U.S. from Pakistan to learn whether she was still alive. In federal court, Zahida Aman, 80, was sentenced to 144 months for conspiring to engage in forced labor, forcing the victim to perform forced labor and document servitude: keeping the victims immigration documents to compel her to work. Her son, Mohammed Rehan Chaudhri, was sentenced to 120 months in prison on the conspiracy and forced labor charge. He and Aman were ordered to pay Butt $250,000 to cover her medical expenses, back wages, seized jewelry and other damages. Mohammad Nauman Chaudhri was sentenced to 60 months on the conspiracy charge. The House approved Cherrys bill, House Bill 633, by a 99-0 vote, while the Senate Courts of Justice and Finance committees have backed it unanimously. Another trafficking bill, House Bill 268, would require juvenile and domestic relations judges to consider whether juveniles facing charges that could lead to being tried as an adult for instance on homicide or malicious wounding charges were victims of trafficking or felonious sexual assault. It passed the House 98-0 and is pending before the Senate Courts of Justice Committee. But Senate Bill 384, to give state courts the power to punish smugglers seeking to evade U.S. immigration laws by taking people to or through Virginia, died on a party-line vote in a House panel after passing the state Senate on a bipartisan 33-7 vote. The measure, sponsored by Sen. Glen Sturtevant, R-Chesterfield, would have created three new felony crimes for such cases. But members of the House criminal laws subcommittee argued that there were already federal immigration laws and Virginia human trafficking laws that could address the issue. Sturtevant said the problem is that only a handful of cases even made it to trial in Virginia, despite several dozen complaints on human trafficking hotlines. Today in history: Feb. 28 1993: David Koresh 1996: Princess Diana 2009: Paul Harvey 2012: Matt Kenseth 2013: Benedict XVI 2014: Barack Obama 2018: Dicks Sporting Goods 2018: Walmart 2020: Dow Jones 2021: Andrew Cuomo Michael Paul Williams Columnist Follow Michael Paul Williams Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today Defending democracy has been a brutally thankless job for Michael Fanone, who suffered a brain injury and a heart attack warding off a mob hellbent on overturning a presidential election on behalf of Donald Trump. The former Metropolitan Police Department officer wont let America forget what happened, or who was responsible. And he refuses to stand idly by as Trump takes repeated whacks at our Constitution and rule of law. Fanone visited Richmond on Tuesday, preaching the dangers of political violence, as part of a planned nationwide tour by the nonprofit Courage for America. Fanone in person is as blunt and intense as his TV appearances suggest. He possesses a multitude of tattoos and the penetrating stare of a man who has seen beyond. He doesnt like what he sees should Trump return to the White House. Im fairly confident that that would spell the end of democracy, he said during a Tuesday visit to The Times-Dispatch newsroom. He sees a nation divided into three sections: ardent Trump supporters, vehement Trump opponents and a passive block of people who must be prodded toward action. The third group doesnt have the luxury of sitting this one out. I wish I could say that violence is not going to play a role in the immediate future. Unfortunately, I think it will. I hope that before we get to that point, were able to engage with that huge block of Americans that just seems completely indifferent to everything thats happening in this country. Fanone says theres a time for optimism and a time to be frank about where were headed. Its important for people to recognize that its everyones responsibility, he said. We cant just rely on institutions. We cant rely on elected leaders. It is really an all-hands-on-deck effort to address political violence at the local level within our own communities and also at the national level. On the day that would change his life, Fanone was headed to an undercover controlled drug buy when he started hearing reports of armed individuals being arrested around the Ellipse, the site of a Trump rally. His partner called with news that the outer perimeter of the Capitol had been breached. Fanone turned his radio on and heard distress calls from officers at the Capitol. He put his uniform on for the first time in a decade. He and his partner headed to the Capitol, self-deploying like many of their colleagues. Once in the Lower West Terrace Tunnel, Fanone saw 40 or 50 police officers trying to hold off a mob that ultimately separated him from his fellow officers. Fanone was tased repeatedly in the neck, which is believed to have triggered his heart attack. As a police officer for two decades, I have seen people commit crimes against one another. I have seen how little people value human life. But what I had never experienced was the level of absolute unadulterated hatred that I experienced going to the Capitol on Jan. 6, he said. For Fanone, 43, the political violence didnt end on Jan. 7. His testimony before the House Select Committee investigating the attack triggered threats from Trump supporters. He described the Metropolitan Police Department of D.C. as no safe haven. His visibility spurred jealousy among cops who thought he was chasing the spotlight; his outspokenness in calling out Trump by name did not endear him on a police force heavily populated with MAGA adherents. Officers had expressed all types of anger and resentment towards me. Cops had said they wouldnt back me up on the street. People had threatened violence against me, he said. I still tell people that some of the most disturbing phone calls I received were from former colleagues of mine at the Metropolitan Police Department. The department transferred Fanone to an IT job he was manifestly unsuited for. He resigned. I went from feeling betrayed by my department, being betrayed by my city, to being betrayed by my country, Fanone said. I cant help but take it personally. Because Ive been out here advocating and educating people, using my own personal experience to do so, at great personal cost. It cost me my career, a career that I loved very much. It has prevented me from gaining, you know, any type of meaningful employment since then. Effectively drummed out of the us-against-them ranks of policing, Fanone is now a pariah and a patriot, passionate about protecting America from the whims of an autocrat. Hes a sign of our strange political times. The insurrection occurred months after protesters took to Americas streets demanding accountability from police departments for the unjustified use of lethal force against people of color. In this context, the response to the insurrection is a form of backlash straight out of Bizarro World. Police officers, who lean conservative politically anyway, tend to stand by their man Trump after Jan. 6, even as he openly sides with a violent mob against the police officers who defended the national seat of government. Fanone, by way of explanation, recalled how early in his career he became disillusioned at seeing people he knew were guilty getting off. You start to gravitate toward this feeling of the end justifies the means. You disregard the process and only concern yourself with the end result. I say all that because I think that in our politics today, you have a party that now has disregarded the process and is only concerned about the result, he said. That same thought process has infected police officers in their ability to acknowledge their oath and fulfill it. Once upon a time in America, Fanone might have been hailed as a hero. But were at a moment where many Americans cant distinguish truth from fiction; patriot from traitor; conservatism from radicalism. Right-wing media played down Jan. 6 or imbued it with all sorts of nonsensical conspiracy theories. You have elected leaders, the president of the United States, telling you that, This election was stolen, Fanone said. This isnt just your buddy at the bar telling you that the election was stolen. Its not your neighbor. Its the president of the goddamn United States. Those words have a level of authority, especially for those that are his supporters. So, to me, he gave them permission. ... I can see how they were manipulated into believing that they were actually fulfilling their oath. He doesnt buy it, and says they need to be prosecuted. But Fanone, by his own acknowledgement, is not immune to manipulation; he voted for Trump in 2016. Four years later, he voted for Biden. He predicts that police officers will be lining up to vote for Donald Trump again in November. And that is Donald Trumps superpower: To get individuals to act in service of his interests but against their own and our nations. Fanone sees parallels between whats happening post-Jan. 6 and the aftermath of the Civil War. In the Reconstruction era that followed, America initially attempted to do the right thing, but abandoned the effort, prioritizing regional reconciliation over justice. He sees a similar lack of resolve in the response to the insurrection. I want full accountability for individuals that participated. I want the 147 members of Congress that voted not to certify the election held to account, prevented from ever holding office again, because I see that as an act of insurrection, he said. For him, doing the right thing means exactly that, and dealing with the consequences later. I think that everyone needs to use every means at their disposal every institution should be employing every means within its disposal to prevent Donald Trump or anyone like him from ever holding office or a position of power in this country ever again. Hes doing his part. America needs to find the courage to save itself. From the archives: A look back at Richmond-area firefighters Canada imposes new entry restrictions on Mexican travelers Mexico City, Mexico The Government of Canada has announced new entry requirements for Mexican nationals. The new requirements are set to take effect shortly before midnight. In a statement, Mexicos Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE) says that the Government of Mexico has been informed of the new requirements that are to take effect on the night of February 29. Mexico has been informed that starting 22:30 hours today, February 29, Canada will increase travel requirements for Mexican people. Applications for electronic authorization (eTA) must be accompanied by the existence of a current U.S. visa or a Canadian visa issued within the last ten years. Mexican people who do not comply with the above must apply for a Canadian visa. In recent weeks, Mexico sent two high-level missions to Canada to reiterate the importance of protecting people who are victims of fraud, trafficking and disinformation schemes. In the conversations held, it was achieved that instead of imposing a general visa requirement, the eTA was maintained with additional restrictions, which would cover 60 percent of Mexican people who travel to Canada, according to estimates by the Canadian government. However, Mexico regrets this decision and considers that there were other options before applying this measure. Mexico reserves, of course, the power to act in reciprocity, the SRE published in a statement Thursday. The group met Wednesday to discuss the new requirements among other topics. Photo: Alicia Barcena February 28, 2024. According to senior officials from the Canadian Broadcasting Corp, the new entry requirements are part of a move to curb the flow of asyulum seekers. Requests for the tightening of visa requirements for Mexican nationals has been ongoing. In April of last year, the U.S. asked Canada to reimpose the requirements. Last month, Quebec Premier Francios Legault also made a similar request, urging the Canadian government to stem the flow of asylum seekers from Mexico. The Quebec Premier went as far as to ask that the government compensate the provice for costs since, according to Legault, the lack of visa requirements meant more refugees were arriving by plane and that the provinces social services were at a breaking point. Last month the federal government said it was looking into ways to prevent Mexican nationals from flying into Canada seeking asylum. According to Mexicos Foreign Ministry, todays decision to add the additional requirements came after talks between Mexican and Canadian delegations. In a public statement the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) posted As of February 29, 2024 at 11:30 PM EST, Mexican citizens will need a visa to enter Canada unless they meet certain criteria. Most existing electronic travel authorizations (eTAs) for Mexican passport holders are being cancelled. Mexican citizens may reapply for a new eTA if they are flying to Canada and: (1) held a Canadian visitor visa in the last 10 years, or (2) currently hold a valid United States non-immigrant visa. Otherwise, they need a visa. Mexican citizens with a valid Canadian work or study permit are not affected. Their eTA will not be cancelled and they can continue to travel to Canada. Mexican citizens without a valid work or study permit who are already in Canada may stay for as long as they are authorized, but their eTA will be cancelled. If they leave Canada and wish to return, theyll need a visa or a new eTA, if eligible. Mexican travelers may experience delays when arriving at Canadian airports due to the changing entry requirements. Imoveqroo issued drivers licenses may not be recognized outside state Riviera Maya, Q.R. Reports of fines continue to surface for Quintana Roo drivers issued licenses through Imoveqroo. The state-run agency took over the task of issuing municipal licenses in early January. In the past few weeks, numerous Quintana Roo drivers have been fined while driving in neighboring states. The fines stem from the lack of legal recognition of the Mobility Institute in Quintana Roo (Imoveqroo) issued licenses. Deputy Jose Maria Chacon, President of the Mobility Commission, says the states issuing the fines are in error and that the licenses Imoveqroo issue are legal. He considers it a mistake that the neighboring states of Campeche and Yucatan do not accept the licenses issued in Quintana Roo by Imoveqroo. The lack of recognition derives from the fact that the licenses are not issued by the Secretariat of Citizen Security (SSC) or the Traffic Directorate of Quintana Roo, as occurs in other states. Deputy Jose Maria Chacon However, Chacon says Imoveqroo has been empowered to issue drivers licenses in the state of Quintana Roo and the licenses are ligament. In a very brief statement, the Instituto de Movilidad del Estado de Quintana Roo posted in the face of an alleged misinformation operation detected on social networks, IMOVEQROO informs all Quintana Roo licenses are valid throughout the national territory, in accordance with Art.52 of the Mobility Law which states that drivers licenses issued by IMOVEQROO are valid throughout the country and are even one of the safest as they have elements and holograms that guarantee it. Drivers licenses are processed personally in the offices already established by the municipalities, since their data is validated, their digital voice prints, biometric fingerprints, facial recognition, in addition to the digitization of their documents are recorded. Attempts by Riviera Maya News to contact Imoveqroo for additional clarification have gone unanswered. Maya Train Cancun-Puerto Morelos-Playa del Carmen route up and running Riviera Maya, Q.R. Mexicos President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador along with Quintana Roo Governor Mara Lezama toured the new Cancun Airport Playa del Carmen route. During the official inauguration early Thursday, Governor Lezama said the Maya Train is a detonator of the economy with a record of investments, shared prosperity and social justice. Maya Train travel from Cancun to the Puerto Morelos Tren Maya station Thursday morning. Photo: February 29, 2024. I have said it before that the Maya Train is the train of social justice as it generates unprecedented development in tourism and investments, Mara Lezama said during the Thursday afternoon travel between Cancun and Playa del Carmen. The Puerto Morelos Maya Train station marked along the highway. Photo: February 29, 2024. She cited more than 50 billion pesos in projects have been spent around the state for the rehabilitation of Colosio Boulevard, the road distributor of the Cancun International Airport, the extension of Chac Mool Avenue, the Nichupte Lagoon vehicular bridge, the Felipe Carrillo Puerto International Airport of Tulum, a beach access road in Felipe Carrillo Puerto, the Jaguar Ecological Park and improvement of archaeological zones. The Tren Maya station at Puerto Morelos from the front exterior and below, train station interior. Photos: February 29, 2024. I am really excited to be here at the opening of section 5 of the Maya Train that now runs along the paths of transformation, which marks a before and after in these first 50 years of history of the State of Quintana Roo, she added. Tren Maya ticket prices from Cancun to Playa del Carmen. The newly opened section 5 north that runs from the Cancun International Airport to Puerto Morelos and onto Playa del Carmen is a total journey of 45.6 kilometers of double electrified track. Governor Lezama inside the Playa del Carmen station, also shown below. Photos: February 29, 2024. The new route will have a special operating schedule of 10 departures per day that will accommodate both local workers and tourists with a capacity to move 2,210 passengers per day. For tourists, the Cancun to Playa del Carmen route will have a total of six departure-return schedules. The ticket office inside the Playa del Carmen Tren Maya station. Photo: February 29, 2024. They will be 9:00 a.m. 12:00 noon and 3:00 p.m. from Cancun traveling south to Playa del Carmen, while from Playa del Carmen to Cancun the departure times will be 10:30 a.m. 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. each direction stopping automatically at the Puerto Morelos Tren Maya station. Law enforcement is releasing and at least for now will not prosecute a 35-year-old man who was arrested and jailed last week in connection to threats made against Roanoke City Public Schools, as investigations continue, officials said Wednesday. When city police arrested Stephen Karl Johnson on Feb. 22, they did so to protect the public from threats posted on social media, said Capt. Adam Puckett, a detective. Data linked Johnsons name to accounts and devices used to spread the threats, he said. We had obtained enough probable cause to obtain an arrest warrant for Mr. Johnson, Puckett said. Due to the grave nature of these threats, we felt that was in the publics interest, and the schools interest of safety. Someone had threatened to shoot up Patrick Henry High School, he said. A 15-year-old student was also arrested last week, and is still awaiting a juvenile court trial for threats against schools. We do know that theres a connection between Mr. Johnson and the juvenile, Puckett said. Were still trying to find that connection and define that relationship, but we do know that one exists. The probable cause used to arrest Johnson included information from Snapchat, which is the social media messaging platform where the threats circulated, as well as data from other tech companies and internet service providers, Puckett said. Its not an instance of we got the wrong guy, Puckett said. Were obligated if we have probable cause and theres a great community threat, to take action. But the commonwealths attorneys office needs a higher standard of proof than probable cause used to make the arrest, he said. In the courtroom, someone must be proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Were continuing our investigation, Puckett said. Whether Mr. Johnson is a part of this, or whether the juvenile acted alone, or whether theres somebody else which we dont have any reason to believe that were going to hold whoever is a part of this accountable. Evidence now indicates the threats were spread by the 15-year-old Patrick Henry High School student, according to a Wednesday statement released by Roanoke Commonwealths Attorney Don Caldwell. Caldwell said in the statement that his office issued an order not to prosecute Johnson. Mr. Johnson had been held by the magistrate without bond and is being released from incarceration, Caldwell wrote. After Johnsons arrest, police were able to locate and recover the devices used to spread the threats, according to Caldwells statement. Tracking down those devices led to the 15-year-olds arrest Feb. 23. When Mr. Johnson was interviewed by the police, he denied any involvement in sending these threats, Caldwell wrote. When more threats were received on Thursday afternoon while Mr. Johnson was in custody, it was clear that someone else or others were involved. After the devices were seized that led to the juveniles arrest, no further threats have occurred, Caldwell wrote. The Roanoke Police Department continues to investigate as there are several electronic devices which need to be examined to determine if they contain any information relative to the threats, Caldwell wrote. Threats made over social media are not easily or quickly investigated if investigators have no other information available to narrow the identity of the sender, Caldwell wrote. This situation underscores how easily social media can be used as a weapon, not only against individuals, but governmental organizations as well, the statement reads. The problem is easily identified, the solution is not so clear. The 15-year-old who was arrested was a Patrick Henry High School student at the time of the threats, but is no longer enrolled, Caldwell wrote. Caldwells office declined to answer further questions emailed on Tuesday, citing an ongoing investigation and pending criminal charges. At the police department, Puckett said investigators worked around the clock to track down the source of the threats last week. Federal investigators also got involved. We want our community to know, especially the parents who have kids in public schools, that we will exhaust every resource available to us, Puckett said. Whatever it takes to ensure that these threats are either dealt with if they are credible, or deemed non-credible. LEXINGTON Two months ago, Virginia law enforcement seized nearly 100 animals from the Natural Bridge Zoo after a search warrant affidavit alleged mistreatment and unsafe conditions at the facility. The battle for their custody continues this week in Rockbridge Circuit Court. In January, a Rockbridge General District Court judge ruled the return of some of the seized animals to the zoo, owned by Karl and Deborah Debbie Mogensen. Attorneys have appealed that judges decision to the circuit level, where a jury of seven citizens, plus two alternates, are hearing evidence regarding the welfare of the seized animals and will have to decide whether the zoo can retain custody of them again. Senior Assistant Attorney General Michelle Welch, representing Rockbridge County, began calling witnesses Tuesday. As of Wednesday evening, the prosecution had still not rested its case. Proceedings Wednesday featured nearly four hours of cross examination of Dr. Ernesto Dominguez, the lead veterinarian in the Office of the Attorney Generals investigation who recommended the seizure of several animals from the zoo when a search warrant was executed at the facility Dec. 6 and 7. The Mogensens are represented by a team of attorneys that includes Harrisonburg-based lawyer Aaron Cook and Roanoke-area Gentry Locke lawyer Erin Harrigan. They have focused their cross examination of Welchs witnesses on the procedures used during an undercover investigation of the zoo last fall and the methods by which veterinarians determined which animals to seize in December. After receiving the complaint, Taylor testified that she contacted Sgt. Christine Boczar, an animal control officer with the Powhatan County Sheriffs Office. She asked Bozcar, who Taylor had worked with before and who had no significant ties to Rockbridge County or the zoo, to go observe to the facility. Boczar testified that she went to the zoo as an undercover officer and paying customer on two occasions, once on Oct. 25 and again on Nov. 4. On her first visit, she said she observed a deceased goat in an enclosure, dirty water in the black swans pool, and competition among deer receiving food from visitors. On her second visit, Boczar testified that not much had changed when it came to the upkeep of the facilitys habitats. Boczar reported her findings to Taylor, and the two women drafted an affidavit and presented a search warrant request to Judge Paul Cella in Powhatan County. The request was granted. Boczar testified Tuesday that she was operating on her undercover assignment as a member of the Virginia Animal Fighting Task Force, or VAFTF, a nonprofit, volunteer group that assists with animal cruelty investigations. The Mogensens attorneys had requested that the Powhatan County Sheriffs Office present documents to them related to department procedures, Boczars assignment within the VAFTF, and a previous dog-bite incident involving Boczar that resulted in a lawsuit. The sheriffs office has filed a motion to quash the defense attorneys request for records, arguing that the sheriffs office is not a party in the case, as Boczar was acting under the VAFTF. But Judge Christopher Russell said Wednesday that while the validity of Boczars search warrant is not at issue, the fact that a Powhatan sergeant got permission to search a Rockbridge facility doesnt sit well with county residents. The people here take a lot of offense, the judge said. He asked the sheriffs offices attorney to file paperwork by 4 p.m. Wednesday. The attorney did so by about 1:30 p.m., Russell said at the end of the proceedings Wednesday. The attorney also shared some documents with Russell that had been previously sealed by another judge and suggested that they should not be disseminated, Russell said. PETA had also filed a motion to quash defense attorneys request for documents. An attorney for the organization argued that while a PETA-related complaint launched the investigation by the attorney generals office, it was Boczars undercover work that triggered the December search of the zoo. Russell granted PETAs motion. The majority of witness testimony Tuesday and Wednesday featured observations made by veterinarians at the zoo on Dec. 6 and 7. Dr. Valerie Johnson, a veterinarian at the Wild Animal Sanctuary in Keenesburg, Colorado, testified that she provided her expertise in December regarding the zoos big cats, including a mountain lion and two tigers. Johnson said that Gretchen Sasha Mogensen, who has been identified by witnesses as the zoos facilities manager and the owners daughter, told her that she had recently had conversations with the zoos vet, Dr. Ashley Spencer with the Blue Ridge Animal Clinic, about euthanizing a white Bengal tiger. Johnson said the animal was thin, slow-moving, had a dull coat and appeared to be in pain on Dec. 6. The vet said Gretchen Mogensen consented to the tigers euthanasia that day and was present for the procedure. A signed consent form was admitted into evidence, and Johnson said a necropsy found later that the tiger had terminal cancer in several organs. Dr. Ernesto Dominguez, a Richmond-area veterinarian with exotic animal expertise, testified that he recommended seizure for several animals, not limited to but including tortoises with feces in their food and water, macaws with missing feathers, ground hornbills with living and dead mice near their enclosures, a sacred ibis with a scissor beak and a red ruffed lemur with a missing back leg. The vet said most enclosures lacked sufficient space, enrichment, clean water and food. Cross examination of Dominguez by Harrigan revealed that two animals seized by law enforcement in December have since died: a male gibbon and a blue-tongued skink. Dominguez testified that the skink was found dead Jan. 15 due to a chronic disease. The gibbon, transported to Metro Richmond Zoo after seizure, died sometime between Dec. 7 and Feb. 16 from a chronic heart issue, according to testimony. As of the last court recess Wednesday, defense attorneys had presented 15 exhibits and the prosecution had presented 79, many of which were large stacks of photographs, with one stack numbering into the hundreds. Russell said at the close of Wednesdays proceedings that we was pretty concerned about the attorneys timeline. On Tuesday, after an objection led to a brief argument between attorneys, Russell said, Were not going to send this jury out every 10 minutes. ... Were not going to go down rabbit holes. We only have four days here. But the court anticipates that the trial may go into next week. The General Assembly voted to change the name of Virginias drug courts to recovery courts and moved toward paying compensation to people wrongly listed on the state Sex Offender Registry, both issues with ties to the New River Valley. The court name change, which was requested by participants in Giles Countys drug court and introduced as a bill by Del. Jason Ballard, R-Giles, was approved by the House of Delegates earlier this month and by the Virginia Senate last week. That sends the measure to Gov. Glenn Youngkin. Supporters of the change, including Circuit Judge Lee Harrell, who presides over the Giles court, say shifting the name emphasizes recovery instead of addiction. The special courts, located throughout Virginia, allow some people charged with drug crimes to have their charges dismissed if they keep up with a regimen of rehabilitation, carry out community service and find and hold a job. The process, which can take 18 months or more, is intensively supervised, including a requirement that participants meet with a judge every couple weeks to discuss their progress. Giles County Administrator Chris McKlarney, who journeyed to Richmond earlier in the session with 10 court participants to testify to a committee considering Ballards bill, this week expressed continued support for an official change from drug to recovery courts. We recognize that this is a minor change, but words matter, McKlarney wrote in an email. In order to address the multitude of issues created by substance abuse disorder, we need the communitys support. Local and State governments cant do it alone and we need for employers to think of these individuals as potential employees, not potential problems. These folks are no longer in the drug business, they are in the recovery business, and I couldnt think of a reason to call it anything else. Ballard said Wednesday that he has been in touch with the governors office and anticipates no problems with the name change taking effect. Ballard said he hopes the same court participants who came to the committee hearing will attend the bill-signing when it is scheduled. Thatll put a nice exclamation point on that legislation, Ballard said. The compensation measure, sponsored by Del. Richard Rip Sullivan, D-Arlington, seeks to add that for people who are wrongly listed on the Virginia Sex Offender Registry. Virginia already pays compensation to people who are wrongly jailed. But there has been no compensation for a wrongful sex offender listing. Sullivans bill stems from the case of a Montgomery County man, David Kingrea of Pilot. Kingrea was accused of sexually abusing a former girlfriends son, had most of his charges dropped or thrown out, and in 2014 was found guilty by a jury of taking indecent liberties with a minor. Kingrea, who insisted that he was innocent, served a 12-month jail sentence and had his name entered on the sex offender registry. But in 2020, his accuser, now a grown man, came forward and said that he had lied and that Kingrea did not sexually abuse him. In 2022, the Virginia Court of Appeals threw out Kingreas conviction, issuing a rare writ of actual innocence. Last year, the General Assembly approved $58,942 compensation for Kingreas time in jail, an amount calculated through an already existing state formula. Kingrea was to be paid $30,353 in a series of payments and $28,589 was to be used to purchase an annuity that would provide monthly payments for a decade. The compensation also included $10,000 in community college tuition waivers that could be used for job training. Sullivan said last year that he planned to continue trying to set up a framework for compensating people not just for being wrongfully incarcerated but also for appearing on the sex offender registry. A bill that he introduced this year would pay $30,000 per year that someone is wrongly listed as a sex offender. A companion bill names Kingrea, who was on the registry for more than eight years, as a recipient of the new compensation. The House approved Sullivans bills earlier this month. On Wednesday, they cleared the Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee, with members voting unanimously to send the legislation to the full Senate. Sullivan said that at the risk of jinxing myself, yes I am optimistic that the compensation package would be passed this year. As Kingrea sought exoneration, he said that the listing on the sex offender registry was much worse than going to jail. Employers would not hire him, he said. And the designation as a sex offender meant that he was legally barred from going to his sons school, which was particularly hard because his son has extensive health problems that require special transportation and care in nearly everything. Kingrea had married in 2012, before his trial and conviction, and his son Dylan was born in 2015 while Kingrea was serving his jail sentence. A judge approved a short release so that he could be with Michelle Kingrea as she gave birth. On Wednesday, Kingrea said that his son, now 9, continues to be affected by numerous health problems but is doing better than at some points previously. Dylan has been receiving homebound education recently and the family hopes to send him to a school in Roanoke that focuses on severely disabled students, Kingrea said. Kingrea said that he and Michelle built the sensory room that they had long wanted for Dylan. It is a place set up so that he could play without injuring himself. Due to the familys finances, the Kingreas ended up constructing it in their living room, at a smaller scale than first planned, instead of adding onto their mobile home, Kingrea said. If Sullivans compensation package passes, Kingrea said that much of whatever he received would go to helping Dylan. Its always been the dream and this could make it come true, Kingrea said. By William R. Jones Recently, I surfaced an old newspaper clipping headlined The costliest theft of all: Work time." Robert Half (before passing away at 82 years of age in September 2001) surveyed and performed nationwide studies of time theft within the workplace. He was the founder of Robert Half International, Inc. It is basically a human resource consulting firm that recruits for companies. Accordingly, the article stated that the deliberate waste and abuse of time on the job costs billions of dollars, in fact, three times as much as shoplifting or employee pilferage. Half gave the most common examples of time-wasting and I saw myself as guilty of one of the inclusions (attending to personal business). Therefore, I was hesitant and delayed in writing about the topic. However, as I give an unrequired 16 hours very nearly every Saturday and Sunday to the university, I feel okay to attend to a bit of personal business during the weekdays. Arriving late for work; leaving early; long lunch breaks; fabricating illness and taking unwarranted sick days; spending unreasonable amounts of time socializing with co-workers; reading newspapers, magazines, or books; attending to personal business; daydreaming and general inattention to the work; numerous and long personal telephone calls; extended coffee breaks; deliberately slowing down in order to create overtime; and eating lunch on the premises then going out for a lunch hour constitutes Robert Halfs coverage. Nowadays, we could probably add smartphone social media attention, and/or cyber-loafing (surfing the web). Good grief, through the years (especially my military and civil service employment) at times I have been guilty of each and every example! In my case, I presented a cost to taxpayers, not a loss of profits to any particular business or company. The Journal of Vocational Behavior refers to Robert Halfs delineations as counterproductive work behavior (CWB) And, in particular, production deviance, which is defined as the purposeful failure to perform job tasks correctly and effectively (quality and quantity) the way they are supposed to be performed or simply the failure to do a task. This CWB is considered passive, less visible and difficult to prove. Thus, time theft is when an employee accepts pay for time they have not actually put into their work. Therefore, it is using paid work time for nonwork-related activities without the employers authorization. Its important to note that Robert Half stated in an interview that Nothing is time theft unless its excessive. A chat with a colleague, a personal phone call, or a trip to the water cooler is not time theft unless they are inordinate, that is, numerous and going beyond normal limits. In most countries, there is no law that makes employee time theft illegal. So, it is usually classified as employee misconduct rather than a crime. However, there can be consequences to dodging responsibilities. CWB is volitional and presents a negative work culture and decreases employee morale. Not easily aroused to activity, it is a challenge for employers to incentivize employees to remain actively engaged or occupied. Some business establishments are more prone than others. CWB dilutes profits and eventually, the customers pay for the loss one way or another. The author (wrjones@vsu.edu) published the novella "Beyond Harvard" and presently teaches English as a second language. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. DOVESVILLE, S.C. Since he was a toddler, Lucius Nelson has been drawn to the visual arts. I was around 4 when I took my first art lessons, said the 33-year-old resident of Dovesville. As a grew older, I took art classes in school, and I would go home and draw my own comic books. Drawing and painting have always been my passion and it is something Im sure I will continue to pursue for the rest of my life. Nelson was recently selected as one of seven artists to receive a South Carolina Arts Commission Emerging Artists Program project-based grant and career mentoring. The grants range from $1,200 to $1,800. In addition to financial support, artists benefit from mentorship and professional support. The combined benefits are intended to deepen artistic practice and foster artistic excellence; encourage career growth, advancement, and sustainability; and provide professional development and opportunities for collaboration. Im tickled to be chosen as an Emerging Artist grantee, said Nelson. In the months to come, I look forward to the fun and challenge of developing my art amongst the mentorship of professionals and inspiration of my peers. Nelson, 33, is originally from the Charleston area. He graduated from the University of South Carolina and continued his education at the College of Charleston, where he graduated in 2013 with a bachelors degree in studio arts. After graduation, Nelson traveled internationally before returning to the states to work as a web developer while continuing to pursue his passion for painting. He and his partner, Keli Price, moved to Dovesville in late 2021. Price has family in nearby Hartsville. She is a professional trumpet player who works for the Florence One School District as a music teacher and performs with the Florence Symphony Orchestra. She, along with others, has encouraged Nelson to pursue his painting full time. Now a decade after graduation, Lucius is stepping into his professional art career with a focus of using oil paint to explore texture and color as a conduit of joy and a way to foster creativity. He describes his work as hyper-detailed. In his artist statement for the S.C. Biennial Part II Exhibit, Nelson describes his work in this manner: Taking cues from glamor photography, sensational advertising and venetian painting techniques, my work is a slurry of highbrow and lowbrow visuals designed to shock the system into playful humor and creative introspection. In essence, I hope to create the painting equivalent of a Buddhist koan slathered in high fructose corn syrup. This is a tactic of repositioning the Sensational and the Grotesque as tools of liberation rather than as marketing devices designed to influence consumers below the level of reason for profit engineering. The techniques employed in these paintings are two-fold. The long form nature of the indirect painting method used gives me, as an artist, the experience of extended focus to the immediate moment a small protest aimed at the attention economy. The process itself generates a resultant mass of detail that serves as an over the top glorification of the moment depicted. This is done with the hope that the lowbrow nature of the work conflicts with the old-master-style details in a way that short circuits the viewers brain into an open state of good humor. Generating this state is my main goal as an artist, both for myself and the viewer. The S.C. Biennial Part II Exhibit is on display at the 701 Center for Contemporary Art in Columbia. Nelson was one of 24 artists from across the state to be invited to participate in the juried show, which continues through the end of February. Nelson said he will be a part of this years Artsfield competition in the open division. He has previously competed in a wet paint competition at Artsfield where artists are given a specific subject and a limited amount of time to complete their work. Artsfield is an event that gives exposure to aspiring artists and their works, said Nelson. I am really looking forward to this years competition. As for his being named one of the states top emerging artists, Nelson says it serves as an affirmation that he should continue to put brush to canvas. Im incredibly grateful to the South Carolina Arts Commission for the recognition, the grant and the mentoring, said Nelson. It serves as a validation of my work. Coast Guard Base Charleston held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new campus in North Charleston. Admiral Linda Fagan, commandant of the Coast Guard, presided over the ceremony on Jan. 24. Coast Guard Coast Guard Base Charleston held a groundbreaking ceremony Jan. 26, 2024, for its new campus in North Charleston. The 64-acre campus along the The 64-acre campus along the Cooper River will support the five Charleston-based national security cutters, their crews and the support personnel with completion expected in late 2026. Marking a new trajectory for the Coast Guard in Charleston, Base Charleston is slated to become the services largest homeport and a base for global operations, training and support. Since its commissioning in 2015, Base Charleston has delivered customer-focused premiere support to all Coast Guard members, assets, and mission partners from Northern Florida to South Carolina. Moreover, the base generates Coast Guard global operational readiness. Growth estimates show that the Coast Guard workforce may double in the Charleston area by 2030 and continued prioritization and investment in the future of Base Charleston is needed to make this vision a reality. As one of the original 10 homeports for the Revenue Cutter Service, the greater Charleston area has supported members of the Coast Guard and its predecessor agencies for more than 230 years. The Coast Guard footprint in Charleston includes eight major commands: Coast Guard Base Charleston, Coast Guard Sector Charleston, and the Maritime Law Enforcement Academy, as well as numerous tenant commands and personnel in supporting roles throughout the region. The Coast Guard is a seagoing service; Charleston is the homeport of four Legend-class cutters, the Hamilton (WMSL 753), James (WMSL 754), Stone (WMSL 758) and Calhoun (WMSL 759). The Coast Guard Cutter Friedman (WMSL 760), the 11th Legend-class cutter, is currently under construction and will be homeported in Charleston. Additionally, the cutters Willow (WLB 202), Anvil (WLIC 75301) and Kingfisher (WPB 87322) are homeported here. FLORENCE, S.C. Women in the pulpit is something that has come only recently to some churches. Today, St. Catherine Epsicopal Church in Florence will show a documentary called the Philadelphia Eleven which is about the first women to be ordained in the church. In an act of civil disobedience, a group of women and their supporters organize their ordination to become Episcopal priests in 1974. The Church of the Advocate in Philadelphia welcomes them, but change is no small task. The women are harassed, threatened and banned from stepping on church property, according to the website for the film. The church is located at 1806 W. Palmetto St. and the screening starts at 4 p.m. DARLINGTON, S.C. Darlington Raceway will host Track Laps for Charity on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., in partnership with the Child and Family Resource Foundation. Track Laps for Charity provide fans the chance to drive their personal vehicles around the track for a donation of $25. All proceeds will benefit Darlington Shares and the Child and Family Resource Foundation. Its always an honor to host Track Laps for Charity and give fans the opportunity to drive around our historic racetrack while supporting a great cause, said Darlington Raceway President Josh Harris. Were especially proud to put on one of the most unique events within the Pee Dee community to help out the Child and Family Resource Foundation. This will be the first of four Track Laps for Charity events at Darlington Raceway in 2024. The Child & Family Resource Foundation mission is to be a voice of hope and healing for children and families all the while connecting them to educational and community resources for life success. To learn more about the Child and Family Resource Foundation, visit https://www.childandfamilyresourcefoundation.com/. Fans will enter the track through the Gate 39A tunnel entrance off Highway 151. To participate in Track Laps for Charity, fans must abide by the following rules: All drivers must be 18 years of age or older with a valid state-issued drivers license. Driver and passengers will sign both waivers as they are submitted to track personnel. Signatures must be witnessed by track personnel. All participants must adhere to South Carolina state laws regarding the use of seat belts and child-safety restraints. Passenger vehicles only; motorcycles are not permitted. Maximum speed is 70 miles per hour and regulated by Darlington Raceway personnel. Passing other vehicles on the track is not permitted. Violators will be removed from the track. Drivers must stay up to speed and refrain from lagging behind in order to speed up. Violators will be removed from the track. Track Laps for Charity may be postponed or canceled due to inclement weather or safety conditions. If a cancellation is necessary, Darlington Raceway will make its best effort to contact guests in advance of their visit. Fans can register and find more information by visiting https://www.darlingtonraceway.com/events/tracklaps/. To learn more about Darlington Shares, go to https://www.darlingtonraceway.com/darlington-shares/. The Adani Group headquarters in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India, on Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2023. Photographer: Prashanth Vishwanathan/Bloomberg (Bloomberg) By Harry Suhartono and Saikat Das (Bloomberg) Adani Group met with investors in Singapore, marketing an overseas bond for the first time since weathering the rout caused by shortseller Hindenburg Research a year ago. An executive arrived at an office tower overlooking the city states Marina Bay in a black van on Wednesday, the first stop on a tour of international financial hubs to win over buyers for roughly $409 million of new debt. Hong Kong is on the itinerary for Thursday. The Marina Bay Financial Center, site of the Adani investor meeting. Photographer: Ore Huiying/Bloomberg (Bloomberg) Hindenburgs accusations of fraud and malfeasance published in early 2023 repeatedly denied by the company initially cast a pall over the fundraising efforts of Indian billionaire Gautam Adanis sprawling conglomerate and prompted concerns it would have to pay a premium when next borrowing funds. ADVERTISEMENT But the empire, whose operations include everything from ports to airports, data centers and solar parks, has since won new equity capital and trimmed debt. Adani last year also successfully completed a $3.5 billion debt refinancing package and said it lined up the money to pay back its $750 million security due in September. The debt being marketed to investors in Singapore to be would have a tenor of 18 years, with the funds earmarked for redeeming $500 million of notes maturing in December. Renewables unit Adani Green Energy Ltd. and other group companies are listed on the mandate, published earlier this week. Fitch Ratings expects to grade the new bonds at BBB-, at the low end of investment grade. Thats still higher than notes theyre replacing, which had a tenor of only five years. 2024 Bloomberg L.P MUSCAT, OMAN - Media OutReach Newswire - 28 February 2024 VinFast Auto (Nasdaq: VFS) officially signed a dealer sales agreement with Bahwan Automobiles Trading LLC (BAT) for the distribution of electric vehicles in the Oman market. This event signifies not only VinFast's initial operation in the Middle East region but also a significant step in the VinFast's global expansion. VinFast Chairwoman Ms. Le Thi Thu Thuy (center), CEO of VinFast Middle East Mr. Ta Xuan Hien (left), and Mr. Abdullah Ahmed Salim Bahwan, Executive Director of Bahwan Automobiles Trading at the signing ceremony (Photo: Bahwan Automobiles Trading) VinFast Chairwoman Ms. Le Thi Thu Thuy (center), CEO of VinFast Middle East Mr. Ta Xuan Hien (left), and Mr. Abdullah Ahmed Salim Bahwan, Executive Director of Bahwan Automobiles Trading at the signing ceremony (Photo: Bahwan Automobiles Trading) Under the terms of the agreement, BAT will become the official dealer of VinFast in Oman. From 2024 to 2027, BAT plans to establish and operate 13 VinFast stores and service centers. The inaugural store is anticipated to open in mid-2024, with vehicle sales commencing shortly thereafter. Additionally, VinFast will collaborate with BAT to sell four e-SUV models: VF 6, VF 7, VF 8, and VF 9 upon their market launch. Previously, within the framework of the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2023 (COP 28) held in the United Arab Emirates, VinFast and BAT signed a Memorandum of Understanding for Cooperation. Through this collaboration with its first dealer in Oman, VinFast actively contributes to the realization of green mobility solutions within the Middle Eastern region, while affirming the commitment of the Vietnamese electric vehicle manufacturer to making electric vehicles more accessible to everyone. Representatives of VinFast and Bahwan Automobiles Trading at the signing ceremony (Photo: Bahwan Automobiles Trading) Mr. Ta Xuan Hien, CEO of VinFast Middle East, said: "Oman presents a promising market for electric vehicles, as consumers in the nation demonstrate a growing interest in sustainable and environmentally friendly transportation solutions. We are confident that this dealer sales agreement with BAT, a leading and highly reputable dealer in Oman, will empower VinFast to swiftly establish a presence in the market and provide customers in the country with the most diverse and high-quality selection of electric vehicles available." Mr. Abdullah Ahmed Suhail Bahwan, Executive Director of Bahwan Automobiles Trading, shared: "We are delighted to be the first Middle Eastern dealer of VinFast, a pioneering electric vehicle manufacturer in Vietnam renowned for its strategic vision and innovative products. We firmly believe that this dealer sales agreement will introduce captivating electric vehicle models to the Oman market, contributing to the development of the electric vehicle sector in Oman and enhancing the electric mobility experience for our customers." The electric vehicle market in Oman is projected to experience significant growth in the coming years. The Omani government has implemented numerous initiatives to encourage the use of electric vehicles, aiming to address climate change, reduce carbon emissions, and limit the consumption of fossil fuels. Hashtag: #VinFast ADVERTISEMENT The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. About VinFast VinFast a member of Vingroup envisions driving the advancement of the global smart electric vehicle revolution. Established in 2017, VinFast owns a state-of-the-art automotive manufacturing complex with globally leading scalability that boasts up to 90 percent automation in Hai Phong, Vietnam. Strongly committed to the mission of a sustainable future for everyone, VinFast constantly innovates to bring high-quality products, advanced smart services, seamless customer experiences, and pricing strategy for all to inspire global customers to jointly create a future of smart mobility and a sustainable planet. Learn more at: www.vinfastauto.com. About BAT BAT is an allied business of Bahwan International Group, which is a reputed entity with over 45 associate companies and more than 2000 employees, with presence across the Sultanate of Oman, the Gulf Region, North Africa, and South Asia. These Group of companies represents an impressive portfolio of more than 40 global brands, their diversified businesses cover a wide spectrum including automobiles, healthcare, agriculture, renewable energy, airport solution, logistic solution, earthmoving equipment, construction equipment, industrial equipment, debt collection services, high-end security solutions, survey instruments, elevators and parking solutions, which are some of the major businesses among others. Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images An Illinois judge on Wednesday evening ordered Donald Trumps name to be removed from the states Republican presidential primary ballot, but temporarily put her own ruling on ice to give a higher court a chance to contradict her decision. Cook County Circuit Judge Tracie R. Porter agreed with the group of five Illinois voters who filed the suit, arguing that Trump was ineligible to take another shot at the White House under the 14th Amendment, a section of which bars any officer of the United States from holding office if theyve previously engaged in insurrection or rebellion. But she stayed her order until Friday in anticipation of an appeal to Illinois appellate court or the state Supreme Court. Porter also noted that her ruling would be indefinitely stayed should the U.S. Supreme Court decide differently on the matter. Spokesman Steven Cheung confirmed to The Daily Beast in a statement that the Trump campaign planned to quickly appeal the unconstitutional decision. He accused the plaintiffs in the case of being Soros-funded Democrat front-groups trying to deny President Trump his rightful place on the ballot, and slammed Porter as an activist Democrat judge. The Supreme Court is expected to settle the question of Trumps eligibility under the so-called insurrection clause for the entire country. It has indicated it will hand down its ruling ahead of March 5, the rapidly approaching date known as Super Tuesday when 15 states and one U.S. territory will hold their primaries. (The Illinois primary is on March 19.) Free Speech for People, the voting rights nonprofit that spearheaded the effort to file the suit, celebrated Porters ruling as a historic victory in a statement to The Daily Beast. The judge rejected all the various gimmicks that Trump tried to use to get the suit tossed, instead finding that he incited, fomented, and facilitated the events of Jan. 6, 2021, the organization said. Judge Porters reasoned decision contributes to the growing consensus of courts recognizing and condemning Trumps decisive role in the attack on the Capitol, said attorney Caryn Lederer, who represented the plaintiffs. The decision recognizes the importance of rule of law and upholding the mandate of the U.S. Constitution. Story continues Wednesdays decision comes after last months unanimous ruling by the Illinois Board of Elections, a panel made up of four Democrats and four Republicans, to dismiss the same case, saying that only the courts had the authority to decide on the matter. This Republican believes that there was an insurrection on January 6th, board member Catherine S. McCrory said, adding of Trump, There is no doubt in my mind that he manipulated, instigated, aided, and abetted an insurrection on January 6th. However, having said that, it is not my place to rule on that today. Matthew Piers, another lawyer for the plaintiffs, characterized the boards decision at the time as an avoidance of a hot potato issue. Were disappointed, he added, according to CBS Chicago, but we always knew that this case was going to be determined in the courts. Porters order leaned heavily on the Colorado Supreme Court, which set a precedent in December when it declared that Trump was ineligible for the White House. The Colorado decision is the one currently before the U.S. Supreme Court, which has already signaled its skepticism of the ruling. But Porter called the rationale for the decision compelling. Trump was also booted off the ballot in Maine, where the Democratic secretary of state found that he had deployed a false narrative of election fraud to inflame his supporters. Both the decisions in Maine and Colorado similarly remain on hold, with Trumps name still on the ballots there until the nations high court has the final word on the issue. 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. Decision makers should learn lessons from the past By John Merrill In some ways, the dynamics of the Ukraine-Russian conflict, which began two years ago this month, resemble those of the Korean War. First, there is a sudden attack by an invader who expects to achieve victory within weeks, if not days. Compare North Koreas quick capture of Seoul in June 1950 with predictions that Kyiv would collapse almost immediately after Moscow launched its invasion. Then the defenders launch a successful counterattack, akin to the Incheon landing during the Korean War or Ukraine's retaking of Kherson and other cities from Russian forces in late 2022, momentarily igniting hopes of victory. Finally, the war becomes bogged down in a frozen stalemate, such as the standoff between American and Chinese forces in 1951 in the mountains along what is now the DMZ. This led to two years of armistice negotiations amid inconclusive combat that finally led to a ceasefire agreement in June 1953. Will the same thing now happen in Ukraine? The front lines in Ukraine have barely budged in the past year. Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested recently that he is ready to negotiate to end the conflict. The U.S. so far has chosen to ignore his approach, believing that Putin wants to sap Western support for Ukraine by engaging in peace talks. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is even more adamant in rejecting talks as he clings to a maximalist stance, reminiscent of South Korean President Syngman Rhee during the armistice negotiations, that he will not give up fighting until he recovers all the Ukrainian territory that had been captured by Russia since its initial incursion in 2014. American public support for the Korean and Ukrainian conflicts has followed a similar trajectory. When the Korean War broke out in June 1950, there was wide public support in the U.S. for American intervention. But by the summer of 1951, half of the American population viewed the war as a mistake, since a quick and decisive victory was nowhere in sight. The harshest criticism came from politicians on the political right. Many conservatives, representing the still influential isolationist wing of the Republican Party, argued against any American involvement in foreign conflicts that did not directly threaten the U.S. Robert Taft, the Republican leader, called the war costly and pointless. Republican attacks on President Harry Truman and his management of the war led him to decide that he would not seek another term in office in the 1952 presidential election. Dwight Eisenhower only narrowly beat Taft for the 1952 Republican presidential nomination after he pledged that I will go to Korea to find a quick resolution of the conflict. Public opposition to the war meant that Seouls requests that the U.S. support reunification by military means were repeatedly rejected by Washington during both the Truman and Eisenhower administrations. A similar situation is now playing out in Washington as Republicans in Congress mount an effort to reduce or stop further military aid to Ukraine. At the beginning of the Ukraine conflict, only 9 percent of Republicans believed that the U.S. was supplying too much aid to Ukraine. About half of all Republicans now believe that, according to the Pew Research Center. Many argue that such aid is wasteful to a government that they view as corrupt, a similar criticism that was made about Korea under Syngman Rhee. Opposition in the U.S. to funding Ukraine is likely to grow as Russian forces become more effective and go on the offensive, while Ukraines military command undergoes upheaval with the firing of its top commander. Amid chaos in Congress about approving $60 billion in aid to Ukraine and a presidential election campaign, the Biden administration may have to face the reality that it needs to reconsider the viability of its approach toward Kyiv. A negotiated settlement based on compromise may be the only means to end the conflict, similar to the path taken in 1953 to end the Korean War. One plan being floated would be an immediate ceasefire to establish a demilitarized zone, with Russian and Ukraine forces withdrawing several miles from their forward positions. The U.N. could then send peacekeepers and organize a referendum to decide which country owns the disputed territory. Conventional wisdom holds that a negotiated end to the Ukraine war is neither possible nor desirable. But like the Korean War, the Ukraine war looks likely to end in a stalemate along current battle lines. A continued conflict would pose dangers for Ukraines future. Russias attrition strategy threatens to exhaust Ukraines military manpower, while undermining Western support for Kyiv and damaging Ukraines economy. Decision makers in Washington should ponder the lessons of the Korean War as they consider the next steps in their Ukraine strategy. John Merrill (jmerrill05@gmail.com) is a visiting scholar at the Institute of Korean Studies at George Washington University. He is a guest editorial writer of The Korea Times. North Koreas inaugural spy satellite is definitely alive and conducting space manoeuvres, a space expert has said, with Pyongyang successfully controlling the spacecraft. North Korea managed to successfully put the Malligyong-1 satellite into orbit on 21 November after two failed attempts. Experts at that time questioned whether the launch will achieve North Korean leader Kim Jong-uns objectives of enhancing his nuclear-armed countrys ability to conduct pre-emptive strikes and monitor the US, South Korean, and Japanese troops. The countrys state media, however, claimed it photographed sensitive military and political sites in South Korea, the US and elsewhere, but has not released any imagery yet. Independent radio trackers have not detected signals from the satellite. Marco Langbroek, a satellite expert at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, said we can definitely say the satellite is alive. From 19 February to 24 February, the satellite conducted a number of successive perigee, the point at which the satellite is closest to the Earths surface, he wrote. It went up from 488km to 497km, the Dutch scientist said, citing data from the US-led Combined Space Operations Center. The manoeuvre proves that Malligyong-1 is not dead, and that North-Korea has control over the satellite something that was disputed, Mr Langbroek said. A satellite image shows a port in Rason, North Korea (via REUTERS) Although the capabilities of the satellite remain unknown, he agreed, adding that it at least performs orbital manoeuvres, so in that sense it is functional. The US and its allies launched a new wave of sanctions against North Korea in December over its launch of the controversial satellite. The fresh bout of sanctions came amid heightened tensions on the Korean peninsular over the satellite launch, which contravened UN Security Council resolutions due to its use of ballistic missile technology. Since the launch, North Korea has withdrawn from a historic 2018 defence pact aimed at reducing the risk of a military clash at its border with the South. Story continues The orbit-raising manoeuvre was a surprise as the presence of an onboard propulsion system was unexpected and previous North Korean satellites never manoeuvred, he said. Having the capacity to raise the satellites orbit is a big deal, Mr Langbroek said. It means that North Korea, as long as there is fuel left in the satellite, can prolong the satellites orbital lifetime, by raising its orbit when it gets too low due to natural orbital decay: thus delaying reentry into the atmosphere. The successfull launch of the satellite after several failed attempts comes just months after Russian president Vladimir Putin pledged to help Pyongyang in its space programme during his meeting with Mr Kim in a rare September summit. South Korean officials also noted that the latest launch attempt likely incorporated technical assistance from Russia as part of a growing partnership in exchange for military equipment, a claim denied by both North Korea and Russia. King Harald V of Norway, who has suffered various illnesses in recent years, is to stay in hospital at a Malaysian resort island with an infection (Cornelius Poppe) Norway's King Harald V, aged 87 and in poor health, is "improving" from an infection that forced him to be hospitalised while on holiday in Malaysia, according to his office. The king will remain in hospital on the island of Langkawi and it is not yet known when he will return home, the Royal House of Norway said in a statement Wednesday. The king's "personal physician is in Langkawi and confirms that the king is improving from his infection. His majesty is well taken care of at the hospital and is receiving good treatment," the statement said. "His majesty will remain at the hospital for a few more days. No decision has been made regarding his return home," it added. Outside the Sultanah Maliha Hospital in Langkawi a guard ushered media away from the facility as cars and motorbikes entered and left the compound, according to an AFP journalist. Malaysian state news agency Bernama said the king was staying in the hospital's royal suite, citing unnamed sources. Malaysian health ministry officials and the Norwegian embassy in Kuala Lumpur have declined to comment. The king's next work commitment was scheduled for March 8 when he was set to meet the Norwegian government cabinet in Oslo, according to the Norwegian royal court's calendar. Those monthly meetings -- known as the Council of State -- are where new laws are agreed and signed off by the country's monarch and premier. Europe's oldest ruling monarch, who turned 87 in February, needs crutches to get around and has suffered from a series of ailments and illnesses in recent years, including heart surgery and various respiratory problems. In January, he was ill with a respiratory infection just a few days after dismissing speculation that he might abdicate, following the lead of distant cousin Queen Margrethe II in Denmark. "I stick by what I've always said, that I swore an oath to the Storting (parliament) and it is for life," said Harald, quoted by Norwegian media. In his absence, Crown Prince Haakon, 50, steps in as regent. ef/spb/tw/jfx/amj Shot of crime scene tape put up at a scene to warn off people A university student has been killed and another seriously injured by stray bullets as gunmen shot dead two men in a parked car on a busy street near the centre of the South African city of Johannesburg, police say. The students were hit when their bus was passing the scene of the shooting. No arrests have so far been made. Gun crime claims dozens of lives every day in South Africa but witnesses to these killings in broad daylight said they were shocked by what happened. "Both the men in the vehicle and one student were declared dead while the other student was taken to the nearest hospital for medical treatment," police spokesperson Col Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi told the BBC when describing what happened on Thursday afternoon. A police statement said the students had been caught in "crossfire". Images shared on social media show a man's body hanging out of a car window. Another shows what appears to be someone being treated at the scene on a main road in Braamfontein, a district close to a number of university campuses. The University of Johannesburg said both students who were affected were studying at their institution. The undergraduate who was killed was 18 years old and travelling to his residence when he was shot, the university said. It has offered counselling to those who witnessed the shooting. Wits University, which is located close to the scene, suggested the incident could have been related to taxi violence. Police refused to comment on this, telling the BBC that investigations were ongoing. A witness told local broadcaster eNCA she saw a gunman escaping in a white getaway car. Johannesburg city police spokesperson Xolani Fihla said the motive for the shooting was not known. A student told eNCA that she heard multiple gunshots, followed by chaos. "It was a really traumatic experience. It is really scary because it could have happened to anyone," she said. Another said she had witnessed previous incidents of violence in the area. Story continues Police and forensic investigators are at the scene. Between July and September last year an average of 34 people were shot dead every day in South Africa, police crime statistics say. Vadim Krasnoselsky, the head of Transnistria - Moldovas pro-Russian breakaway region, gives a speech during a congress of Transnistrian deputies in Tiraspol (AFP via Getty Images) The US is very closely watching the Moldovan region of Transnistria which is seeking Russias help as it looks to breakaway from the European country, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Wednesday. Given Russias increasingly aggressive role in Europe, we are watching Russias actions in Transnistria and the broader situation there very closely," Mr Miller said at a press briefing, using the Moldovan name for the region. Transnistria, Moldovas separatist region, turned to Russia on Wednesday and asked for help to aid its economy withstand Moldovan "pressure as hundreds of officials gathered to hold a congress meeting. The meeting was dismissed by Moldovas pro-European Chisinau government as a propaganda event aimed to garner attention and headlines. Chisinau is the capital of the Republic of Moldova. Mr Miller said: "The United States firmly supports Moldovas sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders, and we continue to encourage Chisinau and Tiraspol to work together and identify solutions to pressing concerns of communities on both sides of the Nistru (river). The rare meeting in the regional capital, Tiraspol, asked the Russian Duma to implement measures for defending Transnistria amid increasing pressure from Moldova, given the fact that more than 220,000 Russian citizens reside in Transnistria". Moldova is eyeing the EU candidacy and rolled out new custom duties on 1 January this year on imports to and exports from Transnistria, which borders Ukraine and is not recognised by any United Nations member countries, including Russia which maintains close ties to the region. But Transnistria is now simmering with regional tensions as the autonomous statelet looks to Moscow, which has backed it financially and diplomatically for three decades now. Even though Transnistria borders war-hit Ukraine to the east, it continues to hold more than a thousand Russian soldiers stationed since a brief war in 1992. Story continues Moldova, an increasingly European entity, has strained ties with Russia as the Chisinau administration has continued its pro-European regional loyalty and accused Moscow of trying to destabilise it. The countrys president Maia Sandu rallied for a peaceful resolution to the separatist conflict. "What the government is doing today is making small steps for the economic reintegration of the country," she said. However, Russia has defended the interests of Transniestrias citizens and termed them a priority and that the request would be reviewed carefully, the RIA news agency reported. DES MOINES Iowa House Republicans passed a bill late Wednesday night, after lengthy debate and vocal opposition by Democrats, that would create a new permitting process for Iowa school districts to arm trained staff. House File 2586 passed on a party-line vote, 61-34, at around 11 p.m. following nearly two hours of debate, with Democrats opposed. The bill now heads to the Iowa Senate for consideration. Iowa Code currently allows approved school staff to carry a gun on campus, should they choose. Two districts in northwest Iowa put policies in place but rescinded them last year to avoid being dropped by their insurance carrier for liability coverage. This years legislation looks to address insurers concerns by putting in place a new permitting process that allows employees at Iowas public and private schools and colleges to carry a firearm on school grounds during school hours. It would also provide qualified immunity and indemnify school districts from criminal or civil liability for all damages incurred pursuant to the application of reasonable force. Theres no mention of insurance in the bill. House Republican lawmakers said their intent is to bring insurers back to the table, and said theyre confident the permitting, training and indemnity provisions in the bill will alleviate insurers concerns. School districts would not be required to arm staff. Rather, the bill provides requirements for those districts that choose to do so. This bill sets a very high standard because we are talking about the safety of our children, said Rep. Phil Thompson, R-Boone, lead sponsor of the bill and chair of the House Public Safety Committee. The bar must be high. We recognize that this responsibility must be taken very seriously, Thompson said. The strict training regimen outlined in this bill ensures that the employees who acquire this permit are equipped with the skills and proficiency to act appropriately in the event of an emergency. In order to receive a professional permit to carry weapons, employees would have to pass an annual background check and complete a firearms safety course, in addition to one-time legal training on issues like qualified immunity, as well as annual communication and emergency medical trainings approved by the Iowa Department of Public Safety, plus quarterly live firearms training. The bill also would require school districts with at least 8,000 students among them Sioux City, Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Council Bluffs and Iowa City to have at least one armed private security guard or school resource officer in each district high school. Districts could opt out of the requirement for having an armed security officer at a high school by a vote of the school board. Schools with fewer than 8,000 students would be encouraged, but not required, to employ school resource officers or security officers at high schools. The state would establish a school security personnel grant program fund that would match up to $50,000 for employing security personnel. Identities of school staff issued a weapons permit would be confidential and not subject to disclosure under Iowas open records law. "I dont have a choice of knowing of how many guns are around my second-grader, House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst, D-Windsor Heights, said. I dont have a choice of knowing whether Mrs. Kennedy or Mrs. Smith is the teacher I want if I dont want my kids teacher to have a gun. Staff in the district will be allowed to carry concealed weapons during school hours. It would be up to districts to decide which firearms staff could carry and whether the district would provide those or allow use of personal firearms, Thompson said. The move comes in the wake of a shooting last month at Perry High School that killed 11-year-old Ahmir Jolliff, a sixth-grader, and Principal Dan Marburger. Six other people were injured in the shooting. The 17-year-old student who opened fire died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot. Supporters of the bill said the fastest way to respond to a school shooting is to have armed personnel on site, trained and available to respond at a moment's notice. Parents, law enforcement and school superintendents from rural communities, as well as gun rights activists, have said while school resource officers play an important role in Iowa schools, it is unrealistic to expect a single police officer is always going to be at the right place at just the right time should tragedy strike. They noted the Perry Community School District employs a full-time school resource officer, and said rural districts do not have the same access to nearby or fully-staffed police or sheriffs departments as those in urban Iowa. People with bad intentions are going to do bad thing. People with good intentions are there to stop them, said House Majority Leader Matt Windschitl, R-Missouri Valley. Look at the data. Look at the statistics. Seconds count. Seconds, save lives. House Democrats oppose arming teachers, citing risks to staff and students. Rather, they said, lawmakers should instead pursue an evidence-based intervention plan that addresses school gun violence and they advocated for providing resources for mental health services. Most professional education organizations have rejected the call to arm teachers, as has the National Association of School Resource Officers and the American Bar Association. Opponents said an armed teacher is much more likely to shoot a student bystander or be shot by responding law enforcement than to be an effective solution to an active shooter in a school. If Im carrying a gun and theres a threat at the door, the thing that stands between me and a threat is 26 kids that I would take a bullet for, said Rep. Molly Buck, a teacher and Democrat from Ankeny. I could never live with myself if I put a bullet in one of them. Buck noted shes been trained that if theres an armed intruder to safely evacuate students or shelter in place and barricade themselves if theres no safe way out. If I choose to be armed, what then is my role? Is my role to stay with my kids and keep them safe, or does my role then become to go after an intruder? Buck said. Rep. Beth Wessel-Kroeschell, D-Ames, said insurance companies are hesitant to cover schools due to lack of data on staff safety. There is no data on what would happen if we arm staff in schools., she said. There are too many unknowns, and the risks are high. The risks are unsecured guns left in a restroom, locker room, unlocked desk drawer and a young, curious student finding it and experimenting. This bill puts more children in the line of fire and nothing is more frightening. Rep. J.D. Scholten, D-Sioux City, said there have been more than 100 publicly reported incidents of mishandled guns at schools in the last five years, including a teacher accidentally firing a gun during a safety demonstration. Wessel-Kroeschell emphasized the need for more adults in schools, rather than armed teachers, to address safety concerns and prevent violence, including providing funding for schools to hire specialists to help students with homelessness, poverty, bullying and more. "I believe that every student in Iowa deserves to be safe in school. And I believe that every parent deserves to know their child is safe in school, Wessel-Kroeschell said. I want Iowa to make our students safe. Arming teachers does not get us there." Instead, Democrats urged Republican lawmakers to prioritize violence prevention, intervention and sensible gun safety laws. The Republican solution to school safety is more guns, said Rep. Lindsay James, D-Dubuque. Iowans are crying out to us for common sense gun safety laws. Iowans want to see universal background checks and investment in safety infrastructure in our schools. The encouragement of safe storage awareness. They want to see legislation on extreme risk protection orders. They want to see an investment in mental health these are the common sense gun safety solutions that Iowans want to see. Windschitl said House Republicans are moving forward separate bills to address mental health and to bolster school security infrastructure. This is a broad-spectrum approach. While it may not be all-encompassed in this one House file, we are working on multiple different aspects to provide the safety and protection and quality of education and the environment for our children to grow and prosper, he said. We can all work together on this and we can provide the safety that our children deserve. Carmelite Board Day of Recollection All parishioners and friends are invited to attend the annual Day of Recollection sponsored by members of the Carmelite Board. The Day of Recollection will be held on Tuesday, March 5, at the Carmelite Monastery, 2901 S. Cecilia, with registration at 8:45 a.m. The day begins at 9 a.m. with a message from Rev. Roger Linnan followed by Mass at 9:45 a.m. A hospitality brunch will be served from 10:30 - 11 a.m. The day will continue at 11 a.m. with Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and an opportunity for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The day will conclude with Benediction at 11:50 a.m. and dismissal at noon. There is no charge. For more information call 712-301-5352. Mid-Week Lenten Services Redeemer Lutheran Church, 3204 S. Lakeport, is inviting the public to their Lenten services on Wednesday, March 6. Worship times are at 11:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. A free-will offering taco lunch will be served at 12:15 p.m., following the 11:30 a.m. service, and dinner will be served from 5 to 6:45 p.m., prior to the 7 p.m. service (carry-out available). Join us for our Guided to the Cross series, week three, Guided to Peace: Colossians 1:19-20 "With wars waging within and without, the cross settles them all with peace to body, mind and soul." Cathedral Sacred Music Series As part of the Cathedral Sacred Music Series, Dr. Sonja Kraus of USD in Vermillion, S.D., and Dr. Brooks Hafey of Chadron State College, Neb., will present a cello and piano recital at 3 p.m. Sunday, March 10 at the Cathedral of the Epiphany. The recital will feature the works of Margaret Hubicki and Sergei Prokofiev. Admission is free and open to the public. Solemn sung vespers follows the recital at 4 p.m. The Cathedral is located at 10th and Douglas Streets in Sioux City. Irish Bake Potato Buffet New Horizons United Church of Christ, 141 Reed St., Akron, Iowa, will hold an Irish Bake Potato Buffet from 5 to 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 16. Choice of baked potato or sweet potato with a variety of toppings is $8. Grilled Hotdog meal is $4 and includes potato chips, chocolate chip cookie and beverage. 10% of net proceeds go to American Legion #186 in Akron. Dine-in, carryout, or free delivery within Akron city limits. Contact the church at 712-568-3446. Leonetti to keynote Mens Conference National Catholic speaker, youth minister, parish mission leader, author and Des Moines Catholic radio host Jon Leonetti will be the keynote speaker for the April 6 Mens Conference in Le Mars, Iowa. The Men of the Cross conference is co-sponsored by the Catholic Diocese of Sioux City and the Le Mars All Saints Catholic Parish Mens Ministry group. Leonetti shared that he will be talking to the conference participants about humans being created in Gods image and likeness, as described in the book of Genesis. He pointed out that humans are the highest form of Gods creation. Men of the Cross will include three keynote presentations from Leonetti, two 30-minute breakout sessions, lunch and Mass at 2 p.m. with Bishop Nickless. The Plymouth County Pork Producers will be providing a hearty pork chop lunch for the men, which has become an annual favorite for the participants. Bower explained the breakout speakers will include Father Zach Jones, Father Michael Erpelding and Daniel Swalve, parishioner and father of young children. To register for the conference, participants can go to scdiocese.org/mensconference. Cost is $40 per person if registered by March 22. After March 22, the fee increases to $50 per person. Fathers and sons registering together will receive a $5 discount off of each registration. The conference will be held at All Saints Catholic ParishSt. Joseph Church, 605 Plymouth St. NE in Le Mars. Citywide confessions In an effort to encourage the Catholic faithful to participate in the sacrament of reconciliation (confession), the four Catholic parishes in Sioux City are collaborating on citywide confessions throughout the next year. Each parish will host one of four come and go confessions in the next 10 months to remind Catholics that the sacrament is available throughout the year not just during the liturgical (church) seasons of Advent and Lent. Confessions will be available at the following locations from 7 to 8 p.m. and the Blessed Sacrament will be exposed for confession participants to pray in adoration if they wish. Multiple priests will be present at each citywide confessions event. March 19, 2024 at Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ Church at 4241 Natalia Way June 18, 2024 at Sacred Heart Parish at 5010 Military Road. Pastors of the four parishes include: The Rev. David Hemann of Holy Cross Parish, which includes Blessed Sacrament and St. Michael churches; the Rev. David Esquiliano of Cathedral Parish, which includes the Cathedral of the Epiphany, St. Boniface and St. Joseph churches; the Rev. Brad Pelzel of Mater Dei Parish, which includes Immaculate Conception and Nativity churches, and the Rev. Tim Friedrichsen of Sacred Heart Parish. Food pantry St. Thomas Episcopal Church, 1200 Douglas St., will have its food pantry open from 10 a.m. to noon Mondays. Willie Hatchett was eager and ready for the start of the Peachtree Road Race, a 10K held on July 4 in Atlanta. Hatchett had run it nearly every year for two decades and was confident he could get to the finish line. The 59-year-old EMT and former firefighter bolted through the sea of runners, working his way toward the first mile marker. That also happened to be the spot where Atlanta Police Department Officer Melina Lim was stationed. Lim was both working the event and watching for her best friend, who was running the race. First, the professional athletes flew past her. As the next wave of runners approached, Lim told the crowd around her, "My best friend will be here soon. Get ready to make some noise!" She held up her phone so she could take a picture of him. Instead, her screen showed something alarming. A man was stumbling across the street. His footsteps suddenly stopped. He closed his eyes and fell to the ground. People started tripping over him. Lim ran across the street to where the man Hatchett had collapsed. She bent down and tried to create a barricade with her body so others didn't hit him. She radioed to her team, "I've got a runner down." Hatchett's body started seizing. Lim slid her leg beneath his head to protect it from the pavement. A gash over his left eye was gushing blood. He wasn't breathing. She started CPR. Three doctors, who had all been running the race, jogged over to help. They took turns giving Hatchett CPR. One of the doctors ran to a nearby hotel and brought back an automated external defibrillator, also known as an AED, a machine that can help restore a heart's normal rhythm. They shocked Hatchett, but he didn't respond. They kept doing CPR and retrying the AED for 30 minutes without sustaining a healthy rhythm. An ambulance arrived and paramedics rushed Hatchett to the hospital. On the way there, they peeled off his race bib and found the emergency contact he'd written on the back. His wife, Nadjo Hatchett, was told her husband had collapsed during the race and was on the way to the hospital. When Nadjo got to the hospital, she got more news: She couldn't see her husband because he had tested positive for COVID-19. A doctor called her after she got home and said, "We need him to wake up before we know whether he's experienced brain damage or partial paralysis." Around 4 a.m., Willie woke up. The last thing he remembered was leaving home for the run. One of the first things he asked his doctor was, "Did I finish the race?" His doctor told him he'd gone into cardiac arrest about a mile in. Cardiac arrest is essentially an outage of the heart's electricity. It can be triggered by a heart attack, which is essentially a plumbing problem. Willie had that; in fact, doctors inserted four stents to clear blockages in his coronary arteries, restoring normal blood flow. As an EMT used to being on the giving end of CPR, he was overwhelmed by the notion of having been on the receiving end. Plus, he thought he was healthy. He'd been exercising regularly to get ready for the 10K. Registering for the event gave the former Marine extra motivation to stay in shape throughout the winter and spring. Outside of feeling a little off a few days before the 2022 race, there were no signs of problems. He later learned there was a history of heart issues in his family. As Willie's care played out, Lim wondered about his fate. The last thing she saw was him leaving in the ambulance. The absence of information left her fearing the worst. Then she remembered something: Her body camera. It captured the information on his race bib. She used that to learn his name and, eventually, made it to Willie. "You're a survivor," she told him. Then she filled him in on a promise she'd made after watching the ambulance take him away. Although she'd never been a runner, she'd vowed, "If he pulls through, I'm running the race next year." Months later, Willie tested her sincerity. "Registration is open. Let's do Peachtree together," he told her. She was all in. As were the three physicians who'd helped save his life. Willie wasn't allowed to run the 2023 race, but his doctor cleared him to walk. So, the group lined up together on a rainy July day and celebrated the fact that Willie had another shot at that finish line. This time, he remembers exactly what happened. "We finished that race," Willie said. "There were a lot of hugs and cheers along the way." He said he believes "I got to stay here for a reason. I'm going to keep moving forward and keep sharing my story and hope that it helps someone else survive." Stories From the Heart chronicles the inspiring journeys of heart disease and stroke survivors, caregivers and advocates. covers heart and brain health. Not all views expressed in this story reflect the official position of the American Heart Association. Copyright is owned or held by the American Heart Association, Inc., and all rights are reserved. If you're worried about how much time you spend staring at screens but can't imagine life without them, don't worry nobody is saying you need to switch to a rotary phone or transistor radio. "Social media and electronic devices are not inherently good or bad," said Dr. Jason Nagata, an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco. "They do have some health risks. They also have many benefits. Overall, we want people to optimize those benefits and minimize the risks." On the plus side, the devices can foster social connections, said Dr. Andrea Graham, an assistant professor of medical social sciences and preventive medicine at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. "Social support is incredibly valuable for our mood," she said. But the burst of brain chemicals we get from a positive interaction on social media can make it hard to step back, Nagata said. And even more passive forms of screen time can have health consequences. Nagata led a study, published in December in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, showing that every additional hour of TV viewing at age 23 was associated with higher levels of obesity, high blood pressure and abnormal cholesterol 25 years later. Other research of his has linked screen use to binge-eating disorders and sleep problems in young people. Sleep problems and other mental health issues also have been linked to adults' screen time. Whatever the form, Americans use screens a lot. A Pew Research Center report released in January found that 41% of U.S. adults reported being online "almost constantly." Among those ages 18 to 29, 62% said so. Audience research company Nielsen said adults spent an average of almost five hours a day watching television in 2022, while consumer research company GWI said working-age internet users spent nearly seven hours a day using the internet. If you're ready to cut back, this advice might help: Be realistic and aware For some, totally unplugging from devices might be fine, said Graham, co-director of Northwestern's Center for Behavioral Intervention Technologies. "But that's probably unrealistic for most people." Many people are overzealous when they first try to adopt healthier habits, said Graham, a psychologist who studies ways to support mental health through apps. If you can go cold turkey, that's fabulous, she said, "but most people need a more gradual approach." So be "mindful and strategic" about why you're going online, she suggested. You might have started going on social media to relax, but ask yourself: Is it really that relaxing anymore? Once you've evaluated what you're really getting from your time on screens, eliminate the things that aren't a positive influence. A 2023 study published in Psychology of Popular Media showed potential benefits from even a brief, partial pullback. College students who limited their social media use to an hour a day for three weeks reported feeling better about their self-image and weight than students who made no changes. Think about what will fill the gap When unplugging, you have created time for something that creates joy, Graham said. That could be health-boosting exercise or stress-reducing meditation. It could even give you more time to meet with friends instead of just commenting on them, she said. Get tech support Keeping tabs on screen time can help, Graham said. Most smartphones and tablets have built-in tools for that. Other experts recommend putting your phone in grayscale mode to make notifications less distracting (and those endless video streams less compelling). Set an example If you're a parent, you need to model proper screen behavior, Nagata said. "One of the biggest predictors of childhood screen use is actually their parents' screen use." Each family's approach will differ, he said, based on factors such as a child's age. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children younger than 18 months not use digital media except for video chatting, and children 18 to 24 months should view only "high-quality" materials, and only with a parent. For children ages 2 to 5, screen time should be limited to one hour a day, the AAP says. For older children, it suggests no screens during meals or an hour before bedtime. Nagata led a study published last year in Sleep Health that showed many kinds of screen time streaming movies, playing video games, talking or texting on the phone and more were associated with sleep issues in early adolescents. There are no established limits for adults. But if you expect your children to ignore texts and alerts during dinner or family activities, you need to do the same, Nagata said. "If you decide on certain rules as a household, it's really important that parents are also held to those rules." Talk about it Working together as a family probably accomplishes more than software that sets hard limits, Nagata said. "Oftentimes, children are more tech savvy than adults," he said. "And even if you try to put in parental controls, there are ways that they can get around them." Families might set up screen-free zones including in bathrooms and bedrooms. "Particularly for younger adolescents, if you want to monitor what kind of content they're watching, have them use screens in public spaces," Nagata said. The AAP encourages families to work together on a media plan and has a tool for building one on its website. Nagata said that open discussions now can set younger kids up to make healthy choices later. After all, "you're not going to be able to police them forever." Pay attention to what happens next After you take steps toward cutting down on screen time, be aware of how the change affects you, Graham said. If you feel less anxious or find yourself sleeping better or exercising more, "celebrate it, and keep up the positive changes." Make it personal Remember, "not all screen time is bad," Nagata said. A video chat with out-of-town grandparents can boost family ties. "If there's a movie that you really want to watch, the family can do it together. Then, you can have a conversation about it." When it comes to finding a healthy balance, find what works best for your situation. "There is not a one-size-fits-all solution for any individual or even any family," he said. covers heart and brain health. Not all views expressed in this story reflect the official position of the American Heart Association. Copyright is owned or held by the American Heart Association, Inc., and all rights are reserved. SIOUX CITY -- Sioux City police have arrested a man suspected of the armed robbery of Morningside convenience store in January. Threeten Sirom, 29, of Sioux City, was arrested and booked into the Woodbury County Jail Wednesday on charges of first-degree robbery, assault while participating in a felony, intimidation with a dangerous weapon, felon in possession of a firearm and aggravated assault. On Jan. 25, a suspect entered Kum & Go at 1925 S. Lakeport St. brandishing a gun and demanding money. He then fled the business on foot with an undisclosed amount of cash. Sirom had been arrested Feb. 21 at the conclusion of a high-speed chase that reached speeds above 110 mph through Morningside. He was charged with eluding, second-degree criminal mischief and operating while intoxicated and bonded out of jail on Friday. He also faces a March trial on charges related to a November high-speed chase. SIOUX CITY A Tennessee-based cleaning company accused of employing child workers to clean equipment at a Sioux City meatpacking plant has agreed to refrain from hiring children. Fayette Janitorial Service and the U.S. Department of Labor on Monday filed a joint motion in federal court in which they had agreed to terms of a preliminary injunction. In addition to agreeing not to hire underage workers, Fayette is enjoined from refusing to provide information and telling its employees not to talk to Labor Department investigators. The company also may not retaliate against workers who cooperate with investigators, according to the injunction, signed Tuesday by Chief U.S. District Judge Leonard Strand. The Labor Department last week filed a complaint in which it alleged Fayette employed at least nine children on its overnight sanitation shifts at the Seaboard Triumph pork plant. It said in court filings that Fayette employed minors under age 16 at the plant during overnight shifts to work more than three hours a day and more than 18 hours a week while school was in session. Children under age 18 were tasked with cleaning power-driven machines such as meat and bone-cutting saws, headsplitters, jawpullers and skinners. The Fair Labor Standards Act bans children under age 18 from working in dangerous occupations, including most jobs in meatpacking and processing plants. The Labor Department had sought an injunction while it continues to investigate Fayette's labor practices. After receiving a complaint in September, investigators with the Labor Department's Wage and Hour Division executed a search warrant at the plant. Investigators determined Fayette employed nine minor children -- two 14-year-olds, one 15-year-old, one 16-year-old and five 17-year-olds. Investigators observed Fayette employees hosing down equipment, then washing it by hand with chemicals and soap before rinsing. Cleaners worked under, around, between and on top of running, wet equipment while cleaning. Investigators reported heavy mist and steam causing low visibility and making it hard to see equipment and witnessed workers reaching inside machinery to check for animal parts. Floors were slippery from the combination of water, fat and meat. Seaboard has said it terminated its contracts with Fayette, a third-party vendor that began providing sanitation services at the plant in September. Fayette also is accused of employing 15 child workers at a Perdue Farms plant in Virginia. According to a Department of Labor news release, Fayette provides contract sanitation and cleaning services for meat and poultry processing plants in about 30 states and employs more than 600 workers. By Robert Neff In the fall of 1900, Seoul was temporarily graced by an intrepid English doctor named Ella Campbell Scarlett. Like many of these temporary presences in the Land of the Morning Calm, we know very little about her stay in Korea, but, judging from Horace N. Allen, the ever-cranky American minister to Korea, she was quite the character. In a letter to his son, Allen excitedly declared that the shooting now [between Seoul and Incheon] is excellent, plenty of pheasant, duck and geese. I am not sure why Allen felt compelled to mention hunting as he rarely engaged in that activity, but it did inspire him to indulge in one of his favorite activities gossiping. We have a new lady doctor here, an English woman, of rather particular qualifications. She is a great shot and can 'skin a beast' as well as a man. I hear she will try for a tiger later on. Her name is Scarlet and she has the idea that she is the first doctor to come to Korea. A case of English conceit again. I like the English as a race, but most of the individuals are not pleasant to know. When Allen wrote his letter, Dr. Scarlett had just celebrated her 36th birthday. Of course, Allen was unaware of her birthday, or much about her, and judging from his correspondences, never really got to know her. Born in Surrey, England, on Nov. 22, 1864, Dr. Scarlett was unmarried and perhaps rankled Allen with her unconventional lifestyle. She was rather under the medium height, with dark brown hair, small features, and olive brown eyes and she wasnt entirely English her deceased grandfather was George Allen Magruder, a commodore in the U.S. Navy. In fact, she had several family members associated with the American military. Allens animosity towards her might have also been tinged with jealousy. As a child she distinguished herself at school by her smartness, while her geniality and good nature made her a general favorite. She then went to London where she dabbled in proper society but found it [boring], stale, and profitless. To alleviate her misery, she spent the between seasons [of society] in the Highlands [of Scotland], where she fished and engaged in other wholesome outdoor pastimes. In her mid-20s, she studied music in Germany where she acquired a taste for things Teutonic before returning to London in 1892. Disgruntled with the music scene, she pursued a career in medicine and obtained not only a Belgian degree but likewise an English one. As one can easily surmise, Dr. Scarlett needed adventure. According to a Chicago newspaper, she practiced medicine for a short time in India before she accepted the position of physician to the ladies of the harem of the Corean court. Apparently she had accepted this position in the spring of 1900 and spent a considerable time at South Kensington learning the art of preserving furred and feathered game in preparation for her trip to Korea. In July 1900, a local newspaper wrote: Miss Scarlett, who is a good natural historian intends to study the flora and fauna of Korea, as a recreation in the intervals of attending the sick and suffering. She takes her gun and her bicycle with her, as well as her camera, and intends to be very busy all round. It is surprising how little is known about her stay in Korea. In March 1901, an American newspaper merely described her position on the peninsula as a mistress of a hospital in the Far East. Chicagos newspaper provided a little more information about her time spent at the Corean court, the existence being not devoid of adventure, the Corean women being just one remove above actual savagery. Other than her wild times in the Korean palace, she rendered invaluable services to the Natural History Museum at South Kensington in London with her magnificent shot by killing much big game, including some of those gigantic snow tigers that infest Corea and Manchuria There was a degree of inaccuracy in this article from the Windy City (including the amount of time Dr. Scarlett spent in Korea) but the claim she [was] a skillful bicyclist and devoted to every form of outdoor sports seems to have been true. Allen was proud of the role he had in Koreas bicycle history. He was there when the first bicyclist rode through the streets of Seoul in the winter of 1884/85. He thought of himself as a skilled bicyclist (despite the many accidents), but I dont recall anyone else praising his skill, especially in a newspaper. Allen's opinions of English physicians were never very flattering. In a letter to his sons in the spring of 1901, he complained about stomach problems and wrote: After my long illness in [1893] I was put on egg nog [by an English doctor in Seoul] and told to take a certain amount of alcohol every day, but I believe it was a mistake. English doctors have different ideas from us, and are inclined to fall back on alcohol for everything from in-growing toenails to falling hairs. Allens scorn for the English wasnt confined to just female physicians his letters are peppered with distaste for people being too frightfully English and stuck up. When describing the Boer conflict in South Africa, he expressed regret that our English cousins are having such a hard time and losing so many fine men and worried it might result in the downfall of the great nation He added, but the contemptible actions of some local individual Englishmen make the losses of the English Nation less disagreeable to us Americans in Korea than they otherwise might be. It was the Boer conflict that led to Dr. Scarlett resign her position with the Korean government in 1901, after only a years service. She traveled to South Africa where she [rendered] invaluable service, first in nursing the sick and wounded in the British military hospitals, and subsequently in medical charge of the Boer women and children in the concentration camps. Shortly after she arrived, she married Percy Hamilton Synge, a young British army officer, and settled down to domestic life. Or did she? According to the December 1902 edition of the Korea Review, a magazine published in Seoul: Mrs. Ella Scarlett Synge writes from Bloemfontein about her work in South Africa: My husband and I are thinking of settling in this country where there is so much to do. He is at present surveying for one of the new lines of railroad in the Transvaal. I am thinking of starting private practice in Bloemfontein but nothing is settled as yet. According to her Wikipedia page, she went on to do many things. She was the first female physician in Bloemfontein and the first woman doctor at the Royal Columbian Hospital. Considering her important achievements and her early fame, it is surprising how little is known about her. The only mention of her in Korea is that one entry in The Korea Review even the regional directories fail to mention her. Allen is the only gossiper that mentioned her and he did it only once or twice. Even an article about her in 1916 for which I believe she was interviewed seems inaccurate and makes no mention of Korea. She died on Oct. 30, 1937, and according to her obituary in an English newspaper: Perhaps because of the birth of her mother, an American, in an enterprising nation, Miss Ella Scarlett was one of the first women of a family in the peerage to become a doctor. She found the life so interesting that she did not marry until the later thirties. [her] career was more adventurous and dramatic in her earlier days than most of the stories we read in fiction or see on the films. Hopefully in the future her archives will be found especially the photographs and letters and we will be provided with not only an insight into the Korean palace (and its harem) but also a candid view of Horace Allen hopefully it wont be too frightfully English and stuck up. My sincere appreciation to Diane Nars for her invaluable assistance. Robert Neff has authored and co-authored several books, including "Letters from Joseon," "Korea Through Western Eyes" and "Brief Encounters." SIOUX CITY Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig is set to make multiple stops in Northwest Iowa on Friday. In the morning, Naig is visiting Cold-Link Logistics in Sioux City and Hinton High School in Hinton before making an afternoon stop at American Natural Processors in Cherokee. On Thursday, Naig visited Sac City and Galva, Iowa. This past week, Naig penned an op-ed about preventing ownership of Iowa farmland by "foreign adversaries." Iowa bars foreign groups from owning more than 320 acres of farmland. Naig said he has worked with Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and Attorney General Brenna Bird on legislation to further address such purchases. "The legislation focuses on three key areas. First, we must strengthen reporting requirements so there is full transparency about who owns our land," Naig wrote. "Secondly, the attorney general must have the tools she needs, including subpoena power, to fully and aggressively investigate any concerns that arise. Finally, we need tough penalties that punish wrongdoers while also serving as a formidable deterrent to those who would otherwise attempt to break our laws." A bill focused on foreign ownership of farmland unanimously passed both chambers in the Iowa legislature this past week. Rep. J.D. Scholten, D-Sioux City, said of the legislation: "I firmly believe that food security is national security." Naig recently made a visit to Mexico as a part of trade trip. The Ag Secretary went with a number of farmers and industry leaders to work on boosting exports. "Because of the incredible productivity of Iowa farmers and favorable free trade agreements, we have an opportunity to supply customers here and around the world," Naig said in a statement. NEW YORK Komal Vilas Thatkare says she doesn't have anyone to ask about her most private health questions. There are only men in my home no ladies," said the 32-year-old mother and housewife in Mumbai. "I dont speak to anyone here. So I used this app as it helps me in my personal problems. The app she uses is powered by artificial intelligence running on OpenAIs ChatGPT model, that Myna Mahila Foundation, a local women's organization, is developing. Thatkare asks the Myna Bolo chatbot questions and it offers answers. Through those interactions, Thatkare learned about a contraceptive pill and how to take it. Thatkare is one of 80 test users the foundation recruited to help train the chatbot. It draws on a customized database of medical information about sexual health, but the chatbot's potential success relies on test users like Thatkare to train it. The chatbot, currently a pilot project, represents what many hope will be part of the impact of AI on health care around the globe: to deliver accurate medical information in personalized responses that can reach many more people than in-person clinics or trained medical workers. In this case, the chatbot's focus on reproductive health also offers vital information that because of social norms is difficult to access elsewhere. If this actually could provide this nonjudgmental, private advice to women, then it could really be a gamechanger when it comes to accessing information about sexual reproductive health, said Suhani Jalota, founder and CEO of the Myna Mahila Foundation, which received a $100,000 grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation last summer to develop the chatbot, as part of a cohort of organizations in low- and middle-income countries trying to use AI to solve problems in their communities. Funders like the Gates Foundation, the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation and Data.org, are seeking to build up this missing middle in AI development, especially in areas like health and education. These philanthropic initiatives offer developers access to AI tools they otherwise could not afford so they can solve problems that are a low priority for corporations and researchers if they are on their radars at all because they don't have high profit potential. No longer can the global north and high-income countries drive the agenda and decide what does and does not need to be addressed in local communities in the global south, wrote Trevor Mundel, president for global health at the Gates Foundation in an October online post, adding, We cannot risk creating another chasm of inequity when it comes to AI. The Associated Press receives financial support for news coverage in Africa from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The Myna Mahila Foundation recruited test users like Thatkare to write real questions they have. For example, Does using a condom cause HIV? or Can I have sex during periods?" The foundation's staff then closely monitor the chatbot's responses, developing a customized database of verified questions and answers along the way that helps improve future responses. The chatbot is not yet ready for wider release. The accuracy of its responses is not good enough and there are issues with translation, Jalota said. Users often write questions in a mix of languages and may not provide the chatbot with enough information for it to offer a relevant response. We are not yet fully sure on whether or not women can understand everything clearly and whether or not its fully medically accurate all of the information that were sending out, Jalota said. They are considering training some women to help ask the chatbot prompts on behalf of someone else, though still aim to improve the chatbot so it can be released on its own. Dr. Christopher Longhurst, chief medical officer at the UC San Diego Health, has led the implementation of AI tools in health care settings and said it is important to test and measure the impact of these new tools on patient health outcomes. We cant just assume or trust or hope that these things are going to be good. You actually have to test it, Longhurst said. He thinks the promise of AI in health care is overestimated in the next two to three years, But I think long term, over the next decade, AI is going to be as impactful as the introduction of penicillin in health care. Jalotas team consulted with other projects funded by the Gates Foundation that were designing chatbots for health care settings so they could solve similar problems together, said Zameer Brey, interim deputy director for technology diffusion for the Gates Foundation. The Myna Mahila Foundation is also partnering with another Gates grantee to propose developing privacy standards for handling data for reproductive health. The foundation, which is working with an outside technology firm to develop the chatbot, is also considering other steps to help ensure the privacy of users. Weve been discussing whether we should delete messages within a certain time frame of women sending it to add to this privacy, Jalota said, as some women share phones with family members. How quickly are consumers and businesses adopting AI tools compared to past technologies? How quickly are consumers and businesses adopting AI tools compared to past technologies? ChatGPT was the fastest-growing app when it first launched Digital technologies are spreading more quickly than ever before NEW YORK One brand of hydrogen peroxide mouthwash is being recalled nationwide for posing a potential poisoning risk for children. The Consumer Product Safety Commission announced Feb. 29 that Heritage Store Hydrogen Peroxide Mouthwash is being recalled for a lack of child-resistant packaging required for products containing a certain concentration of ethanol. The CPSC said consumers should immediately place the mouthwash out of reach and sight of children. Nutraceutical Corporation, the Utah-based manufacturer of the mouthwash, is contacting all known customers and offering refunds or replacements. Flavors being recalled include eucalyptus mint and wintermint, sold in brown bottles with a white lid. The bottles display a pink and white label with the Heritage Store logo, product name and flavor. All bottles are being recalled. The mouthwash has been sold in stores such as Whole Foods, Fresh Thyme Farmers Market, Moms Organic Market, New Seasons Market and Mothers Market & Kitchen. It was also sold online through platforms like Amazon, iHerb and HeritageStore.com from October 2010 to December 2023. 102,100 bottles of mouthwash are subject to the recall. No injuries have been reported related to the mouthwash. The Poison Prevention Packaging Act requires that products with a certain concentration of ethanol have child-resistant packaging. The symptoms of ethanol poisoning include vomiting, nausea, slowed breathing, and drowsiness, among others. For questions about poisoning or if you need emergency assistance, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 or visit Poison.org for additional resources. ___ The 8 most widespread vehicle recalls this year The 8 most widespread vehicle recalls this year #8. Honda partial frame structure detachment #7. General Motors child seat anchors #6. Nissan ignition key shutoff #5. Ford parking brake #4. General Motors air bags #3. Honda rearview image #2. Ford front brake hoses #1. Hyundai and Kia fire risk DES MOINES A proposal by Iowa House Republicans to reorganize the funding and oversight of Iowas area education agencies was passed out of the chamber on Thursday, the first major milestone for the proposal as lawmakers have spent the last two months weighing major changes to the states special education network. House Republicans proposed the bill after they blocked a more expansive and dramatic proposal from Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, a Republican, that would have allowed school districts to spend their special education dollars outside the AEAs. The House bill, House File 2612, would keep Iowas AEAs as the sole provider of special education support in the state. State funding for special education services would go to the school districts, and they would be required to use that funding with the AEAs. School districts would receive their allocation for media services and other education services that are currently devoted to the AEAs, and they would be able to choose whether to use that money with the AEAs or with another party once the bill is fully phased in in the 2026-2027 school year. The bill passed out of the House 53-41 with only Republican votes. Nine Republicans joined Democrats in voting against the bill. House Education Committee Chair Skyler Wheeler of Hull said as he introduced the bill on the floor that it was the product of countless hours of conversation with stakeholders. He said there is broad agreement that changes need to be made to the AEA system. One thing was true throughout all of this. Everybody agreed that there were areas to improve and that we could make changes, Wheeler said. The AEAs have been included in this conversation more than anybody Weve worked diligently and Im proud of the work that weve done. In a statement after House lawmakers passed the bill, Reynolds said test scores and a "needs assistance" designation from the U.S. Department of Education show that the AEA system is failing Iowa students. "The system must provide transparency and accountability to school districts, those closest to our students, and drive consistency across the AEA regions to improve services for students with disabilities," she said. "Thats what Ive heard from over 100 school districts as Ive traveled the state, and I look forward to more conversations as the legislation moves forward. Democrats call for study of AEAs Democrats said there is no need for changes to the AEA system, and that the call for changes was based on faulty assumptions about test scores and performance of students with disabilities. Democrats said they supported the piece of the bill that calls for a task force to study the structure and services of the AEAs, but they did not want to make any changes before convening that study group. "There is no reason for the rest of the bill," said Rep. Sharon Sue Steckman, D-Mason City. "The task force will do it for us. Then next year, we can make an intelligent decision instead of a rushed one." Reynolds has cited scores from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) to explain the need for Iowa to improve its special education instruction. Iowas students with disabilities have scored below the national average over the last several years, according to a report from Guidehouse, a Virginia-based firm that contracted with the state to study its special education services and created a report that suggested many of the changes in Reynolds original bill. But Democrats said that test is taken by so few students with disabilities that it should not be used to measure performance or the effectiveness of the AEAs. Around 530 students with individualized education plan took part in the most recent national survey less than 1% of the states students in special education. We dont know how the tested students were selected. We dont know if they were representative of all the students with disabilities, said Rep. Monica Kurth, D-Davenport. But what we do know is that those students were about one-third of one percent of our students with disabilities. NAEP scores are one factor the Federal Department of Education uses to determine whether states are properly educating students with disabilities. The Guidehouse report also found a 41% proficiency gap between Iowa students with disabilities and those without in the Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress. Mike Beranek, the president of the Iowa State Education Association the union representing the state's public school teachers said in a statement that the bill is "not as draconian" as Reynolds' first proposal, but that it was still unnecessary. "As this legislation moves forward, we implore the Senate and Governor Reynolds to commit to doing what is right for all Iowans and take no action that would reduce services for any students," he said. "Doing anything else is irresponsible." What is in the bill? Iowa's nine AEAs, which are governmental agencies separate from the Department of Education, provide special education support to school districts in their boundaries and assist with classroom equipment and media services, professional development and talented and gifted instruction, among other services. Right now, the services are largely funded by property taxes and federal special education dollars. Beyond the funding changes, the bill would bring the AEAs under the Department of Education and create a new state Division of Special Education to oversee them. The division would handle oversight and federal and state compliance for educating students with disabilities. The bill would move the AEAs governing boards to an advisory capacity and require state approval of AEA budgets. The salary for AEA administrators would be capped at 125% of the average salary of all superintendents within the AEAs boundary. The bill would also establish a task force to study the AEAs, led by the legislative leaders of both parties. The group would assess and make recommendations related to the property owned by the AEAs, the services they provide, the accountability and oversight measures in place, the organizational structure of special education in Iowa and a timeline for staffing modifications at the AEAs. Republicans amended the bill on the floor on Thursday that would bring back the option for school districts and AEAs to share staff like social workers and special education coordinators. The amendment also makes the number of regional employees in the state Division of Special Education flexible, with up to 40 employees split between the nine AEAs. The division would hire 13 new employees based in Des Moines. Moderate Republicans give cautious support Two Republicans who have, in the past, opposed some education priorities of their party, said during debate they were not thrilled about the bill, but they ultimately supported it because they did not think it would hurt special education offerings in the state. Rep. Brent Siegrist, a Republican from Council Bluffs, said he was not happy with how the bill came about, but that the House version was a major improvement. He said the bill gives him some heartburn, but that it is a step in the right direction. Its fair to say this was on nobodys agenda coming into the session, Siegrist said. None of us heard about it going door to door. But this issue was brought to us, and I congratulate Representative Wheeler and everybody else thats worked on this to try to make something that is certainly palatable to move ahead. Republicans widely opposed Reynolds initial proposal to change the AEA system at the beginning of this year. Reynolds quickly proposed an amendment after receiving a flood of feedback from lawmakers and legislators, and that proposal has been amended further by the Senate. The Senate proposal, Senate File 2386, has moved out of committee, but it has not reached a floor vote. The bill differs significantly from the House proposal, and it would allow schools to seek special education services outside the AEAs. The chambers will need to agree on a single bill in order to send it to Reynolds to be signed into law. Education Committee chair says bill will improve outcomes Wheeler said the criticism coming from Democrats revolved around the priorities and motivations of the governors original bill and not the House bill. He said the House bill was not based on any test scores or the report that motivated Reynolds proposal by Guidehouse, a Virginia-based firm. Wheeler said a number of school superintendents were on board with the bill, who said they would be able to personalize their special education services and spend their money more efficiently. He also noted that several organizations who were originally against the bill had switched their registration to undecided. Giving them the money, letting them have the money and disperse it as they need throughout their school district, I believe will improve outcomes for students, he said. Wheeler, who has a daughter who has autism, said that he took the bill on early in the session because the issue was so personal. I gave myself this bill, not because I wanted to punish myself, not because I was the chair of (the Education Committee) and therefore I had to do it, he said. I gave myself this bill because I believed if there was going to be something that affected my daughter's future directly I was going to have my hands on it. WASHINGTON (AP) Texas Sen. John Cornyn has informed his colleagues that he intends to run for Senate Republican leader, becoming the first senator to announce a campaign after Sen. Mitch McConnell said he will step down from the post in November. Cornyn, who served as McConnells No. 2 in leadership before he was term-limited out of the job five years ago, is citing his experience in that role in a statement Thursday to fellow senators announcing his run. But he also is trying to distinguish himself from McConnell, saying, "I believe the Senate is broken -- that is not news to anyone. From experience, I have learned what works in the Senate and what does not," Cornyn said. And I am confident Senate Republicans can restore our institution to the essential role it serves in our constitutional republic. There has long been speculation that Cornyn, South Dakota Sen. John Thune and Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso - the three Johns - would vie to replace McConnell, R-Ky., if and when McConnell were to step down. But the longtime leaders surprise announcement on Wednesday that he wont run again for Republican leader after the November elections has jump-started the campaign earlier than expected, almost nine months before GOP senators are expected to gather and choose a new leader behind closed doors. Cornyn, a former Texas attorney general who was first elected to the Senate in 2002, is a prominent member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and a popular member of the GOP conference who is seen as a steady hand. He has managed to bridge some of the caucus deep divides in recent years while also occasionally negotiating with Democrats, as he did on bipartisan gun legislation in 2022. He is also a prolific fundraiser for the party, having raised a total of $13 million for incumbents, the partys Senate campaign arm, and Senate Republican nominees already in the 2024 cycle. In his statement, Cornyn said he believes he has built a track record of listening to colleagues and seeking consensus, while leading the fight to stop bad policies that are harmful to our nation and the conservative cause. Cornyn said he would work to improve communication, try to move spending bills individually and make an effort to include every member in decisions. That's a response to frequent complaints from some senators about massive year-end spending bills and McConnells top-down leadership approach. Both Thune, the current No. 2 Republican, and Barrasso, the chairman of the Senate GOP conference, have left the door open to runs after McConnells announcement. Neither has officially announced a campaign for the job. Thune told reporters that McConnells departure leaves big shoes to fill, but that now is a time to reflect on his service and and honor him for that. And then well well go from there. After Cornyn's announcement, a spokesman for Thune said the senator is reaching out to colleagues to discuss the future of the Senate Republican Conference and what they would like to see in their next leader, but intends on keeping those conversations private. Barrasso said Wednesday hes focused on the November election and getting a Senate majority. In terms of leadership decisions, Im going to talk to members of the conference, hear what they have to say, listen to them in terms of what direction they want to take. Much of the race for leader is likely to take place through phone calls, one-on-one meetings and private gatherings over the next several months. Unlike the House, where both parties vote for speaker in a public - and recentlymessy - spectacle, Senate party leadership is chosen in closed-door conference meetings by secret ballot. Cornyn was already making calls and reaching out to his fellow senators in the hours since McConnells announcement. Republican senators havent chosen a new leader since 2007, when McConnell was elected. That's before most current GOP senators took office. It is unclear which of the three Johns would have an advantage among their peers. While Cornyn is well liked and has drawn attention for his fundraising, Thune could have the advantage of incumbency, as McConnells current deputy. Barrasso has tracked furthest to the right of the three, becoming the first of them to endorse former President Donald Trump for the GOP presidential nomination. Thune and Cornyn have criticized Trump in the past, especially since the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol by Trumps supporters. But each eventually endorsed him as it became more likely that he will be the partys presidential nominee this year. There are certain to be other candidates, as well, including from the wing of the party that is closest to Trump. Florida Sen. Rick Scott challenged McConnell in 2022 at Trumps urging, winning 10 votes, and he could run again. Scott has said he is focused on his own reelection bid this year, but has appeared open to a run after that. I think theres a better way to run the Senate, Scott said after McConnells announcement. So well see what happens. On Thursday, Scott said that he and Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisc., will soon call for a special conference meeting to discuss the future of the party. The sudden scramble for the next leader comes as McConnell, 82, had faced louder and increasing criticism from some within his party who have said it is time for a change in leadership. They have criticized McConnells support for the huge end-of-year spending bills and, most recently, his outspoken backing for aid for Ukraine. A growing number in his conference has opposed the assistance, saying it would be better spent on the U.S.-Mexico border or elsewhere within the U.S. The Republican leader was also at odds with Trump, whom he has said was practically and morally responsible for the Capitol attack. The two havent spoken since before then, and Trump frequently bashes him publicly. McConnell acknowledged his critics in his Senate floor speech announcing that he would step down from that role. Believe me, I know the politics within my party at this particular moment in time, McConnell said. I have many faults, misunderstanding politics is not one of them. He also echoed his critics, calling for a new generation to take over. In the hours after the announcement, as the surprise wore off, many senators praised McConnells legacy, including his role in the Senate confirmation of three conservative Supreme Court Justices who tilted the court to the right. Others were more focused on the future. This is a good development, said Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley, a frequent McConnell critic. My question is: Why wait so long? Washington state's unemployment insurance system has a crystal-clear mission: to provide a temporary income to workers who lost their jobs through no fault of their own. The state Senate should reject a bill that would fundamentally alter that mission to include workers who choose to go on strike. Such a change would undermine this longstanding social safety net, and increase costs not just for employers with striking workers but for the whole unemployment system, a state analysis predicts. It would also upend the delicate balance between different labor unions and management at bargaining tables around the state, a move with potential consequences at big employers like Boeing, smaller local school districts and many others in between. For 86 years, Washington's displaced workers have been able to draw financial assistance from the state if they were laid off without cause. A tax on businesses in the state fills the coffers of the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund, which today has about $3.5 billion. The state's Employment Security Department expects to spend about $1.3 billion this year to cover claims. And it's more than just dollars, because the state requires participants to network, look for jobs or take courses to add new skills to collect a weekly benefit. Saying she wanted to "level the playing field for our workers," state Rep. Beth Doglio, D-Olympia, sponsored a bill tapping into unemployment insurance for striking workers. The bill, which passed the House 53-44 on Feb. 12, included an amendment to cap those workers at a maximum of four weeks of benefits. After passing the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee, the bill could be taken up on the floor. Only three states, New Jersey, New York and Maine, have allowed striking workers to access jobless benefits. New Jersey averaged 1,120 claims for striking workers in its first two years with the law, the ESD reports. Meanwhile, California Gov. Gavin Newsom wisely vetoed such legislation in 2023, arguing the fund California uses to pay its unemployment benefits was closing in on $20 billion in debt and couldn't afford added expenses. The ESD generated scenarios for lawmakers in Olympia, including the prospect of a 30,000-member strike (think Boeing-sized), with $1,019 the maximum benefit sent to each person for four weeks. That would add up to a $122 million hit on the unemployment insurance trust fund. Employers around the state would have to foot the bill to replenish the fund. In that example, $38 million alone would need to come from the company whose workers went on strike, another major hit besides any losses incurred because of the work stoppage. ... Those costs could have ripple effects on the wider economy. There's no way to know how many workers would be emboldened to strike, given the promise of four weeks of unemployment benefits. Currently, some unions maintain strike funds to help workers through such actions. But with this bill, those costs could be shifted and shouldered by the state's unemployment insurance fund. This bill is too costly with too many unknowns. It would alter the management-labor landscape by exploiting an important benefit for unemployed workers who lost their jobs through no fault of their own and extending it to workers who decide to strike. Lawmakers in the state Senate should reject the bill. A little less than a year ago, Republicans in Congress were proclaiming that the testimony of a mysterious unnamed FBI informant implicated Joe Biden in a scheme to oust a Ukrainian official in exchange for a bribe. On Monday, that informantwho we now know is named Alexander Smirnovwas in handcuffs before a judge, charged with feeding the Justice Department false information, potentially on behalf of the Russian government. He pleaded not guilty to the charges. For Biden supporters, this twist could be almost comically satisfyingif it werent for permanent damage Smirnovs testimony has already done in creating the public perception of a Biden crime family. Smirnov, a 43-year-old dual American-Israeli citizen, seems like a character straight out of a bad spy thriller. He was arrested in Las Vegas last week as he was getting off an international flight and, according to prosecutors, preparing for another monthslong, multicountry foreign trip. Photos of him leaving detention after news of his arrest broke showed Smirnov in a leather jacket, his face entirely covered by a hat, mask, and scarf. Sketches from Mondays court hearing show Smirnov to be an inconspicuous-enough bearded man in glasses with short-cropped brown hair. Reporters at the courthouse noted that Smirnov, who speaks Russian, made his plea in heavily accented English. At the hearing, the government painted a picture of Smirnov as a wealthy, jet-setting serial liar with sketchy foreign connections. According to the government, Smirnov lived in Israel from 1992 to 2006 before moving to Southern California. Two years ago, he moved to Las Vegas with his partner, and the two live in a $980,000 condominium. He has more than $6 million in cashsomething that makes him a flight risk, the government arguedand had, in recent months, transferred hundreds of thousands out of his accounts. He has been an FBI informant for more than a decade and spoken to his informant nearly every day, the Justice Department said. (The government has not said how Smirnov first became an informant.) Advertisement In a dramatic turn, the government said that they decided to re-arrest Smirnov just a couple of days after he was released in Las Vegas as the judge became concerned that Smirnov was plotting to leave the country. DOJ officials tracked Smirnovs ankle monitor to his attorneys office, where they took him into custody. They considered it less risky than arresting him at his home, since he had nine handguns at the condo where he lives. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement It seems clear that Smirnov doesnt like Joe Biden. In the indictment, the government claimed Smirnov expressed bias against the president, with accompanying screenshots of Smirnovs texts with his handler in which he expressed enthusiasm for finding evidence against Biden. Biden, he texted, was going to jail. Advertisement Smirnov also seems to be a chronic liar. The DOJ has said that he lied about his own wealth, for example, and has been fabricating allegations about the Biden family since 2020and as recently as September. (Smirnovs attorney has attributed some of the discrepancies to miscommunications related to Smirnovs limitations in English. He also highlighted Smirnovs lack of a criminal background, his ties to a cousin in Florida, and a serious eye condition as factors that made him less likely to flee.) The prosecutors also said he claimed to have a security business in California but could not find evidence of that business from bank records. Instead, they found large wire transfers from what appear to be venture capital firms and individuals. Advertisement Related From Slate Republicans Star Informant Against Hunter Biden Was Just Arrested by the FBI Read More The FBI relies on informants to get connections to shady people and networks. So its not surprising that someone like Smirnov, who would provide intel on oligarchs and potentially corrupt foreign entities, would not be the most reliable person. The FBI tried to make that clear by emphasizing the unreliability of Smirnovs testimony even as Republicans latched onto it. But while both parties are liable to make similar mistakes in service of smearing their own enemiesthere were, after all, unverified accounts in the Steele dossierRepublicans may have hitched their corruption claims not just to a politically motivated fabulist but to an actual tool for Russias foreign aims. Advertisement The prosecutions detention memo says that Smirnov had admitted that officials associated with Russian intelligence were involved in passing a story about [Hunter Biden]. And, the memo noted, he has often claimed to have close ties to Russian intelligence officials and said that he planned to meet with Russian intelligence again. He is actively peddling new lies that could impact U.S. elections after meeting with Russian intelligence officials in November, prosecutors said in the filing that successfully sought to revoke Smirnovs bail. Smirnovs contacts with Russian officials who are affiliated with Russian intelligence services are not benign. When last we spoke about the Michigan Republican Party, a faction led by election truther and Trump supporter Kristina Karamo was fighting with a second faction, also led by Trump supporters, that said it had voted to replace her as state chair with a former congressman named Pete Hoekstra. (Karamos critics accuse her of mismanaging the partys finances and allege that it is on the verge of bankruptcy, while her allies argue that she is being attacked because her grassroots authenticity is threatening to Republican elites. Hoekstra served as the U.S. ambassador to the Netherlands under Trump.) The two sides were seemingly faced with a March 2 deadline for figuring out whom the real state chair was, since a caucus-style convention was set to be held that day in Detroit for the purpose of selecting delegates to the Republican National Convention. (This years GOP convention will be held in Milwaukee in July.) With March 2 now just days away, the feud has pulled in national Republicans, spread into the courts, and resulted in the concurrent planning of two nominating conventions. One of those conventions may or may not have just been abandoned, but whats clear is that the underlying conflict has not been resolved. Heres the backstory: On Jan. 27, Trump wrote on Truth Social that Hoekstra had his Complete and Total Endorsement as chair. This was followed, on Feb. 15, by the Republican National Committee officially recognizing Hoekstra as chair and, on Feb. 20, by the Republican leaders in Michigans state House and Senate announcing in a press release that they too support Hoekstra. Hoekstra also announced on Feb. 20 that he would be holding a competing, RNC-recognized state convention in Grand Rapids on March 2 on the same time that Karamos group was holding its convention in Detroit. Karamo responded by calling the RNC corrupt and refusing to relinquish control of the state partys bank accounts or communications. (Her allies say that Trump is being given poor advice about the conflict by big establishment Republicans.) On Feb. 1, she and Hoekstra both attended a Republican National Committee meeting in Las Vegas, although neither was allowed to vote, and they do not appear to have interacted. Hoekstras faction filed suit in the states Kent County, asking a judge to enjoin Karamo from continuing to act as chair. Last week, the judge heard preliminary testimony in the case, which seeks confirmation from the court system that the vote to remove Karamo was held in accordance with state GOP bylaws. (The anti-Karamo committee faction, when it met to vote her out, says it took advantage of a provision that allowed for the appointment of proxy voters to act in the stead of pro-Karamo members who did not attend the meeting.) Related From Slate Things Are Getting Real Weird Within the Michigan GOP Read More On Tuesday, the judge in the Kent County case ruled against Karamo, issuing a preliminary injunction that ordered her to hand over control of the partys communication and finance apparatus. Outside the courthouse, she called the judges ruling ridiculous but said she would comply. A full trial in the case is expected to be held in June. Advertisement Until the ruling, Karamo had been urging her supporters to attend the previously planned convention in downtown Detroit. (At the event, roughly 3,000 district-level delegates and alternate delegates will vote to select 39 representatives to the national RNC.) After the court ruling, though, she told reporters she wasnt sure if it would go forward, and on Wednesday her faction sent an email that included the following vague language suggesting that it is resigned to a single, Hoekstra-led convention but not yet ready to concede that it will be in Grand Rapids: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You may be wondering, understandably, about the push by the Hoekstra crew to go to Grand Rapids. The enticing line that the RNC will recognize only the results from over there and not over here. We get that, too, but heres the harsh truth: votesnot voicesmay be heard in Hoekstra world, but it will come at a high price slavish submission to those who seek to rule, not serve. Who will dictate, not listen. And who would sell the culture and the country in exchange for fake glory, fake power, and a lot of money. That is why we grassroots patriots, including those serving on the State Committee, must ALL descend upon District Convention, again, wherever it may be. The sheer power of our collective voices is only possible if we do this business TOGETHER. Join us! Join the real Michigan Republican Party. Be there, in the room. Speak up. Boo. Cheer. Yell. LET YOUR VOICES BE HEARD! In any case, Slate plans to be in attendance at the Grand Rapids event, should it occur, and our DMs are open for insider tips! Three weeks ago, a police officer walked into a hospital in Owasso, Oklahoma, and kept his bodycam rolling. He was there to figure out why a 16-year-old kid named Nex Benedict was lying in intake complaining about head pain. Nex tells the officer, I just got jumped. The way Nex tells it, it went down like this: Some kids didnt like the way Nex dresseddidnt like the way Nex laughed. And they wouldnt quit. So, Nex emptied a water bottle on their heads. Thats when these other kids got violent. Nex identifies as transuses he and they pronouns. But his family is still adjusting to all that. His mom, who is sitting in the room with him, addresses him as she. The cop does, too. But its all friendly. It almost seems too friendly. Nex and his mom dont seem to expect much from the encounter. The cop openly discourages the family from pressing charges against anyone. To NBCs Jo Yurcaba the really telling moment comes when this police officer asks, When you felt bullied, did you tell an adult what was going on here? Nex says, no, he didnt do that because he didnt think there was a point, Yurcaba said. Theres not really a lot of faith from Nex in this process. When hes finished taking their statements, the officer says his goodbyes, cheerfully. He works at Nexs school, so hes like, Ill see you later. Nex is a little funny here. He says, Hopefully not! But, this officer never would see Nex again. Because Nex died the next day. We still dont know exactly how Nex died. Was Nex fatally injured in this school fight? A full report isnt expected for weeks. But to many, those full results dont matter. At the end of the day, their friend is dead, Yurcaba said. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On Wednesdays episode of What Next, we discussed what exactly happened to Nex Benedict. Our conversation has been condensed and edited for clarity. Mary Harris: I want to introduce my listeners to Nex Benedict, but before we really get into it, I want to get on the same page about what pronouns we should be using for Nex. Because in newspapers Ive seen they/them pronouns. In videos from before Nex died Nexs mom refers to Nex using she/her pronouns. Shes since said, I was in a process of learning and so I wasnt using the pronouns Nex preferred. And now I know that youre using he/him pronouns. So tell me about how we should be talking about Nex. Advertisement Jo Yurcaba: This has been a very delicate line to walk in that we want to make sure were being respectful of who someone was as a person. At the same time, we dont want to reduce them to a set of pronouns or to one part of their identity. And initially, what we knew was that some people said Nex identified as nonbinary. Like you said, the family went from using she/her pronouns to they/them pronouns. But since Ive been here and Ive talked to a number of people who are really close with Nex, they have all told me that Nex primarily used he/him pronouns and preferred that. And sometimes, Nex would say he used he/they pronouns, so either pronoun would be fine. But, at the same time, during the vigil, Robin Gray Ingersoll, who dated Nex on and off, said, Nex uses he/him pronouns. He was transgender, and he was so much more than his transness. Advertisement Advertisement To me, it highlights how fluid these identifiers can be for all of usand then, how much Nex was learning about themselves. Nex was a teenager. Nex was not fully an adult yet. And so, they were coming into their own. Advertisement Exactly. Nex was probably still figuring it out. Its also really common among the trans community to use pronouns with certain people in your life, but not with other people. So, for example, at school you use one set of pronouns, use a different set at home, or you might not be out at home. And so that kind of fluidity is just normal. I know you went to a vigil over the weekend to honor Nex. Can you set the scene for me of what that was like, and who you met there, and what they told you about Nex? Advertisement That was on Sunday night in Owasso at the Redbud Festival Park. There were at least 100 people there. Some people had driven from a few hours away. I know that there were people from as far as Wisconsin there. Everyone was holding candles. There were students who were visibly distraught. And there were a number of speakers. Robin Gray Ingersoll spoke, and a teacher that Nex had in eighth grade called Tyler Wren shared really powerful stories about Nex. Advertisement Advertisement For example, he said that one of his favorite memories of Nex was every day at the end of the day Tyler would have bus duty, and he would go outside, and Nex from across the campus would yell, Im going to fight you! and would challenge him to a fight over what he described to me as cartoonishly absurd things. One time it was, Im going to fight you, and the winner gets to take Tylers Ford Mustang. And the next day it would be, Im going to fight you, and, next year, if I win, I get to transfer into your class. Nex just had what he described as a fiery spirit. This was a kid who, if he saw his friends being bullied, he was going to stick up for them. He didnt back down. Advertisement Advertisement That strong sense of self didnt mean things were easy, though. Nex lived with his grandmother, Sue Benedict. Nex called her mom. Sue said Nex was bullied for months before his death. Talking to other LGBTQ+ kids in Owasso, you heard similar stories, right? Nexs friends did tell me that they were called the F-slur. And then, they also told me that the N-word is just used casually, constantly, within their school, and there are no repercussions. The teachers try to ignore it. The picture theyve painted is that if youre not white and cis, theyre always these underhanded comments being made or youre facing direct bullying, which doesnt make them feel like if they reported anything that there would actually be repercussions. Advertisement Advertisement Tell me exactly what we know about what happened on Feb. 7, the day before Nex died. On Feb. 7, Nex was in ISPin school suspensionbecause he had been caught with a vape pen. We know from police video and the schools account that Nex, their friend, and three other studentsat least, there may have been other students there as wellwent into a bathroom of the west campus. And thats where Nex told police that he threw water on these three girls after they made a comment about the way that he and his friend dressed. He also said that before being in ISP, hed never met these three girls before, and they had been teasing him on and off. So in the bathroom, they make this comment, he throws water on them, and then he said the three of them jumped him. Advertisement The police have released security camera footage from inside the school that day. You cant see the fight itself. But you can see the moments before and after. Advertisement We see the students in the video come out of the bathroom. Theres also video of Nex being walked down the hallway by a school resource officer, where you see him, like, sway at one point. Then you see the video in the hospital. And then Nex went home. Advertisement Advertisement And then from a 911 call from the following day, we know that Sue said that Nexs eyes were rolling in the back of his head and his breathing was shallow and his hands were posturing, which is an involuntary muscle contraction, which can signify a variety of things, but mostly some kind of brain-related problem. In the 911 call, you hear when the ambulance arrives, and then she gets off the phone. But we know when they took Nex to the hospital, he was pronounced dead. Advertisement We have this timeline connecting everything. But what exactly happened in the bathroom is whats missing. And now were waiting on what exactly really contributed to his death? What was his cause of death? At this point, what are the police saying about Nexs death? They released what they called preliminary information from an autopsy. And this is relatively rare in cases like this. Usually you wait until the medical examiner releases a full report and a cause of death, which also includes toxicology results. But in this case, police have released this preliminary information that found that Nex didnt die as a result of trauma. And the lieutenant on the case, Nick Boatman, did say he did this to get ahead of national scrutinyand that the medical examiner didnt tell him verbatim that Nex didnt die as a result of the fight. So, were still waiting on those final answers of what did next die from then? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement To release a statement saying the death is not the result of trauma, but then to say that the medical examiner said, Im not saying the kid didnt die because of the fightthats a really mixed message. Yeah. And Boatman also said that the medical examiner emphasized to him that they were waiting on toxicology results and that Boatman took that as a red flag and thinks that that means something will pop up on the toxicology results. And were trying to get clarification around why he believes that. We do know that the familys lawyer said in their statement last week that they were independently gathering evidence and interviews themselves. It seems like theyre definitely troubled by what the investigation has turned over so far. Advertisement It seems like at the same time that Nex was coming into his own in terms of gender expression, Oklahoma was really battling politically over gender identity and how to handle it in schools. Can you explain what was happening at the same time that Nex was realizing who they were? For context, Oklahoma right now is leading the nation in bills targeting the LGBTQ community. The Republicans in the state have introduced or rolled over from last session 54 bills targeting queer and trans people. 54 bills? What kinds of bills are we talking about? Advertisement Advertisement They cover, a variety of things: transition-related care for minors, religious freedom, basically, anything related to schools, LGBTQ topics. Last year, three of those became law. Theres a law that bars school staff and students from using the school facilities of their gender identities; it requires them to use that of their sex assigned at birth. The state also passed a prohibition on transition-related care for minors, and then a law that bars the state from discriminating against religious entities if they instate anti-LGBTQ policies, for instance, if they dont want to cover gender-affirming care or birth control or something in their health plans. Advertisement Advertisement I can see hearing all of this how a student like Nex would feel under attack. Thats what Ive heard from queer students generally. Although they do note that its not necessarily new, that Oklahoma has felt unsafe for them the entire time theyve been in school. I specifically spoke to a student who told me that in the last two years things have gotten much worse. Students will make offensive comments about her and her friends. Shes afraid to use the bathroom at school. So, it seems like the bills, from what theyve told me, are definitely contributing to a worse climate for them in school. Advertisement But its not just whats happening at the state Legislature making things worse. There have also been big changes at the Oklahoma state school board. First, a former history teacher, named Ryan Walters, took over as superintendent. Walters has said he does not believe trans or nonbinary people exist. And hes made it so kids cant change their names or pronouns at school. Advertisement Then, just a few weeks back, Walters appointed a woman named Chaya Raichik to the states library advisory committee. Raichik has only been in Oklahoma once. But she is notorious for her Twitter account Libs of TikTok. She uses it to mercilessly target teachers and school librarians she disagrees with, pushing an anti-queer agenda. She also has tweeted about hospitals that provide transition-related care to minors. NBC News did an investigation that found 33 instances when people or institutions that were the subject of posts by Libs of TikTok later reported bomb threats or other violent intimidation. Raichik has denied that shes the cause of that. Shes also denied any connection to Nexs death and didnt return our request for comment about it. How has Libs of TikTok interacted with Oklahoma schools specifically? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Libs of TikTok has had a number of interactions with Oklahoma schools. For example, Oklahomas Union Public Schools was the target of bomb threats for six days in August, which began one day after Libs of TikTok posted on Aug. 21 criticizing the elementary school librarian. The librarian has said online that she emphasized social justice in her teaching. And this has happened in a variety of other instances as well. What is Chaya Raichiks purview now in the Oklahoma schools? What we know is that she holds this position on the library board. Its not really clear how much power she has in that position. But Ryan Walters has said that the two of them have a strong working relationship. And I think it was specifically to get rid of liberal woke values in Oklahoma schools. So, she has a really strong direct tie there to the person who is in charge of schools in Oklahoma. Advertisement Its been interesting to watch Ryan Walters and Chaya Raichik try to explain, in the wake of Nex Benedicts death, where they stand, because both have basically said that Nexs death was tragic and horrible, but that they dont believe in multiple genders. They dont believe in trans rights, essentially. It seems like a hard line to walk right now. Is the community in Oklahoma accepting this careful negotiation theyre trying to do? Oh, definitely not. Everyone Ive spoken to in the community, especially the LGBTQ+ community, here has named Libs of TikTok, Chaya Raichik, and Ryan Walters when theyve spoken to me about the culture in Oklahoma and in school specifically. People are very aware of those connections and definitely look to those people in terms of what theyre saying now and what theyve been saying and how it affects the experience of young people in schools. Advertisement Advertisement Subscribe to What Next on Apple Podcasts Get more news from Mary Harris every weekday. I was watching footage of the Oklahoma state school board meeting that was held in the wake of Nex Benedicts death, and so many people were speaking so clearly and loudly. An Oklahoma City Council member blasted the board for hiring Chaya Raichik of Libs of TikTok. They said she had blood on her hands after Nexs death. And we dont have the full explanation of Nexs death, but it seemed to me that people were incredibly angry, and it made me wonder if Nexs story might prompt a change of heart for Oklahoma lawmakers. Thats something Ill be interested to see as well, especially as were heading into an election year. Ive seen this happen two ways so far. There are people who say that Nex Benedicts death is a result of what were seeing in state legislatures, what were seeing within Oklahoma schools. And then there are people who believe that Nexs death is being exploited by the left and that this wasnt a child who identified this way, but that this is an example of how the left is taking advantage of young people to push a specific agenda. So, it will be interesting to see if that is exacerbated, in the election year, or if theres a shift, given that this is a child who died, to stop promoting those policies as much. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I know it can be hard in the wake of a tragedy to have a clear idea of what happens next. But for these students youve been spending so much time with, what is it that theyre hoping is going to happen in the coming months? Advertisement The main thing that students in Owasso have told me that they want is for adults and specifically school employees to listen to them. Because the main thing that Ive heard was that if you take a concern to someone within the school, then they will try to undermine it and theyll ask, Did that really happen? Are you sure? Are you just trying to stir the pot? Are you creating drama? Is this based on a rumor?to the point where the students question what theyre thinking, whether what they experienced really was truthful or if theyre overthinking it in their heads. And so, what they really want is for people to just stop and listen to them and take concerns that they bring to them seriously. Mitch McConnell to step down as Republican leader in U.S. Senate at end of year Xinhua) 13:09, February 29, 2024 Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is pictured outside the Senate Chamber of the Capitol building in Washington D. C., the United States, Feb. 28, 2024. Mitch McConnell, the longest-serving leader in the U.S. Senate history, announced Wednesday that he will step down from the position at the end of the year. McConnell, 82, has served as GOP leader since 2007. (Photo by Aaron Schwartz/Xinhua) WASHINGTON, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, the longest-serving leader in the Senate history, announced Wednesday that he will step down from the position at the end of the year. "One of life's most underappreciated talents is to know when it's time to move on to life's next chapter, so I stand before you today, Mr. President and my colleagues, to say this will be my last term as Republican leader of the Senate," McConnell said in a Senate floor speech Wednesday. McConnell, 82, has served as GOP leader since 2007. A leadership transition is set to take place in November when an election will be held to choose his replacement. The newly elected leader will assume office in January. McConnell is seen by fellow lawmakers as a skilled strategist in politics and one of the most powerful figures in Washington. Collaborating with then-President Donald Trump, McConnell played a pivotal role in passing a comprehensive 1.5 trillion tax cut bill in 2017. However, McConnell's once significant sway over the Senate GOP has waned in the past year as the party increasingly aligns itself with Trump, who maintains a notably strained relationship with the Republican leader. The rift between Trump and McConnell was exacerbated by the events of Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. Despite voting to acquit Trump in the subsequent impeachment trial, McConnell asserted that the former president bore substantial moral responsibility for inciting the events of that day. In the latest sign of Trump's strength and McConnell's waning influence, the Senate Republican leader recently encouraged GOP senators to pass a bipartisan immigration and Ukraine aid deal, but just four of them supported it. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is pictured outside the Senate Chamber of the Capitol building in Washington D. C., the United States, Feb. 28, 2024. Mitch McConnell, the longest-serving leader in the U.S. Senate history, announced Wednesday that he will step down from the position at the end of the year. McConnell, 82, has served as GOP leader since 2007. (Photo by Aaron Schwartz/Xinhua) Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is pictured outside the Senate Chamber of the Capitol building in Washington D. C., the United States, Feb. 28, 2024. Mitch McConnell, the longest-serving leader in the U.S. Senate history, announced Wednesday that he will step down from the position at the end of the year. McConnell, 82, has served as GOP leader since 2007. (Photo by Aaron Schwartz/Xinhua) Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is pictured outside the Senate Chamber of the Capitol building in Washington D. C., the United States, Feb. 28, 2024. Mitch McConnell, the longest-serving leader in the U.S. Senate history, announced Wednesday that he will step down from the position at the end of the year. McConnell, 82, has served as GOP leader since 2007. (Photo by Aaron Schwartz/Xinhua) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) By Baek Byung-yeul KT has forged a partnership with U.S. cloud computing giant Amazon Web Services (AWS) to develop generative AI and mobile services for business-to-business customers as part of its efforts to strengthen the AI sector, the mobile carrier said Thursday. KT entered this partnership with AWS during MWC, formerly the Mobile World Congress, held in Barcelona. Through this cooperation, the two will develop generative AI using Amazon Bedrock and work together to proliferate a private 5G service based on cloud computing. Amazon Bedrock is a tool from AWS that allows customers to create generative AI services on the cloud computing service. This tool supports the safe integration of generative AI when developing applications with it. The private 5G service is a customized closed 5G network service for corporations or customers in public organizations. KT also joined IPW on AWS, a program that integrates telecommunications companies' private wireless technology with AWS' services. The program allows customers to use fully managed private wireless services. With KT's participation in IPW on AWS, business-to-business (B2B) customers will be able to apply for KT's cloud computing-based private 5G service at any time through the AWS website. If this service is applied to the manufacturing sector, customers will be able to improve production and increase operational efficiency with computer vision, or a field of computer science that focuses on identifying and understanding objects and people in images and video, by using AWS services in a reliable and low-latency environment. In the logistics and transportation sectors, this service will allow customers to move people and goods at lower costs. KT expects that the private 5G service based on AWS cloud will improve the in-house communication environment by being combined with AI, machine learning and the Internet of Things, and will be flexibly combined with various digital transformation services. In addition, the two companies will jointly operate innovation programs to find new ideas in the B2B field. They plan to develop services that customers need in the B2B industrial field. "As a digital innovation partner, KT will actively support the digital transformation of B2B customers based on innovative technologies such as generative AI, cloud, and private 5G," Ahn Chang-yong, senior vice president and head of the enterprise division at KT, said. A civil engineer contributes to how modern cities and towns look because they play an essential role in planning and constructing residential and commercial projects. They design, construct, and maintain projects such as bridges, canals, roads, and buildings. They work closely with other professionals, including construction workers, urban planners and architects. This blog will walk you through how to hire civil engineers. Role and Responsibilities of a Civil Engineer Civil engineers play a pivotal role in the planning, design, construction, and maintenance of infrastructure projects. Their responsibilities extend across various aspects of engineering and project management, ensuring that the structures are safe, sustainable, and efficient. Below is an expanded list of the roles and responsibilities of a civil engineer: Designing Infrastructure Projects : Civil engineers are responsible for creating detailed designs of infrastructure projects. This includes everything from roads, bridges, and tunnels to water supply systems, sewage treatments, and dams. Utilizing advanced design software to create precise and detailed plans. Conducting feasibility studies to assess the potential success and sustainability of a project. Testing designs for reliability, safety, and compliance with regulations using simulation software. : Civil engineers are responsible for creating detailed designs of infrastructure projects. This includes everything from roads, bridges, and tunnels to water supply systems, sewage treatments, and dams. Project Management and Oversight : Once a project moves from the design phase to construction, civil engineers take on the role of project managers, overseeing the construction process to ensure that everything adheres to the original plan. Ensuring that construction follows the designed plans, safety regulations, and specifications closely. Managing budgets, resources, and timelines to ensure projects are completed on schedule and within the allocated budget. Conducting site inspections and monitoring construction progress to address any issues promptly. : Once a project moves from the design phase to construction, civil engineers take on the role of project managers, overseeing the construction process to ensure that everything adheres to the original plan. Collaboration with Other Professionals : Civil engineering projects often require a multidisciplinary approach, necessitating collaboration with professionals from various fields. Working closely with construction managers to coordinate the construction phase, ensuring that the project meets the designed specifications. Collaborating with surveyors to establish reference points, grades, and elevations to guide the construction. Partnering with urban planners to ensure that the infrastructure projects align with city development plans and environmental regulations. Coordinating with architects to integrate aesthetic and functional aspects into the infrastructure projects. : Civil engineering projects often require a multidisciplinary approach, necessitating collaboration with professionals from various fields. Ensuring Safety and Compliance : A critical responsibility of civil engineers is to ensure that all projects comply with local, state, and federal regulations and safety standards. Implementing safety measures and protocols to protect workers and the public during construction. Regularly reviewing and updating project plans to comply with changing regulations and standards. Conducting risk assessments to minimize potential hazards associated with the construction and use of the infrastructure. : A critical responsibility of civil engineers is to ensure that all projects comply with local, state, and federal regulations and safety standards. Sustainability and Environmental Protection : Modern civil engineering also emphasizes sustainable development and environmental protection. Incorporating sustainable practices and materials into the design and construction processes to minimize environmental impact. Designing infrastructure that is resilient to climate change, natural disasters, and other environmental challenges. Working on projects that improve environmental quality, such as water and air pollution control systems and green building practices. : Modern civil engineering also emphasizes sustainable development and environmental protection. Civil engineers, through their expertise and dedication, ensure that infrastructure projects not only meet the immediate needs of society but also contribute to long-term sustainability and resilience. Drafting an Accurate Civil Engineer Job Description Drafting an effective civil engineer job description is the first step in hiring one. A concise overview of the role should emphasize the importance of creating a sustainable, safe, and efficient environment. Responsibilities The core responsibilities need to be detailed. These can generally include using CAD software, conducting environmental impact assessments, feasibility studies, etc. Qualifications Core qualifications that should be included in a job description include a bachelors degree in civil engineering or a related field. A strong knowledge of safety regulations, building codes, and industry standards on construction projects is a must. Skills Analytical and problem-solving skills are essential. Mentioning organizational and project management abilities is also necessary. A good civil engineer should also have excellent communication and teamwork abilities. A good job description also acknowledges the freelance civil engineering trend. It should be mentioned that freelancers are expected to manage several products and meet client expectations. Essential Qualifications and Skills for a Civil Engineer Businesses seeking a civil engineer usually seek a combination of specialized skills, certifications and educational background. One of the minimum educational requirements is a bachelors degree in civil engineering or related field. That applies to a freelance civil engineer candidate, too. More specialized roles usually require a masters degree with specializations in structural engineering, urban planning and environmental engineering, to name a few. The Fundamentals of Engineering Exam tests basic knowledge. Its the first step to becoming a licensed professional. After about four years of work experience, a candidate can get a professional engineering license. They need to sit for a PE exam. This license is mandatory for professionals who want to sign off on projects or work as consultants in different fields, including structural engineering. Or on civil engineering projects. Civil engineers can also pursue certifications like PMP or project management professional. You can also look for software certifications relevant to the industry. Finally, a good candidate has technical proficiency and can manage timelines, budgets and resources. Theres a growing focus on projects that minimize environmental impact and are sustainable. Suitable candidates also need to understand how data analytics and The Internet of Things are transforming the maintenance of structures. How to Hire a Civil Engineer: A Step-by-Step Guide Here is a step-by-step guide that will help you find the perfect civil engineer for your small business. How to Find Civil Engineers Traditional sources for hiring include Monster, Glassdoor and Indeed. More specialized websites like the American Society of Civil Engineers exist when youre looking for a civil engineer. You can find freelance civil engineers for short-term projects on websites like Freelancer and Upwork. Building a team with contractors and freelancers is becoming more popular because they are flexible and have cost-effective specialized expertise. There are also unusual ways to promote a job opening, like community bulletin boards, job fairs, and connections through your local chamber of commerce. Interviewing Civil Engineer Candidates: What to Focus On Interviewing techniques for a civil engineer include touching on a candidates specialized skills, certifications and educational background. Find out about any certifications from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). Draft a list of the best interview questions to ask candidates based on your companys specific needs. Youll want to know about their project management experience and specialized skills, such as proficiency in software like AutoCAD. A set of questions on engineering standards, design principles and regulatory compliance can help you find the ideal candidates and reduce hiring bias. Once you make your decision, follow up with your top selections and send an interview rejection letter to the rest. Checking Qualifications, Certifications, and Past Projects when Hiring Civil Engineers A candidate for a civil engineering job must have a solid educational background and professional certifications that can be validated. Civil engineering requires high levels of technical expertise and knowledge. Verifying that a candidate has fundamental knowledge in structural analysis and geotechnical engineering is a sound practice. They should have professional certifications and be licensed as a Professional Engineer (PE). You should also review a candidates past civil engineering accomplishments when hiring. That allows you to evaluate their ability to work under pressure and apply theories to real-world situations. Onboarding Your New Civil Engineer Once you make your decision, its time to consider how to onboard new employees. Onboarding is an essential part of the process when youve hired a new civil engineer. A structured program reduces the time a new candidate takes to get productive. Here are some onboarding best practices to consider: Familiarizing a new engineer with ongoing projects helps them fit in. Show them your latest structural engineering projects. Getting them acquainted with company protocols includes walking them through coding standards, project manager tools, and security policies. Integrating them into team dynamics includes introducing a new candidate into your businesss communication and collaboration style. Social integration is essential. Ensuring Continuous Growth and Development A civil engineer must undergo continuous professional development and stay updated with the latest engineering technologies and norms. They also need to keep current with industry certifications for competitiveness. New Technologies Civil engineering is continually evolving, and there are always new technologies, techniques and materials to stay on top of. Its a heavily regulated industry, so a structural engineer must follow regulations, codes and norms. Essential Certifications Certifications are essential in certain areas, such as water resources and transportation engineering. Theyre a testament to any engineers dedication and expertise. Expert Guidance Its essential to consider the civil engineering consultants role in professional development. They offer expert guidance and customized training programs that can help. You can also use a training plan template to facilitate continual learning. Step/Tip Description How to Find Civil Engineers - Utilize traditional job boards like Monster, Glassdoor, and Indeed. - For specialized searches, consider the American Society of Civil Engineers. - For short-term projects, freelance platforms like Freelancer and Upwork are useful due to the flexibility and specialized expertise of freelancers. Interviewing Civil Engineer Candidates - Focus on specialized skills, certifications, and educational background. - Inquire about project management experience and software proficiency (e.g., AutoCAD). - Ask questions related to engineering standards, design principles, and regulatory compliance. Checking Qualifications and Certifications - Verify the candidate's educational background and professional certifications. - Ensure they have fundamental knowledge in structural analysis and geotechnical engineering. - Check for Professional Engineer (PE) licensure. - Review past projects to evaluate their ability to apply theories to real-world situations and work under pressure. Onboarding Your New Civil Engineer - Implement a structured onboarding program to speed up the new hire's productivity. - Introduce them to ongoing projects and company protocols, including coding standards, project manager tools, and security policies. - Integrate them into team dynamics and the company's communication and collaboration style for social integration. Ensuring Continuous Growth and Development - Encourage continuous professional development and staying updated with the latest engineering technologies, norms, and certifications. - Stay informed about new technologies, techniques, and materials in the ever-evolving field of civil engineering. - Consider the role of civil engineering consultants for expert guidance and customized training programs in areas like water resources and transportation engineering. FAQs: How to Hire a Civil Engineer Here are some answers to common questions that apply to structural engineering and other areas. How do civil engineers collaborate with architects and urban planners? These experts collaborate with urban planners and architects by integrating structural functionality and safety considerations. Are there different specialties within civil engineering? Yes, there are several different specialties, including structural engineering, geotechnical engineering and transport engineering, to name just a few. How crucial is it for a civil engineer to be familiar with local building codes? Civil engineering services must be familiar with regional safety standards, industry best practices and legal requirements. They should also be familiar with local building codes. What role does sustainability play in modern civil engineering? Modern civil engineering involves integrating eco-friendly technologies and materials, protecting natural habitats and optimizing energy use. Sustainability is essential in their work to minimize environmental impact and conserve resources. Modern civil engineer jobs focus on sustainability. Slovakia offers reasonably priced talent, a return on investment and added value. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Share Since the advent of shared and business service centres in Slovakia more than 20 years ago, they have gradually built up their competences and expertise, fuelling growth and attracting new jobs with higher added value. In this way, centres do not only support and streamline the core business of their parent companies, which was the main original goal, but also generate additional business and clients for their parent companies. Its the track record and good reputation of the centre that attracts its parent company into creating new positions here and entrusting it with new competences and projects, Roman Sustek, IT business partner at teh business service centre of the battery producer Clarios, told The Slovak Spectator. He adds that the centres have gradually become the business partners of their parent companies and are not just their service providers. What the centres in Slovakia offer is talent for a reasonable price, a return on investment and added value. Related article Related article What can Slovakia learn from Lithuania, Romania and Poland? Read more Slovakia is no longer considered a low-wage country, but the stability of the centres staff here, along with their adaptability, has kept it competitive. What makes us special compared to the other competitors in our group around the world is that we hire highly qualified people, said Lucia Groneova, head of HR Slovakia at Swiss Re in Slovakia. She adds that these are young people and students they hire tend to remain with the firm. We have a low attrition rate and we are also able to recruit women. This Sunday hikers will set out on a hike to Velky Javornik and Maly Javornik. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Share Music | Exhibition | Nature Music video //www.youtube.com/embed/2HbYbnBgJc8 Concert for International Women's Day March 7, at 18:00 in Austrian Cultural Forum, Hodzovo nam. 1/A The program consisting exclusively of works by female composers is complemented by intermezzos composed by Ana Topalovic. Different tonal languages play against each other, but are also connected by common elements. The result is a project that uses electronic technologies to experiment with the possibilities of the cello in hitherto unexplored territory. Make your registration at pressburg-kf@bmeia.gv.at. https://uk.frame.mapy.cz/s/lotarabelu Exhibition Natalia Okolicsanyiova "For You With Love" Until March 1, Flatgallery (Bastova 1) The realisation of the works and the exhibition of the author Natalia Okolicsanyiova in the form of a scholarship was supported by the Slovak Art Council. This Friday you can come to the closing of the exhibition with a curatorial interpretation by Andrej Jaros at 18:00. https://uk.frame.mapy.cz/s/bovadebezo Nature A steep ascent through the forest. (Source: Radka Minarechova) Hike to Velky Javornik and Maly Javornik Meeting point: March 3, at Nivy bus station at 10:00. This Sunday the hikers will set out on a hike to Velky Javornik and Maly Javornik. They will meet at Nivy bus station for the 550 bus, that is leaving at 10:10 to Svaty Jur. That is where the hike will start. The trail leads through vineyards, into the forest, then to Velky and Maly Javornik. You can refresh yourself at the buffet at Biely kriz, then head downhill to Detvianska tram stop, taking some forestry trails along the way. The hike is 14 km in total, with some relatively mild elevation to climb. It is recommended to wear suitable boots or shoes as you will walk mostly on unmarked trails. If you would like to go on the hike later, see the map below. https://uk.frame.mapy.cz/s/mufumadale If you have tips for free events in Bratislava or you would like to share your hiking or cycling trip ideas with readers, let us know at kseniia.husieva@spectator.sk. Font size: A - | A + Comments disabled Share Avoided even by large organisations, Eliska Horsakova is giving aid in those shelled areas where people are afraid to enter the forest to collect wood because of mines. Designer Dodo Dobrik thinks that only a quick delivery of weapons can end the war; he is involved in an initiative that sends "gifts" to Putin. The war forced blogger and entrepreneur Marcel Rebro out of Russia; what was originally a photographic trip to Ukraine has become a humanitarian mission. Even though two years have passed since the the Russian invasion of Ukraine began, with public interest and the amount of aid decreasing, these three Slovaks have not given up on Ukraine. They are just a handful of otherwise hundreds of volunteers who send and transport humanitarian aid to Ukraine, as well as ammunition and medical equipment. What is their motivation to help, what do they experience near the front line and why do they think it is important for Slovakia to stand behind Ukraine? Eliska Horsakova goes where others won't. (Source: SME - Jozef Jakubco/Archive of E.H.) She goes where others won't When the Kakhovka Reservoir exploded, she was trying to buy wheelbarrows all over Odessa for people in the flooded villages. She saw Russians using drones to drop mines on those who went to get water. She goes to villages where no other help usually comes. "Sometimes I cry and I'm grateful to be alive. I'm having trouble understanding people who get angry over petty things. When someone gets lost somewhere and complains that they have to make a detour, I tell myself that at least they don't have to watch out for mines," Eliska Horsakova, a 34-year-old entrepreneur and volunteer, describes in an interview with the Sme daily. When the invasion began, she first helped at the Slovak-Ukrainian border. "I knew the language, but I very quickly realised that those who cannot or do not have means to leave will suffer the most," she says. She bought an old van for 300, called her friends to find out what people in the villages in eastern Ukraine needed most, loaded the van with humanitarian aid and drove there. "It would have been enough if the van had lasted one trip, I could have returned by train," she says. In the end, she drove 16,000 kilometres and eventually replaced the van with a newer one. Since then, she has been driving to Ukraine regularly, mostly to places that even the largest humanitarian organisations avoid. Losing a boyfriend, understanding Ukraine Horsakova has been going to Ukraine for 15 years - she started as a Salesian volunteer in camps for socially weaker children in Transcarpathia, western Ukraine, and eventually travelled to other regions as well. "I tried to spend as much time as possible with Ukrainians - to learn the language, to understand how the country works, its problems with corruption. In some things, for example, how people helped each other, Ukraine appealed to me more than Slovakia," she says. Nevertheless, she felt that many people wanted their country to be Western-oriented and reach the level of Slovakia at least. That is also why in 2014 she went to Kyiv's Independence Square to protest for a better future alongside Ukrainians. She met 27-year-old Taras there. After a few months, when the separatist conflict broke out in the east of Ukraine, Taras sold his cafe and went to fight in Donbas. "He said that if they took Donbas from Ukraine, they would also take Kiev and then Lviv. It was hard to talk him out of it," she recalls. Taras died in the summer of 2014 near the town of Debaltseve. At that time, Russian soldiers came to help the separatists and surrounded the Ukrainian soldiers in the "Ilovaisk kettle". Although the Russians agreed to allow Ukrainian soldiers to retreat, in the end the former attacked the latter. "We all expected that the worst was over, but he never returned home. We didn't expect that at all. That's when I understood that you cannot rely on agreements with Russians." This loss did not damage Eliska Horsakova's relationship with Ukraine. "I needed to understand why Taras died and whether his struggle was meaningful, so I travelled around Donbas, Odessa, and Dnipro," she describes. She visited wartime Donbas with Ukrainian carollers so as not to attract attention. In Slovakia, she deals with medical supplies; since the beginning of the invasion she has been buying the most necessary items for Ukrainians - candles, blankets, warm clothes and hygiene articles - using contributions from supporters. She buys food in Ukraine so that she doesn't have a problem with customs at the border. The journey to the Kherson or Kharkiv regions sometimes takes her three days. "From mayors, policemen and soldiers I learn which people and which villages need help the most. I also try to explain to people that I'm alone, that I cannot help everyone and that I cannot deliver the materials to repair a roof. Many will understand and, for example, point me to people in greatest need," she says. She rarely stays in shelled areas - cities and villages are usually hit in the morning. "Even when I stayed overnight in Kherson, I almost always slept in a bathtub," she adds. Anti-aircraft defence cannot shoot down tank ammunition so effectively. To avoid corruption, she is distributing aid directly to people. "I'm going to villages with maybe 50, 100 people left. I'm not a courier, but psychological support goes a long way. Because I speak Ukrainian and I'm a woman, many people trust me with things they wouldn't otherwise tell soldiers. When they see soldiers in the trenches, it seems petty to ask them for shaving supplies or sanitary pads. They can confide in me," describes Horsakova. The lonely elderly in destroyed villages with no signal were happy when she brought them hand-drawn postcards from Slovak children. "They lack contact with the world, but when I tell them that some little girl from Slovakia is keeping her fingers crossed, they are touched," she adds. I no longer say Glory to Ukraine Since the start of the Russian invasion two years ago, the mood among Ukrainians has changed. She admits that Russian missiles have numbed many people living within range and that the situation on the front is not good. This stems from conversations with soldiers, who often warn her about dangerous areas. "In the beginning, they felt that they would drive Russians out within half a year and that Europe and America would quickly send them weapons. However, this did not happen: neither many weapons nor many achievements came about. It must be frustrating receiving 16 tanks a month when you know the Russians have one hundred," she describes. Had most of the weapons arrived at the start of the war, according to Horsakova, the Ukrainian soldiers would have been able to drive the enemy out from their territory. Enthusiasm stemming from successes at the front also waned. "I prefer not to greet them by saying 'Glory to Ukraine' any more, it disturbs some." The situation of displaced people is also worsening. "There is less aid and Ukraine does not have the economic capacity to help everyone. In the beginning, buses and accommodation for the displaced were free, but today people have to pay and food is getting more expensive. "Many are frustrated, and some people near the front are surviving only because their neighbours still have canned food at home," she says. Horsakova has also provided some people with accommodation in Slovakia to allow them to mentally relax from the war for at least two weeks, and then she takes them back home. In Ukraine, diminishing aid from abroad can be felt too. "Currently, it's still cold, so there is a demand for warm things and shoes. When I brought them in boxes, people also wanted the latter so that they would have something to warm up. There are forests around them, but they don't go there because they are full of mines," she describes. Russians are dropping small anti-personnel mines on fields and forests. Despite willing donors, Horsakova sees that Slovaks are less and less willing to help. "Everyone should experience a day in a war to realize that it's much closer than it seems, to see what it's like to fight a nuclear power. It's a blessing that we are not neighbouring Russia," she says. According to her, if Ukraine fails and loses its territories, it will be a testament of Europe's failure and its security. "People say it's not our war. But it's not North Korea or Thailand, it's a neighbouring country that is much closer to us than to Russia and that wants things to work there at least as well as here," she adds. Marcel Rebro in Ukraine. (Source: Marcel Rebro/Jana Cavojska) Drones help the most If Ukraine falls, we will have Russians at our doorstep. And I don't want Russians at our border, says entrepreneur and blogger Marcel Rebro. He regularly travels to Ukraine, blogs on the Sme.sk website, and organises collections for medical supplies, cars, and drones for the Ukrainian armed forces. "Not long ago, I was in a sanatorium in Odessa. They have a major problem with people who have lost their sight. There are people who have serious psychological problems, post-traumatic stress disorder, brain contusions. Some get panic attacks," he says. Humanitarian aid for civilians is working well in Ukraine, he claims. The problem is the long-term consequences of the war - tens of thousands of people with physical and mental traumas who have to integrate into society. Mothers who lost their husbands live in rented apartments and their lives are governed by the deadlines for the delivery of humanitarian aid. On Tuesdays it's Red Cross, on Thursdays charity. The army needs significant material aid. While individuals and civic organizations cannot supply howitzers or 100,000 artillery shells, there are things that even enthusiasts like Marcel Rebro can acquire and deliver. In the tundra with no signal "I was in a difficult situation because I had, actually still have, an ongoing project in the north of Russia," says Rebro. The news of the Russian invasion of Ukraine found him in the tundra among the Nenets - a nomadic people who still live in yurts and ride reindeer. As a citizen of Slovakia, an enemy state, he could no longer return to Russia, so instead of documenting the life of the Nenets, he and a friend chose to document the war in Ukraine. "We had contacts in Ukraine and among soldiers. When we told them we were coming, they started asking if we could bring them something. That's how a photo mission became a charity one," says Rebro. "A friend lent me a van and we went. We had no idea how humanitarian aid is carried out," he recalls. One of the most important things they brought to Ukraine were tourniquets. When he met Iryna Lazarova in Odessa, who supplied the soldiers near Bakhmut, and handed her a box of tourniquets, she cried. "100 tourniquets for 45. It didn't seem like a big deal to me," says Marcel Rebro. "She told me that every one of those things potentially means one saved life. If you didn't save 100 people, then maybe 30, maybe 'only' 10. I knew then that even if I didn't bring home a single photo, it all mattered." he talks about his experience. Angry, tired After two years of war, fatigue is visible among Ukrainians themselves, but determination, strengthened by anger at the invaders, is growing stronger. "The Russians are trying to break them, but the effect is the opposite. Those people are incredibly angry. They are tired, brutally tired, but they are pissed. So much so that they have to hide Russian prisoners of war. Grandmothers would beat them with brooms," Rebro says about his experiences in Ukraine. According to him, Ukrainians know that they cannot stop because the Russians will not stop. That is why Rebro refuses to stop himself. He does not want to fight against the Russian invasion army at the Slovak border one day. When it comes to aiding Ukraine, if an ordinary Slovak can choose what to support, it is clearly drones. An observational one or those that can deliver an "eggplant" to the enemy, which is local slang for a mortar shell. They are a relatively cheap and effective means against the enemy who has thrown all its resources into the war. Ukrainians can respond to artillery fire with drones, but first they have to see the targets. For that, they need surveillance drones - with thermal cameras, wide and telephoto lenses. A drone worth 400 can carry an 800-gram mortar shell over to the enemy and hit them. However, the Russians have already learned this method, also well documented in videos. Enemy drones must be fought against, as well as using drones equipped for radio-electronic warfare (REB), which can disrupt enemy radio or take control of their drones. When Rebro organised a Christmas gift campaign for Putin's heroes on the Donio platform, he raised money for drones to deliver fresh eggplants to Russian soldiers. When he then ordered the drones and told the distributor that they would go to Ukraine, he immediately received a discount. "We were surprised that people are still sending money and are still angry. They can still be agitated," he comments on the attitude of people in Slovakia. Designer Dodo Dobrik from the Gifts for Putin initiative. (Source: SME - Jozef Jakubco/Archive of J.D.) No way to win without weapons. That's why they send unpleasant gifts to Putin On the day Russian President Vladimir Putin was celebrating his birthday, Czech Defence Minister Jana Cernochova posted a photo on X (formerly Twitter) in which she was wearing a t-shirt depicting a skeleton giving a raised middle finger and the words "Fuck you Putin". Designer Dodo Dobrik was behind the idea, who was angered by images from the destroyed city of Bucha near Kyiv, where Russian soldiers killed hundreds of civilians. "I saw a photo with a dead hand in Bucha. I decided to pick it up and show Putin the middle finger with it and prove that even if that person is dead, they are invincible," he says. At the time he had already been involved in the Czech initiative "Darek pro Putina" (Gift for Putin). Almost from the beginning of the war, it had bigger ambitions than many other collections - not only to collect aid for soldiers or ammunition, but also to buy a tank or a helicopter. Today, it has successfully collected more than 26 million, especially in the Czech Republic, mostly for weapons and equipment. "From the beginning, we wanted to do big and distinctive things. Even abroad, no one had made such a large collection, but we wanted to try it," says Dobrik. At the beginning, he also had to think about his moral boundaries and how correct it was to send aid in the form of weapons or ammunition. "However, we argued that the war cannot be won without weapons. If anyone says that guns prolong a war, that's just a sweet lie. A stronger Ukraine and its army can stop the aggressor, so if there had been more weapons at the beginning and immediately, maybe the aggression would have resulted in fewer deaths. Weapons help these men defend their families," he says. Online shop selling tanks Dobrik's frustration with how to help the Ukrainian army defend itself in the first weeks led him to join the initiative. This is how Gift for Putin was created - a project that, among other things, transparently shows how much war costs and thanks to which even ordinary people can contribute directly to the purchase of military equipment. "It was a sort of an online shop. At the beginning, we said to ourselves that we will help until the end of the war and that we don't want to add scary stories and depression to it," he says. Both the unconventional method and the marketing have aroused great interest from abroad. In the first year, for example, in cooperation with the Czech Defence Ministry, they collected more than 1.3 million for a tank named Tomas (Thomas), used by the Ukrainian army in the battles near Bachmut. More than 11,000 people contributed. Since then, supporters have also joined in on anti-aircraft defence, rocket launchers and drones. They coordinate the purchase of equipment with the Ukrainian side and according to what is available on the market. For example, they have currently started a collection to buy 10 tonnes of plastic explosives that the Ukrainian army can drop from drones. In a few months, it might no longer be on the market. When it comes to importing military equipment, they cooperate with the Czech army, as the transfers are subject to secrecy. Their collections were openly supported not only by the Czech Defence Minister, but also by President Petr Pavel. During the last summer, they collected more than 650,000 from Slovaks, Czechs and, thanks to a donation from Taiwan, the Bozena 5 demining device was bought. In autumn, the initiative also launched the Slovak version of Gift for Putin, in cooperation with the Peace in Ukraine project. Nevertheless, Dobrik claims that campaign communication in Slovakia and the Czech Republic is different. "Slovaks take themselves much more seriously. From the beginning, we didn't want it to be a depressing and pathetic initiative, which is why it uses playful colours. In the Czech Republic, they understood this kind of humour," says the designer. When they conducted a poll on which colour they should deliver the device, pink won in the Czech Republic. In Slovakia, the initiative received hateful comments and criticism that they belittled the army and that it was a sign of disrespect. The device will not be used by soldiers, but by volunteer firefighters to clean civilian areas. The production of the device is currently being completed. The current collection for a helicopter named Cestmir is in a similar position. It mocks people nicknamed "chcimir" (meaning "I want peace"), i.e. people who are calling on Ukraine to give up its territory for peace. It's also our war Even though Dobrik himself has not been in Ukraine since the beginning of the invasion, the initiative has an overview of the delivered weapons, ammunition and aid. "At the very beginning, we sent ammunition to the front. I was just travelling by bus when we received a photo from Ukrainian soldiers who told us that they had used our missiles in the morning, and that they were grateful that someone was thinking of them," he says. At that time, Western weapons were still slowly reaching Ukraine. "These soldiers didn't know if it would turn out like in 2014 and whether everyone would turn their backs on them. That's when they understood that someone wanted to help them," he says. However, they also received bad news. "We received word that the unit to which we had been sending food and equipment were all dead as their positions had been bombed." Today, Gift for Putin functions as a platform for smaller collections as well. "Even if you want to raise 100 million crowns for a helicopter, it can help other collections. People will say to themselves that it's stupid to pay so much money, but they prefer to support a smaller cause," says Dobrik. Money for a van to take away the wounded was collected within 24 hours, significantly faster than other initiatives. According to Dobrik, a strong community of people in the Czech Republic and Slovakia has formed around the initiative, who persistently continue to support Ukraine despite declining interest. Selling t-shirts and sweatshirts with ironic references to Putin's invasion also helps. Meanwhile, Ukraine is already struggling with a shortage of ammunition and the slow supply of weapons. Even if one tank or a couple of drones do not move the front line, according to Dobrik, it is important to do everything to support Ukraine. "I don't want to imagine a scenario in which Ukraine loses. It's enough that I see how in Slovakia we are absolutely losing the information war," he says. "The way I see it we are not only helping Ukraine, we are helping ourselves as well. We can be very thankful that the battlefield, the front line, is not here. It's also our war, not only a Ukrainian-Russian one," he adds. Sme Coffee has a cup problem, and its one without an easy fix. There have been many a whole host of ventures trying to figure out an easy and eco-conscious way of handling the millions upon millions of to-go coffee cups that get usedand often find their way to a landfillby cafes each year. There have been cup swaps, eco-friendly single-serve options using terra cotta or even an edible option, and a whole host of reusable models, all to varying levels of success. It ultimately comes down to buy-in. Can you make the process easy enough to get customers to adopt on a broader scale? A new company out of Essex in the United Kingdom is relying on technology and a lower level of buy-in as a means of keeping cups in a reusable eco-system. Delete Cups is using RFID chips to easily track cups and return deposits to customers. As reported by Packaging Gateway, Delete Cups was founded by Alastair Hood, owner of Roo Coffee, a franchisable sustainability-minded coffee shop in the UK. The brand has already raised 350,000 from angel investors. Each Delete cup comes equipped with an RFID chip that gets scanned by a barista and linked with a transaction at the point of sale. A small cup deposit fee is added to the total charge, which then gets automatically credited back onto the card used for the transaction once the cup is returned to a collection point. What Delete has over other reusable cup programs, per Packaging Gateway, is ease of use. With current re-use schemes, customers must typically download an app, register their details, pay a deposit on the cup then apply online to reclaim their money once they have returned it, or queue in-store. But with Delete Cups, there is no need to create an account or give any additional personal information. Delete Cups is currently being at two of Hoods pop-up cafes, and he is reportedly in talks with other potential users in the UK and Europe. This is not the first program to use RFID chips in reusable cups. Starbucks and McDonalds rolled out a trial program in 2020. A company called CauliCup used QR codes to similar ends in 2022. But Delete Cups does appear to require less overall involvement from the customer, which could make their adoption a little easier. It does still require folks to return the cup to a designated area or lose their deposit, and that may still rub some folks the wrong way. Still, the options are getting easier and easier and requiring less and less of the customers. Its a step in the right direction. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240228/is-the-west-admitting-defeat-in-ukraine-with-the-cias-limited-hangout-1117045322.html Is the West Admitting Defeat in Ukraine with the CIAs Limited Hangout? Is the West Admitting Defeat in Ukraine with the CIAs Limited Hangout? Sputnik International Journalist Nebojsa Malic speculated about the reasons for the US intelligence agencys controlled release of information in The New York Times this week. 2024-02-28T23:26+0000 2024-02-28T23:26+0000 2024-02-28T23:26+0000 us ukraine cia the new york times emmanuel macron france nato russia-nato showdown syria timber sycamore https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/107578/92/1075789248_0:165:1024:741_1920x0_80_0_0_b00ffd70afb86e49d107d62603865649.jpg French President Emmanuel Macron made headlines this week by holding a meeting with European leaders where the idea of sending NATO troops to assist the Kiev regime was reportedly discussed. The controversial leader, who has publicly lamented the fall of the French monarchy, is an unpopular figure in his country with his approval rate hovering around just 30% after cuts to labor rights and Frances social system.The prospect of European troops in Ukraine stirred significant controversy, with figures throughout the continent immediately distancing themselves from the proposal. Moscow also rejected the idea, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warning it was absolutely against the interests of those nations and their people.Macrons meeting was the second major development in as many days indicating the Wests current feelings about the Donbass conflict, after a lengthy Sunday article in The New York Times revealed the depth of the US Central Intelligence Agencys (CIA) decade-long intervention in Ukraine. What do these reports reveal about the state of the US-led anti-Russia campaign on the Eurasian countrys border? Serbian-American journalist Nebojsa Malic joined Sputniks Fault Lines program on Wednesday to analyze the news.On the other hand, it could have been sort of a trial balloon to see what sort of narratives we concede here to continue escalating because, again, that's what the US and its allies have been doing since day one, he suggested. They started with sending Javelins and Stingers and now they're on fighter jets.Malic noted the Wests claims that they are not directly involved in the Donbass conflict are ironic given that US President Joe Biden has held Iran accountable for sending weapons and equipment to anti-US militias in the Middle East.Discussion then shifted towards The New York Times reporting over the weekend that detailed the CIAs extensive role in turning Ukraine into a beachhead for attacks against Russia since 2014s Euromaidan coup. The expose had the effect of legitimizing Russian President Vladimir Putins claims that the Maidan regime represented an existential threat to Russia, requiring an armed response.Something is happening here and I'm not quite sure what, said Malic. You've got all these revelations showing up and usually they show up ahead of something truly heinous. Like, the last time The New York Times admitted assassinating Daria Dugina, the Ukrainians pulled off the Crimean bridge attack that killed people. Malic speculated whether the limited hangout represented by the Times article was intended to serve as a smokescreen for another terrorist attack.It could be that all of this noise is just a smokescreen for some kind of abandonment of Ukraine because it clearly hasn't worked, said Malic.Host Jamarl Thomas agreed, noting how The New York Times published revelations about the CIAs involvement in Syria as former President Barack Obama was leaving office. The CIA operation, which cost over $1 billion, was one of the most expensive and complex in the agencys history. Thomas suggested the disclosure about US intelligence agencies involvement in Ukraine could similarly signal a collapse of efforts there, speculating the Kiev regime is faring even more poorly than publicly acknowledged.Malic agreed, saying Sundays article could represent another attempt to pressure Congress to pass funding for Ukraine. But the journalist noted that the Wests problem is an industrial one. Even if billions of dollars in aid were provisioned for the Kiev regime tomorrow, the West simply doesnt have the industrial capacity to match Russias substantial arms production.The end result could be similar to the situation in Syria, where they never officially recanted their goal of regime change in Syria, but the so-called moderate rebels are nonexistent, they're basically [Daesh*], Malic noted. They're content to sit there and just pillage Syrian wheat and oil and try to strangle the country with these sanctions that are intended to cause maximum pain to the population, but not the government, and hope that another rebellion springs up and overthrows the government.It's malicious as well as stupid, which means it's par for the course for the State Department unfortunately, he concluded.* ISIS (also known as Daesh/ISIL/IS/Islamic State) is a terrorist group banned in Russia and many other countries. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240228/scholz-reiterates-that-german-soldiers-will-not-be-sent-to-ukraine-1117043586.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240227/putin-was-right-western-complicity-in-ukraines-terrorism-proves-wisdom-of-special-operation-1117001814.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20231023/daria-duginas-assassination-orchestrated-by-ukrainian-intelligence---report-1114425037.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240224/unbowed-in-face-of-us-sponsored-terror-syria-kicks-off-campaign-to-revitalize-ancient-damascus-1116957206.html ukraine france syria russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 John Miles https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/01/19/1116388787_0:0:1316:1316_100x100_80_0_0_77e70d36afd983012b1c5d38ddb84156.jpg John Miles https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/01/19/1116388787_0:0:1316:1316_100x100_80_0_0_77e70d36afd983012b1c5d38ddb84156.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 John Miles https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/01/19/1116388787_0:0:1316:1316_100x100_80_0_0_77e70d36afd983012b1c5d38ddb84156.jpg us defeat in ukraine, west defeat in ukraine, zelensky defeated, macron troops in ukraine, macron nato troops in ukraine, new york times cia ukraine, new york times cia reporting, cia limited hangout, cia ukraine limited hangout, cia role in ukraine and syria, us weapons for ukraine, us aid to ukraine, us funding for ukraine, us funding to ukraine, russian economy under sanctions, us sanctions, sanctions on russia, sanctions against russia, us hegemony, unipolar world, russophobia, russophoby, anti-russian bias, wwiii, ww3, world war three, world war 3 https://sputnikglobe.com/20240229/almost-80-of-americans-say-negotiating-permanent-ceasefire-in-ukraine-important---poll-1117059533.html Almost 80% of Americans Say Negotiating Permanent Ceasefire in Ukraine Important - Poll Almost 80% of Americans Say Negotiating Permanent Ceasefire in Ukraine Important - Poll Sputnik International Almost 80% of Americans believe that negotiating a permanent ceasefire in Ukraine is important, a new poll from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research showed on Thursday 2024-02-29T16:39+0000 2024-02-29T16:39+0000 2024-02-29T16:39+0000 americas us americans ukraine russia democrats republicans ukraine crisis https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/02/1d/1117059632_0:0:3071:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_5ee1216409eb5272c59bbe092bc13b90.jpg Forty-nine percent of Americans believe that such negotiations are extremely or very important, and another 30% consider them "somewhat" important, according to the poll. The Democrats are more supportive of such negotiations (59%) than the Republicans (41%). The poll also highlighted how divided Americans are over providing aid to Ukraine. More than a third of Americans (35%) are concerned that the conflict in Ukraine may spill over to the whole of Europe. Forty percent are worried that the United States will be drawn into a war with Russia, according to the poll. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240228/gop-senators-make-u-turn-as-they-urge-negotiated-settlement-of-ukraine-conflict-1117032587.html americas ukraine russia 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 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/20240229/big-tech-giants-unwilling-to-cooperate-with-uk-media-censorship-committee-1117053039.html Big Tech Giants Unwilling to Cooperate With UK Media Censorship Committee Big Tech Giants Unwilling to Cooperate With UK Media Censorship Committee Sputnik International The DSMA committee is tasked with overseeing voluntary code between UK government departments which have responsibility for national security and the media. 2024-02-29T11:47+0000 2024-02-29T11:47+0000 2024-02-29T11:47+0000 world us united kingdom (uk) big tech committee cooperation censorship https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/02/1d/1117055154_0:0:3071:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_f0e67edd461088229d6aa805a89f3f21.jpg US tech giants, including Google, Meta* and X (formerly Twitter), are refusing to cooperate with the UKs independent Defense and Security Media Advisory (DSMA) Committee, the countrys media censorship board, Politico has reported.DSMA notice secretary and former military diplomat Geoffrey Dodds told the news outlet that the group has been trying to break into Big Tech, but to no avail.DSMA notices, which are not legally binding, urge media outlets not to publish information that could potentially harm national security. These D-notices are rarely refused, given the lingering threat of prosecution under the Official Secrets Act and the recently enacted National Security Act, according to Politico.Dodds. meanwhile, explained that the rise of digital news platforms had prompted a shift in the committees strategy. He underscored the UK media censorship boards intent to adapt to the changing landscape by engaging directly with technology companies, not least Big Tech.Although the group claims to be independent from the UK government, it is currently run by Paul Wyatt, the Ministry of Defense (MoD)s director general for security policy.Additionally, the committee includes government members hailing from the Foreign Office, Cabinet Office, MoD and the Home Office, and the meetings take place in the MoD. The organization also comprises retired military officers and representatives from the UKs key media houses, such as Sky, the BBC, and the Times.*banned in Russia as an extremist organization https://sputnikglobe.com/20230207/bans-bucks--bureaucracy-twitter-files-co-author-taibbi-on-big-techs-collusion-with-feds-1107047111.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20230125/how-us-big-tech-is-swarmed-with-ex-spooks--why-this-rings-alarm-bells-1106702182.html united kingdom (uk) 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 us tech giants, the uks independent defense and security media advisory committee, big tech's reluctance to collaborate with the uk's dsma committee President Putin provided a summary of the outcomes of both domestic and foreign policy cycles and outlined the key priorities for the nation's development moving forward during his annual State of the Nation Address to the Federal Assembly for 2024. The annual State of the Nation Address delivered by the Russian president typically includes announcements that are crucial for the country's future performance. In his 2023 address, Vladimir Putin stated that Russia was suspending its participation in New START (the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) and provided an update on the progress of the special military operation. The 2021 speech primarily focused on the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the Russian economy, with Putin highlighting the efforts of Russian scientists in developing three "reliable COVID vaccines". Putin often discusses new defense systems in his speeches. For instance, in the 2021 State of the Nation, he disclosed that the first full regiment of Russia's new Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile would be operational by 2022. Similarly, in his 2018 speech, he introduced the Kinzhal hypersonic missile. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240229/many-chances-for-human-error-embarrassing-boeing-report-reveals-lack-of-safety-and-mistrust--1117045147.html Many Chances for Human Error: Embarrassing Boeing Report Reveals Lack of Safety and Mistrust Many Chances for Human Error: Embarrassing Boeing Report Reveals Lack of Safety and Mistrust Sputnik International The American aerospace company Boeing is facing renewed scrutiny after federal safety experts released an embarrassing report that found issues with Boeings safety culture. The report noted a disconnect at the company between senior management and frontline workers. 2024-02-29T03:29+0000 2024-02-29T03:29+0000 2024-02-29T03:29+0000 analysis boeing workplace culture toxic workplace culture labor federal aviation administration (faa) u.s. federal aviation authority (faa) civil aviation us https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/01/10/1116187209_0:160:3072:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_5dec278dba839b76811703b358510bdc.jpg The American aerospace company Boeing is facing renewed scrutiny after federal safety experts released an embarrassing report that found issues with Boeings safety culture. The report noted a disconnect at the company between senior management and frontline workers.The report was written by a group of experts brought together a year ago by the US Congressbefore the incident on January 5 when an Alaska Airlines 737 Max airliner's door panels blew off mid-flight. The Federal Aviation Administration said it would evaluate the reports findings while it is already auditing Boeing over the Alaska Airlines incident.Jamie Finch, a former director at the National Transportation Safety Board, spoke with Sputniks Fault Lines on Wednesday. He believes the report is a step in the right direction, but admits it is scary that the situation with Boeing has gotten to this point.It's not like these planes are in a position where, 'oh my gosh, they're going to be flying out of the sky left and right.' No, we're not anywhere even remotely close to something like that. But, there are some issues that have arisen over the last few years about Boeing, about the manufacturing process and about their aircraft, and that needs to be addressed," he added.The report also found hesitation in reporting safety concerns for fear of retaliation because managers could investigate reports made under their watch, meaning the investigation isnt fully impartial.Yes, we've seen this happen in all types of industries and companies and places around the world, around the country in businesses, and even organizations, said Finch. This is, obviously, a cultural problem that Boeing has developed over the last two or three decades. At least the two decades since it merged with McDonnell Douglas, or acquired McDonnell Douglas, Finch added, referencing the 1997 merger between the American aerospace manufacturer McDonnell Douglas and Boeing.But, the FAA does not have the resources to be able to properly regulate and monitor these things. And, so, maybe we'll see more funding coming out of this, I don't know. I'm not a big fan of continuing to throw money at a problem. But let's see if there's a way that we can resolve this problem and this issue without it costing another arm and a leg, but at the same time getting to safety and reaching the goals of what we need. That's the number one priority, no matter how much it costs, said Finch.Sputniks Melik Abdul referenced an article in which Ed Pierson, a former Boeing senior manager, revealed there were issues with Boeings supply chain regarding their engines which resulted in a ripple effect down the supply line, resulting in work that was performed out-of-sequence by hundreds of people as well as quality control checks that werent being performed. The whistleblower said it was so bad in 2018 and questioned where the h*** the FAA was during that time.And if you have one hiccup on that, it just ripples down. It's a rippling effect, is the way I look at it. If you drop a pebble in the water, whether everything was smooth before, it's now just rippling through because it just carries on until it gets to the end. It just changes the entire dynamics of what the product was supposed to look like, and what the process was supposed to be to get to that end product, he added. There's so many chances for human error involved.Trust but verify, right? And that's just where we are, and I just don't want us to get into a situation where we're seeing people losing their lives, or more people losing their lives over something like this. That situation with Alaska Airlines could have been horrendously tragic.When asked if more funding or resources for the FAA could correct future problems such as these, Finch explained that the difference between the two bodies is financial.Before the recent Alaska Airlines incident, two deadly crashes involving a Max 8 killed a total of 346 people occurred between October 2019 and March of 2019. Since 2019, Boeing has made several changes to improve product safety, establishing an aerospace safety committee in August of that year as well as a chief aerospace safety office in January of 2021.But Pierson, a whistleblower who retired from Boeing in 2018 before the deadly crashes, said that all Boeing does is talk, and that the leadership doesnt get down there and get involved with the people that are building the products. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240119/another-boeing-incident-faa-finds-softball-sized-hole-in-plane-that-was-on-fire-1116277402.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240108/inspections-on-grounded-boeing-max-9s-reveal-several-issues-with-united-airlines-planes-1116065049.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20231229/boeing-calls-on-airlines-to-reinspect-737-max-jets-after-officials-uncover-loose-bolt-issue-1115865346.html 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 boeing, american airplane manufacturer, toxic workplace, workplace safety, faa, safety regulators, airplanes, aerospace company, workplace investigation, flight on fire, plane on fire, ntsb, boeing on fire, plane on fire, boeing issues, problems with boeing, defective boeing By Baek Byung-yeul SK Telecom is expanding into the fast-growing AI data center market through partnerships with emerging tech companies Supermicro and Lambda, the mobile carrier said Thursday. An AI data center provides servers operating graphic processing units (GPUs) essential for AI learning and inference, power supply for stable operation and cooling systems. SK Telecom sees it as a crucial part of strengthening its AI infrastructure business, which it is strongly pursuing. The Korean mobile carrier said it signed a memorandum of understanding with Supermicro at the MWC tech fair in Barcelona, Wednesday (local time). Through the cooperation, Supermicro is expected to supply servers to SK Telecom's AI data center. Supermicro is one of the major partners of U.S. GPU chip giant Nvidia as it provides server and storage systems optimized for apps in various markets, including data centers, cloud computing, AI, 5G and edge computing. The company is recognized for its ability to build energy-saving and eco-friendly products, SK Telecom said. Previously, on Feb. 21, SK Telecom announced its investment in Lambda to secure a stable supply of GPUs. Lambda provides cloud computing services by receiving Nvidias latest GPUs. SK Telecom added it plans to sign an additional strategic partnership with Lambda for global business cooperation within the first half of this year with an aim to expand into the AI cloud computing market both domestically and globally. Recently, many domestic companies have been combining their services and products with generative AI, and SKT predicts that demand in the AI cloud market will continue to increase. Based on the cooperation with Supermicro, SKT also plans to apply AI to advance its telecommunications business. The combination of AI data center and communication network can greatly increase the utilization of the telecommunications network," an SK Telecom spokesperson said. In the long term, the two companies agreed to cooperate on mounting the neural processing unit (NPU) chip of SK's chip design unit Sapeon on the AI data center server supplied by Supermicro. They are also discussing selling Sapeons NPU servers in the global market through Supermicro's global channels. Cooperation with global leading companies in the AI data center sector will be the cornerstone for SK Telecom to emerge as a global AI company, SK Telecom CEO Ryu Young-sang said. "Through cooperation with Supermicro and Lambda, SK Telecoms AI data center business is expected to achieve meaningful results within this year. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240229/putin-delivers-his-annual-address-to-russias-parliament-1117051101.html Putin Delivers His Annual Address to Russia's Parliament Putin Delivers His Annual Address to Russia's Parliament Sputnik International Presidential speech will set goals for countrys development for the next six years and sum up the results of 2018-2024 electoral cycle. 2024-02-29T09:01+0000 2024-02-29T09:01+0000 2024-02-29T09:01+0000 russia vladimir putin foreign policy news conference of russian president vladimir putin https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e5/04/15/1082691714_0:0:3122:1756_1920x0_80_0_0_b72fc44694fb570157063a016d78e911.jpg Vladimir Putin will assess the work of both chambers of the Federal Assembly (Russia's parliament) and outline the main directions of foreign and domestic policy. The president is expected to discuss the special military operation in Ukraine, security and economic issues in the light of current geopolitical challenges. About one thousand people have been invited to the ceremony, including members of parliament, the government, representatives of the presidential administration, heads of the Constitutional and Supreme Courts, diplomats, Russian and foreign journalists. Follow Sputnik's live feed to learn more. 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 Putin addresses the Russian parliament Sputnik International Putin addresses the Russian parliament 2024-02-29T09:01+0000 true PT142M03S 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sputnik International vladimir putin, putin speech, putin state of the nation address, putin address, russia putin https://sputnikglobe.com/20240229/russia-liberates-watch-town-of-lastochkino-1117052587.html Watch Russia Liberate Town of Lastochkino Watch Russia Liberate Town of Lastochkino Sputnik International Lastochkino was liberated several days ago and now Russian flag is flying in the wind over once contested town. 2024-02-29T10:01+0000 2024-02-29T10:01+0000 2024-02-29T10:47+0000 russia's special operation in ukraine ukrainian crisis us arms for ukraine stepan bandera nazi neo-nazism https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/02/1d/1117052431_11:0:1334:744_1920x0_80_0_0_a30bd0debb3c7f996167787e09142fce.png Russias Ministry of Defense has published footage from the town of Lastochkino which has been liberated by the Russian Armed Forces. During a hasty retreat, the Ukrainian Army resorted to scorched earth tactics with Grad MLRS firing at civilian buildings.While retreating from the town, Ukrainian servicemen left Western military equipment, including vehicles with Nazi symbols," the ministry said in a statement. The footage shows a pickup with a Bandera is our father inscription a reference to a war criminal and Nazi collaborator Stepan Bandera. Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Sergey Lebedev Sergey Lebedev News en_EN Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Lastochkino liberation Sputnik International Lastochkino liberation 2024-02-29T10:01+0000 true PT1M50S 1920 1080 true 1920 1440 true 1920 1920 true Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 Sergey Lebedev ukrainian crisis, us arms for ukraine, nazi ukraine, neo nazi ukraine, bandera ukraine, nazi in ukraine, lastochkino russian army, lastochkino ukraine https://sputnikglobe.com/20240229/russias-rapid-growth-shows-immunity-to-wests-cold-war-tricks-that-sapped-ussr-1117059915.html Russia's Rapid Growth Shows Immunity to West's Cold War Tricks That Sapped USSR Russia's Rapid Growth Shows Immunity to West's Cold War Tricks That Sapped USSR Sputnik International President Vladimir Putin outlined his vision for Russia's future development and emphasized its growth potential together with BRICS during his State of the Nation speech on Thursday. He stressed that a lasting world order is impossible without a strong Russia. 2024-02-29T17:16+0000 2024-02-29T17:16+0000 2024-03-01T09:37+0000 us vladimir putin russia west ukraine g7 brics europe middle east arms race https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/0c/1d/1115879805_0:0:3124:1757_1920x0_80_0_0_0a1b5bece541ad2d474c3c52588c2a70.jpg Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasized the strategic objectives and matters that are instrumental in ensuring steady long-term development for Russia on Thursday as he delivered his address to the Federal Assembly in Gostiny Dvor, Moscow."It was a very powerful speech," Adriel Kasonta, a London-based foreign affairs analyst and former chairman of the International Affairs Committee at the Bow Group think tank, told Sputnik.During his speech, Putin pointed out that Russia is on track to becoming one of the world's four largest economies in the near future. He drew attention to the fact that last year, the Russian economy grew faster than the global average and outpaced any growth seen in the G7 states.The Russian president pointed out that by 2028, BRICS' share of the global economy at purchasing power parity will increase to 36.6%, whereas that of the G7 will drop to 27.8%.West Tried and Failed to Undermine RussiaAfter the beginning of Moscow's special operation in Ukraine, the US and its allies imposed a plethora of sanctions against Russia, targeting all sectors of the nation's economy. Russia was severed from the SWIFT system and its sovereign funds were frozen in the West.Nonetheless, Russia has demonstrated remarkable economic growth and bolstered ties with Asian and African countries, the Arab world and Latin America, since.Having admitted that the effect of sanctions has fallen short of the West's expectation, the US and its allies are now focused on funding their respective military-industrial complexes. During his address, President Putin lambasted the West for attempting to drag Russia into an arms race, stressing that similar tricks were used against the USSR in the 1980s to facilitate its collapse and demise.According to Kasonta, it's clear that Russia won't fall into this trap again: the country has adopted a balanced approach to developing its defense sector as well as other sectors of the economy.The West's old Cold War tricks no longer work, echoed Paolo Raffone, a strategic analyst and director of the CIPI Foundation in Brussels.The crux of the matter is that the West cannot uphold its monopoly in terms of global logistics, trade, or technology, according to the expert."The weakness of the West is represented by the failure of the effectiveness of sanctions against Russia (but also against Iran, China and other entities). The global transport infrastructure, trade and financial system is developing in spite of the West, pointing at an alternative to Western dominance in those areas," Raffone pointed out.West Destroying ItselfWhile the US and G7 are seeking ways to seize Russia's assets to fund their proxy war in Ukraine, the people in the West have grown weary of the ongoing conflict.Various surveys in the US and the EU have demonstrated that Westerners no longer believe that the Kiev regime could win; furthermore, they say that the Western leadership should seek a "compromise settlement" to stop the conflict.Regardless of this obvious shift in popular opinion, the Western leadership is continuing to push ahead with Ukraine's militarization. According to Raffone, it's unlikely that this bellicose rhetoric will change before the US elections. For their part, leaders of major EU powers will follow in the footsteps of Washington. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240229/brics-share-in-global-economy-at-purchasing-power-parity-to-rise-to-366-by-2028---putin-1117054695.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240229/towards-financial-independence-brics-eyes-settlements-in-national-currencies-1117047646.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240229/sarmat-kinzhal-zircon-which-top-notch-missiles-did-putin-mention-in-parliamentary-address-1117055600.html russia west ukraine 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 vladimir putin, putin's address to federal assembly, russia's economic growth, western sanctions against russia, brics share in global gdp, us border crisis, us inflation, us arms race, ukraine war, ussr, cold war mentality, cold war playbook https://sputnikglobe.com/20240229/today-ukraine-tomorrow-taiwan-western-neocons-look-east-1117050517.html Today Ukraine, Tomorrow Taiwan: Western Neocons Look East Today Ukraine, Tomorrow Taiwan: Western Neocons Look East Sputnik International The US empire is constantly aware of the signals it sends to the world as it gears up for war with China, argues one peace activist. 2024-02-29T04:25+0000 2024-02-29T04:25+0000 2024-02-29T04:46+0000 analysis china taiwan ukraine us army us-china relations donbas conflict neoconservatism us hegemony us interventions https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e7/0a/01/1113839618_0:0:3061:1722_1920x0_80_0_0_36aecb6ab1242b96ba9c1f5ccd5b19dd.jpg The US Army raised eyebrows this week when the armed forces branch released plans for a major restructuring. Gone are the special operations forces, tight combat teams, and security force assistance brigades that helped troops face irregular fighters in Iraq and Afghanistan. In are counter-drone operations, long-range strike teams, and Pacific region task forces.The proposal was yet another sign the United States sees war with China on the horizon.But the US has been sending signals about its plans for Asia even when pursuing conflict in other regions, argues peace activist and political analyst KJ Noh. Noh joined host Garland Nixon on Sputniks The Critical Hour program on Wednesday to discuss the latest machinations of Western neoconservatives.Noh explained that the United States just sold a $75 million weapons package to authorities in Taiwan which included a system known as Link 16. Link 16 allows armed forces in Taiwan to share data with weapons platforms in other countries, enabling Taiwan separatists to fight alongside the United States, Japan, Korea, Australia, and others against China.And in some metaphorical sense, this is the final weapon sale that makes Taiwan's weapon sales lethal moving forward.Although victory in the Donbass increasingly appears to be eluding the Ukrainian regime and its Western backers, Noh believes the United States is mindful of the message thats sent by their stewardship of the conflict there.Above all, Noh claims foreign policy hawks are keen to maintain the United States projection of power and neutralize the threat to Americas status as global hegemon that they perceive from China before the opportunity is lost.Centrifugal forces are building up in Europe, certainly all across the Globe South, Noh added. And specifically with China itself they are very, very aware that the clock is running down on their power. Rand Corporation warned about 10 years ago that they needed to go to war with China by 2025 in order to prevail. If they don't, it just gets harder.The United States is willing to do nearly anything to maintain its hegemony, said Noh, up to even allowing the reconstitution of fascism and fascist tendencies all across the world. Noh argued the dynamic can be seen at play with extremist leaders in Europe, Taiwan, and Korea. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240223/china-accuses-us-of-containment-strategy-over-taiwan-arms-sales-1116937511.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240228/china-warns-taiwans-us-supported-pursuit-of-separation-fraught-with-military-danger-1117032810.html https://sputnikglobe.com/20240214/south-korea-to-participate-in-joint-multinational-drills-with-us-thailand---reports-1116774207.html china taiwan ukraine Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 John Miles https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/01/19/1116388787_0:0:1316:1316_100x100_80_0_0_77e70d36afd983012b1c5d38ddb84156.jpg John Miles https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/01/19/1116388787_0:0:1316:1316_100x100_80_0_0_77e70d36afd983012b1c5d38ddb84156.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 John Miles https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e8/01/19/1116388787_0:0:1316:1316_100x100_80_0_0_77e70d36afd983012b1c5d38ddb84156.jpg us war with china, united states war on china, us war in taiwan, why does the us care about taiwan, us and south korea war on china, us taiwan military package, link 16 weapons system, us taiwan military cooperation, neocons war with china, neoconservatives war in taiwan, western interference, us hegemony, us dominance, american interventions, us interventions, us interventions https://sputnikglobe.com/20240229/towards-financial-independence-brics-eyes-settlements-in-national-currencies-1117047646.html Towards Financial Independence: BRICS Eyes Settlements in National Currencies Towards Financial Independence: BRICS Eyes Settlements in National Currencies Sputnik International Most countries at a meeting of BRICS finance ministers and central bank governors supported the departure from the dollar, agreeing that settlements in national currencies are what the countries in the bloc need, Russian Deputy Finance Minister Ivan Chebeskov told Sputnik. 2024-02-29T02:01+0000 2024-02-29T02:01+0000 2024-02-29T02:01+0000 economy brics russia dedollarisation russian finance ministry sao paulo brazil trade us hegemony multipolar world https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/102241/95/1022419596_0:129:3186:1921_1920x0_80_0_0_138fe9c97345d4e79bc9d509fa53e011.jpg The BRICS finance ministers and central bank heads met in Sao Paulo on February 27."Most countries have said that settlement in national currencies is what the BRICS countries need. We are already a big BRICS family of 10 countries. Most countries supported the fact that it is necessary to build new mechanisms of settlements and shared the experience of developing digital currencies by central banks, the experience of building platforms, and participation in trials of various platforms," Chebeskov said.Additionally, Chebeskov reiterated that the Russian Finance Ministry favors the creation of a unified digital platform, a kind of technological gateway for the possible unification of both digital currencies from central banks and national systems of financial messaging."Technologies now make it possible to create software to which any bank from the BRICS countries can connect and, in fact, work through this gateway, through this platform, to make settlements without having corresponding relations with a huge number of banks from other countries," Chebeskov said.Chebeskov noted that it is still difficult to assess to what degree BRICS countries are technologically and institutionally ready to join such a platform. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240228/rocky-road-to-dedollarization-sergei-glazyev-interview--1117034183.html russia sao paulo brazil 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 brics, national currencies, rubles, yuans, brics, russia-nato showdown, us expansionism, nato expansion, multipolar world, polycentric world, us hegemony, inclusiveness, shared future of humanity, brics gdp, g7 gdp, brics economic growth, dedollarization, de-dollarization, national currencies, trade in national currencies, leaders' speeches at brics 2023, global south, global south countries, global north vs global south, global north and global south, countries in the global south, russia global south, brics global south https://sputnikglobe.com/20240229/us-refuses-to-discuss-nuclear-arms-in-outer-space-despite-russias-dialogue-efforts-1117061051.html US Refuses to Discuss 'Nuclear Arms in Outer Space' Despite Russia's Dialogue Efforts US Refuses to Discuss 'Nuclear Arms in Outer Space' Despite Russia's Dialogue Efforts Sputnik International Russian President Vladimir Putin broached the subject of the United States recently alleging without any proof that Russia plans to deploy some kind of nuclear weapons in space during his State of the Nation address on Thursday. Having dismissed these unfounded allegations, Putin mentioned that Russia is yet to receive any serious proposals from the US to initiate bilateral contacts on strategic stability. 2024-02-29T18:49+0000 2024-02-29T18:49+0000 2024-02-29T18:49+0000 analysis vladimir putin address russia sovereignty economy https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/106297/72/1062977284_31:0:1171:641_1920x0_80_0_0_99d25671f159eda85905f8fb19130308.jpg Russian President Vladimir Putin broached the subject of the United States recently alleging without any proof that Russia plans to deploy some kind of nuclear weapons in space during his State of the Nation address on Thursday. Having dismissed these unfounded allegations, Putin mentioned that Russia is yet to receive any serious proposals from the US to initiate bilateral contacts on strategic stability.Commenting on the Russian presidents remarks, Dr. Marco Marsili, a researcher at Ca Foscari University of Venice, pointed out that the US and its European allies have consistently refused to negotiate international legally-binding instruments with Russia, despite the latter's initiatives aimed at preventing possible deployment of nuclear armaments in space.According to Dr. Marsili, who is also an associate fellow at the Center for Strategic Research (Cesran International) and who holds research positions in major civil and military institutions in Portugal, the UK and Italy, the US and its allies torpedoed the initiatives to maintain their technical advantages from its missile defense program and other space weapons.Today, Russia is in a stronger position due to its technological advances in missile defense and has developed hypersonic capabilities, like the Avangard rocket cited by President Putin in his speech, which place the country far away from its Western competitors. Notwithstanding, President Putin is still seeking dialogue with the White House, but does not receive any response.Dr. Marsili also weighed in on Putins statement about the need for a new global financial architecture that would be free from political interference, with Marsili noting how the global governance that emerged in the aftermath of World War II was shaped by Western nations.Regarding Putins remark on Russias prospects to become one of the worlds four largest economies soon, Dr. Marsili observed that the figures presented by the Russian president to the audience during the speech demonstrate the foreseen growth of the Russian economy, despite international sanctions.Meanwhile, Dmitry Suslov, deputy director of the Center for European and International Studies at Russias Higher School of Economics, argued that one of the crucial themes of Putins address was the matter of Russias sovereignty.According to Suslov, Western policies prove that the West uses and used the interdependence and Russian dependence on the Western technologies and markets as a weapon against Russia.Thus, in order to avoid such dependence in the future and to not exchange it for a new dependence on the other countries, Russia "needs to be sovereign in all crucial aspects of development - in technologies, in defense, in the main aspects of economic development and, of course, in the political sphere, he postulated. https://sputnikglobe.com/20240229/russias-strategic-nuclear-forces-in-state-of-full-readiness---putin-1117054581.html russia Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2024 Andrei Dergalin Andrei Dergalin 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 Andrei Dergalin russia us strategic stability, us russia nuclear weapons space Tae survived the elements and a late-closing Jody to win the featured $22,973 mares conditioned pace at Ballys Dover on Wednesday (Feb. 28) night. Last week, Jody defeated Tae narrowly at the wire. On Wednesday night, the tables were turned as Tae held on to defeat Jody at the wire. Tae left for early position at the start of the race. She settled, then brushed to the top but was parked to the opening quarter in :27 over a rain-soaked racing surface. Jody, the 7-5 betting favourite, settled into the pocket. Tae and driver Pat Berry were not going to take any prisoners and sloshed their way to the half in :56. Twin Delight moved first-up down the backstretch and Southwind Icenfire shadowed her second-over on the rim; however, those bids stalled. Tae continued on an uncontested lead to the three quarters in 1:24.1. At the top of the stretch, Jody vacated the pocket and was closing fast. Tae braced for that challenge and held on gamely to win by a nose in 1:53.1. Jody closed fast but lost in a heartbreaker to finish second. Southwind Icenfire was third. Tae (Im Gorgeous-Southwind Halie) is owned and trained by Brenda Teague of Houston, Delaware. She paid $7 to win. Tim Tetrick defeated the elements and drove five winners on the night and a total of nine driving wins over the past two days. Thursday's 10th race feature is the Blue Hen Open Handicap Pace. Penzance Hanover looks to win his third consecutive race. His main competition includes Sprocket, Mack and former claimer Iwannabewithyou. Post time at Ballys Dover is 4:30 p.m. (With files from Bally's Dover) As the DEA reports record seizures already this year of illegal fentanyl pills, law enforcement agencies statewide are teaming up to shine a light on the One Pill Can Kill public safety campaign. The state and federal initiative supports Gov. Glenn Youngkins executive order aiming to strengthen interdiction and enforcement response to the current fentanyl crisis, according to a release from Virginia State Police spokesman Sgt. Brent Coffey. The Northwest Virginia Regional Drug and Gang Task Force, covering the Shenandoah Valley, is participating in the awareness and is especially focused on disrupting the supply chains responsible for flooding the region with fake prescription pills, said Virginia State Police Special Agent Harvey Stover, Task Force Supervisor. Last year, the task force seized 5,000 pills containing fentanyl or an estimated $100,000 worth of fake pills containing fentanyl, Stover said. For every one of those pills removed from the street is a potential fatal overdose prevented and a life saved. Last week, Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares launched onepillcankillva.org, a new site offering a variety of resources about the dangers of fake prescription pills containing lethal substances like fentanyl. According to Miyares office, an estimated 1,967 people died from overdoses of fentanyl or other synthetic opioids in Virginia in 2022. In Culpeper County, 13 people died in 2022 from using fentanyl, according to Virginia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, from the latest fatal overdose tables by locality from January. Preliminary figures for the first three quarters of last year showed six fentanyl overdose deaths in Culpeper. Virginia lost more than 200 youth to fentanyl poisoning last year, said First Lady Suzanne Youngkin during a stop Monday with Roanoke school officials to discuss the deadly drug. We must cleave together to support our most vulnerable and to equip every family with the information necessary for safety, she said. Our goal is to save lives by shining light on the invisible danger of this deadly poison. It only takes one pill to take a lifeand it only takes one conversation to save a life. The Northwest Virginia Regional Drug and Gang Task Force is seeing a spike in overdoses, and overdose deaths, according to the release. Between Feb. 10 and Feb. 24, the task force reported 11 overdoses, including five deaths, and five overdoses, including one fatal, from Jan. 1 to Feb. 10 of this year. The past few weeks have made the threat we face from fentanyl apparent, said Chief Kahle Magalis with the Front Royal Police Department. We want to caution the public and make them aware of exactly how lethal fentanyl can be." In addition to the spike in overdoses and fatalities, the task force has seized approximately four times the amount of fentanyl in the first two months of 2024 as the task force did in all of 2023. The Northwest Virginia task force includes the Clarke, Frederick, Page, Warren, and Shenandoah County Sheriff's Departments, Front Royal, Luray, Strasburg, and Winchester Police Departments and the Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Culpeper Field Office. Like that task force, the Blue Ridge Narcotics & Gang Task Force is part of the One Pill Can Kill campaign, as are all other task forces across the state, Coffey said. There truly is no boundaries with this drug, Culpeper County Sheriff Tim Chilton said in an email to the Star-Exponent. The local agency is still responding to calls for overdoses or heroin/fentanyl related situations, but not nearly as much as a few years ago due to the prevalence of Narcan availability, he said. Often our deputies arrive and the person has already been administered Narcan by a friend or family member, Chilton said. Our task force detectives are still working pill cases daily, from all age groups and demographics. The Blue Ridge Task Force reported a total of 85 overdoses in the regions five counties last year, according to Culpeper Police Chief Chris Settle. Of those, 40% of the ODs occurred in the town of Culpeper, he said. Settle stated people from the region come to Culpeper to use in local motels. The whole area had nine overdose deaths that we know of, Chief Settle said, noting, like Chilton, more are using Narcan to revive others who overdosed, and it is not reported. He also mentioned reports of local teens hosting pill parties. Town police continue to see a presence of fentanyl in Culpeper and are still responding to overdose calls where they are still administering naloxone, Settle said. Currently, we are investigating some deaths that may be attributed to fentanyl poisoning, most recently a death investigation that occurred at one of our local hotels. Narcan is just as available as it was last year, Settle added. We have to do a better job of educating and prevention programs, put just as much effort in that as enforcement on the back end. Gaps in services remain, he noted. If someone comes into the PD lobby seeking help for fentanyl or heroin addiction, without health insurance, there are few options for the long-term treatment that person needs, he said. They have lost everything no resources, no job or insurance. People who commit larcenies or theft often are people addicted to substances, doing anything to obtain those substances, Settle said. In 2023, the DEA seized more than 78.4 million fentanyl-laced fake pills and nearly 12,000 pounds of fentanyl powder. For 2024, fentanyl seizures represent over 41.1 million deadly doses, according to the federal agency. In an online public safety alert, the DEA noted laboratory testing showed seven out of every 10 pills they seize contain a lethal dose of fentanyl. Sponsored by DEA, the One Pill Can Kill Game Over Tournament will be held virtually this Saturday, March 2. America is in the midst of a deadly opioid epidemic. The national rate of teenagers overdosing has tripled in the past two years. There is a need to reach this target audience with educational and awareness information particularly around the lethal dangers of illicit fentanyl, according to a DEA release. The two-hour One Pill Can Kill Game Over Tournament will feature Rocket League game play. Hosted by NJCAA esports, eight college teams will battle it out while special guest casters and commentators deliver play-by-plays alongside vital information about the dangers of fentanyl and One Pill Can Kill. Viewers can take a quiz for a chance to win prizes. See dea.gov/gameover for more details. Authorities arrested a 25-year-old woman on warrants from Texas and Tennessee after she allegedly lead law enforcement on a pursuit in Scotts Bluff and neighboring counties Wednesday. According to information released by the Scotts Bluff County Sheriffs Office, At around 11:30 a.m., deputies with the Scotts Bluff County Sheriffs Office were notified of a woman identified as Bayleigh Dollison, 25, driving a Silver Chevrolet Malibu with Colorado in-transits. The woman was reported to be sought on two active felony warrants out of Texas and Tennessee, which were confirmed along with a photo to identifying the woman. At around 12:39 p.m., a deputy sheriff identified the vehicle, traveling south on Five Rocks at the intersection of Country Club Road and Dollison was driving. The deputy attempted a traffic stop and Dollison allegedly accelerated and continued south onto Highway 71. Deputies with the Sheriffs Office pursued the vehicle south on Highway 71 with speeds reported to reach 125 mph. The pursuit was allowed to continue as there was very light traffic and no road or weather conditions that would create any additional dangers. Deputies with the Kimball County Sheriffs Office successfully deployed spike strips in the area of County Road 40 on Highway 71. The vehicle then was forced to stop, due to a deflated front tire. Officers took Dollison into custody on the active felony warrants out of Texas on drug-related crimes and a Tennessee warrant charging her with contributing to the delinquency of a minor, according to information released by the Scotts Bluff County Sheriffs Office. She also faces charges in Scotts Bluff County with authorities arresting her on suspicion of flight to avoid arrest, willful reckless driving, possession of fentanyl, possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia. Assisting with the investigation were the Scotts Bluff County Sheriffs Office, Gering Police Department, Nebraska State Patrol, Banner County Sheriffs Office, Kimball County Sheriffs Office and the Kimball Police Department. Hanwha chairmans youngest son faces questions over management ability By Park Jae-hyuk Chanel abruptly suspended the operation of its boutique on the first floor of Galleria Department Stores main branch in Seouls affluent neighborhood of Apgujeong-dong, Wednesday, according to industry officials, Thursday. The unprecedented move is seen as a protest against the department stores decision to allow Gucci to run a pop-up store near the French luxury brands outlet from March 1 to 15. Their unusual conflict has raised doubts about whether Hanwha Galleria Vice President Kim Dong-seon, the youngest son of Hanwha Group Chairman Kim Seung-youn, is the right person to lead the conglomerates retail business. Chanels Korean operation attributed its latest decision to Hanwha Galleria not to Gucci saying that the Korean firms measure disrupts its own boutiques visibility and operational environment. We express deep regret on Gallerias decision, which is a clear breach of our contract on the boutique environment and also a major compromise to the longtime partnership the two companies shared through the 25-year operation of a permanent boutique, Chanel Korea said in a statement. We are committed to providing the best possible boutique experience for our clients. The luxury brand decided to direct customers seeking refunds or change in payment methods to visit the second floor of the department store while asking them to purchase items at its nearby flagship store in Cheongdam-dong. It is considering reopening the boutique once Gucci finishes the pop-up stores operation. Gucci said it will run its pop-up store until March 15 as planned in accordance with its agreement with the department store. Hanwha Galleria vowed to continue talks with both brands to minimize the inconvenience. We were perplexed as Chanel abruptly stopped the boutiques operation amid negotiations, a Hanwha Galleria official said. Their ongoing dispute is expected to tarnish the brand image of Galleria, which suffered sales declines at all its five department stores last year under the leadership of the Hanwha chairmans youngest son. In particular, its main branch focusing on luxury sales posted an annual revenue of 1.1 trillion won ($824 million), a year-on-year decline of 7 percent. The result was in stark contrast to the record-high sales shown at the main branches of Shinsegae, Lotte and Hyundai department stores. The 34-year-old heir of Hanwha is also facing questions as Five Guys restaurants are opening in Hyundais Yeouido branch and Shinsegaes Gangnam branch instead of Gallerias, despite Hanwha Gallerias license to run the U.S. hamburger chain in Korea. Speculation remains that the Hanwha Galleria vice president may focus more on new businesses, such as robotics, due to the skeptical outlook for the department stores. He was also appointed earlier this year as the vice president to lead Hanwhas overseas construction projects, including the Bismayah New City project in Iraq, which resumed recently as the Iraqi government decided last year to pay the overdue construction costs to the Korean firm. Some Panhandle hospitals are among a number of Nebraska hospitals reporting delays in services and other impacts after a software provider experienced a cyberattack. The attack is affecting Change Healthcare Systems, a subsidiary of the UnitedHealth Group, according to a press released by the Nebraska Hospital Association Wednesday. Change Healthcare, one of the largest health care technology companies in the U.S., provides software used for pay cycle and revenue services, as well as clinical, imaging and medical record services, according to its website. A majority of Nebraska hospitals utilize Change Healthcare to provide financial and clinical authorization services, the Nebraska Hospital Association reports. The cyberattack on Change Healthcare is impacting the operations of most Nebraska hospitals, said Jeremy Nordquist, president of the Nebraska Hospital Association (NHA). Our hospitals are doing their best to manage through these challenges as quickly and efficiently as possible. Hospital procedures impacted by this cyberattack include: Prior authorizations for pharmaceuticals, procedures, and surgeries; Insurance verification for inpatient stays; Precise cost estimates for patients; and patient billing. Optum Solutions, another UHG subsidiary, and Change Healthcare first noted an issue on Feb. 21 and have acknowledged that it is causing connectivity issues with its software. The Star-Herald reached out to hospitals throughout the region Thursday to see how they may have been impacted. Regional West Medical Center has been affected by the connectivity issues caused by the breach. In a press release, it was reported that Regional West is experiencing delays and, at times, an inability to contact patient insurance companies. According to the release, those issues have meant patients have seen delays in the verification of their insurance coverage, cost estimates for procedures and the filling of prescriptions at some local pharmacies. The Community Pharmacy at Regional West has not been affected by the breach and continues to operate normally. We are working with our partners and the Nebraska Hospital Association to identify ways to continue providing timely care and information for our patients during this outage. However, in some cases there might be a delay in getting the information, Amanda Vick, Regional West chief operating officer, said in the press release. Officials at Box Butte General Hospital expressed similar issues stating that patients should express a delay in the billing process because of the cyberattack, in a press release. Those issues also included delays in processing insurance claims and eligibility and obstacles for pharmacies processing prescriptions. BBGH IT Manager Mandy Greve was not optimistic that Change Healthcares issues would be resolved soon due to the scope of the attack. I would suspect, if they truly got hit by ransomware, whether they par the ransom or not and whether or not they were able to seclude it, the best-case scenario is were looking at a couple of weeks, Greve said in the press release. At Chadron Community Hospital, effects have been minimal, CFO Jennifer Brown said. She said the hospital previously used Change Healthcares software but discontinued its use of that service in October 2021. While the Chadron hospital has not yet been affected by the issues with Change Healthcare, she said staff are still wary of any issues since it does use other UnitedHealthcare services. Were minimally impacted, Brown said. We have not had any issues were just being extra cautious. So far, Morrill County Community Hospital in Bridgeport has not been affected by the cyberattack and their systems continue to operate as normal, according to IT Director Lori Shengle. Kimball Health Services has seen some disruption from the attack although they also downplayed the impact it has had in hospital operations. We only have a handful of insurance companies going through Change Healthcare and they are not material at all, KHS CEO Cassie Gasseling said in an email. According to information released by Change Healthcare, the perpetrator of the attack has been identified as ALPHV/Blackcat, a cybercrime group known by the Center for Internet Security for ransomware. In a release issued Thursday, Optum Solutions and Change Healthcare said, Our experts are working to address the matter and we are working closely with law enforcement and leading third-party consultants. The companies report confidence that the attack has been contained to Change Healthcare and has not yet impacted other United Healthcare services. Based on our ongoing investigation, theres no indication that except for the Change Healthcare systems, Optum, UnitedHealthcare and UnitedHealth Group systems have been affected by this issue. In response to the attack, the Nebraska Hospital Association said in its release, the American Hospital Association (AHA) has been in communication with the FBI, Department of Health and Human Services and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.. The AHA and NHA are also asking the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to help hospitals and health systems minimize the fallout from the recent cyberattack on Change Healthcare, including immediate federal regulatory flexibility and financial support as the disruption persists. On Feb. 10, the Civil Air Patrols Iredell Composite Squadron was honored to host retired U.S. Army Gen. Stephen R. Lyons as a guest speaker during the Centurion Junior NCO School (CJNS). Lyons, invited to speak on the topic of leadership, gave an engaging, practical presentation. He began by sharing the example of Ernest H. Shackleton, the Antarctic explorer. You cant have a leadership discussion without a discussion about honorable living, Lyons said. For the balance of his presentation, he spoke about the importance of vision, sacrifice, attitude, balance and virtue. At the end of his talk, Lyons presented a Commander U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) challenge coin to Cadet Master Sgt. David T. Kimball, a CJNS student chosen by cadet leaders because of his excellent performance during the weekend training. In closing, CJNS Cadet Commander C/Lt Col Cameron T. Brown presented Lyons with an Iredell Composite Squadron challenge coin. Lyons served in the Army for 38 years and last served as the 13th commander of the United States Transportation Command from August 2018 to October 2021. He was the first ever non-Air Force officer to lead the Transportation Command. According to his Defense Department biography, As a battalion commander in 2003, he participated in 3rd Infantry Divisions major combat operations to invade Iraq. Since 2003, he has spent over 40 months deployed to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan). Post retirement, Lyons is serving as the Ports and Supply Chain envoy for the White House and U.S. Department of Transportation, working across every level of government, labor, and industry to strengthen Americas supply chains. Stony Point Methodist Church held its annual chili cook-off, soup and dessert fundraiser, Our Hearts are on Fire for the Stony Point Volunteer Fire Department, on Saturday, Feb. 24, in the church fellowship hall. Funds raised from the event were presented to Stony Point VFD. Special thanks were given to all those who participated, showed their love and support to make the event so successful. Pictured, from left, are Stony Point VFD Chief Scotty Abernathy; Yummiest Dessert winner Natasha Richards; Stony Point Methodist Church Rev. Mickey Moree; Best Tasting Soup winner Savannah Prevette; and Most Creative Chili winner Chad Cockrell. The devil never carries a spoon. The spoon is a gentle utensil for ladling soup or serving ice cream. It doesnt pierce or cut. For Jim Minick, the spoon serves as a tool for exploring breath, life, love and loss. The author, poet, and teacher does so in his most recent book, The Intimacy of Spoons, set to be released March 1. Southwest Virginia readers can get access to the book a day early and hear Minick read from it at the Wytheville Public Library on Thursday, Feb. 29, at 6 p.m. Sales of the book at that event will benefit the Friends of the Library. Minick, a Wythe County resident and farmer, is returning to his first love in writing with The Intimacy of Spoons. I started out in poetry, he said in a recent interview. In 2008, he published two books of poetry, Her Secret Song and Burning Heaven, but since then Minick has published a novel, Fire Is Your Water, and three non-fiction books, The Blueberry Years: A Memoir of Farm and Family, Finding a Clear Patch, and, most recently, Without Warning: The Tornado of Udall, Kansas. After 16 years, he said, it feels good to return to poetry. Minick explained that for him writing prose is a long, long journey. The fiction and non-fiction books each took about a decade with Without Warning covering 12 years. In between those works, Minick would have moments when a line or more of poetry or just an idea for poem would come to him. He described those intervals as fun, a welcome relief and a great gift. Though he knows that he tried his hand at writing earlier, Minicks first sharp memory of one of his poems takes him back to the sixth grade and Mrs. Haller, a teacher we adored. Minick, likely about 12 at the time, penned Hot Lips Haller. Somehow, she found a copy and made the young writer read it out loud to the class. While the poem wasnt risque, Minick still recalls his cheeks burning, but that didnt stop a bond from being created. He and Mrs. Haller are still in touch today and possess what Minick calls a sweet relationship. While not as essential as breath, food or water, writing is vital to Minicks wellbeing. When he doesnt write, he finds himself agitated. The artform, he said, is a mental and spiritual way of finding calm and meditation. Its an avenue to create beauty in the world. While music may a closer avenue, Minick believes Poetry is languages closest way of touching beauty. The author also believes its important to keep nurturing that beauty and expression in other people and his own life. Its one reason why he strives to make his poetry accessible to all readers. For those who want to try their hand at writing poetry or any genre, Minick said the best place to begin is by reading the work of authors whose work they admire. For his next writing project, Minick has started a novel. Of that work, he said, It feels like something important and meaningful. For next weeks reading, Minick is still considering what hell share from The Intimacy of Spoons. The book does include Elegy for My Body, which Minick says is the longest poem hes ever written and one that he spent years and years working on. You cant really do time; it simply does us, or undoes us, us beings in the time being being beings. Minick couldnt pin down when he was first inspired by a spoon, but he gave a nod the title poem, the last one in the book, The Intimacy of Spoons. How they hold each other knees cupped, thighs touching, the long curve of spine soft against belly and chest, the nuzzled narrow neck, this ladle of bodies. Of that poem and spoons, Minick said, its the best way to hug. In a newsletter email, Minick offered this description of the book: The Intimacy of Spoons explores the many metaphors of the spoon: from love and marriage to the spoon of a grave that holds our bodies; from the darkness of loss and night, where the Big Dipper is nothing but / the oldest spoon pointing us home; to the darkness of lungs transformed into art. The poems cover a wide variety of topicscultural, political, familial, and naturaland always, underlying these poems is the song of birdswith broken wings or clear voices, avian muses filling our forests now or long gone. Like the spoons we use every day, the poems of The Intimacy of Spoons return us to everyday stories and objects, common yet profound. Reviewers give nods to the books healing power. Author Nickole Brown said, each poem a spoonful of medicine to administer healing to our broken world. While Tennessee poet Amy Wright said Minick extends a hand to those who want to find their way back into the earth. For folks who cant make next weeks reading, more are coming up in the region. On Thursday, March 14, from 7-8:30 p.m. Minick will do a free reading at Blacksburg Books, 401 S. Main, Suite 106. On Sunday, April 7, from 3 to 4:30 hell take part in a free Poetry Month Celebration with Linda Parson at the Washington County Library at 205 Oak Hill St. in Abingdon. Several poets will read their works during the event. Also, April 4-6, Minick will teach three workshops at the Tennessee Mountain Writers Conference. To learn more about that event, other readings, and about Minicks work, visit jim-minick.com. By Lee Min-hyung Hyundai Motor and Kia are in a dilemma over their labor union's repeated demands for a "special bonus," as unionized workers threaten to suspend any extra work for the first 10 days in March unless management accepts their request, according to industry officials, Thursday. The collective action is feared to hamper the carmakers' vehicle production for exports if workers continue to stage similar protests until they come to terms with management. The union urges management to provide a higher level of incentives than that of last year after the carmaker chalked up record-high earnings last year. The workers demand the companies offer a special bonus as cash and stocks worth more than the 6 million won ($4,495) they received last year. But the carmakers rejected the bonus, which had been offered in the first half for the past two years. They decided instead to provide only one bonus by converging it with the one provided annually in the latter half after a wage negotiation. In 2023, Hyundai Motor Group offered a special bonus worth 4 million won to all of its employees, but the decision sparked another controversy, with labor unions of other Hyundai affiliates such as Hyundai Mobis and Hyundai Steel urging management to take a similar step as the carmaker. Hyundai Motor and Kia still rely heavily on manufacturing their vehicles in Korea. Of particular concern is that they manufacture almost 70 percent of their hybrid vehicles in Korea for exports. The figure rises to 90 percent when it comes to exports for electric vehicles. The carmakers are on track to reinforce their group-wide efforts to boost sales for the eco-friendly vehicles, but the labor protest is putting the brakes on the drive. Industry officials said the repeated protests from the group's union workers will drag down their manufacturing competitiveness in their home territory. "It leaves much to be desired that the unions engage in such hardline stances for decades, even at a time the union members receive an annual salary of more than 100 million won," an official from a domestic carmaker said. "The production risk sparked by what appears to be excessive demands from the union may pose an increasingly negative impact on expanding its global presence. For instance, demand for hybrid vehicles is on the rise here and abroad, but any possible production setback may cause inconveniences to customers who may have to wait for more months before receiving their pre-ordered vehicles." In a surprise decision Thursday afternoon, Amari Pollard, 20, the sole suspect in the Huguenot graduation shooting, pled guilty and now faces 25 years in prison. Pollard pled guilty to two charges, including first-degree murder and use of a firearm in commission of a felony. Judge W. Reilly Marchant sentenced Pollard to 43 years in prison, with 18 suspended. Pollard entered his plea after the Richmond Circuit Court judge made two decisive rulings earlier in the day in the case against him. Marchant ruled that the jury would not be given instructions on self-defense, a blow to defense attorneys who have argued Pollard was acting in self-defense when Shawn Jackson was killed on June 6. The law is very clear. Words alone are not enough to justify deadly force, Marchant said at the closure of an argumentative morning session. Jackson did not carry a gun at graduation. However, Pollards lawyer, Jason Anthony, had argued that Pollard was not being afforded the same flexibility that would apply to a police officer who sees a crime suspect reach into his waistband. Anthony said that ruling out self-defense would set a dangerous precedent. This is Virginia. You dont get to go up to people and tell them youre going to kill them, when its five-on-one, and you're making furtive movements. We dont want to make the law in Virginia, someone says theyre going to kill you, and you cant do anything, Anthony said. Prosecutors argued that Marchant asked defense attorneys to show him an overt act. Defense attorney James Bullard said that the chaos of a fight between Jacksons friends and Pollard amounted to an overt act. Anthony argued that it was a brawl. Marchant ultimately ruled against Anthony. There is no evidence of self-defense when the victim is shot six times in the back while walking away, Marchant ruled. The decision triggered a court recess as Pollards defense lawyers restrategize. Before the ruling, the lawyers had anticipated only presenting one witness, but that may now change and prolong court proceedings as defense lawyers seek to relitigate the validity of the self-defense argument before Marchant. Photos: Richmond reacts to mass shooting after graduation ceremony The Syrian president was speaking during a recent Syrian-Russian youth camp meeting, al-Thawra reported President Bashar al-Assad, in a recent speech during the Syrian-Russian youth camp meeting, highlighted the multifaceted nature of the Syrian-Russian relations. He emphasized that the bond between the two nations extends far beyond traditional realms of policy, economic, and military cooperation, venturing into social and cultural dimensions. Particularly, President al-Assad pointed out the pivotal role of youth in shaping the future contours of this relationship. President al-Assad underscored the shared principles and challenges both nations face, including the fight against terrorism and external misrepresentations. He drew parallels between the situations in Syria and Ukraine, criticizing the narrative that unjustly accuses Russia while underscoring the necessity of Russias military intervention in Syria as a measure to protect both Syrian and Russian interests. According to President al-Assad, such actions were vital in preventing the spread of terrorism to Russia. Highlighting the importance of national pride and historical awareness, President al-Assad stated, In every society, there must be historical and national symbols. You must be proud of your history. No one has the right to attack historical symbols. He further criticized the Wests longstanding hostility towards Russia, attributing it to Russias emergence as a formidable power rather than its political or ideological stances. Participants of the dialogue shared insights on the Syrian and Russian experiences in combating terrorism, resisting unipolar policies, and tackling media misinformation. Discussions also covered the role of Syrian-Russian youth in fostering bilateral cooperation, reinforcing family and societal structures, and preserving cultural values and identities. This meeting not only reaffirmed the deep-rooted alliance between Syria and Russia but also spotlighted the critical role of cultural and youth exchanges in strengthening international relationships. Through such engagements, Syria and Russia aim to cultivate a partnership that is resilient, dynamic, and reflective of their shared aspirations and challenges. 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. UN Syria envoy appeals for urgent de-escalation across the Middle East Fallout from conflict in the Middle East and ongoing fighting in Syria are having a devastating impact on civilians inside the country, UN Special Envoy Geir Pedersen told the Security Council on Tuesday. Regional spillover is only the latest accelerant to a conflict that is growing in complexity and with each passing year. The situation is worsening on almost all indicators and the status quo is unsustainable and unmanageable, he said. Meanwhile, all other vectors of the Syrian conflict itself continue, and remain the biggest cause of civilian casualties and displacement, he said. The entire north of Syria has seen multiple frontline skirmishes this month. Exchanges of artillery, rocket and sniper fire, and pro-Government drone strikes along with strikes by the HTS fundamentalist militant group have also been reported, as well as Turkish drone strikes. ISIL attacks also continued to rise, both in quantity and impact, particularly in the central and northeast regions, while southern Syria remains violent and unstable. Plainly the tensions in the region need to be urgently de-escalated, starting with the immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza that the Secretary General has called for, Mr. Pedersen said, while also underlining the urgent need for de-escalation in Syria. He also called for the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, adding that Security-Council listed terrorist groups must be fought in a manner that is cooperative and firmly in line with international law and that prioritizes the protection of civilians. First South Syria Protester Killed In Months Of Demonstrations Pro-government forces on Wednesday killed a protester in war-torn Syrias south, the first death since anti-government demonstrators started taking to the streets of Sweida six months ago, AFP reported. Protests in Sweida province, the heartland of Syrias Druze minority, began after President Bashar al-Assads government ended fuel subsidies in August last year. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said dozens of people were chanting anti-government slogans in front of a recently reopened state office building that deals with citizens affairs such as outstanding military service. Pro-government forces fired into the air to disperse the crowd, wounding two protesters, one of whom later died, said the Britain-based monitor, which has a wide network of sources inside Syria. The 54-year-old man was the first person killed by pro-government forces since the start of demonstrations in Sweida, said Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman. The Suwayda24 media outlet, run by citizen journalists, also said a protester had been shot dead. The news website shared video footage showing dozens of peaceful, unarmed protesters gathered around a government building. Turkish drones kill 3 in an attack on a local Christian militia in northeastern Syria, officials say The Associated Press reported that Turkish drone strikes in northeastern Syria on Wednesday killed at least three members of a local Christian force and wounded others, including civilians, a Kurdish official and a Syrian opposition war monitor said. Also on Wednesday, in the southern Syrian city of Sweida, security forces opened fire at protesters angry over the countrys worsening economy as they tried to break into the offices of President Bashar Assads ruling Baath Party. A 52-year-old man was shot in the chest and later died of his wounds. There was no immediate comment from Ankara on Wednesdays airstrikes. Turkey has been attacking Kurdish fighters in Syria for years but attacks on the fighters from the countrys Christian minority have been rare. The force that was targeted, the local Christian Syriac police known as Sutoro, works under the U.S.-backed and Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria. Part of the project area that would be covered under a $5.35 million state grant to realign and redevelop lower State Street from Audubon Street to George Street in New Haven. Iraq constructs security wall along border with Syria to thwart ISIS infiltration Iraq continues to fortify its western and northern borders with Syria by building a security fence aimed at preventing all infiltrations by the Islamic State militants, other militias, and drug gangs from the Syrian territories into Iraq. Iraqi officials expect the fortifications to be completed by the end of this year. According to New Arab, in 2018, Iraq began the construction of the 160-kilometre-long security wall adjacent to the Anbar and Ninawa governorates, which still witness infiltrations and drug smuggling activities from the Syrian territories. The operations to secure the western and northern international borders with Syria will continue until the end of this year. The security measures include a security wall, tunnels, and a series of fortifications to prevent all infiltration operations from Syrian territories into Iraq, the spokesperson for the Iraqi Joint Operations Command, Major General Tahsin al-Khafaji, on Tuesday told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, The New Arabs Arabic language sister publication. Al-Khafaji affirmed that Iraq would complete the fortification and security operations at the borders by the end of the current year. Securing the borders with Syria includes building a cement wall, digging trenches with a width and depth of 3 meters, in addition to laying barbed wire and establishing observation towers, and deploying border guard units and behind them units of the Iraqi army, noting that this is to ensure preventing any infiltration or penetration of ISIS militants to the borders from the Syrian side, as well as controlling organized crime and smuggling operations. Washington Cannot Justify Its Troop Presence in Syria Columnist Alexander Langlois published an op-ed in Newsweek, in which he argues strongly for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria, stating that the continued American military presence there is unjustifiable. Langlois contends that the mission in Syria has lacked direction for years following the defeat of the Islamic State (ISIS), and against a backdrop of global instability, the U.S. should minimize its military footprint abroad, including withdrawing from Syria entirely. The author critiques the inertia within U.S. foreign policy that has prevented withdrawal, noting that fearmongering and moral arguments for military involvement abroad are commonly used by analysts and former officials to oppose such actions. Langlois points out that the justification based on the need to defeat ISIS does not hold, citing Department of Defense assessments that ISIS, while still active, cannot mount significant attacks and poses no direct threat to the U.S. Langlois suggests that local and regional actors, including Iran and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), have a greater stake in maintaining security against ISIS and should take over security operations. He criticizes the U.S. foreign policy elite for dismissing these alternatives due to geopolitical competitions with Iran, Russia, and the Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad. The piece also highlights the legal dubiousness of using the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) against Al-Qaeda as justification for military operations in Syria against ISIS. Langlois argues that this stretches the AUMFs application too far, especially given the changed nature and reduced threat of ISIS. Langlois underscores the risks to U.S. personnel in Syria from Iran-backed militias and questions the wisdom of risking American lives for unclear and potentially unending military objectives. He concludes that withdrawing U.S. troops from Syria is a wise decision and urges Washington to expedite this process in cooperation with both partners and adversaries interested in Syrias stability, emphasizing the importance of finding creative solutions that align with U.S. interests without perpetuating forever wars. Sources informed pro-government daily Al-Watan that Geir Pedersen has requested an appointment to visit Damascus in February. Sources informed Al-Watan that Geir Pedersen, the UN special envoy to Syria, has requested an appointment to visit Damascus in February. Damascus has agreed to a mid-March visit for the UN envoy. These sources highlighted Pedersens unexpected stance on convening the ninth round of the Constitutional Committee in Geneva, especially considering recent engagements with various officials and countries, as well as the expressed interest from several nations to host constitutional meetings. Serious discussions have surrounded the proposals under consideration. During a special session of the UN Security Council, the UN special envoy to Syria urged all parties to reconvene the postponed ninth round of the Syrian Constitutional Committee in Geneva in April. Pedersens statement follows Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrovs assertion that the path of the Constitutional Committee has been halted due to Genevas compromised neutrality following its stance on the Ukrainian conflict. Lavrov stated, Switzerlands departure from its neutral status and its anti-Russian policy were the reason for suspending the work of the Syrian Constitutional Committee in Geneva, as reported by the Russian agency Sputnik. 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. One protester was fatally shot, and another sustained injuries when Syrian regime forces opened fire indiscriminately on demonstrators, Syria TV said One protester was fatally shot, and another sustained injuries when Syrian regime forces opened fire indiscriminately on demonstrators attempting to breach the security center in the April 7th Hall in the city center. According to Syria TVs correspondent in Suweida, Jawad al-Barouki was killed near the April 7th Hall by Syrian regime security forces. Additionally, Walid al-Gohari was wounded by Syrian regime forces in the same area, as reported by the correspondent. According to local network monitors, Jawad Barouki, aged 54, succumbed to injuries sustained from a ricocheting bullet to the chest while participating with demonstrators near the April 7th Hall. Sheikh Hikmat al-Hijri, the spiritual leader of the Druze Almohad sect, called for Jawad Baroukis funeral, hailing him as a martyr of duty. He denounced the perpetrators as treacherous and emphasized the importance of maintaining the movements peaceful approach. Avoiding clash The network also reported a state of chaos unfolding at the government hospital in Suweida amidst calls for restraint and avoiding impulsive reactions. This morning, scores of protesters assembled in front of the April 7th Hall in Suweida, which houses a center for security settlement, as reported by the Suwayda 24 network. The demonstrators expressed their rejection of what the regime labelled as compromises towards members of the popular movement in the governorate. Video footage depicted protesters storming the April 7th Hall in the city, resulting in the scattering of thousands of papers and security reports onto the streets. 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. Russia's representative to the United Nations expressed concerns about what he perceives as efforts by the UN to bypass the Damascus, according to pro-government Athr Press Russias representative to the United Nations, Vassily Nebenzia, confirmed that the United Nations has not yet informed Damascus of the specifics regarding the activities of its humanitarian workers operating within Syrian territories beyond Damascus control. He highlighted the ongoing challenge of delivering humanitarian aid to Idleb and other regions in northern Syria due to limitations at the contact lines. During a session of the UN Security Council on Tuesday, he stated, It appears that the Syrian government has not received detailed information regarding the operations of UN humanitarian workers in the uncontrolled northwest areas of the country, nor have reports been provided for review. Nebenzia expressed concerns about what he perceives as efforts by the United Nations to bypass the Damascus government despite the absence of an extension of the Security Council resolution on the cross-border mechanism. He emphasized the Syrian governments entitlement to comprehensive reports on the activities of humanitarian workers, particularly in Idleb. He urged the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) not to evade its responsibilities and to fully adhere to its mandate outlined in UN General Assembly resolution 46/182, which includes coordinating humanitarian activities in any part of Syria in cooperation with the Damascus government. During his speech, Nebenzia also criticized what he described as Washingtons double standards in Syria. He asserted, Washingtons inconsistency is evident in its portrayal of terrorists in Syria and its framing of the Israeli operation in Gaza as counterterrorism. He emphasized that US intervention in Syria, under the pretext of combating terrorism, continues to have a destabilizing impact. Nebenzia highlighted Washingtons alleged attempt to downplay the activities of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a group listed as a terrorist organization by the Security Council, which controls Idleb. He criticized Washington for condemning Damascus and its allies for confronting these groups. On February 12, Damascus permanent ambassador to the United Nations, Qusai al-Dahhak, announced via the Xplatform that he had briefed the United Nations Undersecretary for Humanitarian Affairs, Martin Griffiths, on the extension of the permit allowing the United Nations to transport humanitarian aid into northwestern Syria. This extension covers the Bab al-Salama and al-Rai border crossings with Turkey for an additional three months, until May 13. Nebenzia had previously accused the UN Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator for Syria, David Cardin, of establishing close ties with armed factions in Idleb. He remarked, Syrian armed groups in Idleb have developed what seems to be a productive collaboration with Mr. David Cardin, the UN Deputy Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for Syria, who happens to be of British nationality. The issue of the crossings in northern Syria outside Damascus control remains a subject of contention within UN circles, with calls for their opening and the uncoordinated entry of aid through them. 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. A former fourth-grade teacher from central Washington arrested as part of the local Net Nanny operation that captured 14 other men was sentenced Monday to nearly five years in state prison over an attempted rape charge in Cowlitz County. Theodore Edward Dodge, 53, of Brewster, pleaded guilty last month to second-degree attempted rape of a child, with the second charge of communication with a minor for immoral purposes dismissed as part of a plea deal with prosecutors. Dodge a married man of more than 30 years with adult children, according to court records was also sentenced to a lifetime of community custody upon his release from prison. Dodge has been working as a fourth-grade teacher at Brewster since 2015 and says he plans to reskill himself while in prison, as he is aware returning to teaching is no longer in his future, court records show. Dodge explained in a written statement to authorities he intended to meet an 18- to 25-year-old online, but a fictitious 13-year-old girl from Longview who was actually an undercover officer gave him her number and said shed engage in sexual activity with an older man. He drove six hours to meet her, first heading to the Longview WinCo and then the parking lot of a kidney center, where he was detained. Dodge expressed gratitude for his arrest and that the child he was attempting to meet was fake. Im thankful that it happened this way, so I didnt go through with it, he writes. Another Net Nanny sentence Oleem Tipkin, 31, of Molalla, Oregon, who was also captured in the Net Nanny police operation, received a sentence of over six years in state prison Monday plus a lifetime of community custody. He must register as a sex offender for a second-degree attempted rape of a child. The remaining charges of communication with a minor for immoral purposes and a second attempted rape of a child were dismissed. He must take a psycho-sexual evaluation and have no contact with anyone under the age of 16. As stated in court documents, Tipkin was tricked by an undercover police officer posing as a 46-year-old mother, who was offering her fake underage daughters for sex on a dating site called Badoo. Tipkin, like Dodge, was requested by an undercover officer to go to Winco Foods in Longview and was later apprehended by law enforcement at a different location. A Vancouver woman is in custody after a police chase ended with a crash and the rescue of a dog Wednesday afternoon. According to a report from the Cowlitz County Sheriff's Office, Elizabeth J. Johnson, 19, of Vancouver, was in Kalama when she drove off in someone else's Honda, with a pet husky in the back seat. Her bail was set at $20,000 Thursday after her first appearance in Cowlitz County Superior Court. After taking the Honda in the 2400 block of Kalama River Road, another person attempted to stop the suspect but was struck by the fleeing vehicle. The suspect took authorities onto southbound I-5, being pursued by Cowlitz County deputies, officers from the Kalama and Woodland police departments, plus Washington State Patrol troopers. The chase ended after a Woodland police officer used spike strips, causing the tires of the stolen Honda to flatten. Deputies and officers then managed to corner the vehicle on an I-5 southbound on-ramp in Woodland. The suspect ignored police orders to surrender, the sheriff's office reports, prompting law enforcement to break a window of the victim's Honda and use chemicals agents to take her down. Johnson was booked into Cowlitz County Jail on suspected charges from robbery, assault, theft of motor vehicle, attempt to elude, resisting arrest and taking a pet animal. The dog was returned to the owner uninjured. A local organization is seeing more people secure housing vouchers by helping people already struggling to find shelter, fight other stability obstacles, like maintaining a job. The new programs wraparound support from coordinating counseling visits to finding the best bus route to work is drawing interest from landlords, more eager to offer vouchers to people with the individualized help. Originally, veterans were the only people who qualified, but six weeks ago Housing Opportunities for Southwest Washington expanded those services to all adults eligible for state- and federally funded low-income health insurance. Housing Opportunities for Southwest Washington is the Longview-based housing authority that serves Cowlitz, Lewis, Wahkiakum and Pacific counties. Waitlists for affordable housing vouchers are long, and the more time a person spends without access to shelter, keeping a job or maintaining sobriety becomes more and more difficult. Thats why Rachelle Sanders and Mariyah Weddle started the Supportive Housing Division at the housing authority to support people as they search for work and wait in line to enter stable housing. Chipping away at goals Sanders and Weddle also work for the housing authoritys Veteran Integration Program, or VIP, where homeless veterans meet with one of five case workers to apply for affordable housing vouchers. But the program couldnt connect non-veterans with the same services. The new program expanded services to anybody age 18 and older and eligible for Medicaid coverage, the latter of which is largely determined by household income level and size. Weddle, who is currently the only case worker in the new Supportive Housing Division, isnt limited to helping clients apply for housing vouchers. Weddle said the support she provides is like putting up bumpers at the bowling alley. Clients who apply for housing vouchers often want to secure both housing and stable employment, but other factors, such as debt or addiction, can derail their efforts. Helping a client prepare a personal budget, find transportation options to take them to and from work, and stay connected with a mental health or substance abuse case worker are the programs way of helping keep people focused on their larger goal of securing and maintaining employment, said Weddle. The case manager works with each individual client to determine which housing vouchers they qualify for, and helps them fill out the applications for each option they are interested in. In the meantime, we set monthly or weekly goals, depending on how little or big they are, and just start chipping away, Weddle said. A rise in housing vouchers Private landlords and property management companies have reached out to the housing authority to offer housing options to those enrolled in the new wraparound support program, Sanders said. People that have the supportive services retain housing so much more successfully compared to not having those services while experiencing homelessness, she added. Seven people have secured housing vouchers this month with the help of VIP and the Supportive Housing Division, twice as many as in a typical month. This uptick could also be a result of people leaving housing where they used vouchers, for new market-priced rentals, which therefore opened doors for current voucher owners to fill the vacant spots, Sanders said. It kind of felt like dominoes, Weddle said. One person got housing, and it just seemed after that every few days we were getting calls that other people got approved. The Supportive Housing Division has seen 20 applications for the wraparound support since the program started, and there are still dozens of people waitlisted for housing vouchers who may qualify but havent applied yet, Sanders said. All of those applications were through word of mouth, and Sanders said the more word spreads, she expects those applications to grow. Wed like to reach out to any service provider that comes into contact with people going through any housing instabilities to let them know what were doing, Sanders said. As coastal towns work to build evacuation towers or ponder over them and relocate schools and buildings with hopes of surviving a tsunami, the only escape for some communities, as it stands today, is to move to elevated slopes or hills before the water arrives. In the last few years, scientists with the Washington Geological Survey have equipped people on the front lines of a tidal wave with knowledge about getting to high ground in the form of maps showing how long an evacuation would take depending on location. The scientists coupled the maps with projections of wave arrival time following a Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake, which could reach 9.0 in magnitude, based on different geographic locations. Although most places in Grays Harbor and Pacific counties are now more tsunami ready than just a few years ago, officials say the research needs to continue despite potential funding cutbacks. In a Jan. 31 letter, Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz called on Richard Spinrad, the top official at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to maintain federal funding for the program that allowed her agency, the Washington Department of Natural Resources, to produce the tsunami resources. Were going to see tsunami waves within 30 minutes, right here, Franz said Feb. 23, standing on the beach approach at the north end of Ocean Shores. While time varies depending on where the subduction zone ruptures, waves could arrive in Ocean Shores as quickly as 15 to 20 minutes. That means we need people to be aware of where to go, how fast to run, where can they get to safe ground. NOAAs 2024 budget request of $6.8 billion omits appropriations to the National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program, which helps states research topics related to tsunami preparedness. The program was created in 2007 through Congress Tsunami Warning, Education and Research Act, and receives about $6 million annually. That includes a little more than $700,000 for Washington state, according to Franz. Franz wrote that the program is critical to support our coastal communities to stay prepared for tsunami threats and minimize potential catastrophic loss of life and property in the future. Were asking for the appropriation weve been getting every single biennium to continue so that we can map the entire coastline, so every community up and down the coast is aware of the risk, Franz said in an interview. Attempts by The Daily World to contact NOAAs office of oceanic and atmospheric research were unsuccessful. In 2018, scientists with the Washington Geological Survey modeled potential tsunami inundation in Southwest Washington, showing how much water would fill coastal towns during a tsunami. Later they did the same for saltwater-adjacent areas from Bellingham to the mouth of the Columbia, in the event of both a Cascadia quake and a rupture of the Seattle fault. They also released video animations showing the modeled behavior of tsunami wave energy on the coast and in Puget Sound. Most recently, in October 2023, the Washington Geological Survey released new evacuation walk times for seven areas on the states north coast from La Push to Copalis Beach, including several tribal communities. Similar maps were produced for Aberdeen, Hoquiam, Cosmopolis and Westport in 2019, as well as Ocean Shores in 2022. To make the maps, geologists use tools developed by the U.S. Geological survey that calculates walking speeds based on different types of terrain. For some areas of Grays Harbor, Willapa Bay and the northern Olympic Peninsula, a 2014 tsunami brochure, which does not model walk times, is the most recent location-specific evacuation information. We have a long way to go, said Maximilian Dixon, an outreach supervisor with the Washington State Emergency Management Division. We still have a number of areas along our 3,000 miles of coastline that need pedestrian evacuation walk maps. Dixon said the state emergency management division applies for federal grant funds each year through the program and administers a portion to the Washington Geological survey. The funding is absolutely essential and provides basically all of the tsunami work and all of the projects for tsunami risk reductions in Washington state, he said. It took about a decade, Dixon said, to produce generic models for Cascadia. But the 700-mile-long fault, which last ruptured more than 300 years ago, has the potential to slip in more ways than one, producing different levels and types of threats. And Cascadia is not the only potential source for a tsunami on the Washington coast. With future research, Washington geologists could examine which tsunami threats are most likely to occur and at what intervals, Dixon said, which will help emergency managers make better decisions to keep people safe. Thats going to be a great product, he said. Its an update. The science, and our ability and technology, are changing, and were going to be able to do that now. But thats going to take a whole number of years to do. At the same time, the location of high ground on the coast is constantly changing as communities build vertical evacuation towers. When the Shoalwater Bay Tribe completed a tsunami structure in Tokeland in 2022, the state updated evacuation routes to reflect the new safe haven, which cut walk times by one-third in some areas. The city of Westport recently received federal funding for a tower in its marina district and wants to dot the South Beach peninsula with several more. Although the national tsunami program has maintained support for close to 20 years, this isnt the first time funding has been uncertain. Dixon recognized the challenge for NOAA to maintain funding for its many research projects and programs. Tsunamis are not at the top of the list, in a lot of ways, because they dont happen very often, unlike hurricanes and floods and other weather-related hazards, he said, adding, Theyre catastrophic when they do happen, but they dont happen very often. Hanwha Aerospace said Thursday it has submitted a bid proposal for an unmanned vehicle project of the United States Army via a consortium formed with American defense company Anduril Industries. The consortium, formed together with Forterra, a Maryland-based autonomous vehicle company, seeks to participate in the second increment of the U.S. Army's unmanned Small Multipurpose Equipment Transport (S-MET) vehicle, Hanwha Aerospace said. Founded by Palmer Luckey, the founder of Oculus, which was acquired by Meta, in 2017, Anduril is gaining attention in the defense industry for its focus on unmanned technology and software development. Hanwha Aerospace plans to support the development of a hybrid-type multipurpose unmanned vehicle platform capable of driving in various terrains required by the U.S. Army, based on the company's independently developed multipurpose unmanned vehicle Arion. Arion has already been recognized for its various autonomous driving functions and transport capabilities in Foreign Comparative Testing (FCT) conducted in Hawaii in December last year, according to the company. (Yonhap) The Oregon Senate will again vote whether to permanently move the state to standard time, ending twice-yearly time changes, after a legislative committee advanced an amended bill Tuesday. Unlike the previous version of Senate Bill 1548, which was narrowly defeated, the new version would take effect only if California and Washington approve similar measures, ensuring that the entire West Coast remains on the same clock. If California and Washington dont ditch daylight saving time by March 2034, the Oregon bill would be repealed. Both other states considered bills this session to adopt permanent standard time, but the Washington bill died and the effort in California appears stalled. A version of the Oregon bill without the neighboring states trigger failed in the Senate last week. The Senate Rules Committee then added the neighboring states provision on a 4-1 vote, with only Republican Sen. Tim Knopp of Bend voting no. Sen. Bill Hansell, a Republican from Athena whose district borders Washington, explained why the new provision changed his stance. My issue with it was that there was no trigger and wed possibly be all out by ourselves in two years, Hansell said. My concern was that my whole northern border of my district borders Washington and every community, including where I live in Umatilla County, that does business with Washington, and theres a lot of it in my area where I live, would have been an hour different from Washington. With the trigger I will be a yes vote on the floor. Senate Majority Leader Kate Lieber, a Portland Democrat who chairs the committee, and Sen. James Manning, a Democrat from Eugene, also voted to advance the bill, but both declined to commit to voting yes on the proposal on the Senate floor, citing concerns with passing a bill that might not go into effect for years. Sen. Elizabeth Steiner, a Democrat and chief sponsor of the bill, said there would be nothing to prevent future incarnations of the Legislature from reversing what lawmakers do this year and called the bill a reasonable middle ground. She touted the health benefits of dropping daylight saving time. While I appreciate the concern about the loss of daylight hours in the evening in the summer, I also really appreciate the importance of the circadian rhythm in the winter and getting people up on time, said Steiner, who is a doctor and medical school professor. Having the same time year round is critically important to peoples health. If Oregon were to pass the bill, it would be only the third state to do so. Both Hawaii and Arizona are already on permanent standard time. The Oregon Legislature passed permanent daylight saving time in 2019, but that effort requires an act of Congress and has effectively stalled. Advocacy groups also pushed back on the idea of a permanent daylight saving time, pointing out that in the past switches to that time were unpopular and increased a variety of problems, including deaths of children who were hit by vehicles walking to school in the dark. A change to permanent standard time as the current bill proposes requires no congressional involvement. Regardless of what happens with the bill, this year, daylight saving time will begin 2 a.m. on March 10. The $71.6 billion operating budget that cleared the Senate Friday includes $1.5 million for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to combat sea lion predation on the lower Columbia River, thanks to an amendment introduced by Sen. Jeff Wilson, R-Longview. According to a Friday news release, the region loses about 12% of its salmon to predation, a percentage that has doubled since 2006. This was a recognition from both sides of the aisle that the predation problem on the Columbia requires urgent attention, Wilson said. Lake Washington spring Chinook were wiped out three decades ago because Washington failed to respond quickly and effectively to predation at the Ballard Locks. We cant let it happen again. Last year, sea lions were spotted further up the Cowlitz River than ever before, and Wilson said since that time, hes worked with fisheries officials, sportsmens organizations and other organizations to develop a plan of attack. As previously reported by The Chronicle, sea lions made it all the way to the Barrier Dam in Salkum on the Cowlitz River, a tributary of the Columbia River, in April 2023, and it wasnt the first time. The funds in the state operating budget can be used to purchase the equipment needed to capture sea lions on shallower tributaries such as the Cowlitz River, and Wilson said he hopes to gather data to further control the sea lion population in Puget Sound. Finally, we have some hope of saying goodbye to Herschel and his buddies, Wilson said, referring to a sea lion that swam into Shilshole Bay from California that preyed on steelhead salmon. Historically, NOAAs management of the creatures has meant conservation under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, which it reports has helped grow the California sea lion population steadily since 1975. An NOAA official last year referred to this growth in both seal and sea lion populations as an overabundance. In the Columbia Basin alone, the population has increased from fewer than 500 to more than 4,000 animals in the last decade, NOAA reports. At the same time, salmon in the basin have become increasingly endangered. The measure now heads to the House of Representatives for consideration. The last day of the legislative session is March 7. Thumbs up: New reading curriculum Two years ago, the Longview School District moved away from an older method of teaching literacy to one based on scientific research on the human brain. Last week, The Daily News reported on the effect its had on elementary school kids reading skills. Like any other shift in curriculum, it took time to see what effects it had. It looks like the decision has really grown into positive changes for kids and how they learn. Teachers say theyre seeing more accuracy in pronunciation and spelling, as well as increased attention spans. We are hopeful those skills will eventually be seen in test scores tracked quite closely by the state and used as a measure of how well schools are performing. But we were also quite glad to hear something else. Kristie Wall, principal of Robert Gray Elementary, told us that her students are expressing more enthusiasm for the subjects of reading and writing. Test scores and retention may be important to measure, but kindling a love of learning is one of the biggest benefits that education can provide. Teachers are seeking a strong foundation for childhood literacy, and this new method is looking like a great way to do it. We hope it helps kids build not just a strong foundation for literacy, but a lifelong appreciation for what the written word can do for us. Thumbs down: Supermarket merger The Federal Trade Commission has decided to step in on the proposed $24.6 billion merger between Kroger, parent company of Fred Meyer, and Albertsons, parent of Safeway. Seven other states have also joined in the FTCs suit, which follows a similar suit filed last month by Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson. We think this move by federal regulators is badly needed. Nationally, the combined companies would only hold 13% of the grocery market. Thats still less than the 22% held by Walmart. But thats only the national perspective. According to a 2023 report by data firm placer.ai, the combined Kroger-Albertsons would control a majority of the grocery market in Washington, Oregon and Idaho, totaling just under 57% of all regional sales. The merger is also likely to cost many jobs. As The Seattle Times reported last week, a proposed solution that would involve Kroger-Albertsons selling 413 stores to a competitor has real questions about that companys ability to operate. C&S Wholesale Grocers, the proposed buyer, has little experience running a supermarket and have already expressed a desire to close stores after the deal concludes. The deal will undoubtedly enrich shareholders, but it will be at the cost of both workers and customers, who will have lower competition both for their purchasing dollar and their labor. In many parts of Washington, that competition will be eliminated entirely, with the combined firms completely cornering the grocery market. Thumbs up: Five school levies passing Its great to see local support for schools remains strong in Cowlitz County and northern Clark, too. It was a close race in Toutle Lake School District, but as of the final vote count released on Friday, all five levies have officially passed. That means local kids wont have to settle for getting just the bare minimum at school. They will have the benefit of sports, extracurriculars, student outreach programs, school resource officers and everything else their districts levy supports. Its typically not particularly enjoyable to vote yes on paying a tax, even one like a replacement levy that would replace something youre already paying. But it is the responsible thing to do, and we are glad to see all the different communities in our area deciding to support their local schools. As always, we want to acknowledge the hard work that election staff put in each and every time. They counted up 23,561 votes, made sure that everyones vote was tabulated fairly and reported on their progress regularly. We also want to call extra attention to the Toutle Lake school levy. The next time someone tells you votes dont matter, you can point to this schools February election results. When the last ballot was counted, yes carried the day, but by only 25 votes. That might be fewer voters than you have on your block. But in this case, it was enough to sway a measure. Each vote counts, and with Toutle Lakes levy, we got a reminder. February 29, 2024 10:17 An air leak has been detected in the Russian compartment of the International Space Station (ISS). The press service of Roscosmos reported that employees regularly carry out work to detect and eliminate possible leaks. There is no threat to the lives of personnel due to the leak. Specialists are eliminating the air leak in the ISS. Employees regularly carry out work to detect and eliminate possible leaks, and the data received from the station is routinely transferred to specialists for analysis. There is no danger for the crew and the station, the Roscosmos press service explained to the media ", adding that a leak was found in the rear of the Russian Zvezda service module, where Progress cargo ships dock. The commander of the Roscosmos cosmonaut corps, Oleg Kononenko, in turn, said that the leak does not threaten the lives of the crew. Indeed, there is an air leak from the transition chamber of the Zvezda service module. The leak does not pose a threat to the safety of the crew. The flight continues as normal. In addition to conducting scientific experiments, I have added work to search and localize the leak, he said. Roscosmos noted that the ISS is already outdated and therefore repair work requires a lot of staff time. Chief designer of RSC Energia Vladimir Solovyov said that up to 50% of cosmonauts useful time is spent on repair work. Earlier, Joel Montalbano, former ISS program manager at the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), said that air leaks in the Russian sector doubled about a week before the recent launch of the Progress MS-26 cargo spacecraft and docking with station. The Zvezda service module of the Russian section of the ISS has been part of the station since July 2000. Previously, leaks were discovered in its transition and intermediate chambers, but their location was not precisely established. 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 Six environmental groups on Feb. 27 filed a legal brief saying they do not support a recent settlement between Colorado and Suncor Energy over an air-quality monitoring program at the company's Commerce City oil refinery. The six groups said the agreement is flawed and they were not given enough time to review and respond before the settlement was filed earlier this month. The agreement will cause more delays in getting the fenceline air-monitoring program started and it will not cover the entire boundary of Suncor's property, according to the groups' response to a settlement motion filed in Adams County District Court. The groups also questioned whether the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment will be able to enforce the agreement, particularly a new requirement for Suncor to monitor for six pollutants rather than three. "The settlement agreement adopts a fenceline monitoring plan that is imperfect, prioritizing Suncor's interests over the communities' concerns," said Robert Rigonan, an associate attorney with Earthjustice's Rocky Mountain Office, who represented the six groups in court. "While it is a modest stride toward the accountability promised to these communities by the Colorado legislature, more must be done to ensure the plan makes a meaningful impact on the ground." The lawsuit settlement was announced on Feb. 5 as a part of an agreement that also brought a $10.5 million penalty for Suncor for spewing excessive amounts of toxic chemicals into the air. Michael Ogletree, director of the state's Air Pollution Control Division, said the division worked hard to get the best possible outcome through a settlement rather than wait for litigation to unfold in the courts. "These new fenceline monitoring requirements mean local communities surrounding Suncor will have access to more information on air quality than ever before," Ogletree said. "The Air Pollution Control Division prioritized getting communities the information they need without further delay." The Colorado legislature in 2021 required Suncor and three other industrial facilities to install an air monitoring system around their borders to measure for hydrogen sulfide, hydrogen cyanide and benzene. Suncor was the first company to put a fenceline monitoring program in place, but the Canadian oil and gas company did not like the plan the state health department wrote for the refinery because it went above the minimum state requirements for pollution monitoring. So Suncor sued Colorado's environmental regulators in 2022.. The six environmental groupsGreenLatinos, Elyria Swansea Neighborhood Association, Healthy Air and Water Colorado, Sierra Club and Womxn from the Mountainsigned on the lawsuit as intervenors, which would give them the right to file briefs and bring evidence to trial. They were represented by Earthjustice. The settlement lacks enforcement teeth because some conditions were written into the agreement, but not the actual air monitoring plan, said Ian Coghill, an Earthjustice lawyer who worked on the case. Because of that, the state would have to sue Suncor for breach of contract should the company decide to ignore parts of the deal. "That's a very different world than enforcing under the laws," he said. People who live around the Suncor refinery want the air monitoring so they can understand what pollutants they breathe and how much they are breathing. There are multiple air monitoring programs in place around the property. The environmental groups also criticized a gap in coverage along Brighton Boulevard, saying that would make the air monitoring data incomplete. But Ogletree said structural engineers determine it would not be possible to build the air monitoring platforms on the north side of the road because of the geography. "We're taking a comprehensive approach to holding Suncor accountable and protecting clean air for people who live and work near the facility," Ogletree said. "We'll continue working on more ways to better understand and reduce Suncor's air pollution, and we welcome community input as we create a path forward." Coghill said the six groups were disappointed that they were left out of key moments in settlement talks. Early on, the state health department would have conversations with them, he said, but the environmental groups had not heard much about negotiations in the months leading up to the settlement. They were sent a massive monitoring plan and legal agreement 24 hours before the deal was finalized and had no time to weigh in, Coghill said. "We wanted to make sure our concerns with the process and the way the settlement happened were put on the record," he said of the court filing. "But it's unlikely it will have any real impact on the settlement itself." 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: Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain In recent years, browser and web-based technology has become a powerful tool for operators of infrastructure and industrial systems. But it also has opened a new pathway for bad actors to seize control of these systems, potentially endangering critical power, water, and other infrastructure. Georgia Tech researchers have found a way to hijack the computers that control these physical systems. Called programmable logic controllers (PLCs), they increasingly have embedded webservers and are accessed on site via web browsers. Attackers can exploit this approach and gain full access to the system. That means they could spin motors out of control, shut off power relays or water pumps, disrupt internet or telephone communication, or steal critical information. They could even launch weaponsor stop the launch of weapons. "We think there is an entirely new class of PLC malware that's just waiting to happen. We're calling it web-based PLC malware. And it gives you full device and physical process control," said Ryan Pickren, a Ph.D. student in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) and the lead author of a new study describing the malware and its implications. The research team will present their findings Feb. 29 at the 2024 Network and Distributed Systems Security Symposium. This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: By employing nontraditional energy-assisted mechanical machining processes, improved materials removal rate and machining quality as well as lowered processing cost can be obtained. Credit: Guolong Zhao, Biao Zhao, Wenfeng Ding, Lianjia Xin, Zhiwen Nian, Jianhao Peng, Ning He and Jiuhua Xu Difficult-to-cut materials such as titanium alloys, high-temperature alloys, metal/ceramic/polymer-matrix composites, hard and brittle materials, as well as geometrically complex components such as thin-walled structures, micro channels and complex surfaces, are widely used in aerospace community. Nevertheless, many problems including severe and rapid tool wear, low machining efficiency, and poor surface integrity exist in mechanical machining. How to efficiently and precisely process these materials and components, i.e., make difficult-to-cut into "easy-to-cut," addresses increasing attention. Published in International Journal of Extreme Manufacturing, Prof. Wenfeng Ding and coworkers from Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics comprehensively introduced nontraditional energy-assisted mechanical machining, a promising technology for aerospace engineering. This review gives readers a glimpse of how these hybrid processes break the cognition of processing efficiency and quality cannot be achieved simultaneously. It also gives readers a deep understanding of how the innovative hybrid method will affect the manufacturing of aerospace equipment and the development of the aerospace community. It discusses the processing principles, material responses under nontraditional energy, resultant forces and temperatures, material removal mechanisms and applications of these hybrid processes. In addition, it addresses a comprehensive summary of both the advantages and limitations of each hybrid process as well as future perspectives on forward design, device development and sustainability. Nontraditional energy-assisted mechanical machining is a hybrid process using nontraditional energies (vibration, laser, electricity, etc.) to improve the machinability of local materials and decrease the burden of mechanical machining. In this process, mechanical machining is the main technique for material removal, which is assisted by nontraditional energies having significant positive effects on the material removal process. This technology provides a feasible and promising way to improve material removal rate and surface quality, reducing process forces, and prolonging tool life in processing the difficult-to-cut materials and components in aerospace community. The transformation from difficult-to-cut to "easy-to-cut" is achieved by using nontraditional energy to change the tool-workpiece contact condition as in vibration-assisted machining, soften or modify the local material as in laser-assisted machining, control the tool kinematics as in magnetic and chemical-assisted machining, and upgrade the process condition as in advanced coolant-assisted machining. Optimal outcomes can be achieved by means of applying appropriate nontraditional energy to assist mechanical machining while considering the characteristics of both the material and the energy. "For example, we proposed a novel hybrid process of laser-induced oxidation-assisted mechanical machining in which a pulsed laser is utilized to induce an oxidation reaction between the irradiated workpiece material and oxygen. This resulted in the formation of loose and porous oxides, which could be easily removed with the cutting tool," said Prof. Guolong Zhao. "However, not all the materials can be processed with this method, for example, some oxide ceramics which cannot be further oxidized, and glasses which have very low absorption rate of laser." Despite of remarkable progress in nontraditional energy-assisted mechanical machining technology, some specific challenges remain unaddressed. Prof. Guolong Zhao, the first author said, "There is still a significant challenge promoting the wide application of this technology in the aerospace community. For example, it is still difficult currently to apply laser-assisted mechanical machining to process geometrically complex structures. Collaborative cooperation between the laser scanning and cutting tool movement should be taken into consideration." "For vibration-assisted mechanical machining, it is crucial to enhance the performance of vibration processing equipment, and provide innovative tools compatible with ultrasonic vibrations," said Dr. Biao Zhao. To overcome these issues, the most effective and innovative way is to conduct process forward design and develop intelligent equipment. Prof. Wenfeng Ding, the corresponding author said, "The term 'hybrid' here is not just a simple combination of nontraditional energy with mechanical machining, forward design is mandatory in order to achieve an optimal match between the technology and processing demands in terms of efficiency, quality and cost. Besides, the development of intelligent equipment for nontraditional energy-assisted mechanical machining is mandatory in order to promote wide application of these technologies." With the rapid development of the aerospace community, more and more difficult-to-cut materials and components with excellent comprehensive properties and the ability to operate under extremely harsh environments, are being invented and utilized. "It is still a long way to go for this hybrid method from laboratory to factory," said Prof. Ding. "Future works on fundamental research, technical breakthrough and equipment development are required. It is a leading crossing discipline which covers many fields such as mechanics, physics, chemistry and material science. Wide-ranging interdisciplinary collaborations are necessary to promote the wide application of nontraditional energy-assisted mechanical machining technology in the aerospace community." More information: Guolong Zhao et al, Nontraditional energy-assisted mechanical machining of difficult-to-cut materials and components in aerospace community: a comparative analysis, International Journal of Extreme Manufacturing (2023). DOI: 10.1088/2631-7990/ad16d6 Provided by International Journal of Extreme Manufacturing 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: Dutch EU lawmaker Kim Van Sparrentak said the regulation made it clear 'big tech doesn't make the rules' The European Parliament approved new data-sharing rules Thursday that clamp down on illegal short-term rentals to protect the residents of European citiesmany of whom face shortages of affordable housing. The spread of short-term tourist lets via online platforms such as Airbnb has put pressure on the housing market in many places, as it cuts the availability of long-term rentals. The new rules aim to help towns and cities enforce a patchwork of existing rules designed to curb short-term rentals, which make up about a quarter of all tourist accommodation in the European Union. Tourist hubs such as Paris and Amsterdam have annual caps on the number of nights a given property can be listed on Airbnb or similar platforms. Barcelona has gone further and banned short-term lets. The new EU rules say big online platforms offering short-term lets must share data monthly with local authorities, while smaller ones would have to do so every three months. Airbnb welcomed the rules, calling them "a watershed moment for Airbnb and our industry. "For the first time the rules of the road are clear, benefiting hosts, authorities and Europe's tourism offer to visitors," said Georgina Browes, Airbnb's head of EU policy. Dutch Green lawmaker Kim Van Sparrentak, who pushed the text through parliament, said Wednesday the regulation would "make clear that big tech doesn't make the rules, and we are obliging these platforms to share data with authorities on a regular basis". Better data sharing will enable "the removal of illegal listings, and will contribute to fighting the housing crisis by tackling speculation and safeguarding access to affordable housing," she said during a parliamentary debate. To illustrate the issue, she gave the example of Amsterdam, where she said 78 percent of listings on Airbnb were entire homes or apartments. "That means that almost 7,000 homes or apartments are rented out for tourism rather than for residents," she noted. EU negotiators from the bloc's 27 member states and the parliament reached a provisional agreement on the rules in November. But it will only become law after formal adoption by EU countries and lawmakers, usually a rubber-stamping exercise after the deal. Local bodies and platforms will then have 24 months before they have to comply. 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: AI engineer Jenna Reher works on humanoid robot Figure 01 at Figure AI's test facility in Sunnyvale, Calif., Oct. 3, 2023. ChatGPT-maker OpenAI is looking to fuse its artificial intelligence systems into the bodies of humanoid robots as part of a new deal with robotics startup Figure. Sunnyvale, California-based Figure announced the partnership Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024, along with $675 million in venture capital funding from a group that includes Amazon founder Jeff Bezos as well as Microsoft, chipmaker Nvidia and the startup-funding divisions of Amazon, Intel and OpenAI. Credit: AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File ChatGPT-maker OpenAI is looking to fuse its artificial intelligence systems into the bodies of humanoid robots as part of a new deal with robotics startup Figure. Sunnyvale, California-based Figure announced the partnership Thursday along with $675 million in venture capital funding from a group that includes Amazon founder Jeff Bezos as well as Microsoft, chipmaker Nvidia and the startup-funding divisions of Intel and OpenAI. Figure is less than two years old and doesn't have a commercial product but is persuading influential tech industry backers to support its vision of shipping billions of human-like robots to the world's workplaces and homes. "If we can just get humanoids to do work that humans are not wanting to do because there's a shortfall of humans, we can sell millions of humanoids, billions maybe," Figure CEO Brett Adcock told The Associated Press last year. For OpenAI, which dabbled in robotics research before pivoting to a focus on the AI large language models that power ChatGPT, the partnership will "open up new possibilities for how robots can help in everyday life," said Peter Welinder, the San Francisco company's vice president of product and partnerships, in a written statement. Financial terms of the deal between Figure and OpenAI weren't disclosed. The collaboration will have OpenAI building specialized AI models for Figure's humanoid robots, likely based on OpenAI's existing technology such as GPT language models, the image-generator DALL-E and the new video-generator Sora. That will help "accelerate Figure's commercial timeline" by enabling its robots to "process and reason from language," according to Figure's announcement. The company announced in January an agreement with BMW to put its robots to work at a car plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, but hadn't yet determined exactly how or when they would be used. Figure AI CEO Brett Adcock sits for a photo at the company's test facility in Sunnyvale, Calif., Oct. 3, 2023. ChatGPT-maker OpenAI is looking to fuse its artificial intelligence systems into the bodies of humanoid robots as part of a new deal with robotics startup Figure. Sunnyvale, California-based Figure announced the partnership Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024, along with $675 million in venture capital funding from a group that includes Amazon founder Jeff Bezos as well as Microsoft, chipmaker Nvidia and the startup-funding divisions of Amazon, Intel and OpenAI. Credit: AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File Robotics experts differ on the usefulness of robots shaped in human form. Most robots employed in factory and warehouse tasks might have some animal-like featuresa robotic arm, finger-like grippers or even legsbut aren't truly humanoid. That's in part because it's taken decades for robotics engineers to develop robots that can walk effectively on two legs or reliably manipulate small objects. Whitney Rockley, co-founder and managing partner of Toronto-based venture capital firm McRock Capital, said she understands the appeal of humanoids because they're relatable, evoking emotions and starting conversations. In practice, however, she said they're still awkward and pose huge technical challenges, which is why she's sticking to investing in non-humanoid robots. "We look at robotics and automation really practically and say, 'What kind of timeline are we willing to commit to in order to really see commercial liftoff and deployments and applications?'" Rockley said. "And I think that the groups that are backing a lot of humanoid solutions right now, they're in there for the long haul, which is great because you need that, but it's going to take decades upon decades." OpenAI CEO Sam Altman hinted at a renewed interest in robotics in a podcast hosted by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and released early this year in which Altman said the company was starting to invest in promising robotics hardware platforms after having earlier abandoned its own research. "We started robots too early and so we had to put that project on hold," Altman told Gates, noting that "we were dealing with bad simulators and breaking tendons" that were distracting from the company's other work. "We realized more and more over time that what we really first needed was intelligence and cognition and then we could figure out how we could adapt it to physicality," he said. 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: CC0 Public Domain Generative artificial intelligence is rapidly advancing and soon will be ubiquitous in everyday life, making us more productive and helping to solve complex problems while simultaneously creating new legal and ethical issues, a University of Cincinnati professor said. Jeffrey Shaffer, the Joseph S. Stern Professor of Practice and assistant professor-educator in UC's Carl H. Lindner College of Business, sees AI as a tool that will transform lives, perhaps even more so than the internet did. He's given presentations on AI and will teach a class about it in the fall, embracing the evolving technology in his life and in the classroom. "Students are going to graduate, work for a company and be expected to know how to use this stuff," said Shaffer, who also teaches business analytics. "It's going to be a tool that is ubiquitous." Shaffer sees great potential in AI. ChatGPT, one of the most well-known generative AI tools, has passed a medical licensing exam and bar exam, and is quickly improving its capabilities in numerous areas. Overall, Shaffer is optimistic about the potential for AI to improve lives, but he also warned that it can be used in nefarious ways. "It's not all good," he said. "I mean, there are dangers." AI's growing prominence AI has already become ingrained in everyday lives. Search engines use AI to scan the internet and find results for inquiries. Online retailers use AI to suggest products shoppers might like. Streaming services and social media sites use AI to recommend content users might want to see. "AI has been around for a long time," Shaffer said. "Artificial intelligence, that term goes back all the way to the 1950s. People had these ideas of what this was. And then, the thought was, can computers mimic the human brain?" Generative artificial intelligencea type of AI technology like ChatGPT that can produce various types of content, including text, imagery, audio and datais a relatively new technology. The foundational paper, "Attention is All You Need," was written in 2017 and introduced transformer models, neural networks that learn meaning by tracking relationships in data. OpenAI launched ChatGPT in November 2022. While other forms of AI can fetch content that already exists, generative AI can produce new content. In its current form, AI still has limits, though. Shaffer likened generative AI tools to the internet in general. The internet is full of lots of information, but users have to evaluate the accuracy of what they find. "It's collaborative right now with AI," he said. "You can't just let AI off and run and finish the project for you, but that could change. At least for now, you're working collaboratively more with AI, and I think that'll be the trend in the near future." Potential benefits People already are seeing AI at work. When typing a text message or email, phones and computers use predictive text to anticipate what words will come next. The next phase is AI embedded in daily workflow, Shaffer said, meaning AI embedded into computer programs to help draft entire messages instead of just a few words at a time. "It's going to be built into our workflow more and more," he said. "Gmail, Outlook, PowerPoint, Excel. It's going to be in the flow. And then these assistants or agents are going to do work for us. Imagine it goes through your inbox every day before you do, deletes all the spam, makes draft responses for all of your emails and looks at your calendar. This is already possible." AI can now "join" meetings and provide summaries of meetings and assign action items. Before committing to watching a long video or reading a paper, AI can provide a short recap, enabling people to determine whether they want to invest the time to view it in its entirety. When reading a book, people can't remember every detail, but AI could supplement human memory and quickly find desired passages. "AI is simply better and faster at recall and can generate new content," Shaffer said. "There's no way that you could memorize a large text and recall it as fast as a database system." With menial and mundane tasks not taking up as much time, people will be able to be more productive. "If we have the same number of programmers, we should be able to program 30% more," Shaffer said. "We should be able to get through the code faster. We should be able to write it faster. Comment faster. Debug it faster." AI also could help break down barriers. While AI already can translate languages, Shaffer said AI can even translate conversations in real time. In a recent presentation, Shaffer demonstrated AI-created videos where he appears to be speaking Mandarin, Hindi and German. Potential dangers For all the good AI could offer, Shaffer cautioned that this rapidly advancing technology will present legal and ethical problems that will need to be solved. Deepfake videos can impersonate a person and make them appear to say something they never actually said or do something they didn't actually do. "AI can now imitate your voice," Shaffer said. "There are examples of all sorts of celebrities. That's now an issue. You could take 20, 30 seconds of somebody's voice, drop it into the system. People will be able to imitate your family's voice, a celebrity's voice. You won't know if that voice is real or not." Scammers already pretend to be a family member in distress to trick people. The scams could be even more realistic with deepfake technologies. People have used AI to create deepfake pornography of real people, both celebrities and non-celebrities alike, which can cause emotional harm to the person who's being impersonated. AI also can create images of people who don't exist. "We're going to have to consider the governance and ethics of these AI systems," Shaffer said, "and the diversity and bias in the training data and the guardrails." Just in the past week, Google paused its new Gemini system because of diversity issues in the generated output. AI also could be used to create new ways to harm people. Researchers used AI to suggest 40,000 new potential chemical weapons in six hours. They shared their findings to warn others of the potential for harm if a bad actor did something similar. "AI is probably the only solution to this problem," Shaffer said. "These researchers were using AI to find vaccines but, instead, realized they could create viruses. I think we will see this AI fight in many areas. AI will be used by bad actors and AI will be used to help fight against bad actors." AI also could take on an enhanced role in warfare, both potentially saving lives and costing lives. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, a U.S. Defense Department agency, reported in 2020 that an AI algorithm bested a human pilot in simulated aerial combat each time in five training missions. "The reason the AI system was a better pilot was it would do things that normal pilots wouldn't do. There was an instinct in a pilot of, "This is too dangerous," and they're trained to do things in a certain way," Shaffer said. "If the fighter pilot makes a mistake, he dies. If the AI makes a mistake, the AI doesn't die. That cost function is very different, a $1 billion airplane instead of a pilot's life. AI can make different decisions in that dogfight." Drastic improvements In the little more than a year since ChatGPT was released to the public, it and other generative AI tools have drastically improved, Shaffer said. OpenAI released its new GPT-4 model. There are now fewer what are called hallucinations, when AI makes up information and presents it as fact. Generative AI is better able to create images that don't feature people with extra fingers or text that looks like gibberish. "The tools are advancing quickly. We are able to do things today that we couldn't do a year ago," Shaffer said while demonstrating AI's ability to create an image of an A&W root beer stand with accurate A&W and Coca-Cola logos. "They are much more accurate now." Shaffer also expects AI models to improve as they're trained for specific purposes. Large corporations already are spending millions of dollars to create AI tools to complete specific tasks such as analyzing contracts. And with the rapid advancement of the technology, AI is becoming more accessible to everyone and not just the largest organizations. "When these models first came out, we thought that only the big companies were going to be able to do this," Shaffer said. "It takes huge [graphics processing units] to train these models. Now people have open-source models on this platform called Hugging Face. And they've proven that you can get pretty accurate with small models." While there is opposition to using AI, Shaffer expects it to gain more acceptance in the years to come. He thinks more people will view doing tasks that AI could complete as a waste of time. In his classroom, the ability to do things faster and better with AI will lead to higher expectations for his students' work. "If you can't ban it from the classroom, what do you do?" Shaffer asked. "My response is, you expect more from the students. Ask them to do more because now they should be capable of doing more. "Make the project harder, make it bigger, expect them to do more of it or create something better because now they have AI to assist them in doing it." By Lee Min-hyung A high-profile collapse at an apartment complex under construction in Incheon by GS Engineering & Construction (E&C) comes as a blessing in disguise for its heir apparent, as its tainted corporate value helped the company chairman give 2 million shares to his son while paying a reduced gift tax, according to industry officials, Thursday. This enabled GS E&C CEO Huh Yoon-hong, the eldest son of Chairman Huh Chang-soo, to rise to become the construction firm's second-largest shareholder by holding a 3.89 percent stake in the firm, according to a disclosure by the Financial Supervisory Service. The GS chairman remains the largest shareholder with a 5.95 percent stake. The latest stock transfer is seen by critics as part of the group's move to reduce the gift tax, as GS E&C shares are strapped in a 10-year low after the firm was mired in a nationwide scandal surrounding the poor construction of its apartment complexes. Last July, the firm's stock price nosedived to less than 14,000 won ($10.50) per share after pedestrian paths for a community center of the GS-branded apartment complex were flooded by heavy rain. The roof of an underground parking garage at another apartment complex being constructed by the company also collapsed in April the same year. GS E&C shares were traded at around 23,000 won per share before the repeated scandals. But its value has yet to recover to the previous level and is hovering around 15,000 won. But the tainted corporate value looks to have come as an opportunity for the GS owner family to tighten their internal control by bequeathing the shares at a lower price, which can reduce their financial burden for the gift tax. Against this backdrop, the GS E&C CEO will also be able to enhance his internal grip on the company ahead of the upcoming regular shareholders' meeting in March. "Owner families from major Korean conglomerates generally face an enormous amount of inheritance and gift taxes in stock transfers to the younger generation," Lee Soo-won, head of an inheritance tax research unit at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said. "Korean business leaders' overall financial burden for the taxes stand at the top level among OECD member countries, so many still seek ways to cut the burden." The second-largest wildfire in Texas history continues to burn as the Texas A&M Forest Service, along with state and federal resources, attempt to contain the blaze. As of Wednesday afternoon, the Smokehouse Creek Fire was only 3% contained and estimated to cover 1,300 square miles across several counties, including large sections of Hutchinson, Roberts and Hemphill counties, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service. The largest fire in Texas history was the East Amarillo Complex fire of 2006 in Hutchinson County, which burned about 1,400 square miles. The blaze began Monday with several smaller fires that were fueled in part by high winds and copious amounts of dry, freeze-cured grass, Samuel Scoleri, a forecaster at the National Weather Service Amarillo office, told the Associated Press. Some areas experienced record winds of up to 60 miles an hour with relative humidity as low as 20%. Earlier in the week, the towns of Canadian and Skellytown were evacuated, but Texas A&M Forest Service Public Information Officer Erin OConnor said Wednesday afternoon that the evacuation order had been lifted. At the time of publication, no injuries or fatalities as a result of the fire have been reported. OConnor said that although weather conditions had improved since Monday, the fire may take quite a while to contain. That might take several days, several weeks, considering the magnitude of some of these fires, but we will have resources committed to suppressing that wildfire until it is fully contained, she said. The challenges that were currently facing is the topography and access issues. The Smokehouse Creek Fire specifically is burning into drainage, and thats really challenging to put those out. Early on in the fire, OConnor said the forest service was more concerned with getting people out as the wind continued to spread the fire at an alarming rate. Its hard to put those mechanized pieces of equipment in that drainage, she said. Its also a safety issue to put firefighters down there because of how the fire burns. The last couple of days, with the wind speeds, the priority was life safety. So, taking care of those evacuations and making sure that we were getting people and firefighters out of harms way. Gov. Greg Abbott announced Wednesday via a press release that the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) would deploy additional resources to the area. The governors office also announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) had approved a Fire Management Assistance Grant request from the state. Thank you to our federal partners at FEMA for quickly approving Texas request for grant assistance as we continue to fight these dangerous wildfires, Abbott said in a statement. We continue to work alongside TDEM, local officials and emergency response personnel to provide all available resources to protect our fellow Texans. Thanks to the grant, Texas will be eligible for a 75% reimbursement from the federal government for grant money used to combat the fire, according to the press release. According to the state, over 95 A&M Forest Service firefighters, 189 Interstate Fire Mutual Aid System strike team members and over 58 fire engines have been deployed to the area to assist local municipalities. The Texas A&M Veterinary Emergency Team (VET) is also responding to provide veterinary care and support 12 search and rescue dogs with the Texas A&M Texas Task Force 1, Texas A&M VET Director Dr. Deb Zoran said in a statement. Fires are unpredictable and often enter a community without warning, Zoran said. In these situations, its critical that we begin helping to take care of affected animals and support the local veterinary community as quickly as possible. Texas A&M AgriLife is recommending that Panhandle residents should safely document losses of livestock and agricultural infrastructure with photos, videos and ownership records in order to qualify for federal assistance. At the time of publication, it is unknown how many, if any, livestock or crops were lost to the fire. Despite more favorable weather conditions Wednesday, OConner said winds could return this weekend. Today and tomorrow, hopefully theyll be able to make more progress, but then another challenge will be, by the time we get to Friday or this weekend, we anticipate that were going to have more dry and windy conditions again, she said. Theyll be working diligently to increase containment today and tomorrow before the weather hits this weekend. One of the most important things that residents can do during a wildfire, OConnor said, is to make sure they stay informed. Residents should prepare in advance for evacuations and just know where theyre going to get their information, she said. We want to encourage that everybody has a plan in place and that they know where to get that information and in the event that they do need to evacuate, they have a plan in place. Caxton Associates LP bought a new position in shares of Highwoods Properties, Inc. (NYSE:HIW Free Report) during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund bought 55,814 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock, valued at approximately $1,150,000. Caxton Associates LP owned 0.05% of Highwoods Properties as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Van Lanschot Kempen Investment Management N.V. raised its position in shares of Highwoods Properties by 9.8% during the third quarter. Van Lanschot Kempen Investment Management N.V. now owns 593,403 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $12,230,000 after purchasing an additional 53,000 shares during the period. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd raised its position in shares of Highwoods Properties by 472.2% during the third quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd now owns 162,397 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $3,347,000 after purchasing an additional 134,015 shares during the period. Senvest Management LLC raised its position in shares of Highwoods Properties by 37.2% during the third quarter. Senvest Management LLC now owns 1,041,309 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $21,461,000 after purchasing an additional 282,210 shares during the period. MQS Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Highwoods Properties during the third quarter worth $528,000. Finally, Natixis Advisors L.P. acquired a new position in Highwoods Properties during the third quarter valued at $366,000. 96.31% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Highwoods Properties alerts: Highwoods Properties Stock Performance NYSE:HIW traded up $0.64 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $24.40. 126,862 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,559,194. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $23.05 and a two-hundred day moving average of $21.55. Highwoods Properties, Inc. has a 12 month low of $17.06 and a 12 month high of $27.57. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.09 and a beta of 1.22. The company has a current ratio of 1.24, a quick ratio of 1.24 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.33. Highwoods Properties Dividend Announcement Analyst Ratings Changes The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 12th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 20th will be paid a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 16th. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 8.20%. Highwoods Propertiess payout ratio is 143.89%. Several research analysts recently weighed in on HIW shares. Truist Financial upped their price target on Highwoods Properties from $28.00 to $29.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 13th. Robert W. Baird upped their price target on Highwoods Properties from $25.00 to $26.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 14th. Morgan Stanley lowered Highwoods Properties from an equal weight rating to an underweight rating and dropped their price target for the company from $22.00 to $18.00 in a research report on Thursday, December 21st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft began coverage on Highwoods Properties in a research report on Tuesday, January 30th. They set a buy rating and a $28.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Bank of America downgraded Highwoods Properties from a buy rating to a neutral rating and lowered their target price for the company from $29.00 to $20.00 in a research note on Monday, November 13th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $24.00. Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on Highwoods Properties About Highwoods Properties (Free Report) Highwoods Properties, Inc, headquartered in Raleigh, is a publicly-traded (NYSE:HIW), fully-integrated office real estate investment trust ("REIT") that owns, develops, acquires, leases and manages properties primarily in the best business districts (BBDs) of Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas, Nashville, Orlando, Raleigh, Richmond and Tampa. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding HIW? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Highwoods Properties, Inc. (NYSE:HIW Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Highwoods Properties Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Highwoods Properties and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Gotham Asset Management LLC decreased its position in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO Free Report) by 19.9% during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 164,471 shares of the companys stock after selling 40,741 shares during the quarter. Gotham Asset Management LLCs holdings in Altria Group were worth $6,916,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of MO. Mount Yale Investment Advisors LLC lifted its position in Altria Group by 7.3% in the third quarter. Mount Yale Investment Advisors LLC now owns 31,007 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,304,000 after buying an additional 2,122 shares during the last quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. lifted its position in Altria Group by 20.9% in the second quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 773,980 shares of the companys stock valued at $35,050,000 after buying an additional 133,685 shares during the last quarter. Bridgewater Associates LP lifted its position in Altria Group by 18.7% in the second quarter. Bridgewater Associates LP now owns 1,276,258 shares of the companys stock valued at $57,814,000 after buying an additional 200,981 shares during the last quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC lifted its position in Altria Group by 2.3% in the third quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 1,459,613 shares of the companys stock valued at $61,377,000 after buying an additional 32,844 shares during the last quarter. Finally, State Street Corp lifted its position in shares of Altria Group by 1.8% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 70,564,529 shares of the companys stock worth $3,262,710,000 after purchasing an additional 1,240,150 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 58.94% of the companys stock. Get Altria Group alerts: Altria Group Stock Down 0.1 % Altria Group stock traded down $0.04 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $40.95. The company had a trading volume of 1,401,864 shares, compared to its average volume of 8,591,781. The stock has a market cap of $72.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.97, a PEG ratio of 2.47 and a beta of 0.66. Altria Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $39.06 and a 1 year high of $48.04. The business has a fifty day moving average of $40.68 and a 200 day moving average of $41.65. Altria Group Announces Dividend Altria Group ( NYSE:MO Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 1st. The company reported $1.18 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.17 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $5.02 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.06 billion. Altria Group had a net margin of 33.21% and a negative return on equity of 243.71%. The firms revenue was down 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.18 earnings per share. Equities analysts anticipate that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.07 earnings per share for the current year. The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, December 21st were given a dividend of $0.98 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, December 20th. This represents a $3.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 9.57%. Altria Groups dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 85.78%. Altria Group declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share repurchase program on Thursday, February 1st that allows the company to buyback $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to purchase up to 1.4% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are usually an indication that the companys management believes its stock is undervalued. Analyst Ratings Changes MO has been the topic of several research reports. StockNews.com cut shares of Altria Group from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Friday, February 23rd. UBS Group reissued a sell rating and set a $36.10 price target on shares of Altria Group in a research report on Tuesday, January 23rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Altria Group currently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $47.22. Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Altria Group About Altria Group (Free Report) Altria Group, Inc, through its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells smokeable and oral tobacco products in the United States. The company offers cigarettes primarily under the Marlboro brand; large cigars and pipe tobacco under the Black & Mild brand; moist smokeless tobacco and snus products under the Copenhagen, Skoal, Red Seal, and Husky brands; oral nicotine pouches under the on! brand; and e-vapor products under the NJOY ACE brand. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Altria Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Altria Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Bamco Inc. NY purchased a new position in shares of DiamondRock Hospitality (NYSE:DRH Free Report) during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 481,480 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock, valued at approximately $3,866,000. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in DRH. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its position in DiamondRock Hospitality by 0.7% during the first quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 2,259,645 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $22,823,000 after buying an additional 16,663 shares during the period. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. grew its position in DiamondRock Hospitality by 9.4% during the first quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 13,193 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $133,000 after buying an additional 1,130 shares during the period. Natixis Advisors L.P. acquired a new position in DiamondRock Hospitality during the first quarter worth about $401,000. Bank of Montreal Can grew its position in DiamondRock Hospitality by 3.4% during the first quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 85,133 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $884,000 after buying an additional 2,777 shares during the period. Finally, MetLife Investment Management LLC grew its position in DiamondRock Hospitality by 68.5% during the first quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 107,107 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $1,082,000 after buying an additional 43,548 shares during the period. Get DiamondRock Hospitality alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets Several analysts have recently commented on DRH shares. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of DiamondRock Hospitality from $8.50 to $9.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 7th. StockNews.com lowered shares of DiamondRock Hospitality from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research report on Saturday, February 3rd. Wolfe Research started coverage on shares of DiamondRock Hospitality in a research report on Wednesday, January 10th. They issued an outperform rating and a $11.00 price target on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price target on shares of DiamondRock Hospitality from $10.00 to $10.50 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Friday, February 23rd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of DiamondRock Hospitality from $9.00 to $10.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research report on Friday, December 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $9.75. DiamondRock Hospitality Stock Performance NYSE:DRH opened at $9.37 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.82, a current ratio of 2.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. The company has a market cap of $1.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.03 and a beta of 1.61. DiamondRock Hospitality has a fifty-two week low of $7.14 and a fifty-two week high of $9.99. The firms 50 day moving average is $9.32 and its two-hundred day moving average is $8.56. DiamondRock Hospitality (NYSE:DRH Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Friday, February 23rd. The real estate investment trust reported $0.04 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.18 by ($0.14). DiamondRock Hospitality had a net margin of 8.03% and a return on equity of 5.29%. The business had revenue of $263.50 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $261.45 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.23 EPS. The businesss revenue was up 3.3% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts expect that DiamondRock Hospitality will post 0.96 EPS for the current year. DiamondRock Hospitality Dividend Announcement The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 11th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 29th were paid a $0.03 dividend. This represents a $0.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.28%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, December 28th. DiamondRock Hospitalitys dividend payout ratio is presently 33.33%. About DiamondRock Hospitality (Free Report) DiamondRock Hospitality Company is a self-advised real estate investment trust (REIT) that is an owner of a leading portfolio of geographically diversified hotels concentrated in leisure destinations and top gateway markets. The Company currently owns 36 premium quality hotels with over 9,700 rooms. The Company has strategically positioned its portfolio to be operated both under leading global brand families as well as independent boutique hotels in the lifestyle segment. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding DRH? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for DiamondRock Hospitality (NYSE:DRH Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for DiamondRock Hospitality Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for DiamondRock Hospitality and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Bath & Body Works (NYSE:BBWI Get Free Report)s stock had its outperform rating reiterated by equities researchers at Telsey Advisory Group in a research note issued on Thursday, Marketbeat.com reports. They currently have a $53.00 price objective on the stock, up from their previous price objective of $50.00. Telsey Advisory Groups price target would indicate a potential upside of 15.97% from the stocks current price. Several other equities research analysts also recently commented on BBWI. UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of Bath & Body Works from $44.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 14th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of Bath & Body Works from $35.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Friday, December 22nd. Barclays cut shares of Bath & Body Works from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating and upped their price objective for the company from $37.00 to $45.00 in a research note on Thursday, January 4th. The Goldman Sachs Group reissued a buy rating on shares of Bath & Body Works in a research report on Tuesday, January 2nd. Finally, Evercore ISI dropped their price target on shares of Bath & Body Works from $40.00 to $30.00 and set an in-line rating for the company in a research report on Friday, November 17th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $43.54. Get Bath & Body Works alerts: Read Our Latest Stock Report on BBWI Bath & Body Works Stock Performance Shares of BBWI opened at $45.70 on Thursday. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $43.98 and its 200 day simple moving average is $37.48. Bath & Body Works has a 52 week low of $27.30 and a 52 week high of $48.43. The firm has a market cap of $10.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.60 and a beta of 1.85. Bath & Body Works (NYSE:BBWI Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 29th. The company reported $2.06 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.85 by $0.21. The firm had revenue of $2.91 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.84 billion. Bath & Body Works had a net margin of 9.90% and a negative return on equity of 32.64%. The companys quarterly revenue was up .8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $1.86 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Bath & Body Works will post 3.07 earnings per share for the current year. Institutional Trading of Bath & Body Works Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Denali Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Bath & Body Works during the 4th quarter valued at about $27,000. GAMMA Investing LLC purchased a new position in shares of Bath & Body Works in the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. Money Concepts Capital Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Bath & Body Works by 1,180.4% in the fourth quarter. Money Concepts Capital Corp now owns 653 shares of the companys stock worth $28,000 after buying an additional 602 shares during the last quarter. Front Row Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Bath & Body Works in the third quarter worth approximately $25,000. Finally, Trust Co. of Vermont purchased a new position in shares of Bath & Body Works in the third quarter worth approximately $27,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 94.31% of the companys stock. About Bath & Body Works (Get Free Report) Bath & Body Works, Inc operates a specialty retailer of home fragrance, body care, and soaps and sanitizer products. It sells its products under the Bath & Body Works, White Barn, and other brand names through retail stores and e-commerce sites located in the United States and Canada, as well as through international stores operated by partners under franchise, license, and wholesale arrangements. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Bath & Body Works Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bath & Body Works and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Toronto Dominion Bank boosted its stake in shares of Brookfield Asset Management Ltd. (NYSE:BAM Free Report) (TSE:BAM.A) by 0.4% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,535,893 shares of the financial services providers stock after purchasing an additional 6,175 shares during the period. Toronto Dominion Banks holdings in Brookfield Asset Management were worth $51,207,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. American Century Companies Inc. grew its position in Brookfield Asset Management by 0.7% in the first quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 38,228 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $2,161,000 after acquiring an additional 268 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its stake in shares of Brookfield Asset Management by 3.9% in the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 537,451 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $30,404,000 after buying an additional 20,309 shares during the last quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board acquired a new stake in shares of Brookfield Asset Management in the first quarter worth $22,369,000. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Brookfield Asset Management in the first quarter worth $340,000. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Brookfield Asset Management by 2.8% in the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 44,050,716 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $2,491,950,000 after buying an additional 1,220,298 shares during the last quarter. 61.92% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Brookfield Asset Management alerts: Brookfield Asset Management Price Performance BAM stock opened at $40.44 on Thursday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $39.82 and a 200 day moving average price of $35.78. Brookfield Asset Management Ltd. has a fifty-two week low of $28.35 and a fifty-two week high of $42.03. The stock has a market capitalization of $16.70 billion, a PE ratio of 35.79, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.48 and a beta of 1.79. Brookfield Asset Management Increases Dividend Brookfield Asset Management ( NYSE:BAM Get Free Report ) (TSE:BAM.A) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 7th. The financial services provider reported $0.36 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.34 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $1.13 billion during the quarter. Brookfield Asset Management had a net margin of 50.23% and a return on equity of 53.03%. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.31 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that Brookfield Asset Management Ltd. will post 1.56 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 28th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 29th will be given a dividend of $0.38 per share. This is a boost from Brookfield Asset Managements previous quarterly dividend of $0.32. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, February 28th. This represents a $1.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.76%. Brookfield Asset Managements payout ratio is presently 113.27%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price objective on shares of Brookfield Asset Management from $50.92 to $41.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, November 30th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of Brookfield Asset Management from a hold rating to a buy rating and upped their target price for the company from $33.00 to $45.00 in a research note on Monday, December 18th. HSBC cut shares of Brookfield Asset Management from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Thursday, February 1st. CIBC upped their target price on shares of Brookfield Asset Management from $40.00 to $47.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Monday, January 29th. Finally, TD Securities dropped their price objective on shares of Brookfield Asset Management from $52.00 to $49.00 and set an action list buy rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 9th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating, five have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $42.20. Get Our Latest Stock Report on Brookfield Asset Management Brookfield Asset Management Company Profile (Free Report) Brookfield Asset Management Ltd. is a real estate investment firm specializing in alternative asset management services. Its renewable power and transition business includes the operates in the hydroelectric, wind, solar, distributed generation, and sustainable solution sector. The company's infrastructure business engages in the utilities, transport, midstream, and data infrastructure sectors. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BAM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Brookfield Asset Management Ltd. (NYSE:BAM Free Report) (TSE:BAM.A). Receive News & Ratings for Brookfield Asset Management Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Brookfield Asset Management and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. California State Teachers Retirement System cut its stake in shares of Centene Co. (NYSE:CNC Free Report) by 4.6% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 864,676 shares of the companys stock after selling 41,956 shares during the quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System owned 0.16% of Centene worth $59,559,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Operose Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Centene during the third quarter worth $25,000. Coppell Advisory Solutions Corp. acquired a new position in Centene in the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. ST Germain D J Co. Inc. bought a new position in Centene in the second quarter valued at about $26,000. OFI Invest Asset Management acquired a new stake in shares of Centene during the third quarter valued at about $26,000. Finally, KB Financial Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Centene in the first quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Institutional investors own 90.92% of the companys stock. Get Centene alerts: Centene Stock Performance Shares of CNC stock opened at $78.39 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.11, a current ratio of 1.11 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. Centene Co. has a 52 week low of $60.83 and a 52 week high of $81.42. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $76.55 and a 200-day moving average of $72.08. The company has a market cap of $41.93 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.97, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.00 and a beta of 0.36. Insiders Place Their Bets Centene ( NYSE:CNC Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 6th. The company reported $0.45 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.43 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $39.46 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $36.16 billion. Centene had a net margin of 1.75% and a return on equity of 14.26%. The businesss revenue was up 11.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.86 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts forecast that Centene Co. will post 6.73 earnings per share for the current year. In other news, President Kenneth J. Fasola sold 12,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $75.07, for a total transaction of $900,840.00. Following the transaction, the president now directly owns 235,365 shares of the companys stock, valued at $17,668,850.55. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In other Centene news, Director Lori Jean Robinson sold 10,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $77.41, for a total transaction of $774,100.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 11,455 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $886,731.55. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, President Kenneth J. Fasola sold 12,000 shares of Centene stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $75.07, for a total value of $900,840.00. Following the transaction, the president now directly owns 235,365 shares in the company, valued at approximately $17,668,850.55. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 0.33% of the companys stock. Analysts Set New Price Targets Several equities research analysts recently commented on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded shares of Centene from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $82.00 to $90.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 2nd. Cantor Fitzgerald increased their price objective on Centene from $82.00 to $90.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Friday, December 15th. Truist Financial upped their price target on Centene from $83.00 to $86.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, December 21st. Finally, UBS Group raised their price objective on Centene from $72.00 to $79.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Thursday, December 21st. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Centene currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $83.57. Read Our Latest Analysis on CNC About Centene (Free Report) Centene Corporation operates as a healthcare enterprise that provides programs and services to under-insured and uninsured families, commercial organizations, and military families in the United States. It operates in two segments, Managed Care and Specialty Services. The Managed Care segment offers health plan coverage to individuals through government subsidized programs, including Medicaid, the State children's health insurance program, long-term services and support, foster care, and medicare-medicaid plans, which cover dually eligible individuals, as well as aged, blind, or disabled programs. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CNC? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Centene Co. (NYSE:CNC Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Centene Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Centene and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Ancora Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Cannae Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CNNE Free Report) by 19.0% during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 339,665 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 54,160 shares during the period. Ancora Advisors LLC owned approximately 0.48% of Cannae worth $6,331,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Cannae by 0.7% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 7,196,459 shares of the companys stock valued at $172,140,000 after acquiring an additional 51,983 shares during the period. BlackRock Inc. increased its stake in Cannae by 1.3% during the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 6,810,406 shares of the companys stock worth $162,903,000 after buying an additional 84,346 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its stake in Cannae by 0.9% during the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,259,261 shares of the companys stock worth $45,589,000 after buying an additional 19,392 shares during the period. State Street Corp increased its stake in Cannae by 2.6% during the 1st quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,727,217 shares of the companys stock worth $41,315,000 after buying an additional 43,728 shares during the period. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Cannae by 4.2% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,396,480 shares of the companys stock worth $28,223,000 after buying an additional 56,114 shares during the period. 82.28% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Cannae alerts: Cannae Stock Up 0.2 % NYSE CNNE traded up $0.04 on Thursday, hitting $21.64. 54,720 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 632,173. The company has a current ratio of 1.07, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04. Cannae Holdings, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $15.93 and a fifty-two week high of $22.92. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $20.48 and a 200-day moving average price of $19.20. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Oppenheimer reaffirmed an outperform rating and set a $25.00 target price on shares of Cannae in a research note on Thursday, February 22nd. Royal Bank of Canada cut their target price on shares of Cannae from $27.00 to $26.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, November 8th. Finally, Stephens cut their target price on shares of Cannae from $36.00 to $30.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, November 8th. Get Our Latest Report on Cannae Cannae Profile (Free Report) Cannae Holdings, Inc is a principal investment firm. The firm primarily invests in restaurants, technology enabled healthcare services, financial services and more. It takes both minority and majority stakes. Cannae Holdings, Inc was founded in 2014 and is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CNNE? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Cannae Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CNNE Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Cannae Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Cannae and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Cape Cod Five Cents Savings Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Canadian Natural Resources Limited (NYSE:CNQ Free Report) (TSE:CNQ) during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund purchased 3,776 shares of the oil and gas producers stock, valued at approximately $244,000. A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in CNQ. Bank of Nova Scotia Trust Co. lifted its stake in shares of Canadian Natural Resources by 3.4% in the 3rd quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia Trust Co. now owns 381,651 shares of the oil and gas producers stock worth $24,681,000 after purchasing an additional 12,377 shares during the period. Toronto Dominion Bank lifted its stake in shares of Canadian Natural Resources by 4.0% in the 3rd quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank now owns 11,642,676 shares of the oil and gas producers stock worth $752,932,000 after purchasing an additional 442,986 shares during the period. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC lifted its stake in shares of Canadian Natural Resources by 126.4% in the 3rd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 8,461 shares of the oil and gas producers stock worth $547,000 after purchasing an additional 4,723 shares during the period. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd lifted its stake in shares of Canadian Natural Resources by 299.7% in the 3rd quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd now owns 521,428 shares of the oil and gas producers stock worth $33,721,000 after purchasing an additional 390,965 shares during the period. Finally, O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC raised its stake in Canadian Natural Resources by 1.8% during the 3rd quarter. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC now owns 400,589 shares of the oil and gas producers stock worth $25,906,000 after acquiring an additional 6,901 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 73.88% of the companys stock. Get Canadian Natural Resources alerts: Canadian Natural Resources Trading Up 1.3 % CNQ stock opened at $67.10 on Thursday. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $63.99 and a 200 day moving average price of $64.07. Canadian Natural Resources Limited has a fifty-two week low of $48.81 and a fifty-two week high of $68.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25, a quick ratio of 0.65 and a current ratio of 0.91. The firm has a market cap of $72.00 billion, a PE ratio of 13.88 and a beta of 1.53. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of research firms have commented on CNQ. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of Canadian Natural Resources from $101.00 to $102.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Thursday, January 11th. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price objective on shares of Canadian Natural Resources from $95.00 to $96.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Friday, November 3rd. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $94.00. Get Our Latest Report on CNQ Canadian Natural Resources Profile (Free Report) Canadian Natural Resources Limited acquires, explores for, develops, produces, markets, and sells crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids (NGLs). The company offers light and medium crude oil, primary heavy crude oil, Pelican Lake heavy crude oil, bitumen (thermal oil), and synthetic crude oil (SCO). Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CNQ? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Canadian Natural Resources Limited (NYSE:CNQ Free Report) (TSE:CNQ). Receive News & Ratings for Canadian Natural Resources Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Canadian Natural Resources and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Caxton Associates LP grew its stake in Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT Free Report) by 6.7% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 13,401 shares of the healthcare product makers stock after purchasing an additional 844 shares during the quarter. Caxton Associates LPs holdings in Abbott Laboratories were worth $1,298,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Sherbrooke Park Advisers LLC bought a new position in Abbott Laboratories during the third quarter worth about $511,000. CWA Asset Management Group LLC increased its position in Abbott Laboratories by 3.5% during the third quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC now owns 5,420 shares of the healthcare product makers stock worth $525,000 after acquiring an additional 183 shares during the period. Cape Cod Five Cents Savings Bank increased its position in Abbott Laboratories by 92.9% during the third quarter. Cape Cod Five Cents Savings Bank now owns 41,970 shares of the healthcare product makers stock worth $4,065,000 after acquiring an additional 20,207 shares during the period. Morningstar Investment Services LLC bought a new position in Abbott Laboratories during the third quarter worth about $250,000. Finally, Van Lanschot Kempen Investment Management N.V. increased its position in Abbott Laboratories by 0.4% during the third quarter. Van Lanschot Kempen Investment Management N.V. now owns 68,764 shares of the healthcare product makers stock worth $6,660,000 after acquiring an additional 291 shares during the period. 73.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get Abbott Laboratories alerts: Abbott Laboratories Trading Down 1.0 % Shares of NYSE:ABT traded down $1.24 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $118.81. The company had a trading volume of 457,597 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,210,032. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $113.14 and a 200 day moving average price of $104.63. The company has a market capitalization of $206.16 billion, a PE ratio of 36.83, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.88 and a beta of 0.75. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 1.64 and a quick ratio of 1.16. Abbott Laboratories has a one year low of $89.67 and a one year high of $120.45. Abbott Laboratories Announces Dividend Abbott Laboratories ( NYSE:ABT Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 24th. The healthcare product maker reported $1.19 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $1.19. The company had revenue of $10.24 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.19 billion. Abbott Laboratories had a net margin of 14.27% and a return on equity of 20.65%. Abbott Laboratoriess revenue for the quarter was up 1.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.03 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that Abbott Laboratories will post 4.61 EPS for the current year. The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, April 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.55 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 12th. This represents a $2.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.85%. Abbott Laboratoriess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 67.48%. Analysts Set New Price Targets ABT has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Raymond James increased their price objective on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $124.00 to $127.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday, January 25th. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an outperform rating and set a $128.00 price objective on shares of Abbott Laboratories in a research note on Wednesday, February 14th. Barclays increased their price objective on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $133.00 to $141.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Friday, January 26th. TheStreet upgraded shares of Abbott Laboratories from a c+ rating to a b- rating in a research note on Thursday, December 21st. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $116.00 to $121.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 13th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $120.00. Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on ABT Insider Buying and Selling at Abbott Laboratories In other Abbott Laboratories news, EVP Andrea F. Wainer sold 42,500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction 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 completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 65,027 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,315,537.50. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other Abbott Laboratories news, EVP Andrea F. Wainer sold 42,500 shares of Abbott Laboratories stock in a transaction 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 directly owns 65,027 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $7,315,537.50. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Andrea F. Wainer sold 12,500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $120.00, for a total transaction of $1,500,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 78,704 shares in the company, valued at $9,444,480. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 70,000 shares of company stock worth $7,901,250. 1.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. About Abbott Laboratories (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 company 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 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. SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won on Thursday was set to head the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), a major Korean business lobby, for a second term. The Seoul Chamber of Commerce and Industry held a general meeting and unanimously reelected Chey as its chairperson. Per custom, the head of the KCCI's Seoul branch serves as the organization's chief. The KCCI plans to hold a general meeting next month and officially confirm Chey's second term as its chairperson through consent from regional chambers and special members. The term of the KCCI chair is three years, with the option for one reappointment. Chey, has served as the chamber's chief since 2021. Chey has introduced key initiatives, such as the KCCI communication platform and the Entrepreneurship Roundtable, emphasizing the need to strengthen the private sector's engagement with the government and the public. He was also actively involved in Korea's bid to host the 2030 World Expo, having traveled around the world extensively as a special envoy last year. (Yonhap) Caxton Associates LP acquired a new position in Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE:NUS Free Report) in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm acquired 46,915 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $995,000. Caxton Associates LP owned 0.09% of Nu Skin Enterprises as of its most recent filing with the SEC. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Lazard Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Nu Skin Enterprises during the 2nd quarter valued at $30,000. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Nu Skin Enterprises by 37.1% during the 2nd quarter. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC now owns 809 shares of the companys stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 219 shares in the last quarter. Royal Bank of Canada raised its holdings in shares of Nu Skin Enterprises by 118.2% during the 3rd quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 1,150 shares of the companys stock valued at $38,000 after purchasing an additional 623 shares in the last quarter. CWM LLC raised its holdings in shares of Nu Skin Enterprises by 5,838.9% during the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 2,138 shares of the companys stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 2,102 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Covestor Ltd raised its holdings in shares of Nu Skin Enterprises by 676.3% during the 2nd quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 2,321 shares of the companys stock valued at $77,000 after purchasing an additional 2,022 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 73.62% of the companys stock. Get Nu Skin Enterprises alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several research analysts recently commented on the stock. TheStreet downgraded shares of Nu Skin Enterprises from a c rating to a d+ rating in a report on Wednesday, November 1st. StockNews.com lowered shares of Nu Skin Enterprises from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Saturday, February 24th. Finally, DA Davidson decreased their price target on shares of Nu Skin Enterprises from $29.00 to $21.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 5th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $23.67. Insider Buying and Selling at Nu Skin Enterprises In related news, Director Andrew D. Lipman sold 2,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $18.55, for a total transaction of $37,100.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 31,225 shares of the companys stock, valued at $579,223.75. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Insiders have sold a total of 6,000 shares of company stock worth $100,800 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 2.00% of the companys stock. Nu Skin Enterprises Price Performance Shares of Nu Skin Enterprises stock traded up $0.29 during trading on Thursday, hitting $12.67. 206,727 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 773,804. The company has a market cap of $626.15 million, a PE ratio of 68.78 and a beta of 1.17. Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. has a twelve month low of $12.06 and a twelve month high of $41.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 2.13 and a quick ratio of 1.28. The firms fifty day moving average price is $17.38 and its 200 day moving average price is $19.26. Nu Skin Enterprises Cuts Dividend The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 6th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 26th will be given a $0.06 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 23rd. This represents a $0.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.89%. Nu Skin Enterprisess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 133.34%. Nu Skin Enterprises Company Profile (Free Report) Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, develops and distributes various beauty and wellness products worldwide. It offers skin care devices, cosmetics, and other personal care products, including ageLOC LumiSpa and ageLOC LumiSpa iO, ageLOC Body Spa; and nutricentials skin care products. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding NUS? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE:NUS Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Nu Skin Enterprises Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Nu Skin Enterprises and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. bought a new stake in MGIC Investment Co. (NYSE:MTG Free Report) in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm bought 128,239 shares of the insurance providers stock, valued at approximately $2,140,000. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Beacon Pointe Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of MGIC Investment by 5.4% in the 2nd quarter. Beacon Pointe Advisors LLC now owns 12,303 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $194,000 after buying an additional 633 shares during the period. Avantax Planning Partners Inc. grew its stake in shares of MGIC Investment by 6.8% during the third quarter. Avantax Planning Partners Inc. now owns 11,543 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $193,000 after purchasing an additional 734 shares during the period. Stifel Financial Corp grew its stake in shares of MGIC Investment by 5.3% during the first quarter. Stifel Financial Corp now owns 18,064 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $242,000 after purchasing an additional 902 shares during the period. Captrust Financial Advisors grew its stake in shares of MGIC Investment by 6.6% during the third quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 17,046 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $219,000 after purchasing an additional 1,060 shares during the period. Finally, Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV grew its stake in shares of MGIC Investment by 6.7% during the first quarter. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV now owns 17,666 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $237,000 after purchasing an additional 1,106 shares during the period. 93.41% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get MGIC Investment alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets MTG has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. UBS Group initiated coverage on MGIC Investment in a research note on Wednesday, December 6th. They set a neutral rating and a $18.50 price objective for the company. Roth Mkm lifted their price objective on MGIC Investment from $21.00 to $24.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Friday, February 2nd. Barclays began coverage on MGIC Investment in a report on Wednesday, November 15th. They set an equal weight rating and a $19.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on MGIC Investment from $18.00 to $21.00 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a report on Friday, February 2nd. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $20.50. MGIC Investment Stock Performance MTG stock opened at $19.91 on Thursday. The businesss 50-day moving average price is $19.44 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $18.12. The company has a current ratio of 0.98, a quick ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13. The firm has a market cap of $5.37 billion, a PE ratio of 8.00, a P/E/G ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 1.24. MGIC Investment Co. has a 1-year low of $12.15 and a 1-year high of $20.26. MGIC Investment (NYSE:MTG Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 31st. The insurance provider reported $0.67 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.57 by $0.10. The company had revenue of $284.72 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $302.96 million. MGIC Investment had a return on equity of 14.82% and a net margin of 61.72%. As a group, research analysts forecast that MGIC Investment Co. will post 2.43 earnings per share for the current year. MGIC Investment Announces Dividend The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 5th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 15th will be issued a $0.115 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, February 14th. This represents a $0.46 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.31%. MGIC Investments dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 18.47%. About MGIC Investment (Free Report) MGIC Investment Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides private mortgage insurance, other mortgage credit risk management solutions, and ancillary services to lenders and government sponsored entities in the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Guam. The company offers primary mortgage insurance that provides mortgage default protection on individual loans, as well as covers unpaid loan principal, delinquent interest, and various expenses associated with the default and subsequent foreclosure. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for MGIC Investment Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for MGIC Investment and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC boosted its position in Entergy Co. (NYSE:ETR Free Report) by 3.1% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 7,582 shares of the utilities providers stock after acquiring an additional 229 shares during the quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLCs holdings in Entergy were worth $701,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. A number of other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Wetherby Asset Management Inc. boosted its position in Entergy by 2.7% in the first quarter. Wetherby Asset Management Inc. now owns 3,269 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $382,000 after buying an additional 87 shares in the last quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust boosted its position in Entergy by 15.5% in the first quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 739 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $86,000 after buying an additional 99 shares in the last quarter. Smith Moore & CO. lifted its holdings in shares of Entergy by 3.1% during the first quarter. Smith Moore & CO. now owns 3,339 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $360,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the period. Metropolitan Life Insurance Co NY lifted its holdings in shares of Entergy by 1.2% during the second quarter. Metropolitan Life Insurance Co NY now owns 9,214 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $897,000 after purchasing an additional 113 shares during the period. Finally, Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Entergy by 1.8% during the second quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC now owns 6,287 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $612,000 after purchasing an additional 113 shares during the period. 86.52% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get Entergy alerts: Insider Buying and Selling In other Entergy news, EVP Marcus V. Brown sold 38,417 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, December 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $101.53, for a total value of $3,900,478.01. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 9,380 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $952,351.40. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.39% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on ETR shares. Barclays lifted their target price on shares of Entergy from $99.00 to $104.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 2nd. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on shares of Entergy from $110.00 to $113.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Monday. Bank of America raised shares of Entergy from a neutral rating to a buy rating and lifted their price target for the company from $94.00 to $110.00 in a research note on Tuesday, November 21st. UBS Group raised shares of Entergy from a neutral rating to a buy rating and lifted their price target for the company from $103.00 to $118.00 in a research note on Monday, November 6th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an outperform rating and issued a $117.00 price target on shares of Entergy in a research note on Monday. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $110.73. Get Our Latest Report on Entergy Entergy Stock Down 0.2 % ETR opened at $100.57 on Thursday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $100.62 and a 200 day moving average of $98.06. The company has a market cap of $21.45 billion, a PE ratio of 9.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.99 and a beta of 0.71. Entergy Co. has a 12 month low of $87.10 and a 12 month high of $111.90. The company has a current ratio of 0.57, a quick ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.57. Entergy (NYSE:ETR Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 22nd. The utilities provider reported $0.52 EPS for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.52. Entergy had a net margin of 19.41% and a return on equity of 10.54%. The company had revenue of $2.72 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.27 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.51 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Entergy Co. will post 7.22 EPS for the current year. Entergy Announces Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 1st. Investors of record on Friday, February 9th will be given a $1.13 dividend. This represents a $4.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.49%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 8th. Entergys payout ratio is presently 40.76%. Entergy Company Profile (Free Report) Entergy Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the production and retail distribution of electricity in the United States. The company operates in two segments, Utility and Entergy Wholesale Commodities. The Utility segment generates, transmits, distributes, and sells electric power in portions of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, including the City of New Orleans; and distributes natural gas. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ETR? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Entergy Co. (NYSE:ETR Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Entergy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Entergy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC lessened its holdings in iShares Gold Trust (NYSEARCA:IAU Free Report) by 3.6% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 20,450 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after selling 760 shares during the quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLCs holdings in iShares Gold Trust were worth $716,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Cape Cod Five Cents Savings Bank raised its position in iShares Gold Trust by 100.0% during the third quarter. Cape Cod Five Cents Savings Bank now owns 11,580 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $405,000 after acquiring an additional 5,790 shares in the last quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia raised its position in iShares Gold Trust by 5.4% during the third quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 21,481 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $742,000 after acquiring an additional 1,091 shares in the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC raised its position in iShares Gold Trust by 575.8% during the third quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 7,096 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $248,000 after acquiring an additional 6,046 shares in the last quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd bought a new stake in iShares Gold Trust during the third quarter worth $26,000. Finally, Reuter James Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in iShares Gold Trust during the third quarter worth $12,703,000. Institutional investors own 58.45% of the companys stock. Get iShares Gold Trust alerts: iShares Gold Trust Stock Up 0.6 % NYSEARCA IAU opened at $38.73 on Thursday. The firms fifty day moving average price is $38.47 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $37.43. iShares Gold Trust has a 1 year low of $34.35 and a 1 year high of $39.45. iShares Gold Trust Profile iShares Gold Trust (the Trust) is to own gold transferred to the Trust in exchange for shares issued by the Trust (Shares). Each Share represents a fractional undivided beneficial interest in the net assets of the Trust. The assets of the Trust consist of gold held by the Trusts custodian on behalf of the Trust. See Also Receive News & Ratings for iShares Gold Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares Gold Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Eldorado Gold (NYSE:EGO Free Report) (TSE:ELD) had its price objective lowered by TD Securities from $14.50 to $13.00 in a research report report published on Monday, BayStreet.CA reports. TD Securities currently has a hold rating on the basic materials companys stock. A number of other brokerages have also recently issued reports on EGO. TheStreet upgraded shares of Eldorado Gold from a d+ rating to a c- rating in a research report on Friday, November 3rd. StockNews.com cut shares of Eldorado Gold from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Monday, October 30th. CIBC raised their price objective on shares of Eldorado Gold from $16.50 to $18.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 7th. National Bank Financial restated an outperform spec overweight rating on shares of Eldorado Gold in a research report on Wednesday, January 3rd. Finally, Stifel Canada lowered shares of Eldorado Gold from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Friday, January 26th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $13.27. Get Eldorado Gold alerts: Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on EGO Eldorado Gold Trading Down 1.7 % Institutional Inflows and Outflows Shares of Eldorado Gold stock opened at $10.16 on Monday. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.16 and a beta of 1.14. The company has a quick ratio of 2.89, a current ratio of 3.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $12.10 and a 200 day simple moving average of $11.01. Eldorado Gold has a 12-month low of $8.30 and a 12-month high of $13.71. Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust bought a new position in Eldorado Gold during the 4th quarter worth approximately $35,000. C M Bidwell & Associates Ltd. bought a new position in Eldorado Gold during the 4th quarter worth approximately $37,000. US Bancorp DE boosted its stake in Eldorado Gold by 682.7% during the 4th quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 4,970 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $64,000 after acquiring an additional 4,335 shares during the last quarter. Tobam bought a new position in Eldorado Gold during the 4th quarter worth approximately $68,000. Finally, Russell Investments Group Ltd. bought a new position in Eldorado Gold during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $88,000. Institutional investors own 58.23% of the companys stock. Eldorado Gold Company Profile (Get Free Report) Eldorado Gold Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the mining, exploration, development, and sale of mineral products primarily in Turkey, Canada, Greece, and Romania. The company primarily produces gold, as well as silver, lead, and zinc. It holds a 100% interest in the Kisladag and Efemcukuru gold mines located in western Turkey; Lamaque gold mines located in Canada; and Olympias, Stratoni, Skouries, Perama Hill, and Sapes gold mines located in Greece, as well as the 80.5% interest in Certej development projects located in Romania. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Eldorado Gold Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Eldorado Gold and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Gafisa S.A. (OTCMKTS:GFASY Get Free Report) saw a large drop in short interest during the month of February. As of February 15th, there was short interest totalling 200 shares, a drop of 99.2% from the January 31st total of 26,300 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 4,600 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.0 days. Gafisa Stock Performance Shares of GFASY stock opened at $3.80 on Thursday. Gafisa has a twelve month low of $1.45 and a twelve month high of $6.94. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $4.24 and its 200 day simple moving average is $2.70. Get Gafisa alerts: About Gafisa (Get Free Report) Read More Gafisa SA operates as a development and construction company under the Gafisa brand name in Brazil. The company is involved in residential, commercial, and hotel projects. It also provides technical consultancy services, and real estate management and construction services to third parties. Gafisa SA was founded in 1954 and is headquartered in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Receive News & Ratings for Gafisa Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Gafisa and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. California State Teachers Retirement System decreased its position in General Mills, Inc. (NYSE:GIS Free Report) by 3.8% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 944,582 shares of the companys stock after selling 36,954 shares during the quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System owned 0.16% of General Mills worth $60,444,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. BlackRock Inc. lifted its stake in shares of General Mills by 0.5% in the second quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 54,713,936 shares of the companys stock worth $4,196,559,000 after acquiring an additional 279,268 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its holdings in General Mills by 0.7% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 33,076,744 shares of the companys stock worth $2,536,986,000 after purchasing an additional 216,622 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of General Mills by 2.3% in the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 11,594,011 shares of the companys stock valued at $887,334,000 after purchasing an additional 257,174 shares in the last quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of General Mills by 123,599.0% during the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 11,076,005 shares of the companys stock valued at $928,723,000 after buying an additional 11,067,051 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its position in shares of General Mills by 0.7% during the first quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 10,852,150 shares of the companys stock worth $734,907,000 after buying an additional 75,902 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.31% of the companys stock. Get General Mills alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Evercore ISI decreased their price objective on shares of General Mills from $75.00 to $72.00 and set an in-line rating for the company in a report on Monday, December 11th. Mizuho lowered their price objective on General Mills from $70.00 to $65.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Friday, December 22nd. Bank of America reduced their target price on General Mills from $72.00 to $68.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, December 21st. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price target on General Mills from $72.00 to $68.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Thursday, December 21st. Finally, Piper Sandler reduced their price objective on General Mills from $77.00 to $76.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, December 15th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have issued a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, General Mills presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $72.67. General Mills Trading Up 0.1 % Shares of NYSE:GIS opened at $64.30 on Thursday. General Mills, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $60.33 and a fifty-two week high of $90.89. The company has a quick ratio of 0.36, a current ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09. The company has a market cap of $36.52 billion, a PE ratio of 15.64, a P/E/G ratio of 2.25 and a beta of 0.16. The companys 50-day moving average price is $64.30 and its 200 day moving average price is $65.06. General Mills (NYSE:GIS Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, December 20th. The company reported $1.25 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.16 by $0.09. General Mills had a return on equity of 25.44% and a net margin of 12.06%. The company had revenue of $5.10 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $5.35 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.10 earnings per share. The businesss revenue for the quarter was down 2.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts anticipate that General Mills, Inc. will post 4.49 earnings per share for the current year. General Mills Announces Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 1st. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 10th will be given a $0.59 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, April 9th. This represents a $2.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.67%. General Millss dividend payout ratio is presently 57.42%. Insider Buying and Selling at General Mills In related news, CEO Jeffrey L. Harmening sold 60,056 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $64.44, for a total transaction of $3,870,008.64. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 318,483 shares in the company, valued at $20,523,044.52. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. In related news, CEO Jeffrey L. Harmening sold 60,056 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $64.44, for a total transaction of $3,870,008.64. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 318,483 shares of the companys stock, valued at $20,523,044.52. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, insider Jonathon Nudi sold 7,671 shares of General Mills stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $64.15, for a total value of $492,094.65. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 102,924 shares in the company, valued at $6,602,574.60. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.24% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. About General Mills (Free Report) General Mills, Inc manufactures and markets branded consumer foods worldwide. The company operates through four segments: North America Retail; International; Pet; and North America Foodservice. It offers grain, ready-to-eat cereals, refrigerated yogurt, soup, meal kits, refrigerated and frozen dough products, dessert and baking mixes, bakery flour, frozen pizza and pizza snacks, snack bars, fruit and salty snacks, ice cream and frozen desserts, nutrition bars, and savory snacks, as well as various organic products, including frozen and shelf-stable vegetables. See Also Receive News & Ratings for General Mills Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for General Mills and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Global Business Travel Group, Inc. (NYSE:GBTG Get Free Report) saw strong trading volume on Tuesday . 251,215 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 129% from the previous sessions volume of 109,471 shares.The stock last traded at $6.01 and had previously closed at $5.99. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Citigroup upgraded shares of Global Business Travel Group from a neutral rating to a buy rating and upped their price objective for the company from $7.50 to $8.00 in a report on Friday, December 15th. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on shares of Global Business Travel Group from $8.00 to $7.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, November 8th. Get Global Business Travel Group alerts: Check Out Our Latest Research Report on Global Business Travel Group Global Business Travel Group Stock Performance Institutional Investors Weigh In On Global Business Travel Group The companys fifty day moving average is $5.99 and its two-hundred day moving average is $5.86. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.08, a current ratio of 1.59 and a quick ratio of 1.59. Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of GBTG. American Express Co purchased a new stake in Global Business Travel Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,017,721,000. Apollo Management Holdings L.P. purchased a new position in shares of Global Business Travel Group during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $170,437,000. BlackRock Inc. lifted its position in shares of Global Business Travel Group by 1,169.4% during the 2nd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 1,564,661 shares of the companys stock valued at $11,312,000 after buying an additional 1,441,400 shares in the last quarter. Hudson Bay Capital Management LP purchased a new position in shares of Global Business Travel Group during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $6,173,000. Finally, State Street Corp lifted its position in shares of Global Business Travel Group by 614.7% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 481,121 shares of the companys stock valued at $3,479,000 after buying an additional 413,802 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.92% of the companys stock. Global Business Travel Group Company Profile (Get Free Report) Global Business Travel Group, Inc provides business-to-business (B2B) travel platform in the United States and internationally. The company's platform offers a suite of technology-enabled solutions to business travelers and clients; travel content suppliers including airlines, hotels, ground transportation, and aggregators; and third-party travel agencies. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Global Business Travel Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Global Business Travel Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Gotham Asset Management LLC grew its position in shares of Teledyne Technologies Incorporated (NYSE:TDY Free Report) by 13.3% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 16,660 shares of the scientific and technical instruments companys stock after acquiring an additional 1,954 shares during the quarter. Gotham Asset Management LLCs holdings in Teledyne Technologies were worth $6,807,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Baird Financial Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Teledyne Technologies by 2.6% in the 4th quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 944 shares of the scientific and technical instruments companys stock worth $378,000 after buying an additional 24 shares during the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP boosted its holdings in shares of Teledyne Technologies by 26.5% in the 3rd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 129 shares of the scientific and technical instruments companys stock worth $53,000 after buying an additional 27 shares during the last quarter. CWM LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Teledyne Technologies by 6.2% in the 2nd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 481 shares of the scientific and technical instruments companys stock worth $198,000 after buying an additional 28 shares during the last quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV boosted its holdings in shares of Teledyne Technologies by 32.2% in the 3rd quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV now owns 115 shares of the scientific and technical instruments companys stock worth $47,000 after buying an additional 28 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Great Lakes Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Teledyne Technologies by 5.5% in the 3rd quarter. Great Lakes Advisors LLC now owns 540 shares of the scientific and technical instruments companys stock worth $221,000 after buying an additional 28 shares during the last quarter. 87.57% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Teledyne Technologies alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes TDY has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Needham & Company LLC cut their price target on shares of Teledyne Technologies from $522.00 to $510.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 24th. StockNews.com upgraded Teledyne Technologies from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Saturday, February 10th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Buy and an average target price of $515.67. Teledyne Technologies Stock Performance Teledyne Technologies stock traded up $0.07 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $425.50. The stock had a trading volume of 34,218 shares, compared to its average volume of 205,932. The firms 50-day moving average price is $432.83 and its 200 day moving average price is $413.32. Teledyne Technologies Incorporated has a 12 month low of $364.98 and a 12 month high of $448.71. The firm has a market capitalization of $20.16 billion, a PE ratio of 23.00, a P/E/G ratio of 2.74 and a beta of 1.03. The company has a quick ratio of 1.17, a current ratio of 1.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.29. Teledyne Technologies (NYSE:TDY Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 24th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $5.44 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $5.04 by $0.40. Teledyne Technologies had a net margin of 15.72% and a return on equity of 10.81%. The firm had revenue of $1.43 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.46 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $4.94 earnings per share. The companys revenue for the quarter was up .5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts predict that Teledyne Technologies Incorporated will post 20.55 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Insider Transactions at Teledyne Technologies In related news, VP Cynthia Y. Belak sold 5,389 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $409.52, for a total value of $2,206,903.28. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 4,991 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,043,914.32. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, VP Cynthia Y. Belak sold 5,389 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $409.52, for a total value of $2,206,903.28. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 4,991 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,043,914.32. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CFO Sue Main sold 9,461 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $421.34, for a total transaction of $3,986,297.74. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 40,127 shares in the company, valued at $16,907,110.18. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 74,206 shares of company stock valued at $30,707,174. 2.14% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Teledyne Technologies Profile (Free Report) Teledyne Technologies Incorporated, together with its subsidiaries, provides enabling technologies for industrial growth markets in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, and internationally. The company's Instrumentation segment offers monitoring and control instruments for marine, environmental, industrial, and other applications, as well as electronic test and measurement equipment; and power and communications connectivity devices for distributed instrumentation systems and sensor networks. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Teledyne Technologies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Teledyne Technologies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Saba Capital Management L.P. reduced its stake in shares of Granite Ridge Resources, Inc. (NYSE:GRNT Free Report) by 39.6% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 115,878 shares of the companys stock after selling 76,090 shares during the period. Saba Capital Management L.P. owned 0.09% of Granite Ridge Resources worth $707,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of GRNT. Barclays PLC grew its position in Granite Ridge Resources by 507.6% in the 2nd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 5,225 shares of the companys stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 4,365 shares during the last quarter. Citigroup Inc. bought a new position in Granite Ridge Resources in the second quarter worth $51,000. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC boosted its stake in Granite Ridge Resources by 26.1% during the third quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 8,494 shares of the companys stock worth $52,000 after buying an additional 1,760 shares in the last quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System bought a new position in shares of Granite Ridge Resources during the 2nd quarter worth about $57,000. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company MN lifted its stake in Granite Ridge Resources by 9,620.8% during the second quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 9,818 shares of the companys stock worth $65,000 after purchasing an additional 9,717 shares during the period. 7.56% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Granite Ridge Resources alerts: Insider Activity at Granite Ridge Resources In other news, Director Thaddeus Darden purchased 10,000 shares of Granite Ridge Resources stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 4th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $5.80 per share, for a total transaction of $58,000.00. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 189,762 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,100,619.60. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 1.40% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Granite Ridge Resources Trading Up 1.8 % Granite Ridge Resources Dividend Announcement Shares of GRNT stock traded up $0.11 on Thursday, hitting $6.22. The stock had a trading volume of 78,783 shares, compared to its average volume of 426,591. The firm has a market cap of $827.26 million, a P/E ratio of 6.83 and a beta of 0.13. Granite Ridge Resources, Inc. has a twelve month low of $4.82 and a twelve month high of $8.14. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $5.77 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $6.20. The company has a current ratio of 1.47, a quick ratio of 1.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13. The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 1st will be paid a dividend of $0.11 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 29th. This represents a $0.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 7.07%. Granite Ridge Resourcess dividend payout ratio is currently 48.35%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Separately, Bank of America initiated coverage on shares of Granite Ridge Resources in a report on Tuesday, November 7th. They issued a buy rating and a $9.00 price target for the company. Check Out Our Latest Report on GRNT Granite Ridge Resources Company Profile (Free Report) Granite Ridge Resources, Inc operates as a non-operated oil and gas exploration and production company. It owns a portfolio of wells and acreage across the Permian and other unconventional basins in the United States. The company is based in Dallas, Texas. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Granite Ridge Resources Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Granite Ridge Resources and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Korea has participated in a 10-nation joint statement outlining principles for the research and development of the sixth-generation (6G) wireless communications systems, its science ministry said Tuesday. The statement was jointly issued by Korea, the United States, Australia, Japan and six other countries on the sidelines of the Mobile World Congress Barcelona 2024, calling for the creation of a safe and interoperable 6G network, according to the Ministry of Science and ICT. Under the declaration, the 10 countries have agreed to work together to support a trusted technology that is protective of national security, and secure, resilient and protective of privacy. The 6G system should also be built on global industry-led and inclusive standards, and support open and interoperable innovation as part of efforts to foster international collaborations, the statement read. The statement also called for affordability, sustainability and global connectivity, as well as secure and resilient supply chains in the system to promote healthy competition in the global market. "Our government has set the direction of 6G technology development," Science Minister Lee Jong-ho said. "It aims to strengthen the security of the supply chain for core components, promote openness in network infrastructure and software-based transformations, and reduce energy consumption and expand coverage." "To maintain and boost the country's competitiveness at a time when advanced technologies are connected with national security, we will work to play a leading role in devising and refining principles on core and new technologies," Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul said. (Yonhap) Great Southern Mining Limited (ASX:GSN Get Free Report) insider John Terpu acquired 1,295,829 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 22nd. The shares were acquired at an average price of A$0.02 ($0.01) per share, with a total value of A$24,620.75 ($16,091.99). John Terpu also recently made the following trade(s): Get Great Southern Mining alerts: On Monday, February 19th, John Terpu bought 1,971,131 shares of Great Southern Mining stock. The stock was purchased at an average price of A$0.02 ($0.01) per share, with a total value of A$37,451.49 ($24,478.10). Great Southern Mining Stock Performance The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a current ratio of 3.07 and a quick ratio of 0.65. Great Southern Mining Company Profile Great Southern Mining Limited primarily engages in the exploration and evaluation of gold deposits in Australia. The company also explores for silver, nickel, copper, and other minerals. The company holds a 100% interest in the Mon Ami gold project, the Cox's Find project, and the Duketon gold project, Southern Star project, and East Laverton project located in Western Australia. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Great Southern Mining Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Great Southern Mining and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. White Cliff Minerals Limited (ASX:WCN Get Free Report) insider Roderick Mcillree bought 6,600,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 23rd. The stock was purchased at an average cost of A$0.02 ($0.01) per share, for a total transaction of A$99,000.00 ($64,705.88). Roderick Mcillree also recently made the following trade(s): Get White Cliff Minerals alerts: On Friday, December 1st, Roderick Mcillree acquired 3,000,000 shares of White Cliff Minerals stock. The stock was bought at an average cost of A$0.01 ($0.01) per share, for a total transaction of A$36,000.00 ($23,529.41). White Cliff Minerals Price Performance About White Cliff Minerals (Get Free Report) Read More White Cliff Minerals Limited engages in the exploration of mineral properties in Australia. It explores for lithium, rare earth elements (REE), gold, copper, nickel, and cobalt deposits. The company holds 100% interests in the Hines Hill REE project consists of two adjoining tenements covering an area of 576 square kilometers, located in the wheatbelt region, near east of Perth along the Great Eastern Highway; the Diemals Li/REE project consists of 6 tenements covering an area of 2,427 square kilometers, located near east of Paynes Find; the Preston River Lithium project located near the north of the Greenbushes; and the Reedy South Gold project covers an area of 272 square kilometers, located within the Meekatharra-Wydgee greenstone belt. Receive News & Ratings for White Cliff Minerals Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for White Cliff Minerals and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Ingersoll Rand Inc. (NYSE:IR Get Free Report) insider Andrew R. Schiesl sold 10,421 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $89.95, for a total value of $937,368.95. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 48,904 shares of the companys stock, valued at $4,398,914.80. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Ingersoll Rand Trading Down 0.6 % Shares of IR stock opened at $89.85 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $36.25 billion, a PE ratio of 47.29, a P/E/G ratio of 3.32 and a beta of 1.43. Ingersoll Rand Inc. has a 1-year low of $51.84 and a 1-year high of $92.32. The business has a 50-day moving average of $81.34 and a 200 day moving average of $72.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 2.22 and a quick ratio of 1.67. Get Ingersoll Rand alerts: Ingersoll Rand Announces Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 28th. Investors of record on Thursday, March 7th will be issued a dividend of $0.02 per share. This represents a $0.08 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.09%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, March 6th. Ingersoll Rands dividend payout ratio is presently 4.21%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several research firms recently commented on IR. Evercore ISI cut Ingersoll Rand from an outperform rating to an in-line rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $81.00 to $89.00 in a research report on Tuesday, February 20th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on Ingersoll Rand from $83.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 20th. Cfra upped their price objective on Ingersoll Rand from $68.00 to $85.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a report on Friday, February 16th. StockNews.com cut Ingersoll Rand from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Tuesday. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price objective on Ingersoll Rand from $87.00 to $97.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, February 21st. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $81.64. View Our Latest Stock Report on Ingersoll Rand Institutional Investors Weigh In On Ingersoll Rand Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. OFI Invest Asset Management bought a new position in Ingersoll Rand during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. ANTIPODES PARTNERS Ltd bought a new position in Ingersoll Rand during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Pacifica Partners Inc. bought a new position in Ingersoll Rand during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Quintet Private Bank Europe S.A. bought a new position in Ingersoll Rand during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Finally, Lazard Asset Management LLC raised its position in Ingersoll Rand by 1,566.7% during the 2nd quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 450 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 423 shares during the last quarter. 94.54% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Ingersoll Rand Company Profile (Get Free Report) Ingersoll Rand Inc provides various mission-critical air, gas, liquid, and solid flow creation technologies services and solutions worldwide. It operates through two segments, Industrial Technologies and Services, and Precision and Science Technologies. The Industrial Technologies and Services segment designs, manufactures, markets, and services air and gas compression, vacuum, and blower products; fluid transfer equipment and loading systems; and power tools and lifting equipment, including associated aftermarket parts, consumables, air treatment equipment, controls, other accessories, and services under the under the Ingersoll Rand, Gardner Denver, Nash, CompAir, Elmo Rietschle brands, etc. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Ingersoll Rand Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ingersoll Rand and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Morningstar Investment Services LLC increased its stake in Core Laboratories Inc. (NYSE:CLB Free Report) by 6.0% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 13,570 shares of the oil and gas companys stock after buying an additional 764 shares during the quarter. Morningstar Investment Services LLCs holdings in Core Laboratories were worth $333,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in CLB. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC bought a new stake in Core Laboratories in the 3rd quarter valued at about $31,000. State of Wyoming raised its stake in Core Laboratories by 43.1% in the 2nd quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 1,447 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 436 shares during the period. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC raised its stake in Core Laboratories by 9,913.3% in the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 1,502 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 1,487 shares during the period. Signaturefd LLC grew its holdings in Core Laboratories by 33.1% during the 2nd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 1,590 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $37,000 after buying an additional 395 shares in the last quarter. Finally, UBS Group AG grew its holdings in Core Laboratories by 171.6% during the 3rd quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 3,200 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $43,000 after buying an additional 2,022 shares in the last quarter. 97.81% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Core Laboratories alerts: Core Laboratories Stock Down 0.9 % Shares of NYSE:CLB opened at $14.81 on Thursday. Core Laboratories Inc. has a 52-week low of $13.82 and a 52-week high of $27.94. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $15.90 and a 200 day moving average of $19.79. The firm has a market capitalization of $694.00 million, a PE ratio of 17.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.47 and a beta of 2.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a quick ratio of 1.72 and a current ratio of 2.53. Core Laboratories Announces Dividend Core Laboratories ( NYSE:CLB Get Free Report ) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, January 31st. The oil and gas company reported $0.19 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.20 by ($0.01). Core Laboratories had a return on equity of 15.19% and a net margin of 8.03%. The company had revenue of $128.21 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $127.80 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.23 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Core Laboratories Inc. will post 0.81 EPS for the current fiscal year. The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 4th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 12th will be paid a $0.01 dividend. This represents a $0.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.27%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 9th. Core Laboratoriess dividend payout ratio is presently 4.65%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of research analysts have weighed in on the company. TheStreet lowered Core Laboratories from a b- rating to a c rating in a report on Thursday, November 2nd. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their target price on Core Laboratories from $21.00 to $17.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a report on Monday, February 5th. Finally, StockNews.com raised Core Laboratories from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Saturday, January 20th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and three have issued a hold rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Core Laboratories has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $19.88. Get Our Latest Research Report on Core Laboratories Core Laboratories Company Profile (Free Report) Core Laboratories Inc provides reservoir description and production enhancement services and products to the oil and gas industry in the United States, Canada, and internationally. It operates through Reservoir Description and Production Enhancement segments. The Reservoir Description segment includes the characterization of petroleum reservoir rock, reservoir fluid, and gas samples to enhance production and improve recovery of oil and gas from its clients' reservoirs. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Core Laboratories Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Core Laboratories and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Nomura Holdings Inc. decreased its position in Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. (NYSE:FIS Free Report) by 98.4% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 63,635 shares of the information technology services providers stock after selling 3,884,641 shares during the period. Nomura Holdings Inc.s holdings in Fidelity National Information Services were worth $3,517,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of FIS. Acadian Asset Management LLC raised its stake in Fidelity National Information Services by 491.5% in the first quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 3,904 shares of the information technology services providers stock worth $391,000 after buying an additional 3,244 shares in the last quarter. Synovus Financial Corp increased its position in shares of Fidelity National Information Services by 71.6% in the 1st quarter. Synovus Financial Corp now owns 9,791 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $982,000 after acquiring an additional 4,085 shares during the period. Prudential PLC acquired a new position in shares of Fidelity National Information Services in the 1st quarter valued at $1,173,000. Baird Financial Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Fidelity National Information Services by 8.2% in the 1st quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 194,714 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $19,553,000 after acquiring an additional 14,819 shares during the period. Finally, Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. boosted its holdings in Fidelity National Information Services by 83.3% in the first quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 286 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 130 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 85.67% of the companys stock. Get Fidelity National Information Services alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several research firms have commented on FIS. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of Fidelity National Information Services from $68.00 to $71.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Friday, February 23rd. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price target on shares of Fidelity National Information Services from $67.00 to $75.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Tuesday. Raymond James lowered their target price on shares of Fidelity National Information Services from $79.00 to $71.00 and set a strong-buy rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, November 8th. The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on shares of Fidelity National Information Services in a research note on Thursday. They set a buy rating and a $84.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Mizuho increased their target price on shares of Fidelity National Information Services from $73.00 to $76.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $69.47. Fidelity National Information Services Stock Down 0.2 % FIS stock opened at $66.87 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $38.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -5.95, a PEG ratio of 0.84 and a beta of 0.95. The company has a current ratio of 0.75, a quick ratio of 0.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. has a 12 month low of $46.91 and a 12 month high of $68.14. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $62.05 and a two-hundred day moving average of $57.41. Fidelity National Information Services (NYSE:FIS Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 26th. The information technology services provider reported $0.94 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.95 by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $2.51 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.52 billion. Fidelity National Information Services had a negative net margin of 54.30% and a positive return on equity of 13.06%. The firms revenue was down .6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.71 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Fidelity National Information Services, Inc. will post 4.7 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Fidelity National Information Services Cuts Dividend The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 22nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 8th will be issued a dividend of $0.36 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 7th. This represents a $1.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.15%. Fidelity National Information Servicess dividend payout ratio is currently -18.51%. Fidelity National Information Services announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback program on Monday, February 26th that permits the company to buyback $500.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization permits the information technology services provider to reacquire up to 1.3% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are often a sign that the companys board of directors believes its shares are undervalued. Insider Transactions at Fidelity National Information Services In other news, Director Ellen R. Alemany purchased 735 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 17th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $60.32 per share, for a total transaction 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 transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 0.56% of the companys stock. Fidelity National Information Services Profile (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. See Also 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. Oncolytics Biotech Inc. (TSE:ONC Get Free Report) shares were up 13.9% during mid-day trading on Thursday . The company traded as high as C$1.56 and last traded at C$1.56. Approximately 86,913 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 16% from the average daily volume of 74,726 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$1.37. Analyst Ratings Changes Separately, Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an overweight rating on shares of Oncolytics Biotech in a report on Friday, January 12th. Get Oncolytics Biotech alerts: Check Out Our Latest Analysis on ONC Oncolytics Biotech Stock Performance About Oncolytics Biotech The company has a market capitalization of C$110.83 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -3.04 and a beta of 1.48. The stocks 50 day moving average price is C$1.59 and its 200 day moving average price is C$2.17. The company has a current ratio of 4.53, a quick ratio of 8.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.77. (Get Free Report) Oncolytics Biotech Inc, a development-stage biopharmaceutical company, focuses on the discovery and development of pharmaceutical products for the treatment of cancer. The company is developing pelareorep, an intravenously delivered immunotherapeutic agent, which is in phase 3 clinical trial for the treatment of hormone receptor-positive / human epidermal growth factor 2-negative metastatic breast cancer and advanced/metastatic pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Oncolytics Biotech Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Oncolytics Biotech and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Operose Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Digital Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:DLR Free Report) in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 225 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock, valued at approximately $27,000. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of DLR. BlackRock Inc. increased its position in shares of Digital Realty Trust by 11.8% during the second quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 30,815,132 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $3,508,919,000 after acquiring an additional 3,245,264 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Digital Realty Trust by 2.3% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 20,596,456 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $2,345,318,000 after acquiring an additional 464,694 shares during the period. FMR LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Digital Realty Trust by 4.8% in the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 8,647,509 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $1,046,522,000 after acquiring an additional 394,682 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its position in shares of Digital Realty Trust by 74.2% in the second quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 7,324,758 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $834,070,000 after buying an additional 3,118,791 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Digital Realty Trust by 17.9% in the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 7,112,088 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $808,046,000 after buying an additional 1,079,787 shares in the last quarter. 99.71% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Digital Realty Trust alerts: Digital Realty Trust Stock Performance Digital Realty Trust stock opened at $142.82 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92, a quick ratio of 1.11 and a current ratio of 1.14. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is $138.74 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $131.57. Digital Realty Trust, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $86.33 and a fifty-two week high of $149.07. The stock has a market cap of $44.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 48.09, a PEG ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 0.54. Digital Realty Trust Announces Dividend Analysts Set New Price Targets The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 15th will be given a $1.22 dividend. This represents a $4.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.42%. Digital Realty Trusts dividend payout ratio is currently 164.31%. A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Digital Realty Trust from $125.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 20th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on Digital Realty Trust from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research report on Thursday, February 8th. Citigroup raised their price target on Digital Realty Trust from $136.00 to $154.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Friday, December 8th. Royal Bank of Canada restated an outperform rating and set a $144.00 price target on shares of Digital Realty Trust in a research report on Friday, February 16th. Finally, Barclays lifted their price objective on Digital Realty Trust from $97.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a report on Wednesday, January 24th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating, five have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Digital Realty Trust presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $135.53. Read Our Latest Analysis on Digital Realty Trust Digital Realty Trust Company Profile (Free Report) Digital Realty brings companies and data together by delivering the full spectrum of data center, colocation, and interconnection solutions. PlatformDIGITAL, the company's global data center platform, provides customers with a secure data meeting place and a proven Pervasive Datacenter Architecture (PDx) solution methodology for powering innovation and efficiently managing Data Gravity challenges. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding DLR? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Digital Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:DLR Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Digital Realty Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Digital Realty Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Pimco Total Return ETF (NYSEARCA:BOND Get Free Report) saw unusually-high trading volume on Tuesday . Approximately 683,798 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 127% from the previous sessions volume of 301,399 shares.The stock last traded at $90.78 and had previously closed at $91.00. Pimco Total Return ETF Trading Up 0.1 % The firms fifty day simple moving average is $91.70 and its 200 day simple moving average is $89.70. The company has a market cap of $3.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 56.50 and a beta of 0.18. Get Pimco Total Return ETF alerts: Institutional Investors Weigh In On Pimco Total Return ETF Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of BOND. Bank of Montreal Can increased its holdings in shares of Pimco Total Return ETF by 0.5% in the first quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 59,855 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $6,120,000 after purchasing an additional 288 shares during the period. Cibc World Market Inc. lifted its position in Pimco Total Return ETF by 13.3% in the first quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 32,547 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $3,313,000 after purchasing an additional 3,826 shares during the period. Founders Financial Securities LLC lifted its position in Pimco Total Return ETF by 47.3% in the first quarter. Founders Financial Securities LLC now owns 42,587 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $4,335,000 after purchasing an additional 13,667 shares during the period. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV increased its position in Pimco Total Return ETF by 0.9% during the 1st quarter. Nations Financial Group Inc. IA ADV now owns 54,927 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $5,590,000 after purchasing an additional 481 shares during the period. Finally, Sowell Financial Services LLC raised its stake in shares of Pimco Total Return ETF by 8.7% during the 1st quarter. Sowell Financial Services LLC now owns 122,068 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $8,350,000 after buying an additional 9,734 shares in the last quarter. About Pimco Total Return ETF The PIMCO Active Bond Exchange-Traded Fund (BOND) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the Barclays U.S. Aggregate index. The fund is an actively managed portfolio that aims to maintain a consistent level of dividend income by investing in a broad array of fixed income sectors and utilizing income efficient implementation strategies. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Pimco Total Return ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Pimco Total Return ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. RHI Magnesita (LON:RHIM Get Free Report) had its price objective hoisted by Royal Bank of Canada from GBX 3,400 ($43.13) to GBX 4,000 ($50.74) in a report released on Thursday, Marketbeat.com reports. The firm currently has a sector perform rating on the stock. Royal Bank of Canadas price target suggests a potential upside of 8.28% from the companys current price. Separately, Barclays restated an overweight rating and issued a GBX 3,800 ($48.20) price target on shares of RHI Magnesita in a research report on Thursday. Get RHI Magnesita alerts: Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on RHIM RHI Magnesita Price Performance RHI Magnesita Company Profile Shares of RHIM stock traded up GBX 20 ($0.25) during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting GBX 3,694 ($46.85). The company had a trading volume of 76,112 shares, compared to its average volume of 17,868. RHI Magnesita has a 52-week low of GBX 2,034 ($25.80) and a 52-week high of GBX 3,810 ($48.33). The stocks 50 day moving average price is GBX 3,415.38 and its 200-day moving average price is GBX 3,030. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 129.64, a current ratio of 2.13 and a quick ratio of 0.93. The company has a market capitalization of 1.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 1,486.75, a P/E/G ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 1.54. (Get Free Report) RHI Magnesita N.V., together with its subsidiaries, develops, produces, sells, installs, and maintains refractory products and systems used in industrial high-temperature processes worldwide. It offers magnesia spinel, dolomite, dolomite-magnesia, magnesia-chrome, alumina, alumina silicate, and mortars for the cement industry; shaped products based on silicon carbide, magnesia, zirconium, fireclay, and alumina; unshaped refractories; high-temperature insulation, and ceramic and metallic anchoring systems; induction and electric arc furnaces, AOD converters, dome and delta, ladles, isostatically pressed and tundish products, and slide gates. Read More Receive News & Ratings for RHI Magnesita Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for RHI Magnesita and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Barclays (LON:BARC Get Free Report) had its price objective raised by stock analysts at Royal Bank of Canada from GBX 230 ($2.92) to GBX 265 ($3.36) in a report released on Tuesday, Marketbeat.com reports. The firm presently has an outperform rating on the financial services providers stock. Royal Bank of Canadas target price would indicate a potential upside of 56.90% from the stocks current price. BARC has been the subject of a number of other reports. Berenberg Bank upped their price objective on shares of Barclays from GBX 240 ($3.04) to GBX 270 ($3.42) and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of Barclays from GBX 180 ($2.28) to GBX 200 ($2.54) and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Thursday, February 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group restated a buy rating and set a GBX 220 ($2.79) price objective on shares of Barclays in a research report on Tuesday, February 20th. Citigroup restated a buy rating on shares of Barclays in a research report on Wednesday, January 31st. Finally, Shore Capital reiterated a buy rating on shares of Barclays in a research report on Tuesday, February 20th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Buy and a consensus target price of GBX 238.60 ($3.03). Get Barclays alerts: View Our Latest Stock Analysis on BARC Barclays Stock Performance Insider Activity LON:BARC opened at GBX 168.90 ($2.14) on Tuesday. The company has a fifty day moving average of GBX 150.39 and a two-hundred day moving average of GBX 147.55. The stock has a market capitalization of 25.62 billion, a PE ratio of 625.56, a P/E/G ratio of -1.09 and a beta of 1.37. Barclays has a fifty-two week low of GBX 128.12 ($1.63) and a fifty-two week high of GBX 198.86 ($2.52). In other news, insider Nigel Higgins acquired 200,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 7th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of GBX 139 ($1.76) per share, for a total transaction of 278,000 ($352,612.89). In related news, insider Anna Cross sold 74,044 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of GBX 143 ($1.81), for a total transaction of 105,882.92 ($134,301.01). Also, insider Nigel Higgins acquired 200,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 7th. The shares were purchased at an average price of GBX 139 ($1.76) per share, with a total value of 278,000 ($352,612.89). Company insiders own 0.23% of the companys stock. About Barclays (Get Free Report) Barclays PLC provides various financial services in the United Kingdom, Europe, the Americas, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. The company operates through two segments, Barclays UK and Barclays International divisions. It offers financial services, such as retail banking, credit cards, wholesale banking, investment banking, wealth management, and investment management services. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Barclays Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Barclays and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. By Baek Byung-yeul SK Telecom aims to provide a "game-changing" service in the AI sector through collaboration with global telecommunications companies, its CEO Ryu Young-sang said at MWC, formerly the Mobile World Congress, in Barcelona on Monday local time. The company said it established a joint venture called Global Telco AI Alliance (GTAA) with Deutsche Telekom, e& Group, Singtel Group and SoftBank. The participating companies said that the GTAA is an alliance formed to develop a large language model (LLM) specialized for telecommunications companies and provide related AI services. At the inaugural meeting of the GTAA, these companies also held an event to explain the process of joint development of an AI-based LLM and to encourage participation, inviting more than 20 global telecommunications companies to attend. "Many of the telecommunications companies that attended showed great interest in GTAA collaboration," the SK Telecom CEO said. "Now is the time when LLM specialized in a particular industry is leading the change in that field, so global telecommunications companies are trying to become game changers that lead market changes through collaboration in AI." Ryu also shared the GTAA's business goals and expansion plans. He forecast that the GTAA's LLM is expected to be used not only by SK Telecom but also other GTAA member companies within this year. He added that the joint venture will create opportunities for telecommunications companies around the world to gather and offer various AI-related services. "We will not stop making innovations but will continue to take on bold challenges in both domestic and global markets to become a truly global AI company," Ryu said. The GTAA plans to hold global telecom AI roundtable meetings regularly, inviting representative telecommunications companies from each language and region to promote the GTAA's expansion and various inter-company collaborations and to expand its business horizons. Samsung Electronics has also been invited by SK Telecom to help recruit more members to the GTAA, Ryu said. "We have proposed to Samsung Electronics to collaborate with the GTAA," he said. "Cooperation is important for the telco LLM and personal AI assistant services that GTAA is promoting. Specific discussions will be held in the future." Sherbrooke Park Advisers LLC raised its stake in The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY Free Report) by 48.8% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 5,467 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 1,794 shares during the quarter. Sherbrooke Park Advisers LLCs holdings in Hershey were worth $1,094,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Institutional & Family Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Hershey during the 2nd quarter valued at $25,000. Pinnacle Bancorp Inc. bought a new position in shares of Hershey in the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. Costello Asset Management INC bought a new position in shares of Hershey in the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. Zions Bancorporation N.A. increased its stake in Hershey by 121.3% during the 1st quarter. Zions Bancorporation N.A. now owns 135 shares of the companys stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 74 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Indiana Trust & Investment Management CO bought a new stake in Hershey during the 3rd quarter valued at about $30,000. Institutional investors own 56.47% of the companys stock. Get Hershey alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of analysts have recently commented on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Hershey from $185.00 to $193.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Friday, February 9th. Piper Sandler cut shares of Hershey from an overweight rating to a neutral rating and reduced their price target for the stock from $240.00 to $200.00 in a research report on Wednesday, November 29th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of Hershey from $190.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Friday, February 9th. Morgan Stanley lowered shares of Hershey from an equal weight rating to an underweight rating and lowered their price objective for the stock from $191.00 to $183.00 in a research note on Monday, February 12th. Finally, Bank of America downgraded shares of 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. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, fourteen have issued a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Hershey presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $228.33. Hershey Trading Up 0.4 % NYSE:HSY traded up $0.83 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $187.04. The companys stock had a trading volume of 95,048 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,763,109. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $190.92 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $195.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92, a current ratio of 0.97 and a quick ratio of 0.52. The Hershey Company has a twelve month low of $178.82 and a twelve month high of $276.88. The stock has a market cap of $38.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.58, a P/E/G ratio of 2.87 and a beta of 0.36. Hershey (NYSE:HSY Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 8th. The company reported $2.02 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.95 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $2.66 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.72 billion. Hershey had a return on equity of 51.79% and a net margin of 16.67%. The companys quarterly revenue was up .2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $2.02 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that The Hershey Company will post 9.59 EPS for the current year. Hershey Increases Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 15th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 20th will be issued a $1.37 dividend. This represents a $5.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.93%. This is an increase from Hersheys previous quarterly dividend of $1.19. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 16th. Hersheys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 60.55%. Insider Activity at Hershey In other Hershey news, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of Hershey stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $182.07, for a total transaction of $273,105.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 31,316 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,701,704.12. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In related news, CFO Steven E. Voskuil sold 1,500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $182.07, for a total transaction of $273,105.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 31,316 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,701,704.12. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Charles R. Raup sold 2,065 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 19th. The shares were sold at an average price of $191.85, for a total value of $396,170.25. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 14,770 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,833,624.50. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 5,518 shares of company stock worth $1,042,669. 0.34% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Hershey Profile (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. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding HSY? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for The Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY Free Report). 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. Sherbrooke Park Advisers LLC grew its position in shares of Motorola Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:MSI Free Report) by 224.3% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 3,891 shares of the communications equipment providers stock after buying an additional 2,691 shares during the quarter. Sherbrooke Park Advisers LLCs holdings in Motorola Solutions were worth $1,059,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. State Street Corp raised its holdings in shares of Motorola Solutions by 1.3% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 7,019,371 shares of the communications equipment providers stock worth $2,064,642,000 after purchasing an additional 88,158 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Motorola Solutions by 3.5% in the 1st quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 3,531,492 shares of the communications equipment providers stock valued at $1,008,362,000 after buying an additional 119,907 shares in the last quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. grew its stake in Motorola Solutions by 1.9% in the 2nd quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 3,337,453 shares of the communications equipment providers stock valued at $978,808,000 after buying an additional 60,733 shares in the last quarter. FMR LLC grew its stake in Motorola Solutions by 1.6% in the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 2,350,325 shares of the communications equipment providers stock valued at $639,853,000 after buying an additional 37,718 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Raymond James & Associates grew its stake in Motorola Solutions by 3.4% in the 3rd quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 2,059,176 shares of the communications equipment providers stock valued at $560,590,000 after buying an additional 67,528 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 82.37% of the companys stock. Get Motorola Solutions alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of research analysts have recently commented on the stock. William Blair restated an outperform rating on shares of Motorola Solutions in a research report on Friday, February 9th. StockNews.com raised shares of Motorola Solutions from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Monday, February 12th. Barclays boosted their price target on shares of Motorola Solutions from $333.00 to $352.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 2nd. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft began coverage on shares of Motorola Solutions in a research note on Friday, January 19th. They issued a buy rating and a $350.00 price target for the company. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $328.29. Motorola Solutions Stock Up 0.5 % MSI traded up $1.76 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $333.01. The companys stock had a trading volume of 42,124 shares, compared to its average volume of 611,675. The firm has a market capitalization of $55.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.36, a PEG ratio of 3.04 and a beta of 0.92. The stocks 50-day moving average is $320.45 and its 200-day moving average is $303.19. Motorola Solutions, Inc. has a 1 year low of $255.85 and a 1 year high of $334.68. The company has a current ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 6.37. Motorola Solutions (NYSE:MSI Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 8th. The communications equipment provider reported $3.90 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $3.63 by $0.27. The business had revenue of $2.85 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.82 billion. Motorola Solutions had a net margin of 17.12% and a return on equity of 441.65%. The companys quarterly revenue was up 5.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $3.38 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts expect that Motorola Solutions, Inc. will post 11.72 EPS for the current year. Motorola Solutions Announces Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 15th. Investors of record on Friday, March 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.98 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 14th. This represents a $3.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.18%. Motorola Solutionss payout ratio is 39.48%. About Motorola Solutions (Free Report) Motorola Solutions, Inc provides public safety and enterprise security solutions in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and internationally. The company operates in two segments, Products and Systems Integration, and Software and Services. The Products and Systems Integration segment offers a portfolio of infrastructure, devices, accessories, and video security devices and infrastructure, as well as the implementation and integration of systems, devices, software, and applications for government, public safety, and commercial customers who operate private communications networks and video security solutions, as well as manage a mobile workforce. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MSI? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Motorola Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:MSI Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Motorola Solutions Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Motorola Solutions and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Sherbrooke Park Advisers LLC acquired a new stake in shares of The Williams Companies, Inc. (NYSE:WMB Free Report) during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm acquired 28,446 shares of the pipeline companys stock, valued at approximately $958,000. Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. OLD Point Trust & Financial Services N A bought a new stake in shares of Williams Companies during the 2nd quarter valued at $25,000. FSC Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Williams Companies during the 3rd quarter valued at $27,000. Missouri Trust & Investment Co raised its position in shares of Williams Companies by 300.0% during the 2nd quarter. Missouri Trust & Investment Co now owns 800 shares of the pipeline companys stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 600 shares during the period. HWG Holdings LP bought a new stake in shares of Williams Companies during the 3rd quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, Steward Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in Williams Companies in the 2nd quarter valued at $29,000. 85.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Get Williams Companies alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of analysts have issued reports on the stock. UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of Williams Companies from $41.00 to $42.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Thursday, February 15th. Mizuho upped their price objective on shares of Williams Companies from $41.00 to $43.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Thursday, December 7th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $37.27. Williams Companies Stock Performance NYSE WMB traded up $0.44 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $35.70. 283,308 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 6,919,576. The businesss 50 day moving average is $34.70 and its 200-day moving average is $34.79. The company has a market capitalization of $43.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.46, a P/E/G ratio of 5.59 and a beta of 1.04. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.57, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 0.77. The Williams Companies, Inc. has a 1 year low of $27.80 and a 1 year high of $37.45. Williams Companies (NYSE:WMB Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 14th. The pipeline company reported $0.48 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.47 by $0.01. Williams Companies had a net margin of 29.22% and a return on equity of 16.20%. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.53 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts forecast that The Williams Companies, Inc. will post 1.79 EPS for the current fiscal year. Williams Companies Increases Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 25th. Investors of record on Friday, March 8th will be given a dividend of $0.475 per share. This is a boost from Williams Companiess previous quarterly dividend of $0.45. This represents a $1.90 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.32%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 7th. Williams Companiess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 68.32%. 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. Further Reading 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. Sherbrooke Park Advisers LLC decreased its position in shares of Consolidated Edison, Inc. (NYSE:ED Free Report) by 59.8% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 10,783 shares of the utilities providers stock after selling 16,024 shares during the quarter. Sherbrooke Park Advisers LLCs holdings in Consolidated Edison were worth $922,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in Consolidated Edison by 0.5% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 7,992,887 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $722,372,000 after buying an additional 43,516 shares in the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc lifted its holdings in Consolidated Edison by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 6,182,332 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $589,238,000 after buying an additional 56,681 shares in the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp lifted its holdings in Consolidated Edison by 8.2% during the 3rd quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 4,484,026 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $383,519,000 after buying an additional 340,239 shares in the last quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Consolidated Edison by 89,231.2% during the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 4,145,861 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $395,142,000 after buying an additional 4,141,220 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted its holdings in Consolidated Edison by 33.3% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 4,128,579 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $393,495,000 after buying an additional 1,030,730 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 64.53% of the companys stock. Get Consolidated Edison alerts: Consolidated Edison Stock Up 1.2 % NYSE ED traded up $1.02 on Thursday, reaching $87.67. The company had a trading volume of 67,533 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,796,626. The firm has a market capitalization of $30.29 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 8.19 and a beta of 0.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a current ratio of 1.01. Consolidated Edison, Inc. has a 1-year low of $80.46 and a 1-year high of $100.92. The companys fifty day moving average is $89.95 and its 200-day moving average is $89.51. Consolidated Edison Increases Dividend Consolidated Edison ( NYSE:ED Get Free Report ) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 15th. The utilities provider reported $1.00 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.98 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $3.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.70 billion. Consolidated Edison had a net margin of 17.19% and a return on equity of 8.41%. The companys revenue for the quarter was down 14.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.81 EPS. On average, research analysts forecast that Consolidated Edison, Inc. will post 5.31 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 15th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 14th will be paid a dividend of $0.83 per share. This represents a $3.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.79%. This is an increase from Consolidated Edisons previous quarterly dividend of $0.81. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 13th. Consolidated Edisons dividend payout ratio is currently 46.24%. Analyst Ratings Changes Several analysts have commented on ED shares. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their target price on shares of Consolidated Edison from $94.00 to $93.00 and set a sector perform rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 16th. LADENBURG THALM/SH SH started coverage on shares of Consolidated Edison in a research report on Wednesday, January 3rd. They set a neutral rating and a $92.50 target price for the company. Scotiabank upped their target price on shares of Consolidated Edison from $90.00 to $91.00 and gave the company a sector underperform rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 20th. KeyCorp upgraded shares of Consolidated Edison from an underweight rating to a sector weight rating in a research report on Thursday, January 4th. Finally, UBS Group dropped their target price on shares of Consolidated Edison from $99.00 to $94.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 16th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Consolidated Edison currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $87.89. Check Out Our Latest Report on Consolidated Edison About Consolidated Edison (Free Report) Consolidated Edison, Inc, through its subsidiaries, engages in the regulated electric, gas, and steam delivery businesses in the United States. It offers electric services to approximately 3.7 million customers in New York City and Westchester County; gas to approximately 1.1 million customers in Manhattan, the Bronx, parts of Queens, and Westchester County; and steam to approximately 1,530 customers in parts of Manhattan. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ED? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Consolidated Edison, Inc. (NYSE:ED Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Consolidated Edison Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Consolidated Edison and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Lenovo Group Limited (OTCMKTS:LNVGY Get Free Report) was the target of a significant decline in short interest in the month of February. As of February 15th, there was short interest totalling 7,600 shares, a decline of 51.6% from the January 31st total of 15,700 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 115,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.1 days. Lenovo Group Stock Performance Lenovo Group stock traded down $0.89 on Thursday, hitting $21.92. The companys stock had a trading volume of 36,619 shares, compared to its average volume of 67,302. The firm has a market cap of $13.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.90 and a beta of 0.93. The company has a quick ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 0.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.65. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $24.14 and a 200-day moving average price of $23.03. Lenovo Group has a one year low of $17.87 and a one year high of $28.79. Get Lenovo Group alerts: Lenovo Group (OTCMKTS:LNVGY Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 21st. The technology company reported $0.53 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.49 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $15.72 billion for the quarter. Lenovo Group had a net margin of 1.60% and a return on equity of 15.29%. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Lenovo Group will post 1.64 earnings per share for the current year. About Lenovo Group Lenovo Group Limited, an investment holding company, develops, manufactures, and markets technology products and services. It operates through Intelligent Devices Group, Infrastructure Solutions Group, and Solutions and Services Group segments. The company offers commercial and consumer personal computers, as well as servers and workstations; and a family of mobile Internet devices, including tablets and smartphones. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Lenovo Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Lenovo Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Sonic Automotive (NYSE:SAH Get Free Report) had its price objective cut by stock analysts at Bank of America from $60.00 to $55.00 in a research note issued to investors on Thursday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an underperform rating on the stock. Bank of Americas price objective would suggest a potential upside of 4.90% from the stocks current price. A number of other research firms have also commented on SAH. StockNews.com lowered shares of Sonic Automotive from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Thursday, January 11th. TheStreet cut Sonic Automotive from a b rating to a c+ rating in a research report on Thursday, February 8th. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on Sonic Automotive from $35.00 to $40.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a research report on Thursday. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $53.40. Get Sonic Automotive alerts: Read Our Latest Stock Report on SAH Sonic Automotive Stock Performance NYSE SAH traded up $1.19 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $52.43. The company had a trading volume of 14,231 shares, compared to its average volume of 214,452. The business has a 50 day moving average of $53.48 and a 200-day moving average of $51.34. The company has a market cap of $1.78 billion, a PE ratio of 10.55 and a beta of 1.83. Sonic Automotive has a 1-year low of $39.02 and a 1-year high of $60.24. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.10, a quick ratio of 0.41 and a current ratio of 1.10. Sonic Automotive (NYSE:SAH Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 14th. The company reported $1.63 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.80 by ($0.17). The firm had revenue of $3.58 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.61 billion. Sonic Automotive had a net margin of 1.24% and a return on equity of 28.06%. The firms revenue for the quarter was down .2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.61 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Sonic Automotive will post 6.59 EPS for the current year. Institutional Trading of Sonic Automotive Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS grew its holdings in Sonic Automotive by 1.7% in the second quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS now owns 17,979 shares of the companys stock valued at $857,000 after purchasing an additional 304 shares during the last quarter. UniSuper Management Pty Ltd purchased a new position in Sonic Automotive during the second quarter worth approximately $1,804,000. WINTON GROUP Ltd acquired a new position in Sonic Automotive in the third quarter valued at $314,000. SG Americas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Sonic Automotive during the 3rd quarter worth about $135,000. Finally, Capital Impact Advisors LLC grew its stake in Sonic Automotive by 5.6% during the second quarter. Capital Impact Advisors LLC now owns 11,755 shares of the companys stock worth $560,000 after buying an additional 621 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 48.58% of the companys stock. About Sonic Automotive (Get Free Report) Sonic Automotive, Inc operates as an automotive retailer in the United States. It operates in three segments, Franchised Dealerships, EchoPark, and Powersports. The Franchised Dealerships segment is involved in the sale of new and used cars and light trucks, and replacement parts; provision of vehicle maintenance, manufacturer warranty repair, and paint and collision repair services; and arrangement of extended warranties, service contracts, financing, insurance, and other aftermarket products for its guests. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Sonic Automotive Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Sonic Automotive and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Teza Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Ciena Co. (NYSE:CIEN Free Report) by 459.5% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 58,456 shares of the communications equipment providers stock after buying an additional 48,009 shares during the quarter. Teza Capital Management LLCs holdings in Ciena were worth $2,763,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Bank of Montreal Can boosted its position in Ciena by 0.6% in the first quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 36,296 shares of the communications equipment providers stock worth $2,227,000 after purchasing an additional 220 shares during the last quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. lifted its position in shares of Ciena by 0.9% during the 1st quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 28,651 shares of the communications equipment providers stock valued at $1,737,000 after buying an additional 252 shares in the last quarter. Janney Capital Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Ciena by 2.8% during the 3rd quarter. Janney Capital Management LLC now owns 9,774 shares of the communications equipment providers stock valued at $462,000 after buying an additional 264 shares in the last quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC lifted its position in shares of Ciena by 1.0% during the 2nd quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 28,563 shares of the communications equipment providers stock valued at $1,214,000 after buying an additional 277 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Ciena by 3.7% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Personalized Indexing Management LLC now owns 8,321 shares of the communications equipment providers stock valued at $393,000 after buying an additional 300 shares in the last quarter. 90.02% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Ciena alerts: Insider Activity In other news, CEO Gary B. Smith sold 8,332 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $56.86, for a total transaction of $473,757.52. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 415,674 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $23,635,223.64. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In related news, SVP David M. Rothenstein sold 3,500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, December 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $44.40, for a total transaction of $155,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 246,095 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,926,618. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Gary B. Smith sold 8,332 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $56.86, for a total value of $473,757.52. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 415,674 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $23,635,223.64. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 108,242 shares of company stock valued at $5,642,792. 0.83% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Ciena Stock Performance NYSE:CIEN opened at $57.05 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 3.84 and a quick ratio of 2.71. Ciena Co. has a 1 year low of $39.94 and a 1 year high of $57.73. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is $51.27 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $46.99. The company has a market cap of $8.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.12, a PEG ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 1.01. Ciena (NYSE:CIEN Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, December 7th. The communications equipment provider reported $0.75 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.69 by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $1.13 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.10 billion. Ciena had a return on equity of 10.28% and a net margin of 5.81%. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 16.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.49 EPS. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that Ciena Co. will post 2.09 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of research firms have recently weighed in on CIEN. StockNews.com cut Ciena from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research report on Thursday, February 22nd. TheStreet raised Ciena from a c rating to a b- rating in a research report on Thursday, December 7th. Evercore ISI boosted their price target on Ciena from $57.00 to $63.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Friday, February 23rd. Needham & Company LLC reissued a buy rating and issued a $60.00 price target on shares of Ciena in a report on Thursday, December 28th. Finally, Raymond James lowered their price target on Ciena from $63.00 to $60.00 and set a strong-buy rating on the stock in a report on Friday, December 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have given a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Ciena has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $60.21. Read Our Latest Analysis on Ciena Ciena Profile (Free Report) Ciena Corporation provides hardware and software services for delivery of video, data, and voice traffic metro, aggregation, and access communications network worldwide. The company's Networking Platforms segment offers convergence of coherent optical transport, open optical networking, optical transport network switching, IP routing, and switching services. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CIEN? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Ciena Co. (NYSE:CIEN Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Ciena Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ciena and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Toronto Dominion Bank trimmed its stake in shares of Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK Free Report) by 3.8% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 473,502 shares of the utilities providers stock after selling 18,450 shares during the quarter. Toronto Dominion Banks holdings in Duke Energy were worth $41,791,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Bank of Nova Scotia grew its holdings in Duke Energy by 30.5% during the 3rd quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 88,933 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $7,849,000 after acquiring an additional 20,762 shares during the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC grew its holdings in Duke Energy by 323.9% during the 3rd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 62,974 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $5,558,000 after acquiring an additional 48,119 shares during the last quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina grew its holdings in Duke Energy by 0.5% during the 3rd quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 338,885 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $29,910,000 after acquiring an additional 1,720 shares during the last quarter. MFA Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Duke Energy by 7.1% in the 3rd quarter. MFA Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 17,203 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $1,518,000 after purchasing an additional 1,139 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mutual Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Duke Energy by 2.2% in the 3rd quarter. Mutual Advisors LLC now owns 27,060 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $2,388,000 after purchasing an additional 577 shares during the last quarter. 63.68% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get Duke Energy alerts: Duke Energy Stock Performance Shares of DUK stock opened at $90.74 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $69.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.56, a P/E/G ratio of 2.89 and a beta of 0.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.50, a quick ratio of 0.49 and a current ratio of 0.74. Duke Energy Co. has a 52 week low of $83.06 and a 52 week high of $100.39. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $95.35 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $92.28. Duke Energy Dividend Announcement Duke Energy ( NYSE:DUK Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 8th. The utilities provider reported $1.51 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.53 by ($0.02). The company had revenue of $7.21 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.24 billion. Duke Energy had a return on equity of 8.93% and a net margin of 9.78%. The businesss revenue was down 1.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.11 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Duke Energy Co. will post 5.97 earnings per share for the current year. The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 18th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 16th will be paid a $1.025 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 15th. This represents a $4.10 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.52%. Duke Energys payout ratio is 115.49%. Insider Transactions at Duke Energy In related news, EVP Louis E. Renjel sold 3,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $92.57, for a total transaction of $277,710.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 14,213 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,315,697.41. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the companys stock. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of research firms have recently commented on DUK. KeyCorp upped their price objective on shares of Duke Energy from $106.00 to $107.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, January 4th. Bank of America lowered shares of Duke Energy from a buy rating to a neutral rating and cut their target price for the stock from $105.00 to $96.00 in a research note on Monday, February 12th. Royal Bank of Canada raised shares of Duke Energy from a sector perform rating to an outperform rating and increased their target price for the stock from $101.00 to $113.00 in a research note on Wednesday, January 10th. StockNews.com raised shares of Duke Energy from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note on Friday, November 3rd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on shares of Duke Energy from $103.00 to $100.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 9th. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $100.00. Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on Duke Energy Duke Energy Company Profile (Free Report) Duke Energy Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an energy company in the United States. It operates through two segments, Electric Utilities and Infrastructure (EU&I) and Gas Utilities and Infrastructure (GU&I). The EU&I segment generates, transmits, distributes, and sells electricity in the Carolinas, Florida, and the Midwest; and uses coal, hydroelectric, natural gas, oil, solar and wind sources, renewables, and nuclear fuel to generate electricity. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding DUK? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Duke Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Duke Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Trexquant Investment LP lowered its position in shares of Peabody Energy Co. (NYSE:BTU Free Report) by 15.6% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 186,737 shares of the coal producers stock after selling 34,428 shares during the quarter. Trexquant Investment LP owned 0.14% of Peabody Energy worth $4,853,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Harbour Investments Inc. boosted its position in Peabody Energy by 323.1% during the 4th quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. now owns 1,100 shares of the coal producers stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 840 shares during the last quarter. Financial Management Professionals Inc. acquired a new position in Peabody Energy during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in Peabody Energy by 84.5% during the 3rd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,240 shares of the coal producers stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 568 shares during the last quarter. Macquarie Group Ltd. acquired a new position in Peabody Energy during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, Quarry LP boosted its position in Peabody Energy by 1,079.8% during the 1st quarter. Quarry LP now owns 1,345 shares of the coal producers stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 1,231 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.33% of the companys stock. Get Peabody Energy alerts: Peabody Energy Trading Down 1.5 % NYSE BTU opened at $24.72 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $3.17 billion, a PE ratio of 4.96 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a current ratio of 2.06, a quick ratio of 1.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09. Peabody Energy Co. has a 12 month low of $17.71 and a 12 month high of $28.54. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $25.15 and a 200-day moving average of $24.11. Peabody Energy Dividend Announcement Peabody Energy ( NYSE:BTU Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 8th. The coal producer reported $1.33 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.41 by ($0.08). The company had revenue of $1.24 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.22 billion. Peabody Energy had a net margin of 15.36% and a return on equity of 21.45%. The companys quarterly revenue was down 24.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $2.65 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Peabody Energy Co. will post 3.89 EPS for the current fiscal year. The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 13th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 22nd will be issued a $0.075 dividend. This represents a $0.30 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.21%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, February 21st. Peabody Energys payout ratio is presently 6.02%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Separately, B. Riley upped their price target on Peabody Energy from $32.00 to $34.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday. View Our Latest Analysis on BTU Insider Activity at Peabody Energy In related news, Director Nicholas J. Chirekos sold 14,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $25.50, for a total value of $357,000.00. Following the sale, the director now owns 24,279 shares in the company, valued at approximately $619,114.50. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In related news, major shareholder Elliott Investment Management sold 205,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $23.94, for a total value of $4,907,700.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 17,745,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $424,815,300. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Nicholas J. Chirekos sold 14,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $25.50, for a total value of $357,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 24,279 shares in the company, valued at approximately $619,114.50. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 4,227,631 shares of company stock worth $100,878,658. Company insiders own 0.09% of the companys stock. About Peabody Energy (Free Report) Peabody Energy Corporation engages in coal mining business in the United States, Japan, Taiwan, Australia, India, Brazil, Belgium, Chile, France, Indonesia, China, Vietnam, South Korea, and internationally. The company operates through Seaborne Thermal Mining, Seaborne Metallurgical Mining, Powder River Basin Mining, and Other U.S. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Peabody Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Peabody Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Teza Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI Free Report) by 40.5% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 5,012 shares of the construction companys stock after purchasing an additional 1,445 shares during the period. Teza Capital Management LLCs holdings in United Rentals were worth $2,228,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the business. Desjardins Global Asset Management Inc. grew its position in shares of United Rentals by 3.6% in the second quarter. Desjardins Global Asset Management Inc. now owns 665 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $296,000 after purchasing an additional 23 shares during the period. Heartland Bank & Trust Co grew its position in United Rentals by 1.6% during the third quarter. Heartland Bank & Trust Co now owns 1,471 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $654,000 after acquiring an additional 23 shares during the period. Atria Wealth Solutions Inc. grew its position in United Rentals by 0.8% during the third quarter. Atria Wealth Solutions Inc. now owns 3,015 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $1,340,000 after acquiring an additional 23 shares during the period. Bank of Nova Scotia grew its position in United Rentals by 0.6% during the second quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 4,426 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $1,971,000 after acquiring an additional 25 shares during the period. Finally, Heritage Trust Co grew its position in United Rentals by 3.4% during the third quarter. Heritage Trust Co now owns 752 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $334,000 after acquiring an additional 25 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 89.03% of the companys stock. Get United Rentals alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the company. Citigroup boosted their price target on United Rentals from $490.00 to $650.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Friday, December 15th. UBS Group cut United Rentals from a buy rating to a neutral rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $504.00 to $525.00 in a research note on Tuesday, December 5th. BNP Paribas reiterated an underperform rating and issued a $485.00 price target on shares of United Rentals in a research note on Friday, January 5th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their price target on United Rentals from $494.00 to $591.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 19th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on United Rentals from $510.00 to $718.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Friday, January 26th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $556.43. United Rentals Trading Up 1.4 % United Rentals stock opened at $686.19 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.24, a current ratio of 0.81 and a quick ratio of 0.75. The company has a market capitalization of $46.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.41, a PEG ratio of 2.52 and a beta of 1.84. United Rentals, Inc. has a one year low of $325.15 and a one year high of $688.68. The companys fifty day moving average price is $608.09 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $511.63. United Rentals (NYSE:URI Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, January 24th. The construction company reported $11.26 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $10.85 by $0.41. The firm had revenue of $3.73 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.63 billion. United Rentals had a net margin of 16.91% and a return on equity of 36.80%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 13.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $9.74 earnings per share. On average, analysts forecast that United Rentals, Inc. will post 42.98 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. United Rentals Increases Dividend The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 28th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 14th were given a $1.63 dividend. This is an increase from United Rentalss previous quarterly dividend of $1.48. This represents a $6.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.95%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 13th. United Rentalss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 18.44%. United Rentals declared that its Board of Directors has approved a share repurchase program on Wednesday, January 24th that allows the company to buyback $1.50 billion in shares. This buyback authorization allows the construction company to buy up to 3.8% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are usually an indication that the companys leadership believes its shares are undervalued. Insider Activity In related news, CFO William E. Grace sold 775 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $655.62, for a total value of $508,105.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 6,323 shares in the company, valued at $4,145,485.26. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.53% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. United Rentals Profile (Free Report) United Rentals, Inc, through its subsidiaries, operates as an equipment rental company. It operates in two segments, General Rentals and Specialty. The General Rentals segment rents general construction and industrial equipment includes backhoes, skid-steer loaders, forklifts, earthmoving equipment, and material handling equipment; aerial work platforms, such as boom and scissor lifts; and general tools and light equipment comprising pressure washers, water pumps, and power tools for construction and industrial companies, manufacturers, utilities, municipalities, homeowners, and government entities. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding URI? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for United Rentals, Inc. (NYSE:URI Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for United Rentals Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for United Rentals and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. US tech giant eyes collaborations with Samsung, LG in AI chip, XR businesses By Baek Byung-yeul Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Meta, the U.S. tech giant behind leading social network services like Facebook and Instagram, held meetings with officials from Korean tech companies, Wednesday, to expand the extended reality (XR) ecosystem and foster cooperation in artificial intelligence (AI). The Meta founder, who arrived in Korea the previous night, marking his first trip here since 2013, visited LG Electronics office and met with the company's CEO, Cho Joo-wan. The discussions centered around technological cooperation related to extended reality (XR). On the same day, the Meta chief also held private meetings with officials from XR-related startups in Korea. Later in the evening, he met Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong at Seungjiwon, Samsung Group's VIP guest house located in Seoul. Zuckerberg's meeting with Korean tech company representatives is seen as a move to try to build a strong software and hardware manufacturing ecosystem like Meta's rival Apple. This move is interpreted as an effort to position Meta at the forefront of the global digital market by establishing partnerships in AI and XR, which are crucial areas of future technology. By collaborating with influential Korean manufacturing giants such as Samsung and LG, as well as startups with significant market potential, Meta aims to strengthen its foothold in these cutting-edge sectors. LG said the meeting with the Meta founder resulted in in-depth discussions ranging from business strategy to specific issues related to the development of next-generation XR devices. "Cho tried on Meta's Meta Quest 3 mixed reality (MR) headset and Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, and showed keen interest in various advanced technology demonstrations presented by Meta," an LG official said. "In particular, Cho showed great interest in Meta's large language model (LLM) AI and explored potential synergies from the perspective of on-device AI capabilities." After the meeting with Zuckerberg, the LG Electronics CEO told reporters that the two companies would launch an XR device together next year. "We will be able to commercialize the XR device made with Meta next year. We've conceptualized the product and are in the process of developing it," the CEO told reporters. "We discussed whether it is right to quickly bring this new product to market, or to prioritize ensuring its thorough development and quality." The LG CEO also revealed that discussions were held with Meta regarding generative AI cooperation. He added that conversations took place about the potential application of Meta's large language model, Llama, to LG Electronics' devices, which have collectively sold more than 500 million units in the global market. I think the scope for collaboration between the two companies is huge when thinking about applying Metas language model to LGs devices, the CEO said. During the dinner with the Samsung chief, the two apparently held in discussions regarding potential cooperation in AI semiconductor and XR businesses.The Meta CEO's wife, Priscilla Chan, also attended the dinner. Industry watchers believe their discussions likely revolved around semiconductor cooperation, particularly concerning the production of AI chips necessary for operating Meta's next-generation LLM, Llama 3. Samsung, being the world's second-largest foundry company, specializes in manufacturing chips ordered by chip design companies. Meta recently entered the AI technology competition by announcing plans to develop its own artificial general intelligence (AGI), an AI capable of surpassing human intelligence in nearly every aspect. As part of this initiative, Meta unveiled plans to procure by the year's end a total of 350,000 Nvidia H100 processors, which are graphic processing unit chips. Samsung also recently launched the AGI Computing Lab in Silicon Valley, focusing on developing semiconductors specifically tailored for AGI applications. Given the history of collaboration between Meta and Samsung, including Zuckerberg's attendance at Samsung's Galaxy S7 smartphone launch at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in 2016 and the emphasis on cooperation in the virtual reality (VR) business, it is reasonable to expect that discussions about XR devices also took place during the dinner. On Thursday, the Meta founder will meet with President Yoon Suk Yeol to discuss cooperation in AI and other industries. Yoon is anticipated to communicate the government's intention to expand investments in advanced technology fields, particularly AI semiconductors, during the meeting. Additionally, he is expected to request collaboration with domestic companies in these sectors. 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 Hall Countys early ballot application postcards have been mailed. The postcards are used for voters to request a mailed ballot for the May 14 primary election. Hall County has 3,425 voters on our early ballot list, which is a list of voters who have applied to have an early ballot application sent to them before every election, said Hall County Election Commissioner Tracy Overstreet. Voters who want to receive a mailed ballot simply need to complete the postcard application, sign it and return it to the Hall County Election Office. The application does look different this year because of Nebraskas new Voter ID requirements. Voters requesting a mailed ballot will need to write their drivers license or state ID number on the ballot application, Overstreet said. If a voter doesnt have a drivers license or state ID, they may make a photocopy of a government issued photo ID, such as a passport or military ID, to include with their ballot application. A complete list of acceptable IDs can be found at the Nebraska Secretary of States website at sos.nebraska.gov/elections/voter-id. We are seeing more duplicate applications for a mailed ballot this year, Overstreet said. Part of that is because the Voter ID campaign started in January and put more attention on elections and voters are signing up earlier for a mailed ballot. Many voters have submitted applications they printed from the state website or the Hall County website (hallcountyne.gov) and submitted those applications, she said. Additionally, there are some Hall County voters on the early ballot list who will receive two applications from Hall County. The mail processor printed and mailed duplicate applications to 653 Hall County voters, Overstreet said. Those duplicate applications can simply be shredded. Political parties and civic organizations may also send out ballot applications, and an early voting application will also be printed in the newspaper, as required by law, Overstreet said. Its not a legal problem for voters to receive multiple ballot applications or even to fill out and return multiple applications, Overstreet said. Voters may even be issued up to four ballots, which happens if a voter makes an error on the ballot and needs a replacement, but rest assured, only one ballot can be returned and counted for each voter. Ballots for the May 14 primary election will be mailed April 8. In-person early voting starts April 15. CapitaLand begins building $730 mln housing complex in southern Vietnam By Tri Duc Thu, February 29, 2024 | 2:40 pm GMT+7 CapitaLand Development, the development arm of Singapore-headquartered CapitaLand Group, kicked off construction of The Orchard housing project in the southern province of Binh Duong Wednesday. The project is part of CapitaLands 19-hectare Sycamore service-commerce-housing complex in the province. The VND18 trillion ($730.5 million) Sycamore will have 3,500 apartments housing 13,000 residents. Minister of Construction Nguyen Thanh Nghi (right) at the groundbreaking ceremony of The Orchard housing complex in Binh Duong province, southern Vietnam, February 28, 2024. Photo courtesy of Binh Duong newspaper. Located in the heart of downtown Binh Duong, the project is expected to fortify investment cooperation between the province and Singaporean partners, Vice Chairman Mai Hung Dung said at the ceremony. Singaporean Consul General Kho Ngee Seng Roy said the project was CapitaLands first Vietnam project outside the two economic hubs of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City and lauded the provinces success in attracting foreign investments. He also said the housing project highlighted Singaporean firms commitment to making long-term investments in Vietnam. CapitaLand has been investing in Vietnam since 1994, with the Somerset West Lake residential-commercial building in Hanoi as its first project. The firm plans to supply 27,000 apartments to the Vietnamese market by 2028. Samsung Vietnam targets 10% export revenue growth with AI-powered phones By Tri Duc Thu, February 29, 2024 | 2:54 pm GMT+7 Samsung Vietnam is targeting a 10% growth in export revenues this year, with its new product - artificial intelligence (AI)-powered phones - positively welcomed in the world, says CEO Choi Joo Ho. At a Wednesday meeting with Vietnams Minister of Finance Ho Duc Phoc, Ho said Samsung sought to continue its partnership with the ministry and the Vietnamese government towards achieving sustainable development. Samsung Vietnam CEO Choi Joo Ho (left) and Minister of Finance Ho Duc Phoc meet in Hanoi, February 28, 2024. Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Finance. In 2023, Samsung Vietnams export revenues dropped to $55.7 billion as the Ukraine-Russia conflict impacted the global phone market, Choi Joo Ho said. The company disbursed investments of $2 billion last year, raising its total investment in the country to $22 billion, he added. Phoc said his ministry was committed to facilitating activities of foreign investors in Vietnam, especially Samsung. He said he will lead a delegation from his ministry to South Korea later this month, aiming to promote further foreign investments in the country. The trip will include high level meetings with Samsungs leadership and a visit to Samsung's high-tech center in Suwon. The two sides discussed some taxation issues, including Samsungs queries on preferential tax policies and value-added tax (VAT) refunds. Four Vietnamese subsidiaries of South Korean giant Samsung Electronics reported revenues of KRW81,146.7 billion ($60.83 billion) in 2023, down 11.83% year-on-year; and after-tax profits of KRW5,263.1 billion ($3.95 billion), down 13.09%. Globally, Samsung Electronics earned post-tax profits of $11.86 billion last year, down 72.2% year-on-year, while its revenue fell 14.3% to $198.25 billion. Its four Vietnam factories accounted for 31.3% and 34% of Samsung Electronicss global sales and post-tax profits, respectively. In November 2023, Samsung Electronics president and CFO Hark Kyu Park urged the Vietnamese government and legislature to come up with solutions related to the global minimum tax (GMT). Singapore to acquire eight F-35A fighter jets from US By Vietnam News Agency Thu, February 29, 2024 | 3:36 pm GMT+7 The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) will acquire eight F-35A fighter aircraft, complementing the previously announced purchase of 12 F-35Bs, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said on Wednesday. An F-35A fighter jet manufactured by Lockheed Martin. Photo by VNA. If the parliament approves the budget, the jets, made by US manufacturer Lockheed Martin, will arrive in Singapore around 2030, he said. Minister Ng stressed that F-35 variants have different strengths that will bolster the RSAFs capabilities, elaborating they are designed for greater endurance and have the ability to carry payloads of higher capacity. Together with F-15SGs which attained full operational capability in 2013, the air force will have a fleet that is able to perform the full suite of missions required to defend Singapores skies. Last year, the Singaporean Defence Ministry announced its decision to buy eight F-35Bs after an initial purchase of four ones in 2020. Delivery of the first four F-35Bs is expected in 2026 and the other eight in 2028. They will replace the RSAFs ageing F-16 jets, which have been in service since 1998. Several F-16s have progressively been upgraded with modern sensors and weaponry to keep them operationally ready until the mid-2030s. Singapore is an important customer of weapon companies in the world in the context that the Southeast Asian is investing in new technologies and upgrade military equipment. The countrys defence budget for this financial year is SGD20.2 billion ($15 billion), up 2.5% from the previous year. Thailands Siam Commercial Bank to acquire Home Credit Vietnam for $851 mln By Tri Duc Thu, February 29, 2024 | 10:16 am GMT+7 Thailands Siam Commercial Bank (SCB) has signed a sale and purchase agreement to acquire 100% of the charter capital of consumer finance firm Home Credit Vietnam for VND20,973 billion ($851 million). In a Wednesday statement, SCB X Public Company Limited, the parent organization of SCB and a major financial technology business group in Thailand, said the deal is expected to be completed by the first half of 2025, subject to approval from authorities. Siam Commercial Bank will acquire Home Credit Vietnam. Photo courtesy of SCB X. Home Credit Vietnam has the second largest market share in Vietnams consumer finance market, accounting for approximately 14% as of June 30, 2023, SCB X said. The consumer finance market in Vietnam has high growth potential in Southeast Asia, driven by strong macroeconomic fundamentals, economic policies that support growth, favorable demographics, and a growing middle class, SCB X added. Home Credit Vietnam was established by the Czech Republic-based Home Credit Group in 2008. It recorded a profit of VND211 billion ($8.77 million) in the first half of 2023, equal to nearly 18% of the 2022 figure. As of end June 2023, the firm had equity of over VND6.57 trillion ($272.95 million), a slight increase compared to the beginning of the year. Its liabilities had decreased significantly from VND25.5 trillion to VND18.2 trillion ($756.13 million), while its outstanding bond balance remained unchanged. This acquisition marks the beginning of SCBX Groups expansion into Vietnam, said Arthid Nanthawithaya, CEO of SCB X. With about 15 million customers, 14,000 point-of-sale locations, and an experienced management team, Home Credit Vietnam will serve as an important base for SCBX Groups presence in Vietnam, the executive added. WASHINGTON -- Historically black colleges and universities have played a critical role in advancing intergenerational economic mobility for Black families and communities throughout generations. Additionally, HBCUs have been instrumental in fostering innovation and intellectual property development. Today, HBCUs continue to foster innovation among Black inventors and entrepreneurs with the help of Patent and Trademark Resource Centers (PTRCs) in partnership with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Miller F. Whittaker Library at South Carolina State University is one of four libraries currently designated as a PTRC. PTRCs are part of a national network of public, state, and academic libraries designated by the USPTO to offer trademark and patent assistance to the public. These local centers support the intellectual property needs of the public by providing a human touch. PTRC library staff are local information experts trained by the USPTO on how to use search tools to access information and help people navigate their patent and trademark journey. Services include online resources, research consultations, and workshops to share information on the importance of intellectual property. Get The Times and Democrat app today Local news has never been this personal. Free to download. Subscribers enjoy unlimited access. Patents and trademarks are key to establishing ownership rights to inventions and brands that bring tangible economic benefits to their owners, said Kathi Vidal, under secretary of commerce for intellectual property and director of the USPTO, who designated three HBCUs as PTRCs in 2023. We are committed to increasing the number of PTRCs at HBCUs and educational programs across the country to ensure that Black creators, inventors, and entrepreneurs have access to these key resources. Currently, four HBCU libraries have been designated as PTRCs: Howard Universitys Founders Library, designated on Dec. 8, 1986 John B. Cade Library at Southern University and A&M College, designated on Oct. 12, 2023 John B. Coleman Library at Prairie View A&M University, designated on Oct. 16, 2023 Miller F. Whittaker Library at South Carolina State University, designated on Dec. 6, 2023 In the continued effort to expand the number of PTRCs across the country, Vidal issued letters to 600 libraries across the country, including all HBCUs, inviting each institution to consider becoming PTRCs to assist their local innovators. Adia Coleman, head of the business library at Howard University, first learned about the importance of intellectual property from her father who was an entrepreneur and had one of his ideas stolen. This understanding helps her identify with those that visit the PTRC. Having these resources at HBCUs helps to empower people, said Coleman. Theres a fear that an idea can be stolen the moment that its shared. Speaking and meeting with someone that looks like you, can help entrepreneurs and inventors feel more comfortable knowing that their ideas are safe. Local partnerships with Greater Washington Urban League, DC Chamber of Commerce, Black Chambers of Commerce, DC Local and Small Business Project, and the Womens Business Center, provide Howard Universitys Founders Library the opportunity to reach the greater community. In 2023, the PTRC at Howard University assisted more than 160 people through research consultations. To find a list of PTRCs by state, visit the USPTOs official PTRC locations page. Chinese Culture Day celebrated in Australian capital Xinhua) 15:37, February 29, 2024 CANBERRA, Feb. 29 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Culture Day held here in the Australian capital has made people feel the ancient charm and vitality of Chinese culture, promoting cultural exchanges and cooperation between Australia and China. Chinese Ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian made a statement while delivering a speech at the Chinese New Year Reception on the Chinese Culture Day on Tuesday. The Chinese New Year has increasingly become an international festival in Australia, with the deepening of humanistic exchanges between the two sides, Xiao said, hoping that the Chinese Culture Day could facilitate the friendship between the two peoples. Participants from the Australian side, including Marisa Paterson and Peter Cain, both members of the Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory, during their speech, said that Australia and China have a long history of people-to-people exchanges, and the two sides have carried out in-depth mutually beneficial cooperation in the fields of culture, tourism and international student exchanges. This multi-layered partnership is unique and deserves to be celebrated by both parties. In their speech, the Australian guests noticed that China has been Australia's largest trading partner for many years, Beijing and Canberra are sister cities, and the number of Chinese tourists accounts for 20 percent of the total number of foreign tourists in Canberra. The Australian side is willing to continue to work hard to push the bilateral friendly and cooperative relations to a higher level. At the reception, artists from Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, staged performances of dance, folk music and traditional opera. Some Chinese intangible cultural heritage experience such as calligraphy, seal carving, woodblock prints and Song Dynasty-style tea ordering, were also on display. The Chinese New Year reception was attended by more than 180 people from all walks of life in Australia. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) By Lee Min-hyung Conglomerates are reinforcing readiness for radical changes in the global trade order by scouting former bureaucrats specializing in international trade and overseas regulatory risk management, according to industry officials, Wednesday. Hyosung Group looks to remain agile in responding to the new trade paradigm, as its two affiliates plan to hire ranking executives from a major business lobby and a trade organization here. Woo Tae-hee, outgoing executive vice chairman at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, will take office as the head of Hyosung Heavy Industries after possibly winning approvals from the firms upcoming shareholders meeting in March. Woo served as vice trade minister for a year and a half from January 2016. Recognized for his trade expertise, he became the top-ranking executive at the business lobby for four years since February 2020. The bureaucrat-turned-businessman handled a variety of energy policies such as nuclear power and hydrogen while working at the trade ministry. After ending his decades-long career at the authority, he took on the role of outside director at Lotte Fine Chemical and Yesco Holdings. The Hyosung affiliate is widely expected to have scouted Woo in efforts to boost its energy-related businesses by utilizing his deep understanding of energy policies and strong business network. Jeong Marn-ki, outgoing executive vice chairman at the Korea International Trade Association (KITA), has also been appointed as a new outside director for Hyosung Advanced Materials, as the company was in need of experts dealing with a looming regulatory risk in Europe on emissions of fine particles from tire friction. The Hyosung subsidiary makes tire reinforcement cords. He has also worked as a trade minister and served as the KITA executive for more than two years since September 2022. Jeong is also widely considered to have strong networking capabilities with U.S. government officials, as he engaged in frequent meetings with U.S. authorities while serving as head of the Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association for over three years from March 2019. Other companies are also joining the bandwagon, hiring influential government officials for their top management or outside director positions. HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering recently appointed Kim Sung-han, former national security adviser, as its external director. He will work at the company upon receiving relevant approvals at its shareholders meeting next month. Most export-reliant Korean firms are paying sharp attention to how the global trade circumstance will be reshaped this year due to a number of risk factors such as the upcoming U.S. presidential election, and the hiring of such former ranking bureaucrats is seen as part of their efforts to brace for the worst by tightening internal readiness, an official from a conglomerate said. Dr. Shannon Bright Smith takes her job of improving the quality of health care in the community seriously. She spends a lot of time molding minds to make it happen. Smith is an associate professor and chairperson of the Department of Nursing at Claflin University as the department experiences unprecedented growth. The universitys RN to Bachelor of Science in Nursing program has been accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education Board of Commissioners, demonstrating quality in governance, curriculum and teaching-learning practices. The university also has a Master of Science in Nursing program, with the university celebrating its inaugural MSN graduates last year. The nursing department has also attracted hundreds of thousands of dollars and scholarship funds. Smith said it has been a team effort, but she also touts the power of God in helping her secure a feeling of self-assurance that arises from the appreciation of her own abilities and qualities. It is that assurance which is backed by the success of her students that led the Orangeburg County Community of Character initiative to honor her for displaying confidence. It was as honor that pleasantly surprised her. The work that I do is what I do. So I was not looking for recognition, she said, smiling. Smith describes herself as innately shy and introverted, noting that her confidence comes from a source far greater than herself. My confidence comes directly from God. If it was up to me and my personal confidence, nothing would be done because fear would overtake me. I feel like I have been given an assignment by God. That gives me the confidence because those he calls, he prepares. He gives you what you need to do the work that he has assigned to you. That in and of itself is the confidence builder, she said. Seeing nurses go out into their fields, particularly in rural areas where theyre often most needed, is gratifying for her. Its very important work. With Claflin being in Orangeburg, were able to attract people from Orangeburg, Bamberg, Denmark. We have students in Allendale and Dillon, all these rural areas in South Carolina. Especially with our nurse practitioners, when they graduate and go back and become primary care providers in these areas, thats addressing the main need that our state has for providers in those places, she said. So many of them are saying, Im going back to my hometown to practice. Thats pretty amazing, Smith said. She said confidence gives her the courage to do what needs to be done to bolster not only the universitys growing nursing program, but her own character. Confidence comes when I know that I have done my background work, I have assessed the situation objectively and come up with an action plan. Then I know it needs to happen. ... I am extremely grateful for the favor that we have, and Im just going to continue to walk in it because its good. Smith said. She continued, When the university asked me in 2017 to do a strategic plan for nursing, I consulted the Lord. Whats needed in our areas? Where could we have the most impact? I put forth the masters program at that point, realizing that it was an amazing feat, but when you have prayed about a situation and gotten an answer, that builds your confidence. I can do all things through Christ. Its not me. Smith grew up in the rural Colleton County town of Ritter. She was one of 13 children born to the late Bishop Edwin Bright and the late Ruth Ella Heyward Bright. She saw a lot of peoples health care needs go unaddressed as she was growing up. I saw people who would go to the hospital. They would get a diagnosis that they were terminal. Theyd come home and die because they didnt have adequate access to preventive care, or access to appropriate care early in their diagnoses. When you live 50 miles from a major hospital, its hard to get treatment, Smith said. She continued, So many waited until their symptoms were so bad that they had no choice but to go. So, for me, putting providers out in these rural areas who can, number one, be accessible to diverse populations but, two, understand where theyre coming from is top priority. Smith said confidence gives her the ability to forge ahead in her work to create the next group of nursing leaders. If you have confidence, youre going to move forward. You could have a vision, but if you dont take the steps to make it happen, its really just a dream. You can run all night in a dream and get nowhere, she said. Smith continued, While many days its terrifying to take that step because there are many risks, we took the chance that we would be able to prepare these students to pass a national certification exam. Without it, they cant practice, but the need was greater than that risk. Smith and her husband, Clifford Smith Sr., are the parents of two children, Minister Clifford Smith Jr. and Christi Wright, and the grandparents of three handsome little grandsons. She touted her own parents for being examples of good character throughout her life. My mom was a missionary. She wasnt a foreign missionary, but she was more of a missionary to the neighborhood. Checking on the sick and cooking for them and stuff was her work. She was an at-home mom, but my dad was a pastor. He was also a visionary, Smith said. She continued, I tell everybody he was far before his time because he told us growing up that the sky is the limit and you can do anything you set your mind to. Honestly, I thought he was the smartest man I ever knew. So I believed him. Smith also touted the Orangeburg County Community of Character initiative for its efforts to spread good character throughout the community. Theres enough bad news to go around, but to highlight good things happening in our community is a special thing to do. Character can change the world. If we would always do what were supposed to do as if God himself was watching, then imagine how we would be. Id be a pretty awesome world, she said. Orangeburg County Sheriffs Office A former convenience store manager is charged with breach of trust with fraudulent intent valued over $10,000. April Quintana, 50, of 1866 Dellwood Drive, Orangeburg, was taken into custody on Monday. Quintana allegedly initiated lottery ticket transactions without paying while she was manager at Chestnut BP, located at 110 Chestnut St., Orangeburg. She allegedly used the winnings for personal gain. Her warrant also claims the stores security camera caught her in the acts between Jan. 1, 2022 and Jan. 6, 2024. She made a video-recorded confession, a warrant claims. A Calhoun Oil Company employee reported the concerns to investigators on Jan. 6, 2024. If convicted, Quintana faces up to 10 years in prison. 1. The crook Before his downfall, Brantley Thomas III had reached the highest rungs of South Carolinas education ladder: He was chief financial officer for Berkeley County School District, a rapidly growing system with a $260 million budget. And he chaired a nonprofit that helped school districts across the state borrow hundreds of millions of dollars. He also led a secret life, bilking Berkeley County taxpayers out of at least $1.3 million to pay for cars, overseas travel and membership in the Carolina Yacht Club. That life crumbled in 2017 after a tip from a bank spawned state and federal investigations, which led to guilty pleas and prison time. Thomas recently finished his federal sentence and is now in the Manning Work Release Center, a minimum-security prison in Columbia. The state Department of Corrections said he is eligible for parole as early as next year. While Thomas crimes were well-chronicled, less attention has been paid to the companies and nonprofits he worked with. But a deeper look by The Post and Couriers Uncovered project opens a revealing window, one that sheds light on Thomas wide-ranging schemes, along with an obscure financial instrument school districts across South Carolina use to construct new buildings. Some of the most alarming claims are in lawsuits filed by the Berkeley County School District against HUB International, a Chicago-based insurance broker, and Compass Municipal Advisors, which helps districts across the country borrow money. The lawsuits allege links between Thomas and executives in those companies, claims that the executives and companies deny. Yet during a hearing for one lawsuit, a federal judge in Charleston noted: Im not prejudging anything just seems like that it takes two to tango, it takes two to commit fraud, one to take the bribe and one to give the bribe. A State Law Enforcement Division agent puts shackles on Brantley D.Thomas III in a parking lot off North Main Street in Summerville early Friday, Sept. 21, 2018. Brantley has admitted stealing from the Berkeley County School. The charges against Thomas represented one of South Carolinas largest public embezzlement cases, a shocking reminder of how a public official used his job as a personal cash register. The cases and their aftermath also highlight the challenges of rooting out corruption; no one else in Thomas orbit has been charged. The district settled some of its lawsuits, but the most explosive ones have yet to go before a jury. As a result, seven years after FBI agents began investigating Thomas schemes, questions linger. How did he get away with the crimes for so long? And given his long tango with taxpayers money, did Thomas have any dance partners? Uncovered The Post and Courier of Charleston in 2021 launched Uncovered, a project to cast new light on questionable government conduct, especially in 2. The opportunity Berkeley County once was a rural area of small towns defined by Lake Moultrie and the pinelands of Francis Marion National Forest. But in the 1990s, waves of growth from the Charleston metro area spilled into the county, doubling its population in 25 years and creating constant pressure to build new schools. In 1992, Brantley Thomas landed a job as comptroller in this rapidly growing district. Over time, he worked his way into positions of even more responsibility, becoming director of finance and then chief financial officer. Although he worked in Berkeley County, his roots were planted more deeply in Charleston, where he attended the private Porter-Gaud School and his father was prominent in downtown civic group circles. White-collar crime typically requires three things: a position that gives you access to other peoples money; an economic or psychological void that's filled by stealing; and a constant stream of self-justification to continue the thefts. In criminology circles, this is called the fraud triangle. In Berkeley County, Thomas role as the districts financial chief gave him broad discretion over other peoples money. He took advantage of this opportunity as early as Sept. 11, 2001, the day of the 9/11 terror attacks, when he pocketed $8,318 from a University of South Carolina transaction. As with that crime, his most lucrative criminal schemes involved rebates. Thomas would first direct the district to overpay vendors; when those vendors realized they had been paid too much, they wrote checks back to the district. Thomas then funneled those rebates into his personal accounts. The rebate checks were hardly a secret. The district's media team touted them as examples of how the school system kept tabs on taxpayers' money. But these stolen rebates added up over time, to the tune of more than $450,000. All this helped Thomas buy jewelry and a membership at the Carolina Yacht Club. He funneled taxpayers' money to pay off car loans and jet to the Cayman Islands. His salary of $130,000 made him among the district's highest-paid employees, and he also collected another $62,000 a year from a pension, his wife said during their divorce proceedings. But it wasn't enough. "Brantley has always been a heavy drinker and seemingly overwhelmed by his work for the Berkeley County School District," his then-wife, Debra Gallagher, said in an affidavit in their divorce case. "He would tell me he was working when he was really drinking with his friends at the Carolina Yacht Club." In 2016, his behavior grew worse, she said in the affidavit. He was deeply dissatisfied with his work and hunting for new jobs. "It seemed like he was spending more time at the Carolina Yacht Club than at his office. He was also drinking more bourbon every day. He began complaining of stomach issues." Then, on Feb. 6, 2017, "my world seemed to fall apart," her affidavit said. "When I got home, Brantley told me that the FBI and SLED had been at the house because he had taken some checks over the past few years and put them in his account." In another court document, she said, "Our lives have been upended." In the background, the district's lawyer, Josh Whitley, heard that BCSD might be storing financial records in a long-closed school building in Bonneau. When he arrived at the school, he discovered hundreds of boxes stretching back decades. These records were supposed to have been destroyed but weren't, Whitley told The Post and Courier. "We found financial records from the day Mr. Thomas was hired." Whitley contacted the S.C. attorney general. Soon, agents with the State Law Enforcement Division were on the case. "It was from those boxes that the entire case was proved," Whitley said. As for Thomas, he seemed to recognize he was in a downward spiral, saying in an affidavit for his divorce, I turn 61 on Nov 14th and presently suffer from severe depression and anxiety There is simply no way I can make amends for (the) position I have put our family in. As investigators combed through financial records, they also noticed 16 deposits into Thomas personal bank accounts. Each deposit was $2,000. And they came from Stanley Pokorney, executive vice president of HUB International, the districts insurance broker. UNCOVERED: Governor asked to order probe of Hampton money Lawmakers have asked Gov. Henry McMaster to order an investigation into Hampton Countys precarious financial situation, saying county government is too broke to hire someone to find out how millions of dollars vanished from its coffers. 3. Lack and justification Federal prosecutors called the contributions kickbacks during Thomas guilty plea but didnt name the broker. Lawyers for Berkeley County School District did, however, filing a lawsuit in 2018 against HUB International and Pokorney. The lawsuit alleged that under Thomas, the district spent "tens of millions of dollars in unnecessary, duplicative premiums and sham consulting fees," money that could have been used to hire new teachers and buy student supplies. One proposal insured against employee dishonesty. The broker allegedly arranged for massages for school officials during district-related business trips. Of course, there is no charge, said an email from one of Pokorney's colleagues. Pokorney knew he was funneling rebate money into his personal account, Thomas later said in a deposition. "I would hear comments like, you don't have to worry, we'll protect you. It's between us. No one will find out." Pokorney denied the districts allegation in court papers. His attorney declined to comment, and Pokorney did not respond to requests for comment. In September 2020, the district told HUB it would dismiss the suit for $12 million, but legal maneuvers on both sides continued. A month later, the district dismissed Pokorney from its lawsuit without explanation. HUB demanded that the case be settled by an arbitrator, a move that would take the allegations out of a jurys hands. This demand led in 2021 to a nonjury trial before U.S. District Judge David C. Norton in Charleston. The trial was about whether the case should go before an arbitrator, but it also included eye-opening testimony from Pokorney about his payments to Thomas and his longtime friend's psyche. Pokorney testified that the district hired him in 1996. At the time, the Berkeley school system insured itself through the government-run Insurance Reserve Fund. But Pokorney thought the district could save money with private insurers, which is the route the district decided to take. Pokorney testified that he and Thomas grew close over time. My wife and I considered Brantley almost like a family member, certainly one of my best, best, best friends, Pokorney told the court. He referred to me as his big brother. And it was not untypical with Brantley or very close friends for a spiritual program that Im in to refer to each other as brothers and say, Love you brother. Thomas also confided in him about his jobs demands, Pokorney testified. He referred to the school board members as snakes. Thomas complained to him that he would never be able to afford to send his daughter to college on his salary. Pokorney said he "made the offer to contribute an occasional $2,000 to her 529 (college fund), which he said he would set up. This prompted heated questions from Dick Harpootlian, one of the districts lawyers. Sir, you were giving $4,000 to $6,000, by your own admission, per year, to the person who facilitates you getting this (insurance) business. And that never crossed your mind that would be inappropriate? Harpootlian asked. No, Pokorney testified. I feel giving toward education is imperative. Later, Harpootlian queried, Were you aware of the fact that he'd already funded her college through an inheritance through his father? No, Pokorney said. Sure, Harpootlian continued, this is your brother. The guy you love. The guy you talk to as if he is your brother. Y'all never talked about that? No, Pokorney answered. We talked about marriage infidelity, and we talked about addiction problems. And we talked about porn on a computer and other things. But no, I did not ask him how her 529 (college fund) was performing. Later, Harpootlian referenced Thomas testimony in a deposition that he thought the $2,000 checks were bribes. He's now said you were bribing him? Do you understand that? Pokorney: Yeah. He's a sociopath, so I don't put much credibility in what Brantley Thomas would say. Harpootlian: So birds of a feather, do they fly together? At that point, Norton interceded. But at the trials conclusion, the judge showed no sympathy for Pokorneys explanations. In a written order, he sided with Berkeley County School District and denied HUBs attempt to send the case to an arbitrator. About Pokorney, Norton wrote: In sum, the court finds that Stan Pokorney knew of Thomass illegal activities well prior to 2017, and that he sent Thomas bribes to steer the Districts business to (the districts insurance brokers). The lawsuit against HUB is still working its way through the courts. But its just one fight in a much larger legal war. Another lawsuit cast a spotlight on SCAGO, an obscure nonprofit with a big say in how districts across South Carolina build their schools. UNCOVERED: SC tax agency didn't enforce rule as Hampton misspent millions HAMPTON Long before this county misspent a single dollar of its residents sales taxes, it broke a law intended to safeguard that money. 4. High finance Like most homeowners, school systems typically cant afford to build new buildings out of their operating budgets or savings. So most borrow money in the form of bonds, paying them off over long periods. But bond issues require reams of paperwork and expensive legal expertise. This can put smaller districts in a bind; they often dont need to borrow as much as larger districts, but they still must do all the required legal and financial legwork. Enter SCAGO. In 2002, local school officials worked with what became Compass Municipal Advisors to create a nonprofit called SCAGO, short for South Carolina Association of Governmental Organizations. The SCAGO process works like this: Districts sell bonds to SCAGO. Then, with the help of Compass Municipal Advisors, SCAGO pools money into a larger financial instrument and sells it on the open market. SCAGO and Compass then distribute the proceeds to districts. Districts lined up to use this tool, and SCAGO and Compass raised hundreds of millions of dollars. Brantley Thomas was SCAGO's longtime chairman. Thomas also milked the nonprofit as part of his rebate schemes, prosecutors detailed. In all, SCAGO sent Berkeley County School District more than $130,000 in rebate checks, money that Thomas diverted into his personal accounts. In its lawsuit, the district alleged that Compass executive Michael Gallagher hand-delivered checks to Thomas. At the time, Gallagher also was Thomas brother-in-law. Gallagher did not respond to requests for comment, but in an affidavit for his sister's divorce case, he said he'd known Thomas since 1994 when he and his sister began dating. Gallagher said that Thomas' role in Berkeley County and as head of SCAGO put him in "very well-respected positions locally and across the Southeast." But news that the FBI and SLED were investigating, Gallagher said, "came as quite a shock and was unexpected as it seemed out of character for a person we thought we knew." The districts lawsuit painted a different picture, alleging that SCAGO, under Thomas and Compass, inappropriately charged the district for junkets to New York City. These trips included expensive hotels, first-class airfares and Broadway shows. The lawsuit said those costs were then added to bond issuances essentially putting those expenses on the taxpayers backs. Another allegation said that Compass officials helped orchestrate scholarships for children of school finance officials. UNCOVERED: Misspent millions in Hampton County; county may not have the money to find out how HAMPTON State and federal investigators have spent untold hours here in the heart of Murdaugh country, documenting how one of this towns most prominent native sons became its most notorious. In court filings, attorneys for SCAGO denied the districts allegations of wrongdoing. Gallagher denied in court papers that he hand-delivered the checks. Compass and SCAGO also denied that the district was charged for junkets or that it financed scholarships to children of financial officers. In legal filings, attorneys for Compass and its executives argued that the district had done a thorough investigation into Thomas and knew that Compass did not, and has not, converted any (of the districts) property. They said the district instead received significant monetary benefit from Gallaghers work as a financial adviser, that the lawsuits claims were unfounded and unwarranted and designed to harass Gallagher. Attorneys argued that the claims were frivolous and should be tossed out. As with the HUB lawsuit, the claims against Compass and SCAGO are still winding their way through the courts. Meanwhile, another judicial proceeding, a secret one, added another wrinkle. 5. Takeaways In 2020, Deborah Barbier, an attorney for Stanley Pokorney, alleged that Josh Whitley, one of the district's lawyers, was working with the state Grand Jury. Barbier argued it was wrong to use the grand jury process to further a lawsuit. But state and federal judges found Whitley had done nothing wrong. In an interview, Creighton Waters, a prosecutor for the S.C. Attorney General's Office, said legal safeguards were in place to protect the integrity of the state grand jury process. "The big lesson we learned from this was the effectiveness of the state grand jury," Waters said. "We were able to go way back with historical records to put together a longstanding course of embezzlement conduct that otherwise would have gone undetected." Its unclear what happened to the grand jury investigation because those proceedings are secret. More clear is that seven years after federal and state investigators got their first tip, the Brantley Thomas scandal continues to reverberate in the courts and among the people and institutions formerly in his orbit. Nathan Williams, the federal prosecutor in the Thomas case, is now in private practice. It was one of those things that started small, got bigger, went over a long period of time because there werent a lot of internal controls to detect it, Williams told The Post and Courier. The case itself wasnt a particularly sophisticated form of embezzlement, he said. And he wasnt surprised when Thomas began confirming what happened to federal and state agents. People who go down that path of deception often find its a difficult thing to maintain over a long time that someday, somebody will find out. I dont think (Thomas) was surprised when he finally got that phone call. But he said Thomas value as a government witness in other cases took a hit in 2018. Thats when Thomas was arrested again. While on bail, he took a job with Jackson Davenport, a downtown eyecare store, and promptly stole $36,000. His credibility went out the window, Williams said. The districts lawsuits have generated a few settlements, including nearly $823,000 from a firm that advised the district under Thomas. After its first settlement, the board used part of the proceeds to build playgrounds for children with special needs, a move that Whitley said was one of the highlights of his career. Meanwhile, the Berkeley County School District fired its auditors and financial advisers, then hired new ones. (TBTCO) - Sang nay, gia vang the gioi chua co bien ong moi. Cac chuyen gia cho rang, quan iem va quyet inh lai suat cua cac ngan hang trung uong se tac ong en huong i cua vang tuan nay. Trong nuoc, tai thoi iem 6h30, vang SJC tai Ha Noi van uoc niem yet o moc 81,72 trieu ong/luong o chieu ban ra. at hon gia vang the gioi 15,684 trieu ong/luong. 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). ENERGY Minister Stuart Young has taken umbrage at comments made by Ronald Harford, former chairman of Republic Financial Holdings Ltd, as he boasted about the success of the energy sector. Young said whenever somebody becomes a former, their mouth gets big, as he quoted from an article in Fridays Express report where Harford made critical comments. 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. The U.S. Supreme Court agreed on Wednesday to hear Donald Trump's claim that as a former president he enjoys immunity from criminal prosecution, as the 2024 White House candidate faces dozens of state and federal charges. The court scheduled arguments in the high-stakes case for the week of April 22 and said Trump's trial on charges of conspiring to overturn the 2020 election would remain on hold for now. Trump had been scheduled to go on trial for election interference on March 4 but the proceedings have been frozen as his presidential immunity claim wound its way through the courts. The Supreme Court said it would address the question of "whether and if so to what extent does a former President enjoy presidential immunity from criminal prosecution for conduct alleged to involve official acts during his tenure in office." It will be among the most consequential election law cases to reach the court since it halted the Florida vote recount in 2000 with Republican George W. Bush narrowly leading Democrat Al Gore. A three-judge appeals court panel ruled earlier this month that the 77-year-old Trump has no immunity from prosecution as a former president. Trump's claim to be immune from criminal liability for actions he took while in the White House is "unsupported by precedent, history or the text and structure of the Constitution," the judges said in a unanimous opinion. "We cannot accept that the office of the Presidency places its former occupants above the law for all time thereafter," they said. The ruling was a major legal setback for Trump, the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination and the first ex-president to be criminally indicted. The appeals court put the immunity ruling on hold to give Trump the opportunity to appeal to the Supreme Court. Special Counsel Jack Smith filed the election conspiracy case against Trump in August and had been pushing hard for the March start date for his trial. Lawyers for the former president have sought repeatedly to delay the trial until after the November election, when Trump could potentially have all of the federal cases against him dropped if he wins the White House again. Trump also faces 2020 election interference charges in Georgia, and has been indicted in Florida for allegedly mishandling classified information. He was impeached twice by the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives while in office once for inciting an insurrection- but acquitted both times by the Senate. The immunity case is one of two election-related cases before the Supreme Court. The Colorado Supreme Court barred Trump in December from appearing on the Republican presidential primary ballot in the state because of his role in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol by his supporters. Trump appealed the Colorado ruling and the conservative-majority Supreme Court heard arguments in the case in early February. Both conservative and liberal justices expressed concern during arguments about having individual states decide which candidates can be on the presidential ballot this November. (AFP) 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. Every mega-successful comedian had to start somewhere! And, I mean, Johnny Carsons studio is like, a really good place to start. 14 Hannibal Buress on The Late Late Show Three years before his debut album dropped, Buress popped onto Craig Fergusons show to talk about personal checks, job interviews and his career aspirations. 13 Maria Bamford on The Martin Short Show Bamford dropped by the short-lived Martin Short Show in 1999 to talk sex ed from nervous moms, Gods cruel master plan and her life as a radical militant feminist. 12 Steven Wright on The Tonight Show Wright appeared on Carsons show in 1982 to discuss how being born via cesarean section has impacted his life, buying discount office items, having his apartment robbed (kind of) and a ton of other bizarre non sequiturs. 11 Jim Carrey on The Tonight Show In 1983, when he had only been in Hollywood about 10 months, Carrey led with his eyebrows and never looked back. He delivered Gumby-armed impressions of Elvis, Jack Nicholson and everyones favorite: General Secretary of the Communist Party Leonid Brezhnev. Advertisement Advertisement 10 Ellen DeGeneres on The Tonight Show When she was still a two-name human like the rest of us, back in 1986, Ellen joked about staying fit at the ripe age of 27, her dull childhood and her most disappointing Christmas gift. 9 Sam Kinison on Late Night In 1985, Letterman introduced Kinison in his network debut as one of the strangest and most original comedians Brace yourselves, Im not kidding. Kinison lived up to the hype, training his pastoral enthusiasm (and primal bellow) on an unsuspecting audience member in the first minute. Advertisement Advertisement 8 Eddie Murphy on The Tonight Show As he was starting to really pop off on SNL, Murphy popped over to Carsons show to talk about bulgeless underwear models, the overrepresentation of Buckwheats on television and the second career he planned to start. 7 Garry Shandling on The Tonight Show Shandling made his network debut in 1981, immediately admitting to robbing a bank before describing his utter disdain for babies and imagining dog nightmares. Advertisement Advertisement 6 David Letterman on The Tonight Show Letterman dropped by The Tonight Show for the first of many times in 1978, kicking things off with some light xenophobia by lashing out at immigrants in his first two jokes for some reason. 5 Roseanne Barr on The Tonight Show Americas sweetheart made her first TV appearance in 1985, doing a fakeout impression of Barbra Streisand and describing her train of thought as a self-described fat person. Advertisement Advertisement 4 Drew Carey on The Tonight Show Carey opens up this 1991 set with yeah, I know what I look like, thanks while looking exactly the same as he would for decades. He goes on to discuss high school reunions, small talk and, of course, Cleveland. 3 Louie Anderson on The Tonight Show In this 1984 appearance, Anderson kicks off with a fat joke and chases it with several more fat jokes. Advertisement Advertisement 2 Norm Macdonald on Late Night In his 1990 network TV debut on Lettermans Late Night, a young, handsome Macdonald cracked wise about bizarre Olympic sports, the modern food chain and disappointing celebrity cameos. PHOENIX State lawmakers rushed through final action Wednesday on a measure aimed at border crossers and sent it to Gov. Katie Hobbs, who already said she will veto it. House members used a procedural maneuver to avoid having a hearing on SB 1231, which would allow state and local police to arrest people who crossed the border illegally. The measure, approved earlier this month by the Senate, normally would go to at least one House committee where members of the public could weigh in. Wednesdays maneuver also bypassed normal floor debate. And Rep. Travis Grantham, R-Gilbert, using his position as speaker pro-tem, allowed only two lawmakers on each side of the issue to speak, each for no more than three minutes. When that was done, the Republican-controlled House approved the measure on a 31-28 party-line vote. The GOP-led Senate, as the originating body, then sent the measure to the Democratic governor. House Speaker Ben Toma said it was his decision to use the unusual procedure to avoid further debate. The sooner we pass SB 1231, the sooner the state can protect its citizens from the crisis caused by the Democrats willful refusal to secure the border, he told Capitol Media Services. Asked about the fact that Hobbs already said she would veto it, Toma, a Republican candidate for Congress, responded: Then she needs to explain to Arizonans why shes running cover for the Biden administration. Even with the promised veto, the short-circuiting of the procedures angered Rep. Analise Ortiz, a Phoenix Democrat. I think there are members of the public with lived experience of when Arizona tried to do this ... whose voices are valuable to be heard, she said, referring to Arizonas 2010 law known as SB 1070. That law, like this proposal, also sought to empower police to stop and detain people not in the country legally. It resulted in many people complaining of racial profiling before some of its key provisions were struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court. We are cutting them out from being heard in the process, said Ortiz of bypassing the committee hearings and floor debate and going directly to a roll-call vote. But Rep. Steve Montenegro, a Goodyear Republican, pointed out that there was a hearing on this bill in the Senate, along with floor debate. He said there also was a hearing and debate, not on SB 1231 but on the identically worded HB 2821 which he is sponsoring. Hobbs, who is in Mexico on a trade mission, has until Tuesday to act on the legislation. The measure headed to her is built on the idea that states can play a legal role in enforcing federal immigration laws. That argument is critical now because of the current situation, Montenegro said. There is a crisis at the border, he said, saying he was acting for every mother and father, for every person, every Arizonan that has been affected by the crime that is pouring across our border ... where people are losing their lives, people are losing their property, theyre losing their livelihood. Montenegro said the federal government, and specifically the Biden administration, is not doing its job. The states empowered the federal government to do certain things, and one of those is to protect our borders, Montenegro said. And when the federal administration refuses to do that, we as states must step in. The measure sent to Hobbs seeks to make it a state crime for someone who is not a citizen or here in this country legally to enter or attempt to enter this state directly from a foreign nation at any location other than a lawful port of entry. What was not debated is how police, unless they are actually on the border watching people cross through the fence, can determine that someone entered the country illegally. While the measure makes crossing a misdemeanor, the real aim appears to be to get people deported. Thats because it allows a judge to dismiss the charge if someone agrees to leave the country voluntarily. The argument about the role of the federal government sidesteps the larger question of whether the state can come in and start arresting people who are not here legally. Arizona fought that battle over SB 1070. The U.S. Supreme Court voided key provisions of that law, including one that would have allowed state and local police to make warrantless arrests if they believed a person was violating federal immigration law. The justices said only when the attorney general has granted enforcement authority to local police can they decide that someone is here illegally. The court left untouched another provision that requires that police officers, when possible, check the immigration status of those they believe are not in the country legally. But in that case, the justices said they were not saying the provision is legal but simply could not tell whether it could be enforced without running afoul of other laws. Also, that papers, please provision applies only when someone has already been pulled over for any other reason. It does not permit traffic stops simply to check legal presence. As to what would happen with this measure, it is modeled after a measure signed in December by Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott. That resulted in a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Department of Justice the same agency that got the Supreme Court to overturn much of Arizonas SB 1070. At a hearing earlier this month, U.S. District Court Judge David Ezra questioned whether each state is entitled to enforce its own immigration laws. That turns us from the United States of America into a confederation of states, he said. That is the same thing the Civil War said you cant do. He has yet to issue a ruling. Rep. Lorena Austin, a Mesa Democrat, told colleagues they dont have to look far for what would happen if this new legislation were to become law. There is the experience of what happened after SB 1070 was enacted in 2010. Thousands of people were being illegally stopped and targeted, Austin said. She said that affected more than just the people targeted. That shame is still something that clouds this state, Austin said. People say they get negative reactions when they tell others they are from Arizona, she said. Is this the kind of state that we want to show the country? Austin asked. Is that the kind of state we want to show the world? Yuma Republican Rep. Tim Dunn, however, said he wants to send a different message. We have a catastrophe on our border and we need to send a signal that we are not going to stand for an assault, he said. This is that signal. Dunn also said this has nothing to do with race and everything to do with law. We have 15,000 people a day that cross the border in Yuma, legally cross and that ship Americas produce, he said. We can do it legally. Ortiz predicted costs to the state in fighting the inevitable federal lawsuit. But more important than the fiscal impact is the emotional impact that SB 1231 will have on our Latino community, she said. We will not stand for it any more, Ortiz said. This is not the Arizona of 2010. The White House declined Wednesday to comment on whether Korea should provide 155-millimeter artillery shells to help Ukraine defend against Russian attacks, saying it is a military decision for Seoul to speak to. During a press briefing, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre made the remarks, expressing America's gratitude for the Asian ally's continued support for the war-torn country. "I am going to let Korea speak to their own military decisions and their bilateral relations," she told a press briefing. "We are grateful for their support to Ukraine obviously as they continue to defend against Russia's aggression. ... But I am not going to speak to their own military decision that is something for them to speak to," she added. In response, Seoul's defense ministry said its policy stance against the provision of weapons to Ukraine remains unchanged. "Related to the support for Ukraine, our existing stance has not changed in particular," defense ministry vice spokesperson Lee Kyung-ho said during a regular press briefing Thursday. On Monday, Yuri Kim, principal deputy assistant secretary of state for Europe and Eurasian affairs, expressed hopes for Korea to provide more defense material support to Ukraine, stressing the importance of air defense assistance. When asked about the nature of the defense material support, a foreign ministry official in Seoul restated Thursday that the government will continue to provide support as it "comprehensively" takes into account the war and humanitarian situation in Ukraine. "We have been providing humanitarian and financial support to Ukraine, including non-lethal security support ... and by non-lethal security support, you can think of the mine clearing equipment and pickup trucks that we have previously provided (Ukraine) with," the official said. Seoul has maintained a stance to provide humanitarian and non-lethal defense assistance to Ukraine, such as protective suits, demining equipment and other military supplies. But in December 2023, The Washington Post reported that Korea's "indirect" provision of 155-millimeter shells to Ukraine in 2023 has made it a larger supplier of ammunition for the war-ravaged country than all European countries combined. (Yonhap) More affordable housing is coming to Tucson after the Pima County Board of Supervisors awarded nearly $7 million to preserve and develop more than 800 units here. The $6.8 million in funding will lead to the creation of 835 additional units in eight projects across the metro area. Its the second batch of gap funding approved by the Pima County Regional Affordable Housing Commission, the first of which awarded $2.625 million for two housing projects in June 2023, according to a county news release. This allocation of gap funding makes sense within the budget priorities of this Board, said Dan Sullivan, the director of Community & Workforce Development for the county in a recent news release. This is local money that goes to local people, and improving opportunities and outcomes for low-income renters and homeowners help stabilize the economy for all of us. The approved proposals from both rounds of funding is expected to ensure a total of 1,038 units are developed or preserved. It includes a commitment to a 30-year housing affordability period, with property managers ensuring the households are at, or below, 80% of area median income, according to the release. The eight approved projects are in three categories: new rental development, new home ownership development, and preserved or renovated existing housing. New rental developments Belvedere Terrace: $1 million Belvedere Terrace, once opened, will be located on East 22nd Street, between South Columbus Boulevard and South Swan Road. Construction on the project will begin as early as June, said David Wohl, president of developer Newport SW, LLC. Wohl said construction will likely last until late 2025. That means tenants could move in as soon as the early months of 2026. Belvedere Terrace will provide 72 units for low-income elderly renters. Fifty of those units will have a cap on rent based on a percentage of the area median income. And the remaining 22 units, Wohl said, will be set aside for elderly people experiencing homelessness, with rents based on the renters actual income. For those 22 units, Wohl said, rent would be capped at 30% of its tenants actual income. In 2024 dollars, he said, unit rent will range from $610 for the least-expensive one-bedroom apartment to about $1,100 for the most expensive two-bedroom units. The $1 million from the county will be used to install rooftop and carport solar panels, Wohl said, with the goal being the solar panels will cover renters utilities. Desert Dove Apartments: $1 million Desert Dove apartments may sound familiar to long-time Tucsonans, as the GHK Properties project is not only named after the Desert Dove Christian Church in Tucson, but is also at the same location. Desert Dove apartments will be a two-story, 63-unit affordable housing complex with its rent cap at a target of 40-60% of the area median income, says GHK Properties managing partner Kristopher Ortega. Of the 63 units, he said, 16 will be three-bedroom units and 30 will have two bedrooms. The project used the name of the church to help it remain part of the community, Ortega said. Theres no tear-downs or anything like that, were using the excess lot, Ortega said. The gap funding will go towards construction, which is about 60 days out, Ortega said. If everything goes well, tenants will move in as early as late-2025. Emery Park Place: $500,000 Emery Park Place will be located off of Drexel Road and will feature four duplexes making up eight units in total, says Family Housing Resources executive director Meghan Heddings. FHR and Southern Arizona Land Trust (SALT), a developer of mostly single-family affordable housing, were awarded $500,000 to help cover construction costs for Emery Park Place. All units will be ADA-accessible and will target individuals and families who earn 80% or less of the area median income, Heddings said. Tenants are to begin moving in as early as March 2025, if not sooner if were lucky, Heddings said. Were really grateful for the funds from Pima County and the Board of Supervisors commitment to affordable housing and putting general funds towards these endeavors, she said. Its really important at this time and I think its noteworthy, what theyre doing. The Safford: $1 million The Safford in Marana will be home to 200 apartments with financial support from the Section 42 Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program. Located at 8470 N. Silverbell Road, construction on The Safford is expected to be completed in 2025. Rent limits for the new apartment complex will be $1,096 for a two-bedroom apartment, $1,266 for a three-bedroom apartment, and $1,413 for a four-bedroom apartment, The Arizona Republic reported. West Point Apartments II: $1 million West Point Apartments II is being developed in downtown Tucson, 20 E. Ochoa St., near South Stone Avenue. The first West Point Apartments, formerly the old Westerner Hotel in downtown Tucson, was purchased by La Frontera Partners and converted into an affordable housing complex. La Frontera had demolished the back half of the hotel and replaced it with a tower. West Point II, according to La Frontera President and CEO Dan Ranieri, will be just like the first one with same amenities and design, only bigger. The first West Points complex consists of 50 one-bedroom/one-bathroom units for persons 55-and-older. At that complex, all utilities are included in rent. The 86-unit West Point II is set to begin construction next month. It will last about a year, meaning the complex can expect to be filled with tenants by spring 2025, Ranieri said. Its too early to begin developing rent figures, Ranieri said, but the plan is to designate a certain amount of units at a certain income threshold. The complex will serve low-income seniors earning between 40% and 60% of the areas median income, according to The Hisey Group, a development and consulting company working on the project. The project has cost $31 million so far, The Hisey Group says on the projects website. Existing: preservation, renovation, re-use El Camino Affordable Housing: $375,000 Built in the 1940s, the former El Camino Hotel on East Benson Highway was purchased in March 2023 by long-running South Tucson soup kitchen, Casa Maria. Its 20 units are to be rented to people earning less than 80% of the area median income, or between $600 and $700 a month, including utilities. The nonprofits goal in March was to raise $400,000 to add kitchenettes to all units. Tucson House: $1 million The Tucson House is a historic 17-story structure, which was a high-rise luxury apartment building built in 1963. It was converted by the city into public housing in 1979, and the 408-unit tower at 1501 N. Oracle Road is now the citys largest public housing site. In July 2023, the city received a $50 million federal grant from the U.S. Housing and Urban Development Departments Choice Neighborhoods program, designed to revitalize struggling neighborhoods with distressed public or HUD-assisted housing, the Star previously reported. At the time, Tucson Mayor Regina Romero said the plan was to turn the complex into a mixed-income community for those 55 and older. New homeownership development Mars Landing Development: $1 million Habitat for Humanitys Mars Landing will be a 30-home subdivision located on a vacant lot in northwest Tucson, near West Ina and North Thornydale roads. The subdivision will be made up of three-bedroom, two-bathroom entry level homes which will be about 1,200-1,300 square feet in size, says Habitat for Humanity CEO Charlie Buchanan. Each home will feature a shared-wall concept with its neighbor and will be open for potential homebuyers who earn 40%-80% of the countys area median income. The subdivision is still in its pre-development phase and its too early to begin talks on construction, Buchanan said. The $1 million awarded to it by the county will be used to accelerate the project timeline, he said. First-time homebuyer program continues In other affordable housing news, Tucson and Pima County's industrial development authorities announced they will be joining forces for Lighthouse 3.0, a housing program designed to support first-time homebuyers. The program is offering a 6% fixed mortgage rate, as well as 4% of forgivable down-payment assistance that homeowners will not have to pay back if they live in their Lighthouse home for five years. Pima Tucson Lighthouse was launched in August 2023 with county and city funding of $25 million in bond authority. Those funds were quickly exhausted and an additional $25 million in bond authority was approved in November of last year. Learn more at pimatucsonhomebuyers.com/lighthouse. PHOENIX The centerpiece of Republican-led efforts to address Arizonas lack of affordable housing, which strips cities of their ability to set many zoning rules for single-family homes, is one vote away from heading to Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs desk. But there remain hurdles for the bill GOP lawmakers have dubbed the Arizona Starter Home Act. Republican Senate President Warren Petersen said Tuesday that it appeared his chambers version of the bill may still be short of the 16 votes it needs to pass. Thats after senators backing the measure amended their version of the legislation, SB1112, to make it identical to the bill passed last week by the House, HB2570. Many lawmakers from both parties are convinced that city-adopted zoning regulations are hindering the construction of smaller, cheaper homes. That lack of less-expensive new homes has made it tough for young families to buy a new home because there are few if any choices in their price range. But others disagree and remain concerned about exerting their statewide power over local decisions such as zoning for residential, commercial and industrial developments. The twin bills are not the only efforts at the Capitol to address concerns about affordable housing. Others include: Requiring cities of more than 75,000 people to allow backyard casitas. That already is law in some cities. But the legislation would allow up to five structures to be built in a backyard; rules in Tucson and Phoenix allow just one. Allowing developers to convert commercial properties such as strip malls, which have become vacant as shoppers move to online purchases, to new apartment homes; Setting an absolute limit of two public hearings when a developer seeks a rezoning. Of note is that backers and opponents of many of the proposals include both Republicans and Democrats, leading to unusual alliances in an often-times politically polarized Legislature. Thats led to fits and starts on many of the proposals as backers try to tweak them to win supporters and opponents work to beat them back. The main zoning bill awaiting a vote has been altered. But it still is opposed by the association that represents the states cities, despite the changes, as are many of the proposals making their way through the Legislature this session. As originally proposed, cities would have been barred from having any sort of minimum lot size to construct a new home. That was scrapped to let cities ban housing on lots of less than 1,500 feet. Thats the equivalent of just 50 by 30 feet, something still much smaller than now applies to city lots. Of note is that the U.S. Census Bureau says 1,500 square feet was the median size of new single family homes built in the 1970s. Add to that a provision that homes could be as close to 10 feet from the street and just 5 feet away from a neighboring home on the sides or back. Basically, its right up against the street, said Tom Belshe, executive director of the League of Arizona Cities and Towns, which opposes the bills. This is typically the kind of setup we have for multifamily (apartment) housing. What that would mean, Belshe said, is the ability to build homes as small as 600 square feet on a 1,500-foot lot or 1,200 square feet for a two-story house. The version of the bill proponents are hoping to send to Hobbs does maintain many of the limits on city zoning rules that initially drew opposition from cities. Cities are now able to detail zoning rules without interference from the state. Some contentious provisions were removed, including one that banned city rules on minimum parking. The House and now Senate versions also now exempt neighborhoods designated as historic districts. But the bills still would override other regulations. Municipalities would be barred from adopting rules mandating specific design, architectural or aesthetic elements for new homes, and could not require homeowner associations or common walls, landscaping and other features maintained by HOA fees. Backers, in efforts to line up votes and minimize opposition agreed that the new rules would affect only cities of 70,000 or more. The original version had a 50,000 threshold. That change exempts many medium-sized municipalities, including Lake Havasu City. That city is represented by the Republican Senate and House bill sponsors, Sen. Sonny Borrello and Rep. Leo Biasiucci, who serve as majority leaders in their respective chambers. The measure now applies to just 16 of the states 91 cities and towns. And it only applies to new developments over 5 acres, removing opposition from residents of established neighborhoods worried about infill development cramming lots of homes into areas with normal-sized lots. Biasiucci said backers increased the city population threshold because they wanted the impact to be in larger cities where the need for starter homes is greatest. Both bills now contain unusual legislative intent language wording that is not part of the law itself but is designed both to send a political message and to provide guidance to judges if any of the provisions are challenged. That language says Arizona is in a crisis due to the lack of available housing and that the American dream of owning their own home has become virtually impossible for many Arizonans. It specifically lays the blame squarely on the cities. The statewide housing crisis is caused in no small part due to highly restrictive regulations imposed by municipalities, according to the bills. That language shows that homebuilders have succeeded this year in getting support for their perennial arguments that cities are hindering their ability to build new homes through onerous zoning regulations. There are, of course, many other reasons why the state has a shortage of new homes. Belshe has noted that despite homebuilders arguments, metro Phoenix alone has about 275,000 approved new home and apartment sites. Of those, more than 105,000 are single-family home lots waiting for builders to start work. And while acknowledging that cities arent blame-free, he said builders also share responsibility for the current housing shortage. Builders essentially stopped putting up new homes after the Great Recession hit in December 2007. And the resulting mortgage crisis created problems not only statewide but also made metro Phoenix the hardest-hit in the nation for home foreclosures. That slowdown in new construction went on for years even as collapsed home prices eventually bounced back. Homebuilders are just now returning to pre-recession construction levels despite years of population growth in Arizona. Other issues contributing to high housing prices include rising material and labor costs and a shortage of skilled craftspeople to build new homes and apartments. The rising cost of new and existing homes isnt just an Arizona issue, since home prices have increased nationally as well. One proposal billed as affordable housing has failed. Rep. Barbara Parkers HB2096 would have allowed small homes on rural lots in counties with 500,000 residents or less. More to the point, it would have exempted them from building codes. The proposal from the Mesa Republican would have allowed a property owner to build a home or casita of up to 600 square feet without a building inspection. She called the proposal a way to allow property owners to construct small homes free of government red tape. This will never be a mass-produced commercial, congested inner-city, cookie-cutter maze of homes, no lobbyists, no special interests, truly organic, Parker said on the House floor in reacting to the defeat of her bill. This tiny homes cottage home act would have made it easier for rural property owners to build on their own land without the interference of excessive and intrusive government regulation, because property rights are human rights. One opponent noted that Parker herself expected few homes to be built because of her measure and said it was not a viable solution to the lack of new homes affordable for average workers. This bill is the wrong way to build new homes, said Rep. Oscar De LosSantos, D-Laveen, during debate earlier this month. It is unsafe and frankly, irresponsible, he said. Families will have no guarantees of basic sanitation, electrical work that is done well. They will have no guarantees, even smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors. Simply put, this is a bill that could create homes that are unfit for human habitation. The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer: Politicians in Arizona have fostered a moral panic around Critical Race Theory (CRT). Leaders of these anti-CRT initiatives have acknowledged that they mischaracterize CRT to rally support among conservatives. In response to these attacks, advocates should ask, What legal arguments can stunt anti-CRT legislation? How can we protect students rights to access information in their schools? Legal scholar Dylan Saul offers three points to contest the constitutionality of CRT bans. 1. Prove that these bans are politically motivated and intended to cause a chilling effect on conversations around systemic racism in public schools. 2. Demonstrate how they violate students right to receive information. 3. Prove that there is no legitimate pedagogical concern for restricting students right to access information in their curriculum. 1. The Chilling Effect The manufactured panic around CRT is meant to intimidate educators so they do not discuss issues related to systemic racism with their students. For example, our superintendent of Arizona Schools, Tom Horne, promised to investigate 250 Arizona teachers who signed a petition to defy any law banning CRT. Horne promised to set up a hotline where any teacher, parent, administrator, or student could call the Arizona Department of Education and report the use of what they perceived as CRT in any classroom. These scare tactics have left teachers in a similar situation as election officials who have been abused and assaulted for attempting to uphold the principles of our democratic institutions. Like those election officials, many teachers in Arizona are leaving the profession. The reality is that high school curricula do not adequately address the role that racism has played in shaping US history, let alone address the core tenets of CRT. A 2017 survey report from the Southern Poverty Law Center found that only 8% of the thousand high school students they surveyed identified slavery as the cause of the Civil War, 58% of the 1,700 social studies teachers surveyed felt their textbooks lacked a deep coverage of slavery. 2. Students Right to Access Information In the 2022 case Falls v. DeSantis, high school teachers in Florida and an elementary student challenged the constitutionality of DeSantis Stop W.O.K.E Act. The courts affirmed that students, but not teachers, had standing to sue the state because the CRT ban denied them their First Amendment right to access information. Arizona Representative Raul Grijalva emphasizes students right to access information in his Right to Read Act. Grijalva frames attacks on CRT as a censorship issue. Responding to conservative attempts to ban books, censor curriculum, restrict students civil rights, and punish teachers for accurately recounting our nations history, Grijalvas bill addresses disparities in students access to library resources. 3. No Legitimate Pedagogical Concern The crucial determining factor in protecting students right to access information is proving that legislation banning CRT is not born from a legitimate pedagogical concern. In Gonzalez v. Douglas, the case that deemed Arizonas 2010 ban on ethnic studies unconstitutional, the courts upheld the precedent in Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier that the state requires a legitimate pedagogical purpose to restrict students first amendment right to receive information. In fact, plaintiffs showed that students in ethnic studies classes demonstrate higher levels of academic achievement than those who do not. Teachers and researchers in states hoping to challenge anti-CRT legislation should draw from and conduct studies demonstrating the positive impact that classes addressing racism have on students academic achievement. Conclusion Arizona has seen a significant decrease in high school graduates attending college since the pandemic, and our high school graduation rate of 76% falls far below the 87% national average. If Arizona schools hope to improve student achievement, we must invest in the socially conscious approaches that have proven to raise student test scores, graduation rates and attendance. Anti-choice dilemma In the 1970s when I first became involved in the pro-choice abortion issue, we imagined all sorts of scenarios if the U.S. or states were to ever assign personhood to fertilized eggs. (Every miscarriage scrutinized and requiring a death certificate?) Now some of these scenarios have become a reality, with laws banning abortions after six weeks, for example. Yet even in our wildest dreams, I dont know of anyone who envisioned that embryos used for IVF would be defined as children. And Republicans in the U.S. House so far have refused to guarantee the rights of families seeking IVF. If the anti-choice movement, flush with victory after the fall of Roe v. Wade, wishes to take their arguments to what they see as a logical conclusion, and promote personhood for IVF embryos, calling themselves pro-family will be an even more laughable misnomer than it has been in the past. Diane Dittemore North side Beliefs and politics upside down So, now they want the freedom of only one religions adopted Ten Commandments in the publics classrooms; these rules are attributed to Moses who was most likely born around 1,570 years BC, and thought to be the commandments author; he was a Jewish tribal leader of people who chose to believe in one God over the then believed Egyptian Pharaohs as Gods; the Bible is mainly about Jewish history, by Jewish authors and the Jewish God which was adopted as the Christian one (or three in one); now, several of this religious wings politicians, government officials and uninformed followers want to return to the 13th century BC (1300 to 1201 BC) pharaoh model of one man worship, power, control, and rule. May the good and benevolent God be with us. Richard Packard Oro Valley Good guys vs. bad guys? According to the article in the Star recounting the tragic events at the Super Bowl parade in Kansas City, a fight broke out between two men (and isnt it always men?) who didnt even know each other. Somehow they felt that their disagreement was serious enough to warrant the discharge of bullets despite being in the middle of a crowd. The inevitable result, the death of innocent people. Who was the bad guy with the gun, and who was the good guy? I can tell you who the bad guys are: the NRA and those members of Congress who refuse to pass gun control legislation, who still labor under the delusion (or profess to) that having a gun will make you safer. It is pure fiction. It is the simple truth that more guns equals more deaths. Period. Beth Dingman Green Valley Time to fish or cut bait How does the Ukraine war end? Is it when the Russians withdraw their troops, return all occupied land, and admit that they were wrong? The Sunday talk shows put the blame on the House Speaker stating that the future of Ukraine and world was in his hands. As if releasing American funds will somehow solve what it now a U.S./Russia proxy war of attrition. European nations, many of whom have coveted social welfare systems, are thousands of miles closer and do not seem to have the same sense of urgency. Also, we can provide conventional weapon systems which would allow the Ukrainians to bring the war to Russia. Cruise missiles to allow strikes in Russia itself. Moscow, refineries, military bases etc. Tanks and artillery are not going to defeat an adversary willing to accept extreme losses on Ukrainian soil. If we are not going to give the Ukraine the tools to win decisively, perhaps we should find another solution. Chris Simenson Green Valley Rules and more foolish rules Now that a state supreme court has ruled (essentially) that a womans egg is a human being, one has to wonder if all of the eggs that a woman has and not yet delivered to her uterus are human being also. These eggs are clearly part of a human being, they are part of a WOMAN. They are not eligible to vote and the vast, vast majority of these eggs will never be delivered to the uterus. They are all the property of the woman; not the property of government, nor that of a man, nor that of a court, nor that of any legislature. Why is it so hard for the Right aligned control freaks to realize that they do not control a womans body. It is her body to do what she believes is the right thing to do, HERS ALONE. How would any man react if a court told you that all of your sperm are human beings and punishable by imprisonment if discarded? Vincent Allen Northwest side Putin directing the Republican Party Every day we hear of yet another absurd move by the Republicans who desperately try to gain points in public opinion ahead of the Nov. elections. And the closer we look, the more we recognize Putins handwriting all over the wall. Whether its the opposition to supporting the Ukrainians in their self-defense against Russian aggression, whether its the absurd attempts to impeach Pres. Biden, whether its the strategy to deny the outcomes of our elections, if not their manipulation, or whether its former Pres. Trumps antics and gaslighting, we can recognize Russian influence. Putin is a former KGB man, and he knows that it is much more cost-effective to mesmerize or hypnotize the conservative masses in the USA than to confront our so-far still free democracy in military terms. Putin has his hands also in the pockets of many German politicians and others, but the buck should stop here. We can have disagreements, but any American supporting Putin is a traitor. Albrecht Classen Midtown The Party of Putin Putins loyal followers, often called MAGA, have successfully implemented Putins goals. The murdering dictator wants Ukraine for his domination. Only freedom loving Ukrainians stand in his way. What Ukrainians need is the means to defend themselves. What Putin needs is for the U.S. to abandon Ukraine. The Donald with his Republican toadies have delivered for Putin-no additional U.S. aid is forthcoming. The Donalds subservience to Putin remains intact. Of course Putin will stop with Ukraine. After all Hitler stopped with Czechoslovakia right? But with a MAGA education I doubt they know who Hitler was. William Garrity Foothills Elections matter I have heard multiple times we have problems in this country because of too much politics. I disagree, the problem is too little politics. I say that because we have not learned that elections have consequences. We elect people by either voting for them or not voting at all. Then we complain about what they do. We should not be surprised when we elect a President and he then appoints to the Supreme Court, justices who issue decisions we are vehemently opposed to. We should not be surprised when we elect four members to the Arizona Corporate Commission who deny human-caused global climate change and who then pass rules that make that problem worse. Simply put, elections matter. We should choose wisely. Howard Strause Foothills Medicare Advantage Re: the Feb. 27 article Medicare needs reform, not Advantage plans. Thank you, Tyna Callahan, for your excellent summary of the disadvantages associated with Medicare Advantage limited choice of providers, requirements for prior authorization and other barriers to care. Traditional Medicare is a government-run program with extremely low administrative costs. Once a middleman is introduced, along with the need for profit, the amount of money going for actual health care is significantly reduced. Lets strengthen traditional Medicare so it works for all seniors! Eve Shapiro, MD, MPH Foothills Democratic prosecutors persecution of #45 Re: the Feb. 27 letter Democrat prosecutors persecution of Trump. I just read an astonishing recount of a member of the Cult of Trump claiming that Democratic prosecutors are persecuting the former twice-impeached, self-described sexual predator because they are Democrats. The writer apparently forgot that there are laws in this country that we all need to adhere to. But thats not the concern of the letter writer. Her only concern is that her cult leader is being persecuted. She doesnt realize the difference between persecution and prosecution. Her anointed one did everything hes been prosecuted for. He sexually assaulted a woman in a dressing room and was found guilty of that. Thats why there was no need for a jury trial. He was already found guilty. John Bingham Northwest side Different viewpoints Wonder if some of the very frequent liberal writers to the Opinion Section are on the Arizona Daily Stars payroll as I see the same names over and over again? Their inputs constantly call those who do not share their political views the most hateful and degrading names. Their theme is always the same against the other side: they are called a cult, stupid, insane, clowns, hypocrites, susceptible to lies, hypocritical, racist, and other very unkind terms. These types of inputs ferment and exasperate the division now occurring among us and also show the level of coordination these writers seem to have as inputs tend to follow the same theme against their fellow Americans who have a different viewpoint than they do. Rosalie Wright Oro Valley Medicare Advantage Re: the Feb. 27 article Medicare needs reform, not Advantage plans. This was an excellent opinion regarding the disadvantages of Medicare Advantage (MA) programs. MA is a misnomer since it is an insurance company product for Medicare eligible patients but it is not Medicare. The MA plans profits are excessive by even health insurance standards, double that of indemnity insurance. The MA plans across the board (eight of the 10 largest) have been accused of upcoding and overbilling with four of the five largest accursed of outright fraudulent practices. This has resulted in an estimated 22-35% excess billings which amounts to $88 to $140 BILLION per year, which is more than enough to provide all Medicare beneficiaries vision, hearing, and dental care. United Healthcare reports an expected profit of $27.5 billion in 2024, the majority due to their MA plans. Traditional Medicare (TM) has no profit motive and overhead operating expenses is about 3%. We need to greatly improve TM and take the profit incentive out of MA for the sake of patients and taxpayers. Michael Hamant, MD East side Funding for asylum seekers Dear Congressman Ciscomani, You were elected to serve your constituents in Southern Arizona. You recently voted to reject carefully thought-out bipartisan legislation to help solve our border issue. Not only did you reject the funding to increase staffing by the border patrol but even more devastating to Southern Arizona, you voted to stop the funding for folks who are applying for asylum. So in one month, the streets of Tucson will likely be flooded with those folks. The city of Tucson and Pima County will be paying for those services instead of the federal government, just as is happening in San Diego today. The faith groups like Catholic Relief Services and others will also be attempting to pay for this. I understand that many Republicans see the border issue as a great thing in an election year. But you were elected to serve Southern Arizona not the RNC or candidate Trump. Sincerely, your constituent Robert Beren, MD Foothills Lunacy 2-23-2024 AZ Senate: Your Sex is whats set at birth AZ Senate: Let students appeal grades over politics Lawyer whos worked with Lake, Gosar and Palin set for new AZ government job Meghan McCain blasts Kari Lake over John McCain comments 2-25-2024 NGO stand between Tucson and chaos AZ moving to require exit exam 2-27-2024 AZ Senate: Schools must tell parents about students gender identities AZs Senate is paying state GOP chair $15K per month Lawsuit seeks to open divorce records (Ruben Gallego) Lake in line with GOP memo, backs IVF services From Feb. 23-27, these headlines and articles in the Arizona Daily Star, available on the online AZ Daily Star, shocked me, illustrating the level of ignorance and vitriol spouted by Republican legislators. Our state and country cannot allow such myopic, backward thinking to drive the Legislature. Hopefully, the need to support Democratic candidates in the next election shouts out to voters. Roger Shanley East side Please explain Some prominent wealthy individuals in the financial world are complaining that Leticia Jamess successful prosecution and penalization of Trump is unfair. Is it unfair that New York has a law requiring truthful valuations on a loan application? Is it unfair that that law provides for fines if an applicant deliberately lies and thereby commits fraud? Is it unfair that Trump got caught committing a crime and then got prosecuted for that behavior? Or is it unfair because Trump is not subject to the rule of law like other citizens? My inquiring mind wants to know. Rick Cohn Shortly after Oklahoma became a state in 1907, the Legislature passed a bill requiring top sheets on hotel beds to be nine feet long. Former Tulsa World managing editor Gene Curtis shared these and other moments in Oklahoma history with his "Only in Oklahoma" column that published in 2006-07 in honor of the state's centennial. "It's a lot of fun remembering and researching the events of the state's first century," he said at the time. "I hope readers enjoy reading about these people and events as much as I do." Some of the columns cover quirky topics, such as the nine-foot sheet law or the Oklahoma congressman who held a beauty contest in his office and offered himself as the prize. Others were about serious events. There were columns about Sen. Robert S. Kerr, who was either loved or hated there was no middle ground by Oklahomans; about such colorful politicians as "Alfalfa" Bill Murray and Cowboy Pink Williams; and about schoolteacher Will Rogers who was elected to Congress in 1932 because of his name, not because he was the famous humorist. Other politicians covered included the late J. Howard Edmondson, who got the attention of voters with a catchy campaign song and brought about repeal of prohibition; and about George Nigh's successful effort to designate a song from a Broadway musical as the state song. No series of columns about the history of Oklahoma would be complete without stories about movie actors Clark Gable, Tom Mix, Gene Autry and Hopalong Cassidy all of whom had Oklahoma connections and comic strip character Dick Tracy, created by Chester Gould, a native of Pawnee. Some columns focused on criminals such as Charles "Pretty Boy" Floyd, Crawford Goldsby (better known as the Cherokee Kid), train-robber-turned-politician Al Jennings, George "Machine Gun" Kelly; and Ted Cole and Ralph Roe, who may have been the only criminals who ever escaped from Alcatraz. He also wrote about attempts to make rain by cloud-seeding including the 1947 tongue-in-cheek attempt by a Tulsa World reporter who dropped ice cubes into clouds over Tulsa from a small plane and found that the only moisture came from the melting ice cubes. Jacob Adams, of Owasso, recently graduated with a Bachelor of Art in Criminology from the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Arkansas. Adams joined more than 300 additional undergraduate Fulbright College students who graduated in fall 2023. On behalf of our faculty, staff, and the entire U of A community, we offer Jacob a big congratulations, said Kathryn Sloan, interim dean of Fulbright College. Were so incredibly proud of Jacob for reaching this incredible academic achievement. Collectively, Fulbright College awarded bachelor's degrees to 330 students during fall 2023 in areas of study that span across four academic disciplines in the college: fine arts, humanities, natural sciences and social sciences. 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 A monument in Owen Park sparked a broader discussion among city councilors on Wednesday about creating a process for reviewing and addressing concerns regarding the names of streets, public buildings and other public structures on city-owned land. But while several councilors expressed support for the idea, no formal action was taken. The discussion began with Councilor Grant Miller telling his colleagues that hed been troubled by some of what hed heard about the Tulsa Association of Pioneers monument in the park. While researching the issue, Miller said, he viewed a meeting of the citys Human Rights Commission in which the monument was called a (Ku Klux) Klan trophy. And I thought that was pretty disturbing, Miller said. I dont really know a ton about this, but considering that, you know, I kind of bring items from all kinds of people around town, whether it be a resolution for Israel, whether it be for the trade unions, or whether it be for somebody who has a problem with this Tulsa Association of Pioneers monument, I think people should have a voice that hadnt been discussed in some time. Tulsa Parks Director Anna America said similar concerns regarding the memorial were brought to her attention a few years ago, at which time she reached out to the Tulsa Historical Society & Museum for assistance. According to the Historical Society, America said, the organization was made up of families who consider themselves obviously pioneers of Tulsa. They stated that the groups purpose was to obtain a roll of all old settlers who have lived in Tulsa or the Indian territory or the Osage Indian Nation for 25 years or longer, and now live in the city of Tulsa, America said. And so they formed this organization, and from what I can tell, mostly had picnics, because thats their sort of early activity. But they also sort of stated as one of their purposes was to collect, preserve and keep all historical facts, light spirit and association that said pioneers and settlers in, of and about the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma. And it was open, the membership roles, to all men and women who resided in Indian Territory or Oklahoma Territory on or before Oklahoma statehood. The Society of Pioneers of Tulsa was established in September 1921 and changed its name to the Tulsa Association of Pioneers in 1932. The monument in question was erected on a farm in Osage County in 1935 and moved to its current location in 1969, according to America and Historical Society records. The memorial reads, in part: This stone marks the ground where Old Timers who lived in Tulsa and vicinity over 30 years met on Sept. 21, 1921, at a Barbeque they all visited, reminisced and organized the Tulsa Association of Pioneers. America acknowledged that certain aspects of the organization have raised red flags among some people. For example, the association was created just months after the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, and among the names listed on the memorial is the W.T. Brady family. Tate Brady was an influential early merchant in Tulsa who had connections with the Ku Klux Klan. America said that while the Historical Society provided no recommendations regarding how the city should handle the monument, it did say that it found nothing in the record to support the notion that the organization was racist. And she cautioned against impugning the motives of an entire organization because of one members actions or affiliations. Because there is somebody who we know is a racist and who participated in openly racist organizations, that does not then taint every organization that that person participated in, America said. She said she would like to see councilors take up the issue in a broader context to come up with policies and procedures to determine how parks, streets and other city assets are named and how to address controversies that might arise around existing names. I dont know what is potentially problematic out there, and I think it is really important that we dont have me or any one person sort of making that value judgment on behalf of Tulsa, America said. I think that there should be some sort of process thats transparent and equitable. Councilor Laura Bellis, whose district includes Owen Park, agreed. I think I personally lean more towards this going. This is problematic; it should go, Bellis said. But I wouldnt want us to be arbitrating monuments and road names and building names over and over, which is why I agreed with what Anna just shared. So I can see us as a policy-making body. The new Tulsa World app offers personalized features. Download it today. 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 City Councilor and mayoral candidate Jayme Fowler took time on Wednesday to correct the record on what he indicated were misperceptions or misunderstandings regarding his illegal immigrants proposal. But that didnt seem to persuade his colleagues to support it. I am trying to figure out what youre trying to do that we cant do or thats not already done, Councilor Phil Lakin said during a committee meeting. In his role as a city councilor, Fowler last week proposed a new ordinance that would prohibit the use of city funds to house, accommodate or benefit illegal immigrants. On Wednesday, he assured his colleagues that the proposed measure was constitutional and also enforceable under Oklahoma House Bill 1804, which was approved nearly two decades ago. Safe City (ordinance) wont jeopardize federal funding, including HUD, which is prohibited from providing financial assistance to unlawful residents, Fowler said. In addition, Fowler said, under HB 1804 it is a felony for municipalities to provide benefits, including shelter, to illegal immigrants. The idea behind the proposal, he said, is to establish requirements enforcing compliance relating to city grants and expenditures. Were localizing this, Fowler said. Again, Lakin questioned why. What is this ordinance adding to our abilities as a council or adding to what the state or feds already prohibit? Lakin asked. Fowler responded by saying the proposed ordinance would codify the citys stance and put the city in a better position should busloads of illegal immigrants arrive in Tulsa one day, as they have in places such as Chicago, New York and Denver. I got to tell you right now, we just simply dont have the money and wherewithal as these big cities do, and this prevents the use of city dollars for doing it, Fowler said. Councilor Christian Bengel said Lakin echoed many of the same concerns he has about the proposal, including the fact that it appears to mirror existing state and federal laws. Weve already crossed two borders of government, Bengel said. This is a minefield that is really overwhelming. Councilor Grant Miller said he has yet to take a position on the proposal but indicated that he thought there was a way the proposal could work in practice. The more groups and community stakeholders Ive talked to about this, the more momentum seems to grow, Fowler said. I look forward to continuing to engage the community. The new Tulsa World app offers personalized features. Download it today. Anna Codutti Tulsa World Breaking News Editor Follow Anna Codutti 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 A former Nowata Middle School teacher received a 10-year prison sentence after federal prosecutors say he had sexual contact with a student, including in the classroom. Kenneth Colby Martinez, 26, of Bartlesville was convicted of coercion and enticement of a minor in Indian Country and abusive sexual contact with a minor in Indian Country. The student is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, thus establishing federal jurisdiction. U.S. District Judge John F. Heil III ordered Martinez to serve 10 years in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release in which he must register as a sex offender. Kenneth Martinez violated the trust of the Nowata community and took advantage of a student he was entrusted with, U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson said in a statement. No child should ever need to question if school is a safe place. My office will continue to pursue those who prey on vulnerable children. According to court documents, Martinez used messaging apps to communicate with a student at Nowata Middle School during the 2021-22 school year. The messages eventually became sexual in nature, the U.S. Attorneys Office said. On several occasions, Martinezs abusive sexual contact happened in a classroom with the student. The Nowata Police Department investigated the case along with the FBI. The new Tulsa World app offers personalized features. Download it today. Randy Krehbiel Tulsa World Staff Writer Follow Randy Krehbiel 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 The solution to guns in schools is more guns, the chairman of an Oklahoma House of Representatives committee said Wednesday. No, state Rep. Jay Steagall, R-Yukon, did not advocate passing out firearms at school entrances. But he did advocate abandoning the Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990, which he said has done absolutely nothing to protect our kids, and arming up school buildings. That is why we should always ensure those who are legal to own a firearm always have the ability to defend themselves and get rid of these ignorant polices that do absolutely nothing to protect our kids, said Steagall, a Second Amendment enthusiast who owns a firing range and gun shop. Gun restrictions for school campuses, said Steagall, have made our teachers, our administrators and our kids sitting ducks. Steagalls comments came during an exchange with Rep. John Waldron, D-Tulsa, over Steagalls House Bill 3056, which would loosen restrictions on guns in vehicles in school parking lots although to what extent was a matter of contention. The provision apparently was made part of HB 3056 at the request of Rep. Denise Crosswhite-Hader, R-Yukon, who said she just doesnt want drivers waiting for kids in school parking lots to be subject to arrest for having a gun in the car. Drive-through drop-offs and pick-ups are already exempt from gun prohibitions, and people with self-defense gun licenses are allowed to keep firearms in a locked vehicle. Waldron, though, said the bills language is ambiguous and leaves open the possibility of someone parking a car for the day and retrieving a gun later for nefarious or ill-considered purposes. A gun locked in a car, he noted, would not be very useful for self-defense if someone is on a shooting rampage inside a school building. By your logic, wouldnt it be better if that 18-year-old student brought a holster-secured firearm into the classroom? Waldron asked. By your logic, shouldnt the guns be in the classroom in the first place? Is your answer, More guns in more spaces? Steagall didnt go along with that exactly but did offer a conditional yes. Theres a reason we place resource officers inside that building with a firearm, he said. Theres a reason we hire CLEET-certified security officers, so they can carry a firearm. So yes, if we look at where that firearm is, we typically put them in the building. Steagall said hiring more armed guards was an answer to school safety, but he acknowledged that it isnt feasible because of the cost. At least one study has concluded that armed guards might not be any more effective at stopping school gun violence than the laws cited by Steagall. And, as is often pointed out, no study can determine how many potential acts of violence didnt occur because of one deterrent or another. The new Tulsa World app offers personalized features. Download it today. Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed Thursday to fulfill Moscows goals in Ukraine and sternly warned the West against deeper involvement in the fighting, saying that such a move is fraught with the risk of a global nuclear conflict. Putin's blunt warning came in a state-of-the-nation address ahead of next months election hes all but certain to win, underlining his readiness to raise the stakes in the tug-of-war with the West to protect the Russian gains in Ukraine. In an apparent reference to French President Emmanuel Macron's statement earlier this week that the future deployment of Western ground troops to Ukraine should not be ruled out," Putin warned that it would lead to tragic consequences for the countries who decide to do that. Putin noted that while accusing Russia of plans to attack NATO allies in Europe, Western allies were selecting targets for striking our territory and "talking about the possibility of sending a NATO contingent to Ukraine. We remember the fate of those who sent their troop contingents to the territory of our country, the Russian leader said in an apparent allusion to the failed invasions by Napoleon and Hitler. Now the consequences for the potential invaders will be far more tragic. In a two-hour speech before an audience of lawmakers and top officials, Putin cast Western leaders as reckless and irresponsible and declared that the West should keep in mind that we also have the weapons that can strike targets on their territory, and what they are now suggesting and scaring the world with, all that raises the real threat of a nuclear conflict that will mean the destruction of our civilization. The strong statement followed earlier warnings from Putin, who has issued frequent reminders of Russia's nuclear might since he sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022 as he sought to discourage the West from expanding its military support for Kyiv. Putin emphasized that Russias nuclear forces are in full readiness, saying that the military has deployed potent new weapons, some of them tested on the battlefield in Ukraine. The Kremlin leader said they include the new Sarmat heavy intercontinental ballistic missile that has entered service with Russian nuclear forces, along with the Burevestnik atomic-powered cruise missile and the Poseidon atomic-powered, nuclear-armed drone, which are completing their tests. At the same time, he rejected Western leaders statements about the threat of a Russian attack on NATO allies in Europe as ravings and again dismissed Washington's claim that Moscow was pondering the deployment of space-based nuclear weapons. Putin charged that the U.S. allegations were part of a ploy to draw Russia into talks on nuclear arms control on American terms, even as Washington continues its efforts to deliver a strategic defeat to Moscow in Ukraine. Ahead of the U.S. election, they just want to show their citizens, as well as others, that they continue to rule the world, he said. It won't work. In his speech that focused heavily on economic and social issues ahead of the March 15-17 presidential vote, Putin argued that Russia was defending its sovereignty and security and protecting our compatriots in Ukraine, charging that the Russian forces have the upper hand in the fighting. He reaffirmed his claim that the West was bent on destroying Russia, saying "they need a dependent, waning, dying space in the place of Russia so that they can do whatever they want. The Russian leader honored the troops fallen in Ukraine with a moment of silence, and said that military veterans should form the core of the country's new elite, inviting them to join a new training program for senior civil servants. Putin has repeatedly said that he sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022 to protect Russian interests and prevent Ukraine from posing a major security threat to Russia by joining NATO. Kyiv and its allies have denounced it as an unprovoked act of aggression. The Russian leader has repeatedly signaled a desire to negotiate an end to the fighting but warned that Russia will hold onto its gains. Putin, 71, who is running as an independent candidate in the March 15-17 presidential election, relies on the tight control over Russias political system that he has established during 24 years in power. Prominent critics who could challenge him have either been imprisoned or are living abroad, while most independent media have been banned, meaning that Putins reelection is all but assured. He faces token opposition from three other candidates nominated by Kremlin-friendly parties represented in parliament. Russias best-known opposition leader Alexei Navalny, whose attempt to run against Putin in 2018 was rejected, died suddenly in an Arctic prison colony earlier this month, while serving a 19-year sentence on extremism charges. Navalnys funeral is set for Friday. (AP) OKLAHOMA CITY Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. on Wednesday asked the Legislature to be willing to step in if compact negotiations with Gov. Kevin Stitt sour. If we cant get that done we will need the Legislature to be our friends on this issue and have the backs of schools and the backs of county commissioners and the backs of law enforcement and have the back of the Cherokee Nation, Hoskin said in an address to the Oklahoma House of Representatives during Cherokee Legislative Day. Under the current motor vehicle compact, which will expire at the end of 2024, the Cherokee Nation gives a percentage of its revenues from car tags to Oklahoma schools and counties. Were working with the governor to extend this tag compact, and we need to because heres whats at stake: millions of dollars for public schools, for public safety, for roads and bridges, Hoskin explained in a press conference. If you just look at Tulsa County, for example, this compact means Tulsa County schools get about $1.7 million every single year. Here in a few weeks, well issue checks totaling more than $7.5 million to schools all over northeast Oklahoma. This is critical. The compact goes away. Thats all at risk. Hoskin said he was optimistic about negotiations, especially because the Cherokee Nation has reached a tentative agreement with the state on its tobacco compact. The governor signed the compact on Monday. Hoskin believes it will be approved by the Cherokee Tribal Council sometime next week. Hoskin joked about the tense negotiations in his address to the House, saying Oklahoma is a place where what seems impossible becomes possible if we put our minds to it. Its a place where if they say, It cant be done, the men and women in this room and the people that I represent say that it can be done. I mean, after all, I just negotiated a tobacco compact with Gov. Kevin Stitt. The chief also spoke to the state Senate, and his addresses to both chambers were substantially the same. Hoskin focused on the investments the Cherokee Nation has made in Oklahoma and the importance of Oklahomas partnership with the Cherokee Nation. Were also proud to announce that were working with the University of Oklahoma to help them build a world-class cancer treatment center in Tulsa. We are contributing $8 million to that great cause, Hoskin said in his address to the Senate. Later during a press conference he explained, Sometimes its good to remind them that there is a great partner that cares about the same things they do. During its visit to the Capitol, the delegation from the Cherokee Nation highlighted two pieces of legislation it supports and hopes to see pass. One bill would modify language around access to help for victims of domestic violence, allowing tribal organizations to help survivors apply for the help. The other legislation exists in two bills, Senate Bill 1708 and House Bill 3333, both of which would expand the state Health Departments advancement of the Wellness Advisory Council. The new Tulsa World app offers personalized features. Download it today. Randy Krehbiel Tulsa World Staff Writer Follow Randy Krehbiel 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 Execution of death-row inmates would be suspended indefinitely under legislation advanced Wednesday in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. House Bill 3138 by Rep. Kevin McDugle, R-Broken Arrow, was prompted by McDugles involvement in several capital punishment cases he says were improperly handled by prosecutors. The bill passed through the House Criminal Justice and Corrections Committee on a 4-0 vote and now can be heard on the House floor. I believe in the death penalty, McDugle said. But when I look at how Oklahoma has carried out injustice in the Richard Glossip case alone, I wish it was only that case. I wish that Oklahoma had a record of I stand for justice and justice is pure in Oklahoma. Glossip has been within hours of execution three times since his 1998 conviction for the murder of Oklahoma City motel manager Barry Van Treese. Glossip did not kill Van Treese, but prosecutors claim that he persuaded another man, Justin Sneed, to do it. Sneed later testified against Glossip in exchange for a sentence of life without parole instead of the death penalty. McDugle and others, including Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, believe the case was, at the least, mishandled. It is currently before the U.S. Supreme Court. McDugle said his involvement in the case has led him to believe that others on death row or who have already been executed were victims of overzealous prosecution. Im a believer in the death penalty, but how can we continue a death penalty without making some changes here in Oklahoma? McDugle said Wednesday. Im almost to the point that Ill fight to end it if we cant correct some of this stuff. HB 3138 does not so much challenge the death penalty as it does the states justice system, and in particular its criminal prosecutors. The bill went through the Criminal Justice and Corrections Committee, chaired by maverick conservative J.J. Humphrey, R-Lane, because McDugle contended that it could not get a hearing in the Houses two judiciary committees, one of which is dedicated to criminal cases. In his remarks Wednesday, McDugle alleged that the states district attorneys and former district attorneys so control the Capitol that reform is next to impossible without their agreement. Ive spoken boldly about this, said McDugle, who is not an attorney. The DAs Council, the DAs in the state of Oklahoma, they rule everything. Theyre the ones that block legislation in here. He said former prosecutors also control the Pardon and Parole Board and the Court of Criminal Appeals. Besides suspending executions, HB 3138 would create a five-member task force appointed by legislative leaders and the governor to examine why none of the proposals from a 2017 capital punishment task force have been implemented. The task force would submit a preliminary report by Nov. 30, 2025, but would be authorized for five years. As written, HB 3138 would suspend executions until further action by the Legislature, but at the request of Rep. Danny Williams, R-Seminole, McDugle agreed to submit a floor amendment limiting the moratorium to two years with the possibility of two more. The new Tulsa World app offers personalized features. Download it today. Steve Metzer Tulsa World Capitol Bureau Staff Writer Follow Steve Metzer 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 OKLAHOMA CITY Oklahoma voters may be asked to decide whether the states half-century-old system for nominating Supreme Court and appellate court judges should be set aside in favor of one that would give the governor more power to choose jurists. Members of the Rules Committee of the Senate on Thursday voted to pass Senate Joint Resolution 34, which proposes a statewide vote on whether the governor, rather than the Oklahoma Judicial Nominating Commission, should select justices with the approval of the Senate. It proposes also to do away with judicial retention ballots and to allow justices to serve for life unless theyre impeached. Sen. Julie Daniels, R-Bartlesville, who authored the resolution, said the system would be more in line with one followed by the federal government as outlined by the U.S. Constitution. The U.S. Constitutional system has worked for 235 years. Never in the history of our nation has Congress proposed to the states a judicial nominating commission system, Daniels said. History of judicial bribery in Oklahoma Senate Minority Leader Kay Floyd pointed out that the Judicial Nominating Commission was established following a major scandal in Oklahoma involving bribery and Supreme Court justices and that the current nominating system has worked well since 1967. The scandal to which Floyd referred made national headlines after three justices Napoleon Bonaparte Johnson, Earl Welch and Nelson S. Corn were held to account after being caught selling favorable judgments. Little in U.S. judicial history comes close to matching the scandal now swirling around the Oklahoma State Supreme Court, Time magazine reported in April 1967. The court has obviously suffered a crushing loss of prestige. An amendment to the Oklahoma Constitution that year established the Judicial Nominating Commission and rules for organizing it in such a way as to keep it free of political or other influence. It has 15 commissioners who serve without compensation. The governor appoints six of them, all representing different parts of the state, to serve staggered six-year terms. No more than three of the six appointed by the governor can belong to any one political party. Additionally, six lawyers are elected by members of the Oklahoma Bar Association to serve six-year terms, staggered at two-year intervals. Of those, no more than three can belong to any one political party. Other at-large members are appointed by the Senate president pro tem and the speaker of the Oklahoma House, and one is selected by other members of the Judicial Nominating Commission. Of those three, no more than two can be from the same political party. The JNC was designed to be as free from partisan influence as possible, an article on the commissions website states. When vacancies occur on the Oklahoma Supreme Court or appellate courts, and in some other cases, the JNC is responsible for nominating the three most qualified candidates for appointment by the governor. After appointment, the justices serve until the next general state election. In Oklahoma, most people are surprised that we (the Senate) confirm people for the OETA (public television) board, but we dont confirm people for the Oklahoma Supreme Court, Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat said Thursday. And we just have been trying to modernize that. Commission considered secretive in naming candidates Oklahomas system for nominating judges hasnt escaped controversy. Citing an article in State Politics & Policy Quarterly, a publication of the American Political Science Association, the right-leaning Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs reported in January that since 1967 the typical judge appointed to the Oklahoma Supreme Court via the Judicial Nominating Commission process has been consistently liberal. In addition, (the commission) operates without transparency, the OCPA said. The group does not hold public meetings, does not interview candidates in public (and) does not reveal how members vote on judicial nominees. Research conducted by the 1889 Institute in 2019 found that Oklahomas JNC is among the most secretive in the nation. Senators on the Rules Committee debated for about 30 minutes on Thursday over whether to pass SJR 34 on for additional votes at the Capitol and a potential vote of the people. In the end, they voted 14-4 to advance the resolution. (The resolution) is a simple attempt to try to gain control of our courts, which would have no good ending, Floyd said. The people of this state through their elected officials choose their judges, and they should keep total control over whether those judges are retained. Daniels countered that Oklahomans, if given a chance, would favor a system more in line with the federal one. I believe that the people of the state of Oklahoma want to change the system, and the best way to find out which system most Oklahomans agree with is to give them the choice. So lets be democratic. Lets ask the people of the state of Oklahoma, she said. The new Tulsa World app offers personalized features. Download it today. HANOI/SINGAPORE -- China's CDH Investments is in advanced talks to buy a minority stake in Bach Hoa Xanh (BHX) from Vietnam retailer Mobile World in a deal that could value the grocery chain at up to $1.7 billion, two sources with direct knowledge said. CDH, one of China's biggest alternative investment firms and also a former Mobile World investor, has emerged as the frontrunner to buy a stake of up to 10 percent after outbidding rivals, the sources said. "CDH is looking to buy between five percent to 10 percent stake," one of the sources said, adding that deliberations were ongoing and there was no certainty that a deal will be sealed. The second source said a deal "could be struck as early as next month if negotiations were successful". Both sources declined to be named as the matter was private. CDH and Mobile World, Vietnam's biggest retail group by market value, declined to comment when contacted by Reuters. A deal by Beijing-based CDH would underscore global investors' interest in Vietnam's fast-growing business sectors including consumer, despite the country's property sector woes triggered by a crackdown on corruption. BHX's parent company, Mobile World, first announced its plan of a minority stake sale in the grocer in 2022 but then put it on hold due to unfavorable market conditions. The sale process was restarted last year and had attracted interest from Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC and companies from Thailand, Reuters reported at the time. CDH, co-founded by Chairman Wu Shangzhi in 2002 as one of China's earliest private equity firms, is best known for its dealmaking in traditional industries such as consumption and manufacturing in the early years. It now has over $27 billion in assets under management and has been a major investor in the world's largest pork supplier, WH Group, and leading appliance maker, Midea Group, according to its website. CDH had exited its Mobile World investment nearly 10 years ago to capitalise on its gains, one of the sources said. BHX, which was founded in 2015, was running more than 1,700 stores in Vietnam's southern and south-central provinces and was expected to be profitable from this year, its managing director told investors last year. The Vietnamese government is committed to upgrading the local stock market and aligning it with digital transformation and various economic trends, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stated at a conference on stock market development on Wednesday. At the conference held in Hanoi, PM Chinh outlined the ambitious goal of transforming the market from Frontier to Secondary Emerging in the FTSE Russell global classification by 2025, attracting about US$25 billion of foreign indirect investment annually. Chinh emphasized his and the governments keen attention to the financial market, particularly the stock market, stating, Theres hardly a week that passes without me engaging with leaders involved in the stock market. I consistently monitor market trends, checking the news at 12:40 pm daily for timely policy response. The government leader highlighted the importance of adopting a win-win approach amidst market fluctuations, prioritizing the protection of investors rights and interests. To achieve the stock market upgrade goal, he tasked relevant ministries and agencies with implementing a strategic action plan, focusing on amending regulations, enhancing market transparency, and modernizing operations through digital technology adoption. Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (R, 2nd) talks with U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Marc E. Knapper (L, 2nd) at a conference on stock market development held in Hanoi, February 28, 2024. Photo: Nhat Bac / Tuoi Tre He also called attention to strengthening market supervision and enforcement, promoting corporate governance, and facilitating market access for foreign investors. Furthermore, the premier underlined the simplification of documentation procedures and the process for opening indirect investment capital accounts for foreign investors. Besides, research on clearing and settlement tools aligned with market regulations was mandated. Moreover, he directed the promotion of restructuring securities and fund management firms, as well as enhancing corporate governance, risk management, and competitiveness. The development of securities companies was required to utilize both multi-functional and specialized models with flexibility. He underscored measures to support initial public offerings (IPOs), encourage corporate bond issuance, and develop green bonds. Chinh encouraged the issuance of green central government bonds, green local government bonds, and green corporate bonds, as well as continuing to develop derivative securities products and new products. The government also aims to enhance investor capabilities, emphasizing prudent investment practices and accountability. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Vietnams electric vehicle (EV) maker VinFast Auto on Wednesday clinched a deal with Bahwan Automobiles Trading LLC (BAT) for the distribution of electric vehicles in Oman, signifying its expansion in the Middle East region. Under the agreement, BAT will become the official dealer of VinFast in Oman. The Vietnamese company plans to open and operate 13 VinFast stores and service centers between 2024 and 2027, with the first store expected to be launched in mid-2024. VinFast and BAT signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation during the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 28) in the United Arab Emirates. Through the cooperation with its first dealer in Oman, VinFast demonstrated its determination to realize green mobility solutions in the Middle East region, while affirming its commitment to making EVs more accessible. Representatives of VinFast and Bahwan Automobiles Trading at the signing ceremony. Photo: Bahwan Automobiles Trading Ta Xuan Hien, CEO of VinFast Middle East, said Oman presents a promising market for EVs as consumers in the nation demonstrate a growing interest in sustainable and environmentally friendly transportation solutions. We are confident that this dealer sales agreement with BAT, a leading and highly reputable dealer in Oman, will empower VinFast to swiftly establish a presence in the market and provide customers in the country with the most diverse and high-quality selection of EVs available. Hien added. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Vietnam had recorded 18 deaths from rabies as of February 20, up nine fatalities year on year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Nearly 70,000 people suffering dog and cat bites received treatment at hospitals and got vaccinated against rabies during the two-month period. The figure rose 11 percent compared to the same period last year. The ministry has issued a dispatch asking relevant units to enhance efforts in the fight against rabies. In 2023, the country reported 82 rabies-linked deaths, mainly in Gia Lai Province in the Central Highlands region, Binh Phuoc and Ben Tre Provinces in southern Vietnam, north-central Nghe An Province, and northern Dien Bien Province, a year-on-year increase of 12 people. The ministry blamed the rise in fatalities caused by rabies on localities poor management of dogs and cats. These animals roam freely on the streets, particularly in rural areas, without any leash or muzzle, posing a potential threat to local residents, particularly children. The efforts to administer anti-rabies vaccinations to dogs were not effective. In 2023, the national vaccination coverage rate against the deadly virus among dogs was a mere 50 percent. Besides, harsh sanctions on those who let their pets out without a leash or muzzle are not imposed stringently. Meanwhile, many residents have yet to see the danger of dogs and cats infected with rabies. The ministry proposed the authorities of provinces and cities step up efforts to detect and contain rabies hotspots, as well as prevent rabies infections. Localities must make a list of households which are raising dogs and cats, and ask them to vaccinate and take care of their pets carefully to prevent them from biting people. Dog and cat owners are required to keep their pets in cages, or muzzle them when they are taken to public places. The ministry has set a goal for the nationwide anti-rabies vaccination rate among dogs and cats in 2024 to exceed 70 percent. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Catch up on the news in Vietnam today: Politics -- Vietnam's Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has offered congratulations to President of the Cambodian People's Party Hun Sen on the successful organization of the fifth Senate election on February 25. Society -- Vietnam had recorded 18 deaths from rabies as of February 20, up nine fatalities year on year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. -- An air cylinder exploded at a firm in the Hoa Hiep industrial park in Phu Yen Province, located in the south-central region, on Wednesday evening, killing a 36-year-old worker. -- A section of Cau Xeo Street, spanning from Le Dinh Tham Street to Tan Ky Tan Quy Street in Tan Phu District, Ho Chi Minh City will be blocked between March 4 and June 2 for drainage system installation, according to the municipal Department of Transport. Cars will be banned from traveling on the section during this period. Business -- On Wednesday, the Peoples Committee of Dong Thap Province in southern Vietnam approved an agricultural initiative aimed at implementing 95 smart monitoring systems and stations. The project involves establishing 100 points for the automatic measurement of temperatures and humidity across the province. This strategic move is designed to expedite the adoption of digital farming practices, ultimately assisting local farmers in enhancing crop yields. -- VinFast Auto on Wednesday clinched a deal with Bahwan Automobiles Trading LLC for the distribution of electric vehicles in Oman, signifying its expansion in the Middle East region. -- A lottery firm in Soc Trang Province, southern Vietnam is planning to auction 224 metric tons of old lottery tickets and ticket stubs at the starting price of VND3,000 (US$0.12) per kilogram. Lifestyle -- On Wednesday, Da Lat City, a renowned tourist destination in Vietnam's Central Highlands, received the distinction of being recognized as Asia's festival city by the International Festivals and Events Association. This recognition was attributed to the city's vibrant flower festival, according to Dang Quang Tu, chairman of the local administration. -- Over 11,000 people, including more than 500 foreigners from 30 countries and territories, will join a midnight run in Ho Chi Minh City on March 3. The race, whose track is designed to stretch through many cultural heritage sites, is aimed at introducing a dynamic Ho Chi Minh City at night. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! A large four-faced street clock atop a post office building located at an extremely busy intersection in Ha Dong, an inner-city district of Hanoi, has remained unfixed after it stopped working a couple of years ago. The Ha Dong post office building, situated at an intersection of Quang Trung and Chu Van An Streets, is considered to have the most strategically advantageous location in the area. However, the dead clock situated atop the building is the primary feature that catches the attention of road users as they pass by or come to a halt at the intersection's red light. One clock face looking toward Quang Trung Street lost all of its clock hands, while the one looking toward Chu Van An Street stopped working. The status of the two others remains invisible. No one has fixed this dead clock since it stopped ticking more than two years ago, Nguyen Dinh Duong, a motorbike taxi driver in the area, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper. The clock stopped ticking more than two years ago, according to Nguyen Dinh Duong, a local motorbike taxi driver. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tuoi Tre Duong expressed his perplexity, stating that he was unaware of the reasons behind the lack of repair for the non-functional clock in such a prominent location, which attracts significant attention from road users. The Ha Dong District authorities are not responsible for managing the operation of the clock, which is owned by the post office, a local official told Tuoi Tre on Wednesday afternoon. However, given its prime location, the district administration will remind the post office to fix the clock, the official said. A leader from the post office informed Tuoi Tre on Thursday morning that the clock's motor has been removed for repairs, with the process expected to take approximately one month. The leader revealed that the clock was installed atop the post office building a long time ago. It was out of order again after being fixed some five years back. The Ha Dong post office building is located in the center of Ha Dong District, Hanoi. Photo: Pham Tuan / Tuoi Tre Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport has asked relevant departments and agencies to propose solutions to four underground parking lot projects which have been put on hold for nine to 15 years in the downtown area. Such solutions should be put forward by March 10. The four parking lot projects were planned under Le Van Tam Park, Tao Dan Park, Trong Dong Stage, and Hoa Lu Stadium, all in District 1. The municipal government green-lighted the underground parking lot project at Trong Dong Stage in 2009. Its investor is Indochina Group Co. Ltd.. The parking facility required a total investment of nearly VND900 billion (US$36.6 million). The project, which would include seven basements and three floors above ground, was expected to accommodate more than 700 cars and 400 motorbikes, Tien Phong (Vanguard) newspaper reported. According to the municipal Department of Transport, the project has been facing difficulties in architectural planning. Therefore, the department suggested assigning the Department of Planning and Architecture to work with the investor to reach a consensus on the project development plan. The Department of Planning and Architecture will collaborate with the Department of Natural Resources and Environment to reassess policies aimed at streamlining the process for the investor leasing land for the project. They will also review regulations pertaining to the issuance of investment certificates to the investor involved. Meanwhile, a build-operate-transfer contract for the underground parking area at Le Van Tam Park was signed in 2009 with the investor being Underground Space Investment Development Corporation. The project, which was estimated to cost some VND1.7 trillion ($69.2 million), was expected to accommodate 1,300 cars and 2,000 motorbikes when in place, according to Tien Phong. As it lagged behind schedule, relevant departments and agencies managed to terminate the contract with the investor. The investor later proposed extending the contract by 24 months to seek investment partners and contact international financial organizations. The company also suggested the city cover part of the loan interest. In case of the contract being terminated, Underground Space Investment Development Corporation suggested that the city ask the new investor to take over technical dossiers of the project developed by the corporation and pay all or part of the amount that the corporation had invested in the project. However, local departments and agencies said the proposal was baseless as the investor infringed the contract. The Department of Transport urged the municipal administration to ask the Department of Justice to cooperate with the Department of Planning and Investment to instruct the termination of the contract with the investor, while the Department of Planning and Investment and the Department of Natural Resources and Environment should deal with the revocation of documents related to investment and land for the project. Parking lots under Tao Dan Park and Hoa Lu Stadium were approved in 2015. Their investor is a consortium of Vietnam's largest private conglomerate Vingroup and SSCI Company. The city has extended the deadline for the completion of the feasibility report for the project three times. However, the investor failed to complete the report and announced an end to a contract for the projects. The Department of Transport recommend that the municipal Peoples Committee issue a decision to terminate the contracts for these two underground parking lot projects. The four-story underground parking lot at Tao Dan Park carried a price tag of over VND1 trillion ($40.6 million) and was designed to accommodate 1,198 cars and 896 motorcycles. The facility at Hoa Lu Stadium needed an investment of VND3.4 trillion ($138.2 million) and was envisaged to have five basements, enough for 2,548 cars and 2,873 motorcycles, news site VnExpress reported. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! NCIS: Paris anyone? Former NCIS cast Cote de Pablo and Michael Weatherly are set to star in an untitled, Paris-set spinoff of the NCIS, reprising their roles as, respectively, Ziva David and Tony DiNozzo. De Pablo left NCIS in 2013, and Weatherly departed two years later but recently returned to pay tribute to David McCallum. The synopsis reads, When Tonys security company is attacked, they must go on the run across Europe, try to figure out who is after them and maybe even learn to trust each other again so that they can finally have their unconventional happily ever after. Weve been talking about this story for many years, and now with John McNamara at the helm, we are ready, Weatherly and de Pablo said in a statement. The world of Tony and Ziva (and daughter Tali) promises to be an action-packed roller coaster fueled by love, danger, tears and laughter. We also want to acknowledge and thank the fans from around the world who supported the TIVA movement for years. To this day, they say hello in grocery stores and on the street to tell us how much these characters mean to them and ask what Tony and Ziva are up to now. This is for you. Showrunner John McNamara said, Im incredibly excited to step into the NCIS universe with Cote and Michael and thrilled to explore it from a few new angles. Given that the franchise is such a global sensation, I think its phenomenal that CBS Studios and Paramount+ have given us the green light to shoot in Europe. As to the title of this series, if I told you what it is, Id be violating the Espionage Act. The series is set for Paramount+ to join the universe of NCIS, NCIS: LA, NCIS; New Orleans, NCIS: Hawaii and the first international edition, NCIS: Sydney. Soure: Hollywood Reporter Q+A was the most-complained about show on ABC in 2023 due to target complaint campaigns according to the ABC Ombudsman. Q+A attracted 2100 complaints according to Ombudsman Fiona Cameron. The campaign about an episode of Q+A raised 1,974 issues. The complaints largely went to concerns of impartiality (that it was pro-Israel) and harm and offence (not challenging alleged Islamophobic and racist comments by a panellist). A substantial number of Q+A complaints were identically worded as a result of a campaign calling on people to contact the ABC and outlining how to structure complaints. The Ombudsman noted the program did raise opinions, perspectives and positions that were contentious and would have caused offence to many viewers. However, Ms. Cameron found that the program was justified given the editorial context and posed appropriate questions and challenges. It was also considered that the program did not favour any perspective with the host explicitly stating its objective to de-escalate tensions and restore respect. From 24,533 complaints, 79% were categorised as general complaints about matters of personal taste or program schedule times and not the business of the Ombudsmans Office. Amongst the remaining 5,220 individual content complaints received there were 6,539 separate issues identified, the highest number in the last 5 years. 51% of all issues raised, related to the Israel / Gaza war and 11% concerned the Indigenous Voice to Parliament. 72% of issues raised across the top ten programs (including Radio) in 2023 related to coverage of the war (3,022) and the voice (469) with complaints about ABC News Online covering a wide range of stories and themes reflecting its broad remit and reach. 47 issues were received about the ABCs coverage of the explosion at al-Ahli Arab hospital in Gaza on various programs and platforms. 35 issues alleged an anti-Israel bias, and that the coverage was inaccurate as it either explicitly or implicitly attributed the explosion to an Israeli airstrike. 12 issues alleged a pro-Israel bias because it reported the responsibility for the explosion as disputed. The Ombudsmans Office assessed 725 issues related to a range of interviews on 7:30 across the year. 69% (500) claimed bias or lack of balance. The majority, 68%, were about coverage of the Israel-Gaza conflict, 14% related to the voice and 10% were about an interview with Russias Ambassador to Australia (alleging that it displayed anti-Russian bias). The Ombudsman reviewed numerous interviews about the war, and was satisfied that every interview had been suitably rigorous and informative, testing the interviewees positions and claims. There were also 97 issues raised about the Four Corners episode Blocked: The Battle over Youth Gender Care and a related online article and social media video, but no breach of editorial standards was found. Most of the 92 Upheld Complaints related to Radio. The Ombudsman concluded 2023 was dominated with complaints about the Israel/Gaza conflict. Apart from upholding impartiality complaints on a triple j music show, the Ombudsman found the ABCs coverage to be professional, wide-ranging and reflective of newsworthy events. Ms Camerons report noted, Reporting from an international warzone on developing situations is challenging, so assessing the accuracy of what is broadcast at a specific time means considering what information was available at that time. Coverage should be transparent about what the ABC knows and does not know; be explicit about what information can be or has been verified; attribute accusations of responsibility and include relevant perspectives on contentious matters. Particular care must be taken where there is a risk of losing context, for example, with headlines and photo captions. Audience complaints form part of a public exchange with the ABC from which all parties can benefit. The Ombudsmans Office provides a link between audiences and content makers and we aim to ensure reasonable complaints are heard across the ABC. Our primary objective is to resolve complaints in a timely fashion and to support the ABC to uphold the high standards it sets for itself including independence, integrity, impartiality and accuracy. Its been a tragic, difficult week for Australias LGBTQIA+ community. The deaths of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies just a week before the annual Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras hangs heavily upon the Sydney community in particular. This week organisers of the Parade initially uninvited the NSW Police from marching before both sides agreed to LGBTQIA+ Liaison Officers marching, but not in uniform. However that decision has subsequently angered activists in the wake of an ongoing investigation. Earlier this month there were also clashes between protesters who confronted police at Melbournes Midsumma Pride March. Mardi Gras, which was borne from a 1978 protest to end to police harassment but resulted in arrests, has long navigated civil rights, politics, sexuality, and a health epidemic through its expression of identity, defiance and celebration. ABC broadcast host Courtney Act (aka Shane Jenek) said, In 1978 people were bashed and jailed, and then had their names published in the Sydney Morning Herald. That led to people losing their jobs and being outed to their families and being disowned. Then theres also the Royal Commission and the harrowing Gap murders and all of these gay hate crimes over the 70s 80s and 90s. Even this week comments this week by NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb distressed many and drew headlines in both mainstream media and LGBT press. I think that there is a lot of work that needs to be done in general, in shoring up the polices relationship with not just the Queer community, but all of the communities that we intersect with, she continued. Theres a lot of solidarity with People of Colour, broadly, and First Nations People, and then members of our community as well. So I think its really important for Queer people that the police are protecting us. Actor Remy Hii also points to a complex Mardi Gras history ahead of his first hosting role for ABC. Mardi Gras for me has always been a celebration of love and Queer history in Australia, and first and foremost the fact that it started as a protest, he says. People in Australia didnt have those rights up until the 80s when homosexuality was legalised. Hii is also familiar with activism from his family ties. I moved down to Sydney in 2009 from Queensland to study at NIDA and that was the first Mardi Gras I went to. NIDA had a float in the parade that year, and my mum had grown up in Sydney when she moved from England in the 50s. She was at all the Vietnam War protests, so a large part of my social conscience or my activism is definitely, in part, largely thanks to my mum. Hii, who has played gay characters in both Neighbours and Wellmania, will also share hosting duties with ABC Queers Mon Schafter and non-binary musician G Flip. I got a call from the ABC out of the blue and I thought someone must be pulling my leg, he recalls. Its such a huge honour and one of those things that comes around once in a lifetime, or a career, and Im really thrilled and excited to be part of it. I passionately believe in saying yes to the things that scare you, and theres nothing scarier than getting in front of the cameras for that long, at one of the countrys biggest events. But Im really looking forward to it. I know that Im in really, really good hands sitting next to someone like Courtney Act. Mardi Gras is both a celebration and a reminder of the sacrifices, the battles, the fights that people fought before my generation, so that we could live equally as humans, he observes. Weve now got legalised marriage and we can walk down the street with people we love and not be prosecuted for it. Despite the achievements of 2017s marriage equality, Courtney Act knows there is still much progress to be achieved, including with police. I think that were a place that can get it right. I think that we should be taking care of all of our citizens, she believes. I dont think the idea is to just get rid of the police altogether. Lets think about how we can better serve all members of our community. When it comes to Mardi Gras this year its a controversial thing, and I think the police should listen to the wishes of the community and have that conversation. More than just save face, I think that they really need to show through their actions, their training and their systems that theyre really willing to fix these problems that occur for Queer people, People of Colour and other communities who are not served as well by the Police. Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade screens 7:30pm Saturday on ABC TCN News In the heart of Bangalore, amidst the vibrant culture of Karnataka, Urdu journalists gathered for a two-day workshop hosted by the esteemed Karnataka Urdu Academy, Bengaluru on 28 & 29 February 2024. Stepping into KMDC Bhawana, the air was filled with the soulful notes of Geet, setting a tone of reverence and anticipation for the days ahead. Dr. Mazuddin Khan, Registrar of Karnataka Urdu Academy warmly welcomed the guests and participants. The program unfolded shedding light on the workshops noble purpose. Mr. Manoj Jain, Secretary, Minority Welfare, Government of Karnataka, emphasised the weighty responsibility that rests on the shoulders of journalists. He said that the journalist are guardians of truth in our society and emphasizes the role played by journalists is not limited to mere reporting; but they are architects of a better world, entrusted with the task of shaping public opinion to strengthen democracy at grassroot levels. A Journey Through Time: The Essence of Urdu Journalism Taking the stage, Mr. Mohammad Azam Shahid, a revered journalist and columnist, led participants on a reflective journey through the illustrious history of Urdu journalism. With passion in his voice, he spoke of two hundred years of Urdu journalism, marked by sacrifice, integrity, and an unyielding quest for truth. Drawing from the pages of history, Mr. Shahid painted a vivid picture of Urdu journalisms role as a resilient voice against oppression and a staunch advocate for freedom. Reflecting on the challenges and triumphs of Urdu journalism, Mr. Shahids words resonated deeply. Urdu Journalism, he remarked, is not just about reporting; it is a custodian of our culture and heritage. Expressing concern for the languages survival, he urged participants to not only be proud of the past but also be vigilant about the present and future. When a language begins to fade, he lamented, the newspapers are its last bastion. We must ensure Urdu thrives for it is not just a language but our shared legacy. Crafting Stories: The Art and Responsibility of News Writing The workshop took a practical turn as Dr. Anees Siddiqui, a distinguished researcher and journalist, shared insights on the craft of news writing. He described news as a delicate tapestry of facts, woven together with skill and precision. A news story, he explained, must not just inform but also evoke emotion and spark curiosity. Participants leaned in, eager to soak up every word of wisdom as Dr. Siddiqui delved into the nuances of storytelling, urging them to use language for enlightenment and empowerment. Looking Ahead: The Future of Urdu Journalism Prof. Ehtesham Ahmad Khan, Former Dean of School of Mass Communication and Journalism, Maulana Azad National Urdu University offers a glimpse into the evolving landscape of Urdu journalism. He said Urdu language has boundries. It transcends regions and unites hearts. Speaking of technological advancements, Prof. Ehtesham painted a hopeful picture of Urdu journalism embracing modernity while staying true to its roots. He emphasized the importance of adopting Digital technologies for advancements in Urdu Journalism. He also illustrated about Data Journalism and asked that now journalist can become Data Journalist due to democratization of Information which may enhance new way of reporting through interesting storytelling by using the relevant data and graphic visualization. Mr. Iftikhar Ahmed Sharif, a seasoned journalist who was Editor of Urdu Daily Salaar, Bengal took the stage with impassioned fervor. He stated that Urdu is not merely a profession; it is a sacred duty. He reminded participants of their role as guardians of truth, entrusted with the power to shape opinions and hold the powerful to account. While cautioning the journalists that Our Words can uplift or destroy the society, so let us use them wisely. Other resource person of the workshop Mr. Afsar Qadri explained the importance of investigative reporting and ethics in news reporting. Prof. Syed Akheel Ahmed, former Vice- Chancellor of Yenepoya University, Bengaluru, Karnataka and Global University, Saharanpur, UP spoke about the importance of emotional intelligence and asked journalist to be more empathic and while reporting on the sufferings of the common people and marginalized communities. The Chief Guest of the Valedictory Session Mr. Mohammad Sanaullah, Retd. IAS, former Principal Secretary of Government of Karnataka said that the young generations from Urdu speaking population shall join this noble profession so that the problems of the minorities may be solved and disseminate about various government s of the state and central government. Dr. Majuddin Khan, Registrar, Karnataka Urdu Academy extended vote of thanks. The two days workshop was attended by more than 50 Urdu Journalists from different parts of Karnataka. In this article, we will look at the 15 highest paying countries for photographers. We have also discussed the challenges and growth of photography as a profession. If you want to skip our detailed analysis, head straight to the 5 Highest Paying Countries for Photographers. The global Photography Services market is experiencing a huge growth, with projections indicating a rise to $68,890 million by 2028 which is a significant increase from $50,760 million in 2021, at a CAGR of 4.4% during 2022-2028. This growth is attributed to several factors like the increasing adoption of advanced photography equipment such as DSLR cameras, drone cameras, and specialized lenses. These technological developments continue to empower photographers to overcome challenges related to weather and lighting while enhancing the quality of their services. One of the examples that confirms the growth of photography services is that while China is facing rising youth unemployment, there has been an increase in summer tourism that has birthed novel job opportunities. Popular roles such as personal photographer-companions and travel photo quality assessors are being advertised extensively on platforms like Douyin. University and secondary school students dominate the workforce, charging hourly rates ranging from 1 yuan (14 US cents) to 100 yuan. Additional services like makeup and photo editing incur extra fees. However, unfortunately, photographers around the globe often find themselves undervalued and underpaid for their work, and it's a multifaceted issue. One major reason is the oversaturation of the market, with more individuals entering the field than ever before. This abundance of photographers leads to increased competition, driving prices down as clients have more options to choose from. Additionally, many people view photography as a simple service rather than a specialized skill, further diminishing its perceived value. The rise of digital technology exacerbates this problem, making it easier for amateurs to produce acceptable results at a fraction of the cost. Furthermore, some clients prioritize budget-friendly options over quality, contributing to the downward pressure on prices. These factors also explain why photography was named as one of the worst jobs in the US for job security and salaries in 2018. ADVERTISEMENT Despite the factors, the demand for photography and videography jobs increased in 2023, with major growth in different related skills. According to freelancer.com, videography saw a remarkable increase of 53.7%, while photography jobs grew by 44.8%. Adobe Inc (NYSE:ADBE) Lightroom projects alone experienced 68.9% growth. Freelancers in the United States are capitalizing on this trend, charging up to $300/hour for photography, $200/hour for videography and video editing, and $160/hour for TikTok content creation. With brands increasingly incorporating video into their marketing strategies, the trend is expected to continue, reflecting a shift towards visually engaging content in the digital landscape. Freelance photography is the highest paying kind of photography. Getty Images Holdings Inc (NYSE:GETY), a global visual content creator, recently garnered immense recognition at the 2024 White House News Photographers Association Still Photography Awards. Chief News Photographer Win McNamee led the charge with 12 awards, clinching the top spot in the Political Photo of the Year category for his coverage of Capitol Hill's new Speaker election. McNamee's accolades included first place in Political Portfolio, third place in Picture Story/Politics, and an Award of Excellence in the Presidential category. Moreover, Getty Images Holdings Inc (NYSE:GETY) Staff Photographers excelled across different categories. Patrick Smith secured first place in Sports Feature/Reaction and second place in Picture Story/Sports, among others. Chip Somodevilla's achievements included second place in Picture Story/Politics and third place in Domestic News. Ken Mainardis, Getty Images Holdings Inc (NYSE:GETY) Global Head of Editorial, expressed immense pride in the team's accomplishments, emphasizing their dedication and creative prowess, which reaffirms Getty Images Holdings Inc (NYSE:GETY)s 30-year legacy of photographic excellence. The average Photographer base salary at Getty Images Holdings Inc (NYSE:GETY) is $63,000 per year. On the other hand, Shutterstock Inc (NYSE:SSTK)s latest update has introduced AI-powered tools like Magic Brush that will enable users or photography professionals to edit images by simply describing desired changes. The beta AI image editor also offers features like generating alternate versions of stock images and automatically resizing images to fit required dimensions. However, AI-generated or edited content will not be eligible for licensing to protect contributor IP. Shutterstock Inc (NYSE:SSTK)s partnership with OpenAI has advanced further with an update to its AI image generator, integrating OpenAI's DALL-E text-to-image generator. This expansion builds on Shutterstock Inc (NYSE:SSTK)s commitment to compensating artists, with a contributor's fund established last year. Competitors like Adobe Inc (NYSE:ADBE) and Canva are also exploring AI-powered image editing, indicating a broader trend towards capitalizing on AI for creative endeavors. Stock photography on Shutterstock Inc (NYSE:SSTK) is one of side hustles that can help you earn extra $500 a week. 15 Highest Paying Countries for Photographers A film director, clapperboard in hand, behind camera filming a movie set. Our Methodology To list the highest paying countries for photographers, we identified the countries with the highest demand for photographers and then made a list for 25 countries with the average salaries for photographers. Of those 25, the 15 with the highest average salaries were selected and have been ranked. We acquired the data for average salaries of photographers for each country from ERI Economic Research Institute. The list is presented in ascending order. By the way, Insider Monkey is an investing website that uses a consensus approach to identify the best stock picks of more than 900 hedge funds investing in US stocks. The website tracks the movement of corporate insiders and hedge funds. Our top 10 consensus stock picks of hedge funds outperformed the S&P 500 stock index by more than 140 percentage points over the last 10 years (see the details here). So, if you are looking for the best stock picks to buy, you can benefit from the wisdom of hedge funds and corporate insiders. Here is a list of the highest paying countries for photographers: 15. France Average Salary: $50,156 France is renowned for its exclusive arts and culture, making it a high paying market for photographers. The country's rich history, picturesque landscapes, and fashion industry create abundant opportunities for photographers to showcase their talents. Additionally, high demand for professional photography services, coupled with a strong economy, contributes to competitive pay rates, attracting photographers from around the world. Paris is one of the 15 Best Cities for Modeling in the World. 14. New Zealand Average Salary: $50,519 New Zealand's stunning natural landscapes, diverse environments, and unique cultural heritage make it a hotspot for photography jobs. The country offers opportunities for capturing breathtaking scenery, wildlife, and adventure sports. Additionally, its thriving tourism industry drives demand for professional photographers to showcase the country's beauty. It is one of the best countries for photographers. 13. Norway Average Salary: $54,879 Norway offers stunning natural landscapes including fjords, mountains, and the Northern Lights, providing abundant opportunities for captivating photography. Its unique light conditions, changing seasons, and unspoiled wilderness inspire creativity. Norway is also one of the highest paying countries for graphic designers. 12. Canada Average Salary: $55,813 In Canada, the demand for photographers varies across provinces and territories. Projections indicate a very good outlook in Quebec, with moderate opportunities in New Brunswick and Ontario. Manitoba sees good prospects, while Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan have limited demand. The situation is undetermined in Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Alberta, British Columbia, Yukon Territory, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut. Over the next decade, approximately 6,800 new job openings are expected, with 5,700 new job seekers available to fill them. It is one of the countries where photographers make the most money. 11. Ireland Average Salary: $56,263 Apart from being a high-paying career in the country, photography has played a pertinent role in revealing Ireland's 1898 food shortage, bridging the gap between the well-fed and the hungry. As famine loomed, newspapers like the Manchester Guardian and nationalist outlets documented the crisis, while the Irish Field contributed impactful images. Photographs depicted dire living conditions, reliance on maize, and families surviving on minimal sustenance. Charitable efforts in Dublin and Manchester, aided by powerful lantern slide projections, raised awareness and funds. Through emotive imagery, photography transformed a regional concern into a national imperative. 10. Finland Average Salary: $56,531 Finland has a stable economy and strong support for arts that create a conducive environment for professional photographers. With a culture that values design and innovation, there's a growing demand for photography in different industries, from tourism to advertising, making it an attractive place to pursue photography as a profession. It is one of the highest paying countries for photographers in Europe. 9. Iceland Average Salary: $57,930 High demand for photographers in Iceland stems from its breathtaking landscapes, including glaciers, waterfalls, and the Northern Lights, attracting tourists and couples for weddings or engagements. Additionally, influencers and brands seek unique backdrops for content creation. 8. Netherlands Average Salary: $57,938 The Netherlands has a vibrant cultural scene and picturesque landscapes, making it a high-paying market for photographers. With its bustling cities, historic architecture, and scenic countryside, there's a constant demand for photography services ranging from weddings and events to commercial projects and tourism promotion, offering ample opportunities to make money. It is one of the countries that pay the highest salary for photography jobs. 7. Australia Average Salary: $58,251 Australia's strong economy and thriving creative industry contribute to high-paying opportunities for photographers. Companies like Getty Images Holdings Inc (NYSE:GETY), News Corp Australia, and Fairfax Media offer competitive salaries for skilled professionals. Targeting industries such as advertising, fashion, tourism, and e-commerce can further lead to lucrative prospects, as demand for high-quality visual content remains consistently high. Additionally, sectors like real estate, events, and corporate photography also present high earning potential due to ongoing demand for visual storytelling and marketing materials. It is also one of the countries that produce the best fashion designers. 6. Austria Average Salary: $60,974 Austria offers a rich tapestry of landscapes, from the Alps to charming cities like Vienna and Salzburg, providing diverse backdrops for photography. Its cultural heritage, architectural wonders, and vibrant arts scene offer endless inspiration. Moreover, with a high work-life balance, it is one of the best countries for photographers to work in. Click here to see the 5 Highest Paying Countries for Photographers. Suggested Articles: Disclosure: None. 15 Highest Paying Countries for Photographers is originally published on Insider Monkey. (Image: Pixabay) Ghanas Parliament passed a new anti-LGBTQ bill yesterday (Wednesday 28 February 2024), meaning people who even identify as queer could face a three-year prison sentence. The bill, if signed into law by President Nana Akufo-Addo, would also punish those who organise LGBTQ advocacy groups, and promote the cause by up to five years in prison. The sentence could be raised to 10 years if the promotion is aimed at children. Gay sex will also be punishable by five years, up from three under the previous law. It would also encourage members of the public to report LGBTQs to the authorities so they could take action Significant threat Both major political parties back the bill, which has been called one of the harshest on the African continent by Amnesty International. The human rights group has previously warned the law poses significant threats to the fundamental rights and freedoms. Alexander Afenyo-Markin, a member of the governing New Patriotic Party, has called for the law to be toned down, suggesting those convicted be given counselling and handed community service. However, lawmakers in Parliament reportedly shouted him down. The BBC quotes Winnie Byanyima, the head of the UN body tackling Aids, as saying: If Human Sexual rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill becomes a law, it will exacerbate fear and hatred, could incite violence against fellow Ghanaian citizens, and will negatively impact on free speech, freedom of movement and freedom of association. Responding to the news, Linda Nduri, a Kenya-based campaign manager for nonprofit Africa at All Out, told the New York Times: There are still so many countries in Africa where being LGBTQ is considered evil or un-African. Only 22 of 54 nations allow homosexuality in Africa, while three carry the death penalty for gay sex: Nigeria, Mauritania, and Somalia Other African countries to tighten restrictions on LGBTQ freedoms in recent years include Uganda and Kenya. The post Ghana passes law making even identifying as LGBTQ illegal and punishable by 3 years in prison appeared first on Attitude. Russia must be "properly protected" after the expansion of NATO to include Sweden and Finland, Vladimir Putin has said in an annual state-of-the-nation speech. NATO forces are "preparing to strike our territory", he claimed, but he warned any such move - including sending troops to Ukraine - could trigger the use of nuclear weapons. He was referencing an idea floated by French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday, of NATO members sending ground troops to Ukraine - a suggestion rejected by the US, Germany and UK. Ukraine-Russia war latest: Putin says Russia will protect itself with nuclear weapons "(Western nations) must realise that we also have weapons that can hit targets on their territory," Mr Putin said. "All this really threatens a conflict with the use of nuclear weapons and the destruction of civilisation. Don't they get that?" Visibly angry, Mr Putin suggested Western politicians recall the fate of those who unsuccessfully invaded his country in the past, like Adolf Hitler and Napoleon Bonaparte. "But now the consequences will be far more tragic," he said. "They think it (war) is a cartoon." Focusing the first parts of his speech on Russia's place in the world, he hit out at Western countries, who he said think they are "supreme". "Russophobia blinds people and deprives them of their rational faculties," he said, adding suggestions Russian forces might attack other European countries was "nonsense". He had also denied any intention to attack Ukraine before the invasion began in February 2022. Mr Putin made the remarks during his address to the Russian parliament and other members of the country's elite ahead of a presidential election he is all but certain to win between 15-17 March. "Without Russia there is no solid peace in the world," he said. The Russian leader said Moscow is ready for dialogue with the US on strategic stability, but rejected any attempts to force Russia into talks. Story continues He dismissed "unsubstantiated accusations" that Russia could be deploying nuclear weapons in space, claiming such "innuendo" only favours the US. Read more: Expert predictions on where conflict will go next Estonian leader urges West to stand up to Russia But he did elaborate on the use of "advanced weapons systems", like Zircon hypersonic missiles, in Ukraine, where he said Russia holds the military advantage. The invasion of Ukraine - which he still described as a "special military operation" - was supported by the "absolute majority" of Russian people from the "very beginning", he said. Moving on from the war in Ukraine, Mr Putin focused much of his speech on domestic issues, addressing the country's low birth rate and economic performance among other matters. He proposed higher child benefits and other measures to support large families, with Russia's low birth rate posing demographic problems for authorities for many years. The country will also soon be among the four largest economic powers in the world, he claimed. Clockwise from left: Pack of cigarettes found on Hengistbury Head, Cigarettes on Chesil Beach, police removing bags of cigarettes and a clean up of the beach in West Bexington (Image: NQ) It has been just over 10 years since Chesil Beach was the subject of national media attention when tonnes of cigarettes washed up on the shore. Thousands of packs found their way onto four miles of the beach from a beached shipping cargo container which was found to be washed up at Axmouth in Devon. Making their journey from Rotterdam in the Netherlands to Sri Lanka, the legitimate cigarettes were lost from the ship, the Svenborg Maersk, somewhere in the Bay of Biscay during stormy conditions. Locals awoke on February 25 to discover the beaches covered in cigarettes. Dorset Echo: Cigarettes found on Chesil Beach Overall, the ship was reported to be carrying around 11 million cigarettes when it lost a number of its containers overboard. It was believed that more loose containers were in the channel approximately 75 miles off Lands End. Items from the cargo ship were found all over the south coast from Devon, to West Bexington and up to Hengistbury Head, where bags of Iams cat food were also found, along with packets of tea, feta cheese and olives. Dorset Echo: Cigarettes washed up on Hengistbury Head Members of the coastguard, police and local authorities were collectively working on the clean up and the collect and secure the cigarettes. On March 7 2014, it was reported that the Dorset Waste Partnership had already collected between eight to 10 tonnes of litter from Chesil Beach following the incident. Dorset Echo: A beach clean up in West Bexington Police launched warnings at the time, advising the public from making their way down to the beach in the hopes of free cigarettes. Dorset Echo: Police seizing bags of cigarettes at Chesil Beach However, it was reported that members of the public had other ideas and were trying to make off with the bags of fags. Mobile police teams were reportedly waiting at various locations watching people collect their cigarettes and then intercepting at the last minute to take them away. At the time, a member of the Border Agency staff on the beach said: We are letting them spend, in some cases hours, collecting the packets and we then intercept them up after all their hard work and relieve them of their cargo. Story continues More were anticipated to be washed up in the weeks after, and an HRMC spokesperson told the Echo that the washed up cigarettes were not going to be worth smoking. The community came together to help clear away the rubbish on the beach, with public beach cleans at Osmington, Ringstead, Fleet lagoon and Chesil Beach. What were your memories of the cigarettes washing up along the beach? Comment below. Big change on Masterpieces popular drama Miss Scarlet and the Duke. Stuart Martin, who played William The Duke Wellington in the previous four seasons, will not return for season 5. Kate Phillips (Wolf Hall, The Crown) will return as Miss Eliza Scarlet for a fifth season of investigations, and the series will be retitled Miss Scarlet. More from Deadline It has been such an incredible joy to bring Duke to life through Rachaels beautiful, brilliant writing, and to get to play him for the past four years, said Martin in a statement. But it felt like the time was right for Scarlet to explore new stories and challenges for now, as the show continues to grow and evolve. I will miss working with my amazing partner in crime Kate and the rest of our brilliant family and team, but Im excited to continue following Eliza and her escapades as a huge fan and newly enrolled Scarleteer! I will miss working with my pal Stu every day, and know Eliza will miss her Duke, but I think the best is yet to come for her, added Phillips. I cant wait for fans to see what we have in store for Season 5. Season four of the drama premiered Jan. 7 on PBS. In the new season, Phillips and Martin returned as the titular will-they-wont-they crime solvers while her character took over the business of Nash & Sons. Outside of work, Scarlets relationship with the Duke builds towards a looming decision that will shape both their lives. Filming on season 5 has begun in Belgrade, Serbia. Additional casting will be announced later. This new chapter in Elizas story is going to bring our audience more of what theyve come to love about this series mystery, humor, potential romance and most of all, Kate Phillips terrific performance as Miss Scarlet, said Masterpiece Executive Producer Susanne Simpson. Story continues Masterpiece is presented on PBS by GBH Boston. Miss Scarlet is a Miss Scarlet Limited production co-produced with Masterpiece in association with Other Mans Shoes and Work in Progress with pre-investment from UKTV. The Executive Producers are Harvey Myman, Susanne Simpson, Jin Ishimoto, Patrick Irwin, Patty Lenahan Ishimoto, and Rachael New. The Irish co-producer is Jim Duggan, Serbian co-producer Anelija Vlaisavljevic and the Senior Series Producer for Masterpiece is Erin Delaney. The directors for season five are Ivan Zivkovic and Milos Kodemo. Best of Deadline Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. The latest Spartacus Gay Travel Index is out (Image: Pixabay) For the first time since the Spartacus Gay Travel Index was published in 2012, five countries have tied for the top spot. Canada, Malta, New Zealand, Portugal, and Spain all ranked 12 points on the list followed by joint second place Australia and Switzerland with 11 points each. Whereas the UK, which was joint 9th place in 2023 with 10 points, has been downgraded to 21st this year with 8 points. Points were lost across Transgender Rights, LGBT marketing, and Locals Hostile. The top spots on the Spartacus Gay Travel Index (Image: Spartacus Magazine) The list created by Spartacus, the German LGBTQ+ travel magazine, provides an overview of the situation of LGBTQ+ people in 213 countries and regions. The index has introduced a new Censorship category, which considers laws that regulate things such as the display of rainbow flags or the distribution of LGBTQ+ books. The new Censorship category helped take Russia, ranked 177th in 2023, down to 205th place. This puts Russia in the company of Afghanistan, Chechnya, Iran, and Saudi Arabia, which share 210th place. The bottom spots on the Spartacus Gay Travel Index (Image: Spartacus Magazine) The big winner this year was Estonia, which legalised marriage equality at the start of 2024. This act propelled the country from 47th to 32nd place. Norway also made great strides by banning conversion therapy improving their place from 17th to 8th on the index. Spartacus has confirmed that it is already keeping a close eye on certain countries for their 2025 index. Spartacus Gay Travel Indexs interactive world map (Image: Spartacus Magazine) The implementation of a law introducing marriage equality by the Greek parliament in February 2024 promises to give Greece a boost on the index. If Thailands bill to introduce marriage equality passes in 2024 then it should help Thailand catch up to Taiwan, which is the highest Asian country on the list at 13th place. A 2018 ruling by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in Costa Rica on the introduction of marriage equality, which is binding for 20 countries in the region, puts pressure on countries such as Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Honduras, and Panama to implement the ruling. Spartacus Gay Travel Indexs interactive map of the United States (Image: Spartacus magazine) In America (41st place), which the index also breaks down into individual states, the presidential election is putting fear into the LGBTQ+ community as a Republican win could mean the introduction of new laws regulating the rights of LGBTQ+ people. You can view the full Spartacus Gay Travel Index here. The post The UK plummets on the Spartacus Gay Travel Index appeared first on Attitude. Welcome Guest! You are here: Home Views & Analysis Combating Hate Speech in India To combat hate speech, Gandhis Hinduism, Vasudhaiva Kutumbaka and Fraternity of Indian Constitution are needed more than before. Read More Thursday February 29, 2024 9:24 PM , Ram Puniyani India has been ruled by Hindu Nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party for the last one decade. BJP in turn is progeny of RSS, which has a goal of Hindu Rashtra. It has many progeny, hundreds of associated organizations with lakhs of volunteers (Swayamsevaks) and thousands of senior workers called Pracharaks (Propagators). It has been pursuing its agenda of Hindu Nation with double the speed since BJP came to power at the center. Rise of the BJP on electoral battlefield is due to intensifying of communal issues, Ram Temple, Cow-Beef, and Love Jihad among others. Communal violence has been a major factor increasing its electoral strength. The violence in turn is founded on the Hate minorities. There are well placed mechanisms to create Hate; hate speech against minorities, the chain of shakhas; Schools, Godi media, social media and IT cell among others. Hate speech, which is a punishable offense, is used with gay abandon, more so when BJP is in power in states and also in Center. Those indulging in Hate speech do know that they enjoy a sort of impunity. All this becomes ratified in the latest report released by India Hate Lab, a Washington DC-based group that documents hate speech against Indias religious minorities. The report with title Hate Speech Events in India, notes that while 255 events took place in the first half of 2023, the number rose to 413 in the second half of the year, a 62% increase. The details are very revealing. As per the report nearly 75% of the events of the total (498), took place in BJP-ruled States, Union Territories (administered by the BJP-led Central government), and Delhi (here police and public order comes under the Union governments purview). While 36% (239) of the events included a direct call of violence against Muslims and 63% (420) of incidents include references to conspiracy theories, primarily involving love jihad, land jihad, and population jihad. About 25% (169) featured speeches calling for targeting Muslim places of worship. The resulting events are very well known by now. We remember the addition of use of bulldozers and demolitions by BJP ruled states. These are done mainly against prosperities of Muslims. The demolition of the Mosque here and there is no more a big deal. Boycotting the Muslim hawkers and traders are occasionally propped up. Partiality done by the motivated administrative machinery is the order of the day. The impact on the Muslim community is an increasing sense of insecurity and ghettoization. The walls of Hatred are becoming stronger by the day. The Hate speech signals begin from the top when the Prime Minister, lately being called as the reincarnation of Lord Vishnu, when he gives these hints like, they can be identified with their clothes, Shamshan-Kabristan and Pink revolution. The next layer of Hate spreaders further intensifies the language and when it comes to Dharma Sansads, the Holy ones; like Yati Narsinghnand, the message of violence becomes more direct and very despicable. One of the peaks of this was witnessed in the Parliament itself when Ramesh Bidhudi used expletives of the worst kind against Danish Ali, Mullah, terrorist, anti-national, pimp and katwa (a Hindi slur against Muslims). Ramesh Bidhudi in turn was given additional promotion-responsibility. This makes it clear the way of going in the upward direction of hierarchy in the BJP-RSS combine is Hate speech. As Ramesh Bidhudi was let off by the Lok Sabha Speaker by saying that if he repeats it again, action will be contemplated. We have seen the horrific Bulli Bai and Sulli deals to humiliate prominent Muslim women, celebrities. The culprits went away without any serious punishments. Lately the Haldwani mosque issue also disturbed the peace at the ground level. The absence of an impartial media is the worst thing in the present scenario. The anchors of the big channels find the ways to blame the Muslims for every insinuation against them. Apart from leading to acts of violence against Muslim community the present trajectory of events is leading to gradually intensifying Islamophobia. We can see a teacher Tripta Tyagi asking the class students to slap a Muslim boy one by one for not doing homework. Another teacher Manjula Devi told two Muslim students, who were bickering over a minor issue, that this is not their country. We also witnessed a bus conductor Mohan Yadav being sacked as he stopped the bus for a brief while during which some passengers eased and few Muslims offered Namaz during that time. Hate speech was identified by our leaders as a curse for our society. In the aftermath of murder of Swami Sahajanand by a Muslim, Gandhi correctly identified the problem when he wrote in Young India, calling for purging the atmosphere of mutual hatred and calumny, by boycotting papers which foment hatred and spread misrepresentation. Here Gandhi is talking about the negative role of Newspapers at that time. Later, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in the aftermath of murder of Mahatma Gandhi in a letter to Golwalkar directly indicted RSS for spreading hatred, All their speeches were full of communal poison. It was not necessary to spread poison and enthuse the Hindus and organize for their protection. As a final result of the poison, the country had to suffer the sacrifice of the valuable life of Gandhi. The clock has moved full circle. The same RSS has created layers and layers of Hate creating mechanisms. Apart from its own vast army of swayamsevaks, Pracharak and network of schools, the large section of media has totally surrendered to those in power and unabashedly using their influence to intensify Hate. The social common sense created through these mechanisms leads to Bulli Bai and Sulli deals. It is this which creates Trupta Tyagi and Manjula Devi who take it to the young children. Things are becoming difficult for Muslim children in mixed schools. Today, the Hate other has become the very antithesis of our Constitutions value of Fraternity. It is also against the tolerance of the values of morality of Hinduism as practiced by the likes of Gandhi. This is the very aggressive attack on the dictum of Vedas, Vasudhaiva Kutumbkam (World is a family), this is not only intimidating the religious minorities it is an attack on the values of our Constitution. To combat hate speech, Gandhis Hinduism, Vasudhaiva Kutumbaka and Fraternity of Indian Constitution are needed more than before. Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic. Welcome Guest! You are here: Home Science & Technology Discovered: Water vapour on Sun-like star HL Tauri Scientists using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) have discovered a significance presence of water vapour in the inner region of a gas and dust disk surrounding HL Tauri - a young star, potentially marking the birthplace of planets, Interesting Engineering reported. Read More Thursday February 29, 2024 6:32 PM , ummid.com Science Desk Mumbai: Scientists using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) have discovered a significance presence of water vapour in the inner region of a gas and dust disk surrounding HL Tauri - a young star, potentially marking the birthplace of planets, Interesting Engineering reported. The telescope focused on HL Tauri, the a Sun-like star located 450 light-years away, revealing an unexpected abundance of water, estimated to be at least three times the volume of Earth's oceans. Lead author Stefano Facchini from the University of Milan expressed astonishment at capturing "an image of oceans of water vapour in the same region where a planet is likely forming." The findings provide unprecedented insights into the conditions conducive to planetary development. These discoveries challenge previous debates on Earth's water origin and propose a mechanism for delivering water to forming planets before potential asteroid collisions. This suggests a possible influence on planetary chemical composition, akin to Earth's development 4.5 billion years ago. It is truly remarkable that we can not only detect but also capture detailed images and spatially resolve water vapour at a distance of 450 light-years from us , adds co-author Leonardo Testi, an astronomer at the University of Bologna, Italy. The spatially resolved observations with ALMA allow astronomers to determine the distribution of water in different regions of the disc. Taking part in such an important discovery in the iconic HL Tauri disc was beyond what I had ever expected for my first research experience in astronomy, adds Mathieu Vander Donckt from the University of Liege, Belgium, who was a masters student when he participated in the research. Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic. Welcome Guest! You are here: Home Middle East Global outrage as Israelis massacre over 110 Palestinians lined up for food in Gaza Impromptu sit-ins and a massive outrage are being reported from different parts of the world after the Israeli Occupation Forces Thursday Feb 29, 2024 opened fire on the Palestinians waiting for humanitarian aid near Gaza City killing over 110 Palestinians. Read More Friday March 1, 2024 10:10 AM , ummid.com with inputs from Agencies Gaza Strip: Impromptu sit-ins and a massive outrage are being reported from different parts of the world after the Israeli Occupation Forces Thursday Feb 29, 2024 opened fire on the Palestinians waiting for humanitarian aid near Gaza City killing over 110 Palestinians. In one of the deadliest and brutal attack on civilians in recent history, Israeli snipers and tanks fired at the Palestinians who were already being starved, whilst they were trying to get food. As many as 112 civilians have been killed and more than 760 others have been injured in the Israeli attack on the people waiting for aid, the Health Ministry of Palestine said. The Ministry said the death toll could be more as continuous bombardment by the Israeli Occupation Forces is making rescue operation difficult. The attack has sparked global outrage and protests in different parts of the world including the United States of America. Horrified Expressing her anger over the brutal incident, Petra De Sutter said that she was horrified by the news of Palestinians in Gaza having been shot at while waiting to receive aid. Murdering people queueing for essential humanitarian aid? she wrote on social media platform X. This is a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and fully goes against the [International Court of Justices] provisional measures. The ICJ issued a set of provisional measures in January asking Israel to comply with the 1948 Genocide Convention, allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza and act against those who issue genocidal statements. Serious incident The United States said it is looking into the reports of Israeli gunfire on Palestinians waiting for aid near Gaza City, describing it as a serious incident. We mourn the loss of innocent life and recognize the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, where innocent Palestinians are just trying to feed their families, a White House National Security Council spokesperson said in a statement. This underscores the importance of expanding and sustaining the flow of humanitarian assistance into Gaza, including through a potential temporary ceasefire, the spokesperson added. The United States however Friday, in open support for the killing of civilians in Gaza, blocked a statement put forward by Algeria and supported by 14 of the 15 members to the UN Security Council that would have assigned blame to Israel for the incident. Intentional killing of civilians Bassam Zaqout, Director of the Palestinian Relief Society, while condemning the massacre of Palestinians called it intentional killing of civilians. This situation is happening every day, its not the first time, he told Al Jazeera from Rafah, in southern Gaza. This is intentional killing of civilians who are not involved in this situation. They are just there waiting for humanitarian aid to come. They want to have food for their children, and this is the price that civilians have to pay, he added. 'Apalling' Reacting on the incident which occurred on al-Rashid Street in northern Gaza, US President Joe Biden said that the attack on Palestinians waiting for aid in northern Gaza, where humanitarian groups say Israel has severely restricted food assistance over the last several months, will complicate efforts to reach an agreement between Hamas and Israel. I know it will, Biden told reporters when asked if the attack which killed over 100 starving Palestinians will make a ceasefire more difficult to reach. Speaking in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines ahead of a regional summit, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that he was shocked by the latest loss of life in Israels war on Gaza. When asked about the failure of the UN Security Council to agree on a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, he said that geopolitical divides have transformed the veto power into an effective instrument of paralysis of the action of the Security Council. Martin Griffiths, UN Relief Chief, said the attack on civilians waiting for food is "appalling". "I am appalled at the reported killing and injury of hundreds of people during a transfer of aid supplies west of Gaza City today. This comes as the death toll across Gaza since Oct 7 hits the 30,000 mark. Life is draining out of Gaza at terrifying speed", the UN aid chief said. Joining the rising international condemnation of Israel for the attack on the starving Palestinians awaiting food relief, Portuguese Foreign Minister Joao Gomes Cravinho said: Deeply shocked by the death in Gaza of over 100 people while waiting to receive aid. Civilians and humanitarian operations must be safe under IHL [international humanitarian law]. We call again for an urgent immediate ceasefire [and] for safe access to humanitarian aid, in compliance with ICJ provisional measures." At Liverpool Street station in the United States, hundreds of activists performed a sit-in in solidarity with Palestine. Meanwhile, Israel has hailed the conduct of the occupation forces. "We must stand by our heroic fighters operating in Gaza and applaud their exceptional conduct against a group of thugs who attempted to harm them", Israeli Minister of National Security Ben Gvir said. Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic. Welcome Guest! You are here: Home Education & Career Kerala TET (October 2023) Result Announced Kerala TET, also known as KTET Oct 2023, was held from December 29 and 30, 2023. Read More Thursday February 29, 2024 2:36 PM , ummid.com News Network Kerala TET October 2023 Result: The General Education Department, Government of Kerala (Pareeksha Bhavan) has released on its official website ktet.kerala.gov.in the result of the Kerala Teacher Eligibilty Test (KTET October 2023). KTET result has been declared category wise. Hence, to access KTET results Oct 2023, candidates should choose their respective categories - Category 1, Category 2, Category 3, or Category 4. Kerala TET, also known as KTET 2023, was held on December 29 and 30, 2023. Steps to check KTET Result Oct 2023 1. Go to the official website: ktet.kerala.gov.in . 2. Click on the link KTET October 2023 RESULT Published - Click Here to Check. 3. Select Category from the drop down menu. 4. Enter Reggister Number and Date of Birth. 5. Click on Check results. KTET Answer Key The General Education Department, Government of Kerala had earlier released the TET Answer Key - first provisional and then final (rectified). Like the result, KTET Answer Keys too were released category-wise - from I to IV. The TET Provisional Answer Key was released on January 04, 2024. Candidates were asked to raise the objection if any till January 12, 2024. K-TET is an examination to assess the quality of teacher candidates for Lower Primary, Upper Primary, and High School Classes in Kerala. As per the Kerala Education Ministry's notification dated June 3, 2021, KTET results and score are valid for a lifetime. There is no need to retake the exam to retain eligibility for teaching positions in Kerala. Select Language To Read in Urdu, Hindi, Marathi or Arabic. On Thursday a press conference in the province announcing the forum was held by the provincial People's Committee, the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (EuroCham) and the Vietnam Digital Agriculture Association (VIDA). At the "Business Connection Forum: Industrial, Trading and High-tech Agriculture EuroCham - Binh Phuoc 2024," which will be will be co-ordinated by Hung Nhon Group, De Heus Group (Netherlands) and the Vietnam High-tech Agriculture Club (DAA), high-ranking diplomats from numerous nations, including the Netherlands, Australia, Hungary, Nigeria, Indonesia, and Malaysia, will be in attendance, along with Julien Guerrier, Ambassador of the European Union (EU) to Viet Nam. More than 100 executives from businesses that are members of the Australian Chamber of Commerce in Viet Nam (AusCham) and EuroCham will also be present at the upcoming forum. Speaking at a press conference, Huynh Anh Minh, deputy chairman of the Binh Phuoc Provincial People's Committee and deputy head of the forum organising board, said: The forum will be an opportunity for Binh Phuoc province to introduce and promote its potential and preferential policies. He expected that many reputable businesses and strategic investors with significant financial and technological potential will then invest in industry, commerce and high-tech agriculture in accordance with the provinces socio-economic development plan. Le Viet Binh, deputy chief of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Developments administrative office, emphasised that EuroChams member companies have strong technological and financial capabilities, and that Europe is a promising market for Viet Nams agricultural sector. As a result, their investments have not only helped develop the provinces agriculture sustainably but also contributed to its socio-economic development. Meanwhile, Gabor Fluit, chairman of EuroCham Viet Nam and deputy head of the forum organising board, told the press conference that with more than 1,300 members, EuroCham is one of the biggest foreign business associations in Viet Nam. EuroCham and its members have firmly supported the green transition and acknowledged the significance of sustainable growth. For EuroCham members, the forum will open up opportunities to get access to valuable information, have a comprehensive picture of the regional economy, its planned development projects and growth potential, he said, adding that based on the information, they will develop a strategic vision to explore new investment opportunities in Binh Phuoc." According to Vu Manh Hung, vice president of the Vietnam Digital Agriculture Association (VIDA) and deputy head of the forum organising board, there will be a number of events for attendees on the sidelines of the forum, including tours of the provinces industrial zones and clusters, a display of local products, and a gala dinner. He also revealed that at the upcoming forum, the Binh Phuoc Provincial People's Committee, VIDA and EuroCham are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) that will formalise their co-operation in digitising the agricultural sector in Binh Phuoc province. The forum has received enthusiastic support and sponsorship from domestic and international enterprises. Specifically, diamond sponsorships include Hung Nhon Corporation, De Heus Group (Netherlands), and Becamex Binh Phuoc Industrial Park. Gold sponsorships consist of CPV Food Company Limited, Big Dutchman Vietnam, Minh Hung Sikico Industrial Park, Agriculture and Rural Development Bank (Agribank), and Minh Anh Company. HA NOI To stay competitive in the European Union (EU) market, Vietnamese producers must adapt to the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), a carbon tariff on carbon-intensive products imported to the EU, which has been set to take effect in 2026, said industry experts and policymakers. According to a report by the General Department of Vietnam Customs, in January 2024, Viet Nam exported over 1.16 million tonnes of steel, worth US$822.65 million, an increase of 7.1 per cent in quantity and 7.4 per cent in value compared to the previous month. Vietnamese steel was exported to more than 30 countries and territories, including Canada, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Australia and Sri Lanka. Viet Nam exported 180,221 tonnes of fertiliser, equivalent to $72.9 million, during the same period, a 10.6 per cent increase in quantity and a 7.7 per cent decrease in value compared to the previous month. However, the overall year-on-year figures showed a 41.7 per cent increase in quantity, a 14 per cent increase in export turnover, but a 14.5 per cent decrease in value. The Southeast Asian economy reported a total export turnover of $33.57 billion, a 6.7 per cent increase from the previous month and a significant 42 per cent increase compared to last year. Exporters have long voiced their concerns over the CBAM's potential effects on Vietnamese exports, saying CBAM's implementation will likely increase the prices of exported goods, reducing Vietnamese exports' competitiveness and affecting demand in the EU market. However, the impact is likely minor in a broader context as the covered industries are not Viet Nam's major exports. Nevertheless, the carbon tax regulations will still reduce export values, increasing pressure on businesses, according to the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Specifically, the steel sector may experience a 4 per cent decrease in export value, leading to a 0.8 per cent reduction in demand and adverse effects on market competitiveness. Aluminium export value may decrease by over 4 per cent, resulting in a 0.4 per cent reduction in production. The impacts on the cement and fertiliser are negligible. However, as the new regulations directly impact export activities Viet Nam must start proactively engaging with the CBAM framework to avoid being at a disadvantage in the export competition. Industry experts have called for policymakers and businesses to establish carbon pricing mechanisms and a carbon credit market in Viet Nam, which will allow exporters to work with EU buyers and serve as a platform for trade negotiations related to CBAM. At the same time, dialogues should be held with EU regulatory bodies to provide additional information and incentives to exporters in support of transitioning to green production. To minimise the adverse effects on production and exports, businesses must closely monitor CBAM developments and proactively prepare response plans. They stressed the importance of thoroughly studying greenhouse gas emission reporting requirements, developing internal processes and implementing calculation systems to comply with CBAM reporting. In the long run, the global shift to a greener economy, the development of green energy and sustainable production will bring opportunities for Vietnamese businesses to enhance product quality, meet international standards and achieve sustainable development. VNS HCM CITY Mainland Chinese were Viet Nams top source of visitors during Lunar New Year, one of the peak travel periods in the Asia Pacific calendar, reported digital travel platform Agoda. Agodas search data has revealed that, across the Lunar New Year period, searches from China of Viet Nam have almost entirely recovered to pre-pandemic levels, with 2024 interest at 95 per cent of 2020. According to Viet Nam National Authority of Tourism, in 2019, mainland Chinese were Viet Nams number one source of travellers, accounting for almost a third of total travellers coming into Viet Nam that year. Our search numbers for Tet this year coming just shy of pre-pandemic levels is promising news for Viet Nams tourism industry, said Lam Vu, country director Vietnam at Agoda. Still, Viet Nam is also to be commended on its ability to widen its appeal to alternate origin markets - notably India and South Korea - since reopening with favourable visa restrictions. This diversification of visitors ultimately saw Viet Nam reach its initial 2023 total visitor target within the first three quarters of the year, according to the General Statistics Office. The resurgent interest of visitors from our northern neighbour provides a positive sign for visitor trends in the Year of the Dragon, Vu said. In 2020, the strong affinity Chinese travellers held for Viet Nams rich cultural heritage and scenic landscapes led to China leading Viet Nam's inbound search tourism ranks. However, the onset of lockdowns in 2021 caused a plunge in Chinese visitors. Due to cautious border reopenings, 2022 and 2023 witnessed only 3 per cent of the 2020 search levels. In 2024, Agoda insights show a near total rebound of accommodation searches from China to Viet Nam, with figures reaching 95 per cent of the 2020 figures during the Lunar New Year festivities. This resurgence underscores the resilience of the travel industry and highlights the enduring appeal of Viet Nam as a premier destination for Chinese travellers, Agoda said. This year, the travel landscape is seeing a slight shift with HCM City, Ha Noi, Nha Trang, a Nang, and enchanting Phu Quoc Island emerging as the top choices currently for Chinese travellers, compared to HCM City, Nha Trang, Ha Noi, a Nang, and Phan Thiet in 2020. "We are thrilled to witness the return of Chinese traveller interest to Viet Nam," said Lam Vu. "Viet Nam's diverse attractions, coupled with its warm hospitality, continue to captivate the hearts of travellers worldwide." According to the Viet Nam National Authority of tourism, the volume of tourists arriving in Viet Nam strongly surged during the first six days of Lunar New Year. Room bookings by foreign visitors in many cities and provinces strongly increased by up to 40 per cent. The authority said that provinces and cities actively co-operated with tourism travel operators and airlines to have many programmes to welcome tourists during the Lunar New Year. VNS HA NOI More than 60 aviation businesses, policymakers and government representatives gathered in Ha Noi for a two-day conference from February 28-29 to discuss various issues related to business management and development in the aviation industry. The International Airline Symposium (IAS) 2024 also served as a platform for fostering collaboration between aviation businesses, policymakers and government representatives to shape the future of the industry. The conference acknowledged the opportunities and challenges faced by the aviation industry in a volatile global environment. Airlines must navigate volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity in various aspects such as economics, politics, technology and climate change. Delegates at the conference were tasked with reaching a consensus on how to steer the industry as a whole and achieve new heights. During his speech at the conference, General Director of Vietnam Airlines Le Hong Ha emphasised the importance of proactively navigating the complex industry landscape. Ha highlighted strategic vision, customer experience, technology adoption, sustainable development, safety and employee engagement as crucial factors for long-term success and sustainable growth in the dynamic aviation market. Also at the conference, Nawal Taneja, professor of aviation at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Ohio State University (USA), shared his observations about the aviation industry undergoing rapid changes driven by technology. Technology has indeed played a significant role in enabling greater flexibility, adaptability and resilience for businesses in the aviation sector. The industry has seen advancements in areas such as aircraft design and manufacturing, operations and maintenance, passenger experience and data analytics. However, Taneja also pointed out that successful digital transformation requires more than just adopting new technologies. It necessitates changes in organisational structure, personnel and culture to effectively leverage technology and achieve higher productivity. This is an important but often overlooked aspect, as organisations need to align their internal processes, workforce skills and mindset with the transformative potential of technology. Meanwhile, Glenn Morgan, former CTO of British Airways/International Airlines Group, highlighted a key challenge faced by the aviation industry in achieving carbon neutrality: the limited availability and usage of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). While many airlines have set goals to reduce carbon emissions and transition to clean energy, the widespread adoption of SAF remains low, with only 0.1 per cent of global flights currently using this fuel. To address this challenge, it is crucial to have the support and active participation of various stakeholders. The government plays a vital role in creating policy frameworks and providing incentives to promote the development and use of SAF. Governments can offer financial support, tax incentives and regulatory measures to encourage the production and distribution of sustainable aviation fuels. As the host airline of the event, Vietnam Airlines actively facilitated the participation of leading industry experts from around the world. The conference provided a platform for exchanging the latest industry information, enabling the development of strategies and affirming Vietnam Airlines' commitment to continuous expansion in the evolving global aviation landscape. Additionally, the event showcased Viet Nam as a safe, dynamic and friendly destination to a large number of delegates and international guests. VNS Le Huong Take a walk around some of Viet Nams tourism hot spots these days and it's plain to see that business is beginning to boom once more. The tourism sector, a key component in the countrys economic ambitions, is rising from the ashes strewn by COVID-19. And the figures speak for themselves. Take Tet for instance. During the Lunar New Year a staggering 750,000 international visitors arrived on our shores, a remarkable rise of 54 per cent compared to the same period last year. Authorities the length and breadth of the country are busy thrashing out new and diverse ways to not only promote tourism services, but to develop them, in a sustainable fashion. And while its clear to see the country must move forward, we should never forget our rich cultural traditions so idiosyncratic to Viet Nam. In Ha Noi, the capital city that oozes character, visitors are still blown away by the heady mix of old and new. And of course, the food. Waleria Hjelm, a Danish visitor, told Viet Nam News: Denmark has quite a lot of restaurants that serve Vietnamese food and I travel for the food, like to experience different countries' food. So after trying it in Denmark, I decided that I need to come and experience Vietnamese food and history which we also learned about in Denmark. Nerijus Petrokas, from Lithuania, added: Viet Nam is so much different from anything else so I enjoy watching the people walking around the main streets. We also explore the little streets, a little away from the main tourist places. There is a vibrant mix of the city and the nature. Having Vietnamese blood in her body, Linda Bouayed from France said three years ago, she did an internship here in Ho Chi Minh City, and now shes back in Southeast Asia as part of a three-month trip. I think it's one of the most beautiful landscapes I've seen in my life, she said. And it's different when you go to the south." Dave Foster, from the US, was impressed with the warm and friendly welcome he and his wife received in the capital. I think most people come here because its authentic and we want to see the way you guys live, he said. We respect and understand your culture and customs, which is a lot different from what we are used to in the West. Dave's only regret was their trip was too short - giving this couple a reason to return. I enjoyed the culture, and the people, he noted. I also enjoyed the food and its a very welcoming environment. Dan Rhodes, from the UK, shared the same opinion on people and food. I would absolutely recommend it to people that it's an amazing place to film and I definitely have only managed to do in Ha Noi this time and I also want to go to Ninh Binh and Ha Long Bay," he said. "I want to do in the rest of the country like all the middle and down south." Business opportunities But its not just the tourists benefitting. Business owners of all sizes are also encouraged by the increase in visitors. ao Xuan Truong, Manager of Puku Restaurant in downtown Ha Noi said his venue has seen an incredible rise in the number of tourists since the Government increased the visa exemption timescale from one month to three. I have seen many tourists, who used to come to Puku, return, he said. They have been here for three months. Many new customers are visiting, mostly from Europe. Last December, there were many Indian visitors thanks to the new non-stop flight between India and Viet Nam. Truong said the restaurant has recruited more staff to offer the best service. I hope the Government will open more, and offer more direct flights between India or Australia to Viet Nam, he added. I hope the flight routes are more convenient. More foreigners visiting Viet Nam will boost revenue at many places, including restaurants like Puku. Generosity With more visitors comes more responsibility, and travel companies know they must step up their game to meet market demand. Bui Bang Giang, founder of Asia Exotica Vietnam said this is a peak period for tourists from South America particularly Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, and Colombia as well as those from Spain and Portugal. The peak tourism season for this tourist group is between January and March. The Asia Exotica team is very happy to receive a continuous large number of tourists every day from all over Viet Nam and countries in the region, which is an encouraging sign, she said. Giang added that the soaring number of tourists has been in their companys forecast and in line with predictions by some of the worlds leading travel experts. Asia Exotica has recently joined Fitur International Trade Fair in Spain, where people shared experience, information and forecasts for tourism trends in 2024. Viet Nam is among the destinations that tourists are giving priority to in 2024, she said. We will take this chance and prepare staff for this. We have prepared various tour packages and services for visitors to bring them the most typical experiences of Viet Nam. Giang said the company and partners in the tourism sector are trying to refresh products to offer the best possible experiences. We are proposing an idea and hope to receive consensus from other partners in the tourism sector we want to highlight the generosity and hospitality of Vietnamese people, she said. Giang believes a key factor for ensuring the best possible service for visitors is in people-to-people exchanges. She wants to exploit the wonderful nature of Vietnamese, making sure visitors come back for more. It would be very wonderful if we could highlight that beautiful feature of Vietnamese people, she said. Targets have been set to welcome 18 million foreign visitors to Viet Nam this year. And while that goal is achievable, we want each and everyone of them to love the time they spend here, and leave with only positive memories that will last a lifetime. VNS IEN BIEN Strategically positioned for national security in the Northwest, ien Bien Province, with over 30 per cent of its population being ethnic Mong, faced challenges in 2011 when over 7,000 people gathered at Huoi Khon Village, Nam Ke Commune, Muong Nhe District, demanding the creation of a "Separate State" for the Mong people. Government and provincial police efforts have since led to increased understanding of the correct principles of the Party and the State among most people. However, in some remote areas, lingering complexities related to secessionist propaganda activities still exist. The ien Bien Provincial Police report that in recent years, Mong expatriate organisations have exploited issues related to ethnicity, religion and hostile forces to incite secessionist ideas among ethnic communities. These individuals employ various tactics, primarily relying on deceitful propaganda, false promises regarding the "King of the Mong people" and the misuse of religious beliefs to spread misleading messages and gather support. In 2011, Huoi Khon village witnessed an assembly of over 7,000 people, primarily Mong from ien Bien and other provinces, gathering to "welcome the King", who was nowhere to be found. The large crowd faced hunger, cold and deprivation, resulting in apprehensions and legal actions against numerous individuals by law enforcement agencies. Combining propaganda campaigns with stringent measures against secession leaders, ien Bien provincial authorities and police have significantly consolidated and transformed areas affected by propaganda promoting the establishment of a so-called "separate Mong state." While some areas still exhibit complexities related to these activities, their impact has diminished. Throughout the struggle, law enforcement authorities dismantled three subversive organisations, apprehended and prosecuted 107 leaders and core members, reprimanded and educated 158 individuals, and conducted propaganda campaigns influencing 683 people. Furthermore, 15 individuals are currently wanted within the region. The ien Bien Provincial Police have since effectively promoted propaganda activities, counteracted external influences, and implemented stringent management to prevent the resurgence of these activities. In addition to addressing the leading figures, the authorities have implemented measures to support local people, especially ethnic communities, in stabilising their lives. The focus is on economic development and resisting the influence of subversive elements. "Law enforcement agencies have collaborated with local authorities, enhancing the implementation of national target programmes for economic development," said Lieutenant Colonel Giang A Minh, Deputy Head of the Internal Security Division PA02 ien Bien Police. "Support has been provided in terms of seedlings, livestock, and housing for those who have mistakenly followed subversive individuals back to their localities, encouraging them to become responsible citizens. Notably, over 1,000 houses have been constructed with support from the Ministry of Public Security. These houses have been completed, and residents have been living in them for some time." The housebuilding programme for poor residents implemented by the Ministry of Public Security in ien Bien drew the participation of various units, including the provincial police, the Northwest Mobile Police Regiment (Ministry of Public Security), the provincial military command, and sponsors. The programme has successfully delivered and completed housing for 380 households, along with supporting 650 households in self-construction, providing shelter for thousands of people in remote and disadvantaged areas, enabling them to lead stable lives and foster economic development. VNS HA NOI After more than a year serving as a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for the 2023-2025 term, Viet Nam has left significant imprints, appreciated by the international community. On this occasion, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs o Hung Viet has penned an article reflecting on Viet Nam's first year as a UNHRC member for the 2023-2025 term. The Vietnam News Agency (VNA) is honoured to present the article as follows: The task of assuming the position as an UNHRC member for the 2023-2025 term has been stepped up since the early days, with the UNHRC's initial activities in 2023 witnessing active participation and coordination among various agencies in the inter-sectoral working group and press agencies, leaving a hallmark and having a ripple effect not only within the UNHRC but also across various other areas of work. 1. In 2023, the global and regional landscapes underwent profound changes. While peace, cooperation, and development remained major trends, they faced the most significant challenges since the Cold War era, particularly as strategic competition among major powers intensified across the board. The armed conflicts and hotspots erupted in various regions worldwide, increasing in both number and severity, with multidimensional manifestations and diverse forms. The global economy experienced slow, uneven and uncertain recovery, with various macroeconomic risks. The progress towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) slowed down since non-traditional security challenges such as climate change, food security, water security, inequalities, and the adverse effects of digital transformation directly impacted people's livelihoods, living quality and enjoyment of rights worldwide. These intertwined factors posed numerous challenges, exacerbating politicisation and limiting cooperation space in many human rights issues, while also highlighting the need for dialogue and collaboration to address common concerns of the international community regarding human rights, including through the activities of the UNHRC. In 2023, the world commemorated the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the 30th anniversary of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action (VDPA), providing an important opportunity for the international community to look at the achievements and challenges ahead in safeguarding the universal values and strong commitments to protecting and promoting human rights enshrined in these documents. Against this backdrop and the expectations of the global community, in 2023, the UNHRC actively fulfilled its role as the most important human rights body within the UN system, effectively implementing an extensive agenda covering 10 items closely aligned with the current global concerns. However, it also experienced significant friction, even direct confrontation among countries and groups of countries. Also in 2023, the UNHRC operated at a high intensity, completing the largest volume of work since its establishment in 2006, with 180 formal plenary meetings during the three regular sessions and one special session, reviewing 231 reports, adopting 110 resolutions (about two-thirds of which were adopted by consensus), 41 decisions, and one presidential statement, along with numerous meetings of Working and Expert Groups, with the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group considering and adopting reports from 42 countries. Additionally, to promote their priorities and contribute to the UNHRC's activities, about 450 sideline events were organised by countries during the regular sessions, covering diverse topics. 2. On October 11, 2022, the UN General Assembly elected Viet Nam along with 13 other countries as members of the UNHRC for the 2023-2025 term. Following the success of Viet Nam's tenure as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council (2020-2021), this event held significant importance in Viet Nam's efforts to realise the foreign policy set forth by the 13th National Party Congress and Directive 25-CT/TW of the Party Central Committee's Secretariat on enhancing and elevating multilateral diplomacy until 2030. It demonstrated Vietnam's increasingly high stature and credibility on the international stage, as well as international recognition of Viet Nam's policies, efforts, and achievements in ensuring human rights. Viet Nam assumed this role while making utmost efforts to develop its socio-economy, ensure livelihoods, improve the peoples lives, fulfil international commitments regarding human rights amid numerous challenges both at home and abroad. Therefore, Viet Nam's membership in the UN Human Rights Council for the 2023-2025 term has garnered significant attention from the international community. On the one hand, our achievements, efforts, commitments and needs for cooperation in protecting and promoting human rights have been widely recognised. On the other hand, some individuals, organisations, and international politicians still maintained subjective views about the situation in Viet Nam and our capacity to fulfill the role as an UNHRC member. 3. In that context, Viet Nam has actively joined the council and left its imprints right from the first days with many initiatives that are suitable to the countrys priorities and the common interest of the world, receiving applause from the international community. At the 52nd session of the UNHRC in March-April 2023, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang introduced the initiative on celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the 30th anniversary of the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action (VDPA). Viet Nam led a core group of 14 co-authors (Viet Nam, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Fiji, India, Panama, Romania, South Africa, and Spain) to draft a resolution, and organised consultations for the document, which was approved by the UNHRC by consensus and co-sponsored by 121 states a record of the council in recent years. The resolution stresses the leading role of countries in ensuring human rights, the recognition of womens participation, the role of international cooperation and solidarity, and the respect for diversity and inclusiveness in promoting and protecting human rights and in taking part in HRC activities. This initiative of Viet Nam has made an important contribution to conveying great messages, raising awareness and determination to act of countries and the international community in implementing the goals and principles of human rights outlined in these two fundamental declarations, while simultaneously promoting the position and role of the council and UN human rights mechanisms. To continue showing its leading role in building a series of resolutions regarding human rights protection amid climate changes, at the 53rd session of the UNHRC in June-July 2023, Viet Nam, along with Bangladesh and the Philippines, drafted a resolution on promoting livelihoods amid climate changes, which was adopted by the council by consensus with 80 co-sponsors (Resolution 53/6). At the 53rd and 54th sessions, Viet Nam continued to work with countries and international organisations such as the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) to promote initiatives on vaccination and human rights, and "anti- discrimination, violence, and gender-based harassment in the workplace" in the form of international discussions on the sidelines of meetings, and built joint statements at the council. Viet Nams ideas, which match major concerns about human rights currently, have received support and positive contributions from states. For example, the joint statement on vaccination and human rights drafted by Viet Nam at the council's 54th session drew the participation and support from more than 60 countries. The statement was topical in the context that the COVID-19 pandemic still posed many long-term effects, and many developing countries and many population groups had yet to have full access to COVID-19 vaccines as well as other basic vaccines for expanded immunisation. 4. Viet Nam has also engaged deeply in the council's common work, promoting dialogues and cooperation at the council in the spirit of respect and understanding, dialogue and cooperation, all rights, for all people. Viet Nam has made more than 80 national statements at the UNHRC's meetings on ensuring human rights in aspects of concern to the international community such as sustainable development, climate change response, migration, gender equality promotion, ensuring housing rights, food rights, cultural rights, development rights, protecting vulnerable groups, while participating in 50 joint statements on diverse topics of ASEAN, Non-Aligned Movement, Like-Minded Group of Developing Countries (the group has a diverse composition, including 134 developing countries representing 80% of the world's population and 70% of UN members, with the main purpose of coordinating and promoting the common interests and priorities of developing countries at the UN in general and the UNHRC in particular), Francophone and several other inter-regional groups. Viet Nam has shown high level of responsibility in implementing the main obligations and interests of a member state during the process of negotiating and voting to pass draft resolutions. Viet Nam has given a constructive approach in human rights-related issues that still have many differences, are politicised, and have many frictions at the council such as the situation of specific countries (Ukraine, Russia, Palestine, Sudan, etc.), as well as relationship between development and human rights, reproductive health and sexual education, LGBT rights, and religious tolerance. On the one hand, Viet Nam has made contributions to the common struggle of developing countries to protect the principle of not politicising and not using human rights issues to interfere in the internal affairs of sovereign states. On the other hand, the country has listened to and respected the needs of cooperation and technical assistance of other countries, promoting cooperation and dialogue so that the council can act to meet the legitimate demands of states in the field. 5. The footprints that Viet Nam have left right from the first year it takes on the role as a member of the UN Human Rights Council for the 2023-2025 term have positive impacts on other areas of the human rights foreign affairs work. Viet Nams contributions at the council have helped the international community get a deeper insight into the countrys efforts and commitment to protecting and promoting human rights, thereby strengthening cooperation with countries and international organsiations. According to Acting UN Resident Coordinator in Viet Nam Ramla Khalidi, through showing its positive and responsible role at the UNHRC, promoting initiatives, especially its proposed Resolution 52/19, together with seriously carrying out the commitments under the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) and welcoming the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to development (November 2023), Viet Nam has demonstrated its pioneering role in protecting and promoting human rights. She made the comment while delivering opening remarks at the Consultation Workshop on the Draft National Report of Viet Nam for the 4th Cycle Universal Periodic Review of the UN Human Rights Council. In 2023, large partners increased discussions with Viet Nam regarding cooperation contents at the council through existing mechanisms or organisation of new activities. Being a member of the council, Viet Nam was able to garner countries' support to fight against distortion of Vietnamese situation at the UNs mechanisms and forums. 6. Although formidable challenges are on the horizon, it can be said that the first year as a member of the council is a success for Viet Nam with many milestones. The results were sparked by the close direction and direct engagement of the senior Vietnamese leaders in the councils activities as well as the participation and effective contributions from competent ministries, agencies and members of working groups to support the Ministry of Foreign Affairs coordination work and the Viet Nam Mission to the UN, World Trade Organisation and other organisations in Geneva (Switzerland). Vietnamese agencies positively and actively joined hands to study, forecast and give advice to competent authorities on the countrys participation and reaction at the council, and particularly contributed to initiatives promoted at the council, meeting not only Viet Nams interest and priorities but also the international communitys concerns. Therefore, the initiatives that Viet Nam made at the council garnered wide support from foreign countries. Besides, members of the interdisciplinary working group showed their positive role in the information and communications work, with the countrys activities at the council covered more widely and attractively by both domestic and foreign press than the previous tenure of 2014-2016. 2024 is a pivotal year for the 2023-2025 term, with many key activities such as presentation and dialogue on the National Report under the 5th Cycle Universal Periodic Review. The country will continue to promote initiatives and priorities, especially those on climate change and human rights, together with mobilising countries' support for its first re-election for the 2026-2028 term. With strong resolve, solidarity, and close coordination of the whole political system under the close direction of the Party and State leaders, Viet Nam will make important contributions at the council and leave footprints in the year and beyond, helping build a strong, comprehensive, modern and professional diplomacy while elevating the multilateral foreign relations under the essence of the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress and the Party Central Committee Secretariats Directive No. 25-CT/TW. VNS HA NOI President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins has agreed to foster bilateral cooperation and connectivity with Vietnam across spheres, especially economy, people-to-people exchange, and education-training. At a reception for visiting Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son on Wednesday (local time) on a courtesy call, the President lauded Son's official visit, the first to Ireland by a Vietnamese foreign minister over the past more than 20 years, and expressed his belief that it will contribute to deepening the friendship and multi-faceted cooperation between the two countries. He congratulated Viet Nam on its socio-economic achievements over the past time, and affirmed the importance Ireland attaches to the Southeast Asian nations position and role in its strategy towards the Asia-Pacific. For his part, Minister Son stressed Viet Nam always wishes to enhance the bilateral friendship and multi-faceted cooperation, saying he hopes that through the visit, the two sides will review and set out major orientations and measures to enhance the relationship comprehensively and intensively, for the sake of their people. The minister suggested the President support joint efforts in stepping up all-level delegation exchanges and contacts, and raise his voice for the Irish parliament to soon ratify the EU-Viet Nam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA). He also expressed his hope for stronger collaboration in education-training, as well as further culture and art exchanges, and connectivity between localities of the two countries. Son proposed the host leader continue his support for Viet Nam as a priority partner in development cooperation policies in the time ahead, and help the country in human resources development, digital transformation, and high-tech agriculture. Expressing his delight at the strong, intensive, and extensive development of the Viet Nam-Ireland cooperation, Higgins agreed with Son's proposals to enhance coordination and mutual support at multilateral forums, settle conflicts and disputes by peaceful measures in line with the United Nations Charter and international law, and cope with global challenges like climate change and food security, for sustainable development in each country, and for peace, cooperation and development in the region and the world at large. On this occasion, the President commended contributions by the Vietnamese community in Ireland to the country, and pledged to create favourable conditions for them to further integrate into the host society, study and work there, serving as a bridge in the bilateral friendship. VNS NEW YORK Vietnamese Ambassador to the United States Nguyen Quoc Dung and Ambassador ang Hoang Giang, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN attended a ceremony to commemorate Merle Everlyn Ratner a left-wing activist and a faithful American friend of Viet Nam, which was solemnly held in New York on February 28 (local time). Among about 200 people participating in the ceremony in person and online, there were advocacy groups supporting victims of Agent Orange/dioxin (AO) in Viet Nam and a large number of Vietnamese in the US. Participants recalled memories of Ratner and reviewed the life, career and contributions that she made to the struggle for peace, social equality and the rights of workers in the US and many other countries, especially her love and dedication to the country and people of Viet Nam. Ambassador Dung expressed condolences for the passing of Ratner, reaffirming that the country and people of Viet Nam always remember and appreciate her warm sentiments and contributions to the the struggle for national liberation, national unification and the development and integration of Viet Nam , as well as the efforts to find justice for AO victims. The ambassador emphasised that the thoughts and activities as well as dedications of Ratner have become a valuable legacy, a source of inspiration and encouragement for her friends and comrades. Meanwhile, Ambassador Giang said that Ratners passing is a great loss to not only Viet Nam and the Viet Nam-US relations but also to peace lovers and left-wing and progressive people in the US. The greatest legacy that Ratner left behind is the spirit of optimism, belief in the victory of peace and justice as well as the bright future of Viet Nam and of working people around the world. Born in 1956 in New York City, Ratner had a special love for Viet Nam. She took to the streets to protest against the Viet Nam War when she was 13 years old and became famous for hanging anti-war slogans on the Statue of Liberty. Ratner actively participated in protests against the US war in Viet Nam since the late 1960s, the anti-imperialism movement in the 1970s and 1980s, and anti-racism campaigns in America today. She was a co-founder and coordinator of the Vietnam Agent Orange Relief & Responsibility Campaign in the New York area. Ratner passed away in an accident in New York on February 5 evening. VNS HA NOI Viet Nam remains persistent in the protection of its sea rights in a peaceful manner, amid Chinese advances into its waters near Bai Tu Chinh (Vanguard Bank). Asked for reactions regarding reports of China's deployment of Coast Guard Ship 5901 into the waters near the Vanguard Bank, the spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pham Thu Hang told reporters in the press briefing on Thursday in Ha Noi that Viet Nam's position on the Vanguard Bank is "consistent and has been reiterated on numerous occasions." The Vanguard Bank is part of Viet Nam's continental shelf as established in accordance with the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), Hang remarked. "Viet Nam strongly opposes all violations of Viet Nam's sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction towards Vietnamese borders, as established in accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 UNCLOS. "Viet Nam has been and will continue to assist in the protection of its lawful and legitimate rights and interests in the sea via peaceful means in accordance with international law," the spokeswoman commented. The entirely submerged geographical feature lies entirely within Viet Nam's 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), and is currently home to three Vietnamese outpost structures - the offshore platforms DK1/11 and DK1/12 (completed in 1994) and DK1/14 (completed in 1995), managed by the Navy Region 2 Command. China has also attempted to include this oil-rich part of the sea into its contentious dashed line map, which represents Beijing's perceived sovereignty over nearly the entirety of the East Sea (known internationally as the South China Sea), and has been deemed to have no basis in international law in the groundbreaking 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague. Viet Nam maintains that the coral reef is not a disputed zone, despite China's numerous claims and intrusions. 'Phygital game' Regarding Viet Nam's team winning against Venezuela 35-31 to become the champions at their first participation in Games of the Future's phygital basketball tournament, held this year in Kazan, Russia, spokeswoman Hang said the participation in regional and international sporting events like this will "contribute to promoting people to people exchanges, strengthening the friendship and boosting mutual understanding between Viet Nam and other nations." "We believe that from this experience and this championship, Viet Nam will continue to compete in other sport tournaments in the future, especially in those featuring the trend of combining eSports and traditional sports," the spokesperson noted. VNS HA NOI Secretary of the Party Central Committee and head of its Commission for External Relations Le Hoai Trung held an online meeting with Head of the Foreign Affairs Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba Emilio Lozada Garcia on February 29. At the talks, they briefed each other on the outstanding achievements of the Parties in the two countries, as well as the cooperative relationship, the direction of the masterplan, and the relationship between the two Parties. They spoke highly about the coordination between the two Parties in common political tasks, contributing to strengthening the special friendship and implementing the cooperation agreements. They also touched upon the success of important bilateral foreign relations activities in 2023, especially works to mark the 50th anniversary of the late leader Fidel Castro's first visit to the liberated zone in Southern Vietnam (September 1973 - 2023). The two sides agreed to further promote their roles in advising and urging the implementation of high-level agreements between leaders of the two Parties and the two States. They agreed to continue coordinating to promote the removal of obstacles to further strengthen cooperation in trade, production, and investment between the two countries, and create conditions for enterprises of the two countries to operate more and more effectively, especially in the field of agriculture. Trung also expressed his sympathy with the difficulties that the Cuban people have faced and said he believes that Cuba will overcome the current difficulties and challenges. He also emphasised that the Party, State and people of Vietnam always support the just revolutionary cause of the fraternal Cuban Party, State and People. VNS BANGKOK The 23rd conference of the nine provinces of Viet Nam, Laos, and Thailand that share the use of Road 8 and Road 12 took place in the northeastern Thai province of Sakon Nakhon on February 27 29 to review their cooperation in 2023 and propose future cooperation directions. The event saw the participation of representatives from the central provinces of Ha Tinh, Nghe An, Quang Binh of Viet Nam; Bueng Kan, Sakon Nakhon, Nakhon Phanom and Nong Khai provinces of Thailand; and Bolikhamxay and Khammouane province of Laos. It was also attended by representatives of dozens of businesses from the three countries. Addressing the event, Vietnamese Consul General in Khon Kaen Chu uc Dung said the agency is actively strengthening cooperation with provinces in northeastern Thailand, particularly those with overseas Vietnamese communities and bordering Laos, focusing on areas of trade, investment, tourism, culture, education, and health care in provinces along Road 8, Road 9 and Road 12; and fostering development in the nine provinces. Participants reviewed their cooperation in 2023 and discussed orientations for future cooperation. They agreed to continue promoting cooperation in education, health care, culture, sports, tourism, science, and technology, including expanding partnerships in training human resources; supporting migrant workers to move freely in accordance with agreements within ASEAN and on the basis of each country's legal regulations; and strengthening information exchange on preventing COVID-19, monkeypox and other diseases are spreading. Regarding transportation, participants unanimously agreed to urgently request the governments of the three countries to complete documents for constructing the Ha Tinh - Thakhek - Nakhon Phanom - Bangkok transport route; coordinate to open a passenger transportation route connecting Quang Binh, Khammouane, Nakhon Phanom and Sakon Nakhon; create favourable conditions for logistics businesses in the nine provinces to set up partnerships in transporting goods via Routes 8 and 12 to the Vung Ang Industrial Zone of Ha Tinh province, Hon La of Quang Binh province, Cua Lo of Nghe An province, and delivery to third countries. They underlined the necessity to accelerate the construction project of the Vientiane - Hanoi expressway via the Thanh Thuy (Nghe An) - Nam On (Bolikhamxay) intersection, towards facilitating trade, travel, and socio-economic development in Laos and Viet Nam. For agriculture cooperation, the localities also agreed to intensify information and experience sharing in training and technology transfer in agriculture among them; and cooperation in combating the trafficking of wild animals along border areas. The 24th event of this kind will be held in Quang Binh in February and March, 2025. The 23rd preparatory conference for the event will take place in Laoss Khammouane province in September and October this year. VNS TIEN GIANG - The agricultural market in Tien Giang Province is bustling again after Tet with many key fruits including Thai jackfruit seeing significant price increases. Nguyen Phuong Ngoc, a trader in Cai Lay District, said in late February the prices of Thai jackfruit nearly doubled to VN30,000 per kilogramme for type one and VN25,000 for type two from the previous month. Nguyen Minh, a farmer in Cai Lay Town, said he recently sold over 100kg of the jackfruit at an average of VN20,000, earning VN2 million (US$81). This being the peak dry season, the fruit remaining in orchards is not abundant, he said. According to authorities, farmers are focusing on irrigation and anti-drought measures to cope with the dry weather and prepare for harvests later in the year. The limited supply is one of the reasons for the sharp increase in the prices of Thai jackfruit after Tet. Nguyen Van Man, director of the Tien Giang Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said the province has nearly 15,000ha under Thai jackfruit, with the highest concentration being in Cai Be, Cai Lay, Chau Thanh, and Tan Phuoc districts and Cai Lay town. The average annual harvest is over 300,000 tonnes. Thai jackfruit is well-suited for growing in local soil conditions, and has high productivity and demand, both domestically and in other countries, especially China. In My Thanh Nam Commune, Cai Lay District, farmers have converted hundreds of hectares of flood-prone lands that are difficult to farm into Thai jackfruit orchards that fetch high incomes. Nguyen Van Nha of My Thanh Nam Commune converted 2.2ha of rice fields into Thai jackfruit orchards. After three years his trees now bear fruit year-round with high yields of 25-30 tonnes per hectare per year. Tien Giang has seized the opportunity to export speciality fruits like jackfruit, durian, and dragon fruit to China, focusing on advanced cultivation techniques based on GAP, comprehensive measures to improve the quality of agricultural products, and encouraging the establishment of specialised cultivation areas, Man said. The province is also allotting farming area codes to serve official exports to the Chinese market. The Tien Giang agriculture department said over 8,500ha of jackfruit orchards have the codes along with 299 durian, jackfruit, mango, dragon fruit, and other packaging facilities authorised to export to China. The locality is making efforts to meet the criteria for official fruit exports, particularly Thai jackfruit, it added. - VNS BA RIA - VUNG TAU Ten Indonesians and one Malaysian who are crewmembers of vessel Samudra Indah II in distress off the coast of Vietnam were handed over to representatives of the two countries consulates general in HCM City on February 29. The hand-over event was held by the Border Guard Command, the Department of Foreign Affairs, and the Department of Public Security of southern Ba Ria - Vung Tau province. At 4:50pm on January 29, a fishing vessel from the south-central province of Binh Thuan found vessel Samudra Indah II of Malaysia sinking at a place about 20 nautical miles northeast of Con Dao island, and saved 11 crewmembers drifting at sea. Being notified of the incident, the Ba Ria - Vung Tau Border Guard Command asked for coordination from relevant forces and vessels operating near the area to search for the missing and bring the 11 rescued sailors to Con ao. The sailors were safely brought to Con ao island at 10:50pm on the same day. At the hand-over event, Encun Asun, a crewmember of Samudra Indah II, said they had gone adrift for 17 hours before being rescued by Vietnamese fishermen. Border guards of Ba Ria - Vung Tau arranged accommodation, supplied essential items, and sent doctors to examine their health, he said, adding that they will never forget these deeds. Indonesian Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City Agustaviano Sofian thanked the Vietnamese authorities and fishermen for saving and caring for the crewmembers as well as handing over them to the consulates general for repatriation. VNA/VNS BINH INH A 115kg bomb that remained intact and had high dangerousness has been successfully deactivated in the central province of Binh inh. The bomb, about 100cm in length and nearly 30cm in diameter, was discovered by some workers while they were leveling the ground at Go Cay industrial cluster in Binh Thanh commune of Tay Son district. Be informed of the bomb, the Binh Thanh Peoples Committee ordered the communes military command to examine and seal off the site in case of an explosion. At about 9am on February 28, sappers from the Binh Dinh Military Command moved the bomb to the training ground of a military unit in Binh Thanh commune to deactivate it in line with regulations. VNA/VNS This potential deal by CDH is a testament to the interest shown by foreign investors in Vietnam's lucrative retail market after previously moves by investors from South Korea, Japan, and Thailand. Last September, Lotte Group opened its new mall in Hanois Tay Ho district, while THACO opened its third Emart hypermarket in Ho Chi Minh City. According to a survey by the Japan Trade Promotion Organisation, every single one of Japan's retail businesses in Vietnam has expansion plans here. Japanese retail group Aeon is accelerating the planned opening of new malls and other stores in Vietnam. Mobile World, the parent company of Bach Hoa Xanh, first revealed its plan to sell a minority stake in 2022. However, the plan was put on hold amidst the challenging market conditions at that time. The company resumed the sale process last year, which gained the attention of Singapore-based sovereign wealth fund GIC and other investors from Thailand. Established in 2002, CDH is a diversified alternative asset manager covering private equity, venture capital, mezzanine, real estate, and wealth management. Meanwhile, Bach Hoa Xanh, which was founded in 2015, runs more than 1,700 stores in Vietnam's southern and south-central provinces. A range of institutions have the means to help train up a new cohort of semiconductor experts During a visit to FPT Corporation earlier in February, Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung evaluated this businesss bet on semiconductor chips as the right choice. FPTs success could inspire other domestic technology businesses because the semiconductor industry would be a key industry for Vietnam in the next 30-50 years, Hung said. FPT was the first Vietnamese company to commercialise this product, with an order to supply 70 million chips to South Korea and Japan. Vietnamese people are very talented in maths, engineering, technology and science, which are all basic elements in chip making, added Hung. From human resource advantages, other advantages will be created. According to the countrys national strategy for the industry, human resources play an important role with the need to train up to 50,000 integrated circuit design engineers and hundreds of thousands of engineers and technical workers in related industries by 2030. However, Vietnam currently only has fewer than 5,600 chip design engineers, 85 per cent of which are concentrated in Ho Chi Minh City and the others in Hanoi and the central city of Danang, according to the National Agency for Science and Technology Information. The scarcity of human resources in the industry has opened opportunities for training institutions, especially technology and engineering schools, to quickly participate in the race to the industry with qualified employees. Ho Chi Minh City National University this year will deploy training in semiconductor circuit design at three affiliated training units: VNU University of Science, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, and University of Engineering and Technology. Schools under the University of Danang will also enrol nearly 200 students for semiconductor circuit design training in 2024. Many other training institutions have also announced plans to enrol students in the circuit design major, including Hanoi University of Science and Technology, Can Tho University, Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City, and Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology. At the end of January, the University of Technology at Hanoi National University and Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. signed a cooperation agreement to organise a VNU-Samsung Tech Track programme with the goal of training high-quality, qualified human resources in semiconductors and microchips in Vietnam. The scheme has already enrolled students, with all training costs sponsored by Samsung Electronics, and direct work opportunities for Samsung Group after graduating could be attained for excellent performances. According to the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET), there are currently 35 higher education institutions in Vietnam which are directly training in semiconductors or related industries such as IT, electronics, and telecommunications. Assoc. Prof. Nguyen Thu Thuy, director of the Higher Education Department under the MoET, said about 50 large foreign-led enterprises have invested in Vietnams chip industry. It is expected that in the 2024 school year, schools will enrol more than 1,000 students in courses related to semiconductors and 7,000 students in other fields related to this industry. Enrolment targets will gradually increase by 20-30 per cent each year, Thuy said. It is forecast that the demand for human resources in the semiconductor chip industry will be about 20,000 people in the next five years, and this number could reach 50,000 people in 10 years. Pham Minh Chinh, Prime Minister Vietnam identifies the semiconductor industry as a new driver for development and plans to pour money into all stages of the semiconductor value chain, from designing and manufacturing to packaging. To advance in the aforementioned areas, Vietnam will continue emphasising three strategic breakthroughs, namely infrastructure strategy reducing logistics and input costs, as well as enhancing product competitiveness, high-quality workforce training system, and institutional framework refinement to reduce compliance charge for businesses and citizens. Simultaneously, Vietnam clearly outlines its vision and spares no expense in pursuing the semiconductor industry, and building an ecosystem for the field. Vietnam will soon release the development strategy on semiconductors and the training of 50,000 engineers in the sector, aiming to promote collaboration between domestic and foreign enterprises, alongside facilitating the improvement of the quality of the labourers and the capacity of Vietnamese businesses. Nguyen Manh Hung, Minister of Information and Communications This is the first year of a decades-long campaign targeting the transformation of the semiconductor industry into a critical national industry. Our fundamental advantage lies in the fact that Vietnamese people are skilled in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, which form the foundation of semiconductor technology and chip design. Human resources prowess will lead to various other positive outcomes. From being a global semiconductor workforce hub, we can evolve into a global semiconductor industry hub. When developing the semiconductor industry, we should look at the bigger picture. The semiconductor chip design market, the semiconductor industry, or even the electronic industry are valued at only $60 billion, $600 billion, and over $3 trillion, respectively. However, the digital transformation industry is worth $20 trillion. The semiconductor industry is also at the core of digital transformation. Digitalisation is the largest market for semiconductor chips. Vietnam is a sizable market currently undergoing rapid development in terms of industrialisation and digital transformation, resulting in a high prevalence of electronic consumption, which provides a favourable backdrop for the industry. Nguyen Kim Son, Minister of Education and Training Vietnam possesses a robust student population, with nearly 500,000 individuals enrolling in universities each year. Vietnamese universities excel in IT education, with high-quality training. Many graduates in this field are employed by companies and organisations worldwide. In 2024, numerous universities are expected to admit around 1,000 students, with the figure projected to soar in the coming years. Vietnamese universities are actively engaging in research and education in association with AI. While direct and comprehensive semiconductor microchip training programmes and degrees are still limited, many subfields are flourishing. Meanwhile, universities are urgently developing programmes, training faculty, and inviting international experts to organise training sessions. International collaboration, and support from businesses are anticipated to accelerate the progress of semiconductor microchip education, as well as various other cutting-edge industries. Vietnam is now getting ready to meet the significant demand for high-quality talent, catering to technology companies investing up and down the country. Vietnam to become crucial link in global semiconductor value chain: Minister Vietnam will become a reliable partner and a crucial link in the global semiconductor value chain in the foreseeable future, Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung told Vietnam News Agency in a recent interview. Vietnam proposes enhanced semiconductor cooperation with US industry leaders Vietnam's Minister of Industry and Trade Nguyen Hong Dien has proposed a range of initiatives to enhance cooperation in the semiconductor sector during discussions with John Neuffer, vice president of the US Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA). As we recently reported, comrades of the International Marxist Tendency in Austria are under attack from the state apparatus for opposing the oppression of the Palestinian people. Two comrades have been falsely accused of supporting terrorism for promoting the IMTs statement against the war on Gaza. Below is an update on the legal case against our comrades Alex and Sonja. This is followed by some reports of the incredible wave of solidarity that our comrades have received. Our comrades in Austria are being persecuted by the state because they are the most consistent and determined defenders of the Palestinian people, in contrast to every other organised left-wing group in the country. Around the globe, communists are fighting not only to oppose the slaughter in Gaza, but to defend the basic democratic right to protest against Israels crimes. We refuse to be intimidated! If you are also enraged by the bloodbath in Gaza, and the complicity of your ruling class, then join the communists! We are launching the Revolutionary Communist International (RCI) in June: click here and register to attend! Free Palestine, hands off Sonja and Alex: an interim assessment [Originally published in German at derfunke.at] Over the last two weeks, we have organised a significant solidarity campaign / Image: Der Funke Comrades Sonja and Alex, chair and vice-chair of the Socialist Youth (SJ) in Vorarlberg were questioned by the Feldkirch public prosecutor's office on Monday between 16:00 and 17:30 in a case that can only be seen as an outrageous attack on all solidarity with Palestine and the basic democratic right to freedom of expression. Over the last two weeks, we have organised a significant solidarity campaign in their defence. In only 6 days after the start of the campaign, in Vienna, Vorarlberg, Styria, Upper Austria, Carinthia and Tyrol, revolutionary communists organised a total of 35 stalls and took part in 9 demonstrations and rallies. Comrades consistently drew attention to Israels ongoing war on Gaza and connected this to the states attacks on Sonja and Alex as consistent defenders of the Palestinian people. We sold 225 copies of Der Funke, the newspaper of the International Marxist Tendency (IMT) in Austria, and met 59 prospective communists interested in joining us! We also received dozens of solidarity messages from left-wing organisations (with the notable exception of the leadership of the Socialist Youth) and individuals from across Austria and all over the world. We collected around 3,000 in donations for legal aid from within Austria in less than a week. This campaign has also demonstrated the importance and power of a revolutionary international. Comrades from the Canadian section of the IMT not only sent a solidarity video from the 600 attendees of their Montreal Winter School, they also collected almost 1,800 in donations! Der Funke and SJ Vorarlberg organised a rally in front of the public prosecutor's office in Feldkirch at the same time as Alex and Sonjas interrogation, with 35 people taking part at the peak. A transcript of the main speech from the rally can be found in German here. In the run-up to the event, capitalist media in Vorarlberg paid renewed attention to the case. Following an article by Vorarlberg Online, Mario Leiter the current chairman of the Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPO) in Vorarlberg felt compelled to state publicly that a communist has no place in social democracy and announced further consequences for SJ Vorarlberg. In addition, the process of expelling Sonja and Alex from the SPO has been postponed awaiting a legally binding decision from the criminal court. It is therefore not surprising that despite being invited neither the leader nor other top functionaries of the SPO in Vorarlberg attended the solidarity rally for Sonja and Alex. They prefer to remain silent on the state apparatus attacks and instead pursue expulsions and other consequences. This case is about more than just showing that the comrades have done nothing wrong / Image: Der Funke The response from ordinary workers and young people, especially migrants, however, has been completely different. These layers have for months been subjected to a racist smear campaign by the media and politicians under the guise of the fight against anti-Semitism. The contrast between their response and that of the bureaucrats at the top of the labour movement could not be clearer. To name just a few examples from Vorarlberg itself: a family who happened to see the rally in front of the public prosecutor's office listened to the speeches and expressed their solidarity afterwards by not only spontaneously donating 40 to the solidarity campaign, but also giving the participants some iced tea for refreshment. At one stall, a metalworker took a pile of leaflets to distribute to his colleagues. Two young people met our comrades while leafleting, immediately came with them to a meeting, and now want to join us. This shows the true strength of working-class solidarity. While the bureaucrats of the labour movement fearfully kowtow to the bourgeoisie so as not to jeopardise the SPOs chances of a coalition with the bourgeoisie, workers continually make sacrifices to fight against injustice, oppression and exploitation. This is the only way forward. The Austrian states politically-motivated attack on democratic rights and freedom of expression has not yet been averted. After Mondays interrogation, the public prosecutor's office will now decide whether to press charges against Alex and Sonja. We have emphasised from the outset that the accusations are completely unfounded, which the comrades explained comprehensively during the hearing. At the same time, this case is about more than just showing that the comrades have done nothing wrong. There is a lot of pressure from all parliamentary parties and the media to criminalise the movement in solidarity with Palestine. We must therefore remain focussed until all accusations against Sonja and Alex are completely off the table. When this is achieved, it will be a victory for Palestine solidarity and the entire labour movement. Therefore, we ask that our supporters continue to send us messages of solidarity, donate and get active with the revolutionary communists to actively fight against oppression and exploitation! International solidarity with Sonja and Alex Solidarity from Veneto, Italy / Image Der Funke From the very beginning of the solidarity campaign on 16 February, the flood of anger against this political attack on our comrades has been immense. Messages and donations have come in from across Austria, as well as Belgium, Britain, Canada, Germany, Italy, Poland, the Spanish state, Sweden and Switzerland. We share here a selection of images and reports from the comrades live blog of their campaign. Comrades! We express our full solidarity with Sonja and Alex. The cowardly ruling class can bark all they want they can never succeed in dampening our ideas. For each act of justice, which seeks to silence the voice of revolutionary youth and workers, we will answer by shouting even louder, marching even more boldly, and struggling more widely for our cause. Our ranks are getting more organised and mobilised. Sonja and Alex can proudly say they have withstood the most vile and hypocritical attack. In all the hue and cry over antisemitism and terrorism, you are the real heroes of the oppressed and downtrodden masses. We are all on the right side of history. Our banner is clean and brightly red. We will not let any single comrade be left alone in the struggle. We have spread the word about this debacle, and we will shout it from the rooftops during our interventions and open meetings. Sonja and Alex are a symbol of a selfless fight for the future. Such an example is not easily forgotten. We are not scared by the spasms of a system that refuses to die. We will learn, we will harden, and we will finally strike a fatal blow. Forward, comrades; boldly forward, against all odds! Marcel, on behalf of the Executive Committee of Czerwony Front, the Polish section of the IMT Solidarity from Milan, Italy / Image Der Funke I wish to express my support and solidarity with Sonja and Alex. I have spread the article on social media and shared it with friends. I am very angry on your behalf. This could have happened to any one of us (and probably will happen to many of us eventually). Your Canadian comrades have your back and we are following the story closely. The veneer of bourgeois democracy is cracking. This is exciting for communists! Their attacks on you show their weakness. Soon we will topple them over and with them, the whole capitalist system and all its oppression. Keep fighting the good fight! Solidarity! Irene, Canada Solidarity from Marburg, Germany / Image: Der Funke Hi comrades! I just read the report on marxist.com and just want to express my complete solidarity with you together we are strong! It fills me with a deep class hatred when it is the communists, who stand with the oppressed, that are being prosecuted, and not the bloodthirsty imperialist warmongers. You are not alone. We will continue the struggle in Sweden and all over the world. Intifada until victory! Niki, Sweden We are proud of the firm response of Der Funke and the comrades in the face of the attacks by the ruling class. You are truly showing a Bolshevik attitude against these attacks and slanders, and holding high the banner of communism. Solidarity! Long live the Revolutionary Communist International, long live the working class and long live the socialist revolution! Comrades of the IMT in Barcelona With these hypocritical accusations, the Austrian state exposes itself as complicit in the massacre of Palestinians. We must not allow solidarity with the Palestinian people to be suppressed. Kars, Switzerland I think your position on the Gaza war is quite courageous. On the one hand because of your clear, unequivocally pro-Palestinian stance, and on the other hand because as an organisation you bring this to the public and don't just keep it to yourselves. Israel's completely disproportionate and genocidal response to the attacks on the 7th is sold as legitimate self-defence, while an innocent civilian population in Gaza is used as a scapegoat. The facts on the ground in Gaza speak for themselves, even if they are not reported on ORF [the Austrian national public broadcaster] or are simply concealed. Your position represents a rather unpopular opinion in the Western media landscape, but the fact that you are now being accused of terrorism for taking a position on the right side of history is a mockery of peaceful activism. Stand firm! Stefanie, Austria As the crisis becomes clearer, criticism of the imperialists' hypocrisy is increasingly being blocked by the state. If we don't fight and show solidarity today, we will allow them to punish more and more courageous voices of the oppressed. Here in Switzerland, too many have already lost their jobs because of their solidarity with the oppressed people of Palestine. But we continue to fight. We will not be defeated. Fight with us! Hands off Sonja and Alex, long live international solidarity! Ian, Switzerland Loc Huynh, associate (left) and Lieu Phan, senior partner The EU has committed to reducing its net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55 per cent (from 1990 levels) by 2030 as part of the Europe Climate Law. This commitment is a significant step towards achieving climate neutrality by 2050. As part of this effort, the EU adopted the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) in April 2023 as a key component of the European Green Deal and the "Fit for 55" package. Specifically, the CBAM is designed to equalise the carbon price paid for foreign products with those produced within the EU. It will impose tariffs on emissions embedded in goods produced outside the EU Emission Trading System (ETS). This includes goods wholly made outside the EU and those having their last substantial production phase outside the EU. The transitional period for CBAM began on October 1, 2023 and will continue until December 31, 2025. During this period, importers of goods must submit reports that include the carbon price due in the country of origin for the emissions. This primarily applies to goods with a high risk of carbon leakage, such as iron and steel, cement, aluminium, fertilisers, electricity, and hydrogen. After the transitional period, importers will be required to acquire CBAM certificates corresponding to the carbon price applicable under EU rules. Non-EU producers can deduct costs if they have previously paid a carbon price on the emissions in the processing stage. The EU Commission is expected to develop secondary legislation before the end of the transitional period to design rules and processes to consider the effective carbon price paid abroad. The CBAM will have significant implications for Vietnam's industry, particularly for exporters of goods subject to the mechanism. Vietnamese exporters will need to comply with the reporting requirements during the transitional period and acquire CBAM certificates thereafter. This could increase costs and reduce profitability, as they may need to invest in emission reduction technologies or purchase emission certificates to comply with EU standards. The CBAM is poised to have a significant impact on Vietnamese exporters, particularly those in the steel, cement, aluminium, and fertiliser sectors. This mechanism is designed to ensure that imported goods meet the same environmental standards as those produced within the EU, thereby creating a level playing field for domestic industries. As a result, Vietnamese exporters will face several challenges as they navigate the CBAM. Firstly, they will need to decide whether to invest in emission reduction technologies or purchase emission certificates to comply with the EU's environmental standards. Both options will increase costs and potentially reduce profitability. Additionally, as other countries, such as the United States, Canada, and Australia, are expected to implement similar carbon taxation mechanisms, Vietnamese exporters may face increased competition and further pressure to comply with international standards. Furthermore, Vietnamese exporters will need to familiarise themselves with the procedures for declaring emission information to importing countries. This includes understanding the requirements of the CBAM and ensuring compliance with the EU's environmental regulations. Moreover, the lack of a precise carbon pricing mechanism may pose challenges for Vietnamese companies in meeting international requirements. This could affect their competitiveness in the global market. To overcome the challenges posed by the CBAM, Vietnamese companies must adopt appropriate strategies. Firstly, they should plan sustainable strategies to reduce emissions during production, given that the CBAM is under development. However, Vietnamese companies have only three years to conduct these strategies before the EU imposes emission taxes. Secondly, they should prepare their workforce with sufficient expertise to familiarise themselves with common standards, new procedures, and mechanisms of countries applying related policies. Thirdly, they should actively participate in and support the Vietnam governments policies related to building a domestic carbon trading market and a corresponding carbon pricing mechanism. If Vietnam establishes such procedures, they will become a crucial foundation for exported goods to be exempted from CBAM obligations to pay the carbon price adjustment. Lastly, they should be highly cautious when negotiating export contracts concerning CBAM obligations to avoid misunderstandings that could lead to contract violations. As Vietnam-based companies confront the challenges of the changing global landscape of carbon pricing, strategic planning, proactive adaptation, and active participation in policy development are inevitable. The next few years will be pivotal in determining the resilience and competitiveness of Vietnamese industries in the face of evolving environmental regulations on the international stage. Getting Vietnams carbon market framework ready A mandatory carbon market in Vietnam has been in the spotlight ever since the country vowed to reach net-zero emissions by mid-century a couple of years ago. Foreign-invested groups to assist localities in attaining export turnover growth, illustration photo/ Source: freepik.com The central province of Nghe An has set a target to acquire nearly $700 million in export turnover from electronic products, spare parts, and components for the whole year, equalling one-quarter of the export value of the province this year. The total number of electronic products and parts is expected to touch nearly 600 million. Nghe An is currently the only locality in the country that has gathered the five big electronics names of Foxconn, Luxshare, Goertek, Everwin, and JuTeng. This year, many facilities invested by these manufacturers will be taken into operation, such as Everwin Precision Technology Vietnams $115 million plant, phase 1. It is designed to make 270 million products per annum. The Hong Kong manufacturer - a supplier of components for Apple, Xiaomi, and Huawei - plans to export all products to the United States and China. Meanwhile, Goertek Precision Industrys $100-million first phase, also expected to start operation this year, covers 40 hectares at WHA Industrial Zone 1 in Nghe An province and will have an annual capacity of over 380 million products. Almost all products will be exported to China, the US, or South Korea for partners such as Samsung, Amazon, Google, Sony, Microsoft, and Meta. Last year, Nghe Ans total export turnover exceeded the $3 billion mark for the first time, reaching $3.11 billion; of which goods exports reached about $2.5 billion. Ho Phi Trieu, deputy director of Nghe An Department of Planning and Investment, said, The breakthrough growth in attracting foreign capital in recent years is the basis for the province to expect a high target in export turnover of the electronics sector. It is a feasible target because almost all investors are eager to implement their projects. At the same time, we are aiming to draw in new projects in the high-tech sector. Other localities known as production hubs for big electronic manufacturers expect more contribution from FIEs in promoting export turnover this year. In the northern province of Bac Ninh, Amkor Technology is currently a strategic manufacturing partner of many of the worlds top chip companies such as Qualcomm, Samsung, Foxconn, LG, and SK Hynix. In addition, Vietnam is also an important production hub of Amkor. Thus, the export turnover from plants in Vietnam will also contribute an important part to the groups revenue. The Vietnamese plants size will be only behind Amkors South Korean factory. According to the plan, it will invest about $1.6 billion before 2035 on building a state-of-the-art facility in Bac Ninh. However, the general economic figures of localities can take a bump when such massive groups are involved deeply. In 2023, Samsung Vietnam was forecast to have gained approximately $57 billion in export turnover, lower than the figures of the previous two years. As a result, the regional GDP growth of Bac Ninh province fell by 6.18 per cent compared to last year. Elsewhere, Dong Anh Quan, director of Bac Giang Investment and Promotion Centre, told VIR, FIEs contribute a pivotal part in the export turnover of the province. In Bac Giang, the contribution comes from key manufacturers such as Foxconn, Luxshare, and its members. We especially expect a strong contribution from Hana Micron Vina, which started operations in September last year. Our mission is to support them to help accelerate disbursement. Statistics published by the General Statistics Office show that in 2023, FIEs played a crucial role in Vietnamese economic growth, which is demonstrated through their contribution to export revenue, job creation, and the formation of supply chains in key export industries, especially in electronics and machinery. In particular, such groups account for 99.6 per cent of phones, over 98 per cent of computers, 93 per cent of machinery. Foreign groups retain interest in property Although foreign capital in real estate fell by more than half in the first five months of 2023, positive signs are afoot as foreign backers continue to pinpoint Vietnams advantages. Foreign groups keen on transport projects While international companies are increasingly interested in Vietnams transport infrastructure, there remain barriers to successful market entry. Pham Duy Khuong, Senior partner, ASL LAW and Nguyen Thi Thuy Chung, Senior partner, ASL LAW Recognising the pivotal role of the semiconductor industry in the 4.0 era, the Vietnamese government has proactively formulated and implemented a number of policies aiming at global demands on one hand and, on the other hand, optimising its inherent advantages. To foster the development of the semiconductor chip manufacturing industry, Vietnam has been concentrating on supportive and sustainable policies, advancing IT infrastructure, training a skilled workforce, and implementing a wide range of supportive and suitable policies. Particularly, the Vietnamese government has introduced numerous measures to pull in investment and support the growth of the semiconductor chip industry. The Law on Investment 2020 stipulates a range of forms of investment incentives, including corporate income tax incentives and exemption or reduction of land use levies. For instance, enterprises investing in this sector doing business in deprived areas shall be exempted from land and water surface rentals for the duration of their lease. In addition, Vietnamese laws have applied a tax rate of 10 per cent for a period of 15 years on income of enterprises implementing new ventures in technology and allows enterprises to enjoy tax exemptions for up to no more than four years and a 50 per cent reduction in payable taxes for no more than nine subsequent years. Vietnams government also set up various funds over the years to support the development of the semiconductor industry. In addition to existing regulations, Vietnam has issued new policies and targets for the development of the semiconductor industry in general and the semiconductor chip industry in particular. The Vietnamese government has set out specific targets for relevant ministries and industries to focus on developing the semiconductor industry. Resolution No.105/NQ-CP dated July 2023 removes difficulties for production and business, continues to promote administrative procedure reform, and has set out specific goals for the industry. In which, the Ministry of Planning and Investment shall coordinate with relevant authorities to select one or several large domestic enterprises capable of becoming top enterprises in the semiconductor industry for receiving support. It will also preside over and coordinate with the Ministry of Information and Communications in working with reputable domestic and international partners to form establishments and projects on innovation, incubation, and development support, and training human resources on chip design and development. Despite Vietnams efforts in semiconductor chip development, there are aspects in its current policies that may interrupt the development of businesses compared to the same in other countries. Notably, Vietnam still lacks specific policies for financial support in research, investment, production, and human resource development. For example, the United States, through the Chips and Science Act, allocates $52.7 billion to revitalise its semiconductor industry, showcasing the effectiveness of such comprehensive policies. Many other nations have declared a series of strategic initiatives aimed at advancing their position in the semiconductor industry. Nevertheless, severe labour shortages, insufficient infrastructure for education, limited materials development, and a limited role in the semiconductor value chain are still some barriers that make foreign investors hesitate to invest in this segment in Vietnam. Other factors include Vietnam needing about 5,000-10,000 engineers per year, the notable deficiency in educational infrastructure, the constrained development of materials, and the current limited role that Vietnam plays in the semiconductor value chain. There are some measures which address the current shortage and position Vietnam as a competitive hub for semiconductor chip development. The country should establish dedicated research and training centres specialising in Industry 4.0 technologies, with a focus on formulating policies, mechanisms, and projects to cultivate research groups in high-tech domains. It must also advocate for competitive salary frameworks as a strategic approach to both lure and retain talents. Meanwhile, Vietnam still has disadvantages in semiconductor chip development policies. It can be generally assessed that the countrys present policies have proven effective with regards to drawing substantial investment through its incentive strategies, evidenced by the successful attraction of reputable foreign investors in technology. We believe that, as a result, it will continuously be ranked as one of the top destinations of foreign investment flow in the future. Semiconductor industry hoped to attract half of FDI investors in Da Nang Some potential investors are exploring investment chances in central Da Nang city, and its Hi-Tech Park and Industrial Zones Authority (DHPIZA) hopes that 50 per cent of those FDI businesses will invest in the local semiconductor industry this year. Further efforts needed to solve human resources shortage for semiconductor industry: Experts As Vietnam is calling for investment in the semiconductor industry, experts held that the country should work harder to make a breakthrough in human resources development serving the growth of the industry. Accordingly, Siemens is committed to providing the most comprehensive solutions including software, hardware and electronic design automation (EDA) services for micro and printed circuit board design training. These activities will be implemented in 2024. Representatives from SHTP's management board and Siemens signed an agreement on February 27 Nguyen Anh Thi, head of SHTP's management board, said that human resource training for the semiconductor chip industry will be one of the key activities, aiming to realise the goal of developing the industry in Ho Chi Minh City. It will also help SHTP move closer to its goal of becoming a science-technology and innovation urban area, the nucleus and new growth engine of the Southeast region. We believe that the cooperation agreement between SHTP and Siemens will create opportunities for students to access the most advanced technology in IC design and accumulate practical experience. The cooperation agreement with Siemens also improves the operating capacity of the Electronics and Semiconductor Circuit Training Centre in Ho Chi Minh City and promotes the growth of the Vietnamese economy." According to Thi, expanding and strengthening connections between the government, schools, and businesses in the field of semiconductor chips to consolidate resources and exploit the potential and strengths of SHTP is both an urgent task and a long-term strategy. In addition to the field of semiconductor chips, SHTP will continue to orient development in the fields of biotechnology and aerospace, Thi said. Speaking at the signing ceremony, Vo Van Hoan, Deputy Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, said that the city currently has more than 50 universities with millions of students and tens of thousands of engineers and qualified workers. "The city is ready to create an environment for businesses and technology corporations to deploy research and transfer and promote science and technology development," Hoan said. In her speech at the event, Nina Lin, vice president and general director of the Asean and Taiwan Region at Siemens EDA, shared that as a leading technology company, Siemens EDA not only provides technology to help customers in the process of digital transformation and building a smarter future more quickly, but also participating in supporting training and developing human resources for different industries, especially semiconductor electronics. We live in an age where electronic technology changes more rapidly than ever before, an age where knowledge that drives commerce and communication around the world is widely accessible in our hands. The pace of this digital transformation will accelerate even more as more companies incorporate AI and machine learning (ML) into their systems to accelerate the transformation, even monetising from digital activities, Lin said. Established in 2002, SHTP has the goal of promoting the development of high-tech industries and promoting innovation in the region. To date, it has attracted more than 162 valid investment projects from multinational corporations, research organisations and startups. Vietnam aims to make its mark on the semiconductor industry Professor Nguyen Dinh Duc, Vietnam's pre-eminent scientist and the only one recognised among the world's top 100 influential figures in engineering and technology, spoke with VIR's Manh Bon about how semiconductor manufacturing represents a pivotal opportunity for Vietnam. Vietnam to become crucial link in global semiconductor value chain: Minister Vietnam will become a reliable partner and a crucial link in the global semiconductor value chain in the foreseeable future, Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung told Vietnam News Agency in a recent interview. Speaking on the sidelines of the 13th WTO Ministerial Conference in the United Arab Emirates in late February, Minister Dien emphasised Vietnam's keen interest in the semiconductor industry and its desire to collaborate with associations and businesses to exchange information and experience in the field, with the goal of integrating deeply into the global semiconductor supply chain. "To achieve this expectation, Vietnam hopes to receive support from the SIA, connect with markets, technologies, and financial resources, and start cooperation projects with US companies to lay the foundation for policies to promote the development of the semiconductor industry," he said. Established in 1977, the SIA is a trade association representing the semiconductor industry, one of the leading export sectors of the United States, and a key driver of the country's economic strength, national security, and global competitiveness. The SIA brings together a network of member companies accounting for up to 99 per cent of the semiconductor industry's revenue in the United States, with two-thirds being foreign semiconductor companies. In recent times, the SIA has been actively advocating for the US to promote cooperation in developing the semiconductor ecosystem in Vietnam. Meanwhile, Vietnam currently has around 6,000 engineers working in the semiconductor industry, with a target of training 50,000 high-quality engineers by 2030, prioritising chip design engineers. Vietnam has also been building its domestic electronics industry and attracting an increasing number of large electronics manufacturers, offering a direct market for the semiconductor industry. Vietnam has established the National Innovation Centre (NIC) and three high-tech parks in Ho Chi Minh City, Hoa Lac, and Danang, ready to welcome semiconductor investors with preferential mechanisms. The NIC and high-tech parks will be important bridges to support the development of Vietnam's semiconductor industry ecosystem. In December 2023, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh met with Neuffer from the SIA and other leaders of US semiconductor companies, such as Intel, Qualcomm, Ampere, and ARM, during their visit to Vietnam. The Vietnamese PM proposed that SIA promote the US to soon recognise Vietnam's market economy regime and abolish unnecessary technology transfer controls; enhance cooperation in technology transfer, research, production, human resource training, building laboratories, and supporting Vietnamese enterprises to participate in the global semiconductor supply chain of the US; and cooperate in building and perfecting mechanisms to sustainably develop the semiconductor industry. Neuffer said, "The US is experiencing a shortage of high-quality semiconductor talent, and even during the Covid-19 pandemic, Vietnam was the most attractive destination for our investors in the semiconductor industry and can now play a strategic role in providing semiconductor talent." Vietnams semiconductor challenge and the potential within Amid the current restructuring of supply chains, perhaps no industry more so than the semiconductor industry exemplifies the lucrative opportunities and the complex dynamic between security and business. Having benefited to become a key element in supply chains across a number of industries, Vietnam has announced ambitious plans to do the same in the semiconductor industry. VinBrain is the sole entity chosen for this agreement with Global Fund in 2024. DrAid for TB Screening, a solution developed from VinBrain's innovative and visionary approach to applying advanced technology, aligns with the stringent criteria of the fund, contributing to community health and progress. VinBrain's AI technology is integrated into mobile X-ray trucks Vietnam ranks 11th among the worlds top high-burden countries for TB and drug-resistant TB. With over 12,000-15,000 annual deaths and hundreds of thousands infected, primarily within economically disadvantaged communities, the need for effective solutions is paramount Developed entirely by Vietnamese experts using a dataset of 4 million machine learning samples, DrAid for TB Screening has been validated and successfully deployed in many hospitals nationwide by reputable independent organisations worldwide such as the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics and Friends for International Tuberculosis Relief. Under this agreement, VinBrain plans to transfer the technology of 32 AI licences, enabling the screening of 1 million potential TB cases starting in April 2024. This marks the largest scale initiative of its kind to date. The collaboration aims to transform TB detection using advanced AI technology, significantly reducing diagnosis time by analysing X-ray images. This eliminates the need for extra TB bacterial PCR tests, cutting screening costs from $50-60 to only $1. Furthermore, the AI outputs its results in a file or QR code format, reducing environmental impact. DrAid for TB Screening, with a sensitivity and specificity of up to 96 per cent, has long been a reliable diagnostic tool for doctors in Vietnam. Dr. Pham Ngoc Thanh, head of the Medical Imaging Department at Hai Phong Lung Hospital said, "The accuracy of reading X-ray images from DrAid for TB Screening is up to 95 per cent in about 1,000 suspected TB patients." With the ability to quickly identify abnormal TB regions in chest X-ray images within 1520 seconds, the advanced technology will make TB screening accessible to the community on a large scale. The accuracy of DrAid for TB Screening is up to 95 per cent, reducing the time for disease detection and lowering screening costs In line with VinBrain's mission and collaborative spirit, DrAid AI-based TB screening solution is preparing to launch a version dedicated for children with a sensitivity of 91 per cent and specificity of 89.5 per cent. This groundbreaking and pioneering technology supports comprehensive TB diagnosis for children aged 3 to 15, a group often overlooked in conventional testing methods and prone to the misinterpretation of chest X-rays. VinBrain improves quality of healthcare with AI-infused solutions Driven by its mission to infuse AI into healthcare, VinBrain has developed AI-based healthcare solutions that help doctors make faster and better-informed decisions, improving the quality and consistency of healthcare to the public. Digital technology new future for Vietnamese healthcare Digitalisation has opened up exciting new possibilities in medical care and capacity building. Especially, in the case of uncertainties like the COVID-19 situation, the concept of healthcare provider and practice will undergo a significant shift from the conventional setting to a more fluid application that flexes with the needs of the community. Son Pham, country manager for GE Healthcare Vietnam and CEO of GE Vietnam, shares his ideas on the role of digital technology in the Vietnamese health sector and the future. Thuy highlighted that VinFast is the only EV manufacturer in the world with a complete range of vehicles from the A-segment to the E-segment. Additionally, the company has begun supplying vehicles to markets with right-hand drive, such as Indonesia. "We currently have a full range of vehicles in all segments for all different markets. However, the Vietnamese market will still be our largest market and may contribute half of the company's sales in the coming year," Thuy said. Furthermore, Thuy mentioned that VinFast's vehicles are already present in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Southeast Asia. Therefore, she believes that with the current range of vehicles, VinFast can access many different markets and achieve its goal of selling 100,000 EVs. Thuy also underscored the global surge in EV adoption, stating, "The use of EVs is on the rise worldwide." She pointed to notable sales increases of 1217 per cent in the United States and Europe, respectively, last year. However, she emphasised that the growth in EV sales was even more pronounced, soaring by 4045 per cent. "This underscores the continued increase in global demand for EVs," she added. VinFast has projected that the US could see sales of between two and four million EVs in the coming year. Despite VinFast's ambition to bolster its market share in the US and Europe, which are the company's initial foreign markets, Thuy remained convinced that the Asian market will remain the primary revenue driver for the company. "We are committed to expanding our presence in the US and Europe, but we recognise the immense potential of the Asian market," she said. "For example, India, with 1.5 billion people, is the most populous country in the world, but the adoption rate of EVs is still low. Or Indonesia, the third most populous country in the world and a member of ASEAN, also has a very low adoption rate of EV. Therefore, we believe that in the long run, VinFast can also gain a large market share from these two markets." Regarding the Q4/2023 and full-year financial results, Thuy said that the company was still losing money, but the loss had begun to decrease. She also emphasised that VinFast's revenue was continuously increasing, evidence that the company is moving in the right direction. For the full year of 2023, the group brought in approximately $1.2 billion, a 91 per cent increase from the previous year. However, the company had a net loss of over $2.3 billion. In 2023, VinFast delivered a total of 34,855 electric cars, a 48 per cent increase from the previous year, and sold an additional 72,468 electric motorcycles. In the 2024 financial year, in addition to selling 100,000 EVs, VinFast aims to balance revenue growth and cost optimisation. This will be based on optimising production and material costs, as well as strategic investments in potential markets in the region. VinFast to hold groundbreaking ceremony for integrated EV facility in India VinFast Auto announced on Wednesday that it will break ground at its integrated electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing site in Thoothukudi City, Tamil Nadu, India on February 25. An art show, special song and a city proclamation will mark the 175th anniversary of Wacos founding and pay tribute to Jacob de Cordova, the Jamaican-born land agent and promoter who laid out the citys first streets in 1849. The commemoration starts with an art reception featuring paintings by Speegleville artist Roy de Romero, held from 4 to 6:30 p.m. Saturday at the Cambria Hotel, 110 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., plus live music. Approximately 20 paintings by Romero will be displayed and Romero will unveil his latest work honoring the Waco founder, said organizer Monica Shannon. The artist showed an earlier portrait of de Cordova at a 2018 Hispanic Heritage event at Art Forum of Waco, and the painting was later acquired by the Cen-Tex Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Fort Worth musician Kelsey Rae will sing a song written in tribute of de Cordova and local guitarist Frank Exum also will play during the reception, which is free and open to the public. Those attending also will see clips from filmmaker Ken Rogers upcoming documentary on de Cordova, Waco, My Beautiful Daughter, expected to be released in October, said Shannon. A city proclamation marking Wacos 175th anniversary and de Cordovas role in it will be read at 11:30 a.m. Saturday at Southern Roots Brewing as part of the Waco Block Party activities. The newly formed Jacob de Cordova Society, which numbers approximately 50 members, is organizing and planning the Friday and Saturday commemorations, Shannon said. A sculpture of a 10-foot bright red thumbtack was stolen from the front entrance of the ATAC Art Gallery in Hickory, North Carolina, on Tuesday night. The creator of the sculpture is local artist Hunter Speagle. Speagle said he made the large thumbtack in 2002 out of cardboard, sheets of foam and acrylic. From end to end, the sculpture is 10 feet long and weighs around 40 pounds, Speagle said. Speagle estimates the piece is worth around $50,000 because the sculpture has been displayed in places, including Atlanta, Georgia, and Brooklyn, New York. Speagle added that the piece is priceless to him. During one display, the thumbtack sailed down the Savannah River, Speagle said. Speagle realized the sculpture was gone when he came to open the gallery around 10 a.m. on Wednesday. The tack is comprised of two pieces. Speagle said he found the base of the tack across the street at Daves Trim Shop. The top and the needle of the sculpture were nowhere to be found. The needle was pulled out of the base, Speagle said. We thought, Well, maybe the wind blew it, because it does come apart, Speagle said. But we scoured for everything and could not find it. Speagle added that the wind theory did not make sense because the flowerpots that were placed in front of the sculpture were still standing. Speagle said he had not been leaving the thumbtack outside overnight until recently. The tack had been sitting in front of the gallery since Saturday, he said. Our theory is that someone had lifted it and didn't realize it came apart, Speagle said. It was too big and then they ran away with just two thirds of it, which is even worse. At least they could have kept it all together. Speagle said he hopes the sculpture will be returned, but said his expectations are low. The Hickory Police Department is investigating the theft. Anyone with information about the missing artwork is asked to contact Hickory police at 828-328-5551. ___ Chalk Bluff residents this week continued to challenge Waco officials about a proposed city wastewater treatment plant near their homes, raising concerns about past city sewage spills as well as potential pharmaceutical pollution downstream in Lake Brazos. About 120 people attended a come-and-go meeting with city officials Tuesday at the Waco Convention Center. City water staff were assigned to six stations where attendees could talk with them about plant design, permitting and regulation processes, and how other wastewater plants in the Brazos watershed have fared. Some attendees said in interviews that while the meeting was productive and informative, they faulted the city for a lack of communication. Some said they would have preferred a town hall format. The Waco City Council last June agreed to spend $4.3 million to buy 153 acres at the end of Buster Chatham Road on the Brazos River, about four miles upstream of downtown Waco, for a future wastewater plant meant to address population growth in China Spring. The plant would be similar in size to the citys Bull Hide Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant near Lorena. City officials said no concrete plans for the plant exist yet, with design plans not expected to begin until 2030 and construction not slated to start until 2032. Operations at the plant would not begin until at least 10 years from now. Many Chalk Bluff residents said they did not hear about the citys purchase until January, when the council discussed the future plans for the plant at a council meeting. Several residents spoke against the plant at the Jan. 16 city council meeting, and since then, have been trying to spread the word against the plant by creating a Facebook page and website opposing the plant. Opponents objected to the city building a wastewater plant for China Spring in their neighborhood, which would see no direct benefit. They raised concerns that odors from the plant could drift into their homes. Residents said they are concerned about the potential pollution of the Brazos River from the plants effluent, or the treated wastewater discharged from a wastewater plant. They expressed worry about chemicals such as pharmaceuticals that could escape the treatment process. Waco officials at the meeting said the effluent from wastewater plants is heavily monitored by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and is safe enough to drink, though it is not recommended. They also emphasized that solid waste would be filtered out and hauled away. They said there are already many other plants along the Brazos River upstream from Waco, which have not had negative impacts on water quality. Officials also said odor technologies, implemented at Bull Hide to prevent smell, would also be used at the new plant. To avoid the plant becoming an eyesore, officials also said natural elements such as trees and a berm would be used to hide the plant from neighbors, and said a wetlands would likely be used as an additional method for cleansing effluent. Jeanna Maughan lives across the street from the proposed plant and has been active in organizing her neighbors in opposition to the plant. She said the recent power outage that caused over 600,000 gallons of wastewater to flow out of a transfer lift station near Lake Waco has made her extra worried about the proposed plant, as she said failure is inevitable at the plant due to the possibility of power failures or overflow, especially with so much of the property being in a floodplain. About half the 153-acre tract is in a 100-year floodplain, but the plant itself could fit outside the floodplain. The Bull Hide Creek plant, for example, has a 5-acre footprint. Maughan also pointed out several previous wastewater spills that occurred in Waco, such as a 2021 spill at the central wastewater treatment plant, when 4.5 million gallons flowed into the Brazos due to a mechanical failure and heavy rain. Maughan also raised concerns about pharmaceuticals in treated wastewater, which has become a more well-known issue in recent years. Microplastics and chemicals from pharmaceutical drugs have been found in water supplies due to water reuse, with estrogen from birth control pills having negative impacts on the reproductive cycles of fish. Bryan Brooks, an environmental science researcher at Baylor, said he has studied contaminants in water for years. He said while negative effects have been documented due to contaminated water, the effects depend on how the treatment technology is implemented and maintained in plants, and thus the same result is not always seen everywhere. Kendall Borg, the citys utilities plant operations manager, said technology does not currently exist to treat wastewater for pharmaceuticals, but emerging technology that can superheat water could be widely available in the next 15 to 20 years. He also said the Environmental Protection Agency is working on updating regulations to address microplastics and polyfluorinated substances, or PFAS, chemicals which have been detected in drinking water. Brooks said Waco has an excellent track record in managing its water, and water nationwide has been well-regulated thanks to the Clean Water Act of 1972. Its one of the gold standard pieces of legislation on the planet from which many other countries have developed from, Brooks said. Brooks also said it is imperative for cities to advance methods to reuse water, especially as populations grow in areas farther from water sources, such as China Spring. He also said effluent is rigorously treated before being released, and water pumped for use is processed again before coming out of the tap. Borg said the effluent produced by wastewater plants is heavily monitored by the TCEQ and the city would not even be able to get a permit to operate the plants without passing regular monthly tests. He said effluent leaving plants such as Bull Hide is cleaner than the water in the river or Lake Waco. However, Craig Pollard, a geologist who lives near the proposed plant, said while wastewater effluent might be up to TCEQ standards, it still allows for certain numbers of colony-forming units of E. coli bacteria to be present in effluent samples, while drinking water samples must have zero colony-forming units of E. coli. Thus, he said while the water might be clear, it is not clean, and he said he believes it still poses a threat to Lake Brazos. Ultimately, Maughan said residents hope the city will move the construction of the plant to a different location, but city officials seemed set on the current proposed location. City spokesperson Monica Sedelmeier said by email Wednesday that the location was chosen for a variety of reasons, including its proximity to the river and close to other needed utility infrastructure, as well as the fact the city was able to purchase the land from a willing buyer. Sedelmeier said construction of wastewater treatment plants costs about $20 to $30 per gallon of daily capacity, meaning a plant with a treatment capacity of 1 million gallons per day is expected to cost upward of $30 million. She said a facility of that size can serve about 4,000 to 5,000 households. District 5 Waco City Council Member Jim Holmes, whose district includes China Spring, said he hopes for future meetings with Chalk Bluff residents to include more in-depth discussions. He said the city is committed to hearing out residents and applying their feedback to plant plans. We want to hear all the feedback from all of the citizens here and figure out next steps, Holmes said. I dont think weve made a final decision on anything. In this weeks instalment of Lenin in a year, we look at The Development of Capitalism in Russia, a magnificent yet little-read work, in which Lenin drew a clear red line between Marxism and all the other revolutionary trends then operating in Russia. For a deeper analysis and the wider context of this period of Lenins life, we recommend Wellred Books recent publication by Rob Sewell and Alan Woods: In Defence of Lenin. Get your copy today! In December 1895, Lenin helped found the St. Petersburg Marxist group, the League of Struggle for the Emancipation of the Working Class. But just as it was about to print the first issue of its paper, Lenin and other leading figures were arrested by the tsarist secret police. But Lenins political activity didnt drop off when he was imprisoned and later exiled to Shushenskoye in Siberia. Indeed, it was during this period that Lenin produced The Development of Capitalism in Russia, a sharp scientific analysis of the economic processes that were undermining the old, time-honoured social order in the country, preparing revolutionary events. This book, in its own right a marvellous example of the method of Marxism, was a continuation of his polemic against the Narodniks. As we saw last week, the Narodniks viewed the peasantry, and in particular the peasant village commune, as a bulwark against capitalism in Russia. Their view of the peasantry as the revolutionary class to overthrow tsarism reflected the fact that, in the backward Russian empire, the working class was still a minority, although a minority that had started to flex its muscles. The question then became: which classes were on the rise? Which class held the future in its hands? While the Narodniks couldn't ignore that capitalist development was underway in Russia, they saw this development as artificial, avoidable, undesirable and destined to fail. In this book, Lenin, through a meticulous study of a host of sources, proves the contrary. Capitalism had started not just to thrust itself into the industrial gubernias and the border regions of European Russia, but capitalist relations were forming even in the semi-feudal central regions, on the landlords estate, and even within the egalitarian village community itself. Whilst the peasant commune was destined to decay, with the penetration of capitalist relations throughout the whole of Russia, as well as class antagonisms between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat, were destined to sharpen. The landlords peasant reform The starting point for Lenin's study was the 1861 peasant reform. Before the reform, serfdom dominated the Russian countryside, whereby the lands were worked by peasants in bondage to their lords. By necessity, under this system, very primitive agricultural methods predominated. The implements used were only those which the peasant could obtain and use himself. The estate divided between the lords land and individual peasant allotments was an isolated self-sufficient unit of natural economy. When competition from the capitalist market exert pressure on the old system, a process of dissolution began. Lenin writes: The production of grain by the landlords for sale, which developed particularly in the latter period of the existence of serfdom, was already a harbinger of the collapse of the old regime. The landlords were compelled to reform. On one hand increased trade between Russia and Europe pushed the former down the path of capitalism, on the other hand the peasants were revolting, and their uprisings became more intense and numerous as time went on. Tsar Alexander II, at the time Russia's largest landowner, expressed clearly the position of the landlords: Better to abolish serfdom from above than to wait till it begins to abolish itself from below. The way this reform was conducted forced the peasants off the best land, whilst they had to pay compensation to the lord for the pleasure of having the least productive land. In other words, the freeing of the serf meant robbery and further subjugation for the peasant. While legally freed from serfdom, the peasants were in no way freed from their dependence on the landlord. The peasant was cut off from using the formerly communal meadows, woods, pastures and watering places, which the peasants required access in order to run their farms, but which were now claimed by the lord. The peasants dependent position meant that they had to continue working on the landlord's land as before, only instead of forced corvee labour, peasants exchanged their labour services as payment for rents and debt. Increasingly, this in turn was replaced with capitalist wage labour as the landlords started to introduce new agricultural techniques and improved implements. Contradictions in the village community Each peasant households allotment was based on the number of working men. The land could legally not be sold or leased and came with a responsibility to pay a share of the villages taxes. The Narodniks idealised the egalitarian village community where, as they saw it, the spirit of cooperation reigned. The Narodniks economists argued that a home market for capitalism couldnt develop in Russia / Image: public domain In idealising this communalism of the peasants, the Narodniks ignored the class differentiation going on in the villages. At one end, there were peasants who were reduced to beggary, others that spent most of their time as wage labourers, whilst some had prosperous, self-sufficient farms, and a minority were becoming fully-fledged capitalist farmers. It was entirely false to lump the peasants together as the Narodniks did. The peasants farms were in a precarious position. Burdened by high taxes and semi-bonded labour, a bad year could easily push the farm towards ruin. With every poor harvest, large numbers of peasant farms were ruined. The Narodniks imagined that the legal constitution of the peasant village, with its egalitarian division of the land, would prevent capital from seizing control over agriculture. But Lenin explains that no form of land tenure can serve as an absolute obstacle to capitalism. Despite being legally bound to the peasants, the allotments ended up being leased and sold, with the poorest 50 percent of peasants leasing out four-fifths of the land at very low rates they simply did not have the means to profitably cultivate it themselves. These same poor peasants had to find employment elsewhere, often as agricultural labourers on the farms of the better-off peasants farms, who rented the poor peasants allotments. This process of differentiation, known by the peasants themselves as depeasantising, created two opposing poles: a numerically small but economically strong rural bourgeoisie, and at the other end, a growing number of allotment-holding rural proletarians. The Narodniks economists argued that a home market for capitalism couldnt develop in Russia because converting the small peasant producers into wage workers meant ruining the small peasant, in turn shrinking the home market as the purchasing power of the peasantry diminished. The reality, as Lenin argues, was the opposite. The process of differentiation created the home market. The land of the ruined peasant became a commodity and passed into new hands. The products of this land, which previously had been directly consumed by the peasant, he now had to purchase. In order to purchase, he needed to sell his labour power. In turn, the new owner of the land creates demand for articles of consumption and farming machinery. The Narodnik economists claimed that only on the basis of foreign markets could the capitalists realise surplus value in order to accumulate capital, but Russian capitalism had emerged too late to compete. Lenin, on the contrary, proved that this was false. Domestic demand for machinery and other means of production in the new factories could itself provide a market, expanding at a far faster rate than the market for consumer goods. Incidentally, Rosa Luxemburg would later repeat similar incorrect arguments about foreign markets being essential for capital accumulation in her book The Accumulation of Capital in 1913, in attempting to explain growing imperialist tensions a decade and a half later. The Development of Capitalism in Russia thus answered these arguments in advance, whilst Lenin developed his own brilliant analysis of the forces that pushed Europe towards war in Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism. Combined and uneven development Meanwhile, the southern and eastern outer regions of European Russia were sparsely populated colonies of the central regions, where colonists established new farms not along the old feudalistic lines but on advanced capitalist lines. These new farms were often on an enormous scale and from the very onset they were of a commodity-producing kind. These agricultural commodities could be exchanged for industrial commodities from the gubernias in central Russia. Capitalist industry and agriculture in these regions grew in tandem with each other, one providing a market for the other. A mass of wage-workers migrated to the outer southern and eastern regions Lenin estimated they exceeded 2 million rural workers. These were mainly peasants, abandoning their allotments in the densely populated and semi-feudal central black belt gubernias in order to find free employment elsewhere. The progressive character of the capitalist development The book goes into great detail about the contradictions and dark sides of the development of capitalism in Russia / Image: public domain The Narodniks could not understand why the peasants would abandon their farms. If they absolutely have to find other employment (other than cultivating their personal allotments) why can they not do so locally? Indeed the migration was at times so extreme in some regions that a shortage of workers was created. Given the cost and difficulties of travel and the fact that employment was not always found, the Narodniks argued that, while some individuals might benefit from the migration, the peasantry as a whole surely lost. Incidentally, the old landlords shared the Narodniks reactionary longing to stop this flight of the peasants from their traditional farms. But Lenin explained that this was a tremendously progressive development. The movement of workers towards areas where demand for labour power was greater led to a rise in living standards. As wage workers, former peasants were lifted from the ignorance and backwardness of the isolated village. Their horizons were expanded. The book goes into great detail about the contradictions and dark sides of the development of capitalism in Russia. Yet despite this, through capitalist development in post-Reform Russia, as Lenin puts its: The Russia of the wooden plough and the flail, of the water-mill and the hand-loom, began rapidly to be transformed into the Russia of the iron plough and the threshing machine, of the steam-mill and the power-loom. This scientific analysis of the historically developed facts as they are and as they emerge and not as we would like them to be is precisely the method of Marxism, of historical materialism. Marxists like Lenin understand the progressive character of this development, which not only expands the productive forces, but lays the basis for a new, higher form of society. Capitalism, by creating new productive forces and summoning into existence a powerful working class, lays the basis for the socialist revolution, which flows as a necessity from these conditions, and is not merely a wishful utopia. It was the lack of this conception on part of the Narodniks that was at the root of Lenins disagreement with them: [P]erhaps the profoundest cause of disagreement with the Narodniks is the difference in our fundamental views on social and economic processes. When studying the latter, the Narodnik usually draws conclusions that point to some moral; he does not regard the diverse groups of persons taking part in production as creators of various forms of life; he does not set out to present the sum-total of social and economic relationships as the result of the mutual relations between these groups, which have different interests and different historical roles. The correctness of the analysis in this book has been proved by events: above all by the Russian Revolution itself. The mole of capitalist development in Russia, which had burrowed over decades, utterly undermined the centuries-old tsarist autocracy and brought it crashing down. But capitalism had exhausted itself on the world scale just as the Russian autocracy was about to collapse. Meanwhile, it had brought into existence a powerful working class in Russia. In the end, it was not the feeble and servile Russian capitalists who were brought to power after tsarisms collapse, but the working class, who seized power and established a bastion of the world socialist revolution, under the leadership of Lenin and the Bolsheviks, who had studied these subterranean processes, and had grasped their full revolutionary significance decades in advance. Next week in Lenin in a year, we enter the turbulent years of the 20th century with a look at Lenins Where to Begin?, published in 1901. Having escaped from exile in Siberia, Lenin was confronted by the atomisation of the forces of Russian Marxism and threw all his weight into uniting the party into a force capable of reaching the masses. If you are a communist, then help us build a revolutionary international, get involved in rebuilding Lenins party on the basis of the genuine tradition of the Bolsheviks. Register now to attend the launch of the Revolutionary Communist International in June, and join us now in the fight for communism today. Billy Idol will play Pinewood Bowl on May 16. The spiky-haired 80s British rocker with the snarl, known for his hits such as Dancing with Myself, White Wedding and Rebel Yell, will be making his Lincoln debut at the Pioneers Park Amphitheatre. Idols tour will advance a new album, his first since 2014s Kings & Queens of the Underground. We have a new album coming out in October this year, Idol told the Associated Press last month. Were still carrying on and enlarging what my music is about. I enjoy doing it. Me and (guitarist) Steve (Stevens) are still finding ways to excite ourselves. Were not out there going through the motions. Were actually out there taking prisoners. Thats how we feel. William Michael Albert Broad, now 68, began his musical journey in 1976 in the punk band Chelsea. When that group broke up, he joined Generation X, which hit in the United Kingdom, releasing three studio albums to great acclaim and strong sales. In 1981, he moved to New York to pursue a solo career, teaming up with guitarist and co-writer Stevens to produce, in 1982, his self-titled solo album. The album yielded videos for Dancing with Myself and White Wedding that made him one of the first MTV stars and launched him on a decade of success that saw Rebel Yell his 1983 second album sell two million copies. Last year, Idol celebrated the 40th anniversary of that album with a five-night Las Vegas residency. "When we were starting out, I couldnt have imagined the effect of (our) music, Idol told the AP. We were living one day at a time. The songs were for that time period. They were just for that moment. You werent thinking about any long-term effects. Youre just thinking right now. But the songs have legs. Its like 'Wow, people have really embraced this crazy idea I had years ago.' Theyre still enjoying it, and I am too. Who would have thought that 40 years later? Im still pinching myself. Struggling with drugs and alcohol, Idol saw a career decline in the second half of the 1990s but returned to recording and touring in the mid-2000s. Tickets for the show start at $49 and will be available at 10 a.m. Friday at ticketmaster.com and on the Ticketmaster app. Tickets also will be available at the Pinnacle Bank Arena ticket on Tuesdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. beginning March 12. Idols concert will be one of four presented in a week at the bowl. The others: Cake, May 13; Willie Nelson & Family; May 15 and NEEDTOBREATHE May 18. Three other Pinewood shows announced so far are Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, June 5; Vampire Weekend, June 23; and Jason Mraz & the Superband, July 24. Photos: Pinewood Bowl Concerts Photos: Pinewood Bowl Concerts Photos: Pinewood Bowl Concerts Photos: Pinewood Bowl Concerts Photos: Pinewood Bowl Concerts Photos: Pinewood Bowl Concerts Photos: Pinewood Bowl Concerts Photos: Pinewood Bowl Concerts Photos: Pinewood Bowl Concerts Photos: Pinewood Bowl Concerts Photos: Pinewood Bowl Concerts Photos: Pinewood Bowl Concerts Photos: Pinewood Bowl Concerts Photos: Pinewood Bowl Concerts Photos: Pinewood Bowl Concerts Photos: Pinewood Bowl Concerts Photos: Pinewood Bowl Concerts WATERLOO UnityPoint Health-Allen Hospital celebrated Leap Day on Thursday by welcoming six newborns, also known as leaplings, in its birthing center. To commemorate the occasion, families were presented with Leap Day apparel, specifically an infant frog hat and a onesie that says Im leaping into life. Understandably, frogs are the mascot for leaplings. MercyOne Waterloo Medical Center is also reporting one baby, Briseis Allison of Dubuque, who was wrapped in cloth with frogs to acknowledge the significance of the day. I only know one person who is a Leap Day baby, so when I was told we would be expecting March 7, I was hoping shed come early, said Suzy Allison of Dubuque. Its surreal that it actually happened. Allison and her husband, Bob, welcomed their daughter, nicknamed Brisee, at 7:45 p.m. Their third child weighs 7 pounds, 11 ounces and was given a name with ties to Greek mythology after recalling a super sweet person theyd met with that name on a five-year anniversary trip to Scottsdale, Arizona, in 2022. Only one in 1,461 people are born on Leap Day. Most leaplings will choose to celebrate Feb. 28 or March 1 as their birthday in off years. Leap year exists, in large part, to keep the months in sync with annual events, including equinoxes and solstices, according to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology. Its a correction to counter the fact that Earths orbit isnt precisely 365 days a year. The trip takes about six hours longer than that, NASA says. Contrary to what some might believe, however, not every four years is a leaper. Adding a leap day every four years would make the calendar longer by more than 44 minutes, according to the National Air & Space Museum. Years divisible by 100 do not follow the four-year leap day rule unless they are also divisible by 400, the JPL notes. In the past 500 years, there was no leap day in 1700, 1800 and 1900, but 2000 had one. In the next 500 years, if the practice is followed, there will be no leap day in 2100, 2200, 2300 and 2500. The next leap years are 2028, 2032 and 2036. Courier reporter Andy Milone and The Associated Press contributed to this story. WATERLOO A district court judge has sided with the city in a case to tear down the burned-out home where a Waterloo man died in August 2022. Tony Lewis Grider, 60, died when he was trapped in his upstairs bedroom as fire swept through his home at 309 E. Second St. Two other occupants escaped, and a third was arrested on arson and murder charges for allegedly setting the fatal blaze. The charred house has remained vacant since the fire. In June 2023 the city of Waterloo went to court to seize the address under Iowa Code 657A, a statute that allows governments to claim vacant and dilapidated properties. During a brief hearing on Wednesday, Attorney Christopher Wendland, who represented the city, argued that the house is open to the elements the windows and door were broken by the fire and efforts to fight the flames and is uninhabitable, except for wildlife that have taken up residence. The request was uncontested and Griders relatives didnt attend the hearing. Authorities said the fire started with gasoline that was poured and ignited on the front porch. Griders friend, 60-year-old John Walter Spooner, was convicted of first-degree arson in the blaze and was sentenced to prison. He is also charged with murder in the fire and is awaiting trial. Last year, experts for the defense examined the house and claimed the fire started inside the home, possibily under a couch or with an electrical outlet in the living room. Trial in the murder case is tentatively set for April. Photos: House Fire, East 2nd St., Aug. 19, 2022 081922jr-fire-e2nd- 081922jr-fire-e2nd-1 081922jr-fire-e2nd-3 081922jr-fire-e2nd-4 081922jr-fire-e2nd-5 081922jr-fire-e2nd-6 WATERLOO A woman has been returned to Waterloo to face charges in a July stabbing. Japreia Jameka Jones, 31, made her initial appearance in Black Hawk County District Court on charges of willful injury causing serious injury and domestic assault with a weapon on Wednesday. Bond was set at $30,000. Authorities allege she stabbed her boyfriend, Joseph Joyce Jr., during an argument at their Meadow Lane apartment on July 23, 2023. Joyce suffered multiple stab wounds including two to the back that penetrated a lung. During the fight, Joyce attempted to disarm Jones and threw her to the ground, causing a minor stab wound to her chest, according to court records. At the time of the stabbing, Jones was on probation for an August 2022 incident where she and two others entered an Ulta Beauty store in Ames, shoved $14,0816 worth of fragrances into tote bags and ran from the shop. Following the stabbing, she was sent to prison to serve time for the theft. Photos: Missing and murdered Native American women Kenny Still Smoking Jenna Loring Ashley HeavyRunner Loring Blackfeet Native Boxing Club Blackfeet Reservation Kimberly Loring Randy Ortiz Randy Ortiz Searching for Ashley HeavyRunner Loring Kenny Still Smoking Tyisha ArrowTop Knot Missing poster Blackfeet Reservation Blackfeet law enforcement Loring family Randy Ortiz Roxanne White Kimberly Loring Blackfeet Reservation WASHINGTON Mitch McConnell, the longest-serving Senate leader in history who maintained his power in the face of dramatic convulsions in the Republican Party for almost two decades, will step down from that position in November. McConnell, who turned 82 last week, announced his decision Wednesday in the well of the Senate, the chamber where he looked in awe from its back benches in 1985 when he arrived and where he grew increasingly comfortable in the front row seat afforded the party leaders. "One of life's most underappreciated talents is to know when it's time to move on to life's next chapter," he said. "So I stand before you today to say that this will be my last term as Republican leader of the Senate." His decision punctuates a powerful ideological transition underway in the Republican Party, from Ronald Reagan's brand of traditional conservatism and strong international alliances, to the often-isolationist populism of former President Donald Trump. McConnell said he plans to serve out his Senate term, which ends in January 2027, "albeit from a different seat in the chamber." Dozens of members of his staff lined up behind him on the back wall of the chamber, some wiping away tears, as family and friends looked down from the gallery above. Senators from both parties most of them taken by surprise by the announcement trickled into the chamber and exchanged hugs and handshakes. President Joe Biden, who has had a productive working relationship with McConnell, said he was sorry to hear the news. "I've trusted him and we have a great relationship," the Democratic president said. "We fight like hell. But he has never, never, never misrepresented anything." Health issues Aides said McConnells announcement was unrelated to his health. The Kentucky senator had a concussion from a fall last year and two public episodes where he froze up while speaking. "As I have been thinking about when I would deliver some news to the Senate, I always imagined a moment when I had total clarity and peace about the sunset of my work," McConnell said. "A moment when I am certain I have helped preserve the ideals I so strongly believe. It arrived today." The senator was under increasing pressure from the restive, and at times hostile, wing of his party that aligns firmly with Trump. The two have been estranged since December 2020, when McConnell refused to abide Trump's lie that the election of Democrat Biden as president was the product of fraud. McConnell endorsed Reagan's view of America's role in the world and the senator has persisted in face of opposition, including from Trump, that Congress should include a foreign assistance package that includes $60 billion for Ukraine. "Believe me, I know the politics within my party at this particular moment in time. I have many faults. Misunderstanding politics is not one of them," McConnell said. "That said, I believe more strongly than ever that America's global leadership is essential to preserving the shining city on a hill that Ronald Reagan discussed. For as long as I am drawing breath on this earth I will defend American exceptionalism." Split with Trump Trump has pulled the party hard to the ideological right, questioning longtime military alliances such as NATO, international trade agreements and pushing for a severe crackdown on immigration, all the while clinging to the falsehood that the election was stolen from him in 2020. McConnell and Trump worked together during Trump's time in the White House, remaking the Supreme Court and the federal judiciary in a far more conservative image, and on tax legislation. Their relationship has essentially been over since Trump refused to accept the results of the Electoral College. But the rupture deepened dramatically after the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. McConnell assigned blame to Trump and said that he should be held to account through the criminal justice system. McConnell's critics insist he could have done more, including voting to convict Trump during his second impeachment trial. McConnell did not, arguing that since Trump was no longer in office, he could not be subject to impeachment. Rather than fade from prominence after the Capitol riot, Trump continued to assert his control over the party, and finds himself on a clear path to the Republican nomination. Other members of the Republican Senate leadership have endorsed Trump. McConnell has not, and that drew criticism from other Republican senators. McConnell is not a popular figure nationally, even among Republicans. According to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, 45% of Republicans have an unfavorable view of McConnell. But he has reigned in the Senate. "I love the Senate," he said. "It has been my life. There may be more distinguished members of this body throughout our history, but I doubt there are any with more admiration for it." But, he added, "Father Time remains undefeated. I am no longer the young man sitting in the back, hoping colleagues would remember my name. It is time for the next generation of leadership." There would be a time to reminisce, he said, but not today. "I still have enough gas in the tank to thoroughly disappoint my critics and I intend to do so with all the enthusiasm which they have become accustomed." Today in history: Feb. 28 1993: David Koresh 1996: Princess Diana 2009: Paul Harvey 2012: Matt Kenseth 2013: Benedict XVI 2014: Barack Obama 2018: Dicks Sporting Goods 2018: Walmart 2020: Dow Jones 2021: Andrew Cuomo DES MOINES A program through which special education experts help families navigate services for students with disabilities will no longer be operated by Iowas nine Area Education Agencies after the Iowa Department of Education recently announced it will not renew contracts with the agencies. The state education department informed AEA leaders in a Jan. 22 email that the state is discontinuing contracts and grants for the AEAs to operate the Family Educator Partners program at the end of June. Under the program, AEA coordinators at no cost to families provide support, information and resources to families and educators about special education services that are available to Iowa students with disabilities and their families. The Jan. 22 email, sent by Barbara Guy, director of special education at the Iowa Department of Education, did not give a reason for why the state is discontinuing its partnership with the AEAs on the program. A spokesman for Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said the state is separating from the AEAs on the Family Educator Partners program because of conflicts of interest the program workers also are AEA employees and because of what he said were inconsistencies in support provided and confusion over roles and responsibilities as identified in a 2014 report. AEA advocates help resolve issues or disagreements between parents who believe their childs educational needs are not being met and the AEA or school district that provides their services. This creates a conflict of interest as the familys advocate is an employee of the same AEA providing the students services and supporting the school district to meet federal requirements, Reynolds spokesman Kollin Crompton said in an email to The Gazette. Crompton said the state is exploring a partnership with an independent, third-party entity to operate the program. The states decision to discontinue its partnership with AEAs on the Family Educator Partners program comes as Reynolds has proposed an overhaul of how Iowas AEAs operate and are funded. Guys email to the AEAs was sent 12 days after Reynolds introduced her legislation and three days after she wrote an open letter to Iowans making the case for her proposal. Crompton said Reynolds proposal to reform AEAs had no bearing on the states decision to part with AEAs on the Family Educator Partners program. Effective partnerships between families, educators and community providers are critical in supporting the success of all students with disabilities across Iowa, Crompton said. All families, no matter what AEA region they reside in, deserve to receive consistent services and high levels of advocacy support. While some families have received meaningful and impartial support, unfortunately, that has not been the experience of all families across Iowa. Reynolds proposal underwent significant revisions after initial reaction, and state lawmakers in the Iowa Senate and Iowa House have proposed their own, separate proposals for AEA reform. Ending the contracts with AEAs on the Family Educator Partners program will impact an estimated 17 full-time equivalent staff across Iowas nine AEAs, including two at Grant Wood AEA in Cedar Rapids, according to Dr. Maria Cashman, Grant Wood AEAs Associate Chief Administrator and Director of Special Education. Our AEA has two individuals currently serving as Family Educator Partners. Each year they help our families and districts navigate special education procedures and laws, with a focus on ensuring equity in voice from the schools, from the families, and from the AEA during challenging conversations related to the support of children with special needs, Cashman said in a statement emailed to The Gazette. This loss is significant for our families and partners, and yet another change to our programs and services that we hadn't anticipated. Johnna Davis, a Family and Educator Partnership coordinator with Heartland Area Education Agency in Johnston, estimated the move will impact about 15 staff members across the states nine AEAs. Davis said because of the move, she has resigned from her role to pursue another career opportunity effective March 1. I was heartbroken, to say the least, she said. I felt like it was a dismantling power grab. It felt like being backstabbed, honestly. Davis lives in Mingo and has two children with autism. She has been at Heartland AEA for the last three years as a liaison, working together with families of students with disabilities and school officials to understand, navigate and mediate disputes and disagreements over a students Individualized Education Plan. An Individualized Education Plan is a legal document for students who need special education. It is created through a team of special education parents, educators and experts. We partner with families and school districts to build a cohesive model of an IEP team and empower families to be meaningful participants of the IEP process and provide the parent perspective with educators, and make sure parent voices are heard in the IEP process, Davis said. Davis called Cromptons description of Family Educator Partners work and the issues raised in the 2014 report misinformed. We are not parent advocates, Davis said. Were really advocating for the IEP process to be upheld, to be upheld well and with fidelity. We are advocates for the IEP process. We are more of a family liaison. The Gazette requested information on how much it cost the state to operate the Family Educator Partners program, and what funding source has been used. An Iowa Department of Education spokeswoman said the department was working to compile that information. The Gazette had not yet received it as of late Wednesday afternoon. Student teacher speaks on the problems in the current education system CANADIAN, Texas (AP) A cluster of wildfires scorched the Texas Panhandle on Wednesday, including a blaze that grew into one of the largest in state history, as flames moved with alarming speed and blackened the landscape across a vast stretch of small towns and cattle ranches. An 83-year-old grandmother from the tiny town of Stinnett was the lone confirmed fatality. However, authorities have yet to make a thorough search for victims and have warned the damage to some communities is extensive. Known as the Smokehouse Creek Fire, the largest blaze expanded to more than 1,300 square miles (3,370 square kilometers) and jumped into parts of neighboring Oklahoma. It is now larger than the state of Rhode Island, and the Texas A&M Forest Service said the flames were only about 3% contained. "I believe the fire will grow before it gets fully contained, said Nim Kidd, chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management. The largest fire recorded in state history was the 2006 East Amarillo Complex fire, which burned about 1,400 square miles (3,630 square kilometers) and resulted in 13 deaths. Walls of flames were pushed by powerful winds while huge plumes of smoke billowed hundreds of feet in the air across the sparsely populated region. The smoke delayed aerial surveillance of the damage in some areas. There was one point where we couldnt see anything, said Greg Downey, 57, describing his escape as flames bore down on his neighborhood. I didnt think wed get out of it. The woman who died was identified by family members as Joyce Blankenship, a former substitute teacher. Her grandson, Lee Quesada, said he had posted in a community forum asking if anyone could try and locate her. Quesada said deputies told his uncle on Wednesday that they had found Blankenships remains in her burned home. Quesada said shed surprise him at times with funny little stories about her more ornery days. Just talking to her was a joy, he said, adding that Joy was a nickname of hers. Hemphill County Emergency Management Coordinator Bill Kendall described the charred terrain as being like a moonscape. ... It's just all gone. Kendall said about 40 homes were burned around the perimeter of the town of Canadian, but no buildings were lost inside the community. Kendall also said he saw hundreds of cattle just dead, laying in the fields. Tresea Rankin videotaped her own home in Canadian as it burned. Thirty-eight years of memories, thats what you were thinking, Rankin said of watching the flames destroy her house. Two of my kids were married there ... But you know, its OK, the memories wont go away. The small town of Fritch, north of Amarillo, lost hundreds of homes in a 2014 fire and appeared to be hit hard again. Mayor Tom Ray said Wednesday that an estimated 40-50 homes were destroyed on the southern edge. Ray said natural gas remained shut off for the town of 2,200. Residents are probably not "prepared for what theyre going to see if they pull into town, Hutchinson County Emergency Management spokesperson Deidra Thomas said in a social media livestream. She compared the damage to a tornado. Authorities have not said what ignited the fires, but strong winds, dry grass and unseasonably warm temperatures fed the blazes. Near Borger, a community of about 13,000 people, emergency officials at one point late Tuesday answered questions from panicked residents on Facebook and told them to get ready to leave if they had not already. It was like a ring of fire around Borger. There was no way out ... all four main roads were closed, said Adrianna Hill, whose home was within about a mile of the fire. She said wind that blew the fire in the opposite direction saved our butts. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration for 60 counties. The encroaching flames caused the main facility that disassembles Americas nuclear arsenal to pause operations Tuesday night, but it was open for normal work Wednesday. The weather forecast provided some hope for firefighters cooler temperatures, less wind and possibly rain on Thursday. However, the situation was dire in some areas Wednesday. Sustained winds of up to 45 mph (72 kph), with gusts of up to 70 mph (113 kph), caused the fires that were spreading east to turn south, threatening new areas, forecasters said. But winds calmed down after a cold front came through Tuesday evening, said Peter Vanden Bosch, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Amarillo. Breezy conditions were expected again Friday, and fire-friendly weather could return by the weekend, Vanden Bosch said Wednesday. Kidd said the weekend forecast and sheer size and scope of the blaze are the biggest challenges for firefighters. I dont want the community there to feel a false sense of security that all these fires will not grow anymore, Kidd said. This is still a very dynamic situation. As evacuation orders mounted Tuesday, county and city officials implored residents to turn on emergency alert services on their cellphones and be ready to leave immediately. We got a great response from the community when they were asked to evacuate. They did, Kidd said. We believe that saved lives, and we dont want people going back if the evacuation orders are still in place. The Pantex nuclear weapon plant, northeast of Amarillo, evacuated nonessential staff Tuesday night out of an abundance of caution, said Laef Pendergraft, a spokesperson for the National Nuclear Security Administrations production office at Pantex. Firefighters remained in case of an emergency. Pantex tweeted early Wednesday that the facility was open for normal day shift operations. The Smokehouse Creek Fire spread from Texas into neighboring Roger Mills County in western Oklahoma, where officials encouraged people in the Durham area to flee. At least 13 homes burned in fires in the state's Panhandle region, officials said Wednesday. The weather service also issued red-flag warnings and fire-danger alerts for several other states through the midsection of the country. This story has been updated to correct Greg Downey's age. He is 57, not 30. Vertuno reported from Austin, Texas. Associated Press reporters Ken Miller in Oklahoma City, Lisa Baumann in Bellingham, Washington, and Christopher Weber in Los Angeles contributed to this report. Interview: With over 30 years in China, DBS Bank eyes China's long-term opportunities Xinhua) 16:17, February 29, 2024 BEIJING, Feb. 29 (Xinhua) -- With more than 30 years of operations in China, the Singapore-based DBS Bank is eyeing long-term opportunities in the country, especially in the Greater Bay Area (GBA), CEO of DBS China Ginger Cheng told Xinhua in the latest interview. The DBS Group recently obtained regulatory approvals to increase its stake in Shenzhen Rural Commercial Bank Corporation, a joint-stock commercial bank in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, to 16.69 percent from 13 percent, according to Cheng. "It's a good opportunity to build up a positional platform for us to expand into the GBA in the years to come," Cheng commented on the recent development. The DBS Bank entered the China market in 1993 with the establishment of a representative office in Beijing. It subsequently incorporated in China in May 2007, becoming the first Singaporean bank and one of the first foreign banks to incorporate in the country. Having joined the bank since 2001, Cheng has personally witnessed the growth and opening-up of China's financial markets. "This includes the continuous reduction of the entry threshold for foreign capital, the interconnection of financial capital markets, and the ongoing drive for the internationalization of the RMB," Cheng said. The country's momentous strides in embracing the global community have emboldened the DBS Bank to actively participate in its opening-up initiatives and policy breakthroughs over the years. The participation has brought forth a wealth of new business opportunities for the bank, according to Cheng. She noted the bank's involvement in the development of the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone (FTZ) as one example. DBS Bank, one of the first foreign banks to set up businesses here, has been offering trade financing, cross-border RMB capital pool, and RMB offshore borrowing business to enterprises and financial institutions in the region. It was also able to enter China's investment banking sector through the official establishment of the DBS Securities (China) in 2021, and was among the first to participate in the country's RMB Cross-border Interbank Payment System, Cheng added. Looking to 2024 macro outlook for the Chinese economy, Cheng is upbeat about the country's growth prospects and its new growth model. "We believe that China's transitioning of structural reform focus from supply-side reform to demand-side reform may fit its current and next stage of development." She also noted that the consistent trend of China drawing in foreign investment remains unaltered, thanks to its expansive market, well-developed industrial structure, varied innovation application scenarios, and substantial human resources. In this regard, Cheng said that the high-tech industry has become an important engine for China in the attraction and utilization of foreign investment. "Technologies such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology, blockchain, cloud computing, metaverse technology, and quantum computing, are advancing and transforming the Chinese society in fundamental and critical ways at an accelerated pace," Cheng said. In its next step, DBS will continue to increase its footprint in China, according to Cheng. "We will expand, deepen and sharpen our coverage in focused segments, including technology and innovation, manufacturing upgrading and energy transition, as well as continue investing in related industries," she said. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Zhong Wenxing) Russian Defence Ministry report on the progress of the special military operation (28 February 2024) The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation. In Kupyansk direction, units of the Zapad Group of Forces improved the tactical situation and delivered strikes at enemy manpower and hardware near Sinkovka (Kharkov region). In addition, seven attacks launched by assault detachments of the AFU 32nd Mechanised Brigade, 77th Air Mobile Brigade, 95th Air Assault Brigade, and 57th Motorised Rifle Brigade were repelled near Sinkovka (Kharkov region) and Terni (Donetsk Peoples Republic). The AFU losses amounted to up to 145 Ukrainian troops, two infantry fighting vehicles, and two pickup trucks. In the course of counterbattery warfare, one U.S.-made M777 artillery system, one D-20 howitzer, one Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system, and one D-30 howitzer were neutralised. In Donetsk direction, units of the Yug Group of Forces improved the tactical situation along the front lines and inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the AFU 5th, 92nd assault brigades, 28th, 93rd mechanised brigades, 107th and 241st territorial defence brigades near Krasnoye, Bogdanovka, Kleschcheyevka, and Kurdyumovka (Donetsk Peoples Republic). Moreover, three counterattacks of the AFU 46th Air Mobile Brigade were repelled near Georgiyevka (Donetsk Peoples Republic). The AFU losses amounted to up to 230 Ukrainian troops, two tanks, two infantry fighting vehicles, and six motor vehicles. In the course of counterbattery warfare, one Polish-made Krab self-propelled artillery system, two D-20 howitzers, one Rapira anti-tank gun, one U.S.-made M119 towed howitzer, and one AFU ammunition depot were destroyed. In Avdeyevka direction, units of the Tsentr Group of Forces liberated Petrovskoye, took more advantageous lines, and repelled 11 counterattacks launched by assault detachments of the AFU near Leninskoye, Novgorodskoye, Novobakhmutovka, Tonenkoye, Orlovka, and Pervomayskoye (Donetsk Peoples Republic). The AFU losses amounted to up to 165 Ukrainian troops, four tanks, two Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, one U.S.-made M113 armoured personnel carriers, and five motor vehicles. In the course of counterbattery warfare, three D-20 howitzers, one Msta-B howitzer, one Gvozdika self-propelled howitzer, and five D-30 howitzers were wiped out. In South Donetsk direction, units of the Vostok Group of Forces supported by aviation inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the AFU 128th Territorial Defence Brigade near Urozhaynoye and Staromayorskoye (Donetsk Peoples Republic). The AFU losses amounted to up to 115 Ukrainian troops, one tank, three motor vehicles, one Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system, one Rapira anti-tank gun, and one ammunition depot. In Kherson direction, as a result of active actions, Russian units took more advantageous positions, inflicted losses on manpower and hardware clusters of the AFU 128th Mountain Assault Brigade and 121st Territorial Defence Brigade near Primorskoye, Novopokrovka (Zaporozhye region), and Dudchany (Kherson region). One counterattack launched by an assault detachment of the AFU 117th Mechanised Brigade was repelled near Rabotino (Zaporozhye region). The AFU losses amounted to up to 40 Ukrainian troops and two motor vehicles. In the course of counterbattery warfare, one French-made CAESAR self-propelled artillery system, three D-20 howitzers, one Akatsiya self-propelled artillery system, and one D-30 howitzer were neutralised. Operational-Tactical aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, and Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces wiped out one S-300 anti-aircraft missile system radar, one ammunition depot, one AFU POL depot, one unmanned aerial vehicles storage and manufacture facility, as well as engaged manpower and hardware in 131 areas during the day. Air defence units shot down 99 unmanned aerial vehicles close to Zovtnevoye (Kharkov region), Arapovka, Troitskoye, Novonikolskoye (Lugansk Peoples Republic), Yelenovka, Shevchenko (Donetsk Peoples Republic), as well as intercepted three HIMARS MLRS shells. In total, 575 airplanes and 267 helicopters, 13,622 unmanned aerial vehicles, 474 air defence missile systems, 15,266 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,226 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 8,203 field artillery guns and mortars, as well as 19,179 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation. Tags: WtR Grill masters hyped about getting an early start to the outdoor cooking season need to think again. The city of La Crosse and town of Medary issued burn bans Thursday that prohibit open burning of any kind. The ban covers the use of outdoor charcoal grills, recreational fire pits and fireworks. A burn ban issued by the city of Onalaska Thursday spares charcoal grills but requires that they be lighted only on non-combustible surfaces. The ban prohibits campfires, burn piles, burn barrels and the use of fireworks. The bans remains in place until conditions significantly improve. Lack of precipitation, absence of snow cover and extremely dry vegetation have created very favorable conditions for wildfires. Western Wisconsin is expecting more record-setting temperatures and high winds this weekend with little or no precipitation forecast over the next 10 days. As of Thursday afternoon, all counties in western Wisconsin were under a high fire danger according to the state Department of Natural Resources. The DNR is suspending annual burn permits in 25 counties where the DNR has protection responsibility, including Monroe and Jackson counties. On Tuesday, several departments responded to a grass fire between Coon Valley and Shelby. Crews battled dry and windy conditions to control the blaze. Its abnormal to have grass fires this time of the year, but we have no snow on the ground right now so everythings pushed forward a little bit for us, Tony Holinka, fire chief of the town of Shelby said Tuesday. The Waupun FFA Chapter, one of the largest chapters in Wisconsin, will be seeing some change in the next school year with the retirement of the school districts two agricultural instructors and FFA advisors. Supporters of the program spoke Monday night at the Waupun School Board meeting, asking board members to hire four agriculture instructors/FFA advisors for the next school year. As we know, the board is in the process of working through different proposals in consideration for the staffing for the 2024-25 school year, said Karen Gibbs is a parent of two junior high and senior high students who are both involved in FFA and agriculture classes at the school. Before future decisions are made a group of us wanted to take the opportunity to share the importance of the ag department staff, FFA, ag classes and their value to our families, community, and businesses as you work through this decision. We are grateful for our retiring staff, but this about the future and maintaining and making room to support the future ag educators who come to our school and making them a priority, Gibbs said. In a letter to the community on Tuesday, Waupun Superintendent Steven Hill said the district is committed to supporting our Agricultural programs and the FFA and intends to replace the retiring advisors with two new advisors to maintain our current and historical level of three advisors. The retiring teachers are Tari Costello, a full-time agriculture teacher in the district and Kris Beaver, a part-time to full-time ag teacher or ag and business education teacher. Hill said the FAA program is popular. The Waupun Area School District is so proud of our FFA program, Hill said. We know it is one of the strongest in the state. We are also one of the first in the state to offer a program in our elementary school, which highlights our commitment. The FFA requires a student to be enrolled in an agricultural course at the school or participate in a program, Hill said. There are 411 junior and senior high school students enrolled in at least one agriculture program, and 12 students in the elementary program. The Waupun Area School District strives for 100% of our students to participate in a club or activity, and our FFA program is vital in our efforts to reach this lofty goal, Hill said. Community concern About 20 people, including parents, FFA members, former members and people in businesses that benefit from the program, spoke during the public comment portion of Mondays School Board meeting. Each speaker was given three minutes. Parents Mark and Nicki Meagher have four children, with three in the Waupun School District. Two of their children are active in FFA. We are very grateful for such a wonderful agricultural department, which is one reason why we chose to go to the Waupun School District, Nicki Meagher said. Meagher expressed concerns that any reduction of the ag department staff would be overwhelming for teachers and childrens learning experiences would be spread too thin. Ralph and Teresa Stowell said they live on a farmette outside Fox Lake and have four children. We all know it takes a village to raise a child, and this FFA and ag department has been a major part of that village, Teresa Stowell said. Weve laid the foundation to raise hard-working kids, and our ag teachers are helping to make them into adults to strive to complete their goals while giving back to their community. A reduction of teaching positions in the agriculture department would negatively impact students and the program, she said. The program has helped many children grow from being shy middle-schoolers to graduating with confidence with a desire to work in the agricultural or veterinary fields after graduation. One of those students is sophomore Patrick Reilly, who said he has been in FFA for four years. My family lives in the city, so we dont naturally get these experiences that I get in the agriculture classes, said Reilly, who wants to become a veterinarian after high school. A reduction in ag classes would make it difficult for me to learn about that stuff and take the classes I need to learn about veterinary medicine, he said. The classes I would like to take are vet science, dairy science and employability skills. Im concerned that having less staff would decrease my chances of having these classes. Tom Ballweg, from Ballweg Implement, said he is very proud of his employees, many of whom were FFA members when they were students in Waupun. Many of these employees, as well as myself, have been FFA members in the past, Ballweg said. I must also add that young potential employees who have come through the ag and FFA programs are better prepared to be permanent employees. Through ag and FFA, young future employees learn respect, real-life problem skills and work ethic that lasts a lifetime. Send me young people with the right attitude and Ballweg Implement will teach them the right skills. Ralph Stowell is a veterinarian and partner at Waupun Veterinary Services. Stowell has children in the program and has assisted with the program in the past. From a business perspective, take into consideration that the city has three implement dealers, the second-largest large animal veterinary clinic in the state, three field mills, one of which is building a $100 million state-of-the-art feed, grain and soybean processing facility right in our back yard, Stowell said. All of these businesses are looking for you to keep producing qualified employees. Keep this in mind, a dairy farmer is not just working with cows, they are working with hired hands, herdsmen, an ag mechanic for the machinery, a feed mill for nutrition, a nutritionist for its food rations, seed companies, milk hauler, milk plants, a veterinarian and ag supply store. We are at the center of agriculture here in Waupun. This is the time to support our youth and our program when it needs it the most. Wyatt Stowell, parliamentarian of the Waupun FFA chapter, said he has learned how to castrate cattle in large animal science, artificially inseminate cows in dairy science class, and suture in vet science class. All these skills and more have prepared me for the future, he said. I hope to go to college for animal science and hope to pursue a career related to animal production. All these classes helped me prepare for that. These teachers spend countless hours giving us the opportunity to have these skills and better prepare agricultural students for their futures. Oscar Stowell, Wyatts brother, spoke about how FFA improves students skills in other areas, such as public speaking. FFA advisors are a key part in the success of these members, he said. District plans Hill did not comment during the meeting, but penned a letter to the community on Tuesday. First and foremost, the Waupun Area School District is committed to supporting our Agricultural programs and the FFA, Hill said in his letter to the community. After hearing erroneous rumors of a reduction in FFA advisors and the perceived decrease in support for our Agricultural classes, I understand the apprehensions. However, our actions aim to maintain and even improve the quality of education and opportunities available to our students, he said. Regarding the reduction in the number of FFA advisors, it is true that we are experiencing transitions as two of our advisors are departing. However, we intend to replace them with two new advisors to maintain our current and historical level of three advisors. This decision underscores our commitment to the FFA program and its importance in the development of our students. Hill continued. Furthermore, concerns have been raised from the false rumor of our reducing the number of teachers within our agricultural program. I want to provide clarity on this matter. Over the years, we have made strategic decisions to address our student populations changing needs and interests while ensuring fiscal responsibility. While it may seem that there has been a reduction in support, the reality is that we will be moving forward with the same number of AG teacher Full Time Equivalent (FTEs), pending a certification, to meet the demands of our students in our Agricultural and Technology Education programs. For the upcoming 24/25 school year, we have 362 9th-12th grade students who have expressed interest in Agricultural courses and 621 students in Technology Education. We have carefully analyzed the course demands and the available resources, including staffing. While we have made adjustments based on licensing opportunities and student interests, our goal remains to provide a robust educational experience for all students. During this year, Waupun offered 60 courses for high school students who signed up for agriculture courses and the technical education classes. Hill said an additional teacher was hired due to an increased interest in business courses. This allowed an opportunity to reduce class sizes in our AG program by offering other sections of the same course so our .5 FTE Ag teacher would maintain their 1.0 FTE status, which was an incredible luxury, but not a necessity, to have for one year, Hill said. Mile Bluff Medical Centers hospital team has added an electronic intensive care unit, or eICU, in Mauston. Weve partnered with UW Health to bring this service to Mile Bluff, said the medical centers director of Acute Care, Brianna Juszczak. Using advanced technology, we can connect with critical care experts in real time, 24 hours a day. When the need for intensive care arises, it can be challenging for rural hospitals to find available ICU beds in larger centers for patients to be transferred. With an eICU, patients can often remain in their local hospital, and have access to two teams of experts to care for them. From an office building in Madison, the UW Health eICU team monitors and cares for patients across Wisconsin and northern Illinois. Staffed with board-certified critical care intensivists, experienced critical care nurses and nursing assistants, the eICU provides proactive care with specialized software. Using confidential, high-speed data lines, a bank of monitors dedicated to each patient displays the same information that is seen by teams at partner hospitals like Mile Bluff. This includes heart rate, blood pressure, test and imaging results and medication lists. The eICU program also features the option of a live video feed that connects the two care teams and patients in real time. This two-way connection between us and Madison provides extra support and safety for our critically-ill patients, said Juszczak. Together, the teams from Mile Bluff and UW Health use all of the information available to collaborate on patient care to ensure the best possible outcomes. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form New Jersey first lady Tammy Murphy delivers her campaign pitch to Burlington County Democratic voters ahead of a vote to decide which candidate for U.S. Senate on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024. Murphy has the backing of party leaders in populous northern counties but lost Saturday's vote in Burlington, one of the three total conventions she's lost so far. (AP photo/Mike Catalini) This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows an overview of the Smokehouse Creek Fire in Texas, Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024. A cluster of wildfires is scorching the Texas Panhandle, including the blaze that grew into one of the largest in state history. The flames blackened the landscape across a vast stretch of small towns and cattle ranches. (Maxar Technologies via AP) 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. Attention To Detail automotive customization shop sits at deKoven and Dingwall drives. Cassandra Day / Hearst Connecticut Media The Village at Riverside, a Middletown development that will include apartments and town homes, retail storefronts, and incorporate a public space near the Connecticut River, will be built downtown. It will be located on a block-size lot bordered by Main Street, Dingwall Drive, deKoven Drive and Court Street. Cassandra Day / Hearst Connecticut Media The Village at Riverside is an essential component of the Return to the Riverbend master plan of redevelopment, which aims to reconnect Main Street to Harbor Park and the river. Spectra Construction & Development / Contributed photo MIDDLETOWN Negotiations are moving ahead to purchase a property on deKoven Drive to make way for the proposed Village at Riverside downtown mixed-use development, which will include ample parking for residents and visitors. Among the components are affordable luxury units, condos, and as retail and public spaces. Parking will be a major component of the block-size development to be built between deKoven and Dingwall drives, Main and Court streets, behind police headquarters. Between 500 and 700 new spaces are intended to replace those lost when the municipal parking lot on Court Street was demolished in 2018. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The city is negotiating with the owners of the adjoining Attention To Detail automotive customization shop parcel to reach a purchase agreement, according to General Counsel Brig Smith. I am optimistic that we can reach a deal that meets their needs and ours, he said. The area is considered prime real estate for its view of the Connecticut River and an essential component of the Return to the Riverbend master plan of redevelopment, which aims to reconnect Main Street to Harbor Park and the river. The master plan also includes a pedestrian bridge over Route 9. Spectra Construction & Development delivered a presentation in September outlining a rough draft of a proposal for a block of retail, housing and parking downtown. Spectra Construction & Development / Contributed photo Housing units will comprise some 19 town homes, 258 apartments consisting of studios and one- and two-bedroom units, and about 56 new on-street parking spaces, Daniel Klaynberg, CEO of Wonder Works Construction of New York, said in November. Two levels of parking will be reserved for police department staff, who now park their cruisers and other vehicles behind 222 Main St. There will also be 38,000 square feet of retail space on the ground level. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Now that the initial project concept has been delivered to the public, city officials will soon be seeking community feedback, Smith said. We continue to make progress on the technical elements of the development in the meantime. These premium properties are considered a crucial element of Return to the Riverbend, the citys master plan for redevelopment that aims to reconnect Middletown to the Connecticut River at Harbor Park by means that include a walking bridge and plaza over Route 9. The project is a private-public partnership between the city, Spectra Construction & Development, lifelong resident and developer JR Carnegie-Hargreaves, and Klaynbergs firm. More downtown developments Durham developer Dominick DeMartino is working on several projects in historical buildings on Main Street. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Tony Prifitera, the owner of Sicily Coal Fired Pizza at 412 Main St., will operate a wine bar at 420 Main St. that is expected to open by the end of March, DeMartino said Wednesday. The sign for Nitro Cream 'n Crumbz, a nitrogen-infused ice cream and cookies shop, was recently installed at 422 Main St. That project is expected to be complete by April 1, he added. Ten apartments are being built above the store at 424 Main St. They will be available for rent beginning May 1. At 428 Main St., restoration of the former Woolworth building is also underway. A restaurant will occupy the first floor, with an elevator leading to a rooftop bar and patio. DeMartino is reviewing potential restaurants for the site. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The Fresh Cutz barbershop located at the rear of the building will open at the end of March. Also, 584 Main St. will be developed into 12 studio apartments and space for a 34,000 square-foot restaurant and bar. DeMartino is also involved in the Kaplan Drive apartments project. He will present a proposal to the Inland Wetlands & Watercourses Agency in early April to reduce the original 148 units to 102. Springside on Newfield Street A rendering of Springside Middletown off Route 3. Anita Ford Saunders / Contributed photo The Springside Middletown apartments on Newfield Street, or Route 3, will include 486 apartments when both phases of construction are complete. Bob Dale is the developer. Officials are actively looking to increase the number of living spaces in Middletown. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Drilling to Commence Next Month at Fairbairn Copper Project Perth, Feb 29, 2024 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Great Western Exploration Limited ( ASX:GTE ) is pleased to announce that final preparations are underway for drilling at its highly prospective Fairbairn Copper Project, with a drilling contract now signed with highly regarded contractor DDH1. Drilling is anticipated to commence in lateMarch 2024. - Great Western is undertaking final preparations for drilling at the Fairbairn Copper Project, with an agreement signed with highly regarded drilling contractor DDH1. - The drill program will test three compelling targets which geophysics and sampling indicate have potential to host volcanic hosted sulphide mineralisation. - Geological mapping, sampling, and modelling suggest the conductors represent potential for DeGrussa Style copper-gold targets. - Drilling is anticipated to commence in late March 2024. Fairbairn Project GTE 100% (E69/3443) The Fairbairn Copper Project is located 900km north-east of Perth (Figure 1*) and 120km from Sandfire Resources' ( ASX:SFR ) DeGrussa copper-gold project. The upcoming drilling programme will test three compelling DeGrussa-style targets which have been identified by both a fixed-loop electromagnetic (FLEM) ground survey and a heliborne EM survey (GTE ASX Announcement 26 September 2023). The FLEM survey identified three isolated bedrock conductors which are interpreted to be related to sulphide mineralisation. The conductors were modelled between only 80 - 190m below surface, positioned along a government mapped contact between a siltstone-shale and boulder conglomerate- sandstone units of the Yelma Formation within the Earaheedy Basin (Figure 2*). Their prospectivity has been significantly enhanced by geological mapping and modelling which suggests the conductors have potential to be blind DeGrussa-style volcanichosted massive sulphide targets (VMS). Great Western Managing Director Shane Pike said: "These targets have been identified and refined using cutting-edge geophysics and assessed by leading people in this field." "Geological mapping completed by our team found the targets are located in a geological setting expected for a DeGrussa style copper-gold deposit and share many other key geological characteristics. "The targets are modelled as sitting between 80m and 190m below surface and their highly compelling prospectivity is supported by anomalous surface sampling results with assays grading up to 0.19 per cent copper and 0.15gpt gold, indicative of a fertile mineral system". A heritage clearance has been completed and report received for work to commence. Government Programme of Works (POW) has been approved, with a native vegetation clearing permit currently being assessed. Great Western anticipates the drilling programme at Fairbairn that will test each of the three targets will commence late-March 2024. Drilling at the Giant Oval and Oval South to Follow Following drilling at the Fairbairn Copper Project, Great Western plans to commence drilling at the Company's giant Oval and Oval South Targets, the geophysical signatures of which are interpreted as sharing similarities with Rio Tinto's colossal Winu intrusive related copper-gold deposit. The Oval and Oval South Targets were originally defined by Rio Tinto Tempest airborne EM survey in the late 1990s. Rio Tinto drill tested the Oval target, drilling a hole to a depth of 232m and terminating the hole within interbedded siltstone and shale with disseminated pyrite, considered at the time to be the source of the conductor (GTE ASX Announcement 4 October 2023).In 2010, a VTEM survey was completed by Great Western over an area that encompassed both Oval and Oval South. This geophysical method can penetrate deeper into highly conductive terrains such as shales at this location than the Tempest technique utilised by Rio Tinto. The VTEM data defined the conductor at a depth of 300m, below the shale surface where OVR001 was terminated (Figure 3*); hole OVR001 did not intersect the conductor. Further definition of the Oval and Oval South targets was completed by a joint venture between Great Western and Sandfire ( ASX:SFR ), where Sandfire spent $4.5M on exploration on the project from 2017 before withdrawing (GTE ASX Announcement 17 August 2023). Great Western assumed 100% ownership of the Yerrida North Project, with all associated exploration data compiled and completed by Sandfire during the joint venture. Sandfire completed an Airborne Gravity Gradiometry (AGG) in 2022, with the AGG survey defining discrete gravity highs at Oval and Oval South, that overlayed near perfectly with the VTEM anomalies (Figure 4*). The coincident gravity and EM anomalies were interpreted as potential buried bodies of metal rich sulphide mineralisation (GTE ASX Announcement 4 October 2023). *To view tables and figures, please visit: https://abnnewswire.net/lnk/QPN4362F About Great Western Exploration Limited Great Western Exploration (ASX:GTE) is a copper, gold and nickel explorer with a world class, large land position in prolific mining regions of Western Australia. Great Western's tenements have been underexplored or virtually unexplored. We have numerous field work programs across multiple projects currently underway and are well-funded with a tight capital structure, providing leverage upon exploration success. Related Companies Stardust Power Inc Signs Letter of Intent for Potential Lithium Brine Supply from Liberty Lithium Brine Project USA Stardust Power Inc Signs LOI for Liberty Lithium Brine - USA Perth, Feb 29, 2024 AEST (ABN Newswire) - QX Resources Limited ( ASX:QXR ) has entered into a Letter of Intent ("LOI") with Stardust Power Inc. ("Stardust Power"), a development stage American manufacturer of battery-grade lithium products, to negotiate a formal agreement to assess the lithium brines from QXR's large scale Liberty Lithium Brine Project located in California, USA ("Project"), dependent on results, and evaluate options to potentially supply Stardust Power with lithium brine products on a non-exclusive basis for processing into battery-grade lithium materials for electric vehicles*. - QXR has entered into a Letter of Intent with Stardust Power Inc., a development stage American manufacturer of battery-grade lithium products, to assess the lithium brines from QXR's large scale Liberty Lithium Brine Project located in the USA. - The parties intend to evaluate options to potentially supply Stardust Power with lithium brine products on a non-exclusive basis for processing into battery-grade lithium materials for electric vehicles. - QXR is awaiting results and interpretations in the coming weeks from two drillholes, located 4km apart, which intersected numerous brine bearing aquifers at the Liberty Lithium Brine Project. *Cautionary Statement: QXR is awaiting results from drilling that has intersected brines but does not imply that the brines are lithium bearing. Chemical analysis from an independent laboratory will determine lithium concentrations in a brine. Stardust Power is developing a strategically and centrally located lithium refinery in Muskogee, Oklahoma with plans for producing up to 50,000 metric tons per annum of battery-grade lithium and is securing sources of lithium brine feedstock to turn into battery grade lithium products ready for use across the lithium supply chain, with a focus on electric vehicles (EV). With over 25 battery giga-factories currently under development across the United States, there is an acute need for a national battery-grade lithium refinery to supply lithium to battery manufacturers. In November 2023, Stardust Power announced that it intends to go public on the NYSE through a merger with a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company in a deal valued at US$490 million. The LOI between Stardust Power and QXR outlines the intention to work together collaboratively in good faith to assess the potential of lithium brines from the Project, and evaluate options to determine if there is an economically feasible process to produce lithium products from the Project to potentially supply Stardust Power with a limited volume of lithium brine products. QXR has the ability to earn a 75% interest of the 102km2 Liberty Lithium Brine Project, located in SaltFire Flat, in California, USA (refer ASX announcement dated 5 October 2023). The Project is one of the largest single lithium brine projects in the USA (for scale, equivalent to 2x area of Sydney Harbour). The Project's geological setting mirrors Albemarle's nearby Silver Peak lithium brine producer in Clayton Valley USA and major Argentina brine projects. QXR is awaiting results and interpretations in the coming weeks from two drillholes, located 4km apart, which intersected numerous brine bearing aquifers (refer ASX announcement dated 8 February 2024). QXR Managing Director, Stephen Promnitz, said: "QXR has been in discussions with Direct Lithium Extraction technology providers, lithium product processors and end users to advance the liberty Lithium Project dependant on results. Stardust is an emerging new processor of lithium for batteries and we are keen to advance discussions with them." *To view tables and figures, please visit: https://abnnewswire.net/lnk/K47IZKL7 About QX Resources Ltd QX Resources Limited (ASX:QXR) is focused on exploration and development of battery minerals, with hard rock lithium assets in a prime location of Western Australia (WA), and gold assets in Queensland. The aim is to connect end users (battery, cathode and car makers) with QXR, an experienced explorer/developer of battery minerals, with an expanding mineral exploration project portfolio and solid financial support. Lithium portfolio: QXR's lithium strategy is centred around WA's prolific Pilbara province, where it has acquired a controlling interest in four projects through targeted M&A - all of which sit in strategic proximity to some of Australia's largest lithium deposits and mines. Across the Pilbara, QXR's regional lithium tenement package (both granted or under application) now spans more than 350 km2. Gold portfolio: QXR is also developing two Central Queensland gold projects - Lucky Break and Belyando - through an earn-in agreement with Zamia Resources Pty Ltd. Both gold projects are strategically located within the Drummond Basin, a region that has a >6.5moz gold endowment. Related Companies Media Release HY24 Sydney, Feb 29, 2024 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Bendigo Telco Limited ( NSX:BCT ) today announced its interim results for the half-year ended 31st December 2023. The Group generated earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of $443,567 and reported a net loss after tax of $384,567 for the period as it transitions to the new digital and telco business environment. Profitability was impacted by a significant reduction in revenue and margin from data centre and metropolitan area network services and a significant customer debt write off. Bendigo Telco Board Chairman, Rob Hunt stated that "our business continues to focus on its customer-driven strategy, aiming to emerge as the preferred technology partner for our customers across our chosen markets. Despite the dynamic digital business environment, the Board remains convinced it can offer a credible alternative to customers, navigating through transitions and product enhancements geared towards sustainable future revenues". The company's strategic realignment, initiated two years ago, responds to industry shifts and evolving technological paradigms, particularly in cloud and digital solutions. Beyond traditional services and infrastructure, Bendigo Telco has expanded its portfolio, witnessing robust demand for managed services and modern cloud-based offerings. This diversification, however, has necessitated substantial investments in talent, partnerships, and operational restructuring. While embracing innovation, Bendigo Telco acknowledges the impact on revenues, particularly from the loss of legacy services such as Data Centre and Metropolitan Area Network (MAN). Consequently, the company is reviewing all costs that support these legacy products and services in order to reduce or make more effective its ongoing cost base. Mr Hunt commented "despite anticipated short-term performance impacts, the Board remains optimistic about the long-term benefits of our strategic initiatives and believe that the supporting operational plans will deliver on the sustained success of the business". Dividend After careful consideration of the Groups financial performance, strategic goals and continued investment in transitioning to become our customers preferred technology partner, the directors resolved that the Group would not declare an interim dividend for this financial year. About Bendigo Telco Ltd Founded in 2000, Bendigo Telco (NSX:BCT) was established by a group of prominent Bendigo based businesses who wanted better access to competitive pricing and telecommunications technology. These businesses identified the disadvantages (market failure) that they as regional businesses faced when compared with their metropolitan competitors. Early analysis identified the need to create a locally owned and focused organisation to improve the telecommunications services, in terms of price, priority, competition, and access to essential infrastructure. Bendigo Telco has played a major role in addressing these shortcomings as well as promoting a more competitive and responsive telco market in all the communities that we now support. The company continues to provide a broad range of telecommunications services to enterprise, business, and consumer customers across these Australian markets. Related Companies The bus industry in India is projected to achieve a value of Rs. 104,000 crores in 2026, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.64 per cent. The CAGR for State Transport Undertakings (STUs) is 6.36 per cent and it is 7.37 per cent for private buses. Traveltech 2.0: The Next Phase of Digitally Empowering the Indian Traveler, a report jointly produced by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and Grant Thornton Bharat reveals these numbers. The report was launched at the India Digital Summit (IDS) 2024 in Mumbai today. The surface transportation services like bus and rail travel has huge potential for OTA service providers who offer value added services to their customers in addition to basic online ticketing. Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh emerge as the principal markets in STUs, constituting nearly 70% of the market share. The top five states in total addressable market (TAM) for private buses are Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Punjab, and Haryana, which are expected to account for around 45% share by 2026. Online ticketing among bus travelers is on the rise, even though the price sensitive category of non-AC buses or intra-city bus ticketing is still predominantly offline based. Intra-city bus travel is still predominantly served by State Transport Units (STUs) which offers great scope for private sector involvement. Intra-city bus services are witnessing a plethora of value-added services like live bus tracking and digital ticketing being offered in city buses. A primary survey conducted among bus travellers across eight cities revealed significant interest and uptake for online ticketing and value-added services. Even though many users still are not using online ticketing simply as a continuation of old habits, there is a great interest for online services provided they offer certain features like details on seat availability and reservation, low costs, discounts and multiple options at specific price ranges. As regards Indian railways, the revenue contribution of reserved passengers stands at 70%, which corresponds to only 12% passengers carried in terms of volume, whereas 88% unreserved passengers contributed to only 30% of the revenue to the Indian railways. Online ticketing is Indian railways is still restricted for most private players, driven primarily by the online ticketing services run by Indian Railways itself. Nonetheless, the report estimates that reserved ticketing presents significant for OTAs/Agents in coming years. With unreserved passengers constituting a substantial portion of the total passenger count, collaboration between CRIS and private OTAs emerges as a transformative opportunity. The shift to digital ticketing not only reduces operational burdens for the Indian Railways but also offers private OTAs an avenue to innovate tariff structures and enhance user convenience. This synergy holds the potential to elevate the passenger experience, alleviate infrastructure strain, and foster a symbiotic relationship, yielding efficiency gains for the railway system and expanded market opportunities for the private sector. Technology is revolutionising travel, making it easier to use than ever before. Chalo is thrilled to support the publication of the Travel Tech report. I'm confident that it will spark meaningful conversations and shape positive policies that will ensure that we leverage technology in the best possible way to make city bus travel better, said Dhruv Chopra Co-founder and CMO, Chalo, speaking at the launching of the report at the India Digital Summit 2024 on February 28. Commenting on the launch of the report Aloke Bajpai, Chairman, Managing Director and Group CEO, ixigo said "Railways and buses are revolutionizing the ground transport segment in India. With infrastructure development, increased internet penetration, modernization and improvement in service quality with OTA-driven tech upgrades, this segment is poised for further growth. By leveraging technology, OTAs are empowering travelers to make smarter travel decisions, and are playing a leading role in driving online adoption in the ground travel sector." The next evolution of travel tech will happen as we unlock the full potential of OTAs in the ground transport business. That's the key message from the IAMAI Travel Tech report. It is important to remove tax disparities between e-commerce operators and e-commerce suppliers in the domestic market. Currently, a customer pays a 5% GST charge when booking a non-AC bus through an e-commerce platform. This charge is zero for a direct booking from a bus operator, irrespective of whether it is done in online or offline mode, said, Prakash Sangam, CEO, Redbus Addressing the same session Vikash Jalan, Chief Business Officer, PayTM Travel, commented, "The new IAMAI Travel Tech Report explores the role of technology in shaping India's travel landscape, highlighting the impact of OTAs on ground transportation and calling for collaboration to bridge the digital divide and unlock the full potential of travel technology." Times Now Navbharat, the leading Hindi News Channel, hosted its flagship event, Navbharat Navnirman Manch - Uttar Pradesh 2024 in Lucknow today. Addressing Uttar Pradesh's recent strides in accelerated growth and its pivotal role in the nation's progress, prominent leaders, including The Honble Chief Minister of UP, Yogi Adityanath, Akhilesh Yadav, Samajwadi Party Leader and Former CM, Jaiveer Singh, Minister of Tourism, UP, Sandeep Singh, Minister of Education, Ajay Rai, President, UPCC, Baby Rani Maurya (Minister of Women & Child Development, UP), Durga Shankar Mishra, Chief Secretary, Uttar Pradesh, and Haji Kamruddin, MD, Servokon + MSME, among others gathered to discuss imperative State matters. Speaking at Times Now Navbharat Navnirman Manch - Uttar Pradesh 2024, The Honble Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath said A new Ayodhya is coming up in a new U.P. and a new India. The presence of Lord Ram in Ayodhya after 500 years is a historic moment, and I urge you all to cherish it. Yogi Adityanath articulated the monumental changes underway in the state, backed by concrete data and the latest ground report. "Uttar Pradesh is on the brink of a historic transformation," he declared. "With over 10 lakh crore worth of investments pouring into the state, we are witnessing the birth of a new era." "Today, as we stand on the precipice of progress, it's imperative to acknowledge the tangible advancements Uttar Pradesh has made. From the development of our infrastructure to the expansion of our industrial base," Chief Minister Adityanath said. Elaborating on the state's infrastructure overhaul, he stated, "UP now boasts 40% of the nation's expressways, with plans underway for the completion of the Ganga Expressway by 2024, aligning perfectly with the 2025 Prayagraj Kumbh. Additionally, our state leads in infrastructural development, with the largest rail and air connectivity network, currently managing nine airports and poised to expand to 21, including international airports." Discussing recent achievements, Chief Minister Adityanath remarked, "We have operationalized inland waterways and introduced cutting-edge transportation solutions like the Rapid Rail system. After 46 years, the U.P. is going to develop its second industrial city. The Bundelkhand Industrial Development Authority (BIDA) will be taking forward Noidas legacy in Jhansi, spanning over 3536 thousand acres in its first phase alone." Lastly, Chief Minister Adityanath said, "The road ahead may be challenging, but with unwavering determination and visionary leadership, Uttar Pradesh is poised to emerge as a beacon of progress and prosperity, setting new benchmarks for development in the country." Speaking at Times Now Navbharat Navnirman Manch - Uttar Pradesh 2024, Former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh & President of Samajwadi Party Akhilesh Yadav, emphasized the importance of democracy with the statement, "Save Democracy, Defeat 80; Remove the BJP." He attacked the ruling BJP for tempting opposition legislators with what he figuratively refers to as Jalebi, Rasgullas, and Gulab Jamuns. Responding to the controversy arising due to his absence from the Ram Mandir inauguration event in Ayodhya, he confirmed his intention to visit the temple while regretting the politicization of the event. He further added, In the dynamic landscape of Uttar Pradesh politics, there's no time to relax. Success comes to those who work continuously. Proudly showcasing the achievements of the Samajwadi Party, Yadav praised the development exemplified by Ansal City, lamenting the lack of support from the central government for providing essential infrastructure like expressways. He claimed that the BJP has wrongfully claimed credit for a large number of infrastructure projects actually initiated by his party, such as highways, metros, airports, and power plants. Drawing parallels between mythological narratives and contemporary politics, Yadav invoked the imagery of 'Samudra Manthan' to symbolize the ongoing struggle to uphold constitutional values amidst political turmoil. He further said, religious occasions like the Ram Mandir inauguration should be respected for their sanctity, not exploited for political gain. Participation should be inclusive, devoid of political motives. It's imperative to uphold democratic values, ensuring transparency and accountability in governance. During the panel discussion at Times Now Navbharat Navnirman Manch - Uttar Pradesh 2024, "Ram Leher: 2024 ki Dagar," perspectives clashed between different party members which included, Waris Pathan- AIMIM National Spokesperson, Sudhanshu Trivedi- BJP, Anurag Bhadouria- Samajwadi Party, Harshvardhan Tripathi- Senior Journalist and CP Rai-Media head of UP Congress. Whilst opposition attacked BJP for politics of religion and engineering defections. BJP spokesman defended the political stance on mandir at the same time detailing economic success. Waris Pathan criticised Samajwadi Party and Congress for alleged collaboration with BJP, condemning BJP's anti-Muslim stance and questioning its governance while highlighting youth unemployment. Sudhanshu Trivedi defended BJP's economic successes under PM Modi, citing poverty reduction and infrastructure development in UP. Journalist Harshvardhan Tripathi praised UP's infrastructural growth and airport accessibility. Anurag Bhadouria accused BJP of hypocrisy and corruption. CP Rai of UP Congress criticised BJP for politicising religion and failing to fulfil promises, cautioning against mixing religion with politics. The debate highlighted issues of governance, development, and religious politicisation. Ram Chandra Agarwal, Founder of V2 Retail, epitomises the spirit of perseverance with his motto Try till you succeed. Starting as a humble shopkeeper who took a loan to realise his dreams, Agarwals journey to success was marked by both triumphs and setbacks. Despite facing challenges such as the collapse of his first successful venture, Vishal Mega Mart, in 2008 due to adverse market conditions, Agarwal remained undeterred. Learning from his past experiences, Agarwal founded V2 Retail, a company that prioritises offering a diverse range of high-quality products at affordable prices. With 111 operational stores across 17 states in India, V2 Retail has carved a niche for itself in the retail industry by providing customers with a unique shopping experience, characterised by modern ambiance and a wide selection of fashionable items. In an interview with Adgully, Ram Chandra Agarwal, Managing Director, V2 Retail Ltd, reflects upon his entrepreneurial journey. He talks about his brand and its uniqueness in making fashion affordable for all. He also shares about his first venture, Vishal Mega Mart, and how it taught him about resilience and the will to excel with V2 Retail. How has your journey been in the retail industry? What are your future plans for V2 Retail? Since my childhood days, I have been driven by a big vision and a passion for turning dreams into reality. My retail journey began in early 1986 in Kolkata, where I embarked on a path of entrepreneurship. With over 35 years of experience in the industry, I have witnessed the evolution of retail firsthand. In 2001, I pioneered the concept of value retailing in India, setting the stage for V2 Retails journey. As Chairman and MD of V2 Retail since July 2011, my vision for the company is clear: to become a habit in the lives of our consumers. We are committed to delivering value and variety in a responsible, inclusive, and sustainable manner. Our goal is to blend global best practices with the rich cultural and demographic diversity of India, ensuring that V2 Retail remains unique and tailored to the needs of our customers. Looking ahead, V2 Retail has ambitious omni-channel expansion plans. However, we are mindful of maintaining a balance between aggressive growth and responsible business practices. We understand that the Indian market is still in its nascent stages, and it is crucial to prioritise getting things right the first time. We are excited about the future of V2 Retail and the opportunities that lie ahead. With our commitment to excellence and customer-centric approach, I am confident that we will continue to thrive in the dynamic retail landscape of India. How do you envision the companys growth and contribution to the retail sector in the coming years? We envision V2 Retails growth and contribution to the retail sector in the coming years through a strategic focus on several key building blocks. Firstly, we aim to become a habitual choice in consumers lives for their fashion needs. This involves not only attracting new customers, but also retaining them and increasing their share of wallet through exceptional service and product offerings. Secondly, we will ensure our physical presence across semi-urban, rural, and urban markets, ensuring that we are accessible to consumers wherever they are. Thirdly, we will leverage cutting-edge technology to create a seamless omnichannel organisation, enabling profitable growth in digital commerce while integrating it seamlessly with our physical stores. Finally, we will continue to prioritise offering a great assortment of products, focusing on style, design, freshness, and value to cater to the diverse needs and preferences of our customers. Through these building blocks, we aim to drive sustainable growth and make a significant impact in the retail sector. V2 Retail is known for its focus on value fashion. Could you elaborate on the significance of value fashion in today's market and how V2 Retail is positioned in this segment? How do you plan to stay competitive in the fashion retail industry? Our focus on value fashion holds immense significance in todays market, especially in a nation as diverse as India. Bharat is a nation rich in diversity, festivities, culture, values, habits, and beliefs. V2 Retail is uniquely positioned to serve this diverse sub-continent in its true and original form, without merely replicating Western models. Our approach integrates global perspectives while remaining deeply rooted in the essence of Indian society. We are driven by a vision to become a habit in the lives of our consumers, ensuring that fashion is accessible to every Indian citizen. Value fashion retailing is not just about offering affordable clothing; it is about catering to the aspirations of over 100 crore Indians. It is about making those aspirations a tangible reality for our customers. This segment represents a sweet spot in the market, boasting incredible potential due to the sheer size and diversity of the consumer base. To stay competitive in the ever-evolving landscape of the fashion retail industry, V2 Retail remains committed to innovation and adaptability. We continuously analyse market trends, consumer preferences, and emerging technologies to ensure that our offerings remain relevant and appealing. Additionally, our emphasis on customer satisfaction, quality products, and affordable pricing helps us maintain a strong competitive edge. By staying true to our values and vision while embracing change, we are poised to thrive in the dynamic world of fashion retail. Could you provide some insights into the unique selling points and strategies that set V2 Retail apart from other players in the market? V2 Retail stands out in the market due to its unwavering commitment to becoming an integral part of consumers lives, setting it apart with a distinct purpose that drives every facet of our operations. Our singular focus on customers permeates throughout the organisation, influencing operations, supply chain management, design, customer service, and channel strategies. By prioritising customer needs, we navigate all aspects of the business with financial prudence, ensuring sustainable growth and success. One of our key unique selling points lies in our organisational culture. Over decades, V2 Retail has cultivated a culture that fosters continuous learning and growth. Weve established robust processes and practices, embraced data-driven decision-making, and instilled an ethos of simplicity and clarity in our work environment. Each member of our team embodies the spirit of excellence, akin to the legendary archer Arjun, diligently pursuing their responsibilities with empowerment, access to resources, data, guidance, and motivation. This steadfast commitment to customer-centricity and a culture of excellence has propelled V2 Retails evolution over the years. Our ability to blend innovation with tradition, coupled with a relentless pursuit of customer satisfaction, has been instrumental in our success, enabling us to carve a niche for ourselves in the competitive retail landscape. In 2007, you sold off Vishal Megamart. What prompted this decision, and what benefits do you foresee for V2 Retail now in terms of learning? Like every good thing comes to an end, the decision to sell Vishal Retail in 2007 was a difficult, but necessary one. Several factors prompted this decision, including changes in market dynamics, evolving consumer preferences, and strategic considerations. Despite its success, Vishal Retail faced challenges that made it prudent to divest. Transitioning to V2 Retail after selling Vishal Retail provided invaluable lessons and opportunities for growth. It allowed us to reflect on past experiences and gain clarity on what not to do. Learning from both successes and failures is essential in the business world, and this transition provided us with a fresh perspective and renewed focus. Moreover, the sale of Vishal Retail enabled us to reallocate resources and streamline operations, positioning V2 Retail for success in the dynamic retail landscape. By leveraging our expertise and lessons learned, we are better equipped to navigate challenges and capitalize on emerging opportunities in the retail sector. In essence, while selling Vishal Retail marked the end of an era, it also marked the beginning of a new chapter for V2 Retail, characterized by resilience, adaptability, and continuous learning. Were there any challenges or emotional aspects associated with parting ways with Vishal Megamart, considering its history in the retail sector? Parting ways with Vishal Megamart certainly carried emotional weight, given its significant role in the modern retail sectors early years in India. It was a time of building something remarkable, and theres always a sentiment attached to leaving behind what you helped create. However, I find solace in the fact that Vishal Retail is thriving, knowing that the foundation I laid continues to support its success. As a leader, it is crucial to detach and embrace new opportunities. Once I made the decision to part with Vishal Retail, I approached my new journey with renewed commitment and enthusiasm. All in all, it is gratifying to witness the fruition of the efforts invested in Vishal Megamart and to embark on new ventures with optimism. On a personal note, how do you navigate the dynamic and competitive retail sector? Any lessons learned that you would like to share with aspiring entrepreneurs in the industry? As an entrepreneur navigating the dynamic and competitive retail sector, I firmly believe that success is not a matter of chance or accident, but rather a result of intentional design. To thrive in this environment, one must lead by example, embodying traits such as discipline, humility, and a willingness to take responsibility. Throughout my journey, Ive learned the importance of delivering value to all stakeholders employees, consumers, and shareholders alike. This entails listening, learning, unlearning, and relearning, while remaining steadfast in timeless principles. Efficiency and staying true to ones vision and purpose are paramount. My approach has been rooted in disciplined efforts and a commitment to humility. For aspiring entrepreneurs in this industry, I would emphasise the significance of these principles. By embracing discipline, humility, and a dedication to delivering value, one can navigate the challenges of the retail sector with resilience and integrity. The Federal Council Bern, 14.02.2024 - At its meeting on 14 February 2024, the Federal Council submitted its dispatch to the Swiss Parliament on the agreement between Switzerland and the United Kingdom on the mutual recognition of professional qualifications. The agreement enables citizens of both countries to take up employment in regulated professional activities. Swiss professionals and companies benefit from the agreement as it will enable them to continue offering their services in the United Kingdom. This agreement between Switzerland and the UK covers the mutual recognition of professional qualifications and replaces the transitional arrangement that was reached when the UK left the EU, which will remain in place until 31 December 2024. The dispatch also provides for a delegation of powers to the Federal Council, which should enable the Federal Council to enter into additional agreements on the recognition of professional qualifications for most regulated professions in the future. Encouraging the international recognition of Swiss professional qualifications is one of the stated objectives of the Federal Council's international strategy for education, research and innovation. In order to reach this objective, additional mutual recognition agreements are needed to cover qualifications awarded in countries whose education system is comparable to Switzerland's. As the agreement with the United Kingdom is likely to be subject to a referendum, it and the associated legislative amendments will not come into force before January 2025. At its meeting on 9 June 2023, the Federal Council authorised the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research (EAER) to sign the bilateral agreement with the United Kingdom. It also decided to initiate consultation for this agreement and proposed legislative amendments. During the consultation round, which continued until 6 October 2023, there was majority support for both the agreement and proposed legislative amendments. Address for enquiries GS-EAER Communication Service, info@gs-wbf.admin.ch +41 58 462 20 07 Publisher The Federal Council https://www.admin.ch/gov/en/start.html Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research http://www.wbf.admin.ch Federal Department of Foreign Affairs Bern, 29.02.2024 - Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis will represent Switzerland at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum to be held in Turkey from 1 to 3 March. The third edition of the forum will address the issue of 'Advancing Diplomacy in Times of Turmoil'. During the high-level forum, Mr Cassis will participate in a panel discussion on Europe's security architecture. He will also use the dialogue platform to hold various talks on the prerequisites for a peace process in Ukraine. The conflict in the Middle East and the war in Ukraine pose major security challenges for the world. In the panel discussion on Europe's security architecture, Mr Cassis will stress the importance of upholding the values and principles of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). He will also outline Switzerland's contributions to European and international security, for example in the UN Security Council. Alongside Mr Cassis, OSCE Secretary General Helga Schmid will also participate in the panel discussion. The Federal Council's new Foreign Policy Strategy 202427 highlights the centrality of Europe's security to Swiss foreign policy. In addition to strengthening the OSCE, a key priority is stepping up cooperation on security policy with the EU and other bilateral partners. Commitment to sustainable peace in Ukraine Heads of state and governments as well as ministers from around 50 countries and representatives from key international organisations will be attending this year's Antalya Diplomacy Forum. Mr Cassis will also use the opportunity while in Turkey to engage in bilateral talks. Meetings are planned with the foreign ministers of Turkey, Moldova, Kyrgyzstan, Bangladesh and Mozambique. Talks will focus on the war in Ukraine and the prerequisites for a peace process in Ukraine. The situation in the Middle East will also be addressed. Address for enquiries FDFA Communication Federal Palace West Wing CH-3003 Bern, Switzerland Tel. Press service: +41 58 460 55 55 E-mail: kommunikation@eda.admin.ch Twitter: @SwissMFA Publisher Federal Department of Foreign Affairs https://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home.html Federal Department of Finance Bern, 29.02.2024 - On 28 and 29 February 2024 in Sao Paulo, Federal Councillor Karin Keller-Sutter, accompanied by SNB Vice Chairman Martin Schlegel, attended the first meeting of G20 finance ministers and central bank governors under the Brazilian presidency. The main topics discussed included the global economic environment, budgetary policy and the debt situation, the international financial architecture and financial sector stability, as well as multilateral tax matters. The finance ministers and central bank governors exchanged views on global growth trends. They also discussed possible responses to the persistently high and rising debt burden, and emphasised the importance of international financial stability. In addition, they spoke about how risks and imbalances can be mitigated by means of enhanced cooperation, and how the representation of emerging market and developing economies in global financial institutions could be improved. Finally, the participants stressed the need to further implement the regulations on the taxation of large international companies. Federal Councillor Karin Keller-Sutter advocated sustainable fiscal policy and legal certainty in international taxation by calling for robust dispute resolution mechanisms and realistic timetables in international projects. She campaigned for a focus on financial stability: "It is crucial to learn from the banking turmoil in 2023. Strengthening the resilience of the global financial system to maintain financial stability is key." Switzerland's finance minister also took the opportunity to hold various bilateral talks. Switzerland is taking part in the G20 Finance Track for the ninth consecutive time this year, following an invitation by Brazil. The meeting of finance ministers held on 28 and 29 February was the first of four such meetings in 2024. Address for enquiries FDF Communications Tel. +41 58 458 60 63 kommunikation@gs-efd.admin.ch Publisher Federal Department of Finance https://www.efd.admin.ch/efd/en/home.html State Secretariat for International Financial Matters http://www.sif.admin.ch In a significant development, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar expressed grave concern in the Legislative Assembly regarding the discovery of statements bearing fake signatures and stamps of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. The state government has promptly taken note of this alarming situation, registering a case with the police, and ensuring a thorough investigation is underway. Deputy CM Ajit Pawar affirmed that strict action will be taken against those responsible, emphasizing that no one will be spared in this matter. He further revealed that officers and employees at the Chief Ministers Secretariat uncovered instances where statements, carrying fabricated signatures and seals of CM Eknath Shinde, were submitted for processing. The gravity of the situation has prompted the government to address it with utmost seriousness. A First Information Report (FIR) has been filed at the police station, and authorities are actively investigating to identify the individuals behind this deceptive act. The Deputy CM reassured the Assembly that every effort would be made to ensure accountability in this matter. Leader of Opposition Vijay Wadettiwar brought this issue to the forefront during the Legislative Assembly session, emphasizing the need for a thorough examination of the fraudulent use of the Chief Ministers signature and stamp. Nearly 200 students and faculty members marched across the University of Alabamas quad Wednesday, chanting Defend DEI and holding signs in support of student programs that they fear are now at risk as a controversial bill makes its way forward in the Alabama legislature. The bill, SB129, would prohibit government institutions, including state agencies, public schools and colleges, from funding a diversity, equity and inclusion office and from sponsoring DEI programs or any program that advocates for a divisive concept. It also would prohibit higher education institutions from allowing individuals to use a restroom that is different from their sex as assigned at birth. In Montgomery this month, the bills Republican sponsors claimed theyd received several complaints that students were being forced to accept certain ideologies, or made to feel guilty because of an aspect of their identity. After hours of debate, the bill passed the Senate last week in a vote along party lines. It still must come before a House committee and vote. But on campus Wednesday, students credited diverse student groups and DEI employees for helping them afford college, keeping them from dropping out, and supporting them through some of the toughest moments of their lives. The legislation could impact a number of minority student groups, campus offices, and the colleges office of diversity, equity and inclusion, which was founded in 2017 after numerous requests from students and faculty. DEI programming saved my life, and thats not a unique story on this campus, Sean Atchison, president of the UA Queer Student Association, told the crowd, recounting how employees at the Safe Zone, a LGBTQ-affirming campus organization, helped him through a traumatic experience his freshman year. University of Alabama students and faculty turned out in numbers today to protest SB129, a bill that would ban diversity programs on campus. pic.twitter.com/wTmFKmYaAR Rebecca Griesbach (@greezbock) February 28, 2024 In a statement Wednesday evening, a spokeswoman for the UA System said all University of Alabama institutions remain dedicated to our mission of providing exceptional educational, research and patient care experiences to all people, of all backgrounds, in welcoming environments that foster open thought, academic freedom and free expression. We are committed to providing resources and opportunities that are accessible to all and will continue to work with the legislature as we equip our campus community members for success at our universities and beyond, the statement read. The University of Alabama reported about $3.3 million on DEI-related expenses in 2023. In a letter to lawmakers, officials said those funds supported efforts to improve graduation rates, recruit diverse staff, and improve learning opportunities for all students. Students worried that the bill could strip away their access to campus bathrooms, student groups and financial aid. One student credited Lucys Legacy, a residential program for women of color, for funding her summer semester. Another freshman told AL.com that she came here on a minority scholarship, the National Recognition Scholars. UA recently discontinued the program, according to the student newspaper. Students protest a bill that would ban certain diversity, equity and inclusion programs from Alabama government-funded organizations Wednesday at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Rebecca Griesbach/AL.COM.rebecca griesbach Some Alabama natives, including freshman business major Shawn Gustavson, said the colleges diversity is what kept them in state for school. Others worried the legislation could deter out-of-state students, who have been enrolling in record numbers. DEI brings so many people here, and its going to bring our state into the future, said Eyram Gbeddy, president of a student ambassador program for the schools Black Faculty and Staff Association. Julia Dominguez, president of the Hispanic Latino Association, linked the legislation to another law in the state that prevents undocumented students from attending state colleges. There are so many of our communities who arent even here today, because Alabama has decided that we dont belong here, she said. And now theyre coming with SB129? No, no no, were not doing that. Several faculty members stood in the back of the crowd on Wednesday in quiet support of students. Fen Kennedy, an assistant professor of dance, said the bill is going to stop Alabama students from getting a truthful picture of what America is. Alabama is our home too and weve got to live here and weve got to talk about who we are and weve got to talk about the things that matter to us, Kennedy told AL.com. And if theres a bill that makes it harder to do that, what its asking us to do is live a lie. Pete Ludovice, director of the colleges engineering entrepreneurship program, waved to fellow students as they gathered at the steps of Gorgas Library. Hes worried the bill will hurt recruiting, among other things. I think most of the legislators that are for this dont understand that it does affect creativity, it does affect entrepreneurship, it does affect research, and that affects what we do. But hes inspired, he said, by the way students came together on Wednesday. Alabama is a great state, he said. We just want to keep the legislature from trying to drag us back to the 1950s. Atchison said students from UA and at least three other college campuses plan to meet in Montgomery next week as the bill heads to the House. They might not hear us here, but theyll have no choice but to look us in our faces, he said. In their last scene, the characters of An Ocean In My Bones are no longer enslaved, no longer oppressed, no longer infirm. They stand tall and give an account of themselves. Until its final act, the work has presented an artful historic re-enactment of one of the most shameful chapters in Mobiles history. But now it transforms into something otherworldly, a little surreal, almost supernatural. The characters represent survivors of the slave ship Clotilda, the founders of the community of Africatown. The audience has seen their past: Taken, enslaved, separated, stranded. Now it is brought to the present day. News comes that the sunken wreckage of the ship has been found. The tolling of a ships bell seems to free its long-buried survivors from a twilight state. The female warriors who destroyed their villages and took them captive in a long-ago slave raid stalk the margins, like ghosts. The slave owner who trafficked them laughs his taunting laugh again, another hallucination. These and other terrors that they carried with them throughout their lives no longer hold any fear: The survivors of the Clotilda are ready now to return home, or rather to move on to the next worlds version of it. So ends An Ocean In My Bones, a play crafted over the last three years. Conceived by community leaders in Africatown, produced by volunteers, acted by novices and crafted by a director recruited from afar, it has been seen by a few hundred people. The culmination of the effort has been three showings in a school gymnasium during the recent Spirit of Our Ancestors Festival presented by the Clotilda Descendants Association. The question is, what comes next? 10 1 / 10 An Ocean In My Bones Is An Ocean In My Bones a work that will become a work of local interest? Might it become a work that other companies present at festivals or campuses elsewhere? Might it become the basis of something bigger, such as a touring production? The potential, at least, has been created. And thats something Joycelyn Davis was hoping for, she says, when she and others began kicking the idea around a few years ago. The Africatown-Clotilda story is much like Roots, Davis said recently. That is such a big and profound movie and I felt like -- I feel like -- our story should be on the stage and on the movie screen. Theater was a logical place to start. My dream was to make this play as big as To Kill a Mockingbird, said Davis. I want that to be us. Setting the stage The Clotilda made the last known voyage carrying captive Africans into slavery in the United States, bringing more than 100 prisoners to Mobile shortly before the onset of the Civil War. That story was brought to global attention in May 2019, when researchers announced that sunken wreckage in the Mobile River had been conclusively verified to be that of the Clotilda. In 2022, the award-winning documentary Descendant brought much wider awareness of Africatown, a unique community founded by some of the ships survivors, a place where they were able to preserve their language and folkways in an alien and often hostile world. The Clotilda and Africatown had never been secrets, but a moment of change seemed to be dawning. Perhaps Africatown could become a destination. Perhaps its residents could enjoy some relief from decades of blight, economic decline and industrial encroachment. Perhaps the story of its founders could be told properly, rather than focusing only on the best-known individuals and anecdotes. A goal for the Spirit of Our Ancestors Festival was that I wanted all the different descendants to talk about their ancestor, Davis said. Because I felt like Gumpa wasnt highlighted, James and Lottie Dennison werent highlighted. Its believed the Clotilda left Africa with 110 captives aboard and arrived in Mobile with 103 still living. Recent scholarship by Hannah Durkin shows that the captives were scattered across southwest and west-central Alabama, with about 30 remaining in Mobile County. Cudjoe Lewis, aka Kazoola or Kossula, became the best known of those. The last of Africatowns founders, he lived long enough to be interviewed by Zora Neale Hurston and even to be the subject of a short film clip she shot. I just started rereading all the books that were written and just started thinking, you know, everybody needs to know about these different ancestors and what they did, Davis said. For so many years, Cudjoe Lewis has been like the main character. His bust was in front of the church she attended; his picture was in some of her school history books. His face is there which I understand, you have to have a face, she said. But to tell the complete story, you have to add all those [others] because they all did significant things. And I dont know if the children know that or even the adults in the community know that. Everyone needs to know their story, their stories need to be told, she said. During rehearsals for "An Ocean In My Bones," T.J. McCovery is cast into enslavement. Looking on are Rodney Freeman as William Foster, captain of the Clotilda, left; warrior women who conducted a slave raid, background; and Ashley Simmons Lewis, representing Natalie Robertson, author of "the Slave Ship Clotilda and the Making of Africatown."Lawrence Specker | LSpecker@AL.com Among those involved in early discussions was Greg Cyprian, a strong advocate for Black theater who wanted to put her in touch with Terrence Spivey, a playwright based in Cleveland. When COVID-19 nearly killed Cyprian and left him facing a long recovery from debilitating health impacts, the course of the project was changed. But Davis went on to make contact with Spivey, whose extensive experience in Black theater included more than a decade as artistic director at Karamu House, a historic Black theater company. Over the last three years, Spivey has spent a good deal of time in Mobile, developing the play with input from Davis and Pat Frazier, another liaison to the Clotilda Descendants Association, teaching a cast of actors whose inexperience has been balanced, in at least some cases, by personal appreciation of the material, and in some cases a familial connection to it. Speaking to a reporter during rehearsals in January, Spivey was apologetic about some of the resources he didnt have. With Ocean there wouldnt be much in terms of sets. There wouldnt be a weeks-long run of performances to hone every detail. And yet, it was striking how much technique he was packing into the production. Much of An Ocean in My Bones depicts the horrors of African slave raids and of the miserable transatlantic voyage. But year by year, more artistic elements have been added. A quartet of actors represent the female authors, including Hurston and Mobilian Emma Langdon Roche, who did much to preserve and popularize the Africatown story; they serve as narrators and, at times, almost as a Greek chorus. The Clotilda herself speaks, with production manager Ashley Austin voicing the part. Dancers with swirling blue capes represent the fury of a storm at sea, and another with a fire-colored train embodies the fire used to wreck and hide the ship. The fire dancer, Andrea McArthur, said she joined the cast because she wanted to develop her acting ability and hoped it would be a learning experience. It has been. In a rehearsal in January she found herself the subject of Spiveys full attention as she tackled a particularly challenging part: She had to synchronize her movements to the speech of the actor playing ship captain William Foster as well as to the music, and at one point in her dance she had to deliver a shout. It seemed like something with the potential to genuinely shock an audience. Again and again, Spivey called for another take. Again and again, McArthur ran through what was basically a gymnastics routine. Again and again, her yell sounded triumphant, like the joy of a young flame getting to blaze. And then suddenly it sounded like fury, like fire promising destruction. Thats it! yelled Spivey. See, youre mad at me and youre using it! Amid laughter, everybody took a break. We wanted to take the play to another level, said Austin. We didnt want it to be the same. The first year was different than last year and this year is different than last year. We wanted to show the audience different aspects of the play, a different view of the journey that the 110 went on. And we wanted them to have a full experience. Sometimes when youre just speaking the words and youre acting it out sometimes it doesnt, you know, you dont really portray it the way you want to. But when you incorporate all of these different elements, it brings to life the actuality of everything that happened. Casting call Whatever audiences the work may reach, An Ocean In My Bones has touched its performers. For many of them, its been a chance not just to portray historic figures, but to do so in the community where they lived, where descendants may still have firm ideas about how they should or shouldnt be depicted. Its personal, its emotional for me, said Jason Lewis, whose roles include Africatown elder Peter Gumpa Lee. And really, its family. My family grew up in Africatown adjacent to those West Africans that established it. My uncle was best friends with a descendant of Peter Lee, James Lee, and they grew up in Plateau together. Imagine this, said Lewis, speaking before a dress rehearsal in the auditorium at Mobile County Training School, where he once was a student. I came back to Alabama after retiring from the Navy and the only other time that I ever acted in anything as far as a play and on a stage was that stage right there. Our band teacher put on a play [years ago] and I never forget walking in, and I walked out that doors sobbing, crying, because I had thought about the fact that, you know, last time I saw that stage, I was in the eighth grade. So this was personal for me, he said. I want Peter Lee to be aggressive in how he delivers because Peter Lee had a real disdain for white folks and he had a real disdain for the Takba people. But his disdain for the Takba people wasnt so bad that they couldnt connect and create a community here. (Note: Unlike the other captives aboard the Clotilda, Lee was not captured in a internecine slave raid. In negotiations between agents of Dahomeys king and Foster, he was a citizen of Dahomey who apparently was thrown into the deal as a sort of bonus. Though from a different ethnic group than the rest of the captives, he went on to become a respected elder of Africatown.) Playwright Terrence Spivey, right, and actress Andrea McArthur confer during rehearsals for "An Ocean In My Bones."Lawrence Specker | LSpecker@AL.com Lewis said he and fellow cast member T.J. McCovery saw Africatown at its worst. He grew up in nearby projects that since have been torn down. When I say at its worst, when the crack epidemic came through here, it killed off most of our friends, he said. The only remembrance I have of any excellence about Africatown was talking to James Lee. McCoverys roles include that of James Dennison, an enslaved man of African and Native American heritage who was forced into a marriage with one of the African captives, Lottie Kanko Dennison. McCovery said he grew up in Georgia but visited relatives in Africatown on holidays and in summers. It is so different and it hurts so bad to see the difference in it, he said. Like, we can step outside right now and look at five abandoned houses. And to see to see that, it does hit different, and it makes you want to tell the story even more because all of this is historic landmark and the people that are living here dont even realize. So thats why we have to get the story out and tell people about it. Look, I grew up here, bro, said Lewis. I aint never heard about Africatown. Its a complex legacy. Some descendants of Clotilda survivors worked hard to pass along awareness of the communitys unique history to new generations. Fear of persecution, among other factors, meant that some did not. Exactly, said McCovery. And none of the kids nowadays know anything about Africatown or the Clotilda. They just know Plateau and they do not go to Plateau. Thats all they know. (As a geographic term, Plateau overlaps with Africatown in referring to formerly unincorporated areas now inside Mobiles northeastern limits.) Austin said she grew up elsewhere in Mobile but her mother worked at Scott Paper and she has childhood memories of passing the Africatowns historic cemetery, which was severely overgrown at the time. I love yall but this was not the place that we wanted to hang out, she said. She agreed that in her lifetime, Africatowns declining fortunes have contributed to a lack of awareness of its historic significance, even among residents. The play is a way of reclaiming lost ground, she said. Doing this play and meeting people like Pat Frasier and Joycelyn Davis and Bobby Dennison [has meant] hearing the stories of their ancestors, she said. And them adopting us so that we could say, you know, not by blood, are we descendants of the Clotilda, but by love, we are descendants of the Clotilda. And its kind of like, when Cain killed Abel, his voice cried out from the ground. So the descendants, so the ancestors, their voices are crying out from the ground, you know, to tell their story. Among the cast, E.A. Keeble has the rare role of a white character whos not one of its epithet-spewing villains, ship captain Foster and slaveholder Timothy Meaher. She represents author Emma Langdon Roche, a Mobilian whose 1914 book Historic Sketches of the South included text and drawings about the last few living Clotilda survivors, including Cudjoe Lewis. Keeble said that when she first heard of the play, she just wanted to be a part of it in whatever way might be possible, even if it was backstage. Roche and the other authors werent part of it at the time, and even if they had been, she wasnt familiar with Roches story. Im still pinching myself, she said. Her desire is simply that more people see the work. And that seems to be a common motivator among the cast. Thats why they have put in the massive effort. I told the actors here that you all have a double, triple responsibility, said Spivey. You live in a city where the history has a history and you also are playing roles of the ancestors of descendants who will be in that audience. And here again, a lot of them didnt know much about the story. They started doing more research about the Clotilda and talking to Jocelyn and Pat and other descendants. Its been a lot of hard work from each and every person in the entire cast, said McCovery. I mean, from on stage to offstage with personal stuff, we all had to dig deep as a family and come together and make it better than it had been. Lewis said he knew of cast members dealing with serious health issues. Nobody will ever know because they gonna perform in a way that shows their respect and love for what these ancestors did and just our love for each other, he said. I mean, this is, we are, family. We done got into arguments, we done forgave, we done laughed and we have encouraged. This cast this year, theres a different fire to us. In search of an encore Frazier and Davis said that An Ocean In My Bones has been brought this far by grants, sponsorships and donations that have funded the presentations and Spiveys involvement. Backers have included the Alabama State Council on the Arts, the Alabama Humanities Alliance, PNC Bank, Hargrove and the Community Foundation of South Alabama. We really feel good now, in terms of the play itself, said Spivey. They just want more people to see it. And thats an uncertain road. Thus far, An Ocean In My Bones has been staged in Africatown, in the hope that it can increase awareness within the community of the communitys own story. Rodney Freeman, as Clotilda captain William Foster, gloats over captives in the play "An Ocean In My Bones."Lawrence Specker | LSpecker@AL.com I still, I feel like I still havent reached everybody in the community, said Davis. I see a lot of people outside of the community there. So theres still work to be done as far as outreach, still work to be done. On the one hand, the white portion of the audience has been small. On the other, Keeble and others say theyve seen significant interest, even if it hasnt always translated into attendance. People need to find themselves in this story and take ownership of it because they didnt get it in the history books, said Lewis. I think the arts gives us the opportunity to learn something that somebody else felt like didnt deserve to be learned. And so I want people to take ownership over this story. I want them to leave with saying Im gonna own this, as a European, as an American. School audiences are another possibility, though the liberal use of the n-word by Meaher and Foster, and the potentially disturbing violence depicted, pose obstacles. So is a recent political tendency to ban divisive truth. We left our country speaking one language, said Austin. When we got here, we were speaking another language. And these are the atrocities that were done to us, and it needs to be heard in a world where so many states now are trying to take that out of the history books, that are trying to take that out of our schools. Youre, trying to erase our story and were here to say, no, you cannot erase our story. Spivey says long experience has shown him that it takes concerted effort to incorporate a work of art, such as a play, into an educational framework. The work has to be known, first off. Then there has to be a curriculum to go with it, materials that teachers can use to bring out the lessons. Promotion is a big part of it, too. All that work lies ahead. Theres also the possibility that the play could be produced elsewhere, for presentation at a festival or by a university. Its not practical to try and take the local cast and crew on tour, and it would take another level of backing to put together a production capable of traveling. Should backers for such a venture emerge, Spivey and the Clotilda Descendants Association both will have a say, and a stake, in how that develops. The 2024 Spirit of Our Ancestors Festival has come and gone, with three presentations of An Ocean In My Bones. The next performance isnt yet on the books. But this much is for sure: No one involved is ready to let the Clotilda settle back beneath the water. This story is bigger than us, its bigger than any of us, Austin said. And I hope, and I pray, that when people come in, whether theyve been here before, whether its their first time coming in when they see their play, this play, that their lives are changed, that they will begin to see Africatown in a different light. Its not just a play for Africatown, she said. Its not just a play for Mobile. Its not just a play for the state of Alabama. Its a play for the world. This play should be for the world to see. A 20-year-old wanted in a December shooting that killed two people, including a 13-year-old boy, is now in custody. The U.S. Marshals Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force and Jefferson County sheriffs deputies arrested Leon Walker Jr. Wednesday afternoon on Lanewood Drive in Birmingham. Authorities said Walker initially refused to surrender. Task force officials called a family member of Walker, and he came out without further incident. He was booked into the Jefferson County Jail about 5 p.m. Walker is already awaiting trial for a 2022 shooting that left his 3-year-old sister injured. Walker is charged with two counts of capital murder in the killings of Johnathan Keith Cottingham, 13, of Forestdale, and Louis Craig IV, 19, of Birmingham. He is also charged with attempted murder for a 15-year-old boy was in the car with the slain victims but escaped injury. The warrants against Walker were obtained Dec. 18, 2023. Authorities have been searching for him since then. The deadly shooting happened just before 8 p.m. on Dec. 11. Jefferson County sheriffs deputies responded to a call of shots fire in the 200 block of Chickasaw Drive near Forestdale. Tamir Freeman, 23, of Easton, is shown in a photo provided Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024, by Easton police in relation to attempted homicide and related charges filed against Freeman in a shooting Monday Dec. 11, 2023, in the 200 block of Northampton Street in the city, in the area of the Easton Winter Village skating rink, shown here in a photo of the police investigation that night.Courtesy/Tim Wynkoop file photos | For lehighvalleylive.com Jefferson County sheriff's deputies are investigating a Dec. 11, 2023, shooting that left two people dead.(Contributed) When they arrived, they found a vehicle had crashed into several other parked vehicles in the parking lot of an apartment complex, sheriffs Lt. Joni Money previously said. Cottingham and Craig were found unresponsive inside the vehicle. Both were pronounced dead on the scene at 8:19 p.m. Money said the third teen, who was uninjured, ran to a nearby residence for help. A motive has not been disclosed but authorities said the suspect knew the victims. Cottingham was a sixth grader at Minor Middle School. He had his whole life ahead of him, and it is heartbreaking to lose someone so young to an act of violence, Jefferson County schools superintendent Walter Gonsoulin said in a prepared statement. His family, his friends, and his teachers are all in my prayers today. I also pray the person responsible will be brought to justice quickly. Walker is charged with aggravated child abuse in the 2022 incident that left his younger sister injured by gunfire. In that incident, sheriffs deputies were dispatched to Tower Drive on a report of a child shot. They arrived to find the girl suffering from a gunshot wound to the stomach area. Authorities said the girl had been left in the care of her brother, Leon Walker Jr. That case has been over to a grand jury for indictment consideration. Walker will be held without bond on the capital murder charges. Authorities have released the name of a man shot to death during an argument inside an east Birmingham home. Birmingham police late Wednesday identified the slain man as Jeremy Andrews. He was 33. Officers were dispatched shortly before 8:30 a.m. to house in the 7800 block of Seventh Court South on a report of a person shot. Officer Truman Fitzgerald said they arrived to find the shooting victim unresponsive inside the home. Birmingham Fire and Rescue Serviced pronounced the man dead on the scene. There were at least two young children in the home when deadly shooting took place. Fitzgerald said the investigation shows a woman and a man were involved in a domestic argument. Andrews then arrived at the house and got into an argument with the same man. It was during the second argument Andrews was shot. Police initially said the suspect fled the scene but later provided an update saying he was taken into custody at the scene. The 41-year-old suspect is being held in the Birmingham City Jail on a 48-hour hold as the investigation continues. According to Fitzgerald, both the victim and the suspect were armed. Andrews is Birminghams 18th homicide this year. Of those, one has been ruled justifiable and therefore not deemed criminal. In all of Jefferson County, there have been 23 homicides including the 18 in Birmingham. Anyone with additional information is asked to call Birmingham homicide investigators at 205-254-1764 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777. Seven people have been charged in the death of a young Birmingham mother who was held against her will and tortured for hours before she was fatally shot. Mahogany Jackson, 20, messaged her mother early Sunday, saying, Send the police apt 3 held hostage dont call. She also sent her location to her sister. Her body was found in Mondays predawn hours under a mattress in an illegal dumping site in the 1700 block of Laurel Avenue in southwest Birmingham. She had been shot at least one time. Here is full coverage of the case Brandon Pope, 24, Francis Harris, 25, and Jeremiah McDowell, 18, are charged with capital murder during a first-degree kidnapping and capital murder during first-degree sodomy. Giovannie Clapp, 23, and Blair Green, 25, are charged with felony murder- the underlying felony being kidnapping or sodomy- as well as first-degree kidnapping and first-degree sodomy. Teja Lewis, 26, is charged with felony murder. SiNiya McCall, 23, is charged with felony murder, first-degree kidnapping and first degree sodomy. Lewis and Clapp are also charged with second-degree assault for pistol-whipping Jackson. At least part of the sexual assault on Jackson was video recorded. Thurmond said that video played a pivotal role in the investigation and the subsequent charges. Police declined to release details of the crime to shield the family, Chief Scott Thurmond said. Jackson was taken to several different locations during the hours she was held hostage. The heinous nature of the death was worse than most he had seen in years as a homicide investigator, Thurmond said. It was absolutely disgusting, Thurmond said. The actions displayed by these defendants were barbaric and have no place in society,' said Jefferson County District Attorney Danny Carr. The senseless and inhumane treatment perpetuated on young Mahogany Jackson was very disturbing and violent. I truly believe that society has gotten to the point where everybody has a right, but nobody has a responsibility,' Carr said. Our office will do our very best to make sure they are punished and held accountable for such heinous and unimaginable actions,' he said. God bless the family of Mahogany. Lewis, McCall and McDowell were booked into the Jefferson County Jail between 3 p.m. and 3:45 p.m. Wednesday. The rest were awaiting booking. Jeremiah McDowell, Francis Harris, and Brandon Pope are charged with capital murder in the murder of 20-year-old Mahogany Jackson.(Birmingham City Jail) The Jefferson County District Attorneys Office issued the warrants Wednesday afternoon, and the Birmingham Police Department announced them in a subsequent press conference. The ordeal began early Sunday when family members say Jackson, the mother of a toddler daughter, messaged them. She said she was being held hostage, and to send police. She shared her location with them on her cell phone. Jacksons mother, Gail Maddox, previously told AL.com she was on her way to pick up her son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter from the airport in Atlanta when her other daughter called her and said shed received a disturbing message from Jackson. Maddox looked at her phone it was 7:46 a.m. and she, too, had missed calls through Facebook messenger, but Maddox was on the phone, so she didnt receive the notification. She sent me a text message that said she was being held hostage and sent her location, Maddox said. She told her mom not to call her but to call police. Family members rushed to that location, as did Birmingham police. Birmingham police investigate the kidnapping and murder of young Birmingham mother Mahogany Jackson.(Carol Robinson) When they arrived at Serenity Apartments, they went to Lewiss apartment. She told police Jackson had been there, but had left about 2 a.m. Police were eventually allowed into the apartment and did not find Jackson. Lewis and Jackson had an ongoing dispute - reportedly about something previously taken from Lewiss apartment and that people were looking for Jackson. Fight videos were shared on social media following Jacksons disappearance. Officers and detectives worked throughout the day and overnight until Jacksons body was found about 2:15 a.m. Monday. A witness led police to the body. Lewis and McCall were taken into custody hours later. Lewis was found hiding in a neighbors apartment that she had broken into. The rest of the suspects were taken into custody over the next 24 hours. Thurmond said the community played a large role in the swift arrests. Its hurtful to know that seven individuals participate in such violent acts, but this case highlights the strength and the effectiveness of the partnership between the Birmingham Police Department and our community as seven suspects are now behind bars,' Thurmond said. Thurmond said he believes all of the suspects have now been charged and are in custody. Alabama lawmakers in the House and Senate on Thursday passed almost identical bills intended to provide legal protections to in vitro fertilization clinics, legislation that supporters acknowledged was not a permanent solution to questions about the legal status of embryos created through IVF. The House bill passed by a vote of 94-6. It moves to the Senate, which passed a similar bill 34-0 a few hours later. Final passage for a bill from the House or Senate could happen as early as next week. More than a dozen lawmakers in the House took part in about two-and-a half hours of debate. The Republican majority approved a cloture petition to end the debate and force the vote. The bill passed with support from most of the Republicans and most of the Democrats. Four Democrats and two Republicans voted against it, while three Republicans abstained. HB237, by Reps. Terri Collins, R-Decatur, and David Faulkner, R-Mountain Brook, comes in response to a Feb. 16 ruling by the Alabama Supreme Court that found that frozen embryos held in storage are considered unborn children under state law. The Senate bill is SB159 by Sen. Tim Melson, R-Florence. Several clinics that provide IVF services have put those services on hold because of the liability caused by the ruling, putting many families in a holding pattern. Patients, doctors, and other advocates converged on the State House for a rally Wednesday to urge lawmakers to provide some immunity for clinics so that services can be restored. HB237 says no action, suit, or criminal prosecution for the damage to or death of an embryo shall be brought or maintained against any individual or entity when providing or receiving goods or services related to in vitro fertilization. The bill says the immunity is intended to apply retroactively to any act, omission, or course of services which are not the subject of litigation on the effective date of this act. Collins opened the debate Thursday morning by saying the bill is an agreed-upon bill that would achieve the purpose of allowing IVF procedures to resume. Collins said the bill is not a long-term solution. Collins said she expects the Legislature to address the long-term solution within the next year. She said she expects work to start on that over the next few weeks. An earlier version of the bill would have automatically repealed on June 1, 2025, but that was removed. Rep. Mark Gidley, a Republican from Etowah County, told Collins he was concerned that the bill comes as knee-jerk reaction to the situation and said he wanted to make sure the controversy would not be used to weaken Alabamas status as a pro-life state. Gidley said he wanted to be involved in discussions about any long-term solution. Gidley said it is important that the law recognize that frozen embryos are human life. Rep. Mary Moore, D-Birmingham, said she disagreed with the court ruling that frozen embryos are unborn children. She said the controversy has brought to light the importance of protecting the IVF process because it helps many families who could not otherwise have children. Rep. Laura Hall, D-Huntsville, asked Collins why some IVF clinics in the state have remained open. Collins said she did not know why some clinics have remained open while others have paused services. Hall asked Collins about the long-term solution. I know youre coming with this Band-Aid today, Hall said. But theres a big open wound out there that needs to be taken care of. Collins said it is conceivable the Legislature could, after her bill, need to revisit the issue again this year, possibly with a constitutional amendment that would be on the ballot in November. Again, Collins said the immediate purpose is to allow the clinics to resume helping families to give time to work on a permanent solution. This solution is for opening the clinics right away, and thats what were trying to do, Collins said. Alabama House Democrats have proposed a constitutional amendment that would provide that embryos held in storage outside a womans uterus are not considered unborn children. That bill is not on the House calendar today. Rep. Chris England, D-Tuscaloosa, said he agreed with the goal of allowing the clinics to reopen. But he said the passage of HB237 would leave huge questions about the legal status of embryos as unborn children, as found by the state Supreme Court. Patients who receive IVF services enter contracts that allow unused embryos to eventually be discarded or donated to other couples or for research, according to the Medical Association of the State of Alabama, which filed a court brief in the case that led to the ruling. If those are in fact children, unborn children, there is an argument there that the state would have to take custody of those embryos in the event that the person stops paying for the service, in the event that that person whos getting the service dies, and Im not sure if youre prepared to create the Alabama department of cryogenics, but thats an issue, England said. And our temporary solution here is akin to turning a water hose on a burning tree in a forest that is on fire. Rep. Arnold Mooney, a Republican from Shelby County, said he was conflicted and did not know the right answer to the situation. But Mooney, whose voice faltered with emotion at times, said he was certain the Legislature need to explore a long-term solution and regulations. The bio ethics issue a massive issue, Mooney said. God creates, not man. We could be tampering with things that long-term could be bad for us, Mooney said. Rep. Jim Hill, R-Moody, said he did not want to argue the ideological issues except to say that a solution is needed for families who want to use IVF services and are not able to do so now. To not allow people who want to bring children who want to into this world is a bad mistake, Hill said. Rep. Juandalynn Givan, D-Birmingham, and several other Democratic lawmakers expressed concern that the immunity in HB237 would take away legal options for patients who suffer some negative health consequences as a result of the IVF services. Rep. Ernie Yarbrough, R-Trinity, said the Legislature should proceed with the understanding that embryos are unborn children. He said the pause in IVF procedures is not a bad thing if it allows time to figure out how to best regulate IVF procedures. Yarbrough proposed an amendment that would have narrowed the immunity provided to clinics. It said the immunity would not have applied to anybody who intentionally caused the destruction of an embryo. Can there be any issue more pressing than make sure we are not endorsing the destruction of lives of children? Yarbrough asked. Collins asked the House to table, or reject, Yarbroughs amendment. The House voted 65-26 to table it. Collins said she did not want to change the bill because she said it was an agreed-upon bill to allow the clinics to resume services. Rep. Ben Harrison, R-Elkmont, said he supported IVF procedures but said it should be done in a way that recognizes that embryos are unborn children. He opposes the immunity granted in HB237. Youre asking this body to grant immunity to murder, Harrison said. By legal definition, thats what youre asking this body to do. Does the state of Alabama want to do that? I cant go there. Harrison proposed an amendment to create a committee to study IVF procedures and make recommendations to the Legislature. At Collins request, the House rejected the amendment by a vote of 71-21. After about two and a half hours of debate, House Majority Leader Scott Stadthagen, R-Hartselle, filed a petition to end the debate and force a vote. The petition was approved 73-28. The six lawmakers who voted against the bill were Givan, Harrison, Yarbrough, and Reps. Barbara Boyd, D-Anniston, Mary Moore, D-Birmingham, and Patrick Sellers, D-Birmingham. Those who abstained were Gidley, Mooney, and Rep. Phillip Rigsby, R-Huntsville. This story was edited at 1:30 p.m. to correct information in the seventh paragraph that quotes the language in the bill about immunity. An Alabama man was arrested Wednesday in Cullman for allegedly threatening to execute Arizona election officials for treason after claiming voter fraud in the states 2022 gubernatorial race, prosecutors said. Brian Jerry Ogstad, 59, of Cullman, is facing five federal counts of communicating an interstate threat in federal court in Huntsville, prosecutors said Wednesday. Ogstad allegedly sent threatening messages to the Maricopa County Elections Offices social media account. [Y]ou people are so ducking [sic] stupid. Everyone knows you are lots [sic], cheats, frauds and in doing so in relation to elections have committed treason. You will all be executed. Bang [expletive]! Ogstad allegedly wrote on the offices social media account on Aug. 4, 2022, after Arizona held primary elections for races including governor, which drew national attention, prosecutors said. Ogstad allegedly sent similar threats on the day after the Aug. 2, 2022 election, prosecutors said, including: You did it! Now you are [expletive]. Dead. You will all be executed for your crimes; [expletive] you! You are caught! They have it all. You [expletive] are dead; You are lying, cheating [expletive] . . . you better not come in my church, my business or send your kids to my school. You are [expletive] stupid if you think your lives are safe; and You [expletive] are so dead. As alleged in the indictment, Brian Ogstad sent threatening messages to a social media account maintained by the Maricopa County Elections office. After referencing claims of voter fraud in Arizonas 2022 gubernatorial race, Ogstad allegedly made a number of threats to election workers and officials, including that they were dead and stupid if you think your lives are safe, said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Departments Criminal Division. Public servants who administer our elections the cornerstone of our democracy must be able to do their jobs without fear. The Criminal Division will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute those who target election officials and workers with threats of violence. Ogstad faces up to five years in federal prison on each count if convicted. We cannot permit election skeptics to threaten vigilante justice, said U.S. Attorney Gary M. Restaino for the District of Arizona. We will continue to prosecute true threats against Arizonas election officials and other public servants, including direct messages sent on social media, or communications in any other format. The FBI takes all threats of violence seriously, said Special Agent in Charge Akil Davis of the FBI Phoenix Field Office. The work of election officials, their staffs, and volunteers is essential to our democracy and any threat to these public servants is completely unacceptable. The FBI remains vigilant in our efforts to detect and assess possible threats and, as always, we encourage the public to promptly report suspicious activities which could represent a threat to public safety. This case is part of the Justice Departments Election Threats Task Force. Announced by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and launched by Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco in June 2021, the task force has led the departments efforts to address threats of violence against election workers, and to ensure that all election workers whether elected, appointed, or volunteer are able to do their jobs free from threats and intimidation. The task force engages with the election community and state and local law enforcement to assess allegations and reports of threats against election workers, and has investigated and prosecuted these matters where appropriate, in partnership with FBI Field Offices and U.S. Attorneys Offices throughout the country. Over two years after its formation, the task force is continuing this work and supporting the U.S. Attorneys Offices and FBI Field Offices nationwide as they carry on the critical work that the task force has begun. Under Monacos leadership, the task force is led by the Criminal Divisions Public Integrity Section and includes several other entities within the Justice Department, including the Criminal Divisions Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, Civil Rights Division, National Security Division, and FBI, as well as partners like the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The Justice Department urged anyone who knows of threats or violent acts relating to election to call their local FBI office and request to speak with the election crimes coordinator. Field offices can be found here. Tipsters may also contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or file an online complaint here. Florence Police Chief Ron Tyler was punched in the face while trying to arrest a man wanted in connection with a stolen vehicle, police said Thursday. I never liked being punched in the face when I was younger. I was quickly reminded again of why I was never too fond of it, Tyler said. I was literally emailing HR earlier today with some preliminary retirement questions. I never imagined I would wind up in a fistfight before the day was out. The incident happened during the arrest Wednesday of Justin Heath Terry, 42, of Florence. Terry was charged with third degree robbery, first degree property theft, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and third degree criminal mischief. He is being held on a $33,500 bond at the Lauderdale County Detention Center. According to police, officers received a report of a robbery and vehicle theft when they discovered the vehicle, driven by Terry, near headquarters. Tyler and Officer Robert Oliver attempted to arrest Terry, but the situation escalated into a scuffle in the lobby of the Police Department, according to a news release. Tyler, hearing a scuffle, rushed to assist Oliver when Terry ran inside the lobby of the police department. Once inside, Terry allegedly punched Tyler and was taken into custody shortly after. No one was injured. Tyler said his sport coat and shirt were a little bloody. While my title may be Chief of Police, above all else, I am a police officer. When I see a fellow officer needing help, rest assured, they can count on me jumping in to assist no matter the circumstances, Tyler said. In an effort to alleviate traffic ahead of an expected influx of spring break visitors, the city of Fort Lauderdale is looking to enact new parking rate hikes similar to what Miami Beach recently put in place. Parking fees could reach as high as $100 in city garages and lots along the beach starting next week until the end of March. And drivers will face a $125 violation fee if they dont move their car by the time their street parking expires. The measure to increase the parking fees came the same week that Miami Beach opted for sweeping parking closures in preparation for spring break. The Fort Lauderdale City Commission is expected to approve the temporary hikes at its March 5 meeting. An initial vote on the increase was unanimously approved last week. If we find that our parking facilities are being overwhelmed, clearly we want to charge more money so we reduce the number of people that come in their vehicles, Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis told the Miami Herald on Wednesday. Trantalis said the city is encouraging visitors to use ride-sharing apps or to take the bus. We only have so many parking spaces, and once theyre overwhelmed, it discourages people from wanting to come visit our city, he said. We dont want to discourage people we want to embrace people who want to come visit and enjoy everything that weve come to enjoy over the years. Ride-share users are also encouraged to use designated pick-up and drop-off locations in downtown and near Fort Lauderdale Beach. All ride-share drivers will be prohibited from stopping along Fort Lauderdale Beach Boulevard, better known as A1A. In addition to the increased parking rates and violation fees, alcohol, coolers, tents, loud music and electric scooters will be banned in certain areas. The city will release more robust plans during a press conference Friday, but it has already created a website dedicated to providing more information about what to expect during spring break, including ride-share drop-off locations, road closures and law enforcement efforts. Part of those efforts is a Bar Watch program, a network including bar staff and police officers who know how to identify and act on potentially dangerous situations. Were not trying to intimidate people through through various methods of law enforcement, Trantalis said. We are pretty proactive in our efforts and very demonstrative in our approach to law enforcement without trying to be intimidating or threatening because kids are kids. They want to have fun, but at the same time, theres a range of conduct that we find acceptable. There are people that live here, also. There are families that come here, and we want to be a place for everyone. _____ 2024 Miami Herald. Visit at miamiherald.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. State health officials are investigating a gastrointestinal outbreak at an Alabama elementary school that announced it was closing through Friday after nearly 800 students were absent on Wednesday. Fairhope West Elementary School had 50 staff and 773 students absent on Wednesday, Baldwin County Public Schools spokeswoman Chasity Riddick told AL.com. She cautioned that not all student absences were due to sickness and parents were told Tuesday that absences would be excused Wednesday if they wanted to keep their children home. It was not clear exactly how many students were ill. The symptoms of viral gastrointestinal illness began showing up at the school Tuesday and ramped up overnight. By Wednesday morning, school staff became ill, Riddick said. Baldwin County Schools Superintendent Eddie Tyler sent this message to parents: After careful consideration, we have decided to close Fairhope West through Friday, March 1, Tyler wrote. Due to the amount of staff and students who are absent, the number who are experiencing symptoms, and in an effort to help contain the contagion, we unfortunately need to shut the building down. While out, we will be conducting a deep cleaning of the school so when students return next week, it will be sanitized to the fullest extent. We understand the inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your understanding. The Alabama Department of Health could not be reached by AL.com, but ADPH officials told the station that symptoms including vomiting and nausea are tied to the incident. The agencys Infectious Diseases and Outbreak staff gave specimen collection materials for testing through the departments Bureau of Clinical Laboratories. Fairhope East Elementary has also been affected, but to a lesser extent. A letter to parents there from Principal Christina Stacey said Fairhope East is continuing to monitor the situation with the virus affecting many of us and those around us. I would like for you to strongly consider, if you can, keeping your student home for the rest of the week. Absences will be excused and schoolwork will be allowed to be made up, Stacey wrote. This is only a suggestion at this point, but it comes on the heels of Fairhope West being shut down. Like them, we are trying to keep the contagion low. Athens-Clarke County Mayor Kelly Girtz defended local officials handling of crime and immigration enforcement in a contentious press conference Wednesday that was frequently interrupted by angry demonstrators. For roughly 20 minutes, Girtz attempted to outline public safety investments and counter Republicans who have criticized immigration policies at the federal and local level in the wake of last Thursdays death of nursing student Laken Hope Riley on the University of Georgia campus. Athens has become the latest flashpoint in a heated national debate over migrants after local police arrested Jose Antonio Ibarra, a Venezuelan whom U.S. authorities say entered the country unlawfully, and charged him with murder in Rileys death. Oftentimes people will wish to ascribe certain things to the Athens community, and I want you to have accurate information, said Girtz at the Athens-Clarke County Police Department. Around a dozen demonstrators were present. They held signs that read blood on your hands and justice for Laken. Some often shouted over Girtz as he tried to speak. I was a high school teacher for 22 years, and I got better behavior out of them, Girtz said at one point, referring to the demonstrators. We are deeply sorry for this tragedy. Responsibility for this crime rests solely upon the perpetrator, he added. Former president Donald Trump, Gov. Brian Kemp and Georgia Republican representatives were among those critical of Democrats following Rileys death last Thursday. Athens-Clarke County elected positions are non-partisan, but Girtz is a known progressive politician. The blood of Laken Riley is on the hands of Joe Biden, Alejandro Mayorkas, and the government of Athens-Clarke County, Georgia Rep. Mike Collins (R-Jackson), whose district includes Athens, said last Friday. Democrats have said Republicans are wrongly politicizing the death. They also have criticized GOP leaders for blocking a bipartisan U.S. Senate bill that would have made it harder for migrants to apply for asylum once theyve entered the country illegally. Unauthorized immigrants are less likely to be arrested for violent crimes than U.S.-born citizens, data has shown. In Athens Clarke-County, with a population of roughly 130,000, murders have been in the single digits every year since 2009. Overall crime was down 2% in 2023 from the year before, including a 7% drop in violent crime, while arrests increased 16%, according to the county. Before last week, UGAs campus hadnt seen a homicide since 1996. On Wednesday, Girtz outlined more than $500,000 in public safety investments, including a real-time crime center and surveillance technology. The mayor also pushed back on critics who call Athens a sanctuary city, where local officials provide safe harbor to people who are living in the country without legal permission. Theres been no legislation from this government thats created a sanctuary city, Girtz said. As Girtz spoke, a woman chanted, Liar. Liar. Liar. At least three demonstrators yelled that the mayor should resign. Georgia law restricts cities and counties from adopting a sanctuary policy. But some jurisdictions, such as Athens-Clarke County, limit coordination with immigration authorities more than others. Local authorities say they check the criminal history of detainees to hold anyone with outstanding warrants, but dont keep unauthorized immigrants jailed if they have no criminal history. We center our work here in Athens-Clarke County on peoples humanity, Girtz said. Part of everybodys humanity is the expectation of human dignity. Law-enforcement officers did not remove anybody from the room while Girtz spoke, but police asked Athens resident James Depaola several times to wait his turn to speak. We the people are tired of this lawlessness, Depaola told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution after the press conference ended. We are being put last. Ibarra, whom police have charged with murder in Rileys homicide case, had a previous history with local law enforcement. In October of last year, Ibarra and his brother were issued citations after being accused of shoplifting, according to an Athens-Clarke County Police report. Local authorities said its standard procedure to give citations for certain misdemeanor offenses including shoplifting. Although federal authorities have said Ibarra entered the U.S. unlawfully in 2022, they have not commented on his more recent immigration status, including whether he had been granted temporary residence or applied for asylum. On Monday, State Rep. Houston Gaines, an Athens Republican, introduced new legislation in the House that would require law-enforcement officials to enforce federal immigration laws. Another state bill would heighten penalties on sheriffs and jailers who do not cooperate with federal immigration agents when someone in custody is not a U.S. citizen. Gaines on Monday questioned the ability of Deborah Gonzalez, the local district attorney, to prosecute Ibarra. Republicans have criticized Gonzalez, a Democrat elected in 2020, for her handling of high-profile cases, her decision not to prosecute certain low-level drug offenses and a mass departure of staff attorneys. Gonzalez announced later Monday that she had tapped veteran prosecutor Sheila Ross to handle the murder case. Ross, as director of capital litigation at the Prosecuting Attorneys Council of Georgia, has helped prosecutors statewide with complex murder and death penalty cases. She has experience prosecuting cases in the Athens area, including in 2021 in the slaying of Oconee County teenager Joseph Jackson. Three defendants were convicted and sentenced to life in prison. From day one, our office has worked diligently to keep this community safe from anyone who seeks to do it harm, Gonzalez said in a statement. ______ ______ 2024 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Visit at ajc.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. For Mobile County residents, brushing up on the candidates isnt the only homework they have to do before entering the polls on Tuesday. They are also going to have find out which congressional district they live in. For the first time in memory, the newly approved congressional map has carved up the city and county into two distinct congressional districts. Voters are being encouraged to check the Alabama Secretary of States website to find out where they vote. In many cases, the difference between voting in the 1st or 2nd congressional district races could depend on what side of the street your live in. There will be thousands of people walking into the ballot booth looking for Jerry Carl and Barry Moore, and they will see Dick Brewbaker and Greg Albritton and not have the foggiest idea who they are, said Jon Gray, a political strategist base in Mobile, referring to Republicans who are running in the two separate congressional races. Indeed, most of Mobiles city residents long accustomed to voting in the primary for Alabamas 1st congressional district representative will have to get used to voting in the 2nd district following a court-authorized redraw of the states seven congressional districts last fall. The new Alabama congressional boundaries in South Alabama, dividing District 2 (red) from District 1 (gray). Much of Mobile is included in a 2nd congressional district that sprawls from east to west and includes the City of Montgomery, Troy, Eufaula, Tuskegee, Greenville, Union Springs, Evergreen, and Frisco City. The changes resulted in two congressional districts with candidates -- especially on the Republican side this year -- who have inundated the airwaves in recent weeks with commercials advertising their candidacies within the Mobile and Baldwin TV markets. Problem is, voters who are unaware of which congressional district they live in might not realize who they are voting on based on the barrage of campaign ads. The political parties are aware of the issue, and are bracing for confusion. I still think there will be a high level of confusion on why Jerry Carl is not going to be on a lot of peoples ballots, said Mobile County Republican Chairwoman Tricia Strange, referring to the former Mobile County Commissioner and current 1st district congressman who is running in the redrawn 1st district that omits much of the city. I think people will be surprised on Tuesday, she said. There will be a lot of ballot shock and questions of poll workers. Related content: Splintering of Mobile: New congressional district map carves up Alabamas second largest county Democrats are also bracing for similar confusion, but not as much as the Republicans. For the Democrats, they will see a rarity in Mobile County: A competitive primary election for a congressional seat in the redrawn 2nd district. The Secretary of States website is a good way to check registration, but weve encountered a little bit of (confusion), said Mobile County Democratic Party Chairman Ben Harris. Generally speaking, though, the Democratic voters are very excited about the District 2 race. For the first time in 60 years, we have an opportunity for a good portion of this area to be represented by a Democratic congressman, and we feel excited about that. Election officials say they have done their due diligence. Mobile County Probate Judge Don Davis said that all registered and active voters in Mobile County received a courtesy postcard a few weekends ago providing voters with key election information, including which congressional district they reside. Additionally, he said, the Board of Registrars issued a different postcard to all registered voters whose congressional districts changed, or whose precinct and polling location changed. Davis also noted that maps of the redrawn congressional districts are available on the Probate Offices website. Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allens Office is instructing voters to view their polling locations and verify their district by entering their information online at www.myinfo.alabamavotes.gov/voterview. As a consequence of the congressional maps forced upon Alabama by the federal courts, thousands of voters will be in new districts when they go to the polls on March 5, said Allen, a Republican, in a statement. As Secretary of State, I would recommend that all registered voters, especially ones who are likely affected by redistricting, to visit the Secretary of States website to verify their voting district assignments and their polling locations before heading to the polls. The new map, and congressional district division, is the result of a three-judge panels decision in September to create a new purple 2nd congressional district that runs from Mobile County in Tillmans Corner through the city and into the southern Black Belt to the Georgia border. It has a Black Voting Age population of 48.7% and gives Black voters in Alabama a second chance of electing a candidate of their choice. The only other Democratic district in Alabama is the 7th district, represented by U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell of Birmingham. The redrawing of the congressman maps is the result of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that Alabamas previously drawn congressional map which kept Mobile and Baldwin counties in the 1st district violated the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The new map, instead of six safe Republican congressional districts and one safe Democratic district, now has two districts where Democrats have a realistic chance to win. The fallout from the redone map have been competitive primaries in both the 1st and 2nd districts. In District 1 where Baldwin County is the No. 1 population center Carl is running against Moore , whose hometown of Enterprise was redrawn into the district. Moore is the current 2nd district representative. Democrat Tom Holmes will face the winner in November. In District 2, a total of 18 candidates are running for the congressional seat 11 Democrats seven Republicans . Experts anticipate a runoff occurring for both Democrats and Republicans on April 16. Strange said she believes its important for the candidates to make sure their supporters know where to vote. Its really going to lean on these primary candidates to have their people on the phone, in the neighborhoods and knocking on doors and making sure people are aware, she said. Its not like the general election when our party is involved and pushing our ticket. For the primary, its hands off. The party doesnt pick a winner. Below is the podcast player followed by the newsletter. Sign up to get it in your inbox each day here. Schools out Fairhope West Elementary School is closed for the rest of the week after a gastrointestinal outbreak, reports AL.coms Howard Koplowitz. Its not clear exactly how many people have gotten sick, but Baldwin County Public Schools officials say 773 students and 50 staff members were out Wednesday. Those student absences werent all sick kids; an unknown number may have chosen to stay out after the viral illness showed up on Tuesday. Symptoms include vomiting and nausea. State health officials are investigating. Over at Fairhope East Elementary, theyve seen some cases but not nearly as many as Fairhope West has. Fairhope East principal Christina Stacey asked parents to strongly consider keeping students home for the rest of the week. 7 murder suspects Birmingham Police believe they have all suspects in custody in the kidnapping, torture and murder of 20-year-old Mahogany Jackson, reports AL.coms Carol Robinson. Seven suspects -- ages 18 to 26 -- were arrested within about a day of the bodys discovery at about 2:15 a.m. Monday. Before she was killed, Jackson had sent Facebook messages Sunday morning to her mom and sister, telling them to call the police, and she shared her location on her cell phone. Family and police arrived at the location. Jackson was gone and the young woman who lived there said she had left in the early-morning hours. That woman is one of the seven charged. Three of the seven are charged with capital murder, meaning they face the death penalty. The other four are charged with felony murder, meaning they committed underlying felonies that contributed to Jacksons death. Other charges faced by some or all suspects include kidnapping, sodomy and assault for pistol-whipping Jackson. Helping greatly in the investigation was someones decision to video part of the sexual assault. Police Chief Scott Thurmond said the killing was among the worst hes seen. He also said this was a case in which the community turned out to help police solve it quickly. Thats noteworthy from a city that has criticized itself for so often not speaking up. Life in prison A second suspect in the killing of Moody Police Lt. Stephen Williams has been sentenced to life in prison, reports AL.coms Carol Robinson. Marquisha Tyson had been charged with capital murder but pleaded guilty to the lesser murder charge on Wednesday. She was given the possibility of parole. The other suspect, Tapero Carleone Johnson, has already been convicted of capital murder and sentenced to death. Both suspects were from Birmingham. They ambushed Williams with gunfire when he answered a call to their hotel room at the Super 8 on Moody Parkway on June 2, 2020. Over in Mississippi The Mississippi House of Representatives has passed a bill that would expand Medicaid to hundreds of thousands more people, reports The Associated Press. The measure still has to make it through the state Senate. Mississippi and Alabama are two of only a handful of states that hasnt expanded Medicaid under the 2010 Affordable Care Act. Concerns over expansion include having more people dependent on the government, fewer people paying into private insurance, and slower services. By the Numbers 5 Thats how many years prison time was given for the the gunman who opened fire three years ago inside Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, injuring five. More Alabama News The podcast This is an opinion cartoon. Alabama is at war with DEI - diversity, equity and inclusion - and the reason why is written all over Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshalls face. Today, the focus in on these three men: Montgomery Police Officer Aaron Cody Smith, Gregory Gunn and Marshall. And Alabamas broken parole system. As Alabama Political Reporter columnist Josh Moon posted in a tweet last week: The release of a white cop convicted of killing a Black man after serving about a tenth of his sentence should answer all your questions about the desire to kill all references to diversity, equity and inclusion. Excerpts from Josh Moons column: Opinion | We dont need DEI in Alabama. Just ask the Gunn family how equal things are (alreporter.com) For the better part of an hour on Wednesday morning, Black members of the Alabama Senates County and Municipal Government Committee offered up examples and explanations for why a bill banning diversity, inclusion and equity was personally hurtful to them and potentially harmful to thousands of others in the future. None of it made the slightest bit of difference. The seven white dudes on the committee passed it, 7-3. It was not surprising, nor was it unexpected. Because there is no greater threat to mediocre white people than programs that strive for true equality and a better understanding of the American experience for people who dont look like you. Why, if we did those things, the kids might start to ask some tough questions. They might start to put two and two together about the racial discrimination and the abundance of poverty among minorities. They might start valuing the inclusion of diverse voices and realizing the benefit of better understanding those around us. Boy, if that happens we might not end up with a bunch of white guys you wouldnt trust to water your plants while youre on vacation running the state legislature. Could you imagine? Competent and empathetic lawmakers who valued and understand the long history of this country and the many ways that racism and segregation and inequality have shaped this country, state, economy and our justice system. If that were the case, Id bet the attorney general of this state while this committee meeting was happening wouldnt be down the street crafting a press release to announce his decision to overturn the decision of a jury and let a white cop who killed a Black man out of prison. A statement in which the AG essentially apologized to the white cop for the state locking him up. Read the whole column here. Related: Freeing former Montgomery cop who killed Greg Gunn a sad day for Alabama, lawmaker says - al.com Our prison system is notorious for not allowing paroles. The AL.com comprehensive investigation series, Denied: Alabamas broken parole system, is full of stories about thousands of mostly Black men, stuck in prison for mostly non-violent offenses - not nearly as serious as the manslaughter conviction that landed Smith behind bars. Related: JD Crowe: Up for parole in Alabama? Abandon all hope, yall - al.com Related: A judge gave him a chance at freedom. The Alabama parole board shot it down. - al.com These prisoners are languishing in overcrowded prisons with nary a chance of parole. Just because. But a white cop is found guilty of shooting a Black man by a jury and sentenced to prison for 14 years. And Alabamas attorney general comes riding in on his white nationalist horse and declares Smith has suffered enough for his actions after only a year and 9 months. Hey, Attorney General Marshall. Got any more of those cool plea deals up your sleeve for some of those other folks in prison who cant get a parole? Cmon, man. Spread the plea deal love. Im sure those other guys will admit theyre guilty too, just like Officer Smith. Thats all it takes, right? Right? Related: Sister of Black man killed by white ex-Montgomery cop blasts plea deal freeing officer: Justice was not served - al.com Related: Alabama AG takes case from Montgomery DA as police officer appeals manslaughter conviction - al.com Related: Montgomery DA very disappointed former cop being freed from prison in shooting death plea welcomed by AG - al.com Related: Alabama Supreme Court rejects appeal of ex-Montgomery cop convicted of manslaughter - al.com More cartoons by JD Crowe Abortion: AG Steve Marshall has a very particular set of skills to punish women - al.com Ethics reform is Alabama GOP pillow talk for corruption - al.com White fragility, fear of diversity rules Alabama legislature. The cost? Our future - al.com Vote frozen embryo for Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice - al.com Alabama: The Frozen Embryos are People state - al.com Nick Saban, Eli Gold are gone. Bryant-Denny is icon-free - al.com Latest Alabama star in transfer portal hits Nick Saban hard - al.com Kay Ivey is on the Highway to Hell: AC/DC rocks the caption contest - al.com True stories and stuff by JD Crowe The mysterious Bubble Guy of Fairhope and the art of bubble Zen - al.com How I met Dr. Seuss Robert Plant head-butted me. Thanks, David Coverdale I was ZZ Tops drummer for a night and got kidnapped by groupies Check out more cartoons and stuff by JD Crowe JD Crowe is the cartoonist for Alabama Media Group and AL.com. He won the RFK Human Rights Award for Editorial Cartoons in 2020. In 2018, he was awarded the Rex Babin Memorial Award for local and state cartoons by the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists. Follow JD on Facebook, Twitter @Crowejam and Instagram @JDCrowepix. Give him a holler @jdcrowe@al.com. One of the two suspects charged in the 2022 death of a Pell City woman who was fatally run over while trying to foil a series of car break-ins will be held without bond until trial. Shawn Alyssa Masten, 31, appeared Thursday before Circuit Judge Phil Seay for an Aniahs Law bond hearing. She was denied bond. Masten and Christopher Cody Masters, 30, are charged with murder in the death of 46-year-old Rebekah Poe. Both are convicted felons in Alabama. Masten and Masters were arrested in the Denver area earlier this month. Masters has not yet been extradited. A St. Clair County grand jury has indicted Masten on 18 criminal charges including felony murder, robbery, unlawful breaking and entering a vehicle, theft of property, credit card theft and leaving the scene of an accident. Police said it was just before 7:30 p.m. that November 2022 night when Poe, who served at her church and was a longtime beloved employee at Waffle House, confronted suspects who had just broken into vehicles at a residence on Skyline Trail. She was struck and killed as the suspects fled the scene. Rebekah Poe (GoFundMe) Pell City police Chief Clay Morris in a previous press conference called Poes death, one of the most tragic crimes weve had in Pell City. Morris said the lengthy investigation was intensive, thorough, and deliberate. Investigators identified 5,000 potential suspect vehicles, analyzed 10,000 digital devices, and received 15,000 pieces of data from communication companies. More than 30 search warrants were carried out during the probe. Morris said the couple left Alabama immediately after Poes death and had no intention of returning. The chief said he is confident in the evidence linking them to the crime. We can definitely place them at the scene of the crime, Morris said. Masten has multiple arrests dating back to 2016 in both the Bessemer Cutoff and Birmingham divisions of Jefferson County. She pleaded guilty to drug possession in 2021 and received a 24-month sentence. Masters, too, has been arrested numerous times in Alabama, including charges out of Jefferson, Lauderdale, Talladega, and Marion counties. He last pleaded guilty in 2021 to unlawful breaking and entering a vehicle. At the time of Poes death, Masters had been out of state prison only five months, and Masten had been out of prison for roughly nine months. Could the Republican Party be fraying over the issue of abortion and reproductive rights following the Alabama State Supreme Courts ruling upending in vitro fertilization within the state? Its a question some believe is valid amid polling over the past two years that illustrates the toxicity of an issue fast becoming the GOPs biggest political liability in the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Courts undoing of Roe v. Wade, which long enshrined national abortion rights. The concerns for Republicans are two-fold: Tensions between anti-abortion activists and swing-state Republicans vying for independent voters and support from suburban women during the November elections. Overall struggles within the GOP to craft better messaging around abortion policy, which the Democratic Party has seized as an advantage in the aftermath of the Feb. 16 ruling on IVF by the Alabama State Supreme Court. I think this is another lesson for the Party as they are consistently being shown that abortion is a very dangerous issue for them, said Joshua Wilson, professor of political sciences at the University of Denver and an expert in abortion politics. When Roe was in place, they were far better positioned to use abortion as an issue. Republicans now have to figure out where to position themselves between anti-abortion activists that are free of the restraining court (ruling), and thus are free to act, and the broader electorate that didnt want to see Roe struck down. This is repeatedly proving to be difficult for them to navigate. Political Messaging Some believe the issue has more to do with how Republicans craft a better message appealing to more moderate voters while not alienating their anti-abortion base. Its not a splintering on the (anti-abortion) belief, but how we tactically and message-wise address the issue, said Kelly Dittmar, associate professor of political science at Rutgers-Camden University, and director of research at the Center for American Women and Politics. Youre seeing some people say, I dont want to talk about it. I think the splintering becomes, how do you respond to this? The Republican Party, in the weeks after the Alabama high courts ruling, have performed a delicate dance of nuanced responses by balancing an anti-abortion position while expressing support for IVF and reproductive technologies for women. Alabama Republican U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville is one example: After initially saying he supported the Alabama State Supreme Court ruling that frozen embryos through IVF are children, he senator said on Tuesday that he opposed the ruling. Democrats, in the IVF ruling aftermath, have strategically tied it to Republican abortion politics under the Trump Administration. They say the placement of three conservatives on the Supreme Court led to the eventual unraveling of abortion access nationwide, and now is affecting fertility treatments. They started with abortion bans and now theyve moved on to IVF, essentially ending IVF in Alabama, said Kylie Murdock, policy advisor with Third Way, a left-leaning national think tank. The next step likely is banning birth control, which the plurality of American women use. Republicans seem to be struggling with a message that resonates. Trump, who has bragged about putting an end to Roe v. Wade, is urging Alabama to find a solution to keep IVF treatments going. The National Republican Senatorial Committee is urging candidates to distance themselves from the ruling as well. The NRSC in a memo to candidates last week, cited polling by former Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway that showed 85% of respondents support access to fertility-related procedures including a broad group that includes pro-life advocates and evangelicals. Another whopping 85% say they would back candidates who prioritize increasing the available of contraceptives and fertility-related treatments, according to reports. I think the NRSC memo as well as the public statements from many Alabama as well as national Republicans show that they do view this issue as potentially toxic on an electoral level, said Regina Wagner, an assistant professor of political sciences at the University of Alabama. Even a majority of their own voters, evangelicals and pro-life activists included, support IVF, so this ruling poses a lot more pitfalls for them, especially since Democrats are going to tie it to the abortion issue as much as they can. Unfair tactics John Wahl, chairman of the Alabama State Republican Party, speaks during a luncheon hosted by the Eastern Shore Republican Women on Thursday, September 14, 2023, at the Fairhope Yacht Club in Fairhope, Ala. (John Sharp/jsharp@al.com). Republicans, including Alabama GOP chairman John Wahl, argue that the Democratic Party and the mainstream media are unfairly tying what they say are unrelated matters - although both involve reproductive rights or choices. They argue that the Alabama State Supreme Courts ruling has nothing to do with abortion rights but is strictly tied to the states Wrongful Death of a Minor Act that dates back to 1872, addressing whether frozen embryos existing outside the uterus are considered children. Alabama lawmakers have since introduced legislation protecting IVF procedures. Brilyn Hollyhand, a Tuscaloosa high school student and representative on the RNC Youth Advisory Council, said he believes that while the Alabama court made the right ruling, and that an embryo created through IVF is a baby, the Republican Party needs to improve its overall messaging on this issue and others tied to its anti-abortion platform. Republicans have a messaging problem, not a policy problem, Hollyhand said. Our party doesnt need to be buckle on our stance, we need to explain it. Were the pro-life party. Were the pro-family party. Were the pro-mother party. Were the pro-adoption party. We are not the extremists the extremists are the party that supports abortion up until the moment of birth. Related content: How Alabamas IVF ruling affects upcoming political races in the ruby red state Wahl said its the critics who he believes are failing to understand or even acknowledge a key fact in the case that was before the Alabama court. The court ruling started with families asking for help and a redress of grievance after they were victimized, losing the children they had hoped and prayed to bring into this world, Wahl said, referring to a case stemming out of an incident at a fertility clinic in Mobile. The destruction of the embryos was the destruction of life, and these families deserve the opportunity for legal recourse. He added, The decision by the Alabama Supreme Court will allow them to seek justice for this senseless act and will hopefully lead to the enactment of much needed protections to prevent actions like this from every happening again. He blamed liberal talking heads for turning the issue into a political weapon. We call on them to remember the Alabama families who were victimized and to be respectful of their loss, Wahl said. November reckoning Activists and others who oppose the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade gather for an abortion rights rally on Saturday, July 2, 2022, in downtown Mobile, Ala. (John Sharp/jsharp@al.com). Thats unlikely to happen. Democrats are pouncing, saying the IVF ruling is the direct result of Trump placing conservative judges on the Supreme Court which led to the 2022 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization that U.S. does not confer a right to abortion. Since then, 21 states either ban abortion or restrict the procedure earlier in pregnancy than the standard set by Roe v. Wade, according to a New York Times analysis. They believe that ruling emboldened hardline anti-abortion advocates and justices in conservative states like Alabama to go beyond abortion. This decision will certainly add to the additional impetus by voters to make a stand for female body autonomy, said Sheena Gamble, spokeswoman with the Alabama Democratic Party. Every single time that abortion has been on the ballot, in states across America, the GOP has lost handily. Alabamas total abortion ban, the threats by Attorney General Marshall to prosecute anyone who assists a woman with receiving an abortion out of state, and rulings such as this one ensure that there will be a reckoning on Roe in November. Gregory Koger, a political science professor at the University of Miami who analyzes abortion politics, said Republicans should realize that Democrats will continue to tie all GOP politicians to the more right-wing positions on anything having to do with reproductive rights. Families, doctors, and other advocates rallied at the Alabama State House on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, to urge legislators to resolve an interruption to in vitro fertilization services in Alabama.(Mike Cason/mcason@al.com) This issue illustrates a broader challenge for the Republican Party, he said. For decades, its politicians have had a difficult time saying No to activists aligned with the party, whether the issue was abortion, gun control, or taxes. The electoral costs for taking extreme positions on these issues have been minimal compared to the costs for disappointing Republican activists. He, like others, say the Republicans have a messaging problem. Republican politicians have been trying to articulate a position on abortion that is acceptable to both pro-life activists and the general public, and so far there they have struggled to credibly commit to a moderate stance, Koger said. IVF fallout Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., speaks about a bill to establish federal protections for IVF as Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., right, listens during a press event on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)AP Indeed, some anti-abortion activists are giving Democratic politicians and abortion rights activists enough fuel for their concerns. For instance, the National Association of Christian Lawmakers is pushing to discuss potential IVF model legislation at its upcoming meeting in June that follows the Alabama courts ruling, according to a report by The New York Times. Greg Davis, president & CEO with the Alabama Citizens Action Project (ALCAP) which represents over 3,500 churches across Alabama said a wise approach on IVF is for Alabama state lawmakers to provide temporary immunity for the IVF industry in the aftermath of the Supreme Courts ruling. This would provide some time to study the process and understand how to best provide the IVF option while protecting the most innocent of all lives, Davis said. The fallout over the IVF ruling also comes at a time when abortion rights continue to get scrutinized by lawmakers in states throughout the nation, as well as in Congress and on the campaign trail. Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, has suggested if elected in November he would back a national ban on abortions after 16 weeks of pregnancy. A report from NBC News says there has been an uptick in fetal personhood bans by state legislatures. Those bills define a fetus as an unborn child, giving any unborn child protections and allowing parents to collect financial damages in cases of wrongful deaths. In the aftermath of the Alabama IVF ruling, Florida Republicans hit the pause button on a similar bill. According to media reports, the legislation was viewed as so broad that it could affect IVF treatments. In Washington, D.C., Democratic U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois is pitching a bill to federally protect IVF and other fertility treatments, and shes pushing for a Senate showdown by asking for unanimous consent and approval among Republicans. On Wednesday, Mississippi Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith objected to approval of the measure, saying the measure included too many poison pills. Anti-abortion activists also continue to push for federal legislation declaring human life begins at conception, and Republicans in Congress have repeatedly backed provisions to enshrine it into federal law. Federal legislation declaring life begins at conception, introduced in 2021, had 166 co-sponsors all Republican including the entire GOP delegation in Alabama. The most recent version of the legislation has 124 Republican-only co-sponsors, including five House Republicans from Alabama. Only U.S. Rep. Dale Strong, R-Huntsville, is not listed as a co-sponsor. All of us who celebrate life, including legislators, must be consistent in principle and not instant pragmatism, said Davis with ALCAP. It seems as though people who believe that every conception of life is sacred is wrestling with the implications now and the possible ramifications in the future. Five of the nine seats on the all-Republican Alabama Supreme Court are up for election this year, but there is a contested race for only one, the open seat for the position of chief justice. Chief Justice Tom Parker could not seek another term because the state constitution bars judges from being elected after age 70. The candidates to replace Parker are Associate Justice Sarah Stewart, elected to the Supreme Court in 2018, and Bryan Taylor, a former state senator and legal advisor to two governors. On the Democratic side, Montgomery County Circuit Judge Greg Griffin is unopposed for the nomination for chief justice. Griffin is the only Democratic candidate for any of the Supreme Court seats, and there are no Democratic candidates for either of Alabamas other two statewide appellate courts. Stewart was elected to the Supreme Court in 2018. Before that, Stewart served 13 years as a circuit court judge in Mobile. She was appointed by Gov. Bob Riley in 2006 and won elections in 2006, 2010, and 2016. Before becoming a judge, Stewart practiced law for 14 years in Mobile. You can read more on Stewarts campaign website. Taylor served in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate Generals Corps, was stationed in Iraq from 2003-2004, and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal. In 2010, Taylor was elected to the state Senate representing a district that included Prattville. He is a co-founding member of the law firm of Bachus Brom & Taylor and lives in Shelby County with his three children. More information is available on Taylors campaign website. Read more: How Alabamas IVF ruling affects upcoming political races in the ruby red state No opposition Three members of the Supreme Court are unopposed for another term - Associate Justices Tommy Bryan, Jay Mitchell, and Will Sellers. There is also just one candidate to fill the Supreme Court seat Stewart is leaving. Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Chris McCool, a former district attorney and a Republican, is running unopposed for Stewarts seat. The primary is Tuesday. Alabamas Court of Civil Appeals and the Court of Criminal Appeals, with five members each, are all Republican and will remain that way, with no Democratic candidates. There is one contested race on both courts. Two prosecutors who work for the Alabama attorney generals office are squaring off for the Court of Criminal Appeals seat that McCool is leaving to run for the Supreme Court. They are Rich Anderson, an appellate prosecutor, and Thomas Govan, chief of the criminal trials division for the AGs office. Two judges on the Court of Criminal Appeals are unopposed for another term - William Cole and Richard Minor. Both are Republicans. On the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals, Judge Chad Hanson, elected in 2018, is seeking a second term and faces a Republican challenger, Stephen Parker, who has been practicing law for 23 years in Cullman County. Civil Appeals Judges Terry Moore and Christy Edwards are running unopposed for another six-year term. Moore was elected in 2006, and Edwards was elected in 2018. Health officials are looking into an outbreak of gastrointestinal virus at Fairhope West Elementary in Baldwin County, which has caused hundreds of students to miss school, according to media reports. The school will close Thursday and Friday and conduct a deep cleaning, Superintendent Eddie Tyler told families on Wednesday. The schools statement said the virus appeared to be a stomach bug. WKRG reports that at least 773 students were absent on Wednesday, though not necessarily all sick. Just 201 students were on campus, The Alabama Department of Health said nausea and vomiting have been reported. Staff will investigate the outbreak and work with the Baldwin County school system. The gunman who opened fire three years ago inside Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile was sentenced to five years in state prison Wednesday after pleading guilty to attempted murder charges, court records showed. Mobile County Circuit Court Judge Charles Gradick sentenced Hezekiah Belfon, 22, of Chickasaw, to 20 years in prison split to serve only a five-year term followed by five years of probation. Belfon had been located and arrested in Florida in March 2022 after five months on the run. Belfon was charged with five counts of attempted murder in connection with a shooting that occurred at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in the third quarter of a Vigor-Williamson game. Five people were injured, at least one of them seriously. The shooting was the second in the stadium in a two-year period. On Aug. 30, 2019, gunfire erupted at the stadium during a game between LeFlore and Williamson high schools. Video from the scene, as well as a series of photos shot by a photographer covering the event for AL.com, show people scrambling and ducking for cover after shots rang out. Six people were treated and released while three more suffered non-life-threatening injuries. This is an opinion column. Alabamas trial bar is putting their cash on the scales in favor of Associate Justice Sarah Stewarts bid to lead the Alabama Supreme Court. Plaintiffs attorneys have historically been in the camp of Democrats, but thats not a viable political option when all the action is in the Republican primaries. Alabama voters may support a return to tort hell, but they should at least know about the trial bars keen interest in Stewarts candidacy. To be clear, I wrote about this issue in 2022 when the trial bar heavily funded an unsuccessful candidate against Associate Justice Greg Cook. Nothing has changed. Its literally the same playbook. This time its Bryan Taylor facing off against Associate Justice Sarah Stewart. While Stewart has the advantage of currently serving on the court and a lengthy tenure as a judge, Taylor isnt new to Alabama politics. He has served as a state senator as well as legal advisor to both Gov. Bob Riley and Gov. Kay Ivey. Taylor also has an inside understanding of politics having served as deputy legal counsel to the Alabama Republican Party. So why does it matter where the plaintiffs bar puts their cash? Ill spare you the history lesson on Alabama plaintiffs verdicts, but the Yellowhammer State has a history of wild plaintiffs verdicts which culminated in the United States Supreme Courts 1996 intervention in BMW v. Gore. Ira Gore purchased a new car from an Alabama BMW dealership and discovered that his new vehicle had been repainted. He sued BMW alleging that it committed fraud by failing to inform him that his car had been repainted. The trial court awarded Gore $4,000 in compensatory damages and $4 million in punitive damages. On appeal, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that the damages were not so excessive as to violate BMWs Fourteenth Amendment right to due process. Thankfully, the Supreme Court reversed that Alabama Supreme Court and put some basic guardrails around the punitive judgements of the 1990s. Political realities changed as well. Looking to secure more business investment in Alabama, a new wave of conservative elected officials enacted various tort reform measures much to the chagrin of the trial bar. Alabamas Supreme Court indeed became dominated by Republicans, but that didnt necessarily make it more conservative. In Wyeth, Inc. v. Weeks (Ala. 2014), for example, the court adopted a theory of innovator liability which held that brand-name drug manufacturers could be liable for failure to warn claims brought by plaintiffs who ingested the generic drug. Republicans in the Alabama legislature stepped in shortly after the ruling and blocked the Alabama Supreme Courts policy making misadventures on the topic. With Chief Justice Tom Parker stepping down, the direction of the court is again up for grabs. The trial bar isnt mincing words with their political investments: Stewart is a friend, and Taylor is a threat. In a race that doesnt generate a lot of media attention, plaintiffs firms have funneled dump truck loads of campaign cash through political action committees like Progress for Justice PAC, Pride PAC II, T-Town PAC II, Alabama Development PAC, BIZPAC, Fair PAC, and First Decade PAC. Plaintiffs attorneys fund generically labeled PACs which in turn fund Stewarts campaign. The sheer scope is staggering. Heres just one example. On February 20, 2024, Stewart received $304,000 from Progress for Justice PAC. That one donation is more than twice as much as opponent Taylor has raised in the entire race. Stewart has raised more in total contributions this cycle ($2.3 million) than both Rep. Jerry Carl and Rep. Barry Moore combined ($2.09 million) in the hotly contested race for Alabamas First Congressional District. Either Stewart has become the most prolific fundraising Alabama politician nobody has heard about, or the trial bar truly has a vested interest in the outcome of the race. Many of my law school classmates and friends are prolific trial attorneys in Alabama. Theres nothing wrong with them putting money behind candidates aligned with their professional interests. Voters should know anytime one specific interest group is so heavily funding one candidate in a race where most voters make a decision on campaign rhetoric alone. Frankly, the business community in Alabama seems asleep at the wheel on this race. In 2022, Cook had a barn burner of a race on his hands, but he had the cash to really compete because businesses rallied around his candidacy. That simply hasnt been the case for Taylors bid for chief justice to this point in the race. Stewart may well champion a judicial environment consistent with the reformist mindset that dominates Alabamas legislature, but the plaintiffs bar hasnt entered into the fray of Republican politics hoping for a hung jurist. As Ive said before, Alabama voters must be the ultimate judge. Smith is a recovering political attorney with four boys, two dogs, a bearded dragon, and an extremely patient wife. Hes a partner in a media company, a business strategy wonk, and a regular on talk radio. Please direct outrage or agreement to csmith@al.com or @DCameronSmith on X or @davidcameronsmith on Threads. This is an opinion column. Boring. Predictable. Thats how Greg Cook Harvard Law School classmate with former President Barack Obamadescribed himself a couple of years ago while running for a seat on the Alabama Supreme Court. Or, rather, the two words described his take on how judges should interpret the law. Judges should not legislate from the bench, he said then, but should apply the plain meaning of the law. It may sound boring and predictable, but its who I am. Plain meaning, Plain. Simple But boring? Boring? Not in Alabama. Predictable? Sometimes. Cook won the Republican primary and general election and took his seat on the nine-person court in January 2023. Little more than a year later, the avid outdoorsman, former Air Force Captain, and active Boy Scout leader was the lone fully dissenting voice of reason on a ruling that gutted the plain meaning of a 152-year-old law and is reverberating across a nation grappling with the meaningand beginningof life. A previous judge threw out the case with three couples seeking to sue a Mobile hospital where a wandering patient destroyed their frozen embryos. Upon appeal, the Supreme Court said the plaintiffs could take action under the 1872 Wrongful Death Act of a Minor Act because the frozen specimens were children. Thats what Reverend, I mean, Chief Justice Tom Parker said, citing scriptures, theologians, and former Judge Roy Moores friend to justify the cataclysmic call. Thats what he said even though there was no way on Gods Earth the laws originators could have defined an unfertilized embryo as a minor child since it would be another 102 years before Louis Brown of England became the worlds first test-tube baby and decades more for in vitro fertilization a viable pregnancy option. Today it accounts for about 2% of births. Boring? Not here. Almost immediately following the ruling, fertilization clinics across the state slammed shut over concerns of legal liability if frozen embryos, for any reason, are destroyed. Suddenly, couples already struggling to become parents were thrust into limbo hellunable to undergo in vitro treatments and worried they may have to store unused frozen eggs forever, at an almost incalculably high cost. Or risk going to jail. Predictable? Cook called it. In a thoughtful, exhaustingly researched, and supported 56-page dissent, he wrote: No rational provider would continue to provide services for creating and maintaining frozen embryos, knowing they must continue to maintain such frozen embryos forever, risk the penalty of a wrongful death claim for punitive damages. Additionally, he saw the awful impact of the ruling on Alabama couples. Theres no doubt that there are many Alabama citizens planning to be parents who will no longer have that opportunity. And there is no doubt that there will be fewer babies born. Ending the creation of frozen embryos will undoubtedly cause significant consequences that will affect the future lives of thousands of Alabama citizens for years to come, he added. And the babies who will not be born. Pro-life? Not here. I respectfully dissent, is how Cook began. He acknowledged the dilemma the case presented at a time when the nation is embroiled in debates over abortion, over a womans right to choose, over life. Yet the justice remained steadfast to his pre-election words, writing that the court should eschew the rhetoric and stay within the bounds of the law. Even facing difficult moral questions, our court must stay within the bounds of our judicial role, he wrote. In support of this view, he cited Dobbs v. Jackson, when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and a womans right to choose an abortion. Cook wrote that SCOTUS ruled, respect for a legislatures judgment applies even when the laws at issue concern matters of great social significance and moral substance. Courts do not substitute their social and economic beliefs for the judgement of the legislative bodies. Cook concurred with the lead opinion on at least one front. Although I agree with much of what Chief Justice Parker so eloquently states regarding the sanctity of unborn life, I do not agree with his distinction of the effect of constitutional policy. I believe he is mistaken when he asserts that the people of Alabama explicitly told all three branches of government what they ought to do. There is no language in the constitutional amendment mentioning private causes of action or money damages for frozen embryos or IVF. [T]he main opinion, he added, violates this fundamental principlethat is, that the legislative branch, not the judicial branch that updates lawsby expanding the meaning of the Wrongful Death Act of 1872 without an amendment by the Legislature. Thats the core of Cooks dissent. The 1872 law allows the parents of a deceased child to, within six months of the death, seek punitive damages [w]hen the death of a minor child is caused by the wrongful act, omission, or negligence of any person. The original law, however, did not define minor child. Cook cited DeKalb County LP Gas v Suburban Gas in 1998, in which the court ruled: Substituting our own meaning turn[s] this Court into a legislative body, and doing that, of course, would be utterly inconsistent with the doctrine of separation of powers. Cook wrote: I believe the main opinion overrules a recent Wrongful Death Act case law that required congruence between the definition of person in Alabamas criminal homicide statutes and the definition of minor child in the Wrongful Death Act. Not even the couple seeking the claim wanted to catapult in vitro fertilization into chaos, Cook wrote: The plaintiffs themselves explained in oral argument, We are supporters of in vitro fertilization. The notion that they will do anything to hinder or impair the right or access to the treatment therapy is flat wrong. Cook also acknowledges disagreement with a portion of the defendants argument that the trial court properly dismissed the plaintiffs negligence and wantonness claims because the frozen embryos each represent a life. Im deeply troubled by this argument and the consequences that could result from adopting this position. Its not my role to judge whether ending this medical procedure is good or bad - but the main opinion doubtless will have a huge impact on many Alabamians, Cook also wrote. And it underscores the need to have the legislaturenot the courtto address these issues through legislative process. Indeed, both the Alabama Senate and House are scurrying to clean up this messif they can do so without requiring an amendment to the state constitution, as Dem. Chris England has stated. Cook noted that the original 1872 law was codified in 1876 but still did not define minor child. He cited the 1974 case Eich v Town of Gulf Shores, which ruled that parents of an eight-and-a-half-month-old still born fetus had a right to seek a wrongful action. Cook added, however, thoughts on wording in that courts order. It is not our role to breathe life into a statute by updating it or amending it. The essence of the original law, Cook wrote, has remained unchanged from the acts initial inception in 1872, and no changes ever been made to it bearing on the meaning of the term minor child. " Cook asked: So what did the common law indicate in 1872? There is no doubt that the common law did not consider an unborn infant to be a child capable of being killed by the purpose for the purpose of civil liability or criminal homicide liability. In fact, for 100 years after the passage of the Wrongful Death Act our case law did not allow a claim for the death of an unborn infant. Its a commitment to get through the full dissent, but its worth it. You may find it here. Cooks dissent begins on page 75. Near its conclusion, Cook wrote: No courtanywhere in the countryhas reached the conclusion the main opinion reaches and the main opinions holding almost certainly ends the creation of frozen embryos through in vitro fertilization in Alabama. All too predictable. Never boring. Im a member of the National Association of Black Journalists Hall of Fame and a Pulitzer Prize finalist for commentary. My column appears on AL.com, as well as the Lede. Tell me what you think at rjohnson@al.com, and follow me at twitter.com/roysj, or on Instagram @roysj 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. More Latinas in the U.S. than ever before are earning a bachelors degree or higher, but according to a study by the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute (LPPI), they are still lagging behind Latino men and white males in post-grad wages. The number of Latinas with a degree jumped from 1 million in 2000 to 3.5 million in 2021, according to the LPPI data brief, which was released Thursday. The proportion of adult Latinas currently holding a bachelors or higher is 20 percent nearly quadruple what it was two decades ago. But the study found that they still face disparities and barriers in higher education and in the workforce. The purpose of this study is to help inform changes in policy and solutions that empower Latinas to improve their well-being and their quality of life, Co-author Citlali Tejeda, a third-year undergraduate research fellow at UCLAs LPPI, told Reckon. Tejeda, a first-generation student, is majoring in public affairs and on a pre-law track with an interest in pursuing a Ph.D. She became interested in Latina higher education outcomes because of her initial difficulties navigating college. According to the study, rates of Latina educational attainment are, overall, lower compared to the rest of the U.S. population. Researchers also found large disparities within the Latina community that can explain the gaps, including inequities based on age, descent group, citizenship status, veteran status and English proficiency. The study also found that Latinas were more likely to experience inequity in the workforce after completing their degree. Latinas with a bachelors earned a median hourly wage of $26 a rate that is lower than most other workers. Latino men with the same level of education earned $6 more per hour, while similarly educated white men earned $14 more. Researchers said degree-earning rates look promising for Latinas, who along with Latino men have historically experienced barriers and inequities in obtaining higher education opportunities. Nationwide, about 23 percent of Latinos in their mid- to late-20s had a bachelors in 2021, according to the Pew Research Center. Tejeda said the largest barrier in her postsecondary career came from realizing that the high school education in the low-income neighborhood where she grew up did not prepare her for the rigor of college. But I think the experience of coming from a limited background has been really inspiring for me and it has really pushed me to grow as a student, she said. According to the study, across all ethnic and racial groups (except Asians or Pacific Islanders) obtain degrees at higher rates than men. But the differences in percentage points within groups of people of color is stark: Among white people, 38 percent of women and 37 percent of men have a bachelors or higher. Whereas in Black and Latino communities, theres a 4-6 percent difference. In the U.S., Vermont (54 percent) and D.C. (53 percent) had the highest rates of Latinas with at least a bachelors degree, followed by Maine, West Virginia and Alaska. The states with the lowest number of Latinas with degrees were Oklahoma, Nevada, Arkansas and North Dakota, all just above 10 percent though researchers noted that several of these states have experienced rapid growth to their Latino populations in the last twenty years. According to the study, younger Latinas are obtaining bachelors at higher rates than previous generations. In 2021, about a quarter of Latinas ages 25 to 34 had a degree, compared to 16 percent of Latinas ages 55 to 64. Women descended from South America are more likely to complete a bachelors degree, with Latinas from Honduran, Salvadoran and Guatemalan being the least likely. Venezuelans, who are the fastest growing Latino group in the U.S., have the highest degree rates, with 57 and 56 percent of women and men obtaining one. Researchers also found that 35 percent of Latina veterans completed at least a four-year degree, a figure that is comparable to the overall rate of U.S. women with a bachelors. Tejeda said universities should invest in methods to curtail imposter syndrome in college and in the workforce. She said people of color might need more support in wage negotiation and to navigate a professional setting. At the end of the day, everyone in this data has a bachelors degree and deserves to be paid at the same rate, she said. Dont be shocked if you tune in to your favorite conservative talk-radio show and instead hear someone of the same political stance as Rachel Maddow or Joy Reid. Before you crash your car or fall out of your chair, you should know what is taking place, why it is taking place, and your role in preventing what could be a severe reduction in conservative and pro-Israel voices on terrestrial radio. George Soros, via Soros Fund Management (SFM), has acquired via a bankruptcy bailout a majority position in Audacy Inc, the licensee of 235 radio stations in the United States, plus digital programming, and podcasting outlets. Nationally, Audacy, the second largest radio company in America, claims to reach 200 million people a month through its various distribution channels including a near-monopoly on news and talk-formatted stations in many markets. Here is what happened: Audacy, headquartered in Philadelphia, recently declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy. In its recovery plan, it agreed to have various revenue sources buy its bank debt, and convert the debt to an equity stake in the new Audacy. SFM stepped up and acquired $415 million or about 40% of the broadcasters senior debt, making it the largest and controlling shareholder. Here is why this should be of concern to all Americans, and especially for Jews across the country: Soros has shown us exactly what his game plan is. In 2022, the Soros-backed Latino Media Network, an affiliate of SGM, acquired an 18-station group of Spanish-language radio stations located in Florida serving the Cuban-American community. When the Latino Media Ntetwork bought them, they were center-right in their programming orientation and doing very well. Afterward, the stations programming flipped far to the Left in order to influence their audiences in that direction. Likely, this is his prototype for Audacy. As the Federal Communication Commission is barred from controlling programming, SFM (via station management) can mostly do what it wants with the stations it is acquiring -- unless listeners and other interested parties (that would be us) can show the FCC commissioners that the company is unqualified to be a licensee. SFM is largely owned by the same George Soros who, as reported in the New York Post, funneled $15 million to pro-Hamas groups in the United States between 2016-2023. Much of this went to the Tides Center, which in turn granted the money to the virulent groups organizing pro-Hamas and BDS protests in the U.S. Now they may be getting a big. megaphone for their views. What about American support for Israel? Exactly where does this leftist icon stand on the nation-state of the Jewish People? Soros has a long history generously supporting organizations whose goals are to undermine or to outright destroy the Jewish state. In October, 2023, hundreds of protesters representing two anti-Israel groups funded by Soros Open Society Foundations (OSF) -- Jewish Voice for Peace and IfNotNow -- infiltrated the Capitol to protest Israels alleged but false genocide and blaming Israel for the October 7 mass rape and massacre. In 2007, Soros wrote an opinion piece in the Financial Times headlined America and Israel Must Open the Door to Hamas, and in 2023 George Soros called for Israel to immediately begin a ceasefire and all the while funded a pro-Hamas organization called Al-Shabaka with more than half a million dollars. As it relates to Israel, the OSF has been accused in the Israeli press of funding anti-Israel activist groups including Adalah, ILAM and Palestinian Citizens of Israel. In 2013, Israels NGO Monitor released a report that OSF funding contributes significantly to anti-Israel campaigns in three important respects: Active in the Durban Strategy, which declared Palestinian residents of Israel are treated as second-class citizens and (falsely) equated Zionism with racism (this draft of the Declaration was so offensive that the U.S. and Israel withdrew from the conference;) Funding aimed at weakening United States support for Israel by shifting public opinion regarding the Arab war against Israel, and Iran; Funding for Israeli political opposition groups on the fringes of Israeli society which use the rhetoric of human rights to advocate for marginal political goals. Finally, Soros, through OFC, created a $1.8 million fund intended to train budding journalists to be assigned to keep track of state government issues. He created a boot camp of sorts in which to school them, no doubt, in his progressivism. In fact, this effort was done in cooperation with National Public Radio (NPR), the anti-Semitic public radio network. Some say NPR stands for National Palestinian Radio, its reporting is so biased. The Soros trained journalists are placed at NPR stations throughout the country. What can be done to prevent this massive radio group from coming under the control of the Soros affiliates? A bankruptcy judge has approved Audacys plan to come out of bankruptcy, including Soros acquisition of majority interest in the company. However, because this constitutes a change in control of the broadcasting company, it needs the approval of the FCC to take place. An outpouring of letters to the FCC Chairperson Jessica Rosenworcel, and other commissioners might get them to take a closer look at the transaction and possibly question Soros/SFMs fitness as a licensee. Contact information for the FCC can be found here. Having hundreds of stations and digital outlets under Soros influence is dangerous for America and especially Jewry, and although time is very tight, the control of Audacy by an avowed anti-Zionist is something we Americans must try to derail. Image: Audacy, Inc. Cook County has been labeled Crook County for good reasons. Chicago Circuit Judge Tracie Porter decided that former President Donald Trump should be disqualified from appearing on the Republican presidential primary ballot in Illinois. This decision was based on allegations tied to his involvement in the events of January 6, 2021, at the U.S. Capitol. The judges ruling, invoking the insurrection clause of the U.S. Constitutions 14th Amendment, has sparked a significant debate over the balance of free speech, political activism, and the boundaries of legal disqualification from public office. Insurrection? Give me a break. Trump was not part of the demonstration and even if he were, its free speech and not an insurrection. This ruling, while currently delayed in anticipation of an appeal, underscores a concerning trend towards the politicization of legal mechanisms and the potential for judicial overreach, to say the least; it is paramount to recognize the implications such decisions may have on the democratic process, especially when considering the role of the judiciary in electoral matters. It is disingenuous to apply the 14th Amendment in this context and in doing so raises critical questions about the interpretation of the term insurrection and who gets to define such actions as such. Even rational opponents of Trump know it is bogus to weaponize the 14th Amendment simply for Trump urging his supporters to fight like hell. Remember, he also told them to stay peaceful. Moreover, the decision by a state-level judge affecting national electoral eligibility brings forth the issue of federalism and the potential for a patchwork of state-level decisions impacting the national political landscape. If every state can independently adjudicate the eligibility of presidential candidates based on divergent interpretations of constitutional clauses, the result could be an electoral chaos undermining the uniformity and predictability essential to the U.S. electoral system. Yes, as conservatives, we advocate for states rights, but this is over the top. Imagine what historians will say someday about how a highly crooked and totally Democrat Chicago-area court made the decision on whether or not a Republican could be on the ballot. Ah, memories of Chicago mayor Richard J. Daley fixing the election for John F. Kennedy. The Trump campaigns intention to appeal the ruling is not only expected but necessary in the fight for electoral fairness and the protection of political speech. The anticipated appeal, and the Supreme Courts forthcoming involvement, is crucial. The nations highest court has the opportunity to clarify the bounds of the 14th Amendments insurrection clause and, in doing so, to safeguard the principles of free speech and political participation. The justices skepticism during oral arguments in related cases hints at the complex balance between ensuring accountability for actions against the government and protecting the democratic process from becoming a casualty in partisan battles. But they really need to give this the smell test to see if its even remotely close to being an insurrection. A homeschooled 7-year old could tell you it was not. Jerry McGlothlin serves as the CEO of Special Guests, a publicity agency known for representing guests who are dedicating to helping advance the ways of God and the Constitutional Republic. Image: Free image, Pixabay license, no attribution required. The first stepping stone in my journey across the Rubicon from Democrat to hardcore conservative was realizing that NPR routinely lied about Israel. Once you figure out one lie or hypocrisy, you start seeing all the other stuff, and you cant turn back. Thats whats happening to Michael Rapaport, a Jewish actor and comedian, who has looked at the lefts response to Israel and cried foul. Recently, he announced hed vote for Trump, whom he despises, because Biden is a failure. He just joined with the Israeli satire show Eretz Nehederet to call out Hollywoods silence in the face of Hamass murdering, kidnapping, and sexually assaulting Israelis. Im not a Michael Rapaport fan. Indeed, when I look at the list of shows and movies in which hes starred, Ive never seen a single one. To the extent he impinged on my consciousness, it was because he was a fanatic (and utterly generic) leftist Hollywood Jew who hated Donald Trump. Heres just a sampling of his most recent pre-October 7 pronouncements (language warning: hes incapable of communicating without obscenities): On October 7, though, Rapaport remembered that he is a Jew and that his family came to America to escape the relentless, murderous hostility that has been part of diaspora Jewish history for almost 2,000 years. His X feed is now about the wonders of Israel, the plight of the hostages, and the evil that is Hamas. Also, as is the case with other leftist Jews, Rapaport is beginning to realize that his preferred political party doesnt like him. Hes angry at the Biden administrations inability to use Americas heft to bring the hostages home and to address the sadistic sexual assaults committed against Israeli women. Indeed, as of November, he was so upset that he announced that, at least for now, Trump is his guy: It wasnt so long ago that Michael Rapaport was mocking The Apprentice star over his legal issues, but the former Trump hater appears to have changed his tune. During a November episode of his I Am Rapaport podcast, the 53-year-old actor said he would vote for Trump if Biden didnt get the Israel-Hamas situation under control. If it comes to pig d*** Donald Trump and smokin Joe Biden, Im sorry, I am sorry, voting for pig d*** Donald Trump is on the table, the True Romance star said. Ill still call him slob d*** Donald Trump, pig d*** Donald Trump and all that, but we need to get this whole f****** situation under control. Rapaport has recognized that there is a greater enemy than Donald Trump and, indeed, that Donald Trump is his ally in this war against genocidal forces. The question is whether, having had the scales stripped from his eyes, Rapaport will go down the same path to conservativism I once did. In the short term, though, it doesnt matter. Ill take any vote for Trump we can get this coming November. Meanwhile, Rapaport joined with Eretz Nehederet, the amazing Israeli satire troop, to attack many of Hollywoods most famous and famously outspoken actors for their silence in the face of what Hamas did and is doing to Israelis. There is a lot of debate, even among Jews, about what a Jew is. Is it a genetic lineage? Is it abiding by religious precepts? Is it believing in moral principles absent religious doctrine? Is it enough just to call yourself a Jew? I can add one more definition: A Jew is someone who knows that genocide is always around the corner, that most political differences seem superficial or irrelevant when youre staring down the wrong end of a gun, and that the person you want at your side is the one who will help keep you from being dead. Donald Trump is a big player in that last category. Michael Rapaport has figured this out and, as leftists in America become increasingly open about their willingness to accept Jewish genocide, the Jews for Trump club in which Rapaport is now a member is going to grow. Image: Michael Rapaport. X screen grab. Talk about fortuitous! In a strange turn of events, one of Gavin Newsoms biggest donors hits the jackpot, and when the state-mandated $20 minimum wage for certain fast-food workers takes effect in April, this lucky duck employer wont be subject to complying with the increase, thanks to an obscure exemption in the statute. Heres the story, from Fox News yesterday: A major donor to Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom is expected to reap the benefit of an obscure exemption to the states new $20 minimum wage regulations for the fast food industry that will allow some of his restaurants to continue paying lower wages. Heres how the report from Bloomberg framed the issue: The governor pushed for a carve-out thats perplexed industry observers and benefited a donor. Greg Flynn is a billionaire, one of Newsoms (and other Democrats) most loyal and longtime benefactors, and according to Bloomberg, the largest restaurant franchisee in the US, if not the world. Flynns fast-food portfolio includes establishments like Taco Bell, Wendys, and Pizza Hut but his California fast-food portfolio is limited to one brand: Panera Bread. And, surprise surprise, the new laws obscure exemption seems only applicable to Panera Bread. As the Fox report states: Newsom pushed for the exemption, which allows restaurants baking and selling bread as a standalone item to continue paying the current rate of $16 to its employees. That means billionaire Greg Flynn, a longtime donor to the governor, could save hundreds of thousands of dollars a year per each of his two-dozen Panera Bread franchise locations across California. Interesting. What happened to all of Newsoms fair share talk? Flynn and Newsome go way back; from Bloomberg: Flynn attended the same high school as Newsom in the suburbs outside San Francisco. Over the years, Flynns donations to Newsoms political campaigns have included $100,000 to fight off a conservative-led recall effort and $64,800 to support the governors reelection in 2022. Flynn has been known to tout his relationship with Newsom, according to people familiar with the matter, with one saying the fast-food entrepreneur has said he can reach the governor via text. A business connection goes back to 2014, when Flynn acquired a Napa Valley resort managed by Newsoms hospitality company. Newsom, who was then serving as Californias lieutenant governor, reported an undisclosed amount of income from Flynns company that year. (Oh, and apparently all of Newsoms assets were placed into a blind trust in 2018 when he won the gubernatorial raceso not a lot of financial transparency there either.) The corrupt Democrats actions have perplexed the people who are supposedly experts? In other news, the hens are shockedshocked I tell youto learn that the fox never intended to guard the henhouse. Image generated by AI. Move over, Bud Light and Dylan Mulvaney. Theres a new brand in town finding woke ways to reduce its market share. I learned this while shopping in a local supermarket on Wednesday, when I noticed a rack with unusually colorful bags of Smartfood popcorn. Since the brand has been introducing new varieties in recent years, this wasnt surprising. What did raise my eyebrows was that the bags were a sexual devolutionary special edition roll-out for, it seems, Valentines Day, but were still around. (Is it too much to hope its because theyre not selling well?) Much like Dylan Mulvaney, the bags are brazen and in your face, unabashedly advertising a partnership the brand now has with GLAAD. Originally formed in 1985 and then known as the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, GLAAD has now expanded its sexual devolutionary horizons and pushes the MUSS (Made-up Sexual Status, aka transgender) agenda along with its original obsessions. In other words, this group is as toxically left-wing as they come. This doesnt stop Smartfood Stupidfood from boldly proclaiming on its bags, Smartfood & GLAAD, together for love. (Pro-tip for the company: You spelled lust wrong.) A picture of the bag is embedded in my tweet below. In a local supermarket yesterday, I saw that Smartfood was involved in a partnership with radical left-wing "LGBTQ" group GLAAD. It looks as if it has become Stupidfood and wants to Bud Light itself. Well, it'll get no more money from me. Here is the promotional bag: pic.twitter.com/gduRGuh7K5 SL Duke (@SelwynLDuke) February 29, 2024 After a bit of research, I learned that Stupidfood actually forged this partnership in 2022. I dont know if it received much press back then, but I dont remember hearing about it. Regardless, its amazing that a company will wade into a divisive, bruising culture-war battle by making common cause with one of the high-profile combatants. Have any of its executives ever heard of Dale Carnegies book How to Win Friends and Influence People? Note again, too, that GLAAD is absolutely on the cutting edge of societal devolution; its a danger to all of us, including, of course, kids. Consider how it boasts about its MUSS advocacy, which it indicates goes back to 1998. In its media guide, it issues instructions such as Always use a transgender persons chosen name and Ask for the pronoun a person uses, and use it. (Know here that there are recently invented pronouns such as ze and zir. Also know that people dont have pronouns languages do.) GLAAD is also all-in on having males masquerading as females participate in the latters sports. In other words, if its sexual and bad for society, GLAAD is all for it. And Stupidfood is all for GLAAD. In an announcement of its support, it makes a pledge to donate $150,000 to LGBTQ+ initiatives. This is chump change for the brand, of course, especially considering that it has long been owned by Frito-Lay, itself a subsidiary of PepsiCo. But it may lose far more than that in sales if its radical GLAAD association gets enough exposure. I say may because I realize its market isnt identical to what, for example, Bud Lights was. Bud Lights sales have collapsed, as it isnt subject to a boycott, but a walkaway. It may never recover. Whatever the outcome with Stupidfood, it certainly deserves the same fate. What are these executives thinking? Is the GLAAD alliance the result of woke capital, of entities such as Blackrock and its CEO, Larry Fink, pressuring the company into embracing politically correct policies? Is it a function of younger Millennials entering corporate America with their woke-academia priorities? Is it both? Perhaps Stupidfood perceives that our culture has long been drifting left (i.e., toward moral disorder) and is merely betting on the future. This would, though, risk losing the present. Regardless, for sure, theyve lost my business. I did like their overpriced popcorn, though Id only buy it on sale. But now I wouldnt take it for free. They can join with the cultural devolutionaries if they want, but they wont be doing it with my money. Im out. Contact Selwyn Duke, follow him on MeWe or Gettr or log on to SelwynDuke.com Image: YouTube video screengrab. Antimonythe soft, lustrous gray metalhas many industrial uses such as in the preparation of flame-retarding compounds and in the manufacture of alloys. The metal and its compounds has also been used since ancient times for various medical treatment. The ancient Egyptians, for instance, used grounded stibnite, a mineral containing antimony, as eyeliner and mascara due to its blackish color. Over the centuries, many different cultures including the Romans and the Greeks have held many bizarre beliefs regarding antimony and its properties leading to its use and sometimes misuse in a variety of different ways. Antimony crystal. Photo credit: Depositphotos Antimony's history traces back to ancient civilizations, with records suggesting its knowledge among the Chaldeans as early as 4000 BC. Finely powdered stibnite, called kohl, was used as a cosmetic both in ancient times and in India today. However, antimony's cosmetic use faced criticism from early Christians, contrasting with its adoption as a medicine by the Church in the 18th century. Carthusian monks treated various ailments such as smallpox, ague, dropsy, and syphilis using kermes mineral, an antimony preparation. Antimony's medicinal applications varied widely, often administered to induce sweating, vomiting, or purges, sometimes all three simultaneously. Legends abound regarding its experimentation, including tales of the monk Basil Valentine, who purportedly observed pigs consuming antimony discarded from a window. While the initial effect was purgative, the subsequent unexpected fattening of the pigs led Valentine to administer the antimony to fasting monks, resulting in their demise. This story is thought to have inspired the belief that antimony's name stems from "anti-moine" (monk's bane). During the 16th to 18th centuries, references to antimony in medical, chemical, and literary works were abundant. In "The Anatomy of Melancholy" (1628), Burton notes its frequent prescription for melancholy, recounting the case of a parish priest in Prague, Bohemia, who, consumed by melancholy, was restored to lucidity after ingesting 12 grains (0.8 g) of stibium. Despite the unsettling nature of the resulting purging of black choler, likened to "little gobbets of flesh," and the darkening of his excrements, the priest experienced significant improvement, marking a remarkable recovery. John Huxham (1692-1768), a pupil of the renowned clinical teacher Hermann Boerhaave at Leyden, praised antimony's virtues while also cautioning against its potential toxicity, recognizing that antimonial medicines could sometimes act as poisons rather than cures. The fervent interest in antimony during this period led to the proliferation of books and pamphlets advocating its use for a wide array of ailments. However, these publications often included warnings about its potential dangers, with some outright condemning antimony preparations as poisonous. Among the notable works on antimony's therapeutic applications is Basil Valentine's "The Triumphal Chariot of Antimony," first published in German in 1604. This treatise blends chemistry, mysticism, and metallurgy, detailing the purification of gold using metallic antimony or sulphide. It provides a comprehensive exploration of antimony and its compounds, extensively discussing their use in medicine as emetics and purgatives while also acknowledging their toxic properties. In the 17th and 18th centuries cups made from antimony became very popular as a means of inducing therapeutic sweating, vomiting and purging. Wine was poured into the cups and allowed to sit overnight. This resulted in the antimony reacting with tartaric acid in the wine to form antimony tartrate, a compound that induces vomiting. Antimony cup with leather case, Europe, 1601-1700. Photo credit: Science Museum London Another bizarre form in which antimony was taken was in the form of pills. However, these were not regular pills that was absorbed completely by the body. Instead, these hard antimony pills passed right through the guts after irritating the insides causing it to expel contents of the colon. After the pill passed through the body, it was customary to dig through the excreta in order to retrieve the pill, so that it could be cleaned and readied for the next use. These pills were known as perpetual pills because they were never exhausted. William J. Robinson describes these pills in the Medico-Pharmaceutical Critic and Guide (1907): This pill was a little bullet composed of metallic antimony which had or was believed to have the property of purging as often as it was swallowed. It is not inconceivable that it might have had such property, for it is possible that a minute amount was dissolved by the gastro-intestinal juices and this amount, plus the suggestion, was sufficient to produce cathartic action. Then again the everlasting pill probably aided peristalsis by its mechanical weight and motion. The bullet was passed out, recovered from the feces and used over and over again. This, as Dr. J. A. Paris says, was economy in right earnest, for a single pill would serve a whole family during their lives and might be transmitted as an heirloom to posterity. The toxicity of antimony is well known today, which is why its probably still used to today as an emetic (induced vomiting). Antimony compounds are also used as antiprotozoan drugs and in several veterinary preparations. References: # R I McCallum, President's address. Observations upon antimony, Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine Hey Google, what song is playing? Many of us are used to asking this question when we hear an absolute banger of a song playing in a bar or a restaurant. There are some people who use it so often that it becomes absolutely intuitive. However, it appears that the Google Assistants next of kin, Gemini, lacks this years-old functionality. According to a report, Gemini cannot identify songs. In case you dont know, Google is in the process of training Gemini to replace Google Assistant. The Google Assistant has been around for almost eight years. However, Googles ambitious and very rushed generative AI plans have started putting nails into Google Assistants coffin. Over the past couple of weeks, Geminis assistant function has been gaining more features. For example, just recently, Gemini gained the ability to integrate with Google Assistant to create Tasks. Also, Gemini can now integrate with Google Calendar to view and create events. Advertisement Advertisement However, this still shows how hastily Google threw Gemini out onto the market to keep up with the changing tech landscape. We are all still waiting for it to become a proper replacement for Google Assistant, but that could take a while. Google Assistant was gradually massaged into the Android experience over the course of years; Gemini is only a few months old. Gemini cannot identify songs, and thats a bummer Right now, people using Gemini as an assistant are navigating its limitations. When they summon it to identify a song, rather than give them the songs name, artist, and links to listen to it (like Google Assistant does), it does something thats pretty surprising. Looking at the screenshot below, we see that, rather than identifying the song, it gives you suggestions of different apps to use to identify that song and tips on how to use those apps. One of the apps is Apple-owned Shazam. Advertisement This method is extremely counterintuitive to the concept of using Google Assistant. People use Google Assistant for the convenience. Its supposed to quickly let you know what song is on with no additional steps. However, Gemini suggests that you download, install, sign up for, and use different apps just to identify a song. By the time you do that, the song will most likely have passed. Another thing that Gemini does is recommend that you use Google Assistant Again, it defeats the purpose of using Gemini if you have to switch to another assistant just to use a simple function. At this point, were certain that Gemini will gain this functionality at some point in the future. Its currently trickling features down to Gemini over time. But this is still a major issue Ever since Google unveiled its first generative AI products, theyve been rife with issues, missing features, and overall frustration. Sure, the technology powering them is powerful, but Google has been rushing everything to the market. It all started with Google Bards unveil when it provided inaccurate information. This rushed mentality continues to this day. Rather than working on porting all of Google Assistants abilities over to Gemini internally and then launching a full product, Google launched Gemini as a bare-bones assistant and is slowly adding features. Advertisement This is extremely frustrating because people are constantly finding areas where Gemini is a poor assistant. For all its forward-thinking and paradigm-shifting AI prowess, its a massive step back compared to what weve had years ago. Google Assistant was a part of Androids DNA and deeply integrated into the operating system. Google Gemini just seems like any AI app you could download from the Play Store. It may as well just be the ChatGPT app. Google has to get its act together before Apple unveils its AI model. Undoubtedly, when Apple launches its AI model, its going to be extremely complete and integrated into the services that Apple users always use. It seems like Apple will take the time to make a complete product before unveiling it rather than unveiling an incomplete product and slowly adding features. Google Search hasnt been overrun with articles generated by artificial intelligence yet, but its a growing possibility. Googles search engine has already caught flack for failing to sort through SEO content, so AI-generated articles could only make things worse. But according to Adweek, Google doesnt share this view. In fact, the company is allegedly paying news publishers to push AI-generated content. Adweek says it saw documents related to a new Google program that would pay publishers in exchange for their use of an experimental AI platform. Essentially, the publishers push AI-generated content for a year using the experimental platform, and Google receives feedback. Adweek says that the publishers receive a five-figure sum annually to publish the AI content. The program is part of what Google calls the Google News Initiative, which is aimed at producing resources for publishers. When a publisher uses the new AI tool, it will reportedly create a news article with generative AI based on other published works. Advertisement Advertisement Google thinks it isnt paying publishers to replace journalists In partnership with news publishers, especially smaller publishers, were in the early stages of exploring ideas to potentially provide AI-enabled tools to help journalists with their work, Google said in a statement. This speculation about this tool being used to re-publish other outlets work is inaccurate. The experimental tool is being responsibly designed to help small, local publishers produce high-quality journalism using factual content from public data sourceslike a local governments public information office or health authority, the company continued. These tools are not intended to, and cannot, replace the essential role journalists have in reporting, creating and fact-checking their articles. Regardless of Googles official position, its impossible to ignore the obvious. The use cases Google describes for its experimental AI tool are for tasks human writers currently perform. So, with Google paying publishers to use this feature, human journalism could take a hit. Advertisement The details of Googles plan to pay publishers Googles program very specifically outlines what publishers need to do. The company requires three stories daily, one newsletter weekly, and one marketing campaign monthly. Publishers can pick and choose what sources to aggregate content from. Then, when a new article pops up, the process begins. Publishers can select an article and use generative AI to create a news-style summary from it. Generative AI cant add context like a human writer can, which has led to criticism. Opponents of the program allege that Google and the publishers are effectively stealing others work. Google, of course, denies that this is the case. Google Wallet is one of the most popular services by the tech firm that makes mobile payments hassle-free for users. It gathers all of your bank accounts in a single Android smartphone or wearable, eliminating using physical cards. The good news is that the service is now expanding support for 42 new US banks. The new banks that have been added to Google Wallets list of supported institutions include a mix of large national banks, regional banks, and credit unions. Advertisement Advertisement Back in December, Google also added support for 44 banks in the United States. With the recent addition of 42 banks, Google Wallet is one of the most widely accepted mobile payment apps in the United States. Google Wallet is widely growing in the United States Android users who were previously unable to connect their cards to Google Wallet can now see if their bank has been added to the supported list. Google Wallet now supports dozens of banks in the United States. In order to know whether Google supports your bank, you can check the complete list of supported banks here. Googles decision to expand its list of supported banks comes at a time when mobile payments are becoming increasingly popular among consumers. Apple Pay is currently the most popular mobile payment service in the US, with 43.9 million people reporting theyve used it at least once. By supporting more banks and improving its features, Google hopes to capitalize on this trend and attract new users to its platform. Advertisement What new US banks are added to Google Wallet? Here is a list of all newly added banks to Googles payment app. You can also contact your bank to check if they support the service. Abilene Teachers Federal Credit Union Austin County State Bank (TX) Bank of Monticello (MO) Bison State Bank (MO) Boost Your Score Carolina Trust Federal Credit Union Century Next Bank (LA) Citizens First Bank (WI) Community National Bank in Monmouth (IL) Cottonwood Community Federal Credit Union (ID) County-City Credit Union (WI) Diamond Valley Federal Credit Union (IN) First National Bank of Manchester (FNBM) (KY) First State Bank of LeCenter (MN) Forest Area Federal Credit Union (MI) Granite Preferred Highway Crossroads Credit Union (MO) Hope Federal Credit Union (WV) KS Bank, Inc (NC) Lake Region Bank (MN) Liberty Bank NA (CA) LincOne Federal Credit Union Lions Share Federal Credit Union (NC) Monroe County Teachers Federal Credit Union (FL) Netevia PAHO/WHO FCU (DC) Pheple Federal Credit Union Planters Bank, Inc Racine Municipal Employees Credit Union (WI) Rave Financial Credit Union River Region Credit Union (MO) SPC Credit Union Star of Texas Credit Union (TX) Telhio Credit Union (OH) Ten Credit Union Tongass Federal Credit Union Thumb Bank & Trust (MI) Today card TrailNorth Federal Credit Union Valley Bank of Commerce (NM) Washington State Bank (LA) West Alabama Bank & Trust (AL) Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is just around the corner and its a hefty piece of game weighing in at 150GB, so now is as good of a time as any to upgrade your PS5 storage with these deals on the Samsung 990 Pro. The 990 Pro is one of the best SSDs you can pick up for your PS5 with its super-fast sequential read and write speeds. Currently, you can grab the 1TB, 2TB, or 4TB 990 Pro SSDs on sale for up to $90 off. Depending on which size of the SSD you go with the savings are different. For example, the 1TB mode of the 990 Pro is $135, but it regularly costs $155 so you save $20. If however, you go for the 4TB model, youll save $90, and the drive comes down from $420 to $330. Advertisement Advertisement The 2TB model meanwhile, has been discounted to $200, saving you $40 on the original $340 price. The Samsung 990 Pro is Samsungs fastest NVMe SSD so far and aside from its blazing speeds, its also incredibly reliable thanks to Samsungs expertise in cooling. Using a nickel-coated controller to help divert heat, the 990 Pro delivers smart thermal control so the drive continues to perform at optimal levels. On top of this, the drive uses less power than its predecessor making your PS5 more power efficient overall. You can enable RGB lighting on the side too. Albeit only if you use the drive in your PC. Its also possible to manage the drive with the Samsung Magician software to unlock its full potential. Worth noting is that while these are discounted through Samsung directly, you can also find them on Amazon. Whats more, is that the 1TB model is a tad cheaper at $128.93. The 2TB model is the same price though. As for the 4TB model, Amazon doesnt carry the one that comes with the Heatsink. Best Buy does though, and it has all three models in stock. Buy At Samsung Buy At Amazon Buy At Best Buy Samsung has made significant enhancements to its Try Galaxy app. According to the blog post, the app gives Android users the opportunity to experience the AI features on their devices. The updated app now simulates the user interface of the Samsung Galaxy S24 series released earlier this year. Samsung says users can learn about and try out five new AI-powered features available on the Galaxy S24 through interactive tutorials and demo videos displayed as widgets on the virtual home screen. These features include Live Translate for communication, Note Assist for summaries, Circle to Search with Google for visually searching anything. Advertisement Advertisement Samsungs Try Galaxy app is available on all Android devices According to Samsung, Live Translate enables real-time translation of conversations and text between two parties speaking different languages. Note Assist uses AI to analyze long notes and automatically bullet or highlight key points for a quick review. Chat Assist ensures messages have the right tone, whether for work or personal conversations. Photo Assist introduces new ways to enhance photos using generative AI. Things like resizing or removing objects and removing unwanted reflections. Circle to Search builds on Googles capabilities. It allows users to visually search for anything on the phone screen with a circular gesture without leaving the app. In addition to highlighting these new AI features, the Try Galaxy app provides a look at the Galaxy S24s camera system. Demo videos shot from a photographers perspective showcase the new features. Samsung offers Nightography Zoom for high-quality long-distance shots in the dark, Super Steady stabilization for action videos, and enhanced Portrait mode for selfies and portraits. Previously tailored to iOS users, the Try Galaxy app is now available on all Android devices including Galaxy models for the first time, Samsung wrote. This means more users can explore the latest features of the Galaxy S24 series and One UI 6.1. TOKYO, Feb 29 (News On Japan) - Toyota Motor Corporation's domestic sales in January decreased by 13.7% compared to the previous year, totaling 112,425 units, marking the first year-on-year decline in 13 months. The drop was influenced by the complete halt in production of Toyota-branded vehicles handled by its subsidiary, Daihatsu Motor Co., which resulted in zero production units in January. Amid these circumstances, Daihatsu announced the resumption of production for certain models, including those for Toyota, at its Shiga plant, which had been halted, starting from March 18. Additionally, Toyota announced the resumption of operations for two lines at two plants that had been stopped due to the misconduct issue at Toyota Industries Corporation, starting from March 4. Source: BIZ Children are suffering needlessly as a result of a decline in parents taking up the offer for routine childhood vaccines, health experts have said. Officials said that there are very real current consequences linked to a dip in vaccination rates including baby deaths. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is launching a new campaign to try and boost the number of parents getting their children vaccinated amid low uptake. The new campaign features children asking parents whether their vaccines are up to date. We have created a web page with everything you need to know about the MMR vaccination and why it is so important. Find our everything you need to know https://t.co/eRtPO2bNTi pic.twitter.com/h3BzaI3Maw NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire (@NHSNotts) February 28, 2024 If were not vaccinated, were not protected, the children in the video say. We could get seriously ill, risking life-long disabilities. Experts said that childrens voices resonated with parents. The routine childhood immunisation programme in England offers protection against 13 diseases including measles, polio, diphtheria, mumps, whooping cough, rubella and meningococcal infections which can lead to meningitis. But Dr Vanessa Saliba, consultant epidemiologist at the UKHSA, said there had been a decline in vaccine uptake over the last decade which had been exacerbated since the Covid-19 pandemic. Were not hitting the World Health Organisation targets of 95% uptake for these vaccinations and this is important because if we dont hit those targets, we dont have those immunity levels in the population, we will see cases and outbreaks occurring and children becoming unwell, hospitalised and suffering needlessly because these are all preventable infections, she said. Professor Dame Jenny Harries, chief executive of the UKHSA, told BBC Breakfast: There are deaths now so if we talk about whooping cough for example, pertussis, we cant protect very tiny babies. We have a pertussis whooping cough vaccination for children, usually at eight, 12 and 16 weeks, but the very tiniest children, the newborns, are the ones who are most impacted and can get very seriously ill, so we need most children to be protected so that they cant pass it on to their young siblings. Theres also a maternal programme and that maternal programme rate has dropped as well it was introduced in 2012. Weve had 21 neonatal/infant deaths since that time, the last one of which was just at the end of last year. Now most of those individuals, 19 of the 21, were not vaccinated. So I think its all of the vaccination programmes are there to help people and there are very real current consequences. Asked why vaccine uptake had declined, Dr Mary Ramsay, head of immunisation at the UKHSA, said that while there were some people who were resistant to vaccination, UKHSA research suggested that attitudes towards vaccination were positive and getting more positive. Drop into one of our Living Well sessions to check if your child is fully immunised. We offer all routine immunisations including MMR. Visit our timetable: https://t.co/DNZx1PJGU5 pic.twitter.com/9YvMFLVMHP Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS FT (@cwpnhs) February 28, 2024 She added: We think most of the problem relates to complacency and (parents) are very busy and not getting around to it. Plus the schedule now (requires) quite a (few) more visits the current schedule, children visit their practice on five occasions before school age really to get their their vaccines. And then they have flu vaccine every year from the age of two. Uptake is particularly low in inner city areas, experts said. The campaign, which will be launched on Monday, comes as cases of measles continue to rise. The UKHSA said it had now recorded 650 cases since October the majority of cases were recorded in Birmingham and the West Midlands but clusters were now being seen in other parts of the country including London, the East Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber and the North West. Dr Saliba added: Measles can be a serious infection that can lead to children being unwell and in hospital, and so it is a concern that since October we have seen this rise in cases. Childhood vaccination coverage in England decreased across the majority of measures in 2022/23 compared to the previous year, according to NHS figures. No vaccines met the 95% target in 2022/23. The proportion of children who had received their first MMR jab by the age of five decreased to 92.5% the lowest level since 2010/11. Some 84.5% had received their second MMR jab by the age of five. Meanwhile, 93.2% of five-year-olds had received the five-in-one jab which protects against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, polio, and haemophilus influenzae type b (also known as Hib). Dame Jenny added: We need an urgent reversal of the decline in the uptake of childhood vaccinations to protect our communities. Through this campaign we are particularly appealing to parents to check their childrens vaccination status and book appointments if their children have missed any immunisations. The ongoing measles outbreak we are seeing is a reminder of the very present threat. While the majority of the country is protected, there are still high numbers of children in some areas that continue to be unprotected from preventable diseases. It is not just their own health that can suffer, but other unvaccinated people around them such as school friends, family and those in their community could also experience serious infections. Unless uptake improves we will start to see the diseases that these vaccines protect against re-emerging and causing more serious illness. Dame Esther Rantzen has said people should no longer be able to claim allowing assisted dying is detrimental to a countrys palliative care system after a parliamentary report found no indications this is the case. The journalist and broadcaster, 83, who has stage four lung cancer and has registered with Dignitas, welcomed the findings of the Health and Social Care Committee but said it is very disappointing the report does not recommend a debate and vote on assisted dying. She told the PA news agency: I hoped that they would produce evidence which is useful to the debate, and they have. Dame Esther Rantzen said assisted dying still needs to be debated, because public opinion has changed since the issue was last addressed in Parliament (Ian West/PA) One thing I really applaud is that theyve done the comparisons with countries that have legalised assisted dying, and have found that palliative care, as a result, improves. And that is very important, because there have been a lot of claims by opponents of assisted dying that palliative care deteriorates. And it doesnt. The report says: In the evidence we received we did not see any indications of palliative and end-of-life care deteriorating in quality or provision following the introduction of AD/AS (assisted dying/assisted suicide); indeed the introduction of AD/AS has been linked with an improvement in palliative care in several jurisdictions. MPs considered evidence from jurisdictions including in parts of the United States, Australia and New Zealand where assisted dying is permitted. Dame Esther said the issue still needs to be debated, because public opinion has changed significantly since the issue was last addressed in Parliament. She added: Yes, the current law is a mess. No, this report does not help very much for those of us who desperately want the current law to change for the sake of our own families, and the many others in our situation. But there is one really important piece of evidence in this report, which is that the false claim that introducing assisted dying in a country damages the palliative care there, is absolutely untrue. And its time people were prevented from making that claim. She said the report is not a step back, but added: Sadly, its not a step forward and that is very disappointing. She continued: I would say to the authors of report sadly I dont think your report reflects the crucial changes in attitude in the public, and among professionals that have taken place since the last parliamentary debate in 2015. Ive only had time to read the conclusions and recommendations, but I had hoped that among them there would be the recommendation for another debate. However, fortunately, the public has taken over the guidance. And we now have well over 120,000 signatures on the petition, which the party leaders have said they will take into consideration and what we need now is to have it included in every partys manifesto. It is something people really do care deeply about. I know its an emotional subject. That may be the reason that the parliamentary committee has been reluctant to come down on one side or another. But the fact people feel so strongly about it is because their own life experience and their own hopes for themselves and their families. Its time for our politicians to take it seriously and make sure its properly debated as soon as possible. And the current law is a mess it tries to incorporate compassion, but in fact it has created cruelty in the lives of many families. Dr Gordon Macdonald, chief executive of Care Not Killing said: At a time when we have seen how fragile our health care system is, how underfunding puts pressure on services, accessing specific treatments and when the UKs amazing hospice movement faces a 100 million funding crisis, MPs could have decided to firmly close the door on assisted suicide and euthanasia, and say the current law which protects everyone, regardless of whether they are young or old, able bodied or disabled should remain. They failed. Evidence may have been lost during the delay in treating a gunshot victims death as murder, Police Scotland have said. Brian Low, 65, was found dead on a rural path on February 17, in Pitilie, near Aberfeldy, Perthshire and Kinross. His death was initially treated as medical or non-suspicious, according to Police Scotland officers who held a press conference in Perth on Thursday. Mr Low was found dead with his black Labrador at about 8.30am by a member of the public, and the remote beauty spot was not treated as a crime scene until four days later. Police at the scene in the Pitilie area on the outskirts of Aberfeldy, Perthshire (Andrew Milligan/PA Wire) Concerns around the wound Mr Low had suffered were raised on Wednesday February 21, during an initial medical examination and the major investigation team was called in, it was revealed. However, two days later, two doctors carried out a post-mortem examination which established that it was a fatal gunshot, and Mr Lows family were told of the news on Saturday afternoon. The public were not told of a gunman on the loose until Tuesday February 27 10 days after Mr Lows body was found. Detectives admitted evidence may have been lost in the delay in setting up a crime scene. No motive has been established and officers said the death was not being treated as a hunting accident or a suicide, and house-to-house inquiries were being carried out. Detective Chief Inspector Martin Macdougall said criminality was established (on) Friday evening, but there were concerns around the injury two days earlier. He said: Obviously, once it had been established on Wednesday there were concerns about the death, the scene was established at that stage. But, yes, I appreciate that in that time frame between the Saturday and Wednesday some things could have been lost, but we have taken every opportunity since to recover every item from that area. Police Scotlands Professional Standards department had been informed, it was said. Mr Macdougall added: The initial assessment was that of a non-suspicious and medical death, and has now been established to be a murder. The Professional Standards department of Police Scotland will be informed and given any further information. He said detectives were keeping a very open mind as to the motive, and officers defended the initial response to the inquiry. They refused to reveal the kind of gun used to kill the former estate groundsman, or to say where the gunshot wound was sustained. Chief Inspector Greg Burns said: From the initial assessment at the locus, the death was deemed to be medical or non suspicious. That would give you an idea of how the body presented. Mr Macdougall added: Weve got keep an open mind as to why Brian was subjected to this crime. We cant just decide that its targeted or non-targeted. Inquiries are ongoing, but theres nothing to indicate that Brian is involved in any form of criminality and hes not adversely known to the police. Were not going to provide any information at this stage on the type of weapon or type of wound that Brian sustained. He said Mr Lows previous employment at the Edradynate Estate would be looked at during the investigation. Mr Macdougall said: Every aspect of Brians life will be explored, any people he associates with, that includes employment. He added: We need to focus on appealing for witnesses to try and assist us and give Brians family the answers as to why hes been murdered. First Minister Humza Yousaf said police were working around the clock to solve the case. Speaking in Holyrood on Thursday, Mr Yousaf said: Can I give as much assurance to the community of Aberfeldy, who are rightly shocked, rocked in fact by this tragic incident. He added: I know that Police Scotland has been taking this case extremely seriously. There are questions I know that have been asked given media reports in the last 24-48 hours in terms of the time taken between Mr Lows death and the post-mortem and the opening of the murder investigation. Ive been absolutely assured, and I sought these assurances, that Police Scotland are working around the clock into this murder investigation and will be seeking to reassure the community as they can. The comments were prompted by a question from local MSP, and former deputy first minister, John Swinney, who spoke of the deep unease in the area following the Mr Lows death. Mr Swinney also pushed for the necessary police presence to assure the community I represent of its safety. The First Minister described the suggestion as sensible, adding that he would pass on the suggestion to Police Scotland. The First Minister of Wales believed the UK Government would be in charge of the countrys pandemic response until just days before the first lockdown, an inquiry has heard. Mark Drakeford, the outgoing leader of the Senedd, was under the impression the Welsh Government would not be making decisions to prevent the spread of coronavirus itself due to the type of legislation being used in Parliament. The UK Covid-19 Inquiry heard the First Minister only discovered the country would be in control on March 20, three days before the first lockdown was announced. Tom Poole KC, the lead counsel for the inquiry, said reports submitted by Professor Dan Wincott, an expert on Welsh Government decision-making, suggested this outcome was not one that the First Minister anticipated. The inquiry heard the Welsh Government initially believed Parliament would use powers in the Civil Contingencies Act (CCA) to implement protections against the pandemic, such as the first lockdown. The CCA puts the UK Government in charge of decision-making, with devolved administrations left to implement them. Today, we hear evidence from Prof Dan Wincott, Prof Sir Ian Diamond, Stephanie Howarth and Dr Robert Hoyle. Watch live from 10:00 (with a three minute delay) on our YouTube channel https://t.co/n03rrwuLGm pic.twitter.com/CbZoAMApVZ UK Covid-19 Inquiry (@covidinquiryuk) February 29, 2024 However, because Covid-19 was not considered an unforeseen event the CCA could not be used. Instead, public health powers were drawn on, meaning the devolved governments, including in Wales, oversaw their own responses. Mr Poole said the First Minister agreed with the decision to use public health rules, which would allow Wales to reflect the particular circumstances of the country, but the UK Governments decision was not formally made until March 20. Prof Wincott agreed Mr Drakeford had assumed any primary decision-making power would remain with the UK Government. That certainly seems to be the First Ministers understanding of the situation, he said. Prof Wincott added this was a widespread view among other devolved nations but there was a lack of clarity in early pandemic decision-making. Boris Johnson said in his response to a previous section of the inquiry that his government should have thought harder about the legal basis for the measures to prevent different rules in the four nations of the UK. Prof Wincott described the overlap of policies between UK and Welsh government rule as having jagged edges. He also spoke of blame games between the two governments over policy and confusion over accountability for the public. The professor also said that Wales suffered because it does not have a strong Wales-focused media with the national newspapers being essentially the London editions while Scotland gets its own. He described this as having all sorts of implications for communication in the pandemic. However, when asked if the Welsh government had an effective public health communication strategy during the pandemic, Prof Wincott said it did overall but there were specific examples of mishandled issues, for example around the firebreak lockdown. The hearing continues. TOKYO, Feb 29 (News On Japan) - The long-awaited release date for "FF7 Rebirth" has finally arrived. To help you get started on the epic journey of Cloud and his companions, this article will introduce some early-game tips. Recommended Early-Game Party From the outset, you can control Cloud, Tifa, Aerith, Barret, and Red XIII, who were party members in the previous remake. The versatile trio of Cloud, Aerith, and Tifa is recommended for the early stages. Cloud is a given, with Aerith being the optimal healer. For the third member, Tifa is suggested as she has high attack power, easy-to-use abilities, and can also wield magic effectively. For aerial enemies, you can either use Aerith's attacks or Cloud's magic. Cloud's evasive counterattacks also serve as a means to deal with long-range threats. For a party focused on long-range attacks: Cloud, Aerith, and Barret. If you find the above setup weak in long-range attacks, swapping Tifa for Barret is recommended. His normal attacks are long-range and rapid-fire, making them very user-friendly. Since characters other than Cloud don't need to get close to enemies, it's safer to heal and use items. For a party focused on close-range attacks: Cloud, Tifa, and Red XIII. If you're up against weaker enemies, you can opt for a party composed entirely of attackers, leaving out the healer. Red XIII can be replaced with Barret. Focusing on damage allows you to quickly finish off lesser foes. Character Usage and Characteristics Cloud is almost a fixed member in the early stages. As an attacker, he is excellent and user-friendly. It's essential to equip him with various elemental and healing Materia to handle all situations. "Assess" is a must-have to gather information about enemies from the beginning. "Steal" is also recommended as it allows you to pilfer items from assessed enemies. Tifa is a typical close-range attacker. With abilities that can deal significant damage, she is the go-to for an offensive role. Strengthening her with Materia like HP Up is also advisable. Barret is a long-range attacker who can use his abilities frequently thanks to his high ATB gauge. With a high HP, he can also serve as a tank. His ability to damage airborne enemies regardless of distance is invaluable. Aerith is indispensable as a healer, with her limit ability "Healing Wind" being incredibly handy. Although her attack power isn't high, equipping various elemental Materia and using magic is recommended. Her support abilities, like the magic circle techniques, are also excellent, so focusing on healing and support roles is a viable strategy. Red XIII is a close-range attacker who can perform area attacks by holding down a button, proving useful when surrounded by enemies. His ability "Super Guard" is key to accumulating the Revenge gauge, making his playstyle slightly more advanced. Fixed Party Members? In the very early stages, such as the Nibelheim flashback, you'll control young Cloud and Sephiroth, and after passing through the Grasslands and Mithril Mines, the team splits into Cloud, Tifa, and Aerith, and Barret and Red XIII. The party is typically fixed during story progression. Although you're limited to using the given party, it's an opportunity to learn abilities for characters you don't usually use. Weapon-specific abilities increase in proficiency as you use them, and once maxed out, they can be used even without the weapon equipped. Early on, it's not easy to learn abilities for characters you don't use, so focus on using abilities when the party is fixed. Don't forget to switch weapons once you've learned an ability to acquire new ones! Source: Dengeki It never crossed Shaun McLoughlins mind that the strike would last for a year when he walked out with thousands of other mineworkers in March 1984. Mr McLoughlin was 22, had been working in the industry for five years, just got married and done what he had been advised, bought a house with the biggest mortgage he could afford. When he signed up to work at the pit at the age of 16, following his dad and older brother, he was told it was a job for life. But, even though he was working as a mining craft apprentice at one of the most modern pits in Europe, Kellingley, near Selby, the mood had changed by 1984 to one of fear for the future of every colliery. It was the announcement of plans to close 20 pits which appeared to confirm the miners worst fears and provoked the year-long walkout. The National Coal Mining Museums mine director, Shaun McLoughlin, was a newly married 22-year-old when the strike began in March 1984 (Danny Lawson/PA) Mr McLoughlin, now 62, told the PA news agency: The mood was really bitter about the pit closure programmes. Even at Kellingley, miners didnt feel safe. I was always worried the pit was going to close. He said Kellingleys miners were solid when the strike was called. The mood was that everybody would stick together. I think everyone thought it was going to be another 1974 and wed win the strike. Asked if he ever thought he would be out for a year, he said: No. We never thought that at all when we came out on strike. We thought something like eight weeks, 12 weeks something like that. We thought wed have won and have been back at work. Mr McLoughlin said it eventually dawned on him the writing was on the wall when it became clear there was no unity across the country, with the Nottinghamshire miners working on, and that Margaret Thatchers government had stockpiled huge amounts of coal. Shaun McLoughlin is now the mine director at the National Coal Mining Museum, which is located at the former Caphouse Colliery, in Wakefield (Danny Lawson/PA) He said: That was a big disappointment for all the Yorkshire lads. Theres an old saying in mining that unity is strength and we got let down, basically. But thats history now, isnt it? He said: When you look back now, theyd been preparing for quite a while had the government, stockpiling coal. They chose a time and they provoked the NUM (National Union of Mineworkers) into this action. It was never going to be a quick victory. Theyd planned it well. Mr McLoughlin, who first went down the pit in 1977 aged 16, ended up as the mine manager at Kellingley when it was the last deep coal mine in the UK to close, in 2015. He now works as mine director at the National Coal Mining Museum, which is at the former Caphouse Colliery, and the only place in England where visitors can still go down a pit. He was living in the pit community of Townville, near Castleford, at the time of the strike. I was 22, he said. Id just got married the year before. Id bought a house and, like many people at the time, you took as big a mortgage as you could afford. Kellingley was paying decent wages so, obviously, when the strike came along it was a big shock. Mr McLoughlin said his brother was a miner who was married with a mortgage, as was his father-in-law and three brothers-in-law. Fortunately, he said, his father was a mine official who was still being paid and was able to help-out his extended family. And Mr McLoughlin managed to pick up some work on building sites. But he was still left thousands of pounds in debt and later found his building society had added on 10 years to his mortgage term to compensation for the strike freeze. He said: It was a struggle. The house I bought had coal-fired central heating. We had no immersion heater. I remember that vividly. So, you had no hot water unless you were running your fire. The bit of coal Id got you just tried to keep it to get your bit of hot water. They were tough times. Mr McLoughlin said a spate of recent documentaries on the strike had rekindled memories. He said: It brings it all back just how brutal it was. You cant condone the throwing of the stones and bottles and everything but you also cant condone the police action as well. The way they dealt with it, it was shocking and Im sure, in this day and age, it wouldnt be allowed to go uninvestigated. Mr McLoughlin said the mood was sombre when the decision was made to end the strike in March 1985. He said: Everybody had had enough because it caused so much animosity within families and everything. Brothers were against brother. Ive known people who ended up splitting up with wives and partners during the strike because partners could take any more, because it was that hard. Mr McLoughlin said: It should definitely be remembered. Its a piece of history. Its something that happened and it should never be forgotten. Basically, it should never happen again. People going 12 months without wages and that kind of stress and anxiety on families should never happen again. He said: The pit villages have gone. You just see the deprivation now in the mining villages. In Castleford, every shop is a charity shop. It used to be a real thriving place. The Scottish Government has no cash to intervene in a bid to resolve strike action in the countrys colleges, the further education minister has warned. Further education minister Graeme Dey, instead, urged colleges employers and the unions taking industrial action to get back round the table, as he said he was really concerned about the impact the dispute would have on students. His comments came as the wing of the EIS teaching union which represents college lecturers staged a national day of strike action. As well as this protest by the EIS Further Education Lecturers Association (EIS-Fela), about 2,000 support staff in the Unison trade union at 21 colleges also took part in action. Solidarity with over 2,000 support staff at 21 colleges on strike today in Scotland over pay @unisonscot https://t.co/MJe0Mkaz6B UNISON UK's largest union (@unisontheunion) February 29, 2024 Striking staff took to picket lines outside colleges and also gathered at a rally outside the Scottish Parliament. It comes as EIS general secretary Andrea Bradley said college lecturers had not received a pay rise since August 2021. She said: During this period, the country has endured a crippling cost-of-living crisis, with soaring prices for essentials such as food and clothing, heating and housing. Yet, the only offers to have come from college employers are sub-inflation and represent a real-terms pay cut for Scotlands hard-working college lecturers. Huge turnout today @ScotParl. Lecturers, support staff, students and politicians coming together to fight for fair pay #FightingforFE pic.twitter.com/4arlrnejGN EISFela (@EISFela) February 29, 2024 College Employers Scotland (CES), said it was deeply regrettable that students were having their learning disrupted, as it vowed the strike action would not lead to an improved pay offer. It has offered a 5,000 consolidated pay rise for all college staff over three academic years. Asked about the strike action in Holyrood, Mr Dey told MSPs: I remain concerned by the impact this period of industrial action will have on our students. That is why I am encouraging both sides to come to a resolution. He stressed it was for the college unions and the employers and not the Scottish Government to negotiate on pay and terms and conditions. But Mr Dey said that an agreement had been reached with two other unions, Unite and the GMB, as he said he would work with college employers and those unions taking action where appropriate, in the hope that they can reach a settlement that is fair and affordable. Further education minister Graeme Dey urged college employers and the unions to get back round the table (Andrew Milligan/PA) The minister, however, made clear the Scottish Government had no cash to fund a pay deal, telling MSPs: This Government is not in a position to put further funds into that process. He also said it had been deeply disappointing to discover on Wednesday that no further talks are planned, despite the strike. Mr Dey said: I remain concerned by the impact this period of industrial action will have on our students. That is why I am encouraging both sides to come to a resolution. CES Scotland director Gavin Donoghue said plans had been put in place to mitigate the strikes, and it was expected most colleges would remain open. But he stated: It is deeply regrettable that students are, once again, facing disruption to their learning due to industrial action taken by the EIS-Fela and Unison. Todays strike and other industrial action, like the resulting boycott, will not lead to an improved pay offer to trade unions. Colleges simply cannot offer to give what they do not have, especially when Government funding is set to fall by nearly 5% in 2024-25. He continued: Despite unprecedented financial pressures, colleges have put forward a substantial pay offer which, if accepted by trade unions, would keep college lecturers in Scotland as the UKs best paid. For support staff, the same offer would mean an average pay rise of nearly 16% from September this year. The employers full and final pay offer has already been overwhelmingly accepted by Unite and GMB members. We urge EIS-Fela and Unison to cancel their industrial action and follow the example of their fellow trade unions by putting the pay offer to their members in a ballot. Ryanair boss Michael OLeary has launched a fresh broadside against Irish Transport Minister Eamon Ryan as he blamed a passenger cap at Dublin Airport for blocking the airlines growth. Mr OLeary said Mr Ryan and his Green Party colleague Catherine Martin, the Minister for Tourism, are dunces who should leave politics if they do not act to remove the cap. Ryanair said while it expects to grow traffic at Irelands regional airports in Cork, Shannon and Knock, it cannot expand in Dublin due to a limit of 32 million passengers per year. The company said the cap limits its plan to grow its Irish traffic by 50% by 2030. The airlines chief executive told a press conference on Thursday that Mr Ryan had failed to deliver on the National Aviation Policy of enhancing Irelands connectivity, fostering growth in aviation, and maximising the contribution of aviation to national development. Mr OLeary, one of Irelands wealthiest businessmen, posed for photos holding cut-outs of the two ministers wearing green dunce caps. Mr Ryan has previously said the airline chief has become personally abusive in his comments. Asked on Thursday if he feels the latest media stunt is abusive, Mr OLeary said it is intended to be humorous. He said: I cant imagine when Ive ever been personally abusive. Ive said hes incompetent. I dont think thats personally abusive, its a statement of fact. I think calling him a dunce is fair, but if hes that thin-skinned or that upset by personal abuse, I have two suggestions: One, do something useful and lift the cap. Or two, maybe politics isnt for you, if you cant handle the occasional barb from some loudmouth like me. Ryanair chief executive Michael OLeary described himself as a loudmouth (Brian Lawless/PA) Mr OLeary said Ryanair will add 50 Boeing 737 aircraft this summer, open 80 new routes and grow overall traffic by more than 16 million to 200 million. But he said none of the new traffic will be delivered at Dublin Airport due to the cap and will instead be in Spain, Italy, Poland, Morocco, Denmark and Albania. He also criticised Dublin Airport operator DAA for plans to raise airport fees by 45% by 2026 when compared to 2022 levels. The airline said the cap is an indefensible artificial restriction given that Dublin Airport had spent 300 million euro (257 million) on opening a second runway which could provide capacity for 60 million passengers. He said: If Ireland had a capable Transport Minister committed to delivering our National Aviation Policy, then he or she would intervene to lift this cap while the planning matter is being dealt with, or better still, pass legislation to raise the traffic cap at Dublin Airport to 50 million passengers. Irish Transport Minister Eamon Ryan has been criticised by the Ryanair boss (PA) Dublin Airport is a national asset. It is our main gateway on and off the island of Ireland. Its growth cannot be left to a few county councillors in Fingal or the usual planning nimbys and loonies who will block or delay this cap for up to four years. Mr OLeary said Ryanair is making a 4 billion US dollar (3.7 billion euro, 3.2 billion) investment in Irish aviation by basing 40 aircraft in the country. He said it is offering 210 routes, 10 of which are new options from the regional airports. The chief executive said Ryanair would place four new aircraft in Dublin and implement 12 new routes to and from the airport this summer if the cap was not in place. He added: We would have increased frequencies on other routes and grown traffic in Dublin by about another two million passengers from last years number. Mr OLeary said Dublin Airport is losing traffic to almost every other country in Europe. Michael OLeary said Ryanairs expansion plans are being held back by a passenger cap at Dublin Airport (Brian Lawless/PA) Ireland has a Green Transport Minister and a Green Tourism Minister, he added. After four years of failure, these two ministers have shown they are sadly not up to the job. If they dont act now to abolish this traffic cap at Dublin Airport, then they should quit. The choice is simple. These two Green ministers should either grow or go. Asked if he is another rich businessman taking on an environmentally friendly agenda, Mr OLeary said: Nobody does more for climate change than Ryanair does. He said the airline is investing 20 billion euro (17 billion) in aircraft which could carry 20% more passengers with 20% less fuel. Mr OLeary said he wants to hold a face-to-face meeting with Mr Ryan at the Ryanair offices in Swords next Thursday. The Green Party declined to comment. A monkey which spent five days roaming the Highlands after escaping from a wildlife park is being moved to a city zoo to give him a fresh start. Honshu the Japanese macaque found a way out of his enclosure at Highland Wildlife Park near Kingussie in January and was caught days later after he was found eating from a bird feeder in a garden. Keepers said it would have been very difficult to reintroduce him to his wider family after his time away and he is of the age when macaques generally disperse or move further afield. Seven-year-old Honshu is instead being moved to Edinburgh Zoo with three males from his group to start a new mini troop. He enjoyed a breakfast featuring his favourite Yorkshire pudding before setting off on the journey on Thursday. Darren McGarry, head of living collections at Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), which operates the zoo and wildlife park, said: Primate group dynamics can be very complex, especially in a situation like this where an individual is separated from the troop for an extended period of time. Honshu is moving to Edinburgh Zoo! Arriving with three other male Japanese macaques from @HighlandWPark, Honshu's mini-troop will spend the first few days off-show while they settle in to their new home Find out more https://t.co/X2lICyfq4m pic.twitter.com/vnKmf3TnzX Edinburgh Zoo (@EdinburghZoo) February 29, 2024 Honshu is also of the age when macaques disperse or move away, so it would have been very difficult to reintroduce him to his wider family. Instead, we want to create a new mini-troop for him, comprised of three other male macaques of similar age just like with our giraffes. Thankfully they have settled in well together at the park and are now being moved to their new home at the zoo. A major search, which included the use of a drone, was launched after Honshu escaped from the wildlife park on January 28. The macaque was found in a garden in the nearby village of Kincraig on February 1 and was shot with a tranquilliser dart before being taken back to the park and checked over by vets. It is thought the monkey, nicknamed Kingussie Kong by locals, may have been tempted by Yorkshire pudding which had been left on the bird table overnight and was all gone in the morning, according to reports. RZSS chief executive David Field said Honshus last breakfast at Highland Wildlife Park included Yorkshire pudding, telling the BBC thats what he likes so why not. Honshu spent several days in the wild following his escape from Highland Wildlife Park last month (BH Wildlife Consultancy/PA) He told BBC Radio Scotland Honshu has been doing well since his adventure but the time is right for him to move on. He said: He is actually great, he has formed a real bond with his peer group, he is probably the kind of benign ruler of them all, he is a bit of the boss, but hes doing really well, hes a beautiful, beautiful monkey and were really looking forward to having him down here in Edinburgh. Mr Field said Honshu was being a little bit disruptive at the wildlife park after his time away and was trying to take on the adult males. He added: Its perfectly natural that at his age he would want to start moving on to find different groups, to try and take over groups, so its a bit like boys in the playground to be perfectly honest, he needs to move on and we have the perfect opportunity to have him here in Edinburgh. The monkeys will stay indoors at Edinburgh Zoo for the first few days before exploring the outdoor area of their new enclosure, opposite the zoos red river hogs. Keith Gilchrist, living collections operations manager at Highland Wildlife Park, said: We were amazed by the level of interest in Honshus escape from across the globe but our only priority throughout the process was to secure his safe return. Im glad to say that thanks largely to the expertise of the team involved in his recapture, as well as a groundswell of support from the local community, we were able to do just that. Now its time for Honshus next chapter. The next UK government must better regulate the financial sector to ensure it addresses environmental and social crises facing the country, campaigners have warned. A manifesto published by ShareAction, which campaigns for responsible investment, outlined six key policies for making financial institutions address issues such as climate change, inequality and degradation of nature. The document, released on Thursday, comes ahead of UK political parties unveiling their own manifestos for the general election expected this year. It said the election provides the next government an opportunity to demonstrate that the UK remains a global leader in tackling the enormous environmental and economic challenges we face. Too often, the rules that underpin investment activities act as a barrier to innovation, the manifesto added. UK policymakers have the chance to drive action at scale by setting a clear direction and high standards, promoting better regulation and increased transparency, and ensuring that companies and financial institutions are not acting contrary to the interests of the society in which they operate. ShareAction is calling for the incoming government to introduce measures such as amending fiduciary duty law governing pension funds to expand the definition of savers best interests to include impacts on people and planet. The charity also said ministers should expand new anti-greenwashing rules for retail funds to institutional investors. Other recommended policies include introducing legislation requiring companies to report on their social impact and their impact on nature, mandatory ethnicity pay gap reporting for large employers and a stronger mandatory framework for stewardship standards. ShareAction said many of these recommended policy interventions build on existing policy initiatives and would require little to no government expenditure to implement. The co-leader of the Green Party of England and Wales Carla Denyer welcomed the call (James Manning/PA) Fergus Moffat, head of UK policy at ShareAction, said: The next government will be in power at a pivotal moment for people and planet, determining our countrys response to the threats of climate change, nature loss and inequality. Smarter regulation is key to ensuring that finance flows away from polluting fossil fuels and exploitative working conditions and towards resilient zero-carbon sectors and fairer treatment of workers. To secure a sustainable future for Britain, the next government must act decisively to set the highest possible standards for companies and the financial sector and hold them to account for their impact on all of us. Carla Denyer, Green Party co-leader, said: This is welcome recognition that the private sector has an important role to play in tackling the climate crisis and helping to create a fairer, greener country. It is in all our interests to encourage investment in a shared future based on equality, social and environmental justice. The PA news agency has contacted the Department for Work and Pensions and the shadow environment secretary Ed Miliband for comment. The chief executive of Age UK has criticised the inadequate Windrush Compensation Scheme almost five years after it was launched, highlighting that more than 50 people have died waiting for their claims to be processed. Paul Farmer, writing in the foreword for a new report, said that at least 53 people have already died waiting for their claims to be decided, adding: Time is not on the side of those waiting for compensation. The charity chief, introducing the report called Justice Denied: Reforming the Windrush Compensation Scheme, said: What makes this scandal even worse is that rather than righting the wrongs, the Windrush Compensation Scheme has itself become a cause of further distress. The Windrush scandal, which emerged in 2018, saw many British citizens, mostly from the Caribbean, denied access to healthcare and benefits and threatened with deportation despite having the right to live in the UK. The Government promised to right the wrongs of what had happened but the compensation scheme, launched in April 2019, has been repeatedly criticised for the speed at which claims are being processed and payments made. Age UKs new report claims that a number of areas of the compensation scheme are failing those affected. These include the decision to make the Home Office responsible for administering the scheme, when it was the department responsible for the original injustices faced by the Windrush Generation as a result of their hostile environment policies. Weve heard from older people affected and Windrush campaigners that many are fearful and unwilling to apply to the scheme, given their low levels of trust in the Home Office and following a history of negative experiences, the report said. The report is also critical of administrative delays and errors, the appeals process and issues surrounding compensation levels. The charity said that by the end of 2023 only 1,993 individuals had been offered compensation, fewer than one in seven (13%) of all whom the Home Office estimates to be eligible. Age UK said that the Home Offices original assumption was that 15,000 people would be eligible but, by the end of 2023, only 7,688 claims had been made, with significant numbers of those affected still awaiting justice and restitution. It is calling for an independent body to take over the running of the compensation scheme from the Home Office. Paul Farmer, chief executive of Age UK, said: The Windrush Compensation Scheme could be made much fairer and easier to access, with the requisite political will. Ministers need to act quickly before its too late and more people go to their graves uncompensated for the enormous harm they and their families have experienced through the years. A Home Office spokesperson said: The government remains absolutely committed to righting the wrongs of the Windrush scandal, already paying out more than 75 million in compensation, and continuing to make improvements so people receive the maximum award as quickly as possible. As at the end of December, over 80% of claims had received a final decision on their applications. For those who claim under the Windrush Compensation Scheme, free assistance is provided through our independent provider, We Are Group, who have extensive experience of working with elderly as well as those who are isolated and vulnerable people. The report comes as a debate is due to take place in the House of Lords on Thursday, tabled by Baroness Floella Benjamin, on the Windrush scandal and the implementation and effectiveness of the compensation scheme. The body representing Scotlands local authorities has joined with council bodies from across the UK to call for more funding from the Chancellor ahead of the spring Budget next week. In a move likely to deepen tensions between councils and the Scottish Government, Cosla has written to Jeremy Hunt urging him to review the Budget and provide sufficient investment to local government. Scottish ministers are also waiting to see what the plans could hold for Scotland in terms of more funding through Barnett consequentials. In the letter, seen by the PA news agency, Shona Morrison, the president of Cosla, joined with the heads of the local government associations in England, Wales and Northern Ireland to call for more funding. They wrote: It is vital that all councils have sufficient revenue and capital funding to set balanced budgets for 2024/25 and have the assurance to develop sustainable medium-term financial strategies. We urge you to consider what impact the UK spring Budget will have on local government as the sector urgently needs additional UK financial support to ensure viability. Councils aim to deliver sustainable public services and would like to have the funding flexibility to prioritise preventive services to address existing and future demand. Without additional support, there will be inevitable cuts to essential services provided by the four nations which could have a detrimental impact on sustained efforts to mitigate against poverty and homelessness. Investment in councils will ensure a more efficient delivery of key government policy agendas and should be considered as a valuable asset as we collectively aim to improve outcomes for our communities. The most recent autumn statement, the letter said, did not sufficiently account for the increased costs and challenges facing councils. As a result, statutory services are having to be prioritised, meaning disproportionate cuts are being made to preventative services areas such as leisure, culture and cost-of-living supports which mitigate against the development of negative mental health, well-being and poverty. The letter also comes after reports emerged of two Scottish Labour-run councils appealing to Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove for further funding (Lucy North/PA) Councils are also faced with increasingly unsustainable workforce challenges with recruitment and retention issues impacting on the services we can provide. In recent months, Humza Yousafs administration and local councils have been at loggerheads after the First Minister announced a council tax freeze would be imposed without consultation in his first speech to the SNP conference as leader. The ongoing wound was reopened last week when Argyll and Bute Council refused to freeze the levy, announcing it would increase by 10% this year, drawing the ire of Deputy First Minister Shona Robison and ensuring they would not receive a share of an additional 62.7 million in funding. The letter also comes after reports emerged of two Scottish Labour-run councils appealing to Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove for further funding. A Scottish Government spokesperson said: We recognise the importance of local authorities in providing vital public services across Scotland. That is why, in the face of a profoundly challenging financial situation, the Scottish Government is making available record funding of more than 14 billion to councils in 2024/25. However, our spending decisions remain tied to those of the UK Government which is why, in line with Scottish local authorities, we are calling on the Chancellor to use the Spring Budget to deliver a fair settlement for Scotland. Steve Coogan is being sued for libel by a university official over his devious and weasel-like portrayal in a film about the discovery of Richard IIIs remains, the High Court has heard. Mr Coogan was a writer and producer of the The Lost King, which follows Phillipa Langley and her search to find the controversial kings skeleton. The lost remains of the Plantagenet king were found in a Leicester car park in 2012, more than 500 years after his death. Richard Taylor, formerly deputy registrar of the University of Leicester, is bringing legal action against Mr Coogan, his production company Baby Cow, and Pathe Productions over his portrayal in the film. At a hearing on Thursday, which Mr Coogan did not attend, William Bennett KC said his client Mr Taylor was presented as being dismissive, patronising and misogynistic towards Ms Langley. The barrister said in written submissions: The relevant context is the good versus bad narrative, which runs through the film. Ms Langley is portrayed as the gutsy underdog heroine struggling against opposition and the claimant as the arrogant villain. He not only takes steps to make sure that people do not know about her role but takes the credit, which was rightfully hers, for himself and the university. Philippa Langley, originator of the Looking for Richard III project (Gareth Fuller/PA) Mr Taylor, who is now chief operating officer at Loughborough University, was also shown as a devious, weasel-like person and a suited bean-counter, Mr Bennett told the High Court in London. The barrister later said that Mr Taylor was portrayed as mocking Richard IIIs disability and linking physical deformity with wickedness or moral failings. Mr Bennett continued: Its a straightforward, plot-driven film where everything that is said and done matters. Mr Coogan and the two production companies are defending the libel claim. Andrew Caldecott KC, for the Alan Partridge star and companies, said in written submissions: It is a feature film, not a documentary. It would be clear to the ordinary reasonable viewer that the film is not a documentary, it is a dramatisation of events. The concept of fictional films based on real events is not a new one. Mr Caldecott said the film states it was based on a true story, adding: It is not a literal portrayal of exact words. and would be understood as putting forward Ms Langleys perception. The late kings remains were found in the Greyfriars car park in Leicester (Rui Vieira/PA) The barrister denied that Mr Taylor is shown to be sexist or misogynist, adding his concern is about Ms Langleys amateur status and lack of historical expertise, and not her gender. He continued: Whilst the film is clearly strongly critical of Mr Taylor and the university for sidelining Ms Langley at the dig and after the discovery of the body and not giving her sufficient credit, his clear motive is to exploit the discovery to further the universitys commercial interests. No reasonable viewer would conclude that his motive was sexism or misogynism. Mr Caldecott also said Mr Taylor was not portrayed as mocking Richard IIIs disability, and certainly not mocking disabled people in general. Judge Jaron Lewis will give a ruling on preliminary issues in the claim at a later date. Stevie Nicks will headline BST Hyde Park festival this summer, it has been announced. The Fleetwood Mac star, 75, will take to the stage on July 12. She said: Anything that draws me back to London and therefore to England fills my heart with joy. And to be able to visit and make music is always a dream come true Stevie Nicks appearance at Hyde Park will follow a run of shows in the US (Ian West/PA) The London festival also features headliners Kings Of Leon, Andrea Bocelli, Robbie Williams, Shania Twain, Kylie Minogue and Stray Kids on the bill. Support acts for Nicks have yet to be announced. Nicks, best known for her ethereal singing voice, joined Fleetwood Mac in 1975. The bands biggest record, Rumours, featuring hits Dreams, Go Your Own Way and The Chain, sold more than 40 million copies worldwide, making it the fifth best-selling album of the 1970s. She also had solo hits with songs such as Edge Of Seventeen and Stand Back. Nicks was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Fleetwood Mac in 1998 and as a solo artist in 2019. Nicks headline show at BST Hyde Park follows a run of US shows. Tickets go on sale on March 6 and 10am. Voters in Rochdale go to the polls on Thursday in one of the UKs most divisive by-elections in recent years. Alleged death threats, candidates wearing stab vests and vandalism have been reported during campaigning to win the seat following the death last month of sitting MP Sir Tony Lloyd. Former Labour MP and Celebrity Big Brother contestant George Galloway is the favourite to take the seat, he is now standing for the Workers Party of Britain. Labours campaign was torpedoed days after launch after a recording surfaced of its candidate, Azhar Ali, speaking at a party meeting suggesting Israel was complicit with the massacre of its own people in the October 7 terror outrage. Labour candidate for Rochdale, Azhar Ali (left), was joined by Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham in Rochdale as he launched his campaign before his party withdrew support (Peter Byrne/PA) Shadow cabinet members Lisa Nandy and Anneliese Dodds both campaigned for him before Labour eventually withdrew support amid growing criticism. Mr Ali later apologised for his remarks. Though no longer backed by Labour, he remains a candidate as it was too late to withdraw his name from the ballot papers. He may sit as an independent if elected to Westminster. Ex-Labour Rochdale MP Simon Danczuk, barred for standing for Labour in the 2017 general election after apologising for inappropriate text messages sent to a 17-year-old girl, is standing for the Reform Party. Guy Otten, the Green Party candidate, has also had party support withdrawn over comments made on Twitter though, like Mr Ali, his name will still appear on the ballot paper. Mr Galloways campaign is heavy on the Palestinian cause and Gaza, an issue close to the heart of many of Rochdales Muslim population. Workers Party of Britain candidate George Galloway in Rochdale (James Speakman/PA) His campaign believes 15,000 votes are enough to win most by-elections and Rochdale has a 30,000-strong Asian community. There have been incidents of his campaign posters being torn down. Mr Danczuk, who believes the poll is a two-horse race between him and Galloway, says his campaign is based on disaffection with mainstream parties and claims his rival Mr Galloways campaign has been divisive and he would be the MP for Gaza, not Rochdale. Mr Danczuk reported being the subject of a death threat with police reportedly making an arrest. Reform UK candidate Simon Danczuk speaking to PA during campaigning in the Rochdale by-election (James Speakman/PA) The town, which is one of the most deprived in England and voted 60% in favour of Brexit, has also been the subject of Asian grooming gang scandals, with a major report in January concluding that young girls were left at the mercy of paedophiles due to failings by senior police and council bosses. Billy Howarth, a local man, is involved in a group, Parents Against Grooming UK and is standing as an independent. Mr Howarth said he has taken to wearing a stab-vest while campaigning, such are tensions in the town. Also standing are Iain Donaldson, Liberal Democrats, Paul Ellison, Conservative Party, Michael Howarth, Independent, Ravin Rodent Subortna, The Official Monster Raving Loony Party and David Tully, Independent. The number of postal votes in the election is high, standing at 21,810 out of an electorate of 82,615. Polling stations are open from 7am to 10pm with the declaration result expected around 3am. TOKYO, Feb 29 (News On Japan) - Princess Aiko, the eldest daughter of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, is considering visiting the Ise Grand Shrine in Mie Prefecture at the end of next month, making it her first solo visit to the shrine, according to sources. According to sources, Princess Aiko is planning a two-day trip to visit the Ise Grand Shrine in Ise City, Mie Prefecture, and the mausoleum of Emperor Jimmu in Kashihara City, Nara Prefecture, towards the end of next month. The visit is seen as a way to report significant milestones in her life, as Princess Aiko is set to graduate from Gakushuin University and start working at the Japanese Red Cross Society this spring. Although Princess Aiko visited the Ise Grand Shrine with Their Majesties in July 2014, this will be her first visit alone. The Ise Grand Shrine is dedicated to Amaterasu Omikami, the ancestral deity of the imperial family, and it is customary for members of the imperial family to visit the shrine on occasions such as ascension to the throne, abdication, marriage, and reaching adulthood. Source: TBS Producers of a West End theatrical production are carefully considering holding evenings with black-only audiences amid criticism from Downing Street. Slave Play at the Noel Coward Theatre, which features Game Of Thrones star Kit Harington among the cast, was set to have two performances aimed at an all-black-identifying audience that is free from the white gaze. Kit Harington will be in the play (Liam McBurney/PA) Organisers of Black Out shows say they do not prevent or preclude anyone from attending and nobody has been turned away in the past. Number 10 has hit out at the idea for being wrong and divisive. A statement from the producers to the PA news agency said: Our intent is to celebrate the play with the widest possible audience. We want to increase accessibility to theatre for everyone. The Broadway production conceived Black Out nights and we are carefully considering how to incorporate this endeavour as part of two performances in our 13-week run. We will release further details soon. To be absolutely clear, no one will be prevented or precluded from attending any performance of Slave Play. On Thursday, Prime Minister Rishi Sunaks official spokesman said: The Prime Minister is a big supporter of the arts and he believes that the arts should be inclusive and open to everyone, particularly where those arts venues are in receipt of public funding. Obviously, these reports are concerning and further information is being sought. But clearly, restricting audiences on the basis of race would be wrong and divisive. Is London ready for Slave Play? pic.twitter.com/LgtSGN0Z64 Slave Play (@SlavePlayBway) February 13, 2024 Asked if that was an implied threat about withdrawing taxpayer support, the spokesman said: No, it is a statement of principle that clearly the arts should be inclusive. And I think that taxpayers would particularly expect that to be the case when public funding is involved. Previously, the Government blocked the approval of Northern Irish rap trio Kneecap for a music grant. Slave Play, written by American actor and playwright Jeremy O Harris, also has Banana star Fisayo Akinade and Denzel Washingtons daughter Olivia Washington in the ensemble. Slave Play is written by American actor and playwright Jeremy O Harris (Jennifer Graylock/PA) Defending the staging, Emily In Paris star Harris wrote on X, formerly Twitter: I dont have to imagine the roles were reversed in my grandparents lifetimes AND WORSE. Im not even saying BLACKS ONLY Im saying Im inviting black ppl first! They can bring their white friends or lovers if they want. Theres no colour bar. But one existed in the UK recently! Previously staged on Broadway, the play was nominated for 12 Tony Awards and tells a story of race, identity and sexuality at the MacGregor Plantation in the southern US during the early 21st century. In 2019, all 804 seats of Golden Theatres staging were used by black-identifying theatregoers, according to the Black Out initiative. The production, playing from June 29 until September 21, will stage the two Black Out nights on July 17 and September 17. In addition, every Wednesday from June 26 at 10am there will be 30 tickets released for the performance priced at 1, while on the morning of each performance, there will be 10 seats priced at 20 each. A public inquiry into the investigation of Emma Caldwell murderer Iain Packer is not off the table, First Minister Humza Yousaf has said. Concerns have been raised over the conduct of the former Strathclyde Police in the investigation of Packer, who was jailed for life with a minimum term of 36 years on Wednesday after being found guilty at the High Court in Glasgow of murdering the 27-year-old in 2005. He was also convicted of 11 rapes against nine women and 21 further charges including sexual assaults and abduction, over 26 years, which judge Lord Beckett described as an extraordinary campaign of sexual violence. Mr Yousaf was challenged on the case at First Ministers Questions by both Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross and Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, both calling for a judge-led public inquiry, presided over by someone from outside Scotland to investigate police failings. Humza Yousaf has said a public inquiry into how police dealt with killer Iain Packer is a possibility (Jane Barlow/PA) The First Minister said he was scheduled to meet with Emmas mother, Margaret Caldwell, and her lawyer, Aamer Anwar, urgently soon and would want to understand her wishes on the issue. Mr Ross read out quotes from a conversation with Margaret Caldwell, who asked the SNP leader what are you waiting for? when it comes to setting up the probe. The Tory leader said: Margaret had a message for the First Minister, she said this, If Mr Yousaf genuinely cares about the victims and my Emma, then he has no other option but to organise an independent public inquiry. And she continued, With respect, what are you waiting for? But Mr Yousaf strongly hinted at the calling of an inquiry as he addressed the chamber, but acknowledged there was a chance Packer could appeal the sentence. A judge-led public inquiry is something that were exploring, is absolutely not off the table and is something were giving very serious consideration to given the systemic failings in this case, he said. Mr Ross pushed the First Minister to come back with an answer within days, urging him to push for a judge from outside Scotland to be appointed, something Mr Yousaf said would be worth of consideration. Humza Yousaf said he would meet with Margaret Caldwell (Andrew Milligan/PA) Responding, the First Minister said they would come back urgently to update MSPs, adding women have waited far too long for justice. Mr Yousaf also accepted that the victims of Packer who was first interviewed by police the month after Miss Caldwells body was found, and who repeatedly lied to investigators were ultimately let down by police. The First Minister added: There are many questions to answer why Packer was able to evade justice (and) continue to commit many crimes as he did for so long. Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar also pressed the First Minister on the issue of who should lead any inquiry. He quoted Margaret Caldwell, who said women who had raised the alarm about Packer were humiliated, dismissed and, in some instances, arrested whilst the police gifted freedom to an evil predator to rape and rape again. Mr Sarwar said that for any inquiry to be truly independent it would have to be led from someone outside the Scottish justice system. The First Minister said he agreed with Mr Sarwar on many points, saying: We still in Scotland have a serious problem with misogyny. And I know theres a lot of cross-party consensus around some of the actions that the Scottish Government is taking forward to tackle violence against women and girls. He continued: There is a strong argument that the inquiry is led by somebody outwith Scotland, so I dont remove that option from the table. Police Scotland has apologised to Miss Caldwells family and to Packers other victims for them being let down by policing in 2005. Aamer Anwar, solicitor for Margaret Caldwell since 2016, said the family will accept nothing less than the truth, transparency and accountability and called for a judge-led public inquiry. Mr Anwar said the Crown Office should make a commitment to Mrs Caldwell and the many women to hold an inquiry rather than a review. He added: This is not simply a case of the police just saying sorry in the belief they can move on as it was all about 2005 the reality is that for over a decade the police engaged in a concerted cover-up, followed by Police Scotland carrying out unlawful spying on Sunday Mail journalists and police officers who had identified Iain Packer as the murderer. In that whole period the Crown ordered no further investigation into the killer or the police it must beg the question why? What were they trying to hide? The scale of the crimes and the failures are so catastrophic and vast that nothing less than a robust judicial public inquiry will suffice she welcomes the comments of the First Minister but for her, time is of the essence. Neither the Police nor Crown Office, nor anyone connected to the police, can be allowed or trusted to investigate themselves and their former bosses. Mrs Caldwell would welcome any move to select an independent judge from elsewhere in the UK to conduct the statutory pubic inquiry. Mr Anwar said he will meet Mr Yousaf, Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain and Chief Constable of Police Scotland Jo Farrell to demand a public inquiry. He added: Nobody should be allowed to evade accountability or frustrate the investigation process and Emmas mother Margaret will not rest until she has the truth. If anything, it should be clear to the Scottish Government that a public inquiry is in reality the only body capable of revealing the truth, and without truth there can never truly be justice. Have you ever looked at your pet and thought they looked like a real piece of art? They are so cute after all. Well one woman has taken that idea literally. Rachel Stephenson is a pet portrait artist who makes all of her work using felt. She's amazing! Just ask some of the thousands of people who were left speechless after she recently shared a video of her work online. It takes a real talent to capture animals the way that Stephenson does. Just take a look at some of her finest creations. View the original article to see embedded media. The animals Stephenson, who goes by Fly by Felts online, made look almost lifelike. She really captured something special with each and every statue that she crafted. Each dog has a unique expression on its face it's almost like they're a smaller version of the real thing. "They come in all shapes and sizes. Tall, small, long legs, short legs, long hair and short hair. Something for everyone," she wrote in the video's caption. Another video on her page shows Stephenson sweating the final reveal of her latest project. It seems that she'd carefully placed some bolsters to hold the stature in place while it dried. View the original article to see embedded media. The end result was well worth it, in our opinion. She breathed a sigh of relief when she revealed the statue was meant to be a dog catching a frisbee in mid-air. Go fetch! "Ok. Aaaaaand relaxIt worked.It seemed like an eternity for the resin to harden (probably me being impatient) but look.. my plan worked. What relief," she wrote in the caption. Some of Stephenson's over 28,000 followers chimed in, praising the artist for her work. "Your sculptures are truly amazing, you manage to capture the spirit of each of these lovely dogs," one commenter gushed. "So handsome and full of character, all of them," another person agreed. "They are so real and beautiful," a third commenter wrote. Where Can People Order These Sculptures? Obviously we're dying to get our hands on one of Stephenson's pieces. But sadly for us we'll have to wait. The artist explained online that her commissions are currently closed. But you can follow her on Instagram where she'll announce when commissions are open again. These would make excellent gifts for special occasions like birthdays or anniversaries. Or what better way to commemorate your dog's life than with a tribute to them you can keep long after they pass? These statues are truly perfect for the animal lover in your life. Looking for more PetHelpful updates? Follow us on YouTube for more entertaining videos. Or, share your own adorable pet by submitting a video, and sign up for our newsletter for the latest pet updates and tips. We may earn commission from links on this page, but we only recommend products we believe in. Pricing and availability are subject to change. If you have wrist or hand pain, feel pins and needles in your hands or see a change in your grip strength after sitting on your computer for hours, you're not alone. You might be experiencing symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), which is actually a neurological condition. With any pain or discomfort, it's always recommended that you speak to a healthcare professional, but one treatment option readily available is an over-the-counter wrist brace designed to alleviate and prevent symptoms associated with CTS. Investing in a wrist wrap or brace might be worth it to have better wrist movement and get some pain relief. There are different types of wrist splints to meet your needs, some that can fit both your left and right hand and others that have universal sizing based on their materials and structure. Read more: Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) occurs when the median nerve one of the three major nerves of the forearm and hand becomes compressed at the wrist. Research suggests that keeping your wrist in a neutral position, as a brace would, minimizes the pressure on the median nerve, improving symptoms and function. This is only recommended for those with mild to moderate CTS; if you have severe or prolonged pain, you should be seen by a physician. Orthopedic surgeon and hand and wrist specialist Dr. Melissa Boyette, MD, tells AOL, I would caution against wearing a brace longer than a few weeks if a physician has not evaluated you, advising that prolonged bracing can lead to stiffness and weakness. If you determine an over-the-counter wrist brace is right for you, there are many options available. AOL spoke with orthopedic experts to learn what to look for in carpal tunnel-specific braces and how they are meant to work. A rigid insert, or stay, often made of metal, is key to stabilizing the wrist. These stays are often placed on either the dorsal side (i.e., the back of the wrist), the palmar side, or both. Dorsal support is often best for carpal tunnel since it prevents flexion, but there are benefits to all types depending on your pain or discomfort. We then took the experts feedback and explanations and evaluated over 20 wrist braces. We then ranked each according to style, brand reputation, user and tester reviews, cost, comfort, and efficacy. Best overall wrist brace for carpal tunnel RCAI RCAI Wrist Brace for Carpal Tunnel Relief Best overall wrist braces for carpal tunnel Can be used for: Carpal tunnel as well as tendonitis, radial nerve compression, arthritis, repetitive strain injury | Sizes available: XS-XL | Material: Thermoplastic | Structure and design: Dorsal stay The RCAI Wrist Brace doesnt look like your average drugstore wrist support, but thats a good thing. This is a dorsal splint, meaning it has a rigid posterior component on the back of your wrist while leaving the palmar side relatively open. Certified hand therapist Brenda Cummings, OTD, OTR, CHT, tells AOL, "The dorsal brace might seem awkward at first, but this type of brace works best for carpal tunnel symptoms." Dorsal braces are an excellent choice if you need daytime wrist support, but theyre comfortable enough to wear while sleeping. The dorsal support effectively keeps your wrist in a neutral position while the open palm still allows for daily activities, such as typing. It's important to note this brace is arm-specific, so ensure you are ordering a left or right brace depending on your needs. While this brace is one of the most expensive on this list, dorsal splints are generally pricier than compression sleeves or wrap-around braces. That said, RCAIs brace is more affordable than many of its dorsal counterparts. Its also more accessible. Many dorsal splints are only sold on medical sites, but you can find this one on Amazon. And not to worry, its commercial availability doesnt minimize its quality. It's constructed with high-quality, lightweight thermoplastic and a soft, moisture-wicking liner. Pros Allows full dexterity High-quality Durable material Multiple sizes available Cons Not universal to both wrists $35 at Amazon Other top wrist braces for carpal tunnel we recommend for 2024 Ossur Ossur Formfit Wrist Brace Best overall carpal tunnel brace runner-up Best for: Carpal tunnel as well as tendonitis, moderate sprains, post-op healing | Sizes available: S-Xl | Material: Neoprene, Velcro | Structure and design: Dorsal and removable palmar stays Ossurs Formfit Wrist Brace offers a high level of support with both dorsal and palmar stays. The palmar stay is malleable enough that it wont add pressure to your median nerve, but its also removable, which makes it even more convenient. This didn't top our list as the overall winner because its immobilization capabilities can be too much for daytime use. Although the brace leaves your fingers free, its fairly restrictive. For example, if you want to keep it on while using a keyboard, you may find typing difficult. Still, Cummings recommends this brace for nighttime use to help alleviate those waking CTS symptoms. And dont let the bulky exterior fool you its made with lightweight, breathable material, so it wont be uncomfortable while you sleep. Pros Breathable Lightweight fabric Removable stay for extra support Three adjustable straps Cons Somewhat bulky $20 at Amazon $22 at CVS Pharmacy ComfyBrace ComfyBrace Wrist Support Brace Best wrist brace for carpal tunnel for typing Best for: Carpal Tunnel, arthritis, tendonitis | Sizes available: One size fits most | Material: Breathable fabric, beaded cushion | Structure and design: Removable palmar stay The ComfyBrace Wrist Support Brace is comfortable to wear thanks to the soft, breathable fabric and plush, beaded cushioning. It's also one of the most comfortable braces to sleep in. This brace is equipped with a removable palmar stay, and though the palmer stay can be tricky for CTS, the extra padding is likely enough to protect your medial nerve. Its a bilateral brace, too, which means you can wear it on either hand without a problem. The one downside to this brace is that it only comes in one size, and while there are Velcro straps to offer the ability to adjust the size and fit, the straps are fairly small and dont wrap all the way around the brace. This would work well for someone with larger, or even average, wrists, but if you have smaller wrists, this one might not be the best fit for you. Pros Soft and comfortable Suitable for both hands Easy to put on Cons Small velcro straps Only one size available $17 at Amazon FREETOO Freetoo Wrist Brace for Carpal Tunnel Relief Night Support Best carpal tunnel brace for sleep Best for: Carpal tunnel, arthritis, tendonitis, sprain | Sizes available: S/M, L/XL | Material: Thermoplastic | Structure and design: Two dorsal stays, one palmar stay The Freetoo Wrist Brace, available in black or rose red, features two dorsal stays, one palmar stay, and maximum support, making it a solid choice for sleeping. The palmar stay isnt removable, but it is contoured to the shape of your wrist so that it wont irritate your median nerve. In fact, the whole brace was designed with comfort in mind. Its made of durable, lightweight thermoplastic, has mesh channels for extra breathability, and features a soft microfiber lining that wont irritate even the most sensitive skin. If youre looking for a brace to support you while you sleep but would love the option to wear it during the day as well, this is it. It allows for full finger dexterity while still providing the right amount of immobilization. Plus, its slim-fitting, so it will fit under your long-sleeved clothes easily. Pros Breathable Mesh fabric Lightweight and comfortable Allows full dexterity while keeping wrist aligned Cons Stays are not removable Limited sizing $20 at Amazon FEATOL Featol Carpal Tunnel Wrist Brace Best wrist brace for hot and cold therapy Best for: Carpal Tunnel, arthritis, tendonitis, repetitive strain injury, sprains | Sizes available: XS, S/M, M/L, L/XL | Material: Neoprene, Velcro | Structure and design: Removable palmar stay The Featol Carpal Tunnel Wrist Brace offers major support at a low cost. It runs from your palm to over halfway up your forearm and features three large adjustable straps to ensure you get the perfect fit. The palmar stay is removable, another bonus for carpal tunnel pain, but the best part is the hot or cold use gel pack. It comes with a reusable gel pack which can be used either hot or cold. A large body of research suggests that alternating heat and cold therapy can effectively treat symptoms. There is only one gel pack included with the brace, but you can always buy replacement packs if needed. Pros Offers hot and cold relief Removable metal stay Provides high support Cons Only includes on gel pack Somewhat bulky $19 at Amazon BraceAbility BraceAbility Resting Hand Splint Best immobilizing wrist brace for carpal tunnel Best for: Carpal tunnel, tendonitis, stroke recovery, rheumatoid arthritis, fractures and sprains, post-surgery recovery | Sizes available: XS, S, M, L, XL | Material: Breathable fabric | Structure and design: No stays A resting hand splint is you guessed it best used while at rest. Whether thats asleep or just lounging around, resting splints promote healing by keeping your wrist immobilized and in a proper position. Unfortunately, that means they restrict hand and finger movements, but that also means you wont be able to irritate your median nerve further. The resting hand splint from BraceAbility is available in five sizes, from extra-small to extra-large, but it also has three long, wrap-around straps, which gives it even more size adjustability. Its made using padded, soft materials, so its also comfortable. Pros Soft Comfortable material Adjustable Wraparound staps Cons Limits movement of hand and fingers May be difficult to put on for some $25 at Amazon Factors to consider when choosing a wrist brace for carpal tunnel Comfortable fit: Carpal tunnel braces are designed to keep your wrist in a neutral position. Immobilization is important because wrist flexion puts pressure on the median nerve; bracing prevents that. However, in order for the brace to work, it needs to fit correctly. It should be snug enough to provide adequate support but not too tight to restrict circulation or cause skin irritation. Material: A big part of comfort has to do with quality materials. Neoprene is one of the best material choices since it offers compression, warmth, elasticity, and breathability. Mesh fabric can also add to a braces overall breathability. Softer materials, like memory foam, can provide padding for additional comfort. Other braces use copper-infused fabrics, which can help deodorize the brace. While many of these braces can be washed by hand, most are not machine washable. Structure and design: Most braces have a rigid insert on either the dorsal side (i.e., the back of the wrist), the palmar side, or both. Studies show dorsal support is best for carpal tunnel since it prevents flexion without adding more pressure to the median nerve. Palmar support can be beneficial, too; just make sure that the rigid stays dont press in on the median nerve or that theyre removable. Length is also important, A wrist brace that is too short may apply more pressure to the median nerve, says Cummings. Look for a wrist brace that doesnt stop directly at the wrist and instead extends about halfway up the forearm. Cost: Finally, cost is something to consider. The best wrist brace for you is one that is comfortable and effective, but more expensive doesnt necessarily mean better. How we chose the best wrist braces for carpal tunnel syndrome To help you determine the best carpal tunnel braces, our team looked at over 20 different wrist braces and evaluated each based on their efficacy. The truth is, there are a ton of wrist braces on the market, but not all of them work well to alleviate symptoms of carpal tunnel. We considered factors like the overall structure and design of the brace, the amount of stability it provided, and how comfortable it was to wear. Finally, we consulted with two orthopedic experts, including an occupational therapy hand specialist and an orthopedic surgeon. Wrist brace FAQs: Do wrist braces help carpal tunnel? According to board-certified hand surgeon, Dr. John Thomas, MD, wrist braces can be extremely beneficial for mild to moderate carpal tunnel, especially if used overnight. Most people like to curl up and fully flex their wrists at night, he says. This places pressure upon the median nerve in the carpal tunnel and increases symptoms. Wrist braces for carpal tunnel work by keeping your wrist in a neutral position to alleviate pressure from the median nerve. To be effective, Cummings says, it should prevent you from being able to bend your wrist more than 15 degrees in either direction. How long should I wear a carpal tunnel brace? Wrist braces arent meant to be a permanent fixture in your life. Instead, Thomas says, theyre best worn for a few weeks. If symptoms dont improve during that time, its a sign that you might need to try a more intensive form of treatment. As for how many hours you should wear a brace, both Thomas and Cummings agree that nighttime bracing is most effective. In fact, Thomas tells AOL, its best not to wear a brace during the day unless you have to, otherwise it could result in loss of strength. Discussing the best route for you with your physician is recommended for the best results. How long does it take to fix carpal tunnel? In most cases, it will take anywhere from 4-6 weeks of splinting to fix carpal tunnel, says Thomas. However, it may take longer if youve aggravated the symptoms with excessive repetitive motions. For severe cases, though, a wrist brace may not be enough. Whats the best way to fix carpal tunnel? Treatment for carpal tunnel will depend on the severity. It's important to talk with your physician about the best course of action to treat your carpal tunnel. Usually, mild cases can be treated using non-invasive methods, such as bracing and occupational therapy. Occupational therapy for carpal tunnel typically consists of modification techniques, ergonomic corrections, postural exercises, and neural gliding, which is an exercise that can be used during physical therapy to reduce pain and improvement nerve movement. An occupational therapist can also help you find the right wrist brace or fabricate a custom splint if needed. However, these treatments may not be enough for more serious cases of carpal tunnel, says Thomas. In moderate cases, therapy and splinting can be used along with a steroid injection, while severe cases can require surgery to prevent permanent damage. Meet our experts Dr. John Thomas, MD, Orthopedic hand surgeon Dr. Melissa Boyette, MD, Orthopedic surgeon and hand and wrist specialist Dr. Sara P. Simmons MD, Orthopedic hand and wrist specialist Brenda Cummings, OTD, OTR, CHT, Certified hand therapist Calls are growing for an investigation into one of the worst single tragedies to occur during Israels war with Hamas took, after scores of Palestinians were killed trying to access food aid in Gaza City on Thursday. At least 112 people were killed and 760 injured in an incident where Israel Defense Forces (IDF) troops used live fire as hungry and desperate Palestinian civilians were gathering around food aid trucks, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza. CNN is unable to independently confirm these numbers. The incident took place amid a backdrop of vast hunger and dire poverty in the besieged enclave, where food aid has been so rare as to frequently elicit panic when it arrives. But there are competing narratives surrounding the devastation that have been put forward by Israel and by eyewitnesses on the ground. The United Nations has said an independent investigation is required to establish the facts, and nations including France have backed that call. Heres what we know. What happened? The deaths occurred amid scenes of chaos on Haroun Al Rasheed Street in western Gaza City, where crowds of hungry Palestinians had gathered for food aid. A convoy of at least 18 food trucks arrived at around 4.30 a.m. on Thursday morning, sent by countries in the region including Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, according to eyewitnesses. Civilians swarmed around the newly arrived aid trucks in the hope of getting food, and Israeli forces soon started shooting, witnesses said. The aid trucks tried to escape the area, accidentally ramming others and causing further deaths and injuries, the eyewitnesses added to CNN. Ambulances struggled to reach those in need because rubble was blocking the way, one of those witnesses, Ahmad Abu Al Foul told CNN. The majority of the casualties occurred as a result of people being rammed by aid trucks trying to escape Israeli fire, according to a local journalist in Gaza, Khader Al Zaanoun. Al Zaanoun, who was at the scene and witnessed the incident, said that while there were large crowds waiting for food to be distributed from aid trucks, the chaos and confusion that led to people being hit by the trucks only started once Israeli soldiers opened fire. Most of the people that were killed were rammed by the aid trucks during the chaos and while trying to escape the Israeli gunfire, Al Zaanoun said. The United Nations on Friday said many of the Palestinian civilians injured during the carnage suffered gunshot wounds, citing a UN team that visited the hospital where survivors were taken. UN Secretary Generals spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told a news conference that from what they saw, in terms of the patients alive and getting treatment is that there is a large number of gunshot wounds. The team did not have access to the dead bodies so could not determine if it was the same for those killed. An injured Palestinian receives medical treatment in Al-Shifa Hospital after the incident. - Dawoud Abo Alkas/Anadolu/Getty Images What is Israel saying? Israel offered an evolving account of the incident as the day progressed. In its first comments, the IDF said the incident began when Palestinians attempted to loot the trucks. Early this morning, during the entry of humanitarian aid trucks into the northern Gaza Strip, Gazan residents surrounded the trucks, and looted the supplies being delivered. During the incident, dozens of Gazans were injured as a result of pushing and trampling, the IDF told CNN. Later on Thursday, an Israeli military spokesperson claimed in a briefing that there were two separate incidents involving aid trucks in Gaza Thursday. First, he said trucks entered northern Gaza and were rushed by crowds, with trucks running over people. Subsequently, he said, a group of Palestinians approached Israeli forces, who then opened fire on the Palestinians. The truckloads went into the north, then there was the stampede, and then afterwards, there was the event against our forces. Thats how things transpired this morning, the spokesman said. That timeline directly contradicts the eyewitness accounts, which suggested that the Israeli military opened fire on people near the trucks, causing drivers to pull away in panic. In a briefing Thursday, IDF spokesperson Daniel Hargari denied there had been a strike on the convoy. He said that Israeli tanks had fired warning shots to disperse a crowd around an aid convoy in Gaza, after seeing that people were being trampled. He insisted that the tanks were there to secure the humanitarian corridor so the aid convoy could reach its destination. The IDF released a short video, which appears to show a tank driving parallel to the crowd, several meters away. As you can see in this video, the tanks that were there to secure the convoy sees the Gazans being trampled and cautiously tries to disperse the mob with a few warning shots, Hagari said. When the crowd started to grow and things got out of hand, the tank retreated to avoid harming Gazans, he added. I think, as a military man, they were backing up securely, risking their own lives, not shooting at the mob, he said. What is the humanitarian situation in Gaza? More than a half a million people in Gaza are on the brink of famine, United Nations agencies warned on Tuesday, as the war in the enclave stretches towards the five-month mark. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said at least 576,000 people across Gaza are facing catastrophic levels of deprivation and starvation. Meanwhile, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) warned of a real prospect of famine by May, with 500,000 people at risk if the threat is allowed to materialize. Today, food aid is required by almost the entire population of 2.2 million people. Gaza is seeing the worst level of child malnutrition anywhere in the world, Carl Skau, WFP Deputy Executive Director, told the Security Council during its Tuesday session. One child in every six under the age of 2 is acutely malnourished. Aid has been so sparse that, when available, it has often prompted panic. Jan Egeland, the Secretary-General of the Norwegian Refugee Council, warned of chaotic scenes around aid trucks in Gaza, during an interview with CNNs Christiane Amanpour earlier this week. The chaos, yes, around the aid line is becoming worse and worse because theres so little aid coming in, he said. Today, Im pretty shaken actually from what I saw, he went on. The minute we crossed the border you see the aid trucks going full speed down the road, being chased by gangs of youth who jumped the trucks and before our eyes, loot mattresses, blankets, food, et cetera, to the desperate people outside who want to get some aid. What has the international community said? The US State Department expressed condolences for those killed and injured and said the US was pressing Israel for answers. Far too many innocent Palestinians have been killed over the course of this conflict, not just today, but over the past nearly five months, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said at a press briefing. We have been in touch with the Israeli government since early this morning and understand that an investigation is underway, he said. Miller said the US is aware of conflicting reports about what happened and would only say the US knows that a commercial convoy not associated with the UN was delivering the aid. If theres anything that the aerial footage of todays incident makes clear, it is just how desperate the situation on the ground is, said Miller, calling for Israel to allow the entry of more assistance into Gaza, through as many points of access as possible, and to enable safe and secure distribution of that aid throughout Gaza. The UN has condemned the incident and said it must be investigated. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said he was appalled by the growing death toll in Gaza and reiterated calls for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and unconditional release of all Israeli hostages in Gaza. His spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement: The desperate civilians in Gaza need urgent help, including those in the besieged north where the United Nations has not been able to deliver aid in more than a week. Saudi Arabia also condemned the incident, calling on the international community to take a firm stance by obliging Israel to respect international humanitarian law, while the United Arab Emirates called for an independent and transparent investigation. Colombia announced it would suspend the purchase of weapons from Israel following the deaths. This is called genocide and is reminiscent of the Holocaust even if the world powers do not like to recognize it, Colombian President Gustavo Petro said in a post. French Foreign Affairs Minister Stephane Sejourne supported calls for a probe into what happened. Speaking to French radio station France Inter, Sejourne branded the events as undefendable and injustifiable. The French Foreign Affairs ministry also released a statement on Thursday saying France was waiting for all light to be shed on the acts mentioned, which are very serious. What this means for the war Thursdays tragedy represented one of the deadliest single incidents in Gaza since Israels war against Hamas began. And it came at a critical time for the conflict, with negotiations between Israel and Hamas on a deal to pause fighting and allow humanitarian aid into Gaza reaching a potentially pivotal moment. Hamas senior member Izzat Al-Risheq warned that the killing of people collecting aid from trucks in Gaza could lead to the failure of ongoing talks. Negotiations are not an open process, he said in a statement published by the Hamas on Telegram. We will not allow for the pathway of the negotiations[to become] a cover for the enemys continued crimes against our people in the Gaza Strip, Al-Risheq said. Israel's war on Hamas has left almost all of Gaza's population displaced. - Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/Reuters At the State Department briefing, Miller also said the incident indicated how necessary it was to reach a potential temporary ceasefire as part of a hostage deal to allow more aid in. We continue to work day and night to achieve that outcome, including through calls (President Joe Biden) held this morning with President Al Sisi of Egypt and the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim, as well as one Secretary Blinken held earlier today with Qatari Prime Minister Al Thani, Miller said. Every leader on those calls agreed that this terrible event underscores the urgency in bringing the hostage talks to a close. President Biden said Monday during an appearance at an ice cream shop in New York City that he hoped there would be a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict by next Monday, though officials from Israel, Hamas and Qatar which is helping mediate negotiations distanced themselves from that timeline. Biden said Thursday there are two competing versions of what happened that his administration is looking into. When asked by CNNs Arlette Saenz at the White House on Thursday if he worried the deaths would complicate negotiations, Biden responded: Oh, I know it will. But he still expressed optimism that a deal on the hostages and a potential ceasefire could be reached soon. CNNs Mostafa Salem, Lauren Izso and Jennifer Hauser contributed reporting. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Here's what you need to know. Chick-fil-A/Allrecipes Many of our fridges have a few Chick-fil-A sauce cups left over from a takeout order or two that didnt get used. Because of that, the fast food chain has issued a recall for one of its sauce cups. While they have been removed from restaurants, they may still be in customers refrigerators. The recall is for Chick-fil-As sweet and sour Polynesian dipping sauce cups, a favorite for many nugget lovers. A temporary notice is featured on the restaurants website urging customers to Discard Previously Ordered Polynesian Sauce. Why Is Chick-fil-A Recalling Polynesian Sauce? Chick-fil-A is recalling the sauce cups because of undeclared allergens. Some dipping sauce cups packaged as the Polynesian sauce contained a different sauce, although the recall notice does not specify which sauce the cups contained. The sauce in the mislabeled cups includes both wheat and soy allergens as ingredients. The recall is for sauce cups from the restaurants only. It does not extend to the squeeze bottle Polynesian sauce available in grocery stores. Dates of Recalled Chick-fil-A Polynesian Sauce The mislabeled sauce cups were in restaurants between Feb. 14 and 27, 2024. Any Polynesian sauce cups gotten from restaurants on those days should be discarded. Chick-fil-A advises anyone with questions to call Chick-fil-A CARES at 1 (866)-232-2040. Read the original article on All Recipes. Basak Gurbuz Derman/Getty Images In 2017 my dad called me panicked in the middle of the night. He begged me to turn on my phone camera and show him where I was. It turned out he almost got scammed into paying a ransom for me, while I was asleep and safe. I remember vividly the sound of my dad's voice asking me to turn on the camera on my phone. He was in a panic; I was dead asleep and didn't understand what was happening. "Where are you?" he kept repeating. My answer that I was at home with my boyfriend did not satisfy him. He didn't explain what was happening until he saw my sleepy face in the middle of my Brooklyn apartment. "I almost got scammed," he said. "I thought you were kidnapped." Phone and online scams are increasingly sophisticated. Even people who think they are smart enough to avoid getting scammed are vulnerable, as a recent article in The Cut pointed out. For older adults who aren't necessarily that tech-savvy, the risks are even greater. Scammers called him in the middle of the night The next day, my dad explained what had happened. Someone called him in the middle of the night and told him I had been kidnapped and he needed to pay a ransom if he wanted to see me again. He said they put the phone over to "me" and that the person sounded like the real me. He said he kept trying to ask if I was OK and started yelling at the person on the phone, waking up my mom. The person on the phone made it clear they had to wire money if they wanted me released. My dad was ready to do it when in a second of clarity he realized the kidnappers were talking in Spanish. I lived in New York City, and they lived in Argentina. While there are many Spanish speakers in NYC, the people on the phone were also Argentine. Something seemed off. My dad called me at 2 a.m. My dad gave my mom the phone and asked her to get the wire transfer information from them. He then grabbed my mom's phone and called my American cellphone. He called my then-boyfriend when I didn't pick up because I had left my phone in another room. Confused, he told me it was my mom on the phone. I feared for the worse. When I answered all I could hear was his panicked voice asking me if I was OK. I said yes, I was sleeping and what was up. He kept asking me to turn on my camera because he needed to verify that I was OK. Once he saw me in my apartment, he calmed down. He grabbed the phone from my mom and told the scammers to go fuck themselves. It wasn't the last time someone attempted to scam them This is a common scam in Argentina. It's so popular that I know at least a handful of friends' parents and grandparents who have fallen for it and transferred thousands of dollars to strangers. These scams have become so common that my parents were targeted again in December 2023 with a different storyline. This time, it was someone pretending to be me at the bank. The woman said that she had run out of money and needed my parents to transfer some money so she could make it to the end of the month. My dad, knowing it was not me, decided to play along and asked for her ID number and bank information. Once he had everything, he hung up and reported it to the bank. I'm grateful for my dad's quick thinking, but I also worry about them as they get older and scams become more complex. Whenever he gets an email he doesn't feel good about, he forwards it to me. Nine out of 10 times, I need to tell him it's phishing. The FBI recommends people don't pick up calls from phone numbers they don't recognize, something many millennials and Gen Zers avoid anyway. They also suggest that if you receive a call from a family member asking for money, call that person before making any transfers. Based on my parents' experience, they now know to call me first for anything, and they know I will always pick up their phone calls even in the middle of the night. Read the original article on Business Insider WASHINGTON Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, in his first congressional hearing since his health crisis related to prostate cancer, faced blistering criticism Thursday for failing to notify lawmakers, the White House and the American public about his hospitalization last month. Our adversaries should fear us, and you have embarrassed us, Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., scolded Austin at a House Armed Services Committee hearing. An ambulance sped Austin, 70, to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on New Year's Day, but he attempted to conceal that he had been admitted to the hospital's critical care unit. Austin's three-day delay in informing his boss, President Joe Biden, and other authorities has drawn bipartisan criticism and internal reviews at the Pentagon. Austin reiterated to Congress on Thursday that he has taken responsibility for poor communication and has apologized for not being fully transparent about his hospitalization. Lawmakers, though, said more accountability was needed. ''We did not handle this right," Austin said. "I did not handle this right." Truck drivers and bartenders have to tell their bosses when they miss work, Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., told Austin. "This is about judgment, and poor judgment, Waltz said. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin testifies in front of the House Armed Services Committee in Washington on Feb. 29, 2024. Secretary Austin was called before the committee to explain the circumstances surrounding the failure to communicate his absence to the President during his recent hospitalization. 'Either the president is that aloof, or you are irrelevant' Austin deflected a barrage of questions about whether Biden is out of the loop on key national security issues. "The president is not aloof," he said.But Austin's critics said that was not enough. "Who will be held responsible for this?" Banks demanded. "Are you surprised he did not call for your resignation?" Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., said the fact that it took Austin days to tell the White House reflects badly on both of them. "Either the president is that aloof, or you are irrelevant," he said."Which one is it?" Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., who chairs the Armed Services Committee, blasted Austin for failing to notify the White House of his hospitalization while wars raged in the Middle East and U.S. troops faced attacks from Iranian-backed militias. "Its totally unacceptable," Rogers said. The chain of command, starting with Biden, "doesnt work when the commander-in-chief doesnt know who to call," Rogers said. More: 'We're trying to remain a little subtle': Lloyd Austin security detail requested no sirens or lights on his ambulance Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin testifies in front of the House Armed Services Committee in Washington on Feb. 29, 2024. Secretary Austin was called before the committee to explain the circumstances surrounding the failure to communicate his absence to the President during his recent hospitalization. 'We did have a breakdown' Austin has acknowledged significant lapses in communication, and he repeated those when facing his critics in Congress. "We did have a breakdown in notifications during my January stay at Walter Reed," Austin said. "That is, sharing my location and why I was there. And back in December, I should have promptly informed the president, my team, Congress and the American people about my cancer diagnosis and subsequent treatment." Austin stressed that he or Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks, to whom he transferred his authority in January, maintained control of military, which includes its 2 million troops and nuclear forces. "There was never any lapse in authorities or in command and control," Austin said. A Pentagon report on the matter, issued Monday, did not recommend that anybody be disciplined, finding that there was no "ill intent" or obfuscation in delaying notification of Austin's incapacitation. It did endorse formal procedures, adopted last month by the Pentagon, to notify the White House, Congress and senior military officials immediately when the defense secretary transfers his or her authority. The review did not satisfy Rogers. Unsurprisingly, the review of Sec Austins actions, conducted by his own subordinates & subject to his approval, HELD NO ONE ACCOUNTABLE," he wrote this week on X, formerly Twitter. "This is why we are conducting our own investigation. We will seek answers at our hearing w/ Sec Austin on Thursday. Austin and his staff sought to downplay his illness and hospitalization from its early days. He had been diagnosed with prostate cancer in early December and had surgery Dec. 22. A staffer asked emergency medical personnel not to use sirens and lights when the ambulance picked him up at his home, according to a recording of the 911 call. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lloyd Austin's Congress hearing apology: 'I did not handle this right' Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SiriusXM Andy Cohen has denied the claims against him in Real Housewives of New York City alum Leah McSweeneys lawsuit. The claims against Andy are completely false, a rep for Cohen, 55, told The Hollywood Reporter on Wednesday, February 28. According to court documents obtained by THR, McSweeney named Bravo, NBC/Universal, production house Shed Media U, and producers John Paparazzo, Lisa Shannon and Darren Ward in her Tuesday, February 27, filing. In the suit, the reality star claims the network intentionally played into her struggle with alcoholism. The lawsuit also targets Cohen, accusing him of playing favorites with those who party with him. [Cohen] engaged in cocaine use with Housewives and other Bravolebrities that he employs and rewards Housewives with whom he uses cocaine with more favorable treatment and edits, the docs state, per the outlet. Real Housewives Legal Troubles Through the Years In the suit, McSweeney says Bravo had a rotted workplace culture that uniquely depended on pressuring its employees to consume alcohol. She claims she told producers before her first season that shed been sober for 30 days and was working to maintain her sobriety, but was pressured to drink all three seasons she appeared on the show and alleges producers retaliated against her when she wanted to stay sober, and intentionally failed to provide reasonable accommodations that would aid her efforts to stay sober and able to perform. While filming abroad in Thailand, McSweeney claims that her rights were violated when she was not allowed to seek care for her addiction issues and was denied proper transportation to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings while filming after being told attending would not be a problem. She also claims that she was mentally manipulated to draw better ratings. McSweeney joined the RHONY cast in 2019 for two seasons, followed by Peacocks third season of The Real Housewives: Ultimate Girls Trip, which was filmed in 2022 and aired one year later. On Tuesday, the Bravolebrity took to social media to open up about the lawsuit, calling it a story she never thought she would be telling. In fact, I was petrified to speak on it and was warned not to, she wrote via Instagram hours after the suit was filed. Your favorite Bravo shows are run by people who create a dangerous work environment, encourage substance abuse to artificially create drama and cynically prey on the vulnerabilities of their employees. Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Mythical Games She continued, There will be much more that comes out once the people involved are questioned under oath. Today I am taking back my reality. The reckless and diabolical way in which the people at the top drool over the mishaps and misfortunes of the women including myself are disturbing. Its a workplace culture where toxicity, alcoholism and pain are not only expected but encouraged and facilitated. That is something I most definitely did not sign up for nor would I ever endorse. McSweeney noted there is nothing more important than her sobriety, adding that without she risks losing everything. I have been very transparent about my addiction and recovery, she continued. However there are personal things in the lawsuit that I never wanted to disclose for fear of being judged and shamed, but I am at a point now in my life where I feel strong enough to withstand whatever may come my way. McSweeneys lawsuit comes one week after Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum Brandi Glanville made sexual harassment claims against Cohen. Glanvilles legal team sent a letter to NBCUniversal, Shed Media and Sheds parent company Warner Bros. Discovery, claiming that Cohen told Glanville that he wanted to sleep with another Bravo star while thinking of her. Biggest Real Housewives Feuds Ever And Where the Relationships Stand Today According to the note, Cohen allegedly invited Glanville to watch him engage in sex via FaceTime. The letter also claimed that Glanville felt trapped and disgusted by Cohens abuse of power, as he was her boss at the time. (Glanville appeared in seasons 3 through 5 of RHOBH as a main cast member and as a guest star on seasons 6, 9 and 10. She returned for seasons 2 and 5 of UGT in 2022 and 2024.) Cohen subsequently responded to Glanvilles claims, claiming that he and Below Deck star Kate Chastain were joking when they sent the video in question. It was absolutely meant in jest, and Brandis response clearly communicated she was in on the joke, he wrote via X on February 22. That said, it was totally inappropriate and I apologize. Maha Heang 245789 // Shutterstock The coveted computer science degree has promised graduates six-figure salaries and exciting careers in high-tech spaces since the personal computer took off in the 1990s. As an academic discipline, computer science dates back even further. In the 1960s, Purdue University became the first major institution to found a department dedicated to the practice, complete with history books written by faculty members because, at that point, none existed. These days, the U.S., China, and Singapore are often associated with top-tier computer science degrees, but there are highly respected universities in nearly every corner of the world offering an education in the field. Revelo collected rankings from U.S. News and World Report to identify the top 10 universities for computer science in Asia as part of a larger global analysis. Computer science education is thriving at universities in many Asian countries. The largest continent by size and population, Asia accounts for 52% of global growth in revenues at tech companies, according to a report by McKinsey. China and Singapore are known computer science study destinations. In other Southeast Asian countries, demand for jobs in computer science fields is growing and high. According to LinkedIn, the top three in-demand jobs in Southeast Asia are in computer science related fields. Web designers, software developers, computer network architects, research scientists, and systems administrators all leverage computer science knowledge as the basis of their job. And it's a job that analysts project to be in high demandeven as layoffs at major tech companies dominate headlines. The typical U.S. worker in a computer science-based career today earns an income of $100,530, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The bureau also estimates the industry will require 377,500 new workers each year for the next decade, as the industry is set to grow faster than the average growth rate of all other industries. With the tech industry facing criticism for lacking diversity and products like artificial intelligence built on mostly white male perspectives, employers could benefit from looking beyond traditional institutions in recruiting efforts. From 2010-2020, the number of women graduating from U.S. schools with computer science degrees rose only 3%, and graduates from underrepresented racial groups remained flat at just over 20% of all graduates. U.S. News and World Report ranked 778 universities globally with at least 250 academic research papers, calculating its subject scores on a 0-100 scale based on the number of publications and citations an institution received, its global and regional research reputation, and other factors. ZHUO ZHONGWEI/Future Publishing via Getty Images #20. Beihang University - Location: Beijing, China - Computer science score: 75.1 out of 100 (#43 globally) - Overall score: 60.5 out of 100 (#253 globally) - Enrollment: Not available Feng Cheng // Shutterstock #19. Nanjing University - Location: Nanjing, China - Computer science score: 76.5 out of 100 (#39 globally) - Overall score: 68.2 out of 100 (#123 globally) - Enrollment: 36,426 Forkan Alam // Shutterstock #18. Xidian University - Location: Xi'an, China - Computer science score: 76.7 out of 100 (#38 globally) - Overall score: 47.1 out of 100 (#643 globally) - Enrollment: Not available e X p o s e // Shutterstock #17. City University of Hong Kong - Location: Kowloon, Hong Kong - Computer science score: 77.0 out of 100 (#37 globally) - Overall score: 68.5 out of 100 (#120 globally) - Enrollment: 9,099 Dr.MYM // Shutterstock #16. King Abdulaziz University - Location: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia - Computer science score: 77.3 out of 100 (#35 globally) - Overall score: 73.4 out of 100 (#65 globally) - Enrollment: Not available e X p o s e // Shutterstock #15. Hong Kong Polytechnic University - Location: Kowloon, Hong Kong - Computer science score: 77.4 out of 100 (#34 globally) - Overall score: 70.2 out of 100 (#100 globally) - Enrollment: 19,046 e X p o s e // Shutterstock #14. Hong Kong University of Science & Technology - Location: Hong Kong, Hong Kong - Computer science score: 78.0 out of 100 (#31 globally) - Overall score: 70.6 out of 100 (#95 globally) - Enrollment: 9,864 Tom Wang // Shutterstock #13. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, CAS - Location: Beijing, China - Computer science score: 78.3 out of 100 (#30 globally) - Overall score: 69.0 out of 100 (#112 globally) - Enrollment: Not available Chay_Tee // Shutterstock #12. University of Science & Technology of China, CAS - Location: Hefei, China - Computer science score: 78.6 out of 100 (#28 globally) - Overall score: 70.1 out of 100 (#102 globally) - Enrollment: 18,573 DDDKeb // Shutterstock #11. Harbin Institute of Technology - Location: Harbin, China - Computer science score: 78.9 out of 100 (#26 globally) - Overall score: 63.2 out of 100 (#196 globally) - Enrollment: Not available R. A. Karamullah // Shutterstock #9. Huazhong University of Science & Technology (tie) - Location: Wuhan, China - Computer science score: 80.1 out of 100 (#19 globally) - Overall score: 69.1 out of 100 (#109 globally) - Enrollment: 57,167 gui jun peng // Shutterstock #9. Wuhan University (tie) - Location: Wuhan, China - Computer science score: 80.1 out of 100 (#19 globally) - Overall score: 66.2 out of 100 (#150 globally) - Enrollment: Not available Feng Lu // Shutterstock #8. University of Electronic Science & Technology of China - Location: Chengdu, China - Computer science score: 81.5 out of 100 (#16 globally) - Overall score: 61.4 out of 100 (#231 globally) - Enrollment: 35,232 e X p o s e // Shutterstock #7. Shanghai Jiao Tong University - Location: Shanghai, China - Computer science score: 84.4 out of 100 (#13 globally) - Overall score: 71.3 out of 100 (#89 globally) - Enrollment: 37,478 zhu difeng // Shutterstock #6. Zhejiang University - Location: Hangzhou, China - Computer science score: 84.5 out of 100 (#12 globally) - Overall score: 70.7 out of 100 (#93 globally) - Enrollment: 44,636 e X p o s e // Shutterstock #5. Chinese University of Hong Kong - Location: Shatin, Hong Kong - Computer science score: 86.8 out of 100 (#10 globally) - Overall score: 74.7 out of 100 (#53 globally) - Enrollment: 18,468 EQRoy // Shutterstock #4. Peking University - Location: Beijing, China - Computer science score: 88.3 out of 100 (#9 globally) - Overall score: 76.8 out of 100 (#39 globally) - Enrollment: 31,994 Maha Heang 245789 // Shutterstock #2. Nanyang Technological University (tie) - Location: Singapore, Singapore - Computer science score: 90.8 out of 100 (#6 globally) - Overall score: 79.0 out of 100 (#30 globally) - Enrollment: 24,651 EQRoy // Shutterstock #2. National University of Singapore (tie) - Location: Singapore, Singapore - Computer science score: 90.8 out of 100 (#6 globally) - Overall score: 80.4 out of 100 (#26 globally) - Enrollment: 32,337 Canva #1. Tsinghua University - Location: Beijing, China - Computer science score: 100.0 out of 100 (#1 globally) - Overall score: 81.3 out of 100 (#23 globally) - Enrollment: Not available This story features data reporting by Paxtyn Merten, writing by Dom DiFurio, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 5 regions. This story originally appeared on Revelo and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio. Students from Grenada celebrate Chinese New Year in Qingdao People's Daily Online) 10:37, February 29, 2024 Eight students from Grenada, currently studying in China, visited the Qingdao Xihai'an (West Coast) New Area in Qingdao city, east China's Shandong Province, during the Spring Festival holiday in 2024. Students from Grenada pose for a photo in Huangnixiang village, Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, during the Spring Festival holiday in 2024. (Photo provided to People's Daily Online) During their five-day visit, the students delved into China's rich culture and enjoyed an unforgettable Chinese New Year experience in a picturesque local village. On Feb. 9, the eve of the Chinese Lunar New Year, the eight students visited Qingdao's Yangjiashanli Rural Revitalization Demonstration Area. There, they actively participated in traditional Chinese folk customs, such as writing Spring Festival couplets, paper-cutting, and writing the character "Fu," which means blessing in English. In Huangnixiang village, the students engaged in discussions with local children and villagers, enjoyed cultural performances, and delighted the community with their own performances. Shamar Nicholas Smith, a student from Grenada, creates a paper cut. (Photo provided to People's Daily Online) "This activity was highly significant as it allowed us to showcase Chinese New Year culture to our foreign friends, enabling them to experience the charm of Chinese culture. It also strengthened the bond of friendship between us," said Wang Liyun, a local villager. In September 2023, Red Mud Village in Grenada and Huangnixiang village established a friendly village relationship, making Huangnixiang village the first international friendship village in Shandong Province. On Feb. 10, the students, dressed in Hanfu, the traditional clothing of the Han ethnic group, explored Aduohuayu, a town reflecting the Tang Dynasty's (618-907) characteristics. They delved into the world of poetry, experienced Maoqiang opera (a local opera style), admired fish lanterns and round fans featuring Su embroidery, examined Peking Opera masks, and tasted local Chinese New Year snacks. Students from Grenada learn to make dumplings. (Photo provided to People's Daily Online) The following day, the students visited the Langyatai Scenic Area. Afterward, they had the chance to learn the art of rubbing, a traditional technique, at a cultural and creative product store. The students attended a performance demonstrating the ancient Chinese martial arts of Tai Chi and Tai Chi Sword on Feb. 12. In the afternoon, they visited a winter wonderland of ice and snow and participated in various snow and ice sports. On Feb. 13, the students visited a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) experience center designed for international students at a local TCM hospital. This visit offered them a distinctive chance to learn about TCM and understand its cultural importance. "This was and will remain the best experience I've ever had in China. The people of Qingdao have been extremely welcoming, friendly, and generous to us the entire time. It felt like home the entire time; I honestly forgot that I was still in China. Chinese culture is normally studied and heard about, but to experience all of it during the Spring Festival was truly amazing," said Shamar Nicholas Smith, a student from Grenada. (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) Americold's new Connecticut warehouse in February 2024 at 24 Northwest Drive in Plainville, Conn., which will be used by Stop & Shop for refrigerated inventories. Alexander Soule/Hearst Connecticut Media A Stop & Shop supermarket in February 2024 on Pine Street in Bristol, Conn., less than four miles from Americold's massive new warehouse in Plainville that will distribute refrigerated perishables to Stop & Shop stores throughout the wider region. Alexander Soule/Hearst Connecticut Media Three years after a new warehouse for Stop & Shop supermarkets prompted the closure of another in Connecticut, the grocery giant is absorbing a delay in its newest refrigerated facility ramping up to full operation outside Hartford, which will be among the most advanced in the grocery industry. Warehouse operator Americold confirmed this week it has begun operations at a massive new distribution center in Plainville which will be used by ADUSA Supply Chain. ADUSA's parent company Ahold Delhaize owns Stop & Shop, as well as four other major chains in Hannaford, The Giant Co., Giant and Food Lion. Last week, however, Americold executives said they do not expect the Plainville warehouse to hit full throughput until the back half of 2025, as they work to iron out unspecified technical hiccups with the automated facility and another in Lancaster, Pa. Combined, the two facilities will distribute to 750 Ahold Delhaize stores in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. Advertisement Article continues below this ad "The work being done inside these facilities is individual, case-pick selection, which is being completed by our automation systems," said Rob Chambers, Americold president, speaking last Thursday on a conference call. "This is a high level of complexity which is taking some additional time to achieve our desired service level." More time is needed as well to properly integrate the new warehouse into the operations of ADUSA, Chambers added, without delving into details. Americold did not offer further details in response to CT Insider queries on the Plainville facility. An ADUSA spokesperson responded Wednesday morning, describing the facility as still "in development" in an email to CT Insider. Advertisement Article continues below this ad "ADUSA Distribution uses a combination of self-distributed and third-party warehouses to serve Stop & Shop stores in the Connecticut market," stated ADUSA spokesperson Dewaters. "When appropriate, the Plainville site will be added to the distribution network, bringing increased capacity. Where needed, there will be a seamless transition of services between warehouses, and we do not expect any disruption to service levels for Stop & Shop." Americold has reported investing $325 million in development capital across the two facilities, and that ADUSA has committed to using the warehouses for an initial term of 20 years. Americold assigned a $155 million value to the Plainville warehouse in a 2023 filing with the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission, with the state of Connecticut approving $4.5 million in tax credits associated with the project under a pair of incentive programs. Robotic 'waterfalls' Located a few miles north of Interstate 84, the Plainville location is the first newly constructed warehouse in New England announced by Americold since 2018. The company opened a facility that year in Middleborough, Mass., designed to flash freeze nearly 40,000 tons of cranberries at a time that end up in Ocean Spray Craisins. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The Americold building in Plainville stands 130 feet tall and spans more than 230,000 square feet, powered by fuel cells from Bloom Energy that produce electricity through a chemical process rather than drawing on the grid. The facility has more than 30,000 pallet slots on two levels according to Primus, a Georgia company which helped design some of the sophisticated automation systems inside. Those include robotics that grab orders and steer them through "waterfall" and conveyor systems, and ultimately onto trailers for delivery to retail stores. Dewaters did not address any specific impact on other warehouses used by Stop & Shop for perishable products, stating only that the company expects the new facility to add inventory capacity. After ADUSA opened a modern new distribution center for non-perishable goods in Manchester in 2021, C&S Wholesale Grocers closed one in Suffield that had supplied area Stop & Shop supermarkets. While that came at a cost of 175 C&S jobs, Ahold Delhaize projected at the time that the new Manchester warehouse would support about 500 jobs. Advertisement Article continues below this ad C&S sold the Suffield property the following year for $45 million to a warehouse real estate investment firm that has big distribution centers throughout the Northeast. C&S has another major warehouse adjacent to Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, and a refrigerated warehouse about 45 minutes north of there in Westfield, Mass. A C&S spokesperson could not be reached immediately on whether it anticipates any impact of the new Americold facility on its South Windsor or Westfield facilities, or any others in the Northeast. Last summer, Stop & Shop listed more than two-dozen Connecticut supermarkets from Greenwich to New Haven that were impacted by a C&S recall of chilled salad dressings and other products, blamed on a refrigeration system in which temperatures had exceeded minimum levels. Dozens more stores in New York and New Jersey were also affected by the recall. The Plainville facility arrives as Ahold Delhaize continues to overhaul its Stop & Shop footprint, from retail stores to online sales and back-end distribution. Stop & Shop is the largest supermarket operator in Connecticut, averaging nearly 1,200 shoppers daily in December at each of its nearly 90 supermarkets in Connecticut, according to a CT Insider review of Placer.ai data based on mobile phone movements. Advertisement Article continues below this ad In its annual results for 2023 reported earlier this month, an Ahold Delhaize executive said the company has as one major priority "a more deliberate and holistic reset of Stop & Shop" as it continues store renovations. In December, Ahold Delhaize sold to Getir its FreshDirect delivery service that offers service in lower Fairfield County, including a massive distribution facility in New York City. Ahold Delhaize acquired FreshDirect in 2021. And Ahold Delhaize closed a fulfillment center last year in Jersey City, N.J., shifting order fulfillment to supermarkets and external partners. In an open letter issued Wednesday, Ahold Delhaize CEO Frans Muller said the company is shifting to "less asset-intense" operating models that offer the promise of boosting same-day delivery capabilities. Advertisement Article continues below this ad "In the U.S., the completion of the self-distribution network is putting our brands fully in control of their own operations, so they can keep costs down and partner more closely with suppliers to improve product availability and freshness," Muller stated in a letter accompanying the company's annual report. At the same time, supermarkets nationally have been reserving extra pallet space at Americold warehouses, as they work to be better positioned for any spikes in shopper demand four years after the COVID-19 pandemic. Just 16 percent of Americold's pallet slots are available today, a record low. CEO George Chappelle Jr. told investment analysts last week that the company expects "throughput" in its warehouses to shrink in the first six months of this year as consumers limit spending and packaged food customers work through inventories, before rebounding in the back half of the year. "Were clearly stealing market share across the network," Chappelle said. "We do believe that when throughput comes back, well see a lot of demand." Advertisement Article continues below this ad Wendy Thompson had a handful of problems, beginning with the fact that walking had become excruciating. One of her knees was virtually bone on bone. She was also experiencing consistently blurred vision, a dangerous way to try to get around in the Tennessee snow and ice. But her greatest pain existed at the level of bills and checkbook balances. Thompson, a home health worker in Memphis tending to patients with special needs, put in full weeks at two jobs, but she still barely made enough to get by. Like hundreds of thousands of Tennesseans, a state that has refused Medicaid expansion, she also had no health insurance, and the cost of care was daunting. Tending to her medical needs, she told me, was a distant thought. That was before she met Dr. Scott Morris. She had fallen and hurt her knee, but it was also crystal clear that she couldnt see five feet in front of her, Morris recalled recently, speaking from his office at Church Health, the medical nonprofit he founded more than 35 years ago and through whose doors Thompson walked on a frigid winter day about two months ago. So I added her. What Morris added Thompson to was the upcoming patient list for a biannual event that Church Health cheerfully dubs cataract-a-thon, where Thompson would receive needed eye surgery from one of the many area ophthalmologists on hand. In the meantime, Morris, a family medicine physician, had Thompsonsknee x-rayed, determined that she likely required a replacement, and gave her a cortisone injection while he began the process of scheduling her a consultation with an orthopedic surgeon. When I ask her how the cataract surgery went, Thompson replies, Baby, Im wearing my sunglasses! I see colors. I dont see anything blurry. As for Morris, Tell him I love him to death. He has been an angel to me. The total cost to Thompson? Next to nothing. The cataract surgery was donated. The knee replacement parts, hospital time, surgeon, anesthesiologist, radiologist, pathologistall donated. What I am describing sounds an awful lot like the dream of American healthcare. Its not magic, Morris says. Its what is possible when people are willing to come together to do the right thing. In practice, Church Health is an almost stunning exception to the nightmarish medical industry in the United States. This is a pure nonprofit charity that accepts little government funding, makes no money, and is thriving specifically because Memphis businesses and individual donors contribute to cover its $27 million annual budget. Im a professional beggar, the 70-year-old Morris says wryly. And what is the cause? To put it simply: Care for the poor. As a teenager in Atlanta, Morris became deeply interested in two things: his religion and the practice of medicine. He began searching for a meaningful way to connect them. A third of the Bible has to do with healing the sick, he told me. Its on every page. But I would look around and see what churches did, and there just wasnt much to it. Morris attended both seminary and medical school, and he is an ordained United Methodist minister as well as a board-certified family practice physician. He moved to Memphis after reading that it was one of the poorest major cities in the country, and he created Church Health there with no staff, no money andon its first open day in 1987a walk-in total of 12 patients. Today, Church Health runs primary, dental and eye care, behavioral health, nutrition and wellness services, among others, out of a 1.5 million square foot facility with a full-time paid staff of 250. More than 80,000 Memphians rely on the center for their health needs. But the true magic lies in Morriss relationship with subspecialists across Memphis who donate their time to diagnose and/or perform needed surgeries, and with hospitals and clinics that willingly write off all costs for Church Health patients who have no other source of reimbursement. Church Health is also serving a targeted audience: the uninsured. In Memphis, its still possible for a person to earn so little that they actually fail to qualify for Medicaid, while commercial health insurance plans remain laughably out of reach. Tennessee is one of 10 states that have not enacted the low-income expansion of Medicaid made possible through the Affordable Care Act. Six of those states lie in a cluster: Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida. Despite the coverage gains made during the pandemic, an estimated 25 million Americans remain uninsured, most of them in the South and West. Its the working uninsured, says Owen Tabor Jr., an orthopedic surgeon who volunteers for Church Health by seeing patients referred to him at his clinic, OrthoSouth, and then operating (if need be) on a gratis basis. As Ive heard Dr. Morris say a million times, these are the people who cut your grass and wash your car, and who will one day dig your grave. Theyre hard-working people who, because of the American health system, are not insurable. In Memphis, Church Health has stepped into that breach. Patients pay on a sliding scale depending upon their income, but most visits, including urgent care visits, are $40 or less. The Memphis Plan, through which patients like Thompson pay $50 per month and then occasionally another tiny copay (think $5), offers enrollment through employers who may not themselves have health plans for their workers, as well as those who are self-employed. And all subspecialty care is free, be it a hip replacement or, say, open-heart surgery. The program does not serve Medicaid patients, meaning its not a Federally Qualified Health Center. There are several FQHCs in the Memphis area (and 1,400 nationally), but because those centers rely heavily on enhanced Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements, they handle a relatively small number of indigent or uninsured patients. And Morriss network of local subspecialists is exceptional. Says Tabor, Church Health patients get as good (quality of) care as anybody else. Church Health is religious strictly in its roots, and in Morriss deep conviction about the connection between spirituality and serving the poor. Aside from perhaps wondering about the name on the building, most patients dont know much about the origin storynor do they care. In that regard, neither does Morris. Most people who work here at Church Health do so because of their faith, Morris says, but thats Jewish, Christian, Muslimwere all over the board. We do not work here to impose our faithWe are all called to do the same work. Is this sort of system scalable in America? The answer is a qualified yes. Morris says there are about 90 centers in the U.S. that are modeled after Church Health, and he mounts what he calls replication seminars twice a year. But those centers will ultimately rise and fall based upon the generosity of the communities in which they resideand none of them has Morris on staff. Dr. Morris is pretty, pretty inspiring. He talks the talk and walks the walk, says Victoria Lim, an otolaryngologist who has volunteered weekly with Church Health for nearly a decade. Adds Tabor Jr., He is an evangelist. I never saw Billy Graham, but if you see Scott Morris in front of a crowd explaining to them why they should give money to Church Health, why they should donate their timeitd be hard to walk away and say, I'm not going to do that. The idea that the American healthcare system is broken doesnt shock anyone whos actually used it. Skyrocketing premium costs and the rise of the deductible as a health industry standard have combined to bleed patients dry financially. I was once working uninsured myself, says Shandra Hubbard, who began as a nurse manager at Church Health two years ago. I was so afraid of not being able to afford to get sick and go see the doctor. I dont want anyone to experience that feeling. What Morris created in Memphis is a small-scale revolt against what American healthcare has wrought. And although he likely wouldnt put it that way, the only certainty in this equation is that medical oases like Church Health will continue to be desperately needed in the richest nation in the world. Carolyn Barber, M.D., is an internationally published science and medical writer and a 25-year emergency physician. She is the author of the book Runaway Medicine: What You Dont Know May Kill You, and the co-founder of the California-based homeless work program Wheels of Change. More must-read commentary published by Fortune: The opinions expressed in Fortune.com commentary pieces are solely the views of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of Fortune. This story was originally featured on Fortune.com The Salesforce chair, Marc Benioff, in Indianapolis, Indiana, on 16 May 2019. Photograph: Darron Cummings/AP Some of the USs most profitable corporations, including General Motors, Citigroup and Netflix, have slashed their tax bills in the years since the passage of the Trump tax cuts, with nearly a quarter paying rates in the single digits and 23 paying nothing, a report has found. The 2017 law cut the top corporate income tax rate from 35% to 21%. But the new assessment of corporate tax avoidance, published on Thursday by the non-profit Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (Itep), found that during the first five years the law was in effect, many profitable public companies in the US paid a far lower rate in practice. Related: Citigroup to cut 20,000 jobs after steep quarterly loss Together, the 342 corporations studied by Itep paid an average effective tax rate of just 14.1%. Eighty-seven companies paid an average of less than 10%; 55 of those firms paid less than 5%; and 23 corporations, including T-Mobile US and Xcel Energy, paid zero (or less) federal income tax over the five-year period even though they made a profit each year. Among the lowest taxpayers were companies including Netflix and Nike, as well as several corporations whose CEOs have become high-profile advocates for corporate social responsibility and stakeholder capitalism, such as Salesforce and Bank of America. In the five years since the Trump tax law took effect, the biggest and most profitable companies dont appear to be paying anywhere close to that 21% rate, said Matt Gardner, a senior fellow at Itep and the lead author of the report. What Trump described as a big tax cut turned out to be just that. Between 2018 and 2022, Bank of America brought home more than $138bn in profits, yet the company paid only $5.3bn in federal income tax an effective rate of 3.8%, Itep found. Bank of America was recently named the second most just company in the United States by Just Capital, a non-profit that ranks US corporations by how well they perform[] on the issues that matter, like serving their communities. Fortune magazine has called the Bank of America CEO, Brian Moynihan, the king of stakeholder capitalism, a term that describes the notion that corporations today are taking care of not just their executives and shareholders but all of society. In 2020, Marc Benioff, the co-founder and CEO of Salesforce, declared to the New York Times that its time for a new kind of capitalism: stakeholder capitalism, which recognizes that our companies have a responsibility to all our stakeholders. Related: Nike to axe hundreds of jobs in bid to save $2bn amid sales slump During the first five years of the Trump law, however, Salesforce paid only $175m in taxes on some $6bn in profits, according to the Itep report. There appears to be a substantial overlap between the companies that are routinely avoiding corporate income taxes and the companies whose leaders seem to have laudable charitable aims, Gardner said. No one would doubt that Marc Benioff wants to do good things in the world. He just doesnt seem to prioritize doing it in the way that the law says he should. He wants to do it his way. The Itep report makes clear that the companies listed in the report arent breaking the law. Tax avoidance occurs because Congress chooses to allow it, the report notes, either by enacting special exceptions and breaks from the regular tax rules, or by leaving in place loopholes that are clearly being exploited. Congress is currently considering additional exceptions that could help corporations lower their 2022 tax bills even further, the report warns. A bipartisan tax package that recently passed the House of Representatives, for which corporate interests have been lobbying aggressively for months, includes a tax break that would allow businesses to immediately deduct the costs of research and development conducted in the United States. The Trump tax law requires firms to spread out the deductions over time, rather than claiming them all at once, starting in 2022. But the tax deal currently moving through Congress would roll back that limitation for domestic investments and do so retroactively. That means companies could update their 2022 (and 2023) tax filings to claim billions of dollars in new deductions, ostensibly to reward them for investing in research and development even though the only thing that would have changed is the text of the tax code. By definition, extending them backwards in time cant encourage a dime of additional research, Gardner said. Related: Mark Zuckerberg to receive $700m from Meta dividends While limited corporate disclosures make it difficult to say precisely how much money companies could claw back, the available data suggests that this single, retroactive policy tweak could potentially save some firms billions of dollars and that the benefits would be hugely concentrated in the hands of a very small number of corporations, Gardner said. Meta, for instance, might be able to shave its tax bill by nearly $6.5bn, the report found, which would bring its average effective tax rate below 0% over the five-year period of the study. Microsoft could potentially save a similar sum. I always go back to that social contract of our company with the world around us, Satya Nadella, the CEO of Microsoft, told Just Capital in 2020. You cant exist if all youre doing is benefiting yourself Profit [comes] because of the larger surplus youre creating around you. The whole point of having a tax system is to pay for all the important services that we need, Gardner said. Healthcare isnt sexy, right? Education isnt sexy. Making sure that we have the money we need to defend ourselves as a nation isnt sexy. But these basic bread-and-butter needs are why we have a tax system. Ghanas parliament on Wednesday unanimously passed a controversial anti-homosexuality bill that has drawn international condemnation. After three long years, we have finally passed the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Act, said Sam George, one of the main sponsors of the bill on X, formerly known as Twitter. The bill, which was introduced in the parliament in 2021, not only criminalizes LGBTQ relationships, but also those who support LGBTQ rights. African countries still widely criminalize same-sex activity, mostly because of colonial era laws. But a raft of recent bills and proposed laws across Africa have looked to clarify and, in some cases, strengthen those laws. A recent CNN investigation uncovered alleged links between a US nonprofit and the drafting of the homophobic laws. The group denied those links. The bill in Ghana still needs to be signed off by the countrys president before it becomes law. The United Nations human rights chief Volker Turk called parliaments passing of the bill profoundly disturbing and urged the government not to sign it into law. The bill broadens the scope of criminal sanctions against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transexual and queer people simply for being who they are and threatens criminal penalties against perceived allies of LGBTQ+ people, he said. Responding to the passing of the bill, UNAIDS executive director Winnie Byanyima warned that if the bill did become a law it would affect everyone and hamper the countrys fight against HIV and AIDS. Approaches rooted in inclusion of all people have been crucial to Ghanas progress in the HIV response, Byanyima said in a statement. To achieve the goal of ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030, it is vital to ensure that everyone has equal access to essential services without fear, stigma or discrimination, and that providers of life-saving HIV prevention, testing, treatment and care services are supported in their work, she said. Byanyima warned if the bill becomes law, it will negatively impact on free speech, freedom of movement and freedom of association and obstruct access to life-saving services, undercut social protection, and jeopardize Ghanas development success. Evidence shows that punitive laws like this bill are a barrier to ending AIDS, and ultimately undermine everyones health. The United States State Department said on Wednesday that Washington was deeply troubled by the passing of the law, saying it would threaten all Ghanaians constitutionally-protected freedoms of speech, press, and assembly. Limiting the rights of one group in a society undermines the rights of all. The United States echoes the call by those Ghanaians who have urged a review of the constitutionality of the bill to protect the rights of all individuals in Ghana, the statement from State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said. The US State Department also reiterated the undermining impact the bill will have across the countrys public health, media and civic spaces, and economy. International business coalitions have already stated that such discrimination in Ghana would harm business and economic growth in the country, the statement added. CNNs Richard Roth contributed reporting. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Borisovskoye cemetery in Moscow, where Alexei Navalny, the Russian opposition leader who died in a prison camp, is to be buried, - REUTERS The family of Alexei Navalny, Russias slain opposition leader, has been told that no hearse driver is willing to take his body to his funeral service, the day before he is due to be buried. Mr Navalnys spokesman said on Thursday that, less than 24 hours before the burial, funeral homes all refused to work with the Navalny family after receiving threatening phone calls. Funeral homes are telling us that not a single hearse has agreed to take the body [to the church], Kira Yarmysh said in a statement. All hearse drivers are getting anonymous calls threatening them not to take Alexeis body anywhere. Russias most popular opposition leader died in prison under murky circumstances in February. Alexei Navalny and his widow Yulia Prison authorities and investigators refused to release the body for more than nine days and tried to pressure the family into a secret burial. Thousands of Russians have been bringing flowers to makeshift memorials across the country. Mr Navalnys mother finally received the body of her 47-year-old son last Saturday. Church of the Icon of the Mother of God, where a service for Alexei Navalny was expected to be held on Thursday - REUTERS A close ally of the politician said arrangements had been already made when the family got a call from their chosen funeral home earlier on Thursday, saying that its drivers were refusing to take the body. We started looking for other options soon it became clear that all [drivers] had been called up and told not to do it, said Leonid Volkov. This is sheer madness. No funeral venue in Moscow has agreed to host a farewell ceremony, forcing the family to opt for a church in Mr Navalnys neighbourhood, where his body will be prepared for burial according to Orthodox Christian tradition. A photo of Alexei Navalny at a makeshift memorial in Frankfurt, west Germany on Thursday - AFP Mr Navalnys allies invited Russians to come to the church on Thursday afternoon and, two hours later, to a cemetery in an adjacent neighbourhood. His supporters have also been invited to lay flowers at the monuments to victims of Soviet-era political repressions in cities across Russia. Heightened security measures were reported on Thursday around Moscows Borisovskoye cemetery and metal barriers were seen outside two metro stations nearby. 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. WASHINGTON Congress passed a temporary agreement to avoid a partial government shutdown on Thursday, as lawmakers continue to work behind the scenes to flesh out a long-term plan to keep the government's doors open. The House passed the legislation by a bipartisan vote of 320-99, with the vast majority of Democrats supporting it alongside more than half of GOP lawmakers. It then passed the Senate 77-13. The stopgap referred to as a continuing resolution will be Congress fourth extension since an original funding deadline in September 2023. This time, however, lawmakers appear to be making significant progress towards a long-term agreement for the nation. The extension lawmakers passed on Thursday was contingent on a prior pact that would provide one massive tranche of government spending. That money is now slated to expire on March 8 under the new continuing resolution. The rest of the federal government's funds are scheduled to expire on March 22. We are in agreement that Congress must work in a bipartisan manner to fund our government, congressional leaders said in a joint statement on Wednesday announcing the deal. But keep this in mind: The text of a plan to provide more permanent funding for government agencies, beyond the March deadlines, hasn't been released yet. While House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said at a weekly news conference that text will be unveiled over the weekend, it may not be a done deal. US Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, Republican of Louisiana, speaks during a news conference after a closed-door House Republican caucus meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on February 29, 2024. What government functions does the latest spending agreement extend? Congress must pass 12 individual spending bills to fund the government on a long-term basis. Six bills will expire on March 8, with functions related to: Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration Commerce, Justice and Science Energy and Water Development Interior Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Transportation, Housing and Urban Development The other six will expire on March 22. They're related to: Defense Financial Services and General Government Homeland Security Labor, Health and Human Services, Education Legislative Branch State and Foreign Operations While it appears Congress has made significant progress towards funding the government, Wednesday was still the first time negotiators announced they had come to an agreement on the pivotal spending bills. Additionally, the latter six bills are considered to be significantly more controversial than the first six. Rep. John Rutherford, R-Fla., a member on the House Appropriations Committee, expressed doubt about whether lawmakers could meet the March 22 deadline, saying he was not very (confident) honestly. US Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, with Representatives (L-R) Blake Moore, Beth Van Duyne and Steve Scalise, speaks during a news conference after a closed-door House Republican caucus meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on February 29, 2024. Conservatives rage at House Republican leaders (again) Ultraconservative House lawmakers have repeatedly criticized Republican leaders in the lower chamber over short-term funding extensions. Unsurprisingly, they did so again leading up to Thursdays vote. Johnson told GOP lawmakers in a conference call last week that Republicans have been unable to secure significant conservative victories because of the House GOPs infighting, specifically pointing to hard-right lawmakers repeatedly stalling action on the House floor. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, a member of the ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus on Wednesday pushed back on Johnsons negotiating stance, telling reporters it is crap. It is an absolute falsehood. If the speaker wants to get the right outcome, fight for it. Dont go out there and say this nonsense that he cant get it done, Roy said. Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, said he was disappointed again in leadership for putting another stopgap up for a vote. Im disappointed that he hasnt chosen to dig in and fund a government that will secure the border, Davidson added, echoing his hard-right colleagues' push for Congress to address the crisis on the southern border first before funding the government. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, arrives at the Thomas P. O'Neil Jr. House Office Building to attend a closed door deposition as a mobile billboard sponsored by the Congressional Integrity Project drives past him in the background on February 28, 2024 in Washington DC. Roy, along with his conservative colleagues, have lobbied Johnson and GOP leadership to pass a year-long spending plan that would consequently trigger 1% spending cuts across the board for the government. That proposal has virtually no chance of passing either the House or Senate, and lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have balked at the idea. The automatic spending cuts from a full-year deal would notably slash defense spending, which Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Mont., strongly opposes. He said on Thursday morning that the same game plan wont be enough to defend this country. For Johnsons part, this short-term extension is one of the few times the speaker has made a clear-cut decision. The Louisiana Republican's speakership has been at times confusing to rank-and-file GOP members as he has kept his cards close to his chest at critical moments. I think hes doing what youre supposed to do. Thats (to) bank the wins that you can get with the power that you have, Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., who has criticized Johnson, told reporters on Thursday. He is conforming with the reality of the situation. Politics is trying to achieve the best outcome you can in the environment youre in. Its a lot of drama to lead up to something that is inevitable but the speaker should be commended for taking a wise course of action in the environment were in, he added. Congressman Patrick McHenry, Chairman of the House Committee on Financial Service looks on during "The Annual Report of the Financial Stability Oversight Council" hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on February 6, 2024. A last-minute hold-up in the Senate The funding extension passed with more than two-thirds support in the Senate, but not before multiple lawmakers tried to force votes on attaching separate legislation to the funding package. All of those votes failed. The senators were able to hold the temporary plan up until they got what they wanted because all 100 senators are required to speed up the consideration of legislation in the upper chamber. That means Senate leaders needed the blessing of all 100 senators to move forward with a vote at all. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., forced consideration of his bill to bar the Federal Reserve from buying state debt. And Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, also demanded a vote on H.R. 2 House Republicans' hard-right border bill that even many Senate Republicans have acknowledged would never pass the upper chamber. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., told USA TODAY he doesn't want a government shutdown and that he supported the first few funding extensions in the fall to give lawmakers on the appropriations committees more time to negotiate. "But it's become clear in this calendar year that that's just not happening," he said. "They've had months to reach an agreement. This is just, I believe, on leadership's part a failure of will." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Congress passes short-term deal to avert partial government shutdown Washington The Senate followed the House in passing a temporary extension of government funding on Thursday, sending the measure to President Biden's desk after a bipartisan vote that once again averts a government shutdown. The Senate voted 77 to 13 to approve the short-term extension that funds some government agencies for another week, through March 8, and others until March 22. The House passed the bill earlier in the day by a vote of 320 to 99. The president has said he will sign the legislation. "I'm happy to inform the American people there will be no government shutdown on Friday," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, said. "Now let us finish the job of funding the government so we don't have to do this again." Congressional leaders announced a deal to keep the government open Wednesday evening, saying they "are in agreement that Congress must work in a bipartisan manner to fund our government." Six of the 12 annual spending bills will now need to be passed before the end of next week. The leaders said the one-week extension was necessary to allow the appropriations committees "adequate time to execute on this deal in principle" and give lawmakers time to review the package's text. Lawmakers will then have two more weeks to pass the other six spending bills to fully fund the government until September. Without the extension, funding for transportation, housing, agriculture and veterans programs would have expired at 12 a.m. Saturday. Funding for other agencies, including the Pentagon, would have lapsed on March 8. President Biden, in a statement, called the extension, "good news for the American people. But I want to be clear: this is a short-term fix not a long-term solution. "In the days ahead, Congress must do its job and pass full-year funding bills that deliver for the American people," Mr. Biden said. "And House Republicans must act on the bipartisan National Security Supplemental, which already passed the Senate with overwhelming bipartisan support and would pass the House if it was brought to a vote." A never-ending story The government has repeatedly been on the brink of a shutdown since the end of last September. Unable to pass the annual appropriations bills before the start of the fiscal year on Oct. 1, Congress has relied on short-term extensions, known as continuing resolutions, to keep the government operating. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, proposed the latest plan after an "intense" meeting at the White House on Tuesday with the president, vice president and other congressional leaders. Lawmakers left the meeting optimistic about averting a shutdown before the deadline at the end of this week. The new deadlines raise the pressure on the House to pass spending legislation amid Republican divisions. Negotiations over spending have been prolonged by House conservatives demanding steep cuts and policy changes while refusing to support any bipartisan legislation. Johnson, overseeing a narrow House majority, has therefore had to rely on Democrats to pass the continuing resolutions that have funded the government in recent months, a dynamic that continued in Thursday's vote. House Freedom Caucus chairman Bob Good, a Virginia Republican, criticized Johnson's handling of the bill, calling it "a failure" and "terrible decision." Good seemed resigned to the appropriations bills ultimately passing if they're brought up for a vote. "There's really no ability to block bills that are passed under suspension that the Democrats want to pass," he said, referring to a procedure that limits debate and requires two-thirds of members to vote to pass a bill. When asked whether he has faith in Johnson's leadership, Rep. Chip Roy, a Texas Republican who has been outspoken throughout the spending fight, said "this is not the call I would have made." Rep. Thomas Massie, a Kentucky Republican, said Congress should move on from this year's spending fight by passing a one-year continuing resolution to fund the government through September. He wants lawmakers to shift their focus to approving next year's appropriations bills "and get that one right." "We're seven months away from the next deadline," Massie said. "We've gone so far into this. We're five months into this." Jaala Brown and Nikole Killion contributed reporting. The Smokehouse Creek Fire spreads, extending its reach from Texas to Oklahoma Texas Smokehouse Creek Fire becomes second-largest wildfire in U.S. history Roughly half of graduates are underemployed 10 years after college, study finds Authorities in Florida on Wednesday found human remains believed to be those of a teenager who disappeared nearly 20 years ago. Autumn Lane McClure (Volusia Sheriff's Office) Autumn Lane McClure, 16, of Ormond Beach, was last seen on May 10, 2004, when her boyfriend dropped her off at Volusia Mall, the Volusia County Sheriffs Office said in a statement. Investigators dug up a suspected burial site in the Ormond Beach area on Wednesday afternoon and made the gruesome discovery, the statement said. Sheriffs detectives continued to investigate the case in the nearly 20 years that followed, obtaining DNA from family members, re-interviewing friends and possible witnesses, and identifying a person of interest in 2021, the sheriffs office said. That person died in May 2022, but the investigation continued. The possible discovery of the body of McClure, a student at Mainland High School, was not the conclusion his detectives wanted, Sheriff Mike Chitwood said Wednesday on X. He added the investigation showed his agency cares about victims, whether from recent cases or from cases decades ago. Not the result anyone hoped for in 2004 or ever since, but I am very proud of the work that went into this discovery 20 years later, Chitwood wrote. At the very least we can say we never gave up on Autumn McClures case. Prayers and condolences to the family tonight. Chitwood told reporters at a news conference Thursday that investigators were able to recover "99.9%" of McClure's remains. The medical examiner's office should soon conclude that the remains are McClure's, Chitwood said. But he added that determining her cause of death may prove difficult. As for the person of interest eyed in her death: "The sad part is he'll never face [justice] in this world for the evil that he perpetrated," Chitwood said. "But sure enough, I'm hoping that God, when he took his last breath, on May 26 of 2022, that maybe he had a vision of where ... he was headed." Kensington Palace offered up new details about Kate Middletons condition, weeks after the Princess of Wales underwent a planned abdominal surgery and internet rumors began to swirl. A spokesperson for the princess brushed off social media speculation, telling HuffPost on Thursday, Kensington Palace made it clear in January the timelines of the princess recovery and wed only be providing significant updates. That guidance stands. He reiterated that the princess is doing well. The palace announced in a statement last month that Kate had undergone an operation on Jan. 16. The surgery was successful, and it is expected that she will remain in hospital for 10 to 14 days, before returning home to continue her recovery, the palace shared with HuffPost at the time. Based on the current medical advice, she is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter. Catherine, Princess of Wales visits Kirkgate Market on Jan. 31, 2023 in Leeds, England. Max Mumby/Indigo via Getty Images After a nearly two-week hospitalization, the palace informed the public on Jan. 29 that Kate had returned home to Windsor to continue her recovery from surgery and was making good progress. The palace has not yet confirmed Kates official diagnosis, though it is not thought to be cancer-related. The Princess of Wales health news comes at a worrying time for the royal family. The king underwent surgery on Jan. 26, after the palace said earlier that month he was seeking treatment for an enlarged prostate. He was discharged from the hospital where Kate Middleton was also receiving treatment three days later. Buckingham Palace announced on Feb. 5 that King Charles had been diagnosed with cancer. The palace did not confirm the type of cancer only that it was not prostate cancer nor did it specify the severity of Charles diagnosis. During The Kings recent hospital procedure for benign prostate enlargement, a separate issue of concern was noted, the palace said in a statement at the time. King Charles III, with Queen Camilla, leaves The London Clinic on Jan. 29 in London. The king was receiving treatment for an enlarged prostate, spending three nights at the clinic. Karwai Tang via Getty Images Subsequent diagnostic tests have identified a form of cancer, the palace added. His Majesty has today commenced a schedule of regular treatments, during which time he has been advised by doctors to postpone public-facing duties. The palace added that Charles will continue to undertake State business and official paperwork as usual. Separately, Sarah Ferguson, former wife of Prince Andrew, was recently diagnosed with malignant skin cancer, which was found during treatment for breast cancer. Related... (Photo Credit: Kerrin | Getty Images) A couple in Detroit, Michigan, is facing charges after their three dogs mauled a man, who eventually succumbed to his injuries. Harold Phillips, aged 35, fell victim to the vicious attack while walking home from the bus stop. The three unleashed dogs belonged to Roy Eric Goodman and Trevina Goodman. Couple responsible for fatal dog mauling of 35-year-old man charged with dangerous animal causing death WXYZ Detroit News reports that on Jan. 29, the Goodmans three canines escaped through their homes unsecured front gate entrance and charged toward Phillips. The injuries he sustained were so severe that doctors had to amputate his right arm. Unfortunately, Phillips later passed away. The couple was arrested and charged with having a dangerous animal causing death. All three dogs whose breeds havent been disclosed to the public were euthanized following the attack. Moreover, animal control seized the couples fourth dog. Shockingly, this was not the first time that the Goodmans dogs attacked a member of the public. The aggressive canines had, on different occasions, attacked at least three people, including biting a child. Despite this pattern of aggressive tendencies from their dogs, the Goodmans did nothing about it. In fact, the couple had a brush with law enforcement in the recent past because of the same issue. Kym Worthy, a Wayne County prosecutor, expressed her frustration at the level of negligence exhibited by the couple. She told CBS News: I just do not understand why we continue to see unleashed and unsecured dangerous dogs running loose and killing our citizenry. With pet ownership comes responsibility, pure and simple. I do not see what is hard to understand about that. Why dogs act aggressively Phillips avoidable death sheds light on the consequences of negligence and not fulfilling the responsibilities of a dog owner. The truth is, dogs arent inherently aggressive. Aggression in dogs stems from unmet needs, all of which are the owners responsibility. For instance, failing to meet a dogs socialization needs, not training them, or failing to seek professional help for any behavioral issues they may be having can result in them developing aggressive tendencies. The post Detroit Couple Charged in Fatal Dog Mauling appeared first on DogTime. Courtesy of FX 2023 WAS A great year for television. New seasons of heavy hitters like The Bear and Only Murders in the Building, along with the final season of Succession kept us glued to our televisions week after week. But now that we're waiting for our favorite shows to return, there's probably a void in your TV schedule, as many shows tend to return in warmer months. It's the perfect opportunity for something new to come and surprise us. FX's Shogun looks like it could be exactly what audiences are waiting for. Reviews from The New York Times, IGN, and Variety have been glowing for the miniseries. Based on James Clavell's popular novel of the same name, Shogun is centered on Japan in the 1600s and tracks the rise of a feudal lord. It's a doorstopper of a novel, and encapsulates lots of characters and narratives. It's also the first chronologically in the author's collection of books in the same time period and region. Don't be fooled by the idea of Shogun as a miniseries; there's a lot of lore and history to dive into. So if you're ready to jump into Shogun, you may want a study guide to get to know who each character is, and who the actors are playing them. The show will likely explain everyone well enough, but when going from week to week, it's easy to forget things. Here's a helpful guide of the main actors in Shogun, and everything you need to know about their characters. Hiroyuki Sanada as Yoshii Toranaga Toranaga is a powerful man in Japan and a member of the Council of Regents, an influential group of the five strongest lords in the region. The character is based off of Tokugawa Ieyasu, an actual feudal lord. Sanada is well-known actor, starring in John Wick: Chapter 4, Bullet Train, Westworld, and more. Tomohiro Ohsumi - Getty Images Cosmo Jarvis as John Blackthorne Inspired by the English navigator William Adams, the first Englishman to visit Japan, Cosmo Jarvis plays John Blackthorne, who becomes part of Toranaga's plans to take down his rival. Jarvis is also known for starring in 2022's Persuasion. Variety - Getty Images Anna Sawai as Toda Mariko Mariko is a high-born Christian woman who acts as aid and interpreter to Toranaga. Anna Sawai plays the character, and has recently starred in Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, Pachinko, and F9: The Fast Saga. John Lamparski - Getty Images Tanadobu Asano as Kashigi Yabushige Yabushige is Lord of Izu. Initially, he pledges loyalty to Toranaga, but secretly, he's always looking for new alliances and opportunities for his personal success. The arrival of Blackthorne intrigues him. Asano is best known to Western audiences for his recurring role as Hogun in Thor and Thor: Ragnarok, although the actor has had a successful career in Japan as well. Frazer Harrison - Getty Images Takehiro Hira as Ishido Kazunari The main antagonist of the novel, Kazunari views Toranaga as a threat and wants him removed from the Council of Regents, in which they both are members. Hira has recently starred in Monarch: Legacy of Monsters and Gran Turismo. Matt Winkelmeyer - Getty Images Tommy Bastow as Father Martin Alvito Bastow plays a Portugese Jesuit priest. He serves as a translator for the Council of Regents, and a mediator between the Portuguese and Japanese leaders in the region. Bastow is an English actor, who first began his career in 2008. Emma McIntyre - Getty Images Fumi Nikaido as Ochiba No Kata Ochiba No Kata is the mother of the Heir, who is the son of the founder of the Council of Regents. Her loyalty only lies with herself and her son, and she'll do anything to keep her child safe. Nikaido is an actress and model, and has appeared in film and television since 2009. Jun Sato - Getty Images You Might Also Like The building at Main and Pearl streets in Manchester formerly home of Catsup & Mustard restaurant, is being renovated with a new restaurant expected on the ground floor and market rate apartments above. The renovation is part of a town loan program. Town of Manchester MANCHESTER Building permits filed earlier this month suggest that Fornarelli's Ristorante & Bar could open a new restaurant along Main Street. Fornarelli's originally called downtown Hartford its home, expanding into Colchester in 2022. The restaurant shut down its Hartford location in March 2023 but encouraged patrons to "follow us to our next adventure" to the former Catsup & Mustard building in Manchester for American, Italian, and Mexican fare. The building at 623 Main St., located on the corner of Pearl Street, was formerly home to Corey's Catsup & Mustard, a burger restaurant that opened in 2008. The restaurant appeared on Food Network's "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" in 2011 before closing abruptly in 2018. Former owner Corey Wry later brought back iconic menu items from Catsup & Mustard to Urban Lodge Brewing Co. when the brewery opened its kitchen in 2023. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Owners of 623 Main St. filed four applications throughout February 2024 for modifications to the building to support a new restaurant. At least one of the applications, which details a duct fit out, mentions "Fornarelli's Manchester" at the address. The building previously received a $200,000 loan from the town for a renovation project that would include a first-floor restaurant and eight apartment units on the second and third floors. Fornarelli's Ristorante & Bar owners did not return a request for comment Wednesday. https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/the-only-13-day-old-salts-dik-dik-antelope-looks-out-at-the-news-photo/1039918816?adppopup=true The internet is practically made for sharing adorable animal pictures. But listen, weve all seen a thousand cute kittens and puppies by now. Bunnies and calves are old news as well. While those little guys were stealing all the limelight, tons of other animal tots were waiting for you to notice how sweet they are. Ever seen how freaking cute a baby screech owl is? How about a newborn anteater? Were here to champion the often-overlooked babies of the animal kingdom. Just because their parents arent the most beautiful, doesnt mean they dont deserve our attention! White-handed gibbon The huge, bottomless eyes, the adorable hair, and look at the little sweater! Knuppy heres a perfect example of how cute baby white-handed gibbons can be, but youre unlikely to come across one in the wild. Unless you live in south-east Asia, that is, and even then they dont come with the knitwear! Knuppys a resident of a zoo in Bremen, Germany, and in this picture hes just three months old. Aww! Perhaps theyre so cute because they closely resemble human babies in proportion, but whatever the reason, we just cant resist that innocent little smile. https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/zoo-keeper-holds-a-three-month-old-baby-white-handed-gibbon-news-photo/142606691?adppopup=true Screech owl Chicks are among the most adorable baby animals, and although you usually think of little yellow ducklings or chicklets, owl young are no exception. New Yorks Sweetbriar Nature Center rescued this particular one, and his bad day probably explains the grumpy expression! But mostly the owlets parents care for them until theyre old enough to leave the nest. Speaking of which, do you notice how this cute little fluff-ball looks like a nest itself? Thats because screech owls have natural camouflage. Even as adults, their underbellies are bark-colored to blend in with their forest homes. https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/janine-bendicksen-director-of-wildlife-rehabilitation-holds-news-photo/1492650237?adppopup=true Platypus This baby platypus otherwise rather cutely known as a puggle is from Taronga Zoo in its native country, Australia. Platypuses are so unusual-looking that when they were first reported in the pre-1800s, Europe thought they were a hoax! Were not teasing you though, platypuses really are this lovable. The wondrous thing about them is they have elements from other animal groups electric prey detection like fish, lactation like mammals,and egg-laying like birds. The males even have venomous spurs like reptiles. So resist the urge to hug these cute little critters! https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/keeper-at-taronga-zoo-holds-a-baby-platypus-known-as-a-news-photo/539738579?adppopup=true Raccoon Sure, you might not want them rooting through your trash, but If youve ever seen a raccoon eat, youll know its one of the cutest things in the world. They hold food to nibble with their little hands, its so sweet! The babies are called kits, and theyre even more heart-melting. And while masks usually disguise identities, we recognize racoons by their little bandit-mask eye markings. Well, kits dont get those until theyre around two-and-a-half, so you might not know a raccoon kit when you see one! The black mask absorbs light, so they can see better in the dark. https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/staff-photo-by-gregory-rec-thursday-july-19-2001-a-baby-news-photo/481161935?adppopup=true Anteater When this baby anteater or pup was born in 2005 at London Zoo, it held a Big Nose Day to celebrate. And who wouldnt want to celebrate such a cute snoot? Dont you just want to boop it? This particular patootie is the pup of a giant anteater, which lives in Central and South America. Although they do eat ants, anteaters are pretty much up for any insect snack, which they vacuum up using a tongue that can be as long as 2 feet. Wow! One of the sweetest things about anteater pups is how they ride on their mothers backs when theyre young. ommons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page Peccary On the surface peccaries resemble pigs, but while theyre related, theyre a different taxonomy. Their babies are just as cute as any piglet though, and while most pigs dont have fur, these little fluffers sure do, which makes them all the more lovable. Peccaries are social creatures, communicating with physical contact and talking to one another with grunts and such. Interestingly, they were thought to be extinct by western science until relatively recently, when they were rediscovered in 1971. You cant have one as a pet though, since in some areas theyre endangered. https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/photo/collared-peccary-royalty-free-image/480526591?phrase=baby+anteater&adppopup=true Leaf monkey This beautiful baby with his amazing eyebrows is Elke, a baby Francois langur, or leaf monkey, born at Sydneys Taronga Zoo in 2009. This happened much to the delight of everyone there, considering how endangered the species is. But who could do anything to hurt such precious little treasures? Certainly not the females of the monkeys social group, thats for sure. They have a very communal way of childcare, where each female looks after all the children in the group until theyre six or maybe seven and can fend for themselves. https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/elke-the-baby-francois-langur-or-leaf-monkey-was-born-at-news-photo/118366568?adppopup=true Sloth A zoo in Germany welcomed a new addition to its protection in 2015: a baby two-toed sloth, a creature which is actually related to the anteater. Sloths are known for their inactivity, but it isnt just that they move slowly. Their entire metabolism is adapted to their sedentary treetop lifestyle: they sleep for 15 hours a day and poop once a week! Amazingly, sloths are born with their eyes open from birth and they come into the world with teeth and fully-formed claws for climbing. The first thing they do is climb up to their mothers chest for safety. Since theyre often upside-down, their fur runs backwards too. https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/bergzoo-halle-vorstellung-der-neuen-artenschutzkonzeption-news-photo/645086057?adppopup=true Wombat In 2018 at Germanys Duisburg Zoo, celebrations were in order when one of its wombats, Tinsel, gave birth to Apari, the first of his kind born there for almost four decades! With his super-large ears and darling nose, Apari is just irresistible. But how would such a precious jumping bean survive in the wild? Well, wombats are marsupials, and like their more famous kangaroo cousins, they have pouches. Babies live in their mothers pouches for up to nine months before theyre ready to face the world. https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/april-2018-germany-duisburg-the-little-wombat-apari-looking-news-photo/981700902?adppopup=true Koala If you can find something that melts a heart faster than a smiling baby koala snoozing in a tree, youre bound by law to inform us immediately. They look like living plushies and it takes all the willpower in the world to resist sweeping one up for a snuggle. They just look so warm and squishy! Although some people call them koala bears, thats actually a misnomer. Theyre marsupials like kangaroos, and are close relatives to wombats. Once mom falls pregnant with a baby koala, or a joey, it takes a mere 35 days for the baby to emerge! https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/photo/koala-resting-and-sleeping-on-his-tree-royalty-free-image/530674261?phrase=cute+baby+animals&adppopup=true Arnaud_Martinez Harp seal If youre looking for the aquatic version of a puppy, you can rest easy: youve found it. Arctic harp seals look for all the world like sea puppers with their soft fur and doggy whiskers. Plus the way they bound around? Just like a hopping doggo! Of course, theyre wild and you should avoid petting them, but its a wonderful dream all the same! Harp seals have an unusual birthing-ground: mothers have their pups on icebergs, and they nurse them with milk until they develop enough blubber to survive in the icy waters. https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/photo/baby-arctic-seal-in-canada-royalty-free-image/82570115?phrase=cute+baby+animals&adppopup=true Ferret Ferrets dont have the best reputation, but theres no way you could describe this tiny treasure as anything but precious. All baby ferrets, or kits, are born with this layer of peach fuzz, though admittedly theyre not all lucky enough to have a doll bed all to themselves. Kits are deaf and blind for up to five weeks, so they rely on their mother for everything. Female adults, called jills, make great moms! A jill knows how many kits she has, and she will not only seek out missing ones but also adopt other kits that need a home. https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/photo/ferret-baby-in-doll-house-royalty-free-image/501206301?phrase=baby+ferret&adppopup=true Fennec fox These particular fennec fox kits were born in Japans Sunshine International Aquarium hopefully not in the water and were hugely popular. You can see why! They look like they have the cutest parts of puppies and kittens combined into one huge-eared bundle of joy! Their ears are actually used to both hunt and to regulate their temperature in hot desert environments, so youre unlikely to see them in the wild. All the more so because theyre nocturnal! Fennec fox kits are very vulnerable and rely on their parents for everything until they grow. https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/baby-fennecs-are-seen-at-sunshine-international-aquarium-on-news-photo/88652123?adppopup=true Sugar glider Sweet by name and appearance, sugar gliders look like adorable squirrels or mice, but theyre not rodents at all. Baby gliders are called joeys because theyre marsupials. Unlike humans, where twins are less common than single babies, its the norm for glider mothers to have two joeys. Double the fun! Newborn joeys cant glide, or even regulate their own temperature, so they rely on their parents for warmth. When theyre not in their mothers pouch, glider joeys are snuggling with their parents a role the father also shares to help keep his baby alive. https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/photo/sugar-glider-joey-royalty-free-image/514744702?phrase=baby+Sugar+glider&adppopup=true Adelie penguin Penguins are already adorable, dressed up in their finest and waddling around like little confused butlers. So what could be cuter? Well, their babies of course! Penguin chicks are so fluffy and huggable, but Adelie penguins are among the most enchanting. But while you may want to take one home as a teddy-bear substitute, thats a no-go were afraid. Theyre the smallest Antarctic penguin, but they have small bird syndrome and arent afraid to attack predators and flipper-slap human researchers. So maybe just admire them from afar! https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/adelie-penguin-pygoscelis-adeliae-molting-near-mawson-news-photo/578261712?adppopup=true Flying fox Even if you dont like bats, its hard not to melt at the sight of flying foxes, which true to their name look more like the latter than the former. Wildcare expert Trish Wimberly rescued these particular bat burritos from a storm on Australias Gold Coast in 2003. And if their puppy-like appearance hasnt done so already, erase all thoughts of blood-drinking bats from your mind. These lovelies only eat flowers and fruit, with nectar and pollen being their favorite snack. Flying fox pups cant fly from birth, and they cling to mom for the first two months of their life. https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/four-baby-flying-foxes-are-prepared-to-be-fed-at-a-news-photo/83891848?adppopup=true Meerkat Its hard to believe, but their mother abandoned Lia and Roo here, so London Zoo specialists hand-reared these delights in 2009. Meerkats are very social animals, and they live in huge groups called mobs: up to 40 of them may live together. Thats good news for meerkat moms, though. Child-rearing is a group effort, with both male and female adults caring for the mobs pups. That means the larger the group, the more babysitters there are to care for the young ones. https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/senior-keeper-suzi-hyde-poses-with-a-pair-of-hand-reared-news-photo/86295918?adppopup=true Peyrieras' wooly lemur Anything that has wooly in its name makes you want to pet it, and Peyrieras wooly lemur is no exception! Like all lemurs, theyre endemic to Madagascar and have such soulful eyes, you cant help but fall in love with them. Speaking of those eyes, theyre actually reflective! Wooly lemurs are nocturnal, so their peepers are designed to let lots of light pass through to enhance their vision in the dark. Because of their nightlife routine and rarity, their parenting is a bit of a mystery, but we do know theyre lovable. https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/photo/avahi-peyrieras-woolly-lemur-avahi-peyrierasi-royalty-free-image/1454340030?phrase=baby+animals+in+the+wild&adppopup=true Chameleon Lizards arent considered conventionally cute, but if any creature can change that perception its this beautiful baby chameleon. Their species is known for changing color, but there are so many other unique characteristics that make chameleons fascinating. For example, although chameleon babies are called hatchlings, some lay eggs, while others give birth to live young! Its also rare for a hatchling to meet its mother. Most chameleons leave their concealed eggs to hatch and never look back. But dont feel bad for such hatchlings: theyre one of the rare creatures that can walk and run from birth; theyre completely self-sufficient from birth. https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/one-month-old-veiled-chameleon-crawls-on-the-hand-of-a-news-photo/71930945?adppopup=true Irrawaddy river dolphin Few animals are as beloved as dolphins, but did you know some rare species live in rivers rather than oceans? This one, for example, was orphaned and since these mammals usually rely on their parents to survive, Thailands Department of Marine and Coastal Resources stepped in to help. Irrawaddy river dolphins are more than cure though: theyre intelligent, too! Wild ones even work with fishermen to herd fish into the nets. Theyre paid for their efforts with a portion of the catch, so everyones a winner! In some parts of the world, theyre even considered sacred. https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/an-orphaned-irrawaddy-river-dolphin-takes-a-nap-in-the-arms-news-photo/1412194442?adppopup=true Dik-dik Hey, you at the back! Stop laughing at the name, youll hurt this little guys feelings! Now, it may look a little like Bambi: maybe thats why its so cute? Yet dik-diks are actually antelopes, and even the adults are fun-sized. In case you were wondering, they got their name for the noise they make to alert other nearby animals of predators. You see, their small size makes them the perfect target for predators, so dik-diks are fast and super-alert to make up for their lack of defenses. https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/curator-of-mammals-at-chester-zoo-tim-rowlands-at-home-hand-news-photo/854164776?adppopup=true Octopus Yeah, tentacles arent traditionally cute, but just look at this little jelly. How could you not love it? Its all squishy and adorable its squishdorable and so, so tiny! It looks like a miniature version of an adult, complete with bird-like beak used to get some tasty shellfish snacks. Octopus larva grow quickly, but their most powerful defense is their brains. You see, octopuses are the smartest invertebrates on the planet, capable of solving puzzles such as opening jelly jars and using tools. They even play with toys. How sweet is that? https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/the-four-month-old-baby-octopus-jonas-swims-in-the-news-photo/1039820260 Frogmouth chick If theres another creature that looks more like a ball of cotton wool with a beak, then we couldnt find it. Frogmouth chicks are, as one Facebook user put it, the most gorgeous little creature ever. They look like real-life Angry Birds! Not only do frogmouths make excellent partners when they find each other they mate for life but theyre also great parents, too. Both males and females do their part to build a nest and incubate their eggs for 30 days until the chick is ready to hatch. Armadillo How can something armored be so lovable? Who knows, but armadillo pups manage it. This little darling is a three-banded armadillo called Spock who in 2017 was living at Polands Zoo Wroclaw. Its easy to see where he got his name, too: look at those little ears! Beam us up for hugs! Its rare to see armadillos in the wild, since they keep themselves to themselves, but one of the most well-known facts about them is that they roll into balls, right? Actually, thats just three-banded armadillos like Spock here! Thats not how other species, ahem, roll. Zeedonk Ligers are arguably the most famous cross-species animal, but theyre not the only one. Allow us to introduce you to the wonderfully-named zeedonk, a cross between a zebra and a donkey. It looks like its wearing fluffy-striped socks. You probably wont be able to pet them though, because zeedonks are wild animals with a feisty nature. Theyre also more robust than a donkey. Like their striped parent, they are bigger and faster than a donkey, with a resistance to illness and disease their more domesticated parent doesnt have. https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/crossbreed-foal-between-zebra-and-donkey-born-2-27-to-the-news-photo/515206742?adppopup=true Porcupine puffer fish If you want a good example of a fish youd love to hug but cant, here is the perfect specimen: a porcupine puffer fish! This forbidden water cactus lives at YouTubes A1A Adventures, and hes a wonderful baby dumpling called Wonton. As in, youre just Wonton to pet him? As you probably guessed from their names, puffer fish inflate themselves when theyre threatened into a spiny ball that doesnt look very edible. Many species are highly poisonous when theyre eaten, too. Please dont eat the spiky dumpling: its not good for you. Pygmy hippo Although adult hippos are weirdly cute, they are very dangerous. Well, pygmy hippos are smaller relatives of the standard-sized creatures, and their calves are even smaller! These compact cuties are short and splendidly stubby, but chances of petting one are very low. Very low indeed. You see, even mini hippos are large compared to humans, and pygmy hippos are still powerful creatures. As with all hippos, they also share a common ancestor with whales, and theyre one of the few mammals who can nurse their young underwater. https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/baby-pygmy-hippo-calf-makes-its-first-appearance-with-its-news-photo/1357961585?adppopup=true Red panda Made even more popular by Disney Pixars Turning Red, red pandas are more closely related to raccoons than giant pandas, and they have a lot in common with bears and cats, too. For example, adults carry their cubs in their mouth. Aww! If you want to know something even more adorable about red pandas, you have to know how they sleep. They use their beautifully bushy tails as blankets, wrapping them around their bodies to keep warm. Theyre the ultimate snuggle-buddies. https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/photo/baby-at-play-royalty-free-image/998709936?phrase=baby+red+panda&adppopup=true Brown boar Dont get us wrong, domesticated piglets are pretty, but wild boars have all the adorability of their relatives, with added fur fuzz. Thats not all, though: they have the sweetest stripes which resemble a British candy called a humbug, hence their nickname. Boars tend to be social creatures, with some groups being up to 100 members strong. And theyre not just pretty, but smart, too. Theyve proven they can use tools, as demonstrated in 2021 when one female adult rescued her piglets from a cage trap by moving the logs sealing the door. https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/photo/closeup-of-cute-striped-young-wild-brown-boars-in-a-royalty-free-image/939238602?phrase=Hoglets&adppopup=true Hedgehog Baby hedgehogs are so small they can easily fit into the palm of your hand, just like this one from the Hedgehog Center in Germanys Lower Saxony. And in case you needed another reason to melt at the sight of this precious nugget, heres one on us: theyre called hoglets! Hedgehogs actually get their name from the grunting sounds they make and their love of foliage in peoples yards. The best thing, though, is that if youre lucky enough to be in a position to pet one, their spikes arent pointy at all: theyre more like the bristles on a brush to us humans. Former WWE star Matt Riddle admitted he failed several drug tests for cocaine prior to his release from the company. Riddle spoke with Ariel Helwani on "The MMA Hour" Wednesday, while promoting Major League Wrestling Intimidation Games, about his time in WWE and his drug use while in the company. The former WWE star said he smoked marijuana, which was allowed, but took another substance. "I went to the strip club and did some cocaine a couple times," Riddle said. "That was the first one. Well, that was for all of them. It was cocaine each time." Matt Riddle talks failing drug tests and going to rehab.#TheMMAHour pic.twitter.com/79xq8FALD2 Jed I. Goodman (@jedigoodman) February 28, 2024 Riddle said the company randomly drug tests its talent, and there was an instance he failed back-to-back tests. "sometimes you get tested, say, at the end of one month and the beginning of another month. So there was one week where I failed bang, bang, didn't know I failed the second one. By the time I found out I failed the first one, I got two right at one, he said. So I think that's why they were a little more lenient with us. LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - AUGUST 21: Professional wrestler and former mixed martial artist Matt "Riddle" Riddle attends the WWE SummerSlam after party at Delano Las Vegas at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on August 21, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Bryan Steffy/Getty Images for WWE SummerSlam After Party) After the two failed tests, Riddle said he told the company he could be continuously tested on a weekly basis, which he said he passed. However, he eventually "partied a little bit" and got drug tested after that, which came back positive. As a result, WWE had him go to rehab. Riddle completed a 30-day drug program, but afterward, the company wanted him to do another month-long program, which he pushed back on. He didn't specify when this happened during his time with WWE, but he departed the company in September. During his five years with WWE, he was an NXT Tag Team Champion, a United States Champion and two-time Raw Tag Team Champion with Randy Orton, with the team of "RK-Bro" becoming one of the most popular tag teams in 2021-22. Since leaving WWE, Riddle has competed in Major League Wrestling and New Japan Pro-Wrestling, and he is currently the NJPW World Television Champion. Riddle said he figured his WWE release was coming since there were no plans for him at WrestleMania 39, but he believes it happened "at the right time." "I feel like getting fired by WWE happened at the right time," he said. "Not saying I won't go back, or saying I will go back, there's no discussion there but at the same time, I just had another kid, little Matthew, and with the WWE schedule, it's a lot." This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Matt Riddle admits he failed multiple WWE drug tests for cocaine A controversial law in Missouri doesn't allow pregnant women to get divorced. The legislation has been in place for 50 years, but there is now a push by a Democratic state representative to overturn it. The state's law was initially meant to "prevent what the courts consider the 'bastardization' of a child," Missouri House Rep. Ashley Aune, a Democrat who represents the 14th district in Kansas City, told USA TODAY. The law was aimed at protecting families and basically made it illegal for pregnant couples to get a divorce before the mother gives birth. Aune sponsored House Bill 2402. The bill has bipartisan support and is co-sponsored by Rep. Richard Brown (Democrat, 27 District), Rep. Jeff Farnan (Republican, 1 District) and Rep. Sherri Gallick (Republican, 62 District). The bill would allow "the court to enter a judgment of dissolution of marriage or legal separation if a person is pregnant." In layman's terms, it would give pregnant woman the ability to get a divorce finalized. "Women are terrified for a million other reasons, let's not give them one more," said Aune. "Let's give [women] a break." A Missouri divorce law forbids pregnant women from getting divorces. Law could lead to dangerous domestic violence situations Aune says the issue was brought to her attention by Synergy Services, a Missouri shelter that provides women and their families a safe haven from violent situations. "The intents [of the law] were noble and I can respect where they came from, however when we know better, we do better," said Aune. "We know domestic violence is all too common, and one really distressing type of domestic violence is reproductive coercion, and often what that looks like is either an insistence or denial of pregnancy termination and sabotaging birth control." The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists defines reproductive coercion as "behavior that interferes with contraception use and pregnancy." It is also commonly called "baby trapping" and can happen to both women and men. Domestic violence: Minnesota shooting highlights dangers on calls for first responders and victims Domestic violence advocate says the law gives abusers an advantage This is a photo of members of the Missouri House of Representatives gather for the start of the legislative session in Jefferson City on Jan. 3, 2024. A state lawmaker is pushing to overturn a law that doesn't allow pregnant women to get divorced. Sara Brammer, the VP of Domestic Violence Services at Synergy Services in Kansas City, said that abusers are very conscious of this law and can use it to keep their spouses from divorcing them. Brammer is responsible for Synergy's domestic violence shelter and domestic violence housing program. She also directs Synergy's Offender Intervention Program. Around 80% of the people in the program were referred to the program via the court. The time spent in it ranges from 26 to 58 weeks and varies based on how high a survivor's risk of death is from the violence they experienced. The program consists of seven groups made up of 12 to 15 people each that meet each week. "I have heard it on both sides that both women feel coerced and not able to divorce, and men are conscious to the fact that [women] can't get divorced when they're pregnant," Brammer told USA TODAY. "And they use that against their partner." Brammer said one of the men who was in the program tracked his wife's ovulation cycle on his cell phone so he could make sure she was always pregnant while she was with him. "We're talking about something that is absolutely very coercive and manipulative," said Brammer. "And there's a law that supports that." She continues on to say that the law not only makes it more difficult for people to leave abusive situations, but it makes the people in those situations feel "powerless." Proposed bill is a way out of 'bad situations' for women and men, Rep. Aune says "I have seen friends whose partners [were] incredible partners until they got pregnant, and then all of a sudden they became monsters," said Aune Aune said it's time to give people another option to get out of marriages like the examples she gave. She believes this house bill will help men and women get out of "bad situations" that they are stuck in because of a pregnancy. Aune said that since this bill gained publicity, men on Reddit are speaking up and saying that this law prevented them from getting out of their marriages. One example Aune gave was a man whose wife became pregnant when he was deployed overseas. "There's obviously no way he was the father," said Aune. "He was overseas, but he couldn't divorce his wife." According to Aune, if a man's wife is pregnant, he can't leave her because the state automatically assumes he is the baby's father because of their marriage. A different Reddit user said that despite being separated from his wife, he wasn't able to divorce her when she got pregnant with the man she was living with at the time of the separation. He says they weren't allowed to divorce until the baby was born. Next steps for the proposed bill that would overturn Missouri divorce law The bill now heads to a House committee for a vote in order to advance. If that happens, next steps in the legislative process will include approval by the full state House and full state Senate. From there, it would end up on the governor's desk awaiting his signature to officially become a law. What other states have a divorce law like Missouri's? Currently, four states have bans that prevent pregnant women from getting divorced: Arkansas Arizona Missouri Texas Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY. She has covered various topics, from local businesses and government in her hometown, Miami, to tech and pop culture. You can follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, Instagram and TikTok: @juliamariegz. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Missouri divorce law: How a new bill looks to protect pregnant women The Air National Guardsman accused of leaking classified documents appears ready to plead guilty to unspecified charges next week, according to a court filing from prosecutors posted Thursday. Jack Teixeira, 22, pleaded not guilty in June to six federal charges of willful retention and transmission of national defense information. Jack Teixeira. (via Facebook) The Justice Department has now requested a change-of-plea hearing for Monday, when a pretrial conference had been scheduled, indicating that Teixeira will plead guilty in the case according to a court filing. A judge later confirmed Monday for the hearing. The filing did not indicate which charge or charges Teixeira might plead guilty to. Teixeira was arrested in April and has been accused of leaking classified Defense Department documents on Discord, a chat app largely used by gamers. He served in the Massachusetts Air National Guard. The Air Force found that he acted alone in allegedly leaking the documents, but the military disciplined 15 others in relation to the case. Some of the documents he allegedly posted online included top secret, secret or sensitive compartmented information, according to the government. They included information on Ukraine and Russia, as well as intelligence gathering on South Korea and Israel, NBC News previously reported. He was ordered held pretrial in May after prosecutors argued that he posed a serious flight risk and could flee the country with the help of a foreign adversary. The Justice Department and the U.S. attorneys office in Boston, where Teixeira is charged, declined to comment Thursday. Federal public defenders listed as representing Teixeira did not respond to requests for comment Thursday. Esther Rantzen smiles at the camera on a red carpet for a women's event MPs should be given the opportunity to debate and vote on assisted dying after the findings of a new report, Dame Esther Rantzen says. The Health and Social Care Committee found evidence it has led to better end-of-life care in countries where it is allowed. Dame Esther said this showed there is no "slippery slope" when it comes to the impact on palliative care. But Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson said potential coercion remained a concern. The Commons' committee's review looked at places where assisted dying for the terminally ill is allowed, including parts of the US, as well as Australia, Switzerland and New Zealand. The cross-party group of MPs did not rule on a change in the law in England, saying it only wanted to inform debate. Despite concern a change in the law would lead to poorer support at the end of life, the committee's report said, if anything, it was linked to improvement in the countries to have taken the step, with evidence showing the alterations resulted in extra investment in palliative care. Dame Esther, who has stage four cancer, said the new report assuaged fears that palliative care could be damaged by introducing assisted dying. "There isn't the slippery slope that so many are worried about," she said. The report has cemented Dame Esther's belief that a parliamentary debate and free vote should be held on the subject. "I'm not demanding that everybody in the world agrees with me, I'm just saying let's debate all the issues now that we've got international evidence and we know the public attitude is in favour," she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. But she said she was "disappointed" that the committee had not made a clear call for a vote, saying it "doesn't fit into her timescale". "This report does not help very much for those of us who desperately want the current law to change for the sake of our own families, and the many others in our situation," Dame Esther told the PA news agency. The 83-year-old has been campaigning on the issue, including backing the launch of a petition demanding a parliamentary vote, which amassed tens of thousands of signatures over a few weeks. She added: "If they had said 'we urgently need a Parliamentary debate and a free vote', you know, that could perhaps have fitted into my own timescale, but it doesn't." The 83-year-old Childline founder and broadcaster has long campaigned in favour of assisted dying, and revealed last year that she has joined the Dignitas assisted dying clinic in Switzerland. Dame Esther said she wanted to avoid tarnishing her family's happy memories of her by suffering as her life draws to a close. "The thing that motivates me greatly is having watched the deaths of loved ones around me and seen how memories of a bad death obliterate happy memories and become very painful for those involved," she said. Current laws in England mean her family cannot join her in Zurich if and when she decides to take that step without facing criminal investigations. In England and Wales, the 1961 Suicide Act makes it an offence to encourage or assist someone to take their own life. Separate laws in Scotland and Northern Ireland prevent dying people asking for medical help to die. Over the last eight years, more than 250 people have travelled to Dignitas to end their lives, according to the clinic. The cross-party group of MPs behind the new report said hospices in England needed extra money as access to care was patchy. Currently hospices only receive a third of their funding from the NHS, despite providing the majority of specialist palliative care, according to Hospice UK. Baroness Grey-Thompson, a critic of legalising assisted dying, acknowledged the findings of the report regarding countries that allow the practice, but said she believes palliative care is a "postcode lottery" in England. "We need to make sure people are protected," she told BBC Breakfast. She added further concerns that vulnerable people could be coerced into pursuing assisted dying, and that adequate safeguards were difficult to place. Assisted dying was not always the "Hollywood death" that some might imagine, she said, and that complications could arise once lethal drugs enter the body. She said she was not against a debate in parliament, and it was important to keep up the conversation about death. 'Law change would give dying control' Sophie Blake is living with cancer Sophie Blake was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer in 2020 when she was 49. The cancer has spread to her lungs, liver, abdominal lymph nodes and pelvis and is incurable. She has always supported people's choice to end their lives after seeing friends and family die in pain. "I always thought that's so cruel, why would we subject people to end up in so much untreatable pain when the meds can't even touch the sides because we're not allowed to help them [end their lives]?" Since her diagnosis, Sophie says she is hoping for the best, while preparing for the worst. A priority for her is that her 16-year-old daughter Maya does not see her suffer. "I don't want that to be her lasting memories, seeing her mum in horrendous pain," she says. Sophie says knowing there was a choice to end life would help many terminal patients. "So many people would benefit psychologically knowing that there would be a form of help when the time comes if needed," she said. "It would give you that final control at the very end, to have a good death rather than a death of suffering." The committee also highlighted problems and confusion with the way the current system works for doctors, saying it was not clear whether they could provide medical evidence for people who wanted to go abroad to die. Guidance from the General Medical Council says providing access to patient records is allowable under the Data Protection Act. But the British Medical Association (BMA) advises doctors against producing medical reports to facilitate assisted suicide. It also said the government needed to consider how it would handle changes in the law in places such as the Isle of Man and Jersey, which are currently considering the issue. Select Committee chairman Steve Brine said he wanted the report to have a "lasting legacy" by providing evidence for future debates on the law. But he said assisted dying was the "most complex" issue at which the committee had looked. The report pointed out that even what term to use is contested, with the committee referring to it as assisted dying/assisted suicide. It defined this as doctor-assisted deaths, including self-administration of a lethal drug as well as where the doctor gives it, which is often referred to as euthanasia. Both the BMA and Royal College of Nursing have neutral positions on assisted dying. The government says any change is a matter for Parliament - and has indicated it would allow a free vote on it. Numerous attempts have been made to alter the law over the years - the most recent in 2021. The law has also been challenged in the courts, with a number of people with terminal and life-limiting illnesses putting their case for a right to die. Dr Gordon Macdonald, of anti-assisted dying campaign group Care Not Killing, said he was disappointed the committee did not come out against assisted dying. He said he believed there were "many problems" with changing the law, including that limits on who qualifies could in time be lifted to include people with disabilities, those with non-terminal health conditions and problems such as dementia and depression. The MPs should have "firmly shut the door" on "state-sanctioned killing", he added. An American Airlines flight from New York to Spain was forced to divert to Bostons Logan International Airport due to a cracked windshield Wednesday night, officials said. Madrid-bound Flight 94 had departed New Yorks John F. Kennedy International Airport around 7:30 p.m. and an alert was issued around 9:45 p.m. due to the windshield issue, Massachusetts State Police said, according to NBC Boston. The plane landed in Boston shortly after 10 p.m., according to FlightAware data. American Airlines said the plane was diverted due to a maintenance issue. After landing safely, the aircraft was taken out of service to be inspected. The diverted customers were provided hotel accommodations overnight and will be placed on another flight to head to Madrid. When it happened, it was kind of shocking, passenger Nico Moreno told NBC Boston. No one could believe it and then when we return, we land and they say, OK, guys you have to spend the night in Boston. And I think everyone, not freaked out, but we got mad. According to FlightAware data, the replacement flight departs Boston at 4 p.m. Thursday. We never want to disrupt our customers travel plans and apologize for the inconvenience this has caused, the airline said. The incident marks the latest airline snafu that has raised concern over aircraft safety. In January, the door panel of Boeing-manufactured Alaska Airlines plane blew out midflight over Portland, Oregon, forcing an emergency landing. WASHINGTON President Joe Biden expressed skepticism Thursday that a cease-fire agreement could be struck in the Israel-Hamas war by Monday, as he had said he hoped would happen. Hope springs eternal, Biden told reporters as he left for a visit to the U.S.-Mexico border when asked if he still expected an agreement by Monday. I was on the telephone with the people in the region, he continued, adding: Probably not by Monday, but Im hopeful. Biden held separate calls Thursday morning with the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi to discuss hostage talks and the overall situation in Gaza. The White House said that Biden and the leaders agreed that Hamas should release hostages and underscored that doing so "would result in an immediate and sustained ceasefire in Gaza over a period of at least six weeks." "They exchanged views on how such a prolonged period of calm could then be built into something more enduring," the White House said in readouts of the conversations. "They also discussed planning to surge humanitarian assistance into Gaza and how the ceasefire under the hostage deal would further help enable those efforts and ensure that assistance reached civilians in need throughout Gaza." Biden had said earlier this week that he hoped a deal would come to fruition by Monday, telling reporters during a trip to New York, My national security adviser tells me that were close close but not done yet. Asked at a White House press briefing Wednesday if that was still the expectation, Biden press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that the administration is working around the clock to get that done. She said an agreement would include getting more humanitarian aid into Gaza and ensuring that hostages in Gaza, including Americans, could be released to return home. Qatar has been mediating negotiations between Israel and Hamas this week, and talks about a potential cease-fire have also taken place among U.S., Israeli, Qatari and Egyptian officials in Paris. Violence in the Gaza Strip continued on Thursday when Israeli forces fired on a crowd of people waiting for humanitarian aid trucks. At least 100 people were killed and dozens more were wounded, said Dr. Ashraf Al-Qudra, a spokesperson for the Hamas-run Health Ministry. NBC News has not independently verified the reported death toll. The Israeli military said it was reviewing the incident. An Israeli government source said that IDF troops responded with live fire after people surrounded trucks carrying humanitarian aid. The Israel Defense Forces said in a post on X, This morning humanitarian aid trucks entered northern Gaza, residents surrounded the trucks and looted the supplies being delivered. As a result of the pushing, trampling and being run over by the trucks, dozens of Gazans were killed and injured. Reacting to the incident, a spokesperson for Bidens National Security Council said Thursday that the White House is looking into the reports. We mourn the loss of innocent life and recognize the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, where innocent Palestinians are just trying to feed their families, the spokesperson said. This underscores the importance of expanding and sustaining the flow of humanitarian assistance into Gaza, including through a potential temporary cease-fire. We continue to work day and night to achieve that outcome. During his comments Thursday, Biden also addressed the recent state Supreme Court ruling in Alabama that defined embryos as children, imperiling in vitro fertilization. Asked about the Catholic Church's stance that IVF is immoral, the president a practicing Catholic said, "I dont agree with that position." Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) went after House Democrats who denounced the Hunter Biden deposition Wednesday, accusing those who discussed the contents of Bidens testimony as breaking House rules. Multiple House Democrats blasted the investigation into Hunter Biden and the impeachment probe of his father, President Biden, as a waste of time and political move. Some included details Wednesday of what the younger Biden discussed while in a closed-doors deposition with lawmakers on Capitol Hill. My colleagues, by the way, are breaking House rules, Roy said in a Fox News interview Wednesday. Not just some rules we set up for this deposition, [but] United States House of Representatives rules by getting into the specifics and talking about specific questions during the deposition. Reps. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) and Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.) were among the Democrats who derided the apparent focus on the use of a speakerphone during Hunter Bidens business meetings. They complained of multiple questions focusing on the technology. They seem to be obsessively focused on speakerphones and use of speakerphone, Raskin told reporters during a break in the deposition. I did not know that that was the devils technology, but apparently it is. Roy painted the Democrats complaints as purely distractions and said the deposition Wednesday did not answer the key questions at the heart of the GOPs allegations of corruption. Theres no good answers to why Joe Biden was present when [Hunter Biden] was having these business dealings with folks, he said. We didnt learn anything today that does not underscore the serious concerns we can all see at the evidence sitting right in front of us. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. By Nidal al-Mughrabi CAIRO (Reuters) -Gaza health authorities said Israeli forces on Thursday shot dead more than 100 Palestinians as they waited for an aid delivery, but Israel blamed the deaths on crowds that surrounded aid trucks, saying victims had been trampled or run over. At least 112 people were killed and more than 280 wounded in the incident near Gaza City, Palestinian health officials said. The loss of civilian lives was the biggest in weeks. Hamas said the incident could jeopardise talks in Qatar aimed at securing a ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages it is holding. When asked if he thought it would complicate the talks, U.S. President Joe Biden said: "I know it will." Medics in Gaza said they could not cope with the flood of serious injuries, which came as the death toll in nearly five months of war passed 30,000, according to Palestinian health authorities. Israel disputed the account provided by officials in Hamas-run Gaza, which has been bombarded by Israeli forces for months since the Palestinian militant group's deadly rampage in southern Israel on Oct. 7. The Israeli military said the trucks were operated by private contractors as part of an aid operation that it had been overseeing for the past four nights. One Israeli official said there had been two incidents, hundreds of metres apart. In the first, dozens were killed or injured as they tried to take aid from the trucks and were trampled or run over. He said there was a second, subsequent incident as the trucks moved off. Some people in the crowd approached troops who felt under threat and opened fire, killing an unknown number in a "limited response", he said. He dismissed the casualty toll given by Gaza authorities but gave no figure himself. In a later briefing, Israel Defense Forces spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari also said dozens had been trampled to death or injured in a fight to take supplies off the trucks. He said tanks escorting the trucks had subsequently fired warning shots to disperse the crowd and backed away when events began to get out of hand. "No IDF strike was conducted towards the aid convoy," he said. "The IDF was there conducting a humanitarian operation to secure the humanitarian corridor and allow the aid convoy to reach its designated distribution point." The U.S. State Department said it was urgently seeking information on the incident as did the French foreign ministry. WHITE HOUSE SAYS AID INCIDENT IS 'ALARMING' AND 'TRAGIC' Hamas issued a statement rejecting the Israeli account. It said the Health Ministry had presented "undeniable" evidence of "direct firing at citizens, including headshots aimed at immediate killing, in addition to the testimonies of all witnesses who confirmed being targeted with direct fire without posing any threat to the occupying army". The White House said Biden discussed the "tragic and alarming incident" with the leaders of Egypt and Qatar, as well as ways to secure the release of Israeli hostages and a six-week ceasefire. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said it was an "ugly massacre" by Israel, and French foreign ministry spokesperson Christophe Lemoine said Israel was responsible under international law for protecting aid distribution to civilians. One video shared on social media, whose location Reuters was able to verify, showed trucks loaded with many dead bodies as well as wounded people. Another, which Reuters could not verify, showed bloodstained people being carried in a truck, bodies wrapped in shrouds and doctors treating injured patients on the hospital floor. "We don't want aid like this. We don't want aid and bullets together. There are many martyrs," a man said in one of the videos. The Pentagon expressed alarm but declined to assign any blame. "These are human beings that are trying to feed themselves" Air Force Major General Patrick Ryder, a Pentagon spokesperson, told a news briefing. "We're all kind of looking at that and saying: 'What happened here'?". PALESTINIAN DEATH TOLL TOPS 30,000 The Palestinian health authorities said 30,035 Palestinians were now confirmed killed and more than 70,000 wounded in Israel's offensive, launched after the Oct. 7 attack in which Israel said Hamas gunmen killed 1,200 people and abducted 253. Much of Gaza has been reduced to rubble and most of its 2.3 million population have been displaced from their homes at least once. Aid deliveries to northern Gaza have been sparse and chaotic, passing through more active military zones to an area where the U.N. says many are starving, with videos showing desperate crowds surging around supply trucks. U.N. and other relief agencies have complained that Israel has blocked or restricted their attempts to get aid in. Israel denies putting any restrictions on humanitarian aid. Philippe Lazzarini, head of the U.N. Palestinian aid agency UNRWA, told reporters in Jerusalem that the supply of aid into Gaza as a whole had halved since January. (Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi, Angus McDowall, Dan Williams, Aidan Lewis, Emily Rose; Additional reporting by Maayan Lubell, Steve Holland, Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali and John Irish; writing by Sharon Singleton, Kevin Liffey, Alexandra Hudson and Diane Craft; Editing by Timothy Heritage and Cynthia Osterman) Children holding hands while playing outside at Whitneyville Innovative Learning Center in Hamden. Hamden's superintendent of schools, Gary Highsmith, said that in light of the states new kindergarten entrance cutoff date, the district could offer a program for children who "shouldnt necessarily be in pre-K but may not be quite ready for kindergarten." Whitneyville Innovative Learning Center / Contributed Photo HAMDEN As another academic year approaches, local school officials say they are still deciding whether to offer programming to students who cannot enter kindergarten under the states new cutoff date. Beginning with the 2024-2025 school year, students must be 5 years old by Sept. 1 to enter kindergarten, according to the new provision, which will take effect July 1. The previous cutoff date was Jan. 1. Some Connecticut school districts have said they will respond to the change by creating programs for students who miss the cutoff date. Hamden schools, though, said they need to determine how many students will require an extra year of preschool before finalizing their next steps. Advertisement Article continues below this ad "The goal is to find out how many students were talking about, because we could be talking about three students, and it wouldnt require holistic programming," Gary Highsmith, Hamden's superintendent of schools, said this week. "Wed work with preschool providers." Depending on the number of students, Highsmith said, the district could offer a level for children who "shouldnt necessarily be in pre-K but may not be quite ready for kindergarten." "If we had those students, what are we doing with them?" the superintendent added. "Thats one of the key questions were trying to answer at this point." Advertisement Article continues below this ad Several other school districts said they plan to implement transitional programs for students who will turn 5 after Sept. 1. Southington, Cheshire and Middletown are among those districts looking to create new classes to deal with the expected overflow of preschoolers under the new law, which will take effect July 1. Fairfield schools, meanwhile, will begin offering a full-day preschool option in the fall to help the dozens of families whose children are affected by the new cutoff date. According to the new kindergarten provision, included as part of a larger education bill passed last year, parents who want their kids to attend kindergarten early can seek exemptions from their local school districts. These students will be subject to an assessment by the principal and a certified staff member, who will determine whether admitting the child is "developmentally appropriate." Erin Bailey, the district's assistant superintendent of elementary education, said during a presentation to the Hamden Board of Education last week that they had received 25 requests for kindergarten-readiness assessments. According to Bailey, the district tentatively planned to complete the assessments in March. After that, she said, students will be assessed during school-based "meet and greet" sessions in June and "Kinder prep" programs in August, as well as during Play and Learn sessions through the district's Family Resource Center. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The leader of one local preschool said that her facilities will need to adjust its instruction on the fly if Hamden schools do not accommodate students who are no longer eligible to enter kindergarten. Rachael Judson, the owner and director of Sunshine Preschool, which has two locations in Hamden, said she worried the new kindergarten law could hinder students who need to complete another year of preschool by grouping them with younger children who are not as far along in their development. Sunshine's staff members, Judson said, will need to "adjust their way of teaching" and "differentiate their teaching practices to meet the needs of younger preschool-age students versus a kid who is supposed to be in kindergarten." Because pre-K enrollments are expected to rise starting in the fall, Judson noted, the change likely will be good for business. She estimated Sunshine will see a 15 percent to 20 percent increase in enrollment. Typically, she said, her program, which charges more than $1,100 monthly, loses many 3- to 5-year-olds to free magnet schools in the New Haven area. "With the new cutoff date, Im thinking I could maybe get some more customers," she said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Profits aside, Judson said she was concerned her facilities would not be spacious enough to accommodate the uptick in enrollment. The state Department of Education requires preschools to maintain a minimum square footage based upon the number of students they serve, according to Judson. "I would love to have another classroom, if I could, specifically for that group of kids. I just dont know if thats possible," she said. Starting in the fall, Whitneyville Innovative Learning Center, a private preschool on Whitney Avenue, will group students who are no longer eligible for kindergarten into a separate class, Director Susan Curello said. These students will continue learning age-appropriate material that is designed to challenge them and keep them moving forward as they transition into elementary school. "Were just going to step it up a notch," Curello said. "Some of the things that most of us would typically do in kindergarten we will start doing with the children. When they get to kindergarten the following year, we hope that theyre up a level." Advertisement Article continues below this ad Euphoria star Hunter Schafer was arrested Monday at a protest in support of Palestinians in Gaza in New York City. The 25-year-old actor and model was among a group of demonstrators taken into police custody after protesting in the lobby of NBCUniversal headquarters, where President Joe Biden was filming his Late Night with Seth Meyers appearance, according to photos and videos on social media. Schafer, who plays Jules in the HBO hit show, can be seen wearing a black T-shirt that reads CEASE-FIRE NOW as shes being escorted out of the building by police officers. A spokesperson for the New York City Police Department confirmed that a group of 30 protesters were arrested and issued summons for trespassing and disorderly conduct at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Midtown Manhattan on Monday, but would not confirm Schafers arrest. Jewish Voice for Peace NYC, the organizer of Mondays protest, said Schafer did attend the demonstration in the building, which is also where NBC News, a division of NBCUniversal, is headquartered. Hunter was arrested at the protest, along with 50 other people, the group said in a statement to NBC News. We commend her commitment to Palestinian freedom and to a future of justice for everyone. A representative for Schafer did not immediately return a request for comment. Jewish Voice for Peace NYC shared on social media photos and videos of the protest, which it said included hundreds of anti-Zionist Jews and allies. Jewish Voices for Peace a U.S.-based Jewish group with chapters across the country supports a permanent cease-fire in Gaza, opposes the existence of Israel as a Jewish nation, has accused Israel of committing acts of genocide against Palestinians and has been critical of the Biden administration for providing military funding to Israel. "The President needs to start answering to the American people not the far-Right Israeli government indiscriminately bombing the people of Gaza, destroying 70% of infrastructure, including hospitals, universities and the electricity and water grids, Jewish Voice for Peace NYC said on Twitter. During his interview with Biden, Meyers mentioned the president about the horrible images coming out of Gaza every day and asked whether there is a path forward to a safe future for the people living in the Palestinian enclave. There is a path forward, with difficulty, Biden said. First, he said, Hamas needs to release the Israeli hostages held in Gaza. Then, he added, there will be a cease-fire. Ramadan is coming up, and theres been an agreement by the Israelis that they would not engage in activities during Ramadan as well, in order to give us time to get all the hostages out, Biden said. However, an Israeli official told NBC News Sunday that there was some progress toward a cease-fire, but no imminent breakthrough. He added that he has long received criticism for describing himself as a Zionist and staunch supporter of the state of Israel. Were there no Israel, theres not a Jew in the world wholl be safe, Biden said in his interview with Meyers, which aired Monday night. But heres the deal: They also have to take advantage of an opportunity to have peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians who are being used as pawns by Hamas. And so theres a process underway, and I think if we get that temporary ceasefire, were going to be able to move in a direction where we can change the dynamic, and not have a two-state solution immediately, but a process to get to a two-state solution process to guarantee Israels security and the independence of the Palestinians. Late Night with Seth Meyers airs on NBC, which, like NBC News, is part of NBCUniversal. Bidens comments to Meyers follow a similar statement he made to a reporter in New York City the same day, when he said his hope is that there would be a cease-fire by Monday, March 4. My national security adviser tells me that were close, close but not done yet, he said. Since the start of Israels military campaign, which followed the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attack, more than 29,900 people have been killed, over 70,300 have been injured and thousands more are missing and presumed dead in Gaza, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. According to the Israeli military, 576 Israeli soldiers have been killed since the attack 237 of them since the ground offensive began on Oct. 27. There are also roughly 1.4 million Palestinians who have been displaced and have sought refuge in Rafah, Gazas southernmost city. A federal judge in Austin, Texas, ordered the state government Thursday to suspend enforcement of a controversial law that would allow state law enforcement agents to arrest and detain people they suspect of entering the country illegally. If allowed to procced, SB 4 could open the door to each state passing its own version of immigration laws, Judge David Alan Ezra wrote, granting a preliminary injunction against the law. The judge rejected the states argument that the current influx of migrants across the southern border is an invasion that Texas has the right to stop unilaterally. SB 4 threatens the fundamental notion that the United States must regulate immigration with one voice, Ezra wrote. Without action from the court, the law was set to go into effect on Tuesday. Plaintiffs include the federal government and El Paso County, which claims enforcing the law would strain its jail system with thousands of new arrests. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday said the state would challenge the decision. Texas will immediately appeal this decision, and we will not back down in our fight to protect our stateand our nationfrom President Bidens border crisis. The President of the United States has a constitutional duty to enforce federal laws protecting States, including laws already on the books that mandate the detention of illegal immigrants, Abbott said in a statement. El Paso County applauds the courts clear confirmation today that immigration policies rest solely under Federal jurisdiction, and the state of Texas interference with the U.S. Constitution will not be tolerated, said Iliana Holguin, a commissioner for El Paso County. The White House praised the decision in a statement on Thursday and continued to call on Congress to pass a proposed border deal that has stalled in the Senate. We welcome the District Court enjoining Texas harmful and unconstitutional law, White House spokesperson Angelo Fernandez Hernandez said. The President is focused on delivering the significant policy changes and resources we need to secure the border - that is why we continue to call on Congressional Republicans to pass the bipartisan border security agreement that was negotiated in the Senate, Fernandez Hernandez added. When Abbott signed the measure into law in December, it raised concerns among some immigration advocates who feared a wave of racial profiling as well as detentions and attempted deportations by state authorities. The American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Texas, and the Texas Civil Rights Project argued that the controversial border law was unconstitutional because it preempts federal law and quickly sued after it was signed by Abbott. Texas, however, has argued that SB4 is complementary not in conflict with federal law and that Texas is entitled to defend itself from an invasion, especially from what it called a full-scale invasion of transnational criminal cartels. This story has been updated with additional reporting and background information. CNNs Priscilla Alvarez and Samantha Waldenberg contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com A Florida man pleaded guilty to smuggling thousands of turtles to Germany and Hong Kong and falsifying documents to conceal his crimes. John Michael Kreatsoulas, 36, of Alva, Florida, sold wildlife through his business Omni Reptiles Inc., an unregistered business of domestic and international wholesale trade of wildlife, the Justice Department said in a news release Wednesday. Kreatsoulas would ship wildlife, including protected species, to customers in the U.S. and overseas, including in Hong Kong and Germany. The wildlife included various species of turtles, including three-striped mud turtles and Florida mud turtles, that Kreatsoulas and his co-conspirators would capture from the wild, officials said. Kreatsoulas would ship the wildlife through Miami International Airport and falsify U.S Fish and Wildlife Service forms so they said the turtles were captive-bred and not captured from the wild, the Justice Department said. He ran the scheme from July 2015 to July 2021, officials said. Kreatsoulas pleaded guilty to a count of conspiracy to traffic wildlife and nine counts of falsifying records in violation of the Lacey Act, which prohibits trade in wildlife, fish and plants that have been illegally taken or sold. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each count. Kreatsoulas is scheduled to be sentenced May 17. Donald Trump An Illinois judge has ruled that Donald Trump engaged in insurrection and has barred him from the state's primary ballot - though she put the ruling on hold pending an appeal. Two other states - Colorado and Maine - have removed Mr Trump from their primary ballots for violating a 14th Amendment "insurrection" clause. The final outcome will likely be decided by the US Supreme Court. Illinois' primary election is scheduled for 19 March. Early voting in the primary has already begun. Mr Trump - the front-runner Republican presidential candidate - filed an appeal of the decision on Thursday. He is also asking for the ruling to be put on pause until the issue is fully resolved either by a state court or a federal one. Cook County circuit judge Tracie Porter agreed with voters who argued Mr Trump had violated the US constitution's 14th Amendment because of his role in the 6 January Capitol riot. It comes after Colorado's Supreme Court barred Mr Trump from appearing on the Republican primary ballot in December, arguing Mr Trump's actions during the 2021 Capitol riot amounted to insurrection. In her ruling, Judge Porter called Colorado's rationale "compelling". She argued the state's Board of Elections was wrong to reject a previous bid to kick Mr Trump off the ballot. "The Illinois State Board of Election shall remove Donald J Trump from the ballot for the General Primary Election on March 19, 2024, or cause any votes cast for him to be suppressed," she said. A Trump spokesperson has called the ruling "unconstitutional" and vowed to appeal against it. "The Soros-funded Democrat front-groups continue to attempt to interfere in the election and deny President Trump his rightful place on the ballot," the spokesperson said. Mr Trump has already appealed against the Colorado case to the Supreme Court. The top court heard arguments in the case earlier this month, appearing sceptical of Colorado's decision to ban Mr Trump from the ballot. The legal challenge hinges on a Civil War-era constitutional amendment that bans anyone who has "engaged in insurrection or rebellion" from holding federal office. But Supreme Court justices have asked tough questions of those representing Colorado voters in favour of banning Mr Trump. Conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh asked if there could be a "disenfranchising effect" if voters were not allowed to decide for themselves whether they wanted Mr Trump as president. The Illinois judge's ruling comes after the Supreme Court agreed on Wednesday to hear yet another case involving Mr Trump. The 6-3 conservative majority court will decide whether the former president has immunity shielding him from a lawsuit over his attempts to overturn the 2020 election. In a surprise move, an Illinois judge has removed former President Donald Trump from the states ballot based on the 14th Amendments so-called insurrectionist ban. The decision is paused, giving Trump a short period of time to appeal. Wednesdays unexpected decision comes as a similar anti-Trump challenge from Colorado is pending before the US Supreme Court, which is widely expected to reject arguments that Trump is barred from office. Cook County Circuit Judge Tracie Porter heavily relied on the prior finding by the Colorado Supreme Court, calling Colorados rationale compelling. The court also realizes the magnitude of this decision and its impact on the upcoming primary Illinois elections, Porter wrote. The Illinois State Board of Election shall remove Donald J. Trump from the ballot for the General Primary Election on March 19, 2024, or cause any votes cast for him to be suppressed. The judge stripped Trump from the Illinois ballot one month after the anti-Trump challenge was dismissed by the Illinois State Board of Elections. A retired Republican judge who was tapped by the election board to examine the matter held an evidentiary hearing and concluded that Trump should be barred from the ballot because he engaged in the January 6, 2021, insurrection. But he determined that only courts, and not the board, had the power to implement his recommendation. The election board tossed the anti-Trump case in a unanimous and bipartisan vote because it said it didnt have jurisdiction to review the matter. Illinois is now the third state where Trump was booted from the ballot, after Colorado and Maine. But those decisions were paused pending the appeal of the Colorado case to the US Supreme Court. Trump can appeal the judges decision in Illinois state courts. He has already beaten back similar lawsuits in many other states. The Illinois challenge was filed by a group of voters in coordination with Free Speech For People, a legal advocacy group that previously tried, but failed, to remove Trump from the ballot in Michigan, Minnesota and Oregon. At a hearing in late January, Porter pressed Trumps lawyers on the difference between a riot and an insurrection, and whether Trump must first be convicted of a crime before he is barred from office. Is it important to understand why this mob of people came together and what they were actually trying to do? Porter asked Trumps lawyers, referring to the January 6, 2021, insurrection. Rioters loyal to Donald Trump rally at the US Capitol in Washington on January 6, 2021. - Jose Luis Magana/AP Trump attorney Nicholas Nelson described the events of January 6 as a political riot, comparing it to an angry mob, rather than a group with a specific series of legal aims. It was about one government act, and theres no indication that the rioters had any plan, Nelson said. They were just angry. Illinois law requires candidates to certify that they are qualified for the office theyre seeking, which Trump did when he filed to run in the states GOP primary. Porter asked another Trump attorney, Adam Merrill, if Trump would need to be convicted of insurrection beforehand for his filing to be false. It would be much more difficult for us if that had happened, Merrill said. Here you dont have that. Porter had previously declined Trumps request to pause the proceedings until the US Supreme Court rules on the similar Colorado-based case challenge that barred him from the ballot in that state. This story has been updated with additional details. CNNs Katelyn Polantz and Eric Bradner contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com LONDON The Israel-Hamas war in Gaza has now killed at least 30,000 people, the Palestinian Health Ministry announced Thursday, a swelling death toll that has already drawn condemnation internationally, isolated Israel and prompted dismay from its traditional friends and allies. Though the United States says a cease-fire may be near, the military campaign looks far from over. Having swept through swaths of northern and central Gaza, Israel has signaled its intention to attack Rafah, the enclaves southernmost city where an estimated 1.4 million people are sheltering in squalid conditions. Some 70% of the dead Palestinians are women and children, according to figures published by the Palestinian Health Ministry. And while many lawyers agree Hamas Oct. 7 attack on Israel was a war crime, Israel too has been accused by rights watchdogs and United Nations officials of breaking international law in its response. Nothing can justify Hamas deliberate killing, injuring, torturing and kidnapping of civilians, the use of sexual violence, or the indiscriminate launching of rockets towards Israel, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a speech Monday. But nothing justifies the collective punishment of the Palestinian people. International humanitarian law remains under attack, he said. And tens of thousands of civilians, including women and children, have been killed. American and U.N. officials say the death toll given by Palestinian officials is at least accurate and perhaps an undercount. Aid workers on the ground say that thousands more people could still be trapped under the rubble. In addition some 70,000 people have been wounded, and 1.7 million or 80% of the population has been displaced, according to Gazan health officials and U.N. estimates. Follow live coverage The Israeli military said early Monday that it had rescued the two hostages from captivity in the Gaza Strip. The operation, which was accompanied by airstrikes, killed dozens of Palestinians, according to local health officials (Fatima Shbair / AP) Around 60% of the residential buildings in Gaza have been damaged and 45% have been destroyed altogether, according to a report last month by the World Bank that used satellite images. This isnt just a question of the number of Palestinians killed; this is much bigger than that, said Diana Buttu, the former legal adviser to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The world has failed Palestinians. Israel says its only interested in trying to root out Hamas following its Oct. 7 attack, in which some 1,200 people were killed and around 240 kidnapped, according to the Israeli government. According to the Israeli military, 576 Israeli soldiers have been killed since Oct. 7 237 of them since the ground offensive began Oct. 27. The Israeli military says it is doing everything possible to avoid civilian casualties, including dropping leaflets, attempting to evacuate conflict areas and creating so-called safe zones inside Gaza. Israeli officials blame the death toll on Hamas using civilians as human shields, as well as the groups failure to release the 134 hostages believed still in Gaza. Hamas declared war on Israel on Oct. 7 and Israel had to respond, said Aviv A. Oreg, a veteran reservist in the IDFs military intelligence branch where he has held multiple senior roles. I think weve done much, much better within the framework of humanitarian issues than others did, he added, comparing Israels efforts favorable to those by the U.S. in Afghanistan, or the Western Allies in World War II. I didnt see them creating safe zones in Dresden, he said. Hamas is deemed a terrorist group by the U.S., and most if not all international law experts say its Oct. 7 assault constituted a war crime. But in its response, Israel, too, has been accused by watchdogs, such as Human Rights Watch, and some senior U.N. officials of breaching international law. South Africa has engaged a legal case at the International Court of Justice alleging that Israel is guilty of genocide against the Palestinians, something Israel vehemently denies. Dozens of Gazans interviewed by NBC News since the start of the conflict say they believe Israels ultimate aim is to drive them out of Gaza so that it can be settled by Israelis, as is happening in the West Bank, another territory Palestinians hope will be part of a future state. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly denied this is his government policy. But other members of his coalition, the most right wing in Israels history, have suggested as much. That, coupled with the relentlessness of Israels campaign, is proof enough for Palestinians who say that this is not just about targeting Hamas. These deliberately random attacks say one thing to me that this is really a plan to carry out collective punishment, which is a war crime, said Musheir El-Farra, 62, a Palestinian filmmaker and rights activist. Its a crime in front of our eyes and the whole world is watching. He spent six weeks in Gaza at the start of the conflict, and although, as a British national, he managed to flee to England, he says more than 100 of his relatives have been killed. Israeli Strike Rafah (Fatima Shbair / AP) We are witnessing the destruction of anything and everything, he said. They continue to destroy town after town, city after city. The next such population center looks set to be Rafah. Israel has drawn up plans to attack the city and evacuate both its residents and the people who have fled there from elsewhere. Two Israeli officials told NBC News on Monday that Palestinian civilians sheltering in Rafah will be allowed to flee to other areas of southern Gaza but not be allowed to return to their homes in the north. With Gaza already one of the most densely populated places on Earth, thats led many to question where these people are supposed to go. The White House has warned Israel that it was opposed to an attack on Rafah without a credible and executable plan to get civilians out of harms way. It was not clear if the Israeli proposals to move civilians into other parts of southern Gaza would meet that American benchmark. The operation in Rafah, its going to have a lot of consequences, said Shahin Berenji, an assistant professor at the U.S. Naval War College in Rhode Island. Im not sure how you go about relocating 1.5 million people in the span of a week. I think there are a lot of unanswered questions. Meanwhile, President Joe Biden is facing domestic political pressure from critics who are dismayed at Washingtons continued military support of Israel, which receives more than $3 billion in military aid from Washington every year. Biden and his officials have grown increasingly critical of Israels war, but nevertheless the U.S. has been accused of giving Israel the greenest of green lights to attack Gaza, according to Buttu, who was a spokesperson for the Palestine Liberation Organization in the 2000s. On Monday, Biden said he hopes there will be a cease-fire by next week. But Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant reiterated that such a pause would not stop Israel continue fighting until the very last hostages return. For Palestinians such as El-Farra, any respite to the violence must be accompanied by a long-term plan for their future, something on which Israel and Washington also remain divided. As someone whose heart is bleeding for my people, I would love to see a cease-fire, El-Farra said. But I dont want to see a cease-fire that will give people a little bit of hope, only for the fighting to resume in six weeks. AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) Democrats in the Maine Legislature unveiled sweeping gun violence measures on Wednesday including a 72-hour waiting period for most gun purchases, adding to firearm bills and mental health spending already proposed by the governor after the deadliest shooting in the state history. Senate President Troy Jackson said lawmakers are not interested in taking away guns but they do want to seek consensus on ways to prevent gun violence following the shooting that claimed 18 lives. There has to be a way for level-headed people to come together and figure out a way that could possibly stop, or make it harder, for anything like this to happen again, he said. The suite of bills would expand spending on mental health, create mobile crisis centers and give 911 callers the option of connecting with mental health crisis workers as well as law enforcement. They would also ban bump stocks or other physical modifications that can transform a semiautomatic rifle into a machine gun. Some of the proposals received a frosty reception from Republicans especially the mandatory waiting period for gun purchases. Republicans tried unsuccessfully Wednesday to block it, noting that a similar bill was rejected last year. Sen. Matt Harrington, R-York, accused Democrats of trying to ram through proposals that previously failed. These bills are here year after year after year. They get defeated. Now here we are dealing with them again because they don't want to let the crisis in Lewiston go to waste, he said. Gun control has proven tricky in the past in a state that has a strong hunting tradition. But there seemed to be broad support for expanding mental health treatment with a goal of preventing gun violence and suicides. That's something Harrington and many other Republicans agree with. A bill sponsored by House Speaker Rachel Talbot Ross would spend $17.5 million to create six crisis receiving centers, form an office of violence prevention in the Department of Health and Human Services, expand mobile crisis response teams and provide suicide prevention materials to be distributed by gun dealers. Her bill would also create a statewide notification procedure for mass shootings, addressing concerns from the deaf community that some people had trouble getting information as the tragedy unfolded in Lewiston. Democratic Gov. Janet Mills already proposed background checks for advertised private sales, construction of a network of mental health crisis centers and bigger penalties for reckless private sales to prohibited people. She also wants to allow police officers to go directly to a judge to start the process of removing guns from someone in a psychiatric crisis. The proposals follow the tragedy that unfolded when an Army reservist opened fire in October at a bowling alley and at bar in Lewiston. Thirteen people were injured, in addition to the 18 deaths. The gunman, 40-year-old Robert Card, died by suicide. Addressing lawmakers last month, Mills urged lawmakers not to give in to the cynical view that its pointless to try to change gun laws because the laws will simply be broken. For the sake of the communities, individuals and families now suffering immeasurable pain, for the sake of our state, doing nothing is not an option, the governor said, bringing lawmakers to their feet. An independent investigative commission appointed by the governor and attorney general may release preliminary findings as early as next month to help inform lawmakers decisions. The Legislature is due to wrap up its work in April. ___ Follow David Sharp on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @David_Sharp_AP Longtime WSOC chief meteorologist Steve Udelson delivered his final broadcast before retiring Wednesday his birthday after decades with Charlottes No. 1-rated station. Udelson joined WSOC as chief meteorologist in 1997, according to his station bio. In 2006, the Emmy Award winner became the first chief meteorologist in Charlotte to earn the Certified Broadcast Meteorologist Seal from the American Meteorological Society. As a kid, I was always fascinated by the weather, Udelson said in a station promo that aired Wednesday about his retirement. I took a hobby and made it a career. Its been an honor and privilege to both be invited into peoples homes for the last 27 years as well as work with some of the best talent both in front of and behind the camera, Udelson said Feb. 2, when he announced his retirement. Besides his daily forecasts, Udelson worked endless hours tracking record-breaking storms across the Carolinas, including Hurricane Floyd in 1999, the Charlotte ice storm of 2004, and many tornadoes throughout the viewing area and beyond, WSOC management said in a story about his retirement announcement. Udelson won two regional Emmys, was named North Carolina Weathercaster of the Year multiple times and worked with local and federal leaders to improve lifesaving radar coverage across the region, according to the Feb. 2 station announcement. Steve is always ready to go when theres a chance of dangerous weather, WSOC-TV News Director Mike Oliveira said in the announcement. Hes an expert at taking complex weather information and seamlessly making it easy to understand. Simply put, he did the job the right way. A career in weather He put his fascination with weather to work as a student at the University of Maryland, co-opping for two years with the National Weather Service in Washington. He obtained a bachelors of science degree in physical sciences and was hired by WCSH in Portland, Maine, after graduation. In 1985, he joined WPEC-TV in West Palm Beach, Florida, and later became evening weather anchor at WLVI in his hometown of Boston according to his WSOC bio. He joined WJLA in Washington before becoming the evening meteorologist for WFLA in Tampa, Florida, for five years. Then he began working for WSOC. Udelson and his wife, Susan, have two daughters, Rachel and Dana. They have a granddaughter, Sophie, who calls Steve Udelson Poppy. On the 6 p.m. broadcast Wednesday, Udelson said he and his family are staying put. If you see me on the street, please say hello, he said. Final day It was business as usual for Udelson on the 5 p.m. Wednesday broadcast. A sweeping cold front (is) moving into the metro area, he reported. I dont see a tornado threat from this, but damaging winds cannot be ruled out. Later in the broadcast, anchors Erica Bryant and Scott Wickersham reminded viewers that Wednesday was Udelsons final day. Udelson was right beside them. The show then cut to a short feature about Udelsons Steves Coats For Kids campaign, which he started at least 20 years ago. The campaign has donated at least 300,000 coats to children in need. Yeah, its about coats, Wickersham said. But Steve will tell you its really about people. Thank you for your 27 years at WSOC, Bryant said. On the 5:30 p.m. broadcast Wednesday, Udelson announced his successor as chief meteorologist, longtime WSOC meteorologist John Ahrens. Youre in good hands my friends, trust me, Udelson told viewers. I had the best teacher, Ahrens replied. Thank you, Steve, youre still my chief. OREM, Utah Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley on Wednesday called on Republican National Committee members to hold an on-the-record vote on a draft resolution that would curb the national partys ability to direct its funds toward legal fees, including former President Donald Trump's. All Americans, and Republicans especially, deserve a vote on the record on that resolution, Haley said while campaigning here. We deserve to know how the RNC is going to spend their money and if its going to go towards legal fees. Trump co-campaign manager Chris LaCivita whom Trump plans to install at the RNC along with other loyalists, including his daughter-in-law, following the resignation of longtime chair Ronna McDaniel previously told reporters that the RNC would not be paying for Trump's legal fees, but Haley campaign officials have not trusted the statement. Haley went on to question if the RNC would end up shifting support from down-ballot Republicans to a legal slush fund. Are you going to ask the question about what happens with that resolution that says you cant spend it on legal fees? she asked reporters. RNC members will meet in Houston in early March to select a new chair and potentially vote on resolutions including two put forward by a Mississippi committee member, Henry Barbour. One focuses on slowing the RNC from coordinating with a presidential candidate until the candidate meets the delegate threshold to win the nomination. The other one would prohibit the committee from paying any candidate's legal fees. We brought forth these two resolutions to make sure there is a serious discussion about protecting the primary process while there are still two candidates competing and preventing the RNC from paying the legal bills of any political candidate unrelated to the election cycle, Barbour said in a statement to NBC News last week. On the campaign trail ahead of Super Tuesday, March 5, Haley dodged a question from NBC News about whether having leadership teams announced in states past Super Tuesday for instance, Georgia meant she could guarantee staying in until that point. I dont want to talk about how long yall think Im gonna stay in, she said. When pressed that voters might want to know how long theyll have her as an alternative to Trump, she sidestepped again: No I want the conversation to be, where are we going in the country? Haley also reacted to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnells announcement Wednesday that he planned to step down from his leadership position. Haley told reporters that she applauds McConnell for realizing that it is time for new generational change." I think whats more important is, we need to understand we dont just need new generational change in Congress, she said. OSLO (Reuters) - Norway's King Harald may return home from Malaysia in a few days following his hospitalisation, the Norwegian royal household said on Thursday. "His majesty the king's physician reports today that the king is improving," it said in a statement. The 87-year-old monarch was on a private trip to the South East Asian country when he fell ill with an infection earlier this week. The palace on Thursday said King Harald was expected to remain in hospital for a few more days before flying home, and that the government had asked Norway's military to assist with the travel. (Reporting by Terje Solsvik, editing by Gwladys Fouche) Michelle Troconis appears in court during the second full day of jury deliberation on day 31 of her criminal trial at Connecticut Superior Court in Stamford, Conn. Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. Troconis is on trial for charges related to the disappearance and death of New Canaan resident Jennifer Dulos. Tyler Sizemore/Hearst Connecticut Media Michelle Troconis, right, confers with her defense attorney, Jon Schoenhorn, during the second full day of jury deliberation on day 31 of her criminal trial at Connecticut Superior Court in Stamford, Conn. Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. Troconis is on trial for charges related to the disappearance and death of New Canaan resident Jennifer Dulos. Tyler Sizemore/Hearst Connecticut Media Michelle Troconis appears in court during the second full day of jury deliberation on day 31 of her criminal trial at Connecticut Superior Court in Stamford, Conn. Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. Troconis is on trial for charges related to the disappearance and death of New Canaan resident Jennifer Dulos. Tyler Sizemore/Hearst Connecticut Media Michelle Troconis appears in court during the second full day of jury deliberation on day 31 of her criminal trial at Connecticut Superior Court in Stamford, Conn. Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. Troconis is on trial for charges related to the disappearance and death of New Canaan resident Jennifer Dulos. Tyler Sizemore/Hearst Connecticut Media Michelle Troconis, center, appears in court with her defense attorneys Jon Schoenhorn, left, and Audrey Felsen during the second full day of jury deliberation on day 31 of her criminal trial at Connecticut Superior Court in Stamford, Conn. Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. Troconis is on trial for charges related to the disappearance and death of New Canaan resident Jennifer Dulos. Tyler Sizemore/Hearst Connecticut Media Michelle Troconis, left, appears in court with her defense attorney, Audrey Felsen, during the second full day of jury deliberation on day 31 of her criminal trial at Connecticut Superior Court in Stamford, Conn. Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. Troconis is on trial for charges related to the disappearance and death of New Canaan resident Jennifer Dulos. Tyler Sizemore/Hearst Connecticut Media Michelle Troconis, right, appears in court with her defense attorney, Jon Schoenhorn, during the second full day of jury deliberation on day 31 of her criminal trial at Connecticut Superior Court in Stamford, Conn. Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. Troconis is on trial for charges related to the disappearance and death of New Canaan resident Jennifer Dulos. Tyler Sizemore/Hearst Connecticut Media Troconis, 49, was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder, two counts of conspiracy to commit tampering with physical evidence, two counts of tampering with physical evidence and one count of second-degree hindering prosecution. Troconis, who had been free on bond, was taken into custody on $6 million bond. Advertisement Article continues below this ad When someone is convicted of multiple charges, the judge can decide whether those sentences would run concurrently simultaneously or consecutively one after the other. Convicted of all six counts, Troconis faces between 1 and 20 years if the sentences ran concurrently, or up to 50 years if consecutive. The trial had been more than four years in the making. What started as a missing person case ballooned into a massive investigation that brought in several law enforcement agencies and captured media attention from around the world. The disappearance also inspired numerous documentaries, a Lifetime movie and a law that broadened the definition of domestic violence in Connecticut. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Jennifer Dulos, 50, vanished amid a contentious two-year divorce and custody dispute with her estranged husband, Fotis Dulos, who quickly became a prime suspect in her disappearance. Troconis was living with Fotis Dulos in Farmington at the time, and is accused of trying to create an alibi for him the morning his estranged wife disappeared and helping to clean a pickup truck police believe was used in the crime. Fotis Dulos died by suicide in January 2020 while facing murder, kidnapping and other charges in the case. Despite law enforcements widespread searches, even crossing state lines, police have not found Jennifer Dulos' body. She was presumed dead by police and her family for years and was declared legally dead in October. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The most serious charge Troconis was convicted of was conspiracy to commit murder. The class B felony carries up to a 20 years in prison, with a one-year minimum, if she is found guilty, according to state statute. For the two counts of conspiracy to commit tampering with physical evidence and two counts of tampering with physical evidence, she faces up to five years on each charge. The last charge, second-degree hindering prosecution, carries a sentence between 1 and 10 years. Troconis also is facing a contempt of court charge related to an incident that occurred during the trial. State statute indicates that if a judge finds her in contempt, she could be fined up to $100, face up to six months in custody or both. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Prior to closing the states case, Supervisory Assistant States Attorney Michelle Manning informed the court that Troconis allegedly had displayed text from a sealed report regarding the Duloses custody battle in a very high, big font on her computer screen. A close friend of Jennifer Dulos recognized what was on the screen and informed the prosecution. A letter from the New York Police Department confirming that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were victims of a reckless paparazzi chase in New York City last May found sufficient evidence to arrest two individuals for reckless endangerment, according to a U.K. court filing. The investigation had found reckless disregard of vehicle and traffic laws and persistently dangerous and unacceptable behavior on the part of paparazzi during the night in question, said the U.K. court filing, referring to an NYPD review of the incident. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, and Markles mother, Doria Ragland, were chased by paparazzi after leaving a charity event in midtown Manhattan at around 10 p.m. The couple said they were pursued relentlessly by paparazzi in their car for over two hours, resulting in multiple near collisions with pedestrians, NYPD officers, and other drivers on the road. The NYPDs letter, sent last December, confirms that paparazzi vehicles recklessly disregarded vehicle and traffic laws, forcing Markle and Prince Harrys security team and the NYPD lead car to take evasive actions to avoid being struck by pursuing vehicles, according to the U.K. court filing. The couple could not be reached for comment on the NYPDs findings. NEW YORK, NY - MAY 16: Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex are seen on May 16, 2023 in NEW YORK, New York. (MEGA / GC Images file) The intensity of the car chase, which the couple called near catastrophic, was disputed by one of the paparazzi agencies involved. Backgrid USA Inc. told NBC in a statement last May that there were no near collisions or near crashes during the chase. Backgrid USA could not be reached for comment on the NYPD letter confirming that a reckless paparazzi chase occurred. New York City Mayor Eric Adams also cast doubt on the couples claims. At a press conference last May, he said he would find it hard to believe that there was a two-hour high-speed chase, but acknowledged that even a 10-minute chase could be reckless. No formal charges were brought against the parties involved in the paparazzi chase at the time of the incident, but the NYPD confirmed to NBC News that it sent the letter and said it has increased security protocols for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The Manhattan District Attorneys Office could not be reached for comment on whether charges are likely to be filed. Despite the NYPD providing evidence of the reckless car chase, Prince Harrys bid for publicly funded police protection was struck down in court on Wednesday. A spokesperson for the Duke of Sussex told The Associated Press that Prince Harry plans to appeal the ruling. Oprah Winfrey will leave the board of directors of WW, the weight loss company formerly known as WeightWatchers said Wednesday. Winfrey will not stand for re-election to the board during its upcoming shareholder meeting in May. She has been a board member since 2015. I look forward to continuing to advise and collaborate with WeightWatchers and CEO Sima Sistani in elevating the conversation around recognizing obesity as a chronic condition, working to reduce stigma, and advocating for health equity, Winfrey said in a news release. Winfrey announced that she would be donating her WW stock to the National Museum of African American History and Culture. I have been a long-time supporter of this worthy organization, and I am proud to continue my support, she said in the news release. Winfrey added that weight health is a critically important topic and that she will continue to be a vocal advocate on the issue. She is hosting an event in May about weight in partnership with WW. The WW board of directors said it was supportive of Winfreys decision to donate her shares. It also said that the donation was intended to promote and highlight the contributions of African Americans and to eliminate any perceived conflict of interest around her taking weight loss medications. Winfrey recently shared that she is taking a weight loss drug, but did not specify which one. Drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy, which were introduced to help people with diabetes, have soared in popularity in recent years. Winfrey told People magazine in December that she had previously felt shame for being unable to lose weight but realized she has "a predisposition that no amount of willpower is going to control." Now, she uses medication to prevent "yo-yoing." "I had an awareness of medications, but felt I had to prove I had the willpower to do it," she told the publication. "I now no longer feel that way." Winfrey has been open about her weight loss journey for decades. She has shared various diets and exercise regimens she has done throughout the years. Winfrey first invested in WW in 2015 at a time when its brand was faltering. Her announcement that she would take a 10% stake in the company sent share made WW stock prices skyrocket. Oprah has been an inspiring presence and passionate advocate for our members, providing critical insights and counsel that has helped shape WeightWatchers over these last 8 years, Thilo Semmelbauer, chairman of the board, said in the news release. On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank her for her energy, dedication, and for continuing to play a role as collaborator and thought partner going forward. What I know for sure, we will dearly miss her presence on the Board. The value of WW shares dropped sharply Wednesday following the announcement, losing about a quarter of their value. The company faces broader concerns about its future as weight loss drugs have become more popular and accessible. Photo 107133232 Jaromir Chalabala | Dreamstime.com Pennsylvania police officers have reached a settlement with a woman who says she underwent an unnecessary and humiliating strip-search after she was pulled over for a minor traffic violation. According to a lawsuit filed in 2021, Holly Elish was traveling through Bentlyville, Pennsylvania, on her way home from work when she was pulled over by local police officer Brian Rousseau. When Rousseau pulled Elish over, he quickly asked for consent to search her vehicle, which Elish denied. According to the lawsuit, Rousseau responded that "he had the right to search her vehicle." Soon after, a second police officer arrived on the scene. The two men again asked to search Elish's vehicle, telling her that even more officers would soon arrive. "Fearing for her safety and knowing that the police did not have justification to search her vehicle yet were insistent and intimidating in attempting to do so, Ms. Elish allowed the vehicle search to occur under duress and coercion," the complaint states. The officers searched Elish's car but found no sign of drugs, illegal weapons, or other contraband. However, that wasn't enough for the officers to let Elish go. A female police officerunnamed in the suithad arrived on the scene, and after having a brief conversation with the other officers began to strip-search Elish. The officer "began the strip search by physically and visually inspecting Ms. Elish's breasts," according to the complaint. Elish then had "to remove her pants and underwear to her ankles and 'squat' to the ground, during which she bent down to the ground with one knee and performed a visual cavity inspection." The complaint further states that the female police officer "began to put gloves on her hands stating to Ms. Elish, 'I'm sorry. This is the worst part of my job.'" However, the suit states that, just before physically searching Elish, she asked her "Do you know why they want me to do this?" Elish responded that she didn't know and that she was "simply on her way home from work to pick up her child." Following this interaction, the female officer refused to search Elish. She was eventually allowed to leave, though Rousseau did later write Elish a citation for driving five miles per hour over the speed limit. That citation was dropped, though, when Rousseau failed to appear at the hearing. Elish filed a lawsuit against the two male officers in November 2021. After a more than three-year legal battle, including a civil trial, a settlement was reached in the case, though the exact terms of the settlement have not yet been revealed. "This warrantless search culminated in a minor traffic violation for driving five miles per hour over the posted speed limit, for which Ms. Elish was subsequently found not guilty," the complaint read. "As a direct and proximate cause of this search, Ms. Elish suffered mental anguish, embarrassment, and [humiliation]." The post Pennsylvania Police Settle Lawsuit With Woman Forced to Undergo 'Humiliating' Strip-Search appeared first on Reason.com. Russian President Vladimir Putin stepped up his threats against Western countries Thursday, warning that if they send their own troops into Ukraine they risk global nuclear war. Putin issued the threat at the top of his annual state of the nation address, ahead of a presidential election next month that he is certain to win. He spoke for more than two hours to Russia's Federal Assembly at Moscow's vast and grand Gostiny Dvor conference center, a stone's throw from the Kremlin, surrounded by typically tight security with the surrounding streets cordoned off. Putin covered an array of topics, from Russia's low birthrate to its need for better broadband coverage. But top of the agenda was his warning against deepening Western involvement in Ukraine. His comments came after French President Emmanuel Macron suggested this week that NATO allies could send troops to Ukraine in the future, rather than just funding and arming the country indirectly. Macrons suggestion was swiftly rejected by the United States and others, but Putin said that such a development would risk a wider war with potentially apocalyptic consequences. This is very dangerous because it could actually trigger the use of nuclear weapons, he said. Do they not understand that? The Russian leader said his strategic nuclear forces were at "full readiness" and suggested that a hypersonic nuclear weapon he first mentioned in 2018 was approaching a full state of readiness a claim that cannot be verified. A spokesperson for the National Security Council told NBC News that Russias nuclear rhetoric is reckless and irresponsible. We will continue to support Ukraine as they defend themselves from Russian aggression. We have not seen any reason to adjust our own nuclear posture, nor any indications that Russia is preparing to use a nuclear weapon, the spokesperson added. The NSC reiterated on Tuesday that the U.S. will not send troops to fight in Ukraine. Putin also denied U.S. intelligence that said Russia was developing a nuclear space-based weapon designed to target American satellites. The idea that Russia is "preparing to launch a nuclear attack in space" was "just a lie to make us look bad," the Russian leader said. Vladimir Putin Speech In Moscow (Alexander Nemenov / AFP - Getty Images) Putin has often made such threats over the past two years since his full-scale invasion of Ukraine. But this weeks warning was, in the eyes of some observers, his most pointed to date. Putins annual address comes at a crucial moment for the Kremlin, with its forces advancing in Ukraine ahead of an election that will reinforce his rule. The death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny and a slew of domestic issues have fueled criticism at home and abroad, but Putin will be boosted by growing signs of wavering Western support for Kyiv. On Monday, Macron caused a stir by suggesting that the West should not exclude the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine. This would be a huge practical and symbolic step for allied support of Kyiv that has so far extended to providing billions of dollars for its defense, but has deliberately stopped short of sending forces for fear of starting a direct war with nuclear-armed Russia. The U.S. and others quickly poured cold water on the idea, with the White House saying that it had been clear that the U.S. will not send troops to fight in Ukraine. Mark Galeotti, head of the consultancy Mayak Intelligence and an honorary professor at University College London, said Macron had handed Putin a propaganda gift because it boosted the Russian leaders narrative that Moscow is fighting the West at large, rather than just Ukraine. During Putins speech, his reference to potential NATO deployments to Ukraine was less, in my opinion, about warning off the West so much as using it to reinforce his message that this is a struggle against the whole collective West, Galeotti told NBC News. Macron gave him something of a propaganda gift. Putin Russia Speech (Olga Maltseva / AFP - Getty Images) Five days ago, it was the second anniversary of Moscows full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a war that started badly for Russia with heavy troop losses but has recently seen battlefield gains for the Kremlins war machine and fears that if Western support wavers, Ukraine may struggle to reverse them. Key to both Putin and Ukraines future is who wins the American election. President Joe Biden recently called the Russian leader a crazy SOB for making nuclear threats against the West. Putin called the comments rude but nonetheless said he would prefer the incumbent in the White House to former President Donald Trump. That's despite Trump suggesting he would allow Russia to attack NATO allies, and saying he would halt military aid to Ukraine, which would cripple Kyiv's resistance and hand a huge boost to Russia. A day after the address is the funeral of arch Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, who died in an Arctic penal colony Feb. 16 in what his family and team say was a Putin-directed killing, something the Kremlin denies. Navalny was a rare voice of dissent in Russia, where Putin has stamped out most forms of political opposition, independent media and free speech. In March, Putin is running for a fifth term in office but the election will, in reality, be a de facto coronation. With all his real adversaries in prison, exiled or dead, his landslide victory is all but certain. Onetime Vanderpump Rules star Rachel Leviss, whose affair with fellow cast member Tom Sandoval was one of the Bravo shows biggest story arcs, filed a bombshell lawsuit Thursday accusing him and co-star Ariana Madix of being involved in producing and distributing revenge porn against her. Leviss secret relationship with Sandoval, who had been dating Madix, then her friend, led to the Scandoval affair, which became one of the most talked-about storylines of reality TV last year. Representatives for Sandoval and Madix could not immediately be reached for comment Thursday. Raquel Leviss, Tom Sandoval, and Ariana Madix on To be clear, Leviss has repeatedly acknowledged that her actions were morally objectionable and hurtful to Madix, according to Leviss lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court. She has offered numerous apologies. The affair led to uncalled-for attacks on Leviss, 29, by Sandoval, 40, and Madix, 38, the suit alleges. Lost in the mix was that Leviss was a victim of the predatory and dishonest behavior of an older man, who recorded sexually explicit videos of her without her knowledge or consent, which were then distributed, disseminated and discussed publicly by a scorned woman seeking vengeance, catalyzing the scandal, according to the civil complaint. The affair was exposed when Madix and Sandoval were together at a performance with his band in Los Angeles on March 1 last year and his phone fell out of his pocket, the lawsuit claims. The phone ended up with Madix, "who searched it and found sexually explicit videos of Leviss," the lawsuit says. That video had been "recorded by Sandoval without her knowledge or consent in or around February 2023," according to the lawsuit. "Leviss has every reason to assume there are additional illicit videos and/or photographs of her that she has not yet seen," the civil complaint continues. "Leviss is informed and believes ... that Madix has obtained at least two illicit videos of Leviss and distributed them and/or showed them to others with Leviss' knowledge or consent," it says. Leviss said she has good reason to believe multiple other people have possession of the videos, as well. "Leviss is informed and believes ... that Madix obtained the videos of Leviss from Sandoval's mobile phone and distributed and disseminated them to others, including but not limited to Madix herself, Leviss, and other individuals whose identities are not currently known to Leviss," the complaint says. Leviss said in the lawsuit that last March 1, she was in New York City to appear on "Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen" and went to a bar after the taping. That's when she received a text message from Madix, reading "you are DEAD TO ME," along with "two videos of Leviss" found on Sandoval's phone, the civil complaint says. Vanderpump cast mate Scheana Shay was with Leviss in New York City, and she lashed out at Leviss over the shocking affair, according to the lawsuit. Reacting to the revelation in apparent shock and anger, Shay violently assaulted Leviss, shoving her aggressively into a brick wall, punching her in the face, and throwing her phone into the street, the lawsuit says. The blow to Levisss face caused a rupture above her left eyebrow and severe swelling and bruising above her left eye. A representative for Shay would not comment on the lawsuit. Leviss said that three days after Madix texted her she confronted Sandoval for secretly recording pornographic videos of her and storing them unprotected on his phone and that the conversation left him so rattled that he refused to leave Levisss apartment in spite of her requests," according to the suit. "Leviss was forced to have her sister and brother-in-law pick her up and drive her to their home," it says. Mark Geragos and Bryan Freedman, attorneys for Leviss, said the ordeal has taken a toll on her mental health. Rachel has apologized for her part in an affair. Thats not a crime. Tom and Ariana are alleged here to have engaged in criminal acts," Geragos said in a statement. "They then doubled down and used those actions to shame, bully, belittle, and intentionally try to destroy Rachels mental health. The law makes it clear that recording someone without their consent and distributing that illegal recording is punishable by law," the statement said. MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russian authorities on Thursday fined journalist Sergei Sokolov, the editor of independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta, for discrediting the army after detaining him, his newspaper reported. Sokolov said he did not agree with the charge against him. The case stemmed from an article published in Novaya Gazeta in December 2023 entitled "Nobody's boys" about Russians orphans who signed army contracts to fight in Ukraine, the official Telegram channel for Moscow's court system said. Novaya Gazeta said in an online report that Sokolov's detention was over coverage of the Russian army in an article, but did not provide more details. A district court in Moscow subsequently fined Sokolov 30,000 roubles ($327.88) on Thursday after finding him guilty of discrediting the Russian armed forces, an administrative offence. Russian news agency TASS reported that Sokolov had "posted material on the Novaya Gazeta Telegram channel" which showed "signs of verbally discrediting the actions" of the army. Novaya Gazeta is known for its investigations which have sometimes taken aim at the Kremlin, government policy and top officials. Its former editor-in-chief Dmitry Muratov, a Nobel prize winning journalist, stepped aside in September to challenge his designation by authorities as a "foreign agent", a label Moscow uses for people it deems to be working against Russian state interests. ($1 = 91.4955 roubles) (Reporting by ReutersWriting by John DavisonEditing by Tomasz Janowski/Andrew Osborn) (Reuters) -Swiss generic and biosimilar manufacturer Sandoz on Thursday said it had entered into a $265 million settlement agreement in a price-fixing case in the United States. The company said its U.S. subsidiaries had agreed to pay $265 million in a lawsuit with a class of direct drug purchasers, an agreement that does not contain any admission of wrongdoing by the Swiss company. The agreement, which is subject to court approval, would also release Sandoz of all the claims asserted against it by the settlement class members. The case dates back to the time when Sandoz was part of Swiss healthcare giant Novartis Group, which spun off its generics business in October 2023 and floated it on the stock exchange. Novartis had already reached settlements for two similar antitrust lawsuits against the division in 2020 and 2021, paying a total of almost $400 million. Sandoz's settlement in the U.S. price-fixing case is separate from two remaining plaintiff cases, which the company said concern indirect and downstream purchases and damages claims under state law. "Sandoz U.S. continues to defend itself vigorously in those cases, and has raised a number of defenses, including whether downstream purchasers were actually damaged due to the alleged conduct," the company said in a statement. (Writing by Bartosz Dabrowski in Gdansk and Noele Illien in ZurichEditing by Miranda Murray) A search was ongoing Thursday morning for a missing Florida 13-year-old girl who was last seen Monday, as her mothers boyfriend, whom police call a prime suspect, has been arrested. Madeline Soto was last seen around 8:30 a.m. Monday when her mothers boyfriend dropped her off a few blocks away from Hunters Creek Middle School in Orlando, Orange County Sheriff John Mina said. At 4:30 p.m., when Madelines mother went to pick her up at school, she learned her daughter never made it to school that day and had left her phone at home. A search for the child was launched that night. Madeline Soto (Orange County Sheriff's Office) Stephan Sterns, 37, the boyfriend of Madelines mother and the last person to have seen her, was arrested Wednesday evening on charges of sexual battery and possession of child sexual abuse material, authorities announced. Though he was not arrested in direct connection to Madelines disappearance, the Orange County Sheriffs Office said Sterns is considered the prime suspect at this time. During the investigation into Madelines whereabouts, Orange County sheriffs detectives discovered disturbing images and videos that were criminal, and sexual in nature in a forensic examination of Sterns phone, the agency said. They also discovered attempts to delete evidence. It was determined that those crimes were committed at the familys home in Kissimmee and local police were notified and are leading the sexual battery case. The department shared video showing Sterns silently being placed into a patrol car. He was interviewed Wednesday night by Kissimmee police and OCSO detectives. He invoked his right to an attorney and was placed under arrest and transported to jail, the sheriffs office said. Stephan Sterns had an opportunity tonight to come clean with detectives and help lead them to information about Maddies disappearance, Mina said. Her loved ones deserve answers and OCSO and the Kissimmee Police will not stop until we find Maddie. The search so far The search for Madeline started Monday night. A bloodhound smelled an item of Madelines and did an extensive search, but it didnt lead to any results. Detectives also accessed Madelines phone and found information on the phone that indicated that she told people when she turned 13, which was on February 22, she actually wanted to go live in the woods, Mina said. The search so far has seen more than 100 deputies, detectives, intelligence analysts and bloodhounds search for her, including in a wooded area near the school. Mina said Wednesday afternoon that Madelines familys home in Kissimmee was being held by the Orange County Sheriffs Office until police could secure search warrants, which were expected to be executed that evening. Madeline, described as blond with blue eyes and 5 feet, 1 inch tall, was last seen wearing a green sweatshirt, black shorts and white Crocs. Anyone with information on her whereabouts is urged to call 911 or the Orange County Sheriffs Office. This story discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. In June 2019, the author Sloane Crosley opened the door to her apartment and noticed that things werent quite as she had left them. Several drawers had been smashed against her floor. Shattered ceramic pieces created a trail that led to an open window. She realized she had been burglarized. Dozens of pieces of jewelry were missing, including several treasured heirlooms that were her grandmothers and great-grandmothers. (Shes quick to note that she treasured the jewelry, not her grandmother, who she says was abusive.) This material loss is the first form of grief that Crosley writes about in her new memoir, Grief Is for People, though the book's main subject is a darker one the loss of her dear friend and colleague, Russell Perreault, to suicide. Its impossible to predict how much youll miss something when its gone, to game grief in advance, Crosley writes in the book. When I chat with Crosley about the process of writing this memoir, I start by telling her that I am deeply sorry for her loss and am selfishly excited to have a new book of hers to read. Grief Is for People, which she calls the most obvious, most blunt title there ever was, is Crosleys sixth book and first memoir. Even for someone who has written dozens of deeply personal essays, this one is strikingly vulnerable. I started to write it as a tribute to my friend and a recognition that this story was both universal and incredibly unusual, Crosley tells TODAY.com in an exclusive interview. I wanted something that felt like it captured the ridiculousness of mourning without being glib or mocking it. Crosley, 45, who was born in White Plains, New York, met Perreault at Vintage Books, the paperback division of Knopf, where they both worked as publicists. She dedicated her third collection of essays, Look Alive Out There, to Perreault before his death; the irony of the title is not lost on her. You cant make it up, she says, laughing. Grief Is for People is divided into five parts that mimic the five stages of grief coined by psychiatrist Elisabeth Kubler-Ross. But in Crosleys memoir, bargaining comes before anger and acceptance is renamed afterward. Its just what came, Crosley says. I am in that section of the book, both hoping that its not true (and) sort of coming out of denial. Instead of being angry or depressed, I immediately start thinking, Maybe I can get Russell back. This is exactly what sets Grief Is for People apart from Crosleys past works, mostly humorous looks on everyday experiences. Its a reminder for anyone who has lost a loved one to suicide that there is no right way to grieve. It is, after all, for people. I think the whole world has agreed that the stages are not supposed to be perfectly linear. If you move through them and then youre fine, that sounds wonderful. Most people dont experience that, Crosley says. Still, Crosley finds a way to knit her signature cheeky humor into the fibers of the book. She experiences depression at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, which she includes in the book. I almost feel more of a compulsion to tell people or warn people that theres a small COVID section in the book more than I do that its about suicide, she says. I think people are less squeamish about reading about death and grief. I think theyre actually hungry for it. They crave it, but nobody wants to hear jack about toilet paper and hand sanitizer. I dont blame them. About 50,000 Americans died by suicide in 2022, with the largest group being white men, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Its an alarming mental health crisis and one that most people still dont know how to talk about, says Crosley. I dont want to police people who are just trying to be there for their friends and family in mourning, but just trying to give them a little bit of a nudge. Even after she wrote a nearly 200-page memoir about loss and grief, I still want to be careful with what I ask Crosley, which awkwardly proves her point that we lack the language to adequately talk about suicide. Shes quick to say that she is no expert either. So I ask her plainly what she wishes people understood about suicide and those who are grieving, now that she counts herself among one of them. What I would want other people to know about a grieving person, is that you have to find the words to sidestep the cliches. Start with declarative statements such as how much youre sorry, how much you think the other person must have been so wonderful whos gone not grilling them with questions, she says. Grief Is for People is a departure from her previous books, but youll still probably find yourself laughing while reading. If you do, shell count it as a success. We wouldnt miss the people that we miss if they were one-note people if they were always melancholy, always brant, always sad, always funny, always gentle, always hilarious. And Russell was all of those things. So the book is there for all of those things, she says. And at the end of the day, I have confidence in what the book is. No matter what, its a tribute to my friend and a way of saying, Not so fast. This article was originally published on TODAY.com South Korean doctors protest against the government's medical policy in front of the Presidential office in Seoul South Korea's government is threatening to take legal action against thousands of striking junior doctors and revoke their medical licences if they do not return to work on Thursday. Around three quarters of the country's junior doctors have walked out of their jobs over the past week, causing disruption and delays to surgeries at major teaching hospitals. The trainee doctors are protesting government plans to admit drastically more medical students to university each year, to increase the number of doctors in the system. South Korea has one of the lowest doctor-to-patient ratios among developed countries, and with a rapidly aging population, the government is warning there will be an acute shortage within a decade. The empty corridors of St Mary's Hospital in Seoul this week gave a glimpse of what that future might look like. There was barely a doctor or patient to be seen in the triage area outside the emergency room, with patients warned to stay away. Ryu Ok Hada, a 25-year-old doctor, and his colleagues have not been to work at the hospital for over a week. "It feels weird not getting up at 4 a.m.," Ryu joked. The junior doctor told the BBC he was used to working more than 100 hours a week, often for 40 hours without sleep. "It's insane how much we work for such little pay". Although doctors' salaries in South Korea are relatively high, Ryu argues that given their hours, he and other junior doctors can end up earning less than the minimum wage. More doctors will not fix the structural issues within the healthcare system, that leave them overworked and underpaid, he says. Healthcare in South Korea is largely privatised but affordable. The prices of emergency, life-saving surgeries and specialist care have been set too low, the doctors say, while less essential treatments, like cosmetic surgeries, pay too much. This means doctors are increasingly opting to work in more lucrative fields in the big cities, leaving rural areas understaffed and emergency rooms overstretched. Ryu Ok Hada, a doctor at St Mary's Hospital, has not been to work for over a week Ryu, who has been working for a year, says trainee and junior doctors are being exploited by the university hospitals for their cheap labour. In some of the larger hospitals, they make up more than 40% of the staff, providing a critical role in keeping them running. As a result, surgery capacity at some hospitals has halved over the past week. The disruption has been mostly limited to planned procedures, which have been postponed, with only a few isolated instances of critical care being affected. Last Friday, an elderly woman suffering a cardiac arrest died in an ambulance after seven hospitals reportedly refused to treat her. The government has said the patient in question had terminal cancer and her death was unrelated to the walkout. 'There are no doctors' Patience with the doctors is running out from both the public and the healthcare workers needing to pick up the extra work. Nurses have warned they are being forced to carry out procedures in operating theatres that would normally fall to their doctor colleagues. Ms Choi, a nurse at a hospital in Incheon, told the BBC her shifts had been extended by an hour and a half each day and she was now doing the work of two people. "The patients are anxious, and I am frustrated that this is continuing without an end in sight," she said, urging the doctors to come back to work and find another way to demonstrate their grievances. Under the government's proposals, the number of medical students admitted to university next year would rise from 3,000 to 5,000. The striking doctors argue that training more physicians would dilute the quality of care, because it would mean giving medical licenses to less competent practitioners. But the doctors are struggling to convince the public that more doctors would be a bad thing and have garnered little sympathy. At Seoul's Severance Hospital on Tuesday, 74-year-old Mrs Lee was receiving treatment for colon cancer, having travelled for over an hour to get there. "Outside the city, where we live, there are no doctors," she said. "This problem has been kicked down the road for too long and needs to be fixed," said Lee's husband Soon-dong. "The doctors are being too selfish. They're taking us patients hostage". The couple was worried about more doctors joining the strike, and said they would be happy to pay more for their care, if it meant the dispute would be resolved. But President Yoon Suk Yeol's approval rating has improved since the walkout began, meaning the government has little incentive to start overhauling the system and making procedures more expensive, just ahead of elections in April. Both sides are now locked in an intense standoff. The health ministry has refused to accept the doctors' resignations and is instead threatening to prosecute them for breaking medical law if they do not return to the hospitals by the end of the day. The vice-health minister Park Min-soo has said those who miss the deadline will also have their licences suspended for a minimum of three months. The government has said it will start proceedings on Monday. It is hoping the threat of being penalised will be enough to force doctors back to work, claiming nearly 300 of the 9,000 striking doctors have already returned. Some of those who have walked out believe the government's heavy-handed approach could swing public opinion. On Sunday, the Korean Medical Association will vote on whether senior doctors should join the trainee physicians. If swathes of their junior colleagues have been arrested, they will be more likely to take action. Ryu said he was prepared to be arrested and lose his medical licence, and that if the government would not compromise or listen to their grievances, he would walk away from the profession. "The medical system is broken and if things continue like this it has no future, it will collapse," he said. "I've done some farming before, so perhaps I could go back to that". Additional reporting by Jake Kwon Michael Esposito, deputy chief of West Haven's Allingtown Fire District, said one man was seriously injured and a woman was injured in a fire on Dogburn Road. Rick Fontana / Contributed Photo A file photo of an Allingtown fire truck. Michael Esposito, deputy chief of West Haven's Allingtown Fire District, said one man was seriously injured and a woman was injured in a fire on Dogburn Road. Arnold Gold/Hearst Connecticut Media WEST HAVEN Two people are in the hospital, one with life-threatening injuries, after a fire on Dogburn Road Wednesday afternoon, officials say. Michael Esposito, the deputy chief of the Allingtown Fire District, said crews were called to the 100 block of Dogburn Road just after 4 p.m. for a fire in a multifamily home. He said they arrived to find heavy smoke and fire coming from the building. Esposito said firefighters were notified of two people suspected of being in the building, noting it caused them to raise the status to a three-alarm fire. He said a woman was found outside the buildings with burn injuries and smoke inhalation and transported to the hospital for treatment. Advertisement Article continues below this ad A man found unconscious in a front bedroom. Esposito said he was transported to Yale New Haven Hospital with life-threatening injuries. By Daniel Wiessner (Reuters) -A California state judge has tentatively ruled that nearly 6,000 Black factory workers can sue Tesla as a group for the electric vehicle maker's alleged failure to address rampant race discrimination and harassment at its Fremont plant. California Superior Court Judge Noel Wise in Oakland said in a written order issued Wednesday that the 2017 lawsuit presents questions common to the class of whether Tesla was aware of the alleged misconduct and refused to take steps to prevent it. Tesla and lawyers for the plaintiffs did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Thursday. Tesla has maintained that it does not tolerate workplace harassment and that it has fired employees who engaged in misconduct. The plaintiffs allege that Black factory workers were subjected to a range of racist conduct including slurs, graffiti and nooses hung at their work stations. The tentative ruling comes ahead of a hearing scheduled for Friday where Tesla can contest Wise's decision, though judges are typically unlikely to change their minds. The decision represents a major blow to Tesla as it opens the company up to a potential multi-million dollar judgment. The class includes people who self-identified as Black and worked at the Fremont factory going back to November 2016. (Reporting by Daniel Wiessner in Albany, New York; Editing by Toby Chopra and Alexander Smith) Thomas Eugene Creech, 73, is one of the US's oldest death row inmates The execution of Idaho's longest-serving death row inmate has been delayed after officials failed to deliver a fatal lethal injection dose. The death sentence against serial killer Thomas Creech, 73, was due to be carried out in Boise on Wednesday. "The medical team could not establish an IV line, rendering the execution unable to proceed," prison officials said in a statement. The execution would have been Idaho's first in 12 years. Idaho's botched procedure came hours before Texas executed a double murderer who continues to profess his innocence. Ivan Cantu and his supporters argued that he deserved a retrial due to ineffective defence counsel during his trial. His cause had garnered the support of celebrities including Kim Kardashian as well as Reps Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass) and Joaquin Castro (D-Tex). Creech has been in prison since 1974 and was sentenced to die for the 1981 fatal beating of a fellow inmate. He is one of the US's oldest death row inmates. He has been convicted of five murders in three states, and is suspected of several other killings. Just last month, authorities near Los Angeles closed a nearly 50-year old murder case after successfully identifying Creech as the suspect. Wednesday's execution was due to occur hours after the US Supreme Court denied multiple requests from his legal team to stay the sentence, after finding no grounds to merit any leniency. Idaho Department of Correction spokeswoman Sanda Kuzeta-Cerimagic told reporters that the inability to establish an IV line meant that the state's death warrant would expire, leaving it to "consider next steps". Creech's lawyers said in a statement that the state tried to access his veins in both of his arms and legs 10 times before giving up. "We are angered but not surprised that the State of Idaho botched the execution of Thomas Creech today. This is what happens when unknown individuals with unknown training are assigned to carry out an execution," they said in a statement. The identifies of individuals who perform executions in the US are protected by the state. The botched lethal injection is the latest example of a state struggling to perform the fatal procedure. Alabama was forced to call off two lethal injection executions in 2022 after failing to successfully locate the inmates' veins. One of the two Alabama inmates was put to death last month, with a new previously untested method of using nitrogen gas to cut off oxygen to the brain. Last year, lawmakers in Idaho passed a law authorising inmates to be executed by firing squad. However, officials have yet to construct a facility where those executions would occur, as well as write a policy regarding how they are carried out, according to the Associated Press news agency. By Jan Lopatka (Reuters) -Slovakia's Constitutional Court has halted a significant part of the populist government's criminal law overhaul that aimed to significantly reduce punishment for crimes such as corruption and fraud. The court, however, said on Thursday it had rejected other complaints by Slovakia's liberal president and opposition, meaning that a plan to scrap the special prosecutors' office (USP) which has dealt with serious crime including high-level graft will go ahead. The combination of the changes, pushed through by Prime Minister Robert Fico's coalition in a fast-track legislative procedure, has alarmed the opposition as well as the European Commission and the European Prosecutor's Office. Criticism has focused on the lack of wide debate, a marked lowering of punishments for financial crimes, and a shortening of statutes of limitations which would forever halt many ongoing investigations, even if the law took effect for just one day. President Zuzana Caputova described the Constitutional Court's decision as "good news for democracy and rule of law". "The system of checks and balances worked, that is the most important message to all Slovak citizens...is also a needed message to our foreign partners, that the money of European taxpayers remains adequately protected," she said. The court did not scrap plans to abolish the Office of Special Prosecutor, which has dealt with high-level crime including cases involving senior public officials and politicians from Fico's SMER-SD party. Fico said he was generally satisfied that the special prosecutors office would cease to exist, after he repeatedly accused it of being politically biased against him and his party. "For me the most important thing was achieved - shutting down the prosecutor's office," he told a televised news conference. "I was myself a victim of bullying by the USP." Caputova had argued that doing away with the USP would delay about 1,000 pending court cases which would have be shunted to other prosecution branches. Thursday's top court decision means the affected parts of the reform will not take effect on March 15, pending further deliberations by the court that may take months. The court acted speedily, aiming to make its decision effective before the reform law went into force. (Reporting by Jan Lopatka in Prague, editing by Jason Hovet, Emelia Sithole-Matarise and Mark Heinrich) BROWNSVILLE, Texas Both President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump are scheduled to visit the southern border Thursday in whats expected to be a dramatic split-screen moment as the 2024 presidential campaign ramps up over an issue that has confounded administrations of both parties for decades: immigration. Its Bidens second trip to the border since he took office. His first was to El Paso in January 2023. This time, hes set to visit Brownsville, a border town in the Rio Grande Valley that has long felt the impacts of migration up close. He wanted to show that it was important for him to go down there, to hear from Border Patrol agents, to hear from first responders, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at a briefing Wednesday. Biden will also deliver remarks to urge congressional Republicans to pass more border security funding, a White House official said. Still, critics of the administration point out that Biden is visiting Brownsville at a time when the direst consequences of the migrant influx have shifted elsewhere. According to Customs and Border Protection, the federal agency that includes the Border Patrol, many more immigrants are now crossing at other parts of the border, such as Arizona and Eagle Pass, Texas. Texas National Guard troops stop immigrants trying to pass through razor wire (John Moore / Getty Images file) Eagle Pass is where Trump is expected to visit. He has visited the border many times before and he announced his trip before the White House did. Biden said this week that hed been planning to go but that he didnt know his good friend would be there the same day. Two senior administration officials said the timing of the trip was meant to maximize its political impact a week before the State of the Union address. One of the officials said we welcome the split screen with Trump. Trump joked of Biden on a radio show this week: Well, we found out how to get him off his ass. It took me announcing that Im going down to the border. On Wednesday, the White House insisted Biden's trip had already been planned. We just cant all of a sudden put something on the presidents schedule, Jean-Pierre said, responding to a question about whether Trumps visit prompted the White Houses announcement. It takes time to do that. U.S. Border Patrol agents guard migrants that crossed into Shelby Park as they wait to be picked up for processing in Eagle Pass, Texa (Michael Gonzalez / Getty Images) An NBC News poll from January found that 57% of registered voters said Trump would handle securing the border better, while 22% said the same for Biden. The poll found that 48% of people said they would trust Biden to treat immigrants humanely, while 31% said the same of Trump. The Biden administration has been making the case that House Republicans at Trumps urging torpedoed a bipartisan bill that included $20 billion for border security. It was hashed out in the Senate and endorsed by the Border Patrol Union. The White House said it would have added 100 immigration judges, 1,500 Customs and Border Protection personnel and 4,300 asylum officers, as well as more detention beds. It would have also funded the installation of more inspection machines to detect fentanyl at ports of entry. But House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said the Senate version didnt go far enough to deal with the border crisis. Democrats accuse the GOP of refusing to compromise to keep the immigration issue front and center during an election year to claim that Biden hasnt done enough to stop the migrant influx. With Congress failing to act, Biden has been considering executive actions to tighten asylum rules. Migrants' advocates and progressive Democrats have urged him not to do so, arguing that making it harder for immigrants to claim asylum opens them up to dangerous conditions in Mexico. The Democratic National Committee said Thursday that it will be displaying a mobile billboard in Eagle Pass during Trumps visit criticizing the former president over his efforts to kill the bipartisan border bill and his immigration agenda. The billboard will say Trump "broke the border" during his administration, "and now for pure politics, he's killed the bipartisan border deal," according to the committee. If given the chance, Trump would double down on his cruel, chaotic, and inhumane immigration agenda of ripping away children from their parents, rounding up people into detention camps, and using the military to carry out mass deportations, DNC spokesperson Alex Floyd said in a statement. When voters head to the ballot box this November, theyll remember how Trump put himself and his political ambitions ahead of securing the border and delivering for the American people. Republicans insist that the Trump administrations border policies deterred illegal immigration and secured the border. Illegal crossings were lower during most of his term, but they did start to rise in late 2019 before the Covid pandemic. Before that, even Trump himself backed off one particularly controversial hard-line immigration policy what was known as zero tolerance which led to the forced separation of migrant families at the border in 2017. When Biden took office in 2021, he promised a return to more humane immigration rules and immediately signed executive orders rolling back some Trump-era policies. In 2022, the Biden administration also ended a rule that was known as Remain in Mexico, which mandated that asylum-seekers wait across the border while their claims were adjudicated. But the White House soon found that its policies didnt stem the flow of migrants after the pandemic limits lifted. Instead, record numbers of immigrants began arriving at the southern border. The Border Patrol reported 1,659,206 encounters with migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border in the 2021 fiscal year, topping the previous highs of 1,643,679 in 2000 and 1,615,844 in 1986. Trump and his supporters blamed what they saw as Bidens lax policies for the influx. The Biden administration argued the migration was due to other factors, including seasonal fluctuations, recent hurricanes in Central America and misinformation promoted by human smugglers. Regardless, the migrants have kept coming. And coming. Border cities in Texas, such as El Paso and Eagle Pass, have been overwhelmed at times with an unprecedented influx that has stretched local resources thin and prompted frantic calls for federal help. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott escalated the border battle by assigning state troopers to patrol the border in defiance of the federal government. He also started busing migrants to what he called sanctuary cities across the country, which the White House has called a political stunt. Since then, major cities such as New York, Chicago and Denver have struggled to care for tens of thousands of migrants who have arrived. The White House said the stalled bipartisan border bill would have included $1.4 billion for cities and states and expedited work permits for immigrants who qualify. WASHINGTON When Donald Trump speaks at the southern border in Texas on Thursday, you can expect to hear him talk about migrant crime, a category he has coined and defined as a terrifying binge of criminal activity committed by undocumented immigrants spreading across the country. You know, in New York, whats happening with crime is its through the roof, and its called migrant, the former president said at a rally in Michigan earlier this month. They beat up police officers. Youve seen that they go in, they stab people, hurt people, shoot people. Its a whole new form, and they have gangs now that are making our gangs look like small potatoes. Trump has undoubtedly tapped into the rising anger over crimes allegedly committed by undocumented migrants that have gained national attention most recently, the killing of college student Laken Riley in Georgia last week, after which an undocumented migrant from Venezuela was arrested and charged with her murder, and the much-reported fight between New York police officers and a group of migrant teens. According to a recent Pew poll, 57% of Americans said that a large number of migrants seeking to enter the country leads to more crime. Republicans (85%) overwhelmingly say the migrant surge leads to increased crime in the U.S. A far smaller share of Democrats (31%) say the same. The poll found that 63% of Democrats say it does not have much of an impact. But despite the former presidents campaign rhetoric, expert analysis and available data from major-city police departments show that despite several horrifying high-profile incidents, there is no evidence of a migrant-driven crime wave in the United States. That wont change the way Trump talks about immigrants in his bid to return to the White House, as he argues that President Joe Bidens immigration policies are making Americans less safe. Trump says voters should hold Biden personally responsible for every crime committed by an undocumented immigrant. An NBC News review of available 2024 crime data from the cities targeted by Texas Operation Lone Star, which buses or flies migrants from the border to major cities in the interior shows overall crime levels dropping in those cities that have received the most migrants. Overall crime is down year over year in Philadelphia, Chicago, Denver, New York and Los Angeles. Crime has risen in Washington, D.C., but local officials do not attribute the spike to migrants. This is a public perception problem. Its always based upon these kinds of flashpoint events where an immigrant commits a crime, explains Graham Ousey, a professor at the College of William & Mary and the co-author of Immigration and Crime: Taking Stock. Theres no evidence for there being any relationship between somebodys immigrant status and their involvement in crime. Ousey notes the emotional toll these incidents have taken and how they can inform public perception, saying, They can be really egregious acts of criminality that really draw lots of attention that involve somebody who happens to be an immigrant. And if you have leaders, political leaders who are really pushing that narrative, I think that would have the tendency to sort of push up the myth. At least a couple of recent studies show that undocumented immigrants are also not more likely to be involved in crime, Ousey says in part because of caution about their immigration status. The individual-level studies actually show that theyre less involved than native-born citizens or second-generation immigrants. Another misconception often cited by critics is that crime is more prevalent in sanctuary cities. But a Department of Justice report found that there was no evidence that the percentage of unauthorized or authorized immigrant population at the city level impacted shifts in the homicide rates and no evidence that immigration is connected to robbery at the city level. Trumps campaign claims without evidence that those statistics obscure the problem. Democrat cities purposefully do not document when crimes are committed by illegal immigrants, because they dont want American citizens to know the truth about the dangerous impact Joe Bidens open border is having on their communities, Karoline Leavitt, Trump campaign press secretary, said in a statement. Nevertheless, Americans know migrant crime is a serious and growing threat; and the murder, rape, or abuse of one innocent citizen at the hands of an illegal immigrant is one too many. Trump has been pushing the argument that immigrants bring crime since launching his first campaign in 2015, often featuring at his rallies the family members of those who were killed by undocumented immigrants who had been drinking and driving. And his arguments are not new opponents of immigration have long tried to make the case that migrants bring crime. National crime data, especially pertaining to undocumented immigrants, is notoriously incomplete. The national data comes in piecemeal and can only be evaluated holistically when the annual data is released. The data is incomplete on how many crimes each year are committed by migrants, primarily because most local police dont record immigration status when they make arrests. But the studies that have been done on this, most recently by the University of Wisconsin-Madison, show that in Texas, where police do record immigration status, migrants commit fewer crimes per capita. In December 2020, researchers studying Texas crime statistics found that contrary to public perception, we observe considerably lower felony arrest rates among undocumented immigrants compared to legal immigrants and native-born U.S. citizens and find no evidence that undocumented criminality has increased in recent years. As the international communitys chief humanitarian coordinator in Haiti, Ulrika Richardson has spent 30 years in the United Nations systems, working in some of the most conflict-torn regions around the globe. But what Richardson has seen during her two years in Haiti as the deputy representative of U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres, she says, almost leaves her without words. Ive seen things here that Ive never seen in my life, Richardson told journalists on Wednesday, a day after the U.N. and Haitian government launched a new $674 million humanitarian response plan to help 3.6 million Haitians this year. It is the pain that a lot of women, children, men across the population are facing and subjected to; the suffering I would say is daunting, its appalling. Along with the growing risk of being kidnapped or killed, Haitians are increasingly growing hungry while more and more children are at risk of dying of malnutrition. In gang-controlled neighborhoods, women and girls are being subjected to brutal rapes. Murders and kidnappings are on the rise, as are also the number of people being forced to flee their homes and neighborhoods in the capital and Artibonite region. Its absolutely disastrous for so many people in Haiti, Richardson said. On Wednesday, Richardson appealed for more help from the international community. The request comes as the U.N. continues to call for the rapid deployment of a Multinational Security Support mission to help the Haitian police put down violent gangs and as the Caribbean nations prime minister, Ariel Henry, flew to Kenya in hopes of moving the request along. Nearly five months after the U.N. Security Council approved the armed mission, the deployment of 1,000 Kenya police officers who are supposed to served as its backbone remains blocked by legal hurdles. Last year, Haiti had more than 8,000 cases of killings, lynchings or rape, including group rapes of women and young girls. Because of the years of instability, lack of investment and the decreasing economic activity, the country has spiraled into a multifaceted crisis, Richardson said. Humanitarian assistance is not the solution. It is the needed action right now, in order to save lives, decrease suffering, and also increase the protection and service to those that have been affected, she said Wednesday in Port-au-Prince. We need to invest in the root causes. The $674 million request is less than the $720 million the U.N. requested for Haiti last year, of which the agency was able to raise only 34%. Richardson said while the situation remains urgent and an increasing number of Haitians are in need of assistance, the humanitarian community decided this year to try to be much more targeted. Children and their guardians gather outside a police station after they fled their homes in Cite Soleil due to gang violence, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, Feb. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph) She recognizes that Haiti is not the only crisis around the globe. You can never compare one crisis with another. A human life is a human life, she said, adding that in Haiti, however, too many human lives are... lost. In January, the country saw its most violent month in two years after 1,100 people were killed, injured or kidnapped. At the same time, about 1,000 schools failed to open due to the violence. Of the 5.5 million Haitians who are in need of humanitarian assistance in the country, 3 million are children, Richardson said. They also account for nearly 55% of the more than 314,000 Haitians who are internally displaced and forced to live on the streets, in public plazas and elsewhere after warring gangs forced them to flee their homes. Over 60% of the internally displaced were forced onto the streets just last year, the agency said. This is a call for increased solidarity, RIchardson said. Haiti needs it. Its going through one of the most critical moments in its recent history. McLEAN, VA. (AP) The United States expects to face fast-moving threats to American elections this year as artificial intelligence and other technological advances have made interference and meddling easier than before, FBI Director Christopher Wray said Thursday. The U.S. has confronted foreign malign influence threats in the past, Wray told a national security conference. But this election cycle, the U.S. will face more adversaries, moving at a faster pace, and enabled by new technology. Wray singled out advances in generative AI, which he said had made it easier for both more and less-sophisticated foreign adversaries to engage in malign influence. The remarks underscored escalating U.S. government concerns over sometimes hard-to-detect influence operations that are designed to shape public opinion. Though officials have not cited successful efforts by foreign governments to directly alter election results, they have sounded the alarms over the past decade about foreign influence campaigns. Wray suggested the FBI would share information this year about threats that it sees. As intelligence professionals, weve got to highlight threats in specific, evidence-based ways so that were usefully arming our partners and, in particular, the public against the kinds of foreign influence operations theyre likely to confront, he said. In 2016, Russian operatives sought to boost Republican Donald Trump's election chances by stealing and leaking Democratic emails and by using a hidden but powerful social media campaign to sow discord among American voters. In 2020, U.S. intelligence officials have said, Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized influence operations to denigrate Democrat Joe Biden and help Trump in that year's election. China considered but did not deploy influence operations, while aggressive efforts by Iran sought to exploit vulnerabilities in state election websites as Tehran sought to hurt Trump's reelection chances, officials have said. Despite those threats, according to intelligence officials, there was ultimately no evidence that any foreign entity changed votes or otherwise disrupted the voting process. In some instances, emerging technology has been used closer to home. For instance, a political consultant confirmed this week that he had paid a New Orleans street magician to create a robocall that mimicked Biden's voice, though the consultant said he was trying to send a wake-up call about the potential malign uses of artificial intelligence, not influence the outcome of last months New Hampshire primary. The possible specter of renewed foreign interference resurfaced again this month when the Justice Department charged an FBI informant with giving false allegations about purported Biden family corruption. By John Kruzel and Andrew Chung WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to decide Donald Trump's claim of immunity from prosecution for trying to overturn his 2020 election loss, giving him a boost as he tries to delay criminal prosecutions while running to regain the presidency. The justices put on hold the criminal case being pursued by Special Counsel Jack Smith and will review a lower court's rejection of Trump's claim of immunity from prosecution because he was president when he took actions aimed at reversing President Joe Biden's election victory over him. The Supreme Court set the case for oral argument during the week of April 22 on a single question: "Whether and if so to what extent does a former president enjoy presidential immunity from criminal prosecution for conduct alleged to involve official acts during his tenure in office." Trump, the first former president to be criminally prosecuted, is the frontrunner for the Republican nomination to challenge Biden, a Democrat, in the Nov. 5 U.S. election. The case once again thrusts the nation's top judicial body, whose 6-3 conservative majority includes three justices appointed by Trump, into the election fray. The Supreme Court also is due to issue a ruling on whether to overturn a judicial decision that barred Trump from Colorado's Republican primary ballot based on a constitutional provision regarding insurrection. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on Feb. 6 ruled 3-0 against Trump's immunity claim, rejecting his bid for "unbounded authority to commit crimes that would neutralize the most fundamental check on executive power - the recognition and implementation of election results." Smith was appointed by U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland in November 2022. In August 2023, Smith brought four federal criminal counts against Trump in the election subversion case. A March 4 trial date was postponed as Trump pressed his immunity claim, with no new date yet set. Trump has three other pending criminal cases, with a trial in New York state court concerning hush money paid to a porn star set to begin on March 25. Trump has pleaded not guilty in all of them, seeking to portray them as politically motivated. Trump, in a post on his social media platform, hailed the Supreme Court's decision to hear his immunity claim. "Without Presidential Immunity, a President will not be able to properly function, or make decisions, in the best interest of the United States of America," Trump wrote. "Presidents will always be concerned, and even paralyzed, by the prospect of wrongful prosecution and retaliation after they leave office. This could actually lead to the extortion and blackmail of a President." Representatives for the special counsel's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Smith's charges 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 and his allies made false claims that the 2020 election was stolen and devised a plan to use false electors to thwart congressional certification of Biden's victory. Trump also sought to pressure then-Vice President Mike Pence not to allow certification to go forward. Trump's supporters attacked the Capitol in a bid to prevent the certification. If Trump regains the presidency, he could seek to use his powers to force an end to the prosecution or potentially pardon himself for any federal crimes. 'ABOVE THE LAW' Trump last October sought to have the charges dismissed based on his claim of immunity. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan rejected that claim in December. During January arguments in his appeal, one of Trump's lawyers told the D.C. Circuit 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. In its decision rejecting Trump's immunity claim, the three-judge panel wrote: "We cannot accept that the office of the presidency places its former occupants above the law for all time thereafter." Supreme Court justices during arguments on Feb. 8 signaled skepticism toward a ruling by Colorado's top court that barred Trump from the state's Republican primary ballot, based on the U.S. Constitution's 14th Amendment, after finding he engaged in an insurrection related to the Capitol attack. The Colorado and immunity cases put the Supreme Court in the election spotlight in the most direct way since its 2000 ruling that effectively handed the presidency to Republican George W. Bush over Democrat Al Gore. In a separate case to be argued on April 16, the Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether a man involved in the Capitol attack can be charged with obstructing an official proceeding - the congressional certification of the 2020 election results. That case has potential implications for Trump because Smith brought two obstruction-related charges. (Reporting by John Kruzel and Andrew Chung; Editing by Will Dunham) Months of polling has shown a segment Black voters, a key part of President Joe Bidens base, souring on his performance and growing more open to voting against the Democrat than in any recent presidential election. Yet a new focus group of undecided Black voters in North Carolina specifically, Black voters who view both Biden and former President Donald Trump negatively at the moment illustrates that while those voters are clearly dissatisfied with Biden, most of them also see Trump as an unacceptable choice. These voters almost universally panned Biden as old, lamented what they saw as a lack of follow-through by his administration and questioned his strength politically. But they largely described Trump in even bleaker terms, using terms like crazy and a grifter. Three of the participants called Trump racist without prompting, after which a majority of the panel agreed. The findings come from two focus groups produced in collaboration with Engagious, Syracuse University and Sago as part of the NBC News Deciders Focus Group series. The two groups included 14 Black voters in North Carolina, a potential swing state, who say theyre dissatisfied with both Biden and Trump. I feel like its a lesser of two evils. Its either a politician who is making attempts to do things for the entire country, or someone whos just about themselves or their party, their particular party and their people, said Candice D., a 44-year-old from Charlotte. Just moments before, Candice called Biden old and Trump divisive. Carolyn G., a 76-year-old who is also from Charlotte, framed her choice similarly. Trump I dont want to go through another four years of his 'Make America Great Again' because America was not great, Carolyn said. I dont want to go through another four years of Biden being indecisive as to what hes going to do. And I dont see Biden doing anything to make the cost of living more affordable, said Carolyn G. The comments speak to the Biden campaigns efforts to frame the election as a binary choice between him and Trump and the reasons why. Biden spoke to the deep disappointment hes facing from some voters at a recent campaign fundraiser in California: Its not like you've got to like me, the president said. What youre doing here, though, is: We got to prevent this other guy from being elected president. Deep frustration with Biden In a head-to-head matchup between Biden and Trump, only one of the 14 focus group participants affirmatively said theyd back Trump. But when the ballot was expanded to include independent Robert F. Kennedy Jr., academic Cornel West and Green Party candidate Jill Stein, two said theyd vote for Kennedy and one each chose West and Stein. That result echoed some recent polling. The January NBC News poll showed 75% of Black registered voters saying theyd support Biden in 2024, while 16% said theyd back Trump, similar results to past NBC News surveys and other polls. That represents a dip among that group from 2020, when 85% of the Black voters surveyed said they backed Biden, 7% said they backed Trump and most of the remainder said they didnt vote. Ten of the 14 focus group participants said the economy was in lousy shape, lamenting price hikes at the grocery store, the rising cost of living and the struggle to make ends meet with significant student loan debt. And these voters broadly criticized the Biden administrations lack of accomplishments, even when presented with the administrations own messaging, like a White House fact sheet trumpeting its accomplishments in helping Black Americans. I think thats all political mumbo-jumbo, Julius C., a 66-year-old from Mint Hill, said of the White Houses message. People are hurting. Im sure the numbers are statistically accurate, but they havent been statistically significant. If it was a significant change in those areas, then it would be obvious. We could all see it and we could feel it in our day-to-day lives, said Michael G., a 54-year-old from Greenville. We would know people who were able to get a house thats been struggling to get a house, and we would have seen people change their state from living check-to-check to doing better, he continued. But while they were down on Biden, many of the respondents made clear that he could improve his stock with them and their communities, particularly if they saw tangible positive changes on affordability or more follow-through on his promises to eliminate student loan debt, which have run into opposition in Congress and a Supreme Court ruling undoing a broad executive action on student debt. And the respondents also had some positive things to say about Bidens individual accomplishments, even if they broadly felt he has fallen short on his promises. President Bidens challenges in getting these voters to show up for him boil down to three Cs: communication, confidence and credibility, said Margaret Talev, the director of Syracuse Universitys Institute for Democracy, Journalism & Citizenship in Washington. Donald Trump isnt winning them over, and many deeply fear what a second Donald Trump term could mean, Talev continued. But theyre deeply ambivalent about another Biden term and if Biden doesnt do more to change their minds they may sit it out. Majority think Trump is racist Indeed, the groups views on Trump were stark, particularly after the participants were shown recent comments the former president made last weekend at an event for Black conservatives. Trump pointed to his criminal indictments and said thats why the Black people like me, because they viewed me as Im being discriminated against, among other comments. None of the participants said Trump understood the concerns of Black Americans, and nine of the 14 said he is racist. Thats probably one of the most racist comments hes ever made, Michael G. said. His feeling that because hes being indicted and because hes being prosecuted for things he did, whether theyre deemed illegal or not in a court of law so what, weve all been locked up? We all have a mug shot? We all fall into this bucket of indictment and because of that, we should feel closer to our overly indicted president? Its like an insult, said Kelli P., a 38-year-old from Jacksonville. Are you serious? Thats what you think of us? Those sentiments and similar ones drove most of those voters to say theyd support Biden in the fall. Twelve of the 14 said they were more worried about four more years of Trump than they were about four more years of Biden. Honestly, and I know this sounds terrible, Im gonna vote against Trump. And if that means Im voting for Biden, so be it, Michael G. said. But not everyone took Trump's comments seriously. "He's just pandering, to be honest. It's funny, that's why I'm laughing because I don't really take none of those statements he was making seriously," said T.C., a 40-year-old from Lumberton. "He's an entertainer, to be honest, but he has to deal with his legal issues, and those are serious." Some warning signs for Biden in third-party support But that sentiment wasnt unilateral. The four participants who said theyd vote for one of the third-party or independent candidates showed how Biden could lose some support from Black voters on the margins and the margins have been where the last two presidential campaigns have been decided. One of those participants was Shaleeya L., a 28-year-old from Gastonia, picked Cornel West. Critical of Bidens handling of the war between Israel and Hamas, she said she backed Biden unenthusiastically in 2020 but now isnt sure if shell do it again. For a fact, Im not voting for Trump. So if I dont want to vote for Biden either then my choice is to not vote, she said. She added that shes waiting to see what happens between now and November, specifically referencing whether or not Trump is convicted or whether Biden takes more steps on student debt relief. As of now, I have no preference. If we voted today, I probably wouldnt vote, Shaleeya L. continued. Rich Thau, the president of Engagious and the moderator of the sessions, told NBC News that Shaleeya was emblematic of voters who disliking Trump pulled the lever for Biden once, but havent witnessed a track record of Biden success that would compel them to return him to office. Speaking about the group as a whole, he added that the Biden campaign should have two worries that third-party candidates will siphon away votes, and that unenthusiastic Biden voters wont vote at all. Harris gets poor marks While Vice President Kamala Harris is the first Black person to hold that office, this group of Black voters had few positive things to say about her. They broadly dismissed her as absent or inexperienced, and only two were interested in seeing her run for president in the future. That said, eight respondents said they didnt believe Biden was using Harris to her full potential. I dont know what shes doing. I dont really see her that much, Jerome L. said. I just dont think she has the experience. Michele H. said shed be interested in seeing Harris become president because theres lots of ways that she has experience over other people. Shes not an old white man, she did go to an HBCU, shes Black, shes Asian, shes a she. So for me, theres lots of things that put her over some of the people that have been thrown in our face as a candidate, she said. Confusion on where candidates stand on abortion While abortion has been one of the top issues for the Biden campaign and the Democratic Party ahead of the 2024 election, this group of voters lacked some familiarity with where Biden and Trump stand on the issue. Three voters said they were unfamiliar with Bidens stance on abortion, while six said the same about Trump. All of the panelists said that Trump was at least partially responsible for the Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade in 2022. Trump appointed three of the five justices who backed the Dobbs decision. Abortion will be a top-three issue in 2024 for five of the participants, which includes four who support abortion access and one who supported the decision to overturn Roe. It ties into a lot of things, it gives you an idea of where that persons perspective is. Human life is valuable, and if its expendable at any area, thats very telling, T.C. said about the issue of abortion. Women should have the right to choose, its their bodies. So I would like someone who'd like to be for that, Kelli P. said. New York passed a new congressional map on Wednesday capping off the end of a protracted redistricting battle that has surprisingly satisfied both parties. The Democratic-controlled New York Legislature passed its own congressional map on Wednesday, receiving some support from Republican lawmakers as well. Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) signed it into law later that day. The map offers a slight boost to Rep. Nick LaLotas (R) seat in the 1st Congressional District, changing it from one that President Biden would have barely won in 2020 to one that now edges toward former President Trump, according to analysts. Rep. Tom Suozzis (D) seat in the 3rd Congressional District and Rep. Pat Ryans (D) in the 18th both tilt more Democratic under the new map, while Rep. Brandon Williams (R) faces more challenging terrain in the 22nd a district that previously went for Biden by 7 points but has shifted to one that might have gone to the president by as many as 11 points. The map now heads to Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) for her signature. Today, the state legislature has adopted a bipartisan congressional map that more meaningfully delivers the type of fair representation that the people of New York State deserve, said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), who applauded the new map in a statement. This map reunites several communities of interest, reduces the number of counties, towns and villages that are split and promotes compact congressional districts, he added. For these reasons, New Yorkers from every walk of life, race, region, religion, ethnicity, socioeconomic status and ZIP code can now more fairly determine who should represent them in Congress. Former Rep. John Faso (R-N.Y.) said Republicans would not be challenging the maps. No challenge, Faso told The Hill in a text message. These maps are not materially different from those prepared by the special master as a result of our court victory against the [Democratic] gerrymander. New Yorkers went through tumultuous redistricting last cycle when the Independent Redistricting Commission (IRC) deadlocked on offering a set of proposed congressional lines, prompting the Democratic-controlled state Legislature to create their own. While the House map was signed into law by Hochul, it was later struck down by a court, which appointed a special master to create their own House map. The special masters map ultimately resulted in Republicans winning a handful of seats, helping to create the GOPs narrow House majority. Democrats won a lawsuit in December allowing the IRC to receive a second opportunity to redraw those House lines after suffering bruising losses in the state during the midterms, but the lawmakers eventually rejected its map in favor of the one passed Wednesday. Both parties see New York as key to winning the House. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. FILE - Republican presidential candidate former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley speaks during a campaign event Feb. 28, 2024, in Orem, Utah. Haley is making the case that roughly 40% of GOP voters support her over their party's dominant figure, suggesting Trump is especially vulnerable in a November rematch against President Joe Biden. Rick Bowmer/AP FILE - Republican presidential candidate former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley poses with supporters at a campaign event, Feb. 26, 2024, in Bloomington, Minn. Haley is making the case that roughly 40% of GOP voters support her over their party's dominant figure, suggesting Trump is especially vulnerable in a November rematch against President Joe Biden. Adam Bettcher/AP FILE - Lori Jacobson poses for a photo before Republican presidential candidate former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley speaks at a campaign event, Feb. 26, 2024, in Bloomington, Min. Haley is making the case that roughly 40% of GOP voters support her over their party's dominant figure, suggesting Trump is especially vulnerable in a November rematch against President Joe Biden. Jacobson said Trump "repulses me." She voted for Trump in 2016 but not 2020. Haley, she said, "has a calm that stands in such contrast to him, though she is a very strong woman." Adam Bettcher/AP Republican presidential candidate former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley speaks during a campaign event Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, in Orem, Utah. Rick Bowmer/AP From left, sisters Peyton and Luch Schmit join their mother, Ruthy, all of Northglenn, Colo., is waving placards before Republican presidential candidate former UN ambassador Nikki Haley speaks at a campaign stop Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024, in Centennial, Colo. David Zalubowski/AP Republican presidential candidate former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley speaks during a campaign event Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, in Orem, Utah. Rick Bowmer/AP GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) Donald Trump's campaign has vowed not to talk about her anymore. Many pundits have written her off entirely. But Nikki Haley is still campaigning across the country and plenty of Republican voters are coming to hear what she has to say. Before packed audiences in states that will vote on Super Tuesday next week, Haley is making the case she laid out after losing the primary in her home state of South Carolina: Roughly 40% of GOP voters support her over Trump, suggesting their party's dominant figure is especially vulnerable in a November rematch against President Joe Biden. He lost 40% of the primary vote in all of the early states, she told more than 500 people at a campaign event in the politically mixed suburb of Bloomington, Minnesota, on Monday. You cant win the general election if you cant win that 40%. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Trump is on the verge of winning several hundred more delegates for the GOP nomination on Super Tuesday and could eliminate Haley by clinching the nomination a few weeks later. But by staying in the race longer than any other major candidate, Haley has highlighted Trump's political problems with key constituencies in their party and suggested that he is a sinking ship. Trump won about 51% of voters in the Iowa caucuses, 54% in New Hampshire's primaries and 60% in South Carolina. Haley didn't come close to winning 40% in Michigan's primary this week and instead lost to Trump by more than 40 points, 68% to 27%. But just as she has throughout the primary, Haley did better in suburban areas like Oakland County near Detroit and Ottawa County near Grand Rapids. She also did better in Kent County, where Grand Rapids and a large suburban population is located. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Biden flipped Kent County and improved on Democrats 2016 performance in Oakland County on the way to winning Michigan in 2020 and beating Trump in the election. Richard Czuba, a pollster who has long tracked Michigan politics, said Haley's results were more significant for understanding a critical swing state in the general election than the campaign to vote uncommitted against Biden to protest his handling of the Israel-Hamas war, which drew about 100,000 votes and collected two Democratic delegates. This is by far, to me, the one narrative we saw (Tuesday) that will have major implications in November," Czuba said. Trump declined to mention Haley, his former U.N. ambassador, after beating her in South Carolina, and his campaign has accused her of deluding voters about her chances. Advertisement Article continues below this ad She cant name one state she can win, let alone be competitive in, spokesperson Steven Cheung said in a recent statement. Haley indeed resisted naming a state she could win when questioned by The Associated Press and other media. But interviews with three dozen voters at her rallies and AP VoteCast data from the Republican primary suggest several vulnerabilities for Trump heading into a Biden rematch. About half of Republican voters in South Carolina including about a quarter of his supporters are concerned that Trump is too extreme to win the general election, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of more than 2,400 voters taking part in the Republican primary in South Carolina, conducted for AP by NORC at the University of Chicago. Trump allies have accused Haley of appealing to the left to vote in open Republican primaries. Some 19% of Haley voters in South Carolina identified themselves as Democrats or people who lean Democratic, according to AP VoteCast. But 72% were Republicans or lean toward the GOP. Advertisement Article continues below this ad About 3 in 10 South Carolina primary voters believe he acted illegally in at least one of the criminal cases against him, even though about three-quarters believe the investigations are political attempts to undermine him. We've been tightening the belt as much as we can, but can't think about having kids until we can afford it," said Jonathan Paquette, a 27-year-old contractor from Minnetonka, Minnesota, a suburb of the Twin Cities. That's the kind of discussion this campaign should be about, not about lawsuits and criminal indictments. That doesn't solve any of our problems." Lori Jacobson, a 64-year-old retired lab technician from Monticello, a small town northwest of the Twin Cities, said Trump repulses me. She voted for Trump in 2016 but not 2020. It's all about revenge with him, Jacobson said. Haley, she said, "has a calm that stands in such contrast to him, though she is a very strong woman. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Across the states where Haleys post-South Carolina campaign has gone, some voters have picked up on that messaging. Forty percent is better than no percent, said Alyssa Prevo, an Uber driver from Williamston, Michigan, as she waited for Haley ahead of a Monday event in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Prevo, a military veteran, described herself as a longtime Republican, although she said she had voted for Democratic candidates in the past. Forty percent is a lot, its not a little, even though she lost her home state, Prevo said. People focus on the losing, I dont. She has integrity. And for me, the umbrella, integrity, is everything she has under that. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Nearly 9 in 10 Haley voters in South Carolina said they would not be satisfied with Trump as the Republican Partys presidential nominee, about 7 in 10 say he does not have the mental capability to serve effectively as president, and about 6 in 10 say they would not ultimately vote for him. Given the primary races current trajectory, the Trump campaign may not have to address Haley again and they expect that many disaffected Republicans will return to the former president's side in a Biden-Trump rematch. Haley could lose any mathematical chance of becoming the nominee in the next few weeks as more states hold winner-take-all primaries that would let Trump sweep their delegates even if Haley closes the gap with him. For now, Haley and her aides say they aren't planning beyond Super Tuesday. Indeed, Haley has not said where she'll campaign after those contests. And her campaign has yet to book any television or digital advertising beyond Super Tuesday, according to media tracking firm AdImpact. Advertisement Article continues below this ad That's as far as weve thought so far, Haley said Saturday. Weve taken it one state, one month at a time, and focused on that thats whats gotten us to this moment is discipline, hard work, being smarter than everybody else and making sure that we do whatever it takes to scrappy as we need, to get to the finish line. ___ Thomson-DeVeaux reported from Washington. Associated Press reporters Joey Cappelletti in Lansing, Michigan, and Thomas Beaumont in Bloomington, Minnesota, contributed to this report. ___ Advertisement Article continues below this ad NHL teams have less than a week to decide if they're going to be a playoff hopeful or a trade deadline seller. The Philadelphia Flyers potentially could be both. General manager Danny Briere and president Keith Jones are committed to continue their rebuild, even though the team sits in a playoff spot in the first full year of the plan. That means they will listen to offers, and coach John Tortorella told reporters that he already has talked to the players who could be on the move if the return is right. That list could include pending unrestricted free agent defensemen Sean Walker and Nick Seeler, an effective pairing. Seeler leads the league in blocked shots. Forward Scott Laughton, who's tied for the league lead in short-handed points, also has been mentioned in trade rumors. Walker was dealt to the Colorado Avalanche, but the Flyers gave a four-year, $10.8 million extension to Seeler. Here are some other players who could be on the move before the trade deadline 3 p.m. ET on March 8: TEAM NEEDS: What contenders could be looking at before the deadline Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Sean Walker might be among players moved before the trade deadline. Pending unrestricted free agents Calgary Flames defenseman Noah Hanifin ($4.95 million cap hit): He can produce offense and had a recent two-goal game. The Flames, who lost Johnny Gaudreau for nothing in the summer of 2022, don't want that to happen again, even with the team close to a playoff spot. Plus moving him would give general manager Craig Conroy another chance to put his imprint on this team. He got a hefty return when trading Elias Lindholm to the Vancouver Canucks and a prospect and two picks in the Chris Tanev trade to the Dallas Stars. Pittsburgh Penguins winger Jake Guentzel ($6 million): Guentzel is an elite scorer who can fetch a big price in the team's bid to get younger. Sidney Crosby's linemate is currently out with an injury. Anaheim Ducks center Adam Henrique ($5.825 million): The top remaining UFA center is versatile and kills penalties. Where he went: Edmonton Oilers. Ottawa Senators winger Vladimir Tarasenko ($5 million): He's familiar with being moved around the deadline, going to the New York Rangers last season and getting 21 points in 31 games. He won a Stanley Cup with the St. Louis Blues in 2019. Where he went: Florida Panthers. Arizona Coyotes winger Jason Zucker ($5.3 million): He plays with an edge and showed when he was in Pittsburgh that he can be a fit alongside top players. Washington Capitals winger Anthony Mantha ($5.7 million): He was acquired at the 2021 deadline and went through some subpar seasons, but he just scored his 20th goal this season. The Capitals would have to retain some salary. Where he went: Vegas Golden Knights. Chicago Blackhawks forward Tyler Johnson ($5 million): His playoff experience as a two-time Stanley Cup winner will be valuable. Ducks defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin ($2.75 million): A penalty-killing defenseman who was moved before the 2022 trade deadline. Where he went: Maple Leafs Buffalo Sabres forward Kyle Okposo ($2.5 million): The Sabres captain brings leadership and has an inexpensive cap hit. Sabres defenseman Erik Johnson ($3.25 million): The depth defenseman is being held out of the lineup. He won a Stanley Cup with the Avalanche in 2022. Seattle Kraken forward Alex Wennberg ($4.5 million): He's being held out of the lineup as a precaution. Where he went: New York Rangers. Players with term left on their deals Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom ($6 million): He has two years left on his deal and would have to waive his no-movement clause, but he's playing very well of late and would fetch a good return. Moving Markstrom would give Dustin Wolf an opportunity to take the net. But Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reports that the Flames might keep him this season. Ducks forward Frank Vatrano ($3.65 million): The All-Star has topped 25 goals, has a reasonable cap hit and has a year left on his deal. GM Pat Verbeek could be busy this week. Blues forward Pavel Buchnevich ($5.8 million): The Blues were sellers last season and have fallen out of a playoff spot in recent weeks. The five-time 20-goal scorer would draw interest and has a year left on his deal. Senators defenseman Jakob Chychrun ($4.6 million): He could be available because of the emergence of defenseman Jake Sanderson in Ottawa. Chychrun can help a power play, is 25 and has a year left on his deal. Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jake Allen ($3.85 million): The Canadiens seem set in net with Sam Montembault and Cayden Primeau. Allen would be a good addition for a team looking for an upgrade in its backup goalie position. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NHL trade rumors: Players who could be on move before deadline Paulina Porizkova is one of USA TODAYs Women of the Year, a recognition of women who have made a significant impact in their communities and across the country. Meet this years honorees at womenoftheyear.usatoday.com. Paulina Porizkova won't take "no" for an answer. The will to fight onward is one inherently ingrained in Porizkova, whose career as a top model since the '80s has recently given way to a new era, one where she's an author and an advocate for embracing aging in an industry that puts youth at a premium. She won't accept the stigmas placed on getting older. "When I was a young woman, I didn't think much of aging. I thought of aging as something that happens to other people. And I thought by the time I was that older woman, somehow I would not have the same kind of interest in life as I did as a younger woman," says Porizkova, 58. "Being in this second part of life now and knowing what age is and what age brings, it's such a tremendous time." Paulina Porizkova, USA TODAY Women of the Year honoree, is photographed on Jan. 11, 2024, in New York City. As a model, Porizkova has been on the cover of every major magazine and fronted campaigns for Estee Lauder, Chanel, Hermes and more. After a turbulent few years, including her public separation from and then the death of husband Ric Ocasek in 2019, she is lending her face to a different cause. Now, Porizkova, whose 2022 book aptly sums up this stage of her life with its title "No Filter: The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful," encourages others to celebrate getting older. "Life will only get better as long as you're not afraid of it," she says. "This is a fantastic place to be. Don't waste time trying to be younger. Embrace who you are right now because you are at your very best right now. It's not going to get any better than this, so enjoy it while it lasts." This conversation has been edited for length and clarity. Who paved the way for you? The women that paved the way for me would have to be pretty much every single model that modeled before I did. Because it's an unusual career, obviously, and as far as I know, the early era of modeling was really more socialites and movie stars. And then it got into professional modeling in the '50s and the '60s. And those women, that's what made the work be the work that it became. Of course, like everyone else, I stand on the shoulders of everybody that was before me. That's a lot of women, and I'm very grateful to all of them for having made it possible for me to have the career that I've had. What is your proudest moment? In my modeling career, it was when I happened to see a movie called "Paris Is Burning," about the underground movement of transgender young people in New York City. And there was a young woman named Octavia who they did a little interview with. And she's sitting in front of a bed, not (in) a fancy room, and the whole wall behind her is filled with tear sheets from magazines. And there's a picture of me in there, and she starts talking about me and she's telling the camera how she takes inspiration from looking at my pictures. And when I think of that moment, it still almost brings me to tears that my job that I just thought of as selling you a lipstick could inspire a young woman that was really battling with who she was and who she wanted to be and being accepted by society. And that I allowed for her to dream. That's the first time I became aware that I was also selling dreams and that maybe in some way it had value. I was incredibly proud of having written a book in three months. Didn't know that could be done and didn't know that I could do it. You're actually meeting me in my proudest moment, which is having arrived at where I am after having gone through some catastrophic changes and some dark times, having to rebuild myself from pretty much nothing. And yet here I stand, and I'm probably happier than ever. I know I'm a better person than I've ever been. I'm certainly a smarter person than I've ever been. And that I was able to rebuild this house that is me, that was completely shattered into smithereens, and I was able to rebuild it better that I'm proud of. Paulina Porizkova is one of USA TODAY's Women of the Year honorees. Is there a guiding principle or mantra you tell yourself? In my late 40s, my marriage (to Ric Ocasek) started falling apart. I didn't know how to fix this and maybe it couldn't be fixed. Giving up is very hard for me to do, I don't like to give up, but I had to because there was no other choice. And then a series of events: My husband died; there was a question of an interestingly shaped will after his death that felt very much like a betrayal to me of the life that I had spent with him; a number of other hardships; COVID; not having money and having to sell my house. All sorts of things that taken alone, they're hard to deal with, but when you get dealt an entire sequence of them, it's like being in stormy water and you just never really get to poke your head up to gasp for air because there is no air to be had. You're just constantly bombarded with waves. I read literally every book on the market about grief and heartbreak and betrayal. And some of them repeated this one thing that kept touching my heart: Nothing lasts. It's as simple as that: Nothing lasts, bad times don't last, and so you can take comfort in that when you're going through a really hard time, just remember, it won't last forever. And when you're going through good times, you know it won't last, so be grateful for the moment. To me, that has been life-changing. What advice would you give your younger self? I know that giving myself advice when I was 18 is a bad idea, because I would've never taken any older woman's advice. I didn't take anybody's advice at 18. I thought I knew it all. So I wouldn't give myself any advice. Just like, "Hey, you know what? School of hard knocks, you'll figure it out." When you dispense advice, you do so with the best intentions that you know something this other person doesn't know, and you want to share your wisdom with them. And the fact is, we all have to acquire our wisdom at our own time, and nobody can give you that. You've experienced a difficult few years recently. How do you work to overcome adversity? We never really know how we're going to react when presented with adversity, right? Real adversity is something that you have never encountered before, and so therefore you don't quite know how to deal with it. And I think you usually try all the ways that you're used to. We are all capable of change (and) leaving yourself open to the possibility that things will change. I know this firsthand, good or bad, you can be having a great day and it can go south like that. You can have a (tough) day and things will look up when you least expect it. So knowing that gives you hope. And hope is the most important thing that we have as human beings. Because if hope dies, you die. As long as there is hope, even the smallest glimmer of hope that tomorrow maybe you'll wake up and the day will be a little easier. Then you keep going. Who do you look up to? The person that has inspired me the most is my mother. If you don't know the story of my childhood, this sounds like a very nice compliment, like, "Oh, how wonderful. She's inspired by her mother," but my mother and I have had an incredibly complicated relationship. She left me when I was a small child, not because she wanted to, but that's the way things worked out. We weren't quite mother and child, we never really learned the same love language, we were never together long enough. It's been a very fraught relationship. And yet here I am, I'm 58, and I think my mom's going to be 77, and I look at her and I think out of all the people in the world, it is my mother that has inspired me the most. My mother is an incredibly courageous woman. She has never taken "no" for an answer. We can't resist a challenge. My mother at the age of 72, went to the Peace Corps and did two years of teaching midwifery in Uganda. She came back with her then-boyfriend and had the most magnificent wedding at the age of 74 on the Amalfi Coast in Italy. They travel the world together. They see the world together. She is such an inspiration to me of what is possible for a woman that doesn't take "no" for an answer, a woman that doesn't see a closed door as anything but something you take an ax to. Maybe it wasn't the easiest thing to be her daughter, but as a woman, that's who I'd like to be. When I see her at her age now with her husband being delightfully happy, seeing the world and just having a great time, I think that's who I want to be. That's what I want to do. What is your definition of courage? Courage to me is not the absence of fear, but rather the presence of fear and doing things in spite of the fear. I think this is a very important distinction. When people call someone fearless or whether they've called me fearless, I always go, "Uh-uh, no, I am full of fears. In fact, I'm wracked with fears on a daily basis from going into the subway to elevators. I'm filled with fears." But I won't let them stop me. I just don't like being presented with a challenge that I won't at least try to win. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Paulina Porizkova on aging, model lessons and embracing gray hair By Vladimir Soldatkin and Andrew Osborn MOSCOW (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin told Western countries on Thursday they risked provoking a nuclear war if they sent troops to fight in Ukraine, warning that Moscow had the weapons to strike targets in the West. The war in Ukraine has triggered the worst crisis in Moscow's relations with the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. Putin has previously spoken of the dangers of a direct confrontation between NATO and Russia, but his nuclear warning on Thursday was one of his most explicit. Addressing lawmakers and other members of the country's elite, Putin, 71, repeated his accusation that the West was bent on weakening Russia, and he suggested Western leaders did not understand how dangerous their meddling could be in what he cast as Russia's own internal affairs. He prefaced his nuclear warning with a specific reference to an idea, floated by French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday, of European NATO members sending ground troops to Ukraine - a suggestion that was quickly rejected by the United States, Germany, Britain and others. "(Western nations) must realise that we also have weapons that can hit targets on their territory. All this really threatens a conflict with the use of nuclear weapons and the destruction of civilisation. Don't they get that?!" said Putin. Speaking ahead of a March 15-17 presidential election when he is certain to be re-elected for another six-year term, he lauded what he said was Russia's vastly modernised nuclear arsenal, the largest in the world. "Strategic nuclear forces are in a state of full readiness," he said, noting that new-generation hypersonic nuclear weapons he first spoke about in 2018 had either been deployed or were at a stage where development and testing were being completed. Visibly angry, Putin suggested Western politicians recall the fate of those like Nazi Germany's Adolf Hitler and France's Napoleon Bonaparte who had unsuccessfully invaded Russia in the past. "But now the consequences will be far more tragic," said Putin. "They think it (war) is a cartoon," he said, accusing Western politicians of forgetting what real war meant because they had not faced the same security challenges as Russians had in the last three decades. MORE TROOPS FOR WESTERN BORDER Russian forces now had the initiative on the battlefield in Ukraine and were advancing in several places, Putin said. Russia must also boost the troops it has deployed along its western borders with the European Union after Finland and Sweden decided to join the NATO military alliance, he added. The veteran Kremlin leader dismissed Western suggestions that Russian forces might go beyond Ukraine and attack European countries as "nonsense". He also said Moscow would not repeat the mistake of the Soviet Union and allow the West to "drag" it into an arms race that would eat up too much of its budget. "Therefore, our task is to develop the defence-industrial complex in such a way as to increase the scientific, technological and industrial potential of the country," he said. Putin said Moscow was open to discussions on nuclear strategic stability with the United States but suggested that Washington had no genuine interest in such talks and was more focused on making false claims about Moscow's alleged aims. "Recently there have been more and more unsubstantiated accusations against Russia, for example that we are allegedly going to deploy nuclear weapons in space. Such innuendo... is a ploy to draw us into negotiations on their terms, which are favourable only to the United States," he said. "...On the eve of the U.S. presidential election, they simply want to show their citizens and everyone else that they still rule the world." (Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin, Andrew Osborn, Mark Trevelyan, Felix Light, Alexander Marrow, Filipp Lebedev, Olzhas Auyezov and Lucy Papachristou; Writing by Andrew Osborn; Editing by Gareth Jones) In the Texas Panhandle, the Smokehouse Creek Fire that broke out earlier this week has since extended to nearly 1.1 million acres, firefighters said Thursday, quickly becoming the "largest and most destructive" in state history. The historic blaze has now merged with another wildfire to stretch across a huge swath of the Panhandle. As of Friday, the fire located in Hutchinson County was about 1.078 million acres and just 15% contained, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service. Lampposts have been melted, power line posts are split in half and homes and properties have been reduced to charred remains. "This is now both the largest and most destructive fire in Texas history," the West Odessa Volunteer Fire Department wrote on Facebook. "It is also the second largest wildfire in U.S. history." Multiple vehicles and multiple residences are seen destroyed by the Smokehouse Creek Fire in Canadian, Texas, on Feb. 29, 2024. / Credit: David Erickson / AP Texas Gov. Greg Abbott told reporters the destruction from the fires doesn't compare to the aftermath of other natural disasters. "When you look at the damages that have occurred here, it's just gone, completely gone, nothing left but ashes on the ground, so those who are affected by this have gone through utter devastation," Abbott said during a news conference Friday. "They are going through challenges that others cannot comprehend." About 400 to 500 structures have so far been destroyed in the fires, Abbott said. The nearby 687 Reamer Fire that started in the same county has now "burned into this fire," the Forest Service said. A map from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service shows that the merged blazes, as well as the nearby Windy Deuce fire, stretch nearly halfway across the Texas Panhandle. As of Thursday night, the Windy Deuce Fire had reached an estimated 142,000 acres and was 55% contained. And the spread may not be over. The agency said Thursday that "the potential for wildfire activity will increase again" this weekend "due to strong winds and dry fuels." "Strong winds and warm temperatures have resulted in grasses drying across many portions of Texas," Wes Moorehead, Texas A&M Forest Service Fire Chief said, further warning those celebrating Texas Independence Day on Saturday to refrain from using fireworks or doing other activities near dry grasses that could support wildfire activity. "Tomorrow's going to be a bad fire day," Nim Kidd, chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, said Friday. At least two people have died in the Smokehouse Creek Fire. One person died in Hutchinson County, a county official told CBS Texas on Wednesday night. The victim's grandson confirmed the death to CBS News, identifying the victim as 83-year-old Joyce Blankenship. On Thursday, Texas Highway Patrol confirmed that a female driver traveling down a road in Hemphill County suffered burns after exiting her truck. She was discovered by a passerby and rushed by ambulance to an Oklahoma hospital, where she died, highway patrol said. Her name was not immediately released. Abbott said Friday the heroic response by firefighters prevented others from dying. "Many more people would have lost their lives had it not been for fearless firefighters who put their lives on the line some of whom were injured in the line of duty working tirelessly to respond and beat back these damaging flames," Abbott said. In some areas, Texas first responders contended with snow and frigid conditions Thursday. Firefighters from across the state have responded to provide assistance. President Biden, who was visiting the southern Texas border Thursday, told reporters that he has directed his team to do "everything possible to help protect the people in the communities threatened by these fires." Mr. Biden said that 500 federal personnel had already been deployed to the Panhandle, with more on the way. Some residents were returning to their communities to find what was left of their homes and lives. "Where the fire was, I figured I was alright," said Jerry Harrah of Fritch, which is located in the center of the Texas Panhandle. "Until I turned around, and it was right across the street from me. And I got burned trying to get out of there." Tyler McCain's family got out just hours before their Fritch home burned to the ground. They lost just about everything. The family is now staying at a home offered to them by a stranger on Facebook. "We're in that Airbnb until Monday," McCain said. "After that, we've got to figure out what we're doing, day by day." On Wednesday, the Forest Service increased the state's wildland fire preparedness level to a 3 out of 5, meaning that "wildfire activity is impacting several regions of the state as the result of drought, dry vegetation or frequent fire weather events." There are at least five active wildfires throughout the state, with the Smokehouse Creek Fire being the largest by far. Other active wildfires include the Grape Vine Creek Fire in Gray County, which has reached 30,000 acres, and the Magenta Fire in Oldham Count, now at 2,500 acres. The Smokehouse Creek Fire had reached historic levels after just a few days. Previously, the biggest fire to ever ignite in Texas had been 2006's East Amarillo Complex Fire, which grew to more than 907,000 acres. The fire also destroyed most of the historic $180 million Turkey Track Ranch, which was home to "one of the largest and bloodiest battles of the Great Plains" near the end of the Civil War, and the site of the Red River War that started in 1874. The property, one of the oldest ranches in the state that covers roughly 80,000 acres, has seen an estimated 80% of its pastures, plains and creek bottom burned in the fire, CBS affiliate KHOU-TV reports. "The loss of livestock, crops and wildlife, as well as ranch fencing and other infrastructure throughout our property as well as other ranches and homes across the region is, we believe, unparalleled in our history," the owners said in a statement. "...We are all completely devastated and personally heartbroken by the magnitude of this horrific event." On February 26, the Smokehouse Creek Fire in Hutchinson County ignited in rough terrain and unfavorable weather conditions. Today, the fire is an estimated 500,000 acres, making it the second largest wildfire in Texas history. pic.twitter.com/1txF4dLmD8 Texas A&M Forest Service (@TXForestService) February 28, 2024 The Forest Service said the Smokehouse Creek Fire is part of a multiday wildfire outbreak across Texas and Oklahoma. The fires temporarily shut down Pantex, the main facility that puts together the country's nuclear arsenal, but the facility, located about 30 miles east of the Panhandle city of Amarillo, is back to "normal day shift operations." No damage or issues were reported. Wildfires as a whole are anticipated to only worsen as the world continues to burn fossil fuels that release planet-warming greenhouse gases. Last year, scientists at Climate Central released a report finding that wildfire seasons in the U.S. are "lengthening and intensifying, particularly in the West." In this handout photo provided by the Texas A&M Forest Service, flames cross a road in the Smokehouse Creek fire on the evening of Feb. 27, 2024, in the Texas Panhandle. The blaze has grown to more than 850,000 acres since igniting Monday, making it the second-largest wildfire in Texas state history. / Credit: Texas A&M Forest Service/Getty Images Abbott issued a disaster declaration for 60 Texas counties on Tuesday to secure resources to help fight the massive blazes. High temperatures and dry and windy conditions all of which are expected to become a more frequent and intense problem as global temperatures rise contributed to the spread of the flames, Abbott said, with those conditions expected to remain for at least a few days. A satellite image taken on Feb. 28, 2024, shows overviews of the extent to which towns have been impacted by the fire. / Credit: Satellite image 2024 Maxar Technologies "These conditions could increase the potential for these wildfires to grow larger and more dangerous," the governor said. "Texans are urged to limit activities that could create sparks and take precautions to keep their loved ones safe." Before Tresea Rancin escaped the Smokehouse Creek Fire, she watched as her home of 38 years in the town of Canadian went up in flames. "I was Facetiming with my son, who is in the service, and he said 'Mom leave,'" Rancin told CBS News. Rankin says she will rebuild. "You got a choice, you can either get bitter or get better, and I'm getting better," she said. As fast-moving flames quickly spread over the dried grassland, cattle ranchers near the town of Sinton released livestock to escape the flames. Several school districts in the Texas Panhandle were closed Wednesday, and residents who didn't get out in time were being told to shelter in place. "We asked them to leave because it's a very dangerous situation," Ellis County Sheriff Shane Booth said. The Smokehouse Creek Fire has burned more than 31,000 acres in Oklahoma as of Thursday, according to Oklahoma Forestry Services. At least 13 homes in Oklahoma have also been destroyed, according to the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management. Public information map of the Smokehouse Creek Fire showing an estimated 500,000 acres as of Feb. 28, 2024. This is a preliminary perimeter and subject to change. / Credit: Texas A&M Forest Service/Facebook Today, several states, including Texas, have two additional months of fire weather compared to what was experienced in 1973, the group found. A combination of low humidity, hot temperatures and wind promotes the spread of wildfires. "Human-caused climate change accounts for at least two-thirds of the rapid increase in fire weather in the western U.S. in recent decades," Climate Central says. While temperatures were expected to be cooler in north Texas in the middle of this week, the National Weather Service says that warmer conditions will return by Friday, with temperatures 10 to 20 degrees above normal. However, some additional moisture is also expected and the service says that there could be some rain as early as Sunday. Dave Malkoff and Alex Sundby contributed to this report. Texas Smokehouse Creek Fire becomes second-largest wildfire in U.S. history Sierra Nevada braces for "potentially life-threatening" blizzard with up to 12 feet of snow "CBS Evening News" headlines for Friday, March 1, 2024 Hunter Biden went directly after the Republicans who have pursued him in their impeachment investigation over the past year, accusing GOP lawmakers in his closed-door deposition on Wednesday of peddling baseless and MAGA-motivated conspiracies about my father. Kicking off his highly anticipated testimony, President Joe Bidens son delivered an opening statement that defended his father and attacked the Republican-led impeachment inquiry, issuing a defiant message ahead of hours of interrogation. For more than a year, your committees have hunted me in your partisan political pursuit of my dad, Hunter Biden said, according to a copy of his opening statement. You have trafficked in innuendo, distortion, and sensationalism all the while ignoring the clear and convincing evidence staring you in the face. You do not have evidence to support the baseless and MAGA-motivated conspiracies about my father because there isnt any. Hunter Biden arrived at 10 a.m. ET for his closed-door deposition before the House Oversight and Judiciary committees. It wrapped shortly after 4:30 p.m. ET. During breaks in the hearing, Democrats and Republicans offered their spin on the proceedings not surprisingly offering diametrically opposed views on what was being asked and answered behind closed doors. House Oversight Chairman James Comer, a Kentucky Republican, said Wednesday morning that Hunter Bidens appearance is a big day but also that it didnt mark the end of his investigation even as the impeachment inquiry is facing serious skepticism within the GOP conference as it has failed to turn up evidence implicating President Joe Biden and a key allegation about bribery was discredited. Comer told reporters Wednesday afternoon that the next phase of the House impeachment inquiry would be a public hearing with Hunter Biden. Here are key takeaways so far from Hunter Bidens deposition: Hunter doesnt mince words attacking GOP Hunter Bidens opening statement at Wednesdays deposition served two purposes: He made clear his father was not involved in his business and he took a swipe at Republicans who have accused him and his father of corruption. I am here today to provide the committees with the one uncontestable fact that should end the false premise of this inquiry: I did not involve my father in my business, Hunter Biden said. Hunter Biden accused Republicans of pursuing a baseless and destructive political charade, charging that the impeachment investigation was built on an entire partisan house of cards on lies. Among those the presidents son pointed to was ex-FBI informant Alexander Smirnov, who was charged earlier this month for lying to the FBI about a Ukrainian company paying millions of dollars in bribes to Joe and Hunter Biden. The indictment was a significant blow to the GOP investigation as Republicans had been touting the unverified allegations from the ex-informant as a key rationale for the inquiry. Hunter Biden acknowledged in his statement that he had made mistakes, pointing to his battle with addiction. Hes also facing federal tax and gun charges stemming from a years-long investigation by David Weiss, the US attorney for Delaware who was appointed as special counsel last year. To be clear, I have made mistakes in my life, and I have squandered opportunities and privileges that were afforded to me. I know that. I am responsible for that. And I am making amends for that, Hunter Biden said. But my mistakes and shortcomings are my own and not my fathers, who has done nothing but devote his entire life to public service and trying to make this country a better place to live. Whats happening inside the room? Depends who you ask During the first break in the closed-door deposition, lawmakers from both parties took turns at the cameras outside the hearing room to offer their spin on what was occurring inside. The Democrats went first, taking turns accusing the Republicans of wasting government resources pursuing the impeachment inquiry and embarrassing themselves with their questions of the presidents son. What we saw I think was a rather embarrassing spectacle, where the Republicans continue to belabor completely trivial points they seem to be obsessively focused on, said Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee. Rep. Jamie Raskin speaks during to the press alongside other Democratic Representatives during a break in the closed-door deposition of Hunter Biden on Wednesday. - Samuel Corum/Getty Images After the interview wrapped, Democrats claimed that it marked the end of the impeachment inquiry. Raskin said the deposition was much ado about nothing. The Biden impeachment investigation is over and we just witnessed its last breath, said Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell of California. After six-plus hours of Hunter Biden testifying, we learned absolutely nothing. Republicans, of course, had a different take. GOP Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina spoke to reporters at the first break, saying that Hunter Biden was being defiant and dishonest. She added that some of his answers were in direct conflict with other witnesses, though she would not elaborate on what she was referring to. In the afternoon, Comer said that the interview proved several bits of our evidence that weve been conducting. I think this is a great deposition for us, he said. But there are also some contradictory statements that I think need further review. GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia criticized Hunter Biden for how he characterized his past struggles with drug addiction while also touting his previous business experience as she left the interview. When pressure was placed on Hunter Biden he swung back to being, you know, a poor, pitiful addict. And then when he wanted to brag about things he was the smartest and most successful businessman in the room, Greene said. Hunter Biden attorney Abbe Lowell told reporters after the deposition that Republicans have produced no evidence to support allegations that Joe Biden benefited from his sons business dealings. Lowell also criticized Republicans for going after Hunters drug addiction during the deposition. It seems to me that the Republican members wanted to spend more time talking about my clients addiction than they could ask any question that had anything to do with what they call their impeachment inquiry. So as I said before, there is no evidence because there is no evidence. And today confirmed that, Lowell said. He added in a statement that his clients testimony before lawmakers should put an end to this political charade. The transcripts of witnesses who have been called to date, including Hunters, makes it obvious that there is nothing left to ask, answer, say, or do, Lowell said. This illegitimate inquiry should have ended long before their star witness was indicted for lying but it wasnt. The black-and-white viewpoints out of the Hunter Biden interview arent likely to change even with a transcript of the closed-door interview expected to be released quickly, potentially as soon within 24 hours. Hunter raises questions about Jared Kushner, Trumps son-in-law Democrats leaving Hunter Bidens deposition said the presidents son raised the double standard of Republicans investigating his business dealings but turning a blind eye to members of the Trump family like Jared Kushner, whose company received a $2 billion investment from Saudi Arabia after leaving the Trump White House. I think [Hunter Biden] may be a little bit frustrated by some of the double standards relating to Jared Kushner and money that has been just openly pocketed by Donald Trump in office, and Jared Kushner, of course, brought back $2 billion from Saudi Arabia. And all of that has been part of the conversation, and he was assertive about that, Raskin said. Hunter Bidens criticism mirrors one of Democrats complaints about the impeachment inquiry, in which Republicans have criticized Hunter Biden for profiting off of his fathers elected position. Raskin and Democratic Rep. Dan Goldman of New York said that Republicans asked Hunter Biden why he put his father on speakerphone when he was with his business associates. I think, to the resonance of a lot of people in the room on a bipartisan basis that people do that. People say, Hey, Dad, will you say hello to my friends? Mom, will you say hello to, you know, my colleagues are here? Dropping in and that was it, Raskin said. Goldman added: Hunter Biden was very clear that they never involved any discussions of business, in part because his dad was never involved in his business, and they never discussed it. Its been a very civil deposition, said Rep. Jared Moskowitz, a Florida Democrat, who said there nevertheless have been been a couple of dust ups here and there. Comer says public hearing next step The GOP committees and Hunter Bidens legal team negotiated for months over the terms of the interview. The Republicans ultimately agreed not to have the interview videotaped which they have done for other interviews as a condition for Hunter Biden to appear behind closed doors. The concession was just one indication that Hunter Bidens testimony is a key part of the impeachment investigation. Obviously, this is a big day, Comer said before entering the hearing room Wednesday morning. Just before the interview wrapped Wednesday afternoon, Comer emerged to say that the committees next step would be to hold a public hearing with Hunter Biden. This impeachment inquiry will now go to the next phase which will be a public hearing, he told reporters Wednesday afternoon. Comer has previously said that the impeachment inquiry will continue after the Hunter Biden deposition though he suggested Wednesday that hes ready to begin closing the probe. There doesnt appear to be enough support in the GOP conference to support articles of impeachment against President Biden, where Republicans would need near unanimous support with a razor-thin majority in the House. As long as we keep getting new information in, were going to continue to pursue. Im ready to try to begin to close this investigation Comer said. Comer said he plans to issue a final report and hold a public hearing. This story has been updated with additional developments. CNNs Aileen Graef contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw testifies at a Texas Senate hearing at the state capitol on 21 June 2022 (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw testified before a Uvalde grand jury as part of an investigation into the failed police response to the Robb Elementary School shooting. The grand jury , which was formed in January, is working to determine whether criminal charges should be brought against law enforcement officers for their role in the tragedy. On 24 May 2022, a shooter walked into the Uvalde elementary school and killed 19 children and two adults. Police arrived on the scene within three minutes, but took more than an hour to confront the shooter. A Department of Justice report released in January condemned the police response as a failure. Officers demonstrated no urgency, and cascading failures of leadership, decision-making, tactics, policy and training may have allowed more victims to die than otherwise would have, it stated. The victims and survivors of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School deserved better, Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement. The law enforcement response at Robb Elementary on May 24, 2022 and the response by officials in the hours and days after was a failure. As a consequence of failed leadership, training, and policies, 33 students and three of their teachers many of whom had been shot were trapped in a room with an active shooter for over an hour as law enforcement officials remained outside. Reggie Daniels pays his respects a memorial at Robb Elementary School, 9 June 2022, in Uvalde, Texas (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) On Wednesday morning, Mr McCraw flew into Uvalde to appear before the grand jury, KSAT reported. Details of his testimony are not known, as grand jury proceedings in Texas are conducted in secret. In the wake of the Robb Elementary School shooting, Mr McCraw blamed local police officers for the abject failure of a response and vowed to resign if he or any of his state officers were found to have any culpability for the botched response, the Texas Tribune reported. But he later walked back that promise, even as calls for his resignation particularly from victims families reached a fever pitch. If DPS as an institution as an institution failed the families, failed the school or failed the community of Uvalde, then absolutely I need to go, he said. But I can tell you this right now: DPS as an institution, right now, did not fail the community plain and simple. In the DOJ report last month, DPS and Mr McCraw himself did not escape blame for their role in the shooting response. Nearly 400 police officers responded to the shooting, 91 of which were from DPS. The department has faced continued criticism for its actions in the aftermath of the tragedy. More than a dozen news outlets have sued DPS for refusing to release public records related to the shooting. DPS conducted its own investigation into seven of the officers who responded to the shooting, ultimately firing two of them, with a third reportedly resigning before the investigation was completed. David Stewart and his family have chosen different cruise lines for different stages of life. When his two kids were younger, the Long Island, New York-based 55-year-old's family sailed with Disney Cruise Line, but when the kids hit their teen years, Stewart picked Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean International which he felt had the best blend of offerings for adolescents and adults, from teen programming to the casinos. The itineraries and ships the lines offer also influence their choice, said Stewart, who has been on 10 cruises both on family trips and with his wife, Susan. "You have to also know what your family and your kids like," he added. First-time cruisers: 3 things to know before stepping foot on the ship Cruise deal: Oceania Cruises offering free land add-ons to 2023 sailings Knowing what you want out of a trip is an important part of choosing a cruise line and voyage. And while many lines have something for everyone, they are distinct. "Every cruise line is different," said Mike Harris, director of sales at travel agency The Cruise Web. "They have different personalities." Here is a guide to cruise lines for each vacation type: Best cruise line for family vacations Michelle Fee, CEO of the travel agency franchise network Cruise Planners, recommended Norwegian Cruise Line for families, as they have "an array of things to do on board," such as go-kart tracks, bowling alleys or and virtual reality experiences. She noted, however, that "not all ships are created equal," and amenities and programs can vary, so be sure to check those when you book. Norwegian's The Haven, the line's luxe ship-within-a-ship concept that has a dedicated restaurant and bar, among other perks, also makes the line particularly well-suited to multigenerational families, Fee said. Grandparents, for instance, could stay there, while the rest of the family stays elsewhere, and they all can meet for dinner in the evening. Royal Caribbean also has plenty to offer families, Fee added, both on board and at its destination in the Bahamas, Perfect Day at CocoCay, where passengers can ride water slides and take in views from a helium balloon as well as relax. Other family options include Carnival Cruise Line and Disney Cruise Line. Contemporary lines such as Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, and MSC Cruises also have kids programs that are generally included in the fare, said Harris. Bruce Powell, CEO and lead travel adviser at BWP Travel, also recommended Princess Cruises for families. While he said the brand is not always marketed to families the way some others are, they do feature offerings like kid-friendly shows. He said, "it's like a little bit of everything, so it's great for multi-generational families." Best cruise line for adventures and thrills Travelers looking for adventure may want to consider expedition ships and lines that offer sailings to less common destinations, such as Antarctica. Fee recommended lines such as Viking, Silversea Cruises and Celebrity Cruises, which has a vessel designed specifically for the Galapagos Islands. "You go to the Galapagos, it's a completely different experience on Celebrity than it is taking a Celebrity cruise to the Caribbean," she said. 'Was it worth the risk? I don't think so': What it's like to cruise with fewer COVID rules Expedition cruising in Alaska: How to see the wilder, less visited side of the 49th state However, you can choose your own adventure on any number of lines in the form of excursions. When ships stop at different ports in Alaska, for instance, Fee noted, travelers can take a helicopter ride and land on a glacier, or go dog sledding. Harris also said that thrills can be relative to the person seeking them out and take different forms, even going on a giant water slide. Best cruise line for letting loose If you are looking to let loose, Fee noted Virgin Voyages offers adults-only sailings and a different kind of onboard experience, with late-night parties on deck. There is also no main dining room, with a focus instead on a variety of different food and drinks. Guests can also find a party atmosphere on other lines, such as Carnival.But the length of the sailing and the time of year play a role in a cruise's vibe, Harris said. "If you're going on a shorter cruise, a three, four-day cruise out of Florida, that's going to tend to have more of a party atmosphere on board," he said. A cruise during spring break will also have a different atmosphere than if a traveler sailed the same itinerary in November, Harris added. Parties can take different forms too. Cunard, Powell noted, hosts formal gala nights. "Cruising is all about having fun, and you'll find that each ship kind of tailors the events around their key demographic," he said. Story continues below. Best cruise lines for rest and relaxation When it comes to a more relaxing trip, Fee said, travelers may want to consider a more upscale line. Guests will likely find a focus on immersion into destinations, with menus that may be from acclaimed chefs, rather than rock-climbing walls or ice-skating rinks. Silversea, Viking, Seabourn, Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Oceania Cruises are all in that category, according to Fee. However, Harris noted that contemporary lines also have adult-only areas where grown-ups can get away, and luxury and contemporary lines alike have "pretty high-quality amenities" like spas and salons. Best lines for river cruising River cruising offers a more intimate way to travel. Fee said guests can get up close and personal with villages and cities along the water in a different way. "You're not walking off a ship with 5,000 of your closest friends," she said. "You know, it's a couple hundred people." Highlights of a Burgundy, France, river cruise: World-famous wine, Dijon mustard from taps A large ship with personalized service: Sun Princess ship to join Princess Cruises fleet in 2024 Harris said river cruising is "very small-scale and destination-focused," and the latter is likely to be reflected in the onboard experience. For example, lines may bring local wines and beers on board, he said. Fee recommended lines such as Viking, AmaWaterways, Avalon Waterways and Uniworld. What type of cruising do you prefer? Why? This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Taking a vacation? Your guide to cruise lines for every kind of trip Former President Trump asked a federal appeals court Tuesday to toss nearly $1 million in sanctions against him and his attorneys after a judge found a lawsuit brought against Hillary Clinton and other defendants was without merit. In a filing in the Atlanta-based 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Trumps lawyers argued that a federal judges order dismissing a lawsuit in 2022 and further ordering sanctions in 2023 against Trump and his attorneys were not justified. They also argue the sanctions violated due process and was an abuse of discretion. The district court made a clear error and abused its discretion in finding that Appellants acted in bad faith, and in imposing almost $1 million in inherent authority sanctions, the appeal stated. U.S. District Judge Donald Middlebrooks, an appointee of former President Clinton, sanctioned Trump and his legal team more than $900,000 in a January 2023 order for what he described as a continuing pattern of misusing the court. This case should never have been brought. Its inadequacy as a legal claim was evident from the start. No reasonable lawyer would have filed it. Intended for a political purpose, none of the counts of the amended complaint stated a cognizable legal claim, Middlebrooks wrote last year. The sanctions came after the same judge dismissed a lawsuit in 2022 brought by Trump against his 2016 political opponent Hillary Clinton and several others. The lawsuit alleged the defendants orchestrated a malicious conspiracy to disseminate patently false and injurious information about Trump and his campaign. The former president claimed the conspiracy was conducted all in the hopes of destroying his life, his political career and rigging the 2016 Presidential Election in favor of Hillary Clinton. Middlebrooks said at the time that the lawsuit was a political manifesto. Attorneys for Clinton declined to comment. The Hill has reached out to Trumps legal team and his campaign for comment. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Over 50 area residents attend a speakout and vigil event for Nex Benedict, a non-binary youth who recently died, in front of New Haven City Hall in downtown New Haven, Conn., on Thursday February 29, 2024. Christian Abraham/Hearst Connecticut Media Activist Kirill Stalko, with PeerPride, leads a speakout and vigil event for Nex Benedict, a non-binary youth who recently died, in front of New Haven City Hall in downtown New Haven, Conn., on Thursday February 29, 2024. Christian Abraham/Hearst Connecticut Media A speakout and vigil event for Nex Benedict, a non-binary youth who recently died, is held in front of New Haven City Hall in downtown New Haven, Conn., on Thursday February 29, 2024. Christian Abraham/Hearst Connecticut Media Aqua Lake attends a speakout and vigil event for Nex Benedict, a non-binary youth who recently died, in front of New Haven City Hall in downtown New Haven, Conn., on Thursday February 29, 2024. Christian Abraham/Hearst Connecticut Media Activists Nox, left, and Nika Hyde hold a banner promoting trans rights during a speakout and vigil event for Nex Benedict, a non-binary youth who recently died, in front of New Haven City Hall in downtown New Haven, Conn., on Thursday February 29, 2024. Christian Abraham/Hearst Connecticut Media Activist Tmo Lawson-Dickerson, with CityWide Youth Coalition and New Haven Pride Center, speaks during a speakout and vigil event for Nex Benedict, a non-binary youth who recently died, in front of New Haven City Hall in downtown New Haven, Conn., on Thursday February 29, 2024. Christian Abraham/Hearst Connecticut Media Over 50 local residents came out to attend a speakout and vigil event for Nex Benedict, a non-binary youth who recently died, in front of New Haven City Hall in downtown New Haven, Conn., on Thursday February 29, 2024. Christian Abraham/Hearst Connecticut Media Claire Gallagher attends a speakout and vigil event for Nex Benedict, a non-binary youth who recently died, in front of New Haven City Hall in downtown New Haven, Conn., on Thursday February 29, 2024. Christian Abraham/Hearst Connecticut Media A speakout and vigil event is held for Nex Benedict, a non-binary youth who recently died, in front of New Haven City Hall in downtown New Haven, Conn., on Thursday February 29, 2024. Christian Abraham/Hearst Connecticut Media NEW HAVEN On the steps of city hall, a small group of advocates and community members gathered to honor the life of Nex Benedict, a 16-year-old non-binary teen who died a few weeks ago in Oklahoma. Speakers shared personal stories of transphobic discrimination, called for more action to protect trans youths and mourned the loss of a young member of the community. "We are here today to remember the life and to speak our pain, and our outrage about the murder of Nex Benedict who is an indigenous, trans child whose murder falls directly on the shoulders of the adults who pushed their life aside and did not do anything to support them when they needed the support but instead demonize them and also legislated their existence," said Kirill Stalko, program coordinator for Trans Haven and PeerPride, two of the many co-sponsors of the vigil. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Owasso Police said Benedict, who uses they/them pronouns, suffered severe head injuries after an altercation with three girls on Feb. 7 at Owasso High School. They collapsed and died the next day. The Associated Press reported that the girls attacked Benedict for pouring water on them. However, Benedict's mother said Benedict began experiencing bullying at the beginning of the 2023 school year. Based on the preliminary results of the autopsy, Owasso Police said Benedict's death was not the result of injuries suffered in the fight but told NBC News that it hadn't ruled the fight out as a contributing factor. At the vigil, T'Mo Lawson-Dickerson, director of political education at Citywide Youth Coalition Inc., described how Benedict had just turned 16 less than a month before their death. Lawson-Dickerson, who uses they/she pronouns, shared how Benedict was a lover of art, was fond of their cat, Zeus, and had the right to grow old. They called on the crowd to use their anger to inspire action. Advertisement Article continues below this ad "We here can never understand the true impact that Nex had on their family, their friends in their community and the love that they had for them and that they have for now. Nex is more than a number on a statistic chart," they said. "Nex is more than just another name or photo added to this list of queer people who have lost their lives just living and walking this earth as themselves. Nex is a human being that matters, they all matter." Other speakers at the New Haven vigil discussed how Connecticut is often considered a "safe haven" for trans individuals; however, they still face many instances of transphobia in the workplace and at schools. Ronan Hernsdorf-Smith, a 19-year-old trans youth, said that he faced a lot of transphobic harassment because of his gender identity while studying at a Connecticut high school. Although he had reached out to the school staff and the adults around him, Hernsdorf-Smith, who uses he/they pronouns, said he was never given the necessary support. Now, as a youth coordinator for Trans Haven, Hernsdorf-Smith said he often works with trans youths who don't believe that they would reach the age of 18, something he believed about himself too. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Other speakers shared stories about some of the difficulties accessing gender-affirming health care and the harassment they've faced trying to live authentically. Meanwhile, others detailed how they moved their lives to Connecticut in hopes of being able to live authentically but still face discrimination and barriers. "How are we supposed to continue our lives as normal while these atrocities are happening? Nex deserved to live a long and happy life, not to have that stripped away because of the adults in their life tossing them aside," Hernsdorf-Smith said. "It's all of our responsibilities to fight for the trans community." New Haven's vigil was just one of many community-organized events being held across the country in memory of Benedict. Vigils have been held across the country, including in Oklahoma, Boston, Minneapolis, New York and Southern California in the days following their death. Hartford hosted a vigil at the state Capitol Wednesday night and featured speeches from advocates, students and lawmakers. Speakers from across the state shared stories of experiencing discrimination and called for better legislative protections for LGBTQ+ youths. Advertisement Article continues below this ad "When I heard about that death, it was like a death in my own family," Gov. Ned Lamont said at the Hartford vigil. "And I think that's how we should all feel. And I want all the kids to feel that you're all like our family, and you have a right to be who you want to be. And we respect you and we love you for it." Although there was an event the previous night, Stalko noted that the goal of the New Haven vigil was to create a space specifically for the community to grieve, express their anger and move forward to action. For example, after the vigil, the crowd was ushered to an indoor gathering with hot chocolate at the Citywide Youth Coalition Inc. office to let participants warm up and support each other. A beach in Cancun, Mexico The U.S. has issued a travel warning for Mexico ahead of spring break. The U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Mexico posted a range of potential threats for Americans traveling to the country, including crime, drugs and sexual assault. It said travelers should be aware that crime can occur anywhere in Mexico, especially in tourist destinations. "Travelers should maintain a high level of situational awareness, avoid areas where illicit activities occur, and promptly depart from potentially dangerous situations," said the advisory. "U.S. citizens should exercise increased caution in the downtown areas of popular spring break locations including Cancun, Playa Del Carmen, and Tulum, especially after dark." The advisory also issued a warning about alcohol and pharmaceuticals in the country. It said unregulated alcohol in Mexico could be contaminated, as some U.S. citizens have reported "losing consciousness or becoming injured after consuming alcohol that was possibly tainted." The same was said for pharmaceuticals, as counterfeit medication is common in the country. The drugs could be the wrong strength or contain dangerous ingredients. The U.S. says medication should be purchased in consultation with a medical professional and from reputable establishments. The U.S. also cautioned that drug possession and use in Mexico, including marijuana, is illegal and could result in a lengthy jail sentence. "U.S. citizens have become seriously ill or died in Mexico after using synthetic drugs or adulterated prescription pills," said the advisory. The message also warned that U.S. citizens have been victims of rape and sexual assault in Mexico, warning that perpetrators "may target inebriated or isolated individuals or may employ drugs that alter the victim's physical or mental state." The advisory further cautioned against activity in Mexico that could result in an arrest, including drunk and disorderly behavior, public urination, open alcohol containers in vehicles, and gun possession which includes even small amounts of ammunition. The U.S. offered some safety tips for travelers to behave responsibly, watch their drinks, and stay with a group of friends who keep your safety in mind. The U.S. also said to stay mindful of warning flags at beaches, and avoid swimming with strong undercurrents or rip tides to prevent injuries or drownings. In the event of a medical emergency, the U.S. suggests travelers ensure their health insurance includes care in Mexico or purchase travel insurance. Click here for the full travel advisory. In this National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) handout, an opening is seen in the fuselage of Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 Boeing 737-9 MAX on January 7, 2024 in Portland, Oregon. A door-sized section near the rear of the Boeing 737-9 MAX plane blew off 10 minutes after Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 took off from Portland, Oregon on January 5 on its way to Ontario, California. - Handout/NTSB/Getty Images Boeing faces yet another federal probe over its 737 Max door plug blowout, this one by the Justice Department, an investigation that could expose it to criminal liability. Justice is reviewing whether deficiencies found in the wake the door plug blowout on a 737 Max flight last month violate a deferred prosecution agreement that Boeing signed with the government three years ago following two Max fatal crashes, according to a person familiar with the investigation. Prosecutors are looking at whether the latest troubles at Boeing are covered under the previous deal under which Boeing paid $2.5 billion to settle allegations that Boeing defrauded the Federal Aviation Administration during the initial certification process for the 737 Max. The investigation was first reported by The New York Times and Bloomberg. The reported probe adds to a lengthy list of investigations into Boeings actions after part of an Alaska Airlines flight blew off the side of the plane on January 5. No one was seriously injured. The Justice review could expose Boeing to broader criminal liability if officials decide Boeing may have violated a controversial legal agreement that was due to expire on January 7, two days after the door plug incident. It was not immediately clear what part of the agreement Boeing may have violated. Boeing said it had no comment on the reports of the Justice investigation. Families of passengers who died in the 2018 and 2019 crashes of 737 Maxes the crashes that led to the deferred prosecution agreement tried to overturn the agreement, saying a federal victims law should have given them a say. In the days after the door plug incident on Alaska Airlines flight 1282, an attorney for the families asked the Justice Department to review whether Boeing violated the agreement. The agreement cost Boeing $2.5 billion in 2021, but most of that money $1.77 billion went to compensate the companys airline customers, money it had already agreed to pay for the 20-month grounding of the jets following the crashes. It also included a $243.6 million criminal fine and a $500 million to fund a compensation for family members of the crash victims. Boeing is subject to several other investigations stemming from the door plug incident. The FAA last month informed Boeing it is probing whether the company failed to ensure its planes conformed to its approved design and that they were in compliance with FAA safety regulations. The FAA is also completing an audit of Boeings manufacturing processes and a survey of Boeings employees. Wednesday the agency gave Boeing 90 days to produce a plan to fix serious quality and safety issues. The National Transportation Safety Board continues to investigate the door plug incident and recently reported that critical bolts that hold the door plug in place were not installed in Boeings factory. The NTSB has yet to determine blame or fault for the door plug incident on the Alaska Air flight. That will come later in its investigation, perhaps a year or more from now. But Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun told investors in January, We caused the problem, and we understand that. Whatever conclusions are reached, Boeing is accountable for what happened. A year-long FAA-commissioned panel review this week was sharply critical of the safety culture at Boeing, finding executives and employees are not on the same page about safety, and that employees fear retaliation for speaking up. This story has been updated with additional reporting and context. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com (Reuters) -The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is scrutinizing internal communications by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman as part of an investigation into whether the company's investors were misled, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday. The regulator has been seeking internal records from current and former officials and directors in the ChatGPT creator and sent a subpoena to the company in December, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter. The move followed former OpenAI board's decision in November to fire Altman as CEO and oust him from the board. The board of the non-profit startup at the time said it "concluded that he was not consistently candid in his communications with the board, hindering its ability to exercise its responsibilities." The Journal said some sources described the investigation as a predictable response to the former board's claim in its November statement. The report added that the SEC has not pointed to any specific statement or communication by Altman that it has deemed misleading, citing one source. Altman returned as CEO just days after his ouster, with OpenAI also unveiling a new initial board with former Salesforce co-CEO Bret Taylor as chair. SEC officials in New York have asked that some senior OpenAI executives preserve internal documents as they conduct the investigation, the WSJ reported. The probe comes as Altman is reportedly in talks to raise billions of dollars for a chip venture. OpenAI has also recently completed a deal that values the Microsoft-backed startup at $80 billion or more, the New York Times reported earlier this month. The SEC declined to comment on the possible investigation, while OpenAI and Microsoft did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment. (Reporting by Utkarsh Shetti in Bengaluru; Editing by Savio D'Souza, Rashmi Aich, Sonia Cheema and Shweta Agarwal) With Leap Day coming once every four years, many businesses are offering deals and freebies on this special day. On Thursday 29 February 2024, several American chains - including staples like 7-Eleven and Krispy Kreme - are celebrating Leap Day this year with special freebies and deals for customers. Leap Day doesnt happen every year, so there will be plenty of deals for everyone. Wendys is offering customers an exclusive, limited-time deal, having announced on Monday that fans can get a new menu item Cinnabon Pull-Apart for free during breakfast hours at their local Wendys restaurant. No previous purchase is necessary for the exclusive freebie. In a statement, Lindsay Radkoski, US chief marketing officer for The Wendys Company, said: As we celebrate our four-year breakfast anniversary with this new product, were offering sweet deals starting on Leap Day a day that only comes around every four years. Wendys isnt the only business offering a sweet treat for Leap Day. With a $10 minimum purchase for those dining at BJs, the restaurant is offering their famous Pizookies for $2.29. But thats not all on the cookie front, all week long Insomniac Cookies is offering customers - also known as Insomniacs - the opportunity to receive one free classic cookie with any six or 12-pack purchases. Popular donut drive-thru Krispy Kreme is offering customers their original glazed dozen with any purchase of a regularly priced dozen. Krispy Kreme is also offering a free original glazed dozen for anyone with a Leap Day birthday. Krispy Kreme says that proof of birthday is required. An extra day in the year is an irresistible opportunity for Krispy Kreme to be extra-sweet to our guests, Krispy Kreme global chief brand officer Dave Skena told USA Today. So, were sweetening Leap Day by the dozens, including for fans whose true birthday comes around only every four years. Potential customers also have the opportunity to get free guacamole from Chipotle, or a free piece of fish or chicken from Long John Silvers, using the promo code LEAP DAY for the latter. Another promo code LEAP 29 can be used at Marcos Pizza to receive 29 per cent off all menu-price pizzas through 3 March 2024. Meanwhile, 7-Eleven is offering customers any combination of five wings for $2.29 on Leap Day. If youre craving another option, Smoothie King customers can receive 29 per cent off purchases of 20-oz smoothies or larger at all locations if they spend $15 or more on Leap Day through the new Smoothie King Healthy Reward app. remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. Express your opinion! Fill out this form to submit a Letter to the Editor. Submit New York, US (PANA) - The UN Secretary-General said on Thursday he was appalled by the tragic human toll of the conflict in Gaza where more than 30,000 people have now reportedly been killed and over 70,000 injured YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 29, ARMENPRESS. Edmond Marukyan has submitted an application to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to dismiss from the post of Armenia's Ambassador-at-Large. "In a challenging period for our state and region, I undertook this mission with great responsibility and dedication. However, recently, the differences in our views on several fundamental foreign policy issues make it impossible for me to continue my participation in the foreign policy front. I assure you that I will continue to serve the state and the people, investing my knowledge and experience, as well as my international relations, in defending the national and state interests of the Republic of Armenia," Marukyan said on social media. The knives are out in the party's state unit, with several leaders demanding a leadership change in the hill state New Delhi: A day after six Congress MLAs voted in favour of the BJP candidate in the Rajya Sabha polls in Himachal Pradesh, the knives are out in the party's state unit, with several leaders demanding a leadership change in the hill state. As the fate of the Congress government led by chief minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu hangs in balance, the Congress observers -- former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Karnataka deputy chief minister D.K. Shivakumar -- are in Shimla speaking to all MLAs, including those who are disgruntled. The future course of action will be decided after they submit a comprehensive report to the high command of the Congress. Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly Jai Ram Thakur on Wednesday met governor Shiv Pratap Shukla. After the meeting, he said, The Congress is frustrated now Their government is in trouble not because of us but because of their own deeds. Mr Thakur told the media: The Congress has lost the mandate, is all I can say. Right now, the Congress government has no right to remain in power. The LoP stated that he had apprised the governor of what all happened in the last two days. In a jolt to the beleaguered ruling party in Himachal Pradesh, Congress MLA and urban development minister Vikramaditya Singh resigned on Wednesday from the state Cabinet. He is the son of Himachal Pradesh stalwart and former chief minister late Virbhadra Singh. His mother Pratibha Singh is a Lok Sabha MP and state Congress chief. Mr Singh said that he was pained to resign from the Congress. But he took this step out of frustration and humiliation. However, after meeting the Congress observers, Mr Singh said, "There is a difference between taking back the resignation and not pressing the resignation until the dialogue and the action of the observers are complete... We have talked to the observers. We have informed them about the present situation... I will not press my resignation until a decision is taken. The final decision will be taken soon..." However, the chief minister said that he would want Mr Singhto to continue and is not inclined to accept his resignation. Mr Sukhu asserted: "Despite the setback, I want to emphasise that the people of Himachal are with us, the MLAs are with us, and I can confidently state that we will lead the Himachal government for the next five years. The Congress rebels are seeking to install a person of their choice as the new chief minister of the state. Speaking to the media, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "The Congress will not hesitate to take some tough steps as the party is our priority and we will not let people's mandate be betrayed in Himachal Pradesh." During the day, the Assembly saw stormy sessions as 15 MLAs of the BJP were suspended by the Speaker for unruly behaviour. The remaining 10 MLAs of the BJP walked out and the state budget was passed, after which the House was adjourned sine die. Interestingly, Mr Singh voted for passing the budget on party lines. The six MLAs who cross-voted in the Assembly during the Rajya Sabha election have been given notice by the Assembly speaker for defying the official whip of the party. The Speaker has summoned them for a hearing. After the state budget was passed, Himachal Pradesh parliamentary affairs minister Harsh Vardhan Chauhan said, "The Congress government proved its majority today and passed the budget. Six rebel MLAs were also found absent today during the passing of the budget. I told the Speaker about this. We filed a petition yesterday to disqualify them and a hearing was held today... The Speaker will now take a decision on this..." Reacting sharply, Mr Thakur said, Now they are moving towards taking action against the MLAs who supported the BJP candidate. We will fight the battle." Meanwhile, Mr Hooda and Mr Shivakumar also met the Congress state unit chief, Mr Sukhu and deputy chief minister Mukush Agnihotri on Wednesday. After the meeting, Ms Singh said, You all know that after the formation of the government, some things were not going well. We had informed the party high command about this to resolve it. More than a year has passed, but no decision has been taken. Due to which we are facing such a situation now. Vikramaditya Singh has not resigned from the party. He has said that he has resigned, but the chief minister has not accepted it yet. This is for those who have come as observers. It's up to them to decide what to do about it... Let's see what happens." According to sources, the Congress in Himachal Pradesh has earned a temporary respite. If proper steps are not taken soon, the party may lose another state. In the 68-member Himachal Pradesh Assembly, the Congress has 40 MLAs, while the BJP has 25 legislators. The remaining three seats are held by Independents. Sheikh was later remanded in 10 days' police custody by a Basirhat court Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan, accused of sexual violence and land grabbing in Sandeshkhali village, being produced at the Basirhat court, in North 24 Parganas, Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. (PTI Photo) Kolkata: Elusive Trinamul Congress strongman Shahjahan Sheikh, the prime accused of the violent mob attack on an ED team and cases pertaining to rape of women and land grabs in Sandeshkhali in the North 24 Parganas of West Bengal, was arrested by the state police early on Thursday. He had been evading arrest for the last 55 days. Mr Sheikh was later remanded in 10 days' police custody by a Basirhat court. Following his arrest, the TMC, in a damage control move, suspended him from the party for six years. Party spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien made the announcement. Echoing Mr O'Brien, state minister Bratya Basu indicated that Mr Sheikh, a member of the North 24 Parganas zilla parishad and a "Matsya Karmadhakshya" i.e. the head of the districts fishery development, will also lose his government post. In the afternoon, the state CID brought Mr Sheikh to its headquarters at Bhawani Bhavan in Kolkata after taking over the two cases filed by the ED and cops against him at the Nyajat police station for orchestrating the attack on an ED team that raided his house in Sandeshkhali in the ration scam on January 5. Mr Sheikh's lawyer Raja Bhoumik said: In those two cases, the police prayed for 14 days remand of my client, booked under non-bailable charges. We opposed them and prayed for his bail, which the judge rejected and sent him to 10 days' police custody. Mr Sheikh and his aides also face many other cases, including rape charges. Mr Sheikhs arrest came a day after the Calcutta high court gave a free hand to the CBI and ED to catch him and Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikaris claim that the state police took away "the thug" from the Bermajur-II gram panchayat area in Sandeshkhali and kept him in its safe custody since Tuesday midnight. After Mr Sheikhs arrest, Mr Adhikari said, His so-called arrest (on the basis of mutual understanding) has been declared after the nitty-gritty of the deal between him and the Mamatas police regarding the facilities he will be enjoying in lockup and prison have been finalised." Mr Sheikhs arrest came to light after he was quietly taken by the cops to the court at around 5 am on Thursday and kept at the court lock-up, heavily guarded by the state police. Later, ADG (South Bengal) Supratim Sarkar claimed that he was arrested from a residence in Bamanpukur, located in the Minakhan police station jurisdiction, approximately 30 km from Sandeshkhali. The ADG also wondered why the ED did not arrest Mr Sheikh earlier since the police could not catch him as the HC had restrained the cops from acting against him in the mob attack cases. Mr Sarkar said: The complaints filed against Mr Sheikh on on February 7-9 were based on some incidents that happened twothree years ago. It takes time to collect information and evidence and probe those cases. Raj Bhavan, in a statement after Mr Sheikh's arrest, said that governor C. V. Ananda Bose had advised the government to arrest the prime accused in the Sandeshkhali incidents within 72 hours on February 26. "The governor has noted with satisfaction that Mr Sheikh has been arrested, the statement said. Mr Sheikh's brother Alamgir said, We did not know where he was. His arrest assured us that he was in the district. The police and court will look into the allegations against him. If he is found guilty, we have nothing to say. Otherwise, we will file a defamation case against those who lodged false complaints. Meanwhile, on Thursday, Sheikh Asgar Ali, an aide of Mr Sheikh, was also arrested by the police. The BJP CEC, which was also attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, held discussion on parliamentary seats in nearly 15 states Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP National President JP Nadda and others during the BJP's Central Election Committee (CEC) meeting to finalise the first list of candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, in New Delhi, Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. (PTI Photo) New Delhi: The first meeting of the BJP's central election committee (CEC) for the coming Lok Sabha elections was held on Thursday to finalise the names of candidates. The BJP CEC, which was also attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, held discussion on parliamentary seats in nearly 15 states, including Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Delhi, Haryana, Chhattisgarh, Tripura, Rajasthan, and Jharkhand, among others. Sources said in smaller states like Uttarakhand, Tripura, Haryana and Delhi, the names of candidates have been finalised, while in states like UP, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh, the party's top brass has finalised names on some of the seats. The BJP's top brass will also be taking a final call on whether or not to field former chief ministers -- Vasundhara Raje, Raman Singh and Shivraj Singh Chouhan -- in the ensuing general election and how many "new faces" will be given a chance this time. Some sitting MPs with two or more terms are likely to be replaced to give "new faces" a chance. Sources said the party leadership could also change the parliamentary seats of some of the sitting MPs. Ahead of the CEC meeting, BJP president J.P. Nadda and Union minister Amit Shah met Mr Modi at the latter's official residence. The meeting at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg lasted for more than four hours. Chief ministers of the BJP-ruled states, including UP, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, MP and Tripura, also attended the CEC meeting. According to party insiders, the BJP leadership has decided to field some of its Union ministers, who are members of the Rajya Sabha. Speculation is rife that Union ministers Dharmendra Pradhan, Bhupendra Yadav, Mansukh Mandaviya, Purushottam Rupala, V. Murleedharan and Rajeev Chandrasekhar will be contesting the Lok Sabha polls. According to sources, the BJP leadership asked its Union ministers to give their three choices of seats from where they want to contest. The BJP top brass had also been brainstorming since last week about the party strategy for seats lost in the last Lok Sabha polls. Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania disqualified six Congress MLAs who defied party line by cross-voting in the recent Rajya Sabha polls Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel, former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, HP Congress Committee (HPCC) President Pratibha Singh with central observers and others during a press conference, in Shimla. (PTI Photo) New Delhi: The Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu-led Congress government in Himachal Pradesh breathed a sigh of relief as threats to its stability subsided on Thursday. Congress observer D.K. Shivakumar said, Congress government is intact with Sukhu as the CM. All MLAs support a Congress government for 5 years... No Operation Lotus here. On Thursday, Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania disqualified six Congress MLAs who defied party line by cross-voting in the recent Rajya Sabha polls and abstained from voting on the Budget. The MLAs include Rajinder Rana, Sudhir Sharma, Inder Dutt Lakhanpal, Devinder Kumar Bhutoo, Ravi Thakur, and Chetanya Sharma. In an effort to showcase unity amidst the turmoil, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu convened a breakfast meeting with party MLAs at his official residence, although some notable figures like state cabinet minister Vikramaditya Singh chose not to attend. Speaking to the media alongside party observer Bhupinder Hooda, Shivakumar stated that after individual discussions with Congress MLAs and deliberations with Sukhu and state Congress chief Pratibha Singh, internal differences had been resolved. It was agreed to form a coordination committee to address internal matters, with Hooda mentioning, A 6-member coordination committee comprising the CM, PCC, Deputy CM, and three members will be formed. However, despite efforts to project unity, underlying tensions within the party remain palpable. State Congress president Pratibha Singh expressed concern that the disqualification of the six MLAs could impact parliamentary elections in the state, criticising the lack of dialogue as a contributing factor. Former chief minister and Leader of the Opposition Jairam Thakur criticised the government's handling of the situation, alleging manipulation to pass the Budget due to a lack of majority, echoing broader condemnation of Congress behaviour nationwide. Insiders suggest that while the Congress high command may have temporarily placated rebel MLAs led by Vikramaditya Singh, long-term stability remains uncertain. Failure to address the balance of power could potentially reignite rebellion within the state. The authorities want to evict the community living on Ta Mok Lake, the largest in the Cambodian capital, to make way for a residential high-rise building. There have been clashes with police forces in an attempt to block the bulldozers. Hundreds of thousands of poor people in Cambodia have been evicted in recent years to clear land for large housing projects. Phnom Penh (AsiaNews/Agencies) - There are 200 families who, in the area near Lake Ta Mok in the Preaek Phnov district of the capital Phnom Penh, have been immersed in mud since Tuesday to "guard" their homes and their cultivated lands which are to be expropriated by local authorities. Residents also clashed with law enforcement in an attempt to block machinery brought by a construction company to demolish their homes to make way for a residential skyscraper. The families ask the authorities to reserve at least four hectares of land where they can continue to live. I can't be without my home and my land! I also grow rice here which I then sell, but now the authorities say that I have occupied the land illegally and that they will confiscate it, a woman named Kong Toeur told Radio Free Asia, immersed in muddy water up to her waist to block the bulldozers. She adds: "Everyone must know this pain that even our children are experiencing because this is the so-called 'law' of Cambodia." Land grabbing - as well as forced expulsions - is a problem as serious as it is common in Cambodia, where for years thousands of families have been expelled from the countryside, from the coastal areas or - as in the latter case - from the urban areas close to the capital to make room for real estate, mining or agricultural projects. According to the Cambodian Human Rights League, when communities protest against expropriations, authorities and companies respond with threats and intimidation. Today the country, among the poorest in South-East Asia, has 16 million inhabitants, but many disputes over land rights and related "state evictions" date back to the 1970s, when the Khmer Rouge regime destroyed the land registers. Between 2000 and 2014, approximately 770,000 Cambodians, more than 6 percent of the population, were victims of expropriations, according to accusations presented by human rights lawyers at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. Again in 2014 the project to fill Boeung Kak Lake in the suburbs of Phnom Penh - among the largest real estate projects in the country with an affected area of 133 hectares - involved the eviction of over 4 thousand families who lived in the area, many in houses on stilts. Since the beginning of the week, Tim Ouk, another resident of the Preaek Phnov district, has also recalled how he and the other residents have done nothing wrong and do not deserve eviction: "The authorities must prevent all the machinery from destroying our homes". But it is the same authorities who have started the procedures for this real estate operation and are looking for land on which to build condominiums and shopping centers which bring a lot of revenue to the public coffers. In this case, the losers, in addition to the families of residents, are the fishermen and food sellers of Lake Ta Mok, the largest in the capital, which today has a total area of over 3,240 hectares (about 8,000 acres). But hundreds of hectares of the same basin have already been "buried" in recent years to build various residential and commercial projects. Johannesburg, South Africa (PANA) - The world urgently needs 44 million teachers by 2030 in order to make the Sustainable Development Goals a reality, a new report from UNESCO, the UN agency championing education, announced this week by Melani Manel Perera The owner of the Lorenzo Putha-4 Francis Milroy Perera is concerned about their fate. The pirates attacked on 27 January, but the Seychelles Coast Guard thwarted their action. The Sri Lankan government has failed so far to repatriate them. The skipper's mother appealed to AsiaNews. Colombo (AsiaNews) A Sri Lankan ship, the Lorenzo Putha-4, and its six-man crew are still anchored in Port Victoria after a rescue operation by the Seychelles Coast Guard following an attack by Somali pirates. Since then, there have been no developments, but the ships owner, Francis Milroy Perera, hopes Sri Lankan authorities can get more involved in solving the issue; otherwise, it risks being indefinitely protracted. "The legal procedures initiated by our government to bring them (the crew) back to the country are very slow," Perera told AsiaNews. I have nowhere else to go and plead; I have gone to every possible place" to plead their cause and hasten their return. In a video message sent to the owner, shown to the press today, the fishermen point out that "there is no point in staying here. We have nothing to do and we have done nothing wrong. We urge everyone to take steps to free us from this place" and ensure their return. The six fishermen and my ship were rescued from Somali pirates by the Seychelles Coast Guard, Perera explained, but they are still docked exactly one month since the attack. "The question," he wonders, "is why our government is so reluctant to give us the necessary support, when we really need it, when we, as [fishing] communities provide a lot of resources to the country. Yesterday the Lorenzo Putha-4s owner met with officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who said that "it takes time" to resolve the matter two or three days and we will know exactly when we can bring them back to Sri Lanka. Despite the reassuring words, Mr Perera is anything but reassured, repeatedly stressing that a month has already passed since the pirate attack on 27 January and the coast guards providential intervention. So far, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Fisheries have been slow in taking the necessary steps to free to fishermen and the vessel. This is costing to the owner, who has paid taxes to operate the ship. We pay a huge sum of money and earn money for the country," Perera explained, but "they do nothing to help us when we're in trouble." The ship left Chillaw on 1 January for the Arabian Sea along with two other vessels, but during the voyage they were attacked by pirates on 27 January. One of the crew members sent a message, noting an approaching Iranian boat that turned out to be armed Somali pirates. After the crew successfully sent a mayday call, signalling their position, the Seychelles Coast Guard was able to reach the ship and arrest the pirates. In a video-conference two weeks ago, Rakitha Dushan, the Lorenzo Putha-4 skipper, said: We receive food, but it is difficult for us to eat" and "we just swallow something to appease our hunger". Speaking to AsiaNews, the skippers mother stressed that we shall remain all tense until we see our children. Rakitha is my son. My son-in-law is also with them. Now our families are also facing economic troubles. They have not worked for a month. It is the government's job "to make sure they come back soon. In this file photo from fall 2023, Aspen School District Superintendent David Baugh addresses the school board during a meeting. On Wednesday afternoon, he and the district released a statement in which he said he was stepping down from his position for another job. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. It's no secret that they do things a bit differently over in Australia. Well, this time around, we dive deeper into the work of All Terrain Warriors and what they can do to an Isuzu NPS, a vehicle often used in the overlanding world. kW Photo: All Terrain Warriors Photo: All Terrain Warriors Folks, Australia has been leading the off-road and off-grid industry for years, so it's really no surprise that this is where we would find one of the best overland vehicle deals around. The crew responsible for what you see in the image gallery is none other than All Terrain Warriors (ATW), a crew that's been building expedition vehicles with the utmost care and attention for years. Heck, their experience goes back to 1980, so you know you're in good hands.Well, it's this experience that shines through when it comes to the Isuzu before us, and because of it, this crew is able to spit out a 2023 Crew Cab NPS that's ready to hit the road for as little as $107,500 Australian, so what we're really looking at is a tad under $70,000 American (at current exchange rates).Yet, three packages are offered by the manufacturer, and the most equipped is package C, starting at a tad under $150K Australian, so around $97,500 American. Since this is the proverbial flagship of this lineup, let's pick it out and see where things go Our journey into this deal begins with that 2023 NPS I mentioned, with a manual transmission and a 5.2 L turbo diesel engine. If my research into the model is correct, as standard, Isuzu states that this puppy can spit out a peak of 114(153 hp) of power and 419 Nm (309 lb-ft) of torque. While that doesn't sound like a whole lot of power, we need to consider that ATW doesn't mess with the engine, so they feel it's more than enough for what you need. Be sure to note the 140-liter (37 gals) fuel tank conversion.They do, however, mess with the differential, supplying the NPS with a fully automatic ATB that directs power from an elevated wheel to the one with the most traction and does so in a "progressive" fashion. While differentials aren't my forte, ATW also mentions that these babies "greatly enhance performance," especially through mud, sand, snow, or anywhere there's a possible loss of traction.Where we do see the most attention when it comes to this conversion is the chassis and body . For example, these vehicles often venture far into the wilds of our planet, and to hold up to the stresses of any lack of roads, ATW adds 19.5-inch steel rims and by the looks of things, your choice of tires, either Founder 305s of Roodride 285s; be sure to consider the terrain where you'll be using your NPS most often.Then there's the suspension. Here, too, ATW has taken extra care and attention to ensure that their name isn't tarnished in any way. Overall, a parabolic suspension upgrade, rated for up to 7.5 tons, is present, with three leaves each. ATW then chooses OzTec to supply two heavy-duty shock absorbers on both the front and rear setup. If I'm not mistaken, I even spotted the presence of some airbags in one of the images displaying the suspension Now, as far as ATW takes things, sometimes we still need a little bit of help to get us out of some tight situations, and this conversion crew knows this. So, they drop an Isuzu front winch bar onto the truck followed by a 24 V Carbon Tank winch rated for 20,000 lbs (9,072 kg) and rocking a 7.8 hp motor with an IP68 rating. Yeah, that'll do it. Are you looking to bring along a toy hauler or anything of the sort? ATW thought of that, too, and threw in a tow bar rated for 4,500 kg (9,920 lbs).As for the cab itself, the seats inside are from Sheel-Mann, the one and the same that are born of German descent and furnish the highest-grade seats to trucking manufacturers all over the world, including the US. Two Vario Fs are present here, and with 14-way adjustability, you're bound to find that sweet spot. Tie that off with solid roof and cab protection and mounting plates, and we're set. Let's not forget the LED driving lights.The downside to this conversion is that there's no living module attached to the chassis, so you'll have to explore all that on your own. Nonetheless, with what we're given here, and considering that a new NPS from Australia can start around $95K Australian all on its own, I feel we're getting a rather sweet deal. After all, the ATW crew has got to eat, too, and part of the cost of this conversion goes to the fact that you can just sit back and watch it come to life, hands clean and everything.At the end of the day, no conversion is "perfect," and even this one could use some extra attention here and there, but some, ATW's work included, get really close to giving us all that we need for the roads ahead, assuming we don't try any crazy stuff. EV Xiaomi is one of the biggest names in the tech industry whose long-term strategy includes a car. The company's first model was announced earlier this year , and many considered it the only true competitor to a potential Apple Car.Lei Jun, Xiaomi founder and chairman, says he was "very shocked" to hear about Apple's decision to stop the work on an electric vehicle. Lei considered Xiaomi's automotive expansion integral to the company's long-term strategy, so he got involved in the project, leading the development and securing investments of up to $1.4 billion.Despite Apple's departure from this unexplored market, Xiaomi is still committed to building cars. Lei explained in posts on social media that Xiaomi would continue to build cars, as its investments in this sector involve an "unshakeable strategic choice."However, Lei also defended Apple, acknowledging that building cars is indeed difficult. Like Apple, Xiaomi developed everything from scratch and invested millions of dollars in talent and new technology. Xiaomi's car team included approximately 3,400 engineers, while Apple's now dissolved car unit counted 2,000 employees.Apple's decision to step away from building cars and focus on other products makes sense, said Li Xiang, the CEO of Chinesemaker Li Auto. In a post on Weibo, Li Xiang explains that Apple made the right call by redirecting all resources to artificial intelligence, adding that the iPhone maker "should stay on top" of this sector.Apple abandoned its electric vehicle project, reassigning some of its 2,000 employees to other units, including artificial intelligence. However, some engineers will be laid off.The iPhone maker won't leave the automotive world entirely, with the focus to switch to software and services aimed at the driving experience. Apple Maps and CarPlay will receive more resources, especially as Apple's strategy seems to come down to an approach already adopted by Google. new-generation CarPlay is around the corner , with Aston Martin and Porsche confirming 2024 models to offer the new experience. Apple hasn't detailed the feature lineup of the upgraded CarPlay version, but the system will get deeper vehicle integration for access to more data, including battery information, tire pressure, onboard cameras, and other equipment. The new CarPlay will become a direct competitor to Android Automotive, Google's embedded operating system already powering models from General Motors, Volvo, and Renault.Apple has remained tight-lipped on its automotive ambitions after the demise of the Apple Car, but it shouldn't take long until we figure out how the company plans to expand beyond the traditional tech world. With WWDC already on the radar, it's now a matter of time until we discover the next pack of improvements coming to the likes of Siri, CarPlay, and Apple Maps. Easily the most popular Jeep in the United States of America in terms of deliveries, the Grand Cherokee isn't without its faults. The first model year of the fifth generation, for example, is listed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration with a whopping 11 safety recalls to its name. Photo: Stellantis NHTSA The latest concerns potential steering knuckle separation due to potentially damaged upper control arm pinch bolts, an issue that affects 338,238 vehicles produced for model years 2021 through 2023. That's not all, though, because Jeep's mid-sized utility vehicle has been hit with a separate recall affecting certain 2023 2024 models.Precisely 9,433 examples of the Grand Cherokee and Grand Cherokee L feature incorrectly configured high beam parameters, therefore failing to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 108. More specifically, the driver may be unable to quickly activate the high beams if the master headlight switch is set to automatic.This function is governed by the body controller module, a control unit that costs a little over $300 at press time. It's listed under three part numbers (68569332AE, 68608712AD, 68608712AE) in the document attached below, which also lists Continental Teves AG & Co. as the supplier.FCA US LLC was notified of the concern back on December 20 last year. The subsequent analysis determined that certain vehicles had been produced with suspect vehicle configuration parameters. Obviously enough, an update will fix this problem. Dealers will be notified on or about April 12.Owner notifications are due on or about April 12 as well, and the update obviously enough won't cost them a thing. Determining whether your Grand Cherokee is affected or not does not cost a cent either. Open the's recall website in your preferred browser, type the 17-character vehicle identification number, and that's about it. Of the 9,433-strong total, Grand Cherokee and Grand Cherokee L populations number 7,467 and 1,966 vehicles, respectively.Both the two- and three-row versions moved 244,594 units in the United States last year, an improvement of 10 percent over 2022. By comparison, the Wrangler sold 156,581 units. The best-selling production model from Chrysler, however, is the Ram P/U truck line. Ranging from the 1500 Classic to the 5500 Chassis Cab, the P/U ended 2023 with 444,926 deliveries in the US.The Grand Cherokee and Grand Cherokee L were last updated in August 2023 for model year 2024. As ever, prospective customers are presented with either a free-breathing V6 or a turbocharged I4. The latter cannot be had standalone, but in the form of a plug-in hybrid that Jeep advertises as the 4xe.Although it sounds rather bland as opposed to the sadly missed 5.7-liter HEMI V8, the four-pot 4xe is more powerful and torquier as well. Think 375 horsepower and 470 pound-feet (637 Nm) instead of the V8's 360 horsepower and 390 pound-feet (529 Nm). All-wheel drive by default, the 4xe offers 26 miles (42 kilometers) of electric driving range. Even if the weather in various parts of the world would have you believe otherwise, the spring of 2024 is nearly upon us, bringing with it all the hopes and expectations that torment us all after what turned out to be a very long winter. What better time than now for carmakers to feel the warmth too, and release into the wild open-top variants of their most successful cars? A couple of days ago the Brits from McLaren did just that, and unleashed the Spider version of the Artura , marking the arrival into this world of the company's first-ever hybrid convertible.We officially don't know the price of the McLaren Artura Spider, but it is probably in the same ballpark as its conventional sibling, which sells for around $281,000... That's a great price for a supercar, but it may prove to be a bit too much for many people who are in the market for a high-performance car that can occasionally drop its top down.If you don't mind downgrading from a supercar to a very potent grand-tourer, then the brand new Maserati GranCabrio might be the right way to go. The car was just announced by the Italians, so we don't exactly know its price either, but given the MSRP of the car it is based on, the GranTurismo (roughly $160,000), it could prove the more sensible choice for some of us.Dating back to the mid-2000s, the GranTurismo established itself as one of the most compelling choices for people looking for somewhat of a niche car that has all the makings of a real head-turner and is at the same time immensely satisfying to drive.Responsible for that are the iconic design of the Trident machine, and the engine that animates it. The powerplant, Maserati's iconic Nettuno, is in its current configuration the most powerful ever built for the car, cranking out no less than 542 horsepower to continue our rather forced comparison with the McLaren Artura, that's just below what the British supercar developed in its first incarnation (in the meantime McLaren took Artura's power levels from 577 hp to 690 hp).The same 3.0-liter Nettuno engine of the GranTurismo powers the GranCabrio as well, in a version called Trofeo Spyder. The design of the two is about the same as well, but what sets them apart is the fitting of a fabric roof that gets out of the way when needed.It takes the roof 14 seconds to fold itself somewhere in the trunk of the four-seater, and it can do that even when the car is moving at speeds of up to 31 mph (50 mph). The command for it to remove itself is made by pressing a touch button on the car's central display.For the comfort of the passengers Maserati included in the standard offering a neck warmer, but supplies the aptly called wind stopper, a device meant to reduce the creation of turbulence inside the cabin, as an option.There is no mention made by the Italians of when the Maserati GranCabrio will become available or how much it will cost. We do know, though, that the soft top of the thing will be available in five color choices. Hartford Healthcare at 100 Pearl St. in Hartford in a file photo. A Connecticut woman is suing the company and a doctor who leads the Hartford Healthcare Bone and Joint Institute. Dave Zajac/Hearst Connecticut Media A Sharon resident with lupus has filed a lawsuit against a doctor she argues failed to diagnose her disease, causing her to suffer from its effects for more than a year. According to the lawsuit filed by Pamela Lucia D. Peeters, during that year she suffered muscle pain and weakness, weight loss and nausea, memory loss and trouble thinking, and felt as though she was dying. The lawsuit names Dr. John Magaldi, chief of rheumatology at the Hartford Healthcare Bone and Joint Institute; Hartford Healthcare Corp.; and several affiliates. Advertisement Article continues below this ad A lawyer for Magaldi and Hartford Healthcare could not be reached Wednesday afternoon. According to the lawsuit, Peeters began being treated by Magaldi in November 2020, with complaints of arthritis in her hands, feet, knees and right shoulder. At that first visit, tests showed Peeters had antinuclear antibodies at levels that generally indicate a case of evolving lupus, lupus overlap syndrome or Sjogren's syndrome, a chronic autoimmune disorder, the lawsuit states. Magaldi prescribed Peeters methotrexate and prednisone at that time, the lawsuit says. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The following May, Peeters began experiencing sores in her mouth and a burning rash that started near her neck and spread to her trunk and extremities, according to the lawsuit. She reported those symptoms and others, including increasing pain and swelling, and loss of appetite to Magaldi on five occasions in June, July and August, but he did not recommend further testing, according to the lawsuit. Magaldi in September recommended Peeters start taking Humira, an immunosupressive drug, the lawsuit states. Yet, in the following weeks, Peeters continued to complain about worsening symptoms, including eye pain, depression and a feeling of being poisoned, the document states. In October, Magaldi had Peeters stop taking the Humira and methotrexate, and had her start taking hydroxychloroquine, according to the lawsuit. Peeters continued to communicate with Magaldi about her condition through November, but in December she went to see a dermatologist and was diagnosed on Dec. 15 with systemic lupus, the lawsuit states. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Mercedes-Benz was hoping to be labeled as the inventor of a new class: high-ride sedans or Sport Utility Sedans, as the representatives of the brand called them. Back in 2018, the automaker unveiled the Vision Mercedes-Maybach Ultimate Luxury to preview a future production model. Fortunately, they woke up in time and canceled the project. SUV kWh The Germans were planning to roll out the model in China, where the taste for extravagance is more developed compared to the United States and Europe. But it turns out that the carmaker now has doubts about the potential of the Chinese market to accept such an unconventional model. Therefore, the project is being shelved for the moment.According to three insiders contacted by the German business publication Handelsblatt, Mercedes halted all plans of mass-producing the car and establishing a completely new segment in its most important market in terms of sales, China.In 2023, Mercedes sold 737,200 cars in China, which was more than the entire Europe: 659,400. Only 234,300 remained in its home market, Germany.Last year, 339,500 customers in the United States received their brand-new Mercedes. Therefore, rolling out a completely new model and starting a completely new class in its largest market would be completely valid. Unless it was completely bizarre.The Vision Mercedes-Maybach Ultimate Luxury should have been an odd vehicle, half sedan and half coupe, which would have been defined as an SUS (Sport Utility Sedan). It did look "sus" to usThe production version was scheduled to hit the Far East market sometime in 2025. It was designed as a China-only model to be manufactured in Beijing, the first of that kind for Mercedes-Benz. It would have been underpinned by the EVA2 platform that the EQE sedan and SUV and EQS sedan and SUV are based on. But that is all history now.As reported by Handelsblatt, Mercedes representatives claim that the car is too complex and expensive to build. Furthermore, the carmaker intends to reduce the complexity of the lineup in order to reduce costs.The Vision Mercedes-Maybach Ultimate Luxury was a concept car previewing an electric sedan with great ground clearance, riding on 24-inch turbine-looking wheels.Four electric motors powered the vehicle, generating together a combined output of 738 horsepower. A battery with a capacity of 80stored enough energy for the vehicle to travel as far as 200 miles before it needed to be plugged in again, according to the EPA rating.The concept car was 207 inches (5,260 millimeters) long, 83 inches (2,110 millimeters) wide, and 69 inches (1,764 millimeters) tall.Maybe Mercedes will consider launching Mythos models in China as well instead of the strange SUV-ish sedan. The series will be positioned above the Maybach and will make its debut in 2025. The CruiseUp air car boasts one of the most futuristic looks in the eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) world, but it's much more than that. Behind this intriguing appearance lies the power and potential of a game-changing propulsion system that isn't limited to air taxi applications. The Austria-based aviation technology company CycloTech is working behind the scenes to turn its propulsion product into a viable commercial option. Financially, the goal is to reach 53 million ($57.4 million) by the end of this year. The first step was a success CycloTech already secured more than $20 million in just a few weeks.This financial boost will be geared toward developing the first full-scale prototype of its flagship technology, the CycloRotor. At the moment, the sixth-generation version continued to undergo flight testing. It's the culmination of eight years of hard work and extensive testing, during which five prototypes helped refine the CycloRotor technology.All of this is expected to lead to the CycloRotor becoming fully certified by EASA (the European Union Aviation Safety Agency). Even so, there's a long road ahead. The most optimistic estimation is that a marketable product will be ready to launch by the end of this decade.Still, it's worth the wait because this propulsion technology goes far beyond the typical urban mobility application of most eVTOL systems. It could power a wide range of products across multiple industries, from flying cranes in construction work to high-precision military drones.As for air taxis, this technology could help develop flying cars that are more compact, more comfortable, and especially much easier to maneuver than most eVTOLs on the market right now.In a nutshell, the CycloRotor is a 360-degree thrust vectoring propulsion system, which means that thrust force can be directed across the full circle, unlike conventional aviation propulsion systems where thrust is generated in only one direction.The ultimate goal for this innovative system is for it to power tomorrow's flying car. The concept envisioned by the Austrian company is called CruiseUp. It's designed to operate as a personal aircraft for the smoothest flight experience you could imagine. The CruiseUp would not only transition easily from hover to forward flight, but even conduct sideways and backward flight. Picture a personal air car where you can actually break mid-flight and switch direction safely and smoothly. Plus, this futuristic air car would only be 50% bigger than a regular car.The CycloRotor is an innovative approach to eVTOL propulsion , but it's based on a time-tested concept. The principle behind this technology was originally used in the maritime transportation industry in the form of the Voith Schneider propeller for vessels. Not too far in the future, we'll see how this classic concept can revolutionize air mobility as well. The ardent track wars between Ford and Ferrari in the mid-to-late-sixties caught the motoring world's attention and sparked a revolution. Unwillingly, Fords last overall triumph at the Circuit de la Sarthe from the Blue Oval's original winning streak triggered an upheaval of Germanic proportions. In the wake of American dominance, Porsche picked up the high-speed gauntlet and made history. Photo: All images copyright and courtesy of Gooding & Company. Photos by Brian Henniker. Photo: All images copyright and courtesy of Gooding & Company. Photos by Brian Henniker. Photo: All images copyright and courtesy of Gooding & Company. Photos by Brian Henniker. Photo: All images copyright and courtesy of Gooding & Company. Photos by Brian Henniker. In 1967, Grady Davis, the vice president of Gulf Oil, made an executive decision to get his companys name on the highest podium at Le Mans. Since Ford Motor Company wasnt interested in putting more nails in the Ferrari coffin, Gulf took over the racing program and the affiliated GT40 cars. What followed is legendary two more back-to-back overall wins in the most famous endurance race in the world.1969 is of particular importance for this story, as it witnessed the closest finish in the races century-old history (not counting the 1966 1-2-3 by Ford, which was a show-off of Detroit proportions in front of Enzo Ferrari). An ailing Gulf Ford GT40, running on fuel fumes, overtook the leader, a Porsche 908, at the end of the 3.2-mile (5 km) Mulsanne Straight and took the checkered flag 390 feet in front of the runner-up.This bitter defeat prompted the Germans to develop the 917 that blitzed the track in 1970 in a manner so convincing that it converted most of the following years participants to the Porsche creed. Of the 49 cars lined up on the 1971 Le Mans grid, 33 wore the Rearing Horse emblem of Stuttgart, a standing record to this day.As for Gulf Oil, it had its fair share of publicity, and the blue-and-orange liveries have become synonymous with success. Porsche themselves put on the Gulf racing colors in 1970 and again in 1971 when the blockbuster Le Mans movie was shot, with Steve McQueen driving in the race. Yes, the Bullitt Steve McQueen, the Ford Mustang v Dodge Charger R/T Steve McQueen.Fast forward several decades, and Porsche and Gulf Oil no longer dance the victory dance in motorsports. However, one particular fan of the carmaker simply ignored reality and ordered not one but two brand new Porsche 918 Spyders in Powder Blue and Tangerine color combos. The Germans quickly retaliated by waving the licensing rights expiration date. Since the two companies didnt have any partnerships in 2015, the client was presented with a very unsophisticated No for an answer to his request.However, the buyer was just as stubborn and relentless as Porsche themselves, and he presented the carmaker with an option. If he were to get Gulf to greenlight the paint job, would Porsche shake hands over it? Now, when youre a big car company like the German House of Speed , you can say 'No' to a customer twice and walk away. However, this was no ordinary car and, by all means, no ordinary order.The 918 was the Porsche hybrid hypercar, launched in 2013 and built in just 918 examples until 2015. Most of them went to consecrated Porsche customers invited to buy the rare car. Two of the 28 vehicles allotted for the Canadian market subsequently left the factory in the famous pale blue and orange Gulf hues.The two Porsche 918 Gulf cars were completed in late 2015, and they are not identical twins, differentiated by their striping, seat piping, and interior trim. Since these were the only two examples allowed to wear the historic colors and theme, Porsche didnt go their usual way of vinyl-wrapping the bodies, preferring a full-blown painting solution.One of the two Gulf Twins, number 325 in the series of 918 units, also wears the Weissach package that was ordered on 229 other Porsche 918 Spyders. The Gulf accents are on the inside of the hybrid hypercar with orange piping and stitching on black leather seats. The Gulf emblem embossed into the headrests was custom-made by Porsche specifically for these two cars.The build sheet of this one-of-two has a note that reads: Option Code CXX. Custom Tailoring Option (special wishes that require further communication) $108,505. Not too bad for a bespoke paint job and assorted trim on a super-select automobile.Dont get me wrong; the slashing extra cost included a front-axle lift, carbon fiber mats with Gulf Orange piping, a set of bags with Gulf Orange contrasts, six-point racing harnesses, and a Burmester Surround Sound system. As a curiosity, the twin cars (the other Gulf 918 Spyder) was unveiled on September 18, 2015, 18 minutes past nine oclock in the evening, at the Roche Bobois Atlanta dealership. See the video below for the debut of the two Gulfs.In other words, the Gulf 918 broke cover on 9/18 at 9:18 PM during a private event. Precisely 3,087 days and 376 odometer miles later (605 km), this ultra-rare Porsche 918 is going under the hammer at the Amelia Island auctions on March 1. The brief second video shows the car in a dealership showroom in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, several years ago.The estimated price range sits between $2,500,000 and $3,000,000, well above the $1.45 million market average for the 918 Spyder. The buyer will get one of the original members of the Holy Trinity of hybrid hypercars (the other two being the McLaren P1 and the Ferrari LaFerrari). The Porsche 918 has a 4.6-liter naturally-aspirated V8 driving the rear via a dual-clutch seven-speed automatic box and twin electric motors for the front wheels.The 600-hp (608 PS) combustion engine combines with the electric units upfront (286 combined hp - 290 PS) for a total output of 887 hp (898 PS) and (944 lb-ft) 1,280 Nm. Thats enough to hit 62 mph (100 kph) in 2.6 seconds from a standing start and 214 mph (344 kph) when going flat out. The regular version weighs 3,700 lbs. (1,675 kg), but the example in Gulf colors is slightly slimmer, thanks to the Weissach Package, by about 100 lbs/45 kg. It's never a good idea to set up too high expectations by comparing yourself to or challenging others who have done similar work, but the strategy seems to have paid off for Gravity Industries. Photo: Government of Dubai Last month, Gravity Industries announced a partnership with local authorities in Dubai, which would see the launch of the world's first jet suit race . Comparisons to Formula One events were made, which might have seemed like Gravity was setting itself up for failure. One simply doesn't compare oneself to F1 and claim superiority, to paraphrase a popular meme.As it turns out, there was no reason for concern not that Gravity has much in common with F1 or any company involved in it. The world's first jet suit race took place in the Dubai marina on February 28 as scheduled, and the event went off without a hitch. More than that, based on the first reports coming in from the city-state, it was a roaring success.Available below is a video of a segment of the race that saw the pilots weaving through obstacles. Eight pilots took place in the race, but only seven made it to the finish line: an Emirati pilot lost control of his jet suit and crashed into the water. No injuries were reported during the entire race, not even in the case of the pilot who crashed.Of these seven, three stepped on the podium to receive recognition for their skills in terms of maneuverability, speed, and accuracy. UK-born Issa Kalfon, who is an elite gymnast, actor, model, and trained stuntman, took home the golden jet turbine trophy.Richard Browning, the founder of Gravity Industries and the inventor of the jet suit , also took part in the race. He also spoke to the media and pointed out that his jet suit was the closest thing humanity has to achieving individual flight. Humanity also has Marvel movies like Iron Man, but that type of flying is only possible with special effects. He's not wrong, obviously, but it also makes for very unsubtle self-promotion.The event, dubbed the Dubai Jet Suit Race or the Gravity Race Series, is believed to be the first in an annual tradition. It would make sense for that to happen, considering there is no market for the jet suit in the private sector. In the past, Gravity hoped the U.S. Navy would embrace it. They also showcased it to emergency responders and other organizations, but adoption has been slow That said, the jet suit is an impressive achievement. Powered by a single jet turbine developing 1,050 hp, it uses four other turbines for steering, with the pilot using his arms for that. This makes flying in the jet suit a physically demanding activity, made even more so by the weight of the thing (27 kg/60 lbs) and the maximum speed of 80 mph (128 kph).Flying in a jet suit is also very dangerous, which is why Dubai organizers held the race over the water. Minister of High-Technology Industry Mkhitar Hayrapetian revealed the move when he spoke in the Armenian parliament on Wednesday. He said it followed a written alert submitted to his ministry by the National Commission on Television and Radio (HRAH). The regulatory body alleged a fresh violation of a 2020 Russian-Armenian agreement that allowed Russias two main state-run TV channels to retain their slots in Armenias national digital package accessible to viewers across the country. The agreement bars them from commenting on domestic Armenian politics and spreading hate speech. The Republic of Armenia cannot be tolerant of programs that could call into question the dignity of our people and state, Hayrapetian told lawmakers. Hayarapetian also said on that he has written to Russias minister of digital development and mass communication to offer urgent consultations on the issue. The agreement on the retransmission of Russian television in Armenia needs to be amended or edited, he said. Yerevan is understood to be unhappy with comments made by Russian TV host Vladimir Solovyov, media figure Margarita Simonyan and other speakers during Solovyovs daily talk show broadcast by the Russia-1 channel on February 25. They said that Armenian leaders should be mindful of what they called disastrous consequences of Western intervention in other ex-Soviet states. Solovyov also suggested that there would have been no problems with Armenia now had Russia fully occupied Georgia in 2008 and gained a land border with its South Caucasus ally. There would have been no border with both Georgia and Armenia, which is what should happen, Simonyan said for her part. The Armenian Foreign Ministry already summoned the Russian ambassador in Yerevan last October to condemn the other Russian broadcaster, Channel One, for disparaging Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian during an hour-long program. The Armenian charge daffaires in Moscow was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry the following day. Ministry officials condemned what they called anti-Russian propaganda spread by Armenias government-controlled media. In the last few years, Armenian Public Television has regularly interviewed and invited politicians and commentators highly critical of Moscow to its political talk shows. Their appearances in prime-time programs of the TV channel run by Pashinians loyalists have become even more frequent over the past year amid a further deterioration of Russian-Armenian relations. Mutual agreement was expressed to continue negotiations on the open issues, the Armenian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The ministry did not say whether Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and his Azerbaijani counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov managed to narrow their governments differences on key terms of the treaty discussed by them. The Azerbaijani side did not immediately comment on the talks. Mirzoyan and Bayramov negotiated in the German capital mostly without third-party mediation. They were joined on Wednesday afternoon by Germanys Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock. The latter on Thursday praised Baku and Yerevan for taking the courageous and at the same time difficult path to a peace treaty. Every meter on the way there counts, Baerbock wrote on the X social media platform formerly known as Twitter. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev met in another German city, Munich, on February 17. The meeting was organized by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Pashinian said last week that Azerbaijan remains reluctant to recognize Armenias borders without ambiguity and is planning military aggression against his country. Aliyev countered on Wednesday that Baku has no plans to invade Armenia. 29 February 2024 19:33 (UTC+04:00) Abbas Ganbay Read more The Armenian information field dreams of receiving French troops as a response to the statement of French President E. Macron on the possible dispatch of French troops to Ukraine, which caused a strong reaction among his European colleagues. The recent visit of the Armenian PM to the allied country France and the meeting with the head of this country ended with the French side promising all possible support to Armenia by supplying it with arms allegedly for defensive purposes, and not ambiguously stating that in case of need, France is ready to provide Armenia with missiles for air defense. Earlier, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that Armenia cannot continue to implement with Russia the concept of reforming the republic's armed forces, and is in search of countries to establish military-technical cooperation. "In January 2022, this concept (of reforming the Armenian Armed Forces in cooperation with Russia) was ready, but the events of winter 2022 made it clear that we cannot move forward with this concept, and now we must (...) understand how realistic the implementation of this concept is, including cooperation in the military-technical sphere," Pashinyan said in an interview with Public Radio of Armenia. On February 21, it was reported that French President Emmanuel Macron and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan discussed their countries' bilateral relations and the challenges facing the "security" of the South Caucasus. Macron promised at a press conference following the meeting that France would help return normal relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. But the events of recent months, France's arming of Armenia, provocations from the Armenian side on the conventional borders with Azerbaijan, and Armenian Defense Minister Suren Papikyan's statements that France and India have become Armenia's main partners in acquiring weapons, suggest that the country is ready for a future clash with Azerbaijan. "First of all, we are talking about France and India, which have become our main partners, but there are other countries I don't want to talk about yet," he noted. According to him, the existing new arms purchase agreements "will change the quality of tomorrow's army and the quality of armaments". After these events, French President Emmanuel Macron, following a meeting of European leaders at the Elysee Palace on providing "assistance" to Ukraine in Paris, said that he did not rule out that French ground troops could be involved in Ukraine. "Today there is no consensus on sending ground troops, but nothing can be ruled out. We will do everything possible to prevent Russia from winning this war. We are convinced that the defeat of Russia is necessary for security and stability in Europe" and yet he refused to specify which countries were considering sending troops. Macron also announced a new coalition to supply Ukraine with long-range missiles and munitions. Polish President Andrzej Duda, who also took part in the meeting, confirmed Macron's words. He said that the main discussion was about whether to send troops to Ukraine: "There was no agreement on this issue," Duda said. French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, following the statement of President Emmanuel Macron, also did not rule out sending military forces to Ukraine and added that Paris "will not be able to accept" Russia's victory. And now, after these statements, in the Armenian information field, the idea as a propaganda of revanchism was passed, stating the following: "Good news for Armenia. The President of France announced about the possibility of transferring the French armed contingent to Ukraine to repel the armed aggression of Russia. If it is possible to transfer French troops to the territory of the country, where the Russian Armed Forces are conducting large-scale military operations, it means it is possible to transfer them to the territory of Armenia, where the same Russian Federation together with Turkiye and Azerbaijan are conducting hybrid military operations. We have a calmer situation, I propose to start with Armenia." It is also worth recalling that as a result of Armenian PM's visit to Paris, French intelligence services and Armenian intelligence clinched an agreement on intelligence exchange on 4 countries: Azerbaijan, Iran, Russia and Turkiye. In return, France is to transfer to Armenia satellite data containing information "on the military-political situation along the perimeter of Armenia's borders". The Western coalition of countries that intends to achieve peace between Ukraine and Russia by supplying weapons to the former, therefore acts identically with Armenia (order out of chaos), and eventually if the authorities in Yerevan adhere to this Western ideology (and do not change their constitution) to achieve peace by means of weapons and coercion, will return to its original position-Western Azerbaijan, and no army will be able to resist it. --- Abbas Ganbay is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @Noend33 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 29 February 2024 21:55 (UTC+04:00) Fatime Letifova Read more After introducing its lies to several international organisations, especially European officials, the Armenian government is trying to attract future candidates to its side. The meeting of Armenian delegation members to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) the previous day with Indrek Saar, the candidate nominated by Estonia in the general secretary elections, is nothing more than an attempt to prepare the ground for Yerevan's plans. Because, like other meetings, the main topic of Armenia's agenda was Azerbaijan and its so-called "extra aggressive" policy. It seems that Azerbaijan's own lands' liberation and the deserved victory shook the Armenian authorities to such an extent that the country's officials are complaining about Azerbaijan's success wherever and whenever they can and using international organisations as a tool for their incompetent political concepts. However, PACE also seems satisfied with this situation. Considering that its centre is located in France, and France is the biggest supporter and patron of Armenia, we can say that Armenia is serving the lies that PACE wants to hear and believe. The European Union's "observation" mission, which began to operate on the Azerbaijan-Armenia border in February 2023, has already proven once again how "fair" the West is in the Garabagh conflict. Even after being confident that the observers will defend their interests, the Armenian authorities, which have increased their provocation, are still not satisfied and demand more support from the West. This demand list includes the issue of the returning Armenians ostensibly captured by Azerbaijan." At the meeting, Armen Gevorgyan's speech on the issue of Armenian "prisoners and civilians detained" in Baku and his emphasis on the importance of their return to their country were the main indicators of Armenian hypocrisy. Last year, after the capture of 2 Azerbaijani servicemen - Huseyn Akhundov and Agshin Babirov, Azerbaijan returned 32 Armenian prisoners to Armenia for the freedom of its 2 soldiers. This is proof that, unlike Armenia, Azerbaijan values its nation and is interested in normalising relations. It should not be forgotten that Armenian officials deny the fact that 4,500 Azerbaijanis went missing in the first Garabagh War and refuse to provide information about their subsequent fate. At the moment, Armenia's claim about being interested in peace talks, hiding Garabagh's minefield maps from Azerbaijan, accusing Azerbaijan of being a "terrorist" in the international arena, and committing provocations on the border is great cooperation for PACE, having Armenians like a fake policy and a biased approach. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 29 February 2024 15:57 (UTC+04:00) Fatime Letifova Read more Thirty years ago, when the UN adopted four resolutions on Armenia's occupation of Azerbaijan's territories, Yerevan did not consider them to be anything more than a piece of paper. It is a true saying that what goes around comes back around. Today, Armenia bases its hope on the importance of the two formal resolutions adopted by the European Parliament so much that it even dreams of going back to 30 years ago. However, the European Parliament's call for sanctions against Azerbaijan and the adoption of a resolution are not of any serious importance for Azerbaijan today. Unlike Armenia, this is not due to Azerbaijan's disrespect for the main structure of the European Parliament, but rather to the non-serious approach of the European Parliament to the provisions contained in the adopted resolutions. In other words, the European Union and its member states do not accept the fantasies reflected in the document. Since any Western pressure against Azerbaijan usually coincides with the elections, this has even become an axiom. It is known that the European Parliament is preparing for new elections, and calls against Azerbaijan are being made by deputies working with the 'finance' of the Armenian lobby. Kaspar Karapetyan, an Armenian living in Brussels, is behind this financing. Although K. Karapetyan captured the headlines mostly with the corruption scandal starting in 2022, his "business" relations with the member of the European Parliament Eva Kaili of Greek origin on May 26, 2019 were one of the most popular events. It should be noted that Eva Kaili and Karapetyan's paths crossed in the EU Parliament, and their relationship further increased after the election. In addition, let's note that Karapetyan, who is known as the boss of corruption and prostitution in the West, organised the illegal visits of many members of the European Parliament not only to Armenia, but also to Garabagh for decades. A Greek citizen with an Armenian passport, 76-year-old Kaspar Karapetyan chose Brussels, the centre of European politics, as a platform for his activities, not only for considerations of a purely Armenian issue, but also for his narrow-minded business interests. Karapetyan was engaged in shuttle trade in his youth in Greece. And later, in Belgium, he bought jewellery shops. He created an extensive and equally bloody network of "diamond business". From conflict regions of Africa, he smuggled into Belgium the oblong coloured diamonds, which are then faceted. So the diamond becomes as shiny as the Armenian issue. And then the diamonds are certified according to the thoroughly worked-out corruption scheme and go to the shelves of the branded boutiques in Europe. Over time, Karapetyan's blood diamond business began to be connected with Armenia's Garabagh plans. Dashnak, expanding his business, began to play an extremely active role, from the Armenian occupation to the financing of radical Armenian organisations and terrorist groups. With this money, Karapetyan creates a "European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy," which acts in conjunction with Armenia's foreign intelligence. The Karampetyan Federation is a subdivision of the organization of the Yerevan-based "Armenian Cause Central Council". Traces of Karampetyan's bloody mud lead from the offices of influential European officials and deputies to the battlefields in Karabakh. As for Karapetyan's partner Kyli, on November 19, 2021, she was recognized as the main initiator of the distribution of the statement signed by the MEPs as a group and accusing "Azerbaijan of committing aggression against Armenia". Thus, Karapetyan and all the forces close to him, united around the European Parliament, could not hide their true faces. The fact that some deputies of the European Parliament are engaged in issuing empty resolutions is precisely related to their corrupt practices, which they try to hide in the background. The MPs who oppose Azerbaijan are those who have expressed the same position in the European Parliament before. They know their true inner faces, and even President Ilham Aliyev exposed these disgusting games in front of them when he received German business representatives. There is no doubt that behind these games are people like Macron, Islamophobic, racist, and Turkophobic circles in the European Parliament, crusaders, and neo-colonial-minded people and agents. Azerbaijan has no obligation to the European Parliament, nor is it worried about the threats of resolutions by a group of corrupt MPs. The whole world understands that this is a modern crusade. The era of the absolute monopoly of the West is coming to an end, this kind of populism has no value anymore. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 29 February 2024 10:40 (UTC+04:00) Abbas Ganbay Read more In 2023, supplies of passenger cars and other vehicles designed for transportation of less than 10 people from the European Union (EU) countries to Azerbaijan increased by 44.9 percent compared to 2022 and reached a record 250 million euros, Azernews reports citing Eurostat. The top three largest exporters of these vehicles to Azerbaijan last year among EU countries were Germany ( 125.3 mln), Slovakia (62.1 mln) and Italy (25.9 mln). During the reporting period, supplies of gasoline vehicles with engine volume from 1,500 to 3,000 cm3 from the EU countries increased by 65.7 % in monetary terms and reached 71.2 mln . In particular, the volume of export of these cars from Germany to Azerbaijan is 34.1 mln (2.2 times growth), from Slovakia - 20.1 mln (29.8 percent growth), from Czech Republic - 11.1 mln (23.4 percent growth). At the same time, exports of gasoline-electric hybrid cars, excluding plug-in hybrids, increased by 65.7 percent in monetary terms to 63.9 million in 2023. At the same time, shipments of such vehicles from Slovakia to Azerbaijan in the reporting period increased 3.6 times to reach 36.9 million, while shipments from Germany decreased by 22.6 percent to 20.9 million. Exports of gasoline cars with engine volumes of more than 3,000 cm last year increased by 13.7 percent and amounted to 37.4 mln. At the same time, 21.1 million worth of such cars were imported from Italy and 10.2 million from Germany. In 2023, deliveries of electric cars from EU countries increased to 23.1 million in monetary terms (4.3 times growth), including from Germany to 20.6 million (4.8 times growth). --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz ASHFORD, Conn. (AP) Two tractor-trailers crashed on a Connecticut highway early Thursday, landing in a pond and killing one person, officials said. Police said it happened around 2 a.m. on Interstate 84 near the Ashford-Union town line. Both trucks were eastbound, and ended up with their cabs in the water, one of them upside down. A state police dive team along with environmental and consumer protection officials responded. Serious injuries were initially reported, and at least one person was transported to a hospital, police said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The state transportation department told WVIT that one person died. The crash, which prompted the highway to close for several hours, came hours before Gov. Ned Lamont and other state officials announced a new effort to improve traffic safety, including more state police patrols on highways where crashes and fatalities have become more common. That includes the busy stretches of Interstate 91 running from New Haven to Hartford and Interstate 95 from Bridgeport to New Haven. There have been roughly 50 deaths on Connecticut highways in the past two months alone, including a wrong-way driver whose crash killed four people and seriously injured two others on Interstate 95 in West Haven early Sunday morning, according to state officials. Advertisement Article continues below this ad 29 February 2024 13:16 (UTC+04:00) Fatime Letifova Read more The First State Secretary of the Ministry of Economy of Slovakia, Kamil Shashko, will visit Azerbaijan, Azernews reports, citing the post shared by Vusal Abdullayev, Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the Slovak Republic, on his official X account. "I met with the 1st State Secretary of the Ministry of Economy, Mr. Kamil Shashko, heading the Slovak delegation, which will take part in the 10th Southern Gas Corridor Advisory Council Ministerial Meeting and the 2nd Green Energy Advisory Council Ministerial Meeting on March 1 in Baku," the ambassador said. Met with the 1st State Secretary of the Ministry of Economy Mr. Kamil Sasko, head the Slovak delegation which will take part in the 10th Southern Gas Corridor Advisory Council Ministerial Meeting and the 2nd Green Energy Advisory Council Ministerial Meeting on 1 March in Baku. pic.twitter.com/0S8YqoWZn8 Vusal Abdullayev (@AbdullayevVH) February 28, 2024 It is worth noting that these meetings clearly reveal the growing role of Azerbaijan in Europe's energy supply. Azerbaijan, which is constantly diversifying and expanding its economic development, has thus taken a significant step in ensuring Europe's energy security not only through oil and gas potential but also through alternative energy sources. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 29 February 2024 18:11 (UTC+04:00) Abbas Ganbay Read more Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov met with TAP Executive Director Luca Skjepatti on the sidelines of the 10th meeting of the Southern Gas Corridor Advisory Council and the 2nd meeting of the Green Energy Advisory Council, Azernews reports. The meeting discussed work on the first phase of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) expansion for an additional 1.2 bln m from 2026, the progress of market tests for the next expansion, as well as the development of regional gas supply infrastructures. It is reported that the pipeline will be ready for additional supplies by the end of 2025, with 1 bln m of gas delivered to Italy and 200 mln m to Albania. Emphasising that TAP meets a significant part of the gas demand of European countries, including Italy, Luca Schiepatti noted that Azerbaijani gas plays an important role in energy security. A wide exchange of views was held at the meeting on the prospects of electrification of compressor stations located in Greece and Albania, as well as the supply of hydrogen and other renewable gases within the framework of increasing the capacity of the pipeline in order to achieve carbon neutrality. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 29 February 2024 13:57 (UTC+04:00) Abbas Ganbay Read more The Investigative Committee (IC) of Armenia has opened a criminal case against Ruslan Panahov, a serviceman of the Azerbaijani army who got lost in adverse weather conditions while moving between service positions in the Lachin region in the morning of February 28, Azernews reports, citing the IC of Armenia. It is reported that he is charged under several articles of the Criminal Code of Armenia - illegal border crossing, carrying weapons, etc. Such incidents on the undemarcated border, where there is no control strip, barbed wire, or even border posts, happen from time to time, especially in winter, under unfavourable weather conditions and limited visibility. In such cases, Azerbaijan and Armenia have reached an agreement: soldiers who, due to unfavourable weather conditions, get lost and accidentally stray into foreign territory are returned to the opposite side. But Armenia is once again playing a cheap show. First, it is reported about the "penetration" of two servicemen. Then it is reported that one of them was "neutralised" and the other is allegedly being sought. The National Security Service of Armenia initiates a criminal case. And all this adds up to one picture: Armenia is not going to fulfil the agreement reached on the return of the stranded servicemen. And very serious conclusions follow from this. Any agreement is a two-way street. And it cannot be that one side fulfils it and the other does not. Therefore, if Armenia does not fulfil its obligations, Azerbaijan should take similar steps. Moreover, by violating the agreement on the return of the servicemen, Armenia once again demonstrates its lack of commitment. Yerevan continues its provocative tactics and does not fulfil its commitments. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 29 February 2024 18:32 (UTC+04:00) Abbas Ganbay Read more The International Committee of the Red Cross has issued a statement regarding Azerbaijani soldier Ruslan Panahov, detained in Armenia, Azernews reports. "We are aware of the issue and are engaged in a bilateral confidential dialogue with the relevant institutions. In accordance with its mandate, the International Committee of the Red Cross visits the detainees to monitor their treatment and conditions of detention and to support them in contact with their families," the statement reads. Recall that the Investigative Committee (IC) of Armenia has opened a criminal case against Ruslan Panahov, a serviceman of the Azerbaijani army who got lost in adverse weather conditions while moving between service positions in the Lachin region in the morning of February 28. It is reported that he is charged under several articles of the Criminal Code of Armenia - illegal border crossing, carrying weapons, etc. In such cases, Azerbaijan and Armenia have reached an agreement: soldiers who, due to unfavourable weather conditions, get lost and accidentally stray into foreign territory are returned to the opposite side. But Armenia is once again playing a cheap show. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 29 February 2024 10:01 (UTC+04:00) Abbas Ganbay Read more Discussions between the Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia in Berlin will continue today, Azernews reports, citing the Azerbaijan Foreign Ministry. It should be noted that on February 28, the next round of negotiations on the draft "Bilateral Agreement on Peace and Establishment of Interstate Relations" started between the Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia. The talks continued after a trilateral meeting in Berlin with the participation of the German Foreign Minister. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 29 February 2024 00:01 (UTC+04:00) President Ilham Aliyev has sent an appeal to the participants of the 12th Azerbaijani-Russian Interregional Forum, Azernews reports. The letter read: "Dear participants of the forum, First of all, I would like to congratulate you on the opening of the 12th Azerbaijani-Russian Interregional Forum. This event, which has already become a good tradition, makes a significant contribution to the development of bilateral relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Russian Federation. Interregional forums in this format have already proved to be effective. Within the framework of the forum, meetings are held among representatives of the government, business and expert circles and a constructive and open dialogue is conducted. This allows us the opportunity to establish contacts, coordinate our efforts for further joint activities and discuss the prospects for expanding cooperation in a face-to-face format. The Forum is a popular platform for establishing direct mutually beneficial relations between the regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan and subjects of the Russian Federation. I would like to note with satisfaction that our partnership, which is based on the principles of mutual respect and trust, is multifaceted and covers practically all spheres. Today, the trade and economic cooperation between our countries is developing dynamically, our trade is growing, and work is underway in new areas. The forum will host discussions on future interactions in the transport and logistics, industrial, agricultural and environmental fields, which clearly demonstrates the desire of the two countries to further deepen their relations at the interregional level. It is noteworthy that today's forum is being held on the second anniversary of the signing of the Declaration on Allied Cooperation between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Russian Federation. This significant document was signed two years ago, in February 2022. It is based on the historical traditions of friendship and good-neighborliness, deep cultural and humanitarian ties between our peoples, and raises our interstate relations to a qualitatively new and allied level. I am convinced that this forum, just as the previous ones, will be held in a constructive atmosphere, become a landmark event for the development of common approaches and contribute to the achievement of all the planned goals for the benefit of our friendly countries. I wish all participants of the Forum successful and fruitful work! Ilham Aliyev President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Baku, 24 February 2024" --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 28 February 2024 18:00 (UTC+04:00) Cindy McCain, Executive Director of the World Food Programme has sent a congratulatory letter to President Ilham Aliyev, Azernews reports. The letter reads: "His Excellency Mr. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Excellency, On behalf of the World Food Programme (WFP), please accept my most sincere congratulations on your recent re-election as President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Furthermore, allow me to express my congratulations to the Republic of Azerbaijan for its appointment as host-country for the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 29) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). This historic moment for the Republic of Azerbaijan represents a further opportunity to position food security, climate change, resilience-building and peace at the forefront of the global political agenda. Excellency, under your esteemed leadership, we are confident that Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan will continue to address global challenges, including the impact of climate change on food security in conflict-affected and fragile contexts. WFP stands ready to jointly work together to keep food security and climate change high on the global agenda. Accept, Excellency, the assurance of my highest consideration. Cindy McCain Executive Director of the World Food Programme" --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 29 February 2024 12:34 (UTC+04:00) Abbas Ganbay Read more Secretary of Armenia's ruling party, "Civil Contract," Artur Hovhannisyan, said that the European Parliament has adopted 2 resolutions on foreign policy and EU security and defence policy, each of which calls "to immediately impose sanctions against Azerbaijan and suspend the memorandum of understanding on strategic energy partnership," Azernews reports. According to the Secretary, "the resolutions call to prepare for the introduction of targeted and personal sanctions against the military-political leadership of Azerbaijan and to suspend oil and gas imports from Azerbaijan in case of any military aggression against Armenia". The documents speak about "the need to strengthen the mandate of the EU mission in Armenia, expand it, extend its duration, and deploy observers on the border with Turkiye. It is also proposed to suspend negotiations with Azerbaijan on a new partnership agreement," Hovhannisyan states. It should be reminded that yesterday Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said at a meeting with Chairman of the Eastern Committee of the German Economy Michael Harms that Azerbaijan would consider withdrawing from the Council of Europe "After the restoration of our territorial integrity and sovereignty, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe decides to deprive the Azerbaijani delegation of the right to vote. Unfortunately, this decision was taken on the initiative of a member of the German parliament who is a member of the party led by Chancellor Scholz. Isn't this a double standard, or is it a game with us! The German Chancellor shows impartiality, and his statements and actions reflect that. And a member of the party he leads wants to alienate Azerbaijan, one of the 2 non-Christian PACE countries, and he does it demonstratively and purposefully. As you know, we decided not to participate in the sessions of this organisation. Because if we don't have the right to express our position, why should we be there? If the rights of our delegation are not restored within a year, we can seriously consider a complete withdrawal from the Council of Europe." --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 29 February 2024 10:53 (UTC+04:00) President Ilham Aliyev has sent an appeal to Mr. Tamas Sulyok, President-elect of Hungary, Azernews reports. The letter reads as follows: "Dear Mr. Sulyok, I sincerely congratulate you on your election as the President of Hungary. Hungary is a close friend and reliable partner of Azerbaijan. The current level of the Azerbaijan-Hungary relationship, based on mutual trust and confidence, and enriched with new content day by day, is gratifying. We attach special importance to the expansion of relations between our countries in all domains, which have great potential, including the further deepening of our strategic partnership. I believe that we will make joint efforts to strengthen the traditional ties of friendship between Azerbaijan and Hungary and to successfully continue multifaceted cooperation in line with the interests of our peoples. I extend my best regards to you and wish you success in your upcoming responsible activities for the prosperity of the friendly people of Hungary. Sincerely, Ilham Aliyev President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Baku, 28 February 2024" --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 26 February 2024 23:59 (UTC+04:00) Qabil Ashirov Read more An event was held at the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Russia, organised jointly with the representative office of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation in Russia, dedicated to the 32nd anniversary of the Khojaly genocide, Trend reports. The event was attended by ambassadors, representatives of the diplomatic corps, the Russian public, the diaspora, the Azerbaijan Youth Association of Russia, and Azerbaijani students studying in Moscow. Before the official part of the event, the ambassadors of Azerbaijan, Turkiye, and Pakistan, along with the guests present, laid flowers at the bas-relief of the National Leader of the Azerbaijani people, Heydar Aliyev, installed in the Embassy building, as well as a banner dedicated to the victims of the Khojaly tragedy. The funeral music played in the hall was performed by a string quartet. Opening the event, Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Russia Polad Bulbuloglu noted that this Day of Remembrance differs from previous ones in that today Khojaly, like the entire territory of Azerbaijan, is completely liberated from the occupiers. Khojaly is an unhealing wound of the Azerbaijani people. This is one of the most serious crimes committed against the civilian Azerbaijani population during the long-term aggression of Armenia and one of the most tragic pages in the history of Azerbaijan. Polad Bulbuloglu emphasised the special significance of the fact that it was on this day that President Ilham Aliyev paid a visit to Khojaly, where he laid the foundation of the Khojaly Genocide Memorial and met with representatives of the public. The ambassador noted that this year for the first time the entire country, especially, Khojaly, liberated from occupation, commemorates the events of February 26 with a completely different, special feeling, with the head held high, as the National Flag of Azerbaijan proudly flies over the city. The ambassador emphasised that at one time, a political and legal assessment of such a bloody crime was given only after the return of National Leader Heydar Aliyev to the leadership of the country. The great role played by the international information campaign Justice for Khojaly, initiated by Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Leyla Aliyeva, was also noted, within the framework of which young people both in Azerbaijan and abroad actively take part in preserving the memory of the victims of the tragedy. Polad Bulbuloglu, addressing the representatives of the younger generation present, admonished them to never forget the difficult pages of the history of their country and to spread information about the Khojaly genocide among their peers and the international community. In his speech, the ambassador paid special attention to the problem of mine terror. In conclusion, Polad Bulbuloglu emphasized that Azerbaijan, being committed to the normalisation of Azerbaijani-Armenian interstate relations, insists on compliance with international obligations and the renunciation of territorial claims on the part of Armenia, as it is confident that there is no alternative to the peaceful development of the region. Then, an activist of the Azerbaijan Youth Association of Russia, student of the First Moscow Medical State University named after I.M. Sechenov, Gunel Mirieva, read the poems of the poetess Naila Nadir, My land, my Karabakh. Next, the quartet performed Edvard Griegs mournful work, The Death of Ose. On this day, a large stand was installed at the entrance to the Embassy, dedicated to the memory of those killed in the Khojaly tragedy. Azerbaijanis living in Moscow, representatives of the diaspora, and students laid flowers at the memorial throughout the day. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz The Secretary of the State's office determined the order that the candidates will appear on ballots during Connecticut's presidential primaries in April. Boris Zhitkov/Getty Images NEW HAVEN The ballots for Connecticuts presidential primary on April 2 were officially set this week, along with the order in which the candidates' names will appear. The order was randomly determined by lots drawn at a public ceremony held Tuesday at New Havens Achievement First Amistad High School. Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas was assisted by two Amistad students who drew ping balls with the candidates names from a bag. A lot of attention is given to big elections, Thomas told the students. But a lot of civics and elections and voting are in very small details, such as this. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The four names that will appear on each ballot are the same who qualified for the primary in January, though a few have since publicly ended their campaigns. Candidates had until noon on Monday, Feb. 26 to request in writing to be removed from the ballot, according to Thomas, though none did so. Voters in each party will also have the option of selecting uncommitted rather than choosing any of the named candidates. That option will appear last on both ballots. The order for the Democratic primary ballot is as follows: Marianne Williamson Dean Phillips Cenk Uygur Joe Biden Uncommitted Advertisement Article continues below this ad And the Republican ballot: Ron DeSantis Nikki Haley Donald Trump Ryan Binkley Uncommitted Connecticuts primary was moved up from the end of April last year by lawmakers hoping to capitalize on getting more candidates to visit and spend money in the state earlier in the primary season. The impact of that move, however, has been blunted by the presence of two front-runners presidents Biden and Trump who have yet to lose a primary contest. 29 February 2024 17:13 (UTC+04:00) Abbas Ganbay Read more Within the framework of the working visit to Germany, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov met with State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany Thomas Bager, Azernews reports. During the meeting, the sides exchanged views on bilateral cooperation issues, as well as on the recent talks held in Berlin between the Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia. Information says the sides emphasized the importance of relations between Azerbaijan and Germany and expressed interest in further development of relations. At the same time, Azerbaijan declared unacceptability of the smear campaign against Azerbaijan within the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the European Union and other platforms. "It was noted that the holding of the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change-COP29 in our country, as well as the visit of the delegation headed by the chairman of the Eastern Committee of Economy of Germany created wide opportunities for cooperation. The opposing side was informed about the prospects of the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia, the latest negotiations held, our country's views on the draft peace agreement, important points for the establishment of relations with Armenia and peace were conveyed. Gratitude was expressed to the German side for support in organizing meetings to promote the process," the report says. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 29 February 2024 16:45 (UTC+04:00) President Ilham Aliyev has signed an Order allocating funding for the extensive repair of highways in the city of Sumgayit, Azernews reports. Under the Order, the State Agency of Azerbaijan Automobile Roads is earmarked 8.1 million manats for the comprehensive highway repairs in the city. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 29 February 2024 14:41 (UTC+04:00) Abbas Ganbay Read more Head of the French party "Patriots" Florian Philippot wrote in the social network "X" calling on the French government to declare impeachment of the country's President Emmanuel Macron, Azernews reports. In his opinion, Macron hates France and is trying to drag it into the third world war. "National petition for parliamentarians to finally move! Article 35 of the Constitution, requiring a vote on war, and Article 68: his impeachment!" the politician wrote. On February 26, Macron allowed the possibility of sending EU troops to Ukraine. He said that the possibility of sending EU ground troops to Ukraine was discussed at a conference in Paris. However, a consensus has not been reached yet. #Macron veut jeter la France dans la guerre, Macron prend le risque assume dune #3eGuerreMondiale, Macron est fou, vendu, il deteste la France, il doit etre stoppe ! Petition nationale pour que les parlementaires se bougent enfin ! Article 35 de la Constitution pour exiger un pic.twitter.com/JeJll0FTWM Florian Philippot (@f_philippot) February 28, 2024 --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 29 February 2024 22:50 (UTC+04:00) More than 30 media companies in Europe have filed a lawsuit against the American corporation Google, demanding damages in the amount of about 2.1 billion, Azernews reports, citing foreign media outlets. The lawsuit is related to Google's digital advertising policy, which alleges that the company abused its dominant position, which led to a decrease in media companies' advertising revenues and an increase in their spending on advertising services. The plaintiffs, including Axel Springer, Schibsted, JPG Media and other media companies from 17 European countries, filed a lawsuit in the Netherlands. In June 2023, the European Commission accused Google of violating antitrust laws in the field of advertising business. In recent years, the European Commission has imposed multibillion-dollar fines on leading American digital corporations, including Microsoft, Google and Amazon, for violating EU competition rules in the digital market. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz 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) One of the state's most powerful special interest groups, which has sometimes been called "the mother of all special interest groups", the center-left NC Chamber of Commerce has sent out a mailing endorsing Bob Brinson in the GOP primary for NC Senate. The center-left Chamber assures us that Brinson is a "conservative" and they claim that Brinson, whose only public vote on taxes (on the New Bern city council) has been to RAISE them "can be trusted to cut our taxes." In recent years, the Chamber has been associated with major liberal policy positions such as ending bathroom privacy by repealing NC's bathroom privacy law (thus legalizing biological men going into womens bathrooms and locker rooms), passing the Obamacare Medicaid expansion, and NC's Green New Deal, HB951. On the Green New Deal, many businesses that use electricity testified at the Senate hearing against the bill due to its cost to them in higher electric rates, but major Chamber member, "woke" energy monopoly Duke Energy wanted the bill to boost its ESG credentials, so the Chamber pushed it to the detriment of many of its own members. The Chamber is also historically very weak on illegal immigration issues. The Chamber has moved steadily to the left over the years. Half a century ago, it routinely supported Republicans over Democrats. Then it moved to a position where it supported establishment Republicans over conservatives in primaries and establishment Republicans over Democrats in general elections. The Chamber tilted even further left in 2020 by supporting a raft of Democrats against conservative Republicans in the general election for Congress, which led the US House Republican caucus to stop dealing with Chamber lobbyists on legislation. When one compares Chamber positions with Brinson's stated positions, they do not match on many issues, just like the stated positions of Brinson do not match those of his major backers like liberal Senate boss Phil Berger and local liberal state senator Jim Perry. All of that makes one wonder if Brinson is telling them something different from what he is telling voters. The term "Chamber of Commerce Republican" has long been synonimous with "establishment Republican" or "Republican in Name Only (RINO)". So now we have one of these critters running in our district. https://www.beaufortcountynow.com/post/77523/who-are-the-outside-groups-behind-the-postcards-in-our-senate-race.html Mary Watson, MD, a physician in Tallahassee, Fla., agreed to pay $60,000 in order to resolve allegations that she violated the Controlled Substances Act. An investigation by the U.S. Attorney's Office revealed numerous potential violations of the act, according to a Feb. 27 news release from the Justice Department. Dr. Watson allegedly issued at least 76 controlled substance prescriptions for phendimetrazine and failed to maintain any patient files for those prescriptions. The civil agreement is not an admission of any liability by Dr. Watson nor a concession from the U.S. Attorney's Office that the potential violations were not well-founded. Dr. Watson voluntarily surrendered her DEA registration in October 2023, the release said. Wagener (S.C.) Medical Center will close indefinitely beginning March 14, ABC affiliate WJBF reported Feb. 28. The family medicine practice was hit with operational challenges after losing several key staff members in the last few weeks, including a practice manager, nurse practitioners and a receptionist. "We got to this point due to unfortunately just mismanagement, I believe in a lot of different areas," practice manager Brittany Autrey told the news station. The city of Wagener currently owns the building housing the medical center, according to assistant town clerk Jan Fogle. City officials have suggested transferring ownership to physician assistants and the office manager. Officials are also searching for additional healthcare providers to add to the practice. Artificial intelligence is showing promise in gastroenterology, and physicians are taking notice. As the buzz about AI in the GI space grows, Benjamin Levy III, MD, a gastroenterologist at University of Chicago Medicine, told Becker's that more private practice and academic medical centers are likely going to be looking into implementing AI technology such as Medtronic's GI Genius. "A lot of practices are adding [GI Genius] to their platforms because they've seen other practices talk about it and it's receiving a lot of great media attention," Dr. Levy said. Several hospitals and health systems, including Salt Lake City-based Intermountain, have also onboarded the technology. GI Genius was the first, but it's not the only AI-driven polyp detection device on the market. Others include Iterative Health's Skout and Wision A.I.'s EndoScreener. There is evidence that AI may improve the effectiveness of colonoscopies. A study in Gastroenterology found that using artificial intelligence during colonoscopies may help decrease adenoma miss rates. AI has the potential to not only benefit patients, but trainees as well, Dr. Levy said. "From an academic perspective, the artificial intelligence technology is amazing because it really has the potential to help our first-year fellows in training get even more experience because they are seeing polyps for the first time," Dr. Levy said. "Especially in that first year of training, it's able to help fine tune what is a polyp versus a fold that just looks a little bit abnormal." Here are the C-suite leaders of Tenet Healthcare's ASC business, United Surgical Partners International: Margie Arion. Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer of USPI. Ms. Arion has more than 30 years of human resources experience. She joined Tenet in 2018. Peter Blach. COO of USPI. Mr. Blach joined USPI in 2007 and became COO of the company in 2022. Prior to joining the company, he was vice president of operations for Innova Healthcare. Brett Brodnax. President and CEO of USPI. Mr. Brodnax became CEO of USPI in 2018. Prior to joining USPI in 1999, he served as an assistant vice president at Baylor Health Care System. Collee Everett. Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer of USPI. Ms. Everett has more than 20 years of healthcare experience. Prior to her current role, she served as a regional compliance officer for more than 20 Tenet hospitals in California and Arizona. Andy McCawley. Chief Development Officer of USPI. Before her current role, Ms. McCawley served as vice president of Tenet Healthcare's corporate development team. She joined Tenet in 2015. Owen Morris. CFO of USPI. Mr. Morris joined USPI in 2019. In addition to his role at USPI, he serves as treasurer of Tenet Healthcare. Pam Yoo. Chief Strategy Officer of USPI. Before serving as chief strategy officer, Ms. Yoo was vice president of corporate development for USPI. Prior to joining Tenet, she worked for Sacramento, Calif.-based Sutter Health and San Francisco-based UCSF Health. Here are 10 updates that ASC leaders need to know about the ophthalmology space that Becker's has reported on since Jan. 22: 1. Brassica Pharma voluntarily recalled some of its eye ointment products due to a lack of sterility assurance at the facility where they were produced. 2. Artificial intelligence may outperform physicians when it comes to diagnosing and treating glaucoma, according to a study. 3. The Utah Senate is weighing a bill that would decrease the qualifications required to perform some laser eye procedures. 4. The total number of healthcare-focused private equity deals decreased by 16.2% in 2023, while vision-focused deals decreased dramatically. 5. The global ophthalmology market is expected to hit $94 billion by the end of the decade. 6. Hawaii was named the best state for eye health, while West Virginia was ranked last. 7. Ascendis Pharma teamed up with an investor syndicate that includes Frazier Life Sciences, RA Capital Management, venBio and HealthQuest Capital to launch ophthalmology company Eyconis. 8. Colorado Ophthalmology Associates experienced a cyberattack that resulted in the encryption and loss of electronic medical record files. 9. Burnout among ophthalmologists decreased by 9% in the last year. 10. Biopharmaceutical company Coherus BioSciences agreed to divest its ophthalmology franchise, Cimerli, to pharmaceutical company Sandoz for $170 million. Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser Permanente has proposed a project that would demolish its existing San Jose (Calif.) Medical Center and construct a new hospital. After demolishing the current 250,000-square-foot medical center, the health system would build a 685,000-square-foot hospital, a new central utility plant and a parking structure, according to Kaiser environmental review documents. The existing hospital would maintain function at full capacity as the new hospital is being built. "We are prepared to make substantial investments in upgrading our facilities to support our South Bay members and the local community," a spokesperson for Kaiser said in a statement shared with Becker's. "We look forward to swift approval by local and state jurisdictions and will continue working with the local community as the project progresses." Potential future projects include the demolition of two one-story medical offices and the construction of a 250,000-square-foot outpatient facility and a parking garage on the health system's San Jose campus. The campus additions would result in around 800 new employees from the current 1,700 day shift physicians, nurses and support staff. If approved, construction is expected to begin in early 2025 with the hospital replacement completed before 2030. Valleywise Health has reopened some of its inpatient psychiatric beds that had been closed since 2022 due to staffing shortages. However, dozens of the Phoenix-based system's licensed psychiatric beds remain closed as it works to recruit more behavioral health staff. On Feb. 28, the health system confirmed it has been able to reopen 15 inpatient beds at its behavioral health center in the Maryvale neighborhood of Phoenix. Valleywise, the largest provider of court-ordered inpatient behavioral health beds, has 412 licensed psychiatric beds across three hospitals. Of those, 355 beds are staffed and 57 remain closed, according to a report from the Arizona Republic.Arizona Republic. The health system's senior vice president of behavioral health, Gene Cavallo, told the news outlet it will likely take six to seven months before Valleywise can reopen more beds. "Our biggest challenge is just being able to recruit enough direct care staff, which really is nurses and behavioral health technicians to be able to take on more patients," Mr. Cavallo told the news outlet. Valleywise is offering sign-on bonuses of up to $18,000 for behavioral health employees who make a two-year commitment to work at the system. The system said it hopes to have all shuttered units reopened within the next 12 to 18 months. What is the main concern for hospitals and health systems when it comes to the Change Healthcare attack? The potential impact to patient care and safety, John Riggi, the American Hospital Association's national adviser for cybersecurity and risk, told Becker's. "We are still gathering data of the impact of the attack, but it appears to be wide ranging but in varying degrees," he said. "At this time, the disruptions in service seem to be related to pharmacy, revenue cycle and related technology disruptions all across the country." Mr. Riggi stated that Change Healthcare touches almost every hospital in the country, directly or indirectly, but the main concern of this incident is the potential disruption or delay of healthcare delivery that may create a risk to patient safety. The Post Bulletin reported Feb. 28 that several pharmacies have reported disruptions. "Mayo Clinic Pharmacy is among pharmacy providers nationwide affected by Change Healthcare's network interruption," Mayo Clinic said in a statement to the Post Bulletin. "For patients with serious health issues, our teams are prioritizing prescriptions that are due in the near future. For patients needing to fill or refill nonurgent prescriptions, there may be delays. Our commitment to patient care remains unwavering, and we are actively responding to the situation to minimize disruptions." Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic Pharmacy, CVS, Walgreens, OMC Pharmacy and Costco Pharmacy were among those named in the news outlet as those affected by the Change Healthcare network outage that started Feb. 21. OMC Pharmacy told the publication that "most pharmacies will be able to give patients up to five days of medication to help them until the systems are working again." The attack on Change Healthcare is being attributed to a Russian-based ransomware group known as ALPHV or BlackCat, according to Mr. Riggi. "This group in particular has been very aggressive targeting healthcare and has been responsible for numerous high-impact attacks," he said. In 2023, health systems experienced 46 ransomware attacks, up from 25 in 2022 and 27 in 2021, according to a report from cybersecurity firm Emsisoft. Ransomware was even listed as one of the biggest safety concerns in health technology for 2024 by nonprofit patient safety organization ECRI. "Ransomware attacks against healthcare in general should be prioritized as threat-to-life crimes and treated as acts of cyber terrorism," Mr. Riggi said. In its latest update, Change Healthcare said the disruptions to its systems may last throughout Feb. 28. A spokesperson for UnitedHealthcare, the parent company of Change Healthcare told Becker's "we estimate more than 90% of the nation's 70,000+ pharmacies have modified electronic claim processing to mitigate impacts from the Change Healthcare cyber security issue; the remainder have offline processing workarounds." Additionally, the spokesperson said both Optum Rx and UnitedHealthcare are seeing minimal reports, including less than 100 out of more than 65 million PBM members not being able to get their prescriptions. Ransomware attacks on healthcare organizations have cost the U.S. economy nearly $80 billion in downtime. There's another expense that doesn't come with a price tag: The sense of stress and helplessness outages cause. As more details emerge about the operational effects of dayslong downtime by Change Healthcare after a cyberattack in February, the psychological effects of this ransomware incident and others like it are intensifying and increasingly worth noting. As numerous parts of the healthcare ecosystem are affected, each one turns to another for answers, but with limited results. Change, part of UnitedHealth Group, is both a revenue cycle management services provider that handles 15 billion transactions per year and the nation's largest commercial prescription processor. The company disconnected its systems Feb. 22 after detecting an outside threat, disrupting health systems, hospitals and pharmacies nationwide and all military pharmacies worldwide. Change confirmed Feb. 29 that it was hacked by a ransomware gang after the group claimed to have stolen massive amounts of data. BlackCat, a specific ransomware-as-a-service group, has claimed responsibility for the attack. "My boss seems to think I can call someone to fix this," a Reddit user wrote about the Change Healthcare cyberattack on Feb. 28, the one-week mark since the incident was reported. "Sure, just hop on the phone with Blackcat and tell them they're very naughty and they need to stop now," another user responded to the initial post. The exchange carries on, with healthcare professionals swapping notes about their shared human experience of not knowing who to call or which entity is responsible for what solutions when a ransomware attack disables entire systems at a time. Nearly every stakeholder of the healthcare ecosystem is represented in these forums, many admitting their lack of answers or direction. At least one healthcare association was quick to step in and redirect blame that might be misdirected as patients and personnel experienced delays or outages in routine healthcare tasks, like prescription refills. By Feb. 23, the American Pharmacists Association made a point to request forbearance from the public toward pharmacists. "What we ask of you is patience pharmacists are working overtime to continue their work, to treat patients, and to do this in as timely a fashion as possible," the association said. "We know this is a frustrating time for patients. It's also a challenging and frustrating time for pharmacists, as well, because anything that compromises their ability to provide care will always prove frustrating." Other workers in various parts of the healthcare ecosystem made similar requests to their peers, albeit in forums less formal than news releases. "As an EMR software specialist, just be nice if you call us. We get it. We too are frustrated," a Reddit user wrote Feb. 28. "I can't tell you how many people have called me and demanded we fix this and I can't seem to explain hard enough that this one is actually out of our control." Helplessness or loss of control, especially at a collective level, can be psychologically and emotionally taxing. Recognizing a threat but not knowing what to do about it can increase one's stress, anxiety and fear. The lack of a known end point of a cyberattack like Change is experiencing can intensify psychological distress. Some independent therapists, for instance, have noted they have halted their insurance billing for a week due to the downtime and expressed fear about going longer without income. These mental effects, while lesser-discussed, are exactly what cyberthreats intend to bring on. Cyberterrorists want to create mental and physical harm, and research has found that the psychological effects of cyber threats can rival those of traditional terrorism. A 2016 study in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists compared stress responses to forms of terrorism to find that cyberterrorism even incidents not causing people to suffer physical harm elicits similar levels of panic, stress and insecurity. "One need not suffer direct harm to be terrorized; it is enough that one fear direct harm to suffer the ravages of contemporary terrorism, whether cyber terrorism or conventional terrorism," the authors concluded. Change said it is working with cybersecurity firms and law enforcement to address the cyberattack. The BlackCat hacker gang has focused on healthcare since December, after the FBI infiltrated its operations. Munster, Ind.-based Community Healthcare System is changing its name to Powers Health effective July 1. The new name is a nod to Donald Powers, who donated 5 acres and funding to develop the health system's flagship Munster-based Community Hospital. Mr. Powers was also director and president of Community Foundation, which became Community Foundation of Northwest Indiana in 2001 and is the parent company of Community Healthcare System, according to a Feb. 28 health system news release shared with Becker's. Powers Health will continue to ensure physicians offer specialty and advanced care access in Northwest Indiana, including cancer, heart, neuroscience, orthopedics, rehabilitation and stroke services, the release said. The health system's Community Hospital, East Chicago, Ind.-based St. Catherine Hospital and Hobart, Ind.-based St. Mary Medical Center will maintain their names amid the rebranding. Crown Point, Ind.-based Community Stroke & Rehabilitation Center will become Powers Health Rehabilitation Center and Community Care Network will change to Powers Health Medical Group. All other location-based or hospital-based health centers will change their name to Powers Health Outpatient Center. Researchers say the increase in secure messaging among healthcare providers could be a good thing, allowing them to trace EHR "breadcrumbs" to improve both care and communication, the American Medical Association reported. An AMA-supported study found a 29% increase in median daily message volume at St. Louis-based BJC HealthCare between July 2022 and January 2023, according to the Feb. 27 story. "What's most striking is how little we know about this tool that seems to be largely adopted," the study's lead author, Sunny Lou, MD, PhD, an anesthesiologist with Washington University in St. Louis, told the AMA. "There's relatively little understood about what consequences this has had, what is the effect of people doing all this communication on people's work?" Physicians spend nearly five hours in the EHR for every eight hours they have scheduled with patients, according to previous AMA-funded research cited in the article. But all the data on this messaging provides an opportunity, researchers say. "Analyses of patterns and content of secure messages could help facilitate at-scale identification of areas for improved team functioning, delivery of clinical care, and design of EHR tools," according to a December commentary from physicians affiliated with San Francisco-based UCSF Health, Somerville, Mass.-based Mass General Brigham and Ann Arbor-based University of Michigan that was cited by the AMA. Other potential quality improvements include identifying "instances of unclear or ambiguous communication regarding orders or clinical decisions" and which healthcare employees "are bearing the greatest burden of the EHR in their clinical work," those physicians wrote. Scott Moran, MD, CEO of Clifton T. Perkins Hospital Center, a maximum-security forensic psychiatric hospital in Jessup, Md., agreed in court Feb. 28 to a restraining order prohibiting him from coming to Clifton as well as the state administrative offices for the Maryland Department of Health, according to The Washington Post. Chase Cook, a spokesperson for the Maryland Department of Health, which operates Clifton through the department's healthcare system, confirmed the agreement to Becker's but declined to comment further. Dr. Moran is on leave amid allegations he bullied and threatened staff. On Feb. 28, he gave voluntary consent to the six-month peace order, meaning the judge with the Baltimore County District Court entered it without the physician admitting to the allegations or a judicial finding of fact, according to The Baltimore Sun. The restraining order arises from allegations made earlier in February by Maryland Department of Health employees Dwain Shaw and Nisha Madhaven and obtained by the Post. In a petition for a restraining order, filed in Baltimore County District Court, the employees alleged that Dr. Moran harassed and threatened his "employer and subordinates" using "electronic methods," according to the Post. The petition also alleges Dr. Moran sent "racially suggestive messages" to workers even after being told not to contact them, that he engaged in "yelling, public humiliation and intimidating," and that he previously was accused of bullying other workers, the Post reported. The underlying issue stemmed from an "employment law dispute," James Rubin, Dr. Moran's attorney, told the judge, according to the Sun. He declined to comment further to the newspaper after the hearing. Dr. Moran was unable to attend a hearing earlier this month because officials said he was hospitalized, but he was in court Feb. 28, according to the Sun. Mr. Cook previously confirmed to Becker's that Dr. Moran's date of hire at Clifton was in October 2019 and that his current title is CEO. Dallas-based Steward Health Care has named Octavio (Tavi) Diaz, MD, president of its North region in Massachusetts, effective Feb. 29, as part of the health system's six-point action plan to help combat its ongoing financial struggles. In his new role, Dr. Diaz, who previously served as Steward's chief medical officer, will meet with hospital staff and leaders at each of Steward's Massachusetts hospitals, according to a Feb. 29 Steward news release. Dr. Diaz will also meet with "as many key stakeholders as possible" to gain a deeper understanding of Steward's operations in the region and how to improve patient outcomes and provide high-quality care. Michael Callum, MD, executive vice president of physician services at Steward, is also switching to a new role and will oversee management of Steward facilities across the Midwest and South, which includes Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Arkansas and Ohio. Dr. Callum will also be working on a long-term strategy for all Steward hospitals. Along with leadership changes, the six-point plan also features a financial agreement between Steward and its current lenders for a $150 million cash infusion. New labor agreements have also been negotiated with Steward employees, and the health system is working to sell its nonessential assets immediately. Steward features more than 30 hospitals across Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas. It also has multispecialty medical groups, urgent care centers, skilled nursing facilities and behavioral health centers. The health system comprises 30,000 employees, including more than 4,450 providers. A prominent pathologist at Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins Hospital, who was placed on administrative leave beginning in May amid misconduct allegations, has resigned his post, the physician and hospital confirmed to The Washington Post. Hospital spokesperson Liz Vandendriessche also confirmed the resignation to Becker's but did not provide further information. Jonathan Epstein, MD, resigned before Johns Hopkins determined whether allegations of "bullying" or "intimidating" behavior were founded, Ms. Vandendriessche said in an email to the Post. She did not provide information about the status of the inquiry. Dr. Epstein was placed on administrative leave last year amid accusations that he pressured other physicians into providing second opinions to patients that agreed with diagnoses made by his wife, who is also a pathologist. Dr. Epstein told the Post in an email this month that the hospital had officially "found no evidence of any professional misconduct (ie. no evidence of bullying)." Ms. Vandendriessche told the publication that the physician's assertion was false. Regarding clinical care provided by Dr. Epstein, "Johns Hopkins Hospital conducted a review of Dr. Epstein's clinical care and did not identify any areas of concern," a statement Dr. Epstein told the Post he and the hospital agreed to in a legal document said, according to the physician. Ms. Vandendriessche did not confirm the authenticity of the statement to the Post. According to the newspaper, the statement also said Dr. Epstein, who was the hospital's director of surgical pathology, chose not to renew his clinical privileges at the hospital because he decided in January to resign his faculty position at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Epstein told the Post he resigned because physicians who had made "anonymous false allegations" against him were still there, and he "did not want to go back there to practice." The publication reported Dr. Epstein's administrative leave and the bullying accusations against him in October citing several interviews and a report from The Joint Commission it obtained. The Post's report noted allegations that Dr. Epstein pressured other physicians into providing second opinions to patients that aligned with diagnoses made by his wife, including a bladder case. The Joint Commission report directed the hospital to address the physicians' concerns, and the hospital initiated an inquiry. Read the Post's full report here. Roseville, Calif.-based Adventist Health has signed definitive agreements to purchase two California hospitals from Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare. Under the deal, which is expected to close in the spring, Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center in San Luis Obispo and Twin Cities Community Hospital in Templeton would join Adventist. The agreement also includes physician practices and imaging centers in San Luis Obispo County. Tenet has agreed to sell the hospitals for approximately $550 million (after-tax proceeds of approximately $450 million). Additionally, Tenet and Adventist announced that Tenet's Conifer Health Solutions subsidiary will enter into an agreement to provide hospital and physician revenue cycle services for Adventist. Conifer will provide services for more than $3.5 billion in net revenue, according to a Feb. 29 news release from Tenet. "Adventist Health is a prominent healthcare system with a commitment to compassionate care and serving the communities of San Luis Obispo County," Saum Sutaria, MD, chair and CEO of Tenet, said in a news release. "Furthermore, our revenue cycle services partnership will enable our organizations to apply new innovations to optimize the patient experience." Kerry Heinrich, president and CEO of Adventist, said in a news release: "We are excited to increase our footprint to the beautiful Central Coast of California. We are committed to partnering with Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center and Twin Cities Community Hospital to expand services, and we will work together to serve our mission of increasing the availability of care for communities in this region." The deal with Adventist is the latest sale of California hospitals announced by Tenet. Earlier this month, Orange, Calif.-based UCI Health announced it reached a definitive agreement to acquire Tenet's Pacific Coast Network, which includes four hospitals in Southern California and their associated outpatient locations. President Joe Biden issued an executive order to protect Americans' sensitive personal data including health data from countries of concern. Bad actors can use personal and sensitive data to "track Americans (including military service members), pry into their personal lives and pass that data on to other data brokers and foreign intelligence services. This data can enable intrusive surveillance, scams, blackmail and other violations of privacy," according to a Feb. 28 White House news release. From a healthcare perspective, the president is directing HHS, the Defense Department and and the Department of Veterans Affairs to help ensure that federal grants, contracts and awards are not used to facilitate access to Americans' health data by countries of concern, including through companies located in the U.S. What began as a medical malpractice lawsuit against a Texas urologist has evolved into a broader accusation, The Texas Tribune reported Feb. 23. A recent lawsuit alleges that the University of Texas at Tyler Health Science Center the health science education branch of the university's Tyler campus is fraudulently hiring physicians as medical school professors to protect them from lawsuits. In reality, these physicians allegedly are not working as professors for the university but are practicing within its for-profit health system, UT Health East Texas. Under Texas law, physicians employed by a government entity like the state medical school are "generally not subject" to malpractice suits, according to the Tribune. Patients can sue the physician's employer, but for a significantly smaller payout. The lawsuit began with Michael Simington, a 67-year-old patient who saw Ruben Garcia, MD, a urologist, in October 2019. Dr. Garcia ordered a biopsy, which showed prostate cancer, but did not share the diagnosis with Mr. Simington until March 2021. By that time, the cancer had spread. Mr. Simington's attorney, Reid Martin, hired a urologist from the University of California Los Angeles to review the case; the urologist determined that the delayed diagnosis may have cost Mr. Simington eight to 10 years of life. But when Mr. Simington attempted to sue Dr. Garcia for medical malpractice in 2021, he learned that he was employed by the University of Texas at Tyler Health Science Center as a clinical assistant professor of surgery not by UT Health East Texas, which acquired four urology clinics owned by Dr. Garcia in 2019 and was branded on his white coat, website and brick-and-mortar signage. This distinction shields Dr. Garcia from most medical malpractice suits, according to his attorneys. Mr. Simington could not sue him directly and must instead sue his employer, the university. Since the university is a state entity, Mr. Simington would have to inform the state of his intent to sue within six months and prove the incident involved "tangible personal property" unlikely conditions to be met for a missed diagnosis. Even if he was able to meet the conditions, the most Mr. Simington's lawsuit could win is $250,000. Under typical medical malpractice statutes, it could win up to $250,000 in non-economic damages against a physician but an unlimited amount potentially millions in economic damages. Mr. Simington died in spring 2023. "I didn't realize until I looked into it," Mr. Martin told the Tribune. "But the way they've set up [UT Health East Texas], there's no way to hold the doctors working here accountable." In 2017, East Texas Medical Center, a nine-hospital system, was purchased to form UT Health East Texas. Though the system was created in partnership with UT Tyler Health Science Center, most of its funding came from Nashville, Tenn.-based Ardent Health Services, the fourth-largest privately held hospital operator in the country. Ardent invested nearly $350 million to purchase the properties and promised another $125 million in system improvements, according to the Tribune. Although UT Health East Texas is affiliated with a public university, it is still a for-profit system. Ardent owns 70% and manages daily operations, while the university owns 30%, and its president chairs the corporate board. Now, there are more than 90 physician clinics under UT Health East Texas. Since 2018, more than 200 physicians have been hired as professors at the university while practicing at the system, the Tribune found. Amid questions from Tribune reporters, UT Health East Texas updated its website to say certain providers are "employed as a clinical faculty physician at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler under the UT Tyler School of Medicine." The university declined the Tribune's request for comment on the litigation but said in a statement that its healthcare venture "has been exceptionally successful and significantly enhanced medical education and healthcare for East Texas." It did not return Becker's request for further comment. The owners of St. Louis-based Northview Village nursing home, which closed without warning in December, have been fined $56,310, by CMS the St. Louis Dispatch reported Feb. 29. The abrupt closure of the facility, which was the largest nursing home in the city, initially left 100 workers without pay and prompted transfers for 185 patients, but departing the facility was not a smooth process, according to a report from the Missouri Department of Health and Human Services. Officials even stepped in to allocate $174,000 to help affected residents and their families. Among the several deficiencies outlined, the report found that the leadership failed to create a move-out protocol in advance of its closure, which likely led to some of the patient safety issues that occurred during the process. "The facility failed to take measures to ensure security of the residents and staff during the evacuation, and failed to secure resident belongings from theft," the report obtained by St. Louis Dispatch states. "The failures jeopardized the health and safety for all residents and staff." Not only that, but phones went down, an elevator stalled with nine people inside it, patients were rapidly moved to other facilities at midnight, one patient with schizophrenia wandered away during the chaos and wasn't found until weeks later, one manager walked out and another stayed in their office while the events played out, according to the DHHS report. In another instance, a patient was moved without "pants, no shoes, no socks, and a lot of their personal items were stolen," Jamie Opsal, executive director of the St. Louis City Senior Fund, told St. Louis Public Radio. "Given what happened here, I think it's a fine that's well below what the egregious behavior of this operator merits," Richard Mollot, executive director of the Long Term Care Community Coalition, an advocacy group, told the St. Louis Dispatch. If the owners of the nursing home agree to waive their right to a hearing, the penalty will be reduced by 35%, according to the St. Louis Dispatch. "There are, unfortunately, many opportunities available to operators to get a fine reduced or eliminated altogether," Mollot added. "There is no opportunity for the public, for families, for residents, to say, 'This fine should be more.'" Billings (Mont.) Clinic's has moved away from using contracted anesthesia providers to create its own anesthesia department, causing some concern around how the health system will attract physician anesthesiologists. "That misplaced apprehension overlooks certified registered nurse anesthetists or nurse anesthesiologists, who are ready to provide effective and safe anesthesia care in Billings as they already do throughout the state, including almost all the Billings Clinic affiliate hospitals," Marjorie Everson, PhD, CRNA, president of the Montana Association of Nurse Anesthesiology, said in a statement shared with Becker's. CRNAs are licensed autonomous clinicians who plan and deliver anesthesia, pain management and related care to patients across the healthcare spectrum. These advanced practice registered nurses provide surgical, obstetrical and other pain management services within all of Montana's 100 counties, according to the association. "In many cases, especially in our rural areas, there are no physician anesthesiologists and having locally available CRNAs save patients long drives for care. This is especially important to our obstetric patients who, because of CRNAs, can deliver their babies close to home," Dr. Everson said. "CRNAs collaborate with the patient and a variety of healthcare professionals to provide patient-centered high-quality, holistic, evidence-based care where and when it is needed most." Billings Clinic's contract with Billings Anesthesiology the largest anesthesia group in Montana expired Feb. 9. The system is creating an anesthesia department similar to all other physician departments across the organization. "We have partnered with the excellent physicians from Billings Anesthesiology for years," a spokesperson for the system told Becker's. "We are encouraging them to apply to continue their relationship with Billings Clinic as members of our new department of anesthesia services." The Montana Association of Nurse Anesthesiology said it continues to work with Billings Clinic leaders to demonstrate the value CRNAs can bring to the health system's anesthesia programs. With both CRNAs and physician anesthesiologists practicing to their full scope of practice, education and licensure, duplication of services, improved effectiveness and increased access can be achieved at Billings Clinic, Dr. Everson said. CDC Director Mandy Cohen, MD, has approved a recommendation from the agency's advisory committee for adults over 65 to receive an updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine dose this spring. "Todays recommendation allows older adults to receive an additional dose of this seasons COVID-19 vaccine to provide added protection," Dr. Cohen said in a Feb. 28 update shared with Becker's. "Most COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations last year were among people 65 years and older. An additional vaccine dose can provide added protection that may have decreased over time for those at highest risk." Nationwide, as of the most recently reported data, updated by the agency Feb. 17, COVID-19 test positivity, emergency department visits, hospitalizations and deaths were all trending down. But experts do not recommend waiting on getting the jab. "Waiting till the fall, I think, is a mistake," said Michael Osterholm, PhD, an infectious disease expert and director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, told NBC News in a Feb. 15 report. "We have clear evidence that either vaccine or previous infection probably gives four to six months of relative protection against serious illness, hospitalizations and deaths, but wanes substantially after that." WalletHub recently analyzed the 100 largest U.S. cities to compare their residents' financial difficulties. The financial services website used its own data along with data from the Census Bureau, Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, and Google Ads to assign each city a financial distress score. Six categories were considered: credit score, people with accounts in distress, average number of accounts in distress, "debt" search interest index, "loan" search interest index and the change in bankruptcy filings between December 2022 and December 2023. Read more about the methodology here. These 25 cities have the most financially distressed populations, per Wallethub: 1. Chicago 2. Houston 3. New York City 4. Los Angeles 5. Dallas 6. Las Vegas 7. San Antonio 8. Atlanta 9. Riverside, Calif. 10. Jacksonville, Fla. 11. Baton Rouge, La. 12. Miami 13. Austin 14. New Orleans 15. Fort Worth, Texas 16. Nashville, Tenn. 17. Phoenix 18. Charlotte, N.C. 19. Baltimore 20. St. Louis 21. Winston-Salem, N.C. 22. Tampa 23. Stockton, Calif. 24. El Paso, Texas 25. San Diego Primaries are underway for the 2024 presidential election, and healthcare remains a pertinent topic for many voters. Two spine surgeons discuss what they're watching from politicians this year. Ask Spine Surgeons is a weekly series of questions posed to spine surgeons around the country about clinical, business and policy issues affecting spine care. Becker's invites all spine surgeon and specialist responses. Next question: Whats a career decision you wish you could go back in time to change? Please send responses to Carly Behm at cbehm@beckershealthcare.com by 5 p.m. CST Wednesday, March 6. Editor's note: Responses were lightly edited for clarity and length. Question: What policies and issues are you following most closely headed into the 2024 election? Brian Gantwerker, MD. The Craniospinal Center of Los Angeles: Healthcare has become mostly a punchline in the 2024 election. The current administration is seemingly pushing the lie that physician fees are the main driver of cost of care and continue to cut reimbursements. The current Secretary of Health and Human Services, a lawyer by training, has accused physicians of "gouging patients" in an NPR interview last year. Meanwhile, insurers are posting quarterly profits in the billions and HHS has pursued a policy of not enforcing the No Surprises Act (NSA), a bipartisan bill, properly and making up its own rules allowing the insurers to set their own payment schedules, effectively lowering everyone's reimbursements, be they in-network or out-of-network. And on the other side, we have a party that has no plan or platform, and keeps telling us the new healthcare plan that they have had 13 years to craft will "be ready in 2 weeks." Vouchers for the elderly is a nonstarter. And if Medicare is dissolved, who gets the money in the trust? I am not sure about the rest of the public, but if Medicare is dismantled, I expect all the money deducted from each and every paycheck held by the government to be paid back - with interest. At the end of the day, a bad plan is better than no plan. Christian Zimmerman, MD. St. Alphonsus Medical Group and SAHS Neuroscience Institute (Boise, Idaho): In the spirit of full disclosure lest not to shock nor offend (and to the dismay of roommates and a Massachusetts legacy) this 18-year-old college chemistry devotee voted for the incumbent Gerald Ford initiating a consistent pattern for the next half century. That being said, policies and politics continue to permeate most American lives especially this ramped up election year. Statistically, healthcare delivery continues to be ranked high on the list of concerns for most polled citizens, yet economics and the cost-of-living reality are more eminent and dialogue than previously witnessed in past years. The worriment of reimbursement decline, physician burnout and hospital closures are a substantive reflection of economic decline and distracted policy emphasis. If any provider/practitioner had an approval rating of less than 20%, their professional aspirations would be limited to panhandling. But to what metric or productive outcome do we as citizens, hold our elected leaders. Needless to say, a return to a more patriotic and prosperous mindset is preferential and hopefully shared by a voting majority. The administrators have confirmed that the brand's NI stores will remain open The Body Shops Northern Ireland stores in Belfasts Victoria Square and Derrys Foyleside will remain open as restructuring of the business continues. Administrators confirmed on Thursday that the shops in Northern Ireland are among 116 across the UK which are set to remain open. A further 75 stores elsewhere in the UK are to be closed in a phased period over the next four to six weeks, joint administrators at FRP have confirmed. It was announced two weeks ago that the retailer, which operated more than 200 shops across the UK, had been placed into administration. In a further announcement on February 20, the administrators said more than half of current stores would stay open, with seven to shut. Now a further 70 stores are closing, with 489 people set to lose their jobs as a result. According to the administrators, a reduced store footprint will coincide with a renewed focus on the brands products, online sales channels and wholesale strategies, bringing the brand in line with industry peers and supporting a return to financial stability. Tony Wright, joint administrator, said: In taking swift action to right-size The Body Shop UK store portfolio, we have stabilised the business and are providing the best opportunity for this iconic brand to have a long-term, sustainable future. "The UK business continues to trade in administration, and we remain fully focused on exploring all options to take the business forward. Retail NI chief executive Glyn Roberts said: This is welcome news for Body Shop workers, the two shopping centres and consumers that these two stores will remain open. Sadly we have seen too many shops close in recent years and this is one of the reasons why we want the Executive to recall the High Street Task Force to ensure a co-ordinated approach to dereliction on our high streets. The High Street Task Force was assembled in 2020 with the goal of revitalising Northern Irelands towns and cities. It published a a five-year reconstruction plan which included reform form of business rates and planning policy in 2022 shortly before the Executive collapsed over post-Brexit Trading arrangements. The Body Shop currently employs more than 2,000 people in the UK, and administrators have stressed that the process will only affect its UK business, with international franchises not impacted. The retailer was founded in 1976 by Anita Roddick and her husband Gordon as one of the first companies to promote so-called ethical consumerism, focusing on ethically produced cosmetics and skincare products. It comes only weeks after new owners, European private equity firm Aurelius, took control of the business. Aurelius, which specialises in buying and turning around troubled firms, secured a 207m deal in November to buy The Body Shop from Brazilian cosmetics giant Natura & Co. It only took control of operations officially on January 1. Aurelius said it had been unable to revive the fortunes of the business after difficult trading conditions over Christmas and new year. Bushmills has unveiled a top end special limited release 36-year-old single malt whiskey the oldest ever sold in the European market. The Bushmills Hill Street Edition was created for Belfast whiskey shop The Friend at Hand owned by publican Willie Jack, who is also behind the Duke of York and Harp bars. Its a limited release, only available at the city centre shop which also houses one of the worlds greatest collections of Irish whiskey with some 208 bottles produced. Belfasts proud industrial past and rich whiskey heritage paved the way for a craft that, centuries later, continues to stand the test of time, Willie Jack said. We are proud to partner with Bushmills on this exceptional, 36-year-old whiskey, which pays homage to the hard-working people of Hill Street. Its fitting that our shared heritage and spirit of collaboration are commemorated in this special release, which, with just 208 bottles available, is sure to be in high demand. Bonded warehouses once lined Hill Street, and Bushmills barrels would have once rolled down its now iconic cobbles to ships docked on the Farset River, to be transported to destinations around the globe. Over 135 years on, the Bushmills Hill Street Edition will make history as the oldest ever Bushmills expression to be released in Europe. The spirit was distilled in 1986 and re-casked in a sherry hogshead cask in March 2001. In every bottle of Bushmills, we honour our past and the immense passion and patience required to craft the worlds most exclusive single malts, Bushmills master blender, Alex Thomas, said. It is my privilege to bring this exceptional whiskey back to Belfast, to the site of Bushmills former headquarters on Hill Street, in what is a milestone moment for the brand. Its exceptionally smooth caramelised fruit and honey finish and rich golden chestnut colour is a testament to the time it has spent in cask. This is a once-in-a-lifetime whiskey, explains Alex. Presented in a bespoke hexagonal box, handcrafted in black American walnut, and adorned with an intricate map of Belfast etched in gold, the Bushmills Hill Street Edition will take pride of place in The Friend at Hand, in a fitting tribute to the brands former HQ. The Bushmills Hill Street Edition 36-Year-Old single malt is bottled at 48% and is priced at 5,000 for 700ml. The limited-edition release of just 208 bottles is available exclusively for purchase from The Friend at Hand in Belfast. Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Ryan Murphy and Stella Byrne, Head of Investment for Northern Ireland with The National Lottery Heritage Fund (centre) join with project partners Jane Morrow from PS2 (right) and Kwame Daniels from Bounce Culture (left) to browse whats on offer as part of the Belfast 2024 programme. An interactive theatre project, a series of living murals and a light show are among the exciting events planned for Belfast this year. The Belfast 2024 programme was celebrated at an event on Thursday attended by artists, charity partners and festival organisers. It has been backed with a 5.9m cash injection from the city council in the hope of driving footfall and making Belfast a global destination for culture. Almost 200 events, workshops and activities will take place throughout the city between March and December as part of the citys biggest ever creative and cultural celebration. Not-for-profit organisation Another World Belfast are among those receiving funding. Becky Bellamy, who co-founded the social enterprise with Connor Kerr, said it was a huge deal for us. She said: Weve finally been able to supercharge our existing project with all of the things weve only ever dreamed of. This funding will be for four salaries including mine and Connors allowing us to work full-time and also bring in two more incredibly talented people to the team Aoife McCrory and Tony Webster. Co-founders of Another World Belfast Becky Bellamy and Connor Kerr In mid-April, Another World Belfast are set to open Greenhouse in Belfast city centre a sustainable fashion hub, artist member space and community learning and social space. We have a big shortage of artist space in the city and, while we wont be offering artists their own room, we will be operating more of a sharing space where everyone can use it, meaning we wont have any empty rooms at any time, she explained. Becky said their aim is to create a physical space for this melting pot of creative people to get together, adding that it has come at the perfect time. She added: Things are changing here politically, and we are starting to catch up with other progressive modern cities in terms of understanding how vital culture is, not just the people here and the enjoyment of the city, but economically as well in terms of tourism. Sometimes conflict and hard times can actually lead to great creativity and resilience and the people of Belfast have that by the bucketloads. Times are tough at the minute and we need a bit of a lift. Rather than people eyerolling when Belfast gets into the news, lets get into the news for all the right reasons. Creative Producer of Arts Ekta Krishan Tandon Lord Mayor Ryan Murphy said it was fitting the event was taking place in such a beautifully restored building as 2 Royal Avenue, a new cultural venue in the city. This ambitious programme of events will allow the people of Belfast to celebrate the city in a number of exciting ways, he said. Its a celebration of our people, our place and our planet. He added that he was particularly excited to get involved in a project entitled Waterworks which aims to launch 10,000 boats created by over 80 schools and community groups on the River Lagan in August. Whether its the east of the city, the west of the city, north or south, theres something on for absolutely everyone, he added. This May, Arts Ekta has commissioned a special event with funding thanks to Belfast 2024. From May 16 to 19, Little Amal will make its way through the streets of Belfast. The 12ft puppet of a 10-year-old Syrian refugee child has already made an appearance in 160 towns and cities as well as 15 countries in just three years. Now, for the first time, it is coming to Belfast. Arts Ektas creative producer Krishan Tandon said that welcoming this internationally touring theatre project is huge news for Belfast. For us to bring out this positive message that refugees and asylum seekers are people at the end of the day, bringing skills knowledge and culture to our society, is what we aim to celebrate, he said. Arts Ekta works to integrate refugee and asylum seekers into society through various ways including the arts. Conor McKinney, founder of Safari in the City, is offering projects including a dawn chorus event, workshops and living murals this year with thanks to the funding. We have this marvellous array of green spaces and blue spaces here in Belfast and theyre packed to the gills with wildlife, he explained. We have eight different species of bats just in Belfast alone as well as a number of rare wildflowers which grow here, and we are able to see their life stories in real time which we want to help interpret for people. Safari in the City founder Conor McKinney To keep up-to-date with whats on in Belfast for 2024, you can follow the @belfast2024 handle on Facebook and Instagram. James Stewart Smyth found not guilty of 1994 murders of Eamon Fox and Gary Convie A grieving son told of his heartbreak today after a north Belfast man was cleared of the double sectarian murders of two Catholic workmen nearly 30 years ago. James Jimmy Shades Smyth was found not guilty of killing Eamon Fox and Gary Convie in May 1994. The 58-year-old, of Forthriver Link in Belfast, was also acquitted of one count of attempted murder, possession of a firearm and UVF membership. Outside court, Mr Fox's son Kieran was asked if the family's last chance of getting justice had passed. He said: "As far as the criminal side goes, yes I think it is. "We are looking at other possibilities because this is just the tip of an iceberg." He added: "We thought we had a strong case but the threshold to get a conviction in these courts (is so high). "It is heartbreaking. It's a sad day for us." James Smyth pictured at Belfast Crown Court. Mr Convie (24) and Mr Fox (41) had been working on a building site in North Queen Street and were sitting in a car eating their lunch when the vehicle was riddled with bullets. Smyth stood trial on five charges arising from the murders, which he denied. Delivering his judgment at Belfast Crown Court, Mr Justice O'Hara said it could not be proven beyond reasonable doubt that Smyth was the gunman. The trial last year had heard evidence from former UVF man turned loyalist supergrass Gary Haggarty. Haggarty was handed a reduced prison sentence after admitting more than 500 terror crimes, including five murders, but he was released from prison in 2018 only four months into the six-and-a-half year term, for providing information about other terrorist suspects. However, Mr Justice O'Hara said Haggarty was an unreliable witness. The judge said the murders of Mr Convie and Mr Fox were motivated by sectarianism. "The only reason this attack took place was that the men were Catholics, he said. "In the eyes of the UVF, that was enough to make them targets, and easy targets." James Smyth found not guilty of 1994 sectarian murders in Belfast He said the sole issue to be considered in the case was whether it could be proven beyond reasonable doubt that Smyth had been the gunman who shot Mr Convie and Mr Fox. However, the judge said he had doubts about DNA evidence presented by the prosecution. Turning to bad character evidence, the judge pointed out that Smyth had a previous conviction for murder. He said this showed he was "happy to murder Catholics for being Catholics". Dealing with the evidence given by Haggarty, the judge said he was a "deeply flawed individual" who had shown he was prepared to lie. He also said he had difficulty in reconciling some of Haggarty's evidence with independent evidence. The judge noted that some eyewitnesses described the gunman as being between 5ft 8in to 5ft 10in in height, while Smyth is 5ft 4in tall. Mr Justice O'Hara said he could not be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that Smyth was the gunman and found him not guilty. However, he said that Smyth did not leave the court without a stain on his character, having been previously convicted of murder. "He was, and remains, a convicted sectarian gunman and murderer," he said. Brian Fox (third from left), brother of Eamon Fox, outside Belfast Crown Court with family and legal representative Padraig O Muirigh (left) as he gives reaction to James Smyth being found not guilty. Image: Liam McBurney/PA Wire Padraig O'Muirigh, the lawyer for the Convie and Fox families, said the case had demonstrated deficiencies in the criminal justice system. He said: "The Convie and Fox families are devastated by today's verdict. "It has been a long journey for them and a very disappointing end to that. "The judge identified considerable lacunas in the prosecution case. "I think this case highlights the deficiencies in the criminal justice system dealing with matters like this "When you are relying on an assisting offender, a convicted criminal in a notorious UVF unit, that is always going to be highly problematic in a criminal trial." He added: "There needs to be another process where these issues, which are of huge public concern, are publicly ventilated in a proper forum." Lawyers for the family of a woman murdered by the IRA have been instructed to seek a review of a decision not to prosecute anyone reported in a major investigation into the Armys top agent during the Troubles. The Public Prosecution Service (PPS) concluded there was insufficient evidence to provide a reasonable prospect of conviction for any of the 12 individuals reported by Operation Kenova in relation to five incidents between 1987 and 1994. The investigation, which was launched in 2016 and led by Jon Boutcher until he became chief constable earlier this year, cost a total of 40m. The probe examined the activities of Stakeknife named as the late Freddie Scappaticci who is said to have been involved in dozens of murders. It also investigated the activities of current and former police officers, members of the army and MI5 and ex-IRA members. Freddie Scappaticci Kevin Winters, from KRW Law, is acting for the family of Caroline Moreland, who was killed by the IRA in 1994. He said her next of kin were disappointed but unsurprised on the decision not to prosecute anyone in connection with the murder. He added: We have been instructed to request a review. As part of that request, and consistent with a similar representation made in another Kenova case (the murder of Vincent Robinson in 1981), we will ask the PPS to engage on the issue of corporate criminal liability by the security forces. In the meantime, the Moreland family want their High Court civil action against the state to move on as quickly as possible. They are concerned Kenova, together with the PPS investigation and review, have served to halt progression of the civil case. Theyve waited long enough. Ms Moreland, a 34-year-old mother-of-three from west Belfast, was abducted and murdered by the IRA in July 1994, just weeks before it declared a ceasefire. While her family have waited three decades for justice, Mr Winters said that ahead of the decision, they held out little hope of a prosecution, and thats exactly what happened here. He added that their disappointment chimes with the disappointment and frustration felt by the other families affected by the PPSs decision. Prosecutors examined 28 files of evidence relating to Stakeknife, and decided to take no further action in each case. Mr Winters said there was an air of resignation about it all and that the news was consistent with a pattern weve seen over the decades. Victims campaigner Kenny Donaldson noted that many who engaged with Operation Kenova have spoken of the positive engagements they had with members of that team, and some have remarked upon the important information they obtained as part of the process. He added: The issue is that there has to date been no product in terms of individuals even being required to go through for process, let alone be convicted. Some will be highly critical and will question the outcomes of the public money invested in the process. Our thoughts and prayers remain with all innocents who are caught up in these issues, and who still feel a palpable injustice has yet to be accounted for. Sir Iain Livingstone, the head of Operation Kenova, claimed the probe had recovered a huge amount of new material and made significant forensic breakthroughs, including fingerprint and DNA recovery on ballistic items to present significant evidence linking numerous murder cases forensically for the first time. He said more information would be supplied to families in an interim report next week. Police are mounting a renewed bid to obtain secret recordings about a former IRA members activities during the Troubles, the High Court heard today. Interviews given by Anthony McIntyre to Boston College in the United States are still being sought for an ongoing criminal probe, a judge was told. The sealed tapes have been kept under lock and key at the Royal Courts of Justice in Belfast for more than five years. Police want that prohibition on accessing the recordings lifted before the May 1 deadline for advancing inquiries under the terms of the Governments new Legacy Act. Counsel for the force, Michael Eagan KC, said: The PSNI seek to have the order retaining these tapes in court removed. It wishes to receive the materials and review them for the purposes of its investigation. In 2018 Mr McIntyre launched a legal battle to ensure the recordings and transcripts remain confidential. He was one of the main researchers for the Boston College project to compile an oral history of the Troubles in Northern Ireland. Dozens of ex-paramilitaries provided testimonies on the understanding their accounts would be kept secret while they are alive. Those assurances were dealt a blow after police secured transcripts and tapes of interviews given by former IRA woman Dolours Price and loyalist Winston "Winkie" Rea. Detectives want access to Mr McIntyre's recorded recollection of his own IRA activities as part of investigations into alleged terrorist offences nearly 50 years ago. A subpoena seeking copies of his interviews was served on Boston College by the Government. The move involved an International Letter of Request (ILOR) setting out alleged offences under investigation, including a bomb explosion at Rugby Avenue in Belfast in 1976, and membership of a proscribed organisation. Although PSNI officers brought the Boston tapes back to Northern Ireland, they were kept sealed because of Mr McIntyres legal challenge. He claimed police should not be allowed the recordings due to mistakes and inaccuracies in the ILOR. But in October 2018 the High Court dismissed his bid for an injunction restraining the PSNI and Director of Public Prosecutions from making any further use of the interviews. With the Supreme Court subsequently refusing permission to mount a further challenge, Mr Eagan contended today that all routes of appeal have been exhausted. The barrister told Lady Chief Justice Dame Siobhan Keegan he was seeking to remove the stay and allow the PSNI to retake possession of this material. Backing those submissions, Peter Coll KC, for the Public Prosecution Service, claimed there was no basis for maintaining the prohibition. However, Mr McIntyres lawyers argued that the legal proceedings are still ongoing. Resisting any disclosure of the tapes, Ronan Lavery KC questioned whether there ever was a live investigation into his clients activities. This was a fishing expedition because he made it public that he had been involved in the Boston project, he submitted. The case was adjourned to next month, when the PSNI is expected to make a formal application for the stay to be lifted. Dame Siobhan observed: This court, having given a judgment, cant just hold material indefinitely. Belfast City Hall is often lit in various colours for special occasions Belfasts City Hall could be lit up in green, white and orange to celebrate the Irish presidents birthday, after a Belfast Council committee agreed to an illumination request. Belfast City Council has confirmed elected members at a recent committee meeting agreed to a request received from a member of the public for illumination of City Hall to mark the birthday of Irish president Michael D Higgins on April 18. Councillors at the latest meeting of the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee unanimously accepted the request, which will have to go to the full council to get the final green light. The council report states: This request has been received by a member of the public who noted City Hall is illuminated for HM King Charles birthday. In recent years members have approved previous illuminations received from members of the public that do not meet the criteria approved by members (four in 2021, one in 2022 and one in 2023). The report states the colours were not stated in request but added council officers were presuming green, white and orange. Read more PropertyPal: Estate agents boycott NI house sales website The council report states an estimated 10,000 per annum is spent in staffing costs for additional illuminations approved. It states: There are additional overtime staffing costs to programme the scheme and to be present on the evening of each illumination to ensure the LED colour system is correct. At the committee meeting, DUP councillor Bradley Ferguson said: I am not making further proposals on it, but reading (the report) it says (the request) came in from a member of the public. I am wondering how this process comes about? Irish President Michael D Higgins Because if it is just one member of the public (required), we could get a bit carried away we could have requests every day of the week. (My question) is not about what it is being lit up for, but just the process. Alliance councillor Eric Hanvey said: If we are doing this we should speak to the presidents office, and ask him about what we should do, and about what the protocol is. City Solicitor Nora Largey replied: I am happy to do that, to take it on board in the paper. In relation to requests from the public, the policy really needs to be updated in terms of illuminates. We dont generally accept requests from members of the public, but we have on occasion in the past, so it hasnt been applied as a very, very hard rule. I think it is something we need to address whenever we bring forward a review of policy. No elected members made any objections to the request, and there was no vote at the committee meeting. Council corporate communications confirmed the committee agreed to the request, which will go to the full council on March 4 for ratification. In the committee papers, details of the current governance arrangements for City Hall illuminations are listed. It states: Illumination will take place on 10 agreed annual days, plus any council-run events, plus charities nominated by the councils three civic dignitaries. (They will take place) where a charitable, community or other non profit-making organisation based in or having a strong connection to Belfast is celebrating a significant anniversary, and where a sporting team or organisation with a connection to Belfast has achieved a significant accolade. (They will also take place) where an event not organised by Belfast City Council but which can legitimately be regarded as being of significant benefit to the city from a promotional or tourism perspective is taking place. No applications in respect of medical or other support groups will be accepted, and nor will requests to observe UN-recognised days where this is the sole reason for the request (ie. where there is no local, Belfast-specific component.) No applications can be approved or facilitated during the festive lighting programme at City Hall annually between a date in mid-November until 7 January. It adds illumination may take place in other specific circumstances where approved by the Strategic Policy and Resources Committee. Identical twin boys Tommy and Teddy McCready. Tommy is in the white blanket, Teddy in yellow The chances of having a baby born on February 29 are around one in 1,500. But one Northern Ireland mum has pushed it to the limit, and given birth to identical twin boys with the chances estimated at around one in 50,000. Newborns Tommy and Teddy McCready will have to wait a few years before learning how special they are, the leaplings arriving to the world in the early hours of this morning. Identical twin boys Tommy and Teddy McCready. Tommy is in the white blanket, Teddy in yellow Ecstatic mum Louise Gordon said she and proud dad Gary were delighted with the birth of the boys on the special day and said the boys had taken them by surprise as they arrived a bit early at the Ulster Hospital in Dundonald. The twins were among the first Leap Years Day newborns as they came into the world at 1.36am and 1.40am. Tommy was born first weighing 4lbs 15oz and Teddy at 5lbs. We are just delighted and the boys are doing really well, said Louise. And they quickly made the decision that, for the next three years at least until they can have a proper birthday in 2028, there will be double birthday celebrations on March 1. Around three hours later the hospital welcomed its third leapling of the year. Little Geoffrey Anaman was born at 4.15am. Newborn Leap year baby Geoffrey Anaman Delighted dad Bright was another who said the arrival on February 29 had taken him by surprise, with his son born two weeks early, weighing 6lbs 7oz. With the excitement over, he said he and mum Sherajaly were just over the moon to welcome the new member of their family. We are so glad that he is here, he said. He has a big sister at home who will be coming up this evening to meet him after school. And the hospital wasnt finished there in welcoming its batch of special leap year newborns. Leapling newborn Dom Thomas arrived on February 29 at The Ulster Hospital, Dundonald Completing the infant quartet of boys, Dom Thomas arrived safely at 9.20am. Doms mum and I are really excited, said beaming dad Don. We are just so happy, Dom was born this morning and weighed 7lbs 10ozs. We are very proud. Its been a big day for the staff at the hospital as well. Only once every four years do they get to enjoy the birth of leap year babies. The whole team within maternity services in the South Eastern Trust is delighted that we have been able to share these special memories with all the new mums and dads, said Lead Midwife Sarah McKevitt. We would like to offer our congratulations on the birth of all the beautiful babies born today. Estimates suggest there are only around five million people across the world who were born on February 29 in a world population exceeding 8 billion. And the boys all really do have a claim to be Superman the superhero is perhaps the most famous, be it fictional, person they now share a birthday with. A man has been arrested in an attempted murder investigation after shots were fired at a house in Londonderry earlier this year. Three shots were fired at a house in the Ardmore area on January 6, narrowly missing a man who was inside the property at the time, according to police. Police said a 60-year-old man was arrested in the Derry area on Thursday morning as part of the investigation. 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 A police spokesperson made a fresh appeal for information about the incident at a house on Ardkill Road. On the evening of Saturday January 6, police received a report that three shots had been fired through a window of a house at around 9.15pm, narrowly missing a male who was in the house at the time, they said. Three other people were also inside the house at the time of the incident. Fortunately, no-one was physically injured, however, this terrifying incident has left all those impacted extremely distressed. I am again appealing to anyone who was in the Ardmore area at around the time of the shooting and saw anything suspicious, or has information, to get in touch with us. Our appeal also extends to anyone who has dashcam or doorbell footage. The number to call with information is 101, quoting reference 1536 06/01/24 or make a report online via https://www.psni.police.uk/report or Crimestoppers which can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111. Tributes have been paid to a Belfast firefighter and father-of-one who died after months in a coma. Kurtis Robinson, a 32-year-old who lived in Donaghadee, suffered a heart attack in October 2023 due to an issue with his kidneys. The firefighter, who was based at Knock Fire Station, had been in hospital since then and died on February 25. Husband to Natalie and father to one-year-old Benny, Kurtis was given days to live on January 13 and a Just Giving page to raise money to support his family has now raised over 24,000. In tribute, a spokesperson for the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service said: "We are deeply saddened by the passing of our esteemed colleague, firefighter Kurtis Robinson. "Kurtis will be greatly missed by his colleagues in Knock Fire Station, those in Eastern Area Command and everyone at Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service. "Our thoughts and sympathies are with Kurtis wife Natalie and son Benny, his family, friends and NIFRS colleagues." Kurtis died peacefully in hospital. His funeral service will take place at Beersbridge Elim Church on Saturday at noon and later to Roselawn Crematorium. He will be lovingly remembered and sadly missed by all the family circle, his death notice said. Kurtis was a player at Portavogie Rangers FC, and a spokesperson for the club said they were deeply saddened by the news. We had been praying, without ceasing, since he became seriously unwell in October 2023, they said on social media. Kurtis made 13 appearances for the club during his time at Portavogie Rangers FC but in that short time Kurtis made such an everlasting impact in the hearts of many. "Kurtis was held in such high regard by everyone and his wonderful smile always lit up training nights and match days. Our thoughts and prayers continue to rise for Kurtis wife Natalie, his wee son Benny and all his family, friends and fire service colleagues. A DUP MP has denied there is a split in the party after recent events which saw Sammy Wilson quit as chief whip. It's after a deal made by leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson with the government to restore powersharing has been criticised by some party members. Speaking to the BBC, East Londonderry MP Gregory Campbell denied there was a split. "No, there is not," he said when asked on the BBC's Good Morning Ulster programme. He was asked about a speech made by Sir Jeffrey to party members in Newry and Armagh on Wednesday in which he said unionists must recognise they no longer live in a place where 70% of the population are red, white and blue British. The DUP leader said the choices unionists make today will either grow support for Northern Ireland or will cede ground to the enemies of the Union. Speaking on Thursday, Mr Campbell of the statement: "It is blatantly obvious and has been for some years. "Northern Ireland's place in the UK will be secured when an increasing majority of people in Northern Ireland want to stay within the UK. The Protestant community are not a majority." He added: "The position is, and everyone in the party and every unionist outside the party should adhere to it, which is the Protestant community alone are not the guarantors of staying within the United Kingdom. "It is everybody in Northern Ireland that believes Northern Ireland would be better served and more prosperous and more beneficial to all sections of the community within the United Kingdom. everybody should recognise that. "And everybody on whatever side of the argument they may be on the Protocol and Windsor Framework and whatever else knows that because to deny that is to deny the factual position. We grow Northern Ireland when more people support its position within the UK," he said. Sammy Wilson, among others, has been strongly opposed to the deal struck between the DUP and the government to restore the power sharing. He, along with his party colleagues Lord Dodds and Lord Morrow, criticised the deal in a newspaper article. It's not clear whether his resignations will trigger others in the DUP. A councils decision to book a man to give the keynote speech on International Womens Day shows ignorance of what the event is about, a womens rights advocate has said. Newry, Mourne and Down Borough Council came under fire for booking personal marketing and image consultant Billy Dixon as its main speaker at their event next week. Mr Dixon, from Co Down, has several years experience in the industry and has been booked by the council to speak at the Canal Court Hotel in Newry on March 8. The event, to be hosted by broadcaster Lynette Fay, will this year carry the theme of Inspire Inclusion, with the council website claiming it emphasises the pivotal role of inspiring others to understand and value womens inclusion to forge a better world. Other speakers at the event include Sarah Jane Campbell from community wellness hub The Well; Niamh Quinn, founder of sexual violence advocacy charity Advocacy VSV; and Daria Yakovenko, who sought refuge in Northern Ireland with her daughter after the outbreak of war in Ukraine. Elaine Crory of the Womens Resource & Development Agency (WRDA) has hit out at the booking of Mr Dixon as the main speaker at the event. "My view is that obviously the keynote speaker at a IWD event should be a woman, she told the Belfast Telegraph. "It shows a real ignorance of the wonderful women who would jump at an opportunity like this and an ignorance of what IWD is all about. "In addition, speakers should say no when theyre asked to speak at events like this unless they are women. Elaine Crory of WRDA "Id never presume to speak as a keynote speaker for an event that is for a demographic I am not part of and have no expertise in. It is wrong for the council to ask and the speaker should know better. "It would be better not to mark International Womens Day at all rather than do this. Former college lecturer Mr Dixon has previously spoken at events to mark IWD. In 2015, he posted on his X account saying it had been a real privilege speaking at three IWD events that year. "Equality for women is still not what it should be. Men need to take a more active role in supporting women, he posted. The councils post on X promoting the event has attracted criticism, with many users expressing disappointment at the move. "I have heard Billy speak before, he is a good speaker, but for International Womens Day why on earth is the keynote not a woman? Really thrown by this, said one poster. Another said: I find it hard to believe they couldnt find one woman to give the keynote speech at an International Womens Day event? There are so many fantastic women here who couldve been picked. Crazy. Tickets for the event are priced from 36 per person. Newry, Mourne and Down Council and Mr Dixon have been approached for comment. Charges against Irish citizen Yasser Eljuboori, who was being held in jail in Iraq, have been dropped, his family has confirmed. Mr Eljuboori was detained by Iraqi police earlier this week after he tried to board a flight back to Dublin following a trip to visit his sick mother. Mr Eljuboori, a well-known anti-corruption activist, appeared in court on Thursday morning in Baghdad. Laura Wickham , right, said she would not stop campaigning until her husband Yasser Eljuboori, left, was safely home in Dublin (Laura Wickham/PA) He was told that the charges against him were to be dropped and he has been released on bail. But the Iraqi authorities have retained his passport and he has been informed that there are two to three days of paperwork to complete before he will be allowed to leave the country and return home to his family in Dublin. Speaking from her home in Balgriffin, Dublin, Mr Eljubooris wife Laura Wickham said: This is a step in the right direction but there is a long road still ahead to bring Yasser home to us in Dublin. It is wonderful news that the charges have been dropped, but I will not stop campaigning until Yasser is safely home in Dublin airport. I call on the Iraqi authorities to return Yassers passport urgently, end this ordeal and allow him to return home. I thank the Tanaiste and the Department of Foreign Affairs for the support which has brought us to this point. But now I call upon them to keep the pressure up and make clear to the Iraqi authorities that this case is not over until Yasser is safely home in Ireland. Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC, counsel for Ms Wickham, added: We welcome the news that Yasser Eljuboori has finally been released from custody, after an agonising four days of unjust and arbitrary detention, and mistreatment. He should never have been arrested, detained or charged in the first place, and his family should never have been put through this ordeal. Yasser Eljuboori is a well-known anti-corruption activist (Laura Wickham/PA) We call on the Iraqi authorities to ensure he is now able to leave the country safely and speedily and return to his home in Dublin. We have asked the Irish Government and the Department of Foreign Affairs, the European Union External Action Service and the United Nations Special Procedures to seek urgent assurances from the Iraqi authorities that Yasser will face no further impediments and will finally be allowed safe passage from Baghdad. Regrettably, we know from other cases that this is a danger point for Yasser, as there are continuing risks to him whilst he remains in Iraq. It is imperative that the Iraqi authorities know the world will continue to watch their actions until Yasser lands safely in Dublin airport. In a statement, Tanaiste Micheal Martin said he welcomed the decision to drop charges against Mr Eljuboori. This is naturally positive news for him, for his family, and all those who know and cherish him, Mr Martin said. I know from speaking directly with Mr Eljubooris wife, Laura, today and earlier in the week, just how difficult the past few days have been for her and their three young children. I hope todays developments will go some way towards alleviating the stress they have been experiencing, but I understand that their deep worry will not ease until the moment they are reunited with Yasser in Dublin. Earlier this morning, I had an open and constructive call with Dr Fuad Hussein, the deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs of the Republic of Iraq, on Mr Eljubooris case. Dr Hussein subsequently advised me that he had raised the case at the highest level and was confident that Mr Eljuboori would be released following the waiving of charges against him. Officials in my department and our embassy in Jordan remain actively involved on this case and will continue to provide consular assistance until Mr Eljuboori is reunited with his family in Dublin. Tanaiste Micheal Martin accused Sinn Fein of being silent and two-sided about Palestine while in the US (Niall Carson/PA) Sinn Fein has been accused of being silent and two-sided on the Palestine question while in the US by Irelands deputy premier. Micheal Martin also denied accusations from Sinn Fein and said that Ireland hadnt failed to intervene in any legal case on the conflict in the Middle East. He condemned the unacceptable and extraordinary situation facing people in Gaza. Tanaiste Micheal Martin denied accusations from Sinn Fein (Niall Carson/PA) The death toll since the start of the Israel-Hamas has risen to more than 30,000, with another 70,457 wounded. The UN said that a quarter of Gazas 2.3 million Palestinians face starvation and around 80% have fled their homes. The Hamas attack in southern Israel that ignited the war killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and the militants seized around 250 hostages. Hamas and other militants are still holding around 100 hostages and the remains of about 30 more, after releasing most of the other captives during a November ceasefire. The increasing alarm over hunger across Gaza has fuelled international calls for another ceasefire, and the US, Egypt and Qatar are working to secure a deal between Israel and Hamas for a pause in fighting and the release of some of the hostages. Mediators hope to reach an agreement before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan starts around March 10. Matt Carthy said that if the world does not take a stand there will be no Palestine left to recognise (Liam McBurney/PA) Sinn Fein TD Matt Carthy said: What Israel is doing on a daily basis is barbaric. You previously failed to support motions calling on Ireland to intervene in the case against Israel at the International Court of Justice brought by South Africa. Can I ask you, do you accept that what is happening in Gaza is genocide because the evidence is crystal clear? Will you recognise the state of Palestine? No more excuses. Israel is attempting to bomb Palestine out of existence. If the world doesnt take a stand there will be no Palestine left to recognise. Mr Martin said that they had acted to help the people of Palestine, and said Irelands Attorney General was before the International Court of Justice to speak about Israeli settlements, a process that began before the October 7 Hamas attack. Weve used every political, financial, diplomatic measure that we possibly can and humanitarian to help the people of Gaza and help the people of Palestine. He added: We have not failed to intervene in any case. And you know that deep down but youre just playing politics again, unfortunately with it and seeking to divide and try to create this wedge issue, as if youre more virtuous than anybody else. South Africa itself has not filed the memorial on that case yet. They will probably in two or three months when they have it ready. Mr Martin added: I would respectfully suggest to you have a role too. Youve been two-sided to the United States. Youve been extraordinarily silent on the Palestinian question in the United States. Ive gone to Washington, Ive spoken to Senators, and Ive spoken to some of your friends who challenge me about Irelands position in terms of Israel and Palestine. I actually suggested to one or two that they should talk to you. Mr Carthy responded: Sinn Fein take every opportunity with every individual and state of influence to call for an end to Israeli oppression of the people of Palestine. Mr Martin said that the Arab states are very close to concluding a peace initiative, which Ireland had been briefed on. Mr Martin suggested that Ireland and EU nations may move to recognise a Palestinian state when an administration is in place to run the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Theres no issue in Ireland in terms of recognition, but I think it does merit consideration at least, I will put it to you any sensible person watching would say, lets use it in the most optimal way possible for the benefit of the Palestinian people and that moment is not too far away. President of Ireland Michael D Higgins, who was taken to hospital on Thursday (PA) President Michael D Higgins has been taken to a hospital in Dublin after feeling unwell earlier on Thursday. A medical team attended the Aras an Uachtarain to assess the 82-year-old. The PA news agency understands that initial tests did not show anything wrong with the president, but he was taken to hospital as a precaution following medical advice. President Michael D Higgins has been taken to a hospital in Dublin after feeling unwell earlier on Thursday (Niall Carson/PA) A source confirmed that he was taken to a hospital but that it was as a precaution following advice from the paramedics who assessed him at his official residence in the Phoenix Park. In a statement, a spokesman for the president said: Aras an Uachtarain can confirm that, having felt unwell, President Michael D Higgins was this evening brought to hospital for precautionary tests. The president was initially assessed at Aras an Uachtarain where no immediate concerns were identified but a decision was made to proceed to hospital in order to undergo tests, the initial results of which have been positive. The president, who will remain in hospital overnight, is in excellent spirits and has thanked the medical staff for the care he has received. The Prince of Wales has condemned the rise in hatred directed against the countrys Jewish community saying antisemitism has no place in society. William visited a London synagogue to meet young people representing Jewish students and others helping to combat antisemitism among the next generation to reassure you all that people do care. He also spent a time with Holocaust survivor Renee Salt, 94, and held her hand after she recounted her fears about the rise in hatred and told her: It must be horrible for all of you worrying about this and Im sorry its got to thisit will get better. Cases of antisemitism have been on the rise since the October 7 raids by the Palestinian militant group Hamas killed about 1,200 and saw around 250 people taken hostage. The Prince of Wales touches the hand of Renee Salt, 94, a Holocaust survivor, during a visit to the Western Marble Arch Synagogue in London (Toby Melville/PA) The future kings visit to the Western Marble Arch Synagogue came after he called for the fighting in the Israel-Hamas war to end as soon as possible and increased humanitarian support for Gaza, during a visit last week to the London headquarters of the British Red Cross. William heard the personal evidence of the young people who spoke about how Jewish students across the country have been affected by the rise of hatred on the streets of Britain which had created a climate of fear. He told them: Well, youve heard it from me, antisemitism has no place in society, youve heard that from me OK Ive said that before and Ill say it again. And hearing all your lived experiences both Catherine and I are extremely concerned about the rise in antisemitism that you guys have talked about so eloquently this morning, and Im just so sorry youve had to experience that, it has no place and it shouldnt happen. Rabbi Daniel Epstein shows the Prince of Wales a 17th-century Torah scroll as he visits the Western Marble Arch Synagogue in London (Toby Melville/PA) So thats why Im here today to reassure you all that people do care, people do listen and we cant let that keep going. In 2017 William and Kate visited Stutthof concentration camp and met Holocaust survivors and he told the group of young people: I think its important people go and visit. He stressed it gave him an informed view about history and culture but: A lot live in their silos, in their echo chamber on social media, they dont have different influences, they dont have anything else, they might not have anyone they know whos Jewishits so important we break out of those boxes. Among the group of young people were Holocaust Educational Trust ambassadors, who may be non-Jewish but have a commitment to ensuring the Holocaust is never forgotten. Edward Isaacs, president of the Union of Jewish Students UK and Ireland, told William his organisation represented 9,000 students, adding: Very sadly since October 7 weve truly seen an explosion of antisemitism on campus that weve never seen before. The Prince of Wales sits with young people affected by anti-Semitism, together with Holocaust Educational Trust ambassadors (Toby Melville/PA) Weve seen not only the number of incidents increase but the severity too. Weve seen Jewish students receive death threats, weve seen Jewish students physically assaulted on campus, weve seen Jewish property desecrated as well on campus. But just because Jewish students havent been a victim of antisemitism doesnt mean you dont feel the anxiety, because if you havent been a victim you know somebody who has been, really sadly, and that creates, and has created, a climate of fear that weve never known before. Kate was due to join William for the synagogue visit which had been planned to mark Holocaust Memorial Day but she is recovering from an abdominal operation. Mrs Salt remembered the princess when she spoke with William: Im sure if your wife would have been well she would have been here I miss her so much, give her my best wishes. She told the prince how she was moved from ghetto to ghetto during the Second World War and he expressed his condolences when she said her mother died 12 days after they were liberated from Bergen-Belsen concentration camp by the British Army in 1945. William suggested it was important those who experienced the Holocaust continued to talk to the next generation, Mrs Salt replied some of the young people dont even believe it ever happened. Karen Pollock, Holocaust Educational Trusts chief executive, who joined the royal visit said: I think it is an extremely powerful message to hear the Prince of Wales say that he stands with the Jewish community and says theres zero tolerance for this anti-Jewish hate and he wants to help and he wants to listen. The time he gave to these young people, who have experienced antisemitism, and the encouragement he gave to our young ambassadors is something theyll never forget. The editor-in-chief of the renowned Russian independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta has been detained in Moscow after being accused of discrediting Russias armed forces, the newspaper said. Sergei Sokolov was detained by officers from the Centre for Combating Extremism (Center E) and fined 30,000 rubles (260) in a hearing at a Moscow court later on Thursday, Novaya Gazeta said. It said the charges which were administrative and are usually punishable by a fine or a short prison sentence were related to material posted on the outlets Telegram channel. It was found in an examination by the authorities to contain linguistic and psychological signs of verbally discrediting the actions of power structures, the paper said. Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said it protests against this arrest which further testifies to the violence of censorship in Russia. Mr Sokolov took the leadership of Novaya Gazetas newsroom in September after the previous long-time editor-in-chief, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dmitry Muratov, was named a foreign agent by Russian authorities. In September 2022, a Moscow court revoked the licence of Novaya Gazeta, which has been critical of the Kremlin for years, as part of the authorities crackdown on dissent. Days after President Vladimir Putin sent troops into Ukraine just over two years ago, the Kremlin-controlled parliament approved legislation that outlawed disparagement of the Russian military or the spread of false information about the countrys actions in Ukraine. Dozens of Russian independent media outlets were banned as a result, while others said they were halting any reporting related to Ukraine. Novaya Gazeta announced in March 2022 that it was suspending its operations for the duration of the fighting in Ukraine, but staff who moved abroad launched a new project, Novaya Gazeta Europe, which has been strongly critical of the invasion. Russian forces are pushing hard against more Ukrainian towns and villages in eastern and south-eastern Ukraine as Moscow tries to press its advantage in weapons and troops, officials in Kyiv have said. Despite Russias apparent momentum on the ground, Ukraine said it has shot down 13 Russian warplanes this month, including three on Thursday, as the Kremlins forces push forward. With the full-scale war now into its third year, Russian forces have been bludgeoning some Ukrainian defensive positions into submission, deploying overwhelming amounts of artillery and troop numbers in an effort to punch through defensive lines at targeted points. Though Russias gains have been small, slow and costly, Ukraine does not have enough reservists and has a severe shortage of artillery shells as the supply of military aid from western partners has waned. Volodymyr Zelensky talks to Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi (Efrem Lukatsky/AP) The Russian army is trying to seize the towns and villages of Tonenke, Orlivka, Semenivka, Berdychi and Krasnohorivka in the eastern Donetsk region, Ukraines army chief, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, said on social media. Those are places where Ukrainian military officials had said they would form a new line of defence after Ukrainian troops pulled out of Avdiivka on February 17. In the south-eastern Zaporizhzhia region, Russian forces are focusing on retaking Verbove and Robotyne, towns that Ukraine won back in last summers counter-offensive, Col Gen Syrskyi said. The general, who was appointed by President Volodymyr Zelensky to lead the countrys military on February 8, accused some of his commanders of making miscalculations in assessing the enemy and taking counter-measures. Meanwhile, Ukraines Defence Ministry said its forces had shot down three Russian Su-34 jets overnight. That made a total of 11 warplanes, including an early warning and control A-50, that Ukraine claims to have downed since February 17, and 13 throughout the month the highest monthly tally since October 2022. The enemy has increased its air presence in the east. Our top military leadership reacted accordingly, air force spokesman Yurii Ihnat said on national television. A major question for Kyiv officials is how they can unlock further military help from their partners. Emergency US national security funds for Ukraine are still on hold amid a political dispute in Washington. Ukrainian parliamentary speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk addressed an open letter to US House of Representatives speaker Mike Johnson, asking him to put to a vote the Biden administrations proposal to send 60 billion dollars (47 billion) of aid to Ukraine. The letter posted by Mr Stefanchuk was also signed by 23 speakers and heads of parliament in European countries. Eight Ukrainian civilians, including a six-year-old girl, were killed and at least 12 people were wounded in the south east over the previous 24 hours, the Ukrainian presidents office said on Thursday. Lightstock.com Those who had arrested Jesus took Him to the house of the high priest Caiaphas, where the teachers of law and the elders gathered. Peter followed from a distance as far as the courtyard of Caiaphas house. The Jewish leaders were seeking false evidence against Jesus to have Him put to death, but they couldnt find any. Eventually, Caiaphas demanded Jesus to tell them if He was the Messiah or the Son of God. Jesus said, So you say. But I tell all of you, from this time on, youll see the Son of God at the right side of the Almighty and coming from heavens clouds. Caiaphas declared that this was blasphemy, so a guilty verdict was given. Then, they spat in Jesus face and beat Him. What was Jesus accused of before His crucifixion? There were several reasons why Jewish leaders wanted Jesus put to death. Jesus called them hypocrites and challenged their authority, broke their laws about Sabbath observance, spent time with people the Jewish leaders regarded as unfit, like prostitutes, tax collectors, and sinners, and Jesus made claims about Himself that the Jewish leaders couldnt accept, primarily that He was Gods Son and the prophesized Savior. The Jewish leaders accused Jesus of blasphemy. Blasphemy is a religious offense when someone says or does something regarded as being disrespectful to God. In the Jewish leaders eyes, when Jesus asserted to be Gods Son, He was insulting God. Blasphemy was a serious crime, and the punishment was death by stoning. After Jesus was arrested, He was put on trial by the Sanhedrin, the highest ruling council of the Jews. There were 70 members, mainly consisting of Pharisees, Sadducees, and priests, plus the leader, who was the high priest, or in this case, Caiaphas. The Sanhedrin were still allowed to exist under Roman rule, but they had limited power. They could find someone guilty and give the death sentence, but they couldnt carry it out because only the Romans could put a person to death. The Sanhedrin had a number of rules in place regarding the conduct of their trials. For example, a trial couldnt happen during an important festival or at night. Also, the death penalty couldnt be passed immediately if someone was found guilty, and the Sanhedrin had to wait overnight to pass the sentence. All trials took place in the Hall of Hewn Stones, the official place for trials in the temple. Two or three witnesses were required, and they had to agree on every detail. Anyone who gave false evidence would receive the same punishment as the person on trial. Jesus was arrested late Thursday night after the Passover meal. He immediately appeared before the Sanhedrin as the Jewish leaders wanted Him tried as quickly as possible. Did Jesus get a fair trial? In their rush, the Sanhedrin doesnt seem to be concerned about a fair trial. Theyre trying to find false evidence, and false witnesses came forward, misquoting Jesus words and accusing Him of threatening to destroy the temple. This couldve been a distortion of Jesus teachings about the resurrection when He said His body would be raised in three days. Jesus stayed silent, which again fulfilled the Old Testament prophecy about the Messiah. Finally, Caiaphas asks Jesus if He is the Son of God, to which He replies, So you say. This response was enough for the high priest to accuse Jesus of blasphemy. Caiaphas tore his clothes to show his shock at hearing blasphemy, a custom among very self-righteous Jews. The death sentence was then passed immediately on Jesus, hitting Him and spitting in His face. Now that Jewish leaders had found Jesus guilty of blasphemy, they took him to Pontius Pilate, the Roman Governor. With Palestine being an occupied country, only the Romans can put someone to death, which explains why Jesus had to have two trials. The Sanhedrin found Jesus guilty of the religious offense of blasphemy, which would be of no interest to the Romans. Therefore, the Jewish leaders had to switch the charge against Jesus from alleging to be the Son of God to saying He was the King of the Jews. In doing so, they emphasize the political rather than religious implications of asserting to be the Messiah. The Romans took action for a political offense, particularly something that threatened Roman rule. What happened after Jesus trial? Pilates soldiers took Jesus to the governors palace, where they stripped Him of His clothes and put a crimson robe on Him. Then, they made a crown out of thorny branches and put it on His head and put a stick on His right hand. They knelt before Him, mocking Him and saying, Long live the King of the Jews! They hit Him over the head with a stick and spat at Him. Then, they led Him out to crucify Him. Simon from Cyrene was forced to carry Jesus cross, and they came to a place called Golgotha, which means the place of the skull. There, they offered Him wine mixed with a bitter substance. After tasting it, Jesus wouldnt drink it. They crucified Jesus and distributed His clothes among them by throwing dice. Above His head, they put a sign that read, This is Jesus, the King of Jews. Then, they crucified Jesus with two bandits. People passing by threw insults at Jesus, and the chief priests, teachers of the law and elders made fun of him. They said, how can He save others but not Himself? Even the two thieves whod been crucified with Jesus insulted Him. Christians believe that Jesus death on the cross wasnt an ordinary death. It can be compared to a sacrifice, and Jesus was punished for all the things that sinful humanity had done wrong so they could receive Gods forgiveness. Jesus died to save humanity from sins consequences, to restore humans to a relationship with God, and because no one else was willing or could pay the price for the sin of the entire world. San Francisco officials are investigating why the body of a resident of the Alder Hotel who died days earlier was found only after bodily fluids seeped from under the door of a bathroom. Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle One of the largest supportive housing operators in San Francisco is investigating how a mans body wound up decaying in a shared bathroom of a residential hotel for more than a week before the stench and the sight of bodily fluids seeping under the locked door spurred staff to call authorities. The man, identified by the citys Office of the Chief Medical Examiner as 53-year-old James Martin Rinkes, had been missing from his fifth-floor room at the Alder Hotel on Sixth Street since Jan. 16, according to hotel residents and sources familiar with the investigation launched in response to his death. Case managers checked Rinkes room and ordered inquiries at hospitals and jails, with no luck. Janitors last inspected the shared bathroom on Jan. 18, found nobody in it, and some time after that, the bathroom was locked and marked with a sign saying it was out of commission, the residents and sources said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad About a week after that last inspection, residents began noticing a foul smell coming from the bathroom. Janitors apparently thought the odor was from dirty pipes, sources said, but tenants who passed it started getting uneasy. They became alarmed when unusual liquid trickled under the door, which by then had been duct-taped along at least some of the edges for reasons that werent made clear to the Chronicle. So they notified on-site case managers from Episcopal Community Services, the nonprofit that runs services at the hotel. The residents who spoke to the Chronicle asked to remain anonymous, saying they feared jeopardizing their housing. The Chronicle also spoke to seven sources familiar with the investigation who said they were not authorized to speak publicly about the matter and referred calls to the head of Episcopal Community Services and to Caritas Management Corp., which oversees maintenance of the building. The Chronicle granted all of these people anonymity under the newspapers confidential sources policy. It started smelling really bad on the weekend of (Jan. 27), and we started seeing red and yellow liquids coming out from under the door, one resident said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Residents of the Alder Hotel on Sixth Street said they became alarmed when unusual liquid trickled under a bathroom door, which was locked and marked with a sign saying it was out of commission. It turned out to be fluid from the decaying body of one of the hotels residents who had been missing. Lea Suzuki/The Chronicle On Jan. 31, Episcopal Community Services case workers asked property managers to look into the bathroom, according to a report obtained by the Chronicle that was filed with the city Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing, which oversees and contracts out services for supportive housing in San Francisco. There was a noticeable smell of a possible body, the report said. Someone knocked on the door but got no answer, and there was no key to the deadbolt, according to the report, so a maintenance person had to drill through the lock. Thats when they found the man dead, slumped over one of the bathrooms two toilets, the report said. The medical examiners office, which removed the body, said its determination of the cause of death might be available in a week. A police spokesperson said foul play was not suspected. Beth Stokes, executive director of Episcopal Community Services, said it appeared the man may have died from a drug overdose, but they were awaiting a conclusion from the medical examiner. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Rinkes family members, reached in Ohio, said they didnt know he had died. Theyd had lost contact with him, they said, though they knew he lived in California. Rinkes had a lengthy criminal record dating back to the 1980s for offenses in Texas, Ohio and California, including theft and substance abuse, and his oldest sister, Connie McCort, said he had been homeless for a long time. Jimmy was an alcoholic and a drug addict, there was no way around it, she said. He went the wrong way. But he was still my brother, no matter what. Its a sad situation. Residents said property managers were working on about 100 repair jobs at the 116-unit Alder, and they believed the bathroom where the man died was among those jobs. They said the bathroom had been closed for about a month and that although a new, more attentive property manager came on board this winter, the pace of repairs has been slow for years. Emily Cohen, a spokesperson for the city homelessness department, called the incident sad and unacceptable and said her department ordered Episcopal Community Services to come up with a plan within a month to correct whatever failure led to the man being left dead for so long. Our contract stipulates frequent monitoring of common places including bathrooms, and this incident demonstrates a lack in that, Cohen said. Weve issued a corrective action letter to address this issue. They have to get back to us outlining the steps they will take to ensure this doesnt happen again. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Obviously, we cant prevent every death, she said, but we should never leave a room unmonitored so that someone is not found more immediately. Stokes said she was assembling a response to the corrective order. She referred questions about repairs and regular checkups on common-use rooms in the building to the Caritas company, which is responsible for day-to-day maintenance of the building. Representatives of Caritas did not respond to multiple requests for comment from the Chronicle. Episcopal Community Services is deeply saddened by the passing of one of our tenants, and we have started an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding their passing, Stokes said. We have begun a coordinated review with Caritas management, who oversees the day-to-day management of the property. We will take any necessary steps at the outcome of our review to continue to ensure the safety and security of our residents. Advertisement Article continues below this ad She said the tenants death appeared to be another of the citys rising total of fatal drug overdoses, but that any determination on that had to come from the medical examiners office. The death was among 30 reported in January in the citys 14,000-bed supportive housing network down from 44 the month before which provides rooms for formerly homeless people in need of extra care because of disability or other challenges. A record 813 people died in 2023 in San Francisco from accidental drug doses, the most ever recorded since San Francisco began tracking the deaths in 2020. Its something I think about every day trying to figure out the service interventions that will stick, something that somebody can lean on to prevent overdoses, Stokes said. And were not yet sure that this was the case with this resident, but it continues to be a crisis in supportive housing for all of us working in this space in San Francisco. Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivers an address to members and senators at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, Feb. 29, 2024. Updated at 12:20 p.m. ET on 2024-02-29 President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday vowed to resist any effort by a foreign power to infringe upon the Philippines sovereignty, in a strongly worded address to the Australian Parliament amid growing Chinese assertiveness in the South China Sea. Marcos, who arrived in Canberra for a two-day state visit on Wednesday, told a special joint sitting of the two chambers it was an imperative that the South China Sea be protected from actions that violated international law. The waterway is a critical global artery that is crucial to the preservation of regional and global peace, said Marcos, who has taken a bolder stance than his predecessor in dealing with competing claims in the South China Sea. China asserts sovereignty over almost all of the South China Sea, putting it at odds with the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam, and Taiwan. I shall never tire of repeating the declaration that I made from the first day that I took office: I will not allow any attempt by any foreign power to take even one square inch of our sovereign territory, Marcos told Australian legislators, without naming China, according to transcripts released by his office in Manila. The challenges that we face may be formidable, but equally formidable is our resolve. We will not yield, he said. Marcos said the Philippines and Australia must reinforce each others strengths and protect the peace the two countries fought for during World War II. Just as we fought to build our rules-based international order, so are we now fighting to protect it, Marcos said. We draw strength from the consistent and unequivocal support of Australia and the international community for the lawful exercise of our rights, which have been settled under international law. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the two countries signed an agreement on enhanced maritime cooperation and vowed to "collaborate even more closely to promote our shared vision for the region, Agence France-Presse wire service reported. Asked about such an agreement between the Philippines and Australia, a Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman said the South China Sea is stable. Relevant countries maritime security cooperation should not undermine other countries interests or disrupt regional peace and stability, spokeswoman Mao Ning told reporters in Beijing on Thursday. Before departing Manila on Wednesday, Marcos shared a report by the Philippine Coast Guard indicating that they had monitored at least three ships from Chinas Peoples Liberation Army Navy just near Bajo de Masinloc, the local name of Scarborough Shoal. The shoal has been under Chinese control since 2012 after a standoff with Manila. The Philippines, under then-President Benigno Aquino III filed a case against Beijing at an international arbitration court. The following year, then-President Benigno Aquino III filed a case against Beijing in an international arbitration court. In 2016, the court ruled in favor of Manila and invalidated Chinas sweeping claims to the South China Sea on historical grounds. Beijing has never acknowledged the ruling and has refused to leave the area. Aquinos successor, Rodrigo Duterte, refused to make a move to compel Beijing. Instead, he sought to appease Beijing in exchange for promises of Chinese investments in the Philippines. This allowed Beijing to gain a firmer foothold in the region. Marcos has worked hard to reaffirm security ties with traditional ally the United States, as well as Australia, since taking office in June 2022. On Wednesday, Marcos and Albanese signed new agreements on civil maritime security, marine environment protection, maritime domain awareness, and efforts to uphold international law. Marcos is scheduled to attend a special summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Melbourne next week. Jason Gutierrez and Jeoffrey Maitem in Manila contributed this report. Bennington, VT (05201) Today Cloudy with snow showers mainly during the morning. High near 40F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 40%.. Tonight Snow showers. Low 28F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 50%. Snow accumulations less than one inch. Hayward Unifieds Joe Ramos, right, speaks during a recent school board meeting as board president Peter Bufete listens. Ramos has drawn criticism over his critique of the Woke Kindergarten program at Glassbrook Elementary in Hayward. Hayward Unified School District The turmoil over the use of the anti-racist program Woke Kindergarten continued to plague a Bay Area school district this week as officials punished a board member and wrapped up an investigation into a teacher, both over actions connected to the controversy. The Hayward Unified board voted unanimously Wednesday to censure and sanction fellow member Joe Ramos over comments he made regarding Woke Kindergarten as well as other humiliating, intimidating, offensive and threatening comments he made to staff, according to the results of an investigation into his remarks. Ramos, during a late January school board meeting, told a staff member that parents should take a rope and string you up for spending nearly $250,000 on the program. Both Ramos and the staff member are Hispanic. Advertisement Article continues below this ad An outside investigation into his comments about Woke Kindergarten as well as other incidents related to accusations of a hostile work environment found that the board has a legal and moral obligation to take action to protect the Districts employees and students. On Thursday, Ramos said he didnt believe a real investigation was performed and that the investigator never spoke to him. Theres nothing impartial about it, he said. Ramos and other members of the community have been critical of Woke Kindergarten, which trained teachers to confront white supremacy, disrupt racism and oppression and remove those barriers to learning. The district used federal funding meant to improve student performance at Glassbrook Elementary to pay for the program, yet two years into the three-year contract, test scores continued to plummet at the predominantly low-income and Hispanic school, with fewer than 4% of students proficient in math and just under 12% proficient in English. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Glassbrook Elementary teacher Tiger Craven-Neeley has been on administrative leave from the Hayward school since questioning elements of the Woke Kindergarten curriculum but could be back in the classroom soon. Benjamin Fanjoy/The Chronicle The district cut the contract with the organization, saying the controversy was a distraction, but stood by the for-profit companys curriculum. Woke Kindergarten founder Akiea Ki Gross did not respond to requests for comment and hasnt spoken to the media since the controversy began. Woke Kindergarten is rooted in progressive politics and activism, with anti-police, anti-capitalism and anti-Israel messages mixed in with the goal of making schools safe and joyful for all students, supporters say. Education experts say low-performing schools need research-based reading and math interventions that ensure all students have the basic skills to succeed. Conservatives like Ramos argue the programs indoctrinate students with left-wing ideas, and the tension reflects the nations culture wars, where the right and the left battle to influence what happens in classrooms. Ramos has repeatedly challenged the premise and effectiveness of the program, using language that shocked students, parents and his colleagues. On Thursday, Ramos stood by his criticism of Woke Kindergarten, which promoted support for LGBTQ+ students as well as combating racism and said he believed the district was taken over by officials, most of them homosexuals trying to put their agendas on the schools. In addition to the comment related to Woke Kindergarten, the investigation found Ramos also made disparaging comments to those identifying as part of the LGBTQ+ community, accusing them of grooming students and preying on students. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Such language also invokes the LGBTQ+ grooming stereotype, the false assertion that LGBTQ+ people are pedophiles, sexual predators and a threat to children, according to the summary of the investigation. He was also found to have made unwelcome comments about female employees appearance. The board voted to remove Ramos from all committee assignments, while also banning him from meeting with or questioning any staff members individually, with the exception of the superintendent. He will also be denied access to district staff workspace areas in the district office and school sites although he will still be able to attend public gatherings. I think all of us were simply shell-shocked, board member Ken Rawdon said during the Feb. 14 board discussion about Ramos. To Mr. Ramos, I would like to say shame on you. Rawdon urged Ramos to step down from his elected position. He could only be otherwise removed by a recall or in a regular election. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Several members of the public supported the censure and sanctions before Wednesdays vote. Mr. Ramos, youre messing it up, said one speaker. You need to get your stuff together. You know what they say, you make your bed and youre going to lie in it. As district officials concluded their investigation of the board member, the Woke Kindergarten saga continued for Glassbrook teacher Tiger Craven-Neeley, who remained on paid administrative leave Thursday after questioning the program during a staff meeting earlier this month and sharing those concerns with the Chronicle. Craven-Neeley has said he supports discussing racism in the classroom, but found the Woke Kindergarten training confusing and rigid. Craven-Neeley was forced to turn in his keys and laptop on Feb. 8, as officials investigated allegations of unprofessional conduct. On Thursday, he was told at a meeting with district officials that the investigation found nothing to warrant removal from his job or any disciplinary action, he told the Chronicle. Advertisement Article continues below this ad He added that he believed he would be allowed to return to Glassbrook this school year, but would know more next week. He said he was a bit emotionally exhausted and declined further comment. He said he has filed a complaint with the Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Education. District officials declined to comment on the allegations against Craven-Neeley, but said they were hoping to get him back to work soon. BENNINGTON A Bennington man, who was allegedly in the process of stealing a television from an apartment on Benmont Avenue, chased and then shot an individual who came into the apartment to feed a friends cats during the break-in. Scott Kipp, 33, is charged with three counts attempted murder in the 1st degree, attempted murder in the 2nd degree, and violating conditions of release relating to a curfew from a previous crime. Both the murder charges carry possible life sentences with presumed minimums of 35 and 20 years respectively. The violation of conditions carries an additional six-month jail term. According to police affidavits, Kipp was in the process of robbing a television from an unoccupied apartment at 140 Benmont Ave. in Bennington on Feb. 15 when two individuals showed up to help a friend feed his cats while he was away. When Kipp saw the two in the apartment, he allegedly threw the television onto the floor and started rushing the individuals, yelling that he was going to kill them both. A male victim and Kipp then started wrestling and the victim ran into a bedroom to barricade himself from the attack. Kipp allegedly attempted to kick the door in and then fired several rounds into the door. That victim suffered gunshot wounds to the stomach and back. He was treated at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center and released. The other individual, who had run into the apartment's bathroom, was not injured. Kipp allegedly ran from the apartment and took off on an electric bicycle. During a police investigation, immediately after the incident, a third individual was found hiding inside a closet at the residence. That individual was detained and, during a weapons check inside a holding cell, stated to the officer that Kipp was at the apartment with a gun and shot the weapon two or three times. A further interview allegedly revealed that the witness was inside the apartment when they heard a clicking noise at the front door. She told police she observed an individual wearing a mask entering the apartment. The individual recognized Kipps voice and later identified him from a photograph for investigators. Police later obtained surveillance video confirming Kipp approaching and leaving the apartment on the e-bike. An arrest warrant was issued for Kipp on Feb. 23. He was picked up by authorities in Bennington five days later. Kipp was scheduled for his arraignment Wednesday afternoon at the Bennington courthouse, but the arraignment was delayed 24 hours because an attorney could not be found to represent him due to several conflicts with other cases. Kipp, appearing in court in handcuffs and leg irons, looked over at members of his family before being led away by a Bennington Police officer after the appearance. The arraignment is currently rescheduled for Thursday. Kipp has a criminal history in Vermont. He is currently being held without bail pending his arraignment. Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. PITTSFIELD Betty, the good-natured pit bull, was gravely injured but held onto life after being struck by a car in Georgia. She was flown to Massachusetts by Berkshires-based animal rescuer, Kathy "Skippy" Hynes, along with three other canines in need. Betty endured extensive surgery, with doctors at Berkshire Veterinary Hospital amputating her the right front leg above the shoulder. But Betty never lost her shine, said Hynes. She may walk a little different than her four-legged peers Hynes described her gait as something of a "bunny hop" but she's still a vibrant pup who's quick to make friends. "She's an inspiration," Hynes said Wednesday. "She walks different, but it doesn't faze her; she's still wagging her tail. She's still happy." Betty embodies resiliency, Hynes said. Her physical disability does not hold her back. And it's that message that Hynes thinks will help her become an effective therapy dog, which Hynes hopes will be Betty's next act. The 68-year-old animal rescuer and nurse said she's in the process of getting credentialed to become a psychiatric mental health practitioner. Hynes wants Betty to work at her side providing animal-assisted therapy, interacting with patients to help raise their spirits when things get hard, and inspiring them to continue on in their own recoveries. "She survived getting hit by the car, she survived lying in the road in Georgia, she survived that high kill shelter, she survived being transported to get her X-rays and pain management. She survived the flight, and she survived her surgery," Hynes said. "Dogs are healers," she added. But before that can happen, Betty still has a ways to go. She is set to begin physical therapy at Fitter Critters in Lee, where she'll work on building back strength and conditioning after her injuries. It will be a costly process that Hynes said she'll be funding in addition to providing for the nine other dogs she has under her care through her non-profit, Got Spots Etc. Two Adams businesspeople, Tammie Shafer and Lisa Mendel have teamed up to organize fundraisers to benefit the animal rescue nonprofit. The fundraisers are structured as two evenings of murder mystery events, where participants will engage in an interactive activity with clues, games and food all unified around the theme of a Hawaiian luau at Shafer's Pine Brook Pub in Adams. Tickets to the first fundraiser being held this Sunday are sold out, but there's still space to join the second event at 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 7, also at the Pine Brook Pub. Tickets are $35 and include the meal and game. They can be reserved by contacting at skippy10@outlook.com or 413-743-2259. For Betty or "Lady Bet," as Hynes has nicknamed her moving to Massachusetts has given her a second shot at life. And Hynes said her next venture promises to uplift those who may be having a hard time trusting others as they travel their own journey toward recovery. "She's forgiving, she chose love," Hynes said of Betty. "Like all working dogs, she won't pass judgement. NORTH ADAMS About three years after its installation, the tallest mural in Berkshire County will be demystified for those unsure of what they're looking at. Renowned mural artist Gaia created the towering work on the canvas of the North Adams Housing Authority complex, titled "Futurity," in 2021. It primarily depicts Lue Gim Gong, a horticulturist and Chinese immigrant who came to North Adams in the 1870s, at the age 14, to work in a shoe factory. He later lived in the state of Florida, where he famously developed a frost-tolerant orange. But those wandering by might not know the significance of the collage of images paying homage to Gong, the children who worked in the mills in North Adams and the women of Sprague Electric Co. That will soon change thanks to an informational panel, closing the roughly three-and-a-half-year loop on the project. Its an historic, imagery-dense mural; its got so much that it captures, project coordinator Ben Lamb said. Because we wanted to actually celebrate particular elements of North Adams history, it feels very important that gets put into writing. The mural was part of NAMAzing Initiative's Ashland Street Initiative, which also included pedestrian improvements such as putting in benches, planting trees and adorning other public spaces with mini-murals along the Ashland Street Corridor. The venture was paid for by a crowdfunding internet campaign and a matching grant from MassDevelopment. The total price of the project, including the mural, was approximately $45,000 to $50,000. Research for the panel, which will be unveiled around summertime, is owed mainly to Joe Manning, Stewart Burns, Paul Marino, Historic North Adams and the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, according to a draft of its text. The panel will be mounted on two legs near the mural. Although Gong came to North Adams in 1870, as one of 75 Chinese immigrants to aid in strikebreaking efforts at the Sampson Shoe Factory, he was embraced by members of the community. As Gong made the city his home, Fannie Burlingame, a teacher and a member of the Baptist Church, took to him, converted him to Christianity, helped him become a U.S. Citizen, and later adopted him. While many of the Chinese immigrants whod come to town had returned to San Francisco by 1880, Gong remained in North Adams, working in the Burlingame household until 1885, when he traveled to San Francisco and ultimately to China. In 1889, Gong came back to the U.S. and reunited with Burlingame, living with her both North Adams and in Deland, Fla. In 1903, after Burlingames death, Gong took over the property. The next year, a late frost greatly affected orange crops. He set about developing a frost-resistant strain of oranges, which he unveiled in 1909 and soon earned him the nickname, The Citrus Wizard." What would eventually be called Valencia Oranges, the Lue Gim Gong orange ripened in the summer instead of the spring. The oranges should have been a fortune-maker for Gong, but instead didnt net him much money, according to Marino, a local historian. For all his incredible skill and expertise at horticulture, Gim Gong was a terrible businessman! It is said that after he died, a chest full of uncashed checks was found in his house; that he never cashed them because he didnt know what they were, Marino writes on his website. "Every orange he sold (or gave away) was hand-picked by himself, so only the finest, ripest fruit went to his customers. He worked hard and conscientiously. But he was also mind bogglingly generous, and trusting almost to the point of gullibility. The panel discusses Gongs fascinating, impactful life, during which he became an adopted son of North Adams, as Marino put it. It also gets into the other, less dominant subjects of the mural, including the Mill Children, based on photographs taken by Lewis Hine of child mill workers at the Eclipse Mill in 1911, as well as the women working at Sprague Electric Co., which drove the city's economy between 1926 and 1985. Lamb said that making the Ashland Street area more pedestrian-friendly which the city is working on concurrently with its separate, $9.4-million, state-funded, Complete Streets project meant getting more youth going back and forth on that corridor as well. For them to have this educational panel, where they can see the tallest mural in Berkshire County, and they can see what the piece means to our local history, thats powerful, Lamb said. Its not just a work of art, it has specific historical components to it." Come summer, the 30x50-inch panel will be in place, constituting the close of the project, but not the end of efforts to vitalize Ashland. Could local control be in danger? To answer that question, some background information is necessary. Just three years ago, then-Gov. Charlie Baker (a Republican labeled a climate unicorn for leading the country in environmental initiatives) signed bipartisan legislation the so-called climate roadmap law committing the state to meet the recommendations of the Paris Agreements net-zero-emission requirement by gradually reducing emission standards below 1990 baseline levels by 33 percent by 2030, 50 percent by 2040 and at least 85 percent in 2050. The governor envisioned that by 2050, homes, vehicles, and the electric grid would all operate with a minimum reliance on fossil fuels. Natural and working lands will be protected from conversion, better managed, and restored to enhance carbon sequestration. When Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll took office in 2023, they continued the work started by the Baker administration. Healey called the threats posed by climate change the states greatest challenge and its greatest opportunity, saying, Massachusetts can and will be a global leader in the fight against climate change. On her second day in the office, she appointed Melissa Hoffer as Massachusetts first-ever climate chief, tasking her with analyzing the states executive offices to recommend ways to align their operations with the states climate goals. Gov. Healey also signed an executive order to create an Office of Climate Innovation and Resilience within the executive branch. The Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, representing 32 member municipalities in the county, recognizes that the climate of our area is changing due to the earths warming. Carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel use have increased, contributing to unpredictable weather. Our winters have less snow, summers heat reliably breaks records and havoc is created by storms like the ones this past summer that destroyed farm crops and caused millions of dollars in damage in Northern Berkshire. BRPCs Regional Issues Committee has followed proposed legislation to accelerate the commonwealths response to climate issues. Many of the proposals are encouraging, while some are concerning. We are fortunate that the Berkshire County legislative delegation of Reps. William Smitty Pignatelli, Tricia Farley-Bouvier, John Barrett, and Sen. Paul Mark are engaged in our issues and working hard for the interest of the Berkshires. Sen. Mark, who is recognized for his leadership in securing passage of the first-in-the-country legislation to create a climate bank enabling municipalities to be able to borrow money for environmental projects, is the sponsor of Senate bill S.2150, An Act to Encourage Solar Development on Built and Disturbed Land. This proposal supports views widely shared and documented in the Massachusetts Audubon/Harvard Forest report Growing Solar, Protecting Nature, which outlines how emissions goals of the commonwealth can be met by using the existing built environment for solar placement, including existing buildings, parking lots, already developed lands, upgraded utility corridors, and highway and railroad rights of ways. From BRPCs perspective, all of those options are preferable to building new transmission corridors that would require cutting thousands of trees, which would reduce carbon sequestration and while fragmenting sensitive natural resources, farmland, wildlife habitats and Native American homelands. Sen. Marks bill would help preserve our regions pristine open spaces that would otherwise be seen as more accessible and cheaper locations for massive solar installation. Because of Section 3 of Chapter 40A, No zoning ordinance or bylaw shall prohibit or unreasonably regulate the installation of solar energy systems or the building of structures that facilitate the collection of solar energy, except where necessary to protect the public health, safety, or welfare. Some solar contractors try to prevent local boards from participating in the review process for large-scale solar projects. BRPC strongly supports Senate bill S.1319 and House bill H.2082, which will, if enacted, strike that passage in the present law, giving communities opportunities to conduct reviews of proposed projects. Unfortunately, other legislation seeks to accelerate alternative energy production at the expense of local expertise and control. Among these initiatives is House bill H.3215, which BRPC strongly opposes because its purpose is to consolidate and expedite the state review of electric utility infrastructure projects that contribute to decarbonization in a single forum, removing any local laws or control over siting, upgrades, and operation of grid modernization projects. All such issues would then be decided at the state level by individuals who likely are unaware of all the local impacts of their decisions. Finally, the state recognizes the high demand for workers with engineering and technical skills to ensure the infrastructure needed for the states goals is met, ignoring the education required for electricians, plumbers, and the like already in shortage BRPC recommends to meet the new demands, there is funding for appropriate skill development including at trade schools and community colleges throughout the Commonwealth. We hope to see these new opportunities in Berkshire County. The Healey/Driscoll administration has been highly active in proposing a wide range of initiatives related to climate, housing, transportation, education and the economy. BRPC, through its committees, is actively monitoring and responding to proposals that impact rural Massachusetts, particularly Berkshire County. Our meetings are open to the public, and agendas and a large quantity of helpful information can be found on berkshireplanning.org. Until recently, Ive adopted a simple if I ignore it, it might go away strategy with regard to this artificial intelligence thing. But while I was looking the other way, AI snuck into everything, and now I am afraid its too late to call in pest control. Advocates for ideas and draws conclusions based on the interpretation of facts and data. Nearly half of the people cited for drug use over the past year in San Francisco live outside the city or declined to state where they lived, new city data shows. Jessica Christian/The Chronicle Nearly 40% of the people cited for drug use over the past year in San Francisco said they lived outside the city, according to new data released by the mayors office on Thursday. The office said just over 6% of those outside residents are receiving cash assistance from the city, a violation of state law. The figures covered a period in which Mayor London Breed cracked down on drug markets and directed police to arrest users, amid widespread complaints that San Francisco has become a destination for the narcotics trade. Last year, the city witnessed a record 813 accidental overdose deaths, bringing the depth of the tragedy into focus. Of 718 people arrested or cited between March 30, 2023, and Feb. 2 of this year, 377 53% told police they were San Francisco residents, representatives for Breed said. According to the data, 274 of the people cited or arrested 38% gave an address in another county. Sixty-seven of the accused drug users did not provide an address. When city officials drilled into the new data, they made another observation: that 141 of the people cited are receiving cash assistance from San Francisco, and 41 of those people reside in other counties. Another nine people did not disclose their residence. The people found to live outside San Francisco have since been removed from the program, according to spokespeople from Breeds office. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Street drug addiction has long been a raw topic in San Francisco, becoming a centerpiece in bitter debates over criminal justice and homelessness. The issue has bedeviled Breed, who in recent years has leaned into using law enforcement to clean up downtown, arresting hundreds of drug dealers and users last year. Breed and others who favor stronger punishment have cited the presence of out-of-town offenders as proof that the city has been too lenient. Breed faces a tough reelection campaign, with competitors seeking to blame her for the citys drug crisis. A new poll commissioned by the Chronicle showed she is at risk of losing, with two challengers narrowing in to unseat her, and a majority of voters disapproving of her job performance. Trent Rhorer, executive director of the citys Human Services Agency, characterized the phenomenon of people migrating to San Francisco to use abuse substances as drug tourism, a term that has divided San Franciscos moderates and progressives. Rhorer specifically decried the fact that you can lie and cheat, and get over $700 a month claiming you live in San Francisco, providing fake documentation. I think thats what were seeing. Yet many view drug tourism as an inflammatory term. Sara Shortt, a spokesperson for the Treatment on Demand Coalition, said politicians have deployed the term to deny responsibility, evade accountability, and deflect from the citys failure to prevent hundreds of overdose deaths last year. Breed and other politicians have become too fixated on who deserves services, Shortt argued, and should instead focus their energy on blunting the alarming death toll. Advertisement Article continues below this ad While the Human Services Agency requires people to provide documentation of their address in order to receive services such as a lease, signed letter from a roommate or invoiced rent payment Rhorer said some people falsify records, which sometimes takes months to catch. On some occasions, agency staff have flagged a single address used by multiple clients, he said. Next week, voters will weigh a controversial ballot measure sponsored by Breed that would require adults receiving cash assistance from the city to undergo drug screening and enroll in a free treatment program if they are found to struggle with addiction. The proposition has ignited criticism from medical professionals and addiction treatment providers who call it a cynical ploy to penalize people for their own despair, and say that coercive treatment does not work. They also point out that San Francisco doesnt have enough treatment beds to meet demand and that wait times to get care can be too long. Compelling treatment is an ineffective way to address a widespread problem, said Shortt, who is leading the campaign against Breeds Proposition F. She referred to research and evidence showing that people need to be ready and willing in order to benefit from treatment. There are many such people on San Francisco streets right now, and the city should not put barriers in front of them, Shortt said. But Rhorer, who supports Prop. F, said he is disturbed to see the number of people drawn to San Francisco for cheap and readily available drugs, as well as welfare benefits that dwarf those in other counties. San Francisco offers up to $712 a month in cash assistance for single adults, an amount set by a local ordinance. These taxpayer funded grants are more than twice the state average and considerably higher than neighboring counties, Rhorer noted in an interview. The intent, he said, is to offset the high cost of living in the city not to supply aid for people who live elsewhere. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Supervisor Matt Dorsey, an ally of the mayor who is outspoken about his recovery from addiction, has long contended that people travel to San Francisco to take advantage of its rampant drug markets and permissive culture. Early this month Dorsey sent a letter to the city controller, asking the office to track the home addresses of people arrested for drug use and of those who die of overdoses. We MUST disincentivize drug tourism, Dorsey wrote Thursday on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. We owe it to those struggling with substance use disorders not to enable behaviors that are deadlier than ever before and we owe nothing less to San Francisco taxpayers who shouldnt be footing the bill for it. Some people who have used drugs and accepted cash benefits in San Francisco agreed with Dorsey about the allure of illicit markets and the culture of compassion. Among them is Michael Hoefer, 36, who was lingering Thursday morning on Market Street across from Civic Center Plaza. Hoefer moved from Santa Rosa to San Francisco three years ago because he thought it would be a lot harder to get sent to jail. At the time, he said, he was homeless, addicted to fentanyl and fleeing a warrant. After sleeping on the streets for more than two years, Hoefer was placed in a supportive-housing unit last year and began receiving cash assistance two months ago. He observed that the Human Services Agency has controls in place to flag people who don't live in the city. Just last month, he said, officials threatened to remove him from the program after he spent some of his money in Santa Rosa while visiting family. Advertisement Article continues below this ad It can be tricky at a casual glance to identify which books in the New Testament should be called the Epistles, since so many of them are technically letters. Even the Gospel of Luke begins with an acknowledgment to its intended recipient - Theophilus. The book of Revelation is addressed to seven churches, and not even all the letters written by Paul are considered the Epistles. So which books are historically considered canonical as Epistles, as opposed to something else that happens to be a letter? The first four Books of the New Testament are the Gospels, first-hand accounts of the life of Jesus Christ. While they may have been letters, they are considered separate. The Book of Acts is considered historical. Finally, Revelation is primarily a prophetic text, with some letters within it. Everything else falls under the broader category of epistle. The writers are the Apostles Paul, Peter, John, James, Jude, as well as an unknown individual who wrote the Book of Hebrews. Within these letters, there are three primary subcategories. There are letters to churches, to individuals, and the pastoral letters which were written by Paul to Timothy and Titus. 11 Lessons from the Introductions to the Epistles 1. The Apostles Saw Themselves as Servants Even though they all saw Jesus in glory, and James and Jude are most likely half-brothers of Jesus, all the writers of the epistles saw themselves as servants of God on behalf of the Gospel and fellow believers. They did not claim any authority except that which was given to them by God. All Christians should see themselves as servants who act in accordance with the will of their Father and Master, not venerating a person - another servant - nor thinking too much of themselves, willing to see themselves as servants for the Gospel. Some examples include: Philippians 1:1 - Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus. James 1:1 - James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jude 1:1 - Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James. Photo credit: Getty Images/jaflippo BillOReilly.com is not available in this country. We apologize for any inconvenience. Minister Sanderson from Western Australia expressed readiness to invest in the healthcare sector, during a meeting with the CM Chief Minister (CM) of Telangana A. Revanth Reddy reiterated Telangana's status as the preferred destination for investments, affirming the government's commitment to extending all necessary support for industrial setups in both Hyderabad and the districts. This statement came during a special meeting held at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC) on the sidelines of the BioAsia 2024 conference (that took place from 26th to 28th February 2024), where delegates from various countries convened with the Chief Minister. While Reddy provided a comprehensive overview of Telangana's geographical advantages and highlighted the state's robust law and order situation, emphasising Hyderabad's reputation for unity in diversity, he urged investors to look for investment in Tier-2 cities for which the state government will come more proactively to support their initiatives. With Hyderabad already leading in sectors such as IT and pharma, the Chief Minister underscored the government's endeavors to propel the city to the forefront in other domains as well, attributing the growth of the pharma industry in Hyderabad to initiatives undertaken during the Congress leadership. Notably, Minister Sanderson from Western Australia expressed readiness to invest in the healthcare sector, highlighting the opening of India's first commercial office in Hyderabad. Discussions also ensued regarding investment opportunities in healthcare, health tourism, and health skilling. New Genome Valley facility is poised to be established across greenfield pharma clusters in Vikarabad, Medak, and Nalgonda districts Chief Minister (CM) of Telangana A. Revanth Reddy revealed plans for the establishment of Genome Valley Phase-II in Hyderabad, set to occupy an expansive area of 300 acres. This announcement came during the inauguration of the Healthcare and Life Sciences BioAsia 2024 conference at Hitex recently. The Chief Minister, accompanied by Industries and IT Minister D. Sridhar Babu, also honored Nobel Laureate Professor Greg L. Semenza with the prestigious Genome Valley Excellence 2024 Award. Chief Minister Reddy outlined the ambitious venture, stating that the Genome Valley Phase-II project would entail an investment of Rs 2000 crore. Additionally, the government has initiated the process of setting up ten pharma villages, with an investment totaling Rs one lakh crore. These initiatives are anticipated to generate employment opportunities for approximately 500,000 individuals. The new Genome Valley facility is poised to be established across greenfield pharma clusters in Vikarabad, Medak, and Nalgonda districts. Highlighting its strategic location in proximity to the Hyderabad International Airport, CM emphasized the convenience it offers to global entrepreneurs. He also emphasised the need for collaborative efforts to address global health challenges, reaffirming the government's commitment to bolster Hyderabad's status as a hub for IT, research, startups, and biosciences. In a testament to Hyderabad's appeal as a destination for investment, Chief Minister Reddy highlighted the substantial investments garnered during the recent World Economic Forum at Davos, amounting to Rs 40,232 crore. Notably, he welcomed the collaboration between Takeda and Biological-E companies to produce five crore vaccine doses annually, further enhancing Hyderabad's reputation as a leading vaccine production hub. Building further on the company's existing immunology franchise in the US Bengaluru-based Biocon Biologics has signed a settlement and license agreement with Janssen Biotech Inc., and Johnson & Johnson, that clears the way to commercialise its Bmab 1200, a proposed biosimilar to Stelara, in the United States of America. The agreement licenses the company to launch in the United States (US), in February 2025, once approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The USFDA has accepted the company's Biologics License Application (BLA) for Bmab 1200 (bUstekinumab) for review under the 351(k) pathway. Biocon Biologics and Janssen have finalised the settlement agreement to dismiss the pending Inter Partes Review (IPR) for US 10961307 before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) of the United States Patent and Trademarks Office. Stelara (Ustekinumab) is a monoclonal antibody medication that prevents abnormal regulation of interleukin IL-12/23 associated immune diseases and has been approved for the treatment of psoriasis, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. The reference brand, Stelara, had sales of $7 billion in the United States in 2023. Biocon Biologics has commercialised eight biosimilars in key emerging markets and advanced markets like US, EU, Australia, Canada, Japan. Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution to create over 10,000 new job opportunities in health-tech On the concluding day of BioAsia 2024 on 28th February, Hyderabad witnessed the inauguration of the World Economic Forums (WEF) Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR), marking a significant milestone in the state's journey towards innovation and technological advancement in healthcare and life sciences. Industries Minister D. Sridhar Babu, addressing the gathering, articulated the objectives of C4IR Telangana, emphasising its role in creating over 10,000 new job opportunities in health-tech, alongside fostering research and development (R&D) and manufacturing jobs. He outlined plans to nurture 20-25 emerging companies and startups, while also aiming to generate 10-25 novel ideas through its registry. Furthermore, Minister Babu shared the governments vision to enhance the local workforce by skilling nearly 50,000 graduates over the next five to six years, equipping them with industry-ready capabilities for life sciences research and manufacturing. He announced the commencement of the pilot batch of the skilling initiative, featuring specialised courses in medicinal chemistry and analytical chemistry within a week. Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan commended BioAsia for fostering a platform that encourages innovations catering to India's affordability factor in healthcare. She underscored the importance of early diagnosis and prevention, particularly in light of technological advancements such as artificial intelligence (AI) facilitating easier diagnosis. A 1944 registration tag from the Palacio de Belles Artes in Mexico City on the back of Yllanes's Estano Maldito. Documentation related to this event remains with the painting in the form of a label still visible on the paintings stretcher. At the time of this exhibition, and with the shift in political regimes, the artist was once again in the good graces of the Bolivian government and served as a cultural attache to Mexico. The strength of the show was such that the Mexican government awarded the Bolivian artist its prestigious Gold Medal. In 1946, Yllanes brought the canvas and other works with him to the United States, when he served as a Bolivian delegate to the American Congress of Professors. Remaining in the United States, Yllanes found his art was admired by American institutions, with curators at the Brooklyn Museum, the New York Public Library, and the Museum of Modern Art acquiring examples of his prints for their collections. Indeed, Yllaness prestige was such that he received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1948 for the purpose of studying and comparing the art of Indigenous communities in North and South America. However, after this award, the artists story becomes hazy. Although his biography continued to be included in Whos Who in American Art until 1960, no historical records are known to exist about his activities after the fall of 1948, raising critical questions about his fate. But, if Yllanes disappeared from the American art world prematurely, a powerful legacy survives in the work he left behind. Stewarded initially by his landlords, the work was later acquired by private collectors. Shown in 1992 in two exhibitions in New York City, the work recently resurfaced and has begun to stimulate new scholarship. This includes important work by Michele Greet 93, a highly regarded expert in Bolivian and Latin American modernism, whose career as a scholar began at Bowdoin, where she was a Romance language major (French and Spanish) and a Latin American studies minor. According to Greet, who recalls being galvanized by Latin American art while studying abroad in Ecuador during her junior year, Yllanes has for too long remained an obscure figure in the history of modern art, overshadowed by peers. While this is no doubt in part because of his mysterious disappearance, Estano Maldito reveals his aptitude as both artist and activist. Having learned the concept of indigenismo, promoted by Latin American philosopher Jose Carlos Mariategui, Yllanes saw an opportunity to express these ideas, to advocate for Indigenous communities, through his art. Across his known body of work, whether paintings or works on paper, his subjects are passionately portrayed and boldly figured. And, while they evidently fit within a Latin American tradition, Yllanes had a style and approach that was very much his own. In addition to restoring public attention to an exceptionally talented artist, this acquisition also opens up historiographic questions, challenging us to consider how and why we have built certain conclusions about earlier generations of artists. As Greet explains: Scholarly focus on artistic production at the Academy [Academia de Bellas Artes (the Academy of Fine Arts) in La Paz, Bolivia] has left little room for figures like Yllanes, whose clashes with the government and frequent absences from the country situated his work outside official narratives. What does it mean, then, for historians to reconsider the very mechanisms through which we construct the stories we tell about the past and those talents we deem transformative? Bowdoins acquisition of Yllaness work represents an important complement to the Museums existing collections, even as it enables us to bring to light a major, if previously overlooked, modernist talent. The first works by a Bolivian (and Aymaran) artist to enter the collection, Yllaness painting and engraving resonate with contemporary Latin American artists over the past several years, including sculptures by Celia Vasquez Yui (Shipibo-Conibo and Peruvian), a painting by Sergio Miguel (Mexican), drawings by Josefina Auslender (Argentine), and photographs by Adrian Balseca (Ecuadorian), Fidel Carrillo (Peruvian), Martine Gutierrez (Mexican), Mayu Mohanna (Peruvian), and Sergio Urday (Peruvian). Estano Maldito will also help to amplify the impact of other depictions of metal mining in the BCMAs holdings by a host of other artists, including Emmet Gowins Mining Exploration, Utah, 1988; Edward Burtynskys Silver Lake Operations, #1, Lake Lefory Western Australia, 2007; Sebastiao Salgados Serra Pelada, Brazil (Cast of Thousands), 1986 (printed 2004); Frederick Sommers Gold Mine, Arizona, 1943; and David Maisels Ore Concentrator, Copper Mines, Clifton, Arizona, 1985. The Museums acquisition of Yllaness work was supported by a number of faculty members. Carolyn Wolfenzon, associate professor in Romance languages, notes: As a Hispanic studies professor, I am interested in showing and explaining the location of mines in the Andean region. Tulio Resende Baeta Zille, visiting assistant professor in government and legal studies, observes: Translated as damned tin, or cursed tin, [Estano Maldito] highlights the exploitation of Indigenous labor in Bolivia, which finds resonances throughout colonial and postcolonial Latin America. This piece is also quite contemporary, given ongoing exploitation of minerals in Latin America, which is only worsening due to a rising demand for minerals used in transitions to clean energy. Estano Maldito, the first painting by Yllanes to enter an institutional collection in the United States, and his print, Elegia, testify to the Museums commitment to build and disseminate new knowledge by bringing into its collection work that challenges traditional canonical understanding of the development of the history of art. In sharing with the public Yllaness remarkable talent, the Museum is able to broaden in important ways our understanding of the development of international modernism, including the relationship between Latin America and the United States. By bringing Yllaness fascinatingand unfinishedstory to light, we are also able to open important new questions about the relationship of art to politics and to demonstrate the power of an artists undying commitment to his craft in rendering visible the stories of his own era that deserved to be shared. We look forward to the new insights Yllaness work can help to stimulate going forward. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people 65 and older now get a second dose of the updated COVID-19 vaccine that first became available last fall. Kathrin Ziegler/Getty Images Some Americans should now get a second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine introduced last fall, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. An advisory panel to the federal health agency on Wednesday recommended that individuals aged 65 and above get the additional dose four months after their last vaccination, aiming to enhance protection, particularly for the age group most vulnerable to severe outcomes. In the past, advisers have also recommended waiting a similar amount of time after contracting COVID-19 to obtain an additional vaccination. The panels advice allows older adults to receive an additional dose of this seasons COVID-19 vaccine to provide added protection, Mandy Cohen, the head of the CDC, said in a statement after signing off on the recommendation. Most COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations last year were among people 65 years and older. An additional vaccine dose can provide added protection that may have decreased over time for those at highest risk. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The advisory panel spent a considerable amount of time deliberating on the language of the recommendation, deciding between whether to say older people may get the shots or if they should. Ultimately, they chose the latter wording. Health experts are in disagreement about the necessity of routine vaccinations. Some argue that previous shots and infections provide sufficient protection against severe COVID-19 outcomes or worry that too many recommendations could contribute to public vaccine fatigue. Various studies have indicated that vaccine efficacy diminishes over time, especially in seniors. The committee previously recommended COVID-19 booster doses for older adults in 2022 and 2023. Advertisement Article continues below this ad It is devastating to see how many elderly and immunocompromised are being admitted to the hospital, are in the ICU and dying from COVID, said Dr. Camille Kotton, a member of the advisory committee. Those with compromised immune systems are already permitted to get a second dose as early as two months after their previous shot. Members of the advisory panel concluded that the stronger should recommendation would provide clearer guidance to health care providers and pharmacists to offer the shots. Dr. Jamie Loehr, a committee member and family doctor in Ithaca, N.Y., explained, Most people are coming in either wanting the vaccine or not. I am trying to make it easier for providers to say, Yes, we recommend this. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Kotton was also among those pushing for more unambiguous wording. I think we really need to provide clarity on this, and for me, this is a life or death situation for many of the patients I take care of, she said. Federal health officials began distributing the reformulated COVID-19 vaccine, targeting the then-dominant omicron XBB.1.5 variant of the virus, to all Americans aged 6 months and older in September. However, the newer shots have not been widely embraced, with only 22% of adults and 13% of children in the U.S. having received the updated vaccine. Among adults aged 65 and older, the rate is approximately 42%. Despite the emergence of more immune-evasive variants, such as JN.1, a recent CDC study demonstrated that the latest version of the COVID-19 vaccine still reduces the risk of illness and hospitalization by at least 50 percent. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The top Republican in the California Assembly on Wednesday called for an investigation after Bloomberg reported Gov. Gavin Newsom pushed for an exemption to the states new fast-food minimum wage law, a move that benefited a donor. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images The top Republican in the California Assembly on Wednesday called for an investigation after Bloomberg reported Gov. Gavin Newsom pushed for an exemption to the states new fast food minimum wage law to benefit a donor. The law requires fast-food chains to increase their workers minimum wages to $20 an hour on April 1. It replaced an earlier law Newsom signed in 2022 that would have raised the minimum wage to $22. Newsom and lawmakers negotiated the scaled-back law with restaurants and labor unions last year after restaurant owners qualified a referendum of the 2022 law that would have prompted a costly ballot measure fight. The new version of the law contains an exemption for fast-food restaurants that bake and sell their own bread, which effectively carves out Panera Bread from the minimum wage requirements. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Bloomberg reported that the arrangement benefits longtime Newsom donor and business associate Greg Flynn, who owns two dozen Panera Bread locations. Flynn, a San Francisco restaurateur, told Bloomberg he didnt play a role in crafting the bread exemption. The report prompted criticism among many conservatives. Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher wrote in a post on social media that he thinks the governors conduct should be investigated. Can any franchisee get an exemption from the $20 minimum wage law or do they need to donate more than $150k to Newsom first? Gallagher wrote. This crooked deal needs to be investigated. Campaign finance records show Flynn donated more than $160,000 combined to Newsoms 2021 anti-recall campaign and his 2022 reelection campaign. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Its the governors obligation to explain why Panera (should benefit) from this, Dan Schnur, a political science professor and government ethics expert, told the Chronicle. Absent that explanation, most voters are going to assume he did a big favor for a big donor. Newsoms office did not answer questions from the Chronicle about why Panera and other bakeries deserved a carveout, whether Newsom spoke with Flynn about the legislation and Newsoms personal connections to Flynn. Spokesperson Alex Stack instead provided a statement in response to Bloombergs reporting. This legislation was the result of countless hours of negotiations with dozens of stakeholders over two years, Stack told the Chronicle in an email. Staff in the Governors Office met with dozens of business owners as well as union representatives as is expected when policies of this consequence are moving through the Legislature. The report could give fuel to political groups working to recall Newsom. The anti-Newsom faction launched its latest attempt to oust the governor Monday, but the campaign is still a long shot. The same donors tried unsuccessfully to recall Newsom in 2021. They surprised many political observers when they managed to collect enough signatures to qualify for the ballot after the Chronicle reported that Newsom had flouted his own pandemic guidance and dined maskless at a party at the French Laundry restaurant. Even though the original recall against Newsom was ultimately unsuccessful, it became a serious political problem for him because of his decision related to another restaurant, Schnur said. It would be extremely ironic if this recall were to become more of a political problem, too, for such similar reasons. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Newsom ultimately defeated the 2021 recall by 23 percentage points, the same margin as his 2018 victory that won him the governorship. He coasted to reelection by an 18-point margin in 2022. NEW DELHI (PTI): India and Germany have resolved to closely collaborate on high-technology for military use in line with a broader aim to develop defence cooperation as a key pillar of the bilateral strategic partnership. Ways to further bolster strategic cooperation figured prominently at a meeting of the India-Germany high defence committee that was held in Berlin on Tuesday. Following the talks, officials said India and Germany are set to carry out joint military exercises in the Indo-Pacific, in reflection of their growing defence ties. The Indian delegation at the talks was headed by Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane while the German side was led by State Secretary at German defence ministry Benedikt Zimmer. "Both sides discussed a range of bilateral security and defence issues, with a focus on developing defence cooperation as a key pillar of the strategic partnership between India and Germany," the defence ministry said. "They exchanged views on the regional security situation, discussed likely joint exercises with Germany in the Indo-Pacific, and deliberated on potential defence industrial projects and proposals. It said both sides emphasised on the need for a closer defence partnership and connecting the defence industries from both sides together. "Of particular focus was the collaboration in high technology in defence," the ministry said in a statement. The "high defence committee" meeting follows the visit of German Federal Minister of Defence Boris Pistorius to India last year. Aramane also interacted with prominent think tank German Institute of International and Security Affairs (Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik) in Berlin. The defence secretary also interacted with the Federal Association of the German Security and Defence Industry (BDSV) at Berlin on Tuesday. In a meeting organized by BDSV, he outlined the recent changes in the Indian defence industry through progressive reforms, making it attractive to invest in India, and to enter into partnerships with the Indian defence industry, the ministry said. Aramane highlighted that India is progressively moving towards becoming the next defence innovation, manufacturing and maintenance hub in Asia. The meeting was also attended by P Harish, Ambassador of India to Germany. A number of German defence companies were represented at the meeting by their top leadership. 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 Mitch McConnell's decision to step aside as US Senate Republican leader raises questions about whether the chamber long known for being slow and deliberative will be swept up in the heated populism of Donald Trump. In recent weeks, the Senate has taken on the more raucous atmosphere of the House of Representatives, with Republican hardliners fighting a bipartisan bill backed by Mr McConnell to toughen border security and provide more aid to Ukraine. Advertisement With Mr McConnell, 82, planning to hand over the mantle to a successor after the November election, hardliners hope their time has come to lead the chamber. Senators serve for six years and represent entire states, unlike their House counterparts who are up for election every other year and represent districts that are often drawn to insulate them from pressure from the other party. Advertisement Lawmakers and aides say that has slowed the rising tide of populism in the Senate, though some said times are changing. "We're seeing this populist brand of leadership rise to the top," senator Roger Marshall told reporters. "More of us that have been elected more recently seem to be a little bit more populist driven." Advertisement Unstable Republican leadership The narrow 219-213 House Republican majority has proven difficult to lead, having ousted former speaker Kevin McCarthy last year and repeatedly bucked his successor, Mike Johnson. Mr McConnell has held a far tighter rein, drawing opposition from hardliners, some of whom urged him to step aside immediately. Lawmakers including senator Josh Hawley said a new Republican leader would have a better relationship with Mr Trump, who was president from 2017-2021 and is the frontrunner for the party's 2024 presidential nomination. "My question: is why wait so long? I mean, November is a long time away," Mr Hawley told reporters. "We need new leadership now. But this is better than nothing." Advertisement While Republican hardliners railed against Mr McConnell as insufficiently allied with Mr Trump, Democrats long reviled him for hardball tactics with them. Mr McConnell embraced the nickname the "Grim Reaper" for his success in blocking their priorities even when he was in the minority, and for helping Mr Trump secure a 6-3 conservative Supreme Court majority that expanded gun rights and ended a nationwide right to abortion. Foreign policy implications Advertisement A populist tilt in Republican Senate leadership could have serious implications for US foreign policy, including support for Nato and aid to Ukraine's war effort against Russia, especially if Republicans capture the White House and a Senate majority in the November 5th election. "On foreign affairs, there's quite a big divide between the Trump wing of the party, which is the dominant wing, and the McConnell wing," said Senate republican Mitt Romney, a Trump critic. Bipartisanship could also be harder to pull off. Advertisement In recent weeks, hardline Senate Republicans worked to jettison a bipartisan deal to address the flow of migrants across the US-Mexico border, after Mr Trump opposed it, and worked against efforts to deliver emergency aid to Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and other US allies. Republican senator J.D. Vance, a staunch Trump ally, told reporters that the Trump wing better reflects the Republican Party and the views of Republican voters on critical issues than does the McConnell wing. "There was going to be a really contentious leadership election if he (McConnell) had run (for leader) again in November. But it looks like we're going to avoid that," Mr Vance said. With no serious challenge to Mr McConnell's leadership since he was elected to the job 17 years ago, it was unclear how many senators would vie to replace him. Advertisement Advertisement Three lawmakers - known as the three Johns - have been widely seen as contenders. Senators John Thune and John Cornyn have both worked closely with Mr McConnell as his top lieutenants, while Senate conference chair John Barrasso, who has a harder conservative edge, is also no stranger to the leadership team. Other candidates, including from the far right, seem all but certain. Senator Rick Scott, who was defeated soundly by Mr McConnell in late 2022, had plenty to say about the need for new leadership. "There's a better way to run the Senate," Mr Scott said. "We're not dealing with the deficit. We've got a border that's completely wide open. There's a lot of issues we've got to deal with." Insiders say the job of getting elected party leader depends less on political stances than on assuring rank-and-file senators that their interests will be represented. Former McConnell aide Josh Holmes said the next Republican leader should seek to acquire Mr McConnell's knack for insulating the conference from outside pressures. "On a lot of occasions, he said he's more proud of his enemies than his friends," Holmes told Reuters. "I'm sure there will be growing pains, as there were with us when we started. To get really good only comes with doing it." After a winter barrage of award shows the Emmys, the Golden Globes, the Grammys the grandaddy of them all, the Academy Awards, are around the corner. The 96th Oscars may be a coronation for Oppenheimer, which comes in with a leading 13 nominations, though other films, including Barbie, Killers Of The Flower Moon and Poor Things are in the mix. Advertisement Here is everything you need to know about this years show. When are the Oscars The Oscars will be held on Sunday March 10 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Will there be any performances? Yes, all the original song nominees will be performed on the show. That means Ryan Gosling will serenade everyone with Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatts Barbie power ballad Im Just Ken, and Billie Eilish will sing What Was I Made For, which she co-wrote with Finneas OConnell. Advertisement The other nominated songs include Diane Warrens The Fire Inside, from Flamin Hot, to be performed by Becky G, Jon Batiste and Dan Wilsons It Never Went Away from American Symphony, and Scott Georges Wahzhazhe (A Song For My People) from Killers Of The Flower Moon. Advertisement Jon Batiste Billie Eilish and Ryan Gosling will perform (AP) Who is presenting at the Oscars? Last years big acting winners are all coming back to present at the show (a tradition), including Brendan Fraser, Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan and Jamie Lee Curtis. The academy also announced that Scarface co-stars Michelle Pfeiffer and Al Pacino will hand out awards as well probably not together, however. Advertisement Other celebrities to grace the Dolby stage include Zendaya, Matthew McConaughey, Jessica Lange, Nicolas Cage, Mahershala Ali, Sam Rockwell and Luptia Nyongo. More names will be disclosed as show day gets closer. Who is hosting the Oscars? Jimmy Kimmel, who hosted last years ceremony, will emcee for the fourth time. That ties him with fellow four-timers Whoopi Goldberg and Jack Lemmon, and leaves Kimmel trailing only Johnny Carson (five), Billy Crystal (nine) and Bob Hope (11) among repeat Oscar hosts. I always dreamed of hosting the Oscars exactly four times, said Kimmel. Advertisement What is nominated for best picture? The ten nominees for best picture are American Fiction, Anatomy Of A Fall, Barbie, The Holdovers, Killers Of The Flower Moon, Maestro, Oppenheimer, Past Lives, Poor Things and The Zone of Interest. Who are the favourites? Advertisement Christopher Nolans Oppenheimer is the frontrunner. Nolan, the best director favourite, is also poised to win his first Oscar. Cillian Murphy is nominated for best actor (Markus Schreiber/AP) Advertisement The best actress category could be a nail-biter between Lily Gladstone (Killers Of The Flower Moon) and Emma Stone (Poor Things). If Gladstone were to win, she would be the first Native American to win an Oscar. Best actor, too, could be a close contest between Irish actor Cillian Murphy (Oppenheimer) and Paul Giamatti (The Holdovers). Both would be first-time winners. Giamattis co-star DaVine Joy Randolph is favoured to win best-supporting actress, while Robert Downey Jr (Oppenheimer) is expected to win best-supporting actor. His closest competition is considered Ryan Gosling for Barbie. Whats up with the Barbie snubs? While Barbie, 2023s biggest box-office hit, comes in with eight nominations, much discussion has revolved around the nominations the film did not receive. Greta Gerwig was left out of the directing category and Margot Robbie missed out on best actress. In those omissions, some have seen reflections of the misogyny parodied in Barbie, while others have noted the tough reception comedies have historically had at the Oscars. The nominations for Barbie include best-adapted screenplay (by Gerwig and Noah Baumbach), best supporting actress for America Ferrera and two best song nominees in Billie Eilishs What Was I Made For and the Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt composition Im Just Ken. Are there any changes to the Oscars this year? Advertisement Though recent Oscars have been marked by everything from slaps, envelope snafus and controversies over which awards are presented live during the telecast, this years show comes in with no big changes, besides starting an hour earlier. All of the awards are to be broadcast live, though honorary prizes remain separated in the earlier, untelevised Governors Awards. The academy is adding a new award for best casting, but that trophy will not be presented until the 2026 Oscars. What else is there to look for? Composer John Williams is nominated for his record 49th best-score Oscar, for Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny, and 54th overall. Godzilla is going to the Oscars for the first time, with Godzilla Minus One, notching a nomination for best visual effects. For the first time, two non-English language films are up for best picture the German language Auschwitz drama The Zone Of Interest and the French courtroom drama Anatomy Of A Fall. Iranians will vote in a parliamentary election on March 1st, seen as a litmus test of the clerical establishment's popularity amid growing discontent over economic, political and social strains. Iran's clerical rulers are seeking a big turnout to shore up their legitimacy, which has been damaged following months of mass protests ignited by the death in custody of a young woman, Mahsa Amini, in 2022. Advertisement On the same day as the parliamentary vote, Iran will hold elections to pick 88 members of a powerful clerical body known as the Assembly of Experts, which is tasked with appointing or dismissing the supreme leader. Here's what you need to know about Iran's elections process ahead of the votes: Candidate vetting A record number of more than 15,000 candidates for the 290-strong parliament survived screening by the Guardian Council, almost 75 per cent of total hopefuls originally registered to run, according to Iran's interior ministry. Advertisement The Council is a hardline body of clerics and jurists who assess commitment to Islam, belief in the system of religious law and in the Islamic Republic. Advertisement The hardline watchdog body has qualified 144 clerics out of 510 hopefuls who had registered to run in the Assembly of Expert's vote. A current member of the elite body, former Iranian president Hassan Rouhani, was barred from entering the race by the Guardian Council. Political parties, coalitions & factions Despite 103 national and provincial parties counted by the country's interior ministry, Iran lacks a tradition of disciplined party membership or detailed party platforms, and politics runs along factional lines. Reformists, who were banished from the country's political mainstream after disputing the re-election of a hardline president in 2009, have backed no list of candidates in the contest for the parliament. Pro-reform candidates faced mass disqualification in the 2020 parliamentary vote. Advertisement The reformists seek gradual change in the Islamic Republic rather than its downfall. But after years of failed attempts to increase political and social freedoms, their agenda was dismissed as inadequate by protesters in 2022. Months of haggling have produced several coalitions, such as two main hardline groups, one conservative and one centrist, with some candidates backed by more than one group. The Coalition of Islamic Revolution Forces is the biggest hardline group, comprising former members of the elite Revolutionary Guards and their affiliated Basij militia, as well as other loyalists of Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and is expected to maintain its dominance in parliament. Advertisement Advertisement It includes parties such as the Devotees and Path-seekers of the Islamic Revolution, the Front of Islamic Revolution Stability, Islamic Coalition Party and the Association of Combatant Clergy. Seen as the extreme end of the Islamic fundamentalist camp, the People's Coalition of Islamic Revolution Forces, is affiliated to the most radical figures in the religious establishment based in the holy Shi'ite city of Qom. Meanwhile, the Unity Council are conservatives, who label themselves "principle-oriented" politicians for their loyalty to the ideals of the Islamic Republic but differ from hardliners in being less hostile to the West. They have strong backing from bazaar merchants. Backed by some low-key moderate and centrist parties, The Voice of the National coalition has presented itself as the largest independent coalition but lacks the backing of reformists. Advertisement Voting There are about 61 million eligible voters, who must be over 18 years, in the country of around 87 million people. Ballots will mostly be counted manually, so the final result may not be announced for three days, although partial results may appear sooner. Irans constitution mandates five reserved seats in parliament for religious minorities. New parliament Iran's parliament does not determine policy in areas such as foreign affairs and the nuclear agenda, which are determined by Iran's supreme leader. Hardliners are expected to maintain their dominance of parliament. -Reuters A 10-year-old boy has become the latest person to die on Irish roads since the start of the year. Dylan Coady Coleman, who was seriously injured when he was struck by a van in Co Clare last weekend, died in hospital in Dublin on Wednesday. Advertisement He died just one day after his mother, Laura, gave birth to a little boy, Shane. Dylan is the 36th person, and the sixth pedestrian, to die on Irish roads since January 1st. In a tribute on social media, his school remembered their much-loved fourth-class pupil. His gorgeous smile and kind heart endeared him to everyone in our school community. He will be greatly missed, St Tola's National School said. Advertisement Our thoughts and prayers are with his mum Laura, dad Garry, little sister Zoe and new baby brother Shane. Advertisement We are also thinking of his grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, his extended family and his wide circle of friends, especially those here in St Tolas. Shannon's co-parish priest, Fr Tom Whelan, said there was a palpable sense of sadness in the area following the news. He said everybody was worried about Dylans family. Advertisement There is a palpable sadness all around the place and you can just feel the sadness around the place. The heads are bowed. People cannot believe it. It's a tragedy beyond tragedies. Speaking to RTE's Morning Ireland, Fr Whelan said both of Dylans parents grew up in Shannon. It was a very close community where people were trying to do what they could to support the family. One of the things they're telling me is 'we don't know what to say'. They cannot actually believe it. It's almost like living in a mirage. They don't know what to do. Dylan was struck by a van at Purcell Park in Shannon town shortly after 2pm on Sunday. Advertisement He was airlifted to University Hospital Limerick with serious injuries but was later transferred to Childrens Health Ireland at Temple Street, where despite the best efforts of the medical teams, he died on Wednesday morning. Gardai investigating his death arrested a man in his 20s on Monday for questioning about the road traffic incident. He was released later without charge. Gardai said their investigation is ongoing. They have renewed their appeal for witnesses to the incident to come forward. Any road users with camera footage (including dash-cam) who were traveling in the Purcell Park area between 1.45pm and 2.30pm on Sunday afternoon are asked to provide this footage to gardai at Shannon on tel: 061-365900. Jeffrey Donaldson has said that a fully functioning Northern Ireland Assembly is the best way to build support for the union. The DUP leader has been insisting that new post-Brexit arrangements have removed the Irish Sea trading border and restored Northern Irelands place within the UK internal market. Advertisement The partys acceptance of the deal has seen the party return to Stormont powersharing after a two-year boycott. However, several prominent figures within the DUP have publicly criticised the arrangements. Nigel Dodds has hit out at the post-Brexit trading arrangements. Photo: Liam McBurney/PA Advertisement Former DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds accused the British government of engaging in an all-out PR operation and of being economical with the reality in the Lords on Tuesday. The reality is that the deal still retains the protocol Windsor Framework with all its inherent anti-Unionist contents, he said. Addressing party members and supporters in Newry and Armagh, Mr Donaldson argued that decisions made today will either grow support for Northern Ireland or will cede ground to the enemies of the union. Advertisement He said that the coming generations will determine the unions longevity and not a parliament or court. Advertisement As leaders of unionism, we must realise that a demographic and political shift is taking place before our eyes. Advertisement Either we close our eyes and ignore it, or we recognise that we are no longer in a place where 70 per cent of the population are red, white and blue British. Describing himself as a proud royalist, a member of the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland for almost 50 years and from a family which served with the Royal Irish Regiment, he said he wore both the harp and crown with pride as my cap badge in the Ulster Defence Regiment. I value my Britishness as represented by the crown but I also value the Irish element of my identity as represented by the harp. To be Northern Irish and British is not at all a mutually exclusive thing. Advertisement First Minister Michelle ONeill has called for a Border poll on Northern Irelands place in the UK. Photo: Liam McBurney/PA The MP said that as Northern Ireland is made of a mix of identities, people must be allowed to feel at home whether in their Britishness, their Irishness or something in between. However, the choices that we make today will heavily influence the level of support for Northern Ireland within the union for the next generation. Advertisement A fully functioning Northern Ireland Executive and Assembly, delivering on key issues, is the best way to build that support. I am glad in recent weeks, that the membership of the DUP has been steadily growing. People are joining us from all walks of life. I am in the business of winning converts and growing support for Northern Ireland within the Union. The same applies both at Stormont and in our national parliament where I am determined to make a positive case for Northern Ireland and to win friends for our cause. A unionism that turns in on itself is a unionism that offers no hope and no vision for the future. He added: There are some within unionism who seem more focused on seeking out heretics. That might be interesting and, for some, even fulfilling, but it is the sure and certain path to self-destruction and reducing support for our cause, rather than strengthening Northern Irelands place within the Union. The DUP leader also criticised Sinn Fein for focusing on the timing of a border poll instead of concentrating on reconciliation for terrible deeds of the past. When I hear Mary Lou McDonald or Michelle ONeill repeat calls for a Border poll, I urge them, too, to recognise the diverse identities that make up Northern Ireland. Advertisement Rather than seeking division and alienation of those who are pro-Northern Ireland, they would be better to focus on making the economy and our schools and hospitals here a success. They would be better to focus on justice and reconciliation in respect of the terrible deeds of the past, rather than seek further instability with a divisive Border poll. He criticised statements from the Sinn Fein leadership as fantasy stuff, and said that former Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams had predicted in 2011 that Northern Ireland would have left the UK by 2016. He also said that in May 2022, Mary Lou McDonald called for a border poll by 2027 but months later changed to 2030, and First Minister Michelle ONeill had called for a Border poll by 2034. If Sinn Fein needs to throw border poll dates to the republican base, lets not all get caught up in that game. Our objective must be to make Northern Ireland an economic powerhouse for the United Kingdom. This more than anything will secure our place in the union for generations to come. The gorgeous smile and kindness of 10-year-old Dylan Coady Coleman has been remembered by his school following his tragic death. The schoolboy died in hospital days after being injured in a road crash in Co Clare. Advertisement Dylan, who was a pedestrian, was injured in an incident involving a van at Purcell Park, Shannon, on Sunday. Advertisement He was initially taken to University Hospital Limerick and was later transferred to Childrens Health Ireland at Temple Street, Dublin. The primary school Dylan attended said it was deeply saddened by his death. In a post on its website, St Tolas National School in Shannon said: Dylans gorgeous smile and kindness endeared him to all in our school community. He was a very popular member of 4th class and will be greatly missed by everyone here in St Tolas. Advertisement On behalf of everyone in St Tolas, we would like to extend our heartfelt condolences to Dylans parents Laura and Garry, his sister Zoe, his baby brother Shane, his grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins and his wide circle of friends here in St Tolas and in the wider Shannon community. Advertisement Our focus here in St Tolas is supporting our pupils now and in the weeks ahead. We have had support from the National Educational Psychological Service who have been available in the school this week to advise staff as they support our pupils. Advertisement We will always treasure the fond memories we have of Dylan and his time in our school. He will always be a member of our school community. Minister for Education Norma Foley extended her sympathy to Dylans family and the Shannon community. In a statement, she said: Dylan was a much-loved and treasured member of his school community and will be greatly missed by his fellow pupils, by the staff, board of management and all who knew him. Advertisement At the school at this sad and difficult time, the well-being of the students, staff and whole school community is of paramount importance. NEPS (National Educational Psychological Service) psychologists are engaging with the school and will be available to provide whatever support is required. Gardai have appealed for witnesses to the crash. A man aged in his 20s was arrested in connection with the incident and later released. Maggie Angst covers homelessness, addiction and mental health for the San Francisco Chronicle's city hall team. Before joining the Chronicle in late 2023, she reported on California state politics for the Sacramento Bee. Maggie previously wrote for the Mercury News and East Bay Times, where she covered San Jose City Hall, reported from the front lines of California wildfires and exposed systemic deficiencies within an East Bay child welfare agency. She was awarded first place in local government reporting from the California News Publishers Association in 2021. Maggie was born and raised outside of Chicago and earned a bachelors degree in journalism from the University of Missouri. She can be reached at maggie.angst@sfchronicle.com. A temporary High Court injunction has been granted to a company building emergency accommodation facilities in Co Kildare for hundreds of Ukrainian refugees, restraining protesters from blocking the entrances to the site. The action has been brought by Total Experience Limited, trading as Pastures New Accommodation, which is constructing facilities at Newhall, Naas, Co Kildare for families fleeing the conflict in Ukraine. Advertisement The firm claims its work is being hampered by those opposed to the State's provision of accommodation for displaced people, mounting a 24-hour "blockade" of the site's main entrances. The company claims that in recent days up to 50 protesters have been preventing people and vehicles from entering or leaving the site by using tactics such as forming "a human shield" and by parking cars in front of the site's entrances. Advertisement These alleged activities amount to a nuisance and an unreasonable interference with the company's work, it claims. The protesters have no legitimate basis for blocking the site, it further alleges. Advertisement Obstruction On Thursday, Mr Justice Mark Sanfey said he was prepared to grant the applicant a temporary injunction, on an ex-parte basis, restraining two of the alleged protesters, Noreen O'Shea and Jessica McLoughlin, from deliberately preventing or obstructing entrances from the site. The interim order is also against 'persons unknown' who are also alleged to be obstructing the entrances. The firm, which has been contracted by the State to provide 985 beds in 387 cabins, as well as a dining marquee, laundry and recreation facilities at the site, claims the protesters' actions are hampering its efforts to complete its work on time. The facility, the court heard, is 90 per cent complete and is due to be ready by early March. The actions of the protesters, the company claims, may result in the facility not being operational on time. Advertisement Seeking the injunction, Gary McCarthy SC, appearing with Barry Mansfield Bl for the plaintiff, said his client was not attempting to interfere with anyone's lawful right to peacefully protest. However, the blocking of the entrances is not lawful and creates a safety risk, counsel added. Advertisement Counsel said the blockade commenced on Tuesday, February 27th, when some 50 people prevented vehicles from entering the site. The only way workers could leave the site was due to intervention by gardai, the court was told. The protesters have acted in an aggressive and intimidating manner, counsel added. Advertisement Alleged abuse It is claimed that some of the foreign workers at the site were racially abused, while Irish workers were referred to as "traitors" by the protesters. Counsel said they have only been able to identify two of the protesters at the site, Ms O'Shea and Ms McLoughlin. In addition, Ms O'Shea has been involved in another protest against the project, the court heard, while Ms McLoughlin has been active on social media platforms, including a Facebook group called 'Kildare Says No'. Many of the protesters at the site have covered their faces using balaclavas and have not been identified, counsel explained. Advertisement He added that his client is also concerned about aggressive social media posts made by various people regarding the protest. One post stated: "All them trucks need is (fire emoji)", while another stated: "(Four fire emojis) only solution man!" "Put barrels at the entrance and make fires in them. Big fires," one post read, while another said: "Put a few nails through timber and lay it down in front of the truck tyres." Counsel said his client is fearful that matters may escalate, noting that other buildings have been burnt after they were earmarked for refugee accommodation. Mr Justice Sanfey said he accepted the matter is urgent, and said he was prepared to grant a temporary injunction. The matter was made returnable to next week's sitting of the court. However, the judge said that given the dynamic of the situation, the parties were free to return to court before then should the need arise. An Irish-based orthopaedic surgeon says he feels helpless and devastated after his youngest brother was killed in Gaza last week, just an hour after he sent his toddler son to safety. Dr Mahmoud Abumarzouq lost his 29-year-old brother Ahmed Abumarzouq last Friday, when an Israeli bomb hit the refugee camp in Rafah, where he was staying. Advertisement The surgeon at Our Lady's Hospital in Navan, Co Meath said he is now really worried about his parents and remaining family as they struggle to afford the food prices which have soared ten-fold. "I don't know what to say. My heart is broken. I couldn't even go to his funeral or to help my family," he said. I'm told he is waking up in the middle of the night and walking around with his blanket calling daddy, daddy. Advertisement "I keep thinking about his son, my nephew, Faisal who is barely walking. I'm told he is waking up in the middle of the night and walking around with his blanket calling 'daddy, daddy'. Advertisement Dr Mahmoud pictured with his family who have been living in Navan, Co, Meath since he arrived in Ireland to work as an orthopaedic surgeon three years ago. "His wife Mum Faisal (Baraa) is a widow after a few years. They loved each other dearly and Ahmed had only qualified as a social worker recently. "The bomb, which was a drone, hit his room and caused devastation. He had only sent Faisal to his nana's house one hour before he was killed. AI should be helping people, not helping to kill them. "I lost my eldest brother Refat in 2000 when he was shot at only 23 years old and now Ahmed is gone. My brother-in-law and elderly uncle were also killed in a missile attack last year. Advertisement "I got a video of his funeral and my father is saying that if he survives, he will take care of Faisal. My father is 75 years old and a great-grandfather with health conditions. He shouldn't be rearing a toddler. "As a doctor, I'm going into surgery every day to help people, and then I come home and see people killing people in my part of the world. Sometimes I just have to take a breath and my colleagues have been so supportive of me. Advertisement "My children only met Ahmed and Faisal and my family for the first time last summer when I brought them there on their first trip. Ahmed was bringing them places on the bikes and Faisal was so loving to all my kids, so adorable. They were distraught when I told them of Ahmed's death. "Happy memories that have turned to hellish times." Advertisement A tray of eggs used to be about 3 and now it is 50. He added: "They are talking about a ceasefire. I hope it can come true. People need to breathe and get medicine and supplies. Some doctors I know over there have been kidnapped, while one I know says that those who are injured have slim chances of surviving because they can't get treatment, and they can't get out across the Egyptian border. "I spoke to Ahmed last week, and he asked if he could take children's medicine because he had a sore throat. We laughed about it. And now I cry. Advertisement Ahmed with his son. "I try to send money to them but everything is so expensive. A tray of eggs used to be about 3 and now it is 50. Basic things can't be found or are too expensive. "My eldest sister Lamina, who inspired me to become a doctor, is a lecturer in microbiology in Gaza now is everyday trying to find flour to make bread to feed her six boys. "What is going on is not human. To see the suffering of mothers looking at the bodies of their slain children in plastic bags is not human. And the world looks on." Sinn Fein has been accused of being silent and two-sided on the Palestine question while in the US by the Tanaiste Micheal Martin also denied accusations from Sinn Fein and said that Ireland had not failed to intervene in any legal case on the conflict in the Middle East. Advertisement He condemned the unacceptable and extraordinary situation facing people in Gaza. Tanaiste Micheal Martin denied accusations from Sinn Fein (Niall Carson/PA) The death toll since the start of the Israel-Hamas has risen to more than 30,000, with another 70,457 wounded. Advertisement The UN said that a quarter of Gazas 2.3 million Palestinians face starvation and around 80 per cent have fled their homes. The Hamas attack in southern Israel that ignited the war killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and the militants seized around 250 hostages. Hamas and other militants are still holding around 100 hostages and the remains of about 30 more, after releasing most of the other captives during a November ceasefire. Advertisement The increasing alarm over hunger across Gaza has fuelled international calls for another ceasefire, and the US, Egypt and Qatar are working to secure a deal between Israel and Hamas for a pause in fighting and the release of some of the hostages. Advertisement Mediators hope to reach an agreement before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan starts around March 10th. Matt Carthy said that if the world does not take a stand there will be no Palestine left to recognise (Liam McBurney/PA) Sinn Fein TD Matt Carthy said: What Israel is doing on a daily basis is barbaric. Advertisement You previously failed to support motions calling on Ireland to intervene in the case against Israel at the International Court of Justice brought by South Africa. Can I ask you, do you accept that what is happening in Gaza is genocide because the evidence is crystal clear? Will you recognise the State of Palestine? No more excuses. Israel is attempting to bomb Palestine out of existence. If the world doesnt take a stand, there will be no Palestine left to recognise. Advertisement Mr Martin said that they had acted to help the people of Palestine, and said Irelands Attorney General was before the International Court of Justice to speak about Israeli settlements, a process that began before the October 7th Hamas attack. Advertisement Weve used every political, financial, diplomatic measure that we possibly can and humanitarian to help the people of Gaza and help the people of Palestine. He added: We have not failed to intervene in any case. And you know that deep down, but youre just playing politics again, unfortunately, with it and seeking to divide and try to create this wedge issue, as if youre more virtuous than anybody else. South Africa itself has not filed the memorial on that case yet. They will probably in two or three months when they have it ready. Mr Martin added: I would respectfully suggest to you have a role too. Youve been two-sided to the United States. Youve been extraordinarily silent on the Palestinian question in the United States. Ive gone to Washington, Ive spoken to Senators, and Ive spoken to some of your friends who challenge me about Irelands position in terms of Israel and Palestine. I actually suggested to one or two that they should talk to you. Mr Carthy responded: Sinn Fein take every opportunity with every individual and state of influence to call for an end to Israeli oppression of the people of Palestine. Advertisement Mr Martin said that the Arab states are very close to concluding a peace initiative, which Ireland had been briefed on. Mr Martin suggested that Ireland and EU nations may move to recognise a Palestinian state when an administration is in place to run the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Theres no issue in Ireland in terms of recognition, but I think it does merit consideration at least, I will put it to you any sensible person watching would say, lets use it in the most optimal way possible for the benefit of the Palestinian people and that moment is not too far away. The majority of people who applied for international protection at Dublin Airport in 2023 arrived with either no or false identity documents. The figures have been supplied by the Department of Justice via a freedom of information request made by Newstalk. Advertisement In total, 4,007 people arrived at Dublin Airport with no or false identity documents last year, representing 85 per cent of all asylum applications that were made at Dublin Airport in 2023. Of the 2,591 men who claimed asylum at Dublin Airport last year, almost 87 per cent presented with no or false identity documents. Meanwhile, 13,227 international protection applicants arrived in Ireland in 2023, meaning just over one-third of all asylum applications here last year were made at the capital's airport. It comes after the Department of Integration published figures on Friday showing that 1,436 asylum seekers who arrived in Ireland since mid-December had not been offered accommodation. Advertisement Advertisement Of these, 171 males were offered accommodation after an availability and vulnerability triage, 1,265 people had received a contingency payment in lieu of accommodation, and 255 had subsequently been offered accommodation. Asylum seekers who are not offered accommodation receive a temporary allowance increase from 38.80 to 113.80 a week. Some of those without accommodation have been seen camping in tents around the International Protection office in Dublin city. The State has struggled to house asylum seekers arriving in Ireland because of a lack of supply in its long-running housing crisis and a steep increase in the number of people arriving in Ireland seeking refuge. No prosecutions are to be pursued following consideration of the final files from a major investigation into the British armys top agent in the North during the Troubles. The Public Prosecution Service (PPS) said it considered a large volume of material and information contained in six files submitted by Operation Kenova in respect of 12 individuals. Advertisement It concluded there is insufficient evidence to provide a reasonable prospect of conviction for any individual reported in relation to five incidents which happened between 1987 and 1994. The agent Stakeknife worked in the IRAs notorious nutting squad, interrogating suspected informers during the Troubles. Jon Boutcher headed up Operation Kenova before he became PSNI chief constable (PA) Advertisement Kenova examined crimes such as murder and torture linked to Stakeknife and the role played by the security services, including MI5. West Belfast man Freddie Scappaticci, who was alleged to have been Stakeknife, died in 2023. He had always denied the claims. Advertisement Operation Kenova was headed up by Jon Boutcher, who wrote the report but has since recused himself from involvement in its publication after becoming chief constable of the PSNI. The full report is expected to be published next week. Advertisement The decisions announced on Thursday by the PPS were the final phase of prosecution decisions concerning Kenova. The individuals reported in the final files included seven alleged to have been members of the Provisional IRA, and five retired soldiers who worked within the British armys Force Research Unit (FRU). Of the five former soldiers, three were described as having been agent handlers while two held more senior positions. The decisions not to prosecute were taken in relation to the abduction of a victim in 1987 who was released, the abduction and murder of one victim in 1988, the abduction and murder of one victim in 1989, the 1989 abduction of one victim who was released and the murder and abduction of one victim in 1994. Advertisement Deputy director of public prosecutions Michael Agnew said the decisions were taken by an experienced team of senior prosecutors, who were assisted by independent counsel. Advertisement The challenges encountered in this last phase of decisions, as before, included an absence of important source materials and legal difficulties in attempting to rely upon intelligence records as evidence that could be admitted in criminal proceedings, he said. Advertisement Having carefully considered the extent of the admissible evidence, it was concluded that there was no reasonable prospect of conviction in respect of any of the 12 individuals reported. In addition to the detailed public statement explaining the decisions taken in each of the cases, all victims and families connected to these five incidents have received an individual written explanation, along with an offer to meet in future to answer any questions they may have. Director of Public Prosecutions Stephen Herron confirmed the PPS has now taken decisions in all 28 files submitted by Operation Kenova in relation to this investigation. Stephen Herron, Northern Irelands Director of Public Prosecutions (PA) I recognise the deep disappointment many victims and families will have at the decisions not to prosecute, and their continuing desire for information and accountability, he said. In requesting the criminal investigation into Stakeknife and the conduct of those involved in running him as an agent, my predecessor Barra McGrory KC indicated that he did not take this step lightly but was concerned that serious offences may have been committed. It is right, therefore, that a rigorous and thorough examination was undertaken by the Operation Kenova team. It was only after all relevant material had been gathered, analysed and understood that the prospects of conviction could be determined. Advertisement Each decision was carefully considered on an individual basis, as we have sought to demonstrate through the public explanations we have issued at each phase of decision-making. However, the value of the investigation should not be measured solely in terms of any rosecution decision outcome. Mr Herron added: Operation Kenova sought to address communication with families in a more considerate and inclusive way and this has been widely welcomed. There is much about how they have approached their work that will serve as a model for any future legacy investigations. The victims and families have waited a number of years for the conclusion of these decisions. I regret that the PPS was not in a position to complete this work more quickly. This was in part due to the volume and complexity of the files, but also a result of the limited prosecutorial resources available to PPS for legacy work. I am mindful that an interim Operation Kenova report is to be published by the PSNI next week and is to be followed by individual reports to families who suffered a bereavement. I hope that these reports will demonstrate the wider value of Operation Kenova investigations in providing answers to families and also setting out a fuller context and narrative on what are no doubt very challenging and significant issues of understandable public interest. Ryanair boss Michael OLeary has launched a fresh broadside against Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan as he blamed a passenger cap at Dublin Airport for blocking the airlines growth. Mr OLeary said Mr Ryan and his Green Party colleague Catherine Martin, the Minister for Tourism, are dunces who should leave politics if they do not act to remove the cap. Advertisement Ryanair said while it expects to grow traffic at regional airports in Cork, Shannon and Knock, it cannot expand in Dublin due to a limit of 32 million passengers per year. The company said the cap limits its plan to grow its Irish traffic by 50 per cent by 2030. Advertisement The airlines chief executive told a press conference on Thursday that Mr Ryan had failed to deliver on the National Aviation Policy of enhancing Irelands connectivity, fostering growth in aviation, and maximising the contribution of aviation to national development. Advertisement Mr OLeary, one of Irelands wealthiest businessmen, posed for photos holding cut-outs of the two ministers wearing green dunce caps. Mr Ryan has previously said the airline chief has become personally abusive in his comments. Advertisement Asked on Thursday if he feels the latest media stunt is abusive, Mr OLeary said it is intended to be humorous. He said: I cant imagine when Ive ever been personally abusive. Ive said hes incompetent. I dont think thats personally abusive, its a statement of fact. I think calling him a dunce is fair, but if hes that thin-skinned or that upset by personal abuse, I have two suggestions: One, do something useful and lift the cap. Or two, maybe politics isnt for you, if you cant handle the occasional barb from some loudmouth like me. Advertisement Ryanair chief executive Michael OLeary described himself as a loudmouth. Photo: Brian Lawless/PA Mr OLeary said Ryanair will add 50 Boeing 737 aircraft this summer, open 80 new routes and grow overall traffic by more than 16 million to 200 million. But he said none of the new traffic will be delivered at Dublin Airport due to the cap and will instead be in Spain, Italy, Poland, Morocco, Denmark and Albania. He also criticised Dublin Airport operator DAA for plans to raise airport fees by 45 per cent by 2026 when compared to 2022 levels. Advertisement Advertisement The airline said the cap is an indefensible artificial restriction given that Dublin Airport had spent 300 million on opening a second runway which could provide capacity for 60 million passengers. He said: If Ireland had a capable Transport Minister committed to delivering our National Aviation Policy, then he or she would intervene to lift this cap while the planning matter is being dealt with, or better still, pass legislation to raise the traffic cap at Dublin Airport to 50 million passengers. Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan has been criticised by the Ryanair boss. Photo: PA Dublin Airport is a national asset. It is our main gateway on and off the island of Ireland. Its growth cannot be left to a few county councillors in Fingal or the usual planning nimbys and loonies who will block or delay this cap for up to four years. Mr OLeary said Ryanair is making a $4 billion (3.7 billion) investment in Irish aviation by basing 40 aircraft in the country. He said it is offering 210 routes, 10 of which are new options from the regional airports. The chief executive said Ryanair would place four new aircraft in Dublin and implement 12 new routes to and from the airport this summer if the cap was not in place. He added: We would have increased frequencies on other routes and grown traffic in Dublin by about another two million passengers from last years number. Advertisement Mr OLeary said Dublin Airport is losing traffic to almost every other country in Europe. Michael OLeary said Ryanairs expansion plans are being held back by a passenger cap at Dublin Airport. Photo: Brian Lawless/PA Ireland has a Green Transport Minister and a Green Tourism Minister, he added. After four years of failure, these two ministers have shown they are sadly not up to the job. If they dont act now to abolish this traffic cap at Dublin Airport, then they should quit. The choice is simple. These two Green ministers should either grow or go. Asked if he is another rich businessman taking on an environmentally friendly agenda, Mr OLeary said: Nobody does more for climate change than Ryanair does. He said the airline is investing 20 billion in aircraft which could carry 20 per cent more passengers with 20 per cent less fuel. Mr OLeary said he wants to hold a face-to-face meeting with Mr Ryan at the Ryanair offices in Swords next Thursday. The Green Party has been approached for comment. A man has been remanded in custody after being charged with murdering his father, who was found dead in his Dublin home earlier this week. Michael Whelan (64), known to friends and neighbours as 'Mick the handyman' or 'American Mick', was discovered with serious injuries, including stab wounds, on Tuesday afternoon. Advertisement His remains were discovered when gardai carried out a welfare check at his flat in Herberton Park, Rialto, Dublin 8. Gardai arrested Seth Whelan (33), who lived at the same address as the deceased, on Wednesday morning and brought him to Kilmainham Garda station for questioning. He was charged and held pending his appearance before Judge Shalom Binchy at Dublin District Court on Thursday evening. Mr Whelan is accused of murdering his father in their flat on a date between February 19th and 27th. He is also accused of producing a table leg and a knife as weapons over the same period. Advertisement Advertisement The 33-year-old is further charged with causing criminal damage to a Ring doorbell at a neighbouring property on February 20th. Dressed in a navy jumper, light grey tracksuit bottoms and black shoes, the accused sat with his head bowed throughout the brief hearing on Thursday. Detective Sergeant Daniel Charles told the court he arrested the accused at 3:20pm and Mr Whelan made no reply to caution, "but indicated he understood the reason for his arrest". A short time later, the offences were put to him and "he made no reply to any of the charges after caution," the garda said. The District Court cannot consider bail in a murder case, which requires an application to the High Court. Judge Binchy remanded Mr Whelan in custody to appear at Cloverhill District Court on March 7th. She also acceded to a request from defence solicitor Sandra Frayne to direct that the accused gets psychiatric attention in custody. Mr Whelan did not address the court and communicated only to inform his solicitor that he agreed to appear via videolink at his next hearing. Legal aid was granted after Ms Frayne submitted a statement of her client's means to the court. Tusla has stopped engaging with two for-profit agencies that carry out services for it following an audit, a committee has heard. The child and family agency told TDs that an issue emerged during an audit and in response it set up a unit to check qualifications in agencies it uses. Advertisement Tusla chief executive Kate Duggan said on Thursday that the issue was not pointed out but had emerged organically through the organisations double lock auditing of documentation. Within our quality and regulation directorate, we have an internal audit function, she told the Public Accounts committee. So that proactive auditing that we do picked up an issue and then after we thought, we actually cant just take insurances, we cannot just take assurances from these agencies that they have Garda vetting, that they have qualifications, we have to physically set up a unit that checks every one of these manually. Advertisement She said that there are eight people now working in this unit. Advertisement The committee was also told there was a 65 million increase in spending on special emergency arrangements (SEAs) over a four-year period, from fewer than five million to 71 million. Ms Duggan said that as there was an increase in the needs of children post-Covid, due to the war in Ukraine and global movement of people, which in turn had led to an increase in demand for SEAs. She said following the spike in demand, the agency took a much more rigorous approach to SEA providers and its own audit system picked up concerns in relation to different agencies. Where those concerns were picked up they were evaluated, they were looked at, and where there was any concern that was creating a risk to a child we ceased operation with that company and, if required we referred the matter to An Garda Siochana. Advertisement Social Democrats TD Catherine Murphy (Niall Carson/PA) Asked by Social Democrats TD Catherine Murphy how many organisations have been excluded as a consequence of the unit, Ms Duggan said: Theres two agencies weve stopped engaging with. Asked if both organisations were operating on a for profit basis, Ms Duggan said they were. Advertisement Advertisement Ms Duggan said: When an agency provides a service for us, they have to give us an assurance that their staff are Garda vetted, they have to give an assurance that their staff are qualified. We give out 75 per cent of our funding goes out to community, voluntary and private services. We dont see a copy of all of the Garda vetting or a copy of all of the qualifications, what we see and what we receive as an assurance. Because of the nature of these (special emergency) arrangements been unregulated, we decided to put in a double lock there. So the double lock was that on top of seeking an assurance, on top of seeking confirmation, we physically got copies of the Garda vetting, we physically looked for copies of the qualifications. Advertisement She added that this information was received organically and was not something they were told about. The Labour Partys Alan Kelly (Niall Carson/PA) Labour TD Alan Kelly told Ms Duggan this was frightening, very scary stuff, and that the 65 million increase in spending over four years was incredible. Ms Duggan said the increase in spending was due to a significant increase in demand for SEAs. That has been driven largely by the number of separated children and young people that have presented into this country seeking international protection. Advertisement Ms Duggan said they want emergency provision and agencies that are registered and regulated. In the absence of that multi-agency response to these young people, what I and the executive are taking so seriously is the level of oversight we put in over these arrangements. Every single one of these young people has an allocated social worker, theyre visited in their placement, every one of them have a care plan. She added: Fundamentally, what we need is the interagency piece. Ms Duggan also said the agency recognises we are losing more social workers than we are recruiting. In terms of recruiting, there is a supply issue, we need about 500 social workers qualifying every year in Ireland. Right now there is 200. She said that in the last 18 months the organisation has collaborated with third-level institutions, advertised abroad and are working to develop an apprenticeship programme with the Department of Further and Higher Education. American novelist Leslie Jamison is back with her second memoir, this time putting the spotlight on divorce and motherhood Fiction 1. Blessings by Chukwuebuka Ibeh is published in hardback by Viking. Available now Advertisement Just 1 week until #BLESSINGS is published! Grab a copy of @ChukwuebukaIbe4's exquisitely moving story of love and loneliness here now: https://t.co/9G0mSSQpN8 pic.twitter.com/u0fdThnC0R Viking Books UK (@VikingBooksUK) February 15, 2024 Advertisement This debut novel explores a moving tale of a teenage boy sent away to a strict Christian boarding school after his father discovered him in an intimate moment with the family apprentice. Obiefuna is forced to learn how to survive and love simultaneously while growing up in a deeply hostile environment for LGBTQ+ people. Set in modern-day Nigeria, this heart-wrenching story is told through narratives from Obiefuna and his mother Uzoamaka, exposing the complexities within family relationships. Author Chukwuebuka Ibeh beautifully captures the human cost of conflict between love and politics, where the status quo traps your most personal being. Ibeh crafts touching characters and bonds that leave a lasting impression in this emotional read. 9/10 (Review by Anahita Hossein-Pour) Advertisement 2. The Painters Daughters by Emily Howes is published in hardback by Phoenix. Available February 29 Advertisement This beautiful and evocative storytelling of the Gainsborough daughters has inspired me to see the portraits at @NationalGallery which are stunning! @EmilyHthinks @francescamain @Phoenix_Bks #thepaintersdaughters pic.twitter.com/iCzIx0TpJD Jenn (bookmarkonthewall) (@bookmarkthewall) February 19, 2024 Advertisement Peggy and Molly Gainsborough, the unruly children of an unknown Ipswich artist, run free and wild across the Suffolk fields as their father captures their portraits on canvas. Partners in crime, co-conspirators, they are convinced that nothing could ever come between them. So when Molly starts to lapse into violent confusion, Peggy realises that if she is to keep her sister close, she must guard their shared secret or risk losing Molly to an asylum even when the Gainsborough star rises and the sisters are launched into polite society. The Painters Daughter is an account of the sacrifices that are made for love, even in the face of devastating betrayal. Beautifully researched, written with a lightness of touch which would have delighted the great artist himself, it is a masterful debut that inspires the desire to investigate further, to explore a suggested premise which may never be answered. Yet at its heart, it is a testimony to two women who were never allowed to fulfil their promise. Emily Howes has breathed life into the painted faces of Molly and Peggy Gainsborough; and in doing so, has released them at last from the constrictions of being nothing more than two sisters in a frame. 9/10 (Review by Hannah Colby) Advertisement 3. Butter by Asako Yuzuki is published in paperback by Fourth Estate. Available February 29 Finished copies of BUTTER by Asako Yuzuki looking good enough to eat Out next week pic.twitter.com/eeokkaQL3b Advertisement Liv Marsden (@liv_mar) February 23, 2024 In a Tokyo prison, an elusive serial killer with a taste for the finer things in life gives a rare interview to a journalist. They discuss food. Rika Machidas attempts to piece together the life and motives of convicted gourmet cook Manako Kajii accused of seducing and killing lonely businessmen sets the reporter on a twisting and challenging personal journey. Author Asako Yuzukis translated novel is part gastronomical thriller, part cultural examination, in which vivid descriptions of cooking and eating alternate with thoughtful and provoking explorations of difficult themes: gender, misogyny, the media, romance, work, friendship and family. Inspired by a real-life murder case, this unusual book dark and disquieting, yet moving and life-affirming asks searching questions about self-identity and how we are shaped by the people and food in our lives. An unexpectedly fascinating look at modern Japanese life and an intriguing read. 8/10 (Review by Tom Pilgrim) Non-fiction 4. Splinters: Another Kind of Love Story by Leslie Jamison is published in hardback by Granta Books. Available now Advertisement Also out today is SPLINTERS - Leslie Jamison's portrait of the end of a marriage, and of rebuilding a life in its aftermath @lsjamison '[SPLINTERS] pages are lit by flinty humour and grownup joy' @ObsNewReview https://t.co/RPF2aQ4gbn pic.twitter.com/QAI6xvm6F6 Granta Books (@GrantaBooks) February 22, 2024 Splinters, the second memoir from award-winning essayist and Columbia University creative writing tutor, Leslie Jamison, recounts an emotionally harrowing chapter in her life the period in which her marriage fell apart as she became a mother for the first time. Leslies memories weave the parts splinters of herself together; a mother, a wife, a daughter, a tutor and an artist, which she comes to find are as much dependent on each another as they are isolated. Exploring the human experience of love in its many forms, Leslie depicts the acute emotions that arrived hand-in-hand with first-time motherhood, how she navigated the deep feelings of grief, guilt and failure that stemmed from her divorce, while examining the relationship she has with her parents, and how this has influenced her adult bonds. By exploring her past, she presents the realisations she now finds herself at, drawing the reader in to experience these profound feelings first-hand. Its an insightful, intimate, and incredibly relatable read about the human psyche and the way we love. 8/10 (Review by Sophie Goodall) Childrens book of the week Advertisement 5. Finding Hope by Nicola Baker is published in hardback by Simon & Schuster Childrens UK. Available February 29th Are you ready for an adventure? Join Ava and her friends on #WhistledownFarm in @mrsnicolabaker's first children's book FINDING HOPE Pre-order now: https://t.co/bV9hzpWnzY pic.twitter.com/ya2rWcRCnQ Simon & Schuster Children's Books (@simonkids_UK) February 26, 2024 The book is an absolute delight and will enthral any child who reads it. It tells of 10-year-old Avas adventures at Whistledown Farm with her aunt and uncle while her parents are in America for two weeks. The prospect of being without her parents and on a farm is daunting for city girl Ava. She dubiously dons her new green wellingtons and cautiously starts her duties with her cousin Tom who has initial doubts at her presence on the farm. Ava goes from one catastrophe to another, learning the pitfalls and joys of farming life. The two cousins learn a lot together, and Ava falls in love with the animals. Its a delightful read with lovely illustrations throughout. 8/10 (Review by Joanne Brennan) BOOK CHARTS FOR THE WEEK ENDING FEBRUARY 24th HARDBACK (FICTION) 1. Sunbringer by Hannah Kaner 2. The Fury by Alex Michaelides 3. House Of Flame And Shadow by Sarah J. Maas 4. The List Of Suspicious Things by Jennie Godfrey 5. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros 6. The Island Swimmer by Lorraine Kelly 7. Garth Marenghis Incarcerat by Garth Marenghi 8. Faebound by Saara El-Arifi 9. Prophet Song by Paul Lynch 10. Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros (Compiled by Waterstones) Advertisement HARDBACK (NON-FICTION) 1. poyums by Len Pennie 2. Bored Of Lunch Healthy Slow Cooker: Even Easier by Nathan Anthony 3. Politics On The Edge by Rory Stewart 4. Pinch Of Nom Express by Kay Allinson & Kate Allinson 5. How They Broke Britain by James OBrien 6. Charles III: New King. New Court. The Inside Story by Robert Hardman 7. My Mother And I by Ingrid Seward 8. Empireworld by Sathnam Sanghera 9. Mad Woman by Bryony Gordon 10. The Diary Of A CEO by Steven Bartlett (Compiled by Waterstones) AUDIOBOOKS (FICTION AND NON-FICTION) 1. Atomic Habits by James Clear 2. The Island Swimmer by Lorraine Kelly 3. None Of This Is True by Lisa Jewell 4. Unruly by David Mitchell 5. Supercommunicators by Charles Duhigg 6. The Diary Of A CEO by Steven Bartlett 7. Ultra-Processed People by Chris van Tulleken 8. The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman 9. The Fellowship Of The Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien 10. How They Broke Britain by James OBrien (Compiled by Audible) Allies of Russian president Vladimir Putin on Wednesday warned French president Emmanuel Macron that any troops he sends to Ukraine would meet the same end as Napoleon Bonaparte's Grande Armee whose 1812 invasion of Russia ended in death and defeat. Mr Macron opened the door on Monday to European nations sending troops to Ukraine, although he cautioned that there was no consensus at this stage. Advertisement His comments prompted a slew of other Western countries, including the United States and Britain, to say they had no such plans, while the Kremlin warned that conflict between Russia and the US-led Nato military alliance would be inevitable if European members of Nato sent troops to fight in Ukraine. Vyacheslav Volodin, the chairman of the State Duma, the lower house of Russia's parliament and a close Putin ally, said Mr Macron appeared to see himself as Napoleon and warned him against following in the footsteps of the French emperor. Advertisement "To maintain his personal power, Macron could not think of anything better than to ignite a third world war. His initiatives are becoming dangerous for the citizens of France," Volodin said on his official social media feed. "Before making such statements, it would be right for Macron to remember how it ended for Napoleon and his soldiers, more than 600,000 of whom were left lying in the damp earth." Advertisement Napoleon's 1812 invasion of Russia made rapid progress initially and captured Moscow. But Russian tactics forced his Grande Armee into a long retreat and hundreds of thousands of his men died as a result of disease, starvation and cold. Nato tensions The war in Ukraine has triggered the worst crisis in Russia's relations with the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis and Putin, who controls the world's largest nuclear arsenal, has warned of the dangers of a direct confrontation between Nato and Russia. Mr Macron's statement was welcomed by some outside Russia however, particularly in eastern Europe. But former president Dmitry Medvedev, now deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, suggested Macron had dangerous delusions of grandeur and said his statement was an example of how flawed Western political thinking had become. Advertisement "The petty and tragic heirs of Bonaparte, trying on the golden epaulettes torn off 200 years ago, are eager for revenge with Napoleonic magnitude and are spouting fierce and extremely dangerous nonsense," he said. Medvedev, once seen as a modernising reformer, has reinvented himself since the start of the Ukraine war as an arch-hawk. He has issued a series of belligerent statements, assailing the West and warning of the risk of a nuclear apocalypse if certain red lines are crossed. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Mr Macron's statement had revealed that other Western countries, unlike Mr Macron, understood the risks of a direct clash between Nato troops and Russia. "The leaders of many European governments quickly said that they were not and are not planning anything of the kind," she said. "This shows they understand the danger." Popcorn convective clouds travel over the northeast Pacific Ocean toward California on Thursday in this image from the GOES-West satellite. Regional and Mesoscale Meteorology Branch / Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere Unusual precipitation could be on the way to the Bay Area from a cold storm expected to also bring historic snowfall to the Sierra Nevada. Frigid conditions could produce pea-sized hailstones that linger on roadways, causing dangerous travel conditions, meteorologists say. Compared with past storms this winter, the upcoming system is primed for unsettled weather conditions. For the next few days, Bay Area residents can expect rapid transitions from rain to sun to hail to wet snow at high elevations, said Chronicle meteorologist Anthony Edwards. Advertisement Article continues below this ad As satellite images show, the storm has a huge area of popcorn convective clouds, said UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain in a briefing Thursday. These clouds correspond with hundreds of individual showers and thunderstorms with the potential to produce intermittent periods of heavy rain and hail. Hail forms when updrafts send raindrops skyward, where they freeze into an ice pellet that grows larger as more and more water droplets glom on. Once a hailstone becomes heavy enough, it tumbles down to the ground. Hail is seen on a wooden staircase in San Francisco in February 2023. Stephen Lam/The Chronicle The incoming storm is packed with energy. The temperature difference between frigid arctic air in the upper atmosphere and relatively warm Pacific waters results in rising air, also known as convection. Advertisement Article continues below this ad This activity is often associated with lightning and thunder, though that isnt the biggest threat with this storm. I think the more likely scenario for us is probably not so much thunderstorms, but these cold convective showers that produce small hail, said Matt Mehle, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service Bay Area office. Hail could be as large as a quarter inch in diameter, Edwards said. Large volumes of small hailstones could make for road travel hazards in the coming days. Hail covers the ground in San Francisco in January 2023. Emily Fancher/The Chronicle We sometimes see these accumulating hailstorms where people crash into each other because they go around the bend and suddenly the road is covered in BB-sized or pea-sized hailstones, Swain said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Theres also a possibility of snow pellets this weekend, also known as graupel. This is a different kind of frozen precipitation, but forms from a somewhat similar process to hail. Colder temperatures in the atmosphere could produce even bigger hailstones in other parts of the state. Hailstones in Willows (Glenn County) in March 2023 an hour after a severe thunderstorm, compared with a dime for scale. Anthony Edwards / The Chronicle I wouldnt be surprised if places in the Sacramento Valley see hail as big as a half inch, Edwards said, or about the size of a dime. The National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory Thursday for the Mendocino coast from 10 p.m. Friday to 4 p.m. Saturday due to the potential for widespread accumulating small hail. The mother of murdered teenager Brianna Ghey has spoken with the British Prime Minister to discuss mindfulness in schools and online safety. Esther Ghey had a video meeting with Rishi Sunk and Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan on Thursday to discuss her campaigns to develop mindfulness skills in schools, and to drive better safeguarding for children on mobile phones and social media. Advertisement Ms Gheys daughter Brianna, who was transgender, struggled with her mental health, which was worsened by accessing eating-disorder and self-harm content on X, formerly known as Twitter. Advertisement Scarlett Jenkinson and Eddie Ratcliffe were both 15 when they killed Brianna, 16, with a hunting knife after luring her to Linear Park in Culcheth, a village near Warrington, Cheshire, on February 11 last year. The meeting came after Mr Sunak faced calls to apologise for making a dehumanising transgender joke in the House of Commons as Ms Ghey visited Parliament. Advertisement He had accused Sir Keir Starmer of having difficulty in defining a woman during an attack on Labour Party U-turns. The comments prompted a backlash from across the political spectrum, including from within the Prime Ministers party ranks. Advertisement But Downing Street insisted the remarks were not transphobic, with Government ministers defending the Prime Ministers language. Brianna Ghey (Family handout/PA) Ms Ghey is campaigning for an age limit for smartphone usage and stricter controls on access to social media apps. Advertisement She has previously said the Online Safety Act does not go far enough. Ms Ghey hailed the meeting as really productive and said it had opened up a positive line of communication. She said: Approaching the meeting as both a parent and the British Prime Minister, Rishi listened to my thoughts around both mindfulness in schools and concerns over mobile phone safety for our children. The Prime Minister showed his concerns and support for many of the points raised, making a real commitment in supporting parents and taking suggestions on board around the dangers and issues faced by our young people. Advertisement Likewise, having spoken to the Education Secretary before the meeting, Rishi also showed his support for programmes to help support the wellbeing and mental health of children. He recognised the need to gather evidence, something we are keen to add to through the work we are delivering in Warrington through the Mindfulness in Schools Project. Advertisement It was an encouraging start and I hope to continue to work with Rishi, Michelle and other leaders across Government to make the world a safer, more empathetic and resilient place. The editor-in-chief of the renowned Russian independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta has been detained in Moscow after being accused of discrediting Russias armed forces, the newspaper said. Sergei Sokolov was detained by officers from the Centre for Combating Extremism (Center E) and fined 30,000 rubles (260) in a hearing at a Moscow court later on Thursday, Novaya Gazeta said. Advertisement It said the charges which were administrative and are usually punishable by a fine or a short prison sentence were related to material posted on the outlets Telegram channel. It was found in an examination by the authorities to contain linguistic and psychological signs of verbally discrediting the actions of power structures, the paper said. Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said it protests against this arrest which further testifies to the violence of censorship in Russia. Advertisement Mr Sokolov took the leadership of Novaya Gazetas newsroom in September after the previous long-time editor-in-chief, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dmitry Muratov, was named a foreign agent by Russian authorities. In September 2022, a Moscow court revoked the licence of Novaya Gazeta, which has been critical of the Kremlin for years, as part of the authorities crackdown on dissent. Advertisement Days after President Vladimir Putin sent troops into Ukraine just over two years ago, the Kremlin-controlled parliament approved legislation that outlawed disparagement of the Russian military or the spread of false information about the countrys actions in Ukraine. Dozens of Russian independent media outlets were banned as a result, while others said they were halting any reporting related to Ukraine. Novaya Gazeta announced in March 2022 that it was suspending its operations for the duration of the fighting in Ukraine, but staff who moved abroad launched a new project, Novaya Gazeta Europe, which has been strongly critical of the invasion. A wildfire spreading across the Texas Panhandle has become the largest in state history, as a dusting of snow covered scorched grassland, dead cattle and burned out homes and gave firefighters a brief respite amid desperate efforts to control the blaze. The Smokehouse Creek fire has grown to nearly 1,700 square miles. It merged with another fire and is just 3% contained, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service. Advertisement Grey skies from early cloud cover and the snow painted a bleak landscape: miles of blackened grassland, charred houses that still smouldered, dead cattle burned and stiff in the cold. Charred tree trunks smoulder in Canadian, Texas (David Erickson/AP) The Smokehouse Creek fires explosive growth slowed as snow fell and winds and temperatures dipped, but it was still untamed and threatening. It is the largest of several major fires burning in the rural Panhandle section of the state, and has crossed into Oklahoma. Advertisement Advertisement Authorities said 1,640 square miles of the fire were on the Texas side of the border. Previously, the largest fire in recorded state history was the 2006 East Amarillo Complex fire, which burned about 1,400 square miles and resulted in 13 deaths. Firefighters have made little progress taming the Smokehouse Creek blaze, but Thursdays snow, rain and temperatures in the 40s offered a brief chance to make progress before temperatures and winds increase again on Friday and into the weekend. Authorities have not said what ignited the fires, but strong winds, dry grass and unseasonably warm temperatures fed the flames. Less than an inch of snow is expected, but moisture is not the only benefit, said National Weather Service meteorologist Samuel Scoleri. Advertisement It will help keep relative humidity down for the day, and that will definitely help firefighters, he added. An 83-year-old woman is the only confirmed death so far, but with flames still menacing a wide area, authorities have yet to conduct a thorough search for victims or tally the numerous homes and other structures damaged or destroyed. Firefighters in Canadian, Texas (David Erickson/AP) Advertisement Nim Kidd, chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, said the weekend forecast and sheer size and scope of the blaze are the biggest challenges for firefighters. Advertisement I dont want the community there to feel a false sense of security that all these fires will not grow any more, he said. This is still a very dynamic situation. The previous largest blaze recorded in state history was the 2006 East Amarillo Complex fire, which burned about 1,400 square miles and resulted in 13 deaths. This week, walls of flame were pushed by powerful winds while huge plumes of smoke billowed hundreds of feet in the air across the sparsely populated region. The smoke delayed aerial surveillance of the damage in some areas. Advertisement There was one point where we couldnt see anything, said Greg Downey, 57, describing his escape as flames bore down on his neighbourhood. I didnt think wed get out of it. The woman who died was identified by family members as Joyce Blankenship, a former substitute teacher. Her grandson, Lee Quesada, said he had posted in a community forum asking if anyone could locate her. He said deputies told his uncle on Wednesday that they had found her remains in her burned home. A helicopter carries a bucket over burned homes (Julio Cortez/AP) Republican governor Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration for 60 counties. Hemphill County emergency management co-ordinator Bill Kendall described the charred terrain as like a moonscape. Its just all gone. Advertisement He said about 40 homes were burned around the perimeter of the town of Canadian, but no buildings were lost. Mr Kendall said he also saw hundreds of cattle just dead, laying in the fields. The small town of Fritch, north of Amarillo, lost hundreds of homes in a 2014 fire and appeared to have been hit hard again. Mayor Tom Ray said on Wednesday that an estimated 40-50 homes had been destroyed on the southern edge, and natural gas remained shut off for the town of 2,200. The Smokehouse Creek Fire spread from Texas into neighbouring Roger Mills County in western Oklahoma, where officials encouraged people in the Durham area to flee. At least 13 homes burned in fires in the states Panhandle region, officials said on Wednesday. A producer on the set of the film Rust increased oversights for gun safety only days before Alec Baldwin fatally shot cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set, jurors were told in courtroom testimony on Wednesday. The manager was also only partially aware of other misfires that occurred in the days before the fatal shooting on the Western movie set. Advertisement The trial of movie armourer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed on charges of involuntary manslaughter and evidence tampering entered its fifth day with testimony from the on-set manager, as well as the lead investigator in the case from the Santa Fe sheriffs office. Defendant Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, former armourer on the set of the movie Rust (Luis Sanchez Saturno/AP) Ms Gutierrez-Reed has pleaded not guilty with her defence lawyer Jason Bowles highlighting in cross-examinations that Mr Baldwin was allowed to walk and talk with crew members in the immediate aftermath of the shooting on October 21, 2021, while Ms Gutierrez-Reed was confined to police vehicles and was supervised even while she went to the bathroom. Advertisement Advertisement Mr Baldwin, lead actor and co-producer on Rust was indicted by a grand jury last month and has pleaded not guilty to a charge of involuntary manslaughter. Gabrielle Pickle, who helped hire the crew and oversaw spending on gun safety and training, told jurors on Wednesday that the number of armourer days that is, with a dedicated weapons supervisor on set was expanded from five to 10 as Ms Gutierrez-Reed lobbied for more time to focus on firearms instead of her other duties as a props assistant. Producers reduced paperwork requirements for Ms Gutierrez-Reed to help her keep up with responsibilities that included the oversight of real guns and fake ammunition, Ms Pickle said. She added that she confronted Ms Gutierrez-Reed about complaints that guns were left unattended. Ms Pickle also negotiated for improved monitoring of firearms on set. Advertisement Screengrab taken from handout body worn video dated 21/10/21 issued by Santa Fe County Sheriffs office showing actor Alec Baldwin on the set of the movie Rust after the shooting (Santa Fe County Sheriff/PA) Ms Gutierrez-Reed told investigators in November 2021 that she trained Mr Baldwin in weapons handling for at least a day but wanted more time and was concerned about his proficiency with pulling a revolver out from a holster. Advertisement Video of that interview was played before the jury, but she has not testified at trial. Advertisement Pickle testified that she received a request from Ms Gutierrez-Reed for more time as an armourer to train a child actor, with Mr Baldwin in attendance. She requested training that would involve Brady, a minor who did not fire weapons in the movie, and I denied that for insurance purposes, Ms Pickle said. The request was not because Alec needed more time. Ms Baldwin was pointing the gun at Ms Hutchins when it went off, killing her and wounding director Joel Souza. Mr Baldwin has said he pulled back the hammer but not the trigger. Advertisement New Mexico workplace safety regulators say production managers took limited or no action to address two misfires on set before the fatal shooting. Under cross-examination by the defence, Ms Pickle acknowledged that she was told of one accidental discharge. Still, she said the other was never reported to her and did not appear in a daily log of significant events. She said she only learned of it after the shooting of Ms Hutchins. Hannah Gutierrez-Reed walks into court for the first day of testimony in her trial (Eddie Moore/AP) Advertisement Whose responsibility would it be in the chain of command to report those accidental discharges? Mr Bowles asked her. Anyone on set, Ms Pickle responded. Defence lawyers say problems on the set were beyond Ms Gutierrez-Reeds control and have pointed to shortcomings in the collection of evidence and interviews. They also say the main ammunition supplier was not adequately investigated. Prosecutors say Ms Gutierrez-Reed is to blame for bringing live ammunition on set, and she treated basic safety protocols for weapons as optional. They say six live rounds bear identical characteristics and do not match the ones seized from the movies supplier in Albuquerque. Mr Baldwin will face a courtroom in July concerning his charge of involuntary manslaughter. Rapper Ja Rule has said he has been denied entry into the UK, days before the start of his tour. The US musician, 47, real name Jeffrey Bruce Atkins Sr, is due to kick off his Sunrise tour at the Utilita Arena in Cardiff on Friday, before gigs in London, Birmingham, Nottingham, Leeds and Liverpool. Advertisement However, he has now said he will not be able to perform because he is not allowed to enter the country. He wrote on social media: Im so devastated. I cant believe the UK wont let me in. Ive spent a half million dollars in production of my own money to put this tour together only to be denied entry DAYS before my shows. This is not fair to me or my fans, these venues are 85% sold and now I cant come Advertisement The UK is one of the few European countries that restricts entry to people with criminal records. Advertisement In general, you will likely be denied entry if you have been convicted of a crime punishable by 23 months or more under British law or served more than 12 months in prison. Ja Rule was released from prison in May 2013 after serving two years on gun and tax evasion charges. Tickets for the shows are still available on Ticketmaster. After one fan tweeted Ticketmaster to ask about refunds, the websites customer service team replied: Once we receive confirmed info an email will be sent to all customers for the event. Advertisement Hi, Once we receive confirmed info an email will be sent to all customers for the event. Thanks! Ticketmaster CS (@TicketmasterCS) February 28, 2024 Advertisement Ja Rule was due to be supported on the tour by Mya, Keri Hilson and Lloyd. He is best known for hits such as Always On Time, featuring Ashanti, and Thug Lovin. The rapper was previously at the centre of controversy over the doomed Fyre Festival, but was cleared of any legal wrongdoing. The disastrous 2017 event resulted in organiser Billy McFarland going to prison for fraud. Advertisement The festival was scheduled to take place in the Bahamas in 2017 but caused more than $26 million in losses when it was cancelled for inadequate accommodation, food and water. A UK Home Office spokesperson said: It is a matter of longstanding government policy that we do not routinely comment on individual cases. Russian forces are pushing hard against more Ukrainian towns and villages in eastern and south-eastern Ukraine as Moscow tries to press its advantage in weapons and troops, officials in Kyiv have said. Despite Russias apparent momentum on the ground, Ukraine said it has shot down 13 Russian warplanes this month, including three on Thursday, as the Kremlins forces push forward. Advertisement With the full-scale war now into its third year, Russian forces have been bludgeoning some Ukrainian defensive positions into submission, deploying overwhelming amounts of artillery and troop numbers in an effort to punch through defensive lines at targeted points. Though Russias gains have been small, slow and costly, Ukraine does not have enough reservists and has a severe shortage of artillery shells as the supply of military aid from western partners has waned. Advertisement Volodymyr Zelensky talks to Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi (Efrem Lukatsky/AP) Advertisement The Russian army is trying to seize the towns and villages of Tonenke, Orlivka, Semenivka, Berdychi and Krasnohorivka in the eastern Donetsk region, Ukraines army chief, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, said on social media. Those are places where Ukrainian military officials had said they would form a new line of defence after Ukrainian troops pulled out of Avdiivka on February 17. In the south-eastern Zaporizhzhia region, Russian forces are focusing on retaking Verbove and Robotyne, towns that Ukraine won back in last summers counter-offensive, Col Gen Syrskyi said. The general, who was appointed by President Volodymyr Zelensky to lead the countrys military on February 8, accused some of his commanders of making miscalculations in assessing the enemy and taking counter-measures. Advertisement Meanwhile, Ukraines Defence Ministry said its forces had shot down three Russian Su-34 jets overnight. That made a total of 11 warplanes, including an early warning and control A-50, that Ukraine claims to have downed since February 17, and 13 throughout the month the highest monthly tally since October 2022. The enemy has increased its air presence in the east. Our top military leadership reacted accordingly, air force spokesman Yurii Ihnat said on national television. Advertisement A major question for Kyiv officials is how they can unlock further military help from their partners. Emergency US national security funds for Ukraine are still on hold amid a political dispute in Washington. Advertisement Ukrainian parliamentary speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk addressed an open letter to US House of Representatives speaker Mike Johnson, asking him to put to a vote the Biden administrations proposal to send 60 billion dollars (47 billion) of aid to Ukraine. The letter posted by Mr Stefanchuk was also signed by 23 speakers and heads of parliament in European countries. Eight Ukrainian civilians, including a six-year-old girl, were killed and at least 12 people were wounded in the south east over the previous 24 hours, the Ukrainian presidents office said on Thursday. A Russian rocket has successfully put an Iranian satellite into orbit in a launch that underlined increasingly close cooperation between Moscow and Tehran. Russias state-run Roscosmos corporation said that a Soyuz rocket blasted off from the Vostochny launch facility in the countrys far east to carry the Iranian satellite and 18 Russian ones into orbit. Advertisement Iranian state TV said the 110kg satellite has three cameras to take images for environmental, agricultural and other purposes. The rocket took an Iranian satellite into orbit (Roscosmos space corporation via AP) It said the satellite will be put into orbit around the North and South Poles, synchronised to be in the same fixed position relative to the sun, and will be fully functional after a calibration of its systems. Advertisement Thursdays launch comes after Russia put into orbit the Iranian Khayyam satellite in 2022. Advertisement Irans communication minister Isa Zarepour said that Irans space programme has had a total of 23 launches, including 12 during President Ebrahim Raisis administration. The Grimmelings Rachael King, Allen & Unwin, $22.99 Credit: The evocative Scottish word grimmelings refers to the first or last gleams of sunlight in a day. Its a great title for a childrens novel steeped in Scottish folklore. Growing up in New Zealand, 13-year-old Ella has a deep love of equine creatures, her pony Magpie chief among them. So when she curses Josh Underhill and the boy promptly disappears, just as her father had, shes unnerved by the black horse-like entity she spots on a nearby hill. This spirit is known as a Kelpie, unwittingly spirited halfway across the world by Ellas Scottish grandmother when she emigrated, and together with Magpie, Ella must brave its vengeance and find a way to stop it from snatching anyone else. Rachael Kings latest YA book takes this eerie inheritance and turns it into a tense tale of animal companionship, wild magic, and the majesty and awe nature inspires. NON-FICTION PICK OF THE WEEK The End of Eden Adam Welz, Bloomsbury Sigma, $34.99 This is not a lament for the mythical playground of Adam and Eve but for the natural diversity and abundance that we are so wantonly squandering. Credit: And it is not surprising to learn that naturalist Adam Welz wrote this book with an increasingly heavy heart such is the toll that climate breakdown is already taking and is still to take. Yet his lyricism and storytelling skills ensure that the reader cannot look away, whether it is from the disappearing Joshua Trees of the Mojave, the Puerto Rican parrots devastated by hurricane, the Macquarie perch suffocated by ash-sludge after our Black Summer bushfires, or the ghost moose of northern Maine under attack from a tick thriving in higher temperatures. Welz has a gift for explaining the scientific fundamentals to illustrate how rises in temperature cascade through habitats, upsetting the natural balance and reshaping the world. The Shortest History of Italy Ross King, Black Inc., $27.99 Credit: Reading this compact chronicle of the past 3000 years of Italian history is a bit like whizzing through a slideshow of hazily familiar images: Romulus and Remus being suckled by a wolf, a parade of toga-clad leaders forging the Roman Republic with its three branches of government, Romes ever-expanding dominion of the known world built on slavery and endless warfare, the hilltop fortifications of the Middle Ages and the glories of the Renaissance. But it is also a user-friendly way of filling in the many blanks in ones knowledge. For instance, satellite images show a strong link between Roman roads and modern European concentrations of economic affluence. Other buried facts excavated include women artists such as 16th-century portraitist Sofonisba Anguissola, and more recently the 70,000 female resistance fighters in the Second World War, thousands of whom were executed. Love and Money, Sex and Death McKenzie Wark, Bloomsbury, $22.99 Credit: Maybe there really is nothing but fiction and property holding the self together through time, writes McKenzie Wark in a letter to her younger self. This impulse to embrace uncertainty, this intuition of unboundedness pooling beyond whats known ripples through Warks epistolary meditations on becoming a trans woman in midlife, and the experiences and insights that forged her sense of identity. Yet this is not a book driven by identity politics. Incisive, wry and distinguished by an absence of self-pity, it is much more expansive and nuanced than that. While Wark describes her previous incarnation as cool and beyond reach, this memoir is fuelled by tenderness for the mother she lost when she was six, for her former self, for lovers and friends, for her sister who raised her, for her ex-wife and children and for writing as a form of play, a liberation from the same old tune. Time to Reboot: Feminism in the Algorithm Age Carla Wilshire, Monash University Publishing, $19.95 Put simply, womens rights are regressing under the influence of algorithms and AI created by men. To read this bracing essay is to be confronted with the daunting task faced by fifth wave of feminism. Theres no doubt that The Holdovers is a feel-good film, but its laced with enough wit and sarcasm to keep you in touch with the fact that nobody here is perfect. January 11, 2024 by Sandra Hall 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 In a wild scene from the new HBO comedy series The Regime, European dictator Elena Vernham (Kate Winslet) sits down and opens fire on US diplomat Senator Holt (Martha Plimpton): You shovelled shit on our doorstep for years and told us we were happy to eat it. Senator Holt replies: We shovelled quite a bit of investment your way as well. The hostile exchange is rich in nuance, leaning into the uncomfortable intersection of American imperialism, colonial exploitation, global economics and chequebook diplomacy. Unhappy with her lot, right-wing leaning Vernham is done. Its time to say enough, she declares. It is time to show America and the world precisely what we are worth. And so this darkly complex, at times hilarious, at times serious political satire lurches deeply into comedic discomfort. Over six episodes both the tinpot fictional country and its tinpot leader begin to unravel (at one point Elena extols the virtues of potato steam) and The Regime begins the uneasy dance of milking an uncomfortably serious topic for laughs. So, just how funny is it meant to be? Created by Will Tracy (Succession) and produced by Stephen Frears (My Beautiful Laundrette, The Grifters, The Queen) it is a satire, certainly, and at times intentionally verges on the lunatic. But there are also moments which seem uncomfortably real, a kind of dark reflection of what's happening two channels up on CNN. "It is a geopolitical satire," stresses Winslet. "People are going to take from it what they choose to take from it and the show is pretty agnostic in terms of real life circumstances. But I think it's really important to remember that it is a comedy. It is not real. It's set in an imagined country, in the middle of Europe. It isn't a retelling of historical events, and it certainly isn't a docudrama." From Winslets perspective, it was important to lean into the delusional qualities of Elena Vernham as much as possible, without losing a fix on the woman she was attempting to portray. She sacks ministers on a whim. She indulges in conspiracy theories and hokey remedies. And she consults her dead father, preserved in a glass coffin in the presidential palace basement. Advertisement Digging into Elenas childhood and trying to come to understand why she is the way that she is, it isnt just a moment-to-moment thing, Winslet says. Here she is in this palace, she should feel safe. Shes surrounded by people whose job it is to make her feel safe. And yet, she feels permanently unsafe. Thats an emotional, mental thing. Kate Winslet plays the leader of a fictional European country in The Regime. Credit: Binge The mosaic of that woman, framed by international politics, but shaped by the legacy of her father who built the nation she has inherited, manifested in a number of ways, Winslet adds. Her physical self and how she moves, how she speaks, how she interacts, even whether she walks through a door or not, she says. And in the midst of all of that blossoms a love story, between Vernham and Colonel Zubak (Matthias Schoenaerts), a hardline thug who unexpectedly becomes a trusted advisor. Their relationship moves between gentle and disturbing. Vernham is delusional, but Zubak veers from vulnerable to menacing. These are two people who should never have met and should never have fallen in love, Winslet says. And that was up to Matthias and I, we had to really give that a heartbeat so that that would be believable. That was the one thing we really had to make sure audiences went with, [that they] were sucked into their relationship... For us, it was a lot of fun. Matthias Schoenaerts Captain Zubak panders to his leaders (Kate Winslet) every whim in The Regime. Credit: Binge I had to give her a heart and a soul without also trying to make the audience love her, Winslet adds. That would not have been right. I had to kind of walk the line between the comedy and tragedy of Elena Vernham. We all kind of did it together. We were very much an ensemble cast of people trying to hit the same rhythm. Advertisement Loading Like many women in global politics, how Elena looked really mattered to Winslet, which led to a detail-rich collaboration with Oscar-nominated costume designer Consolata Boyle (The Queen, Florence Foster Jenkins). Critical, says Winslet, was smudging the cultural and fashionable style notes, to create a little bit of uncertainty in the mind of the viewer as to precisely where in Europe Elena was from. "We didn't want to use traditional fabrics, so we used a lot of fabrics you just don't see in regular clothes, a lot of synthetics," Winslet says. "I was very flammable at times, and very hot. And [because she is a leader] a lot of the costumes had to be practical. There's a lot of running, particularly as the series progresses." Everyones lying to her the entire time. No wonder she doesnt trust anyone. Kate Winslet Equally, Winslet says, because the series is a love story as much as it is a satire, she had, at times, to look sexual. This is the woman whos trying to exert her power all the time, and never really getting it right, says Winslet. Making the mistake of thinking that the way that you feel good about yourself is by dressing in ridiculously tight pencil skirts and lacquering her hair up a little bit. Pencil skirts are among the wardrobe details that help to define Kate Winslets dictatorial character. Credit: Binge And where the series strays into the darkness in its writing, Winslet pulls it back towards the light in her performance, which is riddled with physical tics, an almost pathological interest in home remedies and odd quirks, such as steaming potatoes for the supposed health benefits of inhaling their fumes. Advertisement Series director Jessica Hobbs, whose credits include Tangle, The Slap, Broadchurch and The Crown, describes Tracy as a very clever, very funny writer. The scripts made me laugh out loud reading them. They went through some processes, and there were some great bits of improvisation that came in. But it was very sharp. The series even taps into the curious political trope of world leaders singing. A search of YouTube will turn up all sorts of delights, though the series is most likely making a nod to Russian leader Vladimir Putin singing Blueberry Hill at a dinner in St Petersburg in 2010. To add some comedic richness to the moment, Elena sings out of key. Like many politicians, Kate Winslets Elena Vernham overstates her singing abilities. Credit: Binge I definitely felt nervous about the singing in the first episode because it was a really specific choice to have her sing badly, Winslet says. It was scripted that she gets up, and she performs, and she sings really well but when we recorded the song Stephen Frears [was shaking his head, and he said] I dont understand why is she singing so well? Do it badly. "And then it was brilliant because you immediately give the audience permission to lean into just how delusional this woman is," Winslet adds. "She actually believes she's singing well. She actually believes they adore her. Everyone's lying to her the entire time. No wonder she doesn't trust anyone. It's absolutely hilarious." Modern and past European history is replete with strong, right-wing women leading hardline political parties, such as Giorgia Meloni from Italy and Marine Le Pen from France, as well as Siv Jensen in Norway and Pia Kjrsgaard in Denmark. Widening the lens, Argentinas Eva Peron or even the Philippines Imelda Marcos, offer templates that might have inspired Elena Vernham. Advertisement Tracy has not identified any one person, or any one country, that the series is based on. Luckily for us, the show is in an imagined country, and the character is a complete invention, Winslet says. It isnt based on history. It isnt a documentary. Its not a retelling of real-life events. And so it was actually very important that I didnt go down the road of drawing comparisons from political figures. Kate Winslet plays a dictator increasingly removed from reality in The Regime. Credit: Binge Elena is nothing like anything Ive ever come across in my life before, she adds. I have to somehow transform myself and become this disgusting, wild, tyrannical, but vulnerable, interesting, multi-textured, complicated woman. I dug into that. That was really my job. I didnt want her to look like this perfect shouting dictator who is shrill sometimes. That was not interesting to me. Frears is more certain there is a grain of something in it all, but unsure about where the grain might belong. There isnt anybody like Elena, he says. Marine Le Pen isnt like that, nor is Giorgia Meloni. Will, who invented the whole series and invented the world, was very keen not to be specific to one country. The biggest fear, Frears says, is that the series would be strongly identified with Russia. In terms of setting, the creative team would talk about middle Europe, it was really set there, Frears says. And then the instances of dictatorial behaviour would come from all over the place. It wasnt ever specific, and there was really nobody to compare it to. "The idea was to shine a satirical light on those behaviours, and make that entertaining," Hobbs adds. "As someone said, they felt uncomfortable about the fact that they were laughing so much. I think [that is] the sweet spot for the show, I think it's good if it makes you uncomfortable to laugh at it." The Regime streams on Binge from March 4. Advertisement Bold endeavours salmon farming in the open ocean Nine years ago, we started the resource consent and consultation process for its Blue Endeavour open ocean salmon farm. Today, we are celebrating achieving final Government approval to proceed with an aquaculture project that will be a New Zealand-first and a world-first in farming the King Salmon species in the open ocean. Carl Carrington, NZKS Chief Executive Officer describes the process to gain resource consent, Fisheries New Zealand approval and to find common ground with iwi, eNGOs, and the community as being very robust. Carl describes the next steps, having achieved this milestone, as needing to walk before we can run. From here, we will complete our 18-month programme of rigorous benthic (seabed), seabird and marine mammal monitoring. This will provide a baseline of information, against which we can measure the impacts of a working salmon farm. The next step will be a proof-of-concept phase, putting in the trial pens from June 2025. This is when it starts to get exciting from a farming point of view building a smaller-scale pilot farm so that we can trial new infrastructure while monitoring the welfare of our salmon, to ensure they can thrive, Carl says. Aquaculture is a business that rewards patience and caution. We will dip our toes into the open ocean, to carefully realise Blue Endeavours potential, while continuing to talk to local communities, iwi and others who also have key interests, rights and values around the ocean, Carl says. Blue Endeavour, when fully operational, could generate NZD $300million in new revenue per annum. Regional economies will benefit from growth in supporting infrastructure and services required, such as boat servicing, and skilled jobs in farming, engineering, processing and more. Carl describes New Zealanders support for this kind of aquaculture as being incredibly important to NZKS. New Zealanders love their kaimoana, but not everyone is able to catch it for themselves and for their families. Salmon is a highly nutritious source of healthy protein and consumers are also starting to appreciate that farmed salmon has a low carbon footprint compared to many other animal protein sources. We have never taken the support we have for our products and what we are doing for New Zealand aquaculture for granted. This drives us to continuously improve our environmental footprint across the company, and was a motivator during the past nine years of dialogue and consultation to get the green light for Blue Endeavour. While we have some way to go until Blue Endeavour is fully operational, today is a day for our company to celebrate the successful completion of this chapter, Carl says. Grant Lovell, NZKS General Manager of Aquaculture, describes the open ocean as an exciting opportunity and the next logical step for New Zealands aquaculture industry. When we look to the open ocean we are looking at the future for salmon farming in New Zealand in cooler, deeper waters. It is a bit of a new frontier for our aquaculture industry but one that we are entering one step at a time, backed by science and evidence-based decision making, Grant says. During an extensive planning phase, NZKS undertook comprehensive assessments of the environmental effects and applied independent science from the Cawthron Institute, SLR Consulting and Robertson Environmental. Putting fish pens out in the open ocean is not for the faint hearted. We will be working in a dynamic environment, with waves up to 10 metres high anyone that has caught the Cook Strait ferry knows what we are talking about. We will be trialling technologies and investing in mooring grid infrastructure to ensure we are able to adapt to the Cook Strait conditions Grant says. About Blue Endeavour Blue Endeavour will be New Zealands first open ocean aquaculture farm. It will also be the worlds first farm of its type for the valuable King Salmon (Chinook) fish species. The farm will be located 7km off Cape Lambert in the Cook strait. It will comprise two blocks of ten circular pens; the total farm will be less than 12 surface hectares in size. When fully operational, Blue Endeavour will have the capacity to produce 10,000 metric tonnes of chinook salmon. Images, maps, key metrics, a timeline of the resource consent process and research reports are available online: https://www.kingsalmon.co.nz/open-ocean-blue-endeavour/ About farming the King Salmon breed King Salmon is a niche salmon breed that has put New Zealand on the global map as a premium export product that is also enjoyed by our domestic consumers. Representing less than 1 per cent of global salmon production, the King Salmon species usually sells for significantly more than the price of Atlantic salmon. Atlantic salmon is the predominant salmonoid species sold globally. Internationally NZKS are unable to meet demand, particularly for our premier Ora King products which has a significant following in the United States. Open ocean salmon aquaculture is the farming of salmon in enclosed fish pens, anchored in place to the seabed, in exposed marine environments. NZKS has farmed salmon for more than 35 years in the Marlborough Sounds, and with nursery, hatchery and processing land-based operations in Nelson, Takaka and Canterbury. The further expansion of salmon farms in inshore areas is unlikely in New Zealand open ocean aquaculture is recognised as being critical for the future sustainable growth of the salmon sector. The Ministry of Primary Industries recently commissioned a report on the life cycle analysis of farmed King Salmon. This report concludes that farmed King Salmon has a lower carbon footprint than most land proteins. 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Related News: SKC - APPOINTMENT OF CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER NWF - Chief Executive Officer Warren Koia Resignation March 18th Morning Report Pacific Edge Directors Give Notice of Retirement Meridian Energy monthly operating report for February 2024 Another unworkable farming rule bites the dust March 14th Morning Report TRU - Truscreen Additional Placement Government's employment relations priorities a welcome step in the right direction says EMA New Synlait & Nestle co-investment partnership Advertisement Exclusive Eating outComing soon This famous city strip is about to become Sydneys next great restaurant hub The Tapavino team have announced plans to open a restaurant in the civic heart of the city, aka Sydneys piazza. Scott Bolles February 29, 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 One of Sydneys restaurant and bar pioneers believes Martin Place is the great untapped hospitality hub of the Sydney CBD, an area poised to finally be fully activated. Frank Dilernia, whose stable of Sydney venues includes Circular Quay sherry bar Tapavino and CBD restaurant Balcon, is so confident about the precinct, hes joined a posse of operators undeterred by difficult trading conditions to invest in the famous strip. Dilernia will open a restaurant on the corner of Pitt Street and Martin Place, in the historic GPO building. Every year Dilernia travels to Europe seeking inspiration for his venues. I love piazzas, they are the heart of cities and towns, and Martin Place is Sydneys piazza, Dilernia says. Restaurateur Frank Dilernia plans to open Epula later this year. Supplied Advertisement When the restaurant opens in October, it will have a Latin name, Epula (which means dishes of food), but itll be a culinary nod to its location. Well be using native Australian ingredients, Dilernia says. Hes yet to announce the chef but has already recruited a former member of Copenhagens progressive Noma restaurant alumni to turn local produce into vinegars. Theres little doubt the Martin Place precinct is in the midst of a boom. Caterpillar Club opened late last year on its northern edge and is one of Sydneys red-hot venues. After years of building, the scaffolding is about to come off a number of big developments, including 1 Elizabeth, part of the new Sydney Metro Martin Place development, which will be home to a fleet of new food operators, including Melbourne pastry mecca Lune Croissanterie. When Alejandro Saravia, the chef behind a number of Melbourne venues including Farmers Daughters, decided he wanted to spread his wings to Sydney, Martin Place topped his list. In March, Saravia will open a Latin American restaurant, Morena, in the GPO building. The area ticked all the boxes for Saravia. Located on the doorstep of the financial district, it has a weekday city dining clientele while attracting tourists and shoppers. 1 Martin Place is a beautiful building with so much history and heritage, the chef says. Advertisement Chef-restaurateur Alejandro Saravia outside his soon-to-open Morena in Martin Place. Edwina Pickles Established and incoming operators also mention the opportunity of bringing life to Martin Place while being respectful of its public spaces. Outdoor seating is part of the plan at Epula. At Morena, Saravia is also on board with taking the experience al fresco: Our venue will have outdoor seating along the historic colonnade of the GPO building, but we will also look to have al fresco dining in Martin Place in the future subject to council approval. After the false-start of the Olympics-era Banc restaurant and its sibling Wine Banc, operators believe theres now more critical mass to the Martin Place movement, with restaurant openings pushing as far as Macquarie Street on the upper slopes of Martin Place. A hospitality operator, who asks not to be named, plans to open a bar near the 2022 arrivals Aalia restaurant and Kazan Dining. Theres also keen interest in the sprawling GPO basement where Prime restaurant and Sosumi previously traded. Chef behind some of Melbournes most popular venues is opening a new restaurant - in Martin Place Women have come so far in my lifetime. When I was seven in 1964, the famous 7 Up series began life as an episode for the British current affairs show World in Action. That original episode featured 14 seven-year-olds and, like the filmmakers, I have followed their lives until the present day, catching up every seven years. It was only as I grew older, however, that I noticed something glaring about the casting. In 1964, the producers selected children from every class in society including a child of mixed race. Yet, they also cast 10 boys in the series and only four girls. The change in how women think about themselves, their future and their rights has snowballed. Credit: iStock The reason for the lack of girls, I believe, is because, when I was seven, no one expected girls to have interesting lives. Girls would do what girls had always done, regardless of their class. They would grow up, marry and have children. End of story. What the producers missed was the revolution about to occur in womens lives. A revolution that has had an impact greater than the French, the Russian, or any other you care to name. Queensland Fire and Emergency Services has been charged after an SES volunteer died in floodwaters more than two years ago. Merryl Dray, 62, was with three other volunteers in a car that was swept off a road en route to a flood rescue near Ipswich, west of Brisbane, in February 2022. Loading The Office of the Work Health and Safety Prosecutor confirmed a charge had been laid against QFES over Drays death. The Office of the Work Health and Safety Prosecutor has made a complaint against the state of Queensland in relation to an incident that occurred on 25 February 2022, a spokesperson said in a statement today. The matter is listed for mention in the Ipswich Magistrates Court on March 25, they said. QFES is responsible for the SES. The 2022 floods caused devastation across Queenslands south-east with rivers surpassing levels not seen in decades. Twelve other people were killed in the flooding event. The floods swamped roads, homes and businesses after receiving months worth of rain within days. A former Liberal Party member will spend at least a year in jail after he became the first person found guilty under Australian foreign interference laws. Di Sanh Duong, also known as Sunny Duong, appeared in the County Court of Victoria on Thursday where he was ordered to serve an immediate jail term for planning to commit an act of foreign interference using an Australian government minister. Di Sanh Duong arrives at the County Court of Victoria on Thursday. Credit: AAP Judge Richard Maidment said Duong, 68, maintained contact before and during his offending in 2020 with Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials both in Australia and overseas. The court heard he would use the encrypted app WeChat to communicate with people he believed to be operatives of the Chinese Ministry of State Security. The director of public prosecutions plays an important role in our criminal justice system. The way in which they conduct themselves, the stated reasons for their decisions and the manner in which they convey and at times defend them, impacts peoples acceptance of a DPPs judgment. That acceptance is not confined to the general public, it includes the judiciary and legal profession. In Victoria, some of the states most eminent jurists have publicly expressed their concerns about certain decisions made by DPP, Kerri Judd, KC. Victorian Director of Public Prosecutions Kerri Judd, KC. Credit: Paul Jeffers A decision that has attracted considerable criticism relates to Judds controversial decision not to lay any charges in relation to the Lawyer X scandal, which involved Victoria Police recruiting criminal defence lawyer and barrister Nicola Gobbo to inform on the very people she was representing. The actions of Gobbo and the police brought the Victorian court system into disrepute and damaged trust in the police and the court process. It also undermined trust in the accepted concept of client-lawyer privilege, and led to the establishment of a Royal Commission into the Management of Police Informants. In accordance with a strong recommendation of the royal commission, the government appointed a special investigator to scrutinise the conduct of current and former members of Victoria Police and Gobbo. Former distinguished High Court judge Geoffrey Nettle, KC, was appointed special investigator. Victoria Police has dropped sexual assault charges against a former immigration detainee and convicted sex offender who was released into the community in last years High Court ruling. In a colossal bungle, police arrested former detainee Alfons Pirimapun and wrongfully charged him in Melbourne Magistrates Court with stalking and sexual assault in Richmond earlier this week. Victoria Police and Melbourne Magistrates Court explicitly exonerated Alfons Pirimapun, who is no longer a suspect in the current investigation. Credit: Darrian Traynor Hours later, police dropped all charges against him and said it had been a case of mistaken identity. The 44-year-old man from West Papua had been detained in immigration after hed been convicted of previous sexual offences in two states, including rape. Where does Scott Morrisons time in power place him in the rankings of Australias 31 prime ministers? Morrison became a polarising figure during his time in office, from daggy dad outsider who pulled off a miracle election win to a leader who provoked visceral anger and led the Coalition to lose 19 seats and government. Historians says it will take years to rank the prime ministership of Scott Morrison. Credit: john shakespeare His infamous Hawaiian holiday and I dont hold a hose, mate comment, his reference to wife Jenny when discussing the Brittany Higgins rape allegations, the its not a race comment about vaccines and the shortage of RATs as Australia reopened its borders all rankled people. There was also the multiple ministries affair, the robo-debt scandal and the Orwellian phrase on-water matters that he used to avoid commenting on the turning back of asylum seeker boats. Bob Carr was a journalist at the now defunct magazine The Bulletin and his late wife Helena was running a cheque-printing factory in late 1979 when they purchased a house on the high side of the street in Maroubra. It was a decent home upgrade for the young couple who had started out in a 1960s flat down the road. We knew the house and the people who lived there well, said the former Labor premier and foreign minister. So when it came on the market we jumped on it. Records show they paid $173,000. The Maroubra home of Bob Carr was redesigned by architect Howard Tanner in the 1990s. It was a lot of money at the time, he said. I remember Paul Keating said to me, dont worry about it, young Robert, if nothing else youll at least set a new benchmark for the rest of the houses in the street. Carr is expected to set another benchmark for French Street on April 6 when it goes to auction with a $5 million guide through PPDs Alexander Phillips and Ray White Eastern Beachess Nader Hotait. Coron is a limestone island between the islands of Palawan and Mindoro, known for its excellent snorkelling and diving. While there are a few travel operators such as Travel Triangle that have package holidays to Coron, theyre rather short. You might be better off organising your own trip. The only accommodation on the island is Paolyn Houseboats . The location is ideal, you can jump straight off your deck into the water, the reviews are five-star, although Paolyn is expensive at close to $400 a night. Most visitors stay on Busuanga Island, only about three kilometres from Coron, where a cluster of resorts and inns is located around Coron township, with prices that vary from $40-$250 per night. From here its easy to take boat trips to Coron and neighbouring islands and these can be arranged through local hotels. See guidetothephilippines.com I am 82 and Id like to take a snorkelling holiday. Looking at Coron Island in the Philippines. Who might do an itinerary with flights to include a houseboat in Twin Lagoon on Coron Island? J. Kirkwood, Willoughby NSW Even two hours is tight, however if its all on the same Qantas ticket then the airline is responsible for ensuring that you get to your destination at no extra cost. The Spokane flight adds another complication, and thats at risk. Book a seat as far forward in the aircraft as possible so you can get off at LAX in minimum time. Also, alert the cabin crew that you have a tight connection, they might assist you to a forward position. Im flying Qantas into Los Angeles, land at 8.50am then have a connecting flight to Seattle at 11am on the same ticket. From Seattle I fly to Spokane on another booking. I could miss my Seattle flight as you have to collect your luggage on arrival in the US plus clear security and immigration. Qantas assures me all I need is 90 minutes. R. Green, Ocean Grove VIC Busuanga is home to Reyes Airport which is served by Cebu Pacific and Philippine Airlines. To help plan your trip, it might be worth contacting the local office of the Philippines Department of Tourism at 92 Pitt Street, Sydney, (02) 9279 3380. My husband and I are 65 and in good health. We are looking to travel to Europe in July or August 2025 for six to eight weeks, our first trip overseas. The list of what we would like to see is getting ridiculously long and the more we research tour options the harder it is to decide. What would you suggest? T. Francis, Mullaloo WA I hope there might be some flexibility in your timetable because the best months to see Europe are starting from early September to mid-October. In July and August, Europe is going to be packed to the gills. Your starting point could be London. Its user-friendly, theres heaps to see and do, its reasonably familiar, theres no problem with language and you can use your usual credit or debit card on Londons Underground trains. Give yourselves three nights to look around and get over your jetlag then join a guided tour. Take a look at the Bunnik Tours website and see what appeals, and about 10-14 days is ideal, too much longer and touring becomes exhausting. Your fellow travellers will be a mine of information but consider their advice on what to see and how to travel with caution. You cant see everything. Next, you might base yourselves in a large town or small city for a week, possibly in an Airbnb, and get to know an area well. Saint-Remy-de-Provence in southern France, Bath in western England, anywhere between Lenno and Menaggio on the western shores of Italys Lake Como, Padua near Venice, the Greek island of Hydra and Ortigia in Sicily are just a few examples. You can see a lot more if youre prepared to get behind the wheel but if not, take a few guided day tours. With the time you have available you could include three such stops. You might want to do something active so take a look at the Utracks website, there are really wonderful experiences on offer, from an eight-day electric bike ride from Salzburg to Vienna to barge and bike trips along the French canals. Most of the trips you can do either on a guided tour or self-guided, theyre short and sweet and accommodation and gear transfers are included on the self-guided tours. I like the hiking trips in the Dolomites region of northern Italy, the finest alpine walks on the planet in my book. You have plenty of time to plan and airlines release their tickets 11 months in advance. Thats the time to score a bargain. Tel Aviv: The families of hostages held in Gaza and their supporters have started a four-day march from southern Israel to Jerusalem to demand their loved ones be set free. The march comes as negotiations are underway in Qatar to bring about a new deal between Hamas and Israel that would lead to a ceasefire in exchange for the release of hostages. US President Joe Biden has said such a deal was at hand, but officials from Israel and Hamas were sceptical of his optimism. Families and supporters of Israeli hostages start a four-day protest march to Jerusalem in Reim, Israel, on February 28. Credit: Getty Negotiators from the US, Egypt and Qatar are working in Paris on a framework deal under which Hamas would free some of the dozens of hostages it holds in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners and a six-week halt in fighting. During the temporary pause, negotiations would continue over the release of the remaining hostages. Hostages freed in a late-November deal, some of whom still have relatives held in Gaza, joined the march, which will end near the official residence of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the weekend. Washington: Fears that China is using smart cars to spy on American drivers and infrastructure has prompted President Joe Biden to launch an unprecedented probe into the potential security risks to the US auto sector. Warning that Chinese carmakers were seeking to flood the market with high-tech vehicles that could gather sensitive information for Beijing, Biden has ordered his commerce department to investigate the dangers of foreign-made software, which could lead to restrictions on the use of certain vehicles or components. US President Joe Biden is seeking to reduce Americas reliance on Chinese imports. Credit: Bloomberg Most cars these days are connected they are like smartphones on wheels, Biden said as he announced the investigation on Thursday (Friday AEDT). These cars are connected to our phones, to navigation systems, to critical infrastructure, and to the companies that made them. A number of China companies are preparing by moving to secondary listings on the Hong Kong stock exchange and other bourses. (Photo: REUTERS/Yuri Gripas/File Photo) Cook County Circuit Judge Tracie Porter has ruled that former President Donald Trump is to be removed from Illinois' 2024 Republican presidential primary ballot. This decision, rooted in allegations related to Trump's supposed involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, invokes the "disqualification clause" of the 14th Amendment, specifically Section 3, which addresses insurrection. The ruling is a reversal of last month's decision by the Illinois Board of Elections, which had opted to keep Trump's name on the ballot despite accusations from a group of Illinois voters. These voters claimed Trump had engaged in insurrection, prompting a legal challenge that has now culminated in Judge Porter's directive to either remove Trump from the ballot or suppress any votes cast for him. This contentious decision is currently on hold, awaiting potential appeals from Trump's legal team to higher courts within the state. A Trump campaign spokesperson criticized the ruling as "unconstitutional," pledging an immediate appeal, underscoring the divisive nature of this legal battle. The issue at hand revolves around the interpretation and application of the Constitution's 14th Amendment, a post-Civil War provision designed to prevent former Confederates and others who engaged in insurrection against the United States from holding public office. The amendment stipulates that no one who has taken an oath to support the Constitution and then engaged in insurrection or rebellion against it shall hold office. This constitutional debate has reached the U.S. Supreme Court, which is deliberating the amendment's implications for the first time, specifically its applicability to former officeholders like Trump. The court's decision, expected by the end of June, will have profound implications, not only for Trump's legal standing but also for the broader principle of whether former presidents are immune from prosecution for actions taken while in office. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi weighed in on the matter, emphasizing the importance of the Supreme Court's decision in upholding the principle that no one, including a former president, is above the law. Illinois now joins Colorado and Maine as the third state to challenge Trump's eligibility for the primary ballot based on these constitutional grounds. However, the decisions in Colorado and Maine are currently paused, pending the outcome of the Colorado case's appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Illinois primary is set for March 19, adding urgency to the legal proceedings as the election date approaches. The implications of this decision extend beyond Illinois, potentially influencing the national Republican primary landscape and setting a precedent for how allegations of insurrection are treated in electoral politics. As the legal challenges unfold, the Trump campaign has begun leveraging the controversy for fundraising efforts, while Judge Porter's decision, grounded in both the Illinois and Colorado Supreme Court's precedents, underscores the seriousness with which these allegations are being considered by the judiciary. With the U.S. Supreme Court's impending ruling, the nation awaits clarity on a constitutional matter that could redefine the criteria for public office eligibility, particularly for those accused of engaging in actions against the democratic process. S. Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol (Photo: Jeon Han/Wikimedia Commons/CC-BY -SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)) Thousands of South Korean trainee doctors are continuing their strike, disregarding a critical deadline set for their return to hospitals. This mass walkout, a protest against a government proposal to increase medical school admissions, has persisted despite warnings of potential license suspensions and legal repercussions. The government's initiative aims to address a perceived doctor shortage by admitting an additional 2,000 students annually, a plan met with resistance from the medical community. As of the latest reports, only a fraction of the more than 9,000 striking trainee doctors have resumed their duties, leaving major healthcare institutions grappling with reduced staff, delayed surgeries, and rerouted patients, as reported by REUTERS. Vice Health Minister Park Min-soo, expressing relief at the return of some trainees, emphasized the importance of their presence at patients' bedsides. However, the protesting doctors argue that before expanding the workforce, issues such as pay disparities and working conditions must be addressed. The government's healthcare reform package, purportedly incorporating many of the medical community's demands, has failed to quell the unrest. The looming threat of license suspension for non-compliant doctors has further intensified the standoff, with the government expected to commence formal penalty proceedings following the national holiday. Thousands of South Korean trainee doctors and residents continued their protests of the governments push to increase medical school enrollments. pic.twitter.com/eYuB4LXUGN CGTN America (@cgtnamerica) February 29, 2024 The strike has not only disrupted hospital operations but also sparked a broader conversation about South Korea's medical system and its preparedness to educate an increased number of students. Critics of the government's plan fear that a sudden influx of medical students could compromise the quality of education and exacerbate the maldistribution of doctors across specialties. Public opinion on the matter is divided, with some citizens expressing sympathy for the trainee doctors' grievances, while others emphasize the paramount importance of patient care. The dispute underscores a critical juncture in South Korea's healthcare policy, highlighting the challenges of balancing workforce expansion with the maintenance of educational standards and service quality. Senior Health Ministry officials have engaged in dialogues with striking doctors, but these discussions have yet to yield a resolution. The government's stance, articulated by Park and other officials, is that medical professionals' primary duty is to their patients, a principle that the strike puts at risk. Legal experts speculate that the government may initially target strike leaders for punishment to mitigate further disruptions in hospital services. The ongoing strike, part of a larger debate over healthcare reforms and doctor distribution, poses significant questions about the future of South Korea's medical system and its capacity to meet the needs of an aging population. As the deadlock continues, the potential for an escalated strike involving senior doctors looms, threatening to exacerbate the already strained healthcare services. The Korea Medical Association has expressed solidarity with the trainee doctors, although it has not yet committed to joining the walkouts. Patients like Yu, who rely on timely medical interventions, are caught in the crossfire, hoping for a swift resolution that restores normal hospital operations. The trainee doctors' strike, while highlighting critical issues within the medical profession, also underscores the delicate balance between advocating for systemic change and ensuring uninterrupted patient care. India's basmati rice exports are likely to fall in 2024 after nearing a record high last year, as rival Pakistan is offering the grain at competitive prices amid a rebound in production, industry officials said. India and Pakistan are the leading exporters of the premium long-grain variety of rice, famous for its aroma, to countries such as Iran, Iraq, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States. India's exports of basmati rice surged 11.5% from a year earlier to 4.9 million metric tons in 2023, just shy of the record high of 5 million tons hit in 2020, on lower supplies from Pakistan and stocking efforts by importing countries, industry officials said. Basmati rice shipments helped the world's biggest rice exporter to garner a record $5.4 billion in 2023, up nearly 21% from the previous year, because of higher prices, government data showed. "Last year, buyers were hustling to stock up when Pakistan was facing production issues. This year, however, Pakistan offers lower prices than India due to increased production," Vijay Setia, a leading exporter based in Haryana state of India, said. Islamabad's total rice exports could jump to 5 million tons in 2023/24 financial year, up from the last year's 3.7 million tons, Chela Ram Kewlani, chairman of Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP) said last month. The depreciation of the Pakistani rupee has made Pakistan's exports more competitive, according to Akshay Gupta, head of bulk exports at KRBL Ltd. Meanwhile, lower export demand amid an estimated 10% rise in India's basmati rice production has started pulling down basmati prices in that country, said Gupta. Iran, the biggest buyer of Indian basmati rice, slashed purchases by 36% in 2023, but higher shipments to Iraq, Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia offset the shortfall, according to data compiled by India's Ministry of Commerce and Industry. Indian exports had lost momentum in September and October as the government imposed minimum export price (MEP) on basmati rice, but they quickly recovered, said a New-Delhi-based exporter. In August, India imposed the MEP on basmati rice shipments at $1,200 per ton, exceeding prevailing market rates, before lowering it to $950 in October. However, exports began faltering again in January, and may decline further in the near term as buyers delay purchases due to increased freight costs caused by disruptions in shipping via the Red Sea, exporter Vijay Setia said. "Buyers are holding ample inventory; there's no need for them to rush," he said. The Delhi Traffic Police on Thursday informed that the vehicular movement is heavy on both carriageways of the DND flyway due to the deployment of pickets or inspections on the DND flyway. As a result, officials have recommended alternate routes, such as the Chilla border road. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Delhi Traffic Police wrote, Due to the deployment of pickets and checking on the DND flyway, traffic is heavy on both carriageways of the DND flyway. Commuters from Noida to Delhi and vice versa are advised to take alternative routes like the Chilla Border route." About an hour ago, Delhi Police said that traffic is heavy at the Singhu border and urged commuters to take Piao Maniyari, Saboli, Safiyabad, Singhu School Toll, and Zero Palla. Traffic is heavy at Singhu Border, as at Singhu Border only the service roads on both carriageways of NH-44 are open for traffic movement. Commuters are advised to use Piao Maniyari, Saboli, Safiyabad, Singhu School Toll, and Zero Palla Toll for their journey," police added. Authorities also said that traffic is affected on Ring Road in the carriageway from Moolchand Underpass towards Ashram Chowk due to the breakdown of an LGV near the Lajpat Nagar flyover. Traffic is affected on Ring Road in the carriageway from Moolchand Underpass towards Ashram Chowk due to the breakdown of an LGV near Lajpat Nagar Flyover, police said. Earlier on Saturday, authorities said they were partially removing blockades from the Singhu and Tikri borders to allow cross-border movement of vehicles after farmers groups on Friday said they had postponed their march to the capital till February 29. However, the blockades on the Ghazipur border, sealing both carriageways of National Highway (NH) 24 near the UP Gate underpass linking Delhi and Ghaziabad, will remain in place, they said. The police began removing portions of the multilayered concrete and iron blockades from the Singhu and Tikri borders on Saturday. Police officers said the protesting farmers are currently contained at the Punjab-Haryana borders, and if they move towards Delhi, the blockades will be restored. The Singhu and Tikri borders have been shut since January 13, following calls from farmers to carry out a protest march to Delhi. Both carriageways of NH 24 near the UP Gate underpass were also sealed with blockades consisting of jersey barriers, iron barricades, police buses, sand-loaded trucks, and other heavy vehicles. However, the routes through NH 9 and the Delhi-Meerut Expressway were kept partially open. The lone Indian national who could not return to India from Qatar along with seven of his colleagues around two-and-a-half weeks ago will return home once certain requirements are fulfilled, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday. Seven of the eight former Indian Navy personnel returned to India on February 12 after Qatar freed them. The Navy veterans were given death sentences by Qatar's Court of First Instance on October 26 last year. The Court of Appeal in the Gulf country commuted the capital punishment on December 28 and sentenced them to jail terms for varying durations. The former Indian Navy personnel apparently faced charges of espionage, but neither the Qatari authorities nor New Delhi made the charges against them public. "As you know, all eight Indian nationals who were involved in the Al-Dahra Global case have been released. Seven of them have returned to India," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at his weekly media briefing here. "The eighth Indian national has certain requirements to fulfill. He will return as and when those are completed," he said, replying to a question. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his recent visit to Qatar, conveyed his "deep appreciation" to Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani for the release of the eight Indians. Watch: Weekly media briefing by MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal The Terrorist and Anti-Disruptive Activities Act (TADA) court acquitted Abdul Karim Tunda , the main accused in the 1993 serial bomb blasts case, on Thursday. Two other accused in the case have reportedly been sentenced to life imprisonment. Syed Abdul Karim, alias Tunda, was accused of masterminding more than 40 bombings in India in 1993 before fleeing to Bangladesh. It is believed that Pakistani terror groups supported Tunda. Click here to follow our WhatsApp channel He was arrested by the Indian authorities in 2013 from the India-Nepal border at Banbasa. Despite being accused of several bombings, he received a clean chit from Delhi Court in 2016 on four cases against him. The court, at the time, stated that the Delhi Police had failed to bring significant evidence against him to frame the charges. The alleged Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist, however, remained in lock-up due to several pending cases against him. In 2017, the court awarded life imprisonment to then-75 year old Tunda, for his role in the 1996 Sonepat bomb blasts case and imposed a fine of Rs 1 lakh. He is currently serving out this sentence. Speaking to ANI outside the court, Advocate Shafqat Sultani said, "Abdul Karim Tunda is innocent, today the Court gave this judgement. Abdul Karim Tunda has been acquitted in all Sections and all Acts." "CBI prosecution could not produce any concrete piece of evidence before the court in TADA, IPC, Railway Acts, Arms Act, or Explosive Substances Act. We had been saying that from the beginning that Abdul Karim Tunda is innocent...Irfan and Hamiduddin have been convicted & quantum of the sentence will be pronounced shortly," he added. Hours after razing his house, the DDA offered to move Hassan and his family to a temporary accommodation but he declined the offer, sources said on Thursday | File image (Photo: ANI) Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday attacked the BJP over the razing of the house of a rat-hole miner who was part of the Silkyara tunnel rescue operation, saying demolishing the houses of the poor and humiliating them is the truth of the BJP's "anyay kaal". Several houses, including that of Wakeel Hassan, feted for saving with his team of rat-hole miners 41 workers trapped in Uttarkashi's Silkyara tunnel in November last year, were razed in a demolition drive carried out by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) in Khajoori Khas area on Wednesday. In a post on X, Vadra shared a video of Hassan's wife in which she is heard saying that her husband was the hero of Uttarkashi whom everyone respected and in exchange for that honour, "they took away my house". Vadra said Hassan risked his life to save the workers trapped inside the Uttarkashi tunnel. "Then, for their publicity, big leaders of the BJP had gotten photographs clicked with him. Now when the publicity is over, today the same Wakeel Hassan was locked in the police station and his house was demolished and the roof was taken away from the heads of his children," the Congress general secretary said. "Demolishing the houses of the poor, crushing them, torturing and humiliating them - this injustice is the truth of the BJP's 'anyay kaal'. The public will definitely respond to this injustice," Vadra said. The DDA had said on Wednesday that the demolition drive was carried out on land that was "part of planned development land". Police said several structures built illegally were demolished during the drive. Hours after razing his house, the DDA offered to move Hassan and his family to a temporary accommodation but he declined the offer, sources said on Thursday. Hassan told PTI that DDA officials also told him that he would soon be provided a house in the Govindpuri area but he refused to accept the offer as it was only a "verbal assurance". The White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters at her daily news conference that Biden's doctors decided against a cognitive test | Photo: Bloomberg Joe Biden "continues to be fit for duty" and "fully executes" all of his responsibilities, his physician has said after an annual health checkup, asserting that the 81-year-old US President does not have any major health concerns. The White House on Wednesday shared a memo with President Biden's current health summary following his annual routine physical at Walter Reed National Military Medical Centre. Biden, whose health has been under scrutiny ahead of November's presidential election, underwent the assessment on Wednesday. He continues to be fit for duty and fully executes all of his responsibilities without any exemptions or accommodations, Dr Kevin O'Connor, physician to the US President, wrote in a memo shared with reporters. Biden's annual medical checkup included speciality consultation with several Presidential Specialty Consultants. These specialities included Optometry, Dentistry, Orthopedics (Foot and Ankle), Orthopedics (Spine), Physical Therapy, Neurology, Sleep Medicine, Cardiology, Radiology and Dermatology. Soon after his return from Walter Reed, Biden told reporters that doctors told him he looked too young. They think you look too young, he said amidst laughter. No, there is nothing different than last year. Everything is great, the president said, responding to questions on his health checkup. It is a White House tradition to publicise the annual health checkup of the US President in the form of a memo from the president's physician. The White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters at her daily news conference that Biden's doctors decided against a cognitive test. Such a test is being demanded by several of his political opponents, including Indian-American Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley. The President doesn't need a cognitive test. That is not my assessment. That is the assessment of the President's doctor. That is also the assessment of the neurologist who has also made that assessment as well, Jean-Pierre said. The President's doctor has said, if you look at this, the President, who is also the Commander-in-Chief, passes a cognitive test every day, as he moves from one topic to another topic, understanding the granular level of these topics," she said. "You saw him talk about a fighting crime today. Tomorrow, he's going to go to the border. Next week, he's going to give a State of the Union Address, she added. Asserting that this is a very rigorous job, she said that Biden has been able to do it every day for the past three years. "And let's not forget, he is also leading a historic presidency, which is also important to note in everything that we've been able to do -- he's been able to get done over the past three years, the press secretary said. Biden is the oldest president in the history of the United States. The president's health was in the news earlier this month after a special counsel investigating Biden for improperly storing classified documents suggested he was suffering from mental decline due to his age. The 345-page report described him as "a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory". "My memory is fine," Biden said while reacting sharply to the report earlier this month. "I am well-meaning. And am elderly. I know what the hell I'm doing. I put this country back on its feet." Opinion polls indicate Biden's age is a concern for voters ahead of November's race for the White House. In his memo, O'Connor wrote that an extremely detailed neurological exam showed there were no findings which would be consistent with any cerebellar or other central neurological disorder, such as stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's or other disorders. "This exam did again support a mild peripheral neuropathy in both feet. No motor weakness was detected. He exhibits no tremor either at rest or with activity. He demonstrates excellent fine motor dexterity," the memo said. It added that a subtle difference in heat/cold sensation could be elicited as last year. The physician wrote that this heat/cold sensation deficit was detected a couple of inches higher on his ankle/calf this year, adding that it was not unexpected. "There may, in fact, be a day-to-day subjective variation of these findings, as during last year's exam, this area of sensation deficit was actually found to be smaller than the year before, the doctor said. O'Connor wrote that Biden's clinical exam was normal except for a decreased range of motion and noted that the president did note some increased left hip discomfort with activity recently. A combination of significant spinal arthritis, post-fracture foot arthritis and sensory peripheral neuropathy of the feet is the explanation for the subtle gait changes I was investigating. This assessment is unchanged, he wrote. He also noted that radiographs revealed mild arthritic changes, contributing to Biden's stiffened gait. The physician added that no additional treatment besides his ongoing physical therapy is warranted. The memo noted the president's height as 72 inches and weight as 178 lbs (80.7 kgs). President Biden is a healthy, active, robust 81-year-old male, who remains fit to successfully execute the duties of the presidency, to include those as Chief Executive, Head of State and Commander in Chief. O'Connor wrote in his memo. 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Early on Thursday, Alvi approved a move from the caretaker parliamentary affairs ministry to summon the newly-elected National Assembly's first session on February 29, according to a statement posted by the president's X account. "Subject to some reservations, President Dr Arif Alvi has summoned to convene the National Assembly on February 29 in exercise of the powers conferred by Article 54(1) of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan," the statement said. It said that the president accorded his approval keeping in view "the mandate and implications of the timeline given in Article 91 (2) and subject to some reservations and expecting the resolution of the issue of the reserved seats before the 21st day [after the general elections]." The late-night statement also took issue with the tone of the summary sent to Alvi by the caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, adding that the president was calling the session as he expected that the issue of reserved seats would be settled by the 21st day after the polls, as envisaged in the law. According to constitutional provisions, the meeting of the National Assembly must be convened within 21 days of the elections, and February 29 is the mandated date under Article 91. The newly elected Parliament will meet on Thursday for its maiden session amidst a row over the alleged rigging of votes. In the opening session, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, the outgoing Speaker of the previous Parliament, would administer the oath to the new members and adjourn the session for the next Assembly to elect the new speaker and deputy speaker. The election for the post of prime minister is expected on Saturday, and former premier Shehbaz Sharif is poised to be elected as the new leader of the House. On Monday, Alvi, a close aide of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan and a former senior member of his party, rejected a move from the caretaker parliamentary affairs ministry to summon the National Assembly's first session, maintaining that all reserved seats be allocated before its summoning. By Betsy Joles, Faseeh Mangi and Kamran Haider Pakistans voters expressed their disillusionment with the nations powerful military in a surprising election result earlier this month. But the army is still poised to have more control from behind the scenes than ever and reviving the economy will be its ultimate test. The military, which has ruled Pakistan directly or indirectly for most of its modern history, is set to make all important decisions on foreign policy and security for the countrys new government and have a more expanded role in running the nations economy, a person familiar with the matter said. Shehbaz Sharif, whos expected to become prime minister, is likely to be only a figurehead, the person said, asking not to be identified because the information is private. The army is consolidating power as Pakistan faces the worst inflation in Asia, a crippling debt load and the need to negotiate another bailout from the International Monetary Fund. Observers are largely pessimistic that a weak coalition propped up by the military will fare any better than similar governments in the past. While the army definitely has more credibility than politicians, it has not shown historically a strong grasp or understanding of what needs to be done, said Yousuf Nazar, a former Citigroup Inc. banker and author of The Gathering Storm: Pakistan. Pakistans military and Sharifs party did not respond to a request for a comment. Pakistans two old-guard political parties controlled by the Sharif and Bhutto clans agreed last week to form a government, breaking an almost two-week impasse after an inconclusive election on Feb. 8. The elected lawmakers will meet on February 29 in the first session of National Assembly that will select a prime minister with former premier Shehbaz Sharif expected to take the job. The move thwarts the former premier Imran Khan, who fell out of favor with the military and ended up in jail. His party colleagues were forced to run as independents, and still won the most seats but fell short of an outright majority. Khans party did better than most surveys, which is seen as a sharp rebuke of the militarys attempts to sideline Khan and engineer the elections to their desired outcome. The new coalition regime will be entirely reliant on the goodwill of the military to be able to stay in place, said Omar Warraich, a political commentator and special advisor at Open Society Foundations, an organization that gives grants in support of civil society. The army can easily bring it down if it disagrees on policy, he said. That has been the story for much of Pakistans history since independence in 1947. Khan himself, for instance, was widely seen as backed by the generals when he came to power in 2018. But the relationship soured when the former cricketer tried to influence military appointments, leading to his ouster. Shehbaz was anointed as his successor. His brother Nawaz, a three-time former premier, also had a history of being backed and then deposed by the military, including once in a coup. Shehbaz has been conciliatory with the military, including publicly praising army chief Asim Munir. During his time in office, Shehbazs government passed two bills to give the military more power. One criminalized criticism of the armed forces; the other gave the security forces unlimited power to arrest any individual they deem a threat. Pakistan set up a Special Investment Facilitation Council in June, during Shehbazs term, to promote foreign investments and spur growth. One of the councils members is the army chief, Munir. Its immediate aim has been to increase foreign direct investment to $5 billion. So far no major deals have been signed. The Economist Intelligence Units 2023 Democracy Index, released earlier this month, downgraded Pakistan to an authoritarian regime from a hybrid regime. Pakistans arch-rival India expects Pakistans military to play a more pivotal role with the fractured mandate making it impossible for any individual leader turning against the army, an official familiar with the matter said, asking not to be identified as the person isnt authorized to speak to the media. They do not rule out peace overtures with India after new governments settle in both countries, said the official. Indias elections are scheduled for later this year. Some in Pakistan see the militarys heavy-handed role as a good thing. Whenever weve had a military government, decision-making is easier. So the economic indicators are at times better, said Omar Mahmood Hayat, a retired military lieutenant general and chairman of Unity Foods Ltd., a Pakistani food manufacturer, citing the economy under former military dictator Pervez Musharraf. Musharraf ruled from 1999 until 2008 and oversaw an economy that fared better than other elected governments, according to the misery index by Bloomberg Economics, which looks at unemployment and inflation rates. Musharraf was favored by Western allies. His tenure, which largely coincided with the worst years of the War on Terror, saw a healthy inflow of dollars into Pakistan for combating terrorism. Hayat says the army offers continuity of policies that civilian governments often cant. One question is how the public will respond to the new government after voters delivered a rebuke to the status quo by voting for Khans loyalists. Supporters of Khans Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party took to the streets last weekend to protest alleged vote-rigging. Definitely the message is that people are not happy with their intervention, Ayesha Siddiqa, a political scientist and senior fellow at Kings College London, said of the army. Shehbazs brother, Nawaz, was widely expected to become the new prime minister, with the backing of the army, after he returned from exile in London and was acquitted of corruption charges. But Shehbaz became the militarys choice, according to Mohammad Waseem, a political science professor at Lahore University of Management Sciences. He is a great compromiser, Waseem said. He will try to stabilize the situation by giving and taking during critical moments. Still, brokering an agreement with the IMF will for Sharif and the military behind him - require accepting tough conditions from the multilateral lender, which are likely to anger the public even more. The military may be more powerful than ever, but it has never faced a harder task. The economic crisis has now become a national security issue, Warraich said. If this economic turnaround doesnt work, it can easily all be put on Shehbaz Sharif and he could be dispensed with. 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ABOUT Admitad is part of the Mitgo group of companies and is a partnership management platform that brings together over 100,000 publishers and 3000 advertisers across the globe and offers innovative marketing and e-commerce solutions for online marketers and companies of all sizes. www.admitad.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240229635456/en/ EH Group is a proud member of H2MARINE, a co-funded initiative by the EUs Clean Hydrogen Partnership and SERI (Switzerland). The project is committed to innovation in hydrogen technologies, focused on the development of next generation PEM fuel cell stacks for marine applications. This press release features multimedia. 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View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240228228176/en/ February, 29, otherwise know as leap year day, is shown on a calendar Sunday, Feb. 25, 2024, in Overland Park, Kan. Because it actually takes a bit longer than 365 days for the Earth to revolve around the sun, an extra day is added to the calendar in February every four years to make up make up for the that extra time. Charlie Riedel/AP A calendar shows the month of February, including leap day, Feb. 29, on Friday, Feb. 23, 2024, in San Diego. Gregory Bull/AP A calendar shows the month of February, including leap day, Feb. 29, on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024, in Glenside, Pa., Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024. Matt Rourke/AP The 29th of February is shown on a calendar during a leap year, in Glenside, Pa., Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024. Matt Rourke/AP The 29th of February is shown on a calendar during a leap year, in Glenside, Pa., Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024. Matt Rourke/AP February, 29, otherwise know as leap year day, is shown on a calendar Sunday, Feb. 25, 2024, in Overland Park, Kan. Because it actually takes a bit longer than 365 days for the Earth to revolve around the sun, an extra day is added to the calendar in February every four years to make up make up for the that extra time. Charlie Riedel/AP NEW YORK (AP) Leap year. It's a delight for the calendar and math nerds among us. So how did it all begin and why? Have a look at some of the numbers, history and lore behind the (not quite) every-four-year phenomenon that adds a 29th day to February. BY THE NUMBERS Advertisement Article continues below this ad The math is mind-boggling in a layperson sort of way and down to fractions of days and minutes. There's even a leap second occasionally, but there's no hullabaloo when that happens. The thing to know is that leap year exists, in large part, to keep the months in sync with annual events, including equinoxes and solstices, according to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology. It's a correction to counter the fact that Earth's orbit isn't precisely 365 days a year. The trip takes about six hours longer than that, NASA says. Contrary to what some might believe, however, not every four years is a leaper. Adding a leap day every four years would make the calendar longer by more than 44 minutes, according to the National Air & Space Museum. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Later, on a calendar yet to come (we'll get to it), it was decreed that years divisible by 100 not follow the four-year leap day rule unless they are also divisible by 400, the JPL notes. In the past 500 years, there was no leap day in 1700, 1800 and 1900, but 2000 had one. In the next 500 years, if the practice is followed, there will be no leap day in 2100, 2200, 2300 and 2500. Still with us? The next leap years are 2028, 2032 and 2036. WHAT WOULD HAPPEN WITHOUT A LEAP DAY? Advertisement Article continues below this ad Eventually, nothing good in terms of when major events fall, when farmers plant and how seasons align with the sun and the moon. Without the leap years, after a few hundred years we will have summer in November, said Younas Khan, a physics instructor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Christmas will be in summer. There will be no snow. There will be no feeling of Christmas. WHO CAME UP WITH LEAP YEAR? The short answer: It evolved. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Ancient civilizations used the cosmos to plan their lives, and there are calendars dating back to the Bronze Age. They were based on either the phases of the moon or the sun, as various calendars are today. Usually they were lunisolar, using both. Now hop on over to the Roman Empire and Julius Caesar. He was dealing with major seasonal drift on calendars used in his neck of the woods. They dealt badly with drift by adding months. He was also navigating a vast array of calendars starting in a vast array of ways in the vast Roman Empire. He introduced his Julian calendar in 46 BCE. It was purely solar and counted a year at 365.25 days, so once every four years an extra day was added. Before that, the Romans counted a year at 355 days, at least for a time. But still, under Julius, there was drift. There were too many leap years! The solar year isn't precisely 365.25 days! It's 365.242 days, said Nick Eakes, an astronomy educator at the Morehead Planetarium and Science Center at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Thomas Palaima, a classics professor at the University of Texas at Austin, said adding periods of time to a year to reflect variations in the lunar and solar cycles was done by the ancients. The Athenian calendar, he said, was used in the fourth, fifth and sixth centuries with 12 lunar months. That didn't work for seasonal religious rites. The drift problem led to intercalating an extra month periodically to realign with lunar and solar cycles, Palaima said. The Julian calendar was 0.0078 days (11 minutes and 14 seconds) longer than the tropical year, so errors in timekeeping still gradually accumulated, according to NASA. But stability increased, Palaima said. The Julian calendar was the model used by the Western world for hundreds of years. Enter Pope Gregory XIII, who calibrated further. His Gregorian calendar took effect in the late 16th century. It remains in use today and, clearly, isn't perfect or there would be no need for leap year. But it was a big improvement, reducing drift to mere seconds. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Why did he step in? Well, Easter. It was coming later in the year over time, and he fretted that events related to Easter like the Pentecost might bump up against pagan festivals. The pope wanted Easter to remain in the spring. He eliminated some extra days accumulated on the Julian calendar and tweaked the rules on leap day. It's Pope Gregory and his advisers who came up with the really gnarly math on when there should or shouldn't be a leap year. If the solar year was a perfect 365.25 then we wouldnt have to worry about the tricky math involved, Eakes said. WHAT'S THE DEAL WITH LEAP YEAR AND MARRIAGE? Advertisement Article continues below this ad Bizarrely, leap day comes with lore about women popping the marriage question to men. It was mostly benign fun, but it came with a bite that reinforced gender roles. Theres distant European folklore. One story places the idea of women proposing in fifth century Ireland, with St. Bridget appealing to St. Patrick to offer women the chance to ask men to marry them, according to historian Katherine Parkin in a 2012 paper in the Journal of Family History. Nobody really knows where it all began. In 1904, syndicated columnist Elizabeth Meriwether Gilmer, aka Dorothy Dix, summed up the tradition this way: Of course people will say ... that a womans leap year prerogative, like most of her liberties, is merely a glittering mockery. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The pre-Sadie Hawkins tradition, however serious or tongue-in-cheek, could have empowered women but merely perpetuated stereotypes. The proposals were to happen via postcard, but many such cards turned the tables and poked fun at women instead. Advertising perpetuated the leap year marriage game. A 1916 ad by the American Industrial Bank and Trust Co. read thusly: This being Leap Year day, we suggest to every girl that she propose to her father to open a savings account in her name in our own bank. There was no breath of independence for women due to leap day. SHOULD WE PITY THE LEAPLINGS? Advertisement Article continues below this ad Being born in a leap year on a leap day certainly is a talking point. But it can be kind of a pain from a paperwork perspective. Some governments and others requiring forms to be filled out and birthdays to be stated stepped in to declare what date was used by leaplings for such things as drivers licenses, whether Feb. 28 or March 1. Technology has made it far easier for leap babies to jot down their Feb. 29 milestones, though there can be glitches in terms of health systems, insurance policies and with other businesses and organization that don't have that date built in. There are about 5 million people worldwide who share the leap birthday out of about 8 billion people on the planet. Shelley Dean, 23, in Seattle, Washington, chooses a rosy attitude about being a leapling. Growing up, she had normal birthday parties each year, but an extra special one when leap years rolled around. Since, as an adult, she marks that non-leap period between Feb. 28 and March 1 with a low-key whew. This year is different. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Wednesday, February 28, 2024 at 1:20AM Image: Google Another one of the newer Android updates streamlines document review on your Android device. Google Docs now supports handwritten annotations. Just use your finger or stylus to add handwritten annotations directly in Docs. You can choose from various pen colours and highlighters, making providing feedback fast, flexible, and effortless. Source HARTFORD A state Supreme Court decision released Tuesday gives hope to Madison Hamburg, a documentary filmmaker who has spent years investigating his mothers killing, and others who may want to review police records on unsolved cold cases but does not guarantee they will get the documents they want. At issue in the case was a provision of the state Freedom of Information Act that permits police departments to refuse to release information to be used in a prospective law enforcement action if prejudicial to such action. For that provision to apply, the unanimous state Supreme Court ruled, police must demonstrate that that an arrest or prosecution is at least reasonably possible. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Writing for the court, Justice Raheem L. Mullins explained that this interpretation steers a course between more extreme possible interpretations of the laws language. An arrest need not be probable or likely, but it must be more than only remotely or theoretically possible, Mullins wrote. This standard effectuates the legislative intent of providing open access to public records without unduly hamstringing ongoing investigations. The case stemmed from a complaint to the state Freedom of Information Commission by filmmaker Anike Niemeyer, who worked with Hamburg on Murder on Middle Beach, a documentary series about the 2010 killing of Hamburgs mother, Barbara Beach Hamburg, at her Madison home. The series aired on HBO in 2020. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Earlier in 2020, the commission ordered the Madison Police Department to give Niemeyer copies of most of its investigative records on the case. The department released two boxes of records with the statement, Everything that we have should be in there, according to a legal brief filed for Niemeyer by David A. Schulz of Yale Law Schools Media Freedom & Information Access Clinic. But he added that Niemeyer subsequently discovered that not all the records had been released. An exchange of communications on this issue with Madison police ended in their decision not to release additional records and instead to appeal the FOI Commissions decision to the court. Superior Court Judge Daniel J. Klau upheld the commissions decision. Madison police appealed further, leading to Tuesdays Supreme Court decision, which adopted the legal standard Klau had used but differed from his decision in important details. The Supreme Court sent the case back to the FOI Commission to apply the new legal standard and to correct what it called clearly erroneous factual findings. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Mullins wrote that the FOI Commissions decision twice said police had not identified any suspects. But he added that Madison police Detective Christopher Sudock gave uncontradicted testimony at the FOI Commissions hearing that the department had long been close to solving the crime and that it had a number one suspect, based on DNA and other evidence. The state Division of Criminal Justice filed a friend of the court brief arguing that law enforcement agencies should be able to refuse to release their records whenever an investigation is open, a suspect has been identified, and no insurmountable obstacles exist to a future prosecution, Mullins wrote. He acknowledged that the division tells a compelling tale of cases in which the police were able to solve long cold murders because records of investigations were not released too soon. But the justice went on to cite the history of the 1950s and '60s, which, he wrote, is replete with incidents in which law enforcement agencies failed to diligently investigate the murders of Black victims and then resisted disclosing investigation records that would have both shed light on their own indolence, if not complicity, and allowed victims families and outside organizations, sometimes with the assistance of documentary filmmakers, to help bring the killers to justice. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Lawyer Valicia Dee Harmon, who represented the FOI Commission in the case, welcomed the legal standard adopted by the Supreme Court, saying it struck a good balance between law enforcements need for space and the publics need for some oversight. I am pleased that the Madson Police Department has been vindicated from the erroneous decision of the Freedom of Information Commission, which I believed from the beginning was a departure from how cold cases, particularly those involving a homicide, had been treated in the past," said lawyer Floyd Dugas, who represented the Police Department in the case. "The Courts decision provides a clearer road map for law enforcement going forward as to what is needed to prove the applicability of the law enforcement exception under the Freedom of Information Act," Dugas continued. "I look forward to the opportunity to demonstrate to the Commission why the details of the this case warrant application of the law enforcement exception to FOIA under the new standards articulated by the Court. Schulz, the lawyer representing Niemeyer, who requested the police records, said, "The Supreme Courts opinion provides a welcome reaffirmation of the publics right to inspect the records of police investigations when doing so will not prejudice some future proceeding. Access to investigative records is essential for public oversight of law enforcement agencies to knowing if police are properly doing their jobs. The Supreme Court made this clear in rejecting the claim that all records of the investigation of a 12-year-old, unsolved murder could be kept completely secret simply by saying that the investigation remains open. Advertisement Article continues below this ad You could say that a lot is riding on the Lexus LBX. Not only is it Lexus first three-letter named model after the LFA supercar, but becaus... 37th Americas Cup ORIENT EXPRESS RACING TEAM INEOS Britannia Team day 24, Sailing with T6 (LEQ12). 8February2023. 37th Americas Cup Recon. All images source & credit by the official Americas Cup Twitter account: twitter.com/americascup. Follow it long of web www.americascup.com, as the media work done is excellent and almost any additional coverage is redundant on the quantity and quality of this Cup cycle official coverage. Americas Cup AC40s: Welcome to the speed & pitchpole Club The other day we were commenting with a group of friends about the Sail GP and how some venues selected on the commercial aspect bring the show down. Also there is a domination by Slingsby and his team, plus not much action in terms of that Classic pitchpoles the usual sailing snob used to laugh at Catamarans. Cats were always fast but second level alternatives for the Sailing status quo. That changed with Russell Coutts and the Oracle Trimaran vs Alinghi Cat Americas Cup Challenge, later on the AC72s and F50s. The Foiling Catamarans shook the grounds of sailing as a sport. Remember Team New Zealands Tractor spy photo training at home waters, we were all trying to analyze if was a mere photoshop trick. But it wasnt Long story short, Foiling cats showed superb performance and excellent Match Race capabilities within the Americas Cup realm at San Francisco & Bermuda. But some were not content enough with the show, as the old label of catamarans are not proper yachts remained in the head of many traditional & influential people like Patrizio Bertelli who after Bermuda demanded Team New Zealand to get rid of those beachcats and re install a proper monohull. As TNZ design team scratched their head on how to please their AC partner, they came up with an extreme Alien idea, I remember too an AC Design Pro laughing at the initial renders, it was an unbelievable concept. But Team New Zealand are #1, they were the driving force behind the same AC72 Flying Tractor Cat, they managed to get this new radical concept to work. Initial tests were tricky, specially in light winds stability. But with more hours on board AC teams got the proper trim and the AC75s delivered an excellent show past Cup. Main critic was the limited wind range of operation. On the rest, ufff what an achievement to put those crazy concept renders to such real life weapons. In 6 months we will have the second generation of these foiling monohulls racing at Barcelona. Meanwhile the AC40s keep pushing the limits and continue to deliver a pitch pole show only worth of those peasant racing Catamarans. They have become a real show and a Class fun to follow, specially on the constant foil design innovation and with the course & conditions Barcelona waters might dekuver we are sure to witness another interesting and entertaining Americas Cup. So we are happy to welcome the foiling monohulls to the elevated speed & pitch poling realm, now you can share with Multihull sailors the high adrenaline and unique sensation of sailing & racing such fun weapons. We are pleased to be contemporary of this great Americas Cup era. Wonder if Bertelli has changed his mind about multihulls now that AC monos have entered same league. We dont know for sure, but we want team Luna Rossa to take next Cup as every time the enter the AC, and of course we root for Ruggero & Vitto! Norwalk City Hall in Norwalk, Conn., on June 2, 2016. File photo / Erik Trautmann/Hearst Connecticut Media NORWALK As it grappled with a $3 billion surge in Norwalks grand list, driven by increased residential property values and an imbalance of residential versus commercial burden, Norwalks Common Council delayed setting a budget cap. Regardless of the spending cap, Norwalk residents will face a significant increase in their property tax because of the recent revaluation. A key change brought on by the revaluation is the percentage of taxable property made up of residential property increasing while the commercial property value decreased. Before the revaluation, residential property made up 66 percent of the city's grand list, and commercial property made up 34 percent. Now, with an $18 billion value, Norwalks grand list is comprised of 71.5 percent residential property and 28.5 percent commercial property. Advertisement Article continues below this ad This shift in balance means residents will bear more of the tax burden, regardless of a budget increase. The tax increase will be determined by the budget cap that is set by the Common Council, a decision council members are not taking lightly. This will be financially painful for every one of us sitting in this room, for all of our constituents, this is going to be really hard, said Barbara Smyth, a Common Council member at-large during the Common Council meeting Tuesday night. Advertisement Article continues below this ad What all of us on the council should be thinking about is really the effect that this has on the people of Norwalk, said Jalin Sead, Common Council member for District A. Looking at these numbers, especially just with the revaluation, is scary." Currently, the proposed budget increase is 4 percent, rounding out at $440.6 million to fund the city and Norwalk Public Schools in fiscal year 2024-25. Last year, the budget was set at $423 million. Without any budget increase this year, residents' tax bills would still increase by $870 to $3,663, based on the median tax bill. If commercial (property values) had gone up as much as residential had, there would be much more parity, and the increases would not be as dramatic, said Tom Ellis, Norwalks director of management and budget. Originally, the 2024-25 budget was proposed at $442.7 million, which would be a 4.5 percent increase. Ellis said that through scrubbing the budget with departments they were able to pare it down to a 4 percent increase in the hopes of minimizing the impact on residential taxpayers. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Connecticut requires all municipalities to conduct a revaluation every five years. In the past five years, external factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic have changed the demand in both the housing and commercial markets. What Norwalk has dealt with regarding seeing an increase in the residential and a decrease in certain segments of commercial, particularly office and retail, is consistent with what you see throughout the state of Connecticut, particularly in Fairfield County, Ellis said. Home values in Norwalk have increased by 30 percent to 60 percent, with the largest increase in South Norwalk. With the demand for housing driving property value and in turn taxes up, Common Council members worried this change will push some residents out of the city. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Norwalk is one of the best places in the country, in the state to live, but we should make sure that the people who lived here and worked hard to live here could stay here in Norwalk, Sead said. When I look at this budget I might be one of those people that get kicked out of the city because of taxes going up and impacting rent, said Dajuan Wiggins, Common Council member for District B. Growing the housing stock has been a goal of the city, but Josh Goldstein, Common Council member at-large, said more needs to be done to meet demand. There is not enough housing in Norwalk, Goldstein said. There is not enough affordable housing in Norwalk, and that does not just mean federally subsidized affordable housing but also enough housing in our housing stock where people can afford it. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Since 2018, Norwalk added $333 million in commercial apartments, which is helping to offset the residential and commercial value burden, Ellis said. The increase of responsible development of apartments in the city is actually going to end up reducing peoples tax bills because its going to even out the residential versus commercial disparity, said Goldstein. Weighing priorities In the next week, the Common Council is faced with the challenge of balancing and setting the spending cap and the impact it will have on residents. Advertisement Article continues below this ad I honestly dont know how I feel about this budget at this moment in time, but I know I feel very troubled looking ahead at the future, said Jenn McMurrer, Common Council member for District C. How do we balance the increase in taxes and the services needed for a growing city? We need to come up with a strategy that encompasses what our core values are, McMurrer added. Nora Niedzielski-Eichner, Common Council member at-large and majority party leader, said she wants the city to focus on optimizing spending and advocated for a full-time grant writer for the city. A grant writer would substantially increase our revenue opportunities and would more than pay for themselves, Niedzielski-Eichner said. It would make tons of sense from my perspective to expend the money to add such a person to our budget. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Increasing the investment in technology and IT protection was another suggestion from Common Council members, including Niedzielski-Eichner, noted. IT, its a department that is so crucial to the functioning of the city, said Nicol Ayers, Common Council member for District A. Other council members expressed concerns for the impact the tax increase will have on residents. Yeah, there are people in Rowayton that can probably take a deep breath and they can swallow that, but when I look at the other districts, I was really scared, said Jim Frayer, Common Council member for District E. That is really devastating to people. Advertisement Article continues below this ad I think we have to be very, very, very, extremely careful, Frayer said. Norwalks Board of Estimate and Taxation is responsible for evaluating each budget item, line by line, but the spending cap is set by the Common Council. The decisions we make impact lives, Ayers said. This is serious business, people, and I encourage you to not act in fear but be courageous because thats what you were elected to do. Ultimately, the council unanimously agreed to table the spending cap resolution until a special meeting on March 5. A public hearing for the budget is scheduled for March 20. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Schwenk Zement terminates Namibian purchase agreement 29 February 2024 The purchase agreement between Schwenk Zement International GmbH and RWCo GmbH regarding shares in Schwenk Namibia (PTY) Ltd has been cancelled. The agreement, which was signed on 6 April 2023, was for 100 per cent of the shares in Schwenk Namibia, which holds, inter alia, 69.83 per cent of Ohorongo Cement (PTY) Ltd and 100 per cent of Energy For Future (PTY) Ltd. The agreement was waiting on the approval of the Namibian Competition Commission (NaCC). According to RWCo, rather than approving the agreement, the NaCC imposed a condition for which there is no legal basis under Namibian competition law. RWCo filed a review against the decision with the Minister of Trade and Industry, which was still pending. However, on 7 February 2024 Schwenk Zement International decided to terminate the purchase agreement saying it did not want to accept any delays caused by the ongoing review proceeding. According to RWCo, during the course of the acquisition process, which lasted around two years, incomprehensible developments and inconsistencies in the relevant state institutions in Namibia came to light that would not only impact potential investors but also negatively impact the Namibian people. Published under The woman whose body was found over a week ago on Route 53 in Redding has been identified as Bridgeport resident Leah Chaparro, and police say circumstances surrounding her death are suspicious. H John Voorhees III / Hearst Connecticut Media REDDING The woman whose body was found over a week ago off Route 53 has been identified as Leah Chaparro, and police say circumstances surrounding her death are suspicious. The 26-year-old Bridgeport residents body was located in a wooded area off of Route 53 in Redding the morning of Feb. 18, after a jogger called 911 and reported finding a deceased person, Connecticut State Police said in a press release Wednesday. State police which assumed the investigation within hours of the body being reported told Hearst Connecticut Media on Tuesday that the decedent was a woman in her 20s, but had been tight-lipped, citing the ongoing nature of the investigation. Advertisement Article continues below this ad According to dispatch reports, emergency personnel were called to an area near the Glen Road and Newtown Turnpike intersection for an unresponsive party who was not breathing shortly before 9 a.m. Feb. 18. The area was closed for an extended period of time and eventually reopened, according to Redding police, who announced shortly after 3 p.m. that state police and the Danbury States Attorneys Office had taken over the investigation and there was no threat to the general public. While the manner and cause of death are pending further studies, according to the state Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, state police say Western District Major Crime Squad detectives are actively investigating the suspicious circumstances surrounding Chaparros death. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Chaparro, a graduate of Brien McMahon High School in Norwalk, is remembered by loved ones as a vibrant, resilient and determined young woman with an infectious sense of humor, according to her obituary. Leahs journey through life was a testament to her resilience and the indomitable light she carried within her, the obituary states, describing her as a social butterfly with a warm and welcoming demeanor. Loved ones say Chaparro faced numerous challenges in her 26 years of life and displayed resilience in the face of adversity. Her unyielding faith and determination to grow, even in the midst of hardships, were a source of inspiration for all who knew her, her obituary states. In her moments of joy, Leah found solace in singing, a passion that illuminated her life and brought joy to others. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Since Georgia Northwestern Technical College (GNTC) capped 2023 with two prestigious national accreditations and one national designation, college officials are looking ahead to an event in April when high school students will commit to pursue a technical education. Last fall, GNTC was named Georgias first National Coalition of Certification Centers (NC3) Leadership School; NC3s mission is to train and educate future skilled workers for productive careers. This year will be GNTCs first time to participate in the National Career and Technical Education (CTE) Letter of Intent Signing Day, which will be held on the Gordon County Campus in Calhoun. GNTC will live stream the event on Thursday, April 18.On signing day, high school students, parents, instructors and counselors, administrators, industry partners, potential employers and members of the community will gather at participating NC3 Leadership Schools to watch students sign their letters of commitment to pursue a technical education at the college of their choice after they finish high school.GNTC had been working with NC3 prior to the Leadership School designation. GNTC had already issued more than 800 NC3 credentials to its students at the time of the certification announcement, said Jennifer Loudermilk, associate vice president of Academic Affairs at GNTC.Approximately 13 GNTC faculty members have a combined total of 160 NC3 certifications, Loudermilk said. All GNTC program areas with applicable NC3 certifications are urged to participate.We are very proud of the faculty who are embracing the opportunity to add these certifications to GNTC programs and expand the nationally-recognized certifications available to GNTC students, Loudermilk said.NC3 certification is nationally recognized as the standard for certifications and workforce development, according to NC3s website. Certifications can be used in workforce development and training, as well as fast track training. NC3 stackable certifications are designed to integrate into an existing technical program, stand-alone and/or be utilized for workforce development training.According to NC3, its certifications can be used across various CTE program areas including aviation, construction science and energy efficiency, digital literacy, health and safety, horticulture, manufacturing, transportation and welding. NC3 certifications also include STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) programs.Global industry partners partnering with NC3 include Snap-on Inc., Trane, Thermo King, 3M, Festo, Lincoln Electric, Greenlee, Copeland, RIDGID, Kubota Tractor Corporation, L.S. Starrett Company, Daniels Manufacturing Corporation, Palmer Hamilton, Tormach, Dremel, Swift and Certiport.In 2023, the Accreditation Commission of the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NACEP) announced that it had granted accreditation for both the concurrent enrollment program (CEP) and College-Provided Faculty (CPF) model at GNTC.GNTC is the third institution in Georgia and one of three in the nation to hold NACEP accreditation for both endorsements, according to www.nacep.org. There were 133 NACEP-accredited programs nationwide across 26 states upon last years accreditation announcement.As the nations only accrediting body for these unique and impactful educational partnerships, NACEPs standards serve as the model criteria for ensuring parity in faculty, course content, student outcomes and support. Receiving NACEP accreditation means an institution has met the nations most rigorous standard in concurrent enrollment program development, management and evaluation across multiple, multifaceted program areas, according to NACEP.In December 2023, Gov. Brian Kemp announced that the State Board of the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) approved more than $3 million to establish a new college and career academy named Walker LAUNCH in Walker County, which will serve Walker and Dade County students.Walker LAUNCH College and Career Academy (CCA) is a partnership between Walker County Schools and GNTC. Since its inception in 2018, Walker Countys partnership with GNTC has been invaluable to Walker LAUNCHs success, Walker County Schools Superintendent Damon Raines said. With the recent receipt of the CCA grant, the Walker LAUNCH College and Career Academy plans to add four pathways on GNTCs Walker County Campus. The grant will allow Walker LAUNCH to open a teacher preparation pathway, as well as labs for mechatronics, culinary and healthcare, Raines explained. We hope to open the mechatronics lab for the 2024-25 school year, Raines said. The other labs will be added in succession, to open a new lab each year. All of these new programs will be dual enrollment programs that allow students to earn Technical Certificates of Credit from GNTC. Bonds in the amount of $3 million, along with $100,000 in cash, will help fund construction and support of the state-of-the-art facility that will help prepare students for the workforce, according to www.tcsg.edu. Building 500 on GNTCs Walker County Campus (WCC) in Rock Spring will be renovated to house the new college and career academy. The new college and career academy symbolizes our unwavering dedication to providing our students with exceptional learning experiences that blend academic excellence with real-world skills, said TCSG Commissioner Greg Dozier of the announcement. Our focus remains steadfast on equipping students with the tools, knowledge and opportunities to thrive in a competitive global economy. The addition of Walker LAUNCH brings the total number of college and career academies in Georgia to 58, according to TCSG. College and career academies collaborate with business partners to ensure that curriculum and training provided closely align with industry needs to increase skill sets and employability of graduates. Georgia Northwestern Technical College provides quality workforce education to the citizens of northwest Georgia. Students have the opportunity to earn an associate degree, diploma or a certificate in aviation, business, health, industrial or public service career paths. This past year, 11,601 people benefited from GNTCs credit and noncredit programs. GNTC has an annual credit enrollment of 8,071 students and an additional enrollment of 3,530 people through adult education, continuing education, business and industry training and Georgia Quick Start. For more information about GNTC, visit us at www.GNTC.edu. GNTC is a unit of the Technical College System of Georgia and an Equal Opportunity Institution. Senior U.S. District Judge Robert Leon Jordan, 89, died on Feb. 27 after decades of faithful public service. The judges of the Eastern District of Tennessee will forever remember him as a hard-working and fair jurist and a helpful, quick-witted, and supportive colleague. Members of the bar will also fondly remember him for his habit of consistently starting court a few minutes earlier than scheduled. Judge Jordan was born June 28, 1934, in Woodland, Tn. He served in the United States Army from 1954 until 1956. He earned his B.S. in 1958 from the University of Tennessee and his J.D. in 1960 from the University of Tennessee College of Law. Judge Jordan began his law practice in Nashville with the firm of Goodpasture, Carpenter, Dale and Woods before becoming a partner in the law firm of Bryant, Price, Brandt, Jordan and Fox in Johnson City in 1971. In 1980, Governor Lamar Alexander appointed him to Tennessees Chancery Court, and he was elected to a full term in 1982. In 1988, Congressman James Quillen encouraged Judge Jordan to offer himself for service on the federal bench. His personal relationship with Senator Jim Sasser helped him secure bipartisan support after President Ronald Reagan nominated him to succeed Judge Robert L. Taylor. Judge Jordan was sworn into office on Nov. 15, 1988, and served as a senior judge since Nov. 30, 2001. He capably maintained an active docket until just a few months ago. While Judge Jordan presided over many significant civil and criminal matters during his nearly four decades on the federal bench, perhaps the most notable occurred just after his tenure began: a 99-day jury trial involving the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation following the failures of Butcher banks. He championed the cause of the acquisition and building of the Howard H. Baker, Jr. United States Courthouse in Knoxville in the 1990s. Judge Jordan served for several years as chairman of the planning committee of the Sixth Circuit Judicial Conference, which honored him in June 2001 for his leadership. At the Judicial Conference in 2004, he was elected president of the Sixth Circuit District Judges Association. He was also instrumental in the formation of the Federal Bar Association of the Courts Northeastern Division. In December 2014, he was presented the Judicial Excellence Award by the Knoxville Bar Association. Judge Jordans beloved wife of 67 years, Dottie, died at the age of 91 just over two months ago. The Court is deeply grateful for Judge Jordans service, dedication, and example and extends its sincerest condolences to his family. In loving memory of Nancy Hashberger Urban of Signal Mountain, Tennessee, a beloved wife, mother and grandmother and whose strength, grace and love touched the lives of all who knew her, passed away peacefully on February 18, 2024. Nancy was born in Chattanooga, Tn., on Dec. 22, 1946, to James and Johnnie Ruth Hashberger. As a little girl, Nancy lived in both Signal Mountain as well as Red Bank where she attended and graduated from Red Bank High School. After high school, Nancy attended the University of Tennessee and eventually went on to get her bachelors degree in social work, where she was a member of the Omicron Chapter of Phi Alpha Honorary Society, at the University of West Florida. Nancy also received her masters degree in Health Services Administration from the College of Saint Francis. As a social worker who served her communities in both Fort Walton Beach, Fl., as well as Chattanooga, she tirelessly advocated for those in need. One of her last positions she held before retiring was as director of Hospice of Chattanooga, where her unwavering dedication and gentle spirit brought light to those facing lifes most challenging moments. Nancys heart truly belonged to the beautiful Florida Gulf Coast where she raised her family, ate her favorite foods like oysters and shrimp, and enjoyed a lifetime hobby of collecting, researching and restoring shells she found in the area, all the while still rooting for her Vols all the way from Florida. Nancy was an avid reader, who immersed herself in genealogy to better understand her heritage and roots. As part of that journey, Nancy and her husband Richard, traveled to Scotland to the Isle of Jura where many of Nancys relatives had lived in centuries past. She always said this was her favorite place to have visited. Most of all, Nancy cherished the time spent with her family. She was her husbands, childrens and grandchildrens biggest fan and never missed an opportunity to celebrate their achievements, big or small, showering them with applause, hugs, and words of praise all along the way. Nancy was predeceased by her parents, James and Johnnie Ruth Hashberger. She is survived by her devoted husband of 29 years, Dr. Richard D. Urban, PhD, daughter, Stacey Mitchell Yoakum and husband, Steve Yoakum, daughter, Amy Mitchell Ruark and husband, James Ruark, daughter, Bree Urban and husband, Brian Hatch, son, Brandt Urban and wife, Anita Urban, her sister, Jan Redding and husband, Ron Redding, her niece, Jill Rooks and husband, Brad Rooks. She is also survived by her much loved grandchildren, Jackson Yoakum, Charles and Lucy Ruark, Ariella, Lainee, and Xahria Hatch, Kai and Cora Urban, and grandniece and grandnephew, Hope and Hayden Rooks. She is also survived by dear, lifetime friend Gale Mauk. In lieu of flowers and in honor of Nancy, contributions may be made to Hearth Hospice, 513 Georgia Ave., Chattanooga, Tn. 37403. The family will receive friends from 3-7 p.m. on Wednesday, March 6, at the North Chapel of Chattanooga Funeral Home. A private family celebration of Nancys life will be held at a later date. Please share your thoughts and memories at www.chattanooganorthchapel.com . Arrangements are by the North Chapel of Chattanooga Funeral Home, Crematory & Florist, 5401 Highway 153, Hixson, Tn. 37343. An exterior view of the Connecticut State Police/DESPP headquarters building in Middletown in a file photo. Officials announced Thursday that the agency is expanding patrols and enforcement on the state's highways in light of recent fatal crashes. File photo / Christian Abraham / Hearst Connecticut Media ROCKY HILL Connecticut State Police have begun a campaign of increased enforcement on the state's highways, aimed at reducing dangerous behavior that has resulted in a recent surge in wrong-way and fatal crashes. State officials from various agencies gathered Thursday to announce the effort at a Department of Transportation facility in Rocky Hill as a stream of vehicles traveled on Interstate 91 in the background. Officials said the highway, along with Interstates 95 and 84, will be targets of the increased enforcement. I anticipate that as we rebuild our staffing within the state police, utilize modern technology, and we continue to implement additional enforcement efforts, the roadways patrolled by the Connecticut State Police will be safer, said state police Col. Daniel Loughman. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Loughman said data shows that the highways in and out of the major cities of Hartford, Waterbury, New Haven and Bridgeport pose the most risk. In the coming weeks, troopers will be working on I-95 between Bridgeport and New Haven, and I-91 between New Haven and Hartford, he said. Ronnell Higgins, the interim commissioner for the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, said they've used the data to identify the specific locations, times of day and days of the week when the greatest number of fatal crashes occur. According to officials, the state so far this year has had 50 fatalities on its highways, and saw more than 300 in each of the past three years. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Four state residents in their 20s were killed on I-95 in West Haven recently after a pickup truck driving the wrong way caused a crash. It was the third wrong-way crash so far this year, which have caused seven fatalities. Loughman said rural roads under the agency's jurisdiction also will receive added scrutiny with the help of a grant that ultimately will support 3,000 hours of patrol time. However, multiple officials made it clear that as much as the state plans to do, drivers need to do their share, too. Too many people are being reckless, putting themselves and others at risk on our states roadways, said state DOT Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Every time you get behind the wheel, that individual driver has a responsibility. Theres a social contract when you have that license to get behind the wheel. Slow down, pay attention, drive sober. Those three simple things are going to save lives on our roads," he said. State Sen. Christine Cohen, D-Guilford, shared that her 16-year-old daughter got her driver's license Thursday morning. Its very exciting, its should be a celebratory moment, but quite frankly as we discuss this, Im terrified. We have to remember our children are out there. Our babies are out there, Cohen said. There were 302 deaths along state highways in 2021; 366 in 2022; and 322 in 2023, according to the DOT. Advertisement Article continues below this ad A detective testified Wednesday that fentanyl pills, cocaine and marijuana were readily available in a home where a two-year-old who died of a drug overdose had lived with his sister and brother. Criminal Court Judge Amanda Dunn revoked bond for Taiwan Greathouse on his previous $85,000 in bonds on drug and gun cases from March 2021. She did so after a bond hearing. She said, "Children in the house clearly had access to any number of substances." Greathouse was already in jail after his arrest along with girlfriend Brittany Bell in the death of Montana Greathouse. Both are 34. The child was taken to the hospital by Ms. Bell last March 20 after she said she was sleeping with him and found around 3 a.m. that he was cold and unresponsive. She took him to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The autopsy report said he died from a lethal dose of fentanyl. Other drugs were found in his body as well, including cocaine. It was testified that Greathouse and Ms. Bell had just gotten back from a trip to Miami the previous morning. They then picked up the three children. Greathouse left from noon to around 5 p.m. for a party. He slept elsewhere in the house on 15th Avenue that night. Detective James King said both Greathouse and Ms. Bell took drug screens, and Greathouse was positive for fentanyl. He said a large bag of marijuana was inside the house and cocaine and a fentanyl pill were in a kitchen drawer. The detective said a refrigerator just outside the house contained a large amount of cocaine and 109 more fentanyl pills. The search also found a pill compressor and digital scales. He said Ms. Bell's phone showed photos of drugs being prepared for sale on the kitchen counter. Some drug buyers came to the house, while Ms. Bell made some deliveries, it was stated. Detective King said a text message on Greathouse's phone had him asking Ms. Bell to get the 15-year-old daughter to help locate some drugs in the house. The daughter and her 10-year-old brother were given follicle tests, which showed the presence of drugs. Greathouse was in the news in 2017 when he was able to make a $133,000 bond with a $5,000 payment to a bondsman. He was termed "a dangerous gang member" at the time. A Stevenson, Ala., woman was sentenced to 14 months imprisonment on Wednesday after being convicted of mail fraud involving a scheme to defraud COVID-19 unemployment programs in several states. Randa Allison, 29, appeared before Judge Curtis L. Collier. Following her incarceration, she will be on five years of supervised release. In addition, she was ordered to pay $120,025 in restitution to the Pennsylvania and Alabama Departments of Labor, and to forfeit to the United States $100,225 as part of a money judgment. Ms. Allison pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud. According to court documents, from June 2020 through June 2021, Ms. Allison conspired with others to devise a scheme in which she defrauded the United States government and the governments of Tennessee, Alabama, Pennsylvania, and California to obtain money from the states COVID relief programs in the form of unemployment insurance proceeds funded by the United States government. Specifically, Ms. Allison acquired personal information from others and used it to fraudulently make mass online applications for money earmarked by the states to provide unemployment insurance relief for those affected by the national pandemic. She falsely claimed in the applications that the individuals whose personal information was reflected on the applications worked in those states. The states then mailed debit cards to addresses in the Eastern District of Tennessee, and Ms. Allison would receive a percentage of the payout of the fraudulent claim. The defendant was personally responsible for the fraudulent distribution of over $120,000 of unemployment protection insurance funds, it was stated. The scheme itself involved the fraudulent distribution of over $550,000 in unemployment protection insurance funds. As if the pandemic were not traumatic enough for our communities, fraudsters like the defendant callously took advantage of the crisis to obtain a financial windfall, said United States Attorney Francis M. Hamilton, III. We will continue to work with our partners at every level of law enforcement to pursue and prosecute criminals who used the crisis for fraudulent personal gain." "Randa Faye Allison and her co-conspirators filed fraudulent Unemployment Insurance claims with multiple state workforce agencies, enriching themselves by defrauding a program intended to assist struggling American workers during an unprecedented global pandemic, said Mathew Broadhurst, Special Agent-in-Charge, Southeast Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of the UI system from those who exploit these benefit programs. The FBI takes very seriously our responsibility to investigate and pursue those who commit fraud for personal gain. Along with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, we will continue to aggressively investigate those who lined their pockets with money intended to help struggling businesses and workers as a result of the COVID pandemic, said Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico, of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Assistant United States Attorney Steven Neff represents the United States. The investigation was conducted by the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General and the FBI as part of the Smoky Mountains Financial Crimes Task Force. Centuries ago, someone talked about becoming weary in well-doing. Have you ever felt that way? Doing good is, well, good to do. But it can be exhausting. Especially when positive results seem slow in coming. More than 40 years ago I befriended a man who had given up a very successful professional career to begin working with the poor in a major American city. His work started with children, but he soon realized to be most effective he had to become involved with their families as well. What this man experienced was both gratifying and frustrating. There are no easy, quick fixes for individuals and families who have struggled with perpetual poverty. My friend never talked about it much, but Im sure he had many moments in which he felt weary in well-doing. Missionaries experience much the same thing. Sensing a calling from God to literally move out of their comfort zone, leaving homes, friends and communities to go to foreign lands with unfamiliar cultures, strange languages and different belief systems. They go to tell people about the Good News of Jesus Christ but often find very few interested in listening to what they have to say. I think of biblical prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah who heard God saying, Whom shall I send? And who will go for us? and responded with words like, Here am I. Send me! (Isaiah 6:8). Reading their books in the Old Testament, we discover they had little to show for their years of faithful service. Perhaps in their lowest moments of feeling weary in well-doing they were tempted to amend their original commitment to Here am I. Send someone else! We dont have to look far to find needs screaming to be met. There are the poor; the homeless; the disabled; the illiterate; the unemployed and unemployable; the mentally challenged; the physically and emotionally abused; the addicted; men, women and children at all societal levels overwhelmed by hopelessness. Just reading this litany of needs is tiring as we wonder how we could help. What difference could we possibly make? Living in our complex, fast-paced 21st century society it would seem easy to conclude the weariness many of us experience on a consistent, even daily basis is unique to our time. But its not. About 2,000 years ago, writing to members of the early church in Galatia, the apostle Paul offered these words of encouragement: Let us not become discouraged in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not become weary. So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith (Galatians 6:9-10). Well, we might argue, that was easy for Paul to say. After all, wasnt he one of the Bibles superheroes? I hardly think it was easy for him to say, considering during his tumultuous ministry he dealt with hunger and deprivation, persecution, stoning, shipwrecks, imprisonments and other seemingly insurmountable challenges. Surely, even though he cautioned against it, Paul had his weary-in-well-doing moments. So, how did he handle those times? Paul always kept His focus on Jesus Christ and never forgot his total dependence on Him. This was why he wrote, in Him we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28). Encouraging believers in ancient Philippi, Paul declared, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. He also wrote, perhaps to our astonishment, That is why, for Christs sake, I delight in weakness, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong (2 Corinthians 12:10). Delighting in weakness? What noble intentions, what determination, right? But my favorite devotional writer, Oswald Chambers, explained what kept the apostle going wasnt just what he intended to do and why, but also for whom he was doing it. Chambers observed, As long as there was one human being who did not know Jesus, Paul felt a debt of service to that person until he did come to know Him. But the chief motivation behind Pauls service was not love for others but love for his Lord. If our devotion is to the cause of humanity, we will be quickly defeated and broken-hearted, since we will often be confronted with a great deal of ingratitude from other people. But if we are motivated by our love for God, no amount of ingratitude will be able to hinder us from serving one another. Indeed, the unending needs of humanity can quickly leave us defeated and broken-hearted. So, the next time you find yourself in a state of weariness from doing good, stop and concentrate on Jesus. Hes our motivation, our strength, and the only one whose opinion ultimately matters. * * * Habitat for Humanity of Greater Chattanooga has named a non-profit veteran as their office and family services manager. Erin Creal has worked in non-profit organizations since graduating from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. The native Chattanoogan began her career with Southeast Tennessee Human Resource Agency then served at Partnership for Families, Children and Adults in Youth Services. Most recently Ms. Creal served as executive director for Chattanooga Room in the Inn, a residential program for unhoused women and children.Ms.Creal shares the organizations philosophy that homelessness can be eliminated with affordable and accessible housing and that their motto that everyone deserves a decent place to live, is making a difference in her hometown. Ms. Creal has a BS in criminal justice and an MBA from The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.Habitats president and CEO Jens Christensen said, We are absolutely honored to welcome Erin to the Habitat family. Bringing decades of experience and expertise is something that we could never have imagined in filling this position. Erin is a perfect fit because not only does she know the community, but the community knows her.Ms. Creal said, Habitat isnt a band-aid to social injustice. It provides an opportunity for affordable and accessible housing which leads to generational wealth-building. I am energized to make a difference for Habitats families. I am grateful for the opportunity to continue to make a difference in the community I call home. Prince Andrew joined royals at a Feb. 27 memorial service for Greece's King Constantine II where he made various 'power' moves, according to a body language expert. Just weeks after returning to the headlines because of a Netflix movie trailer, Prince Andrew stepped out for a royal family event. The Duke of York joined other royals at a memorial service for the late king of Greece. According to a body language expert, Andrew put on an authoritative air, but it was his smile that proved most haunting. Andrew played the role of the royal sheepdog arriving at the memorial On Feb. 27, 2024, Andrew made an appearance at Windsor Castle, honoring King Constantine II of the Hellenes. He attended a memorial service for the last king of Greece, who died in January 2023, alongside other British and European royals at St. Georges Chapel. The same place where Queen Elizabeth IIs committal service took place in 2022, as well as Prince Harry and Meghan Markles royal wedding in 2018. Andrew led members of the British royal family who were present, ranging from Princess Anne, Zara Tindall, and Queen Camilla to his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, and oldest daughter, Princess Beatrice. According to body language expert Judi James, Andrew made a telling arrival at the chapel. Walking in the front line with Annes husband Tim, Andrew seems to have placed himself in the role of royal sheepdog, she told Mirror. The Duke of York walked ahead and slightly to the side while glancing back to check everyone was keeping up and herded into the church. Andrew, she added, even walks backwards [sic] at one point to check out the others as they are greeting their host by the door. Andrews attendance at the memorial came as two senior royals were notably absent, King Charles III and Prince William. The king couldnt attend the service due to cancer treatment in London, England. As for the Prince of Wales, the 41-year-old was scheduled to deliver a reading at the memorial before backing out at the last minute due to a personal matter. Kensington Palace followed the news with a brief update on Kate Middletons recovery from abdominal surgery in January 2024, saying she continues to be doing well. The Duke of Yorks very odd gesture of superiority outside St. Georges Chapel James continued, highlighting Andrews dominant and emphatic hand gesticulation as a power move. One world leaders use to suggest dominance and authority when walking with other leaders. Andrews hand movement suggested a sense of authority, which the 64-year-old underscored when chatting to the clergyman in full regalia. Andrew appeared to be standing up close and personal, and actually holding the man by the upper arm. However, it was a power pat James described as odd. Andrew even delivers a casual power pat on the bishop as he walks away, which is a very odd gesture of superiority that few people would land on a clergyman like this, she explained. Expert dubbed Andrews mirthless grin his most haunting gesture at the memorial service In addition to various power moves, Andrew flashed a mirthless grin, which James called the most haunting gesture of them all. Performed at a memorial service when everyone else is looking solemn, it looks lacking in empathy, the expert explained. Furthermore, the fact that it seemingly arrived out of nowhere and disappeared just as quickly suggested to James it might have been a message of bravado to cameras and the public rather than a signal of authentic pleasure. Showbiz Cheat Sheet acknowledges conditions and cultures can impact body language and is sensitive to all backgrounds. Superintendent Alexandra Estrella said the district's new assistant legal counsel will work in the district's day-to-day labor relations work. Ned Gerard/Hearst Connecticut Media NORWALK The Board of Education approved the hiring of a new assistant legal counsel with a $150,000 salary who will work in labor relations for the Norwalk Public Schools. The school board approved Kimberly Byrd-Carolinas appointment in an 8-1 vote in a special meeting Tuesday night. Her salary is funded by the 2023-24 budget, Superintendent Alexandra Estrella said. The position had been vacant since the fiscal year began, and the districts last legal counsel, Barbara Naimani, departed in July 2023, said Emily Morgan, media relations specialist for the school district. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Because the funding for the assistant counsel position was set aside in this budget cycle and Byrd-Carolina assumed her duties Tuesday, there are spare dollars in the budget that will go toward special education services, Chief Financial Officer Lunda Asmani said in a statement. The vacancy savings from this position and other districtwide positions would be used primarily to address this expense, Asmani said. The districts hope is that we do not go back to the city for a special appropriation. During last years budget process, the school board anticipated challenges in funding special education, specifically mandated costs for out-of-district tuition and transportation, Asmani said. We anticipate that this year our special education costs will exceed budgeted special education costs by almost $1.8 million, the district CFO said. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The school district will apply unspent budgeted dollars to special education services before submitting a special appropriations request, Asmani said. Estrella said that in the position, Byrd-Carolina will work closely with the districts union leaders. She's going to be dealing with more of the labor relations, Estrella said. Day-to-day operations of collective bargaining and supporting the labor relations work on a daily basis. Mary Yordon, president of the Norwalk Federation of Teachers, said in a text that she looks forward to working collaboratively with Byrd-Carolina. Advertisement Article continues below this ad My goal is always to get the work of the district done in an environment of mutual respect, Yordon said. Lynne Moore, principal at Norwalk High School and president of the Norwalk Association of School Administrators, shared similar sentiments. I am certain the BOE desires to uphold its contracts and have positive relationships with its employees and unions, Moore said in a statement. I am looking forward to working with the district in the development of a NPS/Union collaboration plan. Most recently, Byrd-Carolina was the equal employment opportunity manager for the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities, according to a statement from the district. Advertisement Article continues below this ad She managed a full range of administrative services (needed) to contribute to the effective management of the Affirmative Action, Equal Employment Opportunity, Diversity, Inclusion, Staff Development and Title IX job responsibilities for the institutions of community colleges, Charter Oak and the system office, the statement said. Also, Byrd-Carolina served as the labor relations officer for the New Haven Public Schools from 2006 to 2012 and directed human resources and labor relations from 2012 to 2020 for Naugatuck Valley Community College. Byrd-Carolina is a dedicated and performance-driven professional with experience in HR policies and procedures, compliance, labor relations, EEO/AA and a wide array of other services and functions, the NPS statement said. She earned a bachelor of arts, a master of business administration and a master of science in management from Albertus Magnus College in New Haven and is a graduate of the Quinnipiac University School of Law, the districts statement said. FILE - This exhibit from video released by the House Select Committee, shows President Donald Trump recording a video statement on the afternoon of Jan. 6, from the Rose Garden, displayed at a hearing by the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, July 21, 2022, on Capitol Hill in Washington. The Supreme Court agreed on Feb. 28, 2024, to decide whether former President Donald Trump can be prosecuted on charges he interfered with the 2020 election and has set a course for a quick resolution. (House Select Committee via AP) AP FILE - Rioters loyal to President Donald Trump rally at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021. The Supreme Court agreed on Feb. 28, 2024, to decide whether former President Donald Trump can be prosecuted on charges he interfered with the 2020 election and has set a course for a quick resolution. Julio Cortez/AP U.S. Supreme Court Police work in front of the Supreme Court, Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024 in Washington. The Supreme Court agreed on Feb. 28, 2024, to decide whether former President Donald Trump can be prosecuted on charges he interfered with the 2020 election and has set a course for a quick resolution. Jacquelyn Martin/AP FILE - In this image from video, a video is displayed as evidence for senators, as, House impeachment manager Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., speaks during the second impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump in the Senate at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Feb. 11, 2021. The Supreme Court agreed on Feb. 28, 2024, to decide whether former President Donald Trump can be prosecuted on charges he interfered with the 2020 election and has set a course for a quick resolution. (Senate Television via AP) AP FILE - The U.S. Supreme Court is photographed Feb. 8, 2024, in Washington. The Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether former President Donald Trump can be prosecuted on charges he interfered with the 2020 election and has set a course for a quick resolution. Mariam Zuhaib/AP The Supreme Court is photographed Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024 in Washington. The Supreme Court agreed on Feb. 28, 2024, to decide whether former President Donald Trump can be prosecuted on charges he interfered with the 2020 election and has set a course for a quick resolution. Jacquelyn Martin/AP WASHINGTON (AP) The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to decide whether former President Donald Trump can be prosecuted on charges he interfered with the 2020 election, calling into question whether his case could go to trial before the November election. While the court set a course for a quick resolution, it maintained a hold on preparations for a trial focused on Trumps efforts to overturn his election loss. The court will hear arguments in late April, with a decision likely no later than the end of June. That timetable is much faster than usual, but assuming the justices deny Trump's immunity bid, it's not clear whether a trial can be scheduled and concluded before the November election. Early voting in some states will begin in September. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The courts decision to intervene in a second major Trump case this term, along with the dispute over whether he is barred from being president again because of his actions following the 2020 election, underscores the direct role the justices will have in the outcome of the election. Trump's lawyers have sought to put off a trial until after the election. In the end, the timing of a possible trial could come down to how quickly the justices rule. They have shown they can act fast, issuing a decision in the Watergate tapes case in 1974 just 16 days after hearing arguments. The decision in Bush v. Gore came the day after arguments in December 2000. Advertisement Article continues below this ad By taking up the legally untested question now, the justices have created a scenario of uncertainty that special counsel Jack Smith had sought to avoid when he first asked the high court in December to immediately intervene. In his latest court filing, Smith had suggested arguments a full month earlier than the late April timeframe. Trump wrote on Truth Social that legal scholars are extremely thankful the court stepped in to decide on immunity. Presidents will always be concerned, and even paralyzed, by the prospect of wrongful prosecution and retaliation after they leave office, he wrote. A Smith spokesperson declined to comment. The trial date, already postponed once by Trumps immunity appeal, is of paramount importance to both sides. Prosecutors are looking to bring Trump to trial this year while defense lawyers have been seeking delays in his criminal cases. If Trump were to be elected with the case pending, he could presumably use his authority as head of the executive branch to order the Justice Department to dismiss it or could potentially seek to pardon himself. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Though their Supreme Court filing did not explicitly mention the upcoming November election or Trumps status as the Republican primary front-runner, prosecutors described the case as having unique national importance and said that delay in the resolution of these charges threatens to frustrate the public interest in a speedy and fair verdict. Trump's lawyers have cast the prosecution in partisan terms, telling the justices that "a months-long criminal trial of President Trump at the height of election season will radically disrupt President Trumps ability to campaign against President Biden which appears to be the whole point of the Special Counsels persistent demands for expedition. The court said in an unsigned statement that it will consider whether and if so to what extent does a former President enjoy presidential immunity from criminal prosecution for conduct alleged to involve official acts during his tenure in office. 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. Advertisement Article continues below this ad Lower courts have, so far, rejected Trumps novel claim that former presidents enjoy absolute immunity for actions that fall within their official job duties. A panel of appellate judges in Washington ruled earlier in February that U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who would preside over the election interference trial, was right to say that the case could proceed and that Trump could 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 issue reached the high court because the appeals court refused to grant the delay that Trump had sought. The case is separate from the high courts consideration of Trumps appeal to remain on the presidential ballot despite attempts to kick him off because of his efforts following his election loss in 2020. During arguments on Feb. 8, the court seemed likely to side with Trump. A decision could come at any time. The high court also will hear an appeal in April from one of the more than 1,200 people charged in the Capitol riot. The case could upend a charge prosecutors have brought against more than 300 people, including Trump. Advertisement Article continues below this ad The election interference case in Washington is one of four prosecutions Trump faces as he seeks to reclaim the White House. Of those, the only one with a trial date that seems poised to hold is his state case in New York, where hes charged with falsifying business records in connection with hush money payments to a porn actor. That case is set for trial on March 25, and a judge this month signaled his determination to press ahead. Not long ago, this 18-year-old girls application was accepted to Baylor University in Texas. She was born in Georgia and has spent her entire life there. She lives with her mother and stepfather and has three younger siblings who are 10, 5, and 2-years-old. After her oldest sibling was born, she cared for her siblings because her parents worked so much that they couldnt. I have always been the one to keep house. I clean, cook, do laundry, and get the kids ready for bed/school every day, she said. Shes on her high schools all-star competitive cheerleading team, and since she was 14, she has paid for all cheerleading expenses without her parents help. Because of her standout cheerleading talent, she has received full-ride scholarship offers. Since two of the colleges that offered her scholarships didnt offer the major she hoped to pursue, she turned them down. The other two colleges she had to choose between were Brenau, only 20 minutes away from her hometown, and Baylor. My parents demanded that I go to Brenau so I could still live at home and help with the kids because they cant do it on their own, she explained. In response, she told them that she didnt have an interest in attending Brenau and didnt enjoy the school, but her parents didnt accept her views and told her that she couldnt attend Baylor because of how far away it was. Sign up for Chip Chicks newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox. In the small, rural town of Bainbridge, Georgia, residents are protesting a companys plan to build a monkey farm. The facility will cover 200 acres and hold up to 30,000 monkeys at a time, making it one of the largest monkey breeding facilities in the country. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, around 14,000 people live in Bainbridge, which means that the number of monkeys in the town will be double the human population. The company behind the project, Safer Human Medicine, claims that the $396 million investment will bring 263 jobs to the Bainbridge area, including positions like veterinarians and animal behaviorists. The jobs are expected to have an average annual salary of $64,000. Locals have been vocal about their criticism of the plan, citing concerns over environmental impacts, unsafe living conditions, and treatment of the animals. They fear that the monkeys may spread diseases, escape during a major storm, or that the waste from the facility will damage the environment, particularly the nearby Flint River. The COO of Safer Human Medicine, Kurt Defler, addressed their worries, stating that the facility will be able to stand strong against extreme weather and keep the monkeys contained. Our buildings are engineered to withstand a direct Category 4 hurricane hit. Additionally, our buildings allow air to pass through, which further reduces the risk of the roof being taken off, he said. As for the environmental impact, Derfler stated that the city would not experience any contamination from monkey waste because it would all go straight to the municipal wastewater treatment plant. Many Bainbridge neighbors were also concerned about the noise and smell from 30,000 monkeys. In response, Jim Harkness, the CEO of Safer Human Medicine, said it would take 20 years before that number of monkeys would be in town. We have nothing to hide. Weve been very transparent about who we are and what were doing. We just want to share with people and help them alleviate their concerns and understand how we can benefit them and the community as a whole, Harkness added. Sign up for Chip Chicks newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox. This 18-year-old girl was previously dating her ex-boyfriend, who is also 18. But, her entire relationship came crashing down after her mother, who is 42, stabbed her in the back. For some context, she and her ex-boyfriend first met when they were 13-years-old, and after that, they were best friends for years. Then, once they finally turned 16, she spoke to her mom about how she had a crush on him, and her mom actually encouraged her to take a chance and ask her ex-boyfriend out. My mom told me to stop being afraid and pursue him, she recalled. Obviously, it worked out well, too, and she and her ex began dating. While she thought everything was fine, though, that all changed just last week. One day, she had been at school when one of her professors got sick and decided to cancel her lecture. So, she headed home and arrived back much earlier than expected. That was when she found out that her ex-boyfriend had been cheating on her with her own mother! I caught them red-handed, she revealed. More specifically, she actually caught her mom sleeping with her ex. Sign up for Chip Chicks newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox. The 208-year-old American Bible Society (ABS) used to have a simple mission: print and distribute Bibles in the US. At its peak in 1979, it was giving away 108 million a year. Once Americans had access to Bibles, ABSs challenge became getting people to read them. In the early 2000s, the organization shifted to a mission of Scripture engagement. That is not as clear-cut as the number of Bibles printed, and in the years since, people in ABS circles have disagreed on what to do with a large legacy organizations resources. A new Bible museum? A Bible app for military members? Curriculum on trauma healing through Scripture? And how much should an organization that partners with Bible societies around the globe focus on the American part of its mission? This 21st-century identity crisis has sharpened in the last two years with the quick turnover of five executives in a row, tens of millions of dollars in financial shortfalls, and the loss of a major donor. Sources said that about 30 staff were laid off late last year, which amounts to about 20 percent of employees. Amid all the issues, ABS is changing its priorities. But its not clear whether the organizational messes are driving those decisions or if the messes are part of the pains of changing strategy. CT heard from ABS staff, former staff, donors, and other stakeholders, all with different ideas of what is causing the problems at ABS. The stakes are high because ABS has a roughly $100 million-a-year budget and a $600 million endowment, which puts it in the top 1 percent of Christian organizations in Ministry Watchs database by assets. Bible societies around the world rely on its support. Over the last two years of turmoil, staff and other ABS supporters say they havent had a clear sense of who is running the organization. Of the five CEOs who have led ABS since 2022, two were board members serving as interim leaders, an unusual practice. One of them, Jeff Brown, lasted just a month. Neither board member turned CEO remains on the board. ABS didnt want to deal with the issues, said Ellen Strohm, an ABS director who left in January 2023 after 18 years there. Over her career there, she oversaw fundraising and project management. Strohm said there was a culture of magical thinking that everything would get better without addressing systemic problems. ABS has been moving to operate more like a foundation, overseeing more grants over the years instead of direct ministry. But the organization hasnt had the systems in place to make that work, according to Strohm and other former employees, which has created cascading problems. In the US, the organization focuses on various Scripture engagement projects as well as annually reaching hundreds of thousands in the military through its armed services ministry; promoting its State of the Bible research; and operating a new museum in Philadelphia on the Bible in American life called the Faith and Liberty Discovery Center. Historically the organization has funded Bible translations around the world with a goal of translating the Bible into every living language by 2033. In recent years it has focused resources on its Bible-based trauma healing initiative to help faith communities address community trauma. Starting in February, the new CEO of the American Bible Society Jennifer Holloranits first female CEO and a former executive at Wycliffe Bible Translators USAwas walking into several layers of challenges, despite ABS having a comfortable endowment and historic reputation. The executive search firm seeking a CEO for ABS back in August noted that it was seeking someone who could lead an organizational transformation. While the specific challenges ABS has faced in recent years happened before I assumed the role of president and CEO, I know that the board and senior leaders have made great progress in refocusing the organization around its historic vision and mission, Holloran said in a statement to CT. She said ABS would develop new ways to support churches and partner organizations in creating opportunities for all people to experience Scriptures life-changing message. After the layoffs late last year, the board sent an email to staff stating that ABSs operating model required fundamental change and that the organization would be operating fewer distinct, individual ministry programsespecially on its own. Instead we will focus on programs that build on our strengths in partnership, convening, and thought leadership. It appears ABS will move more to grantmaking, like awarding funds for scholarly work on the Bible to groups like Scriptura. In a statement responding to a number of questions from CT, board chair Katherine Barnhart reiterated that shift in strategy. For approximately two years, the board of directors of American Bible Society has been strategically aligning its planning and work in a way that is focusing ABS on finding, fostering, and furthering innovations in Bible access and engagement, she wrote. As we move forward, ABS is leveraging its core strengthsincluding convening partners, provisioning resources, and developing and sharing insightsto play a significant role in creating and scaling programs that can broadly engage US culture and the world in the Scriptures. This refocusing means, in part, that ABS now operates fewer distinct, individual ministry programsespecially on its own. The organizations tax filings show how it has been shifting to operate more like a foundation: Its head count has been shrinking over the years as it has moved from direct ministry to providing grants to partners doing projects on Bible engagement. The largest slice of its budget (roughly $40 million of its $103 million in expenses in the 2022 fiscal year) goes to grants to US and international organizations, according to its latest public tax filings. In 2013, it was only giving $11 million in grants of its $92 million budget. Board chair Barnhart has a background in foundation work, having served on the board of the National Christian Foundation (NCF), to which she and her husband donated their familys business more than a decade ago. The vice chair of ABS, David Wills, was the longtime president of NCF. Despite that move toward more grantmaking, ABS was still spending a sizable portion of its budget on salaries and benefits$28.8 million in fiscal year 2022. The board has also experienced a turnover since 2022. Only 10 of the 19 board members from 2022 remain on the board, though the two most recent board chairs remain. The organization had intentionally shrunk an unwieldy board in the last two decades: In the early 1990s it had 72 board members, then 30 in 2013, when the bylaws were changed to limit the board to 1824 members. It now has 13 members, according to the ABS website. The way the organization has handled these changes has hurt morale, according to multiple current and former staff. Over the years, other Christian nonprofits have shifted direction and suffered death by minnow nibbles due to lack of mission clarity, board members not fulfilling their proper role, bad company culture, lack of good metrics, and donors pulling the organization away from its mission, Peter Greer and Chris Horst write in Mission Drift. Financial and operational problems In 2019, Strohm was working on major gifts at ABS. She remembered feeling like she was having a heart attack from all the pressure at work, and she drove herself to the hospital where she discovered her lung had collapsed. That year the organization discovered it unexpectedly went over budget by $17 million. The overspend has not been previously reported. That spurred a number of changes: the departure of the CEO at the time, Roy Peterson; layoffs; and a reevaluation of partner programs the organization was funding. The organization was able to cover the deficit partly by drawing from ABSs roughly $600 million endowment. There is no evidence of malfeasance on ABSs part, and it had recently gone through multiple audits. Strohm said the organizational response to audits showing inadequate systems was healing the organization lightly. The $17 million shortfall appears to be related to confusion between partner organizations overseas and ABS, sources say. Partners were spending project budgets that ABS hadnt yet raised. ABS had been a rock-solid financial partner for so many decades that program leads reportedly assumed the pledged budgets would come through. Bible society partners having fiscal years falling at different times than ABS also contributed to the confusion. Even with these systemic failures, the organization was shrinking its division-monitoring programs, according to current and former staff. In 2020, ABS disbanded Global Scripture Impact, the in-house accountability unit evaluating programs that ABS was funding. Then it created a new team called Reporting and Metrics, which also dwindled in the years following. Now it has a new team, called Ministry Insights, for independent monitoring of the programs it is supporting. Deficits have been a regular feature: ABS tax filings show it has operated with a total deficit of $56 million from fiscal year 2016 to 2022. ABS had an additional $11 million deficit in fiscal year 2023, according to its stewardship report. Despite the deficits, ABS had financial cushion. It had boosted its endowment in 2015 when it sold its Manhattan headquarters for $300 million and moved to Philadelphia. Losing a translation partner Another set of problems emerged with project reporting, as the organization shifted from a large base of small donors to major donors. In general, small gifts typically go to unrestricted revenue. Major donors typically want their money spent in certain ways and want more detailed reporting, which Strohm said ABS was unable to deliver. The shift from small donors to major donors broke the systems, Strohm told CT. Sources said that American donors also tend to want more impact metrics, which the organizations partners overseas might not historically emphasize. Overseas translation partners might send a quarterly report that consisted of saying they had finished translating the Book of Mark, for example, which is not industry standard reporting in the US, according to sources. There was no enterprise system that can follow a dollar in to a dollar out, Strohm said. When you have to connect a donor dollar to a project, thats where the complication comes in, and you have to have really good systems. ABS had very little idea of how the money they were receiving or giving was spent. As a result, she said the organization would create strategies that were so broad that no matter what a donor wanted to do you could fit it in. One of those major donors was Every Tribe Every Nation (ETEN), which multiple sources said was contributing millions to ABS primarily for Bible translation work. In 2018 the organizationwhose major backers include Mart Green of the Hobby Lobby familybegan demanding more reporting, according to Strohm and other sources, or it would reduce funding. ETEN was giving ABS around $11 million in 2019 and began decreasing its giving in 2020 as reporting did not improve. According to Strohm, an audit of the ETEN funds showed ABS was below 40 percent compliance, meaning less than 40 percent of funds were complying with donor intent. By 2022, ETEN had completely withdrawn its funding for translations and then later that year withdrew all its funding to ABS, which sources said was at least in part based on ABSs inability to provide sufficient reporting. ETEN redirected some funding through the United Bible Societies Association (UBS-A), according to ABS sources. United Bible Societies is the consortium of global Bible societies, many of which oversee translation projects. According to a 2021 year-end report from UBS-A, the association has obtained increasing levels of funding from organizations with similar objectives such as ETEN (Every Tribe Every Nation) and YouVersion. That withdrawal contributed to more problems with budgeting and was a major factor in the fiscal year 2021 shortfall, Strohm said. ABSs tax filings show a $16 million deficit in fiscal year 2021. But fiscal year 2022 bounced back with a $9 million surplus. In the UBS fellowship, when you start a Bible translation project, youre in it for the duration, she said. Its the assumption that youll fund the whole project. ABS was between a rock and a hard place. There was no money to continue these commitments, and the donor was committed to more accurate reporting. Global cuts In the past about half of ABSs grant money has gone overseas and half has gone to domestic organizations. Now ABS has been making cuts to its global funding, according to several sources, and shifting its focus to be more domestic. ABS used to contribute about 40 percent of a fund that supplements the budgets of global Bible societies, and reportedly has reduced that to 25 percent. Meanwhile, it has invested tens of millions in the Faith and Liberty Discovery Center in Philadelphia, which explores the relationship between faith and liberty in America from its founding to today. One source noted that ABS is reflecting a trend in the US church broadly, where money is focusing more on domestic ministry than global missions work. Bible Society Lebanon has a five-year trauma healing program it launched with ABS support in 2021. Last year ABS pulled out of the program, according to the longtime head of the Bible Society of Lebanon, Mike Bassous. Bassous said Bible Society Lebanon was about halfway through the program, having trained about 300 Bible teachers. He said ABS would still allow them to raise money for the program from major US donors through ABS, but with a 28.5 percent administrative fee that applies to all major donor gifts for trauma healing programs. I speak American English. I can understand corporate America, Bassous said. But you didnt know who you could talk to at ABS. Something is wrong. And on global Bible translations, one ABS donor received contradictory messages on ABS plans. An email he received from an ABS staffer late last year said that the organization would divest translation work by December 1, 2023. Then, in a January press release about the new CEO, board chair Katherine Barnhart said, While we are continuing to support the essential work of Scripture translation, ABS must also develop new ways to make the Bible available. Im a longtime supporter, but I as a donor am confused, said Nick Athens, a former ABS board member and donor. Barnhart, in her statement to CT, did not directly respond to questions about the translation shift but said, Where the refocusing is affecting our partnerships with other organizations, were working with those partners to explore alternative sources of funding and leadership. We are continuing to support Scripture translation in partnership with UBS as we recommit to developing new ways to make Gods Word accessible to all. Inside ABS, staff remain confused about whether or how the organization plans to address the recent turmoil. ABS had commissioned an internal investigation, conducted by the law firm Simms Showers and shared with the board last year, but the staff still doesnt know what the focus of the investigation was or what recommendations came from it. Even basic communication, they say, has dwindled; the organizations annual stewardship report for 2023 was nine pages, when in past years it was quadruple that size. Hopes for change From Strohms perspective, the problems are systemic and cultural. They cant be blamed on a single leader at any point. ABS has a way of breaking your heart, Strohm said. The staff generally work in good faith. Theyve gotten rid of almost all of the leadership since I was a part of the organization, and the same things continued. Several sources said that greater openness from the organization to discuss problemsinstead of a culture of success theater, as one statedwould help lead the organization to health. Multiple people did express optimism about the choice of new CEO, Holloran. The hiring of Jennifer Holloran is, in my opinion, a much-needed down payment by the current ABS board on the debt it owes the organizations legacy mission, donors, recent and current staff, and concerned friends of ABS, J. David Schmidt, who consulted with ABS senior leaders on strategy between 2012 and 2022, told CT. Her experience at Wycliffe and willingness to serve in this critical season is a much-needed, hope-filled balm, especially given the recent years of governance struggles. At the very least, Holloran is tasked with overseeing a major shift in ABSs identity. In John Feas history of ABS, The Bible Cause, he notes that the organization for most of its history considered itself a service organization that published Bibles and produced Bible translations. Now ABS will see if it can find a clear path in more grantmaking than direct service. Eugene Habecker, who was the CEO of ABS from 1991 to 2005, said, The world needs a healthy and functioning ABS. Editors note: CTs chief impact officer Nicole Massie Martin, who was recently among leadership at ABS, was not a source for the reporting of this story. [ This article is also available in Francais. ] A chemical attack that injured a dozen people in the South London suburb of Clapham a month ago has sparked the resurgence of a national debate over the UKs asylum system and the churchs involvement with migrant converts. The suspected perpetrator, Abdul Ezedi, was an Afghan refugee who came to Britain illegally in 2016 and was granted asylum in 2020 on appeal after his two previous applications had been denied. He won his appeal even though he had been convicted of a sex offense in 2018. At his tribunal, he claimed he had converted from Islam to Christianity and would face persecution from the Taliban if he was returned to Afghanistan. A member of the clergy vouched for the sincerity of Ezedis religious belief. A tribunal judge was convinced by the plea and granted Ezedi asylum status. The uproar grew as the details of Ezedis case became clearer and doubt was cast on the sincerity of his conversion. (Metropolitan Police confirmed last week that they found his body in the River Thames, where he had likely drowned.) Suella Braverman, a member of the UK Parliament who has formerly served as Home Secretary (a top cabinet position in the British government with responsibilities including immigration issues), wrote in The Telegraph that churches around the country [are] facilitating industrial-scale bogus asylum claims. Braverman charged that, at some churches, migrants can simply attend Mass once a week for a few months, befriend the vicar, get your baptism date in the diary and, bingo, youll be signed off by a member of the clergy that youre now a God-fearing Christian who will face certain persecution if removed to your Islamic country of origin. While Ezedis asylum appeal was supported by a Baptist congregation according to media reports, much of the subsequent criticism has been focused on Englands established church. Matthew Firth, a former Church of England priest, told The Telegraph that while the Church of England had not engaged in direct wrongdoing, it had nonetheless been naive and often turned a blind eye to questionable claims of conversion by asylum seekers. Church of England leaders have disputed these accusations and contend that it isnt the responsibility of local congregations to determine who is eligible for asylum. Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said in a statement in early February that it is the job of the Government to protect our borders and of the courts to judge asylum cases. The Church is called to love mercy and do justice. Many of the statements from church leaders reflect how clergy have responded to similar controversies in the past. However, there are indications that the church may soon adjust how it supports asylum seekers. Some ministers, while maintaining that their main responsibility is to help the vulnerable, have admitted the difficulty in discerning whether converts preparing for baptism are genuine believers. The Guardian reported that the Church of England is reviewing its guidance for clergy on engaging with asylum seekers. It was not immediately clear what specific changes to the Church of Englands current guidelines were being considered. Some congregations outside the Church of England have also found themselves the subject of intense media coverage after the Clapham attack. Several media outlets reported on Weymouth Baptist Churchs ministry to Muslim migrants who were living on the Bibby Stockholm barge. The barge has been chartered by the UK government to serve as a living space for about 500 asylum seekers while their claims are processed. A BBC report in early February said that the church was working with 40 men, 6 of whom they had already baptized. Dave Rees, an elder at the church, told BBC Radio 4 that their engagement with the migrants was enhanced through a connection with a Farsi-speaking minister. Weymouth Baptist is part of the Evangelical Alliance, a network of evangelical churches and believers in the UK and the founding member of the World Evangelical Alliance. Danny Webster, the organizations director of advocacy, believes that the role of churches in helping win asylum cases has been overstated in public discourse. He contends that church leaders testimonies were never intended to be the make-or-break factor in judging asylum applications. Rather, they were seen as providing better evidence of genuine faith than asylum seekers responses to the religiously illiterate or trivial questions often asked by Home Office caseworkers. (CT has previously reported on questions used to evaluate the faith of asylum-seeking Christian converts faith in the UK.) However, he says the Clapham attack may still lead to some adjustments. I suspect church leaders will need to act with even greater discretion in the future, Webster said. I think there is some wisdom in having a level of almost baseline standards in terms of how long has this person been attending church, what has their commitment beenso its almost a more factual questionnaire rather than [a personal opinion]. Even with the high level of scrutiny, Webster says believers should continue engaging with asylum seekers: We want churches to be sharing their faith, we want people to be getting baptized, and at the end of the day, its not our job to really decide how sincere someone is. Sara Afshari, a research tutor at the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies, also encourages churches to continue supporting asylum seekers and other migrants. She converted to Christianity in 1989 while still living in her native Iran. After she was baptized, she was imprisoned several times because of her faith. She later came to the UK to study theology and found a supportive community in Church of England congregations. Her doctoral research at the University of Edinburgh focused on the conversions of Muslim-background Iranians to Christianity. She maintains that only God knows the heart of a convert. Sadly, we hear only about those who betray the church, not those who really support the growth of the church and enrich the church, which are the majority, Afshari said. Even in Iran, we have examples of those who betray the church, and their betrayals cost peoples lives. But again, it didnt mean that the Iranian church leaders refused to accept [new converts]. [ This article is also available in Francais. ] Home News Christian school denied exemption from Maine's LGBT discrimination requirements for tuition program A Christian school in Maine must adhere to the state's LGBT antidiscrimination policy to qualify for a state tuition assistance program while the lawsuit against the state continues, a federal judge has ruled. U.S. District Judge John Woodcock, a George W. Bush appointee, denied a preliminary injunction Tuesday requested by Bangor Christian Schools run by Crosspoint Church, concluding that the church's lawsuit against assorted state officials is not likely to succeed. He ruled that Bangor Christian Schools must follow all the Maine Human Rights Act provisions. 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 Court determines that the educational antidiscrimination provisions do not violate the Free Exercise Clause because they are neutral, generally applicable, and rationally related to a legitimate government interest," wrote Woodcock. "The Court concludes further that the educational provisions do not violate the Free Speech Clause because they regulate conduct, not speech. Finally, the Court concludes that the employment provisions do not proscribe any constitutionally protected conduct." First Liberty Institute Senior Counsel Lea Patterson, who represents Crosspoint, denounced the decision and expressed plans to appeal the ruling. "Government punishing religious schools for living out their religious beliefs is not only unconstitutional, it is wrong," said Patterson, as quoted by Bangor Daily News. In 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in Carson v. Makin that Maine cannot lawfully stop parents from using a state tuition program to send their children to Christian private schools. The lawsuit that led to the Supreme Court ruling was driven by parents from Bangor Christian School who sued Maine over the ban on state tuition assistance for families sending their children to a private school that includes sectarian aspects in its curriculum. In response to the high court ruling, Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey said that BCS was still ineligible for the program because of its conservative religious stance on LGBT issues. Crosspoint requires staff and students to support a biblical stance on marriage and sexuality, which includes a rejection of homosexuality, same-sex marriages and transgender ideology. "The education provided by the schools at issue here is inimical to a public education," claimed Frey, a Democrat, in a statement last year. "They promote a single religion to the exclusion of all others, refuse to admit gay and transgender children, and openly discriminate in hiring teachers and staff." Frey promised to "explore with Governor Mills' administration and members of the Legislature statutory amendments to address the Court's decision and ensure that public money is not used to promote discrimination, intolerance, and bigotry." In response, Crosspoint sued state officials over the requirement that the private school adhere to Maine's antidiscrimination policy on LGBT issues. The complaint labeled the state standards a "poison pill" and that "BCS was no longer eligible to participate in the tuitioning program, and eligible families could no longer use their tuition benefit at BCS." "Thus the sectarian exclusion operated to allow religious schools to participate in the tuitioning program if, and only if, they held religious beliefs the State approved," the lawsuit continued. "Putting Plaintiff to the choice of participating in a generally available benefit program or surrendering its constitutionally protected religious exercise penalizes its religious exercise and constitutes a substantial burden." Home News Mitch McConnell to step down as top Senate Republican, quotes Ecclesiastes U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., says he will step down from his post as the upper chamber's top Republican at the end of the year, quoting from the Old Testament book Ecclesiastes in a speech on the Senate floor Wednesday. McConnell announced his intention to "move on to life's next chapter," proclaiming, "This will be my last term as Republican leader of the Senate." But he vowed, "I'm not going anywhere anytime soon." "However, I'll complete my job my colleagues have given me until we select a new leader in November and they take the helm next January," he added. "I'll finish the job the people of Kentucky hired me to do as well, albeit from a different seat." 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 McConnell, 82, suggests that his age played a role in his decision to step down. "Father Time remains undefeated," he said. "I'm no longer the young man sitting in the back, hoping colleagues would remember my name. It's time for the next generation of leadership." "I'm immensely proud of the accomplishments I've played some role in attaining for the American people," he said. "There are many challenges we must meet to deliver for the American people and each will have my full effort and attention. I still have enough gas in my tank to thoroughly disappoint my critics, and I intend to do so with all the enthusiasm with which they've become accustomed." McConnell thanked his colleagues for "entrusting me with our success," adding, "It's been an honor to work with each of you." He quoted from Ecclesiastes, declaring, "To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under Heaven." He assured his fellow senators, "It's time for me to think about another season." Following his remarks, McConnell was embraced by his colleagues on both sides of the aisle. McConnell is the longest-serving Senate leader in U.S. history as well as the longest-serving senator in the history of Kentucky. McConnell was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1984 and has served as the chamber's top Republican since 2007. He served as Senate minority leader from 2007-2015 and as Senate majority leader from 2015-2021. He became Senate minority leader again in 2021 after Democrats retook control of the U.S. Senate. Throughout McConnell's tenure as Senate majority leader, he played an important role in filling three vacancies on the U.S. Supreme Court. Following the death of Republican-appointed Justice Antonin Scalia in February 2016, McConnell decided not to hold confirmation hearings for then-President Barack Obama's pick to replace Scalia, Merrick Garland. Instead, he elected to leave the position vacant so it could be filled by the next president, as the 2016 U.S. presidential election was just months away. "The next Supreme Court justice could fundamentally alter the direction of the court and our country for a generation, and the American people deserve a voice in such a momentous decision," McConnell wrote in an op-ed explaining his actions. As McConnell's op-ed implied, selecting Garland for Scalia's seat would have moved the ideological balance of the court to the left. Republican Donald Trump won the 2016 presidential election. Shortly after taking office, he nominated Neil Gorsuch for the Supreme Court seat. When Democrats tried to filibuster Gorsuch, who needed the support of 60 U.S. senators to move ahead with the nomination, McConnell invoked the so-called "nuclear option" to allow Gorsuch to be confirmed with a simple majority vote. A year and a half later, Trump nominated Brett Kavanaugh to fill the vacancy caused by the retirement of long-serving Republican-appointed Justice Anthony Kennedy. Allegations of sexual assault against Kavanaugh emerged and threatened to derail the nomination. In the days leading up to the final vote on Kavanaugh's confirmation, Republican lawmakers saw their addresses leaked as part of what McConnell denounced as an effort by the "mob" to intimidate senators. "The mob was not able to intimidate the Senate," McConnell told Fox News' Laura Ingraham following Kavanaugh's confirmation by the U.S. Senate. "We stood up to the mob. We did the right thing for a good man that filled a lifetime appointment on the Supreme Court. There is a lot to celebrate today. I couldn't be prouder of all my members." Just a month and a half before the 2020 presidential election, liberal Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died. Shortly after her death, McConnell vowed that the U.S. Senate would vote on a nominee picked by Trump despite what happened with Garland four years earlier because of what he viewed as a mandate in the form of an expanded Republican Senate majority following the 2018 midterm elections. The U.S. Senate confirmed Amy Coney Barrett to fill Ginsburg's seat, replacing the reliably liberal justice with a Republican-appointed one. The transformation of the Supreme Court from a 5-4 Republican-appointed majority to a 6-3 Republican-appointed majority under McConnell's watch has had profound implications in American politics. Most notably, the U.S. Supreme Court voted 5-4 to overturn the Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide in June 2022. A model wears a creation as part of the Dries Van Noten Fall/Winter 2024-2025 ready-to-wear collection presented Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024 in Paris. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP) Scott A Garfitt/Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP A model wears a creation as part of the Dries Van Noten Fall/Winter 2024-2025 ready-to-wear collection presented Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024 in Paris. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP) Scott A Garfitt/Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP A model wears a creation as part of the Dries Van Noten Fall/Winter 2024-2025 ready-to-wear collection presented Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024 in Paris. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP) Scott A Garfitt/Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP Models wear creations as part of the Dries Van Noten Fall/Winter 2024-2025 ready-to-wear collection presented Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024 in Paris. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP) Scott A Garfitt/Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP Models wear creations as part of the Dries Van Noten Fall/Winter 2024-2025 ready-to-wear collection presented Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024 in Paris. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP) Scott A Garfitt/Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP A model wears a creation as part of the Dries Van Noten Fall/Winter 2024-2025 ready-to-wear collection presented Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024 in Paris. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP) Scott A Garfitt/Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP A model wears a creation as part of the Dries Van Noten Fall/Winter 2024-2025 ready-to-wear collection presented Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024 in Paris. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP) Scott A Garfitt/Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP A model wears a creation as part of the Dries Van Noten Fall/Winter 2024-2025 ready-to-wear collection presented Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024 in Paris. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP) Scott A Garfitt/Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP Models wear creations as part of the Dries Van Noten Fall/Winter 2024-2025 ready-to-wear collection presented Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024 in Paris. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP) Scott A Garfitt/Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP PARIS (AP) Paris Fashion Weeks fall shows, headlining with Balmain, traversed an encyclopedic range from history to the future, blending tradition with cutting-edge innovation. Designers delved into archives on Wednesday to reinterpret the past while projecting forward with futuristic silhouettes and materials. From utilitarian details that ground regal aesthetics in the contemporary to surreal interplays of form and texture, the collections celebrated the industrys ability to innovate while honoring its past. Here are some highlights of fall-winter 2024 ready-to-wear collections: Advertisement Article continues below this ad BALMAINS NOSTALGIC TRIP TO BORDEAUX Cher led the VIP pack at Balmains latest fall show, as Olivier Rousteing embarked on a personal journey back to his roots. The designer drew inspiration from the green thumb of the houses founder, Pierre Balmain, and the verdant landscapes of his upbringing in Bordeaux. Known for his sharp tailoring and bold aesthetics, Rousteing this season wove a story filled with natural motifs, bringing a touch of the provincial to the Paris runway. Today Im returning to Bordeaux, the city that formed me, Rousteing reflected. He said his collection blended Pierre Balmains iconic New French Style, characterized by its bold architectural lines and precise tailoring, with the graceful dignity of Bordeaux. Advertisement Article continues below this ad This fusion was evident in nature-inspired designs, from earrings shaped like bunches of grapes to garments adorned with grape embroideries, prints and even whimsical snail buttons. A standout piece, a snail-shell golden breastplate, captured the audiences attention, prompting a flurry of camera clicks from the VIP guests. Vibrant grape embroideries punctuated the palette of khaki and black across silhouettes that nodded to the 80s. Adding a burst of color and humor, a bright red net shopping bag evoked memories of hometown markets for Rousteing, infusing the collection with a sense of levity. While the organic musings stayed within the familiar territory of Balmains aesthetic under Rousteing, the collection was noteworthy for its diversity, particularly in casting models of all ages to present the 56 designs. DRIES VAN NOTEN BLENDS HISTORY WITH WHIMSY Advertisement Article continues below this ad Belgian designer Dries Van Noten sews history, tension, and elegance into each look. His latest womenswear show was no exception, kicking off with a display of grandeur meeting a contemporary edge. The opener, a thick beige coat seeming regal, was immediately grounded in the present with a utilitarian studded collar, reminiscent of a choker, steering clear of vintage territory. Van Noten, a master of blending the old with the new, further demonstrated this skill with a simple gray skirt that draped in a manner both fashion-forward and evoking the turn of the (last) century. A loose top managed to straddle the worlds of sportswear and the refined elegance of Princess Anne of Britain, showcasing Van Notens unique ability to navigate between different eras and styles. The show was a visual feast of illusions and contrasts. The sleeves were cut to make them almost two-dimensional, an innovative play on perspective that challenges the viewers gaze. Sweaters seemed to animate, embracing their wearers in a dance of fabric and form. This interplay of textures and colors created a dynamic energy and poetry that has become a Van Noten hallmark. THE CHARMING TRADITION OF FASHION INVITATIONS IN THE DIGITAL ERA Advertisement Article continues below this ad In an age where digital communication reigns supreme and environmental consciousness is rising, the fashion industrys cherished practice of creating elaborate, often handmade invitations continues to thrive. Each season, these unique pieces of art crisscross Paris, hand-delivered to the guests, serving as a creative prelude to the spectacle of the runway shows. Despite the digital shift, top fashion houses remain dedicated to crafting imaginative invitations that hint at the theme of their upcoming collections. For example, Loewe s invitation, a watercolor painting set against a tree-lined landscape within a soft leather frame, showcased the brands commitment to combining art with fashion. Meanwhile, Chloes invitation, a giant leather keyring adorned with a golden metal banana, introduced a playful element to Chemena Kamalis anticipated debut. Rick Owens personalized the experience with a white fabric neckpiece bearing the guests name. Yohji Yamamotos invitation, an enigmatic black plastic cutout of a human face in profile, added a layer of mystery. These invitations, rich in creativity and craftsmanship, underscore the fashion industrys appreciation for tradition and personal touch in an increasingly virtual world while they may seem at odds with growing ecological concerns. COURREGES PUTS ON SALEABLE FUTURISM Advertisement Article continues below this ad In a saleable display of monochrome, Nicolas di Felice unveiled his latest collection for Courreges on a pared-down, sanitized white runway, drawing fashion insiders into a world where Andre Courreges space-age legacy meets the enigmatic allure of underwater scuba wear, all while channeling a dash of 90s nostalgia. Fall was a study in cool, low-energy sophistication. Each piece boasted minimalist utilitarian detailsflappy tassels, headwear caps reminiscent of scuba gear, and geometric paneling with scooped-out shapes that spoke of intergalactic adventures. One of the models arms was often loose, appearing bare, tucking in the front of a garment, as the sleeve it was meant to occupy hung stiffly and empty at the side in a surreal touch. This geometry, a reverential homage to Courreges founding vision, was reimagined through di Felices contemporary eye. Home News Corey Turner, pastor of global Pentecostal megachurch, confirms resignation over adultery Weeks after stepping down as global senior pastor of the Australia-based Neuma Church over allegations that he committed adultery with a female pastor in the Pentecostal megachurch, Pastor Corey Turner confirmed his resignation over a "morally inappropriate relationship." "Out of sincere respect to those who have known me, trusted me and been connected in some way to my ministry as a Christian leader over the past 25 years, it's important that I publicly confess that the recent allegations toward me of my engagement in a morally inappropriate relationship is regrettably true," Turner wrote in a statement on his ministry's page on Facebook last Thursday. "Towards the end of 2023 I didn't sufficiently guard my heart, reach out for help from trusted spiritual fathers, take decisive action or get the necessary rest I needed from the compounding levels of fatigue in my own soul," he 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 "In a fog of deception that clouded my emotions and judgement I sinned and compromised my relationship with God, my marriage covenant, my character, and my calling to ministry. I have sinned against God, my family and the church and I am deeply sorry and repentant for my part in this and ask God and you for forgiveness." Until early February, Turner, who is married with children to wife Simone Turner, served as leader of the Hillsong-styled megachurch, which also has branches in Thailand and the United States. Neuma Church's board secretary, Jacomi Du Preez, announced on Feb. 4 that the couple had resigned "due to unfortunate circumstances." "It has become apparent that their health and wellbeing is such that they are no longer able to function in these roles," Du Preez said. "We ask the church to pray for them and their families as they explore the next season of their life and ministry, and we thank them for their service to Neuma." Wayne Alcorn, president of the Australian Christian Churches, a movement of Pentecostal churches in voluntary cooperation to which Neuma Church is a member, revealed in a leaked Feb. 15 email that Turner had been accused of an "inappropriate relationship" with Pastor Stacey Hilliar. Hilliar is a mother of four who served with her husband, Jai, on Neuma's executive team. She oversaw the "Prophetic Pillar" of the church, "which includes worship, creativity, prayer and the prophetic," according to her ministry profile. In his recent remarks about his failures, Turner praised his wife and children for standing with him and embracing his weakness. "I'm forever grateful to my amazing wife Simone and our beautiful children who have faithfully stood beside me and embraced me in my weakness. Simone was innocent, I'm not, yet we are committed to moving forward together into the fulness of God's restorative plan for our marriage. Together we are receiving the support and direction of seasoned and competent spiritual leaders as we take the necessary time for God to heal and restore us," he said. "With the help of gifted counsellors I am confronting the errors of my own heart and receiving ministry for the unhealed wounds that have contributed to my actions." Turner said resigning as senior pastor is a way to take "personal responsibility" for his failures and "prioritize the restoration of our family." "We love the Neuma family very much and have always considered it an honor to be called by God to lead Neuma alongside the board, the elders, and the executive team," he wrote. "We will be forever grateful to God and the Neuma global family for the privilege of being your senior pastors." Home News 'Critical threat': Record share of Americans raising concerns about mass illegal immigration A record share of Americans view illegal immigration as a major threat in the United States, a new Gallup survey suggests. Gallup released the poll Tuesday based on responses collected from 1,016 U.S. adults from Feb. 1-20. Respondents were asked about their views on the issue of immigration, specifically inquiring whether they viewed illegal immigration as a "critical threat," an "important but not critical threat" or "not an important threat at all." The share of Americans who characterized illegal immigration as a critical threat facing the U.S. reached a record high of 55% this year. An additional 31% told pollsters they saw the issue as "important but not critical," while 14% said they considered illegal immigration as "not important." The percentage of respondents who viewed illegal immigration as "not important" tied with the record low last measured in 2004. 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 Broken down by partisan affiliation, 90% of Republicans cited illegal immigration as a critical threat, along with 54% of independents and 29% of Democrats. Smaller shares of Republicans (84%), independents (40%) and Democrats (20%) said the same last year. A plurality of Americans (28%) said that they thought illegal immigration was the most important problem facing the country. By contrast, a January poll asking Americans to weigh in on what problems they viewed as most serious found "the government" and "immigration" were neck and neck as the top concerns. Twenty-one percent of those surveyed listed the government as the biggest challenge engulfing the U.S., with immigration at 20%. "Immigration has ranked ahead of all other issues as the most important problem before, having last done so five years ago when there was a surge of attempted border crossings by Central American migrants," the Gallup report notes. "Immigration also ranked as the No. 1 problem in July and November 2018 and July 2014." The Gallup survey comes as U.S. Customs and Border Patrol continues to report a record number of encounters between migrants at the United States-Mexico border and border enforcement officials. Data compiled by CBP shows that monthly land encounters at the Southwest border have consistently remained above 100,000 since February 2021, President Joe Biden's first full month in office. Since Biden took office, law enforcement officials at the Southwest border have encountered more than 7 million illegal immigrants. The number of illegal immigrants who have entered the country in that time period exceeds the populations of 37 U.S. states, as measured in the 2020 U.S. Census. The number of monthly illegal immigrant crossings at the Southwest border reached a record high of 301,983 in December 2023. The number of reported border crossings declined significantly to 176,205 in January 2024. Concerns about illegal immigration reflect negatively on Biden's approval rating as he seeks reelection to a second term in the 2024 presidential election. According to the RealClearPolitics average of polls taken since Jan. 3, Biden's net disapproval rating on the issue is 33.3 percentage points under water. His net disapproval rating on the issue is significantly lower than his overall net disapproval rating of 15 percentage points underwater, based on polls taken since Feb. 1. Dissatisfaction with the Biden administration's handling of illegal immigration led to the impeachment of U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas earlier this month. The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives impeached Mayorkas on charges that he "repeatedly violated laws enacted by Congress regarding immigration and border security." Mayorkas' fate now rests in the hands of the Democrat-controlled U.S. Senate, where it will take the votes of two-thirds of senators to convict and remove him from office. The effort to oust Mayorkas is viewed as unlikely to succeed in light of the party-line vote to remove him in the U.S. House and the partisan makeup of the U.S. Senate, which consists of 51 Democrats and 49 Republicans. Home News Trump says he supports IVF after Alabama Supreme Court ruling; pro-lifers react Former President Donald Trump and other conservative leaders' response to the Alabama Supreme Court decision concerning embryos conceived via in vitro fertilization has prompted discussions among pro-lifers about the ethics of the practice, even if it does involve the creation of new life. Earlier this month, the Alabama Supreme Court determined that frozen embryos are protected by the state's Wrongful Death of a Minor Act. The court ruled that embryos created through IVF and kept frozen are protected by state law, reversing a lower court decision. Associate Justice Jay Mitchell concluded in the majority opinion that the act, first enacted in 1872, "applies to all children, born and unborn, without limitation." 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 IVF process involves transferring an embryo into a woman's uterus after sperm and egg are manually combined in a laboratory dish. The ruling has prompted commentary from various political figures, including Trump and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. In response to the ruling, the former president and 2024 presidential hopeful Trump wrote on his Truth Social network that he "strongly support[s] the availability of IVF for couples who are trying to have a precious baby." He vowed that under his leadership, "the Republican Party will always support the creation of strong, thriving, healthy American families." "We want to make it easier for mothers and fathers to have babies, not harder!" Trump wrote. During a Sunday "State of the Union" interview with CNN's Dana Bash, Gov. Abbott predicted that the Texas legislature would take up the issue, stating that Texas "is a pro-life state." The Republican governor added, "we want to ensure we promote life" and "empower parents." "The IVF process is a way of giving life to even more babies. So, I think the goal is to make sure that we can find a pathway to ensure that parents who otherwise may not have the opportunity to have a child will be able to have access to the IVF process and become parents and give life to babies," Abbott said. Trump and Abbott's comments in support of IVF come as some pro-life groups contend that IVF can result in the deaths of unborn children, such as when excess embryos are discarded or fail to survive being frozen and thawed. Katy Faust, founder and president of Them Before Us, an organization that advocates for a child's right to be raised by a mother and father, acknowledged that IVF "gives life" to some babies. In a statement to The Christian Post, the advocate cited research that suggests only 7% of lab-created children are born alive, while others remain frozen, are donated to science or "compassionately transferred to die in the womb." While she agreed that the Republican Party should "support the creation of strong, thriving, healthy, American families," Faust argues that this cannot come at the expense of "the most vulnerable Americans unborn children." "Our hearts go out to couples struggling with infertility and those who experience same-sex attraction who may not be able to have a child without the help of a technician," Faust told CP. "But no amount of adult struggle, loss, or longing justifies violating the rights of the child specifically their primary right to life and right to be known and loved by both their mother and father." "Our country's leaders, specifically those who identify as pro-life or Republican, must unequivocally stand for child protection," she continued. "Today, that means standing against the baby-taking industry of abortion and very often the baby-making industry of IVF." Jennifer Lahl, founder and president of the Center for Bioethics and Culture, said in a statement with CP there is a lot of "misinformation" circulating about the ruling. She said many believe the ruling means that IVF "will be prohibited or greatly restricted," while some think that the decision "is even anti-traditional pro-family values." "The higher court's action was in response to the lower court's that rejected three couples' rights to file for 'wrongful death' of their frozen embryos that were inadvertently destroyed," Lahl stated. "The lower court said the 'Wrongful Death of a Minor" Law,' which protected children born and the unborn the fetus, in its mother's womb, did not extend that protection to the frozen human embryo." "The higher courts decision said, 'Under existing black-letter law, the answer to that question is no, the Wrongful Death of a Minor Act applies to all unborn children, regardless of their location,'" she continued. "IVF is not illegal in Alabama with this decision," Lahl added. "If anything, IVF clinics will have to be more diligent in protecting human frozen embryos." Regarding the position conservative leaders should take on IVF, Penny Nance, CEO and President of Concerned Women for America, urged conservatives to provide "bold, stead leadership on life." In a statement to CP, Nance urged Republicans not to run from the issue. Like abortion, she believes that political opponents will use "scare tactics and false messaging" to misrepresent the party's views. "The policy debate on the best practices for IVF can certainly continue, but even in that debate, Alabama's respect for the sanctity of every human life as created in the image of God represents the best framework possible to engage it," Nance said. "Pro-life Republican Senate candidates should take this case as an opportunity to discuss how precious life is from the moment of conception." Home News West Virginia House passes bill to allow religious exemptions for student vaccine mandate West Virginia is one step closer to passing a law that would allow parents to exempt their children from getting certain vaccines on the basis of religious objection and still attend public schools. On Monday, the Republican-controlled West Virginia House of Delegates voted 57-41 to support House Bill 5105, which would amend state law regulating mandatory vaccination for students. Thirty-one Republicans sided with Democrats to oppose the measure, while all of the votes in support of its passage came from Republicans. The proposed legislation exempts students attending virtual schools from vaccine requirements and allows parents to opt their child out of vaccination for religious reasons. 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 Notwithstanding any other provisions in this code, no provision of this section shall apply to any child whose parents or guardians present a letter stating that a child cannot be vaccinated for religious reasons and an exemption from the requirements of this section shall be granted, states the bill. The bill will next go to the Republican-controlled West Virginia Senate, which has until March 9 to vote on the legislation, though the chances of it passing remain uncertain, reports The Associated Press. Critics of the bill, including Dr. Steven Eshenaur of the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department, have argued that HB 5105 will lead to worse health outcomes for West Virginians. Legislators want to turn the clock back nearly 100 years and remove some of the safeguards in our vaccination policies, said Eshenaur. It escapes sound reasoning why anyone would want to weaken childhood immunization laws. Our children are more important than any agenda that would bring these horrific diseases back to the Mountain State. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, West Virginia is one of five states that does not include a religious or conscience-based exemption to school vaccination requirements. The others are California, Connecticut, Maine and New York. Del. Chris Pritt, a sponsor of the legislation, defended the bill on social media. Pritt tweeted on Wednesday that the bill seeks to protect parental rights and personal freedom. WV is at the bottom with medical freedom, he said. Mountaineers will never be free until families are able to make decisions on whether to vaccinate. In April 2023, U.S. District Judge Halil Suleyman Ozerden ordered Mississippi to allow parents who opposed vaccines for religious reasons to be exempted from the requirement that they vaccinate their children in order to send them to school. In 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a case brought by parents who challenged New York's repeal of religious exemptions to school vaccine mandates, letting a lower court decision stand that concluded that the parents' arguments lacked merit. Home Opinion Should American Christians take the warnings of Donald Trump seriously? Recently Donald Trump warned those gathered at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference that the worst is yet to come should Biden win another term in office. He said Four years ago, I told you that if crooked Joe Biden got to the White House, our borders would be abolished, our middle class would be decimated, and our communities would be plagued by bloodshed, chaos and violent crime, he followed with, We were right about everything. Trump believes that he prophesied and it came to pass! He warned again If Crooked Joe Biden and his thugs win in 2024, the worst is yet to come. Our country will go and sink to levels that were unimaginable. He also warned Americans that Biden would weaponize law enforcement to hunt conservatives and people of faith as well as religious Americans. Trump's warnings were many and spell doom for the American people, especially Christians, and other people of faith. To what extent should these warnings be taken seriously? How have people of faith faired in this first tenure of Joe Biden nationally and internationally? 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 Recently, Abraham Cooper and Frederick A. Davie, the chairman and the vice chairman of USCIRF, respectively, commented: There is no justification as to why the State Department did not designate Nigeria or India as a Country of Particular Concern, despite its own reporting and statements. USCIRF calls on Congress to convene a public hearing on the failure of the State Department to follow our recommendations. This indicates that religious freedom is under serious threat at the moment. There are numerous reports of abuse of the rights of Christians under Joe Bidens watch. Do we think the situation will get better in his second tenure? Now, it is clear to everyone that Donald Trump has many moral failures. Some have described him as a racist, others a corrupt leader, and some say he is a liar. But If he wins the primary of his party, between him and Biden, who do you think will create an environment for Christianity to thrive? Or do we pretend that our faith does not matter when politics are concern? Sincere answers to these questions will guide your decisions come November. I know that Trump has his weaknesses, but he did something that endeared him to us in Nigeria. On September 8, 2020, our then-president Muhammadu Buhari said: I believe I was about the only African amongst the least developed countries that Trump invited and when I was in his office, only myself and himself, only God is a witness, he looked at me in the face and said, Why are you killing Christians? It takes a man who believes in the sanctity of life and love for humanity to ask such delicate and sensitive questions. I must confess that I was touched by this question which indicated that someone cares about the survival of the Nigerian Christians. Now that no one is asking this question, we have seen how Nigerian Christians are slaughtered on a daily basis recklessly. This is not the time to be politically correct, nor the time for interdenominational criticisms. The evangelicals should also know that this is not the time to discriminate or claim that they can do it all alone. This is the time to bring everyone who calls on the name of Christ together. All should pray and work hard so that all will be free to practice their faith when religious freedom is restored first in America and then all around the world, including in my own country of Nigeria. When one of you says, I am a follower of Paul, and another says, I follow Apollos, arent you acting just like people of the world? (1 Corinthians 3:4) A house divided against itself shall not stand (Mark 3:25). I am not oblivious to the fact that Trump and Biden claim to be Christians, but it is not about their claims that should matter to American Christians, but their dispositions. Who between the two will favor the course of the Christian faith? Let all American people of faith vote to have freedom to serve their God without intimidation or harassment. Home News Airman who torched himself outside Israeli Embassy grew up on controversial religious compound The U.S. airman who set himself on fire outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington was reportedly raised in a religious compound that has weathered accusations of abuse and creating an environment of control, allegations that the group has publicly denied. Twenty-five-year-old Aaron Bushnell was an active-duty Air Force member when he doused himself in liquid and lit his body on fire, shouting "Free Palestine" as he burned on Sunday. Bushnell posted a video of his self-immolation to Twitch, which has since been removed. 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 As The Washington Post reported this week, Bushnell was raised in a religious group called the Community of Jesus, according to Susan Wilkins, a former member from 1970 to 2005. Wilkins said she knew Bushnell and his family when they lived on the Orleans, Massachusetts-based compound, a claim the outlet reported others have corroborated. She said that she had heard from others since her departure that Bushnell had also left the compound. She also claimed that Community of Jesus members often join the military, which she described as moving from "one high-control group to another high-control group." Bonnie Zampino, a former member of the group in the 1980s, told the outlet that many who leave become involved in social justice causes. "A lot of us that got out are very much into social justice, trying to defend those who don't or can't defend themselves because that is what we went through," Zampino said. The Christian Post reached out to the Community of Jesus, but a receptionist said he did not know of anyone to whom he could forward the call for comment. CP sent the group a message, but the Community of Jesus did not respond by press time. As The Ottawa Citizen reported in February 2020, former students won a class-action lawsuit against a school with ties to the Community of Jesus. The students alleged that punishments at the school consisted of public shaming and humiliation as a disciplinary technique. The school was accused of holding assemblies a few times a year to call out those who broke the rules. In 2021, former member Carrie Buddington told WBZ-TV that she was "repeatedly traumatized" during her time with the Community of Jesus and is "still haunted" by an incident where she was allegedly forced to give up her baby in the 1980s. Bushnell's LinkedIn page shows that he worked from 2015 to 2017 at the Community of Jesus' publishing house, Paraclete Press, where he maintained and supported IT infrastructure. Bushnell later joined the Air Force in 2020. In an anonymous statement to The Washington Post, a friend of Bushnell's said he spoke with him about the sacrifices necessary to be effective anarchists less than two weeks before the self-immolation. "I hope you'll understand. I love you," Bushnell wrote in a message reviewed by The Washington Post. "This doesn't even make sense, but I feel like I'm going to miss you." On Sunday, Bushnell sent the friend a copy of his will, leaving the neighbor a few bottles of root beer. He then set himself on fire to protest the Israel-Hamas war, which began after the terrorist group's Oct. 7 attack killed over 1,200 people in southern Israel and sparked Israel's military offensive in Gaza. Multiple friends of Bushnell's told the newspaper that the airman expressed disagreements about the United States' involvement in the war. The friends said they did not know Bushnell planned to kill himself outside of the Israeli Embassy. According to Levi Pierpont, who met Bushnell during basic training in May 2020, Bushnell grew interested in protesting "state-sanctioned violence" after the death of George Floyd in May 2020 under police custody in Minnesota. In January, Bushnell told Pierpont that he wanted to do political activism when he left the military. The Israeli Embassy confirmed to CBS News that none of its members were injured as a result of Bushnell's protest. A video posted by independent journalist Talia Jane shows the Air Force member declaring that he would "no longer be complicit in genocide" before setting himself on fire. The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry says that nearly 30,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began but doesn't differentiate between combatants and civilians. The Israel Defense Forces state they have killed over 12,000 operatives in Gaza along with 1,000 terrorists inside Israel, according to The Times of Israel. Home News Christian man acquitted of blasphemy in Pakistan but still remains on death row LAHORE, Pakistan A Christian sentenced to death in one blasphemy case in Pakistan was acquitted on Feb. 20 in another related to the same incident, with the judge citing double jeopardy, his attorney said. Police illegally charged Noman Masih, 24, twice for the same incident, but he remains on death row for conviction in the first case, said attorney Lazar Allah Rakha. Bahawalnagar Additional Sessions Judge Sarfaraz Ahmed on Feb. 20 admitted my arguments that the case against my client Noman Masih came under the principle of double jeopardy, which clearly states that no person can be prosecuted or punished for the same offense more than once, Rakha told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News. 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 Masih was charged by police in two cities, Bahawalnagar and Bahawalpur, as officers acted with a mala fide intent to punish him in two blasphemy cases registered within three days. The police also tried to prosecute him in an anti-terrorism court, although the case did not fall under terrorism, Rakha said. I resisted their attempt and successfully argued that the case be heard by the sessions court. The polices prejudicial attitude towards Masih insinuates that someone wanted to see him suffer at all costs. A judge in the Bahawalpur case handed Masih the death sentence in May 2023 after a four-year trial, though prosecutors failed to provide any evidence against him, Rakha said. Moreover, all the witnesses produced by the prosecution also failed to corroborate the police narrative, he said. It was a miscarriage of justice, to say the least. The Feb. 20 acquittal in the Bahawalnagar case has raised hope that the Lahore High Court will consider Masihs appeal against the death sentence on merit and order his acquittal, Rakha said. Im 1,000% confident that the high court will set aside Masihs conviction when it examines the lacunas in the prosecutions story that the trial court had ignored, he said. Masih will, God willing, soon reunite with his family. The attorney, who has won freedom for several persons charged with blasphemy, expressed gratitude for legal advocacy group Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) International, which supported him in Masihs case. Masihs parents are very poor, and Im grateful to ADF for partnering with me in this legal battle for justice, he said. Masihs father, Asghar Masih, said his family was deeply relieved to learn about the acquittal. We had been on a knifes edge after the conclusion of the trial in the Bahawalnagar case, he told Christian Daily International-Morning Star News. When we informed Noman about his acquittal, he was overwhelmed with joy. This is the first good news he has had in a very long time. Asghar Masih, a cleaner and member of the Anglican Church of Pakistan, said he could not thank Rakha enough for standing with the family. Though advocate Lazar continuously encouraged us and kept our hopes alive, my wife and I have been extremely worried about the outcome of this case, he said. Secret Information Police arrested Noman Masih and his cousin, Sunny Waqas, after officers in their respective districts, citing secret information, filed cases against them under Section 295-C of Pakistans controversial blasphemy statutes. Section 295-C, for derogatory comments about Muhammad, the prophet of Islam, carries a mandatory death sentence. Trainee Sub-Inspector Fraz Ahmed of the Faqirwali Police Station in Bahawalnagar claimed he received secret information that Waqas had printed blasphemous sketches of Islams prophet and was carrying them in a black bag to show other people, according to First Information Report (FIR) No. 353/19. Upon questioning, Waqas told police that his cousin Noman had shared the alleged sacrilegious images with him on WhatsApp, according to the complainant. Waqas was taken into custody on June 29, 2019 and charged with blasphemy. On July 1, 2019, Bahawalpur police arrested Noman Masih. A FIR registered by the Baghdadul Jadeed Police Station on the complaint of Sub-Inspector Muhammad Arshad Nadeem states that Nadeem received secret information that Noman Masih was sitting in a public park at 3:30 a.m. with nine or 10 people and was showing them blasphemous images on his phone. The FIR states he was arrested from the park, but neighbors and Masihs family testified that he was arrested from his home. On Jan. 17, 2023, the Lahore High Court Bahawalpur Bench granted bail to Waqas, the main suspect, because his trial had not concluded within the mandatory two-year period. Courts routinely dismiss bail pleas by blasphemy suspects, especially those charged under Section 295-C, a non-bailable offense. There are instances where suspects in non-bailable offenses, including murder, can be granted bail under the third proviso of Section 497 (1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure. Section 497 states that if suspects have not been formally charged, the trial has not been concluded within two years and the delay is not due to the accused, they should be granted bail. Waqas has reportedly fled Pakistan after obtaining bail, and the court has declared him a proclaimed offender. His cousin Noman Masih remains incarcerated in the Bahawalpur Central Prison, where he awaits his appeal of the death sentence. Pakistan ranked seventh on Open Doors 2024 World Watch List of the most difficult places to be a Christian, as it was the previous year. This article was originally published by Christian Daily International. Home News Illegal immigrant who killed Laken Riley wielded such force he 'disfigured her skull': report The suspect in the murder of 22-year-old Laken Riley, a nursing student at Augusta University, is accused of using an object to strike her head with enough force to disfigure her skull, according to court documents. Jose Antonio Ibarra, an illegal immigrant from Venezuela, also had prior encounters with police before the murder, reports show. Authorities determined that Rileys death was likely due to blunt force trauma. The young woman was found dead on the campus in Athens last week after a friend reported her missing. According to affidavits The Associated Press obtained Tuesday, in addition to disfiguring Rileys skull, Ibarra allegedly dragged the womans body to a secluded location, which brought the additional charge of concealing the death of another person. 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 court documents did not reveal specific details about Rileys death nor describe the object used in the murder, according to the AP, which added that the murder is believed to have occurred between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Feb. 22. According to Fox 5, Ibarra had previous encounters with police before he became a suspect in Rileys murder. An October 2022 field report from Athens-Clarke County police cited by the outlet showed that both Ibarra and his brother, Diego, were charged with shoplifting from Walmart. Immigration attorney Eduardo Soto said police generally check any arrestees' immigration status, but since the shoplifting charge was a misdemeanor, both brothers were cited and released on the scene, Fox 5 reported. Similarly, because Athens city officials decided to be a sanctuary city for illegal immigrants, authorities deny cooperation with the federal government when it comes to immigration laws and don't inform ICE when an illegal immigrant has committed a crime. Athens' Mayor Kelly Girtz was heckled by area residents during a Wednesday press conference for defending sanctuary city policies they believe contributed to Riley's death. Please stop it. This is an invasion! an audience member shouted, according to The Daily Caller. When I was younger, I was a criminal and you know what I thought about doing? Crossing the border to Mexico to get away from my crimes. Thanks to Jesus Christ, He saved me and I no longer live that lawless life, but you do. You are lawless, Mr. Mayor. Authorities arrested Ibarra last week in connection with Riley's murder. The Venezuelan national entered the country illegally in September 2022 through El Paso, Texas. Ibarra was reportedly released due to a lack of detention space. Since Biden took office, law enforcement officials at the Southwest border have encountered more than 7 million illegal immigrants. The number of illegal immigrants who have entered the country in that time period exceeds the populations of 37 U.S. states, as measured in the 2020 U.S. Census. Reports have also surfaced that Ibarras brother, Diego, had presented a fake green card to begin a temporary job as a dishwasher in the University of Georgias dining hall on Feb. 6. Diego was fired from his job and subsequently arrested and charged with green card fraud. A spokesperson for the university said Diego failed to "submit further documentation required to keep the job and was never paid by the university" before he was "fired. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that since Riley's murder, the University of Georgia announced that it has invested $7.3 million in new safety measures. The heightened security measures include a larger police budget and emergency call boxes. Days after Rileys murder, a friend of the nursing students family released a statement on Sunday that included a request for privacy during this period of mourning. "We wish to thank the public for their prayers and thoughts during this tragic time. We thank the University of GA Police Department, Athens-Clarke County Police Department, the Clarke County District Attorney's Office, and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation for their quick response and diligent effort in the investigation and arrest of those individual(s) responsible for our daughter's death," the statement said. "Laken was an amazing daughter, sister, friend and overall person in general. Her love for the Lord was exemplified in every aspect of her life. She will be missed every day, but we promise to honor her life moving forward in a very big way," the family continued, noting that Rileys life was "tragically cut short." In response to the young womans death, Georgia's Republican Gov. Brian Kemp wrote a letter to U.S. President Joe Biden criticizing his administrations border policies. The governor also highlighted Rileys murder, calling it a devastating tragedy. Biden has yet to address Riley's murder. Kemp demanded in the letter that the Biden administration publicly provide answers about why Georgia officials were not informed about the illegal status of the murder suspect. In addition, the Georgia governor questioned why his administration wasn't informed of the release of an illegal who presented "fraudulent asylum claims." "These tragedies are not unique to Georgia," Kemp wrote. "While we will continue to support Texas with National Guard resources as we have since 2019, federal action to secure the border is the only way to wholistically address this ongoing crisis and ensure Laken Riley's horrible fate is not replicated across the country." UMC Finances Strain Amid Disaffiliations, UK LGBT Curriculum Opposition, Canada Doc Links Christianity To White Supremacy link to download the audio instead. link to download the audio instead. 06:55 06:55 Top headlines for Thursday, February 29, 2024 In today's episode, we delve into the evangelical movement's attempts to amplify their political influence ahead of the 2024 presidential race, and the challenges facing the United Methodist Church as it grapples with the lowest proposed budget in forty years, wrought by mass disaffiliation. We then discuss the significant legal battle undertaken by a UK school employee dismissed over her objection to LGBT materials in classrooms. Lastly, we critique the decision by Canada's largest school board to eliminate an online document linking the education system to 'white supremacy' and 'colonial structure', a move stirring debate about the country's historical and current identity. Subscribe to this Podcast Follow Us on Social Media Get the Edifi App Subscribe to Our Newsletter Links to the News Top headlines for Thursday, February 29, 2024 In today's episode, we delve into the evangelical movement's attempts to amplify their political influence ahead of the 2024 presidential race, and the challenges facing the United Methodist Church as it grapples with the lowest proposed budget in forty years, wrought by mass disaffiliation. We then discuss the significant legal battle undertaken by a UK school employee dismissed over her objection to LGBT materials in classrooms. Lastly, we critique the decision by Canada's largest school board to eliminate an online document linking the education system to 'white supremacy' and 'colonial structure', a move stirring debate about the country's historical and current identity. Home Opinion Biden admin has blood on its hands with Laken Riley murder By the time Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., was sitting in the MSNBC interview chair, Laken Rileys parents were living a nightmare. Their daughters body had been found, brutally murdered, in the woods by the University of Georgia campus where shed gone running. Police hadnt announced publicly that theyd found the killer when Ocasio-Cortez launched into a diatribe about the Republicans false narrative on the border. Were going to keep pretending this is a crisis, the radical Democrat insisted, hours before one family grieved just how wrong she was. No one knows why Laken was killed. Police called it a crime of opportunity, an opportunity many argue Jose Antonio Ibarra never should have had. As UGA Police Chief Jeffrey Clark said at a Friday night news conference, all we know is this: He was not a U.S. citizen. Like the millions of other people Joe Biden let across the border, Ibarra was bussed deep into New York City, where he was released to commit crime after crime. Each time he was arrested, he was let go. Now, an innocent young nursing student with her whole life ahead of her has paid for it. Laken Riley is dead, because America failed to protect her, The New York Times Editorial Board wrote in a blistering piece aimed at the Biden administration. The story is a haunting one that this White House will have a hard time shaking off. President Biden is already drowning in the nationwide disapproval of his immigration policy, as an astonishing 67% object to his indifference at the dangers of the open border. No amount of messaging or hollow executive orders can ever bring Laken back. No amount of presidential sympathy can do what his policy should have done from the beginning: keep us safe. 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 This fact that one of our governments had in its custody a man who it knew was bad news, and who it knew was here illegally justly infuriates people, Charles Cooke insisted on NRO. Jose Antonio Ibarra had no business being in America and, once his presence had been discovered, he should not have been. Former President Donald Trump, whose strict immigration policies held millions of migrants at bay, blasted his successor on Truth Social, writing, Joe Bidens Border INVASION is destroying our country and killing our citizens! The horrible murder of 22-year-old Laken Riley at the University of Georgia should have NEVER happened! Desperate to circle the wagons of their sinking president, outlets like the Associated Press have made the ridiculous assertion that the violence was basically Lakens fault. She shouldnt have been running alone in a wooded area. In fact, the AP ignored the fact that Ibarra was even in the country illegally, arguing instead that the killing highlights the fears of solo female athletes. But the burden was not on Riley to be more careful or to find a running buddy, National Reviews Haley Strack fired back, it was her governments responsibility to ensure that illegal predators who are known to law enforcement cannot so easily lurk in the shadows, waiting to strike. Social media lit up over the idiocy of the APs blame-shifting. Pretty sure thats not the lesson here, The American Spectators Stephen Miller tweeted. By tomorrow the AP will be tying this to climate change, Twitchys Doug Powers predicted, half-jokingly. Others tried to play a numbers game. The Cato Institutes David Boaz suggested, On the day that young woman was tragically killed, Boaz wrote, 70 people were killed by American citizens. Cooke, shaking his head, replied that he finds this way of thinking entirely baffling. If the question at hand here were, Do illegal immigrants commit crimes at a higher rate than U.S. citizens? these numbers would be relevant. But thats not the question, is it? The question that the critics are asking is, What could have been done to prevent this murder? Its also an interesting contrast to the Democrats response to other forms of violence. When someone dies in a school shooting, the Left works to take away guns from everyone, including law-abiding citizens. But when a young, 22-year-old is murdered by an illegal immigrant that their policies let into the country, their first inclination isnt to deport all of the migrants who pose a danger to Americans its to dismiss it as random. Their outrage is obviously selective, based on their preferred political narrative of that moment. The reality is much more damning. Ibarra was free to do harm, because of lawless decisions this president made. These are the tragic consequences of open border policies, Congressman Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) argued. The Biden Administration has blood on its hands. As Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) pointed out, Every parent, and every American, is saddened and outraged to hear about the loss of University of Georgia student Laken Riley. Our prayers are with her family and friends as they mourn this tragedy. The brutal murderer who took the life of Laken was one of the millions of illegal aliens that the Biden Administration simply released and unleashed upon our country. For her sake, he vowed, and the countless many others lost to this border catastrophe, House Republicans will continue to fight tooth and nail for a return to law and order. Mr. President, use your existing statutory authority and CLOSE THE BORDER! This entirely preventable tragedy will almost certainly steel the Republicans spine when it comes to this weeks budget fights. In a conversation with Rep. Ron Estes (R-Kan.) on Washington Watch Monday, Family Research Council President Tony Perkins suggested that Americans will probably see a defining moment in Washington this week with the confrontation between conservatives saying its time to secure our border and the administration pushing for more government funding. Estes agreed, pointing out that the sad part of all of this is that we dont need additional laws. We need a president who cares about the ones that exist. President Biden [took] 60 different steps when he first came into office to undo what was being done successfully [at the border] during the Trump administration [t]hings like the Remain in Mexico policy, which would solve 70 to 80% of our problem, according to our conversations with the Border Patrol agents. If the Biden administration would just enforce the laws to protect the country, the laws that are on the books would actually help America. And you wouldnt see these terrible deaths, these atrocities, and these other crimes being committed by the illegal aliens that have been brought into the country and allowed to stay here and then released to roam throughout the countryside. The White House can continue to offer trite statements and meaningless condolences or it can act. But eventually, the clock on Joe Bidens lawlessness will run out. Either the illegal crossers will be held accountable or come November this president will. Originally published at The Washington Stand. Islamist Nigerian militants press attacks against Christians to foment religious war Islamist Fulani militants in the central Nigerian state of Plateau are continuing an anti-Christian killing spree that began with a devastating Christmas-time attack that left almost 200 Christians dead and hundreds others injured. On Feb. 18, six people were ambushed, with one killed and others injured, including a woman who was raped. A week earlier, the militants attacked a Christian village with guns and machetes, killing 10 and injuring dozens. The campaign is going on despite a multi-agency security operation in the region. On the evening of Dec. 23, Fulani gunmen targeted some 20 Christian communities and dozens of churches in the predominantly Christian area of the country, which as a whole is more than half Muslim. The terrorists, who are aligned with the Islamist group Boko Haram, killed or maimed anyone in sight, slaughtered animals and burned down thousands of homes, displacing more than 20,000 people. The mayhem lasted through the morning of Dec. 26. Twenty-six-year-old Joseph Makut survived a gunshot wound to his right leg in the attack. "I didn't celebrate Christmas. The militants attacked my village of Mabor at midnight when my family and I were in a deep sleep," the father of two said from his hospital bed at Jos University Teaching Hospital. "The gunmen broke our door and opened fire at us. We pretended to be dead, but my wife tried to crawl, and she was shot several times and died." Makut said the gunmen told them that they aimed to eliminate Christian communities in the central part of the country. "I don't think I will go back to my village until my security is assured," said Makut, bemoaning the insecurity that Christians face in the country, especially in Plateau. "The terrorists are determined to kill every Christian in the region, and this is making us live in fear because we have already lost our loved ones." Nigeria, a West African nation of more than 200 million people, has suffered terror attacks since 2009 when the violent extremist groups Boko Haram and the Islamic State group in West Africa launched an insurgency aimed at overthrowing Nigeria's secular government and establishing an Islamic state. In 2011, the Fulani militants joined Boko Haram to escalate Islamism insurgency in northern and central Nigeria, targeting Christians. At least 52,250 Nigerian Christians have been murdered for their faith, and thousands of churches have been destroyed, according to the report from Intersociety, a democracy and human rights advocacy group founded in 2008. Nigeria is now ranked number six on the World Watch List, Open Doors' annual ranking of the 50 countries where Christians face the most extreme persecution. The research reveals that the country is one of the most dangerous or difficult in which to be a Christian as violence against Christians is increasing. Patricia Machen, another survivor of the Christmas Eve attacks, said she was afraid of attending church services after terrorists burned her church during the night attack and warned residents against praying. "We are afraid to be Christians in this country, and we are now not even going to church since the attack happened," said Machen, a 40-year-old mother of four from the Mangu community, one of dozens of ethnic groups in Plateau. "The terrorists found us praying inside the church, and they started shooting at us, and we had to run and hide. But unfortunately, they killed and injured some of our members." Machen said the groups have spies in every Christian community that report to them about religious activities happening in the communities. "For example, when we have a prayer gathering, vigil or fasting in groups, the terrorists will know and strike. They will even send messages to warn residents against praying." Religious leaders have warned that the attacks are aimed at creating conflict between Muslims and Christians in the hope of instigating a religious war in the country. "These people are terrorists, and they are not fighting for any religion. But they want to use religion to achieve their target of destabilizing the country and establishing an Islamic state," said Moses Mashat, pastor of an evangelical Christian church. "I want to urge the government to bring hope to the people by arresting and prosecuting the perpetrators and sponsors of these crimes happening across the country." The president of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Archbishop Daniel Okoh of the independent Christ Holy Church International, advised Nigerians to remain united despite the attacks. "In times like these, Nigerians must come together and remain united despite the challenges they are facing from terrorist gangs," said Okoh. "We can only defeat terrorists when we are together as a country, and I urge Nigerians to continue praying to the Almighty God to protect our country from future attacks." Meanwhile, survivors, most of them sheltered in 23 camps set up by the Red Cross in Plateau, are desperately awaiting aid as they continue to mourn their loved ones. "We have nothing to eat because we lost everything, including our farm produce and livestock," said Machen, noting that they lack basic needs, such as food, water, shelter, clothing, blankets and medical aid. "We are urging the government and well-wishers to come to our aid because we are suffering and, at the same time, mourning." Religion News Service Warnings of another Christian exodus from Iraq Christians are leaving Iraq in their droves because they cannot see any future in the country after years of political instability and persecution. Cardinal Louis Sako said in a statement on the website of the Chaldean Church in Iraq that a fresh exodus of Christians from the country is being driven by a "state of instability" and "lack of equity". The patriarch of Iraq's largest denomination said that the Christian minority has been suffering "painfully" from kidnapping and killing for ransom since 2003. Christians were also targeted in horrific attacks and displaced from their homes in Mosul and the Nineveh Plain by the Islamic State (ISIS), but even though Iraq formally declared ISIS defeated in 2017, the cardinal said that forced conversions by ISIS are still happening, as is the "Islamisation of minors". The cardinal also reported "attacks" on Christian jobs and the "seizure of their properties". There were an estimated 800,000 Christians in Iraq before 2003 but today the figure is believed to stand at around only 153,000. Cardinal Sako said that a hundred Christian families had recently left Qaraqosh, in the Nineveh Plain, and that a similar exodus was occurring in other cities like Ankawa, in the Kurdistan region. The cardinal said people were leaving because of anxiety about the future and the government's failure to pay salaries for months. He sees no action on the part of the government to support Christians. "The government is not serious about doing justice to Christians. They keep saying pretty words without action. More than a million Christians have emigrated, most of them were with qualified scientific, economic and skilled background," he said. Open Doors' Matthew Barns (name changed for security reasons), who works with the charity's partners in Iraq, said that many Christian families "no longer see a future in their own country". "After so many years of wars, persecution by extremists, and for some families being displaced multiple times, they just want to leave and build their future elsewhere," he said. "The disaster with the fire in a wedding hall in September 2023 in the Christian town of Qaraqosh that killed over 130 Christians, that was an accident probably partly caused by lack of monitoring of security guidelines by the government. For many people in Qaraqosh the lack of government control is another confirmation that no one cares about the Christians. "In the Nineveh Plain, the Shia Muslims are specifically feared by the Christian communities. They get the feeling that the Shia are gradually taking over properties once owned by Christians, causing an ethnic change. But all the bad things that happen to the Christian communities add to the feeling that there is no future for them in Iraq." Warnings of assisted suicide 'harm' as MPs predict change to law Campaigners have warned of "harm" and "profound injustices" following the publication of a Commons report that suggests the law on assisted suicide is likely to change in parts of the UK soon. A report from the parliamentary Health and Social Care Committee says that UK ministers must consider the implications of legal divergence on the matter. The report has been published as Scotland, Jersey and the Isle of Man prepare to consider fresh proposals aimed at legalising assisted suicide. Jersey, a Crown Dependency with its own legislature and laws, has been tipped to become the first place in the British Isles to legalise assisted suicide. Responding to the Commons report, Christian social policy charity CARE warned that legalising assisted suicide would "harm UK society as a whole". CARE policy director, Louise Davies, said that the "cross-border effects" of changing the law in some parts of the UK "have not been considered". "A law change in Scotland, for example, would create huge challenges for suicide prevention in England. Scotland may also see an influx of people, compounding pressure on its NHS," she said. Davies expressed scepticism about safeguarding promises, saying that they "always fail". "We believe that assisted suicide is not something that should be countenanced in any area of the UK," she said. "Evidence from other jurisdictions paints a troubling picture. In Canada, for example, marginalised people feel forced to end their lives because they cannot access the services they need to live. And this has become accepted. "Assisted suicide legislation in the UK would lead to the same profound injustices, and damage UK society as a whole." She added, "Safeguards always fail: doctors cannot detect the subtle signs of coercion, and may miss them altogether. "The law could become more permissive over time: activists would demand assisted suicide for people who don't have a terminal illness before long. The current approach is best, and consistency is best. We would urge politicians to say no." Dr Gordon Macdonald, chief executive of Care Not Killing, a campaign group opposed to assisted suicide, expressed disappointment that MPs have not come down firmly against changing the law in light of serious concerns, which include vulnerable people feeling pressured to end their lives and restrictions being "swept away". "There are many problems with changing the law to legalise state sanctioned killing," he said. "As we saw in the Netherlands and Belgium, limits on who qualifies for an assisted death have been swept away. No longer is state-aided killing with death row drugs limited to those with less than six months to live, but routinely includes disabled people, those with chronic non-terminal conditions and individuals with mental health problems, such as patients with dementia, treatable depression, anorexia, even a victim of sexual abuse." He continued, "At a time when we have seen how fragile our health care system is, how underfunding puts pressure on services, accessing specific treatments and when the UK's amazing hospice movement faces a 100 million funding crisis, MPs could have decided to firmly close the door on assisted suicide and euthanasia, and say the current law which protects everyone, regardless of whether they are young or old, able bodied or disabled should remain. They failed." Primeste notificari pe email Nota bene: Adresele email cu extensia .ru nu sunt acceptate. Contractare si Achizitie Bunuri Anunturi de Angajare Granturi - Finantari Burse de studiu Stagii Profesionale Oportunitati de voluntariat Toate Articolele UN Women Moldova Country Office is looking for a Communications Associate. Under the guidance and direct supervision of the Communications Specialist, the Communications Associate supports the formulation and implementation of the communications and advocacy strategies to increase the standing and awareness of UN Women with partners, the media and the public. The Communications Associate collaborates closely with other Country Office colleagues, as well as the Headquarters and Regional Office counterparts, to ensure communications activities and organizational outreach efforts are aligned with corporate communications policies and initiatives and follow innovative approaches and good practices. The Communications Associate provides substantive support in the management of the UN Women website and social media channels. The Communication Associate applies and promotes the principles of results-based management (RBM), as well as a client-oriented approach consistent with UN Women rules and regulations. Interested candidates are invited to submit their online applications by 13 March 2024 to UN WOMEN Jobs - 115514- Communications Associate/SB3.5 (undp.org) , with the following documents: Motivation letter; All applications must include (as an attachment) the completed UN Women Personal History form (P-11) which can be downloaded from: https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/About%20Us/Employment/UN-Women-P11-Personal-History-Form.doc. Kindly note that the system will only allow one attachment. Applications without the completed UN Women P-11 form will be treated as incomplete and will not be considered for further assessment. Only short-listed applicants will be contacted. In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women's empowerment. At UN Women, we are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment of mutual respect. UN Women recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, national origin, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, competence, integrity and organizational need. If you need any reasonable accommodation to support your participation in the recruitment and selection process, please include this information in your application. UN Women has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UN Women, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to UN Womens policies and procedures and the standards of conduct expected of UN Women personnel and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. (Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check. 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 Shutterstock The founder of a small charity in Cambridge has paid some of his charitys bills, after NatWest froze its account in error. Please Take Me There, a charity which flies young patients to treatment and holidays, was unable to access the charity account for six days. Founder Fernando Pinho told Civil Society this meant no donations coming in, no payments being made, nothing. He said: We are a micro charity. We have three volunteers. I founded the charity nearly 10 years ago. And that's where I spend my life. Pinho became aware of the issue when depositing a 1,000 cash donation from a local company, which decided to donate to its programme in Myanmar. The charity bank card was not working, and Pinho was told the bank account was frozen. Pinho said the issue arose over an organisation with a similar name, which had been closed. To me what is happening here is that their process is not robust enough to catch situations where accounts have similar names, the founder said. Pinho said the charity takes donations very seriously as many charities are struggling I work very hard to keep the reputation of the charity intact. Unsure of income lost Pinho said: I decided to go public, so I made a post on Facebook on the charitys group. I was overwhelmed with responses from other charities that went through similar problems, with the same problem with similar names. I got a lot of feedback. I knew that if I didn't do anything, this would be days and days and days or weeks until it was solved. NatWest sent an official email with the explanation of what happened. They made an offer of compensation for 750, and they sent a letter that could be shared with supporters explaining what happened was not the charity's responsibility. I spent two days stressed and just working on this, Pinho said. I cannot quantify how many charitable donations were blocked, he said, as a lot of the charitys income comes from abroad and may not have been received. The charity receives around 2,000 in monthly donations from Portugal, where Pinho is from. So I don't know which transactions bounced back because I will need the donor to contact me and tell me that bounced. The other impact is that I always send some money towards the end of the month to Myanmar and I need to postpone that. Pinho also paid some of the charity bills himself, which will be reimbursed, as he was concerned about missing payments. A NatWest spokesperson said: We apologise unreservedly for an isolated administrative error which resulted in this charity being unable to access their account for six days. The account is now active and we are arranging to compensate the customer for the inconvenience this error caused. Last year, UK charity regulators called on banks to improve their substandard services for charities , some of which are having their accounts closed or suspended suddenly and are experiencing poor customer service and administrative delays. 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, In May of 2023, agents from the FBI showed up at Tim Burkes home in Tampa and seized several computers, hard drives, his cellphone, and other equipment that he uses as a freelance journalist. As I wrote for CJR, the reasons for the seizure were unknown at the time, because the affidavit the FBI used to justify the search was sealed. (It was later partially unsealed so Burke could see it for the purposes of his defense but has not been made public.) In an interview with me in 2023, Mark RaschBurkes lawyer, and a former prosecutor with the Department of Justicesaid the government seemed to believe that Burke somehow gained unauthorized access to a server and downloaded content he didnt have explicit permission to access or copy. The problem, Rasch said, is that this description would also cover a wide range of normal journalistic activity. Last week, Burke was indicted by a grand jury in Florida on fourteen charges, including conspiracy, accessing a protected computer without authorization, and intercepting or disclosing wire, oral, or electronic communications. The indictment accuses Burke and an unnamed person, referred to in the indictment as CONSPIRATOR 2, of using compromised credentials to gain unauthorized access to protected computers and then scouring those machines before ultimately stealing electronic items and information deemed desirable, in addition to intercepting and disclosing the contents of electronic video communications. What reportedly triggered the initial investigation into Burke was the leak of behind-the-scenes footage of an interview conducted by Tucker Carlson, then a Fox News host, in which Kanye West, the musician now known as Ye, made some anti-Semitic remarks. That footage was among the video streams that Burke downloaded from a server normally used by broadcasters to distribute streams of their shows to affiliates and other outlets. As Rasch explained to me in 2023, many broadcasters livestream continuously, and these streams are in high definition and encrypted. However, many also use third-party services to distribute low-definition, unencrypted feeds. These lower-quality feeds are available on the public internet, Rasch said, with no user ID and password requiredall one needs to know is the specific URL or Web address. Burke obtained the login info for a demo account on one of these third-party servers, Rasch said, and got a list of all the URLs to the livestreams (according to one report, the demo login was accidentally posted on a radio stations website). The important thing to note, according to Rasch, is that the livestreams did not require a user ID and password, just a URL. In other words, he said, there was no hacking or other criminal activity required in order to gain access either to the server or to the feeds, and therefore no justification for an indictment under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. On Tuesday, I asked Rasch whether there was anything surprising in the indictment. He said no, adding that this in itself was a surprise, because he expected the government to come up with something that was actually a crime. According to Rasch, the facts are that Burke either found or was given a user ID and password that were published online by the owner of the server, and that he gained access to these credentials through no criminal activity of his own, and then used them to access broadcast streams at a public URL. Its true that Burke downloaded the videos without permission, Rasch said, but journalists publish things people dont want them to publish all the time. The US attorneys office, he said, seems to be taking the position that under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, permission must be explicit, but then every person who shares a Netflix password is guilty. Rasch said the indictment also seems to invent a new category of criminal tool, which it calls a compromised credential, in reference to the user login and password that Burke used to access the streaming server. However, Rasch says no such term appears anywhere in the CFAA (which Rasch helped draft while he was with the DoJ). The law refers to something called a counterfeit access device, which is a stolen or faked credential, but Rasch said theres nothing that could refer to someone using a lawful user login and password that the owner of those credentials posted on the internet. He added: If you go to Starbucks and theres credentials on the wall, are you not supposed to use it without permission? Even if the DoJ argues that the info was published accidentally and Burke knew it, its still not a crime, said Rasch. As for whether the government believes that Burke is a journalist, Rasch said it has argued that he is not, but at the same time, the US attorneys office said that it complied with all of the DoJ requirements when it comes to performing a search of a journalist. Under the DoJs code of practice, there has to be a compelling reason to perform such a search if it involves a journalist, and the search must be approved by either the attorney general or their deputy. Was that done in this case? Rasch said he doesnt know, because the US attorneys office has not made the affidavit available. Also, while the indictment doesnt mention journalism anywhere, Rasch said that the activity described in it, collecting and disseminating information, is clearly journalistic. Sign up for CJR 's daily email Burke is a former staffer at the Daily Beast and Deadspin who is now a media consultant and freelance writer. He specializes in finding and analyzing video streams for newsworthy content; in 2018, a video that he made showing anchors at Sinclair stations reading from identical scripts about biased and false news went viral. As Rasch told me in our interview in 2023, Burke is absolutely a journalist. Hes been a journalist for twenty years. He works with and for journalistic organizations. One of the unfortunate aspects of the US attorneys case, Rasch said, is that it implies that unless someone works for an outlet like the New York Times or Wall Street Journal, the government treats you as if youre not a journalist. And that has got to stop. The Freedom of the Press Foundation wrote in a statement that the indictment against Burke could have significant implications for press freedom, not only by putting digital journalists at risk of prosecution but by allowing the government to permanently seize a journalists computers. Seth Stern of the FPF said that the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act is a vague, ambiguous law, and that prosecutors should not be using it as a means of criminalizing journalists finding information online that embarrasses public figures. The Electronic Frontier Foundation argued that vague and overbroad applications of computer crime laws threaten to chill a wide range of First Amendmentprotected activities, including reporting on matters of public interest. Kevin Gosztola, a journalist who has written for The Nation, wrote that the indictment of Burke for revealing the Fox News content means that the Department of Justice is sending a clear signal to the news media that prosecutors will not hesitate to aid a powerful or influential corporation in suppressing investigative journalism. As the FPF has also pointed out, confiscating Burkes computers, cellphone, and other reporting equipment amounts to a form of prior restraint, since he would lose any unpublished material, notes, or other communications stored on those devices, regardless of whether they relate to any alleged crime. Ironically, earlier this month the Department of Justice issued new guidance for protecting the rights of journalists when government agencies are trying to get subpoenas for their records. The new policy instructs any DoJ personnel to evaluate a number of criteria when determining whether someone is a member of the news media. In addition to the frequency of the persons reporting, the factors that DoJ staff are supposed to take into account include whether the person brings information to the attention of the public, engages in newsgathering, has independent sources, holds press credentials [and] is widely identified as a journalist or reporter. The day after these guidelines were issued is when the indictment was filed against Timothy Burke. Mathew Ingram is CJRs chief digital writer. Previously, he was a senior writer with Fortune magazine. He has written about the intersection between media and technology since the earliest days of the commercial internet. His writing has been published in the Washington Post and the Financial Times as well as by Reuters and Bloomberg. NHLANGANO Pupils have given government a challenge to walk the talk and give them examination questions written in both English and SiSwati for them to understand better. This was during the commemoration of International Mother Language Day. The day was first introduced by an initiative in Bangladesh. It was approved by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) General Conference in 1999 and has been observed around the world every year since 2002. Each year, a different focus is brought to light. This years commemoration was themed Tilimi temdzabu tiyinsika yemfundvo yetitukulwane netitukulwane (traditional languages are a pillar of generational education). Participating schools were Nhlangano Central, Etjendlovu, Salem and Ngozi FEA high schools, as well as Ngwane Practising Primary. The pupils were making a presentation on behalf of Nhlangano Central High School and focused on how the Ministry of Education and Training could assist in preserving the mother tongue. They shared that this would not only help them understand the questions better, but enrich the understanding of the mother tongue. Some pupils suggested that there were supposed to be regional and national talent auditions for siSwati words and meanings among other things. They also suggested traditional food cooking competitions. Imisebe Publishers Managing Director Hlobisile Stromvig said they had noted improvements in the interest of the young generation in learning their mother tongue. Stromvig said they had seen that some young people were more interested in their mother tongue when compared to previous years. Technology She said they felt the need to have more technology-based activities, as most of the youth were into technology so they were able to learn their mother tongue. She said the commitment of different organisations to ensuring the recognition of the mother tongue was valued. She stated that they saw how pupils were excited to have cultural activities. When asked what they were doing to ensure that the mother tongue was kept, she stated that this was done in books. As such, she said there was a Siswati Dictionary (sichazamagama) that they made as part of ensuring that people understood the language. She explained that they roped in different writers who knew the Siswati language, including, Salayedvwa Magagula, Thembekile Msibi, Thoko Mgabhi and Sarah Mkhonza among others. She said they shared their knowledge. In this years commemoration, there were scholars and Stromvig explained that the pupils would help them note gaps that needed to be filled in the different ministries so as to improve the usage of the mother tongue. National Council of Arts and Culture Chief Executive Officer Stanley Dlamini said they always encouraged cultural activities as they determined the future of the mother tongue and the culture itself. He encouraged different organisations to always promote culture and the speaking of the mother tongue. A cyberattack that has disrupted Change Healthcares computer networks for nearly a week is creating a growing administrative problem for pharmacies and health-care providers around the nation. Change Healthcare, a division of UnitedHealth Group Inc., processes insurance claims and pharmacy requests for more than 340,000 physicians and 60,000 pharmacies. The hack was discovered on Feb. 21, prompting UnitedHealth to isolate the impacted systems. UnitedHealth gave no clearer sense on Tuesday when it would be resolved. Until then, essential connections that distribute data and money across the health-care system are severed, leading to growing backlogs of claims and payments. Members are reporting disruptions in filling prescriptions and hits to their revenue, given that claims are not being paid in many cases, said John Riggi, a former FBI cyber official who is now national adviser for cybersecurity and risk at the American Hospital Association. In the long term, both of those could have a significant impact, he said. The longer this goes on the more potential impact we would see to patient care because of impacts to prescriptions or revenue. UnitedHealth said its working with law enforcement and cybersecurity firms Palo Alto Networks Inc. and Alphabet Inc.s Mandiant. Most pharmacies have changed how they process claims to blunt the impact, the company said in an email late Monday. The company said reports of members not being able to get prescriptions are minimal with fewer than 100 instances across its UnitedHealthcare insurance unit and Optum Rx pharmacy plans. But the disruption from downed systems threatens to worsen the longer the outage persists. One health insurer saw the number of claims it receives from providers drop by 40% since the Change Healthcare system went down, according to an executive who asked not to be identified discussing private information. The plans ability to send payments to providers or members being reimbursed for care has also been crippled, delaying payments in the tens of millions of dollars, the executive said. Because Change Healthcare handles all the payments, even claims that had been processed before the Change outage or that it received via other networks cant be paid. The plan is considering whether to begin the difficult process of sending payments manually, the person said. UnitedHealth has been holding regular calls with clients, and during a call Sunday attributed the attack to the BlackCat hacking group, the person said. The company had previously said it suspected nation-state linked hackers. BlackCat, also known as ALPHV, is one of the more prolific ransomware gangs. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency on Tuesday issued a fresh alert about the BlackCat group. The health sector has been the most commonly victimized since December, the agency said, after a recent post by the groups administrators urging attacks against hospitals. The Department of Veterans Affairs is among the US agencies that have contracts with Change Healthcare. Terrence Hayes, a spokesperson, said all if its pharmacies were operational but the department had disconnected all systems from Change Healthcare. During the weekend, state Medicaid agencies worked to make sure patients could get prescriptions, said Lindsey Browning, director of Medicaid programming at the National Association of Medicaid Directors. Medicaid is the safety-net health program for low-income Americans and covers about 87 million people as of October 2023. This included temporary measures like lifting rules that require prior authorizations or permitting emergency medication refills, she said. As states try to cushion the impact on patients, payments to pharmacies and medical providers are being held up. The longer the payment flow to providers is disrupted, the more concerning it becomes, she said. States are beginning to discuss what levers could be pulled to help stabilize the delivery system if this drags on, she said. About 300 staff from Utahs Medicaid program worked through the weekend to call almost 20,000 people whose prescriptions might be affected, according to state Medicaid Director Jennifer Strohecker. Dozens of pharmacies have asked for help getting reimbursed, the the department created a workaround using a Google form to submit requests. On a call Tuesday Change Healthcare officials started to discuss restoring services, Strohecker said. I dont have a timeframe but they are beginning to talk about what this will look like as systems come back online, she said. The deep reach of Change Healthcares services throughout the health-care industry means the ripple effects hit broadly, Riggi said. Many hospitals have been impacted in a limited way by this attack, but what makes this different is that almost every hospital in the country touches this system. Its a systemic entity and a mission-critical third party for the whole sector, Riggi said, noting that some health-care providers have had to resort to manual methods to try to verify insurance coverage. (Updates with CISA alert in 11th paragraph, details from Utah Medicaid program) Top photo: The prescriptions counter of a pharmacy in Mountain Brook, Alabama, US. Photographer: Andi Rice/Bloomberg. Copyright 2024 Bloomberg. Claims Journal, a Wells Media Company, has named Don Jergler as editor. He succeeds Jim Sams who retired in January. Jergler has covered the insurance industry for over 20 years and holds multiple nominations and an AZBEE award from the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE). He is also the Western Region Editor of Claims Journals sister publication Insurance Journal, where he reports on the regions P/C insurance news. He is also the host of Insurance Journals popular Insuring Cannabis Podcast. Jergler worked for several daily newspapers before heading into B2B media, including serving as business editor of the Antelope Valley Press, and as a reporter at the Pasadena Star-News and later the Long Beach Press-Telegram. He continued to do freelance work for daily newspapers, with his work appearing often in the Los Angeles Times and Orange County Register. I am honored to join Claims Journal as Editor and am excited about the opportunity to contribute to the sites continued success, said Don Jergler My goal is to build on the sites reputation for delivering timely, accurate, and insightful content, while also exploring innovative ways to engage with our readers. Don Jergler is set to spearhead a new era for Claims Journal that will include expanded coverage of emerging trends, exclusive interviews with industry leaders, and in-depth analyses of critical issues affecting the claims industry. Wells Media Groups Vice President of Content, Andrea Wells, expressed confidence in Don stating, We are thrilled to welcome Don Jergler as editor of Claims Journal. With Dons expertise and vision, we are confident that Claims Journal will continue to be the go-to source for comprehensive and reliable information of the claims industry. Claims Journal, a Wells Media Group Company, is the highest trafficked P/C claims-specific news site in the world. Other brands of Wells Media Group include: Insurance Journal, the P/C insurance industrys leading website and magazine; the Academy of Insurance an online learning center for P/C insurance professionals; Insurance Journal TV, a media site featuring insurance industry videos and podcasts, and MyNewMarkets.com, a searchable insurance markets directory which connects thousands of insurance agents with market providers every day; and Carrier Management, which provides research, news, online media and a magazine for insurance company leaders. An upcoming TV adaptation of the 1984 movie "Amadeus," which revolves around the life, music, and career of the legendary classical master Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, is set to premiere in the UK this year through local broadcasting and the streaming service Sky. Sky Original Series 'Amadeus' Synopsis and Background "White Lotus" star Will Sharpe will take on the titular role, portraying the genius maestro during the time of his first arrival in the busy city of 18th-century Vienna as a young composer-to-be, bringing along hopes, dreams, and ambitions of becoming a great classical musician. As the 1984 movie was in turn an adaptation of the original 1979 Peter Shaffer play of the same name, the upcoming series will also be revolving around the mostly fictional story of Mozart and his contemporary "lesser," Antonio Salieri. Apart from his fated meeting with his rival Salieri-who would ultimately usher in Mozart's downfall-he also met his later wife, Constanze Weber, a young soprano who would similarly transform the master's life. The new TV iteration of Schaffer's five-time Tony-winning original play is expected to be equally "fresh, intimate, and irreverent," said Sky TV, as quoted by Broadway World. It will comprise five episodes and will be produced by STV Studios' Two Cities Television and Sky Studios. Acting as executive producers for the latter studio are Paul Gilbert and Megan Spanjian, with Michael Jackson and Stephen Wright serving as the executive producers for the former. In addition, Sharpe himself will be contributing to the classical music biopic as an executive producer. Joe Barton will also join the project as an EP, alongside being the show's primary writer. Julian Farino and Alice Seabright will be co-directing, with the former also acting as an EP. The show is expected to roll out later this year and will follow another high-profile biopic that was released earlier this year, Bradley Cooper's "Maestro." Read Also: AI May Produce TV Soaps Within 3 Years, Director Warns 2024 Classicalite All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Rene Pollesch, the unorthodox trailblazer of the German "discourse theatre," who blended conventional critical theory with pop culture, and director of the premier Berlin theatrical institution, Volksbuhne, has passed away at 61 years old. The passing of the director was announced by the theatre, with a spokesperson saying: "With dismay and deep sadness we must announce that the author and director Rene Pollesch died suddenly and unexpectedly in the morning of 26 February 2024." No other details have been shared as of writing. The Undeniable Influence of Rene Pollesch Born in the Hessen state of Germany, Pollesch eventually became the country's preeminent practitioner of the "post-dramatic approach," the term of which was coined by Hans-Thies Lehmann in his book "Postdramatic Theatre." Under Pollesch's forerunning initiatives that pushed the genre, it eventually overran the biggest and most prestigious stages of the country during the start of the new millennium, making him one of the few theatrical personalities in Germany to ever popularize a whole genre. The 200 plays that the director mounted, the majority of which Pollesch wrote for and exclusively directed, had monumental financial and critical successes despite their counter-conventional nature. This approach has even opened up interest from a newer generation that would otherwise have been more interested in attending nightclubs and concerts. Some of these titles apothegmatic include Pollesch's "Love Is Colder Than Capital" and "Solidarity Is Suicide." A typical scene in a Pollesch-helmed show tosses out the normal structure of plot, dialogue, scenes, and even the notion that an actor should only play one character. Instead, the director encourages his performers to let loose and essentially play around, juxtaposing the hifalutin dialogue sourced from the likes of Theodor Adorno, Donna Haraway, or Giorgio Agamben. Pollesch doubles down on this ironic display in the act by incorporating a musical number that extensively borrows from pop culture hits like the Beach Boys' "Good Vibrations" or Frank Sinatra's "Fly Me to the Moon." In an interview with Der Spiegel, Pollesch explained that he sees theatre as more than a lens of literature, saying, "Dealing with theory organizes experiences. It's not about understanding everything." "That's not my point of view. I am not promoting a new elitism in the theater," he said. Read Also: A Retrospective on the Best Oscar-Winning Scores in the Last Decade Ahead of the 2024 Academy Awards 2024 Classicalite All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. WASHINGTON, D.C. - A pension plan with a large Ohio presence that got $36 billion in American Rescue Plan money to prevent drastic pension cuts to more than 350,000 union workers and retirees is seeking a way to repay the federal government for almost $127 million it got in relief overpayments. Republican members of Congress have pressed the Central States Pension Fund, which is primarily made up of the Teamsters union members and retirees, to repay a slice of the relief money that was mistakenly sent to bolster pensions of at least 3,479 deceased participants. The extra money went to the pension plan and was not was not paid to deceased participants or their beneficiaries. WASHINGTON (AP) As Russia makes battlefield advances and Ukrainian soldiers run short on ammunition, U.S. adults have become fractured along party lines in their support for sending military aid to Kyiv, according to a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Democrats are more likely to say the U.S. government is spending too little on funding for Ukraine than they were in November, but most Republicans remain convinced its too much. That divide is reflected in Congress, where the Democratic-held Senate with help from 22 GOP senators passed a $95 billion package of aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan earlier this month. But the bill, which includes roughly $60 billion in military support for Kyiv, has languished in the Republican-held House as Speaker Mike Johnson has so far refused to bring it up for a vote. President Joe Biden, along with top Democrats and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, passionately urged the Republican speaker during a White House meeting this week to take up the foreign aid package, but Johnson responded by saying that Congress must take care of Americas needs first. Most Republicans still share Johnsons view, and their opinions havent changed significantly since the fall: 55% say the U.S. is spending too much on Ukraine aid, compared to 59% in November. Meanwhile, support for increasing Ukraine aid has grown among Democrats. About 4 in 10 Democrats say the U.S. is spending too little on aid to Ukraine in the war against Russia, up from 17% in November. The share of Democrats who say the U.S. is spending too much or about the right amount has also dropped over the same period. Chloe Henninger, 24, a Democrat from West Hartford, Connecticut, was among those who said the U.S. is spending too little on aid to Ukraine. She said it was important for the U.S. to show commitment to democracies like Ukraine that are under siege. From a humanitarian point of view, there were sovereign borders agreed upon internationally. And then an autocratic power went and invaded a sovereign territory. The U.S., as one of the major military forces in the world, sort of has a duty to respond, Henninger, who works as a cosmetic chemist, said. The poll shows that two years after Russias initial invasion, the Ukraine war has become a partisan dividing line: Majorities of Democrats think its extremely or very important to prevent Russia from seizing more Ukrainian territory, to negotiate a permanent ceasefire between the two countries, help Ukraine regain its land and provide general aid to its military, while less than half of Republicans and Independents agree. Biden and Democratic leaders in Congress have cast the conflict in Ukraine the largest land invasion in Europe since World War II as a potential turning point in history. Failing to repel Russian President Vladimir Putins assault, they warn, would have grave consequences, from destabilizing the rest of Europe to emboldening other potential foes such as China and North Korea. At the same time, Donald Trump, the former president who appears to be marching towards the Republican nomination, has injected serious doubts about Americas involvement in Ukraine and the rest of the world. While McConnell, the top Republican in the Senate, has remained a strong advocate of robust American involvement abroad, Trump has swayed the party towards an isolationist stance, as well as at times heaped admiration on Putins strongman style of rule. Were throwing all this taxpayer money to Ukraine and to Israel, and we cant even take care of our own people, said Jeffrey Jackson, a 55-year-old Republican from Granbury, Texas. The U.S. government needs to take care of our own people and then worry about the rest of the world later. Jackson also holds deeply unfavorable views of Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. And while Jackson said he was not pro-Putin, he liked the way Putin has led Russia more than how Biden has led the U.S. Putin is broadly unpopular among U.S. adults, including Republicans. About 8 in 10 U.S. adults have an unfavorable opinion of Putin, including nearly 9 in 10 Democrats and three-quarters of Republicans. Views of Zelenskyy are more reflective of the divisions over the war itself. About 4 in 10 U.S. adults have a favorable opinion of Zelenskyy, with Democrats having a more positive view than Republicans. Trump has also cast doubt on whether he would uphold commitments to defend fellow NATO countries if he became president again. Jackson agreed with that sentiment, saying he would like to see NATO dismantled. However, a majority of U.S. adults including 52% of Republicans support the spirit of Article V of the NATO military alliance, that an attack on one NATO country represents an attack on all. Nearly 6 in 10 adults say they would favor the U.S. deploying U.S. troops to defend a U.S. NATO ally if it were attacked by Russian forces. Still, when it comes to Ukraine, partisan divisions persist even on questions about basic diplomacy. For example, around 4 in 10 Republicans say that negotiating a permanent ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine should be an extremely or very important foreign policy goal for the U.S., compared to about 6 in 10 Democrats. Overall, half of adults say its highly important for the U.S. to focus on stopping Russia from gaining more territory in Ukraine. Six in 10 adults continue to support imposing economic sanctions on Russia. And half favor providing weapons. Chris Bahr, a 41-year-old from Houston, Texas, who described himself as libertarian politically, said he liked the fact that most of the funding for Ukraine would be spent on U.S.-made weapons. He wanted Congress to approve the aid package as soon as possible. It helps another allied country defend itself and helps America economically getting rid of a lot of our older weapons as were ordering new stuff, Bahr said. I think it would save lives in the long run just to not let Russia become expansionist again. ___ The poll of 1,161 adults was conducted Feb. 1318, 2024, using a sample drawn from NORCs probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 3.8 percentage points. MBABANE Governments rollout of the e-government programme seems impeded by negligence and poor handling of laptops and computers worth millions of Emalangeni. At least 390 laptops purchased by the Ministry of Education and Training at a cost of E12.5 million, remain unutilised, after three years. An unstated number of them have already been stolen. The Auditor General (AG), Timothy Matsebula, in his Financial Audit Report for the year ended March 31, 2023, also found that the laptops were purchased without requisitions. He said the absence of the requisitions from the intended users gave the impression that the procurement was not properly planned. In one incident, the AG said some officials said they were involved in an accident while travelling with the laptops and the gadgets were broken. However, there was no paperwork served to the AG to corroborate this story. There were 50 laptops with the specification: HP Intel core i5-1135 4GB laptop plus carry bag, costing E1 590 000. Another type with specifications: HP Intel core i7-10510U 8GB laptop plus carry bag cost E10 948 000 for 32 units. Information gathered during the audit revealed that the recipients of the gadgets did not know what to do with them and how to distribute them, hence they remained in their custody and unutilised, while some were stolen, the AG said. He said this was in violation of Section 33(1) of the Public Procurement Regulations of 2020, which states that every procurement requirement should be documented by a procurement requisition. Subsection 3 of this section further states that; the requisition should be approved by the controlling officer or an officer so designated by the controlling officer, prior to the initiation of procurement proceedings. Also, subsection 4(a) emphasises that approval of requisitions should include confirmation of the need of the items and authority to proceed with the procurement. Subsection 5 then explains that approved requisitions should be submitted to the appropriate procuring entity to initiate procurement proceedings. Matsebula observed that the purchase may not have been informed by need, in excess of requirements and not of the appropriate specification. I am also concerned about fruitless and wasteful expenditure that may have been incurred through the purchase of unnecessary laptops. The purchased laptops may remain unutilised or stolen thereby depriving the government of value on the money spent, he said. He advised the principal secretary (PS) to ensure that all procurement was properly planned in compliance with government procurement laws, regulations and procedures. All procurement should be initiated through a duly approved requisition subject to confirmation of the need, he said. Missing On another note, the AG found that there were missing and idle laptops found during a verification exercise. I further reported that during the physical verification of durable material in the custody of the ministry conducted in December 2023, it was noted that out of 586 computer laptops that were supplied to various responsibility centres of the ministry, between December 2021 and September 2023, only 247 (less than half of them) were issued to users, while 88 were missing and 251 remained idle. As such, government had not derived full value on the money spent in the acquisition of the laptops, he said. The physical verification further revealed that 44 laptops had been lying idle at the ministry headquarters for 10 months, while 56 laptops had been idle at the Hhohho Regional Education Office (REO) (32), Lubombo REO (2) and Shiselweni REO (22) for two full years. The AG said further enquiry from the REOs revealed that there was no instruction from the ministry on how the gadgets should be distributed, hence most of them remained idle and vulnerable to theft. Regarding the missing 88 laptops, the six laptops missing from the ministry headquarters and 38 laptops missing from the Lubombo REO were reported as stolen to the Royal Eswatini Police Service. However, the Manzini and Shiselweni regional education officers did not provide any information regarding the missing 38 and 6 laptops from their custody as they had not reported the losses to the police. ANTALYA, TURKIYE: How best can we tackle the global turmoil in a more diplomatic way? This is the question that His Majesty the King and more than 15 heads of State and government are expected to deliberate upon, at the third Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF), which is aimed at finding solutions to the upheavals in various parts of the world today. The forum forms part of the Kings working visit to Turkiye. The ADF seeks to find ways to better use diplomacy in the current state of affairs through an interactive and thought-provoking platform. It will take place from tomorrow until March 3, 2024, and is to be officially opened by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Among the leaders expected at the forum are the Presidents; of Madagascar, Andry Rajoelina; Zimbabwe, Emmerson Mnangagwa; Togo, Fabre Gnassingbe; Central African Republic, Faustin-Archabge Touadera; Democratic Republic of the Congo, Felix Tshisekedi; Somalia, Hassa Sheikh Mohamud; Djibouti, Ismail Guelleh; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Bulgaria, Rumen Radev; and Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu. Also present are the Prime Ministers of Moldova, Dorian Recean; Burundi, Gervais Ndirakobuca; Montenegro, Milojko Spajic; and Hungary, Viktor Orban. According to the ADF, this will be the third edition. It will gather heads of State and government, ministers, diplomats, business leaders, academics, think-tankers, youth and media representatives for an all-encompassing debate. According to the ADF secretariat, the overarching theme of this years forum will be Advancing Diplomacy in Times of Turmoil. It aims to serve as a thorough reflection and the means for searching for a peaceful way out of the turbulent period our world is going through. It lists these challenges as ongoing wars, acts of terrorism, irregular migration, the rise of xenophobia and Islamophobia, unforeseen risks of AI, climate change, natural disasters, pandemics and widening socio-economic gaps from a non-exhaustive list of global challenges. Worrying The erosion and subsequently the loss of trust in the rules-based international order are also listed as a worrying trend that is undermining the predictability of the environment in which States operate. The ADF also notes that these challenges may also act as agents leading to structural changes in the global political, economic and security landscape. It adds: Moreover, as one third of the worlds population is heading to the polls in 2024, many questions about the impact of elections on pressing international issues, as well as concerns about AI-manipulated disinformation and fake news will be on the international agenda. Forming part of His Majestys delegation are the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Pholile Shakantu, Prince Mbuyisa, Princess Siphila and Chief Officer Chief Mgwagwa Mdluli, among others. Hong Kong: Bond schemes' borrowing limit is set The Government today served notice to the Legislative Council to introduce a resolution under the Loans Ordinance to set a borrowing ceiling of $500 billion, combined, for the Government Green Bond Programme and the Infrastructure Bond Programme (IBP). Secretary for Financial Services & the Treasury Christopher Hui said the green bond programme is instrumental in promoting green finance in Hong Kong, signifying the Governments commitment to sustainable development and combatting climate change. The programme has been successful in establishing important benchmarks for green bond issuance in the region and won considerable acclaim from international investors. He added that the programmes scope will be expanded to cover sustainable projects and renamed as the Government Sustainable Bond Programme (GSBP) to further consolidate Hong Kongs position as a green and sustainable finance hub. With regard to the IBP, which will be established at a later, the treasury chief said the programme will enable better management of the cashflow needs of infrastructure projects and facilitate their earlier completion, benefiting the economy and livelihoods. Noting that the GSBP and IBP will include retail issuances to allow public participation, and priority investment by funds of the Mandatory Provident Fund, Mr Hui said a borrowing ceiling of $500 billion for the programmes will allow more flexibility in quota re-allocation, which he hopes can be effected as soon as possible. Subject to the legislative process, the Government will move the resolution in LegCo on March 27. This story has been published on: 2024-02-29. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. MBABANE Dave Van Niekerk says he is willing to help distraught investors of the now defunct Ecsponent trace their last E340 million. Van Niekerk is the man accused by the investors and ESWIG, through the court, of having knowledge in the disappearance of the money. A case is pending at the High Court, where Van Niekerk has been taken to, regarding the lost E340 million investment by about 1 400 emaSwati. Following a press statement by the Investors Relations Committee (IRC) issued on Tuesday, Van Niekerk has since responded. Van Niekerk, through his attorneys, has shared in his own statement that he was willing to help IRC trace the E340 million, lost Ecsponent funds. His statement comes at the wake of IRC statement, where the committee revealed that it had learnt through the media of the recent visit of Van Niekerk to the country. Regrettably Van Niekerk is one of the defendants cited in the ongoing court action against the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA) and others, reads the IRC statement. It was shared in the statement that the IRC would not want to delve much into the court case as it was still sub judice. Nevertheless, we do want to reiterate our belief and faith in our government, in particular the Judiciary, which is seized with the ongoing court process in the attempt to assist the investors recover the over E340 million invested by the emaSwati, who comprise individuals and institutions, reads the statement. Conference In response, Niekerk shared that he had been made aware of a press conference in Eswatini called by ESW Investment Group (ESWIG) and its Investors Relations Committee, where issues related to the disappearance of E340 million belonging to emaSwati in Ecsponent were addressed to the media. I would like once again to reiterate that I was never a director at Ecsponent and we have proven unequivocally that I was never a director of Ecsponent. How can somebody continue to use my name on issues related to Ecsponent which is now ESW Investment Group, he wondered. Van Niekerk said he was happy to meet the chairperson of the committee or the whole committee to explain everything and if the committee was serious about their work, then he would happily help them trace the missing funds. I have reached out to (name withheld) to assist in their investigations to provide them with information that me and my lawyers have gathered regarding the disappearance of E340 million belonging to emaSwati in Ecsponent, he wrote in the statement. He said the red notices obtained from the court were a matter of contention and when they were lifted, he was willing to come to Eswatini to meet the committee and happily help them in this process of tracing the lost funds. In closing, I would just like to reiterate again that I was never a director at Ecsponent and this has been proven time and time again, he said. This publication inquired further from Van Niekerk, through his attorneys, however, there were no responses at the time of going to print, as his attorneys shared that he was out of the country (South Africa) and the responses might take a while. MBABANE - Gobholo has been known for harbouring petty criminals, but being associated with men suspected to have killed showbiz guru Kiernan Forbes, popularly known as AKA, has left residents reeling from shock. Far from living in abandoned buildings with cobwebs, dust and junk, the two mingled with the community. Along the corridors of the close-knit cluster of houses, they could be mistaken for any other resident. The duo of Siyabonga Gezani Ndimande (Nxele) and Malusi Dave Ndimande (Mjay) first rented a bedsitter at Gobholo for months, before moving to Zone 4, at Mahwalala, where they were eventually apprehended by the local police, acting on a provisional arrest application by the South African Government, through its courts. A majority of people prefer living at Gobholo because of the townships proximity to the city and affordable housing. Calm The residents described the two accused as peaceful, calm and collected, during an interview with the Times of Eswatini journalists yesterday, after news of the arrest and subsequent appearance in court were trending on social media. However, the residents said, though their deep Zulu accent and lifestyle left room for suspicion, this was offset by the mens ability to mingle with the community in a friendly manner. One resident said he wondered how the two afforded to rent a bedsitter for E2 200, while they were perceived to be unemployed, as per their own narration, which they gave to their fellow community members. The resident alleged that on the day the duo arrived at Gobholo, they introduced themselves with the Nkosi surnames and that they hailed from South Africa (SA) and had come to Eswatini for an initiation exercise for traditional healers (kutfwasa). Money The resident said the two only brought along a few clothes and a new bed. They said the duo spent money lavishly. Every day was Christmas Day to them in the compound, where they were staying. They always had a braai in the evening and shared the food with other tenants. Bebosa, hhayi kancane, said one resident. The resident further purported that they (duo) always boarded a taxi from the house to town for groceries and other amenities. Another resident indicated that the two were his neighbours. He stated that their friendliness hid the suspicion that something was amiss. What I know about them is that they were Zulu-speaking, but were not discriminatory. I cannot believe what I saw on social media regarding the things they are suspected to have done. They were so nice to us, said the resident. Another resident further said he was surprised to see one of them carrying a black bank card, yet he was not employed. I wondered how an unemployed individual could be in possession of a black bank card. They were always found relaxing within the compound, enjoying themselves, said the resident. The resident said the duo would also join them in imbibing alcohol. The duo used to come and buy beverages in some of the drinking spots within the area. They were so friendly to us. I used to sit with them and we had a good time. I do not remember on any day hearing that they had caused chaos within the area, said the resident. Another resident said it was shocking that Gobholo would harbour suspects for such a long time. Six years ago, Elon Musk hyped a next-generation Roadster, the name of Tesla's debut car from 2008. A refreshed version was never produced, but Musk is once again promising a new Roadster is on the way. "Tonight, we radically increased the design goals for the new Tesla Roadster," Musk wrote on X as part of a series of posts Tuesday night. "There will never be another car like this, if you could even call it a car." "I think it has a shot at being the most mind-blowing product demo of all time," he wrote, adding that it will reach 60 miles per hour in less than a second, "and that is the least interesting part." Musk promoted the next-generation Roadster concept at an event in November 2017, and in June 2018 in a series of tweets. He said at that time, "SpaceX option package for new Tesla Roadster will include ~10 small rocket thrusters arranged seamlessly around car." The engines would improve speed and braking, and may "even allow a Tesla to fly," he wrote at the time. On Tuesday, he replied to his old tweets saying, "You will love the new Roadster more than your house." Tesla didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. Musk's renewed proclamations followed news that Chinese rival BYD introduced a new electric supercar, dubbed the U9, that can hit speeds similar to high-end models from companies like Ferrari. BYD's electric supercar, which it says will be able to reach a top speed around 192 miles per hour, is slated for delivery to customers this summer. While BYD doesn't have plans to sell its vehicles in the U.S., Tesla competes with BYD in mainland China and other markets. Tesla's market share in China declined in January to 6.1%, while BYD's share stood at 29.2%, according to data from the China Passenger Car Association cited by Morgan Stanley China Autos researchers in a note Wednesday. Luxury travel company Kuoni recently released its list of the world's top must-see travel experiences. To rank the experiences, Kuoni looked for events that occur no more than twice a year and had the most Google searches. In the top 10 must-see travel experiences based on Google searches, only two are in the U.S., with two more U.S. experiences being a part of the top 20. No.1 must-see travel experience: Manhattanhenge New York City's Manhattanhenge is the most searched-for travel experience the NYC event had over 1.3 million annual Google searches. The rare event occurs when the Sun appears between the city's grid as it's low in the sky and setting, according to the American Museum of Natural History. The "Manhattanhenge Effect" will occur between May 29 and July 13 this year. The Manhattanhenge ranked as the top must-see travel experience, according to Google data collected by Kuoni. Andrey Denisyuk | Moment | Getty Images According to the museum, some of the best places to view the Manhattanhenge are from Manhattan's east/west thoroughfares and to get the best view, it recommends finding a spot as far east as possible. The best streets to see the Manhattanhenge include 14th Street, 23rd Street, 34th Street, 42nd Street, and 57th Street. Top 10 must-see travel experiences in the world Manhattanhenge, New York City Venice Carnival, Italy Rio Carnival, Brazil Day of the Dead, Mexico Chelsea Flower Show, U.K. Golden Week, Japan Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, USA Northern Lights in Lapland, Finland Oktoberfest, Munich, Germany Obon Festival, Japan The No. 2 must-see travel experience in the world is the Venice Carnival in Italy, with over 1.2 million annual searches. The Venice Carnival takes place every year just before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday this year the the carnival took place from January 27-February 13. The annual event is known worldwide for its captivating masquerade masks and costumes. The Venice Carnival ranked as the second most searched travel experience, according to Kuoni. Silvia Bianchini | Istock | Getty Images Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company (Mumtalakat), the sovereign wealth fund of Bahrain, has announced plans to invest in Singapore Gulf Bank (SGB), a new digital bank backed and founded by Whampoa, a privately-held investment group headquartered in Singapore. The announcement was made in the presence of Shaikh Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, Minister of Finance and National Economy and Chairman of Mumtalakat and the Co-Chairpersons of the Whampoa Group, Lee Han Shih and Madam Amy Lee. Mumtalakats investment will enable SGB to effectively launch and grow its business in Bahrain and follows SGBs recent award of a banking licence by the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB), marking a major milestone in Whampoas growth plans and ambitions in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). SGB will offer a secure and integrated platform to access and manage conventional and digital assets and financial solutions, including round-the-clock real time settlement, trading connectivity, custody and asset management. It serves global investors, innovators and institutions looking for a differentiated digital banking experience, said a statement. Serving as a bridge between Asia and the MENA region, SGB will be fostering financial connectivity and facilitating cross-border trade, particularly in the digital economy. Bahrains well-established financial services and innovation hub, fast-growing diversified economy, and strategic location at the heart of the Arabian Gulf, make it an ideal destination for SGB. Aureole Foong, Co-CEO of Singapore Gulf Bank, said: SGB is honoured to have been trusted with a banking licence by the Central Bank of Bahrain, and to mark this important achievement with a demonstration of strong support and commitment from such a prestigious investor as Mumtalakat. With this partnership, we are dedicated to working closely with CBB and the broader Team Bahrain to drive innovation in the financial services industry and foster global financial connectivity. Shaikh Abdulla bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, Chief Executive Officer of Mumtalakat, said: Mumtalakat is excited to be partnering with Whampoa Group to launch and grow SGB in the MENA region. Todays announcement underscores our commitment to fostering innovation and economic growth in Bahrain and our belief in the transformative potential of digital banking that SGB offers. The financial services sector remains a cornerstone of Bahrains economy and we are proud to contribute to its development through this investment." SGB will support the development of Bahrains digital banking ecosystem and will see the Kingdom become the first in the region to allow offshore onboarding of banking clients. It further supports Mumtalakats wider efforts to diversify its portfolio and facilitate the continued transformation of Bahrains economy, the statement added. TradeArabia News Service Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign rally at Winthrop Coliseum ahead of the South Carolina Republican presidential primary in Rock Hill, South Carolina, U.S., February 23, 2024. An Illinois state judge on Wednesday barred Donald Trump from appearing on the Illinois' Republican presidential primary ballot because of his role in the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, but she delayed her ruling from taking effect in light of an expected appeal by the former U.S. president. Cook County Circuit Judge Tracie Porter sided with Illinois voters who argued that the former president should be disqualified from the state's March 19 primary ballot and its Nov. 5 general election ballot for violating the anti-insurrection clause of the U.S. Constitution's 14th Amendment. The final outcome of the Illinois case and similar challenges will likely be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court, which heard arguments related to Trump's ballot eligibility on Feb. 8. Porter said she was staying her decision because she expected his appeal to Illinois' appellate courts, and a potential ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court. The advocacy group Free Speech For People, which spearheaded the Illinois disqualification effort, praised the ruling as a "historic victory" in a statement. A campaign spokesperson for Trump, the national frontrunner for the 2024 Republican nomination, said in a statement this "is an unconstitutional ruling that we will quickly appeal." Colorado and Maine earlier removed Trump from their state ballots after determining he is disqualified under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. Both decisions are on hold while Trump appeals. Section 3 bars from public office anyone who took an oath to support the U.S. Constitution and then has "engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof." Trump supporters on Jan. 6, 2021, attacked police and swarmed the Capitol in a bid to prevent Congress from certifying Democrat Joe Biden's 2020 election victory. Trump gave an incendiary speech to supporters beforehand, telling them to go to the Capitol and "fight like hell." He then for hours did not act on requests that he urge the mob to stop. The Supreme Court is currently weighing Trump's challenge to his Colorado disqualification. The justices in Washington appeared skeptical of the decision during oral arguments in the case, expressing concerns about states taking sweeping actions that could affect the national election. When you're interviewing for a new job, you're not just assessing whether you'd want to do the task at hand you're also feeling out a potential new team and how everyone works together. That's why it's crucial to ask about team dynamics and goals during a job interview, says Chanelle Howell, a New York City-based recruiter who's interviewed hundreds while working for Goldman Sachs, Bridgewater Associates and through her own consulting company. She says one of her favorite questions to ask in job interviews is all about what the team looks like. Bonus, it can help uncover a major red flag. Ask your interviewer: "What's the expected growth of this team?" Howell tells CNBC Make It. For example, "Are you hiring just one position? Or are you planning to hire X amount of people in a certain time frame?" If the team is planning to grow, that can be a good sign that the department's goals are a priority worthy of investment from the company. DON'T MISS: The ultimate guide to acing your interview and landing your dream job On the other hand, it's important to dig a little deeper if you're the only one being hired at the time. Is the team backfilling a role? How long has it been vacant, and did the person leave the company or move internally? And maybe most importantly, how is the hiring manager talking about the vacancy? "Some managers will be like, 'Yeah, we really just need someone. We're all drowning,'" Howell explains. "That's a bit of a red flag, because then I question, what will work-life balance look like? What are you prioritizing? Are you just looking for someone to step in immediately to provide alleviation?" It might be stressful joining a team desperate for a backfill, Howell says, so it's important to know what your own boundaries are. A desperate hiring manager might not be as invested in your long-term career growth, at least not at first. Speaking of, another of Howell's favorite job-interview questions for candidates is to ask: "What are the opportunities for growth, and what does that look like here?" A hiring manager should be able to discuss what that looks like, whether there's access to mentoring opportunities, internal courses, tuition reimbursement or other ways to nurture talent. Lastly, Howell says she keeps a pulse on her rapport with the hiring manager. "I can always tell when I interview with someone by the tone of their questions, are they super stern or serious or a nightmare to work for? Or do they seem to have a genuinely pleasant demeanor?" she says. "There have been some interviewers with top companies that I've declined, because I didn't think I'd work well with that specific person," she adds. "You have to have a great vibe check; if you ignore it, you'll readily pay for it." Want to land your dream job in 2024? Take CNBC's new online course How to Ace Your Job Interview to learn what hiring managers are really looking for, body language techniques, what to say and not to say, and the best way to talk about pay. CNBC Make It readers can save 25% with discount code 25OFF. Traders work at the post where UnitedHealth Group is traded on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Change Healthcare on Thursday confirmed that ransomware group Blackcat is behind the ongoing cybersecurity attack that's caused widespread disruptions to pharmacies and health systems across the U.S. "Our experts are working to address the matter and we are working closely with law enforcement and leading third-party consultants," Change Healthcare told CNBC in a statement Thursday. "We are actively working to understand the impact to members, patients and customers." The company said it's working with Mandiant, which is owned by Google , and cybersecurity software vendor Palo Alto Networks . In a since-deleted post on the dark web, Blackcat said Wednesday that it was behind the attack on Change Healthcare's systems. The group said it managed to extract six terabytes of data, including information like medical records, insurance records and payment information. Change's parent company, UnitedHealth Group , said it discovered that a cyber threat actor breached part of the unit's information technology network on Feb. 21, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. UnitedHealth isolated and disconnected the impacted systems "immediately upon detection" of the threat, the filing said, but it didn't disclose the nature of the attack or exactly when it took place. Blackcat, also called Noberus and ALPHV, steals sensitive data from institutions and threatens to publish it unless a ransom is paid, according to a December release from the U.S. Department of Justice. Blackcat has compromised computer networks across the U.S. and the globe, amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars in losses, the release said. Change Healthcare offers tools for payment and revenue cycle management that help facilitate transactions like reimbursement payments. In 2022, it merged with the health-care provider Optum, which services more than 100 million patients in the U.S. and is owned by UnitedHealth, the country's biggest health-care company by market cap. Brett Callow, a threat analyst at the cybersecurity company Emsisoft, said ransomware groups will often make posts like these in an effort to bring victims to the negotiating table. Callow, who specializes in ransomware, shared a screenshot of Blackcat's deleted post to the social media site X on Wednesday. He said ransomware groups often exaggerate the amount of data they've stolen, so Blackcat's claims should be treated with skepticism. It can take weeks for an organization to determine exactly what information was stolen, he added, and ransomware groups often use the period of uncertainty to their advantage. "Cybercriminals, they're not going to tell the truth," Callow told CNBC in an interview. UnitedHealth said in its filing with the SEC that it suspected a nation-state-associated actor was behind the attack, but Callow said Blackcat is a for-profit cybercrime operation. He called the discrepancy "peculiar," but said there might be more to the breach that he doesn't know about. Ransomware attacks can be particularly dangerous within the health-care sector, as they can cause immediate harm to patients' physical safety, said John Riggi, national advisor for cybersecurity and risk at the American Hospital Association. When systems go dark, diagnostic technologies like CT scanners can go offline, and ambulances carrying patients are often diverted, which can delay lifesaving care, he said. "Change, they're a victim," Riggi told CNBC. "Ultimately, though, this was not an attack just on them, this was an attack on the entire health-care sector." Change Healthcare's systems have been down for nine straight days, and it's unclear when they will come back online. Don't miss these stories from CNBC PRO: WATCH: Companies need to understand that cyber risk is business risk Small private practices and health-care providers are facing mounting financial pressures as crucial reimbursement systems remain down for the ninth day, following the cyberattack on Change Healthcare. Change Healthcare offers tools for payment and revenue cycle management that help facilitate transactions between providers and most major insurance companies. Its parent company UnitedHealth Group discovered that a cyber threat actor breached part of the unit's information technology network on Feb. 21, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. As a result, the company isolated and disconnected the impacted systems "immediately upon detection" of the threat, the filing said. The fallout has caused a ripple of disruption across the U.S. health-care system. Doctors told CNBC the outage has left them unable to check patients' eligibility for treatment or fill prescriptions electronically, which has created more administrative responsibility for workers that are already overwhelmed by clerical work. Perhaps more importantly, providers have been unable to receive reimbursements from insurers, effectively grinding many health systems' revenue cycles to a halt. Smaller and mid-sized practices that rely on reimbursement cash flow to operate are making tough decisions about how to stay afloat. If the outage drags on for too long, experts say some practices may have to close their doors for good. Dr. Purvi Parikh, an allergist and immunologist with a private practice in New York City, told CNBC that the breach has been a "mess" and a "big stressor." Like many others, she said her practice hasn't been able to receive reimbursements from insurers for patient visits, which makes it difficult for the practice to pay for operational expenses like payroll and medical supplies. Switching to a new platform could take weeks, Parikh said, so there's no immediate workaround available. As of Thursday, Change Healthcare has not shared any updates about when it expects its systems to be back online. "The most frustrating part is that nobody has any answers or solutions," Parikh said. "We're kind of just stuck." Change Healthcare on Thursday said that ransomware group Blackcat is behind the attack. Blackcat, also called Noberus and ALPHV, steals sensitive data from institutions and threatens to publish it unless a ransom is paid, according to a December release from the U.S. Department of Justice. The company said it is working with law enforcement and third party consultants like Mandiant, which is owned by Google, and cybersecurity software vendor Palo Alto Networks to assess the breach. "Patient care is our top priority and we have multiple workarounds to ensure people have access to the medications and the care they need," Change Healthcare said in a statement to CNBC. Dr. Kiranjit Khalsa, an allergist and immunologist who runs an independent practice in Scottsdale, Arizona, said her staff has been working longer hours to try and accommodate the extra work as a result of the breach, as well as manually calling in prescriptions. She said the problems around reimbursement have been the "biggest burden," since she is worried about how she can continue to support her patients and employees. Khalsa is considering cutting back hours for staff and even closing the clinic for a few days. "I worry about providing for them," Khalsa told CNBC in an interview. "I also worry about: Where am I going to get this money if it does not come through? Do I need to take a loan out to keep the clinic afloat?" Even when Change Healthcare's systems do come back online, there are a lot of unanswered questions about what will happen next, according to Dr. Dan Inder Sraow, an interventional cardiologist who owns a private practice around Phoenix, Arizona. He said it's not clear whether Change Healthcare will take on the responsibility of processing all the claims or if he'll need to hire additional staff to help. "I don't think that people are aware that the actual people providing the services are not able to extract revenue for those services," Dr. Sraow told CNBC. "We don't know how long that's going to be, and that's such a dangerous, dangerous thing." Dr. Jesse Ehrenfeld, president of the American Medical Association, said he has spent days fielding calls from concerned colleagues. He said he spoke with one doctor who runs an oncology practice and only has up to two weeks' worth of cash on hand. If the outage drags out, the practice won't be able to buy the chemotherapy that its patients depend on for treatment. Since many providers are operating on razor-thin margins, Ehrenfeld said there is a possibility that some will go out of business. "We have so many practices that are on the fringe, particularly smaller practices, where they are just scraping by," Ehrenfeld told CNBC in an interview. "Any aberration in the system where, 'Oh, you don't get checks for two weeks,' obviously is a situation that does put practices at risk." In 2022, Change Healthcare merged with the provider Optum, which services more than 100 million patients in the U.S. and is owned by UnitedHealth, the country's biggest health-care company by market cap. The American Medical Association vocally opposed the merger, writing in a letter to the DOJ that the union could stifle competition, give UnitedHealth access to large data stores and potentially disrupt patient care. The merger ultimately went through, but the DOJ has recently launched an antitrust investigation into UnitedHealth, according to a Wall Street Journal report Tuesday. "It's just sort of like a perfect storm of regulatory issues [and] lack of competition and unfortunately, the people who are really going to suffer are patients and individuals who work in the healthcare system," said Dr. Ravi Parikh, a retina specialist that owns and operates a practice in New York City. The cyberattack has left Parikh's clinic without a way to receive reimbursements for the expensive medications it administers. He said he has been thinking about contingency plans, such as seeking out cheaper medications and asking some patients to pay upfront, but his focus is on providing the best care possible. "The health care system could eventually come to a halt because a lot of clinics and pharmacies might not be viable," Parikh said. SUZHOU, CHINA - FEBRUARY 27: A gantry crane hoists vehicles for export at Taicang Port's International Container Terminal on February 27, 2024 in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province of China. (Photo by VCG/VCG via Getty Images) A top trade official at the Department of Homeland Security said in Capitol Hill testimony on Thursday that the Biden administration is concerned about the extent of Chinese manufacturing presence in critical U.S. port operations. During a House hearing that centered on cranes operating at the ports in the United States, 80% of which are manufactured in China, representatives pressed Homeland Security and Coast Guard officials about the nation's infrastructure reliance on China, including spare parts for these cranes and how it could impact the resiliency of U.S. ports. "We absolutely agree and we do see an overreliance on these People's Republic of China (PRC) manufacturer cranes," Christa Brzozowski, acting assistant secretary for trade and economic security at the Department of Homeland Security, told representatives on the House Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security examining the port cybersecurity threat. The seaports move more than 99% of the cargo coming to the U.S. from overseas, with 31 million American jobs tied to the ports, which generate $5.4 trillion in economic value, representing more than a quarter of nation's economy. In early 2023, U.S. defense officials said they were worried that Chinese ship-to-shore crane manufacturer Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Co. (ZPMC) could be used by Beijing as a possible spying tool, leading to more pressure on the administration from Capitol Hill. China said at the time that the concerns were "paranoia-driven." ZPMC has not responded to CNBC's requests for comment. The AAPA, which lobbies on behalf of the nation's major container ports, has said in the past there is no evidence to the support the claims about Chinese-manufactured crane cyber vulnerabilities, characterizing the comments as "sensational." Gene Seroka, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles, told CNBC that Biden's executive order is a wake-up call for the port and supply chain industry. "The bottom line is that today's high-tech cranes can collect data and that is why this executive order is so important," said Seroka. "The Port of Los Angeles opened the nation's first port Cyber Security Operations Center in 2014, and in 2023, the center stopped nearly three-quarters of a billion intrusion attempts, an average of about 63 million intrusion attempts each month," he said. 2023 was the highest number of cyberattacks the port ever recorded. Brzozowski said reliance on China for shipping cranes is not an anomaly. "We see this as a concerted effort where the PRC has proven and stated its intent to be the leading manufacturer in not only cranes like this, but other types of maritime equipment," she told the House subcommittee. When asked if any threat had been verified in current cranes in use, Brzozowski said, "not to my knowledge." But she added, "I think as we're taking a close look at this issue, it's because of the potential for such a risk and the known exploitation by the PRC of critical infrastructure, even domestic critical infrastructure sectors." Almost half of the PRC-manufactured cranes have been assessed, according to Coast Guard testimony at the hearing. The hearing came a week after the Biden administration issued an executive order on port cybersecurity which included a focus on the shipping crane concerns and to make sure all critical port infrastructure that is owned and operated adheres to international and industry recognized safety regulations. The hearing occurred on the same day that the Biden administration warned of Chinese electric vehicles imported to the U.S. posing a security risk through automotive software and collection of information on individuals, though it stopped short of a ban. China has been on a tear creating airports and ports around the world, and in line with the security threat, Subcommittee Chairman, Carlos Gimenez (R-FL) asked Brzozowski if the "zeal" of the Belt and Road initiative could also put the U.S. at a disadvantage allowing China to process its trade faster than U.S. trade. "I think it's it's not only a possibility, but something that we're seeing play out around the world," said Brzozowski. "It's no secret that China has both the capability and the intent to challenge the rules based trade system. They're leveraging all instruments of their national power to do so. They're looking to gain access not only to technology and data, and in particular, the vulnerabilities that we're talking about around the cranes today." China is "engaging in a number of other practices to undercut American workers and businesses," she said. The acting secretary referred to the influx of production of fentanyl through American ports and practices associated with forced labor to undercut the competitiveness of the U.S. and other global companies, and to bring in goods to market that are contrary to U.S. values. The Biden administration has positioned the executive order as part of a "whole government approach" in securing the nation's ports. A new White House cabinet-level Supply Chain Resilience Center is working with interagency partners, including the Departments of Commerce, Transportation, and Defense in this mission. "What the EO [Executive Order] really does, again, is allow a captain of the port if it's determined that there is a threat or there has been some disruption because of a cyber intrusion, to take action to secure a crane or secure a terminal until such time that the operator, maybe with our assistance, or at least with our validation takes action to secure that particular node of the system," Rear Admiral John Vann, Coast Guard Cyber Command, said at the House hearing. The subject of port automation was also addressed, with Vann saying it offers efficiencies, but the potential to increase the cyber terrain that must be protected. "The point I really want to make here is all of us, whether it's government, private companies that are operating in the ports, all need to take the vulnerabilities that are created by this increased surface, this threat surface that's now there with increased automation, is take that very seriously, make it part of their calculus in securing the system." Rear Admiral Wayne R. Arguin Jr., assistant commandant for prevention policy for the US Coast Guard, told U.S. representatives that the Coast Guard maintains a 24/7 presence in all ports and if they were made aware of a challenge they would decide which teams would need to be involved, and then decide what would be needed to minimize that disruption. "Any disruption, cyber or otherwise, hurricane, anything that would cause a ripple in that very tightly, fine-tuned system would have diverse impacts," said Arguin Jr. "We are hyper-focused on that. I know that the Supply Chain Resilience Center is also looking at that to ensure that disruption is minimized." Delta Air Lines is offering customers the ability to experience April's total solar eclipse from a different perspective... 30,000 feet in the air. Early this month, the airline announced it was offering a unique flight from Austin to Detroit on April 8 that will fly passengers along the path of totality. The April 8 eclipse will be the last total eclipse over North America until 2044, according to NASA. The Delta Air Lines flight 1218 will depart from the Austin airport at 12:15 pm CT and land in Detroit at 4:20 pm ET. It will allow passengers a chance to view the solar eclipse at its peak from the A220-300 aircraft's extra-large windows, according to a press release. The flight sold out in 24 hours, prompting Delta to announce on Monday that they will be scheduling a second flight. On April 8, Delta Air Lines flight 1010 will depart from the Dallas-Forth Worth airport at 12:30 pm CT and arrive in Detroit alongside Delta flight 1218 at 4:20 pm ET. The airline stated in a press release that searches for flights from Austin to Detroit on Delta channels spiked by more than 1,500% after the company announced its first path-of-totality flight on February 19. The Delta flight 1010 will be operating on an A321neo, a larger plane than the aircraft of the first flight, to accommodate more customers. The plane has 20 domestic First Class seats, 42 Delta Comfort+ seats, and 132 Main Cabin seats. The first flight is set to accommodate 130 seats, according to The Points Guy. Delta's total eclipse flights will come at a cost. Main cabin prices start at $749 one way, while a first-class seat costs $1,150. And if you're hoping to use your Delta SkyMiles, a one-way main cabin ticket starts at 68,000 miles. Even if you aren't on one of the two special flights, Delta travelers will be able to see some of the solar eclipse on five additional routes on April 8: DL 5699, DTW-HPN, 2:59 pm EST departure DL 924, LAX-DFW, 8:40 am PST departure DL 2869, LAX-SAT, 9:00 am PST departure DL 1001, SLC-SAT, 10:08 am MST departure DL 1683, SLC-AUS, 9:55 am MST departure While it is more expensive than the typical cost for this flight path, flying along the solar eclipse path could be considered a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Representatives for Delta Air Lines did not immediately respond to CNBC Make It's request for comment. Want to land your dream job in 2024? Take CNBC's new online course How to Ace Your Job Interview to learn what hiring managers are really looking for, body language techniques, what to say and not to say, and the best way to talk about pay. CNBC Make It readers can save 25% with discount code 25OFF. Chinese automaker Geely unveils first model of its new Lynk & Co brand in Berlin. BEIJING Companies from Nvidia to Huawei are chasing the market for in-vehicle tech as the electric car industry booms, with Ecarx emerging as a new contender. Since 2017, Chinese car conglomerate Geely's founder and chairman, Eric Li, has been building Ecarx that provides software and chip systems for digital car cockpits and driver-assist. The company on Wednesday reported its fourth-quarter revenue surged 22% from a year earlier to $263 million. Geely's car brands, such as Lynk and Co, made up 70% of that revenue. For the same quarter, Nvidia reported automotive revenue fell 4%, year on year, to $281 million, even as CEO Jensen Huang has called the segment the company's "next billion-dollar business." Nvidia counts Geely's premium electric car brand Zeekr as a customer for its Drive Orin chip, which uses artificial intelligence to power driver-assist capabilities known as "system on a chip." Li Auto, BYD's Denza brand and Xiaomi are among Nvidia's other automotive customers. Ecarx co-founder and CEO Ziyu Shen told CNBC in an interview this week that Nvidia enjoys an edge when it comes to AI-based autonomous driving systems. "We can't compete with them in this area," he said, but noted there's still about 70% or 80% of the car market that doesn't need such advanced tech, and can buy simpler driver-assist tech focused on safety. "Safety will be a very important entry point for us," he said in Mandarin, translated by CNBC. A general view of the Baker Library/Bloomberg Center on February 17, 2024, at Harvard Business School in Allston, MA. A Harvard Business School graduate tricked his fellow alumni and associates into investing at least $2.9 million in a Ponzi scheme he ran, New York Attorney General Letitia James said Thursday. James' office said it had secured a court order blocking the grad, Vladimir Artamonov, "from harming investors through his fraudulent scheme," which allegedly projected returns of 500% to 1,000% by claiming to learn which investments Berkshire Hathaway planned to make. The order in Manhattan Supreme Court also bars Artamonov from withdrawing and transferring funds in his bank and brokerage accounts. Artamonov allegedly lured at least 29 investors into the scheme, most of whom he met through his connections to the elite college, the attorney general said. More from Personal Finance: This IRS issue is 'the biggest, most consistent problem' for filers Number of 401(k) millionaires and average balances rose in 2023 'Ghosting' gets more common in the job market: It's not a 'passing fad' James' office said Artamonov lost millions of dollars in investors' funds by buying short-term options but did not disclose his losses, instead using new money invested with him to repay existing investors. "Artamonov also used his investors' money to fund unauthorized personal expenses for vacations, shopping, and dining," the office said. James' office said it learned of the fraud when it was told about an investor who ended his own life after discovering he had lost $100,000 in Artamonov's alleged scheme. Even after the man's suicide, Artamonov continued soliciting new investors, lying to them about the fund's strategy and performance, James' office said in a statement. "Even sophisticated investors can be conned by fraudsters, especially when personal relationships and networks are used to build a false sense of trust," James said. "Vladimir Artamonov used his alumnus status from Harvard Business School to prey on his classmates and others while seeming legitimate and dependable. Instead, he has been scamming people out of their investments, with horrific consequences." Artamonov did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Mark Cautela, head of communications at Harvard Business School, told CNBC in an email: "We just found out about this earlier today. We have no additional comment." Hyundai Motor Group is the world's third-largest automaker in the world by volume but it wasn't always so. In the late 1980s and 1990s, Hyundai cars suffered ridicule in America for being cheap and low quality. But that is no longer the case. The three auto brands in the automaker's stable Hyundai, Kia and Genesis are nipping at the heels of well-established competitors, and winning an ever-growing list of industry awards. They sold a combined 7.3 million units in 2023, trailing only Toyota Motor (11.2 million) and VW Group (9.24 million). "The Hyundai that we see today, especially from an American perspective, would surprise people if they remember the Hyundai that first entered the American automobile market years ago," said William Barnett, a professor at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Tesla still dominates the electric vehicle industry, but Hyundai Motor Group is the second best-selling EV manufacturer in the U.S. "On the electrification side, Hyundai has done a really great job," said Sam Abuelsamid, principal research analyst at Guidehouse Insights. "They've put some fantastic products out there." Its ascent in both sales and prestige are largely attributable to the company's fanatical focus on improving the quality of its products, recruiting top talent from distinguished automotive brands and transforming itself into an innovator in the automotive industry. This is evident in a new design and "innovation" center the company has built in Singapore. There, it's testing new manufacturing methods, investments in robotics, autonomous driving and electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. "I think Hyundai Motor Group isn't a car company," said Jose Munoz, the global president and chief operating officer at Hyundai. "I think we are a technology company. When you look at everything we're doing, we're doing things that are almost science-fiction." But Hyundai has faced plenty of setbacks. Since 2020, thefts have spiked of Hyundai and Kia vehicles, spurred by viral videos online revealing a hack for stealing certain models. Hyundai and Kia have recalled at least 3.3 million cars at risk of catching fire. Also, similar to many foreign automakers in the U.S., the company is facing a new push by the United Auto Workers union around its American factories. Watch the video to learn more about how Hyundai became the third-largest global automaker. This story is part of CNBC Make It's The Moment series, where highly successful people reveal the critical moment that changed the trajectory of their lives and careers, discussing what drove them to make the leap into the unknown. Sometimes, the ride to school for Ritu Narayan's children arrived on time. Sometimes it didn't. Whenever her kids' transportation plans fell through, the longtime tech product manager at companies like eBay and Oracle had to enter crisis mode and drop everything at work. She thought of her own mother, a former teacher in India who faced the same problem decades ago and ultimately put her career aside to raise four children. Narayan's solution: She left her job to create Zum, an AI-backed electric school bus service that launched in 2015. It started as something of a self-funded Uber, chauffeuring kids to school with a fleet of vetted private drivers. Parents arranged rides ahead of time and tracked their child's location through Zum's app. It caught on quickly with Bay Area parents. "The demand was super clear," Narayan, 50, tells CNBC Make It. Then, in 2019, she asked some local schools to promote Zum to parents. Instead, the schools offered to enlist Zum as a privatized school bus fleet, with electric vehicles and tracking abilities. Narayan faced a turning point: Stick with her original vision, inspired by her mother, with its clear market and high demand? Or completely revamp Zum's services and infrastructure, while jumping straight into competition with larger established bus companies? The customer base would be larger more than 25 million U.S. students rely on school buses. But chasing them could collapse her company. She took the risk. Five years later, Zum is valued at $1.3 billion, and Narayan was named to the inaugural CNBC Changemakers list on Wednesday. The startup has more than $1.5 billion worth of contracts in place with over 4,000 private and public schools across California, Washington, Texas, Illinois, Tennessee and Maryland, Narayan says. Here, Narayan discusses her thought process behind that difficult decision, why her choice paid off and her advice for anyone facing a dilemma that seems to pit emotion against logic. CNBC Make It: Why was the decision to change Zum's focus so difficult? How long did you deliberate? Narayan: It took me a while eight months, or so because there was a personal story attached to the founding story. [My mother] faced this problem in India and I was here, sitting in the center of Silicon Valley, the center of innovation, facing the exact same problem. I knew [Zum's original model] was changing the lives of working parents. Working women would write to us how they went back to the job, started to advance more because they didn't have to run at 4 p.m. to pick up their children and got promoted. It was a success. So it felt like, in a way, you were letting them down by not having that service anymore. What helped me make a decision was when I could internalize this: In the end, I'm still serving children and I'm still serving parents. Did it feel like a big risk to abandon a business model that was experiencing some success? Yes, absolutely. We didn't have specialization in running buses, so it meant a new set of capabilities that we would have to build. We had to reorganize the team, convince our board and investors. We got momentum [from winning a five-year, $53 million contract with the Oakland Unified School District, which began in 2020]. There was a large customer, and their launch was a success for us. So everybody got aligned around something immediate and large to solve. Then, the pandemic happened and all rides to school stopped for around five [or] six months. That gave us a "when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade" type of situation. Since we weren't in day-to-day operations, and we didn't have to really serve existing customers, we used that time to very quickly enhance our product. What's your best advice about recognizing windows of opportunity and knowing when they're worth the risk? One of my investors calls it a crucible moment where you could die, or you're just surviving, or you could fly. I have to give this analogy: A parent is always seeing, when a child is around, what could go wrong. It's by default. [You need to be] always thinking about how the market is evolving, how the business is evolving, how the competition's evolving, how the customers' needs are evolving. Many times, the needs change in the market. Many times, you land upon something unexpected, which happened in our case, which is even bigger than what you initially thought. In those cases, [you] have to evolve, because it's that crucible moment. If you don't make the right decision, you wouldn't be as successful as you could be. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity. Update: This story has been updated to include Narayan's age at the time of publication and appearance on the inaugural CNBC Changemakers list. Want to land your dream job in 2024? Take CNBC's new online course How to Ace Your Job Interview to learn what hiring managers are really looking for, body language techniques, what to say and not to say, and the best way to talk about pay. CNBC Make It readers can save 25% with discount code 25OFF. Emirates will bring back its daily Phnom Penh service starting from May 1 via Singapore, boosting the airlines Southeast Asian connectivity to/from Dubai, and linking two trade and leisure centres in the region. Adnan Kazim, Emirates Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer, commented: The resumption of our Phnom Penh services demonstrates our commitment to strengthening our Southeast Asian network, as we continue to create more opportunities for travellers to explore diverse and culturally rich destinations, and help businesses and exporters of all sizes establish stronger trade connections. "We thank the Cambodian and Singaporean authorities for their support in establishing this new route. We look forward to re-introducing our customers to yet another vibrant destination on our network as they explore the world. The service will be operated with a three-class Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. Emirates flight EK348 will depart Dubai at 0230hrs and arrives in Singapore at 1405hrs. The flight will then depart Singapore at 1535hrs arriving in Phnom Penh at 1635hrs. Emirates return flight EK349 will leave Phnom Penh at 2050hrs and arrives in Singapore at 2350hrs. The flight will then depart Singapore at 0140hrs the next day arriving in Dubai at 0455hrs. All times are local. Phnom Penhs linked schedule with Singapore is conveniently timed, providing optimal connecting opportunities to and from multiple cities in France, UK, Germany, Switzerland and the United States. Through this additional connection, Emirates will serve Singapore with four daily flights starting from May 1. Emirates SkyCargo will also offer cargo bellyhold capacity on the Boeing 777-300ER of more than 300 tonnes per week in and out of Phnom Penh. Main commodities exported from Phnom Penh includes textiles, pharmaceuticals, and other high-value commodities. The new Emirates services will offer 8 First Class private suites, 42 lie flat seats in Business Class and 310 spacious seats in Economy Class. - TradeArabia News Service Imagine you've just met someone. You've barely introduced yourselves when there's a pause. What should you say next? In my experience studying what makes some people supercommunicators, I learned that if you want to be good at making small talk and forging deeper connections, ask people to describe how they feel about their life rather than the facts of their life, and then ask lots of follow-ups. Ditch shallow questions for deeper ones Questions about facts ("Where do you live?" "What college did you attend?") are often conversational dead-ends. They don't draw out values or experiences. They don't invite vulnerability. However, those same inquiries, recast slightly ("What do you like about where you live?" "What was your favorite part of college?"), invite others to share their preferences, beliefs, and values, and to describe experiences that caused them to grow or change. Those questions make emotional replies easier, and they practically beg the questioner to reciprocate to divulge, in return, why they live in this neighborhood, what they enjoyed about college until everyone is drawn in, asking and answering back and forth. Craft your questions to hit these three notes Nearly any question can be remade into a deep question. The key is understanding three characteristics: A deep question asks about someone's values, beliefs, judgments, or experiences rather than just facts. Don't ask "Where do you work?" Instead, draw out feelings or experiences: "What's the best part of your job?" One forthcoming study found a simple approach to generating deep questions: Before speaking, imagine you're talking to a close friend. What question would you ask? A deep question asks people to talk about how they feel. Sometimes this is easy: "How do you feel about?" Or we can prompt people to describe specific emotions: "Did it make you happy when?" Or ask someone to analyze a situation's emotions: "Why do you think he got angry?" Or empathize: "How would you feel if that happened to you?" Asking a deep question should feel like sharing. It should feel, a bit, like we're revealing something about ourselves when we ask a deep question. This feeling might give us pause. But studies show people are nearly always happy to have been asked, and to have answered, a deep question. Practice reframing your questions "It might seem hard to reframe questions in a way that's vulnerable," Nicholas Epley, psychology professor from the University of Chicago, told me. "But it's actually pretty easy once you start looking for it." Here are a few more examples to help you turn shallow questions into deeper ones: Instead of "Are you married?" try, "Tell me about your family." Instead of "Do you have any hobbies?" ask, "If you could learn anything, what would it be?" Instead of "Where did you go to high school?" ask, "What advice would you give a high schooler?" Instead of "Where are you from?" ask, "What's the best thing about where you grew up?" Ask follow-up questions Don't stop with just one question. "When I'm on a train, talking with people commuting to work, I might ask them, 'What do you do for a living?'" Epley says. "And then I might say, 'Do you love that job?' or 'Do you have something else you dream of doing?' And right there, you're two questions in, and you've gotten to somebody's dreams." A 2016 study by Harvard scientists who looked at speed-dating conversations found that follow-up questions are particularly powerful. "Follow-ups are a signal that you're listening, that you want to know more," one of the researchers, Michael Yeomans, told me. "They allow self-disclosure without it seeming like self-obsession. It makes a conversation flow." Charles Duhigg is the bestselling author of "The Power of Habit" and "Smarter Faster Better." He is a staff writer at The New Yorker and was previously a reporter at The New York Times, where he won a Pulitzer Prize. He studied history at Yale and received an MBA from Harvard Business School. He is also the author of "Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection." Want to land your dream job in 2024? Take CNBC's new online course How to Ace Your Job Interview to learn what hiring managers are really looking for, body language techniques, what to say and not to say, and the best way to talk about pay. CNBC Make It readers can save 25% with discount code 25OFF. U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth looks on in his chambers at the E. Barrett Prettyman United States Courthouse in Washington, U.S., February 15, 2024. R Evelyn Hockstein | Reuters U.S.District Judge Royce Lamberth has been threatened by angry criminals. Drug cartels. Even al Qaeda. But nothing, Lamberth says, prepared him for the wave of harassment after he began hearing cases against supporters of former President Donald Trump who attacked the U.S. Capitol in a bid to overturn the 2020 election. Right-wing websites painted Lamberth, appointed to the bench by Republican President Ronald Reagan, as part of a "deep state" conspiracy to destroy Trump and his followers. Calls for his execution cropped up on Trump-friendly websites. "Traitors get ropes," one wrote. After he issued a prison sentence to a 69-year-old Idaho woman who pleaded guilty to joining the Jan. 6, 2021, riot, his chambers' voicemail filled with death threats. One man found Lamberth's home phone number and called repeatedly with graphic vows to murder him. "I could not believe how many death threats I got," Lamberth told Reuters, revealing the calls to his home for the first time. As Trump faces a welter of indictments and lawsuits ahead of this year's election, his loyalists have been waging a campaign of threats and intimidation at judges, prosecutors and other court officials, according to a Reuters review of threat data compiled by the U.S. Marshals Service, posts on right-wing message boards, and interviews with more than two dozen law-enforcement agents, judicial officials and legal experts. As the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination and a defendant in four criminal cases alleging 91 felonies Trump has fused the roles of candidate and defendant. He attacks judges as political foes, demonizes prosecutors and casts the judicial system as biased against him and his supporters. These broadsides frequently trigger surges in threats against the judges, prosecutors and other court officials he targets, Reuters found. Since Trump launched his first presidential campaign in June 2015, the average number of threats and hostile communications directed at judges, federal prosecutors, judicial staff and court buildings has more than tripled, according to the Reuters review of data from the Marshals Service, which is responsible for protecting federal court personnel. We had never even contemplated that one of us could get killed in this job. Royce Lamberth U.S. District Judge The annual average rose from 1,180 incidents in the decade prior to Trump's campaign to 3,810 in the seven years after he declared his candidacy and began his practice of criticizing judges. In all, the Marshals documented nearly 27,000 threatening and harassing communications targeting federal courts from the fall of 2015 through the fall of 2022, a volume they consider unprecedented in their 234-year history. There is no national data collection for threats against state and local judges. Many states do not even track the problem. Since late 2020, Trump has ramped up his criticism of the judiciary dramatically, first amid his dozens of failed lawsuits seeking to overturn his election loss and, more recently, amid a cascade of criminal and civil litigation. In that time, serious threats against federal judges alone have more than doubled, from 220 in 2020 to 457 in 2023, as Reuters reported on Feb. 13. "Donald Trump set the stage," retired Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor, a Republican who stepped down at the end of 2022, said in an interview. Trump "gave permission by his actions and words for others to come forward and talk about judges in terms not just criticizing their decisions, but disparaging them and the entire judiciary." Former U.S. President Donald Trump attends the closing arguments in the Trump Organization civil fraud trial at New York State Supreme Court in the Manhattan borough of New York City, U.S., January 11, 2024. Shannon Stapleton | Reuters Trump and his spokespeople did not respond to requests for comment. He has appeared defiant in public comments on the judiciary, saying in January that if the criminal cases against him hurt his election prospects, "it'll be bedlam in the country." Despite the rise in threats, arrests are rare. The U.S. Justice Department says it does not track the number of people charged or convicted for threatening judges. Reuters identified just 57 federal prosecutions for threats to judges since 2020 in a review of court databases, Justice Department records and news accounts. Whether to press federal charges is typically up to the Justice Department and its prosecutors based on evidence gathered by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Justice Department declined to comment on judicial threats and prosecutions. The FBI and Marshals would not comment on specific incidents. Marshals Director Ronald Davis told Reuters that the agency is dedicating unprecedented resources to judicial protection. The FBI said it "takes all potential threats seriously." In the case of Lamberth, the federal judge in Washington, D.C., U.S. Marshals found the culprit, who has not been identified, and warned the man to stop. No arrest was made. The Marshals upgraded Lamberth's home security system. The calls stopped, but his concerns lingered about threats that now come from "ordinary people you wouldn't suspect," Lamberth said. For judges, threats have always been part of the job. But traditionally they have come from aggrieved parties a criminal angered by a long sentence, a spouse by a divorce ruling, a businessman by a bankruptcy decision. Today, a single politically charged case can generate hundreds of threats from people with no direct interest in the matter. Those cases can generate rage across the political spectrum. The U.S. Supreme Court's 2022 decision to end the legal right to abortion stoked left-wing anger against the court's conservatives, including an alleged assassination attempt against Justice Brett Kavanaugh. After a draft of the ruling leaked, police arrested Nicholas John Roske outside Kavanaugh's home, armed with a gun, a knife and tactical gear. He said he was enraged by the draft ruling and planned to kill the justice. He has pleaded not guilty to attempted murder and awaits trial. Trump's Broadsides: A Sample Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards A selection of posts by former President Trump on his social media site Truth Social in which he bashes judges and prosecutors. Highlighting added by Reuters. Reuters Many of the threats against judges examined by Reuters echo Trump's statements in social media posts and speeches, where he has attacked judges as "totally biased," "crooked," "partisan" and "hostile," dismissed courts as "rigged" and called prosecutors "corrupt." Threatening messages on pro-Trump online forums often repeat those terms or cast the former president as a heroic figure besieged by corrupt judges in secret "Democrat" plots. "Hanging judges for treason is soon to be on the menu boys!" said one anonymous January post on the pro-Trump forum Patriots.Win. The post referred to federal judge Lewis Kaplan, who presided over writer E. Jean Carroll's successful defamation suit against Trump in New York. Kaplan did not respond to a request to comment. Donald Trump set the stage. [He] gave permission by his actions and words for others to come forward and talk about judges in terms not just criticizing their decisions, but disparaging them and the entire judiciary. Maureen OConnor Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Judges at every level of the U.S. legal system have voiced alarm, saying the rising tide of threats jeopardizes the judicial independence that underpins America's democratic constitutional order. Judges not only rule on criminal and civil cases, but also act as a check on the power of the U.S. president, Congress and state governments. U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan presides over former U.S. President Donald Trumps second civil trial where Carroll accused former U.S. President Donald Trump of raping her decades ago, at Manhattan Federal Court in New York City, U.S., January 25, 2024 in this courtroom sketch. Jane Rosenberg | Reuters Trump has bristled at the rule of law. In 2022, he called for the "termination" of the U.S. Constitution if it would restore him to power. In December, he said he wanted to "be a dictator for one day," his first back in office, so he can wall off the U.S.-Mexico border. Reuters interviewed 14 sitting judges and four retired judges. Some were reluctant to share details about threats they've received or the security precautions they've taken. But all expressed worry about the growing volume of threats and their potential to undermine courts' legitimacy. "We can't have a situation where judges are in fear that a ruling, an unpopular ruling, can lead to reprisals," U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Richard Sullivan, who chairs a federal judiciary committee that oversees security for court personnel, said in an interview. "We are coming to kill you" Trump has derided the judiciary in intensely personal terms since his 2016 presidential campaign. Back then, he repeatedly attacked a federal judge handling a fraud lawsuit against the defunct Trump University. He accused Indiana-born Gonzalo Curiel of bias based on his Mexican heritage, called him a "hater" with a conflict of interest because of Trump's hard-line immigration policies, and suggested investigating him. "They ought to look into Judge Curiel, because what Judge Curiel is doing is a total disgrace." Curiel declined to comment. The berating of Curiel established the tone for Trump's subsequent attacks on the judiciary, which set him apart from other contemporary political figures. In 2017, Trump excoriated federal Judge James Robart, a Republican appointee who blocked an executive order barring travelers from certain predominantly Muslim nations from entering the United States. Trump urged people to blame the "so-called judge" for opening a door to potential terrorists. Robart told Reuters he received thousands of hostile messages, including more than 100 threats serious enough to trigger Marshals Service investigations. He was not aware of any arrests related to the threats. When Trump's term ended, the threats continued as courts rejected dozens of lawsuits alleging electoral fraud filed by Trump and his allies. Whenever a case against Trump was in court, "we would see a noticeable uptick in threats directed at whatever judge had the case," said Jon Trainum, who headed the U.S. Marshals' unit that investigated judicial threats for five years before retiring in 2021. More recently, Trump has blasted judges and prosecutors involved in the multiple civil and criminal cases against him. He has described his jailed supporters from the Jan. 6 Capitol riot as patriots and political prisoners. And he has lashed out at state judges who have ruled that he should be disqualified from the 2024 presidential ballot based on the criminal charges he faces. In all, at least 10 judges and four prosecutors have received threats and harassment, according to interviews with court officials and a review of police records, federal court files, social media and news reports. In a Feb. 26 court filing, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg blamed Trump's "inflammatory remarks" for a series of death threats he received while prosecuting a case alleging Trump paid hush money to cover up an affair with a porn star. One letter contained white powder and a note: "Alvin: I am going to kill you." Another warned he would "get assassinated" if he didn't "leave Trump alone." Citing a surge in threats to 89 in 2023 from one the year before, Bragg sought a judge's order to limit Trump's public statements. Judge Arthur Engoron presides as Donald Trump appears in State Supreme court in Manhattan to testify in his civil fraud trial on November 6, 2023. Jefferson Siegel | AFP | Getty Images Another frequent Trump target is New York Justice Arthur Engoron, who ordered the ex-president this month to pay $454 million in penalties for fraudulently overstating his net worth to dupe lenders to his real-estate business. A security officer in Engoron's court testified in a November filing that the judge and his staff had received "hundreds of threats, disparaging and harassing comments and antisemitic messages" linked to the case. "Trust me when I say this. I will come for you," one message promised. "Trump owns you," another warned. No one has been arrested. Tanya Chutkan, a federal judge in Washington assigned to Special Counsel Jack Smith's criminal election-subversion case against Trump, also has been targeted. On Trump's social media platform, Truth Social, the ex-president has called her a "biased, Trump-hating judge" incapable of giving him a fair trial. On Aug. 4, the day after Trump was formally charged in the case, Trump posted on Truth Social: "If you go after me, I'm coming after you!" The next day, Chutkan, who is Black, received an alarming voicemail. "You stupid slave n" a woman's voice said, using a racist slur, according to an affidavit filed by prosecutors in court. "If Trump doesn't get elected in 2024, we are coming to kill you. So tread lightly, bitch." Chutkan's office declined a request for comment from the judge. Tanya Chutkan United States District Court for the District of Columbia A Trump spokesperson said at the time that his social media comments were "the definition of political speech" and targeted interest groups, not judges. But Special Counsel Smith highlighted Trump's post in a Sept. 15 court motion. Trump was trying "to undermine confidence in the criminal justice system" through "inflammatory attacks" on those involved in the case, he said. Federal agents arrested the woman who threatened Chutkan, Abigail Jo Shry, 43, of Texas. She pleaded not guilty to a federal felony of threatening a judge and is awaiting trial. Her lawyer declined to comment. "Dox this judge" Shry's case is unusual. Few people face charges for threatening judges and the federal courts, according to a Reuters analysis of legal databases and other public records. Over the last four years, the Marshals investigated more than 1,200 threats against federal judges that they considered serious, according to the data provided to Reuters. Among the 57 federal prosecutions Reuters identified during that period, 47 involved threats against federal judges, six involved threats against state judges, and four involved threats against both. There is no national data on state-level prosecutions for threats against judges. Judges tell of the shock of suddenly being besieged with threats, and some express frustration that most of their harassers remain unpunished. In March 2017, after a federal court in Hawaii blocked Trump's second attempt to ban travelers from some Muslim countries, Trump said to applause at a Tennessee rally that the decision was "political." Within 24 hours, at least one website published the home address of the presiding judge in that case, Derrick Watson. Demands to execute Watson and his fellow judges appeared online. "We need to start hanging these traitors," one person wrote on a right-wing website. Thousands of angry calls poured into Watson's office, the judge told Reuters in his first interview on the experience. Marshals deemed dozens of the messages serious death threats and assigned Watson a 24-hour security detail for nearly a month, he said. His family traveled for over a week in an armed three-car convoy for daily routines, including grocery shopping and picking up his sons from school. "When those threats involve our family, it's on another level," he said. Marshals questioned a New Jersey man and an Arizona woman who had made particularly alarming threats, warning them of potential charges if they didn't stop, Watson said. No one was arrested, he said, but the worst threats stopped. Since then, he remains a target on Patriots.Win, the pro-Trump message board. "Dox this judge, go to his house," said one post last year that remains on the site. Patriots.Win did not respond to a request for comment. Watson said he worries that the climate of intimidation will deter people from serving on the bench. Without better enforcement of existing laws and the passage of new ones to safeguard judges, would-be jurists "will be chilled by their concerns over physical safety," he said. U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton poses for a photo at the E. Barrett Prettyman Federal Courthouse in Washington, U.S., February 21, 2024. Elizabeth Frantz | Reuters In Washington D.C., federal Judge Reggie Walton says he received one or two threats in his first 18 years on the bench, handling major criminal cases. But since Walton, who is Black, began hearing cases against Jan. 6 Capitol attackers, people enraged by the prosecutions routinely leave threatening and racist messages on his office phone, including one chilling threat targeting his family. "An individual from Texas called and left two messages the first one threatening me personally, and the second one making a threat against my daughter," Walton told Reuters. The caller knew his daughter's name, and his address. "That was very disconcerting," he said. "I surely would not want something to happen to a family member." Walton said he turned the calls over to the Marshals Service, which contacted the FBI. Federal agents visited the man in Texas, Walton said, but decided not to file charges. "They were of the view that he was apologetic and contrite about what he had done," he said. The incident has not been previously reported. Walton said he was disturbed by the decision not to arrest the man but felt it "should be independently made," without pressure from him. Threats against judges can be prosecuted under multiple federal statutes, some punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a maximum $250,000 fine. But many menacing messages don't meet the standard for a criminal offense generally defined as a direct threat that puts a person in fear of death or violence because of the U.S. Constitution's sweeping free-speech protections. Drawing the line can be difficult, say former Marshals and judges. Federal agents often look for language reflecting a clear intent to act, rather than simply suggesting a frightening outcome. "If somebody says, 'Judge, you should be hung from a gallows in front of the courthouse,' that's different than, 'Judge, I am coming to your courthouse and I'm going to hang you'," said Carl Caulk, a former assistant director of the Marshals Service who retired in 2015. "Like drinking through a fire hose" Recent changes to Medicaid programs, aimed at closing a health coverage gap in the U.S., have left behind some Americans particularly people of color. Among the non-elderly population in the U.S. those under age 65 insured rates rose during the Covid pandemic, with 3.4 million Americans enrolling in health coverage between 2019 and 2022, according to a report by KFF. That shift was due in part to the Medicaid and health care marketplace provisions put in place as a result of the Affordable Care Act, the report said. But as the global health crisis waned and Medicaid coverage expansions faced delays in some states, insured rates fell and Black Americans remained disproportionately uninsured compared with white Americans, according to KFF, a nonprofit organization focused on health policy. In 2022, 10% of Black Americans were uninsured, compared with 6.6% of white Americans. Black people were 1.5 times more likely to be uninsured than their white peers in 2022, the report said. People who identified as American Indian or Alaskan Native were 2.9 times more likely than their white counterparts to be uninsured, while Hispanic Americans were 2.7 times more likely to be uninsured. "The biggest driver of the racial coverage gap is the states that have not expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act," said Jennifer Wagner, a director at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. "Those states have a higher population of Black individuals who are unable to access Medicaid coverage because they don't fit into one of the eligibility categories within that state." Medicaid, a joint program between the federal government and states, offers health insurance to low-income adults and children. The Affordable Care Act passed in 2010, included a provision to expand Medicaid coverage to people at lower income levels who may not be covered by private insurers. But not all states have expanded the coverage requirements, according to KFF. In those states that haven't expanded Medicaid, uninsured adults who don't meet the requirements for coverage but still fall under the poverty line are left with little option. In 2022, about half of Black Americans younger than 65 were insured through an employer or a private insurer, according to KFF, while nearly 40% were insured through Medicaid or another public option. Black unemployment rates are consistently higher than the national average and higher than other groups, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, meaning fewer Black people have access to health insurance through employers. In January, Black unemployment ticked up slightly to 5.3%, according to the bureau, compared with a national average of 3.7% and a white unemployment rate of 3.4%. "Most Black people are in a family with a full-time worker, but less likely than their white counterparts to have private coverage, which reflects that they're more likely to be in low-income jobs that may not offer health coverage," said Samantha Artiga, a health policy expert at KFF. In states that don't offer Medicaid expansion, 13.3% of non-elderly Black Americans are uninsured, according to KFF, compared with 7.3% of that population in states that have already adopted the expansion. Adding to the disparity in uninsured rates, a separate provision of Medicaid that automatically reenrolled participants for coverage ended in March 2023, leaving millions of Americans to proactively reenroll themselves. Many, unaware of the changes, saw their coverage lapse. "We're seeing a lot of administrative barriers with the renewal process that are coming very clear," Wagner said. "People are losing coverage, not because they're determined ineligible or fall into the coverage gap, but because they didn't get the form or the state didn't process the timeline." Since March, at least 17.4 million people were disenrolled from Medicaid or the related Children's Health Insurance Program coverage. More than 35 million people had their coverage renewed, while 41 million renewals are either pending or not yet due, according to KFF. Community health centers such as West Oakland Health, founded by four Black women in 1967, are working to address the coverage gap. Robert Phillips, the chief executive officer of WOH, said the center noticed a downtick in patients immediately following the end of continuous enrollment. "The drop in Medicaid patients was precipitous," Phillips said. Phillips and his staff began reaching out to their Medicaid patients, and he said patients have been returning as the centers alert them to the need to renew their coverage. "It's making us work extra hard," Phillips said. "We want folks to know they're still eligible for coverage and for those who just didn't know because they got a notice saying that their coverage ended." WOH's five locations in the East Bay Area of California serve minorities and low-income households seeking affordable health care. Most of the patients at WOH are Black and are covered under Medicaid, according to the company. Correction: This story has been updated to remove an inaccurate description for nonprofit organization KFF. Charles Lamanna, corporate vice president for business applications and platforms at Microsoft, speaks at a press event in San Francisco on Feb. 28, 2024. Microsoft already has a Copilot for general-purpose industrial use in Office applications, and it has released Copilots designed for sales and customer-service workers. The typical company comprises a variety of groups in which employees perform specialized work. "We want every one of the departments to be enabled and enriched with a Copilot," Charles Lamanna, a Microsoft corporate vice president, said in an interview with CNBC in San Francisco on Wednesday. Many business software providers, including HubSpot and Salesforce , have been working to supercharge existing products with generative artificial intelligence, in the hope of making clients more efficient. The craze began after startup OpenAI in 2022 launched the ChatGPT chatbot, which can spit out natural-sounding text or other content with a few words of human input. Microsoft on Thursday announced that it will release a Copilot chatbot that can perform key tasks for people working in finance. The software company will first offer the tool in public preview. Pricing details will follow. Copilot logo displayed on a laptop screen and Microsoft logo displayed on a phone screen are seen in this illustration photo taken in Krakow, Poland on October 30, 2023. The Copilot for finance will initially run a variance analysis, reconcile data in Excel and speed up the collections process in Outlook. The software can draw on information stored in SAP and in Microsoft Dynamics 365. Additional features will come to the finance Copilot later this year, Lamanna said. The Japanese advertising agency Dentsu will use the Copilot for finance tasks, Lamanna said. Microsoft said its finance department provided input into the development of the new Copilot and that it's seen some early benefits from using it. Comparing data taken from different systems is "something every finance team on the planet does a lot of," said Cory Hrncirik, modern finance lead in Microsoft's office of the chief financial officer. A couple of thousand people on a financial planning and analysis team each spend one or two hours doing reconciliation each week, and with the new Copilot, that takes more like 10 or 20 minutes per week, he said. The idea is to help these employees spend fewer hours on tedious tasks and provide time for more engaging work that can contribute more to the company. But Microsoft's finance employees aren't required to use the new Copilot, Hrncirik said. If many finance professionals in a given company take advantage of those automations, though, the company might be able to close its books more quickly. "That is one of the big pitches for CFOs," Lamanna said. WATCH: AI offers 'incredibly powerful tools' for banking, financial services and insurance industry: Microsoft CVP Pfizer 's vaccine against respiratory syncytial virus maintained protection for older adults across two full seasons of the disease in an ongoing late-stage clinical trial, the company announced Thursday. The shot's efficacy declined slightly compared with the levels of protection after one RSV season, but the new data suggests that the jab generally offers durable protection for adults ages 60 and above, who are more vulnerable to severe illness from RSV. The launch of Pfizer's vaccine, known as Abrysvo, and another RSV shot from GlaxoSmithKline last year proved to be a boon for both companies, with the jabs accounting for hundreds of millions in just half a year on the market. A single dose of Pfizer's vaccine was 77.8% effective against more severe lower respiratory tract illness with three or more symptoms through a second season, down from the 88.9% efficacy following the end of one season. Those symptoms include wheezing, shortness of breath, rapid and shallow breathing, and mucus production. The shot was roughly 55.7% effective against a less severe form of that condition with two or more symptoms after the end of season two, according to the initial data on more than 37,000 participants in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. The jab showed 66.7% efficacy against that condition after one RSV season. Pfizer noted that the vaccine showed consistent efficacy against RSV A and RSV B, which are the two major subtypes of the virus, after the second RSV season. The shot was specifically 80% or more effective against each type in patients with the more severe form of lower respiratory tract illness. No new adverse events were reported by patients after the two seasons. The results come ahead of a meeting of an advisory panel to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday, which will consider whether seniors should take RSV shots annually or every other year. Analysts don't expect the committee to make a final recommendation until June a decision that may have huge implications for Moderna , which is hoping to launch its own RSV jab this year. Russian President Vladimir Putin during a meeting with his confidants for the 2024 election at Gostiny Dvor in Moscow, Russia, on Jan. 31, 2024. Maxim Shemetov | Reuters The West is watching Russian President Vladimir Putin's next move closely after pro-Russian officials in the breakaway region of Transnistria in Moldova appealed to Moscow for "protection" against the Moldovan authorities. Russia's Foreign Ministry responded Wednesday by saying protecting that the interests of the residents of Transnistria calling them "compatriots" was one of Russia's priorities and that it would carefully consider the request, the ministry told RIA Novosti. Analysts believed that Putin could use his state-of-the-nation address an overview of the current situation in the country, and Russia's goals at home and abroad to make an announcement about Transnistria. However, he was tight-lipped Thursday about the region in eastern Moldova that Russia has backed since the collapse of the Soviet Union. watch now The self-proclaimed pro-Russian authorities of Transnistria held a congress of senior officials Wednesday, at which they asked Moscow to implement measures to protect Transnistria a region also known as Transdniestria or Pridnestrovie and its economy against an alleged threat from Moldova, which has been aiming to reintegrate the region. "There is social and economic pressure on Transdniestria, which directly contradicts European principles and approaches to the protection of human rights and free trade," read the text of a resolution from the meeting, Reuters reported. The document was addressed to Russia's parliament, the Federal Assembly, asking it "to implement measures to protect Pridnestrovie [Transnistria] in the context of increasing pressure from Moldova," news agency Tass reported. The request, officials said, was made "taking into account the fact of permanent residence on the territory of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic [the official name of Transnistria] of more than 220,000 Russian citizens and the unique positive experience of Russian peacekeeping on the Dniester, and also the status of a guarantor and mediator in the negotiation process," the resolution said. Moldova's government dismissed the statement Wednesday as "propaganda," with a government spokesperson stating that "at this point, we want say clearly and firmly there are no dangers of escalation and destabilization of the situation in the Transnistrian region of Moldova." "We keep a close eye and reiterate that the Transnistrian region is aligned with the goal of peace and security of Moldova. This is another propaganda event," spokesperson Daniel Voda said. The White House said it noted the development with U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller, stating on Wednesday that "given Russia's increasingly aggressive role in Europe, we are watching Russia's actions in Transnistria and the broader situation there very closely." Concerns growing While the self-proclaimed authorities of Transnistria have made similar calls in the past, the latest request, amid Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine, is sure to heighten "concerns about Moscow's broader territorial ambitions in Europe," Andrius Tursa, Central and Eastern Europe advisor at risk consultancy Teneo, said in emailed comments. "As a result, recurring rumors about Russia's alleged plans to annex the region could be part of Moscow's attempts to heighten political tensions in Moldova ahead of the pivotal autumn 2024 presidential election, which might be held along with a referendum on pursuing EU membership," he noted. A map of Moldova, including the breakaway region of Transnistria. Lonely Planet Images | Getty No member of the United Nations (including Russia) recognizes Transnistria's sovereignty, and all U.N. members consider the region to be part of Moldova, which has expressed a desire to reintegrate the region. Still, Russia has a small military presence in Transnistria that is part of a "peacekeeping operation" there, Russia's defense ministry says. Today, there is only one battalion (usually around 1,000 soldiers) in the region, the ministry notes, although it's believed there are around 1,500 Russian soldiers there. The latest call for help gives Russia a feasible excuse to reinforce those numbers, although it would be "extremely difficult" to do so, Tursa noted, because of its landlocked location. It's likely that Russia will justify the move by saying it is acting to protect its own citizens. The same tactic has been used in eastern Ukraine with support for pro-Russian separatists in Donetsk and Luhansk, and in the case of the Russian-backed breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia in Georgia. Both of those cases led to, or involved, war. "Transnistria is a focal point for Putin's games, as he can easily escalate a crisis due to the presence of Russian troops and Russian citizens there," Ivana Stradner, research fellow at the Washington-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies think tank, said in emailed comments. "Putin understands that as the West is distracted in Ukraine, the Middle East, elections in the EU and the U.S., he can escalate the Transnistria crisis via his proxies and show that the West will not protect Moldova." CNBC has contacted the Kremlin for a response to the comments and is awaiting a reply. watch now The move could also be a precursor to a referendum on joining the Russian Federation, analysts at the Institute for the Study of War said, or to Russian troops not only entering but annexing Transnistria, amid speculation that Russia wants its "land bridge" of occupied territory across a swathe of southern Ukraine to reach Transnistria. So far, however, Russian forces do not occupy the whole of southern Ukraine, with Kherson, Mykolaiv and Odesa still in Ukrainian hands. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin testifies before a House Armed Services Committee hearing about his failure to disclose his cancer diagnosis and subsequent hospitalizations, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 29, 2024. Republicans grilled U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin at a hearing Thursday about the handling of his January hospitalization following his cancer diagnosis. "It's totally unacceptable that it took three days to inform the President of the United States that the Secretary of Defense was in the hospital, and not in control of the Pentagon," said Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., the chair of the House Armed Service Committee. Thursday's hearing centered around why the Deputy Defense Secretary and the White House were not immediately informed that Austin was hospitalized after complications arose from surgery to treat his prostate cancer. "This is about judgment, and poor judgment," said Michael Waltz, R-Fla. "My teenage daughter knows to tell her supervisor if she's not going to work. The American people, truck drivers, bartenders know they have to tell their boss or they get fired. But you've held yourself to a different standard. And that's unacceptable." Austin doubled down on his apology from earlier this month and said despite there being a breakdown in notifications during his hospital stay, there were never any lapses in Pentagon authority. "We did not handle this right, and I did not handle it right. As you know, I've apologized, including directly to the president, and I take full responsibility," Austin said at Thursday's hearing. The hearing occurred just days after a Pentagon internal review said the process for transferring the secretary's authority should be improved but that "nothing examined during this review demonstrated any indication of ill intent or an attempt to obfuscate." Republicans said the incident jeopardized national security and said the incident shows that President Joe Biden is either aloof or Austin is out of the loop. "Our adversaries should fear us and what you've done is embarrassed us," Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., said. Democrats said Austin's lack of transparency should not be repeated but said lawmakers should be focused on funding the government and providing aid to Ukraine. "Rather than nitpicking the Secretary of Defense about his precise process in this situation, we should go ahead and pass the national security supplemental," said Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., the ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee. Austin said the Pentagon has already implemented some of the internal review's changes that are mostly classified. The Defense Department's inspector general is also conducting a review of the incident. Don't miss these stories from CNBC PRO: Andrea Gacki, director of the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, appears onscreen during the Chainalysis Links conference in New York, US, on Thursday, May 19, 2022. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images Sanctioned entities, like those linked to North Korean hacking groups and U.S.-designated terrorist organizations such as Lebanon's Hezbollah, continue to rely on cryptocurrency for fundraising, according to a new report from Chainalysis. The American blockchain analysis firm's "2024 Crypto Crime Report" found that $24.2 billion of illicit cryptocurrency was transferred in 2023, based on already identified illicit crypto wallets. Chainalysis retroactively updates its yearly crypto figures when new illicit wallets come to light. While last year's numbers currently represent a drop from the previous year, Chainalysis noted a much higher proportion of the funds were attributed to sanctioned or terrorist-linked recipients, accounting for about 61.5% of total illicit transaction volume in 2023. "Actors subject to sanctions are often cut off from international traditional financial systems, and crypto can become an attempted alternative mechanism to store, send, and receive funds," Andrew Fierman, head of sanctions strategy at Chainalysis, told CNBC on Thursday. watch now Crypto to avert sanctions Entities like the crypto "mixer" Tornado Cash and Garantex took the lion's share of illicit funds in 2023. Tornado Cash was sanctioned in August 2022 for its role in laundering crypto stolen by the North Korean hacking organization Lazarus Group. Russian-based exchange Garantex was sanctioned in April 2022 for its affiliation with illicit actors, including ransomware groups. Crypto mixers are software that obscure the history and origin of digital assets sent through them. The amount of crypto transferred to sanctioned entities has climbed in recent years in tandem with a greater share of new trade restrictions specifying crypto wallets. In 2023, the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctions list imposed a total of 18 new sanctions on individuals and entities, including their associated crypto wallets. At least nine of the new sanctions were against individuals and entities across China and Latin America for their alleged role in fentanyl manufacturing and trafficking. Meanwhile, five of the sanctions targeted entities deemed to have violated sanctions on North Korea. watch now The top crypto recipient added to the sanctions list last year was Sinbad.io a bitcoin mixer that was shut down in November of 2023 which received $665.4 million in crypto from the Lazarus Group. Still, sanctions have shown the ability to slow the flow of crypto funds to their targets. Tornado Cash's monthly inflows dropped by as much as 93% immediately following its placement on the U.S. list, according to Chainalysis. Though the firm noted inflows slowly rebounded from that low in the following months. Of sanctioned countries, Iran was a major recipient of illicit funds, with 73.3% of inflows coming from international mainstream exchanges indicating the services might be used to subvert sanctions, Chainalysis said. Terrorist financing Illicit crypto volume identified by Chainalysis as terrorist financing accounted for a much smaller proportion than that of transactions to sanctioned entities in 2022. Chainalysis argued that, contrary to popular belief, cryptocurrency is not an effective tool for terrorism funding because blockchain allows funds to be traced at a level of detail not typically available in traditional finance. "The transparent nature of cryptocurrency combined with blockchain analytics provides an invaluable forensic tool that empowers governments to identify, trace, and disrupt the flow of funds something that isn't possible with other forms of value transfer, especially cash," said Chanalysis's Fierman. Despite these obstacles, terrorist organizations have continued to try to utilize cryptocurrencies for fundraising, deploying intricate networks of crypto exchanges and service providers, the report said. watch now Last year, tracing efforts resulted in the seizure of millions in funds. In one such case, Israel's National Bureau for Counter Terror Financing said in June that it had seized $1.7 million of cryptocurrency linked to Hezbollah and Iran's Quds Force through a Syria-based financial facilitator named Tawfiq Muhammad Said Al-Law. Chainalysis's report outlined how Al-Law's relied on a network of legitimate mainstream exchanges and an extensive network of wallets for cryptocurrency transactions to aid Hezbollah's cryptocurrency financing infrastructure. The wallets linked to Al-Law collectively received funds ranging from millions to over $1 billion in cryptocurrency, involving up to tens of thousands of transfers. Meanwhile, entities and individuals linked to designated terrorist groups, such as ISIS and Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham, have continued to solicit cryptocurrency through crowdfunding efforts. watch now The Lordstown Motors Corp. Endurance electric pickup truck is displayed during an unveiling event in Lordstown, Ohio, June 25, 2020. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday said it has settled charges against Lordstown Motors that the electric vehicle manufacturer misled investors about the sales prospects of its flagship truck, the Endurance. The regulator said Lordstown, which filed for bankruptcy in 2023, and its former Chairman and CEO Steve Burns misrepresented the company's plans to develop the first full-size electric pickup. The company exaggerated demand, claiming 100,000 pre-orders for the truck, and misrepresented the timeline for delivering the Endurance, SEC said. Lordstown, which Burns founded in 2019, went public through a blank-check company the following year. During and before the merger, Burns and the firm made materially false and misleading statements about Lordstown's business, regulators said A lawyer for Lordstown, which did not admit to or deny the SEC's findings, declined to comment. The firm agreed to a cease-and-desist order. Burns could not immediately be reached for comment. The SEC's order for Lordstown to disgorge $25.5 million of ill-gotten gains was deemed satisfied by its payments in class action lawsuits. Clark Schaefer Hackett & Co, which acted as Lordstown's adviser and auditor, agreed to pay more than $80,000 in civil penalties, disgorgement and interest, as well as to improve its policies and procedures, in a separate SEC resolution, the regulator said. A lawyer for the accounting and advisory firm did not respond immediately to request for comment. News of Snowflake CEO Frank Slootman's retirement sparked an 18% plunge in the company's stock price on Thursday, its steepest selloff since the data analytics software vendor debuted on the New York Stock Exchange in 2020. Slootman's departure was announced late Wednesday as part of Snowflake's quarterly earnings report, which included disappointing guidance. Analysts at Mizuho Securities wrote in a note that the stock is getting hammered "as investors digest the resignation" of Slootman, who joined in 2019 and led the company through its blockbuster IPO the following year. While the announcement caused consternation on Wall Street, Slootman told CNBC that he's not worried about a wave of Snowflake employees following him out the door. "This is not a personal cult, OK?" Slootman said. Slootman, 65, is being succeeded by former Google ad chief Sridhar Ramaswamy, who joined Snowflake in June via the company's $185 million purchase of Neeva, a startup Ramaswamy co-founded in 2019. Snowflake was the third enterprise technology company that Slootman shepherded through the IPO process, following Data Domain in 2007 and ServiceNow in 2012. Snowflake marked his biggest financial windfall. He controlled roughly 6% of the company's stock at the time of the IPO, and owned 10.6 million shares as of Feb. 9, a stake that's currently worth about $2 billion. Additionally, Slootman's total compensation in 2023 amounted to $23.7 million, almost entirely from stock and option awards. Before joining Snowflake, Slootman spent about six years as CEO of ServiceNow . He told CNBC that ServiceNow has continued to flourish since his departure. Annualized revenue has grown from $1.5 billion to almost $10 billion. "Some people are still there that I hired quite a few of them, actually," Slootman said. "There's also new ones, obviously." ServiceNow's workforce stood at 23,668 by the end of 2023, compared with 603 in December 2011, months after Slootman had joined, according to regulatory filings. "We put ServiceNow on the rails. We've done that with Snowflake as well," said Slootman, who's sticking around as chairman. Taking three companies through big and successful exits is a rare feat in technology, and has gained Slootman plenty of acclaim. But he's also attracted attention for stepping into controversy on issues like the tech industry's focus on diversity. In 2021, as corporate America was wading through the fallout of the George Floyd murder, Slootman noted that diversity shouldn't trump merit. He later apologized. In his 2022 book "Amp It Up," Slootman offered advice leaders on how to raise standards inside companies, citing Steve Jobs' insistence on greatness at Apple . "Don't let malaise set in," he wrote. Picking great stocks and avoiding disastrous investments enabled the Ranmore Global Equity Fund to beat the S & P 500 over the past two years, according to its fund manager. The fund, run by portfolio manager Sean Peche, returned 31% in 2023 compared to 24% for the S & P 500 . The performance stands out further for making those stellar returns without owning any of the so-called " Magnificent 7 " technology stocks that have dominated the index recently. The Ranmore fund also outperformed its benchmark with 1.8% total returns in 2022 when the S & P 500 and broader indexes nearly fell into a bear market. Key to outperformance When it comes to stock picking, Peche said the key was "to find a few great winners and avoid disasters." The fund manager noted that even some top growth managers who owned high-flying stocks like Microsoft and Meta underperformed the market last year because "a few stocks in the portfolio blew up." Andrew Lapping, chief investment officer at Ranmore, said the fund had great returns since it is focused on overlooked mid-small caps and value stocks, saying, "We invest in areas where there's less competition, where there's not a huge flow of capital." The fund is also highly diversified, with stocks like Brazil's Petrobras , Japan's Nippon TV , the U.K.'s GSK , and eBay among its largest positions. The fund manager says they take a probability-based approach with many small positions rather than a few big bets. "We like to source our returns from lots of places rather than just one or two big ideas," Peche said. Where's Ranmore investing now? While many in Wall Street and the City of London are negative on Europe, Ranmore sees opportunities. For instance, Bank of America strategists see the pan-European Stoxx 600 index down by 15% to 420 points in the last quarter of this year over a slowdown in global economic growth. Similarly, UBS has a price target pointing to a nearly 10% downside for the European benchmark. .STOXX 1Y line Instead of being bearish, Ranmore believes the key is picking stocks like French retailer Carrefour that could benefit from consumers trading down to cheaper private label products during a cost-of-living crisis. The contrarian positioning isn't new to the fund. Peche increased exposure to Europe after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. When many investors were bearish toward Europe, the fund manager concluded that "not every company out there was going to get hurt" by higher gas prices and potential recession. Instead, he said, "some companies are actually going to benefit." Lapping also noted that "there's actually a very low correlation between GDP growth or lack thereof and stock market returns." Yet, he observed that there is a correlation between returns and valuation. "And for us, valuation in Europe is much lower than valuation in the U.S., and we find more opportunities." More recently, the fund has been buying heavily into Chinese stocks like Alibaba , despite concerns around an economic slowdown, which Lapping called the "number one opportunity" given compelling valuations. While risks remain, Chinese tech giants are far cheaper than their U.S. counterparts and have less dilution from stock-based compensation , according to Lapping. "Yes, [the economy is] weak, there's problems," Lapping said. "When you look at the valuation, that's already in the price." " Alibaba is our third biggest stock [position] now. Why? The valuation is absolutely compelling," Lapping added. 'Cheap' stocks that could 'double' The fund owns an eclectic mix of global names like Dutch bank ABN AMRO, diverging considerably from the fund's benchmark. "If we find a cheap stock. We don't care if it's a television company in Japan or a bank in Europe. If we think it's undervalued with good return prospects, we'll buy it," Lapping said. Nippon TV, for example, trades at about half its book value over concerns around Japan's shrinking demographics for broadcast television. However, according to the fund manager, the market appears to be undervaluing its cash and securities. "Most of its book value is cash and investment securities in listed Japanese companies," Peche said. "If Nippon TV just traded at book value, the stock could double." A similar upside case exists for ABN AMRO, which offers a 10% dividend yield, trades at half tangible book value, and is priced at five times earnings, according to Peche. This ratio is an important metric used by traders to gauge the value of a stock. "It's a conservative retail bank in Holland, where in the Netherlands, the economy is doing well," Peche said. "We think that that company could also double." Donald Trump, right, and producer Andy Litinsky, left, attend the Comedy Central Roast of Donald Trump at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City on March 9, 2011. Both Litinsky and Moss were contestants on Trump's television show "The Apprentice." UAV is a partnership of Andy Litinsky and Wes Moss, who initially pitched Trump the idea of creating Trump Media in February 2021, after the former president was banned from Twitter and Facebook following the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol riot. The news service noted that TMTG and DWAC on Tuesday sued Orlando and his Arc Global Investments II vehicle in Florida, claiming that he is trying to "obtain a windfall by extortion." On Thursday, an investment vehicle controlled by former DWAC Chairman and CEO Patrick Orlando sued in Chancery court to block the merger unless it receives a larger number of shares from the combination than DWAC proposes, Reuters reported. If DWAC shareholders approve the merger next month, Trump's 90% stake in TMTG could be valued at more than $3 billion, given DWAC's current share price. The Delaware Chancery Court lawsuit comes in advance of the planned merger of TMTG with a shell company called Digital World Acquisition Corp ., which would result in the shares of the combined entity being publicly traded. The partnership, United Atlantic Ventures, alleges that Trump Media & Technology Group engaged in "wrongful 11th hour maneuvering" to dilute UAV's minority stake in the media company, a court filing says. Former President Donald Trump was accused in a lawsuit on Wednesday of trying to "drastically dilute" the value of stock shares in his social media company held by the firm's co-founders, potentially depriving them of hundreds of millions of dollars in profits. Donald Trump attends the "Celebrity Apprentice" red carpet event at Trump Tower in New York City on Jan. 5, 2015. TMTG later built and launched Truth Social, the social media platform that Trump uses almost exclusively to communicate with the public. The planned merger comes as Trump, who is the leading candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, has been ordered to pay more than $500 million in civil judgments in New York, related to trial verdicts for business fraud and the defamation of writer E. Jean Carroll. "The attempt here is to deprive them of the deal," said Christopher Clark, the lawyer for UAV in the partnership's Delaware lawsuit against TMTG. "It's not like they went out and bought a lottery ticket," Clark said of the co-founders. "They actually went out and did the work, they created Truth Social, and now the beneficiary of that, Donald Trump, doesn't want to pay." "Not a unique story, unfortunately," Clark said, referring to Trump's infamous practice of contesting bills from contractors and lawyers. CNBC has requested comment from spokesmen for Trump, TMTG and DWAC about the lawsuit, which was first reported by The Washington Post. "Former President Donald J. Trump is causing TMTG to not only dispute UAV's established right to 8,600,000 shares or 8.6% of TMTG's issued and outstanding stock, but also attempting to drastically dilute UAV's interests in connection with an impending merger," a motion in the Delaware suit says. That motion claims that UAV's current 8.6% stake in Trump's company would be diluted to less than 1% as a result of the TMTG board approving an eight-fold increase in the total number of authorized shares in the firm, from 120 million shares to 1 billion shares. "There is no legitimate business purpose for the Billion Share Authorization or the creation of non-voting stock in the face of the pending Merger, particularly because any unissued TMTG stock will be cancelled in the Merger," the motion by UAV says. "The only plausible reason for TMTG to authorize this massive new block of stock and create non-voting stock is so Trump can dilute UAV and take the lion's share of merger consideration for himself," the motion says. UAV's lawsuit against TMTG, which is seeking injunctive relief against the dilution effort, is sealed for now in the Delaware court, which as a rule initially keeps complaints off its public docket until the parties agree on any necessary redactions. But a motion by UAV asking a judge to expedite the suit is public. That motion details the claims in the complaint. In October 2021, TMTG and DWAC, which is a so-called special purpose acquisition company, announced a plan to merge. That merger was delayed for more than two years by investigations launched by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Department of Justice, among other factors. But earlier this month, the SEC said the merger's registration statement was effective, essentially green lighting the SPAC merger. DWAC shareholders are scheduled to vote on potential approval of the merger on March 22. Yulia Navalnaya (first row, 3rdL), widow of Kremlin opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died on February 16 in a Russian prison, is applauded by European Parliament President Roberta Metsola (first row, 3rdR) after addressing the European Parliament in Strasbourg, eastern France, on February 28, 2024. Yulia Navalnaya, the wife of dead Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny told European lawmakers Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin must answer for what he has done with Russia, Ukraine, and Navalny. "Putin must answer for what he has done with my country, Putin must answer for what he has done to a neighboring peaceful country and Putin must answer for everything he has done to Alexei," she said. Addressing the European Parliament, Navalnaya said Putin could not be negotiated with and was "capable of anything." If you want to defeat Putin, she said, you have to be innovative; "You cannot hurt him with resolutions or a set of sanctions," she said. Navalny's wife, wider family and supporters accuse the Kremlin of ordering Navalny's death in an Arctic penal colony earlier in February. The Kremlin denies involvement in his death. Addressing the Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday, Navalnaya accused the Russian authorities of torturing Navalny while in prison "on Putin's orders," and then of abusing his body after his death. She did not give any further details. CNBC has contacted the Kremlin for a response to the allegations. Navalny's family and supporters criticized Russia's authorities for initially refusing to release his body for burial. His remains were released to the family last Saturday. Navalny's funeral is due to take place in Moscow on Friday, with Navalnaya telling parliamentarians that she wasn't sure if the occasion would be peaceful or whether Russian police would make arrests. Navalnaya has become something of a figurehead for Russia's opposition many of whom are imprisoned, living abroad or dead following the death of her husband. Holly Ellyatt Neil Shen, the founder of Chinese venture capital giant HongShan, has obtained permanent residency in Singapore. The 57-year-old, who is among prominent tech investors in China, has opened an office for his $56 billion firm, which was formerly known as Sequoia China, in Singapore amid tensions between China and the US, Financial Times reported. Known for his investments in Alibaba, ByteDance and Shein, Shen was granted the status before the COVID-19 pandemic, people familiar with the matter told the publication. A person close to Shen has cited personal reasons for the decision. Further, it was revealed that the first application was made more than a decade ago. Shens firm expanded its base in Singapore after it split from the US-based Sequoia in June last year. The firm has even encouraged some of its China-based portfolio companies, having global ambitions, to set up entities in Singapore since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The decision to open a Singapore office was made for business reasons and was not related to personal matters of any of our executives, HongShan said in a statement. Shen has joined the infamous trend that many wealthy people in China, particularly those connected to the nation's IT industry, have repeatedly followed. In recent years, many of them have shifted their base to stable, low-tax Singapore amid Chinese President Xi Jinping's calls for wealth redistribution and strict epidemic lockdowns in the country. Since Singapore, which houses a large ethnic Chinese population, strikes a neutral line between the two superpowers, a permanent residency there allows those with the pass to pay less taxes on property purchases and even apply for permanent residency of their spouses and children. Neils decision . . . made it a lot easier for others to follow after that, a source told the news outlet. Here's a list of a few elites who have left China in recent years: Sean Tong Co-founder of Chinas Boyu Capital, Sean Tong relocated to Singapore during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. He has acquired permanent residency in the city-state. Boyu Capital opened its office in Singapore in 2019. Zhang Lei China-born Zhang Lei, the founder of Hillhouse Capital, has also become a Singaporean citizen in recent years. His company expanded its base and consolidated into larger premises in the year 2022. Zhang Tao Zhang Tao, who founded Dianping, has also relocated to Singapore and expanded his business in the city-state. Tony Zhang Tencent co-founder Tony Zhang has also shifted his base to Singapore in recent years, as per reports. In 2023, Forbes reported that of the worlds estimated 2,640 billionaires, at least 562 are thought to be in China. The number came down from 607 in 2022. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Mauritian counterpart Pravind Jugnauth on Thursday jointly inaugurated the new airstrip and St. James Jetty, along with six community development projects, at Mauritius' Agalega Island on Thursday. The event was held through video conferencing, read a statement from the Prime Minister's Office. The inauguration of these multiple projects is a testimony to the robust and decades-old development partnership between the two nations, India and Mauritius. As per the official statement, these projects will help in fulfilling the demand for better connectivity between mainland Mauritius and Agalega. Further, it will strengthen maritime security and foster socio-economic development, the PMO said. The inauguration of these development projects holds great significance in the region as it follows the launch of UPI and RuPay Card services in Mauritius by the two leaders a few weeks ago. On February 12, Prime Minister Modi, along with Jugnauth and Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, launched the Unified Payment Interface (UPI) services in Sri Lanka and Mauritius, along with the RuPay card services in Mauritius via video conferencing. While addressing the event, the Mauritian PM said that co-branded RuPay cards will be designated as domestic cards in the country. Wickremesinghe congratulated PM Modi for the consecration ceremony at the Ram Mandir in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya . Further, he hoped to maintain the momentum of connectivity and deepen the relationship between India and Sri Lanka. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Modi said the launch of the new services will greatly facilitate the citizens in both Sri Lanka and Mauritius. Talking about India's strong ties with Sri Lanka and Mauritius, PM Modi said it was a special day for three friendly nations as the historic connections of the three nations take the form of modern digital connections. He noted that these projects were proof of the Indian government's commitment to the development of the people. Indias UPI or United Payments Interface comes in a new role today - Uniting Partners with India, he said. India shares deep-rooted and decade-old ties with Sri Lanka and Mauritius. According to reports, Indian-origin people constitute around 70% of Mauritius total population of nearly 1.2 million. Thailand Health Minister Cholnan Srikaew said that the country will ban the recreational use of marijuana by 2024 end, but will continue to allow its use for medical purposes. In Southeast Asia, Thailand became the first country to free up marijuana's medicinal use in 2018 and then recreational use in 2022. Since then, tens of thousands of cannabis shops have come up in various parts of the country, while this business is projected to be worth up to $1.2 billion by next year, Reuters reported. Critics have said that piecemeal rules were rushed out and adopted within a week of decriminalisation, adding that the Thailand government has drafted a new law to regulate cannabis use. The law is expected to take effect by the end of this year. Srikaew said that the draft bill will need the cabinet's approval next month before it goes to the parliament for passage. Without the law to regulate cannabis it will be misused, Cholnan told the news agency while referring to its recreational use. The misuse of cannabis has a negative impact on Thai children. In the long run, it could lead to other drugs, he added. The Thailand minister said that cannabis shops operating illegally in the country will not be allowed to continue anymore, while home-grown cannabis will also be discouraged. At present, there are around 20,000 legally registered shops, he added. However, there are several countries around the world where recreational use of marijuana is legal. Here are some of them: Uruguay In December 2013, Uruguay became the first country around the world to legalise the cultivation, sale, and distribution of recreational cannabis, reports said. The Institute for Regulation and Control of Cannabis (IRCCA) holds the responsibility to regulate the planting, cultivation, harvesting, production, processing, and distribution of cannabis around the South American country. Georgia Georgia legalised the consumption of marijuana in July 2018. However, the recreational use of marijuana is still limited as large-scale cultivation and sale continue to remain a punishable offence. Canada The Justin Trudeau-led government in Canada legalised the recreational use of marijuana under the Federal Cannabis Act in October 2018. However, it continues to be a highly controlled substance and is only sold at government-licenced retailers, reports said. Mexico In June 2021, Mexicos supreme court struck down laws that prohibited the use of recreational marijuana. As per the court, adults who wish to cultivate and consume their own cannabis will be able to apply for permits from the country's health secretariat. However, criminal penalties for possessing more than five grams of marijuana or selling the drug continued to remain in place. Malta Malta became the first country in Europe to allow limited cultivation and possession of cannabis for personal use in the year 2021. Some of the other countries where the recreational use of marijuana is legalised include Luxembourg, Jamaica, Chile, Ecuador, and The Netherlands among others. If you have an event you'd like to list on the site, submit it now! Submit Offer a personal message of sympathy... By sharing a fond memory or writing a kind tribute, you will be providing a comforting keepsake to those in mourning. If you have an existing account with this site, you may log in with that below. Otherwise, you can create an account by clicking on the Log in button below, and then register to create your account. Spring cleaning isnt just for your closets or attic. It can apply to your finances, too. Taking the time to do a deep clean of your spending and deposits can help ensure youre using minimal effort throughout the year to meet your saving and budgeting goals. Here are a few steps to take when youre ready to spring clean your bank accounts. 1. Review account transactions from your bank Look through your statements from the past few months for any penalties or charges that have been assessed by your bank. While some banks and credit unions have eliminated overdraft fees, yours might still be charging them. Some banks also charge an inactivity fee if you havent used your account in a while. Or your account might charge a monthly service fee. If you've been charged an overdraft recently, try asking for a refund and consider what you can do to avoid those fees next time. Find an account that doesnt penalize overdrawing your funds or charge any monthly or other fees. There are plenty of FDIC-insured banks that offer competitive accounts with no fees and no minimum requirements. 2. Hit 'unsubscribe' Scanning your bank account can be an effective way to see your subscription payments in one place. The cost of your subscription services can be much higher than you estimate. A survey done by market research firm C+R in 2022 of 1,000 consumers found that consumers, on average, estimated their subscription spending to be $86 per month. Their actual average monthly spending on subscription services was $219. So its a good idea to audit your subscription charges. One of the things I recommend that people do when it comes to subscriptions is to make sure you're at the right level, says Mical Jeanlys-White, CEO and founder of WealthMore, a firm that aims to provide accessible and affordable financial advisors for investment and financial planning services. She says to consider whether you need the subscription, and if you do, to see whether a cheaper plan might be enough. Are you keeping a premium level where you may just need the basic? she asks. 3. Take a holistic view As you review your subscriptions, take time to look at all your transactions and expenses, including ones from your credit cards. Consider whether they all align with your money goals. The biggest transfer of your wealth is your day-to-day spending. So be intentional, says Jeanlys-White. Do I want to transfer my wealth to this vacation? This retailer? This restaurant here? This wine bar? 4. Go paperless If you receive paper bank statements, consider switching to electronic statements. Some financial institutions charge a fee for paper statements, so it could be an opportunity to save a few dollars each month. If youre not already receiving and paying bills online rather than by mail, you can set this up for yourself as part of your spring cleaning. Anora Gaudiano, a certified financial planner and assistant vice president at Wealthspire Advisors in New York City, recommends also ditching paper checks, if possible. Checks get lost and checks get stolen, she says. People can use online payment systems and wires to avoid this. You can set up online bill pay or, in some cases, use peer-to-peer payment apps such as Zelle or Venmo if youre paying someone you know and trust. 5. Automate your accounts to meet your goals Theres a lot you can automate to make it easy to manage money in your bank accounts. You can set up automatic bill payments from your bank account for recurring expenses such as utilities, and set up direct deposit for your paychecks. You can even split your direct deposits so that a certain amount goes straight to your savings, for example; or you can set up recurring auto transfers from a checking account into savings. Jeanlys-White recommends turning that discipline of good financial habits to autopilot mode so you dont have to think about it. 6. Streamline your bank accounts Review the bank accounts you have open. For each, ask yourself, Does this serve me? Is this aligned with my lifestyle and the goals that I want to accomplish? says Lea Landaverde, Founder of Riqueza Collective, which makes bilingual financial education accessible to underrepresented communities. Investigate if your savings accounts still have competitive rates. The best rates right now are around 5% annual percentage yield, while the national average savings rate is just 0.46% as of February 2024. If youre not earning as much as you could be, consider moving your money to a high-yield savings account or, for funds you wont need in the near future, to a high-rate certificate of deposit. Comb through to see if there are any accounts that you arent really using. Consider consolidating or closing accounts and moving funds where they can earn more interest. Alternatively, you may find that you want to open another account in order to get streamlined. You can open two checking accounts, for example: one for paying bills and another for your spending money. Or you may find it helpful to have multiple bank accounts at different banks or credit unions to keep your savings at a different place than your checking account, so your funds arent easy to dip into when youre tempted to spend more. You can have multiple accounts, says Landaverde. There is no right or wrong with having 10 accounts versus two accounts. Dont limit yourself to springtime to clean up your bank accounts I would suggest that you do a financial spring cleaning, summer cleaning, fall cleaning and winter cleaning, says Jeanlys-White. Landaverde agrees that its a good idea to review your bank accounts more regularly. You can set up a monthly reoccurring date with yourself on a Sunday or on a Friday when you get paid, to organize your finances to ensure that you kind of know where your paycheck is going, says Landaverde. This way, reviewing your finances is less overwhelming, she says. Whether youre spring cleaning your bank accounts for the first time or you already have the kind of regular schedule that Landaverde and Jeanlys-White recommend, taking the time to consider whether youre getting the most of your deposit accounts and switching banks or accounts when necessary can help you maximize your earnings and avoid fees. Ruth Sarreal writes for NerdWallet. Email: rsarreal@nerdwallet.com. The article 6 Ways to Spring Clean Your Bank Accounts originally appeared on NerdWallet. Even after Google fixes its large language model (LLM) and gets Gemini back online, the generative AI (genAI) tool may not always be reliable especially when generating images or text about current events, evolving news, or hot-button topics. It will make mistakes, the company wrote in a mea culpa posted last week. As weve said from the beginning, hallucinations are a known challenge with all LLMs there are instances where the AI just gets things wrong. This is something that were constantly working on improving. Prabhakar Raghavan, Googles senior vice president of knowledge and information, explained why, after only three weeks, the company was forced to shut down the genAI-based image generation feature in Gemini to fix it. Simply put, Googles genAI engine was taking user text prompts and creating images that were clearly biased toward a certain sociopolitical view. For example, user text prompts for images of Nazis generated Black and Asian Nazis. When asked to draw a picture of the Pope, Gemini responded by creating an Asian, female Pope and a Black Pope. Asked to create an image of a medieval knight, Gemini spit out images of Asian, Black and female knights. Its clear that this feature missed the mark, Raghavan wrote in his blog. Some of the images generated are inaccurate or even offensive. That any genAI has problems with both biased responses and outright hallucinations where it goes off the rails and creates fanciful responses is not new. After all, genAI is little more than a next-word, image, or code predictor and the tech relies on whatever information has already been fed into its model to guess what comes next. What is somewhat surprising to researchers, industry analysts and others is that Google, one of the earliest developers of the technology, had not properly vetted Gemini before it went live. What went wrong? Subodha Kumar, a professor of statistics, operations, and data science at Temple University, said Google created two LLMs for natural-language processing: PaLM and LaMDA. LaMDA has 137 billion parameters, PaLM has 540 billion, surpassing OpenAIs GPT-3.5, which has 175 billion parameters and trains ChatGPT. "Googles strategy was high-risk, high-return strategy," Kumar said. "...They were confident to release their product, because they were working on it for several years. However, they were over-optimistic and missed some obvious things." "Although LaMDA has been heralded as a game-changer in the field of Natural Language Processing (NLP), there are many alternatives with some differences and similarities, e.g., Microsoft Copilot and GitHub Copilot, or even ChatGPT," he said. "They all have some of these problems." Because genAI platforms are created by human beings, none will be without biases, "at least in the near future," Kumar said. "More general-purpose platforms will have more biases. We may see the emergence of many specialized platforms that are trained on specialized data and models with less biases. For example, we may have a separate model for oncology in healthcare and a separate model for manufacturing." Those genAI models have far fewer parameters and are trained on proprietary data, helping to reduce the possibility that they'll err because they're more focused on task. Gemini's problems were a setback for Google, as the social media universe lit up with criticism that will undoubtedly hurt Google's reputation. Before anything else, I think we need to acknowledge that it is, objectively, extremely funny that Google created an A.I. so woke and so stupid that it drew pictures of diverse Nazis, wrote SubStack blogger Max Read. Read pointed out in his blog that a chorus of online prognosticators where furious about Geminis responses to text queries. News website FiveThirtyEight founder Nate Silver accused it of having the politics of the median member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Every single person who worked on this should take a long hard look in the mirror, another Twitter influencer posted. Silver also tweeted: Gemini is several months away from being ready for prime time. Google's Gemini models are the industrys only native, multimodal LLMs; both Gemini 1.0 and Gemini 1.5 can ingest and generate content through text, images, audio, video and code prompts. For example, user prompts in the Gemini model can be in the form of JPEG, WEBP, HEIC or HEIF images. Unlike OpenAI's popular ChatGPT and Sora text-to-chat feature, Google said, users can feed into its query engine a much larger amount of information to get more accurate responses. The Gemini conversational app generates both images and text replies and is separate from its Googles search engine, as well as the company's underlying AI models and our other products, Google said. Twitter The image-generation feature was built atop of an LLM called Imagen 2, Googles text-to-image diffusion technology. Google said it tuned the feature to ensure it wouldnt fall into traps the company had seen in the past, such as creating violent or sexually explicit images, or depictions of real people. Google claimed if users had simply been more specific in their Gemini query such as a Black teacher in a classroom, or a white veterinarian with a dog they would have gotten accurate responses. The tuning (i.e., prompt engineering), used to teach Gemini showed a range of people failed to account for cases that should clearly not show a range. Over time, Google said, the model became way more cautious than it was intended to be and refused to answer certain prompts entirely wrongly interpreting some very anodyne prompts as sensitive. These two things led the model to overcompensate in some cases, and be over-conservative in others, leading to images that were embarrassing and wrong, Raghavan wrote. Before Google turns the image generator back on, it plans to conduct extensive testing. Geminis problems, however, don't begin and end with image generation. For example, the tool refused to write a job ad for the oil and gas industry out of environmental concerns, according to Gartner Distinguished Vice President Analyst Avivah Litan. Litan also pointed to Gemini's analysis that the US Constitution forbids closing down the Washington Post or the New York Times but not Fox News or the New York Post. Gemini's assertion that comparing Hitler and Obama is inappropriate but comparing Hitler to Elon Musk is complex and requires 'careful consideration, Litan wrote. Gemini has come under deserved heat since its recent release for good reason, Litan continued. It exposes the clear and present danger when AIs under the control of a few powerful technical giants seem to spew out biased information that sometimes even rewrites history. Manipulating minds using a single source of truth controlled by entitled individuals is, in my opinion, as dangerous as physical weapon systems. Sadly, she continued, we don't have the tools as consumers or as enterprises to easily weed out bias inherent in different AI model ouputs. LItan said Geminis highly public SNAFUs highlight urgent need for regulatory focus on genAI and bias. Ritu Jyoti, IDC analyst, quipped that these are interesting and challenging times for Google Gemini. Google is indeed at the forefront of AI innovations, Jyoti said, but it looks like this scenario is an example of an unintended consequence caused by how the algorithm was tuned. While the market is still young and rapidly evolving, and while some genAI problems are complex, more due diligence in the training/tuning and how these tools are brought to the market is needed, Jyoti said. The stakes are high, she said. In the enterprise market, there is more human in the loop before something goes out. So, the ability to contain the unintended negative consequences are slightly better. In the consumer market, it is much more challenging. Along with Gemini, other genAI creators have struggled to create tools that don't show bias, create hallucinations or commit copywrite infringement by stealing from published works of others. For example, OpenAIs ChatGPT got a lawyer in hot water after he used the engine to create legal briefs, a typically tedious task that seemed perfect for automation technology. Unfortunately, the tool created several fake lawsuit citations for the briefs. Even after apologizing before a judge, the lawyer was fired from his firm. Chon Tang, founding partner Berkeley SkyDeck Fund, an academic accelerator at the University of California-Berkeley, said simply, Generative AI remains unstable, unlike other pieces of technology that behave more like tools with very well defined behavior. For example, we wouldn't want to use a dishwasher that failed to wash our dishes 5% of the time, Tang said. Tang warned enterprises that if theyre relying on genAI to automatically complete tasks without human supervision, theyre in for a rude awakening. Generative AI is more akin to a human, in that it has to be managed, he said, Prompts have to be scrutinized, workflow verified, and final output double checked. So, don't expect a system that automatically complete tasks. Instead, generative AI in general, and LLMs in particular, should be seen as very low-cost members of your team." Temple University's Kumar agreed: no one should wholly trust these genAI platforms "yet." In fact, for many enterprise use cases, genAI responses should always be checked and used only by experts. "For example, these are great tools for contract writing or summarizing reports, but the results still need to be checked by an expert," Kumar said. "In spite of these shortcomings, if we are careful in using these results, it can save a lot of time for us. For example, physicians can utilize the results of genAI for initial screening to save time and discover hidden patterns, but genAI cant replace physicians (at least in the near future or our life time). Similarly, GenAI can help in hiring people, but they shouldnt hire people, yet." If you live in Alabama, Georgia, California, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Texas, Indiana, or Illinois, stop what youre doing and recite the names of 12 types of animals, as the Final Jeopardy theme plays quietly in the background. Where in the heck are we going with this? We're just testing your memory. A new study published in Neurology, a journal of the American Academy of Neurology, suggests that theres a link between traffic-related air pollution -- the kind that's in Alabama, Indiana, etc. and the development of Alzheimer's disease. According to the research, individuals exposed to fine particulate (PM 2.5) amyloid plaques one of the chief indicators of Alzheimer's in their brains were more likely to develop the cognitive illness. While the study doesn't definitively prove that its the actual cause, it adds to the growing body of evidence suggesting a potential environmental connection to this devastating disease. And that would mean the people in the Top 10 most polluted areas of the U.S. Birmingham, Atlanta, central Pennsylvania, Los Angeles, Houston, St. Louis, Indianapolis, the Chicago area, Northwest Indiana, and Bakersfield could be most at risk. Age is also important Especially if theyre anywhere in the neighborhood of being in their mid-70s, because the average age of the people whose brains were donated for this study was 76. These results add to the evidence that fine particulate matter from traffic-related air pollution affects the amount of amyloid plaque in the brain, said study author Anke Huels, of Emory University in Atlanta. More research is needed to investigate the mechanisms behind this link. Researchers also dove into the question of whether having the main gene variant associated with Alzheimers disease APOE e4 had any impact on the relationship between air pollution and signs of Alzheimers. They found that the strongest relationship between air pollution and signs of Alzheimers was among those without the gene variant. This suggests that environmental factors such as air pollution could be a contributing factor to Alzheimers in patients in which the disease cannot be explained by genetics, Huels said. Wildfires, gas stations, and agriculture, too Short of moving to Maine or Vermont or never going outside again, a second study from the University of Michigan School of Public Health indicates that its not just taking in the exhaust fumes as they roll on down the highway, but Alzheimers/dementia might also be tied to environmental factors, such as pollutants from agriculture applications, wildfires, and even gas stations. Wildfires because they can travel over a large area are considered to be the root cause of up to 25% of fine particulate matter exposures over a years time across the US as a whole, and as much as 50% in some western regions of the country. You can learn more about dementia at BrainandLife.org, home of the American Academy of Neurologys free patient and caregiver magazine focused on the intersection of neurologic disease and brain health. A judge rejected Wednesday former US president Donald Trump's offer of a $100 million bond to partially cover the $355 million penalty a New York court handed him for fraud. Trump, who built a public profile as a property developer and businessman in New York before entering politics, could have to sell or mortgage properties to post collateral to cover the shattering penalty if his ongoing appeal fails. Trump was required to organize a bond as he challenges the February 16 court ruling that found he manipulated the values of his properties to secure more favorable rates for loans and insurance. "The interim stay is denied as to the enforcement of the monetary judgment," New York Supreme Court Appellate Division judge Anil Singh wrote in a court filing. The bond in question is a guarantee that Trump would pay any penalty upheld in the event that his appeal fails, and would typically be underwritten by an insurer or specialized bond company. No date has been set for the appeal hearing. Trump -- almost certain to be the Republican presidential nominee this November -- was also banned from running businesses in New York state for three years and precluded from applying for loans from institutions based there. - 'Hurting me' - Those punishments were temporarily paused by judge Singh Wednesday pending the hearing of Trump's full appeal against the original ruling. Instead of coming up with a guarantee for the full amount of $355 million -- plus considerable interest -- Trump's lawyers had applied to the Appellate Division of the New York Supreme Court to "post a bond in the amount of $100 million." The submission said that Trump's "vast" real estate holdings "would alone be sufficient to adequately secure any judgment affirmed." "(The) bond would simply serve as further security." Trump's lawyers had attacked judge Arthur Engoron's original scathing judgment against him as "exorbitant and punitive." Engoron's "unlawful and unconstitutional blanket prohibition on lending transactions would make it impossible to secure and post a complete bond," they said. The lifting of Trump's bar on borrowing in New York raises the prospect that he could now seek a bond for the full amount of the financial penalty, which with pre-trial interest added stands at more than $450 million. Trump, facing 91 criminal counts in other cases, has seized on his legal woes to fire up supporters and denounce his likely opponent President Joe Biden, claiming that court cases are "just a way of hurting me in the election." Trump repeatedly attacked Engoron during the case, calling him "out of control." gw/caw Director John McTiernan is responsible for some of the most badass sequences of images to be put into motion by the seventh art: he directed Die Hard, Predator, and the criminally underrated Last Action Hero, among other bangers. So how come he hasn't made a movie in nearly 20 years? It's a long story -- one involving illegal wiretapping, the mafia, and tremendous amounts of human stupidity. It starts with Los Angeles Times reporter Anita Busch walking up to her car one day in 2002 and finding an upside-down baking tray on the windshield. Inside was a dead fish with a red rose in its mouth and a hand-lettered sign that said "STOP," which was weird because she hadn't ordered any of that. Oh, and the windshield appeared to have a bullet hole in it. When Busch called the police, they asked her who might be interested in telling her to "stop" and why, and she thought of this guy: See, Busch had been writing about Steven Seagal's feud with his former producer and former BFF Julius R. Nasso -- at one point, Nasso and Seagal lived right next to each other and wore matching black outfits, but by 2000 their relationship had deteriorated to the point that Seagal didn't want to grace Nasso's next movie with his presence anymore. Reportedly, Nasso had hired members of the Gambino crime family to take Seagal to a nice lunch where they threatened to kill him if he didn't make four more movies for Nasso or compensate him financially for the "millions" he was missing out on (bear in mind that at this point, Seagal was already strictly a direct-to-video guy, so the mobsters' math was suspect). Seagal, who said he was armed during the lunch but didn't use the weapon (it's unclear if he was simply talking about his biceps), later admitted he hired another mobster to act as "peacemaker," though Nasso's defense claimed he wasn't very peaceful. Busch wondered to the FBI if Seagal or someone connected to him had left that "message" on her windshield, either because he didn't want people to know about his mob connections or because the whole thing made him look like a chump. Advertisement Another suspect for Busch was Hollywood agent and one-time Walt Disney Company president Michael Ovitz, whose financial shenanigans she was covering for the New York Times. Seagal and Ovitz had one thing in common: they'd both hired Anthony Pellicano, who was known around Hollywood as a "fixer" because he went around "fixing" stars' problems, often via a dramatically delivered series of expletives. For instance, one critic claimed he once got a threatening phone call from Pellicano right after daring to write an unflattering article about Seagal, which allegedly ended with the fixer saying: "I'm not only a tough guy, I'm connected to the right people, you a**hole." Advertisement Advertisement (Above: "the right people," presumably.) But, unlike Seagal's, Pellicano's tough guy talk wasn't just talk. When the feds raided his office to find out if he was the one who threatened the LA Times reporter, they found much more dangerous than dead fish: he had two grenades and enough military-grade C-4 explosives to "bring down an airplane." In fact, according to an ex-con who said he was hired by Pellicano to spook Busch, the original idea was to blow up her car, but the ex-con himself talked it down to a ruined windshield. This was just the tip of the iceberg when it came to Pellicano. As the feds looked into him, they found evidence that he was involved in racketeering, witness tampering, identity theft, computer fraud, wire fraud, and the juiciest crime of all in Hollywood: wiretapping. The feds alleged that Pellicano had illegally spied on everyone from Nicole Kidman (during her divorce from Tom Cruise) to Sylvester Stallone to SNL's Kevin Nealon. At one point, he was involved in a bizarre saga involving Chris Rock, a Hungarian model, and a Kleenex with Rock's spunk preserved in a freezer (not Pellicano's, we should note). Advertisement Pellicano had a strange magnetism to him that not even Hollywood actresses could resist. During the long trial against him, he managed to get not one but two stars/girlfriends to go to bat for him. Sandra Will Carradine, former wife of Deadwood's Keith Carradine, not only posted Pellicano's $400,000 bail when he was arrested but also ended up pleading guilty to perjury for claiming she didn't know anything about her boyfriend tapping her ex's phone. Even more bizarrely, Linda Fiorentino, a central character in the first Men in Black and Kevin Smith's Dogma, got an FBI agent she was dating to show her some confidential files related to Pellicano's case by telling him she was researching a role based on that story. It turned out Fiorentino was an old flame of Pellicano and only did that to hand the FBI files to his lawyers and try to keep him out of jail. For all his other faults, Pellicano was apparently such a good boyfriend that even his exes were willing to ruin their careers for him (Fiorentino hasn't been in any movies since then). Advertisement Advertisement Speaking of ruined careers, that's how we come to John McTiernan. When looking into Pellicano, the feds found out that McTiernan had hired him to spy on his producer, Charles Roven. Why? Because of ... Rollerball. Advertisement No, McTiernan wasn't trying to get out of making that cinematic turd, which currently sits at 3% on Rotten Tomatoes. In fact, he was so passionate about the project that he hired Pellicano just because he disagreed with Roven "about what kind of movie it should be" (presumably, Roven insisted on "not a turd"). What McTiernan didn't know was that his conversations with Pellicano about wiretapping were themselves wiretapped since the feds were all over Pellicano's case by now. Presented with the undeniable evidence that he'd conspired to spy on Roven, McTiernan pled guilty ... only to go back and say, wait, no, I'm totally innocent when he changed lawyers, suddenly claiming he had no idea about Pellicano's spy activities. Advertisement By doing that, McTiernan successfully parlayed a three months sentence into a year-long one and wrecked his career and finances. All because of Rollerball. Should Mr. McTiernan be reading this article, here's a video of Seagal "fighting off" multiple opponents to cheer him up. Advertisement As for Pellicano, he served 16 years in prison and was released in 2019. He has since written a novel, appeared in Alec Baldwin's podcast, and gone back to work as "totally not a fixer," since he's legally barred from serving as a private investigator. Now he's into "crisis management," which is a completely different thing. "People like to call me a fixer. The term I use is negotiator. I negotiate on behalf of clients. Am I doing anything illegal? No, I'm not," he said, believably. McTiernan is currently making his first film in 20 years in France, where American directors go to die, and it appears to be some sci-fi thing. If he was smart, he'd team up with Pellicano again and make a movie about that, maybe with a few extra explosions thrown in there to spice things up. They already know where to get the C-4. Follow Maxwell Yezpitelok's heroic effort to read and comment on every '90s Superman comic at Superman86to99.tumblr.com. Thumbnail: 20th Century Studios, K Zhestovskaya/Wikimedia Commons Tommy Franks first military experience was fighting in Vietnam. He graduated from the Artillery Officer Candidate School, and went to Vietnam as a second lieutenant. He served valiantly in what was one of Americas less successful military operations, and ended up with multiple awards for valor and three Purple Hearts. He was quickly recognized as an up-and-coming military mind and spent time in West Germany, before being brought into the Pentagon as an Army Inspector General in 1976. By the time Operation Desert Storm and Desert Shield commenced during the Gulf War, Franks was serving as Assistant Division Commander of the First Cavalry Division. He was stationed in Korea as a Commander of the Second Infantry Division in Korea in the mid-1990s, and at the turn of the millennium in 2000, he was awarded his fourth generals star. His title then would become the Commander in Chief of U.S. Central Command. Public Domain My expression watching the Outback Steakhouse waiters sing a birthday song to an adult man. This would put him squarely in charge for a fast-and-furious series of U.S. military operations. Starting, of course, in the aftermath of the September 11th terrorist attacks, which were immediately followed by Donald Rumsfeld and George W. Bushs plans to attack Afghanistan, even the very next day on September 12th. This was known, highly patriotically, as Operation Enduring Freedom. Two years later, Franks would also be put in charge of Operation Iraqi Freedom, which, as you might be able to surmise, was the U.S. invasion of Iraq. That same year, in May of 2003, Franks would retire from the armed forces, which, in retrospect, was a pretty plum time to get out. Advertisement Returning to civilian life, he wrote an autobiography titled American Soldier, and received high honors from both the U.S. and U.K.: a Presidential Medal of Freedom from George W. Bush and an appointment as Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire from Queen Elizabeth II. With such a storied and deep history of military operations to his name, to what arena might he next turn his keen strategic mind? Anthony22 At least they drive the same cars? Apparently, Outback Steakhouse. In 2005, Franks joined the board of directors of Outback Steakhouse, Inc. He stayed until 2007, at which point he left, because of, I assume, some sort of Bloomin Onion-based disagreement. If you think thats a weird pairing, take a look at his next stint in the restaurant world, which took place from 2008 to 2014. During that time, he served on the Board of Directors of a business that I guess, is technically a restaurant: Chuck E. Cheese. Charles Watlington and Jonny Nichols, who go by DJ Moonshine and DJ Prison Rodeo, started the event a year ago. Ive seen 77-year-olds dancing with 20-year-olds here, says Watlington. Its amazing. Photo: Eric Ogden The westernwear starts appearing a few stops away from the Forest Avenue stop in Ridgewood: When I look up from my phone, I notice someone in bright-green cactus-print pants, a patchwork leather coat, and a bandanna. Im accepting that Im now firmly in my yeehaw era, Marlee Newman tells me as we both get off the train and head for Gottscheer Hall. The back room of the 100-year-old bar and social club, with its drop ceilings, carpeted floors, and bartenders serving drinks behind a row of folding tables, feels comfortably shabby, designed to dust off any sense of pretense from the people who enter. The crowd includes Gen-Zers in prairie dresses and Big Bud Press jackets and old-timers who have been dancing for decades in whatever New York bar allowed a fiddle at the time. Everyones here for Honky Tonkin in Queens, one of the biggest regular country-dancing events in the city. This is exactly like Nashville, I hear someone say. Not that long ago, people in New York City bars would hear country and walk right back out, says Charles Watlington, who started the event a year ago with fellow DJ Jonny Nichols. It wasnt until the self-described honky-tonk Skinny Dennis opened in Williamsburg in 2013 that the pair, who go by DJ Moonshine and DJ Prison Rodeo, found a spot that was dedicated to their chosen genre beyond the occasional country night. Of course, New York has always had a handful of places like this; I talk to an older man who met his wife on the dance floor at a Staten Island bar called Pony Express back in 1997. A pack of friends dominating one corner met at a line-dancing night held every Wednesday at the Ukrainian National Home in the East Village, and several people mention Jalopy in Red Hook, a theater and music school focused on traditional roots music. But Watlington and Nichols are convinced that it has all reached a boiling point and Honky Tonkin in Queens is selling out every time. I feel like people just wanted something like this, Watlington says. I had somebody tell me at the second show, This is like the Studio 54 of now. From left: Honky Tonkin in Queens is held in the windowless back room at Gottscheer Hall, a 100-year-old bar and social club in Ridgewood. Photo: Eric Ogden Photo: Eric Ogden From top: Honky Tonkin in Queens is held in the windowless back room at Gottscheer Hall, a 100-year-old bar and social club in Ridgewood. Photo: Eric... more From top: Honky Tonkin in Queens is held in the windowless back room at Gottscheer Hall, a 100-year-old bar and social club in Ridgewood. Photo: Eric Ogden Photo: Eric Ogden By the time the first act, Brooklyn-based North of Amarillo, goes on, the dance floor is half two-steppers, half line dancers with a strip of painters tape separating the two, though not without occasional territory disputes. I find Cammi Climaco and Cru Jones playing poker at a table near the back wall; they live nearby and have been to the past six shows. The line dancers its like a shark: You dont want to get in their way. They just keep on going, Jones tells me. Hes in a heavy-metal band, but hes also been into country music since his childhood in Ohio. I think a lot of older heavy-metal guys are starting to play Americana, he says. Maybe its the honesty of the music. Its also a good way to slow down, not yell or jump around as much. Nearby, a cluster of friends in their 20s and 30s is celebrating a birthday in fringe, denim, and sheer red looks (This shirt is actually a vulva, one of them tells me, pointing to her wavy collar and pearl button). Another group, with tattoo sleeves and dyed-black bangs, is made up of refugees from a rockabilly night that fizzled out last fall after about 18 years. Their preferred style of dance, rockabilly jive (Its like drunk swing, Eddie Chow says), works well enough here in the two-stepping area. The two founders of L.A.-based Stud Country, a queer country-dancing class, Sean Monaghan and Bailey Salisbury, observe the scene from a table with their dog, Bianca. I think people are realizing that line dancing is fun and sexy and hot, Salisbury says. From left: Early in the night, the dancers start taking the floor. Photo: Eric Ogden Photo: Eric Ogden From top: Early in the night, the dancers start taking the floor. Photo: Eric Ogden Photo: Eric Ogden From left: The crowd is a mix of younger people and old-timers who have been two-stepping for decades. Photo: Eric Ogden Photo: Eric Ogden From top: The crowd is a mix of younger people and old-timers who have been two-stepping for decades. Photo: Eric Ogden Photo: Eric Ogden Cru Jones has been coming to the event for almost a year. Its very New York in that you see every kind of person, he says. But its also very unNew York in that nobodys mad if they get bumped or something. Photo: Eric Ogden By the bar, I talk to an actual Gottscheer Joe Kikel, whose parents immigrated to Ridgewood from the Gottschee region in Slovenia. Now, his son bartends here. Kikel seems happily amused by the scene in his hometown bar. Ive loved country music my whole life, he says, and the mood is unusually chummy. When I elbow through the crowd and tap one guy on the shoulder to see if I can interview him, he immediately asks if I want to dance. Later, he introduces me to all his friends. Ive seen 77-year-olds dancing with 20-year-olds, Watlington says. The second act is Laura Cantrell, whos been a fixture in the citys country scene since moving here from Nashville in the 90s. I just assumed, coming to New York, that there wasnt going to be any country music, but there were these rich pockets of it, she says. She thinks the current enthusiasm for it is new, however: Its another instance of New Yorks country culture bubbling up and surprising me. Cantrell is followed by Lola Kirke, a younger artist (and actress Jemima Kirkes sister, as several people I interview remind me; thats probably the second-most-popular talking point, after Beyonces new country song) whose musical output has become increasingly twangy since she started putting out albums in 2018. She appears with an acoustic guitar and a five-piece band, wearing a pink cowboy hat and a Dolly-esque baby blue minidress. As Kirke banters through her set, the room gets looser the vibe is drunk and flirtatious, and the dancing is becoming more, well, social. I see a couple making out in a corner near a middle-aged woman twirling around in a long-sleeve sequin top. Once Kirke launches into a cover of Hit Me Baby One More Time, the finer rules of two-stepping are forgotten aside from a few holdouts, everyone lets go of their dance partner and faces the stage to shout along. From left: By the time the live music starts, the dance floor is crowded with two-steppers and line dancers, who are separated by a strip of painters tape. Photo: Eric Ogden Photo: Eric Ogden From top: By the time the live music starts, the dance floor is crowded with two-steppers and line dancers, who are separated by a strip of painters ... more From top: By the time the live music starts, the dance floor is crowded with two-steppers and line dancers, who are separated by a strip of painters tape. Photo: Eric Ogden Photo: Eric Ogden From left: I saw that the first event happened, and I said, Ive gotta go, says Eddie Chow, whos been in New Yorks rockabilly scene for years. Ive been bringing all my friends over. Photo: Eric Ogden Photo: Eric Ogden From top: I saw that the first event happened, and I said, Ive gotta go, says Eddie Chow, whos been in New Yorks rockabilly scene for years. Iv... more From top: I saw that the first event happened, and I said, Ive gotta go, says Eddie Chow, whos been in New Yorks rockabilly scene for years. Ive been bringing all my friends over. Photo: Eric Ogden Photo: Eric Ogden From left: Im going on a trip next month to Fort Worth to visit Billy Bobs, the biggest honky tonk in the world, says regular Ashok Shoky Pai, who got into two-stepping and other country dance styles during COVID. Photo: Eric Ogden Photo: Eric Ogden From top: Im going on a trip next month to Fort Worth to visit Billy Bobs, the biggest honky tonk in the world, says regular Ashok Shoky Pai, wh... more From top: Im going on a trip next month to Fort Worth to visit Billy Bobs, the biggest honky tonk in the world, says regular Ashok Shoky Pai, who got into two-stepping and other country dance styles during COVID. Photo: Eric Ogden Photo: Eric Ogden From left: Greg Kmit (left) and Felix Slim (right); Slim played at the December event. I didnt start dancing until I had an ugly divorce, says Kmit. Then, I pretty much danced seven nights a week. Photo: Eric Ogden Photo: Eric Ogden From top: Greg Kmit (left) and Felix Slim (right); Slim played at the December event. I didnt start dancing until I had an ugly divorce, says Kmit.... more From top: Greg Kmit (left) and Felix Slim (right); Slim played at the December event. I didnt start dancing until I had an ugly divorce, says Kmit. Then, I pretty much danced seven nights a week. Photo: Eric Ogden Photo: Eric Ogden From left: I love that old country is interracial, intergenerational, says Pai. The fan base for what he calls bro country the kind of music thats played on mainstream country radio is more 18-to-34-year-old men. Photo: Eric Ogden Photo: Eric Ogden From top: I love that old country is interracial, intergenerational, says Pai. The fan base for what he calls bro country the kind of music that... more From top: I love that old country is interracial, intergenerational, says Pai. The fan base for what he calls bro country the kind of music thats played on mainstream country radio is more 18-to-34-year-old men. Photo: Eric Ogden Photo: Eric Ogden From left: Photo: Eric Ogden Photo: Eric Ogden From top: Photo: Eric Ogden Photo: Eric Ogden Photo-Illustration: Curbed; Photos: Ian Volner Its definitely an improvement, said Dawa Bhuti, smiling. The Nepalese-born chef was standing outside her eponymous restaurant, Dawas, on Skillman Avenue, gesturing at a smart-looking metallic booth with built-in banquettes. For the past nine years, she and her father have been serving up a double menu here part New American, part Himalayan in their intimate storefront in Woodside; since 2020, they have also offered outdoor seating in a structure they built themselves. That was in early April, when there was no inside dining, Bhuti recalled. We came up with our own. Very DIY. Theyve built two successors since, each of which was a little more elaborate (and costly), but they werent that different from the first, or from countless others around the city: clunky human incubators made of plastic and wood, parked haphazardly on the street. No longer. Together with three other restaurants in Manhattan and Queens, Dawas has been selected to pilot a Department of Transportation program aimed at revamping the citys nearly 8,000 streeteries. This time around, the city is not leaving it to chance; its showing a few ways it can be done. New Yorkers and tourists alike are addicted to alfresco dining, said Ya-Ting Liu, the citys chief public-realm officer, who appeared Tuesday morning alongside DOT commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez to unveil the new prototypes, set to roll out over the summer. This new initiative reflects everything weve learned over the last four years. Designed by WXY and fabricated by multidisciplinary studio SITU, the customizable modules, which can be assembled from a kit of standard parts, make it easier to follow the new guidelines and satisfy the demand to keep dining outdoors while tamping down on the idiosyncrasies of the first wave of sheds. Dawas outdoor-dining structure and the Steep Street setup design by WXY that its based on. Photo: Curbed; Photos: Ian Volner, Courtesy of NYC DOT Those idiosyncrasies were not always without their charm. Yet the practical shortcomings of the first-generation sheds become obvious when looking at the four prototypes, each of which attempts to respond to some real-world challenge its predecessors were never quite up to from the spacious and planter-lined Floating Parking-Lane Setup, installed at Bodrum, a Turkish restaurant on the Upper West Side, to the more compact yet ingenious Steep Street Setup in front of Dawas. Where the former has a bulk and formality that make it perfectly suited to its intended location, the latter, petite and topped by a hand-retractable canopy, is fitted with adjustable stilts concealed beneath the floor deck, allowing it to sit comfortably on Skillmans sloping grade. Bhutis prior attempts to build a dining shed on a hill were far less successful; I used to get complaints from DOT, she said. Being drafted into the new program meant getting on steadier footing, literally and otherwise. Then there is the question of how these stand up to traffic. It was very important to daylight the corners, said Claire Weisz, WXYs founding principal. There are countless videos of the worst-case scenario: drivers making high-speed turns that smash sheds to splinters. The new models make such collisions far less likely; one of the types, the Corner Setup, is bolstered by a thick aluminum wall (its thick cavity doubles as storage space) thats beveled at the corners, reducing how much it protrudes into the street and making it easier for drivers to see pedestrians and other drivers arriving at the intersection. Photo: Curbed; Photos: Ian Volner, Courtesy of NYC DOT On Orchard Street, the Corner Setup is getting its trial run in front of Sunday to Sunday, a vegetarian diner, where owner Gurpreet Singh seemed pleased with the results. These outdoor things previously didnt have any rhyme or reason to them, Singh said. They were just sort of plopped down. The move toward these standardized structures has the added advantages of being easy to source, assemble, and dismantle. Theyre made from off-the-shelf materials, said WXY associate principal Jacob Dugopolski, referring to the marine plywood, steel tubing, and polycarbonate panels that make up most of the structural elements and finishes; bending down to the floor of the Corner Setup, Dugopolski showed off the slatted wooden panels that line the bottom, which are easy to take off and replace with store-bought parts. The structures are also simple to store, a major consideration now that the rules governing outdoor-dining sheds allow them to remain in place only between April to late November. Thanks to those seasonal limitations, the new prototypes did not have to accommodate as many heat lamps or be designed to be windproof or weatherproof. Theyre all open on the sides, said Dugopolski, though he added that the new types could easily be retrofitted if the winter crowds keep coming. Photo: Curbed; Photos: Ian Volner, Courtesy of NYC DOT I think its going to bring more customers, said Jimmy Lozano, who owns Warique, a Peruvian restaurant in Jackson Heights. He pointed to the flexible design parameters that allowed him to give his Mid Block Setup the same colorful, Peruvian-inspired livery as his interior dining room. Better still, he said, Its clean like its other three counterparts, Lozanos structure steps back from the gutter to ensure stormwater flow, and the metal plates that cover the gap can be lifted to sweep out garbage and food, thus combating the rat condo problem. While the DOT wouldnt cite an exact figure for how much each one cost, it estimated each was in the tens of thousands and roughly comparable to most of the plywood structures that had been built already. At least its ready to go, which is one of its biggest advantages. By November, most of the existing dining sheds will have to come down and be replaced by structures like these. Owners (as well as professional setup companies expected to rent out the stalls to restaurants) can start applying for one themselves around March 5 via an online portal, where theyll also get help customizing the design; they can then find a contractor via a planned DOT marketplace and pay for the fees and buildout. By fall, if all goes according to plan, the last of the old sheds will come down, fully replaced by the prim newcomers. The post-pandemic streetscape may lose a little of its wooly, raffish appeal in the process but at least there will be lower odds of having a rat as a dining companion. A divided US Supreme Court heard arguments on Wednesday on the legality of "bump stocks," simple devices that can allow rapid fire from otherwise semi-automatic guns. The case stems from the worst mass shooting in US history, in October 2017, when a man fired on a crowd attending an outdoor music concert in Las Vegas, killing 58 people and wounding around 500. Most of his 22 guns were equipped with bump stocks, allowing them to fire as many as nine bullets a second. Even by US standards, where gun violence is common and there are more firearms than citizens, the Las Vegas massacre sparked shock. In February 2018, following a mass shooting at a Florida high school which left 17 people dead, the Justice Department under Republican president Donald Trump moved to declare the detachable devices illegal. In December of that year, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) revised its regulations on bump stocks, declaring that they fall under an existing 1934 law passed by Congress banning machine guns. Lawyers for Michael Cargill, a gun seller from Texas, challenged the move claiming the ATF had overstepped its bounds in classifying bump stocks with machine guns. In court on Wednesday, Brian Fletcher, deputy solicitor general in President Joe Biden's Justice Department, said bump stocks allow a user to "empty a 100-round magazine like the ones used in the Las Vegas shooting in about 10 seconds." "Those weapons do exactly what Congress meant to prohibit when it enacted the prohibition on machine guns," Fletcher said. Oral arguments, which lasted some two hours, focused on the technical definition of a machine gun in the 1934 law, which was passed during the Prohibition era, well before the invention of the bump stock. "It's a very old statute, and it was designed for an obvious problem in the 1930s and Al Capone," said Justice Neil Gorsuch. "Maybe they should have written something better," the conservative justice said. "One might hope they might write something better in the future, but that's the language we're stuck with." - 'Torrent of bullets' - Jonathan Mitchell, representing the Texas bump stack manufacturer, said it was up to Congress to decide if the 1934 law applied to the devices. "It's certainly not a decision for a court or for an administrative agency that's charged with implementing the instructions of Congress," Mitchell said. Fletcher, the government lawyer, disagreed. "In short, we think Congress in 1934 wrote this statute not just for the kinds of devices that existed then, but for other kinds of devices that could be created in the future that would do the same thing," he said. Justice Elena Kagan, a liberal, said "a little bit of common sense" should be applied in reading the law. "What this statute comprehends is a weapon that fires a multitude of shots with a single human action," Kagan said. Both a machine gun and a weapon equipped with a bump stock unleash a "torrent of bullets," she said. Justice Samuel Alito, a conservative and fierce defender of the Second Amendment, which guarantees Americans the right to own guns, expressed some confusion at one point with Mitchell's arguments. "Can you imagine a legislator thinking we should ban machine guns but we should not ban bump stocks?" he asked. "Is there any reason why a legislator might reach that judgment?" "Stocks can help people who have disabilities, who have problems with finger dexterity people, who have arthritis in their fingers," Mitchell replied. The Supreme Court previously expanded gun rights in a 2022 ruling that said Americans have a fundamental right to carry a handgun in public, though certain regulations still exist around the practice. A conservative federal appeals court ruled in March 2023 that a law barring people under domestic violence court orders from owning a gun was unconstitutional. That case will also be decided by the Supreme Court this year. The justices seemed likely to uphold the domestic violence law when they heard arguments in November. Polls show a majority of Americans favor stricter gun regulations, but the powerful firearms lobby and mobilized voters supporting the country's strong firearms culture have made congressional action difficult. sst/cl/caw Fort Johnson, LA (71446) Today Sunshine and clouds mixed. High 63F. Winds N at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Mostly clear. Low 36F. Winds NNE at 10 to 15 mph. During the Cold War years, the defence budget of the United Kingdom was around 5 per cent of GDP. This bought us a Royal Navy with three aircraft carriers, a surface fleet of around 50 frigates and destroyers and an effective submarine fleet. The Royal Air Force contributed to Nato's 2nd Tactical Air Force from four bases in Germany while the Army could field four war-fighting divisions as part of 1st British Corps. That level of defence expenditure produced a military capability that was a major component in the overall strength of Nato a strength that played a significant role in the demise of the Soviet Union and the collapse of the Warsaw Pact. In the hope of drawing Russia back into the family of European nations, that demise was not hailed as a victory but, without firing a single shot, the prospect of a lasting peace had been secured for Europe. The American political scientist, Francis Fukuyama, even went as far as to declare the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 to be the end of history. Successful deterrence had produced peace, but what a lot has changed in the last 35 years. Today, at less than 2.3 per cent of GDP, the UK's defence budget is far too small for our international obligations and defence commitments too many peace dividends have been taken while the world has once again become a very dangerous place. 'Today, at less than 2.3 per cent of GDP, the UK's defence budget is far too small for our international obligations and defence commitments' writes Lord Dannatt The national flag of the United Kingdom is displayed as British troops and service personal remaining in Afghanistan are joined by International Security Assistance Force We may feel a little smug that we exceed the Nato figure of 2 per cent of GDP to be spent on defence by member nations but that figure is a minimum, not a goal to be achieved (File Image) We may feel a little smug that we exceed the Nato figure of 2 per cent of GDP to be spent on defence by member nations but that figure is a minimum, not a goal to be achieved. There is a legacy of under-funding defence across Europe and in this country, which represents an increasing level of security risk. The chickens look as if they are coming home to roost. A glance around the world illuminates the gravity of the present challenges to our security a conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza that threatens a wider war in the Middle East, tension between the US and China over Taiwan and a brutal war between Ukraine and Russia to name but three. But of those three, what really matters to us in the UK is the security of Europe, now once again threatened by Russia a Russia not defined by a hostile ideology as before but in the grip of a demagogic dictator. For now, Russia is being contained at great expense in blood and treasure by Ukraine, although even that is hanging in the balance. If Russia were not perceived as an existential threat, why would Sweden and Finland have bid to join Nato, and Poland be hugely boosting its defence capability and on its way to having the largest army in Europe? Some see parallels with the 1930s as an historical indulgence but there are urgent lessons to be learnt. In the face of Hitler's threats, we chose appeasement, did not re-arm and war was the consequence. To prevent war, you have to pay the price of deterrence. A bully exploits weakness but respects strength. As we discovered during the Cold War years deterrence is expensive, but the lesson of history is that the cost of fighting a war is disastrous (File Image) Junior Soldiers carry out final checks of their uniforms before they graduate from the Army Foundation College Theodore Roosevelt, US president at the beginning of the 20th century, stated that successful international diplomacy was achieved when one spoke quietly but carried a big stick. At Munich, Neville Chamberlain spoke loudly but only carried an umbrella. Neither Britain nor France carried a big stick. However, as we discovered during the Cold War years deterrence is expensive, but the lesson of history is that the cost of fighting a war is disastrous. In 1935 while pursuing appeasement not deterrence, we spent less than 3 per cent on defence, but in 1939 after war had broken out the figure shot up to 18 per cent and in 1940 when we were fighting for our very survival, it was 46 per cent. Today, we spend less than 2.3 per cent. Are we doomed to let history repeat itself? Had we possessed a credible trained army corps of four to six divisions in the late 1930s and been prepared to deploy it to France when Hitler was threatening Czechoslovakia after reoccupying the Rhineland, it is conceivable that the Second World War could have been prevented and the Holocaust never have happened. Then, as now, our army is considered to be a utilitarian organisation, good at fighting small wars in faraway places and helping at home when floods, pandemics or strikes threaten but not seen as a strategic asset that can exert major influence. Today, in the face of a resurgent and aggressive Russia, there is a growing case to significantly increase our defence expenditure and to rebuild our land war-fighting capability. In the 1930s, commentators agonised that we could not deploy a single corps (up to 45,000 men), today we cannot deploy a single division (up to 15,000). For now, Russia is being contained at great expense in blood and treasure by Ukraine, although even that is hanging in the balance (File Image) Military vehicles including trucks and support vehicles, all belonging to the 7 Light Mechanised Brigade unit of the British Army We are in an election year. It is commonly held that there are no votes in defence. At the forthcoming general election, it is just possible that it will get more than its customary cursory treatment. For it is not only the usual suspects, of which I would consider myself one, who are arguing that the UK is not prepared for a war nor our Armed Forces capable of conducting high intensity operations for an extended period. Some of our closest allies and Nato partners have expressed their doubts about our readiness and capability, while the national media has given front page coverage to our inadequacies and the House of Commons defence committee has been explicit in its criticisms of the state of our Armed Forces. This should not be a party-political issue but is fast becoming a national emergency. Of course, there are conflicting spending priorities for the current Government and whichever party wins the next election, but the first duty of any government to the people of this country is the proper provision for their security. The immediate defence challenge is to boost our support to Ukraine and to bolster our own defence capabilities. We are proud to say that we have donated 5billion to Ukraine over the last two years but as the country fighting on the front line today for our security, that figure should be doubled at least. Ukraine is buying us the time to rebuild our own Armed Forces. A bloody land war in Europe underlines the need for us to be able to field an army that can play a key role in the deterrence of future Russian aggression. The numeric trained strength of the Regular Army should return to nearer 100,000 soldiers for us to be able to sustain forward deployments in support of our allies on the Russian border. As well as increased expenditure on the new ways of warfare, the bitter fighting in Ukraine shows that the day of the main battle tank is far from over. We should double our plans to upgrade our Challenger tank fleet to around 300 and look again at the decision not to upgrade our Warrior infantry fighting vehicles. And our industrial base must be incentivised to produce the ammunition and missiles that Ukraine needs today and we might need tomorrow. It may be dramatic to say that we are in the last chance saloon, but if we are, I do not want to take my last drink there. What an appalling and shameful picture. What a royal rabble they were, headed by a disgraced Prince Andrew striding ahead of the others with his galumphing ex-wife, Fergie, a few steps behind. Hes grinning from ear to ear like the tom cat who got the cream, as if to say: There, I told you Id be back, front stage, resuming my rightful position as the Queens favourite son. Why on earth did the Royal Family allow this image to be broadcast to the world? How could Andrew - whose friendship with the late paedophile Jeffrey Epstein brought the monarchy into such disrepute - have managed to worm his way back into the royal fold? This was the scene before a solemn Thanksgiving Service at St Georges Chapel in Windsor for the life of former King Constantine of Greece, who died last year aged 82. A service which brought together the largest gathering of European royals since the late Queens funeral in September 2022. Hardly the occasion to laugh and joke, as Andrew did while leading the royal troupe to the chapel. A triumphant Prince Andrew was leading the royal pack at the Thanksgiving Service for King Constantine in Windsor - with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson there with him Prince Andrew grinned from ear to ear, as if to say: There, I told you Id be back, front stage' The only working royal in the picture is Princess Anne, who cant be faulted for the hours she puts in, and who of late seems to be one of the few in the Firm keeping things afloat. Why was she relegated four rows back in the group, while Andrew was grandstanding in pride of place? Royal experts point out that the first person in the group is actually the least important - and that the later you arrive at the service, the more senior you are. Which explains why Queen Camilla was the last to take her pew in the chapel. Andrew with the late paedophile Jeffrey Epstein in New York, 2011 But we are talking about perceptions. This was an image of a brazenly triumphant Prince Andrew leading the pack - with Sarah Ferguson, who's no stranger to controversy herself, striding ahead of Anne. What was the Palace thinking? Why didnt Andrew enter the chapel through a side-door? Why did no one among the army of courtiers and advisers have the sense to see how this would look? Palace staff were at pains to stress that Andrew was only present as a member of the Royal Family in a private capacity as this was classed as a family occasion. What tosh - they knew the service would have a large audience as TV cameras were in place inside and outside St Georges Chapel. Perhaps, as eighth in line to the throne, Andrew thought it his right to walk ahead of Anne who languishes in 17th place. But the fact that he is still in the line of succession at all is an absurdity - and bewildering even to those, like me, who love the Royal Family. Which brings us on to Andrews daughter Princess Beatrice, famous for little other than her taste in hideous fascinators, who was also in the picture. Shes not a working royal, shes another hanger-on. And yet, due to antiquated lineage laws, Bea is tenth in line to the throne. Andrew is the first and only prince to have been effectively sacked, stripped of all military roles and public functions. But for years, he has been shamelessly pushing for a return to royal duties. So much so that back in the summer of 2022, the late Queen had to tell him to stay out of sight for his own good. Little wonder she did, given the repercussions of his appearance at St Georges Chapel. Whether it was a private or public ceremony, whether he was technically following the rules, I say to hell with royal protocol if the result is a PR car crash like this. Princess Beatrice (pictured with husband Edoardo arriving at the chapel), famous for her taste in hideous fascinators, was also in the picture despite not being a working royal These non-working royals just dont get it, do they? As if the Andrew and Fergie parade wasnt enough, weve also had to endure Prince Harry still desperately clinging on to his royal status despite rejecting his family and fleeing to California. This week he lost his High Court challenge against the Home Office decision to downgrade his taxpayer-funded personal security in the UK. A self-exiled prince suing the British Government! What a joke. Much as it pains me to say it, Prince William, as heir, should have been leading the mourners into the chapel instead of Uncle Andy. He was due to deliver a reading at his godfather King Constantines service, yet pulled out 45 minutes before the service citing a personal matter. No further explanation is forthcoming. It all leads to the perception of things falling apart - I cant see the late Queen ever pulling out of a service at such short notice, however pressing or desperate the personal circumstances might have been. Remember how, two days before she died, aged 96, she was meeting her new prime minister Liz Truss at Balmoral? Have the modern royals forgotten her dictum, Never complain, never explain, and always turn up? There is one silver lining in all this. I never thought I would say it as one of her harshest critics in the past, but thank heavens for Queen Camilla. She has taken up the mantle magnificently, performing her royal duties with good humour as King Charles receives treatment for cancer. And to think she was once derided as the laziest woman in Britain. How things have changed! In theatrical jargon, a black out is when the stage lights go down and the auditorium is plunged into darkness. But now that phrase has a strange new resonance. For when American playwright Jeremy O. Harris appeared on Radio 4s World at One this week to promote the forthcoming West End production of his Broadway show Slave Play, he promised a black out here, too restricting certain performances to black-identifying audiences so they can enjoy their evening free from the white gaze. The play stars Game of Throness Kit Harington and explores race, identity and sexuality in 21st-century America The New York production of Slave Play by playwright Jeremy O'Harris Slave Play addresses topics such as race and sexuality and in Harriss own words looks at how far we havent come since slavery, abolished in America in 1865. The London production launches in June at the Noel Coward Theatre, starring Game of Throness Kit Harington as well as Denzel Washingtons daughter Olivia. Amazingly, this isnt the first time Harris has pulled off this stunt in the UK. In 2022, his production of Daddy at Londons Almeida Theatre described by one American critic as embarrassingly bad also hosted black out performances, and attracted some raised eyebrows in the Press for doing so, with one critic pointing out: By its very nature, [the practice] doesnt promote diversity. But if Harriss latest intervention was primarily another marketing ploy, it has surely worked. Earlier today, Rishi Sunaks official spokesman weighed in to the row, saying: The Prime Minister believes that the arts should be inclusive and open to everyone... Restricting audiences on the basis of race would be wrong and divisive. Quite so. Now, this may or not be a good play for all I know, Harris is a modern-day Shakespeare. What appals me is the fact that any playwright can seriously be calling for racial segregation in Britain in the 21st century. Lets look at that sinister coinage, the white gaze. It manages to be patronising and racist at once: imagine the horror, after all, that would meet anyone who dared to refer to the black gaze. It hardly needs saying that most black people are already perfectly comfortable going to the theatre we dont need special treatment to help us do so. Far more likely to put anyone off going to the West End is the sheer cost of it: The average price of the best seats in London theatres soared 21 per cent from 2019 to 2022 and now stands at 140 each. I also take issue with Harriss phrase black-identifying. What precisely does it mean? Would Rachel Dolezal, the white American who infamously pretended to be black for years using copious quantities of fake tan and donning curly-haired wigs be welcome on these Black Out nights? How about the South African popstar of Zulu descent, Tyla, who identifies as coloured rather than black? My boyfriend happens to be a white Scotsman. Am I supposed to feel safer without him and his white gaze accompanying me to the show? And heres a question for Harris: could my boyfriend join me for the evening if he suddenly chose to identify as black? Harris has been dubbed the queer black saviour of theatre by American critics. But its a curious kind of saviour who bans people from the stalls due to the colour of their skin. On the evenings of 17 July and 17 September, the theatre will be open to an 'all-Black identifying audience' Slave Play is being transferred from Broadway (pictured) to the Noel Coward theatre in London's West End from 29 June to 21 September No: the best theatre brings people and ideas together. It encourages debate in the pursuit of progress. This fostering of division does precisely the opposite. Harris may erroneously believe that society hasnt advanced since slavery but Im afraid its behaviour like his thats dragging us back in time. Speaking to Radio 4, the playwright explained that the production was born out of ideas I was learning in grad school. This, at least, makes sense. Because his black out stunt is exactly the kind of thing youd expect to find on a university campus. Surely Harris sees how dangerous this agenda ultimately is. But hes done his best: hes created a buzz around his play, generating free publicity. And hey, thats showbusiness. The series follows a group of teachers working in a public school in Philadelphia ABC's latest workplace comedy, Abbott Elementary, has achieved a rare perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes. While a 100 per cent rating on the site is rare, it's an even more unusual feat for later episodes of a popular show. Most series start high on the ratings site and progressively dip with each season, as was the case with True Detective, Game of Thrones and Pretty Little Liars. However, Quinta Brunson's hit programme has gone up from 98 per cent in its first season to 100 per cent for the second and third. Available on Prime and Disney Plus, the mockumentary follows a group of teachers in a public school based in Philadelphia, helping students succeed when the odds are often against them. The first episode of season three kicked off with a bang, featuring a one-hour premiere. American mockumentary Abbott Elementary, starring Quinta Brunson (front middle), has achieved an unbeatable 100 per cent score on Rotten Tomato's The episode also included special guests at the Philadelphia based school - Jalen Hurts from the Philadelphia Eagles, along with fellow players Brandon Graham and Jason Kelce. Abbott Elementary, with a similar to mockumentary style to The Office, has won over audiences with characters, who range from wholesome fan favourites to morally questionable scene-stealers. For instance, despite the school's lack of funding, the tone-deaf principal, Ava Coleman (Janelle James) splurges cash on her own luxurious private bathroom and later admits to micro-dosing mushrooms. It is also revealed that she only managed to secure the position after blackmailing the superintendent. The comedy series stars (from L to R) Tyler James Williams as Gregory, Janelle James as Ava, Quinta Brunson as Janine, Sheryl Lee Ralph as Barbara, Chris Perfetti as Jacob, and Lisa Ann Walter as Melissa While a 100 per cent rating on the site is rare, it's an even more unusual feat for later episodes of a popular show Meanwhile, the do-gooders keeping the business and its students afloat include Jacob Hill (Chris Perfetti), a young teacher at the school, and the main character Janine Teagues, played by Quinta herself. Other quirky personalities also include God loving, no-nonsense Barbara Howard (Sheryl Lee Ralph), street smart Melissa Schemmenti (Lisa Ann Walter) and awkward but well-intentioned Gregory Eddie (Tyler James Williams). Critical acclaim has come from Liz Shannon Miller from Consequence, who said: 'Abbott Elementary, from its first episode, did not hesitate to reach for greatness, and the Quinta Brunson-created comedy's Season 3 premiere showcases multiple reasons why the show is primed to entertain us as long as it well wants to.' Meanwhile, Aramide Tinubu from Variety said: 'Brunson and the writers have suited up to tackle some of the deeper and more complex issues causing educators nationwide to run for the hills.' Aramide referenced the series' ability to remain 'witty' while tackling the critical issue of teacher burnout. Top critic Clint Worthington also reasoned similarly and said: ''Career Day' is light on laughs and heavy on character, concentrating more on warm, fuzzy moments between its characters than on mining them for [humour].' Meanwhile, Joshua Rivera from Polygon added: 'Abbott Elementary is a terrific comedy about resilience and optimism, about what it's like to not just make the best of the bad hand dealt to you, but how to inspire others to do the same.' Elsewhere, fans of the show took to X, formerly Twitter, to share their thoughts on the hit. Show creator and star Quinta Brunson, 32, won the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (Pictured in Los Angeles in January) Social media users took to X, formerly Twitter, to share their thoughts on the new season, and many were 'hooked' 'Watching Abbott Elementary I absolutely love this show,' one raved. 'I love Abbott Elementary because I genuinely belly laugh at every episode,' another added. 'ABC pls give Quinta an unlimited budget. this is real tv!!! 10s across the board! #AbbottElementary,' a third begged. 'Why nobody told me how good Abbott Elementary is! I'm hooked!,' a commenter exclaimed. Another remarked: 'ABBOT IS BACKKKK! I'm so excited lol #AbbottElementary.' A missing mother's family are haunted by anonymous letters which were sent six months after her disappearance. When Sandrine Jourdan, 38, mysteriously vanished from the small town of Caboolture, Queensland in 2012, police quickly labeled her disappearance a suicide. However, her family believe something much more sinister is at play after they received mysterious letters sent by an unknown person. The mother-of-three's loved ones also reveal how her Facebook account was hacked The new evidence, revealed on 60 Minutes Australia's Under Investigation with Liz Hayes, cast strong doubts over the police's theory that Sandrine took her own life. Sandrine Jourdan, 38, who mysteriously vanished from the small town of Caboolture, Queensland in 2012 Speaking to the programme her sister Christine Day said: 'It's actually quite scary considering this was sent where the children were living at the time. Who does that especially six month after their mother went missing?' The letters, which were sent to Sandrine's former partner and father of her children, were signed by Rosetta Bunton - a person who does not appear to exist. Clinical psychologist Tamara Cavenett studied the letters and revealed that they continuously imply that Sandrine was promiscuous. The mother was called 'a man eater' and it was claimed she 'jumped from one man to the next' in the cruel notes. They also contained personal details that only a few people would know, which lead the family to think the writer was someone close to the family. Worryingly, in the days before she vanished, Sandrine told a few people that she was receiving threats and she wrote in her diary that she feared for her life. Her daughter Nakita Bulla said her mother felt scared before she went missing, and 'that has been completely overlooked. 'They made her seem as if she was paranoid, but she has disappeared off the face of the planet,' she said. Tamara added: 'Through her diaries she made a number of comments that she was fearful someone was hacking her computer.' Police quickly labeled her disappearance a suicide, however her family believe something much more sinister is at play after they received mysterious letters sent by an unknown person The new evidence, revealed on 60 Minutes Australia's Under Investigation with Liz Hayes, cast strong doubts over the police's theory that the mother took her own life Her daughter Nakita Bulla revealed her mother was 'fearful for her life' before she went missing on 60 Minutes Australia's Under Investigation with Liz Hayes The programme asked private investigators to do a forensic analysis of the mother's laptop, where they found a 'highly sophisticated encryption program' - technology usually used by intelligence agencies. Meanwhile, a second computer belonging to Sandrine also raised alarm bells after it had previously been used to visit a human trafficking website. Elsewhere in the programme Christine revealed that her sister's account has been taken over by someone they don't know and that her passwords have been changed. 'Her Facebook has been hacked, someone has changed the passwords, access codes and everything, we can't access it anymore,' she recounted. 'Why weren't all these red flags looked at, I shouldn't have to follow up what evidence was given to police or not, but that is what we have had from day dot. It infuriates me, it's still very painful.' Nakita added: 'I'm 23 and I have had to connect the dots myself on what has happened to my mum and it's not my responsibility or my role to do that, it's the police's responsibility. The letters, which were sent to Sandrine's former partner and father of her children, were signed by Rosetta Bunton, a person who does not appear to exist The mother was called 'a man eater' and claimed she 'jumped from one man to the next' in the cruel notes Speaking to the programme Sandrine's sister Christine Day said: 'It's actually quite scary considering this was sent where the children were living at the time' Sandrine had been at a friend's property at Caboolture, just north of Brisbane, when she vanished from the driveway on Friday, July 13, 2012, leaving just her jacket on a fence post 'I feel like she was murdered. Someone is out there that has got away with something, it's not fair and it's not right. It's unsettling, it's draining and it makes me paranoid at times, that it's so easy for people to get away with things. 'Closure for me is finding my mother's body, or just finding what happened having a funeral and getting to say goodbye.' The Queensland coroners office has decided to reopen its investigation into Sandrine's disappearance. Sandrine had been at a friend's property at Caboolture, just north of Brisbane, when she vanished from the driveway on Friday, July 13, 2012, leaving just her jacket on a fence post. Sandrine's family were aware she suffered with bouts of depression but said she kept a close check on her mental health and two weeks before her disappearance, she had completed a healing course. Police also appeared to have dismissed the accounts of witnesses, including Jan Martin, who lives near the property where Sandrine was last seen, claimed she heard three gunshots on the day she went missing. 'I was out in the front yard out near the front gate and all of a sudden I heard "bang, bang, bang",' she said. Founded in Japan, the dolls aim to heal and bring happiness to their owners Gen Z's latest lifestyle craze comes in the form of a male cherub doll wearing nothing but a quirky hat. Sonny Angels, made by Japanese toy manufacturer Toru Soeya, first launched in 2005, but thanks to social media, the dolls have witnessed a boom in popularity. TikTok fans have taken to unwrapping the quirky figurines online and showing off their impressive collections, which are marketed as 'small boyfriends' who can 'bring healing moments in your everyday life', rather than being aimed at children. The brand operates through blind box packaging, meaning consumers don't know what they will receive until they purchase one, with more than 650 variants available. Prices start at 10, but the ultra-rare, in-demand dolls, such as the 'Golden Pig', can sell upwards of 2,000 on second-hand retail sites like eBay. Founded by Japanese toy manufacturer Toru Soeya, Sonny Angels are the latest toy craze for the younger generations Japan, Taiwan, the US, Hong Kong, and Korea all have Sonny Angel shops, while British fans purchase the naked dolls online or at stockists. While the dolls' designs vary, all are distinguished by fun headwear that resembles fruits, vegetables, animals or flowers. The trend also extends to celebrities. Supermodel Bella Hadid previously shared a picture of the dolls in her Instagram story, while Iris Law has done the same. The website describes Sonny Angel as a 'little angel boy who wears headgear, will continue to watch over you, give healing, and give more smiles to all of us in the world'. It continues: 'He is always by your side to make you smile. Sonny Angel will provide healing moments in your everyday life. 'He is a welcome sight at the entrance to your home, next to your bed, on your desk and so many other places.' UK-based content creator Kimberly (pictured), has started a series on TikTok where she unboxes the dolls Sonny Angels were founded by Japanese toy manufacturer Tory Seoya (pictured above) in 2005 Japanese eBay seller @kodache-0 has listed a used 'Sonny Angel Gold Pig Character' doll for 2,048.96 The Instagram-friendly element of the toys means it's no surprise that the brand has garnered a presence on social media, with people going online to share their love for them. And on TikTok, #sonnyangel has 41.7 million views, with fans taking to the platform to showcase their extensive collections. One woman called Kayla, a 24-year-old student in New York, has 65 Sonny Angel dolls and runs an account dedicated to them on Instagram. The social media star, who attends doll exchange meetups in the Big Apple, told Nylon that they help others 'escape the mundane'. 'Loving Sonny Angels has become especially accepted publicly because while yes, they are silly little toys, there seems to be a common understanding: they bring us happiness,' she explained. Kayla, who goes by @sonnygram on Instagram, has dedicated her social profile to the miniature dolls Iris Law attached a Sonny Angel to her headphones (pictured) and shared a picture of them to her followers on Instagram Content creator and Sonny Angel fan Destiny, from California, took to TikTok to share her collection of Sonny Angels Elsewhere, another fan called Destiny, 19, from California, took to TikTok to share her collection. In the clip, where she referred to the dolls as her 'babies', she raved about her cohort, spanning more than 50 dolls. Another enthusiast, Kristy, has taken her love for Sonny Angels to the next level and purchased clothes for her dolls. Kristy bases much of her content on the dolls, and in one clip, showed off the 'jorts' and shoes she was looking at for them. Student Kyra Maxine Gomez, 22, from The Philippines told republicasiamedia.com that she discovered the dolls through TikTok and Pinterest, and feels like they represent her baby. 'I thought, "Hey, wouldnt it be so cute if my boyfriend and I had a little baby version of ourselves, and we brought it on dates?",' she recalled. Meanwhile, Kimberly, from the UK, has started a Sonny Angel series on TikTok, where she unboxes her new items. Kristy, from the US, purchased clothes for her Sonny Angel from the toy store, including a pair of shoes Viewers took to the comment section of Kimberly's video to share their thoughts on Sonny Angels Collectively, the series of her opening Sonny Angel dolls has received over 140,000 views. Viewers took to the comment section to share their thoughts on Kimberley's videos and Sonny Angels, with some even claiming they're 'spending their live savings on them'. 'The apple one is my dream I want it so bad,' another added. 'Stop that's so cute,' a third expressed. 'Look at the little belly! 'No, I'm obsessed,' one added. 'Now I want one,' another insisted. 'They're so cute!' Regulars poked fun at 'depressing' portion containing only one slice of onion The latest edition to Wetherspoon's food menu has has been slammed for being 'unbelievably bland' and 'embarrassing'. The pub-chain introduced Bao Buns as part of its affordable Small Plates range, described as 'traditional Asian steamed buns with spicy crunchy chicken.' Reddit user u/Yougotsnail posted a picture of their 'pathetic' portion of bao buns on the subreddit r/CasualUK, which has since garnered over 220 comments and 1,500 upvotes from amused regulars who poked fun at the concoction. The hungry guest at an unnamed Wetherspoons branch appeared saddened, yet not entirely dismayed, by the buns, captioning: 'Didn't even get any coriander or chilli! Just one bit of onion! Tasty though tbf.' The photo reveals a rather pale pair of steamed bao buns placed side by side into a basket. The pub-chain introduced Bao Buns as part of its affordable Small Plates range, described as 'traditional Asian steamed buns with spicy crunchy chicken' Each bun has been split open to hold a strip of crunchy fried chicken on sploges of Japanese katsu curry sauce. Most alarmingly, however, as many Redditors pointed out, is the single meagre slice of red onion placed beneath the chicken pieces - leading many to question why chefs had even bothered to include it in the meal. In response to the photograph, one person wrote: 'Just the single strip of red onion in one, and f*** all in the other. 'It's that kind of attention to deal that makes me wonder what actually goes on in the kitchen.' Another astounded individual joked: 'F*****g hell that's depressing. A goujon in a cardboard fold,' while a third wrote, 'I think that solitary piece of onion may have gotten lost on it's way to an even less appetising meal.' One Brit quipped: 'This is why the rest of the world thinks we have no taste and think mayo is spicy.' Meanwhile, two individuals of Asian descent took offence to the result of Wetherspoons' Chinese-inspired offering. One said, 'People in Asia are crying at this picture, me included,' while another joked, 'As a person of Chinese heritage I want to not have eyes right now.' A hunger diner at a Wetherspoons branch appeared saddened yet not entirely dismayed by the buns, captioning: 'Didn't even get any coriander or chilli! Just one bit of onion! Tasty tho tbf' The Wetherspoons customer's post has since garnered over 220 comments and 1.5K upvotes from amused regulars who poked fun at the concoction In other news, two enthusiastic Wetherspoons fans decided to sample what each branch has to offer - and embarked on a mission to visit every single establishment in the UK. Alan and Agnes Forbes, 63 and 46, successfully completed their mission after visiting all 900 of the chain's venues around the country in eight years. The couple became addicted to finding Wetherspoons pubs wherever they went to check out the beautiful architecture of many of the buildings -with their highest number of branches visited in a day being eight. But it's the carpets that the couple say are a 'massive pull factor' with each Spoons having an individually designed pattern to compliment the building, the area or the person the pub was named after. Each bespoke carpet is hand-made on a traditional loom by Devon-based luxury carpet manufacturer Axminster Carpets and costs up to 30,000. Members of the Greek royal household attended the service in London yesterday The Greek royal household joined together to attend a memorial for King Constantine in London yesterday. King Constantine of the Hellenes died on January 10 last year at the age of 82 after months of illness - more than 50 years after he was exiled in a military coup. The thanksgiving service took place at St. Sophia's Greek Orthodox Cathedral and was a more intimate occasion compared to the late King's Windsor memorial on Tuesday, which was attended by members of the Greek, British, Spanish and Danish Royal Families. Members of the family, including King Constantine's eldest son Crown Prince Pavlos, 56, and his wife Crown Princess Marie-Chantal, 55, congregated outside of the church before the service. Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece appeared in high spirits as he waited outside the Greek Orthodox church in London to attend the thanksgiving service for the life of King Constantine of the Hellenes Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece (left) greeted her 27-year-old daughter Princess Olympia (right) with a kiss outside St Sophia's Greek Orthodox church The head of the Greek Royal Family opted for a navy double-breasted suit for the occasion while his wife looked elegant in a belted teal coat. Model Crown Princess Olympia, 27, outside the church wore an oversized black wool coat for the occasion. Olympia's brothers Prince Odysseas-Kimon and Achileas-Andreas looked equally smart as they waited outside the church alongside the Greek Orthodox priest. Prince Philippos of Greece and Denmark, 37, looked dapper upon arrival in a navy suit while his wife, Princess Nina-Nastassja Flohr, also 37, cut a chic figure in a blue dress with a frill collar. Widow Queen Anne-Marie of Greece, 77, also followed the navy theme and donned a mid-length blue coat with a matching leather bag and heels. Yesterday's event followed on from Tuesday's service in St George's Chapel, which was was attended by members of the Greek, British, Spanish and Danish Royal Families. The Prince of Wales, 41, was expected to give a reading at his late godfather's service but pulled out at the last minute due to personal reasons - leaving Queen Camilla to represent the British Royal Family. Prince Philippos of Greece and Denmark and Princess Nina-Nastassja Flohr both donned navy ensembles for the occasion Marie-Chantal cut a chic figure in a mid-length teal coat as she accompanied her husband into the church King Constantine's eldest son Crown Prince Pavlos led the Greek Royal Family into the thanksgiving service with his wife Chantal-Marie. Queen Letizia, 51, looked solemn in a navy knee-length dress, which she paired with matching heels and a shawl. The mother-of-two arrived arm in arm with her husband King Felipe, whose mother Queen Sofia, 85, was King Constantine's older sister. What's more, Spain's disgraced former King Juan Carlos - who now lives in the United Arab Emirates after abdicating in 2014 - was also in attendance. King Constantine's younger sister Princess Irene of Denmark, 81, also attended the memorial today and was pictured sitting next to her sister Sofia. The service at St George's Chapel was held in honour of King Charles' close friend and second cousin Constantine II, the former ruler of Greece. Prince Odysseas-Kimon (back left) and Prince Achileas-Andreas (back right) waited for the thanksgiving service alongside the Greek Orthodox priest Pavlos accessorized his outfit with a black beaded bracelet and gold signet ring with a blue stone Princess Theodora of Greece and Mr. Matthew Kumar joined others at the service in London yesterday Queen Anne-Marie was all smiles as she arrived at the London-based church for the thanksgiving service The late King - who was the only son of King Paul and Queen Frederica - was also the Duke of Edinburgh's nephew and Prince William's godfather. Prince Andrew was spotted arriving for the thanksgiving service along with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson. It is thought that the Duke of York was invited by the Greek Royal Family to attend the event. King Constantine's funeral was attended by Princess Anne and her husband Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence in January 2023. Constantine became King of Greece in 1964 but was ousted from the throne when the monarchy was abolished in 1973. King Charles was not expected to attend his memorial in Windsor after drawing back from public life following his cancer diagnosis. Mostly dressed in blue, one of Greece's national colours, the family rallied together outside the church Queen Anne Marie looked in high spirts as she watched her extended family greet one another at the event Princess Tatiana of Greece (left) cut a chic figure in navy ensemble and added a touch of glamour with several pearl necklaces Camilla's role in the service saw her again taking the reigns as she works to take the pressure off her husband. Members of the Royal family have rallied around the King, with Prince William returning to duties after spending time caring for his wife Princess Kate. In a separate health scare, the Princess of Wales had been admitted to The London Clinic for planned abdominal surgery, and she will not be able to perform any royal engagements until at least Easter. Last month the Greek royal family put on a sombre display as they attended a memorial service to mark one year since the death of King Constantine. He died 'of a stroke', local media reported, following several hospital admissions in the months before. High-profile royals, including Constantine's son Crown Prince Pavlos and widow Queen Anne Marie, attended a private ceremony at the former summer palace of Tatoi, just outside Athens. Last year, Crown Princess Olympia split from her boyfriend of three years Peregrine Pearson - shortly before the aristocrat was pictured kissing Game of Thrones actress Sophie Turner. This February is particularly special, beccause today is Leap Day, making 2024 a Leap Year. Taking place once every four years, a leap year is designed to keep our seasons and months aligned with the Earth's rotation around the Sun. On February 29, Leap Year babies can officially celebrate their birthday on the correct date - and you may find plenty of offers coming your way as an extra treat. In honour of the phenomenon, dozens of retailers, restaurants and tourist attractions are offering deals and discounts today to Leap Day babies. What's more, those born on February 29 even have the opportunity to score some freebies, including Krispy Kreme doughnuts, a free ride on the London Eye, and 50 to spend at The Real Greek. Want to bag a bargain and celebrate your birthday in true Leap Year style? Find out more from our full list of deals below: Those born on February 29 have the opportunity to score some freebies today, including Krispy Kreme doughnuts, a free ride on the London Eye, and a free pizza at Zizzi Free ride on the London Eye Anyone who is born on 29th February is being offered a free ride on the London Eye this year - but, be quick, as tickets are only handed out to the first 100 claimants! To catch a bird's eye view of the city free of charge, all you need to do is head down to the London Eye ticket hall on the South Bank and provide a form of identification (passport or driving licence) to prove you are born on a Leap Day. The offer is only valid for people born on February 29, so if you'd like to go along with friends or family, it is advised that they book online beforehand. Anyone who is born on February 29 is being offered a free ride on the London Eye this year - but, be quick, as tickets are only handed out to the first 100 claimants! Free Original Glazed Dozen doughnuts at Krispy Kreme (Nationwide) Today is your lucky day if you're a Leap Year baby, as not only may you be treated to birthday cake - you can score not just one, but a dozen of Krispy Kreme doughnuts too! Customers who have a birthday on February 29 can get a free Original Glazed dozen, with proof of ID. Today is your lucky day if you're a Leap Year baby, as not only may you be treated to birthday cake - you can score not just one, but a dozen of Krispy Kreme doughnuts too! Free 50 spend at The Real Greek (Nationwide) READ MORE: The celebrities born on a leap year who have only celebrated a handful of actual birthdays - including Ja Rule and a Barcelona soccer star Advertisement The Real Greek are offering 50 off your food bill when you visit any of there restaurants on your birthday today. To qualify for the whopping discount at the Mediterranean restaurant, head down to your nearest branch, show proof of ID, and claim 50 off your meal. Their website reads: 'When your birthday comes around once every four years, you have to make it an extra special celebration.' Free pizza at Zizzi (Nationwide) If you live near a Zizzi restaurant, then you're in luck, as you can claim a free rustic pizza if you were born today. To receive your free pizza, all you need to do is provide a valid form of photo ID at your nearest restaurant and spent 10 or more in a single transaction. If you live near a Zizzi re staurant, then you're in luck, as you can claim a free rustic pizza if you were born today Free curry at Rosa's Thai (Nationwide) Rosa's Thai Cafe are offering a free celebratory curry for Leap Day babies at any of their branches across the UK. To celebrate your first real birthday in four years with a free main, show your ID, buy yourself a side and a drink and the curry is yours. Rosa's Thai are offering a free celebratory curry for Leap Day babies at any of their branches across the UK Free drink at participating Wadworth pubs (England) A free draught Wadworth beer, Regular soft drink or a small glass of wine of offered to Leap Day babies around today. The freebie is available at any participating Wadworth-run pub in England - you can find out the nearest branch to you here. Free burger at Almost Famous (England) Almost Famous are offering a free mouthwatering burger to anyone born on a Leap Day. The burger chain have five venues dotted around England, including in Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds. To claim your free burger, simply head into your nearest branch and show your ID. Free pints at Society (Manchester) If you live in the North of England and don't fancy hopping on a train to score a free ride on the London Eye, not to fear, as there's an offer available in Manchester you may just be tempted by. Indulge in a birthday tipple and celebrate the day in true Leap Year fashion by bagging a free a beer at Society. Head down to the food and beer hall in Barbirolli Square and claim your birthday treat by showing your ID at the bar. Indulge in a birthday tipple and celebrate the day in true Leap Year fashion by bagging a free a beer at Society in Manchester Free pizza at Sambuca Forest Hall (Newcastle) Sambuca Forest Hall in Newcastle are offering a free margherita pizza to those who were born on February 29. To celebrate your once in every four year birthday and to claim your free pizza, just pop in and show your ID to staff. Win a 1,000 holiday voucher at LoveholidaysUK LoveholidaysUK are offering a way for your to celebrate your birthday in a destination far away from the gloom of February in the UK. The holiday company says: 'It's been 4 years since your last official birthday, and we think you deserve a day to remember. So, for the first time ever, we're giving away 5 1,000 vouchers to those born on this unique date.' In order to be in with a chance of winning a dream holiday, simply enter your details online here, with winners being selected on March 6. Audrina Patridge has opened up about her 15-year-old niece's heartbreaking fentanyl death, revealing that the 'tough' passing left her so devastated she failed to 'stay on top of her own health.' The Hills alum, 38, tragically lost her niece Sadie Raine Loza in February 2023 after the teenager took a pain killer that was laced with fentanyl. Now, the actress has spoken out how the devastating loss impacted her and her family during a recent appearance on Rachel Bilson and Olivia Allen's Broad Ideas podcast. 'Last year when it happened I just let myself go, I didn't really care about working out or staying on top of my health,' she recalled. Audrina Patridge has opened up about her 15-year-old niece's heartbreaking fentanyl death, revealing that the 'tough' passing left her so devastated she failed to 'stay on top of her health' The Hills alum, 38, tragically lost her niece Sadie Raine Loza in February 2023 after the teenager took a pain killer that was laced with fentanyl Now, the actress has spoken out how the devastating loss impacted her and her family during a recent appearance on Richel Bilson and Olivia Allen's Broad Ideas podcast What is fentanyl? Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 80-100 times stronger than morphine and 50 times stronger than heroine It is often added to drugs like cocaine or heroin to increase their potency or make them more profitable According to DrugAbuseStatstics.org, less than 0.07 ounces of fentanyl causes certain death, and the drug is a factor in 53 per cent of drug overdoses Advertisement 'It was just a lot of healing and processing and just trying to be there for my family.' Audrina explained that her sister and Sadie's mom Casey Loza, 37, stayed with her for 'a few months' following the shock passing - as well as her two sons - and while taking care of them helped her 'stay busy,' she admitted that it forced her to have to keep her own devastation inside. 'I was just helping everyone and that helped me stay busy. But then there were moments where I didn't want them to see me crying,' she continued. But she added, 'My crying time was in the shower, I'd just get it out in the shower. 'It's tough and everybody heals differently. It really affected me, last year was just bad all around in so many ways. I'm glad it's a new year, fresh start.' Audrina credited 'therapy' and 'going to church' with helping her to heal. 'I'm just trying to be more positive about it now,' she said. 'It's really about just moving forward and trying to bring awareness and make parents aware. 'And we still celebrate her and tell stories about her. We still go to the cemetery and bring flowers all the time. We're not just going to forget about her because she's not here physically.' The star also revealed how the tragic death affected her daughter, Kirra, seven, and she said the youngster is now terrified that Audrina is going to leave and 'not come back' one day. 'Last year when it happened I just let myself go, I didn't really care about working out or staying on top of my health,' Audrina recalled Audrina explained that her sister and Sadie's mom Casey Loza (seen together in 2019), 37, stayed with her for 'a few months' following the shock passing - as well as her two sons And while taking care of them helped her 'stay busy,' she admitted that it forced her to have to keep her own devastation inside. Casey is seen with her daughter before her death 'Ever since Sadie died, every time I leave... even when I drop Kira at school, she's like, "What if you don't come back?"' she shared. 'Every day when I drop her at school I [have to give her] a kiss on the lips and on the head and a big hug - we have to do that every single day and if we don't do it she cries at school.' She said her daughter 'knew a little bit' about death because her pastor at the 'private Christian school' she attends had spoken about the subject to her class. But she admitted that Kirra still 'had a lot of questions' after Sadie's passing. 'I was trying to be honest but vague, you know? I don't want her to be scared but now she kind of has this trauma of [always wondering], what if you don't come back?' she revealed. While reflecting on the death, Audrina explained that Sadie had met the person who sold her the laced pill on Snapchat. '[These dealers] are like predators that prey on these high school kids and give them these menus [of different kinds of drugs],' she revealed. 'It's everywhere, I feel like that generation is being targeted.' Audrina said she believes the problem stems from social media, adding, 'Social media is making kids depressed or not feel good enough with all the filters. 'It's not Snapchat or social media's fault entirely, it's no one's fault. It's just how life is progressing right now. 'But no one's ever dealt with this before so we don't know who to blame or how to save our kids or what to do to make changes.' As for her advice to others, she recommended taking the extra time to 'be a part of your kids' lives.' Audrina credited 'therapy' and 'going to church' with helping her to heal, adding, 'I'm trying to be more positive about it. It's really about just moving forward and trying to bring awareness' While reflecting on the death, Audrina explained that Sadie (seen) had met the person who sold her the laced pill on Snapchat Audrina said she believes the problem stems from social media, adding, 'Social media is making kids depressed or not feel good enough with all the filters. Sadie is seen During an appearance on America's Most Wanted in January, Audrina, joined by her sister, said Sadie had sought out Percocet to deal with back pain after she was involved in a car accident 'See what they're up to - if they play Roblox, learn how to play it. See what they're doing on there and what they're talking about so you could have something in common with them,' she suggested. Following Sadie's death last year, Audrina shared a touching tribute to the teen. 'My heart hurts to even write this. My beautiful niece is now in heaven,' she wrote at the time on Instagram. 'I know its not goodbye forever, but it is the hardest to say goodbye for now. We will miss you and cherish every single moment we had with you.' Months later, TMZ reported that Sadie had died of a drug overdose and that police were looking for who may have supplied the narcotics which killed her. During an appearance on the Fox series America's Most Wanted in January, Audrina, joined by her sister, explained that Sadie had sought out the Percocet to deal with back pain after she was involved in a car accident. The death came amid a nationwide crisis over fentanyl - a synthetic opioid that is 80-100 times stronger than morphine and 50 times stronger than heroine. It is often added to drugs like cocaine or heroin to increase their potency or make them more profitable - which can lead to overdose, especially if the buyer doesn't know that their drug has been laced. According to DrugAbuseStatstics.org, less than 0.07 ounces of fentanyl causes certain death, and the drug is a factor in 53 per cent of drug overdoses. Gen Z may have declared skinny-leg jeans a relic; but Tommy Hilfiger thinks baggy jeans have no place on a woman's body. The fashion guru admitted he prefers a fitted pant on a woman, sharing his distaste for loose-fitting denim at a luncheon in Palm Beach, Florida. 'I think they look terrible on women,' Hilfiger, 72, told Page Six. 'I want to see something form-fitting on a womens frame,' the famous designer continued. 'It should be more fit and feminine or little bit tighter in the hips.' Tommy Hilfiger, 72, shared his opinions on baggy jeans, saying he thinks they look 'terrible' on women He shared his distaste for loose-fitting denim at a luncheon in Palm Beach, Florida, where his wife Dee Ocleppo Hilfiger (pictured) was being honored Hilfiger was at the Old Bags luncheon at the Breakers in Palm Beach, where Martha Stewart was a keynote speaker, while his wife Dee Ocleppo Hilfiger, was being honored for her fashion and philanthropy. Hilfiger, who is known for his preppy designs, told the publication he enjoys the Florida town's colorful fashion - noting it's a stark change from New York's fashion scene. 'In New York we like to wear black,' he explained. 'My clothes actually sell better in Florida, California, Texas places like that. A lot of tourists are buying my clothes in New York and they take them back from wherever they come in from.' While Hilfiger doesn't think baggy jeans look good on women, the clothing brand does in fact sell a pair of 'trouser-inspired drape of our denim pants' for $230. Tommy Hilfiger sells several styles of denim on their website, with skinny leg jeans retail between $79.50 - $119 on the website. Furious fashion-lovers took to X, formally known as Twitter, to express their anger over his denim opinions. 'How dare you to say that women look terrible in baggy jeans who the f**k asked for your opinion,' one user raged. 'You look like a Muppet, wearing a blue velour suit, you look ridiculous! Can we say dumb and dumber?' 'I hate seeing women exposing their a**, women's fashion has always been designed to appeal to a man, that's disgusting and it makes me uncomfortable. Maybe more men with formfitting pants need to walk around him and let's see what he says. He has been out the loop for a long time. 'Well I hate men in velvet jackets,' joked another. On the Tommy Hilfiger website, baggy-style jeans retail for $230 - but Tommy himself doesn't think the style looks good on women Tommy Hilfiger sells several styles of denim on their website, with skinny leg jeans retail between $79.50 - $119 on the Tommy Hilfiger website Furious fashion-lovers took to X to express their anger over his denim opinions, slamming the designer The difference between generation's denim preference has been well documented on social media, with Gen Z's condemning tight fitting jeans. While skinny jeans reigned supreme during the 2000s and 2010s, the fad seemed like it was coming to an end in recent years, with Medium theorizing that 'Gen Z was going to cancel' them once and for all. However, in 2023, Levi's CEO Charles 'Chip' V. Bergh shared the company's biggest sellers, revealing that skinny jeans still reigned on top, despite previous reports that they were declining in popularity. Hilfiger sparked controversy after body-shaming Gigi Hadid It's not the first time Hilfiger has sparked controversary over his fashion opinions. In 2015, a then 20-year-old Gigi Hadid made her big break walking in the Tommy Hilfiger autumn/winter show during New York Fashion Week. Hadid strutted on the runway wearing a poncho in red, white and blue - however Hilfiger later revealed that choice was less about fashion and more Hadid's body shape; saying casting agents thought she wasn't thin enough Speaking to Yahoo, Hilfiger said: 'Our casting director said, "She doesn't really fit because, you know, she's not quite as tall as the other girls, she's not quite as thin." So they put a red, white and blue poncho on her.' The model later spoke to Access Hollywood, defending the designer, saying: 'The point of that story was that Tommy was rooting for me and that above all, regardless of what the stylist for that season said or what he put me in. 'Tommy wanted me in the show and Tommy was pushing for me and Tommy loved my curves,' she hit back. 'The next season I wore a bikini on the same runway, with the same stylist that had previously put me in a poncho.' Queen Mary of Denmark was effortlessly elegant in a deep purple blouse as she attended a Rare Disease Day (RDD) event in Copenhagen. The royal, 52, teamed her plum-hued ensemble - which she also wore to hand out a host of research awards in January last year - with a grey statement skirt that fanned out to create a stunning silhouette. Committing to a monochrome aesthetic, the mother-of-four also opted for suede stiletto heeled boots and a flowy pashmina in the same shade. She adorned her shirt with a golden, floral brooch and accessorised with simple earrings and a beaded bracelet. Keeping their bright look from earlier this week, the Queen once again showed off a pop of colour with her electric blue-painted nails. Queen Mary of Denmark was effortlessly elegant in a deep purple blouse as she attended a Rare Disease Day (RDD) event in Copenhagen Mary's chestnut tresses were styled in their relaxed signature waves, and she sported a glamorous make-up look with lashings of blush. The royal appeared in high spirits as she chatted with guests during today's event at Industriens Hus business center. Rare Disease Day, which shines a spotlight on patients, families and carers affected by rare diseases, has been supported by Danish organisations since 2008. Mary, who has been a patron of Rare Diseases Denmark 2005, was pictured posing for photos and taking part in the day's activities. She was pictured being enthusiastically greeted for the day with a bouquet of purple flowers - the perfect complement to her outfit. Earlier this week, Mary looked typically chic in a navy trouser suit as she congratulated the winners of the country's most prestigious research prize at a ceremony in Copenhagen. The royal wore a double-breasted jacket and matching trousers by British brand The Fold to present certificates to the winners of the EliteForsk Prize - which recognises the achievements of five internationally renowned researchers aged up to 45. The mother-of-four paired her outfit with pale pink, snakeskin-effect pumps by Italian designer Gianvito Rossi and a navy, calfskin leather clutch by Danish brand Quidam Bags. The royal teamed her plum-hued ensemble - which she also wore to hand out a host of research awards in January last year - with a grey statement skirt that fanned out to create a stunning silhouette Mary's chestnut tresses were styled in their relaxed signature waves, and she sported a glamorous make-up look with lashings of blush She was pictured being enthusiastically greeted for the day with a bouquet of purple flowers - the perfect complement to her outfit Mary, dressed in a purple blouse and grey skirt, presented awards on stage during today's event The 52-year-old royal helped children colour in a giant zebra statue as she enjoyed the day's activities She styled her long, chestnut tresses in loose curls, revealing a pair of pearl earrings which matched her necklace. While Mary kept her make-up simple, she made a statement with her electric blue nail polish. The EliteForsk Prize is given by the Danish Council for independent Research, which is part of the Danish Ministry of Higher Education and Science, and is worth 1.2 million Danish Krone (137,792). Mary, who was an advertising executive in her native Australia before falling in love with the then Crown Prince Frederik, became Queen of Denmark just six weeks ago when his mother, Queen Margrethe II, abdicated on January 14 and he ascended the throne. Earlier this month, the royal couple announced their first royal tours together since becoming King and Queen. The pair will visit Sweden, Norway, Greenland and the Faroe Islands this summer. Announcing their upcoming plans, the Palace's Instagram account confirmed that the King and Queen will travel on board the Royal Yacht Dannebrog. In early May, the couple - who have been married for almost 20 years and share four children - will visit Sweden first. The following week, Frederik and Mary will then undertake an official state visit to Norway. The Palace also outlined plans for the King and Queen of Denmark to visit the Faroe Islands and Greenland in June and July. Queen Mary repeated the outfit she wore to hand out a host of research awards in January last year While Mary kept her make-up simple, she made a statement with her electric blue nail polish Mary kept the cold at bay with a grey shawl and knee-high suede boots as she attended the event today Earlier this week the mother-of-four paired her outfit with pale pink, snakeskin-effect pumps by Italian designer Gianvito Rossi and a navy, calfskin leather clutch by Danish brand Quidam Bags The EliteForsk Prize is given by the Danish Council for independent Research, which is part of the Danish Ministry of Higher Education and Science, and is worth 1.2 million Danish Krone (137,792) Mary, who was an advertising executive in her native Australia before falling in love with the then Crown Prince Frederik , became Queen of Denmark just six weeks ago when his mother, Queen Margrethe II, abdicated on January 14 and he ascended the throne However, the Firm highlighted that the dates for these two trips had not been confirmed. The Palace said in a statement: 'The first state visits will provide the occasion for the new King and Queen to meet with the sovereigns in Sweden and Norway, and they will thus mark the close relations between the Nordic monarchies.' The Royal Yacht Dannebrog has served as the Danish Royal Family's cruise ship since May 1932 and has travelled over 800,000 miles. The luxury yacht hosts the Royal Family on both their private holidays and during official overseas engagements. The yacht's royal compartment still contains furniture and fittings dating back to 1879 that that was on board the family's previous yacht. Frederik and Mary are keen sailers - and took part in a yacht race in Sydney in December 2017 when they visited the Queen's hometown for Christmas. In August 2022, the couple competed against one another in a sailing 'Royal Race' at the Rockwool Denmark Sail Grand Prix - with Mary narrowly beating her husband. A therapist and mental health expert has shared the secret to true happiness - and her revelation is backed up by science. Stella Ladikos, from Sydney, told FEMAIL that one of the best ways to be happy and live a long, healthy life is to foster positive relationships with your friends and family. The Australian expert's advice comes after Harvard's 85-year long scientific study on happiness found that close relationships and social connections are crucial for well-being as people age. People who have strong relationships show lower rates of diabetes, arthritis, cognitive decline, and other chronic conditions. 'We're a social species, we're not meant to operate in isolation,' Ms Ladikos said. 'Positive relationships foster happiness and protect us from going down depressive rabbit holes.' Stella Ladikos [pictured] said the best way to be happy is to foster positive relationships Harvard found good friends protected people from mental and physical decline, and gave a better idea of how long someone's life will be than their social class, IQ, or genes. Ms Ladikos echoed that having a supportive community makes a person less likely to relapse into episodes of depression or anxiety. 'It doesn't matter if it's your family, friends, or colleagues - relationships have a massive impact on your life. 'You need to make an effort to get involved and connect with your loved ones. Be it by volunteering, playing sport, or something else - you need to be in supportive spaces regularly. 'It's important to put yourself out there frequently in order to be happier.' What is Harvard's 85-year study on happiness about? Harvard researchers looked at data 268 men who went to Harvard College. The study - which is one of the longest studies on adult life - first started tracking Harvard students during the Great Depression in 1938. The men were given regular interviews and questionnaires through the course of the 80 year study. To gauge the participants' early home environment, the researchers looked at reports about their home life, interviews with the parents, and developmental histories recorded by a social worker. When the participants were 45 to 50 years old, they completed interviews in which they discussed the challenges they encountered in various aspects of their lives, including their relationships, their physical health, and their work. Using the original interview notes, the researchers then rated the participants' ability to manage emotions in response to these challenges. Finally, when participants were in their late 70s or early 80s, they completed an interview that focused on their relationship with their current partner. Eight decades later, researchers have revealed how happy we are in our relationships has a strong influence on our overall health. Close relationships are far more important than money and fame and will keep people happy into their old age, researchers revealed. Advertisement On the other side, Ms Ladikos revealed that some relationships can also actively hurt you. 'If someone in your life is toxic, constantly pushes your boundaries, and doesn't respect you - it increases your stress levels. 'That impacts your sleep, appetite, performance at work, and even your immune system.' Ms Ladikos shared that it was essential to know when you should pull away from people. 'You shouldn't have relationships with people where your needs aren't being met because it doesn't add value to your life. 'If you have a friend you can't trust, you have nothing in common anymore, but you're holding on because you've known each other for years - you need to reconsider that relationship.' Ms Ladikos shared that it was essential to know when you should pull away from people Stella's tips for cultivating and nurturing relationships Join community groups or take up a hobby with a social group Lock in a regular catch up with someone - even if you don't make it every single time, having a routine, regular time in place can help Check in with your friends often. Ask how they are and really listen - make space for people and let them know you care Remember that friendship is a two-way street and that one person shouldn't do all the heavy lifting Assess how much of your time in your friendship is spent catching up via messaging vs in-person. Can you get offline and catch up in person more? Challenge yourself to meet new people Advertisement The therapist also said that the pursuit of happiness can sometimes cause more suffering. 'If you're so focused on being happy, you try to diminish or deflect yourself from negative thoughts and feelings. 'For example, if you're anxious and you're avoiding your emotions instead of facing it head on, it can fester and cause more problems. 'The relentless pursuit of happiness by trying to eliminate negativity instead of fostering a positive and supportive community can be exhausting.' Read more: I visited Egypt for a holiday and had the worst experience ever An Aussie has recounted her awful experience at the Great Barrier Reef An Australian who has wanted to visit the Great Barrier Reef for 'years' was left utterly 'devastated and underwhelmed' by the state of the coral. Adriana Zero, a brow and and lash specialist from Sydney, was excited to see the natural beauty of the reef but was disappointed when her expectations weren't met. The tour guide took the group to Bait Reef when it was raining heavily and the reef was lacking in colour. Ms Zero, 37, admitted the best part of the day was a cup of coffee and a slice of cake. 'This is the most underwhelming thing,' she said in a TikTok video as she floated on the ocean surface while snorkelling. 'There's no colour, there's no fish [and] it all looks dead. It is certainly not what you would expect from the Great Barrier Reef and this supposed to be the nicest spot of the Great Barrier Reef.' Adriana Zero, from Sydney, was excited to see the Great Barrier Reef for the first time but was left disappointed by the state of the coral (right) @ajelesslipss This has been on my bucket list for years! To say I was devo amd underwhelmed is an understatement. I knew through global warming & too many of us tourists, that we had done some damage, I had heard and hoped we were regenerating it. This proved to me we have a long way to go. The guides agreed that what you see on documentaries is not reality and is very rare to see #greatbarrierreef #realityvsexpectations #hamiltonisland #devo #australiatiktok original sound - Adriana Zero (AJE) In the now-viral video, Ms Zero flipped the camera to show what the reef looked like underwater. 'There's a lot of white stuff floating around which makes it quite hard to see anything,' she said. The only time Ms Zero was able to see multiple fish was at the end of the tour when she threw bread into the water from the boat - but was strongly discouraged to do so by tour operators. 'It was torrential rain and terrible weather, and they still took us out,' she said. Before the trip Ms Zero claimed she understood the impact global warming and tourists were having on the reef, but she had no idea about the amount of damage that has been done. 'I had heard and hoped we were regenerating it. This proved to me we have a long way to go. The guides agreed that what you see on documentaries is not reality and is very rare to see,' she said. However Ms Zero told FEMAIL she plans to return to the Great Barrier Reef and is excited to do so. Ms Zero's video has since been viewed more than one million times and received more than 47,000 likes. 'I'm sorry you had a disappointing experience the barrier reef is amazing looks like you have just had a bad day or spot. Maybe next time,' one wrote. 'The Great Barrier Reef is huge, not all of it is a nice reef to look at. There's spots that are more dense with marine life than others,' another said. A third added: 'I went to the Great Barrier Reef recently and this was the complete opposite of my experience.' Others encouraged Ms Zero to go back and explore different parts of the reef, and some suggested visiting Western Australia. 'You need to go to the Ningaloo Reef! It's so much more pristine and untouched,' one wrote. 'Ningaloo and the Coral Coast line will never disappoint,' another confirmed. 'Go to the Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia,' said another. According to WWF Australia, over the last 30 years the reef has lost half its coral cover due to global warming, coral bleaching and pollution. The reef itself is 2300km long stretching from the north end of Queensland to north of Bundaberg. It consists of 900 islands and has 3000 coral reefs which inhabit thousands of species of marine life. Dr Darin Detwiler, a food safety expert at Northeastern University in Boston and former FDA and USDA food safety advisor, shared what he avoids at restaurants Next time you're eating out, be mindful of how the staff scoop ice into your glass - their technique could be exposing you to thousands of germs that cause food poisoning. And if you're ordering fish, there is a certain day of the week that massively increases the risk of a stomach bug. These are the recommendations Dr Darin Detwiler, a former FDA and USDA food safety advisor, is sharing with DailyMail.com readers as the number of food poisoning outbreaks continues to grow. He warned office workers against eating from buffet bars in places like Whole Foods - saying it was something he 'would never ever, ever, ever' do because of how prone they are to breeding germs. And bad news for takeout lovers - your food arriving cold isn't just an inconvenience, but it could make you sick. Dr Detwiler said that while the hygiene rating posted in the front can be good indicator, there are much more subtle red flags Americans should be aware of. Around 48million people in the US suffer foodborne illness every year. Some 128,000 end up in the hospital, while 3,000 die, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Examples of bacterial, parasitic and viral infections caused by food include salmonella, toxoplasma, listeria, and norovirus - as well as E.coli. The most common is norovirus, which affects one in 15 people every year and is surging across the northeastern US. Dr Detwiler's first big no-no: Delivery apps The FDA warns that if food drops to between 41 and 135 degrees Fahrenheit (5 to 57 degrees Celsius), bacteria can grow rapidly, potentially doubling every 20 minutes At the end of a long day at work, it's easy to order food from a delivery app instead of cooking - and you don't need to make the effort of going out to a restaurant Though it's convenient, Dr Detwiler said it could increase the risk of foodborne illness. 'I would not order food through a third-party delivery to be delivered to the home,' he said. 'It's going to take longer to get there, and it's probably not going to be kept at the right temperature.' The longer food waits to be picked up or delivered to you, the less time it spends at the correct temperature, which leaves it vulnerable to bacteria like salmonella and E. coli. The FDA warns that if food drops to between 41 and 135 degrees Fahrenheit (5 to 57 degrees Celsius), bacteria can grow rapidly, potentially doubling every 20 minutes. This can be the most risky for raw foods like sushi and certain types of shellfish, though Dr Detwiler steers clear of all takeout. Never order oysters, hollandaise (or fish on Mondays) One of the main concerns with oysters is contamination from vibrio bacteria, which live in bodies of water near the coasts It's a cliche at this point, but Dr Detwiler said that for good reason, you probably shouldn't get oysters next time you're at a restaurant. 'There are many times where oysters are harvested in waters that have high levels of contamination,' he said. Dr Detwiler noted that when oysters are distributed across the country, they come with a tag on them that says where they were harvested. 'You're supposed to hold on to this tag in cause there is an outbreak, and many restaurants don't hold on to that kind of thing,' he said. 'There are restaurants that will literally serve an oyster platter that has, say, eight different oysters. That sounds like a great experience, but the fact is, it's like Russian Roulette.' Dr Detwiler also said that oysters have an inherent risk being served raw, and it's difficult to clean the shells properly. 'It is a more risky food that's out there,' he said. One of the main concerns with oysters is contamination from vibrio bacteria, which live in bodies of water near the coasts. WebMD estimates that roughly 80 percent of infections happen between May and October, when water is warmer. According to the CDC, at least 52,000 Americans each year are sickened with vibriosis after eating contaminated foods. Symptoms include watery diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, fever, chills, fast heart rate, confusion, dizziness, fainting, and weakness. Additionally, if you're going to order fish, don't do it on a Monday. This is because many fish markets are not open on the weekends, leaving the restaurant's picks to linger in the fridge or freezer for a couple days. 'Fish that is not fresh may undergo chemical changes, leading to spoilage that affects its taste, smell, and safety,' Dr Detwiler said. He noted that spoiled fish may also contain high levels of histamine, a chemical released by the immune system. When too much is released, it can lead to the foodborne illness scombroid poisoning, which allergy-like reactions like rash, diarrhea, sweating, headache, and vomiting. And consider skipping the Eggs Benedict when you're out to brunch. That's because it contains hollandaise sauce, which could be subject to contamination. 'Salmonella is the primary pathogen of concern with hollandaise sauce due to the use of raw or undercooked eggs,' Dr Detwiler said. Salmonella bacteria are passed from feces of people or animals, and symptoms of an infection usually begin between six hours and six days after exposure. They typically resolve within another four to seven days without requiring medical intervention. Dr Detwiler noted that symptoms of a salmonella infection can include diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever within 12 to 72 hours after eating contaminated food. However, some people have no symptoms. Salmonella infects more than 1.3 million people every year, leading to 26,500 hospitalizations and 420 deaths annually. Don't stop at the salad bar or buffet Salad in particular has been the subject of dozens of recalls, namely listeria contamination If you're stopping by Whole Foods or Wegmans for lunch, it's easy to opt for the salad bar or hot buffet. However, Dr Detwiler steers clear. 'I would never ever, ever, ever go to a buffet or eat from a salad bars,' he said. This is because salad bars and buffets are a 'major opportunity' for contamination, as potentially dozens of hands come into contact with the food every day. Additionally, saliva can spray on the food and pass bacteria. Additionally, Dr Detwiler noted that several of the foods included in these spreads need to be kept at distinct temperatures to ward off bacteria, but it's difficult to do that if they are all in the same buffet. Salad in particular has been the subject of dozens of recalls, namely listeria contamination. Symptoms of listeria infection typically include those that are similar to flu chills, fever, achiness, nausea and vomiting. In high-risk populations such as pregnant women, it can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature birth, and newborn baby death. In a similar vein, Dr Detwiler avoids estaurants where you pick your own ingredients and then give them to the chef to cook, as it increases the risk of contamination. If you are eating out... check out the restroom first A 2018 Harris Poll found that two-thirds of American customers would avoid a restaurant if reviews mentioned restroom odors When you get to a restaurant, the first thing you probably do is start perusing the menu or order a drink. However, Dr Detwiler heads off to the bathroom first. 'Not for the reason you think,' he said. 'If they're serious about sanitation, that's a place that will show you the restaurant is clean.' Dr Detwiler looks for tell-tale signs of a neglected restroom like dirty toilets, lack of paper towels, and grimy countertops. A 2018 Harris Poll found that two-thirds of American customers would avoid a restaurant if reviews mentioned restroom odors, and 63 percent said they would steer clear if they knew clogged toilets were a common occurance. 'I have literally walked out of restaurants, even if I was hungry and wanted to eat there, because their bathroom was so disgusting,' Dr Detwiler said. 'I don't even want to know what's going on in the kitchen.' Keep eyes on the bartender According to the New York State Health Department, 'ice for consumption shall be dispensed with scoops, tongs, or other utensils, or automatic self-service ice-dispensing equipment It's clear that you should always pay attention to what the bartender is putting in your drink. However, Dr Detwiler focuses more on how the drink is assembled. 'I'm not a fan of going to a bar where I see the bartender is using the glass to scoop the ice,' he said. 'That's a big no-no.' One issue is that if the glass hasn't been washed, it could spread bacteria like E, coli and salmonella to the clean ice. However, Dr Detwiler's main concern is the risk of glass breaking and blending in with the ice. 'How easy is it to tell the difference between broken glass and ice? It kind of looks the same, right?' he said. According to the New York State Health Department, 'ice for consumption shall be dispensed with scoops, tongs, or other utensils, or automatic self-service ice-dispensing equipment.' Avoid cantaloupe and other cut fruits 'Cantaloupes are practically impossible to clean, and quite honestly, it's like a sleeper killer,' Dr Detwiler said Dr Detwiler warned that if you're after-dinner go-to is fruit, make sure there's no cantaloupe on your plate. 'Cantaloupe should be eaten as soon as it is cut open. Never eat pre-cut or halved cantaloupe,' he said. This is because the fruit could be exposed to pathogens from soil, animals, or water, as they are grown close to the ground. The outside of the cantaloupe has a netted surface that microbes can cling to. 'Cantaloupes are practically impossible to clean, and quite honestly, it's like a sleeper killer,' Dr Detwiler said. 'No one ever thinks cantaloupes, and yet the single food that is responsible for the most deaths is cantaloupe.' Cantaloupe was also linked to a salmonella outbreak spanning 44 states, which ended in January. The CDC states that the contaminated foods sickened 407 Americans, hospitalized 158, and killed six. The next government is unlikely to slash NHS waiting lists to pre-pandemic levels in a single term, a report warns today. It will take more than four years to bring waits down to what they were in 2019 and even longer to wipe them out, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies. The analysis is a major blow to Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, who has promised to eliminate waits for routine treatment within his first term if he becomes Prime Minister. The think tank warns that even under its optimistic scenario the number waiting in December 2027 will be higher than before the pandemic. Your browser does not support iframes. Furthermore, any attempt to bring them down faster would require tax rises, a miraculous increase in NHS productivity, or 'eye-wateringly tough choices elsewhere', it adds. The NHS waiting list in England was 4.6 million in December 2019 and 7.6million at the end of December last year, the latest month for which figures are available. This was down slightly from 7.61 million at the end of November. The government has blamed strikes by junior doctors and consultants for hampering efforts to tackle waiting times. Speaking in October last year, Labour leader Sir Keir committed to clear waiting lists in the first term of a government under his rule. But under the IFS's 'central scenario', waiting lists would start to fall 'consistently but slowly' from the middle of 2024 and still stand at 6.5 million in December 2027. Max Warner, a research economist at IFS and an author of the report, said: 'The next government may well inherit a falling elective NHS waiting list in England. 'But even with a trend pointing in the right direction, waiting lists will still be far higher than they have been and long waiting times are unlikely to go away any time soon. 'Even under an optimistic set of assumptions, we estimate that in four years' time the waiting list will still be higher than at the start of the pandemic, which itself was much higher than the waiting list in the early 2010s. 'If bringing down waiting lists quickly is a priority, then the next government will likely need both to dedicate additional funding to the health service and to find ways to increase NHS productivity. The analysis is a major blow to Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, who has promised to eliminate waits for routine treatment within his first term if he becomes Prime Minister. Labour's leader is pictured during a visit to a new-build housing estate in Shropshire on February 26 'These are not easy fixes: big increases in NHS funding without accompanying tax rises could require some eye-wateringly tough choices elsewhere, and solving the NHS productivity puzzle could require up-front investment and years of unrelenting policy focus.' Mark Franks, from the Nuffield Foundation, which part-funded the report, added: 'We have witnessed over a decade of increasing NHS waiting lists, influenced by factors such as a growing and ageing population. 'More recently, the pandemic has exacerbated this issue by hindering the NHS's capacity to provide healthcare services. 'If our public health services are to recover, the next government needs a credible and sustainable plan for tackling the NHS's capacity, funding and productivity issues.' Sir Julian Hartley, chief executive at NHS Providers, which represents NHS trusts, said that efforts to bring down the waiting list are being 'thwarted' by 'squeezed funding in the NHS, the fallout of the pandemic, severe workforce shortages and strikes'. Tim Mitchell, president of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, said: 'The longer patients wait on NHS lists, the greater the risk that their condition will worsen and they will need more complex surgery. 'The IFS' prediction that it is 'unlikely waiting lists will reach pre-pandemic levels' by December 2027, even under a 'best-case scenario', is deeply concerning. 'It is a sorry state for the patients behind the numbers; anxious for a diagnosis and treatment, in avoidable pain, and with their lives put on hold. 'It couldn't be clearer now that we need the Government to make a substantial investment in NHS technology and capital projects in the Spring Budget next week, to have any hope of making a meaningful dent in the waiting lists.' A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: 'We recognise the challenges the NHS faces, and we are taking the long-term decisions needed to make our health service faster, simpler and fairer, cutting waiting lists and ensuring people get the care they need. 'Overall NHS waiting lists have decreased for three months in a row, despite winter pressures and industrial action, and weve delivered our commitment to provide an extra 50 million GP appointments months ahead of schedule, while the recent rollout of Pharmacy First will help to free up 10 million GP appointments per year. 'We are putting record levels of investment into the NHS, and we have commissioned the first ever NHS Long Term Workforce Plan to train, and retain, the staff our healthcare system will need in the decades to come.' New NHS jab campaign slogan is 'If we're not vaccinated, we're not protected' 'If we're not vaccinated, we're not protected' is the compelling message at the heart of a new childhood vaccination campaign. Fronted by children, the advert aims to appeal directly to parents and boost the numbers getting their children vaccinated. Uptake for the range of jabs offered to youngsters had been declining and dropped significantly during Covid. The 20-second clip features children asking parents whether their vaccines are up to date, with youngsters saying 'We could get seriously ill, risking life-long disabilities', if not protected. 'Our generation's risk of illnesses like measles and whooping cough is rising' they tell their parents and carers looking straight into camera. 'If we're not vaccinated, we're not protected' is the compelling message at the heart of a new NHS childhood vaccination campaign Your browser does not support iframes. Experts said that children's voices 'resonated' with parents, adding they hoped it was serve as a reminder to people in their 'busy lives'. The routine childhood immunisation programme in England offers protection against 13 diseases including measles, polio, diphtheria, mumps, whooping cough, rubella and meningococcal infections - which can lead to meningitis. Dr Vanessa Saliba, consultant epidemiologist at the UKHSA, said there had been a decline in vaccine uptake over the last decade which had been 'exacerbated' since the Covid-19 pandemic. She said: 'We're not hitting the World Health Organisation targets of 95 per cent uptake for these vaccinations and this is important because if we don't hit those targets, we don't have those immunity levels in the population, we will see cases and outbreaks occurring and children becoming unwell, hospitalised and suffering needlessly because these are all preventable infections.' Ruairidh Villar, Head of Campaigns at UKHSA, said vaccines have 'almost become a victim of their own success', with most people having little direct knowledge of the 'terrible childhood illnesses that vaccines have prevented. WHAT JABS SHOULD I HAVE HAD BY AGE 18? Vaccines for babies under 1 year old 8 weeks 6-in-1 vaccine Rotavirus vaccine MenB vaccine 12 weeks 6-in-1 vaccine (2nd dose) Pneumococcal vaccine Rotavirus vaccine (2nd dose) 16 weeks 6-in-1 vaccine (3rd dose) MenB vaccine (2nd dose) Vaccines for children aged 1 to 15 1 year Hib/MenC vaccine (1st dose) MMR vaccine (1st dose) Pneumococcal vaccine (2nd dose) MenB vaccine (3rd dose) 2 to 15 years Children's flu vaccine (every year until children finish Year 11 of secondary school) 3 years and 4 months MMR vaccine (2nd dose) 4-in-1 pre-school booster vaccine 12 to 13 years HPV vaccine 14 years 3-in-1 teenage booster vaccine MenACWY vaccine Source: NHS Choices Advertisement He said: 'Parents are increasingly busy with small children potty training, getting them ready for school and frankly, vaccines don't really feature very strongly in the fabric of daily life. He added: 'What we found from parents of all levels of vaccine confidence as that actually, they were surprised by the risks but had an openness to hearing a message about the risks. 'What cut through parents across the board was a message framed around this sense that they want to do the best for their children.' Asked why vaccine uptake had declined, Dr Mary Ramsay, head of immunisation at the UKHSA, said that while there were some people who were 'resistant' to vaccination, its research suggested that the vast majority of people are towards vaccination were 'positive and getting more positive'. She said: 'We think most of the problem relates to complacency and (parents) are very busy and not getting around to it. 'Plus, the schedule now (requires) quite a (few) more visits ... the current schedule, children visit their practice on five occasions before school age really to get their vaccines. And then they have flu vaccine every year from the age of two.' The campaign, which launches on Monday, comes as cases of measles continue to rise. The UKHSA said it had now recorded 650 cases since October - the majority of cases were recorded in Birmingham and the West Midlands but clusters were now being seen in other parts of the country including London, the East Midlands, Yorkshire and the Humber and the North West. Dr Saliba added: 'Measles can be a serious infection that can lead to children being unwell and in hospital, and so it is a concern that since October we have seen this rise in cases.' Childhood vaccination coverage in England decreased across the majority of measures in 2022/23 compared to the previous year, according to NHS figures. Uptake is particularly low in inner city areas, experts said, while no vaccines met the 95 per cent target in 2022/23. The proportion of children who had received their first MMR jab by the age of five decreased to 92.5 per cent - the lowest level since 2010/11. Some 84.5 per cent had received their second MMR jab by the age of five. This graph shows how vaccine coverage has vastly reduced cases of measles compared to historic peaks, but experts are concerned about dropping uptake The issue has come to a head by a surge in measles cases in England over the past few months Cold-like symptoms, such as a fever, cough and a runny or blocked nose, are usually the first signal of measles. A few days later, some people develop small white spots on the inside of their cheeks and the back of their lips. The tell-tale measles rash also develops, usually starting on the face and behind the ears, before spreading to the rest of the body Your browser does not support iframes. Meanwhile, 93.2 per cent of five-year-olds had received the five-in-one jab - which protects against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, polio, and haemophilus influenzae type b (also known as Hib). Professor Dame Jenny Harries, chief executive of UKHSA, said: 'We need an urgent reversal of the decline in the uptake of childhood vaccinations to protect our communities. 'Through this campaign we are particularly appealing to parents to check their children's vaccination status and book appointments if their children have missed any immunisations. She added: 'The ongoing measles outbreak we are seeing is a reminder of the very present threat. 'While the majority of the country is protected, there are still high numbers of children in some areas that continue to be unprotected from preventable diseases. It is not just their own health that can suffer, but other unvaccinated people around them such as school friends, family and those in their community could also experience serious infections. 'Unless uptake improves we will start to see the diseases that these vaccines protect against re-emerging and causing more serious illness.' Doctors have called on ministers to plant more trees near homes and schools in a bid to ease pressure on the NHS and improve the nation's health. The Woodland Trust said GPs support its campaign to increase native tree cover in the UK and prioritise the environment ahead of a general election. A survey of 255 family doctors found three quarters (74 per cent) thought planting more trees and creating a more healthy natural environment for people could help reduce the financial burden on the NHS. The Woodland Trust said GPs support its campaign to increase native tree cover in the UK and prioritise the environment ahead of a general election And around the same number (77 per cent) backed bringing in prescribing time out in nature to help with health conditions and mental health issues. Some 94 per cent of those polled thought that planting hedges around urban schools to soak up pollution was needed to improve children's health and tackle conditions such as asthma. Furthermore, in the run-up to the general election, 96 per cent thought policymakers should make the environment a priority. Dr Darren Moorcroft, chief executive of the Woodland Trust, said politicians should heed the results. 'A startling 96 per cent of GPs who are on the frontline of healthcare in this country want environmental issues moved up the political agenda,' he said. 'They recognise the potentially life-giving benefits of a cleaner, greener world, ever more important due to the greater effects of climate change and want their patients to be able to access those benefits more easily.' He added: 'Woods and trees make us healthy and happy. 'They lock up carbon, fight the effects of climate change, improve our health and wellbeing and reduce pollution and flooding, protecting nature, people and our planet. 'This is why we are asking for people to support our climate campaign to plant more trees.' Dr David Wrigley, deputy chair of the British Medical Association's GP committee England, said: 'Our health and the environment are entwined in almost every way, and the potential benefits of more green spaces from both a mental and physical wellbeing perspective are yet to be realised. 'It's important that we ensure more people have equal access to these spaces and that we do everything we can to protect the future of our planet and its people.' Dame Esther Rantzen led a chorus of dismay after a much-anticipated report by MPs into assisted dying failed to deliver any clear-cut findings or proposals. The inquiry, carried out by by the Health and Social Care Committee, was set up to provide a basis for discussion into whether the law should be changed. But the committee stopped short of calling for a House of Commons debate, which would have allowed MPs to thrash out their differences on existing legislation before holding a vote. It instead recommended that the Government should consider how to respond if moves are made to bring assisted dying into law in parts of the UK. Although currently illegal here, multiple crown dependencies - including Jersey and the Isle of Man - have taken steps towards legalising it. Your browser does not support iframes. Dame Esther Rantzen, 83, who was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer last year, led a chorus of dismay after a much-anticipated report by MPs into assisted dying failed to deliver any clearcut findings or proposals It comes after broadcaster John Dimbleby said the UK's law against medically assisted death is 'increasingly unbearable' in the wake of his brother's death Meanwhile, the committee did call on the Government to ensure universal access to palliative care for the terminally ill, having heard evidence of patchy end-of-life provisions. Dame Esther, who has stage four lung cancer and has signed up for the Dignitas assisting dying clinic in Switzerland, branded the report profoundly disappointing. She said: Many of us feel it is time this country caught up with the best practices abroad and the only way to achieve that is for a proper debate in Parliament with a free vote at the end of it. I am profoundly disappointed that this report - which many of us have been waiting for - does not come up with that recommendation. I am afraid in many ways it was a wasted opportunity. READ MORE: I helped my motor neurone disease-stricken husband travel to Dignitas - it's what he wanted Ilana Richardson, 78, booked flights to Switzerland for her husband Crispin Ellison, 69, following a prolonged battle with motor neurone disease Advertisement If they had said we urgently need a Parliamentary debate and a free vote, that could perhaps have fitted into my own timescale, but it doesnt. Dame Esthers remarks were echoed by campaigners for a change to the law, who warned prospective MPs to listen to the public mood. Sarah Wootton, Chief Executive of Dignity in Dying, said: Assisted dying will be a key issue for candidates going into the General Election. The next generation of MPs must listen to the public mood and finally break the deadlock on assisted dying. If MPs take just one thing from the mountains of evidence heard in this inquiry, its that the current law on assisted dying is unsafe and woefully inadequate. Maintaining the status quo in the face of so much obvious, devastating harm - while assisted dying laws continue to work safely overseas - is the most dangerous decision that Westminster could make. Under the law in England, Wales and Northern Ireland assisting suicide is punishable with up to 14 years in prison. There is no specific offence in Scotland. Meanwhile, camapigners opposed to relaxing the law on assisted suicide, criticised the MPs report on the grounds that it failed to come to a firm conclusion. Dr Gordon Macdonald, chief executive of Care Not Killing, said: At a time when we have seen how fragile our health care system is, how underfunding puts pressure on services, accessing specific treatments and when the UKs amazing hospice movement faces a 100 million funding crisis, MPs could have decided to firmly close the door on assisted suicide and euthanasia... They failed. The inquiry received more than 68,000 responses from members of the public, with more than 380 pieces of written evidence submitted, since its launch in December 2022. The committee said: The UK Government must consider how to respond to another jurisdiction in the UK, or the Crown Dependencies, legislating to allow Assisted Dying/Assisted Suicide (AD/AS), and how it may impact jurisdictions which do not allow it. Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. Following the recommendation by the Jersey Citizens Assembly, it looks increasingly likely that at least one jurisdiction among the UK and Crown Dependencies will allow AD/AS in the near future and ministers should be actively involved in discussions on how to approach the divergence in legislation. The Government must ensure universal coverage of palliative and end-of-life services, including hospice care at home. It is important that everyone is able to choose what type of support they need at the end of their life, and that their advanced care plan is honoured where possible. Number 10 has previously said it would be up to Parliament whether or not to again debate legalising assisted dying. Rishi Sunak said earlier this month a change in the law had to come from a free vote in Parliament, with the Government facilitating the result. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, who backed a change in the law in 2015, went further in December when he said a private members bill and a free vote seems appropriate. The report said there was a pressing need for better mental health support for terminally ill people, and recommended the Government commission research on the subject and report back to Parliament. MPs said there should be a national strategy for death literacy and support following a terminal diagnosis to help healthcare professionals to better support a dying person and their loved ones. Health and Social Care Committee chairman Steve Brine said: The inquiry on assisted dying and assisted suicide raised the most complex issues that we as a committee have faced, with strong feelings and opinions in the evidence we heard. We intend the information and testimony we present in our report today to have a lasting legacy and, as we set out in the initial terms of reference, be a significant and useful resource for future debates on the issue. That could still be during this Parliament of course or after the next general election. Calorie counts on menus should be compulsory for all restaurants, pubs and take-aways after research found the policy saves lives. The measure was introduced as part of the governments national obesity strategy but only applies to businesses that serve food with 250 or more employees. Now researchers say more than 9,000 heart disease-related deaths could be prevented if it was rolled out more widely. In the first estimates of the impact of current calorie labelling, scientists estimate it will save hundreds of lives by 2041. But if it is broadened out to all food outlets, this would have a significantly higher impact on cardiovascular deaths as well as reducing obesity rates. Martin O'Flaherty, professor in epidemiology at the University of Liverpool, said: Over one in four adults in England are currently living with obesity, with trends suggesting this is set to increase. As part of the governments national obesity strategy businesses that serve food with 250 or more employees have to show calories on their menu. But there are now calls for smaller cafes and restaurants to do the same Our research estimates that the current calorie labelling legislation will prevent hundreds of deaths from cardiovascular disease over the next 20 years; however, a much larger impact is possible if the Government were more ambitious in their aims to tackle the obesity epidemic in England and extended the policy to all out-of-home food businesses. The rise of eating out and take-aways are widely thought to be one of the key drivers of the nations bulging waistline. Experts suggest putting calorie counts on menus can help diners make healthier choices when eating food not prepared by themselves. The legislation, which applies to about 18 per cent of food businesses, was introduced in April 2022 but campaigners believe it should be expanded for maximum public health benefits. The study, led by the University of Liverpool, found that without any menu calorie labelling policy an estimated 830,000 deaths associated with cardiovascular disease would occur by 2041. Modelling suggests that under the current policy, around 730 deaths can be prevented over the next 20 years and reduce obesity prevalence in England by 0.31 per cent. If it was extended to all food businesses in England, then about 9,200 deaths could be prevented - almost 13 times more and cut obesity by 2.64 per cent researchers said. Dr Zoe Colombet, Lecturer in Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Liverpool, said: Our results suggest expanding calorie labelling on menus to all English out-of-home food businesses could play an important part in future government strategies to support people in making healthier choices to tackle obesity. 'However, one policy alone cannot solve England's obesity crisis. We encourage the Government to continue with, and strengthen, the England obesity strategy with a wide range of policies, such as calorie labelling, tackling junk food marketing, and the soft drinks industry levy, which will both reduce obesity and narrow the shocking health inequalities gap in our society. Euthanasia, or medically assisted death, is currently illegal in both the UK and the wider British Isles. Though that may soon change. Currently any medic or person who performs euthanasia can face prosecution for manslaughter or murder. Even helping a terminally ill person take their own life, called assisted suicide, is an offence in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and punishable by up to 14 years in prison. While no specific law on assisted suicide exists in Scotland, helping someone end their own life could lead to a prosecution for culpable homicide in circumstances where a court determines a person's death was not entirely voluntary. Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. In theory, such laws also apply to Brits specifically helping their loved ones seek a medically assisted death overseas in countries such as Switzerland. Scottish courts have said helping and accompanying someone seeking a medically-assisted death in a country like Switzerland would not normally attract prosecution. Those who go, or plan to go, to clinics like Dignitas alone would not be breaking any laws. The Crown Prosecution Service investigated 182 cases of assisted suicides between April 2009 and March 2023, the latest data available. It is not known where they took place, however. READ MORE: Dame Esther Rantzen calls for vote to make assisted dying legal in UK after 'profoundly disappointing' MP report which stopped short of demanding a debate on contentious topic Dame Esther Rantzen, 83, was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer last year, and has since revealed she has joined the assisted-dying clinic Dignitas in Switzerland Advertisement Four were successfully prosecuted. Another was charged but acquitted, and eight were escalated to homicide or other serious crime. Another four are ongoing. It should be noted the offence of assisting suicide is not specific to medical cases. Recorded offences may also include attempts to bully or pressure healthy people into killing themselves. Figures from Dignitas have recorded over 400 Brits dying via its service since 2009. Some form of assisted dying or assisted suicide is legal in at least 27 jurisdictions worldwide. And Scotland could be first UK nation to join them. A member's bill on medically assisted death is expected to be debated in Holyrood next year. Any draft bill would need to be scrutinised by Scotland's health committee, before being debated for the first time and put to a vote. So, even with majority support, the law would not change overnight. Other places in the British Isles, though not part of the UK, are also seeking their own change of law. The Isle of Man is currently debating proposals on assisted dying. Its legislature, the Tynwald, is due to produce a report imminently. If legalised, only those with six months to live would be allowed to do so. They must have also lived there for at least a year. Jersey, the largest of the Channel Islands, passed an in principle decision in 2021 to legalise assisted dying, with subsequent consultations taking place. The process will see politicians debate how to implement a law later this year. If the assembly approves the policy proposals, it would see them draft a law a process that would take between 12 to 18 months. Once a draft law is approved, there would be another 18-month implementation period before it takes effect. Proposals would allow those with a terminal illness or experiencing unbearable suffering to end their life. It will require people to have been ordinarily a resident in Jersey for at least 12 months to be eligible. Among all the states to have legalised assisted dying, Canada has adopted the most radical approach. It has been cited by those against changing the law as an example of how it could become a 'slippery slope' with the new eligibility criteria added at a later date. Canada decriminalised assisted dying in 2016 following a ruling by its Supreme Court. It now allows assisted dying for those with a terminal illness or those experiencing 'intolerable suffering' the Canadian Government describes it as 'suffering that cannot be alleviated under conditions the person considers acceptable'. The law was expanded in 2021 on constitutional grounds because it only applied to those whose deaths were 'reasonably foreseeable', making those with 'grievous and irremediable' conditions eligible. Canada's law around medically assisted dying is one of the most liberal in the world. In 2022 alone, more than 13,000 Canadians were euthanised as part of the programme Provisions to expand the law again to include those suffering from a mental illness are due to be considered by March 2027. Monitoring data on the number of people opting to use assisted dying laws shows a steady increase over the four years it has been published. There were 13,241 assisted deaths in Canada, in 2022, accounting for 4.1 per cent of all deaths. The figure represented a 31.2 per cent increase on 2021. The Health and Social Care Committee's report remarked that Canada was often cited by those worried that a change in the law could see a series of gradual adjustments. The MPs said: 'Individuals from both groups frequently pointed to jurisdictions where AD/AS [Assisted Dying/Assisted Suicide] is permitted to support their viewpoints. 'Many respondents who agree with the current law were concerned that, if the law was changed to permit AD/AS it would be a 'slippery slope': eligibility criteria would be expanded over time and intended safeguards would not protect vulnerable groups. 'Canada was the most frequently cited jurisdiction by this group.' The report also heard evidence from ethics experts who voiced concern over the model in practice in Canada. Dr Lydia Dugdale, director at the Centre for Clinical Medical Ethics at Columbia Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, told the committee: 'As soon as [AD/AS] is legalised it expands. The language shifts; it goes from 'guardrails' to 'lack of access'. That is very pernicious. Guardrails are there to protect society more broadly and to keep us from becoming a death inducing state.' Canada decriminalised assisted dying in 2016 following a ruling by its Supreme Court (Stock Image) Professor James Downar, Head of the Division of Palliative Care at the University of Ottawa, argued the opposite, that extension of eligibility did not necessarily represent a liberalisation. He told the committee: 'We have a system that started off in response to the typical more exceptional cases of suffering, where there was a perceived need to allow euthanasia and assisted suicide in the case of a person with a degenerative disease approaching their natural death.' Canada was previously at the centre of a controversial episode after one of its Paralympians claimed she was offered euthanasia having enquired about a disabled wheelchair ramp. Christine Gauthier, who served 10 years in the Canadian armed forces and represented her country in the 2016 Paralympic Games, was told she had the 'right to die' by a caseworker from Veterans Affairs Canada The comment came after the government employee called Ms Gauthier to 'make a point of where we're at [with the lift]'. Ms Gauthier said of the conversation: 'I said, I just can't keep going like this. I can't keep living like this. Like, this has to be done. This has to be resolved.' 'And the person stated, "You know, Madame Gauthier, if you really feel you can't go on like this, if you feel that you can't do it anymore, you know, you have the right to die?"' A Texas mother was shocked to find that doctors would not give her son a surgery to remove his appendix until her husband forked over more than $1,000. Dr Emily Porter, a sexual health and wellness physician in Austin, Texas, said that her second-grader developed appendicitis overnight and had to be rushed into emergency surgery. Despite her son being in critical condition, the hospital required a pre-payment of $1,463.93 without offering an explanation about how administrators arrived at that figure. Typically, Dr Porters copay from emergency care is only $250. The pre-emptive payment demand by the hospital is believed by Dr Porter and others to be a violation of EMTALA. This law says anyone who goes to the emergency department must be stabilized by doctors regardless of their insurance status -and then billed after. Dr Emily Porter of Austin, Texas, said her husband had no other option but to pay the hospital up front in order to get his son much-needed emergency surgery Dr Porter said she believes this to be a violation of a federal law that requires emergency departments to stabilize patients regardless of whether they have insurance to foot some or all of the bill Dr Porter said: How come when you ask what something is going to cost so you can plan/price shop, no one seems to know but somehow they could come up with this on the fly before the surgery ever even happened and without an itemized explanation of benefits? She added that she wasnt the one to take her son to the hospital, her husband was. He was not given an option and, because his child was in need of surgery, did not want to delay the process further and paid the sizeable sum. Patients without a true emergency who go into the ED are required to pay an up-front fee of $150. However, under EMTALA or the Emergency Treatment and Labor Act, hospitals cannot demand payment before stabilizing someone in a medical emergency. And appendicitis is a medical emergency. Dr Porter said: Seems like an EMTALA violation at worst and tacky as hell to do to a parent of an acutely ill child at best. I think I will raise hell so it doesnt happen to the next person. It is not clear which hospital Dr Porters child was admitted to, but there are about 50 in the city. Hospitals that violate EMTALA run the risk of paying tens of thousands in penalties and even losing their contracts for federal funding Most hospitals in the country receive some amount of government funding, but some are private and not covered under EMTALA. If Dr Porters son went to a private hospital, that could explain the charge, though it is far more normal to pay after discharge. Violating EMTALA puts government funding in jeopardy. If the hospital is, in fact, found to have violated the law, it could face financial penalties of up to $100,000 and could open itself up to a civil lawsuit. Hospitals violating the law could also lose their Medicare and Medicaid provider agreements. Last year, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced that it was investigating two hospitals for allegedly violating the law after they did not offer necessary stabilizing care to an individual experiencing a medical emergency. The National Womens Law Center filed the initial EMTALA complaint on behalf of Mylissa Farmer, named Freeman Hospital West of Joplin, Missouri, and the University of Kansas Health System in Kansas City, Kansas. The staff there refused to perform a life-saving abortion at 18 weeks despite the risk that Ms Farmer could have contracted an infection, hemorrhaged, and potentially died because that care would have constituted an abortion. The Biden administration has said repeatedly that EMTALA language includes allowances for an emergency abortion to be performed in the event that the mothers life is in jeopardy. However, hospitals in many red states hesitate to do them for fear of legal and financial penalties. President Joe Biden's annual physical revealed 'no new concerns' - but it shed more light on several health conditions suffered by the 81-year-old. Dr Kevin O'Connor said the 'most notable' change in the past year concerned Biden's sleep apnea - a disorder the President has had for 16 years and which is associated with an increased risk of dementia. The White House doctor said that last spring Biden began using of a mask that delivers pressurized air into the nose and mouth to make sure he breathes properly when he sleeps. 'We revisited the issue this past spring, and conducted a formal sleep study,' Dr O'Connor wrote in his summary. 'This study confirmed my suspicion that the President would benefit from optimizing his sleep efficiency with PAP [breathing device].' It has been well documented since 2008 that the president suffers from the condition, but the notes indicate there were signs it may get worse. Last year, Biden was pictured with marks on his face, which the White House later said were from a CPAP machine being used to manage his condition. More than 30million Americans are diagnosed with sleep apnea, which sees sufferers snore, choke, and gasp 20 to 30 times every hour in the night. And the older a person is, the more severe the effects of the disorder may be. A 2022 study found patients with sleep apnea had a 43 percent increased risk of developing any type of neurocognitive disorder, a 28 percent increased risk of Alzheimer's disease and a 54 percent increased risk of Parkinson's disease. Doctors say the link with dementia was likely to be caused by the brain being starved of oxygen during sleep, which can damage blood vessels and disrupt the balance of an enzyme which helps regulate the protein which causes plaque. Dr O'Connor said the White House medical team experimented with several different types of masks before finding one comfortable enough for Biden to wear throughout the night. Biden, 81, is 'active and robust' and 'fit to serve,' his doctors say in physical results President Joe Biden's 2024 physical remained largely unchanged from last year, with his White House doctor saying there are 'no new concerns' and labeling the 81-year-old 'fit to serve.' Advertisement 'Most people do experience some difficulties getting used to falling asleep while wearing a mask on their face, as well as with keeping it on throughout the night,' the notes say. 'This is reasonably anticipated and, in fact, should be expected. The president had a very similar experience. But with trials of several different masks, we have been able to identify a couple of products which fit him very comfortably and effectively.' Dr O'Connor wrote in his medical summary that the president's sleep apnea condition is 'stable' and he 'has demonstrated excellent response to PAP and is diligently compliant with therapy.' The physician added: 'He continues to be fit for duty and fully executes all of his responsibilities without any exemptions or accommodations.' Another significant health development over the last year, Dr O'Connor wrote, was a dental emergency the President suffered that caused him to undergo an urgent root canal in June. The doctor said there were no complications and Biden - who is known for his love of ice cream - recovered well. Biden's routine physical included consultations with doctors specializing in optometry, dentistry, orthopedics, neurology, physical therapy, cardiology and dermatology. The White House confirmed the president did not undergo any cognitive tests. However, he did undergo 'an extremely detailed neurological exam' that ruled out 'stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's or ascending lateral sclerosis.' Neurological exams include CT scans and MRIs of brain, conduction studies to test nerves, and electroencephalography (EEG) or electromyography (EMG) to measure brain activity and nerve function. Cognitive tests measure cognition and brain function and processing. They include: number and word recall tests, drawing tests, tests that measure attention, language and reasoning and questionnaires. Biden was photographed last year with a mark on his face that was later revealed to have been caused by wearing a mask to treat his sleep apnea Marine One is seen landing at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, as President Joe Biden arrived for his physical Wednesday DailyMail.com revealed earlier this month the cognitive test Biden could have to take if his doctor deemed it necessary. In addition to sleep apnea, the physical revealed Biden has an irregular heartbeat, or atrial fibrillation, which causes an irregular and often unusually fast heartbeat and drastically raises the risk of a stroke. The President has suffered from the condition since 2003. He takes the blood thinner apixaban, brand name Eliquis, to treat the heart condition. Heart arrhythmia can cause a variety of serious heart health complications including blood clots. If a blood clot breaks loose, it can travel directly from the heart to the brain, which can cause a stroke - which is why people with irregular heartbeats are at up to a five times greater risk of one. Biden also has high cholesterol, which is being managed with statin medication that should prevent the problem developing into hardened arteries or something more serious. The other conditions noted in his physical have all previously been documented. They include acid reflux, season allergies, a stiffened gait and nerve damage in his feet. Dr O'Connor noted all of these were 'stable' with no change from last examination. For his various conditions, the president takes the blood thinner Apixaban, Rosuvastatin to lower cholesterol, nasal sprays for allergies, famotidine for his acid reflux and esomeprazole for heartburn. These drugs can lead to adverse side effects, including confusion, dizziness, headaches, anxiety, agitation and drowsiness. The TV chef passed away yesterday with his family and friends by his side Hairy Bikers star Dave Myers has died at the age of 66, his heartbroken co-star Si King revealed today. The TV chef had announced he was receiving treatment for cancer in May 2022, but never specified which type. Announcing his death on social media, King said he passed away yesterday with his family and friends by his side. King said he 'will miss him every day and the bond and friendship we shared over half a lifetime'. Here MailOnline details his health history. Hairy Bikers star Dave Myers (right) has died at the age of 66, his heartbroken co-star Si King (left) revealed today. The TV chef had announced he was receiving treatment for cancer in May 2022, but never specified which type Announcing his death on social media, King said he passed away yesterday with his family and friends by his side. Pictured, Dave with his wife, Liliana Orzac, who he met while filming the series in Romania. They married in 2011 King said he 'will miss him every day and the bond and friendship we shared over half a lifetime' Benign arachnoid cyst In 1998 Myers was diagnosed with a cyst on his brain after suffering migraines and memory loss. In a candid 2018 interview with the Belfast Telegraph, Myers told how that year was the 'worst' of his life, after he lost his fiancee to cancer just months earlier. Scans revealed a shadow on his brain and Myers was later diagnosed with a benign arachnoid cyst. 'After what had happened to her (his fiancee), I was convinced I was going to die', he said. Emergency surgery successfully drained the cyst. He added: 'Weirdly, the operation had an amazing beneficial effect on my hair. 'Id suffered alopecia since the age of eight and always been bald, but after that my hair grew.' Arachnoid cysts the most common type of brain cyst are thought to affect around 0.5 per cent of the population. It is a fluid-filled sac that is often caused by a split in the arachnoid membrane, the tissue that surrounds and protects the brain. Glaucoma Myers had also previously spoken about other health struggles, including discovering he had glaucoma in 2012 an eye condition that can lead to blindness. In the same 2018 interview, he revealed he had originally dismissed the condition as a bad hangover. He said: 'When my local optician told me during a check-up in 2012 she thought I might have glaucoma, I said: "I don't think so, I had a night out last night and I've probably just got a bad hangover".' Known as the 'silent thief of sight', the condition is usually caused by fluid slowly building up in the front part of the eye, which increases pressure inside it. As a result, the optic nerve, which connects the eye to the brain, becomes damaged. Around 700,000 people in the UK and more than 2million in the US are living with glaucoma, which is usually symptomless in its early stages. It mostly affects those in their seventies and over, but people of any age can get it. The condition is diagnosed by opticians during routine eye exams, which measure the pressure inside the eye. Treatment aims to lower this pressure through prescription eye drops, oral medicines, laser retreatment, surgery or combination of these options. Myers had also previously spoken about other health struggles, including discovering he had glaucoma in 2012 an eye condition that can lead to blindness. In the same 2018 interview, he revealed he had originally dismissed the condition as a bad hangover. Pictured, Myers on Strictly Come Dancing in 2013 with partner Karen Hauer Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall (C) and Hairy Bikers Dave Myers (L) and Si King (R) attend the British Food Fortnight Secondary School Competition at Clarence House, on January 27, 2011 Pre-diabetic Writing in the Daily Mail in 2020, Myers revealed a routine GP check up in 2009 found his blood sugar levels were 'far too high' and he was told he was pre-diabetic. He was prescribed metformin tablets and drugs to control his blood pressure and advised to lose some weight. In 2012, he was introduced to metabolic health expert Professor Roy Taylor from Newcastle University, while filming a new series of The Hairy Bikers. Professor Taylor's groundbreaking research has shown that rapid weight loss can help reverse diabetes. Myers wrote: 'Off camera one day, he quietly took me aside and told me if I lost weight I could reverse the pre-diabetic state, get off the drugs and effectively protect myself against getting full-blown diabetes. 'Just two months into the experiment, Roy advised me to stop taking my diabetes tablets and to come off my blood pressure pills because Id clearly lost enough weight that my organs were beginning to function normally again. 'That was a real thrill.' He added: 'Roys diagnosis was confirmed at a check-up six months after I started losing weight, when tests showed my blood sugar levels were smackbang in the normal category. 'Ive worked hard to maintain that weight loss and Ive had my blood sugar levels tested every six months for the past seven years and the results have remained normal.' Unspecified cancer Myers has never specified what type of cancer after announcing he was receiving chemotherapy treatment in May 2022. Following his diagnosis, Myers briefly took a break from work before filming his last Hairy Bikers series which sees him travel west across Britain from Scotland to Devon. During their Christmas special, which aired in December, he revealed chemo was 'debilitating'. 'The first lot of chemo was very, very destructive,' he said, recalling how he was told by an oncologist that he would be 'taken to the edge'. 'You don't realise what an impact it can have, the debilitating effects kick in quite quickly.' He added: 'By the second lot of chemo, my hair came out. It really is quite radical, it's not a gradual moulting, your hair, eyebrows, eyelashes, beard, everything just goes.' After his 37th round of chemotherapy, viewers also saw the emotional moment Dave got back on his bike for the first time. He had previously told how at times he was too ill to walk and unable to ride his motorcycle after his diagnosis. He and King were left in tears last year when he was able to ride again. Earlier this month, in the first episode of the eight-part series 'The Hairy Bikers Go West' he also shared that he was diagnosed with anorexia after losing so much weight during his cancer treatment. The ingredient found in serums and moisturiser is said to smooth wrinkles It's the miracle ingredient that promises to smooth wrinkles, enhance elasticity and boost hydration. But the benefits of hyaluronic acid found in many popular skincare products may be overstated, scientists say. It has previously been claimed that the ingredient, which absorbs moisture to form gels, can hold 1,000 times its weight in water. The benefits of hyaluronic acid may be overstated, scientists say. The ingredients is found in many products including anti-aging serum (pictured left) and moisturisers (pictured right). While it does improve skin hydration, reduce wrinkles and boost plumpness, new research shows hyaluronic acid traps drastically less water than previously claimed But while it does improve skin hydration, reduce wrinkles and boost plumpness, new research shows hyaluronic acid traps drastically less water than previously claimed. A team from the University of California, Riverside, carried out a series of tests to find out whether the statement was true. Researchers Scott Borchers and Michael Purring measured the molecule-binding properties of hyaluronic acid and water at a solution of 1g of hyaluronic acid to 1,000g of water. They then compared the results with thermal changes that take place within pure water during the same tests and found they were almost indistinguishable. No experimental evidence was found for any special ability of hyaluronic acid to bind water at the claimed level of a thousand times by weight, the researchers said. The origin of the fallacy that it binds water at that level can be traced to older literature that has been misunderstood for the meaning of binding, as compared to other physical properties such as hydrodynamics. Oliver Jones, from RMIT University in Melbourne Australia, told the New Scientist that while most chemists probably already suspected the claims were overstated, it is useful to explicitly correct customers who may be misled. In fact, previous studies have found the amount of water hyaluronic acid can trap is closer to 20 or 30 times its weight. Skincare products containing hyaluronic acid often claim to lock in hydration, making the skin bouncy and reducing fine lines and wrinkles. Hyaluronic occurs naturally in the body. It helps to retain moisture in the skin and eyes and lubricates the joints. It also plays a vital role in wound healing by controlling inflammation and redirecting blood flow to damaged tissue. Hyaluronic acid levels decrease as people age, and this may contribute to the appearance of wrinkles and conditions such as osteoarthritis. Critics urged MPs to vote to ditch what they called Rishi Sunak's 'vanity project' Britain should bin its 'absurd' smoking ban after New Zealand U-turned on its trail-blazing policy, experts said today. New Zealand was gearing up to progressively raise the legal age that people could purchase tobacco, in what would have been a world-first. Brought in under ex-Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, darling of the global left, the radical scheme would have prohibited children born after 2009 from ever legally being able to buy cigarettes. But the new PM Christopher Luxon, head of a newly elected Conservative coalition Government, has confirmed plans to formally repeal it next week. Now critics of Rishi Sunak's plan to bring in England's own generational smoking ban have urged MPs to ditch his 'vanity project'. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development 2023 health report showed 12.7 per cent of Brits over the age of 15 smoke cigarettes daily, higher than the US and New Zealand. The latter was set to implement its new smoking ban from July Critics of UK PM Rishi Sunak's plan to bring in England's own generational smoking ban have urged MPs to ditch his 'vanity project' in wake of New Zealand's abandonment of its policy Christopher Snowdon, head of lifestyle economics at conservative thinktank, the Institute of Economic Affairs, said it showed how foolhardy the UK's pursuit of a similar ban was. 'In New Zealand, the generational tobacco ban was an authoritarian remnant of Jacinda Ardern's left-wing government,' he said. 'The new government realised that prohibition doesn't work and rightly ditched it. 'The UK is now the only country in the world that takes this absurd idea seriously.' Mr Snowdon urged MPs to put a stop to what he called Mr Sunak's 'vanity project'. 'Mr Sunak is unlikely to be Prime Minister when the damage done by his prohibition starts to bite,' he said. HISTORY OF SMOKING POLICY IN THE UK 2004: Ireland bans smoking in enclosed public places, including pubs, clubs and restaurants 2006: Scotland implements smoking ban on indoor public spaces 2007: England, Wales and Northern Ireland bring in indoor ban. In England, smoking is banned in almost all enclosed public spaces and the NHS goes smoke-free. Legal age to buy cigarettes raised from 16 to 18 2008: Cigarette companies told to feature pictorial health warnings on packets 2010: Government announces it will enforce tobacco display ban and consider plain packaging for tobacco products 2015: Smoking in cars with children banned in England and ban on the display of tobacco in small shops comes into force throughout the UK 2017: Government issues target to reduce smoking prevalence among adults to 12 per cent or less by 2022 2019: Department of Health publishes plans to make England smoke-free by 2030 2020: Menthol cigarettes are banned in the UK and EU Advertisement 'Sensible MPs should take the opportunity of a free vote in Parliament and put a stop to his vanity project.' Maxwell Marlow, director of research at thinktank the Adam Smith Institute, added: 'New Zealand's world-first smoking ban should have only ever been the world's last smoking ban at most. 'It should come as no surprise that it's been repealed altogether. 'Completely aside from the infringement on our liberties that the UK's proposed generational ban represents, it is far more likely to increase, rather than reduce, public health harms, by driving smokers into the arms of criminals operating in the black market and their potentially far more dangerous products. 'New Zealand's Conservative government realised the errors of this approach; we must hope that it's only a matter of time before our own does the same.' Mr Sunak announced his bold plan to wipe out smoking in England at the Tory party conference in September last year. His proposal mirrored the Kiwis', a progressive raising on the legal age of purchase for tobacco products, so that person born after 2009, about 14 today, would never be able to legally buy cigarettes. The Government announcement that followed boasted how this would essentially eradicate smoking in young people in England by 2040. While celebrated by health charities, the policy was savagely criticised by thinktanks, as well as some within Mr Sunak's own party, as being a remarkably un-conservative and nanny-state attack on people's liberties. They also warned that it would only drive future smokers into the arms of the black market. Charities and experts said Mr Sunak's smoking ban will save tens of thousands of lives from preventable causes linked to smoking, such as cancer, heart attacks and strokes. Cancer Research UK's chief executive Michelle Mitchell said in November: 'Smoking rates fall when leaders take decisive action: that's why we support the UK Government's commitment to changing the age of sale of tobacco announced in the King's Speech today. 'The Government should move to bring this legislation before Parliament in early 2024, and we call on MPs from all parties to support it. 'I've never met anyone who wants their child to take up smoking. Cancer Research UK estimates that there are around 885,000 1624-year-olds smoking in the UK today.' The Government itself claims, if enacted, the phased ban will lead to 1.7million fewer people smoking by 2075 saving tens of thousands of lives, and avoiding avoid up to 115,000 cases of strokes, heart disease, lung cancer and other lung diseases. The new coalition government elected in October confirmed the repeal will happen on Tuesday as a matter of urgency, enabling it to scrap the law without seeking public comment, in line with previously announced plans. Pictured: New Zealand PM Christopher Luxon In further justifying the policy, the Government also wielded statistics claiming that smoking costs the economy 17billion a year through lost productivity and knock-on effects to the NHS. But one potential casualty of the policy is tobacco duties, which officials estimate will raise 10.4billion for the Treasury this year. That amount will inevitably decrease under the PM's plan. The phased smoking ban is part of the Government's efforts to make England 'smoke free' by 2030 defined as less than 5 per cent of the adult population smoking. How dangerous is smoking for the heart? How does tobacco damage the heart? Tobacco smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals, including tar and others that can narrow arteries and damage blood vessels. While nicotine - a highly addictive toxin found in tobacco - is heavily linked with dangerous increases in heart rate and blood pressure. Smoking also unleashes poisonous gases such as carbon monoxide, which replaces oxygen in the blood - reducing the availability of oxygen for the heart. How many people does smoking kill? Smoking is known to kill more than seven million people across the world each year, including 890,000 from breathing in second-hand smoke. But many people are unaware that nearly half of those deaths, around three million, are due to heart disease, including heart attacks and strokes. Advertisement It was originally touted in a major 2022 review led by Dr Javed Khan to reduce smoking in England but was met with a lukewarm reception. New Zealand's Associate Health Minister Casey Costello said the new coalition government was still committed to reducing smoking in New Zealand. But she added it was taking a different regulatory approach. 'I will soon be taking a package of measures to cabinet to increase the tools available to help people quit smoking,' she said. The decision has been heavily criticised over its likely impact on health outcomes in New Zealand, and has also drawn flak over fears it could have a greater impact on Maori and Pasifika populations, groups with higher smoking rates. Smoking is well established as increasing the risk of several serious lung conditions as well as diseases like cancer. The habit is linked to 64,000 deaths in the UK each year. On cancer specifically cancer accounts for a quarter of total deaths from the disease, and 70 per cent of all lung cancer cases. Smoking's impact on the cardiovascular system also increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes. The latest data from the Office for National Statistics show traditional smoking is already on the decline in the UK. It found just 12.9 per cent of adults, around 6.4million people, smoked cigarettes in 2022. This is the lowest proportion of the adult population since records began in 2011. People aged 25 to 34 years were the most likely to be smokers last year at 16.3 per cent with Brits aged 65 years and over the least at just 8.3 per cent. Historically, overall smoking rates in the UK are far lower than their peak in the 70s when about two in five adults were smokers. An elementary school in Alabama has been forced to close after nearly 800 children and half of its staff called in sick with a mystery stomach bug. Fairhope West Elementary which is the third largest primary in the county has closed for the rest of the week while it undergoes a deep clean. Worried parents some filmed wearing face masks told reporters the situation was 'very alarming' and that they had 'never experienced' this situation before. State health officials are now investigating the outbreak but believe it is most likely caused by norovirus, a common stomach bug that is surging in the US. Phillis Spencer, who has grandchildren at the school, said the situation was 'very alarming' Fairhope West Elementary (pictured) is closed today and tomorrow for deep cleaning as officials attempt to get on top of the outbreak This virus is highly contagious, and easily spread by contact with feces-contaminated surfaces such as door handles and screens. Patients suffer symptoms including nausea, vomiting and diarrhea for a day or two before symptoms subside. Baldwin County Schools, which runs the elementary, said not all the students and staff away from their desks were actually sick with many staying home to avoid catching the virus. Testing is now being carried out by the Alabama Department of Health, with swabs distributed to patients. Results are expected to be reported within the next few weeks. A nearby school, Fairhope East Elementary, has also said it is recording a surge in norovirus cases with the principal saying she is 'monitoring the situation'. Nationwide, at least two other schools have had to close because of norovirus outbreaks including in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Last month, two schools in Dallas, Texas, also had to close because of a gastrointestinal illness. Diego Moreno, whose son goes to Fairhope West Elementary which goes up to sixth grade or 12 years old told reporters he had to take his son to the hospital. 'Yesterday, our son have a vomiting during four or five times in the night, all the night. 'And today, we are going to the hospital and they told for us that a lot of kids is sick right now.' Philis Spencer, whose grandchildren are at the school, also told reporters: '[This is] very alarming, very alarming. Diego Moreno, who has a son at the school, said his child had been up vomiting four or five times during the night and that they took him to hospital Officials at the school believe the outbreak is being caused by norovirus 'I've never experienced this in all the years that I've had my own children and these grandchildren so... very alarming indeed.' She was also filmed wearing a face mask as she rushed to the school to collect the youngsters. Norovirus cases are surging nationwide, with 12 percent of swabs now detecting the virus compared to nine percent in November. Cases are rising fastest in the South, where the percentage of swabs detecting the virus is nearly 10 percent compared to seven percent last month. And in the North East, where nearly 14 percent of tests in the region came back positive for norovirus at the start of February up from around 4 percent in November before the outbreak started. This data is based on swabs conducted on people in hospitals. The above shows how infections are rising rapidly in the southern United States, although they are still below the levels they were last year The above graph shows the number of norovirus outbreaks recorded in the US this year (red line) compared to the last three years (blue-shaded area) Dr Andrea Garcia, a gastrointestinal diseases expert at the Americal Medical Association, said yesterday: 'Nationally, norovirus positivity rates have really been hovering around 10 percent to 12.5 percent since early January. 'Those cases do occur most frequently in colder months so late fall, winter and then early spring.' Baldwin County Schools Superintendent Eddie Tyler said in a message to parents: 'Due to the amount of staff and students who are absent, the number who are experiencing symptoms, and in an effort to help contain the contagion, we unfortunately need to shut the building down. 'While out, we will be conducting a deep cleaning of the school so when students return next week, it will be sanitized to the fullest extent. 'We understand the inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your understanding. Please take care of yourself and your families.' Kerstens Lists: A Saviour In The Depths of Hell, by Francois Kersaudy (Headline 25, 416pp) On February 3, 1945, Heinrich Himmlers enormous, bear-like masseur, Felix Kersten, sent his secretary Frau Wacker to Himmlers headquarters north of Berlin with an urgent message: please could the SS chief Himmler be good enough to sign a stay of execution for the dissident Major Theodor Steltzer, who was due to be executed in prison the following morning? Steltzer had been sentenced to death for his part in the July plot to kill Hitler, and Kersten had received an urgent appeal from a Lutheran bishop to do what he could to save him. Expecting to be shot in handcuffs, Steltzer was astonished when the prison doctor appeared and removed them from his wrists. He had no idea to whom he owed his good fortune. A month later, Kersten came to Germany in person to ask Himmler for Stelzers release from prison. Himmler agreed to his request, saying: One life more or less makes no difference. Heinrich Himmler, the architect of the Holocaust, had crippling stomach cramps in 1939 - and was dazzled by the effectiveness of Felix Kerstens Tibetan-style massage treatment What a chilling remark from the architect of the Holocaust, who by then had the death of six million Jews on his conscience. In Kersaudys extraordinary and gripping account of the relationship between Himmler and his indispensable masseur, were given a close-up look at how the mind of a Nazi Holocaust-perpetrator worked. The fanatical anti-Semite Himmler was in overall charge of mass murder on an industrial scale as the chief organiser of the Final Solution after the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich, he inspected the facilities at Auschwitz on July 17, 1942, and witnessed the gassing of 449 Jews freshly arrived from Holland, just to check that the machinery of murder was properly up and running. But he also fancied himself as a kind, considerate, noble humanitarian, amenable to signing release forms for individuals at the behest of his marvellous masseur Kersten, whom he nicknamed the Magic Buddha magic for his ability to cure pain with the pressure of his deft fingers; Buddha for his enormous weight: Kersten ate marmalade directly from the bowl, devoured cakes, and crushed any small chair he sat down on. Clearly, one life more or less made no difference to Himmler; but to Theodor Steltzer, and each and every one of the countless other prisoners who were released from Nazi prisons and concentration camps between 1940 and 1945 thanks to Kerstens extraordinarily persuasive influence over his puny patient, the saving of one life was a miraculous deliverance from hell. After the war, among masseuse Felix Kerstens starry clientele was the actress Greta Garbo And, like Steltzer, most of the released prisoners had no idea that they owed their freedom to the gentle persuasion of Himmler by his masseur. Himmler first met the sought-after Estonian-born massage genius in 1939, when he urgently needed treatment for crippling stomach cramps. He was dazzled by the effectiveness of Kerstens Tibetan-style treatment and demanded his presence by his side from that moment on. Kersten wanted to get away, but Himmler blackmailed him, saying he had information about his in-laws which could prove dangerous. So, to protect his family, Kersten had no choice but to accept the role of Himmlers masseur, even submitting to living on the SS leaders special train near the Eastern Front while he was stationed there. Physical therapist Felix Kersten used his influence with the Nazi high command to save 100,000 lives - manipulating the fact that when in pain, Himmler was putty in his hands He developed a quietly brilliant scheme. While pummelling away at Himmlers aching body, he would say things like: I have a list of 12 Dutch prisoners, six Frenchmen and three French women . . . I appeal to your humanitarian compassion and your Germanic sense of equity . . . would you be kind enough to sign their release warrant? Amazingly, more often than not, Himmler agreed to do so. When Kersten was massaging him, he turned to putty in his hands, so grateful was he for being released from his agony. Kersten was brilliant at appealing to his kindness and humanity. Heinrich Himmler (right) with his trusted masseur Felix Kersten (centre) in 1944 Kersaud emphasises that the prisoners Himmler agreed to release were political ones, not Jews. For Jews, Himmler (like Hitler) retained a fanatical disdain. To his warped mind, the Jews were the dregs of mankind. As Kersten knew to the bottom of his heart, one life more or less did make a difference. He worked tirelessly, subtly and selflessly through his tyrannical patient to ensure the release of as many prisoners as he could. What he dreaded was Himmler feeling well, because when he wasnt in agony, he didnt need a massage, so Kerstens hold over him was temporarily halted. But, thankfully, Himmlers stomach cramps kept returning. Kersten sometimes blackmailed him in return, one day saying that if he returned without his Dutch friend the antiquarian and auctioneer Charles Bignell being freed from prison, my morale would be so affected that my treatments would be ineffectual'. And Himmler meekly complied. Gradually, Kersten grew more daring in his requests. The jacket of this book says: The story of Felix Kersten, Himmlers doctor, who saved more than 100,000 lives. What he dreaded was Himmler feeling well, because when he wasnt in agony, he didnt need a massage, so Kerstens hold over him was temporarily halted It could be even more. During one treatment, for example, Himmler mentioned that Germany was thinking of ordering Finland to surrender all of its Jews in return for being given enough grain by Germany. Kersten gently persuaded him against that course of action. So the plan was dropped and thousands of lives were saved. Later, when Germany was losing the war, Himmler mentioned to Kersten Hitlers plan to blow up all the concentration camps when the Allies were within 8km of each one. Luckily, as that plan was being developed, Himmler went down with terrible flu, severe stomach cramps and a near-nervous breakdown. While massaging him, Kersten asked him not to pass on Hitlers order for this dastardly plan which would have killed hundreds of thousands of concentration camp inmates. Head of the SS, Heinrich Himmler (to the left of Hitler), in 1939 Pathetically cowardly Himmler was terrified of annoying Hitler, whom he both worshipped and feared. He said to Kersten that he didnt want the traitors to the great Germanic cause (as he called the Jews) emerging victorious. They wont live to see that day. Theyll croak with us. But, thanks to Kersten having a few middle-of-the-night urgent conversations with key people in Himmlers entourage, he was persuaded not to pass on Hitlers order. In conjunction with the Swedish diplomat Folke Bernadotte, Kersten organised the mass evacuation of 20,000 concentration camp prisoners to Sweden on buses in 1945 an impressive rescue operation. After the war, Bernadotte wrote a memoir in which he took all the credit for that operation. It wasnt till Hugh Trevor-Roper wrote an article for the Atlantic Monthly in 1953, saying that Kersten should be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, that Kerstens life-saving deeds were noted. Granted Swedish citizenship in 1953, Kersten grew his massage practice in Stockholm and Paris where he treated Greta Garbo, among other celebrities. By which time Himmler was long dead. Cowardly to the last, he took cyanide on the day he was captured by the Allies while trying to escape into hiding. Two years ago novelist Lesley Pearse stood in the lobby of the Haymarket Hotel in London, heart hammering, as a middle-aged man approached her. The concierge saw me hugging the man, then crying, recalls Pearse, 79. Later he asked, What was going on? I said, Ill tell you tomorrow. But the next day he wasnt on duty. She chuckles. Hes probably still waiting to find out. What the concierge witnessed was more extraordinary than any plot twist in Pearses novels, which have sold more than ten million copies worldwide. The man was Pearses long-lost son, whom shed last seen as a baby 57 years previously. Aged 19, shed given birth to him, having been abandoned by the (married) man who had seduced her when she was a virgin. Estranged from her family, Pearse was living in a mother-and-baby home in North London. With no one to help with childcare so she could work, Pearse had been warned that raising a baby would be impossible. Yet she was determined to keep her son, whom she named Warren. The night before Warren's adoption, 1964 For the first three months, she became a live-in housekeeper for an elderly couple, but they treated her cruelly, accused her of being a whore, refused to pay her wages and eventually threw her out. She was taken in by a friend but, as she was receiving only 4 a week of social security money, couldnt offer anything towards rent. After a month, she approached an adoption society to give her son to a family who could provide for him. Within weeks, Pearse was told a family had been found. She was given no further information. Later, shed learn it was a military family. The short time we had left together was like the days before an execution; I couldnt stop crying, she says. I was still breastfeeding. I had to get him on to a bottle fast, but he didnt like it and screamed continuously. On the day, Warren was whisked away by a social worker at the adoption society offices. The door was shut in Pearses face, as she kicked and screamed at it. I went home to the carrycot with the little dent where his head had been, and his hairs were still on the sheet. I was in torment. She rapidly met and married a kind man, got pregnant again, lost that baby and walked out on her husband afterwards. Under different circumstances that marriage might have lasted, but I was too screwed up, she says. The time we had left together was like the days before an execution Pearse married and divorced twice more, had three daughters (and later two grandchildren), and worked in every sort of job from telesales to Playboy Bunny. Ive had more fun at a bus stop, she says of the latter, which turned out to involve waiting not on film stars but on northern businessmen in London on a jolly. Yet she never stopped thinking about Warren, marking his every birthday with tears. That was always a day I had to get through, she says. His 18th was the worst. As hed been adopted by an army family, I worried that hed join up and be sent to Northern Ireland. I just hoped one day hed try to find me. Pearse is talking to me from her colourful home in Torquay, Devon. Shes contentedly single, hugely positive, and clearly reluctant to dwell on those many tough times documented in her recently published memoir The Long and Winding Road. People always said, You should write your life story, but I didnt want it to be a misery memoir; I despise those, she says. I was always a fan of Catherine Cookson, but then I read her autobiography about her mothers drunkenness. Lesley reunited with son Martin in 2022 I thought, Oh, come on! You ended up in a nice house and as one of the most successful writers in the world. Lets get beyond that! Pearse was born in Rochester, Kent. When she was three years old, her mother died of septicaemia following a miscarriage. Pearses Royal Marine father was away and the mother lay dead for three days before neighbours spotted Pearse and her brother Michael, five, in the snow with no coats. I always think how alone my mother must have felt. She was a nurse, she would have realised how serious things were, but in those days we had no phone. We must have been so hungry and cold with no heating. With their father unable to quit work, she and Michael were placed in separate Catholic orphanages: hers was in London, Michaels was in Gloucestershire. The nuns were mainly kind to Pearse (older girls were treated much more harshly) but she still remembers the terrible cold and atrocious food. Wed have to stay in the refectory until we had eaten every last scrap. Even if it was congealed on the plate. After three years, their father remarried and the children came home. Pearse was thrilled but their stepmother was an unaffectionate, unkind woman, so she left home at 16 and from then barely communicated with her family. For years I was very hung up about my issues with my stepmother. She had this harsh attitude that you check out of home when youre 16 and fend for yourself. But Ive long got that out of my system. Ive realised she was responsible for me turning out as I am, she says with characteristic positivity. Pearse prefers to dwell on happy times, especially her life in London in the swinging 60s after her first marriage ended. It was the summer of love and we were part-time hippies. At the weekend, wed paint flowers on our faces and go out with bare feet. Her second husband John Pritchard (a tortured soul) was a trumpet player who performed with Steve Marriott from the Small Faces and toured with an up-and-coming musician called David Bowie. David was so fun. I remember him coming round once with two pineapples up his pink jumper because I was pregnant and had a craving for them. After marrying husband number three, lorry driver Nigel, Pearse started writing. She realised she had a talent for it because she had won prizes for sending funny letters to womens magazines. She finished her first novel, Georgia, over several years, while her children played around her feet and while running a gift shop in Bristol. She then spent another seven years finding a publisher. Just as Georgia came out in 1993, Pearses shop collapsed financially, leaving her bankrupt and suffering from depression. She divorced Nigel and moved into a grim flat in Bristol with her youngest daughter Jo, then aged 12. Still, she forced herself to keep writing. Success wasnt overnight, but her third novel, Charity about a woman giving up her son for adoption was a 1995 bestseller. She has gone on to publish 31 books. Pearse spent decades searching fruitlessly for Warren. (In 2010 she even wrote a piece in the Daily Mail about her quest to find him.) In 2022, while she was finishing her memoir, Pearse visited some cousins in Ireland. They told her Warren had contacted them after an online DNA test had revealed to him they were related. He wanted to meet his mother. The day before Id told my cousin I didnt believe in God any more, but I turned to her then and said, I believe in Him now! I was so excited I could have flown home without a plane. Pearse found her son had been renamed Martin and was a marine engineer, whod settled in Houston, Texas, for work. They spoke on the phone and shortly afterwards met in London. He still had exactly that same baby face. We couldnt stop giggling. I had so many questions about his life, but you couldnt ask them all, so we just sat there and looked at each other and grinned. She discovered she had three more grandchildren and a great-grandchild, all living amazingly in Kent, near Pearses birthplace. She has since visited Martin (it was hard to call him that to start with!) and his partner in the US and they call each other often. But Pearse knows better than to be too heavy handed. Every time you speak you try to cram in as much as you can, but you cant possibly fill in all the missing years. Im content to know he turned into a fine man, a son to be proud of. Lesleys autobiography The Long and Winding Road is published by Michael Joseph, 22. To order a copy for 18.70 until 17 March, go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3176 2937. Free UK delivery on orders over 25. A husband was left 'devastated' after his wife's life insurer knocked 23,000 off its payout when she died - and all because of an honest mistake that meant she underpaid her policy by 253, or just 1.98 a month. Major life insurer AIG only paid out the 23,000 after This is Money intervened, so the problem serves as a cautionary tale for policyholders to check their details carefully. Maggie Smith, a professional chef, died in September 2023 of motor neurone disease aged 57. Her husband Daniel Smith, an electrical engineer, had been her carer for four years. Mix-up: It's not clear how the wrong birthday was inputted, but it had huge financial ramifications Eleven years previous, she had spoken to an independent financial adviser who had sold her a life insurance policy with Aegis, which was later sold to Aviva and then ended up with AIG. The sum insured was 95,000 - meaning upon her death AIG was meant to pay that figure to her husband. In exchange, Maggie paid premiums of 11.67 a month, which she did faithfully for 11 years. But after her death AIG noticed a problem. Maggie's birthday was 16 June 1965, but the one recorded on her life insurance policy was 16 June 1967. No-one knows who made the honest mistake, perhaps one of the three life insurers involved with the policy, or the original IFA that sold it. There is no evidence the error was Maggie's fault. Her husband says it's extremely unlikely she would have made a mistake about her own birthday - especially as this information was originally taken down with a pen and paper by the IFA that sold her the policy. Sadly the original record of the policy has vanished, and the IFA left the industry to run a nail bar, so it is impossible to pin down the source of the error. But regardless of who made the mistake, serious consequences were soon faced. AIG said that Maggie should have been paying 1.98 extra a month if her birthday had been recorded correctly - 13.65 instead of 11.67. Over the life of her policy, that added up to a shortfall of 253. But that small underpayment meant AIG paid out 72,121.19 instead of 95,000, a reduction of 22,878.81. That came as a shock to Daniel, and caused him considerable upset. The point of the 95,000 payout was to fund his wife's share of the mortgage in the case of her death, and the missing 23,000 was a major shortfall. AIG's rationale was that it was only paying the amount it was meant to had Maggie's birthday been correct in the first place, and that the onus was on her to check her details were right. Daniel offered to pay AIG the missing 253, or even 2,500, if it would pay him the full 95,000, but the life insurer refused. With nowhere else to turn, Daniel approached This is Money to raise awareness of the issue and prevent others suffering in the way he had. A simple oversight when taking out insurance had led to a severe payment shortfall, and at a very sad time. Daniel wanted This is Money readers to be aware of the importance of double-checking all the information on their life insurance deals is correct. Daniel said: 'I should be grateful if you would remind your readers of the tragic consequences that can arise when a mistake - not necessarily that of the policyholder - is made, and lies undiscovered until a claim is made.' AIG has a change of heart... After This is Money raised the issue with AIG and asked the life insurer to reopen the case, it admitted it had made a mistake. AIG said it should have paid 81,219.78 - still short of the original 95,000. But in light of how the issue had affected Daniel, AIG agreed to pay him the full amount. Daniel said: 'I cannot express my appreciation of your help in achieving such a fantastic outcome. Thank you hardly seems sufficient.' An AIG spokesman said: 'We're pleased we've been able to resolve the matter for Mr Smith and we again offer our condolences to Maggie's husband at this difficult time. 'We pay 99 per cent of life insurance claims so it's always upsetting when we have to tell family members we can't pay the full amount. 'This only ever happens when the information we seek at claims stage reveals facts that would have changed how we insure the customer.' British business is backing the Mail's campaign for Jeremy Hunt to end the post code lottery in diagnosing a devastating bone disease affecting millions of women. Business in the Community (BITC), whose founding patron is King Charles, is one of the leading corporate groups to put its weight behind our campaign for the Chancellor to provide funds across the UK for early diagnosis. Support: Queen Camilla campaigned for years to raise awareness of osteoporosis - a condition which affected her mother Queen Camilla was for many years a tireless campaigner to raise awareness of osteoporosis after her mother died in 1994 as a result of the disease. Her Majesty has previously spoken of the 'horror' of seeing her mother, the Honourable Rosalind Shand, die a 'crippling, slow and agonising death' from osteoporosis, where bones lose density and sufferers are more vulnerable to fractures. Mary Macleod, Chief Executive of BITC, whose members include FTSE 100 giants such as Marks & Spencer, Legal & General and BP, said: 'Early diagnosis of health conditions such as osteoporosis, alongside support from employers, can enable more people to remain in the workforce longer and advance in their careers.' Companies who have signed up as members of BITC employ around 7million people or more than a fifth of the UK workforce. The Mail on Sunday wants the Chancellor to provide funding for Fracture Liaison Services in every NHS Trust in England and Wales. These offer an assessment for osteoporosis and a scan to anyone over 50 who turns up at A&E with a low-impact fracture, for instance from a fall from standing height. They therefore identify the disease early and can prevent painful and life-shortening fractures. Early diagnosis could keep women in the workforce The British Chamber of Commerce, the country's leading business organisation, said the campaign is 'important' and 'relevant' because employers are suffering staff shortages with 'over one million open job vacancies.' 'Early diagnosis will no doubt help get those affected back into work', a spokesman said. The group, led by Director General Shevaun Haviland, is a network of 50,000 businesses with six million staff. One of the UK's largest trades unions also lined up behind the campaign. Diagnose early: The Mail's campaign wants the Chancellor to provide funding for Fracture Liaison Services in every NHS Trust in England and Wales Wendy Bartlam, Head of Corporate Services at the GMB Union, which has 500,000 members, said: 'GMB supports the campaign so that workers with osteoporosis can get the healthcare they deserve.' Corporate Britain is being hit by high levels of 'economic inactivity' in the UK, which experts warn is harming the economy. Some nine million people do not appear on the jobless registers but have dropped out of the workforce, many of them due to health problems including osteoporosis. Fracture liaison services are present in 57 countries worldwide but in England and Wales they are only available in around half of NHS trusts. They are offered across the whole of Northern Ireland and Scotland. The Royal Osteoporosis Society estimates it will cost 30m a year to extend them throughout the UK. I wholeheartedly support the campaign. Retail, especially, relies on the tireless contribution of women and older colleagues Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium It argues this outlay would rapidly pay for itself in savings to the NHS on the cost of fractures in terms of hospital beds, emergency treatment and long term care for broken limbs. More support came from Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium. It represents 200 major store chains including Sainsbury's, Tesco and Boots, where many employees are female. 'I wholeheartedly support the campaign. Retail, especially, relies on the tireless contribution of women and older colleagues,' she said. 'An early diagnosis for osteoporosis can mean the difference between a life of chronic pain, and early treatment for a longer, happier life.' Kate Nicholls, Chief Executive of UK Hospitality, the association for more than 750 companies in the leisure industry, added: 'The health and wellbeing of our staff is so important. and that's why we support the campaign. 'Its call for every NHS Trust to have early diagnosis services for people living with osteoporosis would benefit thousands of over-50s and allow them to continue their lives and careers uninterrupted.' Kate Nicholls, Chief Executive of UK Hospitality, says early diagnosis for people living with osteoporosis would benefit thousands of over-50s, allowing them to continue their careers Craig Beaumont, Chief of External Affairs at the Federation of Small Businesses, representing 200,000 firms, said: 'Since COVID we have seen economic inactivity spike in those over 50 reporting long-term sickness.' He added that the government should be working with osteoporosis campaigners and the NHS to 'help people recover and take their rightful place in our economy and society'. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development also backs the campaign, as does Mumsnet, along with politicians from all three major parties in both the Lords and the Commons. This is an economic no-brainer, just as much as a medical one Craig Jones, Chief Executive, Royal Osteoporosis Society Osteoporosis is the fourth most harmful health condition in terms of disability and premature death in the UK, only surpassed by coronary heart disease, dementia and lung cancer. Calculations by experts at the Royal Osteoporosis Society show that a modest annual investment of 30million to extend Fracture Liaison Services would more than pay for itself, leading to an overall benefit of 440million in the first five years. Craig Jones, chief executive of the society, said that with universal early diagnosis, 'people's first fracture can be their last. This is an economic no-brainer, just as much as a medical one.' He added that rolling out fracture liaison services across England and Wales could prevent up to 750,000 out of 2.6m sick days caused by fractures every year. Sainsburys plans to axe 1,500 jobs in a mammoth 1billion cost-cutting drive. The countrys second-largest supermarket is simplifying operations as it woos shoppers back from discount rivals. The grocer, which also owns Argos, is looking to cut around 1,500 jobs across its warehouses, bakeries, call centres and human resources department In the bleak update, Sainsburys said the plans are still subject to a consultation, leaving staff facing an uncertain future. Last month, chief executive Simon Roberts announced a major overhaul of Sainsburys stores to win back shoppers from rivals Aldi and Lidl. Cuts: Sainsburys is simplifying its operations as it ramps up a drive to woo shoppers back from discount rivals It said it would slash costs by 1billion over three years so that it can lower prices. Roberts has pledged to place food back at the heart of Sainsburys by creating more space to sell groceries and less for clothes and general merchandise. Last night Roberts said: As we move into the next phase of our strategy, we are making some difficult but necessary decisions. The proposals weve been talking to teams about today are important to ensure were better set up to focus on the things that create a real impact for our customers, delivering good food for all of us and building a platform for growth. I know todays news is unsettling for affected colleagues and we will do everything we can to support them. It intends to close more stand-alone Argos stores and open more Argos click-and-collect points in supermarkets to trim costs. And it will save money by replacing slow, outdated technology with modern systems, including more automated robots in its warehouses. Last month the grocer was tight-lipped on potential job losses but supermarkets face rising wage bills, alongside other heightened costs of doing business all while facing red-hot competition on prices. Despite competition from discounters, Sainsburys increased its market share to 15.6 per cent from 15.2 per cent a year earlier, in Kantar data published this week. Danni Hewson, AJ Bell head of financial analysis, said: The announcement that its cutting 1,500 jobs is not surprising. Earlier this month it said it was looking to cut another 1billion in costs as it doubled down on its food first strategy. Companies in all sectors are having to make difficult choices to make sure theyre as competitive and productive as possible, digging into their USP and repositioning where necessary. Changes include replacing jobs at its Widnes contact centre by outsourcing the work to an existing third party and shaking up in-store bakeries. The shares fell 1.6 per cent, or 4p, to 249.60p, adding to a 16.5 per cent slide this year so far. The Body Shop announced a further 75 store closures last night, in another blow for the High Street. It had already shut seven locations after falling into administration last month. Some 489 staff will lose their jobs in the grim news. First it was Wincanton, then Currys and now Direct Line. Companies at the heart of the UK economy are being preyed on by foreign suitors and it could be just the start. As global dealmaking comes back with a bang after a long hiatus, private equity barons and cash-rich corporations see listed British businesses as a bargain. And some observers fear the worst. The situation is looking structural and terminal for UK mid-cap businesses, said Richard Bernstein, boss of activist investor Crystal Amber. This is very serious. They are just being picked off one by one. The signs were already there. Easy prey: A poll by broker Deutsche Numis found the majority of FTSE board 350 members surveyed said they were at greater risk of being acquired by overseas buyers this year Charles Hall, head of research at investment bank Peel Hunt, said: A hollowing out of mid-cap UK listed firms is happening. At the current pace of departures, the FTSE Smallcap index will cease to exist in 2028. A poll last month by broker Deutsche Numis found that the majority of FTSE board 350 members surveyed said they were at greater risk of being acquired by overseas buyers this year. And a report from Peel Hunt found that with global boardroom confidence about the future recovering, the case for bulking up through deals has strengthened. In particular, it pointed to a recovery of inbound bid interest from North American corporates in their lower-valued UK peers. Simon French, chief economist at Panmure Gordon, said that UK-listed company valuations were at 30-year lows. In short, hungry foreign buyers have alighted on a cheap way to satisfy their appetites. But what is behind the bargain basement price tags? French points out that pension funds or retail investors who might in the past have been the natural buyer of UK equities now just want more Nvidia referring to the US chip firm which is enjoying stellar growth thanks to the rise of artificial intelligence (AI). City fund managers are facing pressure as clients pull out their money to turn into cash so are piling into Americas fast-growing tech stars rather than the mid-range workhorses of the British economy. These solid, unloved companies fail to attract financial capital but more worrisome the most talented staff, says Bernstein. It leaves companies such as Wincanton as well as banknote printer De La Rue, in which Bernsteins Crystal Amber is the largest shareholder, as sitting ducks, he argues. Bernsteins solution would be for the UK to set up a sovereign wealth fund along the lines of those in Norway and Singapore, to shore up the market. He thinks urgent action is needed. Target: Currys has surged more than 40% amid two rejected bids from American hedge fund Elliott and an expression of interest from Chinese online retail giant JD.com In the old days youd get some serious people in a room, saying: What are the issues, lets plan this out and report back in six weeks and make a decision. There isnt the urgency. Im sure in a month, three or four more UK companies will have bid interest. Foreign bids may cheer investors in the short term as they cash in on their stakes at premium valuations but they will come at a cost, Bernstein said, with jobs lost should new owners decide staff are surplus to requirements. Logistics firm Wincanton has seen its share value double since it agreed a takeover by Frances CMA CGM last month, only for a rival US bidder GXO to submit a much higher 762million offer yesterday. Currys rose more than 40 per cent amid two rejected bids from American hedge fund Elliott and an expression of interest from Chinese online retail giant JD.com. And insurer Direct Lines value surged by a fifth as details of an offer, which it rejected, from Belgian rival Ageas emerged this week. Now, City analysts will be speculating about who might be next. Last month, research published by Quest, an arm of investment bank Canaccord Genuity reportedly suggested that the likes of British Gas owner Centrica, North Sea oil and gas firm Harbour Energy, and Easyjet could be targets. Peel Hunt experts said, in the wake of the recent Currys offer, that fellow retailers including DFS, Halfords and even Marks & Spencer were trading on low valuations. Some UK companies have not been content to wait for foreign bidders to come in to lift valuations: travel giant Tui and drug maker Indivior are moving their main listings to Frankfurt and New York respectively. That is despite much soul-searching and City reforms designed to halt the exodus. A further consequence of low valuations is a dearth of stock market flotations in London a noticeable trend even during a relatively fallow period globally, with only around 800million raised in initial public offerings (IPOs) last year. David Schwimmer, chief executive of the London Stock Exchange Group, which now makes much more money through its data business than from the running of the exchange, denies complacency, claiming London is seeing an encouraging IPO pipeline, with an increase in activity expected this year. He told reporters: Of course wed like to see companies listing here in London and remaining listed here in London, and all of the different issues we are working through are intended to address any questions and concerns around that. We feel like were making good progress and I would say that the pipeline that I referred to would indicate there is progress happening there. The chief suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann worked at the same Algarve resort that she vanished from in 2007, it has been claimed to MailOnline. According to British expat Ken Ralphs - who knew Christian Brueckner at the time through acquaintances - the German criminal, 47, was working cash-in-hand at the Ocean Club tapas bar frequented by Kate and Gerry McCann, Madeleine's parents. Mr Ralphs maintains that Brueckner plotted with another man to abduct a young girl to then sell her to a couple unable to have children of their own. The 59-year-old believes the pair went through with their plan and kidnapped Madeleine from her family's hotel room on that fateful night in May 2007, while Kate and Gerry were in the Ocean Club restaurant with their group of friends who later became known in the press as 'The Tapas Seven'. However, speaking to MailOnline, Mr Ralphs said he suspects Brueckner and his co-conspirators lost their nerve when they saw the extensive media coverage of the case, which highlighted her distinctive eyes - making her impossible to sell. The Brit - who left the UK in 2004, returning intermittently - says he went to police in both the UK and in Portugal in the immediate aftermath of Madeleine's disappearance, and again when Brueckner was officially named a suspect in 2020. In both countries, he says he told police about Brueckner's alleged plot, and that the drifter had been working at the Ocean Club restaurant - something that was also reported in the past by a German documentary in 2020. Since then, Mr Ralphs says, he has received conflicting accounts from police in both countries over whether the information he provided was passed on or investigated. The chief suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann - Christian Brueckner - worked at the same Algarve resort that she vanished from in 2007, it has been claimed to MailOnline by someone who knew him when he lived in Portugal's Algarve region at the time Madeleine McCann (pictured) went missing on May 3, 2007 at the age of just three. She has never been found. German criminal Christian Brueckner has been named by German prosecutors as their chief suspect in her disappearance According to British expat Ken Ralphs (pictured speaking to Sky News earlier this month) - who knew Christian Brueckner at the time through acquaintances - the German criminal was working cash-in-hand at the Ocean Club restaurant frequented by Kate and Gerry McCann, Madeleine's parents. They were at the bar on the night Madeleine vanished After 13 years of fruitless investigations, Brueckner was named by German prosecutors in 2020 as the chief suspect in the notorious case of the missing girl. Although he has been convicted and charged with a string of other sex crimes, the 47-year-old has never been charged in connection with Madeleine's case and has denied having any involvement in her disappearance. Brueckner is known to have lived in southern Portugal's Algarve region, near Praia da Luz, where Madeleine vanished on May 3, 2007 - aged just three. He was part of the region's drifter community, and spent 12 years pursuing a bohemian lifestyle in and around Praia da Luz at two houses, one in the small town and one two miles away between the neighbouring town of Lagos. It has also since come to light that he was a drug dealer, and was convicted on unrelated counts of sexual abuse and drug trafficking. He is currently in a German prison for the rape of a 72-year-old woman in her Praia da Luz home in 2005. Mr Ralphs - a former community champion in Greater Manchester - himself fled from the UK Portugal with his wife in 2004 when a police blunder led to his name being handed to suspected criminals. This was after Mr Ralphs had given police information on a gangland murder in which the suspects were cleared, resulting in death threats made against him and putting his family in danger. After spending time in witness protection, Mr Ralphs and his wife decided to leave their life in the UK behind - where he had previously been an elected representative of a local political party. He had also worked in partnership with Manchester Police to fight crime under the Crime and Disorder Act. After being awarded over 130,000 in compensation over the police blunder, the couple hid out in the Algarve in a campervan, moving from place to place, and - like Brueckner - temporarily became part of the drifter community in the region. It was during Brueckner's time in the Algarve that Mr Ralphs said he met the German through another man, who MailOnline is choosing not to name for legal reasons. For the purposes of this article, the man will be referred to as John. According to Mr Ralphs, Brueckner and John set up a hidden encampment in Carrapateira - 10 miles from Praia da Luz - where John stayed with his wife and two young children in a tee-pee tent. John was struggling, Mr Ralphs said, and so he and his wife Hazel would often take food to their camp so they and their young children could eat. While Mr Ralphs said he had seen Brueckner at other locations in the region since he had arrived in 2004 - at car boot sales, in town centres, or in other camping spots on the region's beaches - he met him properly for the first time through John. One night in April 2007, around a week before Madeleine vanished, Mr Ralphs said he and John were sitting around a campfire drinking some beers together having spent the evening with their families and, earlier in the night, Brueckner. After Brueckner left the site, and after others had turned in, Mr Ralphs said John revealed to him that Brueckner had spoken about his plan to kidnap a young girl and sell her to a family - suggesting it as a way to make some quick money. 'We sat by the fire until the early hours of the morning,' Mr Ralphs recalled to MailOnline, 'and that's when [John] started to cry and confess.' The ex pat said he initially tried to comfort an 'obviously depressed' John, before John asked Mr Ralphs if he could tell him a 'secret'. Madeleine McCann vanished from her family's hotel room on that fateful night in May 2007, while her parents Kate and Gerry were in the Ocean Club restaurant (pictured) with their group of friends who later became known in the press as 'The Tapas Seven' Pictured: The holiday complex where the McCanns were staying in Portugal's Algarve region in May 2007, when their three-year-old daughter vanished without a trace Madeleine parents Kate and Gerry McCann are seen during an interview in 2017 '[John] told me Christian was planning to take a child from Praia da Luz,' Mr Ralphs said. 'He then clarified it was not ransom, but that it was to take a child to sell to a German couple who could not have children of their own. 'He assured me the child would not be harmed,' Mr Ralphs said, adding that John 'told me Christian knew many people who will pay good money for a child who cannot give birth, and that the child would be taken from a rich family with more than one child [of their own] so the parents would not grieve as badly.' After this shocking revelation, Mr Ralphs said he pressed John for more information. He said John explained Brueckner 'worked at the [Ocean Club] restaurant, and that he had been planning events for months. 'He said Christian Knows the place inside out and was very clever and he knows what he is doing,' Mr Ralphs added. Recalling that night, Mr Ralphs told MailOnline that he set about trying to dissuade John from going through with the plot with Brueckner, warning him to not fall in with criminals. At the time, Mr Ralphs was earning money by fixing satellites on the caravans belonging to other people in the off-grid Algarve community, and offered to train John so that they could work together and help him out of the dire situation. However, Mr Ralphs said he is not sure if he got through to John. Despite his best efforts to get more information out of him about Brueckner's alleged plot, he said John eventually went to bed, and they didn't speak about it again. A week later, Mr Ralphs was back in the UK briefly visiting his father in Stockport when the news of Madeleine's disappearance broke on the news. 'I was sat in my dad's house having a cup of tea when it came on the news - the breaking news when the new came out,' an emotional Mr Ralphs recalled. 'First thing I said was "oh for f*** sake". My dad asked what's the matter, and I told my dad.' Mr Ralphs said the news left him in tears, and that his father persuaded him to go to the police - despite his past experiences. Choosing not to return to police in Manchester after his experience in 2004 that caused him to flee to Portugal, he acted on his father's advice and travelled up to Workington Police station and delivered a statement to Cumbria Police. Mr Ralphs claims he handed officers there a hand-drawn map of where the tee-pee camp was hidden in Portugal and requested they send it to Portuguese officials involved in the search for Madeleine. He also told officers that John had told him Brueckner was working at Ocean Club, he said. In a statement to MailOnline after being contacted, Cumbria police said it had no record of any information being provided to officers at the station. On his return to Portugal days later, Mr Ralphs went straight to the site of the tee-pee camp - only to find that it had been destroyed by fire - all but a bamboo cage. An aerial image shows where the McCanns were staying, relative to the Ocean Bar they ate at on the night Madeleine vanished in May 3, 2007 'What I got back I wanted to see whether [John and his family] were still at the camp, to try and establish whether he had been involved. If he was still about, I could have questioned him, but he wasn't there,' Mr Ralphs said. 'It had all been destroyed by a fire - everything had been gutted, totally burnt-out. All that remained was a four-or-five-foot cage, which I found unusual, because the cage wasn't there before when [John] gave his confession.' After finding the destroyed camp site, Mr Ralphs searched the other Algarve beaches John was known to frequent. He eventually found another mutual acquaintance, a Frenchman who was also part of the drifter community and who MailOnline is not naming, at Amado beach - a popular spot around 10 miles from Praia da Luz. The Frenchman told Mr Ralphs that John had left him with his pet dog after leaving for Africa. This was surprising, Mr Ralphs said, on account of John having no money. Mr Ralphs said he has never seen or spoken to John again, but told MailOnline that the missing drifter was tracked down by the police. According to the ex pat, when police did catch up with John, he told the cops he had never met the expat or his wife, despite there being several other witnesses to them having known each other during their time in Portugal. Mr Ralphs told Sky News earlier this month that 'police told me someone had made contact with my friend abroad and he had denied knowing me, but I have a dozen witnesses who will say that he's lying. 'I guess he just didn't want to be interviewed by the police.' Mr Ralphs also said he spoke to two GNR (Portugal's National Republican Guard) officials and gave them the same information he had given to Cumbria police back in the UK. He said the officials told them they were aware of John, but doubted he could be involved on account of him having a family of his own. As the story of Madeleine's disappearance hit the front pages, the world's media descended on Praia da Luz. Mr Ralphs himself said he went down to the Ocean Club resort around that time as investigations were underway, and saw police combing the area. Nearby, he said, he encountered Brueckner wearing an apron. Mr Ralphs said he was 'gobsmacked' to see Brueckner in Praia da Luz, even as the media and investigators were working in the small Algarve town. 'He was working at the Ocean Bar illegally,' being paid under the table, Mr Ralphs claimed. 'This man [Christian] was standing there in his restaurant pinny still working for them illegally at the restaurant - which could have put further people at risk.' By working there, Mr Ralphs suggests, Brueckner would have had access to the guest book ledger - something that Kate McCann would go on to express her concerns over in the wake of her daughter's disappearance. In her book, Madeleine's mother made reference to a block booking being jotted down and how staff were able to read that their children would be alone. Brueckner was part of the region's drifter community, and spent 12 years pursuing a bohemian lifestyle in and around Praia da Luz at two houses, one in the small town and one two miles away between the neighbouring town of Lagos Pictured: Brueckner's campervan which he lived in during some of the years he spent in the Algarve, living in the region's drifter community She wrote: 'It wasn't until a year later, when I was combing through the Portuguese files, that I discovered that the note requesting our block booking was written in a staff message book, which sat on a desk at the pool reception for most of the day. 'To my horror I saw that, no doubt in all innocence and to explain why she was bending the rules a bit, the receptionist had written the reason for our request... we wanted to eat close to our apartments as we were leaving our young children alone there and checking on them intermittently.' In the same 2011 book, 'Madeleine our daughter's disappearance and the continuing search for her' Kate McCann voiced her fears of foreign paedophiles. She wrote: 'Night after night, I read of depraved individuals, British paedophiles, Portuguese paedophiles, Spanish, Dutch and German paedophiles and the horrific crimes they committed.' According to reports at the time, all employees of the Ocean Club resort in Praia da Luz were interviewed by police during the investigation into Madeleine's disappearance. However, Mr Ralphs suggests that if Brueckner was working at the restaurant off the books, he could have been missed by investigators. Mr Ralphs said that he repeatedly raised his concerns about Brueckner with both the British and Portuguese police, but has long been frustrated with their investigation. In addition to going to police in the UK and Portugal in 2007, Mr Ralphs said he reinitiated contact again in 2020 - when Brueckner was officially named as a suspect by German prosecutors. He said he was in disbelief that it had taken so long. But when he contacted police in 2020, he was told by officers in both the UK and Portugal that they didn't have his original statement from 2007. To this day, he is unsure if anything he told the police in 2007 has been used by the police in their investigation into Madeleine's whereabouts. On a number of occasions, he has been in contact with police officers in both the UK and Portugal, and has communicated with Scotland Yard and Operation Grange - the Metropolitan Police's special investigation into the case. MailOnline has seen communication between Mr Ralphs and the British investigators, in which he frequently expresses his frustration. Christian Brueckner was named chief suspect in Madeleine's disappearance in 2020 He is not the only person to have known Brueckner who has claimed they were ignored when raising concerns about the German. Last year, it was revealed that a German man named Helge B. approached Scotland Yard in 2008, suspected Brueckner's involvement. Speaking to the German tabloid Bild, Helge said: 'I called Scotland Yard in 2008, ringing the Maddie hotline. I told them I know someone who has something to do with it and gave them his name. They noted my personal details, my telephone number, but nothing happened. Nothing! They never even rang me back. 'I thought to myself: I guess they'll be in touch at some point.' What's more, other past friends of Brueckner's have pointed the finger at him. Speaking to The Telegraph in 2020, Austrian Michael Tatschl - who was friends with the German since 2000 when they lived in Portugal - said he was certain Brueckner was the one behind Madeleine's suspected abduction. 'I know he did it,' Tatschl told the newspaper at the time. 'I was living with him at the time. He was my best friend and he was definitely a pervert and more than capable of snatching a child, for sexual kicks or money. 'I was sure it was him the minute the police came to find me in Austria. 'They were very clear with me from the first minute. They said 'we are investigating Maddie McCann and Christian Brueckner' and I told them I knew it already. 'I was convinced it was him,' Tatschl added. And in an interview with the Mail On Sunday in 2021, Brueckner's ex-girlfriend claimed he admitted being close to the McCann's apartment on May 3, 2007. Nakscije Miftari recalled Brueckner falling silent when the subject of Madeleine's abduction was raised by friends during a party in early 2014 at their flat in Braunschweig, northern Germany. 'I remember he made no answer to the question. After they went, I asked about Maddie as I did not know anything about her,' she said. 'I asked him about it and he said, 'I know about Maddie, I was near the hotel at the time. I was living in the area at the time. I am not going to say anything more. I am not a stupid guy, I am a businessman.' Mr Ralph's claim that John told him Brueckner was plotting the kidnap to make money also tracks with past comments from another ex-girlfriend. Speaking to The Mirror in 2020, a British ex-girlfriend of the German's said Brueckner's only passion - besides cars - was making money. 'Other people get joy out of films, music, socialising, that sort of thing,' she said at the time. 'But for [Brueckner], if there was no money to be made out of something, then there was no point doing it.' Mr Ralphs's claim to the MailOnline is also not the first time it has been reported that Brueckner worked at the resort in Praia da Luz. According to a 2020 documentary by German TV channel SAT.1, Brueckner regularly carried out 'repair work' as a maintenance man at Ocean Club. The evidence gathered for the programme showed Brueckner to be 'very familiar' with the resort on the Algarve, Portugal, and surrounding areas. Pictured: A view of the Ocean Bar in Praia da Luz Like those who knew Brueckner from the past, Mr Ralphs also believes the German was capable of kidnapping a child - but suspects he did not act alone. He is of the belief that it was Brueckner who planned the kidnap, and that it was John who entered the McCann's hotel room to take her from the resort, before the pair went to a third person's house to wait out the initial search operation. However, once the group realised the media attention the case was getting, Mr Ralphs fears they had no choice but to 'dispose' of the youngster. 'John did tell me that the child wouldn't be harmed, so in the back of my mind there's a possibility she could still be alive and she was sold,' he said. 'But in theory, when she was taken back [to a nearby location], I believe she could have been disposed of. When the media identified the mark in her eye, she became a liability in my opinion - and therefore [the group] wouldn't have been able to sell her.' Brueckner appeared in court last week on a string of separate charges in Germany. He is alleged to have committed the offences in Portugal between 2000 and 2017, unrelated to the disappearance of Madeleine. On Friday it was announced by his lawyer that he won't respond to the charges. 'The defendant is using his right to remain silent,' defense lawyer Friedrich Fulscher told the Braunschweig state court, German news agency dpa reported. Fulscher added that he expects his client to be acquitted. 'He has called the evidence in the indictment "abysmal".' The trial opened a week ago but was quickly adjourned on its first day after Fulscher filed a challenge against a lay judge on the panel hearing the case, who was alleged once to have spread a call to kill former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on social media. Prosecutors joined that challenge. The judge was removed from the case and now faces an investigation herself on suspicion of making a public call to commit crimes. Recalling his first impressions of Brueckner when he first met him in 2006 - a year before Madeleine vanished - Mr Ralphs said: 'He was a good looking lad. He was slick, his hair was combed back, nice and tidy. He looked very clean. 'He spoke very well - posh English. He seemed very educated,' he added. 'I didn't have any reason to think he was the monster I've since learned him to be. 'He's a monster in disguise,' he said. Christian Brueckner arrives at the start of his trial unrelated to the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, at Braunschweig district court, in Brunswick, Germany, on February 16, 2024 Mr Ralphs still lives in Portugal in a house with his wife, and raises horses on their land MailOnline reached out to the Luz Ocean Club, Scotland Yard, Cumbria police and German prosecutors for comment. Scotland Yard said it had nothing to add, and Cumbria police said it had no record of Mr Ralphs's statement from 2007 in its archive. German prosecutors refused to comment on the claims. As of Thursday, MailOnline has received no response from Luz Ocean Club after contacting the establishment on February 23. Imagine a job where you spend every day making a meaningful difference to people's lives and go home feeling proud of everything you've achieved. One that is constantly varied, with a huge range of different roles to choose from and flexible hours to fit around your lifestyle and personal commitments. No matter whether you're just entering the world of work or looking to switch to a more rewarding career, you can find a fulfilling job in adult social care. You don't need specific qualifications, just the right personal qualities. The Care Workforce Pathway sets out the first-ever national career structure for adult social care workers That means being kind, compassionate and empathetic, so that you can see things from other people's perspectives. And, because everyone is different, you'll need the communication skills and patience required to understand each person's unique needs and wishes. These qualities are all you need to launch your career, with on-the-job training provided for everything else. The government recently announced measures that reaffirm care work as a career, with the Care Workforce Pathway setting out the first-ever national career structure for adult social care workers. The new measures also aim to recruit and retain talent by providing accredited qualifications, digital training and funded apprenticeships. It's usually quick and easy to get started, and with vacancies available in a variety of paid roles across England, there's a good chance you'll be able to find one in your local area. Here, three care workers reveal how their jobs help them make a difference to other people's lives and, as a result, enriches theirs too. 'Seeing their joy is the best part of my job' Olusoji says that seeing clients' joy is the most fulfilling part of the job After a decade working in the banking industry in Nigeria, Olusoji was keen to switch careers. He came to the UK to enroll in a master's degree in data science, but while he looked for part time work to fund his tuition, another avenue opened up. 'I took a job in adult social care,' he says. 'The work was so different to what I had always done in a bank. I found I was really getting a lot out of working with people this way.' After finishing his course, he decided to continue in this line of work, and in 2021 he took up a position as a support worker in London. This role involved looking after individuals with learning disabilities and those on the autistic spectrum. 'I support them by taking them out into the community, to go to the cinema and attend dance classes or arts and craft sessions,' he says. 'Watching them doing the things they've always wanted to do, and seeing their joy, is the most fulfilling part of the job.' Before long, Olusoji was handed extra responsibilities as a senior support worker and then, last September, promoted to deputy manager. He speaks highly of the help he has received to advance his career. 'There are so many things that are put in place to guide you,' he says. 'You are shown the different paths you could follow, whether it's becoming a manager or an administrator. 'And the training you need to take is always open to you. It makes me feel that I have opportunities to progress in a career I enjoy.' 'You get all the training you need' Jason, from Essex, had been working as a make-up artist before he decided to switch careers and make the move into adult social care. His current role is supporting people with low vision or hearing loss who wish to continue living at home after leaving hospital. This involves assessing each person's individual needs before putting in place the support they need to live independently. Jason, right, assisting a client, is currently working with people with low vision or hearing loss who wish to continue living at home after leaving hospital 'Some of the people I work with can be anxious and upset, so to be able to unpick that and provide the support they need is incredibly rewarding,' says Jason. 'I remember one woman who had become timid and withdrawn because of her low vision. At first she was too anxious to go outside but two years later she asked me whether there was any possibility she could start knife-throwing classes! 'It's hard to put into words that feeling you get when someone's blossomed and regained themselves once more.' Jason works for a sensory impairment service in Essex, which supports people with sight or hearing loss, or both. 'The recruitment team looks for candidates with the right attitude and transferable skills,' he says. 'Those could come from a previous job or life experience, such as raising children or caring for a relative.' In addition to the rewarding nature of his job, Jason also likes being able to fit his hours around his lifestyle. 'I used to work evenings and really enjoyed that there's less traffic and I got to have a lovely lie-in,' he says. 'If you're being drawn towards adult social care even slightly, I'd say go for it. The training and support you need will be there, and there are so many different areas you can go into. 'Start exploring, be confident and apply. You can't put a value on that difference you can make to someone's life.' 'You can make that vital difference' Nicolle has worked in social care since she was 18 Nicolle lives in Solihull with her husband and their two young children. Since leaving school she's had various roles in the health and social care sector, and is now a senior support worker at an organisation that runs care homes in the West Midlands. 'I've been in social care since I was 18, but my interest in it started much earlier,' says Nicolle. 'My nan worked with the elderly, and when I was in my early teens I'd go with mum to the care home where she worked and volunteer to help feed people. 'I got as much out of it as they did we'd sit and chat about everything and it really developed my people skills.' At the same time as studying in college, Nicolle started on an apprenticeship scheme that involved working with seven people in supported accommodation. She then trained to become an assessor for trainee care workers before taking her current role as a support worker in August 2020. 'My job is to advise and guide the support staff,' she says. 'I manage the office but, for me, the most important part is always being there for our clients. 'I'm part of a very professional team, but there can't be that many jobs where dancing and singing is part of your day if we're all together and start, the residents love it and will join in.' Nicolle and her colleagues go out of their way to make a difference to the lives of the people they look after. 'One lady was obsessed with chocolate, so we organised a trip to a chocolate factory for her 80th birthday,' she says. 'Her face lit up when we told her! 'Everyone is important, and we can make that vital difference that helps them feel they're leading a full life. The day-to-day job is so rewarding. It's hard to explain how much I love coming to work. I can't recommend it enough.' Search for a job near you today at adultsocialcare.co.uk This article is part of a paid-for partnership with HM Government An Afghan refugee, 18, who snuck into Britain in back of lorry has been jailed for stabbing a 16-year-old to 'regain his honour' over a 50 debt. Atiqullah Oryakhail, 18, fled the UK after the brutal stabbing but was picked up five months later on the Austria-Italy border and brought back to face justice. The teenager had arrived in Britain after being smuggled in the back of lorries from Afghanistan and was granted asylum. He went to Bournemouth and Poole College in Dorset where he met the victim and his brother, also both from Afghanistan. Bournemouth Crown Court heard Oryakhail loaned the elder brother 50 to give to a mutual friend as a wedding gift, but the money was never paid back. Dorset Police said after the stabbing in August 2022 that they believed the attack was carried out in Walpole Road in Boscombe Oryakhail decided he had to stab the man to 'regain his honour' and took a knife from a pizza shop where he had been working - but then went after the younger brother as he was deemed an easier target. The 16-year-old was stabbed in the back as he got off his moped in Ashley Road in Boscombe, Dorset. He was also slashed across the left arm and suffered a significant loss of blood, with the horrific incident captured on CCTV. A female passer-by used her first aid training to keep him alive until emergency services arrived. Oryakhail tried to get a friend to drive him away from the scene - but they kicked him out of the car when they found out what he had done and told him to go to police. The friend said: 'I asked him if it was worth stabbing someone for just 50 and he said it was.' The court heard Oryakhail had already packed his belongings before the attack on August 18, 2022. He went on the run and left the country, but was detained last February when attempting to enter Austria from Italy. Oryakhail is believed to have entered the UK illegally when he was about 14 in 2019. He pleaded guilty to wounding with intent, while the prosecution offered no evidence on a charge of attempted murder, and was jailed for 57 months at Bournemouth Crown Court. He will serve his sentence in a young offenders' institution and then it will be up to the Home Office to decide whether or not to deport him. The Home Office has been contacted for comment. Charles Gabb, prosecuting, said Oryakhail was friends with the two brothers until he loaned the elder one the money. Mr Gabb said: 'He decided in his head that the elder brother had to be stabbed as some sort of way for him to regain his honour.' He described how Oryakhail told police in the Austrian city of Salzburg, where he was detained, that because the older brother was bigger and stronger than him he decided to go after the younger one. The defendant and victim got on a moped together and Oryakhail attacked him when they stopped. The prosecutor told how the victim 'managed to run a short distance down the road where he collapsed'. Mr Gabb added: 'A woman out in the town enjoying herself - to her credit should be expressed - she didn't turn her back, she stayed with first aid training and gave invaluable help to a man bleeding profusely at her feet. 'She stayed with the victim until police arrived, giving valuable help. The victim was whizzed to hospital for emergency treatment - without which he would have died.' The victim is said to still suffer nerve damage in his hand from the injuries while also experiencing flashbacks and nightmares. The court heard he would likely have died but for the work of skilled surgeons. Nick Robinson, defending, said Oryakhail did not intend to kill the boy and claimed the brothers were bullying him. He added that Oryakhail received limited education and lives in a constant state of fear after witnessing his family being killed in Afghanistan as a child. Judge Susan Evans sentenced him to 57 months in prison and ordered him to pay 400 compensation to the woman who helped save the boy's life. She told Oryakhail: 'I accept you didn't intend to kill him but that would have been the result if not for members of the public. 'If it wasn't for the skill of the medical team, the outcome could have been fatal.' Dorset Police said at the time of the crime: Dorset Police said at the time of the crime: 'Dorset Police received a report at 3.06am on Friday 19 August 2022 that a 16-year-old boy had been located with a stab wound outside Bosc Vegas in Christchurch Road in Bournemouth. 'Following enquiries, it is believed that the incident occurred a short time earlier in Walpole Road.' Speaker Mike Johnson swore in New York Democrat Tom Suozzi to Congress on Wednesday, officially bringing down his razor-thin House majority by another seat. 'I never thought I'd be back here,' the new congressman, who previously served in the House before leaving to run for another office, said on the House floor. 'The people are sick and tired of the finger-pointing and the petty partisan bickering, they want us to work together.' 'People are worried about the cost of living. They're worried about the chaos at the border. They're worried about Israel, Gaza and Ukraine,' he went on. 'They look to Congress and what do they see? The extremists get all the attention.' Speaker Mike Johnson swore in New York Democrat Tom Suozzi to Congress on Wednesday, officially bringing down his razor-thin House majority by another seat. But, Suozzi insisted: 'I'm a true-blue, dyed-in-the-wool Democrat.' The Democrat beat out Republican Mazi Melesa Pilip in a contentious race to replace serial liar George Santos. With Suozzi on the Democrats' side, Johnson can only afford to lose two Republican votes if he wants to pass legislation along party lines. He had rushed to push through impeachment of Homeland Security Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas for his handling of the southern border before Suozzi's arrival in Washington, as three Republicans had voted against it. It passed by a one-vote margin 'I never thought I'd be back here,' the new congressman, who previously served in the House before leaving to run for another office, said on the House floor 'People are worried about the cost of living . They're worried about the chaos at the border. They're worried about Israel , Gaza and Ukraine,' he went on. 'They look to Congress and what do they see? The extremists get all the attention' Suozzi's eight-point win was a strong sign for Democrats heading into the 2024 elections come November when they will try reclaim the House after a Republican-led congressional term marred by chaos. As the southern border has become top of mind for voters, Suozzi tried to flip the script on Republicans, blaming them for the legislative impasse after they shunned a bipartisan Senate foreign aid and immigration package. 'It's time to get to work on immigration, on Israel, and combating Putin,' Suozzi said at his election night victory party. 'Let's send a message to our friends running the Congress these days: Stop running around for Trump and start running the country.' Suozzi, a former three-term congressman and Nassau County executive, left his previous congressional seat to run for governor, but lost in a primary to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul. The Democrat beat out Republican Mazi Melesa Pilip in a contentious race to replace serial liar George Santos, above After bombshell reports revealed Santos had made up much of his resume and personal background, the Department of Justice indicted him on 23 counts including wire fraud, money laundering and falsifying federal records. Democrats on Wednesday passed a new congressional map that would improve their chances of winning the House majority through New York come November. In one newly drawn central New York district, freshman Rep. Brandon Williams is in major trouble. Constituents within the new lines of his district voted for Biden by close to 12 points. Suozzi, meanwhile, who will be forced to defend his seat almost as soon as he takes it, now faces better odds under the new map. Yet President Joe Biden is traveling to a quieter portion of the border Thursday On Wednesday, another 100 people arrived in one tiny stretch in a few hours The Tucson sector of the border is the busiest this year with 750,000 encounters A cartel turf war. Contraband checkpoints left unmanned. Human waste stinking under the sun. A shootout with smugglers over six bags crammed with drugs. And, on Wednesday morning, another 100 migrants strolled across the border through gaps in the wall before dawn. Those are just some of the stories President Joe Biden would have heard Thursday if he had opted to visit the busiest sector of the southern border. But instead of Tucson, Arizona, which has seen the influx of migrants surge to record levels this year, Biden is heading to Brownsville, Texas, about 1000 miles to the east where the number of arrivals has plunged. Much to the fury of agents and officials in Tucson. 'I'll tell you why he's not coming here,' said Mike Gannuscio, president of the Arizona Cattle Growers Association, whose members are at the sharp end of the crisis as migrants trek across their ranches. 'He doesn't want to see the thousands of migrants, and he doesn't want to see that there's just no border here.' Another day at the border in Arizona's Tucson sector. Dozens of newly arrived migrants line up to be collected by Border Patrol Wednesday. It is the busiest sector of the border While President Joe Biden heads to Texas, DailyMail.com visited the busiest sector of the border in Tucson, Arizona. New arrivals head to a makeshift camp set up by aid groups in a remote area near the tiny village of Sasabe where they can get food and water Biden will be more than 1000 miles from the busiest sector of the border The border crisis is emerging as the number one issue for voters in November's presidential election. It takes center stage Thursday when Biden and Republican frontrunner Donald Trump hold dueling visits to the border in Texas. Each has a point to make. And each says they have the solutions to a crisis that has stumped successive administrations. Nowhere is the emergency more obvious than 15 miles along the border from the tiny village of Sasabe. On Wednesday, dawn broke over a familiar scene. Six young men from Africa (Senegal and Guinea Conakry) huddled around a camp fire to keep warm. Behind them dozens more men, women and children wrapped themselves in blankets at a makeshift camp of tarpaulins and tents. They had all slipped through the towering border wall overnight. Aid groups had stocked the camp with jars of peanut butter, packs of instant ramen noodles and bottled water. Toilet facilities were non-existent. Discarded toilet paper marked the areas where human waste was left beneath mesquite trees. 'There are about 100 of us,' said Omar Correa, 49, who fled violence in Colombia for a new life in the U.S. 'The Mexicans dropped us up there and we walked for about four hours.' The number of crossings in Tucson sector has grown by almost 200 percent in the past year Border Patrol agents are kept busy all morning as they round up newly arrived migrants. Some 250 people are arriving every day in just a six-mile stretch Arrivals included people from Senegal and Guinea Conakry in Africa, as well as Guatemala, Nicaragua, Colombia, Peru, Nicaragua, Haiti, and Ecuador The border near Sasabe rises and falls with the land, making it hard to access Omar Correa, 49, fled violence in Colombia for a new life in the U.S. He paid about $12,000 to make the journey and arrived Wednesday morning with about 100 other people He pointed up a steep slope just as a convoy of Border Patrol vans trundled past, packed with migrants collected at other points along the wall. One of the pick-ups had 11 people crammed into the back. Another seven climbed out from its cab. 'I'm not supposed to do that,' said the driver, shrugging at the requirement to use child seats or leaving families in the cold in the middle of nowhere. 'What can you do? It's just a lose-lose.' The arrival point recently shifted to an even more remote location, after a turf war between Mexican cartels turned nasty. One group, the Deltas, took control of the area by burning down houses and forcing the Cazadores ('hunters' in Spanish) to move further east. 'They would cross right here,' said a Border Patrol agent, pointing to a now sealed gate in the wall. 'Now they have to go further away.' This spot is far from the areas visited by politicians looking for photo-ops or journalists looking for a quick headline. It is a 40-minute drive east from Sasabe, with its general store, post office and population of 51 people. It is only accessible by the sort of 4x4 that can cope with vertiginous climbs and breathtaking drops up and down rollercoaster hills. Yet it has become a hotspot in recent months for 'gotaways,' the people who want to evade capture, and for the migrants who simply hand themselves in as soon as they cross in order to claim asylum. Migrants arrive at a makeshift aid camp after being picked up further along the border New arrivals keep themselves warm around a fire in the cool of the desert in February Donald Trump's 30ft wall is riddled with gaps. Work crews face a neverending battle President Joe Biden will on Thursday travel to Brownsville, Texas, where the number of crossings has dropped this year. Former President Donald Trump heads to Eagle Pass The share of voters who rank immigration as America's top concern has shot up in recent weeks, Gallup polling shows Just this small six-mile stretch sees about 250 migrants crossing on to U.S. soil every day, according to Border Patrol figures. The numbers have helped turn Tucson into the busiest sector in the country. During the first four months of fiscal year 2024, Border Patrol recorded 250,000 apprehensions almost a 200 percent increase on the previous year while numbers dropped in Texas. Each week, Chief Patrol Agent John R. Modlin lists the vital statistics for his sector. '12,200 Apprehensions - 163 Federal Criminal Cases - 21 Human Smuggling Events - 11 Rescues - 6 Narcotics Events - 1 Significant Arrest - 2 Firearms Seized,' he posted on X last Saturday. A few days earlier, his agents picked up a convicted rapist who crossed the border illegally. Records showed that Jose Trinidad-Lara was convicted of raping a child in Pasco, Washington, in 2006. It was a success for the sector's overstretched agents. They complain frequently that they did not sign up to be Uber drivers, ferrying new arrivals to processing centers, and leaving the cartels free to bring their drugs across the border elsewhere. 'We don't have the manpower for all the checkpoints,' said an agent who spoke on condition of anonymity. 'Anything can come through.' His face bore the scars of a recent gunfight. He had stumbled across six packed bags beneath a tree in the sector. Migrants wait to be picked up and processed in Arizona on Wednesday morning Aid agencies supply the camp with peanut butter, strawberry jelly and packs of instant ramen The camp is yards from Donald Trump's border wall, which does little to keep people out As he and his comrades went to investigate what looked like a huge drugs haul, gunmen in the hills on the other side of the border opened fire. He cut his face as he dived for cover. He and his colleagues retreated, unable to return fire when they couldn't even see their assailants and ruing the chance to disrupt a smuggling operation. 'God knows what was in the bags,' he said. If Tucson and Arizona find themselves in the front line, Texas has seen the numbers of arrivals drop off. Brownsville, in the Rio Grande Valley Sector, where Biden visits Thursday, was often in news headlines last year. Now it is seeing only a handful of apprehensions each day. The White House reportedly considered the idea of a visit to Tucson before opting for Brownsville but Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre avoided being drawn into questions about the decision. Instead she said it was wrong to accuse the president of announcing a border visit just because Trump had announced a trip. 'We just can't all of a sudden put something on the president's schedule,' she said during her daily briefing. 'It takes time to do that. 'The president has been very clear that he was going to take this issue directly to the American people.' It would be a chance to remind people, she added, that a bipartisan deal to tighten security had been agreed, only for Republicans to back out after Trump expressed his opposition. That still left Biden's critics fuming at the choice of destination. Brandon Judd, president of the National Border Patrol Council, which represents 17,000 agents, said he was simply going to the wrong place. 'If he wants to get a sense, he could go to San Diego. He could go to Tucson he could go to Eagle Pass, but he's not going to the right place,' he said. More than 85,000 federal government employees have secured more generous working from home rights. The changes for workers in the Department of Home Affairs, Services Australia and the Australian Taxation Office mean there is now no cap on the number of days they're allowed to work from home each week. Written requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis but there will be a 'bias towards approving requests', The Australian reported. Requests can be knocked back in situations where it would have a negative impact on customer service and productivity, as well as being too costly. More than 85,000 federal government employees have secured more generous working from home rights (stock image) Employees can, however, appeal the decision with the Fair Work Commission. More than 93 per cent of Services Australia workers and 91 per cent of Home Affairs staff voted in favour of the changes. READ MORE: Staff WFH worry they're missing out on promotions Advertisement Australian Industry Group chief executive Innes Willox condemned the decision and said for many professions, such as tradies, teachers and doctors, they had no choice but to show up for work. 'It is just a nauseating confirmation of how far out of touch the federal public service, their unions and unfortunately the government are from workplace reality,' he told the publication. Community and Public Section Union national secretary Melissa Donnelly hit back and said his comments were 'deeply offensive'. She said research had shown 'improved workforce participation' across a range of employees working from home. '(Mr Willox's comments) also ignores the reality of how effective working from home has been for employees and employers, not just the public sector,' she said. 'There are really substantial benefits and win-win opportunities for both employees and employers and if business groups can't see that then they are not representing their members very well.' It comes as the Fair Work Commission is looking into making working from home a legal entitlement which could impact 2.2 million Aussies on award wages. According to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, about 37 per cent of Aussies regularly work from home, a figure that is slightly down from 2022. Community and Public Section Union national secretary Melissa Donnelly said research had shown 'improved workforce participation' across a range of employees working from home Australian employees do not currently have a general right or legal entitlement to work from home. However, workers can make a request to their employer under certain conditions - but only if they have worked for their boss for a minimum of 12 months. If WFH were to become a new workplace law, it would most likely anger business groups who are against the federal government's latest workplace reforms. The review comes just one month after new Australian workplace laws were passed which allow workers to disconnect from the workplace. Under that new law, Aussie workers are allowed to ignore calls and texts after hours from their bosses and colleagues. According to research data from the Melbourne Institute, the majority of Australian workers would like the right to WFH at least some of the time. Sixty per cent of workers were happy with the flexibility of a hybrid work arrangement - which is a mix of working from home and in the office. Video has caught the moment a council meeting descended into chaos after pro-Palestine protesters staged a demonstration before scuffles erupted when a Tory councillor attempted to restore order. Councillor Craige Southern shouted 'It's Chorley, not bloody Gaza!' after activist Jenny Hurley and a large group 'hijacked' the meeting which would have seen the council in Chorley, Lancashire debate the budget on Monday evening. 'Get out! Go on!' he said to activist Jenny Hurley as he pushed her from the chamber, after she changed tack on her question about housing in the borough to one about the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Palestine. Ms Hurley accused Cllr Southern of assaulting her but he told MailOnline that he tried to push her out the meeting as he felt 'intimidated and threatened by the activists and I feared for the safety of others'. Sharing the video on X, formerly Twitter, Ms Hurley said: 'Tory councillor, Craige Southern, ASSAULTS me when we challenge Chorley council on why they have not passed a motion for ceasefire in Gaza during the horrific genocide. 'First Hoyle stops our voice, now this! Chorley will be heard!' It came just days after MPs spoke about how they were concerned about their safety amid heightened emotions over the conflict between Israel and Palestine. Video has caught the moment a Chorley Council meeting descended into chaos after pro-Palestine protesters staged a demonstration before scuffles erupted when a Tory councillor attempted to restore order 'It's Chorley, not bloody Gaza !' Cllr Craige Southern pushes protester Jenny Hurley from the meeting Noise and shouting in the council chamber gets louder and louder and several protesters stand up with their signs which read: 'Chorley Borough Council: Silent on Genocide'. The meeting happened in the constituency of the House of Commons speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle, who last week broke with parliamentary convention in his handling of a debate on Gaza, claiming he was partly motivated to do so because of concerns about MPs' security. Outside the phrase 'from the river to the sea', which is seen as anti-Semitic, was projected onto the Elizabeth Tower. Ms Hurley told Chorley Council: 'I do find they're painting over the cracks of the problem the housing market, much in the same way the Labour group painted over the cracks with their release of a private statement claiming their support for a ceasefire in Gaza, but they refused to follow this up with any public action.' Chief executive Chris Sinnott then repeatedly said 'Jenny' but she continued and raised her voice. He said he then said he was forced to suspend the meeting and councillors and the mayor began to leave the chamber. As she continued her tirade, another resident stood up and said: 'Can I, as a resident of Chorley for 80 years, have two minutes of your time please?' Ms Hurley then continued her speech and increased her volume over the other woman who was trying to speak. The activist, her voice still rising in volume, urged the Labour group: 'Stand up and put forward a motion for a ceasefire in an extraordinary council meeting.' As Ms Hurley spoke, holding a Palestine flag up, an official told her that if she did not stop she would be removed from the chamber. A woman on the other side of the council chamber starts loudly singing 'la la la la la' and sways her hands side to side in a kind of dance. Cllr Southern told MailOnline that he tried to push her out the meeting as he felt 'intimidated and threatened' Noise and shouting in the council chamber gets louder and louder and several protesters stand up with their signs which read: 'Chorley Borough Council: Silent on Genocide'. A councillor then shouts 'Free free Palestine!' which is followed by a chorus of protesters repeating the chant. This chant is repeated several more times. Ms Hurley then asked, loudly: 'Why has no motion been put to this chamber. We were told that it would be happening, the Labour group would be happy to put a motion to this chamber. Why has that not happened?' Then Tory councillor Craige Southern shouted: 'Because it's Chorley, not bloody Gaza! Get out! Go on!' He then pushed her out the council chamber and was then pushed back by another protester as the room descended into further chaos. Councillors, officials and protesters then got up close and personal with each other as voices continued to be raised. A woman on the other side of the council chamber started to loudly singing 'la la la la la' and swayed her hands side to side in a kind of dance 'Chorley Council has no opinion on what's happening to people 1,000 miles away in Gaza, we are there to talk about Chorley Borough,' said Cllr Southern Police officers then entered the room and began to escort the protesters out as waved a Palestinian flag and repeatedly shouted: 'Free Palestine!' Police officers then entered the room and began to escort the protesters out as waved a Palestinian flag and repeatedly shouted: 'Free Palestine!' Cllr Southern has denied the accusation that he assaulted Ms Hurley, telling MailOnline: 'I wish to make clear I did not attack anyone and I would be very careful suggesting that I did. 'I was in fact protecting myself and others from these threatening and anti-democratic bullies who did all they could to try and disrupt the meeting to get their way over an issue that has absolutely nothing to do with Chorley Council. 'This baying mob was so threatening the meeting was suspended and the mayor had to be taken to safety. Some councillors were in tears.' He added: 'Jenny Hurley and her mob were then ejected from the chamber. I spoke to the police about what had happened and I made a voluntary statement to them. I was not arrested. 'I believe in rule of law and democracy. I'm tired of constant mob rule where they think they can come into a democratic arena and impose themselves. intimidation will not cowe me. 'Chorley is a small market town in England, we have absolutely no views or no sway in what happens thousands of miles away in Gaza.' 'Everyone's entitled to their opinion. People have sympathy towards the people of Gaza - I do - but to hijack a democratically elected chamber is not ok,' Cllr Southern said. 'Have a rally, have a protest, whatever.' 'But if it were to happen again, I would do it again. I will not have someone interrupting legitimate democratic debate. 'And if I'm the one who's got to stand up and say "enough is enough", so be it.' Cllr Southern added: 'Sorry to make light of it, but we're not Gaza. I'm a down to earth Geordie lad who happens to live in Lancashire and my duty is to residents in Chorley Borough.' He said: 'I'm all for free speech but what I won't have is the mob trying to impose their will on us. 'Chorley Council has no opinion on what's happening to people 1,000 miles away in Gaza, we are there to talk about Chorley Borough. 'Of course we care about Gaza - I have sympathy for Gaza, I think it's terrible - but we can't do anything about it. 'And these people coming to protest couldn't find Gaza on a map if you pointed to it.' A spokesman for Lancashire Police told the BBC it had received a complaint of assault and was investigating, but no arrests had been made at this stage. Property agent Dee O'Connor (pictured) was slammed by the administrative tribunal for falsely claiming a renter was a hoarder A Sydney property manager who once slammed governments for not doing more to tackle the homeless crisis falsely accused a renter of being a 'hoarder' before trying to evict them. The tenant of the Pyrmont apartment, Ryan Anderson, represented himself at the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal which last week upheld a previous order in his favour that more than $2,600 in 'excessive' rent be repaid to him. The dismissed appeal was over an October 2023 ruling by NCAT in which senior member Philip French described the behaviour of property manager Dee O'Connor of Little Real Estate as 'vindictive' after Mr Anderson complained his oven didn't work. Mr Anderson had tried for three years to get a faulty convection oven and dimmer lights fixed and eventually complained to NSW Fair Trading. Ms O'Connor then wrote to the agency saying that during a routine inspection with a colleague and three tradespeople a few days earlier, Mr Anderson had been 'rude', 'aggressive' and 'made them feel unsafe'. 'Due to the tenant being passive aggressive in nature, no pictures were allowed to be taken. 'I believe this is due to the hoarding where he does not wish for anyone to be privy to the situation unfolding.' But Mr French said in his ruling: 'The detailed response Ms O'Connor provided to NSW Fair Trading displays considerable animus towards the tenant and attempts to portray him as passive aggressive, obstructive, threatening, and as a hoarder'. 'I am satisfied that these allegations are false and malicious. They are an attempt to characterise the tenant's reasonable assertion of his rights as various forms of abuse from a person with a psychological problem.' Mr French described the response as 'vindictive' and 'childish' and said her behaviour was 'deplorable'. Mr Anderson was issued with an eviction notice shortly after his complaint to NSW Fair Trading. Ms O'Connor has previously advocated that more should be done to reduce homelessness, saying that her native Ireland could learn a lot from Finland about ways of 'assisting people to keep their homes.' Ms O'Connor previously advocated more should be done to help people 'keep their homes' A tenant in an inner Sydney apartment building in Pyrmont (pictured) has been awarded $2,600 in 'excessive' rent charged by a landlord amid a three-year-long dispute According to court documents, Mr Anderson first made a complaint after a new convection oven was fitted in the apartment in 2020 that he said could not reach 200 degrees and 'does not become hot enough to cook anything'. He also complained about non-working lights which were eventually replaced with LED fittings that failed to work properly because of the unit's dimmer switches. Mr French said both of the issues were a breach of the landlord's duty to keep the property in a reasonable state of repair. With the two issues still not fixed by May 2023, Mr Anderson contacted NSW Fair Trading and the following month he was given an eviction notice. Mr French said the notice was 'retaliatory' and that the landlords, Vince and Patricia Fimmano, used their 'superior title in the property to defeat the tenant's legitimate right to repairs'. They were ordered to pay more than $2,600 in rent deemed 'excessive' because of the property's unaddressed maintenance issues. Mr Anderson was also awarded $112.80 in printing and binding costs to prepare his case. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Ms O'Connor for comment. Organising a child's birthday party is always a challenge let alone when you have quadruplets to please. But at least the parents of Reuben, Samuel, Zachary and Joshua Robbins only have to throw one every four years... technically. The siblings, Britain's first leap-year quads, are due to celebrate their 'third' birthday today a dozen years after their premature birth. They were born over six minutes on February 29, 2012, defying odds of 3.5million to one. Quadruplets, at their home in Chepstow, who were born on a leap year, so even though they are turning 12 this month, technically they are only just celebrating their 3rd birthday. (L-R) Samuel, Joshua, Zachary and Reuben Reuben, Samuel, Zachary and Joshua Robbins were all born on February 29 in 2012, within six minutes of each other Emma Robbins, 43, and her husband Martin already had a son, three-year-old Luke, when they tried for what they thought would be their second child. But the couple were shocked to discover that Mrs Robbins was carrying naturally-conceived quadruplets. Speaking to the Mail in 2013, she said she had been told by a series of doctors to terminate two of the babies to save the others. She added: 'But I knew each time I looked at my surviving babies I'd also be thinking about the ones I'd lost.' Two months before her due date, Mrs Robbins went into labour. Reuben was the first to be delivered by caesarean section, followed by Zachary, Joshua and finally Samuel. The brothers now live with their father Martin, 50, in Chepstow, south Wales, while Mrs Robbins has since returned to her native South Africa with the boys' older brother. Three of the boys are genetically identical, while Samuel looks like Luke. Mr Robbins said: 'Competition is fierce. They are still sorting out their pecking order and do require space.' Emma Robbins, mother of quadruplets Samuel, Joshua, Zachary and Reuben Reuben was the first to be delivered by caesarean section, followed by Zachary, Joshua and finally Samuel An Aussie woman made made a desperate call for help after she was left horrified by a terrifying discovery in her laundry. The woman shared a series of photos on Facebook which showed a mound of what looks like dirt around the light globe. 'Does anyone know what this is or can I get a product from Bunnings or am I going to be attacked by wasps or something?' she wrote. 'Please can anyone help me?' Social media users were also horrified by the strange find. One Aussie has made a desperate call for help after making a bizarre discovery in her laundry 'What the hell is that?!' one person said. 'I'd be moving out,' another wrote. 'Oh darling, this is when you burn the house down and run like hell,' a third person commented. Others questioned how the woman had only just made the discovery. 'My laundry is outside and I hardly ever use the light,' she explained. 'I've sprayed it with fly spray. Nothing came out. I knocked it into a bucket and it came off. Just got to get the light globe out. Could be tricky.' Australian National University professor Alexander Mikheyev told Yahoo the nest belonged to a mud dauber wasp. He then went on to say that 'generally this is pretty typical'. 'The wasps tend to build their nests in sheltered areas like under eaves or under a roof, so I think the location makes perfect sense,' he said. 'The unusual part is that the wasp has covered the base of the bulb with a bit of extra clay.' The expert then explained that mud daubers actively capture their prey and they paralyse it. 'Once they paralyse the prey, then the larvae develop on these paralysed prey items,' he said. The woman shared a series of photos on Facebook which showed a mound of what looks like dirt around the light globe 'So they will hunt the spider (for example) and paralyse it. 'The spider won't die and instead larvae will eat it in such a way so that they first eat the non-life essential organs and it remains fresh during their whole development cycle.' While that sounds a bit 'grim', you're likely not going to have a colony of wasps swarming after you, Mr Mikheyev said. He added generally wasp stings are painful but non-threatening, and they are really not going to attack you unless you aggressively threaten them. 'If the wasp is active however, building the nest, and you tried to harass it, it may attack you in self-defence. But most of the time, wasps will avoid conflict,' he said. He then explained what you should do if you unexpectedly encounter a mud dauber nest. 'I would check to see that it's not active and then you could fairly safely scrape it off. Maybe with some kind of blade,' he said. 'There could be a little bit of residue left that you might have to experiment with some solvents to clean off because they are stuck on quite well with a mixture of mud and saliva.' Professor Alexander Mikheyev, from the Research School of Biology at the Australian National University, told Yahoo the nest belonged to a mud dauber wasp Mr Mikheyev said the nests are 'harmless' as the wasps are not hanging out inside because they need to go and get food. He recommended leaving nests where they are so you don't damage them. 'If you scrape it off and put it elsewhere then it's exposed to potentially the elements and ants will actively seek them out and eat them,' he said. 'While people will vary about how they feel about this and their property, I let the wasps hatch and then I take the rest off.' Hosts of a popular New Zealand news and breakfast show broke down in tears while announcing their jobs are among hundreds on the firing line. AM hosts Melissa Chan-Green, 40, and Lloyd Burr, 36, started tearing up on Thursday as they announced their show could be on the chopping block in June. Warner Bros. Discovery announced it had released a proposal to shut down its New Zealand television company Three, which would lead to the closure of Newshub, AM, a planned Ryan Bridge show at 7pm and Paddy Gower Has Issues. Some 300 staff are expected to lose their jobs as a result. An emotional Chan-Green held Burr's hand as she addressed viewers. An emotional AM host Melissa Chan-Green held her co-host's hand, Lloyd Burr, (pictured together) as she announced the sad news their show may be ending The hosts have been friends for a decade but have only been hosting the New Zealand morning news and talk show, AM, together this year. Ms Chan-Green has hosted the program since 2022, with Mr Burr joining in 2024 'You've likely seen the news by now that our company proposes to shut down Newshub from June,' she said. 'Some people have been asking does that affect AM too, and AM and Newshub are one and the same. 'We're all part of the same family - I hope you can hear me in this voice. So yes: that does mean the end of AM too.' AM, is on air five days a week from 6am - 9am and broadcast from Auckland. Burr - who only got the hosting seat earlier this year - struggled to hold back his tears telling his co-host: 'You're making us tear up as well'. 'It has been a whopping 24 hours for us here, and the whole building to be honest,' he said. 'It's been pretty tough. But we'll get through it.' Burr told the viewers they were in it together. 'We'll get through it and you're going to get through it with us and you're going to help us get through this,' he said. 'But we're going to be with you until the end of June. It depends on how the proposals go, but we'll be with you 'til then.' Chan-Green has hosted AM since 2022 but has worked for Newshub and TV3 for 17 years. The host told Daily Mail Australia they are all 'finding the news really tough'. 'But I am so proud of our team pulling together and putting out a show,' she said. 'We will continue doing this for as long as we are on air. 'Thank you to my family, old friends and new, colleagues from across the media, and all of our viewers for your messages of support.' The parent company of TV3 New Zealand is American media giant Warner Bros. Discovery. They posted a $NZ34.8 million ($A32.8 million) loss last year for the New Zealand arm of their company. However, a Warner Bros. Discovery ANZ spokesperson said 'a decision has not been made' to axe AM and Newshub Newshub employees were told the upsetting news in an all-staff meeting on Wednesday morning. In what is a massive blow to the country's media industry, Three is New Zealand's only rival to public broadcaster TVNZ. Three was acquired by American powerhouse Discovery in 2020, which merged with Warner Bros. in 2022. The NZ arm of Warner Bros. Discovery's operations posted a $NZ34.8 million ($A32.8 million) loss last year. Warner Bros released a statement saying they had started consulting with staff on a proposal. 'New local programming would only be in collaboration with local funding bodies and other partners,' the company said. A Warner Bros. Australia New Zealand spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia: 'This is still a proposal and no decision has been made.' The final decision won't be made until April, with consultations on the closure beginning in March. Three is still planning to produce local television content, as well as broadcast shows such as Married At First Sight Australia and The Block Australia. Transgender cat killer and murderer Scarlet Blake - who the Government says is biologically a man - was recorded by the police force who solved the case as a female perpetrator. In a disclosure that will horrify gender rights campaigners, MailOnline can reveal Thames Valley Police (TVP) admitted that the criminal will permanently be logged on their records as a woman. It happened after 26-year-old Blake was arrested and told officers while in custody that she identified as a female. The revelation highlights the difficulties that the legal system and police forces have in dealing with transgender criminals. Activists say it is yet another example of a male offender's crime being wrongly attributed to a female. A mugshot issued by Thames Valley Police of Scarlet Blake who was found guilty of murder Scarlet Blake pictured in Intrusion nightclub in Oxford BMW worker Mr Carreno (pictured) had been on a night out when he was approached by Blake Blake was found guilty last week of targeting innocent Jorge Martin Carreno, 30, as he walk home from a night out in Oxford. She smashed a bottle over the Spaniard's head before pushing him into the River Cherwell where he drowned. The killer, who months before had filmed herself blending her neighbours cat, got away with the crime for two years until her American ex-girlfriend Ashlynn Bell alerted police forces. After being found guilty of the deranged crimes, Blake was sentenced to 24 years in prison, with her own lawyer admitting his client was so dangerous that no parole board would ever feel safe to release her back into society. The Ministry of Justice later confirmed that Blake, who was given puberty blockers when she was 17 and started to receive hormone treatment when she was 18, would be held in a male jail. TVP told MailOnline: 'We are required to record the gender of individuals when they are brought into our custody. Blake identified as a female when in custody, as such Blake is recorded as female on our crime recording system.' The force added that Blake's gender did not form any part of the prosecution case and said that this was highlighted by the judge ruling over the case. The refusal to identify Blake as a trans woman has led to an outcry from some feminists groups in the last week. Harry Potter author JK Rowling - who is known for her opinions on transgender issues - hit out at Blake being classed as a woman. Blake stalked and killed 30-year-old Jorge Martin Carreno (pictured) in July 2021 A still image from a video issued by police of Scarlet Blake holding a cat head after killing it Writing in response to Sky News referring to her as 'a woman' in an article headline she said: 'I'm sick of this s***. This is not a woman. These are #NotOurCrimes.' Meanwhile, award-winning journalist Louise Tickle, who has written for The Guardian for 20 years, has boycotted the newspaper after it initially failed to inform its readers that Blake was transgender in an article covering the case. Upon reading the piece, the writer said she was left 'unaware' that Blake was a 'male killer' because the word 'transgender' did not appear in the piece. The Guardian later updated its new story 'to add further details and biological information'. The BBC also was criticised after its correspondent Duncan Kennedy and news anchor Ben Brown referred to Blake as a woman without mention of her being transgender. The fact Blake was recorded as a woman - when she is legally identified as a man - reflects a wider problem within the British justice system and echoes previous calls from women's rights activists. Sussex Police previously came under fire for referring to a legally male transgender pedophile Sally Ann Dixon, 58, as female declaring it would not 'tolerate any hateful comments about gender'. After receiving criticism online the force said: 'Sussex Police do not tolerate any hateful comments towards their gender identity regardless of crimes committed. This is irrelevant to the crime that has been committed and investigated.' In another post from September 2022, the police told a woman's right campaigner Dixon, who was found guilty of 30 offences of indecent assault or indecency with child victims, should not be misgendered. Sussex Police previously came under fire for referring to a legally male transgender pedophile as female declaring it would not 'tolerate any hateful comments about gender' Sally Ann Dixon, 58, was found guilty on 30 charges relating to historic child sexual abuse in 2022 Maya Forstater has called for a review of the justice system on speaking truthfully on sex following Maya Forstater, who famously won a test case ruling gender-critical views were a protected philosophical belief under the Equality Act, said it was a fact that Dixon was male. The activist called for a review into the justice system. She told MailOnline at the time: 'It is not 'hateful' or criminal to call someone male a man. It is a simple statement of fact. The paedophile who committed these crimes, like 98 per cent of those who undertake sex crimes was and remains male. 'There needs to be a review up and down the justice system from the police to CPS to courts and prison system to record and speak truthfully about sex.' Psychologist Pam Spurr said at the time: 'The police are doing a terrible disservice to crime statistics actually being meaningful with this 'parallel universe' approach to allocating sexual assault crimes to the wrong gender.' Yesterday, MailOnline revealed that Blake might have been classed as a 'vulnerable prisoner' when she arrived at a male prison meaning she might be given 'one-to-one psychological support'. And due to how high profile Blake's case has been she might be given 'increased resources from the prison service', Keely Taverner, 46, a former probation officer and ex-trained psychotherapist at HM Prison Wormwood Scrubs in Acton, London said. Someone who has not experienced such a high-profile trial or is not transgender, however, may face longer delays to receive such support from prison services. Scarlet Blake, pictured in August last year, was convicted at Oxford Crown Court The court heard Blake confessed to former partner Ashlynn Bell (pictured), who lives in the US, that she had killed him with a homemade garrotte before throwing his body in the water As Blake's case will regarded as a complex one by the board, she will most likely be assigned an 'offender manager' who will work with her inside the prison, Ms Taverner explained. On her arrival in the jail she will be separated as the prison has a 'duty of care' towards the murderer. If she were initially mixed in with other offenders she could at risk of harm, the expert added. Ms Taverener, the founder of Key For Change said: 'If you put her on the main wing and for example she is raped or beaten up, the prison will have to look at what safeguarding processes that have been put in place. If there isn't any obviously they are vulnerable. 'That protocol will have been established when Blake went on remand. It's the sort of case that gets incredible attention within the system.' It is unknown which prison Blake will be serving her sentence in. Sentencing Blake on Monday, Mr Justice Chamberlain said that the killer had an 'obsession with harm and death'. Her own defence lawyer Richard Sutton KC even admitted his client was s dangerous that no parole board would ever feel safe to release her back into society. He offered no mitigation on behalf of his client. He said: 'One has to look at Ms Blake's background and decide that she is in one sense a dangerous person. It is clear that no parole board will feel she is safe to go back into society.' A Thames Valley Police spokesperson said: 'Scarlet Blake's gender did not form any part of the prosecution case, which was also highlighted by the judge presiding over the case. 'It has always been our absolute priority to convict the person responsible for Jorge Martin Carreno's murder, and achieve justice for his family, which has now been done. 'Our thoughts remain with the family of Mr Martin Carreno who have shown immense dignity throughout. 'Thames Valley Police adheres to the law and codes of practice, outlined by the Equality Act 2010, and the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE) Code C, when establishing and recording the gender of a person in our custody. 'We are required to record the gender of individuals when they are brought into our custody. 'Blake identified as a female when in custody, as such Blake is recorded as female on our crime recording system.' Former Post Office chairman Henry Staunton lobbied ministers to double the pay of the beleaguered firm's chief executive, it emerged yesterday. The latest bombshell amid the continued fallout from the Horizon IT scandal was dropped in the Commons by postal affairs minister Kevin Hollinrake. He told MPs that Mr Staunton twice lobbied ministers to hike CEO Nick Read's package, which includes a base salary of 435,000. In the year 2022/23, he also enjoyed a 137,000 bonus, taking his package to 572,000. This is despite less than half of the compensation pot for wronged subpostmasters caught up in the Horizon scandal having been paid out so far. Former Post Office chairman Henry Staunton (pictured) lobbied ministers to double the pay of the beleaguered firm's chief executive, it emerged yesterday Nick Read (pictured), the boss of the Post Office, is under internal investigation and has allegedly threatened to resign four times after complaining his salary is too low, MPs were told It came as Rishi Sunak appeared to drop his support for Mr Read, who it emerged at a select committee hearing on Tuesday is under investigation. On Tuesday, Downing Street officials said Mr Sunak had 'full confidence' in Mr Read. But during Prime Minister's Questions yesterday, Mr Sunak said it would be 'inappropriate' to comment while an investigation into Mr Read's conduct is underway. 'Our focus remains working closely with the Post Office to ensure it delivers justice for postmasters caught up in this historic scandal and that is why we will imminently bring forward legislation that we promised,' he told MPs. In a shift in tone, No 10 also refused to say it had the full backing in Mr Read's leadership. The PM's official spokesman said: 'We are not going to add further commentary to an ongoing HR investigation.' Insiders say the investigation into Mr Read will conclude within days - possibly this week - and that his future is hanging in the balance. The nature of the allegations against him is unclear. The latest bombshell amid the continued fallout from the Horizon IT scandal was dropped in the Commons by postal affairs minister Kevin Hollinrake (pictured) Mr Staunton, who was sacked by Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch last month, is also under investigation. He revealed that Mr Read's conduct was also being probed at Tuesday's explosive hearing of the Commons business committee, where both men gave evidence. In yesterday's debate about the hearing, Conservative MP Jane Stevenson asked Mr Hollinrake: 'In yesterday's select committee, Mr Staunton spoke about lobbying for a pay rise for Mr Read, which I know must have been quite galling to many of those subpostmasters. 'The minister was reported as refusing this pay rise. Can I ask him what sort of pay rise Mr Staunton thought would be a fair, equitable agreement at that time?' Mr Hollinrake replied: 'I think on two occasions Mr Staunton sought to lobby or did lobby for a pay increase for Mr Read. 'He sought to double the overall package of Mr Read on those occasions.' The response triggered gasps of disbelief from MPs in the chamber, with some heard muttering 'Wow'. Mr Staunton told the committee on Tuesday that Mr Read said he was going to resign four times because he was 'unhappy with his pay'. Mr Staunton was sacked last month by Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch (pictured) He also used his appearance to say that he stood by his account that officials asked him to stall compensation payments to wronged subpostmasters. In an interview with the Sunday Times, he claimed he was told to do this by the former top civil servant at the Business department, Sarah Munby, during a meeting in January 2023. But yesterday Mr Hollinrake said he 'strongly rejected' Mr Staunton's claims. He told MPs: 'The fact that Nick Read is being investigated is evidence that no one is untouchable and the Post Office culture is changing. 'An investigation is of course not evidence that allegations are accurate. While Nick Read has co-operated fully, Mr Staunton tried to block investigations looking into his conduct, it was this action as well as his attempt to bypass formal process to appoint a new director to the board, which led the Secretary of State (Kemi Badenoch) to lose confidence in Mr Staunton.' He added: 'Mr Staunton has now made a series of allegations which we strongly reject. 'He is using the Nick Read investigation to divert attention from the issues that the select committee were discussing about his dismissal, the allegations made are also proving to be a distraction from the victims of this injustice. 'The central allegation is the Government told him to slow down compensation payments; not a single person backed him up on this claim. 'My officials have been clear that they have never been instructed to do this, Post Office executives are clear that instruction was never passed onto them.' The kids, ages 5 to 11, had travelled from Honduras and Guatemala across the Rio Grande to Eagle Pass The kids held notes with New York and Texas addresses Five unaccompanied children were found after crossing the border into Texas along with 60 other illegal migrants Texas border patrol agents recovered five unaccompanied migrant children holding notes with addresses in New York and Texas. Department of Public Safety troopers in Texas found the five young kids in Eagle Pass after they crossed the Rio Grande with a group of 60 illegal immigrants, Lieutenant Chris Olivarez reported. The children, who were ages five to 11, traveled all the way from Honduras and Guatemala. They clutched paper notes with addresses for locations in New York and Texas written on them. Striking photographs showed the hopeful youngsters holding the pieces of paper. Texas border patrol agents recovered five unaccompanied migrant children holding notes with addresses in New York and Texas. Department of Public Safety troopers in Texas found the five young kids in Eagle Pass after they crossed the Rio Grande with a group of 60 illegal immigrants One little girls note read 'Schenectady, Nueva York' and included a name. Another young migrant boy clutched a ripped up scrap of paper with a Texas ZIP code scribbled on it. The arrival of the unaccompanied children comes after a 62-page-report by the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services sound that 'Children who arrive in the United States unaccompanied are especially vulnerable to exploitation.' More and more unaccompanied children are crossing the border as time goes on, with 128,904 minors crossed the border alone in the 2022 fiscal year - up from 122,731 the year before. Most of the children traveled from Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador and Mexico, agency statistics show. President Joe Biden is set to meet with law enforcement in Brownsville on Thursday, reportedly to push for the passage of a bipartisan border security agreement. The plan, drafted by a small group of senators earlier this year, would tie border security measures to foreign aid for Ukraine, Israel and allies in the Pacific. The White House have called the package the 'toughest and fairest set of reforms' in decades. It includes increased funding for drug interdiction along with other Border Patrol operations, having been endorsed by the U.S. Border Patrol Union. The children, who were aged from five to 11, traveled all the way from Honduras and Guatemala They clutched paper notes with addresses for locations in New York and Texas written on them Meanwhile, Trump is also traveling to another Texas border city, Eagle Pass, ahead of the March 5 primary. Eagle Pass has been at the center of Texas' legal standoff with the Biden administration over the state's right to enforce the border. Operation Lone Star, which was started in 2021 to counter the rise in illegal immigration and illegal drug trade, is still ongoing in the state. Under the operation, an 80-acre base was built in Eagle Pass for the National Guard troops deployed to deal with the rise in illegal activity on the border. Cryptocurrency exchange Gemini - run by billionaire twins Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss - will return at least $1.1 billion to customers of its defunct lending program and pay a fine of $37 million for unsafe and unsound practices. The fund is part of a settlement with the New York Department of Financial Services, the regulator said on Wednesday, while a separate lawsuit from New York Attorney General Letitia James still rages on. Gemini's Earn program, which was offered in partnership with crypto lender Genesis Global Capital, was halted during a crypto market crash in November 2022. That dislocation caused Genesis to file for bankruptcy, and has led to extensive litigation against Genesis, Gemini and Genesis's parent company, Digital Currency Group. The group went through a series of layoffs in 2022 and 2023, which created controversy when a video of the twins - each worth $1.4 billion according to Forbes - performing Journey's 'Don't Stop Believin'' with their cover band went viral days after a round of cuts. Cryptocurrency exchange Gemini - run by billionaire twins Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss - will return at least $1.1 billion to customers of its defunct lending program and pay a fine of $37 million for unsafe and unsound practices. The group went through a series of layoffs in 2022 and 2023, which created controversy when a video of the twins - each worth $1.4billion according to Forbes - performing Journey's 'Don't Stop Believin'' went viral days after a round of cuts James earlier this month expanded her lawsuit against crypto firms Genesis and Gemini, tripling the size of their alleged fraud scheme to more than $3 billion. The amended complaint builds on an October suit James filed against Digital Currency Group, its Genesis Global Capital unit, and Gemini Trust, the exchange run by the twin brothers. She claimed they caused more than $1 billion of losses by misleading investors about the Gemini Earn program, which let customers lend crypto assets to Genesis in exchange for a high rate of return. The attorney general said as more investors came forward, it became clear that 'the scam perpetrated by DCG through Genesis also ensnared investors who sent money directly to Genesis and were falsely assured their money was safe. Many of the additional investors were small retail customers, including a chiropractor and a stay-at-home father who each invested $2 million of bitcoin with Genesis, the complaint said. James is seeking more than $3 billion of restitution for the more than 230,000 investors who she believes were defrauded. 'This illegal cryptocurrency scheme, and the horrific financial losses that real people have suffered, are yet another reminder of why stronger cryptocurrency regulations are needed to protect all investors,' James said in a statement. Barry Silbert, who is DCG's chief executive, and Soichiro Moro, a former Genesis chief executive, are also defendants. The fund is part of a settlement with the New York Department of Financial Services, the regulator said on Wednesday, while a separate lawsuit from New York Attorney General Letitia James rages on Gemini's Earn program, which was offered in partnership with crypto lender Genesis Global Capital, was halted during a crypto market crash in November 2022 That dislocation caused Genesis to file for bankruptcy, and has led to extensive litigation between Genesis, Gemini and Genesis's parent company, Digital Currency Group A DCG spokesman told DailyMail.com in a statement: 'There is nothing new here. This is the same baseless complaint recirculated to generate another round of press headlines. 'We will fight the claims aggressively and we will win. DCG has always conducted its business lawfully and with integrity, and DCG and Barry Silbert will be fully vindicated.' The agreement with the New York Department of Financial Services means Gemini's Earn customers, who have not been able to access the funds held in those accounts since late 2022, are one step closer to regaining access to their money. NYDFS said on Wednesday that it retains the right to bring further action against Gemini if the company does not fulfill its obligation to return at least $1.1 billion to customers following the resolution of Genesis' bankruptcy. Gemini has pledged to contribute $40 million to the conclusion of Genesis' bankruptcy in order to benefit Earn customers, the regulator said. Gemini is run by Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss - also known as the Winklevoss twins, who grabbed national attention for their legal battle against Meta Platforms' CEO Mark Zuckerberg. The company had previously sued DCG over the failure of their joint crypto lending partnership. The two companies partnered in December 2020 to allow Gemini customers the chance to loan their crypto assets to Genesis in exchange for earning interest, ultimately collecting billions of dollars' worth of crypto assets from investors. NYDFS claimed that Gemini failed to monitor and conduct due diligence on Genesis throughout the life of the Earn program and failed to maintain adequate reserves. 'Gemini failed to conduct due diligence on an unregulated third party, later accused of massive fraud, harming Earn customers who were suddenly unable to access their assets after Genesis Global Capital experienced a financial meltdown,' said NYDFS Superintendent Adrienne Harris in a statement. 'Todays settlement is a win for Earn customers, who have a right to the assets they entrusted to Gemini.' In a blog post, Gemini said it has 'worked tirelessly over the past 15 months to advocate for Earn users and seek the return of their assets.' 'Gemini thanks the New York Department of Financial Services (DFS) for its role in this settlement, which delivers a coin-for-coin recovery for Earn users. Genesis is shutting down after filing for bankruptcy in January 2023. Gemini, run by the Winklevoss twins known for their legal battles with Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg, touted Earn as 'low-risk' even when its internal analyses had found Genesis was on risky financial footing, James alleged. Genesis bundled the funds into big loans for major players in the crypto space including at one point a nearly $2 billion loan to Alameda Research, the hedge fund of disgraced FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried. James is seeking more than $3 billion of restitution for the more than 230,000 investors who she believes were defrauded Though the Alameda loan was recalled before the collapse of FTX sent shockwaves through the crypto industry, James alleges that it was one of the risky and under-secured loans that Gemini and Genesis concealed from Earn investors. Days after the implosion of FTX in November 2022, Genesis suspended withdrawals, owing at least $1 billion to more than 232,000 Earn investors, including at least 29,000 New Yorkers, according to the new suit. Late Thursday, it reached a settlement with James' office, agreeing to pay on her fraud claims so long as it fully repays customers through the Chapter 11 process. That settlement requires a bankruptcy judge's approval. Genesis filed for bankruptcy two months after halting withdrawals by Gemini Earn customers following the collapse of Sam Bankman-Fried's FTX cryptocurrency exchange. Both Genesis and Gemini were also sued by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which said they bypassed disclosure requirements meant to protect Gemini Earn customers. Last week, Genesis agreed to pay the SEC a $21 million fine, also contingent on its repaying customers first. Gemini, meanwhile, has sued DCG over their failure of their crypto lending partnership. A 74-year-old substitute teacher was brutally beaten by a six foot two student weighing 280 pounds in Indiana earlier this month. Rob Gooding was serving as a substitute at Perry Meridian High School in Indianapolis on February 1 when the student hit him with a laptop, beat him to the ground and punched him in the face. Paramedics swiftly arrived on scene to treat Gooding's substantial facial injuries, and Gooding told a school resource officer who arrived with the emergency crews he wanted his attacker arrested and prosecuted. However, Gooding alleges, school officials refused to allow the arrest because they had been instructed by the district to do so. 'I saw him come up, and he said, 'I've had it,' and he came down and I blocked the Chromebook. That's where the hole was,' Gooding told WISHTV, revealing the prominent injury on his forearm. A 74-year-old substitute teacher was brutally beaten by a six foot two student weighing 280 pounds in Indiana earlier this month Rob Gooding, was serving as a substitute at Perry Meridian High School in Indianapolis on February 1 when the student attacked him Gooding alleges, school officials refused to allow the arrest because they had been instructed by the district to do so 'This man child was 6-feet-2, 280 pounds,' he said. 'He hovered over me and with his left hand, whammed me,' Gooding added. The teacher said he immediately asked for the student to be arrested, but was told the arrest was prevented by the school district. 'Then he said to me, "We have been instructed by the higher-ups, which is the district, not to handcuff, or arrest the kid," and I said, "What?" and he said, "Yes, that came from the higher-ups,"' Gooding said. 'Perry Police responded to the incident quickly,' read a statement from the Perry Township School District. 'A police report was forwarded to the Marion County Prosecutor's Office. Prosecutors will then make a criminal charge decision.' Gooding says he still believes charges should be filed against the student. 'He has to be accountable for his actions and that's what I feel,' he said. The teacher said he immediately asked for the student to be arrested, but was told it would be blocked by the school official on the scene The incident occurred at Perry Meridian High School in Indianapolis earlier this month The case remains under investigation a spokesman for the Marion County Prosecutors Office said in a statement. It comes amidst a wave of violent attacks on teachers across the country. A ninth-grade student in Rockdale County, Georgia, has been charged with aggravated battery after attacking their high school teacher in January. English Language Arts teacher Tiwana Turner was attacked in her classroom at Heritage High School on 26 January. Turner was hospitalized following the incident, suffering knee injuries as well as a broken leg. She will reportedly require extensive rehabilitation before she can return to work. Verdaillia Turner, president of the Georgia Federation of Teachers, told Fox 5 Atlanta she was angered by the video and that incidents like that directly contribute to the nationwide teaching shortage. 'Students are out of control [] there is no excuse for the violence [] there is no excuse for children who are coming into our school daily and wreaking havoc so other students cannot learn,' she told the outlet. A survey of nearly 15,000 pre-k-12 teachers from 2020 to 2021 found that one-third of teachers reported that they had experienced at least one incident of verbal harassment or a threat of violence from students during the period. In 2020, 10 percent of teachers reported that students had threatened them with injury. Another six percent reported that a student had physically attacked them. A beachside city that attracts millions of visitors every year has been slammed as a 'detention centre' that 'smells like a toilet'. Division 10 candidate Mona Hecke launched the scathing attack about Surfers Paradise at a Central Chamber of Commerce Meet the Candidates' breakfast. Her comment came as the upcoming council elections heat up with Ms Hecke taking aim at her electoral rival and current Division 10 councillor Darren Taylor. Ms Hecke said despite a $40million revitalisation program, Surfers Paradise, which is the Gold Coast's tourism industry centre, needs far more investment. 'I've been spending time in Surfers Paradise with many of the retailers, and a lot of retailers haven't seen or spoken to the current councillor,' she said. 'Walk through Surfers Paradise (Mr Taylor has) had four years to make improvements and it still smells like a toilet.' The battle for the upcoming Gold Coast council elections have heated up, with candidates claiming it 'smells like a toilet' and 'looks like a detention centre'. Burleigh Beach is pictured Surfers Paradise (pictured) on the Gold Coast has been described as 'ugly' by a mayoral candidate Her put-down followed another attack on the state of the city last week by mayoral candidate Danielle Dunsmore. Speaking at a Southern Chamber of Commerce breakfast, she said the city was 'ugly' and looking like a 'detention centre'. Mr Taylor defended his record, saying there was a lot more investment to come for the city and that the community will be consulted about the changes. 'Late last year 85 per cent of the community did endorse it. So that gives us the ability now to inject the whole $120million into the improvements,' he said. He added that other candidates at the meeting were 'all talk... let's get some action'. 'It's a great area, great city. People are coming back to the Gold Coast. People do still love Surfers Paradise,' he said. Ms Hecke, though, said candidates should not 'walk around with rose-coloured glasses' and that while the Surfers Paradise skyline was 'the most beautiful in the world ... at a ground level it's another story'. She said money spent on the city's foreshore had led to 'more bollards than trees, more concrete than shade... It needs a damn good gurney.' Council candidate Mona Hecke (pictured) said people should not 'walk around with rose-coloured glasses' about the state of Surfers Paradise The Gold Coast council and mayoral elections will be held on March 16. Surfers Paradise is a popular tourist attraction that attracts around 4million visitors every year. The Gold Coast remains one of the most popular cities for new homeowners drawing in newcomers with its beaches and weather. 'The pandemic [had] stimulated the whole thought process, and that was to get away from high-density areas where there was a greater risk of contracting Covid-19,' CEO of the Ray White Surfers Paradise Group Andrew Bell told news.com.au. 'We have a second wave as the friends and families of the first people who moved here three or four years ago are now coming because the people who moved here love it so much that they tell their friends and family. 'So it's kind of a second wave we're experiencing presently.' President Biden and former President Trump will today visit the border at Texas, both claiming they are the man to tackle the unprecedented number of crossings. Polling now shows that, more than anything else, Americans see immigration as the most important issue facing the country. Both candidates' response to this crisis may likely decide the 2024 election. Here, Donald Trump makes his case... Vote in our poll to have your say... Today, I am visiting our wide-open Southern border to witness the annihilation of American sovereignty being carried out at Joe Biden's orders. In a last-minute trip, Biden is chasing me to the border, no doubt desperate to shirk blame for the catastrophe he has caused. But do not be deceived. The abolition of America's borders is Joe Biden's policy. The mass-migration of millions of illegal aliens into the United States is Joe Biden's plan. This is Joe Biden's invasion. When I left office, we handed Biden the most secure border in U.S. history. We ended catch and release. We built hundreds of miles of Border Wall. We implemented Remain in Mexico, Safe Third Country Agreements with Central American nations, an asylum ban, Title 42, and rapid removals. Today, I am visiting our wide-open Southern border to witness the annihilation of American sovereignty being carried out at Joe Biden's orders. In a last-minute trip, Biden is chasing me to the border, no doubt desperate to shirk blame for the catastrophe he has caused. But do not be deceived. The abolition of America's borders is Joe Biden's policy. The mass-migration of millions of illegal aliens into the United States is Joe Biden's plan. This is Joe Biden's invasion. When I was president, when illegal aliens trespassed across our border, they were captured, detained, and deported. When Joe Biden came into office, he willfully and deliberately obliterated every strong border policy I put into place, and launched the largest border invasion in American history. Biden stopped wall construction. He ordered an immediate suspension of removals. He ripped up Remain in Mexico. He terminated my asylum agreements. He ended Title 42. He tied the hands of our ICE and Border Patrol agents behind their backs. He made it known to the entire world that our border was wide open. The very first bill Biden sent to Congress was a bill to turn illegal aliens into voting citizens. Instead of shipping them back across the border, he began shipping them to cities all over the United States by plane, train, and bus to resettle them in your communities. And then he began issuing work permits to hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens, allowing them to unfairly compete against the American worker. As a direct result of these policies, a minimum of nine million migrants have infiltrated across our border in three years and the true number is surely much higher than that. A large number are fighting aged men, including from China, Venezuela, Somalia and many other countries. Poll Who do YOU think can best tackle the migrant crisis? Joe Biden Donald Trump Who do YOU think can best tackle the migrant crisis? Joe Biden 141 votes Donald Trump 1290 votes Now share your opinion In short, Joe Biden purposely surrendered our border to cartels, child smugglers, human traffickers, and some of the most dangerous criminals on the planet the cost to public safety, national security and taxpayer money be damned. Now, our communities are buckling under the influx and our country is being overrun with crime. Last year, 43 percent of all ICE arrests were aliens with criminal convictions or pending charges for some 33,000 assaults, 3,000 robberies, almost 7,000 burglaries, 7,500 weapons offenses, 4,300 sex crimes, 1,600 kidnappings, and 1,700 homicides. In Chicago and Miami, police have confirmed the violent Venezuelan 'Tren de Aragua' gang is now operating in their cities. In New York City, NYPD officers were recently mobbed and viciously beaten by a pack of migrant criminals. In Michigan, gangs of migrants are stalking suburban houses and plundering them for valuables. And in Georgia just last week, 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley was savagely attacked and murdered on the campus of the University of Georgia. An illegal alien migrant who was released into our country under Biden has been charged with her killing. As a direct result of Biden's policies, a minimum of nine million migrants have infiltrated across our border in three years. Our communities are buckling under the influx and our country is being overrun with crime. Biden is preposterously trying to blame me and Congressional Republicans for the national security and public safety disaster he has created. He is claiming Republicans need to approve legislation for him to secure the border. But the truth is, Joe Biden does not need a bill to solve the problem at the border America needs to fire Joe Biden to solve the problem at the border. He created this catastrophe. At any point in the past three years, he could have closed the border. When I am re-elected, I will seal the border and shut down the invasion on Day One. And we will begin the process of removing Biden's illegal aliens from our country. Upon taking office, I will restore every strong border policy I had before and impose tough additional measures to keep out the gang members, human traffickers, sadists and thugs. Finally, I will leverage every tool, resource, and authority to begin the largest domestic deportation operation in American history. This is just common sense. Americans should not fall for Biden's border lies. He has betrayed your trust, and with his demolition of our borders, he has betrayed our country. The first step to border security is voting Biden out of office this November. Mystery surrounds a secret trip by Squad members Ilhan Omar and Pramila Japayal to Communist Cuba that coincided with a visit by Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov. The two leaders of the Democrats progressive caucus sparked fury when details of last week's trip emerged with top Republicans accusing them of a Communist 'pilgrimage.' The Congresswomen, who are longstanding critics of the US embargo on the Caribbean island, said they were there to 'meet with people from across Cuban civil society.' But critics slammed their support for a country that 'supports Iran, Russia and Communist China.' 'It's outrageous that Members of Congress would visit a country that jails, abuses, and murders their citizens,' said Rep Nicole Malliotakis, R-NY, herself a daughter of Cuban immigrants. Reps Ilhan Omar and Pramila Japayal, the chair and deputy chair of the Democrats' Congressional Progressive Caucus made their unpublicized trip while Congress was in recess Rep Nicole Malliotakis, R-NY, herself a daughter of Cuban immigrants, was furious when news of the trip leaked out 'Perhaps their time would be better spent listening to the Cubans crossing our southern border and risking their lives on makeshift rafts to find out why they're fleeing Communism.' The pair led a delegation of about a dozen people including a staffer from the office of California Rep Barbara Lee's office, the Miami Herald reported. There are strict restrictions on travel to the island which was placed back on the list of state sponsors of terror by President Trump in January 2021. But both lawmakers have been vociferous in calling for its removal from the list and an end to US sanctions on the island which Japayal claims have 'devastated' its economy. 'Being on this list has made it nearly impossible for Cuba to do international business, driving an economic downturn that has led residents to flee the country,' he wrote in January. 'It's time to re-engage with Cuba.' 'Economic and sector sanctions are too often designed to inflict maximum pain on civilians, not empower them,' Omar said in 2019. 'We had a full embargo on Cuba for decades, with little effect on the Cuban government but much pain inflicted on ordinary Cubans.' As protests rocked Cuba in the summer of 2021, Omar and Japayal were among 40 Democrats who voted against a resolution calling for the immediate release of arbitrarily detained Cuban citizens. The Cuban government gave none of its usual publicity for visits by foreign lawmakers, and the US party slipped into the country unannounced when Congress was in recess. The precise dates of the trip have not been revealed but no tweets were sent from Omar's personal X account between February 17 and 21. Lavrov, who was there on February 19, made no secret of his visit at the start of a South American tour, accusing the West of 'blackmail, ultimatums, threats' against both Russia and Cuba. Lavrov accused the West of 'blackmail, ultimatums, threats' against both Russia and Cuba 'The realities of a multi-polar world are provoking an aggressive reaction from the United States and other countries of the world minority which by all means want to preserve their domination, hegemony and diktat,' Lavrov added 'The realities of a multi-polar world are provoking an aggressive reaction from the United States and other countries of the world minority which by all means want to preserve their domination, hegemony and diktat,' he added. Moscow and Havana have grown closer as Russia has reached out for allies in the wake of its invasion of Ukraine, and in November 2022, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel traveled to Moscow to meet Vladimir Putin. Last year, Diaz-Canel assured Moscow of 'Cuba's unconditional support' in its 'clash with the West'. A 2022 State Department report found that Cuba remained a systematic abuser of human rights, carrying out arbitrary killings, torture and 'degrading' treatment of political prisoners. 'Impunity for the perpetrators remained widespread, as was impunity for official corruption,' it concluded. A spokeswoman for the 100-strong Congressional Progressive Caucus gave a brief explanation for the visit by its chair and deputy chair. Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov (left) made no secret of his trip to the island as he posed for photographs with Cuban Foreign Affairs Minister Bruno Rodriguez Lavrov attended a wreath-laying ceremony at Jose Marti Monument in the capital Havana 'Representatives Jayapal and Omar traveled to Cuba last week, where they met with people from across Cuban civil society and government officials to discuss human rights and the US-Cuba bilateral relationship,' she said. But Republican leaders were unimpressed. 'No surprise that the Hamas Caucus made a pilgrimage to Cuba last week to get a refresher course on communism to bring back to DC,' tweeted Florida Congressman Mike Waltz. 'All members of the media should refer to the Progressive Caucus by their more accurate name the Congressional Communist Sympathizing Caucus,' Rep Malliotakis added. Paramedics rushing to a medical emergency have been left traumatised after a car allegedly tried to sideswipe them before a gun was brandished out the window. The ambulance was responding to reports of a person collapsing and driving along Mount Cotton Road at Capalaba, in Brisbane's south, at 7pm on Wednesday. Queensland Police alleged a stolen Toyota Kluger began racing them and repeatedly veered towards them before an occupant brandished what they believed was a gun. The crew radioed for help, alleging the occupants were attempting to blind them with a laser pointer. An ambulance crew rushing to a medical emergency have allegedly been terrorised by a car that repeatedly tried to sideswipe them They were then forced to flee to a local police station, abandoning their attempts to reach the patient. Another ambulance was sent in their place. A Queensland Ambulance Service spokesman told Daily Mail Australia the incident had left crews shaken. 'This is totally abhorrent behaviour that not only put the paramedics in danger but also the patient they were trying to reach,' he said. 'This could have been your loved one, your child or mother or father put in danger because the ambulance trying to reach them had to flee to safety. 'We would ask people to clear a path for emergency vehicles and help ensure they reach their destination safely.' The ambulance was on Mount Cotton Rd at Capalaba (pictured) when a car allegedly began racing them, repeatedly veered towards them and an occupant brandished what they believed was a gun Queensland Police have charged a 34-year-old man and a 29-year-old woman in relation to the incident. The man was charged with a string of offences including dangerously operating a motor vehicle, driving unlicensed, injuring a police dog, and obstructing police. The woman was charged with unlawfully using a motor vehicle. The pair will appear in Beenleigh Magistrates Court. A former Labor senator whose political career was ended by a storm over his links to a Chinese businessman has categorically denied he is the mystery figure Australia's spy boss claims 'sold out their country'. Ex-NSW senator Sam Dastyari sensationally quit politics in 2017 amid intense scrutiny over his links to Chinese real estate developer and political donor Huang Xiangmo. Mr Dastyari - who has always insisted he is a patriotic Australian - was labelled a 'Peking schmuck' by the tabloids after it was revealed he accepted money from Chinese donors. He allowed Mr Huang to pay a $5,000 legal bill for him while he was an elected senator, and forwarded a $1,670 travel bill to a company with links to the Chinese government. Mr Dastyari admitted meeting Mr Huang, but denied any wrongdoing in the meeting where he allegedly told Mr Huang his phones were being tapped. In the years since Mr Dastyari resigned from Parliament, Mr Huang has been blocked from re-entering Australia and had both his Australian passport and permanent residency cancelled, on the recommendation of ASIO. Former Labor senator Sam Dastyari has catagorically ruled himself out of the hunt for the mystery spy who allegedly 'sold out their country' On Wednesday evening, ASIO chief Mike Burgess (above) gave a landmark speech where he said a now-former, unnamed politician had allegedly 'sold out their country' to an overseas power On Wednesday evening, ASIO chief Mike Burgess gave a landmark speech where he said a now-former, unnamed politician had allegedly 'sold out their country' to an overseas power. 'This politician sold out their country, party and former colleagues to advance the interests of the foreign regime,' Mr Burgess said. He refused to name the person, only giving clues including that the person involved was a former politician, that the incident took place several years ago, and he doubted the unnamed politician would do it again. Mr Dastyari refuted speculation that has erupted on social media in the hours since. He told Daily Mail Australia the incident had 'zero to do with me', and there is no suggestion of wrongdoing. 'I'm not jumping into any commentary,' he added. It comes as Alex Turnbull, the son of former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, revealed to news.com.au that he was targeted by suspected Chinese agents over an infrastructure project - and reported it to spy agencies. His father was PM at the time. 'It was just so brazen,' he told the news website. He did not specify exactly which infrastructure project he was referring to in the interview. Malcolm Turnbull's son Alex (centre) made the comments to news.com.au on Thursday New laws were only introduced in 2018 to combat foreign interference. What else is known about the politician is that 'at one point, the former politician even proposed bringing a prime minister's family member into the spies' orbit,' Mr Burgess said. 'Fortunately that plot did not go ahead but other schemes did. Personally, I don't think they'll be stupid enough to repeat what they've done in the past, so problem neutralised, harm in some elements was done.' The ASIO chief said the politician involved had cut ties with the foreign service and is not a national security risk, and added that foreign spies were posing as consultants, head-hunters, local government officials, academics and think tank researchers, claiming to be from fictional companies such as Data 31.' Mr Burgess's comments have sparked uproar in Canberra and beyond, with politicians past and present arguing their reputations were under a cloud due to the speculation. His defiant denial comes on the back of a social media storm trying to find links between Mr Burgess' comments and former politicians The Opposition's Senate leader Simon Birmingham called on Home Affairs Minister Claire O'Neil to 'step forward and provide that information - as much of it as she possibly can'. 'It is for the Minister for Home Affairs to use the protection and privileges of Parliament, perhaps to be able to do that,' he said. Mr Birmingham said providing such clarity would 'avoid that type of smear against all serving or all former politicians'. 'There is clearly significant public interest in this matter. That public interest deserves to be addressed as transparently as possible. He clarified that he does not know who the person involved in the incident is, but added: 'Plenty of questions will be asked, particularly given some of the stories that have been well publicised in the past about certain former members of Parliament, their departure from this Parliament and the like.' Opposition Leader Peter Dutton is equally keen for the person involved to be named. 'It's pretty rough to essentially [be] besmirching former politicians when [Burgess is] talking about one, and the trouble is, if he doesn't indicate the name, then there's a cloud hanging over everybody else,' Mr Dutton said. 'I think it is unfair on a lot of former MPs who are patriotic, as 99.9 per cent on both sides are, and if there's one that they've identified who's not, then frankly that person should be outed and shamed.' The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating Boeing after last month's door plug blowout to see whether the company could be criminally liable. The DOJ is scrutinizing the blowout that took place on a Boeing 737 Max 9 on January 5, Bloomberg reported. An Alaska Airlines plane was destroyed when a door blew out at 16,000ft in the air after the door panel slid up. Investigators inspected the plane to look at whether the four bolts that were supposed to help hold the panel in place might have been missing when the plane took off. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) carried out the inspection of the aircraft after the door flew off and landed in the backyard of a suburban home in Portland, Oregon. The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating Boeing after last month's door plug blowout to see whether the company could be criminally liable The DOJ is scrutinizing the blowout that took place on a Boeing 737 Max 9 on January 5, Bloomberg reported Investigators inspecting the Alaska Airlines plane that was destroyed when a door blew out at 16,000ft are looking at whether four bolts that were supposed to help hold the panel in place might have been missing when the plane took off The door flew off and landed in the backyard of a suburban home in Portland , Oregon Alaska and United Airlines have reported separately that they found loose parts in the panels - or door plugs - of some other Boeing 737 Max 9 jets. According to Boeing's latest annual report, the DOJ was considering whether the company fulfilled its obligations under the Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA). If the DOJ move to dismiss the information, they would require court approval to do so. If prosecutors decide that the door plug blowout constitutes a breach of that agreement, then Boeing could face criminal liability, according to the Bloomberg report. Boeing has desperately tried to explain and strengthen safety procedures after the January 5 incident on the brand new Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9. United has reportedly found loose bolts and other parts on plug doors on at least five of its planes, according to The Air Current. NTSB investigators are in the cockpit as they investigate what caused a plug covering a spot left for an emergency door to tear off the plane as it flew at 16,000ft The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) carried out an inspection of the aircraft after a door panel slid up before flying off NTSB investigators are seen in the cabin as they carried out their inspection after the 737 Max 9 was grounded 'Since we began preliminary inspections on Saturday, we have found instances that appear to relate to installation issues in the door plug - for example, bolts that needed additional tightening,' United told DailyMail.com last month. 'These findings will be remedied by our Tech Ops team to safely return the aircraft to service.' Alaska said that as it began examining its Max 9s and that 'initial reports from our technicians indicate some loose hardware was visible on some aircraft.' https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12943315/School-physics-teacher-alaska-airlines-door.html Beau Lamarre-Condon has been charged with two counts of murder Housemates looking for a new rental after alleged double murder Jesse Baird's housemates are understood to be planning to leave the small Sydney terrace where he and his boyfriend Luke Davies were allegedly murdered, wrapped in a tarpaulin and left overnight in its limestone-clad courtyard. Beau Lamarre-Condon, who previously had a 'friends with benefits' arrangement with Mr Baird before the Studio 10 presenter ended things in November, allegedly used his police-issued Glock pistol to shoot the couple three times inside the rental home in Paddington at about 9.50am on Monday, February 19. He then allegedly placed the bodies in the courtyard, covered them with a tarp, and used Mr Baird's phone to tell his two housemates he was moving to Perth and asked if they could leave his possessions on the nature strip out the front. The housemates returned to the property later on Monday to find the place in disarray. They then went to to bed unaware Mr Baird and his boyfriend were dead outside, 7News reported. The three-bedroom terrace was leased last April for $1,200 per week and, according to the online listing, has a 'limestone-clad, north-east facing courtyard' and is 'ideal for entertaining'. The bodies of Jesse Baird and his boyfriend Luke Davies were allegedly wrapped in a tarp and placed in this courtyard of the Paddington terrace Mr Baird was renting with two housemates Jesse Baird, 26, (left) and Luke Davies, 28, (right) were allegedly shot three times The courtyard opens at the back of the property via a roller door and could double as a carport, but it's a small space and would barely fit one vehicle. Daily Mail Australia understands Mr Baird's housemates have already applied to live in another rental property following the tragedy, and may have ended the lease at the Paddington house a few months early. Assistant Commissioner Michael Fitzgerald said on Wednesday that Lamarre-Condon didn't expect to find Mr Davies inside the house when he arrived. 'We will be strongly claiming in our case that this murder was premeditated and the second murder occurred because of, unfortunately, Luke's presence at the house,' he told 9News. Lamarre-Condon had originally bought one surfboard bag from a store in Miranda, about 20km south of Paddington, two days before the alleged murders. Police allege he bought it with the intention using it to hide Mr Baird's body, but one bag wasn't enough. Mr Fitzgerald said: 'Following the incidents, he went back and bought a further surfboard cover.' Beau Lamarre-Condon (pictured) has been charged with two counts of murder He allegedly hired a white Toyota HiAce van and moved the bodies the following day, on Tuesday, February 20, to a property in Bungonia, about 180km south-west of Sydney. The bodies were allegedly buried in a shallow grave on the fence line of a property on Jerrara Road. Police uncovered the remains on Tuesday, February 27. Earlier on Thursday it was revealed it will be alleged in court Lamarre-Condon used bullets stolen from a gun range to load the gun. He allegedly checked his pistol back into Balmain Police Station, where he worked as a senior constable, after the alleged murders - with a full magazine, as though no shots had been fired. In the days following the tragedy, friends and passers-by left bouquets of flowers outside the Paddington terrace. Sunflowers, roses, dahlias, chrysanthemums and tulips were placed along the property's iron gates in scenes reminiscent of the mountains of flowers left in public places in the wake of Princess Diana's death. Lamarre-Condon has been charged with two counts with murder and will face court at a later date. He has now been dismissed from the police force. A sea of flowers has been left outside the home where police allege TV presenter Jesse Baird and his flight attendant partner Luke Davies were murdered (pictured) Rayner faces pressure to clarify her address during the sale of her council house Sir Keir Starmer backed Angela Rayner over a row about her council home yesterday but declined to publish evidence to back up her claims. The Labour leader's spokesman said he had 'confidence' in his deputy yesterday - but refused to say that the matter was 'closed' and referred all further questions to her office. Ms Rayner, 43, is under pressure to clarify where she was living when she sold her council house in 2015 after she recorded two different addresses on official forms. Questions also remain about whether Labour's deputy leader paid the correct amount of captial gains tax on the sale of her home if she was living with her husband, as neighbours claim. Yesterday, Sir Keir's spokesman said he had 'absolute confidence in the answers that her team have given to these questions already'. Ms Rayner, 43, is under pressure to clarify where she was living when she sold her council house in 2015 after she recorded two different addresses on official forms However, he did not explain the discrepancy on the official forms or clarify why she has stated that she is not liable for Capital Gains Tax. According to the electoral register, Ms Rayner was living at the house she owned in Vicarage Road, Stockport, Greater Manchester between 2009-2015. However, neighbours say she moved into her husband's nearby house in Lowndes Lane in 2009, and she stated that she lived in his home when she re-registered her children's births in 2010 following her marriage. The Daily Mail revealed yesterday that neighbours said that her brother had lived in her home - and described her as the 'landlady'. Giving false information on the electoral register is an offence under the Representation of the People Act and is punishable with imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine. Giving false information on a birth certificate is an offence under the Perjury Act and is punishable by prison or a fine. Asked about the discrepancy on the forms yesterday, Sir Keir's spokesman said that he was confident that Ms Rayner had not broken electoral law - but would not comment on whether she had incorrectly filled out her children's birth certificate. When asked whether Sir Keir believed that she was telling the truth about her living circumstances during that time, the spokesman said: 'Correct.' The Labour leader's spokesman said he had 'confidence' in his deputy yesterday - but refused to say that the matter was 'closed' Last night Ms Rayner's spokesman refused to say which of the two official forms had been incorrectly filled out. Ms Rayner has said: 'I owned my own home, lived there, paid the bills there and was registered to vote there, prior to selling the house in 2015.' She has also stated that she was 'not liable for Capital Gains Tax because it was my home and the only one I owned', adding: 'My husband already owned his own home independently.' HMRC states that a homeowner does not need to pay CGT on their main home, an exemption known as Private Residence Relief. However, this can only be used if a person has lived in it as their 'main home for all the time [they've] owned it'. The story was originally revealed in a new book Red Queen?, The Unauthorised Biography of Angela Rayner by Lord Ashcroft, which will be serialised in the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday Neighbours claim Ms Rayner moved out of her home and into her husband's home in 2009 - six years before she sold it. HMRC treats married couples as living together and states that they can only declare one home as their main residence within a two-year period. Ms Rayner's husband sold his house in 2016, meaning that the couple could not have claimed relief on both addresses. Asked whether Sir Keir was confident that she had paid all the tax that was due on the sale of her home, the spokesman again referred reporters to Ms Rayner's office. Ms Rayner has claimed that she wasn't liable for CGT on the sale of her house - but her spokesman refused to say whether she was liable for the tax on her husband's house. The story was originally revealed in a new book Red Queen?, The Unauthorised Biography of Angela Rayner by Lord Ashcroft, which will be serialised in the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday next month. It revealed that Ms Rayner bought her council house under Margaret Thatcher's Right to Buy scheme - a policy she has pledged to review as shadow housing secretary. She has denied charges of hypocrisy, claiming that she was proud to have bought her own home. She later sold it for a 48,500 profit. President Joe Biden's campaign said it was 'racist' to suggest migrant crime is rising after the murder of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley and slammed Donald Trump for 'poisoning the blood of the country' with his rhetoric. Illegal Venezuelan immigrant Jose Antonio Ibarra was arrested for the murder of the 22-year-old nursing student. Trump referred to him as a 'monster.' The Biden campaign said, despite high-profile cases like Riley's, the suggestion of a 'migrant crime wave' doesn't bare out. 'This immigrant crime narrative is racist,' said Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia of California on a press briefing call Wednesday organized by Biden's re-election campaign. 'It's not true. Donald Trump is out here saying that we're poisoning the blood of this country, and the facts actually don't bear that out.' 'Immigrants, by and large, are committing less crime. So whenever this narrative comes forward, you know, it's just it's just an untrue narrative,' he added. Laken Riley was killed while jogging in Georgia, an illegal migrant was arrested on suspicion of her murder A recent Pew poll found that 57% of Americans say the large number of migrants seeking to enter the country leads to more crime. Charis Kubrin, the co-author of Immigration and Crime: Taking Stock, told CNN that the statistics just don't bare out when it comes to tying more immigration to higher crime rates. 'The most common finding across all these different kinds of studies is that immigration to an area is either not associated with crime in that area, or is negatively associated with crime in that area,' he said. 'Meaning more immigration equals less crime. It's rare to find studies that show crime following increases in immigration or with larger percentage of the population that are immigrants.' The Biden campaign defended migrants ahead of Biden's second trip to the border on Thursday. Biden will travel to Brownsville, Texas, on the same day Donald Trump will be in Eagle Pass, Texas. The cities are about 300 miles apart and the two men are not expected to interact. Both Joe Biden (left) and Donald Trump (right) will be on the Texas border on Thursday: Biden in Brownsville, Texas, and Trump in Eagle Pass, Texas While there, Biden will 'meet with U.S. Border Patrol agents, law enforcement, frontline personnel, and local leaders to discuss the urgent need to pass the Senate bipartisan border security agreement,' a White House official said. The president will be joined by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Rep. Vincente Gonzalez, local elected officials, as well as personnel from Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Biden will be briefed on border security operations and then he will make public remarks on the need for House Republicans to pass a bipartisan border package already approved by the Senate. Conservatives argue the legislation is not strong enough to combat illegal immigration. The bill included over $20 billion for border security that would add new Customs and Border Patrol agents, add more asylum officers to increase that process time, and add more immigration judges. Democrats accuse the GOP of election year politics. Trump, who is Biden's likely rival in the 2024 presidential election, has come out against the legislation. The former president, while he is in Eagle Pass, will blast Biden on the record high number of illegal crossings and Riley's murder, the latest high-profile case involving a migrant. Riley, a nursing student, was found dead by police last Thursday after she failed to return from her morning jog. University of Georgia police found her near where she'd been jogging through the campus intramural fields with 'visible injuries.' 'Crooked Joe Biden's Border INVASION is destroying our country and killing our citizens! The horrible murder of 22-year-old Laken Riley at the University of Georgia should have NEVER happened! The monster who took her life illegally entered our Country in 2022and then was released AGAIN by Radical Democrats in New York after injuring a CHILD!!,' Trump wrote on Truth Social on Monday. 'When I am your President, we will immediately Seal the Border, Stop the Invasion, and on Day One, we will begin the largest deportation operation of illegal CRIMINALS in American History! May God Bless Laken Riley and her family!!! Our prayers are with you!' Jose Ibarra, 26, was arrested on charges that included murder and kidnapping in the death of 22-year-old nursing student Laken Hope Riley in Athens, Georgia Riley was killed by 'blunt force trauma,' police confirmed. The White House has expressed sympathy for her family but has indicated Biden has not contacted them. 'I do want to extend our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Laken Riley,' White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Wednesday. 'Given this is an active case, I'm going to be really careful about speaking to that case more specifically,' she added. 'I don't have anything regarding to the President's speaking to the family, but it is heartbreaking. I can't even imagine what the family is going through.' Ibarra has been charged with malice murder, felony murder, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, false imprisonment, kidnapping, hindering a 911 call, concealing the death of another and failure to appear for a finger printable charge. The 26-year-old crossed into El Paso, Texas in September 2022 but had been released from a detention center due to a lack of space. His illegal status prompted Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp to publicly fault the Biden administration for its immigration policies. Ibarra was arrested in 2022 after entering the US illegally and was 'paroled and released for further processing,' according to a statement from ICE. He was also arrested last September by New York City police and charged with 'acting in a manner to injure a child less than 17 and a motor vehicle license violation,' but police released him 'before a detainer could be issued,' ICE said. Cops said that he did not know the victim and the crime was a 'random, solo act.' UGA Police Chief Jeffrey Clark told reporters at a press conference Thursday that officers have searched Ibarra's apartment in Athens and evidence shows that he acted alone. 'He did not know her at all. I think this is a crime of opportunity where he saw an individual and bad things happened,' Clark said. 'The evidence is robust. It is supported by key input by the community, physical evidence and expert police work. Importantly, we were assisted by video footage from our campus security cameras network.' Trump said in a Truth Social post on Monday that if president again he would 'begin the largest deportation operation of illegal criminals in American history' Since Biden took office in 2021, over 7.2 million migrants have entered the U.S. through the southern border. That's more people than the population of 36 states. Arizona, for example, had 7.1 million residents according to the 2020 census. Trump has promised the ' largest deportation' in U.S. history of illegal immigrants if he becomes president again in 2024. Senior police officers were accused of having blood on their hands last night after a sex worker's killer was finally convicted almost two decades after her murder. Serial rapist Iain Packer was yesterday jailed for a minimum of 36 years after being found guilty of strangling Emma Caldwell in 2005 and leaving her naked body in woodland 40 miles from her home. Jurors also found him guilty of another 32 charges, including 11 rapes and multiple counts of sexual violence against a total of 22 women. Judge Lord Becket said Packer, 51, killed Ms Caldwell in the 'most terrifying of circumstances' and accused him of carrying out an 'extreme campaign of sexual violence'. The victim's mother Margaret, a 76-year-old widow, accused police chiefs of 'betraying' her daughter and demanded they now answer for the 'misogyny, corruption and arrogance' in the handling of the case. In April 2005 Packer lured Emma (pictured) from Glasgow and strangled her. Five weeks later her body was found dumped more than 40 miles away in Limefield Woods near Biggar Mother of Emma Caldwell, Margaret Caldwell prepares to make a statement after Iain Packer is found guilty of the murder Of Emma Caldwell at Glasgow High Court on February 28, 2024 Mrs Caldwell's lawyer Aamer Anwar (right) said: 'The police failed many women and girls who came forward to speak up. Instead of getting justice they were humiliated and dismissed...' Lawyer Aamer Anwar (L) and the mother of Emma Caldwell, Margaret Caldwell (C) arrive at Glasgow High Court on February 23, 2024 Ms Caldwell, a 27-year-old woman who went missing in Glasgow on April 4, 2005 Police Scotland was forced to issue a grovelling apology in the aftermath of the verdict as senior officers acknowledged they had let down victims. Outside the High Court in Glasgow, Mrs Caldwell's lawyer Aamer Anwar said: 'The police failed many women and girls who came forward to speak up. Instead of getting justice they were humiliated and dismissed, whilst gifting freedom to an evil predator to rape and rape again.' READ MORE: Emma Caldwell was a head stable girl before heroin condemned her to a life of vice - but her family were denied justice when police refused to believe Iain Packer had killed her even though his story changed SIX times Advertisement Packer had been interviewed six times by police investigating the murder of Ms Caldwell, a 27-year-old sex worker who went missing in Glasgow, and even led officers to the remote spot where her body had been found. But he was not brought to justice until nearly 19 years after her death. Instead, police pursued a 4million botched prosecution of four innocent Turkish men. Mrs Caldwell wept as Packer was convicted, and later said: 'When they told me they had found Emma's body I just took this huge breath in and now I feel as if I can let it out.' Her husband William did not live to see their daughter's killer caught because he died in 2011, but she promised him on his death bed that she would continue to fight for justice. She also accused police of a 'shameful betrayal' of the women attacked by Packer during his decades of sexual offending, often characterised by choking his victims. Many were vulnerable sex workers and some have since died. Her lawyer said officers involved in the original investigation were 'suspected of criminality' and should face prosecution. Mr Anwar said: 'A toxic culture of misogyny, corruption and arrogance meant that police officers effectively allowed a serial rapist to prey on vulnerable women. Margaret believes these officers have blood on their hands and must now answer for their betrayal.' Her daughter, who developed a drug addiction after the death of her older sister, had been a prostitute in Glasgow. Several women had raised concerns about Packer, a man who regularly used sex workers and had a reputation for aggression. He started using prostitutes when he was 18 and would pick up women as often as he could afford. This was how he first met Ms Caldwell. He was said to be infatuated by her and would drive around looking for her and scaring off other potential clients. In April 2005 he lured her from Glasgow and strangled her. Five weeks later her body was found dumped more than 40 miles away in Limefield Woods near Biggar, Lanarkshire. Miss Caldwell (pictured) came from a close-knit family and saw both parents twice a week and spoke to them daily Iain Packer has been jailed for at least 36 years for the murder of Emma Caldwell 19 years ago Emma (pictured as a child) had become addicted to heroin after the tragic death of her sister from cancer Margaret and William Caldwell, parents of Emma Caldwell speak to the media in Glasgow city centre in 2009 Circumstantial evidence led to suspicion wrongly falling on staff and patrons at a Turkish cafe, and in August 2005 a surveillance operation began. Detectives, who had enlisted the assistance of a Turkish-speaking colleague, became convinced in May 2006 that the surveillance had detected incriminating conversations. But, in an astonishing blunder, the translations they based their certainty on were flawed. Incredibly, when a Sunday newspaper named Packer in 2015, branding him the 'forgotten suspect', police attention focused on finding the journalists' sources. A reinvestigation into Ms Caldwell's murder was launched in June 2015, and Packer was charged seven years later. The murder of Emma Caldwell in 2005 became one of Scotland's longest cold cases, with 19 years between when Iain Packer was first interviewed by police and when he was convicted. Packer, 51, has been found guilty of murdering 27-year-old sex worker Emma, who died in 2005, as well as a series of rapes and assaults over two decades. He admitted lying to police and to a BBC journalist who investigated him - sparking a series of disclosures from other victims who had previously been too ashamed to speak to police. Emma Caldwell (pictured), 27, vanished in Glasgow on April 4, 2005 Serial rapist Iain Packer, 51, was found guilty of Emma Caldwell's murder yesterday Emma's mother Margaret Caldwell outside Glasgow High Court where Iain Packer was found guilty of her murder yesterday But Packer was first interviewed by police the month after Emma's body was found in an isolated area of woodland in South Lanarkshire in May 2005. Packer, who worked as a sign installer across Scotland, northern England and Northern Ireland, was interviewed by police on June 22, 2005 - and lied, telling officers he had never picked her up and 'could not help the investigation'. Packer was spoken to by police six times between 2005 and 2007 and in his fourth statement, in August 2006, he admitted he had paid Emma for sex and that he had taken her to a remote spot in the woods, according to the BBC. Their report told how in his sixth statement, Packer even showed detectives the spot in the woods where he had taken Emma - but police did not speak to him again for a decade and instead were focusing on four Turkish men they wrongly believed had killed her. The court heard Packer was a prolific user of sex workers who had described it as an 'addiction' and lied repeatedly to police and to a BBC journalist who interviewed him on national television in 2018. As the killer was finally today sentenced to life in prison and ordered to serve a minimum of 36 years behind bars, Police Scotland apologised for failings in the murder investigation, admitting Packer's victims were 'let down by policing'. Here is the full timeline of the Emma Caldwell murder case and sexual assault allegations against Iain Packer: 1978 January - Emma Caldwell is born to her parents William and Margaret. The family live in Cardross, Dunbartonshire in the west central Lowlands of Scotland before moving to Erskine, Renfrewshire. Emma (pictured as a child) had become addicted to heroin after the tragic death of her sister from cancer Emma (pictured here as a child with a horse) was a promising was forging a promising career at a Glasgow riding school when her sister Karen died 1990 July - Iain Packer assaults his first victim when he is 17 years old. Magdalene Robertson, his victim, is only aged 14. October - Rape allegation made against Packer by an underage girl. The child's family are dismissive of the allegations and Packer threatens to report her to police. 1993 Packer begins raping and assaulting sex workers. Mid-1990s Packer is accused of raping a woman repeatedly and hitting her in the face with a Caterpillar work boot. During the same attack he attempted to strangle the woman with a Hoover flex. 1998 May - Emma Caldwell's sister Karen dies at the age of 31. She takes her death badly and becomes addicted to heroin. 1999 March - A sex worker tells police she was raped by Packer, and took documents from his work van to identify him, but no action is taken. The prosecution in his trial described police attitudes at the time as 'dismissive'. A mugshot of Iain Packer who was yesterday found guilty of the murder of Emma Caldwell Iain Packer's blue van which was with soil found with a 97% match to the soil where Miss Caldwell's body was found The blue van belonging to Packer who had who worked as a sign installer across Scotland, northern England and Northern Ireland The interior of Packer's blue van which was later linked to Miss Caldwell's murder 2002 Emma Caldwell moves to Glasgow after being introduced to heroin in a bid to cope with the death of her older sister. She eventually turns to sex work to fund her habit. 2004 August - Packer indecently assaults Miss Caldwell behind a billboard at the Barras, Glasgow, ignoring her instruction to stop because he had 'paid', the trial heard. A witness fears Packer was 'stalking' Miss Caldwell. 2005 March - Packer gets his blue work van, which will be central to the case. The same month he takes a 'petrified' teenage sex worker to Limefield Woods and forces her to strip. Margaret and William Caldwell, parents of Emma Caldwell speak to the media in Glasgow city centre in May 2005 2005 April 3 - Margaret Caldwell visits Glasgow to spend the day with her daughter, who tells her of plans to go to rehab, but she appears 'nervous' and 'agitated'. Mrs Caldwell told the trial her daughter's last words to her were 'Bye, mum. Phone you Monday or Tuesday'. April 4 - Miss Caldwell is last seen alive near Glasgow Green in the city's east end. Packer's mobile phone data showed he frequented the area, a known red-light district, nearly as often as his home. April 6 - Mrs Caldwell and her husband are unable to contact their daughter to change the day of a planned visit, and in the coming days report her missing and launch a search in Glasgow. May 8 - The body of Miss Caldwell is found in Limefield Woods, South Lanarkshire, by a dogwalker. A 'garotte' had been placed around her neck and her possessions and clothing had been disposed of. June 22 - Packer is interviewed by police and lies, claiming not to know Miss Caldwell. He became 'uncomfortable' when Miss Caldwell's name was mentioned and terminated the interview. July 5 - Police interview Packer a second time and obtain a warrant to search his blue van. 2006 June to July - A woman is abducted by Packer, who refused to let her leave a house for two weeks and held a knife to her chest. Between 2004 and 2006 a 'cluster' of attacks on sex workers took place. August - Packer is interviewed and tells police he forced a sex act on Miss Caldwell in 2004. 2007 March - Police interview Packer on a voluntary basis, and take him to Limefield Woods. He tells police he lied during previous interviews and had been with Miss Caldwell '10 or 11 times'. 2015 Packer is investigated by the Sunday Mail newspaper, which presents him as the 'forgotten' suspect in Miss Caldwell's murder. A new search of Limefield Woods is carried out to find evidence. Ms Caldwell, pictured at a 2017 police press conference, said: 'I feel let down by the first investigation' 2018 November - Packer instigates an interview with BBC journalist Sam Poling 'to clear his name'. He claims he has never visited Limefield Woods and that he told police they 'forced' him to visit. He says he has never been violent to women. The interviews spark disclosures from more victims. 2019 Packer is interviewed again by the BBC. In total he is interviewed on three occasions. He talks to BBC Disclosure programme 'Who Killed Emma' who confronts him with murder and abuse claims. After the final interview, he told a witness: 'They're blaming me for Emma.' He is charged with attacking his partner who is with at the time with two days later. 2021 Analysis of soil samples taken from Limefield Woods is carried out, with a sample from the blue van owned by Packer in 2004. The prosecution in his trial cite this as as '97% match'. Iain Packer pictured during a police interview on February 25, 2022 2022 February - Packer is arrested by Police Scotland on suspicion of the murder of Miss Caldwell, and the same year a review of DNA evidence is carried out. December - Additional charges are brought against Packer. 2024 January - Packer goes on trial at the High Court in Glasgow. Margaret Caldwell gives evidence two days before what would have been her daughter's 46th birthday. Packer admits lying in seven police interviews and three BBC interviews, but continues to insist he did not murder Miss Caldwell. February - Packer is convicted of murdering Emma Caldwell and attacking multiple other women following a six-week trial at the High Court in Glasgow. Emma's mother, Margaret, told Sky News following the verdict that she hoped Packer 'gets long enough [in jail] that he cannot harm anyone else' Dr Nick Coatsworth, who helped lead Australia's response to Covid, says draconian pandemic restrictions went for far too long and states should be stripped of their disease control powers. The former deputy chief medical officer stated 'group think' and exhaustion led to poor Covid responses in a 10-page submission to the special commission of inquiry being held into the pandemic. On Wednesday Dr Coatsworth made the stunning admission that imposing vaccine mandates was wrong in the wake of the Queensland Supreme Court finding that forcing police and paramedics to take the jab or lose their jobs was 'unlawful'. In his inquiry submission Dr Coatsworth said mandates should only be a 'last resort', 'time limited' and be imposed by governments not employers. Dr Nick Coatsworth, who was deputy chief medical officer during the Covid pandemic, has admitted mistakes were made by Australia in handling the virus Although Dr Coatsworth said Australia had assembled a top team of medical experts to advise on managing the pandemic they lacked an ethical framework meaning the focus became too narrow. 'This allowed the creation of a "disease control at all costs" policy path dependence, which, whilst suited to the first wave, was poorly suited to the vaccine era, he said. Dr Coatsworth argued the restriction and testing policies adopted to constrain the first deadliest strain of Covid in 2020 lingered well past their relative benefit leading to nationwide workforce and testing shortages. He also thought the differing approaches among states and between them and the federal government confused the public and eroded human rights. 'I strongly encourage the inquiry to recommend amendment of the Biosecurity Act to ensure that all disease control powers are vested in the federal government during a national biosecurity emergency,' Dr Coatsworth wrote. This means the federal government would be in control of state border closures during a pandemic. Outside of 'biosecurity emergencies' states would retain their disease control powers. Dr Coatsworth has previously taken particular aim at the Victorian government, under then Labor premier Dan Andrews, over its harsh Covid reactions while hosing down criticisms of Liberal Prime Minister Scott Morrison during the pandemic. 'Scott Morrison didn't issue fines to children for crimes against disease control, and Scott Morrison didn't shut down two towers full of refugee and migrant Australians,' Dr Coatsworth said. 'There were very real democratic rights that were trammelled in the course of this pandemic.' Dr Coatsworth was referring to the July 2020 lockdown on Melbourne public housing towers in Flemington and North Melbourne, which eventually led to the Victorian government offering a $5million settlement to those affected. After the Covid inquiry was announced in September 2023, Dr Coatsworth took aim at Mr Andrews who 'thinks that the Covid inquiry should focus on vaccines, national medical stockpile and PPE'. 'It is a word that he would prefer never enter into the historical record on our (and his) pandemic response. But it will,' he said. 'None of those are related to the core question. Proportionality,' Dr Coatsworth added. 'It is a word that he would prefer never enter into the historical record on our (and his) pandemic response. But it will.' Dr Coatsworth has previously said that under the public health principle authorities should implement the least restrictive interventions to achieve disease control. Despite being one of the faces of the vaccine rollout, which included mandates in many workplaces, Dr Coatsworth told Nine's Today show on Wednesday that the Queensland Supreme Court's ruling that it was unlawful was justified. Dr Coatsworth believes states should be stripped of disease control powers during an emergency (pictured former Victorian premier Dan Andrews whose state brought in particularly harsh Covid restrictions) 'We didn't get it wrong promoting the vaccines, but the mandates, yes, I think we did get that wrong,' he said. 'And I think you can say hindsight is 20/20. But hindsight gives us foresight. And if we have another pandemic, we should think long and hard whether mandates for vaccines are justified.' Despite promising a Royal Commission into Australia's Covid response during the federal 2022 election Prime Minister Anthony Albanese last year announced a much weaker special commission of inquiry. Its terms of reference will include vaccinations, treatments and mental health support, but will not investigate the pandemic's controversial features including lockdowns and mask mandates. Dr Coatsworth was appointed as one of three new deputy chief medical officers under Brendan Murphy at the start of the pandemic in March 2020. He now works as doctor in Canberra and is contracted to Nine TV channels and newspapers as a presenter and health expert. This is the moment a screaming eco-activist was dragged out of 500-a-night hotel on Park Lane by a security guard, as they tried to protest International Energy Week. Eco-zealots from Free Fossil London gathered inside the five-star InterContinental Hotel near Hyde Park, central London, to stage a demonstration last night. In video footage postage by the group, one female activist is seen being lifted off the ground by a security guard before being dragged across the marble floor accusing the hotel of 'hosting climate criminals' following the 'hottest year on record'. Do YOU know the activists in the video? Email eirian.prosser@dailymail.co.uk Another protester, shouting while clinging onto a hotel railing, is escorted outside of the hotel by two police officers while shocked passers-by film the scene. Four more police officers are then seen running into the building to help the security guard remove the other protester, who continues to yell 'InterContinental Hotel you have blood on your hands', as she is made to climb the stairs. Eco-zealots from Free Fossil London gathered inside the five-star InterContinental Hotel near Hyde Park , central London, to stage a demonstration against International Energy Week One protester was seen dragged off by a security guard at the five-star hotel, while another was escorted off by Met Police officers The campaign group said they disrupted the conference where oil and gas company Equinor were speaking accusing them of not using enough renewable energy. The global event, which convenes annually, had met to discuss the energy system and how its been impacted by the Ukraine war and drops in energy markets. Speakers at the event included MP Ed Miliband, shadow secretary of state for energy security and net zero, Just Stop Oil's Grahame Buss and chief economists from various energy providers. Swedish activist Greta Thunberg was previously arrested by the Met Police for 'refusing to move' when also protesting with Free Fossil London at the same hotel back in October. The 20-year-old smiled as she was detained by officers after joining in the protest outside the Energy Intelligence Forum (EIF) - formerly known as the Oil and Money Conference - at the hotel. Greta Thunberg, wearing a large badge reading 'Oily Money Out', is led away from the Intercontinental Hotel Park Lane by two Met Police officers in October Ms Thunberg spoke at the Fossil Free London protest outside the Energy Intelligence Forum conference in central London, where she hit out at 'spineless' politicians In footage shared on social media, officers could be seen frogmarching the campaigner to the van as other protesters were told to stand back. The Met arrested 21 protesters at the event. Last nights demonstration, however, appeared much smaller with far fewer activists appearing inside the hotel. Writing on X yesterday the group said: 'We just disrupted the lobby of the Intercontinental hotel because they are hosting climate criminals for International Energy Week. 'While Equinor were speaking as 'transition leaders' we know the truth: only 0.15% of Equinor's energy came from renewables last year.' MailOnline has contacted the Met Police, InterContinental Hotel and Fossil Free London for comment. The wife of a Florida police officer is spending time between two hospitals, as her husband fights for his life after a second heart attack and her newborn daughter stays in an NICU. Robert Wright, 36, is a detective with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Department. Wright suffered a heart attack on December 7 and then suffered another in early February, leaving him in a forced coma. His wife Heather was admitted to a different hospital at the same time because her condition needed to be monitored at 28 weeks after what a friend called a 'challenging' pregnancy. Robert Wright woke up from the coma on February 13, but wife Heather had to have an emergency C-section the next day, as their daughter Raelynn was born weighing just one pound. Robert Wright, 36, is a detective with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Department. Wright suffered a heart attack on December 7 and then suffered another in early February, leaving him in a forced coma His wife Heather was admitted to a different hospital at the same time because her condition needed to be monitored at 28 weeks after what a friend called a 'challenging' pregnancy. Their daughter, RaeLynn, was born February 14 and remains in an NICU She is scheduled to spend the next ten weeks in an NICU under observations. Heather Wright is going back and forth between hospitals to care for both, as Robert remains hospitalized. He's currently using a heart pump to keep blood flow going and letting his heart rest, according to WAFB. Heather - who met Robert in high school - is maintaining a positive attitude, saying: 'Cherish your family, love your family, you never know what could happen at any moment.' Friends and family have launched a GoFundMe, attempting to raise $50,000 to get the family back on its feet. It was there that Heather provided an update on her husband and daughter's health, with good news for both. 'Raelynn is doing great in the NICU, no oxygen needed and feedings are going well,' she wrote. 'Rob is out of ICU and will hopefully be discharged this week. We have a lot of recovery ahead but thankful for them both.' Heather Wright is going back and forth between hospitals to care for both, as Robert remains hospitalized Robert is currently using a heart pump to keep blood flow going and letting his heart rest Heather recently provided an update on her husband and daughter's health, with good news for both Heather did clarify that Robert is getting workers' compensation, but the family will need a lot more to recuperate. The GoFundMe claims that Robert and Heather, a real estate agent, 'have spent most of their adult lives protecting and caring for those around them, including family, friends and even complete strangers.' Robert Wright is staying at Tampa General Hospital and has yet to meet his newborn daughter. All Australian adults should continue to get COVID-19 booster jabs but children in good health need not worry, the government's vaccine advisory group says. Four years after the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the nation, the virus continues to ebb and flow through the community. Vaccinations remain the best way to protect Australians from severe disease, and on Thursday Health Minister Mark Butler revealed the latest vaccine advice from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation. 'Vaccination remains the most important measure to protect against the risk of severe disease from Covid-19,' Mr Butler said. Anyone aged 65 and older and severely immunocompromised Australia between 18 and 64 years old are strongly encouraged to get a booster vaccine every 6 months. All other adults are eligible for a booster every 12 months. Australians have been issued an urgent warning to get vaccinated in preparation for a fresh Covid wave due to strike during the cooler weather. Immunocompromised children aged five to 17 can receive a single vaccine dose, but those in good health do not need a booster in 2024 due to a low incidence of severe illness and high levels of immunity. Booster shots can be administered at the same time as an annual influenza shot and are widely available at general practices and pharmacies. Since 1 January 2023, over 5.4million boosters have been administered to Australians aged 18 years and over with 80,000 doses provided in the last seven days. Federal Health Minister Mark Butler urged eligible Aussies to get a booster shot if the required six or 12 months had passed since their last vaccination (stock) EXCLUSIVE A former detective hired by accused killer cop Beau Lamarre-Condon to represent him over the alleged murders of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies says his client is doing 'fine' behind bars. Solicitor John Walford served 20 years in the NSW Police Force where he was a senior criminal investigator, qualified criminal analyst and prosecutor. He then spent 15 years as a lawyer with the NSW Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, before opening his own suburban practice, the Penrith Law Centre. Mr Walford, who is the only lawyer acting for Lamarre-Condon, said his client had not yet indicated how he would respond to the murder charges against him. 'I've been and seen him a couple of times,' Mr Walford told Daily Mail Australia. 'I don't have instructions for the matter at this point, it's too early. Beau Lamarre-Condon (above) has hired a former detective to represent him as he faces charges of murdering Channel 10 presenter Jesse Baird and Qantas flight attendant Luke Davies 'We had a conversation about certain things that the police acted on the other day.' Asked how the 28-year-old senior constable was handling being in custody for the first time, Mr Walford said: 'He's fine. He's OK.' Lamarre-Condon is charged with murdering former Studio Ten presenter Mr Baird, 26, and Qantas flight attendant Mr Davies, 29, in the inner-city Sydney suburb of Paddington on February 19. Police allege Lamarre-Condon shot dead the couple with his service pistol at Mr Baird's home and then dumped their bodies two days later in the Southern Tablelands. Mr Baird and Lamarre-Condon had previously had what police have described as an 'off and on' romance but Mr Baird had not wanted to pursue a relationship. Lamarre-Condon, a one-time celebrity chaser who posted pictures of himself with international stars on social media, turned himself in to police at Bondi last Friday. He faced Waverley Local Court that afternoon when he was represented by a Legal Aid Commission solicitor and did not apply for bail. Lamarre-Condon is charged with murdering Mr Baird (left) and Mr Davies (right) in inner-city Paddington on February 19. He then allegedly dumped their bodies in a bush property 'There's been a bit of confusion at the start,' Mr Walford said. 'He just walked into a police station. 'He wasn't represented, so it was that confusing time of the weekend. 'I managed to get onto him on Monday and we sorted it all out. I'm the only one involved in it at this stage.' Solicitor John Walford served 20 years in the NSW Police Force After his court appearance, Lamarre-Condon was transferred to the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre (MRRC) at Silverwater where he is being held in protective custody. The officer in charge of the investigation, Detective Sergeant Sasha Pinazza, and lead investigator Detective Chief Inspector Glen Browne, spoke to Lamarre-Condon at the MRRC on Tuesday. 'I went in first and I gave him some legal advice then I arranged for the police to attend,' Mr Walford said. Mr Walford was not present when Lamarre-Condon spoke to investigators. 'Mr Lamarre gave certain information to the police which was acted on and that's done now,' Mr Walford said. 'It was done properly in the manner that I set up and so there was no issue.' About two hours after the detectives left the prison, police located the bodies of Mr Baird and Mr Davies on a property at Bungonia, about 180km southwest of Sydney. Police including the commissioner, Karen Webb, have been giving regular updates about the investigation. Mr Walford, who has had no previous association with Lamarre-Condon, said his client had not yet engaged a barrister. 'We've got options down the track but it depends what his instructions are and then we'll make a decision,' Mr Walford said. 'I'm just waiting on some brief evidence before I go back to see him. 'I'm hoping to get back in the next week and try and tidy up a few things between me and him.' Lamarre-Condon is due to face court in April. A former police officer immediately called CrimeStoppers after becoming concerned by Beau Lamarre-Condon's alleged behaviour when he showed up at her home, police say. Beau Lamarre-Condon allegedly drove the van to Newcastle, 165km north of Sydney, arriving around 8.30pm at the home of police constable pal Renee Fortuna (pictured) where he allegedly borrowed a hose to clean the vehicle Police will allege the 28-year-old constable shot Jesse Baird, 26, and Luke Davies, 29, on Monday February 19 with his service weapon at the Channel 10 presenter's Paddington home in Sydney's inner east. He then allegedly hired a white rental van to dispose of the couple's bodies before driving to Renee Fortuna's Lambton home, in Newcastle, on Thursday night - where he asked to borrow a hose to clean out the vehicle. At the time of the visit, a massive, highly-publicised search was underway for the two men after they were reported missing on Wednesday when their bloodied belongings were found dumped in a skip bin in Cronulla, in Sydney's south. Assistant Commissioner Michael Fitzgerald said Ms Fortuna's tip-off on Thursday night was crucial to the investigation. Beau Lamarre-Condon (pictured) has been charged with two counts of murder 'After the accused attended her house, she became suspicious of what his motives were and (about) some of his statements,' he said police will allege. 'She subsequently contacted Crime Stoppers straight after that.' Ms Fortuna, who had previously left the force, is not accused of any wrongdoing or having any knowledge of the alleged murders. Police will allege Lamarre-Condon was infatuated with Mr Baird and had been stalking the Channel 10 presenter in recent weeks before devising a plan to kill him. In preceding days, he allegedly stole bullets from a shooting range to later refill his service weapon and had purchased a surfboard bag to dispose of the body. Police will allege Mr Davies was not an intended target but just happened to be at the house when Lamarre-Condon broke in to commit the murder around 9.50am last Monday. Lamarre-Condon allegedly then shot them both, wrapped their bodies in tarpaulin, then hid them at the back of the property, before hiring a rental van later that evening to collect the bodies. Jesse Baird (left) and Luke Davies (right) had only recently started dating Police will allege he spent the next few days buying supplies to dispose of the bodies, dumping the men's bloodied belongings in a skip bin, and sending texts from Mr Baird's phone to loved ones. He also allegedly bought a second surf board bag for his unintended victim. Lamarre-Condon then allegedly drove with another female friend - who police say was an 'innocent' party unaware of the situation - to a private property in Bungonia, where he dumped the bodies while making her wait at the front gate for 30minutes. Police will allege he later returned to the property and relocated the men to a different location, 20 minutes away on Jerrara Road, after the friend became suspicious of his actions. Lamarre-Condon handed himself into police last Friday and was charged with two counts of murder and is currently in protective custody at Silverwater Correctional Centre. He is next due to appear at Sydney Downing Centre Local Court on April 23. A miniature horse has been shot in Washington, the second reported to police in ten weeks. Buttercup the miniature horse was found dead with a shotgun wound in Maple Valley, King County, by her owner on Monday morning. Stevie Jacobson told K5 News how she was shocked to discover her beloved Buttercup shot dead in the pasture. 'It was right between her eyes and a little bit up,' Jacobson said of the bullet wound. No arrests have been made, and local police are at a loss as to the culprit and motive. A miniature horse has been shot in Washington, the second reported to police in ten weeks Buttercup the miniature horse was found dead with a shotgun wound in Maple Valley, King County by her owner on Monday morning Stevie Jacobson discovered her beloved Buttercup dead in her pasture on Monday 'Nobody was in the pasture,' said Jacobson. 'We've kind of looked around. They had to have done it from up at the road.' 'Why?' she said. Adding: 'Somebody's just purely evil... is the only thing I can think of. Why would you do something like this?' 'She didn't want to be caught. She'd run around and she'd challenge us,' Jacobson said of Buttercup. Buttercup is a great loss to another of Jacobson's other horse Peanut, who is blind in one eye and was 'pair bonded' with Buttercup for security. 'She would just kind of follow Buttercup around and be like, 'Okay, where are you going? I better go there,' Jacobson explained. No suspects have been identified according to local police. It comes just ten weeks after another horse was shot dead in Washington. Delanie Greer discovered her beloved horse LeMon had been shot dead outside his stall in Tacoma on December 17 'Every morning I have to walk up and remind myself that you're gone' LeMon's heartbroken owner wrote Brandon Gerner, 41, was charged with animal cruelty as well as with first and second degree murder on Wednesday In December, horse owner Delanie Greer discovered her beloved horse LeMon had been shot dead outside his stall in Tacoma. Brandon Gerner, 41, killed LeMon as a sacrifice to his friend Kody Olsen, who died after a shooting involving Pierce County police, prosecutors alleged. 'My horse was shot three weeks ago on my parent's property' Greer wrote on Facebook. 'Every morning I have to walk up and remind myself that you're gone,' Greer added in her heartfelt tribute to her beloved pet. 'People say you didn't deserve this, but no living thing deserves what happened to you' she added. Writing after Gerner's arrest, Greer added: 'He says he did it as a sacrifice but in your death you linked him to another murder even in death you're helping people.' A husband and mother-of-four have been identified as the couple found dead in a house in Queensland in a suspected murder-suicide. The bodies of Natasha Nibizi, 29, and Habib Bayat, 34, were found at the home on Redhead Street in Doolandella, Brisbane's south-west, at 7pm on Tuesday. One of the bodies was reportedly found bound with zip ties but police are yet to reveal how the pair died or if any weapons were located at the house. Queensland Police Detective Inspector Michael Hogan said officers arrived at the home after receiving a welfare call. CCTV captured by Nine News showed Ms Nibizi walking into the home on Tuesday and greeting a man at the front door. Natasha Nibizi, 29, and her husband Habib Bayat were found dead at the home on Redhead Street in Doolandella, Brisbane 's south-west, at 7pm on Tuesday Ms Nibizi and Mr Bayat got engaged in 2021 and married that year, before moving to Brisbane last December to reportedly be closer to Mr Bayat's family. Best friend, Asfaty Shindano, said the mother-of-four had just secured a new job the day before her death, the Courier Mail reported. She said she had been with Ms Nibizi on Tuesday when her husband called and said he wanted to speak to her. Best friend, Asfaty Shindano, said Ms Nibizi (pictured) had just secured a new job the day before her death Forensic officers are scouring the scene in what is believed to be a domestic violence incident The man and woman were found dead at the Doolandella property on Tuesday night Neighbours have described the find as 'creepy' and said the occupants of the house were 'very quiet' 'I was sleeping over and her husband called her saying that he wanted to meet her he wanted to talk with her,' Ms Shindano told the publication. 'We were worried when she wasn't picking up our phone calls.' A man dressed in a blue forensic suit was led away from the property by detectives after the discovery of the bodies while a second man was driven away from the scene. Neither of the men, who lived at the home, are believed to have been in the house at the time of the incident and are not considered suspects but are helping police with their enquiries. No children were at the home at the time. Ms Nibizi's youngest child is just eight-months-old. 1800 RESPECT LIFELINE 13 11 14 Prince Harry demanded to know who was responsible for downgrading his Home Office police protection and even asked for their name, court documents have revealed. The Duke of Sussex potentially faces a large bill to reimburse taxpayers' legal costs after a judge said he had failed to prove the downgrade was unlawful or unfair. Harry, 39, took the Home Office to court over no longer being given the 'same degree' of protection after he and wife Meghan quit royal life and left Britain in January 2020. He compared the dangers to him and his family to the risks his mother Princess Diana faced before her death in 1997 while being chased by paparazzi. It emerged in the 52-page ruling yesterday that he had demanded to know who in government was responsible for the decision, saying: 'I would like that person's name.' Prince Harry (pictured last March outside the High Court) vowed to appeal after losing a High Court battle with the Home Office over downgrading his police protection Your browser does not support iframes. He complained his visits to Britain were unsafe and Judge Sir Peter Lane said that when he and Meghan used a train to visit Manchester in September 2022, he 'raised concerns because of his proximity to the public'. Decision summary from Prince Harry court case Here is the decision summary from Duke of Sussex v the Home Office: 'The court has found that there has not been any unlawfulness in reaching the decision of February 28, 2020. 'Any departure from policy was justified. The decision was not irrational. The decision was not marred by procedural unfairness. 'Even if such procedural unfairness occurred, the court would in any event be prevented from granting the claimant relief. 'This is because, leaving aside any such unlawfulness, it is highly likely that the outcome for the claimant would not have been substantially different. 'The court has also found that there has been no unlawfulness on the part of Ravec in respect of its arrangements for certain of the claimant's visits to Great Britain, following the decision of February 28, 2020.' Advertisement Harry's American private security specialist told the High Court that Harry had felt cornered during a visit to the Wellchild Awards in Kew, West London in June 2021 when 'paparazzi made them feel like sitting ducks'. He argued he had been 'singled out' and treated unfairly when his automatic police protection was withdrawn following the 'Sandringham Summit' with the late Queen in January 2020 just before leaving the UK. After feeling unsafe when he came to Britain in the summer of 2021 to unveil a statue of his late mother with his brother William, Harry took court action. He brought a judicial review against the decision by the executive committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec), which falls under the Home Office. At a hearing in London last December, the Government insisted Harry's claim should be dismissed, arguing Ravec was entitled to conclude the Duke's protection should be 'bespoke' and considered on a 'case-by-case' basis. Lawyers for the Home Office said Britain had 'finite public resources' and that it was appropriate for police protection to be limited to those 'acting in the interests of the state through their public role'. Sir Peter's ruling concluded 'there has not been any unlawfulness' in Ravec's decision nor was it 'irrational' or 'marred by procedural unfairness'. Harry had argued that, just because he was no longer a frontline royal, that did not diminish the threats he faced by virtue of being in the line of succession to the throne and 'a Prince of the realm'. But the judge said Ravec 'was well aware of the claimant's status, background and profile' when it made its decision. Prince Harry and Meghan, pictured at an Invictus Games event in Canada on February 14, 2024 Sir Peter praised the Ravec committee, and its then chairman Sir Richard Mottram, for their 'significant knowledge and expertise' in a highly specialist area. Harry insisted that Ravec should have considered the 'impact that a successful attack' on him would have. READ MORE: Prince Harry LOSES High Court challenge against the Home Office over decision to downgrade his taxpayer-funded personal security when he visits the UK Advertisement But the judge said it would be 'bizarre' if the highly experienced chairman of Ravec 'would not have had in mind the consequences of a successful attack' and yet Ravec had still not shared Harry's concern. Within hours of the judgment, a spokesman for Harry announced he would appeal it, adding that he was 'not asking for preferential treatment but for a fair and lawful application of Ravec's own rules'. It is the latest court blow to Harry after he admitted defeat last month in a libel case against The Mail on Sunday over articles it had published about his battle with the Home Office. The Duke was left facing a 750,000 legal bill after abandoning his case just six hours before a deadline for handing over a list of documents. This latest High Court challenge against the Home Office could land him with an estimated 1million bill on top of that. The father-of-two could now have to pay the costs for his own lawyers, as well as the legal costs of the Home Office, a total that could reach seven figures, The Times reports. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stand outside Kensington Palace after announcing their engagement in November 2017 The Duke and Duchess of Sussex attend an event in Whistler near Vancouver in the build up to the 2025 Invictus Games The Duke of Sussex, pictured leaving the Royal Courts of Justice in London on March 30, 2023 The Home Office revealed in October last year that it had already incurred legal costs of 407,000 as a result of the case, and that was before the three-day trial itself took place in December. Britain should not be 'lumbered with paying for' Prince Harry A former Conservative Armed Forces Minister insisted on Wednesday that the High Court ruling was right - and UK taxpayers should not be 'lumbered with paying for' Prince Harry. Lord Andrew Robothan, who served in the Coldstream Guards, also said that the Duke of Sussex was 'unwise' to write about killing 25 Taliban fighters in Afghanistan in his book Spare. He told TalkTV: 'This is a man who chose to leave the Royal Family, who chose to write a book for money boasting how many people he'd killed. He said he'd killed 20 people. I think it was an unwise thing to say. 'If there was a known intelligence source saying he was at risk, that's one thing, but there isn't. He's most of the time in Montecito in California, and where he may or may not empoloy security guards with the very large deals he's done with Netflix. 'But I don't think the British taxpayer should be lumbered with paying for him, since he seems to rather not like Britain anyway.' Advertisement Meanwhile, the California-based royal hired law firm Schillings International and four barristers to help him bring the court action, potentially bringing his own personal costs even higher. Losing parties in High Court cases normally have to pay the legal costs for both sides, with the Duke now hoping for a successful appeal against the ruling. A spokesman for Harry said he would appeal the decision, adding that he was 'not asking for preferential treatment, but for a fair and lawful application of Ravec's own rules'. They said: 'The Duke of Sussex will appeal today's judgment which refuses his judicial review claim against the decision-making body Ravec, which includes the Home Office, the royal household and the Met Police. 'Although these are not labels used by Ravec, three categories - as revealed during the litigation - comprise the 'Ravec cohort': the role based category, the occasional category and the other VIP category. 'The Duke is not asking for preferential treatment but for a fair and lawful application of Ravec's own rules, ensuring that he receives the same consideration as others in accordance with Ravec's own written policy. 'In February 2020, Ravec failed to apply its written policy to the Duke of Sussex and excluded him from a particular risk analysis. The duke's case is that the so-called 'bespoke process' that applies to him is no substitute for that risk analysis. 'The Duke of Sussex hopes he will obtain justice from the Court of Appeal, and makes no further comment while the case is ongoing.' The Duke will first need a judge to give him the green light to go to the Court of Appeal. A judgment summary in Harry's case released this morning said the court determined 'there has not been any unlawfulness in reaching the decision', adding that it was not 'irrational'. Prince Harry making pre-flight checks in the cockpit at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan in 2012 William, Harry, Meghan and Charles speak together at a service at Westminster Abbey in March 2019 - the year before the Sussexes stepped down as senior royals and moved to the US The court also found the 'decision was not marred by procedural unfairness' and there was no unlawfulness by Ravec in its arrangements for his visits to Britain. 'The Duke of Sussex will appeal': Full statement from Harry's legal team A legal spokesperson for the Duke of Sussex said: 'The Duke of Sussex will appeal today's judgment which refuses his judicial review claim against the decision-making body Ravec, which includes the Home Office, the Royal Household and the Met Police. 'Although these are not labels used by Ravec, three categories - as revealed during the litigation - comprise the 'Ravec cohort': the Role Based Category, the Occasional Category and the Other VIP Category. 'The Duke is not asking for preferential treatment, but for a fair and lawful application of Ravec's own rules, ensuring that he receives the same consideration as others in accordance with Ravec's own written policy. 'In February 2020, Ravec failed to apply its written policy to the Duke of Sussex and excluded him from a particular risk analysis. 'The duke's case is that the so-called 'bespoke process' that applies to him, is no substitute for that risk analysis. 'The Duke of Sussex hopes he will obtain justice from the Court of Appeal, and makes no further comment while the case is ongoing.' Advertisement In his 52-page partially redacted ruling, Sir Peter said Harry's lawyers had taken 'an inappropriate, formalist interpretation of the Ravec process'. He added: 'The 'bespoke' process devised for the claimant in the decision of February 28, 2020 was, and is, legally sound.' The judge also said: 'The decision of February 28, 2020 was obviously forward-looking in nature. 'The suggestion that the claimant should have received both an RMB (risk) analysis and a 'bespoke' approach ignores the witness evidence of the defendant which, for the reasons I have given, falls to be given weight. 'That evidence shows no irrationality or other unlawfulness, as regards the other VIP category.' Sir Peter also noted it was 'highly relevant' that on January 11, 2020, Sir Edward Young, then Queen Elizabeth II's private secretary, gave Harry a 'draft options paper' outlining that the 'level of protection is a decision for the Home Secretary, delegated to the chair' of Ravec. The paper set out how the process worked and Harry's own private secretary Fiona Mcilwham then met with Cabinet Secretary Sir Mark Sedwill, saying in an email that she 'faithfully relayed the details you provided on security to the Duke', according to the court papers. The judge said there was 'no substance in the contention that the defendant failed to act in a procedurally fair manner'. He added: 'In particular, there was no reason to assume that the claimant's private secretary was unaware of the security issues arising as a result of the claimant's [redacted text].' The judge also said that 'On the contrary, the evidence shows that she was entirely conversant with them' following a meeting on January 27, 2020 with Sir Edward, Ravec chair Sir Richard Mottram and Prince William's private sectary Simon Case. Sir Peter added: 'If there had been the need for any questions to be asked about 'Ravec, Ms Mcilwham can be expected to have asked them. 'I do not accept that the fact she may have been private secretary for some six months has any bearing. Her communications are indicative of someone with a good grasp of her job.' The judge said he accepted comments from Sir Richard, who said that, even if he had received a document setting out all of Harry's legal arguments in February 2020, 'I would have reached the same decision for materially the same reasons'. In addition, Sir Peter criticised Harry's claim of the 'alleged irrationality' of him having to give 28 days' notice of travelling to Britain. The judge said: 'There is no merit in this contention. It arose from the need to be able to address a [redacted] of the kind belatedly given by the claimant to Ravec in relation to the June/July 2021 visit. 'Given Ravec's expertise, the decision to require 28 days' notice would need to be shown, by reference to evidence, to have been plucked out of the air or imposed for some extraneous reason, before this head of challenge could be made out. The claimant has pointed to nothing of the kind.' Responding to the ruling, a Home Office spokesman said on Wednesday: 'We are pleased that the court has found in favour of the Government's position in this case, and we are carefully considering our next steps. It would be inappropriate to comment further. 'The UK Government's protective security system is rigorous and proportionate. 'It is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on those arrangements, as doing so could compromise their integrity and affect individuals' security.' Sir Peter - who officially retired as a High Court judge on February 1 - said his ruling contained redactions because if such information was made public it would have 'a serious adverse impact on the individuals concerned, as well as being contrary to the public interest, including that of national security'. MailOnline has contacted the Sussexes for comment. The son of a wealthy art collector appeared in court this week to face charges for the alleged attempted murder of the family's live-in maid. Maximillian Bourne, 25, an IT consultant, is accused of stabbing Joselia Pereira Do Nascimento on February 25 at the family's 20mn home in West London. Bourne was arrested and charged before appearing at Westminster magistrates' court where he was remanded in custody until March 26. Appearing in the dock this week, Bourne told the court: 'I'm a nice, very good-looking white boy from Chelsea.' He was not asked to enter a plea but will next month appear before a judge at the Old Bailey to face the charge. Alleged victim Joselia Pereira Do Nascimento was rushed to hospital in a critical condition after suffering multiple injuries. File photo. Bourne was arrested before appearing at Westminster magistrates' court this week A picture of the former courthouse where Pereira Do Nascimento was allegedly attacked Kalsoom Shah, prosecuting, told the hearing this week: 'The victim was critical, but her injuries are now not life-threatening.' Pereira Do Nascimento is expected to spend at least a week in hospital receiving treatment for her injuries, Shah said. The victim's injuries were said to be mainly to her face and back. The attack allegedly occurred on Sunday, February 25, at the 20mn five-bedroom family home on Justice Walk, Chelsea. The 18th-century building was once used as a holding place for petty criminals waiting to be sent to Britain's colonies. In 2014, MailOnline reported the owners, Graham and Sylvia Bourne, were looking to sell the property for 14.5mn after buying it for 2.8mn in 1998. Sylvia Bourne is a celebrated art collector and philanthropist. Graham Bourne is a property developer. Maximillian Bourne is also the great, great grandson of Epitacio Pessoa, President of Brazil between 1919 and 1922. The family's restoration saw the Court House become a family home for the first time in its 300-year history. After the last prisoner was sentenced, the Court House became a wine warehouse before becoming home to a warren of tiny artists' and architect's studios. A couple in south London have been ridiculed for trying to recruit a live-in babysitter who would have to pay them 400 for the privilege. London renters were stunned to see a property listed at such an affordable price in Clapham South - but they soon realised there was a massive catch. The new tenant was expected to be on hand for three hours of babysitting from 3pm to 6pm every day from Monday to Friday. However, the 400 per month room was unavailable on weekends, implying that they babysitter would not be allowed to stay at the house unless it was to look after the children. The advert, which was taken down after it went viral, said: 'Hi we are an Italian family looking for a student/au pair preferred Monday to Friday but we can consider full week for the right person (respectful of privacy). A couple in south London have been ridiculed for trying to recruit a live-in babysitter for this room - but only if they are willing to pay 400 for the privilege 'We are looking for someone who can help regularly with babysitting 3 hours per day 3-6pm. 'Our children are very sweet but very young 1-3 years old so we are looking for a calm, clean and organised person/no party. 'You will have a 9sqm room and a bathroom mostly for your self. The family uses another bedroom.' The listing was removed by Rightmove but the couple have re-uploaded the rental on Spare Room with an edited description. It was increased to 600 per month before dropping to 500 per month and makes no mention of having to babysit the children now. 'Hi, we are renting out a room in our family house,' the new ad says. The new tenant was expected to be on hand for three hours of babysitting from 3pm to 6pm every day from Monday to Friday The room was increased to 600 per month before dropping to 500 per month and makes no mention of having to babysit the children now 'You will have a double room and bathroom. Living room and kitchen are shared. We are looking for someone very clean, organised and respectful.' The initial advert sparked outrage online, with one fuming: 'It's criminal how much care work, an essential industry, is devalued by people like this. 'Wouldn't ask someone to pay them rent for the joy doing any other job. 'Carers of all kinds have so much duty and it's treated like nothing important.' After the rental was put back on the market at a higher price with no babysitting, one social media user quipped: 'She obviously considered the 200 difference a 'wage'. 'This, somehow, is worse (and I bet you'll be left with the little cherubs anyway...).' Germany has been accused of a 'flagrant abuse of intelligence' after Chancellor Olaf Scholz claimed British troops are helping Ukraine launch long-range missiles at Putin's forces. Scholz said on Monday that he would not deliver German-made long-range missiles as it would require German troops to assist on the ground, arguing that following the UK's lead would make his nation a 'participant in the war.' He said that delivering Taurus weapons systems would bring German troops too close to the front lines of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. 'What is being done in the way of target control and accompanying target control on the part of the British and the French can't be done in Germany. Everyone who has dealt with this system knows that. 'German soldiers must at no point and in no place be linked to targets [the Taurus] system reaches.' Scholz said on Monday that he would not deliver German-made long-range missiles as it would require German troops to assist on the ground Though it is known that the UK provides Ukraine with intelligence on Russian targets, it is not currently known to what extend support is given to Ukrainian troops in direct military action Tobias Ellwood, the former chairman of the Commons defence committee, told the Telegraph: 'This is a flagrant abuse of intelligence deliberately designed to distract from Germany's reluctance to arm Ukraine with its own long-range missile system. This will no doubt be used by Russia to racket up the escalator ladder.' Britain and France have long since announced that they were sending Storm Shadow and Scalp long-range missiles, respectively, to Ukraine. On Tuesday, it was revealed that the UK had also stationed a 'small number' of troops in Ukraine in a support capacity, specifying only that some were involved in medical training. Though it is known that the UK provides Ukraine with intelligence on Russian targets, it is not currently known to what extend support is given to Ukrainian troops in direct military action. The intelligence community has lashed out at Scholz for his comments. Justin Crump, chief executive of Sibylline, an intelligence consultancy, told the newspaper: 'British support to Ukraine is hardly news to Moscow given repeated leaks, but this has previously been veiled in ambiguity itself drawing on a trick from Russia's own playbook. 'Scholz though has more clearly pierced this veil. His assertion is a gift to Russian propagandists, already forming a key part of Russia's effort to undermine NATO cohesion and support for Kyiv during this critical period ahead of US and UK elections.' 'More immediately, it will drive Russia to redouble efforts to target foreign forces present in Ukraine and make inflated claims of losses.' Norbert Rottgen, a senior MP from Angela Merkel's former ruling party, the CDU added: 'The chancellor's statement regarding France and Britain's alleged involvement in operating long-range cruise missiles used in Ukraine is completely irresponsible.' Kim Kardashian, who has made a name for herself as a criminal justice reform advocate, mourned the Wednesday execution in Texas of Ivan Cantu, 50, who was convicted of murdering his cousin and his cousin's fiancee. Up until his last moments of life, celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Martin Sheen were advocating for a halt on Cantu's the execution. To her hundreds of millions of followers on Instagram, Kim wrote that she believes Cantu was 'an innocent man.' 'My prayers go out to his family and loved ones and everyone involved,' she wrote. In his final remarks, Cantu maintained his innocence. 'Id like to address the Kitchens and Mosqueda families. I want you to know that I never killed James and Amy,' he said. 'And if I did, if I knew who did, you wouldve been the first to know any information I wouldve had that wouldve helped to bring justice to James and Amy,' Cantu added. His sentiment was rejected by Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis who maintained that Cantu had 'finally met with justice.' The state of Texas has executed Ivan Cantu, 50, who was convicted of murdering his cousin and his cousin's fiancee To her hundreds of millions of followers on Instagram , Kim wrote that she believes Cantu was 'an innocent man' Thomas Eugene Creech, 73, had his execution in Idaho delayed Wednesday after the medical team failed eight times to find a vein His death by lethal injection came just hours after Idaho delayed the execution of serial killer Thomas Eugene Creech because a medical team reportedly failed to find a vein into which they could insert the IV carrying the lethal dose. Cantu died more than 20 years after his conviction, while Creech, 73, was one of the longest serving death-row inmates in the country. Cantu died by lethal injection on Wednesday evening, his time of death was recorded as 6.47pm according to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. His legal team has argued that Cantu was framed for the double-killing in 2000 and that new evidence would have proven his innocence. Up until the moment of his death, Cantu's advocates were fighting for a halt on the execution so that the inmate could argue he was deprived of a fair trial. In his telling, he was framed by those who were actually responsible for the killing his cousin James Mosqueda, and Mosquenda's fiancee, Amy Kitchen in 2000. Prior to his death, the convicted killer received the backing of celebrity criminal justice reform advocate Kim Kardashian, as well as actor Martin Sheen, who'd hoped to stall the court-mandated killing. The reality star tweeted about Cantu's case last month before mistakenly sharing a picture to her Instagram of a New York father who she'd incorrectly ID'd as the death row inmate. The reality star and business mogul frequently advocates for death row inmates - she's been a vocal criminal justice reform activist for the last five years. Cantu's fingerprint was found on the magazine inside the gun that was used to kill Mosqueda and Kitchen. DNA analysis also showed blood on jeans found in Cantu's trash can belonged to the victims. Since his trial, however, Cantu and his attorneys have claimed that false testimony was presented at trial by a key witness for the state, who has since recanted. They also claim that Cantu was the victim of ineffective assistance of counsel, predicated in large part on his trial attorney's failure to call a single witness during the guilt-innocence phase of his trial. Prosecutors, however, reject these claims and others, arguing repeatedly that they have not seen or heard anything that would 'impugn the integrity of the guilty verdict.' Greg Willis, the District Attorney of Collin County, says he remains 'fully convinced' of Cantu's guilt. 'Its my firm belief that justice has been done in this case and that a Collin County jurys verdict should be carried out on February 28th,' he said ahead of the execution. I heard about Ivan Cantus case from Sister Helen Prejean and was really moved by it. In 2001, Ivan was convicted of killing his cousin, James Mosqueda, and his fiancee, Amy Kitchen. Ivan has always maintained his innocence claiming that the rival drug dealer framed him for the pic.twitter.com/N9SiXfroMv Kim Kardashian (@KimKardashian) January 25, 2024 Creech's execution was delayed in the latest example of a state struggling to carry out the process because of an inability to establish an IV line In contrast to Cantu, Creech, in Idaho, did not die Wednesday evening. He's been on death row for more than four decades. The 73-year-old was first imprisoned in 1974 and has since been convicted of five murders across three states. He is suspected of several more. He had already been sentenced to life behind bars in 1981, when he beat 22-year-old David Dale Jensen, a fellow inmate, to death. It was for that crime that he would be sentenced to execution. According to reports, three volunteer medical team members tried eight times to establish an IV. Sites in the killer's arms, legs, hands and feet were all tested. The attempts began around 10am and were halted by the warden at just before 11am. The state's Department of Corrections said its death warrant for Creech was going to expire and that it was considering next steps. Attorneys for the death row convict immediately filed a fresh motion for a stay, arguing the 'badly botched execution attempt' demonstrates the department's 'inability to carry out a humane and constitutional execution.' The would-be execution team was made up entirely of volunteers, some of whom had medical training, but all of whose identities were kept under wraps. They were white face coverings and navy scrub caps so their faces could not be seen. It would have been the state's first execution in 12 years. A Greens senator has been thrown out of parliament after she interrupted a historic speech from the Philippines president to protest against 'human rights abuses'. Shortly after President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr began addressing both houses of federal parliament on Thursday morning, Senator Janet Rice held up a sign that said 'stop the human rights abuses'. MPs and senators gathered in the House of Representatives were shocked at the stunt, with one heard calling it a 'disgrace'. Ms Rice was kicked out of the chamber, accompanied by her colleague Barbara Pocock, as Mr Marcos continued to speak. Greens senator Janet Rice (pictured holding sign) has been thrown out of parliament after she interrupted a historic speech from the Philippines president to protest against 'human rights abuses' In a statement, Senator Rice said she was 'appalled' that the Philippines president had been invited to address Australian leaders. 'Under President Marcos Jr, the already-rife corruption in the Philippines is getting worse, and the justice system exists in name only,' she said. 'It is a grave mistake for the Australian government to give legitimacy to President Marcos Jr inviting him to address the parliament today.' There was a very different message from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who told Mr Marcos 'it was a special honour to host you for your historic address to Parliament'. 'Australia is honoured to count the Philippines as a close friend and strategic partner.' Mr Albanese added that 'Our ties are strengthened by warm and close personal connections, including through the over 400,000 Australians with Filipino heritage who make a wonderful contribution to modern multicultural Australia.' Philippines president Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr is pictured in the House of Representatives at Parliament House in Canberra on Thursday Mr Marcos said he and the Prime Minister 'had a very engaging discussion on a wide range of opportunities and issues under the ambit of our Strategic Partnership. 'I certainly am very honoured on a personal and an official level for the invitation as a guest of the Australian Government and therefore the opportunity to personally convey our commitment to this partnership and to reiterate Filipino friendship.' He added that 'The significant Filipino diaspora, the fifth largest immigrant community here in Australia, has contributed significantly to the economic and cultural wellbeing not only of our country, but yours as well. 'It is also an undeniable indicator of Australia's openness to embrace a globalised and interconnected world.' Hunter Biden said he was either drunk or on drugs when he pretended his father was sitting next to him in a successful bid to persuade a Chinese company to pay the family $5.1 million, he told Congress today. The president's son was giving closed door testimony to the Congressional impeachment inquiry into his father's business links today when he made the jaw-dropping admission. 'Hunter admitted that he was high or drunk when he sent the "sitting here with my father" WhatsApp message, sent it to the wrong recipient, and is now embarrassed by the message,' a readout of his testimony recorded. But within 10 days of his threatening message, $5.1 million flowed from the Chinese firm CEFC to Biden-linked accounts, according to information in a 2020 report by Republican-led Senate committees. Hunter departed Capitol Hill after a grueling day of questioning with a slight smirk on his face He did not respond to shouted questions about whether he will participate in an anticipated public hearing The WhatsApp message to CEFC was cited by IRS whistleblowers Joseph Ziegler and Gary Shapley last year as evidence of a Justice Department cover-up into the Biden's after they were refused permission to investigate it. It later emerged from photos on his abandoned laptop that Hunter Biden was not with his father on the day it was sent, but was at Joe Biden's home in Wilmington, Delaware. Before appearing before the the House Oversight and Judiciary committees, Hunter accused House Republicans of spreading 'baseless and MAGA-motivated conspiracy theories' about his father's involvement with his business dealings. 'I am here today to provide the committees with the one incontestable fact that should end the false premise of this inquiry: I did not involve my father in my business,' he said in a statement. 'Not while I was a practicing lawyer, not in my investments or transactions domestic or international, not as a board member, and not as an artist. Never.' But the president's son will face a public hearing after his six-hour closed-door deposition revealed 'many discrepancies' about Joe's involvement in his son's shady business deals, says top Republican James Comer. Comer, R-Ky., who chairs the House Oversight Committee, is leading the investigation into whether Joe Biden used his position and 'brand' to enrich his family in a complex $20 million 'influence peddling' scheme. He told reporters after Hunter's six-hour deposition 'proved several bits of our evidence' and added 'we will have a public hearing next.' 'I think a public hearing will hopefully clear up some discrepancies between some of the statements being made by some of the associates and that we heard today.' House Democrats at Hunter Biden 's congressional deposition called the ongoing impeachment inquiry an 'embarrassment' for Republicans, adding that their pursuit of the president's son is nothing more than a 'wild goose chase' Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez said the Republican-led inquiry is tainted because one of the central informants in the case had ties to Russian intelligence Rep. Ocasio-Cortez and Rep. Raskin have come out firmly in support of President Biden The chairman added that he's 'very optimistic, very excited' about the deposition and promised to release transcript of the interview in the next few days without disclosing further details. Hunter departed Capitol Hill after a grueling day of questioning with a slight smirk on his face, but did not respond to shouted questions about whether he will participate in an anticipated public hearing. His attorney, Abbe Lowell, stated that the deposition today showed Republicans have 'no evidence.' 'The Republican majority ends the day with where they started. They have produced no evidence that would do anything to support the notion that there was any financial transactions that involved Hunter with his father period,' he told reporters after the deposition. It seems to me that the Republican members wanted to spend more time talking about my client's addiction than ... anything to do with what they call their impeachment inquiry. Republicans, however, believe the deposition went well. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene told reporters that Hunter lied in the deposition about his involvement in Blue Star Strategies, a consulting firm that worked with Ukrainian energy company Burisma, where Hunter held a position on the board. One thing that was interesting to me is he lied when he was talking about Blue Star Strategies,' she told reporters. 'He went from denying any involvement until we put evidence right in front of his face that he was in fact, involved. When pressed on whether any high crimes and misdemeanors were uncovered in the closed-door meeting, Greene responded: Influence peddling ... We can see that he sold his father's name and business. The president's son, a recovering drug addict, also ignored a shouted question about whether the cocaine found at the White House last summer was his. Hunter fiercely defended his father before Republican investigators, strongly stating 'I did not involve my father in my business,' according to his opening statement obtained by DailyMail.com. He detailed how Joe who 'saved' his life was there during his 'darkest days of addiction,' which have been politicized by the GOP to use in their 'sham' impeachment. 'You do not have evidence to support the baseless and MAGA-motivated conspiracies about my father because there isnt any,' he continued. He further slammed Republicans, saying their 'house of cards' are 'built on lies' during bombshell testimony in Congress. Meanwhile, Democrats called the impeachment inquiry an 'embarrassment' for Republicans, adding that their pursuit of the president's son is nothing more than a 'wild goose chase.' Democrats, however, have repeatedly called the impeachment inquiry a sham and a waste of time. 'It's just so embarrassing that the Republicans continue to be on this wild goose chase after President Biden,' Progressive Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, said Wednesday morning before entering the deposition. 'I mean, they're acting like Hunter Biden is running for president.' 'This is supposed to be an impeachment investigation, which means its supposed to be focusing on treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors committed by the president,' said Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.). 'Weve heard no evidence of treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors touching Joe Biden.' This has been a 'comedy of errors from the beginning,' he stated. He said he 'understands' why Hunted wanted to testify publicly after sitting through the first three hours of the deposition. Raskin also said there was 'paranoid suspicion' being cast on the Republicans' focus on the over 20 speaker business phone calls of Hunters' that Joe sat on. Some Democrats who sat in the deposition similarly told reporters that the meeting was lackluster. 'If you ever wonder why 50 percent of this country doesn't vote, you don't have to look further than the hour we just spent in there on this deposition,' Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., said after exiting the closed-door meeting after an hour. The first hour of the deposition 'was the nail in the coffin to what is a complete, bogus and sham impeachment inquiry,' Rep. Daniel Goldman said after exiting. Republicans are 'so desperate to humiliate the president they started asking the president some personal details about a divorce that happened almost 10 years ago. That's where this has been reduced to,' Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., told reporters. Republicans, meanwhile, said the president's son was not being forthright. Hunter Biden was 'defiant and dishonest' in his deposition, Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., said after exiting the room. Democrats also decried Republicans' use of information by former FBI informant Alexander Smirnov in the inquiry as he was just recently accused of having ties with Russian intelligence agencies. Smirnov 'lied' about an alleged Biden family 'bribery scheme' with Ukrainians and had 'high-level contacts with Russian intelligence operatives,' according to prosecutors. The falsified bribery scheme involving a $10 million payment to Joe and Hunter by a top Ukrainian oil executive was at the center of the Republican's impeachment push until a few days ago. Last week, Special Counsel David Weiss charged Smirnov with lying about President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden taking the bribes from Ukrainian energy company Burisma. Hunter Biden was grim-faced as he arrived with attorney Abbe Lowell for the closed-door deposition with the House Oversight and Judiciary committees If convicted, Smirnov faces a maximum of 25 years in prison. 'Their main source was collaborating with Russian intelligence forces,' Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez told reporters Wednesday. 'The fact that Republicans received that information, that the entire country received that information, and they are still continuing with their impeachment proceedings and investigations should be a four alarm fire for this entire country.' The progressive likened the impeachment inquiry to a 'deep sea fishing expedition.' A political firestorm that erupted on Thursday when one of the asylum seekers freed by a controversial High Court decision allegedly reoffended has turned out to be an embarrassing police bungle. Police on Wednesday arrested a 44-year-old man from Richmond, in Melbourne's east, alleging he sexually assaulted one woman and stalked another. Police had indicated the suspect in the case was part of the cohort of asylum seekers released from indefinite detention alongside prisoner NZYQ - but have now admitted they got it wrong. As a result of the mistaken identity gaffe, the wrongly arrested asylum seeker has had the charges against him dropped. Victoria Police have since clarified a local Richmond man, with no links to the NZYQ group, is their person of interest. That earlier mishap had resulted in Prime Minister Anthony Albanese facing an hour-long grilling at Question Time on Thursday over the charges being laid, during which he was asked whether Immigration Minister Andrew Giles still had his full support. A political firestorm that erupted on Thursday when one of the asylum seekers freed by a controversial High Court decision allegedly reoffended has turned out to be an embarrassing police bungle. (Pictured: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and partner Jodie Haydon) The Coalition peppered Mr Giles with questions over his knowledge of the crimes allegedly committed by the freed asylum seeker - even though it would emerge hours later the actual alleged perpetrator was another man entirely. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton described Mr Giles as a 'disaster' and asked the prime minister 'when he will sack him'. He said: 'Does the Minister for Immigration enjoy your full confidence?' Mr Albanese gave a curt, one word answer in response: 'Yes.' Before the case of mistaken identity was clarified by police late Thursday afternoon, Mr Giles said he had been informed about the arrest on Wednesday night. The government had touted towards the end of last year they had the option to re-detain migrants at risk of reoffending. Liberal Zoe McKenzie asked why this had not been utilised in this case. 'All our law enforcement agencies are doing an extraordinary job,' Mr Giles said. Earlier on Thursday, Mr Dutton told Daily Mail Australia 'the Albanese Government and the hapless Minister for Immigration have failed to use the powers the parliament gave them to protect the community. 'Had the Government used the legislation and applied for a preventative detention order, this may have been prevented. 'This is a shocking failure on community safety and national security from the Albanese Government. 'It's a disgrace.' A government source hit back at the Coalition on Thursday night for jumping the gun on an active investigation during Question Time. 'Peter Dutton is reckless, irresponsible and only interested in divisive political fights,' they said. The insider said both Mr Dutton and the Coalition 'have found out the hard way' why Mr Giles was not willing to discuss the individual case, despite being described as a 'disaster' by the Opposition Leader and facing calls to lose his job. 'Peter Dutton has no credibility and Sussan Ley has no shame,' the government source added. It all came at an inconvenient time for Labor - just days out from the must-win Dunkley by-election caused by the tragic death of Labor MP Peta Murphy late last year. The PM last week slammed Voice No campaign group Advance for an advertisement which questioned where the 'rapist, paedophiles and murderers' released on the back of the High Court decision were located. The full-page ad in the Herald Sun read: 'Albo, you unlocked the doors of immigration detention and let loose 149 criminals. 'Tell us, Prime Minister how many in Dunkley? We demand you tell us before March 2.' March 2 is the date of the Dunkley by-election. Mr Albanese later appeared on Melbourne radio station 3AW, accusing Advance Australia of fearmongering and spreading misinformation. 'I think people will have a look at that ad, which is designed to frighten and scare people, and see it for what it is,' Mr Albanese told Melbourne radio station 3AW. 'Our top priority is keeping Australians safe. Australians know that this was a decision of the High Court of Australia and governments must obey the law.' The alleged incident took place not in Dunkley but in nearby Richmond, which is within Greens leader Adam Bandt's seat. A mum who failed to get medical help for her severely injured baby boy won't spend any time in jail but will serve out her sentence on home detention. The shocking instance of criminal neglect started when Rebecca Lea Denton came home from coffee with a friend on April 21, 2021 to find her three-week old baby boy Alvin severely injured. Her partner, Ashley McGregor, told her that he had knocked over the bassinet with the helpless baby inside, the court was told. In the following hours, baby Alvin sported a swollen upper lip, failed to feed properly, seemed drowsy and emotionless at bathtime and could not open his left eye. Judge Rauf Soulio, reading out Denton's sentence at Adelaide District Court on Thursday, said Denton knew her son had suffered a traumatic event, but she 'did not at that stage seek any medical treatment for him'. Photos from before April 21 showed Alvin 'thriving', but after the alleged incident with Mr McGregor, there was a 'visible change to his condition and state'. Rebecca Lea Denton (pictured) was sentenced to home detention at Adelaide District Court on Thursday READ MORE: Sydney dad meets his precious baby girl after making mercy dash to the US Advertisement On the afternoon of April 21, Judge Soulio said Alvin's breathing was 'rattly' and in the night he was unsettled and crying and he let out a 'loud squealing cry, as if in pain'. Then at 4.30am on April 23, Denton heard her baby boy make 'chesty, gargling, grunting noises', but she 'did not seek to wake him', Judge Soulio said. At 6.30am, Denton found the boy in his bassinet 'cold and unresponsive', the court was told. She and Mr McGregor took him to a health service shortly after 7am, but medical staff could not revive him. Medical staff noted bruising to his back and spine, Judge Soulio told the court, and under his left eye. A post-mortem on Alvin found blunt cerebral trauma to be the cause of his death. Judge Soulio emphasised there was no suggestion Denton caused any of Alvin's injuries, only that she failed to secure medical help for him. 'Knowing that he had been injured, that his condition was deteriorating ... you failed to provide or obtain medical care,' he said. The court was told Alvin's death had 'impacted upon a number of people', including Denton's eldest son and Alvin's teen brother. Judge Soulio, referencing the teen's victim impact statement, said the boy found it 'difficult to cope with the grief he has felt'. 'He said he had experienced suicidal ideation in order to be with his little brother,' Judge Soulio said. Rebecca Denton (left) and Ashley McGregor (right) were charged over the death of three-week-old Alvin The court was told Denton used marijuana during Alvin's pregnancy and Mr McGregor had suggested Alvin's changes could be explained by cannabis withdrawal. Denton blew cannabis smoke into the infant's face. A forensic psychologist analysed Denton and Judge Soulio said the health professional had concluded that Denton was remorseful about her offending and experienced an ongoing 'grief reaction'. Denton, sitting in the dock, fought to hold back her tears throughout Judge Soulio's remarks. Her face quivered in apparent pain when the details of Alvin's injuries were read out to the court. The court was told Denton took responsibility for what she had failed to do. Judge Rauf Soulio said Denton (centre) knew her baby son had suffered a traumatic event, but 'did not at that stage seek any medical treatment for him' Her psychological profile showed a person of low average intelligence with chronic low self-esteem, limited coping skills and a pathological fear of abandonment, Judge Soulio said. Judge Soulio said he needed to take into account public safety and the necessity of public denunciation and deterrence when delivering a sentence. He also said rehabilitation could serve community safety. He sentenced Denton to four years and six months in prison with a non-parole period of two years and six months, citing 'exceptional circumstances'. He ordered Denton to serve out the sentence in home detention. Police have charged Mr McGregor with manslaughter over Alvin's death and he is set to face a judge-only trial in 2025. Denton will give evidence on behalf of the prosecution at Mr McGregor's trial. A five-year-old autistic girl was miraculously rescued by Florida deputies using infrared technology after she wandered into swampy woodlands. Shortly after 5 pm on Monday, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office aviation unit was called to help with a missing persons report. The missing person was a five-year-old little girl who had wandered away from her Florida home. Using amazing thermal imaging technology, the aviation unit was able to locate the child in under an hour. Thermal camera footage showed the little girl walking through the wooded area - leading deputies to her location. A five-year-old autistic girl was miraculously rescued by Florida deputies using infrared technology after she wandered into swampy woodlands Shortly after 5 pm on Monday, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office aviation unit was called to help with a missing persons report. The missing person was a five-year-old little girl who had wandered away from her Florida home Using amazing thermal imaging technology, the aviation unit was able to locate the child in under an hour '[The deputies'] quick action saved the day, turning potential tragedy into a hopeful reunion,' said Sheriff Chad Chronister. 'Their dedication shows what service and protection are all about here at the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.' Bodycam footage of the rescue shows the touching moment that the deputies finally found the child. 'Oh, there she is,' one of the deputies said. The deputies then beckoned her over, saying 'come here sweetie' and 'come here sweetheart. Body cam footage of the rescue shows the touching moment that the deputies finally found the child Thermal camera footage showed the little girl walking through the wooded area - leading deputies to her location The deputy leading the group reached out his arms as he navigated through the swampy water to scoop the little girl out. 'Hi baby girl,' the deputy said. 'Let's get you out of the water.' After carrying the five-year-old through the woodlands and back to their vehicles, the deputies checked to make sure she had no injuries. The little girl was found with no reported injuries before being returned to her family. 'We were looking for you sweetheart,' the deputy said at the end of the heartwarming rescue. Text messages between Nathan Wade's divorce attorney, Terrence Bradley, and an attorney for a co-defendant of Donald Trump showed damning information about Wade's affair with Fani Willis. Bradley, Wade's former divorce attorney and law partner, took the stand Tuesday, where he was shown a series of text messages in which he spoke about the timeline of Willis and Wade's relationship - one of the central issues of the trial. Michael Roman and other co-defendants in Trump's case are seeking for District Attorney Fanni Willis, 53, to be disqualified over what they term was an 'improper' relationship. The full extent of the messages, which count in the hundreds, were revealed by The Megyn Kelly Show Wednesday. In them, Ashleigh Merchant - Roman's lawyer - presses Bradley for information on the affair, even asking on September 18 if she can get an affidavit, to which Bradley says: 'No... no one would freely burn that bridge.' Text messages between Nathan Wade's divorce attorney, Terrence Bradley (pictured), and an attorney for a co-defendant of Donald Trump communicated frequently via text message, showing damning information about Wade's affair with Fani Willis Ashleigh Merchant (pictured) - Roman's lawyer - presses Bradley for information on the affair, even asking on September 18 if she can get an affidavit, to which Bradley says: 'No... no one would freely burn that bridge' She asked if Wade's law partner, Christopher Campbell, would admit to the affair if asked under oath. 'No,' Bradley replies. 'He knows but won't admit it.' Another set of messages, sent January 5 - just before Merchant filed a motion requesting that the entire Fulton County DA's Office, including Wade and Willis, be disqualified - said 'I assume you knew about the trips' to Bradley. The defense attorneys said that Willis benefitted financially by hiring Wade because he paid for trips that they took together with money he earned from the case. Willis and Wade both testified they split the cost of travel roughly equally. 'Doesn't surprise me... they took many trips to Florida. Texas. California,' said Bradley, after Merchant clarified the trips happened as recently as last summer in 'May or June.' Bradley added that they took a trip to California when Willis' daughter flunked out of Florida A&M University and moved to the Golden State. 'I can't believe they were soooo carefree,' said Merchant. 'I am trying to anticipate her response when I blow this up.' Fulton County DA Fani Willis (left) is on trial for financial corruption pertaining to the hiring of her lover Nathan Wade (right) to prosecute former President Donald Trump in the high-profile election interference case The full extent of the messages, which count in the hundreds, were revealed by The Megyn Kelly Show Wednesday Another set of messages, sent January 5 - just before Merchant filed a motion requesting that the entire Fulton County DA's Office, including Wade and Willis, be disqualified - said 'I assume you knew about the trips' to Bradley 'Doesn't surprise me... they took many trips to Florida. Texas. California,' said Bradley, after Merchant clarified the trips happened as recently as last summer in 'May or June' 'Dang. They had a full on relationship. Insane. Just insane,' said a stunned Merchant. Bradley responds: 'He went to help her move her.' 'Why she would hire him is insane,' Merchant adds. 'Like just date don't hire him.' Shortly after, Merchant asks Bradley if he believes they started dating before Willis hired Wade. 'Absolutely. It started when she left the DA's office and was judge in South Fulton,' Bradley replied. 'They met at the Municipal court CLE conference.' Merchant said: 'That's what I figured. When he was married.' Two hours later, Merchant texted another question to Bradley. 'Is this accurate? Upon information and belief, Willis and Wade met while both were serving as Magistrate Judges and began a romantic relationship at that time.' Merchant at one point asks Bradley if he believes they started dating before Willis hired Wade 'Absolutely. It started when she left the DA's office and was judge in South Fulton,' Bradley replied Bradley simply wrote back: 'Arrogance.' Bradley responded: 'No Municipal court,' for which Merchant thanked him, before he added that he might be one of the only people who knows, 'not even' Wade's law partner Campbell. Merchant later promises that she will protect Bradley's identity in the motion she's about to file. Bradley, when asked by Merchant how they might respond, said Willis and Wade 'will deny it' and not attack Merchant. 'I did hear that but didn't include because I didn't have any proof... I am shocked she paid him so much. How did they think they wouldn't get caught!!!,' exclaimed Merchant. Throughout the texts, as revealed by Kelly, Bradley is encouraging of Merchant, telling her she's 'the best lawyer I know.' He even gives her the lead that led to a former friend of Willis, Robin Yeartie, testifying publicly. 'Do an open records request of all people hired when Fani took office and who was fired around June of 2022... if you get that I will be able to give you the name.... she hired a girlfriend. Like a bestie.' Merchant later promises that she will protect Bradley's identity in the motion she's about to file On Tuesday, Bradley tied himself in knots on the stand repeatedly telling the court he 'could not recall' when asked if Wade and Willis began their romantic connection before he was hired to prosecute the former president in Georgia. Wade's former law partner employed the phrase upwards of 10 times while on the stand, including one instance when he told the court: 'I cannot recall if I lied,' when asked about former statements he made pertaining to Wade and Willis' relationship. Bradley's dramatic appearance followed equally dramatic revelations that Wade visited DA Fani Willis' Georgia neighborhood at least 35 times and stayed overnight before she hired him on the Trump investigation team. Willis and Wade have stood by the story that they began their romantic relationship in 2022, after he he had been tapped for the team charged with looking into Trump's bid to overturn the election in Georgia. But testimony throughout the hearing, as well as evidence presented in court have poked multiple holes in the claim. Michael Roman, a political strategist and former Trump campaign staffer, and several other co-defendants in Trump's case are attempting to kick District Attorney Fanni Willis, 53, off the case, due to what they believe was an 'improper' relationship. They cite her alleged financial benefit from a 'personal, romantic relationship' with special prosecutor Wade, whom she hired - on the taxpayer's dime - to work the case. Although Willis and Wade have acknowledged their relationship, they have argued repeatedly that it 'does not amount to a disqualifying conflict of interest' and that the relationship 'has never involved direct or indirect financial benefit to District Attorney Willis.' A teenage girl was left permanently disabled after her chemistry teacher decided to teach a lesson on 'metal and melding' by bringing samurai swords to school and making pupils fight with them. Loviata Mitchell, 45, cleared desks from the classroom at Volcano Vista High School in Albuquerque, New Mexico, before arranging a series of two-minute bouts. She then exclaimed 'I'm in trouble!' and ordered students to delete their videos when a katana severed the nerves and tendons in a girl's hand just seconds later. A school investigation concluded that Mitchell broke no rules, but now, she and the school district are being sued by the 16-year-old's family after surgery was unable to repair the damage. 'I've talked to her surgeon, and he could actually feel where the sword had made a mark in the bone,' said family attorney Jessica Hernandez. Video filmed by the girl shows two classmates wielding the swords at each other just seconds before her own fateful bout in the classroom at Volcano Vista High School Chemistry teacher Loviata Mitchell brought the weapons in for a lesson on 'metal and melding' But her 16-year-old pupil has been left permanently disabled after a sword sliced through the nerves and tendons in her hand as she faced off against a classmate 'Those injuries cause her ongoing daily pain, as well as cause her to be unable to perform many basic daily tasks.' Mitchell told students, 'I've got a surprise for you,' as she began the lesson in May 2022, the lawsuit claims. Pulling out a katana and a rapier, she cleared a space and in the center of the class and set up a two-minute timer on a monitor. Footage of the first bout filmed by the girl shows two boys with no faceguards or protective equipment gingerly clanking their three-foot blades together as Mitchell leans on a sink with a smile on her face. Both appeared to survive unscathed, but seconds later it was the girl's turn as she entered the impromptu arena to face a classmate identified in the documents as 'DM.' 'DM struck NS across her right forearm, wrist, and hand with the katana-style sword,' it records. 'NS suffered a large and deep laceration across her right hand and wrist that is inconsistent with a 'prop' sword.' Mitchell allegedly told students not to report how the injury happened and tried to call the school health office but 'could not figure out how to do so'. Mitchell looked on smiling as her students tried not to injure each other The girl's lawyers say that this katana was one of the weapons being used on the day Mitchell uploaded this photo to celebrate her qualification as a Master of Arts in Special Education in the spring of 2021 She herself had experienced fearful bladed objects up close at Halloween in 2020 'As NS began to feel nauseous and weak from blood loss, another student ran to the VVHS health office for medical assistance,' court documents report. It was 20 minutes before the girl was allowed to call her family, and another 10 before a school health assistant finally called 911 and she was taken by EMS to an emergency room. 'It is shocking that this little girl is bleeding in a classroom and paramedics are not called for 30 minutes,' Hernandez said. 'So those are also procedures that Albuquerque Public Schools needs to address to make sure that first, this doesn't happen. 'But if a student is injured, what are you going to do about it immediately to make sure they get the care that they need.' Assistant principal Manuel Algaza is also being sued after his investigation cleared Mitchell of blame for the 'accident'. 'In response to the report's question, 'Did the injury violate school rules?' Mr. Alzaga checked a box indicating 'No',' the lawsuit claims. The girl had to endure a series of operations, physical therapy and mental health counseling and continues to struggle with tasks such as pressing buttons, fastening zippers and cooking. 'Despite this surgical repair of NS's nerves and tendons, it was not possible to fully repair them, and they remain damaged,' Hernandez said. 'As a result, her wrist and hand are permanently injured. Those injuries cause her ongoing daily pain, as well as cause her to be unable to perform many basic daily tasks. 'As a 16-year-old, when you get hurt like this, and all of a sudden you can't do the same things that you used to do it's really discouraging. It's depressing. It's isolating.' A school district spokesman told NBC that Mitchell was fired two months later but could not confirm that it was in connection with the incident. The civil suit was filed last week in New Mexico's 2nd Judicial District Court by the girl's grandparents Arnold and Judy Gachupin who are her guardians. A spokesperson for Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) said they were barred form commenting on active litigation. Mitchell appears to have a liking for dangerous props judging by this photo she uploaded to Facebook just one day after bringing her swords to the school 'Not only did this teacher and APS not protect this child, but they actively put her in harm's way, actively created this danger, and put deadly weapons right into these student's hands,' Hernandez told KOAT.com. 'Exactly what could reasonably be anticipated is what happened. 'If I'm a parent, and I take my kid to school, I think they will be safe. 'I think the teachers are going to protect them, and here absolutely the opposite happened.' Qantas will pay tribute to flight attendant Luke Davies by putting his name on their float at this weekend's Mardi Gras. Mr Davies, 29, and his boyfriend Jesse Baird, 26, were allegedly murdered by Beau Lamarre-Condon in the inner-city Sydney suburb of Paddington on February 19. Police allege Lamarre-Condon shot dead the couple with his service pistol at Mr Baird's home and then dumped their bodies two days later in the Southern Tablelands. Australia's national carrier has now confirmed Mr Davies' name will be included in their float for the parade in Sydney on Saturday night. Qantas will pay tribute to flight attendant Luke Davies (far left) by putting his name on their float at this weekend's Mardi Gras Their float usually features the nose of a Qantas plane while staff follow behind. It's understood the decision was made at the request of colleagues. Mr Davies started working for Qantas in September, 2022 while living in Brisbane. He then joined the international crew after moving to Sydney in November. The flight attendant had brought his colleagues to tears just weeks ago with his kindness towards a passenger on board. Mr Davies was on a flight from Sydney to Singapore alongside a dying man with dementia who was travelling to Switzerland with his wife to pay one final visit to his son. Australia's national carrier has now confirmed Mr Davies' name will be included in their float on Saturday night READ MORE: Inside Beau Lamarre-Condon's family Advertisement The caring flight attendant spent the entire eight-and-a-half hour journey - including his break - with the man and his wife as they flew first-class. 'The wife had told him [her husband] had severe dementia, and she was really saddened by it because she kept saying he was the most beautiful husband and kindest man, and she was losing him to this cruel disease,' Qantas colleague Brooke Walters told the Sydney Morning Herald. 'She was getting exhausted because every 30 seconds he was losing his memory, like a goldfish, and Luke took it upon himself to care for them constantly.' Ms Walters recalled how her friend made what should have been an extremely stressful experience as comfortable as possible. She fondly remembered how he tucked the man into his bed, reassured him amid his confusion and consoled his wife, who was at times upset. Jesse Baird, 26, and Luke Davies, 29, are seen together 'Luke had been told they booked the flight a year and a half ago, but the husband had deteriorated in the last three months really badly, so it was going to be their last trip to see their son, and Luke wanted it to be as comfortable as possible,' she said. Ms Walters added that Mr Davies had a love of travelling and was a joy to be around. Mr Baird and Lamarre-Condon had previously had what police have described as an 'off and on' romance but Mr Baird had not wanted to pursue a relationship. Lamarre-Condon, a one-time celebrity chaser who posted pictures of himself with international stars on social media, turned himself in to police at Bondi last Friday. He faced Waverley Local Court that afternoon when he was represented by a Legal Aid Commission solicitor and did not apply for bail. After his court appearance, Lamarre-Condon was transferred to the Metropolitan Remand and Reception Centre (MRRC) at Silverwater where he is being held in protective custody. He was spoken to in prison on Tuesday and about two hours after detectives left the jail, police located the bodies of Mr Baird and Mr Davies on a property at Bungonia, about 180km southwest of Sydney. Lamarre-Condon is due to face court again in April. Congresswoman Lauren Boebert's 18-year-old son Tyler was released from jail on Wednesday after being arrested for allegedly breaking into cars and using stolen credit cards, among 22 charges. Boebert was taken into custody around 2:30pm on Tuesday, according to police in the town of Rifle, Colorado, which is part of the district his mother still represents in Congress. The Republican lawmaker's son is facing nearly two dozen different charges, including four counts of criminal possession of a financial device, three counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and three counts of theft of under $300. The other charges range from four felony counts of criminal possession of an ID, a felony count of conspiracy to commit a felony and more than 15 different misdemeanor and petty charges. One of the alleged victims was said to be as young as three years old. Representative Boebert, in a statement to DailyMail.com, said that her son should face consequences but she ultimately loves and supports him. Congresswoman Lauren Boebert 's 18-year-old son Tyler was released from jail Wednesday after being arrested for allegedly breaking into cars and using stolen credit cards, among 22 charges 'I love my son Tyler, who has been through some very difficult, public challenges for a young man and the subject of attention that he didn't ask for,' she said. She added that her son was an 'adult and father' and should be 'held accountable' just like anyone else. 'It breaks my heart to see my child struggling and, in this situation, especially when he has been provided multiple opportunities to get his life on track. I will never give up on him and I will continue to be there for him,' she added. An arrest affidavit claims Boebert was identified after he was recognized on surveillance video at a gas station on February 20 by a police officer in Rifle investigating a series of vehicle break-ins and thefts. The video shows Boebert in a Shooters Bar and Grill hoodie - the restaurant formerly owned by his mother - while three accomplices, all underage, allegedly use a stolen credit card to get food. Tyler Boebert was released from Garfield County after posting $1,250 bond on Wednesday after he was arrested alongside three accomplices. The other three - a 16-year-old male, a 16-year-old female, and a 17-year-old female - weren't identified because they are all underage, resulting in the charges of corrupting minors. Six victims are named in an incident summary, though their identities are also redacted, with the youngest just three years old. The remainder are between the ages of 18 and 32. Representative Boebert, in a statement to DailyMail.com, said that her son should face consequences but she ultimately loves and supports him Tyler Boebert was released from Garfield County after posting $1,250 bond on Wednesday after he was arrested alongside three accomplices He's accused of breaking in and stealing from four vehicles, taking cash, gift cards, a social security card and credit cards, as well as driver's licenses. They allegedly used the cash to buy gas and food from a McDonald's and a Kum and Go in Rifle, though banks eventually started declining the charges. They tried to order $717 worth of merchandise from Shein.com, $175 at Kum and Go and $10.95 from a Starbucks. Boebert told the police he was in his Ford F-250 with friends when one of the thefts happened. That vehicle matched the one seen on surveillance, according to the Denver Post. Tyler appeared virtually in a Garfield County court Wednesday from jail and was smiling and laughing as the hearing began, which Deputy District Attorney Tony Hershey said his Congresswoman mother listened in on. Magistrate Jill McConaughy assigned him a personal recognizance bond of $1,250. Hershey called his 'activity and behavior' concerning and noted that Boebert failed to appear in court on a traffic case last year. Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert's 18-year-old son was arrested Tuesday and faces 22 charges in connection to a series of vehicle break-ins and property theft Tyler appeared virtually in a Garfield County court Wednesday from jail and was smiling and laughing as the hearing began, which Deputy District Attorney Tony Hershey said his Congresswoman mother listened in on Boebert's next court date was set for April 11. Local police cited the recent series of vehicle trespasses and property theft in the town and the Rifle Police Department posted on its Facebook page on Tuesday evening that the investigation is ongoing. Rep. Boebert still represents Colorado's 3rd congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives, but announced earlier this year that she was moving her campaign to the state's 4th district. The lawmaker was facing a tough rematch with Democrat Adam Frisch, but also said the move is to give her family a 'fresh start' after a 'pretty difficult year.' The arrest Tuesday isn't the first time the teenage Boebert - who shares a son with an ex-girlfriend - has had a run-in with controversy. In April of last year, a friend alleged that an accident, in which Tyler was driving, left him with multiple concussions and a debilitating hand injury. Noble D'Amato, 19, accused the political family of covering it up. Speaking exclusively to DailyMail.com Wednesday, Tyler's father Jayson Boebert, 42, gave a raw and heartfelt response to the news of his latest arrest that broke Wednesday morning. The arrest Tuesday isn't the first time the teenage Boebert - who shares a son with an ex-girlfriend - has had a run-in with controversy Rep. Boebert still represents Colorado's 3rd congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives, but announced earlier this year that she was moving her campaign to the state's 4th district He acknowledged that, at times, he may have failed as a father but said that he is committed to always improving. He expressed his 'unwavering' belief in all his children and he shared his faith in Tyler's future. He said, 'I know my son is a good-hearted child and still has his whole life ahead of him.' On Wednesday, Jayson focused on his family, saying, 'My love for my children is unconditional and I vow to stand by them unwaveringly through all of life's challenges. 'Ensuring that I am there for my children regardless of the circumstances is a value I hold dear as a parent.' For his part, Jayson said, 'I hope to continuously evolve and refine my parenting skills. I have made a commitment to provide the best possible support and guidance to my children. 'Even though I may feel like I have failed at times, I will continue to keep improving.' Lauren, 37, and Jayson welcomed their first grandchild with the birth of Tyler's child with his girlfriend last April. The very same month the congresswoman filed for divorce and the couple's 16-year marriage officially ended with a final court hearing last September. Jayson told DailyMail.com, 'I know my son is a good-hearted child and still has his whole life ahead of him' The Boeberts before the divorce are pictured with three of their four kids, including Tyler (center, back row) At the time, Jayson spoke of his own sense of failure, standing up for his ex-wife in the face of public criticism and blaming himself in a Facebook post in which he claimed that he was the 'root' of the split that he described as 'devastating.' Now, Jayson has exclusively told DailyMail.com how, in the months since the split, he has channeled his energies into being the best father he can to the couple's four sons Tyler, Brody, 17, Kaydon, 13 and Roman, 10. He does not, he admitted, always get it right. Jayson said, 'Being a father in today's challenging world can be a heavy task. With the constant bombardment of information and influences from all angles, it's easy to feel overwhelmed and uncertain about the best way to guide your children.' He pointed to the 'challenges' of the past few years that the country has faced, such as Covid shutdowns that saw raised levels of depression in young people. He said, 'Despite our best efforts we will fall short sometimes.' Boebert's job as a consultant for an energy firm takes him away from the family home for weeks at a time. According to Jayson, 'as a parent balancing work, family and personal life while striving to be a good role model for your kids can be incredibly demanding.' Lauren and Jayson married in 2005 and share four sons together (pictured). They filed for divorce in May 2023 Lauren, and Jayson welcomed their first grandchild with the birth of Tyler's child with his girlfriend last April Meanwhile Lauren faced public humiliation when surveillance footage emerged of and a then-romantic prospect, Aspen bar-owner Quinn Gallagher, 46, behaving in a way that saw them both thrown out of a theater in Denver. 'Moreover, the spotlight of today's media can magnify and distort even the smallest aspects of your life.' Both Jayson and Lauren have found themselves at the heart of media storms in the past six months. In January, Jayson was charged with two counts of assault following an altercation with his ex-wife in a restaurant in their hometown of Rifle which saw him call police and an incident with Tyler that spiraled out of control. At one point, Lauren had her hand in Gallagher's lap while he fondled her breasts. At other times the pair were talking loudly and singing along to the production of Beetlejuice despite other patrons' repeated requests for them to keep it down. It is, according to Jayson, impossible for any family to remain impervious to the maelstrom of publicity in which his must so often function. He said, 'It's disheartening to see your actions or words misrepresented and sensationalized, painting a false picture for the public. These distortions do not only create tension within your family but also affect your reputation and relationships outside of the home.' There is, he admitted, no road map but, he said, 'As a father navigating this complex landscape it is crucial to stay true to your values, communicate openly with your loved ones and remember that perfection is unattainable.' For Jayson, no matter what challenges lie ahead, 'striving for honest and genuine connections with your children and keeping them on the right path despite the challenges and external pressures, is what truly matters in the end.' EXCLUSIVE A husband who was found dead alongside his wife in a suspected murder-suicide was a known domestic violence offender and had several matters before Queensland courts. Habib Bayat, 34, and Natasha Nibizi, 29, were found at a home on Redhead Street in Doolandella, in Brisbane's south-west, at 7pm on Tuesday. Daily Mail Australia can reveal Bayat has a rap sheet in Townsville and Brisbane relating to domestic violence and Family Court matters. One of the domestic violence charges included a breach in 2022. Just hours after the couple was discovered dead, six of Bayat's charges were finalised in Brisbane Magistrates' Court on Wednesday. When contacted for details about the nature of the charges, a Brisbane Magistrates' Court spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia they were unable to disclose them due to 'sensitivities' and 'Queensland law'. The court would also not confirm whether, at the time of the deaths, Bayat had been scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday - or if the hearing was rescheduled in light of his death. Habib Bayat, 34, and Natasha Nibizi, 29, (pictured) were found dead on Tuesday in Brisbane's south west, in a suspected murder-suicide Queensland Police Detective Inspector Michael Hogan said officers arrived at the home after receiving a welfare call. One of the bodies was reportedly found bound with zip ties but police are yet to reveal how the pair died or if any weapons were located at the house. CCTV captured by 9News showed Ms Nibizi walking into the home on Tuesday and greeting a man at the front door. Ms Nibizi and Mr Bayat got engaged in 2021 and married that year, before moving to Brisbane last December to reportedly be closer to Mr Bayat's family. Best friend Asfaty Shindano said the mother-of-four had just secured a new job the day before her death, according to the Courier Mail. She said she had been with Ms Nibizi on Tuesday when her husband called and said he wanted to speak to her. Natasha Nibizi, 29, and her husband Habib Bayat were found dead at a home on Redhead Street in Doolandella, Brisbane's south-west, at 7pm on Tuesday Forensic officers are scouring the scene in what is believed to be a domestic violence incident Neighbours described the find as 'creepy' and said the occupants of the house were 'quiet' 'I was sleeping over and her husband called her saying that he wanted to meet her he wanted to talk with her,' Ms Shindano told the publication. 'We were worried when she wasn't picking up our phone calls.' A man dressed in a blue forensic suit was led away from the property by detectives after the discovery of the bodies while a second man was driven away from the scene. Neither of the men, who lived at the home, are believed to have been in the house at the time of the incident and are not considered suspects but are helping police with their enquiries. No children were at the home at the time. Ms Nibizi's youngest child is just eight months old. 1800 RESPECT LIFELINE 13 11 14 Firefighters in Eagle Pass, the border hotspot Donald Trump is set to visit today, have been pulling dozens of bodies from the Rio Grande and declared the situation 'madness'. So far this year crews from its three stations have recovered the corpses of 17 dead illegal migrants, and last year there were 46. The youngest was only two-years-old. There have been other drowned children recovered, along with hundreds of illegal migrants rescued and treated for broken bones, lacerations, hypothermia, and women in labor helped to shore. 'It is overwhelming,' Eagle Pass Fire Chief Manuel Mello told DailyMail.com. 'Its been an extremely difficult year. 'Our firefighters, theyre seeing bodies in the river from two months up to 50 years old. Theyre seeing trauma, broken legs, broken arms, cardiac arrest, pregnant women in labor, people who need dialysis. A caravan wades past a string of buoys, being constructed to deter migrants crossings through the Rio Grande river, as they look for an opening in the concertina wire to enter into Eagle Pass, Texas, U.S. July 27, 2023 Eagle Pass Fire Chief Manuel Mello urged migrants not to try to enter illegally by crossing the river and told how firefighters have had to recover dozens of bodies 'They go out in the morning and they can be out there three or four hours recovering bodies. At one point they were seeing three or four drownings a day.' Eagle Pass is a city of just 30,000 people but in December more than 1,000 migrants a day were arriving. The city has been thrust into an extraordinary turf war between the federal and state governments over enforcement after Texas governor Greg Abbott took military control of an area called Shelby Park along the river. Razor wire and shipping containers have been erected to keep migrants from crossing. Trump is set to visit Eagle Pass today, while 325 miles away Joe Biden will also be at the border in Brownsville, Texas. Donald Trump, pictured here at the U.S.-Mexico border wall in Alamo, Texas on January 12, 2021, will visit Eagle Pass, Texas Aerial view showing migrants crossing the Rio Grande river from Piedras Negras, Mexico, to Eagle Pass, United States. 21 December, 2023 A toy is left on the bank of the Rio Grande river where migrants cross the river from Mexico into the U.S. in Eagle Pass, Texas, U.S., February 28, 2024 The fire chief said there was a simple, unpolitical, answer to the chaos. That was for migrants not to come, and for existing laws to be enforced. 'If they would stop this madness my problems would be over,' he said. 'Illegal crossing is not the way to go. Its risky for them, risky for firefighters. If people migrated the right way we wouldnt have this issue.' A few days ago one of his crews was called to a road accident where an illegal immigrant had been hit and killed on the highway out of Eagle Pass. Between September and February they were called to a total of 486 incidents involving undocumented migrants. In addition to the deaths 64 had trauma injuries, 30 lacerations, 208 medical conditions, and 27 were pregnancy-related. A man attempts to resuscitate a man from Mexico who is unconscious and lays on the shore of the Rio Grande River in Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico, February 24, 2024. Moments earlier, the now unconscious man had led a group of migrants into the Rio Grande River with intentions to cross into Eagle Pass, Texas A Mexican National Guardsman shines a light as a police officer uses a stick to rescue a woman from Columbia who was rapidly being pulled downstream by the rushing current while attempting to cross the Rio Grande River into Eagle Pass, Texas There has been an emotional strain on firefighters, with two leaving and others having to take time off. 'We find the bodies floating down the river, sometimes they are along the edge of the river, sometimes theyre stuck on rocks,' said Chief Mello. 'Sometimes its a visual drowning, somebody is there. 'We pick them up further down the river. We bring the body to the river bank. We call law enforcement. Then the Justice of the Peace comes and pronounces the body dead. Then the funeral home comes and takes them. 'I always ask people if they have children, and would you let them into the river? I myself would not do that.' A New York couple who planned to live out their days in a $2million 'dream' home on Long Island's tony north shore have told of their horror after discovering a squatter refusing to leave the 3,000 square foot property. Susana and Joseph Landa, both 68, purchased the house in Little Neck, Long Island, where they planned to enjoy retirement and care for their son Alex, who has Down Syndrome. The charming New York suburb is a stone's throw from the waterfront neighborhoods that inspired F. Scott's Fitzgerald's Great Gatsby. The Landa family has lived in the area for decades, raising their three children in a larger nearby property. They bought the new house in October last year after the death of its long-time owner, an 80-year-old man with no family. But they say they have been unable to move in due to Brett Flores, a 'caretaker' who said he'd been living with the previous owner and now deserves to stay. Not only is he refusing to move out - he had been renting out the other rooms in the house for $50 a night. The $2million home in Little Neck, Long Island, was purchased by the Landa family in October Susana and Joseph Landa, both 68, purchased the perfect mansion in Little Neck, Long Island, where they planned to enjoy retirement The squatter has been identified as Brett Flores, who is claiming that he has every right to stay 'It has become a nightmare, a total nightmare,' Joseph Landa told ABC7. Four months after making the big purchase, the Landa family are still unable to actually move in. Now, they are heading to housing court to try to force Flores out of the home. 'I wake up and I go to sleep thinking about the same thing, when is this guy going to come out?' Susana said. Flores, 32, is claiming that he has every right to be on the property after being hired as a 'caretaker' for the previous owner. As a 'caretaker,' Flores was paid $3,000 a week to care for the previous homeowner. Not only has Flores taken over the Landa's family home to-be, they are claiming the squatter has also advertised the home online to rent the rooms to other people The homeowners tried to enter the property alongside an insurance inspector and Flores called the cops on them The family hoped the home would be the ideal spot to settle down with their disabled son Alex, and some of their other family also live in the neighborhood The Landa family have already had five hearings in civil court and are complaining that the process keeps getting delayed Unfortunately for the Landa family, squatters who have set up camp at a property for more than 30 days have rights in New York City. After 30 days of continuous occupation, squatters can file adverse possession claims. 'If you have no lease and you're not paying rent, what is you right?' the outraged homeowner Joseph said. In the meantime, the Landa family says they are footing the running cost of the house, paying over $2,000 in electricity bills. The homeowners tried to enter the property alongside an insurance inspector and Flores called the cops on them. The family have already had five hearings in civil court and are complaining that the process keeps getting delayed. Flores has showed up for court without an attorney and filed for bankruptcy on January 9, 2024, which prevented any legal proceedings from going forward. While Flores is living rent-free in the family's dream home, they are paying all of the bills to keep the house up and running. Joseph Landa said his struggles to evict the squatter have become 'a nightmare, a total nightmare' While Flores is living rent free in the family's dream home, they are paying all of the bills to keep the house up and running Flores has racked up thousands of dollars in utilities, which Joseph and Susana have had to pay. Susana said Flores has been 'leaving windows open 24 hours' while they are paying the heating bills. 'It's very crazy, our system is broken,' Susana said. 'I never would imagine we have no rights, no rights at all, nothing, zero.' 'It makes me feel completely forgotten in this legal system, unfair and not able to do anything,' Joseph said. Flores' attorney told ABC7 'no comment.' Police have appealed to the public for help in finding a missing teen who vanished in Bendigo yesterday morning. Charlotte was last spotted on February 28th around 10am in Davey Close in Flora Hill. She was wearing a black jumper and grey tracksuit pants at the time. Police and family have concerns for her welfare due to her age and her disappearance being out of character. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is urged to contact Bendigo Police Station on (03) 5448 1300. The husband of a grandmother who was allegedly stabbed in an underground shopping centre car park has laid his wife to rest in heartbreaking scenes. Victor White broke down in tears as hundreds of mourners gathered to farewell Vyleen White, 70, at the Riverside Baptist Church near Seventeen Mile Rocks in Brisbane's south-west on Thursday. Her casket was adorned with roses and gerberas with a portrait of the beloved grandmother placed in front of the coffin during the service. Mr White was comforted by loved ones in emotional scenes outside of the church as family members placed Mrs White's coffin inside a waiting hearse. Mrs White was allegedly stabbed by a teenager in an Aldi car park at Redbank Plains Town Square on February 3 shortly after 6pm. Victor White (pictured) broke down in tears at his wife's funeral service in Brisbane on Thursday Victor White (pictured) was comforted by loved ones outside the church Hundreds of mourners gathered at the funeral service on Thursday to farewell Vyleen White The 70-year-old was allegedly killed in front of her six-year-old granddaughter. She was at the shops to buy snacks for a bible study session later that evening. Despite reportedly handing her alleged attackers her car keys, Mrs White was fatally stabbed and the alleged group fled in her stolen car. During the funeral service, many of Mrs White's family members collapsed to the floor of the church as they grieved the loss of the beloved grandmother. Mrs White's daughter Cindy Micallef delivered a moving eulogy. 'There will never be enough words to adequately describe mum. She showed us unconditional love and was always there no matter the circumstances,' she said. 'Mum loved her family dearly and there wasn't a single one left out of her prayers'. Ms Micallef said her mother actively took part in various church and community groups for more than 30 years. 'Before mum ever learned to pray, she herself was an answer to prayer. Her mother had prayed for a little girl with red hair. Mum was then born on the 9th of June 1953'. 'Mum was a real character at times, doing Donald Duck impressions, laughing at funny animal videos, carrying the kids on her back and laughing at little bird going crazy when he had a bath'. Vyleen White (pictured) died after she was allegedly stabbed at an underground shopping entre carpark in Redbank Plains Town Square in Brisbane's south-west Mrs White's daughter Cindy Micallef (pictured) delivered a powerful eulogy There were emotional scenes outside the church as mourners farewelled the beloved grandmother (pictured) before she was laid to rest Ms Micallef said her family had been left devastated by her mother's death. 'Nothing can ever replace her but we love her with all our hearts'. 'She's affected not just us but generations of children in our family.' She added that her family will continue to fight for justice and campaign the Queensland government to implement changes to ensure community safety. 'We want to move forward and mum's legacy will move on and we are not going to lose hope,' Ms Micallef said. 'We are going to make sure we get justice for mum and nothing will stop us until that happens'. Ms Micallef said she wanted her mum to be remembered as a person who adored her family and helped so many people. Ms Micallef (pictured being comforted by a loved one) said her family would continue to fight for justice following her mother's death Family members carried Mrs White's casket (pictured) before they placed it into a waiting hearse Mrs White's casket (pictured) was adorned with roses and gerberas and a portrait of the beloved grandmother rested in front Friends and family shared many heartfelt stories of Mrs White and the love and compassion she showed others. 'I'm grateful that I met you and I'm asking God to take care of you and it's a unique expression of love,' a friend said. 'She loved unconditionally and was an encourager and was always bringing hope and comfort and healing to those around her'. Mrs White's grandchildren who also took to the stage at the funeral service struggled to contain their tears as they also shared memories of their grandmother. Another woman who was also Mrs White's friend praised her passion and recalled how her faith guided her actions throughout her life. 'She could quote the scripture with ease, she knew the bible back to front because it was never out of her hand,' she said. 'She practiced what she preached. She was a woman of integrity, she was passionate about her family, she loved them dearly. Family and friends who addressed the funeral service (pictured) remembered Mrs White as a compassionate person who always encouraged others There were emotional scenes outside the church following Mrs White's funeral service as friends and family comforted one another (pictured) Ms Micallef (pictured) said she wanted her mother to be remembered for the impact she had on the lives of others Some of the members who gathered at the funeral service (pictured) collapsed to the ground as they grieved the loss of the beloved grandmother Friends of Mrs White who was laid to rest (pictured) also remembered how her Christian faith guided her actions throughout her life Members of the Queensland Police attended the funeral, as did as the state opposition leader David Crisafulli. Outside the church there were emotional scenes as dozens of family members farewelled Mrs White before she was laid to rest. Five teenage boys have been arrested - three 16-year-olds and two 15-year-olds over the death of the grandmother. One teenager was charged with one count of unlawful use of a motor vehicle and was refused bail. Their matters remain before the courts. The Sheriff of the county where Laken Riley was allegedly murdered by an illegal migrant said while on the campaign trail that he would not cooperate with ICE A resurfaced video of the now-sheriff of the county where Laken Riley was allegedly murdered by an illegal immigrant from Venezuela shows the law enforcement officer saying he does not plan on cooperating with ICE. In a 2020 interview with Athens Political Nerds, John Williams, who was then running for sheriff, said, 'It is not my intention, when elected sheriff to cooperate with those detainers,' referring to the detainers placed by ICE on illegal migrants who have been arrested on criminal charges. Residents of Athens-Clarke County are now pointing at Williams in the aftermath of the murder of 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley allegedly by Jose Ibarra, an illegal migrant from Venezuela. In the interview, Williams says: 'I see it as the sheriff's responsibility to protect the community. 'We can't help with a culture of fear in our community and expect our community to respond and help us in situations.' In a 2020 interview with Athens Political Nerds, John Williams, who was then running for sheriff, said, 'It is not my intention, when elected sheriff to cooperate with those detainers' Residents are now looking in anger at Williams and their Democratic mayor following the brutal murder of the college-aged nursing student. Mayor Kelly Girtz was interrupted on Wednesday morning as he held a briefing to discuss public safety in Athens after the nursing student was allegedly beaten to death by and undocumented migrant. As he tried to deny that Athens is a sanctuary city for undocumented immigrants, the crowd started shouting at the mayor. A man in the crowd repeatedly shouted: 'You're a liar.' He added: 'You're the one who is guilty and got blood on your hands for this murder, sir!' 'Resign!' others shouted. Other protesters held signs that read: 'Blood on your hands' and 'Make Athens safe again.' Girtz repeatedly pointed out that Athens is not officially a sanctuary city, as Georgia doesn't allow them. 'There's been no legislation from this government thats created sanctuary city status,' he pleaded. 'We are deeply sorry for this tragedy ... Responsibility for this crime rests solely upon the perpetrator.' Furious residents of Athens heckled their Democratic mayor Kelly Girtz after the brutal murder of Laken Riley on the University of George campus As he tried to deny that Athens is a sanctuary city for undocumented immigrants, the crowd started shouting at the mayor Police said Riley died from 'blunt force trauma' after being beaten and that she suffered a 'disfigured skull' Residents of the complex claimed that their security cameras captured Ibarra disposing of evidence in the building's dumpster While Athens is not a sanctuary city, meaning the government has not said it would not cooperate with the federal government to enforce immigration laws, police found multiple undocumented immigrants living in Ibarra's apartment. It's unclear how they were able to rent an apartment without official documents. However, Ibarra's brother Diego Ibarra has been arrested for obtaining a job with a fake green card. Ibarra was arrested at his apartment complex near the running trail close to where Riley's body was found last week. Residents of the complex told NewsNation's Alex Caprariello that their security cameras captured Ibarra disposing of evidence in the building's dumpster, which they turned over to police. Jose Antonio Ibarra, 26, was arrested at his apartment complex near the running trail close to where Riley's body was found Riley's body was found the same day on campus in a forested area near Lake Herrick that includes trails popular with runners and walkers Riley studied at the University of Georgia through the spring of 2023 before transferring to Augusta Universitys College of Nursing 'He was out here all hours of the night and day,' the neighbor said. The complex is a former hotel converted into studio apartments and Ibarra is said to have lived in one unit with four or five other migrants. The 26-year-old has been charged in Riley's killing with felony murder, false imprisonment, kidnapping and concealing the death of another. Ibarra is accused of using an unknown object as a weapon to kill the 22-year-old Augusta University student and preventing her from making a 911 call when he allegedly grabbed her between 9am and 1pm on Thursday February 22. Riley's body was found the same day on the University of Georgia campus in a forested area near Lake Herrick that includes trails popular with runners and walkers. The student had been out jogging when she was allegedly attacked by Ibarra. Police said Riley died from 'blunt force trauma' after being beaten and that she suffered a 'disfigured skull'. They added that Ibarra dragged her body to a secluded area to conceal the death, according to an arrest affidavit seen by CBS News. It has also now been revealed that police are refusing to release audio of the 911 call Laken made, but have confirmed she was connected to a dispatcher before the call was disconnected and she was allegedly beaten to death. Riley had been out jogging on the University of Georgia campus when she was attacked Local police said Friday that Ibarra, who lived in Athens, apparently did not know Riley and acted alone. Video from campus security and other technology led officials to Ibarra. The day of the murder, her suspected killer uploaded a selfie onto his TikTok account in which he stared into the camera and grinned. Five months before Riley's murder, Ibarra was arrested in New York City and charged 'with acting in a manner to injure a child less than 17 and a motor vehicle license violation,' according to ICE. The NYPD released him 'before a detainer could be issued,' the agency said. Ibarra crossed into El Paso, Texas, in September 2022 but had been released from a detention center due to a lack of space. Aussies have sweltered through a scorching end of summer with above-average temperatures set to continue well into autumn. Temperatures soared above 30C across much of Australia on Thursday as thousands flocked to the beach to escape the heat. Sydney fell just short of hitting its hottest leap day ever as Penrith and Richmond in the city's west hit 40C. Bondi Beach was packed with Sydneysiders and tourists seeking refuge from the blistering heat. Canberra also sweltered through one of its hottest days of the summer, while Perth, Darwin and Brisbane also saw 30C-plus temperatures. A severe heatwave warning remains in place for much of NSW including the Hunter, Mid North Coast, Northern Tablelands, South Coast and Central Tablelands, Snowy Mountains, Upper Western Districts, and Central West Slopes and Plains. Sydneysiders flocked to Bondi Beach on Thursday to escape the sizzling heat, as parts of inland NSW reached over 40 degrees Sydneysiders flocked to Bondi Beach to escape the blistering heat Much of NSW is the middle of an end of summer heatwave 'The extra summer day certainly packed a punch for most of the country as the hot air dragged down across southern and western NSW, making its way across Victoria and Tasmania,' BOM meteorologist Kate Doyle told Daily Mail Australia. 'Many parts of NSW saw temperatures sit six to eight degrees above average, with parts of western and inland Sydney reaching over 40C.' It comes after the city experienced its third hottest summer on record with 18 days over 30C recorded at Observatory Hill. Canberra saw a top of 32C, labelled as 'one of the sweatiest days of the 2023-24 summer' with the city not reaching similar temperatures since early December. Perth and Darwin reached 34C, while Brisbane recorded 31C and Adelaide 29C. Perth also saw its third hottest summer on record, with the capital city experiencing seven days over 40C in February alone while overnight temperatures in Brisbane were the hottest they have ever been. Brisbane sweltered through 60 consecutive nights where minimum temperatures have failed to dip below 20C. Beachgoers at Bondi kept hydrated as temperatures soared above 32C Sydneysiders have sweltered through the city's third hottest summer on record Bondi Beach was packed with Sydneysiders and tourists seeking refuge from the blistering heat It was 26C in Melbourne on Thursday as much of the state's west continues to burn. Even with a change set to make its way across Australia, the hot weather is set to stick around for a little while longer. 'There is a potential for warmer conditions to hang around with the long range forecast predicting 80 per cent chance of higher temperatures into March,' Ms Doyle said. 'We still have a little while to go and are expecting warm conditions into the transition into autumn.' Unstable conditions will make their way across the country, with Sydney set to see cooler temperatures into the weekend. Above average temperatures will continue across inland NSW and SA as the heat pushed into southern Queensland. Unstable conditions will make their way across the country, with Sydney set to see cooler temperatures this weekend The Bayindeen-Rocky Road fire broke out on February 22 and continues to burn, leaving several towns between Ballarat and Ararat under a watch and act warning. Meanwhile, fire danger warnings remain in place as Victoria continues to battle an ongoing bushfire emergency. Conditions were classed as catastrophic in far west fire district of Wimmera on Wednesday with more than 30,000 residents living in fire-risk zones urged to leave their home. The Bayindeen-Rocky Road fire broke out on February 22 and continues to burn, leaving several towns between Ballarat and Ararat under a watch and act warning. A member of Forest Fire Management Victoria at the Bayindeen-Rocky Road fire northwest of Ballarat, Victoria on Wednesday night A former Supreme Court judge has accused the National Trust of adopting a 'North Korean approach' to democracy through a controversial online voting system. Lord Sumption said the charity, which has faced allegations of pushing 'woke' policies, was disrespecting grassroots activists by making it more difficult to oppose its preferred policy direction. A system called 'quick vote' is used by the Trust to allow members to approve its annual report and choice of trustees with a single click, while selecting alternative options takes significantly longer. Lord Sumption told The House magazine it had become 'virtually impossible for somebody who is not endorsed by management' to win a place on the Trust's council. Lord Sumption (pictured) told The House magazine it had become 'virtually impossible for somebody who is not endorsed by management' to win a place on the Trust's council Pictured: Chartwell in Kent home of Winston Churchill North Korean leader Kim Jong Un attends the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a factory in Songchon County, North Korea on February 28 2024 'National Trust members ought to be trusted, rather than treating them as children who need to be pulled by the nose in whatever direction the management thinks proper,' he said. 'It really is rather a North Korean approach.' In the same article, historian Andrew Gimson accused the National Trust of 'persistent attempts to ransack history for things that are morally outrageous to the present day'. The row comes after the National Trust has faced allegations of following a 'woke' agenda over its policy of linking historic sites with colonialism and slavery. A further backlash ensued when it emerged Christmas and Easter were excluded from an 'inclusivity and wellbeing' calendar despite Diwali, Eid and Ramadan all featuring. Both Lord Sumption and Mr Gimson are members of grassroots-led pressure group Restore Trust, which was established amid fury over the charity's response to the Black Lives Matter movement. A spokeswoman for the National Trust said: 'Quick Vote was introduced to enhance the voting options available to members without taking any away. 'Feedback from many members has been they find it a useful option after making an informed decision. They are entirely free not to use quick vote for either council nominations or member resolutions.' A man who bludgeoned his estranged wife to death by striking her in the back of the head with a 1.8kg sledgehammer intended to murder her, a jury has found. Shaun Robert Sturgess was found guilty by a jury to a single count of murder in the Supreme Court in Brisbane on Thursday. The jury had spent about 2.5 hours deliberating their verdict. His plea to the alternative count of manslaughter was rejected by the Crown on Monday. The Crown alleged Sturgess murdered his estranged wife, Jacqueline Sturgess, by hitting her in the back of her skull with the sledgehammer at their Narangba home north of Brisbane on April 18, 2020. Jacqueline Sturgess (pictured) was murdered by her estranged husband Shaun Sturgess in 2020 The court was told Mrs Sturgess, 45, had previously arranged to come to the family home to collect property, including a desk and some jewellery, when she was killed. Sturgess had then left her bloodied body for nearly a day while he went to a bottle shop and later a friend's house to keep drinking, the court was told. Justice Sullivan ordered Sturgess to serve life in prison - the maximum sentence for murder. He will serve 20 years behind bars before he is eligible for parole. Justice Sullivan said 'nothing justified' Mrs Sturgess' death. 'Your actions were completely excessive and unjustified. What occurred on that day should never have occurred,' he said. 'Domestic violence is despicable. Here, a woman and a mother is unnecessarily dead and you'll spend a remainder of a portion of your adult life in jail.' Mrs Sturgess' 80-year-old father, Robert Fitzsimmons, shared his heartbreak at losing his youngest daughter in a victim impact statement read out in court by Mr Cook on Thursday. 'All my life I've been a simple man, I've served my country and the people of this country,' Mr Fitzsimmons wrote. 'Now I'm broken-hearted and feel a total failure because I was unable to protect the one I loved, my beloved Jacqui.' Mr Fitzsimmons said his daughter had helped him overcome the 'traumas of war' by helping overcome his alcohol abuse and smoking. 'She promised her mother (on her deathbed) she would care for her father until his passing,' he said. 'My life is now empty as I sit waiting for her car or the phone to ring for her voice that never comes.' Jacqueline Sturgess's father Robert Fitzsimmons spoke to reporters following the jury's verdict Police discovered Jacqueline Sturgess bloodied body during a welfare check Outside of court, Mr Fitzsimmons said the trauma he experienced getting the phone call his daughter was killed was like 'being sent back to Vietnam again'. 'I'm very sad about my daughter's death but very happy about the outcome (of the trial),' Mr Fitzsimmons said. Mr Fitzsimmons said the level of domestic violence gripping the country was 'despicable'. 'Women don't need this. There's other ways to overcome these problems, not with domestic violence,' he said. Following the guilty verdict, Mr Cook said Sturgess had used 'severe force' to kill Mrs Sturgess, 'left her for dead' and showed' no efforts to assist her'. 'He himself spoke about having a cowardly rage,' Mr Cook said. 'This was a horrible incident of domestic violence. Domestic violence is scourge that continues to plague the Australian community.' Mr Wilson said his client had always showed regret for killing his estranged wife, which was shown by his plea to manslaughter. 'He expressed his remorse often,' Mr Wilson said. 'He was a man who at the time was in a state of declining mental health, quite serious depression. '(He was) certainly someone who was not able to cope.' During the trial, the jury heard evidence that Mrs Sturgess has spoken to a solicitor hours before she died who had informed her that she was most likely entitled to a 60/40 spilt of assets in her favour if she divorced her husband. The pair had previously discussed a 50/50 split. Crown prosecutor Chris Cook told the jury that the new suggested arrangement would mean Mrs Sturgess could also have a claim to Sturgess' prized Monaro muscle car. The Crown alleged the pair had discussed this new suggested arrangement and child support when Mrs Sturgess arrived at the house. Shaun Sturgess stood trial for the murder of Jacqueline Sturgess after he body was found at their Narangba home in April 2020. Picture: 7 News 'You know they must have talked,' Mr Cook told the jury in his closing statements on Wednesday. 'We have Shaun Sturgess' version about how he says they talked before he killed her. 'Their property settlement was discussed, child support and that prized Monaro. 'He will no longer receive a 50/50 split and his Monaro was now to be considered in the split (which) set his temper off. 'It seems he couldn't handle things out of his control, he was a volatile man.' Defence Barrister, Chris Wilson, who acted for Sturgess during the trial, had told the jury his client had 'struggled with alcoholism'. Mr Wilson said his client had not intended to kill Mrs Sturgess when he struck her with the sledgehammer. Mr Wilson said when Sturgess struck his wife it wasn't the action of a cold blooded killer but instead a 'hot blooded' act out of anger. 'This is a man who is acting impulsively without any intent at all,' he said. During the trial, the jury heard a recorded police interview with Mr Sturgess, where he had told police he'd knew he'd killed her when he hit her with the sledgehammer. 'She just dropped like a bag of s**t,' he said in the recorded police interview. 'I just started doing laps uncontrollably, the blood just kept rolling. 'The way she fell, it was like she was shot. 'I was f****d, I didn't know what to do. 'I'm so serious, it f ked me instantly. 'I was thinking I'm f ked, just my whole life, I've just let so many people down.' In the recording, Sturgess told police he'd become angry because of a discussion around family finances and child support, the jury had heard during evidence. 'It was money orientated, and I lost my sh-t because I worked so hard so f king long,' he can be heard in the recorded police interview. 'She had access to everything of mine, I'm the d khead here, I let my guard down too long ago and it's bit me on the a**e really, really bad.' A children's surgeon at Great Ormond Street Hospital is believed to be under investigation over safety concerns about operations, including limb-lengthening operations carried out using a Soviet-era device. The famed hospital has reached out to parents of all children treated by one of its former consultant orthopaedic surgeons, Yaser Jabbar, after an alert was raised about his practice. It is understood the concerns relate to lower limb reconstruction, which included limb-lengthening operations involving a clinical device called a Ilizarov frame. The metal apparatus, invented by Soviet physician Dr. Gavriil Abramovich Ilizarov, is composed of stainless steel rings which are fixed to the bone with wires and pins and is gradually stretched to lengthen the bones. The functions of the apparatus were derived from the mechanics of a shaft bow on a horse's harness. Great Ormond Street Hospital has apologised for any 'worry and uncertainty' caused by new letters sent out to families about the care provided by Yaser Jabbar, pictured Pictured: A male leg with an Ilizarov's external fixator on it Mr Jabbar, who no longer works at the hospital, is reported to be an expert in limb reconstruction but has not had a licence to practise medicine in the UK since January 8, according to the General Medical Council's website. One of Mr Jabbar's former patients, who is being represented by Hudgell Solicitors, has been told they will be updated on the review into Mr Jabbar's practice in eight weeks. The hospital trust said the Royal College of Surgeons was asked to review its paediatric orthopaedic service following worries from family members and staff. The RCS then raised concerns about Mr Jabbar, which the trust said were being taken 'incredibly seriously' and would now be reviewed by independent experts from other paediatric hospitals. The GMC's website indicates the orthopaedic surgeon was made the subject of certain conditions on January 4. This included having a clinical supervisor at all times and seeking approval from the GMC before beginning work in a non-NHS post or setting. A spokesman for Great Ormond Street said: 'Following concerns raised by family members and our staff, we asked the Royal College of Surgeons to review our paediatric orthopaedic service. 'To date as part of the review, the RCS has raised concerns around the practice of a surgeon who no longer works at the trust. 'We are taking these concerns incredibly seriously. 'We have written to all patients who may have been impacted, and a group of independent experts from other paediatric hospitals will review the care of all the patients the surgeon was involved in. 'We are sorry for the worry and uncertainty this may cause the families who are impacted. 'We are committed to learning from every single patient that we treat, and to being open and transparent with our families when care falls below the high standards we strive for.' The GOSH trust has reached out to parents of all children treated by one of its former consultant orthopaedic surgeons after an alert was raised about his practice Caroline Murgatroyd, of Hudgell Solicitors, said: 'We are currently supporting a former patient and investigating treatment provided to them by Mr Jabbar. 'They have been contacted directly by the trust to be informed of the review and assured that if any concerns are identified with regards to their own case, they will be informed as soon as possible. 'We imagine other patients will have been contacted today too. 'It is of course worrying when any review is launched into healthcare services after concerns are raised, particularly when those concerns are raised by surgeons themselves, and relate to the treatment of young children.' She went on to say: 'However, in our work we too often see concerns over treatment ignored and not acted upon, so whilst this will be worrying for many people, we welcome the review. 'We also welcome the hospital's commitment to ensuring the medical records of other patients are now independently reviewed to check the levels of treatment provided. 'It will be a situation we watch with interest and hopefully one from which the findings will be openly communicated with patients, and the wider public. The new probe comes after it was revealed last week how the Fundraising Regulator has begun investigating allegations that collectors for Great Ormond Street Hospital tried to pressure people into giving donations. The charity said it was 'deeply concerned' by the allegations and 'does not condone any fundraising practices and behaviours that do not comply with high standards we expect'. An undercover reporter had trained as a fundraiser at a third-party marketing company, IBA Global, to sign people up as donors to the charity. A spokesman for the Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity said they were taking the matter 'extremely seriously' and had suspended working with IBA Global. New Zealand will repeal on Tuesday a world-first law banning tobacco sales for future generations, the government said. Set to take effect from July, the toughest anti-tobacco rules in the world would have banned sales to those born after January 1, 2009, cut nicotine content in smoked tobacco products and reduced the number of tobacco retailers by more than 90%. The new coalition government elected in October confirmed the repeal will happen on Tuesday as a matter of urgency, enabling it to scrap the law without seeking public comment, in line with previously announced plans. This decision comes after the law was copied by Britain, and despite researchers and campaigners warning of the risk that people could die as a result. Associate Health Minister Casey Costello said the coalition government was committed to reducing smoking, but was taking a different regulatory approach to discourage the habit and reduce the harm it caused. New Zealand will repeal on Tuesday a world-first law banning tobacco sales for future generations, the government said The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development 2023 health report showed 12.7 per cent of Brits over the age of 15 smoke cigarettes daily, higher than the US and New Zealand. The latter was set to implement its new smoking ban from July 'I will soon be taking a package of measures to cabinet to increase the tools available to help people quit smoking,' Costello said. He added that regulations on vaping would also be tightened to deter young people. The decision, heavily criticised over its likely impact on health outcomes in New Zealand, has also drawn flak because of fears it could have a greater impact on Maori and Pasifika populations, groups with higher smoking rates. Repeal flies in the face of robust research evidence, ignores measures strongly supported by Maori leaders and will preserve health inequities, said Otago University researcher Janet Hoek. 'Large-scale clinical trials and modelling studies show the legislation would have rapidly increased the rates of quitting among smokers and made it much harder for young people to take up smoking,' said Hoek, co-director of a group studying ways to reduce smoking. The New Zealand law is set to be replicated in England, with the British government announcing last year plans to create the first 'smokefree generation' by banning cigarette sales to those born on or after January 1, 2009. As was the case in New Zealand, the law means that the smoking age in England will rise by a year each year until it eventually applies to the whole population. According to the UK government's announcement at the time, 'this has the potential to phase out smoking in young people almost completely as early as 2040.' It pointed out that four in five smokers pick up the habit before the age of 20, and remain addicted for the rest of their lives. The government called smoking the UK's 'biggest preventable killer' that causes one in four deaths, and leads to 64,000 deaths per year in England. This, it said, puts a huge pressure on the National Health Service (NHS), with almost one hospital admission per minute attributed to smoking - and 75,000 GP appointments every month put down to a smoking-related illness. The new coalition government elected in October confirmed the repeal will happen on Tuesday as a matter of urgency, enabling it to scrap the law without seeking public comment, in line with previously announced plans. Pictured: New Zealand PM Christopher Luxon The New Zealand law is set to be replicated in England, with PM Rishi Sunak (pictured) and the British government in announcing last year plans to create the first 'smokefree generation' by banning cigarette sales to those born on or after January 1, 2009 The government also said smoking is one of the biggest drivers in health inequalities across the country, while also costing the economy 17 billion a year. HISTORY OF SMOKING POLICY IN THE UK 2004: Ireland bans smoking in enclosed public places, including pubs, clubs and restaurants 2006: Scotland implements smoking ban on indoor public spaces 2007: England, Wales and Northern Ireland bring in indoor ban. In England, smoking is banned in almost all enclosed public spaces and the NHS goes smoke-free. Legal age to buy cigarettes raised from 16 to 18 2008: Cigarette companies told to feature pictorial health warnings on packets 2010: Government announces it will enforce tobacco display ban and consider plain packaging for tobacco products 2015: Smoking in cars with children banned in England and ban on the display of tobacco in small shops comes into force throughout the UK 2017: Government issues target to reduce smoking prevalence among adults to 12 per cent or less by 2022 2019: Department of Health publishes plans to make England smoke-free by 2030 2020: Menthol cigarettes are banned in the UK and EU Advertisement This is through 'smoking related lost earnings, unemployment, early deaths and costs to the NHS,' it said in October. 'By stopping young people from ever starting to smoke, the government will protect an entire generation of young people from the harms of smoking as they grow older,' the government said at the time. 'No parent ever wants their child to start smoking,' PM Rishi Sunak said. 'It is a deadly habit killing tens of thousands of people and costing our NHS billions each year, while also being hugely detrimental to our productivity as a country.' Then-health minister Steve Barclay said: 'Smoking kills, places a huge burden on the NHS and costs the economy billions every year. 'Through this landmark step we will protect our children, grandchildren and the health service from the dangers of smoking long into the future.' Health campaigners applauded the idea as the 'single biggest' public health intervention in preventable causes of death and illness in a generation. However, the government's plans have been heavily criticised by civil liberties groups with complaints that it infringes personal freedoms and could create a black market for tobacco products. Vocal nay-sayers include former PMs Boris Johnson and Liz Truss and ex-UKIP leader Nigel Farage. Some criticisms have highlighted how while the Government wants to get tough on smoking it is failing to tackle obesity, an issue that costs the nation, and the NHS, much more than smoking., There are also concerns about the loss of revenue for the Treasury, with tobacco duties this year estimated at 10.4billion. However, the government says by banning smoking for those born after January 1, 2009, it will save the health and care system billions of pounds and also boost the economy by up to 85 billion by 2075. 'It would also avoid up to 115,000 cases of strokes, heart disease, lung cancer and other lung diseases,' the government said. It stressed that smoking would not be criminalised. 'Our phased approach means anyone who can legally buy cigarettes now will not be prevented from doing so in future,' it added. In a recent interview with Channel 4, Britain's Health Secretary addressed the possibility of the UK following New Zealand again and doing a U-turn on the law. That's the importance of bringing this legislation forward,' Victoria Atkins said. 'We are absolutely determined to implement this, and [an] interesting difference with New Zealand is that they were looking to license the sale of cigarettes, it was a much more regulatory approach than we're taking, it would have meant the number of shops selling cigarettes reduced from 6000 to 600.' She said that the government in the UK is saying 'to adults now: if you smoke, and we're not criminalising that activity, we want to do all we can to help you quit. 'But we will not allow our children and young people to take up smoking as we feel that is very bad for them as individuals and for us as a society.' Charities and experts said the smoking ban will save tens of thousands of lives from preventable causes linked to smoking, such as cancer, heart attacks and strokes. Cancer Research UK's chief executive Michelle Mitchell said in November: 'Smoking rates fall when leaders take decisive action: that's why we support the UK Government's commitment to changing the age of sale of tobacco announced in the King's Speech today. 'The Government should move to bring this legislation before Parliament in early 2024, and we call on MPs from all parties to support it. 'I've never met anyone who wants their child to take up smoking. Cancer Research UK estimates that there are around 885,000 1624-year-olds smoking in the UK today.' Michael Barrymore had his phone stolen by 'some kid on a bike' when he returned to London to film nostalgia clips of where he was brought up, as he tells the thief: 'your parents don't love you'. The entertainer, who has a huge following on TikTok, was minding his own business when a youngster cycled past and whipped his smartphone out of his hand. He called the Met Police and said they were 'extremely helpful' dealing with the incident on the morning of February 13. Barrymore, who is best known for hosting Strike It Lucky, My Kind Of People and Kids Say The Funniest Things, said on his TikTok that he had been filming a segment on Bermondsey, where he grew up, for Secret London, when the theft happened. The piece involved him visiting places from his childhood and teenage years in both south and north London. Michael Barrymore (pictured) was mugged for his phone by a kid on a bike while filming in London The entertainer said it 'wasn't a great start' to his day in London Michael Barrymore (pictured) taking a picture with a fan near Tower Bridge He said: 'I was out filming this morning and the first thing that happened was I got my phone nicked by some kid on a bike so it wasn't a great start.' And he added: 'I'm going to ring the police now and see if I can get my phone back from that little f*cker.' He then poked fun at his assailant, with a video montage saying: 'Hey everyone. 'I hope you all had a great Tuesday. Except for you (lil bro on the bike who stole my phone clean out of my hand this morning in Bermondsey). Your parents don't love you.' His confession drew sympathy from his 2.3 million followers. 'I aspire to be this funny when I'm old,' one said, to which Michael replied: 'I'm not joking Libs, I was robbed this morning.' 'Sorry that happened to you Michael. London is going downhill. Hope you are ok,' another said. And one added: 'So sorry this happened.' Another asked: 'Did he have a black jacket and an electric bike?' Michael, 71, replied: 'Possibly he was dressed in all black.' 'Hope ya got your phone back Michael glad your ok and not hurt,' to which the entertainer said: 'I'm fine.' Another asked whether the police did anything and Michae said: 'The met police were extremely helpful.' Michael lived on Bermondsey's Dickens Estate for the first 18 years of his life. His TV career went off the rails when partygoer Stuart Lubbock, 31, died after being found unconscious in his pool following a party at the star's Essex mansion in March 2001. There were 416,886 theft offences recorded by police in London in 2022/23, the highest amount since 2019/20. The Met Police have been contacted for a comment. Boris Johnson has told Vladimir Putin to 'get the hell out of Ukraine' and says Trump won't pull the plug on funding if he is elected because he 'won't want to be the president who surrendered to Russia'. Johnson urged Kyiv to take a quick route to ending the war, by forcing the Kremlin dictator to withdraw from annexed Crimea. In a new interview aired in Ukraine, the former British prime minister predicted Trump - if re-elected to the White House - would continue to back Volodymyr Zelensky. 'He will not want to become the president who surrendered to Putin,' Johnson said. He insisted it was not viable to hold talks with Putin, asking: 'Is it possible to negotiate with a crocodile if your foot is in its mouth?' In a new interview aired in Ukraine, the former British Prime Minister predicted Trump - if re-elected to the White House - would continue to back Volodymyr Zelensky Asked about his message for Putin, he said: 'I would tell him: 'Get the hell out of Ukraine!'' The war would not end this year and 'maybe not even next', he said in an interview with TV journalist Dmitry Gordon during his recent visit to Kyiv. 'It will all end when Russia and Putin realise that he is left alone against a force that will never retreat,' he added. But he urged Ukraine to keep up their targeting of Crimea - occupied for a decade - because it was Putin's vulnerability. 'I think one thing could change the situation very quickly - if Putin has problems in Crimea,' he said, according to the translation. 'If he feels the risk of losing Crimea, everything will be different in the Kremlin. 'This is the scenario for a quick end to the war.' Putin is known to view Black Sea mountain and beach peninsula Crimea as the jewel of his invaded Ukrainian territories. Asked about his message for Putin, he said: 'I would tell him: "Get the hell out of Ukraine!" 'Do yourself a favour. 'He controls the Russian media - he will find a way to explain everything to them. 'He will say that Ukraine has been "denazified"... and all this nonsense. 'He will say that he destroyed all the 'Nazis' in Ukraine. Amazing! 'Now get out and rejoice in success! 'And he would have succeeded. 'The Russians would believe him and breathe a sigh of relief.' Johnson insisted it was not viable to hold talks with Putin, asking: 'Is it possible to negotiate with a crocodile if your foot is in its mouth?' Johnson also forecast the US would maintain its backing for Ukraine despite the current political impasse in Washington Speaking of Putin in his interview with Kyiv TV journalist Dmitry Gordon, Johnson said: 'He will say that Ukraine has been 'denazified'... and all this nonsense' Johnson denied Putin's allegation that he had single-handedly stopped the Ukrainians from negotiating a peace deal at the start of the conflict in 2022. Putin told ex-Fox News journalist Tucker Carlson that the former British premier 'dissuaded' Kyiv from an agreement, adding: 'The fact that they obey the demand or persuasion of Mr Johnson, the former Prime Minister of Great Britain, seems ridiculous.' 'This is nonsense, it's simply not true,' said Johnson. 'I don't think that any Western leader at that stage, even if he really wanted to, could stop Ukraine and fight for his freedom. 'I don't think there was a deal to be done. 'I do not believe anybody could see what that deal was... 'Is it possible to negotiate with a crocodile if your foot is in its mouth? 'What kind of deal could there be 'I think it is Russian propaganda. 'This is just Russian propaganda and an attempt to shift the blame onto someone else. 'This is pure nonsense.' Johnson also forecast that the US would maintain its backing for Ukraine despite the current political impasse in Washington. Johnson urged Kyiv to take a quick route to ending the war, by forcing the Kremlin dictator to withdraw from annexed Crimea 'I think yes. I don't know, but I would be very surprised if this doesn't happen,' he told Gordon. 'Now everyone is discussing what about Trump, what will come of this? 'Everybody just needs to be more careful, a little patient. 'Elections are now being held. During elections, people can say different things. 'They have different constituencies that they need to reach 'I think Trump will want to be the president who stands up for freedom and makes America great again. 'He will not want to become the president who surrendered to Putin.' Putin warned Western countries today that there was a genuine risk of nuclear war if they sent their own troops to fight in Ukraine, and he said Moscow had the weapons to strike targets in the West. Addressing parliament and other members of the country's elite, Putin, 71, repeated his accusation that the West is bent on weakening Russia, and he suggested Western leaders did not understand how dangerous their meddling could be in what he cast as Russia's own internal affairs. He prefaced his warning with a specific reference to an idea, floated by French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday, of European NATO members sending ground troops to Ukraine - a suggestion that was quickly rejected by the United States, Germany, Britain and others. '(Western nations) must realise that we also have weapons that can hit targets on their territory. All this really threatens a conflict with the use of nuclear weapons and the destruction of civilisation. Don't they get that?!' said the Russian president. Putin, who was speaking ahead of a March 15 to 17 election when he is certain to be re-elected for another six-year term, lauded what he said was Russia's vastly modernised nuclear arsenal, the largest in the world. Keir Starmer faces embarrassment today as the chaotic Rochdale by-election comes to its conclusion. The campaign to replace Labour's MP Sir Tony Lloyd, who died last month, has turned into one of the bleakest in memory. Raging tensions over the situation in Gaza have sparked allegations of death threats and vandalism, with candidates resorting to stab vests. Labour was forced to disown its own contender, Azhar Ali, after a recording emerged of him suggesting at a party meeting that Israel was complicit with the massacre of its own people by Hamas on October 7. That has left pro-Palestinian hardliner George Galloway - an ex-Labour MP and Celebrity Big Brother contestant - the bookies' favourite to take the seat. However, some senior figures believe that Mr Ali - who later apologised for his remarks - will still see off the challenge from Mr Galloway, who is standing for the Workers Party of Britain. Whatever the outcome it will not be a proud moment for Sir Keir, with Labour frontbenchers admitting they are embarrassed not to be able to recommend any candidate in a normally safe seat. Keir Starmer faces an embarrassing moment today as the chaotic Rochdale by-election comes to its conclusion A voter leaves a polling station in Rochdale this morning Labour was forced to disown its own contender, Azhar Ali, after a recording emerged of him suggesting at a party meeting that Israel was complicit with the massacre of its own people by Hamas on October 7 That has left pro-Palestinian hardliner George Galloway - an ex-Labour MP and Celebrity Big Brother contestant - the bookies' favourite to take the seat Though no longer backed by Labour, Mr Ali remains a candidate as it was too late to withdraw his name from the ballot. He could sit as an independent if elected to Westminster. Ex-Labour Rochdale MP Simon Danczuk, barred from standing for the party in the 2017 general election after apologising for 'inappropriate' text messages sent to a 17-year-old girl, is the Reform Party candidate. Guy Otten, the Green Party candidate, has also had party support withdrawn over comments made on Twitter though, like Mr Ali, his name will still appear on the ballot paper. Mr Galloway's campaign is focused the Palestinian cause and Gaza, hoping to win backing from Rochdale's significant Muslim population. His campaign believes 15,000 votes are enough to win most by-elections and Rochdale has a 30,000-strong Asian community. There have been incidents of his campaign posters being torn down. Mr Danczuk, who believes the poll is a two-horse race between him and Galloway, says his campaign is based on disaffection with mainstream parties and claims his rival Mr Galloway's campaign has been divisive and he would be the 'MP for Gaza', not Rochdale. Mr Danczuk reported being the subject of a death threat with police reportedly making an arrest. Ex-Labour Rochdale MP Simon Danczuk, barred from standing for the party in the 2017 general election after apologising for 'inappropriate' text messages sent to a 17-year-old girl, is the Reform Party candidate The town, which is one of the most deprived in England and voted 60 per cent in favour of Brexit, has also been the subject of Asian grooming gang scandals, with a major report in January concluding that young girls were left 'at the mercy' of paedophiles due to failings by senior police and council bosses. Billy Howarth, a local man, is involved in a group, Parents Against Grooming UK and is standing as an independent. Mr Howarth said he has taken to wearing a stab-vest while campaigning, such are tensions in the town. Also standing are Iain Donaldson, Liberal Democrats, Paul Ellison, Conservative Party, Michael Howarth, Independent, Ravin Rodent Subortna, The Official Monster Raving Loony Party and David Tully, Independent. The number of postal votes in the election is high, standing at 21,810 out of an electorate of 82,615. Polling stations shut at 10pm with the result expected around 3am. Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is under investigation after he allegedly 'harassed' a humpback whale while riding a personal jetski off Sao Paulo's coast. Bolsonaro appeared at the federal police in Sao Paulo on Tuesday to meet with officers, along with his lawyer and former adviser, who was also present at the time of the alleged incident. In a video from June last year that circulated on social media, a man is seen riding a personal jetski close to a whale, seemingly recording the encounter with a mobile phone. Federal prosecutors, who are also investigating the case, said the man appeared to be Bolsonaro. Under Brazilian legislation, motored vessels must keep a minimum distance of 100 metres from whales and other cetaceans. Any intentional attempt to get closer can lead to a sentence of up to two to five years in prison and a fine. The man on the personal jetski seemed to be about 15 metres from the animal, prosecutors said last year. In a June 2023 video that circulated on social media, a man is seen riding a personal jetski close to a whale, seemingly recording the encounter with a a mobile phone The investigation is just one of the many legal headaches the former far-right leader is facing. Last week, officers in the capital, Brasilia, questioned Bolsonaro for allegedly plotting a coup, in an attempt to remove his successor, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, from power Legal experts say that if police can prove that Bolsonaro intentionally approached the whale, he risked a fine at most. According to online news site G1, a local politician found guilty on similar charges and in the same location was fined 2,500 reais (397). For Bolsonaro's large base, the case is yet another example of their former leader being politically persecuted an argument he has often made since leaving office. It is just one of the many legal headaches that he is facing. Since leaving office a year ago, Bolsonaro has been banned from running for office until 2030, investigated for plotting a coup to remove his successor from power and stripped of his passport. Last week, officers in the capital, Brasilia, questioned Bolsonaro for allegedly plotting a coup, in an attempt to remove his successor, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, from power. Bolsonaro, whose passport was seized in a previous police operation, chose to remain silent. Supreme Court documents show that investigators believe Bolsonaro and some of his aides, including former ministers and top military advisers, prepared a decree that would have declared the 2022 election vote fraudulent, had Bolsonaro lost it to his leftist opponent, Lula. The man trailing the humpback whale in the video as it flipped its tale out of the water. Federal prosecutors, who are also investigating the case, said the man appeared to be Bolsonaro The man on a jetski pursuing the whale. Under Brazilian legislation, motored vessels must keep a minimum distance of 100 meters from whales and other cetaceans The decree also planned for the arrest of a Supreme Court justice and the convening of a new election. Bolsonaro lost, but the decree was never issued, and the alleged plan was never set into action. Bolsonaro was also been ruled ineligible to run for office until 2030 by a panel of judges, who concluded that he had abused his power and cast unfounded doubts on the country's electronic voting system. Last year, Bolsonaro, his wife and close aides had to face investigators' questions in yet another case, after an attempt to sneak in diamond jewellery reportedly worth $3 million (2.4 million) and the sale of two luxury watches Bolsonaro received as gifts from Saudi Arabia while in office. Police are also investigating the nation's intelligence agency and alleged spying on Bolsonaro's political opponents during his term, which ended in December 2022. Bolsonaro has denied any wrongdoing. On Sunday, thousands of Brazilians poured into the streets of Sao Paulo after Bolsonaro called for a show of support as he faces accusations that he plotted a coup to stay in power. Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro sings the national anthem during a rally in Sao Paulo A crowd of Bolsonaro supporters in Sao Paulo. The former president and some of his former top aides are under investigation into allegations they plotted a coup to remove his successor, Luis Inacio Lula da Silva Dressed in the green and yellow of Brazil's flag, an immense crowd of his supporters thronged Paulista Avenue, one of the main arteries in the country's economic capital. Bolsonaro arrived waving the Israeli flag - a rejection of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's remarks comparing Israel's offensive in Gaza to the Holocaust - before putting his hand to his chest for the national anthem. The 68-year-old former army officer had urged his backers to attend a 'peaceful rally in defense of the democratic rule of law'. The police have seized Bolsonaro's passport as he and his inner circle face scrutiny over plans to try to remain in power after he lost the 2022 elections to Lula. The far-right former president has denied the accusations and he refused to answer questions during a half-hour interrogation on Thursday last week at federal police headquarters in the city of Brasilia. Judges have ruled that a man who hid in the woods for 22 years after being convicted of murdering his wife in Argentina should be freed. Ramon Angel Abregu, now aged 70, had escaped from a prison van in 2001 after being sentenced to 20 years behind bars for gunning down his estranged pregnant wife. He remerged from the rainforest where he had taken refuge last year and handed himself in - and now the courts have decided to let him walk because his 'statute of limitations expires'. Abregu turned up at the same courtroom where he was convicted in 2001 claiming immunity from being sent back to serve his sentence. His lawyer, Alejandro De la Riva, confirmed: 'The statute of limitations is 20 years, which is the time in which he managed to remain a fugitive living in hiding.' Ramon Angel Abregu, now 70, escaped from prison months after being jailed for 20 years for shooting his wife, Eva Falcon, in the city of Rio Grande in Argentina's southernmost tip in January 2000 He said his client had already served his sentence because 'being a fugitive is like serving time'. And now, the Justice of Tierra del Fuego confirmed his freedom by declaring the case statute barred on February 27. The decision was taken by the Rio Grande Criminal Chamber of the Court of Appeals but has to be rubber-stamped by Argentina's Superior Court of Justice before Abregu can be freed. Police and prosecutors are now holding him in custody while they work out if he can be legally sent back to prison or freed. Abregu had been in hiding in rainforests in Salteno Chaco in the wild north of Argentina, home to pumas, deer and vampire bats. The murder happened in the city of Rio Grande in Argentina's southernmost tip in January 2000. On the day of the attack, local news sources detail that Abregu attacked Falcon - who was seven months pregnant - with a 9-millimeter caliber gun at her home. Wounded, Falcon reportedly managed to escape and took refuge in the guard room of the Cemep Clinic, where Abregu caught up with her killing her with four more shots. In February the following year, it is understood Abregu escaped from a Margen Sur prison hiding in a truck headed for Chile. All these years Abregu remained hidden in the jungle, in the Chaco Salteno, and managed to re-enter the Tierra del Fuego province without being detected by any authorities on Wednesday, according to Argentine newspaper Clarin. Abregu remained hidden in the jungle, in the Chaco Salteno, and managed to re-enter the Tierra del Fuego province without being detected by any authorities on Wednesday, according to Argentine newspaper Clarin Pictured: The clinic where Ramon Angel Abregu, 70, killed his pregnant wife Eva Falcon in Rio Grande, Argentina, in January, 2000 They said he appeared in court to request the prescription of the case, while his lawyer, Alejandro De la Riva, disclosed Abregu passed through two Argentine and two Chilean border crossings 'furtively' and without documents. 'The statute of limitations is 20 years, which is the time in which he managed to remain a fugitive living in hiding. He served his sentence that way,' De la Riva reportedly explained to Fuegian media. But the process may not be that simple and some legal issues surrounding what happened remain to be resolved, sources from the intervening criminal prosecutor's office told Clarin. 'The precepts of international law treaties adopted by the country govern and could be applied to deny this person's freedom,' they said. Despite having one of the highest rates of deforestation in the world, the Chaco Salteno is an important agricultural frontier with over six million hectares of forest. It hosts significant ethnic and cultural diversity, including small scale livestock farmers and indigenous peoples. Iran has reportedly given Hezbollah the green light to escalate attacks along Israel's northern border. The country allegedly ordered the terror group to launch a 'large-scale assault' on Israel in a new wave of terror described in Israeli media as 'October 7, part two'. Iran's order was made after it became aware of Israeli plans to invade the southern Gaza city of Rafah, the Jerusalem Post reports. The regime under leader Ali Khamenei fears that southern Lebanon 'will be next', mirroring US warnings that the Israeli military is planning to launch a ground operation in Lebanon in late spring or early summer. Thus far Israel exchanged near-daily missile fire with Hezbollah, hitting locations in Lebanon - but the IDF has refrained from a full-out ground invasion. An Israeli artillery unit fires across the border towards Lebanon on January 11 in northern Israel Smoke billows following an Israeli air raid on a reported hangar close to the main coastal highway in the southern Lebanese city town of Ghaziyeh, around 20 miles from the border with Israel, on February 19 Iranian Leader Ali Khamenei (pictured) attends a program at the Imam Khomeini Hosseini meets with Iran Air Force commanders and Iran Air Defense Force officers at the Imam Khomeini Husayniyya in Tehran, Iran on February 05 US administration and intelligence officials fear a ground incursion could be next if diplomatic efforts to push Hezbollah back from Israel's northern border fail. 'We are operating in the assumption that an Israeli military operation is in the coming months,' a senior official in Biden's government told CNN. Hezbollah allegedly called for the meeting with Iran after 'information was obtained' that Israel was due to launch a ground assault and the secretary-general of the terror group, Hassan Nasrallah, asked for 'complete freedom in how he intends to attack'. Meanwhile Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant warned on Tuesday that Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas could use the upcoming Muslim holiday month of Ramadan to provoke Palestinians in the West Bank and Muslims across the region to escalate tensions and attack Israel. Hamas-ally Hezbollah has been fighting with the Israeli army since war erupted between Israel and Hamas in October, displacing tens of thousands of Lebanese and Israeli residents from their homes. Just last night Israeli strikes killed two people in Lebanon's south, according to Lebanon's state-run national news agency. There was also fire in the other direction, as Hamas's armed wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, said in a statement Wednesday morning that it targeted two Israeli military sites with two barrages of 'Grad rockets'. The attack from south Lebanon came in 'response to Zionist massacres against civilians in the Gaza Strip and the assassination of martyred leaders and their brothers in the southern suburbs' of Beirut, the statement by the agency added. The Israeli military said in a statement that 'approximately 10 launches which crossed from Lebanon into northern Israel were identified', adding that sirens had sounded in north Israel's Kiryat Shmona area. Air defences 'successfully intercepted a number of the launches,' the statement said, adding that the army 'struck the sources of the fire in Lebanon'. Israeli police reported property damage in the Kiryat Shmona area but no wounded. Smoke rises after Israeli warplanes launched airstrikes and hit the factory in the town of Ghaziyeh, located around 20 miles from the border with Israel, in southern Lebanon on February 20 Israeli soldiers patrol in a location near the border with Lebanon on February 11 in northern Israel Lebanese forces deployed to the scene to conduct inspections after Israeli airstrikes hit Hezbollah targets in Baalbek, Lebanon on February 26 A strike in January, which a United States defence official said was carried out by Israel, killed Hamas's deputy leader Saleh al-Aruri and six terrorist group members in Hezbollah's south Beirut stronghold - the most high-profile Hamas figure to be killed during the war. This month, security sources said a senior Hamas officer had survived an assassination attempt south of Beirut. The escalating cross-border exchanges since October 8, the day after the Israel-Hamas war erupted, have stoked fears of all-out war on Israel's northern border with Lebanon. The exchanges have killed at least 286 people on the Lebanese side, most of them Hezbollah fighters but also at least 44 civilians, according to an AFP tally. At least 24 fighters from Palestinian groups including 10 from Hamas are also among the dead. On the Israeli side, 10 soldiers and six civilians have been killed, according to the Israeli army. A dance company boss was bitten by a man carrying flowers and a box of chocolates at a stage show - in front of horrified schoolchildren. Jennifer Coleman-Peers was attacked from behind by the man at an afternoon show at Leeds Playhouse. During the final dress rehearsal for her company Phoenix Dance's new show, Belonging Loss Legacy Love, he entered the auditorium. Witnesses said the man hid behind a banquet of flowers directly behind Ms Coleman-Peers and jumped out at her mid-performance. She was grabbed around the neck and was left with bite marks on her arms and face after the man, 39, allegedly tried to bite her nose. Theatre staff raced to her aid and managed to get the attacker off of her as the audience started screaming. Jennifer Coleman-Peers was attacked from behind by a man carrying flowers and a box of chocolates at the afternoon show at Leeds Playhouse Witnesses said the man hid behind a banquet of flowers directly behind Ms Coleman-Peers and jumped out at her mid-performance West Yorkshire Police were called to the show on Wednesday 21 February, and he was removed from the building and fled while the dance company boss was taken to hospital for treatment. The police said that the 39-year-old man has been released on bail pending further inquiries. A witness to the attack told the Express: 'Everyone was enjoying the show when all hell seemed to break loose. 'Initially nobody seemed to know what was going on, but there was suddenly lots of screaming and theatre staff running around. It was very shocking for everybody involved.' Phoenix, which was formed in 1981, is located in Leeds' cultural quarter, alongside Northern Ballet. A spokesperson for West Yorkshire Police said: 'At 2.46pm on Wednesday February 21, police were called to an incident at Leeds Playhouse where a woman had been assaulted. 'The victim was taken to hospital for treatment to injuries that were not life-threatening. 'He was later released on bail with conditions and enquiries are ongoing.' This is the incredible moment a lost puppy is rescued from under a pile of shrubbery after being spotted by rescue teams armed with a thermal camera. Owner Jodie Dance, 37, was left in tears after recovering her beloved dog Bow, who went missing for five days after running away in Burton Dassett Country Park, Warwickshire. Despite searching tirelessly for her sixth-month-old dog, Ms Dance was forced to put her search on hold as night fell and it got dark. The next day she issued a desperate appeal for locals to look out for her beloved pet near where it went missing. It wasn't until five days later that a jogger overheard barking coming from a bramble-filled railway embankment, about a mile away from where the dog went missing. Owner Jodie Dance, 37, was left in tears after recovering her beloved dog Bow, who went missing for five days after running away in Burton Dassett Country Park, Warwickshire Drone footage shows how the thermal camera (right) was able to spot the dog A close up of the footage shows the dog being rescued on the thermal camera Drone operator John Watton, 50, was then called in and used thermal imaging cameras to spot bow trapped inside the thicket. Mr Watton, from Drone SAR (search and rescue) For Lost Dogs UK, said: 'The thermal drone is really good for areas that are really hard to search in. 'A jogger heard barking but couldn't see the dog so we were called in and I took the drone over to his location. 'Within a few minutes I picked up a heat signature. 'It was literally about 6ft in brambles so all I got was a heat signature of a sort of spaniel, fox-type size. 'One I picked that up the team went into this area, secured any exits and then they went in and grabbed Bow.' Footage from Sunday's rescue shows Ms Dance and her friends hacking down the thick brambles with hedge trimmers before hauling Bow to safety. Despite searching tirelessly for her sixth-month-old dog, Ms Dance was forced to put her search on hold as night fell and it got dark Drone operator John Watton, 50, was then called in and used thermal imaging cameras to spot bow trapped inside the thicket Footage shows Ms Dance and her friends rescuing the sixth-month old puppy Mr Watton added: 'It's probably about a mile from where she went missing from. 'Just the reaction from the owner was unbelievable. She was completely in tears. 'To be honest I was nearly blubbering.' Relieved owner Ms Dance, from Banbury, Oxfordshire, had taken Bow and her sister Bella for a walk in the countryside when they both ran away. She said: 'They are only pups but they love running so I took them to Burton Dassett and let them off the lead. 'They were having a fabulous time on the hills but then both disappeared from view and then only Bella came back. 'I had no idea where Bow was but had to stop looking when it went dark so I contacted Drone SAR who were just brilliant. 'Despite Bow being out in the cold for five days she's made a full recovery. It's a miracle she was found and it wouldn't have happened without the thermal drone.' An American Airlines flight to Spain was forced to make an emergency landing in Boston after a crack was found in the windshield of the 23-year-old Boeing aircraft. Flight 94, a Boeing 777, took off from New York City's JFK Airport at 7.28pm, less than around two hours into the journey, an Alert 2 emergency was declared, according to the Massachusetts State Police. The Federal Aviation Administration says that an Alert 2 indicates that the flight is experiencing 'major difficulties' or that a 'difficult or crash landing may be expected.' At the time, the plane was 250 miles from the coast of Massachusetts over the Atlantic Ocean. The AA flight landed at 10:14pm in Logan International Airport without issue and made it to the gate without assistance. In a statement, the airline said that the diversion was down to a 'maintenance issue.' The aircraft in question was a Boeing 737, similar to the one shown here, it was 250 miles over the Atlantic Ocean when the emergency was declared This illustrates just how far passengers were into their journey before the crew opted to turn back The plane was immediately taken by an American Airlines crew who began an inspection. Video posted from the airport showed hundreds of frustrated passengers lining up for hotel vouchers. They will depart for Madrid Thursday at 8am. 'The flight landed safely and the aircraft was taken out of service to be inspected by our maintenance team. Customers will re-depart for [Madrid] tomorrow on a replacement aircraft. We never want to disrupt our customers' travel plans and apologize for the inconvenience this has caused,' the carrier said in a statement. 'Safety is always at the top of our list! Delays are never an easy decision but sometimes are needed to ensure the safety of everyone on board,' American said in a separate statement on X. On the same day as this incident, the FAA said it's giving Boeing 90 days to come up with a plan to fix quality problems and meet safety standards for building planes after a panel blew off a brand-new Boeing 737 Max jetliner last month. The agency said the directive followed all-day meetings Tuesday with top Boeing officials at FAA headquarters in Washington. 'Boeing must commit to real and profound improvements,' said FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker. 'Making foundational change will require a sustained effort from Boeing's leadership, and we are going to hold them accountable every step of the way.' Boeing CEO David Calhoun said that 'we have a clear picture of what needs to be done' because of company and independent reviews. 'Boeing will develop the comprehensive action plan with measurable criteria that demonstrates the profound change that Administrator Whitaker and the FAA demand.' The FAA did not indicate what action it might take if Boeing fails to meet the 90-day deadline. The FAA is currently completing an audit of assembly lines at the factory near Seattle, where Boeing builds planes like the Alaska Airlines 737 Max that suffered a door-panel blowout on Jan. 5. Investigators say bolts that help keep the panel in place were missing after repair work. That incident has raised scrutiny of Boeing to its highest level since two crashes of Boeing 737 Max jets in 2018 and 2019 that killed 346 people. Whitaker toured the 737 factory two weeks ago. He met with FAA inspectors who are reviewing Boeings operations and talked with Boeing engineers and mechanics about safety issues, according to the FAA. This week, a panel of industry, government and academic experts issued a report that found shortcomings in the safety culture at Boeing, which the company says it has been working to improve. Earlier this month, Boeing replaced the executive who had overseen the 737 program since early 2021 and said it was increasing inspections at the 737 plant in Renton, Washington. The Boeing Co. is based in Arlington, Virgin The Defence Secretary has been accused of treating the RAF like his own 'personal Uber' after being picked up by a military helicopter three times in just six weeks. Flight records show that Grant Shapps took the transport between January and February and was collected on a field near his house. He has been criticised for getting RAF pilots to fly him around the country for engagements in Yorkshire, Manchester and Plymouth. It raises the question as to whether Mr Shapps has broken ministerial rules. The frontbencher allegedly got 'Britain's most expensive Uber' to pick him up from his Welwyn Hatfield constituency, according to the Mirror. Flight records show that Grant Shapps took the transport between January and February and was collected on a field near his house The helicopter then went back to RAF Northolt in London, but briefly stopped at Elstree Aerodrome, which is around seven miles away from the Cabinet member's home On January 11, a GZ100 chopper flew more than 20 miles from Denham Airport to pick up Mr Shapps before taking him up to Manchester. He then hopped back onboard and flew just 13 minutes to Preston to visit a testing facility. READ MORE: Military wives force Defence Secretary Grant Shapps to shelve MoD plans to allocate property based on family size rather than rank after backlash Advertisement The helicopter then went back to RAF Northolt in London, but briefly stopped at Elstree Aerodrome, which is around seven miles away from the Cabinet member's home. Jonathan Ashworth, Labour's shadow paymaster general told the outlet: 'We all thought Rishi Sunak was bad, but Grant Shapps seems to be turning the RAF's VIP helicopter into Britain's most expensive Uber.' He then quoted the ministerial code which states that government-funded jets can only be used in a matter of urgency. 'Mr Shapps urgently needs to provide evidence of why the time factor was critical in these three instances,' he added. On February 2, the newspaper reported that the helicopter picked up Mr Shapps to Plymouth. Pilots flew 25 miles from RAF Northolt to his house, before flying back in the same direction it had come to complete the trip. On Monday, Mr Shapps had the 'Uber' take him to Yorkshire for a Cabinet meeting with the Prime Minister on the ways the government can improve public transport. He then hovered back to the capital city to address the Commons. Mr Shapps has been criticised for getting RAF pilots to fly him around the country for engagements in Yorkshire, Manchester and Plymouth A source said it was 'absolutely nonsense' to suggest that the Defence Secretary had 'broken any rules'. They added that Mr Shapps was 'doing his job' and had not gone against the code. An MoD spokesperson said: 'The RAF provides travel for the command functions of the MoD and where there is spare capacity, provision is also made for senior Ministers and members of the Royal Household to travel to fulfil their official duties. 'These arrangements are long-standing and have been operated under successive governments of all political colours. 'Any travel undertaken is in accordance with our rules and procedure as set out clearly in the Ministerial Code which is available on gov.uk' Grant Shapps's office has been approached for comment. The 'devastated' boyfriend of a young woman who was killed in a horror car crash has broken his silence to pay tribute to a 'beautiful soul' and 'warrior'. Sophie-Lee Fullagar was one of four people killed in a car crash in Wardell, near Ballina in northern New South Wales on February 24. It's understood the 24-year-old was travelling in a Mazda BT50 ute with three men, including her ex-boyfriend, when the car lost control at high speed. Ms Fullagar's grieving boyfriend, Jay Bee, told Daily Mail Australia that he could 'feel' something had happened on the morning she was killed. Sophie-Lee Fullagar (pictured) was one of four people killed in a car crash in Wardell on Saturday Ms Fullagar's boyfriend, Jay Bee (pictured together), described her as a 'beautiful soul' and said he could 'feel' when she died READ MORE: Four people including two children are rushed to hospital after a horror crash between two cars on a country road Advertisement 'I felt it. Someone told me she was in the crash and I could just feel in my heart that she was gone,' he said. 'I love that girl so much. I wish I could go back and tell her to stay home.' Ms Fullagar split time between her boyfriend's home in Byron Bay and her mum's in place in Ballina. Mr Bee described Ms Fullagar has a 'beautiful girl' with 'such a good soul' as he shared photos of their time together. 'She didn't need to die that young,' he said. 'I've spent the last three days just crying my eyes out. I asked my mum, "why, why would this happen?". 'All she could tell me is that sometimes things like this happen and people are called back to God.' Some of his favourite moments with Ms Fullagar were spent looking for her favourite flower, frangipanis. 'She loves flowers and really loves frangipanis,' he said. 'We'd go looking for them and try and find the smallest ones because she thought they were cute. 'She used to love looking for big ones, now she loves looking for small ones.' Ms Fullagar was declared dead at the scene of the crash near Wardell on Saturday morning (pictured, the wreckage of the ute) Mr Bee has spent the days following Ms Fullagar's death reflecting on their 'beautiful' relationship. 'She always had a smile and everyone was drawn to her,' he said. 'She has the best smile and the best laugh, she was always so happy. 'No one wants to hear about the hard parts of her life but she put up with a lot and yet walked out every day with a smile on her face.' He described her as 'someone who would do anything for anyone'. 'Sophie would give you the shirt off her back and never worry about herself,' Mr Bee said. 'She never complained. She is such a beautiful soul.' The 24-year-old (pictured) has been remembered for her 'kind heart' and 'lovely singing voice' It's understood a passing motorist heading to work came across the wreckage of the fatal crash on Back Channel Road about 5.45am and called emergency services. Ms Fullagar and the male ute driver were declared dead at the scene, along with the two other passengers. The 24-year-old's sudden and tragic death sparked an outpouring of grief online. She has been remembered for her 'kind heart' and 'lovely singing voice'. 'Rest in paradise beautiful girl, absolutely heartbreaking,' one friend wrote. Another said: 'This is actually devastating!' Used to always play and hang out with Sophie when we were in primary school together!' 'This is devastating I send my deepest condolences. Mr Bee described Ms Fullagar (pictured) as 'someone who would do anything for anyone' Mr Bee said some of his favourite moments spent with Ms Fullagar (pictured together) were looking for her favourite flower, frangipanis A friend of Ms Fullagar's family has created a GoFundMe to help support her loved ones while they grieve. 'We are reaching out to the community for financial support to help Sophie-Lee's family during this terrible time. Any help is so gratefully appreciated,' it read. 'Sophie had the sweetest nature, the biggest heart and was so strong. She loved to sing and had the most beautiful voice. Her smile and laugh were infectious. 'Her family, friends and the surrounding community are suffering with the ripple effect of such a terrible loss.' More than $4,800 has been raised from 69 donations. The NSW Police investigation into the crash is ongoing. Flight attendant told him to pay for one A Jetstar passenger was left stunned after a flight attendant refused his simple request to borrow a pen. Douglas Lazickirk was travelling from Sydney to Seoul, South Korea, on Sunday when he asked the crew if he could borrow a pen to fill out his incoming passenger card. He was shocked by the attendant's response. 'I said, "Are you serious?" And she goes, "No, you can buy one for $5",' Mr Lazickirk told Yahoo News Australia. Douglas Lazickirk was denied the use of a pen by a flight attendant onboard a trip from Sydney to Seoul, instead being told he can buy one for $5 instead if he really needs it The discount airline sells a 3-in-1 pen pack on-board for $5. Mr Lazickirk claimed that the attendant admitted she had a pen with her but remained firm it was her 'right' to deny him use of it. She added that there were pens available on arrival if he did not wish to buy one. Mr Lazickirk then tried his luck with a second staff member at the other end of the plane, who didn't hesitate in handing him a pen. 'I told him the lady at the back [of the plane] refused to give me the pen and he was shocked,' he recalled. 'I've caught more than 1000 flights in my life I've never been denied a pen.' The pen saga did not end there. While chatting to the male attendant, a third employee intervened into the conversation. Mr Lazickirk claimed he was told it was a legal responsibility that they did not need to supply him a pen. 'She said [to me], 'It's up to her discretion, so if she didn't want to give you a pen, she didn't have to',' he added. Daily Mail Australia contacted Jetstar, which declined to comment on the matter but confirmed it does not hand out complimentary pens. South Koreans will go extinct by 2750 if they don't start having more babies, a study has found. The country, which according to the Times is 'facing extinction from the world's first self-inflicted genocide' has registered yet another sharp fall in birthrates last year with the average woman having on average 0.72 offspring in her life. Now, demographers are worried that if the downward trend, which has been going on for decades, continues at this rate, South Koreans will not see the end of the millennium. Last year's figure of 0.72 is the lowest since records began 54 years ago. Other countries are also at risk of 'underpopulation'. In 2022, when South Korea was at a comparably better level of 1.39, the US was at 1.89 and the UK was at 1.87. South Korea is comparatively far worse. South Korea's birthrate has been plummeting for decades and has reached a record low of 0.72 The country has a current population of 52m. 230,000 babies were born last year, compared to 249,000 in 2022. This represents a 7.7 per cent decrease. The number of yearly deaths are falling as well, but the decrease is nowhere near significant enough to balance the population level. Deaths fell by 5.4 per cent compared to 2022 to 352,721, meaning there was a population decrease of 122,721. This was the fourth consecutive year there have been more deaths than births in the country. In order to balance the numbers, South Korean women need to be bearing an lifetime average of 2.1 babies - three times the current level. If the pattern doesn't change, the future of the nation's inhabitants are looking stark. Demographers have projected that even with a birth rate of 1.19, far higher than the current level, the country will see a 12m person decrease in 32 years. This means over 1,000 people will be dropping from the population every single day. South Korea has a current population of 52m but it is falling. 230,000 babies were born last year, compared to 249,000 in 2022. This represents a 7.7 per cent decrease. By 2136, the numbers look even more worrying. Projections show that there will only be 10m people in the country by this point. This is only scarcely more than the current population of the capital of Seoul. As the numbers fall, the speed at which the population decreases gets slower. This can be visualised by repeatedly halving large numbers. If you halve a million, you lose 500,000 - but then when you half the 500,000, you only lose 250,000. The line of population decrease will slow, but it will continue. By 2750, demographers project, if things don't change, the very last South Korean will die. Of course other factors can change the projections such as immigration, which is growing globally and longevity, which is increasing. South Korea isn't the only country facing the prospect of underpopulation, despite it being considerably worse than the majority of the rest of the world. Nine in 10 countries face the threat of 'underpopulation' by the end of the century, scientists have warned. A report revealed that 93 per cent of nations won't be having enough children to replace people who die by 2100, leaving them with too few young people to work, pay tax and look after the elderly. The International Federation of Fertility Societies (IFFS) warned the global fertility rate the number of children born per woman is falling dramatically. Not every country is at risk of a decreasing population. Many countries in Africa have populations growing massively. Niger, for instance, in 2022 had an average birth rate of 6.86 - almost ten times South Korea's 2023 figure. There are several reasons why South Koreans are having less children than they used to. Demographers warn that if South Koreans don't start having more babies they will go extinct For one, the cost of education and childcare is more expensive than it once was. There is also a cultural notion in the country that women should stay at home and look after the children while the men go out to work to earn the money and women aren't as comfortable with that as they were in the 1900s. The South Korean Government is desperate to break the trend and keep their country populated into the future. In fact, as reported by the Times, they have spent tens of billions over the last 17 years on trying to promote reproduction and get people to have more children. They even offer women a million won (640) per month, per child in benefits. Villagers unable to stream films, shop online or video call have been told they must pay more than 100,000 if they want to upgrade their 'rubbish' broadband. Kevin and Lynda Mortimer from Wingland in Lincolnshire said they were quoted 101,874.60 by BT to install to a complex fibre network to the area, and that they should ask neighbours to contribute. Mr Mortimer told the BBC the cost is almost the price of their small rented cottage, adding 'in a big city, you would get this for free, and it's wrong.' Their current connection is 1Mb/s which does not meet the 10Mb/s which everyone in the UK has the right to request, according to reports. Kevin Mortimer, 62, asked BT to install a complex fibre network to his home and was quoted 101,874.60 Mr Mortimer, 62, added: 'We've just been told our car won't make it through its MoT. I don't know how I will find the money to pay for that, let alone 100,000.' But BT said the quote given to Mr Mortimer is under the Governments Universal Service Obligation, a scheme set up to offer any property that doesnt have and isnt in the plans for any normal commercial broadband build by any provider. They said that after BT Groups contribution, the price would amount to around 8,500 per property, were all properties to agree to contribute. Kevin and Lynda Mortimer live in Wingland in Lincolnshire (stock image) The USO was set up to allow these eligible properties to understand the costs of building a private fibre connection, so they could decide whether or not they wanted to fund it. BT said the quote given to Mr Mortimer represents the cost of building a fibre connection to 10 eligible USO properties in his area. It reflects the costs of planning, digging multiples kms of trenches and associated road closures in a rural area where no other company is willing to provide a service. BT told the BBC: 'Although the USO (Universal Service Obligation) has helped improve connectivity for around 8,000 properties to date, quotes reflect the cost and complexity of building in rural areas and can be high. 'We have reviewed the quote given to Mr Mortimer and unfortunately it is an accurate reflection of the costs of delivering a fibre connection to a small cluster of properties in the area.' A BT spokesperson told MailOnline: 'The quote provided to Mr Mortimer was under the Universal Service Obligation, a Government policy which gives customers who do not have access to 'decent' broadband speeds of 10Mbps or above the right to request a quote for an improved service. 'The Government is currently reviewing how best to improve connectivity for the small number of properties where these costs of deployment are very high.' Last year, high-speed internet came to the remote Island of Lundy, in the Bristol Channel between England and Wales, for the first time. The service is being provided by satellite link, meaning the 28 permanent residents and hundreds of weekly visitors, who travel by ferry from Devon, will now be able to connect properly with the rest of the country and wider world. The tiny island of Lundy is located in the Bristol Channel between England and Wales High speed internet last year came to Lundy in a new service being provided by satellite link The improved connection will also support credit and debit card payments for visitors to the Marisco Tavern the island's only pub and the general stores, as well as help conservation workers. Lundy, which means 'Puffin Island' in Old Norse and is owned by the National Trust, is now connected through a small outdoor antenna system linking to 630 satellites in space 1,200km above Earth. Rosemary Ellis, warden of Lundy Island, said the high-speed internet connection is 'already delivering fantastic benefits, speeding up frustrating jobs that used to take hours'. Last month MailOnline reported on how rural homeowners are turning to Elon Musk's costly Starlink broadband amid an endless wait for ultra-fast broadband in the British countryside. Despite the eccentric billionaire often dividing opinion, villagers are hailing his satellite internet system as 'life-changing' as Brits face delays of up to three years for faster connections from other telecoms firms. It comes after it was reported that villagers have been forced to endure endless roadworks and temporary traffic lights as trenches have been dug and telegraph poles erected in preparation for a big digital roll out in Stocksfield, Northumberland. Slow broadband speeds are something felt around the country, with experts telling MailOnline there is 'a lot of red tape' around connecting these rural areas. Fed up with waiting for faster broadband, some have switched to Musk's 449 satellite internet system which helps connect the most isolated parts of the British countryside by using broadband beamed from space. Alex Tofts, broadband expert at Broadband Genie, told MailOnline: 'I wouldn't be surprised if more people go down this route just because of the wider issue of the rural broadband landscape where households and people are clearly getting left behind.' A barrister who was left almost all his mother's 1.25m fortune is being sued by his disinherited younger brother over her 'suspicious' last will. Robert Grierson, 55, is facing claims from his brother Duncan that there are 'suspicious circumstances' over the way the he 'prepared and supervised' their 84-year-old mother Elise's last will two months before her death. Robert, who lived with his mum in the 1million family home in Kenilworth Close, Sutton Coldfield for over 20 years, inherited almost everything when Elise died on March 16, 2022 as eco-investment boss Duncan got just 10,000. A previous will from January 2020 had largely split her assets between the two brothers. Elise signed her final will - which virtually cut out her younger son - just 51 days before she died on January 24, 2022. Robert also allegedly forged a 2013 legal document that transferred half of Elise's house into his ownership, according to an expert who gave evidence in the case. Probate lawyer Robert Grierson outside the High Court after a hearing Duncan Grierson was left just 10,000 of his mother's fortune in a will she signed just 51 days before she died Picture shows the 1m family home in Kenilworth Close, Sutton Coldfield which the brothers are fighting over Now, nearly two years after his mother's death, Duncan Grierson is suing, challenging the validity of Elise's will and claiming his mother didn't understand its contents. His barrister, Constance McDonnell KC, said the will was 'a radical departure from the deceased's previous history of treating her two sons equally' and should arouse 'a very high level of suspicion as to knowledge and approval'. Ms McDonnell also claimed that Robert Grierson's credibility had been undermined by the 2013 legal document - which an expert said was a forgery. But Robert Grierson is fighting to uphold the validity of the will and has accused his younger brother of trying to 'bully' him. London's High Court heard that the main asset left by Mrs Grierson was the 1m family home on an exclusive private estate in Kenilworth Close, Sutton Coldfield, where Robert lived with his parents since 1999 and also bases his legal practice, specialising in probate and several other forms of civil law. Her entire estate was worth about 1.25m, Robert Grierson said outside court. In her final will, Mrs Grierson all but disinherited her younger son, Duncan. But Judge Iain Pester was told by Ms McDonnell that Elise 'probably had dementia' when the will was drawn up. Ms McDonnell pointed out in her stated case that Robert Grierson personally prepared the will document and 'supervised the deceased's signing with no professional involvement by any third party. Ms McDonnell also alleged irregularities in the signing of the will, claiming that one witness didn't see Elise sign the document as required by law. There was, she claimed, a suspicion of 'lack of knowledge and approval' by Elise about the meaning of the will when it was signed off. 'There are a number of suspicious circumstances as to the preparation and signing of the 2022 will, including that Robert Grierson, the principal beneficiary of the 2022 will, prepared that document himself and supervised the deceased's signing thereof with no professional involvement by any third party,' she said. 'The will also represents a radical departure from the deceased's previous history of treating her two sons equally. 'In all the circumstances pleaded by the claimant there is a very high level of suspicion as to knowledge and approval, and a heavy burden of proof upon Robert,' she told the judge. The document - a 'declaration of trust' - had transferred Robert a 50% stake in his mother's property and was produced by him in June 2022 following her death. The case is being heard in London's High Court (pictured) But Ms McDonnell highlighted expert forensic evidence demonstrating that Mrs Grierson's signature on the 2013 document was faked, arguing that this cast even more doubt on the preparations of her final January 2022 will. 'The issue of the authenticity of the declaration has a direct impact upon the issue of the valdity of the 2022 will, both as to Robert Grierson's credibility and as to the circumstances in which the will was produced,' the barrister said. Robert Grierson, representing himself in court, told the judge he was no longer relying on the validity of the 2013 declaration of trust. But he insisted his brother's forgery claim over the document was irrelevant and 'an attempt to bully' him by exerting pressure during the litigation over the will. The case reached court for a brief pre-trial hearing as Duncan Grierson's lawyers successfully applied for an order compelling his brother to search for and disclose potentially key documents in the case. His barrister said Robert had failed to produce potentially key trial material such as family emails and text messages, as well as the original 'native' versions of the declaration of trust and his mum's final will. 'The claimant is not applying for permission to search through his brother's electronic devices,' said Judge Pester. 'But Robert is being ordered to search his own electronic devices in order to locate documents in relation to disclosure. 'The claimant is not seeking to search his brother's devices at his home, but he must do a proper job of searching himself.' However, Robert insisted that he had done the maximum to disclose everything in his possession, adding: 'I literally don't have these native documents'. The judge also allowed Duncan to amend his case to formally claim that Elise's signature on the 2013 declaration was forged. Duncan Grierson said after the hearing that he was fighting the case against his barrister brother on principle, adding: 'it's not at all about the money'. The case is set to return to court for a full trial later this year. A sex worker has claimed that convicted murderer Iain Packer took her to the same woods where he killed Emma Caldwell. The anonymous 37-year-old, who lived with Emma in a hostel in Glasgow in 2005, recounted her horror at discovering she had been taken to the exact area in Biggar where Emma's was body was later discovered. 'It makes me feel sick, knowing I had been there and that's what has happened to her and that's where she was found. That's something you'll never get over,' she told BBC News. She continued that there were 'hundreds' of women reporting Packer to the police, but nothing was done. 'They looked down on us. Didn't believe anything we said. The way they saw it was: 'We do what we do, so it's your own fault''. The anonymous 37-year-old, who had lived with Emma in a hostel in Glasgow in 2005, recounted her horror at discovering she had also been taken to the exact area in Biggar where Emma's was body was later discovered The mother-of-two said she has now turned her life around, after working the streets for 10 years to fund a heron addiction. She made the decision to come forward and give evidence because 'it needed to be done', but believes it is important that the women who spoke out back then get the recognition they deserve for helping catch Packer. She added: 'I'm doing this for Emma's mum because it has been too long and she really needs justice for her daughter.' Another sex worker who testified in court, referred to as Nicky (not her real name) spoke of how she was 'terrified' of Packer, and that he was a 'dangerous man'. She added: 'We were never believed. It was as if we didn't matter, because we put ourselves in these situations and it was our own fault. 'It's something that if the police had listened back then, then a lot of stuff could have been prevented. More than 20 women spoke out in court against Packer. Another sex worker who testified in court, referred to as Nicky (not her real name) spoke of how she was 'terrified' of Packer, and that he was a 'dangerous man' She told the BBC: 'We were never believed. It was as if we didn't matter, because we put ourselves in these situations and it was our own fault' Police missed multiple chances to catch Emma Caldwell's killer as they repeatedly dismissed him as a suspect while arresting innocent Turkish men in their investigation, it has emerged. Iain Packer, 51, has been found guilty of murdering 27-year-old sex worker Emma, who died in 2005, as well as a series of rapes and assaults over two decades. But Packer was first interviewed by police the month after Emma's body was found in an isolated area of woodland in South Lanarkshire in May 2005. Packer, who worked as a sign installer across Scotland, northern England and Northern Ireland, was interviewed by police on June 22, 2005 - and lied, telling officers he had never picked her up and 'could not help the investigation'. Packer was spoken to by police six times between 2005 and 2007 and in his fourth statement, in August 2006, he admitted he had paid Emma for sex and that he had taken her to a remote spot in the woods, according to the BBC. Their report told how in his sixth statement, Packer even showed detectives the spot in the woods where he had taken Emma - but police did not speak to him again for a decade and instead were focusing on four Turkish men they wrongly believed had killed her. The court heard Packer was a prolific user of sex workers who had described it as an 'addiction' and lied repeatedly to police and to a BBC journalist who interviewed him on national television in 2018. As the killer was finally today sentenced to life in prison and ordered to serve a minimum of 36 years behind bars, Police Scotland apologised for failings in the murder investigation, admitting Packer's victims were 'let down by policing'. But Emma's family said Police Scotland failed their daughter and the rape victims of Packer due to a 'toxic culture of misogyny and corruption', adding in a statement: 'Instead of receiving justice and compassion, they were humiliated, dismissed and in some instances arrested, whilst the police gifted freedom to an evil predator to rape and rape again.' Emma Caldwell, 27, vanished in Glasgow on April 4, 2005 Serial rapist Iain Packer, 51, has been found guilty of her murder Emma's mother Margaret Caldwell outside Glasgow High Court where Iain Packer has been found guilty Packer had been accused of murdering Emma after she vanished in Glasgow in 2005 and whose naked body was found in Limefield Woods, near Roberton, South Lanarkshire, the following month. The former sign fitter was convicted of indecently assaulting Miss Caldwell and 11 other charges of rape against nine women among dozens of other offences, following a six-week trial at the High Court in Glasgow. Miss Caldwell vanished on April 4, 2005, days after telling her mother Margaret about her hopes to kick a heroin addiction, which began following a family bereavement in her early 20s. A dog walker found her body with a 'garotte' around her neck on May 8. It is believed Packer drove her from Glasgow's red-light district to the remote woods 40 miles away, where he strangled her and dumped her naked body in a ditch. Miss Caldwell came from a close-knit family and saw both parents twice a week and spoke to them daily. She was reported missing on April 11 after she failed to respond to attempts by them to change a planned meeting. Timeline of Emma Caldwell's case: 2002 Emma Caldwell moves to Glasgow after being introduced to heroin in a bid to cope with the death of her older sister. She eventually turns to sex work to fund her habit. August 2004 Packer indecently assaults Miss Caldwell behind a billboard at the Barras, Glasgow, ignoring her instruction to stop because he had 'paid', the trial heard. A witness fears Packer was 'stalking' Miss Caldwell. April 3, 2005 Margaret Caldwell visits Glasgow to spend the day with her daughter, who tells her of plans to go to rehab, but she appears 'nervous' and 'agitated'. April 4, 2005 Miss Caldwell is last seen alive near Glasgow Green in the city's east end. Packer's mobile phone data showed he frequented the area, a known red-light district, nearly as often as his home. April 6, 2005 Mrs Caldwell and her husband are unable to contact their daughter to change the day of a planned visit, and in the coming days report her missing and launch a search in Glasgow. May 8, 2005 The body of Miss Caldwell is found in Limefield Woods, South Lanarkshire, by a dogwalker. A 'garotte' had been placed around her neck and her possessions and clothing had been disposed of. June 22, 2005 Packer is interviewed by police and lies, claiming not to know Miss Caldwell. He became 'uncomfortable' when Miss Caldwell's name was mentioned and terminated the interview. July 5, 2005 Police interview Packer a second time and obtain a warrant to search his blue van. August 2006 Packer is interviewed and tells police he forced a sex act on Miss Caldwell in 2004. March 2007 Police interview Packer on a voluntary basis, and take him to Limefield Woods. He tells police he lied during previous interviews and had been with Miss Caldwell '10 or 11 times'. 2015 Packer is investigated by the Sunday Mail newspaper, which presents him as the 'forgotten' suspect in Miss Caldwell's murder. A new search of Limefield Woods is carried out to find evidence. November 2018 Packer instigates an interview with BBC journalist Sam Poling 'to clear his name'. He claims he has never visited Limefield Woods and that he told police they 'forced' him to visit. He says he has never been violent to women. The interviews spark disclosures from more victims. 2019 Packer is interviewed again by the BBC. In total he is interviewed on three occasions. After the final one, he told a witness: 'They're blaming me for Emma.' 2021 Analysis of soil samples taken from Limefield Woods is carried out, with a sample from the blue van owned by Packer in 2004. The prosecution in his trial cite this as as '97% match'. February 2022 Packer is arrested by Police Scotland on suspicion of the murder of Miss Caldwell, and the same year a review of DNA evidence is carried out. February 2024 Packer is convicted of murdering Emma Caldwell and attacking multiple other women following a six-week trial at the High Court in Glasgow. Advertisement She was last seen last seen on CCTV around 11pm on Monday April 4 walking alone on Butterbiggins Road towards Victoria Road on the southside of Glasgow. Miss Caldwell's father William, who died in 2011, made his family promise they would get justice for her. Packer was first interviewed by police on June 22, 2005 - and lied, telling officers he had never picked Miss Caldwell up and 'could not help the investigation', before telling further lies in interviews in 2006 and 2007. The court heard Packer was a prolific user of sex workers who had described it as an 'addiction', and lied repeatedly to police and to a BBC journalist who interviewed him on national television in 2018. During the trial, Packer admitted forcing a sex act on Miss Caldwell in August 2004 despite her telling him to stop, which he admitted was 'criminal' and apologised for. A friend of Miss Caldwell told the court Packer 'would not leave her alone', while another sex worker gave a statement saying she was 'petrified' of him. Packer was investigated by the press in 2015 which caused the case to be reopened, and he admitted 'instigating' an interview with BBC journalist Sam Poling in 2018 to 'clear his name', before claiming he had never visited the woodland. However during his evidence at the trial, he admitted visiting Limefield Woods on six occasions including with Miss Caldwell - although prosecutor Richard Goddard KC said it was many more times. A soil sample taken from the site where Miss Caldwell's body was found was a '97% match' with soil found in his blue work van after analysis in 2021, and Packer was charged in February 2022. The jury was taken on a site visit to the isolated spot where Miss Caldwell's body was found naked between two streams, in an area of woodland 40 miles from Glasgow. Packer alleged he had never seen the specific location before, and blamed her murder on four Turkish men, later reducing it to two. The four men were arrested in 2007, after a two-year surveillance operation on a cafe in Glasgow following interviews with other sex workers, but the case collapsed after issues with translation. Packer lodged special defences of incrimination and consent, claiming many of the sex assaults were consensual, and that he had never met some of the women. A complainant who was raped by Packer during a 30 transaction in 1998, which she agreed to due to financial pressures, eventually spoke to police in 2021, which she described as 'the worst thing I've had to do in my life'. Jim Wilson, the former editor of the Sunday Mail, which exposed Packer as the 'forgotten suspect' in 2015 on the anniversary of Miss Caldwell's murder, after which the case was reopened, said the case was a 'scandal' and a 'failure' of the justice system. Mr Wilson said: 'Scotland's justice system failed Emma Caldwell, her family and all the women terrorised by Packer in the years he was allowed to remain free. 'His conviction has answered one question but Police Scotland and the Crown Office must answer many more.' Packer denied all the charges - accusing all the women of lying - but admitted during evidence that he indecently assaulted Miss Caldwell. He said he was 'ashamed' of his actions towards her, and described his behaviour towards another sex workers as 'disgusting'. But he denied murdering Miss Caldwell in his evidence, telling the court: 'It wasn't me who killed her. It wasn't me. I didn't do anything to her.' Prosecutor Richard Goddard KC described Packer as a 'violent' and 'obsessive' user of sex workers with an 'unhealthy addiction' to procuring their services. Emma's mother, Margaret, told Sky News following the verdict she can now 'breathe again that this man is gone'. She added: 'I hope he gets long enough [in jail] that he cannot harm anyone else. 'I did once ask them [the police] if they were biased because of what Emma did and they said it was like any other case. But they just wanted to get it over, put it in a drawer and forget about it.' Miss Caldwell (pictured) came from a close-knit family and saw both parents twice a week and spoke to them daily Margaret and William Caldwell, parents of Emma Caldwell speak to the media in Glasgow city centre in May 2005 Lawyer Aamer Anwar (L) and the mother of Emma Caldwell, Margaret Caldwell (C) arrive at Glasgow High Court on February 23, 2024 Emma's mother, Margaret (pictured), said following the verdict today that she can now 'breathe again that this man is gone' Assistant Chief Constable for Major Crime and Public Protection Bex Smith today apologised to Miss Caldwell's family after they were 'let down by policing in 2005'. READ MORE HERE: Emma Caldwell was a head stable girl before heroin condemned her to a life of vice - but her family were denied justice when police refused to believe Iain Packer had killed her even though his story changed SIX times Advertisement She said: 'Emma Caldwell, her family and many other victims, were let down by policing in 2005. For that we are sorry. 'A significant number of women and girls who showed remarkable courage to speak up at that time also did not get the justice and support they needed and deserved from Strathclyde Police. 'Police Scotland launched a re-investigation of the case in 2015 after instruction from the Lord Advocate. 'It is clear that further investigations should have been carried out into Emma's murder following the initial enquiry in 2005. 'The lack of investigation until 2015 caused unnecessary distress to her family and all those women who had come forward to report sexual violence. 'It is the courage, resilience and determination shown by Emma's family, in particular her parents William and Margaret, and all those who survived Iain Packer's horrific catalogue of offending that got us to where we are today. 'William is, sadly, no longer here to see this day, but I hope this verdict gives Margaret and all those affected by this case, the justice they deserve. A mugshot of Iain Packer who was today found guilty of the murder of Emma Caldwell Iain Packer pictured during a police interview on February 25, 2022 Iain Packer's blue van which was with soil found with a 97% match to the soil where Miss Caldwell's body was found The blue van belonging to Packer who had who worked as a sign installer across Scotland, northern England and Northern Ireland The interior of Packer's blue van which was later linked to Miss Caldwell's murder Ms Smith added the re-investigation was 'without doubt the largest police enquiry of recent times in Scotland' which involved reviewing more than 30,000 documents and statements. She continued: 'Iain Packer was a calculating sexual predator who targeted women over many years. It is hard to comprehend how anyone could carry out such despicable, ruthless acts. 'He took Emma's life for his own gratification in the most appalling circumstances and cruelly left her body in remote woods hoping to cover his tracks. 'But time is no barrier to justice and I would urge anyone who has been the victim of sexual violence to please come forward and speak to us. 'You will be listened to and you will be supported - no matter when the offences took place. Ms Smith said 'significant changes' have been made within the police force in recent years 'particularly in respect of investigative structures, victim care and processes to these types of crimes'. She added that Emma had 'a gentle personality' and concluded by paying tribute to 'her family and all those affected by this terrible case'. The prominence of 'pleased-as-punch' Prince Andrew at this weeks Windsor memorial service served as a vivid reminder of the troubles now besetting the Royal Family. And highlighted how untenable the prince's position has become. Thats the view of Richard Eden, writing in the latest edition of his Palace Confidential Newsletter. With King Charles and Kate indisposed for health reasons, Prince Harry unavailable and Prince William unexpectedly absent, Prince Andrew found himself on the front row of the thanksgiving service for the life of King Constantine of Greece on Tuesday. Prince Andrew looks pleased to lead the way as members of the Royal Family attend the memorial service for the late King Constantine of Greece Disgraced or not, he was highest royal in the line of succession to be present at the service. It was a vivid illustration of the Windsors predicament, says Eden, and should prompt the King to act: both Andrew and Harry should be removed from their positions as heirs to the throne. The Royal Family has a problem, writes Eden. King Charles, who is undergoing cancer treatment, did not attend and the heir to the throne, Prince William, due to read a lesson, pulled out at very short notice because of an unspecified personal matter. With Prince Harry in California, this left the Duke of York to take a most prominent pew at St Georges Chapel. And, boy, did Andrew seem to enjoy being at the centre of things again. Looking pleased as punch, he was even pictured grinning inappropriately as he made his way to join the other mourners for the former Greek monarch. There is, of course, no reason that Andrew shouldnt have been at the service. Like other royals from across Europe, he was invited by Constantines family. But Andrews prominence, in the absence of King Charles, and the Prince and Princess of Wales, draws attention to his untenable status - and that of his nephew Harry. Prince Andrew found himself on the front row alongside the Duchess and Duke of Gloucester. Princess Beatrice and husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi stand behind the Gloucesters The King's younger brother is no longer a working royal, but he remains a Counsellor of State and could be asked to carry out some of the King's duties in an emergency. He is eighth in line to the throne Richard Eden says it's time for the Monarchy to act - and cut Princes Andrew and Harry from the line of succession. Neither is a working royal Neither of them are working members of The Firm yet they both remain Counsellors of State who could stand in for the Monarch and they retain their places in the line of succession: fifth in Harrys case, and eighth in Andrews. This needs to be addressed immediately: they must both be stripped of their roles as Counsellors of State and lose their places in line to the throne. To read more of Richard's expert Royal commentary, click here Vladimir Putin has made a direct threat to nuke the West as he accused NATO and the US of 'preparing to strike' Russia in his annual address to the nation. The Russian president, 71, said: 'They, NATO and America, are active in other parts of the world, of course, and they continue to lie there, to deceive. 'They are preparing to strike our territory and, using the best possible forces, the most effective forces to do so. 'But we remember the fate of those who try to invade our territory and of course their fate will be much more tragic than anything we could face.' Putin repeatedly lauded Russia's vastly modernised nuclear arsenal in his speech and added as a warning to the West: 'They have to understand that we also have weapons, weapons that can defeat them on their own territory. 'Of course all this is very dangerous, because it could actually trigger the use of nuclear weapons. Do they not understand that?' The Russian despot also chillingly assured that 'strategic nuclear forces are in a state of full readiness for guaranteed use', but warned the use of nuclear weapons would equal the 'destruction of civilisation'. Russian President Vladimir Putin looks on as he delivers his annual address to the Federal Assembly, in Moscow, Russia, February 29 The Russian despot also chillingly assured that 'strategic nuclear forces are in a state of full readiness for guaranteed use' (pictured here: Russian missile being launched) People stand in front of a large screen that shows a live broadcast of the Russian President Vladimir Putin delivering his annual address to the Federal Assembly, in Moscow, Russia, February 29 Speaking to an audience of lawmakers and top officials televised live nationwide, Putin said that Russia was 'defending its sovereignty and security and protecting our compatriots' in Ukraine He also told NATO countries that their threats have created a 'real' risk of nuclear war if they sent troops to Ukraine, adding that Russia must strengthen its western military district after Finland and Sweden's admission to the Atlantic alliance as Finland has a long land border with northwest Russia. 'They should eventually realise that we also have weapons that can hit targets on their territory. 'Everything that the West comes up with creates the real threat of a conflict with the use of nuclear weapons, and thus the destruction of civilisation,' Putin added. The United States and key European allies this week said they had no plans to send ground troops to Ukraine, after France hinted at the possibility. He also claimed that the West was trying to 'drag' Russia into an arms race. 'They are trying to wear us down, to repeat the trick they succeeded (in pulling off) with the Soviet Union in the 1980s. 'Therefore, our task is to develop the defence-industrial complex in such a way as to increase the scientific, technological and industrial potential of the country. 'We need to distribute resources as rationally as possible and build an efficient economy of the armed forces, to achieve the maximum for every rouble of defence expenditures.' In terms of allies, Putin said he believes it is important for Russia to strengthen ties with Arab countries and Latin American countries. He also praised policies from allied countries such as the 'One Belt, One Road' initiative in China - a global infrastructure strategy. He further hailed Russian national unity amid the fighting in Ukraine in his state-of-the-nation address ahead of next month's election he's all but certain to win. Speaking to an audience of lawmakers and top officials televised live nationwide, Putin praised Russia's troops fighting in Ukraine as 'courageous' warriors who would not back down. 'I look at these courageous people, sometimes very young guys, and without any exaggeration I can say my heart fills with pride. They will not back down, will not fail and will not betray,' the Russian president said. He also honored those who were killed in fighting with a moment of silence. Putin, who is running as an independent candidate in the March 15-17 presidential election, relies on the tight control over Russia's political system that he has established during 24 years in power. People stand in front of a large screen that shows a live broadcast of the Russian President Vladimir Putin delivering his annual address to the Federal Assembly, in Moscow, Russia, February 29 Putin repeated threats against the West in his annual address this morning and praised Russia's supremacy Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives to deliver his annual state of the nation address at the Gostiny Dvor conference centre in central Moscow on February 29 Putin was smiling as he delivered his speech outlining defence and domestic policies Vehicles drive past a huge screen displaying the broadcast of Russia's President Vladimir Putin's annual state of the nation address on the facade of a building in Moscow on February 29 Prominent critics who could challenge him have either been imprisoned or are living abroad while most independent media has been banned, meaning that his re-election for another six-year term is all but assured. He faces token opposition from three other candidates nominated by Kremlin-friendly parties represented in parliament. Russia's best-known opposition leader Alexei Navalny, whose attempt to run against Mr Putin in 2018 was rejected, died suddenly in an Arctic prison colony earlier this month, while serving a 19-year sentence on extremism charges. His funeral is set for Friday. Mr Putin has repeatedly said that he sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022 to protect Russian interests and prevent Ukraine from posing a major security threat to Russia by joining Nato. Kyiv and its allies have denounced it as an unprovoked act of aggression. The Russian leader has repeatedly signalled a desire to negotiate an end to the fighting but warned that Russia will hold on to its gains. He said that Russia was 'ready for dialogue' with the US 'on strategic stability'. 'Recently there have been more and more unsubstantiated accusations against Russia, for example that we are allegedly going to deploy nuclear weapons in space. 'Such innuendo, which is nothing but innuendo, is a ploy to draw us into negotiations on their own terms, which are favourable only to the United States. 'Therefore, we have every reason to believe that the words of today's American authorities about their alleged interest in negotiations with us on strategic stability issues are demagoguery... 'On the eve of the US presidential election, they simply want to show their citizens and everyone else that they still rule the world.' He also addressed the war in Ukraine in his speech, claiming Russia was 'defending its sovereignty and security and protecting the lives of our fellow countrymen in Donbas and Novorossiya', which are regions of Ukraine that Russia claims to have annexed. 'The decisive role in this righteous struggle belongs to our citizens, our unity, devotion to our native country and responsibility for its fate,' Putin added. 'These qualities were clearly and unambiguously manifested at the very beginning of the special military operation, when it was supported by the absolute majority of the Russian people. A man works at a petrol station as a large screen shows a live broadcast of the Russian President Vladimir Putin delivering his annual address to the Federal Assembly, in Moscow, Russia, February 29 Ukrainian servicemen of 56th Separate motorized infantry brigade prepare to fire a Czech made Dana self-propelled howitzer towards Russian troops, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near the town of Bakhmut in Donetsk region, Ukraine February 28 Firefighters extinguish a fire after a Russian attack on a residential neighborhood in Kharkiv, Ukraine February 10 A view shows heavily damaged apartment buildings in the frontline town of Orikhiv, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine February 28 'Despite all the trials and bitterness of losses, people are adamant in this choice. 'We did not start this war in Donbas. As I have said many times, we will do everything to end it, to eradicate Nazism. To fulfill all the tasks of the special military operation. To protect the sovereignty and security of our citizens.' The war in Ukraine has triggered the worst crisis in Moscow's relations with the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis and Putin has previously warned of the dangers of a direct confrontation between NATO and Russia. Visibly angry, Putin, Russia's paramount leader for more than two decades, suggested Western politicians recall the fate of those, like Nazi Germany's Adolf Hitler and France's Napoleon Bonaparte who unsuccessfully invaded his country in the past. 'But now the consequences will be far more tragic,' said Putin. 'They think it (war) is a cartoon,' he said. After outlining defence strategies, Putin turned to domestic policies, promising he would reduce taxes for small and medium-sized businesses as well as provide more money to support struggling Russian families and to boost the birth rate. Putin also claimed that Russia will be among the four largest economic powers in the world by purchasing power in the near future. Boasting vast natural resources, Russia's gross domestic product (GDP) rebounded sharply last year from a slump in 2022, but the growth relies heavily on state-funded arms and ammunition production for the war in Ukraine, masking problems that are hampering an improvement in Russians' living standards. Right-wing firebrand Lauren Boebert burst on to the political scene in 2020 as a pro-gun, anti-abortion, Christian who demanded swift and severe punishments for criminals. However, despite being incredibly popular in the MAGA-sphere, it hasn't been plain sailing for Boebert since her election to congress in 2020. This week, things took another unfortunate turn for Boebert after her son, Tyler, 18, was picked up by the police in Rifle, Colorado, on 22 various different charges including three counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Around the time that the arrest was taking place, Boebert's social media accounts were lambasting President Joe Biden's 'crime family' as 'the most corrupt family in American history.' This marks just the latest drama involving the politician whose greatest hits including allegations that she punched her ex-husband, allegations of pointing a gun at an Obama-supporting employee and trying to prove that a WWE star was her birth father. 2010-2017: Neighbor 'harassment', reckless driving and underage drinking offenses Boebert was previously charged with careless driving and operating an unsafe vehicle after rolling her truck into a ditch in Garfield County, Colorado in 2016. She was later arrested and booked into jail months later in 2017 (pictured) for failing to appear for her court hearing Boebert has had several notable run-ins with law enforcement in the past In 2010, Boebert appeared to have her first brush with the when her neighbor, Michele Soet, accused her of harassing her and her husband, reported the Denver Post in 2020. Then 23, Boebert was accused of allowing her pit bulls to roam free and thus threatening the Soet's dogs. The now-congresswoman texted Soet after receiving a small fine: 'You have taken food out of my children's mouths.' In 2015, Boebert was taken into custody while attending a music festival in Colorado. Then 28. she instructed a group of teens who had themselves been arrested for underage drinking to flee from the police. According to the report, Boebert attempted to 'twist away' from officers while screaming that her arrest was 'unconstitutional' and that she had friends at Fox News. She was later arrested for failure to appear on that charge, missing two court dates. The charges were later dropped. In 2017, Boebert actually spent time in jail over a failure to appear offense regarding a reckless driving charge from 2016. The Florida-native spent 100 minutes in a cell before being bonded out and later pleaded out the charges against her. The sheriff in charge of the jail where she spent time as an inmate, later endorsed her for congress. 'I can tell you, Ive worked with law enforcement members and two sheriffs who have had an arrest record in their past, from their younger days. Maybe they made some bad decisions but turned out to be very fine people and great leaders,' Garfield County Sheriff Lou Vallario told the Post in 2020. 2014: 'Pointed loaded pistol at Obama-supporting chef' A former employee claims Republican congresswoman Lauren Boebert pointed a loaded gun at him during a shift at her Shooters Grill restaurant in Rifle, Colorado Boebert pointed a loaded gun and mockingly took aim at a restaurant employee who expressed support for Barack Obama, one of her former employees told DailyMail.com exclusively in 2022. The unnerving incident took place in the kitchen of Shooters Grill, the restaurant that Boebert ran with her husband in Rifle, Colorado. Boebert opened her gun-themed restaurant in 2013. Signs all over the walls and windows of Shooters encourage patrons to bring guns into the restaurant, where servers all carry conspicuously holstered firearms. The former employee, who spoke to DailyMail.com on condition of anonymity, recalled: 'I was in the back at the grill and there were diners in the restaurant. 'I heard her say, "Hey", and call my name, and I turned around to see she had this .380 black pistol that she always carried pointing right at me and she just started laughing. 2019: Off-roading 'cover-up' Boebert's former sister-in-law, Tori Hooper, 28, who was married to her brother Benjamin Bentz (left) was left struggling to take control of the Jeep ATV as it careened down a ravine and smashed into a rock face in Moab, Utah after the congresswoman abandoned the driver's seat In June 2022, DailyMail.com revealed exclusively that Boebert 'bailed' from the driver's seat of a Jeep ATV leaving her son and dog in the back seat and her former sister-in-law struggling to right the vehicle as it careened down a ravine and smashed into a rock face in Moab, Utah. According to a family insider Boebert, 35, was off-roading just months before she was to win a Republican primary when she lost control and 'bailed,' leaving her family members to their fate. Boebert's spokesman Ben Stout told DailyMail.com that rather than bailing, the soon-to-be-congresswoman was 'ejected' from the vehicle. Tori Hooper, 28, who was married to Boebert's younger brother, Benjamin Bentz at the time, sustained serious injuries to her face and chest that led to further health complications months later. Yet DailyMail.com has learned that no 911 call was ever placed. Instead, the source said, the political newbie 'begged' Hooper not to tell anyone about the accident which could have dominated the headlines leading up to the primary. The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: 'It was pretty crazy. She [Boebert] got out of the driver's seat and left Tori screaming and freaking out, and her son and dog in the back seat. 'Tori couldn't get out of her seatbelt, so she grabbed the steering wheel. She's steering into a cliff. They hit a rock wall; it struck her whole face. It was bad.' Boebert went on to win the primary for Colorado's third congressional district, defeating sitting congressman Scott Tipton by nine percentage points in what political observers called a 'shocking upset.' September 2021: 'Jihad squad' joke Rep. Ilhan Omar holds up her cell phone and plays a voicemail threat she received in which a man refers to her as a 'sand n-word b***h.' Omar said she received Boebert has long been at odds with the liberal group of elected representatives known as The Squad. In 2021, CNN unearthed Boebert making a joke at a Staten Island, New York Conservative Party dinner, in September of that year. 'One of my staffers, on his first day with me, got into an elevator in the Capitol. And in that elevator, we were joined by Ilhan Omar,' Boebert told the audience. 'Well, it was just us three in there and I looked over and I said, "Well, lookey there, it's the Jihad Squad."' Boebert smiled as the room broke into laughter and applause. She continued: 'I do have to say she doesn't have a backpack, she wasn't dropping it and running so we're good.' In the same clip, Boebert called Omar and Rep. Rashida Tlaib, who is also Muslim, 'evil' and black-hearted.' 'We of course know that this isn't the first incident,' Omar said in a speech following the incident. 'In May she said my colleagues and I are politicians with suicide belts strapped to their bodies.' 'She asked if congresswoman Tlaib and I should register as foreign agents, invoking the hateful duel loyalty trope,' Omar continued. Tlaib and Rep. Andre Carson, who is also Muslim, stood by her side. Christmas 2021: Gun-toting Christmas card days after school shooting Ocasio-Cortez slammed Boebert for the photo, tweeting: 'Tell me again where Christ said "use the commemoration of my birth to flex violent weapons for political gain"?' Boebert was roundly mocked in 2021 after she made a Christmas card with her family showing all brandishing rifles. Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez slammed Boebert for the picture. Her outspoken attack comes as many political commentators and activists described Boebert's Christmas photo, which was posted just eight days after four high school students were killed in a school shooting in Michigan, as 'sickening'. Boebert posted an image of herself and her four children, all of whom were carrying semi-automatic rifles, in front of a Christmas tree. Ocasio-Cortez slammed Boebert for the photo, tweeting: 'Tell me again where Christ said "use the commemoration of my birth to flex violent weapons for political gain"? 'Lol at all the years Republicans spent on cultural hysteria of society "erasing Christmas and it's meaning" when they're doing that fine all on their own.' Tyler's girlfriend has since given birth. The pair remain unwed. January 2023: MAGA dust-up with Marjorie Taylor Greene Rep. Greene (left) and Boebert attending a House Freedom Caucus news conference in 2021 You would think that they would be the best of friends but fellow MAGA conservative firebrand Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Boebert do not get along. In January 2023 during the Speaker election, Greene and Boebert reportedly almost got into a screaming match in a women's restroom near the House floor over Boebert's opposition to Kevin McCarthy. Their animosity toward each other then spilled into public view over the summer when they had a heated exchange on the House floor. Greene accused Boebert for copying her over a resolution to impeach President Biden, reportedly calling Boebert a 'little b***h' to her face. It was Politico that first reported in April 2022 that the 36-year-old Boebert 'detests being tied to her Georgia colleague.' That same year, it was reported the two had to be physically separated at a House Freedom Caucus event where they nearly came to blows. More recently, Greene was critical of Boebert's decision to move districts. 'I saw that she came in fifth place in the straw poll over the weekend which she should be very concerned about,' Greene said in an interview with The Hill. 'I think that's a serious primary and it seems like there are some good candidates in there.' Greene said it will remain to be seen what happens with the polling in the Colorado district, but she is not looking to get involved in the race just yet. 'I think she's got to earn those people's support,' Greene said of Boebert. May 2023: Reveals third son conceived because birth control 'too expensive' Rep. Lauren Boebert revealed during a committee hearing Tuesday that she conceived her third son after failing to pick up her birth control because it was 'too expensive' Boebert sensationally revealed during a committee hearing in 2023 that she conceived her third son after failing to pick up her birth control because it was 'too expensive.' The House Oversight Committee hearing, focused on prescription drug prices, was targeting pharmacy benefit managers - middlemen who go between health insurance providers and prescription drug manufacturers. 'I actually have a fun little story, my staff is probably going to talk to me about this later. But I left a prescription at a pharmacy once. I went to get birth control,' Boebert, R-Colo., shared during the hearing. 'I was there at the counter and went to pay for it. And the price was very, very high. I said, Wow, is this a three, six-month prescription? 'No, ma'am. This is one month.' And I said, it's cheaper to have a kid and I left it there and now I have my third son, Kaydon Boebert.' 'And so I'm actually - it was, it turned out to be a really great thing, but I personally experience that when times were tough.' Boebert's son Kaydon is 13 - she also has Tyler, 18, Brody, 16, and Roman, 10. June 2023: Becomes a grandmother at 36 Boebert is pictured with her son 17-year-old Tyler who is now expecting a baby with his girlfriend Last year, Boebert proudly defended her son Tyler when he impregnated his 17-year-old girlfriend despite the fact that the couple were not married. She first evealed at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in 2023 that she would become a grandma by age 36. Dave Rubin of the 'Rubin Report' asked the conservative firebrand if her oldest of four sons Tyler getting his girlfriend pregnant 'challenged' any of her beliefs. 'Obviously, I'm a Christian, and there are standards that we like to uphold, but none of us do it perfectly,' she said. 'We can nitpick what the Bible says is right and wrong, but I think just having that heart posture of wanting to serve God, it's so important.' She added that she and her son would go over 'redemption and how to move forward.' Boebert told a crowd of CPAC conservatives at the time: 'I'm going to tell you all for the first time in a public setting that not only am I a mom of four boys but come April, I will be a 'gigi' to a brand new grandson.' She used the occasion to praise teen moms who don't have abortions. To Rubin she explained her son would be the third generation of teen parents in the family. 'My momshe was 18 when she had me. I was 18 when I had Tyler, and now he's 18. One of his first comments was, 'Mom, it's hereditary.' I said, 'Nice try. Doesn't work that way.' But I'm really proud of him and my grandson's mom for being responsible, because they could have taken a different route, and both of them chose life,' she said. Tyler's girlfriend has since given birth. The pair remain unwed. June 2023: WWE star takes DNA test to prove hs is not Boebert's father Stan Lane was a star with the National Wrestling Alliance in the 1980s and early 90s before moving to the WWE where he worked primarily as an announcer In June, former WWE star Stan Lane took a second DNA test to prove he is not Boebert's father. Her mother Shawn Roberts Bentz has long insisted the retired wrester was her daughter's biological dad following a short fling in the 1980s. Lane, 69, took a court-ordered paternity test in 1990 which showed he was not Boebert's father. But doubts over the legitimacy were raised when the lab worker who took his blood sample was convicted of taking a bribe to switch vials in another case and Bentz asked for Lane to be investigated. He eventually agreed to take a second test in May and the results proved he was not the father of Rep. Boebert, 36. Lane, who worked as a powerboat racing announcer following his wrestling career, allowed Boebert to handle his DNA sample to get rid of any concerns. The results came back on May 11 and proved he was not her biological father. He issued a statement confirming the news via his close friend to wrestling news website PWInsider.com. 'Once we both reviewed the results Lauren and I agreed that this matter is settled, and I accepted Laurens apology on behalf of herself and her mother,' he said. 'This situation and the numerous false claims made against me over the years has been stressful for me and my family.' 'I feel my otherwise good reputation has been tarnished considerably. I and other close members of my inner circle have been dragged into this as well.' Rep. Lauren Boebert said the DNA results bring new meaning to the song Who's Your Daddy by Toby Keith She acknowledged the results and told the Daily Beast: 'I can confirm that Stan Lane is not my biological father. 'I personally have never publicly claimed he was my fatherbut certainly, that allegation is out there. September 2023: Beetlejuice theater grope Boebert, 36, and her mystery man quickly made their way through the lobby and out the front doors Arguably the most infamous incident involving Boebert saw her removed from a theater in Denver after she became amorous with her date. Boebert was filmed lashing out at theater staff after being booted from a Beetlejuice performance for singing along - with staff claiming she also vaped and took photos during the performance. Surveillance footage shows Boebert, wearing a tight, low-cut gold dress and high heels, making a considerable fuss as she and a hunky mystery man are ordered out. She can be seen snapping a selfie as she leaves the auditorium and angrily bares her teeth at staff as she is escorted through the lobby. According to The Denver Post, the lawmaker at one point declared 'Do you know who I am?' Afterwards, Boebert and her smartly-dressed date were caught on camera walking off through the empty nighttime streets of the Mile High City. Just weeks later, Boebert was accused of using campaign funds to watching a cycle race that her partner from that night, Aspen bar owner Quinn Gallagher was competing in. January 2024: Son's domestic abuse claims against his father Lauren Boebert's ex Jayson, 42, was arrested Tuesday for allegedly assaulting the couple's eldest son during an altercation over laundry, an arrest warrant has revealed. One of his two mug shots, this one taken by the Silt Police Department, is seen here Days before the restaurant incident, the Boebert were rocked by another domestic violence allegation, this time involving Jayson and their son. 'Tyler described that Jayson shoved him by placing one hand in the area of his throat/neck and pushing back,' Deputy Cid Ramirez, of the Garfield County Sheriffs office wrote. 'Tyler became upset at this point,' Ramirez continued, adding that 'a physical altercation began between Jayson and him' quickly ensued. As the father and son fight escalated, he added, the father of four allegedly 'stuck his right hand thumb into Tylers mouth.' The force of the maneuver, the Colorado cop claimed, made the teen fear that his father 'was going to pull his tooth out.' At some point during the struggle, Ramirez wrote, Tyler managed to get ahold of his cell phone and managed to call his mother, who last year became a grandmother after Tyler fathered a boy with his also-teenage girlfriend. The firebrand allegedly responded by telling the boy to call the cops, who eventually arrived on the scene around 1am Tuesday. Their arrival coincided with a simultaneous deployment of officers from The Silt Police Department, there for the alleged altercation at Miners Claim Restaurant from a few days before. January 2024: Ex-husband attack claims Lauren and Jayson wed in 2005. They met while she was working at McDonald's at the age of 16. He was 22 at the time Boebert stands for a photograph with her then-husband Jayson at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, in January 2021 Earlier this year, Boebert denied punching her ex-husband twice in the nose after he made 'lewd advances' towards her at a restaurant in her district in January 2024. She did admit to putting her hand on Jayson Boebert's face to 'keep him back' before he called 911. The pair married in 2005 but split in 2023 - and share four sons. She was dining at Miner's Claim in Silt when Jayson showed up to apologize about an earlier argument from when she had gone to pick up their children from his house. He allegedly started 'being disrespectful,' and becoming 'lewd' - at which point he 'made a motion' towards his ex-wife 'to grab her,' according to her aide speaking to the Daily Beast. The aide claimed the move was 'aggressive, not romantic.' Lauren then tried to keep him back and 'put her hand in his face, put her hand on his nose.' Lauren Boebert said in a statement: 'This is a sad situation for all that keeps escalating and another reason I'm moving. 'I didn't punch Jayson in the face and no one was arrested. I will be consulting with my lawyer about the false claims he made against me and evaluate all of my legal options.' February 2024: Son's arrest for string of crimes Republican congresswoman Lauren Boebert ranted about the 'Biden crime family,' just hours after her 18-year-old son was arrested for 22 crimes. Tyler Boebert, a father of one, was taken into custody at around 2.30 pm on Wednesday in the town of Rifle, Colorado - his mom's congressional district. 'The Biden crime family will go down as the most corrupt family in American history,' the Republican lawmaker wrote at 4.45pm CT on her Instagram on the day of her son's arrest. It's unlikely that Boebert was aware that her eldest had been arrested for four counts of criminal possession of a financial device, three counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor to three counts of theft of under $300. The other charges range from four felony counts of criminal possession of ID, a felony count of conspiracy to commit a felony and more than 15 different misdemeanor and petty charges. It was a fight that the militant Arthur Scargill claimed Margaret Thatcher would lose. 'Mrs Thatcher may have won the Falklands War but she will lose this battle and we will pave the way for a General Election and a Socialist Government victory,' he told cheering supporters in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, in May 1984. Two months earlier, on March 6, 1984, the Miners' Strike had begun in earnest after the National Coal Board said that 20 pits would close with the loss of 20,000 jobs. Now, ahead of the 40th anniversary of the start of the strike the 'heartbreaking' testimonies of both the strikers and those branded scabs after they decided to return to work are revealed in a new exhibition. What was one of the defining events of late 20th century British history left families and communities divided to this day. A twisted sign, felled concrete posts and a broken wall tell the story of violence outside a coking plant in Orgreave, South Yorks. The plant was invaded by striking miners' who stoned police in riot gear as the miners strike entered its 15th week A march by striking miners which left from Mansfield Leisure Centre in Nottinghamshire A protesting miner is hauled away by police officers. More than 200 miners were arrested during the year of picketing and spent time in custody or jail Police officers are pictured carrying an unconscious striker my his arms and legs A dazed protester looks at a medic, still being grasped by a riot police officer Ranks of police face the picketing line outside Orgreave coking plant near Rotherham. During the course of the strike, three men were killed A miner addressies a line of policemen outside Ramsgate Magistrates Court, where Kent miners' President Malcolm Pitt was remanded in custody for nine days, accused of two breeches of bail conditions in connection with picketing NUM President Arthur Scargill salutes at a march in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire A policeman inspects the smashed window of a transit van after violence at the Markham Main NCB Colliery at Armthorpe, near Doncaster, Yorkshire The miners' strike was one of the defining moments of Margaret Thatcher's prime ministership Former miners, who now work as tour guides, relax at the National Coal Mining Museum Mine Director Shaun McLoughlin at the National Coal Mining Museum for England, in the former site of Caphouse Colliery Mrs Thatcher ultimately triumphed over Scargill - the leader of the National Union of Mineworkers - when support among miners and the public for the strike drained away and it came to a formal end on March 3, 1985. The new exhibition is at the National Coal Mining Museum, in Wakefield, and CEO Lynn Dunning said the aim has been to make sure the perspectives of all those involved are represented. She said this includes the memories of the miners and their families who were on strike for a year. But it also includes those who decided they had to return to work and those in the coalfields where most miners defied the call to walk out from National Union of Mineworkers president Arthur Scargill - most notably in Nottinghamshire. Ms Dunning said: 'The exhibition is really to try and give a voice to as many different opinions and experiences as possible. 'Quite often we hear a lot from the men who were on strike. 'We wanted to tell those stories but, also, redress the balance a little bit this time by hearing from some of the men and their families who didn't go on strike and the impact that had on them and how they were treated in their communities but, also, the miners who went back early. The strike was ultimately unsuccessful, with miners returning to work in early 1985 Police force back surging picketers in South Wales, as a convoy of 50 empty lorries left to collect coal from the Port Talbot Two of the working NUM men, electrician Bill, and medic Roy (right) about to start a shift at the Kiverton Park colliery in August 1984 Police officers moving into the picket lines at the Orgreave coking plant near Rotherham Women on the picket line at the Orgreave coking plant near Rotherham, where miners tried to halt daily convoys of lorries carrying coke from the plant to British Steel workers at Scunthorpe The front page of The Daily Mail announcing the strikes had been called off What was one of the defining events of late 20th century British history left families and communities divided to this day 'We're all familiar with the stories of people struggling to put food on the table, to pay their mortgages, etc. And some people did feel the pressure, as the strike went on, to go back to work early.' There was violence on picket lines as thousands of police from all over the UK were ferried into the coalfields Ms Dunning said: 'It's quite shocking, even today, after 40 years, to hear about somebody eating their pet rabbit because they had nothing else to put on the table. 'Those are stories that we all need to hear and experience.' She said: 'This exhibition takes the politics out of it and it's really about what those people experienced and just how difficult it was. 'And, the long-term impact that that experience has had on those families and those communities comes across really strongly as well.' She said: 'It's still such a raw topic. It's still such an emotional topic for many people, what happened to those communities socially, economically, culturally. 'You can still see the impact of that in those communities today.' Arthur Scargill at the head of a march and rally by striking miners in Nottinghamshire Police officers stand guard at the picket lines near Rotherham The protests were often violent, with large numbers of police sent in to restrain picketers Arthur Scargill being helped to an ambulance during the riots with police in Sheffield Families and communities were riven with division over the dispute and torn apart by poverty Miners and their families from Westoe Colliery march to the Town Hall in South Shields The home of a working miner at Bolton-on-Dearne near Mexborough, was graffitied A mass rally of striking miners in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire in May 1984 Police clear a burning barricade so a bus carrying return-to-work miners can enter Whittle Colliery. Communities were divided by the miners' strike It lasted for a year and was mired in conflict - especially when the Nottinghamshire miners refused to follow colleagues in areas like Yorkshire and South Wales out on strike. There was violence on picket lines as thousands of police from all over the UK were ferried into the coalfields. The updates on the miners' strikes dominated the news at the time Thatcher has planned to mobilise hundreds of troops and considered declaring a state of emergency at the height of the strike in 1984. Another option was to switch to a three-day working week after ministers warned her that the lights could go out in Britain, according to the National Archives. She had been expecting the confrontation and had been preparing for it since 1981. Files revealed that plans were drawn up for soldiers to transport food and coal. It was suggested that 4,500 military drivers would be needed. In a letter from the Ministry of Defence to Andrew Turnbull - the PM's private secretary - the idea was dismissed on the grounds that it would cause panic. Exhibition curator Anne Bradley said the show does feature some artefacts but its core are the first-hand accounts from those who were there, which she has collected through a series of interviews. Ms Bradley said that her interviews showed that many of the old enmities are still there. Some contributors would only take part on condition of anonymity. And she is aware that some visitors will refuse to go into the parts of the exhibitions focusing on the experiences of who they would see as 'scabs'. Miners entering the pit cage at Cynheidre Colliery near Llanelli as most of Britain's striking miners returned to work Pictured in 1981, now 86, the NUM president does not live in the public eye An injured police officer is helped away by a group of colleagues outside the Orgreave coking plant, near Rotherham Arthur Scargill addressing 1,5000 striking miners in May 1984 NUM members prepare to return to work in March 1985, at Mardy Colliery, South Wales An armoured bus carrying return-to-work miners drives with a police escort past a smouldering barricade on the approach to Whittle Colliery Picketing miners make a run for it as violence flares at the Orgreave coking plant Police officers move into the picket lines at the Orgreave coking plant near Rotherham in 1984, where more than a dozen arrests were made 20 striking miners were arrested when they attacked miners returning to work at the Tilmanstone Colliery, near Dover, Kent Ms Bradley said: 'We're a national museum and we have to reflect what was happening in all the different coalfields in England. 'I think it's quite a well known story, the story of striking miners on the picket lines, and the policing. READ MORE - Cop who clashed with miners at the 1984 Battle Of Orgreave reveals how police tactic was to disable people by aiming for arms and legs Advertisement 'I think those stories of those who either chose not to strike or who couldn't because of the position that they were in or the unions that they were working for, and those that made that decision to go back early, are stories that we don't hear. 'And this is a really good opportunity for us to diversify our collections, collect those stories and those voices while we still have the chance.' She said: 'We'd like to provide the opportunity for our visitors to perhaps have little bit of empathy, to look 40 years on and see that people were making decisions that they had no idea that 40 years on could still lead to them not speaking to members of their families, not speaking to friends. 'We're not asking anybody to change their opinion of the strike but we're hoping that people might just stop and think, maybe look at a different point of view. 'I think if we've done that then we've done a good job.' The exhibition, which is called 84/85 - The Longest Year, opens at the National Coal Mining Museum on Wednesday, March 6. Entry is free. More details can be found at www.ncm.org.uk/84-85 A crazed husband cut out his wife's heart after allegedly ramming his car through the front of their house when she reported him for raping her. Cops found Marcelo Nistarda Antoniassi holding the knife he allegedly used to remove Milena Dantas Bereta Nistarda's organs after rushing to the murder scene. As well as her heart, the victim's guts are also said to have been cut out. The 53-year-old victim had only reported her partner to police four hours earlier and he is believed to have gone berserk and smashed down the front door of their home by driving into it with his car before killing her. The sickening crime happened in the town of Tupa, 400 miles north-west of Sao Paulo in Brazil. Police confirmed Milena had reported her husband around 9.30am on Monday and she was murdered around 1.30pm the same day. Dantas Bereta Nistarda and Marcelo Nistarda Antoniassi. Cops found Marcelo holding the knife he allegedly used to remove Milena's organs after rushing to the murder scene in Tupa, 400 miles north-west of Sao Paulo in Brazil She is said to have told detectives her husband often kept her prisoner in her own home and forced her to have sex against her wishes. She reported him the same day she discovered a tracking app on her phone. The business manager confessed to his crime at the scene and begged officers to kill him but refused to answer questions once he was taken to a nearby police station. The pair had been married for 29 years and had a grown-up son although they are also understood to have raised Marcelo's daughter from another relationship. The mistreatment Milena suffered is said to have increased when the children left home a couple of months ago. Police chief Milena Davoli Nabas de Melo told local media: 'The suspect had a knife in his hand when officers arrived and asked them to shoot him because he had killed his victim, but they negotiated with him for a few minutes and got him to give up the knife and throw it on the ground.' A regional government spokesman said in a statement 'A 49-year-old man was arrested for murder after being caught red-handed on Monday afternoon in the neighbourhood of Vila Abarca in Tupa. 'The victim had asked for police protection against the suspect hours earlier. 'The man broke into the family home and stabbed the woman who died at the scene. He tried to flee but was arrested.' The sole murder suspect was expected to be remanded in custody following a court appearance. Milena's funeral will take place after a post-mortem. A friend described her in a social media tribute today as 'incredible', adding: 'It's not fair what happened to you.' Another added: 'May God console your children.' Desperate for soldiers to fight his faltering war in Ukraine, Vladimir Putin in 2022 recruited troops out of Russian prisons, promising pardons to thousands of convicts. But now, having served their required time in the army and having witnessed the horrors of war, a wave of hardened criminals have returned to Russia as free men including paedophiles, murderers and even cannibals. The societal impacts of this have already been felt. In the last two days alone, two men who were released from prison to fight for Russia have been either accused or convicted of sexually assaulting young girls. Other reports have detailed pardoned convicts killing upon their return, terrorising their hometowns, and neighbours who thought they had seen the back of them. Desperate for soldiers for his faltering war in Ukraine, Vladimir Putin in 2022 recruited troops out of Russian prisons, promising pardons to thousands of convicts. Pictured: Wagner Warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin speaks to convicts dropped off to fight in Ukraine In a series of embarrassing blows to the Russian president and his supposedly mighty armed forces, his troops had been pushed back from Kyiv in the opening months of the war, and again by Ukraine's lightening summer counteroffensives. Fearing further defeats, Moscow went about quickly recruiting thousands of men out of prisons and sent them to the frontlines The drastic recruitment drive began in mid-2022. In a series of embarrassing blows to the Russian president and his supposedly mighty armed forces, his troops had been pushed back from Kyiv in the opening months of the war, and again by Ukraine's lightening summer counteroffensives. It quickly became apparent that Russia's initial invading force of around 190,000 was nowhere near enough to fulfil the Kremlin's goal of subjugating all of Ukraine. So, as Russian forces were pinned back in the east of the country, the Russian military set about recruiting thousands of convicts from prisons to swell its ranks. Reports suggest Wagner, the Russian paramilitary group led at the time by Yevgeny Prigozhin, widely recruited from prisons in July 2022, swelling its ranks by 49,000. The warlord, who would later go on to stage an attempted coup against the Kremlin and - two months later - die in a fiery plane explosion, was seen in footage personally appearing in prisons around St. Petersburg. 'We need your criminal talents,' he told them. By October 2022, the Russian Ministry of Defence is reported to have followed suit. It is understood that Wagner, and later Russia, offered prisoners a simple deal: serve in the army for six months, and leave a free man with a bonus of 100,000 roubles. However, survival was anything but guaranteed, with Prigozhin telling prospective recruits that 10 to 15 percent of them would return from Ukraine 'zinc coffins'. Estimates suggest his prediction was way off. Prigozhin told Wagner's convict soldiers that they would be used as shock troops - leading attacks against Ukraine's defences. The reality, according to captured Wagner soldiers, was that they were used as 'little more than cannon fodder' - ordered to throw themselves against defensive positions in great numbers to wear down Kyiv's stockpiles and find defensive weak points. Thousands of convict soldiers were deployed in the 'meat grinder' Battle of Bakhmut, where Ukrainian media reported the convicts were 'dumped onto the front after 2-3 weeks of poor training and used as cannon fodder' by Wagner's more elite units. Any soldiers who attempted to flee, or refused orders, were executed. According to Prigozhin himself, of the 49,000 prisoners recruited by Wagner, only 32,000 returned. Independent researchers believe the real number to be even lower, around 20,000, according to the BBC. This would suggest anywhere between 35 to 60 percent of the soldiers recruited from prisons by Wagner were killed in Ukraine. It was not just Wagner recruiting prisoners, either. In April 2023, it emerged from Ukraine about the creation of Storm-Z units by the Russian MoD. After receiving just ten to fifteen days of training, these units were bolted on to regular Russian forces suffering from fatigue. According to Prigozhin himself, of the 49,000 prisoners recruited by Wagner, only 32,000 returned. Independent researchers believe the real number to be even lower, around 20,000, according to the BBC Thousands of convict soldiers were deployed in the 'meat grinder' Battle of Bakhmut (pictured), where Ukrainian media reported the convicts were 'dumped onto the front after 2-3 weeks of poor training and used as cannon fodder' by Wagner's more elite units But unlike regular Russian forces - many of whom were forcibly conscripted in a separate recruitment drive by Moscow in 2022 - the surviving Wagner recruits have been allowed to return home after just six months. This has meant thousands of hardened criminals being released into Russian society after witnessing first-hand some of the most brutal fighting on European soil since the end of the Second World War. Fears at home that the dangerous men will continue to commit crimes have proven to be well founded. On Wednesday, it was reported that a rapist released from an eight year jail sentence and pardoned by Putin to fight in Ukraine had been detained again after allegedly sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl. Nikolai Nechaev, 38, from the city of Perm, had previously been convicted of a 2019 rape, among other crimes. He fought for Russia in Ukraine for six months ending in November, when he was fully pardoned from his previous crime . Only three months later, in February, he is believed to have targeted his next victim. Nechaev is suspected of 'committing violent acts of a sexual nature' against a schoolgirl, and is currently detained pending further investigations. The alleged sex attack on the young girl carries a jail term of between eight and 15 years under Russian law. Russian reports said on Thursday that another man - also freed to fight Ukraine - had been sent back to jail for 17 years for raping two schoolgirls aged ten and 12. Reports said the mercenary Sergei Shakhmatov, 42, was wearing his military uniform as he loitered around near a school gate in Novosibirsk. The paedophile threatened the girls that he would blow them up with an army-issue grenade and said he would behead them unless they submitted to him. He forced them behind garages where he sexually attacked them. The girls escaped and told their parents about the rapes. They said the man was wearing military fatigues and an insignia that matches Wagner private military company - showing a distinctive skull. He was detained by police based on the description given by the young victims, and confessed his guilt to investigators. He committed the crimes the day after his return home from the war. Russian reports said on Thursday that Sergei Shakhmatov - freed to fight Ukraine - had been sent back to jail for 17 years for raping two schoolgirls aged ten and 12 Volunteer fighter Alexander Mamayev, 44, is suspected of stabbing his wife Ekaterina to death in front of their children (pictured at their wedding) Sergei Batuyev, 39, who fought in Ukraine and returned in July 2022, strangled his friend Denis Shustov, 41 (pictured right and left, with his family) Wagner fighter Georgy Siukayev (left), 33, is suspected of murder of Soslan Valyiev, 38, a former convict. Ivan Rossomakhin (right), 28, a Wagner mercenary recruited from jail where he was serving a term for murder, killed his village neighbour Yulia Buiskykh, 85 Wagner mercenary and a former convict Georgy Siukayev, 33, is suspected of murder of Soslan Valyiev, 38, a resident of South Ossetia, a breakaway region of Georgia Serviceman Stanislav Ionkin, 23, was arrested for shooting a flare gun that started a deadly nightclub fire In another shocking incident in August 2023, a convicted criminal was arrested after allegedly stabbing six people to death in the town of Derevyannoye. In another, platoon commander Alexander Mameyev, 44, returned home from the war was detained on suspicion of stabbing his wife Ekaterina to death in front of their sons aged seven and eight - who had to be hospitalised with shock. Soldier Sergei Batuyev, 39, a father of three, was detained accused of strangling his friend Denis Shustov, 41, a Chechen war veteran, during a brawl after returning to Udmurtia region from the war. The crazed fighter planned to feed his remains to pigs, prosecutors said. Wagner private army fighter Ivan Rossomakhin, 28, recruited from jail where he was serving a term for murder, killed his village neighbour Yulia Buiskykh, 85, after being pardoned by Putin on completion of six months at the front. Another Wagner recruit Georgy Siukayev, 33, is suspected of murder of Soslan Valyiev, 38, a former convict, less than one month after he was pardoned by Putin. Andrei Yakimov, 49, a volunteer fighter, killed his wife Viktoria Yakimova, 47, a secretary, on his trip home from the war. One more notorious case was that of Alexander Ionkin, 23, a wounded volunteer, who used a flare gun to start an inferno in a nightclub in November. A total of 13 people perished in the blaze in Kostromo. Serviceman Sergei Korshunov was jailed for eight years after stabbing his friend to death during a drinking session on his return from Putin's war. The judge gave a lenient sentence because the accused was 'a participant in a special military operation' in Ukraine. A 19 year old soldier Vladislav A is accused of raping a girl, 17, on his first leave from the war. He was detained in Taganrog. Nikolay Ogolobyak, from Yaroslavl in central Russia, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for his role in the deaths of four teenagers in an apparent satanic ritual. He was also pardoned Denis Gorin killed for the first time in 2002, slicing off the ears and pieces of flesh from the body which he later ate. Despite his heinous crimes, he was welcomed into the Russian ranks, and was spotted back at home in late 2023 after posing in Wagner gear In Orlov region, a man, 36, who fought for Putin faces up to 20 years in jail after being detained for sexually abusing his stepdaughter, ten, on leave from the war. Soldier Evgenyi K - serving in Ukraine - demanded that his girlfriend Nadezhda, 36, send intimate pictures of her underage daughter. She sent the pictures of the girl, under 14, and now he and the woman face legal action. A contract soldier named Grigory K was detained for using a false social media ID to demand nude pictures from three girls aged 13, 14 and 15. He 'encouraged them to undertake actions of a sexual nature' and demanded intimate photos. A Russian captain Alexei Krylov, 33, shot dead a taxi driver during an argument about the war. The driver Roman Gocasari, 51, died before paramedics arrived. In Tula, a fighter returning home on leave, beat up the owner of a pizzeria who did not show 'respect' to one of Putin's soldiers. On August 10, 2023, the BBC reported it had found 20 cases involving convicts returning from the war committing serious offences. That figure is likely to be higher now. The director of the prisoners' rights organisation Russia Behind Bars, Olga Romanova, told the British broadcaster that many crimes are not recorded. She said this could be down to a Russian law that criminalises anyone who discredits someone who fought in Putin's so-called 'special military operation'. What's more, many communities are not told that dangerous criminals will be returning home, with victims shocked to see them back in their midst. Nikolay Ogolobyak, from Yaroslavl in central Russia, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for his role in the deaths of four teenagers in an apparent satanic ritual. In November, residents of his hometown were horrified to find that he was back in town - suddenly a free man - aged 33, the Financial Times reported in January. In another case, a Russian murderer and cannibal was released in November 2023 to fight in Ukraine. An image shows Yevgeny Progozin's plane plunging to the ground. He was killed in a plane explosion two months after staging an attempted coup against the Kremlin People visit a makeshift memorial for Wagner private mercenary group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin in central Moscow on February 23, 2024 - six months after his death Denis Gorin killed for the first time in 2002, slicing off the ears and pieces of flesh from the body which he later ate. His victim - the first of four - had been stabbed more than 50 times. Despite his heinous crimes, he was welcomed into the Russian ranks, and was spotted back at home in late 2023 after posing in Wagner gear. On the societal impact of so many prisoners being freed, Romanova told The New York Times: 'There are no more crimes, and no more punishments. Anything is permissible now, and this brings very far-reaching consequences for any country.' A four-year-old boy with cerebral palsy died after he got his head stuck in his medical bed, an inquest has heard. Ethan Wade was discovered by his father at their home the following morning in July 2022 face down, unresponsive and 'floppy'. The youngster had spent the first night in his new special cot before he passed away. The specialist Olaf bed was installed at the home in Chatham, Kent due to Ethan having cerebral palsy. He was also non-verbal and suffered reflux and global development delay as well as mobility issues. Both parents said Ethan's bed was left at its lowest level, as recommended, when he was put to bed the night before. Ethan's death was recorded as a lack of oxygen and blood flow to the brain. Paying tribute to her son, Jessica Gardiner said: 'Ethan was the light and soul of our lives. He was such a happy-go-lucky boy, always had a smile on his face that made you smile. Ethan Wade was discovered by his father at their home the following morning in July 2022 after the youngster had spent the first night in his new special cot The specialist Olaf bed (pictured) was installed at the home in Chatham, Kent 'He was such a larger-than-life character. Ethan is forever loved, cherished and adored by myself, his dad, brothers, sisters and all who knew him.' 'When Ethan roared with laughter no one could resist laughing along with him, his laugh was so contagious.' On 1 July 2022, Mr Wade pulled him free and alerted Ethan's mother, Ms Gardiner, who dialled 999 before administering CPR as instructed by the ambulance operator. Paramedics took over, 'scooping' him to their van where they continued resuscitation with help from a critical care worker for about 25 minutes. After a heartbeat was detected, he was taken to Medway Maritime Hospital accompanied by his mum. He was transferred to King's College Hospital in London later on that day where his condition deteriorated and he died four days later. Dr Virginia Fitzpatrick-Swallow, a Home Office forensic pathologist, recorded the cause of death as hypoxia, a lack of oxygen and blood flow to the brain and consistent with entrapment. She noted the nose and mouth had been covered resulting in a 'degree of smothering'. Red ladder stripe marks on his neck and collarbone could have been caused by the 'puckering' of the mattress. Dr Fitzpatrick-Swallow said on a video call to the inquest: 'There was no underlying independent, natural disease that would explain respiratory arrest.' After raising the alarm at around 8am, a uniformed police officer arrived at the three-bed specially-adapted terrace on Newham Street wearing body-worn video to record his visit and conversations with the parents. In one clip Mr Wade is heard to say that Ethan's younger sibling, with whom he shared the box room, had been known to 'play' with buttons which, on cross-examination by counsel, he 'did not recall' saying. The bedroom was sealed off from public use and hours later a detective inspector and forensic officer attended to take pictures and examine the scene. No evidence of criminality was found and the police agreed to Mr Wade's request to remove the bed the following day. On July 8, it was inspected at the warehouse of Medequip, which supplies equipment on behalf of Medway Council and NHS Kent and Medway, by representatives from Theraposture and an occupational therapist manager at Medway Community Healthcare. Ethan's death was recorded as a lack of oxygen and blood flow to the brain No defects were found and the matter was referred to the Health and Safety Executive and the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency. The bed was delivered and installed by Theraposture which specialises in tailor-made, adaptable furniture. Sam Tucker, who was a driver and trained installer, took away the old bed and put up the new one, carried out a risk assessment of the property, did the usual safety checks, gave a demonstration of functions and offered advice. He did the handover with Mr Wade and said he seemed 'competent' as he was already familiar with the Hannah bed, which Ethan had temporarily used after breaking his cot. The Hannah cot had fitted padding and a mechanism handset with a key that they kept on the top of a wardrobe in another room - out of reach of other children. The remote for the newly-delivered Olaf was hung over the top of the rail and neither Mr Wade nor Ms Gardiner could recall seeing the key. Giving his evidence on video, Mr Tucker said Mr Wade raised no concerns, issues or questions. He said on her return Ms Gardiner signed the paperwork which he placed in a folder and sent off to his employees. However, during their evidence, Mr Wade and Ms Gardiner said they were concerned with Velcro strips on the bed as Ethan had a habit of stripping off the same fabric used on his leg splints. They also claimed they were promised a new bed, but this one was 10 years old, dirty and had Paw Patrol stickers on it. They also said Mr Tucker did not leave behind a user manual or a copy of the completed checklist when he left the house. Mr Tucker has since left the company for 'completely unrelated reasons' and his boss David Holton gave evidence praising his work with the firm and his capability. Mr Holton, chairman of the board of directors and co-owner of Theraposture, told the jury that his company had a contract with well-respected German company KayserBetten which abided by stringent EU directives and independent testing. In the 20 years he had been dealing with the Olaf bed it had never been subject to a recall. Also giving evidence was Det Insp Sulling Chan who went to the home address on the morning of the accident and Medway Maritime Hospital. After being briefed by an officer and taking into account the body video coverage, she examined the room and bed looking for any other evidence. Regarding the handset, she said: 'I recall seeing a chain, but not a key. But then at the time I wasn't looking for a key, it wasn't an issue.' Assured that a crime had not been committed and no third party was involved, she came away with three hypotheses including mechanical error, natural causes, or user error - the first two had been ruled out. She told the court: 'There was no evidence for an alternative explanation.' While Det Insp Chan was not at the first bed inspection in July 2021, she was present at the second re-inspection on July 17, 2023, along with Mr Wade and Ms Gardiner and legal representatives from Theraposture, Medway Community Healthcare and Medequip. On that occasion, she could see the key clearly attached to the chain on the remote control and the bed was in good working order. Ethan and his twin, who died three days after birth, were born prematurely at 27 weeks and suffered several serious medical conditions. After spending three and a half months in a specialist baby care unit, Ethan was allowed home under the care of physios and occupational therapists employed by Medway Community Healthcare. At 18 months, after his parents recognised he was not reaching the usual milestones, he was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Ethan attended Abbey Court SEN School and Snapdragons, a child development centre, both in Strood. Joanna Hovenden, an MCH children's physio, observed Ethan from when he was a baby and described him as 'inquisitive' and very speedy with no safety awareness. She said: 'He's best described as a bull in a china shop.' Ms Hovenden added while he could pull himself up standing he would not have been able to reach the handset. She said his balance was poor and he would have found it 'challenging' to hang on to the rail. Emma Rayfield, who was his allocated occupational therapist, helped to select specialist equipment for Ethan and chose the Olaf bed after looking at all options because it met his medical needs. She ordered it online from Rochester-based Medequip. Ms Rayfield helped his mother apply for the interim Hannah bed which arrived on June 22 after Ethan broke his cot by bouncing on it. She then chased up the new bed for the family. Normally when a bed has been ordered, she would get an email from Medequip notifying when it is due to be delivered and then a confirmation when the job has been completed. She would then arrange a home visit to ensure everything was in order. Ms Rayfield told the inquest that with regard to the Olaf delivery, no such communication was received. After the jury reached its conclusion, assistant coroner Catherine Wood said: 'My sincere condolences on the absolutely devastating loss of your child.. I can't imagine how difficult this entire process has been. 'I am truly sorry for your loss and hope the inquest process has helped answer some of your questions and it's brought you some closure.' Ms Gardiner said after the verdict about how Ethan's condition never held him back. 'He loved to whizz around on his walker - we called him our little pocket rocket. If you came to visit our house, everyone knew to watch your feet or he would run them over,' she said. 'Ethan also loved to hum a tune, despite being non-verbal you got to know them. 'He loved to visit the park or just a simple trip shopping. Ethan would get so excited, especially if it was food shopping. 'Ethan loved his food but was very particular when it came to chips. McDonald's chips or any frozen chips just were not acceptable - he loved nothing more than good old-fashioned homemade chips. 'He was born against all odds at just 27 weeks and he spent three-and-a-half months in hospital. 'He was later diagnosed with cerebral palsy and we were told he wouldn't do half the things he achieved. 'A true warrior, he learned to roll over, crawl and walk with his walker.' Family friends Daisy and Lily Campbell said: 'We will miss Ethan's cheeky smile whenever you entered the same room as him. 'His laugh was so infectious and he was determined to never give up - he was such a strong little warrior taken far too soon. 'We all treasure the memories he left. For a boy so small he achieved so much. 'Ethan's memories will forever live on in all who knew our cheeky boy.' Inquest jurors decided 'user action' was to blame and delivered a conclusion of an accident. Rishi Sunak has urged police to stop Britain succumbing to 'mob rule' amid a growing row over pro-Palestinian marches. The PM delivered the message to police chiefs during talks at Downing Street yesterday, with concerns rising about intimidation by protesters in the wake of the October 7 Hamas terror attacks on Israel. Mr Sunak also had a veiled swipe at Speaker Lindsay Hoyle over bending procedure to ease a Labour meltdown on calls for a ceasefire in Gaza. Some 93 MPs have now signed a motion declaring no confidence in Sir Lindsay. And Mr Sunak told a Community Safety Trust dinner last night: 'We will not be cowed into changing the way our parliamentary democracy operates.' Rishi Sunak has urged police to stop Britain succumbing to 'mob rule' amid a growing row over pro-Palestinian marches A Pro-Palestinian supporter shouts slogans in front of Metropolitan Police officers during a demonstration in central London on January 6, 2024, calling for a ceasefire Mr Sunak also had a veiled swipe at Speaker Lindsay Hoyle over bending procedure to ease a Labour meltdown on calls for a ceasefire in Gaza During the talks in Downing Street, the PM warned senior officers that they needed to do much more to reassure the public that they were taking the issue seriously. 'There is a growing consensus that mob rule is replacing democratic rule. And we've got to collectively, all of us, change that urgently,' he said. 'We also need to demonstrate more broadly to the public that you will use the powers you already have, the laws that you have,' he told them. 'I am going to do whatever it requires to protect our democracy and our values that we all hold dear. That is what the public expect. 'It is fundamental to our democratic system. And also it is vital for maintaining public confidence in the police.' At the separate CST event, Mr Sunak declared that Jewish schools, synagogues and other community centres are to be given a 72million security package The Home Office has said the announcement is made of 54 million of new funding for the Community Security Trust (CST) to provide the security measures until 2028 in addition to 18 million previously allocated to the charity for the period of 2024-2025. Speaking at the CST's annual dinner, Mr Sunak said that the rise in racist attacks meant that 'the whole fabric of our nation is under threat'. He said: 'It is shocking, and wrong, the prejudice, the racism we have seen in recent months.' Yesterday's summit in No 10 came amid mounting public unease about attempts by protesters to subvert the political process. Concern is not confined to the debate around Gaza, with Just Stop Oil facing condemnation over plans to occupy the homes of MPs who fail to sign up to their agenda. But the anger and emotion surrounding the recent pro-Palestine demonstrations has catapulted the issue to the top of the political agenda. Last week the Commons descended into chaos after Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle bowed to Labour demands to tear up parliamentary procedure during a high-profile debate on Gaza, in an apparent bid to defuse threats to MPs. Home Secretary James Cleverly yesterday unveiled a 31million package to boost security for MPs facing death threats and intimidation. Those deemed most at risk will be provided with private-sector bodyguards, while others will be eligible for cash and advice on improving security at their homes and offices. Mr Cleverly is reported to be pushing police chiefs to conduct an extra 80 patrols a week in 'hotspot areas' where community tensions have been inflamed. Ministers are braced for further ugly scenes following today's Rochdale by-election, where Gaza has been a major issue. Labour, which holds the seat, withdrew support from its candidate, Azhar Ali, after The Mail on Sunday revealed he had falsely claimed Israel allowed the October 7 attacks to take place as a pretext for an invasion of Gaza. But he remains on the ballot paper where he is locked in a two-horse race with former Labour firebrand George Galloway, who has also put Gaza at the heart of his campaign in a constituency which has a large Muslim population. A new 'defending democracy policing protocol' requiring police forces to take the issue seriously was published by ministers yesterday. All forces will be expected to appoint a senior officer to provide security briefings to MPs and political candidates and to act as a point of contact for those facing death threats and intimidation. Palestinian demonstrators clash with police as they try to reach the Israeli Embassy on December 29, 2008 in London Police scuffle with protesters next to Parliament as over a thousand people attend the Palestine protest called by Sisters Uncut and others on January 6, 2024 in London The guidance tells police chiefs that protests at the homes of MPs and councillors 'should generally be considered as intimidatory'. Protests at 'democratic venues', including town halls, MPs' offices and Parliament, should not be allowed to prevent the use of the venue or intimidate those attending. Despite the public concern, pro-Palestine campaigners yesterday vowed to continue with their mass demonstrations indefinitely. Ben Jamal, of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, said the marches would continue even if a temporary ceasefire is announced next week, as US President Joe Biden has predicted. He claimed the demonstrations were being 'demonised' by 'pro-Israel actors in the political establishment'. The family of Harry Dunn are planning a second funeral for the teenager after 'human tissue' was found on some of his belongings returned to the family by police - more than four years after his tragic death. Charlotte Charles, Dunn's mother, said her family had been 're-traumatised' by the return of the items, which they believed had been destroyed in the crash. Motorcyclist Mr Dunn, 19, died in August 2019, when he was struck by a car driven by former US spy Anne Sacoolas outside RAF Croughton, a US military base in Northamptonshire. Police have now returned part of his motorcycle and clothing which contained some of Mr Dunn's remains. Ms Charles is adamant that police officers told the family that 'everything had been destroyed'. Harry Dunn, 19, died in August 2019, when he was his motorcycle struck by a car driven by former US spy Anne Sacoolas outside RAF Croughton Charlotte Charles, Dunn's mother, said her family had been 're-traumatised' after police returned some of his belongings, which they believed had been destroyed in the crash She said: 'After Harry died, we asked if we could have his motorbike, clothes and possessions back. 'It is a way for us to keep connected to our son and we wanted to make a sculpture out of the remains of the bike and to make teddy bears and cushions out of any clothing material that was left for Harry's young cousins. 'The police officers told us that everything had been destroyed in the crash as there was a huge explosion. We put it out of our minds therefore.' She said that the family's spokesman Radd Seiger had been informed before Christmas that several items had survived and been frozen and preserved, pending the conclusion of criminal proceedings in December 2022. This included clothing, the helmet, and the frame of the bike. She added: 'I am devastated that we have been deprived of his belongings for all this time totally unnecessarily. 'It has really hit me hard and I've had to go back on antidepressants. As if that weren't bad enough, as the items of clothing were being returned, some of Harry's tissue was also discovered on his clothing and we only found that out a couple of weeks ago. 'We are now therefore having to go through a second cremation service on Friday and we all are all re-traumatised. It just all feels so unfair.' Anne Sacoolas (pictured) was driving the car that killed Mr Dunn. She was then a member of the US Intelligence Community and the wife of a CIA operative Mr Dunn's family (his mother centre) leaving court proceedings in 2022 Mr Seiger said: 'There has clearly been a massive breakdown in protocol and communication on the part of Northamptonshire Police. 'This poor family have been let down very badly yet again. Why were they told everything was destroyed when it wasn't? 'Why were they not told that was not the case until 15 months after the criminal case was concluded. 'Communication is key for vulnerable victims of crime such as this family and it failed here. 'Serious lessons must be learned and I am pleased that there is now going to be an independent investigation into how Northants police handled the case from start to finish.' A Northamptonshire Police spokesperson said: 'We are aware of the family's plans to hold a second burial service and have been working closely with the family. 'Harry's clothing, helmet and bike were removed from the original collision site in 2019. Recently, police examined the items in order to repatriate them with the family, at which time human remains were subsequently discovered on Harry's clothing. 'Working with HM Coroner's office in Northamptonshire, an officer returned the human remains to a funeral director on 7 February at the request of Harry's family. 'The family have now taken possession of all the remaining property from the collision site in preparation for the private family service later this week. We will, of course, continue to support them going forward.' Det Chief Supt Emma James, of Northamptonshire Police, added she would be meeting the family in the coming days to 'ensure complete transparency'. US citizen Anne Sacoolas was driving a Volvo on the wrong side of the road outside RAF Croughton on August 27 2019 before she crashed into the teenager's bike. The US State Department asserted diplomatic immunity on behalf of Sacoolas and she was able to leave the UK 19 days after the fatal collision. She appeared before a High Court judge at the Old Bailey via video-link in December 2022, where she pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving. Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb handed her an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months. The Dunn family had taken their four-year campaign for justice to the US, which led to a meeting with then-president Donald Trump in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington DC. Dave Myers, best known as half of the TV chef duo Hairy Bikers, left viewers in tears when he thanked his carers with a Christmas dinner after his cancer diagnosis. The chef announced he was receiving treatment for an unspecified form of cancer in May 2022, but he sadly died yesterday aged 66. A statement released today on the Hairy Bikers' social media from Dave Myers' TV partner Si King announced the news, leaving fans heartbroken. Myers tugged on the heartstrings of the public last December when he reunited with King for a new festive special of their popular show. Following his cancer diagnosis, he expressed his joy at being able to come back to filming and give his family a break, who for months were constantly by his side. He also thanked his health carers by cooking a special meal for them with King. The TV chef, 66, announced that he had been diagnosed with cancer in May 2022. Myers tugged on the heartstrings of the public last December when he reunited with King for a new festive special of their popular show The Hairy Bikers: Coming Home for Christmas sees the two chefs cooking a special meal for all the medical staff who have helped Myers Following his cancer diagnosis, he expressed his joy at being able to come back to filming Dave also had the added delight at being able to thank his health carers with a special dinner Si announced the sad news in a statement released on social media today He revealed that the nurses kindly smuggled in special treats for him and also helped give ideas for the Bikers new cook book, Ultimate Comfort Food while he was in hospital. LIVE Click here to follow the latest updates on MailOnline's live blog Advertisement In the episode The Hairy Bikers: Coming Home for Christmas, they sat around the table together, and Myers emotionally raised a glass to the health heroes for what he says is 'a Christmas I didn't think I'd be around to enjoy'. He continued: 'A lot of the ideas in the book have come from the nurses because when you're on chemo you've got a lot of time, so the nurses come and chat about food. They're from all over the world and they bring me food, which is very kind. 'Sometimes it's a bit difficult to eat a cheesecake while you're having chemo but I seemed to cope quite well with it. 'We said, "We're doing this book on comfort food, myself and Si". [They'd reply] "Oh, well, we have this in our country and we have that". 'When I haven't been eating they've come up from the kitchen and said "Look, can we get anything in?" I said "Do you know, for breakfast just some toast, peanut butter and jam". A statement released today on the Hairy Bikers' social media from Dave Myers' TV partner Si King announced the news, leaving fans heartbroken In the past he said at times he was too ill to walk and unable to ride his motorcycle 'They don't do peanut butter because of allergies, and it was like "We'll find you a pot". 'So things like that were very kind. People didn't have to do that. Things like in the canteen for the nurses they do real chips rather than just salad. So I'm saying "I couldn't have like chips with my panini?" "Yeah alright Dave". Just really kind people.' The Hairy Bikers rose to fame with their popular cooking programmes but have slowed down their busy schedule due to Dave's health. READ MORE - Hairy Bikers star Dave Myers dies at the age of 66 Advertisement He previously detailed the tearful moment he was able to get back on his motorbike again for the first time since his cancer diagnosis. In the past he also told how at times he was too ill to walk and unable to ride his motorcycle due to his health struggles. Myers recalled the emotional moment as he gave a health update, saying he and Si were left in tears when he was able to ride again. He told the Yorkshire Post previously: 'It's been hard but I'm not the only one and I'm getting through it and I'm back at work. 'I've had to learn to walk again and ride my bike again, and to get on my bike again with Kingy in the sunshine brought tears to both our eyes.' King added: 'He's a proper scrapper and he's on good form. It's been an emotional rollercoaster for everybody who loves and cares about Dave.' The BBC Two travel series, Hairy Bikers Go West, was the last show they did together But a statement announcing the death of the beloved TV chef today read: 'Hi everyone, I'm afraid I bear some sad news. 'Most of you will know Dave has been fighting cancer for the past couple of years. 'Last night, on 28th February 2024, with Lili, Dave's wife, his family, close friend David and myself by his side, he passed away peacefully at home. 'All who knew Dave are devastated at his passing. His beloved wife brought him such happiness as did her children, Iza and Sergiu who Dave loved like his own. 'Personally, I am not sure I can put into words on how I feel at the moment. 'My best friend is on a journey that for now, I can't follow. I will miss him every day and the bond and friendship we shared over half a lifetime. 'I wish you god's speed brother; you are and will remain a beacon in this world. See you on the other side. Love ya.'The statement continued: 'I know Dave and his family would want me to thank all of you who sent messages of support in recent times. 'It meant the world to him, his family and all The Hairy Bikers team. 'I am sending you all much love and gratitude for those simple acts of kindness, generosity and spirit. We are eternally grateful for them. 'May I ask you all for one further kindness and allow Lili, his wife, his family, close friends and I some time and some peace to process our huge loss. 'I am sure I will see you all soon.' Their combination of riding their motorcycles to locations across the world and cooking up a storm as they went earned them a loyal following. The pair also won over viewers with their cheeky northern humour and enthusiasm. Their first show, The Hairy Bikers' Cookbook, was launched on the BBC in 2006 and saw them ride across countries including Portugal, Romania and Namibia, tasting the local cuisine and experimenting with making it themselves. The bearded duo went on to film many other series and specials for the broadcaster, seeking out new dishes in countries such as India, Vietnam, Argentina and Mexico. They also sampled cuisines of places nearer to home, such as Ireland and the Isle of Man. Across their career they published more than 30 cookbooks together. Myers also competed in Strictly Come Dancing in 2013 alongside professional dancer Karen Hauer. After performing dances including the salsa, jive and paso doble, the pair were voted off the competition in week seven. Hairy Bikers star Dave Myers previously announced he was being treated for cancer Dave with his wife, Liliana Orzac, who he met while filming the series in Romania On the latest episode of The Hairy Bikers Go West, Dave and his co-star Simon 'Si' King He also appeared as a guest on a host of shows including Sunday Brunch, Countdown, Would I Lie To You?, All Star Family Fortunes and The Weakest Link. In November, King told BBC Breakfast that their more than 30-year friendship came "naturally" to them as they were "good mates" and "part each other's families". Myers also recalled during the interview that King had cooked him his favourite comfort food of mince and dumplings while he was being treated for cancer. At the time, the TV chef said he had been "really enjoying life" as he had got back to riding his bike and filming with his "best mate". Myers had previously spoken about other health struggles, including discovering he had glaucoma - an eye condition that can lead to blindness. In 2018, he revealed he had originally dismissed the condition as a bad hangover. Myers previously spoke out about caring for his mother as a child when she was struck down with multiple sclerosis - a terrible ordeal which led to him becoming the celebrity chef His mother, Margaret, died aged 65 of pneumonia, common among those who are bedridden and severely ill with MS He had also opened up about losing weight through the years by cutting out carbs and alcohol in a bid to become healthier. For a BBC Two series, A Cook Abroad, Myers had to travel to Egypt without King after he suffered a brain aneurysm in 2014, which his co-presenter later said he was only able to survive thanks to considerable weight loss. Myers was married to Liliana Orzac, whom he met while filming Hairy Bikers in Romania, and was a stepfather to her two children, Iza and Sergiu, from a previous relationship. Myers previously spoke out about caring for his mother as a child when she was struck down with multiple sclerosis - a terrible ordeal which led to him becoming the celebrity chef known and loved by millions. She had been a wonderful cook and provider of family meals - and Myers, an only child, assumed the role of both carer and chef. His mother, Margaret, died aged 65 of pneumonia, common among those who are bedridden and severely ill with MS. Dave Myers' love affair with cooking began not on TV or in the kitchens of top restaurants, but at home. It was there that the 11-year-old future Hairy Biker began making meals for his family after his mother fell ill with multiple sclerosis. Myers, who has died aged 66 after a battle with cancer, honed his culinary skills amidst the heartbreak of Margaret's decline. He previously told the Mail how he concocted 'complicated salads with all kinds of ingredients', whilst other dishes were made with a little too much garlic. At the age of 17, Myers was hit by a second tragedy when his father was struck down by a debilitating stroke. After struggling with the task of caring for them both, the presenter was forced to send his mother into hospital, and she never returned. Dave Myers aged eight with his mother Margaret, who suffered from multiple sclerosis David 'Dave' Myers became beloved as one half of the motorcycle-riding cooking duo, The Hairy Bikers , with fellow chef Simon 'Si' King Myers began his media career as a make-up artist at the BBC, before he met fellow chef Simon 'Si' King, who sold him what he called the 'worst motorbike you have ever seen.' Their first show, The Hairy Bikers' Cookbook, was launched on the BBC in 2006 and saw them ride across countries including Portugal, Romania and Namibia, tasting the local cuisine and experimenting with making it themselves. King said he 'will miss him every day and the bond and friendship we shared over half a lifetime' as he announced Myers' death on social media. 'I wish you god's speed brother; you are and will remain a beacon in this world. See you on the other side. Love ya,' he added in a statement to X, formerly Twitter. He also thanked well-wishers for sending messages of support to Myers, saying: 'It meant the world to him, his family and all The Hairy Bikers team'. Following his diagnosis, Myers briefly took a break from work before filming his last show with King, which sees them travel west across Britain from Scotland to Devon. King previously said that the series, The Hairy Bikers Go West, which is airing on BBC Two, would be one they would 'always remember'. 'We are very privileged to do what we do and I think this one was particularly special in general because of Dave's health and his sheer and utter determination and love for what he does', he added. 'Especially to continue to do it while he was having treatment took remarkable courage and energy - and adds to why Dave and I will not forget it.' Myers competed in Strictly Come Dancing in 2013 alongside professional dancer Karen Hauer Myers was married to Liliana Orzac, whom he met while filming Hairy Bikers in Romania The 57-year-old presenter said the travelogue was 'a celebration of a joyous and creative friendship' and he was happy they returned to his co-presenter's original home of Lancashire during the series. Born in Barrow-in-Furness, Myers' wide variety of skills helped him enjoy many different experiences during his life. As a student he worked in a steelworks to help finance his studies in fine arts. He later joined the BBC as a make-up artist, specialising in prosthetics. In 1995, Myers met his long-time co-presenter King on the set of a TV drama, and they went on to build a friendship and successful career together. Their combination of riding their motorcycles to locations across the world and cooking up a storm as they went earned them a loyal following. The pair also won over viewers with their cheeky northern humour and enthusiasm. After their first show, the bearded duo went on to film many other series and specials for the BBC, seeking out new dishes in countries such as India, Vietnam, Argentina and Mexico. They also sampled cuisines of places nearer to home, such as Ireland and the Isle of Man. Dave as a baby with his mother Margaret. He taught himself how to cook after she fell ill Myers' and King's combination of riding their motorcycles to locations across the world and cooking up a storm as they went earned them a loyal following. Above: The pair on The Hairy Bikers Ride Again Myers and King on their first show, the Hairy Bikers' Cookbook, which aired in 2006 King and Myers on The Hairy Bikers' Cookbook, their first show together Dave Myers and Simon King on The Hairy Bikers Go West, which is airing on BBC Two Across their career they published more than 30 cookbooks together. Myers also competed in Strictly Come Dancing in 2013 alongside professional dancer Karen Hauer. After performing dances including the salsa, jive and paso doble, the pair were voted off the competition in week seven. He also appeared as a guest on a host of shows including Sunday Brunch, Countdown, Would I Lie To You?, All Star Family Fortunes and The Weakest Link. In November, King told BBC Breakfast that their more than 30-year friendship came 'naturally' to them as they were 'good mates' and 'part each other's families'. Myers also recalled during the interview that King had cooked him his favourite comfort food of mince and dumplings while he was being treated for cancer. At the time, the TV chef said he had been 'really enjoying life' as he had got back to riding his bike and filming with his 'best mate'. Myers had previously spoken about other health struggles, including discovering he had glaucoma - an eye condition that can lead to blindness. In 2018, he revealed he had originally dismissed the condition as a bad hangover. He had also opened up about losing weight through the years by cutting out carbs and alcohol in a bid to become healthier. For a BBC Two series, A Cook Abroad, Myers had to travel to Egypt without King after he suffered a brain aneurysm in 2014, which his co-presenter later said he was only able to survive thanks to considerable weight loss. Myers was married to Liliana Orzac, whom he met while filming Hairy Bikers in Romania, and was a stepfather to her two children, Iza and Sergiu, from a previous relationship. Wayne Couzens sexually assaulted a child, tried to kidnap a woman at knifepoint and was reported to police eight times for exposing himself in the years before he kidnapped, raped and murdered Sarah Everard, a damning inquiry found today. The shocking report also revealed that the Met Police firearms officer was accused of raping two women but went undetected by at least three bungling police forces who failed to spot the repeated 'red flags'. A series of women came forward to accuse Couzens of the sex attacks following his arrest for Miss Everard's murder in March 2021, it emerged today. Inquiry chair Lady Elish Angiolini found the killer 'could and should' have stopped from getting a job as an officer, and that without a radical overhaul of British policing, there is 'nothing to stop another Couzens operating in plain sight'. Kent Police bungled two investigations into incidents of indecent exposure by Couzens, the first in 2015 while he was still serving with the Civil Nuclear Constabulary. The Angiolini Inquiry revealed for the first time that the married father of two, now 51, allegedly carried out a 'very serious sexual assault of a child barely into her teens' while he was in his twenties. Couzens was accused of attempting to kidnap a woman at knifepoint in North London in 1995 while aged 23. He was also accused of raping to women, the report reveals. Today, Miss Everard's family said that they believe the 33-year-old marketing executive died because Couzens was a police officer, adding: 'She would never have got into a stranger's car.' Met commissioner Sir Mark Rowley called the report 'an urgent call to action for all of us in policing', while Home Secretary James Cleverly Home Secretary James Cleverly said Miss Everard was 'failed by the people who were meant to keep her safe'. Wayne Couzens will never be released from prison after he abducted, raped and murdered Sarah Everard in March 2021 The killer started at Kent Special Constabulary in 2002, before working for the Met, the Civil Nuclear Constabulary and Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command The murder of Miss Everard, a marketing executive, prompted fury at the failure to protect women against male violence Inquiry chairwoman Lady Elish Angiolini said work would have to be done to ensure there isn't 'another Couzens hiding in plain sight' Branding Couzens a 'predatory sex offender and murderer', the inquiry laid bare a history of alleged sexual offending dating back nearly 20 years before the off-duty armed Metropolitan Police officer abducted Miss Everard in March 2021. Couzens' horrific history of sexual offending revealed in report Couzens had a long history of alleged sexual offending before he kidnapped, raped and murdered Ms Everard in March 2021. This includes - Eight reports of indecent exposure that were handed to police; A 'very serious sexual assault' on a young girl while he was in his 20s; Attempting to kidnap a woman at knifepoint in North London in 1995; Raping a woman during a singles night in East London between late 2006 and early 2007; Raping another woman under a bridge in London in October 2019; Inappropriately touching a man in a Kent bar in the summer of 2019. Advertisement According to the report, over the last two years the inquiry uncovered evidence Couzens was accused of a string of other incidents of sexual abuse. The findings identified at least five incidents which were not reported to police, with Lady Elish saying she believes there could be more victims. Setting out a raft of recommendations to 'make sure something like this can never happen again', Lady Elish said: 'Wayne Couzens should never have been a police officer. And, without a significant overhaul, there is nothing to stop another Couzens operating in plain sight. 'Now is the time for change.' She urged 'all those in authority in every police force in the country' to read the report and 'take immediate action'. Lady Elish said she was 'astonished' to learn that Couzens would have passed vetting for the Metropolitan Police even if the force had known about a previous accusation of indecent exposure. Among the measures, she called for an urgent review of indecent exposure charges against serving officers and said reports of the crime need to be taken seriously. The inquiry chair continued: 'Although Wayne Couzens was not wholly a product of his working environments, those environments did nothing to discourage his misogynistic view of women and meant that providing he presented himself as professional his deviant behaviour outside of work could flourish. 'Police leaders need to radically transform their approach to police culture if future offenders like Couzens are to be denied opportunities to abuse police powers for sexual purpose.' Couzens strangled Miss Everard with his police belt (circled) A belt which was recovered from Wayne Couzens' work locker in west London 'Our desperate longing for Sarah pervades every part of our lives': Family's heartbreaking statement Sarah Everard's parents and siblings Sue, Jeremy, Katie and James, said in a statement: 'As a family, the inquiry has helped us, not just because of its significant findings, but because its implementation made us feel that Sarah's life was valued and her memory honoured. 'Her death has not been dismissed as a tragic event to be acknowledged with sympathy and then forgotten - questions have been raised and actions taken to investigate how this tragedy happened. As a family, we have not had to fight for answers and, for this, we are very thankful. 'It is obvious that Wayne Couzens should never have been a police officer. Whilst holding a position of trust, in reality he was a serial sex offender. Warning signs were overlooked throughout his career and opportunities to confront him were missed. 'We believe that Sarah died because he was a police officer, she would never have got into a stranger's car.' Their statement continued: 'It is almost three years now since Sarah died. We no longer wait for her call; we no longer expect to see her. 'We know she won't be there at family gatherings. But the desperate longing to have her with us remains and the loss of Sarah pervades every part of our lives.' Advertisement She went on: 'Failures of investigations, failures of HR processes, and failures of vetting policy and practice are a depressingly familiar refrain in policing, Now is the time for change. 'Without a significant overhaul, there is nothing to stop another Wayne Couzens operating in plain sight.' Miss Everard's mother Sue, father Jeremy, sister Katie and brother James said in a statement: 'It is obvious that Wayne Couzens should never have been a police officer. Whilst holding a position of trust, in relative he was a serial sex offender. 'Warning signs were overlooked throughout his career and opportunities to confront him were missed. 'We believe that Sarah died because he was a police officer - she would never have got into a stranger's car.' Couzens - who will never be released from prison - used his status as a police officer to trick Miss Everard into thinking he could arrest her for breaking lockdown rules in place during the coronavirus pandemic. After the horrific killing, it emerged there had been concerns about Couzens's behaviour while he was a police officer, with reports he was nicknamed 'the rapist'. He joined Kent Police as a special constable in 2002, became an officer with the civil nuclear constabulary in 2011 and then moved to the Met in 2018. Couzens indecently exposed himself three times before the murder, including twice at a drive-through fast-food restaurant in Kent in the days prior to the killing. He was not caught despite driving his own car and using his own credit card at the time. Met police constable Samantha Lee was sacked and barred from being a police officer after it was found she had not properly investigated the incidents. Couzens was also later revealed to have been part of a WhatsApp group with fellow officers that shared disturbing racist, homophobic and misogynist remarks. Couzens was served a whole life order, and has more recently also been found guilty on three counts of indecent exposure which occurred prior to murdering Miss Everard A court artist sketch Couzens appearing via video link at Westminster Magistrates' Court in 2022 charged with two further flashing offences Police on the scene in Ashford, Kent where Miss Everard's body was found after being dumped by Couzens Police vans on the scene in Ashford, Kent where the body of Miss Everard was found after she was strangled with Couzens' police belt Home Secretary: Sarah was failed 'in more ways than one' The Home Secretary has said that Sarah Everard was 'failed in more ways than one' by the people who were meant to keep her safe, as he joined an outpouring of reaction to the Angiolini Inquiry. James Cleverly called her murder by Met Police officer Wayne Couzens an 'act of pure evil' that 'shocked the nation to its core'. Mr Cleverly was among several high-profile politicians and bodies who reacted to the findings of the inquiry on Thursday. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan also vowed to ensure 'lessons are learned' from the Angiolini Inquiry. Mr Khan, who is also the equivalent of the police and crime commissioner for the capital, said in a statement: 'The report by Dame Elish Angiolini shines a light on systematic failings in police investigations, vetting and the handling of misconduct allegations. We all need to closely examine and consider all the findings of the inquiry. 'I'm determined to ensure lessons are learned and acted upon quickly by the police as part of a process of major reform - not just in London, but across the country - to raise standards, strengthen vetting and, above all else, prevent anything like this from ever happening again.' He added that police regulations must be 'strengthened' to make it harder for those who have faced serious allegations about their behaviour to join any police force. Responding to the Angiolini report, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said it was an 'urgent call to action'. 'There is nothing we can say to the family of Sarah Everard and all those who loved her that will convey how very sorry we are' he said. 'Wayne Couzens' crimes were horrific. The fact that he abused his position as a Metropolitan Police officer to carry them out represents the most appalling betrayal of trust. 'It damages the relationship between the public and the police and exposes long-standing fundamental flaws in the way we decide who is fit to be a police officer and the way we pursue those who corrupt our integrity once they get in. The report published today is an urgent call to action for all of us in policing.' Kent Police also apologised for failing to properly investigate when Wayne Couzens was reported for indecent exposure in 2015. In a statement, the force said: 'Everyone at Kent Police is shocked, appalled and disgusted by the crimes Wayne Couzens committed against Sarah Everard and we share in the collective grief for her loss. 'Part I of the Angiolini Inquiry report has been made available to us today, and whilst we continue to carefully consider its contents we fully accept the recommendations made of Kent Police. 'We also accept our investigation into a 2015 incident of indecent exposure was flawed due to it being allocated to an officer who was not a trained investigator, and apologise for this failing.' Advertisement Ordered by then home secretary Priti Patel, the inquiry tasked with looking at how Couzens came to be a police officer and was able to carry out the murder has so far cost 2.9 million, according to figures to September last year. The first phase of the inquiry considered evidence covering a 20-year period, reviewing more than 100,000 pages of documents and carrying out 144 interviews, prompting 76 conclusions and making 16 recommendations for improvement. Lady Elish found that without major changes there is nothing in place to stop another monster like Couzens going undetected. She said: 'Failures of investigations, failures of recruitment processes, and failures of vetting policy and practice are a depressingly familiar refrain in policing. 'Now is the time for change and I have made 16 recommendations to bring about the necessary changes. 'Wayne Couzens should never have been a police officer. And, without a significant overhaul, there is nothing to stop another Wayne Couzens operating in plain sight.' There were also failures in vetting, with Couzens hiding the level of debt that he was in and exaggerating the amount of time he spent in the Territorial Army. Couzens failed vetting to become a regular officer in 2008, but was allowed to remain as a special with all the same powers as a regular constable and was permitted to work alone. When he joined the Civil Nuclear Constabulary, an outside force - Thames Valley Police - carried out vetting and found that he should not be recruited, in line with rules around officers with heavy personal debts, but this was ignored. In 2018, when he joined the Metropolitan Police, a search of the Police National Database, an intelligence database, found 'no trace'. In fact there were entries about an incident in 2013 when he was reported missing from home, and an allegation of indecent exposure from 2015. These were also missed when he applied to be a firearms officer the following year. The Met told the inquiry that it would still have recruited Couzens even if this information had been available, which the report said was 'of serious concern'. While he carefully controlled how he was seen by colleagues, Couzens spent his working life in environments dominated by men that did nothing to discourage his warped beliefs, the inquiry found. The report sets out failures in vetting and the investigation into allegations of indecent exposure that meant Couzens was able to work for three different police forces despite being a sexual predator. His history of unmanaged debt, alleged sexual offending and preference for violent extreme pornography went back nearly 20 years before he committed murder. 'The evidence seen by the inquiry has shown that failures in recruitment and vetting meant Couzens was able to continue a policing career which should have been denied to him,' Lady Elish said. 'Failures in investigations into allegations of indecent exposure meant opportunities to disrupt Couzens' offending and bring his policing career to a halt were missed. 'It is clear Couzens carefully managed the impression he gave people of himself. This included the way he manipulated information on application forms and his troubled finances. 'It also included the way he shared his callous views towards women with only a very small group of like-minded people on a social media group. The 33-year-old marketing executive disappeared on the evening of March 3, 2021 CCTV footage of Miss Everard captured on the night she went missing PC Samantha Lee, 29, was found to have failed to make 'the correct investigative inquiries' over two incidents of indecent exposure by Couzens How 'Officer Naughty' Met PC was sacked after failing to properly investigate Couzens A policewoman who called herself 'Officer Naughty' was sacked for gross misconduct after lying about her investigation into Wayne Couzens over two incidents of flashing. PC Samantha Lee, 29, was found to have failed to make 'the correct investigative inquiries' over two incidents when Couzens exposed himself to female members of staff at a McDonald's restaurant in Swanley, Kent, on February 14 and 27, 2021. Lee attended the restaurant on March 3 and interviewed manager Sam Taylor, hours before Sarah Everard was kidnapped, raped and murdered by the serving Metropolitan Police firearms officer. Lee was also found to have been dishonest about her actions when later questioned about the interview, claiming that she believed that CCTV at the restaurant was deleted automatically so there would be no footage of Couzens or the offence. A simple computer check of the CCTV would have revealed Couzens was the registered owner of the black SEAT Exeo and given his home address. Lee told the misconduct hearing last year that she did not know she was in charge of the case and went on leave after the visit, assuming someone else would check it out further 'in a few days'. But she was found guilty of gross misconduct and sacked. Advertisement 'This all enabled him to target vulnerable women while operating in plain sight as an apparently unremarkable officer. 'However, the fact remains that three separate police forces allowed him the privilege of being a police officer when they could and should have stopped him.' Speaking to journalists as the report was published, Lady Elish said work would have to be done to ensure there 'isn't enough Couzens operating in plain sight'. She remembered Miss Everard 'whose life was cut short by the most unimaginable cruelty', and paid tribute to her family saying: 'I have been profoundly affected by their grief, and their grace in suffering.' Lady Elish continued: 'Sarah's murder by an off-duty police officer shocked the nation. It triggered a surge of discourse about women's safety in public spaces and started a tidal wave of reporting on police misconduct, particularly where officers misused their powers to commit sexual offences. 'What is already clear is how much damage Couzens has done to the social contract on which policing is based and how significant improvements are required.' James Cleverly said Miss Everard was 'failed in more ways than one by the people who were meant to keep her safe'. The Home Secretary said: 'The act of pure evil committed against Sarah shocked the nation to its core. 'My heart goes out to Sarah's family and to all the brave victims who came forward to help inform this report and drive change. 'The man who committed these crimes is not a reflection on the majority of dedicated police officers working day in, day out to help people. 'But Sarah was failed in more ways than one by the people who were meant to keep her safe, and it laid bare wider issues in policing and society that need to be urgently fixed. Police search for Sarah Everard behind a poster of her after she went missing in 2021 Police diver recovers a mobile phone belonging to Sarah Everard from a canal in Sandwich, Kent How Sarah's terror unfolded: A timeline of the day Couzens killed the 33-year-old and tried to get away with his sick crimes February 28 Couzens books a white Vauxhall Astra from a car hire firm in Dover, Kent, using his personal details and bank card. He also purchases a roll of self-adhesive film advertised as a carpet protector on Amazon. March 2 7pm - Couzens starts a 12-hour shift at his base in West Brompton, west London. March 3 On the day of her disappearance, Sarah Everard visits a friend in the Clapham Junction area and uses her bank card to buy a bottle of wine in Sainsbury's in Brixton Hill, south London, on her way. 4.45pm - Couzens collects the hire car. 9pm - Miss Everard leaves to walk home, some 2.5 miles away. 9.13pm - She calls her boyfriend for a little over 14 minutes. 9.15pm - Miss Everard is captured alone on CCTV at the junction of Bowood Road and the South Circular. 9.28pm - The next sighting is on Cavendish Road and she is still alone. 9.32pm - Miss Everard is caught on the camera on a marked police car. 9.35pm - A bus camera captures two figures on Poynders Road standing beside a white Vauxhall Astra parked on the pavement with hazard lights flashing. 9.38pm - Another bus camera captures the same vehicle with the two front car doors open. March 4 1am - Having travelled out of London, the car is in the Tilmanstone area of Kent. 8.30am - Couzens returns the hire car used in the abduction. 8.10pm - Miss Everard is reported missing by her boyfriend, Josh Lowth. March 5 The case is escalated and the Specialist Crime Unit becomes involved. Couzens, who is due to be off until March 8, reports to work that he is suffering with stress. 2pm - He buys two green rubble bags for 9.94 at B&Q in Dover. March 6 Couzens emails his supervisor that he no longer wants to carry a firearm. He orders a tarpaulin and a bungee cargo net on Amazon which are shipped to him the next day. March 8 The officer reports in sick on the day he is due to return to work. March 9 7.11pm - Couzens' phone is wiped of all data. 7.50pm - Couzens is arrested at his home in Deal, Kent. In a brief interview, he tells a story about being threatened by an Eastern European gang. March 10 At around 4.45pm, a body is discovered in a wooded area in Ashford, Kent, and later formally identified by dental records. It is around 100 metres from land bought by Couzens in 2019. March 11 Couzens answers 'no comment' in formal interviews. March 12 8.45pm: Couzens is charged with the kidnapping and murder of Miss Everard. Advertisement 'In the three years since, a root-and-stem clean-up of the policing workforce has been underway and we have made huge strides - as well as making tackling violence against women and girls a national policing priority to be treated on par with terrorism. 'But we will continue to do everything in our power to protect women and girls. I am grateful to Lady Elish for her meticulous investigation. Her insights will be invaluable as we move forward in supporting our police to build forces of the highest standards of integrity and regain the trust of the British public.' Met commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said: 'There is nothing we can say to the family of Sarah Everard and all those who loved her that will convey how very sorry we are. 'Wayne Couzens' crimes were horrific. The fact that he abused his position as a Metropolitan Police officer to carry them out represents the most appalling betrayal of trust. 'It damages the relationship between the public and the police and exposes long-standing fundamental flaws in the way we decide who is fit to be a police officer and the way we pursue those who corrupt our integrity once they get in. 'The report published today is an urgent call to action for all of us in policing. 'We must go further and faster to earn back the trust of all those whose confidence in policing has been shaken by events of recent years. 'Regardless of our significant progress over the past year, the scale of the change that is needed inevitably means it will take time and it is not yet complete. 'The majority of my Met colleagues share my determination to reform by both confronting the risk posed by predatory men in policing, and also, improving our protection of women and children across London.' Mayor of London Sadiq Khan vowed to ensure 'lessons are learned' from the Angiolini Inquiry. Mr Khan, who is also the equivalent of the police and crime commissioner for the capital, said in a statement: 'The report by Dame Elish Angiolini shines a light on systematic failings in police investigations, vetting and the handling of misconduct allegations. We all need to closely examine and consider all the findings of the inquiry. 'I'm determined to ensure lessons are learned and acted upon quickly by the police as part of a process of major reform - not just in London, but across the country - to raise standards, strengthen vetting and, above all else, prevent anything like this from ever happening again.' He added that police regulations must be 'strengthened' to make it harder for those who have faced serious allegations about their behaviour to join any police force. 'And police disciplinary processes must be reformed to make it easier and quicker to remove officers who fall below the high standards rightly expected of those who are entrusted to keep us safe,' he said. 'As I have been saying for some time, the public deserve better from the Met and police forces across the country. There must be no hiding place for those who abuse their position of trust and authority within the police.' The inquiry continues in two parts, looking at the crimes of David Carrick and looking at wider problems within the police in the wake of both cases. A grandfather with terminal cancer is begging MPs to legalise assisted dying so he can die peacefully at home with his family by his side. Tim Wardle, 85, who lives in Kingsteignton, Devon, has looked into booking into Dignitas in Switzerland but can't afford the fees. He supports Dame Esther Rantzen's campaign for a parliamentary debate and a free vote on the issue before the next election. The retired architect from Newton Abbot, Devon, was first diagnosed with cancer 14 years ago and has since had bladder, prostate and lung cancer. Doctors told him in December 2022 that he would likely to die in a matter of 'weeks not months' but he has beaten the odds and is still alive over a year later - which he puts down to 'obstinacy'. Tim Wardle, 85, who lives in Kingsteignton, Devon, has looked into booking into Dignitas in Switzerland but can't afford the fees Tim Wardle has looked into booking into Dignitas in Switzerland but can't afford the fees. Pictured: Tim as a young man Your browser does not support iframes. Your browser does not support iframes. He now has kidney cancer, and says his ideal death would be 'an injection with my wife and son here' - and has told nurses he 'will actually end my life one way or another'. READ MORE: UK laws on euthanasia and assisted suicide explained amid calls for a vote on legalisation Advertisement The health and social care committee (HSCC) launched its inquiry eight months ago has now released a report on the issue. The committee has been criticised by campaigns for not making any recommendations for parliament to vote on the issue. The grandfather-of-one said: 'I have filled out all the forms currently available to not be resuscitated and not receiving basic treatment for anything. 'I have told palliative care nurses with our local hospice and my GP, that if the time comes and I'm physically capable of it, I will actually end my life one way or another. Tim's mother and his younger sisters died after suffering long and painful cancer-related deaths. he said. He said, 'I decided at that time that I didn't want anybody that I knew, or anybody full stop, to have to go through that at the end of their life. 'I decided that I would assist anybody who was advocating for assisted dying. 'I don't believe that it should be limited to people who are terminally ill - I believe it should be auto-available for people whose quality of life has become intolerable.' Tim now sees any attempt to operate on him as a 'theft of NHS resources' and says he would not survive the operation in any case. The conversation about his death with family members went 'very easily', he says. 'I think my son was more receptive to the idea than my wife but it wasn't a difficult conversation at all,' he said. His wife and son 'will be sad', he says, but added: 'I talked it over with them and they both understand and agree with what I've decided I want to do. 'They both agree with what I want and what I believe in. The retired architect from Newton Abbot, Devon, was first diagnosed with cancer 14 years ago and has since had bladder, prostate and lung cancer Tim supports Dame Esther Rantzen 's campaign for a parliamentary debate and a free vote on the issue before the next election 'For obvious reasons as the law stands moment, they can't help me in any way and they will be sorry to see me go. But death is inevitable. 'I believe very strongly that the majority of the people, certainly those who come in contact with motor neurone disease or cancer or various other killer diseases would support assisted dying. 'Most people don't think about death in their younger life, which is why so many people die without a will. I think that's a wrong way round of looking at it. 'We all know at a fairly early age, that at some stage, we are going to die. It's like taxes, it's inevitable. And so, one needs to plan for it.' 'All I would say is that people have to plan earlier and not leave it to the last minute and hope it doesn't happen to me.' He argues that the current law should be changed to allow people to be given the right to die when they are suffering. Poll Should assisted dying be legalised? Yes No Should assisted dying be legalised? Yes 44 votes No 2 votes Now share your opinion He protests against the current inequality between 'people who have money and can afford to go to Dignitas against people like myself who can't afford to go'. He has contemplated travelling to Dignitas, but says that he couldn't afford to fee and would rather be with his wife and son at the time of his death. Tim is currently not in pain at the moment. He says that if assisted dying is not legalised in the UK he will choose to end his own life when the pain becomes unbearable, either with 'drugs or poison'. He is currently on borrowed time, he says, after doctors predicted he would die within weeks last year. Nathan Stilwell, assisted dying campaigner for Humanists UK, said: 'Personal stories from around the UK show the scale of unbearable suffering some people face at the end of their lives. 'It's sickening that we force people into these unbearable situations when we know countries like Switzerland, Belgium and the Netherlands have had working, safe and compassionate assisted dying laws for decades. 'Adults of sound mind who are intolerably suffering from an incurable, physical condition, and have a clear and settled wish to die, should have the option of an assisted death.' If you have been affected by this article, call the Samaritans on 116 123 Ukraine is reported to have downed two more 40million Russian Su-34 jets, bringing the total number of Putin's warplanes destroyed in two weeks to 12. The jets were brought down in Avdiivka and Mariupol today at around 9am, according to Lt-Gen Mykola Oleschuk, commander of the Ukrainian air force. There was no immediate confirmation of the claim. Putin's air force has been blitzed by Ukraine over the past fortnight - with warplanes worth almost 700m reportedly wiped out in an embarrassing setback for the invaders. Announcing that two of Russia's Su-34 fighter-bombers had been blasted out of the sky on Tuesday, Ukraine's defence ministry boasted that it had eliminated ten enemy planes in as many days - a rate of loss that Russia's air force cannot sustain. The jets were destroyed in Avdiivka and Mariupol today at around 9am, according to Lt-Gen Mykola Oleschuk, commander of the Ukrainian air force The loss of the bombers will have set Putin's army back millions, with each worth 39m ($50m). Other planes Kyiv claims to have taken out this month include two SU-35 jets, costing 34m ($43m) each, and an A-50U AWACS reconnaissance plane - which intel suggests cost Russia 260m ($330m). The strikes will be a welcome success for Kyiv, but come at a difficult time, with Russia advancing and recently claiming its first major victory since May in Avdiivka after months of bitter fighting. Ukraine's weapons supplies have also been choked, with shortages of munitions including its crucial 90-mile-range, US-made Patriot air-defence missiles - making it even more important that the Ukrainian forces hit their targets. Dramatic images have emerged over recent days showing what Ukraine says are Russian fighter jets and a reconnaissance plane plummeting out of the sky over the east of the country. Posting on Telegram, Ukraine's Air Force Commander used the success as a warning to Russian troops. He said: 'I advise the occupiers to see their relatives before each flight, just in case. Because who knows, he will be lucky or not this time.' Oleschuk added that Russia would be wise to reconsider its 'airborne meat assaults' given the level of destruction to its air force in such a short time span. 'Russian planes continue to fall!' the Ukrainian defence ministry said. Mykola Oleshchuk said that two Russian Su-34 fighter-bombers and one Su-35 fighter were destroyed on the morning of February 17, 2024 (File Photo) The dramatic moment was caught on video and follows a Kyiv claim on Tuesday that two Vladimir Putin Su-34 fighter-bombers and one Su-35 fighter, totalling more than $100million, had been shot down Two Russian planes were shot down on Monday. A grainy image shared by Ukraine's Air Force Chief purporting to show the moment the wreckage of one fell from the sky Ten days earlier, Ukraine shot down two Russian Su-34 fighter-bombers and one Su-35 fighter in the skies over eastern Ukraine, according to the air force chief. Russian Fighterbomber Telegram channel initially claimed there were 'no losses' and that the Ukrainians were 'lying'. Other Russian channels 'confirmed that the Ukrainian military shot down at least one Russian Su-35 aircraft'. 'On the morning of February 17, 2024, in the eastern (sector), units of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine destroyed three enemy aircraft at once - two Su-34 fighter-bombers and one Su-35 fighter,' Mykola Oleshchuk wrote on Telegram. 'This is our land, and our sky!' he declared victoriously, adding: 'There will be moredon't hang around!' He was true to his word, with successive strikes reportedly seeing another Su-25 and five more Su-34s obliterated. On February 23, Ukraine dealt yet another huge blow to Moscow's forces, downing a 270m ($330m) Russian spy plane over Krasnodar. Video showed huge plumes of smoke billowing from the wreckage after the A-50U reconnaissance plane's wing was reportedly torn off by a hit from a revamped S-200 Soviet-era long-range air defence missile - a staggering blow to Russia's already diminishing collection. Ten crew were reported to have been found dead at the crash site, though the planes typically carry 15. It came down in Russia's Krasnodar region, where Putin's official Black Sea residence and private 1 billion palace are located. Russia now only has six of its state-of-the-art spy planes remaining after another of the expensive aircraft was blasted out of the sky last month, according to Ukraine. Russian sources initially blamed friendly fire but Ukrainian sources said the A-50U was downed 'as part of a joint operation of [Kyiv's] Main Intelligence Directorate and the Ukrainian Air Force'. On February 23, Ukraine dealt yet another huge blow to Moscow's forces, downing a $330m Russian A-50 spy plane (File Photo) Video showed smoke billowing from the crash site of a spy plane in Krasnodar, western Russia The loss of the A-50U - the second in six weeks - will be a severe blow to Putin's aerial reconnaissance, harming Russia's ability to pinpoint targets for missile strikes and monitor Ukrainian battlefield deployments. The plane came down near Primorsko-Akhtarsk. Ukraine's GUR military intelligence directorate said: 'The last flight of the A-50U took place on February 23, 2024 at 15:50 from the Akhtubinsk airfield and was supposed to carry out terrorist tasks of the aggressor state of Russia near the settlements of Primorsko-Akhtarsk - Zernograd. 'An abrupt stop of the Bumblebee radar complex's workwas recorded by GUR's radio technical intelligence stations at 18:45. 'The fire damage of the modernised A-50U of the Russian Air Force was confirmed by the radio interception of the conversation of the Su-35 cover crew. 'One of the Russian pilots reports on the radio that he observed the work of air defense, flash and explosions.' 'Congratulations to the occupiers on the Defender of the Fatherland day,' said a sardonic Ukrainian air force commander General Mykola Oleshchuk. Since receiving advanced Western air defence systems, Kyiv has been able to deploy these weapons to pose an increasing threat to Russian aviation. The war is now grinding on into its third year, with Kyiv continuing to lobby for support as Moscow holds its line and achieved recent gains in the east of the country. The reported Su-34 downings came just hours after Putin suffered another major blow, with 19 troops killed and 12 wounded during a 'medal ceremony' in a Ukrainian HIMARS missile strike yesterday. The hit on a gathering of the 155th Separate Guards Brigade of Naval Infantry in occupied Donetsk region killed Lt-Col Roman Kozhukhov, according to reports. Another high-ranking officer, Colonel Mikhail Gudkov, commander of the 155th Separate Guards Brigade of Naval Infantry, was wounded, as was Major Alexander Abilov. There have been at least five major strikes on gatherings of Russian troops - for inspections or award ceremonies - in the past five weeks. Russia has been hit by repeated attacks on gatherings of troops this year, causing grave damage to Putin's war effort. Despite his boasts of territorial grains around Avdiivka, he has suffered manpower losses, as well as a significant weakening of his air force and Black Sea Fleet. Pro-war blogger Oleg Tsarev said: 'They talk about another awards ceremony before the formation, and about another strike with HIMARS missiles on our servicemen and the subsequent losses. 'They are unteachable.' Telegram channel Dosye Shpiona said: 'The command was conducting a formation in honour of awarding individual servicemen of the brigade who distinguished themselves in combat. 'The strike was carried out by two HIMARS missiles.' On January 25, 24 people were killed at Vostochny military range, Donetsk region. On February 4, 28 Russian servicemen died in a suspected HIMARS missile strike on the Adriatic restaurant 'where the Russian military were dining'. On February 21, some 65 were killed at a training ground in Trudivske, occupied Donetsk region. The following day dozens more died in a missile strike in Kherson region. Putin warned Western countries today that there was a genuine risk of nuclear war if they sent their own troops to fight in Ukraine, and he said Moscow had the weapons to strike targets in the West. Vladimir Putin delivers his annual state of the nation address at the Gostiny Dvor conference centre in central Moscow, on Thursday Addressing parliament and other members of the country's elite, Putin, 71, repeated his accusation that the West is bent on weakening Russia, and he suggested Western leaders did not understand how dangerous their meddling could be in what he cast as Russia's own internal affairs. He prefaced his warning with a specific reference to an idea, floated by French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday, of European NATO members sending ground troops to Ukraine - a suggestion that other European leaders were quick to state their differing views on. '(Western nations) must realise that we also have weapons that can hit targets on their territory. All this really threatens a conflict with the use of nuclear weapons and the destruction of civilisation. Don't they get that?!' said the Russian president. Putin, who was speaking ahead of a March 15 to 17 election when he is certain to be re-elected for another six-year term, lauded what he said was Russia's vastly modernised nuclear arsenal, the largest in the world. A 'sweet' four-year-old Alabama boy was mauled to death by his neighbor's Olde English Bulldog in a gruesome attack. Beau Clark was bitten by the dog on a private driveway in Oak Ridge on Monday night, the Morgan County Sheriff's Office confirmed to WAFF. He was taken to Decatur Morgan Hospital in critical condition, where he later died from his injuries. Beau's father Kevin Clark attempted to rescue his son, but was injured in the process. He was treated at the hospital and is now home recovering. The dog was euthanized at the scene of the attack, which authorities have described as 'horrific' and has left a 'multitude of people' in the community 'hurting'. Beau Clark, 4, (pictured) was bitten by the dog on a private driveway in Oak Ridge, Morgan County around 6pm on Monday Beau, pictured playing t-ball, suffered serious injuries and was taken to a local hospital, where he tragically passed away Kevin Clark (pictured with his wife Hailey and their three sons including Beau) attempted to rescue his son, but was injured in the process. Kevin was treated at the hospital and is now home recovering Sheriff's deputies, firefighters and paramedics were called to Ramblewood Private Drive, off of Vaughn Bridge Road, around 6pm Monday for reports of a medical emergency. Beau suffered serious injuries during the attack and was taken to a local hospital, where he tragically passed away. First responders also found Kevin had been hurt during the incident. Mike Swafford, Public Information Officer for the Morgan County Sheriff's Office, said Beau's death has 'touched probably four or five communities' within the area. His mother, Hailey, is an English teacher at a local high school and the family was reportedly 'heavily involved' in the Hartselle City School District. Beau died after being bitten by an Olde English Bulldog. Pictured is a stock image of the breed of dog that attacked the young boy 'There's a multitude of people who woke up today just hurting,' Swafford told the TV station on Tuesday. 'They had to go do things that required superhuman strength. 'Those teachers who had to be in those classrooms with kids that were friends or kids who were in the classroom with these people, our hearts go out to them.' Hartselle City School District Superintendent Dr. Brian Clayton said the loss 'hits us hard' because 'so many people' in the 'small community' are connected to the Clark family. The district is offering counseling for those affected by the tragedy. Morgan County Coroner Jeffery Chunn echoed the sentiment, noting how in his nearly 43 years of public service he has 'never seen so many people come together as one' as they did following Beau's death. 'It makes you proud to live in a community and be a part of a first responder family like this. Please continue to pray for the family in the days to come,' he penned in a Facebook post. Meanwhile, the community is paying tribute to Beau and offering their prayers to the Clark family. Facebook accounts belonging to Hailey and Kevin, who appear to have two other sons, are flooded with messages expressing love and condolences. 'We are all in constant prayer for you,' one wrote, adding that the faith the couple have had 'through this tragedy is such a testament to your character'. 'Beautiful baby boy Praying so hard for you,' echoed another. Sheriff's deputies, firefighters and paramedics were called to Ramblewood Private Drive, off of Vaughn Bridge Road, around 6pm Monday for reports of a medical emergency One mourner added: 'There are absolutely no words that could comfort you all during this tragic time. My prayer is that you can find comfort and peace in Him.' The band Cain - a contemporary Christian group composed of siblings Taylor, Madison, and Logan Cain - posted a heartfelt tribute to Beau on Instagram. The trio said revealed they were mourning 'our sweet nephew Beau', adding that the little boy was 'in heaven now, and that reality is nearly too much to bear'. 'We believe "goodbye is not the end," now more than ever,' the band posted. 'Beau's parents Hailey and Kevin have been the most powerful example of glorifying Jesus in their pain. It's unlike anything I've ever seen. Please pray for our family.' A GoFundMe fundraiser was created to support the family during this difficult time and has already amassed more than $80,000. A former soldier who was wanted by police over a 'gunshot' outside a children's play centre died of head injuries after plunging to his death in a quarry, an inquest heard. Chef Grant Barker, 33, was named by police as a suspect after video footage showed two men wrestling over an apparent firearm before a shot rang out in Newry Street, Holyhead on April 10 last year. Police had launched an appeal to find Barker in connection to the incident but the referred the case to the Office for Police Conduct after he was found dead on April 22, an inquest into the death heard. Senior North West Wales coroner Katie Sutherland told the hearing in Caernarfon that his body was found at the Twr quarry near Holyhead Mountain. She concluded Barker had died by suicide. Father Russell Barker told the inquest his son had joined the Army at 16 or 17 and served for seven years. Chef Grant Barker was found dead on April 22 last year at the bottom of a quarry Two men were recorded wrestling over what appeared to be a firearm in the street in Holyhead During the footage of the scuffle, a sound familiar to that of a gunshot rings out He trained as a chef and undertook two tours of Afghanistan where he was said to have witnessed 'significant events'. READ MORE: Man wanted by police after pair were seen scuffling with a gun outside a children's play centre is found dead on a mountain Advertisement The chef had PTSD from his military experiences and was engaging with the Army First charity. He was made redundant after the tours and returned to North Wales. On December 23, 2022, his long-term partner moved back to Hereford which left him 'broken', according to his father. Grant had told his father, who was worried about his wellbeing, to not be be 'silly' as he had his children to live for. His father reported him missing on April 16 and Barker's body was found almost a week later in the quarry. Andrew Marion said in a statement that he had been out walking on a track near Holyhead Mountain on April 22 with relatives and his wife. He said: 'I looked down into the quarry and saw what I thought was a person.' He and his brother-in-law went down to the higher level of the two-tier quarry and his brother-in-law confirmed a person had died. The hearing was told he suffered severe blunt force head injury 'consistent with a fall from a height' when his body was discovered. Mountain rescuers helped recover his body from the old quarry on Holyhead mountain in Anglesey, North Wales, and a post-mortem examination was carried out by Home Office pathologist Dr Brian Rodgers. After the scuffle, one of the men had taken possession of the apparent firearm while the other was on the ground The pathologist found he died from severe, blunt force head injuries consistent with a fall from height. The doctor found no suspicious injuries to suggest an assault or third party involvement, he said. Detective Constable Les Ellis told the inquest he attended the scene of the incident that day and saw Barker's body 25ft below. Catherine Gordon, a registered mental health nurse who had assessed Mr Barker by phone on November 2 last year, said Barker had went through 'extremely stressful' events recently. She said: 'He had experienced a number of extremely stressful life events in recent months. He had taken a job he did not want or like in order to pay for the house. He was working over 40 hours a week in long, unsocial hours.' If you have been affected by this article, call the Samaritans on 116 123 Families can once again walk the streets of Ecuador's Esmeraldas after the city's governor cracked down hard on the criminal gangs that once terrorised it. Pictures from the city show people strolling down its golden pacific ocean seafront, perusing the shops and enjoying its energetic, South American nightlife. But this was not always the case. The city on the country's northern coast was a blood-soaked battleground for Ecuador's brutal and feared drug gangs, vying for control of its port - a key point used for the shipping of cocaine by cartels. Just a few weeks ago, these gangs meant the city was a no-go zone for tourists, with even locals afraid to step foot onto its streets. Families can once again walk the streets of Ecuador's Esmeraldas after the city's governor cracked down hard on the criminal gangs that once terrorised it. Pictured: Two women pose for photos with Ecuadorian soldiers patrolling the beach, February 11 Pictures from the city show people strolling down its golden pacific ocean seafront, perusing the shops and enjoying its energetic, South American nightlife Ecuador's drug gangs - beholden to Mexican cartel bosses - were recent killing people, setting off car bombs and even hanging corpses from a bridge in Esmeraldas (pictured) Today, however, reports from the city say its bars and restaurants are packed and its hotels are at 70 percent occupancy. With it being summer time in the southern hemisphere, its currently festival season, and the city is partying. The contrast to a few weeks ago is stark. The streets and beaches were empty, hotels had no guests, and restaurants and bars were all-but shuttered. However, all is not entirely back to normal. Patrols of heavily armed and armoured marines also walk the streets and drive down its roads in their vehicles. And while the gangs have been beaten back for now, Ecuador's war is not yet won. In recent years, Esmeraldas was at the centre of turf wars, as cartels battled for control over the country's key drug supply routes. Ecuador's drug gangs - beholden to Mexican cartel bosses - were killing people, setting off car bombs and even hanging corpses from a city bridge. Last year, they vowed to carry out an armed insurrection after president Daniel Noboa ordered a nationwide crackdown on their business interests. This came following the escape of Adolfo 'Fito' Macias, a notorious gang leader, who escaped from a prison in Guayaquil. In the wake of Fito's escape, violence spread across the country. Heavily armed gunmen took over a studio at public broadcaster TC during a live broadcast in January, taking the staff hostage, in images that went global. Since then, hundreds of inmates have been killed in prison riots and a prosecutor investigating the TV station hostage situation was assassinated. The wave of violence pushed Noboa to declare 22 criminal groups terrorists and military targets, declared a 60-day state of emergency and ordered a curfew. Since the state of emergency was declared, security forces have detained thousands of people and have carried out dozens operations against terrorist groups. Violence intensified in Esmeraldas in particular, with the city's murder rate spiking - making it one of the most dangerous cities in the world. To tackle this, Sky News reports Noboa contacted a man named Javier Buitron - the retired former police chief of the city - who had moved to the United States. He is now the governor of the city having flown straight there on the president's request, and is credited with turning the city's fortunes around in just 26 days. Authorities now control the streets, have regained control of the local prison, and soldiers can even enter communities that until now were no-go areas for officials. This even includes one neighbourhood where the gangs there had aligned themselves with Mexico's feared cartels: Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation. A soldier gives a young boy a fist-bump while patrolling Esmeraldas's streets, February 11 Soldiers patrol a beach during Carnival celebrations on February 11, 2024 in Atacames - a town if Esmeraldas province Reports from the city say its bars and restaurants are packed and its hotels are at 70 percent occupancy. With it being summer time in the southern hemisphere, its currently festival season, and the city is partying The city on the country's northern coast was a blood-soaked battleground for Ecuador's brutal and feared drug gangs, vying for control of its port - a key point used for the shipping of cocaine by cartels For a few weeks, Buitron told Sky News in an interview, bodies were hanging from bridges - a tell-tale sign these cartels were operating in the region. Shocking pictures last year showed this, with corpses seen hanging by a rope from one bridge - an overpass over a main road. Now, thanks to Mr Buitron's ruthless crackdown, residents feel safer. 'I feel very grateful personally, because here before, at this time of the day, you couldn't even be out here, bullets would rain down from the other side, from side to side, but now you see, we are calm, we are at peace,' one man told Sky News. His neighbour, the broadcaster reports, agreed. She said: 'Things have gotten a lot better. Now you can go around, you no longer hear shootings like before, you don't hear that anymore, it has changed a lot.' Long a peaceful haven sandwiched between top cocaine exporters Colombia and Peru, Ecuador has seen violence explode in recent years as rival gangs with links to Mexican and Colombian cartels vie for control. From 2018 to 2023, the national murder rate more than quadrupled, soaring from six to 26 per 100,000 inhabitants - a rate that places it in the worst 15 countries. The country's National Police tallied 3,568 violent deaths in the first six months of 2023, far more than the 2,042 reported during the same period in 2022. That year ended with 4,600 violent deaths, the country's highest in history and double the total in 2021. 2023 was on track for even more. Violence in Ecuador reached new heights in August with the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio, plunging the country into chaos. This escalated further with Fito's escape and the TV station attack. Reports from the country suggest there are three main gangs backed by cartels in Colombia and Mexico: Los Choneros, and the similar splinter groups Los Lobos and Los Tiguerones - which have been fighting over territory and control. Ecuadorian authorities attribute the unprecedented violence to a power vacuum triggered by the killing in December 2020 of Jorge Zambrano, alias 'Rasquina' or 'JL,' the previous leader of the Los Choneros cartel before Fito. Prison Escapee 'Fito' replaced Zambrano as the leader of the feared Los Choneros - which until recent years was safely Ecuador's largest and most feared gang, linked to extortion, murder and drug trafficking. But Zambrano's death saw Los Lobos and Los Tiguerones form, and the three cartels in particular have been vying for control in recent years. Behind the violence is what the UN's Office on Drugs and Crime describes as a global 'prolonged surge in both the supply of and demand for cocaine'. As the US market turns to other drugs such as fentanyl, the European market has bolstered demand for the powder, with gangs in the Balkans as well as Italy's feared 'Ndrangheta mafia understood to have expanded into Ecuador. Heavily armed gunmen took over a studio at public broadcaster TC during a live broadcast in January, taking the staff hostage, in images that went around the world Shocking pictures last month showed prison guards taken hostage by inmates CCTV footage shows a gun battle at a port in Esmeraldas Police raid a home during an early morning operation in search of a gang member on February 13, 2024, as Ecuadorian officers continue to crack down on drug gangs Ecuador's war on gangs saw hundreds of soldiers storm a prison and handcuff inmates in their underwear last month After the raid, the army shared photos of cuffed inmates in their underwear lying face down in prison courtyards, as soldiers stood guard (pictured) Dozens of prisoners in their underwear are seen lying on the floor of a prison This, according to The Guardian, has supercharged local criminal groups that are accused of using extreme violence, much like that which has been seen carried out by the cartels in Mexico and other Latin American nations in recent decades. If the situation in Esmeraldas is anything to go by, then there is hope for the people of Ecuador that the government can gain control over the gangs. In addition to deploying the military against them, Noboa has also taken a page out of El Salvador's book, and has rounded up thousands of suspected gang members and detained them in large prisons - including the one Fito escaped from. 'We need to recover people's faith, we need to recover the economy, and we need good things for people, opportunities,' Buitron told Sky News. Repeated opportunities were missed to stop Wayne Couzens that left him able to stay in the police despite being a serial sex offender with a reputation for disturbing sexual behaviour that led to a nickname of 'the Rapist'. An inquiry found Couzens' history of alleged sexual offending dated back nearly 20 years before he kidnapped, raped and murdered marketing executive Sarah Everard in Clapham, south London, in 2021. The married father of two was reported to police eight times for indecent exposure between 2008 and 2021 but was able to continue in the police due to 'lethargic and inadequate' investigations, today's report found. Inquiry chair Lady Elish Angiolini identified at least five incidents which were not reported to police and warned there could be more victims. Today it emerged for the first time that Couzens, now 51, allegedly carried out a 'very serious sexual assault of a child barely into her teens' while he was in his twenties. Couzens was accused of attempting to kidnap a woman at knifepoint in North London in 1995 while aged 23. He was also accused of raping two women and indecently touching a man in a bar while wearing a blonde wig. Lady Elish found the married father of two 'could and should' have stopped from getting a job as an officer, and that without a radical overhaul of British policing, there is 'nothing to stop another Couzens operating in plain sight'. The inquiry team found that there were instances where he showed extreme violent pornography to friends and police colleagues, in a move to test their boundaries, and sent unsolicited images of his genitals to women. Wayne Couzens will never be released from prison after he abducted, raped and murdered Sarah Everard in March 2021 CCTV caught Couzens flashing female staff at a McDonald's in Swanley, Kent Miss Everard's family have said she would have never got into Couzens' car if he hadn't been a police officer Both Kent and the Metropolitan Police were criticised for inadequate investigations into claims of indecent exposure against Couzens. There was a series of incidents where he was accused of flashing - three of which he was sentenced for last year, despite already having received a whole life jail term for Sarah Everard's murder. These were masturbating in front of a lone female cyclist in a Kent country lane in 2020, and twice exposing his genitals to staff at a fast food restaurant in February 2021 in the days before Sarah's murder. Couzens' horrific history of sexual offending revealed in report Couzens had a long history of alleged sexual offending before he kidnapped, raped and murdered Ms Everard in March 2021. This includes - Eight reports of indecent exposure that were handed to police; A 'very serious sexual assault' on a young girl while he was in his 20s; Attempting to kidnap a woman at knifepoint in North London in 1995; Raping a woman during a singles night in East London between late 2006 and early 2007; Raping another woman under a bridge in London in October 2019; Inappropriately touching a man in a Kent bar in the summer of 2019. Advertisement He drove his own car and used his own credit card at the outlet but no action was taken at the time, with investigating officer Pc Samantha Lee later sacked for failing to investigate properly. Another two similar incidents at the fast food restaurant were ordered to lie on file, and there were two incidents in 2008 and 2021 that were reported to the Met and Kent respectively at the time when Couzens allegedly exposed himself, but there was insufficient evidence to bring charges. In 2015, a member of the public reported having seen a man driving around in Kent with his genitalia exposed, giving the make, model, colour and registration number of the car. Couzens was identified as the keeper of the car but Kent Police closed the investigation with no further action and without even speaking to him. Lady Elish Angiolini said: 'This was a grave error and a very obvious red flag. 'By failing to properly investigate the allegation, Kent Police missed a valuable opportunity to disrupt or even prevent Couzens' future offending and to bring into question his position as an authorised firearms officer with the Civil Nuclear Constabulary.' Kent Police apologised today for what it admitted was a 'flawed' investigation. A further incident where Couzens was allegedly seen masturbating with intent to shock a passerby in 2004 was reported to the Met after Sarah's murder, but there was not enough evidence to bring a charge. Lady Elish said she was 'astonished' to learn that Couzens would have passed vetting for the Metropolitan Police even if the force had known about a previous accusation of indecent exposure. She called for indecent exposure to be taken more seriously and victims encouraged to report crimes. 'The inquiry was struck by the similarities in approach between the investigations in relation to the June 2015 allegation and the 2021 drive-through restaurant offences. 'Both seemed destined to fail from the start, involving poor recording and decision-making and lacking the positive steps that could potentially have led to the identification of the suspect and detection of the crime. 'Rather than embarking on a process of detailed, thorough and time-consuming evidence gathering, the officers displayed apathy and disinterest and found reasons not to pursue the cases.' Lady Elish has called for an immediate review of indecent exposure allegations against serving police officers. Couzens exchanged a series of vile messages with his colleagues in the Met Police Couzens strangled Miss Everard with his police belt (circled) A belt which was recovered from Wayne Couzens' work locker in west London Inquiry chairwoman Lady Elish Angiolini said work would have to be done to ensure there isn't 'another Couzens hiding in plain sight' Setting out a raft of recommendations to 'make sure something like this can never happen again', Lady Elish said: 'Wayne Couzens should never have been a police officer. And, without a significant overhaul, there is nothing to stop another Couzens operating in plain sight. Now is the time for change.' She urged 'all those in authority in every police force in the country' to read the report and 'take immediate action'. 'Our desperate longing for Sarah pervades every part of our lives': Family's heartbreaking statement Sarah Everard's parents and siblings Sue, Jeremy, Katie and James, said in a statement: 'As a family, the inquiry has helped us, not just because of its significant findings, but because its implementation made us feel that Sarah's life was valued and her memory honoured. 'Her death has not been dismissed as a tragic event to be acknowledged with sympathy and then forgotten - questions have been raised and actions taken to investigate how this tragedy happened. As a family, we have not had to fight for answers and, for this, we are very thankful. 'It is obvious that Wayne Couzens should never have been a police officer. Whilst holding a position of trust, in reality he was a serial sex offender. Warning signs were overlooked throughout his career and opportunities to confront him were missed. 'We believe that Sarah died because he was a police officer, she would never have got into a stranger's car.' Their statement continued: 'It is almost three years now since Sarah died. We no longer wait for her call; we no longer expect to see her. 'We know she won't be there at family gatherings. But the desperate longing to have her with us remains and the loss of Sarah pervades every part of our lives.' Advertisement Among the measures, Lady Elish called for an urgent review of indecent exposure charges against serving officers and said reports of the crime need to be taken seriously. The inquiry chair continued: 'Although Wayne Couzens was not wholly a product of his working environments, those environments did nothing to discourage his misogynistic view of women and meant that providing he presented himself as professional his deviant behaviour outside of work could flourish. 'Police leaders need to radically transform their approach to police culture if future offenders like Couzens are to be denied opportunities to abuse police powers for sexual purpose.' She went on: 'Failures of investigations, failures of HR processes, and failures of vetting policy and practice are a depressingly familiar refrain in policing, Now is the time for change. 'Without a significant overhaul, there is nothing to stop another Wayne Couzens operating in plain sight.' Miss Everard's mother Sue, father Jeremy, sister Katie and brother James said in a statement: 'It is obvious that Wayne Couzens should never have been a police officer. Whilst holding a position of trust, in relative he was a serial sex offender. 'Warning signs were overlooked throughout his career and opportunities to confront him were missed. 'We believe that Sarah died because he was a police officer - she would never have got into a stranger's car.' Couzens - who will never be released from prison - used his status as a police officer to trick Miss Everard into thinking he could arrest her for breaking lockdown rules in place during the coronavirus pandemic. After the horrific killing, it emerged there had been concerns about Couzens's behaviour while he was a police officer, with reports he was nicknamed 'the rapist'. He joined Kent Police as a special constable in 2002, became an officer with the civil nuclear constabulary in 2011 and then moved to the Met in 2018. Couzens indecently exposed himself three times before the murder, including twice at a drive-through fast-food restaurant in Kent in the days prior to the killing. He was not caught despite driving his own car and using his own credit card at the time. Met police constable Samantha Lee was sacked and barred from being a police officer after it was found she had not properly investigated the incidents. Couzens was also later revealed to have been part of a WhatsApp group with fellow officers that shared disturbing racist, homophobic and misogynist remarks. Couzens was served a whole life order, and has more recently also been found guilty on three counts of indecent exposure which occurred prior to murdering Miss Everard A court artist sketch Couzens appearing via video link at Westminster Magistrates' Court in 2022 charged with two further flashing offences Police on the scene in Ashford, Kent where Miss Everard's body was found after being dumped by Couzens Police vans on the scene in Ashford, Kent where the body of Miss Everard was found after she was strangled with Couzens' police belt Home Secretary: Sarah was failed 'in more ways than one' The Home Secretary has said that Sarah Everard was 'failed in more ways than one' by the people who were meant to keep her safe, as he joined an outpouring of reaction to the Angiolini Inquiry. James Cleverly called her murder by Met Police officer Wayne Couzens an 'act of pure evil' that 'shocked the nation to its core'. Mr Cleverly was among several high-profile politicians and bodies who reacted to the findings of the inquiry on Thursday. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan also vowed to ensure 'lessons are learned' from the Angiolini Inquiry. Mr Khan, who is also the equivalent of the police and crime commissioner for the capital, said in a statement: 'The report by Dame Elish Angiolini shines a light on systematic failings in police investigations, vetting and the handling of misconduct allegations. We all need to closely examine and consider all the findings of the inquiry. 'I'm determined to ensure lessons are learned and acted upon quickly by the police as part of a process of major reform - not just in London, but across the country - to raise standards, strengthen vetting and, above all else, prevent anything like this from ever happening again.' He added that police regulations must be 'strengthened' to make it harder for those who have faced serious allegations about their behaviour to join any police force. Responding to the Angiolini report, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said it was an 'urgent call to action'. 'There is nothing we can say to the family of Sarah Everard and all those who loved her that will convey how very sorry we are' he said. 'Wayne Couzens' crimes were horrific. The fact that he abused his position as a Metropolitan Police officer to carry them out represents the most appalling betrayal of trust. 'It damages the relationship between the public and the police and exposes long-standing fundamental flaws in the way we decide who is fit to be a police officer and the way we pursue those who corrupt our integrity once they get in. The report published today is an urgent call to action for all of us in policing.' Kent Police also apologised for failing to properly investigate when Wayne Couzens was reported for indecent exposure in 2015. In a statement, the force said: 'Everyone at Kent Police is shocked, appalled and disgusted by the crimes Wayne Couzens committed against Sarah Everard and we share in the collective grief for her loss. 'Part I of the Angiolini Inquiry report has been made available to us today, and whilst we continue to carefully consider its contents we fully accept the recommendations made of Kent Police. 'We also accept our investigation into a 2015 incident of indecent exposure was flawed due to it being allocated to an officer who was not a trained investigator, and apologise for this failing.' Advertisement Ordered by then home secretary Priti Patel, the inquiry tasked with looking at how Couzens came to be a police officer and was able to carry out the murder has so far cost 2.9 million, according to figures to September last year. The first phase of the inquiry considered evidence covering a 20-year period, reviewing more than 100,000 pages of documents and carrying out 144 interviews, prompting 76 conclusions and making 16 recommendations for improvement. Lady Elish found that without major changes there is nothing in place to stop another monster like Couzens going undetected. She said: 'Failures of investigations, failures of recruitment processes, and failures of vetting policy and practice are a depressingly familiar refrain in policing. 'Now is the time for change and I have made 16 recommendations to bring about the necessary changes. 'Wayne Couzens should never have been a police officer. And, without a significant overhaul, there is nothing to stop another Wayne Couzens operating in plain sight.' There were also failures in vetting, with Couzens hiding the level of debt that he was in and exaggerating the amount of time he spent in the Territorial Army. Couzens failed vetting to become a regular officer in 2008, but was allowed to remain as a special with all the same powers as a regular constable and was permitted to work alone. When he joined the Civil Nuclear Constabulary, an outside force - Thames Valley Police - carried out vetting and found that he should not be recruited, in line with rules around officers with heavy personal debts, but this was ignored. In 2018, when he joined the Metropolitan Police, a search of the Police National Database, an intelligence database, found 'no trace'. In fact there were entries about an incident in 2013 when he was reported missing from home, and an allegation of indecent exposure from 2015. These were also missed when he applied to be a firearms officer the following year. The Met told the inquiry that it would still have recruited Couzens even if this information had been available, which the report said was 'of serious concern'. While he carefully controlled how he was seen by colleagues, Couzens spent his working life in environments dominated by men that did nothing to discourage his warped beliefs, the inquiry found. The report sets out failures in vetting and the investigation into allegations of indecent exposure that meant Couzens was able to work for three different police forces despite being a sexual predator. His history of unmanaged debt, alleged sexual offending and preference for violent extreme pornography went back nearly 20 years before he committed murder. 'The evidence seen by the inquiry has shown that failures in recruitment and vetting meant Couzens was able to continue a policing career which should have been denied to him,' Lady Elish said. 'Failures in investigations into allegations of indecent exposure meant opportunities to disrupt Couzens' offending and bring his policing career to a halt were missed. 'It is clear Couzens carefully managed the impression he gave people of himself. This included the way he manipulated information on application forms and his troubled finances. The murder of Miss Everard, a marketing executive, prompted fury at the failure to protect women against male violence CCTV footage of Miss Everard captured on the night she went missing PC Samantha Lee, 29, was found to have failed to make 'the correct investigative inquiries' over two incidents of indecent exposure by Couzens How 'Officer Naughty' Met PC was sacked after failing to properly investigate Couzens A policewoman who called herself 'Officer Naughty' was sacked for gross misconduct after lying about her investigation into Wayne Couzens over two incidents of flashing. PC Samantha Lee, 29, was found to have failed to make 'the correct investigative inquiries' over two incidents when Couzens exposed himself to female members of staff at a McDonald's restaurant in Swanley, Kent, on February 14 and 27, 2021. Lee attended the restaurant on March 3 and interviewed manager Sam Taylor, hours before Sarah Everard was kidnapped, raped and murdered by the serving Metropolitan Police firearms officer. Lee was also found to have been dishonest about her actions when later questioned about the interview, claiming that she believed that CCTV at the restaurant was deleted automatically so there would be no footage of Couzens or the offence. A simple computer check of the CCTV would have revealed Couzens was the registered owner of the black SEAT Exeo and given his home address. Lee told the misconduct hearing last year that she did not know she was in charge of the case and went on leave after the visit, assuming someone else would check it out further 'in a few days'. But she was found guilty of gross misconduct and sacked. Advertisement 'It also included the way he shared his callous views towards women with only a very small group of like-minded people on a social media group. 'This all enabled him to target vulnerable women while operating in plain sight as an apparently unremarkable officer. 'However, the fact remains that three separate police forces allowed him the privilege of being a police officer when they could and should have stopped him.' Speaking to journalists as the report was published, Lady Elish said work would have to be done to ensure there 'isn't enough Couzens operating in plain sight'. She remembered Miss Everard 'whose life was cut short by the most unimaginable cruelty', and paid tribute to her family saying: 'I have been profoundly affected by their grief, and their grace in suffering.' Lady Elish continued: 'Sarah's murder by an off-duty police officer shocked the nation. It triggered a surge of discourse about women's safety in public spaces and started a tidal wave of reporting on police misconduct, particularly where officers misused their powers to commit sexual offences. 'What is already clear is how much damage Couzens has done to the social contract on which policing is based and how significant improvements are required.' James Cleverly said Miss Everard was 'failed in more ways than one by the people who were meant to keep her safe'. The Home Secretary said: 'The act of pure evil committed against Sarah shocked the nation to its core. 'My heart goes out to Sarah's family and to all the brave victims who came forward to help inform this report and drive change. Police search for Sarah Everard behind a poster of her after she went missing in 2021 Police diver recovers a mobile phone belonging to Sarah Everard from a canal in Sandwich, Kent How Sarah's terror unfolded: A timeline of the day Couzens killed the 33-year-old and tried to get away with his sick crimes February 28 Couzens books a white Vauxhall Astra from a car hire firm in Dover, Kent, using his personal details and bank card. He also purchases a roll of self-adhesive film advertised as a carpet protector on Amazon. March 2 7pm - Couzens starts a 12-hour shift at his base in West Brompton, west London. March 3 On the day of her disappearance, Sarah Everard visits a friend in the Clapham Junction area and uses her bank card to buy a bottle of wine in Sainsbury's in Brixton Hill, south London, on her way. 4.45pm - Couzens collects the hire car. 9pm - Miss Everard leaves to walk home, some 2.5 miles away. 9.13pm - She calls her boyfriend for a little over 14 minutes. 9.15pm - Miss Everard is captured alone on CCTV at the junction of Bowood Road and the South Circular. 9.28pm - The next sighting is on Cavendish Road and she is still alone. 9.32pm - Miss Everard is caught on the camera on a marked police car. 9.35pm - A bus camera captures two figures on Poynders Road standing beside a white Vauxhall Astra parked on the pavement with hazard lights flashing. 9.38pm - Another bus camera captures the same vehicle with the two front car doors open. March 4 1am - Having travelled out of London, the car is in the Tilmanstone area of Kent. 8.30am - Couzens returns the hire car used in the abduction. 8.10pm - Miss Everard is reported missing by her boyfriend, Josh Lowth. March 5 The case is escalated and the Specialist Crime Unit becomes involved. Couzens, who is due to be off until March 8, reports to work that he is suffering with stress. 2pm - He buys two green rubble bags for 9.94 at B&Q in Dover. March 6 Couzens emails his supervisor that he no longer wants to carry a firearm. He orders a tarpaulin and a bungee cargo net on Amazon which are shipped to him the next day. March 8 The officer reports in sick on the day he is due to return to work. March 9 7.11pm - Couzens' phone is wiped of all data. 7.50pm - Couzens is arrested at his home in Deal, Kent. In a brief interview, he tells a story about being threatened by an Eastern European gang. March 10 At around 4.45pm, a body is discovered in a wooded area in Ashford, Kent, and later formally identified by dental records. It is around 100 metres from land bought by Couzens in 2019. March 11 Couzens answers 'no comment' in formal interviews. March 12 8.45pm: Couzens is charged with the kidnapping and murder of Miss Everard. Advertisement 'The man who committed these crimes is not a reflection on the majority of dedicated police officers working day in, day out to help people. 'But Sarah was failed in more ways than one by the people who were meant to keep her safe, and it laid bare wider issues in policing and society that need to be urgently fixed. 'In the three years since, a root-and-stem clean-up of the policing workforce has been underway and we have made huge strides - as well as making tackling violence against women and girls a national policing priority to be treated on par with terrorism. 'But we will continue to do everything in our power to protect women and girls. I am grateful to Lady Elish for her meticulous investigation. Her insights will be invaluable as we move forward in supporting our police to build forces of the highest standards of integrity and regain the trust of the British public.' Met commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said: 'There is nothing we can say to the family of Sarah Everard and all those who loved her that will convey how very sorry we are. 'Wayne Couzens' crimes were horrific. The fact that he abused his position as a Metropolitan Police officer to carry them out represents the most appalling betrayal of trust. 'It damages the relationship between the public and the police and exposes long-standing fundamental flaws in the way we decide who is fit to be a police officer and the way we pursue those who corrupt our integrity once they get in. 'The report published today is an urgent call to action for all of us in policing. 'We must go further and faster to earn back the trust of all those whose confidence in policing has been shaken by events of recent years. 'Regardless of our significant progress over the past year, the scale of the change that is needed inevitably means it will take time and it is not yet complete. 'The majority of my Met colleagues share my determination to reform by both confronting the risk posed by predatory men in policing, and also, improving our protection of women and children across London.' Mayor of London Sadiq Khan vowed to ensure 'lessons are learned' from the Angiolini Inquiry. Mr Khan, who is also the equivalent of the police and crime commissioner for the capital, said in a statement: 'The report by Dame Elish Angiolini shines a light on systematic failings in police investigations, vetting and the handling of misconduct allegations. We all need to closely examine and consider all the findings of the inquiry. 'I'm determined to ensure lessons are learned and acted upon quickly by the police as part of a process of major reform - not just in London, but across the country - to raise standards, strengthen vetting and, above all else, prevent anything like this from ever happening again.' He added that police regulations must be 'strengthened' to make it harder for those who have faced serious allegations about their behaviour to join any police force. 'And police disciplinary processes must be reformed to make it easier and quicker to remove officers who fall below the high standards rightly expected of those who are entrusted to keep us safe,' he said. 'As I have been saying for some time, the public deserve better from the Met and police forces across the country. There must be no hiding place for those who abuse their position of trust and authority within the police.' The inquiry continues in two parts, looking at the crimes of David Carrick and looking at wider problems within the police in the wake of both cases. WeightWatchers took a pounding in early trading Thursday after it was revealed that media icon Oprah Winfrey will leave its board this year, months after she admitted to taking weight loss medications. The shares fell 23.5 percent to $2.92 in premarket hours on Thursday and have more than halved in value so far this year. Short interest for the stock stood at 17.5 percent of the outstanding shares. as of Feb. 28. Just this week, the company produced figures which showed that it lost $88 million in the last three months of 2023. Over twice what it lost during the same period in 2022. Late on Wednesday, WW International said the talk show host, who has been a board member since 2015, will not be standing for re-election at the 2024 annual shareholder meeting. Winfrey has been in the spotlight in recent months, following her public announcement about using prescription medication to manage her weight. In 2023, Oprah shocked the world by admitting to waking weight loss medications Just this week, WeightWatchers produced figures which showed that it lost $88 million in the last three months of 2023 Currently, there are two approved treatments in the United States for chronic weight management - Novo Nordisk's Wegovy and Eli Lilly's Zepbound. Winfrey will donate the shares of the company owned by her to the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), WeightWatchers said, adding the decision would 'eliminate any perceived conflict of interest around her taking weight loss medications.' She owned 1.13 million shares worth $6.34 million as of Jan. 1, LSEG data showed. Winfrey also intends to donate any future proceeds from her WW stock options to NMAAHC. WW International has a lower forward price-to-earnings multiple - a common benchmark to value stocks - of 13.55 compared to 17.21 for its peer USANA Health Services. However in March, the company announced that it was getting into the prescription weight loss business. Sequence is a telehealth provider that offers users access to drugs used to treat diabetes and obesity under the brand names including Ozempic, Wegovy and Trulicity. The drugs all work by the same mechanism: They trigger the release of insulin, block sugar production in the liver and suppress appetite. WeightWatchers offers subscribers meal plans with the goal of losing excess weight. With the acquisition of Sequence, it is tapping into a red-hot market for prescription drugs that address obesity, and broadening what it offers to customers. Germany faced fury today after Chancellor Olaf Scholz claimed British troops are helping Ukraine launch long-range missiles at Russian forces. An extraordinary spat has erupted after Mr Scholz declared he will not hand long-range Taurus missiles to Kyiv as it would require German troops to assist on the ground. He argued that following the lead of the UK and France would make his nation a 'participant in the war.' But Tories branded the comments 'dangerous', 'irresponsible' and a 'slap in the face' for NATO allies. He was also accused of giving Vladimir Putin and excuse for 'escalation'. Underlining the risks of Mr Scholz's words, Mr Putin used an annual speech today to claim NATO and the West are 'preparing to strike' Russian territory and warn that he is ready to retaliate with nuclear weapons. Scholz said on Monday that he would not deliver German-made long-range missiles as it would require German troops to assist on the ground Though it is known that the UK provides Ukraine with intelligence on Russian targets, it is not currently known to what extend support is given to Ukrainian troops in direct military action Underlining the risks of Mr Scholz's words, Mr Putin used an annual speech today to claim NATO and the West are 'preparing to strike' Russian territory and warn that he is ready to retaliate with nuclear weapons In his controversial intervention on Monday, Mr Scholz said: 'What is being done in the way of target control and accompanying target control on the part of the British and the French can't be done in Germany. Everyone who has dealt with this system knows that. 'German soldiers must at no point and in no place be linked to targets [the Taurus] system reaches.' Former defence secretary Ben Wallace told the Standard: 'Scholz's behaviour has showed that as far as the security of Europe goes he is the wrong man, in the wrong job at the wrong time... 'Time and time again Germany has been last to help Ukraine. At every stage they have had to be pushed or embarrassed into doing anything. That isn't leadership that is followship. 'Scholz's latest gaffe shows that when his excuses are exposed he lashes out with not only dangerous use of facts but also often wrong facts.' Ex-minister Tobias Ellwood told the Telegraph: 'This is a flagrant abuse of intelligence deliberately designed to distract from Germany's reluctance to arm Ukraine with its own long-range missile system. This will no doubt be used by Russia to ratchet up the escalator ladder.' Britain and France have long since announced that they were sending Storm Shadow and Scalp long-range missiles, respectively, to Ukraine. On Tuesday, it was revealed that the UK had also stationed a 'small number' of troops in Ukraine in a support capacity, specifying only that some were involved in medical training. Though it is known that the UK provides Ukraine with intelligence on Russian targets, it is not currently known to what extend support is given to Ukrainian troops in direct military action. The intelligence community has lashed out at Scholz for his comments. Justin Crump, chief executive of Sibylline, an intelligence consultancy, told the newspaper: 'British support to Ukraine is hardly news to Moscow given repeated leaks, but this has previously been veiled in ambiguity itself drawing on a trick from Russia's own playbook. 'Scholz though has more clearly pierced this veil. His assertion is a gift to Russian propagandists, already forming a key part of Russia's effort to undermine NATO cohesion and support for Kyiv during this critical period ahead of US and UK elections.' 'More immediately, it will drive Russia to redouble efforts to target foreign forces present in Ukraine and make inflated claims of losses.' Norbert Rottgen, a senior MP from Angela Merkel's former ruling party, the CDU added: 'The chancellor's statement regarding France and Britain's alleged involvement in operating long-range cruise missiles used in Ukraine is completely irresponsible.' The Prince of Wales today made his first public appearance since pulling out of the memorial service for his godfather, the late King Constantine II of Greece. Prince William visited the Western Marble Arch Synagogue in central London to take part in discussions about the rise in anti-Semitism in Britain. He met with Holocaust survivors Renee Salt, as well as young people who have taken part in the Holocaust Educational Trust's flagship 'Lessons from Auschwitz' project. He was given a bouquet of flowers for Kate as he stood with Rabbi Daniel Epstein, who has headed up the Marble Arch synagogue since 2021 with his wife Illana William told attendees: 'Prejudice has no place in society. I've said it before and I'll say it again. I want you all to know you can talk about it and your experiences. 'Both Catherine and I are extremely concerned about the rise in anti-Semitism that you guys have talked about this morning and I'm just so sorry if any of you have had to experience that. 'It has no place... that's why I'm here today to reassure you all that people do care and people do listen and we can't let that go.' The engagement was originally planned to coincide with Holocaust Memorial Day last month and the Princess of Wales was also due to attend. The event had to be postponed due to the Princess's abdominal surgery last month. The Prince of Wales today made his first public appearance since pulling out of the memorial service for his godfather, the late King Constantine II of Greece Prince William visited the Western Marble Arch Synagogue in central London to take part in discussions about the rise in anti-Semitism in Britain Prince William previously met Mr Goldberg during his visit with the Princess of Wales to the former Stutthof concentration camp in what is now Poland in 2017. The Lessons from Auschwitz project sees young people across the UK learn about the history of the Holocaust. They are taken on visits to the site of the former death camp Auschwitz-Birkenau, where more than one million Jews were murdered by the Nazis. Karen Pollock CBE, Chief Executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust said: 'Today His Royal Highness reminded us that antisemitism is not only a problem for the Jewish community but for all society. 'He listened to young Jewish students who are facing a deluge of anti-Semitic hate on campus share their personal experiences of this anti-Jewish hate and he met young Holocaust Educational Trust Ambassadors, who are campaigning against antisemitism despite not being Jewish themselves. 'He spent time with Holocaust survivor Renee Salt BEM. When she was liberated nearly 80 years ago, she never could have imagined that once again, within her lifetime, there would be a global explosion of antisemitism. 'His Royal Highness' visit sends a powerful message that Britain is a country where Jews - whether Holocaust survivors who came to find sanctuary or young Jewish students are welcome and celebrated. 'He reminds us that even in the darkest days, the Jewish community is not alone. 'We thank His Royal Highness for his leadership on this issue and we are so grateful for his unwavering support for our cause and our community.' Crown Prince Pavlos, 56, the current head of the former Greek royal family, gave a reading at St George's Chapel, Windsor, in William's stead this week after the prince pulled out with 45 minutes' notice due to what Kensington Palace would only describe as 'personal reasons'. The Prince of Wales was due to read from Revelation 21:1-7, a popular verse of the Bible for funerals - but a moved Pavlos stood up instead to say: 'God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away'. Prince William speaks with Renee Salt, 94, a Holocaust survivor, at the Western Marble Arch Synagogue Prince William receives a bouquet of flowers for his wife Catherine, Princess of Wales, during his visit at the Western Marble Arch Synagogue, in London Rabbi Daniel Epstein shows Britain's Prince William a 17th century Torah scroll as he visits the Western Marble Arch Synagogue He met with Holocaust survivor Renee Salt, as well as young people who have taken part in the Holocaust Educational Trust's flagship 'Lessons from Auschwitz' project The official YouTube film from inside St George's Chapel, where Elizabeth II was laid to rest in September 2022, also showed the poignant moment Queen Camilla stood for the national anthem with her husband absent because he is battling cancer. Earlier in the service, at one point, she appeared to wipe away a tear. Charles III would have been there to lead the Royal Family but is receiving hospital treatment so has taken a complete break from royal duties. Buckingham Palace has said that his cancer has been caught early and His Majesty is 'wholly positive'. On the same day as the memorial service, it emerged that Thomas Kingston had died. The sudden death of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent's son-in-law has left the Royal Family and friends in a state of deep shock. But this was not the reason for William's absence, it later emerged. The late Constantine II was William's godfather, close to the Queen and a dear friend and sailing partner of Prince Philip. Queen Camilla was instead the most senior member of the Royal Family in attendance - with Prince Andrew also enjoying a prominent role as he led fellow royals on foot to the service at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle. No further detail was given on William's absence, and it is not known if it relates to his wife the Princess of Wales's recovery after her abdominal surgery last month, although royal sources insisted she was still 'doing well' at home. William, pictured on February 20, said he missed the service at St George's Chapel for 'personal reasons' - but no further details were given The King has been seen at Sandringham going to church each Sunday but public duties have been paused William was last seen at the Baftas on February 18, while Kate has not been seen since Christmas at Sandringham. Kate will remain away from official royal engagements until after Easter following her surgery. As for Charles, he was at Windsor Castle earlier in the day but left before the service began - with the reception afterwards hosted by Camilla. The King was later photographed waving while being driven into Clarence House, his London residence. Meanwhile Andrew was present front and centre with Sarah, Duchess of York and his daughter Princesses Beatrice - along with her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi - because it was deemed a personal family event. It is also understood that the Duke of York was attending the service as a member of the British Royal Family and had been invited by the Greek Royal Family. Andrew's other daughter Princess Eugenie was not in attendance. In Charles's absence from public duties, Camilla has become the most senior royal performing engagements. A Colorado businesswoman and her fiance have been awarded a total of $21million after a jury decided her ex-husband lied about her new partner sexually abusing their children. Cindy Hayek, 54, and her fiance Kenny Hamp were victims of a defamation campaign by her fracking tycoon ex Steven Herron, who lied in order to get custody of their now 17-year-old daughter and twin 13-year-old sons. She and Herron divorced in 2016 and were granted shared custody of their kids. But Hamp was arrested and charged with felony child abuse in 2019 - just a day after he and Hayek announced their engagement. Earlier the same year, Hayek, an oil and gas geologist who also owns a clothing store, had won a $10.5 million settlement after she sued her ex for fraud, claiming he owed her money from the $90million sale of his fracking company. Hayek, who lives in a stunning $8 million home in Steamboat Springs, eventually had her time with her children restricted after she refused to say Hamp had abused the kids. Cindy Hayek, 54, and her now-fiance Kenny Hamp (pictured) were victims of a smear campaign by her fracking tycoon ex Steven Herron Herron lied in order to get custody of their now 17-year-old daughter and twin 13-year-old sons 'I was asked to choose between my children and the truth. And for four years, I had to choose the truth,' the businesswoman told FOX31. Herron was then awarded full custody of their three children, and moved with them to Hawaii in 2021. 'Its the worst thing you could ever be accused of,' Hamp told the local outlet. 'It was humiliating, shaming, ruining my reputation.' Herron's false allegations began with a trip to the doctor where he claimed one of his sons was complaining about a 'wedgie.' But when interviewed by forensic investigators, his son admitted the father was the one to inform him that he had supposedly been sexually abused by Hamp. 'He said, "You have been sexually assaulted." And then he took me into my room,' one of the sons told detectives about Herron. Footage of an interview between Herron and Steamboat Springs police shows a detective telling him he would try to get the child abuse charge against Hamp upgraded to sex assault. Herron then said to the cop: 'I would fu***** hug you right now.... 'You made my fu***** day brother, like youre on my Christmas card list right now.' Terry Duffin, a court-appointed parenting supervisor, told FOX31 she did not believe the children were abused and did not see evidence of trauma. Meanwhile, she said, Herron showed signs of a scorned ex. 'He for quite a while spoke angrily about how mom got money she didnt deserve,' Duffin said. 'Steve was very, very angry that mom was even still around, and he was trying to eliminate her from the childrens lives. Thats what it felt like.' Footage of an interview between Herron and Steamboat Springs police shows a detective telling him he would try to get the child abuse charge against Hamp upgraded to sex assault 'I was asked to choose between my children and the truth. And for four years, I had to choose the truth,' the businesswoman told FOX31 Hakek's home in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, is pictured above The case against Hamp was dismissed in 2020 after prosecutors decided there was not enough evidence to convict him. Then, in 2021, the Colorado Department of Human Services assigned a settlement declaring the 'findings were overturned' regarding the child sexual abuse claims. However, she was still unable to see her children and regain custody. Hayek then filed a civil lawsuit against her ex, arguing Herron doctor shopped and lied to police and social workers in order to push his lies of child abuse against Hamp. She said Herron used 'abrasions on the buttocks' of one of their sons as evidence, but that they likely came from long bike-riding sessions. The lawsuit stated Herron repeatedly told the child, eight years old at the time, that he was abused until the child believed it. Following a five-week trial that concluded in November, Hayek was awarded $7.6 million and Hamp was awarded nearly $13.68 million by a jury. Hakey now plans to ask a domestic relations judge to grant her re-integration therapy with her children, who she has not been allowed to speak to since a Zoom visit in January 2021 The jury found Herron guilty of defamation, conspiracy, outrageous conduct, abuse of process and malicious prosecution. Hakey said, however, that she has spent nearly $8million of her own money in the custody battle and subsequent trial, meaning she's still been left out of pocket. She now plans to ask a domestic relations judge to grant her re-integration therapy with her children, who she has not been allowed to speak to since a Zoom visit in January 2021. Herron claimed during the trial the mother and her children have no relationship anymore. READ MORE: Mum admits strangling her baby to threaten his father Tied cord around baby's neck and shoved socks in his mouth A young mother who admitted to tying a cord around her seven-month-old baby's neck and stuffing socks in his mouth before she sent the disturbing footage and photos to her ex has avoided jail time. Holly Anne Maxwell, 27, admitted to filming various assaults on her infant son to 'emotionally manipulate' the boy's father following the couple's split in late 2022. The former nurse was sentenced to an 18-month intensive supervision order on Wednesday after she previously pleaded guilty to four charges in Perth Magistrates Court. Maxwell has also been ordered to engage in the relevant services from parental lessons to anger management and drug rehabilitation programs. Holly Anne Maxwell was sentenced to an 18-month intensive supervision order Magistrate Robert Young described her actions as 'inherently dangerous'. 'The worst thing any parent can do is use their child as a weapon,' Magistrate Robert Young said. Maxwell flipped her middle finger and poked her tongue out at media crews as she left court. In his sentencing, the Magistrate said he did not want to minimise the mother's suffering from post-natal depression, ABC News reported. Maxwell fell pregnant four months after starting a relationship with the father, with the pair moving in together not long after. The 27-year-old had felt 'trapped' while in the relationship, her lawyer Margot Perling told the court. The lawyer added Maxwell had been struggling as a new mum and had been crying out for help. In footage sent to the baby's father and his mother, Maxwell could be heard screaming 'I'm going to f****** flog this c***, I'm going to kill this c***', and 'he's going to get hurt'. Another video showed the baby crying in the back of a car while Maxwell screamed that she could not 'stand being stuck alone with this c***'. A photo of her hand around the baby's neck sent to her ex-partner was accompanied with the message: 'I'll f***ing hurt him so bad to f*** with your feelings like you have mine. Don't think I won't.' The court heard that Maxwell split from the baby's father in late 2022 and that the 'graphic' photos and videos were used as a way to 'emotionally manipulate' and scare him Prosecutors previously told the court that the videos were so graphic that police had 'protected' staff from viewing them. The child was taken to Perth Children's Hospital but sustained no lasting injuries and is now in the care of his maternal grandmother. Maxwell pleaded three counts of assault and one count of impeding another person's normal breathing. Maxwell now sees her son three times a week and is doing 'everything to get him back'. Hamas has accused the IDF of opening fire in a 'massacre' on Thursday that has left more than 100 dead near Gaza City, but Israel says Palestinians were killed when panicked truck drivers were surrounded and tried to drive through the crowd. Israeli sources confirmed troops opened fire at 'several people' after feeling threatened by crowds near the aid point. A witness said that the violence unfolded when thousands of people desperate for food rushed towards aid trucks at the western Nabulsi roundabout. 'Trucks full of aid came too close to some army tanks that were in the area and the crowd, thousands of people, just stormed the trucks,' the witness said, declining to be named for safety reasons. 'The soldiers fired at the crowd as people came too close to the tanks.' The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry said the death toll has reached 107 and hundreds more were injured. An Israeli government spokesperson described it as a tragedy and said initial indications showed that deaths were caused by delivery drivers ploughing into a surging crowd. 'At some point the trucks were overwhelmed and the people driving the trucks, which were Gazan civilian drivers, ploughed into the crowds of people, ultimately killing, my understanding is, tens of people,' spokesperson Avi Hyman told reporters. 'It's obviously a tragedy but we're not sure of the specifics quite yet.' Aerial photos released by the IDF purport to show the scene as Palestinians attempted to obtain food from aid trucks. Heartbreaking footage also shows clusters of people surrounding several vehicles in scenes of desperation. The White House said on Thursday it is looking into reports of Israeli fire on Palestinians waiting for aid, describing it as a 'serious incident'. An Al Jazeera published videos that claim to show the aftermath of the alleged shooting. People appear to run away and take cover in one, while injured civilians are taken away in another Aerial photos released by the IDF purport to show the scene as Palestinians attempted to obtain food from aid trucks in Gaza 'We mourn the loss of innocent life and recognize the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, where innocent Palestinians are just trying to feed their families,' a White House National Security Council spokesperson said in a statement. 'This underscores the importance of expanding and sustaining the flow of humanitarian assistance into Gaza, including through a potential temporary ceasefire.' Hamas also released a statement warning that it could stop taking part in negotiations after the incident. It said: 'The negotiations conducted by the movement's leadership are not an open process at the expense of the blood of our people.' Al Jazeera published videos which they claim show the aftermath of the alleged shooting. People appear to run away and take cover in one, while injured people are taken away in another. 'The crowd approached the forces in a manner that posed a threat to the troops, who responded to the threat with live fire,' one Israeli source said on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to speak on the incident. Witnesses claimed Israeli troops opened fire as people pulled flour and canned goods from the trucks. Ali Awad Ashqir, who had gone to get some flour for his starving family, had been waiting for two hours when violence erupted. 'At approximately 4:00 am the trucks began to arrive. The moment they arrived, the occupation army fired artillery shells and guns,' he said. 'I was hit by a bullet in the left foot and taken to Al-Shifa hospital. I was later discharged because my injuries were moderate.' A spokesperson for the IDF said they had no knowledge of shelling at the location of the shooting in northern Gaza. Military officials said the pre-dawn convoy of 30 trucks driving to northern Gaza was met by huge crowds of people trying to grab the aid they were carrying. Dozens of Palestinians were killed in the stampede and some were run over by the trucks as the drivers tried to get away, said Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, the chief military spokesperson. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' office said he 'condemned the ugly massacre conducted by the Israeli occupation army this morning against the people who waited for the aid trucks at the Nabulsi roundabout'. Medical teams were unable to cope with the volume and severity of injuries from dozens of wounded people who arrived at Al-Shifa hospital, Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra said. The head of Kamal Adwan hospital in Gaza City, Hussam Abu Safieyah, said it had received 10 dead bodies and dozens of wounded patients from the incident west of the city. 'We don't know how many there are in other hospitals,' Safieyah said. An image released by the IDF purporting to show the scene. 'At some point the trucks were overwhelmed and the people driving the trucks, which were Gazan civilian drivers, ploughed into the crowds of people, ultimately killing, my understanding is, tens of people,' Israeli government spokesperson Avi Hyman told reporters An image released by the IDF purporting to show the scene as clusters of people surrounding several of the aid trucks Doctors and nurses are looking after patients at the Kamal Edwan Hospital in Beit Lahia, in northern Gaza, on Thursday Relatives of Palestinians killed during the attack mourn as their bodies are taken from Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital morgue for burial in Deir al-Balah, Gaza, on Thursday A man lies on the floor as Palestinians receive medical care at Kamal Edwan Hospital in Beit Lahia, in northern Gaza, on Thursday Palestinians carry the bodies of those killed in the attack from Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital morgue for burial in Deir al-Balah, Gaza, on Thursday Palestinians mourn near a body at Kamal Edwan Hospital in Beit Lahia, after Israeli soldiers allegedly opened fire at Gaza residents waiting for aid trucks, on Thursday Palestinians receive medical care at Kamal Edwan Hospital in Beit Lahia, in the northern Gaza Strip, after Israeli soldiers allegedly opened fire at Palestinians who rushed towards trucks loaded with humanitarian aid, on Thursday Injured Palestinians receive medical treatment in Al-Shifa Hospital after Israeli forces opened fire on people waiting for humanitarian aid trucks after reportedly feeling threatened at Al-Rashid Street in Gaza City, on Thursday Palestinians carry the bodies of those killed from Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital morgue for burial in Deir al-Balah, Gaza, on Thursday Kamel Abu Nahel, who was being treated for a gunshot wound at Al-Shifa Hospital, said he and others went to the distribution point in the middle of the night because they heard there would be a delivery of food. 'We've been eating animal feed for two months,' he added. He said Israeli troops opened fire on the crowd, causing it to scatter, with some people hiding under cars. After the shooting stopped, they returned to the trucks and the soldiers opened fire again. Nahel said he was shot in the leg and fell over and then a truck ran over his leg as it sped off. Medics arriving at the scene on Thursday found 'dozens or hundreds' lying on the ground, according to Fares Afana, the head of the ambulance service at Kamal Adwan Hospital in Gaza. He said there were not enough ambulances to collect all the dead and wounded and that some were being brought to hospitals in donkey carts. Al Jazeera video claims to show Palestinians gathering for aid before the alleged Israeli attack Palestinians mourn outside Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, where the bodies of those killed are lying outside the medical centre, on Thursday Injured Palestinians receive medical treatment in Al-Shifa Hospital after Israeli forces open fire on people waiting for humanitarian aid trucks at Al-Rashid Street in Gaza City A Palestinian is resting on a barge at Kamal Edwan Hospital in Beit Lahia, in the northern Gaza Strip, following IDF soldiers allegedly opening fire at Palestinians waiting for aid trucks Palestinians mourn near bodies at Kamal Edwan Hospital in Beit Lahia, in the northern Gaza Strip, on Thursday A Palestinian man receives medical care at Kamal Edwan Hospital in Beit Lahia, in the northern Gaza Strip, on Thursday Palestinians were brought to Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza after they were injured in the alleged shooting Bodies of Palestinians killed while waiting for humanitarian aid trucks at Al-Rashid Street, lay on the ground in shrouds at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, on Thursday Videos posted on social media showed trucks carrying many dead bodies. Reuters verified the location of one video to Nabulsi roundabout that showed several men who were motionless, as well as several wounded people. Another video, which hasn't been independently verified, showed bloodstained people being carried in a truck, medics treating people on a hospital floor, and bodies being wrapped in shrouds. 'We don't want aid like this. We don't want aid and bullets together. There are many martyrs,' one man said in a video. The war in Gaza began when Hamas sent fighters into Israel on October 7, killing around 1,200 people and seizing 253 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Hamas-run health authorities in Gaza say that 30,035 people have been confirmed killed in the enclave since then, with thousands of others believed to be buried under rubble. Another 70,457 were wounded according to the tally, but it does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in its figures. It says that women and children make up around two-thirds of those killed. Relatives of Palestinians killed during the attack mourn as their bodies are taken from Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital morgue for burial in Deir al-Balah, Gaza, on Thursday Al Jazeera video, which the news agency claims to show Palestinians gathering for aid in Gaza Relatives of Palestinians killed during the attack mourn as their bodies are taken from Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital morgue for burial in Deir al-Balah, Gaza, on Thursday Palestinians carry the bodies of those killed in the attack from Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital morgue for burial in Deir al-Balah, Gaza, on Thursday Injured Palestinians receive medical treatment in Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, on Thursday Palestinians sit by their injured relatives at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, on Thursday The ministry, which is part of the Hamas-run government in Gaza, maintains detailed records of casualties. Its counts from previous wars have largely matched those of the UN, independent experts and even Israel's own tallies. Gaza has suffered widespread devastation and has been largely isolated during the conflict. Trucks carrying food reached northern Gaza this week, the first major aid delivery to the area in a month, officials said on Wednesday. Aid groups say it has become nearly impossible to deliver humanitarian assistance in most of Gaza because of the difficulty of coordinating with the Israeli military, ongoing hostilities, and the breakdown of public order, with crowds of desperate people overwhelming aid convoys. The UN says a quarter of Gaza's 2.3 million Palestinians face starvation and around 80 per cent have fled their homes. The increasing alarm over hunger across Gaza has fuelled international calls for another ceasefire, and the US, Egypt and Qatar are working to secure a deal between Israel and Hamas for a pause in fighting and the release of some of the hostages. Mediators hope to reach an agreement before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan starts around March 10. But so far, Israel and Hamas have remained strongly opposed on their demands. Meanwhile, UN officials have warned of further mass casualties if Israel follows through on vows to attack the southernmost city of Rafah, where more than half of Gaza's population has taken refuge. They also say a Rafah offensive could decimate what remains of aid operations. Questions are mounting over the execution of a convicted killer on Wednesday night in Texas who maintained his innocence until his dying breath. Ivan Cantu, a 50-year-old Dallas man convicted over the slaying of his cousin and his cousin's fiance in 2000, won support from celebrities, politicians and even some of the jury that sentenced him to death with his cries of innocence. The damning evidence that put him on death row has been placed in doubt, including testimony from his girlfriend's brother about the murder plot that he admitted in 2022 was a lie. After he was executed by lethal injection in Huntsville last night, Kim Kardashian led backlash as she stressed Cantu was an 'innocent man' - with others arguing the abundance of doubt in his case should have afforded him at least a retrial. Ivan Cantu, a 50-year-old Dallas man convicted over the slaying of his cousin and his cousin's fiance in 2000, won support from celebrities, politicians and even some of the jury that sentenced him to death with his cries of innocence Cantu was convicted in 2001 over the murders of his cousin James Mosqueda, 27, a drug dealer, and Mosqueda's fiance Amy Kitchen, 22, (pictured together) in their home in North Dallas in November 2000 Some evidence presented at trial has been called into question, including blood-spattered jeans that testing in 2009 failed to conclusively find Cantu's DNA Cantu was convicted in 2001 over the murders of his cousin James Mosqueda, 27, a drug dealer, and Mosqueda's fiance Amy Kitchen, 22, in their home in North Dallas in November 2000. According to prosecutors, Cantu shot the couple dead as he ransacked their home, stealing cocaine, marijuana and cash from Mosqueda. Cantu has maintained that one of Mosqueda's rival drug dealers murdered the two, and claimed in his final court filing a week before his execution that 'new evidence' identified the man he believes is responsible. Cantu's insistence that he only knew of the man by the moniker 'Matt from the Valley' led prosecutors to successfully argue he fabricated the story. The case against him was mounted on testimony from Cantu's girlfriend, Amy Boettcher, who made several claims that have since been called into question. She told a jury that Cantu stole and hid Mosqueda's Rolex watch during the murders, before his attorney said the watch was later found by the victim's family - and was pictured by private investigator Matt Duff as he looked into the case years later. Duff, who released podcast 'Cousins by Blood' about his investigation, also pictured blood-stained jeans that Boettcher testified were disposed of by Cantu on the night of the slayings. However, his attorneys say a police officer who scoured the apartment the next day didn't find the clothes, which were only discovered at a later date, and DNA testing in 2009 couldn't conclusively say if Cantu's DNA was on the jeans. The Texas Tribune reported that a cop who inspected Cantu's apartment shortly after the murders signed a sworn affidavit in 2020 insisting she did not believe the bloody jeans were in the apartment when she went to carry out a welfare check at the request of his mother. The jeans were also found to be two sizes too large, and the cop who made the search testified that she was sure she would have seen them during a sweep of the apartment. Boettcher, who has since passed away also faced allegations of perjury as she claimed that Cantu proposed to her on the night of the murders, despite witnesses allegedly noting the couple had announced their engagement and displayed the ring weeks before the killings, per the Washington Post. Much of the case against Cantu (left) hinged on the testimony of his girlfriend at the time of the murders, Amy Boettcher (right), who has since passed away While not all of Cantu's supporters say they believe his cries of innocence, many have argued the abundance of doubt means his conviction was unsound. 'I cant say for sure that hes innocent - but I cant say for sure that hes guilty,' Abraham Bonowitz, head of anti-death penalty organization Death Penalty Action, reportedly said at a vigil following Cantu's execution on Wednesday. 'There's just too much doubt.' One of the issues fueling this doubt was testimony from Boettcher's brother Jeff, who told the jury that Cantu told him of his plans to kill Mosqueda. But in 2022, he admitted to a district attorney investigator that he lied, and Cantu's final court filing claims that he was 'a drug addict at the time who testified to his willingness to do anything to protect his sister because they were 'in it together.' Attorneys claim this should have been tantamount to a denial of due process, a similar claim made against Cantu's court appointed public defender in his 2001 trial. His lawyer decided not to present any counter evidence or call any witnesses at his trial, a potential strategy to plead down lesser offenses that backfired as he was slapped with the death penalty. One of his defense attorneys, Matt Goeller, who has reportedly since had his law license in Texas revoked, also faced scrutiny for his decision to admit Cantu's guilt in his final argument. 'I didn't say he was innocent. I said he's not guilty of capital murder,' Goeller said, according to Houston Public Media. Cantu has faced mounting calls for a retrial to re-examine the evidence against him, as supporters insist there is 'too much doubt' in his case for it to reach the death penalty District Attorney Greg Williss Statement on Tonights Execution of Ivan Cantu "After over two decades of multiple state and federal courts comprehensively reviewing his conviction, Ivan Cantu has finally met with justice tonight. My hopeful prayer is for the victims families, pic.twitter.com/BjnApsLzn0 Collin County DA (@collincountyda) February 29, 2024 Notably, prosecutors have maintained their stance that Cantu was the murderer, and Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis shared six pieces of 'clear and powerful evidence' on X after Wednesday's execution. Among the evidence was Cantu's fingerprints on the magazine of the murder weapon, that was later found at Boettcher's apartment. One of the victim's DNA was also found on the gun, with one of the victim's keys also found inside Cantu's apartment. A bullet was also found embedded in Cantu's wall that matched the murder weapon, and a victim's bracelet was also found inside Boettcher's family home in Arkansas. But many appear unconvinced by the 'evidence', as people responded to Willis that officials 'failed this man', as he 'didn't get a fair trial' while numerous further motions were dismissed. 'Well done for killing an innocent man. I trust you all sleep well tonight,' added another. Leading the public charge for Cantu to be exonerated before he was executed was Kim Kardashian, who picked up Cantu's case as part of her fight for clemency for dozens of inmates across America. Before the trial, Kardashian pointed her huge following to Texas Governor Greg Abbott, calling them to 'urge him to use his power to allow time for new evidence in Ivan's case to be evaluated, lest Texas execute a wrongfully convicted man.' Officials faced backlash after Cantu's execution on Wednesday, as the public hit out at them for potentially killing an 'innocent man' However, while Cantu counted other supporters including actor Martin Sheen, perhaps the most convincing calls for a retrial came from the jurors that convicted him over two decades before his execution. One of the jurors, Montra Marie Biggs, said in April 2023 she is still 'disturbed' by the case to this day and is haunted by the possibility she convicted an innocent man. 'I am disturbed by the possibility that false testimony and evidence was presented to me and the other jurors at trial,' she said. 'As a juror who served in this case, I do not want to see Mr. Cantu executed without getting a full hearing on this new information.' An Oklahoma woman born 100 years ago is celebrating her 25th birthday. Mary Lea Forsythe of Sand Springs was born on February 29, 1924 - which is a Leap Day. Because of this, the centenarian has only been able to celebrate her birthday on the actual day once every four years. Forsythe's celebrations began this year when she was honored by the Daughters of the American Revolution Osage Hills Chapter of the Centenarians of Oklahoma organization earlier this month. The organization held a ceremony for her where she was awarded a certificate. Mary Lea Forsythe of Sand Springs, Oklahoma is celebrating her '25th birthday' on February 29. She was born today, 100 years ago The Daughters of the American Revolution Osage Hills Chapter of the Centenarians of Oklahoma organization held a ceremony for her earlier this month Forsythe is one of about 500 Centenarians in Oklahoma. She attended schools in Sand Spring growing up and was in her high school's All State Chorus. 'Mary Lea loves all things musical and plays the piano and mandolin,' wrote the officials at Centenarians of Oklahoma on Facebook. 'Her favorite song is Sitting at the Feet of Jesus. Mary Lea reminds us to all read the bible.' The 100-year-old is also a mother-of-two, a grandmother-of-five, and a great-grandmother of 11 who had multiple careers. She worked as a secretary at a law firm, once aspired to earn a real estate license, and became a published author. The accomplished woman took the stage at her centenarian celebration to talk about her life and how she celebrated her birthday on non-leap years. The non-profit organization held a ceremony for her and awarded the new centenarian a proclamation Forsythe is one of about 500 Centenarians in Oklahoma. According to History.com, only 5 million individuals worldwide have a Leap Day birthday Forsythe revealed that she would always celebrate her non-leap year birthdays 'two or three times over.' 'I always thought I was blessed,' said Forsythe. 'It was so much fun.' Forsythe would occasionally celebrate her birthday on March 6, which was the birthday of her late husband, William Wayne Forsythe. She and her late spouse once spent the date in a diner that offered free breakfast to any customer celebrating their birthday. According to Forsythe, when their server questioned their birthday story, the centenarian said: 'His birthday is March 6, and mine is February 29. And there is no 29th on the calendar this year. So, mine is March 6.' The Forsythe's were high school sweethearts who were married from 1942 until his death in 2011. 'He was beautiful, he was handsome, and he had a bass voice that won first in this state when he was in high school,' she stated. Even though Forsythe will not be celebrating her special day with Wayne, she will be acknowledging the occasion with plenty of others. Forsythe revealed that she would always celebrate her non-leap year birthdays 'two or three times over' Forsythe's birthday party will take place today at her local church. She is requesting that everyone who attends the party must not bring her a gift Forsythe's party today will be taking place at her local church where 'a large gathering is planned.' 'It's just a fun time to live. I'll tell you, it's a great time to live,' said the birthday woman. Her number one rule for everyone attending her celebration is to not give her any gifts. A vulnerable teenager who fired gunshots at a classroom, sparking fears of Australia's first US-style school shooting, will spend at least 16 months in detention. The 15-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, took two rifles to his school, the Atlantis Beach Baptist College in Two Rocks, about 70km north of Perth, on May 24 last year. He fired three shots from his father's .243 hunting rifle, sending students and teachers scrambling for cover as two bullets hit a classroom and another a grassed area near a playground. No one was physically injured and the teen was arrested at the scene after calling triple zero and admitting what he had done, the Perth Children's Court heard on Thursday. A teenage boy who opened fire at a private school in Perth last year before he was arrested by police (pictured) will spend 16 months in detention He later pleaded guilty to eight charges, including two counts of unlawfully acting with intent to harm and endangering the lives of students and teachers. Court President Hylton Quail said during sentencing that it was an extremely serious and wicked incident. 'Fortunately no one was shot,' he said. 'Good luck prevented a tragic outcome.' Judge Quail said the teen's actions caused fear, anxiety and distress for the teachers and students. 'The offending caused the blood of every student and parent, indeed I suspect every person in West Australia who heard about it, to run cold,' he said. 'One teacher said she had never been so scared in all her life. 'All will remember this day for a very long time.' Judge Quail said the boy was intelligent and from a good home and his parents were shocked by his behaviour. He also said the teen had 'abandoned' his initial plan to kill people before he 'pulled the trigger' and accepted he was very sorry for his actions. Judge Quail sentenced the boy to three years in detention, with at least 16 months to be served before he is eligible for release. The court heard that during the call to triple zero, the boy told the operator he had initially intended to kill people and himself but didn't follow through with it to protect his siblings. The incident plunged the school into lockdown amid reports a gunman dressed in black was aiming his weapon at students in the playground. One student lay on the ground and attempted to use a backpack as cover, causing a teacher to fear he had been shot. Others ran into classrooms and hid under tables and in cupboards and storerooms. Police rushed to the scene (pictured) following the incident and the boy who fired the gunshots dialled triple zero and admitted to authorities what he had done The terrifying incident occurred at Atlantis Beach Baptist College in Two Rocks (pictured stock image) about 70km north of Perth The boy, who was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder and was suffering a depressive episode at the time, started planning the shooting months earlier after being bullied and targeted by gossip. The court heard he made dozens of internet searches for information about school shootings, massacres and the age of criminal responsibility. Four days before he pulled the trigger, the teen 'talked a lot about mass shootings in the US' during a discussion with a friend. He told another the night before the incident to stay home the following day because he was going to shoot the college. Neither took him seriously. The next morning he unlocked his dad's gun safe and removed two rifles before driving his father's four-wheel-drive to the school. Judge Quail previously said there was no legal record of a school shooting in Australia before the boy's offending. Lifeline 13 11 14 Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 (for people aged 5 to 25) Perman, a former DEA agent who is now in the private sector also shared that the now-dead influencer had once been chased in LA by a knife-wielding man Her husband, Karl Perman has now revealed that the pair had decided to move to Cancun from LA after she began to feel unsafe in the city The DEA agent whose glamorous wife was shot dead in Tulum says that the couple felt safer in Mexico than their hometown Los Angeles - and that they moved there to escape crime. Niko Honarbakhsh, 44, was shot by a stray bullet when she was caught in the crossfire of a drug cartel dispute at the Mia Beach Club on February 9. The influencer was living in Cancun but originally from Los Angeles, California, splitting her time between her Beverly Hills home and her condominium abroad over the last five years. But after her murder, Karl Perman, a former DEA agent and her husband of nearly 15 years revealed that Honarbakhsh had begun to feel unsafe in LA, much due to the rising levels of crime and homelessness. He said that his wife felt especially scared whenever he would travel for his current work in the private energy sector. The couple then decided it was best for them to move Cancun, believing it may be safer. Niko Honarbakhsh, 44, was reportedly shot by a stray bullet when she was caught in the crossfire of a drug cartel dispute at the Mia Beach Club on February 9 But after her unfortunate murder, Karl Perman, a former DEA agent and her husband of nearly 15 years revealed that Honarbakhsh had begun to feel unsafe in LA, much due to the rising levels of crime and homelessness He said that Honarbakhsh felt especially scared whenever he would travel for his current work in the private energy sector The heartbroken husband told Fox News Digital: 'We were aware of the State Department advisory and we were aware of, you know, reportings of crime in this area. But honestly, our opinion was take a look at Los Angeles. 'So, actually, I feel many times, depending upon the neighborhood, safer in Cancun than I do in Los Angeles. 'I mean, Beverly Hills, different story, but most of the time I spend outside of Beverly Hills. So, I can tell you that, I feel safer. And she did as well. 'We were aware of the crime. But again, I think if you look at the statistics, probably any major metropolitan area in the U.S. would have probably a bigger crime index than Cancun itself.' The State Department's travel advisory issued last year for the state of Quintana Roo where the beach club where Honarbakhsh was shot dead is located urged visitors to 'exercise increased caution due to crime'. The heartbroken husband said: 'So, actually, I feel many times, depending upon the neighborhood, safer in Cancun than I do in Los Angeles' Honarbakhsh, 44, of Beverly Hills, California, is seen in photos from her Instagram page The State Department's travel advisory issued last year for the state of Quintana Roo where the beach club where Honarbakhsh was shot dead is located urged visitors to 'exercise increased caution due to crime' Perman also told the channel that his now-dead wife had once terrifyingly called him while being chased by a knife-wielding man as walking their dogs, Coco and Skylar on the University of California at Los Angeles campus while he was out of town. Based on his advice, Honarbakhsh quickly called 911, pounded on the law library doors for students to let her inside and also called UCLA campus police. Talking about how she was completely petrified of living in LA, Perman said: 'I'm from the Midwest, so I tend to be a little bit more, traditional, if you would, where she's from Los Angeles. So she was the creative one in the in the family. 'But, from her speaking, from what, you know, we talked about it. Definitely. That was one of her concerns. 'She was concerned about her safety. She had, just recently, she was walking the dogs, actually, on the campus of UCLA and was chased by a person with a knife.' Perman also told the channel that his now-dead wife had once terrifyingly called him while being chased by a knife-wielding man as walking their dogs, Coco and Skylar on the University of California at Los Angeles campus while he was out of town Talking about how she was completely petrified of living in LA, Perman said: 'I'm from the Midwest, so I tend to be a little bit more, traditional, if you would, where she's from Los Angeles. So she was the creative one in the in the family' Prosecutors have stressed that the Honarbakhsh had no connection to the dispute that happened at the beach club After her death, the US Embassy & Consulates in Mexico issued a new travel warning for American tourists who will be traveling to the vacation hotspots for spring break - asking them to exercise 'increased caution'. The message, posted on Monday said: 'Travel Smart Be Informed: Each year, thousands of U.S. citizens visit Mexico during spring break.' It added that 'while the vast majority travel safely,' tourists should still consider the list of specific advisories including, crime, drugs, pharmaceuticals, drownings, and more. 'U.S. citizens should exercise increased caution in the downtown areas of popular spring break locations including Cancun, Playa Del Carmen, and Tulum, especially after dark,' the message said. The warning also mentioned the potential hazards of drugs, pharmaceuticals and unregulated alcohol. It specified that drug possession of any kind, including medical marijuana is illegal in Mexico. If caught with prohibited drugs, it could result in a long jail sentence in the country. Unregulated alcohol is also prohibited and is warned to possibly be 'contaminated' and 'U.S. citizens have reported losing consciousness or becoming injured after consuming alcohol that was possibly tainted.' The U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Mexico issued a travel warning for tourists traveling to country for spring break It added that 'while the vast majority travel safely,' tourists should still consider the list of specific advisories including, crime, drugs, pharmaceuticals, drownings, and more The warning described pharmaceuticals as 'counterfeit medication' that is 'common,' but 'may prove to be ineffective' due to its strength and ingredients. 'Medication should be purchased in consultation with a medical professional and from reputable establishments,' it added. The message also noted sexual assault and said that 'U.S. citizens have been victims of rape and sexual assault.' It specifically said that 'perpetrators' might target those who are intoxicated or isolated, or that they could 'employ drugs that alter the victims physical or mental state.' The advisory also warned of drownings, noting that some beaches in the popular tourist areas tend to experience 'strong undercurrents and rip tides.' It added that lifeguards, signs and general warning are not always posted at every beach for tourists to turn to in an emergency. If medical attention is needed, the warning noted that private hospital rates are higher compared to those in the US. The advisory also touched on the topics of arrests, guns and ammunition and immigration. All guns and ammunition are considered illegal in the country, even it if it is a small amount of ammunition. If found with guns or ammunition, it could result in 'lengthy jail time,' it said. Arrests can be made for 'drunk and disorderly behavior' as well as open alcohol containers in vehicles and public urination. In terms of immigration, the warning said: 'Violating the terms of your stay in Mexico can result in steep fines and detention.' The warning then listed actions that can be taken to help prevent travelers from having a bad spring break experience. Some of the tips were to enroll in the State Department's Smart Traveler Enrollment Program to get live updates about safety conditions, drinking responsibly, monitor your bank cards, and keeping family and friends at home aware of your travel plans, among others. The Democrat district attorney in charge of prosecuting Laken Riley's alleged killer has stepped down amid criticism that she has failed to secure a single guilty verdict on her own in a criminal case. Athens-Clarke County DA Deborah Gonzalez announced on Monday she will appoint a special prosecutor, veteran lawyer Sheila Ross, to handle the murder case against undocumented immigrant Jose Ibarra for the 22-year-old nursing student's murder. Georgia governor Brian Kemp, as well as lawmakers and lawyers, have raised concerns that Gonzalez would be unable to handle the high-profile case. Athens attorney Kevin Epps told Channel 2 that he does not have confidence in Gonzalez, who had no experience prosecuting criminal cases before she became DA in 2020. 'Gonzalez has failed to achieve one guilty verdict in a jury trial involving any type of criminal case,' said Epps, who is suing Gonzalez on behalf of an Athens bar owner who claims she is unwilling to do her job. Athens-Clarke County DA Deborah Gonzalez announced on Monday she will appoint a special prosecutor to handle Laken Riley's murder case Riley, 22, had been out jogging on the University of Georgia campus when she was attacked Jose Ibarra is accused of using an unknown object as a weapon to kill the 22-year-old Augusta University student Gov Kemp also questioned the DA's ability to handle the case when asked if he believed she would get justice for Riley. 'Well, she best do that, I can tell you,' said Kemp. 'Because the whole country and the world is watching this case. Small crimes, we see it every day, lead to big crimes. And thats what weve seen in this instance.' Three victims have successfully filed cases against Gonzalez claiming her office did not inform them before their victimizers were offered plea deals, or when cases were dismissed, as the law requires. Meanwhile , a letter sent by Superior Court judges in October 2022 expressed concern about the 'efficacy, preparation, and procedural readiness' of the assistant Das in court, citing a growing backlog of cases. Gonzalez, on her part, has claimed the criticism against her office is motivated by politics and aims to prevent her from implementing progressive reforms she ran on such as eliminating cash bail. 'I want to express my gratitude to my colleagues from across Georgia who have supported our circuit during this tragic event at our flagship institution,' she said in a statement. 'We will not allow this or any other case to be used for political gain. Our top priority is the safety of every citizen, and we are fully committed to ensuring that justice is served for the loss of every life.' Gonzales' tenure has seen her office not prosecute 46 percent of charges and 130 felonies plead down, according to 11alive. DailyMail.com has reached out to Gonzalez' office for comment on this story. Sheila Ross will now oversee the case against Venezuela native Ibarra, 26, who is accused of using a mystery object to beat Riley to death on the UGA campus Athens attorney Kevin Epps told Channel 2 that he does not have confidence in Gonzalez. He is suing her on behalf of a business owner Sheila Ross will now oversee the case against Venezuela native Ibarra, 26, who is accused of using a mystery object to beat Riley to death on the UGA campus. Ibarra was arrested at his apartment complex near the running trail close to where Riley's body was found last week. Residents of the complex told NewsNation's Alex Caprariello that their security cameras captured Ibarra disposing of evidence in the building's dumpster, which they turned over to police. 'He was out here all hours of the night and day,' the neighbor said. The complex is a former hotel converted into studio apartments and Ibarra is said to have lived in one unit with four or five other migrants. The 26-year-old has been charged in Riley's killing with felony murder, false imprisonment, kidnapping and concealing the death of another. Ibarra is accused of using an unknown object as a weapon to kill the 22-year-old Augusta University student and preventing her from making a 911 call when he allegedly grabbed her between 9am and 1pm on Thursday February 22. Riley's body was found the same day on the University of Georgia campus in a forested area near Lake Herrick that includes trails popular with runners and walkers. The student had been out jogging when she was allegedly attacked by Ibarra. Ibarra, 26, was arrested at his apartment complex near the running trail close to where Riley's body was found Riley's body was found the same day on campus in a forested area near Lake Herrick that includes trails popular with runners and walkers Police said Riley died from 'blunt force trauma' after being beaten and that she suffered a 'disfigured skull'. They added that Ibarra dragged her body to a secluded area to conceal the death, according to an arrest affidavit seen by CBS News. Local police said Friday that Ibarra, who lived in Athens, apparently did not know Riley and acted alone. Video from campus security and other technology led officials to Ibarra. The day of the murder, her suspected killer uploaded a selfie onto his TikTok account in which he stared into the camera and grinned. Five months before Riley's murder, Ibarra was arrested in New York City and charged 'with acting in a manner to injure a child less than 17 and a motor vehicle license violation,' according to ICE. The NYPD released him 'before a detainer could be issued,' the agency said. Ibarra crossed into El Paso, Texas, in September 2022 but had been released from a detention center due to a lack of space. READ MORE: Pentagon report clears Lloyd Austin of any wrongdoing over secret hospital trip Reports later revealed that Austin did not tell Biden about his hospitalization until January 4, three days after he was admitted as wars raged on abroad He was then hospitalized suddenly on January 1 due to complications from his cancer procedure Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin admitted he made a mistake by not revealing he was in hospital or had cancer during a grilling on Capitol Hill cut short because of his health problems. The ailing Pentagon chief, 70, told Republicans there was a 'notification breakdown' and dismissed claims he was 'aloof' and 'irrelevant' when he revealed he often doesn't speak to President Joe Biden for days at a time. Austin walked extremely slowly down the hallway toward the hearing room Thursday morning where he is facing infuriated lawmakers trying to get to the bottom of why he failed to tell President Joe Biden about his sudden absence for three full days. He ignored DailyMail.com's question on whether he is healthy enough to perform his duties as secretary of defense. Austin acknowledged that Congress has 'legitimate concerns' about his health in his opening remarks. But he insisted that he 'never told anyone not to inform' Biden or administration officials about his hospitalization on January 1. A handful of Code Pink pro-Gaza protestors stood up inside the hearing room holding signs stating that Austin has 'blood on his hands' for supporting Israel in its war with Hamas terrorists. They held up their hands dripping in red paint before being kicked out by Capitol Police. Austin, 70, was hospitalized unexpectedly on January 1 after undergoing surgery for prostate cancer a few weeks earlier. He did not inform President Biden about his whereabouts until January 4. He also kept second-in-command Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks in the dark. 'It's totally unacceptable that it took over three days to inform the President that the Secretary of Defense was in the hospital and not in control of the Pentagon,' House Armed Services Chairman Mike Rogers said at the hearing Thursday. Austin was spotted walking extremely slowly down the hallway outside of the hearing room Code Pink pro-Gaza protestors were staged inside the hearing room holding signs stating that Austin has 'blood on his hands' He ignored DailyMail.com's question on whether he is healthy enough to perform his duties as secretary of defense Rogers also granted Austin's request to limit the length of the hearing to two hours as he is still recovering. 'We understand you are still recovering, and sitting for too long is not the best thing for your health,' Rogers said in the remarks obtained by DailyMail.com. Austin, 70, was hospitalized unexpectedly on January 1 after undergoing surgery for prostate cancer a week earlier 'So, in consultation with Ranking Member Smith, we've agreed to your request to limit your appearance before us today to two hours.' That means that not all lawmakers get to question Austin in-person. 'What's important is that the president was not aware of the break down in command and control,' Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., told Austin during the hearing. Austin responded: 'What's important is that we provide him with credible options that he can pursue to address the situation.' He claimed Deputy Secretary of Defense Hicks was informed that she had authority and that though Biden was not aware it was her in charge, that he did not break standard operating procedure. 'There was no evidence of intention to obfuscate or, you know, willingly conceal something,' Austin told lawmakers. He said his military assistants to made the decision to 'initiate the process of yielding his power to Hicks. Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., pressed Austin on how long Biden went without knowing the Defense Secretary in the hospital. 'There are times when we go days without direct communication,' Austin said of his contact with Biden. 'Mr. Secretary. our adversaries should fear us. And what you've done is embarrassed us,' Banks added. 'Either the president is that aloof or you are irrelevant,' he continued. Many House Republicans have called for his resignation for failing to inform Biden about his condition, especially as wars rage in Ukraine and Israel. Austin didn't disclose the cause of his surgery - his prostate cancer - until Jan. 9th after facing days of questions about his hospitalization. Biden learned about it the same day as the general public. The Pentagon released a report earlier this week clearing Austin of wrongdoing for his secret hospitalization, but Republicans still want answers. 'Were you conscious at the time the decision to transfer power occurred," Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., asked. Austin answered yes, but added he was not in the same room with the his staff who made that decision. Biden did not know about the Defense Secretary's January 1 hospitalization, his January 2 procedure, or his January 3 post-surgery recovery, Austin confirmed to Waltz. 'You don't know who made the decision not to inform the public?' Waltz asked. Austin answered he did not know who made the decision not to inform the public of his medical emergency. 'Nothing examined during this review demonstrated any indication of ill intent or an attempt to obfuscate,' the department concluded in its internal review. The unclassified portion was released on Monday. It found concerns about medical privacy and a rapidly changing situation were mostly to blame for why Austin's hospitalization was kept from President Joe Biden, senior Pentagon officials and the public. Inspector General Robert Storch is still conducting his formal review. When announcing it, he said his office would examine any breaches of protocol surrounding Austin's surgery for prostrate cancer, his rehospitalization for complications and the lack of disclosure to the White House and general public. The finding is unlikely to satisfy members of Congress, many of whom called for Austin's resignation. Chairman Rogers addresses the report saying he was 'led to believe' that the review 'would shed light on the matter.' However, 'it includes no explanation of why the President and his staff were left in the dark.' In addition, 'it makes no recommendations to improve communication with the White House,' Rogers will say. 'And unsurprisingly, it holds no one accountable,' he adds. SecDef didnt speak to Joe Biden for 3 days during his hospitalization, and Biden didnt notice. Either the president is incompetent or SecDef is irrelevant. Which is it? pic.twitter.com/HU0Jg3y1kg Jim Banks (@RepJimBanks) February 29, 2024 Protesters demonstrate as U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin arrives to testify before the House Armed Services Committee Austin was re-admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on February 11, reporting discomfort from a bladder issue related to his December 2023 prostate cancer surgery. He was released on February 13. He later apologized to President Biden and the American people for keeping his diagnosis a secret. He said his diagnosis with prostate cancer as a 'gut punch' and said it 'shook' him personally. 'I was being treated for prostate cancer. The news shook me and I know it shakes so many others, especially in the black community. It was a gut punch,' he said. A furious Donald Trump defended his 'greatest properties in the world' and the success of his real estate company as he lashed out at a New York judge rejecting his bid to post $100 million bond in the fraud case. The former president also defended his company, which he argued was only under attack because of his political success as a Republican. A New York appeals court shut down his bid to pay a bond of only $100 million after his lawyers warned he may have to sell his assets to cover the full amount. The 77-year-old does have a financial lifeline if a merger between his Truth Social network and Digital World Acquisition Corporation goes through. But he only has 17 days to to either pay the fine in full or get the cash together to pay the bond. I did nothing wrong, except build a successful and very liquid company, owning some of the Greatest Properties in the World, and defeat Hillary Rodham Clinton and the Democrats in the 2016 Presidential Election, an Election which a Republican was not expected to win, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. Former President Donald Trump expressed ongoing frustration Thursday evening over his conviction in his New York civil fraud trial requiring him him to pay a $453.2 million bond Trump had only 30 days from the date of the ruling - February 16 - in which he either has to pay the entire amount or post bond. Trumps lawyers said Thursday the former president would post a bond of $100 million, arguing that Trumps company could not secure the full amount to pay the exorbitant and punitive amount leveled by the judge. New York Attorney General Letitia James continues taunting Trump after the ruling, posting updates of the rising fee on social media. The fee increases by $111,984 in interest per day. James has even threatened to seize some of Trumps buildings in New York City to pay the punishing fine. 'If he does not have funds to pay off the judgment, then we will seek judgment enforcement mechanisms in court, and we will ask the judge to seize his assets', she told ABC News last week. The former president claimed he was being persecuted because of his political success, pointing out he was dominating his Democratic opponent Joe Biden in the polls New York Attorney General Letitia James continues taunting Trump after the ruling, posting updates of the rising fee on social media. The fee increases by $111,984 in interest per day One potential financial lifeline for the president is his proposed merger between his Truth Social network and the Digital World Acquisition Corporation, a deal that could be worth as much as $4 billion if it closes. The company is expected to vote on the merger with Trump media on March 22. The former president claimed he was being persecuted because of his political success, pointing out he was dominating his Democratic opponent Joe Biden in the polls. This is a Weaponized Attack on Joe Bidens Political Opponent, unlike anything that has happened in the History of the United States, he said, repeating that the entire case was a Political Witch Hunt. He warned the unjust ruling would only motivate more businesses to leave the state of New York, which would lead to its destruction as businesses would leave by the thousands. We will continue to appeal until Justice prevails! Trump concluded. If you fancy travelling back in time then look no further than Barton-on-Sea where you can buy your own slice of 1940s beach-side bliss. For just 69,999 you can own an authentic WW2 Hampshire beach hut with stunning views of the Isle of Wight. The hut includes a vintage kitchen and lounge area as well as a 12-foot wide decking for dining and and 'uninterrupted view of stunning sunsets at the Isle of Wight and Purbecks'. The cabin is such a hit it was even featured on Britains Best Beach Huts, a Channel 4 series that premiered in 2023. In this three-part series, craftsman Jay Blades and interior design expert Laura Jackson travel the UKs coastline in search of the great British beach hut. For just 69,999 you can own an authentic WW2 Hampshire beach hut with stunning views of the Isle of Wight The hut includes a vintage kitchen and lounge area as well as a 12-foot wide decking for dining The cabin is such a hit it was even featured on Britains Best Beach Huts, a Channel 4 series that premiered in 2023. If you fancy travelling back in time then look no further than Barton-on-Sea where you can buy your own slice of 1940s beach-side bliss Promising to find 'quirky coastal cubbyholes to half-a-million-pound hideaways', Jay and Laura battle it out each episode to find the best cabin to fit the theme, from historical to double-decker inspired. In the three-part series, craftsman Jay Blades and interior design expert Laura Jackson travel the UKs coastline in search of the great British beach hut. The cabin which features on the first episode is 'suitable for a family or a couple who simply want extra space,' reads the listing. 'The beach is dog friendly. This is a local and not commercial beach, meaning when you are at the hut, you are far away from daily pressures and in the magical world of yesteryear. 'New block of toilets and shower are set up at the end of row. Drinking water tap is available approx. 164 feet from the hut. 'The hut features double glass doors and windows, which means that it can be used throughout the year. It also has a gas heater for winters.' The time-capsule beach hut is one of the 20,000 wooden cabins that line the coast. And beach huts are a highly sought after summer staple - only two years ago, a beach hut in Dorset went up for sale as for a staggering 450,000 Dorset Live reported. The hut came with an eye-watering price tag despite the fact that it didn't come with electrical mains, washing facilities and didn't even face the sea. A Holocaust survivor told Prince William today that she misses the Princess of Wales 'so much' as he made his first public appearance since pulling out of the memorial service for his godfather, the late King Constantine II of Greece. The Prince of Wales arrived in pouring rain at the Western Marble Arch Synagogue in central London to take part in discussions about the rise in anti-Semitism in Britain - as Kate continues to recover following abdominal surgery last month. Karen Pollock, chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, gave William a bouquet of flowers for Kate as they stood with Rabbi Daniel Epstein, who has headed up the Marble Arch synagogue since 2021 with his wife Illana. William then met with Holocaust survivor Renee Salt, as well as young people who have taken part in the HET's flagship 'Lessons from Auschwitz' project. Ms Salt, 94, told William, who put on a Jewish kippah: 'I'm sorry, I'm sure that if your wife would've been well, she would've been here. I miss her so much. Give her my best wishes, please.' Prince William receives a bouquet of flowers for his wife Catherine from Karen Pollock, chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust,, during his visit to the Western Marble Arch Synagogue, in London She spoke of her experiences at a Nazi concentration camp, prompting William to ask: 'How did you manage?' She replied: 'It wasn't easy. Somehow I survived.' William reached out and held her hand when she described how her family were affected by the rise in antisemitism in recent months. William told her: 'I'm so sorry it's got to this stage, it will get better.' He added: 'We were going to come closer to the Holocaust memorial day but unfortunately we had to move it but glad to be able to meet today.' The Prince of Wales had earlier told students at the synagogue: 'Anti-Semitism has no place in society. Prejudice has no place in society. I've said it before and I'll say it again. I want you all to know you can talk about it and your experiences. 'Both Catherine and I are extremely concerned about the rise in anti-Semitism that you guys have talked about this morning and I'm just so sorry if any of you have had to experience that. 'It has no place... that's why I'm here today to reassure you all that people do care and people do listen and we can't let that go.' The engagement was originally planned to coincide with Holocaust Memorial Day last month and the Princess of Wales was also due to attend. The event had to be postponed due to the Princess's stint in hospital. Prince William meets with Holocaust survivor Renee Salt, 94, at the Western Marble Arch Synagogue Ms Salt said she misses Kate 'so much' as she told him about her fears of the rise in anti-Semitism Prince William wears a kippah as he visits the Western Marble Arch Synagogue Rabbi Daniel Epstein and his wife Ilana show Prince William sections of the Syangogue after his arrival today The Prince of Wales talks to young people during a visit to the Western Marble Arch Syangogue The Prince of Wales today made his first public appearance since pulling out of the memorial service for his godfather, the late King Constantine II of Greece Prince William visited the Western Marble Arch Synagogue in central London to take part in discussions about the rise in anti-Semitism in Britain The Lessons from Auschwitz project sees young people across the UK learn about the history of the Holocaust. They are taken on visits to the site of the former death camp Auschwitz-Birkenau, where more than one million Jews were murdered by the Nazis. Edward Isaacs, 22, President of the Union of Jewish Students, told William: 'We've truly seen an explosion of anti-Semitism on campus. 'We've seen not only numbers increase but severity too, we've seen Jewish students receive death threats and physically assaulted on campus too.' William asked: 'How does it make you all feel, how personally does it feel?' Edward replied: 'Students find it dehumanising. Jewish students just want to get on and live their life.' Emma Levy, 19, President of Leeds Jewish Society, said: 'I didn't think it would ever get to this. I'm shocked that this is our reality.' She also told William 'it's never been like this before'. Karen Pollock CBE, Chief Executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust said: 'Today His Royal Highness reminded us that antisemitism is not only a problem for the Jewish community but for all society. 'He listened to young Jewish students who are facing a deluge of anti-Semitic hate on campus share their personal experiences of this anti-Jewish hate and he met young Holocaust Educational Trust Ambassadors, who are campaigning against antisemitism despite not being Jewish themselves. 'He spent time with Holocaust survivor Renee Salt BEM. When she was liberated nearly 80 years ago, she never could have imagined that once again, within her lifetime, there would be a global explosion of antisemitism. 'His Royal Highness' visit sends a powerful message that Britain is a country where Jews - whether Holocaust survivors who came to find sanctuary or young Jewish students are welcome and celebrated. 'He reminds us that even in the darkest days, the Jewish community is not alone. 'We thank His Royal Highness for his leadership on this issue and we are so grateful for his unwavering support for our cause and our community.' Crown Prince Pavlos, 56, the current head of the former Greek royal family, gave a reading at St George's Chapel, Windsor, in William's stead this week after the prince pulled out with 45 minutes' notice due to what Kensington Palace would only describe as 'personal reasons'. The Prince of Wales was due to read from Revelation 21:1-7, a popular verse of the Bible for funerals - but a moved Pavlos stood up instead to say: 'God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away'. Prince William speaks with Renee Salt, 94, a Holocaust survivor, at the Western Marble Arch Synagogue Rabbi Daniel Epstein shows Britain's Prince William a 17th century Torah scroll as he visits the Western Marble Arch Synagogue Prince William is greeted by Rabbi Daniel Epstein and his wife Illana today The official YouTube film from inside St George's Chapel, where Elizabeth II was laid to rest in September 2022, also showed the poignant moment Queen Camilla stood for the national anthem with her husband absent because he is battling cancer. Earlier in the service, at one point, she appeared to wipe away a tear. Charles III would have been there to lead the Royal Family but is receiving hospital treatment so has taken a complete break from royal duties. Buckingham Palace has said that his cancer has been caught early and His Majesty is 'wholly positive'. On the same day as the memorial service, it emerged that Thomas Kingston had died. The sudden death of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent's son-in-law has left the Royal Family and friends in a state of deep shock. But this was not the reason for William's absence, it later emerged. The late Constantine II was William's godfather, close to the Queen and a dear friend and sailing partner of Prince Philip. Queen Camilla was instead the most senior member of the Royal Family in attendance - with Prince Andrew also enjoying a prominent role as he led fellow royals on foot to the service at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle. No further detail was given on William's absence, and it is not known if it relates to his wife the Princess of Wales's recovery after her abdominal surgery last month, although royal sources insisted she was still 'doing well' at home. William, pictured on February 20, said he missed the service at St George's Chapel for 'personal reasons' - but no further details were given The King has been seen at Sandringham going to church each Sunday but public duties have been paused William was last seen at the Baftas on February 18, while Kate has not been seen since Christmas at Sandringham. Kate will remain away from official royal engagements until after Easter following her surgery. As for Charles, he was at Windsor Castle earlier in the day but left before the service began - with the reception afterwards hosted by Camilla. The King was later photographed waving while being driven into Clarence House, his London residence. Meanwhile Andrew was present front and centre with Sarah, Duchess of York and his daughter Princesses Beatrice - along with her husband Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi - because it was deemed a personal family event. It is also understood that the Duke of York was attending the service as a member of the British Royal Family and had been invited by the Greek Royal Family. Andrew's other daughter Princess Eugenie was not in attendance. In Charles's absence from public duties, Camilla has become the most senior royal performing engagements. Wayne Couzens' horrific history of sexual offending was today revealed for the first time - prompting questions about how Sarah Everard's murderer was ever allowed to join the police. The killer cop is accused of kidnapping a woman at knifepoint in 1995, sexually assaulting a young girl and raping two women in attacks more than 10 years apart. Repeated opportunities were missed to stop Couzens that left him able to stay a cop despite being a serial sex offender with a reputation for disturbing sexual behaviour that led to a nickname of 'the Rapist'. An inquiry has found Couzens' history of alleged sexual offending dated back nearly 20 years before he kidnapped, raped and murdered marketing executive Ms Everard in Clapham, south London, in 2021. The married father of two - who first joined Kent Police in 2006 - was reported to officers eight times for indecent exposure between 2008 and 2021 but continued in the service due to 'lethargic and inadequate' investigations, today's report found. Wayne Couzens will never be released from prison after he abducted, raped and murdered Sarah Everard in March 2021 The killer's previous record of sexual offences has been revealed by a new report out today CCTV caught Couzens flashing female staff at a McDonald's in Swanley, Kent Sarah Everard, pictured, was murdered by police officer Wayne Couzens in March 2021 Inquiry chair Lady Elish Angiolini identified at least five incidents which were not reported to police and warned there could be more victims. Both Kent and the Metropolitan Police were criticised for inadequate investigations into claims of indecent exposure against Couzens. He had a long history of alleged sexual offending before he kidnapped, raped and murdered Ms Everard in March 2021. His alleged offences include eight reports of indecent exposure handed to police. Today it also emerged for the first time Couzens, now 51, allegedly carried out a 'very serious sexual assault of a child barely into her teens' while he was in his twenties. Couzens was accused of attempting to kidnap a woman at knifepoint in North London in 1995 while aged 23. He was also accused of raping two women and indecently touching a man in a bar while wearing a blonde wig. He is also said to have raped a woman during a singles night in east London between late 2006 and early 2007 and also raped another woman under a bridge in the capital in October 2019. Lady Elish found the married father of two 'could and should' have stopped from getting a job as an officer, and that without a radical overhaul of British policing, there is 'nothing to stop another Couzens operating in plain sight'. How 'Officer Naughty' Met PC was sacked after failing to properly investigate Couzens A policewoman who called herself 'Officer Naughty' was sacked for gross misconduct after lying about her investigation into Wayne Couzens over two incidents of flashing. PC Samantha Lee, 29, was found to have failed to make 'the correct investigative inquiries' over two incidents when Couzens exposed himself to female members of staff at a McDonald's restaurant in Swanley, Kent, on February 14 and 27, 2021. Lee attended the restaurant on March 3 and interviewed manager Sam Taylor, hours before Sarah Everard was kidnapped, raped and murdered by the serving Metropolitan Police firearms officer. Lee was also found to have been dishonest about her actions when later questioned about the interview, claiming that she believed that CCTV at the restaurant was deleted automatically so there would be no footage of Couzens or the offence. A simple computer check of the CCTV would have revealed Couzens was the registered owner of the black SEAT Exeo and given his home address. Lee told the misconduct hearing last year that she did not know she was in charge of the case and went on leave after the visit, assuming someone else would check it out further 'in a few days'. But she was found guilty of gross misconduct and sacked. Advertisement The inquiry team found that there were instances where he showed extreme violent pornography to friends and police colleagues, in a move to test their boundaries, and sent unsolicited images of his genitals to women. There was a series of incidents where he was accused of flashing - three of which he was sentenced for last year, despite already having received a whole life jail term for Sarah Everard's murder. These were masturbating in front of a lone female cyclist in a Kent country lane in 2020, and twice exposing his genitals to staff at a fast food restaurant in February 2021 in the days before Sarah's murder. He drove his own car and used his own credit card at the outlet but no action was taken at the time, with investigating officer Pc Samantha Lee later sacked for failing to investigate properly. Another two similar incidents at the fast food restaurant were ordered to lie on file, and there were two incidents in 2008 and 2021 that were reported to the Met and Kent respectively at the time when Couzens allegedly exposed himself, but there was insufficient evidence to bring charges. In 2015, a member of the public reported having seen a man driving around in Kent with his genitalia exposed, giving the make, model, colour and registration number of the car. Couzens was identified as the keeper of the car but Kent Police closed the investigation with no further action and without even speaking to him. Lady Elish Angiolini said: 'This was a grave error and a very obvious red flag. 'By failing to properly investigate the allegation, Kent Police missed a valuable opportunity to disrupt or even prevent Couzens' future offending and to bring into question his position as an authorised firearms officer with the Civil Nuclear Constabulary.' Kent Police apologised today for what it admitted was a 'flawed' investigation. A further incident where Couzens was allegedly seen masturbating with intent to shock a passerby in 2004 was reported to the Met after Sarah's murder, but there was not enough evidence to bring a charge. Lady Elish said she was 'astonished' to learn that Couzens would have passed vetting for the Metropolitan Police even if the force had known about a previous accusation of indecent exposure. She called for indecent exposure to be taken more seriously and victims encouraged to report crimes. 'The inquiry was struck by the similarities in approach between the investigations in relation to the June 2015 allegation and the 2021 drive-through restaurant offences. 'Both seemed destined to fail from the start, involving poor recording and decision-making and lacking the positive steps that could potentially have led to the identification of the suspect and detection of the crime. 'Rather than embarking on a process of detailed, thorough and time-consuming evidence gathering, the officers displayed apathy and disinterest and found reasons not to pursue the cases.' Lady Elish has called for an immediate review of indecent exposure allegations against serving police officers. Miss Everard's family have said she would have never got into Couzens' car if he hadn't been a police officer Inquiry lead Lady Elish Angiolini said Couzens should have been stopped from being a cop Couzens exchanged a series of vile messages with his colleagues in the Met Police Couzens strangled Miss Everard with his police belt (circled) A belt which was recovered from Wayne Couzens' work locker in west London Inquiry chairwoman Lady Elish Angiolini said work would have to be done to ensure there isn't 'another Couzens hiding in plain sight' Setting out a raft of recommendations to 'make sure something like this can never happen again', Lady Elish said: 'Wayne Couzens should never have been a police officer. And, without a significant overhaul, there is nothing to stop another Couzens operating in plain sight. Now is the time for change.' She urged 'all those in authority in every police force in the country' to read the report and 'take immediate action'. Among the measures, Lady Elish called for an urgent review of indecent exposure charges against serving officers and said reports of the crime need to be taken seriously. The inquiry chair continued: 'Although Wayne Couzens was not wholly a product of his working environments, those environments did nothing to discourage his misogynistic view of women and meant that providing he presented himself as professional his deviant behaviour outside of work could flourish. 'Police leaders need to radically transform their approach to police culture if future offenders like Couzens are to be denied opportunities to abuse police powers for sexual purpose.' She went on: 'Failures of investigations, failures of HR processes, and failures of vetting policy and practice are a depressingly familiar refrain in policing, Now is the time for change. 'Without a significant overhaul, there is nothing to stop another Wayne Couzens operating in plain sight.' Miss Everard's mother Sue, father Jeremy, sister Katie and brother James said in a statement: 'It is obvious that Wayne Couzens should never have been a police officer. Whilst holding a position of trust, in relative he was a serial sex offender. 'Warning signs were overlooked throughout his career and opportunities to confront him were missed. 'We believe that Sarah died because he was a police officer - she would never have got into a stranger's car.' Couzens - who will never be released from prison - used his status as a police officer to trick Miss Everard into thinking he could arrest her for breaking lockdown rules in place during the coronavirus pandemic. After the horrific killing, it emerged there had been concerns about Couzens's behaviour while he was a police officer, with reports he was nicknamed 'the rapist'. He joined Kent Police as a special constable in 2002, became an officer with the civil nuclear constabulary in 2011 and then moved to the Met in 2018. Couzens indecently exposed himself three times before the murder, including twice at a drive-through fast-food restaurant in Kent in the days prior to the killing. He was not caught despite driving his own car and using his own credit card at the time. Met police constable Samantha Lee was sacked and barred from being a police officer after it was found she had not properly investigated the incidents. Couzens was also later revealed to have been part of a WhatsApp group with fellow officers that shared disturbing racist, homophobic and misogynist remarks. Couzens was served a whole life order, and has more recently also been found guilty on three counts of indecent exposure which occurred prior to murdering Miss Everard A court artist sketch Couzens appearing via video link at Westminster Magistrates' Court in 2022 charged with two further flashing offences Police on the scene in Ashford, Kent where Miss Everard's body was found after being dumped by Couzens Police vans on the scene in Ashford, Kent where the body of Miss Everard was found after she was strangled with Couzens' police belt Ordered by then home secretary Priti Patel, the inquiry tasked with looking at how Couzens came to be a police officer and was able to carry out the murder has so far cost 2.9 million, according to figures to September last year. Home Secretary: Sarah was failed 'in more ways than one' The Home Secretary has said that Sarah Everard was 'failed in more ways than one' by the people who were meant to keep her safe, as he joined an outpouring of reaction to the Angiolini Inquiry. James Cleverly called her murder by Met Police officer Wayne Couzens an 'act of pure evil' that 'shocked the nation to its core'. Mr Cleverly was among several high-profile politicians and bodies who reacted to the findings of the inquiry on Thursday. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan also vowed to ensure 'lessons are learned' from the Angiolini Inquiry. Mr Khan, who is also the equivalent of the police and crime commissioner for the capital, said in a statement: 'The report by Dame Elish Angiolini shines a light on systematic failings in police investigations, vetting and the handling of misconduct allegations. We all need to closely examine and consider all the findings of the inquiry. 'I'm determined to ensure lessons are learned and acted upon quickly by the police as part of a process of major reform - not just in London, but across the country - to raise standards, strengthen vetting and, above all else, prevent anything like this from ever happening again.' He added that police regulations must be 'strengthened' to make it harder for those who have faced serious allegations about their behaviour to join any police force. Responding to the Angiolini report, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said it was an 'urgent call to action'. 'There is nothing we can say to the family of Sarah Everard and all those who loved her that will convey how very sorry we are' he said. 'Wayne Couzens' crimes were horrific. The fact that he abused his position as a Metropolitan Police officer to carry them out represents the most appalling betrayal of trust. 'It damages the relationship between the public and the police and exposes long-standing fundamental flaws in the way we decide who is fit to be a police officer and the way we pursue those who corrupt our integrity once they get in. The report published today is an urgent call to action for all of us in policing.' Kent Police also apologised for failing to properly investigate when Wayne Couzens was reported for indecent exposure in 2015. In a statement, the force said: 'Everyone at Kent Police is shocked, appalled and disgusted by the crimes Wayne Couzens committed against Sarah Everard and we share in the collective grief for her loss. 'Part I of the Angiolini Inquiry report has been made available to us today, and whilst we continue to carefully consider its contents we fully accept the recommendations made of Kent Police. 'We also accept our investigation into a 2015 incident of indecent exposure was flawed due to it being allocated to an officer who was not a trained investigator, and apologise for this failing.' Advertisement The first phase of the inquiry considered evidence covering a 20-year period, reviewing more than 100,000 pages of documents and carrying out 144 interviews, prompting 76 conclusions and making 16 recommendations for improvement. Lady Elish found that without major changes there is nothing in place to stop another monster like Couzens going undetected. She said: 'Failures of investigations, failures of recruitment processes, and failures of vetting policy and practice are a depressingly familiar refrain in policing. 'Now is the time for change and I have made 16 recommendations to bring about the necessary changes. 'Wayne Couzens should never have been a police officer. And, without a significant overhaul, there is nothing to stop another Wayne Couzens operating in plain sight.' There were also failures in vetting, with Couzens hiding the level of debt that he was in and exaggerating the amount of time he spent in the Territorial Army. Couzens failed vetting to become a regular officer in 2008, but was allowed to remain as a special with all the same powers as a regular constable and was permitted to work alone. When he joined the Civil Nuclear Constabulary, an outside force - Thames Valley Police - carried out vetting and found that he should not be recruited, in line with rules around officers with heavy personal debts, but this was ignored. In 2018, when he joined the Metropolitan Police, a search of the Police National Database, an intelligence database, found 'no trace'. In fact there were entries about an incident in 2013 when he was reported missing from home, and an allegation of indecent exposure from 2015. These were also missed when he applied to be a firearms officer the following year. The Met told the inquiry that it would still have recruited Couzens even if this information had been available, which the report said was 'of serious concern'. While he carefully controlled how he was seen by colleagues, Couzens spent his working life in environments dominated by men that did nothing to discourage his warped beliefs, the inquiry found. The report sets out failures in vetting and the investigation into allegations of indecent exposure that meant Couzens was able to work for three different police forces despite being a sexual predator. His history of unmanaged debt, alleged sexual offending and preference for violent extreme pornography went back nearly 20 years before he committed murder. 'The evidence seen by the inquiry has shown that failures in recruitment and vetting meant Couzens was able to continue a policing career which should have been denied to him,' Lady Elish said. 'Failures in investigations into allegations of indecent exposure meant opportunities to disrupt Couzens' offending and bring his policing career to a halt were missed. 'It is clear Couzens carefully managed the impression he gave people of himself. This included the way he manipulated information on application forms and his troubled finances. The murder of Miss Everard, a marketing executive, prompted fury at the failure to protect women against male violence CCTV footage of Miss Everard captured on the night she went missing PC Samantha Lee, 29, was found to have failed to make 'the correct investigative inquiries' over two incidents of indecent exposure by Couzens How 'Officer Naughty' Met PC was sacked after failing to properly investigate Couzens A policewoman who called herself 'Officer Naughty' was sacked for gross misconduct after lying about her investigation into Wayne Couzens over two incidents of flashing. PC Samantha Lee, 29, was found to have failed to make 'the correct investigative inquiries' over two incidents when Couzens exposed himself to female members of staff at a McDonald's restaurant in Swanley, Kent, on February 14 and 27, 2021. Lee attended the restaurant on March 3 and interviewed manager Sam Taylor, hours before Sarah Everard was kidnapped, raped and murdered by the serving Metropolitan Police firearms officer. Lee was also found to have been dishonest about her actions when later questioned about the interview, claiming that she believed that CCTV at the restaurant was deleted automatically so there would be no footage of Couzens or the offence. A simple computer check of the CCTV would have revealed Couzens was the registered owner of the black SEAT Exeo and given his home address. Lee told the misconduct hearing last year that she did not know she was in charge of the case and went on leave after the visit, assuming someone else would check it out further 'in a few days'. But she was found guilty of gross misconduct and sacked. Advertisement 'It also included the way he shared his callous views towards women with only a very small group of like-minded people on a social media group. 'This all enabled him to target vulnerable women while operating in plain sight as an apparently unremarkable officer. 'However, the fact remains that three separate police forces allowed him the privilege of being a police officer when they could and should have stopped him.' Speaking to journalists as the report was published, Lady Elish said work would have to be done to ensure there 'isn't enough Couzens operating in plain sight'. She remembered Miss Everard 'whose life was cut short by the most unimaginable cruelty', and paid tribute to her family saying: 'I have been profoundly affected by their grief, and their grace in suffering.' Lady Elish continued: 'Sarah's murder by an off-duty police officer shocked the nation. It triggered a surge of discourse about women's safety in public spaces and started a tidal wave of reporting on police misconduct, particularly where officers misused their powers to commit sexual offences. 'What is already clear is how much damage Couzens has done to the social contract on which policing is based and how significant improvements are required.' James Cleverly said Miss Everard was 'failed in more ways than one by the people who were meant to keep her safe'. The Home Secretary said: 'The act of pure evil committed against Sarah shocked the nation to its core. 'My heart goes out to Sarah's family and to all the brave victims who came forward to help inform this report and drive change. 'The man who committed these crimes is not a reflection on the majority of dedicated police officers working day in, day out to help people. Police search for Sarah Everard behind a poster of her after she went missing in 2021 Police diver recovers a mobile phone belonging to Sarah Everard from a canal in Sandwich, Kent Home Secretary James Cleverly made a statement today in the Commons about the report How Sarah's terror unfolded: A timeline of the day Couzens killed the 33-year-old and tried to get away with his sick crimes February 28 Couzens books a white Vauxhall Astra from a car hire firm in Dover, Kent, using his personal details and bank card. He also purchases a roll of self-adhesive film advertised as a carpet protector on Amazon. March 2 7pm - Couzens starts a 12-hour shift at his base in West Brompton, west London. March 3 On the day of her disappearance, Sarah Everard visits a friend in the Clapham Junction area and uses her bank card to buy a bottle of wine in Sainsbury's in Brixton Hill, south London, on her way. 4.45pm - Couzens collects the hire car. 9pm - Miss Everard leaves to walk home, some 2.5 miles away. 9.13pm - She calls her boyfriend for a little over 14 minutes. 9.15pm - Miss Everard is captured alone on CCTV at the junction of Bowood Road and the South Circular. 9.28pm - The next sighting is on Cavendish Road and she is still alone. 9.32pm - Miss Everard is caught on the camera on a marked police car. 9.35pm - A bus camera captures two figures on Poynders Road standing beside a white Vauxhall Astra parked on the pavement with hazard lights flashing. 9.38pm - Another bus camera captures the same vehicle with the two front car doors open. March 4 1am - Having travelled out of London, the car is in the Tilmanstone area of Kent. 8.30am - Couzens returns the hire car used in the abduction. 8.10pm - Miss Everard is reported missing by her boyfriend, Josh Lowth. March 5 The case is escalated and the Specialist Crime Unit becomes involved. Couzens, who is due to be off until March 8, reports to work that he is suffering with stress. 2pm - He buys two green rubble bags for 9.94 at B&Q in Dover. March 6 Couzens emails his supervisor that he no longer wants to carry a firearm. He orders a tarpaulin and a bungee cargo net on Amazon which are shipped to him the next day. March 8 The officer reports in sick on the day he is due to return to work. March 9 7.11pm - Couzens' phone is wiped of all data. 7.50pm - Couzens is arrested at his home in Deal, Kent. In a brief interview, he tells a story about being threatened by an Eastern European gang. March 10 At around 4.45pm, a body is discovered in a wooded area in Ashford, Kent, and later formally identified by dental records. It is around 100 metres from land bought by Couzens in 2019. March 11 Couzens answers 'no comment' in formal interviews. March 12 8.45pm: Couzens is charged with the kidnapping and murder of Miss Everard. Advertisement 'But Sarah was failed in more ways than one by the people who were meant to keep her safe, and it laid bare wider issues in policing and society that need to be urgently fixed. 'In the three years since, a root-and-stem clean-up of the policing workforce has been underway and we have made huge strides - as well as making tackling violence against women and girls a national policing priority to be treated on par with terrorism. 'But we will continue to do everything in our power to protect women and girls. I am grateful to Lady Elish for her meticulous investigation. Her insights will be invaluable as we move forward in supporting our police to build forces of the highest standards of integrity and regain the trust of the British public.' Met commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said: 'There is nothing we can say to the family of Sarah Everard and all those who loved her that will convey how very sorry we are. 'Wayne Couzens' crimes were horrific. The fact that he abused his position as a Metropolitan Police officer to carry them out represents the most appalling betrayal of trust. 'It damages the relationship between the public and the police and exposes long-standing fundamental flaws in the way we decide who is fit to be a police officer and the way we pursue those who corrupt our integrity once they get in. 'The report published today is an urgent call to action for all of us in policing. 'We must go further and faster to earn back the trust of all those whose confidence in policing has been shaken by events of recent years. 'Regardless of our significant progress over the past year, the scale of the change that is needed inevitably means it will take time and it is not yet complete. 'The majority of my Met colleagues share my determination to reform by both confronting the risk posed by predatory men in policing, and also, improving our protection of women and children across London.' Mayor of London Sadiq Khan vowed to ensure 'lessons are learned' from the Angiolini Inquiry. Mr Khan, who is also the equivalent of the police and crime commissioner for the capital, said in a statement: 'The report by Dame Elish Angiolini shines a light on systematic failings in police investigations, vetting and the handling of misconduct allegations. We all need to closely examine and consider all the findings of the inquiry. 'I'm determined to ensure lessons are learned and acted upon quickly by the police as part of a process of major reform - not just in London, but across the country - to raise standards, strengthen vetting and, above all else, prevent anything like this from ever happening again.' He added that police regulations must be 'strengthened' to make it harder for those who have faced serious allegations about their behaviour to join any police force. 'And police disciplinary processes must be reformed to make it easier and quicker to remove officers who fall below the high standards rightly expected of those who are entrusted to keep us safe,' he said. 'As I have been saying for some time, the public deserve better from the Met and police forces across the country. There must be no hiding place for those who abuse their position of trust and authority within the police.' The inquiry continues in two parts, looking at the crimes of David Carrick and looking at wider problems within the police in the wake of both cases. The Metropolitan Police said last September that more than 1,000 officers were currently suspended or on restricted duties while under investigation for corruption and other forms of misconduct, including sexual offences, domestic abuse or racial harassment. The Met came under further criticism when a March 2021 vigil involving hundreds of women that aimed to highlight the broader violence against women and girls was dispersed over allegations it breached coronavirus lockdown restrictions on mass gatherings in effect at the time. A new poll finds eight in ten swing-state voters believe President Joe Biden is too old to run again, a serious warning sign for the 81-year-old president who will need to convince voters in those key states to vote for him in order to win the 2024 election. The Bloomberg News/Morning Consult poll conducted in mid-February across seven critical swing-states found voters across every demographic including some of the more reliable Democratic party constituencies believe the president is too old. It comes as the Biden administration has been pushing back on concerns over the president's age and mental acuity after the Special Counsel Robert Hur report earlier this month described the president as an 'elderly man with poor memory.' On Wednesday, Biden had a physical and his doctor declare him 'fit for duty' describing the president as a 'healthy active, robust 81-year-old.' The White House had confirmed the president did not take a cognitive test as part of his exam, but Physician to the President, Dr. Kevin O'Connor, did say that Biden did sit for 'an extremely detailed neurological exam.' But even among those who did say they plan to vote for Biden, seven in 10 say he is 'too old.' Less than half of respondents said that Biden's likely GOP rival former President Donald Trump at 77-years-old is too old. The polling found Trump leads Biden across all seven battleground states: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. President Biden, 81, departing Walter Reed National Military Medical Center following a physical on Wednesday where his doctor declared him 'fit for duty' Less than half of swing-state voters believe Donald Trump, 77, is too old to run again While the economy remains the top issue, concern over immigration has ticked up across every swing state. The polling found the majority of swing-state voters blame Biden and congressional Democrats for the surge in migrants. At the same time, blame for congressional Republicans and the Trump administration, though much lower, have also ticked up 5 percent from January after Republicans tanked the bipartisan border deal with Trump's encouragement. Biden and Trump are both headed to the southern border on Thursday where they will hold dueling events. The president is headed to Brownsville, Texas. Trump is headed to Eagle Pass which has been ground zero of a border fight between Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott and the Biden administration. While Republicans have blasted the administration over immigration, the White House has pushed back blaming hardline Republicans for crushing a bipartisan Senate deal to address the border earlier this year. Migrants crossing the border at Eagle Pass, Mexico. Both Biden and Trump are heading to the southern border on Thursday for dueling events as polling shows immigration ticks up as a major issue among swing-state voters While Biden is facing growing blame over the border crisis and the vast majority are concerned about his age, Trump is not without his own vulnerabilities. Nearly six in ten swing-state voters believe Trump is 'dangerous.' Even among those who plan to vote for the former president, 28 percent agreed Trump is dangerous. As many of half of swing-state voters also say they would be unwilling to vote for Trump if he is convicted of a crime. The former president is facing 91 criminal charges in four separate cases involving allegations over hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels, mishandling classified documents and efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Video footage has captured the horrifying moment a Los Angeles teen was beaten and stabbed at a bonfire party by a mob who filmed the attack and posted it online. The 16-year-old boy spent days in the intensive care unit with severe injuries clinging to his life. The brutal assault took place on February 10 in Dockweiler State Beach where video shows the teenager repeatedly pummeled, beaten, stomped on and stabbed by at least five people before the mob robbed him of his sneakers. The teenager was reportedly trying to help a young girl when he was challenged to a fight which he turned down before being attacked. The 16-year-old boy was beaten and stabbed at a bonfire party in Los Angeles after he tried to help a young girl Video footage captured an angry mob of up to five teens pummeling, beating, stomping and stabbing him before stealing his sneakers The teenager (pictured), who has not been named, may have been the victim of a gang attack The suspects shouted racist and homophobic slurs as they beat the teen. The video of the violent attack has since circulated online. The victim's mother, Frankie Hayes, believes it could have been gang related. 'They was calling him all types of names and kicking him all in his head and his face, stabbing him,' Frankie told KTLA. Frankie said her son was left with a concussion, a tube going through his chest, a collapsed lung among other injuries. Doctors didn't know if he would survive. 'The doctor, like as soon as we walked through the door, they were like, 'We didn't know if your son was going to live,' the victim's mother, Frankie, told KTLA. 'I just started crying and I just went over there and held my son's head and told him mommy's not going anywhere.' Victim spent days in the intensive care unit in a critical condition clinging to his life Teen was left with a concussion, a tube going through his chest, a collapsed lung among other injuries 'He had a punctured lung, a concussion. They had to put a tube through his chest to suck all the blood out,' she added. The teenager stayed out of trouble and was 'loved by everyone,' his mother said. 'My son was helping a friend,' she told KTLA. 'He helped get her up off the ground and then a guy just asked him to stop and then my son just wanted to help his friend. The guy asked him if he wanted to fight, and my son didn't want to fight him.' 'I'm still at a loss for words knowing that somebody did this to him and they can still be out there looking for him,' she said. Los Angeles Police Department has reportedly identified some of the attackers. The investigation into the attack is ongoing. The teen's mom Frankie (pictured), who asked for her last name to be withheld, said doctors told her 'we didn't know if your son was going to live' The brutal assault took place on February 10 in Dockweiler State Beach In addition to mounting medical bills, the victim's mother is now aiming to relocate over safety concerns. She has set up a GoFundMe for support. 'Hello, my name is Frankie-im reaching out to the community for any support for my son-he was brutally beaten and stabbed multiple times, resulting in a punctured lung, as well as a host of other injuries-this took place at Dockweiler Beach on February 10th,' she wrote. 'Any, and all donations no matter the amount is greatly appreciated-our goal is to move as soon as possible out of fear of retaliation being that we have fully cooperated with law enforcement.' 'Thank each and everyone of you who donated or simply took the time out to give attention to this tragic incident.' Anti-racism activists descended on Atlanta on Thursday to push lawmakers to back their $80 billion reparations package, warning of 'serious political consequences' if they don't greenlight the plan. Anqous Cosby with ReparationsPush and others want House politicians to create the Georgia Equity and Fairness Commission, which would devise a compensation package for the descendants of slaves. Republicans oppose the plan, saying it's not fair to single out one group for payments especially when Georgia's cash-strapped hospitals are shuttering and the state's overcrowded prisons need more space. 'Georgia could be looking at, with economic compensation, policies and laws to protect us, and forgiveness of debt, it could be upwards of $80 billion,' Cosby told DailyMail.com. The Georgia Legislative Black Caucus, Georgia's NAACP and the Urban League of Greater Atlanta seek a reparations task force Anqous Cosby, of ReparationsPush, says $80 billion is needed to compensate black Georgians 'But it's not just a check. This is about us being independent as a people again, within the nation, and being able to help the United States.' The bill is sponsored by State Rep Roger Bruce and is also supported by the Georgia Legislative Black Caucus, the Georgia NAACP and the Urban League of Greater Atlanta. Poll Do you support a federal reparation policy directed at the descendants of slaves? Yes No Not sure Do you support a federal reparation policy directed at the descendants of slaves? Yes 316 votes No 10476 votes Not sure 48 votes Now share your opinion Hubert Bass, a campaigner with Afrodescendant Nation, warned in a statement of 'serious political consequences' if Georgia lawmakers don't create the commission. 'The reparations movement is not playing anymore,' Bass added. African Americans make up nearly a third of Georgia's nearly 11 million people. They will play an outsize role in November's election President Joe Biden trails rival Donald Trump by six percentage points in the key swing state, according to a Morning Consult poll released on Thursday. Reparations campaigners have achieved only mixed results in Georgia, a state with a history of colonial cotton-picking and then industrial-scale plantation slavery. Fulton County, which includes much of Atlanta, last year approved a similar reparations task force that seeks $2 billion in local payouts. Hubert Bass, a campaigner with Afrodescendant Nation, says there will be 'serious political consequences' if Georgia lawmakers don't create the commission Fulton County Commissioner Bridget Thorne says taxpayers need hospitals and jails more Bridget Thorn, one of the county's conservative commissioners, pushes back against what she calls the body's 'biased research.' 'It's only research looking at how we need to pay reparations, not if we need to pay reparations,' she told Fox News. The area's Wellstar AMC South Hospital shuttered last year after losing $7 million each month, leaving locals in a 'health desert,' said Thorn. Another $1.7 billion is needed to improve the overcrowded and violence-plagued Fulton County Jail, she added. 'I don't think we can put any more burden on our tax-paying citizens right now.' Still, Georgia this week gave final passage to a $37.9 billion midyear budget loaded with $5.5 billion in new spending. Reparations campaigners say it's time for America to repay its black residents for the injustices of the historic Transatlantic slave trade, Jim Crow segregation and inequalities that persist to this day. Critics say that payouts to selected black people will inevitably stoke divisions between winners and losers, and raise questions about why American Indians and others don't get their own handouts. Activists want Georgia's lawmakers to greenlight a commission that would tally up a slavery compensation package While reparations are popular among black Americans, the other groups who would foot the tax bill are less keen. A survey last year of 6,000 registered California voters found that only 23 percent supported cash reparations, while 59 percent were opposed. The reparations movement gathered steam amid the Black Lives Matter protests after the police killing of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, in May 2020. Four years on, the schemes have largely failed to deliver meaningful results. Supervisors in San Francisco formally apologized this week to African Americans and their descendants for the city's role in perpetuating racism and discrimination. Plans for $5 million lump-sum cash payments and guaranteed incomes of nearly $100,000 a year for black residents have not materialized. Likewise, California's black lawmakers this month unveiled a package of bills on reparations for black residents that makes no mention of the $1.2 million payouts they were promised earlier. Emmanuel Macron's step-daughter has spoken for the first time about her mother's scandalous affair with the future President of France. In an interview that will make uncomfortable reading for both Mr Macron and his first lady, Brigitte Macron, Tiphaine Auziere admits she remains wounded by the 'forbidden relationship' between a married teacher and teenage pupil. Ms Auziere, who has just published her first novel, also used her talk with Paris Match to address claims that Brigitte was born male. Ms Auziere was just 10 when she found out that her teacher mother was seeing a pupil 25 years younger than her. Brigitte was still married, so her three young children had to put up with constant speculation about the 'forbidden relationship' in Amiens, northern France. Tiphaine Auziere admits she remains wounded by the Macrons' 'forbidden relationship' French President Emmanuel Macron and wife Brigitte Macron have been married since 2007 'I learned a lot about human nature,' Ms Auziere, now 40, said in the interview published on Thursday. 'I know that, in these moments, we must focus on the essential and move forward without taking into account criticism. 'The attacks, the backbiting, the judgments. It was not yet the era of social networks, but we were in a small provincial town. Everything is known. 'Despite all this, they stood tall. I gained an open mind, the desire to move forward without listening to peripheral noise, and gained greater tolerance.' Ms Auziere was particularly upset that her humilated father, Andre-Louis Auziere, was forced to leave the family home in 1994, even though he did not divorce Brigitte until 2006, allowing Mr Macron to marry her a year later. 'A family separation can be a sorrow and an opportunity,' said Ms Auziere. 'Recomposition can prove to be an enrichment. I have a beloved father and stepfather.' Brigitte Macron and her daughter Tiphaine Auziere pictured in June 2017 in northern France Tiphaine said she always spoke about Mr Auziere in the present tense, even though he died in 2019, aged 68. READ MORE: REVEALED - What Emmanuel Macron said to Kylian Mbappe when the PSG star was invited for dinner by the French President Advertisement Paris Match describes how 'Tiphaine Auziere was a child when the scandal broke.' The magazine describes how 'young Emmanuel often rang the bell at the Auziere home and the rumours grew. 'Rumours which naturally had an impact on the three children of the household.' Ms Auziere's sister, Laurence, was 17 years old at the time, and a classmate of Emmanuel Macron, who is the same age. Ms Auziere said the rumours of a 'forbidden relationship' were horrific for all the children, including her brother, Sebastien, then 19. All were pupils at La Providence, the Roman Catholic high school in Amiens, where Brigitte was a drama teacher. Ms Auziere, whose new legal novel is called Assizes in reference to a criminal court said she was also wounded at claims on social media that Brigitte was born male. 'I have concerns about the level of society when I hear what is circulating on social networks about my mother being a man,' she said. Footage captures the moment a 15-year-old Emmanuel Macron (left) kissed his 40-year-old teacher Brigitte Trogneux (right) in 1993 - two years before he declared he wanted to marry her Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte during King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia's visit to Paris, on 2 June 1015 The happy couple walk down the steps at The Sacre-Coeur in Paris on 4 Sep 2016 The couple arrive to attend a state dinner with French President Francois Hollande, Queen Maxima of the Netherlands and King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands at the Elysee Presidential Palace on 10 March 2016 'The confidence with which it is said, and the credibility given to it is proclaimed. How can we resist disinformation on social networks?' Brigitte Macron won a libel case against a freelance journalist who had circulated the rumours about her sex last year. Ms Auziere, a qualified lawyer, now lives in Calais with her husband and two children. Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron's paths first crossed at an exclusive high school in northern France. The now French President was just 15-years-old when he met Madame Auziere, a teacher who was 24 years his senior, at Lycee La Providence in Amiens. The teacher and her pupil had collaborated on the play The Art Of Comedy, by the Italian writer Eduardo De Filippo, every Friday night for months at the school, adapting it for all the students who wanted to take part. As the audience clapped before the curtain came down, the teenager took a bow and kissed his teacher on each cheek as she smiled with obvious delight. And a glimpse emerged of what was the start of a love affair between Macron and Brigitte. Emmanuel and his wife kiss to celebrate after the first round of the French presidential elections in Paris on 23 Apr 2017 The duo greet residents while walking along a beach in Le Touquet-Paris-Plage, France, on 23 April 2022 Brigitte Macron and her husband French President Emmanuel Macron during the inauguration of the International French Language Centre at the Chateau de Villers Cotterets in Villers-Cotterets, France, on 30 October 2023 Macron, the son of two respected local doctors, was adored by staff for his hard work and intelligence. At the time, 39-year-old Brigitte was married to banker Andre-Louis Auziere, with whom she shares three children. The duo would work on the playscript late into the night. Neither had far to go home - the teacher to a house she shared nearby with her banker husband and children, while the pupil walked the short distance to his parents' home in an affluent part of Amiens. It was only when the play was finally staged, in front of proud parents and family, that a glimpse emerged of what was the start of a love affair between Macron and Brigitte. 'Every Friday I went to write a play with her for several hours,' the president of France later revealed. 'We spoke about everything. And I discovered we had always known one another.' As for Brigitte, whose eldest daughter Laurence was in the same class as Macron, she was captivated by his 'exceptional intelligence'. She felt he was so gifted that it was as though 'I was working with Mozart'. The first sign other pupils had that the relationship was more than academic came during the play's closing party at a local restaurant, with one contemporary watching as the pair shared what he described, cryptically, as a 'tender moment'. Their romance blossomed and caused a scandal in the province. Macron's parents then sent him to Paris to attend another school, but his desire to be with his teacher and pursuit of her remained. In an interview with Paris Match magazine, the 70-year-old said that she told herself once Macron was in Paris, he would 'fall in love with someone his [own] age', but that didn't happen. The First Lady continued to explain that she delayed marrying her husband for 10 years for the sake of her three children, who are around the same age as her younger partner. Brigitte's son is three years older than Macron and her daughters, now aged 46 and 39, are of similar age to her second husband. Brigitte finally wed Macron - a civil servant in his late twenties at the time - in Le Touquet on 20 October 2007, after divorcing her estranged husband Andre-Louis Auziere the year before. The Smokehouse Creek Fire is officially the largest and most devastating fire in Texas' history - with the killer inferno burning through over 1.1 million acres of land. As of Thursday, the record-breaking wildfire has scorched through 1,075,000 acres and is three percent contained, with thousands of people evacuating their homes. Ghastly winds coupled with the raging flames have charred huge swathes of the Panhandle - and the wildfire is now the equivalent size of the whole of Rhode Island. In a stark contrast, snow is falling across some parts of the Panhandle - leaving a blanket of snowfall over the blackened earth and dead livestock. One Texas resident has been confirmed dead in the scorching wildfire - but that figure is expected to rise as homes across the Lone Star State are burned to ashes. The West Odessa Volunteer Fire Department confirmed: 'This is now both the largest and most destructive fire in Texas History.' It's now the second largest in US history. Thick smoke caused by the cataclysmic fire was visible a seven-hour drive away in El Paso. The National Weather Service said that a cold front pushed the smoke into the region on Wednesday and visibility is some areas was reduced to four miles. The Smokehouse Creek Fire that has scorched 1,075,000 acres and is at 3 percent contained, making it the largest recorded wildfire in the Lone Star state In a stark contrast, snow is falling across some parts of the Panhandle leaving a blanket of snowfall over the blackened earth In Fritch, where up to 50 homes were destroyed, photos show a calf killed and burned trees by the Smokehouse Creek Fire covered in snow on Thursday Record breaking wildfires raging across the Texas Panhandle have killed at least one person, destroyed homes and burned through over 1.1 million acres From the sky: The devastating wildfire's destructive path can be seen in this aerial photo Canadian, Texas resident Tresea Rankin told CBS News a rolling burning tumbleweed came on to her property and burned down her family home of 38 years. 'I was Facetiming with my son, who is in the service, and he said "Mom leave,''' she said. As she returned to her charred home she said, 'You lace up your shoes and you do what you gotta do. I gotta have a home.' The Windy Deuce fire has covered 142,000 acres and 30 percent containment, the Magenta fire has burned 2,500 acres and is at 65 percent contained, the 687 Reamer fire is at 2,000 acres and 10 percent contained, and the Grape Vine Creek fire is at 30,000 acres and 60 percent contained, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service. According to the National Weather Service, snowfall totals could be around two inches in the southwest Texas Panhandle, where the fires burned through. Fritch Mayor Tom Ray estimated up to 50 homes were destroyed by the fires in his town. In Fritch, photos show a calf killed and burned trees by the Smokehouse Creek Fire covered in snow on Thursday. Texas Route 136 was covered with a blanket of snow in Amarillo, where the flames blazed through just a day before. Photos and videos showed scorched homes and property throughout the Panhandle reduced to piles of ash and scenes of charred vehicles and blackened earth. Hemphill County emergency management coordinator Bill Kendall described the charred terrain as 'like a moonscape. Its just all gone.' He said about 40 homes were burned around the perimeter of the town of Canadian, but no buildings were lost. The Texas A&M Forest Service raised its Wildland Fire Preparedness Level to three due to the number of fires burning in the state. According to the forest service, a preparedness level three means wildfire activity 'is impacting several regions of the state as the result of drought, dry vegetation or frequent fire weather events.' An 83-year-old grandmother has been identified as the first victim of Texas' Smokehouse Creek Fire. The Texas A&M Forest Service raised its Wildland Fire Preparedness Level to three due to the number of fires burning in the state Snow covers a home that was destroyed by the Smokehouse Creek fire in Stinnett According to the National Weather Service, snowfall totals could be around two inches in the southwest Texas Panhandle, where the fires burned through One Texas resident has been confirmed dead in the scorching wildfire - but that figure is expected to rise as homes across the Lone Star State are burned to ashes The West Odessa Volunteer Fire Department confirmed: 'This is now both the largest and most destructive fire in Texas History.' It's now the second largest in US history Texas' wildfires have collectively burned more than 1.1 million acres Joyce Blankenship, 83, (right) lived in the Scotts Acres neighborhood, and her body was found in Stinnett Joyce Blankenship, lived in the Scotts Acres neighborhood, and her body was found in Stinnett, Hutchinson County Public Engagement Coordinator Deidra Thomas said in a statement on Wednesday. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott order the Texas Division of Emergency Management to deploy additional resources to support the wildfire response operations. The governor issued a disaster declaration for 60 counties in response to the wildfires. 'Texans are urged to limit activities that could create sparks and take precautions to keep their loved ones safe,' Abbott said. The Pantex plant, the country's main facility that assembles and disassembles America's nuclear arsenal, had evacuated most of its personnel on Tuesday night as the fires raged out of control near its facility. Early Wednesday, Pantex tweeted that the facility 'is open for normal day shift operations' and that all personnel were to report for duty according to their assigned schedule. Dozens of cattle have also been killed, as devastating video footage revealed cattle burned to death in the aftermath of the fires sweeping across Texas. One clip shows the scattered bodies of cattle that perished due to the flames - spreading at an average rate of 150 football field per minute. Firefighters have made little progress controlling it, but Thursdays forecast of snow, rain and temperatures in the 40s offered a window to make progress before temperatures and winds increase this weekend. Photos showed scorched homes and property throughout the Panhandle reduced to piles of ash and scenes of charred vehicles and blackened earth The remains of a vehicle sit in a home that was destroyed by the Smokehouse Creek wildfire Dozens of cattle have also been killed, as devastating video footage revealed cattle burned to death in the aftermath of the fires sweeping across Texas A view of a home that was burned by the Smokehouse Creek wildfire in Canadian, Texas A Volkswagen that was destroyed by the Smokehouse Creek wildfire sits near other destroyed vehicles, in Canadian, Texas One clip shows the scattered bodies of cattle that perished due to the flames - spreading at an average rate of 150 football field per minute Less than an inch of snow is expected, but moisture is not the only benefit, said National Weather Service meteorologist Samuel Scoleri. 'It will help keep relative humidity down for the day, and that will definitely help firefighters,' he said. Snow and rainfall were expected to end on Thursday afternoon, with dry, windy conditions returning on Friday and critical fire conditions possible again on Saturday and Sunday. Nim Kidd, chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, said the weekend forecast and 'sheer size and scope' of the blaze are the biggest challenges for firefighters. 'I dont want the community there to feel a false sense of security that all these fires will not grow any more,' he said. 'This is still a very dynamic situation.' The incident occurred back in June 2023 before her four-hour flight A mom who was left drenched in her own breast milk on a flight is suing Delta Airlines over being asked to discard one of her carry-on bags. Erika Geraghty, who flew with the carrier in June 2023, says she attempted to board the plane with two bags which contained her breastmilk and a breast pump. According to her civil complaint, the gate agents told her that she would need to discard or check one of her carry-on bags in order to board the plane. The mom who was nursing at the time claimed that she tried to 'advocate for her rights as a woman under Delta's policies,' but the airline still refused to let her on board until her luggage was condensed. Erika Geraghty is suing Delta Airlines after she was not allowed to pump breastmilk during her flight to John Wayne Airport She claimed that she tried to 'advocate for her rights as a woman under Delta's policies ,' but the airline still refused to let her board the plane According to Delta's policies, the airline 'fully supports a womans right to breastfeed' on board their aircrafts and in their facilities. The policies also indicate that 'breast pumps are allowed on board' their planes. These rules did not make a difference for Geraghty and she ended up checking her carry-on bag that her breast pump was stored in. Geraghty was not able to pump breast milk because of this resulting in her having an uncomfortable four-hour flight. 'Plaintiff endured not only the physical agony of breast engorgement but also the emotional trauma of public degradation of her dignity,' read the civil suit. 'Seated and drenched in her own milk gushing from her breasts, which soaked her blouse in front of other passengers and coworkers.' Geraghty also claims that when she retrieved her checked carry-on bag, she discovered her breast pump was shattered in pieces. She felt her choice was between 'the vital sustenance for her son or the indispensable instrument for its procurement' The incident has allegedly led Geraghty to suffer from a reduction in breast milk production. She claims that this issue has 'never fully recovered' and that it made it difficult for her to feed her son. Geraghty is demanding a trial by jury, economic and punitive damages, and civil and statutory penalties against Delta Airlines. Donald Trump called President Joe Biden a 'mental midget' and 'basket case' in a furious rant at his 2024 rival's claim he couldn't remember his wife Melania Trump's name. Biden was in error when he made the quip in an appearance on 'Late Night with Seth Meyers' that aired Monday. The joke incensed Trump, who issued a two-minute diatribe calling Biden a 'mental midget' and accused Democrats of making up stories about him because Biden is a 'mental and physical basket case.' Biden made the quip when the host asked him about his own age and acuity, during a week when Biden visited Walter Reed medical center for his annual physical but didn't get a mental competency test. 'All jokes aside, according to recent polling, this is a real concern for American voters. How do you address that concern going forward as you come up to the 2024 election?' Meyers asked. Biden shot back: 'Well, a couple of things. Number one, you got to take a look at the other guy. He's about as old as I am but he can't remember his wife's name,' earning laughs. Former President Donald Trump released a two-minute video response after Biden joked on TV that he 'can't remember his wife's name' Trump gave a very detailed response on his Truth Social site, where he blasted 'radical left Democrats' after the president's comment. 'Theyre constantly making up stories about me because their candidate is a mental and physical basket case. 'Theres never been anything like it. Hes also the worst president in the history of our country. He went on a very poorly rated show last night and he talked about Donald Trump and his wife I dont know the name of my wife,' said Trump, referring to himself in the third person. 'He was referring to the fact that, at CPAC, where I had a sold-out speech, the biggest audience theyve had in years, I think maybe ever, I made the statement that Melania was very popular because when I mentioned her name, the audience went wild.' Trump had addressed a crowded ballroom as the keynote speaker at the event that drew dozens of speakers for an annual conference. He went on a very poorly rated show last night and he talked about Donald Trump and his wife I dont know the name of my wife,' Trump said Trump pointed name dropped Mercedes Schlapp during his speech at CPAC 'I then looked at the two people man and wife Matt and Mercedes Schlapp, and I said, Wow! They really like the first lady.' 'So, this got taken as the fact that I thought Mercedes was the first lady has nothing to do with that. These people are really dishonest. They are absolutely something. They have a horrible candidate whos a horrible president! They make up things constantly,' Trump said. Matt Schlapp is head of the American Conservative Union, which organizes the conference, and Schlapp is a former Trump White House aide who also advised his 2020 campaign. Then Trump defended himself over referencing 'President Obama' in another recent speech. He also mixed up former Speaker Nancy Pelosi and primary rival Nikki Haley in a recent speech. 'You take a look at when I use Barack Hussein Obama, and I interject him into where its supposed to be Biden, and I do it purposely for comedic reasons and for sarcasm because a lot of people say that Obama is running the country, not Biden because hes sleeping all the time. They say, oh, I dont know the name of the president.' Trump also defended his own impressions of Biden, like one he delivered during his 87-minute CPAC speech where he denied having a cognitive problem. 'Dont associate me with the mental midget that you portrayed because I want to tell you, he should not be leading this country,' Trump said. Biden didn't back down despite multiple fact checks calling him out on the purported Melania mix-up, issuing a biting response that stringed together Trump comments at CPAC, on Obama, and on Pelosi and video of Trump slowly walking down a ramp after a speech at the U.S. Air Force Academy. 'Donald, man. Check the tape,' Biden said on his unofficial X account. A $2 million home bought by an elderly New York City couple has been left derelict and grotty after it was taken over by a shameless squatter. The large three bed, four bath home in Little Neck, around 18 miles from Manhattan, was intended to be the idyllic retirement spot for Susana and Joseph Landa, both 68, and their disabled son Alex. But their dreams were dashed as they discovered the property was being lived in by squatter Brett Flores in October, sparking a months-long struggle to evict him that has left them desperate. DailyMail.com visited the home on Thursday. Flores refused to open the door, instead remaining inside where we observed furniture covered in dust sheets, with garbage strewn across the floor. Ten surveillance cameras monitor the property, but it's unclear who placed them there. Outside, the yard is unkept, with a broken doorbell and a sign warning of an 'alarm system' greeting guests at the front door. A note purportedly left by Flores on the door of the home told the new owners they 'don't have my consent to enter', and said their attempts to contact him would be 'interpreted as harassment.' This $2 million 'dream home' bought by an elderly New York City couple has been left derelict and abandoned after it was taken over by a shameless squatter After months of struggling to evict the squatter, a note has been left on the door telling the new owners they 'don't have consent to enter', and said their attempts to contact the grifter would be 'interpreted as harassment' Despite a winter gale blowing through New York on Thursday, many windows and doors of the empty property were left wide open, as the home appeared to not have been lived in for some time Scattered, unfinished white paint has also been left on the home's red front door, alongside a key lock holder that had been ripped from its hinges Months after the property was snapped up for millions, it has fallen into disrepair Susana (right) and Joseph Landa (left), both 68, purchased the mansion in Little Neck, Long Island in October, where they planned to enjoy retirement before their hopes were dashed The squatter has been identified as Brett Flores, who is claiming that he has every right to stay Despite a winter gale blowing through New York on Thursday, many windows and doors of the empty property were left wide open, as the home appeared to not have been lived in for some time. Scattered, unfinished white paint has also been left on the home's red front door, alongside a key lock holder that had been ripped from its hinges. There was no answer when DailyMail.com knocked the door. Flores' lawyer told DailyMail.com that he had no comment to make ahead of a court hearing scheduled for April 18. It is unclear what that hearing will cover. No-one local had anything to say about Flores, with one neighbor whose property backs onto the disputed home's yard saying he'd never even seen him. Property records indicate the previous owner was Bernard Fernandez, a watch-maker who 'kept himself to himself' and was known by neighbors as 'Bernie'. When the Landas picked the home to retire in back in October, its location next to family members and in a neighborhood where they lived for decades made it the ideal spot to settle down for good. Joseph Landa said his struggles to evict the squatter have become 'a nightmare, a total nightmare' The couple have three sons, one of whom has Down Syndrome. They wanted to live with him in the home to remain close to his brothers Susana Landa with two of her sons The proximity to their family was an added benefit as the elderly couple take care of their disabled son Alex, who has down syndrome. 'I just want to know that I can die tomorrow and he's next to his brother,' Susana said of her disabled son. But after finding Flores occupying their home, their inability to shift the squatter has become 'a nightmare', said Joseph to ABC7. 'I wake up and I go to sleep thinking about the same thing, when is this guy going to come out?' Susana, a mother-of-three, said. The whole time they have been unable to move into the home due to Flores, the couple have been forced to foot the bill for all the utilities and maintenance to keep up the large property. While the home has fallen into disrepair as the Landas still can't move in, they also claim Flores was advertising rooms in their home-to-be on rental sites. In the online listings, which appear to have been deleted, Flores advertised 'The Prince Room' for $50 a night to males, female, couples, families or students looking for a place to stay. His rental services had even garnered three reviews, suggesting that Flores could have hosted paying renters at the Landa's home. The sprawling home is in Little Neck, around 18 miles from Manhattan The exterior of the property has also been fitted with at least a dozen security cameras, including on trees scattered around the estate Scattered garbage and random splatters of white paint have been left around the multi-million dollar home Not only has Flores taken over the Landa's family home to-be, they are claiming the squatter has also advertised the home online to rent the rooms to other people The family hoped the home would be the ideal spot to settle down with their disabled son Alex, and some of their other family also live in the neighborhood The Landas are taking Flores to landlord-tenant court to try and get him evicted, but the court hearing is not until April. 'Long story short, he is still there,' Susana said. Flores had been hired as a caretaker by the home's previous owner, which he argues gives him every right to remain on the property. Court documents show that Flores, 32, was indeed hired by the former homeowner, and he was paid $3,000 a week to care for the elderly man. The former homeowner passed away in January 2023, but Flores claimed he has a 'license' to stay in the home granted by the old owner. When DailyMail.com quizzed neighbors about the former homeowner, they didn't know much about the man, and said he 'kept himself to himself.' After he described in court documents why he 'deserved' to live for free in the multi-million dollar property, Susana reacted: 'We couldn't believe it, we could not believe it.' Flores' attorney told DailyMail.com, 'no comment.' The homeowners tried to enter the property alongside an insurance inspector and Flores called the cops on them. The family have already had five hearings in civil court and are complaining that the process keeps getting delayed. The Landa family have already had five hearings in civil court and are complaining that the process keeps getting delayed While Flores is living rent free in the family's dream home, they are paying all of the bills to keep the house up and running Flores has showed up for court without an attorney and filed for bankruptcy on January 9, 2024, which prevented any legal proceedings from going forward. While Flores is living rent-free in the family's dream home, they are paying all of the bills to keep the house up and running. Flores has racked up thousands of dollars in utilities, which Joseph and Susana have had to pay. Susana said Flores has been 'leaving windows open 24 hours' while they are paying the heating bills. 'It's very crazy, our system is broken,' Susana said. 'I never would imagine we have no rights, no rights at all, nothing, zero.' 'It makes me feel completely forgotten in this legal system, unfair and not able to do anything,' Joseph said. A foreign murderer and rapist who had already been deported once when his criminal past came to light has been jailed after sneaking back into UK to see his girlfriend. Lauris Terasas, 30, was this week handed an 18-month sentence by a judge at Newport Crown Court for an immigration offence and will be deported once again to his native Lithuania. He first arrived in Britain in 2020 and was originally given leave to remain for five years after the authorities failed to carry out proper background checks. Terasas had declared he had previous convictions but not specified what they were. His murder, rape and robbery convictions date back to 2011, when he was jailed for 10 years in his homeland and released part-way through his sentence. Lauris Terasas, 30, was handed an 18-month sentence by a judge at Newport Crown Court for an immigration offence and will be deported once again to his native Lithuania The killer also received a further sentence of three years and 11 months for battery, imposed in 2016. But UK authorities only found out details of the crimes after he was arrested for motoring offences in 2021 and proper checks were made by police. He was first deported from the UK in 2022. Despite being barred from setting foot in Britain again, Terasas returned in January. A court heard he flew to London Luton Airport and re-entered using a passport with a different name on it from previous identity documents. Appearing at Newport Crown Court, Terasas, who gave an address in the Stow Hill area of the South Wales town, pleaded guilty to knowingly enter the UK in breach of a deportation order on January 18. Sentencing, Judge Daniel Williams told Terasas: 'I am satisfied that you knew you had no right to enter the UK. 'The passport you used was in a different name to a previous passport and other identification documents. 'There is a legitimate public concern about breaches of border controls.' The court heard Terasas was granted five years' leave to remain in Britain when he originally arrived in 2020. He first arrived in Britain in 2020 and was originally given leave to remain for five years after the authorities failed to carry out proper background checks But prosecutor Rose Glanville said that while he answered 'yes' when asked by the authorities if he had any previous convictions, no background checks were then made to reveal what his crimes were. The court heard his violent past only came to light in 2021, a year after his arrival, when he was arrested for a driving offence in London and proper checks were carried out. It took a further year to arrange his deportation after which Terasas was barred from re-entering Britain. He was arrested in Newport last month after returning to see his girlfriend, the court heard. Ben Waters, defending Terasas told the court he was not seeking to stay in Britain. Mr Waters said: 'The defendant came to visit his partner who lives in the Newport and he had a return flight booked to go back on January 28.' Terasas is set to serve half his sentence in a UK prison while his deportation is organised. Pro-Palestine activists have brought London's Liverpool Street train station to a halt with a sit-in protest as they demand a ceasefire in the war with Israel. They were joined in solidarity by Extinction Rebellion protesters for a 'peaceful' demonstration this afternoon. Photos show some protesters lying on the ground as they take a stand. A large police presence can be seen at the major London station, which serves the Central, Circle, Metropolitan and Hammersmith and City lines as well as National Rail services. A British Transport Police spokesperson told MailOnline: 'On Thursday, 29 February, there was a peaceful protest at Liverpool Street station. 'About 100 people gathered from 2.30pm until 2.45pm and did not affect the operation of the station. Liverpool Street Station in London pictured this afternoon - crowds of people are gathered Pro-Palestine activists have brought London 's Liverpool Street train station to a halt with a sit-in protest as they demand a ceasefire in the war with Israel 'British Transport Police were in attendance to minimise disruption to passengers. There were no arrests.' Extinction Rebellion tweeted: 'Protestors have occupied Liverpool Street Station! '#ExtinctionRebellion stand in solidarity with climate & human rights movements in protest against AXA for their part in climate and ecological collapse and the violence in #Gaza.' They used the hashtags PeaceNotWar and InsureOurFutureNOW. MailOnline has contacted the Met Police, TfL and National Rail for comment. Some of the protesters can be seen lying down on the ground The protest comes after witnesses claimed Israeli troops fired on a crowd of Palestinians waiting for aid in Gaza City. More than 100 people were killed, bringing the death toll since the start of the war to more than 30,000, according to health officials. Hospital workers initially reported an Israeli strike on the crowd but witnesses later said Israeli troops opened fire as people pulled flour and canned goods off trucks. Israeli officials acknowledged that troops opened fire, saying they did so after the crowd approached in a threatening way. The officials insisted on anonymity to give details about what happened, after the military said in a statement that 'dozens were killed and injured from pushing, trampling and being run over by the trucks'. Aid groups say it has become nearly impossible to deliver humanitarian assistance in most of Gaza because of the difficulty of coordinating with the Israeli military, ongoing hostilities and the breakdown of public order, with crowds of desperate people overwhelming aid convoys. The UN says a quarter of Gaza's 2.3 million Palestinians face starvation and around 80% have fled their homes. Kamel Abu Nahel, who was being treated for a gunshot wound at Shifa Hospital, said he and others went to the distribution point in the middle of the night because they heard there would be a delivery of food. 'We've been eating animal feed for two months,' he added. He said Israeli troops opened fire on the crowd, causing it to scatter, with some people hiding under cars. After the shooting stopped, they went back to the trucks and the soldiers opened fire again. He was shot in the leg and fell over and then a truck ran over his leg as it sped off, he said. Medics arriving at the scene on Thursday found 'dozens or hundreds' lying on the ground, according to Fares Afana, the head of the ambulance service at Kamal Adwan Hospital. He said there were not enough ambulances to collect all the dead and wounded and that some were being brought to hospitals in donkey carts. In addition to at least 104 people killed, around 760 were wounded, Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra said. The Health Ministry described it as a 'massacre'. A Royal Navy chopper launched anti-missile flares above the HMS Prince of Wales as part of NATO's largest military exercise for decades. The Merlin helicopter from 820 Naval Air Squadron could be seen firing the flares from both sides above Britain's second aircraft carrier for Exercise Steadfast Defender in images released today. The Royal Navy said: 'Flares are one element of the Defensive Aid Suite (DAS). The flares make up one portion of the DAS system, they are specifically designed to defeat Infra-Red seeking missiles (MANPADS). 'The aircraft carrier is taking part in Exercise Steadfast Defender. Exercise Steadfast Defender 2024 will be the largest NATO exercise in decades. 'NATO forces will be exercising across multiple regions and in multiple domains (maritime, land, air, space, and cyber).' It added: 'The vast scale of this exercise will occur over several months and over thousands of kilometres and will involve tens-of-thousands of Allied troops, all showcasing NATO capabilities to deter adversaries and defend allied territory.' A Merlin helicopter from 820 Naval Air Squadron loaded and fired flares from HMS Prince of Wales for Exercise Steadfast Defender The helicopter be seen firing the flares from both sides from above Britain's second aircraft carrier NATO was founded in 1949 and held its first military exercises in the autumn of 1951. These were used to train and test the organisation's newly created multinational military structures. Throughout the Cold War, NATO continued a highly active exercise programme to train forces in as many demanding scenarios as possible. This included the REFORGER series of exercises, which in a similar way to those that the Steadfast Defender 24 takes part in tested the ability of North American soldiers to quickly deploy to Europe. The last exercise on a similar scale to Steadfast Defender 24 was REFORGER 88, with 125,000 people taking part. Since Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014, NATO has increased the number of exercises that concentrate on collective defence scenarios. Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Allies have further bolstered NATO's deterrence and defence. Steadfast Defender 24 is the first large-scale NATO exercise to act on these new defence plans. Earlier this week, French President Emmanuel Macron said that nothing should be excluded as the West looked for a strategy to counter Russia, which controls just under a fifth of territory recognised as Ukraine. A Merlin helicopter from 820 Naval Air Squadron taking part in the military exercise The Merlin helicopter above the HMS Prince of Wales. The Royal Navy said: 'Flares are one element of the Defensive Aid Suite (DAS). The flares make up one portion of the DAS system, they are specifically designed to defeat Infra-Red seeking missiles (MANPADS)' He noted that European nations have not ruled out putting boots on the ground. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz was among the European leaders who rejected the idea. 'What was agreed from the beginning among ourselves and with each other also applies to the future, namely that there will be no soldiers on Ukrainian soil sent there by European states or NATO states,' Scholz said. Prime minister Ulf Kristersson of Sweden, which is set to join NATO after Hungary this week became the final member to approve the country's application, poured cold water on the idea, saying 'it's not on the cards at all for the moment'. In an address to the nation today in Moscow, Russian president Vladimir Putin noted that while accusing Russia of plans to attack NATO allies in Europe, Western allies were 'selecting targets for striking our territory' and 'talking about the possibility of sending a NATO contingent to Ukraine'. 'We remember the fate of those who sent their troop contingents to the territory of our country,' the Russian president said in an apparent allusion to the failed invasions by Napoleon and Hitler. 'Now the consequences for the potential invaders will be far more tragic.' Putin declared that the West should keep in mind that 'we also have the weapons that can strike targets on their territory, and what they are now suggesting and scaring the world with, all that raises the real threat of a nuclear conflict that will mean the destruction of our civilization'. President Joe Biden departed for the border on Thursday, heading to a place where crossings are at an all-time low as the White House denies charges he's on a 'photo-op.' Biden is traveling to Brownsville, Texas, on the same day Donald Trump will be in Eagle Pass, Texas. The cities are about 300 miles apart and the two men are not expected to interact. But Eagle Pass remains a migration hot spot while crossings in Brownsville have dropped dramatically. It once saw 10,000 a day. Biden, wearing sneakers with his suit pants and jacket, spoke about a cease fire in Gaza before departing the White House but didn't talk about his trip. President Joe Biden departs the White House for his second trip to the border White House officials have defended the president, saying its House Republicans engaged in a 'political stunt.' While in Brownsville, Biden will 'meet with U.S. Border Patrol agents, law enforcement, frontline personnel, and local leaders to discuss the urgent need to pass the Senate bipartisan border security agreement,' a White House official said. Biden is considering executive orders that would move to shut down the border to new arrivals if more than an average of 5,000 migrants per day tried to cross unlawfully in the course of a week, or more than 8,500 tried to cross in a day. The president is joined on his trip by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Rep. Vincente Gonzalez, local elected officials, as well as personnel from Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Biden will be briefed on border security operations and then he will make public remarks on the need for House Republicans to pass a bipartisan border package already approved by the Senate. Conservatives argue the legislation is not strong enough to combat illegal immigration. The bill included over $20 billion for border security that would add new Customs and Border Patrol agents, add more asylum officers to increase that process time, and add more immigration judges. Democrats accuse the GOP of election year politics. Trump, who is Biden's likely rival in the 2024 presidential election, has come out against the legislation. The former president, while he is in Eagle Pass, will blast Biden on the record high number of illegal crossings and the murder of Laken Riley, a Georgia nursing student. An illegal immigrant was arrested and charged with the crime. His campaign has accused Biden of piggy-backing onto Trump's decision to visit the border, which the White House denies. There was a lot of trash but no sign of migrants at Rio Grande in Brownsville, Texax Donald Trump will be in Eagle Pass, Texas, on the same day Biden is in Brownsville, Texas In Brownsville, border crossings have dropped dramatically in the past months, after Republican Gov. Greg Abbott had miles of the wire fencing installed as part of Operation Lone Star, which he signed into law in December. Internal CBP data for all border patrol stations in February - obtained by Fox News - shows that the Brownsville area had about 462 apprehensions, which averages out to about 17 per day. That makes Brownsville, Texas, the 29th busiest border patrol station for the month. The number one station was Three Points in Tucson, Arizona, sector, which has recorded more than 13,900 apprehensions in February. Brownsville could give Biden a platform to argue illegal crossings have dropped dramatically given it was the busiest corridor for illegal crossings for nine years. But Republicans have called it something else: a 'photo-op.' Speaker Mike Johnson accused Biden of going merely for the optics. 'Brownsville is the 29th ranked hotspot. Why would he go to the 29th? Because he doesn't really want to see the reality,' he said Thursday. At a House Republican leadership news conference, many of the leaders repeatedly accused Biden of a 'photo op.' 'President Biden goes down to the border today for a photo op,' Majority Leader Steve Scalise said. 'He has the authority today to fix this problem that he created.' The White House has said it's House Republicans who are turning the border into a 'political stunt.' White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre pushed back against GOP criticism of Biden's trip, noting it was House Republicans who refused to bring up a vote on a bipartisan border security bill after Trump came out against it. 'Oh, it's very different. What House Republicans have done is nothing, absolutely nothing. If anything, they consistently get in the way,' she said during her press briefing. 'They are turning this into a political stunt by listening to Donald Trump and saying that they need to kill it. This is what they've been doing and making it political where the President got his team now directed his team to work with senators, both Republicans and Democrats to get a bill done.' Members of the Texas National Guard on patrol at the border - crossings have gone down since Republican Gov. Greg Abbott installed fencing Last May, before the fencing was installed, lines of immigrants wait at Camp Monument to be processed into the country Local groups are also upset with the president's quick visit, with one calling it a 'press event.' Voces Unidas RGV, part of the Souther Border Communities coalition, accused the White House of ignoring local needs 'in exchange for a press event, ironically to meet with law enforcement officers about border security.' 'Despite these visits to the border, despite the photo ops and the press friendly quotes, we remain unimpressed with the Biden Administration's lackluster commitment to our Texas border communities, especially our immigrant, low-income, mixed status communities,' the group said in a statement. They called on Biden to sit down with migrants. 'If President Biden seeks to be the public servant that people need, he must take the time to sit down with underserved communities to hear where they stand.' Brownsville has a predominantly Hispanic population, which, at 93.9%, is the third-highest proportion of Hispanic Americans of any city in the U.S. It's proximation to the border and heavy Hispanic community had made it a hot spot for illegal immigration. Also, with 200,000 people, it's one of the larger cities in the country and able to absorb the migrant influx. The city is also a Democratic stronghold. And it has a large bus station and airport for migrants to use to leave for other destinations. The border area near Camp Monument, the area in Brownsville to process migrants A welcome to the United States sign in Brownsville, Texas The border wall between Brownsville, Texas, and Mexico Biden and Trump's trips come as the immigration issue ratches to the forefront of the campaign. They also come a few days before the Super Tuesday primaries on March 5, when more than a dozen states hold Republican nominating contests. Both men have railed against each other on the border issue as they try to turn it into election year fodder. There have been record crossings of the border during Biden's administration, a fact Trump and Republicans have hammered him on. And, according to a Gallup poll, immigration is the most common issue mentioned by adult voters who disapprove of Bidens performance. The White House has been trying to turn the narrative on the issue, blaming Trump and House Republicans for refusing to support the bipartisan Senate bill. Conservatives argue that piece of legislation didn't go far enough. The bill included over $20 billion for border security that would add new Customs and Border Patrol agents, add more asylum officers to increase that process time, and add more immigration judges. The president also has been under pressure from Democrats, including governors, mayors and senators in border states, to do more on the issue. His first trip to the southern border was in January 2023, when Biden spent about four hours on the ground in El Paso, Texas. Florida governor Ron DeSantis has signed a bill approving the release of records relating to the first probe into Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking operation. The Republican traveled to Palm Beach to sign the bill, HB 117, which will open access to the 2006 grand jury that resulted in a criminal charge against the disgraced financier that many called questionably lenient. 'There were a lot of questions about what happened where you had a sweetheart deal... This is long overdue but again, we feel that we can't just turn a blind eye,' said DeSantis, who was accompanied by two of Epstein's victims, Haley Robson and Jena-Lisa Cordovez. 'What happened was clearly wrong, and the punishment was simply wholly inadequate to the crime.' The bill, unanimously passed by the state Legislature last week, will take effect on July 1. However, the records could be released sooner as part of a lawsuit by the Palm Beach Post. Florida governor Ron DeSantis traveled to Palm Beach to sign the bill, HB 117, which will open access to the 2006 grand jury that resulted in a criminal charge against Jeffrey Epstein The bill would open access to the first probe into Epstein's sexual abuse of minors. Epstein is seen with convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell Last year, a Florida appeals court has opened the door for the possible release of transcripts of the grand jury investigation into the notorious sex trafficker - which ended with prosecutors negotiating a plea deal. Floridas treatment of Epstein came under scrutiny in 2018 following a series of Miami Herald articles that detailed the disagreements that surfaced beginning in 2005 among law enforcement officials after teenage girls and young women told Palm Beach police investigators that Epstein had sexually assaulted them. Palm Beach police thought they had a strong case to bring sexual assault charges against Epstein but Krischer and his prosecutors disagreed, saying Epstein's attorneys would have avenues to attack the victims' credibility and a conviction was unlikely. A grand jury heard the case but no indictment was issued. Palm Beach police, meanwhile, took their evidence to federal prosecutors, who threatened to bring charges until an agreement was reached in June 2008. 'This is long overdue but again, we feel that we can't just turn a blind eye,' said DeSantis, who was accompanied by two of Epstein's victims Palm Beach authorities investigated Epstein between 2005 and 2006 after teenage girls and young women told investigators that the billionaire financier had sexually assaulted them at his Palm Beach mansion, which has since been torn down Epstein then pleaded guilty to state charges of procuring a person under 18 for prostitution and felony solicitation of prostitution. He was sentenced to 18 months in the Palm Beach County jail system followed by 12 months of house arrest and required to register as a sex offender. The financier was 66 when he killed himself in a New York City federal jail cell in August 2019 as he awaited trial on sex trafficking charges. Federal prosecutors had accused him of paying underage girls hundreds of dollars for massages at his homes in Florida and New York, where he then molested them. In 2019, just days before Epstein killed himself, DeSantis ordered the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to take over the investigation of how the Epstein case was handled by state employees. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement said it found no evidence that Jeffrey Epstein received special treatment In 2021, Florida detectives cleared Palm Beach prosecutors and sheriff's officials of any criminal wrongdoing in connection with their handling of the sex offender. Both the state attorney's office and sheriff had been criticized by Epstein's victims and their advocates for the sentencing deal he received and for his participation in a work-release program that allowed him to travel to his office most days for up to 16 hours, where he possibly engaged in the sexual abuse of underage girls. In three separate reports, Florida investigators wrote they found no evidence that any sheriff's deputy, former State Attorney Barry Krischer or any of his prosecutors 'was coerced, bribed or engaged in any criminal activity in the performance of their duties'. While in Palm Beach sheriffs custody, Epstein was allowed to stay in an isolated cell at the countys minimum-security stockade, where he roamed freely and watched television. State investigators said in a 2021 report that isolating him was a prudent decision, saying it was made to protect Epstein from other inmates and to prevent him from using his wealth to become 'king of the dorms.' Epstein was also soon allowed into the countys work-release program. During that time, he was taken to his office, where he claimed to be running his financial consulting business and his foundation. By the time of his release, he was spending six days a week and 18 hours a day at his office. He was required to wear an ankle monitor and hire two deputies to oversee his whereabouts from the lobby, but they were not in his office with him. A woman who was then 17 and another woman, who was then an adult, have said they were trafficked to Epsteins office during that time to have paid sex with him. Epsteins former girlfriend, socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, is serving a 20-year prison sentence after being convicted in 2021 of luring girls to his homes to be molested. The Senegalese man behind a 'illegal' migrant shelter that held 87 people in his shop's basement has been busted for running another operation where 60 asylum seekers were found spending the night. Ebou Sarr, 47, was caught running a migrant shelter in Queens Monday, and on Wednesday another location that he ran in the Bronx was discovered. Officials told PIX11 that at least 45 confined beds were found inside a basement and first floor of a closed store on East Kingsbridge Road. The migrants were removed from their housing and taken to city-run shelters, as some of the occupants said that they would rather live on the street. On Wednesday, Sarr said: 'This was their choice, they choose to be here than being over there in the shelter.' 'If you ask each and everyone of them they will tell you this, they did not want to go.' A second 'illegal' migrant shelter was discovered in the Bronx on Wednesday. This location was run by Ebou Sarr, the same man who was busted for his Queens shelter on Monday At least 45 confined beds were found inside a basement and first floor of a closed store on East Kingsbridge Road. One of the beds is seen through a window of the closed store Sarr, a migrant himself, had been charging a monthly fee of $300 for shelter and food, earning himself $26,100 a month, or $313,000 a year in the process for the shelter in Queens Sarr, a migrant himself who came to the US years ago, said that he felt compelled to set up the shelters. He had been charging a monthly fee of $300 for shelter and food, earning himself $26,100 a month, or $313,000 a year in the process for the shelter in Queens that was run out a furniture store. Officials made the first shocking discovery on Monday during a building inspection at the business in Queens after a 311 call prompted an investigation. Poll Do you think this business owner is wrong for taking the migrant crisis 'into his own hands'? Yes No Do you think this business owner is wrong for taking the migrant crisis 'into his own hands'? Yes 97 votes No 40 votes Now share your opinion The call had been made to complain about a large number of e-bikes in the rear yard of the property. The FDNY said that around 40 cramped beds were found on the ground floor of the property and in the cellar at that location. Those migrants were transferred to another shelter in the Bronx and a vacate order has been issued for the building over safety concerns following the discovery. Sarr continued: 'They[the city] promise that they have places for them. They lie, there was no beds. They end up in the streets again roaming around.' 'We came up with this idea that we can do this on our own, so we came up with a strategy to put this money together to help ourselves.' 'They have lied to them in the past, they are lying again. We have to change the way we are doing things. We are all human, we are all equal.' Officials made the first shocking discovery on Monday during a building inspection at the business in Queens, seen here, after a 311 call prompted an investigation About 40 beds were found on the ground floor and in the cellar in the Queens shelter, according to the FDNY 'Safety was our number one priority, I hope they change their laws. People can not be sleeping around on the streets like animals, like dogs. 'Even animals don't sleep on the streets, how about human beings. They don't care because it is not their people.' Fire officials added that they eventually found that people were taking turns to sleep due to the limited number of beds. Most of the migrants are from Senegal- a country in West Africa. On Tuesday, Sarr told PIX11 that he had been providing them with breakfast, lunch and dinner. There were two bathrooms available, as with Sarr explained that he had been giving out memberships to Planet Fitness so those living in the basement could shower. On Tuesday, deputy mayor for housing Maria Torres-Springer said: 'What we discovered last night in some ways is also symptomatic of a larger crisis that this city is facing that weve talked about repeatedly in terms of the housing shortage in this city. 'It is not a new thing that too many people make desperate choices about where to live and what to pay for and at the root of that is the fact that we havent built enough housing.' Mayor Eric Adams has been accused of wasting millions of taxpayer dollars on migrants by doling out no-bid contracts. City Comptroller Brad Lander made the claim in an audit of migrant-related contracts released on Tuesday, identifying 340 asylum-seeker contracts representing an estimated contract value of $5.7 billion. The 311 call had been made to complain about a large number of e-bikes in the rear yard of the property A long line of migrants are seen in standing in the cold as they looked for shelter outside of a migrant assistance center at St. Brigid Elementary School on December 5 in New York Mayor Eric Adams has been accused of wasting millions of taxpayer dollars on migrants by doling out no-bid contracts According to the audit, most of those contracts were procured on an emergency basis, allowing the city to waive the usual competitive bidding requirements. In one case, a vendor charged the city $185.63 per hour for shelter supervisors, totaling nearly $1,500 per eight-hour shift. The audit noted that the city's migrant crisis has been ongoing since the spring of 2022, with Adams' state of emergency declaration coming in October of that year, and questions why contracts are still being procured on an emergency basis. Last week, Adams announced his administration will cut an additional 10 percent in migrant spending and pause drastic budget cuts to other departments after he was slammed for giving migrants taxpayer funded debit cards. The Big Apple has been inundated with an influx of migrants that have cost taxpayers $12.65 billion in 2023. More than 170,000 migrants have arrived in the city since the spring of 2022, and the crisis is only deepening as they continue to be bussed from Texas where record numbers are entering. Carriao worked as an anchor for SBT from 2012 until this year; he was previously employed by Rede Record A former Brazilian journalist was arrested as a major supplier of drug dealers in Brazil, authorities have announced. Marcelo Carriao, 51, was taken into custody, along with five others, Thursday and accused of being the principal 'supplier' of a network that provided drugs to dealers in Santos, Sao Paulo. Sao Paulo Civil Police Specialized Criminal Investigations Division chief Fabiano Barbeiro said five other suspects were apprehended as part of 'Operation Iron Lady.' Authorities were working on locating three other suspects. 'We are now investigating the sources from whom Marcelo purchased these drugs,' Barbeiro said. Marcelo Carriao, a former anchor for Brazilian network SBT, was arrested along with five other drug traffickers who supplied drugs to street level dealers in Santos, a city in the southern state of Sao Paulo Authorities raided multiple properties in Santos, Brazil, Thursday and arrested six alleged drug traffickers, including former news anchor Marcelo Carriao. The drugs and mobile devices seen here were confiscated from his home Carriao's lawyer, Marcelo Cruz, denied the accusations brought forward by the police. 'Marcelo is over 50 years old and to date, has never had any type of investigation for crimes of this nature. He, in fact, uses drugs, and the drug seized today at his residence was intended for his own consumption,' Cruz told O Globo. 'Marcelo has almost 30 years of journalism, a transport company and has always carried out lawful work. He has been working since he was 14.' Carriao was scheduled to appear before a judge Thursday. Carriao, who is married and has two children, worked as a reporter and anchor for SBT from 2012 until this year. Prior to that, he was a reporter for Rede Record from 2005 to 2011 and worked as a producer and reporter with TV Mar between 1993 and 2005. On his private Instagram account, Carriao described himself as "a surfer-journalist who always smiles for life. Carriao and his eight codefendants were targeted by the police following the arrest of two female delivery workers, ages 19 and 23, on February 6. Leonardo Rivau, who leads the Narcotics Investigations Station, said investigators discovered a conversation in one of the cell phones confiscated from the workers that implicated Carriao. Former reporter and news anchor Marcelo Carriao was arrested Thursday the Civil Police in the southeastern Brazilian state of Sao Paulo. Authorities identified the journalist as the main 'supplier' of marijuana dealers Carriao has worked for Brazilian news outlets SBT, Rede Record and TV Mar One of the women was in charge of handling the logistics of the drug dealing business out of a home in the Santos neighborhood of Gonzaga and was also the middle person between the traffickers who sold the drugs. 'He (Carriao) offered the drug, she placed the order and arranged delivery so she could but it and resell it in Gonzaga (a Santos neighborhood,' Rivau said. Cops raided multiple residences, including a home where three tents were set up to grow marijuana plants. 'In this (home), in particular, we found a plantation owned by two brothers who are drug suppliers for one of the targets (of the operation)', Rivau said. The mother of Emma Caldwell has demanded Scotland's First Minister open a public inquiry into the investigation of her daughters murderer, Iain Packer. A statement from Margaret Caldwell was read out by Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross at First Minister's Questions in Holyrood today which outlined her plea. This comes after Packer, 51, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 36 years on Wednesday after being found guilty at the High Court in Glasgow of murdering the 27-year-old, as well as 11 rapes against nine women and 21 further charges including sexual assaults and abduction. Mr Ross said: 'Margaret had a message for the First Minister, she said this, 'If Mr Yousaf genuinely cares about the victims and my Emma, then he has no other option but to organise an independent public inquiry. 'And she continued, 'With respect, what are you waiting for?'' The mother of Emma Caldwell has demanded Scotland's First Minister, Humza Yousaf, open a public inquiry into the investigation of her daughters murderer, Iain Packer Margaret Caldwell wrote: 'If Mr Yousaf genuinely cares about the victims and my Emma, then he has no other option but to organise an independent public inquiry' A statement from Margaret Caldwell was read out by Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross at First Minister's Questions in Holyrood Concerns have been raised over the conduct of the former Strathclyde Police in the investigation of Packer, with Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, also calling for a judge-led public inquiry, presided over by someone from outside Scotland to investigate police failings. He quoted Mrs Caldwell, who said women who had raised the alarm about Packer were 'humiliated, dismissed and, in some instances, arrested whilst the police gifted freedom to an evil predator to rape and rape again'. First Minister, Humza Yousaf informed the chamber that he planned to meet with Mrs Caldwell, and her lawyer, Aamer Anwar, 'urgently' and was keen to understand her wishes on the issue. And although he strongly hinted at calling for an inquiry, he also acknowledged that there was a chance Packer could appeal the sentence. 'A judge-led public inquiry is something that we're exploring, is absolutely not off the table and is something we're giving very serious consideration to given the systemic failings in this case,' he said. Mr Ross pushed the First Minister to come back with an answer 'within days', urging him to push for a judge from outside Scotland to be appointed, something Mr Yousaf said would be 'worth of consideration'. Responding, the First Minister said they would 'come back urgently' to update MSPs, adding 'women have waited far too long for justice'. Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar also quoted Mrs Caldwell, who said women who had raised the alarm about Packer were 'humiliated, dismissed and, in some instances, arrested whilst the police gifted freedom to an evil predator to rape and rape again' First Minister Humza Yousaf and Justice Angela Constance (right) arrive for First Minster's Questions at the Scottish Parliament in Holyrood Mr Yousaf also accepted that the victims of Packer - who was first interviewed by police the month after Miss Caldwell's body was found, and who repeatedly lied to investigators - were 'ultimately let down' by police. The First Minister added: 'There are many questions to answer why Packer was able to evade justice (and) continue to commit many crimes as he did for so long.' Mr Sarwar said that for any inquiry to be 'truly independent' it would have to be led from someone outside the Scottish justice system. The First Minister said he agreed with Mr Sarwar on many points, saying: 'We still in Scotland have a serious problem with misogyny. 'And I know there's a lot of cross-party consensus around some of the actions that the Scottish Government is taking forward to tackle violence against women and girls.' He continued: 'There is a strong argument that the inquiry is led by somebody outwith Scotland, so I don't remove that option from the table.' Police Scotland has apologised to Miss Caldwell's family and to Packer's other victims for them being 'let down' by policing in 2005. The war in Ukraine has always seemed a strange blend of the contemporary and the historic. During my visits to various fronts, I have watched soldiers livestream drone battles on flat screens, explain to me how AI is helping them better target the enemy, and I have spent time in trenches that wouldnt look out of place in World War I. I was reminded of this when a Ukrainian friend recently told me about the growing problem of press gangs there. Not too long ago, he and some friends got off at Kyiv train station and were immediately swarmed by a mob of masked soldiers checking the documents of all military-aged males and hauling off those without the necessary exemptions (these include being unfit to serve on health grounds, those in certain types of study, and those who have lost family members during military service) to various army facilities. Many will almost certainly end up on the front, unwilling and undertrained. CCTV footage believed to show Ukrainian soldiers removing men while enforcing conscription Ukraine is once more throwing up things I thought existed only in history books and novels: one of them is the press gang. In its 17th- and 18th-century heyday in Britain, men would be grabbed by mobs of sailors and bundled on to ships to fight the countrys wars. Back then, Acts of Parliament gave the Crown the right to seize men of seafaring experience. Our Royal Navy found such men in merchant sailors whom it captured both by stalking the ports for those inebriated while on shore leave, and by boarding merchant ships at sea and hauling them off. Nor were foreigners exempt. When the United States declared war on Britain in 1812, it cited the British practice of using press gangs to abduct American citizens (probably around 15,000) as justification. In 19th-century England, low wages, perpetual desertion and the toll taken by diseases such as scurvy made naval recruitment a constant struggle. And thats without the manpower demands of the war with Napoleonic France. At the time of the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, more than half of men in the Royal Navy were estimated to have been impressed, which is a fancy word for what was essentially kidnap and military serfdom. The only way to avoid the press gang was to fight them off or run. The same is true today in Ukraine. My friends experience was not an isolated incident. Ive heard stories of passports being confiscated, and press gangs turning up at offices. An engraved illustration of the Royal Navy Press Gang snatching sailors in 1886 Odesa market is a strange sight these days, bereft as it is of military-age men, many of whom are increasingly staying at home as more videos spread on social media of press gangs physically grabbing people in the streets and bundling them into vans. Its a sign of desperation. Ukraine is facing a severe recruitment crisis. Kyiv claimed this week that 31,000 of its soldiers have been killed. But as far back as August, US officials estimated that there were 70,000 war dead and as many as 120,000 wounded. Each time I go to the country, my list of dead friends and acquaintances grows. Each time, I see more wounded in the streets. According to a December 2023 US intelligence report, Russia has suffered 315,000 casualties. But, at more than 140million, it has at least three times Ukraines population of roughly 40million. On top of that, it is a dictatorship. It can snatch as many people off the streets as it wants and it does. In one notorious example, more than 200 men from the Mipstroy1 construction company were sent off to fight in one go. It swipes the immiserated from homeless shelters and, notoriously, from the countrys brutal prisons. One resource Russia never runs out of is people. And who is going to protest? Whose voice really matters? Following Putins all-out invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, thousands joined up to expel the Russian invaders from their lands. And for a long time they were successful. With the help of Western weapons, they beat the Russians back from Kyiv. But since 2023s failed counter-offensive, the war has begun to turn. Casualties are mounting. Morale is low, though the soldiers fight determinedly on. I have met far too many warriors in Ukraine to believe they will simply give up. But the supply of Western weapons has been both tardy and incomplete. Friends who were desperate to join up in February 2022 now talk about refusing to die in Zelenskys war. Friends at the front tell them: Dont bother coming here, its chaos. How many more of our men will die? is the question being asked now. And for what? Ukraine may be running out of willing fighters. In November last year, former UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said that the average age of a Ukrainian soldier at the front was over 40 (other reports claim 43). Military-age friends at the front tell them: Dont bother coming here, its chaos Newly recruited soldiers celebrate the end of their training at a military base close to Kyiv last year I can confirm this from first-hand experience. It is an astonishing statistic, especially bearing in mind that male life expectancy in Ukraine is only 68. Now contrast this with the average age of active duty members of US armed forces, which is 28, and the UK, at 31. So far, Kyiv has hoped to avoid trading the lives of its youngest and brightest with those of Russian thugs and criminals on the battlefield. But under a new law the minimum conscription age will be lowered from 27 by two years, meaning that anyone above the age of 25 can be called up. Legally, Ukrainian army recruitment officials cannot detain civilians, let alone physically coerce them. Call-up papers are sent online and distributed in person. But the country has been under martial law since 2022, which gives those officials the chance to abuse the system. Sometimes the results are egregious, with reports of a man with a broken arm being forced to drive to a recruitment centre and another with severe mental health difficulties made to sign up. Many cities now have Telegram messaging channels dedicated to monitoring the activities and movements of recruitment officials, or olives as they are known, referencing the colour of their uniforms. As we sat in a cafe in the centre of the city one morning, a friend showed me the Odesa group. Scrolling through videos and photos, I could see it had tens of thousands of members giving each other tip-offs about the areas where the olives are active. The state is fighting back. In March 2023, Ukrainian security services blocked 26 of these channels, including those active in the cities of Kyiv, Lviv and Odesa. Due to constant updates, the destructive platforms quickly built up numbers of subscribers exceeding 400,000, it announced. But new channels sprang up in their place. Occasionally this stand-off erupts. In early February, 100 women in the village of Kosmach blocked an incoming road following rumours that the olives were coming to round up the remaining men there. Anyone entering had to show their phones to prove they werent part of any recruitment operation. One woman who happened to come by from another town was falsely accused of being a spotter for the olives and beaten in her car. The situation is not helped by Ukraines perpetual corruption problem. By law, healthy males between 18 and 60 are now banned from leaving the country. In reality, rich Ukrainians can pay for letters of exemption to get round this. Increasingly, the war is seen by some sections of society as one being fought by those without the cash to bribe their way out. The Ukrainians are brave and patriotic and they have far exceeded the expectations of almost everyone, including both Putin and the CIA. But with Donald Trump raging against sending billions more in military aid to Kyiv, and now looking ever more likely to beat Joe Biden in this years election, many Ukrainians are wondering what is the point of going off to die when their allies no longer seem to care. The truth is the Ukrainians have no choice but to fight. The countrys very existence is at stake. Dont believe me? Believe Putin, who has said many times that there is no such country as Ukraine, only Russia. Increasingly, the war is seen by some sections of society as one being fought by those without the cash to bribe their way out The government in Kyiv understands all this. Presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak recently remarked: Of course it [the war] is scary, it could mean death or disability. Its the 21st century, you finished university, you were trying to get a job, and now you have to take a gun and defend your home. But the president is trying to talk to society, to explain what is at stake. This speaks to a wider problem, which we might loosely call the spirit of the age. Across the West, the young are no longer geared towards seeing military service as important, even in the event of a war. In January 2024, a YouGov poll found that 38 per cent of under-40s in Britain would refuse to serve in the Armed Forces in the event of a new world war, and 30 per cent said that they would not serve even if Britain was facing imminent invasion. Walking through Kyiv or Odesa and sitting in cocktail bars still filled with Ukraines well-dressed, multilingual and often absurdly coiffured and tattooed young, its sometimes hard to remember that this is a country in the midst of conflict. But Ukraine is at war, and much of its youth did sign up. Many are now dead. Many more may have to follow helped by us. We are doing what we can. By November 2023, as part of the UK-led Operation Interflex, 30,000 Ukrainians had been trained on British soil since June 2022, in the biggest training programme here since World War II. But even that may not be enough. Last week, the British Ministry of Defence reported that Russia is preparing legislation that will raise the age of military contract personnel recruited before June 2023 to 65, and 70 for officers. Given that the existing limit for soldiers is only 51, this is a substantial rise. Ukraine will need to respond and this means an expansion of conscription. General Kyrylo Budanov, head of military intelligence, has been clear. This need is a fact, he said, and it needs to be understood and recognised. With such volumes, no recruitment will cover our needs without mobilisation. It was conscription that enabled us to defeat Germany in two world wars, and Ukraine is facing a similar fight for survival. Perhaps the next time I go to Kyiv Ill see Ukrainian women handing out white flowers for perceived cowardice to those tattooed men who now sit drinking Negronis while their comrades are away fighting. I have always said that the lessons of Ukraine are lessons for all of us. War has returned to Europe, and it requires vast numbers of citizens to fight. The Ukrainians are dying on the fringes of our continent so that we dont have to. Lets give them everything they need or one day, the press gangs might return here, too. A recently widowed father has appealed for the return of his and his wife's wedding and engagement rings after they were stolen in a burglary. Craig Easterbrook's wife, Gemma, died in November aged just 43 after a long battle with brain cancer. The rings, in the care of her sister, Amy Kingswell, were to be handed over to the couple's children, Florence, 11, and Arthur, nine, when they were older. But the three precious heirlooms were stolen during the break-in at Ms Kingswell's house in Norwich earlier this month. Mr Easterbrook, from Mulbarton, Norfolk, told MailOnline the rings together were worth less than 1,500 but said the sentimental value was immeasurable. He said: 'For Gemma, when she was ill and had to have surgery during Covid, the rings were what she held onto Craig Easterbrook's wife, Gemma, died in November aged just 43 after a long battle with brain cancer Mr Easterbrook said rings together were worth less than 1,500 but said the sentimental value was immeasurable The rings were to be handed over to the couple's children, Florence, 11, and Arthur, nine, when they were older 'It did really upset me having to tell the children the bad news. In the last five years we have had to tell them terrible things and I had told them [they would] get these rings when [they are] adults. The rings, purchased from Aurum Jewellers in Norwich in 2008, are unusually slim, making them easily identifiable. Mr Easterbrook's was a plain white gold band and his late wife's were made from the same precious metal, the engagement ring featuring a single diamond and the wedding ring inset with three. 'We were very proud of our rings. They weren't expensive but they meant a lot,' said Mr Easterbrook, 41, a freelance writer and former deputy head at a primary school. 'Gemma was pretty universally loved she was the most positive and happy person. 'She had three brain surgeries at Addenbrooke's [hospital in Cambridge] in the last five years and every time I went to see her, she was the one cheering up the other patients and making sure everyone was okay. 'I think that's why this feels like a double punch to the face.' Mr Easterbrook said they picked out the rings straight away, describing it as 'love at first sight'. Ms Kingswell is believed to have been away when the burglary took place some time in the week leading up to February 23. 'Obviously, Amy is blameless in this but she felt a sense of responsibility and she's very upset to have to tell me because it has been a lot of bad news in the past five years since Gemma was diagnosed, Mr Easterbrook added. 'They were something that Gemma and I were so proud of and Gemma deliberately chose a design that was practical, that she could wear all the time. Mr Easterbrook said his children have limited memory of their mother as she was diagnosed when they were very young Gemma in London with her two children, Arthur and Florence The widow said that many people have told him what a 'positive impact' his wife had on their lives Mr Easterbrook asked for the rings' safe return, saying it would be 'life-changing' to have them back 'When Gemma was diagnosed, Arthur was very young indeed and I'm conscious as they get older they won't have as many memories as I'd like of their mother and a symbol like this can make them feel close to her as they get older.' Mr Easterbrook asked for the rings' safe return, saying it would be 'life-changing' to have them back. He added that many people have told him what a 'positive impact' his wife had on their lives. 'Gemma was such a kind person even the person who took the rings she would be understanding of them if they were having a hard time,' he added. He added: 'I have fantastic memories of Gemma, we were together for 20 years and married for 15 but the children do not have them - they were young when she was diagnosed - and they always ask to see pictures of her when she was well wearing the rings. 'They are a physical manifestation of her. 'The value is all to us as individuals - to anybody else they are virtually meaningless but to us they are a huge loss. 'I don't want my children to look back when they are older and think we didn't do everything possible to get them back.' Norfolk Police confirmed they had received a report of a burglary on Friday. A spokeswoman said: 'The incident occurred between 12pm on February 16 and 11.10am on February 23 when a number of items, including jewellery, were stolen. 'Officers would like to hear from anyone who witnessed the incident.' Popular quiz show Jeopardy! has sparked backslash over a woke prompt that included 'neopronouns' in the place of 'he' and 'she'. Host Ken Jennings read the prompt 'xem, xyrs, xemself' in the Speech! Parts of Speech category of Monday's show. Contestant Chris Pannullo quickly responded with 'What are pronouns?' to earn $600 after Jennings confirmed 'those are pronouns, neoprounouns.' While the host quickly moved on to the next contestant and question, the prompt stirred controversy on social media, as users slammed the show for featuring what they see as a ' woke ' clue. 'So, in order to win at Jeopardy, you need to be able to keep up with whatever bull the wokes are coming up with?' one person asked on X, formerly Twitter. Popular quiz show Jeopardy! has sparked backlash after it featured a prompt in its Monday episode that avoided using 'he' or 'she' and included 'neopronouns' as an answer In the category Speech Parts of Speech, host Ken Jennings(pictured) read the prompt, 'xem, xyrs, xemself,' prompting contestant Chris Pannullo to respond with, 'What are pronouns? The correct answer earned Pannullo (pictured) $600, with Jennings saying, 'Those are pronouns, neopronouns' Another person said if they were asked the question, 'I would have answered 'what is clown shit' and gotten kicked off the show.' The X account Libs of TikTok shared the clip and wrote: 'Jeopardy is now incorporating questions on the made-up pronouns xem/xyrs. You can now win money for affirming mental illness.' The post elicited overwhelming reactions, with thousands of comments, retweets, and more than a million views. Several Jeopardy! fans even declared that they would never watch the show again, saying that it has gone downhill since the former host Alex Trebek died in 2020. 'They didn't waste time making Alex start spinning in his grave; did they?' a user wrote, with another person chiming in, 'Jeopardy died with Alex Trebek.' Meanwhile, a few fans expressed different views, taking to social media to applaud the prompt shortly after the show aired. One person wrote: 'I don't really get the outrage on this one. It's a good Jeopardy! question because those are a confusing example of pronouns that would take most people time to realize what part of speech they are.' 'Jeopardy just had a question about neo pronouns & it's probably silly of me, but that was so exciting to see. And it wasn't treated like a joke, either,' another person said. The long-running show made headlines last week after a question left all contestants and viewers confused. One prompt in the February 15 episode read: 'The distance between its two legs at ground level is 630 feet, making it as wide as it is tall.' Contestants Diandra D'Alessio, James Tyler and David Bederman were all competing for the final spot in the Champions Wildcard semifinals - but all three of them were stumped by the final question. Diandra and David both guessed the Eiffel Tower in France, while James suggested Christ the Redeemer in Brazil. Neither of those was the correct response. The answer was actually a little closer to home as it's revealed to be the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri. Being born on February 29 is a rare thing, with the leap day only coming around once every four years - or once every 1,461 days. But one Norwegian family from Andenes have a set of three siblings all born on consecutive leap days. The Henriksens - Heidi (born February 29, 1960), Olav (1964) and Leif-Martin (1968) - have featured in the Guinness World Records book since 1980, garnering global attention. They told vol.no that even friends have doubted their record at times, and Olav said he understands given the 'sky high' odds. But Leif-Martin added: 'Its probably a bit more special for others than for us. I think that has something to do with the fact that we didnt contribute directly to the records ourselves.' Heidi, Olav and Leif-Martin Henriksen were all born on February 29. The siblings are seen with their mother Karin The chance of being born on February 29, also known as Leap Day, is one in 1,461 days Parents Karin and Henry Henriksen - now dead - confirmed that all the births were totally natural, as Karin never had a caesarean section or went into induced labour for any of the children. According to the Guinness World Records it is just a 'record breaking coincidence'. Perhaps even more remarkably, the due date on all three was February 29 too. Before the birth of her youngest, the expectant mother was called into hospital on February 28, with the midwife just wanting to be careful. Karin recalled responding: 'I'm not coming today, I' coming tomorrow, because then its the 29th.' Even her own daughter, Heidi, is amazed by the planning and control, which she views as 'not possible' after having children of her own. The Leap Day clan also have three other siblings all born on days which occur every year - one of whom tragically lost their son on February 29, 2008, meaning the happy day for the family has become a conflicting one. There is another set of Leap Day siblings, in the UK, except these three were all born on the exact same day - as triplets. Sisters Savannah, Alicia and India Bullock were all born on February 29, 2000, and claim they have been 'cheated' out of birthdays ever since. Refusing to only party every four years, they usually hold their events on February 28 or March 1. Unlike with the natural Norwegian births, the Bullocks were only born on February 29 because it was the only available slot for surgeons to perform the caesarean section at New Cross Hospital, Wolverhampton. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick said Thursday he and a group of bipartisan lawmakers are launching an effort to force a floor vote on funds for Israel and Ukraine as Speaker Mike Johnson refuses to say what the path forward is on foreign aid. Next week Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., together with a handful of moderate Republicans and Democrats, will garner signatures on a discharge petition, a procedural mechanism that would force a floor vote if a majority in the House signs on. Their bill offers $66 billion in defense-only aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan and fresh border security provisions that would last a year. The petition will be a numbers game on whether it can successfully push the bill to the floor. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick said Thursday he and a group of Republicans are launching an effort to force a floor vote on funds for Israel and Ukraine as Speaker Mike Johnson refuses to say what the path forward is on foreign aid They will lose signatures on the progressive left due to opposition to Israel aid and a lack of humanitarian provisions and will lose signatures on the far right from those who outright oppose further funding of Ukraine's war against Russia. Fitzpatrick told reporters he spoke to Johnson about the bill, but claimed he did not speak to him about going around his back with a discharge petition. 'This is just to apply pressure point to get something done sooner.' Asked if he thought Johnson had any sense of urgency around Ukraine, Fitzpatrick said: 'I think he knows how time-sensitive it is.' Ukrainian servicemen of the National Guard take part in radiation, chemical and biological hazard drills, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near Kharkiv, Ukraine February 29, 2024 Ukrainian soldiers collect their belongings at the entrance to a shelter in the direction of Bakhmut as Russia-Ukraine war continues in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine on February 28, 2024 The House bill also includes a 'Remain in Mexico' provision which would resurrect the Trump-era policy requiring migrants who claim asylum to wait in Mexico until their claim is processed. Another provision requires the Homeland Security secretary to suspend all entry of 'inadmissible aliens' if at any point the department loses operational control of the border. The bill also gives immigration officers the authority to immediately expel those who they determine to be inadmissible without further hearing or review. The package includes $47 billion for Ukraine, $10 billion for Israel, $5 billion for Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific, $2.5 billion for U.S. Central Command and its fight against Iran in the Red Sea and $500 million for U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. Congress has spent months at an impasse over further aid for U.S. allies - as the rightward flank of the House has even begun to threaten to motion to vacate Johnson from the speakership if he puts further Ukraine aid on the House floor. But by forcing a floor vote and leaving Johnson's hands tied, hardliners might not be able to blame the speaker, essentially saving his job. 'Your words, not mine,' Fitzpatrick said with a smile and a nod when that prospect was posed to him by reporters. It is an alternative to the Senate-passed $95 billion aid package that stripped out immigration provisions that conservatives said did not go far enough. It's led by Fitzpatrick, Don Bacon, R-Neb., Mike Lawler, R-N.Y. Lori, Chavez-DeRemer, R-Wash., Doug Lamborn, R-Colo., Jared Golden, D-Maine, Ed Case, D-Hawaii, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Wash., Don Davis, D-N.C., and Jim Costa, D-Calif., Asked what his path forward is on foreign aid, Johnson told reporters at a press conference: 'House is actively considering options on a path forward that.' 'Our first responsibility is to fund the government. And our primary, overriding responsibility is to secure the border.' Meanwhile Russian President Vladimir Putin again warned the West that they risk nuclear conflict by becoming further entrenched in his war on Ukraine. In an annual speech to the nation on Thursday, he said nations helping Ukraine strike Russian territory or considering sending troops 'must, in the end, understand' that 'all this truly threatens a conflict with the use of nuclear weapons, and therefore the destruction of civilization.' 'We also have weapons that can strike targets on their territory,' Putin said. 'Do they not understand this?' President Emmanuel Macron of France earlier this week alluded to the possibility of NATO countries sending troops to Ukraine. Newly released footage shows the horrifying moment a Colorado schoolgirl attacked a female bus driver after she asked the teen's boyfriend to get off. Jefferson County school bus driver Laura Owen was attacked by a female student on the vehicle after she forced the couple to get off for breaking bus rules on January 29. Initially, Owen had requested the student's boyfriend to disembark as he kept moving around the aisle, standing and putting her safety in danger. But then, in a surveillance video obtained by FOX31, a young woman can be seen on a phone call with a woman she claimed to be her mother who was on the line seemingly threatening the driver. In the video, Owen can be heard repeating the threats allegedly being said her on the phone, asking the person on the phone to confirm, 'she's going to kill me? She's going to kill me?' In a surveillance video, the unidentified student can be seen on a phone call with presumably her mother, who threatened the Jefferson County school bus driver Laura Owen's life Video then cuts to the young schoolgirl launching herself on Owen, throwing punches and kicking her 'I didn't do anything to deserve that. This situation should have never happened,' Owen later said As the phone call continues, the now frustrated driver is heard telling the teen to also get off the bus. Wearing a gray crop-top and white pants, the youngster is then seen walking towards the back of the bus. Video then cuts to the young schoolgirl launching herself on Owen, throwing punches and kicking her. 'I didn't do anything to deserve that. This situation should have never happened,' Owen later told Fox31. As a result of the attack, Owen suffered a concussion. She is also now also battling residual and constant ringing in her ears, headaches and neck pain along with emotional trauma. As a result of the attack, Owen suffered a concussion. She is also now also battling residual and constant ringing in her ears, headaches and neck pain along with emotional trauma. Owen said: 'The best thing I can do is get back to work at this point. But physically and mentally, I have to be OK for those kids. So Im doing the best that I can right now' 'The best thing I can do is get back to work at this point. But physically and mentally, I have to be OK for those kids. So Im doing the best that I can right now. 'I cant change what happened. I can only pray that things get safer throughout the district, she further told the channel. According 9News, Owen had demanded that the duo get off at a stop at Arvada High School. Trevor Byrne, vice president of the Jeffco Education Support Professionals Association and bus driver with Jeffco Public Schools commented: 'I don't think any staff at Jeffco should ever have to fear for their safety while they're working, ever.' He also said that if a bus assistant had been present in the moment, the situation could have been de-escalated. Trevor Byrne, vice president of the Jeffco Education Support Professionals Association and bus driver with Jeffco Public Schools said that if a bus assistant had been present in the moment, the situation could have been de-escalated According 9News , Owen had demanded that the duo get off at a stop near Arvada High School In a statement, Jeffco Public Schools said an investigation has begun and disciplinary action is being taken. 'A very serious incident took place on one of our school buses which resulted in harm to one of our bus drivers. Disciplinary action has been initiated by the district and local law enforcement has an open investigation related to this matter. 'We want to commend the other students who were on the bus at the time who checked in on the drivers wellbeing and offered her support in addition to the SRO who responded immediately. 'It is absolutely unacceptable to us that an employee would come to harm on the job. In reviewing all safety incidents we strive to improve and strengthen our measures to keep our staff and students safe.' A GoFundMe has been set up by Owen's niece, Cerena to help the victim pay her medical bills, counseling services and recover lost wages. 'We are setting up this GoFundMe to help alleviate some of the financial stress so that Laura can focus on her healing journey without the weight of financial worries', Cerena wrote. Within days of an operation at Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center, his condition took a 'turn for the worse' Horace Wilson was admitted to hospital in 2022 after falling from a 10-ft ladder A man in Oregon died in pain after a nurse swapped his fentanyl IV drip with non-sterile tap water, a wrongful death lawsuit claims A man in Oregon died after a nurse swapped his fentanyl IV drip with non-sterile tap water, a wrongful death lawsuit brought by his family alleges. Horace Wilson, who was 65 at the time of his death, had fallen from a 10-foot ladder and admitted to the hospital on January 27, 2022. Physicians performed a splenectomy on Wilson, and from January 29 to February 2, he appeared to improving and had his breathing tube removed. But within days of his operation at Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center, his condition took a 'turn for the worse,' which the lawsuit alleges was caused by former nurse Dani Marie Schofield giving him water. The tap water reintroduced staphylococcus epidermidis - an infection-causing bacteria - into Wilson's bloodstream, which, the suit says, 'became essentially impossible to eradicate.' Wilson's condition deteriorated quickly. Horace Wilson, 65, was recovering in Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center, before a nurse replaced the fentanyl in his IV drip with water, his family alleges in a new lawsuit. Only a month after first being admitted to Asante (pictured above), Horace Wilson died. According to the suit, the diluted IV drip reintroduced harmful bacterium into Wilson's blood, causing his condition to decline precipitously. By February 9, he exhibited 'multiple clear markers of suffering from an infection,' and experienced high temperatures and persistent hypotension, 'a hallmark of a state of sepsis. His state worsened, culminating in 'multi-system organ failure' and sepsis-induced brain dysfunction, and on February 25, after roughly a month in Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center, Horace Wilson died. Before he died, Wilson recovered enough cognitive function to tell the ICU staff that he 'no longer wished to live this way,' the lawsuit states. Wilson's death might have been the consequence of a larger trend of suspected fentanyl theft at Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center. The hospital contacted the Medford Police Department in December 2023 that they suspected a former employee was involved in stealing fentanyl prescribed to patients, which resulted in some 'adverse patient outcomes.' They also reached out to patients or their relatives, telling them that they believed their infections were caused by an employee who had been diverting drugs. Before dying, Wilson told the ICU staff that he 'no longer wished to live this way.' The Medford Police Department has launched an exhaustive investigation into the matter, interviewing hundreds of people and examining thousands of documents, including medical records. Danie Marie Schofield has not been charged with any crime and continues to maintain her innocence, telling The Lund Report that 'the truth will, I'm sure, come out.' On November 22, 2023, Schofield and the Oregon Board of Nursing agreed to abstain from practice or to suspend her license 'pending the completion of an investigation,' the lawsuit reads. Both Schofield and Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center are listed as defendants in the court documents. Wilson's family is accusing the hospital of negligence, stating that the hospital either 'knew or should have known of the high likelihood of opioid diversion by one of its employees for their own use.' Senator John Cornyn made it official, he is running to replace Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell when McConnell steps down from leadership in November. Cornyn said the Senate is 'broken' but is pitching himself as the man who can fix it. The Texas Republican is one of several GOP senators expected to thrown their name in the ring for the top job which McConnell as held for nearly 18 years. Speaking with reporters on Thursday, Cornyn said he talked to Donald Trump about his intention to run, but said they did not have the conversation about the former president backing him. Cornyn touted his previous Republican leadership experience as he angles for the job, having served as the GOP Senate Whip from 2013 to 2019 and as chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. 'I have learned a lot during my time both in and out of Senate leadership. During my two terms as NRSC Chair, we shrunk Democrats majority by five seats and laid the foundation to retake the majority in 2014,' Cornyn said in a statement Thursday announcing his bid. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas previously served as McConnell's top lieutenant but Republicans term limit leadership positions, so Thune took over in 2019 Cornyn standing with former President Trump in 2019. In January, the Texas senator endorsed Trump for president as he seeks a second term Cornyn, 72, said as Republican whip he helped Trump advance his agenda through the Senate including passing the 2017 Republican tax law and confirming two Supreme Court Justices. He left the role as the second highest ranking Senate Republican in 2019 due to term-limits. 'Throughout my time Ive built a track record of listening to colleagues and seeking consensus, while leading the fight to stop bad policies that are harmful to our nation and the conservative cause,' his statement continued. Cornyn said he believes the Senate is broken but that it can be fixed and he intends to play a role in that. 'From experience, I have learned what works in the Senate and what does not, and I am confident Senate Republicans can restore our institution to the essential role it serves in our constitutional republic,' he said. Sen. McConnell speaking on the floor of the Senate where he announced heh will step down as Senate Republican leader in November Cornyn's bid comes after McConnell, 82, announced in a tearful speech on the Senate floor on Wednesday that he would step down from his leadership role in November. McConnell is the longest serving Senate leader in U.S. history. He has been facing questions over his health lately due to several episodes where he froze mid-speech. McConnell said it is time for the 'next generation of leadership' and he had full confidence in his conference to choose a replacement. Prior to being elected to the Senate in 2002, Cornyn served as a district judge, was elected to the Texas Supreme Court and served as the state's attorney general. Sen. John Thune (left) and John Barrasso (center) currently hold the No. 2 and No. 3 Senate Republican leadership roles All eyes are also on the current Republican Senate Whip Sen. John Thune, R-SD, and Conference Chair Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., who could also launch bids for the top job. A source familiar told DailyMail.com that Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., is also planning to stage a run for a Republican leadership slot. A man suffered a horrifying ordeal in Germany this week when his pet dog 'about the size of a Jack Russel' bit off his penis and ate it, police said. Neighbours alerted the police early on Tuesday morning on account of the dog's incessant barking coming from the man's home at around 2am. Upon arriving at the property - a single-family home in Herne, north-west Germany, the first responders heard pained groans coming from inside. At this point, they broke down the door to find the 66-year-old man and his dog. Police quickly realised the man's life was in danger, and he was rushed to hospital. A man suffered a horrifying ordeal in Germany this week when his pet dog 'about the size of a Jack Russel' bit off his penis and ate it, police said. Pictured: A file photo of a Jack Russell According to German tabloid Bild, neither the man's penis or 'an instrument of the crime' has been recovered from the scene so far. The victim has also been unable to provide information himself due to his health. According to officials, the most likely hypothesis being considered is that the dog was the cause of the man's injuries. First Police Chief Inspector Frank Lemanis told Bild that the man was put into an artificial coma upon his arrival at the hospital. Lemanis, from the Bochum police, told the German tabloid: 'The man has been put into an artificial coma by the doctors. We hope we can interview him soon. 'One hypothesis, of course, is that the dog, which is about the size of a Jack Russell terrier, bit off the penis and ate it. The wound could also be a bite wound. 'But it's also possible a sex accident or a crime,' he posited. Although the incident occurred on Monday night, police are going public with the sensitive case now in an appeal for witnesses. Bild reported that a murder squad has picked up the case in order to 'clear up the crime, which has so far been completely open.' Should the police chief's hypothesis be correct, it would not be the first time such an incident has been reported. Upon arriving at the property - a single-family home in Herne, north-west Germany (pictured, file photo), the first responders heard painful groans coming from inside. They kicked the door down to find the 66-year-old man - who they rushed to hospital - and his dog In 2012, German outlets reported that a 61-year-old Austrian man was attacked by a loose dog which also bit his genitals. The man had been working on his bike when he was attacked. He was also rushed to hospital, where - after an operation that lasted several hours - surgeons were able to save the man's genitals. The dog and its owner were never found. Democracy faced sharp, widespread setbacks worldwide in 2023, with rights and liberties receded for the 18th consecutive year, a research group has found. Freedom House, a US-funded pro-democracy advocacy and research group, found that political rights and civil liberties declined in 52 countries last year. Election manipulation, attacks on political pluralism and war were the primary forces for the decline in global democracy, according to the group's annual report released Thursday. Only 21 countries saw improvements in democracy, Freedom House said, and only 20 per cent of the world's population lives in countries that are considered 'free'. The research group switched classifications for two countries, downgrading Ecuador from free to partly free and upgrading Thailand from not free to partly free. The report comes as around half of the global population - including some of the most world's populous nations like the US, Indonesia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Russia and Mexico - prepare to hold or have held elections this year. Only 20 per cent of the world's population lives in countries that are considered 'free', according to US-funded research group Freedom House. The organization determined that Finland is the 'most free' country in the world. Pictured: Helsinki, Finland Sweden ranked second for most freedoms on Freedom House's 100-point scale. Pictured: An aerial photo of Stockholm, Sweden Global freedom has declined for the 18th straight year and at a much more lopsided trend than a year earlier, the pro-democracy group has claimed. Per the report, the majority of people live in 'partly free' (42 per cent) or 'not free' (38 per cent) countries. Citing violence and manipulation marring a series of elections, Cathryn Grothe, a co-author of the report, told Axios that '2023 was a relatively grim year' for democracy. 'Even if you look at it region by region, usually we are able to say that one is an outlier, but every single region registered a decline,' echoed co-author Yana Gorokhovskaia. 'The deterioration is pretty widespread.' The report spoke of efforts by incumbents 'to control electoral competition, hinder their political opponents or prevent them from taking power' in Cambodia, Turkey and Zimbabwe and - unsuccessfully - in Guatemala and Poland. Ecuador was downgraded due to election disruption by violent criminal gangs, including the assassination of anti-corruption presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio following a campaign speech. Thailand was upgraded due to competitive elections even though establishment forces prevented young progressive Pita Limjaroenrat, whose Move Forward Party won the most seats, from becoming prime minister. 'This isn't, I would say, a full-scale victory for democracy or freedom and Thailand,' Gorokhovskaia added. Democracy faced sharp, widespread setbacks worldwide in 2023, with rights and liberties receded for the 18th consecutive year, Freedom House said. The ranked South Sudan as the least free country in the world. Pictured: South Sudanese families line up while waiting to board a truck to go to a Transit Centre for refugees after crossing the border at the Joda Border Crossing Point, near Renk, South Sudan Syria was the second least free country in the world, according to the report. Pictured: A building reportedly hit in an Israeli air strike in the Kafr Sousa district of the Syrian capital Damascus on February 21, 2024 But she saw as progress that the second-place Pheu Thai party of former prime minister and tycoon Thaksin Shinawatra was allowed to take over after years of efforts by the military-backed establishment to suppress it. The biggest improvement on Freedom House's 100-point scale was posted by Fiji, which gained seven points. Fiji, listed as partly free, held a tense election in December 2022 in which voters ousted Frank Bainimarama, who had led the Pacific archipelago since staging a bloodless coup in 2006. Since the election, Fiji has made important progress including by reducing censorship and amending voter registration laws to improve women's participation, Gorokhovskaia said. The 10 countries with the 'most freedom' Finland Sweden New Zealand Norway Ireland San Marino Luxembourg Denmark Netherlands Canada Source: Freedom House Advertisement The no-kill shelter has also got inquires on adoptions and people have been purchasing items off of Animal Haven's Amazon Wishlist After John Stewart, 61, shared the gut-wrenching news that his beloved dog passed away over the weekend nearly $25,000 in donations have been raised Jon Stewart's gut-wrenching on-air tribute to his beloved dog that passed last weekend has sparked a rush in donations to the New York City shelter where the longtime comedian adopted the pup. Animal Haven, a no-kill shelter for cats and dog, is where Stewart, 61, first met his forever friend, a three-legged Brindle pitbull named Dipper, more than a decade ago. After Stewart made the announcement during Tuesday's show, Animal Haven's shelter's director, Tiffany Lacey told TMZ that donations have been pouring in. As of Thursday, nearly $25,000 has been raised for the dog shelter. She shared that some people are inquiring about adoptions, while others are purchasing items of Animal Haven's Amazon Wishlist, including blankets, towels, toys and treats. John Stewart embracing his beloved Dipper, who he said during his broadcast, 'in a world of good boys...he was the best' The comedian struggled to fight back tears throughout the broadcast as he recalled how he and his children picked Dipper up as they were raising money for a no-kill shelter Dipper, who was adopted from Animal Haven in New York City, lost his right leg after he was hit by a car in Brooklyn Lacey told the news outlet that the donations are coming in at a stellar time, since the shelter is currently full with more than 100 rescue animals - including three dog moms, who recently gave birth to 20 puppies each. Animal Haven posted a moving tribute to Stewart and his family on Instagram, earlier this week. It read: 'Our hearts break alongside Jon and his entire family with the loss of Dipper. 'Many of our staff remember the bake sale outside the shelter over 11 years ago that Jon references. As soon as Dipper was placed next to Jon, he sat by his side (and visa versa) for the next two hours. They were immediately drawn to each other and inseparable. 'It really was magic and quickly became obvious that Jon wasnt going to leave without Dipper. 'Each day, we place dogs and cats in loving homes. They are all so very lucky. But Dipper really hit the jackpot that day to find a home where the humans living in it aspire to treat animals at the highest level. 'Dipper went through so much early in his life after being hit by a car and losing his leg but Jon and his family gave him a brand new life that started unwittingly on that fateful day at Animal Haven selling cupcakes with his kids. 'Dipper lives on now in our hearts and minds as a powerful reminder of the importance of pet adoption and the love that an animal can bring into your life. So heres to the best boy ever Dipper. We love you, miss you, and will never forget you. 'The Animal Haven family is grieving with The Stewarts, but we are so incredibly grateful for the outpouring of support we have received in honor and memory of Jon and Dipper. 'From the bottom of our hearts, thank you all for making even more rescue work possible and allowing us to continue our mission of finding cherished homes for cats and dogs in need.' Dipper, who was adopted from Animal Haven, a no-kill cat and dog shelter, located on Center Street in New York City Stewart pictured with Dipper and his two children when they were young The comedian struggled to fight back tears throughout the broadcast as he recalled how he and his children picked Dipper up as they were raising money for a no-kill shelter Jon Stewart, 61, revealed that his beloved three-legged pit bull, Dipper, had passed away over the weekend during Monday night's episode of The Daily Show On the day Dipper came into their lives, Stewart took his children, who were around six and seven years old at the time, to a fundraiser for Animal Haven. His son and daughter had baked cupcakes and set up a table outside the no-kill shelter, Stewart explained. 'And as a little extra incentive, they brought out this one-ish-year-old brindle pit bull who - ' The host swore and pounded the table as the tears became too much to bear. 'Was hit by a car in Brooklyn and lost his right leg,' he finished, voice hoarse. 'It was the perfect idea, they put the dog in my lap. And we left that day feeling really good that we'd helped this great organization. 'And we also left with this - ' Stewart paused again, voice breaking. 'One-ish-year-old brindle pit bull. We called him Dipper, and in a world of good boys, he was the best.' Stewart recalled Dipper's daily visits to set, where he became a member of the 'OG Daily Show dog crew' and met 'actors and authors and presidents and kings.' 'And he did what the Taliban could not do, which is put a scare on Malala Yousafzai,' Stewart joked. He shared a clip of the Nobel Peace Price laureate panicking upon spotting Dipper backstage, drawing laughter from the audience. 'But boy, my wish for you is one day you find that dog, that one dog that just is the best,' Stewart finished. 'In a world of good boys, he was the best,' Stewart said of the beloved family dog Fighting tears, he recalled how Dipper would make daily visits to set, where he would hang out with other crew members' dogs and wait for the show to finish taping He explained how the rescue dog 'met actors and authors and presidents and kings,' even giving civil rights icon Malala Yousafzai a scare The show ended on a home video of Dipper chasing a ball of snow around a frosty yard. 'Dipper, who's got the ball there?' Stewart could be heard whispering, egging him on as he played gleefully. The host also changed his profile picture on X, formerly Twitter, to a photo of his beloved dog. Stewart hosted the satirical news program from 1999 to 2015. He has returned to the anchor desk for a one-night-a-week stint lasting through the 2024 election. This is the cringeworthy moment a Russian state TV presenter announces her plan to get pregnant after Vladimir Putin's call for women to give birth to stave off a demographic crisis. Natalya Litovko, 43, announced she and her husband had been inspired by the Kremlin leader's call in his state-of-the-nation address to fulfil their patriotic duty and procreate. She told Rossiya 24 viewers on live TV of her mission to increase the size of her family. The loyalist presenter already has two children. Russia's population is in decline, partly due to his war-angled economy, mired in problems and failing to deliver for regular consumers. The human cost of his conflict with Ukraine, which has seen hundreds of thousands of Russian men killed and maimed, is also a factor. Natalya Litovko, 43, announced she and her husband had been inspired by the Kremlin leader's call in his state-of-the-nation address to fulfil their patriotic duty and procreate She told Rossiya 24 viewers live of her mission to increase the size of her family. The loyalist presenter already has two children 'Speaking of the [new] national project - Family,' announced a smiling Litovka. 'My husband has just messaged me to say we're going to have a third child.' Her co-presenter - evidently taken aback - told viewers: 'Well, we'll tell you about that later.' Putin has obsessed for some time with the falling birth rate, and rarely misses a chance to call on women to have more babies. Recently he lectured workers in a missile plant on the need to have more than two children. 'Constant work aimed at improving the quality of life for families with children and supporting the birth rate is needed,' he said today. 'It is our religion and our moral values which are to the fore here. 'Big families must become the norm. In the next six years, we have to achieve a sustainable birth rate.' He announced state cash would be poured into regions with a low birth rate to improve incentives to have more children. He did not explain why - after 25 years as president or prime minister - he had allowed Russia to face such a crisis. He was sure that the West was taking the wrong route. 'The main purpose of the family is the birth of children, the continuation of the human race, the upbringing of children, and therefore the continuation of the existence of our multinational people,' he told the nation. 'We see what is happening in some countries, as they deliberately destroy the norms of morality, the institution of the family, push whole peoples to extinction and degeneration. 'But we choose life.' He added: 'Russia has been and remains a stronghold of traditional values on which human civilisation is built. 'Our choice is shared by the majority of people in the world, including millions of citizens of Western countries.' 'Constant work aimed at improving the quality of life for families with children and supporting the birth rate is needed,' Putin said today in his annual address in Moscow Putin failed to inform Russians how many children he has. The Russian president never discusses this aspect of his life or his relationship status but he is believed to have fathered five or six children by at least three women. He had two daughters with his ex-wife Lyudmila Putina, once Russia's first lady. The eldest is Maria Vorontsova, 38, a geneticist and expert on dwarfism, is a leading researcher at the National Medical Research Centre for Endocrinology of the Ministry of Health of Russia. She is tipped by some pundits to become Russia's new health minister. Her sister Katerina Tikhonova, 37, a former high kicking 'rock 'n' roll' dancer-turned-mathematician, is director-general of the National Intellectual Development Foundation in Russia. Another daughter is Luiza Rozova, 20, aka Elizaveta Vladimirovna Krivonogikh, who is studying in the West as a student of design during her father's war in Ukraine. Her mother is Putin's former long-term lover, cleaner-turned-multimillionaire Svetlana Krivonogikh, 48. Putin is believed to have two to three secret children with 'secret wife' Alina Kabaeva, 40, a former Olympic gold-winning rhythmic gymnast. Almost nothing is known about them, but rumours suggest two boys and one girl. One is believed to have been born in 2015 in Switzerland, another in 2019 in Moscow. They are raised in several Putin palaces guarded by the FSO security service near Moscow, and on the Black Sea. A former SNP council leader has been arrested and charged in connection with alleged sex offences, just months after he quit his job. Jordan Linden resigned as the leader of North Lanarkshire Council in July 2022 leading to the collapse of the SNP administration in the area. Police Scotland said the arrest is in connection with 'non-recent sexual offences' at various places in Scotland. Mr Linden stepped down from the council and left the party earlier this year. A Police Scotland spokesperson said: 'A 28-year-old man has been arrested and charged in connection with a number of non-recent sexual offences committed at various locations in Scotland. Jordan Linden (pictured with Nicola Sturgeon) resigned as the leader of North Lanarkshire Council in July 2022 leading to the collapse of the SNP administration in the area Mr Linden stepped down from the council and left the party earlier this year 'A report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.' Mr Linden has previously told reporters he did not accept the allegations which had been made against him. Mr Linden became leader of North Lanarkshire Council following the local elections in May, having previously pulled out from running to become an MP in 2019 days after the party in question. In an email stepping down he said: 'I want to make colleagues aware that I am resigning from my position as leader of North Lanarkshire Council today. Mr Linden told colleagues it was 'the privilege of my life' to briefly serve as leader for the council during its first ever time under SNP control and said it was 'vital that there is no distraction' from the work of the local authority. He added: 'The press coverage of this has placed an immense strain on me personally.' President Joe Biden said Thursday that a ceasefire in Gaza probably won't happen by Monday, amid reports of Israeli troops shooting Palestinians waiting for food aid on Thursday. While eating an ice cream cone Monday in New York City, Biden told reporters that ceasefire talks were 'close' and that his hope was that by the following Monday there would be a pause in fighting. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu chimed in the next day by pointing to US polling that showed a majority of Americans supporting Israel, which he said gave Israel 'additional strength to continue the campaign until absolute victory.' As Biden left for his Texas border trip Thursday he told reporters 'hope springs eternal' when asked about a ceasefire. 'I was on the telephone with people in the region,' he said. 'Probably not by Monday, but I'm hopeful.' President Joe Biden said 'hope springs eternal' when asked by reporters as he departed the White House Thursday about the prospects of a Monday ceasefire between Hamas and Israel Palestinians transport casualties following what Hamas called a 'massacre' on civilians waiting for food aid in Gaza City on Thursday by Isreal Defense Forces President Joe Biden answered questions about a possible ceasefire in Gaza as he ate ice cream in New York City alongside Seth Meyers on Monday Biden also said he hadn't learned the full details of the more than 100 civilian deaths in Gaza, but answered 'I know it will' when asked if the violent episode would complicate ceasefire negotiations. Hamas has accused the IDF of opening fire in a 'massacre' that has left 107 dead near Gaza City but Israel says that Palestinians were killed when panicked truck drivers were surrounded and tried to drive through the crowd. Israeli sources confirmed troops opened fire at 'several people' after feeling threatened by crowds near the aid point. A witness said that the violence unfolded when thousands of people desperate for food rushed towards aid trucks at the western Nabulsi roundabout. 'Trucks full of aid came too close to some army tanks that were in the area and the crowd, thousands of people, just stormed the trucks,' the witness said, declining to be named for safety reasons. 'The soldiers fired at the crowd as people came too close to the tanks.' The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry said the death toll has reached 107 and hundreds more were injured. An Israeli government spokesperson described it as a tragedy and said initial indications show that deaths were caused by delivery drivers ploughing into a surging crowd. 'At some point the trucks were overwhelmed and the people driving the trucks, which were Gazan civilian drivers, ploughed into the crowds of people, ultimately killing, my understanding is, tens of people,' spokesperson Avi Hyman told reporters. 'It's obviously a tragedy but we're not sure of the specifics quite yet.' Aerial photos released by the IDF purport to show the scene as Palestinians attempted to obtain food from aid trucks. Heartbreaking footage also shows clusters of people surrounding several of the vehicles in scenes of desperation. The White House said on Thursday it is looking into reports of Israeli fire on Palestinians waiting for aid, describing it as a 'serious incident'. Al Jazeera published videos which they claim show the aftermath of the alleged shooting on Thursday. People appear to run away and take cover in one, while injured people are taken away in another Aerial photos released by the IDF purport to show the scene as Palestinians attempted to obtain food from aid trucks near Gaza City 'We mourn the loss of innocent life and recognize the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, where innocent Palestinians are just trying to feed their families,' a White House National Security Council spokesperson said in a statement. 'This underscores the importance of expanding and sustaining the flow of humanitarian assistance into Gaza, including through a potential temporary ceasefire.' Hamas also released a statement warning it could stop taking part in negotiations after the incident. It said: 'The negotiations conducted by the movements leadership are not an open process at the expense of the blood of our people.' Al Jazeera published videos which they claim show the aftermath of the alleged shooting. People appear to run away and take cover in one, while injured people are taken away in another. 'The crowd approached the forces in a manner that posed a threat to the troops, who responded to the threat with live fire,' one Israeli source said on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to speak about the incident. Witnesses claimed Israeli troops opened fire as people pulled flour and canned goods off trucks. A spokesperson for the IDF said there was no knowledge of shelling at the location of the shooting in northern Gaza. The military later said dozens of people were hurt as a result of pushing and trampling when aid trucks arrived. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' office said he 'condemned the ugly massacre conducted by the Israeli occupation army this morning against the people who waited for the aid trucks at the Nabulsi roundabout'. Medical teams were unable to cope with the volume and severity of injuries from dozens of wounded people who arrived at Al-Shifa hospital, Qidra said. The head of Kamal Adwan hospital in Gaza City, Hussam Abu Safieyah, said it had received 10 dead bodies and dozens of wounded patients from the incident west of the city. 'We don't know how many there are in other hospitals,' Safieyah said. An image released by the IDF purporting to show the scene. 'At some point the trucks were overwhelmed and the people driving the trucks, which were Gazan civilian drivers, ploughed into the crowds of people, ultimately killing, my understanding is, tens of people,' Israeli government spokesperson Avi Hyman told reporters An image released by the IDF purporting to show the scene as clusters of people surround several aid trucks Doctors and nurses are looking after patients at the Kamal Edwan Hospital in Beit Lahia, in northern Gaza, on Thursday Relatives of Palestinians killed during the attack mourn as their bodies are taken from Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital morgue for burial in Deir al-Balah, Gaza, on Thursday A man lies on the floor as Palestinians receive medical care at Kamal Edwan Hospital in Beit Lahia, in northern Gaza, on Thursday Palestinians carry the bodies of those killed in the attack from Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital morgue for burial in Deir al-Balah, Gaza, on Thursday Palestinians mourn near a body at Kamal Edwan Hospital in Beit Lahia, after Israeli soldiers allegedly opened fire at Gaza residents waiting for aid trucks, on Thursday Palestinians receive medical care at Kamal Edwan Hospital in Beit Lahia, in the northern Gaza Strip, after Israeli soldiers allegedly opened fire at Palestinians who rushed towards trucks loaded with humanitarian aid, on Thursday Injured Palestinians receive medical treatment in Al-Shifa Hospital after Israeli forces opened fire on people waiting for humanitarian aid trucks after reportedly feeling threatened at Al-Rashid Street in Gaza City, on Thursday Palestinians carry the bodies of those killed from Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital morgue for burial in Deir al-Balah, Gaza, on Thursday Kamel Abu Nahel, who was being treated for a gunshot wound at Al-Shifa Hospital, said he and others went to the distribution point in the middle of the night because they heard there would be a delivery of food. 'We've been eating animal feed for two months,' he added. He said Israeli troops opened fire on the crowd, causing it to scatter, with some people hiding under cars. After the shooting stopped, they returned to the trucks and the soldiers opened fire again. Nahel said he was shot in the leg and fell over and then a truck ran over his leg as it sped off. Medics arriving at the scene on Thursday found 'dozens or hundreds' lying on the ground, according to Fares Afana, the head of the ambulance service at Kamal Adwan Hospital in Gaza. He said there were not enough ambulances to collect all the dead and wounded and that some were being brought to hospitals in donkey carts. Palestinians mourn outside Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, where the bodies of those killed are lying outside the medical centre, on Thursday Injured Palestinians receive medical treatment in Al-Shifa Hospital after Israeli forces open fire on people waiting for humanitarian aid trucks at Al-Rashid Street in Gaza City A Palestinian is resting on a barge at Kamal Edwan Hospital in Beit Lahia, in the northern Gaza Strip, following IDF soldiers allegedly opening fire at Palestinians waiting for aid trucks Palestinians mourn near bodies at Kamal Edwan Hospital in Beit Lahia, in the northern Gaza Strip, on Thursday An Al Jazeera video claims to show Palestinians gathering for aid before the alleged Israeli attack A Palestinian man receives medical care at Kamal Edwan Hospital in Beit Lahia, in the northern Gaza Strip, on Thursday Palestinians were brought to Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza after they were injured in the alleged shooting Bodies of Palestinians killed while waiting for humanitarian aid trucks at Al-Rashid Street lay on the ground in shrouds at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, on Thursday Videos posted on social media showed trucks carrying many dead bodies. Reuters verified the location of one video to Nabulsi roundabout that showed several men who were motionless, as well as several wounded people. Another video, which hasn't been independently verified, showed bloodstained people being carried in a truck, medics treating people on a hospital floor, and bodies being wrapped in shrouds. 'We don't want aid like this. We don't want aid and bullets together. There are many martyrs,' one man said in a video. Referring to the incident, an Israeli military spokesperson said: 'There is no knowledge of Israeli shelling in the area.' Hamas warned in a statement that the incident could lead to the failure of talks aimed at a deal on a truce and hostage release. 'The negotiations conducted by the movement's leadership are not an open process at the expense of the blood of our people,' it said, referring to Thursday's deaths and saying Israel would be responsible for any failure of the talks. The war in Gaza began when Hamas sent fighters into Israel on October 7, killing around 1,200 people and seizing 253 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Relatives of Palestinians killed during the attack mourn as their bodies are taken from Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital morgue for burial in Deir al-Balah, Gaza, on Thursday A grab from an Al Jazeera video, which the news agency claims to show Palestinians gathering for aid in Gaza Relatives of Palestinians killed during the attack mourn as their bodies are taken from Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital morgue for burial in Deir al-Balah, Gaza, on Thursday Palestinians carry the bodies of those killed in the attack from Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital morgue for burial in Deir al-Balah, Gaza, on Thursday Injured Palestinians receive medical treatment in Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, on Thursday Palestinians sit by their injured relatives at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, on Thursday Hamas-run health authorities in Gaza say 30,035 people have been confirmed killed in the enclave since then, with thousands of others believed to be buried under rubble. Another 70,457 were wounded according to the tally, but it does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in its figures. It says women and children make up around two-thirds of those killed. The ministry, which is part of the Hamas-run government in Gaza, maintains detailed records of casualties. Its counts from previous wars have largely matched those of the UN, independent experts and even Israel's own tallies. Gaza has suffered widespread devastation and has been largely isolated during the conflict. Trucks carrying food reached northern Gaza this week, the first major aid delivery to the area in a month, officials said on Wednesday. Aid groups say it has become nearly impossible to deliver humanitarian assistance in most of Gaza because of the difficulty of coordinating with the Israeli military, ongoing hostilities and the breakdown of public order, with crowds of desperate people overwhelming aid convoys. The UN says a quarter of Gaza's 2.3 million Palestinians face starvation and around 80 per cent have fled their homes. The increasing alarm over hunger across Gaza has fuelled international calls for another ceasefire, and the US, Egypt and Qatar are working to secure a deal between Israel and Hamas for a pause in fighting and the release of some of the hostages. Mediators hope to reach an agreement before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan starts around March 10. But so far, Israel and Hamas have remained far apart in public on their demands. Meanwhile, UN officials have warned of further mass casualties if Israel follows through on vows to attack the southernmost city of Rafah, where more than half of Gaza's population has taken refuge. They also say a Rafah offensive could decimate what remains of aid operations. Authorities have said they still have no suspects for the murder of a 23-year-old pregnant Amish woman found dead in her Pennsylvania home on Monday. Rebekah Byler was six months pregnant when she was killed in her Crawford County home, where her two children were found unharmed. Trooper Cynthia Schick said on Tuesday that an autopsy has provided some evidence, including her time of death. Schick did not offer additional details besides that Byler was the victim of homicide, after locals reported seeing a red Jeep at the property around the time of the killing. 'Keep being vigilant. This is a criminal homicide investigation. Practice safe procedures keep your doors locked, report any suspicious behavior of persons or vehicles whether it was past or current,' Schick said. Authorities have said they still have no suspects for the murder of a 23-year-old pregnant Amish woman found dead in her Pennsylvania home on Monday Mother-of-two Rebekah Byler, 23, was found dead inside a house on Fish Flats Road in Sparta Township, Pennsylvania The Amish woman's body was found with gunshot wounds. Her two toddlers were at home at the time of her death Police are asking the public for help identifying a suspect and offering a $2,000 reward for information. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Corry barracks at 814-663-2043. Residents and family members said that they recall seeing a red Jeep outside of the home at 10am where Byler lived with her husband Andy, who was not home when she was killed. Locals in the community have banded together to raise money for Byler's family. 'I'm just absolutely heartbroken that this has happened,' Charleen Hajec, the owner of Spartansburg Pharmacy, told ABC 6. 'I'm very concerned about the Amish community and worried for them.' A homicide investigation is exceedingly uncommon in the rural area, which is located 40 miles outside the city of Erie. State police are 'aggressively investigating all available leads.' Kelsey Bova, owner of Bova's Hardware and administrator of a local Spartansburg Facebook group, set up a GoFundMe for donations. 'We would like to show our support for the entire Amish community and help raise funds so that Andy and his children can find a safe new home,' she wrote. Bova announced that she was organizing a drive for food, toys, cleaning products and gift cards, inviting locals to drop the donations off at the hardware store or a local pub. Byler's cousin Rosanna posted to Facebook asking friends to pray for her. 'I'm in shock! I can't believe it! Where they live in PA is a rural area!' wrote the Rogers, Ohio woman. 'I grew up about 20 miles from there and would go down to that area all the time.' A former senior Tory MP said he had been cleared by police over claims of sexual assault - but refused to rejoin the party. Solihull's Julian Knight said that the probe - the second he has faced in the past two years - had ended without an arrest. He becomes the second former Tory to be cleared with no case to answer over allegations of sexual wrongdoing by detectives in the past month, after Andrew Rosindell returned to the Commons. However Mr Knight said he would not rejoin the Tories, sitting as an independent until he stands down from Parliament at the next election. He has previously spoken of his anger at the way the party treated him when the allegations were made. Solihull's Julian Knight said that the probe - the second he has faced in the past two years - had ended without an arrest. He becomes the second former Tory to be cleared with no case to answer over allegations of sexual wrongdoing by detectives in the past month, after Andrew Rosindell returned to the Commons. However Mr Knight said he would not rejoin the Tories, sitting as an independent until he stands down from Parliament at the next election. In a statement today he said: 'I have been told that the second police investigation into me has been closed without an arrest. 'I am now exploring my legal options following the complaint I have made to the Metropolitan Police relating to fraud, forgery and perverting the course of justice. 'I wish to thank my wife and my wonderful parliamentary team for their support during this time. I will be taking a little time now to choose my next steps and recover my mental health. 'I reiterate that under no circumstances will I be seeking the Conservative whip back.' The Metropolitan Police received an allegation of serious sexual assault in October 2022, and the following December, a further referral relating to the incident was made and an investigation into Mr Knight was launched. Scotland Yard confirmed in March last year it was no longer proceeding with an investigation and no arrests had been made. But the Tories swiftly announced they would not be returning the whip to Mr Knight, which had been suspended in December, due to 'further complaints'. It is that second probe that he said had been dropped today. Mr Knight's has been the Solihull MP since 2015. At the time of his arrest he was chairman of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee. But he was replaced by predecessor Damian Green while he stayed away from Parliament during the police investigation. A federal judge on Thursday blocked a new Texas law that gives police broad powers to arrest migrants suspected of illegally entering the U.S., a ruling that comes as President Joe Biden and Donald Trump are headed to the state for separate visits at the border. The ruling is a victory for the Biden administration in its feud with Republican Gov. Greg Abbott over immigration enforcement. The preliminary injunction granted by U.S. District Judge David Ezra pauses a law that was set to take effect March 5. Texas officials are expected to appeal. A group of migrants illegally cross the Rio Grande at Eagle Pass, Texas Opponents have called the Texas measure the most dramatic attempt by a state to police immigration since a 2010 Arizona law that opponents rebuked as a 'Show Me Your Papers' bill. The U.S. Supreme Court partially struck down the Arizona law, but some Texas Republican leaders want that ruling to get a second look. The lawsuit is among several legal battles between Texas and President Bidens administration over how far the state can go to try to prevent migrants from crossing the border. The measure would allow state law enforcement officers to arrest people suspected of entering the country illegally. Once in custody, they could agree to a Texas judges order to leave the country or face a misdemeanor charge for entering the U.S. illegally. Migrants who dont leave after being ordered to do so could be arrested again and charged with a more serious felony. At a Feb. 15 hearing, Ezra expressed skepticism as the state pleaded its case for what is known as Senate Bill 4. He also said he was somewhat sympathetic to the concerns expressed by Abbott and other state officials about the large number of illegal crossings. Ezra, who was appointed by former President Ronald Reagan, said he feared the United States could become a confederation of states enforcing their own immigration laws. 'That is the same thing the Civil War said you cant do,' Ezra told the attorneys. President Joe Biden leaves the White House for Brownsvillle, Texas Texas National Guard talk to migrants making an illegal crossing in Eagle Pass Civil rights groups, who also sued the state, have argued the law could lead to civil rights violations and racial profiling. Republicans who back the law have said it would not target immigrants already living in the U.S. because of the two-year statute of limitations on the illegal entry charge and would be enforced only along the states border with Mexico. Tensions have remained high between Texas and the Biden administration this year over who can patrol the border and how. Other GOP governors have expressed support for Abbott, who has said the federal government is not doing enough to enforce immigration laws. Among other things, Texas placed a floating barrier in the Rio Grande, put razor wire along the U.S.-Mexico border and stopped Border Patrol agents from accessing a riverfront park in Eagle Pass that they previously used to process migrants. The ruling comes as President Biden is traveling to Brownsville, Texas, on the same day Donald Trump will be in Eagle Pass, Texas. The cities are about 300 miles apart and the two men are not expected to interact. But Eagle Pass remains a migration hot spot while crossings in Brownsville have dropped dramatically. It once saw 10,000 a day. White House officials have defended the president, saying its House Republicans engaged in a 'political stunt.' While in Brownsville, Biden will 'meet with U.S. Border Patrol agents, law enforcement, frontline personnel, and local leaders to discuss the urgent need to pass the Senate bipartisan border security agreement,' a White House official said. Biden is considering executive orders that would move to shut down the border to new arrivals if more than an average of 5,000 migrants per day tried to cross unlawfully in the course of a week, or more than 8,500 tried to cross in a day. The president is joined on his trip by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, Rep. Vincente Gonzalez, local elected officials, as well as personnel from Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Biden will be briefed on border security operations and then he will make public remarks on the need for House Republicans to pass a bipartisan border package already approved by the Senate. Conservatives argue the legislation is not strong enough to combat illegal immigration. The bill included over $20 billion for border security that would add new Customs and Border Patrol agents, add more asylum officers to increase that process time, and add more immigration judges. Democrats accuse the GOP of election year politics. Trump, who is Biden's likely rival in the 2024 presidential election, has come out against the legislation. The former president, while he is in Eagle Pass, will blast Biden on the record high number of illegal crossings and the murder of Laken Riley, a Georgia nursing student. An illegal immigrant was arrested and charged with the crime. His campaign has accused Biden of piggy-backing onto Trump's decision to visit the border, which the White House denies. There was a lot of trash but no sign of migrants at Rio Grande in Brownsville, Texas Donald Trump will be in Eagle Pass, Texas, on the same day Biden is in Brownsville, Texas In Brownsville, border crossings have dropped dramatically in the past months, after Republican Gov. Greg Abbott had miles of the wire fencing installed as part of Operation Lone Star, which he signed into law in December. Internal CBP data for all border patrol stations in February - obtained by Fox News - shows that the Brownsville area had about 462 apprehensions, which averages out to about 17 per day. That makes Brownsville, Texas, the 29th busiest border patrol station for the month. The number one station was Three Points in Tucson, Arizona, sector, which has recorded more than 13,900 apprehensions in February. Brownsville could give Biden a platform to argue illegal crossings have dropped dramatically given it was the busiest corridor for illegal crossings for nine years. But Republicans have called it something else: a 'photo-op.' Speaker Mike Johnson accused Biden of going merely for the optics. 'Brownsville is the 29th ranked hotspot. Why would he go to the 29th? Because he doesn't really want to see the reality,' he said Thursday. At a House Republican leadership news conference, many of the leaders repeatedly accused Biden of a 'photo op.' 'President Biden goes down to the border today for a photo op,' Majority Leader Steve Scalise said. 'He has the authority today to fix this problem that he created.' The White House has said it's House Republicans who are turning the border into a 'political stunt.' Members of the Texas National Guard on patrol at the border - crossings have gone down since Republican Gov. Greg Abbott installed fencing Last May, before the fencing was installed, lines of immigrants wait at Camp Monument to be processed into the country White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre pushed back against GOP criticism of Biden's trip, noting it was House Republicans who refused to bring up a vote on a bipartisan border security bill after Trump came out against it. 'Oh, it's very different. What House Republicans have done is nothing, absolutely nothing. If anything, they consistently get in the way,' she said during her press briefing. 'They are turning this into a political stunt by listening to Donald Trump and saying that they need to kill it. This is what they've been doing and making it political where the President got his team now directed his team to work with senators, both Republicans and Democrats to get a bill done.' More than 2,000 military personnel have sued the Ministry of Defence (MoD) for 'unfair' discrimination over housing costs, lawyers have said. The action relates to alleged discrimination against younger and unmarried personnel over housing costs in claims that could be worth an estimated 30 million. When MailOnline exclusively broke the news of the lawsuit in November only around 500 serving personnel had expressed an interest in pursuing legal action, which if successful could see an average of 10,000 paid out to troops. But experts claim the real cost could skyrocket if more come forward, potentially hitting a staggering 100million. Lawyers from UK legal firm Leigh Day believe that as many as 80,000 serving members of the military could be eligible to join the compensation claim after allegedly being unfairly overcharged by the MoD for housing in the last six months because of their age and potentially their marital status. More than 2,000 military personnel are set to take legal action against the Ministry of Defence (MoD) for discrimination over housing costs, lawyers have said (stock photo) The action relates to alleged discrimination against younger and unmarried personnel over housing costs in claims that could be worth an estimated 30 million. Pictured: Single Living Accommodation (SLA) blocks built under Project SLAM at Richmondshire Lines, Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire Some 80,000 troops are potentially eligible for compensation from the MoD (pictured), lawyers have claimed The claim relates to the MoD's housing policy, which requires all British Army personnel who are under 37, and those who are over 37 and unmarried, to pay for what is known as single living accommodation, according to the legal firm. The lawyers say that in contrast, Army personnel over the age of 37 and married are eligible for a valuable accommodation allowance. In the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy, age is not taken into account but only those who are married or in a civil partnership qualify for the accommodation allowance. Leigh Day solicitor Ryan Bradshaw said: 'More than 2,000 younger or unmarried members of the armed forces have now joined our claim after paying more for their accommodation than those who are older or married. 'Whilst the Ministry of Defence has made some changes to reduce the unfairness in its housing policies, the current system still discriminates against people who are unmarried or under a certain age. 'Younger and unmarried military personnel may wish to join this claim to seek compensation for paying too much rent and to encourage the MoD to change this unfair policy.' The claim relates to the MoD's housing policy, which requires all British Army personnel who are under 37, and those who are over 37 and unmarried, to pay for what is known as single living accommodation, according to the legal firm (file image of British soldiers) Lawyers from Leigh Day said it was 'unfair' younger, unmarried troops were 'effectively subsidising the MoD's policy to provide cheaper rent to those who are older or married' (file photo of a soldier in Single Living Accommodation) The lawyers add that the amount of compensation would depend on how long individuals have spent in single living accommodation and how much they paid for it. If the legal case is successful, most claims are expected to achieve compensation of at least 15,000, they add. 'It is totally unfair that so many younger or unmarried members of the armed forces have been effectively subsidising the MoD's policy to provide cheaper rent to those who are older or married,' Leigh Day solicitor Ryan Bradshaw previously told MailOnline. When the news of the lawsuit broke in November, one former Colonel in British military intelligence branded it 'unprecedented', saying it would be a 'huge embarrassment' for the MoD. Currently, an unmarried Private in the army can pay between 30 and 80 a month for a single room, while senior officers like a Major, Lieutenant Commander in the navy or Squadron Leader in the RAF can pay between 68 and 229 a month, depending on the condition of the property. While those living in larger family properties can pay anything from 105 for an unfurnished, smaller home, to 851 a month for a fully furnished, top-of-the-range one. In 2021, watchdogs from the National Audit Office (NAO) warned the MoD's housing allowance system could be potentially discriminatory. The MoD has been contacted for a response. Despite this, Leigh Day said there has been 'no change to the policy' within the MoD and younger or single troops continue to stump up more for their housing. The NAO probe found some 80,000 personnel were staying in single living accommodation and that more than half surveyed were 'dissatisfied' with the standard of the housing provided. But some troops have faced living in squalid conditions. In winter 2021-22 hundreds of families suffered without heating or hot water in freezing temperatures before Christmas, as they awaited repairs. And earlier this year, MailOnline revealed how the King's guards were living in filthy conditions at the iconic Wellington Barracks, with grim pictures showing piles of litter, blocked, filthy toilets and leaky appliances in the block. Ministry of Defence data from last year showed that more than 4,000 members of the Armed Forces were living in accommodation so poor that no rent was charged. MailOnline revealed in April how the King's guards were living in filthy conditions at the iconic Wellington Barracks, with grim pictures showing piles of litter strewn in rooms In November Philip Ingram, a former Colonel in British military intelligence, said the potential lawsuit now facing the MoD could be a 'huge embarrassment' for top brass. The military veteran said the MoD 'failed' to think about the implications of the policies it enforced, which had rules that were 'not fit for purpose'. Philip Ingram, a former Colonel in British military intelligence said the lawsuit facing the MoD could be a 'huge embarrassment' 'The MoD is not people focused it is processed focused, so it does not surprise me whatsoever that this rule has been missed. This will be a huge embarrassment for the MoD and one that could prove to be very costly,' he said. In 2022 a gay Royal Navy officer won 46,000 after he said he was made to feel 'sub-human' by a discriminatory accommodation policy which forced him to come out against his wishes. The anonymous serviceman told an employment tribunal he was discriminated against by Navy guidelines on providing housing for officers - which meant he had had to disclose his sexuality to colleagues. He successfully argued that the Senior Service breached the Equality Act by cutting the types of accommodation it offered single men to just one - while giving married couples the option of two to choose from. The gay Royal Navy officer told the tribunal that, after being assigned to the Ministry of Defence site at Abbey Wood (pictured) near Bristol in July 2017, he was offered unsuitable accommodation which 'failed to take proper account of his circumstances' The tribunal found that the policy would have 'a disproportionate effect on the group of Service Personnel who identify as gay' as members of the LGB community are 'less likely to be married or in a civil partnership than heterosexual service personnel'. When the officer sent an email flagging his issues with the accommodation policy, this email - which included details of his sexual orientation - was circulated to other officers without his consent. The officer, described as a 'high-flyer with an impressive range of skills and qualities' who displayed 'consistently high performance', was awarded 46,959 by an employment judge, including more than 25,000 for 'injury to feelings'. The serviceman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told the hearing: 'I have found the whole experience stressful, draining and a distraction from just being able to lead a normal life. '[It] makes me feel that somehow I am sub-human and not worthy of the consideration that others would receive.' Anyone who thinks they may be eligible to join the Leigh Day age discrimination case against the MoD can find out more here. Florida officials are set to impose some of the toughest restrictions at Miami Beach to prevent a repeat of the chaos during Spring Break 2023, which resulted in two fatal shootings and hundreds of arrests. The Miami Beach City Commission announced earlier this month that new rules will empower the city to mandate curfews and beach closures if needed. Commissioner David Suarez said: 'We are shutting it down. We really mean it this time. We are not taking half-measures. We really are doing everything we can to end Spring Break.' Commissioner Alex Fernandez delivered a similar strong message, saying: 'We're shutting the door on spring break once and for all. Lawlessness will not be tolerated in Miami Beach. The decision follows the tumultuous Spring Break in 2023, marked by two fatal shootings, nearly 500 arrests, the seize of more than 100 firearms, and numerous police clashes and brawls. Officials in Miami Beach, Florida, are set to impose some of the toughest rules to prevent a repeat of the chaos during the spring break of 2023, which resulted in two fatal shootings and hundreds of arrests. Pictured: Commissioner David Suarez The decision follows the tumultuous spring break in 2023, marked by two fatal shootings, nearly 500 arrests, the seize of more than 100 firearms, and numerous police clashes and brawls. Pictured: a handcuffed man sits on the ground in Miami Beach on March 19, 2023 The Miami Beach City Commission announced earlier this month that new rules will empower the city to mandate curfews and beach closures if needed. Pictured: a crowd of spring breakers on Ocean Drive in Miami Beach on March 19, 2023 Visitors and residents can expect a significant police presence and robust enforcement of open container and noise laws during the peak spring break season in mid-March. Additionally, curfews could be implemented over two weekends of March 7-10 and March 14-17 is necessary. Other measures include bag checks, restricted beach access, DUI checkpoints, license plate readers, liquor stores shutting at 8pm and heightened police enforcement for drug possession and violent behavior. Towing fee will double to $516, four parking garages in South Beach will be shut down, and sidewalk cafes on famed Ocean Drive would be closed if necessary. Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner said this week: 'We need to correct these issues, we need to do it now and we're going to be very proactive. And if somebody thinks we're doing too much, well, that means we're probably doing it right." Law enforcement authorities also vowed to crackdown the wild party season, as Miami Beach Police Chief Wayne Jones assured public during a spring break press conference on February 15. Meiner said: 'The measures I proposed approved by our Commission will ensure that our residents, businesses, and visitors are safe and thrive during Spring Break. 'Everyone is invited to enjoy the beauty and hospitality of our City. But we are a law and order City and we will enforce our laws all year round, including during March's Spring Break.' Visitors and residents can expect a significant police presence and robust enforcement of open container and noise laws during the peak spring break season in mid-March. Pictured: crowds in Miami Beach after the two fatal shootings Law enforcement authorities also vowed to crackdown the wild party season, as Miami Beach Police Chief Wayne Jones assured public during a spring break press conference on February 15. Pictured: crowds in Miami Beach after the two fatal shootings Last year, Miami Beach declared a state of emergency and instituted a curfew on March 19 after two shootings over the weekend left two people dead. The city banned revelers from being outdoors between March 19 and 20 due to the shootings and 'excessively large and unruly crowds.' South Georgia State College student Jordan Idahosa, 21, was shot and killed on the Friday night in the South Beach neighborhood of the city. The police said in their report that a suspect was in custody, and four firearms had been seized. A second person was shot just over 24 hours later, dying at 3am on Sunday in a second shooting, four blocks away from where Idahosa was killed. Dontavious Polk, 24, from Fort Lauderdale, was arrested for the fatal shooting later on Sunday, and charged with first-degree murder and held overnight, according to an arrest report. But these incidents did not deter partygoers as they were seen jumping on a car, brawling in streets and even trashing a slushy shop on the main drag despite the city instituting a curfew on Sunday night. South Georgia State College student Jordan Idahosa, 21, was shot and killed on Friday night in the South Beach neighborhood of the city Dontavious Polk, 24, from Fort Lauderdale, was arrested for the fatal shooting later on Sunday, and charged with first-degree murder and held overnight, according to an arrest report One reveler, Ronny, 22, from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania told the Miami Herald that she was just a few feet away from the gunfire that erupted on Seventh Street and Ocean Drive. 'No one is trying to be dodging bullets on vacation,' she said as she returned to the scene of the crime to continue raging. 'Im always having fun regardless, but yall have to chill with that shooting stuff,' she said, adding that some of her peers are 'down here trying to recreate 'Scarface.' More than 100 spring breakers were gathered on the beach nearby where the shooting occurred one day later. Drinking, dancing and hanging out as Afro Beats and Billboard hits. In 2022, the city imposed a midnight curfew following two shootings also on Ocean Drive. The year before, there were about 1,000 arrests and dozens of guns confiscated during a rowdy spring break that led Miami Beach officials to take steps aimed at calming the situation. Talking about this year's laws, Jones said: 'If you are looking to cause problems, do not come to Miami Beach. 'We are fully prepared to ensure our city is safe for everyone. Our message is simple: we want people to enjoy their time here, but will not tolerate the behavior we have witnessed in the past few years.' The newborn baby daughter of aristocrat Constance Marten could have died from either hypothermia or 'co-sleeping' in a tent, a court heard today. Marten, 36, and boyfriend Mark Gordon, 49, are accused of killing Victoria by taking her on the run in January last year to prevent her being taken away by social services. The baby's placenta was found in an exploded car on a Manchester motorway sparking a huge police hunt as the couple traversed the UK trying to find a port to escape from, the Old Bailey heard. The couple then spent nearly two months camping in a blue tent in the bitterly cold South Downs near Brighton before the baby, wearing only a onesie, allegedly froze to death. Victoria was later found dead in the Lidl bag for life where prosecutors say she spent most of her life. Constance Marten (pictured with a different child) is accused of the manslaughter by gross negligence of her newborn daughter Victoria Marten, along with her boyfriend Mark Gordon (pictured) both deny manslaughter, concealment of the birth of a child, cruelty to a person under 16 and perverting the course of justice The defendants pictured at the Old Bailey in London during their trial on February 20, this year The couple met in 2016 and had four children in quick succession who were all taken into care after Marten gave birth to her first child using a fake Irish accent pretending to be a traveler, jurors have heard. They deny the manslaughter of Victoria by gross negligence, concealment of the birth of a child, cruelty to a person under 16 and perverting the course of justice by disposing of the body. Marten comes from a wealthy aristocratic family and her father was a page to Queen Elizabeth II. A joint post-mortem on Victoria's body was conducted by consultant forensic pathologist Dr Nat Cary, and Mr Andreas Marnerides, a paediatric pathologist. The formal cause of death was logged as unascertained. Dr Nat Cary told the Old Bailey on Thursday that baby Victoria was wearing just a nappy and had signs of 'significant decomposition' when he examined her. He told jurors that wintry temperatures slowed down the rate of decomposition but the condition of the body meant Victoria had not died recently. He said there were no signs of head injury, natural disease, congenital abnormalities, or any injuries consistent with an assault or constraint of the child. Asked to consider possible reasons for Victoria's death in relation to the facts of the case, Dr Cary said: 'A number of causes have been ruled out. In footage shown during the trial, Marten is seen keeping the baby under her coat before unzipping it and exposing her in east London on January 7 Jurors were shown little Victoria's face (centre) for the first time last month as her parents Constance Marten (right) and Mark Gordon (left) sat inside a kebab shop 'Really when you start to take into account the circumstances - which is really a matter for the jury - hypothermia, being out in a cold environment, is a very important cause of death. 'The other would be co-sleeping - sharing facilities with another person where overheating may apply or rebreathing, breathing in expired air. Follow every detail of the case on The Mail's acclaimed podcast The Trial The Trial takes listeners behind the headlines and into the courtrooms of some of the biggest criminal cases in the world. The first series, 'The Trial of Lucy Letby' received more than 13million downloads. Season two focused on the murder of Ashling Murphy, a 23-year-old teacher from Ireland. Season three followed the case of the murder of Brianna Ghey, a 16-year-old teenager. Season four will follow the evidence as the jury hears it in twice weekly reports from The Daily Mail's news reporter, Jack Hardy, and broadcast journalist, Caroline Cheetham. They will take you into the courtroom to bring you the details as the evidence unfolds, to examine key moments and to carry out exclusive interviews with detectives, victims, and experts. Advertisement 'It is fair to say none of that is provable. You cannot do a blood test.' Another possibility was obstruction of breathing, he said: 'At this stage it is very easy to impair breathing without any obvious signs in post-mortem examination.' Cross-examining for Marten, Francis FitzGibbon KC raised a circumstance in which a child died when a mother fell asleep while feeding. He said: 'I'm not talking here about a policy, a plan of putting a baby down in a bed next to mother. 'I'm talking about mother feeding baby, drops off, exhausted, wakes up and baby has died. 'That's a phenomenon that can occur anywhere with a tired breast-feeding mother.' Dr Cary agreed that possibility could not be excluded. Mr FitzGibbon said: 'You cannot determine when the baby died.' The pathologist replied: 'I cannot.' John Femi-Ola KC, for Gordon, highlighted there were no signs of violence on Victoria's body. The witness agreed. The prosecution claim that hypothermia was the cause of death, while Marten told police Victoria passed away after she fell asleep with her inside her jacket. Dr Cary said an adult sleeping with a child can be dangerous due to overheating. He said a baby could end up in an 'awkward posture with an adult on top of you, anything that impairs breathing. 'At this point is is very easy to impair breathing without there being any obvious signs in a post-mortem.' He said there were no other obvious possible causes of death. He said hypothermia is a difficult cause of death to determine in babies even on a less decomposed body and is often done by inferences. Dr Cary said that while the body was decomposing there was not an 'exact science' that could tell him when the baby died as rates of decomposition can depend on temperature. Francis FitzGibbon, KC, representing Marten, asked if the baby being kept inside a 'microclimate' inside her mother's jacket would make death from hypothermia less likely. Dr Cary said this was possible. A sketch of Marten (left) and Gordon with a dock officer at the Old Bailey in March 2023 The shed in Lower Roedale Allotments, East Sussex, where a Lidl bag was found which contained the body of baby Victoria A pictures shows the inside of the couple's burnt out car. The baby's placenta was found in the vehicle, the Old Bailey heard Mr FitzGibbon said: 'Can I ask you to consider that this is not a case of co-sleeping with the baby put down next to the mother - the proposition is that after breastfeeding the child, whilst sitting with the child on her lap the mother has fallen asleep and in so doing has somehow compromised the baby's breathing. 'On the hypothesis that that is what happened can you exclude this as a cause of death?' Dr Cary said there was no evidence on what type of co-sleeping could have caused death. He said weather conditions and being very old and very young were the factors making people most vulnerable to death by hypothermia. Marten's wealthy family lived at Dorset estate Crichel House during Marten's youth and her grandmother was a playmate of Princess Margaret and goddaughter to the Queen Mother. Marten and Gordon deny manslaughter by gross negligence, concealment of the birth of a child, cruelty to a person under 16 and perverting the course of justice. They also deny causing or allowing the death of a child. The trial continues. Sterns has not been charged in connection to the girl's disappearance but is the 'prime suspect' The boyfriend of a Florida mom has been arrested on child porn charges after being named as the 'prime suspect' in her teenage daughter's disappearance. Madeline Soto, 13, was reported missing on Monday night in Orlando, Florida after she was last seen that morning near Town Loop Boulevard and Hunter's Park Lane. Stephan Sterns, 37, the boyfriend of Madeline's mother Jenn Soto, was later arrested for sexual battery and possession of child sexual abuse material. He has not been charged in connection to the girl's disappearance. Police said investigators discovered 'disturbing images' when they looked through Sterns' phone, along with proof that he attempted to delete evidence of the related material. After his arrest, Sterns invoked his right to an attorney and declined to speak during his interview. Investigators said he was also the last person to see the girl. 'Stephan Sterns had an opportunity tonight to come clean with detectives and help lead them to information about Maddies disappearance,' Sheriff John Mina said. Madeline Soto, 13, was reported missing on Monday night in Orlando, Florida after she was last seen that morning near Town Loop Boulevard and Hunter's Park Lane Stephan Sterns, 37, the boyfriend of Madeline mother, was arrested on Wednesday for child porn charges 'Her loved ones deserve answers and OCSO and the Kisssimmee Police will not stop until we find Maddie.' The search for Madeline has continues after mother told FOX 35 that her daughter did not make it to school that morning. 'I went to pick her up after school and she wasn't there,' she said before her boyfriend's arrest. 'I drove around and I didn't see anything. I drove back to the school, the school was closed.' 'I emailed one of her teachers, they confirmed that she was absent all day. At that point is when I called 911 because I realized something was truly wrong.' Jenn spoke as Sterns sat quietly behind her and occasionally looked into the camera. In another interview, the mother said surveillance footage showed her daughter in the parking lot at Peace United Methodist Church after she was dropped off at school that morning. Jenn also noted that Madeline left her cell phone at home on the morning she was last seen. Orange County Sheriff John Mina said that the girl's phone has since been reviewed by police and information on it 'indicated that she told people' that 'she wanted to go live in the woods' once she turned 13. Sterns has not been charged in connection to the girl's disappearance but is the 'prime suspect' Madeline's mother, Jenn Soto, is seen speaking to the camera while Sterns sits quietly behind her and occasionally looked into the camera Police found messages on Madeline's phone that said once she was 13, she wanted 'to go live in the woods.' The girl is seen in a picture with her mother Jenn and her boyfriend Sterns Madeline's birthday was on February 22, four days before she was last seen. Authorities have enlisted the help of K9s, search teams and a piece of Madeline's clothing to try and locate her scent. Missing posters have also been posted all over town and on social media, along with a Facebook group called 'Madeline Soto Strong- Official support Group & Updates.' A GoFundMe page has also been created to raise funds to assist in the effort to locate Madeline. As of Thursday, more than $1,600 has been raised and is set to go toward sharing information about Madeline on social media, billboards and printed flyers. The page also said that the money will go toward 'supporting the family during this difficult time with any unforeseen costs.' Andrea, who said she was the the mother's best friend said: 'I've watched Maddie grow into the beautiful young lady she's become. She loves arts and crafts, playing video games, and playing volleyball.' 'She's a good kid who is loved beyond measure and we just want her safe at home with her family where she belongs.' The young girl was last seen wearing a green jacket, black shorts and white Crocs. She has two distinct moles on her face- one on the left side of her nose and another on the right side of her chin. Missing posters have also been posted all over town and on social media, along with a Facebook group called Madeline Soto Strong- Official support Group & Updates Authorities have enlisted the help of K9s, search teams and a piece of Madeline's clothing to try and locate her scent. Pictured: A search crew is seen looking for the girl The young girl was last seen wearing a green jacket, black shorts and white Crocs. She has two distinct moles on her face- one on the left side of her nose and another on the right side of her chin The girl's aunt, Leticia Nunez, said that she doesn't think that Madeleine would've 'pick up and run away with no trace of anything.' 'I'm trying to believe that she is still alive out there.' Tatiana Wallace, Madeline's step mother, also spoke out about the young girl's disappearance and Sterns' recent arrest. 'My stepdaughter Madeline has been missing for more than 72 hours. With Stephan Sterns behind bars, we can concentrate on finding her. Share her photo with everyone you know,' she said. Jenn has also posted online about her daughter's disappearance, but has not commented on her boyfriend's arrest. 'Im trying to hope for the best, but Im scared for her. I want her to be okay, I want her to be safe I dont want her to come back harmed. I just want her back whatever that means, I just want her back,' the mother said. Early Thursday morning the mother posted her daughter's missing flyer on her Facebook and said: 'Please share! Please bring maddie home!' A 17th century ring found in a field by a metal detectorists could sell for up to 16,000 at auction. Alan Rumsby, 75, found the piece of jewellery while searching a stubble field in Roydon, Norfolk, with his metal detector. The retired carpenter had searched the same fields several times before with no success. However, when he returned there in October 2020 the first signal from his XP Deus detector revealed a gold ring, hidden at a depth of nine inches. The ring is believed to have been worn by Dorothy Ashfield, who was born in 1594, and experts say to find a seal ring from the period which was worn by a woman is extremely rare. It will be offered for sale at Noonans Mayfair in a sale of Jewellery, Watches, Silver and Objects of Vertu on Tuesday, March 12 where it is expected to fetch between 14,000 and 16,000. Alan Rumsby (pictured), 75, found the piece of jewellery while searching a stubble field in Roydon, Norfolk, with his metal detector. He says in 10 years of searching this is the first piece of gold he has ever found The ring that Mr Rumsby found in a field in Norfolk. An expert says the ring, which is believed to date back to the 17th century, is believed to have been worn by Dorothy Ashfield, who was born in 1594 Nigel Mills, Artefact and Coin Expert at Noonans,says the ring is 'extremely rare' because it is a seal ring that was worn by a woman. It will be offered for sale at Noonans Mayfair in a sale of Jewellery, Watches, Silver and Objects of Vertu on Tuesday, March 12 where it is expected to fetch between 14,000 and 16,000 Mr Rumsby said: 'I have never found anything made of gold in over 10 years of detecting so I was really excited. 'It was only after it was taken to the Museum that I realised how significant this discovery was. 'The British Museum had originally declared an interest in acquiring the ring but now two years later the ring has been disclaimed, so I am able to sell it. 'I intend to use the money, which will be shared with the landowner, on a holiday for my wife and myself.' Nigel Mills, Artefact and Coin Expert at Noonans, said: 'The ring is historically important because it is extremely rare to find a seal ring of this period that was worn by a woman. 'This is indicated using a lozenge-shaped coat of arms on the bezel of the ring. 'The arms are divided into four, each representing her ancestral family heritage, namely Ashfield; Tendring; Botelier and finally Mapersall. 'The five-pointed star in the centre of the arms represents a third son so we believe the ring was owned by Dorothy Ashfield who was born in 1594, the eldest daughter of the third son Thomas Ashfield of Hopton in Suffolk and his wife Ellen Holditch of Ranworth in Norfolk.' He added: 'The find spot is close to the old hall of Brockdish which was owned by John Tendring whose family arms appears on the second quadrant of the ring bezel as a fess (horizontal band) with a crescent between two chevrons. 'The name Ashfield originates in Suffolk and Shropshire, meaning a field with ash trees.' Richard Taylor said he was presented in film as 'patronising and misogynistic' Steve Coogan is being sued for libel by a university official over his 'devious' and 'weasel-like' portrayal in a film about the discovery of Richard III's remains, the High Court has heard. Mr Coogan was a writer and producer of the The Lost King, which follows Phillipa Langley and her search to find the controversial king's skeleton. The lost remains of the Plantagenet king were found in a Leicester car park in 2012, more than 500 years after his death. Richard Taylor, formerly deputy registrar of the University of Leicester, is bringing legal action against Mr Coogan, his production company Baby Cow, and Pathe Productions over his portrayal in the film. At a hearing on Thursday, which Mr Coogan did not attend, William Bennett KC said his client Mr Taylor was presented as being 'dismissive, patronising and misogynistic' towards Ms Langley. A university boss has sued Steve Coogan over his portrayal in Richard III film The Lost King Richard Taylor from the University of Leicester said he was presented in the film by Mr Coogan (pictured) as 'dismissive, patronising and misogynistic' The Lost King was released in 2022 and follows the story of ambitious writer and amateur historian Philippa Langley who unearths Richard III's remains in a Leicester car park The barrister said in written submissions: 'The relevant context is the 'good versus bad' narrative, which runs through the film. 'Ms Langley is portrayed as the gutsy underdog heroine struggling against opposition and the claimant as the arrogant villain. 'He not only takes steps to make sure that people do not know about her role but takes the credit, which was rightfully hers, for himself and the university.' Mr Taylor, who is now chief operating officer at Loughborough University, was also shown as a 'devious, weasel-like person' and a 'suited bean-counter', Mr Bennett told the High Court in London. The barrister later said that Mr Taylor was portrayed as 'mocking' Richard III's disability and 'linking physical deformity with wickedness or moral failings'. Mr Bennett continued: 'It's a straightforward, plot-driven film where everything that is said and done matters.' Mr Coogan and the two production companies are defending the libel claim. Andrew Caldecott KC, for the Alan Partridge star and companies, said in written submissions: 'It is a feature film, not a documentary. 'It would be clear to the ordinary reasonable viewer that the film is not a documentary, it is a dramatisation of events. 'The concept of fictional films based on real events is not a new one.' Mr Taylor's barrister said that he was portrayed as devious, weasel-like person' and a 'suited bean-counter by Mr Coogan (pictured) The Alan Partridge star argued that the film was 'based on a true story' and was not intended to be a documentary or a portrayal of exact words Mr Caldecott said the film states it was 'based on a true story', adding: 'It is not a literal portrayal of exact words.... and would be understood as putting forward Ms Langley's perception.' The barrister denied that Mr Taylor is shown to be sexist or misogynist, adding his 'concern is about Ms Langley's amateur status and lack of historical expertise, and not her gender'. He continued: 'Whilst the film is clearly strongly critical of Mr Taylor and the university for sidelining Ms Langley at the dig and after the discovery of the body and not giving her sufficient credit, his clear motive is to exploit the discovery to further the university's commercial interests. 'No reasonable viewer would conclude that his motive was sexism or misogynism.' Mr Caldecott also said Mr Taylor was not portrayed as mocking Richard III's disability, 'and certainly not mocking disabled people in general'. Judge Jaron Lewis will give a ruling on preliminary issues in the claim at a later date. Former President Donald Trump, 77, demanded Thursday that President Joe Biden take a cognitive test after the White House insisted the 81-year-old commander-in-chief's doctors said he didn't need one. On Wednesday, Biden made an unannounced trip to Walter Reed in Bethesda to take part in his annual physical, with Physician to the President, Dr. Kevin O'Connor, saying there were 'no new concerns' with the president's health and labeling the Democrat 'fit to serve.' At Wednesday's press briefing, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Biden did not take a cognitive test because his team of doctors 'do not believe that he needs one.' Trump, Biden's likely 2024 general election opponent, disagreed with that assessment. 'Crooked Joe Biden must take a Cognitive Test,' Trump wrote on Truth Social Thursday morning. 'Maybe that way we would be able to find out why he makes such terrible decisions. I took two of them, and ACED them both (no mistakes!).' Former President Donald Trump, 77, demanded Thursday that President Joe Biden take a cognitive test after the White House insisted the 81-year-old commander-in-chief's doctors said he didn't need one Former President Donald Trump said that Biden 'must take a Cognitive Test,' adding 'Maybe that way we would be able to find out why he makes such terrible decisions.' The former president reiterated those points in a radio interview Thursday 'All Presidents, or people wanting to become President, should mandatorily take the test!' Trump also said. The ex-president echoed that point during a radio interview Thursday on the Katz Show on Richmond's Newsradio WRVA. 'I just looked, and he took his test yesterday, but they didn't do a cognitive test,' Trump said, again making the point that he 'aced' both his tests. 'Which they say is a very unusual thing, almost unheard of,' Trump said. 'And he should take - I actually think a president should be forced to take a cognitive test if you want to know the truth,' the former president added. 'But somebody said it's unconstitutional, so whatever.' Jean-Pierre said that Biden didn't take a cognitive exam because 'the president passes a cognitive test every day!' 'Every day,' she reiterated. 'As he moves from one topic to another topic trying - understanding the granular level of these topics.' 'You saw him talk about ... fighting crime today. Tomorrow, he's going to go to the border. Next week, he's going to give a State of the Union address,' she continued. 'And so, we have to keep that in mind. This is a very rigorous job. And the president has been able to do - do this job every day for the past three years.' Former President Donald Trump twice took the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, with then White House Dr. Ronny Jackson saying he gave the test to the president because he requested it Trump first took the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, or MoCA, when he sat for his physical as president in 2018. While doctors usually administer the test to older patients if there are dementia concerns, Trump asked his White House physician, Dr. Ronny Jackson - who's now a Republican member of Congress - to perform it during his 2018 physical. Jackson then appeared in the White House briefing room and described Trump as being 'very sharp' and 'very articulate,' explaining he had only performed the cognitive test on the president because he was asked. Trump colorfully described taking the tests during an interview with Fox News in July 2020. 'They give you 35 questions. The first questions are very easy. The last questions are much more difficult,' he said. 'Like a memory question, it would go, like you'll go "person, woman, man, camera, TV,"' Trump said. 'So they say could you repeat that. So I said yeah. So it's "person, woman, man, camera, TV." OK, that's very good. If you get it in order you get extra points,' the then-president added. Trump's remaining rival Nikki Haley, 52, kicked off her campaign a year ago by telling a crowd in Charleston that politicians older than 75 should have to take 'mandatory mental competency tests.' During a campaign event Thursday in Richmond, she made her usual points about Biden and Trump's age but didn't launch any fresh attacks on Biden. Her campaign, which has barred DailyMail.com from campaign events after reporting on two alleged affairs, didn't respond to a request for comment on Biden not taking a cognitive test as part of his annual physical. Former FBI special agent Jennifer Coffindaffer told DailyMail.com that the frustration is a purposeful 'delay tactic' to help Kohberger at trial Idaho officials are under fire as the long-anticipated trial for suspected quadruple murderer Bryan Kohberger was delayed yet again this week. The criminology lecturer, 29, is accused of shocking the nation in November 2022 when University of Idaho students Ethan Chapin, Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves were stabbed to death in their off-campus home. Now nearing on two years since the grisly murders, the trial is still in its preliminary stages, with another hearing on Wednesday sparking backlash as the judge again declined to set a date. This meant Kohberger is not expected to face trial until at least the spring of 2025, leading to calls for officials to bring the ongoing disputes to a conclusion. 'The victim families are really the sufferers with these delays,' former FBI special agent Jennifer Coffindaffer told DailyMail.com after the hearing. 'Unfortunately, it looks like we're still years away from trial.' Bryan Kohberger, 29, has waived his right to a speedy trial, and after another delay he is not expected to face trial until at least the spring of 2025 He is accused of shocking the nation in November 2022 when University of Idaho students Ethan Chapin , Xana Kernodle, Madison Mogen and Kaylee Goncalves were stabbed to death in their off-campus home Coffindaffer, who has served as an expert witness on numerous trials, said while the delayed trial is frustrating, it is far worse for the victim's families as the unending hearings are like continually 'picking a scab off the wound.' Before the hearing delayed the trial, the family of victim Kaylee Goncalves said they were 'anxious' over the ongoing hearings, but intended to continue to attend every court date. 'Feeling anxious about tomorrow, but our family will continue to show up for EVERY court date. The Goncalves Family will remain strong and united. We will NEVER give up,' the family said on Facebook. Although the family are yet to respond to the latest delay, it comes after several other postponements that have sparked fury, with Kaylee's mother Kristi slamming the 'gut-wrenching' process in November. 'It's gut-wrenching how slow everything has to go. Why does this have to be so drawn out?' Kaylee's mother said in an interview with KHQ. 'It's important, I get it, but there are facts, we have certain facts, we have certain knowledge. I can't believe that this is how it works.' The stricken mother's frustration was echoed by many after this week's failure to set a trial date, as supporters took to social media to slam the process. 'I cant believe this Kohberger trial isnt gonna happen till 2025,' said one. 'Those students were murdered in 2022. Our court system needs a revamp.' 'Another Kohberger hearing with little progress,' added true crime podcaster Gisela K. 'Thinking of Kaylee, Xana, Maddie and Ethan's families as this case so very slowly moves along towards even trying to get a trial date set.' The families of the victims have shared their frustration at the unending delays, with the mother of Kaylee Goncalves (left) saying: 'It's gut-wrenching how slow everything has to go. Why does this have to be so drawn out?' Boyfriend and girlfriend Ethan Chapin (left) and Xana Kernodle (right) were slain in bed together in the gruesome murders in November 2022 Former FBI special agent Jennifer Coffindaffer (pictured) told DailyMail.com that the postponements are purposeful 'delay tactics', but the frustration is far worse for the victim's families as the unending hearings are like continually 'picking a scab off the wound' 'They have to see him, they have to listen to the details, it's more and more painful for (the victims families),' added Coffindaffer. The former FBI special agent claimed Kohberger's defense team are purposefully using 'delay tactics' to try and swing any advantage in their favor, including the possibility key witnesses could pass away if it stretches on years. 'There's all these things that can happen when you delay, delay, delay, in my opinion the defense knows this and they will continue to delay,' she continued. Amid the frustration over the year-long process without even a trial date, some were angered to see the Moscow, Idaho home where the murders took place torn down in December. Although both prosecution and defense agreed for it to be torn down, the families argued against it, Coffindaffer argued that it should have remained standing until a conviction was found. 'I will always stand by the fact that that house could have held important information in the cracks and crevices,' she added. The families of the victims pleaded for the home to remain standing, with Goncalves' family saying the move would 'destroy one of the most critical pieces of evidence in the case.' The off-campus home where the four grisly murders took place was torn down in December amid the delays, despite calls from the victims' families to keep it standing The families argued that keeping the home standing was pivotal, as Kaylee Goncalves' (right) family said the move would 'destroy one of the most critical pieces of evidence in the case' Prosecutors had pushed for a trial to be set this summer, but Kohberger's defense attorney Anne Taylor argued that the trial needed to be delayed due to the huge amount of information surrounding it. 'Not only do we have a huge volume of information, the way Im getting it is completely disorganized,' Taylor said in court. 'And its like if you wanted to play 52-card pickup with 100,000 decks of cards and throw them in the air, and I have to go figure out how to put them together.' At Wednesday's trial scheduling hearing, one of the primary sticking points was the issue of Kohberger's alibi on the night of the slayings. Kohberger has claimed he was out driving alone at the time, but has refused to elaborate further as frustration builds over delays. In response, Judge John Judge set a deadline of April 17 for his alibi to be established in court. Ms Coffindaffer argued that the lack of any concrete alibi is another 'delay tactic' by Kohberger's team. 'I know Judge Judge will likely be lenient to a degree too, because this is a death penalty case,' she added. 'He doesn't want to be overturned in his rulings, and there are over 50 terabytes of information in the case, so the defense has all of that working on their side.' Questions have been raised over the lax courtroom security around Kohberger, which has been compared to Delphi murder suspect Richard Allen (right), who has been shackled at every turn While not causing any delays, Kohberger's hearings have also come under scrutiny for the seemingly lax security around the murder suspect, as he continues to enter court in a full suit without handcuffs. 'It just really lacks proper security,' Ms Coffindaffer argued. 'He's in a suit and tie, his hair is trimmed, his eyebrows are trimmed, there's no security around him.' She claimed the lack of precautions is peculiar, especially when compared to others accused of similar crimes - such as the Delphi murder suspect Richard Allen being escorted by SWAT teams in full shackles to his hearings. Shocking body camera footage has shown the moment Ohio police found an emaciated 3-year-old girl inside a filthy, cockroach-infested apartment. Fairborn police were called to the apartment complex on January 8 on a report that a young child was struggling to breath, reported the Dayton Daily News. When officers entered the building, one could be heard gasping 'Oh my God' as they waded through the garbage infested home, according to body camera footage obtained by Law&Crime. As they entered the child's bedroom, they found her unresponsive huddled in the corner of the room next to a soiled mattress covered in bug bites and said she weighed about 16 pounds. The girls mother, 25-year-old Rabyah Nadhirah Muballigh, has been charged with endangering a child and felonious assault. Shocking body camera footage shows the moment Ohio police found an emaciated 3-year-old girl inside a filthy apartment The child (muzzed), who is lying on a mattress, wasn't breathing properly, according to the 911 call The girls mother, 25-year-old Rabyah Nadhirah Muballigh (pictured), has been charged with endangering a child and felonious assault According to police, Muballigh made the original 911 call and said: 'There's a child at 308 Wallace that is currently having trouble breathing and she needs to go to a hospital as soon as possible.' At first police thought the 3-year-old was dead, but can be heard saying: 'Oh she's still breathing, she's still breathing, let's go, let's go.' The officers tore down blankets being used as curtains to get more light into the room as the checked on the girl. 'Inside they located a small child that was conscious but not alert and was immediately taken by Fairborn medics and transported to a local hospital,' police said. The girl's bedroom was littered with bottles, sticky fly traps and the mattress was covered in urine and feces. At one point, a cockroach is seen running across the wall in the horrific bodycam footage. Footage shows mountains of trash throughout the apartment and court documents describe the place as being 'cluttered and filthy,' according to WHIO. 'Various bugs were observed crawling on the walls, floors and beds. A clear infestation of roaches was observed in each of the two bedrooms as well as other areas of the apartment. Inside the refrigerator and freezer were visible dead bugs and moldy food,' an affidavit said. Rabyah Nadhirah Muballigh is apprehended in front of her apartment block Footage shows mountains of trash throughout the apartment and court documents describe the place as being 'cluttered and filthy' Trash is seen spewed on the ground in the room where the girl was found Police said various bugs were observed crawling on the walls, floors and beds and moldy food was found inside the refrigerator Sergeant Nathan Penrod told the local news station: 'She's got a long road to recovery, but she is continuing to gain some weight.' Pictured: the child being carried out of the apartment Muballigh is seen in the back of a police car after being arrested The apartment was later found to be unfit for human occupancy and was condemned by Fairborn Code Enforcement. Sergeant Nathan Penrod told the local news station: 'She's got a long road to recovery, but she is continuing to gain some weight. But again, she's probably going to be hospitalized for quite some time.' Muballigh had left the scene after making the 911 call, but police said they were able to convince her to return then arrested her. The 25-year-old told police she fled because she was afraid and has post traumatic stress disorder. She is currently in the Greene County Jail being held on a $500,000 bond and is undergoing competency and mental health evaluations for her trial. Downing Street has said the idea of black-only audiences for some nights of a West End theatrical production is 'wrong and divisive'. Slave Play at the Noel Coward Theatre, which features Game Of Thrones star Kit Harington among the cast, will have two performances aimed at an 'all-black-identifying audience' that is 'free from the white gaze'. Organisers of Black Out shows say they do not 'prevent or preclude anyone' from attending and 'nobody' has been turned away in the past. Producers of the show said they would be 'carefully considering' holding the evenings on July 17 and September 17 as part of its 13-week run in London this summer. Defending the decision, playwright Jeremy O Harris had claimed the nights would allow black theatregoers 'to feel safe with a lot of other black people in a place where they often do not feel safe'. Playwright Jeremy O Harris wrote Slave Play, which is coming to the West End in the summer Slave Play is coming to the Noel Coward theatre in London's West End from 29 June to 21 September On Thursday, Prime Minister's official spokesman said Rishi Sunak believed the arts should be 'inclusive and open to everyone'. 'The Prime Minister is a big supporter of the arts and he believes that the arts should be inclusive and open to everyone, particularly where those arts venues are in receipt of public funding,' they said. 'Obviously, these reports are concerning and further information is being sought. 'But clearly, restricting audiences on the basis of race would be wrong and divisive.' Asked if that was an implied threat about withdrawing taxpayer support, the spokesman said: 'No, it is a statement of principle that clearly the arts should be inclusive. 'And I think that taxpayers would particularly expect that to be the case when public funding is involved.' Previously, the Government blocked the approval of Northern Irish rappers Kneecap for a music grant. Slave Play, written by American actor and playwright Jeremy O Harris, also has Banana star Fisayo Akinade and Denzel Washington's daughter Olivia Washington in the ensemble. In a statement the producers of the show said the 'intent is to celebrate the play with the widest possible audience'. 'We want to increase accessibility to theatre for everyone,' they said. 'The Broadway production conceived Black Out nights and we are carefully considering how to incorporate this endeavour as part of two performances in our 13-week run. Slave Play stars Kit Harington who is best known for his role as Jon Snow in the HBO series Game of Thrones A spokesperson for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the reports of 'black-only' nights are reports are 'concerning' On the evenings of 17 July and 17 September, the theatre will be open to an 'all-Black identifying audience' 'We will release further details soon. To be absolutely clear, no one will be prevented or precluded from attending any performance of Slave Play.' Defending the staging, Emily In Paris star Harris wrote on X, formerly Twitter: 'I don't have to imagine the roles were reversed in my grandparents' lifetimes AND WORSE. 'I'm not even saying BLACKS ONLY I'm saying I'm inviting black ppl first! They can bring their white friends or lovers if they want. There's no colour bar. But one existed in the UK recently!' Speaking to BBC Sounds on Tuesday, Harris claimed it was a 'necessity to radically invite them in with initiatives that say 'you're invited'. Specifically you.' What happens in Slave Play? The play follows three interracial couples who have put themselves forward for a new form of therapy, Antebellum Sexual Performance Therapy, because the black partners no longer feel sexual pleasure with their white partners. As part of a sexual experiment, the couples roleplay white-black, master-slave relationships in order to understand how their own racial identities and history play into their sexual relationship. The show when it appeared on Broadway The sexual therapy sessions take part at the MacGranger Plantation in Virginia, where slaves once worked the land, with the characters appearing in nineteenth-century costumes. They then move to a modern-day therapy sessions where tensions mount as the couples discuss how the history of slavery and racism affect interracial relationships in today's America. Advertisement He said: 'One of the things we have to remember is that people have to be radically invited into a space to know that they belong there and in most places in the west, poor people and black people have been told that they do not belong inside the theatre. 'For me, as someone who wants and yearns for black and brown people to be in the theatre, who comes from a working class environment, who wants people who do not make six figures to feel like theatre is a place for them, it is a necessity to radically invite them in with initiatives that say 'you're invited'. Specifically you.' Asked if it didn't make him uncomfortable that in turn it was telling white people they weren't allowed in the space, he responded: 'There are a litany of places in our country that are generally only inhabited by white people, and nobody is questioning that, and nobody is saying that by inviting black audiences here you are uninvited. 'The idea of a Black Out night is to say this is a night that we are specifically inviting black people to fill up the space, to feel safe with a lot of other black people in a place where they often do not feel safe.' Asked if the theatre felt different that way, he said: '100 per cent. Let's not act that we do not know that culturally white audiences and black audiences respond to things differently.' He spoke of a history in black American audiences where a 'call and response' was common, for example, agreeing that it can be a 'noisier experience.' 'White audiences in the west have decided to stay quiet and respond with politeness to anything they see in front of them,' he said, though he said it wasn't always that way in the past. Previously staged on Broadway, the play was nominated for 12 Tony Awards and tells a story of 'race, identity and sexuality' at the MacGregor Plantation in the southern US during the early 21st century. In 2019, all 804 seats of Golden Theatre's staging were used by black-identifying theatregoers, according to the Black Out initiative. The production, playing from June 29 until September 21, will stage the two Black Out nights on July 17 and September 17. In addition, every Wednesday from June 26 at 10am there will be 30 tickets released for the performance priced at 1, while on the morning of each performance, there will be 10 seats priced at 20 each. No10 denied trying to bury bad news today after the Home Office slipped out 13 reports filed by the sacked borders and immigration watchdog on the same day as a host of major news stories. The majority of 15 outstanding documents submitted by David Neal were published at 4pm this afternoon - on the same day as an inquiry into the murder of Sarah Everard by policeman Wayne Couzens and a raft of asylum statistics. Mr Neal was sacked as the independent chief inspector of borders and immigration earlier this month after going public on the contents of some of the reports, after being frustrated at Government failure to release them. The Daily Mail reported data provided to the independent chief inspector showed the UK Border Force failed to check the occupants of hundreds of high-risk, private jets arriving at London City Airport. Mr Neal told the newspaper it was a 'scandal and incredibly dangerous', but ministers accused him of putting 'misleading information into the public domain', claiming a large proportion of flights initially categorised as high-risk should have been classed as low-risk. Among the 13 published at 4pm on Thursday, subjects include: Asylum accommodation, Afghan resettlement scheme, asylum casework, Border Force practices, illegal working enforcement operations, and e-passport gates. Asked this afternoon if the Government was burying bad news, a No 10 spokeswoman said: 'We wanted to publish them as swiftly as possible following the necessary and appropriate due diligence.' But Home Affairs Committee chairwoman Dame Diana Johnson said: 'This is wholly inadequate and raises serious questions about what the Home Office has been doing all this time. The majority of 15 outstanding documents submitted by David Neal were published at 4pm this afternoon - on the same day as an inquiry into the murder of Sarah Everard by policeman Wayne Couzens and a raft of asylum statistics. Mr Neal was sacked as the independent chief inspector of borders and immigration earlier this month after going public on the contents of some of the reports, after being frustrated at Government failure to release them. 'Have these reports been in a fit state to publish all along but the Home Office has just been sitting on them? Are there any processes in place designed to ensure productive outcomes based on the reports' conclusions and recommendations? What exactly is the strategy here?' Two further reports - on airport security and visas - are due to be published at a later date. Mr Neal was sacked as the independent chief inspector of borders and immigration earlier this month after the Home Office said he had lost the confidence of Home Secretary James Cleverly. Earlier this week, Mr Neal told the Commons Home Affairs Committee he was sacked in a Microsoft Teams meeting held online. 'I've been sacked for doing my job,' he said. 'I think I've been sacked for doing what the law asks of me and I've breached, I've fallen down over a clause in my employment contract, which I think is a crying shame.' His tenure as the independent borders watchdog was due to end on March 21 and he claimed Number 10 had blocked his reappointment before he was ultimately fired. He told the committee: 'I now know that the Home Office, so the ministers, supported my reappointment, my extension, my reappointment. And the Home Secretary supported my reappointment. 'That reappointment process was sent to the Cabinet Office and that was sent on to No 10 and it was turned down by No 10. 'I've no idea why it was turned down by No 10.' During his tenure, Mr Neal had repeatedly raised concerns the Home Office was too slow to publish his reports and questioned why his three-year contract was not renewed for a second term, as was customary with his predecessors. An inspection by Mr Neal of the Home Office's Afghan resettlement schemes, which were launched in the wake of the Taliban takeover in 2021, has branded engagement with people who applied as 'poor' as well as criticising accuracy of data. The report made nine recommendations and was sent to the then-home secretary Suella Braverman on June 9 2023. It said the Home Office did not, at the point of the report being written, have 'an effective data collection strategy' for use in an emergency evacuation. Eighteen months after Operation Pitting, the name given to the evacuation of thousands of people from Afghanistan in the summer of 2021, the report said the department 'does not have a single accurate dataset and, on occasions, has resorted to contacting arrivals by phone to establish their immigration status'. Inspectors even found that the department had granted indefinite permission to stay to British citizens by mistake, it said. The report said: 'This is not good enough.' The Everard inquiry today revealed Wayne Couzens sexually assaulted a child, tried to kidnap a woman at knifepoint and was reported to police eight times for exposing himself in the years before he kidnapped, raped and murdered his last victim. The shocking report also revealed that the Met Police firearms officer was accused of raping two women but went undetected by at least three bungling police forces who failed to spot the repeated 'red flags'. Wayne Couzens will never be released from prison after he abducted, raped and murdered Sarah Everard in March 2021 The murder of Miss Everard, a marketing executive, prompted fury at the failure to protect women against male violence A series of women came forward to accuse Couzens of the sex attacks following his arrest for Miss Everard's murder in March 2021, it emerged today. Inquiry chair Lady Elish Angiolini found the killer 'could and should' have stopped from getting a job as an officer, and that without a radical overhaul of British policing, there is 'nothing to stop another Couzens operating in plain sight'. Kent Police bungled two investigations into incidents of indecent exposure by Couzens, the first in 2015 while he was still serving with the Civil Nuclear Constabulary. The Angiolini Inquiry revealed for the first time that the married father of two, now 51, allegedly carried out a 'very serious sexual assault of a child barely into her teens' while he was in his twenties. Couzens was accused of attempting to kidnap a woman at knifepoint in North London in 1995 while aged 23. He was also accused of raping to women, the report reveals. Today, Miss Everard's family said that they believe the 33-year-old marketing executive died because Couzens was a police officer, adding: 'She would never have got into a stranger's car.' Met commissioner Sir Mark Rowley called the report 'an urgent call to action for all of us in policing', while Home Secretary James Cleverly Home Secretary James Cleverly said Miss Everard was 'failed by the people who were meant to keep her safe'. The family of murdered Sarah Everard believed she died because her killer Wayne Couzens was a police officer - admitting 'she would never have got into a strangers car'. The heartbroken relatives of the 33-year-old marketing executive slammed police forces for overlooking the 'warning signs' that Couzens was a 'serial sex offender'. Today the killer cop's horrific history of sexual offending was revealed for the first time raising questions about how he was ever allowed to join the police. He was previously accused of kidnapping a woman at knifepoint in 1995, sexually assaulting a young girl and raping two women in attacks more than 10 years later. Repeated opportunities were missed to catch Couzens allowing him to remain as a cop despite being a serial sex offender. His well-known disturbing sexual behaviour led him to be nicknamed 'the Rapist' by other officers. An inquiry looking into how Couzens was allowed to carry out his crimes found he had a history of alleged sexual offending dating back nearly 20 years before he kidnapped, raped and murdered Miss Everard in Clapham, south London in 2021. In a statement released tonight, Miss Everard's mother Sue, father Jeremy and siblings Katie and James said they had found hope that the 'significant findings' announced in the inquiry could lead to changes to keep other women safe. 'We believe that Sarah died because he was a police officer - she would never have got into a stranger's car,' they said. The family of murdered Sarah Everard believed she died because her killer Wayne Couzens was a police officer admitting 'she would never have got into a strangers car' Miss Everard's mother Susan, father Jeremy, sister Katie and brtoher James pictured arriving at the Old Bailey in June 2021 Couzens was allowed to carry out his crimes found he had a history of alleged sexual offending dating back nearly 20 years before he kidnapped, raped and murdered Miss Everard in Clapham, south London in 2021 The statement added: 'As a family, the inquiry has helped us, not just because of its significant findings, but because its implementation made us feel that Sarah's life was valued and her memory honoured. 'Her death has not been dismissed as a tragic event to be acknowledged with sympathy and then forgotten - questions have been raised and actions taken to investigate how this tragedy happened. 'As a family, we have not had to fight for answers and, for this, we are very thankful. It is obvious that Wayne Couzens should never have been a police officer. 'Whilst holding a position of trust, in reality he was a serial sex offender. Warning signs were overlooked throughout his career and opportunities to confront him were missed.' The married father of two - who first joined Kent Police in 2006 - was reported to officers eight times for indecent exposure between 2008 and 2021 but continued in the service due to 'lethargic and inadequate' investigations, today's report found. Wayne Couzens will never be released from prison after he abducted, raped and murdered Sarah Everard in March 2021 The killer's previous record of sexual offences has been revealed by a new report out today CCTV caught Couzens flashing female staff at a McDonald's in Swanley, Kent Sarah Everard, pictured, was murdered by police officer Wayne Couzens in March 2021 Inquiry chair Lady Elish Angiolini identified at least five incidents which were not reported to police and warned there could be more victims. Both Kent and the Metropolitan Police were criticised for inadequate investigations into claims of indecent exposure against Couzens. He had a long history of alleged sexual offending before he kidnapped, raped and murdered Ms Everard in March 2021. His alleged offences include eight reports of indecent exposure handed to police. Couzens' horrific history of sexual offending revealed in report Couzens had a long history of alleged sexual offending before he kidnapped, raped and murdered Ms Everard in March 2021. This includes: Eight reports of indecent exposure that were handed to police; A 'very serious sexual assault' on a young girl while he was in his 20s; Attempting to kidnap a woman at knifepoint in North London in 1995; Raping a woman during a singles night in East London between late 2006 and early 2007; Raping another woman under a bridge in London in October 2019; Inappropriately touching a man in a Kent bar in the summer of 2019. Advertisement Today it also emerged for the first time Couzens, now 51, allegedly carried out a 'very serious sexual assault of a child barely into her teens' while he was in his twenties. Couzens was accused of attempting to kidnap a woman at knifepoint in North London in 1995 while aged 23. He was also accused of raping two women and indecently touching a man in a bar while wearing a blonde wig. He is also said to have raped a woman during a singles night in east London between late 2006 and early 2007 and also raped another woman under a bridge in the capital in October 2019. Lady Elish found the married father of two 'could and should' have stopped from getting a job as an officer, and that without a radical overhaul of British policing, there is 'nothing to stop another Couzens operating in plain sight'. The inquiry team found that there were instances where he showed extreme violent pornography to friends and police colleagues, in a move to test their boundaries, and sent unsolicited images of his genitals to women. There was a series of incidents where he was accused of flashing - three of which he was sentenced for last year, despite already having received a whole life jail term for Sarah Everard's murder. These were masturbating in front of a lone female cyclist in a Kent country lane in 2020, and twice exposing his genitals to staff at a fast food restaurant in February 2021 in the days before Sarah's murder. He drove his own car and used his own credit card at the outlet but no action was taken at the time, with investigating officer Pc Samantha Lee later sacked for failing to investigate properly. Another two similar incidents at the fast food restaurant were ordered to lie on file, and there were two incidents in 2008 and 2021 that were reported to the Met and Kent respectively at the time when Couzens allegedly exposed himself, but there was insufficient evidence to bring charges. In 2015, a member of the public reported having seen a man driving around in Kent with his genitalia exposed, giving the make, model, colour and registration number of the car. Couzens was identified as the keeper of the car but Kent Police closed the investigation with no further action and without even speaking to him. Lady Elish Angiolini said: 'This was a grave error and a very obvious red flag. 'By failing to properly investigate the allegation, Kent Police missed a valuable opportunity to disrupt or even prevent Couzens' future offending and to bring into question his position as an authorised firearms officer with the Civil Nuclear Constabulary.' Kent Police apologised today for what it admitted was a 'flawed' investigation. A further incident where Couzens was allegedly seen masturbating with intent to shock a passerby in 2004 was reported to the Met after Sarah's murder, but there was not enough evidence to bring a charge. Lady Elish said she was 'astonished' to learn that Couzens would have passed vetting for the Metropolitan Police even if the force had known about a previous accusation of indecent exposure. She called for indecent exposure to be taken more seriously and victims encouraged to report crimes. 'The inquiry was struck by the similarities in approach between the investigations in relation to the June 2015 allegation and the 2021 drive-through restaurant offences. 'Both seemed destined to fail from the start, involving poor recording and decision-making and lacking the positive steps that could potentially have led to the identification of the suspect and detection of the crime. 'Rather than embarking on a process of detailed, thorough and time-consuming evidence gathering, the officers displayed apathy and disinterest and found reasons not to pursue the cases.' Lady Elish has called for an immediate review of indecent exposure allegations against serving police officers. Miss Everard's family have said she would have never got into Couzens' car if he hadn't been a police officer Inquiry lead Lady Elish Angiolini said Couzens should have been stopped from being a cop Couzens exchanged a series of vile messages with his colleagues in the Met Police Couzens strangled Miss Everard with his police belt (circled) A belt which was recovered from Wayne Couzens' work locker in west London Inquiry chairwoman Lady Elish Angiolini said work would have to be done to ensure there isn't 'another Couzens hiding in plain sight' Setting out a raft of recommendations to 'make sure something like this can never happen again', Lady Elish said: 'Wayne Couzens should never have been a police officer. And, without a significant overhaul, there is nothing to stop another Couzens operating in plain sight. Now is the time for change.' 'Our desperate longing for Sarah pervades every part of our lives': Family's heartbreaking statement Sarah Everard's parents and siblings Sue, Jeremy, Katie and James, said in a statement: 'As a family, the inquiry has helped us, not just because of its significant findings, but because its implementation made us feel that Sarah's life was valued and her memory honoured. 'Her death has not been dismissed as a tragic event to be acknowledged with sympathy and then forgotten - questions have been raised and actions taken to investigate how this tragedy happened. As a family, we have not had to fight for answers and, for this, we are very thankful. 'It is obvious that Wayne Couzens should never have been a police officer. Whilst holding a position of trust, in reality he was a serial sex offender. Warning signs were overlooked throughout his career and opportunities to confront him were missed. 'We believe that Sarah died because he was a police officer, she would never have got into a stranger's car.' Their statement continued: 'It is almost three years now since Sarah died. We no longer wait for her call; we no longer expect to see her. 'We know she won't be there at family gatherings. But the desperate longing to have her with us remains and the loss of Sarah pervades every part of our lives.' Advertisement She urged 'all those in authority in every police force in the country' to read the report and 'take immediate action'. Among the measures, Lady Elish called for an urgent review of indecent exposure charges against serving officers and said reports of the crime need to be taken seriously. The inquiry chair continued: 'Although Wayne Couzens was not wholly a product of his working environments, those environments did nothing to discourage his misogynistic view of women and meant that providing he presented himself as professional his deviant behaviour outside of work could flourish. 'Police leaders need to radically transform their approach to police culture if future offenders like Couzens are to be denied opportunities to abuse police powers for sexual purpose.' She went on: 'Failures of investigations, failures of HR processes, and failures of vetting policy and practice are a depressingly familiar refrain in policing, Now is the time for change. 'Without a significant overhaul, there is nothing to stop another Wayne Couzens operating in plain sight.' The family added that they 'strongly support' the recommendations made by inquiry chairwoman Lady Elish Angiolini and trust they will be implemented. 'We cannot get Sarah back, but positive changes give hope for the future and will be of benefit to others,' the statement said. 'It is almost three years now since Sarah died. We no longer wait for her call, we no longer expect to see her. We know she won't be there at family gatherings. 'But the desperate longing to have her with us remains and the loss of Sarah pervades every part of our lives. 'The care and support of family, friends and the wider community have helped us to bear this and we would like to thank them.' Couzens - who will never be released from prison - used his status as a police officer to trick Miss Everard into thinking he could arrest her for breaking lockdown rules in place during the coronavirus pandemic. After the horrific killing, it emerged there had been concerns about Couzens's behaviour while he was a police officer, with reports he was nicknamed 'the rapist'. He joined Kent Police as a special constable in 2002, became an officer with the civil nuclear constabulary in 2011 and then moved to the Met in 2018. Couzens indecently exposed himself three times before the murder, including twice at a drive-through fast-food restaurant in Kent in the days prior to the killing. He was not caught despite driving his own car and using his own credit card at the time. Met police constable Samantha Lee was sacked and barred from being a police officer after it was found she had not properly investigated the incidents. Couzens was also later revealed to have been part of a WhatsApp group with fellow officers that shared disturbing racist, homophobic and misogynist remarks. Couzens was served a whole life order, and has more recently also been found guilty on three counts of indecent exposure which occurred prior to murdering Miss Everard A court artist sketch Couzens appearing via video link at Westminster Magistrates' Court in 2022 charged with two further flashing offences Police on the scene in Ashford, Kent where Miss Everard's body was found after being dumped by Couzens Police vans on the scene in Ashford, Kent where the body of Miss Everard was found after she was strangled with Couzens' police belt Home Secretary: Sarah was failed 'in more ways than one' The Home Secretary has said that Sarah Everard was 'failed in more ways than one' by the people who were meant to keep her safe, as he joined an outpouring of reaction to the Angiolini Inquiry. James Cleverly called her murder by Met Police officer Wayne Couzens an 'act of pure evil' that 'shocked the nation to its core'. Mr Cleverly was among several high-profile politicians and bodies who reacted to the findings of the inquiry on Thursday. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan also vowed to ensure 'lessons are learned' from the Angiolini Inquiry. Mr Khan, who is also the equivalent of the police and crime commissioner for the capital, said in a statement: 'The report by Dame Elish Angiolini shines a light on systematic failings in police investigations, vetting and the handling of misconduct allegations. We all need to closely examine and consider all the findings of the inquiry. 'I'm determined to ensure lessons are learned and acted upon quickly by the police as part of a process of major reform - not just in London, but across the country - to raise standards, strengthen vetting and, above all else, prevent anything like this from ever happening again.' He added that police regulations must be 'strengthened' to make it harder for those who have faced serious allegations about their behaviour to join any police force. Responding to the Angiolini report, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said it was an 'urgent call to action'. 'There is nothing we can say to the family of Sarah Everard and all those who loved her that will convey how very sorry we are' he said. 'Wayne Couzens' crimes were horrific. The fact that he abused his position as a Metropolitan Police officer to carry them out represents the most appalling betrayal of trust. 'It damages the relationship between the public and the police and exposes long-standing fundamental flaws in the way we decide who is fit to be a police officer and the way we pursue those who corrupt our integrity once they get in. The report published today is an urgent call to action for all of us in policing.' Kent Police also apologised for failing to properly investigate when Wayne Couzens was reported for indecent exposure in 2015. In a statement, the force said: 'Everyone at Kent Police is shocked, appalled and disgusted by the crimes Wayne Couzens committed against Sarah Everard and we share in the collective grief for her loss. 'Part I of the Angiolini Inquiry report has been made available to us today, and whilst we continue to carefully consider its contents we fully accept the recommendations made of Kent Police. 'We also accept our investigation into a 2015 incident of indecent exposure was flawed due to it being allocated to an officer who was not a trained investigator, and apologise for this failing.' Advertisement Ordered by then home secretary Priti Patel, the inquiry tasked with looking at how Couzens came to be a police officer and was able to carry out the murder has so far cost 2.9 million, according to figures to September last year. The first phase of the inquiry considered evidence covering a 20-year period, reviewing more than 100,000 pages of documents and carrying out 144 interviews, prompting 76 conclusions and making 16 recommendations for improvement. Lady Elish found that without major changes there is nothing in place to stop another monster like Couzens going undetected. She said: 'Failures of investigations, failures of recruitment processes, and failures of vetting policy and practice are a depressingly familiar refrain in policing. 'Now is the time for change and I have made 16 recommendations to bring about the necessary changes. 'Wayne Couzens should never have been a police officer. And, without a significant overhaul, there is nothing to stop another Wayne Couzens operating in plain sight.' There were also failures in vetting, with Couzens hiding the level of debt that he was in and exaggerating the amount of time he spent in the Territorial Army. Couzens failed vetting to become a regular officer in 2008, but was allowed to remain as a special with all the same powers as a regular constable and was permitted to work alone. When he joined the Civil Nuclear Constabulary, an outside force - Thames Valley Police - carried out vetting and found that he should not be recruited, in line with rules around officers with heavy personal debts, but this was ignored. In 2018, when he joined the Metropolitan Police, a search of the Police National Database, an intelligence database, found 'no trace'. In fact there were entries about an incident in 2013 when he was reported missing from home, and an allegation of indecent exposure from 2015. These were also missed when he applied to be a firearms officer the following year. The Met told the inquiry that it would still have recruited Couzens even if this information had been available, which the report said was 'of serious concern'. While he carefully controlled how he was seen by colleagues, Couzens spent his working life in environments dominated by men that did nothing to discourage his warped beliefs, the inquiry found. The report sets out failures in vetting and the investigation into allegations of indecent exposure that meant Couzens was able to work for three different police forces despite being a sexual predator. His history of unmanaged debt, alleged sexual offending and preference for violent extreme pornography went back nearly 20 years before he committed murder. 'The evidence seen by the inquiry has shown that failures in recruitment and vetting meant Couzens was able to continue a policing career which should have been denied to him,' Lady Elish said. 'Failures in investigations into allegations of indecent exposure meant opportunities to disrupt Couzens' offending and bring his policing career to a halt were missed. 'It is clear Couzens carefully managed the impression he gave people of himself. This included the way he manipulated information on application forms and his troubled finances. The murder of Miss Everard, a marketing executive, prompted fury at the failure to protect women against male violence CCTV footage of Miss Everard captured on the night she went missing PC Samantha Lee, 29, was found to have failed to make 'the correct investigative inquiries' over two incidents of indecent exposure by Couzens How 'Officer Naughty' Met PC was sacked after failing to properly investigate Couzens A policewoman who called herself 'Officer Naughty' was sacked for gross misconduct after lying about her investigation into Wayne Couzens over two incidents of flashing. PC Samantha Lee, 29, was found to have failed to make 'the correct investigative inquiries' over two incidents when Couzens exposed himself to female members of staff at a McDonald's restaurant in Swanley, Kent, on February 14 and 27, 2021. Lee attended the restaurant on March 3 and interviewed manager Sam Taylor, hours before Sarah Everard was kidnapped, raped and murdered by the serving Metropolitan Police firearms officer. Lee was also found to have been dishonest about her actions when later questioned about the interview, claiming that she believed that CCTV at the restaurant was deleted automatically so there would be no footage of Couzens or the offence. A simple computer check of the CCTV would have revealed Couzens was the registered owner of the black SEAT Exeo and given his home address. Lee told the misconduct hearing last year that she did not know she was in charge of the case and went on leave after the visit, assuming someone else would check it out further 'in a few days'. But she was found guilty of gross misconduct and sacked. Advertisement 'It also included the way he shared his callous views towards women with only a very small group of like-minded people on a social media group. 'This all enabled him to target vulnerable women while operating in plain sight as an apparently unremarkable officer. 'However, the fact remains that three separate police forces allowed him the privilege of being a police officer when they could and should have stopped him.' Speaking to journalists as the report was published, Lady Elish said work would have to be done to ensure there 'isn't enough Couzens operating in plain sight'. She remembered Miss Everard 'whose life was cut short by the most unimaginable cruelty', and paid tribute to her family saying: 'I have been profoundly affected by their grief, and their grace in suffering.' Lady Elish continued: 'Sarah's murder by an off-duty police officer shocked the nation. It triggered a surge of discourse about women's safety in public spaces and started a tidal wave of reporting on police misconduct, particularly where officers misused their powers to commit sexual offences. 'What is already clear is how much damage Couzens has done to the social contract on which policing is based and how significant improvements are required.' James Cleverly said Miss Everard was 'failed in more ways than one by the people who were meant to keep her safe'. The Home Secretary said: 'The act of pure evil committed against Sarah shocked the nation to its core. 'My heart goes out to Sarah's family and to all the brave victims who came forward to help inform this report and drive change. 'The man who committed these crimes is not a reflection on the majority of dedicated police officers working day in, day out to help people. Police search for Sarah Everard behind a poster of her after she went missing in 2021 Police diver recovers a mobile phone belonging to Sarah Everard from a canal in Sandwich, Kent Home Secretary James Cleverly made a statement today in the Commons about the report How Sarah's terror unfolded: A timeline of the day Couzens killed the 33-year-old and tried to get away with his sick crimes February 28 Couzens books a white Vauxhall Astra from a car hire firm in Dover, Kent, using his personal details and bank card. He also purchases a roll of self-adhesive film advertised as a carpet protector on Amazon. March 2 7pm - Couzens starts a 12-hour shift at his base in West Brompton, west London. March 3 On the day of her disappearance, Sarah Everard visits a friend in the Clapham Junction area and uses her bank card to buy a bottle of wine in Sainsbury's in Brixton Hill, south London, on her way. 4.45pm - Couzens collects the hire car. 9pm - Miss Everard leaves to walk home, some 2.5 miles away. 9.13pm - She calls her boyfriend for a little over 14 minutes. 9.15pm - Miss Everard is captured alone on CCTV at the junction of Bowood Road and the South Circular. 9.28pm - The next sighting is on Cavendish Road and she is still alone. 9.32pm - Miss Everard is caught on the camera on a marked police car. 9.35pm - A bus camera captures two figures on Poynders Road standing beside a white Vauxhall Astra parked on the pavement with hazard lights flashing. 9.38pm - Another bus camera captures the same vehicle with the two front car doors open. March 4 1am - Having travelled out of London, the car is in the Tilmanstone area of Kent. 8.30am - Couzens returns the hire car used in the abduction. 8.10pm - Miss Everard is reported missing by her boyfriend, Josh Lowth. March 5 The case is escalated and the Specialist Crime Unit becomes involved. Couzens, who is due to be off until March 8, reports to work that he is suffering with stress. 2pm - He buys two green rubble bags for 9.94 at B&Q in Dover. March 6 Couzens emails his supervisor that he no longer wants to carry a firearm. He orders a tarpaulin and a bungee cargo net on Amazon which are shipped to him the next day. March 8 The officer reports in sick on the day he is due to return to work. March 9 7.11pm - Couzens' phone is wiped of all data. 7.50pm - Couzens is arrested at his home in Deal, Kent. In a brief interview, he tells a story about being threatened by an Eastern European gang. March 10 At around 4.45pm, a body is discovered in a wooded area in Ashford, Kent, and later formally identified by dental records. It is around 100 metres from land bought by Couzens in 2019. March 11 Couzens answers 'no comment' in formal interviews. March 12 8.45pm: Couzens is charged with the kidnapping and murder of Miss Everard. Advertisement 'But Sarah was failed in more ways than one by the people who were meant to keep her safe, and it laid bare wider issues in policing and society that need to be urgently fixed. 'In the three years since, a root-and-stem clean-up of the policing workforce has been underway and we have made huge strides - as well as making tackling violence against women and girls a national policing priority to be treated on par with terrorism. 'But we will continue to do everything in our power to protect women and girls. I am grateful to Lady Elish for her meticulous investigation. Her insights will be invaluable as we move forward in supporting our police to build forces of the highest standards of integrity and regain the trust of the British public.' Met commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said: 'There is nothing we can say to the family of Sarah Everard and all those who loved her that will convey how very sorry we are. 'Wayne Couzens' crimes were horrific. The fact that he abused his position as a Metropolitan Police officer to carry them out represents the most appalling betrayal of trust. 'It damages the relationship between the public and the police and exposes long-standing fundamental flaws in the way we decide who is fit to be a police officer and the way we pursue those who corrupt our integrity once they get in. 'The report published today is an urgent call to action for all of us in policing. 'We must go further and faster to earn back the trust of all those whose confidence in policing has been shaken by events of recent years. 'Regardless of our significant progress over the past year, the scale of the change that is needed inevitably means it will take time and it is not yet complete. 'The majority of my Met colleagues share my determination to reform by both confronting the risk posed by predatory men in policing, and also, improving our protection of women and children across London.' Mayor of London Sadiq Khan vowed to ensure 'lessons are learned' from the Angiolini Inquiry. Mr Khan, who is also the equivalent of the police and crime commissioner for the capital, said in a statement: 'The report by Dame Elish Angiolini shines a light on systematic failings in police investigations, vetting and the handling of misconduct allegations. We all need to closely examine and consider all the findings of the inquiry. 'I'm determined to ensure lessons are learned and acted upon quickly by the police as part of a process of major reform - not just in London, but across the country - to raise standards, strengthen vetting and, above all else, prevent anything like this from ever happening again.' He added that police regulations must be 'strengthened' to make it harder for those who have faced serious allegations about their behaviour to join any police force. 'And police disciplinary processes must be reformed to make it easier and quicker to remove officers who fall below the high standards rightly expected of those who are entrusted to keep us safe,' he said. 'As I have been saying for some time, the public deserve better from the Met and police forces across the country. There must be no hiding place for those who abuse their position of trust and authority within the police.' The inquiry continues in two parts, looking at the crimes of David Carrick and looking at wider problems within the police in the wake of both cases. The Metropolitan Police said last September that more than 1,000 officers were currently suspended or on restricted duties while under investigation for corruption and other forms of misconduct, including sexual offences, domestic abuse or racial harassment. The Met came under further criticism when a March 2021 vigil involving hundreds of women that aimed to highlight the broader violence against women and girls was dispersed over allegations it breached coronavirus lockdown restrictions on mass gatherings in effect at the time. A Ukrainian family who had fled to the UK after Putin's invasion have moved back to the war-torn country because they struggled to find an NHS orthodontic dentist to fit braces. Nataliia Zavalniuk, 39, and daughter Viktoriia, 14, were given refuge by a host in Bosham, West Sussex, after Putin unleashed scenes of horror when he ordered his armies to invade Ukraine two years ago in the brutal invasion. The family returned to Vinnytsia, in central Ukraine, on April 16 2023, exactly a year since they arrived to the UK, where Viktoriia promptly received the dental care she needed, and had her braced fitted 'within a few days'. In a shocking revelation, the Economist Impact's Health Inclusivity Index found that 67 per cent of Ukrainians were able to see a dentist within 24 hours in the nation that has been ravaged by war, compared with just 23 per cent of people in the UK. This comes as Brits have been forced to queue from 4am to gain a spot at dentistry practices that have opened up their list to NHS patients in scenes described as being 'reminiscent of Soviet-era Eastern Europe'. Viktoriia, 14, returned to Ukraine with her mother, where she promptly received the dental care she needed and had her braced fitted 'within a few days' Some have even resorted to DIY dentistry, using pliers to remove rotting or painful teeth at home. Ms Zavalniuk, a supply manager, told The Times that her experience of living in the UK was 'very poor' after struggling to get an NHS dentist appointment, with the alternative of private treatment being too expensive. In a damning testimony to the tattered state of the NHS, Ms Zavalniuk said that despite the war, it was 'very easy' to get access to dental treatment in Ukraine. Getting braces fitted in Ukraine costs around 300, while each appointment will cost the equivalent of 10, according to Ms Zavalniuk. She said that they were 'lucky' that Viktoriia's dental needs were not more urgent. Speaking to The Times, Dr Louise Baverstock, who took the family into her home in Bosham, said she hosted the desperate Ukrainian refugees because she was 'so proud of being British'. She added: 'After six months they moved into a flat and literally everything was perfect but they couldn't get dentist. The GP said that Viktoriia 'clearly needed' orthodontic treatment but was not optimistic about the the teenager's access to dental care in the UK, due to the In a damning testimony to the tattered state of the NHS, Ms Zavalniuk said that despite the war, it was 'very easy' to get access to dental treatment in Ukraine Dr Baverstock said that other contributing factors to their return included being homesick as well as Viktoriia needing orthodontic treatment. She added: 'They literally went back to Ukraine, a country of war, to get dentist treatment'. The GP, who is regularly faced with 'vulnerable' patients in need of urgent care at her pratice but unable to access it, blamed austerity measures for the woeful state of the NHS. Eddie Crouch, chair of the British Dental Association, told The Times: 'It speaks volumes that refugees are heading back to the front line for care that has effectively ceased to exist for millions across this country. The government's cack-handed policies have failed Ukrainian guests and natives alike.' Earlier this month, police broke up a snaking queue that formed outside a newly-opened NHS dental practice in Bristol. Officers implemented a cutoff point part-way through the queue, telling those behind they would need to return and try their luck again another day. Shawn Charlwood, chair of the British Dental Association's (BDA) General Dental Practice Committee, told the BBC's Today Programme: 'I've got great sympathies for people in the [Bristol] queue. 'I never thought I'd see the police having to break up crowds of people trying to access dental care. 'But we've seen UK patients heading to Ukraine to access dental care, we've seen people taking matters into their own hands with pliers and DIY dentistry. 'But what we've got is a Health Secretary she likes to say she's making the NHS faster, simpler and fairer. But there is a real risk that not a word of this will apply to dentistry.' A Labour ad, headlined 'Dentistry Isn't Working', shows snaking queues of would-be patients pictured waiting to register with a newly-opened NHS dental practice in Bristol Saatchi & Saatchi designed the famous poster for the Tory Party ahead of the 1979 general election, which saw Margaret Thatcher run against Labour prime minister James Callaghan Addressing the Commons three weeks ago, shadow health secretary Wes Streeting said there had been reports of 'Ukrainian refugees booking dentist appointments back home and returning for treatment because it is easier to fly to a war-torn country than it is to see an NHS dentist in England'. NHS dentistry has been in crisis for years, with leaders claiming the sector has been chronically underfunded, making it financially unviable to carry out treatments. Earlier this month, the government announced its long-awaited NHS dental recovery plan, but it was met with criticism from by health experts and MPs who warned it won't work. Under Rishi Sunaks bold blueprint to fix the appointments crisis plaguing millions, dentists are to be offered cash incentives and 'golden hellos' to take on new patients and work in 'under-served' communities with a lack of NHS dental services Exacerbating the problem is that, as more dentists leave the NHS, those that remain become swamped by more and more patients. Hundreds of people were pictured queuing up outside a newly-opened NHS dental practice in Bristol Local media compared the snaking queue as being 'reminiscent of Soviet-era Eastern Europe' The line was closed at around 2.15pm, about six hours after it opened and hundreds of prospective patients lined up An official survey recently revealed a quarter of adults have delayed dental care or treatment because of the cost. One in three also said the cost of dentistry has affected the type of care or treatment they go on to have, while a quarter fail to brush their teeth at least twice a day. A damning report by the Nuffield Trust warned that NHS dentistry has 'gone for good' and must be rationed for those most in need. Even children are struggling to the dental care they need. Only a limited number of people are entitled to free NHS dental care. These include children, pregnant women and new mothers, and people on low incomes. Even those who pay for NHS dentistry face substantially cheaper fees for treatment and care because it is subsidised by the Government. A spokesperson from the Department of Health and Social Care said: 'We want every adult and child in England who needs an NHS dentist to get one regardless of where they live and through our new Dental Recovery Plan which will create an additional 2.5 million dental appointments we are taking steps to improve access and incentivise practices to deliver more NHS dental care. 'We invest 3 billion each year to deliver NHS dentistry and access is improving last year 1.7 million more adults and some 800,000 more children saw an NHS dentist and we have also announced plans to increase dental training places by 40%.' George Galloway's allies are claiming he will 'comfortably' win the Rochdale by-election after one of the most divisive and controversial contests in recent history. Local voters have been choosing a new MP to replace the late Sir Tony Lloyd following the death of the veteran Labour politician at the age of 73 last month. The contest to replace Sir Tony has been marred by raging tensions over Gaza, with claims of death threats, candidates wearing stab vests, and vandalism. Mr Galloway, the ex-Labour MP and Celebrity Big Brother contestant who fought a hardline pro-Palestinian campaign, is the bookies' favourite to win. Labour's bid to retain the seat imploded when they had to ditch support for local councillor Azhar Ali as their official candidate following an anti-Semitism storm. After local voters attended polling stations between 7am and 10pm on Thursday, vote-counting is now underway with a result expected around 3am on Friday. There was a turnout of 39.7 per cent of voters in Rochdale, which was slightly higher than recent by-elections in Wellingborough and Kingswood. George Galloway, the ex-Labour MP and Celebrity Big Brother contestant, pictured voting in Rochdale on Thursday Votes for Mr Galloway, whose allies say he will win the by-election 'comfortably', are seen on a table at a polling station Votes are taken out of a ballot box for counting during the Rochdale by-election, which has been one of the most divisive and controversial by-election contests in recent history Votes are verified ahead of the start of the vote counting. Polling stations were open between 7am and 10pm on Thursday, with a result expected around 3am on Friday Simon Danczuk, the Reform UK candidate, is pictured at the Rochdale count with his wife Claudine and party leader Richard Tice (left) Mr Danczuk another ex-Labour MP looking for a way back into Parliament having previously been Rochdale's MP between 2010 and 2017 Labour's bid to retain the seat imploded when they had to ditch support for local councillor Azhar Ali as their official candidate following an anti-Semitism storm Ahead of the result being declared, supporters of Mr Galloway predicted success for their candidate. Chris Williamson, a former Labour MP and now deputy leader of Mr Galloway's Workers Party of Britain, told Sky News: 'We believe that we've won comfortably today and it really will, I think, send shockwaves through the Palace of Westminster. 'But it will also, I think, give hope to tens of thousands, if not millions of people in the country who are looking for a genuine alternative, because our democracy has been stolen from us. 'The Labour Party and the Conservative Party are effectively often the same thing.' He added that a victory for Mr Galloway represented 'a total rejection of mainstream party politics'. James Giles, campaign manager for Mr Galloway, said: 'It is going better than our wildest hopes. George will win here by a fair margin.' A victory rally is planned by Galloway supporters at their campaign HQ, a Suzuki car dealership, in the town following the declaration. Independent candidate William Howarth said votes were piling up for Mr Galloway and another independent candidate, local businessman, David Tully. Simon Danczuk, the Reform UK candidate, is another ex-Labour MP looking for a way back into Parliament having previously been Rochdale's MP between 2010 and 2017. He quit Labour almost seven years ago amid a 'sexting' scandal, when he was alleged to have sent explicit messages to a teenager. Reform leader Richard Tice conceded that Mr Danczuk's bid in Rochdale had failed, telling Sky News: 'There's no question Mr Galloway has won this election by what looks like a considerable margin. Everyone else, frankly, is also rans.' Mr Tice bemoaned how 'menacing behaviour' had 'been a feature of this entire campaign' including 'outside polling stations' on Thursday. There had been thoughts that Mr Ali might go on to win the contest, after Labour discarded him too late to remove him from ballot paper. He told ITV News on Thursday: 'I'm still on the ballot paper, I've been campaigning for the last few weeks and I'm hoping for a positive result.' Asked whether he would take up his seat in the House of Commons if he won the by-election, Mr Ali replied: 'Absolutely.' Whatever the result it won't be a proud moment for Sir Keir, with Labour frontbenchers embarrassed they could not recommend any candidate in a normally safe seat. There had also been controversy around Green candidate Guy Otten, who had his party's support withdrawn over comments he made on Twitter. But, like Mr Ali, his name still appeared on ballot papers when locals went to polling stations on Thursday. Labour's campaign fell apart after a recording surfaced of Mr Ali suggesting Israel 'deliberately allowed' Hamas terror attacks on October 7 as a pretext to invade Gaza. Shadow cabinet members Lisa Nandy and Anneliese Dodds both campaigned for him before Labour eventually withdrew support amid growing criticism. The action against Mr Ali also followed the emergence of a fuller recording in which he was heard commenting on 'people in the media from certain Jewish quarters'. Mr Ali subsequently apologised 'to Jewish leaders for my inexcusable comments'. After he was ditched by Labour, local voters were urged to 'teach Keir Starmer a lesson' by continuing to support Mr Ali. Pro-Palestinian backers of Mr Ali were reported to be sharing anti-Starmer posters on WhatsApp in a bid to drum up votes. Alongside an image of Mr Ali, one read: 'Sacked by Starmer for speaking on Palestine. It's time to teach Starmer a lesson in Rochdale. Vote Azhar Ali.' Another depicted Sir Keir as a clown and dubbed the Labour leader as 'anti Palestine Starmer', in comparison to Mr Ali as 'a stong voice for Palestine'. Mr Galloway's campaign was also heavy on the Palestinian cause and Gaza, an issue close to the heart of many of Rochdale's Muslim population. His campaign believes 15,000 votes are enough to win most by-elections and Rochdale has a 30,000-strong Asian community. There have been incidents of his campaign posters being torn down. Vote counting starts after polls close in Rochdale in a contest to elect a new MP to replace the late Sir Tony Lloyd following his death at the age of 73 last month A police officer stands next to an entrance to a polling station during voting in the Rochdale by-election Mr Danczuk, who believes the poll is a two-horse race between him and Mr Galloway, says his campaign is based on disaffection with mainstream parties. He claims his rival Mr Galloway's campaign has been divisive and he would be the 'MP for Gaza', not Rochdale. Mr Danczuk reported being the subject of a death threat with police reportedly making an arrest. The Tories are not likely to enjoy much success in Rochdale, with the Greater Manchester constituency not having had a Conservative MP since the 1950s. Tory ex-Cabinet minister Robert Jenrick on Thursday hit out at how the Rochdale contest had become known as the 'Gaza by-election'. He criticised some candidates for being 'more interested in a conflict they have no influence over than improving the lives of local people', adding: 'Shameful.' Rochdale, which is one of the most deprived in England and voted 60 per cent in favour of Brexit, has also been the subject of Asian grooming gang scandals. A major report in January concluded that young girls were left 'at the mercy' of paedophiles due to failings by senior police and council bosses. Billy Howarth, a local man, is involved in the group Parents Against Grooming UK and stood at the by-election as an independent. Mr Howarth said he had taken to wearing a stab-vest while campaigning, such are tensions in the town. The White House is catching flak for using a new politically correct term for illegal migrants coming across the southern border: Newcomers. The new term was unveiled in a little noticed 'fact sheet' on the White House website uploaded ahead of President Biden's trip to the border in Brownsville, Texas, Thursday. A $118 billion Senate border and foreign aid deal - including $20 billion on border security measures - spectacularly fell apart earlier this month to the ire of the Biden administration. The fact sheet states that the bill would provide $1.4 billion in assistance to 'cities and states who are providing critical services to newcomers, and would expedite work permits for people who are in the country and qualify.' Eagle-eyed lawmakers immediately started slamming the White House for using the 'misleading' term 'newcomers' for migrants. The White House is using 'such dishonest and misleading language' to trick Americas, House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green, R-Tenn., exclusively told DailyMail.com. Americans 'universally oppose providing billions of dollars in taxpayer-funded benefits to illegal aliens,' the chairman explained. Migrants arrive at a makeshift camp to await the possibility of being processed by the Border Patrol Migrants eat and rest in a makeshift camp as they await the possibility of being processed by the Border Patrol President Biden is heading to the border in Brownsville, Texas, Thursday 'Illegal aliens' is the legal term to describe individuals who do not immigrate through legal and official channels into the U.S. Green said that illegal migrants will 'demand resources at the expense of Americans' as long as they remain in the U.S. The chairman, who 'vehemently' opposed the Senate's proposed border deal, said that it would only put billions of dollars in the hands of NGOs 'facilitating' the border crisis. 'I'm sure those who have recently arrived in our country through the legal immigration process will be surprised to learn 'newcomers' for President Biden and Secretary Mayorkas now include those who jumped the line to get in,' he added to DailyMail.com. The House Republican account on X slammed the White House's use of the politically correct term. 'Joe Biden is not serious about stopping the illegal immigration into the United States. This is a catastrophe by design,' the account wrote on X. Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., stated that Joe Biden 'welcomes newcomers.' 'For those not familiar, newcomers = illegal aliens on U.S. soil through breaking our laws. Many committing violent crimes, facilitating human and fentanyl trafficking and costing American taxpayers nearly $500 Billion.' Jim Jordan, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, told DailyMail.com that the term 'makes no sense to me.' My guess is the family of Laken Riley doesn't view them as guest and newcomers they would probably have a little different perspective, as would frankly, some of those police officers in New York who were assaulted a few weeks ago,' he said. A Venezuelan undocumented immigrant was arrested in the recent high-profile killing of Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student in Georgia. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, told DailyMail.com that the politically correct term enrages him. Oh, that pisses me off,' he said noting the death of Riley, who was just 22 years old. 'I have a 23 year old daughter, and this is well beyond the politics in it. Wherever you live in this country you don't feel safe. So would you call that illegal alien that killed Laken Riley a newcomer? I wouldn't. Id call them a criminal. 'Joe Biden is not serious,' said Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla. 'Hed rather waste people's money as opposed to changing his policy,' he told DailyMail.com. 'So until he decides to change policy doesn't mean a hill of beans what he calls people who come in or how much money he tries to spend that is not going to fix the issue. Federal data shows that over 7.3 million migrants have crossed into the country illegally since Biden took office in 2021. Joe Biden and Donald Trump are making dueling visits to the border on Thursday as illegal immigrant remains a top issue headed into the 2024 election. The president is meeting with U.S. Border Patrol agents, law enforcement, and local leaders, according to a White House official. Trump will visit Eagle Pass on Thursday, where he will blast Biden on the record high number of illegal crossings and discuss the killing of Riley. Green said that illegal migrants will 'demand resources at the expense of Americans' as long as they remain in the U.S. Federal data shows that over 7.3 million migrants have crossed into the country illegally since Biden took office in 2021. Donald Trump wrote in a DailyMail.com op-ed Thursday that Biden is 'chasing' him to the border today. He said Biden is 'no doubt desperate to shirk blame for the catastrophe he has caused.' 'But do not be deceived. The abolition of America's borders is Joe Biden's policy. The mass-migration of millions of illegal aliens into the United States is Joe Biden's plan. This is Joe Biden's invasion,' he continued. 'When I left office, we handed Biden the most secure border in U.S. history.' 'We ended catch and release. We built hundreds of miles of Border Wall. We implemented Remain in Mexico, Safe Third Country Agreements with Central American nations, an asylum ban, Title 42, and rapid removals.' Lawyers for former President Donald Trump have appealed an Illinois judge's ruling that would knock him off the state's primary ballot citing the Constitution's 'insurrection' clause. The move comes hours after Cook County Circuit Judge Tracie Porter ruled to disqualify Trump from the ballot following similar decisions by judges in Colorado and Maine. Trump's team appealed the case in Illinois' 1st District Appellate Court, after his campaign spokesman Steven Cheung blasted the 'unconstitutional ruling' and vowed to quickly appeal. The judge had put her Wednesday ruling on hold in anticipation of an appeal. The Illinois primary is set for March 19. It was just the latest legal wrangling in the highly litigious 2024 cycle, and came hours after the U.S. Supreme Court said it would hear arguments in April on Trump's claim of absolute immunity for actions taken while in office. The high court earlier this month heard oral arguments in the Colorado case. An Illinois state judge has kicked former President Donald Trump off the Illinois' Republican presidential primary ballot due to his alleged role in the January 6 Capitol riots. Trump's lawyers hav v Porter ruled in favor of Illinois voters who argued Trump should be disqualified from the state's mid-March primary ballot, as well as the November 5 general election ballot. Voters brought their case over Trump's behavior on January 6, 2021, when he allegedly violated the anti-insurrection clause of the 14th Amendment. The amendment's clause 3 states that no person shall hold 'any office' under the U.S. who 'shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.' Porter delayed her ruling from taking effect in light of an unexpected appeal brought by the former president's legal team. Illinois is presently one of a small handful of states attempting to disqualify the likely Republican nominee for president from both the primary and general election ballots. The legal arguments to ban him from the ballot largely revolve around a novel application of the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution that depends significantly upon whether or not the January 6 riots can be defined as an insurrection. Voters brought their case over Trump's behavior on January 6, 2021, when he allegedly violated the anti-insurrection clause of the 14th Amendment The legal arguments to ban him from the ballot largely revolve around a novel application of the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution that depends significantly upon whether or not the January 6 riots can be defined as an insurrection The US Supreme Court has taken up the question after a court in Colorado attempted to do the same thing - the judicial body is expected to make a decision on the matter soon. The court is widely expected to reject arguments that Trump should be barred from holding office. Porter's ruling relied heavily on the prior finding of the Colorado Supreme Court, whose decision the US Supreme Court will likely say is incorrect. The judge wrote in her ruling that she 'realizes the magnitude of this decision and its impact on the upcoming primary Illinois elections.' 'The Illinois State Board of Election shall remove Donald J. Trump from the ballot for the General Primary Election on March 19, 2024, or cause any votes cast for him to be suppressed.' Cook County Circuit Judge Tracie Porter ruled in favor of Illinois voters who argued Trump should be disqualified from the state's mid-March primary ballot, as well as the November 5 general election ballot Three states have now attempted to boot Trump from the ballot ahead of the primary and general elections Trump's legal team has been given a brief window to appeal Porter's decision Porter removed Trump from the ballot one month after the same challenge was dismissed by the Illinois State Board of Elections - a bipartisan body that unanimously voted to throw out the case because they claimed not to have jurisdiction over the matter. With the Wednesday decision, Illinois becomes the third state - after Colorado and Maine - to try to kick Trump off the ballot. The challenge was filed by a group of voters in league with Free Speech For People - a legal advocacy group that had tried and failed to have Trump removed from the ballot in Michigan, Minnesota, and Oregon. Both previous states' decisions were paused pending the appeal of the Colorado case to SCOTUS. Nicholas Nelson, one of Trump's lawyers said that January 6th can best be described as a 'political riot.' He said it was an angry mob much more so than an organized group with a series of specific legal aims In late January, Porter pushed Trump's legal team on the technical difference between a 'riot' and an 'insurrection.' She also questioned if Trump first had to be convicted of a crime before being barred from office. 'Is it important to understand why this mob of people came together and what they were actually trying to do?' the judge asked Trump's attorneys. Nicholas Nelson, one of Trump's lawyers said that January 6th can best be described as a 'political riot.' He said it was an angry mob much more so than an organized group with a series of specific legal aims. 'It was about one government act, and theres no indication that the rioters had any plan. They were just angry,' he said. Rescuers were winched down to reach the man, who was airlifted to a hospital California Highway Patrol chopper was dispatched after the Big Sur hotel worker's car rolled, throwing him through his sunroof Motorist was stranded at the bottom off the cliff below Highway 1 for two days A hotel worker has been rescued two days after his car plunged over a Californian cliff, rolling several times and throwing him through the sunroof after he swerved to avoid a deer. The California Highway Patrol sent a team to search a stretch of coastline from Big Sur to Monastery Beach Wednesday afternoon after the motorist went missing. The man, who has not been named, left the Post Ranch Inn in Big Sur at about 11:30 pm Sunday night and never arrived home. The CHP airplane was already in Monterey County for a separate call and responded to the area to search the cliffs below Highway 1. The California Highway Patrol rescued a Big Sur hotel worker who swerved to avoid a deer on the highway and toppled hundreds of feet down the side of a cliff Big Sur Fire Chief Matt Harris was winched down to reach the man The man jerked the wheel to avoid a deer on Highway 1, the car rolled 400 feet down the hillside The helicopter flew over Hurricane Point, a seaside cliff featuring a weaving roadway above pristine coastline. It is from there that the victim fell 400 feet after he jerked the wheel to avoid a deer, causing the car to roll down the cliff's edge before coming to a stop right above the beach. The man was ejected through the sunroof as the car toppled down the hillside, ending up buried in the greenery and secluded from view. As the CHP Airplane passed overhead 20 minutes after the initial request, the team spotted a man frantically waving a makeshift flag hundreds of feet below. A second aircraft was called, this time a helicopter. Big Sur Fire Chief Matt Harris was the first to reach the young man and assess his injuries. The man was flown back up to the highway for emergency treatment before being airlifted to a hospital in Salinas The vehicle came to a stop right above the coastline, ejecting the driver through the sunroof 'We used ropes. I was lowered down for the most part, but I had to blaze my own trail,' Harris told KTVU. The rescue was particularly tricky as there was no access to the crash site from the beach below. The man was hauled back up to the highway, where he was met with first responders and an ambulance. The helicopter picked him up again and airlifted him to Natividad Medical Center in Salinas for further care. Even though two days had passed, the man appeared to be stable and suffered moderate injuries, CHP reported. A healthcare assistant appeared in court today accused of raping a woman patient at an NHS hospital. Sidharth Nair denied raping the woman at Whiston Hospital in Prescot, Merseyside last month. The 28-year-old, of Everton, Liverpool, also denied three other sexual offences involving the same woman on the same date. At Liverpool Crown Court he told a judge: 'I didn't do it.' Nair pleaded not guilty to raping the woman, assaulting her by penetration and two sexual assaults. Sidharth Nair denied raping the woman at Whiston Hospital in Prescot, Merseyside last month Nair pleaded not guilty to raping the woman, assaulting her by penetration and two sexual assaults. Pictured: General view of different NHS hospital Judge Anil Murray fixed a date for his trial in July, estimated to last five days. He remanded Nair, who appeared via video link from prison, in custody. Nair was charged following reports that a woman was raped at Whiston Hospital on the evening of January 30, Merseyside Police previously said. At the time, Detective Chief Inspector Allison Woods said: 'We understand how shocking incidents of this nature are and I want the public to be reassured it will be thoroughly investigated. 'The woman is being supported by specially trained officers and our enquiries remain ongoing.' Now part of Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, there has been a hospital on the site since 1843. The current Whiston Hospital was officially opened by the Countess of Wessex in 2013 following a 300million private finance initiative rebuild. The trust which also operates St Helens Hospital - serves a population of over 600,000 with a combined workforce of around 9,000. According to its website it also provides regional services for burns, plastic surgery and spinal injuries, to more than four million people across Merseyside, West Lancashire, Cheshire, the Isle of Man and North Wales. Healthcare assistants perform a multitude of roles across the NHS helping clinical staff to care for patients and perform observations. Mitchell testified at a pretrial hearing of five men accused of helping to orchestrate September 11 The CIA slammed a Guantanamo Bay prisoner into a wall and waterboarded him 183 times in a month in a bid to get him to talk about future attacks they believed Al-Qaeda was plotting, a court heard. Psychologist Dr James Mitchell said he threw 9/11 suspect Khalid Shaikh Mohammed into a wall every time he discussed the terror attack instead of disclosing information about possible future strikes, the New York Times reports. The doctor's testimony on Monday came during a pretrial hearing of the five men accused of helping to orchestrate the September 11 attacks which killed nearly 3,000 people. Mitchell explained how he 'walled' a naked Mohammed and waterboarded him almost 200 times during March 2003 at a secret, overseas C.I.A. prison because he believed a nuclear attack on the US was looming which Mohammed had intel on. He told the hearing that he believed Mohammed was discussing 9/11 as a way of distracting from an impending attack. Psychologist James Mitchell was recruited by the CIA to design their post-9/11 interrogation program which included waterboarding, intense sleep deprivation, and 'stress positions' He described how he threw 9/11 suspect Khalid Shaikh Mohammed into a wall every time he discussed the terror attack instead of disclosing information about possible future strikes The psychologist believed that Mohammed was trying to deflect from disclosing information about future Al-Qaeda attacks His testimony fits with a prosecution argument that the CIA was seeking 'actionable intelligence' rather than confessions to secure future prosecutions when it violently interrogated the suspects at secret prisons known as black sites, from 2002 until they were transferred to Guantanamo in 2006. Mitchell was recruited by the CIA to design their post-9/11 interrogation program and was personally involved in the waterboarding of self-proclaimed September 11 mastermind Mohammed. He has been testifying at pretrial hearings since 2020, during which time he has also admitted to threatening to kill Mohammed and his son during interrogation. Mohammed is among the five men facing terrorism charges for the 2001 attack. His accused co-conspirators are Walid bin Attash, Ammar Baluchi, Ramzi bin Shibh and Mustafa Hawsawi. Four are being prosecuted together with the fifth deemed mentally incompetent to stand trial alongside them. Captured three weeks earlier in Pakistan, Mohammed was transferred first to Afghanistan and then to Poland where the harsh interrogation began within one hour of his March 7 arrival. The interrogation continued until March 26. Mohammed was deprived of sleep, waterboarded 183 times, slapped, shoved into a wall, placed in stress positions and exposed to continuous bright light and loud noise, all while he was nude. Mohammed is among the five men facing terrorism charges for the 2001 attack. Pictured: Former Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden Mustafa Hawsawi (left) and Ramzi bin Shibh (right) are also defendants Walid bin Attash (left) and Ammar Baluchi (right) are also defendants Mitchell claims that waterboarding, the harshest technique, was ineffective on Mohammed. 'He was a remarkable resister on that,' he commented previously. In 2007, the accused admitted his role in 9/11 to FBI agents who did not use violence or the threat of it while at Guantanamo Bay, according to prosecutors. A defense lawyer for Mohammed claims that anything he said while in custody is tainted by the harsh interrogation techniques used. This argument has now become the key focus of an effort to dismiss key evidence against the five men charged in the plot They are making the defense using a 2014 Senate investigation which found that that the interrogation program designed by Mitchell and his colleague Bruce Jessen was used on 39 detainees and produced no useful intelligence. They were paid up to $1,800 a day and received $81 million for their work, according to the Senate report. Mohammed's defense team also argued using a report from the CIA's Office of Medical Services which claimed that while well-intentioned, the interrogation program was amateurish and inconsistent. Mitchell's testimony aligns with a prosecution argument that the CIA was seeking 'actionable intelligence' rather than confessions. Pictured: Firefighter Gerard McGibbon prays after the World Trade Center buildings collapsed September 11, 2001 People flee from downtown Manhattan after planes crashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 in New York City A defense lawyer for Mohammed claims that anything he said while in custody is tainted by the harsh interrogation techniques used. Pictured: Flags at the National September 11 Memorial The report also criticized as 'inappropriate' that the interrogators using waterboarding techniques were responsible for judging its effectiveness. The report also criticized as 'inappropriate' that the interrogators using waterboarding techniques were responsible for judging its effectiveness. Defense lawyers for the five men called Mitchell and other CIA contractors, who observed and took part in interrogations at clandestine CIA facilities, as witnesses in an effort to disqualify statements they made after they were transferred to Guantanamo in September 2006. Mitchell claims that the methods used prevented future attacks and has shown no signs of remorse for the brutal techniques, which are now widely regarded as torture. It appears that the only reason he wished for the techniques to stop was because of a fear it would stop those being interrogated from co-operating. The methods used included waterboarding, intense sleep deprivation, confinement in a small box, prolonged shackling in 'stress positions' and being doused with cold water. 'Let me tell you just so you know... If it were today, I would do it again,' he told the pre-trial on Tuesday, January 21, where he came face-to-face with the five men for the first time since as they listened to his testimony. 'We were trying to save American lives. My sole focus was stopping the next attack,' he added, stating that the CIA was urgently trying to gather information as they feared 'another catastrophic attack'. President Joe Biden met with border agents along the banks of the Rio Grande on Thursday during his visit to the southern border as Donald Trump got his own tour 324 miles away. The president's trip panned by critics as a campaign 'photo op' began with his motorcade driving along the 20-foot fence separating the United States and Mexico. The 81-year-old then met with members of the Border Patrol, hours after the head of their union warned Biden to 'keep our name out of your mouth'. The 2024 rivals headed to Texas with recent polls showing immigration becoming the number one concern for most Americans. As the president, 81, was given a tour of the migrant crossing area, security was tight. A boat was in the water, trucks and ATVs surrounded the area, and a drone flew overhead. Nearby, cars flying Trump flags were parked where Biden could see them. At the airport, the president was greeted with protesters demanding a ceasefire in Gaza. Biden stood by the river, speaking to the agents, as Donald Trump, his presumed 2024 presidential rival, arrived at Eagle Pass for his own tour at the busy migrant passage area 324 miles away. President Biden gets a tour of the border from CBP agents at the Rio Grande River in Brownsville, Texas As the president, 81, was given a tour of the migrant crossing area, security was tight. A boat was in the water, trucks and ATVs surrounded the area, and a drone flew overhead Biden arrived in Texas about 30 minutes after Trump. Biden brought his Homeland Security secretary for his meeting with border agents and local officials. Trump has Texas' Republican Gov. Greg Abbott with him and the head of the Border Patrol Agents' union. The messages of their trips are entirely different. Biden will push for House Republicans to approve a bipartisan border security bill already passed by the Senate. Trump will decry Biden's border policies for letting in record numbers of migrants. 'It's good weather. Beautiful day but a very dangerous border. We're going to take care of it,' Trump told reporters upon his arrival. Donald Trump was 324 miles away in Eagle Pass, Texas Trump then met with Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who has been in a face-off with the Biden administration over dealing with the surge in migrants Trump met with Abbott and got briefed about efforts to shut down crossings in Eagle Pass The area is the sight of a clash between the Biden administration and Texas officials over authorities at the border Abbott has activated Guard units to install razor wire in an effort to keep out migrants Gov. Abbott, giving Trump his tour told the former president: 'This is a port of entry. There's no reason for these people to be crossing between a port of entry. Remember one thing, no one drowns on a bridge. They drowned trying to come across here because Joe Biden entices them if not forces them to come here.' The White House has defended the president, saying its House Republicans engaged in a 'political stunt.' While in Brownsville, Biden will 'meet with U.S. Border Patrol agents, law enforcement, frontline personnel, and local leaders to discuss the urgent need to pass the Senate bipartisan border security agreement,' a White House official said. Biden is considering executive orders that would move to shut down the border to new arrivals if more than an average of 5,000 migrants per day tried to cross unlawfully in the course of a week, or more than 8,500 tried to cross in a day. President Biden was given a tour of the border at the Rio Grande Donald Trump getting a tour of the border as Joe Biden gets his The leaders' locations are also a contrast in images. Trump is in Eagle Pass, which remains a migration hot spot while crossings in Brownsville have dropped dramatically. The main thrust of Biden's message will be about House Republicans's failure to pass a bipartisan border package already approved by the Senate. Conservatives argue the legislation is not strong enough to combat illegal immigration. The bill included over $20 billion for border security that would add new Customs and Border Patrol agents, add more asylum officers to increase that process time, and add more immigration judges. Democrats accuse the GOP of election year politics. Trump, who is Biden's likely rival in the 2024 presidential election, has come out against the legislation. The former president, while he is in Eagle Pass, will blast Biden on the record high number of illegal crossings and the murder of Laken Riley, a Georgia nursing student. An illegal immigrant was arrested and charged with the crime. His campaign has accused Biden of piggy-backing onto Trump's decision to visit the border, which the White House denies. Security it tight for Joe Biden's border visit President Joe Biden (R) greets Brownsville Mayor John Cowen upon arrival at Brownsville South Padre Island International Airport in Brownsville, Texas There was a lot of trash but no sign of migrants at Rio Grande in Brownsville, Texas Donald Trump will be in Eagle Pass, Texas, on the same day Biden is in Brownsville, Texas Texas National Guard talk to migrants making an illegal crossing in Eagle Pass, where there is still a lot of border traffic In Brownsville, border crossings have dropped dramatically in the past months, after Republican Gov. Greg Abbott had miles of the wire fencing installed as part of Operation Lone Star, which he signed into law in December. Internal CBP data for all border patrol stations in February - obtained by Fox News - shows that the Brownsville area had about 462 apprehensions, which averages out to about 17 per day. That makes Brownsville, Texas, the 29th busiest border patrol station for the month. The number one station was Three Points in Tucson, Arizona, sector, which has recorded more than 13,900 apprehensions in February. Brownsville could give Biden a platform to argue illegal crossings have dropped dramatically given it was the busiest corridor for illegal crossings for nine years. But Republicans have called it something else: a 'photo-op.' Speaker Mike Johnson accused Biden of going merely for the optics. 'Brownsville is the 29th ranked hotspot. Why would he go to the 29th? Because he doesn't really want to see the reality,' he said Thursday. At a House Republican leadership news conference, many of the leaders repeatedly accused Biden of a 'photo op.' 'President Biden goes down to the border today for a photo op,' Majority Leader Steve Scalise said. 'He has the authority today to fix this problem that he created.' The White House has said it's House Republicans who are turning the border into a 'political stunt.' White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre pushed back against GOP criticism of Biden's trip, noting it was House Republicans who refused to bring up a vote on a bipartisan border security bill after Trump came out against it. 'Oh, it's very different. What House Republicans have done is nothing, absolutely nothing. If anything, they consistently get in the way,' she said during her press briefing. 'They are turning this into a political stunt by listening to Donald Trump and saying that they need to kill it. This is what they've been doing and making it political where the President got his team now directed his team to work with senators, both Republicans and Democrats to get a bill done.' Members of the Texas National Guard on patrol at the border - crossings have gone down since Republican Gov. Greg Abbott installed fencing Last May, before the fencing was installed, lines of immigrants wait at Camp Monument to be processed into the country The border wall between Brownsville, Texas, and Mexico Brownsville has a predominantly Hispanic population, which, at 93.9%, is the third-highest proportion of Hispanic Americans of any city in the U.S. It's proximation to the border and heavy Hispanic community had made it a hot spot for illegal immigration. Also, with 200,000 people, it's one of the larger cities in the country and able to absorb the migrant influx. The city is also a Democratic stronghold. And it has a large bus station and airport for migrants to use to leave for other destinations. Biden and Trump's trips come as the immigration issue ratches to the forefront of the campaign. They also come a few days before the Super Tuesday primaries on March 5, when more than a dozen states hold Republican nominating contests. Both men have railed against each other on the border issue as they try to turn it into election year fodder. There have been record crossings of the border during Biden's administration, a fact Trump and Republicans have hammered him on. And, according to a Gallup poll, immigration is the most common issue mentioned by adult voters who disapprove of Bidens performance. The White House has been trying to turn the narrative on the issue, blaming Trump and House Republicans for refusing to support the bipartisan Senate bill. Conservatives argue that piece of legislation didn't go far enough. The bill included over $20 billion for border security that would add new Customs and Border Patrol agents, add more asylum officers to increase that process time, and add more immigration judges. The president also has been under pressure from Democrats, including governors, mayors and senators in border states, to do more on the issue. His first trip to the southern border was in January 2023, when Biden spent about four hours on the ground in El Paso, Texas. A sign has been erected at a Bay Area wildflower park begging visitors not to trample on the native plants to take selfies or geotag their location on social media. By mid-March each year, hundreds of thousands of colorful superblooms and orange poppies blossom in the Shell Ridge area, a prime location where many locals and keen photographers gather to take family photos, engagement pictures, and selfies. But a sign warning people to not share their location - to not encourage others to come and spoil the wildlife - was erected this week, according to online reports. It was placed at one of the entrances to Shell Ridge Open Space in Walnut Creek. The sign reads: 'Don't Location Tag on Social Media. Protect this place. Use generic tags like Bay Area.' It is an open-air park visited by many - especially when wildflower season blooms. Posts online show men, women and children kneeling down with their pets among the flowers, tagging and hashtagging 'Shell Ridge Open Space.' A sign has been erected at a Bay Area wildflower park begging visitors not to trample on the native plants to take selfies or geotag their location on social media Locals flock to the wildflowers each year to take pictures and post them on social media Influencers and keen wildlife photographers make their way to the site each year Retired landscaper and resident Phil Johnson previously told SFGate that by 'the end of the month, the wildflower park is like a jungle.' Johnson, who is also a team leader with the Walnut Creek Open Space Foundation, told the news outlet that he has no idea where the sign came from, but when he found it propped up against a fence near the entrance about a year ago, he moved it to its current location. He surmised that a disgruntled resident who may have been having a problem parking in their driveway because of the hordes of people driving into the parking lot put it there. The superbloom is an exciting event that usually occurs after a wet-weather year that follows several dry years. The last major superbloom in California was in 2019. This picture-worthy spectacle appears to be more in common in Southern California, due to its dry, granitic soil. Wildflower seeds accumulate and remain dormant in the soil, waiting for conditions to be just right until they can germinate. If enough of them survive, theyll flower all at once, blanketing fields and hillsides in vibrant displays of color. @wanderingcreator_meghana Video from Sunday 05/06/2023 Another Wildflower hikes in the Bay Area in Walnut Creek, California just outside San Francisco. The fossil hill trail in Shell Ridge's open space is filled with wildflowers and is in full bloom. This is a 4-mile loop or you can continue further to the top. Shell Ridge Open Space is an open space area and is made up of a series of parallel ridges and valleys. It is also called Diablo Foothills Regional Park it's just below Mount Diablo. There are plenty of hiking, biking, and horseback riding opportunities along ridge tops, creek ways, and hillsides. Many trailheads with free parking. The area is a part of the Fossil Hill Native Plant Restoration Project. As the poppies and other wildflowers grown here are native to this region, they are restored and planted for the last 10 years by volunteers. So please be mindful and stay on the trails, don't harm or pluck the flowers. No shade, wear a hat. Drinking water is available at the Water filling station at the trailhead. Fossil Hill Trail, Shell Ridge Open Space, Walnut Creek Limited free parking High shine pants @shopdyi Super bloom in California, Superbloom 2023, California wildflowers, Bay Area, Bay Area Superbloom, Poppies, Super Bloom Mount Diablo, Mount Diablo State Park, Fossil Hill trail, Shell Ridge open space, Super Bloom near San Francisco #poppies #superbloom #superbloom2023 #bayarea#sanfrancisco#sfbayarea#walnutcreek#mountdiablo#mountdiablostatepark#shellriegeopenspace#fossilhilltrail#sanfrancisco#sfbayarea#sfhikes#hikecalifornia #bayareasuperbloom #visitcalifornia #travelcalifornia #california #californiadreaming #californialove #californiablogger #explorecalifornia #naturalcalifornia #naturelovers #poppy #superbloom#northerncalifornia original sound - Meghana The superbloom is an exciting event that usually occurs after a wet-weather year that follows several dry years. The last major superbloom in California was in 2019 It is an open-air park visited by many - especially when wildflower season blooms. Posts online show men, women, kids, and their dogs kneeling down among the flowers, tagging and hashtagging 'Shell Ridge Open Space' Retired landscaper and resident Phil Johnson previously told SFGate that by 'the end of the month, the wildflower park is like a jungle' Families often take advantage of the beautiful flowers each year - but locals have begged them to stop posting their location as to not encourage others to flock This picture-worthy spectacle appears to be more in common in Southern California, due to its dry, granitic soil Johnson said: 'There were thousands of people coming here, at least hundreds showing up every day on the weekends. 'We get a lot of people out here looking for a superbloom, and we dont have one here.' But, many of the visitors posing in front of the colorful flowers have caused quite an uproar, specifically on the social platform, Reddit. One person wrote: 'Instagram and its consequences have been a disaster for the human race.' Another commentator wrote: 'If people don't understand this from the picture. The sign is in-front of a protected off trail wildflower bloom spot that has had issues over the past few years of folks trampling through to do full on photoshoots. 'There are also signs there saying its protected and do not go off trail.' They added: 'The purpose is to stop stupid influencers from destroying the ecosystem there not to hide it from folks trying to enjoy it.' Yoseline Angel, postdoctoral researcher at Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, told SFGATE last April commented about the superblooms across certain areas in Central and Southern California. 'We are seeing a crazy amount of flowers, but not necessarily all over California,' 'There are certain, specific places where you'll be able to see these superblooms,' she said. 'Those include the Antelope Valley California Poppy State Natural Reserve outside of Lancaster, Carrizo Plain National Monument west of Bakersfield and Walker Canyon at Lake Elsinore. The Democrat mayor of Athens, Georgia has brushed off backlash over the murder of Laken Riley, arguing that the 'responsibility for this crime rests solely on the perpetrator.' Protestors took aim at Mayor Kelly Girtz after it was revealed the suspect in the student's slaying was an undocumented Venezuelan immigrant, with some shouting that he has 'blood on (his) hands.' Girtz attempted to counter the outrage as he warned 'against conflating immigration and crime', and argued that Athens does not technically fall under the category of 'sanctuary city.' A sanctuary city limits or rejects cooperation with the federal government in shielding illegal immigrants, which is against state law. However, the sheriff where Riley was murdered previously campaigned on not cooperating with ICE, an issue sparking further backlash this week following the grisly killing. Protests against Athens officials come as an attorney for the suspect in Riley's slaying, Jose Ibarra, informed the courts that he is not seeking any bail hearing. This means that he will remain behind bars until his day in court, with Athens authorities previously saying they would not keep illegal immigrants detained in custody if they are found to have no criminal history. Athens mayor Kelly Girtz (pictured) faced protestors at a press conference this week, where he urged constituents not to 'conflate immigration and crime' Demonstrators slammed local leaders in the wake of the death of Laken Riley, a 22-year-old murdered by an illegal immigrant Riley had been out jogging on the University of Georgia campus when she was attacked on Thursday Jose Ibarra, 26, is accused of using a mystery object as a weapon to kill the 22-year-old Augusta University student Georgia state law has banned cities from adopting 'sanctuary city' status for almost 15 years, and local governments are mandated to follow federal immigration policies in order to receive state funding, per the AJC. However, some, including Athens, have limited their cooperation with ICE, fueling backlash to Girtz as he held a press conference this week. Furious demonstrators were seen holding signs branding the influx of migrants across the southern border an 'invasion', and calling for Girtz to 'stop lying.' A man in the crowd yelled to the mayor: 'You're the one who is guilty and got blood on your hands for this murder, sir!' 'Resign!' others shouted. In his response, the embattled mayor urged residents to blame the crime 'solely on the perpetrator' - before defending the laws he has in place. 'No policies have been adopted by the mayors commission that have created sanctuary city status in Athens,' he said. Girtz added that his office is required to certify with the Georgia Department of Audits to follow state law avoiding 'sanctuary city' status. Murdered nursing student Laken Riley suffered a disfigured skull after being beaten to death by undocumented Venezuelan immigrant Police say the migrant dragged her body to a secluded area in the UGA campus to conceal the death At Girtz' press conference this week, demonstrators were seen holding signs branding the influx of migrants across the southern border an 'invasion', and calling for Girtz to 'stop lying' Backlash against the official comes as Athens- Clark County Sheriff John Williams has come under similar scrutiny after a 2020 interview resurfaced on his approach to immigration. Williams, who was then running for sheriff, said, 'It is not my intention, when elected sheriff to cooperate with those detainers,' referring to the detainers placed by ICE on illegal migrants who have been arrested on criminal charges. 'I see it as the sheriff's responsibility to protect the community,' he said in the interview. 'We can't help with a culture of fear in our community and expect our community to respond and help us in situations.' Residents of Athens-Clarke County are now pointing their wrath at Williams in the aftermath of the murder of Riley. The 22-year-old nursing student suffered a disfigured skull after she was allegedly beaten to death by Ibarra. Ibarra, 26, is accused of using a mystery object as a weapon to kill the Augusta University student. It's unclear if authorities have retrieved the object used as the murder weapon. In a 2020 interview, John Williams, who was then running for sheriff, said, 'It is not my intention, when elected sheriff to cooperate with' ICE Riley studied at the University of Georgia through the spring of 2023 before transferring to Augusta Universitys College of Nursing Police have not said an exact cause of death for Riley, but only that it was cause by blunt force trauma. They say Ibarra dragged her body to a secluded area to conceal the death, according to an arrest affidavit seen by CBS News. Police have said Ibarra, who lived in Athens, did not know Riley, but campus surveillance footage and other technology led them to the migrant. Ibarra is accused of 'seriously disfiguring Riley's body by disfiguring her skull,' and is also charged with preventing Riley from making a 911 call when he allegedly grabbed her between 9am and 1pm Thursday. Riley's body was found the same day on campus in a forested area near Lake Herrick that includes trails popular with runners and walkers. The student had been out jogging on the University of Georgia campus when she was allegedly attacked by Ibarra. Ibarra appeared Saturday in court where he was formally charged with felony murder, aggravated battery, aggravated assault, kidnapping and other counts. He was represented by public defenders and remained in custody. The 26-year-old crossed into El Paso, Texas, in September 2022 but had been released from a detention center due to a lack of space. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said on Sunday he had previously been arrested in New York City. While ICE has confirmed Ibarra entered the country illegally in 2022, he cannot be deported as Venezuela's regime has stopped accepting deportation flights in retaliation for the Biden administration reinstating sanctions on the socialist nation. Chaos has engulfed a controversial West End play which is selling tickets for 'black-only' nights after one of the two dates vanished from its website. Slave Play which is being held at the Noel Coward Theatre later this year has come under fire after announcing it will have two performances aimed at an 'all-black-identifying audience' that is 'free from the white gaze'. Producers, who say they want to 'increase accessibility to theatre', had said it would hold these performances on July 17 and September 17, with tickets being sold for as much 125. However, the latter of these has vanished from the show's website, with potential buyers given no option to buy tickets for a show on September 17, and no performance being listed for this date. The people behind the show have said they are now 'carefully considering' how to incorporate the 'black out' nights as part of its run and insisted 'no-one will be prevented or precluded from attending any performance'. Playwright Jeremy O Harris wrote Slave Play, which is coming to the West End in the summer Slave Play is coming to the Noel Coward theatre in London's West End from 29 June to 21 September The show's website does not list a performance as taking place on September 17, which is one of the dates reserved for 'black-only' audiences It comes after Downing Street called the idea of black-only performances 'concerning' and said it would be 'wrong and divisive' to restrict audiences on the basis of race. The playwright behind the show, Jeremy O Harris, had previously claimed the nights would allow black theatregoers 'to feel safe with a lot of other black people in a place where they often do not feel safe'. Of the two dates that were put forward to host these 'Black Out' nights, only one is currently allowing people to book tickets. The matinee performance on July 17 is selling tickets with prices ranging from 20 to 125. However, the Delfont Mackintosh Theatres website where audiencegoers can buy tickets for the show, does not show a performance taking place on September 17 at all. In a statement put out on the show's website this evening, the people behind the event said: 'As the producers of SLAVE PLAY in the West End, our intent is to celebrate the play with the widest possible audience. We want to increase accessibility to theatre for everyone. 'The Broadway production conceived of black out nights and we are carefully considering how to incorporate this endeavour as part of two performances in our 13-week run. We will release further details soon. 'To be absolutely clear, no-one will be prevented or precluded from attending any performance of SLAVE PLAY.' In a statement released on the show's website, producers said they are 'carefully considering' how to incorporate black-only performances Slave Play stars Kit Harington who is best known for his role as Jon Snow in the HBO series Game of Thrones A spokesperson for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the reports of 'black-only' nights are reports are 'concerning' Earlier on Thursday the Prime Minister's official spokesman said Rishi Sunak believed the arts should be 'inclusive and open to everyone'. 'The Prime Minister is a big supporter of the arts and he believes that the arts should be inclusive and open to everyone, particularly where those arts venues are in receipt of public funding,' they said. 'Obviously, these reports are concerning and further information is being sought. 'But clearly, restricting audiences on the basis of race would be wrong and divisive.' Asked if that was an implied threat about withdrawing taxpayer support, the spokesman said: 'No, it is a statement of principle that clearly the arts should be inclusive. 'And I think that taxpayers would particularly expect that to be the case when public funding is involved.' Previously, the Government blocked the approval of Northern Irish rappers Kneecap for a music grant. Slave Play, written by American actor and playwright Jeremy O Harris, also has Banana star Fisayo Akinade and Denzel Washington's daughter Olivia Washington in the ensemble. A previous statement released on the show's website said the 'Black Out' nights were to create 'an environment in which an all-Black-identifying audience can experience an event... free from the white gaze' Defending the staging, Emily In Paris star Harris wrote on X, formerly Twitter: 'I don't have to imagine the roles were reversed in my grandparents' lifetimes AND WORSE. 'I'm not even saying BLACKS ONLY I'm saying I'm inviting black ppl first! They can bring their white friends or lovers if they want. There's no colour bar. But one existed in the UK recently!' Speaking to BBC Sounds on Tuesday, Harris claimed it was a 'necessity to radically invite them in with initiatives that say 'you're invited'. Specifically you.' What happens in Slave Play? The play follows three interracial couples who have put themselves forward for a new form of therapy, Antebellum Sexual Performance Therapy, because the black partners no longer feel sexual pleasure with their white partners. As part of a sexual experiment, the couples roleplay white-black, master-slave relationships in order to understand how their own racial identities and history play into their sexual relationship. The show when it appeared on Broadway The sexual therapy sessions take part at the MacGranger Plantation in Virginia, where slaves once worked the land, with the characters appearing in nineteenth-century costumes. They then move to a modern-day therapy sessions where tensions mount as the couples discuss how the history of slavery and racism affect interracial relationships in today's America. Advertisement He said: 'One of the things we have to remember is that people have to be radically invited into a space to know that they belong there and in most places in the west, poor people and black people have been told that they do not belong inside the theatre. 'For me, as someone who wants and yearns for black and brown people to be in the theatre, who comes from a working class environment, who wants people who do not make six figures to feel like theatre is a place for them, it is a necessity to radically invite them in with initiatives that say 'you're invited'. Specifically you.' Asked if it didn't make him uncomfortable that in turn it was telling white people they weren't allowed in the space, he responded: 'There are a litany of places in our country that are generally only inhabited by white people, and nobody is questioning that, and nobody is saying that by inviting black audiences here you are uninvited. 'The idea of a Black Out night is to say this is a night that we are specifically inviting black people to fill up the space, to feel safe with a lot of other black people in a place where they often do not feel safe.' Asked if the theatre felt different that way, he said: '100 per cent. Let's not act that we do not know that culturally white audiences and black audiences respond to things differently.' He spoke of a history in black American audiences where a 'call and response' was common, for example, agreeing that it can be a 'noisier experience.' 'White audiences in the west have decided to stay quiet and respond with politeness to anything they see in front of them,' he said, though he said it wasn't always that way in the past. Previously staged on Broadway, the play was nominated for 12 Tony Awards and tells a story of 'race, identity and sexuality' at the MacGregor Plantation in the southern US during the early 21st century. In 2019, all 804 seats of Golden Theatre's staging were used by black-identifying theatregoers, according to the Black Out initiative. The production, playing from June 29 until September 21, will stage the two Black Out nights on July 17 and September 17. In addition, every Wednesday from June 26 at 10am there will be 30 tickets released for the performance priced at 1, while on the morning of each performance, there will be 10 seats priced at 20 each. Jingwei Hirain is a leading enterprise in the field of automotive electronic systems headquartered in Beijing. In 2016, the company relocated its production factory to Tianjin and achieved rapid development, capitalizing on the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. Local authorities in Xiqing actively provides a favorable business environment for the company, offering various supports such as optimizing approval processes, establishing regular communication mechanisms, and reducing office building rents to provide solid support for the enterprise. In July 2023, Jingwei Hirain's R&D Center, with a total investment of 1.679 billion yuan (about 233.2 million U.S. dollars), was put into operation. It currently hosts more than 1,600 research and development personnel. A new production base of the company, with a total investment of approximately 1 billion yuan (about 138.9 million U.S. dollars), is also under construction in Tianjin according to the standards of intelligent workshops. Currently, Jingwei Hirain is constructing the second phase of the Tianjin R&D Center in the Xiqing District to contribute to the acceleration of the formation of new productive forces. (Xinhua/Li Ran) The home of a top aide of New York City mayor Eric Adams has been raided by the FBI, per several reports. Federal agents raided the Bronx home of Winnie Greco on Thursday morning, according to several local outlets. Greco, 61, is being probed by the city's Department of Investigation over claims she improperly used her position in City Hall to get perks. She is currently on leave from her role at the mayor's office as Director of Asian Affairs. The longtime advisor to Adams has been accused of promising a job to a campaign volunteer in exchange for renovating her kitchen and doing other labor around her home in 2022. However, it's not clear if the FBI raid is related to the previous accusations against Greco. The home of Winni Greco, a top aide of New York City mayor Eric Adams, has reportedly been raided by the FBI Greco, Director of the city's Asian Affairs, (pictured to the right of Adams) is being probed by over claims she improperly used her position in City Hall to get perks The Bronx home owned by Greco is pictured above The City reported last year that Greco also asked for a $10,000 donation from a Chinese executive in exchange for access to a Chinese-focused government event at Gracie Mansion. The two volunteers spoke to The City before the FBI raided the home of Adams' chief fundraiser Brianna Suggs as part of an investigating into an alleged kickback scheme. The tech worker claimed he took up Greco's offer and she helped him land interviews with the Mayors Office of Immigrant Affairs two months after he began working on her house. The man was hired as a program coordinator in July 2022, and says Greco continued asking him to help clean her kitchen and remove debris from her home. He told The City: 'I felt obligated to help her. Two weeks after I began working at MOIA, she said to me, "Do you know how much effort I made to get you hired?"' According to the report, he was fired in June following a three-month warning. The man claims things turned south after he began refusing to help Greco. When he was give the warning, he was allegedly told by his bosses to 'be good to Winnie.' The Chinese executive, on his part, told The City that Greco asked for the donation to go to a nonprofit she founded, and claimed she has asked the same of at least five other donors. Greco has denied the reports, according to The New York Post. A spokesperson for City Hall described the former campaign volunteer as a 'disgruntled former employee.' Greco is currently on leave from her role at the mayor's office as Director of Asian Affairs Top Adams fundraiser Brianna Suggs, also had her home raided by the FBI last year. A campaign spokeswoman for Adams told The Post: 'Ms. Greco did not have a formal role on the campaign and has no authority to make promises to volunteers. A number of assertions made by The City in their article are simply incorrect.' The serious allegations came after the FBI seized Adams' electronic devices following a raid on the home of his top fundraiser and longtime confidante Brianna Suggs, 25. Suggs' house in the Crown Heights neighborhood was searched while Adams was on his way to meetings in Washington DC, forcing him to abruptly cancel and return to 'deal with a matter.' The agents seized three iPhones, two laptop computers, papers and a 'manila folder labeled Eric Adams,' The New York Times reported. They also took seven 'contribution card binders.' The agents also wanted records of travel to Turkey by any employee, officer or associate of the campaign; and documents related to interactions between the campaign and the government of Turkey, 'including persons acting at the behest of the Turkish government.' Stanley's parent company has come under fire for failing to disclose the presence of lead in the popular cups TikTok clip shows the Stanley cup with only a bruise after a bullet tore through the wall of an Ohio home An Ohio woman claims her Stanley cup saved her life after a stray bullet tore through the walls of her home and ricocheted off the popular tumbler. Rachel, 22, surveyed the damage the stray bullet did to the home she shares with her fiance in a TikTok on February 12. 'POV: My Stanley Cup saves my life when theres a (shoot) out in front of my house,' the Steubenville woman wrote. Rachel then panned the camera past a gaping hole in the wall to a chipped bottle of perfume before coming to rest on the tumbler, which sported a bruise but was otherwise unharmed. The eight-second clip has racked up over 3.4 million views. Rachel, 22, claims her Stanley cup saved her life in a viral TikTok that has racked up over 3.4 million views. The brand's popularity has skyrocketed thanks to a TikTok trend that sent young women and children flocking to buy the tumbler The 22-year-old posted a clip showing a hole in the wall of her home before panning to a slightly bruised but otherwise unharmed tumbler In a follow-up video, which crossed 463,000 views, the young woman showed a hole on the side of the house and a bullet fragment on the floor of her kitchen. Rachel and her fiance were talking before they 'heard about seven or eight gunshots' followed by a 'really loud bang' as the bullet ripped through their home. The viral clip was reminiscent of another video that sent the popularity of Stanley cups skyrocketing. Another TikTok posted in November shows a tumbler purportedly surviving a car fire. In the video, Danielle Marie Lettering lifted the 40-ounce bottle from her badly singed vehicle and shook it to prove that the ice in her drink had not melted. She caught the attention of the company's president, Terrance Riley, who not only promised to send mugs her way, but offered to pay for a new car. Lettering has since labelled herself 'Stanley cup car fire girl.' The durability of the Quencher tumblers has been documented in other viral clips, including one showing a Stanley cup purportedly surviving a car fire The clip, posted by Danielle Marie Lettering in November, pans over the wreckage of her car to reveal a seemingly unharmed Stanley tumbler in the cup holder. She shakes the bottle to show that her ice had not melted However, the uber-popular brand has been receiving more negative publicity than support lately. Several consumers from California and Nevada have filed class action complaints against Seattle-based parent company Pacific Market International, LLC. over revelations that the tumblers contain lead. At high levels, the metal can cause irreversible damage to the nervous system. It poses a significant risk to young children, lending itself to developmental delays, learning disabilities and other issues. Lead poisoning, which occurs when the heavy metal builds up in the body, can be fatal. Four California complainants said the company falsely advertised its tumblers as 'BPA-free,' but failed to warn the public that lead is a 'key ingredient' in its vacuum seal. They claim they purchased Stanley cups prior to the January announcement from the company and insist they would not have purchased them if they knew they contained lead. The suit, filed on February 1, seeks $70 million in damages. Stanley's parent company Pacific Market International, LLC. has been hit with several class-action lawsuits alleging the company failed to disclose the presence of lead in the tumblers A second lawsuit filed by a Nevada woman on February 12 claims she purchased a Stanley cup for $35 from Target in March 2023 and accuses Pacific Market International of breaching its warranty. 'Millions of consumers who bought a Stanley tumbler in the past several years have just been informed in the last month that the tumbler as designed for use contains lead, a toxic substance that can cause serious health problems,' the lawsuit reads. 'They have become a viral sensation on social media, and the surge in popularity has been particularly acute in young women.' It notes the particular risk lead poses to children and pregnant women, defining them as 'part of the market targeted to purchase these products.' A third lawsuit filed by a California woman on February 14 accuses the company of fraud by omission and negligent misrepresentation. 'PMI knew that Plaintiff and the Class could not reasonably have been expected to learn or discover that the Stanley cups were misrepresented in the packaging, labels, advertising, and website prior to purchasing the Stanley cups,' the suit reads. The brand's support page mentions that the material used to seal the vacuum insulation at the base of Stanley products 'includes some lead.' 'Once sealed, this area is covered with a durable stainless steel layer, making it inaccessible to consumers,' it continues. 'Rest assured that no lead is present on the surface of any Stanley product that comes into contact with the consumer nor the contents of the product.' Sadiq Khan has admitted for the first time one of his favourite Low Traffic neighbourhoods is 'not great' after it was riddled with gridlock problems and bus services being ruined. The London Mayor revealed today that his team had been in touch with Lambeth council to try and resolve the issues being created by the Streatham Wells LTN, which has seen buses travelling as slowly as 1.5mph. The Labour politician, who is seeking re-election in May, told LBC: 'It's not working and we've asked the council to look at it urgently.' He told listeners on the London radio station that the LTN was 'causing huge problems' and having 'unintended consequences' such as people avoiding public transport. The comments mark a change in Mr Khan's public stance on the controversial traffic scheme. Up until now, he has batted away criticism and continued to vouch for the scheme despite concerns from locals.+++ Sadiq Khan has admitted for the first time one of his favourite Low Traffic neighbourhoods is 'not great' The road, part of the A23, is the main route from south London into Surrey, is affected by the Streatham LTN The introduction of LTN's boomed over the pandemic with more planters and bollards appearing on roads He told a listener affected by the south London LTN: 'You'll get some news very soon about the changes the council are going to make to that LTN because the evidence is that in the first few months, it's not been great.' The comments may come as a surprise to Lambeth's Labour councillors who have insisted that roadworks and rail strikes are in the area to blame to traffic chaos on the borough's roads. LTNs, which became increasingly popular for some councils over the pandemic, have previously been slammed for pushing traffic onto boundary roads and increasing congestion - in turn adding to pollution and driver's miles driven. It comes after the Times found that it was taking buses in the LTN area up to two hours to travel less than three miles. Transport for London (TfL) data shows that last week the A23, which runs along the western side of the LTN, became so bogged down in traffic that it took the bus 121 minutes to travel 2.9 miles. Three quarters of another bus route were diverted around the LTN during rush hour while another route forged a path straight through it, Department of Transport data shows. Since 2020, hundreds of LTNs have been introduced across the country but there is growing controversy about the schemes. Bus driver Elliot Braham, 38, says it takes an hour to travel just a couple hundred metres Harriet De Wolff, 57, and her daughter Megan, 21, say it's affected their business Bus driver John Monroe, 48, says there is more pollution, defeating the purpose of the LTN And last summer, Rishi Sunak ordered a review into LTNs which the Transport Department is yet to publish any findings or guidance on. Lambeth Council blamed 'ongoing roadworks' and 'recent rail strikes' for the congestion. The Streatham Wells LTN has caused 'chaos' since it was first introduced last October, with residents, local business owners, and motorists branding it a 'nightmare'. Harriet De Wolff, 57, who owns a gift shop called 'The Indigo Tree' on Streatham High Road, said: 'It is an absolute nightmare. 'It's definitely not good for pollution. It's made it worse. 'I can taste the fumes in my mouth as I walk down Streatham High Road. That didn't use to be the case, but now, all the cars and buses stopped in traffic it's causing more and more pollution. 'People who live on this street will never be able to open their windows again.' The shop owner added that one 'often-ignored' impact of the LTN has been the change to safety on the streets. Locals said they can 'see' and 'taste' the fumes as they say the area is more polluted Transport for London data shows that last week the A23, which runs along the western side of the LTN, became so bogged down in traffic that it took the bus 121 minutes to travel 2.9 miles Bus driver John Monroe, 48, said the LTN has doubled his journey times. 'What was once an hour journey now takes over two hours. It's definitely quicker to walk or cycle than take the bus, but not everyone can do that. 'It kind of defeats the purpose of a Low Traffic Neighbourhood, because it's not stopping the congestion it's creating more. There's more pollution. 'Passengers hate it too. We're not allowed to open the doors apart from at bus stops, but I have people asking all the time if they can get off because we're stuck in traffic, and they know they'll get there quicker by walking.' Another bus driver, Elliot Braham, has had a similar experience. The 38-year-old said: 'It makes things impossible because I have a schedule to stick to but it's now taking around an hour to travel just a couple hundred metres. 'It's awful when you see ambulances getting stuck in the traffic too. It's just made the congestion so much worse.' A Lambeth Council spokesperson said previously : 'We are aware of concerns regarding bus times in Streatham relating to the trial of Streatham Wells LTN, ongoing roadworks by utilities and recent rail strikes. 'We are working closely with TfL to monitor the situation and will make changes as needed.' MailOnline has contacted Lambeth Council for further comment. What flaming insanity! US airman Aaron Bushnell, a man so clearly deranged and mentally unwell, burnt himself to death this weekend outside the Israeli embassy in DC in an apparent 'protest' against the war in Gaza. Terrifying footage that Bushnell livestreamed shows him dousing his Air Force uniform in lighter fluid before igniting himself and screaming 'Free Palestine' as his flesh literally melts away. It was violent, perhaps rather selfish, and deeply shocking, not least for the brave embassy guards who had to respond to the incident. Imagine having to see, hear smell such horror. And yet the social media pile on from the terminally online Left saw Bushnell instantly feted as a martyr of the Palestinian cause. US airman Aaron Bushnell, a man so clearly deranged and mentally unwell, burnt himself to death this weekend outside the Israeli embassy in DC in an apparent 'protest'. It was violent, perhaps rather selfish, and deeply shocking, not least for the brave embassy guards who had to respond to the incident. And yet the social media pile on saw Bushnell instantly feted as a martyr of the Palestinian cause. (Pictured: Bushnell). Cue a slew of repellent posts praising Bushnell's suicide as 'brave', and that he may 'rest in power'. There were even cartoons of him aflame, memorializing his violent act. Some users mocked one security guard who pulled his gun on Bushnell. How ridiculous; this happened outside a highly-sensitive diplomatic property Israel's embassy and no one knew what might happen next. Preparing to respond with lethal force seems eminently sensible. It is also obvious to any sensible thinking person what this tragedy was: dangerous extremism committed by a reported anarchist and former cult member. A suicide masquerading as protest that no sane or caring person could possibly countenance celebrating. Yet, for all their #BeKind claims of mental health awareness, the desperate Left can't help themselves. As perverse vigils and icons popped outside the DC embassy in the hours following the incident, here was independent presidential candidate and professional fanatic Cornell West, shamelessly co-opting Bushnell's death to bolster his own sunken reputation in a post on X: 'Let us never forget the extraordinary courage and commitment of brother Aaron Bushnell who died for truth and justice!... Let us rededicate ourselves to genuine solidarity with Palestinians undergoing genocidal attacks in real time!' Jill Stein, Green Party presidential candidate who are they kidding?! followed suit: 'May his sacrifice deepen our commitment to stop genocide now.' To my mind, these hysterical calls to action come painfully and dangerously close to actively encouraging others to do the same. To literally take their own lives for a war that America isn't even fighting. But let's be clear: Bushnell didn't die 'for truth and justice'. Self-immolation isn't 'genuine solidarity' with the Palestinian cause. There was no 'sacrifice' on display outside Israel's embassy. No, he died by violent and needless suicide, no doubt tormented by cult-induced demons. To insist otherwise makes you no better than the butchers of Hamas who penned this ISIS-style obituary for Bushnell: He will 'remain immortal he gave his life in order to shed light on Zionist massacres and ethnic cleansing against our people in the Gaza Strip.' This is death-squad level stuff. It is also obvious to any sensible thinking person what this tragedy was: dangerous extremism committed by a reported anarchist and former cult member. A suicide masquerading as protest that no sane or caring person could possibly countenance celebrating. (Pictured: Vigil for Bushnell in New York City's Times Square). But it's not the first time that America's purple-haired set driven mad in the wake of the October 7 attacks has fallen for the lies and allure of our enemies. Remember when TikTokers lined up to express their admiration for Osama bin Laden's post-9/11 'Letter to America'. 'Just read it my eyes have been opened,' one user wrote. And it's not just Gen-Zers. Harvard and UPenn have both lost a president over on-campus anti-Semitism. Meanwhile, the ranks of our Democratic Party are stuffed with pro-Hamas radicals like Rashida Tlaib and her fellow Squad members. We are now a nation enthralled by radical Islam. And it's making us sick. All good and decent Americans should mourn Bushnell's needless death but we must do so with a clear truth in mind: Hamas has taken yet another life, this time with vile lies and manipulation rather than bullets or bombs. We are all in the crosshairs of these terrorists, who will gladly kill us, or better still, goad us into ensuring our own extinction. A 10-year-old South Carolina girl has died eight-and-a-half years after she was beaten and left with severe brain damage by her father. Egypt Morales died Monday after she was rushed to Prisma Health Greenville Memorial Hospital with breathing issues. Police say her cause of death was from the extensive abuse she received at the hands of her dad Joseph Morales when she was a child. Authorities found Egypt unconscious on February 13, 2015 after he beat and shook her when she was just 17-months-old. His extreme abuse left her with a slim chance of survival but she went on to live for nine more years though brain damaged, partially blind, unable to eat on her own and suffering seizures daily. Morales pleaded guilty in 2016 and was sentenced to 18 years in prison, but will not be charged with homicide due to South Carolina Code of Law. Egypt's mother and sole caretaker, Kaya Jackson told WYFF: 'Everybody telling me she's in a better place, but I don't feel like she's in a better place. Her better place is with me.' Egypt Morales, 10, died on Monday and police said that her cause of death was from the extensive abuse she received at the hands of her father Her father, Joseph Morales, was arrested in 2016 after he beat and shook her when she was 17-months-old. He will not face additional charges and is expected to be released on June 9, 2030 Egypt's mother and sole caretaker, Kaya Jackson, said that even though her daughter experienced a difficult life Egypt 'was just always a happy baby' 'I can't hold her hand. I can't love on her like I been doing. I can't do nothing.' Jackson said that on top of her daughter's other disabilities, she was also quadriplegic, had to be fed through a tube and had cerebral palsy as a result of the incident. Her father was convicted of child neglect from shaken baby syndrome which is a serious brain injury that is caused by forceful shaking of an infant or toddler. As a result, the syndrome can lead to permanent brain damage or death. 'I wanted my baby to learn to ride a bike, play with dolls with her siblings, it was stuff that my child deserved to do, and we couldn't do,' Jackson said. On Tuesday, The Laurens Police Department said that they 'immediately' contacted the 8th Judicial Circuit Solicitor's Office to see if Morales could face additional charges for his actions. 'Unfortunately, according to SC Code of Law 16-3-5, individuals cannot be prosecuted for homicide if the injuries inflicted result in death at least three years later,' the department said. Her father's extreme abuse left her with severe brain damage for the rest of her life, along with a slim chance of survival Jackson said that on top of her daughter's other disabilities, she was also quadriplegic, fed through a tube and had cerebral palsy as a result of the incident The grieving mother said that she has struggled with the loss of her daughter and has found herself looking in Egypt's room thinking that she might still be there Morales is not eligible for parole and is expected to be released on June 9, 2030. Though her daughter experienced a difficult life, Jackson said that Egypt 'was just always a happy baby.' The grieving mother said that she has struggled with the loss of her daughter and has found herself looking in Egypt's room thinking that she might still be there. 'Mommy love you. Mama loves you, so much.' 'And I'm never going to give up fighting for you. I'm never going to give up fighting for you,' Jackson said. Traci Fant, Egypt's godmother said: 'Maybe the justice will be us getting the law changed, so nothing like this happens to another family and they don't have to deal with this portion of it.' A funeral for Egypt will be held on Monday at 12pm at Watkins Garrett & Woods Mortuary. 'Everyone loved her. Everyone would fight about who was going to push her wheelchair, who was going to get to polish her nails.' 'That's all it was about here was Egypt,' Jackson told Fox Carolina. If successful, it will be the first time in U.S. history that a secretary of state is held in contempt of Congress McCaul also said he will have a phone call Blinken on Friday House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul said Thursday he sent a contempt of Congress hearing notice to Sec. Blinken Republicans are moving forward with holding Secretary of State Antony Blinken in contempt of Congress next week after he ignored repeated requests for Afghanistan withdrawal documents. Chairman Michael McCaul, who is leading the investigation into the administration's messy 2021 exit, announced the House Foreign Affairs Committee will hold a markup on the contempt articles on March 7. 'We've noticed the contempt hearing for next Thursday,' the chairman told DailyMail.com shortly after the House passed a critical short-term funding bill to avert a partial government shutdown. Blinken is 'a busy guy, and I'm not sure his staff have served him well on this,' McCaul added. 'But we've been more than patient with him.' Republicans' petition for State Department AAR (after-action review) team's interview notes has been 'an outstanding request for almost a year now,' he added. McCaul also confirmed he will have a phone call with Blinken on Friday to discuss the hearing and the AAR documents. If successful, it will be the first time in U.S. history that a secretary of state is held in contempt of Congress. Rep. Michael McCaul, the head of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, announced his panel will hold a markup on the contempt articles on March 7 and already noticed Blinken and his team Last July, the State Department quietly released a 87-page report condemning his administration's failure to prepare for the Afghanistan's rapid collapse at the hands of the Taliban in 2021 House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul is reigniting his previous threats to take legal action against Blinken after he has 'obstructed' Congress' requests for documents It comes days after he reignited his previous threats to take legal action against Blinken earlier this week, saying Blinken 'obstructed' Congress' many requests for documents. 'It is appalling that over two years after the deadly and chaotic withdrawal, the Department continues to choose politics over policy,' McCaul wrote in a letter exclusively obtained by DailyMail.com Monday. He had said his committee would 'pursue' holding Blinken in contempt of Congress if he failed to provide the AARs by March 6. The GOP chairman is specifically demanding AAR files from those most intimately involved in the chaotic withdrawal that will help Republicans complete their investigation and shape legislation to prevent the 'catastrophic mistakes' from ever happening again by providing 'access to the truth.' McCaul said earlier this week his committee has pursued the AAR team's interview notes 'in good faith and with every effort to compromise.' But, he added, the department has 'not negotiated in good faith and has failed to both comply with the Committee's July 2023 subpoena and fulfill your August 11 personal commitment to cooperate with this investigation.' Again, he stressed the 'legislative need for these primary source documents.' McCaul wrote Monday that department officials told his committee that the Deputy Secretary for Management and Resources Rich Verma 'personally reviewed' the AAR notes. But said they are currently being withheld by the White House and National Security Council. 'The officials communicated this decision is now above their 'paygrade,'' he stated in the letter obtained by DailyMail.com. Republicans are still working to hold the Biden administration accountable after the hasty exit from Afghanistan in 2021, during which 13 American service members and at least 170 Afghans were killed. The Americans killed in the blast were: (left to right, starting with top row) Cpl. Daegan W. Page - Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo - Staff Sgt. Darin T. Hoover - Lance Cpl. David L. Espinoza - Lance Cpl. Rylee J. McCollum - Lance Cpl. Kareem M. Nikoui - Cpl. Hunter Lopez - Lance Cpl. Jared M. Schmitz - Staff Sgt. Ryan C. Knauss - Cpl. Humberto A. Sanchez - Navy Corpsman Maxton W. Soviak - Lance Cpl. Dylan R. Merola - Sgt. Nicole L. Gee In addition, the family members of the 13 U.S. troops killed are still demanding answers as not a single Biden administration official has taken the blame for the horrors that unfolded during the withdrawal. McCaul says the documents are necessary to 'prevent the catastrophic mistakes of the withdrawal from happening again.' The back and forth between McCaul and the State Department has been going on for months. McCaul first subpoenaed the department on July 18 for the AAR documents. He described the department's response to that subpoena 'anemic' and unacceptable. McCaul and Blinken spoke on the phone on August 11, where the secretary 'personally' promised to provide the chairman the information he is seeking. But now, the 'committees patience has been exhausted,' continues McCaul in the letter. Last year, the committee postponed holding Blinken in contempt of Congress over a separate issue - after he agreed to allow committee leadership to view a classified dissenting cable that U.S. State Department employees sent prior to the Taliban's takeover of Kabul on July 13, 2021. The cable warned about a 'deteriorating' security situation' and urged the immediate evacuation of allies, a warning that the Biden administration did not heed, say Republicans. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul is reigniting his previous threats to take legal action against Blinken The committee had requested that Naz Durakoglu, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Legislative Affairs and Richard Visek in the Office of the Legal Adviser sit for transcribed interviews. Last July, the State Department quietly released a 87-page report condemning his administration's failure to prepare for the Afghanistan's rapid collapse at the hands of the Taliban in 2021. The investigation found serious pitfalls in leadership and questions about who was in charge before and during the mayhem 'The decisions of both President Trump and President Biden to end the U.S. military mission in Afghanistan had serious consequences for the viability of the Afghan government and its security,' the report says. 'Those decisions are beyond the scope of this review, but the (review) team found that during both administrations there was insufficient senior-level consideration of worst-case scenarios and how quickly those might follow.' It also outlined several strategic failures as the Taliban overran cities - saying there wasn't enough consideration given to 'worst-case scenarios.' As a result, thousands of allies who helped the U.S. in the war were left behind, and there was chaos at Hamid Karzai International Airport as men, women and children tried desperately to flee. Even though planning for the evacuation of Kabul began 'some time' beforehand, the State Department was 'hindered by the fact that it was unclear who in the Department had the lead.' Nat Barr was forced to intervene during a heated debate between a Labor MP and the Deputy Opposition Leader on Sunrise ahead of the upcoming by-election in Dunkley. Education Minister Jason Clare and Liberal MP Sussan Ley appeared on the breakfast program on Friday morning where they discussed Saturday's by-election for Dunkley in Melbourne's outer south-east. The interview took a turn when Mr Clare called out Ms Ley over a tweet she shared on Thursday. 'If you live in Frankston and youve got a problem with Victorian women being assaulted by foreign criminals, vote against Labor,' she tweeted. 'If you do not want to see Australian women being assaulted by foreign criminals, vote against Labor. Send Labor a message.' Nat Barr was forced to intervene during a heated debate between Labor MP Jason Clare and Deputy Opposition Leader Sussan Ley on Sunrise ahead of the upcoming by-election in Dunkley The tweet was in reference to a former immigration detainee and convicted sex offender who was charged with stalking and sexual assault in Richmond earlier this week. However, Victoria Police later confirmed they had arrested the wrong man and all the charges against the 44-year-old from West Papua had been dropped. The seat of Dunkley had been held by Labor MP Peta Murphy who passed away in December from breast cancer. 'If Peta was still alive today, she'd be disgusted with you and the tweet you put out yesterday. Police have withdrawn the charges and you should delete that tweet,' Mr Clare said with host Barr visibly shocked. 'That just shows how desperate you and the Liberal Party are. I think the people of Dunkley will see through that tomorrow.' The man who was wrongly charged was one of the immigration detainees released by the government following a High Court ruling last year. 'I want to make this point: that Jason's Home Affairs Minister said every one of those individuals who has been let out, those hardened criminals, should be locked up,' Ms Ley hit back. 'It includes 37 sex offenders. As a woman I am not taking a backward step on this and I'm calling it out.' Mr Clare doubled down and said Ms Ley should remove her tweet before she cut him off to say she 'wasn't taking instructions' from him. 'This is a classic example of why women aren't joining the Liberal Party and why they're not voting for the Liberal Party, because of that classic, desperate, grubby political scare campaign we saw from the Liberal Party yesterday,' Mr Clare said. The deputy opposition leader then said Immigration Minister Andrew Giles was 'hopeless' and accused him of not knowing where the detainees were. 'I don't know, really, you must wake up in the morning, look in the mirror and think, after 25 years of being a member of parliament, is this what I've become? I'm reduced to putting out tweets like this,' Mr Clare said. Barr then jumped in and changed the subject to Anthony Albanese's birthday plans on the weekend. Victoria Police have since clarified a local Richmond man is their person of interest in relation to the stalking and assault charges. The jailed gang member accused of masterminding the assassination of Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio will head to trial with four others over the murder, a court ruled. Judge Irene Pesantez said Carlos Angulo, the imprisoned leader of a faction of the feared Los Lobos gang, and Laura Castillo will be tried as co-conspirators. Alexandra Chimbo, Victor Flores and Erick Ramirez will be put on trial as accomplices. They are accused of providing surveillance and planning the crime. Pesantez ordered the release of Oscar Fierro 'due to lack of evidence.' Villavicencio, 59, was gunned down moments after campaigning at T.W. Anderson school in Quito on August 9, 2023. Ecuadorean presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio seen above at a campaign rally at the T.W. Anderson school in northern Quito moments before he was assassinated August 9, 2023. A court announced Wednesday that five suspects, including the jailed leader of the Los Lobos gang, will go on trial Carlos Angulo (pictured), the imprisoned leader of a faction of the feared Los Lobos gang, contacted the shooter, Colombian national Johan Castillo, who murdered Ecuador presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio and texted him, 'Ok, brother. When you see him, strike him. I trust you. Do it' The politician had not been among the front-runners in the August 20 election, but his killing in broad daylight was a shocking reminder of the surge in crime that has engulfed the South American nation. Lead prosecutor Ana Hidalgo revealed Angulo contacted the shooter, Colombian national Johan Castillo, from his cell at the CRS Cotopaxi (penitentiary). A text message recovered from Castillos cell phone showed that Angulo instructed him, Ok, brother. When you see him, strike him. I trust you. Do it. Castillo, Hidalgo said, provided money, weapons and motorcycles for Johan Castillo and five other assassins who were Colombia natives. The six suspects were arrested at a home they used as a hideout and later murdered in prison on October 6, 2023. Autopsies showed that each of the suspects were strangled. On Wednesday, a defense lawyer for Angulo, who is serving a 54-month sentence in a prison in Quito on weapons charges, said prosecutors had presented no proof his client is a member of Los Lobos or that a phone allegedly used in the plot belongs to him. Ecuadorian authorities arrested six Colombian suspects who carried out the assassination of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio on August 9, 2023. They were killed in prison October 6, 2023 Attorneys for the other accused also questioned what they say is a lack of evidence, as well as the prosecution's use of a protected witness and why that person was not accused. The attorney general's office in Ecuador does not typically publish the full names of people under prosecution, but full names were used during the hearing. Villavicencio, whose journalism exposed corruption and organized crime connections among politicians, had long been the subject of threats. "Carlos Angulo is the link in the chain to the intellectual authors. This person is key to knowing who hired him, making him into an intermediary, to contract the assassins," Villavicencio's widow, Veronica Sarauz, said on X on Tuesday. Los Lobos has thousands of members, according to some reports, and is active in Ecuador's violent prison system. President Daniel Noboa, who took office in November, last month declared 22 gangs, including Los Lobos, terrorist groups after the latest surge of violence, when dozens of prison guards were taken hostage and gunmen invaded a television station during a live broadcast. Roscely Alvarado, owner of a car Tyler allegedly broke into, said the ordeal traumatized her children. She came forward following his arrest Tyler, son of Lauren Boebert, was arrested in connection to a string of thefts An alleged victim of congresswoman Lauren Boebert's son who was arrested on a string of theft charges has claimed he broke into her car and terrified her children. Tyler Boebert, 18, was arrested on Tuesday and is facing nearly two dozen different charges in connection to a spate of vehicle break-ins and property theft in the republican's Colorado district. An arrest affidavit revealed he allegedly broke into a Kia Sorrento and stole belongings from inside the car, including a wallet. No other details were given. Roscely Alvarado, who has come forward claiming to be the owner of the car that was ransacked, told local news station KJCT the theft terrified her daughters. She said: 'I sent my older daughter to get my purse from the car and she was like, "Mom the car is a mess, everything is everywhere, I dont know what happened."' Roscely Alvarado, owner of a car Tyler Boebert allegedly broke into, said: 'I sent my older daughter to get my purse from the car and she was like, "Mom the car is a mess, everything is everywhere, I dont know what happened"' Tyler Boebert was arrested on Tuesday and is facing nearly two dozen different charges in connection to a spate of vehicle break-ins and property theft Police narrowed in on Tyler, 18, after a teen helped identify him on a store's security footage, according to an affidavit seen by DailyMail.com 'She had my purse in her hand but without the wallet, she told me that there was nothing inside of the purse, she was telling me she was scared, she felt like someone from here could have stolen from us and that was making her scared.' The mother said she learned a lesson from the ordeal - and will be keeping her door locked and be more cautious in the future. 'I should be more cautious, dont ever leave my purse in the car again, and yeah be more cautious. Be more cautious because I have 2 kids, an 11-year-old girl, and a 3-year-old girl, the 3-year-old has a condition,' she said. Tyler is facing charges including four counts of criminal possession of a financial device, three counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and three counts of theft of under $300. The other charges range from four felony counts of criminal possession of an ID, a felony count of conspiracy to commit a felony and more than 15 different misdemeanor and petty charges. One of the alleged victims was said to be as young as three years old. Police narrowed in on Tyler, a father of one, after a teen helped identify him on a store's security footage, according to an affidavit seen by DailyMail.com. The teen then told police that Tyler and a female accomplice had made a sex tape and that Tyler had sent it to another person in their age group. Tyler has not been charged with any crimes in connection to the alleged sex tape. Tyler is accused of breaking in and stealing from four vehicles, taking cash, gift cards, a social security card and credit cards, as well as driver's licenses. The teen then told police that Tyler and a female accomplice had made a sex tape and that Tyler had sent it to another person in their age group The congresswoman pictured with her grandson that Tyler fathered with an ex-girlfriend It's not clear which co-defendant Tyler allegedly made a sex tape with. His three co-defendants have only been described as a 16-year-old male, a 16-year-old female, and a 17-year-old female. The teens allegedly used the cash to buy gas and food from a McDonald's and a Kum and Go in Rifle, though banks eventually started declining the charges. They also apparently tried to order $717 worth of merchandise from Shein.com, $175 at Kum and Go and $10.95 from a Starbucks. An arrest affidavit claims Boebert was recognized on surveillance video at a gas station on February 20 by a police officer in Rifle investigating a series of vehicle break-ins and thefts. The video shows Boebert in a Shooters Bar and Grill hoodie - the restaurant formerly owned by his mother - while three accomplices, all underage, allegedly use a stolen credit card to get food. Six victims are named in an incident summary, though their identities are also redacted, with the youngest just three years old. The remainder are between the ages of 18 and 32. Tyler appeared virtually in a Garfield County court Wednesday from jail and was smiling and laughing as the hearing began, which Deputy District Attorney Tony Hershey said his Congresswoman mother listened in on. The arrest Tuesday isn't the first time the teenage Boebert - who shares a son with an ex-girlfriend - has had a run-in with controversy. In April of last year, a friend alleged that an accident, in which Tyler was driving, left him with multiple concussions and a debilitating hand injury. Rep. Boebert, in a statement to DailyMail.com, said that her son should face consequences but she ultimately loves and supports him. 'I love my son Tyler, who has been through some very difficult, public challenges for a young man and the subject of attention that he didn't ask for,' she said. Speaking exclusively to DailyMail.com Wednesday, Tyler's father Jayson Boebert, 42, gave a raw and heartfelt response to the news of his arrest. Pictured: The Boeberts before the divorce are pictured with three of their four kids, including Tyler (center, back row) Rep. Boebert, in a statement to DailyMail.com, said that her son was an 'adult and father' and should be 'held accountable' just like anyone else. He is pictured with his son and grandmother She added that her son was an 'adult and father' and should be 'held accountable' just like anyone else. 'It breaks my heart to see my child struggling and, in this situation, especially when he has been provided multiple opportunities to get his life on track. I will never give up on him and I will continue to be there for him,' she added. Speaking exclusively to DailyMail.com Wednesday, Tyler's father Jayson Boebert, 42, gave a raw and heartfelt response to the news of his latest arrest that broke Wednesday morning. He acknowledged that, at times, he may have failed as a father but said that he is committed to always improving. He expressed his 'unwavering' belief in all his children and he shared his faith in Tyler's future. He said: 'I know my son is a good-hearted child and still has his whole life ahead of him.' A motorbike rider has been killed after a colliding with an SUV in Brisbane. The 20-year-old man riding a Kawasaki collided with a Jeep Cherokee driven by a 31-year-old man at an intersection in Wavell Heights in the city's north about 1pm Thursday. Paramedics were called to the scene but the rider sadly died before he was able to be transported to hospital. The occupants in the car did not need to be assessed by paramedics. The Queensland Police Forensic Crash Unit is investigating the incident. Police have appealed for anyone who was in the area, at the intersection of Edinburgh Castle Rd and Shaw Rd, and witnessed the crash or has dash cam footage to contact them. Kensington Palace has released a new statement on Kate Middleton's health as she remains out of the public eye for two months following scheduled abdominal surgery. A Palace spokesperson sought to reassure well-wishers tonight as speculation continues to grow online following a string of royal health scares, including King Charles' diagnosis with cancer. A royal spokesperson said: 'Kensington Palace made it clear in January the timelines of the princess' recovery and we'd only be providing significant updates. That guidance stands.' Officials, however, did add that the Princess of Wales continues to do 'well'. Kate plans to return to royal engagements after Easter. The update comes as royal commentators warned the Royal Family to be more open about why Prince William was absent from his godfather's memorial, which was attributed to an unspecified 'personal reason'. The Princess of Wales was last seen on Christmas Day last year attending church at Sandringham William at the Baftas in London on February 18 before suddenly pulling out of the memorial for his late godfather King Constantine of Greece for an unspecified 'personal reason' Prince Andrew leads members of the Royal Family, including the Tindalls, to St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle yesterday The heir pulled out of the service for the late King Constantine of Greece, who died last January, while his father King Charles was also absent as his cancer treatment continues. Queen Camilla was instead the most senior member of the Royal Family in attendance, with Prince Andrew also enjoying a prominent role as he led fellow royals into the service at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle. No further details were given on William's absence and it is unknown if it relates to his wife, the Princess of Wales's recovery. The Royal Family were clear that his absence was not connected to the death of Thomas Kingston, the husband of Lady Gabriella Windsor - who died suddenly on Sunday night aged 45. The Prince of Wales had not been seen since the Bafta awards in London earlier this month until he visited the Western Marble Arch Synagogue in central London. The Princess of Wales was last seen on Christmas at Sandringham. Royal biographer Phil Dampier told MailOnline that the royals 'have a right to privacy' but 'these are not normal times' given Charles and Catherine's recent health issues. 'I'm afraid that if no reason for Prince William pulling out at the last minute is given, there will inevitably be speculation, some of it wild and unfair, but that is the nature of social media these days,' he said. 'There were lurid reports in a Greek publication the other day about Kate's health, for which there is no evidence, but these rumours get circulated around the world quickly. No further details were given on William's absence and it is unknown if it relates to his wife, the Princess of Wales's recovery Officials said tonight that the Princess of Wales continues to do 'well'. Kate plans to return to royal engagements after Easter The order of service still has William's title on it (highlighted in red by MailOnline), as it was produced before he pulled out 'The Palace made it clear Kate is recovering well and we saw the King return to London from Windsor, possibly for treatment. 'But we still don't know what urgent personal reason led William to cancel. I think he should be more open if the palace wants to avoid speculation.' Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams called courtiers' silence a 'gift to conspiracy theorists'. 'William would have known that his unexplained absence would make world headlines, despite sources assuring the media that it was not related to Catherine's health,' he said. 'The Palace has subsequently been silent so speculation continues. 'The royal family obviously have a right to privacy, how far that right is exercised is what has always been debated. 'The absence of clarification when the unexpected occurs is a gift to conspiracy theorists. And clearly, this is a time where the royal family - only four of whose working members are under 70 - is under enormous pressure.' Daily Mail's Andrew Pierce and Sarah Vine also implored the Royals to fully explain the Prince of Wales' abscnece The King has been seen at Sandringham going to church each Sunday but public duties have been paused William, pictured on February 20, said he missed the service at St George's Chapel for 'personal reasons' - but no further details were given The family's health woes have laid bare the realities of a stripped-down monarchy. Since the start of the year there has been a sudden shortage of frontline royals after Charles and Kate both went into hospital around the same time in January. It left the Prince of Wales taking on more of the burden of public duties while at the same time supporting Kate and taking care of his three children, George, Charlotte and Louis. Charles was admitted for surgery for a benign prostate condition last month, but subsequently diagnosed with an unrelated cancer. The monarch has withdrawn from public-facing duties while he undergoes treatment. Kate underwent abdominal surgery at the same time and is currently recuperating, following a two-week hospital stay. A Kensington Palace statement at the time read: 'The Princess of Wales appreciates the interest this statement will generate. 'She hopes that the public will understand her desire to maintain as much normality for her children as possible; and her wish that her personal medical information remains private. 'Kensington Palace will, therefore, only provide updates on Her Royal Highness' progress when there is significant new information to share. 'The Princess of Wales wishes to apologise to all those concerned for the fact that she has to postpone her upcoming engagements. She looks forward to reinstating as many as possible, as soon as possible.' Police should record suspects' sex as well as their gender, a crime tsar has said, after his force recorded the crimes of a transgender murderer and cat-killer as committed by a woman. Thames Valley police and crime commissioner Matthew Barber has called for a change in the law that would make it mandatory for officers to record the birth sex of detainees in the custody record. His comments, in a letter to the Home Secretary, come as it emerged the crimes of Scarlet Blake sentenced to life on Monday for the murder of Jorge Carreno in Oxford after previously killing a cat will be officially recorded by his force as having been committed by a woman, under policing guidelines. Currently forces can record birth sex in crime counting but this is voluntary and it is the preferred gender of the detainee that is always recorded. In his letter to James Cleverly, Mr Barber said: 'Recording this additional information, as well as someone's preferred gender, would allow detainees to be treated respectfully while still ensuring that custody records and crime figures accurately reflect crimes committed by male and female offenders.' Currently forces can record birth sex in crime counting but this is voluntary and it is the preferred gender of the detainee that is always recorded Scarlet Blake, 26, (pictured, left) who was born biologically male but identifies as a woman, was jailed for a minimum of 24 years for the murder of Spanish engineer Jorge Carreno (pictured, right) Blake has been sent to a Category A male prison but was referred to as a woman during her trial Blake, 26, who was born biologically male but identifies as a woman, was jailed for a minimum of 24 years for the murder of Spanish engineer Mr Carreno. The case has sparked a major row, with author JK Rowling, former ministers and lawyers among those to criticise reports that referred to the killer as a woman without explaining she is transgender. Ms Rowling has said: 'Crime statistics are rendered useless if violent and sexual attacks committed by men are recorded as female crimes.' Blake has been sent to a Category A male prison but was referred to as a woman during her trial, in accordance with judiciary guidelines. Mr Barber said it was right that Blake was sent to a male prison but it was vital to update the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE) to ensure criminals are recorded under the sex they were assigned at birth as well their preferred gender. The PCC has previously criticised his force for referring to transgender Osareen Omoruyi, charged with two counts of sexual assault on a child, as a woman in a press release. Thames Valley Police confirmed that because Blake identified as a female while in custody, she was recorded as a woman on the force's crime recording system in accordance with PACE guidelines. The force said her gender did not form any part of the prosecution case, adding that it had been the force's priority to convict the person responsible for Mr Carreno's murder and achieve justice. 'Thames Valley Police adheres to the law and codes of practice, outlined by the Equality Act 2010, and the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 Code C, when establishing and recording the gender of a person in our custody,' a spokesman said. Transgender women convicted of a crime must be recorded as men if they have not legally changed their gender, Downing Street has said. The Prime Minister's spokesman said: 'The definition of a woman is the biological sex and that biological sex matters. Police forces should follow the College of Policing guidance that a person's gender is that which was registered at birth unless they have been issued with a gender recognition certificate under the Gender Recognition Act.' Maya Forstater, the founder of campaign group Sex Matters, said police should always record the sex of suspects and perpetrators. 'No law requires police to record false information about criminals' sex or to mix it up with the nebulous concept of 'gender identity',' she added. A heartbroken friend of Luke Davies has revealed the last message he received from the flight attendant before he was allegedly murdered. Jesse Baird, 26, and Mr Davies, 29, had spent the night before their alleged killings partying at the Beresford Hotel club in Surry Hills with friends before returning to the ex-Channel 10 roving reporter's $1.5million rented Paddington terrace home. The couple were both shot by NSW Police Senior Constable Beau Lamarre-Condon at the apartment around 9.50am on Monday, police allege. Now, one of Mr Davies close friends has revealed that the Qantas flight attendant sent him a message just 20 minutes before his death. Jesse Baird, 26, and Mr Davies, 29, had spent the night before their alleged killings partying at the Beresford Hotel club in Surry Hills with friends before returning to the ex-Channel 10 roving reporter's $1.5million rented Paddington terrace home (the couple are pictured together) One of Mr Davies close friends Dean Bailey (pictured, rigleftht) has revealed that the Qantas flight attendant sent him a message just 20 minutes before his death 'We'd always send funny Instagram memes back and forth to each other and so I received one at 9:18 the morning of the incident, and it was a funny Instagram meme, followed by a crying laughter emoji, which is pretty much what Luke was like,' close pal Dean Bailey told Sunrise. 'You could picture him actually physically laughing as he sent that message. 'To know that within 30 minutes after that, things took a turn for the worse and the unimaginable happened, it's heartbreaking to think what went on from that message that he sent to me and then whatever happened in the 30 minutes that followed.' Human remains belonging to Mr Davies and Mr Baird were discovered stuffed inside surf bags and buried in a lonely bush grave on Tuesday afternoon. Their alleged killer allegedly hired a white rental van to transport their bodies to a remote farm property in Bungonia, around 180km south-west of Sydney. A sea of flowers has been left outside the home where police allege TV presenter Jesse Baird and his flight attendant partner Luke Davies were murdered (pictured) Beau Lamarre-Condon (pictured) has been charged with two counts of murder It is alleged he then returned to the site to move the bodies to another location in Bungonia about 20 minutes' drive away. Mr Bailey said he had not 'come to terms' with his friend's passing. 'I wake up and I expect to get a message from Luke saying 'Hi, I'm coming to Brisbane this weekend what are we doing?' It's heartbreaking to know that message is never going to come,' Mr Bailey said. Devastated relatives of Jesse Baird visited the bushland graves of the Channel 10 presenter and Mr Davies on Tuesday evening. About 180km away on the same evening, shattered friends of Mr Baird and Mr Davies gathered at Bronte Beach for a vigil. Lamarre-Condon is currently in Silverwater Correctional Complex, in Sydney's west. His matter is before the courts. MPs have changed their votes because of threats from protesters, the security minister said yesterday. Tom Tugendhat said 'a threatening few have made their voices heard and made them fear for their safety and the safety of their families'. Unveiling a 31million package to boost the security of MPs and councillors, he added: 'That is more than a threat to us, it is threat to the very democratic principles and values that define who we are as a country. 'Let me absolutely clear, they must fail. If we were to stumble or to succumb to these pressures we would not just see this House diminished, but our communities across the country would suffer.' Referring to a pro-Palestine protest outside Parliament ahead of a debate on Gaza last Wednesday, Mr Tugendhat said: 'Demonstrators threatened to force Parliament to lock its doors. What these thugs were actually asking us to do was to put our constituents second and to bow to those who were shouting loudest.' Tom Tugendhat (pictured) said 'a threatening few have made their voices heard and made them fear for their safety and the safety of their families' Penny Mordaunt (pictured) compared threats facing MPs to past actions by the Irish Republican Army and insisted Westminster would not be cowed Police chiefs yesterday said pro-Palestine marches divert resources away from tackling violent crime and 'put lives at risk' (Pictured: A protest on February 21) Labour MP Andrew Gwynne said he had been subject to 'serious death threats' and revealed these had extended to his children. He added: 'At one stage, we had to ensure that our teenage daughter was physically escorted to and from sixth-form college and she wasn't allowed off campus at break times.' Penny Mordaunt compared threats facing MPs to past actions by the Irish Republican Army and insisted Westminster would not be cowed. The Commons leader said: 'This House will not, has not, and must not bow to terrorism or intimidation. What we are experiencing is a new form of an old story. 'There are members who still sit on these benches who can remember being issued with mirrors to look under their cars in the morning. We are facing a new form of that old threat. 'It failed then and it is going to fail now but while we focus on ending that threat, we must not lose sight of the good in our country and what we can all do to help this situation.' Rishi Sunak has told police chiefs to get tough with people trying to impose 'mob rule' by intimidating politicians. But Tom Southerden of Amnesty International warned that fundamental rights were being eroded. He said: 'Talk of 'mob rule' wildly exaggerates the issue and risks delegitimising the rights of peaceful protest.' Police chiefs yesterday said pro-Palestine marches divert resources away from tackling violent crime and 'put lives at risk'. Donna Jones, chairman of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, called on march organisers to stop the mass demonstrations, which have been staged across the country since the Hamas terror attacks on Israel. 'This has to stop,' she said. 'London is facing unprecedented levels of pressure coming from the largest scale protests the country has seen. 'Whilst the right to protest underpins every civilised community, so does the right of people to go about their lives peacefully. More than 25million has been spent on the protests... This is money that should be spent on preventing crimes, stopping knife attacks, drug gangs and violent crimes across the capital. 'The effects of these highly disruptive protests are losing the goodwill of the people of the country and putting lives at risk.' Ms Jones said hate crimes had risen 147 per cent since October. Former defence secretary Ben Wallace has spoken of a 'toxic' addiction to politics, which he said can destroy marriages and families. The Tory MP opened up about the 'personal toll' of the job and how he struggled to switch off both because he loved the work and because of 'the problem in front of us'. Mr Wallace, 53, who is standing down at the next election, told of the strain of constantly having to be ready for a crisis and sleeping with three phones by his bed. The Wyre and Preston North MP is now separated from Liza Cooke they married in 2001 and told former Downing Street communications director Andy Coulson's Crisis What Crisis podcast he had become addicted to his job. He described the Westminster bubble as 'an addiction but it's also toxic', adding: 'It can destroy marriages, lives, families. And I watch young MPs and researchers and civil servants come into it and I see that addiction grow.' Reflecting on his time in office, he said: 'I didn't really cope with switching off and that's the personal toll. I couldn't switch off for a number of reasons. One is the problem in front of us, but secondly I loved it. There was an addiction.' Mr Wallace served as Secretary of State for Defence from July 2019 to August last year. Before that, he was a security minister at the Home Office from July 2016. Ben Wallace married his wife Liz Cooke in 2001. The couple have since separated. He said he wished his wife, two sons and daughter had moved to be with him in London instead of staying in Lancashire Mr Wallace, who was defence secretary from 2019 to 2023, told Andy Coulson's Crisis What Crisis podcast he had become addicted to his job. He described the Westminster bubble as 'an addiction but it's also toxic', adding: 'It can destroy marriages, lives, families. And I watch young MPs and researchers and civil servants come into it and I see that addiction grow' Mr Wallace has been the MP for Wyre and Preston North since 2005. He said that when he stands down as an MP at the next election he would 'try and fix some of my things in my private, personal life' as well as lose weight He said he wished his wife, two sons and daughter had moved to be with him in London instead of staying in Lancashire. His job meant he had to constantly be on alert to authorise operations, issue warrants or take calls from international counterparts. He said that when he stands down as an MP at the next election he would 'try and fix some of my things in my private, personal life' as well as lose weight. Mr Wallace added: 'If we'd lived in London I would have come home in the evening at least and spent the night in my own bed and seen my children and maybe been better at it.' He also recalled he considered running in Tory leadership contests, but decided not to because 'I didn't want the cost that came with it'. President Joe Biden took a verbal detour during his visit to the border to tear into climate change deniers. Biden ridiculed climate change skeptics at the bop of his high-profile visit to Brownsville, Texas, in remarks carried live on cable networks. He had just given an update on the Smokehouse Creek wildfires that have ripped through the Texas panhandle, and were spreading to Oklahoma. That brought a refrain about all the other wildfires Biden has toured as president. 'The idea there's no such thing as climate change. I love that, man. I love some of my Neanderthal friends who still think there's no climate change,' he said. 'Well, my administration going to keep building on the progress we've made fighting the climate crisis,' Biden pledged. President Joe Biden began his remarks at the border by speaking about Texas wildfire damage, then tearing into people who 'there's no such thing as climate change' He referenced some of his tours of fire devastation, on a border trip that GOP critics were calling a 'photo-op.' That included devastating fire damage in California, Hawaii, and New Mexico, and other locations. 'I've flown over a lot of these wildfires since they've been president. And matter of fact, I've been a helicopter in the West in the Southwest and Northwest, flown over more land burned to the ground all the vegetation gone, than this entire state of Maryland, [by] square footage.' He said FEMA has already 'guaranteed that Texas and Oklahoma will be reimbursed for the cost of keeping folks safe. Biden began his remarks at the border by speaking about devastating fire damage The Smokehouse Creek Fire that has scorched 1,075,000 acres and is at 3 percent contained, making it the largest recorded wildfire in the Lone Star state From the sky: The devastating wildfire's destructive path can be seen in this aerial photo Biden compared climate change deniers to Neanderthals The Smokehouse Creek Fire is officially the largest and most devastating fire in Texas' history - as it burns through more than 1.1 million acres of land. At the same time, other parts of the Panhandle are getting buffeted by snow. Biden wasn't the only one who diverted during the border clash with Trump. Trump once again raised his 2020 election fraud claims during his border visit. The Massachusetts Air National Guard member accused of leaking highly classified military documents on social media will plead guilty in federal court, according to leal documents filed Thursday. Jack Teixeira previously pleaded not guilty to the charges surrounding his alleged posting of classified documents on the social media platform Discord, but prosecutors have now asked the federal judge to schedule a change of plea hearing for Monday. No other details about the forthcoming hearing or Teixeira's plea status were immediately available. Jack Teixeira previously pleaded not guilty to the charges surrounding his alleged posting of classified documents on the social media platform Discord, but prosecutors have now asked the federal judge to schedule a change of plea hearing for Monday. FBI agents arrest Jack Teixeira, an employee of the U.S. Air Force National Guard, in connection with an investigation into the leaks online of classified U.S. documents, outside a residence in this still image taken from video in North Dighton, Massachusetts, U.S., April 13, 2023 Teixeira, a Massachusetts native, has been locked up since his arrest last April for the leak that sent the military and Biden administration into a tizzy as they attempted to mitigate the damage done internationally. Allies also had to be reassured that their secrets were being well safeguarded by the US government. Teixeira, 22, was indicted on six counts of willful retention of national defense information and the subsequent leaking of it. The young man was accused of sharing classified documents about Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine on Discord, a social media platform usedprimarily by video game enthusiasts. Investigators say Teixeira was in charge of a group on the platform called Thug Shaker Central, in which weapons and wars were discussed. Teixeira joined the Air National Guard in 2019 and began last January to share military secrets with his Discord pals. Authorities say he would first type out classified material but soon moved to sharing photographs of files labeled SECRET and TOP SECRET. Before he was found out, he worked as a 'cyber transport systems specialist' - an IT specialist for military communications networks. Teixeira was found out on April 6 - the same day the New York Times ran a story about the leaked documents. Apparently, the national guardsman had searched the word 'leak' inside a classified system in an effort to find out information about the investigation into the leaker, according to the FBI. Teixeira, 22, was indicted on six counts of willful retention of national defense information and the subsequent leaking of it The US Department of Justice released photo evidence collected during the investigation into US Air National Guardsman accused of leaking classified documents online Prosecutors say Teixeira continued leaking government secrets ever after receiving a warning by superiors about mishandling classified information and viewing that which he did not have permission to view. Even after the warning, he was again flagged for looking through information not directly related to the intelligence field. Ahead of a potential trial, authorities have not provided much insight into possible motives for Teixeira's behavior. Chats between the 22-year-old and members of the Discord group indicate that his actions may have been motivated more by bravado than any specific ideology. Prosecutors have urged the judge to keep the defendant locked up as the case plays out for reasons including a large arsenal of weapons found at his house and a history of disturbing online statements. In one social media post, he wrote that if he could, he would kill a 'ton of people' because it would be 'culling the weak minded.' Judge Indira Talwani denied him bail after determining that 'No set of release conditions will reasonably assure the safety of the community, or prevent destruction of evidence.' After decades of getting away with appalling attacks on women and children, it a nickname that he must have revelled in. Right up until the moment of his arrest for the murder of Sarah Everard, Wayne Couzens was known fondly as 'Papa Wayne' to colleagues, who described him as 'our work dad'. In reality, the man officers in the Met looked up to as a 'father figure' was a predator whose vile crimes would devastate the public's faith in British policing. Yesterday a shocking report revealed how officers failed to uncover the monster in their midst due to a toxic combination of apathy, disinterest and misogyny towards victims who reported sexual crimes, as well as catastrophic vetting blunders which failed to stop Couzens becoming a police officer in the first place. The true scale of Couzens' offending during his 26-year reign of terror may never be known, Lady Elish Angiolini warned yesterday. Right up until the moment of his arrest for the murder of Sarah Everard , Wayne Couzens was known fondly as 'Papa Wayne' to colleagues The first offence nearly three decades ago Ten years before he joined the police, Couzens is said to have tried to kidnap a woman at knifepoint in north London. The victim contacted the police shortly after the attack in 1995, but the perpetrator was never identified at the time. It wasn't until his conviction for Ms Everard's murder that the victim named Couzens as the man responsible. But prosecutors said there still wasn't enough evidence to charge him. At the time, Couzens was in his 20s, working in a garage where friends recalled his pursuit of 'alarmingly young' girls. Often reeking of expensive aftershave, he splashed out on designer clothing, a hair transplant and drove 'glamorous' cars in a desperate bid to impress youngsters. It was around this time that Couzens is also accused of committing a serious sexual assault of a child, who was barely a teenager. Sarah Everard went missing in south London on the night of March 3 after Couzens falsely arrested her for breaking coronavirus restrictions, then kidnapped, raped and murdered her Sarah's family said the inquiry helped them, not just because of its significant findings, but because it made them feel that Sarah's life was valued (Pictured: Jeremy Everard (left), the father of Sarah Everard, outside the Old Bailey, central London, with other family members) Well-wishers embrace after placing flowers at a band-stand where a planned vigil in honour of Sarah Everard was cancelled after police outlawed it Messages and floral tributes were left by well-wishers to honour victim Sarah Everard at the bandstand on Clapham Common in south London Sarah Everard was spotted on CCTV leaving a branch of Sainsbury's in Brixton Hill, south London, on the night she went missing When police searched his computer after his arrest for the subsequent murder, they found a large stash of indecent images of children. Couzens had also downloaded several sexploitation videos showing a police officer raping and murdering a woman who taunts his impotence. Joining the Territorial Army In 2002, Couzens joined the Territorial Army where he cornered an intimidated young reservist demanding her phone number. Couzens proudly showed young reservists his violent pornography collection in 2004, playing videos of a woman being forced to perform a sex act and shocking clips of bestiality in a bar. In the same year he is said to have indecently exposed himself to a teenage girl in south London, who did not report the matter until 2021. Hooked on livestream pornography, sex workers and adult dating sites, Couzens' offending began to escalate. Between November 2006 and January 2007, he is accused of raping a woman during a singles event linked to a dating website at a bar in east London. The victim came forward after Ms Everard's murder, but police decided not to pursue the case due to 'evidential difficulties'. The true scale of Couzens' offending during his 26-year reign of terror may never be known, Lady Elish Angiolini (pictured) warned yesterday A failed application to join Kent Police Couzens applied to join Kent Police and Civil Nuclear Constabulary around 2005 but he failed to make the grade in interviews. Despite this, he was accepted as a special constable where male colleagues remembered him as a 'phenomenal officer' and 'all-round good guy'. But some of the women who encountered him off-duty told a very different story of sexual harassment and assault. One woman was bombarded with photographs of his penis. Another victim who was injured at a social event was tended to by Couzens, who took the opportunity to lift her skirt and squeeze her leg under the guise of putting on a plaster. The inquiry heard of another occasion when Couzens is alleged to have sexually assaulted a young woman in a car by putting his hand underneath her dress. None of the incidents was reported at the time. Yesterday a shocking report revealed how officers failed to uncover the monster in their midst due to a toxic combination of apathy, disinterest and misogyny towards victims who reported sexual crimes Couzens' repeated attempts to join the force as a salaried officer were rejected due to his mounting debts after taking out payday loans and maxing out credit cards, making him vulnerable to corruption. In November 2008, Couzens is said to have struck again, exposing himself to a mother pushing a pram who immediately reported the matter, but he was not traced at the time. Lady Elish found that 'by the time Couzens resigned from Kent Special Constabulary, he already had a history of abusive and potentially criminal sexual activity'. 'These behaviours ranged from intimidation, sexual touching, sharing unsolicited photographs of his penis and showing extreme pornography, to an alleged very serious sexual assault against a child barely into her teens'. The Civil Nuclear Constabulary blunder Couzens should have been refused vetting to become a police officer due to an individual voluntary agreement, a form of insolvence he had declared in 2007. But having been repeatedly refused by Kent Police, Couzens was accepted to join Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC) in 2011 due to an extraordinary vetting blunder. The force, which protects after nuclear facilities, outsourced vetting to Thames Valley Police who recommended that Couzens be rejected. Ten years before he joined the police, Couzens is said to have tried to kidnap a woman at knifepoint in north London But in the meantime, CNC bosses were so desperate for new recruits that they had already decided to sponsor Couzens for national vetting clearance before hearing back from Thames Valley Police about the rejection. Yesterday Chief Constable Simon Chesterman apologised, saying: 'Wayne Couzens should not have been in the police service. 'The Civil Nuclear Constabulary accepts our part in this and I unreservedly apologise for the fact that man became a police officer.' The night Couzens went missing In a chilling echo of the night Ms Everard was murdered, Couzens went out on the prowl in a courtesy car on June 30, 2013. He was reported missing to police at 1.44am after failing to return from a 9pm gym session in Folkestone. A vehicle registration check revealed he was miles away in Ashford. Lady Elish said: 'Couzens could have been driving around looking for a victim, in the same way as he did almost eight years later on the evening he abducted Sarah Everard and on other dates in the lead-up to his crimes.' Police were told around 4am that he was on his way home, but in reality Couzens had booked himself into a hotel room. Couzens should have been refused vetting to become a police officer due to an individual voluntary agreement, a form of insolvence he had declared in 2007 Missed opportunity to stop a killer In 2015, Couzens was reported driving around Dover naked from below the waist by a caller who provided the make, model and registration of his car. Within minutes of the call, vehicle records revealed Couzens was the insured driver. A sergeant stationed in Ashford, where Couzens had previously worked, twice accessed a file revealing that Couzens was a former special constable in the force. But the officer logged that 'no crime' had been committed, suggesting the caller's account was disputed. How did he pass the Met's vetting system? Drowning in debt due to a succession of loans, including cash taken from police welfare funds, Couzens decided to join the Met in 2018 hoping for a pay rise. In yet another vetting blunder, re-vetting by the Met should have flagged that his car was linked to the 2015 unsolved indecent exposure. But inexplicably officers recorded there was 'no trace' of any linked crimes on the Police National Database. Worryingly, even after Couzens had been prosecuted, Met bosses were still insisting in 2022 that there was no reason that he would not have passed Met vetting. Within a year, the officer, who colleagues described as a 'very happy, friendly and smiley', had secretly bought covert surveillance equipment in preparation for 'hunting trips' around London. In 2020, police missed yet another opportunity to catch Couzens when he leapt out of the woods at a female cyclist, standing naked and carrying out a sex act He bought a 'mini spy car key chain' consisting of a motion detection camera and hidden camcorder, a pocket-size telescope and an 'eyewear video spy camera' with a hidden lens that could be attached to a pair of glasses. Police believe Couzens raped a woman in December 2019 who reported being attacked in a tunnel under a bridge in London, but he was not identified at the time. He is also suspected of groping a man in drag at a bar in the summer. At the same time, Couzens was swapping sickening messages with colleagues advocating the sexual assault of domestic abuse victims. When no one reported him, Couzens' deviant behaviour continued to escalate. In December 2020, he was seen in his home town wearing handcuffs, a baton and pepper spray. When questioned, he lied, claiming he was undercover. He began messaging women selling clothing online, asking them to masturbate on bikinis and shorts and send them to him. The 51-year-old went on to expose himself to two terrified female attendants at a McDonald's drive-through restaurant in Kent on February 14 and 27, 2021 An escalating pattern of evil In 2020, police missed yet another opportunity to catch Couzens when he leapt out of the woods at a female cyclist, standing naked and carrying out a sex act in a remote country lane in Kent in November. The cyclist told a female police officer what had happened within minutes of the attack which was only a few miles from where Couzens took Ms Everard after kidnapping her. But police were unable to trace Couzens at the time after the victim could not recall his full number plate. The 51-year-old went on to expose himself to two terrified female attendants at a McDonald's drive-through restaurant in Kent on February 14 and 27, 2021, with the last attack just three days before Couzens snatched Ms Everard from a street in south London. Police were given his description, car registration and bank card details, yet officers failed to investigate any of the attacks, interview the victims or identify the sex offender as one of their own officers until he had been arrested for the murder. A day later, Couzens booked the hire car that he would use to abduct Ms Everard as she walked home from a friend's house. Sarah Everard died because her killer Wayne Couzens was a police officer who abused a position of trust he should never have been given, her devastated family said yesterday. They spoke out as a shocking report revealed police missed countless opportunities to stop the monster who spent more than 20 years attacking women and children before carrying out the 2021 murder which shocked the nation. Yesterday the chairman of an inquiry into his vile crimes, ahead of this weekend's third anniversary of the crime, concluded there could be other predators lurking undetected in the ranks of British police. Despite police chiefs promising reforms to root out criminals in uniform, Lady Elish Angiolini said there was 'nothing to stop another Couzens operating in plain sight'. In what has been described 'as one of the darkest episodes in British policing', it emerged that the 51-year-old Scotland Yard officer who abducted, raped and murdered the 33-year-old marketing executive should have been blocked from joining the police under vetting rules which prevent the recruitment of officers vulnerable to corruption due to serious debt or insolvency. Wayne Couzens spent more than 20 years attacking women and children before killing Sarah Everard in 2021 The 51-year-old Scotland Yard officer abducted, raped and murdered the 33-year-old marketing executive But the chairman of an inquiry into Couzens's crimes has said there is nothing to stop another criminal in uniform operating in 'plain sight' But a series of vetting blunders allowed him to slip through the net. Couzens was reported to police eight times for indecent exposure before the murder on March 3, 2021, yet 'lethargic' colleagues missed his escalating 'trajectory of sexually motivated behaviour and offending' because they were 'disinterested' in investigating. Lady Elish said she believed Ms Everard would be alive today if police had done their jobs properly, describing the 'lamentable failure' of officers who displayed 'apathy and disinterest and found reasons not to pursue the cases'. She questioned 'whether there exists a deep-rooted culture in policing in which finding reasons not to pursue a crime is preferred over any attempt to build a successful case for prosecution'. In a hard-hitting 343-page inquiry, she revealed new evidence that Couzens is suspected of a raft of attacks including multiple rapes, the serious sexual assault of a child and an attempted knifepoint kidnapping of a woman as far back as 1995. Eight years before the murder, Couzens is believed to have spent a night scouting for a victim in 2013 and later started carrying his police handcuffs, baton and pepper spray to go off-duty on 'hunting trips' around London, Lady Elish said. The inquiry concluded that the evidence uncovered about Couzens' crimes was just 'the tip of the iceberg'. Yet despite scores of new victims coming forward, Couzens will not face any further prosecutions due to 'evidential difficulties'. Scotland Yard Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said police had done everything they could with the evidence they had. Pictured: Floral tributes left to honour Sarah Everard at the bandstand on Clapham Common Couzens used his status as a police officer to trick Ms Everard into thinking he could arrest her for breaking lockdown rules during the pandemic Last night national police leaders apologised to Ms Everard's family as they conceded that Couzens should never have been in uniform, using his position to lure his victim as she walked home from a friend's house. Couzens who will never be released from prison used his status as a police officer to trick Ms Everard into thinking he could arrest her for breaking lockdown rules in place during the Covid pandemic. But had he been investigated properly for indecent exposures reported as early as 2015, Couzens would have been kicked out of policing years earlier. Lady Elish wants an urgent review of indecent exposure cases, saying reports of the crime needed to be taken seriously. She said it was 'astonishing' that even after Couzens' arrest, the Met said it would still have recruited him under its vetting rules. College of Policing boss Andy Marsh said he could not guarantee there weren't other sex offenders in policing. Rishi Sunak said: This was a chilling, abominable crime that shook the country to its very core. I am sickened by the details that have come to light today and the police must urgently make changes to earn that trust back. No woman should ever feel unsafe on our streets.' President Joe Biden called on Donald Trump to work with him on border security instead of 'playing politics.' He told his likely rival in the 2024 presidential race that they should work together for the American people. Biden was in Brownsville, Texas, to tour the border and call on House Republicans to pass a bipartisan border security bill already approved by the Senate. Trump, who was conducting his own tour of the border in Eagle Pass has opposed the legislation. President Joe Biden asked Donald Trump to work with him on border security The president then reached out to his rival and asked him to work together. 'I understand my predecessor is in Eagle Pass. Here's what I'd say to Mr. Trump,' Biden said. 'Instead of telling members of Congress to block this legislation, join me or I'll join you in telling the Congress to pass this bipartisan border security bill.' 'We can do it together. You know and I know that it's the toughest, most effective border security bill this country has ever seen,' he added. 'Instead of playing politics, just get together and get it done. Let's remember who the heck we work for. We work for the American people, not the Democratic party, the Republican party. We work for the American people.' Biden also reiteriated his call for Speaker Mike Johnson to bring the border security bill to the floor. Conservatives oppose the measure, saying it needs to be stronger. 'It would pass,' the president said of the legislation. 'The majority of Democrats and Republicans support this legislation.' 'We need to act. Its time.' Border agents briefed Biden on their needs for the border, talking about how they needed more personnel and more technology to combat illegal crossings. Biden had one of his cheat sheets with him, which he referenced as he asked questions. Donald Trump toured the border in Eagle Pass, Texas Biden holds a cheat sheet in his hand as he gets a briefing from border agents Ahead of his remarks, Biden met with border agents along the banks of the Rio Grande. The president's trip panned by critics as a campaign 'photo op' began with his motorcade driving along the 20-foot fence separating the United States and Mexico. The 81-year-old then met with members of the Border Patrol, hours after the head of their union warned Biden to 'keep our name out of your mouth'. The 2024 rivals headed to Texas with recent polls showing immigration becoming the number one concern for most Americans. As the president, 81, was given a tour of the migrant crossing area, security was tight. A boat was in the water, trucks and ATVs surrounded the area, and a drone flew overhead. Nearby, cars flying Trump flags were parked where Biden could see them. At the airport, the president was greeted with protesters demanding a ceasefire in Gaza. Biden stood by the river, speaking to the agents, as Donald Trump, his presumed 2024 presidential rival, arrived at Eagle Pass for his own tour at the busy migrant passage area 324 miles away. President Biden gets a tour of the border from CBP agents at the Rio Grande River in Brownsville, Texas As the president, 81, was given a tour of the migrant crossing area, security was tight. A boat was in the water, trucks and ATVs surrounded the area, and a drone flew overhead Biden arrived in Texas about 30 minutes after Trump. Biden brought his Homeland Security secretary for his meeting with border agents and local officials. Trump has Texas' Republican Gov. Greg Abbott with him and the head of the Border Patrol Agents' union. The messages of their trips are entirely different. Biden will push for House Republicans to approve a bipartisan border security bill already passed by the Senate. Trump will decry Biden's border policies for letting in record numbers of migrants. 'It's good weather. Beautiful day but a very dangerous border. We're going to take care of it,' Trump told reporters upon his arrival. Trump then met with Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who has been in a face-off with the Biden administration over dealing with the surge in migrants Trump met with Abbott and got briefed about efforts to shut down crossings in Eagle Pass The area is the sight of a clash between the Biden administration and Texas officials over authorities at the border Abbott has activated Guard units to install razor wire in an effort to keep out migrants Gov. Abbott, giving Trump his tour told the former president: 'This is a port of entry. There's no reason for these people to be crossing between a port of entry. Remember one thing, no one drowns on a bridge. They drowned trying to come across here because Joe Biden entices them if not forces them to come here.' The White House has defended the president, saying its House Republicans engaged in a 'political stunt.' While in Brownsville, Biden will 'meet with U.S. Border Patrol agents, law enforcement, frontline personnel, and local leaders to discuss the urgent need to pass the Senate bipartisan border security agreement,' a White House official said. Biden is considering executive orders that would move to shut down the border to new arrivals if more than an average of 5,000 migrants per day tried to cross unlawfully in the course of a week, or more than 8,500 tried to cross in a day. President Biden was given a tour of the border at the Rio Grande Donald Trump getting a tour of the border as Joe Biden gets his The leaders' locations are also a contrast in images. Trump is in Eagle Pass, which remains a migration hot spot while crossings in Brownsville have dropped dramatically. The main thrust of Biden's message will be about House Republicans's failure to pass a bipartisan border package already approved by the Senate. Conservatives argue the legislation is not strong enough to combat illegal immigration. The bill included over $20 billion for border security that would add new Customs and Border Patrol agents, add more asylum officers to increase that process time, and add more immigration judges. Democrats accuse the GOP of election year politics. Trump, who is Biden's likely rival in the 2024 presidential election, has come out against the legislation. The former president, while he is in Eagle Pass, will blast Biden on the record high number of illegal crossings and the murder of Laken Riley, a Georgia nursing student. An illegal immigrant was arrested and charged with the crime. His campaign has accused Biden of piggy-backing onto Trump's decision to visit the border, which the White House denies. Security it tight for Joe Biden's border visit President Joe Biden (R) greets Brownsville Mayor John Cowen upon arrival at Brownsville South Padre Island International Airport in Brownsville, Texas There was a lot of trash but no sign of migrants at Rio Grande in Brownsville, Texas Donald Trump will be in Eagle Pass, Texas, on the same day Biden is in Brownsville, Texas Texas National Guard talk to migrants making an illegal crossing in Eagle Pass, where there is still a lot of border traffic In Brownsville, border crossings have dropped dramatically in the past months, after Republican Gov. Greg Abbott had miles of the wire fencing installed as part of Operation Lone Star, which he signed into law in December. Internal CBP data for all border patrol stations in February - obtained by Fox News - shows that the Brownsville area had about 462 apprehensions, which averages out to about 17 per day. That makes Brownsville, Texas, the 29th busiest border patrol station for the month. The number one station was Three Points in Tucson, Arizona, sector, which has recorded more than 13,900 apprehensions in February. Brownsville could give Biden a platform to argue illegal crossings have dropped dramatically given it was the busiest corridor for illegal crossings for nine years. But Republicans have called it something else: a 'photo-op.' Speaker Mike Johnson accused Biden of going merely for the optics. 'Brownsville is the 29th ranked hotspot. Why would he go to the 29th? Because he doesn't really want to see the reality,' he said Thursday. At a House Republican leadership news conference, many of the leaders repeatedly accused Biden of a 'photo op.' 'President Biden goes down to the border today for a photo op,' Majority Leader Steve Scalise said. 'He has the authority today to fix this problem that he created.' The White House has said it's House Republicans who are turning the border into a 'political stunt.' White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre pushed back against GOP criticism of Biden's trip, noting it was House Republicans who refused to bring up a vote on a bipartisan border security bill after Trump came out against it. 'Oh, it's very different. What House Republicans have done is nothing, absolutely nothing. If anything, they consistently get in the way,' she said during her press briefing. 'They are turning this into a political stunt by listening to Donald Trump and saying that they need to kill it. This is what they've been doing and making it political where the President got his team now directed his team to work with senators, both Republicans and Democrats to get a bill done.' Members of the Texas National Guard on patrol at the border - crossings have gone down since Republican Gov. Greg Abbott installed fencing Last May, before the fencing was installed, lines of immigrants wait at Camp Monument to be processed into the country The border wall between Brownsville, Texas, and Mexico Brownsville has a predominantly Hispanic population, which, at 93.9%, is the third-highest proportion of Hispanic Americans of any city in the U.S. It's proximation to the border and heavy Hispanic community had made it a hot spot for illegal immigration. Also, with 200,000 people, it's one of the larger cities in the country and able to absorb the migrant influx. The city is also a Democratic stronghold. And it has a large bus station and airport for migrants to use to leave for other destinations. Biden and Trump's trips come as the immigration issue ratches to the forefront of the campaign. They also come a few days before the Super Tuesday primaries on March 5, when more than a dozen states hold Republican nominating contests. Both men have railed against each other on the border issue as they try to turn it into election year fodder. There have been record crossings of the border during Biden's administration, a fact Trump and Republicans have hammered him on. And, according to a Gallup poll, immigration is the most common issue mentioned by adult voters who disapprove of Bidens performance. The White House has been trying to turn the narrative on the issue, blaming Trump and House Republicans for refusing to support the bipartisan Senate bill. Conservatives argue that piece of legislation didn't go far enough. The bill included over $20 billion for border security that would add new Customs and Border Patrol agents, add more asylum officers to increase that process time, and add more immigration judges. The president also has been under pressure from Democrats, including governors, mayors and senators in border states, to do more on the issue. His first trip to the southern border was in January 2023, when Biden spent about four hours on the ground in El Paso, Texas. The disappearance of a teacher has been referred to homicide detectives after a series of police failures left the case lying dormant for decades while her family were told she was alive and well. Mother-of-two Marion Barter, 51, disappeared in suspicious circumstances in 1997. She was last seen on June 22, the day she flew out of Brisbane for a trip to England with Ric Blum, a man with whom she had recently started a relationship after meeting him through a personal ad. Mother-of-two Marion Barter, 51, disappeared in suspicious circumstances in 1997. Her daughter Sally Leydon says her mother's behaviour before leaving Australia was out of character Ms Barter's daughter, Sally Leydon, filed a report with police in October, concerned she had not heard from her mother while also noting $80,000 had been drained from her bank account in a series of transactions. But the file was not marked as a missing-person report and lay dormant for a decade. NSW State Coroner Teresa O'Sullivan on Thursday accepted Ms Barter was dead and described the circumstances surrounding her disappearance as 'troubling'. Dozens of Ms Leydon's friends and supporters filled the Sydney courtroom for the inquest findings, with many wearing green in tribute to Ms Barter's favourite colour. The Belgian-born Mr Blum did not appear. Ms O'Sullivan dismissed the NSW Police investigation into Ms Barter's disappearance as inadequate, noting little was done until 2019, when the case became the subject of a hit podcast series. The coroner detailed a series of police missteps, including the initial failure to document Ms Barter as missing. She also criticised Detective Senior Constable Gary Sheehan's decision to reclassify Ms Barter as located in 2011 when she had not been seen and there was no evidence of her being alive. The lack of any police investigation - despite Ms Leydon's repeated attempts to have officers consider the case - meant crucial evidence was lost, Ms O'Sullivan said. The coroner also outlined a series of extraordinary coincidences in the case, including the unusual name Ms Barter adopted via deed poll in the month before she disappeared. She was last seen on June 22, the day she flew out of Brisbane for an indefinite trip to England with Ric Blum (pictured) Ms Barter was last seen at a bus station in the hours before she took a flight under her new identity, Florabella Natalia Marion Remakel. Her outgoing passenger card stated that she was divorced and intended to live in Luxembourg. Weeks later, on August 2, she was listed as returning to Australia with an incoming passenger card stating she was married and living in the small European nation. Ms Barter changed her name because 'she was in a relationship with Mr Blum and sought to share a name and life with him', Ms O'Sullivan found. The schoolteacher met Mr Blum after the married man placed a personal ad under the name 'M F Remakel' without the knowledge of his wife and family. He encouraged Ms Barter to change her name and start a new life with him in Luxemburg, the coroner said. There was also evidence she withdrew tens of thousands of dollars from her account, on the encouragement of Mr Blum, before she disappeared. Inquiries revealed someone accessed the missing woman's bank account following her disappearance. Marion Barter, aged 51 at the time, was last seen at a bus depot on Scarborough Street at Southport, Queensland Ms O'Sullivan said she did not accept any evidence given by Mr Blum, who she believed was withholding key information and had represented himself to 'single, vulnerable women for financial gain'. 'His lies and deception throughout this inquest convinces me that he does indeed know more than he's saying,' she said. Ms O'Sullivan has referred the case to the NSW Police unsolved homicide team for review. A teary Ms Leydon hugged supporters after the findings were delivered, telling them: 'We'll get him eventually.' In a statement, NSW Police said they would consider the coronial findings. 'This matter has been referred to the homicide squad, unsolved homicide team for ongoing monitoring and assessment,' the statement said. 'Anyone who may have information that can assist Strike Force Jurunga investigators is urged to contact police.' A $500,000 reward for information on Ms Barter's disappearance remains on offer. Victorian Labor senator Linda White has died following a health battle. The exact cause of death has yet to be made public. Senator White was elected to the upper house at the 2022 federal election. In February, she announced she would take leave from the Senate due to health issues. Senator White was elected to the upper house at the 2022 federal election. In February, she announced she would take leave from the Senate due to health issues Senator Linda White (right) pictured alongside Prime Minister Anthony Albanese Before entering federal politics, she worked for 10 years as a solicitor, while also serving as the assistant national secretary of the Australian Services Union from 1995 to 2020. She also spent a 10-year period as the vice president of the ACTU. But he insisted that his dad was not involved in the Chinese deal He acknowledged the email exchange from his ex-associate about '10 held by H for the big guy,' during the interview Hunter claimed he didn't remember leaving his infamous laptop at the repair shop was 'drunk and high' and suicidal most of his business career Hunter Biden in his full testimony before GOP impeachment investigators frequently blamed his addiction and suggested he was too high to recall certain events as he admitted at one point he tried to kill himself 'on a daily basis.' Hunter, 54, spent six hours on Capitol Hill Wednesday answering questions and denying his father Joe Biden's involvement in his foreign businesses as part of the Republican-led impeachment inquiry. Top Republican James Comer, R-Ky., made the full transcript of his bombshell testimony public just 24 hours later, and the over 200-page document is full of shocking information. Hunter claimed he didn't remember leaving his infamous laptop at the repair shop was 'drunk and high' and suicidal most of his business career, which he says blurs the lines on his personal and official messages to foreign associates that Republicans have seized on. For the first time, Hunter acknowledged the email exchange from his ex-associate James Gilliar about '10 held by H for the big guy,' breaking down proposed cuts of a profitable Chinese deal. But he insisted that his dad was not involved in the $5 million deal - or any of his business feats - and said he never referred to Joe as the 'big guy.' He also admitted putting his father Joe on speakerphone and inviting him to lunches many times over the years with business associates and 'friends,' but insisted he was not involved in his shady dealings with the Chinese, Ukrainians and others. Hunter told investigators he could not recall ever dropping off his infamous laptop at a Delaware computer repair shop, and suggested he would only ever take his laptops to the Apple shop for repair. Hunter, 54, spent six hours on Capitol Hill Wednesday answering questions about his father Joe Biden's involvement in his foreign businesses as part of the Republican-led impeachment inquiry 'Do you recall ever leaving a laptop at a repair shop?' Gaetz pressed. 'I do not,' said Hunter. The above picture was found on Hunter's abandoned laptop 'I was going to drop off a laptop - I don't ever remember doing that, but if I was going to drop off a laptop, I would have gone to the Apple store, which was 7 minutes from my parents' home there,' he told Rep. Matt Gaetz during a line of questioning on Wednesday. 'Do you recall ever leaving a laptop at a repair shop?' Gaetz pressed. 'I do not,' said Hunter. The first son admitted to putting his dad on speaker phone many times over the years, but insisted there was 'nothing nefarious' about it. He also said he couldn't recall discussing business with his dad during such calls. 'I'm surprised my dad hasn't called me right now, and if he did, I would put him on speakerphone to say hi to you and to Congressman Raskin and everybody else in the room. It is nothing nefarious literally,' Hunter said. 'My dad calls me like I'm sure a lot of your parents do or a lot of you do with your children, and if I'm with people that are friends of mine, I'll have him say hi.' He also admitted he invited his dad to businesses lunches, saying 'Would you call it involvement if my dad was in New York City at the same time I was in New York City and I was having lunch with some of my business associates, and I said, 'Hey, dad, come by for lunch'?' Hunter also said he could not remember introducing his dad to Ye Jianming, the founder of Chinese state-affiliated CEFC at a meeting at the Four Seasons, as former associate Rob Walker previously testified. 'I do not recall introducing my father to Ye Jianming. But I believe that that I don't recall that any meeting,' Hunter said. 'Rob Walker testified that there was a meeting at the Four Seasons with Ye Jianming, your father, and you were present as well, was his testimony,' the questioner went on. 'You don't recall that?' 'What was the date of that meeting?' Hunter asked, adding 'I do not recall the date of the meeting.' He also insisted that his business with CEFC was 'completely legitimate and completely, 100 percent in line with my experience and my abilities.' He said it was also 'done when my father wasn't even in office. He was out of office. It had nothing to do with my father.' Hunter also addressed the allegation that his father got 10 percent of a business deal with CEFC, saying he doesn't know 'what the hell' his associate James Gilliar was talking about. And he adamantly denied that he has ever referred to Joe as 'the big guy.' In a 2017 email to Hunter, his uncle Jim and other business partners regarding a deal with Chinese energy conglomerate CEFC, business partner James Gilliar made a reference to the 'big guy' getting a 10 percent stake in the lucrative deal. Another former associate of the first son, U.S. Navy veteran Tony Bobulinski, publicly claimed in October 2020 that 'big guy' was a reference to President Biden. But Hunter acknowledged the email exchange about '10 held by H for the big guy,' during the interview, but he insisted that it did not involve his dad and he never 'fully read' the exchange. 'I'm not even sure whether I ever fully read this. All I know is that my response has nothing to do with my father. It has absolutely zero -- my response doesn't mention any additional determination of percentages that would go to my father or anything,' he stated. 'It did not involve my dad,' he stated. 'I think that it was just as Rob Walker said. I think that it was pie in the sky. Like 'Joe Biden's out of the office. Maybe we'll be able to get him involved.'' 'Remember, again, is that Joe Biden, for first time in 48 years, is not an elected official and is not seeking office. And so James is probably, like, 'wow, wouldn't be great if a former Vice President could be in our business together?'' 'And I say you're out of your mind. My dad knows less about doing cross border blah, blah, blah, than he does about -- I mean, it's just ridiculous. It's absolutely ridiculous. 'And so I shut it down,' Hunter said. When asked later in the interview if he has ever called Joe 'big guy,' Hunter responded: 'No, I never called him that.' Hunter insisted his business with CEFC was 'completely legitimate and completely, 100 percent in line with my experience and my abilities.' He said none of the money in the $3 million deal with CEFC went to the president. 'The million dollars was divided into three ways -- excuse me, the $3 million. It was a retainer agreement with CEFC while we worked out a way in which to become partners through a different entity. And that million dollars that was accredited to me as it related to that, one-third to Rob, one-third to James, went to me -- not my father, not any bank account related to my father.' He also explained that during his business deals with CEFC and others, he was 'high and drunk' most of the time and was struggling with suicidal thoughts. Hunter was asked to explain a text he sent his oldest daughter Naomi in 2019 in which he complained about having to give Joe 'half' of his salary. He also threatened to never give her a 'dime' again. 'No, I don't recall sending this,' he told Rep. Gaetz when presented with the text exchanges. He said that at the time, he was 'literally on a daily basis trying to kill myself. ' 'It had nothing to do with business. It doesn't have anything to do with anything,' he explained further. He also explained that during his business deals with CEFC and others, he was 'high and drunk' most of the time and was struggling with suicidal thoughts Pictures of drugs were found on Hunter's abandoned laptop 'It's me complaining in every different way, shouting out at the world and literally in complete and utter agony. And my beautiful daughter is literally trying to save my life and reach out to me.' 'And I go on a tangent and a tirade, and I act like a child, and I say things that I would never, ever, ever, ever want to be read, because they don't resemble anything resembling the truth about the way that I think about my dad, who literally was also at this time trying to save my life. And so I don't know what you're trying to get at here.' At one point Hunter got into a tense back-and-forth with Gaetz, who has been investigated for using drugs and having sex with underage girls. 'Were you on drugs when you were on the Burisma board?' Gaetz asked. Hunter shot back: 'Mr. Gaetz, look me in the eye. You really think that's appropriate to ask me?' 'Absolutely,' said Gaetz. 'Of all the people sitting around this table, do you think that's appropriate to ask me?' said Hunter. 'Yeah. Are you going to answer it?' said Gaetz. 'You don't have to answer it,' said Hunter's attorney Abbe Lowell. 'I'm not going to answer it,' said Hunter. Next, Hunter Biden will have a public hearing after his six-hour closed-door deposition revealed 'many discrepancies' about Joe's involvement in his son's shady business deals, says top Republican James Comer. Comer, R-Ky., who chairs the House Oversight Committee, is leading the investigation into whether Joe Biden used his position and 'brand' to enrich his family in a complex $20 million 'influence peddling' scheme. He told reporters after Hunter's six-hour deposition 'proved several bits of our evidence' and added 'we will have a public hearing next.' 'I think a public hearing will hopefully clear up some discrepancies between some of the statements being made by some of the associates and that we heard today.' Hunter also admitted that he was 'high or drunk' when he sent his infamous incriminating WhatsApp message that he was the 'sitting here with my father' when demanding money from Chinese company CEFC. Hunter departed Capitol Hill after a grueling day of questioning with a slight smirk on his face He did not respond to shouted questions about whether he will participate in an anticipated public hearing Hunter stood behind his attorney Abbe Lowell at the conclusion of the deposition It was a common line of Hunter's throughout the deposition, in which he discussed his addiction 'at length,' according to the source. Hunter reportedly told lawmakers that he is 'now embarrassed' by the message and his dad Joe was not sitting next to him when he sent it. He did not pull any media stunt antics, unlike his previous trips to the Hill in December in January, which sparked Republican anger. His attorney Abbe Lowell stated that the deposition today showed Republicans have 'no evidence.' 'The Republican majority ends the day with where they started. They have produced no evidence that would do anything to support the notion that there was any financial transactions that involved Hunter with his father period,' he told reporters after the deposition. 'It seems to me that the Republican members wanted to spend more time talking about my client's addiction than ... anything to do with what they call their impeachment inquiry.' Republicans, however, believe the deposition went well. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene told reporters that Hunter lied in the deposition about his involvement in Blue Star Strategies, a consulting firm that worked with Ukrainian energy company Burisma, where Hunter held a position on the board. 'One thing that was interesting to me is he lied when he was talking about Blue Star Strategies,' she told reporters. 'He went from denying any involvement until we put evidence right in front of his face that he was in fact, involved.' When pressed on whether any high crimes and misdemeanors were uncovered in the closed-door meeting, Greene responded: 'Influence peddling ... We can see that he sold his father's name and business.' The president's son, a recovering drug addict, also ignored a shouted question about whether the cocaine found at the White House last summer was his. Hunter fiercely defended his father before Republican investigators, strongly stating 'I did not involve my father in my business,' according to his opening statement obtained by DailyMail.com. He detailed how Joe who 'saved' his life was there during his 'darkest days of addiction,' which have been politicized by the GOP to use in their 'sham' impeachment. 'You do not have evidence to support the baseless and MAGA-motivated conspiracies about my father because there isn't any,' he continued. He further slammed Republicans, saying their 'house of cards' are 'built on lies' during bombshell testimony in Congress. Meanwhile, Democrats called the impeachment inquiry an 'embarrassment' for Republicans, adding that their pursuit of the president's son is nothing more than a 'wild goose chase.' Democrats, however, have repeatedly called the impeachment inquiry a sham and a waste of time. 'It's just so embarrassing that the Republicans continue to be on this wild goose chase after President Biden,' Progressive Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, said Wednesday morning before entering the deposition. 'I mean, they're acting like Hunter Biden is running for president.' Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, enters a federal building to before being deposed for an impeachment inquiry into his father House Democrats at Hunter Biden 's congressional deposition called the ongoing impeachment inquiry an 'embarrassment' for Republicans, adding that their pursuit of the president's son is nothing more than a 'wild goose chase' Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez said the Republican-led inquiry is tainted because one of the central informants in the case had ties to Russian intelligence Rep. Ocasio-Cortez and Rep. Raskin have come out firmly in support of President Biden Some Democrats who sat in the deposition similarly told reporters that the meeting was lackluster. 'If you ever wonder why 50 percent of this country doesn't vote, you don't have to look further than the hour we just spent in there on this deposition,' Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., said after exiting the closed-door meeting after an hour. The first hour of the deposition 'was the nail in the coffin to what is a complete, bogus and sham impeachment inquiry,' Rep. Daniel Goldman said after exiting. Republicans are 'so desperate to humiliate the president they started asking the president some personal details about a divorce that happened almost 10 years ago. That's where this has been reduced to,' Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., told reporters. One of the lead Democrats pushing back against the inquiry, Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., said the hearing was a 'tremendous waste' of time and resources. This has been a 'comedy of errors from the beginning,' he stated. He said he 'understands' why Hunted wanted to testify publicly after sitting through the first three hours of the deposition. Raskin also said there was 'paranoid suspicion' being cast on the Republicans' focus on the over 20 speaker business phone calls of Hunters' that Joe sat on. Republicans, meanwhile, said the president's son was not being forthright. Hunter Biden was 'defiant and dishonest' in his deposition, Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., said after exiting the room. Democrats also decried Republicans' use of information by former FBI informant Alexander Smirnov in the inquiry as he was just recently accused of having ties with Russian intelligence agencies. Smirnov 'lied' about an alleged Biden family 'bribery scheme' with Ukrainians and had 'high-level contacts with Russian intelligence operatives,' according to prosecutors. The falsified bribery scheme involving a $10 million payment to Joe and Hunter by a top Ukrainian oil executive was at the center of the Republican's impeachment push until a few days ago. Last week, Special Counsel David Weiss charged Smirnov with lying about President Joe Biden and his son Hunter Biden taking the bribes from Ukrainian energy company Burisma. If convicted, Smirnov faces a maximum of 25 years in prison. 'Their main source was collaborating with Russian intelligence forces,' Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez told reporters Wednesday. 'The fact that Republicans received that information, that the entire country received that information, and they are still continuing with their impeachment proceedings and investigations should be a four alarm fire for this entire country.' The progressive likened the impeachment inquiry to a 'deep sea fishing expedition.' Former President Donald Trump traveled to the Southern Border in Texas on Thursday, condemning President Joe Biden's record on immigration enforcement and blaming him for the death of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley, 22. 'Joe Biden will never say Laken Riley's name, but we will say it, and we will remember it,' Trump said. 'We're not going to forget her.' The former president spoke how the 'beautiful young woman' was 'kidnapped and savagely murdered' by an illegal immigrant while she was out jogging. This undated image provided by Augusta University shows Laken Hope Riley, a nursing student whose body was found Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024, on the University of Georgia campus in Athens, Ga This photo, provided by the Clarke County Sheriff's Office, shows Jose Ibarra, 26, on Friday, Feb. 23, 2024. Officials charged 26-year-old Jose Antonio Ibarra of Venezuela for Riley's death. According to ICE, Ibarra crossed into the United States illegally near El Paso, Texas in September 2022 and was released in to the United States. He was also arrested in New York in September 2023 but was released before he could be deported. Riley's death created shock in the Athens, Georgia community, as Republicans blamed Biden's weak border policies for the crime. Trump agreed. 'The monster that charged in the death is an illegal alien migrant who was let into our country and released into our communities by Crooked Joe Biden,' Trump said. Trump revealed that he had spoken with Riley's parents on Wednesday. 'They are devastated beyond belief,' he said. Riley's father, John Phillips and her mother Allyson Phillips issued a statement mourning their daughter's death. "Laken was an amazing daughter, sister, friend and overall person in general. Her love for the Lord was exemplified in every aspect of her life. She will be missed every day, but we promise to honor her life moving forward in a very big way," the statement read. Both Trump and Biden traveled to the Southern border on Thursday. Laken Riley, her mother, Allyson Phillips and her father, John Trump also specifically mentioned the deaths of several other young Americans allegedly at the hands of illegal immigrants, accusing the president of having the 'blood of countless innocent victims' on his hands. Both Trump and Biden traveled to the Southern border on Thursday to highlight the ongoing migrant crisis, casting blame on each other for allowing it to continue. Biden did not mention Riley's death during his remarks on Thursday, but blamed Trump for helping sabotage a bipartisan Senate deal in February to fund more resources to the border. 'Here's what I would say to Mr. Trump,' Biden said. 'Instead telling members of congress to block this legislation, join me or Ill join you in telling the congress to pass this bipartisan border security bill. We can do it together. Instead of playing politics, lets get it done.' The number of foreign workers handed permission to come to Britain by the Home Office surged to a record high last year. More than 616,000 visas were granted to overseas workers plus their dependants soaring 46 per cent year-on-year, new figures show. Across all types of visas excluding tourists and other visitors the Home Office granted permission for 1.4 million people to come to Britain, marginally higher than in 2022 but nearly triple the 519,000 a decade earlier. Meanwhile, family visas used to bring foreign-based relatives to the UK were up 72 per cent to 81,000. And although the student visas total was down five per cent to 457,000, the number of former foreign students who extended their stay in Britain by securing a graduate work permit was up 57 per cent to 114,000. Travellers arriving at passport control at Heathrow Airport. Across all types of visas excluding tourists and other visitors the Home Office granted permission for 1.4 million people to come to Britain, marginally higher than in 2022 but nearly triple the 519,000 a decade earlier (stock image) Alp Mehmet (pictured), chairman of Migration Watch UK which campaigns for tougher border controls, described the figures as astonishing, adding: Immigration remains completely out of control Home Secretary James Cleverly (pictured). Mr Cleverly has already announced a number of changes designed to drive figures down including a bar on care workers bringing relatives here but their impact remains to be seen Former home secretary Suella Braverman described it as a national disaster and called for a cap on numbers. Work and student visa numbers, including many dependants, are appalling, she posted online. READ MORE: Taxpayer bill for hotels and asylum support hits 5.4 billion as small boat numbers soar Advertisement This cannot go on: we dont have enough homes, GPs or schools to support this level Britain will be unrecognisable if this carries on. Its not what the British people, including me, voted for. Alp Mehmet, chairman of Migration Watch UK which campaigns for tougher border controls, described the figures as astonishing, adding: Immigration remains completely out of control. Last years 616,000 foreign worker visas topped the previous years 422,000. It included a 26 per cent year-on-year leap in the main holders of foreign worker visas to more than 337,000, plus an 80 per cent jump in the number of family members they were allowed to bring to the country, to 279,000. The surge in foreign workers was driven by a 349 per cent rise in care worker visas to just over 89,000, with the largest numbers coming from India, Nigeria and Zimbabwe. Director of Oxford Universitys Migration Observatory, Dr Madeleine Sumption, said the surge was being driven by demand in the public sector. When [EU] free movement ended, the Government said that employers would have to adjust, she said. Former home secretary Suella Braverman (pictured) has described the rising numbers as a national disaster and called for a cap on numbers Migrants on a Border Force boat in Dover. A record 62,336 people were granted asylum or humanitarian protection last year the highest figure since records began in 1984 (stock image) It turns out what this meant was that other employers would have to adjust, and not the Government. Where workers are directly or indirectly employed by the Government, there has been much less enthusiasm to restrict. This has meant the public sector has increasingly dominated the skilled work visa system. Only seven per cent of work visa applications were refused by the Home Office. Home Secretary James Cleverly has already announced a number of changes designed to drive figures down including a bar on care workers bringing relatives here but their impact remains to be seen. Research director at the Centre for Policy Studies think-tank, Karl Williams, said: The pressures from record migration on schools, hospitals, and on housing show no signs of abating. On illegal migration, the data showed that just two per cent of migrants 2,580 people who arrived by small boat since 2018 and the end of last year have been removed from Britain. Over that period the total number of arrivals was more than 114,000. A record 62,336 people were granted asylum or humanitarian protection last year the highest figure since records began in 1984. The number of migrants housed in hotels at the taxpayers expense was down 18 per cent to 45,768 at end of December, from 56,042 three months earlier. The new figures came the day after at least three migrants perished in the Channel. Mr Mehmet said: The tiny number of returns of small boat arrivals is the main reason why illegal immigration will continue unabated. As the law stands, it would be naive to expect an end to the flow of illegal boat crossings. More will come and, sadly, more will die in their attempts to get here. Turquoise waters, white sand beaches, leafy palms blowing in the Caribbean breeze... the picture painted by Penny Farmers brother, Chris, in his messages home was of paradise, a world away from the mundane life hed left behind. Penny was just 17 when her cool older brother, 25 and recently qualified as a doctor, decided to go travelling with his law graduate girlfriend, Peta Frampton, 24. The young couple left the quiet suburb of Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester, in December 1977, spending six months in Australia before making their way to the Pacific Islands, the west coast of America and on to Belize. Stuck at home with her parents, Penny couldnt have been more envious. Chris was a real spirited adventurer he wanted to eke out the very last bits of life, she says. I was very much in thrall to him. I think we all felt as if our lives were boring in comparison to his. For me as a teenager, it all seemed very exciting and exotic he and Peta were travelling on a whim, always looking for the next new experience. Speaking to the Mail from her home in Oxfordshire, Penny, now 62, recalls how Chris used to post cassette tapes filled with updates and witty observations, all in his wry Mancunian drawl. In July 1978, however, the tapes stopped coming. So, too, did Petas letters, which she had posted every fortnight from thousands of miles away, without fail, to her parents back in Chorlton. Lives cut short: The last known picture of Peta and boyfriend Chris Spirited adventurer: Chris on his fateful trip with Bostons sons Vince and Russell Chilling secret: Though Duane Boston seemed a happy-go-lucky wayfarer, he was a prolific burglar The young lovers had, it seemed, disappeared into thin air. It would be another six months before their devastated families, by then fearing the worst, would discover the awful truth. Chris and Peta had been brutally beaten, tortured and murdered, thrown while still conscious into the sea off the coast of Guatemala, with their hands and feet tied and plastic bags over their heads. Their bodies had been tied to engine parts so they would sink. Fishermen found them 200 metres off shore a few weeks later. This being the pre-internet age, with Interpol reliant on letters, phone calls and manual cross-referencing, there was no way of identifying the bodies, so they were simply buried in a local cemetery in Guatemala under plain white crosses. With the families growing more anxious, Chriss father Charles hired a private detective in Belize. Six months later, in January 1979, there was a breakthrough when he tracked down a Catholic priest, living in Guatemala, who recalled the bodies of the unidentified European couple found in the water the previous summer. The news hit the families hard. They knew it had to be them. Who else could it be, in such a remote area? There followed, says Chriss mother Audrey, now 99, a period of awful, dreadful, black despair as they waited for the bodies to be exhumed and dental records to be flown thousands of miles across the globe to be cross-checked. I was at work when the police rang up and said it was them, she recalls. I can remember driving home and shouting to the empty car: My son has been murdered. My son has been murdered. But their nightmare wasnt over yet. For the next 37 years, Audrey, Charles and Penny would exhaust every avenue to find out what had happened. Why had these two fun-loving, twentysomethings been murdered in such horrific circumstances and who could have committed such a senseless act? It took a flash of inspiration and some dogged online detective skills from Penny to achieve what police on both sides of the Atlantic had failed to do: she managed to track down Duane Boston, the skipper of a sailing boat called the Justin B, on which Chris and Peta had been travelling before they disappeared. Chris Farmer, Penny's cool older brother, was 25 when he qualified as a doctor Chris and Peta with his parents Adventurous spirits, Chris in the saddle, with his law graduate girlfriend Peta Duane Boston had dragged his children to Belize to escape rape charges in California One of Petas last letters home had described the weather-beaten American sailor, and his two sons, and their planned trip down the Caribbean coast to Honduras. Boston, from Sacramento, California, was not only the last person to see the pair alive, but their suspected killer and Penny found his profile on Facebook in 2015. She also located his two sons, Vince and Russell, one of whom had a troubling confession to make: aged just 13, he had been on the boat with Chris and Peta and witnessed his father, an abusive drunk, murder them both. Vince Bostons story along with the heartbreaking testimonies of Penny and Audrey is told in a chilling three-part documentary, Dead In The Water, released on Prime Video yesterday. Speaking for the first time on camera about his fathers heinous crime (one of many), Vince reveals he spent four decades living with the dark secret and desperately trying to turn his father in. It was a nightmare that you cannot wake up from, he says today. I was thinking, this cant be happening. My knees were shaking. He described in horrifying detail watching his father roll a still-conscious Chris overboard, watching bubbles rising up and hearing the terrified screams from Peta below deck. Dad then took her weight, threw that over and then rolled her off the side. And then she just disappeared. He looked at his watch. A couple of minutes later, he said: Theyre dead. Completely under his fathers control as a child, Vince, now 59, said hed had nightmares for years about the incident. He didnt dare discuss it with anyone, even his younger brother, who also saw it happen, for fear of retribution. To watch your own father, someone that you trust, whos supposed to be protecting you, murder two innocent people in front of your own eyes, you start to think: maybe were next. He looked at us and said: You snitch, you die. Later, as an adult freed from his fathers clutches, Vinces repeated statements reporting what hed seen to police fell on deaf ears. Red tape, departmental politics and miscommunication between America and England seemed to be against him. Several times because of the sheer, lucid horror of what he had seen that day his claims were dismissed as a prank. It wasnt until he received a Facebook message from Penny, in October 2015, that he was finally taken seriously. All these years later, Penny and Audrey hold no grudge towards Vince. I always thought the boys were the key to the story, says Audrey. Initially I felt quite antagonistic towards them. But Ive come to realise that they are as much victims of that man as we are. Penny agrees. We have this unspoken tie to those two boys, because of what they witnessed. Our worlds have collided in the worst possible way. We dont feel badly towards them. There was nothing they could have done. Chris and Peta were dead men walking the moment they stepped on that boat. The first the Farmer family heard of the Justin B, on which Boston ran Robinson Crusoe sailing trips down the coast from Belize to Honduras, was from Chriss tapes. Audrey admits she wasnt even too sure where Central America was at the time. Chris was very fond of sailing, which was a legacy of our holidays on Anglesey. The boat was very small, so they were more or less living on top of one another. But theyd been snorkelling and swimming and really enjoying life, so they were happy. She was, she admits, rather hoping her eldest child would come home soon. According to Petas letters, the couple planned to go on separately to Trinidad and New Orleans and then, his mother hoped, return to Manchester. I remember I was missing him. The house felt very flat without him. The boat trip looked like another magical adventure to add to their collection of gap year memories. A faded photo, unearthed years later, shows Chris in trunks, standing on the deck of the boat with a young Vince and Russell. All are tanned and salty-haired, and look relaxed and carefree. But aboard the Justin B, says Vince, things were not as they appeared. Though Duane Boston seemed a happy-go-lucky wayfarer, he was a prolific burglar, who had dragged his children to Belize to escape rape charges in California. Even more chillingly, he was and remains the prime suspect in the murder of his third wife, Mary Lou, the boys mother, who disappeared in 1968 when Vince was three. Dad would spend a lot of time getting drunk: he would sulk and then he would turn into this Jekyll and Hyde character, he remembers. Nothing was good enough for him. He would yell at Russ or me: Why did you tie the knot that way? or Why did you pull the anchor up like that? We were obligated to follow his every word. We didnt have any radios, no way of communicating, so we were out there on our own. Chris, says Penny, wasnt naive, but he was very trusting even of strangers. You have to remember that this was the era of free love and hippies; they had this sense that everybody was kind and good, she explains. According to Vince, it was an altercation between his father and his younger brother which sparked the acrimony between Boston and the travellers. One night, Chris reprimanded Boston for hitting his son. The skipper, drunk on rum, lashed out to punch him, then fell overboard when Chris ducked out of his way. The following day, seething and humiliated, Boston attacked Chris from behind with a club, fracturing his skull before stabbing him in the chest. He tied him up before going after Peta, who was below deck, stripping her naked and tying her up, too. The following morning, according to Vinces testimony, the monster claimed he was going to allow the pair who were still alive but terrified to leave, but instead tied machinery parts to them, put bags on their heads and pushed them overboard. Back home, Chris and Petas families were growing increasingly concerned when the airmail envelopes stopped coming and they started making inquiries. We later discovered from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office that Boston had left Livingston, in Guatemala, on July 19. Hed sold the boat and the next thing we knew was that he had gone back to Sacramento, says Penny. Then, in October, they interviewed him and he said hed put Chris and Peta ashore in Guatemala, across the bay from Livingston. He also said that they were drug addicts, drug pushers, and that they had left the boat. We knew at that stage that he was lying. As a family, we couldnt come to terms with anything, not knowing where they were. We were in limbo. Chriss father Charles, who died in 2013, devoted himself to writing letters and making calls to foreign bureaus, police stations, newspapers and consulates. It haunted him, Penny says. We were all grieving in our own individual ways but one question was in all our heads: why? It just didnt make sense, it didnt add up. It was like a bomb had exploded in our family and we were left to pick up the pieces. Distraught, she used to listen to her brothers tapes over and over, determined never to forget his voice. Audrey wrote to Chris every birthday and Christmas for four years after he disappeared. Time passed, however, and the trail for Boston went cold. In 1981, without the Farmer familys knowledge, the UK investigation into Chriss murder was closed. Looking back, Penny says the case was a mess. It was a flash of inspiration during a dog walk in 2015, that finally provided the breakthrough. Shed created an anonymous Facebook account to keep an eye on her three teenage children and used this to look for Boston, and also his now adult sons, Vince and Russell. And there they were: It was mind-blowing, she says. I could not believe these people we had been searching for four decades were in front of me, on my computer screen. I told them I knew what had happened and that it was time to speak up. Vince gave a statement to detectives in Sacramento in October 2015. Using his testimony, plus old case files, which had been stored in a shed by the retired detective in charge of the case in the 1970s, they convinced police in Manchester and the U.S. to reopen the investigation. Boston was charged with murder in 2016. Devastatingly, however, the case never got to court. Heavy machine parts identical to the ones Duane Boston tied to Chris Farmer and Peta Frampton before he threw them overboard Duane Boston's son Vince spent four decades living with the dark secret and desperately trying to turn his father in A young Duane Boston with his wife Mary Lou Penny Farmer with her brother Chris Just two weeks before Penny and Audrey were due to fly to America for a pre-trial hearing in April 2017, Boston, aged 75, died in custody. He had heart and liver problems and, aware of the impending trial, had started refusing treatment an act Penny describes as the cowards way out. To say it was another massive kick in the gut is an understatement, she says. We could see and smell justice. It was almost within our grasp. He couldnt have chosen any greater way to insult us. Audrey is stoical. I just wanted to know what he looked like. I wanted to see the man in the flesh. Seven years later, the family are coming to terms with the injustice of it all. Penny has written a book about her brother and went to Guatemala, a painful but cathartic experience, in 2019 to visit his grave. Every Christmas, the family raise a glass to Chris and Peta, whose parents have since passed away, and remember happier times: the young boy who always dreamed of being a doctor, who made his parents and sister so proud and who loved nothing more than being out on the open water, feeling the sea breeze on his face. How unfair it seems that Ive lived to 99 and Chris was killed at 25, says Audrey. As a mother, Id do anything to have given him some of the years Ive had. I know he would have gone on to do something wonderful. The 39-year old has delayed justice for years Sako migrated to Australia with his family in 1992 The mother of Melbourne murder victim Celeste Manno has lashed out at Victoria's weak justice system after her daughter's cold blooded killer avoided a life sentence. Luay Nader Sako, 39, stabbed Ms Manno, 23, up to 23 times on November 16, 2020, as she slept in her own bed at her mother's house in Mernda, in Melbourne's north-east, where she thought she was safe. On Thursday he was sentenced by Supreme Court of Victoria Justice Jane Dixon to 36 years in jail with a non-parole period of 30 years. Ms Manno's mum Aggie Di Mauro shouted in rage outside court as she tore up a speech she had prepared to read had Justice Dixon provided the desired outcome. Celeste Manno was in the prime of life when she was murdered within the supposed safety of her own home by an angry and vengeful loner Luay Sako couldn't take being rejected and stabbed Manno to death READ MORE: Celeste Manno went Instagram official with her boyfriend. Hours later, her obsessed work stalker Luay Sako murdered her Fact-box text Celeste Manno went 'Insta public' with her relationship with Chris Ridsdale (pictured) with this post. Hours later, she was killed by Luay Sako Advertisement 'We were forced to trust the system that we lost faith in three years ago. It failed Celeste then and it failed her again now,' she said. 'Today's outcome proves just how flawed the justice system is.' Ms Di Mauro said her daughter's murder warranted nothing less than a life sentence. 'She did nothing to him,' she shouted. Struggling to contain her rage, Ms Di Mauro said protecting the community from monsters like Sako was clearly not a consideration of the court. 'Maybe it's no longer paramount,' she said. 'Life sentences in this state ... are seen as dreadful punishments only reserved for the most dreadful of crimes. The most serious of crimes. 'This one was not serious enough. Was not dreadful enough. Her honour clearly didn't think this was. It wasn't one of them. 'It's outrageous. Absolutely unbelievable that the court decided to grant him mercy even though he showed Celeste none. Quite clearly his right to mercy was more important than her right to life.' 'We were robbed,' Ms Manno's gutted father Tony added. Dressed in grey and wearing dark-rimmed spectacles, Sako sat in silence from the prison dock at the rear of the court as his fate was sealed. The court had been packed with Ms Manno's loved ones, who dressed in black sat at the front of the court alongside her ashes in a large, glowing blue urn. They gasped in despair as the verdict was handed down just before 4pm. Ms Manno's friends and family had each stood before Justice Dixon in a pre-sentence hearing last month to explain their grief. Celeste Manno's mum Aggie Di Mauro tears up her speech outside court of Thursday Celeste Manno's mum Aggie Di Mauro (pictured on Thursday outside court) addresses the media outside the Supreme Court of Victoria on Thursday Tools of evil: The knife used by Sako to kill Celeste Manno (left) and the hammer the coward used to smash his way into her bedroom In sentencing Sako, Justice Dixon said she had taken 'full account' of the victim impact statements of Ms Manno's family in coming to her sentence. She also took into account Sako's guilty plea, which only came after his bid to escape justice on an mental impairment excuse failed. Justice Dixon condemned the remorseless killer for the brutal murder, describing it as 'utterly cowardly'. The court decided to grant him mercy even though he showed Celeste none. Quite clearly his right to mercy was more important than her right to life. She said Ms Manno deserved to live out her life, but Sako decided otherwise. Justice Dixon described the crime as planned and premeditated. 'You carried out the act with chilling efficiency,' she said. 'You made sure you had the advantage over her.' Sako had been looking down the barrel of a life sentence until the court heard the evidence of forensic psychiatrist Dr Rajan Darjee, who told Justice Dixon that Sako had suffered various mental illnesses before and after his murderous actions. Such mental conditions, when accepted by the court, routinely earn violent offenders discounts on their sentences. 'Verdins principles' - as they are known under Victoria's Sentencing Act of 1991 - reduce the offender's moral culpability and force a judge to consider the added 'hardship' jail will have on them. Forensic psychiatrist Dr Rajan Darjee went into bat for the cowardly killer Justice Jane Dixon refused to sentence Sako to life in jail with no parole They are principles rolled-out and relied upon by convicted criminals and their lawyers on a daily basis in Victoria. Justice Dixon accepted Sako did suffer from depression and a personality disorder, but said it did not explain what he did to Ms Manno. However, she agreed his mental condition was strong enough to 'moderate' his sentence. Sako believed from the start he could escape responsibility for his wicked act by convincing forensic experts that he was criminally insane. Four doctors agreed he knew too well what he was doing was wrong at the time. They each dismissed Sako's claims he had been under the control of an ugly, pointy-toothed man called 'Isha'. Sako had claimed a man with a big nose and large ears sat next to him as he drove to Ms Mannos home and coaxed him to 'end it'. Each of the psychiatrists rejected those claims, finding Sako was faking the hallucinations. While Sako failed in his bid to run a mental impairment defence, his use of Dr Darjee helped him avoid what ought to have been a life sentence in jail with no chance of parole. Dr Darjee claimed Sako was suffering from a series of mental ailments when he killed his victim, including depression, an extreme personality disorder and body dysmorphia. The facts suggested Sako was always in control of what he did that night. Luay Sako has tormented the family and friends of his victim with a 'tortured court process' Last image: Celeste Manno believed Sako had finally stopped tormenting her when she posted this image of her and her boyfriend Chris Ridsdale to Instagram. He would murder he hours later When the deed was done, Sako dumped his phone and drove to the nearest police station where he began what would turn into a near four-year legal process. Caught literally with blood on his hands, there was never any doubt Sako carried out Ms Manno's bloody execution in the dead of night. He had murdered his former work colleague a little over a year after he began stalking her and just hours after he learned from an Instagram post that she had a new boyfriend. Ms Manno had only briefly worked with Sako as his team leader at Serco - a customer call centre for Centrelink - when he was shown the door. Her mistake in showing him kindness on his way out of the building resulted in a year-long campaign of frightening harassment in the way of endless messages over social media. Ms Manno had been reluctant to pursue an intervention order, but had been encouraged to do so by her worried family members. The application had enraged Sako, turning what doctors believed was a warped crush into a seething rage. On August 4 that year he was served with an interim intervention order after appearing in court alongside his obsession. But 11 days later Sako thumbed his nose at the order, sending Ms Manno a three-and-a-half page document urging her to withdraw her police complaints against him. Celeste Manno had been reluctant to go to police about Sako's harassments. She had treated him with kindness, but he would not back away Sako had found the floor plans to Celeste Manno's home (pictured) and knew she was there from the white car parked out front Sako jumped the gate into Celeste Manno's backyard, leaving a trail of blood on his exit. He knew exactly where she was sleeping after accessing floor plans to the house The message terrified her so much she couldn't bring herself to read it, instead sending it directly to the police officer she had been dealing with. Sako was arrested and faced an attempt to pervert the course of justice charge - an offence that carries a 10-year sentence. He purchased a knife and a hammer the very next day and over the next three months appeared to vanish. Ms Manno believed the order had worked as Sako ceased his incessant harassment. But lurking in the shadows Sako had embarked on an online research effort to track her down. He eventually found the floor plans to her mother's home and began driving up and down her street to confirm he had the right place. On November 15, with just hours to live, Ms Manno felt comfortable enough to go public with her new boyfriend Chris Ridsdale, posting a smiling image of them together on Instagram. Sako saw Mr Ridsdale's smile as a massive insult, later telling Dr Darjee he felt he was 'laughing maniacally at him'. He murdered his victim just hours later. Friends of Thomas Kingston have been left shocked by his death as they told how he and Lady Gabriella were 'happily married until the end'. The financier and former hostage negotiator, 45, was found dead inside his parents' 3million mansion in Gloucestershire on Sunday evening. An inquest will be held to establish the cause but there are no suspicious circumstances and no other parties involved. Buckingham Palace announced his death on Tuesday, hours after his parents-in-law Prince and Princess of Kent put on a brave face as they attended King Constantine of Greece's memorial service at Windsor Castle. King Charles and Queen Camilla have joined the grief-stricken Kents in mourning Mr Kingston. Yesterday his close friends left reeling from his shock death said he and Lady Gabriella had 'remained childless but were happily married until the end'. Friends of Thomas Kingston have been left shocked by his death as they tell how he and Lady Gabriella were 'happily married until the end' The financier and former hostage negotiator, 45, was found dead inside his parents' 3million mansion in Gloucestershire on Sunday evening The couple, who wed at Windsor Castle in 2019, were not known to have had any relationship or financial difficulties, a source close to the family told The Times. They were last pictured in public together on Valentine's Day at an event to celebrate the works of William Shakespeare. READ MORE: Last photo of Thomas Kingston with Lady Gabriella Windsor was on Valentine's Day at Shakespeare event in London which Queen Camilla also attended Advertisement The couple were at an event on Wednesday last week at the National Gallery with a friend saying they 'seemed happy and positive as ever'. Another long-term friend told of how the attentive Mr Kingston had focused on others 'perhaps at the expense of his own mental health'. A priest dubbed the Vicar of Baghdad last night also paid tribute to the late devout Christian. Reverend Canon Andrew White, who ran Iraq's only Anglican church and worked with Mr Kingston in Baghdad, said the 'adrenaline junkie' pair cheated death countless times. Mr Kingston worked in the war-torn country for nearly three years, mediating conflicts and negotiating the release of hostages. Paying tribute to his 'best ever intern', Rev White told the Mail: 'I worked with Tom in all sorts of dangerous places. Most of the time we were there in the middle of war zones.' Rev White described Mr Kingston as 'a risk-taker and a person of great faith'. An inquest will be held to establish cause of death but there are no suspicious circumstances and no other parties involved LAST PHOTO: Thomas Kingston and his wife Lady Gabriella Windsor, at event in London on Valentine's Day Reverend Canon Andrew White, who ran Iraq's only Anglican church and worked with Mr Kingston in Baghdad, said the 'adrenaline junkie' pair cheated death countless times Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, Lady Gabriella's parents, both attended a memorial service for King Constantine of Greece 'Tom wasn't a yellow-belly. He was never scared. I could never say to him 'do this' and he'd say it was too dangerous. He was always willing to be there.' Mr Kingston's work with the priest, who has multiple sclerosis, helped maintain the Anglican church in Baghdad, which was founded in 1990. Mr Kingston, who studied economic history at Bristol University, had several brushes with death, most notably during a suicide bombing at the church in 2004, which claimed 22 lives. Rev White recalled another occasion when the pair visited a shrine to the prophet Ezekiel in Babylon and got caught in a huge traffic jam on the way back. He said: 'We couldn't move, and I can remember saying 'What do we do Tom?' And he said, 'Pray'. I said, 'Lord, have mercy on us' and suddenly a huge oil tanker about 25 metres ahead of us blew up. 'If we hadn't been in the traffic jam, we would have been killed instantly. But this was a kind of daily thing that happened.' Before Mr Kingston met Lady Gabriella, Rev White remembers telling him: 'All of my interns, they achieve two things. They do really exciting work when they leave here, and they marry really beautiful women. And you will do both... and he did both.' The priest said he met Lady Gabriella, 42, who is 57th in line to the throne, at the Carlton Club in London's Mayfair after Mr Kingston had proposed in 2018. Kingston, pictured here on the day of his wedding to Lady Gabriella Windsor, lived a remarkable life Lady Gabriella Windsor and Thomas Kingston are pictured at Royal Ascot in June last year Lady Gabriella Windsor and Thomas Kingston pictured at the Jungle Part at Annabel's in London in September 2018 Lady Gabriella and Thomas Kingston have official photos taken on their wedding day. The late Queen and Prince Philip are sat to the right of them The couple were seen beaming at one another at the wedding in Windsor on May 18, 2019 He said: 'She was such a darling. I loved her. I remember sitting down and she said, "Well, who am I really marrying?" 'I said, "You're marrying more than a rock star. You're marrying one of the great people who never took no for an answer and always took risks". I said, "I hope you're very bold, because you need to be". 'She said, "I'm very bold and I'm very much in love, so don't worry".' In a statement issued by Buckingham Palace on Tuesday, Lady Gabriella and Mr Kingston's relatives described him as 'exceptional' and someone who 'lit up the lives of all that knew him'. A statement released with her husband's parents, Martin and Jill Kingston, and his sisters, Joanna Connolly and Emma Murray, said: 'Tom was an exceptional man who lit up the lives of all who knew him. His death has come as a great shock to the whole family and we ask you to respect our privacy as we mourn his passing.' In what may be a too little, too late move, Mexican military are now blocking a flood of Chinese migrants from illegally crossing into the US near a border hot spot in California. Migrants camps on the US-Mexico border that were filled just days ago with mostly Chinese asylum-seekers sat empty for the last few days near Jacumba, east of San Diego. The migrants have been replaced with a new presence on the border: the Mexican National Guard, which has set up tanks and is using barbed wired to block openings big enough for people to sneak through. Jacumba, a town of less than less than 600 residents, has become a flash point in recent months, attracting many Chinese migrants. Up until last week, non-profits that give food and water to migrants as they wait to surrender to US Border Patrol say they were seeing 400 migrants a day since September. In recent days, they've seen little or none at all. The border in Jacumba, California, this week was eerily quiet just days after dozens of Chinese migrants were seen arriving in droves Last week, dozens of Chinese migrants were seen arriving at the border hotspot. They were then taken to San Diego Aerial drone view of Mexican National Guard vehicles and camp site near US/Mexico border fence in Jacumba, Calif. Feb. 26. The site was largely unpatrolled last week For days, the only activity along the border wall in Jacumba were the US Border Patrol agents keeping watch and Mexican military on the other side Camps where Chinese migrants would wait for Border Patrol to take them into custody are now empty. A few days ago, dozens of migrants would be at one of three tent camps like this one in Jacumba Migrants had been coming into remote Jacumba in such large numbers, that it overwhelmed Border Patrol's resources. Migrants were waiting up to five days in the makeshift camps until Border Patrol had space to officially take the migrants into custody 'Asylum' this way: Signs written in Chinese and English guide the way for migrants arriving in Jacumba to start their new life in America The crackdown came in the days leading up to Biden and Trump's scheduled visit to the border. Trump will visit the hotspot of Eagle Pass in Arizona while Biden is scheduled to make an appearance in Brownsville, Texas - one of the most heavily patrolled areas. More than 150 Chinese nationals a day have snuck into the US illegally since October, according to startling new CBP statistics. Among the record numbers of migrants flooding the southern border, Chinese illegal immigrants made up the fastest-growing faction of border crossers last year. 'We were seeing hundreds of people a day,' a local who works at the hotel in town told DailyMail.com. 'Then the Mexican National Guard showed up and it just stopped-- like night and day. Makes you wonder why they didn't do this sooner.' Mexican forces have set up post on the south side of the border, in areas where the US border wall stops because there are mountains where the wall can't be built. The steel barrier comes right up to the mountain, but there is still enough space a person can squeeze through to get in. 'Thing have changed in the last few day, I mean radically changed, and that is because of the Mexican side,' Samuel Schultz, a local volunteer who hands out food and water to migrants, told DailyMail.com. The number of Chinese nationals entering the US across the southern border has surged since 2021, amid a mass exodus from the oppressive communist country Remote Jacumba, California has become a migrant hot spot since September, when locals started seeing migrants-- mostly from China-- arriving by the hundreds per day. The town itself is home to about 600 residents On Feb. 15, dozens of Chinese migrants arrived in one large, single group near Jacumba, Calif. Dozens of Chinese migrants showed up at one time, as a there has been a recent surge in migrants from China arriving at the US-Mexico border The timing of Mexican troops' arrival on the border, days before President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump both head to the border in Texas Thursday, seemed like too much of a coincidence to some. 'They don't just wake up and say they're going to go look for illegal immigrants,' said border Sheriff Thaddeus Cleveland in Terrell County, Texas of Mexican officials. '100% pressure from the United State is what causes that reaction for them to get out on the border.' Mexico has surged its law enforcement presence at the border in previous high-profile by US officials to the international boundary, including when Biden last visited El Paso, Texas in January 2023. The West Texas city, which has been struggling under the strain of thousands of migrants sleeping on the streets, was cleaned up days ahead of the Commander in Chief's visit. Samuel Schultz, a local volunteer who hands out food and water to migrants, says things have changed drastically since Mexican forces arrived and started cracking down on the issue last week Mexican forces add barbed wire to openings in the border barrier with the US near Jacumba, California Once busy migrant crossing points are now deserted in Jacumba Mexican law enforcement has set up post just south of the US border wall near Jacumba, California Mexican cartels which profit from smuggling migrants into the US, have an interest in seeing illegal immigration into the US continue, Cleveland added. The Biden administration appealed to Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador to aid the crisis last month 'They're a corrupt country-- really the cartels run the country, yes they have a president, but many times later, it comes out that members of the cabinet were paid off by the cartels.' Things change quickly on the border-- with long-time popular crossing areas slowing down when security is added. Migrants and the smugglers who make millions of the desperation of people wanting to get into the US at any price, simply find another way to get in. 'I think it will go down for a while, but how long of a while-- until people figure out a way around it,' Schultz explained. 'Now, whether they will come through here again...its a big border. They may find a way that works better. 'Remember, these people are learning about this constantly on their phones. Whatever method works is transmitted very quickly online. 'If they find one that works, you can bet your a-- they're going to be right on it.' Churches across the UK are being abandoned or converted into unexpected venues as increasing numbers of Brits are turning away from religion. Last November, a Brooklyn Catholic church was forced to re-bless its altar after pop star Sabrina Carpenter filmed a racy music video at the historic site. Brooklyn Bishop Father Robert Brennan criticised Carpenter's video for her song 'Feather,' which was filmed at the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Church. But using religious sites for music, drinking and clubbing is becoming more and more common in the UK. At the beginning of this month, Canterbury Cathedral came under fire for plans to host a 90's silent disco, but it insisted the event was not a 'rave in the nave'. Many former churches and chapels are saved from dereliction and transformed into Air B&Bs and luxurious homes. But some are converted into the types of venues which would face stern disapproval from the former owners, with the ancient halls filled with ear-splitting modern music and bright neon lights. Last November, a Brooklyn Catholic church was forced to re-bless its altar after pop star Sabrina Carpenter filmed a racy music video at the historic site The Halo Nightclub in Bournemouth, Dorset used to be St Andrew's Church The Grade-II listed building was opened as Halo in 2013, and underwent a 500,000 refurbishment in early 2020. It now features a motorised lighting rig and dancefloor The Halo Nightclub in Bournemouth, Dorset was established at the site of the former St Andrew's Church. The Grade-II listed building was opened as Halo in 2013, and underwent a 500,000 refurbishment in early 2020. The former United Reformed Church, built between 1887 and 1888, now features a motorised lighting rig that descends from the ceiling towards the dancefloor. It also has a Ciroc lounge, a UK first floating LED Matrix 20-triangle lighting grid and a LAcoustic sound system. The church building stands 140 ft tall and cost about 12,000 to build. When it was used for services, it could sit 700 people. Repton Park in Woodford Green, London, was opened in 1892 as Clayburn Asylum - a psychiatric hospital - but is now a spectacular 24m swimming pool. Slide me Repton Park in Woodford Green, London is now a spectacular 24m swimming pool Between 1998 and 2004, it was redeveloped and converted into Repton Park Most of the original interior has remained intact, with gothic arches and stained-glass windows. It is also home to an extensive health club with a sauna and gym. In 1887, the county of Middlesex bought the Claybury Estate to build a hospital on the site. Claybury Hospital included three water towers, a bakery, a boiler room, kitchens and a farm. Then in 1990, it was added to the list of buildings of historic or architectural interest. Between 1998 and 2004, it was redeveloped and converted into what is now known as Repton Park. The original red brick hospital buildings, boasting high ceilings, are now apartments and houses, while the old chapel was turned into an exclusive Virgin Active spa gym with a large pool. Slide me The Chapel Nightclub in Salisbury was originally a 19th Century Pentecostal church The former church now features an up to date speaker system, a light-up dance floor and a modern club-light set up as part of The Chapel Nightclub The Chapel Nightclub in Salisbury was originally a 19th Century Pentecostal church which held its first service in 1897. It was erected on the site of an older church which had stood there for 45 years and cost 1,700. But after the church and Sunday school became derelict, it was renovated and turned into a club in 1997. It now boasts four separate rooms - The Vestry, the Soul Room, the Chapel and the Courtyard. The rooms feature an up to date speaker system, a light-up dance floor and a modern club-light set up. The Holy Trinity Church in Reading, Berkshire, is 173-years-old. The Holy Trinity Church in Reading, Berkshire, is 173-years-old A Grade II-listed building, it was converted into a modern home with luxurious trappings and put on the market for a staggering 2.2 million Untouched fixtures of The Holy Trinity Church include stone walls and colourful stained-glass windows that depict religious imagery that have remained untouched A Grade II-listed building, it was converted into a modern home with luxurious trappings and put on the market for a staggering 2.2 million. The eight-bed property, found near Reading, Berkshire, has been kitted out with contemporary decor on the inside. But many of the original features on the exterior remain intact offering an impressive contrast to the trendy fittings inside. Untouched fixtures of The Holy Trinity Church include stone walls and colourful stained-glass windows that depict religious imagery that have remained untouched. When daylight hits the historic artwork, it changes colour before shining onto and reflecting off the large glass dining table. The living room area, which typically would have been used to host a church choir, holds several original religious items including crucifixes, scriptures, as well as an altar. It has been transformed with a modern fireplace and velvet sofas, with the flooring also updated. The Grade II-listed chapel was converted into the Pitcher & Piano bar in 1998 Located in the heart of the Lace Market, the restored church retains stained glass windows In Nottingham, a night out at the High Pavement Chapel will be a touch more tame. The Grade II-listed chapel was converted into the Pitcher & Piano bar in 1998. Located in the heart of the Lace Market, the restored church retains stained glass windows and exposed brick archways. In the South Yorkshire city of Sheffield, a passerby wouldn't look askance at sleepy site of St George's Church. But the former parish church - which cost 15,181 to build - is now part of the University of Sheffield. The Grade II-listed church, consecrated in 1825, was declared redundant and closed in 1981. In Sheffield, a passerby wouldn't look askance at sleepy site of St George's Church But the former parish church - which cost 15,181 to build - is now part of the University of Sheffield and functions as a lecture hall and student accommodation Its striking interior is now home to lecture home and student accommodation instead. In one of the bedrooms, there is a free-standing bathtub, adding to the luxury vibe of the property. Many of the bedrooms also have slanted roofs thanks to the church's original design. The stunning property from 1850 has seven bathrooms in total. And the entire house has been updated to include modern trappings such as security cameras and energy-saving smart home kit. St Laurence's Church in County Durham, built in 1871, was also converted into a seven-bedroom home, listed for 1.2m. County Durham: St Laurence's Church dates to 1871 and was designed by Darlington architect J.P. Pritchett. Now it is a seven-bedroom home The property is made of rock-faced sandstone with ashlar dressings under a Welsh slate roof The stunning church in Darlington went on the market complete with an organ and stained-glass windows and the original stone spire. The Grade II-listed church came with six bedrooms, three of which have en-suite bathrooms, as well as a games room and a beautiful open-plan living area. The property is made of rock-faced sandstone with ashlar dressings under a Welsh slate roof. For over a century, humans have relied on planes to drastically cut the time of domestic journeys. But imagine hopping aboard a train that gets you to your destination even faster than any commercial plane. That's potentially the reality awaiting China in the next few decades, as the country has hit a major milestone in the bid to introduce ultra-high-speed train travel. Its 'T-Flight' train has reached a record speed of 387mph on a short test track even faster than Japan's MLX01 Maglev, the world's fastest train in operation (361mph). However, Chinese engineers hope it will reach a whopping 1,243mph once commercialised way faster than the speed of sound and more than twice the speed of a Boeing 737 plane. China's T-Flight is a maglev train - meaning it uses magnets to lift the carriages above the track READ MORE: Canadian startup plans to build a hyperloop-style train TransPod claims it can reach new record speeds through magnetic levitation Advertisement At such a speed, the T-Flight train could go from Wuhan to Beijing in just 30 minutes, rather than over four hours like current high-speed trains. T-Flight uses magnetic levitation (maglev) technology, where magnets are used to lift the pods above the track, letting them seamlessly glide. This eliminates the need for wheels and therefore any incidence of friction, providing a faster and quieter service. T-Flight would be a hyperloop train, meaning it would transport people at top speeds in tubes between distant locations. The concept first proposed in 1910 by US engineer Robert Goddard received renewed interest in 2013 due to a white paper by billionaire entrepreneur and SpaceX founder Elon Musk. T-Flight has been built by the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC). In tests in Datong in the northern province of Shanxi, T-Flight reached 387mph (623kph) in a low-vacuum tube measuring just 1.2 miles (2km) long. The T-Flight train reached a record speed of 387mph on a short test track - even faster than Japan 's MLX01 Maglev, the world's fastest train in operation (361mph). Pictured, a model of T-flight supersonic train on display during an exhibition in Beijing, May 2023 Japan's MLX01 Maglev (pictured) is currently the world's fastest train in operation, with top speeds of 361mph What are 'maglev' trains? Maglev trains use magnets to lift the carriages above the track. This eliminates the need for wheels and therefore any incidence of friction, providing a faster and quieter service. Acceleration and deceleration far exceeds that of conventional trains and maglev also makes for much smoother journeys. Right now speeds are limited at up to 400 kilometres (250 miles) per hour due to the excessive air resistance encountered at these speeds. But vacuum tube designs could allow them to travel over seven times faster in the future. Advertisement In a second round of testing, CASIC aims to extend the track by more than 30 times so it can reach faster speeds, Live Science reports. It ultimately aims to build a tube system between Wuhan and Beijing a distance of more than 650 miles (1055km) which could cut the journey time down from four hours to half an hour. However, this could be many decades away from happening due to the costs and practical issues akin to the UK's beleaguered HS2 rail line. It's unclear how much is being spent on the project; MailOnline has contacted CASIC for more information. If T-Flight does reach 1,243mph once commercialised, it would vastly outpace trains currently in operation around the world, not to mention planes. Japan's Bullet Train goes along at 275mph, while the Eurostar reaches 186mph and most UK trains operate at around 125mph. It would even be faster than NASA's latest high-speed experimental aircraft, the X-59, which the agency says is capable of cruising at 937mph. However, T-Flight wouldn't quite match Concorde, the last supersonic aircraft to fly, which could go at 1,350mph. Already, China has high-speed 'Fuxing' bullet trains, but they do not use the maglev technology and they operate at a top speed of 350 kilometres per hour (217 miles per hour). China has high-speed 'Fuxing' bullet trains, but they do not use the maglev (magnetic levitation) technology. Pictured, Fuxing train departing from Fuzhounan Railway Station However, China does have the world's first commercial maglev system. The 18.6-mile stretch, opened in 2002 in Shanghai, connects Shanghai Pudong Airport and the city centre and cost more than 1 billion to build. On the line, trains runs up to 431 kilometres per hour (267 miles per hour) and is the world's fastest commercial train system to date. The world's fastest train was built by Japan, but it has yet to be put into commercial use. Operated by Japan Railways Group, the maglev train set the world record after reaching 374mph (603kph) on an experimental track in 2016. Germans might not be known for their sense of humour or quickness to laugh. But scientists now say that you should be able to figure out what's making them giggle - just by listening. Researchers from Brunel University of London played 121 clips of German laughter to an international group of participants. They found that people from all around the world were able to tell whether the laughter was caused by joy, tickling, or enjoying the suffering of others. So, can you work out the emotions behind these chuckles? When we see or hear someone laughing, it gives us information about what kind of emotions they might be feeling and what kind of stimulus they might be responding to. But while it might be easy to know why your friends are laughing, the researchers wanted to test whether this was something that could cross cultural borders. Dr Diana Szameitat, co-author of the paper published in Scientific Reports, told MailOnline: 'Laughter is a nonverbal signal that we use for social interaction and emotional communication. 'However, it can also be used to ostracise others from our peer group, for example when we laugh at others.' In the study, 161 participants from the UK, Poland, India, and Hong Kong were played 121 different clips of spontaneous laughter from a group of German speakers. The clips of laughter were classified according to three different sources: joy, schadenfreude (taking pleasure from the pain of others), or being tickled. The participants were then asked to try to guess what type of laughter each clip was. To take the test yourself, listen to the three different clips in these videos. If you correctly identified these clips, then you are actually not alone. The researchers discovered that this emotional aspect of laughter is not culturally specific, meaning anyone from around the world can figure out why someone is laughing. Overall, 97 per cent of participants were better than chance at guessing the type of laughter. Dr Szameitat said: 'Interestingly, the laughter we used, which was produced by German students, could be discriminated by participants of all the cultures we examined. 'This suggests that emotional meanings in laughter are communicated across cultures.' The researchers say their results indicate that the emotional content of laughter is not culturally specific, meaning that laughter can cross borders and keep its original meaning (stock image) However, they also found that listeners from countries closer to the laugher's own tended to be more successful at identifying emotions. Participants from Britain and Poland were the most successful, correctly guessing the type of laughter more than 50 per cent of the time. Dr Szameitat says this was 'either because participants from the UK and Poland interact more often with German people, or because the British and Polish cultures are more similar to the German culture.' Participants from Hong Kong and India had the lowest overall recognition rate, but were still correct 43 per cent and 48 per cent of the time, respectively. The researchers also found that some types of laughter were easier to recognise than others. Joy was the most widely recognised of all laughter types in every country except Poland, where schadenfreude was most widely recognised. Dr Szameitat said: 'It is surprising that even schadenfreude laughter is communicated across cultures, even though it is a type of laughter that only emerges later on in life and might have been strongly influenced by cultural norms.' Schadenfreude, laughing at another's suffering, was more easily recognised than tickling. The researchers say this is unusual because tickling laughter emerges first in children and is less influenced by culture (stock image) Tickling meanwhile, proved to be the type of laughter that was hardest to recognise across cultures. During the tests, participants from Hong Kong were only able to identify tickling laughter 40 per cent of the time. Dr Szameitat says this is an unusual result since tickling is one of the first ways that humans begin to laugh. She explained: 'It is one of the few signals that we have in common with animals. Interestingly, being tickled is one of the first triggers for laughter in human babies. 'Baby's first laugh is elicited by physical play and rewards between caregiver and child and strengthens their bond. 'Later on, around school age, laughter is not only positive but starts to be used against other people, for example, in bullying.' The Bay of Bengal, the Philippines, and the Caribbean Sea will all hit record heats As ocean temperatures rise, El Nino is predicted to make this year the hottest yet Last year may have been the hottest on record, but a new study has warned that the worst is yet to come. Terrifying maps have revealed the areas that are most likely to be baked by record-breaking heat this year thanks to El Nino - an unusual warming of surface sea temperatures that happens once every few years. The Bay of Bengal, the Philippines, and the Caribbean Sea are all likely to be hit by record heatwaves before June this year, according to experts from the Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences. But that's not to say that people in other areas won't be affected. The study also warns that there's a 90 per cent chance of record-breaking global average surface temperatures occurring over the same period. Terrifying maps have revealed the areas that are most likely to be baked by record-breaking heat this year thanks to El Nino. On this map, the darker red regions show higher variation above the average temperature The El Nino-Southern Oscillation, as it is technically called, is one of the key drivers of climate differences around the world. Centred mainly in the Tropical Pacific, warmer waters push up the annual global mean surface temperature, which changes weather worldwide. And as the world experiences even small rises in average temperature some regions see significant increases during local extreme heat events. This effect is so pronounced that the researchers write in the paper, published in Scientific Reports, that it is 'the strongest year-to-year determinant of climate variation on the planet.' To find out just how El Nino affects local temperature spikes, the researchers created a model that could estimate how hot areas would become during an El Nino year. This model revealed the difference between average regional temperatures between July 2023 and June 2024 and the 1951-1980 baseline. This map shows the variation compared to the average in a strong El Nino scenario. In this case, areas of Alaska and the Amazon will also see record breaking temperature spikes this year (record-breaking areas shown with blue dots) The researchers found that in the moderate scenario, the Bay of Bengal, the Philippines, and the Caribbean Sea will all experience record highs of more than 1.8F (1C) above average. Under a strong El Nino scenario, however, the researchers predict that the effects will be even more pronounced. If this holds then areas of Alaska, the Amazon, and the South China Sea will all also hit record temperatures. In Alaska, these spikes will be as much as 4.32F (2.4C) above the 1951-1980 average. If Alaska is hit by an extreme temperature event, the researchers warn that there is a risk of Glaciers like the Mendenhall Glacier (pictured) melting at a far higher rate READ MORE: Climate change could spark a wave of 'mega-hurricanes' with catastrophic wind speeds of up to 192mph Advertisement On a global level, the researchers found that even in the moderate scenario there was a 90 per cent chance that the global mean surface temperature (GSMT) would break the historical record this year. Under a moderate El Nino, the GSMT will be between 1.8 and 1.98F (1.03-1.10C) above the average, while a strong event will see temperatures soaring 1.9 to 2.16F (1.061.20C) above that mean. The researchers write: 'Strong El Nino events can cause GMST to rise rapidly, potentially exceeding the preferred ambitious 1.5C target of the Paris Agreement for a short period.' Worryingly, these models also suggest that the world may be at a greater risk of extreme weather events. In Alaska, the researchers note that there is a risk of glacier or permafrost melting which could lead to sea levels rising or heating spiralling out of control. In the Amazon, the model predicts that there will be record temperatures which could trigger a drought-fueled wildfire like those in Brazil last year (pictured) In the Amazon, meanwhile, extreme heat events create an increased risk of drought-fueled wildfires similar to those that destroyed vast areas of rainforest in 2019. The researchers write: 'This impending warmth heightens the risk of year-round marine heatwaves and escalates the threat of wildfires and other negative consequences in Alaska and the Amazon basin.' Hotter seas will also mean a great risk of tropical cyclones that can be extremely destructive in low-lying coastal areas. Previous studies have suggested that rising temperatures due to climate change could spark a wave of 'mega-hurricanes' with wind speeds up to 192mph. Unfortunately, the model also suggests that it is these coastal areas that will be most prone to extreme heat events in the coming year. President Joe Biden announced he is taking steps against Chinese automakers to prevent them from selling EVs in the U.S. due to security risks. There are currently 2.4 million EVs registered in the U.S., but Biden warned if China is allowed to flood the EV market, carmakers could easily track consumer data at a time when cars are constantly connected to our phones and navigation systems. He equated vehicles to 'smartphones on wheels,' and said his administration is investigating the potential impact on national security with the possibility of a future ban on Chinese vehicles making their way into the American market. China has made strides in recent years to amp up its EV production, accounting for 69 percent of all new global EV sales in December alone, and roughly nine million EVs sold last year compared to the U.S.'s 1.4 million sold in the nation. Concerns that BYD (pictured) will send their EVs across U.S. borders have resulted in calls from lawmakers that Biden needs to take additional steps against Chinese automakers including imposing new tariffs on Chinese-made vehicles China has estimated that it will sell 11.5 million EVs this year and is reportedly targeting to control 45 percent of the EV market by 2027, while the U.S. predicts 2.5 million in 2028. Biden said if China's EVs are allowed to flourish in the U.S., the country could 'collect sensitive data' and send it back to the People's Republic of China (PRC). He warned that China could also access the electric vehicles remotely or disable them altogether. The U.S. Department of Commerce is investigating Chinese-made automotive software that's embedded in their EVs, which could not only track where Americans drive but also where they charge their vehicles or what music and/or podcasts they listen to while driving. The investigation comes as BYD the largest EV manufacturer in China is opening a production facility in Mexico, about 200 miles outside of Mexico City. Concerns that BYD will send their EVs across U.S. borders have resulted in calls from lawmakers that Biden needs to take additional steps against Chinese automakers including imposing new tariffs on Chinese-made vehicles. Chinese automaker BYD sold three million electric vehicles last year, while the U.S. sold only 1.2 percent hybrid and EV cars out of 281 million registered in 2023 China is 'flooding foreign markets with their autos,' Lael Brainard, who heads the president's National Economic Council, told the New York Times. 'Many of those vehicles can connect on a continuous basis with our infrastructure potentially, with the drivers' smartphones, with nearby cars. So they're collecting a tremendous amount of information,' Brainard said. President Joe Biden warned the Chinese-made EVs could pose a national security risk to American drivers In 2023, BYD sold three million electric vehicles globally, while out of 281 million cars registered last year in the U.S., only 1.2 percent were electric or hybrid vehicles. BYD overtook Tesla as the top-selling EV manufacturer and is moving to reach additional markets including Mexico and the Middle East. Still, BYD claims it has no intention of breaching the U.S. market. 'We're not planning to come to the US,' Stella Li, executive vice president of BYD and CEO of BYD Americas, told Yahoo Finance. 'We're not even considering any northern state [in Mexico],' Li told the outlet, adding: 'We are targeting the local market. That is the BYD strategy.' She cited pushback from lawmakers and the slowing rate of EV growth, saying: 'It's an interesting market, but it is very complicated.' Chinese electric vehicles sell for far less than those in the U.S., with prices as low as $11,000 However, Chinese EVs' lower price tag might still entice Americans to purchase the vehicles, with some of the smaller cars selling for as low as $11,000 each while the average price of an electric vehicle in the U.S. selling for $72,000. The White House's investigation into the national security risk Chinese carmakers pose to Americans comes after experts warned that Biden's green energy plan could allow Chinese firms to 'extend their global monopoly' and 'dominate' the US market. The green energy plan offers companies tax credits based on their production output but raised concerns that Chinese firms could access it. 'The bottom line is that if you take markets like electric vehicle (EV) batteries, or solar cells, where China already has a dominant global position, and you allow its firms to own facilities in the US and access the US taxpayer, you're allowing them to extend their global monopoly,' Jeff Ferry, chief economist at the non-profit Coalition for a Prosperous America told Dailymail.com last week. Biden appeared to adhere to these concerns when he announced the investigation into China branching into the U.S. EV market. The Chinese spy balloon entered U.S. territory last year and traversed the U.S. before it was shot down of the coast of South Carolina 'China is determined to dominate the future of the auto market, including by using unfair practices,' Biden said. 'China's policies could flood our market with its vehicles, posing risks to our national security.' He added: 'I'm not going to let that happen on my watch.' Former President Donald Trump imposed similar bans on Chinese companies in 2020, extending his executive order to prevent U.S. companies from buying telecommunication equipment from the PRC. Trump deemed foreign-made telecommunication equipment to be a security risk, and appeared to specifically target the China-based company Huawei, claiming the local government could force it to install software in the equipment that could spy on Americans. Meanwhile, Biden's stance on Chinese EVs appears to mirror the Department of Homeland Security and Federal Bureau of Investigation's warnings that Chinese-manufactured drones could likewise pose a security risk by harnessing and exploiting data used by customers. This was further exemplified by the appearance of the Chinese spy balloon that traversed the U.S. last year before being shot down off the coast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The FBI said: 'The use of Chinese-manufactured UAS [Unmanned Aircraft Systems] in critical infrastructure operations risks exposing sensitive information to PRC authorities, jeopardizing U.S. national security, economic security, and public health and safety,' Elon Musk's Neuarlink is under investigation for problems with record keeping and quality controls for animal experiments less than a month since starting human trials. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) identified lapses at the company's California animal research facility, which has previously come under fire for 'botch testing' of the brain chip on monkeys. Inspectors visited the University of California, Davis for 10 days in June, finding a list of issues including missing calibration records for instruments such as a pH meter used in one of the studies and vital signs monitor' had no record in another. A similar inspection at Neuralink's Texas facility did not find problems, according to agency records. Neuralink conducted experiments on hundreds of animals like pigs, sheep, mice and rats - in addition to monkeys. The report comes days after Musk announced that first person to receive the Neuralink implant had reportedly recovered and can move a computer mouse cursor with their mind. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine filed a lawsuit against the University of California, Davis, where the experiments were held, claiming it has to hand over video footage and photographs of the experiments under California's Public Records Act. Pictured is an image of a monkey shown on Neuralink's website An animal welfare advocacy group has accused Neuralink, founded by billionaire Elon Musk, of conducting unnecessary and gruesome brain-computer interface experiments on monkeys. The FDA's visits, which took place last year from June 12 to 22, are the only recorded inspections of the company's two facilities. The inspector reports were shared with Reuters by Redica Systems, a data analytics company that obtains FDA compliance reports through open records requests. 'These issues show a lack of attention to detail,' said Jerry L. Chapman, a senior quality expert with Redica Systems. A majority of the problems identified by FDA inspectors involved basic laboratory rules on the proper use of equipment. 'Botched experiments' on monkeys had reportedly left animals alive while suffering from brain hemorrhages, according to reports from December 2022 - months before the FDA inspection. As Musk rushed his staff to make progress on testing the brain chip, a neurosurgeon allegedly used far more BioGlue than was called for, and the adhesive leaked into the monkey's skull causing its brain to hemorrhage. 'There was no reason' to use glue in the monkey's skull during the surgery, a former Neuralink employee previously told DailyMail.com in 2022. A monkey that received an excessive dose of BioGlue had surgery on September 10, 2018. The lab notes state a 'cranial sealant was used to seal burr hole' - the implantation site The animal's health declined, but the neurosurgeon required it to be kept alive for another 24 hours. Pictured are lab notes from Neuralink stating this The necropsy notes all of the issues found in the euthanized monkey due to its declining health. The former employee told DailyMail.com that animals were also preserved while they were under anesthesia but still alive Lab staff allegedly 'kept suffering animals alive for no reason and malpractice caused monkey's brains to hemorrhage,' according to lab notes and the former Neuralink employee. READ MORE: Physician group details how Elon Musk's Neuralink 'has been mutilating and killing monkeys' Elon Musk is 'a showman who makes big promises while hiding the grisly details from the public. We're pulling back the curtain on him,' said Ryan Merkley, director of research advocacy with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. Advertisement All of the animals used in Neuralink's tests were sacrificed. Around the same time, in December 2022, inspectors from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) began probing potential animal-welfare violations at Neuralink following internal staff complaints that its animal testing was being rushed, causing needless suffering and deaths. A reported 1,500 animals had died as a result of these tests, which were crammed in to meet a deadline for Musk, the company's billionaire founder, to hold his November 30 'Show and Tell' event. The animal welfare advocacy group Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine submitted a formal complaint to both USDA and FDA over the alleged breaches. In July, the USDA said it did not find any violations of its animal research rules beyond a 2019 incident that Neuralink had already reported. Other issues included quality assurance officials not signing off on the final study report or documenting any changes to the approved plan or standard operating procedures. 'This certainly is a signal that the company needs to be vigilant about certain practices,' said Chapman, adding that the company would be required to follow similar practices for its human trials. Neuralink's product is a small chip that can be implanted into the brain to pick up signals from certain groups of neurons to control computer equipment. Elon Musk's Nueralink startup has stated that one of its goal is to use the chip to help people with paralysis control technologies with their minds. The company is testing its brain implant to help patients paralyzed by spinal cord injury or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, communicate using thoughts to move a computer device. The FDA has its own requirements for animal research, known as Good Laboratory Practice, to demonstrate that any scientific data being collected in the development of a drug or medical device is reliable, three regulatory experts told Reuters. Neuralink cited its animal research data in its FDA request to test the implants in humans. Musk announced in May that his device was cleared and said last month the first patient had received an implant and was recovering well. Neuralink did not respond to questions about the FDA visit. The FDA has not issued its designation indicating the severity of problems found in the inspection, according to the agency's database. While the problems identified are serious, they do not appear to be significant enough to justify the FDA's worst inspection designation, which would prompt action, the experts said. Elon Musk's Neuralink has faced allegations of animal cruelty during experiments at the University of California, Davis, where implants were placed inside the monkeys' brains. Pictured is a scan from the university showing the planned implant location in an animal's brain. Carly Pflaum, an FDA spokesperson, said Neuralink 'provided sufficient information to support the approval' of its human trial application. Neuralink's head neurosurgeon, Matthew MacDougall, was accused of subjecting laboratory monkeys to unnecessary pain and suffering because of how he implanted them with Neuralink chips The agency routinely conducts such inspections, Pflaum said, after human trial approval and before commercial approval to 'assure data integrity and reliability' and compliance with other FDA regulations. 'The FDA will continue to monitor the safety of those enrolled in the study for Neuralink's implant device through required, regular reports,' Pflaum said. Ryan Merkley, director of research advocacy at the animal welfare group Physicians Committee, said the FDA should have inspected Neuralink before human trial approval given concerns raised by his organization months earlier. Victor Krauthamer, a former long-time FDA official, said the agency had jurisdiction to conduct the inspection before permitting the company to go ahead with its clinical trial, and has done so in other cases. 'It would have made sense for the FDA to have conducted the inspection before human trial approval,' said Krauthamer, who once reviewed human-trial requests for brain implants at the agency. 'These are violations of fundamental requirements that you dont want to worry about happening again in the human trial.' The natural gas stove in your home could be emitting more harmful nanoparticles than a gasoline-powered car's tailpipe, according to new research. Clouds of these tiny particles, also known as soot, are between one and three nanometers each. They are just the right size to stick in your lungs and infiltrate the bloodstream, said the scientists from Purdue University and Indiana University who conducted the new study. Researchers found cooking a simple grilled cheese sandwich may expose residents to as many as 10 million nanocluster aerosols per cubic nanometer, compared to the up to around 1 million released by cars near a busy street. The news comes about one year after some officials at the US Consumer Product Safety Commission considered banning gas stoves - a move that never materialized but became a political lightning rod. Gas stoves have been shown to emit nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide, and fine particulate matter, each of which has been shown to have negative effects on human health. The new study shows just how long that fine particulate matter can hang around in the home. Researchers at Purdue University use this test home to study the effects of gas stovetop cooking on indoor air quality. READ MORE: From gas stoves to dishwashers and NOW laundry detergent: How home appliances are in the crosshairs of America's green crackdown... ...but what does the evidence actually show about their effect on emissions? Scientists and lawmakers still don't agree on whether gas stoves should be banned. Advertisement Being exposed to millions of pieces of particulate matter, even over relatively short periods of 24 hours, can be harmful, according to the California Air Resources Board. Nanocluster aerosols can contribute to respiratory diseases like asthma and bronchitis, and increase a person's chances of having to go to the hospital for heart or lung causes. Exposure to these nanoparticles has even been linked to dementia and cognitive decline. More than one-third of homes in the US, about 47 million, have propane or natural gas stoves. 'Combustion remains a source of air pollution across the world, both indoors and outdoors,' said lead study author Brandon Boor, associate professor of civil engineering at Purdue, in a statement. 'We found that cooking on your gas stove produces large amounts of small nanoparticles that get into your respiratory system and deposit efficiently.' The team used an air quality system to test nanoparticles inside a 'tiny house' lab, which was equipped with sensors for closely monitoring the impact of everyday activities on a homes air quality. In addition to measuring how many nanocluster aerosol particles a propane stove generates, the scientists also used computer models to estimate how many of the particles someone could breathe in. Trillions of nanocluster aerosol particles were emitted within just 20 minutes of boiling water or making grilled cheese sandwiches or buttermilk pancakes on a gas stove. And during that 20-minute period, they estimated that an adult could be breathing in between 10 billion and one trillion of those particles. This is between 10 and 100 times the dose of soot that you would receive from standing by a busy street for the same amount of time, the study's authors wrote. The study only examined the nanoparticles from gas stoves and cars, not the other air pollutants like nitrogen oxide or carbon monoxide. The nanocluster aerosol coming from the gas stove was also found to easily mix with larger particles entering the air from butter, oil or whatever else is cooking on the gas stove. Even though the concentrations of particles rose rapidly during cooking, reaching their peak after about 20 minutes, they dissipated quickly. An internal combustion engine produces fine particulate matter in the form of nanocluster aerosols, like those examined in the new study. Roadside exhaust, scientists found, actually contains a similar concentration of nanocluster aerosols as a kitchen with a gas stove - sometimes less. Study lead author Brandon Boor said that the tiny particles created by gas stoves should be considered a unique form of pollutant. The data indicates that the particles settle out of the air just about as quickly, falling back to baseline levels in 10 to 20 minutes. This is probably due to the combined effects of ventilation and the fact that the particles settle onto surfaces. The situation is similar with cars: As long as they are being emitted, they are in the air. But once the stove is turned off or the cars stop rolling by, the soot will soon settle. Fortunately, there is a simple way to reduce the concentration of these harmful particles. For people who have one of these stoves in their home, the scientists behind the study recommend turning on a vent fan whenever they cook on it. 'Since most people don't turn on their exhaust fan while cooking, having kitchen hoods that activate automatically would be a logical solution,' Boor said. 'Moving forward, we need to think about how to reduce our exposure to all types of indoor air pollutants,' he continued. 'Based on our new data, we'd advise that nanocluster aerosol be considered as a distinct air pollutant category.' The study was published Tuesday in the journal PNAS Nexus. Despite the proposed gas stove ban in 2023, there have been no new federal rules regulating the home appliances - after public backlash led the CPSC to rethink its stance. It is difficult to definitively link gas stoves to disease in people, which has led to heated debate over whether a ban is justified. Some local governments have tried making new rules based on the research showing gas stoves produce high levels of indoor pollutants, though. Berkeley, California, for instance, banned them in 2019. But a court overturned the ban last year. New York Governor Kathy Hochul has said she wants to ban them from new buildings by 2030 - but she is up for reelection in 2026. S cientists have revealed an ambitious strategy to combat climate change - by seeding the atmosphere with ice. The method would involve sending high-altitude planes that fly 58,000 feet above the surface, more than 20,000 feet higher than commercial planes, and spraying ice particles into the upper atmosphere. According to the study, this would freeze water remove water vapor before it turns into greenhouse gas emissions, which traps heat from escaping into space - ultimately increasing temperatures on Earth. The particles of ice would freeze the water, which would then fall back to Earth, removing excess water vapor and dehydrating the stratosphere where water turns into heat-trapping gas. Scientists would use high-altitude planes to inject two tons of particles of ice 11 miles high each week, which would freeze the water that would fall back to Earth The idea of drying the upper atmosphere is the newest addition to what some scientists are calling a last-ditch toolbox to deal with climate change by manipulating the worlds atmosphere or oceans. Known as geoengineering, it is often rejected because of potential side effects, and is usually mentioned not as an alternative to reducing carbon pollution, but in addition to emission cuts. Joshua Schwarz, a NOAA physicist who is the lead author, said: 'This isnt something that we can even implement right now. 'This is about exploring what might be possible in the future and identifying research directions.' Schwarz noted that the efforts would not counteract the effects of carbon dioxide (CO2) and would only cool the atmosphere 1/70th which is equal to the amount of warmth being given by CO2. If temperatures continue to rise, there could be devastating effects here on Earth, including a dramatic loss of sea-life, an ice-free Arctic and more regular 'extreme' weather. But NOAA's hypothetical plan aims to mitigate the effects It will only be 'a very small shift in the other direction,' he said. NOAA's hypothetical plan would seed the region just below the stratosphere with ice particles. This region is where the air slowly rises, bringing with it water vapor. According to NASA, water vapor is Earth's most abundant greenhouse gas - it is responsible for half of the planet's greenhouse effect. As temperatures rise on our planet, so does the amount of evaporation from water and land areas. READ MORE: Scientist who thought we 'we're all going to die from climate change' reveals 7 reasons she was wrong The scientist pointed out how emissions per person peaked in 2012 and remained the same since, along with the notion that organic food is not more climate-friendly and that the dreaded 2.7F of warming is not a tipping point into oblivion Advertisement 'The water vapor then absorbs heat radiated from Earth and prevents it from escaping out to space,' NASA shared. 'This further warms the atmosphere, resulting in even more water vapor in the atmosphere.' The team believes the target for the ice would be the Western Pacific Cold Point (WCP) a region of the atmosphere about the size of Australia. The area was chosen because water vapor typically enters the stratosphere is through upward transport across the tropopausethe boundary separating the troposphere from the stratosphere in the Tropics. 'The tropopause over the tropical western Pacific, at the WCP in particular, is known to be the decisive gateway for determining the amount of water vapor that is carried into the stratosphere,' NOAA shared. 'The WCP is cold enough that it will naturally freeze-dry humid air by forming and raining out ice crystals.' The team theorizes that releasing two tons of ice particles each week could remove enough water to reduce heating by a small amount. In their study, the researchers used a computer model to simulate the conditions of the WCP, driven by observations of temperature and motions of the tropical air near the stratosphere. Models of the strategy showed a 10 percent decrease in temperatures. Schwarz acknowledged that the efforts would not reduce heating by that much and should not be used as an alternative to cutting pollution. However, other scientists are not quite sure about what side effects could occur, and thats the problem. Purposely tinkering with Earth's atmosphere to fix climate change is likely to create cascading new problems, said University of Victoria climate scientist Andrew Weaver, who was not part of the study. He said the engineering side of this makes sense, but he compared the concept to a childrens story where a king who loves cheese is overrun with mice, gets cats to deal with the mice, then dogs to chase away the cats, lions to get rid of the dogs and elephants to eliminate the lions and then goes back to mice to scare off the elephants. It makes more sense to deal with the initial problem - the cheese or the carbon dioxide, Weaver said. Scripps Institution of Oceanography atmospheric chemist Lynn Russell, who was not part of the research, said the idea is worth examining, but the study 'does not have a lot of answers given all the uncertainties.' Nothing prepared me for this extraordinary phenomenon. With the moon bouncing just enough light off the snow to light my path, I gaze up at the Northern Lights for as long as I can withstand the cold. It's -27C, I'm wearing six layers of clothing and my hair and eyelashes are coated in frost. 'I'm here,' I tell myself, alone in the silence as the group I'm with climbs back on the bus. The aurora borealis occurs when energy waves from the sun react with the Earth's magnetic field and atmosphere. That's the science. The result when you see it? Being rendered speechless is likely. Even here in the Arctic Circle, sightings are not guaranteed, which adds to the thrill of the chase. MailOnline Travel's Laura Sharman (above) visits the frozen wilds of Norway, where she dons six layers of clothing to gaze upon the aurora borealis The aurora borealis occurs when energy waves from the sun react with the Earth's magnetic field and atmosphere. 'That's the science,' writes Laura. 'The result when you see it? Being rendered speechless is likely' However, this year promises the best sightings in two decades as the sun reaches the Solar Maximum, bringing stronger aurora activity, I'm told by Northern Lights photographer Tor-Ivar Naess. This is certainly the case for us, having seen the dancing lights during our first of three nights in Tromso, Norway, on a 'bus chase' with Expedia - where we follow the auroras and stop at a location to take photographs. It's 'the best destination for seeing the lights' as there are bigger geomagnetic storms that result in 'stronger auroras for longer', says Tor, who accompanies me on the hunt. Delightfully dazzling: Laura captures this image using her iPhone 12 The Northern Lights photographed using an iPhone 12 Above: Laura sets up a shot of the Northern Lights using her DSLR camera WHAT LAURA WEARS TO STAY WARM WHILE CHASING THE NORTHERN LIGHTS - Three pairs of long wool socks - Two pairs of thermal leggings - Salopettes - One thermal vest - One long-sleeve thermal top - Two jumpers - Puffer coat - Snow boots - Snood scarf, pulled over the face - Long scarf, wrapped around the neck - Wooly hat - Touch-screen gloves - Mittens and hand warmers - Headtorch - All-in-one snowsuit, provided by the tour company for the Northern Lights chase, dog and reindeer sledding Advertisement Standing in the snow at 2am, snapping pictures of the luminous green swirls, he explains that we are currently witnessing 'very low activity levels' and rates it two out of 10. I'm gobsmacked. 'What's a 10?' I ask. 'If there were a geomagnetic storm,' he responds, 'then, it can be like the Wild West up there. 'Auroras will cover the entire sky, as though somebody spilt space stuff, and you can see not only green light but pink, purple and even red.' After fumbling with my DSLR camera in the snow, struggling to adjust the settings in my gloves, Tor suggests I try photographing the lights with my iPhone. Surely not... Removing my gloves and exposing my skin to the elements, I only have a few minutes to adjust the camera settings before I risk getting frostnip - a mild form of frostbite. Snap. The results are extraordinary. The photo shows the mountains beneath a neon-green blanket of light. But looking back up at the sky, I see only a faint glow. 'It's real, it's up there,' Tor reassures me. 'We can't see the lights so strongly with the naked eye but your camera, even on a smartphone, picks them up.' Alternating between my iPhone 12 and my DSLR camera, fixed onto my tripod in manual mode, I enter into a five-minute photographing frenzy. Then, it's time to enjoy the show. I look up at the sky and follow the green shimmers until I can no longer feel my toes. Back on the bus, I kick off my snow boots and peel off some layers to let in the warm air. Having witnessed the Northern Lights on the first night, everything else feels like a bonus. And there are lots more bucket list experiences to be had, courtesy of Expedia, from dog sledding and whale watching to ice domes and fireside chats with Sami reindeer herders. Under a pink haze, Laura rides through snow-laden valleys and vast snow fields on a sled pulled by five very eager dogs TOP 14 TIPS ON HOW TO CAPTURE THE NORTHERN LIGHTS 1. Use a sturdy tripod 2. Bring a head torch 3. Wear warm clothing 4. Be patient 5. Dim the brightness of your phone or camera screen so that your eyes are more sensitive to the Northern Lights 6. Know your phone or camera settings and set them up in advance 7. Once you are ready to take photographs, turn off all lights and keep light-use to a minimum 8. Rent or buy a wide-angle lens for your phone or camera 9. If you're in a group, ask if it's okay to turn on your light before doing so 10. If you're in a popular spot, you can share your position with others, side by side with your tripods 11. Use a remote shutter or timer to avoid camera shake 12. Experiment with composition, photographing from different angles or having a person in the frame to give perspective 13. If using a DSLR camera or a smartphone with advanced camera settings, shoot in manual mode using: * ISO: 800 to 1600 * Aperture: F2.8 or faster (a lower number) * Shutter speed: four to 10 seconds * Set your camera focus to infinity 14. Invest in a guide for a full experience, with hot drinks, warm clothing hire and transportation. Or reach out to a photographer on Instagram who might offer to take you to the best locations for a fee Source: Tor-Ivar Nss, award-winning Northern Lights photographer Advertisement The trip had begun in earnest under the cover of darkness the previous night. We touch down down at Tromso Airport where I can just about see the mist dancing in the light of the street lamps as the plane hits the runway. Boarding the minivan to the hotel, I'm struck by its modern interior featuring leather seats and blue LED strip lights that wouldn't be out of place in Magaluf. What had I been expecting... a reindeer pickup? Arriving at Clarion Hotel The Edge, our driver Viktor shares some parting advice: 'In Tromso, its very slippery, every day, every hour. Be careful.' It's true. Taking three steps forward, I find myself slipping and sliding. The following morning, we cross the Tromso Bridge in the dark on a one-hour bus journey to our first activity - dog sledding in Breivikeidet. Laura's clothing set-up for the chilly excursions she enjoys includes three pairs of long wool socks and a snowsuit Laura's hair is covered in frost as she steers the dog sled A sign reads 'moose danger'. Seatbelt... check. People are emerging from snow-capped houses and making the first snow footprints of the day. My clock says 8.30am, though it feels more like 5am. The water looks like an enormous mirror, if mirrors were made of liquid. Later, it becomes shrouded in mist, making it appear as though we are driving above the clouds. The sun begins to rise as we approach the site. Temperature check, -19C. Under a pink haze, we ride through snow-laden valleys and vast snow fields on a sled pulled by five very eager dogs. And we are the drivers. 'Whatever you do, don't let go of the handlebar as the dogs won't stop running,' our guide warns. Heading back to Tromso, the sun begins to set, capping off just three hours of daybreak. This city doesn't really wake up in winter. Laura goes sledding with reindeer under the supervision of local Sami Herolina (pictured left) Herolina shares stories about her family's traditions by the fire in a traditional Lavvu tent 'Hoofing' around: A view of the mountains from the back of the reindeer sled The big chill: The items Laura wears in a single day to stay warm in subzero temperatures Arriving to the sound of church bells, we take the Fjellheisen cable car to a mountaintop viewpoint. Home lights flicker on as early as 2pm, as the sky retains the last glimmers of daylight. Tucking into my soup at the Fjellstua Cafe Og Restaurant, it very much feels like dinnertime. The next day, we go sledding with reindeer under the supervision of the local Sami people. Your reindeer is Nasti - not to be confused with 'nasty' - which means 'little star', our Sami guide Herolina explains. After the 30-minute sled ride, Herolina joins us in by the fire in a traditional Lavvu tent and shares stories about her family's traditions. The canvas tents are used as shelter, she explains, when they travel through the mountains with their 3,000-strong reindeer herd on a 250-mile (400km) journey between their summer and winter resting grounds - in temperatures as low as -50C. 'The water is shrouded in mist making it appear as though we are driving above the clouds,' says Laura of the bus journey to Breivikeidet It's a portable alternative to the igloo shelters traditionally used in Canada. Genius. Norway never went in for igloos - but it does have a hotel formed from ice domes. It's called Tromso Ice Domes. And does exactly what it says on the tin. We drop in and sit on furniture made from ice while enjoying local fruit juices served shot glasses made from ice. Fancy staying the night? The beds are made from ice, too. That night, we set off on an odyssey to see more wildlife, embarking on an overnight voyage through the fjords onboard the MV Quest. Wrapped up in my layers, with my snood scarf pulled over my nose and mouth to protect me against wind chill, I join aurora chaser Carlo Alberto outside on the front deck, hoping to catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights once again. Laura embarks on an overnight voyage through the fjords onboard the MV Quest, where she looks out for the Northern Lights on the front deck (pictured) Setting sail back towards Tromso, Laura returns to the deck to savour the final sunset Sailing through the Arctic waters, he tells me we are standing beneath the Big Dipper and points at a warm light in the sky. 'Jupiter,' he adds. It's 2.30am. The clouds have rolled in, covering up any potential auroras, so I head to the captain's cabin to warm up. The crew seem glad for the company and invite me to sit in the driver's seat. 'Its challenging out here,' Captain Hordur Holm tells me as we gaze into the darkness catching the occasional red flashing light from a distant cargo ship. The crew invites Laura to sit in the driver's seat onboard the ship. 'Its challenging out here,' says Captain Hordur Holm. 'There is a lot of ice. It may be foggy, or snowing, and on top of this, we are mostly in darkness' The ship sails through the fjords overnight from Tromso to Skjervoy, as indicated by the white line on the captain's navigation system here 'There is a lot of ice. It may be foggy, or snowing, and on top of this, we are mostly in darkness. It's made me a much more confident seaman.' Soothed by the gentle rocking of the boat, I retreat to my cabin and sleep through the night. The morning brings a visit from a pod of sperm whales, swimming close to the boat off the coast of Skjervy. A sperm whale appears by the MV Quest and flicks its tail as it plunges back down Laura watches whales gather and shoot jets of water into the air as they surface First, a solitary whale shoots a jet of water skyward and flips its tail as it plunges back beneath the surface. Then several whales gather in the distance, identified only by misty clouds of water in the air. In a grand finale, a mother and her calf make a partial appearance above the water. Setting sail back towards Tromso, I return to the deck to savour the final sunset and imagine what it would be like to live in one of the cabins I spot by the water's edge. Guests can stay overnight at this ice dome, in beds made from ice. Pictured: The dining hall LEFT: The entrance to the ice dome. RIGHT: Laura is invited to try a local fruit juice served in a shot glass made from ice Just chilling: All furniture inside the ice dome is carved out of blocks of ice On the flight home the following morning, we catch the sunrise, a Norwegian classic - a peachy haze licking the horizon. Only this time, it is topped by a bright blue sky and I see the sun for the first time in four days. It's 12C when we touch down in Gatwick - toasty - and the magical extremes of the Arctic seem like a dream. But frozen forever in my memory. Every four years, leap day comes along and brings wonderful travel deals you will want to snag up right away with it. For the first time since 2020, the shortest month of the year is becoming one day longer thanks to Leap Year. February 29 is the extra day on the calendar this year and one more day to celebrate with the many discounts and deals being offered once every four years. Travel companies like Southwest Airlines, JetBlue, and even hotel groups have rolled out their extremly special - and rare - deals that will leave you wishing the phenomenon occurred more than once every few years. Jet off(domestically)! Southwest Airlines is offering 29 per cent off on all stateside flights booked today Every four years, leap day comes along and brings wonderful travel deals you will want to snag up right away with it If you want to fly domestically, Southwest is offering 30 per cent off all stateside flights If you want to fly domestically, Southwest is offering 30 per cent off all stateside flights. The airlines company is offering discounts on all flights within the US that are booked today as long as you use the code SPLASH at checkout. In addition to booking a domestic flight, your trip must be between March and May of 2024. Looking to splurge? Today's your lucky day! JetBlue is offering $129 off bookings over $2,000 If you're prepping to splurge on flights today, Jet Blue is offering $129 with the code LEAP129 off if you spend over $2,000 If you're prepping to splurge on flights today, Jet Blue is offering $129 with the code LEAP129 off if you spend over $2,000. 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Hard Rock Hotel is offering 29 per cent off NYC stays If you're heading to New York City or just want to have a staycation in a hotel, Hard Rock Hotel in the Big Apple is offering 29 per cent off the very best rooms If you're heading to New York City or just want to have a staycation in a hotel, Hard Rock Hotel in the Big Apple is offering 29 per cent off the very best rooms. In addition to a percentage off a room, you can also get a $50 food and beverage credit to use during your stay so long as it's over two nights long. The deal ends at midnight tonight and is valid for all stays through September 2, 2024. Time to book a beach day! Sugar Beach Viceroy Resort is offering 29 per cent off Viceroy Resort's Sugar Beach is also handing out 29 per cent off discounts Heading to St. Lucia? Well you're in luck! Viceroy Resort's Sugar Beach is also handing out 29 per cent off discounts. You can also receive a $229 room credit. You must book today before midnight to get the deal. The discount is valid for all stays before December 19, 2024. To get the deal, use the code LEAP29. More deals! Graduate Hotels is also offering 29 per cent off all stays For today only, Graduate Hotels is offering a 29 per cent off discount to all bookings made for stays before May 31 For today only, Graduate Hotels is offering a 29 per cent off discount to all bookings made for stays before May 31. As long as you apply the code LEAPYEAR during checkout you can cash in on the savings. Graduate Hotels are located in Nashville, New York, Cambridge, and Oxford. He pleaded not guilty to an involuntary manslaughter charge in January Baldwin shot and killed a cinematographer on the set of Rust in 2021 A criminal attorney believes that Alec Baldwin won't be jailed for the death of Halyna Hutchins, despite being made an example of in the ongoing trial of the fatal shooting. The actor, 65, discharged what he believed to be a prop gun on the set of his movie Rust, on October 21, 2021, killing cinematographer Hutchins and injuring director Joel Souza. While Baldwin pleaded not guilty to an involuntary manslaughter charge in January, the trial for the film's armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed started last week with prosecutors aiming to portray her as disorganized and unprepared for the job, as well as accusing her of mixing live ammunition with dummy rounds. Criminal trial attorney and Death By Fame expert Sara Azari weighed in on the ongoing proceedings, and explained why she believes Baldwin will win his case. Alec Baldwin pleaded not guilty to an involuntary manslaughter charge in January 2024 The gun Baldwin used to shoot Halyna Hutchins supplied by the armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed (pictured) Speaking exclusively to DailyMail.com, she said: 'They clearly want to make an example out of Alec Baldwin, but you want to go after the armorer. 'That's her duty. It's protocol that the actor relies on the safety of props given to them by those that are in charge of the safety of those props and so that's exactly what he did. '[At the time of the shooting] the armorer has sort of disappeared and left the gun with the second director, the second director says the prop is cold meaning that is not loaded with live rounds. And that was not true.' Sara also branded the case an 'embarrassment' because the murder weapon, which should have been a vital piece of evidence, was altered when the FBI took it in for testing. 'We have a huge problem here, because that gun is the smoking gun, literally, is the piece of evidence in this case, and that gun is no longer in the condition that it was when it was fired at Halyna Hutchins. 'You cannot bring in an animation and convict somebody on an altered gun, so it's a very problematic case for the prosecution. 'For you to get up in front of a jury as a prosecutor and try to demonstrate what happened or how Alec Baldwin describes what happened is not true, you need the gun in condition that it was exactly the time that he held it in his hand whether or not you believe he pulled the trigger is a different story, but don't have that.' Criminal trial attorney and Death By Fame expert Sara Azari weighed in on the ongoing proceedings in an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com Gutierrez-Reed is currently on trial for the 2021 death of cinematographer Hutchins, who was fatally shot by Alec Baldwin during a rehearsal A picture of the weapon used in the fatal shooting on set was shown in court last week Gutierrez-Reed had a live round mixed with with dummy ones on set, prosecutors told the jury in her manslaughter trial on Thursday Commenting on how Baldwin may fair, she continued: 'I feel very strongly that Baldwin is going to win. 'The armorer had absolute legal duty. She was criminally negligent for failing that duty. She absolutely, in my opinion, should be found guilty of involuntary manslaughter that's criminal negligence. 'But Baldwin no. Baldwin should go to trial, but I don't see 12 jurors unanimously finding him guilty based on these facts.' Last week, jurors were shown texts by New Mexico prosecutors in which Gutierrez-Reed said she had been smoking to 'get high' the night before the fatal shooting. In one message sent on October 20, she said: 'LOL. I don't need that tonight anyways. I might go smoke in the jacuzzi soon. I'm so pooped'. The messages did not specify what she was smoking. She later sent another message to another person saying she was 'headed down to get high out back.' In court filings, prosecutors in the trial have alleged Gutierrez-Reed's use of marijuana, cocaine and alcohol on evenings after filming may have led to her being impaired at work on the day of the shooting. It was on that fateful date when she mistakenly loaded a live round into a gun Baldwin was rehearsing with. Baldwin, the lead actor and a co-producer on the Western movie Rust, was pointing a gun at cinematographer Halyna Hutchins (pictured) during a rehearsal outside Santa Fe in October 2021 when the gun went off, killing her Baldwin seen in the parking lot outside the Santa Fe County Sherriff's office following the shooting in October 2021 Hutchins died when the Italian-made Pietta reproduction Colt .45 revolver Baldwin was rehearsing with fired the live round, hitting the rising star cinematographer in the chest. Legal experts say that should prosecutors persuade the jury that Gutierrez-Reed was impaired on set, where she was responsible for firearms safety, she could be convicted of a charge of involuntary manslaughter which carries up to 18 months. She is also charged with evidence tampering for allegedly handing a bag of cocaine to a fellow crew member after the shooting in order to prevent police from finding it. She has pleaded not guilty to both charges. Prosecution and defense have both tried to show chaos on the low-budget movie where two accidental firearm discharges on one day led a camera crew to walk off set hours before Hutchins died. Defense lawyers said Hutchins died because of Baldwin's reckless handling of the revolver while prosecutors blamed Gutierrez-Reed's accidental introduction of live bullets to the set and failure to spot them. The armorer's lawyers said she was unfairly targeted by police after the shooting while Baldwin, who is also charged with involuntary manslaughter, was left to wander around talking on his phone. Baldwin's lawyers are seeking a June trial. Criminal attorney Sara has returned for the second season of Investigation Discovery series Death By Fame, which premiered at the end of January. Criminal attorney Sara described the case as an 'embarrassment' and does believe that Baldwin will come out unscathed The popular show explores the shocking true stories behind the rise, fall and murder of some of Hollywood's most promising stars, with the latest instalment delving into the murder of Jam Master Jay of Run-D.M.C and the criminal career of Austin Powers actor Joseph Son. Jam Master Jay, real name Jason Mizell, was shot dead at 37 inside a Queens recording studio in 2002. Weighing in on the case - ahead of two men being found guilty of the murder on February 27 following a five week trial - Sara warned about the difficulty of relying on eyewitness testimony. 'As a defense attorney, I can tell you wholeheartedly that eyewitness testimony is one of the weakest forms of evidence, even if it was last week, because eye witnesses tend to forget what they've seen. Jam Master Jay - born Jason Mizell - was part of the legendary hip-hop group Run-DMC. He was shot and killed inside a recording studio in Queens in 2022 Karl Jordan Jr. (left), now 40, the hip-hop star's godson, is on trial for Jam Master Jay's murder. He is being tried along with co-defendant Ronald Washington (right), 59 'They are influenced by media and what they read. They think they saw something they didn't really see. Now you're dealing with 18 years, so you've got faded memories in this courtroom.' Karl Jordan, 40, and Ronald Washington, 59, were found guilty on all counts in the murder of the hip hop star who was gunned down in October 2002 on Tuesday. The two men face at least 20 years behind bars and a maximum of life in prison for the murder of the DJ. Death By Fame continues on March 4 with a deep dive into the depraved Austin Powers actor Joseph Son, who is serving a 34 year sentence for torture committed during a 1990 gang rape and for murder after beating his cell mate to death. 'Whats interesting is the episode focuses on his criminal career,' Sara teased. Joseph Son played Random Task in the 1997 Austin Powers film - seven years after brutally gang raping a woman on Christmas Eve In October 2011, Son was accused of killing his cellmate, Michael Thomas Graham 'From a legal perspective, I think it's really interesting for Investigation Discovery viewers and for myself as a lawyer to see how DNA plays such a big role in this case in the 90s, when this brutal rape and kidnapping of a woman took place. 'There wasn't enough DNA in the codice bank, but as time went on, Joseph Son's crimes didn't stop.' Following his participation in a gang rape in 1990, Son went on to appear as a villain in the 1997 film Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery. When questioned on how she believes Son was able to pursue a career in acting in the aftermath of his brutal crime, Sara said: 'I think he's a perfect narcissist who harms and destroys people and their souls, but is able to use other things in his life that put a spotlight on him to feed his grandiosity. 'He used the spotlight that came with his acting career to suppress the ugliness of his criminality.' Season two of Death By Fame will conclude with Jam Master Jay's decades-old cold case. Death By Fame airs Mondays at 9/8c on ID. Margaret Qualley has praised her mother Andie MacDowell for her incredible career and says it influenced her to aspire for her own success. The actress, 29, is the youngest child of the 1990s film icon, 65, and her former model ex-husband Paul Qualley. She has followed in her famous mum's footsteps in carving successful acting career, starring in award-winning films like The Nice Guys, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and Poor Things. Margaret has also bagged nominations for a Golden Globe and two Primetime Emmys for her roles in Maid and Fosse/Verdon. Appearing on the cover of ELLE UK's April issue, Margaret gushed that she was 'super proud' of Andie and praised her work ethic. Margaret Qualley has praised her mother Andie MacDowell for her incredible career and says it influenced her to aspire for her own success The actress, 29, is the youngest child of the 1990s film icon, 65, and her former model ex-husband Paul Qualley (pictured with Andie last week) She has followed in her famous mum's footsteps in carving successful acting career, starring in award-winning films like The Nice Guys, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and Poor Things She said: 'I was always super proud of my mom. Her job always mattered a lot to her. She's a really hard worker. 'And I think it's part of the reason why I've always been able to dream so big is because of her success. It made me believe that the sky's the limit.' Margaret also opened up about her relationship with husband Jack Antonoff, who she married in August last year. She admitted that it had been love at first sight and that she knew from the start that she would tie the knot with the music producer one day. She recalled: 'I'd met Jack probably two weeks before, but I was head-over-heels in love right away. I had a sure, knowing feeling that he was my husband. 'I was talking about Jack and said to her [Chanel Creative Director, Virginie Viard], "I think I've just met a man I'm going to marry. And, Virginie, if I'm right, will you make me my wedding dress?" I said, "Give me two years..." Margaret added: 'I've always wanted to be married. I was that girly girl who would be on a walk with my sister fantasising about our weddings, or what our husbands would be like. 'But I don't think I would have had as much of a big wedding if it weren't for Jack. I wanted it to be big with him. Margaret has also bagged nominations for a Golden Globe and two Primetime Emmys for her roles in Maid and Fosse/Verdon Appearing on the cover of ELLE UK's April issue , Margaret gushed that she was 'super proud' of Andie and praised her work ethic (pictured together in 2012) 'It was, kind of, Jack needs a big wedding. And it seemed like it'd be more fun. He's got so many great friends and a huge family, too. 'I think [weddings] are almost as much for your family and your friends as it is for you. It was sweet and special and just the most magical day of my life.' Margaret and Jack, who is known for being a long time producer and collaborator of Taylor Swift, wed in a lavish ceremony in New Jersey in August. The couple were joined by many celebrity guests including Taylor, Lana Del Rey, Cara Delevingne, Channing Tatum and Zoe Kravitz. Speaking about the raucous reception party, Margaret admitted that she ruined her Chanel Mary Jane shoes from dancing. She said: 'The after party was at this bar. And I think the dance floor can't have been very clean, because the shoes are wrecked. 'But I love the way they look. I mean, we almost did a bit of an Amy Winehouse number on them. 'That's what they remind me of now; those amazing beaten ballet flats that she'd walk around in. But mine are just from one night of dancing.' Margaret also opened up about her relationship with husband Jack Antonoff, who she married in August last year (pictured together this month) She admitted that it had been love at first sight and that she knew from the start that she would tie the knot with the music producer one day Gushing about married life, Margaret quipped that she loved the 'security' of being tied together with Jack Gushing about married life, Margaret quipped that she loved the 'security' of being tied together with Jack. She said: 'I think we've kind of been operating like a married couple since the beginning, so it wasn't a drastic change, but I really love the security of it. It would be hard for him to disentangle himself from me. I'm glad the law is involved.' It comes after the star shared her plans to have children with Jack one day in the future, as she gushed that she had found 'her person'. Speaking to Harper's Bazaar, she said: 'I am so happy that I found my person. And its real. Its amazing. Its the best feeling in the world. Im so excited and so at ease all at once... 'I just want to do everything with Jack. One day I want kids, and I'm not there yet, and I want to keep doing movies. And that's about all I know.' She added: 'Until about a month before I met Jack, I never had any furniture. I would always have these s***** little apartments and move around from one place to another with a mattress on the floor and an Ikea lamp. 'I never made a home at all. I didnt care; I cared about movies. I would use my sisters basement in L.A. as a spot to keep my things. Margaret and Jack, who is known for being a long time producer and collaborator of Taylor Swift, wed in a lavish ceremony in New Jersey in August (pictured in 2022) The couple were joined by many celebrity guests including Taylor, Lana Del Rey, Cara Delevingne, Channing Tatum and Zoe Kravitz Speaking about the raucous reception party, Margaret admitted that she ruined her Chanel Mary Jane shoes from dancing The star previously shared her plans to have children with Jack one day in the future, as she gushed that she had found 'her person' Margaret also revealed that she made the first move, after sending Jack numerous images of her in a wedding dress from Chanel's Fall 2021 couture show 'But I didnt invest in that part of my life. Its really exciting now to be making a home and to have something to care for.' Margaret also revealed that she made the first move, after sending Jack numerous images of her in a wedding dress from Chanel's Fall 2021 couture show. 'I had this huge crush on him and it was just like, "What do you think?"' she said of their interaction. The April issue of ELLE UK is on sale from March 7 Boarders Rating: Today, class, we'll be learning how many stereotypes can be crammed into one finger-wagging lecture on Embracing Diversity. Every kind of stereotype is on display in Boarders (BBC1), a comedy-drama about five Black pupils from South London parachuted into an impossibly posh public school. It's Waterloo Road meets Brideshead Revisited, though not nearly as good as that sounds. Each character consists of a couple of labels: race plus a single personality trait. There's Jaheim (Josh Tedeku) he's Black and 'angry'. His mate Toby (Sekou Diaby) is Black and 'cheeky'. Their friend Leah (Jodie Campbell) is Black and 'rebellious'. When Leah befriends the only other Black girl in the school, they bond over braiding their hair as if schoolgirls-of-colour have nothing else to talk about. For an anti-racist show, Boarders is dripping in racism. All the leads do their best with these paper-thin parts, and give them some depth despite the cliches. But the supporting cast don't get that chance. Jaheim's room-mate Xiang (Zheng Xi Yong) is Chinese and 'computer geeky'. Every kind of stereotype is on display in Boarders (BBC1), a comedy-drama about five Black pupils from South London parachuted into an impossibly posh public school The first girl Jaheim meets in the school corridors, Beatrix (Tallulah Greive), is White and 'nymphomanic': when he asks if he can do anything to help her, she retorts, 'Well, I've never seen a black penis before, so there's that.' That line would sound crude and puerile even in The Inbetweeners, which at least had the excuse of being a sitcom. The other glaring parallel with that show is the age of the cast they all look like they sat their A-levels at least five years ago. But by far the most crass stereotypes are the posho boys, every one White and 'ultra-privileged'. Chief among them is Rupert (Harry Gilby), a snivelling bully whose mama happens to be head of the school governors. Rupert has achieved notoriety by beating up a homeless man and soaking him in champagne, then posting the video on social media. The basic premise of Boarders is that public schools are breeding grounds for upper class louts like Rupert. 'He'll be our Prime Minister in about 20 years' time,' Jaheim's mentor explains. The headmaster (Derek Riddell) starts morning assembly with a Latin motto, and insists on having the scholarship five photographed in front of a portrait of the school's founder, which depicts an 18th-century toff with a Black servant in attendance. Naturally, the head refuses to have the picture removed, which gives Leah an opportunity to vandalise it with spraypaint and Black Lives Matter slogans. In fact, the series is filmed in Bristol, where one school has been obliged to change its name to erase the memory of its own founder, Edward Colston the chap whose statue went swimming in the docks. The backdrop for Boarders is a different school, Clifton College . . . alma mater of John Cleese, Trevor Howard and Michael Redgrave. Two of them will be turning in their graves, while the third is still nailed happily to his perch. The Garrison pub, stamping ground of the Shelby brothers in Peaky Blinders, was the backdrop for Bring The Drama (BBC2) Bring The Drama Rating: The Garrison pub, stamping ground of the Shelby brothers in Peaky Blinders, was the backdrop for Bring The Drama (BBC2), as presenter Bill Bailey's eight aspiring actors rehearsed and filmed a scene from the gangster serial. This reality competition has been unable to escape its repetitive format. The contestants audition for the same parts, then split into two teams to tackle the same script. We see little bits of every performance, which is fragmented and unsatisfying and by the time the final edit is screened, we're heartily sick of it. The show's other serious drawback is that, once we've watched rehearsals, it's impossible to believe in the end result. We can only see the actors, trying to act which defeats the whole purpose. Courtney Love gave fans what they've been pining for for more than a decade when she teased a possible reunion for her band Hole on stage in London on Tuesday. The 59-year-old co-founder of the band was joining Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong for a show at the intimate 600-person venue The Garage, where he was playing with his side project, the cover band The Coverups, according to People. He shocked audience members when he brought out the widow of Kurt Cobain for a mini set in which she took over lead vocals and belted out several classic rock tunes. As she was about to leave the stage, Courtney shouted out, 'Later I'll be back in Hole,' according to a fan-shot video. Another clip from the venue featured Armstrong's enthusiastic reaction to her brief statement. Courtney Love gave fans what they've been pining for for more than a decade when she teased a possible reunion for her band Hole on stage in London on Tuesday with Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong (center) Her alt-rock band Hole (co-founded with Eric Erlandson) was founded in 1989 and disbanded in 2002, before reuniting from 20102012 with a new lineup; seen in 1999 'I told you it was going to be a special night,' he told the cheering crowd. Courtney showed an affinity for power pop tunes, including the Cheap Trick classics Surrender and He's A Whore, as well as the Tom Petty song Even The Losers. Although Armstrong joined in on backing vocals at time, he mostly let her lead the way, as his vocals seemed to clash with her aggressive, sometimes out-of-tune delivery. The rocker also referenced her long time away from the stage when she first joined the band. 'My name is Courtney Love. You may not remember me,' she joked. 'I've been living in a cave in Birmingham for about nine years. Well give this a f***ing try, right?' She seemed more than ready, though, and she gave an animated performance despite having to read the lyrics off a tablet placed on a music stand in front of her. 'Grandma did not have her teleprompter,' she joked. That wasn't a problem for fans, who started to chant her name loudly between songs. 'I will take it,' she replied affectionately. Courtney co-founded Hole in 1989 with guitarist Eric Erlandson, and the band released the acclaimed albums Pretty On The Inside (1991), Live Through This (1994) and Celebrity Skin (1998) before disbanding in 2002. In 2010, she brought back a new lineup of Hole without Erlandson to release the album Nobody's daughter. That version of the band folded in 2012. Although Courtney has hinted at reunions in the past and has shared her desire to work again with the original quartet of Erland, drummer Patty Schemel and bassist Melissa Auf der Mauoften, she has more recently shut down the idea. As she was about to leave the stage, Courtney shouted out, 'Later I'll be back in Hole,' according to a fan-shot video The rocker also referenced her long time away from the stage when she first joined the band. 'My name is Courtney Love. You may not remember me,' she joked. 'I've been living in a cave in Birmingham for about nine years' Courtney showed an affinity for power pop tunes, including the Cheap Trick classics Surrender and He's A Whore, as well as the Tom Petty song Even The Losers; seen in 1994 at the Reading Festival In a 2021 Vogue interview, Love shut down the possibility of a Hole reunion. 'It's just not gonna happen,' she said, before claiming that original guitarist Eric Erlandson was 'in Japan literally becoming a monk'; seen in 1995 in Paris She claimed a 'proper Hole reunion' would 'absolutely not' come to pass in a 2021 interview with Vogue. 'And you guys have gotta get over it,' she continued. 'Our old manager Peter Mensch calls once a year to ask about a reunion: "Hey, just doing my thing I do every year with you and Jimmy Page." And Im so honored to be in that company, but its just not gonna happen.' She suggested that Erland might be the factor making it difficult to reunite, as she claimed in the same interview that he was 'kinda off the grid right now. 'I think hes in Japan literally becoming a monk,' she said. MAFS bride Ellie Dix launched an extraordinary spray against her TV husband Ben Walters on Wednesday, after he went Facebook Official with his new girlfriend. Walters, 39, had changed his Facebook profile picture to a loved-up photo of him and new girlfriend Aileen, prompting Ellie, 32, to lash out in a now deleted rant. 'Dear Ben, did you forget we were friends on here? I heard you were seeing Aileen before you went on MAFS. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black,' she began. 'I've been reading every horrible article you're leaking about me and all the lies and now the made up list photo you sent.' The nurse then accused the tour guide operator of being a different person in front of the cameras to who he was behind the scenes and told him to stop the lies. MAFS bride Ellie Dix (pictured) launched an extraordinary spray against her TV husband Ben Walters on Wednesday, after he went Facebook Official with his new girlfriend 'Everything you did and said to me was conveniently off camera. Production would come into our apartment and you'd turn on the act. 'As for saying I was messaging another husband the entire experiment, more lies. You know it, I know it, the entire bloody cast knows it. The truth will come out. She then said her friendship with him was officially over and told him not to contact her any more. Walters, 39, had changed his Facebook profile picture to a loved-up photo of him and new girlfriend Aileen (right), prompting Ellie, 32, to lash out in a now deleted rant 'It's not a "bad edit", it's a mirror being held up and for once take some accountability for your behaviour. Accept that you look like a bit of a c**t on the TV, it'll blow over,' she added. Ellie's scathing rant comes amid reports her TV husband Ben Walters has well and truly moved on from her. Ben was recently spotted packing on the PDA with his glamorous new German girlfriend, Aileen, as they stepped out for a date night in Sydney. Ellie did not hold back when lashing out at Ben, accusing him of being a liar and stating their friendship was over During Wednesday's suspenseful episode, Ben caused outrage when he shockingly broke up with Ellie Dix at the group dinner party. The nurse and the tour guide have had a rocky relationship so far in the dating experiment, and it all came to a head in Tuesday's episode, when Ellie insisted she was 'done' after a huge row. On Wednesday, they then arrived at the dinner party separately as Ellie told the fellow couples about how Ben had wrote a list of things he didn't like about her, including that she wears make-up. Ben was quickly confronted by the group over the list at the party, but things took a shocking twist when he suddenly broke things off with Ellie in front of everyone. He caused outrage around the table as he suddenly told Ellie they were 'better off as friends', leaving the bride in floods of tears over the shocking confrontation. During Wednesday's shocking episode, Ben caused outrage when he shockingly broke up with Ellie Dix at the group dinner party. They have had a rocky relationship so far and it all came to a head in Tuesday's episode, when Ellie insisted she was 'done' after a huge row Married At First Sight Australia star Jayden Eynaud went head-to-head with groom Timothy Smith on Wednesday night, but viewers were only focused on one thing. The professional kickboxer, 27, arrived at the dinner party in a very snazzy red jacket to match his stunning bride Eden Harper and her gorgeous red gown. But some viewers took exception to the hunky groom's trendy coat, with popular MAFS Funny meme account on Instagram sharing a scathing opinion of the outfit. Sharing a blown out picture of Jayden's look to their stories, they captioned the photo with the blazing remark: 'This f**king jacket!' Others took to X - formerly known as Twitter - to agree, with many comparing the reality star to Playboy founder Hugh Hefner. Married At First Sight Australia star Jayden Eynaud, 27, (right) attracted viewers' attention at Wednesday night's dinner party when he stepped out in a snazzy red jacket to match bride Eden Harper, 28, (left) One person said: 'Hey Jayden, Hefner called, he wants his jacket back.' While another wrote: 'Jayden need to take his Hugh Hefner jacket and f**k off back to the Playboy mansion.' Despite some being less than impressed by Jayden's attire, others came to his defence and found the stylish jacket fitting for the occasion. Some viewers took exception to the hunky groom's trendy coat, with popular MAFS Funny meme account on Instagram sharing a scathing opinion of the outfit 'Jayden's jacket is impressive to be fair,' one person said. Another referenced his blow out with Timothy, 51, adding: 'Jayden put his lil ring master jacket on and said show time baby.' Jayden came under fire from the gin distillery owner during last night's dinner party when he accused the groom of not putting in any effort with bride Lucinda Light. Others took to X - formerly known as Twitter - to agree, with many comparing the reality star to Playboy founder Hugh Hefner Despite some being less than impressed by Jayden's attire, others came to his defense and found the stylish jacket fitting for the occasion Timothy launched a blistering attack against him, sparking a fierce row which ended in the real estate tycoon hitting the table with his fist. Amid the tension, Timothy made his opinions of Jayden very clear as he launched an attack on the man-bun wearing groom and anyone else sporting the hairstyle - which includes controversial contestant Jack Dunkley. After watching Jayden pull Lucinda aside to make his feelings clear, Timothy raged: 'He pulls Lucinda aside like he's the wise man. F**k off! Every dude with a hair bun on this show all think they're Dr Phil and Tony Robbins all mixed into one. 'The sight of Jayden's face and his man bun drives me nuts. This 27-year-old smartarse from the Gold Coast sits in his red jacket and thinks he's the be-all, end-all.' Celebrity Big Brother fans have slammed the rumoured lineup for the new series as 'dreadful', saying they barely recognise any of the names. The reboot of the reality series is set to launch on March 4, six years from when it was last broadcast on Channel 5 in August 2018. ITV bosses have reportedly spent a massive 2 million on a number of high-profile stars for the programme after the civilian version proved to be a huge hit last year. The latest celebrities who are in talks to take part include Heartstopper actor Bradley Riches, Dragon's Den success story Levi Roots and reality star David Potts. Other names said to be in talks to take part include former Love Island winner Ekin-Su Culculoglu and ex X Factor judge Louis Walsh, among many more. Celebrity Big Brother fans have slammed the rumoured lineup for the new series as 'dreadful', saying they barely recognise any of the names The latest celebrities who are in talks to take part include Heartstopper actor Bradley Riches, Dragon's Den success story Levi Roots and reality star David Potts (pictured) Other names said to be in talks to take part include former Love Island winner Ekin-Su Culculoglu (pictured) and ex X Factor judge Louis Walsh , among many more However, the reaction to the stars rumoured to be taking part has been that of disappointment, with many fans complaining that they are barely even celebrities. Several have taken to social media to say they won't be tuning in to watch and predicting the series will 'flop', as they have had to Google the names to know who they are. One person wrote: 'I've heard of three of them.... mis-selling the word Celebrity' while another added: 'I am getting old. I only know five of these housemates.' A third echoed: 'Me over here just googling 90% of these celebrities' while another said: 'Well what an absolute dreadful lineup that is, call it the Z-list.' A fifth agreed, saying: 'Kate Middletons UNCLE were really calling ANYONE a celeb these days ffs' while a sixth wrote: 'I dont know who most of these people are! Just wondering what their interpretation of celebrity is?' Someone else tweeted: 'I know of 5 of them.. which is not bad by Channel 5 #CBB standards but not gonna lie, for the comeback series with an @ITV budget rather than C5 peanuts I was hoping for better'. While another fumed: 'Incredibly poor line up, even worse than the C5 series. Will flop spectacularly'. A ninth declared: 'When you have to Google 80% of a line up, it's not a good line up! Disappointed to say the least!' However, the reaction to the rumoured stars has been disappointment, with many fans complaining that they are barely even celebrities and saying they won't be tuning in to watch And a tenth said: 'i had high hopes... if this is true i wont be watching' while another added: 'Who knew Channel 5 had more pull than ITV. Awful list.' It has been reported that Louis, 71, reportedly reached a huge six-figure deal for him to enter the house. He is thought to be set to reunite with his former X Factor colleague Sharon Osbourne in the house, as she is also said to be taking part. However, the TV personality, 71, is not expected to stay for the full 17 days as insiders told The Sun that her fee was too expensive for ITV. A source told the publication: 'Sharon is a guest housemate and won't be going in on launch night. Instead she will come in once the show has started and will be there for a few days. 'The fee she wanted was eye-watering and in the end they struck a deal which meant she would go in for a shorter run. 'It's worked out well for everyone as she will inject some drama when she finally walks through the doors.' While actor Bradley, 24, who is gay and autistic, is reportedly hoping his appearance on the iconic reality series will help with representation. It has been reported that Louis, 71, reportedly reached a huge six-figure deal for him to enter the house (pictured last year) He is thought to be set to reunite with his former X Factor colleague Sharon Osbourne in the house, as she is also said to be taking part (pictured last month) Ibiza Weekender's David, 30, has already exhausted the reality circuit, also appearing on Celebs Go Dating, Celebs on the Farm, Celebrity Karaoke Club and Celebrity Ghost Trip. While social media star Zeze Mills, 35, is expected to be relied upon for some dramatic clashes, as her show bio reads: 'If we can get them in a room with Zeze... It's gloves off.' US actress Marisha Wallace, 38, will be hoping to follow the success of previous big American personalities on the show. While Ekin-Su's entrance into the house would come at a good time for the reality star, 29, after she recently from her ex-boyfriend Davide Sanclimenti earlier this year. This Morning's Fern Britton, 66, could also bring lots of juicy gossip, as it's been reported that she has no intention on 'holding back' from shedding light on her past feud with Phillip Schofield. 'She wants to show the public a different side to her unscripted and unapologetic,' a source told The Sun. 'She has a lot of stories to tell and she won't hold back when it comes to her relationships with people like Phil. 'They don't speak anymore so there are no bridges to burn as far as she is concerned.' Fern Britton is reportedly 'being lined up for Celebrity Big Brother ' and has no intention to 'hold back' from shedding light on her feud with Phillip Schofield Coronation Street's Colson Smith, 25, has been predicted by insiders to potentially go all the way as he is extremely 'likeable and down to earth in real life' just like his soap character While Strictly Come Dancing hunk Nikita Kuzmin has sparked fears he could quit the BBC show after reportedly signing up for Celebrity Big Brother on rival channel, ITV. Coronation Street's Colson Smith, 25, has been predicted by insiders to potentially go all the way as he is extremely 'likeable and down to earth in real life' just like his soap character. Insiders believe Kate Middleton's 'black sheep' uncle Gary Goldsmith, 58, he has the potential to 'embarrass' the royal family with his views on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The outspoken businessman could be entering at the perfect time too, as the Princess of Wales has dominated the internet recently due to her 'disappearance' after her abdominal surgery. While Strictly Come Dancing hunk Nikita Kuzmin has sparked fears he could quit the BBC show after reportedly signing up for Celebrity Big Brother on rival channel, ITV Insiders believe Kate Middleton's 'black sheep' uncle Gary Goldsmith , 58, he has the potential to 'embarrass' the royal family with his views on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle (pictured in 2017) It comes after ITV - who announced plans to reboot the reality series in 2022 - released its first promotional trailer on Monday. The broadcaster is looking to build on the success of their Big Brother revival, which drew in 3.6million viewers across ITV1, STV ITV2 and ITVX following its launch in 2023. The 40-second clip captures each celebrity concealing their identity while hiding from paparazzi photographers and adoring fans in a variety of settings. Celebrity Big Brother will see a new cast of famous faces isolated from the outside world as they embark on the ultimate social experiment, taking up residence in the iconic Big Brother house. Celebrity Big Brother starts on March 4 on ITV1, STV, ITVX and STV Player. Syan Vallance has announced her departure from Channel Seven Perth after 10 years. The news reporter revealed on Instagram she will be heading to the network's studio in Melbourne for a new role. Vallance shared the news on Wednesday alongside a photo of herself posing at the front of the Perth office on her last day. She also posted an image of her pass on her first day at the network, with includes a photo of her younger self. 'Last day first day. It's a wide shot because I'd been ugly crying but I'm so grateful to have worked in a place that makes leaving this sad. See ya in Melbs,' she wrote. Syan Vallance has announced her departure from Channel Seven in Perth after 10 years Vallance landed her first job at Channel Seven as a reporter for Today Tonight in 2014. In 2019, she started presenting a weekly podcast on a national and international news topics. She eventually landed a role as a reporter for 7News Perth. The announcement comes just months after Kendall Gilding shocked fans with the news that she was quitting her role on Channel Seven in December. In an on-air announcement, she hinted at her next steps as she quashed rumours that she was quitting to become a full-time mother to her kids Olive, four, and Moses, one - who she shares with her husband Timothy Morgan. The news reporter revealed on Instagram she will be heading to the network's studio in Melbourne for a new role by posting a photo of her pass on her first day at the network 'This Friday will be my final day. I'm reading the 6pm news all week. Praying this isn't a moment of insanity, but rather a radical step of bravery,' she said. 'I'm not becoming a stay at home mum, I don't plan on leaving media. I'm looking forward to a huge 2024 - ready to work harder than ever! Stay tuned.' She has since been very active on social media, promoting brands as well as her column for QWeekend magazine. She began her journalism career in 2011 as a presenter on Brisbane radio station 96five Family Radio and later that year, she began working for Seven. The announcement comes just months after Kendall Gilding (pictured) shocked fans with the news that she was quitting her role on Channel Seven in December Taylor Hill looked incredible in a funky printed suit at the Balmain show at Paris Fashion Week on Wednesday. The former Victoria's Secret model, 27, wore the baggy black suit covered in red lips with a sheer turtle neck. She slicked back her short black hair and wore large statement earrings - black discs with an orange stripe. Taylor carried a black uniquely shaped purse and wore pointy black shoes with a large floral design stuck on them. She enjoyed French luxury fashion house Balmain's womenswear show in the front row with the likes of Serena Williams and Alessandra Ambrosio. Taylor Hill, 27, looked incredible in a funky printed suit at the Balmain show at Paris Fashion Week on Wednesday The former Victoria's Secret model wore the baggy black suit covered in red lips with a sheer turtle neck She slicked back her short black hair and wore large statement earrings - black discs with an orange stripe Taylor appeared in Victoria's Secret's annual fashion shows from 2014 to 2018. She has worked for brands including Ralph Lauren, Michael Kors, and Carolina Herrera in the years since. Taylor has also appeared in and graced the covers of magazines such as Vogue, Elle, and Harper's Bazaar. In the summer of 2023, the American married her 'best friend' Daniel Fryer on a Colorado ranch and gushed: 'It was a magical fairy tale and my dream wedding!' She and Daniel, a private equity investor, were wed in June at the 6,500-acre Devil's Thumb Ranch Resort & Spa in Colorado. Taylor met Daniel who was born in London but raised in Geneva, Switzerland, before returning to the UK to attend the boarding school Eton College at the Aspen JazzFest in 2019. It was only two years later that the investor proposed to the catwalk star in Italy at the Hotel Il San Pietro di Positano. Taylor chose Colorado as the wedding location because the state has special significance to her loved ones, and she even managed to turn her ceremony into a family affair by getting her grandfather, Reverend Stanley Tate, to officiate. Taylor carried a black uniquely shaped purse and wore pointy black shoes with a large floral design stuck on them She enjoyed French luxury fashion house Balmain's womenswear show in the front row with the likes of Serena Williams and Alessandra Ambrosio Taylor appeared in Victoria's Secret's annual fashion shows from 2014 to 2018 and has worked for brands including Ralph Lauren, Michael Kors, and Carolina Herrera in the years since She has also appeared in and graced the covers of magazines such as Vogue, Elle, and Harper's Bazaar Emma Heming Willis is opening up about the sensitive topic of women's brain health, amid her husband Bruce Willis' battles with dementia. Emma, 45, who has been married to the 68-year-old Willis since 2009, started the wellness brain health brand Make Time in 2020. She co-founded the brand with Helen Christoni, becoming curious on the topic of women's brain health after her nine-year-old daughter Evelyn was born in 2014. Heming Willis - who shared a sweet Valentine's Day post with her husband two weeks ago - opened up about her brand's mission in an interview with People. 'My doctor will talk to me about my breast health, my cholesterol, my heart, but not about my brain,' Heming Willis said, adding, 'I had never heard the term "brain health" before.' Emma Heming Willis is opening up about the sensitive topic of women's brain health, amid her husband Bruce Willis ' battles with dementia She co-founded the brand with Helen Christoni (right), becoming curious on the topic of women's brain health after her nine-year-old daughter Evelyn was born in 2014 She admitted to suffering from a brain fog after Evelyn was born, though her doctor dismissed it as what's referred to as, 'mommy brain.' Heming Willis ultimately sought out a specialist and the 'fog' ultimately lifted thanks to 'fistfuls' of daily supplement pills, which started her on her new mission. She teamed up with her friend and business partner Christoni, 53, to create Make Time, described as a, 'wellness brand and movement to raise awareness of the importance of brain health,' especially for women. Both women have experience dealing with brain health issues, with Heming Willis announcing her action star husband Bruce Willis was diagnosed with, 'Frontotemporal Dementia.' Christoni has lost her grandmother and mother-in-law to dementia, and her own daughter last year to mental health issues. 'All families are affected by this. We found ourselves in this position, with this mission. Your purpose finds you,' Christoni said. The Making Time mission can be as simple as a quick adventure with friends - with the partners recently trying yoga with baby goats. 'Ive been able to lean in on this new community I find myself in, so giving back to people who are on this journey as care partners has been super meaningful. Community is everything,' she said. She admitted to suffering from a brain fog after Evelyn was born, though her doctor dismissed it as what's referred to as, 'mommy brain' She teamed up with her friend and business partner Christoni, 53, to create Make Time, described as a, 'wellness brand and movement to raise awareness of the importance of brain health,' especially for women Both women have experience dealing with brain health issues, with Heming Willis announcing her action star husband Bruce Willis was diagnosed with, 'Frontotemporal Dementia' The Making Time mission can be as simple as a quick adventure with friends - with the partners recently trying yoga with baby goats The brand includes a podcast along with a Make Time Wellness product line that includes 'brain-nourshing' vitamins and drinkable supplements. No one was talking to women about their brain. It was a very male-dominated conversation. I was like lets do it,' Christoni said. Heming Willis stressed the importance of educating women about brain health earlier, 'not just when you get a diagnosis and its too late.' 'Brain health can happen at any point in our journey. Were really just trying to empower women to think about it,' she added. A portion of every sale is donated to Hilarity for Charity, a non-profit organization that cares for families impacted by Alzheimer's disease. Academy Award winner Nicole Kidman was spotted getting into character on the set of her new film Babygirl on Wednesday. The actress, 56, initially appeared injured as she was photographed laying across the streets of New York with blood on her knee. However, it quickly became apparent the injury was simply a piece of Hollywood magic when a makeup artist hurried over to retouch the fake blood between takes. Another shot showed a dog standing over the actress as she struggled to get up off the ground. The Oscar winner looked stylish on set, sporting a white coat and scarf. Academy Award winner Nicole Kidman, 56, (pictured) was spotted getting in to character on the set of her new film Babygirl on Wednesday She paired the all white look with a pair of gloves and a tote handbag. The Moulin Rouge star signed on to the movie in November, with filming commencing in December. The actress - who is the new face of Balenciaga - returned home to Australia to spend Christmas and New Years with her family before jetting off again to re-commence filming. Babygirl follows a successful CEO (Kidman), who starts a risky affair with her much younger intern. The cast also includes Harris Dickinson, Antonio Banderas, Jean Reno and Sophie Wilde. The actress appeared injured as she was photographed laying across the streets of New York with fake blood on her knee In one moment, a dog stood over the actress as she struggled to get up off the ground It comes after the Australian beauty opened up last year in a raw interview with Stellar about her experiences navigating Hollywood as a woman in her fifties. After kicking up a stir with her controversial 2022 Vanity Fair micro skirt photoshoot, the successful producer said she's never let what other people think hold her back. 'I make the most random, crazy choices. I call it "teenage choices" because I don't ever think of the consequences,' she admitted. 'I have to be made to think of consequences half the time. Part of my brain just doesn't think like that.' The Oscar winner looked stylish on set sporting a white coat and scarf The Nine Perfect Strangers star went on to say she makes all her fashion choices based on how she feels rather than what others say she should wear. 'I just try to keep in that place, because otherwise I think you get scared or worried about what people think,' she added. 'In terms of people's reactions, I say don't tell me. I don't really want to know. It'll stop me from doing what I want to do.' Will Smith was every inch the smoldering Hollywood heartthrob on the set of his upcoming film Bad Boys 4 in Florida on Wednesday. He was shooting that day with legendary comedian Martin Lawrence, who has been his co-star throughout the Bad Boys franchise. Principal photography is currently on the verge of completion - Will posted a video exactly one week earlier announcing that there were only eight days of filming left. And this week, on the eve of the wrap, Will exuded his unmistakable movie star magnetism in a swank ensemble with a prop gun tucked into his trousers. He opted for blue slacks and a matching shirt, folding his sleeves up over his toned forearms and leaving his top buttons beguilingly undone over his chest. Will Smith was every inch the smoldering Hollywood heartthrob on the set of his upcoming film Bad Boys 4 in Florida on Wednesday He was shooting that day with legendary comedian Martin Lawrence, who has been his co-star throughout the Bad Boys franchise Accessorizing with a glimmering chain necklace, a watch and a pair of sunglasses, Will sported an immaculately trimmed goatee. Martin on the other hand cut a casual figure in a bomber jacket with a t-shirt and striped sweats, adding a splash of glitz with a glittering cross. The pair could be seen graciously signing autographs for fans before heading into work on their picture, which is slated for release June 7. Will is currently mounting a career comeback after retreating from the public eye when he was heaped with opprobrium for his Oscars slap. He infamously marched onstage at the 2022 Oscars and struck Chris Rock across the face for making a bald joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith. Last year, during the publicity whirlwind for her new memoir, Jada announced that she and Will had in fact been privately separated since 2016. However she also spilled that she had renewed their commitment because of the Oscars slap, declaring that they were now 'working' on the marriage 'When I was sitting at the Oscars, it clicked in. As soon as I was like: "Oh snap, you hit Chris?"' Jada dished during an interview with Vanity Fair. Principal photography is currently on the verge of completion - Will posted a video exactly one week earlier announcing that there were only eight days of filming left And this week, on the eve of the wrap, Will exuded his unmistakable movie star magnetism in a swank ensemble with a prop gun tucked into his trousers Accessorizing with a glimmering chain necklace, a watch and a pair of sunglasses, Will sported an immaculately trimmed goatee Martin on the other hand cut a casual figure in a bomber jacket with a t-shirt and striped sweats, adding a splash of glitz with a glittering cross 'I was like, I'm riding with you. I didn't come into this place as your wife, but I'm leaving here as your wife because we got a storm we're going to have to deal with together. I am not gonna leave your side.' Her marriage to Will fell under blistering public scrutiny in 2020, when she interviewed him on her chat show Red Table Talk about an 'entanglement' she had four years earlier with a dramatically younger man. The relationship became even more notorious over the Oscars slap, which went viral all over the world and cast a shadow over Will's career. In the wake of the slap, a behind-the-scenes clip surfaced from Red Table Talk, shedding alarming light on Will and Jada's marriage. Jada ambushed Will by asking him about their marriage for Instagram Live in order to promote a Red Table Talk episode with psychotherapist Esther Perel. A visibly distraught Will repeatedly begged his wife not to 'start filming me without asking me,' but Jada brushed off his concerns as 'foolishness.' The clip caused a storm on Reddit, with commenters calling Jada an 'abuser' and observing how 'broken' and 'tormented' Will looked. During the 2022 Oscars, Will marched onstage and slapped Chris Rock for making a bald joke about Jada, who shaved her head because she has alopecia. The pair could be seen graciously signing autographs for fans before heading into work on their picture, which is slated for release June 7 'Jada, I love you. GI Jane 2, can't wait to see it,' Chris cracked, in reference to the 1997 movie starring Demi Moore with a shaved head. Will was seen initially laughing at the joke, but Jada rolled her eyes and then he took to the stage to give Chris a smack across the face. Then Will flounced back to his seat and repeatedly shrieked at Chris: 'Keep my wife's name out of your f***ing mouth!' Less than an hour after his outburst, Will was awarded the best actor Oscar and received a standing ovation for his tearful speech in which he called himself a protector of his family and expressed a desire to be a 'vessel of love.' Although he apologized to the Academy and his fellow nominees during his speech, he did not issue a public apology to Chris until the following day. Will is currently mounting a career comeback after retreating from the public eye when he was heaped with opprobrium for his Oscars slap He infamously marched onstage at the 2022 Oscars and struck Chris Rock across the face for making a bald joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith After the awards, he went to the Vanity Fair Oscar Party and danced to his own song Gettin' Jiggy Wit It while other partygoers cheered him on. As the backlash mounted - but before the Academy could decide what punishment it should impose for the incident - Will resigned from the organization. Although his departure meant he could no longer vote for the Oscars, he at that point was still able to attend the show. However the Academy then imposed a 10-year ban on his attending the ceremony, though he can still be nominated for and win Oscars. Jada finally addressed the slap that June on an alopecia-themed episode of her show Red Table Talk, urging Will and Chris to patch up their differences. 'Now, about Oscar night,' she cooed: 'my deepest hope is that these two intelligent, capable men have an opportunity to heal, talk this out and reconcile.' Nick Knowles has brushed off viewers' surprise reactions to his 'unrecognisable' new look, admitting he is 'a bit overweight' compared to other 'super-fit stars.' The DIY SOS star, 61, has been showing his adventurous side in a new travel series, which sees him follow the route of the mighty Mississippi River. And in a new interview with The Mirror, Nick admitted that it's 'no great surprise' his appearance has changed after reaching his 60s. He said: 'There are lots of people making adventure programmes and a lot of them, like Bear Grylls, are young, they're super fit. 'I'm 61 now and it's no great surprise that I'm a bit overweight. Even putting on a wetsuit and appearing on telly you can't worry.' Nick Knowles has brushed off viewers' surprise reactions to his 'unrecognisable' new look, admitting he is 'a bit overweight' compared to other 'super-fit stars' In a new interview, Nick admitted that it's 'no great surprise' his appearance has changed after reaching his 60s (pictured in January 2023) Nick jokingly added: 'If I laid down on a beach, Greenpeace would try to drag me back into the water.' In the interview, Nick added he's vowed to embrace a more adventurous lifestyle while filming a show in Patagonia. He said: 'I met a chap who cycled from Mexico down to the bottle of Argentina. He said to me, ''You shouldn't have to wait for a terminal diagnosis to go and make the most of your life''. You'll be amazed at what you're capable of if you push yourself. You can't worry about what you look like or failing.' The star had previously stunned viewers with a radical new look while appearing on The One Show to promote his new Channel 5 show. Host Alex Jones said: 'There's an elephant in the room here. Nobody's talking about it. There's a new look, Nick, going on well.' Broadcaster Nick explained he'd been working on some writing projects and has been off camera, and so has been free to grow his facial hair as he wishes. He explained: 'I'm not actually doing any filming for a while. I'm doing some writing and things and so I had the chance to grow a beard... I can't have a beard like this when I'm filming.' Viewers took to social media after spotting a bearded Nick on television, with one person writing on Twitter: 'What happened to Nick Knowles he's unrecognisable.' Nick (pictured on I'm A Celebrity in 2018), said: 'I'm 61 now and it's no great surprise that I'm a bit overweight. Even putting on a wetsuit and appearing on telly you can't worry' The DIY SOS star has been showing his adventurous side in a new travel series, which sees him follow the route of the mighty Mississippi River Someone else shared: 'If I hadn't heard his voice I'm not sure I'd have recognised that man as Nick Knowles. He looked totally different and not just the beard.' 'Nick Knowles is totally unrecognisable,' wrote another viewer, while someone else asked: 'What on earth has happened to Nick Knowles?' 'Nick Knowles. What a transformation,' posted another viewer. While someone else remarked: 'Didn't recognise Nick Knowles.' Some viewers were impressed with Nick's look, with one person writing: 'Nick Knowles looking incredibly well at 62. So what if he's put on a bit of weight and grown a beard? At least he hasn't pumped his face full of botox.' While someone else insisted: 'Loving Nick Knowles new bearded look.' 'Nick Knowles is trending, and let's be honest he's looking very good, approaching his 62nd year,' wrote another viewer. While someone else shared: 'Someone has entered their Papa Bear era and, I fully support it.' On Monday, Nick was branded 'unrecognisable' by viewers when he showed off his new look, with the star admitting he'd taken advantage of a break from his presenting work Nick and his fiancee Katie Dadzie looked smitten as they posed for loved-up snaps on the red carpet at the TV Choice Awards 2024 earlier this month. Nick shared the happy news of his engagement on Instagram last summer. Sex toy business owner Katie, who is 27 years Nick's junior, looked delighted in a series of snaps, which included Nick proposing while down on one knee. Another picture saw her grinning from ear-to-ear as she showed off the ring Nick had given her which was in fact a gummy sweet. Rebecca Judd has rallied against the Victorian government for its management of a spate of youth crimes plaguing Melbourne's most affluent suburbs. On Thursday, the Herald Sun reported that 80 repeat youth offenders had been arrested and released more than 10 times each over the past year, sparking fear among residents of Melbourne's Bayside area. Rebecca, 41, who lives in a $7.3 million Brighton mansion in with her AFL star husband Chris and their four children, was incensed by update and promptly took to Instagram Stories to vent her frustration. 'Victoria Police are doing their job. The justice system and State Government are not,' she declared, reposting a screenshot of the Herald Sun article. The footy WAG then took a direct swipe at Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan, accusing her of 'staying quiet while we wonder if a gang of machete wielding youths are going to invade our homes while our children sleep.' Rebecca Judd, 41, (pictured) has rallied against the Victorian government for its management of a spate of youth crimes plaguing Melbourne 's most affluent suburbs 'Lock bail offenders up. Ban machetes and other weapons. There's a start,' she added. It's not the first time Rebecca has publicly spoken about her concerns regarding the recent spike in youth crime plaguing Victoria. In June 2022, Rebecca made headlines by saying she felt 'unsafe' in her mansion, after a spate of home invasions in her area. Rebecca, who lives in a $7.3 million Brighton mansion in with her AFL star husband Chris and their four children, was incensed by update and promptly took to Instagram Stories to vent her frustration The footy WAG then took a direct swipe at Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan (pictured), accusing her of 'staying quiet while we wonder if a gang of machete wielding youths are going to invade our homes while our children sleep Posting to Instagram, the WAG claimed the Victorian Government didn't 'seem to care' about the 'rapes, bashings and home invasions at the hands of the gangs in Bayside'. 'I personally know two women who have experienced home invasions in Brighton in the last few weeks while they were at home,' she said. She also reposted CCTV footage of a group of young men lurking outside properties in her affluent suburb and claimed it made her feel 'unsafe'. The teenagers, who were allegedly armed with knives, were filmed lurking outside several properties in the Bayside area before crashing a stolen BMW into a tree. It's not the first time Rebecca (pictured with husband Chris) has publicly spoken about her concerns regarding the recent spike in youth crime plaguing Victoria In June 2022, Rebecca made headlines by saying she felt 'unsafe' in her mansion, after a spate of home invasions in her area In February the following year, Rebecca doubled down on her claim that Melbourne's elite suburbs are under siege by criminals after a man's luxury Mercedes was stolen with his pet dog still inside. 'Same s***, different night. Yesterday the Queensland government announced big changes to youth offending laws due to community outrage. It's time the Victorian government did the same,' she wrote. More recently, Rebecca called for Ms Allan to 'fix the system' last month, following the alleged murder of Dr Ashley Gordon by two teenagers. More recently, Rebecca called for Ms Allan to 'fix the system' last month, following the alleged murder of Dr Ashley Gordon by two teenagers Posting to Instagram at the time, Rebecca said it was sad to see how broken the justice system had become, and implored Ms Allan to lock offenders up. 'This story is so sad. The justice system is broken. Fix this Jacinta Allan. Let this be your legacy,' she wrote alongside a report of Dr Gordon's death. 'Until the "prevention first" strategy starts to work among teens (might take years. Might never work!), you must keep the community safe by locking up violent offenders.' Bill Hader and girlfriend, Ali Wong, were spotted strolling arm-in-arm while stepping out in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles on Wednesday. The SNL alum, 45, grabbed a yummy breakfast at Farmshop with the Beef actress, 41 - who recently showed off her sense of style at the 2024 Producers Guild Awards. The Barry actor dressed down for the daytime excursion, and wore a pair of gray sweatpants as well as a black jacket. Underneath, he also donned a white T-shirt and completed his look by slipping into a pair of comfy sneakers. Ali kept it casual wearing a pair of baggy, tan-colored trousers as well as a red and white-striped shirt. Bill Hader, 45, and girlfriend Ali Wong, 41, were spotted strolling arm-in-arm while stepping out in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles on Wednesday She layered the look with a long, black coat to help her stay warm in the cooler temperatures and also slipped into a pair of sneakers that were secured with laces. Wong opted for minimal accessories, and wore a pair of silver-hooped earrings that offered a flashy flare to the ensemble. Her dark locks were parted in the middle, and effortlessly flowed down straight past her shoulders. The couple were seen walking arm-in-arm as they made their way through a parking lot. In her left hand, Ali carried a white bag that contained a few tasty treats that the pair could indulge in. Wong and Hader were briefly linked in late 2022, and the two rekindled their romance last year in April. Most recently, Bill has been attending various award shows to show his support for the actress who has garnered several nominations for her critically-acclaimed performance in Beef. When she won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Miniseries or Television Film last month, the pair were seen sharing a kiss before she stepped onto the stage. However, years before striking up a romance, the stars voiced characters in the 2016 animated film titled: The Angry Birds Movie. The award-winning star kept it casual wearing a pair of baggy, tan-colored trousers as well as a red and white-striped shirt Wong and Hader were briefly linked in late 2022, and the two rekindled their romance last year in April; seen in January in Beverly Hills Ali was married to Justin Hakuta from 2014 until their split in 2022. The following year in December 2023, she officially filed for divorce, citing 'irreconcilable differences.' Throughout their marriage, the pair welcomed two daughters. Hader also tied the knot with Maggie Carey in 2006 but divorced in 2018. The former couple welcomed three daughters throughout the course of their marriage. Shortly before the relaxing outing with Bill on Wednesday, Ali has been filtering through a busy schedule with awards season in full swing. On Sunday, the comedian showed off her personal sense of style while attending the 35th Annual Producers Guild Awards in L.A. The star donned a white dress with an asymmetrical hem as well as ruched details around the waist. The top portion of the outfit was secured with buttons up towards the collar. She layered the look with a black blazer that was left unbuttoned at the front and appeared to partially cover the puffy sleeves of the dress. Wong additionally wore a pair of white gloves to coincide with the color scheme of the ensemble. Beef was nominated and won the David L. Wolper Award for Outstanding Producer of Limited or Anthology Series Television award during the event. Ali was married to Justin Hakuta from 2014 until their split in 2022. The following year in December 2023, she officially filed for divorce, citing 'irreconcilable differences'; former couple seen in 2016 On Sunday, the comedian showed off her personal sense of style while attending the 35th Annual Producers Guild Awards in L.A. (seen above) The limited Netflix series was released last year in April, and also starred Steven Yeun, Joseph Lee and Young Mazino. The premise follows, 'Two people let a road rage incident burrow into their minds and slowly consume their every thought and action,' per an official IMDB synopsis. Also on Sunday, Ali notably attended the Independent Spirit Awards in Santa Monica where she won Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted series. While accepting the award on stage, Wong notably gave a special shout out to the cast and crew that were involved on the critically-acclaimed project. Wong also gave another shout out to the catering business that provided tasty food on set. 'And gosh, I really want to give a special shoutout to our catering Mario's.' 'Sonny is going to be so mad at me for letting out the secret that they are like the best, but they really have the best food and they really kept the morale going. We had such long days and just thank you so much. This means a lot. Thank you.' Later during the event, Beef also won the award for Best New Scripted Series, and Wong as well as Steven Yeun and Lee Sung Jin took to the stage to accept the honor. Also on Sunday, Ali notably attended the Independent Spirit Awards in Santa Monica where she won Best Lead Performance in a New Scripted series (seen above) On Saturday, Wong made a statement as she attended that 2024 SAG Awards in Los Angeles and wore a one-of-kind ensemble and won the award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries of TV Movie (seen above) On Saturday, Wong made a statement as she attended that 2024 SAG Awards in Los Angeles and wore a one-of-kind ensemble. The black and white-colored dress was from Iris Van Herpen's Fall 2023 Couture collection, and had unique 3D attachments that stuck out from the shoulders. At the event, Ali notably won the award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries of TV Movie. Last month, the comedian - who was also an executive producer on the project - received a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Miniseries or Television Film as well as a Critics Choice Awards for Best Actress in a Limited Series. Meg Ryan radiated joy after indulging in some retail therapy in Soho, New York on Wednesday afternoon. While sliding out of a luxury SUV, the You've Got Mail star, 62, who was seen out in Santa Barbara earlier this month, appeared in high spirits as she carried a large white shopping bag from Prada. For her laid-back outing, the mother-of-two looked effortlessly chic in a beige sweater under a black blazer and long skirt. She completed her ensemble with a pair of vintage sunglasses, leather boots and small purse for all her essentials. Meg Ryan radiated joy after indulging in some retail therapy in Soho, New York on Wednesday afternoon Her platinum blonde, which hovered just above her shoulders, was styled in tousled waves. The actress looked decades younger than her age while sporting minimal makeup and a pink lipstick. While talking to Glamour late last year in November, the actress - who began her successful career in Hollywood in the early 1980s - opened up about aging and said, 'Our culture is so obsessed with youth.' 'As an old person now, I love my age. I love where I'm at. Aging is not that terrifying,' she expressed to the outlet. 'We're all doing it. I wish someone had told me earlier, 'Just relax. It is what it is. Don't pay attention to the obstacles.'' Ryan also got candid about growing more confident with who she is throughout the years, explaining, 'There's a time in your teens and 20s where you're trying on personalities to figure out who you are, who to be.' 'With age, you get to a place where you say what you mean without thinking about how it's going to land. You just say what you want.' Last month in January, Meg wowed while wearing a strapless, black sequin gown while attending the 29th Annual Critics Choice Awards in Santa Monica. A few months earlier, she notably starred in the romantic comedy titled, What Happens Later, which was released in November 2023 following a break from Hollywood. While sliding out of a luxury SUV, the You've Got Mail star, 62, was seen carrying a large white shopping bag from Prada Last month in January, Meg wowed while wearing a strapless, black sequin gown while attending the 29th Annual Critics Choice Awards in Santa Monica (seen above) She starred alongside X-Files actor, David Duchovny, and the premise followed, 'ex-lovers that will see each other for the first time in years when they both find themselves snowed in, in-transit, at an airport overnight,' per IMDB. Her last film project had been Ithaca (2015) and she discussed taking time away from the working in the industry during an interview with People in October of last year. 'I took a giant break because I felt like there's just so many other parts of my experience as a human being I wanted to develop,' Ryan revealed to the publication. 'It's nice to think of it as a job and not a lifestyle. And that is a great way of navigating it for me.' Meg's first role was in the drama titled Rich And Famous in 1981, and she later starred in a variety of other projects such as Top Gun (1986). She is also known for taking on leading roles in romantic comedies such as When Harry Met Sally (1989), Sleepless In Seattle (1993) and You've Got Mail (1998). Ryan is mother to son Jack Quaid, 31, whom she shares with ex-husband, Dennis Quaid. The pair were married from 1991 until their divorce was finalized in 2001. She also has a daughter, Daisy, 20 - whom she adopted in 2006. Meg's first role was in the drama titled Rich And Famous in 1981, and she later starred in a variety of other projects such as Top Gun (1986); seen above in Top Gun Ryan is mother to son Jack, 31, whom she shares with ex-husband, Dennis Quaid. The pair were married from 1991 until their divorce was finalized in 2001. She also has a daughter, Daisy, 20 - whom she adopted in 2006; former couple seen in 1998 Jack has followed in his parents' acting footsteps, and is known for appearing in projects such as Oppenheimer (2023) and the series titled The Boys; seen earlier this month in Atlanta While talking to Glamour, she also gushed about her children and stated, 'My kids have always been a blast.' 'They're the best hang. They're so alive in their curiosity and interest in the world,' she expressed, while later adding, 'I'm just so happy to know them, to be their mom.' Jack has followed in his parents' acting footsteps, and is known for appearing in projects such as Oppenheimer (2023) and the series titled The Boys. 'Jack is really talented. He's more of a natural than I'll ever be,' Meg said while also coming to the defense of her son. 'That nepo stuff is so dismissive of his work ethic, his gifts, and how sensitive he is to the idea of his privilege.' Bradley Cooper revealed that forging a connection with his only child six-year-old daughter Lea De Seine did not come naturally to him. The Maestro star, 49, admitted that it took him eight months to 'really love' her in a candid interview on Dax Shepard's Armchair Expert podcast on Monday. The actor who welcomed Lea with model ex-girlfriend Irina Shayk, 38, in March 2017 shared that he couldn't relate to parents who would say, 'I would die in a second for my kid.' 'The first eight months I don't even know if I really love the kid,' he recalled. 'It's dope. It's cool. I'm watching this thing morph.' 'That's my experience. Fascinated by it. Loved taking care of it. But would I die if someone came in with a gun?' Bradley Cooper, 49, revealed that forging a connection with his six-year-old daughter Lea De Seine did not come naturally to him; they are seen on Wednesday in New York However, he said the instinct then kicked in: 'And then all of a sudden, it's like no question.' Bradley went on to insist he changed his life because he wanted to give Lea a more stable upbringing than his own after his early years were blighted by alcoholism in his family. He added: 'I'm a father [seeking to do] the least amount of damage I can do to my daughter. To have a child not grow up in that way I want her to have, as much as she can, a foundation that's like 25 feet thick, cement, that she can walk on this earth with. That's the goal.' 'I can just feel the safety that she feels. It's so tangible; it's palpable. That is so fulfilling.' He later admitted he is not sure he would be alive if he hadn't become a dad. 'Honestly I'm not sure I'd be alive if I wasn't a dad. I don't know what would have happened. I am not sure.' 'I just needed someone to say, like, "We're gonna drop this massive anchor."' 'Im like, "Why? We're speeding! I just got an upgrade on the boat, and I know where the wind's coming in." They're like, "No, no, no, there's a tsunami coming in, and you need an anchor and were gonna drop it."' The Maestro star, 49, admitted that it took him eight months to 'really love' her in a candid interview on Dax Shepard's Armchair Expert podcast on Monday; seen in 2023 The actor who welcomed Lea with ex Irina Shayk, 38, in 2017 shared that he couldn't relate to parents who would say, 'I would die in a second for my kid'; the trio seen in 2021 'The first eight months I don't even know if I really love the kid,' he recalled However, he said the instinct then kicked in, and admitted he is not sure he would be alive if he hadn't become a dad Cooper and Shayk dated off-and-on since 2015, and have maintained an amicable co-parenting relationship; seen in 2019 'Because this is gonna dictate everything you do from now on. Your DNA is going to tell you that there's something more important than you.' Last summer Bradley spoke about how he was raising his daughter, as he explained: 'I think, I mean, you learn from your predecessor's mistakes. And I'll make tons that hopefully Lea will learn from. 'And then...end up being rigorous with myself to grow, to help unburden her with any of my s**t.' Elsewhere on the podcast he discussed 'growing' in the past three years, and realizing 'there are certain parts of me that have really needed serious work. About intimacy with people, women specifically. Like being in a real healthy relationship.' Cooper and Shayk dated off-and-on since 2015, and have maintained an amicable co-parenting relationship. He has since moved on with 28-year-old girlfriend Gigi Hadid. The pair were seen stepping out together in New York City this week, with Bradley being ever the gentleman as he opened the door of a yellow cab for the model. Gigi is also a parent-of-one, as she shares three-year-old daughter Khai with ex-boyfriend Zayn Malik, 31. The pair enjoyed a cozy lunch date in the Big Apple. They put on an affectionate display as the blonde beauty lovingly wrapped her hand around the actor's neck. He has since moved on with 28-year-old girlfriend Gigi Hadid, whom he's reportedly been romancing since October; they are seen on Tuesday in New York The NYC date comes after the two were spotted holding hands in their first-ever public display of affection in London one month ago. Gigi and Bradley sparked up a romance in October after they were reportedly 'introduced' by Bradley's ex Shayk. 'Gigi and Irina have been close over the years while working together, and Gigi and Bradley have hung out before, but it has always been friendly in social settings,' a source told The Messenger. 'Gigi and Bradley were in touch recently, and were bonding over their daughters, when Bradley asked her out,' the insider said at the start of their romance, adding, 'He pursued her and she was definitely interested and excited.' And in December Page Six reported that Bradley purchased a home near his girlfriend's family horse farm in Pennsylvania. He's been voted as one of the sexiest men alive. And former Grey's Anatomy star Patrick Dempsey got a chance to strut his stuff in Sydney at the TAG Heuer opening on Thursday. The 59-year-old, who is an ambassador for the luxury brand, looked dashing on the red carpet in a blue blazer. He completed his causal look with a pair of dark blue slacks and a snug fitting black crew-neck tee. The Enchanted actor added white designer sneakers to his look. Grey's Anatomy star Patrick Dempsey got a chance to strut his stuff in Sydney at the TAG Heuer opening on Thursday. Pictured The 59-year-old, who is an ambassador for the luxury brand, looked dashing on the red carpet in a blue blazer At one point in the evening, the ageless Ferrari star happily posed for a selfie with a fan. It comes after Patrick was named by U.S, magazine People as 2023's Sexiest Man Alive. He later joked that his wife's skin care advice helped him to snag the title. At one point in the evening, the ageless Ferrari star happily posed for a selfie with a fan. It comes after Patrick was named by U.S, magazine People as 2023's Sexiest Man Alive The actor, who rose to fame on the long-running medical soap Grey's Anatomy, is the second oldest star to receive the honor after Sean Connery, who won the title in 1989, aged 59. In 2023 the hunky star celebrated his 24th wedding anniversary with his wife Jillian, who is 57 and a celebrity make-up artist. The couple tied the knot July 31, 1999 at the actor's Maine farmhouse. They are parents to daughter Tallula, 21, and twin sons Darby and Sullivan, 16. G-Flip looked chic on the night Married At First Sight's Martha Kalifatidis and Michael Brunelli also flew into the Harbour City for the event Model-turned-actor Josh Heuston looked stylish in a grey suit Married At First Sight grooms Tim Calwell, Jono McCullough and Jayden Eynaud were recently spotted enjoying some quality 'bro time' at Clovelly Beach in Sydney. The reality stars cut casual cool figures as they stripped off and made the most of their day off at the eastern suburbs locale favoured by Instagrammers and the LGBTQI+ community. Tim, 31, made sure his well-honed physique was on display as he lead the charge in a simple pair of denim cut-offs. He accessorised his look with a pair of designer sunglasses and added statement chain around his neck. Married At First Sight grooms Tim Calwell, Jono McCullough and Jayden Eynaud were recently spotted enjoying some quality 'bro time' at Clovelly Beach in Sydney. Pictured left to right The reality stars cut casual cool figures as they stripped off and made the most of their day off at the eastern suburbs locale favoured by Instagrammers and the LGBTQI+ community The grooms weren't shy as they enjoyed some fun in the sun Meanwhile, Jono, 39, ensured all eyes were on him as he stripped off and flaunted his cut frame in a pair of green patterned boardshorts. The handsome hunk also wore sunglasses on the day and carried his belongings in a white tote. Professional kickboxer Jayden made the most of his cut frame in a pair of white boardshorts. He accessorised his look with a blue cap worn backwards and reflective sunglasses. Tim, 31, made sure his well-honed physique was on display as he lead the charge in a simple pair of denim cut-offs. He accessorised his look with a pair of designer sunglasses and added statement chain around his neck Meanwhile, Jono, 39, ensured all eyes were on him as he stripped off and flaunted his cut frame in a pair of green patterned boardshorts. The handsome hunk also wore sunglasses on the day and carried his belongings in a white tote Professional kickboxer Jayden made the most of his cut frame in a pair of white boardshorts. He accessorised his look with a blue cap worn backwards and reflective sunglasses Jono's abs popped against the deep blue of the sea The lads headed to the beach for a welcome day off from filming Jayden rocked socks and slides on the day The sighting follows reports that Jono and Lauren rarely spent time together when not required by the show's filming schedule. 'Lauren and Jono's relationship was similarly tumultuous, with the two barely spending any time together on weekends, Tim and Sara were also constantly at odds,' the insider shared. 'Despite forming a strong bond, Lucinda and Timothy also struggled with a lack of physical attraction.' One of the arrangements came to light after an intense confrontation at one of the show's dinner parties. One groom, reportedly fed up, openly admitted to their secret pact, leaving fellow cast members and the experts surprised with his admission. 'It was a mess,' the source added, painting a picture of a relationship far removed from the fairy tale romance fans were led to believe. Married At First Sight producers were reportedly 'pi**ed off' upon discovering the pacts, feeling betrayed by the manipulation of the show's premise. The show prides itself on creating genuine connections, and these revelations undermine its integrity. Maya Jama oozed glamour in a sexy beige dress as she shared snaps from the Dolce & Gabbana catwalk during Milan Fashion Week, on Wednesday. The Love Island presenter, 29, rounded up MFW, which took place last week, by sharing a slew of sexy photos on Instagram. She stunned in a busty Marilyn Monroe-inspired garment which showcased her ample cleavage in the statement bustier. Maya stood out from the crowd in one snap as she looked visibly radiant as she took her seat front row at the star-studded show. Before the catwalk took place, Maya posed up a storm for a mini photoshoot as she shared a behind-the-scenes moment. Maya Jama, 29, oozed glamour in a sexy beige dress as she shared snaps from the Dolce & Gabbana catwalk during Milan Fashion Week, on Wednesday The Love Island presenter rounded up MFW, which took place last week, by sharing a slew of sexy photos on Instagram Maya met up with Italian actor Michele Morrone, who looked incredibly dapper in a black three-piece suit. The TV presenter elevated her height in strappy heels, while accessorising with dainty gold jewellery and a leopard print clutch bag. Maya ensured she was red carpet ready for her appearance by enjoying a facial with Shane Cooper prior to jetting off. Just 24 hours after she wrapped up Love Island All Stars, Maya flew straight to Milan from South Africa - and is now currently in France for Paris Fashion Week. The beauty took to Instagram on Wednesday evening, sharing that she was in the French capital for PFW as she sat in a luxury restaurant sipping on a glass of red wine. Maya's appearance comes after she was seen puffing on a suspicious-looking roll-up outside Cape Town International Airport with her boyfriend, Stormzy last week. She wrapped the All Stars version of the ITV reality show and headed back home to London, before jetting off to enjoy Milan Fashion Week. But before departing South Africa, Maya and the rapper, 30, lit up a roll-up, passing it between them, before catching their flight. She stunned in a busty Marilyn Monroe-inspired garment which showcased her ample cleavage in the statement bustier Maya stood out from the crowd in one snap as she looked visibly radiant as she took her seat front row at the star-studded show Maya met up with Italian actor Michele Morrone, who looked incredibly dapper in a black three-piece suit Before the catwalk took place, Maya posed up a storm for a mini photoshoot as she shared a behind-the-scenes moment Just 24 hours after she wrapped up Love Island All Stars, Maya jetted straight to Milan from South Africa - and is now currently in France for Paris Fashion Week The beauty took to Instagram on Wednesday evening, sharing that she was in the French capital for PFW as she sat in a luxury restaurant sipping on a glass of red wine An onlooker told The Sun: 'Maya and Stormzy had a smoke before checking into their flight for London. 'It didnt seem like Maya was used to smoking because she started coughing as Stormzy puffed away next to her.' They added: 'They seemed really in love and were laughing and holding hands as they walked through the airport.' MailOnline has contacted representatives for Maya Jama and Stormzy for comment. Maya's rep declined to comment. Emmerdale actress Lisa Riley has shared the reason why she will refuse to have a cancer screening, even though her mother passed away from the disease. Lisa, 47, plays Mandy Dingle in the popular ITV soap and saw her on-screen family being warned they could carry a cancer-causing gene meaning they should be tested as soon as possible on Wednesday's episode of the show. In contrast to the Dingle family on Emmerdale, Lisa said she will opt out of a cancer screening after her mother, Cath, passed away from breast cancer aged 58 in 2012. The actress added that her family have a history of being diagnosed with cancer, as both her two great-grandmothers had breast cancer, while she lost three grandparents to other forms of the disease. Speaking to The Mirror, she said: 'Awareness is very important and I do have an elective mammogram every year for my peace of mind, but not having the test is my choice'. Emmerdale actress Lisa Riley has shared the reason why she will refuse to have a cancer screening, despite her mother passing away from the illness, (pictured together in 2001) The actress (pictured playing Mandy Dingle) added that her family have a history of being diagnosed with the illness, because both her two great-grandmothers had breast cancer 'I don't want to be that person that lives with that for the rest of my life. I know people will judge me on that, but you've got to walk a day in my shoes.' Despite her choice not to take a cancer screening, Lisa still said she was behind the show's plot of making audiences aware of a faulty cancer gene. 'It's my business, in that [people] don't know what it's like to be me and live with the gene pool that I live with, that I wake up with and go to sleep with every single day and night. 'I love the fact that we are portraying this on telly as many people still might not be aware of the faulty gene. It's wonderful to know that we will be teaching the audience about it, but personally, I don't want to know.' In last Wednesday's episode, Chas Dingle (Lucy Pargeter), informed the Dingle family she had been tested and had inherited the faulty BRCA2 gene which has caused her breast cancer. She also warned the rest of the Dingle family to get tested in case they had the same gene. Famously highlighted by Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie, BRCA1 and BRCA2 are faulty genes that significantly raise the risk of woman developing breast and ovarian cancer. These faulty genes also increase the risk of men developing male breast cancer and prostate or pancreatic cancer. Most women in the UK have a 15% chance of developing breast cancer in their lifetime, a statistic that rises to 40-85% for women with the faulty BRCA2 gene and 65-85% for women with the faulty BRCA1 gene. There is also a 50% chance that anyone with this gene could pass it on to their children. Lisa, an ambassador for the charity Breast Cancer Now, supports onscreen cousin Chas through her cancer battle but admitted that filming scenes with issues so close to her heart has been difficult. 'It's sadly a story close to my heart and it has massively affected me,' she stated. The Apprentice is set to see a record-breaking win, after one team gained sponsorships valued at tens of millions of pounds for the Formula-E team challenge. In Thursday's episode of the BBC show, candidates will be tasked with launching a new Formula-E team before pitching to companies for sponsorship. Multi-million pound negotiations are put in jeopardy when disastrous racing car designs and questionable branding are revealed. But one team races ahead to the top of the podium after gaining sponsorships worth a mind-blowing amount of cash - beating the previous record sum of 1.2million on the 2015 series' electric bike task. The winning team's sponsorship offer, which is the largest in the show's 18-year history, even surprised Lord Alan Sugar himself, who was convinced it had to be a mistake. Thursday's episode of The Apprentice is set to see a record-breaking win, after one team gained sponsorships valued at tens of millions of pounds for the Formula-E team challenge Candidates will be tasked with launching a new Formula-E team before pitching to companies for sponsorship Speaking of the win, Baroness Karen Brady explained how Lord Sugar couldn't help but be impressed by the performance. She said: '[He was] thrilled. He couldn't believe it when he saw the number. 'He was like, "Are you sure? Has someone made a mistake? Can you double check it?" That figure in sponsorship is a huge amount!' The winning sum is the largest amount gained by a team since one of the teams brought in 1.2million in the electric bike challenge in 2015. The then-record-breaking total seriously impressed Lord Sugar and left the rival team - who had brought in just over 400,000 - speechless. It comes after last week's episode of the latest series saw a double firing, with both recruitment director Jack Davies and pharmacist and business owner Amina Khan given the boot. During the fourth episode of the show, the group headed to Jersey, to secure and negotiate nine items synonymous to the area for the lowest price. However, Lord Sugar was less than impressed with Jack and Amina's efforts in the challenge and told them their 'lack of strategy' was their downfall. Jack claimed he has eight years experience negotiating with clients and insisted he would be able to 'lead his team to victory' Amina was made sub-leader in Jack's team and he put her in control of leading half of the group and finding half of the items He said in the boardroom: 'Jack, you were ultimately responsible for the strategy, and the strategy failed. 'But, Amina, you were in charge of the sub-team's lack of strategy and that cost the whole team big. And so, it is with regret Amina, you're fired. 'And Jack, I'm sorry to say, you're also fired.' Raj was picked as the team leader for her team as she put herself forward for the job. Meanwhile, Jack claimed he has eight years experience negotiating with clients and insisted he would be able to 'lead his team to victory'. He received the most votes from his team and was elected as team leader. Both teams were given maps, local directories and a list of items associated with the area they were asked to locate and buy for the lowest price. The list included a jersey with an emblem of an anchor, freshly shucked oysters, bachin [an antique bowl used for making Jersey butter] and a surfboard. The teams were both given eight hours to find all of the items and deliver them back to Lord Sugar. Both teams were given maps, local directories and a list of items associated with the area they were asked to locate and buy for the lowest price Lord Sugar said in the boardroom: 'Jack, you were ultimately responsible for the strategy, and the strategy failed' Back in the boardroom, Karen revealed that Jack's team bought seven of the items and spent 390.20, but failed to secure the Jersey Royal potatoes and sea salt glass jar and they also purchased the wrong size shackle. They suffered a fine of 274.30 giving them a total spend of 669.50. Raj's team spent a total of 337.23 but didn't secure the Jersey Royals and incurred a fine of 90, giving a total spend for the team of 427.23. Jack and his team returned to the boardroom and Lord Sugar declared that it was 'pretty much the worst team he has ever sent out on this task' as they returned with seven items. After receiving feedback from Karen Brady, Lord Sugar decided to bring them all back to face the firing line, and ultimately both Jack and Amina were fired. Victoria Beckham enjoyed a boozy Wednesday evening as she drank tequila while getting her hair done in Paris during the city's Fashion Week. The fashion designer, 49, arrived earlier this week to prepare for her show on Friday and has been busy working the social scene. David, meanwhile, spent time in Miami earlier this week for Inter Miami FC but took to Instagram to share a video of himself back in the UK caring for his son Romeo's dog Simba. The couple's middle son, 21, announced his split from his model girlfriend Mia Regan, also 21, earlier this week. And it appears David has offered a helping hand following the break-up by looking after their Cockerpoo Simba. Victoria Beckham enjoyed a boozy Wednesday evening as she drank tequila while getting her hair done in Paris during the city's Fashion Week David, meanwhile, spent time in Miami earlier this week for Inter Miami FC but took to Instagram to share a video of himself back in the UK caring for his son Romeo's dog Simba Romeo and Mia got Simba in June 2022 and it is not yet clear as to who will be his primary owner after their break-up. For her evening in Paris, Victoria looked glamorous as she sipped on a drink from her 160 bottle of 1942 Don Julio tequila. Posh said as her hairdresser Ken Paves curled her hair: 'So we are here in Paris. Ken 1942? Cheers Paris. It feels so good to be back. Look it's got a little VB logo welcoming me to Paris.' Victoria and David's eldest son Brooklyn, 24, has already arrived in the city alongside his wife Nicola Peltz, 29, who is thought to be walking in Friday's show. On Wednesday morning, Nicola tagged Victoria in a snap of herself wearing sheer red lingerie as she posed for a mirror selfie. A day earlier, Victoria hinted Nicola will walk in her show after attending a fitting together. Stirring up speculation that Nicola will be modelling her line, Victoria wrote: 'Pre-show prep and fittings in Paris!! Kisses @NicolaAnnePeltzBeckham xx.' Nicola looked incredible in a sheer tulle dress which showcased her toned legs, which were further elongated by a pair of towering white heels. And while Romeo has split from Mia, Victoria has vowed to still work with the model. Victoria looked glamorous as she sipped on a drink from her 160 1942 Don Julio tequila bottle The fashion designer, 49, arrived earlier this week to prepare for her show on Friday and has been busy working the social scene It appears David has offered a helping hand following the break-up by looking after their cockerpoo Simba While Romeo has split from Mia, Victoria has vowed to still work with the model Romeo and Mia got Simba in June 2022 and it is not yet clear as to who will be his primary owner after their break-up But David looked happy to be spending time with the pooch after landing back in the UK Victoria and David's eldest son Brooklyn, 24, has already arrived in Paris alongside his wife Nicola Peltz, 29, who is thought to be walking in Friday's show Romeo got Simba back in 2022, with the dog featuring on both Mia and the middle Beckham's Instagram page. Romeo and Mia moved in together last year but have now split Confirming the split at the weekend, Romeo wrote on Instagram: 'Mooch and I have parted ways after five years of love' with Mia also confirming their split The model has worn her items and promoted them across social media - and sources close to the family say that she will continue to do so. One told the Mail: 'Victoria absolutely adores Mia and she is really sad that she and Romeo have split. 'She gets it, they are a young couple and of course the chances are they wouldn't stay together forever but she has her own relationship with Mia and the two women will still work together in the future. 'They both love fashion and have had some ideas about what they can do together and that still stands. They have a really close bond and they love working together, they are on the same page when it comes to fashion and what they like. 'There is absolutely no awkwardness, it is all amicable. Even Romeo won't mind which is all very grown up, a lot of young men wouldn't be happy about such a situation.' In October 2022, Victoria and Mia, 21, who models for the likes of H&M and Gucci, launched a denim collection together as part of the former Spice Girl's VB fashion range. However, it launched after Romeo, 21, and Mia split up. Friends of Victoria say she always shared a close relationship with Mia and the two stuck together throughout her fall out with Nicola Peltz - wife of her eldest son, Brooklyn. Romeo and Mia, who last year moved in together to an apartment in South London, split two weeks ago when they didn't post on Instagram about Valentine's Day. They began dating in 2017 before having a few months apart in 2022. Confirming the split at the weekend, Romeo wrote on Instagram: 'Mooch and I have parted ways after five years of love, we still have a lot of love and respect for each other, and still hold a strong friendship and always will. 'We aren't [together] romantically but we do share lots & lots of love for one another after five years we friendzoned each other hehe.' She followed her statement with a series of red love hearts. Georgia Harrison has broken her silence on the conversation she had with Casey O'Gorman about his dead grandad on Love Island All Stars. During the recent series Georgia, 29, raised viewers' eyebrows as she implied she had seen the ghost of Casey's dead grandad during a spiritual retreat. Casey said it was one of the reasons that he ended their fling as he had been freaked out by the chat about his late relative. After the episode, viewers were left speechless by the revelation as they flooded social media with memes about the bizarre interaction. Speaking on Olivia Attwood's new So Wrong It's Right podcast, Georgia discussed the chat with Casey, 27, as she slammed him for bringing it up on TV. Georgia Harrison has broken her silence on the conversation she had with Casey O'Gorman about his dead grandad on Love Island All Stars During the recent series Georgia, 29, raised viewers' eyebrows as she implied she had seen the ghost of Casey's dead grandad during a spiritual retreat She said: 'I need to speak on that situation - there's so much around the entire thing that I don't think is being conveyed and this is actually what happened. 'I'd done a week at a meditation retreat and it's really intense and I felt that I was getting a sense from people who have passed over in my family, in my life, that there is another world. 'It might be a bit far-fetched, and it might not be for everyone, but I genuinely believe, having lost my ex and my best friend over the last couple of years, that I do, at times, have signs that they're there.' She added: 'When I was dating Casey we'd spoken multiple times about how it was really hard for him having just lost his nan and granddad, so what I was trying to say was I really think that they're still with you. 'I think they're still on your journey. I wasn't saying, just bumped into your dead granddad in Tesco's. He's looking fly! 'I think in my head I thought we'd get back together and we'd end up seeing each other on the show because the way he left things was like, look, this is killing me. 'I'm really going to miss you. But instead of just explaining to me how he felt about the granddad stuff, why did he wait a month and a half to do that and then drop that bomb on national television when all he had to do was be honest?' Casey said it was one of the reasons that he ended their fling as he had been freaked out by the chat about his late relative Viewers were quick to react to the very strange fire pit chat at the time as one penned: 'She saw his dead what??? #LoveIsland #LoveIslandAllStars' Olivia Attwood's podcast was first announced last week and it went straight to number one in the podcast charts, without even releasing an episode. On the show recruitment consultant Casey said he ditched the beauty after she claimed to see the ghost of his dead grandad in the bizarre chat. He told her that it was 'a bit too much' that she made the comments about his late relative when she rang him from a spiritual retreat. She defended herself saying: 'I just was on the retreat and I thought I felt a presence that was still around!' Viewers were quick to react to the very strange fire pit chat as one penned: 'She saw his dead what??? #LoveIsland #LoveIslandAllStars.' A second penned: 'This is the funniest conversation in love island history #loveisland.' She has now explained: 'When I was dating Casey we'd spoken multiple times about how it was really hard for him having just lost his nan and granddad, so what I was trying to say was I really think that they're still with you' She added: 'I think they're still on your journey. I wasn't saying, just bumped into your dead granddad in Tesco's. He's looking fly!' A third said: 'Dead grandad gate by the mini fire pit has got to go down as the funniest love island scene in history #LoveIsland #AllStars.' Another penned: 'Georgia H seeing Casey's dead grandad was not expected at all #loveisland #LoveIslandAllStars.' Someone else said: 'not Georgia H telling Casey she saw his dead grandad is acc weird no wonder he ghosted #loveisland #LoveIslandAllStars.' Georgia later coupled up with Anton Danyluk and made it to the final, while Casey was voted out with Eve Gale. Jerry Hall looked to be spending some quality time with her daughter Georgia May Jagger as the two attended the Chloe show at Paris Fashion Week on Thursday. The famous mother and daughter cut a chic appearance as they beamed in snaps while both posing up a storm in their fashionable ensembles. Georgia May, 32, put on a very leggy display in a short black leather coat adorned with fur edging and gold buttons. The model paired the dress with some platform black leather strappy sandals and a peach handbag. The duo were also joined by Keith Richard's grandaughter Ella as she joined the Rolling Stones family for the fashionable event. Jerry Hall, 67, cosied up to her daughter Georgia May Jagger, 32, at the Chloe show at Paris Fashion Week on Thursday The pair were joined by fellow member of the Rolling Stone family, Keith Richard's grandaughter Ella Richards, 27 Jerry, 67, looked sensational as she cut a sophisticated figure in a beige trench coat and brown leather boots. The American model was positively glowing as she also accessorised the look with a beige bag that matched the style of her daughters. Showcasing her blonde tresses in natural waves over her shoulders she completed the look with a bold red lip. Elsewhere Ella, 27, opted for an all black ensemble as she donned a furry black long-sleeved top and black leather and navy suede trousers. The model, whose parents are Marlon Richards and Lucie de la Falaise, carried a dark green handbag and elevated her height with some gold block heeled sandals. Jerry also shares children Elizabeth Jagger, 39, James Jagger, 38, and Gabriel Jagger, 26, with the Rolling Stones frontman Mick. The star was seen arriving into Charles de Gaulle airport for Paris Fashion Week on Wednesday. Jerry displayed her natural beauty as she went makeup free while puffing on a cigarette. The famous mother and daughter cut a chic appearance as they beamed in snaps while both posing up a storm in their fashionable ensembles Georgia May put on a very leggy display in a short black leather coat adorned with fur edging and gold buttons The American model was positively glowing as she also accessorised the look with a beige bag that matched the style of her daughters Ella, 27, opted for an all black ensemble as she donned a furry black long-sleeved top and black leather and navy suede trousers The model, whose parents are Marlon Richards and Lucie de la Falaise, kept her makeup to a minimum for the show Jerry and Georgia May looked in great spirits as the smiled together while both donning a red lip Jerry sat down to reveal her knee high brown leather boots Meanwhile Georgia May has already made her debut at Paris Fashion Week after she caught the eye of onlookers as she attended the Saint Laurent Womenswear Fall/Winter 2024-2025 on Tuesday. The model left little to the imagination as she wore a see-through black halter neck top for the occasion. She wore a black pencil skirt which finished at the knee which she teamed with a brown leather belt at the waist. The star wore a pair of black leather gloves, while she had on some black tights and a pair of heels in the same colour. She wore a chunky gold ring necklace and posed confidently at the event. Kiernan Shipka, Georgia May, Jerry, Pat Cleveland and Anna Cleveland (L-R) Outside, Jerry donned a stylish pair of sunglasses while Georgia teetered in her wedged platform sandals The model pair looked sunning in the snaps as they gripped their matching bags Jerry also shares children Elizabeth Jagger, 39, James Jagger, 38, and Gabriel Jagger, 26, with the Rolling Stones frontman Mick Georgia May watched the show alongside Sienna Miller (L) and Kiernan Shipka (middle) Georgia kept warm as she zipped her leather jacket-dress up to her neck Georgia May looked incredible in the ensemble Montana Brown celebrated the joys and sorrows of motherhood as she paid tribute to her baby son Jude in a heartfelt Instagram post on Wednesday. The former Love Island star, 28, reflected on her pregnancy journey seven months after her little one was born - as she shared her emotional thoughts with 1.1M followers. She detailed the highs and lows of the 'humbling' experience, admitting she was always 'one comment away from having a meltdown' but it also made her 'respect her body so much more'. Sharing a throwback picture of when she was seven months pregnant, she showed off her blossoming baby bump in a red bikini. Montana was seen posing in a lavish terrace while soaking the sun, adding a stylish straw hat and chic shades. Montana Brown, 28, celebrated the joys and sorrows of motherhood with a sweet tribute to her son Jude in a heartfelt Instagram post on Wednesday alongside a throwback snap Sharing a throwback snap of when she was seven months pregnant, she spoke about her motherhood experience seven months after Jude was born In the second shot she displayed her growing baby bump in the same beach set, while smiling happily in a mirror selfie indoors. The TV star added a few heart-melting pictures of little Jude to her carousel, accompanying with a lengthy caption: '7 months in vs 7 months out. 'I actually LOVED being pregnant, it was such a special experience and it really made me respect my body so much more I'm still in awe. 'This chapter has been hard, the lack of sleep etc is so tough, I legit cried when someone beeped me in the car recently and I always feel one beep or one comment away from having a meltdown but it's such a humbling experience.' She went on saying: 'I am in awe of the mums that do it on their own, don't have family around to support and who just don't get a break because I am so fortunate to have support around me and I am STILL in the thick of it..' The e Love Islander finished gushing over her tiny one: 'But despite how tired I have been, Jude gets me through, his smile first thing in the morning is just priceless.' Fans raced to comment below the emotional post, with many women empathising her journey and relating to it. 'You're incredible!! I also can't believe he's 7 months!!!' said one. The reality sensation detailed the highs and lows of the 'humbling' experience, admitting she was always 'one comment away from having a meltdown' but it also made her 'respect her body so much more' Fans rushed to the comments to share some supportive messages Montana - who shot to fame after joining Love Island's villa in 2017 - is engaged to rugby player Mark O'Connor (pictured together) Another agreed: 'I resonate with every word here.' 'Awww you got this mama!,' encouraged her another person while a fourth pointed out: 'He totally has your eyes!' 'Aww he's so like you! Gorgeous boy xx,' penned another user. 'Beautiful! both of you. It's so tough, you're doing amazing! I hope things get easier for you soon, message if needed ,' gushed another fan. Montana - who shot to fame after joining Love Island's villa in 2017 - shares Jude with fiance and rugby player Mark O'Connor. The couple enjoyed a loved-up babymoon in Bermuda in April last year, where Mark got down on one knee to propose in a romantic beach setting. Capturing the emotional moment in a black and white shot, Montana shared it on her Instagram page at the time captioning '13.04.23,' alongside a heart and ring emoji. The pair was rumoured to have kept the relationship lowkey for a while before going publicly official on Instagram in October 2021. The rugby star-turned-real estate executive was first pictured with the Love Island beauty during a cosy stroll on the beach in the Barbados at the beginning of 2021. A source previously revealed MailOnline exclusively: 'Mark has a proprietary interest in Forge Gym London. That's likely how he met Montana. 'He used to be out of shape and is now very much in shape. He's a very wild bloke to go on a night out with, drinks a lot. Very good fun to be with.' They added: 'His father owns a huge development/construction firm which he will inherit.' Earlier in December, Jude was rushed to hospital after a horror fall. The reality star took to Instagram as she shared her overwhelming emotion after Jude ended up in A&E after a terrifying accident. The mother-of-one explained that Jude fell off the kitchen counter while she was getting her porridge out of the microwave, leaving her 'crying her eyes out.' Sharing a snap of Jude in his auntie's arms at the hospital, Montana candidly revealed that she had the 'worst mum guilt' after he managed to 'launch himself off the kitchen counter'. The star was overcome with emotion and cried her eyes out at the shock, but luckily had Jude's auntie and uncle to support her at the hospital. Sharing a snap on her story, she wrote: 'Jude had his first fall. 'He was in a dockatot [form of baby lounger] type thing and in five seconds managed to launch himself off the kitchen counter and landed on the hard tiles. 'Literally the worst mum guilt of my life. Thank god for his auntie and uncle who came with me to get him checked out. 'He seems absolutely fine but just a big mark on the front of his head but feel better coming to A&E. 'Did I cry my eyes out? Yes. Will I be scared to put him down without wrapping him in pillows... YES. The couple enjoyed a loved-up babymoon in Bermuda in April last year, where Mark got down on one knee to propose in a romantic beach setting In December, Jude was rushed to hospital after suffering a horror fall leaving Montana 'crying her eyes out' Sharing a snap of Jude in his auntie's arms at the hospital on Instagram, Montana revealed that she had the 'worst mum guilt' after her son managed to 'launch himself off the kitchen counter' The reality star took to Instagram as she shared her overwhelming emotion after Jude ended up in A&E after the terrifying accident 'He is definitely moving way more and so curious to try fling himself off everything even my arms he is launching his body backwards so that's fun. 'But still feeling sick to my stomach that it happened tbh, turned around to get my porridge out of the microwave and as I turned back saw him launch himself backwards I feel so [emoji]. 'I know these things happen but his first proper cry went through me...' Sienna Miller stunned as she attended Chloe's Paris Fashion Week show on Thursday alongside her ex boyfriend's rumoured fiancee, Alexa Chung. The actress, 42, looked positively radiant in a white satin slip dress less than two months after welcoming a baby girl with her boyfriend Oli Green, 27. Sienna was joined by her friend and model Alexa, 40, who has been seen flashing a ring on her wedding finger, sparking engagement rumours to Tom Sturridge. Tom, 37, and Sienna, split eight years ago and share a daughter Marlowe, now 11, but have remained close friends. Posing for photos at Chloe's Womenswear Fall/Winter 2024-2025, she layered a contrasting leather bomber jacker over her chic lace-trimmed midi dress. Sienna Miller (L) stunned as she attended Chloe's Paris Fashion Week show on Thursday alongside her ex boyfriend's rumoured fiancee, Alexa Chung (R) The actress, 42, looked positively radiant in a white satin slip dress less than two months after welcoming a baby girl with her boyfriend Oli Green, 27 Sienna added a pair of chunky wedge heels and carried a small black leather handbag, styling her hair in waves to complete her look. Meanwhile, Alexa opted for a grey shirt that she tucked into a pair of flared black trousers. The model loosely draped a cream, chunky knitted jumper over the shoulder and topped her outfit off with some studded shoes. Sienna looked to be taking some time away from her parental duties as she appeared without her newborn. Her and Oli were pictured with their newborn in January as they made a stylish outing to a coffee shop in west London in a khaki coat and denim jumpsuit with a 3,300 designer Artipoppe baby carrier strapped to her. Sienna's pregnancy was revealed during a beach holiday in August where she stepped out sporting a bump. In December Sienna covered Vogue as she spoke for the first time about her pregnancy and revealed she was having a girl. In incredible photos taken to accompany the interview she displayed her bare bump alongside both Marlowe and boyfriend Oli. Posing for photos at Chloe's Womenswear Fall/Winter 2024-2025, she layered a contrasting leather bomber jacker over her chic lace-trimmed midi dress Sienna made a name for herself on the fashion scene in the early noughties with many emulating her boho style Sienna was joined by her friend and model Alexa, 40, who has been seen flashing a ring on her wedding finger, sparking engagement rumours to Tom Sturridge Sienna took her seat on the front row in between Liya Kebede (L) and Kiernan Shipka (R) She added a pair of chunky wedge heels and carried a small black leather handbag, styling her hair in waves to complete her look Kiernan Shipka looked stylish in a khaki knitted two-piece set The actress styled her hair into messy curls and opted for a subtle makeup look Sienna and Kiernan smiled for a photo together Sienna spoke candidly about her pregnancy and how it had been 'unplanned', but admitted she feels 'more psychologically prepared' than with her first born. During the rare interview, Sienna said that Marlowe has been angling for a sibling for some time. Sienna also said she'd been fighting her own prejudices about being an older mother and has to learn to stop making a joke out of it. She told the publication: 'I'd love to get to a point where I didn't feel the need to make a joke of my being older and having a baby, to show I'm in on the joke.' And in a video she filmed with Vogue, Sienna revealed that the pregnancy was an unplanned one. She revealed: 'I was very fortunate. I wasn't necessarily trying to get pregnant. This happened as a total surprise and biologically was something I was able to do.' Sienna went on to further address the stigma around pregnancy as an older woman as she has fought her own prejudices around the subject. Clemence Poesy looked incredible in a tan leather trench The actress looked stunning in the long line tan trench which she teamed with a burgundy bag American actress Meghann Fahy went braless in a plunging orange top and tan trousers at the show The actress, 33, didn't let the rain dampen her spirits as she headed to the show Doutzen Kroes walked the runway wearing a semi-sheer ruffled gown Models were seen walking the catwalk in semi-sheer fabrics Georgia May Jagger and Jerry Hall were also seen watching the show Kiernan joined the mother and daughter duo for a photo while Pat and Anna Cleveland waved The group clapped as the models walked Pat Cleveland, 73, wowed in a fur-trimmed coat, typical of Chloes bohemian style Georgia and Jerry looked radiant French actress Manon Bresch wore a cropped leather jacket with straight leg jeans She added: 'I think people are comfortable with a way of living that has existed for many years, which is very misogynistic and patriarchal. 'Like me being the older woman in a partnership with a younger person or being pregnant over 40 and that that's irresponsible and poor child and it's such double standards.' On what is different this time around, she said: 'I have expectations where I had none before. I feel much more psychologically prepared than I was with Marlowe. 'It was quite a shock, the reality. I hadn't given it the thought, I guess you can't prepare for it. In my mind I imagine it's going to be the loveliest, but I think I've forgotten.' Back in June Alexa, was spotted with a ring on her wedding finger, leading people to speculate that she was engaged to Tom. Son of award-winning film director Charles Sturridge, Tom seems open to marriage, while Alexa for her part, previously mused: 'I just don't get why marriage is different from non-marriage I just don't get it.' Her spokesperson declined to comment when asked about the rumours. Tom and Alexa went public with their romance last July when they attended day seven of the Wimbledon Championships. In a nod to their very unique set-up, in their first public outing, they were joined by Sienna who looked joyous while sitting in front of the couple. Tom and Sienna previously dated for four years and split in 2015. They are still on good terms, with Sienna calling Tom her 'best friend'. Sienna has given her seal of approval for her ex and Alexa and in December told Vogue UK: 'I'm really happy for them. It's genuinely lovely.' The Layer Cake actress even joked about their co-parenting situation and revealed that their daughter Marlowe has brought one of Alexa's jumpers home, which she has since claimed for herself. Sienna quipped: 'I've got one upstairs!' Liya was later joined by Bianca Brandolini d'Adda Anne Watanabe put on a chic display in a sheer gown and biker jacket Elva Ni wore a graphic top and jeans Thomasin McKenzie wore a floaty black shirt with chunky heels Amy Suzuki and Aya Suzuki wore matching looks Fashion model Amina Seck looked elegant in a cropped knit and thigh-slit skirt Charlotte Groeneveld shielded her eyes with sunglasses Following their split in 2015, it was claimed Sienna and Tom had different goals. A source said: 'Tom wanted to get married and have more children. Sienna didn't. 'This year everything exploded with Tom in London and Sienna leading a separate life in the US and [her appearance at] Cannes'. Alexa meanwhile has enjoyed a slew of high-profile romances. Her exes include Alex Turner, Alexander Skarsgard, Orson Fry, Albert Hammond Jr., Faris Badwan, Faris Badwan and Theo Hutchcraft. In 2018, she spoke to Porter about marriage, saying: 'I just don't get why marriage is different from non-marriage I just don't get it I think having a partner in life must be quite nice but I don't need a wedding day per se'. Alexa first sparked engagement rumours with her boyfriend Tom Sturridge back in June, with the couple seen wearing matching rings in October (pictured last week) Fans have been fondly remembering Dave Myers' fun-filled Cha Cha Cha to Moves Like Jagger which he performed on Strictly Come Dancing in 2013 - after his death. Dave, best known as one half of the Hairy Bikers, died at the age of 66 on Wednesday, according to a statement from his co-star Si King on social media. The TV chef had announced he was receiving treatment for an unspecified form of cancer in May 2022. Dave took part in Strictly back in 2013 where he was paired with professional Karen Hauer - who said she was said she was 'heartbroken' after hearing the sad news on Thursday. After performing dances including the Salsa, Jive and Paso Doble, the pair were voted off the competition in week seven. Fans have been fondly remembering Dave Myers' fun-filled Cha Cha Cha to Moves Like Jagger which he performed on Strictly Come Dancing in 2013 Dave, best known as one half of the Hairy Bikers, died at the age of 66 on Wednesday, according to a statement from his co-star Si King on social media After his death his Cha Cha Cha to the Maroon 5 hit Moves Like Jagger is being remembered by fans. One wrote: 'Still hard pushed to find anything more entertaining than @HairyBikers Dave Myers & @karen_hauer's Cha Cha Cha.' Another said: 'We're still laughing. What a great sport!' A third wrote: 'We should all approach life the way Dave Myers approached that cha cha cha.' Doing exaggerated moves in a flamboyant silver shirt during the routine, he took professional Karen by the leg and pulled her along the dancefloor. His energetic dances were memorable for their exuberance and then-judge Bruno Tonioli praised him for being 'entertaining' but he ended up being booted off while doing a tango to I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) by The Proclaimers half way through the series. A statement released today on the Hairy Bikers' social media from Dave's TV partner Si said: 'Hi everyone, I'm afraid I bear some sad news. 'Most of you will know Dave has been fighting cancer for the past couple of years. 'Last night, on 28th February 2024, with Lili, Dave's wife, his family, close friend David and myself by his side, he passed away peacefully at home. 'All who knew Dave are devastated at his passing. His beloved wife brought him such happiness as did her children, Iza and Sergiu who Dave loved like his own. Dave took part in Strictly Come Dancing back in 2013 where he was paired with professional Karen Hauer After performing dances including the Salsa, Jive and Paso Doble, the pair were voted off the competition in week seven A statement released today on the Hairy Bikers' social media from Dave's TV partner Si said: 'Hi everyone, I'm afraid I bear some sad news' Dave with his wife, Liliana Orzac, who he met while filming the series in Romania. They married in 2011 Dave and Karen are seen in their promo snap for Strictly in 2013 'Personally, I am not sure I can put into words on how I feel at the moment. 'My best friend is on a journey that for now, I can't follow. I will miss him every day and the bond and friendship we shared over half a lifetime. 'I wish you god's speed brother; you are and will remain a beacon in this world. See you on the other side. Love ya.' The statement continued: 'I know Dave and his family would want me to thank all of you who sent messages of support in recent times. 'It meant the world to him, his family and all The Hairy Bikers team. 'I am sending you all much love and gratitude for those simple acts of kindness, generosity and spirit. We are eternally grateful for them. 'May I ask you all for one further kindness and allow Lili, his wife, his family, close friends and I some time and some peace to process our huge loss. 'I am sure I will see you all soon.' Following his diagnosis, Myers briefly took a break from work before filming his last show with King, which sees them travel west across Britain from Scotland to Devon. King previously said that the series, The Hairy Bikers Go West, which is airing on BBC Two, would be one they would 'always remember'. The next episode of the series is set to air on March 5, with weekly shows continuing until March 19. Reacting to the news, BBC chief content officer Charlotte Moore said: 'Everyone at the BBC is incredibly sad to hear this news. 'Dave made cooking a truly joyful adventure and he shared that joy with millions. 'The public loved him and his unique partnership with Si. Together they made every viewer feel like a friend. 'More than that he was simply a lovely man. Our thoughts go out to his family and many friends.' He delighted fans with his dances on Strictly Dave (right) previously announced he was being treated for cancer and had had a gruelling recovery from treatment Si announced the sad news in a statement released on social media, saying he would miss his friend 'every day' TV chef Paul Hollywood said he was 'gutted' to hear Hairy Bikers star Dave Myers had died aged 66. Commenting on the announcement post shared by Myers' co-star Si King on Instagram, the Great British Bake Off judge said: 'Gutted Si, this is terrible news! Love to all mate xx.' TV presenter and stylist Gok Wan also described it as a 'terrible and heartbreaking loss' on the post. 'Sending all my love to Dave's family and friends. RIP Dave', he added. They've been forced to hit back at claims their romance is 'fake.' And Love Island's Georgia Harrison and Anton Danyluk proved their relationship is stronger than ever as they attended a public appearance together at CCTV nightclub in Durham on Wednesday. The reality star couple looked more loved up than ever as Anton planted a kiss on Georgia's face on arrival at the club. Georgia commanded attention as she showed off her toned figure in a black lace bra, teamed with oversized ripped jeans. The influencer added a stylish black long leather jacket over the bra and elevated her frame in a pair of pointed toe heels. Love Island's Georgia Harrison and Anton Danyluk proved their relationship is stronger than ever as they made an appearance together at CCTV nightclub in Durham on Wednesday The couple looked more loved up than ever as Anton planted a kiss on Georgia's face on arrival to the nightclub Georgia accessorised with a gold chain necklace and coordinated drop earrings. Anton looked smart in a fitted short sleeved T-shirt, which he teamed with light trousers and trainers. The couple were all smiles as they walked arm-in-arm into the nightclub before enjoying drinks inside. The reality stars were joined by new Geordie Shore couple Ricci Guarnaccio and Chantelle Connelly, who arrived linking arms. The MTV stars were all smiles as they sat in a private booth inside the club and Ricci was seen planting a kiss on Chantelle's cheek. Chantelle looked sensational in a white crop top which she teamed with black leather trousers and heels. Ricci , who was previously engaged to Vicky Pattison, rocked an eye catching green and white bomber jacket with blue denim jeans. The reality stars beamed for a photo backstage together before posing for selfies with fans. Georgia commanded attention as she showed off her toned figure in a black lace bra, teamed with oversized ripped jeans The influencer added a stylish black long leather jacket over the bra and elevated her frame in a pair of pointed toe heels Georgia accessorised with a gold chain necklace and coordinated drop earrings The couple were all smiles as they picked up drinks and headed into the nightclub Anton looked smart in a fitted short sleeved T-shirt which he teamed with trousers and trainers The couple were all smiles as they walked arm-in-arm into the nightclub Georgia beamed as she made her way through the crowd The reality stars were joined by new Geordie Shore couple Ricci Guarnaccio and Chantelle Connelly who arrived linking arms The MTV stars were all smiles as they sat in a private booth inside the club and Ricci was seen planting a kiss on Chantelle's cheek Chantelle looked sensational in a white crop top which she teamed with black leather trousers Ricci rocked an eye catching green and white bomber jacket with blue denim jeans A source told The Sun of the Geordie Shore stars relationship: 'Chantelle and Ricci are officially dating and its got really serious really fast - everyone was shocked but they seem so happy together. Theyre booking holidays and seem head over heels.' For Georgia's first public appearance Anton travelled the length of England to visit it her from Scotland. The couple shared a sweet clip of their reunion on Instagram on Tuesday, where Anton surprised Georgia with a Jo Malone perfume, before leaning in for a kiss. Perched on her kitchen counter in a frilled mini dress, Georgia enjoyed a glass of red wine before being spoiled by her man. The clip was captioned: 'And just like that he came to Essex @anton_danyluk.' Georgia was previously forced to hit back at claims her relationship with Anton is just a showmance. The reality stars finished in fifth place during the Love Island All Stars final, but viewers have questioned whether they are genuine. Anton and Georgia had a number of ups and downs in the South African villa which has caused fans to think she will 'dump him' soon. Georgia has responded to a negative comment on social media which read: 'I have milk that has a longer shelf life than this relationship'. She sassily hit back: 'I heard everlasting milk was back in fashion.' Anton planted a kiss on Georgia's cheek The couple posed for photos on stage with fans Georgia held up a peace sign as she posed for photos with fans at the nightclub For Georgia's first public appearance Anton travelled the length of England to visit it her from Scotland Georgia was previously forced to hit back at claims her relationship with Anton is just a showmance The reality stars finished in fifth place during the Love Island All Stars final, but viewers have questioned whether they are genuine Anton who has been open about his feelings, and Georgia had a number of ups and downs in the South African villa which has caused fans to think she will 'dump him' soon Georgia beamed and showed off her tan as she posed with fans outside the venue Georgia and Anton were spotted in high spirits the next day as Georgia ditched the heels for loafers and popped on a shirt for the outing Georgia added a touch of glam to her look as she stepped out in Gucci as they left Global offices January 2021: The beginning of the end Gruffudd filed for divorce in March 2021, shortly after Evans claimed on social media that her husband of 14 years was walking out on her and their two daughters. October 2021: Ioan goes public with his new love After Evans' explosive announcement about her split all seemed to quieten down until October 2021 when she took to Twitter to claim to her 29,000 followers that her estranged husband had been cheating on her for three years with a much younger woman. Evans implied that her ex had gaslighted her for years, betraying her and their two daughters (but did not offer any evidence to support her accusation). February 2022: Ioan files for a restraining order against Alice After months of pointed tweets and social media posts made by Evans, Gruffudd responded by filing for a restraining order, submitting 113 pages of unhinged texts and emails that had not previously been made public. In his court filing, Gruffudd claimed he told Evans that he wanted out of the marriage in August 2020 and that since then, she had harassed him with hundreds of unanswered text messages, abusive emails and social media posts - many of which he included in the filing. He claimed she verbally threatened to tell the media he had abused her 'do what Amber Heard did to Johnny Depp'. Inside the most bitter divorce in Hollywood: A look back at Alice Evans and Ioan Gruffudd's shock slanging match (pictured in 2004) June 2022: Alice begs fans for money to pay for a divorce lawyer As their divorce proceedings entered its 15th month, Evans claimed to be 'completely out of money for food and bills.' She claimed she would receive no financial support from Gruffudd and that she was struggling to pay her legal fees and would be unable to 'feed or clothe' their daughters with her dwindling funds. July 2022: Ioan asks for joint custody of daughters After Evans filed for sole custody of their daughters, Gruffudd filed for custody and visitation rights to see his children, claiming in the filing that Evans had been purposely trying to cut communication between himself and the children. He also petitioned that the girls attend in-person therapy and reunification therapy via zoom with him pending court-ordered mediation about custody. In the filing, Gruffudd reiterated allegations that Evans had been verbally abusing during their 14-year marriage, and 'undermin[ing him] in front of the girls throughout their lives.' August 2022: Ioan gets a three-year restraining order against Alice Having previously been awarded a temporary restraining order against his estranged wife, Gruffudd successfully obtained a three-year restraining order against Evans in August 2022. Harsher restrictions were put in place by a US judge, including a ruling preventing Alice from leaking private text messages from their children. In the court documents, Gruffudd claimed Evans continued to cause him issues and wanted additional provisions added to the existing restraining order. He also requested Evans not post his text messages or any other communications to the parties children, or the childrens text messages or any other communications to Ioan, on any social media account. Gruffudd also asked for the judge to order Evans not to contact his employer or make disparaging statements about him to his employers. October 2021: Ioan went public with his new love Bianca Wallace, posting a picture with the Australian actress who is 21 years younger than Alice September 2022: Ioan and Alice's child custody battle hits a wall Two months after Gruffudd filed for joint custody of his two daughters and asked for custody and visitation rights, the exes failed to settle their differences in family court, despite the help of a mediator. Court documents showed the exes meeting was set for 31 August and that mediation had taken place but that 'no agreement' had been reached. The document went on to confirm that that both Gruffudd and Evans had completed the mandatory Our Children First program. The Superior Court of Los Angeles states of the program that: 'Parents are required by law to attend a mediation orientation/parent education program and a mediation session prior to appearing at an Order to Show Cause or Trial regarding the custody and/or visitation of their children.' November 2022: Alice is reported to police over claims of 'child abuse' and drug use Amid her ongoing custody battle, Evans claimed that someone called social services and the police on her with concerns over child abuse and drug and drink use. The actress took to Twitter to allege that someone had sent authorities to her property who then found 'absolutely no signs of abuse' and 'no drugs or drink'. July 2022: Ioan asked for joint custody of their daughters Ella, 13 and Elsie, nine, claiming Alice had been trying to cut communication between himself and the children (pictured in 2018 February 2023: Child custody agreement is stalled again after Alice is charged with 'violating restraining order' Evans appeared in court in February 2023 to answer two charges of violating a restraining order that was put in place by her estranged husband. The warring former couple were scheduled to appear later that month at a custody hearing but Evans asked for a postponement. Her attorney, Marie LaMolinara, argued that testimony Alice gives at the custody hearing could be used against her in her later criminal trial, which would violate her right, under the 5th Amendment, not to incriminate herself. March 2023: Charges against Alice are dropped Prosecutors in Los Angeles dropped charges against Evans who had been accused of defying a restraining order the Welsh actor has against her. Evans had pleaded not guilty to two counts of violating the order and at a hearing at LA's Airport Courthouse, Commissioner James Cooper dismissed the charges after prosecutors told the court they were 'unable to proceed.' At a follow-up hearing, Evans' attorney, public defender, Daniel Stefanic, filed a motion asking for a ruling that would declare her 'factually innocent' of the charges. August 2022: Ioan successfully obtained a three-year restraining order against Alice that banned her from mentioning him or his girlfriend on social media (Ioan and Bianca pictured May 2022) May 2023: Alice moves out of $2million family home as ex Ioan is 'too poor' to pay for it Evans and her children moved out of her family home and into a rented abode with their two daughters after Gruffudd pleaded with a court to allow the home to be sold, saying he didn't have the money to keep up with mortgage payments for his family following their split in 2021. The Fantastic Four star told a court in a document filed last year that neither he nor Evans could afford the $6,750 a month in mortgage payments, insurance and property tax. He said he'd had just one paid job in the past year and was so poor he was relying on handouts from his young girlfriend. May 2023: Ella, 13, applies for a restraining order against dad Ioan and his girlfriend Bianca The teenage daughter of Evans and Gruffudd asked for a restraining order against her famous father and his girlfriend in documents filed on May 31 at the Los Angeles Superior Court. In the documents, Ella stated that she is 'afraid' of her father and accuses him of 'threatening to call the police on her anytime she misbehaves' during their visitations. Ella filed for a domestic violence restraining order against her father following what she said was an ugly incident at their home, during which she claims Bianca 'slammed a door on her head'. In her filing against her father, Ella requested that he be made to keep at least 100 yards away from her and not contact her for five years and asks that Gruffudd be ordered to undergo a '52-week batterer intervention program'. The program, which involves weekly classes, is intended - the document states - to 'stop abuse, teach accountability, abuse effects, and gender roles'. Ella requested that the restraining order also cover her nine-year-old sister Elsie, noting that she 'lives with her sister and is afraid that [Ioan] will abuse and/or continue to allow abuse to happen to my sister too'. She also asked that her father be made to pay 'for some or all of her lawyer's fees and costs' and requests that her phone account and that of her sister Elsie's be transferred to their mother, alleging that Gruffudd has 'threatened to cancel my sister's phone account and my phone account'. Along with her domestic restraining order filing, Ella included a declaration as evidence to support her case, in which she shared her recollection of a bitter spat that she claims took place while she and her nine-year-old sister Elsie were visiting their father's home on May 26. Ella admitted that she was 'so mad' at her father to find that Wallace was at his apartment when she arrived that she began throwing food on his bed, on the floor, and on him, before she attempted to flee the apartment - which, she says, is when the actress 'slammed a door on her head', leaving her with 'a small bump' and a 'bruise on her arm'. May 2023: The teenage daughter of Alice and Ioan asked for a restraining order against her famous father and his girlfriend in documents filed on May 31 (Alice and Ella pictured) June 2023: Ioan accuses Alice of abusing him via fake Twitter accounts In court documents seen by MailOnline, Gruffudd claimed his estranged wife screamed at him outside his Los Angeles home and called him a 'f***ing abuser' and 'abusive c***' in front of their 13-year-old daughter. Gruffudd also claimed Evans repeatedly broken a three-year restraining order he took out against her which has resulted in criminal charges - and flashed him while wearing no underwear when their children were being dropped off. The bombshell papers also contained claims from Gruffudd that: Evans has made 'thousands of false, threatening and harassing posts' about him; Evans claims to be home-schooling Ella, but has 'provided no information'; Evans has interfered with the girls' therapy and they are missing appointments; and Ella poured rolled oats from a bag over his head, which left him 'in shock'. July 2023: Ioan and Alice are declared legally divorced In a court order handed down in LA Superior Court, Judge Josh Freeman Stinn finally granted Gruffudd's request for divorce amid the couple's ongoing custody battle. The Welsh actor had filed for bifurcation and termination of marital status in May which would allow him and Evans to be declared legally divorced even as they continue settlement negotiations in their split. A minute order obtained by DailyMail.com show the judge approved the request on July 3, ruling: 'The Court finds irreconcilable differences have arisen in the marriage and grants judgment for the dissolution of marriage as to status only, effective today.' July 2023: Ioan's daughter loses bid for domestic violence restraining order against him Two months after Ella filed documents a judge at the Los Angeles Superior Court dismissed an application by Ella for a domestic violence restraining order. Gruffudd was present in court, along with Ms Evans for the hearing, as well as the lawyer appointed as the minor's counsel last month. The judge ruled: 'The minor's request for a domestic violence restraining order against the petitioner is hereby dismissed without prejudice.' The decision came three weeks after the teenager's bid to get a civil protection order against Gruffudd's actress girlfriend Bianca Wallace, who suffers from multiple sclerosis, was also denied. Ioan said: Friends of the Liar star said he was 'very relieved' at the outcome. They also claimed that the situation is a 'nightmare' but they are 'happy to see some progress'. August 2023: Ioan accuses Alice of 'child abuse' and keeping their daughters from him A Los Angeles judge attempted to shield Gruffudd and Evans from the fallout of their parents' ugly battles by banning the press from a custody hearing, keeping the proceedings secret. But that didn't stop the warring former couple who are both seeking custody of the girls from taking vitriolic shots at each other in written court filings that are public and not sealed. The Welsh star called his ex a 'child abuser' while Evans claimed Gruffudd hadn't seen or called his children for almost three months, according to court documents obtained by DailyMail.com. Ioan said: 'Alice has continued to inflict serious emotional harm on Ella and Elsie by her statements and by interfering in my relationship with them. 'Alice has verbally abused and undermined me in front of the girls throughout their lives. 'Since January 2021, Alice has also encouraged and instructed them not to see me or communicate with me and she has made thousands of threatening and abusive communications to me and about me.' Alice said: 'I have read and disagree with the declaration of petitioner (Gruffudd) as to allegations that I am inflicting or causing our children ''serious emotional harm". 'No one has ever contacted me or reported me for such conduct. No professional, nor teacher, nor school administrator, nor counsel, nor therapist. 'Petitioner has not seen, complied with, nor called the children for 11 weeks. I don't understand how having no recent information, "petitioner believes" there is an urgency such that a child custody evaluation must be commenced.' Nicola Peltz looked effortlessly stylish on Thursday as she enjoyed an outing with husband Brooklyn Beckham in Paris. The actress, 29, cinched in her slender waist in a belted leather trench coat that she paired with drainpipe jeans and her favourite platform boots. She added to the look with a Fendi handbag slung over her shoulder and angular orange sunglasses. Nicola was hand in hand with Brooklyn, 24, who paired a knitted white jumper with Dr. Martens boots. The couple have been in the city of love ahead of Victoria Beckham's Paris Fashion Week show on Friday. Nicola Peltz looked effortlessly stylish on Thursday as she enjoyed an outing with husband Brooklyn Beckham in Paris The actress, 29, cinched in her slender waist in a belted leather trench coat that she paired with drainpipe jeans and her favourite platform boots Nicola has been inspired by her mother-in-law's style on the trip and recently paid homage with her outfit choice. The star stepped out in the stylish Dolce & Gabanna leather jacket, which was the exact same one worn by the fashion designer, 49, in 2001. The motocross jacket worn by Victoria originally cost 965, however they are now being snapped up second hand for 7,800 on one pre-loved site. Nicola's nod to the Beckham matriarch comes following several hints that she will appear in her fashion show at the end of the week. On Wednesday morning, Nicola tagged Victoria in a snap of herself wearing sheer red lingerie as she posed for a mirror selfie. A day earlier, Victoria hinted that her Nicola will walk in her show after attending a fitting together. The fashion designer, 49, who is currently on crutches after breaking her foot, cosied up to Nicola as they posed for a sweet mirror selfie. Stirring up speculation that Nicola will be modelling her line, Victoria wrote: 'Pre-show prep and fittings in Paris!! Kisses @NicolaAnnePeltzBeckham xx.' Despite her injury, Victoria is still pressing on with her Fashion Week show preparations, which is due to take place on Friday at 8pm. She added to the look with a Fendi handbag slung over her shoulder and angular orange sunglasses Nicola was hand in hand with Brooklyn, 24, who paired a knitted white jumper with Dr. Martens boots Nicola was recently revealed as the new face of Balenciaga, joining the likes of Kim Kardashian as an ambassador for the brand. And it seems like she will soon become one of Victoria's 'muses' too, if she walks in the show taking place later this week. Victoria and Nicola were rumoured to be at odds ever since Nicola decided not to wear a wedding dress signed by the former Spice Girls at her nuptials. However, after apparently putting the feud to bed, the duo appear closer than ever now after a series of recent meet ups and family holidays. It comes soon after it was reported Victoria has vowed to still work with the Mia Regan, who split from Posh's middle son Romeo at the beginning of the month after a five year on-off romance. Kanye West is again publicly airing his disagreements over parenting with his ex-wife Kim Kardashian. The 46-year-old rapper took to Instagram late on Wednesday night to beg the 43-year-old reality star to remove their children from the exclusive private elementary school that they currently attend. 'Kim take my kids out of Sierra Canyon now its a fake school for celebrities that are used by "the system,"' he wrote in all capital letters. Kanye, who founded his own unaccredited Christian school Donda Academy in 2022, cryptically explained what the 'system' was in his accompanying comment, which also suggested that his relationship with his two youngest children is lacking. 'At this point everybody knows what the system is code word for [wide eyes emoji],' he began. Kanye West is again publicly airing his disagreements over parenting with his ex-wife Kim Kardashian; seen in September 2022 in NYC The 46-year-old rapper took to Instagram late on Wednesday night to bed the 43-year-old reality star to remove their children from the exclusive private elementary school that they currently attend; pictured together in 2020 in Paris West urged his ex to take their kids out of Sierra Canyon and claimed the 'system' had taken his kids from him. He also claimed his oldest two had a stronger bond with him 'I was removed from my dad by the system and the system removed me from my children,' he claimed, though a judge awarded Kim and Kanye joint custody with 'equal access' to their children at the conclusion of their custody battle. 'When the system drafts athletes they avoid working with those who have their father in their life because they are harder to manipulate,' he continued, without evidence. The rapper concluded by claiming: 'My two oldest know they daddy is.' West shares four children with his ex: North, 10; Saint, eight; Chicago, six; and Psalm, four. When the Monster rapper is seen with his children, he is most often accompanied by his eldest, North, and sometimes by Saint, though public appearances with Chicago and Psalm are far rarer. North even made a guest appearance on his latest album, the Ty Dolla Sign collaborative LP Vultures 1, which was released earlier this month. West has previously clashed with Kardashian about the school their children attend, and he has pushed to have them go to his Donda Academy instead. They previously had worked out a compromise in which the children would attend Sierra Canyon for the school day, then go to West's school for choir practice. In 2022, Kim began paying for Sierra Canyon to hire additional security in response to her ex-husband's controversial and offensive comments, including several antisemitic outbursts. However, she made it clear that she wasn't concerned about West harming the children, but she feared for their safety after he publicly named their school during a rant about their education. Shortly after his antisemitic outbursts in late 2022, the Donda Academy announced that it was abruptly closing until the start of the following school year. The private school, which is named after the rapper's late mother Donda West, later said in an email to parents that it was reopening the following day, but the school's current status is unclear. Parents of the school claimed they are required to sign non-disclosure agreements for their children attend, though a consultant for the school later claimed that the agreements are only 'informal.' West shares four children with his ex: North, 10; Saint, eight; Chicago, six; and Psalm, four; seen with North and Saint in 2019 in NYC They previously had worked out a compromise in which the kids attended Sierra Canyon for the school day, then went to Donda Academy for choir practice. It's unclear if Donda Academy is currently open West previously clashed over schooling. He claimed Sierra Canyon 'indoctrinates' students and urged Kim to let them attend Donda Academy full time; seen in September 2023 in Milan Donda Academy charges $15,000 per year in tuition and reportedly requires students to wear all-black Balenciaga uniforms while banning any Nike or Adidas clothing; seen in 2019 in NYC Families are required to pay $15,000 for yearly tuition, and students are reportedly required to wear all-black Balenciaga uniforms. West also reportedly required all student classes to be concentrated on the first floor of the school due to a fear of stairs, and he had stipulations that Nike and Adidas clothing wasn't allowed for the students, two former staffers suing the school claimed in their lawsuit. The hitmaker previously claimed in a 2022 conversation with right-wing pundit Tucker Carlson that the administration at Sierra Canyon tries to 'indoctrinate' students. West admitted earlier that year that Kardashian raises their children '80 percent of the time,' despite being granted equal access to the kids. Pamela Anderson called relationships 'one of the hardest things you can throw yourself into' as she spoke with Highsnobriety for their 34th issue. The Baywatch icon, 56, offered a deep perspective on partnership, calling love 'the most important thing in the world' and relationships a 'mirror'. Anderson, who has walked down the aisle numerous times in her life, also said she knows 'nothing' about relationships. 'Love is the most important thing in the world. So if youre in love, youre brave, and its an important thing to cherish,' she told the outlet. 'Being lonely is good. If you can be alone, then you can be with another person, probably.' 'I know nothing when it comes to relationships,' she added. Pamela Anderson has displayed her stunning, makeup-free complexion once again in a new cover shoot for Highsnobiety Pamela was wed once to Tommy Lee, once to Kid Rock, twice to Rick Salomon, very briefly to Batman co-producer Jon Peters and more recently to Dan Hayhurst. She shares sons Dylan Jagger Lee, 26, and Brandon Thomas Lee, 27, with ex Tommy Lee. During her interview with Highsnobriety, Anderson said partners were like 'mirrors'. 'You fall in love with people there to expose a part of yourself that you need to get through. Relationships are mirrors,' she said. 'You can love somebody, but you cant change them. And sometimes the most loving thing to do is get out of the way!' The author then wonders, 'Is this coded? I ask. Is she telling me what its like to love again after a toxic relationship? But here Anderson defaults to wisdom.' Anderson continues: 'Its important to remember that breakup tears arent just about that person. Theyre about your whole life Look, its not supposed to be easy. Relationships are one of the hardest things you can throw yourself into.' The Baywatch alum's cover shoot for the publication saw her display her makeup-free complexion once again, a look she has been embracing as of late. She opened up with the outlet about her 'more natural' beauty routine, which includes rose oil made by Pamela herself. 'I make rose oil, which I do with rose hips. Im interested in my Epsom salts, olive oils, and shea butter,' she explained. She also called her recent makeup-free look a 'healing experience.' She displays a hint of skin as she posed in tights and a long black coat Anderson appears on the cover of the publication's 34th issue While her inner circle insist on the importance of a glam team, Pamela has been favoring a more low-key approach in recent years. 'My boys were like, "Mom, you must have a glam team." And my agents were like, "You have to have a glam team! Wheres the stylist?" I go, "I know how to put a dress on myself. I dont need someone buttoning up my blouse. I got this." And they were just horrified.' Despite shunning cosmetics in her new shoot, Pamela still makes a powerful impression in her edgy and artistic shoot for the magazine. The TV icon displays her edgy side in a structured black coat with just futuristic sunglasses covering her complexion. She dons an array of edgy looks for the publication Dirt was applied to Anderson's face as she posed with a fresh vegetable She displays some leg in a black unbuttoned coat as she poses with a pitchfork in hand. Pamela previously revealed she began embracing her natural beauty after her makeup artist, Alexis Vogel, passed of breast cancer in 2019. 'She was the best. And since then, I just felt, without Alexis, its just better for me not to wear makeup,' she told Elle. She said that going without makeup has been 'freeing, and fun, and a little rebellious too.' 'Because I did notice that there were all these people doing big makeup looks, and it's just like me to go against the grain and do the opposite what everyone's doing.' Pamela did recently return to the world of cosmetics however as she teamed up with Smashbox to promote The Original Photo Finish primer. She appears in a shoot for the product as well as a playful commercial. Speaking of how the campaign came to be, Pamela told Harper's Bazaar: 'Ive had a lot of people, a lot of brands come to me about doing kind of a flashback. I mean, even Vogue and different designers have asked me to do these flashback campaigns. While her inner circle insist on the importance of a glam team, Pamela has been favoring a more low-key approach in recent years 'I was like, "Well, Im going to take this because its one of the things on my list I always wish I was able to do." 'The beauty industry wasnt looking at me back in the 90s. But now, since the 90s are popular, Im just going to take that. Im just going to be happy about it.' She also talked recently attending Paris Fashion Week sans makeup, admitting she decided to forgo cosmetics simply because it took too much time. 'Thats why this campaign kind of came at a perfect time, because I thought, I am not trying to say that Im this natural-beauty guru [by going makeup-free]. Im just experimenting. The actress playfully kicked one leg into the air as she donned a grey number She grinned with happiness as she swung about in her stylish suit look The Hollywood icon has notably been rocking a makeup-free complexion as of late, which she described as a 'healing experience' 'And when I didn't wear makeup at Fashion Week, it was just for myself to go, Why am I doing this? I mean, this whole glam team, it just seems too much for me. I dont have much time in Paris, and I want to go wander around and look at the architecture. I dont want to be in a makeup chair for three hours. Is that going to make someone like me more? Is that going to do something better for me? Why am I doing it? Pamela's new campaign comes after she launched her new skincare company, Sonsie Beauty. She announced the new venture by going make-up free in a video shot at her island in Canada. Her Instagram caption began: 'Im thrilled to share that, as of today, I have officially joined @sonsieskin as co-founder and new owner! 'Sonsie is an emerging, beautiful, vegan & cruelty-free skincare company with an important message that I want to help share with the world,' said the ex of rock star Tommy Lee. 'To me, true beauty is about celebrating authenticity I want to look like myself, feel like myself, and that means taking care of myself inside and out' she added. Priyanka Chopra showed off her fit figure on Instagram Wednesday. The 41-year-old actress who recently admitted she uses beauty routines to boost her self-esteem shared a mirror selfie with her 90.6 million followers. The bombshell, who is married to Nick Jonas, posed in a steel gray bra and shorts set from Joah Brown. She looked amazing as she flaunted her cleavage in the low-cut top and body-hugging, high-waisted biker shorts. Taking to the app's Stories feature, Priyanka captioned the picture, 'It's giving.. finally going back to work energy.' Priyanka Chopra showed off her fit figure on Instagram Wednesday Taking to the app's Stories feature, Priyanka captioned the picture, 'It's giving.. finally going back to work energy' Chopra, who married Jonas in 2018, was makeup-free in the snapshot. She showed off her glowy, clear complexion as she pulled her thick, dark locks into a fuss-free bun. The picture was taken in a luxurious bathroom space with two rows of white drawers and sprawling counter space visible in the background. Days earlier, the former pageant queen used social media to share then-and-now photos of her daughter Malti, two. One image featured the mother-daughter duo cozied up as Priyanka cradled her in one arm. The second one, which appeared to have been taken when the little girl was a newborn, was a close-up shot of the baby's teeny hand on Chopra's chin. 'Time really flies,' the silver screen siren said in the caption. Then she added, 'starting the week right. #mondaymusings #nostalgia.' Days earlier, the former pageant queen used social media to share then-and-now photos of her daughter Malti, two The second one, which appeared to have been taken when the little girl was a newborn, was a close-up shot of the baby's teeny hand on Chopra's chin Chopra married Jonas in 2018; pictured in Italy in April 2023 It comes after one month ago Priyanka and her small family were forced to move out of their California mansion due to a mold infestation. According to Page Six, the $20M home became 'virtually unlivable' due to water damage. The pool and spa in the 7-bedroom luxury estate had 'porous waterproofing' which caused 'mold contamination and related issues,' read a lawsuit filed by the couple's trustee, per the outlet. The infestation made the premises 'virtually unlivable' and 'dangerous from a health perspective to occupy,' according to court papers. Married at First Sight UK's Peggy Rose Lawrence has called for a 'public apology' from her ex Georges Berthonneau after he branded her a 'calculated manipulator.' The couple went through a turbulent journey on the E4 show, nearly splitting several times before deciding to stay together at the final commitment ceremony but announced they had split for good on Valentine's Day. When the news broke Georges claimed he was blindsided by the breakup announcement calling her a 'gas lighter and narcissist' as he struggled with his mental health. Peggy has now responded, saying that she is done with the 'emotional abuse and mind games' adding that Georges words were 'character defamation.' Speaking to FUBAR Radio hosts on Bobby Norris and Ellen Coughlan on Wednesday evening, she said: 'It's really upsetting because I didn't want it to get like this. I wanted it amicable and I said to George, as soon as he broke up with me, "can we announce it together amicably on Instagram? I don't want to go to the press." Married at First Sight UK's Peggy Rose Lawrence has called for a 'public apology' from her ex Georges Berthonneau after he branded her a 'calculated manipulator' The couple went through a turbulent journey on the E4 show, nearly splitting several times before deciding to stay together but announced they had split for good on Valentine's Day Peggy continued: 'I was willing to protect him and not mention the dirt or anything like that. I wanted to protect Georges, but on Valentine's, I just thought, why should I protect a liar?' She continued: 'I tried to do my statement on Instagram amicably still, and then he came out with the article the next day, straight on my case. 'He called me a gas lighter and a narcissist. How you can have the audacity to do that when Ive protected you for so long? It's character defamation. 'And if I was any of those things, why does Georges still want me back? Why was he sending me Valentine's stuff? It didn't make sense. He was even trying to talk to me after he wrote that article the same day.' 'That evening I blocked him. And I don't want to talk to him again. Why would I? I've had enough with the emotional abuse and the mind games and I don't want to speak to him ever again. 'Unless I have a public apology, I will not be speaking to George ever again.' MailOnline has contacted Georges representative for further comment. In a previous interview with MailOnline Georges also alleged that his ex-wife 'refused to pay for anything' throughout their relationship, while he spent thousands of pounds on restaurant dinners and a romantic trip to Paris for her 33rd birthday. Addressing his claims, Peggy told FUBAR: 'The majority of the hotels that we get are gifted. A lot of them are free if you post on your Instagram. Same as the meals in the restaurants. I work hard. I don't need anybody else's money.' When the news broke Georges claimed he was blindsided by the breakup announcement calling her a 'gas lighter and narcissist' as he struggled with his mental health Peggy has now responded, saying that she is done with the 'emotional abuse and mind games' adding that Georges words were 'character defamation' Speaking to FUBAR Radio, she said: 'Unless I have a public apology, I will not be speaking to George ever again' She added: 'Ive never have been that type of girl. Ive never had a Chelsea rich boy like hes accused me of having. We got to a point where we couldn't go out for dinner at a restaurant unless I paid because he didn't have the money to.' The day after the news of their split broke, Georges branded his ex-wife Peggy Lawrence a 'calculated manipulator' after she blindsided him with a breakup announcement on Valentine's Day. The E4 contestant told MailOnline the couple, who mutually decided to part ways in January, agreed to issue a joint statement to inform fans they had ended their relationship. But he claims that without his prior knowledge, Peggy told her following she was single in a move Georges says was purposely done to hurt him even after he had sent a bouquet of roses, balloons and a card to let his ex know he still cares on Valentine's. Georges claimed Peggy only visited his apartment on three occasions, they only had sex six times, and his TV wife has been tapped up by TOWIE but can only join if she's single. Speaking exclusively to MailOnline, he explained: 'We said we were going to do it together. The next thing I know she's putting out a statement on Valentine's Day, on purpose. It's obvious she has done that on purpose. It is calculated. 'I sent her flowers, a card and balloons for Valentine's... I checked my letterbox yesterday and I got nothing.' In the aftermath of the show, Georges struggled with his mental health, explaining the changes to his lifestyle and financial stress had taken a toll on his happiness. He confided in wife Peggy about his struggles but ultimately the pair decided to end their marriage so Georges could focus on getting better. Peggy told her following that it has taken her 'weeks' to come to terms with their split but she wanted to be honest with her fans on Valentines Day The day after the news broke, Georges branded his ex-wife Peggy Lawrence a 'calculated manipulator' after she blindsided him with a breakup announcement on Valentine's Day He said: 'Mentally, I have been struggling a lot recently. When I say a lot, I mean more than I have ever struggled before in my life and that's down to lack of routine, income, clients... all round struggling with making ends meet and I have been burning through my savings. 'Peggy realised that something wasn't right and when we got back from Paris, we spoke on January 30, and she asked whether everything was okay with us. I have never been so confused in my life, I wasn't sure if it was our relationship, me or just life, I couldn't put my finger on it. 'I sent her such a long message I was weeping with tears, and I don't usually do that... I knew we had broken up because of how the conversation went. 'No one ended anything, we didn't say, this is over, just the way the conversation went on the phone, it seemed like it was over. I never wanted to dump her. I am such an optimist in life because until it's over, I never think it is. I told her, I don't want this to end, I just needed some time and space because I'm not very well mentally and I'm not happy.' Georges says the beginning of their downfall was Peggy refused to visit him at his Farnham apartment so the couple would only see each other when he stayed at her parent's house in Kent, or he paid for a hotel. He said: 'I never saw her. We came back from Paris for her birthday, and I didn't see her for two weeks. She has only been to my place three times since the end of the show in May. I have to go to hers or we have to get a hotel. She never, ever came to mine. 'I was in a relationship with somebody that didn't actually want to spend time with me. I always asked her "When do you want to see me?" She never asked me when I was free or said at the last minute, "I'm free all evening, let's do something." 'I'm now not looking at this relationship through rose tinted glasses. I see gas lighter, narcissist, I see some really bad things. How have I been blinded by this? I feel like I'm so much fun and I have lost my spark.' And now Georges fears Peggy, who appeared on dating show Take Me Out in 2012, could have wanted to end their relationship after she was approached to join TOWIE, only if she was single. He said: 'TOWIE really wants her. She turned them down because she was in a relationship with me because they want her single... but I'm pretty sure she will be on their books now. She lives in Kent and hangs out with all of that lot. 'If goes on the show, I'll be over the moon for her. All I want is for her to be happy. If it's with me, then even better but if it's not with me... then fine.' However, Peggy's representative told MailOnline that she 'devoted' herself to Georges and it was his decision to end their marriage. He claims that without his prior knowledge, Peggy told her following she was single in a move Georges says was purposely done to hurt him after he had sent a bouquet of roses They alleged it was only following her 'persistent requests' to release a joint statement, with Georges refusal to corporate, that Peggy posted on Instagram. Peggy also refutes Georges' claims that she is in talks to join TOWIE. A spokesperson for Peggy said: 'After Georges expressed his desire to end his relationship with Peggy, she made every effort to handle the situation amicably and comply with his wishes. 'She requested that they issue a joint statement, and she has been persistently asking him to do so for the past two weeks, despite his continuous disregard for her request. 'It should be noted that she had no intentions of selling her story, and instead opted to release her own statement.' Kanye West's wife Bianca Censori continued to put on a defiant display by ditching her underwear yet again as she stepped out for dinner with the rapper in Paris. Just a day after it was revealed she could face prison time for her explicit ensembles, the muse, 29, left little to the imagination in a daring sheer black top. Recycling the crotch-flashing tights that had previously caused a huge storm, at least this time Bianca attempted to preserve her modesty, by covering her intimate area with a phone. Teaming her look with matching heels, Bianca cosied up to Kanye as they left the Ferdi restaurant in France. Despite recent backlash to her incredibly revealing looks, the pair brushed off the furore to enjoy a romantic dinner date. Kanye West's wife Bianca Censori continued to put on a defiant display in another sexy sheer bodysuit as she stepped out for dinner with the rapper in Paris Just a day after it was revealed she could face prison time for her explicit ensembles, the muse, 29, left little to the imagination in a daring sheer black top Ye's muse is already facing prison or a fine of 15,000 after testing the laws of exhibitionism in Paris when she went underwear free beneath a pair of sheer stockings on Tuesday It was revealed on Wednesday that Bianca could face prison or a fine of 15,000 after testing the laws of exhibitionism in Paris. On Tuesday, the Yeezy architect wore her most explicit outfit to date as she went underwear free beneath a pair of sheer stockings during a public outing with husband Kanye West. Bianca did not attempt to conceal her genitals or bare backside in the garment as crowds of shocked onlookers rushed to take pictures. She also did not appear to be wearing a shirt or bra under a cropped fur coat as she returned to the Ritz Hotel with hoodie-clad Kanye after enjoying dinner at Ferdi. While Kanye's 'muse' may be no stranger to exposing her body in public, her latest act could cause trouble with French officials if she is found in breach of their decency laws. Article 222-32 of the new penal code (applicable since 1 March 1994) stipulates: 'Deliberate sexual display in the sight of others in a place accessible to the public gaze is punishable by one year in prison and a fine of one hundred thousand francs. [15,000]' Nudity itself does not equal indecency, however, with the legislator stipulating: 'The charge has been worded in such a way as to rule out any possibility of proceedings against persons practising naturism in places specially designated for this purpose.' This isn't the first time, Bianca has risked a run-in with the law due to her wild antics on holiday. After enjoying dinner with her husband, Bianca jumped into a waiting car to head into the city Surrounded by security, she was seen making her departure with her husband Bianca and Kanye jumped into a car together after enjoying their dinner date Having already sparked uproar with her revealing looks, Bianca once again caused a stir with her see-through dress Recycling the crotch-flashing tights that had previously caused a huge storm, at least this time Bianca attempted to preserve her modesty Bianca attempted to cover herself with her phone after leaving the dinner date Bianca and Kanye were seen leaving the cosy French eatery Ferdi Amid the furore around her scantily-clad looks, Bianca and Kanye brushed off the backlash Kanye placed his arms around Bianca as they enjoyed the dinner date together It was revealed on Wednesday that Bianca could face prison or a fine of 15,000 after testing the laws of exhibitionism in Paris On Tuesday, the Yeezy architect wore her most explicit outfit to date as she went underwear free beneath a pair of sheer stockings during a public outing with husband Kanye West Bianca did not attempt to conceal her genitals or bare backside in the garment as crowds of shocked onlookers rushed to take pictures She also did not appear to be wearing a shirt or bra under a cropped fur coat as she returned to the Ritz Hotel with hoodie-clad Kanye after enjoying dinner at Ferdi While Kanye's 'muse' may be no stranger to exposing her body in public, her latest act could cause trouble with French officials if she is found in breach of their decency laws This isn't the first time, Bianca has risked a run-in with the law due to her wild antics on holiday Last year, Bianca ran the risk of a 10,000 fine and imprisonment during the couple's trip to Italy, where she had been walking around 'virtually naked' in the European nation According to Italian Constitutional Court, a fine from 5,000 to 10,000 euros can be issued, or whoever exposes in a place, may be sentenced from four months to four years imprisonment Last year, Bianca ran the risk of a 10,000 fine and imprisonment during the couple's trip to Italy, where she had been walking around 'virtually naked' in the European nation. According to the Italian Constitutional Court, a fine from 5,000 to 10,000 euros can be issued, or whoever exposes in a place or nearby to a place attended by minors, may be sentenced from four months to four years imprisonment. For one outing Bianca went braless in a skintight see through all-in-one and at some points was forced to cover her nipples with a black cross-body bag. Italian locals branded the Kim Kardashian lookalike's outfits 'disrespectful' on social media, with some saying the 'immodest' couple are no longer welcome in a country known for its conservative Catholic heritage. Bianca and Kanye were also investigated by police after they were caught on camera in a compromising position during their Italian holiday. MailOnline has contacted Bianca's representatives and the French embassy for comment. Bianca has paraded around the world with Kanye in barely there looks since they tied the knot in 2022. However, insiders recently claimed to DailyMail.com that Kanye's ex-wife Kim Kardashian warned the rapper to tell Bianca to 'cover up' around their children. Bianca's underwear-free outing in Paris came just one day after she was on stepmom duty with Kanye's eldest daughter North West, 10. The rapper also shares Saint, eight, Chicago, six, and Psalm, four, with Kim. Unlike Tuesday's look, Bianca was uncharacteristically clothed as she took North to dinner on Monday night. Kim and Bianca are said to have an 'amicable' relationship but the risque fashion in front of the kids has become an issue for her. 'Kim instructed Kanye to never let Bianca dress like that around their kids,' a source told DailyMail.com exclusively. 'She is truly surprised that Kanye would let his wife leave the house like that.' Unlike Bianca's raunchy wardrobe, Kim was asked to change her outfits if Kanye felt she was showing too much skin, with the artist heavily influencing her fashion choices during their seven-year marriage. 'Kanye did the same thing he is doing with Bianca to Kim throughout heir marriage,' DailyMail.com's source continued. 'The difference is that when Kanye dressed Kim, he was respected as a person as an artist. 'Unfortunately, Kim knows what Bianca is going through but she feels Bianca should have known what she was getting into.' Kim filed for divorce in February 2021 just before what would have been the pair's seventh wedding anniversary. She was declared legally single March 2022 while in the midst of a hot and heavy romance with now-ex boyfriend SNL alum Pete Davidson. In November 2022, Kim and Kanye's divorce was finalized, with Kanye agreeing to pay $200,000 a month in child support and equal custody. Kanye married Yeezy architect Bianca in December 2022 in what was thought a non-legal wedding as it appeared they did not file a marriage certificate. However in mid-October 2023, it was reported that they did in fact get legally married and that it took place last year due to 'religious reasons,' per Us Weekly. Bianca Censori's outrageous looks as Kanye West's wife shocks Europe once again by going underwear free in most X-rated outfit to date Bianca Censori shocked onlookers once again as she wore her most explicit outfit to date in Paris on Tuesday night. The wife and 'muse' of Kanye West, 29, went underwear free beneath a pair of sheer stockings during a public outing with the rapper, 46. It is not the first time Bianca risked facing prison or a fine of 15,000 for testing the laws of exhibitionism with her looks getting increasingly racier. There was also grave concern from Bianca's inner circle, who insisted her behaviour was not a reflection of who she really is, but rather a result of Kanye's influence over her. Here we take a look at Bianca's most outrageous looks from barely there bodysuits to wearing nothing underneath sheer raincoats. Paris Fashion Week hosiery Bianca Censori shocked onlookers once again as she wore her most explicit outfit to date in Paris on Tuesday night The Yeezy architect wore her most explicit outfit to date as she went underwear free under sheer tights on Tuesday. Bianca did not attempt to conceal her genitals or bare backside in the garment as crowds of shocked onlookers rushed to take pictures. She also did not appear to be wearing a shirt or bra under a cropped fur coat as she returned to the Ritz Hotel with hoodie-clad Kanye after enjoying dinner at Ferdi. While Kanye's 'muse' may be no stranger to exposing her body in public, her latest act could cause trouble with French officials if she is found in breach of their decency laws. Milan Fashion Week underwear-free bodysuit Bianca left almost nothing to the imagination as she wore an incredibly risque outfit to the Marni show during Milan Fashion Week last week The Australian fashion designer donned a daring black bodysuit that barely contained her curves Bianca went braless in the revealing garment which also featured a matching strap along the sides as she joined her husband on the front row Bianca left almost nothing to the imagination as she wore an incredibly risque outfit to the Marni show during Milan Fashion Week last week. The Australian fashion designer donned a daring black bodysuit that barely contained her curves. Bianca went braless in the revealing garment which also featured a matching strap along the sides. Kanye declares Bianca will be wearing LESS clothes than ever before Last month, Kanye declared his wife Bianca will be wearing even less clothes in 2024, after sharing a slew of racy snaps to his Instagram account The controversial rapper - known as Ye - posted three separate pictures of Bianca to his 18.4M followers, with one captioned: 'No pants this year Bianca wore a latex head mask as she posed to the side He also posted a picture of her walking out of the shower of lavish hotel room, looking down at her feet dressed in black, knee-high boots and nearly spilling out of her tiny outfit Last month, Kanye declared his wife Bianca will be wearing even less clothes in 2024, after sharing a slew of racy snaps to his Instagram account. The controversial rapper - known as Ye - posted three separate pictures of Bianca to his 18.4M followers, with one captioned: 'No pants this year'. Kanye showed off his wife who donned a skimpy, fur bra top, which revealed her ample assets, and nothing else but a micro thong. He also posted a picture of her walking out of the shower of lavish hotel room, looking down at her feet dressed in black, knee-high boots and nearly spilling out of her tiny outfit. Nearly naked Super Bowl outfit Bianca went nearly-naked as she partied after the Super Bowl. The Australian designer flashed her bust and posterior in an ill-fitting tan bodysuit Bianca went nearly-naked as she partied after the Super Bowl. The Australian designer flashed her bust and posterior in an ill-fitting tan bodysuit - forcing her to cover her chest as she suffered continual wardrobe malfunctions. The garment - which she wore without underwear - revealed nearly all of the star's body as she danced with fellow revelers. Her locks were worn slicked back from her face and she sported a light touch of make-up. Bianca was seen constantly readjusting the outfit as she danced, with her sideboob on display. Poncho raincoat Kanye's wife also wore a sheer raincoat with absolutely nothing underneath earlier this month as she made a head-turning arrival to a Los Angeles music studio Kanye's wife also wore a sheer raincoat with absolutely nothing underneath earlier this month as she made a head-turning arrival to a Los Angeles music studio alongside her mask-clad husband. The Australian architect opted to go completely naked beneath her poncho bar a pair of knee high black boots. Branding across the front of the coat helped shield her ample chest, yet she was forced to place her hand over her groin to protect her modesty. The bizarre look has been heavily criticised online, with one person writing on X, formerly Twitter: 'What is wrong with this couple? I just don't get it. Why?' Another questioned: 'This has to be illegal. This is literally public indecency,' while a third individual added: 'No love, this is not fashion.' Crude details Bianca pictured in January turning heads with a top and shorts combo while going braless The couple did their best to shock onlookers yet again as they headed to a tanning salon in Los Angeles last month. Bianca ensured all eyes would be on her as she went braless in a tight white vest with 'wet' emblazoned across the chest. Yet it wasn't her top that proved to be the most racy part of her ensemble as a closer inspection of her tiny black shorts revealed a very crude element. A small hole was visible at the front of the pants, which is designed to accommodate sex toys. The Packer Gear pants can be bought in sex shops for $50 and can be used on both men and women. Nude bodysuits and stuffed toy animals Late last year, Bianca wore a slew of increasingly more bizarre ensembles , including nude sheer tops and a silver string bodysuit all of which she teamed with oversized stuffed toys (pictured left). Pictured right, Bianca in Italy wearing a nude jumpsuit Bianca commanded attention earlier this month in LA when sporting a statement headpiece and matching coat During their time in Florence, Verona and Rome in 2023, the rapper and his wife shocked with their bizarre outfit choices, with Kanye regularly seen out barefoot and Bianca often barely clothed. Yet they took things a step further in Venice, when they were accused of performing a lewd sex act on a river boat, with Kanye seen exposing his bare buttocks while Bianca kneeled in front of him. Their bizarre behaviour prompted fury from Italian locals who declared the couple 'banned' from the country, and their antics even sparked a police investigation. There was also grave concern from Bianca's inner circle, who insisted her behaviour was not a reflection of who she really is, but rather a result of Kanye's influence over her. Meanwhile, late last year, Bianca wore a slew of increasingly more bizarre ensembles, including nude sheer tops and a silver string bodysuit all of which she teamed with oversized stuffed toys. In January, Kanye shared a series of revealing snaps of his wife on Instagram. He first posted a trio of pictures of Bianca to his 18.4million Instagram followers, showing her dressed in a black string bikini top and thong. The rapper declared there will be 'no pants this year,' alongside one image of her in a string thong and fur bralette, while another showing her spilling out of a barely-there top, read: 'Dropped sumn?' Kanye's post raised eyebrows as he had previously criticized his ex Kim Kardashian for being 'overly sexualized,' while promoting her SKIMS brand, and once also claimed the wet look Thierry Mugler dress she wore to the 2019 Met Gala was 'too sexy'. Bianca and Kanye secretly wed in December 2022, just one month after he finalized his divorce from Kim Kardashian, 43. Since then, friends have expressed ongoing fears that the rapper is manipulating his so-called 'wife' and many believe his latest actions continue to highlight a pattern of 'controlling' behaviour. In his latest stunt, Kanye is said to have banned Bianca from using social media to protect her from negative comments, according to insiders, who claim her friends believe it's really another tactic to further 'isolate' her. Despite the architectural designer's loved ones staging an intervention concerning her relationship with the rapper and his 'controlling ways,' her husband appears to have changed her attitude towards social media. Bianca's earlier outfits showed her going braless in crop tops and leggings 'Bianca has always had social media and she was active on it until she married Kanye,' an insider exclusively told DailyMail.com. 'He doesnt want her to have it because he thinks that it will hurt her if she had to read the nasty things that people say. 'He convinced her that, since she is a star now, she has to remain a mystery and it is creepy to those who know her as it feels like another form of control.' However, friends have taken issue with the fact Kanye is posting racy images of his wife on his own Instagram account despite allegedly claiming she needs protection. The insider added: 'He is pushing her nakedness all over his own [account] so that he can control her narrative. It is disturbing, and by shutting her off from the world he is causing her to become more and more isolated.' Friends are said to be stunned to see the usually assertive designer going along with Kanye's demands as the source stressed: 'This strong Bianca that was not going to deal with his s*** anymore has seemingly vanished once again. 'She is wearing what he wants, going where he wants and doing what he wants because she really has no other choice. She went from being his designer to his wife, which is unfortunately, not a paid position. Shes trapped.' Sydney Sweeney looked like she stepped out of another era in a classic beige dress with a long, pleated, A-line skirt. The Anyone But You star, 26, paired the elegant dress with a capelet in a coordinating, warmer shade of beige. The Washington state native wore white boots, carried a tan handbag, and accessorized with small gold earrings and black sunglasses for her retro cool look. Her long blonde hair was blown out sleek and fell in loose waves around her shoulders. The Euphoria actress makes her home in Los Angeles with her fiance Jonathan Davino, 40, but she's in New York City this week rehearsing for her hosting gig on Saturday Night Live on March 2. Sydney Sweeney looked like she stepped out of another era in a classic beige dress with a long, pleated, A-line skirt. The Anyone But You star, 26, paired the elegant dress with a capelet in a coordinating, warmer shade of beige The Immaculate star hosts SNL this weekend with Kacey Musgraves, 35, as the musical guest. In a funny new Saturday Night Live promotional clip with series regular Michael Longfellow, the White Lotus star walks through the famous studio 8H engrossed in the book in her hands, Haruki Murakami's Kafka on the Shore. The 26-year-old White Lotus star was dressed in a denim-on-denim look in the first piece of promo content for the upcoming episode. The scene opens with the blonde beauty walking through the SNL set consumed by her book, when she bumps into Longfellow and dreamy, romantic music begins to play. Viewers can hear Longfellow's inner thoughts as he musters the courage to ask Sweeney out. But the moment is cut short when the outtake cuts to Sweeney walking away abruptly. Sydney currently stars in Madame Web and also appears in (and produced) the upcoming horror movie Immaculate and she revealed she cast her two grandmas in the movie. 'I flew my grandmas out,' Sweeney revealed on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon on February 27. 'They'd never been to Europe. My Grandy's dream was to go to Italy, she's never left the country before, so I surprised them, flew them there, and I let them be extras in the movie.' Sweeney's grandmothers play a pair of 'little old nuns' that live in the same Italian convent as her character Cecilia where the upcoming movie is centered on. The Washington state native wore white boots, carried a tan handbag, and accessorized with small gold earrings and black sunglasses for her retro cool look Her long blonde hair was blown out sleek and fell in loose waves around her shoulders The Euphoria actress makes her home in Los Angeles with her fiance Jonathan Davino, 40, but she's in New York City this week rehearsing for her hosting gig on Saturday Night Live on March 2 Sydney currently stars in Madame Web and also appears (and produced) the upcoming horror movie Immaculate and she revealed she cast her two grandmas in the movie In a funny new Saturday Night Live promotional clip with series regular Michael Longfellow, the White Lotus star walks through the famous studio 8H engrossed in the book in her hands The scene opens with the blonde beauty walking through the famous studio 8H, consumed by her book, when she bumps into SNK regular Michael Longfellow and dreamy, romantic music begins to play Viewers can hear Longfellow's inner thoughts as he musters the courage to ask Sweeney out. But the moment is cut short when the outtake cuts to Sweeney walking away abruptly The Once Upon a Time in Hollywood actress brought a bunch of photos of her grandmothers on the set of Immaculate to show Fallon and the audience. Fallon loved a photo of one of Sydney's grandmothers in the full nun's habit costume while smoking a cigarette. 'This is my Grandy,' Sweeney explained, while pointing at the photo. 'She's iconic and she needed a smoke break in between takes, so we went outside and I had to capture how amazing she looked.' Madame Web is in theaters now. Immaculate opens on March 22. It was a scene that could have come straight from an episode of Beverly Hills 90210. The show's star Luke Perry got into a fight with the toxic boyfriend of his 90210 co-star Tori Spelling at her family's Christmas party in the mid 1990s, a new book reveals. Perry stepped up to Nick Savalas at the $150million Spelling family mansion in Los Angeles and told him he was a 'problem'. Referring to Spelling, Perry said: 'I love her, and you should not be in her life.' As Spelling's parents looked on, the two men got into a brawl which nearly knocked over the 18-foot Christmas tree, writes Margaret Wappler in 'A Good Bad Boy: Luke Perry and How a Generation Grew Up', which is out on Tuesday. Months later Perry staged an intervention to get Spelling to break up with Savalas, who she has admitted was so abusive he called her ugly 10 times a day. A new book about the late actor Luke Perry reveals how he stood up for co-star and friend Tori Spelling who was dating an 'abusive' man Perry reportedly got into a brawl with Tori Spelling's 'toxic' boyfriend Nick Savalas at the Spelling family's Christmas party in 1995 Perry (third from the left) was touted as the next James Dean when he was hired to star in 90210 as bad boy Dylan McKay Perry was touted as the next James Dean when he was hired to star in 90210, which was dreamed up by Spelling's father Aaron, the TV and film producer. Perry played Dylan McKay, the bad boy who was the counterpoint to the squeaky-clean Midwestern twins, Brandon and Brenda Walsh, played by Jason Priestley and Shannen Doherty. Margaret Wappler has authored 'A Good Bad Boy: Luke Perry and How a Generation Grew Up', which is out on Tuesday The gritty plots of 90210 captivated viewers and turned the show into a sensation, but according to Wappler the real drama was offscreen thanks to Spelling's tortured love life. While playing Donna Martin on the show, Spelling was dating Savalas, the son of Kojak star Telly Savalas, writes Wappler, a journalist who has written for the Los Angeles Times and Rolling Stone. Spelling later called Savalas a 'nightmare' who was 'verbally abusive, telling me 10 times a day how ugly I was.' She also suspected he cheated on her, leached money from her and persuaded her to buy a Porsche Carrera which she totaled a week later. But in 1995, Spelling was still under Savalas's spell and brought him to her family's annual Christmas party where the 90210 cast joined them. As waiters served shrimp cocktail, caviar and sandwiches, a pianist played 'O Come All Ye Faithful' and other festive songs. Wappler writes that Spelling stuck with Savalas because 'wealth didn't inure Tori from an unhealthy family culture that left her feeling inadequate and lonely'. She writes: 'Aaron and Candy loved their daughter, but they eschewed honest conversation, and often handled conflict with letters or the silent treatment. Their distaste for Nick was clear from their pained faces, but they never spoke of it to Tori.' When Perry and Priestley entered the party, Spelling asked them to say hello to Savalas. Priestley, the more diplomatic of the two, did so but Perry refused. Wappler writes: 'Stinging from the snub, Nick decided to bring their long-simmering tension to a head. He stepped up to Luke. ''What's your problem?'' 'You're my problem,' Luke answered. 'I love her, and you should not be in her life.' 'Then Luke pushed him and it zinged off from there.' Spelling later called Savalas a 'nightmare' who was 'verbally abusive, telling me 10 times a day how ugly I was' The book claims that Spelling's parents, Aaron and Candy, were so troubled by the episode that they would 'secretly enter therapy in the hopes of learning how to pry their beloved Tori out of Nick's grip' Tori grew up privileged, living in a massive 56.5K-square-foot French chateau-style mansion her TV mogul father Aaron Spelling had constructed in 1988. The 1995 Christmas party was held at the family mansion Perry was haunted by his own abusive father and 'longed to avenge his mother' so he 'didn't hold back.' According to Wappler: 'They punched and shoved each other, brawling dangerously close to the eighteen-foot Christmas tree, its weighted boughs threatening to drop pinecone-sized ornaments gleaming in gold'. Spelling became enraged at Perry after the brawl and she screamed that she 'hated him,' but eventually broke free of Savalas and they made up Priestley broke up the fight and Savalas stormed out. Incredibly, Spelling became enraged at Perry and she screamed that she 'hated him'. The book claims that Spelling's parents were so troubled by the episode that they would 'secretly enter therapy in the hopes of learning how to pry their beloved Tori out of Nick's grip.' Yet there was a positive resolution and it was Perry again who stepped in. A few months later he led the 90210 cast in an 'intervention' in a dressing room on set. They took turns to tell Spelling how 'enough was enough' and Savalas couldn't come on set any more. Soon enough Spelling snapped out of Savalas's 'toxic thrall' and she began to see him as an abuser, Wappler writes. She asked her friends to dump all his clothes on the lawn of her sister's house and break off with him for good. Perry died in 2019 at the age of 52 after suffering a stroke at his home in Sherman Oaks, California. Spelling, now 50, has somewhat better luck in love than Savalas and has been married twice and has five children. But she was recently forced to live in a $100 a night motel with her children after splitting with her second husband of 18 years, Dean McDermott. She has now moved into a $15,000 a month, five bedroom home in the San Fernando Valley in California. Perry died in 2019 at the age of 52 after suffering a stroke at his home in Sherman Oaks, California, and Spelling gave a heartfelt tribute to her long-time friend after his death Among the other revelations in 'A Good Bad Boy' is that even though they were on-screen lovers, Perry and Doherty did not initially have much of a chemistry in real life. While Doherty had been a child star who appeared in films like Heathers, Perry was relatively unknown. Charles Roisin, the showrunner for 90210, says in the book: 'Shannen would come to the set and not really know what we were working on and memorize (her lines) as they were blocking'. Doherty would feed off the last minute pressure and 'saved it for last take' but Perry was a 'first take best take' kind of actor. According to Wappler, as the takes went on Perry 'wavered in consistency.' Roisin said: 'When he first started working with us, he was very difficult for the editors because he never did it the same way every time, so they were hard sometimes to edit together'. Larry Mollin, a 90210 writer who joined for the college years and left by season seven, characterized Perry and Doherty's relationship offscreen as 'frosty'. Even Perry himself wasn't afraid to confront Doherty when he felt it was necessary. He once said: 'There was a time when I kicked her dressing-room door off and said: 'Shan, let's fix things.' And we did'. 'I can work with her fine now. I don't have to get Shannen out of my sight so I can work, no. If she bothers me the day she comes in and she's late, I let her have it. I think that's why Shannen and I have the relationship that we do'. Even though they were on-screen lovers, Perry and Shannen Doherty did not initially have much of a chemistry in real life, the author writes After Doherty went public with her breast cancer battle in 2015, Perry became much warmer and said that 'none of us would be here without Shannen' After Doherty went public with her breast cancer battle in 2015 - which is now Stage 4 and has spread to her bones Perry became much warmer and said that 'none of us would be here without Shannen' The book also reveals that Perry was the reason why the Buffy the Vampire Slayer film got made in 1992, paving the way for the hit TV series which came after. Perry played Pike opposite Kristy Swanson as Buffy The book also reveals that Perry was the reason why the Buffy the Vampire Slayer film got made in 1992, paving the way for the hit TV series which came after. Fran Rubel Kuzui, the director of the movie, said that no major studio apart from Twentieth Century Fox showed interest, and even they had doubts. But when Perry read the script he loved it and had just signed a two-movie deal with FOX and the studio liked the idea of him appearing in Buffy. Kuzui said that Perry was 'always 100 percent present for me' while playing Pike, Buffy's love interest. Perry even stuck up for Kuzui when she walked off the set at the unprofessional behavior of the crew, who were being disrespectful. Perry apologized and agreed that if she were a man, this would not be happening. He then picked her up and carried her back on to the film set, a gesture which she viewed as 'supportive and campy, in the spirit of the film itself'. Wappler writes: 'And the bottom line was, they trusted each other'. Will Smith and Martin Lawrence were spotted shooting a scene for Bad Boys 4 on Thursday in Miami. Smith and Lawrence dressed as policemen in full combat gear as they seemed to break a sweat under the intense Florida sun. In the fourth installment of the Bad Boys franchise, Smith plays Detective Mike opposite of Lawrence who acts as Marcus Miles. Grey's Anatomy star Eric Dane is set to play the role of the villain as the banker. The film is set for release on June 7, 2024 despite being originally scheduled to be in theatres on July 3, 2019. Will Smith and Martin Lawrence were spotted filming a shooting scene for Bad Boys 4 on Thursday in Miami The film is set for release on June 7, 2024 despite being originally scheduled to be in theatres on July 3, 2019; seen far right is Eric Dane The majority of the filming took place April of last year in Atlanta, Georgia, and Miami, Florida. In May of 2023, behind-the-scenes footage of Smith and Lawrence filming a different shootout in Atlanta were made public by TMZ. The June 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike put an indefinite pause on the film. But fans had other speculations. Many believed the movie was halted due to Smith's 2022 Oscars scandal. At the 2022 Oscars, he famously stormed the stage and slapped Chris Rock in the face for making a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith. During the surge of press around her new biography last year, Jada revealed that she and Will had actually been secretly separated since 2016. When asked about the slapping in an interview with Variety, Jada said, 'Im riding with [Will]. I didnt come into this place as your wife, but Im leaving here as your wife because we got a storm were going to have to deal with together. I am not gonna leave your side.' In the same interview the mother-of-two revealed that she and her famous partner would be 'working on the relationship.' Will withdrew from the public eye after receiving harsh criticism for his action but is currently planning a comeback with this film. Will withdrew from the public eye after receiving harsh criticism for his action but is currently planning a comeback with this film At the 2022 Oscars, Smith famously stormed the stage and slapped Chris Rock in the face for making a joke about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith Smith and Lawrence dressed as policemen in full combat gear as they seemed to break a sweat under the intense Florida sun Grey's Anatomy star Eric Dane is set to play the role of the villain as the banker The majority of the filming took place April of last year in Atlanta, Georgia, and Miami, Florida The June 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike put an indefinite pause on the film. But fans had other speculations. Many believed the movie was halted due to Smith's 2022 Oscars scandal During the surge of press around her new biography last year, Jada revealed that she and Will had actually been secretly separated since 2016 In the same interview the mother-of-two revealed that she and her famous partner would be 'working on the relationship On the set, Lawrence was seen getting his makeup touched up in between shooting scenes on the sandy shore Some of the cast were seen getting into character as they jumped into their roles Melanie Liburd was spotted next to Martin Lawrence and Eric Dane during one scene on the beach In 2020, Jada interviewed Will for her talk show Red Table Talk as the public was riveted by her admission of a 'entanglement' she had four years prior. Pinkett, 52, told her the father of her children that she was involved with a significantly younger man named August Alsina. Alsina, 31, met Jada through her son Jaden Smith as the two were close pals. Keira Knightley said in 2014 that she gave herself a yearly salary of 30,000 to stop her losing touch with her less affluent friends. 'Living an [expensive] lifestyle means you can't hang out with people who don't live that lifestyle. It alienates you,' she said. 'Some of my best, most hilarious times, have been in the least luxurious places.' The Pirates Of The Caribbean star, 38, is nevertheless filling her treasure chest. Keira Knightley said in 2014 that she gave herself a yearly salary of 30,000 to stop her losing touch with her less affluent friends The Pirates Of The Caribbean star, 38, is nevertheless filling her treasure chest I can disclose that the actress has accumulated profits of 6.7 million at her company Ponder Rights. This was a 1.3 million increase in retained earnings in the year to May 2023. She also held 8.9 million at another firm, KCK Boo, as well as property riches via Charlotte Road Ltd, which lists three properties that cost a combined 7.8 million. Keira is known for her frugality. When she shops at her local Tesco with her husband, musician James Righton, 40, they have been known to use separate checkouts. Life is a cabaret for wild Cara Cara Delevingne makes her West End debut in less than two weeks' time and she's clearly not lacking enthusiasm. Cara Delevingne makes her West End debut in less than two weeks' time and she's clearly not lacking enthusiasm Dame Joan Collins's goddaughter can be seen getting wildly animated alongside Luke Treadaway, 39, who is set to star as the Emcee The top model, 31, has been locked away in rehearsals as she prepares to play Sally Bowles in Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club in London. In the picture above, Dame Joan Collins's goddaughter can be seen getting wildly animated alongside Luke Treadaway, 39, who is set to star as the Emcee a role previously played by Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne. 'I cannot wait to be a part of this brilliant cast and production,' Cara says. He's already enjoyed trips to Oz and Iceland this year, but Mike Tindall's latest jaunt failed to get off to a flying start. The former rugby star, who's married to the King's niece Zara, moaned online after a delay. He's already enjoyed trips to Oz and Iceland this year, but Mike Tindall's latest jaunt failed to get off to a flying start 'Good start to a long weekend with Qatar Airways cancelling the 9.30pm flight two hours post-flight time. Any ideas when the flight might happen?' Responses from his followers included: 'Ask Charles for a private jet' and 'How dare Qatar ruin an important man's long weekend away!' Actress Emily Mortimer admits she would have received scathing reviews for her stint as a waitress at the Michelin-starred River Cafe in West London. 'I really was bad,' says the daughter of Rumpole Of The Bailey author Sir John Mortimer. Actress Emily Mortimer admits she would have received scathing reviews for her stint as a waitress at the Michelin-starred River Cafe in West London 'I broke everything over everything, and I just remember the dry-cleaning bills Ruth [Rogers, the owner] was having to pay on my behalf to people that had red wine dropped in their laps.' The star, 52, adds: 'I think I've come to the conclusion that being a waiter is a very difficult job and people don't realise that. I'm really nice to them when I go to restaurants.' Clare Balding returns to present Crufts for Channel 4 next week but despite her best efforts, she and her wife, Alice Arnold, live in a pooch-free house. 'I wrote a book called Isle Of Dogs, which is based on the search for another dog. 'And what we realised was that we need to change our living conditions to make the perfect home for a dog,' says Balding, 53, whose Tibetan terrier, Archie, died in 2020. Clare Balding returns to present Crufts for Channel 4 next week but despite her best efforts, she and her wife, Alice Arnold, live in a pooch-free house 'So that's what we're focused on now. We want to be responsible owners, so it will take a while. 'And because I've got such a big summer this year, it's not fair to bring a dog into our life right now.' Power dressing is a right royal affair for Julianne Hollywood star Julianne Moore plays the scheming Countess of Buckingham, Mary Villiers, in Sky Atlantic's new royal romp, Mary & George, which chronicles the supposed love affair between her son George, 1st Duke of Buckingham, and James I. 'We know [James] did have a male lover and this series is definitely going to open the lid about his history and how we've remembered him,' the drama's director, Oliver Hermanus, tells me at the premiere at Banqueting House, in Whitehall. Hollywood star Julianne Moore plays the scheming Countess of Buckingham, Mary Villiers, in Sky Atlantic's new royal romp, Mary & George 'They just swept it under the rug and pretended it wasn't happening.' Moore, 63, who wore an elaborate custom Schiaparelli blue velvet dress to the screening (right), says of her character: 'She's voracious. 'As a woman, she really has no power except through the men she's married to or her male children. So that's what drives her.' Jamie Dornan has revealed he was as embarrassed as anybody when he first watched the final edits of his raunchy Fifty Shades Of Grey films. Asked if he'd seen them, the actor, 41, says: 'I had to, for Press and stuff. I watched them all by myself in a theatre with a security guard, which is an incredibly awkward scenario to find yourself in when you're having so much sex. Believable? Passable? What are you thinking, 'Good technique'?' Leaning against a Harley Davidson sporting a brown beehive and casual blue jeans, it's a far cry from the glamourous dresses she wore in Killing Eve. Jodie Comer, 30, has been photographed opposite Elvis actor Austin Butler, 32, in the new crime epic The Bikeriders about a midwestern motorcycle gang the Vandals. Ms Comer is the main narrator of the film in her role as Kathy, the concerned girlfriend of Butler's character Benny, and is pictured wearing a tan brushed leather jacket and heeled boots. For the role, Ms Comer drops her distinctive Scouse accent in favour of a thick nasally Chicago voice. Benny is a member of the biker gang and Butler wears a black leather jacket under a gilet ladened with badges, dark blue jeans and black lace-up boots. Jodie Comer , 30, has been photographed opposite Elvis actor Austin Butler, 32, in the new crime epic The Bikeriders about a midwestern motorcycle gang the Vandals Slouched against a Harley-Davidson, this could be a remake of the 1953 classic movie The Wild One, which turned Marlon Brando into a cultural icon (pictured) London-born Tom Hardy, 46, (left) endlessly chews gum in his role as the Vandals' president, Johnny. Pictured with Austin Butler's character Benny (right) Butler, who is currently dating Cindy Crawford's daughter Kaia Gerber, 22, kept his usual blonde locks and is seen sporting an uncharacteristic moustache. Bikeriders is based on the 1968 book by American filmmaker Danny Lyons which was a collection of photographs and anecdotes chronicling the Chicago Outlaws Motorcycle Club. Seen through the lives of its members, the film follows the Vandal club's evolution over a decade from a gathering of local outsiders to a more sinister group. London-born Tom Hardy, 46, endlessly chews gum in his role as the Vandals' president, Johnny. Bikeriders is based on the 1968 book by American filmmaker Danny Lyons which was a collection of photographs and anecdotes chronicling the Chicago Outlaws Motorcycle Club Seen through the lives of its members, the film follows the Vandal club's evolution over a decade from a gathering of local outsiders to a more sinister group Butler (pictured), who is currently dating Cindy Crawford 's daughter Kaia Gerber , 22, kept his usual blonde locks and is seen sporting an uncharacteristic moustache The star-studded cast is seen smoking copious amounts of cigarettes in leather or denim jackets while hanging out in dive bars, riding on Harley Davidsons or beating people up His second-in-command is Brucie, played by the Australian actor and Flesh and Bones star Damon Herriman, 53. The star-studded cast is seen smoking copious amounts of cigarettes in leather or denim jackets while hanging out in dive bars, riding on Harley Davidsons or beating people up. The crime epic is directed by Mud's Jeff Nichols, 45, and is set to be released in June 2024. Hunter Schafer, 25, was pictured for the first time since her arrest in New York City for storming the lobby of the Rockefeller Center during President Joe Biden's chat with Seth Meyers. The Euphoria star opted for a long charcoal coat with baggy jeans and sneakers as she carried a small Prada bag. She casually listened to music as she sported grunge style outfit as she walked through JFK airport makeup free. Schafer, who portrays transgender Jules Vaughn on the hit HBO drama, was issued a summons for trespassing after participating in the demonstration Monday night, sources told the New York Post. Hunter Schafer, 25, was pictured for the first time since her arrest in New York City for storming the lobby of the Rockefeller Center during President Joe Biden's chat with Seth Meyers She casually listened to music as she sported grunge style outfit as she walked through JFK airport makeup free The actress sported a 'cease-fire now' shirt, as she was escorted out of the complex by a NYPD officer. Her hands were restrained behind her back. The protesters were trying to send a message to Biden, who was taking part in a taping of Late Night with Seth Meyers upstairs. They held up large signs that said, 'Jews to Biden: End Israel's Siege of Gaza' and chanted 'end the siege of Gaza now' and 'Biden, Biden you can't hide...' as they flooded the lobby. Biden, 81, briefly addressed the ongoing conflict after the demonstration while making an ice cream run with Meyers. He said that he 'hoped' a pause in fighting could come 'by the end of the weekend', adding that his 'national security adviser tells me that we're close'. His remark 'surprised' Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who while Qatar, the mediator in ceasefire talks, said Israel and Hamas are not close to a potential deal. Schafer joined the Jewish Voice for Peace organization as protesters occupied 30 Rock on Monday for a sit-in. The group signaled they were made up of Jewish-Americans, sporting T-shirts that read 'Not In Our Name'. In a thread on X, the group said that 'hundreds of Jews and allies' had 'taken over' Rockefeller Center to 'make it clear' to the president that 'supporters of genocide are not welcome in our city'. The group said that 50 demonstrators were arrested during Monday's protest, however NYPD told DailyMail.com that 30 people were taken into custody and issued summons for trespass. Jewish Voice for Peace seemed to confirm that Schafer was among those arrested by retweeting several posts sharing photos of police escorting the actress out of the building. The actress sported a 'cease-fire now' shirt, as she was escorted out of the complex by a NYPD officer as her hands were restrained behind her back Jewish Voice for Peace said that 50 demonstrators were arrested during Monday's protest, however NYPD told DailyMail.com that 30 people were taken into custody and issued summons for trespass Hunter is no stranger to protests as the actress, who transitioned to female as a teenager, protested her home state's so-called 'bathroom bill', which restricted bathroom access for transgender individuals. She attended a rally during a special session of the North Carolina General Assembly in Raleigh in December 2016, arguing for the repeal of the law, per WUNC. Schafer, then 18 and a high school senior, held a sign that read: 'Trans youth exist, are valid, [and] deserve basic human rights.' From Donald Trump's presidency to Virgin space flights, The Simpsons has shocked viewers over the years by predicting major future events long before they occur. And they might have done it again, as re-surfaced scenes from the cartoon appear eerily similar to those of the scandal currently gripping the world - the Glasgow Willy Wonka experience. Parents slammed the city's 'Willy's Chocolate Experience' event when what was advertised as a 'dream come true' turned into a nightmare as children were greeted with a singular jelly bean, half a cup of lemonade, a terrifying made up villain and absolutely no chocolate. In light of the 'scam', which charged 35 per ticket and advertised using AI images, people flocked to social media to find out as much as they could about the failed Wonka warehouse - birthing a plethora of memes. One of which was a collection of snaps from The Simpsons episodes, which looked spookily like the scenes displayed in Glasgow. Slide me The Simpsons might have accurately predicted future events yet again, as re-surfaced scenes from the cartoon appear eerily similar to those of the scandal currently gripping the world - the Glasgow Willy Wonka experience The entrance to Willy's Chocolate Experience showed a fairly bare rainbow with clouds at the end of it - which the post compared to the shabby reception at Homerland, a shockingly bad funfair organised by Homer. Another snap compared the Homerland 'Fort Adventure', which was made out of soiled mattresses, with the Wonka attractions - or lack there of. After the news of the Wonka experience broke, more and more details were revealed - including that each child was only entitled to a tiny cup of lemonade. The meme compared a picture of a rickety table covered in quarter-filled plastic cups to a lemonade stand in The Simpsons where Bart's friends are selling beverages for 25 cent. Finally, the iconic snap of the sad Oompa Loopma actor found conducting experiments at the Glasgow experience harped back to a scene from The Simpsons where one of the characters from the Roald Dahl book was seen looking glum as he sat on a box, smoking a cigarette. However, while the pictures suggest the cartoon predicted the entire event years before it took place, the snaps were in fact from three separate episodes. The Simpsons has however accurately predicted a number of events over the years, leading fans to search previous episodes often to find parallels. In the 2000 episode 'Bart to the Future' the show correctly predicted that then-wealthy real estate mogul Donald Trump would one day be the US President. In light of the 'scam', which charged 35 per ticket and advertised using AI images, people flocked to social media to find out as much as they could about the failed Wonka warehouse - birthing a plethora of memes In the 2000 episode 'Bart to the Future' the show correctly predicted that then-wealthy real estate mogul Donald Trump would one day be the US President In the episode, a grown up Lisa Simpson is President, and she is heard remarking she is working hard to clean up the mess made by her predecessor, Mr Trump. 'We inherited quite the budget crunch from President Trump,' she says while in The Oval Office. Meanwhile, in the same episode, The Simpsons also appeared to predict Kamala Harris' vice presidency. Harris attended Joe Biden's 2021 inauguration ceremony in a bright purple outfit by American designers Christopher John Rogers and Sergio Hudson. She accessorised the outfit with a custom pearl necklace. The ensemble bore a striking resemblance to the one worn by a grown-up Lisa Simpson as President of the United States. Images of Sir Richard Branson enjoying a spaceflight went viral in 2021 after the businessman, 73, launched himself towards the stars, in a bizarre case of real life imitating art. The entrepreneur successfully earned his astronaut wings after travelling to the edge of space on board a Virgin Galactic flight, making him the first spaceflight founder to travel to space on his own ship. Video of the magnate was beamed back to earth as he experienced weightlessness and floated around the cabin of the vessel. The footage was strangely similar to a scene in a 2014 episode of The Simpsons called The War of Art, from the show's 25th series. Meanwhile, in the same episode, The Simpsons also appeared to predict Kamala Harris' vice presidency. Harris attended Joe Biden's 2021 inauguration ceremony in a bright purple outfit by American designers Christopher John Rogers and Sergio Hudson. The ensemble bore a striking resemblance to the one worn by a grown-up Lisa Simpson as President of the United States. Images of Sir Richard Branson enjoying a spaceflight went viral in 2021 after the businessman, 73, launched himself towards the stars, in a bizarre case of real life imitating art In a 1995 episode titled Lisa's Wedding, the show accurately predicted the rise of interactive smartwatches. The episode is set in 2010 and depicts one character giving orders to his watch, which obeys his commands. At the time it was seen as a joke but less than two decades later people can now use their watches to track their steps, check emails and make payments. In the episode Itchy & Scratchy & Marge from 1990, Marge became outraged by the violence in Bart and Lisa's favourite cartoon, The Itchy & Scratchy Show - and penned a letter of concern to the broadcasting network. This escalated into a full-blown protest which saw the cat and mouse cartoon toned down; instead of blowing each other up, they were seen sharing lemonade in harmony. When the famous sculpture Michelangelo's David was then due to stop on a tour in Springfield, Marge refused to join in with a local protest led by the likes of pious Maud Flanders, who claimed the statue was gratuitous. A similar scenario cropped up in Russia 26 years later when residents of Saint Petersburg protested a replica of the naked sculpture which was due to be erected in the city. Then, in 2023, a Florida charter school headteacher was forced to resign after three parents complained that their children were 'upset' by images of Michelangelos David shown in their sixth-grade history class, In a 1995 episode titled Lisa's Wedding, the show accurately predicted the rise of interactive smartwatches In the episode Itchy & Scratchy & Marge from 1990 Marge became outraged by the violence in Bart and Lisa's favourite cartoon, The Itchy & Scratchy Show Due to the success of her protest, she is asked to protest against a Michaelangelo's David replica. Decades later, residents of St Petersburg protested against the same statue 1991's Letter From The Beatles, Ringo Star diligently answered fan mail that had been written decades ago. In 2013, two Beatles fans from Essex received a reply from Paul McCartney to a letter and recording they sent to the band 50 years ago on The One Show. The recording was sent to a London theatre the band was due to play at but was found years later in a car boot sale by a historian. In 1993, The Simpsons parodied entertainers Siegfried & Roy in $pringfield (Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Legalized Gambling). During the episode, the magicians are viciously mauled by a trained white tiger while performing in a casino. In 2003, Roy Horn of Siegfried and Roy was attacked during a live performance by Montecore, one of their white tigers. Roy lived but sustained severe injuries in the attack. 1994's Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song saw Lunchlady Doris used "assorted horse parts" to make lunch for students at Springfield Elementary. In 2013, the European horsemeat scandal came to light and the public found out horsemeat had been served to schoolchildren and hospital patients. 1991's Letter From The Beatles saw Ringo Star diligently answer fan mail that had been written decades ago. In 2013, Paul McCartney answered fan mail that had been written decades ago In a 1993 episode, white tigers attacked a parodied version of Siegfried & Roy. In 2003, Roy was attacked by the duo's white tigers A 1994 episode saw a cruel school lunch lady sneak horsemeat into the children's meals. In 2013, the infamous horsemeat scandal came to light In Lisa On Ice in 1994, school bullies Kearny and Dolph take a memo to 'beat up Martin' on a Newton device. The memo gets quickly translated to 'eat up Martha' - a foreshadowing of the autocorrect frustrations of future smartphone users. 1995's Lisa's Wedding featured a skyscraper behind Tower Bridge that looked eerily similar to The Shard - even in the right location. Construction would begin 14 years later. In When You Dish Upon a Star from 1998, Ron Howard and Brian Grazer produce a script which Homer pitches. The script is being produced at 20th Century Fox, and a sign in front of the studio's headquarters reveals that it is 'a division of Walt Disney Co'. In 2017, Disney purchased 21st Century Fox for an estimated $52.4 billion, acquiring Fox's film studio (20th Century Fox), in addition to a bulk of its television production assets. That same year, The Serfsons spoofed various aspects of Game of Thrones and Homer revives a dragon which proceeds to burn down a whole village. In the penultimate episode of Game of Thrones two years later, Daenerys Targaryen shocked fans when she and her dragon laid waste to an already surrendered King's Landing, obliterating thousands of innocent people. In Lisa On Ice in 1994, a Newton memo autocorrects, - a foreshadowing of the autocorrect frustrations of future smartphone users. 1995's Lisa's Wedding featured a skyscraper behind Tower Bridge that looked eerily similar to The Shard - even in the right location. C onstruction would begin 14 years later In When You Dish Upon a Star from 1998, a sign in front of 20th Century Fox, reads that it is 'a division of Walt Disney Co' - 19 years before Disney purchased Fox for over $50 billion Jennifer Lawrence exuded elegance in a chic grey ensemble at the LVMH Prize Cocktail Party with Paris Jackson for Paris Fashion Week on Thursday. The No Hard Feelings actress, 33, stunned in a sheer off-the-shoulder blouse and a matching skirt as she continued enjoying the French festivities. She bared her chest and accessorised with a simple black watch, stylish silver hoops, and chic black court shoes. Meanwhile Paris, 25, showed off her boho-inspired fashion sense in a short-sleeved, loose-fitting, boho style dress that she matched with knee-high brown boots. Her tattoos were back on display and she carried a matching bag and wore layered necklaces and her signature double hoop nose rings. Jennifer Lawrence, 33, stunned in grey at the LVMH Prize Cocktail Party with Paris Jackson, 25, (right) during Paris Fashion Week on Thursday The No Hard Feelings actress wore a dark grey gown with a sheer top half. She bared her chest and accessorised with a simple black watch, stylish silver hoops, and chic black court shoes Michael Jackson's only daughter glowed at the cocktail party which was attended by more special guests. One of them was Belgian model Rose Bertram who wore a beautiful asymmetric black two-piece. Rose, 27, showcased her toned arms and legs in the tube top and mini skirt, and posed with a hand on her hip. The mother of two has been modelling since she was 13 years old and has appeared in campaigns for H&M and L'Oreal. Fellow model Coco Rocha also attended. Coco looked flawless in a black crop top and a sequinned black maxi skirt with a dangerously high split. The Canadian model, 35, who served as a judge alongside Naomi Campbell on the short-lived modelling reality show The Face, accessorised with a huge black bow. Elsewhere, veteran model Irina Shayk took to the runway for Schiaparelli Fall/Winter 2024-2025 ready-to-wear collection. The Russian beauty, 38, has enjoyed romances with Christiano Ronaldo and Bradley Cooper, and has one child, daughter Lea de Seine, with the latter. Paris' tattoos were back on display and she carried a matching bag and wore layered necklaces and her signature double hoop nose rings Michael Jackson's only daughter glowed at the cocktail party which was attended by more special guests One of them was Belgian model Rose Bertram who wore a beautiful asymmetric black two-piece Rose, 27, showcased her toned arms and legs in the tube top and mini skirt, and posed with a hand on her hip The mother of two has been modelling since she was 13 years old and has appeared in campaigns for H&M and L'Oreal Fellow model Coco Rocha, 35, also attended. She looked flawless in a black crop top and a sequinned black maxi skirt with a dangerously high split Elsewhere, veteran model Irina Shayk took to the runway for Schiaparelli Fall/Winter 2024-2025 ready-to-wear collection How about this for a comeback? Twiggy is returning to pop music, 48 years after her self-titled debut album was released. I can disclose that the celebrated former model, 74, who is now Dame Lesley Lawson, has teamed up with former Rolling Stones bass guitarist Bill Wyman, 87. Featuring piano, bass, guitar and her vocals, their album is inspired by traditional music from the 1930s to 1950s. 'We have not announced it yet, but I have been working with Bill Wyman,' she confirms. 'Covid came along and we had to Skype [video calls] for about two or three years. Bill kept sending me songs from that period, and I love that. The celebrated former model, 74, who is now Dame Lesley Lawson, has teamed up with former Rolling Stones bass guitarist Bill Wyman, 87 Twiggy is returning to pop music, 48 years after her self-titled debut album was released (Pictured: Twiggy performs on stage at the Butterfly Ball, London, in 1976 Twiggy, an icon of the Swinging Sixties, appeared on the sleeve of the 1973 David Bowie album Pin Ups Speaking on her podcast, Tea With Twiggy, she described her musical adventure as 'scary and exciting,' before teasing that 'hopefully' the album will come out soon 'My first film, The Boy Friend, was all 1920s music. Bill narrowed it down and I kept picking music from [American musicians] Mary Ford and Les Paul.' Speaking on her podcast, Tea With Twiggy, she adds of her musical adventure: 'It is scary and exciting. Hopefully the album will come out soon.' Twiggy, an icon of the Swinging Sixties, appeared on the sleeve of the 1973 David Bowie album Pin Ups. 'I just feel thrilled that I got to meet Bowie,' she has said. 'That photo was early 1970s and he was huge at that point. English Vogue had this idea of putting me and him on the cover of Vogue and we thought it was a brilliant idea. 'He was recording in Paris and I flew there, and we did the picture. The editor of Vogue, in their great wisdom, said, 'I can't put a man on the cover.' 'We said, 'Why not? You are insane.' But they would not budge. So David said, 'While they are faffing about, I will put it on the album cover.' ' Social media users reacted in horror to reports of the new pricing system Earlier this month its CEO indicated it would help to expand profit margins After a huge backlash over its plans to introduce 'dynamic pricing', Wendy's has claimed it never intended to raise prices when demand was high - only to lower them at 'slower times of the day'. But earlier this month when its CEO Kirk Tanner first introduced its dynamic pricing strategy, he assured investors that it would be 'leveraging technology to support margin expansion.' According to the Cambridge Business English Dictionary, margin expansion is the 'increase in the rate of profit a company makes on a product'. When DailyMail.com on Wednesday asked Wendy's how it would improve its margins without increasing prices, it did not receive a response. Pictured is a slide in Wendy's Q4 2023 earnings presentation in which investors were told that dynamic pricing would 'support margin expansion' Wendy's experienced major backlash after DailyMail.com reported on its plans to introduce 'dynamic pricing' to restaurants in 2025 After DailyMail.com first reported on Wendy's dynamic pricing plans on Monday, outrage rippled across the country. Social media users reacted in horror to subsequent broadcasts and reports in newspapers that they might be expected to pay different prices depending on what time they visit a fast food restaurant. Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren wrote on X: 'It's price gouging plain and simple, and American families have had enough.' Despite ignoring a request for clarification on its dynamic pricing plans last week, a Wendy's spokesperson on Wednesday said prices would only drop to increase traffic at quiet times. 'Digital menuboards could allow us to change the menu offerings at different times of day and offer discounts and value offers to our customers more easily, particularly in the slower times of day,' they said. It would not however comment on an earnings presentation earlier this month in which Tanner told investors that the introduction of dynamic pricing would allow it to expand profit margins. '"We hope to improve margins" is then a little bit contradictory,' said Steven Suranovic, associate professor of economics at George Washington University. 'Companies may say different things to their investors or shareholders than to the public,' he said. Senator Elizabeth Warren wrote on X that Wendy's dynamic pricing was 'price gouging plain and simple' Wendy's has said its dynamic pricing model was intended to only provide customers discounts when its restaurants are quiet Suranovic did however suggest that a more contrived interpretation of the term might pertain to the 'overall profitability' of the business, as opposed to how much Wendy's makes on each item it sells. 'Maybe they're thinking not just margin per product, but just in terms of profitability,' he said. In theory, if Wendy's offered discounts at quiet times, it could sell more products overall at a smaller average profit margin. In the process it could achieve greater revenue and potentially improve the business' overall profits. When asked what was meant by the term margins in the earnings presentation, Wendy's did not respond. Much of the backlash faced by Wendy's this week is around terminology. CEO Tanner said during an earnings call this month: 'Beginning as early as 2025, we will begin testing more enhanced features like dynamic pricing and day part offerings along with AI-enabled menu changes and suggestive selling'. It was missed by many news outlets initially but spotted by DailyMail.com, which spoke to experts that explained what it might mean for customers. Dynamic pricing - also known as surge pricing - means prices change based on various market factors, most notably demand. But today Wendy's has rejected the claim it was planning to implement 'surge pricing' - often associated with Uber and Lyft, which both increase ride costs when demand is high. 'Wendy's will not implement surge pricing, which is the practice of raising prices when demand is highest,' a company spokesperson told DailyMail.com. But if prices are lower during quiet times, they are necessarily higher during busy times. Wendy's would not comment on what benchmark price it was referring to when discussing the issue of raising and lowering prices. Affordable East Coast and Midwest metros saw the biggest rise in home values Housing supply is constrained, propping up property values across the US The US housing market gained a huge $2 trillion over the last year, amid a historic shortage of homes for sale. The average home rose more than $20,000 and is now valued at $495,183 as of December 2023, up from $474,740 a year earlier. According to Redfin analysis of more than 90 million homes across the country, the total value of US residential real estate increased 5.3 percent from a year earlier to $47.5 trillion in December. While soaring mortgage rates mean housing demand is sluggish, home values continue to rise, pricing many Americans out of the market. In the last two years, the housing market has gained $5.6 trillion, Redfin found. However a disparity remains across the US. While affordable East Coast and Midwest metros saw the biggest rise in home values in the last year, so-called pandemic 'boomtowns' have seen the largest decline. The average home rose more than $20,000 and is now valued at $495,183 as of December 2023. The biggest rises were on the east coast of America Scroll down for the full list of metros with the biggest price rises. According to Redfin, there are three major reasons why home values are continuing to rise. Many homeowners are locked into ultra-low mortgage rates from previous years, meaning they are hesitant to put their houses on the market. With supply tighter than demand, buyers are competing for a limited pool of homes. That is propping up values for both properties that are already for sale, and those that could hit the market in the future. The total value of US homes was nearing a trough at the end of 2022, which is part of the reason year-over-year growth at the end of 2023 was so large, it added. It is typical for home values to cool in the winter, but they experienced an abnormally large slowdown in 2022 as the shock of surging mortgage rates sent a freeze through the housing market. While America grapples with a housing shortage, it is also continuing to build homes, which contributed to the gain in total home values last year, Redfin said. Home values in Newark, New Jersey, saw the biggest gain in value in the year to December 2023 - increasing by 12.8 percent to $359.6 billion. Next come two other East Coast metros, New Haven, Connecticut, and Camden, New Jersey. Homes in New Haven gained 11.9 percent in value to $86.5 billion, while properties in Camden went up by 10.8 percent to $153 billion. Home values in Newark, New Jersey , saw the biggest gain in value in the year to December 2023 - increasing by 12.8 percent to $359.6 billion Fixed 30-year mortgage rates are now hovering around 6.9 percent, according to Government-backed lender Freddie Mac Charleston, South Carolina, ranked fourth - with values increasing by 10.8 percent to $188.5 billion. Next are three Midwestern metros, Elgin, Illinois, Grand Rapids, Michigan and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Places like Newark and Camden are likely seeing home values jump in part because they are attracting demand from people who are priced out of New York and can now work remotely, Redfin said. Midwestern metros like Milwaukee and Grand Rapids are experiencing home value gains for a similar reason. They are affordable, and when mortgage rates and home prices are elevated, demand for affordable homes goes up. 'America's homeowners are sitting pretty. They're holding a massive amount of housing wealth, despite lackluster demand from buyers, because home values skyrocketed during the pandemic and now a supply shortage is preventing those values from falling,' said Redfin economics research lead Chen Zhao. 'Prospective buyers aren't as lucky. The combination of elevated mortgage rates, high home prices and a limited pool of homes for sale means homeownership is about as unaffordable as ever.' But not every homeowner has seen their property increase in value. 'Home values skyrocketed during the pandemic and now a supply shortage is preventing those values from falling,' said Redfin economics research lead Chen Zhao Four metros saw declines in overall home value, according to Redfin. Pandemic 'boomtown' Boise, in Idaho, saw prices decline 3.8 percent to a total of $123.9 billion and New York saw prices fall 1 percent to $2.4 trillion. New Orleans prices went down 0.8 percent to $124 billion and homes in Stockton, California, lost 0.7 percent in value - falling to a total of $109.2 billion in value. The metros with the smallest increases were Philadelphia, at 0.3 percent, Honolulu, at 0.8 percent, Austin, Texas, at 1 percent, Denver at 1.3 percent and Riverside, California at 1.6 percent. Most of these metros have something in common, said Redfin, which is that they have become unaffordable for many homebuyers. This means that there is a cap on demand, so home values no longer have much, if any, room to rise. New York, Honolulu, Riverside and Denver all have median home sale prices of at least $550,000 - well above the national median. And in Boise and Austin, which also have median sale prices above the national level, many people are priced out because an influx of out-of-towners caused home values to skyrocket during the pandemic. But some experts predict that there will be a shift in the housing market in some parts of the US in 2024, driven by a surge in Baby Boomers downsizing into smaller properties. Analyst Meredith Whitney, who is known as the 'Oracle of Wall Street' after she correctly predicted the 2008 financial crash, said house prices in some states will fall this year. So-called pandemic 'boomtown' Boise, Idaho, saw prices decline 3.8 percent to a total of $123.9 billion in December 2023 - the most of any metro Analyst Meredith Whitney, who is known as the 'Oracle of Wall Street', said house prices in some states will fall this year This, in turn, will free up inventory and bring costs down for first-time buyers. Whitney said homes in New York, New Jersey and Ohio will see a fall in prices. By comparison, homes in Texas, Tennessee and Utah will remain strong, she said. She told DailyMail.com: 'Around 90 percent of housing stock is owned by over 40s while 74 percent is by those over 50. 'It makes logical sense that lots of these owners will start to downsize in the next decade. That's almost 35 million homes - it's a huge number to go through the system. 'My advice to homeowners is: if you want to sell, you're better off doing it sooner than later.' From attacking pseudo-secularism to pan-India moderation, it was as if Advani had given up his yesterday for the sake of the BJPs and the countrys tomorrow The biggest sacrifice Lal Krishna Advani made was to distance himself from the culmination of the Babri edifice at Ayodhya. Understandably, the Hindu public was disappointed; Advanis followers were heartbroken. Many of them went to the extent of alleging that he had let down the cause.For a conscientious leader, this was like cutting his nose and throwing it away. During the spring of 1991, Advani told me that it was Ayodhya that had made him a national figure. Until his leading the Rathyatra from Somnath to hopefully reach the birthplace of Shri Ramchandrawhich was intercepted by Lalu Prasad Yadav at Samastipur in 1990Advani was merely a senior party apparatchik. It was his taking up the cause of the Ramjanmabhoomi that catapulted him to the gallery of national figures.When, therefore, Advani spoke to the press saying that December 6, 1992, was the darkest day of his life, he knew what he was throwing away. Soon thereafter, accompanied by friends, I called on him at the Irrigation Departments guest house near Jhansi, where he along with a few other senior BJP leaders had been kept under house arrest, following the demolition of the Babri edifice on that fateful day of December 6 that year. Advani told me that after seeing my letter published in the Pioneer, wherein I had in rejoinder to his remark written that There have been darker days, he knew I had come to protest against his statement. It took him quite a while before he came around to believing my denial. He was right to the extent that I continued to hold the view (which I of course, still do) that the Babri edifice was a baggage of dacoity and had to be confiscated. Advani then went on to explain: Whatever my explanation, I had to realise that party unity, regardless of anything else, was our uppermost duty. Atalji (Vajpayee) was our seniormost leader, and no party member should differ with him publicly on such a matter of policy. Should party members flagrantly violate their partys commitment made to the Supreme Court, that the edifice would be safe? Its future was for the court to decide. First, who then would ever again have faith in the word of a BJP leader? Secondly, the opposing parties would go to town saying that the BJP was a party ridden with factions. Its top leader does not believe in masjid-hunting while one of its chief ministers practices the exact opposite. Thirdly, an upright party is a united party, and we are known as a party with a difference. Becoming a faction-ridden party is not the difference between our aspirations. Fourthly, discipline has been our hallmark. Did the karsevaks at Ayodhya behave in a disciplined way, by going against the leadership and demolishing a place of worship of another community? In April 1998, I became the partys Member of the Rajya Sabha through a bye-election. Among members generally, it seemed that interest in Ayodhya had waned. The case lay in court without active hearings. When I thought of the vanished edifice, I did wonder whether at that rate the Congress with a clever leader might just snatch the issue out of the BJPs hands and use it for electoral benefit. How popular the issue was kept becoming clear over and over again. Meanwhile, many more pilgrims continued to visit the holy city.One day in July 1999, Advani called me to his room in Parliament House for a chat over toast and coffee. He opened up by showering praise on Vajpayees tactful leadership of a coalition of so many parties with so many different political ideologies ranging from the Shiv Sena on the one hand to the DMK on the other. There was no doubt that Vajpayee was running a complex government very successfully. Advani was full of praise for his leadership. If there is to be another leader in the future, he should have the wide acceptance and loyalty that Atalji commanded. That is what a diverse country like ours needs, Advani opined. All of us in our party should give up small differences and think of large policy issues. Automatically, such a leader and his party would attract votes as well as an ongoing following. He went on to say that Indias future lies in the integrity of politics.Rather than recommending any shift towards moderation or soft secularism, Advani stressed the unity of thought, policy and leadership. By implication, he was asking for a united party under a broadminded leader. He was repeatedly emphatic about parties rather than the party. Even dynastic parties are not free of factions and breakups, and it is the BJP alone that has admirably avoided going that way. It seemed as though he wanted to give up all he had stood for earlier and espouse a new cause, not only for the BJP but for the sake of the country. As I knew him, I can state that this was no mere shift but a sacrifice. From his eloquence of attacking pseudo-secularism to pan-India moderation, it was as if Advani had given up his yesterday for the sake of the BJPs and the countrys tomorrow. It could not have been easy for him, but that is what he is. (The writer is a well-known columnist, an author and a former member of the Rajya Sabha. The views expressed are personal) There is a pressing need for proactive measures aimed at protecting both farmer livelihoods and national food security The ongoing farmer protests that began on February 13th have already claimed five lives and resulted in Delhi bearing the brunt of economic losses to the tune of 300 crores as nearly five lakh traders who did regular business in Delhi from adjoining states suspended their businesses given the unrest. Since 2020, farmer protests have unfortunately assumed a regular frequency not only in Delhi and Punjab but across India. According to consultancy firm Verisk Maplecroft estimates, India has accounted for the biggest global share of farmer protests in the past three years. The farmer protests 2.0 again highlight the fault lines in Indias agricultural viability and this time the farmers are demanding conclusive government action. The protesting farmers want a firm minimum support price (MSP) that is backed by a legal guarantee for all crops. Another demand is to implement the recommendations of the MS Swaminathan committee on agriculture which will enable increasing MSP to 50 per cent above the weighted average cost of production. Other demands include better sugar cane prices and a pension of Rs 10,000 a month for every farmer above the age of 60. The government is engaged in feverish negotiations with the farmer unions to break the impasse. However, a breakthrough achieved may be short-lived, as the government would have only successfully attended to the symptoms and not to the problem itself. Indias agri sector contributes only 15 per cent to the GDP but engages 58 per cent workforce. This lopsided proportion is made worse by the fact that 85 per cent of the farmers operate in less than five acres of land half of which in many parts of India may be dry and barren. This translates to low yields, low earnings and high debt and when combined with increasing challenges of climate change on agriculture, the problem assumes a much larger and ominous proportion. Climate change whether it is unseasonal rain, hailstorms, floods, or drought, Indias agri-sector has seen it all. The lingering uncertainty due to environmental issues keeps the farmers on their toes leading to income insecurity and mounting debt. An example is the casualty in the current protests of a marginal farmer whose 8-acre agricultural land had 8 lacs of debt on it, making it virtually impossible for the farmer to pay it off and continue with another crop. Climate change-driven issues such as these have made the farmers demand an MSP law to act as a safety net for the time, effort and risk they invest in farming. The perennial shortage of water resources is the first symptom of climate change's impact on the agri sector. According to Rainfed Atlas, it is estimated that between 52% and 55% of the farming community have no means of irrigation and are dependent on rain-fed agriculture. But due to climate change temperatures are spiralling and rainfall has become more erratic, with longer dry spells resulting in droughts and shorter periods of more intense rainfall causing floods. This results in a domino effect whereby crop yield is adversely impacted while high Co2 levels cause low nutritional value of crops. This translates to low marketability of the produce therefore causing financial distress and rising debt for the farmers. The impact of climate change on the agri-sector and the sluggish government response in managing its fallout has come as a double whammy for the farmer community. The lack of robust insulation measures that seek to protect the sector from the vagaries of climate extremities is now having a telling impact on productivity. The cereal crop productivity of most cereals is slated to decrease due to an increase in temperature and CO2 levels, and the decrease in water availability. According to estimates, there will be a projected loss of 10-40% in crop production by 2100 if no climate change adaptation measures are taken. A one-degree Celsius increase in temperature may reduce yields of major food crops by 3-7%. Given these troubling projections, the government must extricate the agri-sector from the clutches of climate change. This alone can ensure the best interests of farmers, safeguard national food security and protect livelihoods. An audit of the agri-sector at the micro-level is essential to identify and remove processes that are detrimental to natural resources. This will ensure weeding out of inefficient water-intensive practices and allow optimal use of the precious resource. Similarly, best farming practices need to be promoted across the sector to ensure climate change adaptation and mitigation in the sector. For example, the raised-bed planting of wheat in the Indo-Gangetic plains enables 20-25% savings in irrigation water and also helps in reduced herbicide use. Measures such as these combined with water accounting methodologies can build long-term sustainability, efficiency and resilience of the agri-sector besides immensely benefiting the marginal farmers. The government must also initiate climate-smart agriculture strategies which aim at adapting agriculture to climate change. This can be done by implementing technologies that help farmers plan crops by considering the climate specifics of their area through easy-to-use apps on their smartphones. This can be done by prioritising botanical research to develop crop species that are more tolerant to water deficiencies and extreme temperatures. Additionally, ecologists can evolve effective soil management methods that reduce the depletion of topsoil, promote carbon sequestration, and reduce chemical application. Advanced farm irrigation technologies can also help proper water saturation levels in the soil, prevent water flooding, and help avoid top-soil runoff. The government must focus on specially developed software solutions for agriculture that can help in real-time monitoring of the crops and allow farmers to accurately calculate the required inputs, which reduces costs in the short term and protects nature in the long term. Technology-assisted cover crops for instance can not only help prevent soil erosion, and promote water retention and nitrogen fixation but also serve as organic manure for fodder. Smart agri-software can help farmers implement differentiated applications of fertilisers which can help decrease soil pollution and increase crop nutrient levels. The software can also have in-built weather-related tools that provide timely alerts of extremities, elaborate weather forecasts to schedule farming events and enable prediction of general climate change tendencies by analysing historical weather data. Currently, the agri-sector problems and farmer grievances are dealt with on a reactive basis; this is evident in the form of chronic farmer agitations that come back every year. The government must realise that a lasting solution is only possible if actual problems, including the impact of climate change on agriculture, are addressed with the participation of all stakeholders of the sector. The collaboration of farmers, policymakers, environmentalists, botanical scientists and technology experts can help chalk out long-term strategies and solutions and ensure a robust agri-sector that is resilient against climate change onslaughts. Farmer protests are a symptom of climate change's impact on agriculture. Protecting the sector from adverse impacts will automatically ensure farmer well-being and prosperity. (The author is a policy analyst. The views are personal) Actor Kriti Sanon, who is set to make her production debut with Do Patti, on Thursday said backing the Netflix film was a "creatively satisfying" experience. The upcoming movie, starring Sanon and Kajol, is directed by Shashanka Chaturvedi and is written by Kanika Dhillon. Dhillon also makes her production debut with the project. At the 'Next on Netflix' event, Sanon said post her critically-acclaimed film Mimi, she was keen to explore films that would challenge her. She won the best actress National Film Award for her portrayal of a surrogate mother in the 2021 movie. There comes a time in the life of an actor when you think 'What next?' I always wanted to be part of films and tell stories in ways other than being an actor on set. I wanted to do this for a film for which I'm madly passionate about in terms of its story, and 'Do Patti' was that story. "After 'Mimi' I wanted to find something which is layered, intense, and that pushes me to do something that I've never done before. I wasn't getting such an opportunity for a while. I believe when you can't find an opportunity that excites you, you need to create one. 'Do Patti' was that opportunity as an actor as well, Sanon said. Right from story ideation to the making of the film, the actor said she closely worked with Dhillon. "I want to thank Kanika for giving me my most challenging role as an actor. This journey has been beautiful. To be part of the process from scripting, music to look was creatively satisfying. I hope I can do this more," she added. Dhillon, known for her penning films such as "Kedarnath" and "Haseen Dillruba", heaped praises on Sanon and Kajol. "'Do Patti' is close to my heart. It will surprise you, shock you. It will make you think. Kriti is an incredibly talented actor. When I saw the rushes, I thought this is her best work. Casting Kajol was a dream come true. She is a legendary actor, she lights up the screen," the writer-producer said. In a recorded video message, Kajol said she had an amazing time working with Sanon and Dhillon on the film. India on Thursday said its first civilian team of technical experts has reached the Maldives to replace the military personnel operating an advanced light helicopter in the island nation. Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu had set March 10 as the deadline for the withdrawal of the first group of Indian military personnel from his country. The first team of technical personnel to operate the advanced light helicopter has reached the Maldives. It will replace the existing personnel who were operating this platform, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at his weekly media briefing. Following a second meeting of the high-level core group that was set up to address the issue of withdrawal of the Indian military personnel, the Maldivian foreign ministry had said India will replace all its military personnel in two phases by May 10. The second meeting of the core group took place in Delhi on February 2. The two sides decided to set up the core group following a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Muizzu on the sidelines of the COP28 summit in Dubai in December last year. At present, around 80 Indian military personnel are in the Maldives, primarily to operate two helicopters and an aircraft that have carried out hundreds of medical evacuations and humanitarian missions. The ties between the two countries came under some strain since Muizzu came to power in November last year. Widely seen as a pro-China leader, Muizzu maintained after assuming charge as the president that he will keep his election promise of evicting Indian military personnel from his country. Muizzu, 45, defeated India-friendly incumbent Ibrahim Mohamed Solih in the presidential runoff held in September last year. India and Germany have resolved to closely collaborate on high-technology for military use in line with a broader aim to develop defence cooperation as a key pillar of the bilateral strategic partnership. Besides this issue, ways to further bolster strategic cooperation figured prominently at a meeting of the India-Germany high defence committee that was held in Berlin on Tuesday, defence ministry said here on Wednesday. Giving details, officials said both the countries are set to carry out joint military exercises in the Indo-Pacific, in reflection of their growing defence ties. The Indian delegation at the talks was headed by Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane while the German side was led by State Secretary at German defence ministry Benedikt Zimmer. Both sides discussed a range of bilateral security and defence issues, with a focus on developing defence cooperation as a key pillar of the strategic partnership between India and Germany, the defence ministry said. They exchanged views on the regional security situation, discussed likely joint exercises with Germany in the Indo-Pacific, and deliberated on potential defence industrial projects and proposals. It said both sides emphasised on the need for a closer defence partnership and connecting the defence industries from both sides together. Of particular focus was the collaboration in high technology in defence, the ministry said in a statement. The high defence committee meeting follows the visit of German Federal Minister of Defence Boris Pistorius to India last year. Aramane also interacted with prominent think tank German Institute of International and Security Affairs (Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik) in Berlin. Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra and his Nepalese counterpart Sewa Lamsal on Wednesday reviewed various key aspects of India-Nepal bilateral ties. Lamsal is in India in her first foreign visit after assuming charge as Nepals foreign secretary recently. The two foreign secretaries held discussions on the entire range of multifaceted cooperation between India and Nepal and also followed up on the seventh-India-Nepal joint commission meeting, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. The joint commission meeting was co-chaired by the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Nepalese counterpart N P Saud in Kathmandu last month. The visit is in keeping with the tradition of regular high-level exchanges between the two countries and the priority India attaches to its relations with Nepal under its Neighbourhood First policy, and provides an opportunity to further advance our bilateral ties, the MEA said on Lamsals visit. Foreign Secretary Lamsal is visiting India to participate in the eighth Asia Economic Dialogue being jointly convened by the MEA and Pune International Centre on Thursday in Pune. Nepal is important for India in the context of its overall strategic interests in the region, and the leaders of the two countries have often noted the age-old Roti Beti relationship. The country shares a border of over 1,850 km with five Indian states -- Sikkim, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Land-locked Nepal relies heavily on India for the transportation of goods and services. A worried Congress hurried on Wednesday to save its Government in Himachal Pradesh amid dramatic developments, including a resignation announcement by high-profile Minister Vikramaditya Singh and the suspension of 15 BJP MLAs by the Speaker. The party engaged in a damage control exercise to prevent the possible loss of a State ruled by the party just weeks ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge despatched three observers Bhupesh Baghel, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, and D K Shivakumar to Shimla, indicating that the party could take some tough steps. The crisis was triggered by Tuesdays cross-voting by six Congress MLAs in the Rajya Sabha election for the lone seat from Himachal Pradesh. The party has now sought the disqualification of these MLAs from the Assembly, and the matter was heard by Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania who reserved his order. The suspended BJP MLAs, including the Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur, initially refused to leave the House, apparently to stall the Assembly from passing Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhus Budget through voice vote. The BJP demanded voting on the Budget, believing it would reveal that the Congress had lost its majority in the State Assembly. The House later passed the Finance Bill by voice vote with no BJP member present. The Speaker then adjourned the Session sine die. Chief Minister Sukhu dismissed speculation that he was resigning, stating, Neither the high command, nor anyone else has asked me for resignation, Sukhu said. Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi was defeated by BJPs Harsh Mahajan on Tuesday through a draw of lots, after the two candidates bagged 34 votes each. The result meant that the Congress, which had come into power in the State just 14 months ago, winning 40 seats in the Assembly, had failed to reach the halfway mark. The BJP won 25 seats in the House of 68 in 2022. There are three Independent MLAs, who were believed to be with the ruling Congress until the cross-voting crisis erupted. Early morning, Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur led a delegation to Raj Bhavan to meet Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla to ensure that the Finance Bill was passed only through a division. Late in the evening, the Congress observers began their interaction with party MLAs. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said Kharge had asked the observers and AICC in-charge for the State Rajeev Shukla to speak to all MLAs, including those who are disgruntled, and submit a comprehensive report to him soon. The Congress will not hesitate to take tough steps as the party is our priority and will not let the peoples mandate be betrayed in Himachal Pradesh, Ramesh said at the AICC Press conference in the national Capital. Earlier in the morning, Himachal Pradesh Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh announced he was quitting the council of ministers and would submit his resignation to the chief minister and the Governor. It was not immediately clear whether he had done so. Singh, whose mother is Himachal Congress president Pratibha Singh, said, There have been attempts to humiliate and undermine me from some quarters, and despite reservations, I supported the Government. He is the son of Virbhadra Singh, a former Chief Minister who died in 2021. The family has in the past hinted that Virbhadra Singhs legacy has not been honored by the party. Pratibha Singh has also expressed disgruntlement with the manner in which Sukhu has run the State. Vikramaditya Singh said the 2022 Congress campaign was run in his fathers name. There was no poster, or hoarding or banner which did not carry his picture, he said. But after the victory, when the matter of putting up his statue came up, the Government failed to decide the location. It is not a political but an emotional thing for a son, he said. The Congress party had made promises to the people, and we owe the responsibility to fulfill those promises, and I would decide my future course of action after consulting my supporters, he added. In the Assembly, chaos ensued when the House met in the morning. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan moved a motion seeking the suspension of BJP MLAs for allegedly disrespecting the Speaker. The motion was adopted by voice vote, and the Speaker axed 15 MLAs. The BJP members, however, refused to leave. The Speaker then adjourned the House till 12 pm. Meanwhile, a group of six Congress and three Independent MLAs, who had spent Tuesday night at a guesthouse in Panchkula in BJP-run Haryana after voting against the Congress candidate, were back in the House. They were flown back in a helicopter. As these MLAs entered the House, BJP members greeted them by thumping their desks. They also raised the slogan, Jai Shri Ram, Ban Gaya Kaam. On Tuesday, Sukhu had claimed that the MLAs had been abducted by the Haryana Police and the CRPF. Indian security agencies have seized the largest-ever offshore consignment of drugs, weighing 3,300 kilos, and arrested five foreigners from a dhow in the Arabian Sea off the Gujarat coast. The joint operation, codenamed Sagarmanthan-1, was carried out by the Navy, Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), and the Gujarat Police. The boat reportedly sailed from an Iranian port. The value of the contraband was estimated to be between `1,300 crore and `2,000 crore in the international market. Union Home Minister Amit Shah hailed the operation as a historic success and a testament to his Governments unwavering commitment to making our nation drug-free. Pursuing PM Modis vision of a drug-free Bharat, our agencies today achieved the grand success of making the biggest offshore seizure of drugs in the nation. In a joint operation carried out by the NCB, the Navy, and the Gujarat Police, a gigantic consignment of 3,132 kg of drugs was seized. This historic success is a testament to our Governments unwavering commitment to making our nation drug-free. On this occasion, I congratulate the NCB, the Navy, and the Gujarat Police, he said. The unregistered fishing boat was intercepted on Tuesday morning in the Arabian Sea, approximately 60 nautical miles from the Indian coast and along the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL). The Navy deployed its P8I long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft and marine commandos onboard a warship and helicopters. Providing details of the operation on Wednesday, the Navy stated, In a successful coordinated operation at sea, the Indian Navy, in coordination with the Narcotics Control Bureau, apprehended a suspicious dhow carrying almost 3,300 kg of contraband (3,089 kg charas, 158 kg Methamphetamine, 25 kg Morphine) - by far the largest in terms of quantity in recent times. Based on the input from the P-8I long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft on a surveillance mission, Indian Navy mission-deployed ships were diverted to intercept the suspicious dhow engaged in contraband smuggling, navy officials said. The seizure of drugs from the dhow, which is by far the largest in terms of quantity, was possible through the collaborative efforts of the Indian Navys mission-deployed assets with the NCB. The contraband, along with the apprehended boat and crew, has been handed over to the Law Enforcement Agencies at an Indian port, PM 27 Feb 24, they said. The coordinated response of the Indian Navy with Law Enforcement Agencies is reflective of our resolute stance against narcotics trafficking in Indias maritime neighborhood, the Navy statement added. The NCB in Delhi said the joint team of agencies busted yet another international drug trafficking network and effected the highest-ever offshore seizure (by quantity) in the country. The five people arrested from the boat are suspected to be either Iranian or Pakistani nationals. No documents of nationality have been recovered from them, a senior NCB officer said. The official did not specify the cost of the contraband. In the international market, one kg of charas is priced at Rs 7 crore. The NCB said in New Delhi almost 3,300 kg of contraband that includes 3,110 kg of charas or hashish, 158.3 kg of crystal Methamphetamine, and 24.6 kg of suspected heroin have been recovered from packets that bore the stamp of Ras Awad Goods Co, produce of Pakistan. The source of the drugs is found to be the Chabahar Port in Iran, the agency said. NCB director-general S N Pradhan told reporters during a Press conference in Delhi that the cache could be estimated to be worth anything between Rs 1,300-Rs 2,000 crore in the international market. This is the biggest offshore narcotics seizure made in the country till date. We have seen that drugs smuggling has increased through the maritime route over the last few years and hence we are jointly working with other government agencies like the Navy, Coast Guard, Customs etc. To intercept such activities. The smugglers and drugs operators use the Arabian Sea to exploit the Indian coastline that is vulnerable. It is part of the grand design to destabilise the country using drugs, Pradhan said. The last big seizure from the high seas was of 2,500 kg by the NCB and the Navy off the Kerala coast in May, 2023. NCB deputy director general (operations) Gyaneshwar Singh said the fishing boat has been brought to Porbandar and the five nationals who were onboard have been arrested. They could either be Pakistani or Iranians. However, we have recovered no IDs from them. A Thuraya satellite phone and four mobilephones have been seized from these men, Singh said. The DDG said the drugs packets had the name of a Pakistani food company and hence they suspect the hand of that country in mobilising this cache whose destination is being probed. The traffickers onboard vessels carrying drugs keep in touch with buyers on the land and once they strike a deal, the consignment can land anywhere up to the southern-most tip of India, the NCB officials said. Singh said this operation was codenamed Sagarmanthan-1 and the joint teams have been working on inputs for the last few weeks. The NCB DG said combating the drugs trafficking was a task as this stockpile has grown in Afghanistan post the installation of a new Government there even as Myanmar (on Indias eastern side) was a record supplier. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday literally tore into allegations made by the DMK-led Tamil Nadu Government that the Central Government was not offering any welfare measures to the people in the State and was putting spokes on the Dravidian lands progress. The DMK Government is blocking all welfare projects being introduced by the Central Government for Tamil Nadu. What the DMK and its alliance partners including the Congress were doing is creating rift among the people, said the Prime Minister while addressing a mammoth rally organised by the BJP at Thoothukudi. In the past we saw a Chief Minister struggling hard to coronate his son as Chief Minister. Now we are seeing the son working to anoint his son as the Chief Minister of the State, said Modi without naming the late patriarch M Karunanidhi, his son and present Chief Minister M K Stalin and the latters son Udhayanidhi. The DMK and the Congress have only one agenda and that is to perpetrate dynastic politics, said the Prime Minister. The DMK had committed a faux pas by putting pictures of Chinese rockets in the billboards erected across the venue to make the people know that the space center coming up at Kulasekharapattinam was a project initiated by the State. They do not know that India has mastered the design and development of high power launch vehicles which would be launched from the new space station, lambasted the Prime Minister. Modi listed various development and infrastructure projects implemented by the Center for the welfare of Tamil Nadu. Five years ago, only 21 lakh people had drinking water connection at their homes in Tamil Nadu.However, this count has increased to one crore now. About 40 lakh women in Tamil Nadu have got a gas cylinder facility. Whenever India grows, Tamil Nadu grows, said the Prime Minister. He said the DMK was indulging in hate politics. Some people are politicising Hindi and Tamil languages. However, the Union Minister of State L Murugan from Tamil Nadu has been elected MP from a Hindi-speaking State, said the Prime Minister. Modi also said the Stalin regime does not work for the State but only took false credit and it affixed its stickers on Central schemes. Now they have crossed all limits. They have pasted the sticker of China to take credit for ISRO launchpad in Tamil Nadu. This is an insult to our country, an insult to our patriotic space scientists. The people of Tamil Nadu will punish the DMK for its treachery, said the Prime Minister. Earlier in the day he laid the foundation stone for the second space port of ISRO to be built at Kulasekhrapattanam and also various infrastructure projects at Thoothukkudi Port and many railway projects. India blasts Pakistan for raising Kashmir at UNHRC United Nations/Geneva: In a strong retort to debt-trapped Pakistan after it raised the issue of Jammu and Kashmir at the UN Human Rights Council, India has said it cannot pay any attention to a country which is soaked in red due to the bloodshed from terrorism that it sponsors around the world. First Secretary in the Permanent Mission of India to the UN in Geneva Anupama Singh exercised Indias Right of Reply at the ongoing high-level segment of the 55th regular session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Wednesday. India exercised the Right of Reply to respond to Turkiye and Pakistan after the two countries made references to Kashmir in their statements at the high-level segment. Cancellation of protesting farmers visas sought Chandigarh: In a development regarding the ongoing farmers protest, DSP Ambala Joginder Sharma has revealed that efforts are underway to cancel the passports and visas of individuals allegedly involved in violence. We have identified involved in violence coming to Haryana from Punjab in the name of farmers protest. We have identified them with CCTV cameras and drone cameras. We will request the Ministry and embassy to cancel their Visas and passports. Their photos, name and address will be given to the passport office. We are working on canceling their passports, DSP Ambala Joginder Sharma said. India blasts Pakistan for raising Kashmir at UNHRC United Nations/Geneva: In a strong retort to debt-trapped Pakistan after it raised the issue of Jammu and Kashmir at the UN Human Rights Council, India has said it cannot pay any attention to a country which is soaked in red due to the bloodshed from terrorism that it sponsors around the world. First Secretary in the Permanent Mission of India to the UN in Geneva Anupama Singh exercised Indias Right of Reply at the ongoing high-level segment of the 55th regular session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Wednesday. India exercised the Right of Reply to respond to Turkiye and Pakistan after the two countries made references to Kashmir in their statements at the high-level segment. Cancellation of protesting farmers visas sought Chandigarh: In a development regarding the ongoing farmers protest, DSP Ambala Joginder Sharma has revealed that efforts are underway to cancel the passports and visas of individuals allegedly involved in violence. We have identified involved in violence coming to Haryana from Punjab in the name of farmers protest. We have identified them with CCTV cameras and drone cameras. We will request the Ministry and embassy to cancel their Visas and passports. Their photos, name and address will be given to the passport office. We are working on canceling their passports, DSP Ambala Joginder Sharma said. GUANGZHOU, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- The majority of 183 companies studied are optimistic about the growth of the Chinese market, according to a report released by the American Chamber of Commerce in South China (AmCham South China) on Tuesday. Of these companies, 76 percent plan to reinvest in China in 2024. For those who have plans for reinvestment in China in 2024, 45 percent state that their primary area of investment focuses on sales, marketing and business development. Other key areas include research and development, automation and productivity development, according to the report. The annual special report on the state of business in south China is regarded as an important window into China's business environment. This year marks the 20th release of the report by AmCham South China. The enterprises studied by the report come from the United States, China, the European Union and other countries and regions, of which wholly foreign-owned enterprises account for more than half. American companies represent nearly half of the businesses studied. Eighty-six percent of the companies studied claim that they will not decouple from the Chinese market due to the trade tensions between China and the United States. In 2023, 62 percent of the companies studied chose not to shift their investments out of China. Sixty-six percent of American companies claim that they will remain committed to the Chinese market, representing the highest proportion of all businesses studied. Potential growth of the Chinese market is the primary driver for increasing investments in China or shifting investments from other markets to China, followed by industrial cluster effect and preferential policies, said Harley Seyedin, president of AmCham South China. Over half of the companies studied believe that their overall return on investment (ROI) in China is better, compared with their overall return on global investment. Eighty-eight percent of the companies studied have already made profits in China, among which 46 percent reported to have met their budget expectations. Moreover, 90 percent of American companies have achieved profitability in China, according to the report. Fifty-seven percent of the studied foreign companies consider China one of their top three investment locations, an increase of 5 percent from 2022. Guangzhou, the capital city of Guangdong Province and known as south China's manufacturing hub, has maintained its status as the top investment destination in the country for seven consecutive years, followed by Shenzhen, Shanghai and Beijing. The proportion of companies that consider the overall business environment in south China as "excellent" or "good" grew by 1 percent to 75 percent. Over half of the companies studied see an improvement in the business environment in south China, an uptick of 5 percent compared with 2022, said the report. CBI summons Akhilesh NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has summoned Samajwadi Party president and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav as a witness to record his statement on Thursday in illegal mining cases registered five years ago. The cases pertain to the issuance of mining leases in alleged violation of e-tendering process. Manipur commandos hold arms down stir IMPHAL: Manipur Police commandos on Wednesday laid down their arms in protest against the abduction of Additional Superintendent Amit Kumar Moirangthem and demanded they be allowed to retaliate when attacked. The commandos of all districts put down their arms asking for action against Metei radical group Arambai Tenggol. Two hit by train in Jharkhand Jamtara: At least two persons were run over and killed by a train in Jharkhands Jamtara district on Wednesday evening, police said. Jamtara sub-division police officer (SDPO) M Rahman told PTI that the accident took place near Kaljharia area in Jamtara district when some passengers got down from the train from the wrong side. A local train coming on another line hit them, he said. Bodies of two persons have been recovered so far. Search operation is on and the toll might increase, he said. Eastern Railway CPRO Kaushik Mitra said, There is no incident of fire. As of now, two deaths have been confirmed. The deceased are not passengers. They were walking on the track. A 3-member JAG committee has been formed to enquire about the issue. A vast majority in Wayanad, Kerala, wants Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to contest from the Lok Sabha constituency in the upcoming poll. In 2019, Rahul won from the constituency with an impressive margin of 4.32 lakh votes, polling 64.94 per cent of the total votes cast in the election. All his challengers were left humbled, losing their security deposits in a one-sided contest. Wayanad, situated atop the Western Ghats, is a traditional Congress bastion, leaving no doubt about Rahuls prospects in the upcoming election. Despite his commitments as the partys top national leader, he has remained active in the constituency. Interestingly, none of the voters with whom The Pioneer interacted could recall the names of the two candidates who had contested against Rahul in the 2019 polls. Even hardcore CPI (M) supporters want Rahul to run from Wayanad in this election. The constituency gained international attention because of Rahuls decision to contest from here. Although the constituency is yet to receive any major projects, it has faced discrimination under the CPI (M)-led Government in Kerala. Moreover, whenever there was an emergency, Rahul promptly attended to the constituency, said Rajendran, a CPI (M) supporter. Another CPI (M) worker pointed out that if the Congress-led Opposition wins the 2024 polls, Rahul would be the automatic choice as the Prime Minister, and Wayanad would have the distinction of being the constituency represented by the Prime Minister. The CPI (M)-led Left Democratic Front had allocated the constituency to the CPI, the poor cousin of the former, since there were no takers from the Marxist party itself. The CPI, described as the ideological giants among the global Communist movements, has fielded Anie Raja, wife of the CPIs all India general secretary D Raja. According to political grapevine in the CPI State headquarters at Thiruvananthapuram, nobody from the party was willing to take up Mission Wayanad for it is certain that they would bite the dust, and that was how Anie has been made the sacrificial lamb. Binoy Viswam, the Kerala secretary of the CPI, asked Rahul to move out of Kerala and fight against the BJP/RSS combination to prove his credentials as a secularist. But what Viswam left unsaid was the fact that the CPI, along with its Big Brother CPI(M), are allies of the Congress in the rest of the country. The year 2023 brought forth a concerning reality for India, as every State and Union Territory experienced extreme weather events at least once, disrupting life, livelihoods, and the economy as resources were diverted to tackle flooding or extreme heat, volatile conditions driven by climate change. These occurrences were not sporadic; rather, they persisted for approximately 318 out of 365 days, revealing a disturbingly recurrent pattern of climatic disruptions. In what should be considered a climate change warning to India, the toll on human life was grave, with 3,287 recorded deaths attributed to these extreme weather events. Additionally, the devastation extended to the animal kingdom, with a staggering 1.24 lakh animal deaths reported. The agricultural sector, vital for the nations food security, bore a heavy brunt, with 2.21 million hectares of crop area suffering damage, leading to significant economic losses. This widespread impact, detailed in the independent think tank Centre for Science and Environments State of Environment 2024 report, underscores the severity of the challenges posed by climate change. The report said the climate-vulnerable country experienced extreme weather on 86 percent of days from January to September. State-wise, Himachal Pradesh emerged as the most heavily affected zone, enduring extreme weather conditions for 149 days, closely followed by Madhya Pradesh with 141 days. Kerala and Uttar Pradesh also faced prolonged periods of extreme weather, each recording 119 days of such events. The widespread nature of these occurrences is further underscored by the fact that eight States experienced over 100 days of extreme weather. The temperature increase was driven by human-caused climate change and boosted by the natural El Nino weather phenomenon. The types of extreme weather varied, with heavy rains, floods, and landslides occurring on 208 days, while lightning and storms were prevalent for 202 days. Heatwaves persisted for 49 days, cold waves for 29 days, and cloudbursts were recorded on nine days, contributing to localised instances of intense precipitation. Of particular concern was the duration of these extreme weather events, with India enduring 123 consecutive days of such conditions between June and September 2023. This prolonged exposure underscores the significant long-term implications for infrastructure, livelihoods, and ecosystem resilience. The detailed analysis provided by the report offers valuable insights into the multifaceted nature of extreme weather events in India in 2023, emphasising the critical need for proactive measures to address their impacts and build a more resilient society in the face of ongoing climate change. Climate experts warn that it has now been confirmed that global warming exceeded 1.5C across the 12-month period between February 2023 and January 2024. This followed 2023 being declared the warmest year on record. The United Nations also sounded an alarm that 2023 is set to be the hottest ever recorded. It demanded urgent action to rein in global warming and stem the havoc following in its wake. The UNs World Meteorological Organisation pointed out that 2023 had shattered a whole host of climate records, with extreme weather leaving a trail of devastation and despair. Its a deafening cacophony of broken records, said WMO chief Petteri Taalas. Greenhouse gas levels are at a record high. Global temperatures are at a record high. Sea level rise is at a record high. Antarctic sea ice is at a record low, he said. In light of these findings, urgent action is imperative. Comprehensive climate adaptation and disaster management strategies are needed to mitigate risks, enhance resilience, and protect vulnerable communities. The District and Sessions Court in Bhopal sentenced Veeru Valmik, accused of rape under the POCSO Act, to 10 years imprisonment on Wednesday. Special Judge Rashmi Mishra has given this decision in a 4 year old case. The accused was charged of kidnapping a minor and assaulting her sexually. The court has also sentenced the accused to a fine of Rs 5,000. In March 2019, the victim's parents had lodged a complaint at Bilkhiriya police station. The family had told the police that an unknown youth had kidnapped their daughter. Investigation revealed that the girl was kidnapped by Veeru, who lives in the neighbourhood. After the disappearance of the girl, Veeru and his family also went missing. Two days after the incident, the police arrested the girl. Relatives become suspicious over the sudden disappearance of a neighboring family. After verification, the victim told that accused Veeru and she were good friends for 1 year. On the day of his disappearance, both of them had gone to Vidisha by bus. Both of them met at Veeru's brother-in-law's house in Vidisha. On the basis of this, the police arrested the accused Veeru under the POCSO Act. The court has punished the accused on the basis of available arguments and scientific evidence. Meanwhile police failed to track and nabbed prisoner who escaped from Bhopal's Hamidia Hospital till Wednesday who absconded from the hospital on Tuesday evening. The negligence of the policeman deployed for security surfaced in the matter as he had gone to drink tea, leaving the prisoner alone. Kohefiza police have registered a case in the matter. The accused is being searched. According to Kohefiza police, Ghanshyam Ajay Gaur of Silwani district Raisen, was in jail in the case of attempted murder. Recently he was transferred to Bhopal jail for the treatment of hernia. He was brought to Hamidia Hospital for treatment on Tuesday. His operation was to take place here, on Tuesday evening at around 5 pm the policeman on duty Ghanshyam Panwar went to have tea. When he returned after 10 minutes, the prisoner had absconded. After which the complaint about the matter was lodged in Kohefiza police station. After one time settlement of Delhi Jal Board bills, the Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena and the Arvind Kejriwal government are at loggerheads over the solar policy announced by the latter a few days ago. The AAP alleged that Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena has suspended the solar policy of the Delhi government that was announced by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal last month. Sources in the office of Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena denied the charge and accused the Kejriwal government of being habitual of lying and spreading lies on the proposed solar policy. The policy lacks provisions to reduce electricity bills to zero; instead, it includes a provision that favours private power companies, sources said. Earlier, Delhi Power Minister Atishi on Wednesday alleged that Lt Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena is obstructing the AAP dispensations Solar Policy to ensure that it is not notified before the enforcement of the model code of conduct for the Lok Sabha polls. To secure votes for the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Delhi LG is trying to put the people-centric policies of the Kejriwal Government on hold. Atishi raised the issue in the Delhi Assembly and also addressed a press conference on the issue. First, the Lt Governor sat on the file. I asked the LG office personally about the policy file. When the file came back with several objections, it went from one officer to another. There is only one objective: to stop the policy from getting notified before the model code of conduct for the Lok Sabha polls kicks in, Atishi said. Today, LG sir, despite sitting on a constitutional post, is batting from the BJPs side, she alleged during a press conference. She urged the Lt Governor to not make efforts to delay the policy implementation. It is an excellent policy and will lead to a reduction in pollution. Please do not make efforts to delay it, she said. However, officials in the LG office said that he has sought clarity from the Kejriwal government over a provision in the policy that could benefit private players. Officials in the LG office said the Delhi governments claims on the solar policy being stalled are misleading because the LG has not stopped the policy. As is their habit, the Delhi government is using lies to mislead the people. LG has not stalled the policy. The policy does not contain any provision which will lead to consumers getting zero power bills. On the contrary, there are provisions in the policy which will benefit private power companies. LG has sought details on these provisions, LG office officials said. The LG has also asked on the file whether the policy contains provisions to for synergy in alignment with the central government capital subsidies on solar energy production, officials said. Earlier, the Delhi Assembly also passed a censure motion over the Lt Governors alleged obstruction of the policy. AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sandeep Pathak also accused the BJP-led Centre of stalling the policy implementation. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal last month unveiled the Delhi Solar Policy 2024 and said domestic consumers will get zero amount electricity bills and the tariff for commercial and industrial consumers will be halved on the installation of rooftop solar panels. According to the new policy, a residential consumer can also earn Rs 700-900 per month after installing rooftop solar panels as the government proposed to provide generation-based incentives (GBI). The new Solar Policy has the provision of providing a Rs 0.00 electricity bill to even those consumers who use above 400 units. The Kejriwal Government provides free electricity for up to 200 units and a 50% subsidy for consumption of 201-400 units. This was the first time that through the new Solar Policy, consumers using electricity above 400 units would have received Rs 0 bill. The people of Delhi welcomed the solar policy exuberantly. We started getting calls and queries from all parts of Delhi regarding the installation of solar panels, the minister said A Delhi court on Wednesday convicted AAP MLA Prakash Jarwal and his aide Kapil Nagar, in an abetment of suicide case of a Delhi-based doctor in south Delhi in 2020, holding that the prosecution has established his guilt. Rajendra Singh, a 52-year-old doctor, had died by suicide in Durga Vihar on April 18, 2020. Special Judge M K Nagpal pronounced Jarwal, who represents Deoli assembly constituency, guilty. The judge also found Jarwals aide Kapil Nagar guilty of the crime. Besides abetment of suicide, the judge also held the two guilty of criminal conspiracy, extortion and criminal intimidation. It is held that prosecution has successfully brought home guilt of Prakash Jarwal and Kapil Nagar and proved its charges framed against them for commission of the offence punishable under section 306 and 34 (common intention) of IPC for abetting commission of suicide by Dr Rajendra Singh, the judge held. The judge said even in the absence of any corroborative or independent evidence showing proof of payment of different amounts of money by Singh or other tanker owners as extortion, as stated in the deceased doctors dying declaration, the prosecution can be said to have successfully proved the offences against the two accused. The judge will hear arguments on the quantum of sentence on March 13. The duo faces a maximum sentence of 10 years following their conviction. In his suicide note, the doctor had accused Jarwal of driving him to end his life. Police had registered a case of alleged extortion and abetment to suicide against Jarwal on the basis of the note. Like Jarwal, Singh was also associated with the Delhi Jal Board since 2007 and was involved in the business of supplying water through tankers. Police alleged that the MLA and his associates were extorting money from other water tanker owners, including Singh. A case of extortion and abetment to suicide was filed against Jarwal and others based on a police complaint by the doctors son Hemant. The FIR said Singh had been threatened and intimidated by Jarwal and his men. Police said their investigation revealed that the money extorted from water tanker owners was routed through Anil Jarwal, the MLAs brother, and invested in several properties and farm houses in Delhi, Gurugram and Jaipur. Kapil Nagar, police said, administered a WhatsApp group of tanker owners. Its members included Jarwal. State capital received the highest rainfall in the month of February after 9 years. More than half an inch, i.e., 15 mm of rain was recorded on Tuesday. Earlier in the year 2014, there was 1.9 inches i.e., 47.9 mm rainfall in the entire month. Whereas there was no rain after 2018. Accordingly, the highest rainfall was recorded in 9 years, while after 5 years the record of rainfall in February was also broken. Meteorologists said that the weather will remain changed in March. According to IMD, Bhopal, two western disturbances are becoming active on February 29 and March 1 whose effect will be seen in Bhopal also. Therefore, the weather here will remain changed between March 28 and April 2. From February 29 cloud cover will be witnessed, chances of rainfall are less likely. With the start of the month of March there may be rain with thunder activity. There is a possibility of rain throughout the city. The weather will remain changed on this day also. Light rain may also occur in the Berasia region. On Tuesday, more than half an inch or 15 mm of rain was recorded in Bhopal. However, before this the effect of heat was seen. Due to this, the day temperature increased by 6 degrees and the mercury reached 31.8 degrees Celsius. Earlier on Monday-Tuesday night the temperature was recorded at 16.8 degrees. In the year 2014, Bhopal received 1.9 inches i.e. 47.9 mm rainfall in the entire month of February. After this, 1 mm rainfall was recorded in 2016, 2.8 mm in 2017 and 13.3 mm in 2018. After this it did not rain. Accordingly, this time it rained on Tuesday after 5 years. At the same time, the record of highest rainfall in 9 years was also broken. 15 mm rain was recorded till 6 pm on Tuesday. At 4 pm on Tuesday evening, suddenly a storm blew at a speed of 74 km per hour for three minutes. After this the city remained busy throughout the night. 15 trees fell in the city. An old tree fell on the shed of a house in Narayan Nagar in front of Barkatullah University. 2 electric poles fell in Palasi. A tin sheet spread on a house in Karond had flown and got stuck in a 33 KV line. Due to the storm, power supply remained disrupted in 350 colonies and localities of the city from 4 pm to 9 pm. The false ceiling in the office of the Institutional Finance Department of Vindhyachal Bhawan collapsed. Due to this, two officers narrowly escaped. Evening flights of Air India and Indigo from Delhi could not land in Bhopal in the evening due to bad weather. Both the flights were diverted to Indore. However, both these flights could land in Bhopal with a delay of one hour each. There is a trend of cold at night, heat during the day and rain in the capital in the month of February. If we look at the data of the last 10 years, after February 20 the day temperature reaches beyond 31 degrees. At the same time, the nights also remain cold. This time also the weather has been similar so far. The temperature remained above 30 degrees for several days. Although there has been no rain for the last five years, this time the Meteorological Department has predicted rain. According to the Meteorological Department, the temperature record has reached 1.7 degrees Celsius on the night of 11 February 1950, 74 years ago. At the same time, in the last 10 years the mercury has remained 2 to 6 degrees lower than normal. Just a few days ago, BJD supporters got the shock of their life when the organising leader of the invincible party declared in the open that there are nearly 10,000 aspirants for 147 legislator seats. This sounds mad as 68 individuals per Assembly seat are hopeful about grabbing a ticket. So, the rest 67 disgruntled guys and girls are likely to revolt unless they have been indoctrinated soundly to stand by the choice of the high command. Interestingly, for good reasons, the BJD has no effective high command which is the party working committee. Naveen Patnaik runs the outfit as a highly adorable supremo only to keep the self-serving political crooks under total control. Naveen, with the support of his trusted aides, mostly smart, highly-skilled bureaucrats, ensures that no party fellow errs on the moral front. Former and serving bureaucrats have come and gone, the latest being the most trusted VK Pandian, who gave up the coveted job to turn a fulltime politician, is now the de facto highest decision maker in all critical matters including choosing candidates for elections. VK has established a failsafe machinery to keep watch on all potential candidates- particularly those eyeing berths in the State Assembly. He has employed top class survey outfits which go deep into the aspiring candidates credentials and antecedents. VK and his close team would leave nothing to chance while assessing candidates' winnability. 2024 is a sensitive year as there is much talk of a BJP-BJD pact that will facilitate saffron victory for the Centre and Naveen victory for the State. Modi and Naveen respect each other so much as never to disturb one another on power-sharing issues. It is not a secret that Naveen gifted a Rajya Sabha seat to Ashwini Vaishnaw who perhaps could not organise a Lok Sabha constituency to battle from. Thus, the happy deal was struck like the last time to have Vaishnaw as an Odisha political representative bringing into the State great public goods. Ashwini is of course doing a commendable job for both Modi and Naveen. Consequently, the people of Odisha are benefitting from his projects just too well. After VK turned a politician, he took complete command over the BJD party affairs. The reason is simple and clear. He slogs like mad day in and day out to keep the BJD afloat in extreme safety. He has become one of the best poll strategists in India by using latest information technology and a superbly chosen workforce. When he was a plain bureaucrat, Naveen passed instructions on his advice. Now even if he is technically number two in the fold, he is the de facto boss as Naveen desires him to be so. All was so immensely well until recent times. But now that VK is boss, some of the spineless, disgruntled ticket-rejects are clandestinely planning to cause damage to the party so as to have it lose more seats than imagined. The pulse of the people hasnt changed much though. The organising official of the BJD may have said things in a lighter mood about 68 aspirants per single Assembly seat. But a methodical survey indicates the dejected ones will try their best to cause fall of the party somehow by switching loyalty or by internal sabotage. The party headed practically by VK has to strictly go by the survey findings and not by the huge amount of money some wealthy ones dish out for tickets or for funding candidates pitted in close by constituencies. Strangely, for the first time in Odisha, ordinary voters are going to eat up the money and cast vote as per personal choice. Twenty per cent of standard voters are expressing preference for change. For all this, the 2024 elections are not going to be absolute cakewalk for the BJD; nor surely for the Lok Sabha seats. The saffron gang is likely to grab 12-16 seats for which the BJD biggies are least bothered. On the contrary, they would like to keep the Modi-Shah duo happy in return for maximum seats given away to Naveen in the State Assembly. Ashwini will keep playing the good-to-all go-between until 2029. The precarious condition of the Odisha State BJP leaders is difficult to describe in words. They have been screaming hoarse against the BJD blunders in vain, nay shamelessly so as the central bosses necessarily offend them to dampen spirit by spending precious time in joyfully close-door meetings with the local adversaries against whom the hapless local saffron midgets have been consuming all their life's stored energy to buy peoples hearts. The little public support that they manage to garner gets tossed to the garbage yard as their national leaders do not find it fit to discuss or spill in public the sins of the enemy camp while interacting with the party guys or responding to the media. Aparajita Sarangi today, though safe in her own constituency, is actually a lone ranger as the State party front-liners are by now a fast-vanishing tribe. All the same, the immensely successful BJD has unknowingly groomed a few self-destroying, arrogantly wicked elements who are likely to ditch the honchos in good time during elections. Western and northern Odisha voters have lost the initial zeal to support the BJD as of yore, so it seems. The coastal region is relatively safe, most so Cuttack. But Puri will witness the fiercest parliamentary battle as Sambit Patra has been buying hearts for over four and a half years. The constituency needs a local heavyweight, a son of the soil, with no baggage to give a fitting fight. The Naveen team will not shed a single drop of tear if Ashwini Vaishnaw's fraternity wins most berths in the Lok Sabha. They will only celebrate local Assembly victory, which is very likely unless the invisible rebels show up at the last moment to cause loss and setback by systematically planning internal sabotage. VKs team better beware from now as there is soft murmur already among the ones who feel ignored! The survey findings should be the sole criterion for selection of candidates. Personal preferences or bulging money bags of individuals should never be the reason for choosing any candidate. In a heartfelt ceremony held on February 29, 2024, at the Human Resources Development Department's Main Auditorium, Bokaro Steel Plant bid adieu to its retiring employees. The event witnessed the presence of Chief General Manager (HR-III) Deepak Roy as the chief guest. Assistant General Manager (Personnel) Dr. Nanda Priyadarshini extended a warm welcome to the attendees and provided retiring employees with essential information regarding post-retirement benefits and facilities available at the Retirement Settlement and Friendship Building. Each retiring employee's biodata was also presented during the ceremony. Deepak Roy congratulated the retiring employees for their dedicated service and wished them a fulfilling retired life. He presented retirement certificates and gifts to each retiree as a token of appreciation for their steadfast service. Notably In the month of February 2024, a total of 04 executive and 35 non-executive employees bid farewell to BSL. The program was efficiently managed by Dr. Nanda Priyadarshini, Assistant General Manager (Personnel). Candidates have started protest demanding cancellation of Patwari recruitment in Madhya Pradesh. The candidates who have gathered to protest in Bhopal want to investigate the irregularities in the recruitment examination by constituting a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and claimed that they will now gather for demonstration in Delhi. Under the banner of National Educated Youth Union (NEYU), the candidates gathered at MP Nagar intersection in Bhopal. After protesting here, they marched towards Vallabh Bhawan. The police stopped them by placing barricades at Vyapam intersection. They were adamant on moving forward. On this the police detained some protesters near the Congress headquarters. The protesters dispersed after warning of legal action. When taken into custody, the protesters said that students from across the state would gather here. Such a dictatorship will not last. Atrocities on youth will not continue. The result of the Patwari recruitment examination came on June 30, 2023. On the allegations of rigging, the then Shivraj government had put a stay on the appointment till the investigation. A commission for investigation was formed on July 19, 2023. The investigation continued for 8 months. Retired Justice Rajendra Verma submitted the report to the government. After getting the clean chit for the recruitment examination, on February 15, Dr. Mohan Sarkar of the state issued orders for early appointment of the selected candidates. The order issued by the General Administration Department said, 'Appointment should be made only on the basis of the declared results of Group-2, Sub Group-4 and Patwari Recruitment Examination of the Staff Selection Board.' Ranjit Kisanvanshi of NEYU organization said, 'The organization demands from the government that these appointments should be stopped. Rajendra Kumar Verma should make the investigation report of the committee public. Candidates said that those who buy papers for Rs 10-15 lakh through the back door without issuing investigation report are being given appointment. There is 45 to 50% scam in this exam. If there had been a fair investigation, all these people would have been in jail. The government is talking about action against a few students who make fake certificates in the name of document verification, but no action has been taken against those making fake certificates in Madhya Pradesh. The candidates first demonstrated at MP Nagar intersection. From here they proceeded to Vallabh Bhawan. They demanded investigation report of Patwari scam should be made public. SIT of technical experts should be formed under the leadership of Chief Justice, the culprits involved in the fraud should be punished. Central Coalfields Limited (CCL), Chairman cum Managing Director (CMD), Dr B Veera Reddy met Chief Minister, Champai Soren in Jharkhand Legislative Assembly today. On this occasion, he requested the Chief Minister for guidance to achieve the target of 2023-24 in the production and dispatch of coal. He informed the Chief Minister that by achieving the production and dispatch targets, the state's revenue collection will increase. Meanwhile, 9 personnel retiring from various departments of CCL Headquarters, Director (Technical/Operations), Ram Babu Prasad, General Manager (M&S), Rajesh Mishra, Quality Deptartment, Ramakant Mishra, Chief Manager (Mining), NIMS Department, Manoj Kumar, Chief Manager (Excavation), CCMC Department, Ranjan Samanta, Chief Manager (Environment), Forest Department, Basant Kumar Manjhi, Sub Engineer, Municipal Administration Department, Ghanshyam Singh, Chief Pharmacist, A-1, Gandhinagar Hospital, Braj Bihari Singh. , Foreman Incharge, A-1 and Shrikant Thakur, Foreman (Electrical), A-1, were given a fond farewell by the CCL family by organizing a Honor-cum-Farewell Ceremony. On this occasion, CCL CMD Dr. B. Veera Reddy, Director (Finance), Pawan Kumar Mishra, Director (Personnel), Harsh Nath Mishra and Director Technical (Planning/Project), B Sairam was present. It may be noted that in the month of February, 112 employees retired from the entire CCL including the headquarters. On this occasion, a short film on the work experiences of retired personnel was screened. In this video, the employees shared the memorable moments of their entire service period. Expressing good wishes towards the company, the retired employees said that the company has been an integral part of our lives throughout our service period. He thanked everyone and wished for the continued development of the company. With his versatile talent and leadership skills, Ram Babu Prasad has always made important contributions to the progressive progress of the company. He performed important tasks while working in various subsidiary companies of Coal India including CCL. It may be noted that Shri Prasad had taken charge as Director (Technical/Operations) in CCL on May 2022. During his tenure the company continuously achieved new heights. CMD, Dr Reddy, while congratulating the retiring employees on the successful completion of their service, said that as a result of the contribution of all of you, the company is moving on the path of success. We will definitely miss your experience. Due to the hard work and meaningful efforts of all of you, the company is reaching new heights. Dr. Reddy wished all the retiring employees all the best for the second phase of their lives. The Narayan Seva Sansthan is set to hold a free artificial limb measurement camp for the differently-abled persons in Raipur on March 17. About two months later, the organization will conduct a free fitting camp. This initiative is part of the organization's "Well of Compassion" plan. The people will be assessed by an experienced and specialized orthotist and prosthetic teams. They will receive meticulously crafted, lightweight and durable artificial limbs. Established in 1985, Narayan Seva Sansthan has provided over 41,000 artificial limbs. The camp will be held at the Jain Dadawadi premises on MG Road from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Interested persons are required to bring their Aadhaar card, disability certificate and two photos displaying their disability. The fourth edition of the groundbreaking ceremony (GBC@IV) organised by the Yogi Adityanath government recently saw initiation of investments of over Rs 60,000 crore in the food processing sector of Uttar Pradesh, of which the top five projects are expected to generate over 3,000 employment opportunities, in Bijnor, Muzaffarnagar, Sandila, Bareilly and Baghpat districts. Besides, various major companies are investing in food processing in other districts as well, which will create thousands of job opportunities in the state. The Yogi governments objective behind giving impetus to the food processing industry is to capitalise on the widespread love for Uttar Pradeshs authentic dishes among people from across the country and at the same time transform the industry into a major source of livelihood for the people of Uttar Pradesh. Coca-Cola is establishing its largest bottling SLMG (Sugar Syrup, Juice Manufacturing, Pulping Extraction and Bottling) unit in Uttar Pradesh. This project, valued at Rs 509 crore, will create about 275 jobs in Bijnor. Similarly, a sub-group of the renowned Reliance Group, known as Reliance Beverage Private Limited, is setting up its beverage manufacturing unit in Muzaffarnagar at the cost of Rs 600 crore and it will generate 500 jobs. The project is associated with the development of a beverage manufacturing facility near Purkaji in Muzaffarnagar, under the joint venture of Bharatiya Beverages Pvt. Ltd. and Reliance Retail Ventures Limited. Furthermore, Balaji Wafer is investing Rs 500 crore to set up its integrated food processing unit for the production of potato wafers and traditional Indian snacks in the industrial sector of Sandila, Hardoi, which will lead to creation of 1,500 jobs in the region. Meanwhile, Dhamapur Bio Organics is setting up a new distillery plant at a cost of Rs 350 crore. It will generate 100 jobs in Bareilly. Likewise, Grupo Bimbo, through its subsidiary company Ready Roti India Pvt. Ltd., is establishing an integrated manufacturing unit to provide consumers with high-quality, convenient bread products. The company is investing Rs 200 crore for the plant located in Baghpat, and it will create over 600 jobs. Other groups that are also investing in the state, include: Dharam Pal Satya Pal Ltd, Bikanervala Foods Pvt Ltd, Happy International Pvt Ltd, Haldiram Snacks Manufacturing Pvt Ltd, Susteen Ltd, Fair Experts (India) Pvt Ltd, Fortune Rice Ltd, Brindavan Agro Industries Pvt Ltd, SPRL Foods Ltd, VRS Foods Ltd (Paras Dairy), Amrit Bottlers Pvt Ltd, ABI Export (India) Pvt Ltd, Jack Venture Pvt Ltd, Shivshrit Foods Pvt Ltd, VKC Nuts Pvt Ltd, Balrampur Chini Mills Ltd, Triveni Engineering and Industries Ltd, DCM Shriram Ltd, Wave Sugar Mill (Bijnor), Tikaula Sugar Mills Ltd, NG Softtech Pvt Ltd, Kamdhenu Cattle Feeds Pvt Ltd and Adani Agri Logistics. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, on Thursday, asserted that the global market awaits Indias skills, innovation and technology in the textile sector. He added that India exports carpets worth Rs 17,000 crore, with 60 per cent originating from Bhadohi, Mirzapur and Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh. During a media interaction on the fourth day of India Tex 2024 held at Pragati Maidan in Delhi, the chief minister extended a warm welcome to all buyers and visitors at the India Tex 2024 Uttar Pradesh Pavilion and expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for giving the opportunity to participate as a partner state in such a significant event. The exhibition showcases the past, present and future needs of the textile industry with special emphasis on the international aspect through the Bharat Mandapam and Yashobhoomi. Praising Prime Minister Narendra Modis initiative, the chief minister mentioned that the exhibition, spanning the last four days, saw enthusiastic engagement from individuals nationwide and globally. He further noted that the textile industry was the second-largest employment provider after agriculture, offering boundless opportunities for technological advancements. Chief Minister Yogi highlighted that in India Tex 2024, Uttar Pradesh has demonstrated its expertise in the textile sector, with 20 exhibitors in Yashobhoomi and 46 exhibitors in the Bharat Mandapam. Artisans have displayed handicrafts, carpets and other handloom products from the state to buyers from across the country and the world and are receiving their appreciation. Uttar Pradesh holds limitless opportunities in the textile sector. Under Prime Minister Modis PM Mitra Park Scheme, a mega textile park is set to be established in an area of 1,000 acres between Lucknow and Hardoi, as part of the plan implemented at seven locations across the country. Additionally, efforts are underway to develop four new flatted factories in the state, the chief minister informed the gathering. Yogi highlighted that significant efforts have been made in the past seven years to promote Lucknows chikankari, Sitapurs durrie, Bareillys zari-zardozi, and Bhadohis carpets. All of these crafts serve as crucial means for creating employment opportunities. The global textile industry is currently looking at India with hope, he stated. The chief minister also visited the stalls from different parts of the country at the exhibition, showing interest in their products while the artisans expressed their joy at meeting Chief Minister Yogi. On this occasion, UPs Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Minister Rakesh Sachan, Additional Chief Secretary Amit Mohan Prasad and other dignitaries were present. The Annual Meeting of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Jharkhand State Council held on Tuesday saw the Governor C P Radhakrishnan, commending the proactive approach of CII towards shaping the future of industries in Jharkhand. The theme for this year's meeting, "Jharkhand towards a Competitive and Sustainable India@100," emphasized the significance of sustainability in industrial growth. During the event, Radhakrishnan suggested that CII form specialized groups within Jharkhand to brainstorm and implement innovative ideas to foster industrialization in the state, aligning with the vision of Viksit Bharat@2047. In line with the theme, CII Jharkhand organized a session that brought together eminent speakers to deliberate on key tracks, including the Future of Steel, Global Supply Chain, Future of Automotive in India, Sustainable Energy, and Waste Management, along with Challenges and Opportunities in the Indian Start-Up Ecosystem. The discussions centered around strategies for industrialization and driving competitive growth in India. The meeting also witnessed the announcement of the new leadership for CII Jharkhand State Council for the year 2024-25. Ranjot Singh, Managing Director of Emdet Jamshedpur Pvt Ltd, a distinguished businessman with over 24 years of experience, was elected as the Chairman, while Ritu Raj Sinha, Managing Director of Tata Steel Utilities & Infrastructure Services Ltd, assumed the role of Vice Chairman. Singh, recognized for his achievements in auto parts manufacturing, foundry, and real estate, expressed his commitment to driving industrial development in the state. Sinha, a mechanical engineer with 32+ years of experience, outlined his vision for contributing to the success of critical projects and enhancing corporate services. Notable speakers at the event included Ujjal Chakraborty, Chairman of CII Jharkhand State Council, Suvendra Behera, Deputy Chairman of CII Eastern Region, and Shiv Siddhant Narayan Kaul, Chairman of CII Eastern Region. The discussions highlighted the need for sustainable growth, green energy initiatives, and strategic investment to propel Jharkhand towards becoming a key player in the global economy. The event concluded with a consensus among participants that sustainable development in Jharkhand requires concrete guidance and strategic actions from businesses, marking a step towards a competitive and sustainable India by 2047. Other speakers who shared their views during the session on Jharkhand towards a Competitive and Sustainable India@100 were Chanakya Chaudhary, Vice President Corporate Services, Tata Steel Limited; Ravindra Kulkarni, Plant Head, Tata Motors Ltd; Tapas Sahu, CEO & Managing Director, Highco Engineers Pvt Ltd; Gaurav Maheshwari, Group President, Signode - Asia Pacific; itunjay Sharma, Co-founder, Biofie. Uttar Pradesh Finance and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna, on Wednesday, said that the government would ensure resolution of all the issues facing pensioners, including timely and error-free payment of pension to them. Inaugurating the new building of the Pension Directorate within the premises of the Institute of Financial Management Training and Research in Indira Nagar, Lucknow, Khanna said that it would help in enhancing facilities for pensioners of the state. Ensuring timely disbursement of pensions to pensioners should be our top priority. Pensioners must not face any kind of trouble. We have got the opportunity to serve the elderly and we must perform our duty, he added. On the financial administration through the district treasuries, the finance minister asked the treasury officers to develop a fool-proof mechanism to ensure that there are no errors in the pensions provided to pensioners or their dependents and the designated amounts are paid on right time to the right beneficiaries. We must avoid complications like recovery due to incorrect disbursement, he pointed out. The Pension Directorate was established on June 2, 1988, for reforms in pension administration and for expediting the process of pension fixation and payment. The objective of the directorate is to settle the pension cases of government employees within the state instead of at the office of Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India. Until now, the directorate was functioning from the eighth floor of Indira Bhawan, but due to insufficient space for document preservation and record-keeping, it has been relocated to the campus of the Institute of Financial Management Training and Research. The renovation of this administrative building has been carried out by the Public Works Department at a cost of Rs 1 crore. Currently, the directorate is handling the pension cases of officers in the Group A category, members of various commissions, and employees of agricultural universities and technical colleges including the Khadi Board. Besides, in case of death of personnel covered under the National Pension System while serving, there is a provision to sanction family pension to their dependents based on their option. So far, the Pension Directorate has undertaken the resolution of pension cases of more than 81,000 employees. Presently, action is being taken to issue an online pension authorisation letter through e-Pension system. In the backdrop of a political crisis in Himachal Pradesh after the defeat of the Congress candidate in the Rajya Sabha elections, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Wednesday asserted that they will run the government for five years. ''Neither the high command has asked me nor anyone else for resignation and there is no such thing,'' Sukhu said. In a stunning upset for the ruling Congress in Himachal Pradesh, the BJP on Tuesday won the state's lone Rajya Sabha seat with its candidate Harsh Mahajan defeating Congress stalwart Abhishek Manu Singhvi and apparently setting the stage for a no-trust motion in the assembly. ''But I want to say one thing that the people of Himachal are with us and MLAs are with us and I can definitely say that we will run the Himachal government for five years,'' said Sukhu. Asked whether it was because of the ''Operation Lotus'' or ''own people'' that led to the current situation, the chief minister said, ''Some mistakes may have been made and because of those mistakes, there may have been some deficiencies.'' But he also said, ''The kind of 'tantar-mantar' used in the Operation Lotus that had bigger (role) in it.'' The voting on Tuesday was a tie with both the Congress and the BJP candidates getting 34 votes, indicating that at least six Congress MLAs voted against the party. The result was then declared on the basis of a draw of lots. Meanwhile, as the Congress government faces a threat, the party high command said it was weighing all options and would not hesitate in taking ''tough decisions'' to ensure that the people's mandate given to it is respected. Six Congress MLAs voted in favour of the BJP candidate in the Rajya Sabha polls in Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday, with sources claiming they are ''disappointed'' with the working style of Chief Minister Sukhu. The party has dispatched three senior observers -- Bhupesh Baghel, Bhupinder Singh Hooda and D K Shivakumar -- to Shimla. AICC in-charge of state Rajeev Shukla is also in the hill state. Congress president Kharge has asked observers and Shukla to speak with all MLAs, including those disgruntled, hear their point of view, and submit a comprehensive report to him soon. The future course of action will be decided after that. The BJP was trying to come to power in Himachal Pradesh through the ''backdoor'', AICC General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said in Delhi, adding that the BJP did so in Goa, Madhya Pradesh and the latest attempt is in Himachal Pradesh. He also said that accountability will be fixed for cross-voting in the Rajya Sabha poll in the state, which the Congress nominee Abhishek Singhvi lost. Our priority is to save the Congress government, he said, adding that all options are open and the mandate that the Congress got has to be respected. The Congress leader said the report that will be submitted to Kharge will have two parts -- why did cross-voting happen and the other is what steps are needed to save people's mandate in the state. The BJP cannot take away the mandate of the people of Himachal Pradesh through its 'Operation Lotus' and the Congress will take all steps necessary to protect it, Ramesh said. ''The Congress will not hesitate in taking tough decisions as the party is our priority and we will not let people's mandate be betrayed in Himachal Pradesh,'' Ramesh told reporters. The Congress rebels are seeking to install a person of their choice as the new chief minister of the state. Minister Vikramaditya Singh resigns from Sukhu cabinet, Speaker suspends 15 BJP MLAs; Budget passed In a day of dramatic developments, high-profile minister Vikramaditya Singh, the son of former chief minister Virbhadra Singh, resigned as a Minister from the Sukhu Cabinet. His mother Pratibha Singh is the state Congress President and was a candidate for chief ministership when the Congress won the elections in December 2022. The crisis was triggered by Tuesdays cross-voting by six Congress MLAs in the Rajya Sabha election for the lone seat from Himachal Pradesh. Singh, who sent his resignation to the Governor as well as the chief minister said, ''There have been attempts to humiliate and undermine me from some quarters and in spite of reservations, I supported the government.'' The family has in the past thrown hints that Virbhadra Singhs legacy has not been honoured by the party. Pratibha Singh has also expressed disgruntlement with the manner in which Sukhu has run the state. Vikramaditya Singh said the 2022 Congress campaign was run in his fathers name. ''There was no poster, or hoarding or banner which did not carry his picture, he said. But after the victory when the matter of putting up his statue came up, the government failed to decide the location. ''It is not a political but an emotional thing for a son,'' he said. ''The Congress party had made promises to the people and we owe the responsibility to fulfil those promises and I would decide my future course of action after consulting my supporters,'' he added. Meanwhile, in the ongoing Budget session of the Assembly, the Speaker suspended 15 BJP MLAs. The suspended BJP MLAs, which included the leader of the opposition Jai Ram Thakur, stayed put in the House for a long time -- in an apparent bid to stop the House from passing Sukhu governments Budget through voice vote. The BJP wanted voting on the Budget, which they felt would reveal that the Congress has lost its majority in the state assembly. But in the afternoon, the crisis was staved off as the Finance Bill was passed by voice vote with no Bharatiya Janata Party member being present. Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania then adjourned the House sine die. In the assembly, there was chaos when the House met in the morning with passing the Budget on its list of business for the day. Speaker Pathania suspended 15 BJP MLAs. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan moved the motion, seeking their suspension for allegedly disrespecting the Speaker. The motion was adopted by voice vote. The BJP members, however, refused to leave. The Speaker then adjourned the House till 12 pm. Apart from Thakur, the suspended MLAs are Vipin Parmar, Vinod Kumar, Hans Raj, Janak Raj, Balbir Verma, Trilok Jamwal, Deep Raj, Surinder Shouri, Puran Thakur, Inder Singh Gandhi, Dilip Thakur, Randhir Sharma, Lokender Kumar and Ranvir Singh. Leader of Opposition JairamThakur told reporters that the Rajya Sabha election had made it clear that the Congress government was in a minority and demanded the resignation of CM Sukhu. A group of six Congress and three independent MLAs, who had spent Tuesday night at a guesthouse at Panchkula in BJP-run Haryana after voting against the Congress candidate, too were back in the House. They were flown back on a helicopter. As these MLAs entered the House, BJP members greeted them by thumping their desks. They also raised the slogan, ''Jai Shri Ram, Ban Gaya Kaam''. On Tuesday, Sukhu had claimed that the MLAs had been abducted by the Haryana Police and the CRPF. Speaker reserves order on Congress petition to disqualify 6 rebel MLAs Himachal Pradesh Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania on Wednesday reserved his order on a Congress petition seeking disqualification of six party MLAs who cross-voted in the Rajya Sabha election. The six MLAs also face the possibility of disqualification on another count. Speaking in the assembly, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan said a whip was issued to the party MLAs to be present in the House during voting on Wednesday on the budget. But these MLAs defied it by staying away, he added. The minister asked the Speaker to take note of it. The Speaker said the matter is in his knowledge and he will take cognisance of it. The MLAs had cross-voted for BJP candidate Harsh Mahajan during the Rajya Sabha elections on Tuesday, leading to the defeat of their party candidate Abhishek Manu Singhvi. The Congress has accused the six MLAs of defying the earlier whip on the Rajya Sabha polls. Senior advocate Satya Pal Jain, who represented the six MLAs before the Speaker on Wednesday, has asserted that a party whip does not apply in the case of Rajya Sabha polls. Jain also argued that the MLAs were only given the notice and the copy of the Congress petition while other annexures were not supplied to them. He said according to rules, seven days time has to be given to the MLAs for filing the reply. He said there are five or six conditions under the anti-defection law, including seven days time for reply, which have to be complied with. The Institute of Life Sciences (ILS), Bhubaneswar celebrated the National Science Day on the theme "Indigenous Technologies for Viksit Bharat" on Wednesday. The objective of the theme was to highlight the significance of indigenous innovations and to exhibit the work of Indian scientists. As one of the mission of ILS, the institute aims to communicate recent advances in science and technology to the general public and encourage scientific thinking among young students. In line with this year's theme, ILS celebrated National Science Day at its main campus in Bhubaneswar and five other locations across Odisha. The aim was to reach out to the maximum number of school and college students and disseminate its contribution towards technological advancement. Notably, the ILS conducted similar events in 19 out of the 30 districts of Odisha The event held at ILS, Bhubaneswar was inaugurated by Director Debasis Dash He spoke about the significance of motivating school and college students to become a part of the scientific research workforce of the country. Among others, Mamoni Dash and Nivedita Jena also spoke. Rajeev Swain coordinated the event. A massive Twitter (X) campaign is being run by the candidates of Jharkhand to protest against the JSSC-CGL paper leak issue. This Twitter campaign of students is also getting immense support on social media. Hashash conduct_jssc_fair_exam is trending at number 1 on social media X. Till the time of filing the report on Thursday 1, 69,000 people have used the hashtag. It is noteworthy that student organizations had called for a Twitter campaign in support of the demand for fair examination of JSSC CGL. Only objective of this Twitter campaign is that the government and the commission should publish the dates of all the examinations as soon as possible. Order a CBI inquiry into the paper leak in JSSC-CGL exam. The examination should be conducted through a clean agency. The students have said in a warning tone that if the government fails to do so, a statewide agitation will be launched very soon. The candidates have also warned of boycotting the government in the upcoming elections. A Twitter campaign is being run today against the JSSC CGL paper leak case. A massive Twitter (X) campaign is being run in Jharkhand. The campaign has started on Twitter from 10 am with the hashtags #Conduct_jssc_fair_exam and_ _job_nahi_to_badlenge_Jharkhand_government. According to the information received, the candidates will run the campaign with the above hashtag till 6 pm. The campaign will run from 10 am to 6 pm. Students and teachers preparing for competitive examinations in Jharkhand are participating in this. He says that the only purpose of this Twitter campaign is that the government and the commission should publish the dates of all the examinations as soon as possible. The CBI should order an investigation into the paper leak in the JSSC-CGL exam. The examination should be conducted through a clean agency. The students have said in a warning tone that if the Government fails to do so, a statewide agitation will be launched very soon. The candidates have also warned of boycotting the Government in the upcoming elections. Leader of Opposition Amar Bauri has supported the students. He has tweeted from his social media handle and wrote that #conduct_jssc_fair_exams, this is the anger of the youth. It was said that 5 lakh jobs will be provided every year, this useless government could not even provide 5000 jobs.. Amar Bauri further said that this promise before the elections is clear. Since then, the Chief Minister had told the youth that the JMM-Congress-RJD government will conduct 4-5 JSSC-JPSC examinations every year, but now their farewell year has come and see what the youth of the state have gained and lost! This thugbandhan government. History will remember it as a job seller, the most corrupt and useless government and the youth of the state will work to overthrow it in the upcoming elections. After the Arvind Kejriwal government passed a unanimous resolution over one time settlement (OTS) scheme issue to settle water bill dues in the House of Delhi Assembly, Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena has written an open letter to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal opposing the move saying not a single piece of paper brought to LGs notice, officially or unofficially with regard the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) governments Water Scheme. In a seven-page letter Saxena said, Water, Finance, Urban Development, all departments concerned with this scheme are fully and totally under CMs control. LG has no role whatsoever. Not a single piece of paper brought to LGs notice, officially or unofficially in this regard. He has also asked the Speaker to expunge the area in the resolution that mentions the BJP exercises direct control over the Lieutenant Governor. I am writing to convey my grave objection to the supposed Unanimous Resolution adopted by the Delhi Legislative Assembly on 19.02.2024, as conveyed to my Secretariat by the Secretary of the Legislative Assembly Secretariat. The penultimate paragraph mentions that the BJP exercises direct control over the Honble LG. This is a completely unacceptable and irresponsible assertion, which does not behove the members, who endorsed it, read the L-Gs letter. Your statements are white lies, again an example of typical abuse and scoot game, which you seem to have mastered and made a career out of. While you and your government have done nothing substantive for the development of Delhi and its residents in almost all spheres, you have blamed all and sundry successive Governments at the Centre since 2013, successive LGs. the Congress Party, the BJP and even government servants, in a bid to maintain the charade that you have created through repeated lies perpetuated by an incessant publicity campaign, he wrote. He said the Delhi Jal Board (Water), the Urban Development Department and the Finance Department are transferred subjects, fully and totally under the control of the respective ministers. The said scheme that is purportedly being stopped by me has never ever been brought to me, even on a single piece of paper, said the LG. You are saying that there are 27 lakh water consumer connections in Delhi, of which about 10 lakh have not paid their bills and you aim to benefit them. I advise you that if at all something like waiving of bills, penalties, LPSC and arrears of 10 lakh consumers is being considered, the payments made by the remaining 17 lakh consumers, who have paid their bills all these years honestly, should also be reimbursed, along with interest, LG said. The decision with regards to one-time settlement scheme was taken by the Delhi Jal Board on 13th January, 2023. The same was sent to Finance Department, GNCTD for comments on 25th January, 2024 (i.e. after a gap of one year). Subsequently, the Minister recorded his directions on file regarding this scheme and sent it to the Chief Secretary as late as on 21st February, 2024, clearly indicating that the supposed scheme was yet in the process of formulation and was far from reaching any finality, he said. Saxena also said in the letter that, One is forced to wonder as to why the minister kept sitting on the proposed scheme for more than one year Moreover, the resolution passed by the Assembly mentions the date of approval of the said scheme as 13.06.2023. The timelines and decisions, as indeed the timing of the entire political exercise that has now been undertaken, very clearly point towards a convoluted game of blaming others for your own failures, rather than actually doing anything whatsoever to help the people of Delhi as far as this scheme is concerned. Your (Kejriwal) intentions, therefore, I repeat are, apparently not to implement any scheme or benefit any section of the society, but only to mislead the people by creating a false political narrative as has been your customary behaviour, read the letter. The timing of this manipulated false political exercise makes it obvious that it has been undertaken to deviously distract and divert the attention of the people of Delhi from the abject failures on part of GNCTD in addressing critical issues facing the people of Delhi and charges of corruption that are being probed, he said. Ujedi Pangi (32), wife of Hari Pangi of Upper Barabandha village under Kotia gram panchayat in Pottangi block has taken the lead in having strawberry cultivation over 3 acres of land under the guidance of ITDA, Koraput under Mukhya Mantri Janajati Jeevika Mission (MMJJM) under ST,SC Development Minorities and Backward Classes Welfare Department. Ujedi and other farmers are very happy to see the lovely red exotic fruits on the plants creating a very encouraging scene on the mulching bed. Here as one acre has been cultivated by the SHG consisting 10 members, Ujedi expects Rs. 1.50 lakh as minimum share per member till May-end. Sushila Kishan (24) from Badaposh village under Bonaigarh block in Sundargarh is now confident that her family will no longer lead a life of difficulties. Her family could now be able to diversify their livelihood baskets and earn an additional income of 30,000/- just within 3-4 months of time. For Sabita Sabara (48) the harvest of 42 quintals of tomatoes in just three months was a wonderful achievement. From the remote Rengam village under Siriguda Gram Panchayat of Gudari Block and Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) Gunupur, Sabita is a star performer from among 120 members ofRengam Janajati Jeevika Parishad. Baruna Dehury (38), a marginal farmer in Khuntakata village of Banspal block under ITDA Keonjhar has proved his expertise with a bumper cauliflower production and a profit of Rs 50,000 through his harvest and has discovered a better option for livelihood under MMJJM. Somanath Mundagadia (37) of Hataguda village under Parajamuthai gram panchayat in Semiliguda block of ITDA, Koraput was earlier dependent on the millet yields from his 2.50 acre land. But, he is now happy to get a return of around Rs 1.75 lakh of vegetable crops under MMJJM. Surmuni Chatar (52) from Bangiriposi village under Jhadghosda gram panchayat of Sukruli block and ITDA Karanjias success story is based on the cluster plan prepared by the JJP. With the current mustard yield Surmunis family is earning Rs 5,000 to 6,000/ in a month and hopes that it can go up to Rs 50,000 in the coming year. MMJJM: A GAME CHANGER The MMJJM Programme is funded by the Odisha Government and the State Budget has provisioned Rs 500 crores for it for three years starting the 2023-24 fiscal. Operating in 13 districts and 119 Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP) blocks, it encompasses 22 ITDA areas and the initial phase runs from 2023-24 to 2025-26 financial years. In the first phase, the programme aims to directly benefit 1.5 lakh tribal households. The programme, spearheaded by the ST,SC Development Minorities and Backward Classes Welfare Department, is implemented by ITDAs with support of a State-level PMU by non-government organisation PRADAN and 16 other partner NGOs as facilitators with the ITDAs. MMJJM is one of the Largest Livelihood promotion initiatives directly and specifically meant for the indigenous communities of Odisha. MAJOR ACTIVITIES The main activities of MMJJM include promotion and strengthening of Janajati Jeevika Parishad (JJP) as the community level grassroots institution and establishing the Livelihood production clusters, entry point activities to build the confidence of the community, development of farm clusters through critical input support and following regenerative agriculture and non-synthetic approach of crop production and creation of suitable irrigation infrastructures to enhance crop intensity. MMJJM OUTCOMES Commissioner-cum-Secretary ST,SC Development Minorities and Backward Classes Welfare Department Roopa Roshan Sahoo said MMJJM has resulted in significant increase in the farm income of the beneficiaries in its initial year. In the subsequent years, as per the plan, intervened crop area under cultivation will be doubled and hundred percent of the farm families will adopt a better package of practices due to project intervention. After 3 years the scheme envisaged fifty percent increase in productivity of the crops taken under cluster development programme and fifty percent of the cluster areas have come under irrigation. While it has helped in fifty percent increase in area under cultivation in both winter and summer season including doubling of crop intensity, forty percent of wasteland/fallow lands/FRA lands of the clusters villages were brought under active cultivation through the activities of MMJJM. Padma Shri award winner Dr S. Ayyappan on Wednesday said the National Institute of Biotic Stress Management (NIBSM) plays a key role in advancing health, food security and plant health. Ayyappan, a former Secretary of DARE and Director General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), said NIBSM was the sole ICAR institute in Chhattisgarh. He said this while speaking at a two day conference on "Novel Strategies for Mitigating Biotic and Abiotic Stresses for Agricultural and Environmental Sustainability." Present at the venue were Prof. A.N. Mukhopadhyay, a former Vice Chancellor of AAU, Jorhat, Dr. S.N. Puri, a former Vice Chancellor of CAU, Manipur, Dr. C.D. Mayee, a former Chairman of the Agricultural Scientists Recruitment Board in New Delhi, Dr. P.K. Ghosh, Director and Vice-Chancellor of ICAR-NIBSM, Prof. Piyush K Pandey, Vice Chancellor of Amity University Chhattisgarh, Raipur, and Dr. K Sammi Reddy from ICAR-NIBSM, Baramati. Approximately 250 distinguished scientists, industry partners and students are attending the conference. Dr. Puri elaborated on the origins of the institute and NIASM as deemed universities of national importance, aiming to strengthen graduate and postgraduate student capabilities. He envisioned NIBSM as a crucial national institute in plant protection, focusing on addressing farmers' major challenges such as pest and disease management and optimizing input usage to enhance their incomes. Prof. Mukhopadhyay highlighted NIBSM's unique position as the world's first institute of its kind and its potential contribution to food security for India's 1.4 billion population through crop protection technologies. With the participation of renowned scientists from India and around the world, the conference serves as a platform for discussing the latest scientific innovations in crop stress management. The state-owned National Mineral Development Corp (NMDC) on Wednesday set up a panel to probe a mine cave-in at its Kirandul complex in Chhattisgarh. A NMDC official said it was investigating the incident of rock formation collapse at one of its sites in Dantewada district which killed four contractual workers and injured two others. On Tuesday, the four died in the NMDC's Kirandul complex. "NMDC is conducting a thorough investigation into the incident. In the wake of this unfortunate event, the senior management of NMDC extended its deepest condolences and support to the bereaved families," the firm said. The two contractual workmen who were injured are being treated at the NMDC Hospital and are out of danger, the company added. NMDC, under the ministry of steel, is the country's largest iron ore mining entity contributing around 20 per cent of India's demand for the key steel making raw material. The officers and employees working in Madhya Pradesh Urban Development Company (MPUDC), an undertaking of the Urban Development and Housing Department, will now get the benefit of the new contract policy of the state. Managing Director of the company Shri Bharat Yadav has issued orders in this regard. After the order was issued, the company employees expressed gratitude towards the state government. In July-2023, the state government had issued detailed guidelines regarding the contractual policy of employees working in the state. Employees will start getting facilities like appointment opportunities on regular posts, salary increase as per Consumer Price Index, compassionate appointment in case of death during service, gratuity payment, benefits of National Pension Scheme and health insurance benefits under the benefits of contract policy. In a scathing attack on the previous opposition party governments in Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that they were sympathisers of rioters and conspired to dismantle the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC), which played crucial role in handling communal riots and violence in the state, by abolishing 54 of its companies. Inaugurating and laying the foundation stones of 144 infrastructural development projects worth Rs 2,310 crore for the Uttar Pradesh Police at a formal ceremony at Lok Bhawan on Wednesday, Chief Minister Yogi stressed the crucial role of UP Police in the changed perception of the state. He remarked: As a result, Uttar Pradesh has now emerged as the biggest investment destination in the country. The state is experiencing prosperity with the blessings of Goddess Lakshmi. The contribution of UP Police towards the transformation of UPs image is crucial. Everyone can feel the hard work of UP Police in the states changed perception. Chief Minister Yogi appreciated the changes in the behaviour of UP Police, pointing out that speaking politely while in uniform has a very positive impact. He emphasised the importance of following zero-tolerance policy towards anti-social and anti-national elements as well as professional mafias, while adopting a sensitive approach towards common citizens and providing justice to them. Chief Minister Yogi said that Uttar Pradesh had become the first state in the country to have cyber police stations in all 75 districts. Initially, cyber police stations were set up in 18 districts, and the remaining 57 are being inaugurated today. Additionally, a cyber cell has been formed at all 1,523 police stations. Now, cyber crime cases will be addressed at the police station level, eliminating the need to go to the zone or range levels, he stated. The chief minister congratulated the Home department for the projects worth Rs 2,310 crore connecting the people of the state and the police personnel. The work to strengthen the infrastructure of the police force in the new Uttar Pradesh of the new India started in 2017 and is progressing well. Prior to that, outsiders were wary of visiting Uttar Pradesh, while the youths of the state fought shy of revealing their true identity as residents of the state, he remarked. He added that although new districts were formed, the police lines were not established, thus depriving the state police of its soul. The chief minister pointed out that in smaller districts today, the tallest buildings belong to the police force, while earlier, they were forced to live in ramshackle buildings with broken beds. Till 2017, there were few facilities for the police in the barracks to which they returned after working the whole day or night, he pointed out. He emphasised that now, every police line of each district, or for that matter every police station, boasts of a hostel, construction of which has either been completed or is underway in a high-rise building. He emphasised the importance of fulfilling the needs of police personnel who work 8 to 12 hours, sometimes even 24 hours, serving the people of the state. He further informed that in the last six years, the government has spent nearly Rs 20,000 crore solely to strengthen the police infrastructure. Contrasting todays situation with that of the past in the state, Chief Minister Yogi said that while riots, curfews, insecure traders and daughters were the order in the previous governments, today Uttar Pradesh was poised to become the state with the strongest economy in the country, having brought investments of over Rs 10.24 lakh crores to the ground. Continuing his attack on the previous governments, the chief minister said that earlier recruitments and promotions were given to policemen as a favour and were not merit-based. But, today more than 1,60,000 police personnel have been recruited through completely fair and transparent means, he said. He also highlighted that promotions were given to over one and a half lakh police personnel without any discrimination, adding that the government ensured that they were selected from every district while organising skill training programmes for them. Today, we have three times more capacity than what we had till 2017. Within a short time, we will develop additional training capacity in the PAC units in every district. After that, the state will have the capability to provide training to other states and paramilitary forces across the country, Chief Minister Yogi added. President Droupadi Murmu addressed the 53rd convocation of the Utkal University here on Thursday She said that since its inception, the Utkal University has made its mark in the field of education not only in Odisha but also all over India. It is a leading university of the country in terms of its campus, environment and teaching tradition. She paid tributes to all the visionaries who have contributed in the journey of this university. Murmu said it is her good fortune to have been a student of the Utkal University. Many students have brought honour to the Utkal University by doing remarkable works in various fields. She noted that more than two lakh students are studying in the colleges recognised under the Utkal University. The percentage of girls is greater than boys among these students. She called upon students to inculcate human qualities, most importantly modesty and humility, love and compassion in everyone they meet. She said they should remember that peace and harmony are essential for human existence. The President said that when she was in school, her teachers often taught to love mother, motherland and mother tongue. She stated that education in our mother tongue connects us with our culture. We have inherited a very rich culture, and we have to preserve it. We should recognise our roots to preserve the Indian knowledge tradition, she said. Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao on Wednesday announced a high-level probe into the alleged irregularities in arranging luxurious facilities at a community building which was under possession of the wife of former Minister Shiv Kumar Daharia. Sao announced this after the matter was raised by BJP legislator Rajesh Munat. Flouting the rules the Urban Administration Department of which Daharia was Minister, money was sanctioned for luxurious items for the building of Rajshree Sadbhawana Samiti in Shatabdi Nagar, Munat alleged. The wife of Daharia Shakun had the possession of the said building, he said. Leader of Opposition Charan Das Mahant objected to the discussion saying the matter was with the judiciary. Meanwhile, the Deputy Chief Minister said although a petition has been moved at the High Court, the government had taken possession of the building in which the Raipur Municipal Corporation and Smart City Project had spent around Rs 1 crore. Cgarh Assembly adjourned sine die The Chhattisgarh Assembly was on Wednesday adjourned sine die with mutual consent of the Treasury and opposition benches. The budget session is aborted two days earlier after mutual consent, said Speaker Raman Singh. He thanked Leader of the House Vishnu Deo Sai, Leader of Opposition Charan Das Mahant and Assembly Secretary Dinesh Sharma for cooperating in the smooth function of the House. / Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) on Wednesday held tractor rallies known as the Kisaani Bachaao March in support of the ongoing farmers protest at the borders of Haryana. The Kisaani Bachaao March was organized, with all party workers, office bearers, and citizens of the State becoming a part of the statewide movement to show solidarity with the farmers protesting for their rights at the borders of Haryana. The collective strength of the state of Punjab was evident with a huge number of people coming forward to peacefully demonstrate their unwavering support to the farming community of the state, said a party spokesperson. I extend my gratitude to all those who have united today to advocate for the farmers of Punjab. Agriculture and the farming community constitute the bedrock of Punjab's economy, necessitating our unequivocal support for our farmers, said PPCC chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring addressing the attendees of the tractor march in Jandiala. He said: It is disconcerting that despite Punjab's historical allegiance to the nation, the Central Government persists in actions contrary to the interests of the State and its populace, particularly the farming community. Warring emphasized that the impediment of Punjab farmers passage to the capital, where they merely seek to assert their rights, is untenable. Punjab sustains the nation, yet the policies of the BJP-led Central Government threaten our very livelihoods. Hence, it is imperative that we persist in our peaceful demonstrations, ensuring our solidarity with Punjab's farmers while upholding law and order, he added. The resignation of IAS officer Abhishek Singh has been accepted after getting approval from the Central government. It will be considered effective from Thursday (February 29, 2024). Abhishek Singh was an IAS officer of the 2011 batch. He resigned in October 2023. Sources said that Abhishek Singh is likely to enter the political field after leaving the civil services job. He is continuously active in political and social work in Jaunpur. There are also speculations about Singh contesting the Lok Sabha election from Jaunpur on Bharatiya Janata Party ticket. Singh, who has worked in many films, was under suspension from February 2023 due to a long absence. Abhishek Singhs wife Durga Shakti Nagpal is also an IAS officer. At present she is posted as the district magistrate of Banda. Abhishek Singh had gone to Delhi on deputation in 2015. In 2018, his deputation period was extended for two more years, but during that time he went on medical leave. After this, the Delhi government sent Abhishek Singh back to his native cadre UP but he did not join the job in the state for a long time. He did not even give any satisfactory answer to the Appointment department. Later he joined on June 30, 2022. Abhishek Singh was sent as an observer by the Election Commission of India for the Gujarat assembly elections in 2022. He took charge of observer duty. When his celebrity-style photo in front of a car went viral on social media, the Election Commission removed him from observer duty on November 18, 2022. After returning from Gujarat, Abhishek Singh again joined his duty in UP. This time the UP government suspended him. After this he applied for voluntary retirement from service (VRS). In the beginning of February, Abhishek Singh started a free Ayodhya Dham Yatra for the people of Jaunpur. In this journey, five buses will take the devotees to Ayodhya Dham every day and will drop them to Jaunpur in the evening. He had also posted its video message on social media platform X. Abhishek Singh named the buses Jaunpur Nishad Rath. Sources said that Abhishek Singh made this arrangement for the people of Jaunpur as he was preparing to contest parliamentary election from the district, probably on a BJP ticket. He also named the buses after Nishad as the community has a large presence in Jaunpur and plays a decisive role in the victory of candidates. Even before this, Abhishek Singh has brought many celebrities to Jaunpur. He has been frequently organising big programmes for the public in Jaunpur, in which large crowds gather. The criminals escaped with Rs 5 lakh by breaking the glass of the car in broad daylight. This incident took place on Thursday afternoon near Rajendra Chowk of Doranda police station area of the State Capital where the criminals escaped with a bag containing Rs 5 lakh after breaking the glass of the car. The police started investigation in the case with the help of CCTV footage. Hark Bahadur Tamang of Doranda withdrew Rs five lakh from the State Bank of India near Rajendra Chowk in the afternoon and kept it in a bag in his car. While going home, he parked the car near the temple inside JAP office and went to visit the temple. When he came out after some time, we saw that the glass of the car was broken. When he peeked inside the car, he was shocked. A bag containing Rs five lakh was missing from the car. He informed the surrounding people and the police. Police reached the spot and are busy investigating. Two miscreants riding a bike have committed the incident by breaking the glass of the car. Police is busy investigating. Let us tell you that 15 days ago also, criminals had made away with Rs 15 lakh by breaking the glass of a car in Kanke Road. Just one day earlier bike riding criminals have snatched Rs 1 lakh from a female Para teacher. The incident took place on Wednesday near Futkaltoli of Ratu police station area of the district where the Para teacher Meena Tirkey, resident of Hehal Jamuntoli, was carrying Rs one lakh in her bag. Meanwhile, two youths riding a bike pounced on him and ran away with his bag. Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena on Thursday inaugurated the Convention Centre at District Centre at Shastri Park, in north east Delhi. The Convention Centre will serve as a vital hub for public gatherings, cultural, religious activities and marriage functions and will facilitate the general public of the densely populated area of Shastri Park, Seelampur, Gautampuri, Ghonda Chauhan, and Brahmpuri. The total cost of the project is Rs 6 crore. BJP MP Manoj Tiwari, was also present during the event. Speaking at the inauguration, Lt Governor said, Earlier, people living in the colonies here had to travel long distances for weddings, parties or any other functions, and had to spend a lot of money for the same. He hope that the construction of this convention centre will help a lot in reducing this problem. Saxena further said, people living in this part of Delhi should also get all the facilities which residents of other areas of Delhi are getting. Through DDA, every effort is being made to prepare a development model for Yamuna crossing, he added. The total area of the ground floor of the convention centre is 1928 sqm and it comprises various facilities like multi purpose hall for approx 1000 people with separate toilets for males and females, a restaurant, kitchen and a booking room. Besides, there is a basement of the total area of 2628 sqm. In the recent past, several initiatives have been taken by DDA to provide ease of living to the residents of Delhi. Last year, Utsav Pandals were inaugurated at Dakshinpuri and Dwarka built by DDA, allowing people to book them at economically reasonable prices for their family events. This was a boon for those who are not able to afford expensive hotels and farmhouses. In a stern message to those who defied the party whip, Himachal Pradesh Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania on Thursday disqualified six Congress MLAs who had cross-voted in the recent Rajya Sabha polls for the lone seat in the state. They had also abstained from voting on Budget in the assembly, defying a party whip to vote in favour of the government on the Finance Bill. The ruling Congress had sought their disqualification on this ground. The disqualified MLAs are Rajinder Rana, Sudhir Sharma, Inder Dutt Lakhanpal, Devinder Kumar Bhutoo, Ravi Thakur and Chetanya Sharma. Following the disqualification of the rebel legislators, the effective strength of the House has reduced from 68 to 62 while the number of Congress MLAs has shrunk from 40 to 34. This means that Congress remains in a clear majority till bye-elections are held for the six seats which have been declared as vacant by a notification. It is for the first time in the history of Himachal Pradesh that any MLA has been disqualified under the anti-defection law aimed at checking defections. Announcing the disqualification of the six rebel MLAs at a press conference, the Speaker said they attracted disqualification under the anti-defection law as they defied the whip and ceased to be members of the House with immediate effect. These disqualified MLAs, who had voted for BJP candidate Harsh Mahajan in the Rajya Sabha polls were not present in the House during voting on the Budget. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Harshwardhan filed a petition before the Speaker seeking disqualification of these members under the anti-defection law on Tuesday evening for defying the whip that required them to be present in the House and vote for the budget. The Speaker issued show-cause notice to the MLAs and asked them to appear at 1.30 pm on Wednesday for hearing. These MLAs had left for Panchkula after the voting for Rajya Sabha polls on Tuesday and arrived for hearing on Wednesday. After hearing the arguments of both the parties, the Speaker reserved the judgment on Wednesday and announced it on Thursday. Senior advocate Satya Pal Jain, who appeared for the rebel Congress MLAs, had argued that these MLAs were only given the show-cause notice and neither the copy of the petition nor the annexure were supplied. He said seven days time was mandatory for replying to the notice but no time was given. Under the anti-defection law, any elected member who gives up the membership of a political party voluntarily or votes or abstains from voting in the House, contrary to any direction issued by his political party, is liable for disqualification. The Congress party had issued whip to the members to be present in the House during voting on passing of the Budget. These MLAs had signed the attendance register but abstained from the House during voting on the Budget, the Speaker said. These members were issued notices for defying the whip through Whatsapp and e-mail and were asked to appear for hearing. These MLAs had cross-voted in favour of BJP candidate Harsh Mahajan in the Rajya Sabha elections on Tuesday. Later, they abstained from voting on the Budget in the assembly. The House passed the Finance Bill by voice vote after Pathania suspended 15 BJP MLAs. The Speaker then adjourned the session. In a stunning upset for the ruling Congress in Himachal Pradesh, the BJP on Tuesday won the states lone Rajya Sabha seat with its candidate Harsh Mahajan defeating Congress stalwart Abhishek Manu Singhvi and apparently setting the stage for a no-trust motion in the assembly. In his 30-page order, the Speaker mentioned the judgments of the Supreme Court and high courts under the anti-defection law. Narrating the chronology of events, he said the plea of the advocate of the rebel MLAs, Satya Pal Jain, for giving time to reply to the notice was not entertained as evidence was absolutely clear. The Speaker said delivering quick judgment was necessary in such cases to maintain the dignity of democracy and check the Aaya Ram, Gaya Ram phenomenon. The judgment has no link with cross-voting by these MLAs in the Rajya Sabha polls, he added. Sukhu takes responsibility of Singhvis defeat, Himachal crisis over: Cong Central Observer Congress central observer DK Shivakumar on Thursday said Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has taken the responsibility of Abhishek Manu Singhvis defeat in the Rajya Sabha polls and that all differences have been ironed out after speaking to party MLAs individually. Addressing the media here along with the other party observer, Bhupinder Hooda, Shivakumar said the Congress government would last a full term in Himachal when asked if Sukhu would continue as CM. When reporters pressed for an answer to the query about Sukhus continuation as CM, Hooda said, Why are you asking a hypothetical question when Sukhu is the CM. Shivakumar also said that the central observers have spoken to Sukhu, party MLAs and state unit chief Pratibha Singh and all differences have been ironed out. He also said it has been decided to form a coordination committee to sort out all internal matters and that no leader would go to the press. Public Works Department Minister Vikramaditya Singh, who offered to resign on Wednesday and later said that he would not press for his resignation and will attend the cabinet meeting. First priority of the Congress is to maintain discipline, they said, adding the government has proved its majority in the House and all the party MLAs and other leaders have resolved to work together. Earlier, Pratibha Singh, who had been raising the concerns of the Congress leaders, said that disqualification of six MLAs could have been avoided had the grievances of rebel MLAs been redressed. She said it was unfortunate that the Congress lost the Rajya Sabha elections. The party is strong and differences have been resolved, the Himachal Congress chief said, adding the committee would ensure coordination between the state government and the organization. The challenge is to win all four seats in Lok Sabha polls for which we have to work hard, she added. The Congress government is stable and would continue for five years and the rebel Congress MLAs who contested on Congress ticket and were bought would not be able to face the public, said Sukhu. However, he maintained that these MLAs are our brothers and mistakes could be forgiven if they wish to come back but we are unable to contact them as their mobile phones are not reachable. He accepted that there were shortcomings on his part as well as intelligence and said that he takes responsibility. Referring to rumours regarding his resignation, Sukhu said it was a conspiracy to reduce the number of Congress MLAs during voting on the Budget and that I had earlier clarified that I have not resigned. Congress in Himachal has lost confidence of people, right to stay in power: State BJP chief The Congress party has lost the confidence of the people and also the right to stay in power after a stunning defeat in the Rajya Sabha polls in Himachal Pradesh, state BJP chief Rajiv Bindal said on Thursday. Addressing media persons here, Bindal said that the ruling party with complete majority failing to win the Rajya Sabha elections is unprecedented. How can the people have faith in the government if its own MLAs raise banners of rebellion, he asked. The Congress government in the state has lost the moral right to stay in power, he said. The style of functioning of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu was disgusting and the losses suffered by the state are unprecedented, Bindal said, and added that it was for the first time that the people are disillusioned in a short period of 14 months. He said the Congress came to power by giving false guarantees but lost its sheen and the living of people has become miserable. The cross-voting in the Rajya Sabha polls was only a reflection of the anger of the people, he added. A section of animal lovers has sought a fair, impartial and detailed inquiry into the tragic incident of fatality of a 16 months baby girl that occurred in the service lane behind Tughlaq Lane in the Lutyens Zone early this week. While it has been alleged that the baby was mauled leading to her death either by stray dogs or a pet Pitbull, the dog lovers have claimed that the infant died in mysterious circumstances which needs to be investigated. One of the co-signatory of the appeal, Geeta Seshamani, Founder, Friendicoes and Founder, Wildlife SOS has rued over the fact that every media story has unequivocally blamed the tragedy on the community dogs and as a result of this hate-mongering, two dogs of the area have already been bludgeoned to death in cold blood. On February 24 late afternoon, the baby girl was found gravely injured by her family who rushed her to Safdarjung hospital for treatment at 5 pm where she succumbed to her injuries at 7:15 pm. The police was informed about the incident at 6:24 pm and reached Safdarjung Hospital to meet the family. The first police officer to reach the hospital has recorded that he found no eye-witnesses to the incident amongst the family. He has further recorded that upon returning to the site of the incident, he found no eye-witnesses amongst the crowd of residents, onlookers, visitors and others who were present there. In the past there have been several instances where community dogs and feeders have been falsely accused. Since this is a high security area and monitored extensively by CCTV cameras, along with heavy police presence, it is only reasonable to expect that irrefutable evidence can and must be found and made public at the earliest, said a joint appeal signed by Anjali Gopalan (Member, Animal Welfare Board of India and Founder, All Creatures Great and Small), Ambika Shukla (Trustee, People for Animals), Shernaz Italia and Freny Kodaiji (Trustees, DogMatters), Percival Billimoria (Senior Advocate, Supreme Court). According to local resident and canine feeder, Kavita Rai and Tilak Nanda, the dhobi ghat where the child resided with her extended family is a gated compound. No community dogs had access to this compound. The dogs lived in the park behind the dhobi ghat which is separated by a compound wall. There is also a Pitbull who lives in the dhobi ghat with the childs family and is mostly kept tied up. As a result of being kept constantly chained, the Pitbull is naturally unfriendly and there have been at least two incidents in the recent past that confirm this and now after the latest incident even the Pitbull is missing. Why is nobody investigating the role of the Pitbull, if any, in the tragic death of this child? Was the child left alone at any point during that day with the Pitbull? Since the community dogs cannot enter the compound, then it has to be that the child was outside the compound for such an attack to take place. How did this child get outside the compound, all the signatories said in a Press note. At least 14 people were killed and 20 others injured when a pick-up vehicle overturned and fell into a deep valley in Madhya Pradesh's Dindori district in the wee hours of Thursday, a police official said. The accident took place near Badjhar Ghat at around 1.30 am when the vehicle's driver lost control over the wheels while negotiating a blind turn. The vehicle then fell into a 40-50 feet deep valley. Fourteen people died on the spot while 20 others were injured, the official said. The deceased included seven men, six women and a minor boy, as per the police. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the incident. MP Chief Minister Mohan Yadav announced an assistance of Rs 4 lakh to the kin of each of the deceased. The victims were returning to Amhai Devri from Masurghugri village in the district's Shahpura block after take part in a programme, Sub Divisional Officer of Police Mukesh Avindra said. After being alerted, Dindori Collector Vikas Mishra and Superintendent of Police Akhil Patel rushed to help the victims. The injured persons were admitted to the Shahpura Community Health Centre for treatment. Six of them were reported to be in serious condition, an official said, adding that two of them were referred to Jabalpur for treatment. PM Modi condoled the loss of lives in the accident. "The road accident in Dindori, Madhya Pradesh is very sad. My condolences are with the bereaved families. I wish speedy recovery to all the injured persons. Under the supervision of the state government, the local administration is engaged in providing all possible assistance to the victims," the Prime Minister's Office said in a post on X. MP CM Yadav directed state cabinet minister Sampatiya Uikey to rush to Dindori for the relief work. Senior Congress leader and former MP CM Kamal Nath also expressed grief over the incident. The Congress on Thursday accused the BJP government of not fulfilling its promises to farmers such as doubling their income and said "enough with the jumlas", it is time to answer the people now. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said 16 years ago, the Congress-UPA government had waived Rs 72,000 crore farm loans and interest of 3.73 crore farmers. "This was the guarantee of Congress which was fulfilled. Modi ji made two big promises to the farmers -- first, cost+50 per cent of MSP and second, to double the income of farmers by 2022. Both 'Modi's guarantees' turned out to be fake, and the condition of farmers became worse," the Congress president said in a post in Hindi on X. "Now Congress has again promised the farmers -- We will give legal guarantee of MSP to 15 crore farmer families. Only Congress fulfils its guarantee," he asserted. In a post on X, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh referred to Modi's virtual address the people of Madhya Pradesh and said that amidst the inevitable wave of "lies and propaganda" that will unfold, the people of Madhya Pradesh have questions for him. "In 2014, the BJP manifesto had promised that it would ensure 'a minimum 50% profit over the cost of production' for farmers. In the Madhya Pradesh assembly elections 2023, the BJP had promised the farmers that MSP for wheat would be fixed at Rs 2,700 and paddy at Rs 3,100 per quintal," Ramesh said. Today, the Union government's MSP for wheat is only Rs 2,275 and the state government has taken no step to pay a bonus to farmers for the differential, he said. Why has the double engine sarkar failed to provide 'nyay (justice)' to our farmers, Ramesh asked. "During the Madhya Pradesh elections a few months ago, the BJP had promised that the amount of money transferred to women under the Ladli Behna Scheme will be increased to Rs 3,000 per month. Upon winning the election, the government has not made any steps to fulfilling the promise," he claimed. Recently in the assembly, the state government declared that "it was not possible" to set a time limit to the promise, he said. Is this "Modi ki guarantee" or yet another "chunavi jumla (election rhetoric), Ramesh asked. Ramesh said the BJP promised a budget of Rs 3 lakh crores for tribal welfare in the Madhya Pradesh elections. "To the contrary, the last few months have seen an increase in incidence of atrocities on Adivasi in Madhya Pradesh. Just a few days ago, after Modi's rally in Jhabua, ruling party workers brutally abused and beat an Adivasi youth in Betul. Does the Prime Minister have any vision for Adivasi welfare and social justice?" he said. "Pradhan Mantri ji, enough with the jumlas, it is time to answer the people now," Ramesh said. Congress general secretary, organisation, K C Venugopal said, "15 years ago, the UPA announced a historic Rs. 60,000 crore nationwide farm loan waiver which brought immense relief to all the Annadatas across India." "This time, we have promised a legal guarantee of MSP. We have always prioritised farmers' welfare and ensured they have a safety net during difficult times," he said in a post on X. Venugopal alleged that farmers are being "silenced, treated as anti-nationals and the promise of doubling farmers' income has fallen flat,". It is once again clear that only the Congress can truly save our farmers from their misery, he added. CONG-GOVT-FARMERS Enough with "jumlas", time to answer people now: Cong slams govt over farmers" issues New Delhi, Feb 29 (PTI) The Congress on Thursday accused the BJP government of not fulfilling its promises to farmers such as doubling their income and said "enough with the jumlas", it is time to answer the people now. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said 16 years ago, the Congress-UPA government had waived Rs 72,000 crore farm loans and interest of 3.73 crore farmers. "This was the guarantee of Congress which was fulfilled. Modi ji made two big promises to the farmers -- first, cost+50 per cent of MSP and second, to double the income of farmers by 2022. Both 'Modi's guarantees' turned out to be fake, and the condition of farmers became worse," the Congress president said in a post in Hindi on X. "Now Congress has again promised the farmers -- We will give legal guarantee of MSP to 15 crore farmer families. Only Congress fulfils its guarantee," he asserted. In a post on X, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh referred to Modi's virtual address the people of Madhya Pradesh and said that amidst the inevitable wave of "lies and propaganda" that will unfold, the people of Madhya Pradesh have questions for him. "In 2014, the BJP manifesto had promised that it would ensure 'a minimum 50% profit over the cost of production' for farmers. In the Madhya Pradesh assembly elections 2023, the BJP had promised the farmers that MSP for wheat would be fixed at Rs 2,700 and paddy at Rs 3,100 per quintal," Ramesh said. Today, the Union government's MSP for wheat is only Rs 2,275 and the state government has taken no step to pay a bonus to farmers for the differential, he said. Why has the double engine sarkar failed to provide 'nyay (justice)' to our farmers, Ramesh asked. "During the Madhya Pradesh elections a few months ago, the BJP had promised that the amount of money transferred to women under the Ladli Behna Scheme will be increased to Rs 3,000 per month. Upon winning the election, the government has not made any steps to fulfilling the promise," he claimed. Recently in the assembly, the state government declared that "it was not possible" to set a time limit to the promise, he said. Is this "Modi ki guarantee" or yet another "chunavi jumla (election rhetoric), Ramesh asked. Ramesh said the BJP promised a budget of Rs 3 lakh crores for tribal welfare in the Madhya Pradesh elections. "To the contrary, the last few months have seen an increase in incidence of atrocities on Adivasi in Madhya Pradesh. Just a few days ago, after Modi's rally in Jhabua, ruling party workers brutally abused and beat an Adivasi youth in Betul. Does the Prime Minister have any vision for Adivasi welfare and social justice?" he said. "Pradhan Mantri ji, enough with the jumlas, it is time to answer the people now," Ramesh said. Congress general secretary, organisation, K C Venugopal said, "15 years ago, the UPA announced a historic Rs. 60,000 crore nationwide farm loan waiver which brought immense relief to all the Annadatas across India." "This time, we have promised a legal guarantee of MSP. We have always prioritised farmers' welfare and ensured they have a safety net during difficult times," he said in a post on X. Venugopal alleged that farmers are being "silenced, treated as anti-nationals and the promise of doubling farmers' income has fallen flat,". It is once again clear that only the Congress can truly save our farmers from their misery, he added. Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Thursday asserted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's forecast of the BJP winning 370 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections is a conservative estimate as nothing said by him is ever an exaggeration. In an interview with PTI, Puri also said that the prime minister's statements on target dates for implementation of schemes are invariably a result of deep and thorough research and are based on inputs he gets from many people. He then puts an overall political stamp on it, he minister said. "In 2014, we had a miserable failure on the biofuel blending front and in previous 10 years, we were not able to achieve even 1.5 per cent biofuel blending in 10 of our states and union territories. "When Prime Minister Narendra Modi came and said that we are going to change this. We can do 10 per cent blending by November 2022 and 20 per cent blending by 2030. We achieved the 10 per cent target five months before the time," he said. Nothing the prime minister says is ever an exaggeration, the Union housing and Urban affairs minister said. Earlier this month, Modi expressed confidence that the NDA will get more than 400 seats, with the BJP wining at least 370 seats in the Lok Sabha elections to be held in April-May. The prime minister said he was convinced that the opposition parties have lost the courage to contest elections and resolved to stay on the opposition benches for a long time. Opposition parties have formed the INDIA bloc to challenge the BJP in the general elections. Hitting out at the AAP and the Congress, both constituents of INDIA bloc, the minister said that in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, even combined votes of both parties were less than the votes of BJP candidates on all the seven seats. Terming the coming together the Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress an "alliance of conflict", the BJP leader said they will fight elections in Delhi together, but against each other in Punjab. "What is the genesis or the birth point of the Aam Aadmi Party? To me, the AAP party grew out of the Anna Hazare movement. It was a movement specifically targeted at the corruption in the Congress party. Today, if you are a Congress worker, you would say they are more corrupt than us," he said. The minister said people are benefiting from various schemes of the Modi government and the BJP will be getting a huge mandate in the upcoming elections. He said that 11 crore toilets have been constructed by the Modi government, and four crore houses have also been sanctioned under both Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Rural) and PMAY (Urban). "Currently, there are around 68 lakh beneficiaries of PM Street Vendors AtmaNirbhar Nidhi. During the Covid pandemic, their livelihood was affected badly, but the Modi government helped them by launching this scheme," he said. Loans worth Rs 11,000 crore have been disbursed so far under the scheme, the minister said. The BJP on Thursday dubbed the arrest of Shajahan Sheikh as a "legal protection" given to him by the West Bengal police. BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi slammed the state's ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) for not slapping Sheikh with the criminal charges levelled against him by women in Sandeshkhali. The complainant women have accused the local TMC strongman and some other party members of sexually assaulting them and grabbing land. Sheikh was arrested in the early hours of Thursday after being on the run for 55 days that witnessed violent protests led by the Sandeshkhali women and a fierce political slugfest. Trivedi claimed that Sheikh has been arrested in the case involving violent attack on Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials by a mob affiliated to him. The BJP leader asked at a press conference as to why the West Bengal police has in such a case not handed over his custody to the central agency. He said the video of Sheikh striding ahead with cops following him looked more like a case of him being escorted instead of being under arrest. The TMC leader was under "secular protection" all these days when he was supposedly on the run while he is now under legal protection, Trivedi said. Cardinal Health, Inc. (NYSE:CAH Free Report) Leerink Partnrs issued their Q3 2024 earnings estimates for Cardinal Health in a research report issued on Monday, February 26th. Leerink Partnrs analyst M. Cherny anticipates that the company will post earnings of $2.01 per share for the quarter. Leerink Partnrs has a Outperform rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Cardinal Healths current full-year earnings is $7.28 per share. Leerink Partnrs also issued estimates for Cardinal Healths Q4 2024 earnings at $1.80 EPS, FY2024 earnings at $7.34 EPS, Q1 2025 earnings at $1.85 EPS, Q2 2025 earnings at $1.94 EPS, Q3 2025 earnings at $2.25 EPS, Q4 2025 earnings at $2.09 EPS, FY2025 earnings at $8.12 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $9.21 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $11.43 EPS. Get Cardinal Health alerts: Cardinal Health (NYSE:CAH Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 1st. The company reported $1.82 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.56 by $0.26. Cardinal Health had a net margin of 0.30% and a negative return on equity of 57.44%. The firm had revenue of $57.45 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $57.02 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.32 earnings per share. Cardinal Healths revenue was up 11.6% on a year-over-year basis. Several other brokerages have also weighed in on CAH. Barclays initiated coverage on Cardinal Health in a research report on Wednesday, January 3rd. They issued an overweight rating and a $117.00 target price on the stock. SVB Leerink started coverage on shares of Cardinal Health in a report on Monday. They issued an outperform rating and a $125.00 price objective on the stock. TheStreet downgraded shares of Cardinal Health from a b- rating to a c+ rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of Cardinal Health from $101.00 to $112.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Friday, November 17th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company assumed coverage on shares of Cardinal Health in a research note on Thursday, December 14th. They issued an underweight rating and a $96.00 price target on the stock. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Cardinal Health currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $103.07. Read Our Latest Research Report on CAH Cardinal Health Trading Up 1.9 % Shares of NYSE CAH opened at $111.66 on Tuesday. Cardinal Health has a 12-month low of $68.53 and a 12-month high of $111.72. The company has a market cap of $27.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 43.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.95 and a beta of 0.69. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is $104.82 and its 200 day simple moving average is $98.45. Cardinal Health Dividend Announcement The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, April 1st will be issued a $0.5006 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 28th. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.79%. Cardinal Healths dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 78.74%. Institutional Inflows and Outflows A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Zurich Insurance Group Ltd FI boosted its position in shares of Cardinal Health by 2,761.9% during the 2nd quarter. Zurich Insurance Group Ltd FI now owns 538,038 shares of the companys stock valued at $50,882,000 after purchasing an additional 519,238 shares in the last quarter. Summit X LLC boosted its holdings in Cardinal Health by 6.8% during the second quarter. Summit X LLC now owns 3,685 shares of the companys stock worth $348,000 after buying an additional 234 shares in the last quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC grew its position in Cardinal Health by 9.3% in the third quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 84,096 shares of the companys stock worth $7,301,000 after buying an additional 7,174 shares during the last quarter. Alberta Investment Management Corp increased its holdings in shares of Cardinal Health by 4,446.0% in the second quarter. Alberta Investment Management Corp now owns 209,116 shares of the companys stock valued at $19,776,000 after buying an additional 204,516 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Forsta AP Fonden lifted its position in shares of Cardinal Health by 65.5% during the 3rd quarter. Forsta AP Fonden now owns 93,200 shares of the companys stock valued at $8,092,000 after acquiring an additional 36,900 shares during the last quarter. 86.01% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. About Cardinal Health (Get Free Report) Cardinal Health, Inc operates as a healthcare services and products company in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, and internationally. It provides customized solutions for hospitals, healthcare systems, pharmacies, ambulatory surgery centers, clinical laboratories, physician offices, and patients in the home. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Cardinal Health Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Cardinal Health and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shore Capital reissued their buy rating on shares of WPP (LON:WPP Free Report) in a research note published on Monday, Marketbeat.com reports. Other equities analysts have also issued reports about the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of WPP from GBX 850 ($10.78) to GBX 890 ($11.29) and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 31st. Barclays restated an overweight rating and set a GBX 1,000 ($12.68) price target on shares of WPP in a research report on Wednesday, January 31st. Finally, Numis Securities restated an add rating on shares of WPP in a research report on Monday, December 4th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, WPP currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of GBX 1,005.83 ($12.76). Get WPP alerts: Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on WPP WPP Price Performance WPP Increases Dividend WPP opened at GBX 713.80 ($9.05) on Monday. The company has a fifty day moving average of GBX 755.03 and a two-hundred day moving average of GBX 739.36. WPP has a fifty-two week low of GBX 656 ($8.32) and a fifty-two week high of GBX 1,045.50 ($13.26). The stock has a market capitalization of 7.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7,138.00, a PEG ratio of 13.47 and a beta of 1.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 179.40, a quick ratio of 0.89 and a current ratio of 0.86. The business also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 5th. Investors of record on Thursday, June 6th will be given a GBX 24.40 ($0.31) dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 3.13%. This is an increase from WPPs previous dividend of $15.00. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 6th. WPPs dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 39,000.00%. Insider Activity at WPP In other WPP news, insider Thomas Ilube acquired 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, December 11th. The shares were bought at an average cost of GBX 719 ($9.12) per share, with a total value of 14,380 ($18,239.47). Insiders own 0.31% of the companys stock. About WPP (Get Free Report) WPP plc, a creative transformation company, provides communications, experience, commerce, and technology services in North America, the United Kingdom, Western Continental Europe, the Asia Pacific, Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and Central and Eastern Europe. The company operates through three segments: Global Integrated Agencies, Public Relations, and Specialist Agencies. See Also Receive News & Ratings for WPP Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for WPP and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Abrdn Life Sciences Investors (NYSE:HQL Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant growth in short interest during the month of February. As of February 15th, there was short interest totalling 133,400 shares, a growth of 895.5% from the January 31st total of 13,400 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 136,900 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.0 days. Abrdn Life Sciences Investors Stock Down 0.7 % Shares of HQL stock opened at $13.91 on Thursday. The stocks 50-day moving average is $13.86 and its two-hundred day moving average is $12.95. Abrdn Life Sciences Investors has a 1 year low of $11.34 and a 1 year high of $14.37. Get Abrdn Life Sciences Investors alerts: Abrdn Life Sciences Investors Increases Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 28th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 22nd will be issued a dividend of $0.39 per share. This is a positive change from Abrdn Life Sciences Investorss previous quarterly dividend of $0.30. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, February 21st. This represents a $1.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 11.21%. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Abrdn Life Sciences Investors About Abrdn Life Sciences Investors Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Quantedge Capital Pte Ltd grew its holdings in shares of Abrdn Life Sciences Investors by 60.8% during the third quarter. Quantedge Capital Pte Ltd now owns 94,420 shares of the companys stock worth $1,177,000 after buying an additional 35,700 shares during the last quarter. 180 Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Abrdn Life Sciences Investors by 5.3% during the third quarter. 180 Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 114,724 shares of the companys stock worth $1,431,000 after buying an additional 5,725 shares during the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC grew its holdings in shares of Abrdn Life Sciences Investors by 12.3% during the third quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 347,615 shares of the companys stock worth $4,335,000 after buying an additional 38,000 shares during the last quarter. RPO LLC grew its holdings in shares of Abrdn Life Sciences Investors by 75.7% during the third quarter. RPO LLC now owns 327,042 shares of the companys stock worth $4,078,000 after buying an additional 140,942 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Wolverine Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Abrdn Life Sciences Investors by 36.8% during the third quarter. Wolverine Asset Management LLC now owns 322,158 shares of the companys stock worth $4,017,000 after buying an additional 86,671 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 19.70% of the companys stock. (Get Free Report) Abrdn Life Sciences Investors is a closed-ended equity mutual fund launched and managed by abrdn Inc The fund invests in public equity markets across the globe. It seeks to invest in stocks of companies operating in the life sciences sector, including the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, diagnostics, managed healthcare, medical equipment, hospitals, healthcare information technology and services, devices and supplies industries, and in agriculture and environmental management industries. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Abrdn Life Sciences Investors Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Abrdn Life Sciences Investors and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Trexquant Investment LP increased its holdings in Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:AIT Free Report) by 136.6% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 25,393 shares of the industrial products companys stock after acquiring an additional 14,661 shares during the period. Trexquant Investment LP owned approximately 0.07% of Applied Industrial Technologies worth $3,926,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Fox Run Management L.L.C. purchased a new position in Applied Industrial Technologies in the third quarter worth approximately $336,000. Ellevest Inc. grew its position in Applied Industrial Technologies by 62.0% in the second quarter. Ellevest Inc. now owns 1,494 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $216,000 after acquiring an additional 572 shares during the period. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC lifted its stake in Applied Industrial Technologies by 7.0% during the third quarter. Measured Wealth Private Client Group LLC now owns 4,707 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $728,000 after purchasing an additional 307 shares in the last quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Applied Industrial Technologies by 0.9% during the third quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC now owns 39,547 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $6,114,000 after purchasing an additional 364 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund lifted its stake in Applied Industrial Technologies by 494.2% during the third quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund now owns 26,013 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $4,022,000 after purchasing an additional 21,635 shares in the last quarter. 92.49% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Applied Industrial Technologies alerts: Insider Activity In other news, VP Warren E. Hoffner III sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $182.34, for a total value of $364,680.00. Following the sale, the vice president now directly owns 57,155 shares in the company, valued at $10,421,642.70. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 2.20% of the companys stock. Applied Industrial Technologies Stock Up 1.1 % NYSE:AIT opened at $190.90 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.03 and a beta of 1.07. The company has a quick ratio of 2.59, a current ratio of 3.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36. Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. has a 52 week low of $122.24 and a 52 week high of $191.46. The stocks fifty day moving average is $177.73 and its two-hundred day moving average is $165.16. Applied Industrial Technologies (NYSE:AIT Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 25th. The industrial products company reported $2.24 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.11 by $0.13. The business had revenue of $1.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.06 billion. Applied Industrial Technologies had a return on equity of 24.59% and a net margin of 8.39%. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 1.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.05 earnings per share. Research analysts anticipate that Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. will post 9.42 EPS for the current year. Applied Industrial Technologies Increases Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 29th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 15th will be paid a $0.37 dividend. This is a boost from Applied Industrial Technologiess previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. This represents a $1.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.78%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, February 14th. Applied Industrial Technologiess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 15.53%. Analyst Ratings Changes Separately, KeyCorp upped their price target on Applied Industrial Technologies from $182.00 to $195.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Friday, January 26th. Get Our Latest Analysis on Applied Industrial Technologies Applied Industrial Technologies Company Profile (Free Report) Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc distributes industrial motion, power, control, and automation technology solutions in North America, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore. It operates in two segments, Service Center Based Distribution, and Engineered Solutions. The company distributes bearings, power transmission products, engineered fluid power components and systems, specialty flow control solutions, advanced automation products, industrial rubber products, linear motion components, automation solutions, tools, safety products, oilfield supplies, and other industrial and maintenance supplies; and motors, belting, drives, couplings, pumps, hydraulic and pneumatic components, filtration supplies, valves, fittings, process instrumentation, actuators, and hoses, filtration supplies, as well as other related supplies for general operational needs of customers' machinery and equipment. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AIT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:AIT Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Applied Industrial Technologies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Applied Industrial Technologies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Bamco Inc. NY lessened its position in shares of Tanger Inc. (NYSE:SKT Free Report) by 0.9% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 138,725 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock after selling 1,300 shares during the quarter. Bamco Inc. NY owned approximately 0.13% of Tanger worth $3,135,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Van ECK Associates Corp grew its position in Tanger by 4.3% during the third quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 11,968 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $270,000 after buying an additional 496 shares during the period. Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. grew its position in shares of Tanger by 7.6% in the second quarter. Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. now owns 8,444 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $186,000 after purchasing an additional 597 shares during the period. M&T Bank Corp grew its position in shares of Tanger by 6.0% in the third quarter. M&T Bank Corp now owns 10,623 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $144,000 after purchasing an additional 602 shares during the period. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC grew its position in shares of Tanger by 1.9% in the second quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 34,682 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $765,000 after purchasing an additional 655 shares during the period. Finally, US Bancorp DE grew its position in shares of Tanger by 10.3% in the second quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 8,804 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $194,000 after purchasing an additional 822 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 84.94% of the companys stock. Get Tanger alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets Several research firms have recently weighed in on SKT. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of Tanger from a neutral rating to an overweight rating and raised their price target for the stock from $27.00 to $29.00 in a research note on Monday, December 18th. Evercore ISI lifted their target price on shares of Tanger from $28.00 to $29.00 and gave the stock an in-line rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Compass Point cut Tanger from a buy rating to a neutral rating and set a $26.00 price objective for the company. in a research note on Wednesday, November 8th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $25.67. Tanger Stock Performance Shares of SKT stock opened at $28.54 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.11 billion, a PE ratio of 31.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.61 and a beta of 1.83. Tanger Inc. has a 52-week low of $17.22 and a 52-week high of $29.39. The stocks 50-day moving average price is $27.57 and its 200 day moving average price is $25.27. The company has a quick ratio of 0.19, a current ratio of 0.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.43. Tanger Dividend Announcement The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 15th. Investors of record on Wednesday, January 31st were given a $0.26 dividend. This represents a $1.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.64%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, January 30th. Tangers dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 113.04%. Tanger Company Profile (Free Report) Tanger Factory Outlet Centers, Inc (NYSE: SKT), a leading operator of upscale open-air outlet centers, fully or partially owns and/or manages a portfolio of 37 centers, including the newly opened Tanger Outlets Nashville. Tanger's operating centers, which comprise over 14 million square feet, are located in 20 states and in Canada and are leased to over 2,900 stores operated by more than 700 different brand name companies. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding SKT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Tanger Inc. (NYSE:SKT Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Tanger Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Tanger and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. TELUS International (Cda) (NYSE:TIXT Free Report) had its target price upped by Barclays from $10.00 to $12.00 in a research report sent to investors on Monday, Benzinga reports. They currently have an equal weight rating on the stock. A number of other equities analysts have also issued reports on TIXT. CIBC increased their target price on shares of TELUS International (Cda) from $19.00 to $21.50 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, January 11th. TheStreet upgraded shares of TELUS International (Cda) from a d rating to a c- rating in a research report on Monday, February 12th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their target price on shares of TELUS International (Cda) from $12.00 to $8.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research report on Monday, November 6th. Citigroup increased their target price on shares of TELUS International (Cda) from $9.00 to $10.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Monday, February 12th. Finally, TD Securities increased their target price on shares of TELUS International (Cda) from $10.50 to $11.50 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Monday, February 12th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given 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 $14.29. Get TELUS International (Cda) alerts: Get Our Latest Research Report on TIXT TELUS International (Cda) Stock Down 5.0 % TIXT stock opened at $10.66 on Monday. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $9.30 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $8.19. The firm has a market cap of $778.67 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 71.04, a PEG ratio of 11.88 and a beta of 0.85. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 1.14 and a quick ratio of 1.14. TELUS International has a 1-year low of $6.03 and a 1-year high of $22.52. TELUS International (Cda) (NYSE:TIXT Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 9th. The company reported $0.26 EPS for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.26. The business had revenue of $692.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $691.00 million. TELUS International (Cda) had a net margin of 1.99% and a return on equity of 11.74%. The companys quarterly revenue was up 9.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.34 earnings per share. Research analysts predict that TELUS International will post 0.89 EPS for the current year. Institutional Trading of TELUS International (Cda) Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Lazard Asset Management LLC bought a new position in TELUS International (Cda) during the first quarter valued at approximately $46,000. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of TELUS International (Cda) in the third quarter worth $25,000. BNP Paribas Arbitrage SNC acquired a new stake in shares of TELUS International (Cda) in the third quarter worth $101,000. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of TELUS International (Cda) in the third quarter worth $30,000. Finally, Citigroup Inc. grew its stake in shares of TELUS International (Cda) by 18.8% in the first quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 4,781 shares of the companys stock worth $96,000 after acquiring an additional 755 shares during the last quarter. 59.55% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. TELUS International (Cda) Company Profile (Get Free Report) TELUS International (Cda) Inc design, builds, and delivers digital solutions for customer experience (CX) in the Asia-Pacific, the Central America, Europe, Africa, North America, and internationally. 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 Articles 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. Gotham Asset Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Boyd Gaming Co. (NYSE:BYD Free Report) by 49.5% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 116,221 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 38,501 shares during the quarter. Gotham Asset Management LLC owned about 0.12% of Boyd Gaming worth $7,070,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of BYD. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust grew its holdings in shares of Boyd Gaming by 105.5% during the 3rd quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 411 shares of the companys stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 211 shares during the period. Belpointe Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in Boyd Gaming by 237.6% in the 1st quarter. Belpointe Asset Management LLC now owns 655 shares of the companys stock worth $42,000 after acquiring an additional 461 shares during the period. Quarry LP boosted its holdings in Boyd Gaming by 130.3% in the 1st quarter. Quarry LP now owns 822 shares of the companys stock worth $53,000 after acquiring an additional 465 shares during the period. Quadrant Capital Group LLC boosted its holdings in Boyd Gaming by 73.1% in the 2nd quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 1,208 shares of the companys stock worth $84,000 after acquiring an additional 510 shares during the period. Finally, Sunbelt Securities Inc. purchased a new position in Boyd Gaming in the 1st quarter worth approximately $86,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 67.98% of the companys stock. Get Boyd Gaming alerts: Boyd Gaming Stock Up 1.3 % NYSE BYD traded up $0.82 during trading on Thursday, reaching $64.78. 107,419 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 703,952. Boyd Gaming Co. has a fifty-two week low of $52.42 and a fifty-two week high of $73.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.22 billion, a PE ratio of 10.49, a P/E/G ratio of 2.94 and a beta of 1.61. The company has a current ratio of 0.89, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.65. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $63.49 and its 200-day simple moving average is $61.85. Boyd Gaming Announces Dividend Boyd Gaming ( NYSE:BYD Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 8th. The company reported $1.66 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.43 by $0.23. The business had revenue of $954.41 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $928.04 million. Boyd Gaming had a return on equity of 36.97% and a net margin of 16.58%. The firms revenue was up 3.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.72 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Boyd Gaming Co. will post 6.18 EPS for the current year. The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, January 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 22nd were issued a dividend of $0.16 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, December 21st. This represents a $0.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.99%. Boyd Gamings dividend payout ratio is 10.49%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of equities analysts have weighed in on the company. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on Boyd Gaming from $81.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Friday, February 9th. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on Boyd Gaming from $70.00 to $71.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Wednesday. Truist Financial increased their target price on Boyd Gaming from $76.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Friday, February 9th. Susquehanna reaffirmed a neutral rating and issued a $75.00 target price (down from $84.00) on shares of Boyd Gaming in a research report on Monday, February 12th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Boyd Gaming from $78.00 to $80.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Friday, February 9th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $75.78. View Our Latest Stock Report on Boyd Gaming Insider Activity In other Boyd Gaming news, Chairman Marianne Boyd Johnson sold 77,661 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $64.87, for a total transaction of $5,037,869.07. Following the transaction, the chairman now directly owns 1,511,433 shares in the company, valued at $98,046,658.71. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. In other news, COO Ted Bogich sold 41,631 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $64.79, for a total transaction of $2,697,272.49. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer now owns 66,803 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,328,166.37. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Chairman Marianne Boyd Johnson sold 77,661 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $64.87, for a total value of $5,037,869.07. Following the transaction, the chairman now directly owns 1,511,433 shares in the company, valued at approximately $98,046,658.71. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 27.94% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. About Boyd Gaming (Free Report) Boyd Gaming Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a multi-jurisdictional gaming company in Nevada, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. The company operates through Las Vegas Locals, Downtown Las Vegas, Midwest & South, and Online segments. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Boyd Gaming Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Boyd Gaming and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of ChargePoint Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CHPT Get Free Report) have received an average rating of Hold from the nineteen analysts that are covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $7.05. Several equities analysts recently commented on the stock. Bank of America downgraded shares of ChargePoint from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a report on Monday, November 20th. Benchmark assumed coverage on shares of ChargePoint in a report on Wednesday, February 21st. They set a buy rating and a $4.25 price target on the stock. B. Riley downgraded shares of ChargePoint from a buy rating to a neutral rating and cut their price target for the company from $5.00 to $2.50 in a report on Thursday, December 7th. Janney Montgomery Scott downgraded shares of ChargePoint from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a report on Friday, November 17th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of ChargePoint from $8.00 to $5.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Friday, November 17th. Get ChargePoint alerts: Get Our Latest Research Report on CHPT Insiders Place Their Bets Institutional Trading of ChargePoint In other ChargePoint news, insider Michael D. Hughes sold 13,995 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $2.42, for a total value of $33,867.90. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 855,947 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,071,391.74. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link . Over the last quarter, insiders sold 38,375 shares of company stock valued at $92,868. Insiders own 12.90% of the companys stock. Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Rafferty Asset Management LLC grew its position in ChargePoint by 121.9% during the third quarter. Rafferty Asset Management LLC now owns 56,631 shares of the companys stock valued at $281,000 after buying an additional 31,106 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its position in ChargePoint by 9.8% during the second quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 928,924 shares of the companys stock valued at $8,165,000 after buying an additional 82,917 shares during the period. Trillium Asset Management LLC grew its position in ChargePoint by 10.4% during the third quarter. Trillium Asset Management LLC now owns 358,124 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,780,000 after buying an additional 33,607 shares during the period. Van ECK Associates Corp grew its position in shares of ChargePoint by 12.9% in the second quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 96,411 shares of the companys stock valued at $847,000 after purchasing an additional 11,047 shares during the period. Finally, Olympiad Research LP grew its position in shares of ChargePoint by 195.7% in the third quarter. Olympiad Research LP now owns 64,659 shares of the companys stock valued at $321,000 after purchasing an additional 42,793 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 45.01% of the companys stock. ChargePoint Stock Down 1.2 % Shares of NYSE CHPT opened at $1.99 on Thursday. The firms 50-day moving average price is $2.08 and its 200-day moving average price is $3.42. The company has a current ratio of 2.34, a quick ratio of 1.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. The stock has a market capitalization of $829.79 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -1.60 and a beta of 1.63. ChargePoint has a 12-month low of $1.56 and a 12-month high of $11.58. ChargePoint (NYSE:CHPT Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, December 6th. The company reported ($0.43) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.31) by ($0.12). The business had revenue of $110.30 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $124.92 million. ChargePoint had a negative net margin of 81.10% and a negative return on equity of 119.40%. The firms quarterly revenue was down 12.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted ($0.24) earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that ChargePoint will post -1.11 EPS for the current fiscal year. About ChargePoint (Get Free Report ChargePoint Holdings, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides electric vehicle (EV) charging networks and charging solutions in the United States and internationally. It offers a portfolio of hardware, software, and services for commercial, fleet, and residential customers. ChargePoint Holdings, Inc was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in Campbell, California. See Also Receive News & Ratings for ChargePoint Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for ChargePoint and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC increased its holdings in Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE:CMG Free Report) by 351.5% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,693 shares of the restaurant operators stock after purchasing an additional 1,318 shares during the period. Tower Research Capital LLC TRCs holdings in Chipotle Mexican Grill were worth $3,101,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Coppell Advisory Solutions LLC bought a new stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill during the second quarter worth about $32,000. IMA Wealth Inc. grew its stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 185.7% during the first quarter. IMA Wealth Inc. now owns 20 shares of the restaurant operators stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 13 shares during the last quarter. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill during the third quarter worth about $38,000. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC bought a new stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill during the second quarter worth about $39,000. Finally, Tyler Stone Wealth Management bought a new stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill during the second quarter worth about $43,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 91.19% of the companys stock. Get Chipotle Mexican Grill alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades CMG has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price objective on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $2,185.00 to $2,425.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Friday, December 1st. Stephens increased their price target on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $2,800.00 to $3,000.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 7th. KeyCorp increased their price target 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 increased 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 note on Wednesday, February 7th. Finally, Barclays increased their price target on shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill from $2,246.00 to $2,400.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 7th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and sixteen have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, Chipotle Mexican Grill has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $2,469.88. Insider Buying and Selling In related news, Director Albert S. Baldocchi sold 750 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $2,608.51, for a total transaction of $1,956,382.50. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 37,271 shares in the company, valued at $97,221,776.21. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In related news, Director Albert S. Baldocchi sold 750 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $2,608.51, for a total value of $1,956,382.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 37,271 shares of the companys stock, valued at $97,221,776.21. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Roger E. Theodoredis sold 898 shares of the firms stock in a transaction 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 completion of the transaction, 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 have sold a total of 5,837 shares of company stock worth $14,012,071 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.96% of the companys stock. Chipotle Mexican Grill Stock Performance CMG opened at $2,671.72 on Thursday. The firms fifty day moving average is $2,416.12 and its two-hundred day moving average is $2,144.62. The firm has a market cap of $73.26 billion, a PE ratio of 60.24, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.27 and a beta of 1.29. Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. has a twelve month low of $1,470.05 and a twelve month high of $2,725.83. Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 6th. The restaurant operator reported $10.36 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $9.73 by $0.63. Chipotle Mexican Grill had a net margin of 12.45% and a return on equity of 44.41%. The business had revenue of $2.52 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.49 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $8.29 earnings per share. The firms quarterly revenue was up 15.4% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts forecast that Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. will post 53.21 EPS for the current fiscal year. Chipotle Mexican Grill Company Profile (Free Report) Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, owns and operates Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurants. The company offers burritos, burrito bowls, quesadillas, tacos, and salads. Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Newport Beach, California. Further Reading 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. CNO Financial Group (NYSE:CNO Free Report) had its price objective increased by Evercore ISI from $26.00 to $27.00 in a research report released on Wednesday morning, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an underperform rating on the financial services providers stock. CNO has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Royal Bank of Canada raised their target price on shares of CNO Financial Group from $29.00 to $30.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday, February 8th. StockNews.com raised shares of CNO Financial Group from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $25.80. Get CNO Financial Group alerts: View Our Latest Analysis on CNO Financial Group CNO Financial Group Stock Performance NYSE:CNO opened at $26.71 on Wednesday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.19, a current ratio of 0.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.50. The company has a market cap of $2.91 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.08 and a beta of 1.04. CNO Financial Group has a fifty-two week low of $19.95 and a fifty-two week high of $28.39. The firms 50 day moving average is $27.25 and its two-hundred day moving average is $25.40. CNO Financial Group (NYSE:CNO Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 6th. The financial services provider reported $1.18 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.85 by $0.33. The company had revenue of $1.17 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $934.05 million. CNO Financial Group had a net margin of 6.67% and a return on equity of 17.51%. Analysts expect that CNO Financial Group will post 3.08 EPS for the current year. CNO Financial Group Announces Dividend The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 22nd. Investors of record on Friday, March 8th will be issued a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.25%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 7th. CNO Financial Groups payout ratio is 24.90%. Insider Activity at CNO Financial Group In related news, CMO Rocco F. Tarasi III sold 1,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, December 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $27.00, for a total transaction of $27,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief marketing officer now directly owns 73,468 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,983,636. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In other CNO Financial Group news, EVP Matthew J. Zimpfer sold 3,220 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $26.76, for a total transaction of $86,167.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 278,997 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $7,465,959.72. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CMO Rocco F. Tarasi III sold 1,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, December 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $27.00, for a total transaction of $27,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief marketing officer now directly owns 73,468 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,983,636. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders sold 13,197 shares of company stock valued at $355,853. Corporate insiders own 3.00% of the companys stock. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. BlackRock Inc. grew its holdings in CNO Financial Group by 4.1% during the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 15,806,159 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $350,739,000 after acquiring an additional 626,454 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of CNO Financial Group by 1.5% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 13,422,523 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $241,203,000 after buying an additional 198,429 shares during the period. State Street Corp boosted its holdings in shares of CNO Financial Group by 2.3% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 4,618,263 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $83,544,000 after buying an additional 102,569 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of CNO Financial Group by 48.4% in the 2nd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 4,332,549 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $102,551,000 after buying an additional 1,413,511 shares during the period. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of CNO Financial Group by 4.3% in the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 2,295,818 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $54,342,000 after buying an additional 95,291 shares during the period. 94.28% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. CNO Financial Group Company Profile (Get Free Report) CNO Financial Group, Inc, through its subsidiaries, develops, markets, and administers health insurance, annuity, individual life insurance, insurance products, and financial services for senior and middle-income markets in the United States. It offers Medicare supplement, supplemental health, and long-term care insurance policies; life insurance; and annuities, as well as Medicare advantage plans to individuals through phone, online, mail, and face-to-face. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for CNO Financial Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for CNO Financial Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Corton Capital Inc. purchased a new stake in Lennar Co. (NYSE:LEN Free Report) during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 3,211 shares of the construction companys stock, valued at approximately $360,000. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of LEN. First Trust Advisors LP increased its holdings in Lennar by 551.1% in the 1st quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 1,824,684 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $191,793,000 after buying an additional 1,544,432 shares during the period. Duquesne Family Office LLC bought a new stake in shares of Lennar in the 4th quarter worth about $39,991,000. Nomura Holdings Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Lennar by 236.0% in the 1st quarter. Nomura Holdings Inc. now owns 229,341 shares of the construction companys stock worth $24,106,000 after purchasing an additional 397,951 shares during the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its holdings in shares of Lennar by 94.1% in the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 667,414 shares of the construction companys stock worth $60,401,000 after purchasing an additional 323,531 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Prudential Financial Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Lennar by 65.5% in the 1st quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. now owns 790,021 shares of the construction companys stock worth $64,127,000 after purchasing an additional 312,595 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 79.87% of the companys stock. Get Lennar alerts: Insider Transactions at Lennar In other news, VP Mark Sustana sold 37,304 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $146.38, for a total transaction of $5,460,559.52. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 18,694 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,736,427.72. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. In related news, CFO Diane J. Bessette sold 10,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $147.73, for a total value of $1,477,300.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 260,556 shares of the companys stock, valued at $38,491,937.88. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, VP Mark Sustana sold 37,304 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $146.38, for a total transaction of $5,460,559.52. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 18,694 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,736,427.72. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 9.53% of the companys stock. Lennar Stock Up 2.0 % NYSE LEN traded up $3.01 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $156.81. 734,091 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,943,494. The companys 50-day moving average is $150.83 and its two-hundred day moving average is $130.81. Lennar Co. has a one year low of $94.11 and a one year high of $158.36. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a quick ratio of 1.72 and a current ratio of 6.12. The company has a market capitalization of $44.04 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.01 and a beta of 1.53. Lennar (NYSE:LEN Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Friday, December 15th. The construction company reported $4.82 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $4.59 by $0.23. Lennar had a return on equity of 15.84% and a net margin of 11.51%. The business had revenue of $10.97 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $10.22 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $5.02 EPS. Lennars revenue for the quarter was up 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts forecast that Lennar Co. will post 14.36 EPS for the current fiscal year. Lennar Increases Dividend The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 7th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, January 24th were paid a dividend of $0.50 per share. This is a boost from Lennars previous quarterly dividend of $0.38. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.28%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, January 23rd. Lennars dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 14.53%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several research firms have recently weighed in on LEN. JMP Securities upped their target price on shares of Lennar from $150.00 to $170.00 and gave the stock a market outperform rating in a report on Tuesday, December 19th. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price objective on shares of Lennar from $138.00 to $158.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Monday, December 18th. StockNews.com raised shares of Lennar from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Friday, December 15th. Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on shares of Lennar in a report on Monday, November 27th. They set a hold rating and a $117.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada increased their price objective on shares of Lennar from $114.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock an underperform rating in a report on Monday, December 18th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $140.53. Read Our Latest Analysis on Lennar Lennar Profile (Free Report) Lennar Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a homebuilder primarily under the Lennar brand in the United States. It operates through Homebuilding East, Homebuilding Central, Homebuilding Texas, Homebuilding West, Financial Services, Multifamily, and Lennar Other segments. The company's homebuilding operations include the construction and sale of single-family attached and detached homes, as well as the purchase, development, and sale of residential land; and development, construction, and management of multifamily rental properties. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding LEN? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Lennar Co. (NYSE:LEN Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Lennar Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Lennar and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Ellsworth Growth and Income Fund Ltd. (NYSEAMERICAN:ECF Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest in the month of February. As of February 15th, there was short interest totalling 21,000 shares, a growth of 950.0% from the January 31st total of 2,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 58,700 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.4 days. Institutional Trading of Ellsworth Growth and Income Fund A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in ECF. Advisor Partners II LLC bought a new position in Ellsworth Growth and Income Fund in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $329,000. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in Ellsworth Growth and Income Fund by 4.7% in the 3rd quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 30,994 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $249,000 after purchasing an additional 1,399 shares during the last quarter. Imprint Wealth LLC bought a new position in Ellsworth Growth and Income Fund in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $1,067,000. Wells Fargo & Company MN lifted its stake in Ellsworth Growth and Income Fund by 57.8% in the 2nd quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 553,658 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $4,761,000 after purchasing an additional 202,902 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Captrust Financial Advisors lifted its stake in Ellsworth Growth and Income Fund by 57.7% in the 2nd quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 52,272 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $450,000 after purchasing an additional 19,127 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 30.72% of the companys stock. Get Ellsworth Growth and Income Fund alerts: Ellsworth Growth and Income Fund Stock Down 0.7 % Shares of Ellsworth Growth and Income Fund stock opened at $8.00 on Thursday. Ellsworth Growth and Income Fund has a 1-year low of $7.02 and a 1-year high of $8.91. Ellsworth Growth and Income Fund Company Profile Ellsworth Growth and Income Fund Ltd. is a closed-ended equity mutual fund launched by GAMCO Investors, Inc The fund is managed by Gabelli Funds, LLC. It invests in the public equity markets. The fund primarily invests in convertible securities. It invests in stocks of companies across market capitalizations. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Ellsworth Growth and Income Fund Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ellsworth Growth and Income Fund and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Employers Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:EIG Get Free Report) shares gapped down prior to trading on Tuesday . The stock had previously closed at $46.08, but opened at $44.08. Employers shares last traded at $45.53, with a volume of 12,924 shares traded. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In EIG has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Truist Financial lifted their price objective on shares of Employers from $53.00 to $55.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 20th. Janney Montgomery Scott lowered shares of Employers from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a report on Tuesday. Get Employers alerts: Get Our Latest Analysis on EIG Employers Stock Performance The stock has a market cap of $1.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.21 and a beta of 0.22. The firms 50 day moving average is $41.39 and its 200 day moving average is $39.91. Employers (NYSE:EIG Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, February 16th. The financial services provider reported $1.40 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.00 by $0.40. The firm had revenue of $225.70 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $215.38 million. Employers had a net margin of 13.88% and a return on equity of 10.54%. Employerss revenue was up 1.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.25 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that Employers Holdings, Inc. will post 3.6 EPS for the current fiscal year. Employers Dividend Announcement The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 13th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, February 28th will be given a dividend of $0.28 per share. This represents a $1.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.45%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 27th. Employerss dividend payout ratio is presently 25.06%. Institutional Trading of Employers Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its position in Employers by 7.8% during the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 6,500 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $257,000 after purchasing an additional 469 shares during the last quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV grew its position in Employers by 12.0% during the 4th quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 7,534 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $297,000 after purchasing an additional 806 shares during the last quarter. Barclays PLC grew its position in Employers by 125.4% during the 4th quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 49,307 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,943,000 after purchasing an additional 27,427 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Employers by 0.5% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,154,256 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $124,278,000 after acquiring an additional 16,997 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Occudo Quantitative Strategies LP boosted its holdings in shares of Employers by 104.7% in the 4th quarter. Occudo Quantitative Strategies LP now owns 15,978 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $630,000 after acquiring an additional 8,174 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.57% of the companys stock. About Employers (Get Free Report) Employers Holdings, Inc, through its subsidiaries, operates in the commercial property and casualty insurance industry primarily in the United States. The company operates in two segments, Employers and Cerity. It offers workers' compensation insurance to small businesses in low to medium hazard industries under the Employers and Cerity brands. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Employers Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Employers and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Fred Alger Management LLC raised its position in shares of Summit Materials, Inc. (NYSE:SUM Free Report) by 32.6% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 842,946 shares of the construction companys stock after acquiring an additional 207,309 shares during the period. Fred Alger Management LLCs holdings in Summit Materials were worth $26,249,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Summit Materials by 4.4% during the second quarter. Ameritas Investment Partners Inc. now owns 9,872 shares of the construction companys stock worth $374,000 after acquiring an additional 415 shares during the period. Oliver Luxxe Assets LLC boosted its stake in shares of Summit Materials by 26.2% in the third quarter. Oliver Luxxe Assets LLC now owns 82,361 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $2,565,000 after buying an additional 17,101 shares during the period. Raymond James & Associates boosted its stake in shares of Summit Materials by 96.5% in the third quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 159,926 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $4,980,000 after buying an additional 78,544 shares during the period. Rhumbline Advisers boosted its stake in shares of Summit Materials by 1.5% in the third quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 199,915 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $6,225,000 after buying an additional 2,921 shares during the period. Finally, AE Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Summit Materials in the third quarter valued at approximately $532,000. Get Summit Materials alerts: Summit Materials Price Performance Shares of NYSE:SUM traded up $0.57 during trading on Thursday, hitting $42.96. 124,979 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 941,230. The company has a market capitalization of $7.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.81 and a beta of 1.30. Summit Materials, Inc. has a 1-year low of $25.43 and a 1-year high of $43.23. The businesss 50 day moving average is $38.00 and its 200-day moving average is $35.60. The company has a quick ratio of 4.62, a current ratio of 5.36 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Summit Materials ( NYSE:SUM Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 14th. The construction company reported $0.31 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.27 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $613.13 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $560.90 million. Summit Materials had a return on equity of 8.73% and a net margin of 10.91%. Summit Materialss quarterly revenue was up 19.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.32 earnings per share. Equities analysts forecast that Summit Materials, Inc. will post 2.42 earnings per share for the current year. Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Stephens reiterated an overweight rating and issued a $45.00 price target on shares of Summit Materials in a research note on Tuesday, February 13th. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated a sector perform rating and issued a $38.00 price target on shares of Summit Materials in a research note on Tuesday, February 13th. Truist Financial upped their target price on Summit Materials from $43.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Friday, February 16th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. started coverage on Summit Materials in a research note on Friday, February 23rd. They set an overweight rating and a $47.00 target price for the company. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $42.30. Get Our Latest Stock Report on SUM Summit Materials Profile (Free Report) Summit Materials, Inc operates as a vertically integrated construction materials company. It operates in three segments: West, East, and Cement. The company offers aggregates, cement, ready-mix concrete, asphalt paving mixes, and concrete products, as well as plastics components. It also provides asphalt paving and related services. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding SUM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Summit Materials, Inc. (NYSE:SUM Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Summit Materials Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Summit Materials and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Gotham Asset Management LLC lowered its holdings in EOG Resources, Inc. (NYSE:EOG Free Report) by 58.6% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 55,343 shares of the energy exploration companys stock after selling 78,318 shares during the quarter. Gotham Asset Management LLCs holdings in EOG Resources were worth $7,015,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Prospera Financial Services Inc raised its stake in shares of EOG Resources by 196.9% during the 2nd quarter. Prospera Financial Services Inc now owns 7,593 shares of the energy exploration companys stock worth $870,000 after acquiring an additional 5,036 shares in the last quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. bought a new position in shares of EOG Resources during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $4,431,000. Capital International Inc. CA raised its stake in shares of EOG Resources by 21.0% during the 2nd quarter. Capital International Inc. CA now owns 122,241 shares of the energy exploration companys stock worth $13,989,000 after acquiring an additional 21,223 shares in the last quarter. Paradigm Financial Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of EOG Resources by 0.9% during the 3rd quarter. Paradigm Financial Partners LLC now owns 30,004 shares of the energy exploration companys stock worth $3,728,000 after acquiring an additional 271 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of EOG Resources by 4.5% during the 2nd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 12,791,379 shares of the energy exploration companys stock worth $1,463,845,000 after acquiring an additional 551,835 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 89.21% of the companys stock. Get EOG Resources alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In EOG has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company lowered shares of EOG Resources from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating and reduced their price objective for the stock from $150.00 to $130.00 in a research note on Thursday, December 14th. Susquehanna dropped their target price on shares of EOG Resources from $164.00 to $147.00 and set a positive rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 26th. Raymond James dropped their target price on shares of EOG Resources from $148.00 to $145.00 and set a strong-buy rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 24th. Mizuho dropped their target price on shares of EOG Resources from $150.00 to $138.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 3rd. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus dropped their target price on shares of EOG Resources from $165.00 to $163.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, January 23rd. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, EOG Resources currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $142.40. EOG Resources Price Performance Shares of NYSE EOG traded up $0.75 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $114.92. The companys stock had a trading volume of 712,710 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,178,775. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $115.38 and a two-hundred day moving average of $122.59. The stock has a market capitalization of $66.65 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.78, a P/E/G ratio of 0.34 and a beta of 1.40. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a quick ratio of 2.13 and a current ratio of 2.44. EOG Resources, Inc. has a 1-year low of $98.52 and a 1-year high of $136.79. EOG Resources (NYSE:EOG Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Friday, February 23rd. The energy exploration company reported $3.07 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $3.14 by ($0.07). The business had revenue of $6.36 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.18 billion. EOG Resources had a net margin of 31.40% and a return on equity of 25.38%. EOG Resourcess quarterly revenue was down 5.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $3.30 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that EOG Resources, Inc. will post 11.75 EPS for the current fiscal year. EOG Resources Announces Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 30th. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 16th will be given a dividend of $0.91 per share. This represents a $3.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.17%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, April 15th. EOG Resourcess payout ratio is currently 27.98%. About EOG Resources (Free Report) EOG Resources, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, explores for, develops, produces, and markets crude oil, and natural gas and natural gas liquids. Its principal producing areas are in New Mexico and Texas in the United States; and the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. The company was formerly known as Enron Oil & Gas Company. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for EOG Resources Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for EOG Resources and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Computer Modelling Group Ltd. (TSE:CMG Get Free Report) Senior Officer Robert David Hicks sold 10,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of C$10.15, for a total transaction of C$101,500.00. Robert David Hicks also recently made the following trade(s): Get Computer Modelling Group alerts: On Wednesday, February 28th, Robert David Hicks sold 20,000 shares of Computer Modelling Group stock. The shares were sold at an average price of C$10.15, for a total transaction of C$203,000.00. Computer Modelling Group Stock Performance Shares of TSE:CMG opened at C$10.02 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of C$813.92 million, a P/E ratio of 34.55, a P/E/G ratio of 1.97 and a beta of 1.13. Computer Modelling Group Ltd. has a 1-year low of C$6.21 and a 1-year high of C$10.76. The company has a current ratio of 1.76, a quick ratio of 2.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 59.81. The business has a 50-day moving average price of C$9.76 and a two-hundred day moving average price of C$9.40. Computer Modelling Group Dividend Announcement Computer Modelling Group ( TSE:CMG Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 7th. The company reported C$0.08 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of C$0.08. The firm had revenue of C$33.01 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of C$31.65 million. Computer Modelling Group had a return on equity of 42.70% and a net margin of 25.10%. Equities analysts predict that Computer Modelling Group Ltd. will post 0.3499142 earnings per share for the current year. The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.05 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 6th. This represents a $0.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.00%. Computer Modelling Groups dividend payout ratio is currently 68.97%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several brokerages have recently commented on CMG. Echelon Wealth Partners restated a buy rating on shares of Computer Modelling Group in a research note on Tuesday, November 14th. Barclays lifted their price target on Computer Modelling Group from C$8.00 to C$9.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a report on Tuesday, February 20th. National Bankshares set a C$12.50 price target on Computer Modelling Group and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Thursday, January 25th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on Computer Modelling Group from C$10.00 to C$11.50 and gave the company a market perform rating in a report on Tuesday, November 14th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group lifted their price target on Computer Modelling Group from C$10.50 to C$11.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Friday, February 9th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Computer Modelling Group has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of C$10.83. Read Our Latest Report on Computer Modelling Group About Computer Modelling Group (Get Free Report) Computer Modelling Group Ltd., a computer software technology company, engages in the development and licensing of reservoir simulation software and related services in Canada and internationally. The company offers CMOST-AI, an intelligent optimization and analysis tool that offers solution for reservoir by combining advanced statistical analysis, machine learning, and non-biased data interpretation; IMEX, a black oil simulator that is used to model primary and secondary oil recovery processes in conventional and unconventional reservoirs; and GEM, an equation-of-state reservoir simulator for compositional, chemical, and unconventional reservoir modelling. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Computer Modelling Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Computer Modelling Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. decreased its holdings in Synchrony Financial (NYSE:SYF Free Report) by 29.2% in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,713 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 707 shares during the period. Itau Unibanco Holding S.A.s holdings in Synchrony Financial were worth $52,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. Other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. increased its position in shares of Synchrony Financial by 8.0% during the first quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 16,251 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $566,000 after purchasing an additional 1,205 shares in the last quarter. Panagora Asset Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Synchrony Financial by 30.3% during the first quarter. Panagora Asset Management Inc. now owns 33,337 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,160,000 after buying an additional 7,753 shares during the last quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS grew its holdings in shares of Synchrony Financial by 1.5% during the first quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS now owns 69,748 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $2,428,000 after buying an additional 1,057 shares during the last quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Synchrony Financial by 2.3% during the first quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC now owns 101,114 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $3,520,000 after buying an additional 2,310 shares during the last quarter. Finally, National Pension Service grew its holdings in shares of Synchrony Financial by 0.9% during the first quarter. National Pension Service now owns 962,162 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $33,493,000 after buying an additional 8,110 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 94.72% of the companys stock. Get Synchrony Financial alerts: Synchrony Financial Stock Performance Shares of SYF stock opened at $40.87 on Thursday. Synchrony Financial has a 52 week low of $26.59 and a 52 week high of $41.24. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $38.57 and a two-hundred day moving average of $33.88. The stock has a market capitalization of $16.63 billion, a PE ratio of 7.89, a P/E/G ratio of 0.96 and a beta of 1.62. The company has a quick ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 1.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.21. Synchrony Financial Announces Dividend Synchrony Financial ( NYSE:SYF Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 23rd. The financial services provider reported $1.03 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.93 by $0.10. Synchrony Financial had a net margin of 10.68% and a return on equity of 17.37%. The firm had revenue of $5.55 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.45 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.26 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Synchrony Financial will post 5.74 EPS for the current fiscal year. The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 5th were issued a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.45%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 2nd. Synchrony Financials payout ratio is 19.31%. Insider Activity In other Synchrony Financial news, insider Bart Schaller sold 4,644 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $37.50, for a total value of $174,150.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 60,266 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,259,975. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other news, insider David P. Melito sold 7,283 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $38.99, for a total value of $283,964.17. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 14,183 shares of the companys stock, valued at $552,995.17. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Bart Schaller sold 4,644 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $37.50, for a total transaction of $174,150.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 60,266 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,259,975. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 12,460 shares of company stock valued at $477,302 over the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 0.65% of the companys stock. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In SYF has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. TD Cowen began coverage on shares of Synchrony Financial in a research note on Wednesday, November 1st. They set an outperform rating and a $34.00 target price on the stock. Barclays initiated coverage on shares of Synchrony Financial in a report on Wednesday, November 15th. They issued an equal weight rating and a $31.00 price objective for the company. BMO Capital Markets downgraded shares of Synchrony Financial from an outperform rating to a market perform rating and set a $40.00 price objective for the company. in a report on Wednesday, January 10th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft initiated coverage on shares of Synchrony Financial in a report on Wednesday, January 10th. They issued a buy rating and a $56.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Morgan Stanley reiterated an underweight rating and issued a $30.00 price objective on shares of Synchrony Financial in a report on Thursday, February 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $37.72. Check Out Our Latest Research Report on Synchrony Financial Synchrony Financial Profile (Free Report) Synchrony Financial, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a consumer financial services company in the United States. It provides credit products, such as credit cards, commercial credit products, and consumer installment loans. The company also offers private label credit cards, dual co-brand and general purpose credit cards, short- and long-term installment loans, and consumer banking products; and deposit products, including certificates of deposit, individual retirement accounts, money market accounts, and savings accounts, and sweep and affinity deposits, as well as accepts deposits through third-party securities brokerage firms. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Synchrony Financial Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Synchrony Financial and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Meeder Advisory Services Inc. bought a new stake in AECOM (NYSE:ACM Free Report) in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 2,941 shares of the construction companys stock, valued at approximately $244,000. Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of ACM. HighTower Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of AECOM by 31.9% during the first quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 5,704 shares of the construction companys stock worth $436,000 after acquiring an additional 1,378 shares during the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can raised its position in shares of AECOM by 3.5% during the first quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 34,177 shares of the construction companys stock worth $2,676,000 after acquiring an additional 1,162 shares during the last quarter. Aviva PLC raised its position in shares of AECOM by 26.6% during the first quarter. Aviva PLC now owns 22,872 shares of the construction companys stock worth $1,757,000 after acquiring an additional 4,799 shares during the last quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers raised its position in shares of AECOM by 3.0% during the first quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 9,119 shares of the construction companys stock worth $700,000 after acquiring an additional 264 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Covestor Ltd raised its position in shares of AECOM by 1,261.6% during the first quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 1,525 shares of the construction companys stock worth $117,000 after acquiring an additional 1,413 shares during the last quarter. 84.79% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Get AECOM alerts: Insider Activity at AECOM In related news, CEO Troy Rudd sold 25,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $92.76, for a total transaction of $2,319,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 259,168 shares in the company, valued at approximately $24,040,423.68. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In related news, President Lara Poloni sold 30,692 shares of AECOM stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $92.50, for a total value of $2,839,010.00. Following the completion of the sale, the president now owns 53,752 shares of the companys stock, valued at $4,972,060. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Troy Rudd sold 25,000 shares of AECOM stock in a transaction on Friday, December 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $92.76, for a total value of $2,319,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 259,168 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $24,040,423.68. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.42% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on ACM shares. TheStreet upgraded AECOM from a c+ rating to a b rating in a research report on Monday, February 5th. Barclays lifted their target price on AECOM from $90.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Tuesday, February 13th. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an outperform rating and issued a $109.00 target price on shares of AECOM in a report on Wednesday, February 7th. KeyCorp initiated coverage on AECOM in a report on Wednesday, January 10th. They issued an overweight rating and a $104.00 target price for the company. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded AECOM from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, November 15th. Seven analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Buy and a consensus target price of $101.33. Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on AECOM AECOM Price Performance Shares of NYSE ACM opened at $89.21 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $12.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 198.25, a P/E/G ratio of 1.34 and a beta of 1.24. The company has a quick ratio of 1.05, a current ratio of 1.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $89.64 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $86.41. AECOM has a twelve month low of $74.40 and a twelve month high of $94.01. AECOM (NYSE:ACM Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 6th. The construction company reported $1.05 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.92 by $0.13. The firm had revenue of $3.90 billion for the quarter. AECOM had a return on equity of 21.45% and a net margin of 0.42%. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.86 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that AECOM will post 4.4 EPS for the current fiscal year. AECOM declared that its Board of Directors has approved a stock buyback plan on Monday, November 13th that allows the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the construction company to purchase up to 8.3% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are usually a sign that the companys leadership believes its shares are undervalued. AECOM Company Profile (Free Report) AECOM, together with its subsidiaries, provides professional infrastructure consulting services worldwide. It operates in three segments: Americas, International, and AECOM Capital. The company offers planning, consulting, architectural and engineering design, construction and program management, and investment and development services to public and private clients. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ACM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for AECOM (NYSE:ACM Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for AECOM Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for AECOM and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Meeder Advisory Services Inc. trimmed its position in shares of Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE:DGX Free Report) by 15.8% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 1,762 shares of the medical research companys stock after selling 330 shares during the quarter. Meeder Advisory Services Inc.s holdings in Quest Diagnostics were worth $215,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its holdings in Quest Diagnostics by 380.0% in the 1st quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 1,458,224 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $206,310,000 after purchasing an additional 1,154,403 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in Quest Diagnostics in the 4th quarter worth $157,412,000. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD increased its stake in Quest Diagnostics by 548.7% in the 2nd quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 1,125,530 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $149,673,000 after buying an additional 952,037 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in Quest Diagnostics by 4.8% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 14,014,030 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $1,917,961,000 after buying an additional 636,301 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Pathstone Family Office LLC grew its position in shares of Quest Diagnostics by 2,400.9% during the third quarter. Pathstone Family Office LLC now owns 336,521 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $41,008,000 after purchasing an additional 323,065 shares in the last quarter. 87.76% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get Quest Diagnostics alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets DGX has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Barclays initiated coverage on Quest Diagnostics in a research report on Wednesday, January 3rd. They set an equal weight rating and a $145.00 price objective for the company. TheStreet lowered Quest Diagnostics from a b- rating to a c rating in a research report on Monday, February 5th. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded Quest Diagnostics from a hold rating to a buy rating and raised their price objective for the company from $140.00 to $155.00 in a research report on Wednesday, February 7th. StockNews.com lowered Quest Diagnostics from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, February 1st. Finally, Truist Financial dropped their price target on Quest Diagnostics from $150.00 to $145.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 2nd. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Quest Diagnostics currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $145.92. Insider Activity at Quest Diagnostics In related news, Director Vicky B. Gregg sold 2,500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $126.64, for a total transaction of $316,600.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 16,329 shares in the company, valued at $2,067,904.56. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, EVP Catherine T. Doherty sold 821 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $126.14, for a total transaction of $103,560.94. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 70,800 shares in the company, valued at $8,930,712. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Vicky B. Gregg sold 2,500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $126.64, for a total transaction of $316,600.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 16,329 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,067,904.56. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 3,982 shares of company stock worth $503,539 over the last three months. Company insiders own 1.70% of the companys stock. Quest Diagnostics Stock Performance Shares of DGX stock opened at $125.66 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $13.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.78, a PEG ratio of 2.72 and a beta of 0.92. The companys 50 day moving average is $131.61 and its 200 day moving average is $130.66. The company has a quick ratio of 1.20, a current ratio of 1.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70. Quest Diagnostics Incorporated has a 52-week low of $119.59 and a 52-week high of $148.62. Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 1st. The medical research company reported $2.15 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.11 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $2.29 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.25 billion. Quest Diagnostics had a net margin of 9.23% and a return on equity of 15.79%. The businesss quarterly revenue was down 1.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.98 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Quest Diagnostics Incorporated will post 8.76 EPS for the current fiscal year. Quest Diagnostics Increases Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 22nd. Investors of record on Monday, April 8th will be given a dividend of $0.75 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 5th. This is an increase from Quest Diagnosticss previous quarterly dividend of $0.71. This represents a $3.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.39%. Quest Diagnosticss payout ratio is currently 37.92%. About Quest Diagnostics (Free Report) Quest Diagnostics Incorporated provides diagnostic testing, information, and services in the United States and internationally. The company develops and delivers diagnostic information services, such as routine testing, non-routine and advanced clinical testing, anatomic pathology testing, and other diagnostic information services. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding DGX? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE:DGX Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Quest Diagnostics Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Quest Diagnostics and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Gotham Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Mettler-Toledo International Inc. (NYSE:MTD Free Report) by 87.6% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 6,529 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock after purchasing an additional 3,048 shares during the period. Gotham Asset Management LLCs holdings in Mettler-Toledo International were worth $7,235,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the business. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC increased its stake in shares of Mettler-Toledo International by 1.9% during the 3rd quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 435 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock worth $472,000 after purchasing an additional 8 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in Mettler-Toledo International by 37.5% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 33 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock worth $43,000 after acquiring an additional 9 shares during the period. Huntington National Bank grew its stake in Mettler-Toledo International by 34.6% in the 2nd quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 35 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock worth $46,000 after acquiring an additional 9 shares during the period. Maverick Capital Ltd. grew its stake in Mettler-Toledo International by 3.9% in the 4th quarter. Maverick Capital Ltd. now owns 241 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock worth $348,000 after acquiring an additional 9 shares during the period. Finally, CWM LLC grew its stake in Mettler-Toledo International by 1.8% in the 2nd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 573 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock worth $752,000 after acquiring an additional 10 shares during the period. 93.11% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Mettler-Toledo International alerts: Insider Transactions at Mettler-Toledo International In other news, Director Elisha W. Finney sold 251 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,177.35, for a total transaction of $295,514.85. Following the transaction, the director now owns 316 shares of the companys stock, valued at $372,042.60. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In related news, Director Elisha W. Finney sold 251 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,177.35, for a total transaction of $295,514.85. Following the sale, the director now owns 316 shares in the company, valued at $372,042.60. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Shawn Vadala sold 300 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,210.83, for a total transaction of $363,249.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 4,914 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,950,018.62. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 2.40% of the companys stock. Analysts Set New Price Targets Several analysts have commented on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of Mettler-Toledo International from $1,520.00 to $1,300.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Monday, November 13th. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price objective on Mettler-Toledo International from $1,185.00 to $1,030.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Monday, November 13th. Citigroup restated a sell rating and set a $975.00 price objective (down from $1,050.00) on shares of Mettler-Toledo International in a report on Monday, December 11th. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price objective on Mettler-Toledo International from $1,425.00 to $1,270.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Monday, November 13th. Finally, StockNews.com cut shares of Mettler-Toledo International from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Monday, February 19th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $1,223.71. Check Out Our Latest Report on Mettler-Toledo International Mettler-Toledo International Trading Up 0.8 % NYSE:MTD traded up $10.44 on Thursday, reaching $1,254.01. The stock had a trading volume of 33,677 shares, compared to its average volume of 149,535. The company has a 50-day moving average of $1,196.93 and a 200 day moving average of $1,136.03. The stock has a market cap of $26.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 34.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.31 and a beta of 1.15. Mettler-Toledo International Inc. has a 12-month low of $928.49 and a 12-month high of $1,615.97. Mettler-Toledo International (NYSE:MTD Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Friday, February 9th. The medical instruments supplier reported $9.40 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $10.32 by ($0.92). The firm had revenue of $934.90 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $959.45 million. Mettler-Toledo International had a net margin of 20.82% and a negative return on equity of 904.59%. The businesss quarterly revenue was down 11.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $12.10 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts predict that Mettler-Toledo International Inc. will post 39.96 EPS for the current year. Mettler-Toledo International Profile (Free Report) Mettler-Toledo International Inc manufactures and supplies precision instruments and services in the Americas, Europe, Asia, and internationally. It operates through five segments: U.S. Operations, Swiss Operations, Western European Operations, Chinese Operations, and Other. The company's laboratory instruments include laboratory balances, liquid pipetting solutions, automated laboratory reactors, real-time analytics, titrators, pH meters, process analytics sensors and analyzer technologies, physical value analyzers, density and refractometry, thermal analysis systems, and other analytical instruments; and LabX, a laboratory software platform to manage and analyze data generated from its instruments.Its industrial instruments comprise industrial weighing instruments and related terminals, automatic dimensional measurement and data capture solutions, vehicle scale systems, industrial software, metal detection equipment, x-ray systems, check weighing equipment, camera-based imaging equipment, track-and-trace solutions, and product inspection systems. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Mettler-Toledo International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Mettler-Toledo International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Hess (NYSE:HES Free Report) had its price target hoisted by Mizuho from $170.00 to $200.00 in a research report released on Monday, Benzinga reports. Mizuho currently has a neutral rating on the oil and gas producers stock. Several other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports on the stock. Argus upgraded shares of Hess from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $171.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, November 7th. UBS Group reduced their price target on shares of Hess from $210.00 to $195.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, December 14th. Susquehanna cut their price objective on shares of Hess from $160.00 to $152.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 26th. Sanford C. Bernstein cut shares of Hess from an outperform rating to a market perform rating and cut their price objective for the company from $189.00 to $166.00 in a research report on Thursday, November 2nd. Finally, StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Hess in a research report on Wednesday, February 21st. They set a sell rating on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Hess presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $174.29. Get Hess alerts: Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on HES Hess Price Performance Shares of NYSE:HES opened at $145.40 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 1.05 and a quick ratio of 1.20. Hess has a 1-year low of $113.82 and a 1-year high of $167.75. The company has a market capitalization of $44.66 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.31 and a beta of 1.28. The firms 50 day simple moving average is $144.04 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $147.95. Hess (NYSE:HES Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 31st. The oil and gas producer reported $1.63 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.43 by $0.20. Hess had a net margin of 12.98% and a return on equity of 17.00%. The business had revenue of $3.04 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.76 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.78 earnings per share. The companys revenue for the quarter was down .6% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts expect that Hess will post 8.01 EPS for the current fiscal year. Hess Announces Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 29th. Stockholders of record on Monday, December 18th were issued a dividend of $0.4375 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 15th. This represents a $1.75 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.20%. Hesss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 38.89%. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Hess Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Victory Capital Management Inc. increased its holdings in Hess by 581.9% in the 3rd quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,342,311 shares of the oil and gas producers stock worth $358,374,000 after buying an additional 1,998,824 shares during the period. Alpine Associates Management Inc. acquired a new position in Hess in the 4th quarter worth approximately $237,100,000. Westchester Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Hess in the 4th quarter worth approximately $213,336,000. Invesco Ltd. boosted its position in Hess by 44.1% in the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 3,610,484 shares of the oil and gas producers stock worth $552,404,000 after purchasing an additional 1,105,204 shares in the last quarter. Finally, FMR LLC boosted its position in Hess by 2.4% in the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 37,239,078 shares of the oil and gas producers stock worth $5,697,579,000 after purchasing an additional 889,122 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.72% of the companys stock. Hess Company Profile (Get Free Report) Hess Corporation, an exploration and production company, explores, develops, produces, purchases, transports, and sells crude oil, natural gas liquids (NGLs), and natural gas. The company operates in two segments, Exploration and Production, and Midstream. It conducts production operations primarily in the United States, Guyana, the Malaysia/Thailand Joint Development Area, and Malaysia; and exploration activities principally offshore Guyana, the U.S. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Hess Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Hess and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. MQS Management LLC bought a new position in Mueller Water Products, Inc. (NYSE:MWA Free Report) in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 16,824 shares of the industrial products companys stock, valued at approximately $213,000. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Cramer Rosenthal Mcglynn LLC bought a new position in Mueller Water Products during the second quarter valued at approximately $8,131,000. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System grew its position in Mueller Water Products by 0.7% during the third quarter. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System now owns 159,471 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $2,022,000 after buying an additional 1,110 shares during the period. Pearl River Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Mueller Water Products during the third quarter valued at approximately $408,000. Swiss National Bank raised its position in Mueller Water Products by 1.1% in the second quarter. Swiss National Bank now owns 340,200 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $5,521,000 after acquiring an additional 3,800 shares during the period. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Mueller Water Products by 3.2% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 2,993,942 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $48,592,000 after acquiring an additional 93,956 shares during the last quarter. Get Mueller Water Products alerts: Insiders Place Their Bets In related news, Director Thomas J. Hansen sold 6,044 shares of Mueller Water Products stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $13.77, for a total value of $83,225.88. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 94,525 shares in the company, valued at $1,301,609.25. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other news, CAO Suzanne G. Smith sold 2,800 shares of Mueller Water Products stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $15.09, for a total value of $42,252.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 3,208 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $48,408.72. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Thomas J. Hansen sold 6,044 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $13.77, for a total transaction of $83,225.88. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 94,525 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,301,609.25. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 74,805 shares of company stock worth $1,114,644. 1.40% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Mueller Water Products Stock Down 0.6 % Shares of NYSE MWA opened at $15.59 on Thursday. The firms 50-day moving average price is $14.49 and its 200-day moving average price is $13.64. The company has a current ratio of 3.29, a quick ratio of 1.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61. Mueller Water Products, Inc. has a 12-month low of $12.11 and a 12-month high of $16.93. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.18, a P/E/G ratio of 1.90 and a beta of 1.33. Mueller Water Products (NYSE:MWA Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 9th. The industrial products company reported $0.13 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.09 by $0.04. Mueller Water Products had a return on equity of 13.86% and a net margin of 6.35%. The company had revenue of $256.40 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $250.64 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.13 EPS. Mueller Water Productss quarterly revenue was down 18.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Mueller Water Products, Inc. will post 0.69 EPS for the current fiscal year. Mueller Water Products Announces Dividend The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, February 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 9th were given a dividend of $0.064 per share. This represents a $0.26 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.64%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 8th. Mueller Water Productss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 52.00%. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of brokerages have issued reports on MWA. StockNews.com upgraded Mueller Water Products from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Friday, February 9th. Royal Bank of Canada upped their price target on Mueller Water Products from $14.00 to $15.00 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a research note on Monday, February 12th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on shares of Mueller Water Products from $15.00 to $17.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 13th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $17.00. Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on MWA About Mueller Water Products (Free Report) Mueller Water Products, Inc manufactures and markets products and services for the transmission, distribution, and measurement of water used by municipalities, and the residential and non-residential construction industries in the United States, Israel, and internationally. It operates in two segments, Water Flow Solutions and Water Management Solutions. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Mueller Water Products Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Mueller Water Products and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Sherbrooke Park Advisers LLC increased its stake in MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc. (NYSE:MSM Free Report) by 390.5% during the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 10,792 shares of the industrial products companys stock after purchasing an additional 8,592 shares during the quarter. Sherbrooke Park Advisers LLCs holdings in MSC Industrial Direct were worth $1,059,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. BlackRock Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of MSC Industrial Direct by 34.8% during the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 5,480,861 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $467,024,000 after buying an additional 1,414,485 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in MSC Industrial Direct in the 4th quarter worth approximately $38,273,000. Capital Research Global Investors acquired a new stake in MSC Industrial Direct in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $28,584,000. Acadian Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in MSC Industrial Direct by 68.7% in the 2nd quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 635,569 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $60,534,000 after purchasing an additional 258,729 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Balyasny Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in MSC Industrial Direct in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $14,719,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 89.51% of the companys stock. Get MSC Industrial Direct alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Separately, KeyCorp reduced their target price on MSC Industrial Direct from $105.00 to $102.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 10th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and five have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $105.00. MSC Industrial Direct Trading Down 0.1 % Shares of MSC Industrial Direct stock traded down $0.12 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $100.63. The companys stock had a trading volume of 8,596 shares, compared to its average volume of 437,115. MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc. has a 12 month low of $77.99 and a 12 month high of $105.77. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $98.57 and a 200 day moving average of $98.55. The company has a market capitalization of $5.68 billion, a PE ratio of 17.13 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 2.02 and a quick ratio of 0.89. MSC Industrial Direct (NYSE:MSM Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 9th. The industrial products company reported $1.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.30 by ($0.05). The business had revenue of $954.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $971.31 million. MSC Industrial Direct had a return on equity of 23.46% and a net margin of 8.27%. The firms revenue was down .4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.48 earnings per share. Analysts predict that MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc. will post 5.91 earnings per share for the current year. MSC Industrial Direct Dividend Announcement The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, January 23rd. Investors of record on Tuesday, January 9th were issued a dividend of $0.83 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, January 8th. This represents a $3.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.30%. MSC Industrial Directs payout ratio is presently 56.46%. Insider Buying and Selling In related news, Director Mitchell Jacobson sold 51,040 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $97.31, for a total transaction of $4,966,702.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 1,907,271 shares of the companys stock, valued at $185,596,541.01. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In related news, Director Mitchell Jacobson sold 51,040 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $97.31, for a total transaction of $4,966,702.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 1,907,271 shares of the companys stock, valued at $185,596,541.01. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CEO Erik Gershwind sold 15,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $96.15, for a total value of $1,442,250.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 1,417,038 shares of the companys stock, valued at $136,248,203.70. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders sold 254,503 shares of company stock worth $24,841,663. 18.80% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. About MSC Industrial Direct (Free Report) MSC Industrial Direct Co, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, distributes metalworking and maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO) products and services in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and internationally. The company's MRO products include cutting tools, measuring instruments, tooling components, metalworking products, fasteners, flat stock products, raw materials, abrasives, machinery hand and power tools, safety and janitorial supplies, plumbing supplies, materials handling products, power transmission components, and electrical supplies. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for MSC Industrial Direct Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for MSC Industrial Direct and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Operose Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Novartis AG (NYSE:NVS Free Report) during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund purchased 279 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $28,000. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the business. Providence Capital Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Novartis by 0.5% during the third quarter. Providence Capital Advisors LLC now owns 35,407 shares of the companys stock valued at $3,607,000 after buying an additional 193 shares in the last quarter. Consolidated Portfolio Review Corp purchased a new position in Novartis in the third quarter valued at about $310,000. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC grew its stake in Novartis by 92.3% in the third quarter. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 10,437 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,063,000 after purchasing an additional 5,010 shares in the last quarter. Gallacher Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Novartis by 2.9% in the third quarter. Gallacher Capital Management LLC now owns 4,130 shares of the companys stock valued at $421,000 after purchasing an additional 116 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Stifel Financial Corp grew its stake in Novartis by 2.2% in the third quarter. Stifel Financial Corp now owns 251,681 shares of the companys stock valued at $25,638,000 after purchasing an additional 5,468 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 7.00% of the companys stock. Get Novartis alerts: Novartis Stock Performance NVS opened at $102.23 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $216.69 billion, a PE ratio of 14.24, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.60 and a beta of 0.56. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $103.75 and a 200-day moving average of $100.13. Novartis AG has a 52-week low of $79.98 and a 52-week high of $108.78. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a current ratio of 1.15. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Novartis ( NYSE:NVS Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 30th. The company reported $1.53 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.64 by ($0.11). The company had revenue of $11.42 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $11.69 billion. Novartis had a return on equity of 29.90% and a net margin of 29.83%. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.51 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Novartis AG will post 7.18 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. A number of brokerages have commented on NVS. Morgan Stanley began coverage on Novartis in a research note on Tuesday, January 23rd. They issued an equal weight rating and a $114.00 target price on the stock. HSBC downgraded Novartis from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Monday, December 18th. StockNews.com began coverage on Novartis in a research note on Wednesday, December 6th. They issued a strong-buy rating on the stock. Finally, BMO Capital Markets initiated coverage on Novartis in a research note on Friday, February 23rd. They issued a market perform rating and a $114.00 target price on the stock. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, one has given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Novartis has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $104.33. Read Our Latest Analysis on NVS Novartis Company Profile (Free Report) Novartis AG researches, develops, manufactures, and markets healthcare products in Switzerland and internationally. It offers prescription medicines for patients and physicians. It focuses on therapeutic areas, such as cardiovascular, renal and metabolic, immunology, neuroscience, and oncology, as well as ophthalmology and hematology. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Novartis Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Novartis and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Mosaic (NYSE:MOS Get Free Report) was downgraded by investment analysts at Piper Sandler from a neutral rating to an underweight rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday, MarketBeat.com reports. They currently have a $32.00 price target on the basic materials companys stock, down from their previous price target of $42.00. Piper Sandlers target price would suggest a potential upside of 3.59% from the companys previous close. A number of other equities analysts have also recently issued reports on the company. Mizuho cut Mosaic from a buy rating to a neutral rating and reduced their target price for the stock from $42.00 to $34.00 in a report on Wednesday, January 24th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Mosaic from $34.00 to $35.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Friday, February 23rd. TheStreet cut Mosaic from a b- rating to a c+ rating in a report on Tuesday, February 6th. Royal Bank of Canada cut their price objective on Mosaic from $40.00 to $35.00 and set a sector perform rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, November 9th. Finally, Barclays upgraded Mosaic from an underweight rating to an overweight rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $40.00 to $42.00 in a report on Tuesday, November 14th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have assigned a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $40.73. Get Mosaic alerts: Read Our Latest Stock Report on MOS Mosaic Price Performance Shares of MOS stock opened at $30.89 on Thursday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $32.61 and a 200 day moving average price of $35.02. The company has a quick ratio of 0.57, a current ratio of 1.22 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26. The firm has a market cap of $10.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.85, a PEG ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 1.50. Mosaic has a 12 month low of $29.25 and a 12 month high of $57.46. Mosaic (NYSE:MOS Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 22nd. The basic materials company reported $0.71 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.82 by ($0.11). The firm had revenue of $3.15 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.09 billion. Mosaic had a return on equity of 9.69% and a net margin of 8.51%. Mosaics revenue for the quarter was down 29.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.74 earnings per share. Research analysts expect that Mosaic will post 3.12 EPS for the current year. Institutional Trading of Mosaic Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Bornite Capital Management LP acquired a new stake in shares of Mosaic in the first quarter valued at about $13,300,000. Sei Investments Co. grew its stake in Mosaic by 7.2% in the first quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 189,494 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $12,614,000 after acquiring an additional 12,679 shares during the period. Cetera Investment Advisers grew its stake in Mosaic by 7.9% in the first quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 20,546 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $1,366,000 after acquiring an additional 1,507 shares during the period. National Pension Service acquired a new stake in Mosaic in the first quarter valued at approximately $30,360,000. Finally, Baird Financial Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Mosaic by 55.4% during the first quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 312,013 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $20,749,000 after buying an additional 111,236 shares during the last quarter. 84.05% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Mosaic Company Profile (Get Free Report) The Mosaic Company, through its subsidiaries, produces and markets concentrated phosphate and potash crop nutrients in North America and internationally. The company operates through three segments: Phosphates, Potash, and Mosaic Fertilizantes. It owns and operates mines, which produce concentrated phosphate crop nutrients, such as diammonium phosphate, monoammonium phosphate, and ammoniated phosphate products; and phosphate-based animal feed ingredients primarily under the Biofos and Nexfos brand names, as well as produces a double sulfate of potash magnesia product under K-Mag brand name. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Mosaic Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Mosaic and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Saba Capital Management L.P. lifted its stake in shares of Abrdn Life Sciences Investors (NYSE:HQL Free Report) by 98.3% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 271,607 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 134,644 shares during the period. Saba Capital Management L.P. owned approximately 1.04% of Abrdn Life Sciences Investors worth $3,387,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. NewEdge Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Abrdn Life Sciences Investors by 3.1% during the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 29,085 shares of the companys stock worth $401,000 after purchasing an additional 861 shares in the last quarter. Kingsview Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Abrdn Life Sciences Investors by 2.8% during the third quarter. Kingsview Wealth Management LLC now owns 37,158 shares of the companys stock worth $508,000 after purchasing an additional 1,008 shares in the last quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC lifted its position in shares of Abrdn Life Sciences Investors by 1.7% during the third quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 72,249 shares of the companys stock worth $901,000 after purchasing an additional 1,220 shares in the last quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. lifted its position in shares of Abrdn Life Sciences Investors by 1.7% during the second quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 76,040 shares of the companys stock worth $1,030,000 after purchasing an additional 1,271 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lifted its position in shares of Abrdn Life Sciences Investors by 4.1% during the second quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 32,894 shares of the companys stock worth $446,000 after purchasing an additional 1,284 shares in the last quarter. 19.70% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Abrdn Life Sciences Investors alerts: Abrdn Life Sciences Investors Price Performance Shares of HQL stock traded down $0.10 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $13.80. 37,769 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 132,354. The stocks fifty day moving average is $13.86 and its two-hundred day moving average is $12.95. Abrdn Life Sciences Investors has a fifty-two week low of $11.34 and a fifty-two week high of $14.37. Abrdn Life Sciences Investors Increases Dividend Abrdn Life Sciences Investors Company Profile The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 28th. Investors of record on Thursday, February 22nd will be paid a dividend of $0.39 per share. This represents a $1.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 11.30%. This is an increase from Abrdn Life Sciences Investorss previous quarterly dividend of $0.30. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, February 21st. (Free Report) Abrdn Life Sciences Investors is a closed-ended equity mutual fund launched and managed by abrdn Inc The fund invests in public equity markets across the globe. It seeks to invest in stocks of companies operating in the life sciences sector, including the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, diagnostics, managed healthcare, medical equipment, hospitals, healthcare information technology and services, devices and supplies industries, and in agriculture and environmental management industries. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding HQL? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Abrdn Life Sciences Investors (NYSE:HQL Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Abrdn Life Sciences Investors Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Abrdn Life Sciences Investors and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Sherbrooke Park Advisers LLC purchased a new position in Rocket Companies, Inc. (NYSE:RKT Free Report) during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 102,113 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $835,000. Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC raised its stake in Rocket Companies by 93.5% during the third quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 23,277 shares of the companys stock valued at $190,000 after buying an additional 11,249 shares in the last quarter. Mariner LLC raised its stake in Rocket Companies by 188.0% during the third quarter. Mariner LLC now owns 33,215 shares of the companys stock valued at $272,000 after buying an additional 21,681 shares in the last quarter. LPL Financial LLC raised its stake in Rocket Companies by 24.9% during the third quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 303,443 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,482,000 after buying an additional 60,563 shares in the last quarter. Dark Forest Capital Management LP raised its stake in Rocket Companies by 650.6% during the third quarter. Dark Forest Capital Management LP now owns 157,741 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,290,000 after buying an additional 136,725 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Hsbc Holdings PLC raised its stake in Rocket Companies by 56.4% during the third quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 40,195 shares of the companys stock valued at $330,000 after buying an additional 14,503 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 4.09% of the companys stock. Get Rocket Companies alerts: Rocket Companies Stock Performance RKT stock traded up $0.42 on Thursday, reaching $12.43. The companys stock had a trading volume of 159,072 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,480,801. Rocket Companies, Inc. has a 52 week low of $7.17 and a 52 week high of $15.19. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $12.50 and a two-hundred day moving average of $10.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92, a quick ratio of 11.15 and a current ratio of 9.78. Analysts Set New Price Targets Rocket Companies ( NYSE:RKT Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 22nd. The company reported ($0.06) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of ($0.05) by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $885.00 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $762.44 million. Rocket Companies had a negative return on equity of 3.63% and a negative net margin of 0.41%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 29.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned ($0.12) earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that Rocket Companies, Inc. will post 0.27 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Several brokerages have issued reports on RKT. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft began coverage on Rocket Companies in a research note on Wednesday, January 10th. They set a hold rating and a $10.00 price objective on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on Rocket Companies from $14.00 to $13.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 23rd. Citigroup upped their price objective on Rocket Companies from $10.00 to $11.00 and gave the company a sell rating in a research note on Wednesday. Wedbush reiterated a neutral rating and set a $13.00 price target on shares of Rocket Companies in a research report on Friday, February 23rd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reiterated an underweight rating and set a $10.50 price target (up from $8.50) on shares of Rocket Companies in a research report on Thursday, January 4th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and seven have issued a hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Rocket Companies presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $9.94. Check Out Our Latest Report 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. Featured Stories 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. Sherbrooke Park Advisers LLC bought a new stake in Graco Inc. (NYSE:GGG Free Report) in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 15,586 shares of the industrial products companys stock, valued at approximately $1,136,000. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Tokio Marine Asset Management Co. Ltd. increased its position in shares of Graco by 16.2% during the third quarter. Tokio Marine Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 4,198 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $306,000 after purchasing an additional 585 shares in the last quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas increased its position in Graco by 24.0% in the 3rd quarter. Teacher Retirement System of Texas now owns 147,612 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $10,758,000 after acquiring an additional 28,589 shares during the period. QRG Capital Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Graco in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $751,000. Atria Wealth Solutions Inc. boosted its holdings in Graco by 274.4% in the 3rd quarter. Atria Wealth Solutions Inc. now owns 13,188 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $961,000 after purchasing an additional 9,666 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Van ECK Associates Corp boosted its holdings in Graco by 458.5% in the 2nd quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 24,998 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $2,159,000 after purchasing an additional 20,522 shares in the last quarter. 84.94% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Graco alerts: Graco Stock Up 0.1 % Shares of GGG stock traded up $0.06 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $90.04. 14,370 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 635,323. Graco Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $66.17 and a fifty-two week high of $90.47. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $86.29 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $80.32. The stock has a market cap of $15.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.62, a PEG ratio of 2.87 and a beta of 0.81. Graco Dividend Announcement Graco ( NYSE:GGG Get Free Report ) last issued its earnings results on Monday, January 29th. The industrial products company reported $0.80 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.79 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $566.64 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $565.86 million. Graco had a return on equity of 24.61% and a net margin of 23.07%. As a group, analysts anticipate that Graco Inc. will post 3.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 1st. Investors of record on Monday, April 15th will be given a $0.255 dividend. This represents a $1.02 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.13%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 12th. Gracos dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 34.69%. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on GGG shares. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on Graco from $90.00 to $100.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Thursday, January 11th. Royal Bank of Canada increased their target price on Graco from $91.00 to $93.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, January 31st. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded Graco from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, January 3rd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $84.80. View Our Latest Stock Analysis on GGG Insider Buying and Selling In related news, CEO Mark W. Sheahan sold 12,884 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, January 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $83.37, for a total value of $1,074,139.08. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 93,182 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $7,768,583.34. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In other news, CEO Mark W. Sheahan sold 12,884 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $83.37, for a total transaction of $1,074,139.08. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 93,182 shares in the company, valued at $7,768,583.34. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, insider Anthony J. Gargano sold 1,395 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $88.00, for a total value of $122,760.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 5,697 shares of the companys stock, valued at $501,336. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 50,138 shares of company stock valued at $4,418,008. 2.98% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Graco Profile (Free Report) Graco Inc designs, manufactures, and markets systems and equipment used to move, measure, control, dispense, and spray fluid and powder materials worldwide. The company's Industrial segment offers proportioning systems to spray polyurethane foam and polyurea coatings; equipment that pumps, meters, mixes and dispenses sealant, adhesive, and composite materials; and gel-coat equipment, chop and wet-out systems, resin transfer molding systems and applicators, and precision dispensing solutions. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding GGG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Graco Inc. (NYSE:GGG Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Graco Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Graco and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Telecom Italia S.p.A. (OTCMKTS:TIAIY Get Free Report) was the target of a large decline in short interest in February. As of February 15th, there was short interest totalling 100 shares, a decline of 50.0% from the January 31st total of 200 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 1,200 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.1 days. Telecom Italia Stock Performance OTCMKTS TIAIY remained flat at $3.22 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.68, a current ratio of 0.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.20. Telecom Italia has a 1-year low of $2.49 and a 1-year high of $3.37. The company has a fifty day moving average of $3.15 and a 200-day moving average of $3.02. Get Telecom Italia alerts: About Telecom Italia (Get Free Report) Further Reading Telecom Italia S.p.A., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the provision of fixed and mobile telecommunications services in Italy and internationally. The company operates through Domestic, Brazil, and Other Operations segments. It offers fixed and mobile voice and Internet, and public telephony services, as well as products managed and developed for individuals and families; and voice, data, and Internet services and products, and information and communications technology solutions for small and medium-size enterprises, small offices/home offices, the public sector, large accounts, and enterprises in the fixed and mobile telecommunications markets. Receive News & Ratings for Telecom Italia Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Telecom Italia and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Webster Financial Co. (NYSE:WBS Get Free Report) have been assigned an average rating of Moderate Buy from the thirteen research firms that are presently covering the stock, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and eleven have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12-month price objective among brokerages that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $56.23. A number of research firms have issued reports on WBS. Piper Sandler raised their target price on Webster Financial from $53.00 to $60.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Friday, December 15th. Raymond James raised their target price on Webster Financial from $57.00 to $60.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Webster Financial from a neutral rating to an overweight rating and raised their target price for the company from $60.00 to $65.00 in a research note on Wednesday, January 24th. Royal Bank of Canada restated an outperform rating and set a $59.00 price objective on shares of Webster Financial in a research note on Wednesday, January 24th. Finally, Citigroup cut their price objective on shares of Webster Financial from $61.00 to $60.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 25th. Get Webster Financial alerts: View Our Latest Research Report on Webster Financial Webster Financial Stock Performance Webster Financial stock opened at $47.09 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $8.10 billion, a PE ratio of 9.63, a P/E/G ratio of 0.31 and a beta of 1.34. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $49.21 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $44.59. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.41, a current ratio of 0.85 and a quick ratio of 0.85. Webster Financial has a 12 month low of $31.03 and a 12 month high of $53.39. Webster Financial (NYSE:WBS Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 23rd. The financial services provider reported $1.46 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.48 by ($0.02). The business had revenue of $996.96 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $674.82 million. Webster Financial had a return on equity of 13.05% and a net margin of 22.01%. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.60 EPS. Research analysts expect that Webster Financial will post 5.92 earnings per share for the current year. Webster Financial Dividend Announcement The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 16th. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 5th were given a $0.40 dividend. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.40%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 2nd. Webster Financials dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 32.72%. Insiders Place Their Bets In other Webster Financial news, insider Charles L. Wilkins sold 3,966 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $51.56, for a total value of $204,486.96. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 49,528 shares in the company, valued at $2,553,663.68. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In related news, insider Charles L. Wilkins sold 3,966 shares of Webster Financial stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $51.56, for a total value of $204,486.96. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 49,528 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,553,663.68. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Jack L. Kopnisky sold 5,000 shares of Webster Financial stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $50.18, for a total value of $250,900.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 310,041 shares in the company, valued at approximately $15,557,857.38. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 32,941 shares of company stock worth $1,701,282. 0.88% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Webster Financial Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Spire Wealth Management grew its stake in Webster Financial by 79.1% during the 4th quarter. Spire Wealth Management now owns 607 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 268 shares in the last quarter. Neo Ivy Capital Management acquired a new stake in shares of Webster Financial during the 2nd quarter valued at about $32,000. NBC Securities Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Webster Financial during the 3rd quarter valued at about $32,000. Bruce G. Allen Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Webster Financial during the 4th quarter valued at about $42,000. Finally, Lazard Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Webster Financial by 9,388.9% during the 2nd quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 854 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $32,000 after buying an additional 845 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.37% of the companys stock. Webster Financial Company Profile (Get Free Report Webster Financial Corporation operates as the bank holding company for Webster Bank, National Association that provides a range of financial services to individuals, families, and businesses in the United States. It operates through three segments: Commercial Banking, HSA Bank, and Consumer Banking. The Commercial Banking segment provides commercial real estate and equipment financing, business banking, asset-based lending, and commercial services; public sector finance; mortgage warehouse financing; treasury management services; credit, deposit, and cash flow management services; and wealth management solutions to business owners and operators, including trust, asset management, financial planning, insurance, retirement, and investment products, as well as derivative, treasury, accounts payable, accounts receivable, and trade products and services. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Webster Financial Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Webster Financial and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina grew its position in WEC Energy Group, Inc. (NYSE:WEC Free Report) by 0.5% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 138,667 shares of the utilities providers stock after purchasing an additional 700 shares during the period. Treasurer of the State of North Carolinas holdings in WEC Energy Group were worth $11,170,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in WEC. Achmea Investment Management B.V. bought a new stake in shares of WEC Energy Group in the 1st quarter worth approximately $27,000. First Manhattan Co. increased its holdings in WEC Energy Group by 102.0% during the 4th quarter. First Manhattan Co. now owns 303 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 153 shares in the last quarter. Center for Financial Planning Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of WEC Energy Group in the 2nd quarter valued at $33,000. VitalStone Financial LLC acquired a new stake in shares of WEC Energy Group in the 2nd quarter valued at $35,000. Finally, First Financial Corp IN bought a new position in shares of WEC Energy Group in the 3rd quarter worth $37,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.75% of the companys stock. Get WEC Energy Group alerts: WEC Energy Group Price Performance Shares of NYSE WEC opened at $77.20 on Thursday. WEC Energy Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $75.13 and a fifty-two week high of $99.26. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $80.87 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $82.31. The company has a market capitalization of $24.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.29, a P/E/G ratio of 2.69 and a beta of 0.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.29, a quick ratio of 0.40 and a current ratio of 0.55. WEC Energy Group Increases Dividend WEC Energy Group ( NYSE:WEC Get Free Report ) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, February 1st. The utilities provider reported $1.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.08 by $0.02. WEC Energy Group had a net margin of 14.98% and a return on equity of 12.17%. The company had revenue of $2.22 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.82 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.80 earnings per share. The firms quarterly revenue was down 13.3% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts expect that WEC Energy Group, Inc. will post 4.88 EPS for the current fiscal year. The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 1st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, February 14th will be issued a $0.835 dividend. This is an increase from WEC Energy Groups previous quarterly dividend of $0.78. This represents a $3.34 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.33%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 13th. WEC Energy Groups payout ratio is currently 79.15%. Analysts Set New Price Targets WEC has been the topic of a number of research reports. Mizuho cut their price target on WEC Energy Group from $88.00 to $86.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Monday, December 18th. KeyCorp boosted their price target on WEC Energy Group from $94.00 to $95.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, January 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut WEC Energy Group from a neutral rating to an underweight rating and cut their target price for the stock from $90.00 to $84.00 in a research note on Friday, February 2nd. Bank of America reiterated an underperform rating and set a $78.00 price target (down from $84.00) on shares of WEC Energy Group in a report on Thursday, January 4th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded WEC Energy Group from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report on Saturday, January 13th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, WEC Energy Group currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $86.17. Check Out Our Latest Report on WEC About WEC Energy Group (Free Report) WEC Energy Group, Inc, through its subsidiaries, provides regulated natural gas and electricity, and renewable and nonregulated renewable energy services in the United States. The company operates through six segments: Wisconsin, Illinois, Other States, Electric Transmission, Non-Utility Energy Infrastructure, and Corporate and Other. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for WEC Energy Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for WEC Energy Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Student life in Saint John is full of opportunities. Many of our students participate in extracurricular activities, including sports, volunteering, bands, and much more. Our high-tech facilities enable students to engage with peers in Halifax on a daily basis. University of New Brunswick Saint John is the host facility, providing infrastructure, student support services and library facilities. The town of Truro is in Colchester County on Nova Scotia's northern shore. Truro offers the best of both worlds: small-town ambiance (pop. 13,000) combined with a full range of commercial and recreational opportunities. Truro, known as the 'Hub of Nova Scotia,' has much to offer and is a must-see for anyone passing by or living in the area. Dalhousie's Agricultural Campus is located just outside of Truro in Bible Hill, and students frequently head into town to enjoy Truro's Victoria Park, festivals, Farmers' Market, theatres, and unique shopping. Location and weather Truro and area is geographically located at the halfway point between the Equator and the North Pole. This location lends itself to average monthly temperatures that compare favourably to all other areas of Canada and the United States. The summer months (June-September) tend to be warm with temperatures ranging from 19C to 25C*, cooling off in mid-late September. Throughout the winter months (December-March), temperatures typically range from -12C to 3C.* Each of the four distinct seasons offers its own beauty and bounty to residents of Truro. After the college was founded in 1818, Lord Dalhousie was appointed Governor General of Canada and left Halifax. In its early years, the institution faltered. The first instruction was not offered until 1838. Its operation was only intermittent, and degrees were not awarded for some time. Nearly 50 years after its beginning, the college was reorganized. In 1863, Dalhousie opened with six professors and one tutor. In 1866, Dalhousie awarded its first two Bachelor of Arts degrees to Joseph Henry Chase and Robert Shaw. The student body that year consisted of 28 students working for degrees and 28 occasional students. Margaret Florence Newcombe was the first woman to graduate, with a BA in 1885, and the first black law graduate, James Robinson Johnston, graduated in 1896. Money continued to be a problem for the new institution. In 1879, it looked as though the university might fail until George Munro, a wealthy New York publisher with Nova Scotia roots, started donating to the university. Over the years, he contributed five endowed professorships and about $83,000 in bursaries and exhibitions in todays currency, an amount worth more than $15 million. For saving the university from closure, a special university holiday, George Munro Day, is observed the first Friday in February. And in the nearly 150 years since Munro gave his first gift, a tradition of generosity, from donors large and small, has helped create the thriving university of today. A new lab established at Dalhousie this week has partnered with a local energy provider to explore applications of hydrogen that could assist Nova Scotia in its efforts to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. N.S.-based Eastward Energy has contributed $200,000 through an in-kind donation to support Dalhousie researcher Dr. Michael Pegg and his team in the Department of Process Engineering and Applied Science as they investigate low-carbon solutions for its distribution system, including the distribution of hydrogen-enriched natural gas. "We see the opportunity that is before us to become an absolute energy powerhouse in this province," said Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston at a launch event hosted by Dal on Monday. "Imagine Nova Scotia as an energy powerhouse. That is what lays before us with the opportunity that we have in green hydrogen." Nova Scotias Green Hydrogen Action Plan, released in December, lays out guidelines for government and industry in the province in the development of green hydrogen an alternative clean energy source. While traditional methods for producing hydrogen used fossil fuels and emitted greenhouse gases, green hydrogen is produced using renewable electricity and emits only water and heat when converted to electricity. Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston. Premier Houston explained that Nova Scotia's abundant offshore natural resources, including wind and tidal power, make it well-situated to the large-scale development of green hydrogen. "Collectively, we really have an opportunity here that we have to seize, and I'm seeing groups step up and want to be part of that," he said, mentioning municipalities, private-sector partners, and universities like Dal. New energy solutions Dalhousies Hydrogen Applications Research Laboratory will test the limits of blending hydrogen into Eastward Energys natural gas system as well as the use of hydrogen-enriched natural gas in household appliances. Hydrogen-enriched natural gas is made using green hydrogen and is being studied as a lower-carbon energy source. John Hawkins, president of Eastward Energy, said his company's relatively young gas-delivery system is among the most hydrogen-capable distribution systems in North America and is well suited to the task of bringing hydrogen-based energy solutions to life. "Being 21 years old, that's just out of its teenage years, and by utility standards it's very young. It's uniquely adapted to providing up to 100 per cent hydrogen," he said. Eastward Energy President John Hawkins. Hawkins said the new Dal lab will enable his firm and other partners, such as mechanical services firm Iron Dog, to work on new energy solutions. "As we move to net-zero goals, we have some ambitious targets ahead of us and really we have to look for a diverse portfolio of solutions to those problems we can't simply rely on a single energy source," he said. Contributing Dal's expertise Dal President Kim Brooks said the new lab also supported by Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada showcases the power of partnership and collective vision in advancing critical initiatives for Nova Scotia. "At the heart of the lab lies a commitment to pioneering research in green hydrogen, a vital component of reducing carbon emissions across sectors and helping Nova Scotia achieve its goal of reaching net zero by 2050," said President Brooks at the event. Dal President Kim Brooks. She said Dal has an important role to play in helping Nova Scotia become an "energy powerhouse" and brings expertise in sustainable oceans, climate tech, clean energy and climate adaptation to support the energy transition away from coal and other volatile fossil fuels. Premier Houston, Minister of Natural Resources and Renewables Tory Rushton, President Brooks, Mr. Hawkins and others toured the new lab facilities with Dr. Pegg and Dal students as part of the launch event. "This lab represents one of the many ways Dalhousie is able to work with industry, with community and with government to advance the prosperity of our province. As the president of Dalhousie, I will do everything I can to bring the brightest future we can imagine to Nova Scotia." Touring the lab. Student demonstration. Partners pose for a portrait. Acadian Asset Management LLC lessened its position in Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri A.S. (NYSE:TKC Free Report) by 15.5% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 194,457 shares of the Wireless communications providers stock after selling 35,734 shares during the period. Acadian Asset Management LLCs holdings in Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri A.S. were worth $918,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Get Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri A.S. alerts: Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Guggenheim Capital LLC boosted its position in Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri A.S. by 27.4% during the second quarter. Guggenheim Capital LLC now owns 365,450 shares of the Wireless communications providers stock valued at $1,305,000 after buying an additional 78,513 shares during the period. Colonial River Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri A.S. during the third quarter valued at about $48,000. Hsbc Holdings PLC boosted its position in Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri A.S. by 6.2% during the second quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 294,918 shares of the Wireless communications providers stock valued at $1,054,000 after buying an additional 17,254 shares during the period. Ballentine Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri A.S. by 16.3% during the third quarter. Ballentine Partners LLC now owns 35,599 shares of the Wireless communications providers stock worth $168,000 after purchasing an additional 4,990 shares during the period. Finally, Lindbrook Capital LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri A.S. by 45.4% during the third quarter. Lindbrook Capital LLC now owns 8,116 shares of the Wireless communications providers stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 2,533 shares during the period. Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri A.S. Stock Down 1.7 % Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri A.S. stock opened at $5.26 on Thursday. The company has a current ratio of 1.67, a quick ratio of 1.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.35. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $5.25 and a 200-day moving average of $5.00. Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri A.S. has a 1-year low of $3.52 and a 1-year high of $5.73. About Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri A.S. Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri A.S. provides digital services in Turkey, Ukraine, Belarus, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, and the Netherlands. It operates through Turkcell Turkey, Turkcell International, and Techfin segments. It offers work contact services, such as mobile communications, fixed business internet and business phone, and customer loyalty and programs; digital business services comprising uninterrupted access, cyber security, data center, Internet of Things, big data, e-transformation, technologies, and managed services, and cloud solutions. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding TKC? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri A.S. (NYSE:TKC Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri A.S. Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri A.S. and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Acadian Asset Management LLC lowered its stake in Credicorp Ltd. (NYSE:BAP Free Report) by 64.1% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 8,653 shares of the banks stock after selling 15,470 shares during the period. Acadian Asset Management LLCs holdings in Credicorp were worth $1,107,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Get Credicorp alerts: Other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Quarry LP boosted its position in Credicorp by 171.1% during the 2nd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 328 shares of the banks stock worth $48,000 after acquiring an additional 207 shares during the period. Parallel Advisors LLC boosted its position in Credicorp by 41.4% during the 2nd quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 393 shares of the banks stock worth $58,000 after acquiring an additional 115 shares during the period. 1832 Asset Management L.P. acquired a new stake in Credicorp during the 4th quarter worth about $81,000. State of Wyoming acquired a new stake in Credicorp during the 4th quarter worth about $97,000. Finally, FNY Investment Advisers LLC acquired a new stake in Credicorp during the 3rd quarter worth about $102,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 70.05% of the companys stock. Credicorp Stock Down 1.5 % Shares of Credicorp stock opened at $168.35 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $13.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.76, a P/E/G ratio of 0.59 and a beta of 1.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67, a current ratio of 1.08 and a quick ratio of 1.00. Credicorp Ltd. has a 52-week low of $116.42 and a 52-week high of $173.39. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $154.34 and a 200-day simple moving average of $139.39. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of equities research analysts have commented on BAP shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Credicorp from a neutral rating to an overweight rating and raised their price objective for the stock from $162.00 to $190.00 in a research report on Friday, December 15th. UBS Group reduced their price target on Credicorp from $192.00 to $190.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Monday, February 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $180.40. View Our Latest Stock Report on BAP Credicorp Company Profile (Free Report) Credicorp Ltd. provides various financial, insurance, and health services and products primarily in Peru and internationally. Its Universal Banking segment includes granting various credits and financial instruments to individuals and legal entities; and various deposits and checking accounts. The Insurance and Pensions segment includes the issuance of insurance policies to cover losses in commercial property, transport, marine vessels, automobiles, life, health, and pensions; management services for private pension funds. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BAP? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Credicorp Ltd. (NYSE:BAP Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Credicorp Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Credicorp and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Granite Ridge Resources (NYSE:GRNT Get Free Report) will post its quarterly earnings results after the market closes on Thursday, March 7th. Analysts expect Granite Ridge Resources to post earnings of $0.20 per share for the quarter. Individual that wish to register for the companys earnings conference call can do so using this link. Get Granite Ridge Resources alerts: Granite Ridge Resources Price Performance Granite Ridge Resources stock opened at $6.22 on Thursday. Granite Ridge Resources has a 52 week low of $4.82 and a 52 week high of $8.14. The companys 50 day moving average price is $5.77 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $6.20. The company has a quick ratio of 1.47, a current ratio of 1.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13. The stock has a market cap of $826.60 million, a P/E ratio of 6.83 and a beta of 0.13. Granite Ridge Resources Dividend Announcement The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 15th. Investors of record on Friday, March 1st will be issued a $0.11 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 29th. This represents a $0.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 7.08%. Granite Ridge Resourcess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 48.35%. Analyst Ratings Changes Separately, Bank of America started coverage on shares of Granite Ridge Resources in a report on Tuesday, November 7th. They issued a buy rating and a $9.00 price target on the stock. View Our Latest Stock Analysis on GRNT Insider Buying and Selling In related news, Director Thaddeus Darden purchased 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 4th. The shares were bought at an average price of $5.80 per share, with a total value of $58,000.00. Following the acquisition, the director now owns 189,762 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,100,619.60. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 1.40% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Granite Ridge Resources A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Barclays PLC grew its position in shares of Granite Ridge Resources by 507.6% during the 2nd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 5,225 shares of the companys stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 4,365 shares in the last quarter. Virtus Fund Advisers LLC purchased a new position in shares of Granite Ridge Resources during the 4th quarter valued at $40,000. Citigroup Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Granite Ridge Resources during the 2nd quarter valued at $51,000. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC grew its position in shares of Granite Ridge Resources by 26.1% during the 3rd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 8,494 shares of the companys stock valued at $52,000 after purchasing an additional 1,760 shares in the last quarter. Finally, California State Teachers Retirement System purchased a new position in shares of Granite Ridge Resources during the 2nd quarter valued at $57,000. Institutional investors own 7.56% of the companys stock. About Granite Ridge Resources (Get Free Report) Granite Ridge Resources, Inc operates as a non-operated oil and gas exploration and production company. It owns a portfolio of wells and acreage across the Permian and other unconventional basins in the United States. The company is based in Dallas, Texas. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Granite Ridge Resources Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Granite Ridge Resources and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Hsbc Holdings PLC raised its holdings in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE:THG Free Report) by 28.8% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 29,392 shares of the insurance providers stock after purchasing an additional 6,579 shares during the quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLCs holdings in The Hanover Insurance Group were worth $3,290,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Get The Hanover Insurance Group alerts: Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Markel Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 19.6% during the third quarter. Markel Group Inc. now owns 189,000 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $20,975,000 after purchasing an additional 31,000 shares during the last quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC bought a new stake in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group during the third quarter worth $455,000. Mackenzie Financial Corp lifted its position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 60.1% during the third quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 5,129 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $566,000 after purchasing an additional 1,925 shares during the last quarter. Aigen Investment Management LP lifted its position in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 131.8% during the third quarter. Aigen Investment Management LP now owns 11,173 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $1,240,000 after purchasing an additional 6,353 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Nisa Investment Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of The Hanover Insurance Group by 4.6% during the third quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 15,630 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $1,735,000 after buying an additional 685 shares during the period. 84.89% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. The Hanover Insurance Group Price Performance THG opened at $133.29 on Thursday. The businesss 50-day moving average is $128.11 and its two-hundred day moving average is $119.48. The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. has a 1 year low of $103.82 and a 1 year high of $141.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 0.39 and a quick ratio of 0.39. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.77 billion, a PE ratio of 141.80 and a beta of 0.68. The Hanover Insurance Group Dividend Announcement The Hanover Insurance Group ( NYSE:THG Get Free Report ) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, January 31st. The insurance provider reported $3.13 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.51 by $0.62. The Hanover Insurance Group had a return on equity of 2.44% and a net margin of 0.59%. The company had revenue of $1.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.56 billion. Research analysts anticipate that The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. will post 10.08 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 29th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 15th will be issued a $0.85 dividend. This represents a $3.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.55%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 14th. The Hanover Insurance Groups dividend payout ratio is presently 361.71%. Insiders Place Their Bets In related news, SVP Warren E. Barnes sold 500 shares of The Hanover Insurance Group stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $131.14, for a total transaction of $65,570.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 3,612 shares of the companys stock, valued at $473,677.68. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 2.50% of the companys stock. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several brokerages have recently commented on THG. Oppenheimer raised their price target on The Hanover Insurance Group from $135.00 to $150.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Friday, February 2nd. Piper Sandler raised their price target on The Hanover Insurance Group from $143.00 to $147.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Monday, February 12th. StockNews.com upgraded The Hanover Insurance Group from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, January 11th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price target on The Hanover Insurance Group from $124.00 to $137.00 and gave the company a market perform rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 6th. Finally, TheStreet upgraded The Hanover Insurance Group from a c+ rating to a b- rating in a research note on Tuesday. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, The Hanover Insurance Group has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $140.00. Check Out Our Latest Report on The Hanover Insurance Group The Hanover Insurance Group Company Profile (Free Report) The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc, through its subsidiaries, provides various property and casualty insurance products and services in the United States. The company operates through four segments: Core Commercial, Specialty, Personal Lines, and Other. The Commercial Lines segment offers commercial multiple peril, commercial automobile, workers' compensation, and other commercial lines coverage. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding THG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE:THG Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for The Hanover Insurance Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for The Hanover Insurance Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Paralel Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. (NYSE:HII Free Report) by 1.3% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 9,246 shares of the aerospace companys stock after purchasing an additional 115 shares during the quarter. Paralel Advisors LLCs holdings in Huntington Ingalls Industries were worth $1,892,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Get Huntington Ingalls Industries alerts: Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Morgan Stanley increased its holdings in shares of Huntington Ingalls Industries by 133.8% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 1,285,139 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $296,456,000 after acquiring an additional 735,356 shares during the period. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its position in Huntington Ingalls Industries by 445.5% in the 1st quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 459,847 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $95,198,000 after buying an additional 375,553 shares during the last quarter. Deutsche Bank AG grew its position in Huntington Ingalls Industries by 124.0% in the 1st quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 228,968 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $47,401,000 after buying an additional 126,740 shares during the last quarter. Earnest Partners LLC grew its position in Huntington Ingalls Industries by 26.5% in the 2nd quarter. Earnest Partners LLC now owns 513,870 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $116,957,000 after buying an additional 107,539 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Renaissance Technologies LLC grew its position in Huntington Ingalls Industries by 924.3% in the 1st quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 117,800 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $23,494,000 after buying an additional 106,300 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.18% of the companys stock. Insider Buying and Selling In related news, VP D R. Wyatt sold 500 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $288.56, for a total transaction of $144,280.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 18,600 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $5,367,216. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other Huntington Ingalls Industries news, VP D R. Wyatt sold 500 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $288.56, for a total value of $144,280.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 18,600 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,367,216. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, VP Jennifer R. Boykin sold 2,176 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $272.31, for a total value of $592,546.56. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 6,877 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,872,675.87. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 3,576 shares of company stock valued at $974,148. 2.30% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Huntington Ingalls Industries Trading Up 0.8 % Shares of HII stock opened at $291.82 on Thursday. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $265.61 and a 200 day moving average price of $238.80. Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. has a twelve month low of $188.51 and a twelve month high of $292.82. The company has a market capitalization of $11.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.07, a PEG ratio of 2.72 and a beta of 0.58. The company has a current ratio of 0.95, a quick ratio of 0.89 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. Huntington Ingalls Industries (NYSE:HII Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 1st. The aerospace company reported $6.90 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.27 by $2.63. Huntington Ingalls Industries had a net margin of 5.95% and a return on equity of 18.12%. The firm had revenue of $3.18 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.78 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $3.07 EPS. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 13.0% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts forecast that Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. will post 16.36 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Huntington Ingalls Industries Dividend Announcement The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 8th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 23rd will be paid a dividend of $1.30 per share. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.78%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 22nd. Huntington Ingalls Industriess dividend payout ratio is currently 30.41%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of equities analysts recently weighed in on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Huntington Ingalls Industries from $257.00 to $288.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Thursday, February 8th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Huntington Ingalls Industries from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report on Friday, December 15th. Finally, Barclays boosted their target price on shares of 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. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, one has given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Huntington Ingalls Industries currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $265.00. Get Our Latest Stock Report on Huntington Ingalls Industries About Huntington Ingalls Industries (Free Report) Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc designs, builds, overhauls, and repairs 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. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding HII? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. (NYSE:HII Free Report). 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. Paralel Advisors LLC boosted its position in Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS Free Report) by 1.1% in the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The institutional investor owned 38,464 shares of the construction companys stock after buying an additional 436 shares during the period. Paralel Advisors LLCs holdings in Masco were worth $2,056,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Get Masco alerts: Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Harris Associates L P raised its position in shares of Masco by 8.7% during the 2nd quarter. Harris Associates L P now owns 9,728,394 shares of the construction companys stock worth $558,215,000 after purchasing an additional 781,049 shares during the period. State Street Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Masco by 3.1% during the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 9,467,872 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $543,266,000 after acquiring an additional 282,151 shares during the period. Boston Partners grew its position in shares of Masco by 4.2% during the third quarter. Boston Partners now owns 9,021,312 shares of the construction companys stock worth $481,875,000 after acquiring an additional 359,562 shares during the last quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC grew its position in Masco by 118,819.3% in the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 6,978,187 shares of the construction companys stock worth $325,672,000 after purchasing an additional 6,972,319 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Van ECK Associates Corp increased its stake in shares of Masco by 15.4% in the third quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 5,320,936 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $284,404,000 after purchasing an additional 711,988 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 91.67% of the companys stock. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of analysts recently commented on MAS shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Masco from $58.00 to $69.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Thursday, December 14th. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on Masco from $73.00 to $79.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Friday, February 9th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price objective on Masco from $66.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Thursday, December 14th. Truist Financial raised their target price on shares of Masco from $65.00 to $81.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Friday, February 9th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their price target on shares of Masco from $58.00 to $70.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Masco currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $68.92. Insider Buying and Selling at Masco In related news, VP Kenneth G. Cole sold 36,210 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $74.65, for a total value of $2,703,076.50. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 58,885 shares in the company, valued at $4,395,765.25. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In other news, VP Kenneth G. Cole sold 36,210 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $74.65, for a total value of $2,703,076.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 58,885 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,395,765.25. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, insider Jai Shah sold 25,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, December 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $62.38, for a total value of $1,559,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 34,709 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,165,147.42. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 88,253 shares of company stock valued at $5,952,223 in the last three months. 1.50% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Masco Trading Up 0.1 % NYSE:MAS opened at $76.70 on Thursday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $69.38 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $61.21. The company has a quick ratio of 1.08, a current ratio of 1.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 30.05. The company has a market cap of $16.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.13, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.11 and a beta of 1.25. Masco Co. has a twelve month low of $46.69 and a twelve month high of $77.33. Masco (NYSE:MAS Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 8th. The construction company reported $0.83 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.66 by $0.17. The firm had revenue of $1.88 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.79 billion. Masco had a return on equity of 3,111.50% and a net margin of 11.40%. The businesss revenue was down 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.65 earnings per share. As a group, analysts expect that Masco Co. will post 4.12 EPS for the current fiscal year. Masco Increases Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 11th. Investors of record on Thursday, February 22nd will be issued a dividend of $0.29 per share. This is an increase from Mascos previous quarterly dividend of $0.29. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, February 21st. This represents a $1.16 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.51%. Mascos payout ratio is presently 28.93%. Masco Profile (Free Report) Masco Corporation designs, manufactures, and distributes home improvement and building products in North America, Europe, and internationally. The company's Plumbing Products segment offers faucets, showerheads, handheld showers, valves, bath hardware and accessories, bathing units, shower bases and enclosures, sinks, toilets, acrylic tubs, shower trays, spas, exercise pools, and fitness systems; brass, copper, and composite plumbing system components; connected water products; thermoplastic solutions, extruded plastic profiles, specialized fabrications, and PEX tubing products; and other non-decorative plumbing products. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MAS? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Masco Co. (NYSE:MAS Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Masco Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Masco and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Paralel Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Laboratory Co. of America Holdings (NYSE:LH Free Report) by 1.3% in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 8,345 shares of the medical research companys stock after buying an additional 104 shares during the quarter. Paralel Advisors LLCs holdings in Laboratory Co. of America were worth $1,678,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Get Laboratory Co. of America alerts: A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. William Blair Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Laboratory Co. of America during the third quarter valued at approximately $397,000. Arjuna Capital raised its holdings in shares of Laboratory Co. of America by 3.2% during the third quarter. Arjuna Capital now owns 1,819 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $366,000 after acquiring an additional 57 shares in the last quarter. Hunter Associates Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Laboratory Co. of America by 3.2% during the third quarter. Hunter Associates Investment Management LLC now owns 20,145 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $4,053,000 after acquiring an additional 625 shares in the last quarter. Greenleaf Trust raised its holdings in shares of Laboratory Co. of America by 2.5% during the third quarter. Greenleaf Trust now owns 2,559 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $514,000 after acquiring an additional 62 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB publ raised its holdings in shares of Laboratory Co. of America by 2.8% during the third quarter. Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB publ now owns 16,075 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $3,232,000 after acquiring an additional 436 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 89.37% of the companys stock. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of equities analysts recently commented on the company. Barclays assumed coverage on Laboratory Co. of America in a report on Wednesday, January 3rd. They set an equal weight rating and a $222.00 target price for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Laboratory Co. of America from $259.00 to $261.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Friday, November 17th. TheStreet downgraded Laboratory Co. of America from a b- rating to a c+ rating in a report on Thursday, February 15th. Leerink Partnrs reiterated an outperform rating on shares of Laboratory Co. of America in a report on Monday. Finally, SVB Leerink initiated coverage on Laboratory Co. of America in a report on Monday. They issued an outperform rating and a $260.00 price objective for the company. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $243.07. Laboratory Co. of America Trading Down 0.4 % NYSE LH opened at $214.88 on Thursday. Laboratory Co. of America Holdings has a 12 month low of $174.20 and a 12 month high of $234.09. The stock has a market cap of $18.24 billion, a P/E ratio of 46.01, a P/E/G ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 1.04. The stocks fifty day moving average price is $223.44 and its 200-day moving average price is $213.60. The company has a current ratio of 1.17, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52. Laboratory Co. of America (NYSE:LH Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 15th. The medical research company reported $3.30 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $3.29 by $0.01. Laboratory Co. of America had a return on equity of 13.99% and a net margin of 3.24%. The firm had revenue of $3.03 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3.02 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $4.14 earnings per share. The companys quarterly revenue was down 17.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Laboratory Co. of America Holdings will post 14.73 EPS for the current fiscal year. Laboratory Co. of America Announces Dividend The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 13th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 27th will be given a dividend of $0.72 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, February 26th. This represents a $2.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.34%. Laboratory Co. of Americas dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 61.67%. Insider Activity at Laboratory Co. of America In related news, CFO Glenn A. Eisenberg sold 34,504 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $215.97, for a total transaction of $7,451,828.88. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 23,595 shares of the companys stock, valued at $5,095,812.15. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In related news, CFO Glenn A. Eisenberg sold 34,504 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $215.97, for a total transaction of $7,451,828.88. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 23,595 shares of the companys stock, valued at $5,095,812.15. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Der Vaart Sandra D. Van sold 259 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $222.06, for a total value of $57,513.54. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 7,637 shares in the company, valued at $1,695,872.22. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 35,500 shares of company stock valued at $7,670,756 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.65% of the companys stock. Laboratory Co. of America Company Profile (Free Report) Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings operates as a life sciences company that provides vital information to help doctors, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, researchers, and patients make clear and confident decisions. It operates in two segments, Labcorp Diagnostics and Labcorp Drug Development. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding LH? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Laboratory Co. of America Holdings (NYSE:LH Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Laboratory Co. of America Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Laboratory Co. of America and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Paralel Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS Free Report) by 1.1% during the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 21,773 shares of the financial services providers stock after buying an additional 238 shares during the period. Paralel Advisors LLCs holdings in Morgan Stanley were worth $1,778,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Get Morgan Stanley alerts: A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. RVW Wealth LLC acquired a new position in Morgan Stanley in the third quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Glass Jacobson Investment Advisors llc lifted its holdings in Morgan Stanley by 77.3% in the third quarter. Glass Jacobson Investment Advisors llc now owns 328 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 143 shares during the period. DHJJ Financial Advisors Ltd. acquired a new position in Morgan Stanley in the third quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Janiczek Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in Morgan Stanley by 810.8% in the third quarter. Janiczek Wealth Management LLC now owns 337 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 300 shares during the period. Finally, West Branch Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Morgan Stanley in the second quarter worth $30,000. 83.09% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Insider Activity In other news, CFO Raja Akram sold 7,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $83.56, for a total transaction of $584,920.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 97,634 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,158,297.04. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. In other news, CFO Raja Akram sold 7,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $83.56, for a total transaction of $584,920.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 97,634 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,158,297.04. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Chairman James P. Gorman sold 100,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $87.30, for a total transaction of $8,730,000.00. Following the sale, the chairman now owns 350,000 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $30,555,000. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 208,155 shares of company stock valued at $18,149,314 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 0.24% of the companys stock. Morgan Stanley Stock Performance Shares of MS opened at $86.05 on Thursday. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $88.36 and a 200-day moving average of $83.58. Morgan Stanley has a one year low of $69.42 and a one year high of $99.20. The company has a market cap of $140.71 billion, a PE ratio of 16.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 1.44. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.89, a current ratio of 0.75 and a quick ratio of 0.75. Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 16th. The financial services provider reported $1.13 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.07 by $0.06. Morgan Stanley had a net margin of 9.49% and a return on equity of 10.36%. The company had revenue of $12.90 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $12.77 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.31 EPS. The companys quarterly revenue was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Morgan Stanley will post 6.36 earnings per share for the current year. Morgan Stanley Announces Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 15th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, January 31st were given a $0.85 dividend. This represents a $3.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.95%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, January 30th. Morgan Stanleys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 65.76%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades MS has been the topic of several analyst reports. HSBC lowered shares of Morgan Stanley from a buy rating to a hold rating and set a $96.00 target price on the stock. in a report on Tuesday, January 9th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reiterated a market perform rating and issued a $91.00 target price (down from $102.00) on shares of Morgan Stanley in a report on Wednesday, January 17th. Bank of America increased their target price on shares of Morgan Stanley from $95.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Thursday, January 4th. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated a sector perform rating and issued a $85.00 target price on shares of Morgan Stanley in a report on Thursday, December 21st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued a neutral rating and set a $87.00 price objective (down previously from $94.00) on shares of Morgan Stanley in a research report on Wednesday, January 17th. Thirteen analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $94.56. Get Our Latest Research Report on MS Morgan Stanley Profile (Free Report) Morgan Stanley, a financial holding company, provides various financial products and services to corporations, governments, financial institutions, and individuals in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. It operates through Institutional Securities, Wealth Management, and Investment Management segments. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MS? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Morgan Stanley Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Morgan Stanley and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Detectives investigating an attempted murder in the Ardmore area of Derry last month have made an arrest. The arrest is part of an investigation by detectives into a report shots were fired at a house on Ardkill Road on the evening of Saturday, January 6. As part of the investigation a man, aged 60 years old, was arrested in the Derry area this morning, (Thursday, February 29) on suspicion of attempted murder and he remains in custody at this time. Renewing an appeal for information, Detective Inspector Wilson said: "On the evening of Saturday 6th January, police received a report that three shots had been fired through a window of a house at around 9.15pm, narrowly missing a male who was in the house at the time. "Three other people were also inside the house at the time of the incident. Fortunately, no-one was physically injured, however, this terrifying incident has left all those impacted extremely distressed. I am again appealing to anyone who was in the Ardmore area at around the time of the shooting and saw anything suspicious, or has information, to get in touch with us. Our appeal also extends to anyone who has dash cam or doorbell footage." A man spat in a Garda's face and then urinated in a Garda cell after he crashed his car into a tree. Nathan McNulty was caught after Gardai responded to a man driving erratically at Quigley's Point in Inishowen on July 4, 2020. McNulty appeared at Buncrana District Court to face a number of charges including having no insurance, assault, causing criminal damage and having possession of drugs. Judge Eiteain Cunningham was told in evidence there had been reports that there had been tyres screeching and a loud bang and that a car had crashed into a tree. When Gardai arrived at the scene at the Three Trees, a silver Lexus had been crashed and locals were trying to restrain a man who was being aggressive with them. Gardai tried to speak with the man who was later identified as Nathan McNulty. As he was being spoken to he continued to be aggressive and spat in the face of Garda Keith Conlon before he was arrested. When McNulty was taken to the local Garda station he continued to be aggressive and when placed in the holding cell he urinated on the wall and cell door before refusing to give a sample to a designated nurse. Gardai later searched McNulty's car at the pound in Burnfoot and found 20 of cannabis in the vehicle. On another occasion on April 28, 2022, McNulty had been stopped driving a white Berlingo van at Carnamoyle, Muff, for which he did not have insurance for. And on June 16, 2022, he was stopped travelling at speed and arrested. When a blood sample was taken later, McNulty, with an address at Eglington Terrace in Derry, was found positive for cannabis. The court was told that McNulty has previous convictions in this jurisdiction for public order offences. His solicitor, Mr Frank Dorrian, said his client was a man in his late 20s, who had "lost interest in his own welfare" since returning from Australia. He had discovered that the streets were not paved with gold in Australia and he had returned to his native Derry unable to fund any lifestyle for himself. "His anger and violence displayed was indicative of his mindset at the time," said Mr Dorrian. He reiterated that McNulty was a young man who returned from Australia after things didn't work out and arrived back in a state of anxiety and depression. However, he was determined to mend his ways and now works as a mechanic and has a partner and two children which "have brought him to his senses a good deal." Judge Cunningham said she was anxious to deal with certain parts of McNulty's case saying she deemed any assault on any Garda a serious offence. She also said that the incident in which McNulty urinated in the Garda cell was "most disrespectful" to Gardai. Dealing with the traffic matters, Judge Cunningham fined McNulty a total of 400 and also disqualified him from holding a driving license for four years in total. She asked Gardai to get victim impact statements in the case and ordered a probation and welfare report on McNulty before adjourning the case until June 13 next. BEIJING, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with President of the Republic of Sierra Leone Julius Maada Bio, who is on a state visit to China, in Beijing on Wednesday. Noting that China and Sierra Leone enjoy a time-honored friendship, Xi said the two sides have supported each other on issues concerning their core interests and major concerns, carried out efficient cooperation in the fields of economic and social development, coordinated closely on issues such as world peace and development, and worked together to fight against Ebola and the COVID-19 pandemic. China-Sierra Leone relations are a good example of China-Africa solidarity and cooperation, Xi said, adding that China is willing to work with Sierra Leone to consolidate high-level political mutual trust, advance pragmatic and mutually beneficial cooperation, and strengthen coordination on international and regional affairs to push bilateral relations to a new level. Xi said China firmly supports the Sierra Leonean people in pursuing a development path suited to their national conditions. He said China stands ready to strengthen exchanges with Sierra Leone on national governance, and work with Sierra Leone to continue supporting each other's major concerns and safeguarding their respective sovereignty, security and development interests. China is also willing to provide assistance and support to the best of its ability for Sierra Leone's development in agriculture, infrastructure construction and human resources, and encourage Chinese enterprises to invest and do business in Sierra Leone, Xi said. Both sides should strengthen cooperation on UN Security Council affairs and jointly safeguard the interests of Africa and developing countries, Xi noted. The Chinese president welcomed Sierra Leone to participate in the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, and jointly promote the building of a community with a shared future for humanity. "China has always regarded solidarity and cooperation with African countries as an important cornerstone of our foreign policy," Xi said. China will work with African countries to align its initiatives to support Africa's industrialization, agricultural modernization and talent development with the African Union's Agenda 2063 and the development strategies of African countries; and to further integrate the development of China, Africa and the world to promote the upgrading of China-Africa cooperation and move the world towards a bright future of peace, security, prosperity and progress, Xi said. China is ready to work with African friends, including Sierra Leone, to make this year's session of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) a success, Xi said. Bio said China is a trustworthy and reliable friend, thanking China for its great support for its economic and social development. He spoke highly of the Communist Party of China leading the Chinese people to achieve leapfrog development and promoting national rejuvenation. Bio said China's experience provides inspirations for developing countries to accelerate their development. Bio said Sierra Leone abides by the one-China principle, supports China in safeguarding its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and supports China in safeguarding its core interests. He said Sierra Leone is willing to learn from China's experience, strengthen cooperation with China on the Belt and Road Initiative, and tap the potential for cooperation on infrastructure, trade, education and public services. After the talks, the two heads of state witnessed the signing of bilateral cooperation documents in the fields of the Belt and Road Initiative, agriculture, economic development, and the implementation of the Global Development Initiative. Both sides issued a joint statement on deepening their comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. Prior to the talks, Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan held a welcome ceremony for Bio and his wife Fatima Bio at the Great Hall of the People. In the evening, Xi and Peng held a banquet for Bio and Fatima. The Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council welcomed representatives of the City of London Corporation and the Honourable the Irish Society into the Parlour this week, as part of a wider visit to Northern Ireland to strengthen ties with the region. The Mayor, Cllr Patricia Logue welcoming the group said it was a fantastic opportunity to showcase the city and district and build on existing relationships between the two cities. She said ongoing relationship building and collaborative working with the City of London Corporation is hugely significant in raising the City Regions profile and it was important that the strong existing business and historic links are further strengthened to driver economic growth for both cities. Mayor Logue said: I am delighted to welcome members of the City of London Corporation and the Honourable the Irish Society into the Guildhall this week as part of their wider visit to the region to showcase the region and to promote the very positive work we are doing to bring growth and prosperity to our region through our suite of City Deal Inclusive Fund projects. "It was a fantastic opportunity to promote the City Region and share the city and regions ambitious plans for future growth and prosperity. I was particularly delighted during the visit to formally acknowledge the retirement of Mr Edward Montgomery from the Honourable the Irish Society following his impressive 27 years service. Since joining the organisation in 1996, Mr Montgomery has seen some incredible changes to our city and district and I would like to thank him, on behalf of everyone in Derry and Strabane, for his ongoing commitment and contribution. John Kelpie, Chief Executive at Derry City and Strabane District Council said: We are committed to delivering inclusive and sustainable growth across the entire Derry and Strabane city region and we are delighted to be able to illustrate these developments in person to our colleagues from the City of London Corporation. The visit was a unique opportunity to share with them about the progress that has been made to bring forward the City Deal and Inclusive Future Fund investment that is set to transform the city and district. Those attending the civic welcome from the City of London were Christopher Hayward, the City Corporations Policy Chairman, Simi Shah, City Corporations Project Director for Innovation and Growth, along with Edward Lord OBE, Deputy Governor of the Honourable the Irish Society and Edward Montgomery, the organisations Charity Manager. At the meeting, the mayor also made a special presentation to Mr Montgomery ahead of his official retirement from the organisation this year. Following 27 years with the Honourable the Irish Society, Mr Montgomery is set to retire in 2024. Following the meeting the team went to Catalyst to meet with the project board of the NW RegTech Supercluster and held a roundtable with representatives from the financial services industry representatives. The team then visited Ulster University to meet with representatives of the School of Computing, Engineering and Intelligent Systems, the Business School and School of Nursing; and met with the Londonderry Chamber of Commerce. MAIN PICTURE: The Mayor, Cllr Patricia Logue and Derry City and Strabane District Council Chief Executive John Kelpie pictured with Christopher Hayward, Policy Chairman, City of London Corporation and Ed Lord, OBE, Deputy Governor of The Honourable The Irish Society at the Guildhall. PHOTO: Martin McKeown. Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has said that a fully functioning Northern Ireland Assembly is the best way to build support for the union. The DUP leader has been insisting that new post-Brexit arrangements have removed the Irish Sea trading border and restored Northern Irelands place within the UK internal market. The partys acceptance of the deal has seen the party return to Stormont powersharing after a two-year boycott. However, several prominent figures within the DUP have publicly criticised the arrangements. Former DUP deputy leader, Lord Dodds of Duncairn, accused the Government of engaging in an all-out PR operation and of being economical with the reality in the Lords on Tuesday. The reality is that the deal still retains the protocol Windsor Framework with all its inherent anti-Unionist contents, he said. Addressing party members and supporters in Newry and Armagh, Sir Jeffrey argued that decisions made today will either grow support for Northern Ireland or will cede ground to the enemies of the Union. He said that the coming generations will determine the Unions longevity and not a parliament or court. As leaders of Unionism, we must realise that a demographic and political shift is taking place before our eyes. Either we close our eyes and ignore it, or we recognise that we are no longer in a place where 70% of the population are red, white and blue British. Describing himself as a proud royalist, a member of the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland for almost 50 years and from a family which served with the Royal Irish Regiment, he said he wore both the harp and crown with pride as my cap badge in the Ulster Defence Regiment. I value my Britishness as represented by the crown but I also value the Irish element of my identity as represented by the harp. To be Northern Irish and British is not at all a mutually exclusive thing. The MP said that as Northern Ireland is made of a mix of identities, people must be allowed to feel at home whether in their Britishness, their Irishness or something in between. However, the choices that we make today will heavily influence the level of support for Northern Ireland within the Union for the next generation. A fully functioning Northern Ireland Executive and Assembly, delivering on key issues, is the best way to build that support. I am glad in recent weeks, that the membership of the DUP has been steadily growing. People are joining us from all walks of life. I am in the business of winning converts and growing support for Northern Ireland within the Union. The same applies both at Stormont and in our national Parliament where I am determined to make a positive case for Northern Ireland and to win friends for our cause. A Unionism that turns in on itself is a unionism that offers no hope and no vision for the future. He added: There are some within Unionism who seem more focused on seeking out heretics. That might be interesting and, for some, even fulfilling, but it is the sure and certain path to self-destruction and reducing support for our cause, rather than strengthening Northern Irelands place within the Union. The DUP leader also criticised Sinn Fein for focusing on the timing of a border poll instead of concentrating on reconciliation for terrible deeds of the past. When I hear Mary Lou McDonald or Michelle ONeill repeat calls for a border poll, I urge them, too, to recognise the diverse identities that make up Northern Ireland. Rather than seeking division and alienation of those who are pro-Northern Ireland, they would be better to focus on making the economy and our schools and hospitals here a success. They would be better to focus on justice and reconciliation in respect of the terrible deeds of the past, rather than seek further instability with a divisive border poll. He criticised statements from the Sinn Fein leadership as fantasy stuff, and said that former Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams had predicted in 2011 that Northern Ireland would have left the UK by 2016. He also said that in May 2022, Mary Lou McDonald called for a border poll by 2027 but months later changed to 2030, and First Minister Michelle ONeill had called for a border poll by 2034. If Sinn Fein needs to throw border poll dates to the republican base, lets not all get caught up in that game. Our objective must be to make Northern Ireland an economic powerhouse for the United Kingdom. This more than anything will secure our place in the Union for generations to come. HIGHLIGHTS Adobes new experimental tool aims to change how people make and tweak their own music. The name of the tool is Project Music GenAI Control. The Project Music GenAI Control will allow creators to generate music from text prompts, Imagine typing words, and out comes music tailored to your text. Its like having a magic wand for crafting music. Adobes new experimental tool promises to revolutionise how people make and tweak their own tunes, giving them the power to shape sound with just their words. Lets delve into how this exciting technology will reshape the landscape of music production. An early-stage generative AI music generation and editing tool, Project Music GenAI Control aims to change how people create and edit custom audio and music, Adobe said in a blogpost. Also read: AI sound generator: ElevenLabs will enhance your Sora AI videos The Project Music GenAI Control will allow creators to generate music from text prompts, and then have fine-grained control to edit that audio for their precise needs. Also read: Google Gemini vs Microsoft Copilot: Clash of AI chatbots in 5 different scenarios With Project Music GenAI Control, generative AI becomes your co-creator. It helps people craft music for their projects, whether theyre broadcasters, or podcasters, or anyone else who needs audio thats just the right mood, tone, and length, Nicholas Bryan Senior Research Scientist at Adobe Research and one of the creators of the technologies said. The new tool works by inputting a text prompt into a generative AI model, similar to how Firefly operates. Users just have to enter prompts like powerful rock, happy dance, or sad jazz to generate music. Once the music is generated, fine grained editing is integrated directly into the workflow. The new tool will have an easy-to-use interface, allowing users to modify their generated audio with ease. Users could adjust various aspects like tempo, structure, and repeating patterns to match a reference melody. Users could also control the intensity of the audio, deciding when to increase or decrease it. Additionally, they could have the option to extend the length of a clip, remix a section, or generate a seamlessly repeatable loop. Instead of manually cutting existing music to make intros, outro, and background audio, Project Music GenAI Control could help users create exactly the pieces they need addressing workflow challenges from start to finish. One of the exciting things about these new tools is that they arent just about generating audiotheyre taking it to the level of Photoshop by giving creatives the same kind of deep control to shape, tweak, and edit their audio. Its a kind of pixel-level control for music, Bryan explained. HIGHLIGHTS Apple has internally announced that their car project has now been shelved. Apple was reportedly planning to substitute the steering wheel in its car with Siri. Elon Musk was ready to sell his Tesla to Apple but he had one major condition. A Bloomberg report revealed yesterday that Apple has internally announced that their car project, something on the likes of Elon Musks Tesla, has now been shelved. The project called Project Titan was under development for over ten years and was highly anticipated. Well as we wait to hear about Apples car, new developments are coming forth on what was happening at the Apple offices. Reports reveal that during these ten years, there were talks about Apples acquisition of Tesla, Apple designing a Siri-controlled car, and Elon Musk offering to become the CEO of Apple. Read along as I share what all we know so far. Also read: Apples electric car project is shockingly dead for two simple reasons Siri to steer Apples car? Lets talk about the most interesting part first. A Siri-controlled Apple car! A report by The New York Times revealed that initially, Apple was planning to substitute the steering wheel in its car with Siri the virtual assistant. So the car would have been controlled entirely by Siri. This reminds me of just another sci-fi movie. And I am not really sure how it would have worked out, but I guess well never know now. Also read: Xiaomi SU7 EV showcased at MWC 2024: Here are 4 futuristic features of this car Apple tried to acquire Tesla Lets now come to Tesla and Apple. Over time, I am sure you might have heard rumours of how Apple was acquiring Tesla. The New York Times report furthers on that. It reveals that Elon Musk and Tim Cook were having discussions over the latter acquiring Tesla. The report reads, The company held some discussions with Elon Musk about acquiring Tesla, according to two people familiar with the talks. But ultimately, it decided that building its own car made more sense than buying and integrating another business. Previously, a Wall Street Journal report had mentioned how Musk was ready to sell his Tesla but he had one major condition. He did not only want to be the CEO of Tesla but of Apple. Imagine that! Well, I cant confirm anything for you until and unless we hear directly from the company. Until then Ive shared all that the reports have to say. Stick around to get the latest updates. 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. South Korean government join forces with corporations, aiming to create 'South Korea's Nvidia' With the US, China, and Japan all actively developing semiconductors, the pressure is starting to build for South Korea. In response, the South Korean government is strengthening its collaboration with major corporations by setting up hotlines, forming special teams, and aiming to create South Korea's own "Nvidia." Participants include Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix, and other supply chain members. According to reports by Aju Business Daily and Newsis, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE), Ahn Duk-geun, met with executives from several South Korean semiconductor corporations to address the impact of the intensified global semiconductor market and discuss relevant policies. Minister Ahn, along with several CEOs of South Korean semiconductor companies, has decided to establish a hotline to tackle challenges like AI semiconductors. Notable participants for the meeting include the president of Samsung's Device Solutions (DS) division Kye Hyun-kyung, SK Hynix president/CEO Kwak Noh-jung, Wonik IPS president Ahn Tae-hyuk, co-CEO photoresist maker Dongjin Semichem Lee Chun-hyuk, SoulBrain holdings CEO Chung Hyun-suk, and more. Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) recently announced the desire to "revitalize Japan's semiconductor industry," with the subsidies (JPY1.2 trillion) to TSMC's Kumamoto fab a part of this plan. Similarly, the US government also provides subsidies to US semiconductor companies for new equipment investment. To nurture companies and talents in materials, components, equipment, and IC design, South Korea plans to provide policy funds of KRW24 trillion (approx. US$18.03 billion). The government and the private sector will also jointly establish a verification facility for these funds. To enhance its IC design competitiveness, an IC design verification center will be set up in 2024, and the Semiconductor Industry Association plans to establish an AI semiconductor cooperation forum. The "IC Design Cultivation Program" is also scheduled for launch in the first half of 2024, aiming to create a South Korean version of Nvidia. South Korean corporations that participated in the meeting have committed to collaborating with the government to work towards the goal of investing KRW60 trillion in semiconductors and achieving US$120 billion in exports by 2024. As for the government, it plans to shorten the construction time of the Yongin Semiconductor Industrial Park, expedite approvals, and expand corporate investment incentives. MOTIE will also establish a dedicated task force to promote the industrial park. The South Korean government has expressed that, to swiftly provide power to the Yongin Semiconductor Industrial Park, it plans to sign an MOU with the Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO), the Korea Land & Housing Corporation (LH), and other demand companies on February 27, 2024. BYD's amphibious EV goes down swimmingly at Geneva International Motor Show China's EV maker BYD debuted its amphibious EV at the Geneva International Motor Show. BYD showcased its Yangwang U8 luxury SUV at the Geneva International Motor Show. The vehicle can rotate 360 degrees in place and even navigate on water, posing competition to Mercedes-Benz's G-Class and Land Rover's Defender as it enters the luxury vehicle market. At the end of 2023, BYD confirmed its plans to open its first electric vehicle production base in Europe in Hungary to boost local sales. Now, it has been reported that the Italian government has reached out to the Chinese EV elephant to bring in a second automotive manufacturer aside from Fiat's parent company, Stellantis. BYD's head in Europe, Michael Shu, said there have been discussions between the two parties regarding this matter. Shu's admission comes after reports that Stellantis may shift some production to lower-cost countries. It is reported that the Italian government is aiming to attract a new major automaker to Italy. Whether a second European factory is needed depends on BYD's sales performance, which is currently progressing well. Italy's Minister of Industry, Adolfo Urso, stated in February that the country supports the arrival of a second manufacturer. Urso said Italy has been working on the project for months, engaging in substantive discussions with foreign partners. Despite saying it is too early to determine when or if a decision will be made on the second factor, Shu said BYD hopes to integrate deeply into local supply chains. BYD's investment in Hungary could help the company avoid additional import tariffs. EU recently announced an investigation into subsidies for Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers. Shu noted that BYD has been cooperating with the investigation. Shu said BYD possesses strong products, technology, and flexibility in supply chain management. BYD's success in Europe stems from its efforts based on facts and not from relying on EU subsidies, he added. After surpassing Volkswagen to become China's top-selling automaker, BYD is expanding into Europe to create new revenue streams and escape the intense price wars in the Chinese market. Meanwhile, existing European manufacturers are grappling with the complexity of transitioning to electric vehicles while also addressing cooling demands for innovative technologies. With its Yangwang U8 entry into the European market, BYD aims to display its technological prowess while introducing more new models to Geneva, including an upgraded 5-seater Dolphin SUV and the Tang. This Tang is a pure electric vehicle that can travel up to 530 kilometers on a single charge. BYD has been selling electric vehicles like the Dolphin in Europe. However, their level of success there is still hard to gauge. BYD did not disclose relating to the Yangwang U8's price or supply chain. BYD's amphibious model is priced at around US$150,000 in China. BYD's models in Europe are often priced higher than in the Chinese domestic market. Shu said that BYD's costs are decreasing as electric vehicle production increases. The company ships vehicles from China to Europe using its own vessels, further reducing costs. It is reported that BYD's Hungary factory plans to produce at least 150,000 electric vehicles per year. This is the minimum production standard for general automotive plants. TSMC appoints two executives as Co-COOs, passing the baton on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) Board of Directors held a special meeting on February 29 and approved the appointment of Senior Vice President of R&D Y.J. Mii and Senior Vice President of Operations Y.P. Chyn as Executive Vice Presidents and Co-Chief Operating Officers of TSMC. The last time TSMC appointed Co-COOs were Shang-yi Chiang, C.C. Wei, and Mark Liu from March 2012 to 2013. After Chiang's retirement in October 2013, Liu and Wei were promoted to be co-CEOs. Therefore, this latest promotion has signified that Mii and Chyn have been chosen to become potential candidates for TSMC's future helmsmen. Y.J. Mii is the Senior Vice President of Research and Development (R&D) at TSMC. Mii joined TSMC in 1994 as a manager at Fab 3 and then joined the company's R&D organization in 2001. In 2011, he was appointed Vice President of Research and Development and was later promoted to Senior Vice President in November 2016. In more than two decades of services at TSMC, Mii made significant contributions to developing and manufacturing advanced CMOS technologies in both Fab Operations and R&D. He successfully managed the development of 90nm, 40nm, and 28nm technologies. By spearheading the research and development of 16nm, 7nm, 5nm, and beyond, he has helped maintain TSMC's technology leadership in the foundry segment of the global semiconductor industry. Mii received the National Manager Excellence Award in 2008, recognizing his innovative "half-node" concept for 40nm process technology that improved performance and reduced die size. He also received the National Engineering Excellence Award in 2004. Before joining TSMC, Dr. Mii was a research staff member at IBM Research Center. Mii has 34 patents globally, including 25 US patents, and holds a B.S. in electrical engineering from National Taiwan University, and an M.S. and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Y.P. Chyn is the Senior Vice President of Operations at TSMC. He is responsible for operating and manufacturing all fabs in Taiwan and overseas. He also co-leads TSMC's Overseas Operations Office, which is responsible for supporting the company's global expansion and accelerating the organizational effectiveness of overseas operations. Before his promotion to Senior Vice President in 2016, he served as Vice President of Operations for Product Development. Before assuming that post, he was Vice President of Advanced Technology Business at TSMC, sharing responsibility for TSMC's advanced technology and 300mm fab operations. Chyn joined TSMC when it was founded in 1987 and made significant contributions to the Company's product engineering capabilities throughout his career. He was Director of Fab 1 from 1997 to 1998, and in later positions supported yield improvement in all new generations of advanced technology, including the 28nm, 16nm, and 7nm nodes. Chyn also manages sub-nodes including N22 and N12, and the development of specialty technologies such as radio frequency, high voltage, and image sensors. Chyn pioneered the development of TSMC's Golden Spice Modeling methodology and Design for Manufacturing program. Before joining TSMC, Chyn served as an engineer with the Industrial Technology Research Institute's Electronics Research and Service Organization (ERSO-ITRI). The press release stated that following these appointments, the two Executive VPs and Co-COOs, as well as TSMC's HR, Finance, Legal and Corporate Planning organizations will report directly to C.C. Wei, the company's CEO. All other organizations will report to the two Executive VPs and Co-COOs. The new organizational structure will take effect on March 1, 2024. Global top-5 notebook brands saw their combined shipments plummet sharply from a month ago in January 2024 as the slow season kicked in and the global economy remains deeply influenced by negative factors. Abstract The global top-5 notebook brands, not including Apple, saw their combined shipments in January, not including detachable models, plunge 25% on month as the market has entered the slow season. Despite brand vendors' strong order pull-ins for new models, the overall momentum still decelerated sharply; however, the market was still on track for growth thanks to the on-year shipment increase of 19%. Among the global top-5 brands, Asustek Computer had the best performance thanks to its early digestion of excess inventory at the channel and keen moves on launching new consumer models. Hewlett-Packard (HP) and Lenovo both suffered an over 30% on-month decline in January as their shipments were seriously influenced by the slow season. Table of contents Seattles commercial development at a crossroads Downtowns post-pandemic recovery requires a shared public and private sector vision for and financial commitment to the citys future. By ERIK MOTT Perkins&Will Mott The future of commercial development in Seattles downtown core is more uncertain than ever. The bullish trend of the recent decade of development has given way to a disquieting lull that begs the question, What next? While none of us can predict the future, it is increasingly clear that development in Seattle will look different in the coming years to serve the expectations and needs of future generations. During this hopefully momentary lull in development investment, we can reflect on how to best shape the future of our downtown intentionally. With a shared vision, we can act together to have the most positive impact on our urban and natural environment. INERTIA AND UNCERTAINTY There are amazing opportunities ahead, as well as systemic challenges to overcome. Economic momentum has shifted away from growth, and we are now faced with inertia and uncertainty as market leaders contemplate their next move. Those in and associated with the commercial real estate and development industry can see the challenges ahead, and its a common refrain that this time feels different due to cultural and economic shifts with impacts that remain unknown. What we do know is that downtown is struggling to recover its pre-pandemic vitality, and that additional growth and development will be challenging. Fundamental shifts in financial markets and social behaviors arising from the pandemic have made visible impacts on the downtown core and the outlook for the foreseeable future. One catalyst for change is to make a shared commitment to improved public and private cooperation to overcome the current dilemma. Photo by Sternstein Photography [enlarge] Projects like 400 Westlake, which transformed a Seattle landmark in significant disrepair into a high-performing Living Building Pilot, exemplify a trend toward environmentally conscious adaptive reuse that can restore the city fabric. According to JLLs Global Real Estate Outlook in Summary, at the end of 2023, return to office rates in the U.S. were at a meager 55%, significantly lower than in Europe (75%) or Asia-Pacific (85%). In Seattle, the trend towards remote work has shown up as the greatest decline in demand for office space among seven major cities including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, Washington, D.C., New York, and Chicago, according to commercial real estate analysis by VTS. Downtown recovery is hovering at about half of pre-pandemic levels of 2019 according to a University of Toronto study analyzing 66 cities in North America. While many socioeconomic factors may contribute to Seattles significant lag in economic and civic recovery, the impacts are visible on streets and sidewalks that lack activity. They are lined with vacant retail storefronts, projecting a feeling of decline. With significant vacancies and an absence of multi-family residential density in the center of the city, Seattle has become less inviting to a healthy and industrious populace. RESTORING AND REGENERATING OUR URBAN FABRIC Against this backdrop, the commercial development pipeline in Seattle has slowed substantially with a sharp decrease in immediate demand and uncertainty of future demand. By late 2023, only 15 commercial building permits had been issued downtown, as compared to more than 100 in 2016 and an average of 65 per year between 2016 and 2019, according to the DSA 2023 Year End Development Guide. That may seem like grim news. Absent a new trend emerging, it could be. But there is good news too. The Seattle region remains in a robust economic position as a home for global leaders and is a beautiful natural setting with a community known to be resilient, innovative, progressive, and socially conscious. Surely, we can turn the development trend upward again by taking this opportunity to knit together public and private investments toward a shared goal of a restored and regenerated urban fabric. A true recovery can only take place when community leaders align around proactive coordinated strategies to promote and deliver quality urban development. City and community leaders are to be lauded for bringing forward the Downtown Activation Plan, the Building Emissions Performance Standard (BEPS), and the Third Avenue Vision Initiative. More needs to be done. These visions, accompanied by meaningful public investments in Seattles future could amplify the benefits of a healthy downtown. Modifying the zoning, regulatory, and fee framework could truly unlock the future potential of downtown. Other improvements that could make a huge difference in activating progress include incentivizing and rewarding developers for creating intelligent density in mixed-use neighborhoods, simplifying the outdated zoning code, eliminating height limits throughout downtown, and striking through regulatory impediments that overburden the risk and cost side of every proforma. Development is a sign of life, vitality and civic health. We must connect the dots between our economic and cultural goals and the built environment, and work together to find creative solutions to support development. Given the profound recent shifts in macro-economic trends and social norms, it is no wonder that mature cities with more well-established density, diversity, and public space are recovering faster. Seattle, this is a collective learning moment. Beyond policy, code revisions, and enhanced public and private partnerships, forward-looking leaders are revisiting expectations for design and construction to address what people want today and in the future. Innovations have made their way into the skyline through projects that embrace new paradigms for use and new standards of performance. The next tranche of development in Seattle will bring a steep change in the evolution of quality projects as citizens, tenants, and residents demand healthier, more distinctive, and inviting buildings and spaces to fulfill the potential of a flexible and healthy urban lifestyle. New city initiatives alongside new development standards can shape the future of commercial development in the Seattle downtown core. Only time will tell if we are up for choosing the right path. Erik Mott is principal and design director at Perkins&Will. Other Stories: Subscriber content preview SEATTLE A small, century-old apartment building at 317 E. Thomas St. sold earlier this month for nearly $2.4 million, according to King County records. The seller was Baldwin Seal LLC, which acquired the property in 2002 for about $1 million. . . . To mark Rare Disease Day 2024, a disability activist from Galway has said that the donation of a baby's umbilical cord saved her life. Emma Ward, a disabled Irish traveller activist and journalist, shared her experience about Mucopolysaccharidosis type 1 (MPS1), more commonly known as Hurler syndrome, which affects 1 in every 100,000 babies. Hurler syndrome is a condition that affects children with an abnormal accumulation of complex sugars in their cells, which affects many of the systems in their bodies. Hurler syndrome is currently divided into two subtypes, severe and attenuated. It is one of the 50 diseases classified as lysosomal storage disorders (LSD), where affect genetic variations disrupt the normal activity of lysosomes in human cells. In a bid to raise awareness on Rare Disease Day 2024, which is celebrated on February 29 during leap years, the Athenry native wanted to share her story and details of how an umbilical cord saved her life. "MPS1 is a condition where your body doesn't have enough enzymes to break down sugar molecules. The condition causes skeletal/joint abnormalities, distinct facial characteristics, issues with cognitive development, heart and lung (respiratory) problems and an enlarged liver and spleen. I say it's commonly known but unless it affects you or someone you know it's never heard of it," explained Emma on X, formerly known as Twitter. Emma says that she suffers from the mildest form of the condition, although she notes it still affects her. "I had to have a stem cell bone marrow transplant when I was 9 months old which helped most of my symptoms, a fun fact is my donor match was from Liverpool, so I'm genetically Irish and ethically an Irish Traveller but 50% of my blood is Liverpool blood. All babies born with this condition needs to have a stem cell bone marrow transplant as soon as possible, preferably before they are a year old, to survive," Emma said. Emma hopes sharing her story will raise awareness on the condition, and encourage mothers to donate their babies' umbilical cords. "I hope to bring more awareness about it this year as it might help with getting more bone marrow transplant matches because it is unfortunately hard to find those matches, I can't stress this enough, if you're pregnant please consider donating your babies umbilical cord because it was that that saved my life and it could potentially save another baby's life," she said. The activist explained that the condition affected her hips, which are "smaller and weaker than average". Therefore, she is a wheelchair user and recently had a hip replacement surgery. Her nephew, Patrick, is also affected by the condition. "He was born with the same type of Hurler Syndrome as me and he is doing well, and I hope to teach him that his disability doesn't define him like it doesn't define me, it's a small part of us both and not the whole picture and I want him to be able to grow up in a more accessible and inclusive environment and country, that's why I fight to make real, genuine and good changes for every person with a disability in Ireland because we deserve better and more equal and fair rights like every non-disabled person!," she added. President Michael D Higgins has been taken to a hospital in Dublin after feeling unwell earlier on Thursday. A medical team attended the Aras an Uachtarain to assess the 82-year-old. The PA news agency understands that initial tests did not show anything wrong with the president, but he was taken to hospital as a precaution following medical advice. A source confirmed that he was taken to a hospital but that it was as a precaution following advice from the paramedics who assessed him at his official residence in the Phoenix Park. In a statement, a spokesman for the president said: Aras an Uachtarain can confirm that, having felt unwell, President Michael D Higgins was this evening brought to hospital for precautionary tests. The president was initially assessed at Aras an Uachtarain where no immediate concerns were identified but a decision was made to proceed to hospital in order to undergo tests, the initial results of which have been positive. The president, who will remain in hospital overnight, is in excellent spirits and has thanked the medical staff for the care he has received. A church pastor who obtained 29,000 in social welfare payments which he was not entitled to, and was caught after a relative attempted to sign-on in his name when he was out of the country, has been given a suspended sentence at Dundalk Circuit Court. Christian Bona (53) with an address at Rockfield Park, Stoney Lane, Ardee had pleaded guilty to 10 sample counts but was originally charged with 56 counts - all for theft of the job seekers allowance, apart from a back to school allowance claim. The court had previously heard how an official in Ardee knew the person who attempted to sign-on as Christian Bona (Bone-a), was not the genuine claimant, and he was asked to return with identification and the defendant arrived with I.D. the next day and maintained he had been out of the country for a family emergency. When interviewed he told officers his father in law had had a stroke and he had to go back to Romania. The father of five, who is a naturalised Irish citizen, apologised saying "I didn't think it was a big problem". The defendant took 30 flights within Europe between March 2015 and July 2016 and while at one point he had been eligible for the social welfare payments, he was ineligible for the period in question as he was absent from the State. Although his sentencing had been adjourned to allow him to make a significant payment, the court heard that 19,893 remains outstanding. The Defence barrister said his client had increased his monthly repayments to 450 in November and intends to continue doing so until the amount is repaid in full. Judge Dara Hayes said as a pastor of a church in Drogheda, one might observe that this was particularly unchristian behaviour, and it was a fraud from the public purse. However, he noted the defendant had no previous convictions. The judge imposed a sentence of two years and three months, which he suspended for five years, on him entering a bond to be of good behaviour, so the monthly payments can continue. Judge Hayes also warned that if one repayment is missed, he expects the case to be re-entered by the State. Signs that a general election might be on the cards sooner rather than later were strengthened yesterday, with Louth based Fine Gael Senator John McGahon taking a thinly veiled swipe at Fianna Fail's Minister for Finance's position on income tax cuts. In a statement yesterday Senator McGahon said that Minister Michael McGrath's "conversion to Fine Gaels position on income tax cuts and money back in your pocket politics is a welcome development." Senator McGahon said: Fianna Fail Minister Michael McGrath threw his usual cautious approach to the wind during an interview on RTE Radio 1 by claiming that tax cuts are on the way for workers in the next budget nine months from now. With his substantial income tax break chatter today, Minister McGrath set a new record for a Finance Ministers commitment to personal tax reduction to the surprise of all Government colleagues. Nevertheless, his adoption of a Fine Gael commitment to reduce the income tax burden is a welcome development, and one that will deliver more money back in the pockets of families and individuals in Budget 2025. It is heartening to hear this so early in the year and I commend Minister McGrath for this commitment. Last year, the same Fianna Fail Minister criticised three Fine Gael junior ministers for calling for an annual tax break of 1,000 for middle income workers ahead Budget 2024. At the time, Minister McGrath said the Fine Gael call to reduce the tax burden on workers represented an unusual approach. He was also displeased that Fine Gael raised this matter during the summer months ahead of the Budget and claimed he wasnt going to get involved an auction with other parties on Budget demands. But thankfully Minister McGrath has seen the light, and like the early bird catching the worm, he is happy to confirm tax cuts in Budget 2025 nine months out from him announcing it. Fine Gael will never apologise for standing up for workers and will ensure individuals and families keep more of their hard-earned income through income tax changes and other payments to meet household bills. We have always believed people pay too much tax on their hard-earned income and for that reason, Fine Gael in Government has led the way in cutting income tax and USC. The tax package introduced in Budget 2024 and which took effect this year is worth 813 on the average wage, and when combined with the universal energy credit, equates to over 1,000 back in their pockets." Senator McGahon added: And we will continue to make adjustments to income tax, where possible, to ensure that work pays and that people see a meaningful difference in their pay packets that will continue to help them in their daily lives. And Fine Gael will be pushing to ensure we help families and individuals further next year." 112 interim payments worth over 542,000 have been made to Louth farmers that are participants in Tranche 1 of the Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES), and who have not yet received their advance payments for participation in the Scheme. The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, TD, yesterday announced the issue of an interim payment, with the overall amount being paid to Irish farmers in this first pay run, amounting to 113.617 million to 23,709 ACRES participants. The payment is to be reflected in participants bank accounts in the coming days. ACRES is Ireland's agri-environment climate scheme under Ireland's CAP Strategic Plan. This 1.5 billion flagship agri-environment scheme is seen by the Government as a farmer-friendly scheme to help address biodiversity decline while delivering an income support for up to 50,000 farm families in Ireland. News of the payments was welcomed by Louth based Senator Erin McGreehan. Senator McGreehan said: "It is excellent to see confirmation that those ACRES participants who have not received an advance payment under the Scheme will receive an interim payment into their bank accounts in the coming days. "This interim payment is welcome as work continues to process further general advance payments under ACRES. The rate of the interim payment is 4,000 for those in General and 5,000 for those in the Co-operation Project. The Minister and his Department have committed that these payments will be issued by the end of this month. There are, however, a small number of applications requiring further processing, and the interim payment in respect of this cohort will issue in about 10 days time. I am pleased that the officials in the Department of Agriculture will continue with the ACRES process as a key priority. This is the first year of the scheme, these payments are of enormous importance to farmers across Louth and it is vital that farmers are recognised for their environmental contributions. Members of Louth IFA held a demonstration outside Louth County Council buildings in Dundalk recently, ahead of the Louth County Council February meeting, to lobby councillors as part of a national campaign, seeking fairness for farmers. One of the issues raised by farmers at the protest was in relation to CAP payments, with a spokesperson telling the Dundalk Democrat that the CAP budget is like a swiss army knife which is supposed to fix all objectives. New environmental measures that are coming out are being funded out of CAP payments." We want CAP money to be left for food production money, which is income for farmers, which ultimately subsidises the production of food, but ultimately again, subsidises the consumption of food." Minister for Further and Higher Education, Simon Harris has given approval to SOLAS to revise their Guidelines on the Fund for Students with Disabilities to provide for a standard hourly rate of 21 for personal assistants employed directly by ETBs, with effect from 1st March 2024. This represents a substantial increase on the current rate generally in payment across ETBs of 14.72. The issue has been championed by Louth TDs Fergus ODowd and Ruairi O Murchu with both making calls for an increase in the money paid to personal assistants employed by ETBs in Louth and nationwide. In a letter announcing the move, the minister thanked Deputy ODowd for his engagement on the matter saying it had been vital to bringing this increase forward. The FORSA trade union has also lodged a formal claim for improvements to the terms and conditions of personal assistants with ETBI, seeking the establishment of a public service grade, with an incremental salary scale, pension and leave entitlements. The Department of Higher Education announced it would undertake a review of the demand for, and response to, personal assistant services across the Higher Education and Further Education and Training sectors, which will examine the various arrangements in place with the terms of reference for the study currently being drawn up. In a letter announcing the move, the minister thanked Deputy ODowd for his engagement on the matter saying it had been vital to bringing this increase forward. Louth Sinn Fein TD Ruairi O Murchu welcomed substantial pay increases saying it will boost the wages of workers in colleges like O Fiaich, Drogheda Institute of Further and Higher Education and Cavan Institute. Deputy O Murchu said: I have been working with PAs from Louth, Meath and Cavan over the last almost two years in order to try to improve terms and conditions for them. The news last night is very welcome and comes following my request that while Forsas formal pay claim is being considered, that the PAs would have some interim relief. But it is a first step. Many of the PAs that I am working with will, come the Easter break, have to fill in jobseeker applications in order to get some income when the colleges are off. They have to do this every time there is a break like Christmas and the summer. It causes incredible difficulties for them and they need a contract that is secure and reflects the incredible work they do in assisting people with disabilities through college courses. A report published this week by the Joint Committee on Justice has recommended that the Operating Policing Model and that the 3 County Division of Louth, Cavan, Monaghan should be re-examined, with a view towards designating Louth as a separate district. The decision to merge the three districts went live on 3rd December last year despite strong opposition from local councillors and Joint Policing Committees with letters written to the garda commissioner expressing concern with the move and the breadth of the geographical area it would cover. The committee commented with reference to the Louth amalgamation that In general, districts should be geographically manageable. It further said that witnesses brought before committee hearings were critical of the Operating Policing Model, which they said has resulted in a less visible Garda presence. Witnesses highlighted that as part of this model, there remain two 3 County Divisions of Mayo, Roscommon, Longford and Louth, Cavan Monaghan respectively. It was argued that it would be better for Louth and Mayo to be designated as separate districts, as these areas have distinct policing needs and issues that would not be comparable to the other counties in their division. Witnesses highlighted that while 3 county divisions had stemmed from a recommendation within the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland (COFPI) report, they believed that Irish society had changed since the report was published in 2018 and that the 3-country division should be revised. The committee also claimed that in their view garda management are increasingly developing modes of avoiding responsibility by delegating responsibilities downwards and avoiding decision making. The report noted that the AGSI believe that this can be clearly identified in the new Operating Model where much managerial responsibilities continues to be devolved from Superintendent to Inspector ranks, with little or no consideration for their current rank and role responsibilities. The Association has been firm in its view that the Operating Policing Model is not suitable as a singular model for Policing in Urban and Rural Ireland. It has created a less visible Garda presence with the Public frequently commenting on the fact that they rarely see Gardai walking the beat. Recent reviews by Garda Management have recognised that the 3 County Model did not work and changed some Divisions accordingly. However, Mayo, Roscommon, Longford, along with Louth, Cavan Monaghan remain as 3 County Divisions, something which AGSI feels should be revisited as a matter of urgency. Carlingford Oysters have been named winners at the prestigious 2024 Irish Food Writers Guild Food Awards. The awards, now in their 31st year, spotlight excellence and distinguishable quality in Irish produce and its committed creators. Numerous family businesses have been recognised over three decades not only for their excellent produce and practices, but also for the lasting and enduring legacy they are creating for current and future generations. The food awards remarked that: It takes over three years for Carlingford Oysters to reach maturity and the proof is in the high meat content and sweet nutty flavour of these Lough-grown bivalves. Having sailed into Carlingford Lough on a wooden yacht, built with his own hands and accompanied by his wife Anna and two chickens; founder Peter Louet Feisser was enchanted by the Carlingford Loughs natural beauty and seduced by the allure of the Irish way of life. Always attracted by the sea, he was inspired in 1974 to begin growing oysters after hearing a broadcast on BBC radio 4. Now in his 80s Peter can still be found early in the morning out on the oyster farm at low tide perfecting new growing techniques devised to create the ultimate Carlingford Oyster. The next generation are now following in the footsteps of Peter, with his son Kian and wife Mary building on that romantic notion from 1974. The IFWG Food Awards are unique in that no business or individual can enter, nor do they know if they have been nominated for an award. The Guild is the sole nominating and decision-making body* whose members nominate and anonymously buy products for tasting. The Irish Food Writers Guild Food Awards were celebrated at Dublins Suesey Street, with a lunch created by Head Chef Matt Fuller, featuring the winning produce. Caroline Hennessy, chair of the Irish Food Writers Guild IFWG commented: Notwithstanding the challenges facing small food and drink businesses right now, we have a sector of which we can be extremely proud. Todays IFWG Food Awards are a celebration as we shine a light on exemplars of the countrys thriving, world-class artisan food and drink industry. But Irelands producers need support from government, from supermarket and restaurant buyers and from consumers who want to eat and drink exceptional and sustainably sourced Irish produce. From oysters to organic meats and chicken, traditionally made pastry and Irelands first and only vermouth, this years winning produce together with our chosen producers and innovators are the heart and soul of our domestic food industry and they deserve our support. The sister of the late Ann Delaney has delivered an emotional eulogy at her funeral, stating she and her family will always miss her. Loved ones gathered at St. Abbans Church, Doonane this afternoon (February 29) to pay respects to Ms Delaney after she was found unresponsive outside a Tesco Express in Dublin last week. A nurse who was well known for her kindness, Ms Delaney (formerly of Dromagh, Co Laois) had reportedly been sleeping rough in the capital city for the past seven years. Speaking to the gathered congregation earlier today, her sister Roisin said, Ann was a mother, daughter, sister, auntie and friend, and she was well respected. She loved to travel and visited many countries all over the world, and everywhere she went she made friends. She made an impact on everyone she met. It has been so lovely to meet her friends over the last few days to hear some great stories of her over the years. She gave us a lot of laughs and taught us how to be more loving and affectionate, but most of all she gave us spirit. Roisin, who became emotional during the eulogy, said a lot of Anns qualities can be seen in her daughter, Saoirse. [Saoirse] brings such joy to our family and we see Anns kind nature in her every day. She continued: As a family, we never understood why Ann chose to live the life she did. Over the last number of years, it has been incredibly frustrating and painful that Ann did not accept the help that so many people offered. Family and friends and professionals offered as much support as they could. However, sadly it was to no avail. The outpouring of grief for Ann shows how she brought positivity to other people's lives even though she was struggling herself. Ann always knew she had a home and a family who loved her very much. Ann, we hope that you find peace. We love you so much and will always miss you. Father Jimmy O'Reilly, who officiated the mass, said Ann was "never one for material things". He said, "She had great kindness in her heart. She had great care for others, she was outgoing and had a very rich inner life, her poetic side showed that. She was a very spiritual person, and her kindness and care reached out to other people. "In the last years of her life in Dublin, she became the heart and queen of the community there. She helped so many people by being there and just being herself. "We've heard so many comments quoted on RTE and through different media during the week and the condolences on RIP.ie notices, and how the qualities of generosity, outreach and sensitivity can play in relation to the most vulnerable. "It manifested in the outpouring of love, sorrow and sympathy expressed publicly in so many ways by so many people over the last few days." On Monday (February 26), hundreds of mourners turned up to a vigil in Dublin to honour Ms Delaney, with many in attendance sharing their encounters with the popular character. The crowd also reportedly sang Aslans Crazy World and released balloons in tribute. Hundreds of people paid tribute to the beloved lady on RIP.ie, with one person stating: "My sincere sympathy to Ann's daughter Saoirse, her mam Mary and all her siblings on the sad and tragic passing of Ann. A truly wonderful, kind human being who deserved more. "Saoirse, be exceptionally proud of your mam. She loved you so much and wanted so much to be able to have a life with you. No one knows what tomorrow will bring and when the supports aren't there, it's very easy to hit rock bottom. Your mam will be watching over you now and will help you to get through this dreadful time. May Ann rest in peace and may her memory be a blessing." Another person wrote: "Your beautiful smile radiates with the people of Ireland, we also know the emotional burden of nursing can break a fledgling heart too. All that caring where no one knows your heartbreak, where did it go? Ann, we pray your family's heartbreaking time will heal and bring with it memories of earlier and happier times. I didn't know you but now I do, sadly. RIP beautiful Ann." A further condolence reads: "We got to know Ann over a long period. She wrote occasional poetry and regularly took photographs, which she got developed locally. She was like a magnet to passersby and had a word for everybody. She always wanted to give, to share what little she had with others. "Heaven will be enriched by her presence. We wish to extend to her daughter, her mother, and her extended family, our sincerest condolences. Ar dheus Dei go raibh a h-anam." Ann is survived by her mother Mary, daughter Saoirse, brothers Thomas, John, Ciaran and Paul, sisters Siobhan, Tricia, Roisin and Emer, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, aunts, uncles, cousins, nephews, nieces, relatives and a wide circle of friends. Ms Delaney was predeceased by her father Tom. Charlie Bird, journalist and motor neurone disease (MND) advocate, has announced he will be leading a charity walk for volunteers this April. Charlie announced the news on X, formerly Twitter, that he will be leading the Hand of Friendship Walk for Samaritan volunteers in Co Wicklow this April 21 at midday. I am so excited to be asked to lead the Samaritans walk in April in Avondale, Charlie said. Samaritans is a great organisation and its branches and volunteers deserve our support for extending the hand of friendship. Last April, more than 500 people joined Charlie as he led his first Hand of Friendship Walk for Samaritans in Avondale Forest Park. Samaritans operates a 24-hour freephone helpline on 116 123, offering a listening ear to anyone who is struggling to cope. Charlie has said he gave his support to the charity after he found himself in a dark place when he was diagnosed with MND. Sarah OToole, Executive Director for Samaritans Ireland, paid tribute to Charlie for all the support he has given to the organisation over the last 18 months. Charlie is an inspiration to so many people and his determination to continue to support us and others is incredible, she said. As well as this latest announcement, Charlie will also be climbing Croagh Patrick, Co Mayo, on April 2 for Pieta House and the Irish Motor Neurones Association. I want to extend the hand of friendship to all carers across the country. I now have first hand experience of the valuable work they do. I am still hanging in. And in April I will be leading a walk in Wicklow for all Samaritan volunteers. Details to follow Charlie Bird (@charliebird49) February 29, 2024 The 74-year-old is now wheelchair bound, as he shared on February 11, 2024: "My health has changed completely. I now have to be hoisted in and out of bed." The former chief RTE News correspondent was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in 2021 and now hosts many charity events and fundraisers in aid of numerous charitable organisations. Sinn Fein has been accused of being silent and two-sided on the Palestine question while in the US by Irelands deputy premier. Micheal Martin also denied accusations from Sinn Fein and said that Ireland hadnt failed to intervene in any legal case on the conflict in the Middle East. He condemned the unacceptable and extraordinary situation facing people in Gaza. The death toll since the start of the Israel-Hamas has risen to more than 30,000, with another 70,457 wounded. The UN said that a quarter of Gazas 2.3 million Palestinians face starvation and around 80% have fled their homes. The Hamas attack in southern Israel that ignited the war killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and the militants seized around 250 hostages. Hamas and other militants are still holding around 100 hostages and the remains of about 30 more, after releasing most of the other captives during a November ceasefire. The increasing alarm over hunger across Gaza has fuelled international calls for another ceasefire, and the US, Egypt and Qatar are working to secure a deal between Israel and Hamas for a pause in fighting and the release of some of the hostages. Mediators hope to reach an agreement before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan starts around March 10. Sinn Fein TD Matt Carthy said: What Israel is doing on a daily basis is barbaric. You previously failed to support motions calling on Ireland to intervene in the case against Israel at the International Court of Justice brought by South Africa. Can I ask you, do you accept that what is happening in Gaza is genocide because the evidence is crystal clear? Will you recognise the state of Palestine? No more excuses. Israel is attempting to bomb Palestine out of existence. If the world doesnt take a stand there will be no Palestine left to recognise. Mr Martin said that they had acted to help the people of Palestine, and said Irelands Attorney General was before the International Court of Justice to speak about Israeli settlements, a process that began before the October 7 Hamas attack. Weve used every political, financial, diplomatic measure that we possibly can and humanitarian to help the people of Gaza and help the people of Palestine. He added: We have not failed to intervene in any case. And you know that deep down but youre just playing politics again, unfortunately with it and seeking to divide and try to create this wedge issue, as if youre more virtuous than anybody else. South Africa itself has not filed the memorial on that case yet. They will probably in two or three months when they have it ready. Mr Martin added: I would respectfully suggest to you have a role too. Youve been two-sided to the United States. Youve been extraordinarily silent on the Palestinian question in the United States. Ive gone to Washington, Ive spoken to Senators, and Ive spoken to some of your friends who challenge me about Irelands position in terms of Israel and Palestine. I actually suggested to one or two that they should talk to you. Mr Carthy responded: Sinn Fein take every opportunity with every individual and state of influence to call for an end to Israeli oppression of the people of Palestine. Mr Martin said that the Arab states are very close to concluding a peace initiative, which Ireland had been briefed on. Mr Martin suggested that Ireland and EU nations may move to recognise a Palestinian state when an administration is in place to run the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Theres no issue in Ireland in terms of recognition, but I think it does merit consideration at least, I will put it to you any sensible person watching would say, lets use it in the most optimal way possible for the benefit of the Palestinian people and that moment is not too far away. Tusla has stopped engaging with two for-profit agencies that carry out services for it following an audit, a committee has heard. The child and family agency told TDs that an issue emerged during an audit and in response it set up a unit to check qualifications in agencies it uses. Tusla chief executive Kate Duggan said on Thursday that the issue was not pointed out but had emerged organically through the organisations double lock auditing of documentation. Within our quality and regulation directorate, we have an internal audit function, she told the Public Accounts committee. So that proactive auditing that we do picked up an issue and then after we thought, we actually cant just take insurances, we cannot just take assurances from these agencies that they have Garda vetting, that they have qualifications, we have to physically set up a unit that checks every one of these manually. She said that there are eight people now working in this unit. The committee was also told there was a 65 million euro increase in spending on special emergency arrangements (SEAs) over a four-year period, from fewer than five million to 71 million. Ms Duggan said that as there was an increase in the needs of children post-Covid, due to the war in Ukraine and global movement of people, which in turn had led to an increase in demand for SEAs. She said following the spike in demand, the agency took a much more rigorous approach to SEA providers and its own audit system picked up concerns in relation to different agencies. Where those concerns were picked up they were evaluated, they were looked at, and where there was any concern that was creating a risk to a child we ceased operation with that company and if required we referred the matter to An Garda Siochana. Asked by Social Democrats TD Catherine Murphy how many organisations have been excluded as a consequence of the unit, Ms Duggan said: Theres two agencies weve stopped engaging with. Asked if both organisations were operating on a for profit basis, Ms Duggan said they were. Ms Duggan said: When an agency provides a service for us, they have to give us an assurance that their staff are Garda vetted, they have to give an assurance that their staff are qualified. We give out 75% of our funding goes out to community, voluntary and private services. We dont see a copy of all of the Garda vetting or a copy of all of the qualifications, what we see and what we receive as an assurance. Because of the nature of these (special emergency) arrangements been unregulated, we decided to put in a double lock there. So the double lock was that on top of seeking an assurance, on top of seeking confirmation, we physically got copies of the Garda vetting, we physically looked for copies of the qualifications. She added that this information was received organically and was not something they were told about. Labour TD Alan Kelly told Ms Duggan this was frightening, very scary stuff, and that the 65 million increase in spending over four years was incredible. Ms Duggan said the increase in spending was due to a significant increase in demand for SEAs. That has been driven largely by the number of separated children and young people that have presented into this country seeking international protection. Ms Duggan said they want emergency provision and agencies that are registered and regulated. In the absence of that multi-agency response to these young people, what I and the executive are taking so seriously is the level of oversight we put in over these arrangements. Every single one of these young people has an allocated social worker, theyre visited in their placement, every one of them have a care plan. She added: Fundamentally, what we need is the interagency piece. Ms Duggan also said the agency recognises we are losing more social workers than we are recruiting. In terms of recruiting, there is a supply issue, we need about 500 social workers qualifying every year in Ireland, right now there is 200. She said that in the last 18 months the organisation has collaborated with third-level institutions, advertised abroad and are working to develop an apprenticeship programme with the Department of Further and Higher Education. An advocate for older people in Cork has encouraged people in their mid-60s to continue in full-time employment up to their 70th birthday, under new, flexible state pension options. Paddy OBrien welcomed the more flexible state pension (contributory), with people now able to draw down their pension at any age between 66 and 70. As of January 2024, people can continue to work, which may improve their contribution record when they decide to draw down their state pension (contributory). People will still have the option to draw down their pension at the age of 66, as they can today, or they can continue to work full-time after their pension is drawn down. I welcome this extension of four years for people to remain in the workplace, Mr OBrien said. Many decades ago, the current retirement age of 66 was classed as old, but thats totally different today. People have the strength and the health to work later. Paddy O'Brien, an advocate for the elderly, said he would encourage people to think very carefully about retiring early. The state pension was known as the old-age pension and it was compulsory to retire at the age of 66, but, thankfully, today, people have a better quality of life, thanks to modern medicines, and people are living longer; some people are living beyond their 100th birthday. People who celebrate their 66th birthday this year will qualify. They will have a choice to continue in their employment for one year or a total of four years, and this is the greatest thing about this: People themselves can choose to continue to work for one, two, three, or four years. Mr OBrien encouraged those who have the means to take early retirement to think carefully about the decision. What I would say is to think very carefully about retiring early. Dont rush into anything, until such time that you have spoken to people who have already retired and would be classed as having taken early retirement, he said. Sometimes, when people think of retirement, they make one serious error: They think of the good times during their annual leave and there is no comparison between your holiday time and your retirement. The days are exceptionally long, and some people have no commitments, so, in other words, they have nothing to do all day. Mr OBrien encouraged those who may find themselves in this position to join a voluntary organisation, visit the aged in nursing homes, visit a neighbour, join a church choir, join a music society, or get involved with an organisation such as mens sheds. A man in his sixties who was jailed for the murder of 72 year old Mary OKeeffe whose body was found in a burning car in Doneraile, Co Cork in 2021 has died at a hospital in the city. Michael Leonard passed away at the Mercy University Hospital in Cork on Tuesday. He had been diagnosed with a form of cancer. Mr Leonard of Hillcrest, Glenosheen, Kilmallock, Co Limerick, was sentenced to life imprisonment in December 2022. The then 63 year old had pleaded guilty to the murder of Mary OKeeffe at a woodland in Doneraile on February 4, 2021. The court heard that Leonard arranged to meet Ms OKeeffe at the wooded area. However, within minutes of her arrival he threw two gallons of petrol into the car and set it on fire. A postmortem showed she was still alive when the fire started. The mother of three lived in Dromahane near Mallow in Co Cork and worked as a cook. The alarm was raised on the afternoon of February 4, 2021 when a passer-by spotted a car on fire near the Coillte forest in Doneraile. Ms OKeeffe was pronounced dead at the scene. Mr Justice Paul McDermott, in sentencing Mr Leonard to mandatory life imprisonment for murder, described his actions as being horrific. He added: There has been a terrible loss inflicted on this family and I can only express my sincere condolences to them. The victims granddaughter, Nicky OKeeffe, told the court of her grandmothers love of music and dancing, her generosity and her kindness. She said: Mary OKeeffe will be forever in our hearts, she is deeply loved, sadly missed and will never be forgotten."We like to think she is happy, dancing in the sky. She was a positive, happy person who had the ability to make every situation better. Her smile and laugh will live in our hearts forever. An inquest in to the death of Ms OKeeffe previously heard evidence from Det Sgt James OShea who said that the body of Ms O'Keeffe had to be identified using DNA because visual identification was not possible due to the burns. Assistant State Pathologist, Dr Margaret Bolster carried out a post-mortem at Cork City Morgue. She said that Ms OKeeffe died from extensive severe third degree burns associated with the inhalation of carbon dioxide due a fire in car. The prison service has confirmed the death of a person in custody. However, the person was not named. The next of kin has been notified. The 35th Cork French Film Festival has announced its lineup. Many of these French-language films will be having their premieres from March 2 to March 10 at the Arc Cinema. The festival, organised by Alliance Francaise de Cork, was launched at the Metropole Hotel by MEP Deirdre Clune; Lord Mayor Kieran McCarthy; deputy head of mission, embassy of France in Ireland, Marianne Barkan-Cowdy; and festival directors Valerie David-McGonnell and Josselin Le Gall. Ms Barkan-Cowdy said: The French embassy is delighted to support the 35th Cork French Film Festival, which is an important cultural connection between France and Ireland. This collaboration reflects the ongoing commitment to strengthening cultural ties, celebrating the arts, and promoting mutual understanding between our two nations in the context of the 2021-2025 French-Irish joint plan of action. Ms David-McGonnell and Mr Le Gall said they are thrilled to direct the festival, which they said has gone from strength to strength over its 35 years. You dont need to speak French to enjoy our programme, as all our films are subtitled, they stated. There is something for every cinephile in our festival. The festival begins with the Irish premiere of Jeanne du Barry, a historical drama directed by the acclaimed Maiwenn and starring Johnny Depp. It opened the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. Sports are the themes of Nadia, Butterfly, Final Set, and the film proposed for post-primary schools Tempete (Ride Above). There will be three venues for school screenings this year in Cork, Mallow, and Midleton. Three of this years 18 films won at the recent Cesar Awards. They are: Animal Kingdom, Three Musketeers, and All Your Faces. Other films will include the Irish premiere of The Crime is Mine, a restored version of Orphee, and the history documentary D-Day: Normandie 1944, by Pascal Vuong, who will answer questions. PLANNING approval has been secured for the second phase of the Passage Railway Greenway Improvement Scheme, with the proposed enhancements expected to deliver a great boost to the area. The second phase of the scheme starts on the northern side of the N40 near Bessborough, crosses the N40 Cork South Ring Road and the Douglas Estuary via bridges, traverses across Hartys Quay and the R610 Rochestown Road, passes Hop Island, and finally terminates at the Cork City boundary to the west of Passage. Delighted Fine Gael councillor in the citys South-East ward Deirdre Forde, who was Lord Mayor when the first phase of the revamped greenway was officially opened last year, welcomed planning approval for the commencement of the phase. Im absolutely delighted. Theres a lot of money being spent in Cork and much of it elsewhere in the constituency, like the Marina Park and that. I think improving this phase of the greenway is a great boost to the area, she said. I asked for a childrens play area and a public area, and theres a commitment to do that. I think its good generally for the people of Rochestown and all the other people, said Ms Forde. Meanwhile, Green Party councillor in the citys South-Central ward, Dan Boyle, also described the grant of planning from An Bord Pleanala as welcome news. The hope is that work can happen quickly to bring about these improvements, he said. Its unfortunate that greater use of the riverside walk isnt being made. However, a better greenway will result. Upgrade The proposed development includes the upgrade of approximately five kilometres of the existing Passage Railway Greenway and two interconnecting tracks. Such works will include the resurfacing and widening of the existing greenway to up to 4m, new surfacing of the tracks accessing Mahon Industrial Estate and the Mahon Interchange to form a shared-use pavement of around three metres in width, and improvement works to the Black Bridge. Other works will include public realm improvements and landscaping along the route to include planting and biodiversity enhancement measures, seating and play equipment, as well as bicycle parking, repair, and storage facilities. Conditions There are 10 conditions attached to An Bord Pleanalas approval of the second phase of the greenway improvement scheme. One condition states that all repair works to the Black Bridge, a protected structure, must be carried out under the supervision of a qualified professional who possesses specialised conservation expertise, and that the repair works must retain the maximum amount possible of surviving historic fabric in situ and shall be designed to give rise to minimum interference with the fabric of the Black Bridge. It was blind luck that catastrophe was avoided in Midleton and throughout east Cork during the flooding during Storm Babet. That's according to one of the authors of a new study which found that global warming had increased the intensity of the extreme weather event which happened last October. The intense rainfall during the storm, which led to devastation in Midleton and other parts of east Cork, was more than twice as likely to happen due to global warming, the study carried out by international climate scientists has suggested. According to the study, which is to be highlighted on Prime Time on RTE 1 tonight, the chances of such heavy rainfall happening today were 120% more likely when comparing the current climate conditions to those which prevailed in pre-industrial times more than 200 years ago. First study of its kind in Ireland New scientific techniques pioneered by World Weather Attribution (WWA) were used which enable scientists to answer the question, following extreme weather events: what is the role of climate change in this event. The study, a climate attribution analysis, which is the first of its kind in Ireland, was led by Dr. Ben Clarke, a scientist from the World Weather Attribution (WWA) team from Imperial College London working with researchers from the ICARUS Climate Research Centre at Maynooth University and Met Eireann. One of the authors, Professor Peter Thorne from the ICARUS Climate Research Centre said it was blind luck that we avoided a worse catastrophe in this case. He said that the storm could have yielded far more severe consequences had the storm coincided with a high tide rather than a low tide. The research, which commenced in November following the storm's devastation, examined the impact of climate change on such an extreme weather event. By employing attribution science, the team were able to establish a correlation between climate change and the heightened intensity of Storm Babet. Concerns of residents The hope of the authors is that they will prompt policymakers to take the necessary precautions. It's significant to understand, for any event, was it made more likely, more severe due to climate change?, said Professor OShea. Equally, was it made less likely, less severe due to climate change? If we're going to make sensible decisions, if we're really going to build a climate resilient island, we need to know the answers to these questions. A group representing Midleton and East Cork residents travelled to Dublin last week to deliver a petition with almost 15,000 signatures demanding urgent action to implement interim flood relief measures and describing as not fit for purpose the humanitarian fund set up in the aftermath of the flooding to compensate householders and businesses who are unable to get flood insurance because of the absence of a flood relief scheme promised as long ago as 2010. The RTE Prime Time programme will speak to some residents who air their concerns given the prediction of the new study that future climate events could be even more severe than Storm Babet. RTE Prime Time will be broadcast at 9:35pm on RTE One and RTE Player. CORK County Council has granted permission for a new 10-bed mental health community rehabilitation residence on the site of the Owenacurra Centre in Midleton. It granted permission for demolition of the existing mental health facility and outbuildings and the construction of the 10-bed facility. Permission has also been granted for 17 onsite parking spaces, external heat pumps, a waste management compound, a back-up generator enclosure, 10 sheltered bicycle parking spaces, external signage, and all other associated landscaping and site works. Social Democrats councillor for Midleton Liam Quaide, who has long campaigned for mental health service provision to remain in Midleton, described the planning approval as a major milestone and said it is very welcome that the HSE has followed through on its commitment to the project with concrete and swift action in recent months. This planning approval is a major milestone in the Owenacurra Centre campaign, he said. Mr Quaide also welcomed the HSEs acquisition of a property in Midleton for three Owenacurra residents and commitment to the purchase of a second three-bed property, both of which Cork Kerry Community Healthcare confirmed last December would be completed by the second quarter of this year. The HSE first announced its intention to close Owenacurra in June 2021 and just six of the original 20 occupants remained at the facility before it flooded last October. Mary Hurley, a family member of an Owenacurra resident, told The Echo that the campaign, launched in 2021, was something nobody ever wants to have to do but they are grateful for the support over the past three years. We are really happy about it. One of the things that I felt was really important was having a centre or service right in the middle of Midleton town for all of East Cork, she said. Owenacurra is a really established centre and it has huge acceptance and connection in the town. Having a service thats already embedded and connected where you have skilled workers as well and people who have been there for whole careers, thats a huge asset to a service. We feel very grateful. A CORK man accused of stealing two naggins of vodka from the same store on February 27, went on to tell the court the following day that he is now 40 years old and did not want to be coming in and out of court for the rest of his life. Roy OCallaghan, who lives at an apartment at Bridgefield Close, Bishopstown, Cork, was arrested by gardai and charged with stealing a naggin of vodka at 4pm on Tuesday, February 27. The court heard that he then allegedly returned to the same store Tesco on Paul St, Cork city at 5pm the same day and allegedly stole another naggin of vodka. Mr OCallaghan told Judge Mary Dorgan this week he wanted to address his alcohol difficulties, particularly at this stage in the mans life. Sergeant Gearoid Davis said the gardai were objecting to bail in this case. Defence solicitor Frank Buttimer made an application for bail on behalf of the accused. Judge Dorgan granted Mr OCallaghan bail on a number of conditions, to later appear at Cork District Court on the theft charges on March 12. The bail conditions imposed on the accused require Mr OCallaghan to sign on daily at Togher Garda Station, remain sober and crime-free, and keep a 10pm to 6am curfew. A GARDA officer had his skin ruptured when his hand was bitten by a woman he was arresting, it has been alleged at Cork District Court. Aisling ORiordan, aged 30, of Mount Farran, Assumption Rd, Cork, appeared at Cork District Court on charges of assaulting two gardai and assault causing harm to a third officer. She also faces charges of engaging in threatening behaviour and being drunk and a danger. Judge Mary Dorgan asked Sergeant John Kelleher to outline the allegations in the case for the judges determination on whether or not she would accept jurisdiction for the case. Sgt Kelleher said: Gardai were called to Mount Farran to deal with a disturbance at that location on October 8, 2023. Gardai found that she was extremely intoxicated and very abusive and threatening to gardai. Gardai formed the opinion that she was intoxicated to such an extent that she was a danger to herself and others. She was informed she was being arrested. While being handcuffed, she bit two gardai on the hand who came to transport the prisoner. She spat at a third member. She was then conveyed to Gurranabraher station. Sgt Kelleher said that the charge of assault causing harm arose out of the skin being broken on the hand of one of the gardai. Judge Dorgan was told there was no long-term injury. Judge Dorgan said after hearing the outline of the allegations that she would accept jurisdiction to deal with the case at Cork District Court. Defence solicitor Frank Buttimer asked for a copy of the prosecution statements to be sent to the defence so that a decision could be made on whether Ms ORiordan would plead guilty or not guilty to the charges. The case was adjourned until April 16 for that purpose. A 33-year-old man has been charged with stealing cash and a large quantity of gold jewellery from the bedroom of a woman who owned the house where he was staying as a tenant. Jamie OByrne of Pearse Place, Ballyphehane, Cork, faced that charge at Cork District. Detective Garda Ian Breen arrested the accused and charged him with a new charge of entering a bedroom at an address at Ashgrove Drive, Carrigaline, County Cork, and stealing property including 300, a gold chain and pendant, two other gold chains, a gold chain with yellow and white gold links, a gold wedding band, a dress ring, a silver band with black stone, a light weight gold chain, and 150. Sgt Davis outlined the allegations in the case for Judge Mary Dorgan to indicate if she would accept jurisdiction. Between April 1, 2022 and September 2, 2022, it is alleged that the defendant was renting a room in the house and that during his time there he entered her bedroom without permission on a number of occasions and stole cash and jewellery, Sgt Davis said. Judge Dorgan said she would accept jurisdiction. Frank Buttimer, solicitor, then applied for free legal aid to represent the accused and requested a precis of the prosecution evidence so that the defendant could decide if he was pleading guilty or not guilty to the offence. The case was adjourned until March 27 for that purpose. Det Garda Breen had no objection to the accused being remanded on bail until then on condition that he would reside at his address at Pearse Place and sign on periodically at Togher Garda Station. The new charge was brought instead of a less detailed charge brought previously. That earlier count has now been withdrawn. Jamie OByrne had another case against him adjourned to the same date for sentencing. In that case he pleaded guilty to a charge of assault causing harm to another man on August 10, 2022, at Weston View, Carriglaine, County Cork. A victim impact statement is to be given in court on that date. By Jonathan McCambridge, PA Stormonts new powersharing Executive is focused on bringing forward a programme for government as soon as possible, the First and deputy First Minister have told MLAs. Michelle ONeill and Emma Little-Pengelly were giving evidence to the Executive Office committee and said they were looking forward to the return of all strands of the Good Friday Agreement, including meetings of the North South Ministerial Council (NSMC). Devolved government returned to Northern Ireland this month after the DUP dropped its two-year boycott of the political institutions when a deal was struck over post-Brexit trading arrangements. Ms ONeill became the first nationalist First Minister, with the DUPs Ms Little-Pengelly as deputy First Minister. In their first joint committee appearance, they set out their priorities for government, including dealing with longstanding financial issues facing Northern Ireland. They were asked when they would be bringing forward a programme for government setting out the strategic aims for the Executive. Ms ONeill told the committee: It is important that everybody feels the benefit of the policy decisions that we take. Michelle ONeill, left, and Emma Little-Pengelly said they were looking forward to the return of all strands of the Good Friday Agreement, (NI Assembly/PA) That will be reflected in the programme for government and we are going to move at it at a sensible pace, and we are going to move at it to make sure that we get it right. That is important because this becomes our collective programme for the Executive in terms of what we are going to develop, there will be collective priorities. We have to consider all that alongside the financial challenges that we have. She added: The programme for government is something that we are all focused on and we want to come back and talk to the committee about that at the right juncture, all ministers are getting to grips with their briefs and I hope that in the coming weeks well be able to discuss at more length the programme for government. Pressed on a time frame for the programme, Ms Little-Pengelly said: Michelle and I are very clear, we want a programme for government as soon as we can. We will work to ensure it is brought forward as quickly as possible, we want that to be there so everybody is clear, not just in the Assembly but throughout Northern Ireland as to what we are working towards, what are the priorities of this government. Sinn Fein MLA Caral Ni Chuilin asked when the NSMC would return, pointing out that the 26th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement was approaching. The NSMC has not met since 2021 after the DUP withdrew from north/south meetings as part of its protest against Brexits Northern Ireland Protocol. Ms ONeill said: It is important that we have all strands (of the Good Friday Agreement) up and running. We are working towards getting the other elements up and running, including the North South Ministerial Council. We know there is a big backlog there in terms of appointments. I want to see all elements up working again and I hope we will be able to progress those in the weeks ahead. Ms Little-Pengelly added: The north/south, east/west relationships are an absolutely key part of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement. We are currently seeking to finalise dates, but those will happen very shortly. Louise Walsh An Irish-based orthopaedic surgeon says he feels helpless and devastated after his youngest brother was killed in Gaza last week, just an hour after he sent his toddler son to safety. Dr Mahmoud Abumarzouq lost his 29-year-old brother Ahmed Abumarzouq last Friday, when an Israeli bomb hit the refugee camp in Rafah, where he was staying. The surgeon at Our Lady's Hospital in Navan, Co Meath said he is now really worried about his parents and remaining family as they struggle to afford the food prices which have soared ten-fold. "I don't know what to say. My heart is broken. I couldn't even go to his funeral or to help my family," he said. I'm told he is waking up in the middle of the night and walking around with his blanket calling daddy, daddy. "I keep thinking about his son, my nephew, Faisal who is barely walking. I'm told he is waking up in the middle of the night and walking around with his blanket calling 'daddy, daddy'. Dr Mahmoud pictured with his family who have been living in Navan, Co, Meath since he arrived in Ireland to work as an orthopaedic surgeon three years ago. "His wife Mum Faisal (Baraa) is a widow after a few years. They loved each other dearly and Ahmed had only qualified as a social worker recently. "The bomb, which was a drone, hit his room and caused devastation. He had only sent Faisal to his nana's house one hour before he was killed. AI should be helping people, not helping to kill them. "I lost my eldest brother Refat in 2000 when he was shot at only 23 years old and now Ahmed is gone. My brother-in-law and elderly uncle were also killed in a missile attack last year. "I got a video of his funeral and my father is saying that if he survives, he will take care of Faisal. My father is 75 years old and a great-grandfather with health conditions. He shouldn't be rearing a toddler. "As a doctor, I'm going into surgery every day to help people, and then I come home and see people killing people in my part of the world. Sometimes I just have to take a breath and my colleagues have been so supportive of me. "My children only met Ahmed and Faisal and my family for the first time last summer when I brought them there on their first trip. Ahmed was bringing them places on the bikes and Faisal was so loving to all my kids, so adorable. They were distraught when I told them of Ahmed's death. "Happy memories that have turned to hellish times." A tray of eggs used to be about 3 and now it is 50. He added: "They are talking about a ceasefire. I hope it can come true. People need to breathe and get medicine and supplies. Some doctors I know over there have been kidnapped, while one I know says that those who are injured have slim chances of surviving because they can't get treatment, and they can't get out across the Egyptian border. "I spoke to Ahmed last week, and he asked if he could take children's medicine because he had a sore throat. We laughed about it. And now I cry. Ahmed with his son. "I try to send money to them but everything is so expensive. A tray of eggs used to be about 3 and now it is 50. Basic things can't be found or are too expensive. "My eldest sister Lamina, who inspired me to become a doctor, is a lecturer in microbiology in Gaza now is everyday trying to find flour to make bread to feed her six boys. "What is going on is not human. To see the suffering of mothers looking at the bodies of their slain children in plastic bags is not human. And the world looks on." By Rebecca Black, PA No prosecutions are to be pursued following consideration of the final files from a major investigation into the British armys top agent in the North during the Troubles. The Public Prosecution Service (PPS) said it considered a large volume of material and information contained in six files submitted by Operation Kenova in respect of 12 individuals. It concluded there is insufficient evidence to provide a reasonable prospect of conviction for any individual reported in relation to five incidents which happened between 1987 and 1994. The agent Stakeknife worked in the IRAs notorious nutting squad, interrogating suspected informers during the Troubles. Jon Boutcher headed up Operation Kenova before he became PSNI chief constable (PA) Kenova examined crimes such as murder and torture linked to Stakeknife and the role played by the security services, including MI5. West Belfast man Freddie Scappaticci, who was alleged to have been Stakeknife, died in 2023. He had always denied the claims. Operation Kenova was headed up by Jon Boutcher, who wrote the report but has since recused himself from involvement in its publication after becoming chief constable of the PSNI. The full report is expected to be published next week. The decisions announced on Thursday by the PPS were the final phase of prosecution decisions concerning Kenova. The individuals reported in the final files included seven alleged to have been members of the Provisional IRA, and five retired soldiers who worked within the British armys Force Research Unit (FRU). Of the five former soldiers, three were described as having been agent handlers while two held more senior positions. The decisions not to prosecute were taken in relation to the abduction of a victim in 1987 who was released, the abduction and murder of one victim in 1988, the abduction and murder of one victim in 1989, the 1989 abduction of one victim who was released and the murder and abduction of one victim in 1994. Deputy director of public prosecutions Michael Agnew said the decisions were taken by an experienced team of senior prosecutors, who were assisted by independent counsel. The challenges encountered in this last phase of decisions, as before, included an absence of important source materials and legal difficulties in attempting to rely upon intelligence records as evidence that could be admitted in criminal proceedings, he said. Having carefully considered the extent of the admissible evidence, it was concluded that there was no reasonable prospect of conviction in respect of any of the 12 individuals reported. In addition to the detailed public statement explaining the decisions taken in each of the cases, all victims and families connected to these five incidents have received an individual written explanation, along with an offer to meet in future to answer any questions they may have. Director of Public Prosecutions Stephen Herron confirmed the PPS has now taken decisions in all 28 files submitted by Operation Kenova in relation to this investigation. Stephen Herron, Northern Irelands Director of Public Prosecutions (PA) I recognise the deep disappointment many victims and families will have at the decisions not to prosecute, and their continuing desire for information and accountability, he said. In requesting the criminal investigation into Stakeknife and the conduct of those involved in running him as an agent, my predecessor Barra McGrory KC indicated that he did not take this step lightly but was concerned that serious offences may have been committed. It is right, therefore, that a rigorous and thorough examination was undertaken by the Operation Kenova team. It was only after all relevant material had been gathered, analysed and understood that the prospects of conviction could be determined. Each decision was carefully considered on an individual basis, as we have sought to demonstrate through the public explanations we have issued at each phase of decision-making. However, the value of the investigation should not be measured solely in terms of any rosecution decision outcome. Mr Herron added: Operation Kenova sought to address communication with families in a more considerate and inclusive way and this has been widely welcomed. There is much about how they have approached their work that will serve as a model for any future legacy investigations. The victims and families have waited a number of years for the conclusion of these decisions. I regret that the PPS was not in a position to complete this work more quickly. This was in part due to the volume and complexity of the files, but also a result of the limited prosecutorial resources available to PPS for legacy work. I am mindful that an interim Operation Kenova report is to be published by the PSNI next week and is to be followed by individual reports to families who suffered a bereavement. I hope that these reports will demonstrate the wider value of Operation Kenova investigations in providing answers to families and also setting out a fuller context and narrative on what are no doubt very challenging and significant issues of understandable public interest. Holly Cairns, Leader of the Social Democrats (TD for Cork South West) In the coming weeks, we will have the opportunity to vote on two important and long overdue changes to our Constitution on family and care. Making changes to our Constitution is not something we should ever take lightly. However, after giving the issue careful consideration, the Social Democrats are urging people to vote Yes to both questions on March 8. The first referendum relates to the definition of a family in our constitution. The current wording only recognises a family as one that is based on marriage. This does not reflect the reality of Ireland today, and does not recognise or protect a huge proportion of families in Ireland. Statistics show that 40% of families have non-married parents, be it in the form of co-parenting, single parents, or those that have been widowed. Marriage does not make a family. It is the relationships, the actions, the love and the care between people that form a family unit. Voting for this change will not in any way undermine the value of marriage or traditional family structures. Instead, it would acknowledge and validate the many forms of family that exist in modern Ireland. Party leader Holly Cairns at the Social Democrats National Conference. Picture: Leah Farrell / RollingNews.ie At the end of the day, we all want this amendment to result in every family in Ireland in every shape and size they come in to feel equally represented and protected by their constitution. The current wording should never have made its way into our Constitution in the first place and it is high time it was changed. The second referendum we will vote on relates to care, and the removal of the notorious women in the home section of our constitution. To put it bluntly, the current wording in the Constitution is outdated, patriarchal and insulting. It does not represent reality, it does not represent all women, and it needs to change. An overwhelming majority of full-time carers are women 98%, in fact. Unbelievably, 299,000 are unpaid for the tireless work they do. Caring responsibilities can make it extremely difficult for women to progress in their careers. The need for flexibility, part-time hours, and the implications of taking long career breaks to care for loved ones, means that women are overrepresented in precarious and low paid employment. Every single carer provides an essential service to this State. We owe them an enormous debt of gratitude. But, incredibly, the State does very little to support them or acknowledge the significant contribution they make to Irish society. From lack of respite services to the absence of a public and affordable childcare model, the State often does the exact opposite and makes life actively difficult and expensive for carers. Its important to acknowledge that the wording the Government has chosen to replace this provision with is not strong enough. The Social Democrats had argued that the proposal on care should have been more ambitious. In our view, the language lacks substance and limits constitutional protection of care to care within families and not the wider community, as recommended by the Citizens Assembly on Gender Equality. Referendums should not be merely symbolic changes to our Constitution should have legal weight and be of practical support. My party had proposed alternative wording which would have recognised forms of care taking place outside of the home, as well as putting an obligation on the State to support carers. Instead, under the proposed new wording, the Government will strive to support carers. This means there is no explicit requirement on the Government to provide practical or financial support to carers. While this is not as strong a step forward for carers as I would have liked, it is an improvement on the current wording of the constitution. Maintaining the status quo is not in anybodys interest. It is essential that the State recognises the right of disabled people to live independent lives. Having proper access to care and services outside the family is integral to that. The Government could also signal its intention to respect and defend disabled peoples rights by immediately ratifying the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Voting Yes-Yes on March 8 will be a step in the right direction. But if we really want to provide the necessary supports for carers and proper services for people with disabilities in Ireland, it is clear that we need more than a symbolic sentence in our constitution we need a change of approach and, ultimately, a change in Government. Cllr Mary Rose Desmond, with her grandmother. Picture: Clare Keogh WHY I AM VOTING YES MaryRose Desmond, Chair of the Womens Caucus on Cork City Council, and Fianna Fail Councillor, Cork City South East As International Womens Day approaches, we stand on the brink of a meaningful opportunity to make real change for women and carers in our society. Growing up in a family deeply influenced by the character and fortitude of my mother and grandmother, Ive witnessed first-hand the importance of recognising that women can play any role they choose in society. Now, its time for our Constitution to reflect this reality. The proposed thirty-ninth and fortieth amendments to the Constitution, to be voted on Friday, March 8, aim to provide for what is the current day reality and modern concept of the family, remove outdated language on a womans place in the home, and introduce a new article recognising the care and support provided by family members to one another. While past referendums, notably those on marriage equality in 2015 and Repeal the 8th in 2018, sparked significant social movements, the importance of the referendums on March 8 cannot be understated. They hold the potential to fundamentally reshape our understanding of the family unit in society and acknowledge that it comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. Some will argue that these referendums wont change anything for women, families, or carers, but this assertion misses the mark. These amendments have the power to dramatically transform societal norms and attitudes toward family dynamics, and modernise our Constitution to stay apace with these changes. When Eamon de Valera and the framers of the 1937 Constitution drafted its provisions, they recognised the necessity of creating a living document adaptable to modern times. Article 46, which allows for the amendment of the Constitution, reflects their forward-thinking approach and an understanding that society could never just stand still, frozen in the era of the 1930s when Ireland had a marriage bar and war was on the brink in Europe. Society is ever-evolving, and our Constitution must evolve with it. By voting Yes to both amendments, we will affirm a broader concept of family beyond marriage alone, discard outdated gender roles, and acknowledge the diverse ways in which care is provided within families. While these changes may not evoke the same impassioned reaction as previous referendums, they hold the potential for life-altering impacts on those affected by the outdated and archaic language still present in our Constitution. It is over 50 years since the State acknowledged in practice that families are not just based on marriage. The creation of a dedicated social support for lone parent families reflected this. However, it is crucial to say that this will not diminish the meaning of marriage. Marriage is an important institution that will still be protected, but it is not and should not be the sole means of defining what is and is not a family. The most recent data from the CSO labour force survey reveals that 70.5% of women of working age are currently engaged in either full or part-time paid employment. This is the highest level recorded since the survey commenced in 1998. At the same time, there are also women who contribute their strength and dedication to our society in roles which are often seen or categorised as traditional. Nothing should ever be done to disrespect that. That is precisely why the Government is proposing to update our constitutional wording to remove any doubt a womans place is wherever she wants it to be. In fact, the core challenge for us all is to move away from stereotypes that confine individuals to predefined roles based on gender and to foster genuine respect for the diverse choices people make. Similarly, to restrict our focus solely on the care of children in the home is to adopt a narrow perspective on care-giving within our society. Care extends beyond nurturing children to encompass the support of elderly relatives, people with disabilities, and those battling serious illnesses an everyday reality in thousands of households across the nation. This amendment to the Constitution will broaden the concept of care and underscore the respect and value we place on caregivers, irrespective of gender, while acknowledging the States role in providing support for this care. The current wording of the Constitution needs to change if we are to show all families the respect which they deserve. At 87 years old, our Constitution must remain a living, breathing document that reflects the values and realities of contemporary society. Thats why, this International Womens Day, with the theme to Inspire Inclusion, I will proudly cast my vote in favour of both referendums. At the heart of it, these amendments are about more than just legalities; they represent a collective endeavour to build a more inclusive and equitable society one where every individual, regardless of gender or caregiving role, is afforded the dignity and respect they deserve. Founded in 2005 as an Ohio-based environmental newspaper, EcoWatch is a digital platform dedicated to publishing quality, science-based content on environmental issues, causes, and solutions. Aerial view of Tibro in the Vastergotland province of Sweden shows many homes and buildings with rooftop solar panels. Marcus Lindstrom / iStock / Getty Images Plus Multiple countries in the EU are already hitting their sustainability goals set for 2030, according to a new study. Researchers analyzed EU countries progress on certain goals laid out by the Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development resolution adopted in 2015 by the UN. The resolution set 17 Sustainable Development Goals, including clean water, clean energy, responsible consumption and production, and climate action. The study, which was published in the journal PLOS ONE, reviewed progress toward Sustainable Development Goal No. 7, which is to Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all, according to the UN website. The study authors outlined seven indicators they used to analyze progress toward the overall SDG 7 goal from 2010 to 2021: 1) primary energy consumption; 2) final energy consumption; 3) final energy consumption in households per capita; 4) energy productivity; 5) share of renewable energy in gross final energy consumption; 6) dependency on energy imports; and 7) share of population unable to keep their homes adequately warm. The first three indicators listed primary energy consumption, final energy consumption, final energy consumption in households per capita are the same set by the European Commission, the study authors wrote. As it turns out, many countries have made great strides in developing cleaner sources of energy. According to the study, Malta had the greatest improvement of progress toward SDG 7 during the time period analyzed, although it still had a way to go to meet the overall goal. There were also significant improvements made in Cyprus, Latvia, Belgium, Ireland and Poland. Bulgaria remained farthest from the goal, The Guardian reported. The study authors found that Sweden was closest to meeting SDG 7 entirely, followed by Denmark, Estonia, then Austria. The research showed that Sweden, Finland and Latvia surpassed the 40% target for indicator No. 5, the share of renewable energy in gross final energy consumption. Such results were achieved by relying on hydropower and solid biofuels, which are regarded as more environmentally friendly compared to conventional energy sources, the authors wrote. Further, Sweden and Estonia met the target for indicator No. 6, and Spain, Malta and Portugal met the No. 3 indicator target in 2021. The authors found that only Greece had met the first two indicators by 2021, and the authors explained that higher energy consumption following the COVID-19 pandemic kept many EU countries from meeting indicators No. 1 and No. 2 early. It is worth emphasizing that during the pandemic, some improvement could be observed for certain indicators. Counter-pandemic measures helped to enhance energy efficiency, which is one of the key pillars in achieving SDG 7, the study concluded. The restrictions on public life and lower economic activity reduced energy consumption from 2019 to 2020 by more than 8%. The reduction in final energy consumption also resulted in greater energy supply and increased the share of renewables in gross final energy consumption. However, the authors noted that the pandemic led to short-term trends, including an increase in household energy consumption, and it will be important to keep monitoring and analyzing changes toward the indicators in order to meet SDG 7 by 2030. RALEIGH, N.C. (Feb. 29, 2024) Kuldeep Rawat of Elizabeth City State University has been named winner of the 2023 Governor James E. Holshouser, Jr. Award for Excellence in Public Service. The award honors faculty who exemplify the University of North Carolina Systems commitment to service and community engagement. Created in 2007 and renamed in 2013 to honor Gov. James E. Holshouser, Jr., the award was designed to encourage, identify, recognize, and reward public service by employees of the University. Rawat was named one of two Holshouser award recipients at the Feb. 29 meeting of the University of North Carolina Board of Governors. Rawat began his tenure at ECSU as an assistant professor in the fall of 2004. He is now the Marion D. Thorpe endowed professor in the Department of Mathematics, Computer Science, and Engineering Technology. Rawat also serves as dean of ECSUs School of Science, Aviation, Health and Technology, and as the director of the universitys flagship aviation science program. During his 19-year tenure at Elizabeth City State, Rawat has led multiple initiatives that serve the university, the surrounding community and the state. These include his work on the NASA Aerospace Academy Program and on a Mobile STEM Lab program, reaching K-12 students from 21 county school districts in some of North Carolinas most economically disadvantaged, underserved and rural regions. By giving students hands-on experiences in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, Rawat has opened a world of opportunity for families from all backgrounds and walks of life. The NASA Aerospace Academy has impacted over 3,500 students, 100 K-12 teachers, and 600 parents during the past five years. Notably, the Mobile STEM Lab has reached nearly 15,000 students, parents and teachers since 2017, and has proven valuable in community outreach and relationship building. Rawats work has also focused on helping ECSU students graduate with STEM degrees and move into high-demand, high paying jobs by way of partnerships with Apple, NASA, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the Federal Aviation Administration. We are very proud of Dr. Rawat and his outstanding work to enrich the legacy of ECSU, and to build new bridges that reach communities in the surrounding region and across the state, said ECSU Chancellor Karrie Dixon. He is a shining example of ECSUs public service mission, and we congratulate him on this well-deserved award. Because of Dr. Rawats vision and hard work, students from the smallest towns in eastern North Carolina can discover new opportunities and build paths that will change the course of their lives for the better, said UNC Board of Governors Chair Randy Ramsey. We thank Dr. Rawat for his incredible contributions to generations of North Carolinians and congratulate him on this award. Rawats work combines teaching and public service to meet regional needs. As the architect of ECSUs degree in unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), Rawat has led multiple projects that established the university as North Carolinas hub for drone activities. Rawat has explored the use of drones in farming, land mapping, infrastructure inspection and conservation efforts along North Carolinas coast. He also helped to establish the only UAS training facility in North Carolina, which now supports drone education for the farming community, energy companies, law enforcement and local and state agencies, among others. In another effort to address local needs, Rawat applied for and won a federal grant to strengthen broadband access, workforce development and digital inclusion in rural and underserved communities. This was a major achievement given the regions digital divide and its impacts on health, employment, wages, household income, population growth and other measures of economic vitality. Today, Rawat continues to help implement broadband across the region, supporting a future where families have access to education and opportunity by way of technology. When people ask me what makes North Carolinas public universities special, I point to faculty like Dr. Rawat, who see the needs of their students and communities and respond by taking action, said UNC System President Peter Hans. Dr. Rawat is an outstanding faculty member who knows that teaching and public service go hand in hand, and that relationships and community as much as education and research are key to making the change we want to see in the world. (Photo: Juan Michel / WCC)Explosion in Mozambique A new outbreak of unrest in northern Mozambique, plagued by a jihadi insurgency, has forced thousands to flee their homes, according to United Nations figures and sources in Cabo Delgado province, heavily impacting Christians. Related Mozambique bishop says life in Cabo Delgado is 'horrific' due to terror from ISIS-linked group 'Cyber-caliphate' linking Islamist network expanding globally with online recruitment, says religious freedom report Bishop issues Palm Sunday appeal for end to IS-led violence in Mozambique's Cabo Delgado Mozambique conflict has raged for decades, but the churches are always there Pope Francis talks candidly about Catholic Church on trip to 3 African countries World churches body raises awareness about impact of Cyclone Idai on Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe Citing an alert from the UN migration agency IOM, VOA reported that recent attacks in the Macomia, Chiure and Mecufi districts had displaced 13,088 people, most of them children, by bus, canoe, and on foot. Mozambique's President Filipe Nyusi confirmed there had been new population movements but played down the threat and insisted security forces had the situation under control. The fresh attacks by jihadist insurgents in the northern province of Cabo Delgado are forcing priests, nuns, and other church workers to flee to cities already overwhelmed by internally displaced peoples, according to Vatican News. The fresh attacks follow a period of relative calm, following the deployment of the Mozambique Defense Armed Forces (FADM), and later those of Southern African Development Community (SADC) forces. But the Islamic State, or Daesh as it is known, has recently resumed attacks in the Mozambican Province of Cabo Delgado. Since the beginning of 202, the northern province where the insurgency broke out in 2017, then spreading to neighbouring provinces, has seen a new upsurge of attacks. Sources in Mozambique told the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) that the attacks have also forced Christian communities, priests, nuns and other church workers to flee to cities already overwhelmed by internally displaced people (IDPs). MAZESE MISSION RAZED TO ASHES In the latest incident, the church and offices of Our Lady of Africa mission in Mazeze in the Diocese of Pemba were set ablaze following a terrorist attack on February 12 on the port city, which serves as the province's capital. As reported by Aci Africa agency, the parish priest confirmed the attack in an interview with Radio Pax of the Catholic Archdiocese of Beira, adding that no casualties were recorded. (Photo: Juan Michel/WCC) The only thing the parish priest managed to save from the fire, he said, was the Blessed Sacrament and the books of sacraments, baptisms, and marriages that he had brought with him. ACN was told that three days earlier, on Feb. 9, terrorists had also destroyed houses and churches in several villages in the province. Citing local sources, ACN reported that the insurgents, for the most part, don't discriminate between Muslims and Christians, but there have been attacks on specifically Christian communities including cases where they separated people by religion and executed Christians. The conflict in Mozambique has claimed over 4,000 lives, and according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), nearly one million people have been displaced in the region - three percent of the total population - moving from rural areas to overcrowded cities. (REUTERS / Stringer)Residents watch as two men walk amidst rubble after Boko Haram militants raided the town of Benisheik, west of Borno State capital Maiduguri September 19, 2013. Islamist Boko Haram militants killed 159 people in two roadside attacks in northeast Nigeria this week, officials said, far more than was originally reported and a sign that a four-month-old army offensive has yet to stabilise the region. Picture taken September 19, 2013. Persecution of faith groups has drastically increased in more than 95 percent of the world's worst-offending countries a new shows highlighting how new tech is being used to crush religious freedom. The Religious Freedom in the World Report 2021 (RFR) is produced by international Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) and was released on April 20. "Along with communist totalitarianism and Islamism, religious nationalism is among the greatest threats to religious freedom and peaceful religious co-existence in our world today," says the report. Religious minorities in numerous countries such as India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Myanmar, Malaysia, Bhutan, and Nepal, among others increasingly face severe marginalization and active persecution by many of their own fellow citizens, with the rise of religious majoritarian populist movements. The report found that, over the past two years, oppression against vulnerable faith communities has increased in all but one of the 26 countries listed in the survey's worst ('red') category. The report covers all 196 countries worldwide and traced the rise of transnational Islamist networks, including an online "cyber-caliphate," which is "expanding globally [and] is now a tool of online recruitment and radicalization." This core finding of the report, describes how "Islamist terrorists employ sophisticated digital technologies to recruit, radicalize and attack." "The question facing Africa is not whether the continent is the next battleground against Islamist militants, but rather when will sufficient lives be lost and families displaced to move the international community to action? Already the numbers are in the hundreds of thousands, and millions, respectively," says the report. 'RIPE FOR ISLAMIST IDEOLOGIES' It notes that sub-Saharan Africa is ripe for the infiltration of Islamist ideologies. That is due to generations of poverty, corruption, pre-existing intercommunal violence between herders and farmers over land rights (exacerbated by the consequences of climate change) and weak state structures, so the area has become a breeding ground for marginalized and frustrated young men. "Battle-hardened Islamist extremists have moved south from the plains of Iraq and Syria to link up with local criminal groups in the Sub-Saharan countries of Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, northern Cameroon, Chad, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Somalia and Mozambique," the report says. ACN International President Dr. Thomas Heine-Geldern stated on the gravity of the RFR's findings, "Regrettably, despite the albeit important UN initiatives and the staffing of religious freedom ambassadorships, to date the international community's response to violence based on religion and religious persecution in general can be categorized as too little, too late.". Cross-border networks are "spreading across the Equator" leading to jihadist attacks from Mali to the Philippines, taking in Comoros in the Indian Ocean, with the aim of creating what the report calls "transcontinental caliphates." The report also describes how digital technology, cyber networks, surveillance including artificial intelligence (AI) and facial recognition technology has increased persecution. In China, the Communist Party is keeping religious groups in line with the help of 626 million AI-enhanced surveillance cameras and smartphone scanners. In addition to Islamist extremism, the report identifies two principal protagonists of persecution, highlighting increased crackdowns by authoritarian regimes, such as North Korea, and majoritarian religious nationalists' persecution of minorities in India and Burma (Myanmar). COVID-19 BLAMED COVID-19 was also to blame for increased persecution, according to the RFR, which found that societal prejudice against minorities, including in Turkey and Pakistan, meant that some faith groups were denied food and other vital aid. "The COVID-19 pandemic opened an important debate around the world about fundamental rights, including the right to religious freedom, the implications of legislative overreach, and whether, in some cases, aggressively secular governments are adequately able to discern the importance of these rights," said the report. The report concluded that violations of religious freedom occur in almost one third of the world's countries (62 out of 196), many of them the most populous nations such as China, India and Pakistan. The RFR also reported on increasing cases of sexual violence used as a weapon against religious minorities crimes against women and girls who are abducted, raped and forced to convert. In the West, the report concludes, there has been a rise in "polite persecution," a phrase coined by Pope Francis to describe how new cultural norms and values have consigned religions to what the RFR calls "the quiet obscurity of the individual conscience", making it more difficult for people of faith to access the public square. Regarding positive developments, the RFR highlights progress in inter-religious dialogue, noting the Vatican's role, in particular the declaration signed by the Pope and Sunni leader Grand Imam Ahamad Al-Tayyib of Al-Azar. (Photo: Simon Chambers/ACT) A Mozambican bishop has a described life as "horrific" in the Cabo Delgado region as a violent group known as Al-Shabaab which identifies itself as a cell of the self-proclaimed Islamic State, also known as ISIS, is terrorizing the country's north. "We are experiencing something never seen before," said Bishop Dinis Matsolo of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa, Mozambique Synod. The attackers "can be described both as terrorists and insurgents," said Matsolo noting that in Cabo Delgado, the French oil giant Total has been seeking to secure a $20 billion LNG facility which now seems on hold. "They started by instigating violence and disobedience to the point of discouraging people from attending government events and using facilities like hospitals, schools, and so on," said Matsolo, president of the Justice, Peace and Reconciliation Commission of the Christian Council of Mozambique. The troubles in the area that borders Tanzania began in October 2017 with attacks on police stations then onto targets such as governmental facilities. "Later on, even churches and mosques could not escape their furious barbarity," said Matsolo. Next, the attackers began terrorizing inhabitants of Cabo Delgado Province's northern districts, hitting centers such as Mocimboa da Praia, Macomia, Quissanga, and Palma. "The group kidnaps people, especially young boys and girls, engaging in torture and rape. They decapitate those who try to resist or run away and burn their houses," said the bishop. "It is currently estimated that more than 2,500 have been killed, and about 700,000 have become internally displaced people since 2017." CHRISTIAN COUNCIL OF MOZAZAMBIQUE Matsolo said the Christian Council of Mozambique, the Mozambican Episcopal Conference, and the Mozambican Islamic Council joined to aid the affected people in Cabo Delgado. "The Christian Council of Mozambique created a community and inter-religious dialogue platforms to provide interaction spaces and foster dialogue and peaceful and harmonious coexistence," said Matsolo. "We started pastoral counseling and accompaniment on the ground." (Photo: Juan Michel/WCC) He noted, "Military intervention cannot be avoided. But it should not be seen as the only solution." He said there is a need to address poverty and unemployment by engaging young people on peace and income-generating projects. There is a need to construct regional alliances for peace and harmonious coexistence and anti-terrorism. Mozambican church leaders are urging the government to act decisively to end the violent conflict, the Fredrick Nzwili reported for the World Council of Churches. "Mozambique and Mozambicans are weeping...Some are weeping while praying...running...searching for food, for clothes, for water. Others are weeping while caring for those who are traumatized...," said Rev. Felicidade Naume Chirinda, president of the Christian Council of Mozambique. In one of the most horrifying and shocking acts, according to the church leaders, militants attacked Palma town on 24 March, killed dozens and held half of the town for 10 days. Palma is a seaport in Cabo Delgado Province. Initially a sleepy fishing center, the town stirred to life after international oil and gas companies invested heavily to extract the vast natural gas deposits discovered in the area in 2012. "The attacks and killing were not only done to Palma inhabitants, but to the whole country," said Chirinda. "No one accepts that people can be beheaded like chickens in front of their children." In 2020, the Ecumenical Committee for Social Development, a member of ACT Alliance, provided water, sanitation and hygiene services, agricultural tools and seeds as part of humanitarian response to 1,000 households displaced in Cabo Delgado. Tearfund provided the funding. From March 2021, the Ecumenical Committee for Social Development will provide shelter to 300 households in the Corrane centre for internally displaced people with funding from Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe. (Photo: Ecumenical News / Peter Kenny)Iranian dissident Marina Nemat testifies during a side event at the United Nations in Geneva on October 30, 2014 The number of Christians in Iran facing unprovoked arrests and other violations of religious freedom continues to rise, according to recent reports, which claim that most victims of the Islamic Republic's persecution remain "faceless." Related Government restrictions on religion stay high across the world as terrorism declines: Report Anti-Semitism on rise worldwide, in US, Europe; anti-Muslim hatred widespread: US report Pope Francis denounces religious fanaticism in city reduced to rubble when ISIS persecuted Christians and other faiths Iranian dissident film clinches Berlinale Ecumenical Jury Prize World ecumenical and evangelical leaders, Pope Francis urge U.S. and Iran to wind down conflict U.S. faith leaders issue call for diplomacy, not war, with Iran Iran must ensure rights of Christian minority say UN experts Baha'is laud 'unprecedented UN resolution' calling halt to Yemen harassment UN condemns Iran's harassment of its religious minorities, particularly Baha'is The annual report titled "Faceless Victims: Rights Violations Against Christians in Iran," was put out by four Christian advocacy groups, Article 18, Open Doors, Middle East Concern and CSW and has been presented to the British parliament. It says that Christians who actively practice their faith, especially converts, are more frequently subject to persecution at the hands of the state. Article18, is an advocacy organization that seeks to ensure Iran's compliance with national and international standards for religious freedom as defined by Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). "Unfortunately, Christians who actively express their faith and especially converts from Islam are subject to arrest and prosecution by the State," says the report, carried by the Catholic Vote. It claims that although the rise in the number of publicly reported arrests of Christians appears small, "amounting to 166 in 2023 compared to 134 in 2022," the actual number is likely much larger. "Very few of those arrested agreed to make their cases public," the report stated, "leading to an increasing number of faceless victims." The report notes that by the end of 2023, at least 17 of the Christians arrested during the summer of that year had received prison sentences of between three months and five years or non-custodial punishments such as fines, floggings and, in one case, the obligation to dig graves. Two Christians who were arrested in the summer of 2023, Hakop Gochumyan and his wife, Elisa Shahverdian, were identified as Armenians. They were among dozens of others who were arrested over a seven-week period in June and July and forced to sign "commitments to refrain from further Christian activities or were ordered to attend Islamic re-education sessions." "The arbitrary nature of these arrests is illustrated by the fact that arrestees who were eventually coerced into signing commitments to refrain from Christian activities no longer faced further legal action," the report stated. As AsiaNews noted in its report, the February 19 release date of the report coincides with the murder of Rev. Arastoo Sayyah, who was killed in his office eight days into the 1979 Islamic Revolution. That day was "the first in a long series of bloody events against Christians, particularly converts, that continues to this day," the news outlet wrote. "This is a great example of agencies working together," stated Mervyn Thomas, founding president of CSW (formerly Christian Solidarity Worldwide), at the event. "Iran claims to ensure freedom of religion or belief for all; but that is nonsense, as this report shows," Christianity Today reported. Poland does not rule out introducing an import ban on agricultural products from Russia. Prime Minister Donald Tusk declared this today, during the visit to Warsaw of his Latvian counterpart Arturs Krisjanis Karins , who has already implemented this ban. The statements arrive at a delicate phase, in which the Slavic country has also been the scene of protest demonstrations by farmers, who for weeks have particularly contested unfair competition from non-EU countries. According to the prime minister, agricultural products from Russia and Belarus are causing market distortions. "Latvia has decided to implement an embargo on the import of products from Russia," the prime minister said at a press conference. "We will analyze the case of Latvia and I do not exclude that Poland takes an appropriate initiative." Tusk said the European Union should seriously focus on better regulation when it comes to the import of grain and food products from the East. The Russian government will impose a six-month ban on gasoline exports starting 1 March 2024 to keep prices stable amid rising demand from consumers and farmers and to allow for maintenance of refineries. Russia previously imposed temporary restrictions on gasoline and diesel exports between September and November 2023 to tackle surging prices. Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan were exempt from the export ban as members of the Moscow-led Eurasian Economic Union. The latest ban exempts the same countries, as well as Uzbekistan, Mongolia and Georgias separatist regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. In 2022, Russia produced 265 Mt of petroleum products (including 85 Mt of diesel and 42 Mt of gasoline) and exported 116 Mt (41 Mt of diesel and 4 Mt of gasoline). Russia was the second largest exporter of diesel in the world in 2022, behind the US and before Saudi Arabia. As for gasoline exports, Russia ranked 15th, far behind the US, the Netherlands, India and China. BEIJING, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- China has made notable achievements in improving its transport infrastructure network and transport services for the past year, the Ministry of Transport said on Wednesday. Fixed-asset investment in the country's transport system totaled 3.9 trillion yuan (about 548.7 billion U.S. dollars) in 2023, Li Xiaopeng, minister of transport, told a press conference. A total of 2,776 kilometers of high-speed railways were opened, and 7,000 kilometers of expressways were built or expanded last year, Li said. The country added or improved 1,000 kilometers of shipping lanes, and the number of airports for transportation stood at 259. Postal services were available to all administrative villages. Meanwhile, China's transport services continued to improve last year with optimized transport structure, according to Li. The country's commercial freight volume went up 8.1 percent year on year to 54.75 billion tonnes last year, an increase of 16.9 percent from 2019. Passenger transport posted strong growth. The country's inter-regional passenger traffic rose 30.9 percent year on year to 61.25 billion trips in 2023, up 0.8 percent from 2019. Li said that China had been promoting the high-quality development of its transport sector, deepening the country's green and low-carbon transformation. China has also been strengthening its cooperation with foreign countries. Steady progress has been made in the high-quality development of the Belt and Road transport connectivity, he said. Last year, China's express delivery volume was the highest in the world for the 10th year in a row, Zhao Chongjiu, head of the State Post Bureau, said in the press conference. Express courier firms nationwide handled 132 billion parcels in 2023, up 19.4 percent compared to the previous year. The sector raked in total revenue of 1.2 trillion yuan during the period, up 14.3 percent year on year, said Zhao. Noting that China has made remarkable progress in the transport sector over the past five years, Li said the total length of the country's comprehensive transport network has exceeded 6 million kilometers. The operating mileage of the railway network reached 159,000 kilometers, of which high-speed railways accounted for 45,000 kilometers. The country had a total of 5.44 million kilometers of highways by the end of 2023, of which expressways represented 184,000 kilometers. There were 2,883 10,000-tonne-class or above berths throughout the country by the end of last year. Fixed-asset investment in China's transport system reached over 18 trillion yuan from 2019 to 2023, according to Li. Looking forward, Li said the ministry will accelerate China's transformation into a transport powerhouse, increase effective investment, lower the cost of logistics and promote global transport cooperation. Richard Lewis, the comedian best known for his role in the sitcom "Curb Your Enthusiasm," has passed away on Tuesday night. He was 76. The actor died at his home in Los Angeles after suffering a heart attack. His death was confirmed by his publicist, Jeff Abraham. "Comedian/Actor Richard Lewis passed away peacefully at his home in Los Angeles last night after suffering a heart attack ... His wife, Joyce Lapinsky, thanks everyone for all the love, friendship and support and asks for privacy at this time," Abraham's statement to People read. HBO also confirmed the actor's passing, praising Lewis for his "comedic brilliance, wit and talent." "Richard will always be a cherished member of the HBO and Curb Your Enthusiasm families. Our heartfelt condolences go out to his family, friends and all the fans who could count on Richard to brighten their days with laughter," a statement posted on HBO's X account read. We are heartbroken to learn that Richard Lewis has passed away. His comedic brilliance, wit and talent were unmatched. Richard will always be a cherished member of the HBO and Curb Your Enthusiasm families. Our heartfelt condolences go out to his family, friends and all the fans pic.twitter.com/tNaQEqzhF1 February 28, 2024 Celebrities also poured out tributes for the former stand-up comic. His "Curb Your Enthusiasm" co-star Larry David revealed that he sobbed after learning of Lewis's passing. "Richard and I were born three days apart in the same hospital and for most of my life he's been like a brother to me," the "Seinfeld" co-creator told Fox News. "He had that rare combination of being the funniest person and also the sweetest. But today he made me sob, and for that I'll never forgive him." "Ellen DeGeneres Show" producer Andy Lassner also paid a touching tribute to the "7th Heaven" actor. In his post on Instagram, Lassner said Lewis "saved me" after helping him get back to rehab for his previous drug addiction. "I guess what I want to say is he was one of the many angels in my life who saved me. And my regret today is not staying in touch," he wrote. The Beatles drummer Ringo Starr also said he'll miss the comedian. God bless, Richard Lewis peace and love to Joyce peace and love. pic.twitter.com/kMC5D3hKHJ February 28, 2024 Richard Lewis, born in Brooklyn but raised in New Jersey, made his acting debut in the 1979 NBC special "Diary of a Young Comic." He went on to make regular appearances on late-night talk shows, including "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" and "The Late Show with David Letterman." Lewis is survived by his wife, Joyce Lapinsky. Julie Chrisley penned a heartbreaking letter from prison while being away from her husband, Todd Chrisley. Julie and Todd got separated a year ago to serve their prison sentences after being convicted of tax evasion and bank fraud. She is serving her sentence in Kentucky while he is in Florida. Their daughter, Savannah Chrisley, read Julie's letter in a recent episode of her "Unlocked" podcast. "I miss Todd so much that it hurts. I've never gone this long without talking to him," Savannah said while reading her mom's letter. "So many people know us here, so they're always talking about him, which I love, but it still makes me sad, too." Julie also shared the moments leading up to their separation. The "Chrisley Knows Best" stars turned themselves into their respective prisons on Jan. 17, 2023. "I knew my life was about to change forever," the 51-year-old reality star wrote. "My husband and I stood in our bedroom right in front of our prayer bench and said our goodbyes. We hugged, we kissed and we prayed before he walked out the door heading to Pensacola, Florida." She added, "This would be the last time I would speak to my husband face to face. We talked on the phone during his ride to Pensacola, I called one last time before I self-surrendered to the camp in Lexington." Julie admitted how difficult it was to be separated from Todd as she recounted the time she drove to prison with their son, Chase, 27, and a good friend. "I could not wrap my head around the fact that I was going to be separated from my husband and children for what seems like a lifetime," Julie continued in the letter. "We turned onto the road that the prison is located, passing white vans with paparazzi in them. My family said their goodbyes, and I walked into prison with nothing but the clothes on my back." Meanwhile, Todd previously spoke about the "disgusting" living conditions in prison. According to him, the food was "a year past expiration" and the inmates were "literally starving." He added that he didn't eat the free meals and bought groceries from the commissary, but the supplies he could buy were cut down. Abby Lee Miller, the former "Dance Moms" choreographer who served eight months in prison after being convicted of concealing assets from the bankruptcy court, warned Todd guards could pick on him for opening up about the dire living conditions there. "They [are] going to get you. They're going to find a way to humiliate you further," Miller told Daily Mail, referring to prison guards. "They're going to find a way to take your privileges away. They're going to find a way to just make it worse than it is for everyone else." Both Julie and Todd's sentences had been reduced. Todd will be released on Nov. 23, 2032, two years sooner than his original sentence. Meanwhile, Julie will be freed 14 months earlier on Aug. 20, 2028. A woman in Oklahoma will become a centenarian on her 25th birthday. Mary Lea Forsythe of Sand Springs, Oklahoma, was born on Feb. 29, 1924, which interestingly makes her 25th birthday her 100th year of being alive. She is one of the roughly five million people called "leaplings," who only get to celebrate their actual birthdays once every four years. "I always thought I was blessed. It was so much fun. We celebrated whenever we wanted to," Forsythe said when she was recognized by the Centenarians of Oklahoma, per ABC News. According to the new centenarian, she often celebrated her birthday on the days surrounding Feb. 29, including her late husband's birthday, which was March 6. Meanwhile, her sisters often took her out for lunch to celebrate her birthday on Feb. 27, Feb. 28, or March 1, per USA Today. This year, in honor of her 25th birthday and 100th year, the Osage Hills Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, where she was an active member, hosted a large gathering for her, which included an interview with their local news station. The surprise celebration took place on Feb. 15. She didn't know the organization had planned something for her. "When I walked in, there were flashers going off, and they were taking my picture when I came into the room. There were dignitaries from the city, and there was a proclamation read," she told USA Today. She continued, "My goodness, it was shocking. The room was full of people... I never had been that surprised in my life." Per ABC News, she will celebrate her 100th year at her local church on Thursday. Before the momentous celebration, the Oklahoma native shared her anticipation, saying, "Oh, it's just a fun time to live. I'll tell you, it's a great time to live." She also reminded her guests, "No gifts, please. I don't want anything to store." Forsythe was married to her husband William "Bill" Wayne -- her high school sweetheart -- from 1942 until he passed away in 2011. They have two children, five grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren together. When her husband was still alive, she often joined him in singing with banjo bands in the neighboring communities and at restaurants in Tulsa. 'Euphoria' star Hunter Schafer found herself among the dozens of war protesters apprehended at NBC's headquarters in Manhattan. This incident occurred during President Joe Biden's appearance on 'Late Night with Seth Myers' earlier this week, confirmed by organizers on Wednesday. RELATED: Hunter Schafer Reacts To Possibly Playing Princess Zelda In 'Legend Of Zelda' Movie Schafer, 25, was part of a substantial gathering of over 100 demonstrators who crowded the lobby at 30 Rockefeller Plaza on Monday afternoon. The purpose of their assembly was to advocate for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war with the Jewish Voice for Peace group leading the charge. Schafer, dressed in a black shirt emblazoned with the text "Ceasefire Now," chanted slogans such as "Let Gaza Live" as President Biden's motorcade arrived in the area. In the midst of the demonstration, Schafer, adorned with a face mask like many of her fellow protesters, took a symbolic stand by sitting on the floor. Other protestors held up a banner behind her that read: "Jews to Biden: Stop Arming Genocide." As per protest organizers, Schafer, along with 30 arrested demonstrators, are scheduled to make a court appearance next month in connection to their arrests. A New York City Police Department spokesperson confirmed the apprehended protesters were charged with trespassing and disorderly conduct, per NBC News. RELATED: Will Zendaya, Tom Holland Get Married? Astrologer Says They'll Be 'Friends Forever' In an emailed statement, Sonya Meyerson-Knox, a representative of Jewish Voice for Peace, applauded Schafer's dedication. "We commend her commitment to Palestinian freedom and to a future of justice for everyone," Meyerson-Knox said. On Monday, the organization tweeted how the "President needs to start answering to the American people not the far-Right Israeli government indiscriminately bombing the people of Gaza, destroying 70% of infrastructure, including hospitals, universities and the electricity and water grids." Officials are on the lookout for a North Carolina couple accused of kidnapping their own newborn who was only eight days old. An Amber Alert was issued for Jaxton Brown, who was born on Feb. 18, by the Chapel Hill Police Department on Feb. 26. He was last seen three days earlier at a Red Roof Inn on Fordham Boulevard, but has since been found safe and unharmed. RELATED: Death Penalty Sought For Woman Accused Of Killing 4-Year-Old, Leaving Body In Backpack Justin Brown and Destinee Cothran allegedly fled with their newborn in a white 1997 Mercury Mystique, prompting the Amber Alert. Chapel Hill Police told WRAL that Jaxton could be in danger, but did not specify why. According to WRAL, Brown, 29, and Cothran, 26, allegedly kidnapped Jaxton after the Department of Social Services (DSS) issued a court order for custody. Concerns were reportedly raised about the baby's well-being, leading to a 911 call days after Jaxton's birth. The reporting party, believed to be a DSS worker, informed authorities that the couple had active warrants and was heading towards Chapel Hill Pediatrics. Police were enlisted to assist in locating the infant. Their vehicle was reportedly discovered at a Big Lots in Durham, North Carolina. Inside the vehicle, authorities found food, clothing, a car seat base, and baby blankets. In an update on Monday, Cothran and Brown handed the baby to the police but subsequently fled into a nearby wooded area. The search for the couple is ongoing. RELATED: Judge Accused Of Shooting Sleeping Boyfriend In The Head And Told Him He Did It (Photo : Chapel Hill, Justin Brown) No charges have been filed against Cothran and Brown specifically related to the incident. Notably, the outstanding warrants are not Chapel Hill-based, according to WRAL. Both parents have a history of legal issues. Cothran received a civil summons on Feb. 14 from the Orange County Department of Social Services for allegedly failing to adequately care for her three other children; ages 3, 5, and 6 years old. Both Cothran and Brown have faced previous drug charges and convictions, and Brown has a record that includes multiple DWI charges and an assault charge in 2015 involving a past girlfriend. (Informacion remitida por la empresa firmante) VIENNA, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Premium Viennese coffee brand, Julius Meinl, has officially joined the initiative for coffee&climate (c&c), marking a significant milestone in the alliance's ongoing efforts to address the challenges of smallholder coffee farming families posed by climate change. With a more than decade-long track record, c&c stands as one of the most resilient networks in the coffee sustainability landscape, fostering collaboration among private and public partners to tackle the profound impact of climate change on coffee production. As a key player in the coffee market, Julius Meinl's entry in c&c adds substantial value to the alliance. The company recognizes the urgency of addressing climate change within the coffee sector. Julius Meinl's commitment therefore aligns with c&c's overall goal: effective responses to climate change, increasing resilience, and, ultimately, better livelihoods of smallholder coffee farming families. Christina Meinl, a fifth-generation family member, expressed her dedication to this cause, stating, "As a family business, we have always run our company in a responsible way, and it is up to us to take an active role in creating and joining sustainable initiatives that will positively impact the entire coffee industry. We have always strived to deliver the finest coffee blends to coffee enthusiasts worldwide and joining the initiative for coffee&climate reinforces our dedication to ethical sourcing and sustainable practices." Marcel Loeffler, CEO of the Julius Meinl Group, outlines the commitment of Julius Meinl: "We aim at spreading Vienna's coffeehouse culture worldwide while ensuring a more sustainable and fairer future from farmers to consumers. This encompasses GHG reduction programs and circular economy initiatives and cumulates in dedicated activities with farmers and local communities in the origin. The Generations Program in Colombia and Uganda, aimed at promoting best practices and ensuring sustainable livelihoods, testifies the commitment. The ultimate goal is to ensure farmers can pass on their knowledge and coffee cultivations in a meaningful way to their next generations." Stefan Ruge, c&c Program Manager, emphasizes the significance of this partnership, stating: "Welcoming Julius Meinl as a new member provides an opportunity to extend our pro-active and collaborative efforts in addressing climate change challenges. c&c's primary commitment lies in supporting smallholder coffee farming families. Collaborating closely with both, these families and esteemed scientific knowledge partners, we strive to develop robust, climate-resilient production systems. The purpose is to ensure coffee sustainability whilst enhancing food security and income diversification in these communities. With the dedicated support of Julius Meinl, we look forward to fortifying and expanding these impactful initiatives across our program regions." Amid climate change, the coffee sector faces a major threat, requiring close collaboration for resilient coffee livelihoods and fostering healthy landscapes. Julius Meinl, as part of c&c, will play a crucial role in this collaborative effort. About the initiative for coffee&climate The initiative for coffee&climate (c&c) is a pre-competitive partnership of private and public actors. Together they strive to support smallholder coffee farming families and their communities to effectively respond to climate change, increase their resilience, and improve their livelihoods. http://www.coffeeandclimate.org/ About Julius Meinl Founded in 1862, Julius Meinl is one of the oldest coffee roasters in the world and an iconic Vienna coffee house brand. Dedication to quality has been a family trademark for five generations. With more than 160 years of experience in sourcing, blending and roasting, Meinl is a preferred coffee supplier for Vienna's leading coffee houses. Julius Meinl | Premium coffee and tea | Julius Meinl Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2347691...Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2347692...Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2347693... View original content: https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/julius-meinl-strengthens-commitment-for-smallholder-coffee-farming-families-by-joining-the-initiative-for-coffeeclimate-302072952.html From the University of Tennessee Newspaper Digitization Project: The Mickie Says cartoon panel was created by Charles Sughroe and syndicated through the Western Newspaper Union from 1918. Each week, the cartoons young protagonist a printers devil at a small town newspaper reminded readers to support their hometown newspaper in various ways such as keeping their subscription up to date, taking out ads in the paper, or reporting local news. The character later appeared in his own comic strip Mickie the Printers Devil which follows the daily goings-on in a small-town newspaper printing office. Mickies creator, cartoonist Charles Sughroe, had plenty of experience to draw on having worked as a printers devil himself, at his fathers newspaper the Stockton Herald-News in Illinois. Following his boyhood experience in the print office, Sughroe spent four years at the Chicago Art Institute before working as a free-lance commercial artist, and later gaining national recognition for his Mickie cartoon. An article in trade journal, American Printer, in 1922 says, Every Mickie cartoon is founded on some actual happening, so it is not overdrawn. Women gathered for two Montana Farmers Union Womens Conferences earlier this month, one at Fairmont Hot Springs and one in Miles City. Attendees heard from experts in agriculture and networked during the popular annual events. Pictured here are participants at the MFU Womens Conference held at Fairmont. Ghana's parliament voted to pass a controversial bill to severely restrict LGBTQ rights on Wednesday in a move condemned by activists. The bill still has to be validated by the president before becoming law, which observers believe is unlikely before a general election in December. Activist groups have called the "Human Sexual Rights and Family Values" bill a setback for human rights and urged President Nana Akufo-Addo's government to reject it. But the bill is widely supported in Ghana, where Akufo-Addo has said gay marriage will never be allowed while he is in power. Commonly referred to as the anti-gay bill, the sweeping legislation received sponsorship from a coalition comprising Christian, Muslim and Ghanaian traditional leaders, and passed through an unopposed voice vote. Gay sex is already illegal in the religious West African nation, but while discrimination against LGBTQ people is common no one has ever been prosecuted under the colonial-era law. Under the provisions of the bill, same-sex relations could be punished with imprisonment ranging from six months to three years. Those advocating for LGBTQ rights could be subject to harsher penalties, with potential jail terms of three to five years. - 'Absolutely wrong' - UN rights chief Volker Turk condemned the passing of the bill. "I call for the bill not to become law," he said. "Consensual same-sex conduct should never be criminalised." He warned that such measures can expose people to hate crimes, and urged the government to "ensure everyone can live free from violence, stigma and discrimination, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity." In Washington, the US State Department said it was "deeply troubled" by the legislation is it would "threaten all Ghanaians' constitutionally protected freedoms of speech, press, and assembly." "Limiting the rights of one group in a society undermines the rights of all," agency spokesman Matt Miller said in a statement. A human rights coalition known as the Big 18, an umbrella group of lawyers and activists in Ghana, has also criticised the bill. "You cannot criminalise a person's identity and that's what the bill is doing and it's absolutely wrong," said Takyiwaa Manuh, a member of the coalition. "We want to impress on the president not to assent to the bill, it totally violates the human rights of the LGBT community," Manuh told AFP. Opposition lawmaker Sam George, the main sponsor of the bill, called on Akufo-Addo to assent to it. "There is nothing that deals with LGBTQ better than this bill that has been passed by parliament. We expect the president to walk his talk and be a man of his words," George said. Members of Ghana's LGBTQ community are worried about the implications of the bill. Founder and director of the organisation LGBT+ Rights Ghana Alex Donkor said "the passing of this bill will further marginalise and endanger LGBTQ individuals in Ghana." "It not only legalises discrimination but also fosters an environment of fear and persecution," he said. "With harsh penalties for both LGBTQ individuals and activists, this bill threatens the safety and well-being of an already vulnerable community." Around 30 African countries currently ban homosexuality, according to the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA). Uganda, Mauritania and several northern Nigerian states punish same-sex relations extremely harshly, with those accused possibly facing the death penalty. South Africa is the only nation on the continent to allow gay marriage, which it legalised in 2006. Same-sex relations have been decriminalised in only a handful of countries: Cape Verde, Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho, Mozambique, and the Seychelles, according to the ILGA. km/lcm/imm/md/caw Thomas Creech has been on death row since 1983 for the beating death of fellow inmate David Jensen in 1981. (Courtesy of Christine Hanley/ Federal Defender Services of Idaho) Idaho Department of Correction officials couldnt carry out the scheduled execution of convicted murderer Thomas Creech on Wednesday morning, a department spokeswoman confirmed. Creechs execution was scheduled for 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Idaho Maximum Security Institutions F-block south of Boise. Shortly after 11 a.m. Wednesday, correction officials released a written statement announcing they were unable to establish an IV line to administer lethal injection chemicals. At approximately 11 a.m. Director (Josh) Tewalt, after consulting with the medical team leader, determined that the medical team could not establish an IV line, rendering the execution unable to proceed, Idaho Department of Correction public information officer Sanda Kuzeta-Cerimagic wrote in a written statement. Mr. Creech will be returned to his cell and witnesses will be escorted out of the facility. As a result, the death warrant will expire. The State will consider next steps. Creech is one of eight current inmates in Idaho who have been sentenced to death. Creech was given a death sentence after being convicted of killing a fellow inmate in Ada County in 1981, according to the Idaho Department of Correction and Gov. Brad Little. According to Littles office, Creech was also convicted of killing four other people. In a statement Wednesday, Creechs legal team expressed anger at what they referred to as a botched execution. We are angered but not surprised that the State of Idaho botched the execution of Thomas Creech today, Creechs team at Federal Defender Services of Idaho wrote in a written statement. This is what happens when unknown individuals with unknown training are assigned to carry out an execution. This morning, they tried and failed 10 times to access Toms veins in both of his arms and both legs so they could inject him with the states mysteriously acquired pentobarbital. This is precisely the kind of mishap we warned the State and the Courts could happen when attempting to execute one of the countrys oldest death-row inmates in circumstances completely shielded in secrecy despite a well-known history of getting drugs from shady sources. Creechs execution would have been the first in the state of Idaho since Idaho Department of Correction officials executed Richard Leavitt in June 2012. Lethal injection in Idaho For years, Idaho Department of Correction officials said they were unable to obtain the chemicals necessary to carry out a lethal injection. During the 2023 session, the Idaho Legislature passed House Bill 186, which adds the firing squad as an alternative method of execution if lethal injection is unavailable. However, the secure facility necessary to carry out an execution by firing squad has not yet been completed. Idaho Department of Correction spokesman Jeff Ray told the Idaho Capital Sun in November the firing squad facility was still in the design phase and there was not yet a timetable for its completion. Then, after struggling to obtain lethal injection chemicals for years, Tewalt confirmed to the Idaho Capital Sun in November that the state had obtained the chemicals necessary to carry out a lethal injection. Tewalt declined to specify which specific chemicals state officials obtained. Furthermore, state laws passed by the Idaho Legislature provide confidentiality to the manufacturers, suppliers or providers of lethal injection chemicals. According to the Idaho Department of Correction, officials were moving forward with the planned execution in the moments leading up to 10 a.m. Wednesday. According to an updated timeline published online by correction officials, witnesses were moved to the execution viewing chambers at 10 a.m. On Tuesday evening, Creech ate what correction officials described at the time as his last meal fried chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, rolls and ice cream. According to correction officials, Creech visited with his wife Tuesday evening and met with his religious adviser for an hour early Wednesday before the planned execution. This is not the first time the state of Idaho has scheduled an execution and then been unable to carry it out. State officials scheduled and then canceled the planned execution for a different inmate, Gerald Pizzutto Jr., several times last year when state officials were previously unable to obtain lethal injection chemicals, Idaho Reports reported. However, Pizzuttos planned executions were called off before the morning they were scheduled to be carried out, making Creechs situation Wednesday more unusual. This story was originally produced by the Idaho Capital Sun which is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network, including the Daily Montanan, supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. The post Idaho Department of Correction unable to move forward with scheduled execution of Thomas Creech appeared first on Daily Montanan. Former Conservative MP Neil Parish has launched a new farming podcast which promises to cover the industry's pressing issues. The podcast, called We Can Do Both, has been unveiled today (29 February) by the former MP and Somerset beef and arable farmer. Mr Parish, who resigned in 2022 after admitting to watching pornography in parliament, said he had "a genuine concern" about the future of farming and food production in the UK. During his time as a Somerset MP, he was chair of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) committee, which scrutinises farming policy. Following his resignation in April 2022, he now spends his time rearing 50 Devon and Hereford cattle on his farm near Bridgewater. He said the podcast would highlight "the important issues surrounding food security, interviewing farmers and environmentalists, who showcase how we can produce good food alongside the natural environment". Mr Parish said: "I have a genuine concern about the future of farming and food production, which needs to be a lot higher up the agenda. "The guests on my podcast have a vast amount of experience and knowledge in managing the farmed environment. "I want to help share their stories, air their frustrations and raise awareness of what can and is being done to produce high quality food whilst protecting nature; hence the name We Can Do Both. "Anyone with an interest in the countryside should take a listen." Fellow Somerset Farmer James Winslade, who farms on the levels, is the first guest on the podcast, calling Mr Parish a 'huge supporter' of farmers. "This podcast is fantastic publicity and will share our stories on how we grow food whilst managing the landscapes around us." Two episodes of the podcast have launched today, with further episodes to be released on a monthly basis on any streaming platform. Staffordshire Moorlands District Council has voted to proactively support local farmers by buying meat and dairy for council-organised events. The motion ensures that all catering at council-organised events is sourced from local suppliers, following campaigning by the Countryside Alliance. Unanimously passed by councillors, it specifically includes meat and dairy options, alongside fruit and vegetables. The motion will also commit the council to encouraging local residents to shop locally by taking advantage of home-grown produce, with an aim of reducing food miles to plates. Following a debate in the council chamber on Wednesday (28 February), an amendment was introduced to commit the council to protecting agricultural land in the Local Plan when it is reviewed in the next year. Both the motion and the amendment passed with all councillors voting in favour. The move comes after a string of other councils voted to ban meat and dairy items on council-catered menus elsewhere. However, Staffordshire Moorlands District Council is the eighth in a matter of months to defy the vegan trend, after Wiltshire Council voted to keep meat and dairy following a vote last week. It comes amid a series of protests and mass meetings in Wales and Scotland in response to growing concerns about several areas of agricultural and rural policy. Speaking at the Staffordshire meeting, Conservative Councillor Joe Porter, who introduced the motion, said British farmers 'have had a really tough time'. "I felt it was important to bring this issue to this chamber," he said, "Staffordshire is vital for British agriculture - the sector contributes 644m to the West Midlands economy. Cllr Philip Barks (Labour), who seconded the motion, added: Farmers are an important part of the Staffordshire Moorlands economy and farmers themselves are key environmental players. Im confident this administration will do what it has to to support our rural community and Im pleased to hear positive dialogue has taken place. In 2021, Oxfordshire County Council sparked outrage among farmers, including Jeremy Clarkson, when it passed a motion submitted by a Green party councillor to ban meat and dairy at its events. At the time, the council justified the policy by saying it was "in the interest of the health of our planet and the health of our people". Eating ultra-processed food causes a multitude of health problems. Ultra-processed food is connected to a whole host of health issues Products such as ready meals and chocolate bars have been linked with 32 damaging health outcomes, including diabetes, cancer and heart disease, according to a review of evidence. Academics at Deakin University in Australia examined data from around the world involving almost 10 million people and also found that the risk of mental health issues typically increased when people ate more ultra-processed snacks. High consumption has been linked to a 22 per cent raised risk of depression and doubles the danger of anxiety and poor sleep. The study authors think that the findings show the need for "population-based approaches" to minimise the consumption of ultra-processed food and argue that the issue should be tackled in the same way that smoking has been. Brazilian academic Professor Carlos Monteiro said: "It is now time for United Nations agencies, with member states, to develop and implement a framework convention on ultra-processed foods analogous to the framework on tobacco." When thinking of traveling Europe without any doubt Italy is one of the countries that slays at the top number. Italy and its beauty are indeed mesmerizing and treading through its impeccable tapestry by walking down the historical tourist places is sublime. Even the most experienced travelers who have been to Italy often will fall to their knees at the utter amount of beauty, grace, historical charm, and the sense of ethereal realm Italy feels like. It is the abode for all our sensory escape. Tip - The best months to travel to Italy are May, June, September and October. Heres how to make the most of the countrys offerings, Naples What to see Naples is one of the gems located in southern Italy. If you want to meet the vibrant and vivacious Italy first, start your trip from down south and plan your itinerary accordingly. If you dig the Renaissance Era then you might bookmark places like the Capodimonte Museum which is nestled on the hilltop and the Archaeological Museum. You can explore the Baroque-styled Church of Gesu Nuovo as well. What to eat and where Being in Naples one just cant skip their pizzas. There are many pizzerias situated here and you can stroll across the street and might as well find your favorite bite. Below are some recommendations: Antica Da Michele Visit Antica Da Michele to satiate your cravings for ricotta, arancini, stuffed fried pizza, and Neopolitan pizza. This exact location was featured in the movie Eat, Pray, Love. Attanasio Grab a bite of Sfogliatelle when in Naples which looks crunchy as is like a pie. Sfogliatella ricca is delicious and you can have one at Attanasio. Tip: Get a travel pass that you can use on buses, metro, and trams to ease your experience. Florence What to see This city is located at the heart of the nation and forms a glorious center appearance. Central Italy encapsulates the architectural renaissance of the modern world. The art and artists are not only limited to browsing through museums but you will notice art running through these peoples veins. You will be wowed by the history of this city and the mesmerizing things it is offering you now as well. Explore the Accademia Gallery, Duomo Museum, and Galileos Science Museum, and unwind on the hilltop square at Piazzale Michelangelo. What to eat and where Antica Gelateria Fiorentina: Spotting a real gelato can take patience and time. At this Gelateria, you can go with Stracciatella and Dulce de Leche. These mounds of gelato can turn you into a gelato snob forever. AllAntico Vinaio This place is the must-visit when in Florence to have your next favorite sandwich. All the goodness is added to the freshly baked schiacciata which is a kind of bread. On your way back to your hotel or so you can grab some quick bites here. La Strega Nocciola This is a gelato parlor and they serve it in metal canisters. Try their lavender gelato and thank me later. Tip: Carry a scarf to tie around when needed. Wearing knee-length dresses is recommended. Rome What to see Do you ever think of the Roman Empire? Rome is the capital of Italy and is known to be an eternal city. The land is lush and you will love the Italian countryside as well. The churches, baroque fountains, and every nook and corner look simply stunning. When in Rome make sure you you visit St. Peters Basilica, Pantheon, Capuchin Crypt, Vatican City, and so on. You may toss a coin at the Trevis Fountain and get its blessings as well. What to eat and where Campo de Fiori: Visit this place late in the evening where you can stroll across a variety of restaurants and cocktail bars. Campo de Fiori is a great place to have dinner at. If you happen to visit there in the morning, fret not, you can come across different stalls selling fruits, veggies, and so on. Trattoria Da Enzo Have Rigatoni Carbonara over here which is tossed in a Roman sauce and is reviewed to be the yummiest thing you will eat in Rome. La Casa dei Suppli Suppli is the classic Roman snack and you can grab your bites at a local pizzeria or a Deli. If you want to have the best bite of Suppli then visit La Casa dei Suppli where you can also satiate your tastebuds with other fried food like arancini, calamari, and so on. Immerse yourself into the mesmerizing allure of this unique country and make great memories. The global shipping industry is poised for growth, with an anticipated increase in the pool of shipping containers due to expanding trade prospects and reduced container productivity, according to Drewry's latest Container Equipment Forecaster report. The disruptions in key maritime passages, including the Red Sea and the Panama Canal, have led to extended voyage times, contributing to this trend. Drewry's analysis reveals a 1 per cent growth in the global container fleet in the past year, reaching 51.4 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU). This growth was primarily fuelled by a surge in newbuild output towards the year's end, reversing earlier declines in inventory levels. Looking ahead to 2024, Drewry has upgraded its fleet growth projection to 2.3 per cent, driven by increased trade activity and decreased box productivity. The slowdown in container turnover is largely attributed to ongoing draught restrictions in the Panama Canal and the rerouting of ships originally transiting through the Suez Canal. These measures have been taken in response to attacks on vessels in the Red Sea by Houthi rebels, prompting ocean carriers to opt for longer routes around the Cape of Good Hope. The global shipping container fleet has experienced a 1 per cent increase, reaching 51.4 million TEU, with expectations of a 2.3 per cent growth in 2024. This growth is attributed to rising trade and disruptions in crucial maritime routes, including the Red Sea and Panama Canal. These disruptions have led to longer voyage times and inventory challenges. This shift has led to containers spending more time at sea and delays in completing their journeys, slowing sales in the secondary market and depleting the stock of empty containers, particularly in China. The maritime industry's vulnerabilities to geopolitical events and operational challenges have been starkly highlighted, affecting major trade routes. January statistics showed a significant increase in containership transits around the Cape, with 605 recorded, up from 164 the previous year. Conversely, voyages through the Suez Canal fell to 62 from 328 in January 2023. The diversion to the Cape route can add between 10 to 15 days to voyage times, depending on the destination. In addressing the disruptions at the Panama Canal, affecting Asia-US East Coast trade, carriers have explored various strategies, including land-bridging via the Panama Canal railway and rerouting via the Cape of Good Hope. The incidents have impacted an estimated six to seven million TEU. Amid these challenges, Chinese manufacturers lowered prices for new containers in late 2023 to stimulate orders, with 20ft container prices dropping to around $1,850. This price reduction led to a strong uptick in orders, primarily from ocean carriers, benefiting from the increased production capacity. Drewry forecasts a stronger 2024 for the container trade, with global container handling throughput expected to rise by 2.3 per cent, a significant improvement over the minimal growth observed in 2023. Additionally, ocean carriers are likely to enhance their box-to-slot ratios in the short term, building up buffer stocks to navigate the ongoing supply chain disruptions effectively. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DP) Vietnam has invested more than $3.7 billion in 100 projects in the Development Triangle Area (DTA) in Cambodia and Laos. The ministry of planning and investment said this figure is 44 per cent of its total investment in the two neighbouring nations. It invested $2 billion in Laos and $1.7 billion in Cambodia, according to figures released at the 13th meeting of the Joint Coordination Committee on Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam (CLV) Development Triangle Area, held yesterday in Attapeu, Laos. Vietnam has invested over $3.7 billion in 100 projects in the Development Triangle Area (DTA) in Cambodia ($1.7 billion) and Laos ($2 billion). This is 44 per cent of its total investment in the two nations. Vietnam's five DTA localities have so far invested in 41 projects in the zone in Laos and Cambodia, with a total registered capital of $1.65 billion. Established in 1999, the CLV Development Triangle Area covers 144,600 sq km spread across 13 provinces in the three countriesfour in Laos, four in Cambodia and five in Vietnam. The localities of Dak Lak, Gia Lai, Kon Tum, Dak Nong and Binh Phuoc in Vietnamlocated in the Development Triangle Areaattracted 521 foreign direct investment (FDI) projects worth over $6 billion. These five localities have so far invested in 41 projects in the zone in Laos and Cambodia, with a total registered capital of $1.65 billion, a Vietnamese media outlet reported. Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS) The cast announcement video for the upcoming series IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack, based on true events depicting the longest hijack in Indian history, is out. The show marks the OTT debut of Anubhav Sinha, best known for films like Thappad and Article 15. The series explores the hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight 814 on December 24, 1999, en route from Kathmandu to Delhi. Five masked gunmen took control of the Airbus, diverting it to several locations, including Amritsar, Lahore, and Dubai, before landing in Kandahar, Afghanistan. This event left 188 passengers stranded inside the plane for seven days, sometimes on the ground and other times at 30,000 feet. The star-studded cast includes Vijay Varma, Naseeruddin Shah, Pankaj Kapur, Kumud Mishra, Arvind Swamy, Manoj Pahwa, Dia Mirza, Amrita Puri, Patralekha, Dibyendu Bhattacharya, Anupam Tripathi, Pooja Gor, Aditya Shrivatav, Kanwaljit Singh, Sushant Singh, and Yashpal Sharma. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Netflix India (@netflix_in) The recently released cast announcement video sets the stage for the series, showcasing the resilience, mayhem, skill, and tact involved in the mission to rescue the passengers. The logline reads, " On 24 December 1999, Indian Airlines flight IC 814, en route from Kathmandu to New Delhi, was hijacked and taken to Kandahar in Taliban-governed Afghanistan. The hijack lasted seven days; while passengers and crew suffered, some great officers back home struggled to answer the who and why - answers that were beyond the obvious and extremely complex. But the people had to be brought back home safely. The clock was ticking as the negotiations forged through; this is the story of those seven days which became the longest hijack in Indian history. The filming of the series is set to commence soon, promising a gripping narrative of the harrowing events surrounding the Kandahar hijacking. critic's rating: 4.0/5 Trailer : Laapataa Ladies Noukadubi is a 1906 novel by Rabindranath Tagore, which revolves around a case of mistaken identity. The novel has been adapted many times on celluloid. Milan (1946), starring Dilip Kumar, was based on the same, and so was Ghunghat (1960). The basic idea of Laapataa Ladies is very similar to that of Tagore' s novel. Director Kiran Rao has woven a story which uses the mistaken identity trope to offer a sharp critique of the present society. It's a film which celebrates women empowerment, saying that things need to be changed from the grassroots level. Despite being message-driven, the film also is a light-hearted comedy at one level, tickling your funny bone from the start to the end.Deepak (Sparsh Shrivastava) and Phool (Nitanshi Goel) are newly married. The couple boards a crowded train to Deepaks village Mukhi. It being the wedding season, their compartment has other married couples as well. The women are clad similar attires and have a heavy red veil over their faces, limiting their vision. When their halt comes in the night, Deepak mistakes another bride for Phool and asks the girl to alight with him. After returning home, Deepak realises that the woman he has taken home is not his wife Phool but actually a girl who introduces herself as Pushpa Rani (Pratibha Ranta). Phool gets off at another remote station and finds herself lost. She's helped by a midget, Chotu (Satendra Soni) and Manju Maayi (Chhaya Kadam), an elderly woman running the tea stall. Pushpa is kind of adopted by Deepaks family and well looked after, with the whole family involved in getting her back to her real husband. But she's not what she seems. Meanwhile, a corrupt but benign police inspector Manohar (Ravi Kishan) starts taking interest in the case and draws some startling conclusionsAs said earlier, the film is a social satire which talks about women empowerment. Being with Manju Maayi helps Pooja learn self-reliance. Maayi tells her that she should learn to stand up for herself and starts living for herself and not just for others. The elder woman opens her eyes to the fact that patriarchy is ingrained thoroughly in our society and one should recognise that and fight that in order to live on one's own terms. Pushpa too has her own struggles. She's a brilliant student, who wants to study further and is stymied by circumstances from doing so. When fate gives her a chance to right the wrongs, she grabs the opportunity by its forelocks and takes full advantage of the situation.Small incidents drive home big points in the film. The women of Deepak's house discuss that theyve forgotten what their favourite dishes are as theyve always catered to the choices of the men in the family. Deepaks father asks him to wear old clothes while going to the police station as the amount of bribe rises in direct proportion to how well-off one looks. Another incident points towards the fact that keeping women veiled robs them of their identity. Chhaya Kadams character once says that women dont actually need men for anything and men have always suppressed that fact. She also emphasises that companionship is one thing but learning to live alone is rewarding as well. The romance between Deepak and Pooja is as real as it gets, devoid of any filmic connotations. Her growth as a woman who recognises her strengths is organic.The films casting is a masterstroke. Apart from Ravi Kishans obvious star value, who has done a wonderful job as a bribe-hungry cop, who nevertheless knows right from wrong, the main players are newcomers. Sparsh Shrivastava, Pratibha Ranta and Nitanshi Goel are perfect in their respective roles. One feels ones watching someone taken from the street and not professional actors. Their expressions, diction, and body language is spot on and all three have done ample justice to the characters they portray.Kiran Rao, whose last film as a director, Dhobi Ghat, came in 2010, has made a film which entertains you at all fronts. Why such a competent director waited for such a long time for her next offering is beyond our ken. Lets hope she picks up the gauntlet soon.Watch Laapataa Ladies for its moving story, powerful message and the realistic acting displayed by the entire cast. The latest episode of 'Kiska Brand Bajega,' hosted by Aditya Bhat, illuminated the branding journey of Sunny Leone, an icon in the Indian film industry known for her distinct and confident brand identity. From her early days to becoming a household name, Sunny shared how she navigated her path to stardom with strategic branding and a vibrant social media presence. Her collaboration with acclaimed filmmaker Anurag Kashyap on the film 'Kennedy' was a pivotal moment, elevating her status as a serious actor and reshaping public perception. The episode not only offered a glimpse into Sunny's career but also her ventures into entrepreneurship, with the launch of her bar franchise 'Chica Loca by Sunny Leone.' This business move underscores her multifaceted persona, combining her love for gourmet cocktails and world cuisine. The flagship outlet, which opened its doors on January 22, is a testament to Sunny's ambition and business acumen, further solidifying her brand. Insights from a Trailblazer Throughout the 'Kiska Brand Bajega' episode, Sunny Leone emphasized the importance of controlling one's narrative. Her partnership with Anurag Kashyap for 'Kennedy' was a strategic step in redefining her career. Sunny remarked, "I think the second that I signed with Anurag sir and to shoot 'Kennedy' there was a shift in people's minds already, he definitely legitimized me as an actor in a different way he put me on a platform." This collaboration with Kashyap not only showcased her acting prowess but also positioned her as a formidable force in Bollywood. 'Kennedy,' a neo-noir thriller, has been celebrated at international film festivals, including Cannes 2023, Sydney Film Festival, and Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival, further exemplifying Sunny's global appeal. A New Venture: Chica Loca by Sunny Leone Expanding her horizons beyond acting, Sunny Leone ventured into the world of entrepreneurship with 'Chica Loca by Sunny Leone.' This innovative chain franchise marries progressive world cuisine with a gourmet cocktail bar, offering a unique dining experience. The partnership with Singing Bowls Hospitality, spearheaded by Sahil Baweja, marks a significant milestone in her career. Located at Gulshan One 29 in Noida, the flagship outlet is a reflection of Sunny's vision for a vibrant and inclusive social space. Whether it's through her roles in films or her business initiatives, Sunny Leone continues to inspire with her ability to reinvent herself and control her brand narrative. Her appearance on 'Kiska Brand Bajega' provides valuable insights into personal branding and the intricacies of navigating Bollywood's landscape. For those interested in brand building or simply fans of Sunny Leone, this episode is a must-watch. The journey of Sunny Leone from an unconventional beginning to a celebrated name in Bollywood and now as an entrepreneur encapsulates her determination and savvy understanding of personal branding. Her story is a compelling example for many, illustrating the power of resilience and strategic branding in achieving success. K. Shivaram Passed Away: Renowned bureaucrat-turned-actor and politician K. Shivaram, aged 71, breathed his last on Thursday following a period of illness. Shivaram had been ailing for several days and was receiving medical care at HCG Hospital in Bangalore. He was admitted to the ICU and placed on a ventilator; his condition was reported as critical on Wednesday. His demise has deeply saddened both his admirers and the Kannada film community. K. Shivaram, a notable personality in both the film industry and civil service, holds the distinction of being the first Kannadiga to clear the IAS examination in Kannada. Throughout his tenure in the IAS, he served in various districts, including Vijayapura, Bengaluru, Mysuru, Koppala, and Davangere. Shivaram: A Journey Of Success In Bureaucracy And Acting Shivaram, born on April 6, 1953, in Urugahalli village, Ramanagar district, to drama master Kempaiah and his wife Chikkaboramma, enjoyed success in both bureaucracy and acting, showcasing his versatility and talent in various fields. After graduating from Government High School in Malleswaram and completing a course in typing and shorthand, Shivaram began his career in the state government in 1972. A year later, he joined the police department's intelligence wing as a police reporter. While working, he pursued BA and MA degrees through evening and distance learning. In 1985, he passed the Karnataka Administrative Service (KAS) exam and became the Deputy Superintendent of Police. Shivaram made history in 1986 as the first person to clear the UPSC exam in Kannada, fulfilling a lifelong ambition. His acting career took off with the 1993 hit "Baa Nalle Madhuchandrake," directed by Nagathihalli Chandrashekar. However, subsequent film ventures saw less success, leading him to refocus on his bureaucratic career. Shivaram retired in 2013 as the Bengaluru regional commissioner. Post-retirement, he entered politics, initially joining the Congress party. Later, he switched to the JD(S), contesting the 2014 Lok Sabha elections from Bijapur but was unsuccessful. Eventually, Shivaram joined the BJP and served on its state executive committee. He is survived by his wife Vani Shivaram and a daughter, who is married to Kannada actor Pradeep. Vijay's 'GOAT' OTT Rights: Actor Vijay, also known as Thalapathy Vijay among his fans, made a pivotal move in his career by announcing his foray into politics and revealing the name of his new political party on February 2nd. While currently engaged in the filming of 'The Greatest of All Time' (GOAT), directed by Venkat Prabhu, Vijay has affirmed that this movie marks his penultimate cinematic venture, with 'Thalapathy 69' set to be his ultimate acting pursuit. Vijay's previous film, "Leo," hit theatres on October 19, 2023, marking his second collaboration with director Lokesh Kanagaraj following the success of their first project together, "Master." While "Leo" generated significant anticipation among fans, it received mixed reviews upon release. In response to the mixed reception of "Leo," Vijay teamed up with Venkat Prabhu for his next project. Known for his versatility in directing films across various genres in Tamil cinema, Venkat Prabhu's recent release, "Custody," did not meet expectations. Shooting for 'GOAT' has been in progress for several months, generating anticipation among Vijay's fans. The latest update about 'GOAT' reveals intriguing details about the film. Vijay's The Greatest Of All Time (GOAT) OTT Rights Bagged By Netflix According to recent reports, streaming giant Netflix has secured the post-theatrical streaming rights for 'The Greatest Of All Time' (GOAT) for a substantial sum. This acquisition marks a significant move by Netflix to add another highly anticipated film to its extensive content library. The deal is expected to further elevate the film's reach and visibility, allowing audiences worldwide to enjoy the cinematic experience of 'GOAT' from the comfort of their homes after its theatrical release. Abyukta's Role In Vijay's 'GOAT' Sparks Curiosity In 'GOAT,' Vijay will be showcasing his versatility by portraying two distinct characters, reportedly one with negative shades, and displaying both youthful and aged appearances. Adding to the excitement, reports suggest that Abyukta, the daughter of renowned cinematographer Manikandan, will be playing a crucial role in the film, playing Vijay's younger sister. Abyukta, a talented Bharatanatyam dancer and model, has piqued the interest of netizens since news of her involvement in 'GOAT' surfaced. Previously, there were speculations about actress Ivana taking up the role, but due to prior commitments, she had to decline the offer, leading to Abyukta's casting. Apart from Vijay and Abyukta, the ensemble cast of 'GOAT' boasts prominent names such as Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Sneha, Laila, Meenakshi Chaudhary, Parvati Nair, Mohan, Jayaram, Ajmal Ameer, Yogi Babu, VTV Ganesh, Vaibhav, Premgi Amaren, Aravind Akash, Ajay Raj, and Ganja Karuppu, among others. As filming progresses, the buzz surrounding 'GOAT' continues to grow, with fans eagerly awaiting further updates on this highly anticipated project. Stay tuned for more insights into Vijay's dual-role venture and the cinematic experience expected from 'GOAT.' Following the buzz created by their individual performances in last year's 'Kushi' and 'Hi Nanna', Mrunal Thakur and Vijay Deverakonda are set to share screen space in the much-awaited film 'Family Star'. The final leg of the movie's shoot is scheduled to take place in Chennai, with Mrunal Thakur joining the team shortly. This upcoming project has already set high expectations among fans, eagerly awaiting its release on April 5, 2024. Mrunal, known for her dynamic roles, is all geared up to join Vijay in Chennai for the concluding schedule of 'Family Star'. A source close to the production revealed that Mrunal is en route to Chennai, aiming to commence the final week-long shooting schedule. The anticipation within the cast and crew is palpable, as they approach the end of what has been described as a 'wonderful journey'. This film marks the debut collaboration between Mrunal and Vijay, promising to deliver a fresh and engaging narrative to the audience. 'Family Star' is under the directorial vision of Parasuram Petla and sees the collaboration between producers Dil Raju and Shirish. The film also signifies a reunion for Vijay and director Parasuram following their successful venture 'Geetha Govindam'. Through a recent post on his X handle, Vijay Deverakonda excitedly shared a new poster of 'Family Star' and confirmed the film's release date, stirring excitement among fans. The film is not just a platform for Mrunal and Vijay's first on-screen pairing but is also a testament to Parasuram's storytelling prowess. With a narrative that promises to captivate viewers, 'Family Star' is poised to be a significant release next year. Besides 'Family Star', Mrunal Thakur has another project in the pipeline, 'Pooja Meri Jaan', where she stars alongside Huma Qureshi, further expanding her versatile portfolio. As the final phase of filming in Chennai gets underway, the excitement surrounding 'Family Star' continues to build. With a narrative enriched by the talents of Mrunal Thakur and Vijay Deverakonda under the adept guidance of director Parasuram Petla, the film is all set to offer a cinematic experience that resonates well with audiences. Fans of both actors are on the edge of their seats, counting down to April 5, 2024, when 'Family Star' will make its grand entrance in theatres. Manushi Chhillar is all over the headlines these days and rightfully so. After all, the diva, who made her debut with Akshay Kumar starrer Prithviraj Samrat, is now all set to romance Varun Tej in his upcoming action thriller. We are talking about Operation Valentine which is helmed by Shakti Pratap Singh Hada and also features Navdeep and Mir Sarwar in key roles. The movie happens to be an action thriller which is based on the 2019 Pulwama terrorist Attack by Pakistan on India and the retaliatory Balakot Air Strikes of 2019 by the Indian Air Force. Interestingly, the movie will feature Varun Tej in the role of an Indian Air Force Officer. From the trailer to the teaser, posters and more, everything about Operation Valentine has been creating a massive buzz in the town And now we have got our hands on the first review of the movie and it appears to be doing wonders on the big screen. Talking about the same, film critic and trade analyst Sumit Kadel called it 'the most authentic air force movie'. He wrote, "Rave reviews pouring in! Heard from people who saw preview in Hyderabad that #OperationValentine is one of most authentic Air Force movie mounted a big scale". Meanwhile, it is reported that Operation Valentine is coming up with an impressive BGM and VFX. The reports also suggested that the Pulwama incident visuals are likely to leave the audience emotional while Varun Tej is likely to win hearts as an Air Force Officer. Talking about the film, Varun told The Hindu, "Our excitement came from the fact that Telugu cinema has not witnessed mid-air combats. In the beginning, we were told this is an experiment but I see it as a mainstream film with universal appeal. Shakti sent me a showreel he had done about the Balakot airstrike. The video had gone viral and the IAF got in touch with him. They appreciated his work but were curious about how he had so much information; they told him that the next time around, he should seek permission and they would be willing to cooperate". New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - February 28, 2024) - Real Estate Mogul Daniel Neiditch's role as Honorary Principal at CS 55 in the South Bronx offered a profound glimpse into the educational landscape of America's most underprivileged congressional district, located in New York City. The school's previous dismal 19% passing rate on basic tests in English and math reflects the pervasive challenges faced by its students, many of whom struggle with undiagnosed learning disabilities such as dyslexia. The test scores are not in any way a reflection of the teachers, principal or faculty of the school but a failure of the system to provide the appropriate assistance to those children. Daniel Neiditch's experience as principal on February 27, 2024 underscored the urgent need for intervention and support for these students. Having grown up in the Bronx himself Neiditch knows firsthand the struggles children face in underprivileged neighborhoods. As a board member of the Promise Project, a nonprofit dedicated to assisting children with learning disabilities, Neiditch is committed to ensuring that these students receive the necessary diagnosis and assistance. Collaborating with key stakeholders, including the Department of Education, Mayor Eric Adams, Chancellor David Banks, Bronx CS 55 Principal Luis Torres and the Promise Project team, Neiditch is actively engaged in addressing these challenges. Neiditch talked to multiple children who mentioned to him they "hate reading". His advocacy extends beyond the classroom, highlighting the broader societal implications of unaddressed learning disabilities. He notes that in 2023, 48% of the US prison population was dyslexic, underscoring the importance of early intervention and support in breaking the cycle of poverty and crime. Dan Neiditch's efforts are driven by a deep-seated belief in the transformative power of education. By shedding light on the educational disparities in the NYC public school system, he hopes to catalyze meaningful change that will provide every child with a fair and equal opportunity to succeed. Through his advocacy and dedication, Neiditch is working to ensure that every child, regardless of their background, has the support and resources they need to thrive academically and beyond. Daniel Neiditch is no stranger to the charity world and helping underprivileged children. He has taken the stage with Stephen Colbert and Julia Louis-Dreyfus to support Montclair Film, worked with Senator Kirsten Gillibrand in supporting the Wellness in Schools charity, and boxed with Olympic Gold Medalist Sugar Ray Leonard to knock out childhood diabetes. He also boxed with the four-time heavyweight champion of the world, Evander Holyfield, to knock out autism. Neiditch recently gave an award to Mayor Eric Adams of New York for his work to help underprivileged children get diagnosed with learning disabilities. However, the job is far from complete until every child is educated properly, and no child is left behind to suffer an education downfall. Daniel Neiditch's commitment to education and philanthropy is deeply rooted in his personal values and experiences. He understands the transformative impact that education can have on individuals and communities, and he is dedicated to ensuring that all children have access to quality education and the support they need to succeed. Through his work with the Promise Project and other charitable organizations, Dan Neiditch is making a tangible difference in the lives of children with learning disabilities. His advocacy and dedication serve as a beacon of hope for those who are struggling, and his efforts are helping to create a more inclusive and equitable education system for all. Daniel Neiditch (Left) Luis Torres (Right) To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/10302/199765_44c9c7ee045c99ed_002full.jpg River 2 River Realty President Daniel Neiditch To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/10302/199765_44c9c7ee045c99ed_003full.jpg Luis Torres (Left) Daniel Neidtch (right) To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/10302/199765_44c9c7ee045c99ed_004full.jpg Contact: Daniel Neiditch President, River 2 River Realty dan@river2riverrealty.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/199765 SOURCE: River 2 River Realty THIS NEWS RELEASE IS INTENDED FOR DISTRIBUTION IN CANADA ONLY AND IS NOT INTENDED FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / February 28, 2024 / Pelangio Exploration Inc. (TSXV:PX)(OTC PINK:PGXPF) ("Pelangio" or the "Company") is pleased to announce a non-brokered private placement for gross proceeds of up to $500,000 (the "Offering"). The Offering will consist of the sale of units (the "Units") of the Company at a price of $0.015 per Unit. Each Unit consists of one common share of the Company (a "Common Share") and one Common Share purchase warrant ("Warrant"). Each whole Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one Common Share at a price of $0.05 for a period of five years from the initial closing date of the Offering. The Company intends to use the gross proceeds for working capital, including up to 10% for settling non-arm's length payables, as well as general corporate purposes including land maintenance costs. The Offering is subject to customary closing conditions including, but not limited to, receipt of applicable regulatory approvals, including approval of the TSX-V. The closing of the Offering may occur in one or more tranches, with the initial closing date of the Offering expected to occur on or around March 30th, 2024 and is not subject to receipt of a minimum amount of gross proceeds. The securities issued pursuant to the Offering will be subject to a four-month and one day hold period in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws and TSX-V policies. The Offering is open to participation by insiders. The securities offered have not been registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any State in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. About Pelangio Pelangio acquires and explores prospective land packages located in world-class gold belts in Ghana, West Africa and Canada. In Ghana, the Company is focused on its two 100% owned camp-sized properties: the 100 km2 Manfo property, the site of eight near-surface gold discoveries, and the 284 km2 Obuasi property, located 4 km on strike and adjacent to AngloGold Ashanti's prolific high-grade Obuasi Mine, as well as the Dankran property located adjacent to its Obuasi property. In Canada, the Company is currently focused in Ontario at its gold, silver, zinc polymetallic Kenogaming project, located 63 km southwest of Timmins and at its Gowan polymetallic project, located 16 km east of the Kidd Creek Mine. See www.pelangio.com for further detail on all Pelangio's properties. For additional information, please visit our website at www.pelangio.com, or contact: Ingrid Hibbard, President and CEO Tel: 905-336-3828 / Toll-free: 1-877-746-1632 / Email: info@pelangio.com Forward Looking Statements Certain statements herein may contain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements or information appear in a number of places and can be identified by the use of words 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 statements and information include statements regarding the Offering generally, the proceeds that may be raised in connection with the Offering, the proposed use of proceeds and the Company's exploration plans. With respect to forward-looking statements and information contained herein, we have made numerous assumptions, including assumptions about our ability to close additional tranches of the Offering in a timely manner, if at all, and the state of the equity markets. Such forward-looking statements and information are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statement or information. Such risks include the ability of the Company to meet the conditions of closing, our ability to conduct our exploration programs as planned, changes in equity markets, share price volatility, volatility of global and local economic climate, gold price volatility, political developments in Ghana, increases in costs, exchange rate fluctuations, speculative nature of gold exploration and other risks involved in the gold exploration industry. See the Company's annual and quarterly financial statements and management's discussion and analysis for additional information on risks and uncertainties relating to the forward-looking statement and information. There can be no assurance that a forward-looking statement or information referenced herein will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements or information. Also, many of the factors are beyond the control of the Company. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. We undertake no obligation to reissue or update any forward-looking statements or information except as required by law. All forward-looking statements and information herein are qualified by this cautionary statement. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE: Pelangio Exploration Inc. View the original press release on accesswire.com VIENNA, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Premium Viennese coffee brand, Julius Meinl, has officially joined the initiative for coffee&climate (c&c), marking a significant milestone in the alliance's ongoing efforts to address the challenges of smallholder coffee farming families posed by climate change. With a more than decade-long track record, c&c stands as one of the most resilient networks in the coffee sustainability landscape, fostering collaboration among private and public partners to tackle the profound impact of climate change on coffee production. As a key player in the coffee market, Julius Meinl's entry in c&c adds substantial value to the alliance. The company recognizes the urgency of addressing climate change within the coffee sector. Julius Meinl's commitment therefore aligns with c&c's overall goal: effective responses to climate change, increasing resilience, and, ultimately, better livelihoods of smallholder coffee farming families. Christina Meinl, a fifth-generation family member, expressed her dedication to this cause, stating, "As a family business, we have always run our company in a responsible way, and it is up to us to take an active role in creating and joining sustainable initiatives that will positively impact the entire coffee industry. We have always strived to deliver the finest coffee blends to coffee enthusiasts worldwide and joining the initiative for coffee&climate reinforces our dedication to ethical sourcing and sustainable practices." Marcel Loeffler, CEO of the Julius Meinl Group, outlines the commitment of Julius Meinl: "We aim at spreading Vienna's coffeehouse culture worldwide while ensuring a more sustainable and fairer future from farmers to consumers. This encompasses GHG reduction programs and circular economy initiatives and cumulates in dedicated activities with farmers and local communities in the origin. The Generations Program in Colombia and Uganda, aimed at promoting best practices and ensuring sustainable livelihoods, testifies the commitment. The ultimate goal is to ensure farmers can pass on their knowledge and coffee cultivations in a meaningful way to their next generations." Stefan Ruge, c&c Program Manager, emphasizes the significance of this partnership, stating: "Welcoming Julius Meinl as a new member provides an opportunity to extend our pro-active and collaborative efforts in addressing climate change challenges. c&c's primary commitment lies in supporting smallholder coffee farming families. Collaborating closely with both, these families and esteemed scientific knowledge partners, we strive to develop robust, climate-resilient production systems. The purpose is to ensure coffee sustainability whilst enhancing food security and income diversification in these communities. With the dedicated support of Julius Meinl, we look forward to fortifying and expanding these impactful initiatives across our program regions." Amid climate change, the coffee sector faces a major threat, requiring close collaboration for resilient coffee livelihoods and fostering healthy landscapes. Julius Meinl, as part of c&c, will play a crucial role in this collaborative effort. About the initiative for coffee&climate The initiative for coffee&climate (c&c) is a pre-competitive partnership of private and public actors. Together they strive to support smallholder coffee farming families and their communities to effectively respond to climate change, increase their resilience, and improve their livelihoods. http://www.coffeeandclimate.org/ About Julius Meinl Founded in 1862, Julius Meinl is one of the oldest coffee roasters in the world and an iconic Vienna coffee house brand. Dedication to quality has been a family trademark for five generations. With more than 160 years of experience in sourcing, blending and roasting, Meinl is a preferred coffee supplier for Vienna's leading coffee houses. Julius Meinl | Premium coffee and tea | Julius Meinl Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2347691/Julius_Meinl_1.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2347692/Julius_Meinl_2.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2347693/Julius_Meinl_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/julius-meinl-strengthens-commitment-for-smallholder-coffee-farming-families-by-joining-the-initiative-for-coffeeclimate-302072952.html Indigenous organisations lagging behind multinationals based in Ireland who are leveraging on average 30% more generative AI Microsoft Ireland report reveals that 49% of organisations are already using generative AI in some form at this early stage of availability. in some form at this early stage of availability. 47% of organisations believe the technology will enhance productivity , contrasting with only 17% holding opposing views. , contrasting with only 17% holding opposing views. Those with a generative AI-first policy (company-wide approach) feel there are more benefits, such as productivity increases, from generative AI (71%) compared to firms that prohibit generative AI use. (company-wide approach) feel there are more benefits, such as productivity increases, from generative AI (71%) compared to firms that prohibit generative AI use. A shadow generative AI culture is emerging - 27% of leaders are using publicly available or free generative AI tools in their role and 25% believe their employees are doing the same - while 8% are aware employees use free generative AI software in direct contravention of their organisation's policy. is emerging - 27% of leaders are using publicly available or free generative AI tools in their role and 25% believe their employees are doing the same - while 8% are aware employees use free generative AI software in direct contravention of their organisation's policy. The report carried out by Trinity College Dublin's Business School suggests Ireland is at a crossroads, and first mover advantage is now crucial to capitalise on its position as a global technology hub and drive competitiveness through AI innovation. DUBLIN, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Microsoft Ireland has today unveiled a new AI report, Generative AI in Ireland 2024, which reveals that almost half of organisations across public and private sectors have started to adopt Generative AI. Ireland's position as a global technology hub is a significant driver of adoption rates, with multinationals claiming to use 30% more generative AI than indigenous organisations. Produced by Trinity College Dublin's Business School, on behalf of Microsoft Ireland, the report involved a survey of 400 senior managers across both the public and private sectors in Ireland. It assesses the uptake, sentiment, and future trends of generative AI at this early stage of its evolution. Generative AI is a technology that can create new content, like text, imagery, audio, and more, using natural language prompts. It uses data to build models (Large Language Models) that recognise patterns in the data to produce new original content. Growing adoption Today's publication points to rising adoption rates of generative AI solutions within Irish workplaces - with 49% highlighting generative AI being used in some form within their organisation. The survey showed that sectors with the highest planned adoption rates are technology, science, and media, while the agriculture, transport, and utilities sectors appear to be further behind in their generative AI adoption journey. Almost half (47%) believe the technology will enhance productivity, contrasting with only 17% holding an opposing view, while 46% of respondents agreed that the broad perception in their industry is that generative AI is very useful (22% disagreeing). Shadow AI workplace culture emerging However, despite significant trust in the technology (50%), notwithstanding its current infancy, the report reveals a lack of formal AI policy adoption in the workplace. A quarter of leaders say they are aware that some employees within their organisations are using publicly available generative AI tools, and 27% admit to doing so themselves, rather than using enterprise-grade solutions with in-built content safety controls and data protection. Just 2% of firms indicate there is an organisation-wide AI-first policy in place, meaning a company-wide approach to generative AI. While 8% of respondents highlighted awareness of employees knowingly using generative AI software in contravention to the organisation's policy. This trend could contribute to a shadow generative AI culture, with employees seeking workarounds and using publicly available tools that are not aligned to company policy and that don't have privacy, security, and data protection controls. Meanwhile, 42% of senior managers highlight they would prefer to have the option of using enterprise-grade AI solutions compared to publicly available tools (17% disagreeing). Twenty-three percent of organisations say they forbid the use of free generative AI software tools, while 52% believe using public or free-to-use generative AI tools might allow others to use confidential information without their knowledge. While the report maintains that training significantly influences deployment, there is no inherent relationship between technological capability and adoption. This indicates that in order to successfully introduce generative AI, management should focus on making the technology's usefulness to their business clear to both leadership and the rest of their employees. Interestingly, almost half (49%) say it would be easy for their staff to become skilful at using generative AI in their daily work. While only 1 in 4 believe their internal training systems are well adapted to train people on generative AI technologies. Potential for Ireland to leverage generative AI innovation and advance its position as a digital leader in Europe Elsewhere, the report concludes that organisations who have been first movers in the space of generative AI and use a generative AI-first policy see many more benefits and productivity increases (71%) compared to firms that prohibit generative AI (42%). These firms also see higher productivity and innovation potential in their employees, in addition to providing higher training, internal resources and finances to support the transition. The report identifies that a proactive approach underscores the critical importance of embracing transformative innovation as a means to surpass competitors, reach sustainability goals, explore untapped markets, and reshape industry norms. This is believed to be crucial for Ireland to leverage AI innovation and become a leading digital economy in Europe and beyond. Notes to editor: For further information about Microsoft AI: https://news.microsoft.com/ai/ View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/generative-ai-adoption-rates-on-the-rise-in-workplaces-according-to-new-microsoft-ireland-and-trinity-college-dublin-report-302074493.html New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - February 28, 2024) - In the ever-evolving advertising landscape of the United States, the proliferation of digital platforms and the rise of Connected TV have significantly reshaped the way brands engage with consumers. CTV advertising has emerged as a dominant force, fueled by the growing popularity of streaming services and the shift towards on-demand content consumption. Addressing the unique dynamics of the US market, VDO.AI has unveiled a comprehensive report highlighting the latest trends and insights in CTV advertising for 2024. The report serves as an invaluable strategic resource for brands, offering deep insights into maximizing the potential of CTV advertising to expand audience reach and achieve pivotal performance goals. With projections indicating that CTV ad spending will soar to $42.4 billion by 2027, this comprehensive analysis delves into the intricate factors driving the exponential growth of CTV advertising in the US. Through a meticulous examination of key trends, market dynamics, and their implications for stakeholders across the advertising landscape, this report equips businesses with the knowledge needed to navigate and capitalize on this rapidly evolving terrain. Additionally, it sheds light on the profound impact of CTV in the US market, dissecting evolving viewing trends, discerning American audience behavior, and illuminating the influential role CTV plays in shaping ad recall and consumer purchasing decisions. Pioneers in the field highlight the promise that Connected TV holds within the USA's advertising sphere. Anuj Kapoor, Professor at the Indian Institute of Management - Ahmedabad, mentions, "The evolution of CTV encapsulates a profound transformation in how audiences consume content. It reflects a shift from the passive, scheduled viewing of traditional linear TV to an on-demand, personalized CTV experience tailored to individual preferences. By examining consumer behavior, industry trends, and technological advancements, this report equips readers with the knowledge needed to navigate the evolving landscape of television consumption effectively." Amitt Sharma, CEO - VDO.AI, stated, "This report serves as a comprehensive guide for advertisers, offering actionable insights and best practices to navigate the complexities of CTV advertising effectively, ultimately empowering them to capitalize on the immense potential of this burgeoning medium." According to Arjit Sachdeva, CTO - VDO.AI, "The future of CTV advertising holds boundless potential for innovation and creativity. We're on the cusp of a new era where ads seamlessly integrate with content and engage viewers in meaningful ways and provide immersive experiences. This report provides insights and strategies to leverage the full potential of CTV advertising and create impactful, engaging campaigns that resonate with audiences." About VDO.AI VDO.AI is a trailblazing digital advertising technology company committed to redefining brand engagement. With a strong focus on cutting-edge AI and data-driven solutions, VDO.AI enables brands to connect with their audience in profoundly meaningful ways, resulting in increased engagement and ROI. Media Contact: Mehak Chawla mehak@vdo.ai Lead - Strategic Marketing PR Contact: Sam Morgan media@pinionpartners.co www.pinionnewswire.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/199571 SOURCE: Pinion Partners Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 28, 2024) - iMining Technologies Inc. (TSXV: IMIN.H) ("iMining"), a leader in the future technology landscape of Canada, today announced the appointment of Jahanzeb Abbas, PMP to the Advisory Board of its artificial intelligence subsidiary, AiMining Technologies. With a distinguished career that spans over 20 years and a wealth of experience in academia, workforce development, vendor relationships, IT project management, IT strategy, and IT consultancy, Abbas is poised to bring a wealth of knowledge to AiMining Technologies. Abbas's extensive experience includes roles at various prestigious educational institutions, including Conestoga College, Humber College, Georgian College, and Durham College, where he served as a Professor in areas such as Emerging Technologies, Information Management, Object-Oriented Programming, International & Dual-Credit Student Programs, and Technology Project & Change Management. His skills encompass a wide range of domains, including strategy, project delivery, resource management, business excellence, academic advising, training and development, Python & modern programming, and agile methodologies, among others. In addition to his academic roles, Abbas has also held positions in the corporate world, including in various capacities at BMO Financial Group, where he contributed significantly to systems analysis, vendor management, project delivery, enterprise application upgrade & integration initiatives, risk, data, audit and policy review, with process redesign in many areas of the bank. After BMO he held roles as a Senior Program Manager and PM Consultant at ARO Inc., where he demonstrated expertise in budgeting, change management, program management, audit & policy enforcement and IT strategic planning. Abbas's commitment to continuous learning is evident through the numerous courses he has undertaken, covering topics such as IT project management, IT security, database management, and network management, among others. His dedication to ethical practices and legal compliance underscores his holistic approach to technology and its implications. Reflecting on his new role, Jahanzeb Abbas shared his vision for AiMining Technologies: "I am honored to serve as an Academic Advisor on AiMining Technologies' Scientific Research Board, contributing to the advancement of AI innovation. I aim to leverage my multifaceted expertise to ensure the ethical development and application of AI for the betterment of society." Khurram Shroff, the Chairman and the CEO of iMining Technologies, expressed his enthusiasm about Abbas's appointment: "Jahanzeb brings a wealth of experience and a unique perspective to our Advisory Board. His background in academia, IT consultancy, and project management will be invaluable as we strive to lead the way in AI innovation." Abbas's appointment underscores AiMining Technologies' commitment to fostering innovation and responsible AI development. With his leadership, the company is poised to make significant strides in advancing the frontier of artificial intelligence, while ensuring ethical and responsible practices. About iMining Technologies Inc. iMining Technologies Inc. is a publicly listed technology company that acquires, builds, and manages future technology companies in Canada. The Company's industry-specific technology businesses provide specialized and innovative solutions in future technologies and serve private sector markets. iMining Technologies Inc. is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. About AiMining Technologies Inc. AiMining Technologies Inc., a subsidiary of iMining Technologies and recognized as a Nvidia Inception Partner, as well as being chosen for the Microsoft start-up Founders Hub, stands as a pioneering force in Artificial Intelligence (AI) advancement. With a specialized applied research lab fostering collaboration with prestigious institutions and a commercialization program tailored for market interaction, AiMining seamlessly integrates into iMining's technology repertoire. Our dedication lies in propelling responsible AI development to new heights. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD Signed "Khurram Shroff" Khurram Shroff, President & CEO FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, please contact: iMining Corporate Offices: Saleem Moosa, CFO and Director Email: investor@imining.com Telephone: 1-604-602-4935 Toll-Free: 1-866-602-4935 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/199797 SOURCE: iMining Technologies Inc. Oakville, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - February 28, 2024) - FendX Technologies Inc. (CSE: FNDX) (OTCQB: FDXTF) (FSE: E8D) (the "Company" or "FendX"), a nanotechnology company developing surface protection coatings to reduce the spread of pathogens, announces its intention to complete a share for debt settlement with a creditor at a price of $0.225 per share, to settle $112,500 of advisory fees through the issuance of 500,000 common shares. Completion of the debt settlement is subject to receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals, including from the CSE. The shares to be issued will be subject to a hold period expiring four months and one day from the date of issuance, in accordance with applicable securities laws. About FendX Technologies Inc. FendX is a Canada-based nanotechnology company focused on developing products to make people's lives safer by reducing the spread of pathogens. The Company is developing both film and spray products to protect surfaces from contamination. The lead product under development, REPELWRAP film, is a protective surface coating film that, due to its repelling properties, prevents the adhesion of pathogens and reduces their transmission on surfaces prone to contamination. The spray nanotechnology is a bifunctional spray coating being developed to reduce contamination on surfaces by repelling and killing pathogens. The Company is conducting research and development activities using its nanotechnology in collaboration with industry-leading partners, including McMaster University. The Company has an exclusive worldwide license to its technology and IP portfolio from McMaster, which encompass both film and spray coating nanotechnology formulations. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD "Carolyn Myers" Carolyn Myers Chief Executive Officer and Director Contacts: Dr. Carolyn Myers, CEO and Director 1-800-344-9868 Alyssa Barry, Investor Relations 1-833-947-5227 investor@fendxtech.com For more information, please visit https://fendxtech.com/ and the Company's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor the Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, including with respect to: the plans of the Company; completion of the proposed debt settlement; and products under development and any pathogen reduction benefits related thereto. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts; they are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "projects," "aims," "potential," "goal," "objective," "prospective," and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will," "would," "may," "can," "could" or "should" occur, or are those statements, which, by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions that forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made and involve several risks and uncertainties. Consequently, there can be no assurances that such statements will prove to be accurate and that actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause future results to differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements include: product candidates only being in formulation/reformulation stages; limited operating history; research and development activities; dependence on collaborative partners, licensors and others; effect of general economic and political conditions; and other risk factors set forth in the Company's public filings which are available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Accordingly, the reader is urged to refer to the Company's such filings for a more complete discussion of such risk factors and their potential effects. Except to the extent required by applicable securities laws and the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors should change. NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/199773 SOURCE: FendX Technologies Inc. MediaValet Shareholders to receive cash payment of $1.71 per Share - representing a premium of approximately 30% to the closing price per Share on the last trading day immediately prior to the announcement of the Arrangement and a transaction value multiple of 4.5x ARR as of December 31, 2023 Provides Shareholders with immediate liquidity and certainty of value MediaValet's Board unanimously recommends that Securityholders vote FOR the Arrangement at the Meeting Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 28, 2024) - MediaValet Inc. (TSX: MVP) ("MediaValet" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the Company's management information circular (the "Circular") and other meeting materials (together, the "Meeting Materials"), prepared in connection with the previously announced arrangement whereby an affiliate (the "Purchaser") of STG Partners LLC ("STG") will acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares of the Company (each, a "Share") for C$1.71 per Share in cash (the "Consideration") pursuant to a statutory plan of arrangement under the Business Corporations Act (Alberta) (the "Arrangement"), are expected to be mailed to holders of Shares ("Shareholders") and warrants to acquire Shares ("Warrantholders" and, together with the Shareholders, the "Securityholders") by February 28, 2024. The special meeting of Securityholders (the "Meeting") is scheduled to be held at 10:00 am (Vancouver time) on March 27, 2024. The closing of the Arrangement is expected to occur on or about April 1, 2024. Further details regarding the Meeting, including how Securityholders can access, attend, and/or vote at the Meeting, are included in the Meeting Materials. Securityholders are reminded to vote before the proxy cut-off of 10:00 a.m. (Vancouver time) on March 25, 2024. All Securityholders are encouraged to read the Circular and accompanying Meeting Materials, as applicable, regarding the Arrangement, which will be mailed to Securityholders of record as of February 23, 2024 and will be available under the Company's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca . The Meeting Materials will also be available on MediaValet's website at www.mediavalet.com . The Circular contains, among other things, details concerning the Arrangement, the background to and reasons for the favourable recommendation of the Arrangement by both the Board of Directors (the "Board") and its special committee (the "Special Committee") comprised of a majority of independent directors, the requirements for the Arrangement to become effective, the procedure for receiving consideration payable for Shares and Warrants under the Arrangement, and procedures for voting at the Meeting. Securityholders are urged to carefully review the Circular and accompanying Meeting Materials as they contain important information regarding the Arrangement and its consequences to Securityholders. Selected Reasons for the Arrangement Attractive Consideration. The Consideration payable under the Arrangement represents: a premium of approximately 30% to the closing price per Share on the TSX on January 23, 2024 (being the last trading day immediately prior to the announcement of the Arrangement); a premium of approximately 22% to the 20-day volume-weighted average price per Share on the TSX for the period ended on January 23, 2024; and a transaction value multiple of 4.5x annual recurring revenue (" ARR ") based on approximately $18 million of ARR as of December 31, 2023. The Consideration payable under the Arrangement represents: Certainty of Value and Liquidity. The Consideration is all cash, which provides Shareholders with immediate liquidity and certainty of value. Value Supported by a Fairness Opinion. The Board and Special Committee received a fairness opinion from TD Securities Inc. to the effect that, based upon and subject to the assumptions, limitations and qualifications contained in such opinion, and such other matters as TD Securities Inc., considered relevant, as of the date of such opinion, the consideration of C$1.71 to be received by the Shareholders under the Arrangement is fair, from a financial point of view, to the Shareholders. Director & Officer Support. Directors and officers of the Company, who collectively hold approximately 34.1% of the issued and outstanding Shares and 85.71% of the issued and outstanding Warrants, have entered into Voting and Support Agreements pursuant to which, and subject to the terms thereof, each has agreed to vote in favour of the Arrangement. Limited Conditions to Closing. STG's obligation to complete the Arrangement is subject to a limited number of closing conditions that the Board believes are reasonable in the circumstances. Completion of the Arrangement is not subject to any financing condition. STG is a credible purchaser with significant financial capacity and a strong track-record of investing in technology companies. Attractive Transaction Relative to Alternatives. After consultation with its financial and legal advisors, and after taking into account other strategic opportunities reasonably available to the Company, including the continued execution of its stand-alone plan, and the experience of the Company from its previous strategic process, in each case taking into account the potential benefits, risks and uncertainties associated with those other opportunities, the Special Committee and the Board believes that the Arrangement represents the Company's best alternative for maximizing Shareholder value. YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT. VOTE TODAY. The Board of Directors of MediaValet UNANIMOUSLY recommends that Securityholders vote FOR the Arrangement. RECEIPT OF INTERIM ORDER MediaValet is also pleased to announce that on February 27, 2024, the Company received an interim order from the Court of King's Bench (Alberta) regarding the Arrangement (the "Interim Order"). The Interim Order authorizes MediaValet to proceed with various matters, including the holding of the Meeting to consider and vote on the Arrangement. MEDIAVALET SPECIAL MEETING The Meeting is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. (Vancouver time) on March 27, 2024. At the Meeting, Securityholders will be asked to consider and vote on the resolution to approve the Arrangement, whereby, among other things, the Purchaser would acquire all of the issued and outstanding Shares in exchange for the Consideration. How to Vote A proxy form or voting instruction form will accompany the Meeting Materials that the Securityholders receive by mail. Instructions on how to vote, which vary depending on whether you are a beneficial Shareholder or a registered Securityholder of the Company, are provided in the Circular. If you are a registered Securityholder, we encourage you to take the time now to complete, sign, date and return the enclosed form(s) of proxy by no later than 10:00 a.m. (Vancouver time) on March 25, 2024 (or 48 hours prior to the time of any adjournment or postponement of the Meeting), to ensure that your Shares and/or Warrants will be voted at the Meeting in accordance with your instructions, whether or not you are able to attend in person. If you hold your Shares through a broker or other intermediary, you should follow the instructions provided by your broker or other intermediary to vote your Shares. About MediaValet Inc. MediaValet stands at the forefront of the cloud-native, software-as-a-service, enterprise digital asset management, video content management, and creative operations industries. Built exclusively on Microsoft Azure and available across 61 Microsoft data center regions in 140 countries around the world, MV delivers unparalleled enterprise-class security, reliability, redundancy, compliance, and scalability while offering the largest global footprint of any DAM solution. In addition to providing enterprise, cloud-native DAM capabilities at a global scale, desktop-to-server-to-cloud support for creative teams, and overall cloud redundancy and management for all source, WIP, and final assets, MV offers industry-leading integrations into Slack, Adobe Creative Suite, Microsoft Office 365, Wrike, Drupal, WordPress and many other best-in-class 3rd party applications. About STG Partners, LLC STG is a private equity partner to market-leading companies in data, software, and analytics. The firm brings experience, flexibility, and resources to build strategic value and unlock the potential of innovative companies. Partnering to build customer-centric, market-winning portfolio companies, STG creates sustainable foundations for growth that bring value to existing and future stakeholders. The firm is dedicated to transforming and building outstanding technology companies in partnership with world-class management teams. STG's expansive portfolio has consisted of more than 50 global companies. For further information, please contact: Rob Chase Tel: (604) 688-2321 rob.chase@mediavalet.com Dave Miller Tel: (519) 498-9989 dave.miller@mediavalet.com Babak Pedram Tel: (416) 646-6779 babak.pedram@mediavalet.com FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS Certain statements made in this press release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including, but not limited to, statements with respect to the rationale of the Special Committee and the Board for entering into the Arrangement Agreement, the expected benefits of the Arrangement, the timing of various steps to be completed in connection with the Arrangement, and other statements that are not material facts. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may", "will", "expect", "believe", "estimate", "plan", "could", "should", "would", "outlook", "forecast", "anticipate", "foresee", "continue" or the negative of these terms or variations of them or similar terminology. Although the Company believes that the forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information and assumptions that are reasonable, including assumptions that parties will receive, in a timely manner and on satisfactory terms, the necessary court and shareholder approvals, and that the parties will otherwise be able to satisfy, in a timely manner, the other conditions to the closing of the Arrangement, these forward-looking statements are by their nature subject to a number of factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from management's expectations and plans as set forth in such forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, the following factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control and the effects of which can be difficult to predict: (a) the possibility that the Arrangement will not be completed on the terms and conditions, or on the timing, currently contemplated, and that it may not be completed at all, due to a failure to obtain or satisfy, in a timely manner or otherwise, required shareholder, regulatory and court approvals and other conditions of closing necessary to complete the Arrangement or for other reasons; (b) risks related to tax matters; (c) the possibility of adverse reactions or changes in business resulting from the announcement or completion of the Arrangement; (d) risks relating to the Company's ability to retain and attract key personnel during the interim period; (e) the potential of a third party making a superior proposal to the Arrangement; (f) risks related to diverting management's attention from the Company's ongoing business operations; and (g) other risks inherent to the business carried out by the Company and factors beyond its control which could have a material adverse effect on the Company or its ability to complete the Arrangement. This news release also makes reference to certain key performance indicators ("KPIs") that are not recognized measures under IFRS and do not have a standardized meaning prescribed by International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS") as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board and may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. Accordingly, these KPIs should not be considered in isolation nor as a substitute for analysis of the Company's financial information reported under IFRS. The Company monitors KPIs, including "ARR", to help it evaluate its business, measure our performance, identify trends affecting its business and formulate strategic plans. In this news release "ARR" means annual recurring revenue; and represents the sum of the annualized recurring subscription and service fees from existing customer contracts or commitments as of the reporting period end date. For information on KPIs, please refer to the section entitled "Key Performance Indicators" in MedaValet's management's discussion and analysis for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, which is available under the Company's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca . The Company cautions investors not to rely on the forward-looking statements contained in this press release when making an investment decision in their securities. Investors are encouraged to read the Company's filings available under its profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca for a discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release and the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any of these statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/199817 SOURCE: MediaValet Inc. BARCELONA, Spain, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Global technology brand HONOR debuted its new AI-empowered all-scenario strategy with the announcement of the global launch of HONOR Magic6 Pro and the AI PC HONOR MagicBook Pro 16 at MWC 2024 in Barcelona. With the intent-based UI and cross-OS collaboration, HONOR brings the AI-enabled features like Magic Portal and MagicRing, which are widely recognized by the global media. This year at MWC, HONOR received a total of 45 awards from global media. For the first time in the global launch of the HONOR Magic6 Pro, the media praised it. Android Headlines awarded the HONOR Magic6 Pro "Best of MWC 2024", saying that "The HONOR Magic6 Pro is a step up compared to its predecessor, and not only does it offer great cameras, but it shines in various other aspects". Android Police said, that "With the Magic 6 Pro, HONOR is significantly stepping up its hardware game, leapfrogging the competition in some key areas.". The tech media CNET also commented that "The Magic 6 Pro is among the most compelling Android flagships available this year." Impressed by the great performance of HONOR Magic6 Pro, the well-known fashion media GQ Spain said, "The HONOR's Magic Pro series is HONOR's most prestigious, pouring the best hardware and software." For the first AI PC in HONOR's history, the HONOR MagicBook Pro 16 has been showcased for the first time globally, winning global endorsements from global media. Mashable included HONOR MagicBook Pro 16 as their "Best Laptops of MWC 2024". Android Authority awarded the HONOR MagicBook Pro 16 the "Best of MWC 2024" and commented that "HONOR MagicBook 16 Pro is a powerful laptop designed for the age of AI." Also, Trusted Reviews gave the HONOR MagicBook Pro 16 the "Best in Show" Award, saying that "Features like Smart Picture Search, Smart Document Summary, Text Comprehension, AI Subtitle, and Magic Text hint towards a productive future where AI helps take some of the strain out of daily tasks". In terms of cutting-edge design inspiration, as an iconic identity of global and premium, the PORSCHE DESIGN HONOR Magic V2 RSR has also been well-recognized by global media. The prestigious industry award "GLOMO Best in Show", which is judged based on the best-of-the-best products on show, was awarded to PORSCHE DESIGN HONOR Magic V2 RSR this year. In the fashion world, global fashion media COSMOPOLITION included this foldable phone into their Editor's tip for London Fashion Week, saying that the "Porsche Design HONOR Magic V2 RSR has been a total game-changer." For more information, please visit HONOR online store at www.hihonor.com. About HONOR HONOR is a leading global provider of smart devices. It is dedicated to becoming a global iconic technology brand and creating a new intelligent world for everyone through its powerful products and services. With an unwavering focus on R&D, it is committed to developing technology that empowers people around the globe to go beyond, giving them the freedom to achieve and do more. Offering a range of high-quality smartphones, tablets, laptops and wearables to suit every budget, HONOR's portfolio of innovative, premium and reliable products enable people to become a better version of themselves. For more information, please visit HONOR online at www.hihonor.com or email newsroom@hihonor.com http://community.hihonor.com/ https://www.facebook.com/honorglobal/ https://twitter.com/Honorglobal https://www.instagram.com/honorglobal/ http://www.youtube.com/c/HonorOfficial Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2350960/photo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/honor-wins-45-media-awards-at-mwc-2024-302075050.html SINGAPORE, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- We are thrilled to announce that BounceBit has successfully closed a $6-million funding round to build BTC Restaking infrastructure. This milestone round was led by prominent venture capital firms Blockchain Capital and Breyer Capital. "We're thrilled to lead the seed round for BounceBit as they're pushing the frontiers of BTC Restaking and yield generation," said Ted Breyer, Partner at Breyer Capital. "There is a huge opportunity to bring DeFi and other innovations to the Bitcoin community through BTC restaking - we're excited to back BounceBit as they lead the charge," said Aleks Larsen, General Partner at Blockchain Capital. The round includes participation from dao5, CMS Holdings, Bankless Ventures, NGC Ventures, Matrixport Ventures, Primitive Ventures, Arcane Group, IDG Capital, Bixin Ventures, Nomad Capital, Geekcartel, DeFiance Capital, General Mining Research, OKX Ventures, Mirana Ventures, HTX Ventures, Mexc Ventures, Bodhi Ventures. Additionally, notable angel investors include Nathan from Anchorage Digital, Calvin and Jessy from Eigenlayer, Kevin and Ashwin from Brevan Howard, Smokey from Berachain, George Lambeth, Pranay Mohan, James Parillo, RookieXBT, MacnBTC, Pentoshi and others. "Their expertise and support will be instrumental in our mission to build restaking infrastructure to support yield generation for all types of Bitcoin across a variety of networks." said Jack Lu, Founder & CEO of BounceBit. BounceBit has accumulated $445M TVL in just three weeks after Early Access launch. Early TVL contributors can earn BounceBit points at bouncebit.io . At its core, BounceBit's innovation stems from its BTC Restaking mechanism. This relatively new concept acts as the foundation of the project. BounceBit will build a plethora of infrastructure, exploring the use-cases of Restaking for various types of Bitcoin. These infrastructure components are called Shared-Security Clients (SSC). BounceBit's first showcase of such an SSC will be its BTC Restaking Chain. The BounceBit chain is secured by validators staking both BTC and BounceBit's native token - A dual-token system leveraging native Bitcoin's security, liquidity and low volatility. Unlike existing Layer 2 solutions, BounceBit interacts with Bitcoin only on the asset level instead of the protocol level, taking a Layer 1 Proof of Stake approach. BTC Restaking provides shared security to infrastructure and DApps on BounceBit, e.g. bridges and oracles will be validated by restaked BTC. Another highlight of BounceBit is its transparent CeFi foundation that secures users' assets via the regulated custody of Mainnet Digital and Ceffu, while leveraging on-chain asset traceability. Through an innovative CeFi + DeFi infrastructure, BounceBit empowers BTC holders to earn yield through delta-neutral strategies, whilst being additionally protected by an insurance fund. Looking ahead, BounceBit's roadmap is structured towards the Testnet Launch on March 8th, Mainnet Launch in April coinciding with the Bitcoin Halving, and ecosystem building for the rest of 2024. About BounceBit BounceBit is building a BTC restaking infrastructure that provides a foundational layer for different restaking products, secured by the regulated custody of Mainnet Digital and Ceffu. The BounceBit chain, designed as a showcase of a restaking product within the BounceBit ecosystem, is a PoS Layer 1 secured by validators staking both BTC and BounceBit's native token - A dual-token system leveraging native Bitcoin's security with full EVM compatibility. Critical ecosystem infrastructure like bridges and oracles are secured by restaked BTC. Through an innovative CeFi + DeFi framework, BounceBit empowers BTC holders to earn yield across multiple networks. Website | X (Former Twitter) | Discord | Medium Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2350972/BounceBit_Seed_Funding_Round_Investor_List.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/bouncebit-raises-6m-in-seed-funding-round-to-build-bitcoin-restaking-infrastructure-302075113.html Deaths caused by terrorism increased by 22% to 8,352, the highest level since 2017. Attacks are more deadly as the number of terrorist incidents fell by 22% to 3,350, and number of countries reporting an incident fell to 50. In 2023, the US accounted for 76% of terrorism-related deaths in Western democracies, amid a 15-year low in incidents. The epicenter of terrorism has shifted out of the Middle East and into the Central Sahel region of sub-Saharan Africa, which now accounts for over half of all deaths from terrorism. Burkina Faso suffered the worst impact from terrorism, with deaths increasing by 68% despite attacks decreasing by 17%. Iraq recorded the largest improvement in the last decade with deaths from terrorism falling by 99% since the 2007 peak, to 69 in 2023. The impact of terrorism has become increasingly concentrated, with ten countries accounting for 87% of total terrorism-related deaths. Over 90% of terrorist attacks and 98% of terrorism deaths in 2023 occurred in conflict zones, underscoring the strong link between conflict and terrorism. LONDON, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Despite the Hamas attacks of October 7th, the number of terrorist incidents fell in the Middle East, along with North Africa, Europe and North America. The central Sahel region has conclusively overtaken the Middle East as terrorism's epicentre with Islamic State (IS) and Jamaat Nusrat Al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM), a franchise of Al-Qaeda, being the most active terrorist organisations. The Global Terrorism Index 2024 (GTI) highlights that terrorism remains a serious global threat, with total deaths from terrorism increasing by 22% to 8,352 in 2023, now at their highest since 2017. Even when excluding the October 7th attacks, deaths would still have increased by 5%. This is despite terrorist incidents decreasing by 22% to 3,350, resulting in a 56% increase in the average number of people killed per attack. This is the worst rate in almost ten years. The GTI is produced by the leading international think tank the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP) and has been published annually for the last eleven years. It is the most comprehensive resource on global terrorism trends and uses multiple factors to calculate its score, including the number of incidences, fatalities, injuries and hostages, and combines it with conflict and socio-economic data to provide a holistic picture of terrorism. Terrorism is becoming more concentrated with the number of countries recording a death from terrorism falling to 41, considerably lower than the peak of 57 countries recorded in 2015 and the 44 countries in 2022. Burkina Faso suffered the worst impact from terrorism in 2023, with deaths increasing by 68% despite attacks decreasing by 17%. Terrorism in the country has deteriorated every year since 2014. Neighbouring Mali and Niger were also deeply impacted in 2023. Pakistan recorded the most incidents of any country, with 490 attacks that resulted in 689 deaths. This is the fourth successive year where both deaths and incidents have increased in the country. Iraq recorded the largest improvement in the last decade with deaths from terrorism falling by 99% since its peak in 2007, to 69 in 2023. The deadliest terrorist incident in 2023 was the October 7th Hamas-led attack in Israel which killed 1,200 people. Its consequences are still unfolding, with more than 30,000 Palestinians killed from Israel's military operation by mid-February 2024. Terrorism is not the deadliest form of violence in the world. Armed conflict results in nine times more fatalities than terrorism, homicide over 45 times more, and deaths from suicide 72 times higher. However, terrorism has a uniquely disturbing psychological and social impact intended to traumatize the whole of society, rather than the individual. Steve Killelea, Founder & Executive Chairman, IEP: "The last twelve months resulted in the most lives lost to terrorism than in any period since 2017. Conflict remains the primary driver of terrorism, yet most wars in the 21st century have been unwinnable and very costly. Terrorism also thrives in areas of political instability; it is imperative that current political tensions and minor conflicts do not escalate and that current conflicts are resolved, otherwise further increases in terrorism are likely. Globally, we have seen real gains in recent years in our fight against terrorism, particularly in Western democracies. However, left unchecked regional instabilities could fan the flames of a new wave of terrorism. It is therefore important that global policymakers focus international efforts to address the current global conflicts and prevent the Gaza conflict from spreading". Terrorism in Western Democracies Terrorism incidents in Western democracies recorded a drop of 55% compared to the previous year. There were 23 attacks that resulted in 21 fatalities, marking a 15-year low. However, the US recorded 76% of these fatalities from seven attacks. Five of these attacks were linked to individuals with far-right beliefs yet none had an affiliation with a far-right group. Religiously motivated terrorism has dropped significantly. In OECD countries, many of which are Western democracies, socio-economic factors such as youth unemployment, military expenditure, lack of confidence in the press and lower inequality-adjusted life expectancy correlate significantly with the GTI. Regional instability in the Middle East Tensions between Palestine and Israel prior to the conflict were at an all-time high and the security situation in Israel had been deteriorating. Over 2,500 instances of communal violence in Israel and Palestine were recorded in the first ten months of 2023, compared to less than 500 in 2016. Neighbouring countries are experiencing a spillover effect, increasing regional instability. If major hostilities were to break out, terrorist activity would most likely increase substantially. Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Yemen could all be drawn into the conflict. The risk of conflict between Hezbollah and Israel has substantially increased. Since October 7th, there have been 630 attacks between the two groups. Hezbollah currently has over 100,000 fighters, with a rocket stockpile estimated at between 100,000 and 150,000. Regional impact & improvements Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), and South Asia accounted for 94% of deaths from terrorism in 2023, with sub-Saharan Africa alone accounting for just under 59% of all fatalities. The Sahel accounts for almost half of all deaths from terrorism globally. The impact of terrorism has been falling in MENA since its 2016 peak, with deaths down 66% and incidents by 72%. Terrorism & Organised Crime in the Sahel region Organised crime and terrorism have merged in the Sahel with groups forming complex alliances and fuelling the persistence of terrorist activities in the region. Terrorist organisations sometimes integrate with organised crime groups or provide protection and safe passage for illicit trade in drugs, human trafficking and precious metals. The region has seen a surge of kidnapping since 2017, with incidents increasing from 78 to over 1,000 in 2023 and generating significant revenues for terrorist organisations. Increased attribution to Terrorist Groups Of the 3,350 terrorist attacks recorded in 2023, 54% were attributed to a group. IS and its affiliates remained the world's deadliest terrorist group, responsible for 1,636 deaths, despite its attributed deaths falling by 17%. IS was followed by Hamas, JNIM, and Al-Shabaab. Together, they were responsible for over 75% of terrorism-related deaths globally. A decade ago, they were responsible for less than 25%. In 2023, IS attacks occurred in six of the nine GTI regions: Asia-Pacific, Europe, MENA, sub-Saharan Africa, Russia and Eurasia and South Asia. In the Middle East, Syria was the country most affected by IS attacks. It recorded 224 attacks, an increase from 152 in 2022, and a quarter of all IS related deaths. Using machine learning techniques, researchers were able to attribute an additional 15,000 deaths to IS since 2007, increasing the total number of attributed deaths from 25,000 to 40,000. The full GTI 2024 report and interactive map are available at: visionofhumanity.org Twitter: @GlobPeaceIndex Facebook: facebook.com/globalpeaceindex Global Terrorism Index (GTI) The GTI by the Institute for Economics & Peace provides a comprehensive summary of the key global trends and patterns in terrorism over the last 15 years. The report ranks 163 countries (99.7 % of the world's population) according to the impact of terrorism. The GTI report is produced using data from TerrorismTracker and other sources. TerrorismTracker provides event records on terrorist attacks since 1 January 2007. The dataset contains over 65,000 terrorist incidents for the period 2007 to 2022. Institute for Economics & Peace The Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP) is the world's leading think tank dedicated to developing metrics to analyse peace and to quantify its economic value. It does this by developing global and national indices, including the annual Global Peace Index, calculating the economic cost of violence and understanding Positive Peace which is the attitudes, institutions and structures that create and sustain peaceful societies. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/792052/4102581/IEP_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/according-to-institute-for-economics--peace-terrorism-gets-worse-as-global-conflicts-drive-risk-of-new-wave-302071244.html Regulatory News: Eurofins Discovery, part of the Eurofins (Paris:ERF) network of laboratories and an industry-leading provider of products and services for drug discovery research, today announces the launch of DiscoveryAI SAFIRE (Suite of ADMET Predictions For In Silico Refinement and Evaluation). SAFIRE is an advanced platform that leverages proprietary datasets, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning (ML), offering a unique capability for expediting discovery. SAFIRE is now available for customer use through the Eurofins Discovery website. Eurofins Discovery's experienced informatics experts collected vast, high-quality and diverse datasets that provide a unique approach in predicting the ADMET (Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion and Toxicity) properties of molecules. It sets a new standard in predictive analytics. SAFIRE utilises data from Eurofins Discovery's preeminent BioPrint database, curated over years of meticulous research and data accumulation. The result: a more powerful research tool surpassing the limits that exist in other predictive systems currently in the market, as demonstrated in a recent publication in the Future Medical Chemistry journal. Designed with end-users in mind, SAFIRE provides essential features such as scoring functionality to aid in decision-making and a comprehensive suite of predictive ADME models. It's proven effective in accelerating drug discovery projects from initial hit discovery through to lead optimisation. How does SAFIRE go beyond existing predictive system limits in the market? Published results of AI advances demonstrated how Eurofins Discovery's models can be used to predict ADMET properties of molecules quickly and efficiently, when trained with BioPrint database proprietary data along with public datasets utilised by the SAFIRE platform. This approach has proven improved model performance as well as broadened the chemical space covered by the models, achieving Matthews Correlation Coefficient values greater than 0.4, and accuracies above 80%. Eurofins Discovery's experts keep SAFIRE dynamic with consistent updates, enlargements of its chemical space, and the latest in AI and ML innovations. For more details about SAFIRE's benefits and significant value to the drug discovery community, visit eurofinsdiscovery.com/safire. About Eurofins the global leader in bio-analysis Eurofins is Testing for Life. The Eurofins network of companies believes that it is a global leader in food, environment, pharmaceutical and cosmetic product testing and in discovery pharmacology, forensics, advanced material sciences and agroscience contract research services. It is also one of the market leaders in certain testing and laboratory services for genomics, and in the support of clinical studies, as well as in biopharma contract development and manufacturing. It also has a rapidly developing presence in highly specialised and molecular clinical diagnostic testing and in-vitro diagnostic products. With ca. 62,000 staff across a decentralised and entrepreneurial network of more than 900 laboratories in 62 countries, Eurofins offers a portfolio of over 200,000 analytical methods to evaluate the safety, identity, composition, authenticity, origin, traceability and purity of a wide range of products, as well as providing innovative clinical diagnostic testing services and in-vitro diagnostic products. Eurofins companies' broad range of services are important for the health and safety of people and our planet. The ongoing investment to become fully digital and maintain the best network of state-of-the-art laboratories and equipment supports our objective to provide our customers with high-quality services, innovative solutions and accurate results in the best possible turnaround time (TAT). Eurofins companies are well positioned to support clients' increasingly stringent quality and safety standards and the increasing demands of regulatory authorities as well as the evolving requirements of healthcare practitioners around the world. Eurofins has grown very strongly since its inception and its strategy is to continue expanding its technology portfolio and its geographic reach. Through R&D and acquisitions, the Group draws on the latest developments in the field of biotechnology and analytical chemistry to offer its clients unique analytical solutions. Shares in Eurofins Scientific are listed on the Euronext Paris Stock Exchange (ISIN FR0014000MR3, Reuters EUFI.PA, Bloomberg ERF FP). Until it has been lawfully made public widely by Eurofins through approved distribution channels, this document contains inside information for the purpose of Regulation (EU) 596/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014 on market abuse, as amended. Important disclaimer: This press release contains forward-looking statements and estimates that involve risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements and estimates contained herein represent the judgment of Eurofins Scientific's management as of the date of this release. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees for future performance, and the forward-looking events discussed in this release may not occur. Eurofins Scientific disclaims any intent or obligation to update any of these forward-looking statements and estimates. All statements and estimates are made based on the information available to the Company's management as of the date of publication, but no guarantees can be made as to their completeness or validity. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240228237935/en/ Contacts: Notes to Editors: For more information, please visit www.eurofins.com or contact: Investor Relations Eurofins Scientific SE Phone: +32 2 766 1620 E-mail: ir@sc.eurofinseu.com February 29, 2024 SBM Offshore is pleased to announce a EUR65 million (US$70 million equivalent1) share repurchase program, effective from March 1, 2024. The objective of the program is to reduce the Company's share capital. All shares purchased will therefore be cancelled. The repurchase program is expected to be completed within 2024, and it will be accomplished under the authorization granted by the Annual General Meeting of the Company on April 13, 2023 and, if granted, the authorization of April 12, 2024. The execution of the share repurchase program will be done under the terms of an engagement letter with a third party, performed in compliance with the safe harbor provisions for share repurchases, and therefore transactions may be carried out during closed periods. In accordance with the European Market Abuse Regulation, the Company will inform the market of the progress made in the execution of this program through weekly press releases and updates on its website. Corporate Profile SBM Offshore designs, builds, installs and operates offshore floating facilities for the offshore energy industry. As a leading technology provider, we put our marine expertise at the service of a responsible energy transition by reducing emissions from fossil fuel production, while developing cleaner solutions for alternative energy sources. More than 7,400 SBMers worldwide are committed to sharing their experience to deliver safe, sustainable and affordable energy from the oceans for generations to come. For further information, please visit our website at www.sbmoffshore.com . Financial Calendar Date Year Annual General Meeting April 12 2024 First Quarter 2024 Trading Update May 8 2024 Half Year 2024 Earnings August 8 2024 Third Quarter 2024 Trading Update November 14 2024 Full Year 2024 Earnings February 20 2025 For further information, please contact: Investor Relations Wouter Holties Corporate Finance & Investor Relations Manager Mobile: +31 (0) 6 23 34 37 64 E-mail: wouter.holties@sbmoffshore.com (mailto:wouter.holties@sbmoffshore.com) Website: www.sbmoffshore.com (http://www.sbmoffshore.com) Media Relations Evelyn Tachau Brown Group Communications & Change Director Mobile: +377 (0) 6 40 62 30 34 E-mail: evelyn.tachau-brown@sbmoffshore.com (mailto:evelyn.tachau-brown@sbmoffshore.com) Website: www.sbmoffshore.com (http://www.sbmoffshore.com) Market Abuse Regulation This press release may contain inside information within the meaning of Article 7(1) of the EU Market Abuse Regulation. Disclaimer Some of the statements contained in this release that are not historical facts are statements of future expectations and other forward-looking statements based on management's current views and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance, or events to differ materially from those in such statements. These statements may be identified by words such as 'expect', 'should', 'could', 'shall' and similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties. The principal risks which could affect the future operations of SBM Offshore N.V. are described in the 'Impact, Risk and Opportunity Management' section of the 2023 Annual Report. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results and performance of the Company's business may vary materially and adversely from the forward-looking statements described in this release. SBM Offshore does not intend and does not assume any obligation to update any industry information or forward-looking statements set forth in this release to reflect new information, subsequent events or otherwise. Nothing in this release shall be deemed an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities. The companies in which SBM Offshore N.V. directly and indirectly owns investments are separate legal entities. In this release "SBM Offshore" and "SBM" are sometimes used for convenience where references are made to SBM Offshore N.V. and its subsidiaries in general. These expressions are also used where no useful purpose is served by identifying the particular company or companies. "SBM Offshore", the SBM logomark, "Fast4Ward", "emissionZERO" and "Float4Wind" are proprietary marks owned by SBM Offshore. 1 Based on the foreign exchange rate on February 22, 2024 Attachment Press Release Atos announces evolution of its Board of Directors Paris, France - February 29, 2024 - Atos today announces the nomination of three new directors to further strengthen its Board of Directors during the company's transformation period. At a meeting held on February 28, 2024, and upon the recommendation of the Nomination and Governance Committee, the Board approved the cooptation of David Layani and Helen Lee Bouygues as Directors representing the anchor shareholder Onepoint, which holds 11.4% of the Group. David Layani is the CEO and Founder of Onepoint. Having led the growth of Onepoint in France and overseas since 2002, he brings to Atos insights and expertise in the digital transformation and tech industry. Helen Lee Bouygues is the President of LB Associes. Her background in organizational transformation, finance and corporate strategy will bring additional expertise to the Board of Directors as the Group continues to progress on its transformation journey. The Board of Directors also approved the appointment of Mandy Metten as Employee Director. Mandy will join as well the Remuneration Committee, as new appointed member. Mandy is Head of Group Executives and Strategic Functions at Atos. She has been Censor to the Board since January 2, 2024. *** Appendix David Layani David Layani founded Onepoint, a single point of contact to offer comprehensive solutions to clients, ranging from strategic consultancy to technological implementation. Since 2002, he has served as the CEO of Onepoint committed to bring its clients "beyond the obvious". He extended the company's reach by founding Onepoint Canada in 2003 and established Onepoint Tunisia, Belgium and southeast Asia with a significant footprint in Australia and Singapore. The business now has over 3,000 employees working 16 countries around the world and annual turnover of more than 500 million. In addition to his professional achievements, David is recognized for his contributions to the community and his active involvement in discussions surrounding new growth and organizational models. Helen Lee Bouygues Helen Lee Bouygues started her career in 1995 at J.P. Morgan's M&A group in New York and later in Hong Kong, before joining Cogent Communications Inc. from 2000 to 2004, where she held key positions such as Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer, and Treasurer. Helen subsequently joined Alvarez & Marsal Paris as a Partner, focusing on corporate turnaround and transformations. Her strategic insights and innovative approach garnered recognition, leading her to establish her own consulting firm in 2010. Through her firm, she continued to provide valuable guidance to organizations seeking to navigate through periods of change and growth. Helen then joined McKinsey & Company in Paris in 2014 as a Partner, responsible for the Recovery and Transformation Services division. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Princeton University and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School. Mandy Metten Mandy Metten started her career in Atos as an Executive Management Consultant specializing in digital transformation, innovation and change from 2007 to 2014. She then managed Atos Young Professionals, designing and overseeing a comprehensive 2-year development program for young talents. From 2018, Mandy served as Global Head of Group Campus Management, before taking additional responsibilities at Eviden in 2023. She currently serves as Head of Group Executives & Strategic Functions. Mandy was Chairman of the works council of Atos from 2010 to 2015. She also served as the Dutch delegate on Atos Societas Europaea Council (SEC) from 2012 to January 2024 and was a member of the Board Participating Committee (2017- January 2024). From August 2023, she became a Commissaris (Member of the Board of Directors) for Atos Nederland, contributing to the company's governance. Mandy holds a Master's degree in Social and Organizational Psychology. She has also completed a multi-level curriculum in Strategy, Economy, and Finance at the LeFebvre Institute. Mandy has been Censor to the Board of Directors of Atos SE since January 2, 2024. *** About Atos Atos is a global leader in digital transformation with 95,000 employees and annual revenue of c. 11 billion. European number one in cybersecurity, cloud and high-performance computing, the Group provides tailored end-to-end solutions for all industries in 69 countries. A pioneer in decarbonization services and products, Atos is committed to a secure and decarbonized digital for its clients Atos is a SE (Societas Europaea), listed on Euronext Paris. The purpose of Atosis to help design the future of the information space. Its expertise and services support the development of knowledge, education and research in a multicultural approach and contribute to the development of scientific and technological excellence. Across the world, the Group enables its customers and employees, and members of societies at large to live, work and develop sustainably, in a safe and secure information space. Contacts Media contact: globalprteam@atos.net Investor contact: investors@atos.net Attachment Regulatory News: Sensorion (FR0012596468 ALSEN) a pioneering clinical-stage biotechnology company which specializes in the development of novel therapies to restore, treat and prevent within the field of hearing loss disorders, today announces its participation in the Leerink Partners Global Biopharma Conference, taking place on March 11-13, in Miami, Florida, USA. Nawal Ouzren, Chief Executive Officer of Sensorion, will attend the conference in person and will meet with potential partners and investors to address ongoing and future strategic developments within the company, including developments in its gene therapy and small molecule pipeline. If you wish to book a meeting with Sensorion's management team, please contact us by email at ir.contact@sensorion-pharma.com About Sensorion Sensorion is a pioneering clinical-stage biotech company, which specializes in the development of novel therapies to restore, treat and prevent hearing loss disorders, a significant global unmet medical need. Sensorion has built a unique R&D technology platform to expand its understanding of the pathophysiology and etiology of inner ear related diseases, enabling it to select the best targets and mechanisms of action for drug candidates. It has two gene therapy programs aimed at correcting hereditary monogenic forms of deafness, developed in the framework of its broad strategic collaboration focused on the genetics of hearing with the Institut Pasteur. SENS-501 (OTOF-GT) currently being developed in a Phase 1/2 clinical trial, targets deafness caused by mutations of the gene encoding for otoferlin and GJB2-GT targets hearing loss related to mutations in GJB2 gene to potentially address important hearing loss segments in adults and children. The Company is also working on the identification of biomarkers to improve diagnosis of these underserved illnesses. Sensorion's portfolio also comprises clinical-stage small molecule programs for the treatment and prevention of hearing loss disorders. Sensorion's clinical-stage portfolio includes one Phase 2 product: SENS-401 (Arazasetron) progressing in a planned Phase 2 proof of concept clinical study of SENS-401 in Cisplatin-Induced Ototoxicity (CIO) and, with partner Cochlear Limited, in a study of SENS-401 in patients scheduled for cochlear implantation. A Phase 2 study of SENS-401 was also completed in Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSNHL) in January 2022. www.sensorion.com Label: SENSORION ISIN: FR0012596468 Mnemonic: ALSEN Disclaimer This press release contains certain forward-looking statements concerning Sensorion and its business. Such forward looking statements are based on assumptions that Sensorion considers to be reasonable. However, there can be no assurance that such forward-looking statements will be verified, which statements are subject to numerous risks, including the risks set forth in the 2022 full year financial report published on March 30, 2023, and available on our website and to the development of economic conditions, financial markets and the markets in which Sensorion operates. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are also subject to risks not yet known to Sensorion or not currently considered material by Sensorion. The occurrence of all or part of such risks could cause actual results, financial conditions, performance or achievements of Sensorion to be materially different from such forward-looking statements. This press release and the information that it contains do not constitute an offer to sell or subscribe for, or a solicitation of an offer to purchase or subscribe for, Sensorion shares in any country. The communication of this press release in certain countries may constitute a violation of local laws and regulations. Any recipient of this press release must inform oneself of any such local restrictions and comply therewith. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240228416010/en/ Contacts: Investor Relations Noemie Djokovic, Investor Relations and Communications Associate ir.contact@sensorion-pharma.com Press Relations Ulysse Communication Pierre-Louis Germain 00 33 (0)6 64 79 97 51 plgermain@ulysse-communication.com Bruno Arabian 00 00(0)6 87 88 47 26 barabian@ulysse-communication.com CHICAGO, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- V2X Cybersecurity Market is projected to grow from USD 43 million in 2023 to USD 778 million by 2030, at a CAGR of 51.3%, according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets. The advancement in connected car technology and the expansion of the automotive V2X market are key drivers contributing to the revenue growth in the V2X cybersecurity market. Furthermore, the increasing prevalence of cyber-attacks on a global scale, coupled with the escalating volume of data generated by vehicles, is anticipated to play a pivotal role in propelling market expansion. Additionally, the growing adoption of electric vehicles and advancements in autonomous vehicle development are expected to present favourable opportunities for the V2X cybersecurity market. The implementation of C-V2X (Cellular Vehicle-to-Everything), leveraging 5G technology, is enhancing connected mobility capabilities through V2X communication. The evolution of 5G technology and progress in autonomous vehicles is projected to establish a conducive environment for the widespread adoption of V2X cybersecurity solutions. Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=194480977 Browse in-depth TOC on "V2X Cybersecurity Market". 175 - Tables 102 - Figures 276 - Pages V2X Cybersecurity Market Scope: Report Coverage Details Market Size USD 778 million by 2030 Growth Rate CAGR of 51.3% Largest Market Asia Pacific Market Dynamics Drivers, Restraints, Opportunities & Challenges Forecast Period 2023-2030 Forecast Units Value (USD Million/Billion) Report Coverage Revenue Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, and Trends Segments Covered Form (In-vehicle and External Cloud Services), Communication Type (V2I, V2V, V2G, and V2P), Security Framework (PKI and Embedded), Security type, Connectivity Type, Propulsion, Vehicle Type and Region Geographies Covered Asia Pacific, Europe, North America, and RoW Report Highlights Updated financial information / product portfolio of players Key Market Opportunities Increasing trend of connected and autonomous vehicle technologies prone to cyberattacks Key Market Drivers Large amount of data generated by vehicles and increasing cyberattacks PKI segment is estimated to grow at a fastest rate during the forecast period. Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) stands as a globally accepted technology for wireless communications, particularly in Internet of Things (IoT)-based automotive applications and autonomous vehicle technologies. A typical PKI system comprises essential components such as Certificate Policy, Root Certificate Authority (CA), Intermediate CA, Certificate Database, Revocation Services, and Digital Certificate. The incorporation of PKI technology in V2X communications offers significant advantages, given its scalability and capability for credential and access control management. Various companies provide PKI solutions based on standards like the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering's (IEEE) WAVE and the European Telecommunications Standards Institute's (ETSI) ITS standards. The growing emphasis on autonomous mobility and increasing concerns about road safety globally are anticipated to drive the demand for On-Board Units (OBUs) and Roadside Units (RSUs). PKI solutions provide certificates for both OBUs and RSUs, with market growth tied to the increasing installation of RSUs and the penetration of V2X OBUs in vehicles. This trend is expected to contribute to the revenue growth of the PKI segment within the V2X cybersecurity market. Moreover, the rising focus on smart city projects is likely to boost the demand for RSUs, further supporting revenue growth in the V2X cybersecurity industry throughout the forecast period. The V2P segment is expected to grow fastest in the V2X cybersecurity market during the forecast period. The V2P cybersecurity market is projected to grow fastest during the forecast period. The primary driver for the V2P segment is the growing concern for pedestrian safety, prompted by a high pedestrian death rate in traffic accidents. This trend is expected to increase revenues in the V2P cybersecurity market. Notably, in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control reported over 7,500 pedestrian fatalities in traffic accidents in 2022. The pedestrian fatality rate stood at 2.37 deaths per billion vehicle miles traveled (VMT) in the same year. The rise in traffic accidents involving pedestrians and a significant pedestrian presence is anticipated to drive market growth. V2P communications are closely associated with cyber threats, especially as the hacking of smartphones used for V2P communications is on the rise. Consequently, there is a growing demand for cybersecurity solutions to ensure the security of private communications and information. "North America is expected to have a significant share in the V2X cybersecurity market by 2030." The North American automotive industry stands as one of the fastest-growing sectors globally, housing major players such as Ford Motors, General Motors, and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. The U.S. market, in particular, has shown a preference for passenger cars equipped with advanced comfort and safety technologies. American OEMs, including Ford Motors, General Motors, and Fiat-Chrysler Automotive, dominate the market, alongside established European and Asian OEMs such as Toyota (Japan), Nissan (Japan), Honda (Japan), Hyundai/Kia (South Korea), BMW Group (Germany), and Volkswagen Group (Germany). In the realm of V2X technologies, the U.S. holds prominence, contributing significantly to market growth with expanding application areas centered around connectivity. Consequently, the demand for cybersecurity solutions for automobiles in North America is anticipated to rise. The region is grappling with increasing traffic congestion, prompting a departure from traditional infrastructure expansion methods. Advanced solutions, such as connected car technologies for traffic and fleet management, have become crucial. This shift has been further fueled by the convergence of the ICT sector, automotive industry, and transportation sector, giving rise to the V2X ecosystem. With the growing adoption of V2X technologies and heightened awareness of potential threats to this technology, the demand for automotive cybersecurity is poised to increase in the North American market. The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has played a pivotal role in fostering the growth of the automotive and technology industries in the region. A substantial customer base and high disposable income make North America an attractive market for the entire automobile ecosystem. Ongoing advancements in safety regulations, such as discussions on the mandatory installation of rear-view cameras in the U.S. and deliberations on V2V communication mandates, are expected to propel the North American connected car market in the coming years. Additionally, the presence of key players in the V2X ecosystem, including Qualcomm, Savari, and Harman, is anticipated to contribute to the growth of the North American V2X cybersecurity market. Inquire Before Buying: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_BuyingNew.asp?id=194480977 Key Market Players: The major players in V2X Cybersecurity Companies include ESCRYPT GmbH (Germany), Qualcomm Incorporated (US), Autotalks (Israel), AUTOCRYPT Co., Ltd. (Korea), Continental AG (Germany), among others. Recent Developments In January 2024, AUTOCRYPT and Cohda Wireless have formalized a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) during CES 2024, outlining their collaborative efforts to develop a security-integrated Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) solution. In June 2023, Autotalks and Infineon Technologies AG have formed a collaborative partnership to develop advanced Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) solutions. In this collaboration, Infineon will contribute its automotive-grade HyperRam 3.0 memory to be integrated into Autotalks' V2X reference designs, namely Tekton3 and Secton3. In May 2023, Qualcomm Incorporated declared that its subsidiary, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., had entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Autotalks. In January 2022, AUTOCRYPT Co., Ltd. launched AutoCrypt SCMS Version 5.0, a Security Credential Management Security (SCMS) for Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) communications and a crucial component of its AutoCrypt V2X security solution. The SCMS would be important for autonomous driving as it would sign and verify the messages transmitted through V2X communication to ensure safety and security. Get 10% Free Customization on this Report: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestCustomizationNew.asp?id=194480977 Browse Adjacent Market: Automotive and Transportation Market Research Reports & Consulting Related Reports: Automotive V2X Market - Global Forecast to 2030 Connected Car Market - Global Forecast to 2026 Automotive Cybersecurity Market - Global Forecast to 2028 Railway Cybersecurity Market - Global Forecast to 2027 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 Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/v2x-cybersecurity-market.asp Visit Our Website: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/v2x-cybersecurity.asp Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2297424/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/v2x-cybersecurity-market-worth-778-million-by-2030---exclusive-report-by-marketsandmarkets-302075235.html Award gives priority US regulatory review to Company's ARC-BCI System EINDHOVEN, the Netherlands, Feb. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ONWARD Medical N.V. (Euronext: ONWD), the medical technology company creating innovative spinal cord stimulation therapies to restore movement, function, and independence in people with spinal cord injury (SCI), today announces it has been awarded Breakthrough Device Designation (BDD) by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the ARC-BCI System, which uses brain-computer interface (BCI) technology in conjunction with its ARC-IM Therapy to restore thought-driven lower limb mobility after spinal cord injury (SCI). This BDD is supported by clinical data from two feasibility studies. This is the tenth FDA BDD awarded to ONWARD Medical. The designation is reserved for novel, cutting-edge therapies addressing an unmet need and provides many potential regulatory and reimbursement advantages. This latest award gives ONWARD Medical priority FDA review, the opportunity to interact with FDA experts throughout the pre-market regulatory review phase, and the potential to seek additional reimbursement for its ARC-BCI System. "Brain-computer interface technology unlocks the transformative potential to enhance ARC-IM with thought-driven control of movement after paralysis," said ONWARD Medical CEO Dave Marver. "We look forward to learning more about the potential for this combination of ARC Therapy and a BCI to help people with spinal cord injury live more independently. We are also grateful to the FDA for recognizing our innovations and their potential to help people with profound unmet needs." An implanted BCI records brain activity, capturing signals that indicate a person's intention to move. The ARC-BCI System then uses artificial intelligence (AI) to decode those signals and translate them into specific instructions for the ARC-IM System, which converts the instructions into precise stimulation of the injured spinal cord. ARC-BCI creates a "digital bridge," restoring communication between the brain and the body, enabling thought-driven movement after paralysis. In 2021, a BCI was paired with ARC-IM Therapy for the first time in history to restore movement of the lower limbs, including walking, after SCI. In May 2023, Nature published the results of this groundbreaking feasibility study, highlighting the study participant's augmented control over his paralyzed legs with the addition of a BCI. ONWARD Medical was previously granted nine BDDs for multiple indications for its ARC Therapy platforms, including mobility and blood pressure regulation. The Company plans to launch its first product later this year. All ONWARD Medical devices and therapies, including but not limited to ARC-IM, ARC-EX, and ARC Therapy, alone or in combination with a brain-computer interface (BCI), are investigational and not available for commercial use. About ONWARD Medical ONWARD Medical is a medical technology company creating therapies to restore movement, function, and independence in people with spinal cord injury (SCI) and movement disabilities. Building on more than a decade of science and preclinical research conducted at leading neuroscience laboratories, the Company has received ten Breakthrough Device Designations from the US Food and Drug Administration for its ARC Therapy platform. ONWARD ARC Therapy, which can be delivered by external ARC-EX or implantable ARC-IM platforms, is designed to deliver targeted, programmed spinal cord stimulation. Positive results were presented in 2023 from the Company's pivotal study, called Up-LIFT, evaluating the ability for transcutaneous ARC Therapy to improve upper extremity strength and function. The Company is now preparing regulatory approval submissions for ARC-EX for the US and Europe. In parallel, the Company is conducting studies with its implantable ARC-IM platform, which demonstrated positive interim clinical outcomes for improved blood pressure regulation, a component of hemodynamic instability, following SCI. Other ongoing studies include combination use of ARC-IM with a brain-computer interface (BCI) to address multiple symptoms of SCI. Headquartered in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, ONWARD Medical has a Science and Engineering Center in Lausanne, Switzerland and a US office in Boston, Massachusetts. The Company also has an academic partnership with .NeuroRestore, a collaboration between the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (EPFL), and Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV). ONWARD Medical is listed on Euronext Brussels and Amsterdam (ticker: ONWD). For more information, visit ONWD.com and connect with us on LinkedIn and YouTube. For Media Enquiries:?? Aditi Roy, VP Communications? media@onwd.com? For Investor Enquiries:? Khaled Bahi, Interim CFO - investors@onwd.com? Disclaimer Certain statements, beliefs, and opinions in this press release are forward-looking, which reflect the Company's or, as appropriate, the Company directors' current expectations and projections about future events. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve several risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties, and assumptions could adversely affect the outcome and financial effects of the plans and events described herein. A multitude of factors including, but not limited to, changes in demand, competition, and technology, can cause actual events, performance, or results to differ significantly from any anticipated development. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release regarding past trends or activities should not be taken as a representation that such trends or activities will continue in the future. As a result, the Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release any update or revisions to any forward-looking statements in this press release as a result of any change in expectations or any change in events, conditions, assumptions, or circumstances on which these forward-looking statements are based. Neither the Company nor its advisers or representatives nor any of its subsidiary undertakings or any such person's officers or employees guarantees that the assumptions underlying such forward-looking statements are free from errors nor does either accept any responsibility for the future accuracy of the forward-looking statements contained in this press release or the actual occurrence of the forecasted developments. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. All ONWARD Medical devices and therapies referenced here, including but not limited to ARC-IM, ARC-EX, and ARC Therapy, are investigational and not available for commercial use. Regulatory News: TotalEnergies (Paris:TTE) (LSE:TTE) (NYSE:TTE) has signed a sale and purchase agreement (SPA) with Sembcorp Fuels, a wholly owned subsidiary of Singapore-based Sembcorp Industries. The deal entails the delivery of up to 0.8 million tons of liquefied natural gas (LNG) per annum (Mtpa) for a duration of sixteen years, commencing in 2027. The LNG will be sourced from TotalEnergies' global portfolio. This new agreement adds to the companies' current SPA, which runs until 2029. By supplying this additional LNG supply to Singapore, TotalEnergies is contributing to the country's energy security and to its decarbonization goals. This deal also reflects TotalEnergies' commitment to supporting its customers in their transition to greater sustainability. TotalEnergies, the world's third largest LNG player and Europe's leading regasification operator TotalEnergies is the world's third largest LNG player with a market share of around 12% and a global portfolio of about 50 Mt/y thanks to its interests in liquefaction plants in all geographies. The Company benefits from an integrated position across the LNG value chain, including production, transportation, access to more than 20 Mt/y of regasification capacity in Europe, trading, and LNG bunkering. TotalEnergies' ambition is to increase its LNG production and long-term purchases by 50% by 2030, while continuing to reduce carbon emissions and eliminating the methane emissions associated with the gas value chain. The Company also works with local partners to promote the transition from coal to natural gas. About TotalEnergies TotalEnergies is a global multi-energy company that produces and markets energies: oil and biofuels, natural gas and green gases, renewables and electricity. Our more than 100,000 employees are committed to energy that is ever more affordable, more sustainable, more reliable and accessible to as many people as possible. Active in nearly 130 countries, TotalEnergies puts sustainable development in all its dimensions at the heart of its projects and operations to contribute to the well-being of people. @TotalEnergies TotalEnergies TotalEnergies TotalEnergies Cautionary Note The terms "TotalEnergies", "TotalEnergies company" or "Company" in this document are used to designate TotalEnergies SE and the consolidated entities that are directly or indirectly controlled by TotalEnergies SE. Likewise, the words "we", "us" and "our" may also be used to refer to these entities or to their employees. The entities in which TotalEnergies SE directly or indirectly owns a shareholding are separate legal entities. This document may contain forward-looking information and statements that are based on a number of economic data and assumptions made in a given economic, competitive and regulatory environment. They may prove to be inaccurate in the future and are subject to a number of risk factors. Neither TotalEnergies SE nor any of its subsidiaries assumes any obligation to update publicly any forward-looking information or statement, objectives or trends contained in this document whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Information concerning risk factors, that may affect TotalEnergies' financial results or activities is provided in the most recent Universal Registration Document, the French-language version of which is filed by TotalEnergies SE with the French securities regulator Autorite des Marches Financiers (AMF), and in the Form 20-F filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240228685505/en/ Contacts: TotalEnergies Subsidiary: Phone Number l mail address l Twitter Media Relations: +33 (0)1 47 44 46 99 l presse@totalenergies.com l @TotalEnergiesPR Investor Relations: +33 (0)1 47 44 46 46 l ir@totalenergies.com HAMBURG (dpa-AFX) - Fielmann Group AG (FLMNF.PK), a German eyewear company, on Thursday registered a rise in preliminary full-year earnings before taxes or EBT as well as sales. For the 12-month period, the company reported EBT of 193 million euros, higher than 161 million euros registered last year, reflecting an increase in progressive glasses sold and lower marketing spending. EBITDA was at 410 million euros, compared with 340 million euros a year ago. External sales were 2.27 billion euros, up from previous year's 2.03 billion euros. Consolidated sales rose to 1.97 billion euros from 1.76 billion euros in 2022. At the year end, the Group operated 1,086 stores worldwide, higher than previous year's 968 stores. For the full year, the Group has increased dividend to 1 euro per share from previous year's 0.75 euros. Looking ahead, the Group said: 'In Q4/2023 and early 2024 most of our markets exhibited low consumer sentiment - in Germany a bleak economic outlook led to an even further decline. Whilst we felt these headwinds in our home market, our market share gains in 2023 make us optimistic that we can grow our market position in 2024 even further.' Copyright(c) 2024 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. BOSTON, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The battle to secure communications is intensifying. Over the last twenty years hacking has grown into a lucrative enterprise. This global challenge is anticipated to worsen as the volume and value of data transmitted rises. The impact on society could be catastrophic, with the average cost of a data-breach already surpassing millions of dollars. Quantum technology is emerging as a revolutionary new threat to data security, but ironically also a solution to better protect it. In this article IDTechEx explores key trends in the quantum communication market, and how physics is offering a truly a double-edged sword in the fight against cybercrime. The threat of quantum computing Multiple methods of encrypting data depend on the complexity of factorizing large prime numbers. This includes those used for messenger apps and emails, as well as bank accounts, medical records and even government intelligence. Yet prime number factorization is anticipated to become an exponentially quicker problem to solve using quantum computing. Therefore, as quantum computer capabilities advance, concern is growing on their ability to fundamentally undermine data security. The day on which quantum computers are shown capable of cracking incumbent encryption is informally referred to as 'Q-Day' or 'Y2Q'. Opinion is split onto the anticipated time left until Q-Day - typically ranging from years to decades. Some headlines even suggest it may already have passed. One on hand this uncertainty is related to the unclear scale up time of quantum computer hardware. Yet there is potentially another relating to national security, with one country potentially unwilling to admit to the other their true progress. However, consensus is growing that ignoring the quantum threat entirely poses a significant risk. This is driving investment and interest in 'quantum ready' cybersecurity solutions - both hardware and software. Beyond the threat from quantum computing, the applications of these 'quantum ready solution' are now also being targeted at end-users with long pre-existing data security vulnerabilities. The first wave of resulting disruption has already begun, as we are entering an era of 'post-quantum cryptography' (PQC) algorithm adoption. Yet staying entirely safe long-term is anticipated to depend on quantum hardware, including quantum random number generators and quantum key distribution. The totally random solution Exchanging virtual secrets depends on the production and exchange of keys. Once two parties have shared a key, it can be used to encode messages which only they can decrypt. In the modern era, random number generators are used to create these keys - whether they be for private or public use. The challenge, however, is that if a key is generated to predictably then the security they offer is compromised. Classical random number generators fundamentally depend on deterministic processes. For example, whilst a dice roll may offer statistical randomness - the more known about the dice, throw and environment the more predictable the outcome. Quantum physics, however, is full of non-deterministic and truly random phenomena. For example, the number of photons emitted, detected, or deflected by a beam-splitter. Quantum random number generators (QRNG) can harness this property to increase the quality of keys generated for cyber security. Optical approaches to QRNG on the chip-scape have already been commercialized - and even adopted into the consumer market - with IDQuantique seeing their hardware integrated into a Korean specific model of a Samsung smartphone. However, competition for market share is increasing, with multiple start-ups entering the industry. These players are not only finding success outside of the security industry, for example with gambling and gaming, but are also expecting cryptography market demands to rise as industry standards become clearer. Going forward, innovation to improve entropy, generation rates and power consumption are set to continue, with these differentiators already prompting some significant stake holder partnerships in 2024, such as Quantum Dice and BT. However, QRNG alone doesn't offer complete protection from data-hackers, and for this a more complex solution for key distribution may be required. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2347914/IDTechEx_1.jpg Source: IDTechEx Quantum key distribution - friend or foe? It is well understood that quantum states cannot be 'cloned', and that the simple act of observation causes quantum properties to change. Therefore, if two parties transmit a quantum state between one another, eavesdropping can instantaneously be detected. This is the principle behind quantum key distribution (QKD). As with QRNG, quantum states are encoded within photons. QKD transmitter and receiver pairs connected with optical fiber can use combinations of specialist detectors, filters, and algorithms to convert quantum states to an entirely secret key. QKD has already begun to see some commercial success, with products from IDQuantique and Toshiba used within pilot schemes and metropolitan scale networks. Multiple challenges for this technology do remain. Significant limitations on network scalability to date largely limits the end-users interested to governments and some financial institutions. Cost also remains a barrier to adoption, with installation of transmitter-receiver pairs easily costing more than a million dollars. Yet as global innovation to expand scalability continue, including chip-scale QKD, the addressable markets could expand, particularly in light of trends such as V2X and autonomy in the automotive sector. In the near term, however, concern is also rising as to the limitations of QKD compared with PQC, at least for near-term protection. The time to transition between cryptography schemes is a multi-year process, and most experts agree that relying purely on QKD now would pose significant risks. Moreover, outside of the quantum industry, ethical debate about encryption is ongoing; for example, regarding how rights to data access should vary between law-enforcement, government, and social media companies. Market outlook Overall, arguably the riskiest decision of all for network managers today would be to remain ignorant of the oncoming power of quantum communication technology entirely. Similarly, from a materials and supply chain perspective, the opportunity within the quantum communication hardware market is unlikely to solely depend on a Q-Day like event to find success. Now is the time to engage and learn more about this emerging industry - whether it be to sure up protection of valuable virtual assets against it, or indeed to leverage it for a competitive advantage. To find out more, see the recently published IDTechEx report "Quantum Communication Market 2024-2034: Technology, Trends, Players, Forecasts". Find out more at www.IDTechEx.com/QuanComm. For further insight into the quantum technology industry, see IDTechEx's dedicated reports and market forecasts covering Quantum Computing and Quantum Sensors - please visit www.IDTechEx.com for the full portfolio of research available. About IDTechEx IDTechEx guides your strategic business decisions through its Research, Subscription and Consultancy products, helping you profit from emerging technologies. For more information, contact research@IDTechEx.com or visit www.IDTechEx.com. Images download: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/fnarpjbq7r9gqxq1q17gr/h?rlkey=vak05de84ut4f0kcw8d6ojhrh&dl=0 Media Contact: Lucy Rogers Sales and Marketing Administrator press@IDTechEx.com +44(0)1223 812300 Social Media Links: Twitter: www.twitter.com/IDTechEx LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/IDTechEx Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/478371/IDTechEx_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/idtechex-reports-on-quantum-technology-the-double-edged-sword-in-the-fight-against-cybercrime-302071807.html BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - Aircraft engine manufacturer MTU Aero Engines AG (MTUAY.PK) reported Thursday that its fourth-quarter net income grew to 215 million euros or 3.96 euros per share from last year's 121 million euros or 2.23 euros per share. Adjusted net income was 155 million euros, compared to prior year's 156 million euros. EBITDA grew to 344 million euros from 255 million euros a year ago. MTU generated reported revenue of 1.71 billion euros, up from last year's 1.51 billion euros. The order backlog was 24.4 billion euros at year-end 2023, compared with 22.3 billion euros at year-end 2022. Further, the Executive Board will propose that a dividend of 2.00 euros per share should be recommended for resolution by the Annual General Meeting. For 2022, MTU paid a dividend of 3.20 euros per share. Looking ahead for fiscal 2024, MTU aims to report revenue of between 7.3 billion euros and 7.5 billion euros, with all business areas contributing to the growth. The adjusted EBIT margin should be over 12 percent in 2024. Adjusted net income is expected to grow in line with adjusted EBIT. In 2023, MTU generated revenue of 5.4 billion euros, and adjusted revenue of 6.3 billion euros. Adjusted EBIT margin was 12.9 percent. MTU Aero Engines will publish its Annual Report on March 25. For more earnings news, earnings calendar, and earnings for stocks, visit rttnews.com. Copyright(c) 2024 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. The flexible battery market is driven by factors such as rise in demand for wearable technologies, advancements in materials & manufacturing technologies, and the expanding Internet of Things (IoT). Wilmington, Del., Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Flexible Battery Market by Type (Thin-Film Batteries and Printed Batteries), Voltage (Below 5V, 5V To 20V, and Above 20V), Rechargeability (Primary Batteries and Secondary Batteries), and Application (Consumer Electronics, Smart Packaging, Smart Cards, Medical Devices, Wireless Sensors, and Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032. According to the report, the global Flexible battery market was valued at $ 0.17 billion in 2022 and is estimated to reach $ 1.54 billion by 2032, exhibiting a CAGR of 24.88% from 2023 to 2032. Download Research Report Sample & TOC: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/1009 (We look forward to quickly to provide the Report Analysis needed for your Business Success) 233- Pages 181- Tables 56- Charts Prime determinants of growth The flexible battery market is expected to witness notable growth owing to rising demand in wearable electronics and the proliferation of IoT devices and the need for compact, flexible power sources. Moreover, an increase in adoption of wearable medical devices is expected to provide lucrative opportunities for the growth of the market during the forecast period. On the contrary, high manufacturing cost limits the growth of the flexible battery market. Report coverage & details: Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 2023-2032 Base Year 2022 Market Size In 2022 $0.17 Billion Market Size In 2032 $1.54 Billion CAGR 24.88 % No. Of Pages in Report 250 Segments Covered Types, Voltage, Rechargeability, Application, And Region Drivers Surge In Demand for Wearable Technologies Increase In Integration of IoT Technologies Opportunity Innovations In Electric Vehicles Restraint High Initial Costs of Production The Thin-film batteries segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period On the basis of type, the thin-film batteries segment held the highest market share in 2022, accounting for more than three-fifths of the global flexible battery market revenue and is estimated to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period, owing to its lightweight design, flexibility, and efficiency. These batteries cater to the rising demand in wearable tech and IoT applications, sustaining leadership in the forecast period. However, the printed batteries segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 21.85% from 2023 to 2032. The below 5V segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period. On the basis of voltage, the below 5V segment held the highest market share in 2022, accounting for nearly three-fifths of the global Flexible battery market revenue and is estimated to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period. Moreover, the below 5V segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 25.50% from 2023 to 2032, owing to increasing demand for low-voltage applications in portable and wearable electronics. The Primary Batteries segment is expected to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period. On the basis of rechargeability, the primary batteries segment held the highest market share in 2022, accounting for more than two-thirds of the global Flexible battery market revenue and is estimated to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period. However, the secondary batteries segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 25.67% from 2023 to 2032, owing to the surge in demand for rechargeable energy storage solutions in applications such as consumer electronics and electric vehicles. The Consumer Electronics segment is projected to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period. On the basis of application, the consumer electronics segment held the highest market share in 2022, accounting for more than two-fifths of the global flexible battery market revenue and is estimated to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period. Moreover, the consumer electronics segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 26.32% from 2023 to 2032, owing to surging demand for portable and flexible power sources in smartphones, wearables, and other gadgets. Inquiry before Buying: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/1009 North America to maintain its dominance by 2032. On the basis of region, North America held the highest market share in terms of revenue in 2022, accounting for more one-third of the global flexible battery market revenue owing to the technological advancements, which have fueled the growth of the market in this region. In addition, Asia-Pacific is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 26.17% from 2023 to 2032. Key Industry Development - In March 2023, STMicroelectronics, a semiconductor company, made lithium batteries that performed well and lasted longer with a high-accuracy BMS (Battery Management System) controller. STMicroelectronics' L9961 BMS device delivered accuracy and flexibility to improve the performance, lifetime, and safety of Li-ion as well as Li-polymer batteries. Leading Market Players: - Samsung SDI Co., Ltd. LG Chem Panasonic Corporation Apple, Inc. Blue Spark Technologies, Inc. Ultralife Corporation. Imprint Energy Molex STMicroelectronics N.V. ProLogium Technology Co., Ltd. The report provides a detailed analysis of these key players in the global flexible battery market. These players have adopted different strategies such as product launch, product development, partnership, investment, acquisition, and others to increase their market share and maintain dominant shares in different regions. The report is valuable in highlighting business performance, operating segments, product portfolio, and strategic moves of market players to showcase the competitive scenario. Key Benefits for Stakeholders This report provides a quantitative analysis of the market segments, current trends, estimations, and dynamics of the flexible battery market analysis from 2022 to 2032 to identify the prevailing flexible battery market opportunity. The market research is offered along with information related to key drivers, restraints, and opportunities and also flexible battery market share by company. Porter's five forces analysis highlights the potency of buyers and suppliers to enable stakeholders make profit-oriented business decisions and strengthen their supplier-buyer network. In-depth analysis of the flexible battery market segmentation assists to determine the prevailing market opportunities. Major countries in each region are mapped according to their revenue contribution to the global market. Market player positioning facilitates benchmarking and provides a clear understanding of the present position of the wearable flexible battery market players. The flexible battery market report includes the analysis of regional as well as global flexible battery market trends, key players, market segments, application areas, and flexible battery growth projections strategies. Flexible Battery Market Key Segments: By Type: Thin-film Batteries Printed Batteries By Voltage: Below 5V 5V to 20V Above 20V By Application: Consumer Electronics Smart Packaging Smart Cards Medical Devices Wireless Sensors Others By Region: North America (U.S., Canada, Mexico) (U.S., Canada, Mexico) Europe (Germany, UK, France, Spain, Italy, Rest of Europe) (Germany, UK, France, Spain, Italy, Rest of Europe) Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, India, South Korea, Australia, Rest of Asia-Pacific) (China, Japan, India, South Korea, Australia, Rest of Asia-Pacific) LAMEA (Brazil, Saudi Arabia, UAE, South Africa, Rest of LAMEA) Trending Reports in Semiconductor and Electronics Industry: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/flexible-battery-market/checkout Micro Battery Market was valued at $0.5 billion in 2022, and is projected to reach $4 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 21.6% from 2023 to 2032. Flexible Thin Film and Printed Battery Market was valued at $1,217 million in 2019 and is projected to reach $11,033.3 million by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 30.9% from 2020 to 2027. Flexible Electronics Market was valued at $26.2 billion in 2022, and is projected to reach $57.3 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 8.2% from 2023 to 2032. U.S. Flexible Electronics Market Size, Competitive Landscape and Trend Analysis Report: Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2022-2032 Germany Flexible Electronics Market Share, Competitive Landscape and Trend Analysis Report: Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2022-2032 About Us: Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports 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 Us: 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/flexible-battery-market-to-reach-1-54-billion-globally-by-2032-at-24-88-cagr-allied-market-research-302075403.html CORK, Ireland, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Workvivo, a Zoom company, is enabling world-leading brands to quantify employee trust and improve retention by using Artificial Intelligence through predictive insights platform Adoreboard, it was announced today. Adoreboard, a Gartner Cool Vendor, will support Workvivo's existing listening and insights capabilities to deliver actionable insights by measuring levels of emotional intensity in text feedback collected through Workvivo pulse surveys. The AI platform has been used as part of the Workvivo Boost Program which is an all-star team of industry experts from the world of Employee Engagement & Internal Communications who partner with customers to elevate aspects of their employee experience such as strategy, content and culture. Colum Nugent, Head of Professional Services said that the new initiative will benefit customers by going beyond employee statistics to understand what really drives employee retention. "When it comes to employee listening, we use the AI from Adoreboard to collate huge amounts of feedback responses and interpret the emotion behind each answer quickly. Adoreboard shows us exactly how people are feeling and even goes a layer deeper by surfacing the prominent themes that will have the biggest impact on employee retention. Ultimately, we've seen that using insights surfaced by Adoreboard has had a massive impact on increasing employee satisfaction." Workvivo has observed between a 5% - 8% increase in employee engagement from customers who have deployed the Adoreboard platform to complement their employee listening strategy over a 14-month period. Chris Johnston Chief Executive of Adoreboard, said: "Workvivo is a leader in driving employee engagement. Combining their existing listening practices with the power of Adoreboard's executive-ready insights has the potential to deliver next-level employee engagement." The ability to measure employee Trust has come under the spotlight after new research reveals a 'trust deficit' with Trust in Fortune 100 employers falling by 10% post-COVID. Data scientists at Adoreboard conducted the study across 750,000 online employee reviews of Fortune 100 firms across a 45-month period. The research found that the rally call to 'return to the office' has been met with a collective groan with 5% of employees expressing sadness at the prospect. In stark contrast, the 'pandemic dividend' of improved work-life balance has increased employee Trust by 12% Internal communication has emerged as one of the casualties post-COVID with a 17% increase in negative emotions such as anger and fear. Stress and burnout have increased negative emotions towards employers by 15% since the end of COVID with more employees expressing it as a key concern. Whilst 18% of employees cite poor management fuelling a 7% increase in anger compared to during COVID. Adoreboard is used by some of the world's most well-known brands including Procter and Gamble, Allstate, and Amazon to analyse employee data and uncover insights which help to improve employee experiences. About Adoreboard Adoreboard is a leading text analytics SaaS platform for customer and employee experience management. Through automatic theme generation and in-depth emotion analysis, Adoreboard's platform can quantify customer or employee trust and recommend the next best actions for a company looking to drive satisfaction metrics like NPS. Adoreboard can correlate the resolution of certain issues to tangible business value. Originating as a spinout from Queen's University, Belfast, their experience management experts provide companies with AI-generated emotion analytics to assist them in building trust among customers and employees. Adoreboard's customers include Amazon, Allstate, and P&G. Furthermore, Allstate Insurance experienced a 16.6% improvement in customer satisfaction since using the Adoreboard platform. To learn more, visit https://adoreboard.com/ About Workvivo (a Zoom company) Workvivo is an employee experience platform (EXP) that simplifies communication and increases engagement by empowering employees to be heard and helping everyone feel included, no matter where they work. The platform unifies employee communications, engagement, intranet, and measurement features into one modern employee app that captures the heartbeat of the organisation and brings its culture to life. Founded in 2017, Workvivo has seen momentous growth, which led to its acquisition by Zoom in 2023. Workvivo powers the employee experience at companies all over the world across all industries, including Amazon, Motherson, White Castle, Bupa, and Ryanair. Workvivo regularly tops software review sites, including Gartner Digital, with a #1 spot on G2 for internal communications, intranet, and engagement tool categories. For more information, visit www.workvivo.com. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/workvivo-by-zoom-leverages-ai-powered-predictive-insights-to-enhance-employee-experiences-302074656.html Uniting industry leaders to advance drone and aerospace Innovation, setting new standards globally ROTTERDAM, Netherlands, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In a landmark move, DronePort Rotterdam is thrilled to announce a series of strategic developments that firmly cement its position as a leader in the realisation of a fully integrated innovative mobility ecosystem spanning ports, airports, urban, and regional landscapes. A Global Event: U-Space Revolution Event in Rotterdam Beginning with the inaugural launch of the 'U-Space Revolution in Rotterdam' on March 5, 2024, co-organised with the Port of Rotterdam and attracting 200 participants from 14 countries, this unique event marks the start of a new era in autonomous and uncrewed intelligent systems, such as drones. The conference serves as a platform to highlight the rising interest in the emerging potential of this technology and its expected impact on society. Additionally, it acts as a launching pad for DronePort Rotterdam's strategic alliances. Aerospace Delta Launch: Forging the Future of Autonomous and Uncrewed Intelligent Systems At the core of this strategic vision lies the Aerospace Delta initiative, stemming from the collective ambition of DronePort Rotterdam and its premier regional partners, including Unmanned Valley, the Aerospace Innovation Hub @TU Delft, InnovationQuarter, and STC (Scheepvaart en Transport College), with support from the City of Rotterdam and the Province of Zuid-Holland. With a newly formed coalition of 100 out of 260 entities under the Aerospace Delta umbrella, there is a unified commitment to transforming both the region and the Netherlands into a global hub for autonomous and uncrewed intelligent systems. This coalition focuses on innovation and industry transformation through education, testing, training, social entrepreneurship, investments, regulations, policies, and actively applying these initiatives operationally for broader impact. Strategic Partnerships: Strengthening the Ecosystem Through Educational Innovation In partnership with STC - the worldwide operating educational and research institution for the shipping, logistics, transport, and process industries - DronePort Rotterdam is collaborating on developing an extensive drone curriculum. This curriculum, covering the entire drone ecosystem, is tailored for both regular and professional education levels. It encompasses a range of drone-related educational content, from regulatory frameworks and safety protocols to practical applications, technological innovations, and policy implications. Additionally, these resources are being developed into online formats to cater to a broad audience, including students, professionals, and newcomers, ensuring everyone can access the information they need to engage with drone technology safely and effectively. For the second half of this year, STC and DronePort Rotterdam are hosting the 'Smart Vision Experience: Autonomous and Uncrewed Intelligent Systems'. The event serves to educate and inspire the current and next generations of industry leaders and innovators, showcasing the latest advancements in drone technology and autonomous and uncrewed intelligent systems. In partnership with Drone Fusion - the international platform for drone researchers and schools innovating for a circular tomorrow - Saxion University of Applied Sciences and DronePort Rotterdam are developing a prime and future-proof platform to drive innovation, research, business, and excellence in the field for autonomous and uncrewed intelligent systems. This partnership believes in the potential of drone technology to facilitate Europe's digital, sustainable, and societal transitions, offering benefits for businesses and society to help build a resilient future. By connecting bright minds, makers, and entrepreneurs in the industry, our partnership is set to catalyse technological progress and market growth, setting new standards for the adoption and integration of autonomous and uncrewed systems worldwide. Ultimately, this partnership seeks to contribute to societal advancement and economic growth while skilling future generations and reskilling the current ones. A Collaborative Blueprint for Regional Advancement The DronePort Rotterdam organisation and its regional collaboration with partners under the Aerospace Delta banner reflect our collective vision and dedication to the future of the Zuid-Holland region and beyond. Uniting pioneers across business, education, and government, we are establishing a strong foundation for a future enriched by autonomous and uncrewed intelligent systems, essential to our daily lives, economic growth, and community well-being. We encourage you to further explore this initiative and collective vision. About Aerospace Delta Zuid-Holland Aerospace Delta Zuid-Holland stands as the premier aerospace ecosystem in the Netherlands, recognised as a top-tier European hub in the fields of aeronautics and aviation, upstream and downstream space, and drones and urban air mobility. At the heart of the region of Zuid-Holland, over 260 companies, institutes, and organisations collaborate, employing nearly 9,000 highly skilled professionals in this sector. Thanks to the strength of its educational and research institutions, the region is also home to one of the largest sources of aerospace talent in Europe. Unmanned Valley, Aerospace Innovation Hub @TU Delft, and DronePort Rotterdam are eager to lead this ecosystem to international heights. For more information, visit www.aerospacedelta.nl . About DronePort Rotterdam DronePort Rotterdam is evolving into a foundation jointly founded by the Port of Rotterdam and INSPIR8ION to drive the development of the autonomous and uncrewed intelligent systems industry. Situated at the strategic intersection of a port, airport, city, and region, we are forging a unified mobility ecosystem that breaks conventional barriers. Our ambition extends beyond drones, embracing a comprehensive approach that integrates autonomous and uncrewed intelligent systems across diverse environments while focusing on the vertical and horizontal integration of spatial layers. As we explore the building blocks of this synergy, our dedication to safety, sustainability, and societal progress remains paramount. In 2024, the foundation will release its agenda for 2024-2030, outlining strategic goals and initiatives. This compact and comprehensive plan will foster collaboration, innovation, and regulatory and policy development, establishing DronePort Rotterdam as a leading ecosystem for technology, education, and commercialisation, aligning with the Aerospace Delta Agenda 2030. For partnership inquiries or more information, please visit www.droneportrotterdam.com . View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/droneport-rotterdams-strategic-alliances-propel-zuid-holland-as-leader-in-autonomous-and-uncrewed-ecosystems-302074363.html DUSSELDORF, Germany, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A fast-growing EnergyTech start-up Zendure unveils the latest product line, the AIO 2400 . This all-in-one energy solution consists of a PVHub, microinverter, battery, and software for beginners seeking a sustainable lifestyle without the need for professional installation. The AIO 2400 empowers users to harness the power of renewable energy and manage their energy consumption. Rising Energy Prices and the Shift to Sustainable Options Rising energy costs are driving increased interest in sustainable options like balcony power stations here [1]. In response to this trend, Germany is proposing an increase in permitted wattage from the previous 600W to 800W, aligning with European RFG standards [2]. Zendure's AIO 2400 revolutionizes energy efficiency with its plug-and-play storage system. This quick-installed innovation enhances real-time self-consumption thanks to its dual MPPT and 1,560W solar capability, potentially saving up to 642 euros annually with a 1500W PV and 800W microinverter. The AIO 2400 features an intelligent app with MPPT monitoring and hidden cables for sleek integration into any setting. Delivering 800W and compliant with legal standards, its 2.4 kWh capacity efficiently stores solar energy for use at night. It operates down to -20C, ensuring flexibility for outdoor installations. AIO 2400 - User-Friendly, Efficient, and Sustainable Energy Management The AIO 2400 can be supplemented with Shelly CT or an intelligent plug for smart power adjustment, which enhances the ZEN+ Home energy hub. With 1W automatic power regulation, AIO 2400 offers an adjustable output rate from 0W to 1200W, precisely controlled in 1W increments when above 100W and in 30W increments between 31W-99W. AIO 2400 battery offers 4000 cycles up to 80% and 8000 cycles up to 70% capacity. Guaranteed by a 10-year warranty, the AIO 2400 makes it a choice for those new to sustainable energy solutions. The AIO 2400 will be available from 9 AM 29 February 2024(GMT+1) at a price of 1,343.00 euros(0% VAT), limited to 300 sets. About Zendure Founded in 2017, Zendure is one of the fastest-growing EnergyTech start-ups located in the technology hubs of Silicon Valley, USA, and the Greater Bay Area, China, Japan, and Germany. Its mission is to deliver reliable and affordable clean energy for households worldwide by popularizing the latest EnergyTech. [1] https://www.vde.com/resource/blob/2229846/acbd1078371f6a553a049a1d33b8612c/positionspapier-data.pdf [2] https://www.vde.com/resource/blob/2229846/acbd1078371f6a553a049a1d33b8612c/positionspapier-data.pdf Chris Chiu(Public Relations) chris.qiu@zendure.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2348553/image_5017297_39732213.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2284377/4563315/image_5017297_45325556_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/zendure-unveils-an-all-in-one-energy-solution-aio-2400-for-a-sustainable-future-302074128.html BEIJING, Feb. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GigaDevice Semiconductor Inc. (SSE: 603986), a leading provider of flash memory, 32-bit microcontrollers, sensors, and analog technology, announces that it signed a distribution agreement with EKOM Elektronik, a leading Authorized Distributor specializing in Electronic Components. The partnership will broaden GigaDevice's product offerings to address the needs of Turkey's market, contributing to the healthy growth of the Turkish Electronics Sector and make the necessary breakthroughs in the fields. GigaDevice delivers world class SPI NOR Flash, SLC NAND Flash, 32bit microcontrollers, power management ICs and sensor products. Together, these technologies constitute comprehensive design solutions and play a pivotal role in a wide array of applications, spanning industrial, automotive, consumer electronics, IoT, network communications, mobile and PCs. GigaDevice is the 3rd largest NOR Flash provider worldwide, its well-known GD25/5F SPI NOR Flash and GD5F/9F NAND Flash shipped more than 21 billion units globally. The GD32 MCU stands as the leader in China's high performance 32-bit general purpose microcontroller market, with over 40 family series and a selection of 550+ products tailored to diverse applications. "Our customers are integrating complete solutions into an ever-widening range of applications, and GigaDevice's portfolio stands as the core driver force behind those innovations," said Michael Haidar, Global VP of Sales & Marketing - AME & EMEA, GigaDevice. "We are excited to partner with EKOM in Turkey, with their professional sales and support teams, we anticipate achieving great things in this region. This collaboration will extend the reach and availability of our products to design engineers and buyers, supported by effective technical assistance and readily available inventory through EKOM. Consequently, we aim to create additional value for our customers." "The distribution agreement between EKOM and GigaDevice marks a significant win for our customers. It empowers us to enhance our products delivering, providing the advantages of direct engagement with GigaDevice and facilitating access to their new cutting-edge products," said Hulya Sahin, CEO of EKOM Elektronik, "Our vision is to be a company that is always preferred in Turkey and on a global scale with its constantly developing product portfolio and sustainable service quality in parallel with customer needs and technological developments. Through the collaboration with GigaDevice, we will enhance our capabilities to better meet customer needs." GigaDevice Media Relations: marcom@gigadevice.com SINGAPORE, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- AliExpress, an international online retail marketplace under Alibaba International Digital Commerce Group, is celebrating the first anniversary of its Choice initiative and the related Choice Day sale with an unprecedented five-day promotional event-the longest of its kind in the platform's history. Offering discounts of up to 60% on a select range of items, the event is crafted to deliver a shopping experience that honors the diversity of its customer base. The sale is set to begin precisely at midnight on March 1, aligning with the local time zones of AliExpress' key markets including Brazil, France, Mexico, the Middle Eastern region, Poland, South Korea, Spain, the UK and the US. Customers within these regions will have the opportunity to enjoy a highly anticipated and personalized shopping celebration, with tailored offerings rolled out as the sale goes live in each locale. Unveiling GCC Brand Ambassadors In an exciting development, AliExpress proudly introduces athletes Salem Al-Dawsari and Firas Al-Buraikan as its new brand ambassadors representing the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. The appointment highlights AliExpress' focus on connecting with its diverse customer base in strategic markets. To mark this significant announcement, AliExpress will extend an exclusive offer to its users ordering from Saudi Arabia during the Choice Day sale. Shoppers who make purchases of over US$200 on the event page in a single day stand a chance to secure a jersey with a digital signature from one of the brand ambassadors. Limited to only 30 jerseys each day, these exclusive editions are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. This distinct promotion exemplifies AliExpress' commitment to offering its customers unique and exciting experiences. Enticing Offers Across the Globe As the promotion unfolds, customers from various regions will enjoy a host of benefits. Tiered discount codes will allow savings of up to US$50, and free shipping will be available in over 50 markets for orders meeting minimum spend requirements. Shoppers in areas such as Japan, Mexico, the UAE and the US will benefit from free shipping on orders over US$10, while consumers in France, Germany and Spain, among other European markets, will enjoy similar perks with a 10 threshold. In South Korea, free shipping kicks in at ?5000, and in Brazil, at R$60. Supporting free returns in 15 markets such as Australia and Poland, AliExpress endeavors to provide a worry-free shopping experience and reinforce the customer's right with a straightforward return process. Additionally, in select regions such as Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain and the UK, the Choice service provides delivery within as little as five days, catering to consumers' need for speed and reliability. Surging Popularity and Order Growth Introduced in March 2023, the Choice service has been pivotal to AliExpress' rapid growth, reinventing the cross-border shopping experience with free shipping, free returns and swift-delivery commitments. The appeal of Choice has significantly bolstered AliExpress' popularity among global consumers. In Spain, for example, AliExpress captured the position of the second most-visited e-commerce site in December 2023, according to statistics from Club Ecommerce and EGI Group. AliExpress' monthly active user base in South Korea soared to 7 million in November 2023, almost doubling on a year-over-year basis, as reported by mobile analytics firm WiseApp. On the corporate front, Alibaba Group Holding Limited's financial results for the quarter ending December 31, 2023 disclosed a remarkable 60% surge in AliExpress' order volume. This boost has contributed to a 44% year-over-year increase in revenue for Alibaba International Digital Commerce Group, consistently exceeding market forecasts for six straight quarters. As it commemorates the Choice service's first anniversary, AliExpress extends an invitation to consumers worldwide to revel in a celebration of discounts and exclusive promotions, all crafted to deliver an unparalleled shopping experience. About AliExpress Launched in 2010, AliExpress is a business-to-consumer (B2C) e-commerce platform enabling global consumers to buy directly from manufacturers and distributors in China and around the world. In addition to the global English-language version, the AliExpress platform is also available in 17 other languages. AliExpress is part of Alibaba International Digital Commerce Group. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2351026/4568542/logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/aliexpress-marks-choice-anniversary-with-deals-and-new-ambassadors-302075428.html EQS-News: AATec Medical GmbH / Key word(s): Personnel AATec Medical appoints Professor Dr. Claus Franz Vogelmeier to the Scientific Advisory Board 29.02.2024 / 09:30 CET/CEST The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. AATec Medical appoints Professor Dr. Claus Franz Vogelmeier to the Scientific Advisory Board Leading pulmonology expert contributes profound clinical experience in inflammatory lung diseases such as bronchiectasis, COPD, asthma, and ARDS to AATec Medical. Munich, Germany - 29.02.2024 - AATec Medical GmbH (AATec), a biotech company developing a multi-product platform technology based on recombinant alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT), today announced the appointment of Prof. Dr. Claus Franz Vogelmeier, Professor of Medicine and Head of the Department of Pulmonary Medicine at Philipps-University in Marburg, Germany to its Scientific Advisory Board. Dr. Rudiger Jankowsky, co-founder and CEO of AATec, commented: "We are very pleased to welcome Professor Vogelmeier to our Scientific Advisory Board. He is a leading expert in respiratory diseases and his deep expertise in clinical pulmonology and the role of alpha-1 antitrypsin will be invaluable as we advance the development of inhaled AAT for inflammatory lung diseases. Professor Vogelmeier's insights will help us to refine our approach and ensure that our development of inhaled AAT therapies is precisely targeting patient needs." Prof. Dr. Claus Franz Vogelmeier said: "Joining AATec Medical's Scientific Advisory Board is a great opportunity to contribute to the advancement of treatments for inflammatory lung diseases, such as bronchiectasis, COPD and ARDS. The role of AAT is well known and sets the foundation for this approach. I am excited to work with a team that is committed to developing inhaled AAT, aiming to deliver broadly available and cost-effective therapies for patients worldwide." Beside his work for Philipps-University, where he co-founded the German Center for Alpha-1-Antitrypsin, Professor Vogelmeier has held prestigious roles, including President of the German Respiratory Society. His leadership extends to influential positions within the scientific community, serving as Chairman of the Science Committee of the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD), Fellow of the European Respiratory Society (FERS), and Chairman of the German Lung Foundation. Prof. Vogelmeier's dedication to advancing pulmonary medicine is further underscored by his membership on the editorial board of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. Professor Vogelmeier's appointment further strengthens the distinguished lineup of our Scientific Advisory Board, which includes leading experts Prof. Dr. Ulrike Protzer, Prof. Dr. Jan Munch, and Dr. Gerhard Scheuch. Their collective expertise in respiratory diseases, airway infections, and aerosolized medicines significantly bolsters our efforts to unlock the therapeutic potential of AAT. For more details on our Scientific Advisory Board, visit us at www.aatec-medical.com . About AATec AATec Medical GmbH is a biotechnology company developing a product platform based on recombinant alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) for the treatment of respiratory inflammatory diseases, airway infections and rare diseases. The company has successfully demonstrated proof-of-principle in several indications and is currently preparing for a proof-of-concept clinical trial with the first product candidate ATL-105 for inhaled application in non-CF bronchiectasis. AATec was founded by a seasoned interdisciplinary team with long-standing experience in clinical research, biopharmaceutical development and product industrialization. For further information, please visit https://www.aatec-medical.com/ and follow us on LinkedIn . Contact AATec Medical GmbH Dr. Rudiger Jankowsky, CEO Email: info@aatec-medical.com Media Contact MC Services Katja Arnold, Julia von Hummel Email: aatec-medical@mc-services.eu Phone: +49 (0)89 2102280 29.02.2024 CET/CEST Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by EQS News - a service of EQS Group AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. The EQS Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Archive at www.eqs-news.com LONDON (dpa-AFX) - Spectris plc (SEPJF.PK, SXS.L), a supplier of precision instrumentation and controls, reported Thursday that its fiscal 2023 profit before tax went up 23% to 185.6 million pounds from last year's 151.5 million pounds. Net profit for the year was 145.4 million pounds, down from last year's 401.5 million pounds, which included discontinued operations. Earnings per share fell to 139.4 pence from 370.7 pence a year ago. On a continuing operations basis, earnings per share grew 31 percent from 106.7 pence a year ago. Adjusted profit before tax was 263.6 million pounds, compared to 219.7 million pounds last year. Adjusted earnings per share were 199.7 pence, compared to 159.9 pence a year ago. Sales grew 9 percent to 1.45 billion pounds from prior year's 1.33 billion pounds. On like-for-like or LFL basis, sales went up 10 percent. Further, the company proposed final dividend for the year ended 31 December 2023 of 53.9 pence per share, higher than last year's 51.3 pence. Looking ahead for fiscal 2024, Spectris said it expects to deliver another year of further progress, including margin expansion, after taking into account the impact of the Red Lion disposal. Progress is expected to be weighted towards the second half reflecting the strong performance of the Group in the first half of 2023 and an improving outlook in a number of key end markets. For more earnings news, earnings calendar, and earnings for stocks, visit rttnews.com. Copyright(c) 2024 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. WILLINGTON, England, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Bionical Solutions, a leading provider of technology enabled engagement and healthcare services to global pharmaceutical, biotech, healthcare companies and the NHS, today announced the appointment of Andrew Seward as Chief Technology Officer for the Digital business. Andrew has over 12 years of experience in technology and product management, most recently as Head of Data Product Development at Experian Consumer Services, which counts 25% of the UK's adult population as its customers. Drawing on his expertise in delivering next-generation customer experiences and new AI features, he created and led the implementation of Experian's new Data Strategy and delivered a pioneering machine learning platform as a founding member of Experian's Machine Learning Council. He has been Chief Technology Officer at prominent HR software company, Mitrefinch Ltd, and has led product strategy and development at UK fintech company, Quint Group, and tech start-up, Cronofy. Andrew is the founder of Tech Nottingham, an organisation with around 3,500 members and one of the largest tech communities in the UK, which works closely with technology businesses of all sizes, as well as local government and educational institutions, to promote Nottingham as a tech centre. Gareth Davies, Joint CEO at Bionical Solutions, commented: "We are very pleased to welcome Andrew on board to support our established in-house team of technical experts and software developers, to help take Bionical Digital to the next level in providing customised engagement platforms to the Pharma industry. Andrew brings a wealth of experience in AI and data product development. As we look to further expand the long-term product pipeline of Bionical's Digital business, Andrew's expertise and leadership skills will be invaluable in adapting and developing our digital offering to meet the emerging requirements of our broad client base." Newly appointed Chief Technology Officer, Andrew Seward, said: "It is great to be joining Bionical at such an exciting time for the business. I am looking forward to working closely with Gareth and the team to create innovative solutions." About Bionical Solutions Bionical Solutions is a leading provider of technology enabled engagement and healthcare services to global pharmaceutical, biotech, healthcare companies and the NHS. As a rapidly growing international integrated healthcare services provider, Bionical's solutions provide education and support to Healthcare professionals and patients and deliver personalised experiences through the optimal blend of human interactions and technology. Bionical Solutions Digital and Commercial Communications team provides customers with technology enabled healthcare services, providing software solutions, commercial communications and support to Healthcare professionals (HCPS) and patients. Bionical Solutions Health Outcomes team provides customers with technology enabled healthcare services, providing education, training, support and clinical care to Healthcare professionals and patients, both in hospital and in the community. Data collection and reporting from these services informs future strategy and evolution. For more information please visit https://www.bionical.com/home View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/bionical-solutions-appoints-chief-technology-officer-to-create-innovative-data-products-and-software-for-the-digital-business-302074799.html COPL Extends Forbearance Agreement LONDON, UK / ACCESSWIRE / February 29, 2024 / Canadian Overseas Petroleum Limited ("COPL" or the "Company") (CSE:XOP)(LSE:COPL), announces that it has agreed with its senior credit facility lender to extend the term of the previously announced Forbearance Agreement to March 8, 2024. Under the terms of the Forbearance Agreement, among other things, the senior credit facility lender has agreed not to enforce certain rights and remedies that it might otherwise have as a result of the Company's default(s) under the said senior credit facility. The Company, however, remains in a precarious financial situation with a deteriorating liquidity position as described in the Company's recent announcements. The Company is continuing to consider strategic alternatives, including some form of formal insolvency protection that may or may not leave value in the Company's common shares. About the Company: COPL is an international oil and gas exploration, development and production company actively pursuing opportunities in the United States with operations in Converse County Wyoming. For further information, please contact: Mr. Tom Richardson, Chairman Canadian Overseas Petroleum Limited Tel: + 1 (403) 262 5441 Charles Goodwin Yellow Jersey PR Limited Tel: +44 (0) 77 4778 8221 Email: copl@yellowjerseypr.com The Common Shares are listed under the symbol "XOP" on the CSE and under the symbol "COPL" on the London Stock Exchange. Caution regarding forward looking statements This news release contains forward-looking statements. The use of any of the words "initial, "scheduled", "can", "will", "prior to", "estimate", "anticipate", "believe", "should", "forecast", "future", "continue", "may", "expect", and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained herein are based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the Company, including, but not limited to, the ability to raise the necessary funding for operations, delays or changes in plans with respect to exploration or development projects or capital expenditures. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which the forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements since the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties most of which are beyond the control of Canadian Overseas Petroleum Ltd. For example, the uncertainty of reserve estimates, the initiation of proceedings under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act, the uncertainty of estimates and projections relating to production, cost overruns, health and safety issues, political and environmental risks, commodity price and exchange rate fluctuations, changes in legislation affecting the oil and gas industry could cause actual results to vary materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and Canadian Overseas Petroleum Limited 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. This announcement has been issued by and is the sole responsibility of the Company. No representation or warranty, express or implied, is or will be made as to, or in relation to, and no responsibility or liability is or will be accepted by the Company (apart from the responsibilities or liabilities that may be imposed by the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, or the regulatory regime established thereunder) or by any of its affiliates or agents as to, or in relation to, the accuracy or completeness of this announcement or any other written or oral information made available to or publicly available to any interested party or its advisers, and any liability therefore is expressly disclaimed. This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact rns@lseg.com or visit www.rns.com. SOURCE: Canadian Overseas Petroleum Ltd View the original press release on accesswire.com DZ Bank AG - Pre-Stabilisation Notice PR Newswire LONDON, United Kingdom, February 29 Not for distribution, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States or any jurisdiction in which such distribution would be unlawful. Pre-Stabilisation Notice METRO AG (MEOGR) DZ BANK AG (contact: Ralph Ockert; telephone: +49 69 7447 7051) hereby announces, as Stabilisation Coordinator, that the Stabilising Managers named below may stabilise the offer of the following securities in accordance with Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1052 under the Market Abuse Regulation (EU Regulation 596/2014). The security to be stabilised: Issuer: Metro AG Guarantor (if any): N/A Aggregate nominal amount: EUR 500mio (exp.) Description: 5YR Senior unsecured notes Offer price: Tbd Other offer terms: Fixed, Annual, Act/Act, Reg S, senior unsecured bond offering under Metro AG's Debt Issuance Programme Stabilisation: Stabilisation Coordinator: Stabilising Managers: DZ BANK AG BofA SecuritiesDZ BANK AG Intesa Sanpaolo S.p.A. ING Stabilisation period expected to start on: 29. February 2024 Stabilisation period expected to end on: no later than 30 days after the proposed issue date of the securities Existence, maximum size and conditions of use of over-allotment facility. The Stabilising Managers may over-allot the securities to the extent permitted in accordance with applicable law. Stabilisation trading venue: Luxembourg Stock Exchange (regulated market) In connection with the offer of the above securities, the Stabilisation Manager(s) may over-allot the securities or effect transactions with a view to supporting the market price of the securities at a level higher than that which might otherwise prevail. However, there is no assurance that the Stabilisation Manager(s) will take any stabilisation action and any stabilisation action, if begun, may be ended at any time. Any stabilisation action or over-allotment shall be conducted in accordance with all applicable laws and rules. This announcement is for information purposes only and does not constitute an invitation or offer to underwrite, subscribe for or otherwise acquire or dispose of any securities of the Issuer in any jurisdiction. In addition, if and to the extent that this announcement is communicated in, or the offer of the securities to which it relates is made in, any EEA Member State that has implemented Directive 2003/71/EC, as amended (together with any applicable implementing measures in any Member State, the "Prospectus Directive") before the publication of a prospectus in relation to the securities which has been approved by the competent authority in that Member State in accordance with the Prospectus Directive (or which has been approved by a competent authority in another Member State and notified to the competent authority in that Member State in accordance with the Prospectus Directive), this announcement and the offer are only addressed to and directed at persons in that Member State who are qualified investors within the meaning of the Prospectus Directive (or who are other persons to whom the offer may lawfully be addressed) and must not be acted on or relied on by other persons in that Member State. Flashpoint and British Academy in Public-Private Partnership to Host 13 March On-the-Record International Symposium at King's College London Flashpoint, a global intelligence and threat data firm, today announced that the company will collaborate in a public-private partnership with the British Academy and King's College London to host an invite-only, open source intelligence (OSINT) symposium. Intelligence experts from Sweden, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, the United States, and other NATO security partners, will be joined by expert discussants to discuss a growing international profession of open source intelligence (OSINT) as a vehicle for collaboration, cooperation, and decision advantage for shared enterprises. They will also discuss sector-specific insights relevant to government, private sector, NGOs, journalists, and academic or research institutions. Set against a backdrop of Sweden's formal accession to NATO during the ongoing Russian war in Ukraine, spreading violence across the Middle East, and rising concerns about threats to commercial and civilian critical infrastructure in the cyber domain, space, and at sea this timely event will explore the major geopolitical risk and cyber threat landscape of 2024 and related major concerns for free-world allies. Additionally, speakers will share defensive security and threat awareness tactics to empower societal resistance and resilience against hybrid warfare campaigns. WHAT: Symposium on "The International Field of Professional Open Source Intelligence" co-hosted by Flashpoint and the British Academy at King's College London WHERE: King's College London, Strand Campus WHEN: 13 March, 2024 14:30-16:00 pm GMT HOSTS, PRESENTERS, AND ATTENDEES INCLUDE: Swedish Defence University: Per Thunholm former Deputy Director of the Department for Intelligence Coordination at the Swedish Ministry of Defence Per Thunholm former Deputy Director of the Department for Intelligence Coordination at the Swedish Ministry of Defence Ukraine Centre For Defence Reforms: Oleksandr Danylyuk, Chairman and leader on development of Ukraine's Joint Intelligence Committee Oleksandr Danylyuk, Chairman and leader on development of Ukraine's Joint Intelligence Committee European Marshall Center: Martin Schuster, International Program Manager for Partnership for Peace Consortium Martin Schuster, International Program Manager for Partnership for Peace Consortium RAND Europe: Ruth Harris, Director of Defence Security, former NATO HQ and SHAPE Joint Capability Advisor Ruth Harris, Director of Defence Security, former NATO HQ and SHAPE Joint Capability Advisor The Royal United Services Institute (RUSI): James Byrne, Director of the Open-Source Intelligence and Analysis Research Group James Byrne, Director of the Open-Source Intelligence and Analysis Research Group Centre for Defence Studies, King's College London: Dr. Hillary Briffa, Asst. Director Dr. Hillary Briffa, Asst. Director Flashpoint: Andrew Borene, Executive Director for Global Security, former senior official at U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) Andrew Borene, Executive Director for Global Security, former senior official at U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) King's College London: Dr. David Gioe, King's College London Dept. of War Studies, former CIA officer Dr. David Gioe, King's College London Dept. of War Studies, former CIA officer Invited journalists covering national security, foreign affairs, and technology developments from The Economist, The Wall Street Journal, Forbesand others. This unique event is open to qualified members of the media. Due to the venue's security requirement and space restrictions, advanced RSVP is required and invitations are non-transferable. To request an invitation, register here or contact Kari Ritacco, kari@redironpr.com with any media inquiries. About Flashpoint Flashpoint is the pioneering leader in threat data and intelligence. We empower commercial enterprises and government agencies to decisively confront complex security challenges, reduce risk, and improve operational resilience amid fast-evolving threats. Through the Flashpoint Ignite platform, we deliver unparalleled depth, breadth and speed of data from highly relevant sources, enriched by human insights. Our solutions span cyber threat intelligence, vulnerability intelligence, geopolitical risk, physical security, fraud and brand protection. The result: our customers safeguard critical assets, avoid financial loss, and protect lives. Discover more at flashpoint.io. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240229226414/en/ Contacts: RedIron Public Relations for Flashpoint Kari Ritacco, kari@redironpr.com Kyocera Document Solutions Inc. (President: Hironori Ando, hereinafter: Kyocera) is pleased to announce that a collaboration work designed and created by Mr. Kunihiko Morinaga, a designer and founder of the Japanese fashion brand "ANREALAGE," using the fabric printed by Kyocera's inkjet textile printer "FOREARTH", has been announced at the 2024-25 Fall/Winter womenswear collection in Paris Fashion Week. This collection was held in Paris, France from Monday, February 26 to Tuesday, March 5, 2024. The collaboration work with Kyocera was announced on Tuesday, February 27. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240229470318/en/ The fabric printed by the sustainable inkjet textile printer FOREARTH (Photo: Business Wire) 1. Background of this collaboration Mr. Kunihiko Morinaga sympathized with the concept of "FOREARTH", an inkjet textile printer that dramatically reduced water usage contributing to solve long-standing issues in the textile and apparel industries, such as printing-related water pollution and waste resulting from the mass disposal of overstocked fabric and clothing. That's how this collaboration realized. 2. Features of the inkjet textile printer "FOREARTH" 1) Water Free Concept Dramatically reduces water usage in textile printing. 2) Creative Free Proprietary pigment ink realizes both soft hand-feel prints and high fastness in a wide range of fabrics. 3) Location Free Textile printing does not rely on water resources, so it supports optimized production volumes and optimized manufacturing location setting and contributes to the reduction of logistic costs, time, and excess inventories. 3. Comment from Mr. Kunihiko Morinaga The theme of this collection is "OBJECT". I pursued the way of clothes for inanimate objects, not humans. The show has taken on the world 100 years from now, in the 22nd century. In this show, I tried to express the concept of FOREARTH to reduce water usage in the form of clothes and showed a dress like a drop of water. I was very impressed that the fabric printed with FOREARTH achieves the vibrant and high-definition expression even with little water, and that the softness of the fabric was maintained. FOREARTH enables us to express what we have not been able to achieve before, and it is very important for our own creation leading to the future, the 22nd century. For more information, please click here. https://www.kyoceradocumentsolutions.com/en/news/rls_2024/rls_20240229.html View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240229470318/en/ Contacts: KYOCERA Document Solutions Inc. Koichi Morita koichi.morita@dc.kyocera.com PORT VILA, Vanuatu, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Vantage Markets ("Vantage") is honoured to receive the prestigious "Best CFD Broker, Global" award at the Global Brand Awards 2024. This accolade is an affirmation of Vantage's efforts and commitment to excellence and innovation in the Contracts for Difference (CFD) trading industry. Global Brands Magazine (GBM) is a leading publication known for its news articles and opinion pieces on well-known brands around the globe. Headquartered in the UK, it hosts a series of awards recognising outstanding companies in various industries. The Global Brand Awards 2024 , now in its 12th year, aims to celebrate excellence across industries like forex and fintech. Vantage was previously awarded "Best Affiliate Program - Global" and "Best Forex Affiliate Program - Global" in 2023, recognising the strides the company has made growing its partnership program. Marc Despallieres, Chief Strategy and Trading Officer, Vantage, expressed his heartfelt gratitude to GBM for their continued recognition. "This award is not just a testament to our company's dedication. It celebrates the tireless efforts of our incredible team, and I want to extend my deepest appreciation to our Vantage team for their hard work, passion, and dedication. Without them, this achievement would not have been possible." Vantage remains at the forefront of innovation, recently launching several initiatives to enhance clients' trading experience. They include a website revamp to provide users with a more intuitive and streamlined interface, and the launch of its brand video "Reborn a Trader" to address the biggest challenges facing CFD traders today. As global financial markets evolve, Despallieres says Vantage remains committed to staying ahead of industry trends and meeting their clients' evolving needs. "Our sincerest gratitude goes to our valued clients. Your trust and support has been the cornerstone of our success, and we are truly grateful for the opportunity to serve you," he says. About Vantage Vantage (or Vantage Markets) is a multi-asset broker offering clients access to a nimble and powerful service for trading Contracts for Difference (CFDs) products, including Forex, Commodities, Indices, Shares, ETFs, and Bonds. With over 13 years of market experience, Vantage transcends the role of broker, providing a trusted trading ecosystem, an award-winning mobile trading app, and a user-friendly trading platform that empowers clients to seize trading opportunities. Download the Vantage App on App Store or Google Play. trade smarter @vantage http://www.vantagemarkets.com/ Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2351053/Vantage_Office_Trophy2024.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1745281/Vantage_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/vantage-markets-clinches-coveted-global-best-cfd-broker-award-for-2024-302075476.html LONDON, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Vantage Markets ("Vantage") is honoured to receive the prestigious "Best CFD Broker, Global" award at the Global Brand Awards 2024. This accolade is an affirmation of Vantage's efforts and commitment to excellence and innovation in the Contracts for Difference (CFD) trading industry. Global Brands Magazine (GBM) is a leading publication known for its news articles and opinion pieces on well-known brands around the globe. Headquartered in the UK, it hosts a series of awards recognising outstanding companies in various industries. The Global Brand Awards 2024 , now in 12th year, celebrates excellence across industries like forex and fintech. Vantage was previously awarded "Best Affiliate Program - Global" and "Best Forex Affiliate Program - Global" in 2023, recognising the strides the company has made in growing its partnership program. "We would like to extend our sincere appreciation to Global Brands Magazine for their ongoing recognition," says David Shayer, CEO, Vantage UK. "This award not only reflects our company's dedication but also the hard work, passion, and unwavering commitment of our exceptional Vantage team. Without their dedication, this achievement would not have been possible." Vantage has remained at the forefront of innovation, introducing several initiatives to enhance clients' trading experience in recent months, including the launch of its brand video "Reborn a Trader" to address the biggest challenges facing CFD traders today. As the global financial markets evolve, Vantage remains steadfast in staying ahead of industry trends and meeting its clients' evolving needs. Shayer says, "Our valued clients remain our greatest motivation. Your trust and support has been instrumental in our success, and we are grateful for the opportunity to serve you and provide the highest quality CFD trading experience." About Vantage Vantage (or Vantage Markets) is a multi-asset broker offering clients access to a nimble and powerful service for trading Contracts for Difference (CFDs) on Forex, Commodities, Indices, Shares, ETFs, and Bonds. With over 13 years of market experience, Vantage transcends the role of broker, providing a trusted trading ecosystem, an award-winning mobile trading app, and a user-friendly trading platform that empowers clients to seize trading opportunities. trade smarter @vantage https://www.vantagemarkets.co.uk/ CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 72.93% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. Trading derivatives is risky. It isn't suitable for everyone and, in the case of Professional clients, you could lose substantially more than your initial investment. You don't own or have rights in the underlying assets. Past performance is no indication of future performance and tax laws are subject to change. The information in this website is general in nature and doesn't take into account your or your client's personal objectives, financial circumstances, or needs. Please read our legal documents and ensure you fully understand the risks before you make any trading decisions. We encourage you to seek independent advice. Telephone calls and online chat conversations may be recorded and monitored. Any views, opinions, technical market information or commentary published on the website are necessarily of a general educational nature only and do not constitute, and should not be considered as, investment advice as they do not take into account any individual client's investment objectives, financial resources or attitude to risk. Regional Restrictions: We do not offer our services to residents of certain jurisdictions such as Canada, China, Romania, Singapore, the United States and to jurisdictions on the FATF and EU/UN sanctions lists. For more information please refer to our FAQ page . The information on this site and the products and services offered are not intended for distribution to any person in any country or jurisdiction where such distribution or use would be contrary to local law or regulation. Vantage Global Prime LLP trading under Vantage, is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. FRN: 590299 and its principal place of business is at 7 Bell Yard, London WC2A 2JR, UK. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2351143/Vantage_UK_receives__Best_CFD_Broker_Global__Award_2024.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1745281/Vantage_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/vantage-uk-receives-best-cfd-broker-global-award-for-2024-302075495.html KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 29, 2024 - (ACN Newswire) - Hektar Asset Management Sdn Bhd (Hektar Asset Management), the Manager for Hektar Real Estate Investment Trust (Hektar REIT) is pleased to announce that the Company is a proud recipient of two Awards at the esteemed Malaysia Top Achievers 2023 (MATA 2023), Sustainable Company of the Year Award to Hektar REIT, and Leadership Excellence in REIT Management Award to Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer Johari Shukri Jamil.En. Johari Shukri Jamil, Executive Director & CEO of Hektar Asset Management said, "We are truly humbled and honoured to receive both the Sustainable Company of the Year award and Leadership Excellence in REIT Management award from MATA 2023. We owe the recognitions to our incredible team, whose commitment and tireless dedication led us to these awards. It reaffirms our dedication to integrating sustainability into every aspect of our operations."He further added, "The conferment of the Sustainable Company of the Year award to Hektar REIT is a testament to the REIT's industry-leading initiatives and its steadfast commitment to sustainability and community support. This prestigious recognition is expected to further solidify Hektar REIT's reputation as a socially responsible entity and a key player in Malaysia's journey towards sustainable development."At Hektar REIT, we believe in the power of responsible business practices to create shared value for all our stakeholders, from our tenants and employees to our shareholders and the communities we serve. Today's awards serve as both an honour and a motivation for our team to continue pushing the boundaries in sustainability and corporate social responsibility. We remain committed to our vision of not only achieving business growth but also making a positive impact on society and the environment."A joint venture between The Leaders Online and My Events International, the MATA 2023 celebrates the commendable achievements of local businesses and individuals who have showcased excellence and exceptional performance across various sectors.This year's event places a strong emphasis in promoting home-grown talents and inspiring local enterprises to achieve international recognition through their outstanding products and services in 28 categories. Some of the distinctive awards of the night included Icon of The Year, Masterclass Woman Achiever of The Year and Entrepreneur of The Year.Source: Hektar REITCopyright 2024 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved. SINGAPORE, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Group-IB, a leading creator of cybersecurity technologies to investigate, prevent, and fight digital crime, is proud to announce the launch of its new report Hi-Tech Crime Trends 2023/2024 , the latest edition of the company's annual round-up of the most pressing global cyber threats to organizations and individuals. In the research, Group-IB analysts reveal how the unholy alliance between ransomware groups and Initial Access Brokers (IABs) is still the powerful engine for cybercriminal industry, evidenced by the 74% year-on-year increase in the number of companies that had their data uploaded on dedicated leak sites (DLS). Global threat actors also demonstrated increased interest in Apple platforms, exemplified by the fivefold increase in underground sales related to macOS information stealers. The growing appetite of nation-state sponsored threat actors, also known as advanced persistent threat (APT) groups, has shown that no region is immune to cyber threats. Group-IB experts discovered a 70% increase in the number of public posts offering zero-day exploits for sale, and also identified cybercriminals' malicious use of legitimate services and artificial intelligence (AI) infused technologies as the main cyber risks for 2024. The first edition of Hi-Tech Crime Trends was launched 12 years ago, and the information contained in the report enables businesses, NGOs, governments, and law enforcement agencies around the world to fight cybercrime and help potential victims. For the first time, Hi-Tech Crime Trends includes a section outlining the intricate relationship between artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity threats, outlining how this new technology is being leveraged by cybercriminals, including the misuse of large language models (LLM) such as ChatGPT, and the potential risks to corporate data through AI integration. Nothing artificial about this threat Threat actors have already shown how AI can help them develop malware only with a limited knowledge of programming languages, brainstorm new TTPs, compose convincing text to be used in social engineering attacks, and also increase their operational productivity. Large language models (LLM) such as ChatGPT remain in widespread use, and Group-IB analysts have observed continued interest on underground forums in ChatGPT jailbreaking and specialized generative pre-trained transformer (GPT) development, looking for ways to bypass ChatGPT's security controls. Group-IB experts have also noticed how, since mid-2023, four ChatGPT-style tools have been developed for the purpose of assisting cybercriminal activity: WolfGPT, DarkBARD, FraudGPT, and WormGPT - all with different functionalities. FraudGPT and WormGPT are highly discussed tools on underground forums and Telegram channels, tailored for social engineering and phishing. Conversely, tools like WolfGPT, focusing on code or exploits, are less popular due to training complexities and usability issues. Yet, their advancement poses risks for sophisticated attacks. Group-IB's Hi-Tech Crime Trends 2023/2024 also highlighted the sale of compromised ChatGPT credentials on the dark web, building upon past research . With more employees relying on ChatGPT for work optimization and its storage of past interactions, compromised logins could expose sensitive information, posing significant security risks for businesses. From January 2023 to October 2023, Group-IB detected more than 225,000 logs up for sale on the dark web containing compromised ChatGPT credentials. Group-IB's Threat Intelligence platform found these compromised credentials within the logs of information-stealing malware traded on illicit dark web marketplaces. Notably, the number of compromised hosts with access to ChatGPT detected by Threat Intelligence between June 2023 and October 2023 was more than 130,000, an increase of 36% compared to the preceding five-month period (January-May 2023). The number of available logs containing ChatGPT logs peaked in the final month of the study - in October 2023 - when 33,080 were registered. Group-IB's analysis found that the majority of the logs containing ChatGPT accounts were breached by the LummaC2 information stealer. Double trouble: ransomware gangs and initial access brokers wreak havoc Group-IB's Threat Intelligence unit constantly monitors all ransomware activity and detected 4,583 companies that had their information, files, and data published on ransomware DLSs in 2023. This marks a growth of 74% compared to the previous year, when 2,629 such posts were made. Group-IB researchers note that the number of total ransomware attacks worldwide is likely to be much larger, with probable instances of organizations paying the ransom or groups deciding not to go ahead with their threat of publishing data on a DLS. Companies based in North America most commonly appeared in the DLS posts of ransomware groups, accounting for 2,487 (or 54%) of the annual total, and more than double the corresponding figure in 2022 (1,192 companies). Roughly 26% of posts on ransomware DLSs related to companies from Europe (1,186, up 52% YoY) and 10% were from the APAC region (463, up 39% YoY). The United States was the most common target for ransomware groups, as 1,060 US-based companies were the subject of ransomware DLS posts in 2023. The next most affected countries were Germany (129), Canada (115), France (103), and Italy (100). In terms of affected industries, attacks as per ransomware DLS on manufacturing (580 instances) and real estate (429) companies rose year-on-year by 125% and 165%, respectively, and these key sectors were the two most targeted worldwide. Notably, Group-IB observed a 88% year-on-year increase in ransomware DLS posts related to healthcare companies, and a 65% rise in posts concerning government and military organizations. Throughout the reporting period, Group-IB experts uncovered 27 new advertisements for ransomware-as-a-service programs on dark web forums, including well-known groups such as Qilin , as well as other collectives that have yet to be seen in the wild. As was the case in 2022, LockBit was 2023's most prominent ransomware-as-a-service group with 1,079 posts on its DLS (24% of the annual total). In second place was BlackCat with 427 posts (9% of annual total) and third was Clop (385 posts or 9%). Researchers also found that Initial Access Brokers (IABs) are continuing to play a significant role in the ransomware market. In 2023, they found 2,675 instances of corporate put up for sale - almost an identical figure compared with 2022, when 2,702 offers were found. Notably, Group-IB data shows that the average price for corporate access in 2023 was $2,470, which represents a 27% reduction compared to the preceding year. Group-IB analysts believe that this drop in average price is due to a rise in the number of new sellers entering the market that have lowered the price of their offers in order to attract buyers. Companies in the United States (29%), the United Kingdom (4%) andBrazil (4%) were the most commonly featured in IAB offers. Professional services, government and military organizations, financial services, manufacturing, and real estate were the verticals that appeared most frequently. APTitude test Group-IB researchers discovered that the Asia-Pacific region was the world's main battleground for nation-state sponsored threat actors, also known as advanced persistent threat (APT) groups last year. In sum, Group-IB attributed 523 attacks to nation-state actors across the globe in 2023. Attacks on APAC organizations accounted for 34% of the global total, with Group-IB experts asserting that this may be due to the high level of financial technology development in this global economic hub in addition to geopolitical tensions. Europe was the second-most targeted region, accounting for 22% of all APT attacks, and the Middle East and Africa (MEA) was third (16% of APT attacks in 2023). Unsurprisingly, government and military entities were the prime target of APT attacks in 2023, accounting for 28% of the annual figure. This strengthens the theory of Group-IB's Threat Intelligence unit that APT actors are predominantly striving to gain access to strategically important evidence and weaken government entities in their country or region of target. Financial services (6%), telecommunications (5%), manufacturing, IT and media (all 4%) were also heavily affected, Group-IB researchers found. In the past year, prominent APT groups, including the North Korean collective Lazarus, launched new tactics. Lazarus executed the first-ever double supply chain attack, exploiting a vulnerability in X_TRADER, a software by Trading Technologies. This allowed access to the network of the widely-used 3CX Desktop App for VoIP calls, compromising a wide range of 3CX clients . Group-IB researchers also noted APT groups' ongoing malicious use of legitimate services like Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive, and messengers like Telegram. Turbulence ahead In 2023, cyber threats shifted focus from Windows and Android to Apple platforms due to their rising popularity and market share, with iOS becoming increasingly targeted. Malware spread through the App Store, alongside increased use of Apple cloud services, contributed to this trend. By March 6, 2024, Apple is expected to allow third-party app stores for iOS apps in Europe, posing security concerns amidst 1.7 million app rejections in 2022. Threat actors have already adapted Android schemes to iOS, exemplified by GoldFactory and the GoldPickaxe.iOS malware - ?ctive in Thailand and Vietnam - which prompts victims to record videos of their faces and submit them to the threat actors, which could be used by the latter to gain unauthorized access to the victim's banking accounts. Additionally, the number of sales posts on the most popular underground forums (xss[.]is and exploit[.]in) for information stealers designed to operate on macOS increased fivefold in 2023, from 8 in 2022 to 49. Javascript sniffers, also known as malicious JavaScript code implanted in compromised websites designed to intercept payment card details from customers who make online transactions, are also likely to pose a risk to online store owners, consumers, and banks in 2024. Group-IB researchers discovered 5,037 websites compromised with JS-sniffers in 2023, of which 2,474 were unique. A total of 14 new JS-sniffer families were also discovered in 2023, highlighting the continued development of this threat. "As highlighted by Group-IB's Hi-Tech Crime Trends 2023/2024 report, the rise of AI in both legitimate businesses and the cybercriminal underworld was a critical trend of 2023. With the increased misuse of ChatGPT and the development of underground LLM tools, the potential for sophisticated attacks has escalated, compounded by the alarming surge in compromised ChatGPT credentials. This along with cybercriminals' increased interest in malware designed for macOS demonstrates that it is imperative for organizations to recognize and address this evolving threat landscape, safeguarding sensitive information and fortifying cybersecurity measures to mitigate risks posed by AI-driven cybercrime,"Dmitry Volkov, CEO at Group-IB, said. A full round-up of the top global threats and invaluable insights from the Group-IB Threat Intelligence unit can be found in the full Hi-Tech Crime Trends 2023/2024 report. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2351198/HTCT_2324.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/group-ib-reveals-hi-tech-crime-trends-2324-surge-in-ransomware-against-backdrop-of-growing-ai-macos-threats-302075564.html MEXICO CITY (dpa-AFX) - President Joe Biden will travel to the US-Mexico border on Thursday with a focus on immigration issues. While in Brownsville, Texas, he will meet with Border Patrol agents, law enforcement officials, frontline personnel, and local leaders, according to the White House. At 4.05 PM ET, the President will receive an operational briefing by officials from the Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Citizens and Immigration Services, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. After that Biden will deliver remarks to highlight the need for Congress to pass the bipartisan border security agreement that was passed by the Senate, but pending approval by the Republican-dominated House. The Senate has approved the revised version of the $95.34 billion national security supplemental package after excluding the bipartisan border policy changes agreed to by negotiators and border funding. The Bill includes about $20 billion of funding for the US-Mexico border wall construction and allows the US to shut down the border when crossings hit a certain threshold. More than 6.3 million migrants have been detained crossing into the United States illegally under the Biden administration's term. Copyright(c) 2024 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Oakville, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - February 29, 2024) - FendX Technologies Inc. (CSE: FNDX) (OTCQB: FDXTF) (FSE: E8D) (the "Company" or "FendX"), a nanotechnology company developing surface protection coatings to reduce the spread of pathogens, announces it will be presenting at the Emerging Growth Conference on March 7, 2024. This live, interactive online event will give existing shareholders and the investment community the opportunity to interact with the Company's CEO, Dr. Carolyn Myers in real time. Dr. Carolyn Myers will give a presentation and will subsequently open the floor for questions. Please submit your questions in advance to Questions@EmergingGrowth.com or ask your questions during the event and Dr. Carolyn Myers will do her best to get through as many of them as possible. FendX will be presenting at 9:40 AM EST for 30 minutes. Please register here to ensure you are able to attend the conference and receive any updates that are released. If attendees are not able to join the event live on the day of the conference, an archived webcast will also be made available on EmergingGrowth.com and on the Emerging Growth YouTube Channel, http://www.YouTube.com/EmergingGrowthConference. A link will be released to that after the event. The Company also announces that it has engaged the services of Independent Trading Group (ITG), Inc. ("ITG") on February 28, 2024 to provide services as a market maker in compliance with the policies and guidelines of the Canadian Securities Exchange and other applicable legislation. ITG will receive a fee of $6,000 plus applicable taxes per month. The agreement between the Company and ITG is for a term of two (2) months and may be renewed for subsequent periods of one (1) month if mutually agreed to in writing at least five (5) business days prior the end of the month unless the Company or ITG provides thirty (30) day written notice of termination to the other party. No stock options or other compensation are being granted in connection with the engagement. ITG and its clients may acquire an interest in the securities of the Company. ITG is an arm's length party to the Company. ITG's market making activity will be primarily to contribute to market liquidity of the Company's shares and/or correct temporary imbalances in the supply and demand of the Company's shares. ITG will be responsible for the costs it incurs in buying and selling the Company's shares, and no third party will be providing funds or securities for the market making activities. About the Emerging Growth Conference The Emerging Growth conference is an effective way for public companies to present and communicate their new products, services and other major announcements to the investment community from the convenience of their office, in a time efficient manner. The Conference focus and coverage includes companies in a wide range of growth sectors, with strong management teams, innovative products & services, focused strategy, execution, and the overall potential for long term growth. Its audience includes potentially tens of thousands of Individual and Institutional investors, as well as Investment advisors and analysts. All sessions will be conducted through video webcasts and will take place in the Eastern time zone. About FendX Technologies Inc. FendX is a Canada-based nanotechnology company focused on developing products to make people's lives safer by reducing the spread of pathogens. The Company is developing both film and spray products to protect surfaces from contamination. The lead product under development, REPELWRAP film, is a protective surface coating film that, due to its repelling properties, prevents the adhesion of pathogens and reduces their transmission on surfaces prone to contamination. The spray nanotechnology is a bifunctional spray coating being developed to reduce contamination on surfaces by repelling and killing pathogens. The Company is conducting research and development activities using its nanotechnology in collaboration with industry-leading partners, including McMaster University. The Company has an exclusive worldwide license to its technology and IP portfolio from McMaster, which encompass both film and spray coating nanotechnology formulations. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD "Carolyn Myers" Carolyn Myers Chief Executive Officer and Director Contacts: Dr. Carolyn Myers, CEO and Director 1-800-344-9868 Alyssa Barry, Investor Relations 1-833-947-5227 investor@fendxtech.com For more information, please visit https://fendxtech.com/ and the Company's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor the Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, including with respect to: the plans of the Company; and products under development and any pathogen reduction benefits related thereto. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts; they are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "projects," "aims," "potential," "goal," "objective," "prospective," and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will," "would," "may," "can," "could" or "should" occur, or are those statements, which, by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions that forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made and involve several risks and uncertainties. Consequently, there can be no assurances that such statements will prove to be accurate and that actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause future results to differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements include: product candidates only being in formulation/reformulation stages; limited operating history; research and development activities; dependence on collaborative partners, licensors and others; effect of general economic and political conditions; and other risk factors set forth in the Company's public filings which are available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Accordingly, the reader is urged to refer to the Company's such filings for a more complete discussion of such risk factors and their potential effects. Except to the extent required by applicable securities laws and the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors should change. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/199771 SOURCE: FendX Technologies Inc. Singapore, Singapore--(Newsfile Corp. - February 29, 2024) - Silence Laboratories is on a mission to create infrastructure to enable complex data collaborations between enterprises and entities, without any sensitive information being exposed to the other engaging parties. Silence Laboratories announced today that it has raised an additional $4.1 million in a funding round led by Pi Ventures and Kira Studio, along with several prominent angel investors. Silence Laboratories team is on a mission to enable a global privacy-compliant collaboration infrastructure. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8814/199823_30283c8854660b26_002full.jpg Leveraging modern cryptography, the company already has one of the fastest distributed signature (authorization) libraries in production (Silent Shard), which has been audited by some of the best security auditing companies like Trail of Bits. These libraries have led to the establishment of strong partnerships with leading digital asset infrastructure and protocol companies like BitGo, MetaMask, EigenLayer, Biconomy, and EasyCrypto. Products on offer by the company include Silent Shard which allows enterprises and users to limit the risk of exposing sensitive private keys and allows advanced authorisation rules to be put in place. Additionally, the newly launched Silent Compute product allows different organisations to collaborate on processing information without needing to expose their secrets and data to third parties and enrich insights while maintaining compliance and trust. Both the products uses multi-party computation (MPC) as its core cryptographic primitives. Commenting on the announcement, Silence Laboratories CEO and founder, Dr. Jay Prakash, said: "In today's digital ecosystem, trust, and privacy are not merely options but imperatives for sustainable growth. With this new injection of funds, Silence Laboratories is poised to redefine privacy by enabling businesses to fully embrace the power of AI while rigorously protecting their most vital asset - customer trust. Our privacy-enhancing technologies assure that collaboration and innovation can flourish in an environment where the confidentiality and integrity of data are uncompromised." With the market for privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs) growing globally at a compound annual growth rate of 26.6%, there is growing demand for Silence Laboratories offering to provide mathematical guarantees for techno-legal expectations. This would allow companies to work together on processing data, without needing to share data with the other party - allowing more sectors to benefit from new technology, with less risk. Shubham Sandeep, Managing Director Pi Ventures, commented: "Secure data collaboration to enable privacy preserving compute is an ever growing problem especially in highly regulated domains such as finance and healthcare. This requires solutions based on zero trust cryptographic guarantees instead of relying on third party data vendors who are prone to security breaches. The MPC infrastructure developed by the world class team at Silence Laboratories is among the fastest, easily configurable, application agnostic, and fully controllable by the user. We are excited to double down on our investment as we have seen the fantastic progress of the company over the last 18 months." The funding will be used to scale the company's tech & business teams and enrich the company's robust R&D pipeline. Founded in 2021 by Dr. Jay Prakash (CEO), Dr. Andrei Bytes (CTO) and Dr. Tony Quek; the firm has also recently been expanding its global leadership team across cryptography, infrastructure business and engineering. About the company: Started in 2021 by Dr. Jay Prakash (CEO) and Dr. Andrei Bytes (CTO), Silence Laboratories is a privacy tech company that enables enterprises to adopt privacy-enhancing technologies through a unique fusion of cryptography and security engineering. Their mission is to enable a global privacy-compliant collaboration infrastructure that would enable enterprises to collaborate, and exchange inferences while removing all single points of failure. The company has been founded by a strong technical and business team, including PhDs and researchers with previous affiliations at top-ranked universities, globally top-ranked Capture The Flag (CTF) teams, and leading tech companies. Learn more about their work: https://silencelaboratories.com. Contact Info: Name: Bilal Mahmood Email: bilal@stockwoodstrategy.com Organization: Silence Laboratories Website: https://www.silencelaboratories.com/ To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/199823 SOURCE: Plentisoft Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 29, 2024) - Benjamin Hill Mining Corp. (CSE: BNN) (OTCQB: BNNHF) (FSE: 5YZ0) ("Company") is pleased to announce assay results from the inaugural diamond drill holes that intercepted 211.65 metres of 0.46 grams/tonne gold in extensive porphyry style mineralization at the Alotta gold-copper-molybdenum target in the west-central Yukon (Table #1). Table: 1 Hole Number From (m) To (m) Interval * (m) Au (g/t) Cu (%) ALT-23-01 7.35 219.00 211.65 0.46 0.02 including 97.55 120.00 22.45 1.20 0.02 including 104.97 105.61 0.64 9.94 0.32 ALT-23-02 62.86 162.00 99.14 0.30 0.02 * Posted intervals are core lengths, the orientation of mineralization is not known at this time. Holes ALT-23-01 and ALT-23-02 tested the south-central portion of an induced polarization, chargeability high with coincident copper and gold in soil anomalies. The drill program is expected to recommence in May 2024 and will focus on three areas of coincident copper, molybdenum and gold in soil geochemical anomalies that indicate potential centers of porphyry mineralization. Lorne Warner, President states: "We are very excited to see such positive drill results from our maiden drilling campaign at Alotta. We were initially attracted to the project for the sheer size of the geochemical anomaly, and I am pleased to see that our thesis has been reinforced by our maiden drill program. Planning has commenced for follow-up drilling this summer." Russell Ball, Strategic Advisor to the Company added: "This is a very encouraging result from the first two reconnaissance holes at Alotta. With a coincident gold-copper-molybdenum geochemical footprint of over four-square kilometres, Alotta has the potential to be a company-maker. I look forward to working with the Company on the follow-up drilling program this summer." Holes ALT-23-001 and 002 Both holes exhibited multiple intrusive phases including intrusive breccias displaying strong biotite alteration, carbonate veining and pyrrhotite, pyrite, chalcopyrite and molybdenite mineralization as interstitial clots and stringers. Figure # 1 is a cross-section of hole ALT-23-01 which includes geology and gold and copper values and the composite intervals. Table 2 provides the collar coordinates, orientation, and final depth for both holes. Figure 1: Cross Section of ALT-23-01 To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8680/199824_c2c05163a491daf5_001full.jpg Figure 2: Hole ALT-23-001 at 17m depth To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8680/199824_c2c05163a491daf5_002full.jpg Table 2: Collar coordinates, orientation, and final depth Hole Name North East Elevation (m) Azimuth Dip Length (m) ALT-23-001 6915860 623620 1006 315 -60 424 ALT-23-002 6915860 623620 1006 045 -65 420 About Benjamin Hill Mining Corp. Benjamin Hill Mining Corp. is a Canadian-listed junior exploration company focused on exploring and advancing the Alotta project, a prospective porphyry copper-gold-molybdenum project located 50 km south of the Casino porphyry deposit in the unglaciated portion of the Dawson Range porphyry/epithermal belt in the Yukon Territory of Canada. In addition, the Company holds a 20% interest in Aion Mining Corp., a company that is developing the fully permitted La Estrella coal project in Santander, Colombia. The project contains eight known seams of metallurgical and thermal coal. QA/QC Drill core sample preparation and multi-element analyses were carried out at ALS in Whitehorse, Yukon and North Vancouver, BC, respectively. Each sample was dried, fine crushed to better than 70% passing 2 mm and then a 250 g split was pulverized to better than 85% passing 75 microns. The fine fractions were analyzed for gold by fire assay fusion and inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (Au-ICP21) and for 51 other elements using aqua regia digestion followed by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy followed by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ME-MS41). Rigorous procedures were in place regarding sample collection, chain of custody and data entry. Certified assay standards, coarse reject duplicates and blanks were routinely inserted into the sample stream to ensure integrity of the assay process. All of the results reported have passed the QAQC screening. Qualified Person Lorne Warner, P.Geo, and President of Benjamin Hill Mining Corp. is a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical disclosure in this news release. On behalf of the Board of Directors "Cole McClay", CEO Benjamin Hill Mining Corp. info@benjaminhillmining.com Forward-Looking Statements Certain of the statements made and information contained herein may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, information concerning the Company's intentions with respect to the development of its mineral properties. Forward-looking information is based on the views, opinions, intentions and estimates of management at the date the information is made, and is based on a number of assumptions and subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated or projected in the forward-looking information (including the actions of other parties who have agreed to do certain things and the approval of certain regulatory bodies). Many of these assumptions are based on factors and events that are not within the control of the Company and there is no assurance they will prove to be correct. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by applicable securities laws, or to comment on analyses, expectations or statements made by third parties in respect of the Company, its financial or operating results or its securities. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. We seek safe harbor. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/199824 SOURCE: Benjamin Hill Mining Corp. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 29, 2024) - Nexus Uranium Corp. (CSE: NEXU) (OTCQB: GIDMF) (FSE: 3H1) (the "Company" or "Nexus") is pleased to announce it has acquired a significant historical data set covering its Wray Mesa uranium project in Utah, USA. The database includes results from extensive historical exploration by Atlas Minerals in the 1970's and 1980's covering the Wray Mesa project and surrounding area. The acquisition of the database was facilitated by the project optionor, Basin Uranium Corp., with the acquisition and analysis costs counting towards the Company's exploration expenditure requirements under the option agreement for the project. "The acquisition of this extensive historical database not only accelerates our understanding and exploration model for the project, but is also expected to allow us to table a NI 43-101 resource estimate," commented Jeremy Poirier, CEO of Nexus Uranium Corp. "Our team is currently compiling and integrating the historical results into our exploration plans for the project and look to provide a summary of the drilling and historical resource estimate once verified." The Wray Mesa project is comprised of 6,282 acres and has seen extensive historical exploration dating back to the 1980's with over 500 holes drilled outlining four principal mineralized zones: Dylan, Ajax, Whiskey and Carlin. Mineralization on the property occurs at depths of 500 to 750 feet with the drill-defined mineralization ranging from 25 to 75 feet. Mineralization is typical sandstone-hosted tabular deposits wherein the uranium occurs in reduced and altered sandstones and sandstone-mudstones in major stream channels in the Upper Salt Wash Member of the Morrison Formation. The Company also announces that it has renewed its arm's length marketing agreement with Sideways Frequency LLC ("SFLLC"), originally dated December 18, 2023. The renewed agreement (the "Marketing Agreement") is effective March 4th, 2024 and will continue until April 5th, 2024. As consideration for SFLLC's marketing and investor awareness services (the "Services"), the Company has agreed to pay SFLLC a fee of $150,000 (USD) for a term of one month (the "Term"). The Company may elect to renew the agreement at any point during the Term. The Services will include, but are not limited to, email campaigns, native advertising, display ads, lead generation, creation of content, strategic planning, digital advertisement placement, and overseeing progress and results of digital campaigns. Consideration offered to SFLLC does not include any securities of the Company. Aside from previous engagements, the Company does not have any relationship with SFLLC and Mr. Wesley De Souza, CEO of SFLLC. About Sideways Frequency LLC SFLLC is a limited liability company existing under the laws of the State of Utah. SFLLC is in the business of preparing, from publicly available information, advertisements consisting of profiles overviewing publicly traded companies, running marketing campaigns including pay-per-click (PPC) marketing, email marketing, native advertising, and display ads, and maintaining or updating clients' websites as the client sees fit. SFLLC's business address is 1389 Center Drive, Suite 200, Park City, Utah, 84098. SFLLC can be contacted by email at info@sidewaysfrequency.com. About Nexus Uranium Corp. Nexus Uranium Corp. is a multi-commodity development company focused on advancing the Wray Mesa uranium-vanadium project in Utah in addition to its precious metals portfolio that includes the development-stage Independence mine located adjacent to Nevada Gold Mine's Phoenix-Fortitude mine in Nevada, the Napoleon gold project in British Columbia, and a package of gold claims in the Yukon. The Wray Mesa project covers 6,282 acres within the heart of the prolific Uruvan mining district in Utah and has extensive historical drilling of over 500 holes defining multiple mineralized zones. The Independence project hosts an M&I (measured and indicated) resource of 334,300 ounces of gold (28M tonnes at 0.41 g/t gold) and an inferred resource of 847,000 ounces (9M tonnes at 3.22 g/t gold) of gold with a substantial silver credit. A 2021 Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) outlined a low-cost heap leach operation focusing on the near-surface resource with total production of 195,443 ounces of gold at an all-in sustaining cost of $1,078 (U.S.) per ounce of gold. The Napoleon project comprises over 1,000 hectares and prospective for multiple forms of gold mineralization, with exploration in the area dating back to the 1970s with the discovery of high-grade gold. The Yukon gold projects are comprised of almost 8,000 hectares of quartz claims prospective for high-grade gold mineralization with historical grab sampling highlights of 144 g/t gold. Nexus Uranium cautions investors the preliminary economic assessment on the Independence project is preliminary in nature, it includes inferred mineral resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves, and there is no certainty that the preliminary economic assessment will be realized. The Company further cautions investors mineral resources which are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability and further cautions investors the quantity and grade of the reported inferred mineral resources are uncertain in nature and there has been insufficient exploration to define these inferred mineral resources as indicated mineral resources. The Company cautions investors it has yet to verify the historical data and further cautions investors grab samples are selective by nature and are unlikely to represent average grades of sampling on the entire property. -- FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: Jeremy Poirier Chief Executive Officer info@nexusuranium.com This press release contains forward-looking information (within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation) that involves various risks and uncertainties regarding future events. Such forward-looking information includes statements based on current expectations of management made in light of management's experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments. Forward-looking information is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties and, as such, forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance of the Company. Forward-looking information in this news release includes, without limitation, statements regarding the publication of a mineral resource estimate for the Wray Mesa project and the future exploration and development potential of the Wray Mesa project. There are numerous risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking information in this news release, including without limitation, inherent risks associated with the mining industry and the results of exploration activities and development of mineral properties, stock market volatility and capital market fluctuations, general market and industry conditions, as well as those risk factors discussed in the Company's most recently filed management's discussion & analysis. Actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. This forward-looking information is based on estimates and opinions of management on the date hereof and is expressly qualified by this notice. Risks and uncertainties about the Company's business are more fully discussed in the Company's disclosure materials filed with the securities regulatory authorities in Canada at www.sedar.com. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking information or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from such information unless required by applicable law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/199827 SOURCE: Nexus Uranium Corp. From 8 to 10 October, companies from the fruit and vegetable industry will once again have a date at the world's leading event for the marketing of fruit and vegetables. I WANT TO EXHIBIT MADRID, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ --Fruit Attraction, organised by IFEMA MADRID and FEPEX, is hosting its 16th edition between the 8th and 10th October. Under the slogan "Discover the essence of the sector", the major trade event for the fruit and vegetable industry is opening its application period for all companies in the industry worldwide wishing to participate. After the resounding success of the last edition, Fruit Attraction 2024 returns stronger and more vibrant than ever, offering proposals to the entire industry that contribute to boosting and facilitating its commercial interaction. Fruit Attraction will occupy more than 65,000 sq. m of exhibition area across 9 halls: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 at IFEMA MADRID, showcasing products, solutions, new varieties and formats, research, trends and innovations of over 2,000 participating companies. The extensive offering will be distributed into four specialised areas: Fresh Produce, Related Industry, Fresh Food Logistics and Innova&Tech. In addition, the avocado will be the star product of 2024. On this occasion, the powerful International Buyers Programme, supported as in previous editions by ICEX and its commercial offices abroad, will once again be joined by the Guest Importing Countries initiative, with China andSaudi Arabia taking centre stage. This action will foster international trade relations at the event, complemented by a full programme of roundtable discussions, guided tours of the trade fair and B2B sessions. Madrid, once again assuming the role of fruit and vegetable capital of the world, will welcome more than 1,000 buyers, retail purchasing managers, importers and wholesalers from around the world. As is now customary, the trade event will serve as a knowledge hub for the fruit and vegetable industry, offering a full programme of technical conferences featuring diverse content and high-calibre participants and speakers. Among the highlights of Fruit Attraction are Grape Attraction, Biofruit Congress, The Fresh Food Logistics Summit, along with the Innovation Hub and Factoria Chef. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2349069/Fruit_Attraction_1.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2349068/Fruit_Attraction_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/fruit-attraction-2024-invites-global-participation-302073085.html Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. HONG KONG, Feb 29, 2024 - (ACN Newswire) - The 40th Hong Kong International Jewellery Show, organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), opened today at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) and will run for five days, until Monday, 4 March. The 10th Hong Kong International Diamond, Gem and Pearl Show opened on Tuesday (27 February) at AsiaWorld-Expo and runs until Saturday, 2 March. The twin jewellery shows return in the Two Shows, Two Venues format for the first time since the pandemic, attracting over 4,000 exhibitors from 44 countries and regions, and over 100 buyer missions from 65 countries and regions.Sophia Chong, Deputy Executive Director of the HKTDC, said: "This year is an important milestone for the twin jewellery shows. The Hong Kong International Jewellery Show is now in its 40th edition, and it's encouraging to see that the scale of the two shows has greatly exceeded last year's. The Gala Dinner held tonight will be themed Be Part of the Splendid Legacy and we hope to celebrate this milestone with international jewellery industry representatives and buyers, and we look forward to co-creating more remarkable legends together in the future."The Hong Kong International Jewellery Show features 18 geographic and industry pavilions supported by jewellery trade associations and organisations from all over the world, including the Japan Jewellery Association, Japan Pearl Exporters' Association and the Asia Pacific Creator Association. The Hong Kong Jewellery & Jade Manufacturers' Association and Italian Exhibition Group S.p.A. also continue their partnership in organising the T-Gold+METS pavilion focusing on jewellery manufacturing machinery.The Show contains 18 zones, including the Hall of Extraordinary reserved for the most exquisite, valuable and unique jewellery masterpieces; the Hall of Fame dedicated to creations from world-renowned brands; Designer Galleria showcasing trendy designer pieces targeting a younger yet quality-conscious market; and World of Glamour featuring a stage where Hong Kong's jewellers can shine at their brightest. Some of the highlighted products are listed below:Jewellery industry celebrates 40th edition milestoneThe Jewellery Gala Dinner will be held this evening hosting international jewellery industry representatives and buyers, to celebrate the milestone of the 40th edition of the Hong Kong International Jewellery Show. A cocktail reception will be held before the dinner to provide an industry networking session with two jewellery parades, including a showcase of the winning pieces in Chuk Kam Jewellery Design Competition organised by The Jewellers' and Goldsmiths' Association of Hong Kong Limited, and an exhibitors' parade featuring a selection of diamonds, pearls and jewellery.Download HKTDC Marketplace App for pre-registration and authentication for fast accessTo facilitate buyers' admission, the HKTDC Marketplace App and official websites of the two shows launched an online self-authentication function. Buyers can download the HKTDC Marketplace App and register through the App by uploading their photos and valid documents for instant authentication to obtain a verified buyer e-badge for direct admission, which will greatly reduce queuing and waiting time on-site.Photos download: https://bit.ly/3Te2jRPWebsites:Hong Kong International Jewellery Show: https://www.hktdc.com/event/hkjewellery/enHong Kong International Diamond, Gem & Pearl Show: https://www.hktdc.com/event/hkdgp/enSelected Products: https://bit.ly/3wvmX71Shuttle Bus Arrangement: https://www.hktdc.com/event/hkdgp/en/travel-to-fairground-awehttps://www.hktdc.com/event/hkjewellery/en/travel-to-fairground-hkcecActivity list: https://www.hktdc.com/event/hkjewellery/tc/intelligence-hubHKTDC Media Room: http://mediaroom.hktdc.comMedia enquiriesPlease contact the HKTDC's Communications & Public Affairs Department:Jane CheungTel: (852) 2584 4137Email: jane.mh.cheung@hktdc.orgClayton LauwTel: (852) 2584 4472Email: clayton.y.lauw@hktdc.orgHKTDC Media Room: http://mediaroom.hktdc.comTo view press releases in Chinese, please visit http://mediaroom.hktdc.com/tcAbout HKTDCThe Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body established in 1966 to promote, assist and develop Hong Kong's trade. With 50 offices globally, including 13 in Mainland China, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a two-way global investment and business hub. The HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to create business opportunities for companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), in the mainland and international markets. The HKTDC also provides up-to-date market insights and product information via research reports and digital news channels. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Twitter @hktdc and LinkedInSource: HKTDCCopyright 2024 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved. BARCELONA, Spain, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Infinix, a trendy tech brand crafted for young consumers, is thrilled to announce its selection as a winner of the Best of MWC 2024 awards from multiple news outlets after showcasing its groundbreaking new flagship-level gaming technology at ShowStoppers MWC 2024, the official networking event partner for Mobile World Congress. This new concept gaming technology is set to redefine the mobile gaming experience with its cutting-edge smartphone gaming technology enhanced by AI. "We are overjoyed to have pushed the boundaries of mobile gaming technology to unprecedented heights at MWC. The tremendous honor of winning the esteemed Best of MWC 2024 awards from globally renowned media outlets underscores our unwavering dedication and passion to deliver the cutting-edge mobile gaming technology that captivates and inspires young professional gamers worldwide. This recognition reaffirms our commitment to continuously bring forth the most innovative and exhilarating gaming experiences for the next generation of gamers," said Tony Zhao, General Manager of Infinix. The new technology has surpassed AnTuTu benchmarks with a score of an unprecedented 2,215,639. This achievement is made possible by integrating the MediaTek Dimensity 9300 chipset, a world-class self-developed CoolMax system, and an AI management platform. These innovations work seamlessly together to ensure users enjoy the best possible mobile gaming experience. Infinix has also showcased its industry-leading technologies, such as Infinix AirCharge, Infinix E-Color Shift, and Extreme-Temp Battery, which have amazed global audiences and the press. Infinix's Flagship-Level Mobile Gaming Innovation Steals the Show at ShowStoppers MWC 2024 Infinix proudly received the esteemed Gadgety Awards, recognizing the best and most cutting-edge consumer electronics in the world. This award, titled Best of Showstopper MWC 2024, was bestowed upon Infinix's first dual-core flagship mobile gaming concept technology, showcasing their commitment to pushing the boundaries of mobile gaming. Additionally, Infinix's groundbreaking technology received another notable award from GadgetMatch, a top-tier technology media outlet, for 'Best of MWC 2024'. Infinix has also received other notable media awards, including: TrustedReviews' Best in Show MWC 2024 for Infinix's E-Color Shift Technology Yanko Design's Best of MWC 2024 for Infinix E-Color Shift Technology FoneArena's Best Product of MWC 2024 for Infinix AirCharge Mashable Middle East's Best of MWC 2024: Best Phone for Infinix E-Color Shift Technology For more details visit: http://www.infinixmobility.com/ About Infinix: In?nix Mobility is a rapidly emerging technology brand that designs, manufactures and markets an expanding portfolio of smart devices worldwide under the In?nix brand, which was founded in 2013. Targeting today's youth with ?rst in class technology, In?nix creates trendy, powerful and attainably priced smart devices that bring the latest technology on the market to users around the world at a time when they need it at a price that they want. For more information, please visit: http://www.infinixmobility.com/ Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2351258/image_5019905_33867804.jpg Logo - https:// mma.prnewswire.com/media/2316423/Infinix_Logo.jpg View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/infinixs-flagship-mobile-gaming-innovation-steals-the-show-wins-multiple-best-of-mwc-2024-awards-302075646.html NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES, AUSTRALIA, CANADA, JAPAN, NEW ZEALAND, SOUTH AFRICA OR ANY OTHER STATE OR JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION WOULD BE UNLAWFUL. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONTAINS INSIDE INFORMATION FOR THE PURPOSES OF ARTICLE 7 OF THE MARKET ABUSE REGULATION (596/2014/EU). COMPANY ANNOUNCEMENT Luxembourg, 29 February 2024 Art Share 002 S.A. ("Art Share 002"), confirms that the closing of the offer period in relation to the private placement of up to 550,000 class B shares of Art Share 002 (the "Class B Shares" or the "Offered Shares") (the "Offering") and the determination of the aggregate EUR price equivalent for the Offered Share is scheduled for 5 March 2024. Delivery of the Offered Shares against payment of the offer price is expected to take place on 7 March 2024 and trading is expected to commence on or around 8 March 2024. For questions, orders and requests for assistance in connection with the operation we direct you to: Zeus Capital Limited: Ben Robertson ben.robertson@zeuscapital.co.uk (mailto:ben.robertson@zeuscapital.co.uk) (mailto:ben.robertson@zeuscapital.co.uk) InCore Bank AG: Volkan Sirer trading@incorebank.ch (mailto:trading@incorebank.ch) For more information on the Offering, please consult the preliminary offering memorandum relating to the Offering here, About Art Share 002 S.A. Art Share 002 is a public limited liability company (societe anonyme) incorporated under the laws of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg existing as a securitisation undertaking (organisme de titrisation) within the meaning of the Luxembourg law of 22 March 2004 on securitisation, as amended. It has been set-up to issue shares, tracking the economic risk associated with the artwork, Three Studies for Portrait of George Dyer, by Francis Bacon (the "") and any other associated risk within the meaning of article 53 of the Luxembourg law of 22 March 2004 on securitisation, as amended, financed inter alia by the issuance of the Class B Shares. Art Share 002 was established to facilitate fractional investment in the Artwork through the issuance of the Class B Shares (i.e., undertaking a securitisation transaction of the Artwork). The principal activity of Art Share 002 is to hold and securitise the Artwork, as well as assuming risks, existing or future, relating to the holding of the Artwork. Its principal activities to date have been limited to organisational activities, including entering into certain agreements (i) for the acquisition of the Artwork and (ii) those necessary for the preparation and execution of the Offering, it's admission and listing on the ARTEX Stock Exchange. Art Share 002 is managed by a board of directors who are Mrs Ursula Schmidt, Mr Edouard de Burlet and Mr Ronan Le Bouc. Contact Information: Press contacts France and Global Alienor Miens | Alienor.miens@margie.fr| +33| +33 (0)6 11 84 34 92 For investor inquiries, please contact: investor-relations@artshare002.com DISCLAIMER This publication is an announcement and not a prospectus for the purposes of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 (the "Prospectus Regulation"), and as such does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to purchase securities of Art Share 002 . These materials do not constitute or form a part of any offer or solicitation to purchase or subscribe for, or otherwise invest in, securities in the United States. The securities mentioned herein have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933 (the "Securities Act"). The securities may not be offered or sold in the United States (as such term is defined in Regulation S under the Securities Act) except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act. There will be no public offer of securities in the United States. In any member state of the European Economic Area, this communication is only addressed to and is only directed at qualified investors in such member state within the meaning of the Prospectus Regulation, and no person that is not a qualified investor may act or rely on this communication or any of its contents. In so far as forecasts or expectations are expressed in this investor relations news or where our statements concern the future, these forecasts, expectations, or statements may involve known or unknown risks and uncertainties. Actual results or developments may vary, depending on changes in the operating environment. Art Share 002 does not assume an obligation to update the forecasts, expectations or statements contained in this release. The information contained in this announcement is for background purposes only and does not purport to be full or complete. No reliance may be placed by any person for any purpose on the information contained in this announcement or its accuracy, fairness, or completeness. This announcement is not for publication or distribution, directly or indirectly, in or into Australia, South Africa, Canada, Japan, New Zealand or the United States (including its territories and possessions, any State of the United States) or any other jurisdiction where to do so would constitute a violation of the relevant laws of such jurisdiction. The distribution of this announcement may be restricted by law in certain jurisdictions and persons into whose possession any document or other information referred to herein comes should inform themselves about and observe any such restriction. Any failure to comply with these restrictions may constitute a violation of the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. Offered Shares may not be offered or sold in the United States unless registered under the Securities Act except pursuant to a transaction exempt from, or not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act. The Offering and sale of the Offered Shares has not been and will not be registered under the Securities Act or under the applicable securities laws of Australia, South Africa, Canada or Japan and New Zealand. Subject to certain exceptions, the Offered Shares may not be offered or sold in Australia, Canada or Japan, New Zealand or to, or for the account or benefit of, any national, resident or citizen of Australia, Canada, or Japan. There will be no public offer of the Offered Shares in Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, the United States. In the United Kingdom, this announcement is being distributed only to, and is directed only at, persons who: (A) (i) are "investment professionals" specified in Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the "Order") and/or (ii) fall within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order (and only where the conditions contained in those articles have been, or will at the relevant time be, satisfied); and (B) are "qualified investors" within the meaning of Article 2 of the Prospectus Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2017/1129) as it forms part of retained EU law as defined in the EU (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (all such persons together being referred to as "Relevant Persons"). In the European Economic Area (the "EEA"), this announcement is addressed only to and directed only at, persons in member states who are "qualified investors" within the meaning of Article 2(e) of the Prospectus Regulation (Regulation ((EU) 2017/1129) ("Qualified Investors"). This announcement must not be acted on or relied on (i) in the United Kingdom, by persons who are not Relevant Persons, and (ii) in any member state of the EEA, by persons who are not Qualified Investors. Any investment or investment activity to which this announcement relates is available only to: (i) in the United Kingdom, Relevant Persons; and (ii) in any member state of the EEA, Qualified Investors, and will be engaged in only with such persons. For the avoidance of doubt, no offer to the public will made in the United Kingdom and no application will be made for the Offered Shares to be traded on a regulated market in the United Kingdom. This announcement may include statements that are, or may be deemed to be, "forward-looking statements". These forward-looking statements may be identified by using forward-looking terminology, including the terms "believes", "estimates", "plans", "projects", "anticipates", "expects", "intends", "may", "will" or "should" or, in each case, their negative or other variations or comparable terminology, or by discussions of strategy, plans, objectives, goals, future events or intentions. Forward-looking statements may and often do differ materially from actual results. Any forward-looking statements reflect the Company's current view with respect to future events and are subject to risks relating to future events and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to the Company's business, results of operations, financial position, liquidity, prospects, growth, and strategies. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Each of Art Share 002 and Zeus Capital Limited, expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to update, review or revise any forward-looking statement contained in this announcement whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise. Any subscription or purchase of Offered Shares in the possible Offering should be made solely on the basis of information contained in the final Offering Memorandum to be issued by Art Share 002 in connection with the Offering. The information in this announcement is subject to change. Before subscribing for or purchasing any Offered Shares, persons viewing this announcement should ensure that they fully understand and accept the risks which set out in the Offering Memorandum when published. No reliance may be placed for any purpose on the information contained in this announcement or its accuracy or completeness. Neither this announcement, nor the references herein to the Offering Memorandum, shall form the basis of or constitute any offer, or any solicitation of any offer to purchase or subscribe for any Offered Shares nor shall it (or any part of it) or the fact of its distribution, form the basis of, or be relied on in connection with, any contract thereof. Art Share 002 may decide not to go ahead with the Offering and there is therefore no guarantee that the admission will occur. You should not base any financial decision on this announcement. Acquiring investments to which this announcement relates may expose an investor to a significant risk of losing all of the amount invested. Persons considering making investments should consult an authorised person specialising in advising on such investments. Neither this announcement, nor the Offering Memorandum referred to herein, constitutes an investment recommendation concerning the Offering. The value of the Offered Shares can decrease as well as increase. Potential investors should consult a professional advisor as to the suitability of the Offering for the person concerned. None of Zeus Capital Limited or any of its affiliate or any of its or their affiliates' directors, officers, employees, advisers or agents accepts any responsibility or liability whatsoever for/or makes any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the truth, accuracy or completeness of the information in this announcement (or whether any information has been omitted from the announcement) or any other information relating to Art Share 002, its subsidiaries or associated companies, whether written, oral or in a visual or electronic form, and howsoever transmitted or made available or for any loss howsoever arising from any use of the announcement or its contents or otherwise arising in connection therewith. Information to distributors in the EEA Solely for the purposes of the product governance requirements contained within: (i) EU Directive 2014/65/EU on markets in financial instruments, as amended ("MiFID II"); (ii) Articles 9 and 10 of Commission Delegated Directive (EU) 2017/593 supplementing MiFID II; and (iii) local implementing measures (together the "MiFID II Product Governance Requirements"), and disclaiming all and any liability, whether arising in tort, delict, contract or otherwise, which the Company, in its capacity as "manufacturer" for the purposes of the MiFID II Product Governance Requirements may otherwise have with respect thereto, the Offered Shares have been subject to a product approval process, which has determined that such Offered Shares are: (a) compatible with an end target market of retail investors and investors who meet the criteria of professional clients and eligible counterparties, each as defined in MiFID II; and (b) eligible for distribution through all distribution channels as are permitted by MiFID II (the "Target Market Assessment"). Notwithstanding the Target Market Assessment, "distributors" (for purposes of the MiFID II Product Governance Requirements) should note that the price of the Offered Shares may decline and investors could lose all or part of their investment; the Offered Shares offer no guaranteed income and no capital protection, and an investment in the Offered Shares is compatible only with investors who do not need a guaranteed income or capital protection, who (either alone or in conjunction with an appropriate financial or other adviser) are capable of evaluating the merits and risks of such an investment and who have sufficient resources to be able to bear any losses that may result therefrom. The Target Market Assessment is without prejudice to the requirements of any contractual, legal or regulatory selling restrictions in relation to the Offering, including the selling restrictions described in "Notice to Investors (Selling Restrictions)". Furthermore, it is noted that, notwithstanding the Target Market Assessment, the financial intermediaries acting as placement agents (the "Placement Agents") will only procure investors who meet the criteria of professional clients and eligible counterparties. For the avoidance of doubt, the Target Market Assessment does not constitute: (i) an assessment of suitability or appropriateness for the purposes of MiFID II; or (ii) a recommendation to any investor or group of investors to invest in, purchase, subscribe for, or take any other action whatsoever with respect to the Offered Shares. Each distributor is responsible for undertaking its own target market assessment in respect of the Offered Shares and determining appropriate distribution channels. Information to distributors in the UK Solely for the purposes of the product governance requirements of Chapter 3 of the FCA Handbook Product Intervention and Product Governance Sourcebook (the "UK Product Governance Requirements"), and/or any equivalent requirements elsewhere to the extent determined to be applicable, and disclaiming all and any liability, whether arising in tort, contract or otherwise, the Company, in its capacity as "manufacturer" (for the purposes of the UK Product Governance Requirements) may otherwise have with respect thereto, the Offered Shares have been subject to a product approval process, which has determined that the Offered Shares are: (a) compatible with an end target market of retail investors and investors who meet the criteria of professional clients and eligible counterparties, each as defined in Chapter 3 of the FCA Handbook Conduct of Business Sourcebook (the "U.K. Target Market Assessment"). Notwithstanding the U.K. Target Market Assessment, "distributors" (for the purposes of the UK Product Governance Requirements) should note that: the price of the Offered Shares may decline and investors could lose all or part of their investment; the Offered Shares offer no guaranteed income and no capital protection; and an investment in the Offered Shares is compatible only with investors who do not need a guaranteed income or capital protection, who (either alone or in conjunction with an appropriate financial or other adviser) are capable of evaluating the merits and risks of such an investment and who have sufficient resources to be able to bear any losses that may result therefrom. The U.K. Target Market Assessment is without prejudice to the requirements of any contractual, legal or regulatory selling restrictions in relation to the Offering. Furthermore, it is noted that, notwithstanding the U.K. Target Market Assessment, the Placement Agents will only procure investors who meet the criteria of professional clients and eligible counterparties for the purposes of the U.K. MiFIR Product Governance Rules. For the avoidance of doubt, the U.K. Target Market Assessment does not constitute: (i) an assessment of suitability or appropriateness for the purposes of Chapter 9A or 10A respectively of the FCA Handbook Conduct of Business Sourcebook; or (ii) a recommendation to any investor or group of investors to invest in, or purchase, or take any other action whatsoever with respect to the Offered Shares. Each distributor is responsible for undertaking its own target market assessment in respect of the Offered Shares and determining appropriate distribution channels. MONTREAL, QC / ACCESSWIRE / February 29, 2024 / Quebec Precious Metals Corporation ("QPM" or the "Corporation") (TSXV:QPM)(OTCQB:CJCFF)(FSE:YXEP) is pleased to announce the results of the drilling program completed at the end of 2023 at the La Pointe Extension gold deposit (see press releases of November 23 and December 19, 2023). The deposit is located on the Corporation's 100% owned Sakami project in the Eeyou Istchee James Bay territory of Quebec. The drilling program was designed to test the higher-grade portion of the La Pointe Extension deposit that could be amenable to open pit mining. Highlights ( Table 1 , Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 ) The drill intersections are: Hole PT-21-196: 0.83 g/t Au over 80.4 m including 2.37 g/t Au over 12.2 m including Hole PT-21-197: 1.18 g/t Au over 43.2 m including 3.86 g/t Au over 8.0 m including These holes confirm the continuity of the sub-vertically dipping higher-grade core of the deposit (500 m strike length, a depth of 400 m with an estimated average true thickness of 40 m, up to 66 m) in the central part of the deposit. The two holes, totalling 732 m, intersected strongly silicified paragneiss that characterizes the mineralized zone with the presence of disseminated arsenopyrite and pyrite. Both holes ended in mineralization. This modest drill program demonstrates a widening of the mineralized zone which validates further drilling at the La Pointe Extension deposit. Normand Champigny, QPM's Chief Executive Officer, stated: "We are very encouraged by these drill results. They confirm the presence of the higher-grade core of the La Pointe Extension. Mineralization remains open at depth and along strike. We are completing a full review of drill targets on the Sakami project including La Pointe Extension to guide our future drilling." Complete assay results and calculated composite grades released to date are available on QPM's website (https://www.qpmcorp.ca/en/projects/sakami-technical-information/). Quality Assurance/Quality Control Top-to-bottom core sampling was conducted for the drill program; sample lengths typically ranged from 0.5 to 1.5 m. Core was split in half using a hydraulic core splitter capable of splitting pieces up to 12 cm-long. Core technicians were instructed to clean dust and core fragments from surfaces inside the splitter between samples, in order to mitigate sample contamination. Half of the core was submitted to ALS Global for geochemical analyses. The other half of the core was retained in core boxes for future reference. QA/QC materials were inserted in every 25 samples in the sample stream. These samples alternated between blank material, to test for possible gold contamination between samples, and certified reference materials (CRMs), to test for analytical accuracy within the sample batch. Gold CRMs for this program were sourced from OREAS North America Inc., and include a low-grade standard (OREAS-231: known value of 0.542 g/t Au), and higher-grade standard (OREAS-238: known value of 3.03 g/t Au). All inserted QA/QC samples from this drill program returned analyses within the tolerance limit for each certified value. Each core sample was packaged in a secured sample poly bag with corresponding sample number and tag. Samples were sequentially grouped in batches of 5-10 samples and sealed in large 'rice' bags. As part of the chain of custody protocols, signing and maintenance of tracking logs is performed and receipts when samples are shipped from the project site. Routine gold analysis was conducted on all samples using a 30-gram fire assay (ALS method codes: Au-AA23). Samples that returned =5 g/t Au in the routine fire assay triggered an 'over-limit' analysis by 30-gram fire assay and gravimetric finish (ALS method code: Au-GRA21). For over limit samples, the fire assay and gravimetric finish is reported instead of the standard fire assay value. Other elements were analyzed using a thirty-six element, aqua regia with ICP-AES finish package, applied to all samples (ALS method code: ME-ICP41). The drilling program was supervised by GeoVector Management Inc. and the drilling was performed by Forage Val d'Or. Qualified Persons Normand Champigny, Eng., Chief Executive Officer of the Company, and Dr. Eric Hebert, P.Geo., Senior Geological consultant, member (#0842) of the Ordre des Geologues du Quebec, are both qualified persons within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101 on standards of disclosure for mineral projects. They have reviewed and approved the technical information contained in this press release. About Quebec Precious Metals Corporation QPM is an exploration company with a large land position in the highly prospective Eeyou Istchee James Bay territory, Quebec, near Newmont Corporation's Eleonore gold mine. The company focuses on advancing its Sakami Gold project and its newly discovered, drill-ready Ninaaskuwin lithium showing on the Elmer East project. In addition, the Company holds a 68% interest in the Kipawa/Zeus rare earths project located near Temiscaming, Quebec. For more information please contact: Normand Champigny Chief Executive Officer Tel.: 514 979-4746 nchampigny@qpmcorp.ca Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Statements This release includes forward-looking statements. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking words such as "may", "will", "expect", "intend", "plan", "estimate", "anticipate", "continue", and "guidance", or other similar words and may include, without limitation statements regarding plans, strategies and objectives of management, anticipated production or construction commencement dates and expected costs or production output. Forward-looking statements inherently involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance and achievements to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements. Relevant factors may include, but are not limited to, changes in commodity prices, foreign exchange fluctuations and general economic conditions, increased costs and demand for production inputs, the speculative nature of exploration and project development, including the risks of obtaining necessary licences and permits and diminishing quantities or grades of resources or reserves, political and social risks, changes to the regulatory framework within which the entity operates or may in the future operate, environmental conditions including extreme weather conditions, recruitment and retention of personnel, industrial relations issues and litigation. Forward-looking statements are based on the entity and its management's good faith assumptions relating to the financial, market, regulatory and other relevant environments that will exist and affect business and operations in the future. There are no assurances that the assumptions on which forward-looking statements are based will prove to be correct, or that the business or operations will not be affected in any material manner by these or other factors not foreseen or foreseeable by the entity or management or beyond the entity's control. Although there have been attempts to identify factors that would cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those disclosed in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that could cause actual results, performance, achievements or events not to be anticipated, estimated or intended, and many events are beyond the reasonable control of the entity. Accordingly, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this release are given as at the date of issue only. Subject to any continuing obligations under applicable law or any relevant stock exchange listing rules, in providing this information the entity does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any of the forward-looking statements or to advise of any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based. Table 1: Summary of significant drill hole assay results from the fall 2023 program, Sakami project - Press release of February 29, 2024 Notes: All widths are drill-indicated core length. Drill holes are generally planned to intersect mineralization as close to perpendicular to strike as possible. All gold values presented are not capped. SOURCE: Quebec Precious Metals Corporation View the original press release on accesswire.com Cognita schools from around the world are participating in ground-breaking tailored training programmes, delivered in partnership with the University College London (UCL) Centre for Educational Leadership - part of UCL's world-leading IOE, Faculty of Education and Society LONDON, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Cognita has partnered with UCL's IOE, Faculty of Education and Society, ranked top for education for the last 10 years in the 2023 QS World University Rankings, to deliver two bespoke, cutting-edge training programmes exclusively for educators in Cognita schools. A new cohort of 15 schools from eight countries are taking part in both programmes. Of these, six schools are taking part in the Team Fellowship Programme, which helps teachers explore new practices in student learning. A further nine schools from around the world have just started training with the Senior Leader Enquiry Programme, a new initiative aimed at school leaders. These 15 schools follow in the footsteps of Cognita schools from nine countries which have already been through the Team Fellowship Programme. Both programmes enable Cognita staff to develop tailor-made solutions to their schools' unique needs and context. They also offer an opportunity for them to forge stronger links with their colleagues around the world, and learn from each other. Dr Simon Camby, Chief Education Officer at Cognita, said: "These programmes form part of Cognita's longstanding belief in the power of using robust global evidence and purposeful research to improve the educational experience and outcomes for our students. These programmes result in tangible differences in each school, driven by teachers and leaders who deeply understand the school's context. "The diversity of Cognita schools is one our great strengths, enabling us to learn from one another, benefiting our school leaders, teachers, and students. At the same time, each of our schools operates within a specific context. That is why we are so grateful and proud to be partnering with the world-leading faculty at UCL on tailored training programmes for each participating school." Greg Ross, Associate Professor at UCL, said: "It can be a challenge to know how to best apply messages from research in the busy reality of a school. Participants on the programmes we have developed with Cognita become researchers into their own practice and into their distinctive school contexts. They are supported in leading innovations based on robust evidence, both from research and from data they gather in their schools. "This approach helps teachers and leaders make good decisions about how to best serve the students in their care. We are proud of our long-term partnership with Cognita and have been impressed on both our programmes by the commitment to continuous learning and improvement from Cognita teachers and leaders." As part of the Senior Leader Enquiry Programme, teams of 2-3 school leaders from nine schools across Asia, Europe, and the Middle East will spend 20 months developing their leadership skills in areas like professional learning and pedagogy. At the start of the programme, participants set out questions around their own leadership development priorities and the priority needs in their schools. With the help of UCL researchers, they will then explore innovative solutions, which they will test out within their schools. They will assess their progress in a series of online and face-to-face tutorials and workshops led by UCL. This will allow them to refine their solutions. By the time the programme concludes in June 2025, they will have developed evidence-based leadership tools tailored to their schools. Separately, the Team Fellowship Programme is helping teams of three teachers from six Cognita schools around the world work with UCL experts to explore a specific area of practice linked to student learning. Throughout the nine-month programme, the teams will attend three tutorials with a member of UCL faculty. They will then produce a short video and written document to evidence their learning and to share with others. At the end of the programme, in June 2024, they will lead a professional learning session in their own school. Previous cohorts have looked into how feedback could encourage greater self-reflection and independence in students, for example. The schools taking part in the Senior Leader Enquiry Programme are Vietnam's International School Ho Chi Minh City; Singapore's Stamford American International School and Australian International School; Hong Kong's Stamford American School; the UK's North Bridge House Senior School Hampstead and King's School Plymouth; the International School Zurich North in Switzerland; and the UAE's Horizon English School and RGS Guildford Dubai. The schools taking part in the Team Fellowship Programme are the Australian International School in Singapore; St. Andrews International School Green Valley in Thailand; Spain's British School of Barcelona and Hastings School; and the UAE's Horizon English School and Ranches Primary School. About Cognita Launched in 2004, Cognita is an extraordinary family of diverse yet connected schools that span 16 countries and share one common purpose: to enable students to thrive in a rapidly evolving world. With over 100 schools in Europe and the US, the Middle East, Latin America, and Asia, Cognita employs over 18,000 teaching and support staff in the care and education of more than 90,000 students. Together, Cognita schools provide a uniquely global education that goes beyond grades, to develop all-round academic excellence - equipping young people with the agency, adaptability and positive attitudes that prepares them to grow, thrive and find their success in a rapidly evolving world. www.cognita.com Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2351357/Cognita.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2244643/Cognita_Logo.jpg View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/cognita-partners-with-ucls-world-leading-ioe-faculty-of-education-and-society-to-deliver-innovative-leadership-and-teacher-training-programmes-302075691.html WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Healthcare services company Tenet Healthcare Corp. (THC) announced Thursday it entered into a definitive agreement with Adventist Health for the sale of two Tenet hospitals and related operations in San Luis Obispo County. Tenet also announced its Conifer Health Solutions subsidiary will enter into an agreement to provide revenue cycle services for Adventist Health. Conifer to provide services for over $3.5 billion in net revenue. The transaction will include Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center and Twin Cities Community Hospital, as well as affiliated physician practices and other related operations. The agreement is for approximately $550 million (after-tax proceeds of approximately $450 million). The transaction is expected to be completed in the spring of 2024, subject to customary regulatory approvals, clearances, and closing conditions. Copyright(c) 2024 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. Soledad Project Highlights Include: Three high-priority target areas are defined, permitted, and ready to drill Fully-funded 3,000 m drill program to start by April 1, 2024 Drilling will be focused on the south half of the Soledad project Drill campaign will test two bulk-tonnage targets - Mega-Gold copper-gold porphyry and the La Joya high-sulfidation epithermal gold-silver zone; and the mineralized Estremadoyro tourmaline breccia pipe Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 29, 2024) - Chakana Copper Corp. (TSXV: PERU) (OTCQB: CHKKF) (FSE: 1ZX) (the "Company" or "Chakana"), is pleased to announce that it has finalized plans for a 3,000m drill program to start by April 1, 2024, at its Soledad project in the Ancash province of Peru within the Miocene mineral belt. "We are pleased to announce final drill plans for a 3,000 m fully-funded drill program to test several exceptional targets defined on the south half of the Soledad project where an expanded drill permit was granted in 2023. The majority of the drilling will focus on the Mega-Gold porphyry target defined by a very large 2.5 km2 soil gold anomaly, accompanied by pervasive phyllic alteration locally overprinted with advanced argillic alteration, and very strong induced polarization chargeability responses. We believe that the Mega-Gold target is centered on a mineralized intrusion that is related to the tourmaline breccia pipes and the high-sulfidation epithermal (HSE) alteration, forming a 12 km2 zoned mineral system. Additional drilling will be conducted at the La Joya HSE zone and the Estremadoyro tourmaline breccia pipe," stated President and CEO David Kelley. Exploration Targeting and Drilling Program Three principal target areas have been chosen for drilling to start by April 1, 2024: 1) Mega-Gold porphyry target, 2) La Joya high-sulfidation epithermal (HSE) zone, and 3) the Estremadoyro breccia pipe (Figure 1). This new area of exploration covers different geological environments at Soledad, including multiple intrusions centered upon the Lincuna fault, and distal high-sulfidation precious metals mineralization. The Lincuna fault is an important regional arc-normal structure related to the Querococha Arch, extending to the northeast just north of the Antamina mine. Intrusive phases at Soledad cut Jurassic to Cenozoic sedimentary and volcanic rocks and are closely related in space and time to the tourmaline breccia pipes and mineralization (Figure 2). The young intrusive rocks include granodiorite, dacite porphyry, and monzodiorite, ranging in age from 15.2 +/= 0.3 million years. These intrusive rocks are cut by tourmaline breccias, which are probably coeval with the waning stages of intrusive and hydrothermal activity. Mega-Gold Copper-Gold Porphyry Target The Mega-Gold target is a very large area occupying 2.5 km2 with anomalous gold in soil overlying pervasive tourmaline-quartz-white mica alteration, overprinted by localized advanced argillic alteration zones and tourmaline breccias. The target area is oriented northeast and is underlain by older andesitic tuff (Calipuy Formation) and a pre-mineral granodiorite, thought to be the first pulse of intrusive activity in the Soledad mineral system. Within the anomaly is a distinct Offset (3D) induced polarization chargeability feature with a similar orientation as the soil anomaly (Figure 3). Modelling shows the chargeability feature to be a vertical intrusive or pipe-like body on the south side of the Lincuna fault with a sub-horizontal "blanket-like" feature extending up the hill to the southwest (Figure 4). Soil gold values over the vertical chargeability body reach up to 0.325 g/t. The vertical body is interpreted to be a high-level blind intrusion cutting the earlier granodiorite. The planned drilling will test these features for gold and base metal mineralization. La Joya High-Sulfidation Epithermal (HSE) Target Area The La Joya target area is associated with high-sulfidation advanced argillic alteration consisting of vuggy silica, alunite, dickite, zunyite, diaspore, and pyrophyllite. The zone of alteration extends 700 metres in a north-south direction at an elevation of approximately 4,500 metres (Figures 1 and 2). Surface rock samples collected from the alteration zone have silver and gold values up to 1,300 g/t and 0.36 g/t, respectively. An access road from off-property leads to five scattered historic drill pads on the southernmost 200 metre segment of La Joya, and locals report that Buenaventura completed seven short drill holes, encountering silver mineralization and some gold. We are unable to confirm the Buenaventura history with a QP. Estremadoyro Tourmaline Breccia Pipe The Estremadoyro breccia pipe is exposed along the road near the bottom of the valley and has artisanal workings where copper oxides are clearly visible (Figure 5). Rock samples from breccia exposures reported values up to 1.25 g/t gold, 0.57% copper, and 37.6 g/t silver. The mapped tourmaline breccia is coincident with a distinct conductivity and metal factor (function of chargeability and conductivity) response. Chakana Copper to Exhibit at the PDAC 2024 Conference in Toronto The Company is pleased to announce that it will be exhibiting at the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada 2024 Conference. Chakana will be exhibiting in the Investor's Exchange on Tuesday and Wednesday, March 5-6, 2024 at Booth No. 2421B. Company management invites shareholders and all interested parties to attend; admission is free to qualified investors. The annual conference will be held in-person, at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto, Canada from March 3-6, 2024. About Chakana Copper Chakana Copper Corp is a Canadian-based minerals exploration Company that is currently advancing the Soledad Project located in the Ancash region of Peru, a highly favorable mining jurisdiction with supportive communities. The Soledad Project is notable for the high-grade copper-gold-silver mineralization that is hosted in tourmaline breccia pipes. An initial mineral resource estimate for seven breccia pipes was announced in Q1 2022 (see news release dated February 23, 2022), with an Inferred Resource of 4.8 million tonnes grading 0.72 g/t gold, 61 g/t silver and 0.97% copper assumed to be extractable by underground mining methods, plus an additional Inferred Resource of 1.9 million tonnes grading 1.29 g/t gold, 37.1 g/t silver and 0.65% copper assumed to be extractable by open pit mining methods. The total initial Inferred Resource contains 191,000 ounces of gold, 11.7 million ounces of silver, and 130 million pounds of copper. In addition, extensive multidisciplinary exploration has defined 154 exploration targets, 28 of which have been tested to date (18%), confirming that Soledad is a large, well-endowed mineral system with strong exploration upside. Chakana's investors are well positioned as the Soledad Project provides exposure to copper and precious metals. For more information on the Soledad project, please visit the website at www.chakanacopper.com. Results of an initial inferred mineral resource estimate and additional information concerning the Project, including a technical report prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101, are available on Chakana's profile at www.sedar.com. Qualified Person David Kelley, an officer, and a director of Chakana, and a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101, reviewed and approved the technical information in this news release. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD (signed) "David Kelley" David Kelley President and CEO For further information contact: Investor Relations: Info Email: info@chakanacopper.com Telephone: 720-233-2166 Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-looking Statement Advisory: This release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of Chakana to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Forward looking statements or information relates to, among other things, the interpretation of the nature of the mineralization at the Soledad copper-gold-silver project (the "Project"), the potential to expand the mineralization, and to develop and grow a resource within the Project, the planning for further exploration work, the ability to de-risk the potential exploration targets, and our belief in the potential for mineralization within unexplored parts of the Project. These forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and beliefs but given the uncertainties, assumptions and risks, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements or information. The Company disclaims any obligation to update, or to publicly announce, any such statements, events or developments except as required by law. Figure 1 - Map showing defined targets by type for the Soledad project. Principal target areas on the south side that will be drill tested in the next campaign includes the Mega-Gold target, La Joya high-sulfidation epithermal alteration zone, and the Estremadoyro tourmaline breccia pipe. Section line (D-D') for Figure 2 indicated. Breccia pipes included in the initial inferred resource estimate labeled in dark blue. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/2172/199825_87bd738374ab39c3_001full.jpg Figure 2 - Interpretive cross section showing main geologic features of the Soledad project. Drilled tourmaline breccia pipes on the north half of the project shown in red with the depth of breccia, wall rock, and resource estimate indicated where relevant. All breccias are open at depth. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/2172/199825_87bd738374ab39c3_002full.jpg Figure 3 - Map showing soil gold for the southern half of the Soledad project, covering the Mega-Gold and Companero target areas. Outline of the Mega-Gold target based on the 30 ppb soil gold value shown as the dashed black line; maximum value of 0.325 g/t gold; outline of the Offset (3D) induced polarization chargeability feature shown by dotted dark blue line. Section line A-A' for Figure 4 indicated. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/2172/199825_87bd738374ab39c3_003full.jpg Figure 4 - Section from 3D model showing topography and chargeability feature from the Offset (3D) induced polarization survey underlying the Mega-Gold target area. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/2172/199825_87bd738374ab39c3_004full.jpg Figure 5 - Estremadoyro breccia pipe showing 3D sections looking west of modeled Offset (3D) IP shapes for (A) resistivity, and (B) metal factor (a function of chargeability and conductivity); (C) tourmaline breccia from artisanal workings showing abundant secondary copper minerals (blue); and (D) surface outcrop of tourmaline breccia showing mosaic and shingle texture with granodiorite clasts. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/2172/199825_87bd738374ab39c3_005full.jpg To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/199825 SOURCE: Chakana Copper Corp. Aiosyn, a pioneering medical software company specializing in AI-powered pathology solutions for cancer and kidney disease, announced the introduction of its NephroPath platform. By partnering with Aiosyn, CROs, biopharma, and researchers can accelerate the development of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) therapies using new and quantitative insights offered through Nephropath's Kidney Image Analysis Services. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240228760007/en/ Figure 1. Illustration of the NephroPath platform's capabilities in performing automated quantification and multi-class prediction on an entire rat kidney cortex. Notable classes: normal tubuli (orange), atrophic/dilated tubuli (green/red), glomeruli (pink), abnormal/sclerotic glomeruli (dark blue), arteries (light blue), interstitium (not colored). (Photo: Business Wire) The NephroPath platform provides computational pathology algorithms for a detailed evaluation of histological biomarkers in kidney biopsies, including segmentation of main tissue classes, quantification of interstitial fibrosis, precise localization and quantification of glomeruli, and more. These AI-powered analyses effectively overcome the constraints of current semi-quantitative scoring systems, which are often based on subregions of the kidney and are subject to observer variability. NephroPath's AI-based quantification provides reproducible, consistent, fast, and more detailed scoring of renal pathology (imaging) biomarkers in preclinical and clinical specimens* compared to human reading. This can accelerate preclinical and clinical development projects. The algorithms will also be instrumental in new CKD biomarker discovery projects. Through Nephropath's Kidney Image Analysis Services, Aiosyn offers whole kidney quantification and custom kidney analyses. Aiosyn's data-rich analysis derived from slide data provides per-slide tissue quantifications and detailed dataset characterization. Findings are delivered in a comprehensive image analysis report, including biomarker scores and visual results. "Using Aiosyn's NephroPath platform we provide researchers with a new and powerful technique to complement the CKD drug development toolbox," said Patrick de Boer, CEO of Aiosyn. CKD is forecasted to grow to the fifth predominant cause of mortality by 2040 (1), and with over 90+ new CKD therapies in development, there is a need for advanced tools that can accelerate drug development and enhance diagnostic accuracy. In a recent preclinical study, conducted in collaboration with a leading preclinical research organization (CRO), the NephroPath platform demonstrated its effectiveness in segmenting kidney tissue classes (Figure 1) and quantifying glomerulosclerosis and tubular damage on whole rat kidneys. A positive correlation was observed between the glomerulosclerosis and tubular scores and kidney damage across all groups (the study abstract will be presented at the upcoming CKD Summit in Boston from March 19-21). To learn more about the NephroPath platform and to explore potential collaboration, request a demo with our team. About Aiosyn Aiosyn is a Dutch company that develops precision pathology software for cancer and kidney disease. Aiosyn's solutions are integrated into standard pathology workflows. The Aiosyn team has been built upon more than 20 years of research experience in the field of pathology and is rooted in the pathology practice. *For scientific validity only. The NephroPath platform is for Research Use Only and should not be used for diagnostic procedures. Sources Foreman, K. J., Marquez, N., Dolgert, A., Fukutaki, K., Fullman, N., McGaughey, M., & Murray, C. J. (2018). Forecasting life expectancy, years of life lost, and all-cause and cause-specific mortality for 250 causes of death: reference and alternative scenarios for 2016-40 for 195 countries and territories. The Lancet, 392(10159), 2052-2090. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240228760007/en/ Contacts: Anna Correas, Marketing Communications Specialist at Aiosyn anna.correas@aiosyn.com Deepspatial Initiates Revenue Generation Government Contracts Surpass $1.7 Million Advanced 2024 Sales Pipeline Across Global Government Verticals TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / February 29, 2024 / Deepspatial Inc. (CSE:DSAI)(OTCQB:DSAIF) ("Deepspatial" or the "Company") is pleased to announce a significant milestone in our corporate journey, having evolved from a phase of rigorous technological validation and strategic financial planning to achieving substantial market penetration in the transformative education sector. This transition marks the beginning of our revenue-generating phase, underscoring our position as a leader in leveraging technological innovation to shape the future of education. This corporate update aims to provide our stakeholders with a detailed overview of our recent achievements, strategic decisions, and the direction we are headed as we continue to build on our success and drive value for our shareholders and partners. Securing a Future: From Validation to Revenue Generation The recent acquisition of a significant contract in India for our AI-driven education platform marks a watershed moment for Deepspatial AI. This contract, initially valued at $200,000, is not merely a revenue stream; it represents a strategic entry into a market with immense potential for scale and impact. The engagement, which is expected to extend into a multi-year collaboration, showcases our ability to not only develop innovative technology but also to effectively commercialize it in competitive and complex markets. This contract win followed an intensive selection process, demonstrating our solution's superiority in both technical and commercial aspects. Our platform's unique approach, integrating Item Response Theory and novel multidisciplinary concepts, has been designed to revolutionize educational methodologies and improve learning outcomes significantly. This success is a tangible manifestation of our transition from a company focused on technological validation to one that generates significant revenue. Building on this momentum, Deepspatial AI acknowledges the significance of our $1.5 million contract with a government body, awarded last year, for the deployment of our AI-driven solutions to enhance public sector operations. Detailed in our announcement here , this contract not only represents a notable revenue stream but also serves as a testament to our technology's capability to effectuate tangible improvements in government service delivery. This accomplishment emphasizes our strategic foray into public sector applications, expanding our reach and demonstrating the adaptability of our AI platform. Pioneering Geo-AI Analytics for Transformative Insights Deepspatial AI's Geo-AI Analytics Platform represents a cutting-edge blend of geospatial analysis and artificial intelligence, designed to uncover hidden insights across various scales - from state-wide to global levels. Our platform is built on a robust inference engine capable of processing diverse data sets across key sectors such as education, agriculture, and food & civil supplies. Key Features and Value Proposition: Inference Engine: At the heart of our platform, the inference engine is designed to share hidden insights by analyzing geospatial data. This enables state-wide, country-wide, and global inferencing capabilities. Sector-Specific Insights: Initially focusing on education, agriculture, and enterprise-specific segments, our platform leverages state data sets to deliver tailored insights. Scalable Insights: As we integrate more data, our platform's value grows, offering deeper insights. This scalability allows for more accurate modeling and inferencing as our customer base expands across state governments and enterprises. Customizable Subscription Services: Our business model includes segment-specific subscriptions such as Eduverse for education, AgriVerse for agriculture, and Fitverse for health and fitness, among others. This approach allows for targeted solutions that meet the unique needs of our clients. Deepspatial AI is committed to advancing how data-driven decisions are made, harnessing the power of Geo-AI to transform insights into actionable strategies for governments and enterprises worldwide. Beyond Validation: Real-World Impact and Expansion The peer-reviewed publication in collaboration with senior government officials from the education department has been a critical element of our technological validation phase. This publication not only endorsed the scientific basis of our AI/ML models but also validated their practical utility in enhancing education quality and coverage. This endorsement has been pivotal in securing the trust of our clients and partners, serving as a solid foundation for our current and future contract wins. Our ambitions and capabilities extend beyond the Indian market. The positioning of our educational platform in Uzbekistan, through strategic partnerships with entities like Amtrak, signifies our intent to replicate our success on a global scale. These efforts underscore our platform's adaptability and relevance across diverse educational and regulatory landscapes, highlighting the universal appeal of our innovative solutions. Deepspatial AI is proud to share a pivotal update in our corporate journey, marking our successful transition from an intensive phase of technological validation into a revenue-generating entity within the transformative education sector. A key highlight of our recent achievements includes the validation of our cutting-edge AI technology through a peer-reviewed publication, a collaboration with senior government officials in the education department, accessible at https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40692-023-00297-5. This endorsement, featured in a high-profile journal, attests to the efficacy and innovation of our AI-driven solutions in addressing critical needs in education globally. As we move forward, this corporate update aims to detail our strategic financial planning, significant market penetration achievements, and our future direction, underscoring our commitment to leading technological innovation in education and creating lasting value for our stakeholders. Looking Ahead: Strategic Focus and Growth Opportunities As we move forward, Deepspatial AI is poised to capitalize on the significant opportunities that lie ahead. Our focus remains on expanding our footprint in existing markets, penetrating new geographies, and continuously enhancing our technology to stay at the forefront of the AI-driven revolution. The transition to a revenue-generating phase marks the beginning of a new chapter for us, one where our validated technology meets the vast market potential, driving sustainable growth and impact. "We are at a pivotal juncture in Deepspatial AI's journey, transitioning from a period of intensive technology development and validation to seeing the tangible impact of our solutions in the market. The securing of significant government contracts and the initiation of revenue generation are not just milestones but a testament to the trust our clients place in our cutting-edge Geo-AI analytics platform. As we expand our sales pipeline across global government sectors in 2024, we remain committed to driving innovation and delivering value, marking the beginning of a new chapter in our mission to transform data into actionable insights," commented Dr. Rahul Kushwah, CEO of Deepspatial AI. Strengthening Our Financial Foundation Our financial strategy has been a cornerstone of our growth. In the recent past, through convertible debenture financing rounds completed in October 2022 and March 2023, we successfully raised $675,250. This was not merely a financial exercise but a strategic maneuver to engage our investor base deeply with our long-term vision. The conversion of debentures to units by a majority of holders, involving principal amounts totaling $482,000, is a testament to their faith in our vision and execution capabilities. This conversion strengthens our balance sheet and underscores the confidence our investors have in our future. Appointment of David Yu as Independent Director We are delighted to announce the appointment of David Yu as an independent director to our board. Mr. Yu brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record of success in the technology and business sectors. His previous roles as CEO showcases his exceptional leadership and strategic vision, vital in navigating companies through growth and innovation. His background is further enriched by a bachelor's degree in electronic engineering, and extensive experience in IT support and engineering. Mr. YU's diverse expertise and leadership qualities are invaluable assets to Deepspatial AI as we continue to advance our technological capabilities and expand our market presence. Deepspatial AI is issuing 530,000 common shares at $0.05 each to a consultant, in acknowledgment of their pivotal services. This move highlights our strategy to integrate external expertise for enhancing our operations and market expansion. About Deepspatial AI Deepspatial is an outcome based artificial intelligence company, enabling organizations to enhance their decision-making capabilities by leveraging the power of data and AI. From finding the most efficient supply chain routes to knowing where to develop next, Deepspatial'sAI-driven platform enables its clients to visualize what's going on, predict what's coming, analyze data, and optimize processes to make smarter decisions for a better future. For more information, visit www.Deepspatial.ai and follow us on Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn. Caution regarding Forward Looking Information: THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE HAS NOT REVIEWED NOR DOES IT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. This news release may contain forward-looking statements and information based on current expectations. These statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results of the Company. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those implied by such statements. Although such statements are based on management's reasonable assumptions, there can be no assurance that such assumptions will prove to be correct. We assume no responsibility to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. The Company's securities have not been registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or applicable state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold to, or for the account or benefit of, persons in the United States or "U.S. Persons", as such term is defined in Regulations under the U.S. Securities Act, absent registration or an applicable exemption from such registration requirements. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in the United States or any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. Additionally, there are known and unknown risk factors which could cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information contained herein, such as, but not limited to dependence on obtaining regulatory approvals; the ability to obtain intellectual property rights related to its technology; limited operating history; general business, economic, competitive, political, regulatory and social uncertainties, and in particular, uncertainties related to COVID-19;risks related to factors beyond the control of the company, including risks related to COVID-19; risks related to the Company's shares, including price volatility due to events that may or may not be within such party's control; reliance on management; and the emergency of additional competitors in the industry. All forward-looking information herein is qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement, and the Company disclaims any obligation to revise or update any such forward-looking information or to publicly announce the result of any revisions to any of the forward-looking information contained herein to reflect future results, events or developments, except required by law. Contacts: For more information, please contact: Investor Relations Corey Matthews Investors@deepspatial.ai Chief Executive Officer Dr. Rahul Kushwah Rahul@deepspatial.ai +1 (877) 475-1538 SOURCE: DeepSpatial Inc. View the original press release on accesswire.com Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - February 29, 2024) - American Aires Inc. (CSE: WIFI) (OTC Pink: AAIRF) ("Aires" or the "Company"), a company focused on scientifically-proven EMF diffraction technology, today announced its regionally-exclusive distribution partnership with a Taiwan-based arms-length tech health & wellness firm, Purland Co., Ltd. ("Purland"). This distribution collaboration highlights ubiquity of demand for Aires' Lifetune EMF modulation technology and supports management's commitment to building Lifetune into a global brand. Aires' current direct-to-consumer business ships products to over 60 countries every month. With the majority of Aires' current order volume largely coming from North America, Europe and the UK, this milestone partnership incrementally adds to and extends Aires' already broad reach. Gaining access to and developing traction within these Eastern markets can be challenging for companies based in the West. In the initial pilot campaign, Purland, which is based in Taiwan, demonstrated incredible competency and proficiency reaching and converting consumers into the Aires brand. During the initial test campaign, Purland offered Aires' products to a small selection of their customers. Purland saw higher than anticipated customer interest and overwhelming demand, exceeding forecasts. As a result, Purland placed its second order almost immediately and nearly doubled its trial volumes to meet the current demand. Josh Bruni further elaborated on the partnership: "I want to say I am surprised to see so much success so quickly but it was clear from the first intro meeting with the Purland team they had vision, the plan and the skills to deliver results. We learned firsthand when we opened our own fulfillment centers in Australia and Europe that this localized experience was the best way to serve those consumers. Having an experienced partner on the ground in Taiwan to navigate unique complexities of this region will allow us to unlock the massive revenue we had yet to tap into. Although I am never surprised by the success we find in all corners of the globe, the early success of this relationship serves as further affirmation for our team, partners and shareholders that EMF protection is truly a growing global opportunity." Terms of this partnership include: exclusive right to sell Lifetune brand products in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Malaysia; exclusivity is conditional on achieving certain performance milestones, including minimum order quantity and minimum advertised price; contract expires on December 31, 2025 with good-faith negotiations expected to commence in July 2025; Purland and the Company agree on marketing and sales strategy collaboration with the Company committing to a certain level of advertising spend within the region to maximize sales and ensure success of the partnership overall. "Aires' products were received extremely well by our trial group of customers. We are huge believers in the technology but we were caught off guard by the overwhelming reception of a completely new product within still very young product segment. Aires' huge database of research was already impressive enough, but experiencing the tangible effects of the Lifetune products left no room for doubt in our minds. Even as we kick this off, a tidal wave of positive community response confirms we've found the right partner," shared Eric Canzano, Senior Marketing Manager with Purland. Vitali Savitsky, CFO, VP commented: "Having worked closely with Purland, I'm extremely satisfied with the results and excited about the future. We've been able to set Purland up for success by translating our know-how into their hands despite the sizeable cultural and language gap. I believe all this could become a proven template for our future distribution deals, aiding with global sales expansion." About Purland Co., Ltd. Purland is a new Taiwan-based brand with a focus on tech health & wellness. Drawing from a team with over 40 years of experience in natural, Eastern wellness techniques for the body and mind, the brand aspires to bring the best of wellness tech from around the world to its communities in East Asia. About American Aires Inc. American Aires Inc. is a Canadian-based nanotechnology company committed to enhancing well-being and environmental safety through science-led innovation, education, and advocacy. The company has developed proprietary silicon-based resonator chip that reduce the harmful effects of electromagnetic radiation (EMR). Aires' Lifetune products target EMR emitted by consumer electronic devices such as cellphones, computers, baby monitors, and Wi-Fi, including the more powerful and rapidly expanding high-speed 5G networks. Aires is listed on the CSE under the ticker 'WIFI' and on the OTC Pink under the symbol 'AAIRF'. Learn more at www.airestech.com . On behalf of the board of directors Company Contact: Josh Bruni, CEO Website: www.airestech.com Email: wifi@airestech.com Telephone: (415) 707-0102 Certain information set forth in this news release may contain forward-looking statements that involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding future financial position, business strategy, use of proceeds, corporate vision, proposed acquisitions, partnerships, joint ventures and strategic alliances and co-operations, budgets, cost and plans and objectives of or involving the Company. Such forward-looking information reflects management's current beliefs and is based on information currently available to management. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "predicts", "intends", "targets", "aims", "anticipates" or "believes" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases or may be identified by statements to the effect that certain actions "may", "could", "should", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. A number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors may cause the actual results or performance to materially differ from any future results or performance expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the control of the Company including, but not limited to, the impact of general economic conditions, industry conditions and dependence upon regulatory approvals. Certain material assumptions regarding such forward-looking statements may be discussed in this news release and the Company's annual and quarterly management's discussion and analysis filed at www.sedarplus.ca. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. The Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by securities laws. No securities regulatory authority has either approved or disapproved of the contents of this news release. The Shares have not been, nor will they be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or any state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States, or to or for the account or benefit of any person in the United States, absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any common shares in the United States, or in any other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. We seek safe harbour. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/199807 SOURCE: American Aires Inc. BARCELONA, Spain, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- At the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2024, Huawei unveiled four new solutions for Internet Service Providers (ISPs)/Managed Service Providers (MSPs) and partnered with Alea Soluciones to launch a global ISP showroom. These launches were part of Huawei's ISP Session on "Building Green, Ultra-Broadband, and Intelligent Infrastructure for ISPs" and aimed to boost their intelligent upgrade. York Yue, President of Huawei's ISP Business Unit, commented, "ISPs must have confidence. As internet service providers who focus on local markets, they understand customers within their operating regions better than anyone else. The ISP industry also plays a crucial role in driving digitalization and intelligent development across various industries. Huawei is dedicated to promoting sustainable industry development with innovative solutions and digital technologies, as well as unlocking the value of intelligent transformation." Huawei's Four ISP Solutions Speed Up Construction and Upgrade of Premium All-Optical Networks At the session, Huawei launched four major solutions. Frank Lu, Vice President of the Marketing and Solution Sales Department of Huawei's ISP Business Unit, hosted the launch. "For ISPs transforming to MSPs, Huawei provides the Fixed Access Network (FAN) Sharing Solution, which is designed for building multi-tenant networks and enabling fast service provisioning for small and mid-sized ISPs. Furthermore, ISPs can leverage their advantages in private line services that are based on Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN), Internet Protocol (IP), or Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) to expand their hosting services to campus networks. For enterprise campuses, Huawei offers the brand-new Fiber to the Office (FTTO) 2.0 Solution," Lu said. Alea Showroom Demonstrates Home Broadband Digitalization Best Practice In response to the strategic opportunities presented by global environmental protection efforts, digitalization, and intelligent transformation, Huawei and Alea Soluciones jointly launched a global showroom for ISP customers and industry partners. The showroom has a comprehensive range of Huawei ISP solutions in place, including IP backbones and private lines, MSP transformation solutions,etc. Built on Huawei's intelligent infrastructure, the showroom employs abundant smart Internet applications, which demonstrates advanced concepts and models for the digital and intelligent development of home broadband services worldwide. Looking ahead, Huawei will continue working with global ISP customers and partners to innovate and integrate digital technologies into the industry, leading the way towards a more sustainable, efficient, and innovative path toward intelligent transformation. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2350065/Huawei_4_Solutions.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/huawei-releases-four-ispmsp-solutions-and-a-global-showroom-at-mwc-2024-302075748.html VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / February 29, 2024 / Alta Copper Corp. (TSX:ATCU)(OTCQX:ATCUF)(BVL:ATCU) ("Alta Copper" or the "Company") is pleased to report very positive results from the metallurgical program for the Canariaco Sur copper gold porphyry deposit and provides a project update at its 100 percent owned Canariaco advanced-stage copper project. Highlights: Positive Metal Recoveries from Metallurgical Program at Canariaco Sur; Positive Site Visit evaluating mine Infrastructure Options; Optimized Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") advancing as planned with results to be published in early April 2024; Update on Drill Permit Application for up to 47,000 meters of drilling; and Community Relations advancing by way of further ratifying future commitments for the development of sustainable projects in the area. Joanne C. Freeze, President and Chief Executive Officer of Alta Copper, commented: "We are extremely pleased with the positive results from the metallurgical program achieved for the Canariaco Sur deposit which show high recoveries for copper and very good recoveries for gold and silver. These results fully support an enlarged Canariaco Project comprising a joint development and blending of the well-defined Canariaco Norte deposit and the Canariaco Sur deposit. Given the proximity of the two deposits, a combined development has the potential to enhance the overall Canariaco Project. Previous economic studies only pertained to the Canariaco Norte deposit. The Company is also very pleased that the engineering team identified very favourable sites for infrastructure in areas near the Canariaco deposits and away from hamlets in the region." Giulio T. Bonifacio, Executive Chair of Alta Copper, commented further: "We are very pleased with the progress achieved over the past twelve months advancing on several fronts which include gains achieved that will now be incorporated in our upcoming optimized PEA, advancement of our drill permit, identifying high priority drill targets by way of our geological modelling as well as our efforts with respect to advancing community relations. While the capital markets remain challenging in our sector, our ongoing efforts at the project level will unlock the value potential of the Canariaco Project which will clearly be demonstrated in 2024." Metal Recoveries/Metallurgical Results Flotation testwork results achieved metal recoveries of up to 97.4% for copper, 78.5% for gold and 82.7% for silver in rougher concentrates which are metallurgically clean and have no deleterious elements. In addition, grinding test work produced a Bond Work Index ("BWI") of 11.12 kwh/tonne indicating the rock is soft compared to other porphyry deposits and should be very amenable to conventional crush-grind-flotation processes. The low BWI indicates the Canariaco Sur material may require less energy for grinding than many porphyry deposits. Metallurgical results are described more fully below. Optimized Preliminary Economic Assessments ("PEA") The Company is now targeting to publish an optimized PEA in early April 2024 which is being jointly prepared by Whittle Consulting Pty. Ltd. and Ausenco Engineering Canada Inc. ("Ausenco"). Positive developments incorporating 3D Geological Modelling have identified several high-grade copper zones as well as recent results from metallurgical test program for Canariaco Sur will now be incorporated into the PEA. While this delayed our targeted date for publication of the PEA results the benefits of such will be clearly demonstrated. The PEA will now include the joint development of the well-defined Canariaco Norte deposit and the Canariaco Sur deposit. Given the proximity of Canariaco Sur, located 1.5 kms southwest of Canariaco Norte, combined development of these two deposits is expected to further enhance project economics. All previous studies have excluded the Canariaco Sur deposit shown below. Drilling to date on Canariaco Sur has been limited to 15 drill holes so further drilling with several high priority drill targets for expansion purposes have been identified. Canariaco Sur Inferred Resource Contained Metal Cu Tonnes Cu Eq Cu Au Ag Moly Cu Au Ag Mo Cut-Off (Mt) Note 1 (g/t) (g/t) (ppm) (B lbs) (M Ozs) (M Ozs) (M lbs) 0.20% 290.0 0.35% 0.29% 0.11 1.3 22 1.85 0.98 11.88 14.25 0.15% 384.5 0.32% 0.26% 0.10 1.2 22 2.22 1.18 15.02 18.91 0.10% 433.2 0.30% 0.25% 0.09 1.2 22 2.36 1.26 16.39 20.80 Note 1: The Mineral Resources estimate has an effective date of January 27, 2022. The Qualified Person for the estimate is David Thomas, P.Geo. of DKT Geosolutions Inc. Drill Permit Application The Declaracion de Impacto Ambiental ("DIA") drilling permit application, was submitted in December after a very successful citizen participation workshop held in the community in late October. The expected timeline for approval remains on schedule with respect to the DIA permit application which would allow for approximately 47,000 meters to be drilled in 95 drill holes from 40 platforms. Alta Copper intends to initially drill approximately 20,000 meters in two separate phases commencing in 2024. The amount of drilling proposed by way of the DIA is deemed appropriate in view of the drilling completed to date of 85,183 meters in 289 holes, which currently represents a significant mineral resource most of which is included in the measured and indicated category. An updated geological model for the Canariaco Norte deposit has been completed with the re-interpretation of district-scale and project-specific geology while identifying significant mineralization potential and numerous high priority drill targets which will provide the foundation for a planned 20,000 meter drilling program. New drill holes have been targeted to cross and fill in the recently identified zones of high-grade copper mineralization extending to depth in Canariaco Norte which are not included in the current mineral resource estimate due to drill spacing between the holes and limitations of drill data at depth. The remaining drill platforms will be used to drill the Canariaco Sur and Quebrada Verde porphyries, targeting extensions of known mineralization laterally and at depth and near surface geochemical anomalies and mineralization exposed in creek beds. Site Visit A site visit to Canariaco was also recently conducted by AGP Mining Consultants Inc., Ausenco and Alta Copper to evaluate options for mine infrastructure including locations for plant, dry stack co-mingled waste and tailings facility as well as conveyors and/or tunnels currently being considered to allow best transport of materials from pits to facilities. The engineering team found the area to be very amenable to all requirements for a mine infrastructure. Community Relations, Field Activities, Regulatory Approvals Alta Copper continues to advance its involvement with the community in a manner to benefit all stakeholders. Alta Copper has recently ratified its commitment to contribute an additional 750,000 soles (US$ 200,000) for the development of sustainable projects in the area. These projects are to be managed by a committee made up of community members, Alta Copper team and the Lambayeque Chamber of Commerce. As previously reported, Alta Copper has field personnel working with locals and consultants who are continuing to prepare for the upcoming drill program. Alta Copper's community team has been conducting maintenance work on our field camp as well as other various environmental tasks and archeological studies required for the drilling. In addition to the technical aspects, this work allows us increased community engagement. Since February 2023, three additional community offices have opened (for a total of four), allowing the Alta Copper team many more opportunities to connect with the local community. The dialogues and the exchange of information with the local community are much more frequent and continuous now. Both the engagement allowed by the offices and that through the increased field presence on the project indicates a greater interest and adhesion in the community for the project to advance more quickly. Alta Copper continues to meet various authorities to discuss Company activities, the potential benefits of mining, legal regulations and permissions required for exploration to mining. Meetings have also been conducted with management of Ministry of Energy and Mines ("MINEM"), Ministry of Economy and Finance ("MEF"), Chamber of Commerce of Lambayeque, Universidad Cesar Vallejo and authorities of the Canaris community. Alta Copper also welcomes recent changes that have been implemented by the government in Peru with the stated objective of unblocking all mining projects to increase mining investment by way of reducing red tape to facilitate further investment in the mining sector. These recent changes will prove of great value to the Company as streamlining the approval process aligns very well with our current timeline with respect to our filed drill permit application as well as our future efforts on permitting. Metal Recoveries/Metallurgical Results ( Continued ) Nine samples were submitted for flotation testwork. The samples were selected from drill core to represent the two significant mineralized rock types identified to date in Canariaco Sur resource modelling and to correspond to the proposed mining phases of the open pit. The two significant mineralized rock types have been identified as Biotite Feldspar Porphyry ("BFP") and Andesite Volcanics ("AVP"), representing approximately 85% and 15% of the deposit respectively. The metal grades of the test samples reflected the range of assayed metal grades of the Canariaco Sur deposit. Seven flotation tests were performed on samples of BFP and two on samples of AVP. The BFP tests achieved copper recoveries ranging from 80.4 to 97.4%, with an average recovery of 92.5%. BFP gold recoveries ranged from 59.4 to 78.5% with an average recovery of 63.8%, and silver recoveries from 53.9 to 77.0% with an average of 71.1%. For the AVP rock type, the two tests achieved copper recoveries of 94.1 and 96.3%, gold recoveries of 39.5 and 65.9% and silver recoveries of 71.0 and 71.8%. The rougher flotation concentrates produced in the tests contained good copper grades with payable levels of gold and silver, high sulphur content, low pyrite levels, and were metallurgically clean. In addition, the positive flotation metal recoveries were achieved with mass pull to the test concentrates well within typical and desirable ranges for copper porphyry deposits. All flotation tests were performed at a grind of 75% minus 200 microns which is at the more coarse end of the range typically used for copper porphyry processing. Rock Grindability Test (Bond Work Index) Additional testwork performed included the determination of a BWI on a composite sample of Canariaco Sur mineralized material. The test generated BWI of 11.12 kwh/t, indicating that Canariaco Sur rock is soft when compared to other porphyry deposits. This result is very positive as it indicates the mineralized material would be highly amenable to conventional crushing and grinding technology. The grinding test work was performed on one composite sample comprised of ten sub-samples collected from eight drill holes. The sub-samples were selected to spatially represent the two major mineralized rock types present in the Canariaco Sur deposit. Metallurgical Testing, Supervision, Review and Interpretation Samples for the testwork were selected by Alta Copper in conjunction with Ausenco and Transmin technical personnel to represent Canariaco Sur material that would be mined and processed within the currently proposed mining plan. Key parameters assessed included copper, gold and silver recoveries, rougher concentrate grades, flotation mass pulls and grindability of mineralized material. The test work program was developed collaboratively by Ausenco, Transmin and Alta Copper technical personnel. Transmin provided program advice and in-country testwork supervision. Ausenco provided test work review and interpretation, and from these results developed the metallurgical criteria and inputs for the optimized Canariaco PEA. Based in the UK and Peru, Transmin is an International metallurgical consultant respected within the global minerals industry for their expertise in copper porphyry deposits. The metallurgical testwork was performed at Plenge metallurgical testing facility in Lima. Plenge was established in Peru in 1954 and provides analytical services, testing and metallurgical research services to the minerals industry. About Alta Copper Alta Copper is focused on the development of its 100% owned Canariaco advanced staged copper project. Canariaco comprises 97 square km of highly prospective land located 150 km northeast of the City of Chiclayo, Peru, which include the Canariaco Norte deposit, Canariaco Sur deposit and Quebrada Verde prospect, all within a 4 km NE-SW trend in northern Peru's prolific mining district. Canariaco is one of the largest copper deposits in the Americas not held by a major. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities laws ("forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: believe, expect, anticipate, intend, estimate, plans, postulate and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. All statements that are not statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release. Although the Company believes the forward-looking statements in this press release are reasonable, it can give no assurance that the expectations and assumptions in such statements will prove to be correct. The Company cautions investors that any forward-looking statements by the Company are not guarantees of future results or performance, and are subject to risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors which could cause events or outcomes to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others: the state of the equity financing markets in Canada and other jurisdictions; the receipt of regulatory approvals; fluctuations in metals prices, the actual results of current development activities; conclusions of economic evaluations; changes in project parameters as plans to continue to be refined; accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry; and delays in obtaining approvals or financing. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. We are under no obligation to update or alter any forward-looking statements except as required under applicable securities laws. On behalf of the Board of Alta Copper Corp. "Joanne C. Freeze" P.Geo., President, CEO and Director For further information please contact: Joanne C. Freeze, President, CEO and Director jfreeze@altacopper.com +1 604 512 3359 or Giulio T. Bonifacio, Executive Chair and Director gtbonifacio@altacopper.com +1 604 318 6760 Email: info@altacopper.com Website: www.altacopper.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/Alta_Copper LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/altacopper/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AltaCopperCorp Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/altacopper/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AltaCopper SOURCE: Alta Copper Corp. View the original press release on accesswire.com RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Saudi Arabia has received international recognition and applause from UN Tourism and the World Travel & Tourism Council for its remarkable achievement of welcoming over 100 million tourists in 2023. This accomplishment significantly surpassed the previous target set for 2030, positioning Saudi Arabia as an emerging global tourism powerhouse. The Ministry of Tourism announced that the Kingdom has achieved this milestone seven years ahead of the initial goal according to the latest data. Motivated by this success, the Kingdom has now set a new ambitious target of welcoming 150 million tourists by 2030. Tourism has proven to be a significant contributor to the nation's economy, with domestic and international tourists spending over 250 billion riyals in 2023. This expenditure represents over 4% of GDP and 7% of the non-oil GDP reflecting the crucial role of tourism in diversifying Saudi Arabia's economy. H.E. Minister Ahmed Al Khateeb, commented: "This announcement demonstrates the scale of our transformation since the National Tourism Strategy was launched five years ago. Tourism is a key pillar in the nation's economic transformation under Vision 2030, creating jobs and revenue for the Kingdom. We thank both UN Tourism and WTTC as valued partners in our journey for their shared commitment to a sustainable and prosperous tourism sector." "The tourism ecosystem continues to operate in line with the national tourism strategy by developing diverse tourist destinations. Our aim is to enrich the experiences of tourists, diversify options for both local and international visitors, and enhance hospitality facilities along with other services provided. We are committed to aligning with top-tier international experiences and practices. This approach contributes to shaping a prosperous future for our tourism industry, improving the quality of life, and bolstering the Kingdom's position on the global tourism map," said the Minister. The tourism sector in the Kingdom has marked significant qualitative leaps, with the total number of tourists, both domestic and international, reaching 106.2 million in 2023. This represents a remarkable increase of 56% compared to 2019 and a substantial 12% surge compared to 2022. Among these, the number of international tourists reached 27.4 million, showing a substantial 56% increase from 2019 and an impressive 65% rise compared to 2022. Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2351393/Saudi_Arabia_UN_Tourism_WTTC.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2351392/Ministry_of_Tourism_KSA_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/saudi-arabias-achievement-of-welcoming-100-million-tourists-receives-global-recognition-from-un-tourism-and-wttc-302075774.html New Offering Provides an "Always-On" Solution for Developing, Executing, and Evaluating Business Strategies Across Every Level of an Organization Quantive, the world's leading strategy management software and services company, today announced Quantive StrategyAI. This first-of-its-kind offering brings together the data, technology, and expertise organizations need to turn their strategic ambitions into reality within a single solution. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240229479676/en/ Quantive StrategyAI (Graphic: Business Wire) In today's rapidly evolving, highly uncertain business environment, strategic management as a calendar-based, top-down, people-centric activity is proving to be woefully inadequate. Studies show that the traditional, decades-old approach creates a "strategy gap," resulting in the average organization realizing less than half its strategic potential each year. Even those who can conceive the best strategies often fail due to their organization's inability to quickly adapt to changing business conditions. Quantive StrategyAI transforms how business strategy works by integrating AI throughout the strategic management process from understanding the current state to evaluating and making strategic choices to tightly connecting strategic initiatives to the operating activities across every level of an organization. The result is an "always-on" model where strategy continuously adapts as the business context and environment change. Quantive StrategyAI allows organizations to: Respond to change by monitoring the business context and initiating strategy reviews and decision-making continuously. Overcome the natural bias towards the status quo to embrace and explore uncertainty and seize new, untapped opportunities. Localize execution within the teams and functions tasked with the primary value-creating activities, regardless of organizational hierarchy. Use the data and insights available to identify issues, adapt quickly, and execute effectively. "The wealth of data and the diffusion of AI technologies now allow organizations to reimagine their approach to strategic decision-making completely," said Quantive CEO Carmine Visconti. "The old approach of a few smart people stepping aside once a year to determine which strategic bets to make is over. It never really made sense if you think about it, but we had no viable alternative. Now we do. AI and data democratization change everything as they enable full alignment between the velocity of making strategic and financially sound decisions with the speed of change in business today." Built upon Quantive's market-leading strategy execution software, the new platform consists of three primary capabilities: Quantive Strategies for strategy development Evaluate the most lucrative opportunities, challenges to tackle, or risks to mitigate by maximizing the strategic choices that best position the company to achieve its objectives. for strategy development Evaluate the most lucrative opportunities, challenges to tackle, or risks to mitigate by maximizing the strategic choices that best position the company to achieve its objectives. Quantive Results for strategy activation and execution Communicate the strategic priorities and align the organization's goals, resources, and operational processes necessary to achieve the strategic objectives. for strategy activation and execution Communicate the strategic priorities and align the organization's goals, resources, and operational processes necessary to achieve the strategic objectives. Quantive Signals for strategy evaluation Assess and forecast performance against a set of strategic objectives and make necessary adjustments when needed. Quantive StrategyAI accelerates insights, decision-making, and connectivity across the entire strategy management process with hundreds of prebuilt connectors and a no-code integration interface. Quantive StrategyAI is also built with the ability to scale, and the controls needed for large, privacy and security-sensitive enterprises. "Our new module, Quantive Strategies, helps organizations leverage public and private data grounded in proven frameworks to inform the strategic decisions needed to shape their futures. It also fosters a collaborative environment where multiple stakeholders can contribute to decision-making, recognizing that great strategies are born from collective insight," said Quantive Chief Product Officer Ying Chen. "In the AI era, data is king, and from the beginning, we've put data at the core of our platform, allowing us to leverage descriptive, prescriptive, and predictive AI throughout the strategic management workflows. The goal is no longer to 'close the strategy gap,' rather it's to eliminate the gap that is strategy and execution become one and the same." Over the past four years, the volatile business environment has reinforced the mandate for enterprise agility and resilience. Whether changing customer preferences, moving into new markets, developing new products, evaluating M&A opportunities, or identifying operational inefficiencies, Quantive believes the capacity to effectively and quickly respond will enable organizations to create an enduring competitive advantage. To learn more about Quantive StrategyAI and its innovative capabilities, please visit www.quantive.com. About Quantive Quantive helps build future-ready organizations by embedding strategic agility and execution into the day-to-day. Quantive StrategyAI, the world's first AI-powered strategic intelligence platform, enables over 2,000 customers to continuously develop, execute, and evaluate their strategy as the business context and environment change. We call it "always-on strategy." By bringing together technology, data, and expertise, Quantive customers have everything they need to achieve their full potential. For more information, visit www.quantive.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240229479676/en/ Contacts: Casey Carey casey@quantive.com Absolute-Net Lease in Place and Produces 12.7% Cap Rate over the Life of the Lease Term. SCOTTSDALE, AZ / ACCESSWIRE / February 29, 2024 / Zoned Properties, Inc. ("Zoned Properties" or the "Company") (OTCQB:ZDPY), a leading real estate development firm for emerging and highly regulated industries, including legalized cannabis, today announced that the Company has received final cannabis approvals related to an investment property in Surprise, Arizona (the "Investment Property"). The Company is under contract to acquire the Investment Property after initial site work has been completed by the selling developer. Zoned Properties has also entered into a long-term, absolute-net lease agreement with a best-in-class Arizona cannabis company, Sunday Goods, to operate a retail dispensary. "Arizona's cannabis market stands out as one of the most dynamic and consumer-driven in the United States. The strongest brands in the nation look to Arizona to create consumer market awareness. Following this acquisition, we expect to near $3 million in passive rental revenue annually. We continue implementing our plan to grow our investment portfolio by adding best-in-class operators and direct-to-consumer assets with attractive cap rates. This lease with Sunday Goods further diversifies our tenant roster with a cannabis brand that will establish the property's highest and best use at this retail location," commented Bryan McLaren, Chief Executive Officer of Zoned Properties. "We are excited to strengthen our tenant roster with such a high-quality brand in Sunday Goods and look forward to expanding our relationship with their executive team." Transaction Highlights Zoned Properties is under contract to acquire the Investment Property in Surprise, Arizona from the selling developer following the completion of site work by the seller. The Company intends to acquire the Investment Property for approximately $1.75 Million, including purchase price, closing costs, and selling developer's improvements; and is planning for a $1.0 Million tenant improvement allowance providing the initial capital for Sunday Goods to construct a retail dispensary. The Company believes Sunday Goods will need to invest additional capital to complete construction and development of the property. The Investment Property is leased to Sunday Goods under a long-term, absolute-net lease agreement, which will produce an approximate 12.7% cap rate when straight-lined over the term of the lease agreement. The lease includes 3% annual increases in base rent, yielding approximately $372,000 in annual base rental revenue when straight-lined over the life of the lease term. Zoned Properties has received final cannabis approvals from the City of Surprise authorizing the operation of a cannabis retail dispensary at the Investment Property. Market Highlights Arizona's cannabis market is one of the strongest in the nation. As of October 2023, the state had seen over $1.2 Billion in sales YTD, and many project sales to hit over $1.5 Billion in 2024. Surprise, Arizona was recently ranked by a Smart Asset Report as the top place in the country for attracting homebuyers under 35, with a growth rate of 15.88% over a ten year period. About The Pharm ("Sunday Goods") The Pharm's commitment to quality and integrity stems from its experience operating a 320,000-square-foot Dutch glass greenhouse in Willcox, AZ, one of the largest of its kind in the country. As the largest cultivator and purveyor of high-quality sun-grown cannabis in the state of Arizona, Willcox serves as The Pharm's hub for continuous improvement through research and development. Here, The Pharm combines cultivation expertise and innovation with large-scale production, all while maintaining the highest quality, which uniquely sets them apart as leaders in the industry. The Pharm also operates two award-winning dispensaries in the Phoenix area called Sunday Goods. The Sunday Goods brand was recognized as a "Top 22 Brand of 2022" by High Times Magazine. About Zoned Properties, Inc. (OTCQB: ZDPY): Zoned Properties Inc. ("Zoned Properties" or the "Company") (OTCQB: ZDPY) is a technology-driven property investment company focused on acquiring value-add real estate within the regulated cannabis industry in the United States. The Company aspires to innovate within the real estate development sector, focusing on direct-to-consumer real estate that is leased to the best-in-class cannabis retailers. Headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, Zoned Properties is redefining the approach to commercial real estate investment through its standardized investment process backed by its proprietary property technology. Zoned Properties has developed a national ecosystem of real estate services to support its real estate development process, including a commercial real estate brokerage and a real estate advisory practice. With a decade of national experience and a team of experts devoted to the emerging cannabis industry, Zoned Properties is addressing the specific needs of a modern market in highly regulated industries. The Company targets commercial properties that face unique zoning or development challenges, identifies solutions that can potentially have a major impact on their commercial value, and then works to acquire the properties while securing long-term, absolute-net leases. Zoned Properties targets commercial properties that can be acquired and rezoned for specific purposes, including the regulated and legalized cannabis industry. It does not grow, harvest, sell or distribute cannabis or any substances regulated under United States law such as the Controlled Substance Act of 1970, as amended (the "CSA"). Zoned Properties corporate headquarters are located at 8360 E. Raintree Dr., Suite 230, Scottsdale, Arizona. For more information, call 877-360-8839 or visit www.ZonedProperties.com. Twitter: @ZonedProperties LinkedIn: @ZonedProperties Safe Harbor Statement This press release contains forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this press release are forward-looking statements. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "plan," "potential," "continue" or similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements include risks and uncertainties, and there are important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These factors, risks and uncertainties are discussed in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Investors should not place any undue reliance on forward-looking statements since they involve known and unknown, uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond the Company's control which could, and likely will, materially affect actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Any forward-looking statement reflects the Company's current views with respect to future events and is subject to these and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to operations, results of operations, growth strategy and liquidity. The Company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future. Investor Relations Zoned Properties, Inc. Bryan McLaren Tel (877) 360-8839 Investors@zonedproperties.com www.zonedproperties.com SOURCE: Zoned Properties, Inc. View the original press release on accesswire.com Cash balance of $15.4 million as at December 31, 2023 Revenue of $1.3 million (vs 2022: $1.2 million, an increase of 9.9%) Property, plant and equipment value of $5.1 million Total assets of $27.3 million Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - February 29, 2024) - Red Light Holland Corp. (CSE: TRIP) (FSE: 4YX) (OTCQB: TRUFF) ("Red Light Holland" or the "Company"), an Ontario-based corporation engaged in the production, growth, and sale of functional mushrooms and mushroom home grow kits in North America and Europe, and a premium brand of psilocybin truffles to the legal, recreational market within the Netherlands, in compliance with all applicable laws, announces that it has completed the process of filing its unaudited quarterly financial statements and management discussion & analysis for the three and nine months ended December 31, 2023 and 2022. "We continue to be pleased and remain very confident with the overall path Red Light Holland is on as our strategic and patient growth goals are being met. For the 3 month period compared to the prior year, sales increased 9.9%. For the 9 month period compared to the prior year, sales increased 28.9%. And the quarter ended December 31 represents our best quarter ever for sales at $1,291,070," said Todd Shapiro, CEO and Director of Red Light Holland. "We have several companies in our portfolio that have strong income statements and healthy balance sheets and we are always looking to find ways to improve on production, distribution, marketing and business to business sales focused on even more growth. We've recently tweaked our direct-to-consumer approach as we focus on more retail sales to help with margins - also with the goal of being more efficient for long term growth. We will continue to give increased clarity in future quarters on our 'everything mushroom company' - with our core focus on psilocybin - as we look to scale the business and focus on more ways to make money and save money with the ultimate aim at increasing shareholder value. Lastly, we will provide Shareholders with our Farm build update in Peterborough, Ontario later today as we look forward to the Q&A to answer any and all of your questions," added Shapiro. The unaudited financial statements and management's discussion and analysis for the three and nine months ended December 31, 2023 are now available on SEDAR+. The live Q&A will be available online via Zoom today, Thursday February 29th at 4pm ET: Join Zoom Meeting https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89938111235?pwd=PZebVOUZcpZRSlRns0ApSDHxQPS9AL.1 Meeting ID: 899 3811 1235 Passcode: RLH2024 One tap mobile +15074734847"89938111235# US +15642172000"89938111235# US Dial by your location +1 507 473 4847 US +1 564 217 2000 US +1 646 558 8656 US (New York) +1 646 931 3860 US +1 669 444 9171 US +1 689 278 1000 US +1 719 359 4580 US +1 720 707 2699 US (Denver) +1 253 205 0468 US +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC) +1 305 224 1968 US +1 309 205 3325 US +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston) +1 360 209 5623 US +1 386 347 5053 US Meeting ID: 899 3811 1235 Find your local number: https://us06web.zoom.us/u/kHXj8XwN About Red Light Holland The Company is an Ontario-based corporation engaged in the production, growth and sale of functional mushrooms and mushroom home grow kits in North America and Europe, and a premium brand of psilocybin truffles to the legal, recreational market within the Netherlands, in compliance with all applicable laws. For additional information: Todd Shapiro Chief Executive Officer and Director Tel: 647-643-TRIP (8747) Email: todd@redlight.co Website: www.RedLight.co Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Such forward-looking information and forward-looking statements are not representative of historical facts or information or current condition, but instead represent only the Company's beliefs regarding future events, plans or objectives, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and outside of the Company's control. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements and information can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "estimates", "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 or be achieved. Forward-Looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company or its respective subsidiaries to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information contained in this news release. Examples of such information include statements with respect to: the stated plans and goals of the Company; the Company's continued strategy of being an "everything mushroom company" and the stated plans and benefits thereof; the Company's long term strategy to help human beings with positive change through health and wellness; the Company's plans to update its shareholders on the Company's latest developments, including, the developments from its partnership with CCrest and its Peterborough Farm; and the Company having sufficient capital to fund its ongoing business development and future growth and expansion plans for the foreseeable future. Forward-Looking information in this news release are based on certain assumptions and expected future events, namely: continued approval of the Company's activities by the relevant governmental and/or regulatory authorities; the continued growth of the Company; the Company having the ability to carry out its plans and goals of the Company; the Company's ability to carry out its strategy of being an "everything mushroom company"; the Company's ability to carry out its long term strategy to help human beings with positive change through health and wellness; the Company will update its shareholders on the Company's latest developments; and the Company will have sufficient capital to fund its ongoing business development and future growth and expansion plans for the foreseeable future. Risks, uncertainties and other factors involved with forward-looking information could cause actual events, results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, the Company's inability to obtain continued approval of the Company's activities by the relevant governmental and/or regulatory authorities; the Company's inability to maintain continued growth of the Company; the Company's inability to carry out its plans and goals; the Company's inability to carry out its strategy of being an "everything mushroom company"; the Company's inability to carry out its long term strategy to help human beings with positive change through health and wellness; the Company's inability to update its shareholders on the Company's latest developments; and the Company's inability to maintain sufficient capital to fund its ongoing business development and future growth and expansion plans for the foreseeable future. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing, and the expectations contained in, the forward-looking information and statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information and statements, and no assurance or guarantee can be given that such forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information and statements. The forward-looking information and forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information and/or forward-looking statements that are contained or referenced herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FUTURE ORIENTED FINANCIAL INFORMATION This press release may contain future oriented financial information ("FOFI") within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, about prospective results of operations, financial position or cash flows, based on assumptions about future economic conditions and courses of action, which FOFI is not presented in the format of a historical balance sheet, income statement or cash flow statement, including but not limited to, the Company's statement that it has sufficient capital to fund its ongoing business development and future growth and expansion plans for the foreseeable future. The FOFI has been prepared by management to provide an outlook of the Company's activities and results and has been prepared based on a number of assumptions including the assumptions discussed under the heading above entitled "Cautionary Note Regarding Future Oriented Financial Information" and assumptions with respect to the costs and expenditures to be incurred by the Company, capital expenditures and operating costs, taxation rates for the Company and general and administrative expenses. Management does not have, or may not have had at the relevant date, firm commitments for all of the costs, expenditures, prices or other financial assumptions which may have been used to prepare the FOFI or assurance that such operating results will be achieved and, accordingly, the complete financial effects of all of those costs, expenditures, prices and operating results are not, or may not have been at the relevant date of the FOFI, objectively determinable. Importantly, the FOFI contained in this press release and the documents incorporated by reference herein, are, or may be, based upon certain additional assumptions that management believes to be reasonable based on the information currently available to management, including, but not limited to, assumptions about: (i) the future pricing for the Company's products, (ii) the future market demand and trends within the jurisdictions in which the Company may from time to time conduct the Company's business, and (iii) the Company continued ability to maintain its capital to fund its ongoing business development and future growth. The FOFI or financial outlook contained in this in this press release do not purport to present the Company's financial condition in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board, and there can be no assurance that the assumptions made in preparing the FOFI will prove accurate. The actual results of operations of the Company and the resulting financial results will likely vary from the amounts set forth in the analysis presented in any such document, and such variation may be material (including due to the occurrence of unforeseen events occurring subsequent to the preparation of the FOFI). The Company and management believe that the FOFI has been prepared on a reasonable basis, reflecting management's best estimates and judgments as at the applicable date. However, because this information is highly subjective and subject to numerous risks including the risks discussed under the heading above entitled "Cautionary Note Regarding Future Oriented Financial Information", FOFI or financial outlook within this in this press release should not be relied on as necessarily indicative of future results. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the FOFI, or financial outlook contained in this in this press release. Except as required by Canadian securities laws, the Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update such FOFI. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/199831 SOURCE: Red Light Holland Corp. Three Hundred Government Officials and Business Representatives Gathered to Show Japan's Support for Ukraine's Reconstruction On February 19th, representatives of the governments of Japan and Ukraine, as well as business organizations, gathered in Tokyo for the Japan-Ukraine Conference for Promotion of Economic Growth and Reconstruction. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240229458562/en/ Prime Minister Kishida Fumio emphasized how Japan can contribute to Ukraine's post-war reconstruction. (Photo by: Cabinet Public Affairs Office) The Japanese government delegation, led by Prime Minister of Japan Kishida Fumio, pledged long-term support for Ukraine's recovery through public-private partnership. The Ukrainian delegation, led by Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal, thanked Japan for its assistance and invited Japanese businesses to invest in Ukraine's reconstruction. Each delegation consisted of more than 100 government and corporate officials. In total, around 300 people and 130 companies took part in the conference. The two governments agreed to cooperate on seven key areas: land mine action and debris clearance, humanitarian aid and livelihood reconstruction, agricultural development, biotechnology, digital and information technology, transportation and energy infrastructure, and anti-corruption and governance-strengthening measures. In his keynote speech, Prime Minister Kishida described supporting Ukraine's recovery from the ongoing war as "investing in the future," and called on the international community to contribute. "Japan's public and private sectors will all work together through an all-Japan approach, utilizing the knowledge derived from Japan's postwar and disaster reconstruction efforts," he said in his speech. "The promotion of economic reconstruction, however, is not only investment for the future of Ukraine but also investing in Japan and the whole globe." He outlined new initiatives for Japan's public and private sectors to support Ukraine. Kishida also announced that Japan would ease entry visa requirements for Ukrainian citizens involving in Japan-Ukraine cooperation projects. Prime Minister Shmyhal thanked Japan for its ongoing assistance and Prime Minister Kishida for his visit to Ukraine in 2023. He added "Today's conference will be the next step towards continuing the development of both countries' relationships." Shmyhal mentioned the financial success of Japanese companies in Ukraine so far and invited businesses to further invest in the coming "Ukrainian economic miracle." He underlined key sectors such as energy, agriculture, and infrastructure as offering prime investment opportunities with robust growth potential. Both leaders emphasized their commitment to cooperation, as well as the importance of the private sector in Ukraine's reconstruction. The conference resulted in the announcement of 56 documents, including inter-governmental agreements. The two governments signed a convention eliminating double taxation, which will support Japanese companies to invest in Ukraine. They also signed an agreement on bilateral crediting, exchanged notes concerning a grant aid for emergency recovery, and pledged to collaborate in the fields of education and technology. Other documents included deals between government agencies and individual businesses and business organizations. Japanese companies signed deals with Ukrainian companies and government agencies to develop energy facilities, rebuild infrastructure, remove land mines, and more. Since the Russian invasion in February 2022, Japan has consistently provided humanitarian aid and other assistance to Ukraine. With the public-private partnership announced at this conference, Japan plans to use its technological expertise and experience in post-disaster recovery and reconstruction to strengthen its support for Ukraine. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240229458562/en/ Contacts: Ministry of Foreign Affairs +81-(0)3-3580-3311 Frank Rauch named "2024 Channel Chiefs: The 50 Most Influential" by CRN; "2024 Channel Influencer Award" recipient by Channel Futures TEL AVIV, Israel, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Cato Networks, the leader in SASE, today announced that Frank Rauch, Global Channel Chief, has been recognized as a recipient of two industry honors: "2024 Channels Chiefs: The 50 Most Influential" by CRN and "2024 Channel Influencer Award" by Channel Futures. These honors highlight Rauch's significant contributions and leadership in shaping the networking and security indirect sales channel over the past year. Rauch stands among 50 individuals in both honors and is commended for his visionary leadership, strategic thinking, and innovative approaches to the channel ecosystem. CRN selects channel chief honorees based on their professional achievements, standing in the industry, dedication to the channel partner community, and strategies for driving channel growth and innovation. Channel Futures identifies leaders for their exceptional impact on the direction and transformation of the SASE industry through indirect sales channels. "Frank Rauch's selection as a 2024 CRN Channel Chiefs and Channel Futures Channel Influencer is a testament to his remarkable leadership and the innovative strategies he has implemented at Cato Networks," said Alon Alter, Chief Business Officer of Cato Networks. "His dedication to the channel community and his impact on our partners' growth and success reflect the core values and vision of Cato Networks. We are thrilled to see Frank's contributions recognized by CRN and Channel Futures." "I am deeply honored by this recognition by CRN and Channel Futures, though they speak much more to the strength of the Cato team and our growing partner community than to any individual," said Rauch. "These awards are a testament to our channel-first commitment and culture at Cato Networks. My gratitude extends to CRN and Channel Futures' editors and judges for this esteemed acknowledgment." Before his tenure at Cato Networks, which began in January 2023, Rauch held pivotal roles across the technology and IT sectors, including Global Channel Chief at Check Point Software Technologies, and leadership positions at VMware, and HPE. His experience and successful channel strategies have earned his teams more than 150 industry awards. Rauch is also recognized for mentoring future channel leaders and active participation on several advisory boards. Digital Assets [Photo] Alon Alter Alon Alter [Photo] Frank Rauch Frank Rauch [Image]Cato Networks logo Supporting Resources Read about the Cato Partner Community. Read about Frank Rauch. Read Cato Blog . . Read Cato news releases. For more information about Cato's news and activities, follow the company via Twitter , LinkedIn , Facebook , Instagram , and YouTube . About Cato Cato Networks is the leader in SASE, delivering enterprise security and networking in a single cloud platform. With Cato, organizations replace costly and rigid legacy infrastructure with an open and modular SASE architecture based on SD-WAN, a purpose-built global cloud network, and an embedded cloud-native security stack. Want to learn why thousands of organizations secure their future with Cato? Visit us at www.catonetworks.com. About CRN CRN provides objective reporting on daily technology and channel news, events, and trends, empowering solution providers such as systems integrators, value-added resellers, managed service providers (MSPs), strategic service providers, and IT consultants to maintain a competitive advantage and deliver the business outcomes their customers need. Since 1982, CRN's talented team of editors has reported on the news solution providers need to build successful businesses. CRN is the go-to source for breaking news on the IT channel, including technology vendors' channel programs, channel management executives and product and services portfolios; distributors and cloud distributors; MSP platform vendors, and solution providers themselves. Coverage crosses over a variety of technology areas, including cloud, security, data center, networking, software, storage, managed services, computing, and components and peripherals. About Channel Futures Channel Futures is a leading media and events platform for the ICT channel community, encompassing solution providers, MSPs, MSSPs, CSPs, VARs, distributors, technology solutions brokerages, and others in the technology and communications sectors. It offers insights, news, and connections across the channel ecosystem, including prestigious awards and conferences designed to advance the industry. For more information, visit channelfutures.com. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/cato-networks-channel-chief-earns-two-industry-honors-302074764.html NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / February 29, 2024 / This year's theme for National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is "Engage, Educate, Empower: Uniting to End HIV/AIDS in Black Communities." We spoke with C. Virginia Fields, President and CEO of National Black Leadership Commission on Health (Black Health), a Gilead grantee, about how together, we can take action toward meaningful change. We commend Virginia and our many community partners for continuing to honor and advance the decades of progress that Black communities have made in HIV. Learn more: https://gilead.inc/487PjBu Gilead Sciences Gilead Sciences, Inc. is a research-based biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops and commercializes innovative medicines in areas of unmet medical need. The company strives to transform and simplify care for people with life-threatening illnesses around the world. Gilead has operations in more than 35 countries worldwide, with headquarters in Foster City, California. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Gilead Sciences on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Gilead Sciences Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/gilead-sciences Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: Gilead Sciences View the original press release on accesswire.com Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 29, 2024) - ACME Lithium Inc. (CSE: ACME) (OTCQB: ACLHF) (the "Company", or "ACME") is pleased to announce that the Company will be attending and exhibiting at Booth #2406 at the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada's ("PDAC") Convention at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre ("MTCC") from Sunday, March 3rd to Wednesday, March 6th, 2024. On February 6th, 2024 ACME reported an exploration summary and hydrogeological evaluation report for ACME's Phase 1 and Phase 2 programs at its Clayton Valley, Nevada lithium brine project which included an estimated inferred lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) resource of approximately 302,900 metric tons (units rounded). ACME intends to file a NI 43-101 compliant report on its Clayton Valley project within 45 days of this prior announcement. ACME's Clayton Valley Nevada lithium brine project (the "Project") is contiguous to the northwest of one of the only operating lithium brine operations in North America, Albemarle Corporation's Silver Peak lithium deposit and facility which has been in production since 1966. About PDAC The World's Premier Mineral Exploration & Mining Convention is the leading convention for people, governments, companies and organizations connected to mineral exploration. In addition to meeting more than 1,100 exhibitors, 2,500 investors and 24,000 attendees in person in 2023, participants could also attend programming, courses and networking events. The annual convention is held in Toronto, Canada. It has grown in size, stature and influence since it began in 1932 and today is the event of choice for the world's mineral industry. For more information and/or to register for the conference, please visit: https://www.pdac.ca/convention. About ACME Lithium Inc. Led by an experienced team, ACME Lithium is a mineral exploration Company focused on acquiring, exploring, and developing battery metal projects in partnership with leading technology and commodity companies. ACME has acquired or is under option to acquire a 100-per-cent interest in a project area located in Clayton Valley, Nevada and has entered into option agreements with third parties on its Fish Lake Valley, Esmeralda County Nevada project, and at Shatford, Birse, and Cat-Euclid Lakes in southeastern Manitoba. On behalf of the Board of Directors Steve Hanson Chief Executive Officer, President and Director Telephone: (604) 564-9045 info@acmelithium.com For Investor Inquiries: Anthony Simone Simone Capital Telephone: (416) 881-5154 asimone@simonecapital.ca Neither the CSE nor its regulations service providers accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. This news release contains certain statements which may constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws ("forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "projects," "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will," "would," "may," "could" or "should" occur and in this news release include but are not limited to the attributes of, timing for and expected benefits to be derived from exploration, drilling or development at ACME's project properties. Information inferred from the interpretation of drilling, sampling and other technical results may also be deemed to be forward-looking statements, as it constitutes a prediction of what might be found to be present when and if a project is actually developed. ACME's project location adjacent to or nearby lithium projects does not guarantee exploration success or that mineral resources or reserves will be defined on ACME's properties. Exploration, development, and activities conducted by regional companies provide assistance and additional data for exploration work being completed by ACME. These forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those reflected in the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation: risks related to fluctuations in metal prices; uncertainties related to raising sufficient financing to fund the planned work in a timely manner and on acceptable terms; changes in planned work resulting from weather, logistical, technical or other factors; the possibility that results of work will not fulfill expectations and realize the perceived potential of the Company's properties; risk of accidents, equipment breakdowns and labour disputes or other unanticipated difficulties or interruptions; the possibility of cost overruns or unanticipated expenses in the work program; the risk of environmental contamination or damage resulting from the Company's operations and other risks and uncertainties. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date it is made and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. Unless otherwise indicated, the market and industry data contained herein is based upon information from industry and other publications and the knowledge and experience of management. While we believe that this data is reliable, market and industry data is subject to variations and cannot be verified with complete certainty due to limits on the availability and reliability of raw data, the voluntary nature of the data gathering process and other limitations and uncertainties inherent in any statistical survey. We have not independently verified any of the data from third-party sources referred to in this news release or ascertained the underlying assumptions relied upon by such sources. All technical and scientific disclosure pertaining to our mineral property interests in this news release have been reviewed by a Qualified Person, meaning an individual who is an engineer or geoscientist with at least five years of experience in mineral exploration, mine development or operation or mineral project assessment, or any combination of these; has experience relevant to the subject matter of the mineral project and the technical report; and is a member or licensee in good standing of a professional association. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/199775 SOURCE: ACME Lithium Inc. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 29, 2024) - Argo Living Soils Corp. (CSE: ARGO) (OTC Pink: ARLSF) ("Argo" or the "Company") announces a private placement offering of up to 3,000,000 units (the "Units") at a price of $0.10 per Unit, for aggregate gross proceeds of up to $300,000 (the "Offering"). Each Unit will consist of one common share in the capital of the Company and one transferrable share purchase warrant ( a "Warrant"). Each Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one additional common share in the capital of the Company at $0.20 per share for a period of 24 months following the closing of the Offering. In connection with the Offering, the Company may pay customary finders fees. The Company plans to use proceeds of the Offering for general working capital purposes and identifying and evaluating strategic business opportunities which align with the Company's business plan. All securities to be issued under the Offering will be subject to a four month and one day hold period in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws. About Argo Living Soils Corp. The company specializes in producing and developing organic products, including soil amendments, living soils, biofertilizers, vermicompost and compost extracts formulated specifically for high-value crops. The Company's vision and overall business plan are to create an established brand of organic and/or environmentally friendly products. The company was founded in 2018, and its production facilities have been expanded and relocated to Duncan, British Columbia, in a joint venture with Pacific Composting. We Seek Safe Harbor. For further information please contact: Peter Hoyle Chief Executive Officer Argo Living Soils Corp. Email: peter.hoyle@shaw.ca The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed this press release and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. Certain information contained herein constitutes "forward-looking information" under Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, the completion of the Offering, size of the Offering, the use of proceeds and the Company creating a brand of organic and/or environmentally friendly products. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "will", "plans", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made and they are from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results to be materially different, including receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals. Although management of the Company have attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or 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 statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. The Company will not update any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information that are incorporated by reference herein, except as required by applicable securities laws. THIS NEWS RELEASE IS NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/199809 SOURCE: Argo Living Soils Corp. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - February 29, 2024) - Palamina Corp. (TSXV: PA) (OTCQB: PLMNF) completed its latest field program at its 100% owned Usicayos Gold Project (the "Project") in the Sol de Oro Zone ("SDO") in December 2023. Usicayos is located in southeastern Peru and hosts a 4.5 km long mineralized orogenic gold trend to include the southwestern SDO Zone, the central Cayos Zone, and the northeastern Veta Zone. Drilling is scheduled to commence in Q2 of 2024. The SDO zone is hosted in Paleozoic Ananea Formation shale and mudstone and is controlled by regional shear zones developed by regional thrusting. The host shear structure at SDO is the widest identified at Usicayos to date, measuring approximately 1.5 km in width and 2.2 km in strike length. Gold mineralization is found along continuous "mantos" developed parallel to foliation along the carbonaceous shear zone. The foliation either side of a major NW-SE fault dips steeply towards the centre, suggesting a possible near vertical feeder zone (or "flower structure") at the heart of the SDO zone. Drilling at SDO is designed to test this interpretation. Four mineralized targets have been identified at SDO, all of which are structurally well defined and continuous at surface; SDO North, South, East and West. Figure 1: (upper) Plan View of the SDO Zone, (lower) Cross Section of the SDO Zone and outward opening flower structure To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4727/199847_f04d257914a6abc7_002full.jpg Company geologists completed a channel sampling and geological reconnaissance program in December 2023 designed to test the continuity of gold mineralization in the SDO North, East, and South zones. Approximately 30% of all samples collected were continuous channels taken using a diamond saw, and the remaining samples were rock chips collected using hammers and chisels. Samples, some of which contained visible gold, were collected on both outcrops and along artisanal underground tunnels and workings built by local miners in the past. Table 1 shows selected results from the most recent channel sampling program in the SDO zone: ZONE SAMPLE SAMPLE LENGTH Au LOCATION TYPE METRES g/t SDO S Outcrop Channel 3.2 9.3 SDO S Outcrop Including 1.2 18.4 SDO S Underground Channel 1.0 1.2 SDO S Underground Channel 1.0 153 SDO S Outcrop Channel 4.5 3.4 SDO S Outcrop Including 1.0 9.1 SDO S Underground Channel 1.0 11.4 SDO S Underground Channel 1.0 6.6 SDO S Underground Channel 1.0 3.3 SDO E Outcrop Channel 1.0 2.6 SDO E Outcrop Channel 1.0 1.7 SDO E Outcrop Channel 4.0 5.2 SDO E Outcrop Including 1.0 9.6 SDO E Outcrop Channel 9.0 0.8 SDO E Outcrop Channel 1.0 3.2 Figure 2: Selected geochemical results from the SDO zone. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4727/199847_f04d257914a6abc7_003full.jpg Andrew Thomson, President of Palamina, commented: "Palamina's upcoming drill campaign will test the heart of the SDO zone, where the highly prospective SDO East zone hosts two outcropping Mantos that can be traced over an 800-metre strike length. We have seen evidence in the field that there may be at least two other mantos in the area with the potential to host widespread gold mineralization. Drilling is scheduled to commence once the rainy season is over and will test the four target areas identified to date at SDO." Palamina will conduct two sampling campaigns while the road, drill pads, and the exploration camp are being constructed and set up in the SDO zone. A structural geological consultant will complete further interpretation of the zone to further delineate drill targets. Palamina also plans to drill in the Cayos Zone, located to the northeast of SDO in 2024. Prior sampling programs have returned up to 30.5 g/t Au over 3m in a continuous channel sample. These results, along with heliborne geophysical survey work and a comprehensive structural study completed have played an important role in defining SDO and Cayos zones as priority drill target areas. Palamina is well funded to carry out the drill program with over $3M in cash at December 30, 2023. Technical Information Palamina Corp. quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) protocol is implemented on all its exploration projects. Prior to delivery of samples to the analytical laboratory Palamina QAQC staff insert blank samples, field duplicates and certified standards into the sample stream with the objective to provide a check on precision, accuracy, and contamination in the laboratory. To assure best practice compliance, assay results are only reported once the results of internal QAQC procedures have been reviewed and approved. Samples are collected and transported by Palamina personnel to the Certimin S.A preparation facility in Juliaca, Peru where they are processed and then sent for assay to the Certimin S.A. laboratory in Lima, Peru. The technical information herein has been reviewed and approved by Alvaro Fernandez-Baca (P. Geo.); a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Fernandez-Baca is a consultant to Palamina. About Palamina Corp. Palamina has participation in eight gold projects in south-eastern Peru hosted within the Puno Orogenic Gold Belt. Palamina is advancing the Usicayos gold project through the drill discovery phase. The Company also has rights to the Galena silver-copper project in the Santa Lucia district. Palamina holds an 15.4% equity interest on a fully diluted basis in Winshear Gold Corp. who are advancing the Gaban Gold Project to the drill discovery phase. On Behalf of the Board of Directors: Andrew Thomson, President Phone: (416) 204-7536 or visit www.palamina.com Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of such statements under applicable securities law. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "continue", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "may", "will", "potential", "proposed" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. These statements are only predictions. Various assumptions were used in drawing the conclusions or making the projections contained in the forward-looking statements throughout this news release. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the use of proceeds of the Offering and the Company's future business plans. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management 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 projected in the forward-looking statements. The Company is under no obligation, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable law. A more complete discussion of the risks and uncertainties facing the Company appears in the Company's continuous disclosure filings, which are available at www.sedar.com. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/199847 SOURCE: Palamina Corp. On February 25th, when the reporter arrived at Quanlan Village in Zhongming Town, Yi'an District of Tongling City, Anhui Province, the sun was shining warmly over this small mountain village. Next to the village office, a pool of clear water reflected the green mountains and white clouds, with the fresh air being invigorating. Departing from the village office and following the cement-hardened road for a couple of minutes, one could soon see the Quanlan River. "In the process of rural construction, we highlight the coordination between planning and construction. The 99 provincial central villages that have been built have different scenery and unique attractions everywhere." Fang Xiaoshan, director of Yi'an District Beautiful Countryside Construction Management Service Center, told reporters. On February 24th, coinciding with the Lantern Festival, the Liqiao Water Town scenic area located in Xilian Town, Yi'an District of Tongling City was bustling with excitement. Strolling through lantern exhibitions, guessing riddles on lanterns, releasing river lanterns to pray for blessings, and watching the intangible cultural heritage folk performance "striking iron flowers"... That evening, the traditional culture of Liqiao Water Town blended with modern creativity. The brilliant lights and the splendid fireworks lit up the night sky, as well as the "night economy." "During the Spring Festival holiday, our lantern exhibitions, light shows, and 'striking iron flowers' performances continued, making the scenic area very popular," Liu Dongcheng, a person in charge of the Liqiao Water Town scenic area, told reporters. Since the Spring Festival, the area has cumulatively received about 300,000 visitors. With the countryside beautified and industries established, Yi'an District has also focused on enriching the spiritual and cultural life of the rural areas. In recent years, centering on themes such as industrial development and cultural heritage, the district has provided the public with a richer and more appealing "cultural feast" through organizing and creating radio dramas like "Dream Seeking in Jiangnan," promoting traditional songs like "Tongling Bull Song," and hosting traditional cultural festival, making the lives of rural residents more vibrant and colorful. Source: Anhui Daily WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Cooking on a gas stove releases a higher volume of nano-sized particles into the air compared to gas or diesel vehicles, thereby elevating the risk of respiratory illnesses, says a new Purdue University study. The nanoparticles measuring 1-3 nanometers in diameter are small enough to reach specific parts of the respiratory system and spread to other organs undetected by the naked eye. The study, led by Brandon Boor, an associate professor in Purdue's Lyles School of Civil Engineering, found that up to 10 quadrillion nanocluster aerosol particles can be emitted per kilogram of cooking fuel. This quantity is comparable to, or even surpasses, the emissions generated by vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines. Consequently, individuals inhale 10-100 times more nanocluster aerosol particles when cooking on a gas stove indoors compared to standing by car exhaust on a busy street, adds the study. The study also cautioned that children are at higher risk due to their smaller size, with models suggesting that billions to trillions of particles could deposit in their respiratory system after just 20 minutes of cooking on a gas stove. In light of these findings, the researchers recommend taking proactive measures to reduce exposure to indoor air pollutants, including considering nanocluster aerosol as a separate category of air pollutant. They advise using a kitchen exhaust fan when cooking on a gas stove to minimize the release of harmful particles into the air. The findings are published in the journal PNAS Nexus. Copyright(c) 2024 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. BRESCIA, Italy, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Entries open today for the 2024 edition of the 1000 Miglia Warm Up USA, the event organized by the Red Arrow for the past five years in the United States, between Middleburg and Washington DC. Scheduled 22-27 October, the event will confirm the winning format of the past years: after one-day training on Italian regularity racing techniques, held at Summit Point Motorsports Park, the Coppa USA will start, a three-leg race in which the crews will cover 800 kilometres and tackle challenging sporting events. The starting point for the cars on race days will be downtown Middleburg and the race days will travel to the surrounding area of the town known for its horse riding and polo competitions, until the Blue Ridge Mountains. The first leg's race lunch will be at the Barboursville estate, world famous for its Italian-origin vines, the Palladio Restaurant, one of America's most authentic Italian restaurants, and the 1804 Inn and Cottage, renowned dining and hospitality venue along Constitution Highway for more than two centuries. The second leg will return to Summit Point Circuit for circuit practice while on the last day of the race, after lunch at the Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, the closing will be on Italian soil at the Italian Embassy in Washington DC. The crews will be divided into two types, Veteran where at least one of the two drivers entered took part in at least two 1000 Miglia or Ferrari Tribute 1000 Miglia races, and Novice where both crew drivers took part in at most one 1000 Miglia (or Ferrari Tribute). A maximum of 40 cars divided into two classes will be accepted for the race: the "1000 Miglia Era", including models that participated in the historic 1000 Miglia possessing the Registro 1000 Miglia Certificate, and the "Post 1000 Miglia Era" reserved for Sport and Grand Touring cars built from 1958 to today. Specimens produced before 1957 found to be of high historical and/or sporting interest, even though they were never entered in the historic 1000 Miglia, will be placed on a Guest List and will be part of the 1000 Miglia Era class. An early bird entry fee is available for purchase by 3 May. The entry deadline is 20 September. All information on 1000miglia.it website. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2351405/Mille_Miglia.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2351404/Warm_Up_USA_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/1000-miglia-warm-up-usa-entries-to-the-2024-edition-open-302075823.html Phoenix, Arizona--(Newsfile Corp. - February 29, 2024) - The Stock Day Podcast welcomed StrainsForPains, Inc. (OTC Pink: EBYH) ("the Company"), a medical marijuana recommendation engine that guides patients to the appropriate cannabinoid levels, medical cannabis strains, and consumption methods for their specific ailment. CEO of the Company, Simon Shainberg, joined Stock Day host Matthew Dunehoo. Dunehoo began the interview by asking about Mr. Shainberg's background. "I am a graduate of the State University of New York (SUNY) where I received my BS in Economics and Business, and I have done graduate studies at MIT. I have twenty years of venture capital experience, and have done successful financings in public companies in areas of scientific technology, health care, CAD/CAM , fashion, merchandising, and real estate. I financed and worked with Olivia Newton-John's Koala Blue in the 1980's and Richard Diehl's Graphsoft (now Vectorworks) in the 1990's. I developed regenerative medicine systems with stem cell technology in the 1980's working on umbilical cord therapy to treat genetic diseases, cancers, and inherited disorders. In this manner I began to train myself to seek out various treatment options for ailments, whether they be Alzheimers, Parkinsons, Epilepsy, or Osteoarthritis. I am currently a member of the International Cannabinoid Research Society," stated Mr. Shainberg "What inspired you to create StrainsForPains?" asked Dunehoo. "The inspiration for StrainsForPains comes from a personal need. Around 2007, my son was diagnosed with a brain tumor that required numerous surgeries and drug therapy. That caused him much pain, which had a significant impact on his quality of life. Luckily, his use of opioids to combat the pain was temporary and he soon got off pain meds. Yet, while he was on pain meds I did not know how long it would last. So I delved into the scientific research into medical cannabis to see if that would be an alternative to opioids," said Mr. Shainberg The conversation then turned to how did you build the medical cannabis database app? "It took a lot of old-fashioned research over 2 decades to create it. I attended cannabis conferences such as the international cannabinoid research society conferences. I bought and read countless books that focused on the medical uses for cannabis, and I took a couple of classes to learn about the endocannabinoid system. I read thousands of clinical studies and peer reviewed journals from Israel to Canada to Germany, taking substantial notes and feeding them into my proprietary computer banks. StrainsForPains utilizes a robust database of strains, cannabinoids, and medicinal applications aggregated through semantic web technology and validated by medical devices in research centers around the world. I employ advanced artificial intelligence to enhance the system. I believe that we have a service that is rare within this community, in that our competitive advantage is that our competitors do not have the extensive scientific backup to why they suggest taking one cannabinoid over another. I believe that my studies of 10,000 hybrid cannabis plants and its cross reference to over 100 pains are unique within this industry. My observational research also allowed me to gather reliable data that helped me design my system," Mr. Shainberg stated. "Why do you enter the CBD market?" asked Dunehoo. "My passion comes from my inherent love for the plant, and the ability to improve wellness. Those components compelled me to join the CBD market. Millions of people that do not have chronic pain, but they do suffer from anxiety, depression, insomnia, and moderate pain. They deserve to know about and use CBD, a plant-based alternative to improve their quality of life. I believe that our CBD cream far outpaces the quality of what is out there now in the marketplace due to its high CBD content, manufacturing processes, and other proprietary compounds. Our fundamental approach to product development is extensive R&D, stringent quality control, and adherence to international quality standards. Our initial entry into the market has resulted in $65,000 in wholesale sales to various retail establishments in the tri-state area. We own a 7-acre Pennsylvania facility that will produce and distribute CBD products in 2024." To close the interview, Mr. Shainberg added that there is a need for innovation beyond our current approaches to mental and physical healthcare and the therapeutic value of these substances is limitless. I am excited to see this movement continue to gain traction and enter mainstream acceptance, with a focus on individualized medicine and how we can alleviate suffering in numerous conditions of the body and mind. In 2024 we will focus our efforts on the development of our upcoming advanced AI app and our CBD brand that will expand into many products. We will seek to forge a new path in our approach to healthcare, that will expand to CBD products for pets as well as a nutritional app. To watch Mr. Shainberg's entire interview, please follow this link: https://audioboom.com/posts/8466160-strainsforpains-inc-discusses-inspiration-app-technology-and-cbd-market-entrance-with-the-stoc Investors Hangout is a proud sponsor of "Stock Day," and Stock Day Media encourages listeners to visit the company's message board at https://investorshangout.com/ About StrainsForPains, Inc. Overview of Strainsforpains, Inc.: Please visit our website at http://www.strainsforpains.com/. Strainsforpains, Inc. is an innovative healthcare data technology Company located in New York, N.Y. The Company's objectives are to provide doctors, nurses, dispensaries, and patients access to an APP that will allow for an advanced determination of comparison of strains or brands of cannabis combinations with major illnesses, in a user-friendly manner. The company owns a 7 acre facility in Pennsylvania that will be used for CBD product production. Mr. Shainberg is a member of the prestigious International Cannabinoid Research Society, https://icrs.co/. Safe Harbor Statement This release contains statements that constitute forward-looking statements. These statements appear in several places in this release and include all statements that are not statements of historical fact regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of the Company, its directors or its officers with respect to, among other things: (i) the Company's ability to execute its business plan as anticipated; (ii) trends affecting the Company's nancial condition or results of operations; (iii) the Company's growth strategy and operating strategy. The words "may" "would" "will" "expect" "estimate" "anticipate" "believe" "intend" and similar expressions and variations thereof are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's ability to control, and that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements because of various factors. Other risks are identied and described in more detail in the "Risk Factors" section of the Company's lings with the SEC, which are available on our website. We undertake no obligation to update, and we do not have a policy of updating or revising these forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable law. Corporate Social Media https://www.instagram.com/strains_for_pains/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/strainsforpains/ Contact simon@strainsforpains.com 347-218-0844 244 Fifth Avenue Suite S242, New York, N.Y. 10001 About The "Stock Day" Podcast Founded in 2013, Stock Day is the fastest growing media outlet for Nano-Cap and Micro-Cap companies. It educates investors while simultaneously working with penny stock and OTC companies, providing transparency and clarification of under-valued, under-sold Micro-Cap stocks of the market. Stock Day provides companies with customized solutions to their news distribution in both national and international media outlets. The Stock Day Podcast is the number one radio show of its kind in America. StockDayMedia.com (602) 821-1102 SOURCE: Stock Day Media To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/199844 SOURCE: Stock Day Media Commercial use of GlyCat at Barrick's Buylanhulu operation in Tanzania 80% reduction in cyanide consumption with no change to recoveries Strategic partnership to include broader testing programme spanning multiple sites Draslovka a.s ("Draslovka"), a provider of sustainability-led technologies, reagents and services for mining and the energy transition, has progressed its previously announced partnership with Barrick Gold Corporation ("Barrick") and today announces the start of commercial use of its revolutionary glycine leaching technology for gold, GlyCat ("GlyCat"), at Barrick's Buylanhulu operation in Tanzania. In addition, Draslovka and Barrick's strategic partnership will now include a broader testing programme in 2024 that will span multiple mining sites. At Bulyanhulu Gold Mine, the GlyCat pilot programme has led to an 80% reduction in cyanide consumption while achieving gold recoveries that are comparable to traditional cyanidation. With GlyCat as part of the process, the mine's tailings show undetectable levels of WAD and are free of cyanide, thereby reducing detoxification requirements and costs. Pavel Bruzek Jr, CEO of Draslovka, commented: "This licensing agreement follows a highly successful pilot programme that proved the major benefits GlyCat offers to the gold mining industry. GlyCat provides significant economic and sustainability benefits at a time when the future of mining is conditional on cost savings, sustainable operations and securing social license to operate. I look forward to continuing to work with Barrick and am confident others in the sector will soon see that GlyCat is revolutionary and its development will enable a major shift for the gold mining industry through massive economic and environmental benefits. Barrick was the first major mining company to recognise the potential glycine leaching offers and it is a pleasure and honour to work with the team on its commitment to sustainable operations." Simon Bottoms, Barrick Mineral Resource Management Evaluations Executive, added: "The application of GlyCat technology within our operations has significant potential to deliver improved operational efficiencies and cost savings, whilst also improving our environmental legacy. Consequently, we are very pleased to embark upon this strategic partnership with Draslovka to take advantage of this innovative technology across our global operations." About Draslovka Draslovka a.s. ("Draslovka") is a chemical technologies, products and services company creating value and improving sustainability in several industries, including mining, agriculture and manufacturing. Today, Draslovka is best known as the world's largest producer of sodium cyanide, a chemical vital for gold mining however its most important contribution to the sector is its Glycine Leaching Technology ("GLT"), the company's proprietary technology that leaches metals (including gold, copper, nickel and cobalt) in a more sustainable and economic manner. Draslovka also manufactures other specialist chemicals and reagents and provides class-leading chemical application services to the mining and pest control industries as well as AI-enabled support services. About Glycine Leaching Technology Glycine Leaching Technology ("GLT") uses glycine, a non-toxic, recyclable and biodegradable amino acid that is commonly used as a food additive, to recover gold, copper, nickel and cobalt. GLT was inspired by nature when researchers at Curtin University in Perth observed plants absorbing gold and other metals out of the soil through the presence of glycine, which carries those metals through the soil and into the plant. GLT has the capacity to revolutionise the mining industry and the potential to save mining companies billions of dollars. GLT significantly reduces processing costs, enhances a mine's sustainability profile and can extend mine life by lowering the cut-off grade or unlocking value hidden in a mine's tailings. GlyCatTM technology for Gold from the GLT product family dramatically reduces cyanide usage while also lowering or in some cases completely eliminating detoxification measures. In select ores, the process also results in higher recoveries. In 2023, Barrick Gold rolled out a global testing and implementation programme with the goal of using GlyCatTM to unlock substantive savings and generate value for its operations while also improving its environmental footprint. About Barrick Gold Barrick's mission is to be the world's most valued gold and copper mining business by finding, developing, and owning the best assets, with the best people, to deliver sustainable returns for our owners and partners. Barrick is a sector-leading gold and copper producer, operating mines and projects in 18 countries in North and South America, Africa, Papua New Guinea and Saudi Arabia. Barrick's portfolio spans the world's most prolific gold and copper districts and is focused on high-margin, long-life assets, with a highly diversified workforce drawn almost entirely from host nations and equipped with world-class skills. The company's shares trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol GOLD, and on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol ABX. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240229113006/en/ Contacts: FTI Consulting Viktor Pomichal Ariadna D. Peretz Tel: +44 (0) 7890 417764 Email: draslovka@fticonsulting.com KYIV, Ukraine, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- MacPaw , a leading macOS and iOS software development company, announced today the beta version of Setapp mobile in the EU, slated to be available this April. This initiative marks a significant milestone in the company's journey towards creating a more equitable, innovative, user-centric app ecosystem. MacPaw's Setapp is the first subscription-based platform offering a curated collection of Mac and iOS apps to users. The platform empowers developers by aligning rewards with apps' usage and market value, thus fostering a thriving ecosystem of innovation. Now, Setapp will be available directly on iOS devices, allowing for a more integrated and convenient user experience. This expansion promises a diverse selection of premium applications for users and a supportive environment for developers. "We are setting a new path for the software industry towards a better and more diverse app ecosystem. This will offer customers more choices and a better overall user experience," said Oleksandr Kosovan, CEO and Founder of MacPaw. "With Setapp our promise is simple: to offer software and tools that streamline your workflow, ignite your creativity, and amplify your impact. We carefully curate our collection, ensuring that every app, every feature, and every update aligns with our philosophy of meaningful efficiency." For users, Setapp offers a unique experience with its single subscription service to a curated collection of premium macOS and iOS apps, streamlining software discovery and management. Users access a broad range of productivity, creativity, and system management tools, free from ads and in-app purchases. Updates are free, ensuring the latest versions and features are always available. App Categories The beta version will showcase a carefully selected assortment of apps, including fan favorites from the Setapp catalog. Categories include, but are not limited to: Productivity and Business Tools: Boost your efficiency with tools for managing your schedule, staying on track, personalizing your internet experience, and much more. Boost your efficiency with tools for managing your schedule, staying on track, personalizing your internet experience, and much more. Creative and Design Software: Unlock your creative potential with intuitive tools designed for photo animation, document creation, and more. Unlock your creative potential with intuitive tools designed for photo animation, document creation, and more. Lifestyle and Productivity: Improve your daily routines with apps that help you build better habits, stay updated with the latest news, and efficiently manage your notes and ideas. Improve your daily routines with apps that help you build better habits, stay updated with the latest news, and efficiently manage your notes and ideas. Utility Apps: Make everyday tasks easier with applications that enable you to share files effortlessly, monitor your spending, and streamline your idea organization process. Make everyday tasks easier with applications that enable you to share files effortlessly, monitor your spending, and streamline your idea organization process. Specialized Professional Tools: Engage with advanced applications tailored for detailed document searches, comprehensive database management, and more. Those interested in access to Setapp Mobile are invited to join the waitlist . This is a unique opportunity to be part of a transformative journey that will reshape the iOS app landscape. Also, MacPaw is actively seeking iOS developers eager to join Setapp Mobile. This is an invitation to be part of a community that values innovation, fairness, and long-term user satisfaction above all. Developers interested in joining Setapp on iOS are encouraged to apply through the platform here . About MacPaw MacPaw develops and distributes software for macOS and iOS that simplifies the lives of Mac users. Renowned for innovative and precision-engineered products, including CleanMyMac X, Setapp, ClearVPN, and the Unarchiver, and housing the Moonlock cybersecurity division, MacPaw is committed to elevating and securing the user experience within the Mac ecosystem. MacPaw's focus on software technology, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Machine Learning (ML), and more, aims to seamlessly integrate research breakthroughs into practical MacPaw products. Founded in Kyiv, Ukraine, with a subsidiary office in Boston, MacPaw products have more than 30 million users worldwide, with one in every five Mac users having at least one app downloaded. Contact: Garrett Krivicich Head of Global PR pr_team@macpaw.com Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2351440/MacPaw_Setapp_Mobile.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/macpaw-announces-upcoming-beta-version-of-setapp-mobile-in-eu-leading-the-way-toward-a-more-user-centric-app-ecosystem-302075803.html BALLERUP, Denmark--(BUSINESS WIRE)--LEO Pharma delivers a solid operational performance uplift with double-digit revenue growth and an EBITDA uplift of DKK 2.1 billion, corresponding to a 20%-points margin improvement. LEO Pharma exceeded our profitability guidance and hit the upper range of our revenue growth guidance provided in March 2023. Financial highlights LEO Pharma delivered 11.4 billion in revenue, corresponding to 7% revenue growth in 2023. Revenue growth in constant exchange rates (CER) was 10%. The Dermatology portfolio grew by 11% (15% in CER), driven by growth of Adtralza/Adbry as well as core brands. Geographically, growth was driven by North America, Europe, China and across alliance markets. North America continues to be the key growth driver with revenue of DKK 1.7 billion in 2023, corresponding to growth of 49% (57% in CER). During 2023, LEO Pharma took decisive actions to drive efficiencies and optimize the cost structure. As a result, the total operating costs were reduced by DKK 1.1 billion, corresponding to 14%. EBITDA for the period increased to DKK 551 million corresponding to a 5% margin. This represents an absolute increase of DKK 2.1 billion compared to the previous year and corresponds to a 20%-points margin uplift. LEO Pharma reported a negative EBIT of DKK 1.7 billion, which represents an improvement of DKK 1.6 billion compared to previous year. The net loss is DKK 3.6 billion. This result was negatively impacted by non-recurring project impairments, tax asset adjustments, and increasing interest expenses. LEO Pharma exceeded our profitability guidance and hit the upper range of our revenue growth guidance provided in March 2023. The full-year 2023 results were in line with the latest upwardly revised outlook from September. In September 2023, LEO Pharma announced a new strengthened capital structure that allows the company to pursue value-accretive Business Development and M&A opportunities. This provides LEO Pharma with a strong foundation for acting on strategic opportunities. CEO Christophe Bourdon said: " Our 2023 results show that we are progressing our transformation and delivering on our financial commitments. Returning to positive EBITDA is the result of our decisive action on the cost structure and strong sales growth. We are committed to our strategy and we are following the plan." Executing on growth strategy The transformation of LEO Pharma is progressing according to plan. As part of this, we have streamlined our Research and Development model with a greater emphasis on external innovation and partnerships, and optimized our global product supply setup. Strategic highlights in 2023 included: Adtralza/Adbry was commercially launched in new markets and the indication was expanded to include adolescents in the majority of markets. In addition, a prefilled pen was introduced as a new administration form in Germany, making it the first market to offer this option. Successfully completed and announced the results of the pivotal Phase 3 trials DELTA 1 and DELTA 2 as well as the extension study DELTA 3 for our topical cream formulation, delgocitinib, in treating moderate-to-severe chronic hand eczema and submitted a marketing authorization application to EMA. Currently, we are assessing ways to bring delgocitinib to the U.S. Advanced the Research & Development model, including sharpening the Business Development strategy. As a result, LEO Pharma added a late-stage asset to its medical dermatology pipeline by finalizing the strategic acquisition of TMB-001 from U.S.-based Timber Pharmaceuticals in late January 2024. The TMB-001 project aims to develop a topical treatment for multiple moderate to severe subtypes of congenital ichthyosis - a skin disease for which there is currently no approved treatment options available. The financial and strategic highlights of the year illustrate that LEO Pharma is following the transformation plan and is delivering on the financial commitments. 2024 financial outlook LEO Pharma's key focus is to drive growth within medical dermatology and profitability from operations in 2024. LEO Pharma anticipates revenue growth of 4-8% in 2024 in constant exchange rates, driven by increasing sales of Adtralza/Adbry and growth of our core brands. Compared to 2023, the revenue growth is expected to be negatively impacted by generic competition and price reforms in selected geographies. Delgocitinib launch is expected during Q4 2024, and thus drive revenue growth from 2025 and onwards. LEO Pharma will continue to focus on improving operating profit through efficiencies and simplification. LEO Pharma expects to deliver a positive mid-single digit adjusted EBITDA margin1 in 2024. The profitability guidance for 2024 is negatively impacted by movements in foreign exchange rates, delayed impact of higher input costs procured during 2023 and investments in newly acquired asset from Timber Pharmaceuticals. LEO Pharma expects significant improvements in EBIT and net result, although still expecting to deliver both negative EBIT and net result in 2024. Potential changes in key assumptions for valuation of intangible assets, currency rates and unexpected health care and pricing reforms are risk factors, among others, which could change the outlook for the year. Key figures DKK million 2023 2022 ?2023-22 Revenue 11,392 10,641 751 Growth (reported) 7% 7% 0% Growth (CER) 10% 4% 6% Dermatology revenue 9,039 8,133 906 Growth (reported) 11% 12% (1)% Growth (CER) 15% 9% 6% EBITDA 551 (1,574) 2,125 Margin 5% (15)% 20% EBIT (1,699) (3,311) 1,612 Margin (15)% (31)% 16% Net profit (3,607) (4,110) 503 *Constant Exchange Rates (CER) About LEO Pharma LEO Pharma is a global company dedicated to advancing the standard of care for the benefit of people with skin conditions, their families and society. Founded in 1908 and majority owned by the LEO Foundation, LEO Pharma has devoted decades of research and development to advance the science of dermatology, and today, the company offers a wide range of therapies for all disease severities. LEO Pharma is headquartered in Denmark with a global team of 4,300 people, serving millions of patients across the world. In 2023, the company generated net sales of DKK 11.4 billion. For more information - please visit: Our annual reporting | LEO Pharma (leo-pharma.com) 1 EBITDA adjusted for restructuring and transformation costs (adjusted EBITDA) Contacts Jeppe Ilkjaer Director, Strategic Communication and Projects Corporate Affairs +45 3050 2014 JEILK@leo-pharma.com EQS-News: 4finance S.A. / Key word(s): Annual Report 4FINANCE HOLDING S.A. REPORTS RESULTS FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31 DECEMBER 2023 29.02.2024 / 15:14 CET/CEST The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. 4FINANCE HOLDING SA. REPORTS RESULTS FOR THE YEAR ENDING 31 DECEMBER 2023 Net profit of 44.2 million, showing continued profitable growth Adjusted EBITDA of 131.3 million Successful refinancing of EUR 2028 bonds adds to strong credit story 29 February 2024. 4finance Holding S.A. (the 'Group' or '4finance'), one of Europe's largest digital consumer lending groups, today announces unaudited consolidated results for the twelve months ending 31 December 2023 (the 'Period'). Operational highlights Online loan issuance volume of 569.5 million in the Period compared with 496.8 million in the prior year, up 15% year-on-year. Demand for credit remains strong in most markets, with yearly issuance growth driven by Czech Republic, Spain and Philippines. New growth opportunities: taking a deliberate step-by-step approach. Started operations through a joint venture in the UK (ondal.co.uk) in February 2023, and in Mexico (kimbi.mx) in October 2023 with encouraging signs in both. TBI Bank loan issuance increased by 28% to 907.2 million in the Period, compared to 706.2 million in 2022. Financial Highlights Interest income from continuing operations up 24% year-on-year to 385.8 million in the Period compared with 311.1 million in the prior year. For the prior year figures, the Polish business is reflected separately in the income statement as a 'discontinued operation'. Cost to income ratio for the Period was 43.4%, a significant improvement from 47.9% in 2022 (excluding Poland), despite the increase in total operating costs year-on-year. Adjusted EBITDA was 131.3 million for the Period, up 16% year-on-year (compared to the proforma adjusted EBITDA excluding Poland and including Philippines) delivering a 34% adjusted EBITDA margin. The interest coverage ratio as of the date of this report is 2.0x, impacted by the increased interest expense at TBI Bank in recent quarters. Net profit from continuing operations for the Period was 44.2 million, a 27% increase from 34.7 million in the prior year. Fundamental asset quality indicators at product level remain broadly stable. Net impairment charges of 148.4 million reflect the larger portfolio, different product mix in online and reduced debt sales activity in H1 2023. Cost of risk at 13.8% for FY 2023, a slight improvement from 9M 2023. Net receivables up 28% to 1,080.4 million as of 31 December 2023 compared with 846.4 million as of 31 December 2022. Overall gross NPL ratio at 9.4% as of 31 December 2023 (14.2% for online), compared with 8.8% as of 31 December 2022 (9.0% for online). TBI NPL ratio at 8.6% as of 31 December 2023, compared with 8.7% as of 31 December 2022. Liquidity and funding Strong liquidity position, with 42.2 million of cash in the online business at the end of the Period. Technical completion of bond refinancing process in December 2023, with the new maturity in May 2028. Balanced medium-term capital structure in place, with two bond issues of very manageable sizes. In December 2023, the Group cancelled 15 million of EUR 2028 bonds, leaving 135 million outstanding in issue. Kieran Donnelly, CEO of 4finance, commented: "These results show our commitment to deliver ongoing profitability, with net profit from continuing operations up 27% to 44 million year-on-year, and quarterly gross income of 122 million, the highest in recent years. "We've managed growth while simultaneously reducing our cost-to-income ratio and made good progress in developing our businesses in Mexico and the UK. The successful bond refinancing in Q4 2023 adds to a strong credit story, with the next maturity not until October 2026. Our strong balance sheet and diversified portfolio allow us to continue to adapt and grow." 29.02.2024 CET/CEST Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by EQS News - a service of EQS Group AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. The EQS Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Archive at www.eqs-news.com ELKO, NV / ACCESSWIRE / February 29, 2024 / Lithium Corporation (OTCQB:LTUM) ("LTUM" or "the Company"), a North American exploration mining company focused on energy metals for the growing energy storage sector and high-tech industries, is pleased to advise investors the Company recently expanded its internal geological expertise and knowledge with the engagement of Ken Tullar, CPG, in the role of Exploration Manager, Lithium Corporation. Mr. Tullar brings more than 35 years of professional mineral exploration & development experience in western North America, from Alaska to Mexico, with an emphasis on Nevada. His extensive background in geology, structure, geochemistry, hydrochemistry and geophysics, and specific knowledge of the Great Basin, makes him a valued asset as Lithium Corp. charts a path to expanding and developing its portfolio of lithium and other energy metals prospects. Tom Lewis, President & CEO, Lithium Corp. commented, "We've been talking to Ken for quite some time with respect to coming to work with Lithium Corporation and are very pleased he agreed to come over and be part of the team." Lithium Corporation President & CEO Tom Lewis will be available to answer shareholder and investor questions and discuss the status of exploration initiatives on the Company's Nevada and British Columbia prospects at the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) Annual Convention March 3 - 6, 2024 in Toronto, Canada. Please contact the Company at info@lithiumcorporation.com in advance to arrange. Learn more about Lithium Corporation's complete portfolio of lithium, graphite, and titanium/rare earth elements prospects: https://lithiumcorporation.com/projects/ About Lithium Corporation Lithium Corporation is a Nevada based mineral exploration company and one of a handful of Project Generators in the critical minerals space in North America. The Company's dual operational focuses cover exploration activities on several lithium prospects in Nevada, USA, as well as titanium/rare earth elements & graphite properties in British Columbia, Canada. Lithium Corp. has maintained a strategic alliance with Morella Corporation (the Company's single largest shareholder) for the past nine years and apart from the Fish Lake Valley agreement, also has a formal agreement with Morella covering earn-ins on the Company's North Big Smoky lithium-in-brine prospect in Nye County, Nevada. Website: www.lithiumcorporation.com Contact Info Tom Lewis, CEO 775-410-5287 info@lithiumcorporation.com About Morella Corporation Morella is an exploration and resource development company focused on lithium and battery minerals. Morella is currently engaged in exploration, resource definition and development activities with projects strategically located in Tier 1 mining jurisdictions in both Australia and the United States. Morella will secure and develop lithium raw materials to support the surging demand for battery minerals, critical in enabling the global transition to green energy. Contact Info James Brown, Managing Director info@morellacorp.com Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This current report contains "forward-looking statements," as that term is defined in Section 27A of the United States Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Statements in this press release which are not purely historical are forward-looking statements and include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. Such factors include, among others, the inherent uncertainties associated with mineral exploration and difficulties associated with obtaining financing on acceptable terms. We are not in control of minerals prices, and these could vary to make development uneconomic. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and we assume no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Although we believe that the beliefs, plans, expectations and intentions contained in this press release are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions will prove to be accurate. Investors should consult all of the information set forth herein and should also refer to the risk factors disclosure outlined in our most recent annual report for our last fiscal year, our quarterly reports, and other periodic reports filed from time-to-time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Lithium Corporation (OTC-LTUM) 1031 Railroad St. Ste 102B Elko NV 89801 (775) 410-5287 www.lithiumcorporation.com SOURCE: Lithium Corporation View the original press release on accesswire.com (All amounts are in U.S. dollars unless otherwise stated) Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - February 29, 2024) - Andean Precious Metals Corp. (TSXV: APM) (OTCQX: ANPMF) ("Andean" or the "Company") announced that through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Andean PM, AB, it has entered into an agreement for a 12-month $25 million renewable secured revolving line of credit ("LOC") with Banco Santander International. The agreement is effective as of February 28, 2024. The LOC provides for $25 million to be used for general corporate purposes and is secured by short-term investments and cash equivalents. It bears interest on any outstanding borrowings at the 3-month Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) plus 90 basis points. "While we expect to maintain a strong year-end balance sheet as at December 31, 2023 with liquid assets of approximately $72 million, including an unaudited cash balance of $65 million, this LOC provides the Company with continued financial flexibility and builds on our treasury management capabilities as we pursue our vision of being a multi-asset mid-tier precious metals producer," stated Juan Carlos Sandoval, Andean's Chief Financial Officer. About Andean Precious Metals Andean is a growing precious metals producer focused on expanding into top-tier jurisdictions in the Americas. The Company owns and operates the San Bartolome processing facility in Potosi, Bolivia and the Soledad Mountain mine in Kern County, California, and is well-funded to act on future growth opportunities. Andean's leadership team is committed to creating value; fostering safe, sustainable and responsible operations; and achieving its ambition to be a multi-asset, mid-tier precious metals producer. For more information, please contact: Trish Moran VP Investor Relations tmoran@andeanpm.com T: +1 416 564 4290 Neither the TSX Venture Exchange, Inc. 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. Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements and information in this release constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable U.S. securities laws and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws, which we refer to collectively as "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking statements are statements and information regarding possible events, conditions or results of operations that are based upon assumptions about future economic conditions and courses of action. All statements and information other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking statements. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "seek", "expect", "anticipate", "budget", "plan", "estimate", "continue", "forecast", "intend", "believe", "predict", "potential", "target", "may", "could", "would", "might", "will" and similar words or phrases (including negative variations) suggesting future outcomes or statements regarding an outlook. Forward-looking statements in this release include, but are not limited to, statements and information regarding the use of proceeds of the LOC and the expected impact on the Company's financial flexibility. Such forward-looking statements are based on a number of material factors and assumptions, including, but not limited to: the Company's ability to carry on exploration and development activities; the Company's ability to secure and to meet obligations under property and option agreements and other material agreements; the timely receipt of required approvals and permits; that there is no material adverse change affecting the Company or its properties; that contracted parties provide goods or services in a timely manner; that no unusual geological or technical problems occur; that plant and equipment function as anticipated and that there is no material adverse change in the price of silver, costs associated with production or recovery. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results, performance or achievements, or industry results, to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. The Company believes the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct, and you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements contained herein. Some of the risks and other factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements contained in this release include, but are not limited to: risks and uncertainties relating to the interpretation of drill results, the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits and conclusions of economic evaluations; results of initial feasibility, pre-feasibility and feasibility studies, and the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations; risks relating to possible variations in reserves, resources, grade, planned mining dilution and ore loss, or recovery rates and changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; mining and development risks, including risks related to accidents, equipment breakdowns, labour disputes (including work stoppages and strikes) or other unanticipated difficulties with or interruptions in exploration and development; the potential for delays in exploration or development activities or the completion of feasibility studies; risks related to the inherent uncertainty of production and cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses; risks related to commodity price and foreign exchange rate fluctuations; the uncertainty of profitability based upon the cyclical nature of the industry in which the Company operates; risks related to failure to obtain adequate financing on a timely basis and on acceptable terms or delays in obtaining governmental or local community approvals or in the completion of development or construction activities; risks related to environmental regulation and liability; political and regulatory risks associated with mining and exploration; risks related to the uncertain global economic environment; and other factors contained in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in the Company's Management Discussion and Analysis dated November 29, 2023. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements, you are cautioned that this list is not exhaustive and there may be other factors that the Company has not identified. Furthermore, the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements included in this release if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as otherwise required by applicable law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/199861 SOURCE: Andean Precious Metals Corp. Capital for Colleagues Plc - Result of Annual General Meeting PR Newswire LONDON, United Kingdom, February 29 Capital for Colleagues plc / EPIC: CFCP / Market: AQSE / Sector: Financials 29 February 2024 CAPITAL FOR COLLEAGUES PLC ('Capital for Colleagues', 'C4C' or the 'Company') RESULT OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Capital for Colleagues, the investment vehicle focused on opportunities in the Employee Owned Business ('EOB') sector, is pleased to announce that all the resolutions were duly passed at the Annual General Meeting of the Company held today. The Directors of the Company are responsible for the contents of this announcement. **ENDS** For further information, please visit www.capitalforcolleagues.com or contact: CAPITAL FOR COLLEAGUES PLC Richard Bailey, Chairman Alistair Currie, Chief Executive John Lewis, Finance Director 01985 201 980 PETERHOUSE CAPITAL LIMITED Mark Anwyl 020 7469 0930 Capital for Colleagues plc Capital for Colleagues is an investment company focused on the UK EOB sector. The Company has a proven management team, with a wide network of contacts and affiliates, as well as established access to investment opportunities, enabling the Company to execute its strategy and capitalise on EOB-focused investment opportunities. In addition, the Company educates and assists companies that are looking to launch employee ownership schemes, advising them, amongst other things, on how to secure investment and achieve their objectives. Market Abuse Regulation (MAR) Disclosure This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of the Market Abuse Regulation EU 596/2014 as it forms part of retained EU law (as defined in the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018). NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / February 29, 2024 / Subaru of America, Inc. By Alison Bowen Subaru owners love to support their communities all year round. Here are ways to give back in every month of the year. Giving back can be all year long. Our guide offers an idea for every month of the year, from making gift bags for seniors to organizing a trash cleanup in your neighborhood. JANUARY - Bring Food to Someone The next time you make a soup or casserole, consider doubling the recipe and bringing it to a new parent or ill person in your community. It can be dropped off with a note of encouragement, and even if they do not use it that day, it's something they can freeze for later.? Not sure who could use the support? Check with local food pantries or religious and community organizations. They might have a list or word-of-mouth suggestions. FEBRUARY - Support Local Foster Care Children Reach out to local foster care groups to find out what the needs are for the children in their care. If it's possible, giving gifts with the child's name on it (such as a gift like a blanket or mug)?can be particularly meaningful, as children may share things or may not have their own items, especially ones with their names on them.? To find your local foster support organization, use the National Foster Care & Adoption Directory and search for Foster Youth Services and Supports in your state. MARCH - Use Your Vehicle To Help Those In Need Seek out programs that bring food to or otherwise help folks like the elderly or people undergoing treatment. Some programs volunteer to drive people to health appointments if they don't have their own car or family member to help, instead of leaning on public transit or paying for a taxi. For example, the American Cancer Society's Road to Recovery program has volunteers who provide free rides to treatment for cancer patients, noting that transportation barriers are the most common reason for missing appointments. Nourishing Hope, a food pantry in Chicago, has a community of volunteers who can drive for deliveries or act as personal shopping assistants. See if organizations in your area have similar programs. It's a great way for Subaru owners to involve their children and volunteer. APRIL - Organize a Trash Cleanup Get your neighborhood school or neighbors involved and organize a day to clean up. Whether it's the side of the road or a local beach or park, reducing the amount of plastic and trash on the ground in your community makes a big impact, both for peoples' enjoyment and to help wildlife thrive. This is another great activity to pair with children and the entire family - you might find your kiddos pay more attention in the future to where their garbage goes. Earth Day is a great reason to organize an event, but you can continue the effort all year. Contact your local Subaru retailers to see if they are organizing a cleanup event; many do. MAY - Help Make Graduations Special Think outside the box about how to make the graduation season special for local youth. In San Francisco, 8th grade teacher Sara Mokhtari Fox knew that the 2023 graduation season was important to those approaching 8th grade graduation - her students had all missed their 5th grade graduation and end-of-year celebrations during the 2020 pandemic. So, they planned a special graduation ceremony, Fox says, adding that donations from a local retailer, Putnam Subaru of Burlingame, helped fund the graduation ceremony and provided tickets to a theme park. For local grads near you, consider donating funds for a celebration or offering to gift a special meal. JUNE - Donate Blankets to Hospitals At the Jo Anne Poe Cancer Center at Ashe Memorial Hospital in Jefferson, North Carolina, they see about 130 patients per month, many of whom have six- to eight-hour chemotherapy sessions, and blankets help to keep them warm throughout this process. Becky Pearson, the foundation director of Ashe Memorial Hospital, says blanket donations make a big difference. "When patients are receiving an infusion in the Jo Anne Poe Cancer Center at Ashe Memorial Hospital, a very common side effect is feeling very cold," Pearson says. She says that handmade blankets are lovely, and the hospital has no restrictions on how they are made other than patient preferences for soft and cozy materials - nothing scratchy. Reach out to your local hospital's oncology unit manager to see if they accept these items. JULY - Make Gift Bags for Seniors Looking for a family-friendly volunteer activity? Make gift bags filled with items like hand lotion, candy treats, writing supplies or craft items and a homemade card for seniors in nearby nursing homes. This is especially meaningful for those who may not have family nearby to visit them. Loop in your kids with brainstorming and shopping. AUGUST - Fulfill Needs for Classrooms Find out whether your local school has any unaddressed needs - most do! These might be requests from teachers' wish lists that weren't entirely filled at the beginning of the year (many teachers make Amazon lists with items needed for their classrooms) or bigger projects that could use a financial donation. Some schools may also have their students fill out lists that community members can supply, including both needs and wants. Subaru partners with AdoptAClassroom.org, which connects school needs with support. SEPTEMBER - Fulfill Neighbors' Wishes Look at local "Buy Nothing" groups for inspiration. During the year, these Facebook groups, also called "Gifts and Wishes," focus on neighbors giving and receiving free items to reduce the environmental impacts of buying new. These posts can often include - or maybe you can spearhead - links of what people need for the holidays. Facebook groups can include anonymous requests from users, which can help protect individuals' privacy while still making it possible to donate and help. OCTOBER - Volunteer to Help, or Adopt, a Dog October is Subaru Loves Pets month, and many retailers partner with local pet shelters for adopting events. In Charlottesville, Virginia, Flow Subaru partnered with the Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA in 2023. The sales manager of the retailer, Joe Diggs, ended up finding a new family friend. He had lost the family dog, Charlie, months earlier, and was considering adoption. Stopping by with his wife and 2-year-old daughter, they met a dog called Ted that had been left at the shelter as a stray and was having a tough time adjusting to the bustling shelter. Ted loves "basking in the backyard sun," Diggs says. "He has been a member of our family since the moment he walked through the door." If adopting a dog isn't in your future, consider volunteering or donating food or other needed supplies to an animal shelter. NOVEMBER - Donate a Turkey or Tree Donate holiday decorations, such as a Christmas tree. Some cities have groups that organize a donation. The Christmas Tree Project, for instance, pairs families who cannot afford a tree with people who'd like to donate one. This can brighten a home and everyone's spirits! For Thanksgiving, consider donating a turkey to a local family or kitchen. But check their suggestions for how to give back first - Feeding America advises that a frozen turkey shouldn't be dropped off unless a local food bank is requesting donations for them. DECEMBER - Commit to Shopping at Local Businesses ? Create your own 12 Days of Supporting Local Businesses. Make a plan to find gifts or meal ingredients at local shops in your area. For bonus good-neighbor points, post about your actions on social media to inspire others to do the same. It takes some planning, but it can be a good exercise to find out what's offered near you and to intentionally explore and find places that support local shop owners instead of ordering everything online. (Plus, it reduces the environmental impacts from shipping items!) - ? ABOUT THE AUTHOR Alison Bowen is an award-winning writer and editor whose work has covered a wide range of topics, appearing in publications including the?Chicago Tribune,?The New York Times? and the?Los Angeles Times. 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: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: Subaru of America, Inc. View the original press release on accesswire.com Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 29, 2024) - Visit Equity Metals Corporation (TSXV: EQTY) (OTCQB: EQMEF) at Booth #2451 at the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada's (PDAC) Convention at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre (MTCC) from Sunday, March 3 to Wednesday, March 6, 2024. About Equity Metals Corporation Equity Metals Corporation is a member of the Malaspina-Manex Group. The Company owns 100% interest, with no underlying royalty, in the Silver Queen project, located along the Skeena Arch in the Omineca Mining Division, British Columbia. The property hosts high-grade, precious- and base-metal veins related to a buried porphyry system, which has been only partially delineated. The Company also has a controlling JV interest (57.49%) in the Monument Diamond project, NWT, strategically located in the Lac De Gras district within 40 km of both the Ekati and Diavik diamond mines. The Company also has royalty and working interests in other Canadian properties, which are being evaluated further to determine their value to the Company. About PDAC The World's Premier Mineral Exploration & Mining Convention is the leading convention for people, governments, companies and organizations connected to mineral exploration. In addition to meeting more than 1,100 exhibitors, 2,500 investors and 24,000 attendees in person in 2023, participants could also attend programming, courses and networking events. The annual convention is held in Toronto, Canada. It has grown in size, stature and influence since it began in 1932 and today is the event of choice for the world's mineral industry. For more information and/or to register for the conference please visit: https://www.pdac.ca/convention. We look forward to seeing you there. For further information: Equity Metals Corporation Jay Oness 6046412759 joness@mnxltd.com www.equitymetalscorporation.com SOURCE: Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 29, 2024) - Visit Southern Silver Exploration (TSXV: SSV) (OTCQX: SSVFF) at Booth #2451 at the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada's (PDAC) Convention at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre (MTCC) from Sunday, March 3 to Wednesday, March 6, 2024. About Southern Silver Exploration Southern Silver Exploration Corp. is an exploration and development company with a focus on the discovery of world-class mineral deposits either directly or through joint-venture relationships in mineral properties in major jurisdictions. Our specific emphasis is the 100% owned Cerro Las Minitas silver-lead-zinc project located in the heart of Mexico's Faja de Plata, which hosts multiple world-class mineral deposits such as Penasquito, Los Gatos, San Martin, Naica and Pitarrilla. We have assembled a team of highly experienced technical, operational and transactional professionals to support our exploration efforts in developing the Cerro Las Minitas project into a premier, high-grade, silver-lead-zinc mine. Our property portfolio also includes two projects in southern New Mexico: the Oro porphyry/CRD copper-gold project; and the Hermanas gold-silver vein project, where an application has been submitted for a drilling program. About PDAC The World's Premier Mineral Exploration & Mining Convention is the leading convention for people, governments, companies and organizations connected to mineral exploration. In addition to meeting more than 1,100 exhibitors, 2,500 investors and 24,000 attendees in person in 2023, participants could also attend programming, courses and networking events. The annual convention is held in Toronto, Canada. It has grown in size, stature and influence since it began in 1932 and today is the event of choice for the world's mineral industry. For more information and/or to register for the conference please visit: https://www.pdac.ca/convention. We look forward to seeing you there. For further information: Southern Silver Exploration Equity Metals, Southern Silver, Bravada Gold 6046412759 joness@mnxltd.com www.southernsilverexploration.com SOURCE: Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) Montreal, Quebec--(Newsfile Corp. - February 29, 2024) - Beauce Gold Fields (TSXV: BGF) (Champs D'Or en Beauce), referred to as "BGF" or the "Company," is excited to announce its participation as an exhibitor at the 2024 Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) Convention, the premier international event for the mineral exploration and mining industry. Patrick Levasseur, the President and CEO of Beauce Gold Fields, warmly invites attendees to visit at Booth 2145 within the Investor Exchange area. Mr. Levasseur looks forward to engaging with investors and enthusiasts alike: "Come and visit us to discuss the promising gold discoveries in the Beauce region and learn more about our strategic acquisition of Quebec's largest portfolio of phosphate properties." Image: BGF PDAC Banners To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8666/199863_b624e6cf043768b7_001full.jpg About Beauce Gold Fields Beauce Gold Fields is focused on exploring and developing the largest placer gold district in eastern North America. The Company's objective is the trace old placer gold workings back to a bedrock source to uncover economic lode gold deposits. The Company's flagship property is the St-Simon-les-Mines Gold project site of Canada's first gold rush that pre-dates the Yukon Klondike. The Beauce region hosted some of the largest historical placer gold mines in Eastern North America that were active from 1860s to the 1960s It produced some of the largest gold nuggets in Canadian mining history (50oz to 71oz). (Source Sedar: 43-101 Report - Beauce July 4th 2018, , Author B. Violette) Beauce Gold Fields website www.beaucegold.com Disclaimers: This press release contains certain forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements containing the words "may", "plan", "will", "estimate", "continue", "anticipate", "intend", "expect", "in the process" and other similar expressions which constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements reflect the Company's current expectation and assumptions, and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, our expectations regarding mineral exploration. Such statements reflect the current views of the Company with respect to future events and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties and other risks detailed from time-to-time in the Company's on-going filings with the securities regulatory authorities, which filings can be found at www.sedar.com. Actual results, events, and performance may differ materially. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements either as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by 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. For further information contact Patrick Levasseur, President and CEO Tel: (514) 262-9239 www.beaucegold.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/199863 SOURCE: Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) Complex and creative financing leads to the development of 248 units of affordable housing and commercial space for minority-owned businesses NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / February 29, 2024 / U.S. Bank Little Tokyo Service Center, Go for Broke National Education Center, U.S. Bank representatives plus other partners and funders break ground in Little Tokyo. Originally published on U.S. Bank company blog A new mixed-use, affordable housing development is underway in Los Angeles' Little Tokyo neighborhood. Go For Broke Plaza and First Street North Residences will provide 248 units of affordable housing plus approximately 40,000 square feet of commercial space that will house the Go for Broke National Education Center and local minority-owned businesses. "This project is among the largest 100% affordable housing developments to be built in the City of Los Angeles," said Little Tokyo Service Center Director of Real Estate, Debbie Chen. "Beyond that, it is the realization of a Little Tokyo community vision that has been decades in the making, ever since this site was taken from the neighborhood in the aftermath of Japanese American internment during World War II." U.S. Bancorp Impact Finance is the equity investor in the New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) transaction and the two Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) deals related to the project, and is providing the construction debt for the LIHTC transaction. For this development, over $83 million in debt and over $85 million in equity financing was committed through the four different transactions. A longtime partner of Little Tokyo Service Center since 2009, U.S. Bank has provided $466,000 through charitable giving programs over the years to support the important work they do.? "It was a privilege to lean into this complex financial deal to help drive change," said Impact Finance Business Development Officer Drew Hammond. "My hope is that the project will not only preserve affordability for Little Tokyo residents and legacy businesses, but also stand as a symbol of reclamation and celebration of Little Tokyo's history." Little Tokyo is in downtown Los Angeles and is home to one of the largest Japanese-American populations in North America. Portions of the neighborhood were declared a National Historic Landmark District in 1995. The Go For Broke Plaza and First Street North Residences project site has been designed to wrap around and prominently display the Go For Broke Monument that commemorates Japanese Americans who served in the United States Army during World War II. Eighty of the 248 units for residents will be designed for people with special needs, including units for veterans and people with AIDS. Some of the small businesses will include retail shops and restaurants that have been in the area for generations. "This project is among the largest 100% affordable housing developments to be built in the City of Los Angeles." - Debbie Chen, Little Tokyo Service Center director of real estate "This project is incredibly meaningful to the Little Tokyo community and provides much needed affordable housing," said Impact Finance Senior Project Manager Suzanne Furay. "Not only has it been rewarding to work closely with Little Tokyo Service Center and all of the project collaborators, but within U.S. Bank, it's a proud moment because multiple teams came together to meet the needs of our clients and the community." Construction is already underway and the development is expected to be completed in 2026. "U.S. Bank provided a scale of investment and wholehearted commitment that was critical to ensuring First Street North's success as one cohesive master planned development," added Chen. "U.S. Bank's appreciation for the entirety of the community vision and willingness to finance all the components of this project is worth celebrating. The efforts are an exemplar for how financial institutions can make a transformative difference in a place like Los Angeles." U.S. Bank's total commitment to date for the broader Greater Los Angeles Area is $2.3 billion in debt and $1.56 billion in equity. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from U.S. Bank on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: U.S. Bank Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/us-bank Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: U.S. Bank View the original press release on accesswire.com The identity authority will also host a session with industry leaders from RELX, L'Oreal, BP and Maersk to discuss the transformative impact of converged identity on identity security projects Gartner Identity Access Management Summit 2024 -- Saviynt, a leading provider of cloud-native identity and governance platform solutions, today announced it will demonstrate its leading Enterprise Identity Cloud (EIC) platform at the 2024 Gartner Identity Access Management Summit taking place 4 5 March in London. Attendees can meet with Saviynt at Booth #300 to discover how to elevate their organizations' security strategy with a cloud-native platform designed for Identity Governance and Administration (IGA), Privileged Access Management (PAM), among others, or book a one-on-one session with Saviynt's account team to explore how its offerings meet your unique needs. "We look forward to the Gartner IAM Summit each year because it's an excellent opportunity to meet with like-minded attendees where we can discuss the latest technologies and strategies to secure their business," said Todd Rotger, Chief Revenue Officer at Saviynt. "This year the team is excited to showcase the only converged cloud identity platform that provides intelligent access and governance for any app, any identity and any cloud. We encourage attendees to stop by our booth, meet with our team, or join any of our events to learn how to modernize their identity program and build a zero trust foundation designed to take on new challenges as they emerge with our EIC platform." Saviynt Session: Identity Security Converged Expert Insights from Top International Brands Join Saviynt for an engaging and interactive 30-minute roundtable discussion featuring top industry leaders from RELX, L'Oreal, BP and Maersk. Moderated by Jonathan Neal, Field CTO of Saviynt. The discussion will dive into the transformative impact of converged identity on identity security projects. The panelists will share their real-world experiences, focusing on the effective use of people, processes, and technology. Who: Moderator and panelists include Jonathan Neal, Field CTO of Saviynt; Peter Nagtegaal, Program Director IAM at RELX; Camilo Charry-Gonzalez, Group IT Internal Control Domain Lead at L'Oreal; Shaun Lennox, Principal Enterprise Technology Engineer (IAM) at BP; and David English, Director of Cyber Security IAM at A.P. Moller-Maersk Moderator and panelists include Jonathan Neal, Field CTO of Saviynt; Peter Nagtegaal, Program Director IAM at RELX; Camilo Charry-Gonzalez, Group IT Internal Control Domain Lead at L'Oreal; Shaun Lennox, Principal Enterprise Technology Engineer (IAM) at BP; and David English, Director of Cyber Security IAM at A.P. Moller-Maersk When: 3:15 3:45 p.m. GMT Monday, 4 March 3:15 3:45 p.m. GMT Monday, 4 March Where: Room Arora 1, Intercontinental Hotel O2, London, U.K. Meet with Saviynt at Gartner IAM London: Saviynt Onsite: During expo hours attendees can stop by Booth #300 or reserve a demo of Saviynt's EIC platform. During expo hours attendees can stop by Booth #300 or reserve a demo of Saviynt's EIC platform. Capture the Moment: Visit the Saviynt Booth #300 from 6 7 p.m. GMT Monday, 4 March to get your caricature drawn a personalized masterpiece to commemorate your Gartner IAM journey. Visit the Saviynt Booth #300 from 6 7 p.m. GMT Monday, 4 March to get your caricature drawn a personalized masterpiece to commemorate your Gartner IAM journey. Joint Reception with Cyber Fusion and Symperis: Join Saviynt and its partners for an unforgettable networking reception at Boom Battle Bar, O2, from 6 10 p.m. GMT on 4 March to close out the first day of the Summit. Sign up for an evening of food, drinks, axe throwing, shuffleboard and augmented reality darts. Join Saviynt and its partners for an unforgettable networking reception at Boom Battle Bar, O2, from 6 10 p.m. GMT on 4 March to close out the first day of the Summit. Sign up for an evening of food, drinks, axe throwing, shuffleboard and augmented reality darts. Saviynt Customer and Partner Connect: Saviynt invites all customers and partners in London, even if not attending the Summit, to participate in a half day Saviynt Connect from 9:30 a.m. 2 p.m. GMT on Wednesday, 6 March at St. Martin's Lane Hotel. Save your spot to hear the latest news on Saviynt's product innovations, corporate news and how to get the most value from its EIC platform. GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and is used herein with permission. All rights reserved. About the Gartner Identity Access Management Summit 2024 Gartner analysts will provide additional analysis on identity and access technologies and strategies at the Gartner Identity Access Management Summits taking place 4-5 March in London and December 9-11 in Grapevine. Follow news and updates from the conferences on X using GartnerIAM. About Saviynt Saviynt empowers enterprises to secure their digital transformation, safeguard critical assets, and meet regulatory compliance. With a vision to provide a secure and compliant future for all enterprises, Saviynt's cutting-edge solutions have been recognized as industry leaders. For more information, please visit www.saviynt.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240229378437/en/ Contacts: Jacklyn Kellick jacklyn.kellick@saviynt.com MONTREAL, QC / ACCESSWIRE / February 29, 2024 / AlayaCare, a leading home care technology platform, announced today a new $3.2 million AI project in collaboration with home care providers Acclaim and Bien Chez Soi. The venture is being supported through an up to $1.1M co-investment from DIGITAL, Canada's Global Innovation Cluster for digital technologies, as part of their programming to drive the commercialization and adoption of made-in-Canada AI solutions. The global healthcare industry is currently facing unprecedented challenges, particularly in the home care sector, where labour shortages and slim profit margins are putting a strain on providers. In response to these challenges, AlayaCare plans to leverage the potential of large language models (LLMs) and predictive algorithms to enhance their flagship AC Cloud product. AC Cloud is an extensive health record platform used by over 700 home care service providers across North America and Australia. The anticipated features powered by AI will include the first-ever LLM-based smart AI assistant for home-based care. This assistant will offer a wide range of natural language summarization and conversational abilities, risk dashboards, and decision support for clinical supervisors and caregivers. By utilizing patient clinical data, such as comorbidities, diagnoses, previous hospitalizations, and falls, the enhanced features will automatically identify patients at risk of hospitalization. This will enable healthcare providers to modify schedules and mitigate the risk of hospital care, ultimately reducing adverse events such as falls, emergency room visits, and preventable hospitalizations. "This funding enables us to embrace technology to improve the care Canadians receive at home - something that benefits all of us. By reducing administrative tasks, care workers will be able to increase their caseloads by 10-15%, allowing them to serve more people in need of home care," said Naomi Goldapple, Senior Vice President of Data and Intelligence at AlayaCare. "Additionally, the project aims to reduce the waitlist for chronic care patients receiving home care by 10%. These efficiency gains will not only benefit individuals in need of care but also contribute to lessening the burden on the healthcare system and alleviating overcrowding in hospitals." DIGITAL's co-investment in this project is supported through the Technology Commercialization stream within their specialized Horizon AI program: DIGITAL's national program that seeks to capture Canada's economic potential for applied AI. With additional program streams focused on emerging market opportunities and talent development, the Technology Commercialization stream co-invests alongside Canadian industry and academia in AI projects that support the resiliency and sustainability of health care systems and advance health care in ways that support healthy living, accessibility and delivering positive outcomes. "DIGITAL is excited to build upon the over 5 years of investments we've made in applied AI with this latest announcement," said Nadia Shaikh-Naeem, Vice President of Programs at DIGITAL. "Our co-investments alongside innovators like AlayaCare, in collaboration with home care providers like Acclaim and Bien Chez Soi, are how we can continue to build on Canada's reputation as a global center for AI R&D while focusing on advancing global commercial pathways for Canadian companies. This latest announcement with AlayaCare is an example of how Canada can increase equitable access and better health outcomes for Canadians through AI adoption." AlayaCare's collaboration with Acclaim Health, Bien Chez Soi, and Polytechnique Montreal will play a crucial role in the development of these enhancements to AC Cloud. The project will also result in the creation of peer-reviewed novel approaches, such as fine-tuned LLMs for preventing hospitalization in home care. The intellectual property (IP) generated through this collaboration will be accessible to subscribers of the AC Cloud platform, including Acclaim and Bien Chez Soi. Furthermore, AlayaCare will make de-identified datasets available to industry and academia, fostering further innovation and benefiting the ecosystem. With these advancements, AlayaCare aims to further penetrate the $2 billion global home health care market, establishing a significant market share for a Canadian company. For more information, please contact: AlayaCare Press Contact: Steph Davidson steph.davidson@alayacare.com About AlayaCare AlayaCare is an end-to-end software platform for public, private, non-profit, and community home-based care organizations that manages the entire client lifecycle, including needs assessments, care plans, scheduling, visit and route optimization, and visit verification. Founded in 2014 and now with over 500 employees, AlayaCare combines traditional in-home and virtual care solutions that enable care providers to lower the cost of care and achieve better outcomes for their clients. For more information, visit: AlayaCare.com About DIGITAL DIGITAL, Canada's Global Innovation Cluster for digital technologies, grows Canadian businesses through the development, adoption and deployment of Canadian-made technologies and by working with industry to develop a digitally skilled workforce to positively impact lives across our country. We bring together businesses, academia, community and government agencies to solve some of industry and society's biggest challenges - better and faster than any single organization can do on its own. Through a powerful model that combines cross-sector collaboration, Canadian IP creation and results-based co-investment, we unlock the potential of Canadian industry to lead and succeed in the digital world. Ahead of the curve starts here. For more information, visit digitalsupercluster.ca DIGITAL Press Contact: Sydney Redpath media@digitalsupercluster.ca SOURCE: AlayaCare View the original press release on accesswire.com Recent Transaction Marks Boxwood's First in Youth Enrichment & Childhood Education JUPITER, FL / ACCESSWIRE / February 29, 2024 / Boxwood Partners is pleased to announce the sale of Sylvan Learning ("Sylvan" or "the Company"), a subsidiary of Franchise Group Inc. ("FRG"), to Unleashed Brands, a portfolio company of Seidler Equity Partners. Sylvan, with 500+ franchised locations, has been the leading provider of supplemental education for K-12 students for over 45 years. Boxwood Partners, a leading boutique middle-market investment bank acted as the exclusive sell-side advisor to Sylvan and Franchise Group on the transaction. The transaction was led by Brian Alas (Managing Director), Madison Day (Vice President), John Atkinson (Associate), Justin Jasper (Analyst), and Jerry Annunziata (Analyst). The terms of the deal were not disclosed. Boxwood has now completed 35+ transactions across franchising and this marks its first within the youth enrichment and childhood education sector. The rapidly expanding youth enrichment sector, including education, activities, and sport, is a growing focus for Boxwood as it continues to expand its reach within consumer services. "Sylvan's industry-leading brand awareness and deep connections with its students, 5,000+ schools and institutional relationships creates an embedded customer base for the broader Unleashed Brands portfolio," said Brian Alas, Managing Director at Boxwood. "Recent investments in new modalities, including SylvanSyncTM, and other virtual offerings has Sylvan uniquely positioned for continued growth within the sector." Founded in 1979 and headquartered in Hunt Valley, Maryland, Sylvan is an established and growing franchisor of supplemental education and tutoring services. By customizing student learning plans and offering multiple modalities across reading, literature, math and science, Sylvan efficiently offers solutions for all stages of a K-12 student. Its significant investment in digital infrastructure and technology has allowed its franchisees to cater to the needs of their students via multiple new channels including on-premises and online via both one-on-one and group sessions. The international franchise base has 500+ physical locations across 175 franchisees. "Boxwood worked incredibly closely with our management team to ensure a successful transaction," said John McAuliffe, CEO of Sylvan. "Their franchising expertise proved invaluable, and we appreciated how they went above and beyond throughout the process." "We are thrilled to have Sylvan Learning join the Unleashed Brands platform and provide its category-leading tutoring services designed to help kids catch up, keep up, and get ahead for the more than 25 million kids our franchisees serve annually. We appreciate the work the Boxwood team did to help us efficiently learn more about this great opportunity," said Michael Browning, Jr, CEO/Founder of Unleashed Brands. Sylvan represents the first acquisition completed by Unleashed Brands after being acquired by Seidler Equity Partners in February 2023. "Sylvan is a unique franchisor within the youth enrichment and childhood education sector that continues to see significant growth post-COVID," added Madison Day, Vice President of Boxwood. Grant Thornton acted as the accounting advisor to Sylvan and Franchise Group while Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP served as legal counsel. About Boxwood Partners Boxwood Partners, LLC is a boutique investment bank based in Jupiter, Florida with offices in Richmond, Virginia. Boxwood Partners combines a unique blend of senior-level transaction advisory, business operating experience, and proven process execution skills to give its clients a distinct advantage in the market. The firm's extensive relationships within the global capital and buyer communities (including U.S. and international private equity groups, corporations, and lenders) and other important transaction-related service providers such as consultants, attorneys, and accountants, ensure that the firm's clients receive the attention, service, and results they deserve. For more information about Boxwood Partners, please visit www.boxwoodpartners.com. About Sylvan Learning With 45 years of experience and more than 500 franchised locations and 710 points of presence, Sylvan Learning is the leading provider of personal learning for students in grades K-12. Sylvan is transforming how students learn, inspiring them to succeed in school and in life. Sylvan's proven tutoring approach blends amazing teachers with SylvanSync technology on digital tablets for an engaging learning experience. Sylvan also leads the way with Sylvan EDGE - STEM and accelerated courses and Sylvan Prep - college and test prep courses. Sylvan supports families through every stage of the academic journey. For more information, visit: www.SylvanFranchise.com. About Franchise Group Franchise Group is an owner and operator of franchised and franchisable businesses that continually looks to utilize its operating and capital allocation philosophy to generate strong cash flow for its stakeholders. Franchise Group's business lines include Pet Supplies Plus, American Freight, The Vitamin Shoppe, Buddy's Home Furnishings and Wag N Wash. On a combined basis, Franchise Group currently operates over 2,200 locations predominantly located in the U.S. that are either Company-run or operated pursuant to franchising agreements. For more information, please visit: www.franchisegrp.com. About Unleashed Brands Unleashed Brands currently includes portfolio brands Urban Air, Snapology, The Little Gym, XP League, Class 101, and Premier Martial Arts and was founded to curate and grow a portfolio of the most innovative and profitable brands that help kids learn, play, and grow. Over the last 10 years, the team at Unleashed Brands has built a proven platform and know-how for scaling businesses focused on serving families. Its mission is to impact the lives of every kid by providing fun, engaging, and inspiring experiences that help them become who they are destined to be. For more information, please visit www.UnleashedBrands.com. About Seidler Equity Partners Seidler Equity Partners and its affiliates have been investing in market-leading companies since 1992. Seidler seeks to align its capital and resources with business founders and management teams to achieve long-term growth and preserve company stewardship. For more information, visit www.SEPfunds.com. CONTACT: tnortman@fishmanpr.com 847-945-1300 SOURCE: Boxwood Partners, LLC View the original press release on accesswire.com For Adam Warren, Vice President of Product Development for Henkel Consumer Brands North America, being a pioneer for good is about leading with conviction, inspiring future innovators, and advocating for equitable representation. NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / February 29, 2024 / Our purpose is what unites us at Henkel North America: Pioneers at heart for the good of generations. Our pioneering spirit is reflective of the diverse backgrounds, experiences and talents of our employees and partners. They dare to make an impact on the world by collaborating to tackle challenges, find solutions and open new perspectives. Their contributions allow us to deliver products, services and innovations that enrich and improve everyday life. We invite you to "meet" our pioneers in our series, "Pioneers for Good." Adam has been a part of the Henkel family and Research & Development (R&D) organization since 2013. He is an inspirational leader that oversees the team responsible for driving innovation and product formulation for Henkel Consumer Brands including all, Persil, Purex, Snuggle, and Dial. From identifying new trends to working with emerging technologies that put Henkel at the forefront of innovation, Adam is dedicated to encouraging his team to take risks in their work. Innovation drives Adam professionally, but he is also committed to paving the way for future generations and pushing for increased representation in leadership. "I came to Henkel through an acquisition, but I stayed because it's an amazing place to work and I absolutely love it." He credits Henkel for providing continuous opportunities to grow and do the work he loves while impacting the daily lives and routines of consumers. "For me it's always been a passion of mine to improve the lives of consumers and I get to live that passion every day." Driving Innovation at the Heart of Henkel According to Adam, innovation is the fundamental reason his team exists. "We create the future," is the mantra at the core of his research and development team's purpose and at the forefront of what inspires their work. They create the future, armed with consumer trends and research and an intentional pursuit to be bold in thinking about how to reinvent our products and technologies to create something new. There is a unique vulnerability about being bold, it can trigger a fear of failure while being a pillar of success. Failures happen - it's part of the creative process, but Adam believes that creating an environment that encourages bold creativity and pushing boundaries ensures that the overall process moves toward the success of the team. Inspiring the Next Generation of Innovators Like his work, Adam is innovative in the ways he supports and advocates to increase representation. Mentorship is one tool to do this. As a former INROADS intern himself, he knows the value of having mentors who invest the time to advise and guide the next generations. "I have had a diverse set of mentors throughout my career for different needs from developing technical skills, navigating workplace culture, and shaping a career path." And he pays it forward through being a mentor and sponsoring Inroads interns in R&D. He always finds a way to say 'yes' to opportunities to give back and lend his voice to conversations tied to his core values of community, culture, and DEI. Adam understands the importance of being able to physically and culturally identify with leaders and is part of the work to increase equitable representation. I believe in the fact that representation matters. When people can see a version of themselves on leadership panels and speaking engagements, it helps them to better visualize their career opportunities. Adam Warren, Vice President of Product Development for Henkel Consumer Brands North America Adam believes leaders need to bring their own personal brand of authenticity to the workplace and to their teams. His personal brand of authenticity is anchored in integrity and leading with conviction. It is not only a governing principle in his life but how he intentionally shows up for his team and work at Henkel. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Henkel on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Henkel Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/henkel Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: Henkel View the original press release on accesswire.com CHARLOTTE, NC / ACCESSWIRE / February 29, 2024 / Discovery Education now offers a new collection of engaging, high-quality digital learning resources to support observances of Women's History Month. Since 1987 in the United States, Women's History Month is a celebration of women's contributions to history, culture, and society. The following resources are now available for users of the award-winning Discovery Education Experience K-12 learning platform for Women's History Month: Womanica channel: Get to know the incredible stories of groundbreaking women whose legacies have stood the test of time. Womanica, a podcast series from Wonder Media Network, offers bite-sized audio biographies of women you may or may not know, but whose impact has changed the world. Gain inspiration and spark curiosity by listening to the contributions, successes, trials, and triumphs of phenomenal women from a variety of backgrounds including scientists, activists, actors, teachers, poets, philosophers, scholars, politicians, comedians, and more. Women in History channel: Celebrate the remarkable journeys of legendary women throughout history and learn contemporary stories of women changing the world today. This collection showcases stories of pioneering women who have fought for equality and advocated for meaningful change. Explore the impact women have had politically, in STEM, the arts, sports, leadership positions, and more. Connecting educators to a vast collection of high-quality, standard-aligned content, ready-to-use digital lessons, intuitive quiz and activity creation tools, and professional learning resources, Discovery Education Experience facilitates the creation of engaging instructional experiences for all students. In addition, for users of the award-winning Mystery Science service, the Celebrating Women in Science & Arts Collection offers open-and-go lessons that inspire students to see themselves in science. Mystery Science is an engaging standards-aligned science curriculum for grades K-5 designed to help students stay curious. In this collection of 45-minute engineering lessons, Mystery Guides lead no prep, open-and-go lessons with step-by-step hands-on activities exploring scientific phenomena using common classroom items. "In my classroom, I ensure that all my students have no limitations on their curiosity," said Renee Cunningham, the Media Coordinator at New Town Elementary School of Union County Public Schools in North Carolina. "I love knowing that I can always rely on Discovery Education for current and engaging resources that make it easy for me to integrate into a lesson plan." Discovery Education also offers many free resources educators can integrate into their Women's History Month observances. Among the free resources are: Career Profiles The Women's History Month career profiles collection from the STEM Careers Coalition celebrates the careers of women leaders in STEM. The collection of dynamic, on-demand resources supports educators' efforts to drive deeper student engagement by connecting classroom lessons to the real-world. Career profile videos show students a variety of STEM careers across engineering, chemistry, research, and technology. The STEM Careers Coalition solves critical gaps in representation in the STEM professional workforce. The Coalition is an alliance of industries and non-profit organizations that has provided equitable access to STEM resources and career connections since its launch in 2019. The Coalition will continue to ignite student curiosity and influence a diverse future STEM workforce and reach 10 million teachers and students by 2025. The STEM Careers Coalition solves critical gaps in representation in the STEM professional workforce. The Coalition is an alliance of industries and non-profit organizations that has provided equitable access to STEM resources and career connections since its launch in 2019. The Coalition will continue to ignite student curiosity and influence a diverse future STEM workforce and reach 10 million teachers and students by 2025. The career profiles from Girls4Tech - Mastercard's signature science, technology, engineering, and mathematics program, supported by Discovery Education - are geared towards giving girls in middle and high school access to STEM resources and career exploration tools. Students are introduced to the topics of Artificial Intelligence and cybersecurity via virtual video introductions to Mastercard's cybersecurity specialists. Women role models will inspire girls to explore the possibilities of a STEM career. Gamified Learning and Student Challenges Maker High is an educational partnership with Goldieblox that makes science fun and accessible through teacher-led activities paired with a new game, Chem Lab Escape hosted on Roblox. Teach your students critical thinking and core concepts of chemistry that are the keys to solving this chemistry escape room. Chem Lab Escape empowers students to solve challenges such as combining elements and solutions to create chemical reactions and adding and removing heat energy to water to navigate an obstacle course. As the nation's premier middle school science competition, the annual 3M Young Scientist Challenge invites students in grades 5-8 to compete for an exclusive mentorship with a 3M scientist, a $25,000 grand prize, and the chance to earn the title of "America's Top Young Scientist." Each year, the 3M Young Scientist Challenge recognizes the grand prize winner, 10 finalists, four honorable mentions, and up to 51 state merit winners - nationwide and in Washington D.C. - who have demonstrated a passion for using science to solve everyday problems and improve the world around them. This year, the 3M Young Scientist Challenge offers innovative ways for students to engage in science and engineering through new entry topics, including Robotics, Home Improvement, Automotive, Safety, AR/VR, and Climate Tech. Competition entries are accepted until the deadline on May 2, 2024. "We're on a mission to prepare all learners for tomorrow by creating innovative classrooms connected to today's world," said Robin Porter, Vice President of Digital Content at Discovery Education. "With this new collection of content created with trusted partners, educators and students have at hand engaging materials for Women's History Month and beyond." For more information about Discovery Education's award-winning digital resources and professional learning solutions visit www.discoveryeducation.com, and stay connected with Discovery Education on social media through X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. ### About Discovery Education Discovery Education is the worldwide edtech leader whose state-of-the-art digital platform supports learning wherever it takes place. Through its award-winning multimedia content, instructional supports, innovative classroom tools, and corporate partnerships, Discovery Education helps educators deliver equitable learning experiences engaging all students and supporting higher academic achievement on a global scale. Discovery Education serves approximately 4.5 million educators and 45 million students worldwide, and its resources are accessed in over 100 countries and territories. Inspired by the global media company Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. Discovery Education partners with districts, states, and trusted organizations to empower teachers with leading edtech solutions that support the success of all learners. Explore the future of education at www.discoveryeducation.com. Contact Grace Maliska Discovery Education Email: gmaliska@dicoveryed.com View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Discovery Education on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Discovery Education Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/discovery-education Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: Discovery Education View the original press release on accesswire.com CHICAGO, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Chromatography Reagents Market in terms of revenue was estimated to be worth $6.8 billion in 2024 and is poised to reach $11.5 billion by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 11.0% from 2024 to 2029 according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets. The chromatography reagents market is experiencing significant growth due to several key factors. Firstly, there is a notable increase in research and development activities within the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, driving the demand for advanced chromatography techniques to aid in drug development and ensure quality control. Additionally, chromatography tests are becoming increasingly important in the food and beverage sector to guarantee product safety and maintain high-quality standards, further contributing to market expansion. Moreover, the growing use of chromatography in clinical diagnostics, particularly for disease diagnosis and monitoring purposes, is fueling demand for chromatography reagents. These factors collectively underscore the rising significance of chromatography reagents across various industries, driving market growth. Download an Illustrative overview: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=435 Browse in-depth TOC on "Chromatography Reagents Market" 160 - Tables 57 - Figures 258 - Pages Chromatography Reagents Market Scope: Report Coverage Details Market Revenue in 2024 $6.8 billion Estimated Value by 2029 $11.5 billion Growth Rate Poised to grow at a CAGR of 11.0% Market Size Available for 2022-2029 Forecast Period 2024-2029 Forecast Units Value (USD Billion) Report Coverage Revenue Forecast, Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, and Trends Segments Covered Type, Separation Mechanism, Technology, End User Geographies Covered North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America and Middle East Africa Report Highlights Updated financial information / product portfolio of players Key Market Opportunities Increasing use of chromatography in proteomics and the purification of monoclonal antibodies Key Market Drivers Growing pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical R & D activities Solvent segment is expected to register the substantial share by reagent type of chromatography reagents market The solvents segment is poised to assert its dominance in the chromatography reagents market, primarily owing to its indispensable role in facilitating sample movement within chromatographic processes. Solvents serve as pivotal agents in chromatography, enabling the seamless transfer of samples from one position to another without altering their chemical composition. Typically, solvents are adeptly blended with water or compatible solvents to optimize the reaction outcomes of the samples under analysis. This meticulous blending ensures that the samples interact synergistically with the chromatographic medium, thereby enabling accurate separation and precise analysis. Furthermore, solvents are revered for their ease of handling, a characteristic that streamlines laboratory procedures and ensures the meticulousness of analytical outcomes. Their versatility across various chromatographic techniques renders them indispensable and widely applicable across diverse industries and research settings. For instance, in air quality testing, solvents play an instrumental role in elucidating the components present in the air by adeptly binding to specific compounds of interest. This inherent capability not only facilitates the identification of pollutants but also bolsters the overall accuracy and reliability of chromatographic analyses. Pharmaceutical Companies segment holds the highest CAGR by end user in Chromatography Reagents market In 2023, the pharmaceutical companies segment dominated the chromatography reagents, capturing a substantial share and heist CAGR of 13.1% . Pharmaceutical manufacturers and testing service providers extensively utilize chromatography reagents throughout various stages of drug development and analysis, including research, clinical trials, and manufacturing. Growth in this sector is propelled by intensified R&D efforts, particularly in critical therapeutic areas like cancer and infectious diseases. Additionally, expanding product pipelines, increasing clinical trials, and stringent regulatory standards further drive demand for chromatography reagents. Government and corporate funding initiatives aimed at fostering innovation also contribute significantly to market growth. Overall, chromatography reagents play a crucial role in ensuring the quality, safety, and efficacy of pharmaceutical products, driving sustained growth in this segment. North America holds a substantial share of telehealth and telemedicine market during the forecast period. Throughout the forecast period, North America is expected to maintain its position as the dominant market for chromatography reagents. The primary focus of this market study encompasses the United States and Canada. North America benefits from a robust and diverse R&D infrastructure, facilitating the widespread adoption of chromatography techniques across multiple industries. In 2023, North America held a commanding global market share of 37.0%. This growth is fueled by factors including escalating drug development endeavors, governmental support for life science R&D, the widespread adoption of cutting-edge solutions, and the presence of numerous ongoing clinical research initiatives within the region. Request Sample Pages: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=435 Chromatography Reagents Market Dynamics: Drivers: Growing pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical R & D activities Rising Concerns for Food safety Restraints: Lack of skilled professionals Opportunities: Increasing use of chromatography in proteomics and the purification of monoclonal antibodies Challenge: Premium prices of organic solvents Key Market Players of Chromatography Reagents Industry: Prominent players in the Chromatography Reagents market include Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. (US), Merck KGaA (Germany), Avantor, Inc. (US), Waters Corporation (US), Agilent Technologies, Inc.(US), Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. (US), Danaher Corporation (US), Chiron AS (Norway), Loba Chemie (India), GFS Chemicals, Inc. (US), Regis Technologies, Inc. (US), Tokyo Chemical Industry Co., Ltd (TCI) (Japan), Honeywell International Inc. (US), Shimadzu Corporation(Japan), Santa Cruz Biotechnology, Inc. (US), Restek Corporation (US), Spectrum Chemical Mfg. Corp. (US), Kanto Kagaku (Japan), Tedia Company, Inc. (US), ITW Reagents Division (Spain),Tosoh Corporation (Japan), Concord Technology Co., Ltd. (Tianjin), Thomas Baker (Chemicals) Pvt. Ltd.(India), Alpha Laboratories Ltd. (Hampshire), Spectrochem (India), Columbus Chemical Industry (WI). The break-down of primary participants is as mentioned below: By Company Type - Tier 1: 45%, Tier 2: 30%, and Tier 3: 25% By Designation - C-level: 42%, Director-level: 31%, and Others: 27% By Region - North America: 32%, Europe: 32%, Asia Pacific: 26%, ROW-10% Recent Developments of Chromatography Reagents Industry: In September 2023, Restek Corporation (US) entered into a partnership with Mastek Limites (US), The partnership allowed Restek to enhance chromatography online solutions by leveraging Oracle expertise from Mastek. In june 2023, Merck KGaA (Germany) formed a partenership with Nantong Economic and Technological Development Area (NETDA)(China) aiming to increase the production capacity of highly purified reagents for biopharma quality control, resulting in a significant boost to annual output by several thousand tons... In April 2023, Agilent Technologies, Inc. (US) partnered with PathAI (US), The partnership combined Agilent's assay expertise with PathAI's algorithms, focusing on integrated solutions and companion diagnostics in digital pathology... In June 2022, Waters Corporation (US) collaborated with BioInfra, Inc. (Korea), aiming to enhance regional scientific competitiveness and the quality of pharmaceutical research and testing. The academy will provide hands-on training for scientists in bioanalytical methods crucial for drug discovery and development. With a focus on bioequivalence trials, the training will support the growing demand for lower-cost generic drugs in Southeast Asia. Get 10% Free Customization on this Report: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestCustomizationNew.asp?id=435 Chromatography Reagents Market - Key Benefits of Buying the Report: This report will enrich established firms as well as new entrants/smaller firms to gauge the pulse of the market, which, in turn, would help them garner a greater share of the market. Firms purchasing the report could use one or a combination of the below-mentioned strategies to strengthen their positions in the market. This report provides insights on: Analysis of key drivers (Growing pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical R & D activities, Rising concerns for food safety, Growing utilization of chromatography in drug development and omics research, Increasing demand for therapeutic antibodies), restraints (Lack of skilled professionals), opportunities (Increasing use of chromatography in the purification of monoclonal antibodies, Growing use of chromatography in proteomics), and challenges (Premium cost of organic solvents) Product Development/Innovation: Detailed insights on upcoming technologies, research & development activities, and new product launches in the Chromatography reagents market. Market Development: Comprehensive information on the lucrative emerging markets, component, demographics, end-user, and region. Market Diversification: Exhaustive information about the product portfolios, growing geographies, recent developments, and investments in the Chromatography reagents market Competitive Assessment: In-depth assessment of market shares, growth strategies, product offerings, and capabilities of the leading players in the Chromatography reagents market like Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. (US), Merck KGaA (Germany), Avantor, Inc. (US), Waters Corporation (US), Agilent Technologies, Inc.(US), Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. (US). Related Reports: Proteomics Market - Global Forecasts to 2028 Life Science Instrumentation Market - Global Forecasts to 2028 Preparative and Process Chromatography Market - Global Forecasts to 2028 Chromatography Accessories & Consumables Market - Global Forecasts to 2027 Chromatography Instruments Market - Global Forecasts to 2027 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 $25 trillion opportunity through our service lines - TAM Expansion, Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy to Execution, Market Share Gain, Account Enablement, and Thought Leadership Marketing. Built on the 'GIVE Growth' principle, we work with several Forbes Global 2000 B2B companies - helping them stay relevant in a disruptive ecosystem. Our insights and strategies are molded by our industry experts, cutting-edge AI-powered Market Intelligence Cloud, and years of research. The KnowledgeStore (our Market Intelligence Cloud) integrates our research, facilitates an analysis of interconnections through a set of applications, helping clients look at the entire ecosystem and understand the revenue shifts happening in their industry. To find out more, visit www.MarketsandMarkets.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Contact: Mr. Aashish Mehra MarketsandMarkets INC. 630 Dundee Road Suite 430 Northbrook, IL 60062 USA: +1-888-600-6441 Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com Research Insights: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/chromatography-market.asp Visit Our Website: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/chromatography-reagents.asp Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2297424/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/chromatography-reagents-market-worth-11-5-billion--marketsandmarkets-302075331.html Explore the thriving reusable water bottle market driven by environmental concerns, government regulations, and health consciousness. Discover opportunities for stakeholders in this dynamic sector with Future Market Insight's comprehensive report. NEWARK, Del., Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The reusable water bottle market size is estimated to be worth US$ 8.8 billion in 2024. The adoption of reusable water bottle is predicted to expand at a CAGR of 2.8% through 2034. The industry is anticipated to surpass US$ 11.5 billion by 2034. The reusable water bottle industry experiences robust growth driven by escalating environmental concerns and the push towards sustainable living. Download the Sample PDF report to explore key market insights and trends: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-15397 Consumers are shifting towards reusable alternatives with increasing awareness about plastic pollution and its detrimental effects on ecosystems. Government regulations and initiatives banning single-use plastics further propel the demand for reusable water bottles. Additionally, the emphasis on health and wellness encourages individuals to opt for reusable bottles as they promote hydration and reduce the consumption of sugary beverages, fostering a healthier lifestyle. While reusable bottles offer eco-friendly solutions, some consumers find them less convenient to carry and clean compared to disposable options. Moreover, the initial cost of purchasing reusable bottles may deter price-sensitive consumers, especially in regions where disposable bottles are readily available at lower prices. Additionally, concerns regarding the quality and safety of materials used in reusable bottles may hinder adoption among health-conscious consumers. Innovations in design and technology drive the latest trends in the reusable water bottle industry. Smart water bottles equipped with tracking features and hydration reminders gain popularity among health-conscious consumers seeking to monitor their water intake. The rise of customization options allows consumers to personalize their bottles with unique colors, patterns, and logos, reflecting individual style preferences. Sustainable materials such as bamboo, stainless steel, and glass are increasingly favored over traditional plastics, aligning with eco-conscious consumer preferences. Collaborations between fashion brands and reusable bottle manufacturers introduce fashionable designs, appealing to trend-oriented consumers seeking both functionality and aesthetics. "The reusable water bottle industry presents significant opportunities for innovation and market expansion. Manufacturers can capitalize on the growing demand for personalized and customizable bottle designs, catering to diverse consumer preferences", says Ismail Sutaria (Lead Consultant, Packaging and Materials at Future Market Insights, Inc.). Key Takeaways from the Market Study Metal bottles are projected to maintain dominance, with a significant market share of 33.1% in 2024. Institutional use segment is predicted to be the industry leader in 2024, holding an estimated market share of 43.2%. The United States market exhibits moderate growth with a CAGR of 1.7% through 2034. The reusable water bottle industry in the United Kingdom is projected to rise at a CAGR of 1.5% through 2034, China's reusable water bottle industry is likely to witness expansion at a CAGR of 4.7% through 2034. India's reusable water bottle industry is projected to rise at a CAGR of 6.5% through 2034. Japan's reusable water bottle market is expected to rise at a 2.6% CAGR through 2034. Country-wise- Industry Insights Countries CAGR Reusable Water Bottle Industry Analysis in United States 1.7 % United Kingdom Reusable Water Bottle Market Outlook 1.5 % Chinese Reusable Water Bottle Industry Analysis 4.7 % Indian Reusable Water Bottle Industry Size 6.5 % Japan Reusable Water Bottle Industry Analysis 2.6 % Competitive Landscape The competition outlook of the reusable water bottle industry is characterized by a diverse array of players vying for market share in a rapidly growing segment driven by sustainability concerns and consumer preferences for eco-friendly alternatives. Established brands, including household names in beverage and outdoor gear sectors, leverage their brand recognition, extensive distribution networks, and economies of scale to maintain competitive advantages. Simultaneously, innovative startups and niche players are disrupting the industry with novel materials, designs, and business models focused on sustainability and convenience. These emerging players prioritize eco-friendly materials such as stainless steel, glass, and biodegradable plastics, appealing to environmentally conscious consumers seeking alternatives to single-use plastics. Furthermore, customization options, smart features, and subscription-based models are adding value to reusable water bottles, attracting consumers with personalized and tech-enabled hydration solutions. As consumer awareness of plastic pollution and environmental sustainability continues to grow, the reusable water bottle industry is poised for further expansion and innovation. Key drivers of competition include product quality, design aesthetics, affordability, and sustainability credentials. Market participants are expected to intensify their efforts in product development, marketing, and distribution to differentiate themselves and gain market share in a competitive landscape. Additionally, regulatory initiatives aimed at reducing single-use plastics and promoting reusable alternatives are anticipated to influence market dynamics and drive further growth in the industry. Recent Developments: Brita GmbH released a new reusable water bottle with a built-in filter, the Brita Premium Filtering Bottle, in 2023. It eliminates chlorine taste and odor and is dishwasher safe. Klean Kanteen, Inc. has released a new line of bottles and accessories dubbed Klean Coat, which has a chip-resistant, durable, and safe powder coat finish that is four times more ecologically friendly than prior coatings. Thermos LLC has released a new line of bottles called Thermos Hydration, constructed of BPA-free plastic and with a revolving meter that lets customers track their daily water consumption. Purchase now and gain full access to the Reusable Water Bottle Industry report, featuring comprehensive Market Forecast, Company Share Analysis, Competition Intelligence, DROT Analysis, Market Dynamics and Challenges, and Strategic Growth Initiatives. Key Segments Covers in Reusable Water Bottle Industry Report, 2024-2034 By Material Type: Glass Metal Polymer Silicone By Distribution Channel: Hyper/Supermarkets Independent Stores Online Sales Others By Primary Usage: Everyday Sports Travel Others By Region: North America Latin America Europe East Asia South Asia Oceania Middle East and Africa Request to Access the Detail Research Methodology from here! About the Author: Ismail Sutaria (Lead Consultant, Packaging and Materials at Future Market Insights, Inc.) has over 8 years of experience in market research and consulting in the packaging & materials industry. Ismail's strength lies in identifying key challenges faced by the client and offering logical and actionable insights to equip the clients with strategic decision-making power. Ismail has been an instrumental part of several transformational consulting assignments. His key skills include competitive benchmarking, opportunity assessment, macroeconomic analysis, and business transformation advisory. Ismail is an MBA holder in Marketing and has a Bachelor's Degree in Mathematics. Ismail is a regular at industry conferences and expos and has been widely covered in electronic and print media. He is a Speaker at our upcoming Talk show - Rise of the Intelligent Packaging. Ismail has been quoted in leading publications, including the European Pharmaceutical Review and the European Adhesive Tape Association. Explore FMI's Extensive Coverage in the Packaging Domain: Stainless Steel Water Bottles Market by capacity, usage, distribution channel & Region | Forecast 2023 to 2033. - Review and Request to Access the Sample PDF. by capacity, usage, distribution channel & Region | Forecast 2023 to 2033. - Collapsible Water Bottle Market by Material Type, Capacity & Region | Forecast 2022 to 2032. - Review and Request to Access the Sample PDF. by Material Type, Capacity & Region | Forecast 2022 to 2032. - High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) Bottle Market by Low-barrier Bottles, High-barrier Bottles, Fluorinated Bottles, and other barrier types from 2023 to 2033. - Review and Request to Access the Sample PDF. by Low-barrier Bottles, High-barrier Bottles, Fluorinated Bottles, and other barrier types from 2023 to 2033. - USA and Canada Packer Bottle Market by Material Type, Capacity, Application, End Use & Region | Forecast 2023 to 2033. - Review and Request to Access the Sample PDF. by Material Type, Capacity, Application, End Use & Region | Forecast 2023 to 2033. - Market Survey on Aluminum Bottles Market Covering Sales Outlook, Up-to-date Key Trends, Market Size and Forecast, 2023-2033.- Review and Request to Access the Sample PDF. Covering Sales Outlook, Up-to-date Key Trends, Market Size and Forecast, 2023-2033.- Plastic Bottles Market Forecast by PET, PP, PE, PVC, and Others for 2023 to 2033. - Review and Request to Access the Sample PDF. About Future Market Insights (FMI) Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting service provider, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in Dubai and has delivery centers in the UK, the U.S., and India. FMI's latest market research reports and industry analysis help businesses navigate challenges and make critical decisions with confidence and clarity amidst breakneck competition. Our customized and syndicated market research reports deliver actionable insights that drive sustainable growth. A team of expert-led analysts at FMI continuously tracks emerging trends and events in a broad range of industries to ensure that our clients prepare for the evolving needs of their consumers. 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 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1197648/3531122/FMI_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/global-reusable-water-bottle-market-to-exceed-us-11-5-billion-by-2034-industry-growth-and-influencing-factors--future-market-insights-inc-302075669.html LONDON, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- HH Global and Displayplan As the world's most impactful partner to brands seeking stronger more sustainable growth, HH Global is a leader in tech-enabled creative production and procurement for some of the world's biggest and boldest retail brands. Today, HH Global has announced the completion of an acquisition of UK-based Displayplan Ltd. to further enhance their expertise and build on their unrivaled, creative, global retail activation capability. Through this acquisition, HH Global is demonstrating its ongoing investment in developing industry-leading solutions for global retail brands. The award-winning creative and production teams from Displayplan, along with their digital and shopper marketing strategists, will strengthen HH Global's existing capabilities and enable HH Global to continue driving advancements in creating superior connected shopper experiences. Kristian Elgey, CEO of HH Global states: "I would like to extend a warm welcome to our new colleagues who join us as part of the Displayplan acquisition. They join us as we continue on our growth journey, and I'm excited by the value that our combined strength and expertise will create. I also want to express my sincere appreciation to the team behind this acquisition for all their hard work and dedication. It is the excellence and energy of our people that make incredible opportunities like this acquisition possible for our clients, our colleagues and our company. The joining of our two organizations brings enhanced expertise to our existing global retail marketing activation leadership and adds both strength and depth to our retail solution capabilities. Our joint commitment to excellence and innovation has created a team of the best talent in the industry, all focused on delivering big impact for our clients' big ideas in global retail." About HH Global Founded in 1991, HH Global is the global leader in tech-enabled creative production and procurement. They amplify their client's marketing campaigns through unrivaled production, procurement leadership and the most advanced sustainability capabilities available. All delivered at scale through industry-leading technology and the passionate expertise of their people. HH Global has +4,500 experts in more than 60 countries and in every market around the world. With a thirty-year track record of success, they help the biggest, most exciting and progressive global brands achieve stronger, more sustainable growth. Across every channel. At the speed of modern business. With an unmatched supply chain, a growing suite of technology tools and data insights - they make their client's brilliant ideas unmissable everywhere. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/471140/hh_global_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/hh-global-completes-acquisition-of-displayplan-302075840.html GERMANTOWN, TN / ACCESSWIRE / February 29, 2024 / Inc. Magazine revealed that Travel Nurses, Inc. climbed through the ranks to No. 67 and saw 285% growth on the fourth annual Inc. 5000 Regionals: Southeast list. The previous year in 2023, Travel Nurses, Inc. ranked No. 153 on the list. This is the most prestigious ranking of the fastest-growing Southeast private companies based in South Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Arkansas, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Florida and Puerto Rico. Born of the annual Inc. 5000 franchise, this regional list represents a unique look at the most successful companies within the Southeast economy's most dynamic segment-its independent small businesses. "It is such an honor for Travel Nurses, Inc. to be recognized for the second year in a row by Inc. Magazine. I am proud of all the hard work and dedication our team has put in over the years to making sure our clients and partners receive excellent service. This recognition is the culmination of that work," said Bryan Burnett, CEO of Travel Nurses, Inc. This list contains companies from all industries in the Southeast. Between 2020 and 2022, these 223 private companies had an average growth rate of 166.43 percent. By 2023, these companies also added 20,496 jobs and $8.8 billion to the region's economy. Complete results of the Inc. 5000 Regionals: Southeast, including company profiles, can be found at inc.com/Southeast. "The honorees in our Inc. 5000 network are the Who's Who of private companies. They're energizing regional economies as they engineer the future of their industries. Learn who they are and what they do - they'll be impacting things for a while," said Eric Hagerman, Special Projects Editor at Inc. Media. Travel Nurses, Inc. is a leading healthcare staffing agency with more than 35 years in the industry. The company was founded by nurses and now staffs nurses and allied healthcare professionals in 49 states. They are committed to excellence being JCAHO certified and were the first agency to partner with the DAISY award for nurses. As the company continues its substantial growth trajectory, they consistently receive positive feedback from their clients, reflecting their commitment to excellence and client satisfaction. Methodology The 2024 Inc. 5000 Regionals are ranked according to percentage revenue growth when comparing 2020 and 2022. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2020. They had to be U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independent-not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies-as of December 31, 2022. (Since then, a number of companies on the list have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2020 is $100,000; the minimum for 2022 is $1 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. Contact Information: Anna Joy Tamayo Community and PR Manager annajoy@travelnursesinc.com 901-347-0271 Catherine Knoll Vice President of Marketing catherine.knoll@travelnursesinc.com 901-425-1636 Related Images Travel Nurses, Inc. Travel Nurses, Inc. logo Inc Regionals Award Travel Nurses, Inc. ranks No. 67 on Inc. Magazine's Southeast Regional list. SOURCE: Travel Nurses, Inc. View the original press release on newswire.com. COQUITLAM, BC / ACCESSWIRE / February 29, 2024/ Grid Battery Metals Inc. (the "Company" or "Grid Battery") (TSXV:CELL)(OTCQB:EVKRF)(FRA:NMK2) announces that Global Business Reports, a respected industry news writer and editorial author, has profiled Grid Battery Metals Inc. in its latest issue of the Western USA Mining 2024, profiling active and successful mineral exploration companies in this region. The interview and corporate profile can be found by accessing the following weblink, Global Business Reports, Western USA Mining 2024. The article includes commentary by Grid's CEO Mr. Tim Fernback, a discussion of Grid's current lithium exploration programs in Nevada, its impressive corporate balance sheet and cash balance, and the company's overall focus for 2024. About Global Business Reports Headquartered in Singapore and with offices in Istanbul, Global Business Reports ("GBR") was established in 2001 in order to provide first-hand information for global business decision makers. In an age where cross boundary trade and investment are driving factors for businesses, information is crucial. Precise sectorial reports help companies understand and expand their markets, improve their sourcing chain, target their investments and discover the trends affecting their industry around the world. GBR provides in-depth analyses and up-to-date insights into all aspects of the mining, energy, chemicals and life sciences industries globally. Our research includes face-to-face meetings with the main protagonists in the field to form an accurate picture of the actual situation on the ground. The Western USA Mining 2024 Report looks at copper, lithium, uranium, rare earth, and other minerals are in-demand commodities and prevalent in Western USA. From northern Alaska to southern Arizona, the Western USA boasts rich reserves of these minerals. The world is in a race towards a more green and electrified future, and these metals have become a focal point in global discussion, being designated by many nations as "critical," resembling oil in terms of their geopolitical significance. Nations worldwide are after self-sufficiency and reducing reliance on foreign sources; the US is no exception. With approximately 110 interviews conducted with government authorities, associations, and key C-level executives across the mining value chain, GBR's Western USA Mining 2024 report offers a comprehensive overview of the current state of the mining industry. This report aims to provide readers with on-the-ground insights, allowing them to understand how the past has shaped today's US mining industry and what industry leaders hope for the future. About Grid Battery Metals Inc. Grid Battery Metals Inc. is a Canadian based exploration company whose primary listing is on the TSX Venture Exchange. The Company's maintains a focus on exploration for high value battery metals required for the electric vehicle (EV) market. www.gridbatterymetals.com. About Texas Springs Property The Company owns a 100% interest in the Texas Spring Property which consists of mineral lode claims located in Elko County, Nevada. The Property is in the Granite Range southeast of Jackpot, Nevada, about 73 km north-northeast of Wells, Nevada. The target is a lithium clay deposit in volcanic tuff and tuffaceous sediments of the Humbolt Formation. A Phase 1 exploration program at the Texas Springs Property (Fall 2023) yielded results with average lithium grades of 2010 ppm, applying a 1,000 ppm cut-off, and up to 5,610 ppm Lithium. The Texas Spring property adjoins the southern border of the Nevada North Lithium Project - owned by Surge Battery Metals Inc. ("Surge") (TSXV:NILI)(OTCQX:NILIF) and comprised of 725 mineral claims. Surge's first round of drilling identified strongly mineralized lithium bearing clays. The average lithium content within all near surface clay zones intersected in the 2022 drilling program, applying a 1000 ppm cut-off, was 3254 ppm. (Press release March 29, 2023). More recent results have shown higher grade lithium up to 8070 ppm on this property after initial drilling (Press release September 12, 2023). Our exploration results are on-trend with these results. About Clayton Valley Lithium Project The Company owns a 100% interest in 113 lithium lode and placer claims covering over 640 hectares in Clayton Valley. Clayton Valley is a down-dropped closed basin formed by the Miocene age Great Basin extension and is still active due to movement along the Walker Lane structural zone. As a result, the basin has preserved multiple layers of lithium bearing volcanic ash, resulting from multiple eruptive events over the past 6 million years including eruptions from the 700,000-year-old Long Valley Caldera system and related events. These ash layers are thought to contribute to the lithium brines extracted by Albemarle and are also likely involved in the formation of the exposed lithium rich clay deposits on the east side of Clayton Valley. Volt Canyon Lithium Property The Company owns a 100% interest in 80 placer claims covering approximately 635 hectares of alluvial sediments and clays located 122 km northeast of Tonopah, Nevada. About the British Columbia, Nickel Projects The Mount Sidney Williams Group consists of three claim blocks with a total area of 10,569 hectares in the area surrounding Mount Sidney Williams, both adjoining and near the Decar project of FPX Nickel Corp., located 100 kilometres northwest of Fort St. James, B.C., in the Omineca mining division. Metallic mineralization includes nickel, cobalt, and chromium. At least some of the nickel mineralization occurs as awaruite. The Mitchell Range Group area claim consists of one claim block covering 8,659 hectares with demonstrated metallic mineralization including nickel, cobalt, and chromium. Nickel cobalt mineralization has not been well explored, but the presence of awaruite has been documented. On Behalf of the Board of Directors "Tim Fernback" Tim Fernback, President & CEO Contact Information: Email: info@gridbatterymetals.com Phone: 604- 428-5690 Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release may contain forward-looking statements which include, but are not limited to, comments that involve future events and conditions, which are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Except for statements of historical facts, comments that address resource potential, upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt and security of mineral property titles, availability of funds, and others are forward-looking. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may vary materially from those statements. General business conditions are factors that could cause actual results to vary materially from forward-looking statements. It should be noted that results from any adjacent property(s) are not an indication of what may be found on the Company's property(s). SOURCE: Grid Battery Metals Inc. View the original press release on accesswire.com Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 29, 2024) - Xebra Brands Ltd. (CSE: XBRA) (OTCQB: XBRAF) (FSE: 9YC0) ("Xebra" or the "Company"), a cannabis company, is pleased to announce the submission of two new products for approval by the Mexican regulatory authority, COFEPRIS (Federal Commission for Protection Against Sanitary Risks). This move signifies Xebra's ongoing commitment to providing high-quality CBD products to consumers in Mexico. Following the successful authorization of its imported 250mg Tangerine Flavor CBD Tincture, Xebra Brands has submitted through its fully owned Mexican subsidiary Desart MX S.A. de C.V., two additional products for regulatory approval, the first one is a 1500mg CBD Mint Flavor Tincture and the second product are CBD Capsules. These products are intended to be fully produced in Mexico under the unique and first ever authorization granted by COFEPRIS in March 2023 to Desart MX, and when authorised, they will become the first 100% legal and 100% Mexican made products. These new offerings are meticulously crafted to meet the same standards of excellence that have defined Xebra's product line. The submission of these products to COFEPRIS underscores Xebra's dedication to compliance, quality, and innovation within the CBD industry. The Company's focus on transparency and adherence to stringent regulatory standards ensures that consumers in Mexico can trust the safety and efficacy of Xebra's CBD products. "We are excited to expand our product offerings in Mexico with the submission of our Elements Mint Flavor 1500 mg CBD Tincture and our Elements CBD Capsules for regulatory approval," said Rodrigo Gallardo, Interim CEO of Xebra Brands. "At Xebra, we are committed to providing consumers with a diverse range of high-quality CBD options to support their health and wellness needs. We look forward to working closely with COFEPRIS to bring these innovative products to market." Xebra Brand's Mint Flavor CBD Tincture offers a refreshing and invigorating experience, while the CBD Capsule provides a convenient and precise dosage for on-the-go use. Like all Xebra products, these formulations are crafted with premium CBD extract and undergo rigorous testing to ensure potency, purity, and consistency. As Xebra continues to navigate the regulatory landscape in Mexico, the Company remains steadfast in its mission to lead the way in the Mexican CBD industry. With a portfolio of premium CBD products being prepared for government approval, Xebra is poised to make a significant impact on the health and wellness of consumers across the country. For more information about Xebra Brands and its product offerings, please visit www.xebrabrands.com. ABOUT XEBRA BRANDS: Xebra Brands Ltd. is an international leading cannabis company dedicated to providing high-quality CBD products to consumers around the world. With a focus on compliance, quality, and innovation, Xebra is committed to leading the way in the CBD industry. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD: Rodrigo Gallardo Interim CEO For more information contact: 1(888) XEBRA 88 ir@xebrabrands.com Certain information contained in this press release constitutes forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws. Any statements that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements, these include, without limitation, statements regarding Xebra Brands Ltd.'s expectations in respect of its ability to successfully execute its business plan or business model; its ability to enter into and execute partnerships or joint venture opportunities on acceptable terms; statements regarding expected benefits of partnerships and supply agreements, its ability to provide economic, environmental, social, or any benefits of any type in the communities it operates in or may operate it in the future; its ability to be a first mover in a country, or to obtain or retain government licenses, permits or authorizations in general, or specifically in Mexico, Canada, or elsewhere, including cannabis authorizations from the Mexican Health Regulatory Agency (COFEPRIS); its ability to satisfy the conditions of authorizations granted by COFEPRIS; its ability to successfully apply for, obtain and retain trademarks and other intellectual property in any jurisdiction; its ability to be cost competitive; its ability to commercialize, cultivate, grow, or process hemp or cannabis in Mexico, Canada, or elsewhere and related plans and timing; its ability to manufacture, commercialize or sell cannabis-infused beverages, wellness products, or other products in Mexico, Canada, or elsewhere, and its related plans and claims, including market interest and availability; its ability to create wellness products that have a therapeutic effect or benefit; plans for future growth and the direction of the business; plans to increase product volumes, the capacity of existing facilities, supplies from third party growers and contractors; expected growth of the cannabis industry generally; management's expectations, beliefs and assumptions in general, including manufacturing costs, production activity and market potential in Mexico or any jurisdiction; events or developments that Xebra expects to take place in the future; general economic conditions; and other risk factors described in the MD&A of the Company for the period ended November 30, 2023. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, are forward-looking information and statements. The words "aim", "believe", "expect", "anticipate", "contemplate", "target", "intends", "continue", "plans", "budget", "estimate", "may", "will", and similar expressions identify forward-looking information and statements. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by Xebra as of the dates of such statements, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. 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, the inability of Xebra to retain the authorizations granted by COFEPRIS, the inability to successfully complete financings on terms acceptable to Xebra or at all, the inability to generate sufficient revenues or to raise sufficient funds to carry out its business plan; changes in government legislation, taxation, controls, regulations and political or economic developments in various countries; risks associated with agriculture and cultivation activities generally, including inclement weather, access to supply of seeds, poor crop yields, and spoilage; compliance with import and export laws of various countries; significant fluctuations in cannabis prices and transportation costs; the risk of obtaining necessary licenses and permits; inability to identify, negotiate and complete potential acquisitions, dispositions or joint ventures for any reason; the ability to retain key employees; dependence on third parties for services and supplies; non-performance by contractual counter-parties; general economic conditions; the continued growth in global demand for cannabis products and the continued increase in jurisdictions legalizing cannabis; and the timely receipt of regulatory approvals for license applications on terms satisfactory to Xebra. In addition, there is no assurance Xebra will: be a low-cost producer or exporter; obtain a dominant market position in any jurisdiction; have products that will be unique. The foregoing list is not exhaustive and Xebra undertakes no obligation to update or revise any of the foregoing except as required by law. Many of these uncertainties and contingencies could affect Xebra's actual performance and cause its actual performance to differ materially from what has been expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements made by, or on behalf of, Xebra. Readers are cautioned that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and readers should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those set out in such statements. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/199871 SOURCE: Xebra Brands Ltd LITGRID AB, company code 302564383, registered office address Karlo Gustavo Emilio Manerheimo str.8, Vilnius, Lithuania, is publishing results of the Company for the twelve months of 2023. Key financial unaudited indicators,EUR million 2023 2022 Revenue 369,8 420,4 EBITDA 78,3 -36,5 Net profit 48,4 -49,5 ROE (for the last 12 months), percents 23,9 -25,5 Adjusted* EBITDA, EUR million 37,5 34,6 Adjusted* Net Profit, EUR million 22,2 13,8 Adjusted* ROE (for the last 12 months), percents 10,9 7,1 *The adjustment of the profitability indicators is made due to temporary regulatory difference from the regulated profitability approved by National Energy Regulatory Council. The indicators are adjusted by the correction of income, which has already been approved by the decision of Council when the regulated transmission service prices of the reporting period were approved. Also, the indicators are adjusted by the deviation of the Council-approved (regulated) and actual profitability of the reporting period, which Council will evaluate when determining the transmission service prices for the coming period. SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Meltwater, a global leader in media, social and consumer intelligence, is proud to announce that it is the recipient of Comparably awards for "Best Company for Diversity," "Best Company for Women," and "Best CEO". Comparably awards are based on data compiled from 15 million employee ratings across 70,000 companies. The award takes into account employee ratings and testimonials about life at Meltwater, including compensation, leadership, work-life balance, professional development opportunities, and perks and benefits. These awards are a testament to the company's unwavering dedication to fostering an inclusive, supportive, and empowering workplace culture. Earning recognition for "Best Company for Diversity" and "Best Company for Women" underscores Meltwater's dedication to creating an environment where employees feel valued, respected and have equal opportunities for advancement in their careers. Furthermore, Meltwater's leadership, epitomized by the recognition of CEO John Box as a "Best CEO", cultivates a strong culture of trust and transparency. Box has played a pivotal role in shaping Meltwater's success with a strong vision and mission for the company, as well as leading the company's growth as a world-class, enterprise SaaS solution. Additionally, Meltwater was also named "Best CEO for Women," "Best Company for Career Growth," "Best Company Outlook,", "Best Sales Teams," and "Best Company Global Culture" in 2023. For more information, please contact: Kelly Costello Corporate Communications Director pr@meltwater.com About Meltwater Meltwater empowers companies with a suite of solutions that spans media, social, consumer and sales intelligence. By analyzing ~1 billion pieces of content each day and transforming them into vital insights, Meltwater unlocks the competitive edge to drive results. With 27,000 global customers, 50 offices across six continents and 2,300 employees, Meltwater is the industry partner of choice for global brands making an impact. About Comparably Comparably is a leading workplace culture and compensation monitoring site that provides the most comprehensive and accurate representation of what it's like to work at companies. Employees can anonymously rate their employers in 20 different workplace culture categories, providing the public a transparent and in-depth look at the experiences workers have based on their gender, ethnicity, age, department, experience, location, education, and company size. Since launching in 2016, Comparably has accumulated 10 million ratings across 60,000 U.S. companies. The platform has become one of the fastest-growing SaaS solutions for employer branding and a trusted third-party site for workplace and salary data, including its annual Best Places to Work series. RALEIGH, NC / ACCESSWIRE / February 29, 2024 / Q-Linea, dedicated to advancing infectious disease diagnostics, joins forces with Uniphar Logistics here in Raleigh, North Carolina for an exciting future of enhanced solutions and expanded reach. "It was an easy decision to partner with Uniphar Logistics as our third-party logistics supplier as we ready ourselves for commercial launch in the US. Not only do they have the expertise to facilitate imports from our Swedish headquarters, but they were also able to customize a solution to meet our needs now and into the future as we grow our presence in the US. Being able to service and support our US customers is our top priority," stated Jim Kathrein, VP of US Commercial Operations. ASTar, Q-Linea's groundbreaking automated instrument, is revolutionizing healthcare by swiftly providing sensitivity profiles from positive blood cultures. This innovation empowers healthcare providers with rapid, precise solutions for diagnosing and treating infectious diseases, significantly reducing time to care. Uniphar Logistics, part of the Uniphar Group of companies understands what manufacturers require to be successful in setting up a global supply chain, with our focus on excellence in quality systems, real-time IT solutions, and worldwide stock locations for our Life science customers. Not only do we offer third-party logistics services and back-office support, but Uniphar MedTech also distributes medical products in the EU that can provide a sales channel in multiple countries, for our medical device manufacturers. The Company's vision is to improve patient access to pharmaco-medical products and treatments by enhancing connectivity between manufacturers and healthcare stakeholders. Ger Rabbit, CEO said, "The US market is a huge potential for Uniphar so expanding with a flagship location in North Carolina and bringing in Kay to join alongside Rick to execute our vision as a global leader for our manufacturers." About Uniphar Logistics: We're proudly part of the Uniphar Group, a global leader in life sciences and pharmaceutical distribution with a 2.1 billion footprint. Our ultramodern 65,000 square foot 3PL warehouse in Raleigh, North Carolina, represents our commitment to excellence. This East Coast Hub efficiently serves Uniphar's worldwide life science clients and North American manufacturers, boasting ground coverage to reach 70% of the population within two days. With cutting-edge temperature-controlled storage, including cold chain capabilities, and comprehensive warehousing services, we're dedicated to offering top-tier logistics, technical support, and repairs tailored for the life science industry. Facility Highlights: Temperature Controlled ISO 13485 Certified Service & Repair 24/7 Temperature Monitoring Kitting Returns and Reverse Logistics Management Value-Added Services (VAS) Re-Labeling Customer Service Web Order Entry Advanced Inventory Management eAdvanced Shipping Notice EDI/API Integration 36 ft ceilings Back-up generator Cold Chain Press Contact: Peyton Kelly info@unipharlogistics.com SOURCE: Uniphar Logistics View the original press release on accesswire.com Independent Data Safety and Monitoring Board (DSMB) recommended that the trial proceeds as planned without modifications. MaaT033 has shown a good safety profile and was generally well tolerated in the first 8 patients with ALS treated with MaaT033 used in a chronic setting. Regulatory News: MaaT Pharma (EURONEXT: MAAT the "Company"), a clinical-stage biotechnology company and a leader in the development of Microbiome Ecosystem TherapiesTM (MET) dedicated to enhancing survival of patients with cancer, today announced that the DSMB reviewed safety data in the first 8 patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) treated with MaaT033 in the IASO clinical trial. The DSMB recommended that the trial continue without modifications. The DSMB, composed of 4 independent experts, including an ALS patient association representative, concluded that safety was good. More precisely, it should be noted that no serious or severe adverse events were observed, and no infectious events could be related to MaaT033. The preliminary results reinforce confidence in the safety of MaaT033, a drug candidate produced by combining the microbiota from multiple donors using a "pooling" process. MaaT033 is currently evaluated, in a chronic setting, in a Phase 1b pilot study (NCT05889572) in ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig's disease in the US and Charcot's disease in French-speaking countries). The Company has developed the clinical trial with the French academic experts FILSLAN/ ACT4ALS-MND and in collaboration with the French patients' association Tous en Selles contre la SLA. Data readout is now expected in early H2 2024. MaaT033 is also being evaluated in the Phase 2b trial PHOEBUS (NCT05762211), the largest one to date in Europe for a microbiome therapy in oncology, dedicated to improving survival of patients with blood cancers receiving allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). About MaaT033 MaaT033, a donor-derived, high-richness, high-diversity oral Microbiome Ecosystem TherapyTM containing anti-inflammatory ButycoreTM species, is currently being developed as an adjunctive therapy to improve overall survival in patients receiving HSCT and other cellular therapies. It aims to ensure optimal microbiota function and to address a larger patient population in a chronic setting. MaaT033 has been granted Orphan Drug Designation by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). About MaaT Pharma MaaT Pharma, a clinical stage biotechnology company, has established a complete approach to restoring patient-microbiome symbiosis in oncology. Committed to treating cancer and graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), a serious complication of allogeneic stem cell transplantation, MaaT Pharma launched, in March 2022, an open-label, single arm, phase 3 clinical trial in patients with acute GvHD (aGvHD), following the achievement of its proof of concept in a phase 2 trial. Its powerful discovery and analysis platform, gutPrint, enables the identification of novel disease targets, evaluation of drug candidates, and identification of biomarkers for microbiome-related conditions. The company's Microbiome Ecosystem Therapies are produced through a standardized cGMP manufacturing and quality control process to safely deliver the full diversity of the microbiome, in liquid and oral formulations. MaaT Pharma benefits from the commitment of world-leading scientists and established relationships with regulators to support the integration of the use of microbiome therapies in clinical practice. MaaT Pharma is listed on Euronext Paris (ticker: MAAT). Forward-looking Statements All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this press release about future events are subject to (i) change without notice and (ii) factors beyond the Company's control. These statements may include, without limitation, any statements preceded by, followed by, or including words such as "target," "believe," "expect," "aim", "intend," "may," "anticipate," "estimate," "plan," "project," "will," "can have," "likely," "should," "would," "could" and other words and terms of similar meaning or the negative thereof. Forward-looking statements are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties beyond the Company's control that could cause the Company's actual results or performance to be materially different from the expected results or performance expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240229517711/en/ Contacts: MaaT Pharma Investor Relations Guilhaume DEBROAS, Ph.D. Head of Investor Relations +33 6 16 48 92 50 invest@maat-pharma.com MaaT Pharma Media Relations Pauline RICHAUD Senior PR Corporate Communications Manager +33 6 14 06 45 92 media@maat-pharma.com Trophic Communications Stephanie MAY or Priscillia PERRIN +49 171 185 56 82 maat@trophic.eu TAIPEI, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The highly anticipated AORUS 16X, a brand-new 16-inch AI gaming laptop unveiled by the world's leading computer brand, GIGABYTE, is now available. Powered by the latest Intel Core 14th gen HX processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 series laptop GPU, AORUS 16X sets a new standard for performance. Equipped with GIGABYTE AI Nexus technology, it optimizes power management and gaming performance while enhancing generative AI applications. Boasting patented innovations like the 4-sided Super-slim Bezel design and supporting Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision, it creates a cinematic audiovisual experience unparalleled in its class. It holds the TUV Rheinland Eye Comfort Certification and Pantone Validated color accuracy certification, which provide high comfort and confidence for extended use. The AORUS 16X is powered by the latest Intel Core i9 processor 14900HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 dedicated graphics card. With a maximum graphic power of up to 140W, it provides unmatched performance for gaming and creative tasks. The inclusion of NVIDIA Advanced Optimus technology (DDS) ensures seamless switching between integrated and dedicated graphics for optimal performance. Additionally, the WINDFORCE Infinity Cooling technology features the Icy Touch design and 0dB Cooling, enabling efficient heat dissipation during heavy loads, or maintaining a noise-free environment during low loads. On the software front, GIGABYTE introduces its exclusive AI Nexus, featuring AI Power Gear, AI Boost, and AI Generator utilities, enhancing performance and efficiency across various tasks. The user-friendly Copilot key provides quick access to Microsoft's Copilot in Windows, facilitating seamless AI assistance. Moreover, the combo of Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision delivers a personalized cinematic experience, further enhancing the laptop's appeal. In terms of design and endurance, the AORUS 16X excels with its 91% screen-to-body ratio and 4-sided Super-slim Bezel patented design, RGB light bar, and AORUS Beacon, depicting a trendy atmosphere on the cover. With a 99Wh battery capacity and PD 3.0 fast charging support, it ensures uninterrupted productivity and gaming sessions. The GIGABYTE AI gaming laptop lineup also includes the flagship AORUS 17X; the AORUS 17 and AORUS 15, powered by Intel Core Ultra processors, and equipped with AI-specific Neural Processing Units (NPU), are also available for purchase. For more details, please visit the AORUS 16X product page: https://bit.ly/AORUS_16X_Laptop Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2350988/Redefining_Gaming_Standards__AORUS_16X_AI_Gaming_Laptop_is_Now_Available_for_Pur_ID_46d5b677682e.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/redefining-gaming-standards-aorus-16x-ai-gaming-laptop-is-now-available-for-purchase-302075798.html BH Macro Limited - Transaction in Own Shares PR Newswire LONDON, United Kingdom, February 29 BH Macro Limited (the "Company") (a closed-ended collective investment scheme established as a company with limited liability under the laws of Guernsey with registered number 46235) Transaction in Own Shares 29 February 2024 BH Macro Limited (the Company) announces today it has purchased the following number of its ordinary shares on the London Stock Exchange from J.P. Morgan Securities plc: Ordinary Shares: - Share Class Sterling Sterling Date of purchase: 29 February 2024 29 February 2024 Number of ordinary shares purchased: 50,000 31,061 Lowest price per share 350.5 347.5 Highest price per share 352 352 Trading venue JPSI LSE Aggregate volume per date per trading venue: 50,000 31,061 Weighted average price per day per trading venue: 351.7000 351.1879 The Company intends to hold the purchased shares in treasury. Following the above share transactions of the relevant US Dollar and Sterling Shares, the total number of shares in issue in each share class of the Company will be as follows: Ordinary Shares in issue (excluding Treasury) Ordinary Shares held in Treasury 364,386,819 Sterling Shares 9,218,041 Sterling Shares 29,762,912 Dollar Shares Nil Dollar Shares From 29 February 2024, the total number of voting rights in the Company (rounded up to the whole number) is 558,650,682 Enquiries: Company website: www.bhmacro.com William Simmonds JPMorgan Cazenove Tel: 020 7588 2828 The Company Secretary Northern Trust International Fund Administration Services (Guernsey) Limited Tel: 01481 745001 Finsbury Growth & Income Trust Plc - Transaction in Own Shares PR Newswire LONDON, United Kingdom, February 29 For immediate release 29 February 2024 FINSBURY GROWTH & INCOME TRUST PLC (the "Company") MARKET PURCHASE OF COMPANY'S OWN SHARES The Company announces that it has today purchased 126,750 of its own shares ("Ordinary Shares") at a price of 860.87 pence per Ordinary Share. Such shares will be held in treasury by the Company. The transaction was made pursuant to the authority granted at the Annual General Meeting of the Company held on 23 January 2024. Following this transaction, the total number of Ordinary Shares held by the Company in treasury is 33,908,105; the total number of Ordinary Shares that the Company has in issue, less the total number of Ordinary Shares held by the Company in treasury following such purchase, and therefore, the total number of voting rights in the Company is 191,083,198. The figure of 191,083,198 may be used by shareholders as the denominator for calculations of interests in the Company's voting rights in accordance with the FCA's Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules. For and on behalf of Frostrow Capital LLP Company Secretary For further information, please contact: Victoria Hale Frostrow Capital LLP Tel: 020 3 170 8732 FRANKFURT AM MAIN, GERMANY / ACCESSWIRE / February 29, 2024 / ENVIRIA, Germany's leading commercial and industrial (C&I) decentralized energy solutions provider, announced it has entered into a definitive agreement on an equity investment of over USD 200 million from BlackRock, through its Global Renewable Power IV (GRP IV) fund. The additional capital will support the expansion of the already existing 500 C&I solar projects across Germany as part of the company's growth plan. With this investment, ENVIRIA and BlackRock are leveraging one of the greatest growth areas in the energy transition: offering decentralized energy via rooftop solar and adjacent services at scale. It is estimated that German companies consume around 70 percent of the total national electricity usage, while only around 10 percent of suitable company roofs are equipped with a solar system. This leaves a potential of several hundred GW of renewable energy capacity untapped. With rooftop sizes across the C&I sector being on average significantly larger than residential buildings, renewable energy capacities can be rapidly deployed. ENVIRIA is challenging traditional 'grey' power plants and gradually reduces dependence on fossil fuels by feeding electricity directly into the grid from its powerful solar systems. Supported by its Series A investors Galileo Green Energy, Redalpine, Alter Equity and BNP Paribas Developpement, the company has built a portfolio of 500 C&I solar projects across Germany. Its development pipeline includes approx. 2,000 C&I projects totalling more than 2.3GW, with a plan to realize 1.7GW by 2029, thus enabling a successful energy transition. ENVIRIA's strong track record in C&I solar development demonstrates the efficacy of its pioneering end-to-end business approach. By covering the entire solar value chain - from installation and maintenance to asset management - the company offers customized solutions to reliably overcome some of the biggest challenges in the industry. Thereby, ENVIRIA showcases the potential for growth for attractive infrastructure solutions in an economic environment that will continue to create demand for renewable energy. Melchior Schulze Brock, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, ENVIRIA: "We are delighted to have found such a strong partner in BlackRock, who so enthusiastically supports our vision of empowering companies to harness the potential of solar. BlackRock brings exactly the resources we need to continue our growth - both financially and in terms of knowledge. Understanding the complex, capital intense nature of our business, BlackRock is able to support us in realizing the full potential of the C&I sector across Germany. "BlackRock's experience in working with companies in our sector globally, especially in Asia and America, has impressively shown what a successful collaboration can look like." BlackRock's Climate Infrastructure team were first movers in the space and have been investing in renewable power since the late 90s, with investments in over 15 companies and the first investment in solar PV in 2013. Today, they manage US$11 billion in client assets. GRP IV is the fourth vintage of the flagship climate infrastructure franchise and the fund's LPs include significant capital from German asset owners. This investment is GRP IV's second, following the fund's investment in Recurrent Energy in January. Keith Mangan, Head of EMEA for Climate Infrastructure at BlackRock: "Our investment in ENVIRIA adds to our strong track record of staying ahead of the curve in investing into infrastructure assets that are aligned with the energy transition, an investment theme that continues to show its growth and scalability. ENVIRIA's unique value proposition as a full-chain PV provider is a stellar example of the deployment of scalable innovation in this sector, making this an attractive exposure for our clients." Dirk Schmitz, Country Head of BlackRock in Germany, Austria, and Eastern Europe: "Germany's shift to a low-carbon economy requires significant investment in renewable power infrastructure. We are pleased to provide our clients access to this investment in a promising macro-economic environment for climate infrastructure in Germany. With a strong German investor presence on our Climate infrastructure platform, I am excited that we will be putting our clients' money to work through ENVIRIA locally." J.P. Morgan SE acted as Exclusive Placement Agent to ENVIRIA on this transaction. White & Case was legal advisor to ENVIRIA. Closing of the transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and certain terms and conditions in accordance with the transaction agreements. Contact Information Alexandra Siokou Chief Marketing Officer, ENVIRIA alexandra.siokou@enviria.energy +49 (0) 1742438595 Nadia El Jazouli Head of Corporate Communications Germany, BlackRock nadia.eljazouli@blackrock.com +49 (69) 505002527 Curtis Chou Vice President Corporate Communications, BlackRock curtis.chou@blackrock.com +1 (646) 2311031 SOURCE: ENVIRIA View the original press release on newswire.com. Explore the growing rigid foam market across sectors like construction, automotive, and furniture with our comprehensive FMI report. Uncover valuable opportunities for stakeholders in this thriving sector. NEWARK, Del., Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The rigid foam market is expected to grow from US$ 78.5 billion in 2024 to US$ 184.0 billion in 2034, at a CAGR of 8.9%. This report covers the key aspects of the industry, such as the market share analysis, the global and regional trends, the types and applications of rigid foams, and the factors driving and restraining the market growth. The report also provides an overview of the major rigid foam manufacturers and their competitive strategies. Download the Sample PDF report to explore key market insights and trends: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-19159 The rigid foam market's upward trajectory is being nurtured by its use in the construction sector. The insulation, as well as the safety provided by the materials for buildings, is endearing the product to builders. The material is also reinforcing the builders' commitment to sustainability. Rigid foam is being used in the interior of cars, for headrests and seat cushions. With car manufacturers looking to enhance customer comfort, rigid foam is being used in increased measures in the automobile industry. As home decor and other trends related to home and office furnishings crop up in spades, the rigid foam market is benefitting. Rigid foam is being used in furniture for its lightweight and sturdy nature. However, the benefit of rigid foam is not limited to its sturdy qualities in furniture as the material also has aesthetic value. "With the packaging industry rapidly inclining towards green trends, the production of eco-friendly packaging materials is growing. The rigid foam market is no exception, as eco-friendly materials are being used in the manufacture of the product. Thus, bio-based rigid foam production represents a singular opportunity for market players," says Nandini Roy Choudhury (Client Partner for Food & Beverages at Future Market Insights, Inc.) has 7+ years of management consulting experience. Key Takeaways from the Rigid Foam Market The rigid foam market is expected to be valued at US$ 78.5 billion in 2024. Polyurethane (PUR/PIR) foam is the top type of foam in the market. The segment is expected to progress at a CAGR of 8.5% over the forecast period. Rigid foam is most commonly used in the building and construction industry, and it is predicted to progress at a CAGR of 8.4% through 2034. South Korea is expected to be a promising country in terms of market progress. The country is forecasted to have a CAGR of 11.3% over the forecast period. Japan is another Asian country with the potential for market growth. Over the forecast period, the CAGR for the market in Japan is predicted to rise at a 10.2% until 2034. The market in the United Kingdom is expected to expand at a CAGR of 10.1% over the forecast period. Competition Analysis of the Rigid Foam Market Even with a few players having a stronghold, the rigid foam market also offers opportunities to medium and small-scale players. The development of new raw materials, especially eco-friendly ones, is concentrated upon by market players. Some of the prominent companies in the market include BASF SE, DOW Chemical Company, Covestro AG, and JSP Corporation. Recent Developments in the Rigid Foam Market In August 2023, researchers from various countries showcased a way to convert pineapple waste into rigid foam. In July 2023, the process of Kurlon Enterprise Limited being taken over by Sheela Foam began. Purchase now and gain full access to the Rigid Foam Industry report, featuring comprehensive Market Forecast, Company Share Analysis, Competition Intelligence, DROT Analysis, Market Dynamics and Challenges, and Strategic Growth Initiatives. Key Segments Covers in Rigid Foam Market Outlook: 2024-2034 By Foam Type: Polyurethane (PUR/PIR) Foam Polystyrene Foam Polypropylene Foams Polyethylene Foam Polyvinyl Chloride Foam Others By End-use Industry: Building & Construction Appliances Packaging Automotive Others By Region: North America Latin America Europe South Asia East Asia Oceania Middle East and Africa (MEA) Request to Access the Detail Research Methodology from here! About the Author: Nandini Roy Choudhury (Client Partner for Food & Beverages at Future Market Insights, Inc.) has 7+ years of management consulting experience. She advises industry leaders and explores off-the-eye opportunities and challenges. She puts processes and operating models in place to support their business objectives. She has exceptional analytical skills and often brings thought leadership to the table. Nandini has vast functional expertise in key niches, including but not limited to food ingredients, nutrition & health solutions, animal nutrition, and marine nutrients. She is also well-versed in the pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, retail, and chemical sectors, where she advises market participants to develop methodologies and strategies that deliver results. Another feather to her cap manifests in the form of process automation. She is vocal about bringing automation to the fore to bring a 360-degrees-round revolution in manufacturing sector. Her core expertise lies in corporate growth strategy, sales and marketing effectiveness, acquisitions and post-merger integration and cost reduction. Nandini has an MBA in Finance from MIT School of Business. She also holds a Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering from Nagpur University, India. Nandini has authored several publications, and quoted in journals including Beverage Industry, Bloomberg, and Wine Industry Advisor. Explore FMI's Extensive Coverage in the Process Automation Domain: Commercial Griddle Market by Operation Mode, End User, Installation Type, Plate Material, Plate Type, Sales Channel & Region | Forecast 2023 to 2033. - Review and Request to Access the Sample PDF. by Operation Mode, End User, Installation Type, Plate Material, Plate Type, Sales Channel & Region | Forecast 2023 to 2033. - Industrial Dishwasher Market By Technology, Type, Capacity, Sales Channel & Region | Forecast 2023 to 2033. - Review and Request to Access the Sample PDF. By Technology, Type, Capacity, Sales Channel & Region | Forecast 2023 to 2033. - French Fries Cutter Market Covering Sales Outlook, Up-to-date Key Trends, Forecast 2023-2033. - Review and Request to Access the Sample PDF. Covering Sales Outlook, Up-to-date Key Trends, Forecast 2023-2033. Portable Keg System Market By Equipment Type, Type, Application, Mode of Operation, Distribution Channel & Region | Forecast 2023 to 2033. - Review and Request to Access the Sample PDF. By Equipment Type, Type, Application, Mode of Operation, Distribution Channel & Region | Forecast 2023 to 2033. - Microbrewery Supplies Market by Equipment Type, Automation, Application & Region | Forecast 2023 to 2033. - Review and Request to Access the Sample PDF. About Future Market Insights (FMI) Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting service provider, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in Dubai and has delivery centers in the UK, the U.S., and India. FMI's latest market research reports and industry analysis help businesses navigate challenges and make critical decisions with confidence and clarity amidst breakneck competition. Our customized and syndicated market research reports deliver actionable insights that drive sustainable growth. A team of expert-led analysts at FMI continuously tracks emerging trends and events in a broad range of industries to ensure that our clients prepare for the evolving needs of their consumers. 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 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1197648/3531122/FMI_Logo.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/rising-use-of-rigid-foam-in-the-building--construction-industry-drives-market-forward--future-market-insights-inc-302075647.html Enbridge-supported Houston exhibit celebrates African American contributions to birth of the nation NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / February 29, 2024 / The woman in the painting stares straight ahead, her bright eyes showing intelligence and strength. Her emerald green dress is overlaid with words in metallic ink: steam engine, rolling pin, pencil sharpener, typewriter, traffic light. A quick internet search confirms it's a list of inventions, each one designed by an African American. It takes a moment to notice that the gold bracelets on the figure's brown wrists are not jewellery at all; they are shackles-and they've been broken apart. The piece is "Ancestor's Torch," an oil painting by Houston artist Ava Cosey and a favourite of Dr. Mia Wright, a trustee on the board of the Holocaust Museum Houston (HMH), where the piece is currently on display. African American art like Cosey's portrait seeks to reframe narratives and convey information that has been largely absent from history books, Dr. Wright explains. "It's critically important," she continues. "You gain a lot of knowledge as you behold the beauty of art and artifacts. They show presence; they show contributions. They show the true story of African Americans." The painting is part of the Kinsey African American Art & History Collection, which is being exhibited at the HMH. While we celebrate Black History Month through the month of February, the Kinsey collection will be on display at the HMH through June 23, 2024. Each piece in the collection-from historical documents and rare books to paintings and sculptures-has been curated to dispel false myths that African Americans and formerly enslaved people were absent or inactive in the development of the United States. Together, the items- all from the personal collection of Shirley and Bernard Kinsey-tell the story of African Americans and the ways in which they shaped and continue to shape America. Enbridge helped HMH bring this vibrant and vital body of work to Houston with a $10,000 Fueling Futures grant. In 2022, we funded another exhibit at HMH, a collection of iconic fashion collars cast in bronze to show the strength of powerful women in history. As an employer and community partner, we take seriously our commitment to further equity, diversity and inclusion where we live and work. Art is a powerful way to bring about change-to spotlight lost narratives and help shift perspectives. We recognize the importance of exhibits such as these two at HMH as a way to reach people and inspire them to learn and grow, which in time we hope will lead to a more just society for everyone. Whether through its permanent displays on the Holocaust and human rights or through travelling exhibits like the Kinsey collection, HMH shares stories of peoples who have had to fight for equity, diversity and inclusion. They've had to fight for it with their lives, and many are fighting still. For Dr. Wright, the Kinsey collection helps set the record straight, as it shines a spotlight on narratives that have been covered up and ignored for too many years: "This is what happened in our nation, and this is how we have built our nation. This is who we are because of our history," she explains. "It's not just African American history; it is American history." (TOP PHOTO: The Pipers, 1984, bronze, Ed Dwight, courtesy of The Kinsey African American Art and History Collection.) View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Enbridge on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Enbridge Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/enbridge Email: info@3blmedia.com SOURCE: Enbridge View the original press release on accesswire.com New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - February 29, 2024) - Activist investor Nelson Peltz, locked in a proxy battle with The Walt Disney Company, will share his perspective with CNBC reporter Paulina Likos at the Activist Investor Conference on March 21 in New York City. Peltz oversees Trian Fund Management, which owns roughly $3 billion worth of Disney stock. He is pushing the corporation for seats on the Disney board for himself and former Disney Chief Financial Officer James "Jay" Rasulo. At CNBC, Likos works with legendary investor Jim Cramer. She also writes about Disney for Cramer's Investing Club. Peltz and Rasulo will participate in an interview by Likos, especially for attendees at The Activist Investor Conference 2024. Following the presentation, Likos and an esteemed guest analyst will engage in a detailed discussion of the proxy fight underway at the House of Mouse, as well as Peltz's unique insights into the situation. "Fundamentally and crudely, we want the stock to go up," Peltz says in a video on Trian's Disney proxy-fight website. DealFlow Events Managing Director Charlie Napolitano says, "We're excited to bring this conversation to The Activist Investor Conference and we're looking forward to hosting this gathering of leaders and newsmakers in the activist investment space." The Activist Investor Conference on March 21, 2024, in New York City is the premiere event where investors, corporate governance experts, advisory firms, proxy solicitors, and board members gather to gain insights and forge partnerships. This year's conference features 25+ experts presenting topics covering value investing strategies, legal issues, corporate relations, international opportunities, and more. Like all DealFlow Events, The Activist Investor Conference 2024 promises to deliver. Review the full agenda and register. Media Contact: Phillip LoFaso phillip@dealflowevents.com (516) 876-8006 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/199721 SOURCE: DealFlow Events IntoTheBlock IntoTheBlock Integrates TRON Network Analytics 29-Feb-2024 / 20:02 CET/CEST The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. NEWS RELEASE BY INTOTHEBLOCK Miami, Florida | February 29, 2024 12:02 PM Eastern Standard Time Miami, Florida, February 29, 2024 - IntoTheBlock , a leading provider of on-chain analytics has announced the integration of the TRON network into its Market Intelligence suite . Thanks to a collaboration with TRON DAO , these advanced indicators will be available for free to the TRON DAO community. The TRON network, known for its reliability, large user base and efficiency, is one of the top layer-1 networks in the blockchain world. Specializing in decentralized applications, stablecoin usage, and more, TRON boasts over 210+ million total user accounts , over 4.5 million daily transactions and a total stablecoin market cap of ~$51 billion, representing over 37% of the entire stablecoin market cap. Jesus Rodriguez, CEO of IntoTheBlock, shared insights on the collaboration with TRON DAO: "Our mission has always been to democratize access to high-quality market intelligence across the cryptocurrency sector. Our collaboration with TRON DAO is a significant step towards realizing this. By integrating TRON's network into our Market Intelligence suite, we're providing insights into one of the most important blockchain networks in the cryptocurrency industry." The size and impact of the TRON network makes the public availability of on-chain indicators extremely valuable, as they enable millions of users to gain a deeper understanding of the TRON ecosystem. The integration provides TRON network users with more than 60 indicators to use for analyzing the network; all of the advanced analytics will be available for free. David Uhryniak, Ecosystem Lead at TRON DAO, commented on the integration: "We're excited to collaborate with IntoTheBlock to bring their comprehensive on-chain analytics to the TRON community. This aligns with our mission to enhance transparency and provide our users with valuable insights into the TRON network." With this integration, the TRON network will be featured in future releases of IntoTheBlock's Perspectives , offering curated insights across various Layer-1 networks and key industry trends. About IntoTheBlock IntoTheBlock is a leading provider of on-chain analytics and advanced DeFi services for Institutional investors. With a focus on delivering actionable intelligence, IntoTheBlock stands at the forefront of empowering investors with comprehensive market insights. IntoTheBlock | TRON analytics | DeFi Risk Radar | Twitter | Medium Media Contact Vincent Maliepaard Marketing Director vincent.maliepaard@intotheblock.io About TRON DAO TRON DAO is a community-governed DAO dedicated to accelerating the decentralization of the internet via blockchain technology and dApps. Founded in September 2017 by H.E. Justin Sun, the TRON network has continued to deliver impressive achievements since MainNet launch in May 2018. July 2018 also marked the ecosystem integration of BitTorrent, a pioneer in decentralized Web3 services boasting over 100 million monthly active users. The TRON network has gained incredible traction in recent years. As of January 2023, it has over 209.21 million total user accounts on the blockchain, more than 7.07 billion total transactions, and over $19.41 billion in total value locked (TVL), as reported on TRONSCAN. In addition, TRON hosts the largest circulating supply of USD Tether (USDT) stablecoin across the globe, overtaking USDT on Ethereum since April 2021. The TRON network completed full decentralization in December 2021 and is now a community-governed DAO. Most recently in October 2022, TRON was designated as the national blockchain for the Commonwealth of Dominica, which marks the first time a major public blockchain partnered with a sovereign nation to develop its national blockchain infrastructure. On top of the government's endorsement to issue Dominica Coin ("DMC"), a blockchain-based fan token to help promote Dominica's global fanfare, seven existing TRON-based tokens - TRX, BTT, NFT, JST, USDD, USDT, TUSD, have been granted statutory status as authorized digital currency and medium of exchange in the country. TRONNetwork | TRONDAO | Twitter | YouTube | Telegram | Discord | Reddit | GitHub | Medium | Forum Media Contact Hayward Wong press@tron.network Contact Details Vincent Maliepaard vincent.maliepaard@intotheblock.io Dissemination of a CORPORATE NEWS, transmitted by EQS Group. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. VANCOUVER, BC, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Wondershare, a leading innovator in software solutions for personal and professional use, is thrilled to announce that PDFelement has been recognized as one of the Top 20 Best Office Products of 2024 by G2, a globally recognized platform for user reviews and product rankings. Notably, PDFelement has significantly improved its ranking, moving up from the 40th position to an impressive 17th place. PDFelement's success can be attributed to its strong emphasis on customer satisfaction. The software boasts a user-friendly interface along with an array of advanced features. These enhancements include the ability to add bookmarks, utilize eSign capabilities, and access AI-powered tools provided by ChatGPT, such as Rewrite, Summarize, and Proofread functions. "We are delighted to receive this award, which serves as a testament to the positive experiences our users have with our industry-leading PDF solution," said Iris, Brand Director of Wondershare. "PDFelement is the embodiment of Wondershare's vision for advanced document management. Our cutting-edge AI integration represents our commitment to innovative, efficient, and intelligent workflow solutions for today's digital professionals." Compatibility and Price Wondershare PDFelement is compatible with Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS while pricing starts at $29.99 per year. For free trials and downloads, please visit https://pdf.wondershare.com/ or follow us on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to learn more about PDFelement. About G2 G2 is the world's largest and most trusted software marketplace. More than 90 million people annually - including employees at all Fortune 500 companies - use G2 to make smarter software decisions based on authentic peer reviews. Thousands of software and services companies of all sizes partner with G2 to build their reputation and grow their business - including Salesforce, HubSpot, Zoom, and Adobe. To learn more, visit http://www.g2.com About Wondershare Wondershare is globally recognized as a software company that is committed to delivering innovative solutions for personal and professional use. As a leader in creativity and productivity products, Wondershare has received prestigious awards from organizations such as The Shorty Awards, G2, and GetApp. At Wondershare, the mission is to empower individuals to pursue their passions and build a more creative world. With over 100 million users across 150 countries, users can access a wide range of software solutions for video editing, PDF editing, data recovery, diagram and graphics, and more. Together, Wondershare strives to provide high-quality, user-friendly software that enables individuals and businesses to bring their creative ideas to life. PR and Media Contacts Iris L irisl@wondershare.com Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1274391/wondershare_LOGO.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/wondershare-pdfelement-named-top-20-in-g2s-2024-best-office-product-awards-302076326.html WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission initiated a probe into OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's internal communications to check whether the company's investors were misled, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal. The report stated that the agency had asked current and former OpenAI officials and directors to submit internal records and had subpoenaed the company in December. The agency's move comes after the technology company decided to fire Sam Altman from the CEO position citing that, 'he was not consistently candid in his communications with the board, hindering its ability to exercise its responsibilities'. A report from Bloomberg stated that Altman's pattern of behavior, rather than a single egregious action, had caused the board to lose trust in him. Several other reports claimed that Altman's fundraising for an outside chip venture, seeking funding from the Middle East and a dispute with former board member Helen Toner over a research paper, also created tensions within the company. However, Altman returned to his former position within days of his ouster, along with a new board which included former Salesforce co-CEO Bret Taylor as chair. Bret Taylor, the chair of OpenAI's board, commented earlier, 'While the review is ongoing, the board will continue to take steps to strengthen OpenAI's corporate governance, build a qualified and diverse board of exceptional individuals, and oversee OpenAI's important mission in ensuring that artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity.' The Microsoft-backed company valued at more than $80 billion, is also facing investigation from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, which is looking into the AI investments in all the tech firms. Copyright(c) 2024 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - Anheuser-Busch (BUD), the parent company of Budweiser, has reached an agreement with the Teamsters union to boost wages, vacation days and pension contributions. The union, representing 5,000 Anheuser-Busch workers, earlier threatened a strike at the company's 12 brewery plants in the U.S. if a five-year agreement is not reached by 11:59 p.m. EST Thursday. However, both the parties reached an agreement on late Wednesday, which would soon be shared among the workers before presenting for a ratification vote next week. 'Our people are our greatest strength, and we are incredibly pleased to have reached a tentative agreement that continues to recognize the talent, dedication, and hard work of our teams, while also positioning the company for long-term success,' Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth said. The significant points discussed in the agreement were job security and a $2,500 ratification bonus for all workers, a wage increase of $8 per hour, restoration of retirement benefits for current and former workers, and an end to two-tier health care plans. 'This tentative agreement builds even further upon our existing industry-leading package of wages, healthcare, and retirement benefits, and it includes significant commitments to job security,' the brewing company spokesperson said. 'As America's leading brewer, we take great pride in providing the best jobs in the beer industry and we look forward to formal ratification in the days ahead.' The union said that the workers were angered by the company's notice earlier this month, which proposed lay-offs and closure of breweries as Anheuser-Busch is experiencing a decline in beer sales in the U.S. The company's shipments to the U.S. wholesalers dropped 13.8 percent in 2023, according to Beer Marketer's Insights. In a similar scenario, 420 Teamsters union workers are on strike at a Molson Coors brewery in Fort Worth, Texas. 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 CASTLE ROCK, CO / ACCESSWIRE / February 29, 2024 / Recent government surveillance allegations have raised citizens' concerns over privacy rights. As the debate between security and liberty continues, a private social messenger called Freedom Chat is quickly emerging to protect citizens' digital communication. In an era where digital surveillance has become as commonplace as smartphones, revelations have propelled the U.S. government into the spotlight, raising alarms over privacy rights and constitutional safeguards. At the heart of the controversy is the Biden administration's Treasury Department, accused of conducting unauthorized surveillance on Americans' private financial transactions, including those related to firearm and ammunition purchases as well Bible purchases or use of the words "Trump" or "MAGA". This issue, entangled with historical intelligence abuses and emerging digital privacy solutions, paints a complex portrait of the modern struggle between security and liberty. A Glimpse into the Surveillance Allegations The Treasury Department, under scrutiny from both the public and members of Congress, allegedly bypassed legal protocols by subpoenaing corporate banks, such as Bank of America, for transaction histories without obtaining warrants. This action has sparked comparisons to the controversial Operation Choke Point, an initiative under the Obama administration that critics argue unfairly targeted legal businesses. Furthermore, the Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) is said to have provided financial institutions with suggested search terms specifically to flag transactions related to firearms and ammunition, intensifying concerns over privacy infringements and the potential overreach of government surveillance. The Echoes of Past Intelligence Abuses This recent controversy does not exist in a vacuum but is instead part of a concerning pattern of intelligence abuses tracing back to the 2015-2016 election season. Notably, the CIA, under the Obama administration, reportedly recruited foreign allies to spy on associates of Donald Trump before the inception of the FBI's counterintelligence probe in 2016. The mission to uncover a missing binder, believed to contain evidence of the CIA's endeavors to spy on Trump and intervene in the 2016 election, reportedly motivated the Biden administration's raid on Trump's Mar-a-Lago home. These incidents have reignited debates over the integrity of U.S. intelligence operations and the sanctity of American citizens' rights. Furthermore, just last month, Tucker Carlson while in Moscow preparing for his interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin, admitted that the government illegally spied on him and his team, stating: "Almost 3 years ago the Biden Administration illegally spied on our text messages and then leaked the contents to their servants in the news media. They did this in order to stop a Putin interview that we were planning. Last month, we're pretty certain they did exactly the same thing once again but this time we came to Moscow anyway." Explaining how he knew the NSA broke into his text messages, Carlson said, "they admitted it." "If you have no privacy, you have no freedom," Tucker stated. Rising Privacy Concerns and the Subsequent Rise of Freedom Chat In response to growing apprehensions about privacy and the government's labeling of citizens as 'domestic terrorists' for activities such as protesting election results or expressing concerns about their children's education, an innovative solution has emerged from the conservative tech community. About Freedom Chat Messaging App Freedom Chat, a messaging app designed with privacy at its forefront, offers users complete and total privacy through true end-to-end encryption (the even have a published white paper you can read here), no storage of user's messages on their servers, and by abiding to having no commercial use of users' data. With features such as self-destructing messages and screenshot protection, the app positions itself as a bastion of digital privacy in an age of increasing surveillance. Initially free for the first 50 messages, Freedom Chat asks for a modest $2.95 for unlimited monthly use and only $26.95 for an entire year of use. These low prices are made possible because Freedom Chat does not store messages on their servers and are therefore able to keep costs extremely low. The narrative of government surveillance, past intelligence abuses, and the quest for digital privacy encapsulates a pivotal moment in the ongoing dialogue between security and liberty. As the Biden administration faces scrutiny over its surveillance practices, the emergence of social messaging platforms like Freedom Chat underscores a collective yearning for a return to foundational principles of privacy and constitutional rights. Amidst these complex layers of concern and response, the story of America's engagement with surveillance, rights, and technology continues to unfold, presenting new challenges and opportunities for ensuring the liberty and security of its citizens in the digital age. Download Freedom Chat Speak freely and message privately with Freedom Chat-a private social messenger. Click here to take back your right to privacy and free speech and download the Freedom Chat app today! Contact: Freedom Chat Media support@freedomchat.com SOURCE: Freedom Chat Inc. View the original press release on accesswire.com OCEAN SPRINGS, MS / ACCESSWIRE / February 29, 2024 / The Science Center for Marine Fisheries (SCEMFIS) has approved 8 new research projects for 2024, allocating $198,000 in applied research funding. These projects will allow the Center to continue its mission to produce innovative shellfish, finfish and wind energy-development data, in cooperation with its industry partners. The projects will focus on how to best use shellfish hatcheries and new seeding methods to mitigate the potential impacts of offshore wind development; how best to develop standards to improve the sustainability of Gulf menhaden; developing new dredging techniques to better harvest surfclams and ocean quahogs; examining the reasons for variations in Atlantic surfclam size; studying the growth of Atlantic surfclams off the Delmarva peninsula of the US East Coast; and organizing an industry/science summit on longfin squid harvests and ecology, in conjunction with a developing Federal stock assessment. SCEMFIS is part of the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Industry-University Cooperative Research Centers program, which brings together marine science researchers with members of the fishing and wind energy industries, to identify and fund important fisheries research to reduce uncertainties around the sustainable use of the ocean environment. These projects are the last approved by the Center under its final year of Phase II NSF funding. SCEMFIS was recently reauthorized for NSF's Phase III funding, which allows the Center to expand its scope and continue its scientific mission for an additional 5 years, with the first funding cycle to begin in April 2024. The following research projects were approved for 2024: Hatchery and nursery siting to support Atlantic surfclam stock enhancement - The development of offshore wind farms off the US East Coast is expected to limit access to some Atlantic surfclam fishing grounds, potentially raising costs and reducing overall revenues for the fishery. This study, from Andrew Scheld at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, will examine the best ways to site new surfclam hatcheries in the Mid-Atlantic, to increase the availability of harvestable surfclams, and reduce any potential losses to the Atlantic surfclam fishery. ($19,730 in funding) Design of a clam seeder for the planting of seed on the ocean floor - With the development of offshore Atlantic wind power, one proposed way to mitigate potential loss of Atlantic surfclam grounds is seeding grounds outside of wind lease areas with surfclams. This study will fund the design of a custom clam seeder to better disperse Atlantic surfclam seed in areas designated for stock enhancement. ($8,250 in funding) Implementing a harvest control rule for the Gulf Menhaden fishery - As part of its Marine Stewardship Council sustainability certification, the Gulf menhaden fishery is required to have a harvest control rule, which ensures that the fishery is managed in a way that considers the ecological role of Gulf menhaden. This project, from Robert Leaf of the University of Southern Mississippi, will take several steps to ensure the fishery is in compliance with this requirement, including updating management dashboards with up-to-date data on the fishery, conducting simulation testing on potential alternative control rules, and working with regulators and fishery participants on implementing the control rule. ($43,651 in funding) Why clam maximum size varies: a literature survey - A unique feature of Atlantic surfclams is that their maximum size is variable across regions, a feature that is important to understand for a fishery that harvests based on size limits. This study, from Eric Powell at the University of Southern Mississippi, Daphne Munroe and Sarah Borsetti at Rutgers University, and Roger Mann at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, will review the existing data and studies examining this variation, as well as consider how these differences could be affected by climate change. ($36,157 in funding) Examination of density-dependent growth in Atlantic surfclam in the Delmarva region - Recently, Atlantic surfclam populations have expanded off the Delmarva area of the Mid-Atlantic. However, the surfclams there are on average smaller, which may be the result of increased density of surfclams in the area. This study, from Sarah Borsetti at Rutgers University, will use assessment reports, surveys, and other primary data to examine southern surfclam growth to determine if surfclam density is impacting growth. ($25,100 in funding) Design of a dry dredge for collection of Surfclams and Ocean quahogs - Current Atlantic surfclam harvesting methods include the use of dredges, pumps, and hoses that, as a drawback, can blow sand into the meat of the surfclam. As a result, there is demand for a dredge system that does not use high-pressure water. This study will fund the design of a dry dredge to collect surfclams and ocean quahogs without having to use water. ($8,250 in funding) Efficacy of a Novel Dredge Manifold and Varying Hose Sizes - This project, from Daphne Munroe at Rutgers University, is a continuation of a 2023 SCEMFIS-funded project to develop and test a new design for a dredge manifold for surfclam vessels. The project will test the design, which was developed with industry input, in real fishing scenarios on actual surfclam fishing grounds. ($13,112 in funding) Develop, host, and report on a 2024 Longfin Inshore Squid Population Ecology and Fishery Summit - This project, from Dr. John Manderson at Open Ocean Research, would develop and host a summit in the spring of 2024 with fishermen and fishery researchers to discuss the upcoming stock assessment for Longfin inshore squid. The summit will bring together experts in the industry, academia, and government to discuss the upcoming research track assessment and other ongoing, collaborative research efforts. The summit will produce a working paper that will be provided to the assessment work group and to the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council. ($44,550 in funding) About SCEMFIS SCEMFIS utilizes academic and fisheries resources to address urgent scientific problems limiting sustainable fisheries. SCEMFIS develops methods, analytical and survey tools, datasets, and analytical approaches to improve sustainability of fisheries and reduce uncertainty in biomass estimates. SCEMFIS university partners, University of Southern Mississippi (lead institution), and Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William and Mary, are the academic sites. Collaborating scientists who provide specific expertise in finfish, shellfish, and marine mammal research, come from a wide range of academic institutions including Old Dominion University, Rutgers University, University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, University of Maryland, and University of Rhode Island. The need for the diverse services that SCEMFIS can provide to industry continues to grow, which has prompted a steady increase in the number of fishing industry partners. These services include immediate access to science expertise for stock assessment issues, rapid response to research priorities, and representation on stock assessment working groups. Targeted research leads to improvements in data collection, survey design, analytical tools, assessment models, and other needs to reduce uncertainty in stock status and improve reference point goals. PRESS CONTACT: Stove Boat Communications john@stoveboat.com SOURCE: Science Center for Marine Fisheries View the original press release on accesswire.com Finn Helps Smaller Businesses Leverage Affordable FinTech Payment Solutions BABYLON, NY / ACCESSWIRE / February 29, 2024 / Bristol Pay, a leading provider of payments technology and workflow solutions for printers and small to mid-sized businesses, chose Leap Day 2024 to introduce Finn, a frog mascot that will serve as its new brand ambassador. Bristol Pay supports businesses by helping them explore, understand, and implement payments technology in a fast-paced digital economy. Finn's friendly, tech-savvy frog persona represents Bristol Pay's commitment to helping businesses achieve growth through solutions characterized by speed, adaptability, intelligence, and ease of use. Bristol Pay was co-founded in 2012 by Robert Fifield and Steven Shollenberger, tech innovators with a goal to provide smaller businesses with affordable access to the same level of advanced payment-focused financial technology (FinTech) that benefits larger companies. Fifield and his team developed Payably, a suite of digital tools that became a breakthrough solution for smaller businesses by enabling them to significantly expedite payment processing, streamline financial operations, and offer an enhanced customer experience - empowering them with robust technology at fair and affordable pricing. Finn's primary role is to support Bristol Pay's efforts to help businesses harness the power of FinTech Payment Technology to drive growth, efficiency, and profitability. "Finn is not your average brand ambassador; he's a champion for smaller businesses that want help in accessing and utilizing technology in the payments space," explains Fifield, now CEO of Bristol Pay. Finn will reveal the benefits of Bristol Pay's solutions via educational tips, news bites, and engaging social media posts. A key part of Finn's value to Bristol Pay's clients is helping them maximize the Payably ecosystem of tools, including Payment Gateway, POS Terminal, and PAY NOW Online Payments. Finn will also be at the forefront of launching new Bristol Pay products, such as the Payably Pond Insights Solution that is scheduled for release in Spring 2024. The Pond will provide an all-in-one integrated solution for small and mid-sized businesses who struggle to compete with large retailers due to a lack of resources. "With Finn showing our valued members how to adapt to Bristol Pay's products and solutions, we're confident that we can further empower smaller businesses to unlock their full potential and achieve long-term success," explains CFO Steven Shollenberger. About Bristol Pay Bristol Pay is an innovator in the payments and technology space, dedicated to helping businesses evolve by introducing tech-powered operations and financially driven solutions. Bristol Pay's core solution is Payably, designed to help clients achieve breakthrough results with tools that expedite payment processing, streamline operations, and offer a unique customer experience. For more information about Bristol Pay, visit https://bristolpay.com. Related Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvQm6xE7ENQ SOURCE: Bristol Pay View the original press release on newswire.com. SAN DIEGO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / February 29, 2024 / General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) flew the XQ-67A Off-Board Sensing Station (OBSS) for the first time on Feb. 28, 2024. OBSS is an Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) program and GA-ASI was selected in 2021 to design, build and fly the new aircraft. With flight of the AFRL-funded XQ-67A, GA-ASI has validated the "genus/species" concept first developed with AFRL as part of the Low-Cost Attritable Aircraft Platform Sharing (LCAAPS) program focused on building several aircraft variants from a common core chassis. Under LCAAPS, AFRL and GA-ASI explored the development of a chassis, termed a "genus", as the foundational core architecture from which several "species" of aircraft can be built. "This provides an alternative acquisition approach for military aircraft that enables faster development, lower costs and more opportunities for frequent technology refresh," said Trenton White, OBSS Program Manager and aerospace engineer in AFRL's Aerospace Systems Directorate. "XQ-67A is the first 'species' to be designed and built from this shared platform. Flight demonstration of this system is a major first step toward showing the ability to produce affordable combat mass." "OBSS is the first aircraft type built and flown using a common core chassis developed by GA-ASI that promotes commonality across multiple vehicle types," said GA-ASI Vice President of Advanced Programs Michael Atwood. Distribution Statement A: Approved for Public Release; Distribution is Unlimited. PA# AFRL-2024-0708 About GA-ASI General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), an affiliate of General Atomics, is a leading designer and manufacturer of proven, reliable RPA systems, radars, and electro-optic and related mission systems, including the Predator RPA series and the Lynx Multi-mode Radar. With more than eight million flight hours, GA-ASI provides long-endurance, mission-capable aircraft with integrated sensor and data link systems required to deliver persistent situational awareness. The company also produces a variety of sensor control/image analysis software, offers pilot training and support services, and develops meta-material antennas. For more information, visit www.ga-asi.com. Avenger, Lynx, Predator, SeaGuardian, and SkyGuardian are registered trademarks of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. About AFRL The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is the primary scientific research and development center for the Department of the Air Force. AFRL plays an integral role in leading the discovery, development and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our air, space and cyberspace force. With a workforce of more than 12,500 across nine technology areas and 40 other operations across the globe, AFRL provides a diverse portfolio of science and technology ranging from fundamental to advanced research and technology development. For more information, visit www.afresearchlab.com. # # # Contact Information GA-ASI Media Relations asi-mediarelations@ga-asi.com +1 (858) 524-8101 SOURCE: General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. View the original press release on newswire.com. WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Microscopic bits of plastics have been lodged in every human placenta tested for the latest study, raising concerns about potential impacts on fetal and maternal health. The recent study carried out by the University of New Mexico team analyzed 62 placental tissue samples via a gas emission process to detect concentrations of microplastics ranging from 6.5 to 790 micrograms per gram of tissue. Despite a microgram being a one-millionth of a gram, the team concluded that the findings are a cause for alarm. 'Dose makes the poison,' Study lead author Matthew Campen explained. 'If the dose keeps going up, we start to worry. If we're seeing effects on placentas, then all mammalian life on this planet could be impacted. That's not good.' The research published in the Toxicological Sciences found that polyethylene was the most commonly detected plastic, followed by PVC and nylon. The team stressed that the impact of microplastics on health is yet unknown. Still, such presence could contribute to the development of certain diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease or IBD, colon cancer and low sperm count. A study conducted in 2021 found that feces of IBD patients had 50 percent more microplastics. Microplastics were first detected in the placenta in 2020 in four women in Italy who had normal deliveries. The scientists at that time warned that 'Microplastics carry with them substances which, acting as endocrine disruptors, could cause long-term effects on human health.' Speaking on further research, Campen said that the issue of microplastics is 'only getting worse, and the trajectory is it will double every 10 to 15 years. So, even if we were to stop it today, in 2050 there will be three times as much plastic in the background as there is now. And we're not going to stop it today.' Earlier, a study found that nanoplastics are clogging blood vessels in human arteries, another found the presence of the same in human blood and breast milk, underscoring the dangers of plastics. 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 WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Fairhope West Elementary School in Alabama was forced to close on Thursday, due to an outbreak of gastrointestinal illness. Nearly 800 students and staff members were absent following the outbreak, which is currently under investigation by public health officials. The situation escalated quickly, with only 29 students missing from school on Tuesday, but the number surging to hundreds overnight, with half of the staff unable to attend on Wednesday. While not all 773 students and 50 staff absent on Wednesday were sick, absences were excused as a precautionary measure. Only 201 students attended school on Wednesday. Due to the significant number of absences and symptomatic individuals, Baldwin County Schools Superintendent Eddie Tyler announced the closure of the school for Thursday and Friday. This was to prevent further spread of the illness and to enable deep cleaning of the school premises. The Alabama Department of Public Health is currently investigating the outbreak, focusing on symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach pain. Baldwin County Public Schools Health Services Coordinator Alison Rudd has stated that the illness could potentially be similar to norovirus. Copyright(c) 2024 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. The new relationship presents an opportunity for Vitamin Energy to secure brand growth through CROSSMARK's valued sales and marketing services. DALLAS, TX / ACCESSWIRE / February 29, 2024 / On 2/28/24 Vitamin Energy and CROSSMARK announced a new partnership in which CROSSMARK will be representing the energy shot brand in the U.S. Convenience Channel. This mutually beneficial partnership will utilize CROSSMARK's team of 25,000+ employees who service all major retailers throughout North America to promote Vitamin Energy. "We strongly believe CROSSMARK is an agency partner who will take ownership driving growth for not only Vitamin Energy, but also for our valued retail customers. Their team has the capabilities, talent, and work ethic to help us achieve success now and into the future," said Vitamin Energy's President of Sales, Paul Marsh. The new partnership will position CROSSMARK to create new opportunities for Vitamin Energy to reach more customers, both online and in stores. As a WIS International company, CROSSMARK is able to tap into a vast network of people and resources, including business/brand managers, analytics, administration, and customer service representatives who will be supporting Vitamin Energy. "We are excited to work with Vitamin Energy and believe that our expertise in strategic brand management and can help launch the brand to new markets, increasing both visibility and market share," said Jami McDermid, President of CROSSMARK. CROSSMARK offers customers a full suite of sales, marketing, merchandising, and branding services both in store and online. The company focuses on accelerating the growth of brands through innovative solutions, state-of-the-art technology, and support services with its 25,000+ team of employees. CROSSMARK prides itself in being able to provide brands with enterprise-level resources and personalized attention and service. This new relationship exemplifies the Vitamin Energy commitment to growth and CROSSMARK's commitment to helping brands succeed. ### About Vitamin Energy Vitamin Energy is the most convenient way to nourish your body with vitamins while boosting your energy levels for up to 7+ hours with no sugar crash later. Every shot of Vitamin Energy is super infused vitamins that combines a powerful energy formula to fit every lifestyle. Whether you're looking to improve your mood, increase your focus, boost your immune system, lose weight, sleep well or optimize your workout, there's a Vitamin Energy for everyone. To learn more, come visit us at VitaminEnergy.com. About CROSSMARK, INC. CROSSMARK, headquartered in Dallas, Texas, is a leading sales and marketing services agency that specializes in growing retail brands throughout nearly every category of the consumer goods industry. For more than 100 years, CROSSMARK has accelerated the world's most powerful companies - ultimately driving sales and managing brand success. Our core services include Headquarter Sales, Retail Services, and Marketing Services. This includes eCommerce solutions, omnichannel expertise, insights & analytics, and order-to-cash, as well as both in-store and out-of-store consumer engagement. To learn more, visit www.crossmark.com. CONTACT: Molly Glassman T: 800-420-3106 E: Molly.Glassman@VitaminEnergy.com SOURCE: Vitamin Energy, Inc. View the original press release on accesswire.com DEERFIELD BEACH, FL / ACCESSWIRE / February 29, 2024 / CF Search Marketing, a renowned digital marketing agency founded in 2008, proudly announces its designation as a 2024 Premier Partner in the Google Partners program, a testament to the company's commitment to excellence in digital marketing. In February, Google acknowledged the achievements of top-performing digital marketing partners globally by awarding Premier Partner status. CF Search Marketing has secured its place among the top 3% of Google Partners participants in the United States, showcasing leading expertise in Google Ads and a proven ability to forge new client relationships while supporting client growth. Pierre Fiorini, Managing Partner of CF Search Marketing, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership with Google, stating, "We're very excited about our partnership with Google. This acknowledgment reflects our team's dedication to delivering exceptional results in digital marketing." About CF Search Marketing: Founded in 2008, CF Search Marketing is a distinguished digital marketing agency known for its innovative approach to delivering exceptional results. With a strong emphasis on conversion, proprietary technologies, and a team of experts, CF Search Marketing has consistently provided clients high-quality traffic, leads, and measurable success. About Google Partners: The Google Partners program is designed for advertising agencies and third parties managing Google Ads accounts on behalf of other brands or businesses. Its mission is to empower companies by providing innovative tools, resources, and support to help their clients succeed and grow online. For Media Inquiries: Connie Gundrum Chief Marketing Officer 866-599-3490 connie@cfsearchmarketing.com https://www.cfsearchmarketing.com SOURCE: CF Search Marketing View the original press release on accesswire.com Orion S.A.(NYSE:OEC), a specialty chemical company, today announced that it will hold its 2024 annual general meeting of shareholders on Thursday, June 20, 2024, at 2:00 pm Central European Time at the company's office, located at 6, Route de Treves, L-2633 Senningerberg (Municipality of Niederanven), Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. The company also set its record date for the admission of the company's shareholders to its annual general meeting to April 26, 2024, at 11:59 pm Central European Time. The company will make it possible to attend its annual general meeting virtually and to exercise shareholder rights in advance of the meeting by means of remote communication. About Orion S.A. Orion S.A. (NYSE:OEC) is a leading global supplier of carbon black, a solid form of carbon produced as powder or pellets. The material is made to customers' exacting specifications for tires, coatings, ink, batteries, plastics and numerous other specialty, high-performance applications. Carbon black is used to tint, colorize, provide reinforcement, conduct electricity, increase durability, and add UV protection. Orion has innovation centers on three continents and 14 plants worldwide, offering the most diverse variety of production processes in the industry. The company's corporate lineage goes back more than 160 years to Germany, where it operates the world's longest-running carbon black plant. Orion is a leading innovator, applying a deep understanding of customers' needs to deliver sustainable solutions. For more information, please visit orioncarbons.com. Forward-Looking Statements This document contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are statements of future expectations that are based on current expectations and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance, or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of the particular statement. New risk factors and uncertainties emerge from time to time, and it is not possible to predict all risk factors and uncertainties, nor can we assess the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events, or other information, other than as required by applicable law. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240229657111/en/ Contacts: Wendy Wilson Orion S.A. Head of Investor Relations wendy.wilson@orioncarbons.com +1 281-974-0155 William Foreman Orion S.A. Director of Corporate Communications and Government Affairs william.foreman@orioncarbons.com Direct: +1 832-445-3305 Mobile: +1 281-889-7833 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 29, 2024) - Turnium Technology Group Inc. (TSXV: TTGI) (FSE: E48) ("Turnium" or "the Company"), an industry leader in cloud native SD-WAN, focused on improving application performance for enterprises with safe and secure multi-site connectivity without the burden of expensive dedicated bandwidth and hardware, announces its financial results for Fiscal Q1 2024. All financial information is provided in Canadian dollars unless otherwise indicated. These results are being published following the recent announcement of the Letter of Intent (LOI) to acquire Claratti Limited that will bring hundreds of Australian based clients into the Turnium portfolio, driving growth in cross-sell opportunities. Ralph Garcea, Chairman of Turnium commented, "In the first quarter of fiscal 2024, the Turnium team continued its focus on expanding our channel partners, increasing monthly recurring revenue (MRR), and delivering superior product and service solutions to our global clientele. The Company is very well positioned to achieve cashflow positive results this year, as we continue to execute on our dual pronged growth strategy: First priority is continuing our organic growth initiatives, further expanding our Global Partnership Program which has onboarded 16 new agreements over the last 12 months. The second part of the growth strategy involves mergers and acquisitions, where we have two planned for this year. Our intention to acquire Claratti, discussed below, is one of these strategic acquisitions. We continue to evaluate other acquisitions as we look to scale our revenue over the next few years." The Consolidated Financial Statements and Management Discussion and Analysis ("MD&A") for the first fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2023, are available on the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. Fiscal First Quarter 2024 Highlights: Revenue in the first quarter increased to $1.28 million, compared to $1.26 million in the previous quarter; in the first quarter increased to $1.28 million, compared to $1.26 million in the previous quarter; Gross Margin in the first quarter increased to $0.89 million, compared to $0.87 million in the previous quarter; in the first quarter increased to $0.89 million, compared to $0.87 million in the previous quarter; Total Expenses in the first quarter decreased to $1.5 million, compared to $2.2 million in the previous quarter; in the first quarter decreased to $1.5 million, compared to $2.2 million in the previous quarter; Net Loss in the first quarter decreased to ($0.62) million, compared to ($1.7) million in the previous quarter; in the first quarter decreased to ($0.62) million, compared to ($1.7) million in the previous quarter; Number of Common Shares Outstanding (basic) at the end of the first quarter 2024 was 104,605,243. Fiscal Quarter Financial Highlights: The Company's key financial results for the three months ended December 31, 2023, are as follows: Canadian Dollars Q1 F2024 - For the three months ended December 31, 2023 Q4 F2023 - For the three months ended September 30, 2023 Q3 F2023 - For the three months ended June 30, 2023 Q2 F2023 - For the three months ended March 31, 2023 Total revenue 1,284,210 1,257,622 1,476,342 1,185,056 Gross margin 890,182 873,459 916,845 886,540 Total Expenses 1,495,940 2,217,763 1,512,661 2,089,325 Net comprehensive income (loss) (624,842) (1,662,592) (745,223) (1,201,843) Weighted average number of common shares outstanding 104,605,243 90,370,451 68,935,614 68,865,009 Basic and diluted loss per common share (0.01) (0.02) (0.01) (0.02) Special Notes: It is anticipated that revenues and expenses may vary, perhaps materially, from quarter to quarter due to several factors, including changes in product mix, costs related to planned increase in market share, global expansion costs and ongoing corporate development initiatives. Although revenues may fluctuate from quarter to quarter, and such fluctuations may be material, management expects that revenues will increase year over year. There are no known trends or seasonal impacts on the Company's business although seasonal trends may develop as the Company grows. Subsequent Highlights to the Fiscal First Quarter: February 28, 2024 - the Compnay announced it has entered into a non-binding Letter of Intent (LOI) to acquire Claratti Limited (Claratti), a provider of managed IT Solutions for enterprises covering areas such as internet and telecommunications services, remote work and connectivity, cybersecurity and high-quality hardware and software. Claratti is headquartered in Perth, Australia and serves hundreds of clients across Australia. Additionally, the Company also announced that Mr. Derek Spratt will be retiring as CEO, effective February 29, 2024, but will continue as a Director. The Company has implemented an Office of the CEO consisting of Founder/Director Johan Arnet and Director Jim Lovie. All decisions going forward, until a permanent replacement for the role of CEO has been appointed, will be a collaborative effort between the Chairman, Mr. Arnet and Mr. Lovie, with input from the rest of the Board. (Link) February 20, 2024 - the Company and Wafaicloud announce partnership to drive cloud adoption across the Middle East. Wafai International Company Inc. of Saudi Arabia (WafaiCloud) has signed a multiyear term and volume commitment to partner with Turnium Technology Group Inc. Currently with 200 sites already in service, Wafai forecasts aggressive growth in its Turnium SD-WAN pipeline which can grow revenue more than 10 times within three years. Additional Fiscal First Quarter 2024 Highlights: November 29, 2023 - the Company has changed its auditor from Manning Elliott LLP to Kingston Ross Pasnak LLP, effective November 28, 2023. The former auditor submitted a resignation letter as the auditor of the company, effective November 27, 2023, and the board of directors of the company appointed the successor auditor as the company's auditor, effective November 28, 2023, until the next annual general meeting of the company. November 29, 2023 - the Company announced the appointment of Konstantin Lichtenwald as the Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Lichtenwald has over 16 years of finance and accounting experience, including corporate compliance, accounting and financial management, initial public offerings, and reverse takeovers, providing corporate finance, valuation, taxation, financial reporting, consulting and other accounting services to both small businesses and public companies. October 24, 2023 - the Company's board of directors has authorized the grant of an aggregate of 3.1 million incentive stock options to directors, officers and employees of the company, at an exercise price of $0.10 per common share. The options are exercisable for a five-year period from the date of grant. Certain grants will be subject to vesting terms in accordance with the terms of the option plan. October 12, 2023 - The Company's development of Turnium SD-WAN version 7.0 is progressing toward completion. This new software release will revolutionize Turnium SD-WAN and increase the use-cases and capabilities that Turnium Channel Partners can use to solve common customer issues in today's cloud-based networked business environment. Version 7.x will enable Turnium to integrate the numerous global partners that have been announced to date, and others that are currently in our pipeline - as Turnium scales from 10,000+ lines currently to 100,000+ lines over the next few years. September 28, 2023 - The Company has signed a five-year OEM (original equipment manufacturer) licensing agreement with a large technology group and service provider in Southeast Asia. The new five-year OEM licensing agreement with the Southeast Asian service provider, signed on July 18, 2023, will activate across Indonesia initially. September 25, 2023 - At the Company's shareholder meeting held on September 15, 2023, all resolutions were passed. A total of 54,836,337 common shares were represented at the Meeting, representing approximately 54.9% of the common shares issued and outstanding as of the record date. September 12, 2023 - SDWAN & SASE Solutions Ltd. has joined the Turnium Technology Group global partner program to enable it to license, package and bundle Turnium's SD-WAN software into SDWAN & SASE Solutions' portfolio. About Turnium Technology Group Inc. Turnium Technology Group Inc. delivers its SD-WAN solution as a white label, disaggregated software platform that OEM channel partners host, manage, brand, and price. Turnium is also available to Resellers as a Turnium-branded managed service. Turnium SD-WAN is sold through a channel partner program designed for Communications Service Providers, Internet and Managed Service Providers, System Integrators, and Value-Added Resellers. For more information, contact sales@ttgi.io, visit www.ttgi.io or follow us on Twitter @turnium. About SD-WAN SD-WAN is revolutionizing the networking and telecommunications industry by abstracting secure, high-speed networking and network control from underlying physical circuits. SD-WAN frees enterprises, small and medium businesses, cloud and managed services providers from the business and cost constraints imposed by traditional telecommunications companies. # # # Turnium Contact: Investor Relations: Bill Mitoulas, Email: investor.relations@ttgi.io, Telephone: +1 416-479-9547 Media inquiries: please email media@ttgi.io. Sales inquiries: please email sales@ttgi.io www.ttgi.io, www.turnium.com CAUTIONARY NOTES Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Information This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. 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 state that certain acts, 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. Some of these risks are described under the "Caution on Forward-Looking Information" section and "Risk Factors" section of the MD&A. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that 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. Actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by these statements. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/199984 SOURCE: Turnium Technology Group Inc. EXHIBITING AT BOOTH #2243, PDAC 2024 CONVENTION IN TORONTO, MARCH 3-6 Announces Results of Annual General and Special Shareholders' Meeting TSX:ORV TORONTO, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Orvana Minerals Corp. (TSX: ORV) (the "Company" or "Orvana") is pleased to report exploration updates from Taguas, Argentina, and announces that it will be exhibiting at the 2024 Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) International Conference being held in Toronto at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre from March 3 to 6, 2024. PDAC 2024 Orvana cordially invites shareholders, investors, brokers, analysts, and interested parties, to learn more about its operations and growth perspectives via brownfield and greenfield exploration programs, by visiting booth #2243 in the Investors Exchange area of PDAC. The PDAC International Convention, Trade Show & Investors Exchange is the world's leading convention for people, companies and organizations in, or connected with, mineral exploration. For more information about the conference, visit: http://pdac.ca/convention TAGUAS PROJECT - EXPLORATION UPDATE Project Background Taguas Au-Ag project is located in the northern sector of the El Indio-Valle del Cura mineralized Belt (Argentina-Chile), Iglesia Department, San Juan Province, Argentina, 25km North of the Veladero mine and the Pascua-Lama project. It has been described as a high-sulfidation epithermal gold-silver system hosted in Miocene age volcaniclastic rocks (Kowalik and Simpson, 20213). The Au-Ag mineralization occurs in breccias and silicified structures with a dominant NE-SO orientation. The supergene-oxidized gold-silver mineralization, that extends to approximately 200 m below surface, consists of subvertical, northeast striking high-grade mineralized structures surrounded by an envelope of disseminated mineralization. Below the oxidation depth, mineralization continues as gold-silver and hypogene sulfides (Kowalik and Simpson, 20213). The El Indio-Valle del Cura Belt has historically been explored for shallow epithermal Au-Ag mineralization, however it has been little exploration in the search for porphyry-type deposits that could be potentially associated with the epithermal systems. In recent years, deep drilling in the northern sector of the belt (now denominated Link belt) permitted the discovery of the Valeriano mineralized Cu-Au-Mo porphyry (1,413.0 Mt @ 0.5% Cu, 0.2 g/t Au & 0.96 g/t Ag, Inferred, Nur, 2023) that occur below a high sulfidation epithermal lithocap with Au-Ag mineralization (32.1 Mt @ 0.54 g/t Au & 2.43 g/t Ag, Inferred, Nur, 20234). This project, owned by Atex Resources, is located 10km North of Taguas project, within Chilean territory. Valeriano porphyry deposit at depth is represented by a granodiorite and associated porphyries, the development of a strong stockwork of quartz veinlets, potassic alteration and Cu sulfide mineralization (Burgoa et al., 20151). Orvana is repositioning its strategy at Taguas. The Company had been focused on the oxides portion of the property, but it is reconsidering the strategy, now potentially including sulphides resources, plus deep copper-gold porphyry opportunities. Hypogene sulfides mineralization Over 63,000 meters of drilling have been conducted across different targets on the property. At Cerros Taguas, both the supergene-oxidized gold-silver mineralization within the first 200 meters beneath the surface and the gold-silver and hypogene sulfides mineralization have been drilled. Both the oxidized portion and the hypogene sulfide portion shows a predominant advanced argillic alteration. Next exploration steps will involve a spectral analysis campaign to refine alteration types definition, plus geo-metallurgical tests with oxide and sulfide ores. Once the combined oxides-sulfides opportunity is understood, the next steps for the project will be determined. Potential copper-gold porphyry opportunities High molybdenum values have been recorded in different sectors of the Taguas project (Figure 1). In shallow drilling intervals of Cerros Taguas, flaky molybdenite has been recognized associated with alunite-pyrite-enargite assemblages that fill fractures and conform the cement of hydrothermal breccias. In deeper intervals, molybdenite occurs in quartz+molybdenite veinlets with straight walls, which seem to be typical B veins of porphyry deposits (Gustafson and Hunt, 19752). Picture DDH From To Mo (g/t) A TADD-168 442 444 243 B TADD-168 295 297 236 C TADD-172 413 415 337 D TADD-172 204 205 406 E TADD-172 200 201 210 Table 1. Molybdenum values from selected samples shown in figure 1. Taguas exploration update was prepared under the supervision of Raul Alvarez (Orvana Director of Exploration & Technical Services), Registered EurGeol number 1,614, and a qualified person for the purposes of NI 43-101. Quality Control The reported drilling intercepts were carried out during the Goldfields JV campaign. Gold Fields sampled 5,630 drill core intervals from 17 drill holes during the 2011-2012 summer field season. The core sampling was performed following a protocol designed for the project. Company personal were not allowed to carry any metallic rings when sampling the core. The sampling intervals did not cross defined lithological/alteration limits and the samples varied between 0.5 m to 2.0 m in length. The geologist performed detailed core logging, marked the sample intervals and the core sample cut lines. The cut line had to be perpendicular to lamination on the surface of the core. A sampling form was completed with the sample number and sample length intervals. Half core samples were identified with a unique sequential sample number taken from a sample tag book and tickets remaining in the book were completed with hole number depth from, depth to, sample length. The samples were placed in plastic bags with four identical tags stapled at the top of the bag and sealed. The same number was written on the side of the bag with a permanent marker. QA/QC samples were inserted and batches of 73 samples were prepared for shipment. The geologist was responsible for supervising the sample loading and completed two identical shipment forms. One form was given to the truck driver and the other form was approved by the chief of the project and stored in a safe area. Upon arrival at the laboratory, the one responsible for the sample reception signed the shipment form (in agreement) and it was sent back to the project. The sampling carried out during the Goldfields JV campaign included rigorous QA/QC industry standard procedures, consisting of the insertion of certified reference materials, blanks and duplicates samples into the sample stream. The geologist sent the sample numbers and length intervals to the database administrator who filled in the laboratory preparation and assay forms. The core samples were prepared in the ALS Chemex Laboratory in Mendoza, Argentina. Samples were crushed to 70% minus 2 mm, a 250 g sub sample was riffle-split and pulverized to 85% minus 75m. Samples were assayed at ALS Chemex in La Serena, Chile, by fire assay on a 50 g aliquot with atomic absorption finish. Samples were also analyzed for 48 elements at ALS Chemex in Lima, Peru using ICP AES and ICP MS from a four-acid digestion. Mr. Ron Simpson independently audited the sample database for location accuracy, down hole survey errors, interval errors and missing sample intervals. The QP also reviewed the sample QA/QC results. References 1. Burgoa, C., Hopper, D., Ambrus, J., 2015. Exploracion profunda de un Porfido Cu-Au bajo el Litocap Valeriano: Geologia y Zonacion del Sistema Hidrotermal, Region de Atacama, Chile, in: 14 Congreso Geologico Chileno, La Serena, Chile, 36-39. 2. Gustafson, L.B., Hunt, J.P., 1975. The porphyry copper deposit at El Salvador, Chile. Econ. Geol. 70, 857-912. 3. Kowalik, J., Simpson, R., 2021. Independent Technical Report NI 43-101 on the Taguas Project, San Juan, Argentina. Technical Report prepared for Orvana Argentina S.A. https://www.orvana.com/English/operations/Taguas/Technical-Reports/default.aspx 4. Nur, J., 2023. Independent Technical Report for the Valeriano Copper-Gold Project, Atacama Region, Chile. Report prepared for ATEX Resources Inc. ANNUAL GENERAL AND SPECIAL SHAREHOLDERS' MEETING RESULTS The Company also announces that, at its annual general and special shareholders' meeting (the "Meeting") held on February 29, 2024, the individuals noted below were elected as directors of the Company. The report on proxies provided by the Company's transfer agent indicated the following: Michael Davies received 75,124,923 votes (representing 99.82% of votes cast); Alfredo Garcia Gonzalez received 74,356,915 votes (representing 98.80% of votes cast); Robert Metcalfe received 74,110,183 votes (representing 98.47% of votes cast); and Michael Mutchler received 75,117,523 votes (representing 99.81% of votes cast). Following the Meeting, Mr. Robert Metcalfe was re-appointed as chairman of the board of directors; Mr. Juan Gavidia was re-appointed Chief Executive Officer; Ms. Nuria Menendez was re-appointed Chief Financial Officer; and Mr. Binh Vu was re-appointed Corporate Secretary/VP Legal Affairs, for the ensuing year. The Company also received 79,120,533 votes (representing 99.32% of votes cast) to re-appoint PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as the Company's independent auditor for the ensuing year and to authorize the directors to fix the auditor's remuneration; and 73,967,133 votes (representing 98.28% of votes cast) approving the 2018 stock option plan. For full voting details please see Orvana's voting results as filed on SEDAR at www.sedarplus.ca ABOUT ORVANA - Orvana is a multi-mine gold-copper-silver company. Orvana's assets consist of the producing El Valle and Carles gold-copper-silver mines in northern Spain, the Don Mario gold-silver property in Bolivia, currently in care and maintenance, and the Taguas property located in Argentina. Additional information is available at Orvana's website (www.orvana.com). The Corporate Presentation is available at: https://www.orvana.com/English/investors/presentations/default.aspx Cautionary Statements - Forward-Looking Information Certain statements in this presentation constitute forward-looking statements or forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws ("forward-looking statements"). Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, potentials, future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as "believes", "expects", "plans", "estimates" or "intends" or stating that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might", "will", "are projected to" or "confident of" be taken or achieved) are not statements of historical fact, but are forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements herein relate to, among other things, Orvana's ability to achieve improvement in free cash flow; the ability to maintain expected mining rates and expected throughput rates at El Valle Plant; the potential to extend the mine life of El Valle and Don Mario beyond their current life-of-mine estimates including specifically, but not limited to, Orvana's ability to optimize its assets to deliver shareholder value; estimates of future production (including without limitation, production guidance), operating costs and capital expenditures; mineral resource and reserve estimates; statements and information regarding future feasibility studies and their results; future transactions; future metal prices; the ability to achieve additional growth and geographic diversification; and future financial performance, including the ability to increase cash flow and profits; future financing requirements; Orvana's ability to close additional financing as necessary; mine development plans; and the possibility of the conversion of inferred mineral resources to mineral reserves. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Company as of the date of such statements, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies, which includes, without limitation, as particularly set out in the notes accompanying the Company's most recently filed financial statements. The estimates and assumptions of the Company contained or incorporated by reference in this news release, which may prove to be incorrect, include, but are not limited to the various assumptions set forth herein and in Orvana's most recently filed Management's Discussion & Analysis and Annual Information Form in respect of the Company's most recently completed fiscal year (the "Company Disclosures") or as otherwise expressly incorporated herein by reference as well as: there being no significant disruptions affecting operations, whether due to labour disruptions, supply disruptions, power disruptions, damage to equipment or otherwise; permitting, development, operations, expansion and acquisitions at El Valle, Don Mario and Taguas being consistent with the Company's current expectations; political developments in any jurisdiction in which the Company operates being consistent with its current expectations; certain price assumptions for gold, copper and silver; prices for key supplies being approximately consistent with current levels; production and cost of sales forecasts meeting expectations; the accuracy of the Company's current mineral reserve and mineral resource estimates; labour and materials costs increasing on a basis consistent with Orvana's current expectations; and the availability of necessary funds to execute the Company's plan. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, this news release also contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation, including, without limitation, references to the results of the Company's exploration activities, including but not limited to, drilling results and analyses, mineral resource estimation, conceptual mine plan and operations, internal rate of return, sensitivities, taxes, net present value, potential recoveries, design parameters, operating costs, capital costs, production data and economic potential; the timing and costs for production decisions; permitting timelines and requirements; exploration and planned exploration programs; and the Company's general objectives and strategies. A variety of inherent risks, uncertainties and factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control, affect the operations, performance and results of the Company and its business, and could cause actual events or results to differ materially from estimated or anticipated events or results expressed or implied by forward looking statements. Some of these risks, uncertainties and factors include: the potential impact of global health and global economic conditions on the Company's business and operations, including: our ability to continue operations; and our ability to manage challenges presented by such conditions; the general economic, political and social impacts of the continuing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, our ability to support the sustainability of our business including through the development of crisis management plans, increasing stock levels for key supplies, monitoring of guidance from the medical community, and engagement with local communities and authorities; fluctuations in the price of gold, silver and copper; the need to recalculate estimates of resources based on actual production experience; the failure to achieve production estimates; variations in the grade of ore mined; variations in the cost of operations; the availability of qualified personnel; the Company's ability to obtain and maintain all necessary regulatory approvals and licenses; Orovalle's ability to complete the permitting process of the El Valle Tailings Storage Facility increasing the storage capacity; Orovalle's ability to complete the stabilization project of the legacy open pit wall; the Company's ability to use cyanide in its mining operations; risks generally associated with mineral exploration and development, including the Company's ability to continue to operate the El Valle and/or ability to resume long-term operations at the Carles Mine; the Company's ability to successfully implement a sulphidization circuit and ancillary facilities to process the current oxides stockpiles at Don Mario; the Company's ability to successfully carry out development plans at Taguas; sufficient funding to carry out development plans at Taguas and to process the oxides stockpiles at Don Mario; EMIPA's ability to complete the issuance of the Bonds Program at Bolivia and any additional required financing to commence the OSP; the Company's ability to acquire and develop mineral properties and to successfully integrate such acquisitions; the Company's ability to execute on its strategy; the Company's ability to obtain financing when required on terms that are acceptable to the Company; challenges to the Company's interests in its property and mineral rights; current, pending and proposed legislative or regulatory developments or changes in political, social or economic conditions in the countries in which the Company operates; general economic conditions worldwide; the challenges presented by global health conditions; fluctuating operational costs such as, but not limited to, power supply costs; current and future environmental matters; and the risks identified in the Company's disclosures. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of the Company's forward-looking statements and reference should also be made to the Company's Disclosures for a description of additional risk factors. Any forward-looking statements made herein with respect to the anticipated development and exploration of the Company's mineral projects are intended to provide an overview of management's expectations with respect to certain future activities of the Company and may not be appropriate for other purposes. Forward-looking statements are based on management's current plans, estimates, projections, beliefs and opinions and, except as required by law, the Company does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements should assumptions related to these plans, estimates, projections, beliefs and opinions change. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements made in this information are intended to provide an overview of management's expectations with respect to certain future operating activities of the Company and may not be appropriate for other purposes. Nuria Menendez, Chief Financial Officer, E: nmenendez@orvana.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2351815/Orvana_Minerals_Corp__ORVANA_PROVIDES_EXPLORATION_UPDATE.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2351764/Orvana_Minerals_Corp__ORVANA_PROVIDES_EXPLORATION_UPDATE.jpg View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/orvana-provides-exploration-update-302076495.html Increasing Diversification Driving Predictability Significant New Product Releases Increasing Sales Pipeline AI Product Releases Dominating Customer Interest Ottawa, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - February 29, 2024) - Enablence Technologies Inc. (TSXV: ENA) ("Enablence" or the "Company"), a supplier of optical components and subsystems, has filed its unaudited financial statements for the three months ended December 31, 2023 ("Q2 2024") and related management's discussion and analysis and certifications (collectively, the "Financial Statements"). Electronic copies of the Financial Statements are available on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) under Enablence's issuer profile. "As the industry exits a cyclical downturn, we are seeing our strategic efforts to diversify gain traction," commented Todd Haugen, CEO of Enablence Technologies. "53% of Q2 revenues were attributed to advanced vision and AI products and services. Given this increased diversification, visibility of customer contracts, and a growing sales pipeline we will be able to give guidance on key financial metrics starting in fiscal 2025." "This fiscal year, several new products were released in LiDAR and Datacoms, including the latest generation 400G products," noted Haugen. "We remain on track to deliver our 800G products and DWDM product line in Q1 Fiscal 2025 with all products currently in qualification with key customers." "Lastly, our new AI products are in customer verification and on track for Q4 volume production," added Haugen. "With this slate of products on the horizon, we anticipate a strong fiscal year 2025 powered by new AI and advanced vision product lines. In March, at the industry's annual OFC Conference in San Diego, I will join other industry panelists to talk about AI revenue growth opportunities for the industry as interest in AI accelerates." For the three months ending December 31, 2023, revenue decreased 19% to $340 versus $422 during the corresponding quarter in 2022 due primarily to the cyclical nature of the optical semiconductor market. NRE revenues declined to $154 or 43% from $272 during the corresponding quarter in 2022. This year saw a drop in NRE revenue for the quarter as some key customer NRE projects in the previous year had been completed. Gross margin for the quarter was ($534) as compared to ($338) for the same period in the prior year, a decline of ($196), or (58%). The decline is due primarily to increased investment in wafer fabrication in support of a ramp-up in wafer production as well as work-in-progress inventory. Early investment was necessary to counter any risks to capacity constraints for the pipeline opportunities. As the Company ramped up its staff, R&D, and production capacity, the Company recognized a net loss of $4,231 during the first quarter of fiscal 2023, compared to a net loss of $2,066 for the same period in the prior year. This decrease is primarily due to the cyclical drop in revenues matched with increased operating expenses, interest costs, and foreign currency translation loss. "With the investments in R&D, sales specialists, and overall sales and marketing, the higher operating costs for this quarter are translating into increased sales pipeline development and better alignment to target customer requirements, which ultimately is positioning Enablence for growth," said Stan Besko, CFO of Enablence Technologies. The "Financial Highlights" above are qualified by the Financial Statements, available on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) under Enablence's issuer profile. For additional information on the Company, please refer to the company's investor presentation, which is available on Enablence's website (www.enablence.com/investors) in the "Corporate - Investors" tab. About Enablence Technologies Inc. Enablence is a publicly traded company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV: ENA) that designs, manufactures and sells optical components, primarily in the form of planar lightwave circuits (PLC), on silicon-based chips. Enablence products serve a global customer base, primarily focused today on data center and other rapidly growing end markets. Enablence also works with customers that have emerging market uses for its technology, including medical devices, automotive LiDAR, and virtual and augmented reality headsets. In select strategic circumstances, the Company also uses its proprietary, non-captive fabrication plant in Fremont, California to manufacture chips designed by third party customers. For more information, visit: www.enablence.com. For more information contact: Stan Besko, MBA, CFO Enablence Technologies Inc. stan.besko@enablence.com Todd Haugen, CEO Enablence Technologies Inc. todd.haugen@enablence.com Ali Mahdavi, Capital Markets & Investor Relations am@spinnakercmi.com Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information This news release contains forward-looking statements regarding the Company based on current expectations and assumptions of management, which involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties associated with our business and the economic environment in which the business operates. All such statements are forward-looking statements under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Any statements contained herein that are not statements of historical facts may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. By their nature, forward-looking statements require us to make assumptions and are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties. These statements are based on current expectations involving several risks and uncertainties, which could cause results to differ from those anticipated. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements in this news release and the assumptions on which such forward-looking statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. We caution our readers of this news release not to rely on our forward-looking statements as many factors could cause actual results or conditions to differ materially from current expectations. Additional information on these and other factors that could affect the Company's operations are outlined in the Company's continuous disclosure documents that can be found on SEDAR ( www.sedar.com ) under Enablence's issuer profile. Enablence does not intend and disclaims any obligation, except as required by law, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. 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. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/199961 SOURCE: Enablence Technologies Inc. Delta, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 29, 2024) - Fab-Form Industries Ltd. (TSXV: FBF) ("Fab-Form" and the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has appointed Baker Tilly WM LLP, as independent auditor of the Company, effective as of February 29, 2024 (the "Successor Auditor"). The Successor Auditor is being appointed following the receipt by the Company on January 01, 2024, of a formal resignation of Culver & Co. (the "Predecessor Auditor"), with said resignation effective as of January 01, 2024. Refer to the notice of change of auditor published on February 01, 2024. The board of directors of the Company appointed the Successor Auditor as the new auditor until the next Annual General Meeting of the Company. The Notice of Change of Auditors, together with the letter from the Successor Auditors, have been reviewed by the Company's Audit Committee and the Board of Directors. About Fab-Form Fab-Form Industries Ltd ("Fab-Form") is a leading concrete forming products manufacturer located in Vancouver, BC Canada. Since its inception in 1986, the Company has invented, developed, and commercialized foundation products that are more sustainable and efficient for the building industry. The Company has traded on the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSXV" under the symbol FBF) since 1999. 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. Company Contact: Joseph Fearn | joey@fab-form.com | 604 596-3278 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/199964 SOURCE: Fab-Form Industries Ltd. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 29, 2024) - Defence Therapeutics Inc. (CSE: DTC) (OTCQB: DTCFF) (FSE: DTC) ("Defence" or the "Company"), one of the leading Canadian biotechnology companies working in the field of immune-oncology, is pleased to announce the publication of a peer-reviewed study on the anticancer properties of its dual Accum-E7 vaccine, one of Defence's experimental product designed to treat established cervical cancer. The study, which was published in the prestigious journal of Cancer Science, is entitled, "An engineered Accum-E7 protein-based vaccine with dual anti-cervical cancer activity", and can be directly accessed at the following address https://doi.org/10.1111/cas.16096 . The human papillomavirus (HPV) can cause genital warts subsequently leading to cervical, anal, or head and neck cancers. Prophylactic HPV vaccines were therefore developed to prevent these infections and their associated complications. The most widely used of all four commercially available HPV vaccines is Gardasil-9. However, this vaccine has challenges: it requires three doses and the vaccine manufacturing remains costly, which may be prohibitive to low-income countries. In addition, the vaccine cannot provide complete protection against all 14 high-risk HPV subtypes as it only targets 9 of them. Furthermore, the vaccine should be administered before HPV exposure implying that it cannot treat existing infections or established cervical cancer. The peer-reviewed study on Defence's Accum-E7 anti-cancer vaccine presents an engineered Accum-E7 protein-based vaccine capable of providing a durable memory response when used prophylactically. In addition, the selection of E7 as a target "non-self" antigen widened the vaccine scope of application as it can also control the growth of pre-established cervical tumors through the generation of potent cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs). "Overall, this engineered Accum-E7 vaccine is safe, simple to engineer and manufacture making it an elixir candidate capable of providing both prophylactic and therapeutic activity against cervical cancer," says Dr. Rafei, the Chief Scientific Officer of Defence Therapeutics. The key highlights of the Accum-E7 study are: Prophylactic vaccination using the Accum -E7 vaccine confers complete protection despite multiple challenges. -E7 vaccine confers complete protection despite multiple challenges. Accum -E7 elicits antibodies capable of interfering with cancer cell proliferation in vitro. -E7 elicits antibodies capable of interfering with cancer cell proliferation Therapeutic vaccination using Accum -E7 synergises with multiple immune-checkpoint inhibitors. -E7 synergises with multiple immune-checkpoint inhibitors. The therapeutic effect of Accum -E7 relies on cross-presenting dendritic cells (DCs) and CD8 T cells. -E7 relies on cross-presenting dendritic cells (DCs) and CD8 T cells. Vaccination using Accum-E7 is safe and immunogenic as shown in the conducted GLP study. "This prestigious peer-reviewed publication provides an additional example of how the Accum technology can be exploited in the development of vaccines. It also opens up a new line of investigations where Defence's more potent Accum variants could be tested as bioconjugates to protein antigens," said Mr. Plouffe, Chief Executive Officer of Defence Therapeutics. In summary, our study shows that Accum-E7: i) provides potent protection (prophylactic vaccination) and durable memory responses, ii) triggers antibodies exhibiting a non-negligible role in fighting cervical tumors, iii), controls established tumors when delivered in combination with several immune-checkpoint inhibitors (therapeutic vaccination), and iv) is relatively safe, well tolerated and immunogenic by animals even when used at higher doses (GLP study). Financing Update The Company also provides an update to its previously announced non-brokered private placement of up to 1,500,000 units of the Company (each a "Unit") at a price of $1.50 per Unit for gross proceeds of up to $2,250,000 (the "Offering"). Following the first tranche closing of 567,000 Units for aggregate proceeds of $850,500 on January 30th, 2024, the Company has received a 45-day extension from the Canadian Securities Exchange to complete the Offering. About Defence: Defence Therapeutics is a publicly-traded biotechnology company working on engineering the next generation vaccines and ADC products using its proprietary platform. The core of Defence Therapeutics platform is the ACCUM technology, which enables precision delivery of vaccine antigens or ADCs in their intact form to target cells. As a result, increased efficacy and potency can be reached against catastrophic illness such as cancer and infectious diseases. For further information: Sebastien Plouffe, President, CEO and Director P: (514) 947-2272 Splouffe@defencetherapeutics.com www.defencetherapeutics.com Cautionary Statement Regarding "Forward-Looking" Information This release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that the Company expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include 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 securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Neither the CSE nor its market regulator, as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE, accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/199920 SOURCE: Defence Therapeutics Inc. Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - February 29, 2024) - EV Minerals Corporation (CSE: EVM) (FSE: RLC) (the "Company" or "EV Minerals") is pleased to announce results from the Lunge Project ("Lunge") surface sampling, which the Company completed in connection with the proposed acquisition (the "Acquisition") of the Baldwin and Lunge Projects (the "Sudbury Projects"). The Company entered into a purchase agreement (the "Agreement") with Graycliff Exploration Limited (the "Vendor") dated February 23, 2024, and the Acquisition is scheduled to close on March 1, 2024. EV Minerals mobilized a technical team to Lunge as part of the Company's due diligence for acquiring the Lunge and Baldwin Properties. The team collected a total of 35 samples with five (5) samples returning assay values of greater than 1% Nickel ("Ni"), and a total of seven (7) samples containing greater than 1% Copper ("Cu"). Notable highlights included high-grade Ni values from grab samples F420012 (1.14% Ni), 260850 (1.28% Ni), and F420013 (1.23% Ni). Additionally, significant Cu samples included 260845 (1.54% Cu), 260846 (1.15% Cu), 260842 (2.54% Cu), 171004 (2.44% Cu), and 171009 (2.04% Cu). Refer to Figure 1 for samples above 1% Cu, 1% Ni, or 1 g/t Au, and Table 1 for results above 0.5% Ni, 0.5% Cu, or 1 g/t Au. EV Minerals President and CEO Nicholas Konkin said: "The presence of strongly elevated Nickel and Copper values at surface and across multiple sites on the Lunge Project, shows the exploration potential of the property. Additionally, we were intrigued by the discovery of gold mineralization. We will begin to plan our 2024 base line exploration program to compliment ongoing efforts at the EV Nickel property in Quebec." Figure 1: Lunge Project Surface Sample Results To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/7111/199930_fdb6731c74a6a8c8_001full.jpg Table 1: Lunge Project Surface Sample Results Above 0.5% Ni, 0.5% Cu, or 1 g/t Au** Sample Number UTM NAD83 Zone 17N Ni (%) Cu (%) Au (g/t) Ag (g/t) Easting (m) Northing (m) 171001 449389 5134869 0.90 0.65 0.01 1.50 171002 449390 5134869 0.71 0.58 0.01 1.40 171003 449079 5134743 0.58 0.23 0.02 0.70 171004 452194 5135306 0.15 2.44 0.00 5.30 171006 452198 5135262 1.00 0.13 0.01 0.80 171007 452198 5135262 0.15 0.77 0.03 0.70 171008 452197 5135273 1.15 0.07 0.01 0.90 171009 452197 5135272 0.61 2.04 0.01 3.10 171010 452202 5135276 0.14 0.67 0.01 1.20 171011 452204 5135273 0.39 1.90 0.01 2.60 171012 452203 5135281 0.37 1.91 0.05 2.00 260841 452171 5135103 0.00 0.74 0.00 1.40 260842 452101 5135176 0.22 2.54 0.02 5.50 260843 449325 5134870 0.65 0.87 0.01 1.50 260844 449327 5134872 0.33 0.80 0.01 1.10 260845 449333 5134872 0.76 1.54 0.22 1.90 260846 449335 5134869 0.65 1.15 0.01 1.90 260847 449353 5134873 0.54 0.28 0.00 0.60 260848 449372 5134864 0.49 0.81 0.01 1.10 260849 449366 5134869 0.51 0.63 0.04 0.90 260850 449366 5134868 1.28 0.12 0.00 0.80 F420005 449297 5134871 0.04 0.09 1.49 0.25 F420012 449364 5134868 1.14 0.20 0.02 0.70 F420013 449370 5134869 1.23 0.06 0.00 0.50 **All sample values are from grab samples which by their nature are not representative of overall grades of mineralized areas. Readers are cautioned to not place undue reliance on the assay values reported in the table above. The 24 samples above are part of a suite of 35 samples collected and assayed. Grab samples were analyzed at AGAT Laboratories for a suite of 34 metals by 4-Acid digest, with an Inductively Coupled Plasma - Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES) finish (method code 201-070) and for Au, Pt, and Pd by ICP-OES finish (method code 202-555). Samples not shown in the table returned assays below 0.5% nickel, 0.5% copper and 1g/t gold. About Baldwin & Lunge Projects The Baldwin Project, comprised of the Main Baldwin Block and the Northeast Baldwin Block, spans 1,605 hectares, with the adjacent 587-hectare Lunge Project, located 6 km northeast, showcasing gold and critical minerals potential. Airborne geophysics on both projects revealed multiple new target areas for gold, copper, nickel, and platinum group elements (PGE) mineralization. Baldwin, underlain by rocks of the Huronian Supergroup, exposes a major splay off the Murray Fault. The Elliot Lake Group dominates, comprising mafic, intermediate, and felsic metavolcanic rocks overlying or intercalated with McKim and Matinenda sedimentary formations. The region displays east-to-northeast trending with folding, notably southeast, featuring folded Nipissing sills along the Murray Fault. Significant faults, including Murray, Worthington, Fairbanks Lake, and Cameron Lake, are present. The Lunge Property, situated 6 km along the Elliot Lake Group strike, hosts folded mafic Nipissing sills and dykes, indicating potential for copper, nickel, and PGE deposits. Geologic feedback from the technical team indicates that the predominant host rock of the stronger mineralization was gabbro, exhibiting strong alteration and mineralization, predominantly featuring pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite, and pyrite. Qualified Person Bruce Durham, an independent Qualified Person ("QP") as such term is defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, has reviewed and approved the technical information reported in this news release. About EV Minerals Corporation EV Minerals Corporation is a Canadian exploration company focused on mineral exploration and development. The current focus is the EV Nickel Project, host of the nickel-copper-cobalt McNickel deposit. The Project is comprised of 32 mineral claims covering approximately 1,792 hectares located in the Saguenay area, the Province of Quebec. This deposit contains a historical resource of 5.585 million tonnes with grades of 0.21% Ni, 0.11% Cu and 0.03% Co (NI 43-101 non-compliant resource), which is to be re-evaluated with the consideration of using either bioleaching or acid leaching and electrowinning for nickel, cobalt and copper recovery. Recently acquired properties Baldwin and Lunge Property will allow the Company to expand its exploration efforts into the Province of Ontario. Baldwin and Lunge Properties are comprised of 72 and 27 mineral claims respectively. These properties boast extensive mineral potential including gold, nickel, copper, and PGE in an established mining camp. For more information, please contact: Nicholas Konkin President and CEO, Director nick@evmineralscorp.ca 416-642-1807 Ext 305 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", "may", "will", "would", "potential", "proposed" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. These statements are only predictions. Forward-looking information is based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the information is provided and is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information. For a description of the risks and uncertainties facing the Company and its business and affairs, readers should refer to the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change, unless required by law. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/199930 SOURCE: EV Minerals Corporation Kenai Therapeutics, a San Diego, Ca-based biotechnology company leveraging induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology, raised $82M in Series A funding. The round was led by Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation, Cure Ventures and The Column Group, with participation from Euclidean Capital and Saisei Ventures. The company intends to use the funds to submit an IND for RNDP-001 and complete Phase 1 clinical trials, which will initiate within the year. Co-founded by Dr. Howard Federoff and Dr. Jeffrey Kordower, Kenai Therapeutics is a biotechnology company working to develop approaches to cure neurological disorders. It utilizes allogeneic induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology, that enable scientists to manufacture many human cell types, in order to advance its off-the-shelf neuron replacement therapeutics. By focusing on an iPSC technology platform, and forging partnerships with global leaders in surgical delivery and clinical development, Kenai is dedicated to advancing a pipeline targeting neurological diseases. RNDP-001 is an iPSC-derived, allogeneic dopamine progenitor cell therapy for the treatment of both idiopathic and inherited forms of Parkinsons disease, and has displayed survival, innervation, and behavioral rescue in preclinical models of Parkinsons disease. Kenai Therapeutics previously raised seed funding under the name Ryne Bio. FinSMEs 29/02/2024 RoleMapper Press 1: (L-R) Jody Tableporter, Director, Nations and Regions Investment Funds at The British Business Bank, Sara Hill, Founder and CEO at RoleMapper, Ralph Singleton, Head of Equity, South West at The FSE Group. RoleMapper, an Exeter, UK-based AI-powered job management platform, raised 2.1m in funding. The funding included a 1m equity investment from the British Business Banks South West Investment Fund (SWIF), via appointed fund manager The FSE Group, as well as Mercia Ventures, QantX, and existing private investors. The company intends to use the funds to expand operations and development efforts. Led by Sara Hill, Founder and CEO, RoleMapper provides an AI-powered job description management platform that automates job description, job family and job architecture creation, review and governance. Its solutions include RoleCreate for dynamic and inclusive job description management, RoleArchitect for job architecture and RoleRecruit, job advert and interview assessment automation. Commenting on the news, Sara Hill said: We are thrilled to have the South West Investment Fund and FSE on board as new partners, enabling us to further strengthen our product, unique AI models and build capacity for further roll-out. We look forward to working with all our investors as we continue our growth journey and build on the progress weve made helping organisations create better jobs and build inclusive workplaces. FinSMEs 29/02/2024 Sonichem, a Leicestershire, UK-based startup that converts forestry by-products into renewable biochemicals, raised 1.2M in Pre-Series A funding. ACF Investors made the investment. The company intends to use the funds to to further develop its technology and finalise plans for a biorefinery plant. Led by CEO Adrian Black, Sonichem is an early-stage clean technology company that uses ultrasonic processing to convert by-products of forestry into renewable bio-based chemicals. The company is working on the ultrasonic processing of woody biomass to extract high-value, renewable biochemicals with broad sector applications including bio-based materials, sustainable cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and personal care products. Commenting on the news, Adrian Black said: At Sonichem, our mission is to make the chemical industry more sustainable. Now weve completed the first phase of our Pre-series A round, were looking to enter our next stage of commercial development as we look to scale our offerings and build towards finalising our Pre-series A round and raising our Series A to support the development of our biorefinery plant in the North of the UK. ACFs investment is a continued vote of confidence in our mission and were excited to get going. Black is supported by the management team of Miranda Lindsay-Fynn, Commercial Director, Dr Andrew West, Chief Chemist and Omar Farooq, Senior Process Engineer. FinSMEs 29/02/2024 The youngest heir of Reliance Industries, Anant Ambani shared that his decision is encouraged by honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modis Wed In India call Mukesh Ambani and Nita Ambanis youngest son, Anant Ambani is set to tie the knot with Viren & Shaila Merchants daughter Radhika Merchant. The pre-wedding festivities will begin from March 1 to March 3 at Jamnagar, Gujarat and will be attended by influential personalities across the world. While several updates about the mega event through videos and images have already stirred the internet, Anant Ambani has revealed why the family chose Jamnagar for his pre-wedding festivities with Radhika Merchant. Advertisement The youngest heir of Reliance Industries, Anant Ambani shared that his decision is encouraged by honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modis Wed In India call. Apart from that, he also shared that his grandmother Kokilaben Ambani was born in Jamnagar and it is the town where his grandfather Dhirubhai Ambani and father Mukesh Ambanis business had originated. Advertisement I have grown up here, and its my good fortune that we could plan the celebration here. This is my dadis janm bhoomi (grandmothers birthplace) and my dada and papas karm bhoomi (my grandfather and fathers workplace). Its a matter of pride and happiness when our PM said that one should get married in India. And this is my home. Anant told India Today. Advertisement My father often says that this is my dadas sasural (in-laws house), and hence we are celebrating here. I also believe I am from Jamnagar, yahin ka nagarik hun (I am a Jamnagar citizen), he further added. Anant Ambani completed his studies from Brown University in the USA and has since served at Reliance Industries in various capacities including as a member on the Boards of Jio Platforms and Reliance Retail Ventures. Radhika is a graduate of New York University and serves as a Director on the Board of Encore Healthcare. She is also a trained Indian classical dancer. The Belgian Malinois has become increasingly popular among militaries and police units across the world. Now, India plans to replace Labradors with this breed for future operations of the National Security Guard (NSG). Heres what makes these canines special Dogs have long been used by armed forces and police around the world for various tasks, including nabbing bad guys. While several canine breeds are deployed for security purposes, the Belgian Malinois has become increasingly popular among special forces globally. After being the top choice of militaries in the United States, Europe and Israel, now India is reportedly planning to replace Labrador with the Belgian Malinois for future operations of the National Security Guard (NSG), the countrys elite counter-terrorism unit. Advertisement Why is the Belgian Malinois preferred by police and militaries? How is India making way for the canine to replace Labrador? Lets take a closer look. The allure of Belgian Malinois for security forces The Belgian Malinois is a versatile, loyal and hardworking breed, according to the American Kennel Club. Developed in the Belgian city of Malines in the 1800s, the canine was initially trained for herding sheep. Over the last century, these super agile dogs have diversified their career paths, ranging from guarding farms and families to being used in important operations of the armed forces. Owing to their versatility, these canines were first introduced for military purposes during the Second World War, deployed mostly as border patrol, cart haulers and message runners, according to an article in Highland Canine Training. Advertisement The Belgian Malinois is one of the top breeds chosen by police departments in the United States. Their keen sense of smell, courage and intelligence make them the perfect choice for military operations. As a herding breed, they have the strength and smarts to help restrain a potentially dangerous individual, says the American Kennel Club. Advertisement As it has a smaller size than German Shepherds, Belgian Malinois is ideal for parachuting and fast-roping out of aircraft, noted ThePrint. In India, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) was among the first forces to induct the breed. A CRPF officer told Times of India (TOI) last year that 90 per cent of dogs in the force were Belgian Malinois and the breed was deployed for finding explosives and carrying out searches and patrols. Advertisement The dogs were reportedly first used by the Indian Army in 1999. However, due to their aggressive nature they were phased out. . . but they were re-introduced in the Indian Army in the year 2019, an Army spokesperson told TOI in a statement. Belgian Malinois has various inherent capabilities like strength, stamina, high trainability and ability to work in a wide range of environmental temperatures that make them a suitable choice for becoming a MWD (Military Working Dog), the statement added. Advertisement Israel has trained the Belgian Malinois to sniff out Hamas militants from their underground tunnels in Gaza, along with tracking and attacking them. Belgian Malinois high-profile missions Perhaps the breeds highest-profile involvement came during Operation Neptune Spear in 2011 when the US Navy SEAL Team Six raided and successfully killed Al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden at his Abbottabad compound in Pakistan. Advertisement A military dog named Cairo, a Belgian Malinois, accompanied 23 SEALs and an interpreter on the raid, helping the armed forces take down the dreaded terrorist. In 2019, a Belgian Malinois chased down ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi through a dark tunnel in northwest Syria during a raid by US special forces. Advertisement These attack dogs have also proved their mettle in detecting explosives and drugs in Iraq and Afghanistan. Mali, an eight-year-old Belgian Malinois, was awarded the Dickin Medal, Britains highest bravery award for animals, for saving lives during an operation to secure a building where armed insurgents were hiding in Afghanistans Kabul. In 2022, a two-year-old Belgian Malinois named Axel was killed in a counter-terrorist operation in Jammu and Kashmirs Baramulla. The dog was gunned down by a terrorist while on a mission to sniff out the hiding terrorists. The Army dog was posthumously awarded a Mention in Dispatches for displaying exemplary courage in several counter-terrorism operations. Advertisement Why Belgian Malinois will soon replace NSGs Labradors As per an Indian Express report, NSGs Labrador squad will eventually make way for Belgian Malinois. The elite force has started training these dogs to sniff, track and attack to help the Black Cat commandos with anti-terror operations, including hostage situations. The operational squads will become leaner (due to the Belgian Malinois). Else, we would have to take two sets of dogs along with their trainers and other logistics. It impacts mobility and stealth, NSG Director General MA Ganapathy told Indian Express. Advertisement Besides cocker spaniels, NSGs K9 canine unit consists of 20 Labradors and 14 Belgian Malinois, the newspaper reported. Labradors get tired very easily and can get playful during operations. These are not issues we face with the Malinois. Labradors are constantly looking for affection and are eager to please their masters. They also want treats constantly. Malinois are more professional that way, Lieutenant Colonel RB Sharma, the in-charge of NSGs K9 canine unit, told Indian Express. Advertisement Lt Col Sharma said that they have stopped acuiring more Labradors as they plan to retire them gradually. As per the newspaper report, the Belgian Malinois has been trained to sniff out explosives and attack terrorists based on orders remotely issued via Canine Reward Delivery Systems (CRDS) a technology designed for dog squads. Advertisement With inputs from agencies Farmers protesting to press the Centre over their various demands will take a call on their next course of action. The BJP is likely to hold its first meeting of the central election committee for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Heres what else you can expect during the day Farmers shout slogans at the protest site near Shambhu barrier, a border between Punjab and Haryana states, 20 February 2024. Reuters File Photo It is the last day of February. With 2024 being a leap year, we got an extra 24 hours this month. 29 February will witness several big news developments. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is likely to hold its first meeting of the central election committee for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Advertisement Protesting farmers will decide their next course of action today after halting their Delhi Chalo march last week. Heres this and much more that you can expect as the day unfolds. Farmers to decide next step Farmers protesting to press the Centre over their various demands will take a call on their next course of action. After pausing the agitation last week due to the death of a farmer during clashes with the police at the Punjab-Haryana border, the farm unions spearheading the stir will make announcements about their next steps today. Protesting farmers have stayed put at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders. Their main demands include a legal guarantee on the minimum support price (MSP), the implementation of the Swaminathan Commissions recommendations, and a farm loan waiver. Advertisement BJPs central election panel meeting The BJPs central election committee meeting will be held under the chairmanship of party president JP Nadda. The BJP sources told ANI that the party high command, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will attend the meeting. The saffron party could release the names of at least 100-120 candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections after the huddle. Advertisement Top BJP leaders, including PM Narendra Modi, will attend the meeting. PTI File Photo The top BJP brass is also expected to discuss seats that the party lost in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. PM Modi to inaugurate projects PM Modi will virtually inaugurate two significant First Mile Connectivity Projects (FMC) of Northern Coalfields Limited (NCL) worth Rs 1,393.69 crore. Owned by the Coal India arm NCL, the projects located in Madhya Pradesh will boost coal supply and quality in an eco-friendly manner, the coal ministry said in a statement. Advertisement These two projects are Jayant OCP CHP-SILO and the Dudhichua OCP CHP-SILO. The Jayant OCP CHP-SILO boasts a capacity of 15 Million Tonnes Per Annum (MTPA) and has been developed with an investment of Rs 723.50 Crore. Similarly, the Dudhichua OCP CHP-SILO, with a capacity of 10 Million Tonnes Per Annum (MTPA), has been constructed with an investment of Rs. 670.19 Crore, the ministrys statement read. Advertisement These projects will slash coal transportation time and production costs, along with helping in reducing traffic congestion, accidents, and environmental impact, the ministry added. Russian presidents Federal Assembly address Russian president Vladimir Putin will make his annual address to the Federal Assembly today. The Russian Constitution states the president addresses the Federal Assembly with an annual report on the situation in the country, on the main directions of the states domestic and foreign policy. Advertisement Russian president Vladimir Putin will make his annual address to the Federal Assembly on 29 February. Reuters File Photo Putin is expected to lay down his evaluation of Russias current situation and sets tasks for the future. The last address took place in February 2023, which was Putins 18th and Russias 28th in its modern history. Allahabad HC to hear Shahi Idgah mosque The Allahabad High Court will continue to hear a plea challenging the maintainability of a suit seeking the removal of the Shahi Idgah mosque in Uttar Pradeshs Mathura. Advertisement A petition was filed by Bhagwan Shrikrishna Virajman claiming that the mosque was built on a 13.37-acre land that belongs to the Katra Keshav Dev temple. The suit has been challenged by the Shahi Idgah Intezamia Committee. The counsel for the Muslim side, Taslima Aziz Ahmadi, has argued that a compromise was reached between the Srikrishna Janam Sewa Sangh and the Shahi Idgah Masjid Committee in 1968 in which the land where the mosque stands was given by the former to the latter. Advertisement She said that a court order passed in 1974 affirmed this pact. Ahmadi stated that the present suit is not maintainable as it violates the said compromise and the court order. 15th Bengaluru International Film Festival to begin The 15th edition of the Bengaluru International Film Festival (BIFFes) will kickstart today. The festival will continue till 7 March with screenings of 180 films across various categories at PVR Orion in Rajajinagar, Suchitra Academy, and Dr Rajkumar Bhavana. Tensions arose after Thailands ambassador to the World Trade Organization reportedly accused India of using subsidised rice exports to dominate the global market. New Delhi has decried the allegations. Heres whats going on India continued to be the worlds biggest rice exporter in 2023 despite export bans. Reuters File Photo Diplomatic tensions have risen between India and Thailand at the latest rounds of World Trade Organization (WTO) talks. A row erupted on Tuesday (27 February) after Thailands ambassador to the WTO reportedly accused India of using subsidised rice exports to dominate the global market. The remarks triggered strong protests with Indian negotiators boycotting talks in groups where a Thailand representative was present, according to a Times of India (TOI) report. Advertisement What happened? Will the India-Thailand rift affect global trade relations? Lets take a closer look. Thailands allegation against India Thailand has alleged that Indias rice is heavily subsidised which gives it an upper hand in the international export market, reported BNN Breaking. The comments made by the Thai ambassador to the WTO Pimchanok Vonkorpon Pitfield during a consultation meeting were backed by some representatives of rich countries, further irking New Delhi. As per TOI, Indian officials lodged a strong protest with the Thai government over the remarks. Union minister of commerce and industry Piyush Goyal also raised the issue with United States Trade Representative (USTR) Katherine Tai and EU executive vice-president Valdis Dombrovskis against the unacceptable language and behaviour, the newspaper reported. Advertisement Speaking to TOI, Indian government officials said that the Thai ambassadors facts were wrong. They said just around 40 per cent of the rice produced in the country is acquired by the government for food security purposes. A portion of the remaining produce not obtained by government agencies is exported by India at market price, officials added. Advertisement India, the worlds biggest rice exporter, accounted for about 40 per cent of the global rice trade in 2022. The South Asian country continued to hold the title of the worlds top rice exporter last year despite banning the shipments of non-basmati white rice and implementing a 20 per cent duty on parboiled rice, BusinessLine reported citing Thailand Rice Exporters Association (TREA). Advertisement Workers weigh and pack paddy bags at Sitapur market, in Uttar Pradesh, India, 20 October 2023. Reuters File Photo However, Indias share in the global market plunged by 27 per cent due to the rice export bans. According to TREA honorary president Chukiat Opaswong, the South Asian nation exported 16.5 million tonnes (mt) of rice in 2023 compared to 22.3 mt in 2022. Will the row affect global trade relations? The Thailand ambassadors remarks came on the day India called for a permanent solution for public stockholding for food security at the 13th ministerial conference of the WTO. Advertisement The organisation defines public food stockholding (PSH) as the procurement, storage and release of food stocks by governments through state-owned enterprises or other public agencies. The India-Thailand row has brought the complications around public stockholding and agricultural subsidies in global trade discussions to the fore, noted BNN Breaking. According to TOI, Western nations, which are irked by Indias rice export bans, are trying to portray that the South Asian country was manipulating international trade by selling subsidised cereal grain in the global markets. Advertisement A logo is pictured outside the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in Geneva, Switzerland, 28 September 2021. Reuters File Photo However, officials told the newspaper that the current trade terms favoured wealthier countries as the reference price for calculating subsidy was fixed at the 1986-88 level. Due to the flawed formula, India ends up breaking the recommended cap of 10 per cent of the value of production for rice. But the country cannot be taken to WTO over the breach as the member states had decided over a decade back to work out a new formula and avoid rifts till then, reported TOI. Advertisement The dispute over rice exports and subsidies is linked to the broader debate on ensuring fair trade practices as well as addressing global food security concerns. Rich nations have been hesitant to slash import duties due to which the issue of public stockholding for the food security needs of developing countries has been put off for two years. Advertisement Post-COVID, countries have realised that food security is akin to national security. It needs to be addressed before anything else. The kind of language coming from some countries here is unacceptable, an Indian negotiator told TOI. According to BNN Breaking, the outcome of the dispute between India and Thailand could have wide-ranging effects on global trade relations, especially regarding future discussions on agricultural subsidies at WTO. Advertisement With inputs from agencies The RBI issued a cautionary message to cellphone users advising them against charging their devices via public chargers due to security threats presented by juice jacking. In this type of attack, hackers manipulate public USB charging stations by installing malware on them or altering their hardware, which enables them to steal data from linked devices The term juice jacking was first coined in 2011 by cybersecurity expert Brian Kreb. Pexels/Representative Image Many individuals frequently go to coffee shops, stores, and other locations with charging ports when their phones battery runs low. Today, however, even seemingly ordinary actions like this can make them fall victim to cyberfraud. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued a cautionary message to mobile phone users, advising them against charging their devices via public chargers. Advertisement The warning is issued in the wake of rising worries about the security threats presented by the juice jacking cyberattack. Heres what it is. What is juice jacking? The term juice jacking was first coined in 2011 by cybersecurity expert Brian Kreb, according to Vox. It is a type of cyberattack where hackers manipulate public USB charging stations by installing malware on them or altering their hardware, which enables them to steal data from linked devices. Hackers use this attack, often referred to as port jacking, to obtain sensitive information from the targeted device, including addresses, bank and credit card details, and passwords, explained The Hindu. Such attacks can take place in a variety of public places, including malls, hotels, cafes, and airports. The world was first made aware of the threat posed by juice jacking, according to the Security Intelligence website, at the hacking and cybersecurity conference DefCon. Researchers from Aires Security set up a public charging kiosk at the events Wall of Sheep area as part of an experiment to determine the viability of juice jacking. Advertisement The kiosks screen claimed to be a free cell phone charging station, but as soon as customers plugged in their phones, it displayed a warning about potential malware payloads from public charging outlets. How does it work? Malicious charge stations: Scammers install charge stations that seem handy and authentic. Users are unaware that these stations are set up to gather data from devices that are connected, according to Moneycontrol. Advertisement Data theft: Malicious software or hardware can begin collecting private information from a connected device as soon as an unwary user connects their device into a hacked charging connection. Malware injection: In certain scams, the victims phone or tablet is compromised by malware that is directly injected into the device while it is charging. Advertisement Multi-device attack: Attackers use the linked device to propagate malware to further devices that it might later connect to. Attack to disable: Juice jacking is a technique used by hackers to lock device owners out of their gadgets, preventing them from accessing them. How common is it? Although its not the most common attack these days, officials have cautioned against using unreliable free charging stations in public areas. Advertisement The Hindu, citing an Ars Technica investigation, said that despite official messages, the majority of cybersecurity experts do not consider juice jacking to be a problem unless users are the target of nation-state hackers, and there are no confirmed examples reported in the wild. But just because there havent been any incidents reported doesnt mean people cant be attacked, caution is still advised. Advertisement What has the RBI said about the scam? The RBI underlined how crucial it is to safeguard financial and personal information when utilising mobile devices. In todays digital age, it is crucial for individuals to be vigilant about their cybersecurity. Charging your phone using public ports or conducting financial transactions over public Wi-Fi networks can expose your data to potential threats. It is advisable to use your personal charger and a trusted power source to charge your devices, RBI said, as per The Hindu Business Line. Advertisement Cyberattack risk can also be reduced by utilising a virtual private network (VPN) and making sure that devices have the most recent security patches loaded. The alert from the RBI serves as a reminder to mobile phone users to exercise caution when it comes to cybersecurity procedures and to take the required safety measures to shield their financial and personal data from potential dangers. Advertisement What else can you do? You can take a few more safety measures to guard against becoming a victim of the juice-jacking scam. Consider using USB data blockers, also referred to as USB condoms, which are tiny adapters that only permit charging while preventing the flow of data, as per Moneycontrol. By doing this, any unauthorised data interchange while charging is prevented. Advertisement Your device may unintentionally connect to malicious networks or devices while it looks for a charging source, therefore, turn off the automatic connection feature. Whenever feasible, stay on reliable and secure WiFi networks. Avoid using your phone at a public charging station while its charging, because this increases the risk of unwanted access. Advertisement With inputs from agencies At 81, Joe Biden is the oldest US president. Voters are concerned that he is too old for a second term. Now an annual medical examination has declared him fit for duty. Amid speculation about his memory, Biden has not taken a cognitive test. Is he hiding something? And do White House physicals reveal the complete truth? US president Joe Biden walks out of the White House in Washington, to board Marine One for a short trip to Walter Reed National Military Medical Centre in Bethesda, Md., for his annual physical. He said later that the medical test had gone well. AP Joe Biden has stumbled and tripped in public. He has fumbled and forgotten names during speeches (most recently Hamas, they say). The advanced age and poor memory of Americas oldest president have been the subject of many a debate. Amid these concerns, the 81-year-old leader, on Wednesday, visited the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland for his annual medical examination. How did it go? The president said that the check-up went well and even joked that he looked too young. Advertisement As curiosity over his age increases ahead of the November election, reporters asked if the medical exam raised any concerns. No, there is nothing different from last year, he said at an event at the White House later. So is Biden fit to run for office? We take a look at what the White House doctor said and at how the health of presidents past have been scrutinised. How healthy is Joe Biden? Biden is fit for duty , a White House doctor said in a published summary of his routine health examination. He fully executes all of his responsibilities without any exemptions or accommodations, Dr Kevin C OConnor said. The presidents health remains stable including his asymptomatic atrial fibrillation, stiffened gait and seasonal allergies. He has been using a positive airway pressure machine as part of his sleeping routine. This was added after doctors conducted a sleep study to evaluate Bidens sleep apnea symptoms, according to the assessment, reports NBC News. It was revealed in June last year that the president uses the machine to address the sleep disorder. Advertisement Biden also had a skin lesion, which was revealed to be a basal cell carcinoma removed from his chest last year. According to the assessment, which noted that that type of skin cancer does not typically metastasise, he did not need any further treatment for it. Joe Biden is the oldest leader to hold the office of president in the US. His health has been a concern for voters, as many feel he is too old to run for a second term. AP The report also added that Biden had a dental surgery and a root canal in June, which needed local numbing medication. The president does not use tobacco products or alcohol and exercises five days a week, the White House doctor said. He is a healthy, active, robust 81-year-old, the report concluded. Advertisement However, there has been speculation about Bidens memory , especially after a special counsel report portrayed him as elderly and forgetful. The investigation cleared him of illegally retaining classified documents in his home and garage, but said he would come across to a jury as a well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory . Advertisement Voters too have been concerned that he is too old for a second four-year term. Joe Biden almost trips twice on the short steps. The man is falling apart in real time.pic.twitter.com/ElYSGi4QOM Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) February 20, 2024 Advertisement Yet Biden did not take a cognitive test. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that the presidents doctors determined that he didnt need a cognitive exam. However, the presidents doctor did not address the matter directly in his report. He passes a cognitive test every day," Jean-Pierre said, describing the challenges of the job, which she said was more rigorous than a 15-minute cognitive test could be. Advertisement Bidens medical reports from November 2021 and February 2023 also did not include any references to tests or evaluations of his memory or cognition. What about Bidens rival Trump? Age is a sensitive subject in this election. Like Biden, Trump too has had his share of mix-ups. The 77-year-old Republican frontrunner cant remember his wifes name, Biden joked recently, referring to an apparent episode where the former president mistakenly called his wife Melania Mercedes. Advertisement The other guy and I are about the same age. The question in this election is: How old are your ideas? He wants to take us back 60 years. Im focused on the future. pic.twitter.com/lcQcXWt5Jh Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) February 27, 2024 Advertisement This was not an isolated incident. In late January, Trump appeared to confuse his Republican rival Nikki Haley with former House speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat. The lapses have led to speculation about his mental fitness too. But experts say it is amateur. Advertisement The temporary inability to remember names, in particular, is very common as we get older, says Dr. Sharon Sha, a clinical professor of neurology at Stanford University was quoted as saying by NPR. Trump has bragged about taking a cognitive test when he was in the White House. He scored 30/30 at the time, the White House physician said in 2018, adding that the then-president was mentally very sharp, very intact. Advertisement Also read: Foot fetish or health issue: Why the internet is obsessing over Donald Trumps toe pads However, it is Trumps weight that has garnered more attention. In 2018, Trumps doctor said that he had encouraged him to lose weight. Its not clear if he followed the advice as he appeared to have gained a few pounds the following year. Advertisement Trump has appeared leaner in recent months, leading to speculation that he might be taking weight-loss drugs. He revealed in January that he lost around 20 lbs (9 kg). He told Fox News that he did it the hard way. Ive been so busy I havent been able to eat very much. Im not able to sit down and eat like a person like you - you can sit down and eat. Me, its a little bit tougher, he said. Republican presidential candidate and former president Donald Trump pumps his fist as he departs after speaking during the Conservative Political Action Conference, CPAC 2024, in Oxon. Like Biden, Trumps gaffes have also raised amature speculation about his mental fitness. AP It has been noticed that Trumps physicians have in the past given fawning descriptions of his health. But were they always honest? One of the doctors Harold Bornstein acknowledged that Trump dictated him a 2015 letter deeming him to be in astonishingly excellent health and that he would be the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal (WSJ). In 2018, Bornstein told CNN, I just made it up as I went along. Its like the movie Fargo: It takes the truth and moves it in a different direction. There was speculation about the Republican contenders health after he suffered from COVID-19 in 2020 , especially as his age put him in the high-risk group. He also has obesity and high cholesterol, for which he reportedly took a statin. But his doctors remained reticent to divulge many details about his illness. Also read: Alls not well: The story of US defence secretary Lloyd Austins secret hospitalisation Have other presidents then been honest about their health? While White House physicians rarely disclose any dramatic details about the health of presidents, the truth has been concealed in the past. Woodrow Wilson had a major stroke in October 1919, which left him incapacitated. This fact from hidden from members of Congress and the public. Richard Menger, a University of South Alabama neurosurgeon who co-authored a 2015 paper on Wilsons stroke in the Journal of Neurosurgery, that it was believed to be the presidents fourth stroke, according to the report in WSJ. President Ronald Reagan got a clean health bill in 1988 with his doctor saying he was in remarkable physical condition. He appeared to have a memory problem and it was only disclosed in 1994 that he suffered from Alzheimers disease. It is still debated if it affected his ability to function while in office but research shows that the disease begins in the brain 20 to 30 years before symptoms begin. Former United States president Ronald Reagan poses in the replica of the Oval Office at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley, California. In 1994, it was disclosed that he was suffering from Alzheimers disease. File photo/Reuters When John F Kennedy became the youngest president at 43, he appeared healthy. However, he suffered from hypothyroidism, back pain and Addisons disease. He was on a daily dose of steroids and a host of other drugs. Addisons disease affects your cortisol levels, your ability to handle stress, Dr Connie Mariano, who served as White House physician for Presidents George W Bush and Bill Clinton, told CNN in an earlier interview. Does the law require US presidents to disclose details about their health? In the US, no law requires presidents to release their health records to the public. However, it has been a common practice since it was first started by Richard Nixon. Jacob Appel, a physician and professor at a medical school in New York, who is writing a book on presidential health, told WSJ that only the information that the president wants is released. So we have no idea whether its a comprehensive portrait or not. And weve learned many times that what is shared is not the entire picture. With inputs from agencies TMC local leader Sheikh Shahjahan has been arrested by the Bengal Police after he was found hiding in a house in North 24 Parganas district. The Sandeshkhali strongman has been accused by locals of sexual atrocities against women as well as land-grabbing TMC strongman Sheikh Shahjahan has been arrested from North 24 Parganas district. He has been on the run since 5 January after a team of ED officials was attacked by a mob of his supporters near his residence in Sandeshkhali. File image/News18 The manhunt for absconding Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan, the strongman in Sandeshkhali who has been accused of sexual atrocities and land grab, has finally come to an end. The Bengal Police nabbed him early this morning and he will now be taken to Basirhat court. Notably, the arrest comes three days after the Calcutta High Court criticised the state police for their inaction against the Trinamool leader and said that he should be arrested. Advertisement We take a closer look at how finally after a 55-day hunt, the TMC strongman was finally nabbed. An arrest, at last After 55 whole long days, the Bengal Police found and arrested Sheikh Shahjahan, who was in hiding, from a house in Minakhah in North 24 Parganas district. He has been on the run since 5 January when a team of Enforcement Directorate officials had arrived at his residence in the states Sandeshkhali area. The team had been monitoring the leaders activities for several days leading up to the arrest, officials said. #WATCH | Sandeshkhali violence | TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan arrested by West Bengal Police. He will be presented before Basirhat Court today. Visuals from the Court premises. #WestBengal pic.twitter.com/ZYoXYeMMH6 ANI (@ANI) February 29, 2024 Advertisement While some reports say that he was arrested around midnight, some others say that the TMC leader was nabbed at 3 am. As per Sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) of Minakhah, Aminul Islam Khan, Shahjahan has been arrested and is presently in the courts lock-up. The TMC leader, who has been taken to Basirhat, will be produced before the court at 2 pm today, said the SDPO. Advertisement The arrest comes after the Calcutta High Court, on Monday, reprimanded the state police for their alleged inaction regarding the allegations, noting that the incidents were reported four years ago. On 26 February, the Calcutta High Court Justice said, There is no reason to not arrest him. The court also asked officials to issue public notice in newspapers informing that legal actions has been initiated against Sheikh Shahjahan. Advertisement Security personnel deployed during ED officers raid at TMC leader Shahjahan Sheikhs home at Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district. File image/PTI TMC-BJP trade charges over arrest Shortly after Shahjahan was arrested, the Trinamool Congress hailed the state polices action. TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh told news agency PTI, Due to a legal tangle, he couldnt be arrested initially. However, after the court clarified that there was no stay on his arrest, the West Bengal Police did its job. The Opposition had earlier exploited the embargo on his arrest. Advertisement Voicing similar sentiments, TMCs Santanu Sen said that Shahjahans arrest proves that the Mamata Banerjee-led government follows rajdharma in an administrative manner. We had taken action against Partha Chatterjee and Jyotipriya Mallick, and similarly, we have taken action against Shibu Hazra and Uttam Sardar and now Sheikh Shahjahan has been arrested. On one side, accused leaders openly move in BJP-ruled states and on the other side our administration doesnt spare accused TMC leaders if there is evidence against them. BJP should learn rajdharma from the TMC. Advertisement However, the BJP dubbed the arrest as scripted and claimed he was in the safe custody of West Bengal Police. West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar told news agency ANI, Due to the continuous agitation by the BJP, this government was compelled to arrest Sheikh Shahjahan. #WATCH | Sandeshkhali incident | On the arrest of TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan, West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar says, "Due to the continuous agitation by the BJP, this government was compelled to arrest Sheikh Shahjahan. The government was in denial mode. They were not pic.twitter.com/UuQ2IGA0Dj ANI (@ANI) February 29, 2024 Advertisement BJP state spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya added, It was TMC and the state police which were shielding the culprits. He has been arrested now as a part of a well-scripted story. Advertisement Leader of the Opposition in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari speaks during a sit-in dharna against the state government over the Sandeshkhali incident, in Kolkata. File image/PTI Earlier on Wednesday, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari claimed that Shahjahan Sheikh was in safe custody of the state police since Tuesday. Adhikari also alleged that the TMC strongman had struck a deal with West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and was getting five-star treatment in police custody. Advertisement Shahjahans reign of terror in Sandeshkhali The area of Sandeshkhali, situated 100 kilometres away from Kolkata on the borders of the Sundarbans, has been on the edge with protests from the locals, alleging that TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan has been indulging in land grabbing as well as sexual abuse . A local TMC leader, Shahjahan wields great power and influence in Sandeshkhali, earning him the nickname Betaj Badshah. He has also been previously embroiled in several criminal cases, including the murder of three BJP workers in 2019. Advertisement Women in the Sandeshkhali area had earlier alleged that the TMC men called them to resorts, party offices or school buildings under the garb of late-night meetings. One of the women told Indian Express about her trauma, saying, What do you call summoning us at 10 pm under the pretext of a meeting? Touching us whenever they like and wherever they like, pulling our saree? I went through that so many times and I am not alone. Advertisement West Bengal governor CV Ananda Bose gets a rakhi tied by a woman at Sandeshkhali block, in North 24 Parganas district. Bose visited the trouble-torn block in the district and spoke to women protestors who alleged sexual harassment and torture by absconding TMC leader Sheikh Shajahan Sheikh and his associates. File image/PTI Following the allegations, Governor C V Ananda Bose visited Sandeshkhali on 12 February and described the situation as ghastly, shocking, and shattering. He announced that the doors of Raj Bhavan are open for victimised women who can come and stay here. Furthermore, he submitted a report to the Union Home Ministry and called for a judicial inquiry. Others also visited the area, and alleged that there was no law and order there. However, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee rejected these claims and said that the BJP had brought in people to instigate violence in Sandeshkhali, and had fabricated an adivasi (ST) versus minorities (Muslim) fight. With inputs from agencies Transnistria, also known as Transdniester, is a narrow strip of land between the Dniester River and Moldovas border with Ukraine. It has been controlled by pro-Russia separatists since 1992. Heres why its politicians have sought Moscows protection A general view shows the city on the Defender of the Fatherland Day in Tiraspol, Moldova's breakaway region of Transdniestria, 23 February 2023. Reuters File Photo Transnistria, a Russia-backed breakaway region in Moldova, has appealed to Moscow for protection. On Wednesday (28 February), Transnistrian politicians in a meeting in the regional capital, Tiraspol, adopted a resolution asking the Federation Council and the State Duma of the Russian Federation, requesting measures to protect Transnistria amidst increased pressure from Moldova. Advertisement The resolution also mentioned that more than 220,000 Russian citizens reside in Transnistria, reported Associated Press (AP). But what is Transnistria and why has its appeal to Russia triggered annexation concerns? Lets take a closer look. What is Transnistria? Transnistria, also known as Transdniester, is a narrow strip of land wedged between the Dniester River and Moldovas border with Ukraine. It was a part of the then-Moldavian Republic within the Soviet Union. Moldova, which was historically dominated by the Russian Empire, started shifting away from Russian influence and moving towards Europe in the 1990s, according to an Al Jazeera report. The Moldova parliament declared at the time that Moldavian in the Latin script would be the republics only state language. This move was opposed by Transnistria which had joined Bessarabia (Moldova) in 1940, Anatoli Dirun, head of the Tiraspol School of Public Studies, told Al Jazeera. Advertisement After their demands were ignored, the population of Transnistria organised a large-scale strike, he said. In 1992, rebels waged a war against Moldovas pro-western government, leading to the Russian armys intervention on the side of the separatists, reported The Guardian. Transnistria has been controlled by pro-Russian separatists since then. However, it is not recognised by any member of the United Nations, including Russia, as an independent state. Advertisement Participants attend a mourning ceremony in memory of service members of Transdniestrias guard battalion killed in a military conflict with Moldovan troops on the 31st anniversary of their death in Tiraspol, Moldovas breakaway region of Transdniestria, 3 March 2023. Reuters File Photo The region with a population of 470,000 is home to ethnic Russians, Ukrainians, and Moldovans. Transnistria, officially named the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic, has its own currency and flag. Russian is one of the breakaway strips official languages. People from Transnistria have their own passport that is not valid anywhere, Cristina Afinoghenova, who is originally from Transnistria and currently living in Moldovas capital Chisinau, told Al Jazeera. Advertisement As a result, many obtain secondary documents, she added. Most Transnistrians have Moldovan passports and some have Russian and Ukrainian papers. Impact of Russia-Ukraine war on the region Russias invasion of Ukraine has also impacted Transnistria . Kyiv closed its border with the separatist strip after the war with Russia began in February 2022. Speaking to Al Jazeera, Dirun said that Ukraine has seriously changed its attitude towards Transnistria, considering the Russian troops stationed there as a threat to its national security. Advertisement Moscow has stationed 1,500 troops in the separatist region which it calls peacekeepers that guard Soviet-era weapons and ammunition stockpiles. Their presence in the strip prevents any possibility of reunification with Moldova, according to Politico. The Russia-Ukraine war has also hit talks, a Moldova government spokesperson of a department focused on reintegration policies, told Al Jazeera. Advertisement [It> is currently [impossible> to hold meetings since two of its very important actors, Ukraine and Russia, cannot sit at the same table to negotiate, the spokesperson added. The Ukraine war has also made Transnistria an even greater ground for disinformation campaigns, Anastasia Pociumban, a research fellow at the Center for Order and Governance at the German Council on Foreign Relations, told Al Jazeera. Advertisement Will Transnistria join Russia? Transnistria has maintained close ties with Russia. It is also economically reliant on Moscow, including for free gas. The latest appeal by officials of the separatist strip to Moscow has led to speculations about the regions annexation to Russia. The concerns are not without basis as 97.1 per cent of voters in the region backed joining Russia in a 2006 referendum. Advertisement However, the ballot was not internationally recognised, with the US State Department calling it a provocative referendum that cannot be taken seriously. Last week, Ghenadie Ciorba an opposition legislator in Transnistria reportedly said that separatists may call for a referendum on the regions annexation to Russia. However, this did not happen at the rare meeting held this week. Advertisement Legislators in Moldovas Russia-backed breakaway region of Transnistria used a rare meeting on Wednesday to appeal to Moscow and the European Union and other international bodies for help amid mounting socio-economic pressure they blame on Moldovas pro-Western government. AP While Moscow has deterred from any steps toward annexation, the recent resolution seeking its support has raised concerns. The United States has said it is closely watching the situation in Transnistria. On Wednesday, Alexander Korshunov, chairman of the Transnistrian Supreme Council, said that Moldova was taking advantage of the geopolitical situation and using the economy as a tool of pressure and blackmail, reported AP. Advertisement The appeal to Russia came in the wake of Moldova imposing new customs duties on imports to and exports from the separatist region. There is social and economic pressure on Transdniestria, which contradicts European principles and approaches to the protection of human rights and free trade, the resolution said. Moldova, a candidate to join the European Union, has downplayed the recent events, denying a risk of escalation. Advertisement With inputs from agencies US drug maker Eli Lilly plans to launch its weight-loss drug Zepbound, also known as Mounjaro, in India next year. Heres what we know A pharmacist displays a box of Mounjaro, a tirzepatide injection drug used for treating type 2 diabetes made by Lilly at Rock Canyon Pharmacy in Provo, Utah, US. Reuters Obesity, which is linked to noncommunicable diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension, has long been a global concern. And Indians are no strangers to it. To address the problem, Eli Lilly, a US drugmaker, plans to launch Mounjaro, its blockbuster diabetes drug and wildly popular obesity treatment, in India as early as next year after clearing an ongoing regulatory review, CEO David Ricks told Reuters on Wednesday. Advertisement Trizepatide, marketed in the United States under the names Mounjaro for diabetes and Zepbound for weight loss, has received attention for its efficacy in both disease management and weight reduction. Heres what we know about it. Weight-loss drug in India The market opportunity is huge in the worlds most populous country, which has high obesity rates, especially among women, and the second-highest number of people with type-2 diabetes globally. Indian drugmakers are testing their own versions of weight-loss drugs, while illegal versions are also sold online. Our famous Mounjaro its under review now. So, perhaps as early as next year to the Indian market, Ricks told Reuters on the sidelines of the BioAsia conference in the southern state of Telangana. When asked about potentially partnering with others to bring the drug to the market, Ricks said the US drugmaker was open to any way to reach more patients as long as it makes sense for the company and we can supply the market. Advertisement Eli Lilly, a US drugmaker, plans to launch Mounjaro, its blockbuster diabetes drug and wildly popular obesity treatment, in India as soon as next year. Reuters Mounjaro, chemically known as tirzepatide, is currently sold in the United Kingdom and Europe under the same brand name for both conditions. However, it is sold under the brand name Zepbound for weight loss in the US. Mounjaro is being reviewed by Indian drug regulators, for which Lilly is using data from its global trials, which included some Indian participants, a company source said, declining to be named as they are not authorised to speak to the media. Advertisement Rising demand for diabetes drug Lillys Mounjaro and Zepbound as well as Danish rival Novo Nordisks in-demand Wegovy and Ozempic are therapies known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, developed to control blood sugar in patients with type 2 diabetes. But they also slow digestion, helping patients feel full longer, which has led to an explosion in their popularity and left Lilly and Novo Nordisk struggling to keep up with demand. Advertisement The global market for these treatments is expected to reach at least $100 billion (Rs 8.28 lakh crore) by the end of the decade, analysts estimate. Last year, a top Novo Nordisk official told Reuters the Danish company was aiming to bring Wegovy to India in 2026. India has high obesity rates, particularly among women. Image used for representational purpose/Pixabay Indian drugmakers, which are among the worlds largest generic drug makers, are already developing their own versions of Wegovy. Advertisement These companies include Zydus Lifesciences, Sun Pharma, Cipla, Dr Reddys and Lupin. Of them, Lupin and Cipla are Lillys Indian distributors, including for some of its older diabetes treatments such as Eglucent, Aplevant, Basaglar and Trulicity. Regulatory rigmarole India should boost patent protection, get rid of redundant policies and create a social safety net to win more investment from global drugmakers, Ricks said in his keynote address at the BioAsia conference. Advertisement These steps, he said, would help drive broader interests for multinationals and foreign direct investment in Indias pharmaceutical industry. India has many specific policies related to its regulatory environment all set up for good reason. But in hindsight, perhaps we can reflect upon them and find redundant policies that only cause delay and extra cost. Advertisement Ricks said these regulatory challenges had the two-way effect of making it tough for companies like Lilly to bring new medicines into the market and constraining local biotechs to export their inventions. With inputs from Reuters TMC suspends Shajahan Sheikh for six years Hours after his arrest, TMC strongman Shajahan Sheikh, accused of sexual abuse and land grab in West Bengals Sandeshkhali, was on Thursday suspended from the party for six years. Addressing a press conference on Thursday, TMC leader Derek OBrien said, We have decided to suspend Shajahan Sheikh from the party for 6 years. As always, we walk the talk. We have set examples in the past, and we are doing that today. But we dare the BJP to suspend leaders, who have corruption cases against them and have several criminal cases against them. Shajahan was arrested in the early hours of Thursday after being on the run for 55 days which witnessed violent protests led by women of Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district. The CID took over the investigation into the case. Advertisement DGCA slaps Rs 30 lakh fine on Air India for wheelchair incident at Mumbai airport A fine of Rs 30 lakh has been imposed on Air India by aviation regulator DGCA for an incident at Mumbai airport on February 12 when a passenger, more than 80 years old, who had requested a wheelchair, decided to walk as he was asked wait due to heavy demand. The traveler died after collapsing at the time of immigration. Air India said due to the heavy demand for wheelchairs, it had requested the passenger to wait for an airline staff-assisted wheelchair but he opted to walk along with his spouse. The passenger had landed in Mumbai from an Air India flight from New York. The airline said the passenger was immediately rushed to the hospital, where he was declared to have passed away. Advertisement PM Modi launches airstrip in Mauritius Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a new airstrip with his Mauritian counterpart Pravind Jugnauth in the Agalega Islands Thursday. The two leaders also inaugurated six community development projects in the island nation that will fulfill the demand for better connectivity between mainland Mauritius and Agalega. #WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister of Mauritius Pravind Jugnauth jointly inaugurate the new airstrip of Agalega in Mauritius. pic.twitter.com/w4xS1XjkBZ ANI (@ANI) February 29, 2024 Advertisement Read more here . 1993 serial blasts: Main accused Abdul Karim Tunda acquitted Terrorist & Anti-disruptive Activities Act (TADA) court on Thursday acquitted Abdul Karim Tunda, the main accused in the 1993 serial bomb blasts. Advocate Shafqat Sultani, representing Tunda, said, Abdul Karim Tunda is innocent, today the court gave this judgement. Abdul Karim Tunda has been acquitted in all Sections and all Acts. CBI prosecution could not produce any concrete piece of evidence before the court in TADA, IPC, Railway Acts, Arms Act, or Explosive Substances Act. We had been saying that from the beginning that Abdul Karim Tunda is innocentIrfan and Hamiduddin have been convicted & quantum of the sentence will be pronounced shortly Advertisement Six Himachal Congress MLAs disqualified Himachal Pradesh Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania on Thursday disqualified six Congress MLAs who defied the party whip to vote in favour of the government on the Finance Bill in the House. Six MLAs, who contested on Congress symbol, attracted provisions of anti-defection law against themselvesI declare that the six people cease to be members of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly with immediate effect, said Pathania. The disqualified MLAs are Rajinder Rana, Sudhir Sharma, Inder Dutt Lakhanpal, Devinder Kumar Bhutoo, Ravi Thakur and Chetanya Sharma. These MLAs had cross-voted in favour of BJP candidate Harsh Mahajan in the Rajya Sabha elections on Tuesday. Later, they abstained from voting on the budget in the assembly. Advertisement Illegal mining case: SPs Akhilesh Yadav unlikely to appear before CBI Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav is unlikely to appear before the CBI on Thursday for questioning in an illegal mining case registered five years ago in which he is a witness. The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister is scheduled to attend a meeting of PDA Picchda (backward classes), Dalit and Alpsankhyak (minorities) at the party office in Lucknow. Akhileshji will attend a meeting of PDA at the party office today. He is not going anywhere. He will be attending a meeting in Lucknow, Samajwadi Party spokesperson Rajendra Chowdhury said. About the CBI notice to Yadav, Chowdhury said, I dont have detailed information regarding this. But it is sure, he is not going to Delhi today. Advertisement TMCs Sheikh Shajahan sent to 10-day police custody Sheikh Shahjahan, leader of Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress party in Sandeshkhali, who was arrested early Thursday after being on the run for the last 55 days, has been sent to 10 days police custody. Read more here . TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh of Sandeshkhali arrested after 55 days on the run Advertisement TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh, accused of alleged sexual atrocities and land grabbing in West Bengals Sandeshkhali, was arrested on Thursday morning, police said. Sheikh was taken into custody within 24 hours of the Calcutta High Court stating that the CBI, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) or the West Bengal Police can arrest him. Police said that over 100 complaints were registered against Sheikh over the last few weeks, which saw violent protests led by women demanding his arrest. Police said most of the complainants claimed that Shajahan forcibly took over land from the people, and tortured the women of the area. Sheikh was at large since an ED team that went to raid his house in connection with the alleged ration scam was attacked by a mob of around 1,000 people on January 5. Advertisement FDI inflows decline 13 pc to $32 billion in Apr-Dec 2023 Foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows in India declined 13% to USD 32.03 billion in April-December 2023, dragged down by lower infusion in computer hardware and software, telecom, auto, and pharma sectors, according to the latest government data. FDI inflows stood at USD 36.74 billion during the corresponding nine months of the preceding fiscal. Inflows during the October-December quarter of the current fiscal, however, rose by 18 per cent to USD 11.6 billion as against USD 9.83 billion during the same quarter of 2022-23. Advertisement Govt plans to buy less wheat in 2024-25 than last year The Central government has fixed wheat procurement target lower at 30-32 million tonnes for 2024-25 season starting March, food ministry has said. The lower target has been fixed despite the Ministry of Agriculture hoping for a record wheat production of 114-115 million tonnes in the 2023-24 crop year (July-June). In the 2023-24 season, the government procured about 26.2 million tonnes of wheat against the target of 34.15 million tonnes. In 2022-23, wheat procurement was only 18.8 million tonnes against the target of 44.4 million tonnes. The procurement was lower due to fall in production. Advertisement 14 killed, 20 injured in road accident in Madhya Pradeshs Dindori At least 14 people were killed and 20 others injured when a pick-up vehicle overturned and fell into a deep valley in Madhya Pradeshs Dindori district in the wee hours of Thursday, a police official said. MP Chief Minister Mohan Yadav announced an assistance of Rs 4 lakh each to the kin of the deceased. Advertisement With inputs from agencies A week after Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited India, a leading Greek bank Eurobank on Thursday signed a Memorandum of Understanding with NPCI International Payments Limited, a subsidiary of National Payments Corporation of India, towards enhancing cross-border payments using the UPI platform A week after Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited India, a leading Greek bank Eurobank signed a Memorandum of Understanding with NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL), a subsidiary of National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), towards enhancing cross-border payments using the UPI platform. The understanding is aimed at revolutionising the process of international money transfers, with a specific focus on streamlining remittances from Greece to India, read a joint statement issued on Thursday. Advertisement The MoU was signed at the Embassy of Greece in New Delhi by Ritesh Shukla, CEO of NIPL, and Fokion Karavias, CEO of Eurobank, in the presence of Kostas Fragogiannis, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece, Maira Myrogianni, Secretary General for International Economic Affairs of Greece and Chairperson, Enterprise Greece, and Sanjay Tugnait, President and CEO of Fairfax Digital Services, added the statement. The signing of MoU lays foundation for a strategic alliance wherein both parties shall interface with each other as a point of contact for enabling foreign inward remittance transactions from Greece to India. This initiative shall position Greece as one of the first European countries to enable the Indian diaspora residing in the country to undertake quick and seamless remittances to India using UPI rails, added the statement Advertisement A strategic alliance with NPCI International is also fully in line with Eurobanks strategic commitment to becoming the bank of choice for Indian businesses seeking to establish themselves in Greece or in Cyprus, as an entry point for their EU franchise, said Fokion Karavias, CEO of Eurobank. It showcases the versatility and strength of UPI within the international financial landscape, paving the way for strengthening India-Greece economic ties through enhanced remittance flows, said Ritesh Shukla, CEO of NIPL. Advertisement India, which has emerged as a leader in fintech innovation and Digital Public Infrastructure placed a strong emphasis on sharing its development experiences and innovation with partner countries. UPI is Indias mobile-based fast payment system, which facilitates customers to make round-the-clock payments instantly, using a Virtual Payment Address (VPA) created by the customer. Advertisement The UPI payment system has become hugely popular for retail digital payments in India, and its adoption is increasing at a rapid pace. In 2023, a record 100 billion transactions valued at Rs 2 trillion were made via UPI. A key emphasis of the Indian government has been on ensuring that the benefits of UPI are not limited to India only; other countries, too, benefit from it. Advertisement So far, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, France, UAE, and Singapore have partnered with India on emerging fintech and payment solutions. With inputs from agencies 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 Weeks after Qatar released eight ex-Indian Navy officials who were given death sentences over suspected espionage, only seven have returned home. The External Affairs Ministry on Thursday explained why the eighth Indian national has been held back. About the Indian national in Qatar, all 8 Indian nationals who were involved in the Dahra Global case, they have been released. 7 of them have returned to India. The 8th Indian national has certain requirements to fulfill. He will return as and when those are completed, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at a press conference. Advertisement #WATCH | MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal says, "About the Indian national in Qatar, all 8 Indian nationals who were involved in the Dahra Global case, they have been released. 7 of them have returned to India. The 8th Indian national has certain requirements to fulfill. He will pic.twitter.com/8KNBDcuuRj ANI (@ANI) February 29, 2024 Who were the eight ex-Navy personnel? Advertisement 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. 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. The Scoundrel of Sandeshkhali, Seikh Shahjahan, is in the safe custody of Mamata Police since 12 am last night. He was taken away from the Bermajurr-II Gram Panchayat area, after he managed to negotiate a deal with the Mamata Police, through influential mediators, that he would be taken care of properly while in police and judicial custody, Suvendu Adhikari said on X Hours after TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan was arrested on Thursday, West Bengal Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday claimed that the TMC strongman is in the safe custody of Mamata Police as part of a deal. On the run for 55 days, Shajahan Sheikh, accused of alleged sexual atrocities and land grabbing in West Bengals Sandeshkhali, was arrested from a house in Minakhan, around 30 km away from the island of Sandeshkhali on the outskirts of Sunderbans, in North 24 Parganas district. He was later remanded in 10-day police custody. Advertisement Taking to X, Adhikari alleged that Shahjahan was taken away from the Bermajurr-II Gram Panchayat area after he managed to negotiate a deal with the Mamata Police, through influential mediators. The Scoundrel of Sandeshkhali - Seikh Shahjahan is in the safe custody of Mamata Police since 12 am last night. He was taken away from the Bermajur - II Gram Panchayat area, after he managed to negotiate a deal with the Mamata Police, through influential mediators, that he would Suvendu Adhikari (@SuvenduWB) February 28, 2024 The Scoundrel of Sandeshkhali, Seikh Shahjahan, is in the safe custody of Mamata Police since 12 am last night. He was taken away from the Bermajurr-II Gram Panchayat area, after he managed to negotiate a deal with the Mamata Police, through influential mediators, that he would be taken care of properly while in police and judicial custody, Suvendu Adhikari said in his post. Advertisement He will be extended 5-star facilities during his time behind bars and will have access to a mobile phone, through which he will be able to lead the Tolamool Party virtually, he said. Even a bed in the Woodburn Ward will be kept ready and vacant for him if he chooses to spend some time there, Adhikari added. Advertisement Later, speaking to ANI news agency, Adhikari said Shahjahans arrest was not an arrest but a mutual adjustment. #WATCH | Minakhan, North 24 Parganas | On the arrest of TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan, West Bengal LoP Suvendu Adhikari says, "...This is not arrest, this is a mutual adjustment. Unless the central agencies take him into their custody, the people there won't get justice...He will pic.twitter.com/J0eu5L2jm9 ANI (@ANI) February 29, 2024 Advertisement Unless the central agencies take him into their custody, the people there wont get justiceHe will get 5-star facilities in jail. He will use mobile phone inside and control the area from there, he added. Advertisement Meanwhile, as the news of Shahjahans arrest spread, locals in trouble-torn Sandeshkhali celebrated his arrest and distributed sweets. The locals, who for the last few days have been protesting in the riverine Sandeshkhali area, came out on the streets as they distributed sweets and danced in joy. We are very happy that he has been arrested at last. We just hope he should be put behind bars and never return to this area. He has destroyed lives of many people area, PTI quoted a local as saying. Advertisement Echoing similar sentiments, a woman said, We hope that his other associates are also put behind bars. The riverine Sandeshkhali area - situated on the borders of the Sundarbans, about 100 kilometres from Kolkata - has been on the boil for more than a month with protests over allegations of sexual abuse and land grab against Shajahan Sheikh and his supporters. Advertisement With inputs from agencies How the rescue of a woman trafficked from West Bengal uncovered a murky sex trafficking racket in the heart of New Delhi Maimuna, aka Salma, almost 50, in prostitution for 20 years, has allegedly trafficked 3,000 young women so far. Her favourite hunting grounds were her home state of Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal, according to the police. Herself forcefully thrown into prostitution in Delhis notorious red-light area on GB Road, she was arrested Tuesday, but not before rising to the ranks of one of the biggest lynchpins of sex trafficking and human smuggling. Advertisement She is the madam and the owner of Kotha (brothel) number 70 on GB Road. According to police and non-profits that ultimately brought Salmas dark empire down last Tuesday, she had long worked as the madam and manager of Kotha number 56 before buying number 70. Salma had been on the radar of non-profits engaged in rescuing women from traffickers and police for long. Walls of justice close in on Salma We had been following Salma for quite some time. We had, on multiple occasions, received complaints about she being one of the biggest hubs of trafficking unsuspecting girls, mostly minors, from across India, especially West Bengal, and forcing them into prostitution. As far as we can extrapolate from her prolific trafficking system, we suspect she might have pushed close to 3000 young girls and women into prostitution in her 20 year career, Virendra Singh, director of Mission Mukti Foundation told Firstpost. Advertisement The foundation was part of the police raid during which Salma was nabbed. In fact, the police had requested the foundations help in rescuing a victim that was able to identify Salma, hence the arrest. We suspect she might be connected to sex trafficking gangs across the Bangladesh border, Singh added. Hell of a coincidence! Advertisement July 26 last year, Farida (name changed), 19, set out from her parents place in Balbalia village under Baruipur Police Station limits in South-24 Paragana for her in-laws house, but did not reach. She was with her 4-year-old son. Her brother lodged a complaint with the police. My sister (missing since July 26, 2023) was spotted by a relative at Delhis GB Road on Aug. 25, 2023, the brother wrote in the police complaint, requesting that his sister be rescued. Faridas relative Billu (name changed to avoid identification of the victim) had had a glimpse of her in Delhi and based on his testimony the complaint was converted into FIR on Sept. 05, 2023. Advertisement End of Ordeal Farida was rotting in the hellhole of Kotha number 70 when her relative Billu, with a big stroke of luck, saw her. Her 4-year-old kid was lodged in a local child welfare committee (CWC) care home. Upon conversion of missing person complaint into FIR, the Baruipur Police contacted Virender Singh of Mission Mukti Foundation, asking for help in locating and rescuing the woman. Advertisement On October 30, 2023, Baruipur Police wrote to Singh: Kindly provide necessary assistance to recover the victim along with her son who had been kidnapped by anyone and it is supposed was taken outside state. During investigation of this case as per statement of the complainant, it came to be learnt that one month ago Billu (name changed), who is a relative of the complainant, found the said victim lady at GB Road, Kotha no 70, 2nd Floor, Left Side, Delhi. I kindly request your cooperation in the efforts to locate and recover the missing lady and her son Advertisement Singh swung into action along with another non-profit Rescue Foundation. We sent decoys and did recce of the place twice, but could not find the victim. Then, one day our spotter did see the woman and we told the police about it. Nov. 24, a joint team of Delhi Police, West Bengal Police, along with our representatives raided the brothel and rescued the victim, Singh told Firstpost. Advertisement The woman was taken back home, but only after a lot of convincing, her shame becoming the biggest obstacle in her reunion with family. We shall come to that later. The victims statement was recorded under Section 164, but she did not say much the first time, said police sources. It was the second attempt at the statement that the victim opened up and gave the details of her abduction and sale to Salma. Advertisement The case was then handed over to CID, West Bengal, Singh said. WB Police asks for help again; Salma located & arrested Since a prima facie case of abduction had been established, the CID slapped more charges in the FIR against Salma. A woman sub-inspector of the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) of the police wrote to Singh for further assistance in nabbing Salma. Advertisement I want to hold raid Hence, I pray necessary assistance may kindly be provided in this regard, she wrote to the Mission Mukti Foundation. Our informants and spotters were hot on trail of Salma and they pinned down her location to Kotha number 70 last Tuesday. We informed the Delhi Police. We joined an operation of AHTU-West Bengal CID and Delhi Police and nabbed her in raid, Singh told Firstpost. Advertisement Salmas rapsheet She is the owner of Kotha (brothel) number 70 on GB Road. According to police and non-profits she had long worked as the madam and manager of Kotha number 56 before buying number 70 in 2015-16. According to Singh, Salma was the nayika or manager of the kotha run by the notorious Afaq Hussain and his wife Saira Begum, who were arrested for trafficking thousands of girls and kids as part of an elaborate sex trafficking racket they ran from GB Road. Advertisement The duo used to bring girls from all across India, including West Bengal, Assam, Odisha, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, as also from across the Nepal border. In a tell-tale fashion they were brought to Delhi on the pretext of jobs, marriage etc and pushed into prostitution. The victims also gave handsome cuts to the couple from their income. Salma, however, according to Singh, stole a large amount of money from the couple after they were arrested and went absconding. After cooling her heels for a couple of years, Salma came out from hiding and bought Kotha number 70, from where she started her own murky empire. Victims are loathe to return home Ashamed of having joined prostitution, however unwillingly and forcibly, hapless victims hesitant to go back home. After being rescued, Singh interviewed Farida. She did not even know how much she was sold for. With a heavy voice, she told Singh: I get to see my son, may be, once a month. I was duped because they told me I will work as a maid in a house and will be paid well. Once Singh connected her with her father on a videocall, Farida broke down into cries of I want to come home. She is back with her family in West Bengal and is being counselled by a local NGO. What does National Commission for Women have to say? After repeated attempts to get a reaction from NCW, Firstpost was told that the womens rights body did not have any knowledge of the case. Trinamool Congress strongman Sheikh Shahjahan was arrested in the early hours of Thursday from a house at Minakhah in North 24 Parganas district where he was allegedly hiding Sheikh Shahjahan, leader of Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress party in Sandeshkhali, who was arrested early Thursday after being on the run for the last 55 days, has been sent to 10 days police custody. TMCs strongman in Sandeshkhali, Sheikh Shahjahan, was brought to a Basirhat Court by the West Bengal police on Thursday morning. Advertisement VIDEO | TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh sent to 10 days in police custody by Basirhat court.#Sandeshkhali (Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/n147TvqRQz) pic.twitter.com/XP5dp1Bf9d Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) February 29, 2024 As per reports, Sheikh Shahjahan was arrested post-midnight from a house at Minakhah in North 24 Parganas district where he was allegedly hiding. Also Read: Sandeshkhali case: How cops arrested TMCs Sheikh Shahjahan after 55 days Advertisement The police had demanded 14-day custody for Sheikh Shahjahan, but the court only allowed for 10 days, lawyer Raja Bhowmick said. #WATCH | Lawyer Raja Bhowmick says, "14-day Police custody (of Sheikh Shahjahan) was demanded but the court allowed 10-day custody..." https://t.co/MxghbFVwdE pic.twitter.com/uyCgEIDXAx ANI (@ANI) February 29, 2024 Advertisement Sheikh Shahjahan will get 5-star facility in jail BJP leader and LoP in West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari termed Sheikh Shahjahans arrest a mutual adjustment. Unless the central agencies take him into their custody, the people there wont get justiceHe will get 5-star facilities in jail. He will use mobile phone inside and control the area from there Suvendu Adhikari. Advertisement #WATCH | Minakhan, North 24 Parganas | On the arrest of TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan, West Bengal LoP Suvendu Adhikari says, "...This is not arrest, this is a mutual adjustment. Unless the central agencies take him into their custody, the people there won't get justice...He will pic.twitter.com/J0eu5L2jm9 ANI (@ANI) February 29, 2024 Advertisement West Bengal Governor on Sheikh Shahjahan arrest Advertisement Asked if Sheikh Shahjahans arrest came too late, West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose said, We have to wait. In democratic governance, we have to wait for justice to be done. Justice delay is difficult for us to bear but justice is done. A few days have been lost which is deplorable but now is not the time for a blame game. Advertisement If any lapses have taken place from the government or any other authority, we still have time to look into thatNow, what is required is a considerate action to see that these kinds of things do not happen in future. Action has to be taken against a particular culprit who has been apprehendedMy suggestion for all the gangsters is - treat this as an occasion to surrenderotherwise preventive action has to be taken, the Bengal Governor added. Advertisement #WATCH | Kolkata | When asked if he thinks the arrest of Sheikh Shahjahan came too late, West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose says, "...We have to wait. In democratic governance, we have to wait for justice to be done. Justice delay is difficult for us to bear but justice is done. pic.twitter.com/0JbaP3gSNu ANI (@ANI) February 29, 2024 Advertisement Sheikh Shahjahan has been accused of alleged sexual atrocities on women and land grabbing in West Bengals Sandeshkhali. The riverine Sandeshkhali area situated on the borders of the Sundarbans, about 100 kilometres from Kolkata has been on the boil for more than a month with protests over allegations of sexual abuse and land grab against Sheikh Shahjahan and his supporters. Advertisement Trinamool Congress on Sheikh Shahjahans arrest TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said: Due to a legal tangle, he couldnt be arrested initially. However, after the court clarified that there was no stay on his arrest, the West Bengal Police did its job. The opposition had earlier exploited the embargo on his arrest. On Wednesday, the Calcutta High Court directed that Sheikh Shahjahan can be arrested by the CBI, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) or the West Bengal Police. The high court, on Monday, had directed police to arrest Sheikh Shahjahan, following which the states ruling party (TMC) asserted that it does not shield culprits and he would be arrested within seven days. With inputs from agencies As India continues to rise, its influence will only grow, shaping the future of a new global order for the century to come (File) Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses a public rally at the Moulana Azad Stadium during which he inaugurated several projects in Jammu and Kashmir, in Jammu, on 20 February, 2024. AP Indias identity transcends simplistic labels of Hinduism and Bharat, embracing a rich tapestry of cultures, religions, and traditions. It stands as a global exemplar, showcasing how nations worldwide can reconnect with their heritage while contributing to the international order. Rather than posing a challenge to existing structures, India is actively revitalising them, paving the way for a more inclusive and dynamic global community. Advertisement The nation is currently experiencing a remarkable surge in growth and influence. Those hesitant to acknowledge Indias ascent should take a moment for introspection. It became undeniably clear to me during my recent attendance at a series of international conferences in New Delhi, notably the Raisina Dialogue, organised by the Ministry of External Affairs and the Observer Research Foundation (ORF). One of Indias most striking qualities is its genuine humility, evident in its willingness to share the stage with others. By uplifting nations and amplifying the voices of the marginalised, India wields a potent tool of statecraft and diplomacy. Whether through initiatives to empower the Global South or leadership in the Quad partnership for security, India is driving real change on the world stage. Advertisement The Raisina Dialogue 2024 underscored a celebration of enduring alliances and burgeoning friendships. India highlighted its ties with Greece, Africa, and Armenia, while also honouring partnerships with the broader global community. Notably, French President Emmanuel Macrons efforts to strengthen European-Indian ties were omnipresent. Frances role in fostering these relations, evident in growing India-France collaborations, serves as a model for broader European engagement with India, promising mutual benefits for all parties involved. Advertisement The atmosphere at the conference was electric, characterised by a sense of jubilation and growing confidence. When External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his colleagues took the stage, it wasnt just the Indian audience but also foreign diplomats, policy experts, and leaders who contributed to the vibrant discourse. The enthusiasm was infectious, with even distinguished diplomats and foreign leaders briefly losing their composures as they were momentarily swept up in the fervour. Advertisement Indias dynamism extends beyond its borders, influencing its allies to embrace their own rich heritages. While Prime Minister Narendra Modis nationalist stance has drawn criticism at home and abroad, his administration has fostered flourishing relationships in the Muslim world. Informal discussions with Saudi officials at the Raisina Dialogue highlighted the potential for joint India-Saudi think tanks, signalling a strategic alignment in the changing dynamics of the Middle East. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is also playing a pivotal role in fostering lasting partnerships between Muslims and Hindus too, exemplifying the potential for mutual understanding and collaboration. Bangladesh, Indias Muslim-majority neighbour, is also benefitting from its enhanced partnership with Bharat. A model for the region. Advertisement Despite these significant developments, Indias trajectory often receives insufficient attention in the Western press. As the world increasingly turns to India for solutions and leadership, its evident that the nation has firmly established itself on the global stage. Former Australian prime minister Tony Abbotts assertion at the TV9 Networks WITT: Global Summit rings true: India will be a democratic superpower. Indeed, Indias trajectory aligns with this prophecy, offering a beacon of fresh leadership in a world hungry for visionary direction. Advertisement In conclusion, Indias wielding of smart power represents a transformative force in global affairs. Its embrace of diversity, humility in leadership, and commitment to inclusive partnerships position it as a model for nations seeking to navigate an increasingly complex and interconnected world. As India continues to rise, its influence will only grow, shaping the future of a new global order for the century to come. Advertisement The author is Communications Director PADMA+BRAHMA Project. 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 . In the last few years, the Indian government and security establishment have become increasingly clear that the future is in uninhabited systems and India must become a significant drone-producing nation The extensive use and success of relatively inexpensive drones in the Ukraine conflict resulted in President Volodymyr Zelenskyy establishing a separate branch within their armed forces dedicated to drone systems. It is a significant shift in military approach and reflects an evolving battlefield where uncrewed systems play a pivotal role. Just a few days back the UK government announced a new strategy to support the development and deployment of uncrewed systems in the UK Armed Forces. The UK Defence Drone Strategy will create a unified approach across all three military services and the industry to enable the rapid experimentation, testing, evaluation and procurement of uncrewed platforms. Advertisement Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been personally driving the drone sector. Still, it is time the military starts enunciating doctrinal positions that will drive design and development, procurements and operational capabilities. Lessons from Ukraine conflict Drones have been central to the war in Ukraine and in many ways have shaped both effects and local outcomes. At tactical levels, they did destroy adversary military assets. At the strategic level, on their own, they may not have brought an end to the war, but they have changed the global outlook to military hardware equipping. Unlike the much larger and more expensive drones used by the US in untested environments for high-value targets, Ukraine has seen mostly low/mid-tier drones. The numbers can be best illustrated by the fact that Ukraine has been losing nearly 10,000 drones a month. They will soon have more drones in their inventory than the number of soldiers on payroll. They have used American Switchblade, Polish Warmate, weaponised Chinese DJI commercial drones, and of course the Turkish TB-2 Bayraktar drones, among others. Russia has been procuring nearly 100,000 low-tier drones every month and has extensively used the Iranian Shahed-136 attack drones, indigenous Orion-10 and the Lancet. Advertisement The numbers and effects indicate that drones are reshaping tactical-level conflict. Armour vehicles, personnel carriers, gun emplacements, trenches, bunkers, buildings, airfield infrastructure, fuel storage parks, and factories have all been successfully targeted. Ukraine claims to have destroyed 15 Russian ships and many large parked aircraft using drones. Uncrewed water vessels sea drones damaged the Kerch Bridge, connecting Crimea to mainland Russia. They have a high nuisance value when used in civilian areas and create fear psychosis. Advertisement Drone counters have also evolved. Most importantly the electronic jamming of digital communication links, and causing them to crash. But the counter-countermeasures in terms of terrain-based navigation were also used. Drones have been effective in making good shortages of artillery shells or air-launched munitions. Their loiter capability and autonomy have been important. Finally, for long-term strategic results, and political outcomes, drones will have to be a part of other fire vectors. Advertisement Drones served as precision strike weapons capable of replicating many of the functions performed by artillery and missiles at only a fraction of the price. Drones have been used in the recent past in other combat zones such as Syria, Libya, and the Second Karabakh War, but the scale in Ukraine has been of much higher level, making it the worlds first real drone war. Drones were sourced through crowd-funding, and a start-up-style drone manufacturing and modification industry has emerged. Advertisement UKs new drone strategy The UK Ministry of Defence has launched a new drone strategy that includes at least 4.5 billion ($5.7 billion) of investment in new unmanned aerial systems over the next decade. Ukraine wars hard-fought lessons have driven the new approach. It is designed to help the country stay one step ahead of adversaries in future drone warfare. Unhindered access to battle-winning uncrewed systems is crucial in modern-day combat. Advertisement The announced goal is to develop and produce drones in four key categories: logistics, strike, naval mine clearance, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR). The requirements have been simplified to shorten long development timelines and lengthy requirement discussions, the UK Defence Ministry noted. The so-called game-changing approach is meant to be collaborative. A unified approach across all three military services, academia, and industry to enable the rapid experimentation, testing, evaluation and procurement of uncrewed platforms. The strategy is meant to transform the approach to the acquisition, integration, and exploitation of uncrewed systems. It should also make the local defence industry more competitive in the global export market. Advertisement Pentagon takes a fresh look at drones For long, the Pentagon has relied on large Predator-class drones. These were fairly effective in peacetime surveillance and for combat in uncontested environments in Iraq and Afghanistan. Having been closely involved in Ukraine, the US security establishment noticed the high threat to large airborne platforms and the extensive successful use of smaller expendable drones. The Pentagon has realised that large drones could be sitting ducks against China in the Indo-Pacific. Advertisement The US Department of Defence is now looking at the employment of thousands of inexpensive, expendable unmanned systems to offset Chinas numerical advantages in people, missiles, and ships. The Pentagon aims to field small and cheap unmanned capabilities in the next two years as part of the Replicator Initiative. To make Replicator work, the Pentagon is planning on low-level units being able to incorporate drones and other unmanned systems into their operational schemes. US allies and partners are considered critical for the Pentagons drone and drone swarm strategy. Advertisement The US DoD has also been working on an expanded counter-drone strategy with a greater focus on holistic offensive and defensive capabilities to defeat adversary uncrewed systems. The often-used term left of launch means neutralising before an aircraft or missile has commenced flight. The US has been experimenting with a variety of counter-drone weapons including interceptors, lasers, high-power microwaves, electronic warfare systems and other tools. The new approach must manage defence against saturation by numbers and large swarms. Strikes on command-and-control nodes and ground control stations associated with the attack would be one way. Advertisement Chinese and Pakistan drone approach China is considered the Walmart of hobbyist drones, making nearly 50 per cent of global requirements. There is a very thin gap between a civil and military drone mainly the munitions. The high-quality cameras and other sensors, and the ability to navigate are required by both. While China has built the Wing Loong series of large drones for persistent surveillance and stand-off strikes in the Indo-Pacific region, it is also re-strategizing to have huge small drone inventories for kamikaze drone attacks against US Carrier groups and large ship naval flotilla. Advertisement Pakistan has long been dependent on Chinese and Turkish drones. They also have a home-grown UCAV the NESCOM Burraq (50 kg, 200 Km range). They talked with Turkey to co-produce the Anka UAV and possibly produce the combat drones locally. The Chinese Wing Loong II UCAVs will be produced in Pakistan jointly with China. Pakistan has Turkish Bayraktar-1 TBK which it has since upgraded. Pakistan is making significant investments in smaller drones. These drones often cross into India with contraband materials like drugs and arms. Pakistan will surely use drones against Indias front-tier airfields and important Indian Army targets. Chasing technology be conscious While some battlefield drone videos may look impressive, one has to be cautious that while one pursues technological offsets only produces fleeting advantages before they are negated by battlefield adaptations. Russia has used powerful electronic jammers to neutralise thousands of Ukrainian drones. They have positioned one major EW system every 10 kilometres across the front line. Smaller directional jammers are employed at the platoon level. Camouflage or natural foliage has been effectively used by both sides to hide vehicles and artillery systems from overhead surveillance. Tunnels have played a role in countering drones. A lot of drones get wasted on cheap ground-based decoys. China too has become cautious, and is already moving quickly on the counter-drone front, something the US Replicator programme will surely accelerate. They have developed vehicle-mounted laser defence systems drone killers, mobile air defence guns, small unit electronic warfare systems, and Man-Portable Air Defence Systems (MANPADS). Do militaries need a drone branch? With such large numbers of uncrewed systems inducted into the armed forces and taking on myriad tasks, there is already a debate about whether major militaries require a drone branch. Ukraines ground-breaking initiative to create a drone systems force alongside established domain-based (ground, sea, air, space) military branches needs deeper analysis. Each domain requires uncrewed systems for different purposes and employability. Each service could harness its unique domain expertise to advance the integration and utilisation of drones and autonomous systems. The surge in drone requirements in Ukraine may have created a peculiar situation. Each armed force has very peculiar domain-specific uncrewed system requirements, and centralising may best be left only to procurements and repairs. Way ahead India In the last few years, the Indian government and security establishment have become increasingly clear that the future is in uninhabited systems and India must become a significant drone-producing nation. The military requires different sizes of drones and drone swarms operating at all altitudes and doing a range of missions." A civil drone policy has been put in place. Industry industry-friendly environment is being created to promote drone manufacture in India. Many drone components are still being imported. More needs to be invested in R&D and economy of scale will cut in once orders increase. Cyber-security, secure communications and artificial intelligence-enabled systems will be important. Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) UAV Tapas being developed by DRDO has hit a roadblock. Ultimately India must have such indigenous UAVs and the project may be tweaked but not dumped. Adani-Elbit joint venture is making Hermes UAVs in India. DRDO Ghatak Stealth UCAV should fly by around 2025. India is procuring 31 MQ-9 Predators High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) from General Atomics. Fifteen will be with the Indian Navy to supplement P8I operations in the Oceans. Eight each for the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Indian Army for tactical area. IAFs Project Cheetah, of around Rs 5,500 crore contract is meant to upgrade of the Heron MALE fleet of the three Services into armed UAVs. Significant quantities of drones and swarm drones are being procured by the services. Manned Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T) being developed by HAL needs hastening. Aatmanirbharta is critical for supply chain security. India must bar domestic manufacturers of military drones from using Chinese-made parts over concerns about security vulnerabilities. Dependence on China must gradually reduce for components even for civil use. The most advanced technologies will likely be found in the drones software, communication systems and shielding from electromagnetic effects. Industrial capacities have to go up and this will require skilled manpower. There has to be a timeline-driven industrial and induction plan. There should be a Military-Civilian Fusion (MCF) strategy to create a drone industry capable of meeting the demands of modern warfare. In IAF UAVs come under the Weapon Systems branch. Indian Army has put UAVs under Army Aviation. There are many common roles drones and UAVs, and the procurements and servicing can be centralised. Spares and logistics management can be joint. Operational utilisation would be as per service and later Theatre specific. India must beef up its defences against adversaries tactical unmanned aerial systems and kamikaze drones, and also prepare to secure Island territories from drone swarm attacks. Peace-time trans-border drone incursions require monitoring and active counteraction. India needs to defend its shipping. We should be secure from terrorist drone threats to large gatherings and civil aviation. All this would mean developing hard and soft kill anti-drone systems. There is a need to evolve and review joint doctrines, organisational structures, training and tactics, and build operational synergy. Indias military drone ecosystem has grown rapidly over the last few years and is on a promising trajectory, but it needs to be adequately nurtured. Over the last few years, the Indian armed forces have stepped up drone procurements for surveillance, reconnaissance, target acquisition, precision strikes, directing artillery fires, and logistics, especially in the mountains. The ongoing border standoff with China has provided a further impetus to this process. While Indias nearly over 300 drone start-ups are increasingly geared to meet civilian needs and equip the armed forces, unlocking the potential of Indias military drone ecosystem will require it to be sufficiently nurtured. The governments Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) initiative provides grants to support the development of military-grade products, including drones. Drone start-ups have also benefitted from the Technology Development Fund. Apart from the MoD, the armed forces have also launched initiatives to foster the development of military drones. IAFs Mehar Baba competition, and the Indian Army, in collaboration with the Drone Federation of India, launched the Him Drone-a-thon program. Drones are seeing action. Ukraine has pushed major global powers to re-strategize procurements and build large drone inventories. Operational employment is evolving. Without any knee-jerk actions, India must get its military drone strategy right. The writer is Director General, Centre for Air Power Studies. 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 . Ukrainian President Zelensky visited Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. He held talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The choice of destination is key because Riyadh is neutral turf. It doesnt support Ukraine or Russia. On one side, MBS cooperates with Putin to keep oil prices up. On the other hand, he backs UN resolutions against Russia. So he is keeping his options open. He isnt, by any stretch, an ally of Kyiv. Advertisement Why did Zelensky travel to Saudi Arabia? President Zelensky noted in particular Saudi Arabias strivings to help in restoring a just peace in Ukraine. Saudi Arabias leadership can help find a just solution, read the Ukrainian statement. So Kyiv wants Saudi Arabias middleman powers, and Ukraine is quite good at it. In September 2022, Russia and Ukraine exchanged prisoners. The deal was a complete surprise. Nobody had expected either side to agree. But Riyadh got it done. Saudi officials said MBS played a key role in the talks. He got Moscow and Kyiv to exchange 300 prisoners, and around 10 of them were foreign nationals. So Saudi Arabia has a track record of doing some good middle-man work. Maybe Zelensky wants a repeat of that. He recently called for the release of captured Ukrainians, which could offer him a domestic political boost. Advertisement Today, no one can say for sure how many of our citizenschildren and adults, warriors and civiliansare being held in Russian captivity, in Russian deportation, in camps, and how many of our people are in the prisons of this terrorist state. But each of us can and must speak with absolute certainty and specificity; we must do our best to bring all these people home to Ukraine, said the Ukrainian president. Advertisement Ukraine is planning a grand peace summit that will be hosted by Switzerland later this year. The goal is to discuss Zelenskys peace plan. The plan has 10 points, which include Russia withdrawing and giving back territory. Basically, this is a non-starter for Putin, which is why Zelensky needs more support. Not just from the West but also from neutral partners such as Saudi Arabia. Advertisement Saudi Arabia has the biggest economy in West Asia. Also the natural leader of the Muslim world. So if MBS supports Kyiv, it will add weight to Zelenskys plan. But will the crown prince do that? Heres what the Saudi statement says: MBS affirmed the Kingdoms keenness and support for all international endeavours and efforts aimed at resolving the Ukrainian-Russian crisis. Advertisement Two things to note: One, he doesnt even call it a war; he is calling it a crisis. Two, he stands ready to help and negotiate. Now, this sums up Riyadhs policy. Yes, they have pushed for peace, but they have done so without picking sides. MBS needs Putin to keep the oil prices high. A higher oil-price equals more revenue. More revenue equals more futuristic projects and mega cities. So dont expect MBS to abandon Putin but forget Saudi Arabia for a moment. Advertisement What does this outreach say about Zelensky? The Ukrainian president is on shaky ground now. Things are not going well on the battlefield. In the east, Ukrainian troops are being pushed back; they recently abandoned a town called Avdiivka. It was Russias biggest victory since May 2023. Plus, military aid is stuck. The US Congress hasnt approved Joe Bidens request, and Ukraine is waiting on 60 billion dollars. Kyiv is running low on weapons and ammunition. Advertisement In simple words, Zelensky is getting desperate; he needs to widen his coalition of supporters. He needs to reach out to neutral partners and maybe offer some concessions. We have seen that desperation in his recent statements. This week, he revealed Ukraines total battlefield losses for the first time. More than 31 thousand soldiers have been killed so far. Zelensky also said losing isnt an option. Advertisement We have no alternative but to win. Theres no possibility of losing, because what if Ukraine loses? We wont exist; our existence will cease. So we definitely do not want such an ending to the fight for our lives, said Zelensky. So Zelensky needs to rally the world. He needs to remind the world about Ukraine. But it is a tough mission because there is a second war nowan arguably deadlier one. Some 25 thousand civilians have been killed in Gaza; in Ukraine, that number is 10 thousand. Advertisement Plus, West Asia is a more sensitive region, so the global community is focusing on the second war. Which is why Zelensky hopped on a flight. He has a short window here. February 24 was the anniversary of Russias invasion, so he is getting some air time and focus. Zelensky wants to capitalise on that. Advertisement After Saudi Arabia, he has now gone to Albania. There, he is attending a security summit. But will these visits and statements translate into actual political support? Our experience over the past two years says no. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstposts views. In a move that would prove to be the end of the road for EVs, Toyota is testing out a novel feature in some cars that allows them to capture carbon dioxide, the main contributor to global warming, from the atmosphere as you drive the car In a move that would prove to be the end of the road for EVs, Toyota is testing out a novel feature in some cars that allows them to capture carbon dioxide, the main contributor to global warming, from the atmosphere as you drive the car Electric cars have been a popular concept, but their limited range and battery issues have held them back. Toyota is addressing this challenge with an innovative solution, according to a report by Carscoops: fitting cars with built-in filters that capture carbon dioxide, the main contributor to global warming, from the atmosphere as you drive. Advertisement Essentially, drivers could enjoy the convenience of fossil fuel-powered cars while also reducing their carbon footprint. These air filters, installed in a hydrogen combustion GR Corollas front area, utilize waste heat from the engine to convert CO2 into a disposable liquid. However, the current system only captures a small portion of emissions from these engines. During 20 laps around a track, the filters are said to convert about 20 grams of CO2, which is significantly less than what traditional engines emit from burning a gallon of gasoline. The question remains whether this technology can be scaled up to significantly reduce a vehicles emissions. Toyotas continued focus on such innovations indicates its scepticism toward electric vehicles. Advertisement Company officials have suggested that electric vehicles might not surpass 30 per cent of future vehicle sales, despite policy incentives like tax credits and price reductions. The practical challenges of electric vehicles, such as their performance in cold weather, further highlight the complexities of transitioning away from traditional gas-powered cars. While Toyotas efforts to make gas cars environmentally friendly are commendable, their success remains to be seen. The spy satellite that North Korea launched last year in November is fully functional and is being controlled by engineers at Pyongyang, experts in aerospace technology have confirmed The spy satellite that North Korea launched last year in November is fully functional and is being controlled by engineers at Pyongyang, experts in aerospace technology have confirmed Experts in aerospace technology have confirmed that North Koreas first spy satellite is operational. They were able to observe changes in its orbit, which shows that engineers at the hermit kingdom can successfully control the satellite from a ground station, possibly located near Pyongyang. The exact capabilities of the satellite remain undisclosed. Advertisement Named the Malligyong-1, the satellite was launched into orbit in November last year, after two previous failed attempts. North Korean state media claimed it had captured images of sensitive military and political sites in South Korea, the US, and elsewhere, although no imagery has been released. Despite efforts by independent radio trackers, no signals from the satellite have ever been detected. A team of experts from the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, said in a recent blog post that the satellites manoeuvres from February 19th to 24th raised its perigee which is the point in the orbit of a satellite at which it is nearest to the Earth from 488 km to 497 kms, confirm its operational status and Pyongyangs control over it. Advertisement While South Koreas defence ministry also acknowledged the satellites presence in orbit, it refrained from providing further details. Defense Minister Shin Won-sik noted that the satellite had not displayed any signs of engaging in reconnaissance activities. The unexpected orbit-raising manoeuvre, according to Langbroek, indicates the presence of an onboard propulsion system, a capability not seen in previous North Korean satellites. This capability allows North Korea to prolong the satellites operational life by adjusting its altitude to counter orbital decay. Advertisement Harvard astronomer Jonathan McDowell observed that the satellite appeared to be adjusting its position in space rather than posing a threat to other satellites, given its limited size. North Korea, a country capable of conducting a nuclear strike and has been actively developing ICBMs and missiles, has announced plans to launch three more spy satellites in 2024. Advertisement Only some of the major space powers like the US, India, Russia, and China have launched satellites that are capable of complex manoeuvres. Langbroek noted that satellite manoeuvres are often conducted for benign purposes, such as improving orbital positioning or avoiding space debris. Several branches of the US military are already using AI to aim and conduct air strikes in their ongoing operations. However, a Retired Air Force General Jack Shanahan, who led the US militarys adoption of AI believes that AI will select the weapons and targets as well in about 5 years Several branches of the US military are already using AI to aim and conduct air strikes in their ongoing operations. However, a Retired Air Force General Jack Shanahan, who led the US military's adoption of AI believes that AI will select the weapons and targets as well in about 5 years The US armed forces, especially the Air Force are already using AI to target enemy combatants using air strikes in ongoing operations. However, they are moving to a phase where AI will not only help the US armed forces take aim, but also decide on the weapons package, and which targets to strike, as per a report by Bloomberg. Advertisement The report quotes Retired Air Force General Jack Shanahan who believes it will take five years for the US military to fully trust and use AI engines to suggest optimal strategies and targets in battlefield scenarios. According to General Shanahan, this timeline accounts for the development of sophisticated algorithms and the gradual build-up of confidence in their deployment. General Shanahan was the former head of Project Maven, an initiative by the US Pentagon that started in 2017, with the sole aim of integrating AI into military operations. General Shanahan stated that currently, the emphasis is on ensuring that AI systems are not used in fully automated modes to avoid major, catastrophic errors that could erode trust in their capabilities. Advertisement Recent developments show progress in AI integration within the military. The US Armys 18th Airborne Corps initiated data exercises in 2020 to refine AI algorithms for target identification, leading to successful operations using various military assets like drones, fighter jets, and submarines. Additionally, entities like the US Indo-Pacific Command, US Space Force, and allies such as the UK have also begun incorporating AI into their strategies. Advertisement Central Command, responsible for operations in the Middle East, has actively deployed AI to pinpoint targets for strikes in regions like Iraq, Syria, Yemen, and the Red Sea. Shanahan views this as a positive sign of AI normalization in military operations, with increasing recognition of its effectiveness. Despite these advancements, the Pentagon maintains that human oversight is paramount in directing strikes, even as AI capabilities are explored across different combatant commands worldwide. Advertisement Shanahan underscores the need for ongoing experimentation and improvement to instill confidence in machine learning systems, which often require continuous refinement and oversight. He believes that as AI technologies evolve and demonstrate their value through real-world operations, trust in their use will continue to grow within the military community. (With inputs from agencies) The number of martyrs rose to at least 50 and more than 120 were injured, including women and children, as a result of the occupations shooting on the crowd in Gaza City, Amjad Aliwa, director of the emergency department of Al-Shifa hospital, said in a statement Palestinians wait for humanitarian aid on a beachfront in Gaza City, Gaza Strip, on 25 February, 2024. AP File As many as 104 people were killed and over 760 injured after Israeli forces fired at Gazans rushing towards trucks loaded with humanitarian aid for the residents, said an official at Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza. The Palestinian health ministry in Gaza condemned what it labelled a massacre and said it had claimed at least 104 lives and left 760 people wounded. Advertisement A witness told AFP that the violence unfolded when thousands of people desperate for food rushed towards aid trucks at the citys western Nabulsi roundabout. Trucks full of aid came too close to some army tanks that were in the area and the crowd, thousands of people, just stormed the trucks, the witness said, declining to be named for safety reasons. The soldiers fired at the crowd as people came too close to the tanks. The UN estimates that 2.2 million people, the vast majority of Gazas population, are threatened with famine, particularly in the north where destruction, fighting and looting make the delivery of food almost impossible. According to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, just over 2,300 aid trucks have entered the Gaza Strip in February, down by around 50 per cent compared to January. Advertisement With inputs from agencies Visas is mandatory to enter Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories, but the ministry of welfare and social affairs is no longer issuing new ones after the October 7 Hamas attacks War-hit Gaza may face disruption in getting food and other vital supplies as Israel has stopped renewing visas and work permits for international staff of humanitarian organisations who provide vital support for Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza following the October 7 attacks. A number of foreign aid workers as well as heads of international organisations will now have to leave Israel and the Palestinian territories. Advertisement A report by The Guardian quoted Faris Arouri, director of the Association of International Development Agencies (AIDA), saying emergency response teams, who have the specialist experience to deal with the host of challenges of working in Gaza, are majorly affected. AIDA is an umbrella group whose members include Oxfam, Action Against Hunger, Amnesty International, Care International and Catholic Relief Services. Foreign aid workers will have to leave by autumn Having visas is mandatory to enter Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories, but the Ministry of Welfare and Social Affairs is no longer issuing new ones after the October 7 Hamas attacks. The ministry back then said the state of emergency affected its work and all humanitarian visas were automatically extended till 8 February 2024. When the exemption expired, the ministry told foreign aid organisations that it had stopped issuing letters and the visa process was being discussed by various government authorities. Advertisement All foreign humanitarian workers will have to leave by early autumn if Israel does not start issuing visas again. UK govt asked to pressure Israel for action The issue was raised in UK parliament on Tuesday by Britains shadow foreign secretary, David Lammy, who called on the UK government to pressure Israel for action. Advertisement Humanitarian visas must be renewed now. With no humanitarian visa renewals since the outbreak of this war, [Israel is> leaving humanitarian workers facing deportation when the Palestinian people need them most," Lammy said. Visa freeze unprecedented Calling Israels move to freeze visas unprecedented, Arouri said: Instead of advocating to enter Gaza, we are being forced to advocate just to let staff come to Jerusalem." Advertisement There have always been ups and downs, especially since the second intifada [from 2000 to 2005>. There were phases where there were some restrictions or where access was harder. But never on this scale," Arouri added. UN aid workers affected too The visa clampdown by Israel has also affected UN aid workers with staff given only short-term access to Israel and Gaza. Advertisement Visas for most international staff, including those in Gaza, have been limited to one or two months, UNRWA chief, Philippe Lazzarini, said in a letter to the president of the UN general assembly listing logistical challenges. UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestine, has not been granted permits by the Israeli authorities to deliver aid to northern Gaza for more than a month and said at the weekend it could no longer function there. Advertisement Who issues visas for Israel? A report by Time, cited Gil Horev, a ministry spokesman, saying till now, Israels Welfare Ministry played a key role in recommendations for such visas but said it doesnt feel equipped to do the requisite background checks and hence, has urged the Prime Ministers Office to designate a different agency. Advertisement The Prime Ministers office has asked the National Security Council to find out the best way to go forward which may take some time. With inputs from agencies While the mission that resulted in the first private business Moon landing is coming to an end, Intuitive Machines CEO Steve Altemus told reporters that there are aspirations to wake it up in roughly three weeks, when the Sun is back out Intuitive Machines' Odysseus lunar lander is seen at its landing at the Malapert A site on the Moon in an image taken using its narrow-field-of-view camera. Intuitive Machines/Handout via Reuters The US spacecraft that landed on the Moon last week and is presently functioning on solar power will be put to sleep once lunar night begins, mission officials announced Wednesday. While the mission that resulted in the first private business Moon landing is coming to an end, Intuitive Machines CEO Steve Altemus told reporters that there are aspirations to wake it up in roughly three weeks, when the Sun is back out. Advertisement The historic mission has been hailed as a success by Intuitive Machines and NASA, despite the fact that it had several issues along the road, including a landing in which the unmanned probe, Odysseus, tipped over upon reaching the surface. What weve gotten in terms of data on the vehicle is a tremendous amount of the guidance, navigation control data, all the propulsion data, all the performance data for the vehicle that will allow us to completely reconstruct the mission, Altemus told reporters at NASAs Kennedy Space Center, in Florida. What were going to do is kind of tuck Ody in for the cold night of the moon, and see if we cant wake him up here when we get the solar noon, in about three weeks, he said. Intuitive Machines officials werent sure if the batteries, after going through the ensuing plunging nighttime temperatures, would be able to pass on the power generated by the probes solar panels, but why not try? asked Altemus. Advertisement NASA is planning to return astronauts to the Moon later this decade, and paid Intuitive Machines around $120 million for the mission, as part of an initiative to delegate cargo missions to the private sector and stimulate a lunar economy. Odysseus carries a suite of NASA instruments designed to improve scientific understanding of the lunar south pole, where the space agency plans to send astronauts under its Artemis program later this decade. Advertisement Experiments on board Scientists have already begun to examine radio waves coming from Earth using one of the instruments onboard. Another experiment was unable to analyze the amount of dust thrown up during the descent as planned, but was still able to be launched once the lander was on the ground. While the solar panels were able to keep the batteries running successfully, they were not in the ideal position due the way the craft tipped over upon landing. Advertisement A photo Odysseus was able to take of itself showed some of the difficulties it faced landing, with at least one of the six legs broken and the engine kicking up lunar dust. A failure in the landers navigation system had complicated its final descent. The craft is tilted about 30 degrees, Altemus said. Advertisement The mission is a success from NASAs point of view, the space agencys chief, Bill Nelson, told reporters Wednesday. The United States, along with international partners, want to eventually develop long-term habitats on the south pole, harvesting ice there for drinking water and for rocket fuel for eventual onward voyages to Mars. Advertisement Intuitive Machines has two more Moon missions planned this year, both part of NASAs Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative, which works with the private sector. In addition to being the first ever successful private lunar landing, Artemis also marks the first return by the United States to the Moon in five decades. Advertisement People asked We did it 50 years ago, why is it so hard? Altemus said. Given the constraints involved cost targets, the quick schedule, technical challenges in landing on the south pole Weve fundamentally changed the economics of landing on the moon, he said. And weve kicked open the door for a robust thriving system in our economy in the future. Twenty-four bodies have been discovered since the boat ran aground in a particularly hazardous area of the northern coast, according to Governor Alioune Badara Samb. He went on to say that 21 people had been saved The governor of the Saint Louis region informed Thursday that a loaded vessel off the coast of northern Senegal sank, killing at least 24 people who were trying to reach Europe. Twenty-four bodies have been discovered since the boat ran aground in a particularly hazardous area of the northern coast, according to Governor Alioune Badara Samb. He went on to say that 21 people had been saved. Advertisement Strong currents and patches of dense mud are common in the Saint Louis estuary, which is where the Senegal River empties into the Atlantic Ocean. Samb did not disclose the number of people missing from the ship, which witnesses claimed may have had over 300 people on board. A number of survivors managed to reach shore and dispersed among locals on the sea banks, making it difficult to say exactly how many people were involved, he said. Mamady Dianfo, a survivor from Casamance in the south, told AFP more than 300 people were on board when the boat left Senegal a week ago. Another survivor, Alpha Balde, estimated there were more than 200 passengers. Dianfo said the vessel reached Morocco, further north up the coast but the captain then said he was lost and could no longer continue the journey. Advertisement We asked him to take us back to Senegal, he said. President Macky Sall on Thursday expressed his deep sadness following the tragic capsizing in a message on X, formerly Twitter. He added that the relevant authorities had been deployed to offer support and assistance. Senegals coast is an increasingly common departure point for Africans fleeing poverty and unemployment and heading to the Canary Islands, their port of entry into Europe. Advertisement European Union border agency Frontex says Senegal and Morocco are the most common countries of origin for migrants arriving on the Spanish archipelago in the Atlantic. Of the more than 6,600 migrants who died or went missing trying to reach Spain last year, the vast majority were lost on the treacherous Atlantic route, according to Spanish NGO Caminando Fronteras. Chinas Foreign Minister Wang Yi has been invited to Australia for a two-day visit in the second half of March. He will address various thorny issues on the table, following the recent improvement in bilateral relations, according to a report, citing unidentified people with knowledge of the matter Chinas Foreign Minister Wang Yi has been invited to Australia for a two-day visit in the second half of March, the South China Morning Post reported, citing unidentified people with knowledge of the matter. According to the report, citing a source, he will address various thorny issues on the table, following the recent improvement in bilateral relations. The trip coincides with the normalisation of bilateral trade, typically the least problematic aspect of negotiations, subsequent to Prime Minister Anthony Albaneses visit to China in November. Advertisement However, several unresolved matters, including the negotiation of a new science and technology agreement, the Aukus security pact with the United States and Britain, and the legal proceedings involving an Australian writer accused of espionage, are not expected to be swiftly resolved. Foreign Minister Penny Wong extended a formal invitation to Wang, South China Morning Post quoted a source, who preferred anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue, as saying. The invitation was the formal conclusion of discussions between the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and [the Chinese> embassy over a couple of weeks, the source added. According to the report, citing another source, Wang plans to allocate one day each for visits to Canberra and Sydney. This travel schedule coincides with the two sessions, Chinas annual assembly of its highest legislative and political advisory bodies, during which Wang will hold a press briefing on Chinas diplomatic efforts. Advertisement Additionally, the second source revealed that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has been advocating for the removal of sanctions on Australian wine and lobsters during Wangs trip. These sanctions have prohibited the import of these goods into China since 2020. In return, the second source said, China is pushing for Australia to sign a new Science and Technology Agreement. The agreement, which the source said has been held up by Canberra due to pressure from the United States, will be an outstanding issue for Wangs visit. Advertisement The request comes at a delicate time, as the renewal of the 40-year-old US-China Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement faces hurdles. A six-month extension ended on Tuesday, with no announcement of additional time for negotiations. At a press briefing on the day of expiration, a spokeswoman for Chinas Foreign Ministry said the two countries were communicating on the subject and continued to criticise Washingtons small yard, high fence strategy of strenuous tech controls. Advertisement Of course, Aukus will see Australia tighten research cooperation with the US and UK, and shrink cooperation with China in technologies with clear military applications, South China Morning Post quoted James Laurenceson, director of the Australia-China Relations Institute at the University of Technology Sydney, as saying. But that still leaves enormous opportunities for joint scientific research that delivers benefits for both sides renewable energy, adapting to climate change, medical advances and so on, he added. Advertisement He noted that Canberra is also pragmatic enough to recognise that Australias limited scale makes international collaboration a necessity, while cutting Australian scientists off from Chinese talent and resources would be a massive own goal that Canberra wouldnt want to kick. According to South China Morning Post, citing a third source with knowledge of the matter, said Premier Li Qiang could visit Australia in June or July. Advertisement DFAT told the SCMP that any visits by senior officials of foreign governments will be announced at the appropriate time. The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet declined to comment on potential official visits and events until formal announcements are made, added the report. Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs, meanwhile, had yet to reply to the SCMPs request for comment. Advertisement Albanese visited Shanghai and Beijing in November the first visit from an Australian leader in seven years cementing a turn towards warmer relations after a frosty period for both countries. DFAT data showed that China is Australias largest two-way trading partner, accounting for 26 per cent of the countrys goods and services trade in the 2022 and 2023 financial years. Advertisement Chinas General Administration of Customs reported US$229.2 billion in total exports and imports between both countries for 2023, an increase of 4.1 per cent from a year earlier. With inputs from agencies Biden called the effort an unprecedented action to ensure that cars on U.S. roads from countries of concern like China do not undermine our national security. The Biden administration will launch an investigation into Chinese-manufactured smart cars, and could impose restrictions over potential national security risks, the White House said on Thursday. Chinas policies could flood our market with its vehicles, posing risks to our national security, President Joe Biden said in a statement. Im not going to let that happen on my watch. Advertisement Biden called the effort an unprecedented action to ensure that cars on U.S. roads from countries of concern like China do not undermine our national security. The investigation aims to explore the possibility of implementing new regulations that would prevent China from leveraging advanced technology in electric cars and other connected vehicles to monitor drivers and gather their data. Officials express apprehension that features like driver assistance technology could potentially be exploited to conduct surveillance on American citizens. In a statement, the White House said that the U.S. Commerce Department probe is needed because vehicles collect large amounts of sensitive data on their drivers and passengers (and) regularly use their cameras and sensors to record detailed information on U.S. infrastructure,. As vehicles could be piloted or disabled remotely the probe will also look at autonomous vehicles. Advertisement It was too early to say what action might be taken and said there was no decision on a potential ban or restrictions on connected Chinese vehicles, White House officials told the media, adding that the US government has wide legal powers and could take action with a potentially large impact. Advertisement Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said connected cars are like smartphones on wheels and pose a serious national security risk. These vehicles are connected to the internet. They collect huge amounts of sensitive data on the drivers personal information, biometric information, where the car goes, she told reporters late Wednesday. So it doesnt take a lot of imagination to figure out how a foreign adversary like China, with access to this sort of information at scale, could pose a serious risk to our national security and the privacy of U.S. citizens.'' Advertisement Data collection is not the only concern, she and other officials said. Connected vehicles could also be remotely enabled or manipulated by bad actors. Imagine if there were thousands or hundreds of thousands of Chinese-connected vehicles on American roads that could be immediately and simultaneously disabled by somebody in Beijing, Raimondo said. So its scary to contemplate the cyber risks, espionage risks that these pose.'' Advertisement Few Chinese cars are currently imported to the United States, in part because of steep tariffs the U.S. imposes on vehicles imported from China. Still, officials are concerned tariffs are not sufficient to address the problem. Some Chinese companies seek to avoid U.S. tariffs by setting up assembly plants in nearby countries such as Mexico. Advertisement Under a plan announced Thursday, the Commerce Department is issuing an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking that will launch an investigation into national security risks posed by connected vehicles from China and other countries considered hostile to the United States. Commerce will seek information from the auto industry and the public on the nature of the risks and potential steps to mitigate them, the White House said. Officials will then develop potential regulations to govern the use of technology in vehicles from China and other countries of concern, including Russia and Iran. Advertisement Were doing it now, before Chinese manufactured vehicles become widespread in the United States and potentially threaten our privacy and our national security, Raimondo said. The investigation is the first action taken by the Commerce Departments Bureau of Industry and Security under executive orders Biden issued to protect domestic information and communications technology from national security threats. Advertisement Electric vehicles and other cars increasingly rely on advanced technologies to enable navigational tools, provide driver-assist features and reduce operating costs and carbon emissions through fast charging, the White House said. The cars are constantly connecting with personal devices, other cars, U.S. infrastructure and their original manufacturer, posing national security risks, the White House said. Advertisement New vulnerabilities and threats could arise with connected autos if a foreign government gained access to these vehicles systems or data, the White House said. High tariffs imposed by the Trump administration and continued by Biden have effectively deterred Chinese automakers from entering the U.S. market, but U.S. officials and industry leaders worry that Chinese companies might choose to absorb the additional costs as China leans more heavily on exports. Chinese car makers are looking to build more vehicles overseas, with EV giant BYD announcing plans last year for its first European plant. Advertisement Ford CEO Jim Farley said his company and others will have trouble competing on EVs with Chinese automakers, who have gone from no EV market share in Europe two years ago to about 10% now. John Bozzella, president of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, which represents major automakers, said proposed U.S. environmental regulations could let China gain a stronger foothold in Americas electric vehicle battery supply chain and eventually our automotive market. Advertisement The European Union, concerned about rising imports from China, opened a trade investigation last year into Chinese subsidies for electric vehicles. The investigation is ongoing. Chinese EV makers have been counting on Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Europe as their largest exporting markets. BYD, the worlds largest EV maker by sales, has repeatedly said it has no plan to sell its cars in the U.S. market, but on Wednesday said it was looking for a location in Mexico to locate a plant to build cars for that market. With inputs from agencies. The Texas confrontation occurs at a time when record numbers of immigrants are entering the country, posing a serious threat to Bidens hopes of thwarting a Trump resurgence Donald Trump and Joe Biden will make opposing trips to the US-Mexico border on Thursday in an effort to win over voters on one of the most contentious subjects of the upcoming presidential election in November. The Texas confrontation occurs at a time when record numbers of immigrants are entering the country, posing a serious threat to Bidens hopes of thwarting a Trump resurgence. Advertisement In Bronwensville, Texas, Democrat Biden will meet with law enforcement officials and border patrol personnel; Republican Trump will travel around 300 miles (480 km) to the west to Eagle Pass. Biden has attempted to diffuse the politically explosive situation by accusing Republicans in Congress of not supporting his fixes to the dysfunctional immigration laws in the United States. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that in Brownsville Biden would deliver remarks to call highlight the need for Republicans to get that done. In a statement, the White House said he would tell them to stop playing politics and to provide the funding needed for additional US Border Patrol agents, more asylum officers, fentanyl detection technology and more. Advertisement But for Trump a hard anti-immigration stance has been central to his political identity for years, and he has pledged the biggest ever US deportation program if he returns to the White House. No country can sustain what is happening to our country, the former president told the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington earlier this month. Advertisement My good friend Trump added that migrants were killing our people, theyre killing our country echoing the increasingly far-right rhetoric that saw him describe migrants last year as poisoning the blood of the United States. The split-screen moment less than eight months before Americans go to the polls highlights the high-stakes of the border issue as Biden, 81, and Trump, 77, head for a rematch. Advertisement Biden insisted earlier this week that he hadnt deliberately planned the clash of schedules with bitter rival Trump, whose rhetoric the Democrat has likened to the Nazis. I planned for Thursday, what I didnt know was that my good friend apparently is going, he told reporters during a visit to an ice cream shop in New York. Advertisement Biden also refused to say whether he would meet with migrants after criticism that he did not do so on a previous visit. Republicans blame Bidens policies favoring the right to asylum for the flow of migrants, while the White House says that Trumps party is deliberately sabotaging a bipartisan attempt to find a solution. Advertisement The border issue has also become tangled up in a bitter row over US aid for Ukraines fight against the Russian invasion, with Republicans insisting migration must be tackled before they unblock funding. Public concern about illegal immigration is meanwhile higher under Biden than it was under the last two administrations, with a majority now supporting a border wall of the kind Trump started building, according to a new poll by Monmouth. Advertisement A poll by US broadcaster NBC in February showed Trump leading Biden by 30 points on the issue of immigration. The violence flared amid tensions in the lead-up a presidential election set for May and June that could return the central African state to constitutional rule three years after the military seized power. Opposition politician Yaya Dillo was killed during tensions in the buildup to presidential elections in Chad.- Photo Credit-AFP Yaya Dillo, a prominent opposition figure in Chad, was killed on Wednesday following an exchange of fire with security forces, announced state prosecutor Oumar Mahamat Kedelaye on Thursday. Reports indicate that heavy gunfire was heard on Wednesday in NDjamena, the capital city close to the headquarters of Dillos opposition party, as witnessed by Reuters. Earlier, several people had been killed in clashes near Chads internal security agency building. Advertisement These incidents of violence come amidst escalating tensions in the lead-up to a presidential election scheduled for May and June. The election represents a critical juncture for Chad, potentially marking a return to constitutional governance after three years under military rule. Calm had returned to the capital by Thursday morning and residents were going back to work, though internet access, which was blocked a day earlier, had still not been restored, the Reuters witness said. On Wednesday, the headquarters of the opposition Socialist Party Without Borders, led by Dillo, were cordoned off by security forces. But accounts of the incidents given by the government and the party differed. A government statement said the security agency was attacked by representatives of the party, resulting in several deaths. Advertisement Detailing a separate incident, the government said a member of the party, Ahmed Torabi, had carried out an assassination attempt against the president of the Supreme Court, Samir Adam Annour. Torabi was arrested, it said. The opposition partys general secretary told Reuters the deaths near the security agency occurred when soldiers opened fire at a group of party members. Advertisement He said Torabi had been shot dead on Tuesday and his body was deposited at the agencys headquarters. On Wednesday morning, party members and Torabis relatives went to look for his body at the agency and soldiers shot at them, which resulted in multiple deaths, the general secretary said. Chads Supreme Court in December approved the vote on a new constitution that critics say could help cement the power of junta leader Mahamat Idriss Deby. Advertisement Debys military government is one of several juntas currently ruling in West and Central Africa, where there have been eight coups since 2020, sparking concerns about a backslide from democracy in the region. Several people were killed Wednesday in the central African country of Chad in what the government said was an attack by an opposition group on the national security agencys office in the capital. Advertisement With inputs from agencies. Creech, 73, has been in jail for half a century, guilty of five murders in three states and suspected of many more. He was already serving a life sentence when he beat another inmate, 22-year-old David Dale Jensen, to death in 1981, the crime for which he was to be killed This image provided by the Idaho Department of Correction shows Thomas Eugene Creech. Idaho Department of Correction via AP Idaho halted the execution of serial killer Thomas Eugene Creech on Wednesday after medical personnel repeatedly failed to locate a vein in which to establish an intravenous connection to administer the lethal injection. Creech, 73, has been in jail for half a century, guilty of five murders in three states and suspected of many more. He was already serving a life sentence when he beat another inmate, 22-year-old David Dale Jensen, to death in 1981, the crime for which he was to be killed. Advertisement Creech, one of the longest-serving death row convicts in the United States, was taken into the Idaho Maximum Security Institutions execution room on a gurney at 10 a.m. Three medical team members attempted to start an IV eight times, said Department of Correction Director Josh Tewalt at a press conference later. In some cases, they were unable to reach the vein; in others, they could but were concerned about the veins quality. They tried sites on his arms, legs, hands, and feet. At one point, a member of the medical team withdrew to get additional supplies. At 10:58 a.m., the warden declared that he would suspend the execution. The prisons department said Creechs death warrant would expire and that it was exploring future measures. While alternative medical techniques may allow for executions, Tewalt stated that the state is aware of the 8th Amendments prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment. Advertisement Creechs attorneys immediately filed a new motion for a stay in US District Court, saying the badly botched execution attempt proves the departments inability to carry out a humane and constitutional execution. The court granted the stay after Idaho confirmed it would not try again to execute him before the death warrant expired; the state will have to obtain another warrant if it wants to carry out the execution. Advertisement This is what happens when unknown individuals with unknown training are assigned to carry out an execution, the Federal Defender Services of Idaho said in a written statement. This is precisely the kind of mishap we warned the State and the Courts could happen when attempting to execute one of the countrys oldest death-row inmates. Advertisement Six Idaho officials, including Attorney General Raul Labrador, and four news media representatives, including an Associated Press reporter, were on hand to witness the attempt which was to be Idahos first execution in 12 years. The execution team was made up entirely of volunteers, the corrections department said. Those tasked with inserting the IVs and administering the lethal drug had medical training, but their identities were kept secret. They wore white balaclava-style face coverings and navy scrub caps to conceal their faces. Advertisement With each attempt to insert an IV, the medical team cleaned the skin with alcohol, injected a numbing solution, cleaned the skin again and then attempted to place the IV catheter. Each attempt took several minutes, with medical team members palpating the skin and trying to position the needles. Creech frequently looked toward his family members and representatives, who were sitting in a separate witness room. His arms were strapped to the table, but he often extended his fingers toward them. Advertisement He appeared to mouth I love you to someone in the room on occasion. After the execution was halted, the warden approached Creech and whispered to him for several minutes, giving his arm a squeeze. A few hours afterward, Labrador released a statement saying that justice had been delayed again. Our duty is to seek justice for the many victims and their families who experienced the brutality and senselessness of his actions, the attorney general wrote. Advertisement Creechs attorneys filed a flurry of late appeals hoping to forestall his execution. They included claims that his clemency hearing was unfair, that it was unconstitutional to kill him because he was sentenced by a judge rather than a jury and that the state had not provided enough information about how it obtained the lethal drug, pentobarbital, or how it was to be administered. Advertisement But the courts found no grounds for leniency. Creechs last chance a petition to the US Supreme Court was denied a few hours before the scheduled execution Wednesday. On Tuesday night, Creech spent time with his wife and ate a last meal including fried chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy and ice cream. Advertisement A group of about 15 protesters gathered outside the prison Wednesday, at one point singing Amazing Grace. An Ohio native, Creech has spent most of his life behind bars in Idaho. He was acquitted of a killing in Tucson, Arizona, in 1973 authorities nevertheless believe he did it, as he used the victims credit card to travel to Oregon. He was later convicted of a 1974 killing in Oregon and one in California, where he traveled after earning a weekend pass from a psychiatric hospital. Advertisement Later that year, Creech was arrested in Idaho after killing John Wayne Bradford and Edward Thomas Arnold, two house painters who had picked him and his girlfriend up while they were hitchhiking. He was serving a life sentence for those murders in 1981 when he beat Jensen to death. Jensen was disabled and serving time for car theft. Advertisement Jensens family members described him during Creechs clemency hearing last month as a gentle soul who loved hunting and being outdoors. Jensens daughter was 4 years old when he died, and she spoke about how painful it was to grow up without a father. Creechs supporters say he is a deeply changed man. Several years ago he married the mother of a correctional officer, and former prison staffers said he was known for writing poetry and expressing gratitude for their work. During his clemency hearing, Ada County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Jill Longhorst did not dispute that Creech can be charming. But she said he is nevertheless a psychopath lacking remorse and empathy. Last year, Idaho lawmakers passed a law authorizing execution by firing squad when lethal injection is not available. Prison officials have not yet written a standard operating policy for the use of firing squad, nor have they constructed a facility where a firing squad execution could occur. Both would have to happen before the state could attempt to use the new law, which would likely trigger several legal challenges. Other states have also had trouble carrying out lethal injections. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey paused executions for several months to conduct an internal review after officials called off the lethal injection of Kenneth Eugene Smith in November 2022 the third time since 2018 Alabama had been unable to conduct executions due to problems with IV lines. Smith in January became the first person to be put to death using nitrogen gas. He shook and convulsed for several minutes on the death chamber gurney during the execution. Idaho does not allow execution by nitrogen hypoxia. In 2014, Oklahoma officials tried to halt a lethal injection when the prisoner, Clayton Lockett, began writhing after being declared unconscious. He died after 43 minutes; a review found his IV line came loose. The two leaders also inaugurated six community development projects in the island nation that will fulfill the demand for better connectivity between mainland Mauritius and Agalega Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a new airstrip with his Mauritian counterpart Pravind Jugnauth in the Agalega Islands Thursday. #WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister of Mauritius Pravind Jugnauth jointly inaugurate the new airstrip of Agalega in Mauritius. pic.twitter.com/w4xS1XjkBZ ANI (@ANI) February 29, 2024 Advertisement During the virtual inauguration of the airstrip, PM Modi said, In the last 6 months, this is the fifth meeting between us. This the proof of a vibrant, strong and unique partnership between India and Mauritius. Being members of Global South our priorities are common. #WATCH | PM Modi and Mauritius PM Pravind Jugnauth jointly inaugurate St James Jetty, in Mauritius. PM Modi says, "In the last 6 months, this is the fifth meeting between us. This the proof of a vibrant, strong and unique partnership between India and Mauritius. Being members of pic.twitter.com/deQFgledjN ANI (@ANI) February 29, 2024 Advertisement The two leaders also inaugurated six community development projects in the island nation that will fulfill the demand for better connectivity between mainland Mauritius and Agalega. PM Narendra Modi, I wish to convey to you the profound gratitude of the govt and the people of Mauritius, for the special consideration you have given our country ever since you assumed the responsibility as PM of India. As your brilliant leadershipradiates across the world, the people of India and the Indian diaspora have established themselves as a global powerhouse of values, knowledge and success, Mauritius Prime Minister Jugnauth said. Advertisement #WATCH | Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, Prime Minister of Mauritius says, " PM Narendra Modi, I wish to convey to you the profound gratitude of the govt and the people of Mauritius, for the special consideration you have given our country ever since you assumed the responsibility as PM pic.twitter.com/hcjL3d8zxl ANI (@ANI) February 29, 2024 Advertisement According to a release by the Prime Ministers Office the projects are expected to improve connectivity between mainland Mauritius and Agalega, strengthen maritime security and foster socio-economic development. Advertisement The inauguration of these projects came weeks after the launch of Indias Unified Payments Interface (UPI) systems and RuPay card services in Mauritius. With inputs from agencies As per the official IRNA news agency, the satellite was launched from Russias Vostochny launch base, which is approximately 8,000 kilometres (5,000 miles) east of Moscow A Soyuz-2.1b rocket booster with a Fregat upper stage, carrying Russian the Meteor-M spacecraft and 18 Russian and foreign additional small satellites, blasts off from a launchpad at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in the far eastern Amur region, Russia. Reuters According to official media, Iran declared on Thursday that a remote sensing and imaging satellite had been launched into orbit from Russia. Live coverage of the launch of Pars-I using the Russian Soyuz-2.1b rocket was provided by Iranian state television. As per the official IRNA news agency, the satellite was launched from Russias Vostochny launch base, which is approximately 8,000 kilometres (5,000 miles) east of Moscow. Advertisement Issa Zareppur, Irans minister of telecommunications, said that Pars-I was fully domestically developed in his country, which had launched twelve satellites in the last two years. About a week after its Revolutionary Guards launched a research satellite, Iran claimed in January to have launched three satellites into orbit simultaneously. Western governments including the United States have repeatedly warned Iran against such launches, saying the same technology can be used for ballistic missiles, including ones designed to deliver a nuclear warhead. Iran has countered that it is not seeking nuclear weapons and that its satellite and rocket launches are for civil or defence purposes only. In August 2022, Russia launched Irans remote-sensing Khayyam satellite into orbit from Kazakhstan amid controversy that Moscow might use it to boost its surveillance of military targets in its war in Ukraine. Advertisement Moscow has sought to strengthen its alliances with other countries ostracised by the West, including Iran, which has been accused of supplying Moscow with armed drones for its offensive in Ukraine. This month, the United States said it would soon impose new sanctions on Iran over its backing for Russias invasion of Ukraine. Advertisement Tehran denies the allegations. Hamas representatives and Fatah officials will hold meetings in Moscow to discuss the next steps in forming a government in Palestine days after the regions Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh stepped down from office The Palestinian Authoritys Finance Minister Riyad al-Maliki ruled out the possibility of Hamas inclusion in the new government. Hamas representatives and Fatah officials will hold meetings in Moscow to discuss the next steps in forming a government in Palestine days after the regions Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh stepped down from office. Ahead of the meeting, Miliki downplayed the possibility of Hamas joining the government in a coalition, adding that a technocratic government was needed, without the Islamist terror group. Advertisement The time now is not for a government where Hamas will be part of it, because, in this case, then it will be boycotted by a number of countries, as happened before, he told the UN Correspondents Association. We dont want to be in a situation like that. We want to be accepted and engaging fully with the international community, he explained. West Bank govt resigns Earlier this week, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said he has stepped down from the post and has submitted his resignation to President Mahmoud Abbas. Explaining his decision to step down, Shtayyeh said: The decision to resign came in light of the unprecedented escalation in the West Bank and Jerusalem and the war, genocide and starvation in the Gaza Strip." Advertisement Shtayyeh assumed office in 2019. His resignation comes amid mounting pressure on President Abbas from the United States to revamp the Palestinian Authority, align with international efforts to stop hostilities in Gaza and initiate the formation of a political structure for post-war governance. What will the new govt in West Bank look like? Advertisement A new government in the West Bank can do more harm than good for the ongoing war in Gaza. According to The Associated Press, former PM Shtayyeh will most likely be replaced by Mohammad Mustafa, a US-educated economist who has held senior positions at the World Bank and currently leads the Palestine Investment Fund. Advertisement Mustafas appointment in the post might be welcomed by the US, Israel and other countries as he is not aligned with any political. Meanwhile, Abbass popularity has plummeted in recent years, with polls consistently finding that a large majority of Palestinians want him to resign. The PAs security coordination with Israel is extremely unpopular, causing many Palestinians to view it as a subcontractor of the occupation. Advertisement With inputs from agencies During a House Armed Services Committee hearing, Austin said It is over 25,000.Austin added that about 21,000 precision-guided munitions had been provided to Israel since the start of its war in Gaza. Palestinians inspect the rubble of destroyed buildings after an Israeli airstrike in Nusseirat refugee camp, central Gaza Strip, on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024.-AP US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Thursday that more than 25,000 women and children have been killed by Israel since October 7. During a House Armed Services Committee hearing, Austin said It is over 25,000.Austin added that about 21,000 precision-guided munitions had been provided to Israel since the start of its war in Gaza. Advertisement He added that Israel can and should do more to protect civilians. Earlier today, Palestinian health officials claimed that Israeli troops fired on a large crowd of Palestinians racing to pull food off an aid convoy in Gaza City. Israeli officials acknowledged that troops opened fire, saying they did so after the crowd approached in a threatening way. The officials insisted on anonymity to give details about what happened, after the military said in a statement that dozens were killed and injured from pushing, trampling and being run over by the trucks. U.S. President Joe Biden said the United States was still trying to determine what happened in Gaza City. When asked if the loss of life would complicate efforts broker a cease-fire, he said, I know it will. Gaza City and the surrounding areas in the enclaves north were the first targets of Israels air, sea and ground offensive, launched in response to Hamas Oct. 7 attack. Advertisement Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan accused Israel of targeting civilians in the incident. In separate statements, they called for increased safe passages for humanitarian aid and for the international community to take decisive action to pressure Israel to abide by international law and to reach an agreement for an immediate cease-fire. Advertisement With inputs from agencies. Israel has warned Hezbollah to stop its near daily attacks and demanded it withdraw its forces to an area north of Lebanons Litani River, some 30 kilometres (almost 20 miles) away from the UN-patrolled border Residents of areas surrounding verdant hills of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, close to Lebanon are contemplating whether the surrounding area could turn into a combat zone. According to reports, there is growing concern that months of cross-border fighting in the north could turn into a larger conflict, even as mediators hope for a truce soon in the Israel-Hamas war raging in Gaza to the south. Advertisement According to a CNN report, in the event that diplomatic attempts to force Hezbollah to retreat from Israels northern border are unsuccessful, the Biden administration and intelligence officials are also worried that Israel is preparing a ground invasion into Lebanon. This incursion could occur in the late spring or early summer. Although an official Israeli decision has not yet been made, the Biden administration is so concerned about the possibility of an incursion that it has been brought up in intelligence briefings for senior administration officials. One briefing recipient was informed that an operation could take place as early as summer. We are operating in the assumption that an Israeli military operation is in the coming months, one senior Biden administration official said. Not necessarily imminently in the next few weeks but perhaps later this spring. An Israeli military operation is a distinct possibility. Advertisement One of the resident living alongside Israels border with Lebonan, named Ditza Alonn remarked while talking to AFP, Its a big question, regarding whether Israel ought to engage in yet another significant conflict with Hamas ally, Hezbollah, in Lebanon. Standing with her husband in the reserve at the base of snow-capped Mount Hermon, she stated that there is a risk in either case and thought about the predicament. Advertisement We understand that if there wont be a war then what happened in Gaza could happen again, she said, referring to Hamass October 7 attacks on southern Israeli communities. On the other hand, we know that if there will be a war theres going to be a big war and a lot of soldiers and civilians will die. Advertisement Israel has warned Hezbollah to stop its near daily attacks and demanded it withdraw its forces to an area north of Lebanons Litani River, some 30 kilometres (almost 20 miles) away from the UN-patrolled border. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said this week that a Gaza truce wont stop Israeli military operations in the north and many fear a Gaza ceasefire may in fact allow Israel forces to step up northern operations. Advertisement Experts say Hezbollah, which has waged past wars against Israel, has many battle-hardened fighters and a formidable arsenal of rockets and missiles most of which it has held back from using so far. - It will happen - The Gaza war was triggered by Hamass October 7 attack that resulted in the deaths of around 1,160 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official Israeli figures, and saw about 250 people taken hostage. Advertisement The Hamas-run health ministry said Thursday more than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed since then in the besieged territory. As the Gaza war has raged, Iran-backed Hezbollah and the Israeli army have traded almost daily fire. On the Lebanese side, at least 280 people have been killed, mostly Hezbollah fighters and their allies, along with 44 civilians, according to an AFP tally. Advertisement On the Israeli side, the army says 10 soldiers and six civilians have been killed, while tens of thousands of residents on both sides have been displaced. On Monday, for the first time in years, Israel launched strikes against the city of Baalbek, around 100 kilometres (60 miles) north of the border. Advertisement The Lebanese militant group responded with a barrage of rockets against northern Israel. All the violence did not stop the Alons, a married Israeli couple in their thirties who live in the region, from hiking around 10 kilometres from the border. In that verdant landscape, bathed in spring sunshine, they reflected on the delicate situation. Advertisement Ditza said she expected that, once the Israeli army finished operations in Gaza, there would be more noise up north. Arye said that a war with Hezbollah was only a question of time, and argued it would be entirely necessary. We are sure it will happen because Hezbollah is the same as Hamas, they are like brothers he asserted. Advertisement If Hezbollah is not pushed beyond the Litani River, he added, then what happened in Gaza will happen in the north, maybe not tomorrow, but after five or 10 years. - Rockets, fighter jets - Gallant, on a visit to the armys Northern Command this week, said a Gaza ceasefire would not change Israels objective of pushing Hezbollah out of southern Lebanon. Advertisement The United States and France have called on both sides to resolve the issue through diplomacy. Gallant warned that if this is not possible, we will do it by force. If anyone thinks that when we reach a deal to release hostages in the south and the firing stops it will ease what is happening here, they are wrong, he said. Amir Avivi, a former brigadier general in the Israeli army, also argued that a Gaza truce would change nothing. They might respect the truce, but we are not going to respect the truce with Hezbollah, he told AFP. In the Gaza war, Israel insists it will send troops into far-southern Rafah, the last major city so far spared from a ground assault, either before or after a ceasefire. After Rafah, said Avivi, the focus would be on Hezbollah. Israel, he said, wants a diplomatic solution, but he argued that this would be difficult. If it fails, he said, then war is imminent. In such a scenario, he said, Hezbollah might consider a conflict inevitable and launch a surprise attack. In the hills near the border with Lebanon, Ditza said she is ready for any eventuality including one where tomorrow morning, theyre telling us: you have to move. Just after the couple finished their hike, more rockets were fired from Lebanon and an Israeli military jet roared across the clear blue sky. With inputs from AFP Clear violations of international human rights and humanitarian laws, including war crimes and possibly other crimes under international law, have been committed by all parties. It is time - well past time - for peace, investigation and accountability, Volker Turk told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva Volker Turk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, attends the high-level event commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, on 11 December, 2023. Reuters File UN human rights chief Volker Turk on Thursday slammed all the parties for committing war crimes in Israel-Hamas conflict and said that it was it was time, well past time, for peace, investigation and fixing accountability. Clear violations of international human rights and humanitarian laws, including war crimes and possibly other crimes under international law, have been committed by all parties, Reuters quoted Turk as telling the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. Advertisement It is time - well past time - for peace, investigation and accountability, he added. Hamas gunmen killed 1,200 people and captured 253 hostages in an attack on Israel on Oct. 7, according to Israeli tallies. The attack sparked an Israeli offensive in Hamas-run Gaza, which it says is intended to rescue the remaining hostages and eradicate Hamas. Health authorities in Gaza say more than 30,000 people have been confirmed killed during the offensive. Turk, who was presenting a report on the human rights situation in Gaza and in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, said his office had recorded many incidents that may amount to war crimes by Israeli forces. He added there were also indications that Israeli forces have engaged in indiscriminate or disproportionate targeting in violation of international law. Advertisement Turk said Palestinian armed groups launching indiscriminate projectiles across southern Israel and the holding of hostages also violated international humanitarian law. Israel says it is doing all it can to minimise harm to civilians. In a speech that drew applause by many attendees at the UN Human Rights Council, Palestinian Ambassador Ibrahim Khraishi said, We condemned what happened on Oct. 7 and we do so firmly, but nobody is really is condemning the fact that women, children and the elderly being killed. Advertisement Elan Tiv, the daughter of former hostage Aviva Siegel who attended Turks speech along with her mother, said those who applauded the Palestinian intervention should be ashamed of themselves. You shouldnt be able to sleep at night, because there are kids on both sides that are being killed, said Tiv, whose father Keith remains captive in Gaza. Advertisement Turk added that a ground offensive in the southern border town of Rafah, where some 1.5 million people are estimated to be crammed after fleeing their homes further north to escape Israels offensive, would incur massive loss of life. He said such an assault would increase the risk of atrocity crimes, spur more displacement and sign a death warrant for any hope of effective humanitarian aid. Advertisement With inputs from agencies Philippines authorities this week reported detecting Chinese navy vessels around the Scarborough Shoal an area seized by Beijing in 2012 Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr delivers an address to Members and Senators of the Australian Parliament in the House of Representatives at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia. Reuters On Thursday, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos pledged to the Australian parliament that his nation was on the frontline of a fight for regional peace, asking for help in his countrys maritime issues with China. Marcos informed Australian MPs that the Philippines now finds itself on the frontline against actions that undermine regional peace, erode regional stability, and threaten regional success in light of Beijings warships lingering in waters off his countrys shore. Advertisement He promised that in spite of formidable obstacles, he would not waver in his defence of his nations sovereignty. I will not allow any attempt by any foreign power to take even one square inch of our sovereign territory, Marcos said to loud applause. The challenges that we face may be formidable, but equally formidable is our resolve. We will not yield. Philippines authorities this week reported detecting Chinese navy vessels around the Scarborough Shoal an area seized by Beijing in 2012. China has claimed the shoal and large swathes of the South China Sea as its own, ignoring regional objections and an international tribunal ruling that the claims have no legal basis. Advertisement The South China Sea is strategically vital for several countries including China providing a key route for the import and export of essential fuel, food and other goods. Beijing has long deployed coast guard and other vessels around the Scarborough Shoal to prevent Philippine access. But Marcos painted the deployment of warships as a new and worrisome escalation. Advertisement China has rapidly grown its naval forces in recent years, and snatched vast tracts of maritime territory, hoping to project its military and political power well beyond the countrys shores. The protection of the South China Sea as a critical global artery is crucial to the preservation of regional peace. And I dare say of global peace, Marcos said. Advertisement Marcos Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese hailed the Philippines as a strategic partner on Thursday. Albanese said the two countries signed a deal on enhanced maritime cooperation and vowed to collaborate even more closely to promote our shared vision for the region. Hard sell Marcos may be pushing at an open door when it comes to Australias support, but he is likely to face a tougher task in garnering full-throated support from his Southeast Asian neighbours. Advertisement Early next week, Australia and the ASEAN bloc of Southeast Asian nations will hold a summit in Melbourne. Although Beijings aggressive stance in the South China Sea is tipped to dominate discussions, many countries around the table notably Laos and Cambodia have extremely close ties with China. Many others are keen not to damage relations with Beijing, a major trading partner. After escaping the destruction in other areas of the enclave, the majority of Gazas 2.3 million residents now reside in Rafah, close to the Egyptian border, primarily in tents and other makeshift shelters Palestinians shop at a market, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip. Reuters File According to a member of the vigilante organisation, armed and masked individuals from Gaza have begun patrols to prevent traders from making ill-gotten gains in Rafah, where over a million displaced Palestinians are seeking refuge from Israels air and ground onslaught. With all commercial imports stopped when hostilities started on October 7 and only small amounts of humanitarian supplies arriving, prices in Gaza have skyrocketed nearly five months into the conflict. Advertisement After escaping the destruction in other areas of the enclave, the majority of Gazas 2.3 million residents now reside in Rafah, close to the Egyptian border, primarily in tents and other makeshift shelters. Images shared on social media featured guys standing close to market booths wearing ski masks with hoods drawn over their heads. In one photograph two of the men held assault rifles. In another photograph, six men brandished sticks. The men with the sticks also had headbands with the slogan in Arabic The Committee of public protection. A man who described himself as a member of the group, and whom Reuters contacted by phone, said their action was necessary to enforce law and order because police no longer patrolled the streets after being targeted by Israeli strikes. Advertisement Their actions were intended to monitor the prices and punish those who exploit the needs of the people, said the man, who spoke on condition of anonymity, fearing Israeli reprisals. The war began when Hamas fighters stormed into Israel, killing 1,200 people and seizing 253 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israels air and ground campaign has since killed around 30,000 Palestinians, according to health authorities in Hamas-run Gaza. Advertisement The patrol was seen in a Rafah market on Wednesday by Mohammad Abuemad, a 24-year-old university graduate who fled his Gaza City home early in the war and now lives in a tent. He said police had been a common sight in Rafah until recent strikes targeting them, and had been responsible for organising the long queues outside bakeries, supermarkets and banks. Advertisement Abuemad said he was concerned by the emergence of masked men enforcing public order. Maybe they are good but we hope they act fairly with people, he said. We would rather the war end so the real police force can come back, he said. New Zealands Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the attacks by Hamas on Israel on October 7 were brutal and we have unequivocally condemned them Palestinian Hamas militants attend an anti-Israel rally in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip. FILE/REUTERS New Zealand has designated Hamas in its entirety as a terrorist entity, saying after the October 7 attacks it can no longer distinguish between the military and political wings of the Palestinian Islamist group. The military wing of Hamas was designated as a terrorist entity by New Zealand in 2010. New Zealand has also imposed travel bans on extremist Israeli settlers whom it said had committed violent attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank. Advertisement Hamas as a whole bears responsibility What happened on October 7 reinforces we can no longer distinguish between the military and political wings of Hamas. The organisation as a whole bears responsibility for these horrific terrorist attacks, New Zealands Foreign Minister Winston Peters said. In a statement, New Zealands Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said, New Zealand wants to be clear that the designation of Hamas is about the actions of an offshore terrorist entity and is not a reflection on the Palestinian people in Gaza and around the world. Luxon further said the attacks by Hamas on Israel on October 7 were brutal and we have unequivocally condemned them. New Zealand joins US to impose travel bans New Zealand has joined the US and other nations, issuing travel bans against a number of extremist Israeli settlers," cracking down on individuals who commit violent attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank. Advertisement New Zealands consistent position is that Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories are a violation of international law, Foreign Minister Winston Peters said in a statement on Thursday. PM Luxon said hes seriously concerned by the significant increase in extremist violence perpetrated by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in recent months. This is particularly destabilising in what is already a major crisis, he added. Advertisement Settlements undermine the prospects for a viable two-state solution, PM Luxon said. Recent statements by some Israeli ministers about plans for further settlement construction are of serious concern and will raise tensions further between Israelis and Palestinians. US President Joe Biden, earlier this month, had signed an executive order allowing his country to impose more sanctions on Israeli settlers and possibly government officials involved in violence against Palestinians, while the UK also issued a travel ban and imposed financial sanction against four Israeli settlers. Advertisement With inputs from agencies In the opening session, President Arif Ashraf will administer the oath to the new members and adjourn the session for the next Assembly to elect the new speaker and deputy speaker After weeks of turmoil over the formation of a government in Pakistan following Feb 8 polls, the newly-elected Parliament Thursday held its first session at the summon of caretaker President Arif Alvi. However, the session began an hour later than it was originally intended and was headed by the outgoing Speaker of the previous Parliament, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf. Advertisement Early on Thursday, Alvi approved a move from the caretaker parliamentary affairs ministry to summon the newly-elected National Assemblys first session on February 29, according to a statement posted by the presidents X account. Subject to some reservations, President Dr Arif Alvi has summoned to convene the National Assembly on February 29 in exercise of the powers conferred by Article 54(1) of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the statement said. Subject to some reservations, President Dr Arif Alvi has summoned to convene the National Assembly on 29th February in exercise of the powers conferred by the Article 54(1) of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The President of Pakistan (@PresOfPakistan) February 28, 2024 Advertisement Pakistans constitution mandates that the first meeting of the National Assembly should be convened within 21 days after elections. So, per Article 91, the last date to hold the maiden meeting this year fell on 29 Feb. Advertisement In the opening session, Ashraf will administer the oath to the new members and adjourn the session for the next Assembly to elect the new speaker and deputy speaker. When will Pak have a new PM? Meanwhile, Pakistan will see a new prime minister on Saturday as the election for the same has been slated for the weekend. Advertisement Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) Chief Nawaz Sharif has expressed confidence in his younger brother Shahbaz to lead the nation as the prime minister. In the current circumstances, Shehbaz Sharif is the best choice, Nawaz said. Former PM Imran Khans Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf has fielded Omar Ayub Khan, the grandson of Ayub Khan. Earlier in January this year, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that the country has become Europes first economy and stands at number fifth in the world in terms of purchasing power parity, according to Russian media outlet TASS. Russias economy would soon be among the worlds four largest in terms of purchasing power parity, said President Vladimir Putin on Thursday. Leveraging its abundant natural resources, Russia witnessed a significant rebound in its gross domestic product (GDP) last year following a downturn in 2022. However, this growth is largely driven by state-funded arms and ammunition production for the conflict in Ukraine, obscuring underlying issues that continue to impede improvements in the living standards of Russians. Advertisement Earlier in January this year, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that the country has become Europes first economy and stands at number fifth in the world in terms of purchasing power parity, according to Russian media outlet TASS. Since the war began, Russia has been unable to access the substantial portion of its foreign exchange reserves held by its central bank which were blocked in the West as a part of the sanctions for its invasion of Ukraine, according to CNN. The Russian central bank had claimed then that the quickly disappearing surplus was one of the contributing factors to the Rubles decline. In 2023, the currency had lost over 30 per cent of its value, according to CNN. The Russia-Ukraine war started on February 24, 2022. A day after, the European Union introduced wide-ranging sanctions intended to send a clear signal to Moscow that there would be severe consequences for the war. Advertisement The bloc has imposed 11 sanctions packages to date and last week said it would work to shut down loopholes in the existing measures. EU officials have suggested the sanctions could remain in place for years, Al Jazeera reported. Meanwhile, the Western countries and Kyiv allege that Moscow is engaged in an unprovoked war of aggression in Ukraine. On the other hand, Moscow accuses Western powers of using Ukraine to try to weaken and undermine Russias own security. Advertisement With inputs from agencies. "China adopts 'diplomacy for the people,' which means that the Chinese government is at the service of the Chinese citizens inside and outside China." CAIRO, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- China has succeeded in achieving "comprehensive development" and fruitful Belt and Road cooperation with many partner countries despite Western smear campaigns, an Egyptian expert on Chinese affairs has said. "Economic and social development in China picked up since the country began implementing its reform and opening-up policy more than 40 years ago, and China has ever since achieved high growth rates," Nasser Abdel-Aal, professor of Chinese language at Cairo-based Ain Shams University, told Xinhua in a recent interview. Abdel-Aal, also director of the university's Confucius Institute, said China has been seeking development partners abroad after achieving development success at home. "The Chinese economic vision seeks to crystallize a just global system, and therefore it was necessary for China to launch global economic initiatives and urge major Chinese economic institutions to invest overseas," Abdel-Aal said. He said the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is the core of China's policy of seeking common development via economic cooperation and win-win partnerships with overseas partners. "The fruits of cooperation within the BRI framework have undeniably appeared in many countries," he said. The expert cited Egypt as an example where a huge 20-tower business district is being constructed by a Chinese firm at Egypt's New Administrative Capital in eastern Cairo. "Many Chinese companies have participated in Egypt's development process over the past ten years, in the Suez Canal Economic Zone, the New Administrative Capital, the New El Alamein City and others," Abdel-Aal said. The results of BRI-related cooperation are "positive" despite the smear campaigns by countries led by the United States, he said. Abdel-Aal noted that "there are still several challenges facing the Chinese economy, including the trade war launched by the United States, which seeks to distort China's economic image globally." China and the United States, the world's two largest trading partners, are indispensable to each other, and each of them is aware of the other's role in the global economy, he said. "The world is now one unit, and any failure or economic collapse in any region will affect the entire world," he added. China's economic approach looks at the world from a different perspective. It does not strive to become "a superpower," but seeks global cooperation and joint development, the expert said. "This is why China has launched relevant initiatives such as the BRI, the Global Development Initiative and the Global Security Initiative," he said. The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and new economic platforms such as BRICS "open new horizons for development for all countries of the Global South and contribute to boosting the global economy," Abdel-Aal added. The Egyptian professor noted that China's concept of human rights differs from that of the West, as China believes that the core of human rights is to provide a prosperous life for the citizens. "Therefore, China's primary goal is the well-being of the Chinese citizens." He stressed that Chinese citizens are now enjoying the fruits of development and that China's diplomacy is people-oriented and seeks to serve the interests of all Chinese people. "China adopts 'diplomacy for the people,' which means that the Chinese government is at the service of the Chinese citizens inside and outside China," he said. The court found that the defendant was engaged by the Ukrainian intelligence services to collect and transfer information about the presence of Russian armed forces on the territory of the Bryansk region, the court said in a statement on Telegram A Russian court on Thursday handed down a 12-year prison sentence to a Ukrainian man convicted of espionage for transmitting military intelligence to Ukraines secret services. Since its full-scale military offensive commenced in February 2022, Russia has detained and incarcerated numerous individuals accused of collaborating with Ukraines armed forces and intelligence organisations. Advertisement The court found that the defendant was engaged by the Ukrainian intelligence services to collect and transfer information about the presence of Russian armed forces on the territory of the Bryansk region, AFP quoted the court as saying in a statement on Telegram. Russias Bryansk region sits across the border from northern Ukraine. It has been the site of multiple shelling and drone attacks and a cross-border incursion by a pro-Ukrainian militia last year. The defendant, who was not named, pleaded guilty and the trial was heard behind closed doors, the Bryansk courts service said. On Wednesday, Russian state media reported a court in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don had sentenced a Ukrainian to 11-and-a-half years in prison for trying to buy top secret missile components. Advertisement Both men were sentenced on espionage charges. With inputs from agencies Junior doctors strike in South Korea have plunged the hospitals into chaos. It has resulted in the cancellation and delay of surgeries, chemotherapy and C-sections South Korean doctors march to protest against the government medical policy in front of the Presidential office in Seoul, South Korea, February 25, 2024. REUTERS Its Thursday, the deadline day set by the South Korean government for the striking doctors to return to work, but the warning did not stop them from protesting. The medics will now possibly face legal action and their medical licenses may also be revoked. Around three-quarters of South Koreas junior doctors, who walked out of their jobs over the past week, were warned of legal action by South Koreas health minister. Advertisement The stoppages in work by the medics have plunged the hospitals into chaos at major teaching. It has resulted in the cancellation and delay of surgeries, chemotherapy and C-sections, with the government raising its public health alert to the highest level. Around 10,000 trainee doctors about 80 per cent of the trainee workforce gave notice and walked off the job last week to protest government plans to sharply increase medical school admissions every year to cope with shortages and an aging society. Earlier on Thursday, Health Minister Cho Kyoo-hong said some trainee doctors who joined the walkout have subsequently returned to their hospitals, but a full-scale return has not yet materialised. Nurses forced to carry procedures in operation theaters With junior doctors on strike, other healthcare workers are being asked to pick up extra work. As per a report by BBC, nurses have warned they are being forced to perform procedures in operation theaters that would normally fall to their doctor colleagues. Advertisement The report quoted Choi, a nurse at a hospital in Seoul, saying her shifts had been extended by an hour and a half each day and she was now doing the work of two people. I am frustrated that this is continuing without an end in sight, Choi said. Implore doctors to return so for patients Advertisement Under South Korean law, doctors are restricted from striking. In an interview with local SBS radio earlier on Thursday, Health Minister Cho Kyoo-hong also said: If junior doctors return by the end of today, we will not hold them accountable. As today is the last day of the return, I implore them to do so for the patients, the minister said. Advertisement South Korean govt on medical students admission row Cho further said the government was committed to its reform plan, which would increase medical school admissions by 65 per cent. The minister cited shortages of health professionals and a looming demographic crisis. If we reduce the scope (of the increase) it would delay the provision of the required medical workforce, he said. Advertisement South Korea has one of the lowest doctor-to-patient ratios among developed countries. The country also has a rapidly aging population which is worrying the government that there would possibly be an acute shortage of medics within a decade. Under the governments proposals, the number of medical students admitted to university next year would rise from 3,000 to 5,000. Advertisement The striking doctors argue that training more physicians would dilute the quality of care because it would mean giving medical licenses to less competent practitioners. However, a recent polling showed up to 75 per cent of the South Korean public support the government reforms. Also, President Yoon Suk Yeol, who has taken a hard line on the striking doctors, has seen his approval ratings tick up ahead of the legislative election scheduled in April. Advertisement With inputs from agencies Trump was supposed to stand trial in Washington on March 4 for allegedly plotting to tamper with the results of the 2020 election, which Democrat Joe Biden won. However, the trial has been postponed while his legal defence of presidential immunity is being handled by the courts Donald Trumps trial on allegations of plotting to rig the 2020 election was further postponed when the US Supreme Court decided on Wednesday to consider his argument that, as a former president, he is exempt from prosecution. The nations top court announced that Trumps federal election meddling trial will be postponed for the time being and set arguments in the highly anticipated case for the week of April 22. Advertisement Trump was supposed to stand trial in Washington on March 4 for allegedly plotting to tamper with the results of the 2020 election, which Democrat Joe Biden won. However, the trial has been postponed while his legal defence of presidential immunity is being handled by the courts. The 77-year-old Trump, the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, welcomed the Supreme Court decision to hear the case. Without Presidential Immunity, a President will not be able to properly function, or make decisions, in the best interest of the United States of America, he said in a post on his Truth Social platform. He must not be guided by the fear of retribution! In agreeing to hear the case, the conservative-dominated Supreme Court, which includes three justices nominated by the former Republican president, said it was not expressing a view on the merits of a lower courts ruling that rejected Trumps immunity claim. Advertisement It said it would address the question of whether a former president has immunity from criminal prosecution for conduct alleged to involve official acts during his tenure in office. A ruling is expected by the end of the courts current term in June. The question of whether a former US president is immune from prosecution is an untested one in American jurisprudence because until Trump, an ex-president had never been charged with a crime. Advertisement It will be among the most consequential election law cases to reach the Supreme Court since it halted the Florida vote recount in 2000 with Republican George W. Bush narrowly leading Democrat Al Gore. A three-judge appeals court panel ruled earlier this month that a former president has no immunity from prosecution for actions taken while in the White House. Advertisement Trumps claim to be immune from criminal liability is unsupported by precedent, history or the text and structure of the Constitution, the judges said in a unanimous opinion. We cannot accept that the office of the Presidency places its former occupants above the law for all time thereafter, they said. Colorado ballot case Advertisement Special Counsel Jack Smith filed the election conspiracy case against Trump in August and had been pushing hard for the March start date for his trial. Lawyers for the former president have sought repeatedly to delay the trial until after the November presidential election, when Trump could potentially have all of the federal cases against him dropped if he wins. Advertisement Liz Cheney, a former Republican lawmaker and vocal opponent of Trump, expressed frustration with the Supreme Courts decision to hear the immunity case and said delaying his trial suppresses critical evidence that Americans deserve to hear. Donald Trump attempted to overturn an election and seize power, Cheney said on X. Our justice system must be able to bring him to trial before the next election. Advertisement Trump also faces 2020 election interference charges in Georgia and has been indicted in Florida for allegedly mishandling classified information after leaving the White House. He is scheduled to go on trial in New York on March 25 on state charges of falsifying business records by paying pre-election hush money to a porn star. Advertisement Trump was impeached twice by the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives while in office once for inciting an insurrection but acquitted both times by the Senate. The immunity case is one of two election-related cases before the Supreme Court. The Colorado Supreme Court barred Trump in December from appearing on the Republican presidential primary ballot in the state because of his role in the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol by his supporters. Advertisement Trump appealed the Colorado ruling and the Supreme Court heard the case in early February. Both conservative and liberal justices expressed concern during arguments about having individual states decide which candidates can be on the presidential ballot this November. First Secretary Anupama Singh underscored that the Union Terretories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are are inalienable and integral parts of India, adding that it is unfortunate that the council has once again been used to propagate false allegations against India India gave a befitting reply to Pakistan after the country accused New Delhi over Jammu and Kashmir and highlighted Islamabads own abysmal track record on human rights. At the 55th Regular Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), First Secretary Anupama Singh, while exercising Indias Right of Reply, said, With regard to the extensive references to India made by Pakistan, we note that it is deeply unfortunate for the Councils platform to have once again been misused to make patently false accusations against India. Advertisement India exercises Right of Reply against Pakistan at #HRC55 pic.twitter.com/rdTMVWYmFT India at UN, Geneva (@IndiaUNGeneva) February 28, 2024 She underscored that the Union Terretories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are are inalienable and integral parts of India, adding that it is unfortunate that the council has once again been used to propagate false allegations against India. The entire Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh is an integral and inalienable part of India, and the constitutional measures taken by the Government of India to ensure socio-economic development and good governance in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir are matters internal to India. Pakistan has no locus standi to pronounce on matters that are internal to India, the Indian diplomat added. Advertisement The 55th Regular Session of the UNHRC started on 26 Feb and will continue till 5 April. The three reds of Pakistan Singh took the stage to emphasise Pakistans poor track record in human rights as well as the countrys involvement in terrorism. We cannot pay any further attention to a country that speaks while being soaked in red the red of the bloodshed from the terrorism it sponsors around the world; the red of its debt-riddled national balance sheets; and the red of the shame its own people feel for their government having failed to serve their actual interests, she said. Advertisement The diplomat also put a spotlight on Pakistans support for UNSC-sanctioned terrorists and accused the country of sponsoring terrorism globally. Turkeys proxies currently control two sizable border strips as a result of the ground operations it has carried out since 2016 to drive the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which are commanded by Kurds, out of northern Syria According to a Human Rights Watch study released on Thursday, Turkey is accountable for violations of land and property rights as well as abuses of human rights in large areas of northern Syria that it controls alongside its proxies. Turkeys proxies currently control two sizable border strips as a result of the ground operations it has carried out since 2016 to drive the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which are commanded by Kurds, out of northern Syria. Advertisement Turkey bears responsibility for the serious abuses and potential war crimes committed by members of its own forces and local armed groups it supports in Syrias north, HRW said in its report. Turkish officials in Syrias north have in some cases been directly involved in apparent war crimes, with Turkish forces and intelligence agencies involved in carrying out and overseeing abuses, the report said. Abuses and violations are most often directed at Kurdish civilians and anyone else perceived to have ties to Kurdish-led forces, HRW said. According to the study, children as young as six months old have been jailed alongside their mothers, and Kurdish women detainees have alleged sexual assault, including rape. The Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG), which control the SDF, are seen by Ankara as a terrorist organisation and a branch of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). Advertisement The military police and the myriad rebel factions of the Syrian National Army (SNA), both backed by Ankara, have arbitrarily arrested and detained, forcibly disappeared, tortured and otherwise ill-treated, and subjected to unfair military trials scores of people with impunity, HRW said. A Syrian who formerly lived under SNA rule told HRW: Everything is by the power of the weapon. Advertisement The rights group has also accused Ankara of having summarily deported thousands of Syrian refugees from Turkey to areas under its control in Syria. In July 2023 alone, Ankara sent back more than 1,700 Syrians into the Tal Abyad border area, the report said. Hundreds of thousands of residents in northeast Syrias Turkish-controlled border strip have been displaced from their homes, with SNA factions looting, pillaging, and seizing their properties, the report said. Advertisement The hardest thing for me was standing in front of my house and not being able to enter it, a displaced Yazidi man from Ras al-Ain told HRW. Turkey and its proxies should grant independent investigative bodies immediate and unhindered access to territories under their control, the rights group said. Syrias war has killed more than 500,000 people and displaced millions since it erupted in 2011 with Damascuss brutal repression of anti-government protests. He began his warning by making specific reference to a suggestion made on Monday by French President Emmanuel Macron that European NATO members send ground troops to Ukraine. The United States, Germany, and Britain swiftly rejected this idea In a stern warning to all western nations who have come out in support of Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that sending their own troops to fight in Ukraine can create a real risk of nuclear war and that Moscow has all the means to strike targets in the West. Advertisement Speaking to the parliament and other high-ranking citizens of the nation, 71-year-old Putin reiterated his charge that the West is determined to undermine Russia and implied that Western officials were unaware of the potential consequences of their intervention in what he perceived as Russias internal affairs. He began his warning by making specific reference to a suggestion made on Monday by French President Emmanuel Macron that European NATO members send ground troops to Ukraine. The United States, Germany, and Britain swiftly rejected this idea. (Western nations) must realise that we also have weapons that can hit targets on their territory. All this really threatens a conflict with the use of nuclear weapons and the destruction of civilisation. Dont they get that?! said Putin. Putin, who was speaking ahead of a March 15-17 presidential election when he is certain to be re-elected for another six-year term, lauded what he said was Russias vastly modernised nuclear arsenal, the largest in the world. Advertisement The war in Ukraine has triggered the worst crisis in Moscows relations with the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis and Putin has previously warned of the dangers of a direct confrontation between NATO and Russia. Visibly angry, Putin, Russias paramount leader for more than two decades, suggested Western politicians recall the fate of those, like Nazi Germanys Adolf Hitler and Frances Napoleon Bonaparte who unsuccessfully invaded his country in the past. Advertisement But now the consequences will be far more tragic, said Putin. They think it (war) is a cartoon, he said. With inputs from AFP Saturday Night Partly cloudy skies early will give way to occasional showers later during the night. Low 42F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 40%. Gray wolves over the past month have made their way west into Moffat County, according to a monthly update on wolf movements provided by Colorado Parks and Wildlife. The second monthly map the agency has released on the general range of wolves shows them potentially having traveled to west of Craig, putting them fairly close to the Utah border, though the map provides only a rough indication of the range of wolves in the state and doesnt necessarily show their latest locations. The map also indicates wolves have been present in a little more of eastern Garfield and Rio Blanco counties than they had been a month ago. They remain generally north of Interstate 70 and on the east side of their range have pushed well into Larimer County, east of the Continental Divide. Parks and Wildlife in December released 10 collared wolves from Oregon into Grand and Summit counties as it began reintroducing wolves west of the Continental Divide as required by state voters in a 2020 ballot measure. The map depicts the range of those wolves and two other collared wolves that already had been living generally in the North Park/Jackson County area and werent transported by Parks and Wildlife into the state. The monthly maps make use of GPS data from wolf collars to show watersheds where wolves have been present over the past month or so. Parks and Wildlife said collar data shows two wolves traveled broadly in the last month from western Routt County into eastern Moffat County. CPW continues to work with livestock producers to provide conflict-mitigation techniques, and will continue to conduct outreach/education in areas that are likely to have wolves. Given wolves penchant for travel, Parks and Wildlifes wolf restoration and management plan specifies that they be released at least 60 miles from the borders of Wyoming, Utah and New Mexico. The agency also has an agreement with Utah, New Mexico and Arizona that would apply in cases such as if wolves in Moffat County cross the state line. That agreement provides for Colorado gray wolves leaving the state to be captured and returned to Colorado. The goal of that agreement is to prevent cross-breeding between gray wolves and Mexican wolves, which live south of Colorado. Faith Heaton Jolley, spokesperson for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, said that as of Wednesday Parks and Wildlife told the division there are wolves near Craig. It sounded like there was still a bit of distance from the (Utah) border, she said. Utah has had a few confirmed wolf sightings over the years but no established packs, she said. The species is listed and protected as an endangered species in Utah, except for a small part of northeast Utah north of Interstate 80 and east of Interstate 84 where it isnt listed for Endangered Species Act protection. Heaton Jolley said Colorado Parks and Wildlife has said that if wolves cross into Utah, it would notify the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, which has been given permission by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to relocate them back to Colorado. She said her division has been monitoring and concerned about Colorados wolf reintroduction, and appreciates the partnership with Parks and Wildlife for returning wolves. We know that (wolves) could potentially have impacts to some of our other wildlife species. I know the ranching community, its something theyre concerned about with their livestock populations, she said. Wolves that cross from Colorado into southern Wyoming arent protected by the state or federal government from being killed there, and some of the wolves that once were naturally established in the North Park area reportedly have been killed by hunters after crossing the Wyoming border. The current Colorado wolf range map shows wolves reaching watersheds along the border. Asked if Colorado wolves have moved into Wyoming, Parks and Wildlife spokesman Joseph Livingston said Wednesday that his agency does not comment about wildlife movement in other states. But he said that GPS data indicates all reintroduced wolves are still alive. He also said Parks and Wildlife has confirmed no livestock depredations related to reintroduced wolves. Asked if wolves are starting to establish packs, he said, February is breeding season and denning behavior might begin in April. We would know if there is successful reproduction in May. Until then, its premature to say whether or not packs are being developed. Pro-Russian Narratives Rise Among Latin American X Users, Research Shows By Matthew Kupfer February 28, 2024 When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine two years ago, it sparked outrage in many parts of the world. Images of atrocities by Russian fighters and destruction of Ukrainian cities tilted much Western public opinion in favor of Kyiv. Not necessarily in Latin America. A study by Georgetown University in Washington found that the social network X, formerly Twitter, has seen a significant uptick in pro-Russian and anti-Ukraine narratives among Spanish-language users in Latin America. But there's a catch: "Unofficial" sources of information and, particularly, anonymous accounts are playing a large role in the spread of Kremlin narratives, the researchers concluded. That research, published by Ukrainian fact-checking organization Stop Fake, was the work of Valerie Senger and Jacob Basseches. They are students of a master's degree program in Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service. Despite the rise of pro-Russian sentiment on X, Senger and Basseches say these views may not have truly taken hold among actual people in the region. "We did not see a lot of die-hard, nonanonymous, Latin American locals boosting pro-Russian narratives a yet," Basseches told VOA. To analyze the changing narratives on X, Sanger and Basseches selected five key events in the war: the start of the invasion; Russia's shelling of a railway station in the city of Kramatorsk; Russian President Vladimir Putin's announcement of a "partial mobilization"; Finland joining NATO; and Russia's shelling of a pizzeria in Kramatorsk. That last incident, on June 27, 2023, killed well-known Ukrainian writer Victoria Amelina and injured two Colombian citizens. Sanger and Basseches chose these events because the Kremlin officially commented on them and because the events generated peak searches on Google for "Ucrania," the Spanish word for Ukraine. From there, the researchers identified 200 Spanish-language tweets about each event that received the most shares, likes or comments. These were further categorized based on the sentiments the posts expressed. The categories ranged from the most pro-Russian or anti-Ukrainian to the most pro-Ukrainian/anti-Russian opinion. A rating of zero meant the tweet was neutral. Sanger and Basseches found that Latin American X users reacted fairly neutrally to the onset of the invasion. But after the shelling of the Kramatorsk station, responses became more polarized. Pro-Russian tweets used insulting terms like "Ukronazi," while pro-Ukrainian ones called Putin a "terrorist" or "war criminal." When Putin announced a partial mobilization in Russia, Latin American X users began to express pro-Ukrainian views more often and the level of polarization increased. Finland's ascension to NATO sparked more pro-Russian posts, but the number of neutral tweets also increased significantly. After the shelling of the pizzeria in Kramatorsk, Latin American X users were more likely to show pro-Russian views. Despite fluctuations in the reactions, the researchers say the overall trend is a rise in support for Russia among Spanish-language X accounts a particularly those in Latin America. "Many would assume that it would be the opposite [...] with all the [Russian] atrocities and all the visuals," Senger said. Beyond charting the overall direction of public attitudes, Senger and Basseches found that at the start of the war, the most ardently pro-Russian opinions came from Spain, not Latin America. Some of those posts were shared by prominent individuals, while others came from anonymous accounts. The researchers say that finding could indicate such opinions are more common in Spain or that Russian influence operations initially targeted Spain. The researchers also found that credible accounts with large followings that could counter disinformation or pro-Russian influence a such as the X accounts for Spanish Prime Minister Pedro SAnchez and CNN Espanol a had less user engagement. For example, Senger and Basseches found no relationship between the number of followers an account had and the number of likes received by one of its tweets. "Influence, in its digital dimension, occurs and is channeled through individuals," they wrote. They also discovered that the role of anonymous accounts a the ones found to play a large role in the spread of Kremlin narratives a became especially noticeable after Finland joined NATO, accounting for over a fifth of the most popular tweets in Latin America. Still, this event received fewer responses from Latin American users than others a and the tweets from nonanonymous accounts were slightly more pro-Ukrainian. A similar pattern came after the shelling of the Kramatorsk railway station and Putin's partial mobilization announcement. Based upon the reach of anonymous accounts, the researchers inferred that X's complex algorithms a as opposed to factors such as follower counts a play a central role in determining which tweets receive the most attention from users. They noted that the algorithms now prioritize tweets from accounts that pay for an X subscription. (X recently made its interface less transparent and limited data access for researchers.) The findings suggest that the uptick in pro-Russian sentiment online may have been the result of a Russian influence operation. While they cannot prove that definitively, Sanger and Basseches believe Latin America remains a target for Russian propaganda. In November, the State Department's Global Engagement Center pushed a similar view. The center said it had found a well-financed disinformation campaign targeting the region. "[I]ncreasingly the Kremlin has realized that they are not having much success in Europe, that they are not able to change government opinion and popular opinion about the Ukraine war," special envoy James P. Rubin, the center's coordinator, told journalists last month. According to Rubin, that has led Russia to look elsewhere, including Latin America and Africa. Senger and Basseches also see signs of that effort. "Our findings demonstrate that Russian efforts to influence public discourse among Hispanics [...] intensified after the invasion began," their study states. "And that these efforts were successful." This article originated in VOA's Russian Service. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The Visegrad Group must show solidarity Republic of Poland 27.02.2024 During his visit to Prague, Prime Minister Donald Tusk took part in a meeting of Prime Ministers of the Visegrad Group countries. The main topic discussed by the heads of government of Polish, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia was the Russian aggression against Ukraine, as well as the EU Green Deal. Prime Minister Donald Tusk referred to the provisions of the Visegrad Group declaration, pointing out that they should be applied today in the common policy of the V4 countries towards fighting Ukraine. The Visegrad Group has extremely solid foundations The Visegrad Group is an informal regional form of cooperation between four countries - Polish, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. The date of its creation is considered to be 15 February 1991. It was then that the Presidents of Polish - Lech Waesa and Czechoslovakia - Vaclav Havel and the Prime Minister of Hungary - Jozsef Antall signed a joint declaration in the city of Visegrad, which defined the goals and conditions of mutual cooperation. "The Visegrad Group has extremely solid foundations. Somewhere at the birth of this group there was a common resistance against the Soviet empire and the presence of Russian troops in our countries. We all had in our personal or historical memories this extraordinary solidarity between our peoples. (...) We all remember how important these basic values were for this friendship and lasting relations between Hungarians, Slovaks, Czechs and Poles, and they actually funded the Visegrad format, reminded Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Common values of the Visegrad Group countries The members of the V4 are united not only by their neighbourhood and similar geopolitical conditions, but above all by their common history, tradition, culture and values. "Such fundamental European values as freedom, human rights, the rule of law, the independence of states - these were the key words in our declaration when the Visegrad Group was created," said the head of the Polish government. Prime Minister Donald Tusk stressed that the present and future mutual relations of the V4 countries, as well as the future of the Visegrad Group itself, are extremely important to him. "I am very concerned about the present and future of our relations and the future of the Visegrad Group. I care a lot about this, and in a few months I will be taking over the presidency of the Visegrad Group, so that we all remember, with such tenderness, what lay at the foundation of the Visegrad Group," said the head of the Polish government. Actions of the V4 countries towards fighting Ukraine Prime Minister Donald Tusk stressed that what is the basis of the Visegrad Group and what has been written in its declaration should apply today to the common policy towards Ukraine. "There are different approaches here, but today we talked about how we can work together for Ukraine, as a victim of the Russian aggression. After this conversation, I think that it is possible to build, at least partially, such joint work to help Ukraine, with perhaps different approaches to the matter, but I hope that after our discussion, this support for Ukraine will be more unambiguous," said Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Securing the markets and agriculture of the Visegrad Group The head of the Polish government has no doubts that the test for cooperation between the V4 countries today is the actions in the European Union. "I am confident about the friendship between our nations. However, we must establish our common interests today in more difficult conditions - stressed the Polish Prime Minister. From the Polish point of view, there is full support when it comes to the need to correct and revise the Green Deal, as well as to secure the markets, industry and agriculture of the Visegrad Group countries. "We will also work on adjustments when it comes to free trade issues with Ukraine. As you know, I am very committed to helping Ukraine, but on the other hand, we must also take care of the interests of large social groups and our economies. Here we have a unified view that it is necessary to work together in Brussels to ensure that aid to Ukraine is not synonymous with losses for our economy, especially for our agriculture," said Prime Minister Donald Tusk. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and White House National Security Advisor John Kirby February 27, 2024 2:21 P.M. EST MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Good afternoon. Hello. Okay, I have a couple things at the top, and then we'll get going. A short time ago, President Biden and Vice President Harris concluded a meeting with congressional leaders on the need to keep the government open and pass the national security supplemental. In the meeting, the President made clear that Congress must take swift action to fund the government and prevent a shutdown. A shutdown would cause needless damage to hardworking families, our economy, and our national security. The only path forward is through bipartisan bills that are free of extreme policies. The President also emphasized the urgent need to Congress for Congress to stand with Ukraine as it defends itself against Russia's brutal invasion. Ukraine has lost ground on the battlefield in recent weeks and is being forced to ration ammunition and supplies due to congressional inaction. The bipartisan national security supplemental passed the Senate with overwhelming bipartisan support 70 to 29 and would pass in the House if it was brought to a vote. It would arm Ukraine, invest in America's defense industrial base, help Israel defend itself against Hamas, and provide humanitarian aid for people impacted by conflicts around the world, including Palestinian civilians. The President called on the House to support our national security and pass the supplemental, and made clear the dire consequences if they failed to act. Now, today, in the wake of the Alabama Supreme Court decision threatening access to IVF treatment, HHS Becerra Secretary Becerra is in Alabama today to hear from families and healthcare professionals. Today's visit is a critical part of the Biden-Harris administration's ongoing work to hear directly from families impacted by the Republican elected officials' extreme agenda. The Biden-Harris administration will continue to fight back against attacks on reproductive freedoms, whether that's attacks on abortion care, birth control access, and now IVF access. It is absolutely unacceptable to this administration when women are denied the care that they need. President Biden and Vice President Harris will continue to work to protect access to reproductive healthcare and call on Congress to restore the protections of Roe v. Wade in federal law for all women in every in every state. And some news for you today. This Sunday, March 3rd, Vice President Kamala Harris will return to Selma, Alabama, to commemorate the 59th anniversary of Bloody Sunday by joining the march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge. While there, she will deliver remarks on honoring the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement and the Biden-Harris administration's continued work to achieve justice for all and encourage Americans to continue the fight for fundamental freedoms. Ala- Alabama will be the 12th state the Vice President has traveled to in 2024 after visiting 24 states in 2023. With that, my colleague, Admiral John Kirby from NSC, is here to give any updates in the Middle East. Admiral. MR. KIRBY: Thanks, Karine. I think good afternoon. Q Good afternoon. MR. KIRBY: I think as you may know, USAID Administrator Samantha Power is in Israel this week for a series of meetings, including ongoing efforts by the United States to increase the delivery of lifesaving humanitarian assistance to civilians that live in Gaza. Today, the Administrator announced that the United States will provide an additional $53 million in urgently needed humanitarian assistance, which will include assistance to the World Food Program and other international NGOs providing resources for food, shelter, water, medicine, sanitation, hygiene all to the people of Gaza and the West Bank. This brings the total amount of funding announced by the United States government since the 7th of October to more than $180 million. Now, there is no question that much more aid is needed to address the critical and urgent needs on the ground. That's why President Biden and the entire team will continue to work every day to increase the flow of humanitarian assistance into Gaza while also prioritizing the safety of civilians and aid workers. That's also why we are working so hard on a temporary ceasefire to not only get the hostages out and the fighting paused, but all to get that critical humanitarian assistance in and to increase the flow. There's just not enough getting in right now. There was significant progress towards those ends last week following U.S. engagements in the region. We are building on that progress this week, and the President and his team remain engaged around the clock with multiple partners in the region. But, as the President said just in the last 24 hours or so, there is no deal as of yet and there is a lot more work to do. Speaking of more work to do, the United States took additional action to counter terrorist financing and to disrupt Houthi attacks on international shipping. In coordination with the United Kingdom, we sanctioned the Deputy Commander of Iran's IRGC, Mohammad Reza Falahzadeh, for his role as a Houthi-affiliated operative and for owning and operating a vessel used to ship Iranian commodities in support of both the Houthis and the IRGC. We also designated two additional companies that own and operate a vessel involved in shipping more than 100 million dollars' worth in Iranian commodities on behalf of Iran's Ministry of Defense. The Biden administration has now administered over 55 separate Iran sanctions rollouts targeting more than 550 individuals and entities. All told, we've targeted taken targets with Iran's involvement in human rights abuses; hostage-taking; missile, drone, and non-prolifer- -proliferation programs. We have no plans to lift, waive, or provide any new sanctions relief for Iran, and we will continue to look ways for ways to take action and to hold them accountable. And with that, I'd take some questions. MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Josh. Q Thanks, Karine. John, two subjects. First, with regard to Israel and the possible ceasefire, a senior official from Egypt told AP that there is a six-week ceasefire that could go into effect, with Hamas agreeing to free up to 40 hostages and Israel would release at least 300 Palestinian prisoners. Would those terms provide sufficient incentives to both sides to find a way to work together? MR. KIRBY: We're still negotiating, and I am not going to negotiate from the podium. I'm not going to comment about those particulars. We're still working out the modalities of this of this arrangement, and we're hopeful that we can get there. Q And then, secondly, Secretary Yellen said today that she was looking toward unlocking the value of some $300 billion in frozen Russian assets to aid Ukraine. Does she want to spend that money? Or is the U.S. looking to use it as collateral for, like, a debt issuance? MR. KIRBY: What we're talking about here is the potential for using frozen assets. Back in 2022, we froze some 300 billion dollars' worth of Russian assets at the beginning of the war. What we're talking about is the potential of using some of those frozen assets to assist Ukraine in their ability to defend themselves but also to potentially assist with reconstruction in Ukraine. Now, that that also, we still believe Russia needs to be responsible for the damage they've caused in Ukraine. So, it's not going to let them off the hook for that, but it could be used for that purpose as well. Q But but are you going to spend it, or are you going to use it in an alternative way and keep it intact? MR. KIRBY: Again, the idea would be exploring the option of being able to use those frozen assets to help Ukraine as they defend themselves and as they try to recover from two years of war. But I want to make a couple of things clear. Number one, we still need more legislative authorities from Congress for the President to be able to act on that, to, quote, unquote, "spend it" the way you're talking about. Number two and this is not an unimportant thing, and the Secretary said this as well we've got to have coalition our coalition partners, who also were involved in the freezing of these assets, to come along with us. And so, the conversations we're hape- hap- havening I'm sorry. The conversations we're having now are with our allies and partners about about making sure that they're on board with the usage of these frozen assets. Q Thank you, Karine. John, thank you. "Next Monday" is a very specific date that the President offered up for when this ceasefire could begin, especially, as you mentioned, if negotiations are still ongoing. So, can you provide any insight about why he offered up the date of next Monday and what has to happen between now and then? MR. KIRBY: He told you himself that he was getting advised by his national security team, particularly our National Security Advisor, about the progress that we were making and the the direction in which the talks were going. We're we're hopeful and cautiously optimistic that we'll be able to get this pause in place very, very soon. Q And then, secondly, has the President been briefed or seen Israel's plan to evacuate Rafah? MR. KIRBY: We have not been presented with such a plan. Q Thank you. Q Admiral, the President referred to his hopes for a ceasefire. You have used the word "pause." Previously, he has talked about "temporary ceasefire." Is he shifting his sense of what kind of a cessation in violence would be? How long it would be? Anything on that that is new, in his view? MR. KIRBY: I wouldn't say that there's anything new, Kelly. I mean, a humanitarian pause, temporary ceasefire, they're rough- they're roughly the same things. We're not talking about anything different. Q There's a political MR. KIRBY: What we're hoping to d- Q difference, though. When the President says "ceasefire," it carries a different sort of weight. MR. KIRBY: What we're hoping to do is to get an extended pause in the fighting I've just called it a "temporary ceasefire" myself that would allow for several weeks hopefully, up to six where there will be no fighting so that we can get all the hostages out, increase the flow of humanitarian assistance but, just as critically, get the fighting stopped so that there's no more civilian casualties and there's no more damage to civilian infrastructure. Now, the last pause was a week. What we're hoping for is much more aggressive than that. And as we've said before, we also hope that if we can get that in place and both sides can abide by it for the course of several weeks, maybe up to six that maybe that could lead to something more in terms of a a better approach to end the conflict writ large. MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Selina. Q Thanks, Admiral. Just to follow on Weija's previous question, though. We've learned, according to an Israeli source, that Netanyahu was quite surprised by the President's comments about his expectations that there would be a ceasefire by Monday. So, that doesn't bode a lot of optimism that one of the key parties was surprised by that timeline the President had set. So, why did he say Monday? MR. KIRBY: I can't speak for the surprise that foreign leaders have or don't have with regard to things that we're saying. The President talked to you all after staying completely up to speed and he has been kept up to speed on how these negotiations are going. And he shared with you some context. And he certainly shared with you his optimism that we can get there in in, hopefully, a short order. But he also said, you know, it's not all done yet. And you don't and you don't have a deal until you have a deal. We don't have one right now. So, the team is still working at this very, very hard, as I said in my opening statement, around the clock. But we believe that we are getting closer. And and while we don't want to sound too sanguine or Pollyannish about it, we do think that there has been some serious negotiations. Q And after Speaker Johnson's meeting with the President, it doesn't really sound like he's changed his mind on Ukraine. He again reiterated that the border needs to be addressed before Ukraine. So, given this current trajectory, what does that mean for Ukraine and its battlefield needs? MR. KIRBY: I'd also point to what he said about, you know, taking up the issue of Ukraine funding in a timely fashion, and he said that right out there outside the West Wing. And we know that he does support funding for Ukraine. He said so himself. We know that significant House leadership and certainly on both sides of the aisle in the House support funding for Ukraine. Now, the question is: When you say a "timely fashion," what do you mean by that? I can tell you, to the Ukrainian soldier on the battlefront, timeliness is now. It's right now. As as you and I just came back from the weekend, the Russians started taking some other towns and villages. Now, they didn't nothing to the significance of Avdiivka, in terms of the logistics hub that they want to create there. But they're on the move. This is not some frozen conflict. And so, we urge the Speaker, when he says a "timely fashion," that he that that he actually lives up to that. Because, again, to the Ukrainian soldier, the time is right now. MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Steve. Q What's the significance of trying to get a hostage deal in place before Ramadan starts on March 10th? MR. KIRBY: What we're focused on, Steve, is getting this deal in place as soon as we can. And you heard from the President I mean, we're we're hopeful that this can this can happen in in coming days. And if that does if we are able to get the pause in place and the hostages out in a relatively short order, then, clearly, an extended pause as I was talking to Kelly about would certainly take you into Ramadan. But right now, it's it's not about trying to beat the clock to Ramadan. It's about trying to get these two sides to come to closure on a deal that, again, would get all those hostages out and get the and to get the fighting stopped. Q And separately, we took note of the remarks by the French President today on the possibility of sending French troops to Ukraine. How would the United States regard any NATO Allies sending troops to Ukraine? MR. KIRBY: Well, that's a sovereign decision that every NATO Ally would have to would have to make for themselves. You heard Secretary General Stoltenberg say himself he had no plans or intentions of of certainly under NATO auspices, of putting troops on the ground. And President Biden has been crystal clear since the beginning of this conflict: There will be no U.S. troops on the ground in a combat role there in Ukraine. MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, M.J. Q Thank you, John. Senator Schumer just said that Ukraine couldn't afford to wait a month or two more for additional funding because it would, "in all likelihood lose the war." Is that the administration's assessment as well? MR. KIRBY: It the situation is dire, M.J. As I said, the Russians not only took Avdiivka; they've taken a couple of other towns and villages in just the last 48, 72 hours. These guys on the these Ukrainian soldiers on the on the front, I mean, they're they're making some real tough decisions about what they're going to shoot at and what they're going to shoot at it with. And they're running out of bullets, and it's it's not as Jake said the other day, it's not running out of courage; they're running out of bullets. So, the situation is very dire. I'm not in a position to put a time stamp on it and say, you know, by such and such date they'll lose the war. But they are certainly beginning to lose territory territory that they had clawed back from the Russians and now they have to give it back to the Russians because they can't they can't fight them off. Q I'm not asking you to give a prediction, but do you generally agree that in a month's time, in two months' time, it is very possible that Ukraine could lose the war without additional funding MR. KIRBY: What I would Q as Senator Schumer said? MR. KIRBY: What I would tell that as I said to Steve, the time is now right now. The dire the situation is dire now. I can't predict what it'll look like in a month or two because I can't predict what the Russians are going to do. But certainly, if just for argument's sake, if they continue to get no support from the United States, in a month or two, it is very likely that the Russians will achieve more territorial gains and have more success against Ukrainian frontlines in terms of just territory gain, mostly in the East but potentially even in the South. Q And just a quick follow-up on Israel. Prime Minister Netanyahu said over the weekend that regardless of what happens with the ongoing hostage talks, that they plan to go into Rafah. You just told Weijia that it's not like the U.S. has seen some evacuation plan from the Israelis. So MR. KIRBY: It's not it's not "like" we haven't seen it. We haven't seen it. Q You have not. That is what I meant. Given that, do you believe that there is a a plan by the Israelis to secure the safety of the civilians in Rafah before they enter Rafah, which, again, the Prime Minister says they are planning to do no matter what? MR. KIRBY: Well, the Prime Minister has also said that he has ordered the Israeli Defense Forces to in producing a plan for operations in Rafah, to include in that a plan for securing the safety of the more than a million refugees that are there. Again, we we've not been presented one. I can't speak for the Israelis and to what degree their planning has progressed and what that looks like. But the Prime Minister himself has said he publicly said that he has tasked his generals to come up with one. Q But but it's fair to say the U.S. wouldn't support Israeli forces going into Rafah until you all have seen a plan that makes you feel confident that there is a plan to secure the safety of the civilians? MR. KIRBY: That's correct. MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Nadia. Q Thank you, Karine. Hi, Admiral. The U.N. Special Rapporteur said today that Israel is purposefully starving Palestinians in Gaza by destroying greenhouses, small-scale fishing boats, and their farms. So, why the U.S. has not done a review of how this war is conducted while you are very quick to do it Ukraine against the Russians? MR. KIRBY: I Q And then a question for Karine. MR. KIRBY: Okay. I'm not aware of the report coming out of the U.N. on the greenhouses, so I'm going to take that, and we'll go back and look at that. As I've said, there there is a process of supporting foreign militaries. We are following that process. And the State Department has acknowledged that that when they are alerted to incidents of concern, they do look into them. It's not a formal review; it's not some investigation, but it's part of the normal process of security assistance to a foreign military. Now, whether they're looking at this one, I don't know. And you had a question for Karine. Q I have a question about the Arab sorry about the Arab American community leaders today. MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah. Q They said that their vote of noncommittal is an appeal to the White House, to the President, to stop the killing of their relatives in Gaza. MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah. Q So, how will the White House change their strategy to address this issue that Arab Americans are concerned about and calling for? MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I'm going to be really mindful because we're talking about an election, so I'm not going to comment on on an upcoming election. But there's a couple things I do want to say, which I think is incredibly important. First of all, you know that senior officials have gone to Michigan as of late earlier this month to meet with Muslim and Arab Americans and we understand right? during a very deeply painful and personal moment, right? We understand what they're going through. We understand what this means to this community. And the President understand that too. So, we care very much about what about that and what the community, again, is going through. And we wanted to convey that very strongly, obviously, which is why you had senior officials go direct- go to Detroit, go to Michigan, to have those conversation. And, look, we know it's been a difficult time. The Pr- the President cares about that. They care he cares about what that community is feeling very deeply. And we believe it's important that they feel that they are able to to express themselves and voice voice their feelings and their concerns. And so, look, you heard the Admiral talk about the hostage deal, the temporary ceasefire. That is why it is so critical and important to get that done. That is why you've seen this President and his administration work 24/7 to get that done, so we can get a temporary ceasefire, so we can get that humanitarian aid into Gaza, so that we can get those hostages and we have American hostages that are that are part of that number as well. We want to get those hostages home to their families, to their loved ones. And the President is not going to stop. You heard him yesterday in New York. He's not going to stop until we get that done. So, I'll leave it there. Let me let the Admiral finish. MR. KIRBY: (Laughs.) MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Danny. Q Thanks, Karine. Thanks, Admiral. I'm just going back to President Macron's comments about not ruling out Western troops on the ground in Ukraine. Has President Macron discussed that suggestion with President Biden at all? MR. KIRBY: I I won't go beyond the the readout of the conversation. I don't have anything more to add on that. Q And very briefly, you said as well that President Biden has said before that he would not send U.S. troops to Ukraine in a combat role. The French Foreign Minister suggested Western troops could be sent for demining or arms production or cyber. Is there a possibility that is that something that would be considered by the U.S? MR. KIRBY: No. The only U.S. military personnel that that are in Ukraine are associated with the embassy as part of the defense attache office, and they're doing important work in terms of helping us with the accountability of weapons and systems that are provided to Ukraine. The President has been clear: There's not going to be U.S. troops on the ground in Ukraine. MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, Raquel. Q Thank you so much, Karine. Hi, John. One about Gaza and another one about Ukraine. On Gaza. What makes the President confident the ceasefire can be reached in a week? Any breakthroughs that that made him confident about that? And any comment about the number of civilians dead in Gaza reaching 30,000? How many more will have to die until the U.S. agree with a permanent ceasefire? MR. KIRBY: We don't want to see one more die, which is why this pause we're working on is so important. The President was reflecting updates that he'd been getting from the national security team about the progress of those talks. We're hopeful and, as I said early, cautiously optimistic that we can get there and hopefully in short order. But it's been it's been a lot of lot of diplomatic work, a lot of negotiations to try to get us to this point. And we're not there yet. I think that's important to say. The President made that clear too. It's not you don't have a deal until you have a deal. We don't have a deal right now. But as for how many more should die, again, I've said many times before, the right number of civilian causalities is zero. We don't want to see one more person, in- innocent person killed in this conflict, which is, again, why this six-week-or-so pause could be so effective in terms of reducing the number of civilian casualties and giving us some breathing space to get more humanitarian assistance in and potentially talk about an end to the conflict. Q Another one on Ukraine, very quickly, because Senator Schumer described the meeting on Ukraine as the "most intense" he ever had in the Oval Office. How does the President feel about it after the meeting? Does he believe a deal can be reached? He's more or less optimistic about it? MR. KIRBY: The President believes that it's important to continue to have these conversations. He's he believes it's important to make sure that certainly, in the Speaker's case, that he makes the case for why it's important for this supplemental funding. Obviously, the big purpose of the meeting today, as Karine already let you guys know, was really about preventing a government shutdown. But, clearly, they had the opportunity to talk about the national security supplemental, and the President made his case. MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Go ahead, April. Q A couple of topics. One, with the grassroots communities meeting with the President and and administration officials. Going back to the Dearborn, Michigan, issue, you've got a large contingent of Arabs, you've got a large contingent of Muslims, as well as Jewish people. Karine, you just said you're listening. For both of you, as you're listening, are you taking anything in as to what they are saying in these conversations? Are you acting on any of what they're saying? MR. KIRBY: Absolutely. We take these conversations very seriously. And and without getting into specific details or disclosing some of the things that we've been hearing, we we are taking them on board. And we are we are willing to adjust the the way we're approaching the conflict and the way we're talking about the conflict to to reflect those concerns. But we're taking them very seriously. Q So, as you're taking them in and taking them seriously, it sounds like you're acting on some of what they're saying. Is it more on the political front, the humanitarian front, or national security front that you're acting on with with these grassroots conversations? MR. KIRBY: I can only speak about the national security implications here. And I can tell you very much that because we've the National Security Council has been a part and parcel of these conversations, and we're coming back from them, we feel, informed, more educated, and certainly more understanding of some of the concerns that are out there in the Arab community and Arab American community. And, again, we're we're taking that on board, and we're doing and we're acting on it. Q And I know, as this meeting happened, it was about preventing a government shutdown. But, again, there is an intertwining of foreign affairs, national security involved in the budget. But is there a concern that it continues to be kicked down the road? Because we've been kicking the the can down the road since last year, and it just keeps going and going MR. KIRBY: Yeah. Q and going. We keep coming to this point. Is there a concern about that? MR. KIRBY: Absolutely. I mean, when you don't when you know, one of the things that's that's been unfortunate throughout this appropriations process now, for two you know, for the entire time we've been in office, is the use of continuing resolutions to try to keep the government going. And just not to not to get into too lon- too long an answer here, but when you're ba- basing everything on a CR, that means there's certain things, like, for in the defense world, where you can't you can't enact new contracts for weapons systems or ships or airplanes because a CR only allows you to fund to last year's numbers. So, you're limited. You can't start some new programs, and you can't even pay for some programs using new funds because you're you're stuck with the last year's funding. So, it absolutely has an effect on national security. Q So, the CRs are crippling the military the U.S. military capabilities? MR. KIRBY: It is definitely making it harder for the Defense Department to continue to support our global requirements when you are talking about continuing resolution funding. It definitely hampers your flexibility. No question about it. MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Okay. We need to start wrapping up. Go ahead, Anita. Q Thank you so much, John. I'll start with Israel then move on to Ukraine. You just said it's not about trying to beat the clock to Ramadan, in terms of a ceasefire. But how concerned is the administration about the possibility of escalation during Ramadan, during this holy month, and how, you know, it's going to be seen for U.S.-backed troops to be attacking Muslim MR. KIRBY: We're mindful of the sensity sensitivities, of course, around the month of Ramadan and the import- the spiritual importance of that to to the to the Muslim world. Of course, we understand that. What what we don't want us we we want to see this temporary ceasefire in place as soon as possible. And, again, if we can get the agreement for several weeks, it would take you through Ramadan anyway. The clock that we're worried about is the the hostages. We can only assume that they are being held in abhorrent conditions and that their health is at risk, their lives are at risk. We want to get them ba- out as soon as possible. Q And then, just quickly, on Ukraine. After this difficult conversation or this intense conversation, sorry, in the Oval Office, are you looking at other funding possibilities Lend-Lease or loans to Ukraine or weapon sales to Ukraine? And then, just to push you on Steve's question and Danny's question about the French President, are you you know, has does President Biden think it would be a good idea if France were to go into Ukraine (inaudible)? MR. KIRBY: As for other funding, I've said before: There's no magic pot of money here that we can dip into. We need the supplemental funding. We asked for it in October. And, again, it was done in good faith and in consultation with our Ukrainian partners. We need that funding. Look, we'll let President Macron speak he for his military and what he is or is not willing to do with with his troops. The President has been clear: He does not support U.S. troops involved in this conflict in Ukraine. And I'll leave it at that. MS. JEAN-PIERRE: All right. (Inaudible.) Go ahead, Annie. Q Thanks so much. Admiral, I just was hoping you can help me a square, sort of, two strains of conversation in this room. One has been about the, sort of, conditions that the United States wants to see before Israel goes into Rafah. The President himself referenced this last night, saying that he'd want to know about plans for evacuation before they go in and take out the remainder of Hamas. Separately, we've been talking a lot about a ceasefire that could start as early as, you know, this weekend. So, can you help me understand: Is the idea here that there would be a invasion of Rafah before the ceasefire, or it's going to come after the ceasefire? I just MR. KIRBY: So, the Q I'm trying to understand wh- how these two things are connected. MR. KIRBY: I understand the confusion. But you actually do have to kind of consider them a bit separately. And, again, I don't want to speak for the Israelis. The they should speak to the operations they are or are not planning. All I can tell you is that we're we haven't been presented any kind of a plan to provide for the safety and security of the refugees there. And we've said very clearly: We would not support Rafah operations unless or until there is a credible, achievable plan to provide for their safety and security. So, I can't tell you what timeline the Israeli Defense Forces are on, in terms of Rafah operations. At the same time, we are in active negotiations, and we are hopeful that we're getting to the conclusion or near the conclusion of those discussions and negotiations over a temporary ceasefire, which would, if enacted, last perhaps as long as six weeks from the time it was signed on to by both parties. In that six weeks, based on the the idea of a temporary ceasefire, of course, there would be no fighting, which means civilian casualties will come down; damage to civi- civilian infrastructure will be stopped; you'll have breathing space to get more humanitarian assistance in; and, of course, not unimportantly, we'd have the ability to get all those hostages out. The idea is to get them all out all the hostages that are that are remaining. Q Is that in the plan MR. KIRBY: But it would have to happen over stages. Q Is that when this MR. KIRBY: So, if wait. So, if we were able to get this in place I can't give you a date certain on the calendar, but if we did, you can expect, should both sides abide by their commitments, several weeks of no fighting. Q So, would that mean that a Rafah invasion wouldn't happen, or it would just be delayed until after the ceasefire? MR. KIRBY: There would be no fighting for the for the entirety of the agreed-to timeframe. No fighting anywhere. Q Thanks. John, just on the Oval Office discussions today. Speaker Johnson came out and and as he said before, that, you know, the southern border has to be addressed before before Ukraine aid and funding. They are saying that this shouldn't be done legislatively; more so, that it should be done by rolling back executive orders or changing it from an executive perspective. Is that part of these discussions? And is the White House ruling out undoing some of the executive orders from earlier on in the administration? MR. KIRBY: I'd say a couple of things. First, the President has taken executive action at the border. And he and he certainly will continue to do so as appropriate and within the bounds of the law. He's also said y- that in order to make the changes, the fixes to border security, you got to have new legislation. A lot of this has to do with capabilities, funding I'm sorry, capabilities, personnel, and and resourcing, infrastructure. You can't just make that happen through executive action, all of that. You've got to have funding behind it, which is why the supplemental request was so important. And the one submitted in October included border security. And the President said months ago he was willing to have a discussion with members of Congress about border security. Border security was in the supplemental request. And we worked with the Senate to get a bipartisan deal arranged that that the Speaker said he absolutely insisted on. And then, when it was delivered to him, he said, no, he didn't want it. Q So, there would have to be a legislative component to this if, let's say, the Republicans are saying you can un- MR. KIRBY: In order to Q unlock Ukraine funding if you were to do something executive-wise on on the border? MR. KIRBY: We were willing to have a discussion and did, with the Senate about border security and Ukraine funding, as well as Israel and the Indo-Pacific. That's we're still willing to have those discussions. The the Speaker has to decide exactly what he wants to do here and then move out. He says he wants to act in a timely fashion on Ukraine. Well, let's go. Let's get them what they need. And the President is more than willing to have discussions about the border. MS. JEAN-PIERRE: All right. We've got to wrap it up. Go ahead, Tam. Last question. Q At what point do you declare the supplemental dead or too late to help Ukraine? MR. KIRBY: We need it now. I wouldn't even begin to speculate about what would be too late. We're already, in some ways, too too late. They lost the town of Avdiivka because of literally because of ammunition. So, in some ways, it's already having a dramatic effect on the battlefield. MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Thanks. Thanks, Admiral. Appreciate it. MR. KIRBY: Yep. You bet. MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Give me one second. Hi. Q Hi. MS. JEAN-PIERRE: (Laughs.) Go ahead. Q So so, in the p- MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I had something to say, and I changed my mind. Go ahead. (Laughter.) Q I mean, all right. So so, in the past, you've described Speaker Johnson's proposals as "not serious" regarding government funding, the border MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah. Q Ukraine. In the Oval Office today, was Speaker Johnson serious? Did he meet the threshold that the White House has set in the past? MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, a couple of things. I know some I know that Senator Schumer said it was intense. Yes, the meeting was intense, but it was also very productive. And I think that's important to take that into account. A couple of things that I would say is that all four congressional leaders agreed with the President and the Vice President that a shutdown is unacceptable. But, as you all know, the clock is ticking. It is ticking. It has been ticking for some time now. And it continues to do so right? as it relates, obviously, to to a potential shutdown but also but also what we're seeing right? with the national security supplemental. This is something that we put forth back in October. And as it relates to that, all four leaders also understood the gravity the gravity of the situation in Ukraine. And they heard and here's the thing, they heard a sobering account from the CIA Director, who was in the room, about about how Ukraine has lost ground on the battlefield you heard me say that at the top in recent weeks, because of congressional inaction. And so, this is the reality. This is the reality that Ukraine is in. This is the reality that we're in when we talk about our national security. And this is the reality that Congress is in. They have not taken action. And so, we are seeing what's happening currently in the battlefield in Ukraine. So, as the President said, there are consequences, and the consequences are incredibly dire. Congress must take action. We have to support our national security. And that is what the President that was the message that went into during that during that meeting. And that's how we saw the meeting play out. All four congressional leaders were in agreement on those on those two pieces that I just laid out here. It is incredibly important to move forward. The clock is ticking here. The clock is ticking. Go ahead. Q Thank you, Karine. House Speaker Johnson and the President had their first MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah. Q face-to-face, one-on-one meeting. What can you share about how that went? MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, yes. And I think, obviously, the Speaker spoke to this himself when he was at the Sticks. The President and the and Speaker Johnson had a moment after after the meeting after the group meeting. I'm going to be mindful here. It was a private discussion, so I don't have a readout for all of you. But it was you heard again, you heard from from the Speaker on how on his his side of things. I just don't have anything else to share on on the private meeting that they had. Q Okay. Well, earlier, you just said that this was a very productive meeting. MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah. Q On the Ukraine funding front, what was productive about it? It seems like nothing has changed. MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Well, look, I mean, there's work to do, obviously. Right? There is work to do. And we have said, if the Speaker puts this on the floor, it would get bipartisan support. We believe that. We're talking about the national security supplemental, obviously. It would have su- bipartisan support. I just laid out how all four leaders heard directly from the CIA Director about how dire it is and what we have seen the last couple of months in Ukraine because of the congressional inaction. I mean, that is dire right? that they heard dire reports from the CIA Director on what is currently happening. And, you know and it's not that just that; it's what you all have reported from what's coming out of Ukraine and what we have seen as as recently as last week when when Russia took over one of the one of the critical cities in Ukraine. And so, look, the evidence is there. They heard from the CIA Director. The reporting all of you all have been reporting. We've heard from President Zelenskyy directly about this. It is there are consequences here. There are consequences. And and, you know, Congress needs to act. The House needs to act. Senate acted. Seventy to twenty-nine, they passed a bipartisan in a bipartisan way this national security supplemental. Now we need it to go to the floor. We know we know, hearing from Republicans in the House, that there would be bipartisan support. So, yes, it was productive in the sense that everybody was in agreement on what needs to happen next. Now, we need to see that action in Congress. Go ahead, Akayla. Q Yesterday, a U.S. airmen died after he set himself on fire MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah. Q outside an Israeli or outside the Israel Embassy. Was the President aware of his death? Did he have any sort of response to it? MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yes, the President is aware. And we can I can say that it is obviously, is a it's a horrible tragedy, and our thoughts are with the family of the servicemember at during this I could we can't even imagine this hor- horrible, difficult time. The Department of Defense and the Metropolitan Police are looking into this. So, we're not going to get ahead of that. So, I would certainly refer you to them. But it is it is a horrific tragedy, what what occurred the other day. Q Is there anything new that you can share about the President's visit to the border on Thursday? Does he have any plans to announce any executive actions? MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I don't have anything to I'm not going to get ahead of the President. Don't have anything to to announce at this time. We've we've spoken to executive actions. I've spoken to that many times. We think the bottom line is: The way to have dealt with this border the challenge that we see the border, what we see with this immigration broken immigration system that has been broken for decades, is if we if Republicans had moved forward with with the bipartisan deal that came out of the Senate. But instead of doing that, Donald Trump they listened to Donald Trump, the former President, and they made it about politics. They did not make it about an issue that majority of Americans care about. They made it about politics and Donald Trump. And that is unfortunate. What I will say is just and I said this yesterday in the gaggle; I'll say it again. As you all know, he's going to travel to Brownsville, Texas. He's going to meet with U.S. Border Patrol agents, law enforcement, and local leaders, and he's going to discuss the urgent need to pass the bipartisan bipartisan proposal that came out of the Senate. And we believe that if this proposal this legislation were to become law, it would be, yes, the toughest but also the fairest. And let's not forget, it was it was supported by the Border Patrol union, U.S. Chamber of Commerce. And, you know, you don't see that type of support for a bipartisan piece of legislation nowadays. And so, he's going to reiterate to congressional Republicans to stop playing politics, to focus on the American people, to get this done. If they are serious if they are serious about giving the U.S. Border Patrol agents what they need, if they are serious about fixing the immigration system, they would get politics push politics to the side and do do the work on behalf of the American people. Go ahead, Kelly O. Q Speaker Johnson referred to a separate second meeting with him and the President. You referred to it as "a moment." Was it a separate sit-down? Was it planned that the President would make that time available? Or did that just kind of come out organically MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I th- Q after their meeting? MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, I think the I think the President, you know, wanted to have a one-on-one conversation with Speaker Johnson. They did. It was it was it happened after the group meeting. It was a brief they spoke briefly. It was a private discussion. And so, that's how we would call it. It happened after the briefing. He pulled him to the side while the other other three left. And they had a moment; they had a conversation. I wouldn't get too too into the semantics here. I would just say they had a moment, and I think it's important that the the President believed it was important to have a moment and to have a brief conversation with the Q So, that sounds more like something that just came up today, not on the planned schedule MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean Q as you set the day. MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, I it wasn't it wasn't a planned on on the planned schedule. I think the President wanted to have a one-on-one conversation with the Speaker. He did that. And it was an he believed it was important to do. Don't have a readout of it, obviously. It was a private discussion, a private conversation. Q And if there were any agreement if the Speaker had accepted a premise from the President or if they had made any kind of a more formal decision in that moment, would that be something you could share? MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, look, I think we've been very clear what we want to see, and it doesn't change. Right? What we want to see is the national supplemental, as it was passed out of the Senate in a bipartisan way 70 to 29 to deal with our national security, to deal with what's going on in Ukraine, to deal what's going what's going on in the Middle East and Indo-Pacific let's not forget we want to see that passed. We want to see because that hasn't changed, right? So, there's no separate deal here. What we want to see is this national security supplemental be put to the floor. And we know we know, because we've heard from congressional House Republicans, that it would pass in a bipartisan way. That's what the President wants to see. And they heard these the Big Four heard directly from the CIA Director about how dire the consequences are dire. And we've seen that. We've seen Ukraine has lost ground in the battlefield. And so, we need to see that action. We see we need them to to move forward on on the supplemental. That's what the President wants to see. And obviously, there's the other issue of a potential shutdown. The clock is ticking on that as well. They got to move. They got to move and stop focusing on extreme positions here. We got to move. And this is about the American people. That's what this should be about. Go ahead, Selina. Q Thanks, Karine. You said the Big Four all understand the gravity of the situation in Ukraine. But does the President actually trust Speaker Johnson? Did this move the ball forward at all in terms of convincing him to put Ukraine aid on the floor for a vote? MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, he needs to do this is Speaker Johnson needs to do what's best for the American people. He needs to do what's best for our national security. He needs to do what's best for our countr- our country. He needs to put our national security supplemental on the floor. That's what we know. The last time there was a vote on Ukraine, it got more than 300 votes more than 300 votes, including many, many House Republicans. That's the reality. And so and also keeping the government open there are critical programs that the American people need. If the government shut down shuts down, Americans don't get those critical programs that they need. And so, look, I can't speak for, you know, the the Speaker and what he's going to do. What I can speak for and what we can continue to reiterate from here and what the President can continue to reiterate is how important it is to move forward. There are national security consequences here, as I've laid out moments ago. And there's also critical programs important programs that the American people as it relates to keeping the government open. It is literally a basic duty that Congress has, and Republicans in in the House are getting in the way of that, and they should not. Q And the President sounded confident or optimistic that a government shutdown could be avoided. But we're only days away. No bill text has been released. There are still many, many policy disputes. MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah. Q So, where is that optimism coming from? MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, the President is an optimistic person. You guys know that. He talks about that often, in many speeches that he gives he he gives to the American people about optimism and possibilities. That is a president who believes in that. And so, look, he's going to continue to be optimistic. He brought the Big Four here to have these critical, important conversations about how to move forward here. And it's about the American people. This is not about the President here. We're talking about the national security supplemental. We're talking about keeping keeping the government open, even our border challenges. This is about the American people. So, we have to be optimistic. But he's we're going to continue to do the work. When the Big Four when the congressional members left, what was agreed upon is that their teams would continue to have conversations, obviously with our teams OMB, Office of Leg Affairs to continue to have those conversation on how to how to certainly deal with what's going on with the potential shutdown, as the clock is ticking. And we're going to continue to push to continue to push to make to to, you know, reiterate the importance of putting that national security bill on the floor. It already came out of the Senate in a bipartisan way. It needs to go to the floor and the House. Q Is it more and more likely we'll just get another CR? MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, I can't speak to I'm not going to speak to, you know, how you know, the how how Congress is going to move with a procedure. I'll leave that up to them and how they want to move with the CR, if there is a CR. What we are going to continue to re- reiterate and say from here is how important important to get that national security supplemental through, how important it is to continue to keep the government open. And we're not going to stop talking about the border. You'll see the President in on Thursday in Texas talking about how important it was to you know, to get that bipartisan Senate agreement. And because of again, because of the former President, Republicans decided to reject a bipartisan agreement that was supported by the Border Patrol union, that was supported by U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which you don't see very often in this current political climate. Go ahead. Q The CIA Director's participation, was that planned well in advance? Was that the President's idea? Did he show maps? How how did all that go? MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, I'm not going to go into specifics and details on on the meeting. What I can say is that the CIA Director was there. He laid out the the consequences, how dire they were. He talked about what was going on in the battle- in a battlefield, obviously, and how Ukraine was losing ground, which is important. I think we believe the President believed it was important to hear directly from the CIA Director. Let's not forget the meeting that the President held not too long ago, just last month, had the National Security Council folks in there, other folks from the intelligence community. So, this is this is this is a normal, obviously, situation that we've had before in making sure that the Big Four hears directly from the intelligence community, and that's what you that's what happened today. I'm not going to go into specifics, but he was very clear. He laid it out for them how dire the consequences are right now. And Ukraine needs our help. The brave people of Ukraine who have been fighting for their democracy, you know, they need continued continued assistant from us. And it's not about just their democracy. It's about our national security as well. Go ahead, M.J. Q Speaker Johnson again called on President Biden to take executive action on the border. Does the White House, at this point, believe that it has many more executive actions that it can take, or does it believe that it's come close to exhausting those options? MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Here's what I will say, M.J.: We believe in order to deal with what's happening at the border, you need a legislative solution. You do. It doesn't matter we don't think we don't believe the bottom line is: We don't believe that an executive action would would amount to what this legislation this bipartisan legislation would have would have been able to do if it was enacted into law if it was passed, obviously, and enacted into law. And what it would have done is been the toughest but also the fairest deal, with providing resources, obviously, that's needed for law enforcement, and make some key changes as it relates to the immigration immigration system. That's what we believe. I don't have anything to share about any additional executive action. As I've said before, don't have a decision here to to share with all of you. But we fundamentally believe that if that bipartisan agreement that came out from the Senate was was moved or was even voted out of the Senate and then, obviously, moved to the House and enacted into law, it would have been the first step, that beginning step, to deal with a real issue that majority of Americans care about. Anything else, I just don't have an- anything to share. Q I have a question on a different topic. Former President Trump suggested recently that his mugshot and his legal troubles are being embraced by Black people because they understand what it's like to be targeted and discriminated against. I just wonder: You know, you are a White House that prides itself on, you know, your relationship with the Black community, its, you know, outreach to the Black community. The President himself talks frequently about how he believes he won in 2020 thanks to Black voters. What was his response to that comment from the former President? MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah, and I do have a couple of things to say about that. I want to be really careful because it was said he said it as a candidate. Obviously, don't want to comment on 2024. But speaking separately right? speaking apart from that and just being very candid here, it's repugnant and it's defice divisive to to traffic in racist stereotypes. That's what we have seen. And that affect all Americans, right? You're tearing up all Americans by doing this. It is, again, divisive and repugnant. And it's coming from, obviously, a former president of the United States. And in any context, it is profane to compare the long, painful history the long, painful history of abuse and discrimination suffered by Black Americans and to something that is totally different than self-serving purposes. That's what we saw from the former President. A former president let's not forget, this is c- where this is coming from. And that is not as you stated in in your question to me, M.J., this is not what Joe Biden wants to see. He has been always very clear that hate has no safe harbor here. He's all about making sure we move forward with shared values, making sure that everyone everyone in this country has the dignity and the respect that they deserve every community. And so, that is what we need to hear right now, not a div- divisive, repugnant statement from a former former president that really tears apart a painful history that a community that a community has gone through the Black community. And it is it is repugnant. It is absolutely repugnant. Q Just to clarify, is that description reflective of how the President himself MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I speak for Q is MS. JEAN-PIERRE: the President of the United States as the White House Press Secretary. Absolutely. Q He's aware of the comments, though, from the former President? MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Ab- he's aware of the comments. I've spoken to him directly about these comments. He's aware. Go ahead, Karen. Q Thanks. Back on the Ukraine aid. You've said several times during this briefing that the House should put on the floor the bipartisan bill that the Senate has already passed. House Speaker Mike Johnson said after the meeting that he was very clear with the President that the House is "actively pursuing and investigating all the various options" on that. That doesn't sound like he is ready to just take that Senate bill and put it on the floor. Can you tell us what he said to the President about the "various options" that the House would consider? Are they going to break up what the Hou- what the Senate has already passed? Would they put something into it? What did he tell the President? MS. JEAN-PIERRE: What what we are supporting right now is the national security supplemental that came out of the Senate. That's what we want to see. That's what we want to see put on the floor. That's what we're going to continue to make sure we push forward. There is bipartisan support. You're talking about one obviously, one member one member in Congress. But we have seen other members, other Republicans who have said they would support this, who have said they they want to have bi- they want to vote on this national security supplemental. It would get we know it would get bipartisan support. And so, that's what we want to see. We're going to be consistent on that. That's how we want to see the House move forward. Q But did the Speaker tell the President he would not put that Senate bill on the floor as it is right now? MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I would let the Speaker speak for himself. I think you were speaking about a con- another congressional member. Q No, I'm saying MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Oh, I'm so sorry. Q Speaker Johnson said that. MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Okay. Well Q Af- after the meeting, Johnson said that he told the President that the House is pursuing and investigating various options on the security supplemental security bill. MS. JEAN-PIERRE: We have been very clear: We want to see the national security supplemental that was passed out of the Senate go to the floor of the House. We know it would get bipartisan support. That's what we want to see. And what I said and you you are correct, all fours all four congressional leaders understood the gravity as it relates to the national security supplemental, as it relates to Ukraine the gravity of the situation in Ukraine. They heard directly from the CIA Director: We want to see the national security supplemental that that came out 70-29 out of the Senate. It should be put to the floor. We know it would get bipartisan support. Go ahead. Q Hi, Karine. Thanks. You've referenced several times that the bipartisan Senate border bill has been endorsed by the union that represents Border Patrol agents. Brandon Judd, the president of the National Border Patrol Council the main union for the Border Patrol agents will actually be joining Donald Trump on Thursday for his border visit. And he said he actually did not receive an invite from the White House. And we were wondering what your response to that is and if there was any reason why. MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, I I we'll have more to share on what Thursday is going to look like. We'll have more to share on who is going to be joining the President. I don't have anything beyond beyond what I just laid out. But it is a fact that the the Border the Border Patrol union did indeed support the bipartisan proposal that came out of of the Senate. And I think that's important to state. I can't speak to him being with the former President in Texas. That's for him, obviously, to speak to. And we'll certainly will have more as we get closer to Thursday. AIDE: One or two more. MS. JEAN-PIERRE: All right, April. Go ahead. Q Karine, this week, the Vice President has been talking to groups about voting rights. She as you said at the top today, she's going to Selma on Sunday to commemorate Bloody Sunday. But the actual date of Bloody Sunday's anniversary is March 7th, the day of the State of the Union Address. Now, with that said, is the President going to deal with the issue of voting rights within the State of the Union Address that happens to fall on the historic date of Bloody Sunday? And what can he say and what will he say as we are now voting without the full protections of the Voting Rights Act? It's been completely gutted, so MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah. Q what's he going to talk about? MS. JEAN-PIERRE: You're right. It's been completely gutted. And it's shameful that it's been completely gutted. I'm not going to get ahead of the President's State of the Union Address. I want to be really mindful. The President is working on it. And obviously Q How many drafts? MS. JEAN-PIERRE: (Laughs.) I'm not going to get into that. But what I can say is obviously the President understands, and you've seen him do this a couple times before right? address Congress, and not just address Congress speak directly to the American pe- to American people in primetime about the state of the Union Q Right. MS. JEAN-PIERRE: about what he sees is important to the American people, how to move forward. And you'll see him address that. Just not going to get ahead of that. As it relates to voting rights, look, you're right. You know, the access to to voting has been compromised in many ways. It's been gutted, obviously, as you just laid out. And let's not forget the action that the President took very early on in his administration. He signed an executive action to deal with vo- voting rights access on the federal level. And so, he took that very, very seriously, and he continues to call for Congress to take action here on voting rights. And so, I'm not going to speak to the President's State of the Union and if that's going to be included. You're right, it's going to be on a on a very important anniversary of Selma. I just don't want to get ahead of the President at this time. Q Okay. So, let's stick with State of the Union and then something different. So, State of the Union is typically optimistic about what's going on in the country. Is the state of the Union strong at this point? MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I'm going to let the President speak to that. But, look, I think I was asked this question earlier about the optimism of this President. He is optimistic. And you hear him say he tends to end many of his speeches and I kind of said this a little bit about possibilities and how important it is. And, you know, as President, as authentically Joe Biden, he believes in possibilities. He believes in all communities, as we're talking about voting rights, to have the possibilities to not be left behind. And you see that in every policy that he's moved forward with, especially his economic policies. You see that in all of the legislation, to make sure that we have equity at the center of all of these important pieces of legislation and policies that we move forward with. And he wants to make sure that we build a for example, an economy from the bottom up, middle out. And we have seen we have seen some successes in these communities. We have seen success in the economy, turning it around. It was at a tailspin when the President walked in after what we saw the last administration do to the economy. And so, look, he's going to continue to do the work. Again, I don't want to get ahead of this President. You'll hear from him directly, obviously, on that day on the state of the Union. But he is always optimistic. And I think it is important I think, for him, it is important, as you speak to the American people, you have to show that optimism, even if there are still a lot of as there's still a lot of work to be done. All right. Go ahead, (inaudible). I'm going to start wrapping it up. Go ahead. Q Thank you, Karine. Speaker Johnson left here saying that "Border first." Do we know what he wants at the border? There's many actions that the President could take. Does he have anything that that he's demanding, and is there anything the President could give to compromise so he would move up Ukraine? MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, here's the thing, Cristina and I appreciate the question. I don't even think he knows what he wants. No, ser- and I say that very seriously. They first asked for when we put forward the national security supplemental, it had border security in it, and we were told by the Speaker and others we need to deal with the border security challenges first. You had a bipartisan group of senators coming coming out of the Senate, working for four months with with the White House to put forward a bipartisan piece of legislation that dealt with a important, important important challenge that we see at the border in immigration. And then, so we did that. We moved that forward. We presented it. And it we were told, "No, no, no, no, no, we want we don't want the border security; we want just the national security supplemental without border security." Then, the Senate goes back, and they pass the national security supplemental without the border security 70-29. We did that or they did that, and the Speaker refuses to put that to the floor. So, what is it that he really wants here? If you look at the border security deal, that proposal, it has components of that has what the Speaker has been talking about for years. So, the question is really for him. Like, you know and and let's not forget why that happened. That happened because Donald Trump told them told Republicans that if they move forward with the border security negotiated deal that came out of the Senate in a bipartisan way, that it would help this current president it would help President Joe Biden. And they put politics they put politics first, instead of the American people. That's what we've seen. That is what has been developing. You all have written about it. That's what we have seen. Now, we're going to continue to talk about the dire needs that we're the consequences that we're seeing in Ukraine, as you just heard me say over and over again during this briefing, and the importance of getting that national security supplemental done. They heard directly from the CIA Director right? today. We're going to continue the President is going to go to Texas Brownsville, Texas, to be more specific to talk about the importance of moving forward with the border security challenges, that particular negotiation that came forth in a bipartisan way. And let's not forget: The clock is ticking on the government shutdown. This is not how our government should be done moved here run here. You know, House Republicans need to do their jobs. They need to do their jobs. They need to do what is best what is best for our national security, what is best for the American people. I know you guys are probably tired of hearing me speak. We'll see you guys tomorrow. Q Thanks, Karine. MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Bye. 3:24 P.M. EST NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Defence: Statement on behalf of High Representative Josep Borrell at the EP debate on strengthening European Defence in a volatile geopolitical landscape European External Action Service (EEAS) 28.02.2024 Strasbourg, France EEAS Press Team Speech delivered by Matthieu Michel, State Secretary for Digitalisation in charge of administrative simplification, privacy and buildings administration of Belgium, on behalf of High Representative / Vice-President Josep Borrell. Check against delivery! Thank you, Madam President of the European Parliament [Roberta Metsola], Madam President of the European Commission [Ursula von der Leyen], Honourable Members of the European Parliament, 2023 was a very challenging year. The international system continues to face multiple and overlapping challenges. We face two wars on our doorstep, while climate, food, and energy crises pose threats to global peace and security, hamper global governance, and slow down sustainable development. This forces us to fundamentally rethink our Union. Right now, two issues are urgent priorities: Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and the war that has flared up once again in the Middle East. In the current geopolitical context, security and defence must be the top priority for Europeans. Two years ago, the Strategic Compass was proposed and launched. At that time, nobody paid a lot of attention. Now, the need to strengthen our defence at EU level has become obvious to everybody. Russia's invasion of Ukraine marks a watershed moment in European defence. Within weeks, dogmas that had stood for decades were overturned. First, the European Peace Facility was used to incentivise Member States to give more military equipment to Ukraine. Never before had the European Union financed deliveries of military equipment to a country at war. So far, the European Union and Member States have mobilised more than 28 billion of military assistance. Later, the largest military mission in the European Union's history was launched to train the Ukrainian army. By the end of this summer, 60,000 Ukrainian soldiers will have been trained on EU soil. The training they received is what Russia's new recruits often lack. It significantly increases their chances of survival. But the Russian war of aggression has also highlighted the significant weaknesses resulting from 30 years of neglect in defence capacities. The weaknesses exist in terms of material, but also in terms of interoperability. Today, defence budgets are 40% higher than a decade ago but we still have a long way to go, and we all need to accelerate. We are not going to be able to play a geopolitical role if we are not able to defend ourselves. Defence is a national competence. It is the Member States that have armies. We must be able to mobilise our armies to face common threats. We have to make them work together better, in order to have more interoperability, more mobility, capacity together and more coordination. We need to spend better. But spending more does not automatically mean spending better. To get the best results, we need economies of scales. To ramp up production, the European Defence industry needs certainties of long-term demand. This idea is at the heart of our ammunition initiative. We need to aggregate Member States demands, procure jointly and support European industries in ramping up their production capacities. Through the European Defence Agency, we have put in place 60 framework contracts to place orders to the European defence industry. We must follow this example in other areas. Together, with European Defence Agency, EU Ministers of Defence have already identified the key capabilities they need, ranging from ground combat capabilities and integrated air missiles defence to underwater warfare capabilities, space services, cyber defence or other strategic enablers. All this makes stronger EU defence with Member States spending more and better together will also help to strengthen NATO. Through the Strategic Compass, we are also working to make our armies more interoperable and EU operational engagement more effective. Evacuations such as in Afghanistan and Sudan have shown that EU Member States often depend on outside help to protect and evacuate their citizens. We need the capacity to act, with partners where possible, but also alone if needed. By 2025, we will have a Rapid Deployment Capacity allowing us to quickly deploy up to 5,000 troops in response to crisis situations. As part of this work, we conducted last October, the first live EU military exercise in Cadiz, in Spain. Interoperability is also key for our CSDP missions. In this more and more volatile world, they are increasingly important to protect European security interests abroad and contribute to global and regional stability. We are already working closely together in the context of our Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) missions. Since the beginning of this legislative mandate, the European Union has launched seven civilian and military missions. Including last week, our new maritime security operation [EUNAVFOR] Aspides in the Red Sea. Through Aspides, Atalanta and our coordinated maritime presence in the Gulf of Guinea, we are showing that the European Union can act decisively when our maritime security is at risk. Other examples of our concrete operational engagements - and not only military - are the civilian missions launched last year in Armenia to contribute to stability along the border with Azerbaijan (EU Mission in Armenia) or in Moldova (EU Partnership Mission in the Republic of Moldova) to strengthen the resilience against hybrid threats. Russia's war against Ukraine has reminded us how critical traditional military capabilities, like tanks, artillery or ammunition remains. But also, how much hybrid threats and space, cyber and critical infrastructure as well as information manipulation have changed the threats landscape. In the past two years, we have seen progress in building capacities in all of those areas. But we can do more. If we want to be a geopolitical player, we need to have the means. And the means start by having a strong defence capacity and a strong defence industry. Link to the video: https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-253376 Closing remarks Thank you, Madam President, Mr Executive Vice-President [in charge of European Green Deal, Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight, Maros Sefcovic], Honourable Members, Allow me to thank you for your long-standing support to the EU's Common Security and Defence policy. Today's debate illustrates the importance of staying united and firm in supporting Ukraine with the tools to defend itself. In the European Council of 14 and 15 December, EU leaders stressed the importance of timely, predictable and sustainable military support for Ukraine, notably the European Peace Facility and the EU military assistance mission [EUMAM Ukraine] as well as through direct, bilateral assistance by Member States. At the Special European Council of 1 February, EU leaders gave a clear tasking to the Council to reach agreement on the Ukraine Assistance Fund by early March 2024. Work is currently ongoing in the Council. The European Union has stood by Ukraine and for peace since day one and we will remain steadfast in our support until Ukraine prevails against Russia's aggression. It is important to strengthen the defence industry sector and to work jointly to better create synergies in the defence production. In this sense, we are taking concrete steps. The conclusions of the December European Council call for the presentation of the European Defence Industrial Strategy. The [European] Commission, together with the High Representative [Josep Borrell], should present this Strategy very shortly. The aim of the Strategy is to strengthen the European defence technology industrial base in the broad sense. The issues of access to raw materials and critical technologies, harmful dependencies and security of supply are part of this discussion. Its aim, however, is not to build protectionist industries. Its aim is to build a competitive industrial base that will help support and address Member States and allies' requirements. The Strategy will offer [a] framework and vision for the next years. It will not in itself be a legal or regulatory instrument. Besides, the European Council has also called on the [European] Commission to present a proposal for the European Defence Investment Programme - or EDIP. EDIP was announced in the Joint Communication on Defence Investments Gaps. EDIP would be an industrial programme building on EDIRPA, ASAP and possible other elements. The EDIP regulation could serve as the anchor future joint development and procurement projects of high common interest at EU level. If we want to be a geopolitical player in an increasingly dangerous world, we need to have the means to defend ourselves, but also the capacity to respond to challenges and emerging conflicts in other parts of the world, be it in Africa, the Middle East or even the Indo-Pacific. Thank you. Link to the video (starting at 7:10): https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-253378 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Speech by President von der Leyen at the European Parliament Plenary on strengthening European defence in a volatile geopolitical landscape European Commission Speech 28 February 2024 Strasbourg Madam President, Mr State Secretary, Honourable Members, In the last years, many European illusions have been shattered. The illusion that peace is permanent. The illusion that economic prosperity might matter more to Putin than destroying a free and democratic Ukraine. The illusion that Europe on its own was doing enough on security - be it economic or military, conventional or cyber. As we look around us, it is clear there is no room for any more illusions. Putin used the peace dividend to prepare for this war. As a result, the world is as dangerous as it has been for generations. Russia's brutal war of aggression against Ukraine is now in its third year and is more entrenched and intense than ever. We are seeing the potency and the dangers of a rising and disturbing league of authoritarians. North Korea is delivering order after order of ammunition shells to Russia. And Iran is providing attack drones, and crucially also the technology behind them, to inflict untold damage on Ukrainian cities and citizens. The continuing war in Gaza and the large-scale destabilisation in the Middle East point to an era of insecurity and conflict in the region and beyond. And we are also seeing the continued rise of aggressive economic competition and distortion, which brings with it some very real European security risks. So, to put it as bluntly as outgoing President Niinisto of Finland did last month: 'Europe has to wake up.' And I would add: urgently. We all know there is so much at stake here - our freedom and our prosperity. And we have to start acting like it. We need to start working on the future of the European security architecture. In all of its dimensions and with all of the speed and political will that is required. Because the truth is, we have not been living with conflict merely since 2022, but for far longer. The threats to our security, our prosperity and our way of life come in many different forms, and we all know them. Some of them are obvious, some of them are hazier on the surface. Be it tackling political interference reducing our dangerous dependencies - a policy I have called de-risking - or be it eliminating hostile actors from our critical infrastructure. We Europeans must be on guard. This is not just about defeating bullies on the battlefield but across all our society. The good news is: We have started a lot of that work already. In fact, the last years have not only served to shatter some European illusions. But they have also shattered many illusions about Europe. That our unity would not hold in the face of a war on our continent. Or that our rules and divisions would hold us back in providing massive financial, military and political support. Well, over the last two years, Europe has shown and proven that it will support Ukraine for as long as it takes. And we have also shown and proven that a more sovereign Europe is not just wishful thinking. At this point let me be clear: European sovereignty will make our partnerships stronger. It will never affect the importance and the need for our NATO alliance. In fact, a more sovereign Europe, in particular on defence, is vital to strengthening NATO. That is why I am pleased with the news that Sweden will soon become a NATO ally. And I want to congratulate Sweden under the leadership of Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson on the historic step for this country . At its core, European sovereignty is about taking responsibility ourselves for what is vital, and even existential, for us. It is about our ability but also about our willingness to defend our interests and values ourselves. This is what Leaders agreed with the Versailles agenda just after the start of the war to reduce our strategic dependencies in critical areas like energy, key technologies - you remember the semi-conductors -, economic capacities and of course defence. Member States have stepped up. Just last week, the naval mission Aspides was launched to protect against the direct threat to the freedom of navigation. Freedom of navigation that serves as a bedrock of global trade in one of the world's most critical waterways. And Member States have stepped up their defence spending too. Their national defence budgets have already risen by 20% from last year. And NATO has just announced that it expects 18 of its members to beat the 2% defence spending target this year. That is up from only 3 members a decade ago. And together, we are now spending more jointly on common capacities and projects between Europeans. The European Peace Facility has mobilised EUR 6.1 billion to support the Ukrainian armed forces with lethal and non-lethal military equipment and supplies. The European Defence Fund is investing in high-end defence capabilities in critical areas such as, naval, ground, air combat, space-based early warning systems or cyber. And we have taken big steps forward in growing our defence industrial and manufacturing capacities. In the next weeks, we will announce award decisions under the ASAP programme. This funding will enable us to roughly double European ammunition production, to over 2 million shells a year by the end of 2025. Honourable Members, All of this progress shows that Europe has started to grasp the urgency and the scale of the challenge that is ahead of us. But there is a lot more to do. And we need to move fast. The threat of war may not be imminent, but it is not impossible. The risks of war should not be overblown, but they should be prepared for. And that starts with the urgent need to rebuild, replenish and modernise Member States' armed forces. In doing so, Europe should strive to develop and manufacture the next generation of battle-winning operational capabilities and to ensure it has the sufficient quantity of material and the technological superiority that we may need in the future. That means turbocharging our defence industrial capacity in the next five years. At the heart of this must be a simple principle: Europe must spend more, spend better, spend European. We will put forward some proposals in the next weeks with the first ever European Industrial Defence Strategy. One of the central aims of the Strategy, and the European Defence Investment Programme that will come with it, will be to prioritise defence joint procurement. Just as we did it very successfully with the vaccines or for example with natural gas. This will help us reduce fragmentation and increase interoperability. But to do this we must collectively send a strong signal to industry. This is why we will look at how to facilitate for example offtake agreements. They need security and the knowledge that products will be taken off. Or for example advance purchase agreements where we provide guarantees. This would give our defence industry companies very stable orders and most importantly predictability in the long run. We will increase support for industrial ramp-up, as we are now doing with ammunition through ASAP. We will identify European Defence Projects of Common Interest, to focus efforts and resources where it has the biggest impact and added value. And we will focus on innovation to ensure Europe has that edge in the new technologies, which we see being deployed across the world in different conflicts. This must be a truly European effort. And that is why I am proud to announce that we will set up an Office for Defence Innovation in Kyiv. This will bring Ukraine ever closer to Europe and it will enable all Member States to draw on Ukraine's battlefield experience and expertise in industrial defence innovation. Honourable Members, Taking this step together on defence will not be easy. It will require bold decisions and political courage. And it will require above all a new European defence mind-set from institutions to industry to investors alike. That is why I am very encouraged by the words of President Calvino that the EIB is ready to do more to contribute to joint projects that boost the European defence industry. And I really call now on Member States to endorse this proposal. Defence industry in Europe needs access to capital. I would like to encourage our public and private lenders to support our defence industry and in particular small and medium enterprises. Also in defence, small and medium enterprises are the backbone of our industry. They are the driver of innovation and a critical factor in the Single Market. And the topic needs undivided attention. This is why I am personally supportive of a designated Defence Commissioner for the next Commission. And beyond that, I would like us to think bigger. It is time to start a conversation about using the windfall profits of frozen Russian assets to jointly purchase military equipment for Ukraine. There could be no stronger symbol and no greater use for that money than to make Ukraine and all of Europe a safer place to live. Honourable Members, Ultimately, this is about Europe taking responsibility for its own security. The simple truth is: We do not have the luxury of comfort. We do not have the control over elections or decisions in other parts of the world. And we simply do not have the time to skirt around the issue. With or without the support of our partners, we cannot let Russia win. And the cost of insecurity - the cost of a Russian victory - is far greater than any saving we could make now. This is why it is time for Europe to step up. Long live Europe. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address INDOPACOM likely more confrontational under new chief: experts Global Times By GT staff reporters Published: Feb 28, 2024 10:03 PM As the US Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday voted to advance the nomination of Samuel Paparo as chief of the US Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM), sending the matter to the full Senate for a confirmation vote, Chinese experts warn that under the new chief's command, it is very possible that the US military will try to create a crisis and deepen military tensions with China in the Asia-Pacific, especially across the Taiwan Straits. Paparo, who was first nominated last July, currently serves as the commander of the US Pacific Fleet. If confirmed, he will succeed Adm. John Aquilino as chief of INDOPACOM, the US media outlet Inside Defense reported on Tuesday. The role is a three-year job and one that Aquilino has held since April 2021, according to the US Naval Institute on Tuesday. Changing the chief is a routine move, but choosing Paparo, who has been tough on China-related issues, again signals that Washington is stepping up its anti-China strategy, especially on military in the Asia-Pacific, experts believe. The US military always regards China as an imaginary enemy, and on multiple issues such as the Taiwan question and the South China Sea issue, the US military adopts a goal of maximizing deterrence against China, said Li Haidong, a professor at China Foreign Affairs University. He pointed out that the Indo-Pacific strategy is to demonstrate the military function of the US by creating military tension, promoting an arms race, division and confrontation among countries in the region. Recently, Paparo has also discussed the need for autonomous systems to provide "persistent stare" over his area of responsibility to better deter the Chinese mainland from "possible military action" against Taiwan region, according to Inside Defense. "The trajectory of the PLA, the People's Liberation Army, across all of its services, and its activity and its aggression, that itself is the greatest challenge," he told a Senate hearing on February 1. Wei Dongxu, a Beijing-based military expert, told the Global Times on Wednesday that it is not surprising for Paparo to make those provocative remarks as he likes to hype the theory of "China's military threat" so as to better demonstrate the importance of the INDOPACOM. Wei warned of a series of China-targeting policies that would be issued under Paparo's command, which aims to consolidate the US military hegemonic system and exert more military pressure against China. With secessionist Lai Ching-te scheduled to take office as Taiwan regional leader on May 20, during the next few months, there will be more uncertainties across the Straits, Li believes. The US is attempting to deepen military tensions with China and create a crisis, and profit from the potential crisis, Li warned, who noted that the military function of the US in the Asia-Pacific is destructive, divisive and confrontational, and undermines the existing security and stability pattern in the region. Wei stressed that we should be on alert for the US trying to join up its different military alliances, such as combining Japan's military strength with AUKUS, so as to use more resources to deter China. In response, China should not only advance the construction of its own strength, but also properly handle relations with neighbors and stay together against the external power, experts suggested. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Clear Norwegian contribution to the International Court of Justice in The Hague (ICJ): Prevents the possibility of a two-state solution Government of Norway News story | Date: 28/02/2024 'The Israeli occupation and the illegal Israeli settlements are the biggest obstacles to a two-state solution, which is the only solution to the conflict between Israel and Palestine', said Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide. This was also the message in Norway's oral submission to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) today. Between 19 and 26 February, 50 states and three international organizations made oral submissions to the ICJ on the legal consequences arising from the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory. The Court has been asked to consider several important questions of international law and its conclusions will form a key part of the basis for future peace negotiations between the parties. It was the UN General Assembly that in 2022 requested that the ICJ render an advisory opinion on the legal consequences related to the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories, including the question of whether the Israeli occupation itself must be considered a violation of international law. 'Norway clearly distances itself from Israeli settlers' displacement of and violence against Palestinians on occupied land. The settlements are illegal according to international law. This has been established in several UN Security Council resolutions, including Resolution 2334 (2016), and in the previous ICJ advisory opinion on the Israeli "wall" from 2004. The injustice the Palestinians are being subjected to must stop', Eide said. The Foreign Minister emphasizes that while the eyes of the world are focused on the horrific war in Gaza, the situation in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is also very serious. During 2023, 26 new so-called settler outposts were established in the West Bank, the highest number ever. In addition, Israel approved a record number of new housing units and 15 outposts that were initially illegal under Israeli law were declared "legal". In 2023, the Israeli government implemented changes to structural and administrative regulations, which have facilitated increased development and settlement activity in the West Bank. Palestinians are displaced from their homes, which are then destroyed. Last year was also the deadliest year for Palestinians in the West Bank since the UN began recording. There is a high degree of impunity for violent settlers. 'Since the Netanyahu government came to power, settlement activity in the occupied territories has increased. Established settlements are expanding, and new plans for road construction between settlements are being presented and approved. Among other things, this helps to fortify the settlements and exclude and push away Palestinian shepherds and agricultural workers. These developments, as well as the violence from settlers against the local population, have increased significantly since October 7,' said Eide. In the Norwegian oral submission to the ICJ, Norway asks the Court to determine whether the occupation of the Palestinian territories may have become tantamount to de facto annexation, which would be contrary to international law. A gradual Israeli takeover of larger parts of the occupied Palestinian territories, the very fact that the occupation has lasted for so many years, Israeli plans for expansion of new settlements, Israeli control over water and other important natural resources, as well as statements from Israeli leaders that a de facto annexation is a goal, are among the factors that indicate that the Court ought to consider this question. The Norwegian submission also goes into the historical and international law basis for the establishment of the State of Israel, which also rested on the assumption that a Palestinian state should be established next to the State of Israel. In its submission to the Court, Norway recalled the unequivocal obligations undertaken by Israel in connection with its application for membership in the UN and that such membership was granted in light of clear commitments made by Israel to contribute to the realization of a viable State of Palestine. 'It is crucial to clarify how international law is to be understood. This will have a major impact on all UN member states and their actions and assessments in the time to come,' said Eide. This said, it should be noted that an advisory opinion from the ICJ on questions of international law is not the same as a legally binding judgment. Nevertheless, an advisory opinion from the ICJ is considered an authoritative interpretation of international law. 'We expect all parties to respect the conclusions of what is, after all, the world's highest court. However, it remains to be seen how individual states will choose to follow up on the Court's conclusions,' said Eide. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hezbollah rockets hit three Israeli bases IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Feb 28, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- The Lebanese resistance movement, Hezbollah, has said that it targeted three Israeli military bases with rockets in its latest operations in support of the Palestinians in war-ravaged Gaza. Hezbollah said its rockets hit the three bases, two of them in the occupied Shebaa Farms, causing casualties among Israeli soldiers, according to an IRNA report citing Lebanese media on Wednesday. Earlier in the day, Hezbollah also launched tens of missiles and rockets at the Upper Galilee in the northern Israeli-occupied territories. Fighting has intensified between Hezbollah and Israeli forces at Lebanon's southern border in the past weeks, as the regime continues its bloodshed against Palestinians in Gaza. Hezbollah says its attacks against Israeli targets will continue until the regime stops its war on Gaza where nearly 30,000 people, mostly women and children, have been killed since early October. 4194 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 'Hezbollah fired 1,000 missiles at Israeli army positions since Oct. 7' IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Feb 28, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- The Zionist media has admitted that Lebanon's Hezbollah has fired nearly 1,000 anti-armor missiles at the Zionist regime's army positions in northern occupied Palestine since the beginning of the war on the Gaza Strip. After the assassination of Hamas deputy chief Saleh al-Arouri, the missiles that were launched at the Miron strategic air control and surveillance base in the north of occupied Palestine hit the target precisely, according to Al Mayadeen. The Zionist media outlets predicted that in the event of any war in the future, Hezbollah would fire thousands of anti-armor missiles and tens of thousands of shells into the northern and central areas of occupied Palestine. The Lebanese Islamic Resistance fired dozens of missiles and rockets into Upper Galilee in the north of occupied Palestine on Wednesday. Hezbollah and the Israeli regime have been exchanging cross-border almost daily fire since Israel launched its genocidal campaign in Gaza in early October last year. 9376**4354 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address South Africa pursuing Israeli regime's failure to comply with ICJ's ruling: FM IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Feb 28, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor says that her country had informed the International Court of Justice (ICJ) of its concerns with the Israeli regime's failing to adhere to its ruling to avoid genocide in Gaza. In an exclusive interview with Al Mayadeen on Tuesday, Pandor said, "Israel affirms our view that it actually has the intention to destroy the people of Palestine." Pandor revealed that South Africa had contacted the ICJ to raise concerns regarding Israel's ignoring of the interim ruling by the court. She also stressed that the country wishes to move forward with objective arguments that demonstrate South Africa's belief that the regime is indeed committing genocide in the strip. The official said that numerous countries announced they will also join the case against Israeli regime. South African Foreign Minister underlined that the legal papers have been prepared although there was yet to be a date for the hearing. South Africa brought the genocide case before the ICJ, based in The Hague, the Netherlands, in January. Later in the month, the top UN court ordered the occupying regime to stop its genocide in Gaza, among several measures. 7129**9417 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Another Zionist commander killed in Gaza war: Report IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Feb 28, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- The Zionist media have reported the death of another Israeli military commander in the Gaza war. Citing the Israeli regime's media, the Palestinian Sama news agency reported that Major Yiftah Shahar, a company commander in the Givati Brigade, was killed in a battle in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday night. Earlier, the Zionist army admitted to the death of 2 officers and the injury of 7 other soldiers in the battle with the Palestinian resistance, as well as the death of 2 other soldiers due to an infectious disease in the Gaza Strip. The Zionist regime's Channel 12 recently announced that the Israeli army has asked the hospital authorities not to publish any statistics of casualties without coordination with the army. The Zionist regime has a long history of trying to conceal the death toll of its armed forces. Yitzhak Brik, a former Israeli officer, recently exposed the "total chaos" among the occupation army's ranks following months of aggression against Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip. "There is total chaos. Equipment, logistics, food and everything needed to move forward is not working, because the army has entrusted everything to private companies," Brik said on Saturday. Meanwhile, the Zionist regime's genocidal war on Gaza has so far killed at least 29,878 people, including more than 12,300 children and 8,400 women, in the besieged coastal area. 9376**4354 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Zionist military shells, bombs Lebanese towns IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Feb 28, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- The Israeli military has conducted new artillery and air raids on the border areas of southern Lebanon. According to the Al-Mayadeen news channel, the Israeli artillery shelled the towns of Tayr Harfa, Al-Jebin and Shihein. Warplanes also bombarded the towns of Kharba Salem, Al Tayba, Siddiqin and Qana in southern Lebanon. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage from the attacks. The regime has recently carried out several deadly attacks on residential areas in southern Lebanon. This is while, Hezbollah has restricted its attacks on Israeli military bases and facilities located on the occupied Palestinian territories. Hezbollah retaliation On Tuesday, Hezbollah announced targeting the Israeli "Meron" spying airbase in northern parts of the occupied Palestinian territories with a salvo of rockets. Hezbollah said the attack damaged and destroyed a part of the electronic surveillance and espionage devices, according to the Arab media report. Hezbollah, in a brief statement, said that the operation was in support of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, as well as a response to the Israeli aggression against the Lebanese city of Baalbek and its vicinity. Also, a volley of rockets was launched from Lebanon towards Western Israeli-occupied Al-Jalil in northern Palestine. Zionist sources reported the attack and the sound of several explosions shortly after. Hezbollah and the Israeli regime have been trading exchanging cross-border almost on a daily basis fire since Israel launched its genocidal campaign in Gaza in early in early October last year. 4399 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address America, British warplanes keep pounding Yemen IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Feb 28, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- The US and Britain have carried out new military aggression against Yemen to put pressure on the Arab country to cease its anti-Israel operations in the Red Sea. According to the Al-Masirah news network, America and British warplanes bombed an area in Lahiya city of Hudaydah province on Tuesday night. Just a day ago, the Ras Isa port town and the city of al-Salif in western Hudaydah were targeted thrice in similar strikes. So far, there have been no reports of casualties or possible damage from these attacks which have become daily occurrences over the past couple of weeks. These attacks are aimed at putting pressure on Yemen to stop its naval blockade imposed on the Zionist regime. The Yemeni armed forces launched their operations against Israeli or Israeli-bound ships in the Red Sea over the regime's genocide in the Gaza Strip. The have repeatedly announced that all other ships are free and safe to sail through the Red Sea. But over the past month, Yemenis have intensified attack on US and British ships in retaliation for the two countries' aggression against the Arab country. 4399 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hezbollah commander unveils new weapon ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency Wed / 28 February 2024 / 10:49 The commander of Hezbollah's anti-armored munitions unit reveals a new NLOS weapon developed by the Resistance in the face of the Israeli occupation. Tehran -ISNA- Since the start of the confrontations on the Lebanese-Palestinian border area on October 8, there have been talks within Israel about the "anti-armor weapons" possessed by Hezbollah, with there being grave concerns about the Resistance's capabilities. Israeli media, the political and military spheres, and much more, have expressed great fear of the development of the capabilities of the Islamic resistance in Lebanon, which has become "a champion in missile sniping." Anti-armor missiles are one of the many specialties of the Islamic resistance in Lebanon, and the status quo of the battlefield in the current limited confrontation has made this weapon take the lead at this stage. A commander in Hezbollah's anti-armor unit told Al Mayadeen in an exclusive interview that the Islamic resistance in Lebanon is a large group with numerous divisions, and each division has its own battle system. In this operation, Hezbollah's anti-armor capabilities had the lion's share in the fighting due to the nature of the mission, but the rest of the divisions, each of which had their own sets of skills, did not all-out participate in the battle and only did so in a limited manner. Had they fully participated, the commander said, the Israeli occupation "would have seen things it would have never expected." The official continued by saying that the advantages that made anti-armor the star of this battle are the advantages it enjoys, namely "flexibility, effectiveness and simplicity." Flexibility "qualifies it to work in this battle against threats and shelling," while simplicity relates to "the simplicity of training and use." As for effectiveness, the anti-armor units confront the occupation's forces who use tanks and armored personnel carriers, as it "has the effectiveness to work against all enemy targets." Al Mayadeen's political and Lebanese affairs analyst, Abbas Fneish, confirmed when talking about the operations carried out by the resistance since October 8 that the escalation was gradual. During the first two weeks, "all the targets were clear on the surface, as the resistance targeted tanks, personnel, and positions." Most of these targets were hit with anti-armor weapons, he clarified. Later, the resistance began to pursue the occupation, as it went deeper and closer to the border area and hid in the groves and newly created points, Fneish added. The developments and results themselves speak for the effectiveness of the anti-armor unit, with dozens of destroyed Israeli tanks and military sites and other reinforcements where Israeli soldiers are sheltering themselves. End Item NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hezbollah bombs Israeli Golan base with 60 Grad rockets ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency Wed / 28 February 2024 / 10:48 Lebanon's Hezbollah announces that it bombed an Israeli base in the occupied Syrian Golan with 60 Grad rockets in response to escalation in Lebanon. Tehran -ISNA- The Islamic Resistance in Lebanon announced Monday that it engaged the headquarters of the Israeli occupation forces' Golan Division in Nafah, the occupied Syrian Golan. The momentous attack saw Hezbollah launching 60 Grad rockets toward the Israeli base. The attack is in support of the Palestinian people and their Resistance in Gaza as well as in response to the Israeli aggression in the vicinity of the northern Lebanese city of Baalbek and its attacks on Lebanon's villages and civilian homes, Hezbollah said in a statement regarding the attack. Reports all over Israeli media addressed the event, saying Hezbollah launched several rockets on several occasions toward an Israeli occupation forces base in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights with explosions being heard in the area. Israeli media reported that air raid sirens were sounded in the Israeli settlements of "Kidmat Tsvi", "Sha'al", and "Ortal" in the occupied Syrian Golan. The Israeli Nafah base in the occupied Syrian Golan includes the headquarters of the 210th Golan regional division and the headquarters of the 474th regional brigade, in addition to the health centre of the 474th regional brigade. The base also includes the Oz Brigade camp, the headquarters of the 77th Armored Battalion, and part of the 209th artillery regiment in the Israeli occupation forces. Nafah also houses a forward divisional headquarters, which operates in emergencies, and a forward command for formations operating in the Syrian direction, in addition to ground formations of troops trained in the occupied Golan camps. End Item NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Three Palestinian martyrs, including commander of Tubas Brigade ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency Wed / 28 February 2024 / 10:47 On Tuesday at dawn, three young Palestinians were killed by Israeli occupation bullets in the Al-Faraa refugee camp, south of Tubas, in the occupied West Bank. Tehran -ISNA- Sources from the Red Crescent reported that Commander Ahmad Daraghmeh of the Tubas Brigade of the Al-Quds Brigades, along with Osama Jabr al-Zalat and Mohammad Samih Bayadsa, were martyred. Additionally, three others were injured after being hit by occupation bullets in the camp. Earlier tonight, the occupation forces stormed the Al-Faraa refugee camp, accompanied by multiple bulldozers, and deployed snipers in various locations. Amidst the continued aggression on the West Bank, Israeli occupation forces conducted a raid on the town of Beit Rima, situated northwest of Ramallah. According to local sources, the occupation forces raided the town, raided several homes, searched them, and tampered with their belongings. Resistance operations have increased significantly throughout the West Bank since the beginning of Operation Al-Aqsa. Occupation forces are conducting raids on towns and camps to assert control and mitigate the risk of further escalation. Nevertheless, the situation in the West Bank continues to pose a persistent concern due to the potential for broader unrest. Israeli security authorities are concerned about the upcoming month of Ramadan in the West Bank and occupied Al-Quds. According to the Israeli Yedioth Ahronoth website, the newspaper's military affairs correspondent, Yoav Zeitoun, quoted warnings from the security and military establishment that "Hamas may take advantage of this significant time for Muslims to incite unrest." On that note, earlier this month, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine called for battles to shift to the heart of "Israel" from the West Bank. The PFLP confirmed the increase in settler attacks on the Palestinian people across the West Bank. These assaults, which include road blockades, land seizures, attacks on homes, and shooting Palestinians, are occurring concurrently with the genocidal assault on the Gaza Strip. The PFLP asserted that these actions were being orchestrated by the occupation officials and the occupation army. End Item NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address General Eichelsheim visits arms manufacturers in the Czech Republic that are supplying Ukraine Netherlands Ministry of Defence News item | 28-02-2024 The DITA self-propelled howitzer is a modern artillery system that can hit targets dozens of kilometres away. Ukraine urgently needs weapons of this kind. The Netherlands therefore recently ordered nine units for Ukraine. The weapons are part of a large Dutch order for Ukraine that is being fulfilled by two arms manufacturers in the Czech Republic. Netherlands Chief of Defence General Onno Eichelsheim paid them a visit yesterday. Eichelsheim also inspected a VERA-NG radar system. This passive surveillance system can track airborne, maritime and ground targets. Europe's collective production capacity can only be rapidly increased through smart cooperation. Joint procurement by countries helps in this regard. The Chief of Defence stressed that support to Ukraine remains the highest priority for the Netherlands. Testing for Ukraine The Netherlands had already ordered 100 MR-2 counter-UAS and light air defence systems and, together with the United States and Denmark, 100 modernised T-72 main battle tanks in the Czech Republic. Eichelsheim was also shown these weapons during his tour of the manufacturers Excalibur Army and ERA. The MR-2 is a relatively basic mobile air defence system that can effectively eliminate drones. Ukrainian military personnel are already familiar with the T72 tank. They therefore do not require additional training to operate it. After the materiel has been tested, it goes directly to Ukraine. Defence industry on the rise The Netherlands is cooperating with the Czech Republic because of its welldeveloped defence industry, and the Netherlands is now one of the Czech defence industry's most important customers. In most European countries, rebuilding the capacity to produce weapon systems and weapon platforms in significant quantities will take time because of decades of little or no investment. However, Europe's security is now very much at risk, not only because of the war in Ukraine. Unrest in the Middle East, a more assertive China and shifting power dynamics are also factors. The Netherlands is therefore investing in the production capacity of the European defence industry. As Eichelsheim explained, a failure to do so would place the security of the Netherlands at even greater risk. Many other European countries and companies have also entered into partnerships to increase production capacity. A good example in this regard is the plan for a European production line in Germany for Patriot air defence missiles. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address A look at the Defence news 19 - 25 February Netherlands Ministry of Defence News item | 28-02-2024 Defence marks 2 years of war in Ukraine The war in Ukraine has entered its third year. On 24 February 2022, Russian troops invaded the neighbouring country. An end to this illegal invasion is still not in sight. Ukraine is continuing to defend itself, partly thanks to the support of international partners. The Netherlands has contributed from the start, not only with equipment and training, but also with forensic investigation teams that are investigating possible war crimes. As a sign of the Netherlands' determination to continue its support of Ukraine, the flag of Ukraine flew over all Dutch ministries last Saturday. Progress of Ukraine's F-16 programme The Air Force Capability Coalition (AFCC) Steering Group recently met to discuss the progress of Ukraine's F-16 programme, including the AFCC's work to train the Ukrainian Air Force to operate, service, and maintain F-16 fighter aircraft. AFCC members coordinate to meet the requirements to ensure Ukraine receives a fully functional F-16 capability, including Denmark's initial donation of aircraft in the summer of 2024, and other Allied donations later this year. The AFCC reaffirmed its unwavering support to help Ukraine protect its skies. Dutch naval ships leave port for large NATO exercise HNLMS Johan de Witt and HNLMS Karel Doorman have left for northern Norway, where the naval vessels will join Exercise Steadfast Defender, the largest NATO exercise since the Cold War. Over the coming months, 5,000 Dutch military personnel will take part in the exercise. NATO-hackathon: International teams compete in IT challenge Last week, over 100 professionals from over 30 countries participated in a NATO hackathon, which was held at the Amsterdam Naval Barracks. The young programmers, engineers, architects and IT specialists had to deal with three complex operational IT challenges. The winners were Valkyrie I, a Ukrainian team that combined a high level of innovation with a good sense of networking, particularly in the Pharmaceutical Thesaurus assignment. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address German warship opens fire on US Reaper drone: Reports Iran Press TV Wednesday, 28 February 2024 11:51 PM A German warship partaking in a European anti-Yemen coalition in the Red Sea has mistakenly opened fire on an American MQ-9 Reaper drone, reports say. German media outlets carried the reports on Monday, describing the attack as a friendly fire incident. According to Germany's Der Spiegel weekly, the warship fired two missiles at the aircraft, but both the projectiles crashed into the sea because of "a technical defect." The "Hesse" frigate involved in the incident headed towards the Red Sea earlier this month as means of thwarting Yemen's pro-Palestine operations. Yemen's Armed Forces have been targeting Israeli vessels or those bound for the occupied territories' ports in protest at the Israeli regime's October-present war against the Gaza Strip that has so far killed nearly 30,000 Palestinians. The forces have vowed to keep up the operations as long as the Israeli regime sustained the war and a simultaneous siege that it has been employing against Gaza. The German warship opened fire after efforts to identify an unknown drone "were unsuccessful," Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said, adding that the target was "not hit." The aircraft later turned out to be a "reconnaissance drone," he said. The drone was apparently not related to a United States-led naval coalition that has been similarly operating in the Red Sea to confront the Yemeni operations. The Frankfurter Allgemeine newspaper said it was "common knowledge that American combat drones are used in the region that have nothing to do with the [US-led] operation in the Red Sea." Spiegel said military officials believed that the incident showed that coordination between allies involved in various missions in the region around Yemen "needs to be improved." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 'Risk we can't afford to take': Israel's Olmert warns against invasion of Rafah Iran Press TV Wednesday, 28 February 2024 7:10 PM Ehud Olmert, the former head of the Israeli regime, has warned against a planned invasion of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, citing potential international fury. "The patience of the international community has reached a point from where I don't think they'll be able to absorb it," Olmert was quoted by Bloomberg as saying in an interview. Olmert headed the regime between 2006 and 2009. He also expressed concern that a ground attack on Rafah "may shatter the peace agreement between Israel and Egypt." Olmert said prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu should stop the war and focus on a plan that will enable the military to leave Gaza and international forces to go in as peacekeepers. International alarm over such an invasion has intensified in recent days. Netanyahu has threatened that the regime will "do it anyway." Rafah, the town along the Egyptian border, which was once deemed a "safe zone" by the Israeli military, has now become the last refuge for over half of Gaza's entire population of more than 2.3 million, who have fled their homes in other parts of the territory. Egypt has already threatened to suspend its peace treaty with Israel if the regime sends its troops to Rafah. It said any ground invasion could force the closure of the besieged territory's main aid supply route. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also warned on Monday that such an invasion would "put the final nail in the coffin" of aid operations in Gaza. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia's UN envoy says US giving Israel 'license to kill' Palestinians Iran Press TV Wednesday, 28 February 2024 6:09 PM Russia's permanent representative to the United Nations says an alternative draft resolution Washington has proposed on the situation in the besieged Gaza Strip simply paves the way for more Palestinian civilian deaths. "This is not an alternative at all, but another license to kill Palestinian civilians that the US is determined to give Israel by submitting it to the UN Security Council this time. We urge the members of the Council not to support this destructive endeavor," Vasily Nebenzia said in a speech at the Security Council on Wednesday. "The alternative draft Security Council resolution on Gaza proposed by the US does not contain a call for a ceasefire and is aimed at extending the UN umbrella over the Israeli operation in the strip." Nebenzia said the United States was accountable for Israel's campaign of death and destruction in the Palestinian territory. "By blocking international efforts to stop the violence in Gaza, Washington bears full responsibility for the unprecedented number of civilian victims of this escalation, the number of which has already approached 30,000. This is the price of the American veto in the UN Council," the Russian diplomat said. He said the "only and vital imperative to prevent mass starvation in Gaza" was to halt hostilities and press Israel to comply with international humanitarian law. "However, all attempts by the Council to adopt such a decision have been blocked by the US, which has used its veto four times. Against the backdrop of tens of thousands of dead and starving people in Gaza, the US delegation continues to cynically argue that a ceasefire is almost dangerous because it will undermine some fragile US diplomacy on the ground." On February 20, the US once again blocked adoption by the Security Council of a draft resolution for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Thirteen of the 15 members of the Council, including Russia and China, voted in favor of the document submitted by Algeria. Britain abstained. Nebenzia said ceasefire "is important first and foremost for the creation of safe, uninterrupted humanitarian corridors." "In addition to the delivery of aid through them, it is necessary to establish the evacuation of seriously ill people who, in the absence of treatment, face imminent death in Gaza." The Russian official also said the Security Council should take punitive measures against the countries that obstruct humanitarian access to Gaza. "It is also important not to forget that the Security Council has the right to consider imposing sanctions against those who obstruct humanitarian access to those in need." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hamas fires volley of rockets from south Lebanon toward Israeli bases Iran Press TV Wednesday, 28 February 2024 3:08 PM The military wing of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas says it has fired rockets toward the northern part of the occupied territories from south Lebanon. In a statement released on Wednesday, the Qassam Brigades said 40 rockets had been fired toward Israeli military sites on the Lebanese border. The rocket strike was a direct response to the Israeli campaign of death and destruction in the besieged Gaza Strip and the assassination of resistance commanders in southern Lebanon in January, Qassam stated. An Israeli strike in January killed the deputy leader of Hamas Saleh al-Arouri and six other people in southern Beirut. Israeli Channel 12 said 14 rockets were fired from Lebanon at the town of Kiryat Shmona. The regime's military also said "approximately 10 launches which crossed from Lebanon into northern Israel were identified." Also, Israel reported property damage in the Kiryat Shmona area. The Lebanese residence movement Hezbollah has repeatedly fired rockets at Israeli military bases over the past weeks. Hezbollah says the attacks are in retaliation for Israeli hostilities in Gaza. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Haniyeh urges Palestinians to march on Al-Aqsa Mosque on 1st day of Ramadan Iran Press TV Wednesday, 28 February 2024 1:04 PM Ismail Haniyeh, the political bureau chief of Hamas, has called on the Palestinians in the occupied West Bank to march on Al-Aqsa Mosque on the first day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. "The siege of Al-Aqsa and the siege of Gaza are one and the same," Haniyeh said in a televised message on Wednesday. Haniyeh was referring to an announcement by the Israeli regime that it would impose restrictions on access to Al-Aqsa Mosque in the Old City of occupied al-Quds during Ramadan according to "security needs." The first day of Ramadan this year falls on March 10 or 11. "Al-Aqsa Mosque and other holy sites must be managed in accordance with international law. Our people will defend their mosques, churches, and holy sites with all forms of resistance." The chief of the Palestinian resistance movement said the rise in Israel's attacks in the West Bank is part of a comprehensive plan to displace all Palestinians. Ramadan has historically seen an escalation of Israeli violence against the Palestinians, particularly around the Al-Aqsa Mosque. This year's Ramadan is expected to be more violent than previous years given the regime's incessant bombing of Gaza. The genocidal US-backed war started after Hamas carried out Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the usurping entity in retaliation for its intensified atrocities. Israel has also killed at least 410 Palestinians in the West Bank since October 7, in addition to over 4,600 others injured. On the ongoing talks on a ceasefire, Haniyeh said Hamas was showing flexibility in negotiations with the regime but at the same time it was ready to continue fighting. "Any flexibility shown in negotiating with Israel is matched by our willingness to defend our people." The indirect ceasefire talks have continued for months through mediation by Egypt and Qatar. Media reports say Hamas has received a draft proposal from the truce talks in Paris which allows for a 40-day initial halt in all military operations in Gaza. The pause would potentially allow the release of 40 Israeli captives in exchange for 400 Palestinians held in Israeli jails. It also includes the return of displaced Palestinians to northern Gaza as well as the entry of aid trucks into the besieged territory. In his remarks, Haniyeh also called on the Axis of Resistance to step up support for the Palestinians in Gaza. "It is the duty of the Arab and Islamic nations to take the initiative to break the starvation conspiracy in Gaza," Haniyeh said, referring to Israel's policy of blocking the Palestinians' access to food. Over the past few months, the regional resistance axis has been engaged in missile and drone attacks against the occupying regime. Yemen and resistance groups in Lebanon and Iraq have been shoring up the drive by launching numerous operations against Israeli and US targets alike. "Israel is committing the worst atrocities known to humanity, including the extermination and displacement of civilians." "The international community, most notably Arab countries, has a duty to confront and restrain Israel's actions to prevent a ground invasion of Rafah and starvation in the northern part of Gaza." Since early October 2023, Israel has killed nearly 30,000 people in Gaza. A stunning number of the victims are women and children. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address South Africa says following up on Israel's non-compliance with ICJ ruling Iran Press TV Wednesday, 28 February 2024 11:30 AM South Africa says it has contacted the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to pursue Israel's non-compliance with the top court's ruling on the prohibition of genocide of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. In a call with the ICJ, South African foreign minister, Naledi Pandor, raised concerns about Israel's refusal to implement the initial ruling of the world's highest court on the prohibition of genocide of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. "Israel affirms our view that it actually has the intention to destroy the people of Palestine," Pandor said in an exclusive interview with Al Mayadeen, on Tuesday. While emphasizing that her country intends to proceed with objective arguments regarding the belief that "genocide" is taking place in the Gaza Strip, Pandor said that a number of countries have also announced that they will join the case against the Israeli regime. "I believe the rulings of the court have been ignored," Pandor was quoted as saying. Furthermore, she exclaimed that the legal papers for the upcoming court session have been prepared, but there was yet to be a date to be announced for the hearing. Earlier in January, South Africa was the one to drag the Zionist regime to the top court, based in Hague, Netherlands, which had then ordered, out of several measures, the occupying regime to immediately stop its genocide in Gaza. Between January 26, when the ICJ ordered Israel to prevent genocide, and February 24, Israeli attacks have killed more than 3,500 Palestinians in Gaza, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health . On Monday, Israel submitted a report to the court over the measures it claimed it had taken to prevent genocide in Gaza, which was filed hours before the deadline for its submission. In one of its deceiving acts, the occupation regime reported that it was implementing the ICJ orders, and detailed the steps it claimed it had taken to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Feb. 27: 'Axis of Resistance' operations against Israeli occupation Iran Press TV Wednesday, 28 February 2024 6:28 AM By Press TV Website Staff Amid Israel's genocidal war on Gaza, which has killed more than 30,000 Palestinians so far, including at least 14,000 children, 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 Tuesday, February 27, are as follows: Al-Qassam Brigades' operations on Feb. 27: Targeted an Israeli military's D9-bulldozer with Yassin-105 rockets, causing it to catch fire, near Musab bin Umair Mosque, east of Al-Zaytoun neighborhood, Gaza City. Destroyed a Merkava tank with a Yassin-105 rocket in the vicinity of Al-Musallabah area, Al-Zaytoun neighborhood, Gaza City. Pounded a gathering of Israeli soldiers around the Al-Musallabah area, Al-Zaytoun neighborhood, east of Gaza City, with mortars. Targeted a Merkava tank with a Yassin-05 rocket in the Al-Baldah area, Khan Younis city, southern Gaza Strip. Engaged in fierce clashes with Israeli forces between Streets 8 and 9, south of Al-Zaytoun neighborhood, Gaza City. Al-Quds Brigades' operations on Feb. 27: Shelled Askalan and Gaza envelope settlements with a barrage of rockets. Destroyed an Israeli military vehicle with a "Thaqqib - Barrel" explosive device around the Doulah Junction, south of Al-Zaytoun neighborhood, Gaza City. Destroyed an Israeli military vehicle with a "Thaqqib" explosive device in Al-Sikka Street, east of Al-Zaytoun neighborhood, Gaza City. Ambushed an Israeli force in a well-planned operation inside a building that got blown up using an unexploded rocket in the vicinity of Doulah Junction, south of Al-Zaytoun neighborhood, Gaza City. Shelled a gathering of Israeli soldiers near the Ali Mosque, southwest of the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood, Gaza City, with 60-caliber mortar shells. Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades' operations on Feb. 27: Destroyed an Israeli military vehicle with an "Asif" explosive device, followed by an RPG rocket, setting it on fire in the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood, southeast of Gaza City. Shelled a gathering of Israeli soldiers in the axis around Doulah Junction, south of the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood, Gaza City, with 60-caliber mortar shells. Shelled a gathering of Israeli soldiers in the axis north of Musab bin Umair Mosque, east of the Zaytoun neighborhood, with 60-caliber mortar shells. Mujahideen Brigades' operations on Feb. 27: Destroyed a Merkava-4 tank with a tandem rocket in the southern axis of the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood. Targeted an Israeli military vehicle with an anti-tank rocket in the axis of Al-Zaytoun, Gaza City. Engaged in fierce clashes with Israeli soldiers using appropriate weapons in the axes in the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood in Gaza City, resulting in casualties. Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades' operations on Feb. 27: Targeted Israeli military's tactical formations east of Gaza and the combat axis in the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood with mortar shells. Hezbollah's operations on Feb. 27: Eastern sector: At around 11:35 local time, the Ruwaisat Al-Alam site in Shebaa was targeted with appropriate weapons. At around 11:35 local time, surveillance equipment was targeted at the Ramtha site in Shebaa with appropriate weapons. At around 13:30 local time, Israeli soldiers on Al-Tayhat Hill were targeted with appropriate weapons. At around 15:18 local time, the Al-Marj site was targeted with missiles. Western sector: At around 8:00 local time, the Meron Air Control Base in Jabal Al-Jarmak was targeted with missiles. At around 15:45 local time, the Meron Air Command, Control and Surveillance Base was targeted for the second time with a batch of anti-armor missiles. At around 16:45 local time, the headquarters of the 146th Division in Jatoun/Ga'aton was targeted with dozens of Katyusha NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Marcos plans to discuss South China Sea security while in Australia The Philippine president expects to establish a common vision of 'peace and security of the region.' BenarNews staff 2024.02.28 -- Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. arrived in Australia on Wednesday for a two-day official visit where he plans to solidify security arrangements linked to concern about the reported presence of Chinese warships near traditional South China Sea fishing grounds. Before departing for Canberra from the Villamor Air Base near Manila, Marcos shared a report by the Philippine Coast Guard indicating that crews had monitored at least three ships from China's People's Liberation Army Navy about 20 nautical miles from Bajo de Masinloc, the local name for Scarborough Shoal. "It's worrisome because there are two elements to that. One, is that before it's only the Chinese Coast Guard were seen there. Now, there's already the navy," Marcos told reporters. Marcos stressed that "the basic principle there is that the fishers must be allowed to fish in their traditional fishing grounds, which belong in the maritime territory of the Philippines." The government, he said, would "continue to support all of our fishermen, fisher folks who make their living from these fishing grounds." A recent report by the Philippine Coast Guard indicated that China was deploying its naval ships near the shoal to support its coast guard, Marcos said. In Beijing, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Mao Ning said China's position on the South China Sea was consistent. "We express grave concern over the Philippines' recent activities in the South China Sea that infringe on China's sovereignty and will continue to take necessary measures to firmly safeguard our territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, and keep the South China Sea peaceful and stable," she told reporters on Wednesday. Address to lawmakers While in Canberra, Marcos was expected to raise concerns about the South China Sea during an address to the Australian Parliament. "I anticipate an enhancement of the mutual understanding between the Philippines and Australia as we share a common vision not just for our bilateral relations, but for the peace and security of the region as well," Marcos said before boarding his flight to Australia. The president said that it was "worth mentioning that Australia and the Philippines are maritime nations and it cannot be denied that it will be something that will have to be raised as well." During a visit to Manila in September, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese reaffirmed Canberra's support for Manila's South China Sea claims and improved defense ties. Albanese and Marcos then signed a "Joint Declaration on Strategic Partnership." It upgrades the bilateral partnership to include possible joint patrols in the South China Sea as well as more and larger joint exercises between Philippine and Australian forces. Marcos said the strategic partnership between the Philippines and Australia "provides greater energy and optimism for closer cooperation that is mutually beneficial to both Filipinos and Australians." The Chinese have been in control of Scarborough Shoal since 2012 after a standoff with the Philippines. The following year, then-President Benigno Aquino III filed a case against Beijing in an international arbitration court. In 2016, the court ruled in favor of Manila and invalidated China's sweeping claims to the South China Sea on historical grounds. Beijing has never acknowledged the ruling and has refused to leave the area. Aquino's successor, Rodrigo Duterte, refused to make a move to compel Beijing. Instead, he sought to appease Beijing in exchange for promises of Chinese investments in the Philippines. This allowed Beijing to gain a firmer foothold in the region. Marcos, who succeeded Duterte in 2022, has worked to repair defense ties with the United States. In Washington on Wednesday, the Philippine ambassador to the United States said he did not expect Washington to change its strategy in the region should Donald Trump win a second term as president, after having contact with one of Trump's advisers, Reuters news service reported. "That is of course very consoling," Jose Manuel Romualdez told a diplomatic gathering in the U.S. capital, according to Reuters. He noted that while a potential Taiwan conflict should be taken seriously, the "real flashpoint is the West Philippine Sea," using Manila's name for its South China Sea territories. In Masinloc, a Philippine fishing community on Luzon island's west coast overlooking the South China Sea and that has been affected by the Chinese control of the shoal, fishermen rejoiced that Marcos' government appeared to have responded to their plight. Still, a group of fishermen called Pamalakaya, which has members in Masinloc, said that while the government's recent moves in Scarborough were welcome, much more needed to be done. They said that the China Coast Guard has been allowing Chinese fishermen to harvest giant clams while destroying the reef. "The catch has dwindled a lot," said Leonardo Cuaresma, one of the leaders of Pamalakaya in Masinloc, adding that many local fishermen who tried to return to the shoal have been chased away. He said that he hoped that Marcos would be successful in "ending the bullying of the Chinese and for them to leave Scarborough." Another fisherman, Bobby Roldan, said there was "strong evidence" and testimonies by Filipino fishermen about China's illegal activities on the shoal. He said Marcos' position remains weak because he could not stop China from "continuing to take the West Philippine Sea." Jason Gutierrez and Jojo Rinoza in Masinloc, Philippines, along with Jeoffrey Maitem in Puerto Princesa, Philippines, contributed to this report. BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated news service. Copyright 1998-2024, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content February not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Tuvalu reaffirms ties with Taiwan, signals review of Australia security treaty Tuvalu's new government released a list of priorities that underline the challenges facing the isolated country. By Stephen Wright for BenarNews 2024.02.28 -- Tuvalu has reaffirmed its recognition of Taiwan following an election last month that had triggered speculation the Pacific island country could sever ties and recognize Beijing. After choosing a prime minister earlier this week, Tuvalu's new government on Wednesday released a statement of its domestic and international priorities. While reaffirming ties with Taiwan, the coral atoll nation of some 10,000 people also signaled it wants more benefits from the relationship. "The new government wishes to reaffirm its commitment to the long-term and lasting special relationship between Tuvalu and the Republic of China, Taiwan," the statement said. "It intends to reassess options that would strengthen and lift it to a more durable, lasting and mutually beneficial relationship." Seve Paeniu, the finance minister in the previous government who reportedly argued for reviewing ties with Taiwan, is not part of Tuvalu's new nine-man Cabinet. Tuvalu is one of the dwindling number of nations that have diplomatic relations with Taiwan instead of Beijing. Last month, another Pacific island nation, Nauru, severed ties with Taiwan, reducing its diplomatic allies to 12 countries. Among Pacific island nations, Palau and the Marshall Islands also recognize Taiwan. China's government has courted Pacific island nations for the past two decades as it seeks to isolate Taiwan diplomatically, gain allies in international institutions and challenge U.S. dominance. Beijing regards Taiwan, a democracy and globally important tech manufacturing center, as a renegade province that must be reunited with the mainland. The new Tuvalu government's statement of priorities underlined the numerous challenges facing the farflung archipelago nation, particularly on its most populated atoll Funafuti. It listed 19 challenges that included higher sea levels, lack of protection against king tides that swamp atolls, insufficient medical services, chronic problems of waste disposal on Funafuti - which is only a few square kilometers in area - lack of affordable flights, lack of reliable shipping and a high cost of living. The statement also said that the new government broadly supports a contentious security pact with Australia that was signed last year, but would seek to amend parts of it. The treaty between Tuvalu and Australia, called the Falepili Union, requires Tuvalu to have Australia's agreement for "any partnership, arrangement or engagement with any other state or entity on security and defence-related matters." Its expansive scope and lack of consultation was criticized during the election campaign. The Tuvalu government statement said it recognizes the absence of transparency and consultations in informing Tuvaluans about the treaty, which comes with a long-term commitment to resettle some Tuvaluans in Australia. It said it would address those concerns and work with the Australian government for an arrangement that safeguards Tuvalu's sovereignty. BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated online news organization. Copyright 1998-2024, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content February not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Kyrgyz Lawmaker Proposes Stripping Jeenbekov Of Ex-President Status By RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service February 28, 2024 BISHKEK - A Kyrgyz lawmaker proposed on February 28 stripping former leader Sooronbai Jeenbekov of his status of ex-president over his alleged links to the fugitive former deputy chief of the Customs Service, Raimbek Matraimov. The lawmaker, Akylbek Tumonbaev, emphasized that several lawmakers have resigned and some ministers have lost their posts over their connections to Matraimov, whose whereabouts are unknown. Tumonbaev said it was Jeenbekov who brought Matraimov "to the political scene, but his name has not been made public." Jeenbekov, meanwhile, "is living on the state budget's expenses," Tumonbaev told a session of parliament. To strip him of his ex-president status, representatives of his party, the Social Democratic party, in the parliament must first agree on the move and then a special parliamentary commission must be created to implement the decision, according to lawmaker Nurlanbek Azygaliev. Two of the five former Kyrgyz presidents -- Jeenbekov and Roza Otunbaeva -- have the official status of ex-president, which guarantees them, among other privileges, immunity to legal prosecution. Other former Kyrgyz leaders -- Askar Akaev, Kurmanbek Bakiev, and Almazbek Atambaev -- were deprived of the ex-president status due to criminal cases launched against them. Jeenbekov was elected president in 2017. In October 2020, he announced his resignation amid protests against official results of parliamentary elections that demonstrators called rigged. The results of the parliamentary elections were later canceled. Tumonbaev's proposal comes as police and security officers are targeting relatives and close associates of Matraimov, who in 2020-21 was at the center of a high-profile corruption scandal. Last month, the State Committee for National Security added Matraimov to its wanted list on charges of abduction and the illegal incarceration of unspecified individuals. Matraimov, who escaped imprisonment in 2021 by paying 2 billion soms ($22.4 million) to Kyrgyzstan's state treasury, faced the new charges after Kyrgyz police shot dead criminal kingpin Kamchybek Kolbaev in October. Last week, the Kyrgyz Central Election Commission annulled the mandates of two lawmakers with close ties to Matraimov -- his brother Iskender Matraimov and associate Nurlan Rajabaliev -- at their own requests. Raimbek Matraimov faced the new charges after Kyrgyz police shot and killed Kolbaev, who had been added by Washington to a list of major global drug-trafficking suspects in 2011. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/kyrgyzstan- jeenbekov-matraimov/32841264.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 U.S. Semiconductor Firms, Having Outsourced Production Overseas, Struggle To Trace Evasion By Todd Prince February 28, 2024 WASHINGTON -- U.S. semiconductor firms must strengthen oversight of their foreign partners and work more closely with the government and investigative groups, a group of experts told the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, saying the outsourcing of production overseas has made tracking chip sales more difficult, enabling sanctions evasion by Russia and other adversaries. U.S. semiconductor firms largely produce their chips in China and other Asian countries from where they are further distributed around the world, making it difficult to ascertain who exactly is buying their products, the experts told the committee at a hearing in Washington on February 27. The United States and the European Union imposed sweeping technology sanctions on Russia to weaken its ability to wage war following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Russia's military industrial complex is heavily reliant on Western technology, including semiconductors, for the production of sophisticated weapons. "Western companies design chips made by specialized plants in other countries, and they sell them by the millions, with little visibility over the supply chain of their products beyond one or two layers of distribution," Damien Spleeters, deputy director of operations at Conflict Armament Research, told senators. He added that, if manufacturers required point-of-sale data from distributors, it would vastly improve their ability to trace the path of semiconductors recovered from Russian weapons and thereby identify sanctions-busting supply networks. The banned Western chips are said to be flowing to Russia via networks in China, Turkey, Central Asia, and the Caucasus. Spleeters said he discovered a Chinese company diverting millions of dollars of components to sanctioned Russian companies by working with U.S. companies whose chips were found in Russian weapons. That company was sanctioned earlier this month by the United States. 'It's Going To Be Whack-A-Mole' The committee is scrutinizing several U.S. chip firms whose products have turned up in Russian weapons, Senator Richard Blumenthal (Democrat-Connecticut) said, adding "these companies know or should know where their components are going." Spleeters threw cold water on the idea that Russia is acquiring chips from household appliances such as washing machines or from major online retail websites. "We have seen no evidence of chips being ripped off and then repurposed for this," he said. "It makes little sense that Russia would buy a $500 washing machine for a $1 part that they could obtain more easily," Spleeters added. In his opening statement, Senator Ron Johnson (Republican-Wisconsin) said he doubted whether any of the solutions proposed by the experts would work, noting that Russia was ramping up weapons production despite sweeping sanctions. "You plug one hole, another hole is gonna be opening up, it's gonna be whack-a-mole. So it's a reality we have to face," said Johnson. Russia last year imported $1.7 billion worth of foreign-made microchips despite international sanctions, Bloomberg reported last month, citing classified Russian customs service data. Johnson also expressed concern that sanctions would hurt Western nations and companies. "My guess is they're just going to get more and more sophisticated evading the sanctions and finding components, or potentially finding other suppliers...like Huawei," Johnson said. Huawei is a leading Chinese technology company that produces chips among other products. James Byrne, the founder and director of the open-source intelligence and analysis group at the Royal United Services Institute, said that officials and companies should not give up trying to track the chips just because it is difficult. 'Shocking' Dependency On Western Technology He said that the West has leverage because Russia is so dependent on Western technology for its arms industry. "Modern weapons platforms cannot work without these things. They are the brains of almost all modern weapons platforms," Byrne said. "These semiconductors vary in sophistication and importance, but it is fair to say that without them Russia ... would not have been able to sustain their war effort," he said. Byrne said the depth of the dependency on Western technology -- which goes beyond semiconductors to include carbon fiber, polymers, lenses, and cameras -- was "really quite shocking" considering the Kremlin's rhetoric about import substitution and independence. Elina Ribakova, a Russia expert and economist at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, said an analysis of 2,800 components taken from Russian weapons collected in Ukraine showed that 95 percent came from countries allied with Ukraine, with the vast majority coming from the United States. The sample, however, may not be representative of the actual distribution of component origin. Ribakova warned that Russia has been accelerating imports of semiconductor machine components in case the United States imposes such export controls on China. China can legally buy advanced Western components for semiconductor manufacturing equipment and use them to manufacture and sell advanced semiconductors to Russia, Senator Margaret Hassan (Democrat-New Hampshire) said. Ribakova said the manufacturing components would potentially allow Russia to "insulate themselves for somewhat longer." Ribakova said technology companies are hesitant to beef up their compliance divisions because it can be costly. She recommended that the United States toughen punishment for noncompliance as the effects would be felt beyond helping Ukraine. "It is also about the credibility of our whole system of economic statecraft. Malign actors worldwide are watching whether they will be credible or it's just words that were put on paper," she said. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/us-semiconductor- firms-russia-imports-evading-sanctions/32840928.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 Transdniester Separatists Ask Russia For 'Protection' At End Of Meeting Chisinau Rejects As 'Scam' By RFE/RL's Moldovan Service February 28, 2024 The leadership of Transdniester has called on Russia to take measures to "protect" the breakaway region from what it said was increasing pressure from Moldova's pro-Western government that amounted to an "economic war." The call was launched during a rare gathering on February 28 in Tiraspol of the separatist region's leadership summoned by separatist leader Vadim Krasnoselski and dubbed the Congress of the Transdniestrian People's Deputies. It followed speculation that Transdniester, whose declaration of independence more than 30 years ago was not recognized by any legitimate state, might officially ask for "unification" with Russia a day ahead of President Vladimir Putin's February 29 annual address to Russian lawmakers. The gathering, however, stopped short of asking that Transdniester become part of the Russian Federation and listed a long litany of complaints addressed first of all to Moscow but also to international organizations about Moldova's alleged pressure and violations of the separatists' rights. "The Congress is asking the Russian Duma and the Federation Council (the upper chamber of Russia's parliament) to implement measures to protect Transdniester in the face of the increasing pressure that applied by the Republic of Moldova," the gathering said in its final statement, also claiming that more than 220,000 Russian citizens live in the separatist region. Moldova's government rejected what it said where "propaganda statements" coming from the meeting. Deputy Prime Minister Oleg Serebrian said on Telegram that the Transdniester region benefits from "the policies of peace, security, and economic integration with the European Union, which are beneficial for all citizens." Chisinau declared before the start of the event that "all the discussions in Tiraspol are a scam." Moldovan government spokesman Daniel Voda said the meeting itself and its demands were "obviously organized by those from the Kremlin to create hysteria, including in the mass media." President Maia Sandu said earlier that Moldova is determined to resolve the "frozen" Transdniester conflict peacefully and that "small steps" are being taken for the economic reintegration of the region. A day before the separatists' meeting, U.S. envoy Christopher Smith visited Tiraspol and spoke with Krasnoselski, who told Smith that Chisinau would put economic pressure on the region. Smith, who is deputy secretary in the U.S. State Department's Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, met with Moldovan government officials before going to Tiraspol. The latest tensions between Chisinau and Tiraspol broke out after Moldova, which under Sandu was invited in 2022 to open membership negotiations with the European Union, slapped new import and export duties on Transdniester in January, prompting protests by the separatist leadership. The trade duties were introduced as part of Chisinau's move to align itself with EU legislation as it prepares for accession talks with the 27-member bloc. Mainly Russian-speaking Transdniester, a sliver of land on the eastern bank of the Dniester River between Moldova proper and Ukraine, declared independence in 1990 amid fears that Chisinau would seek reunification with Romania, with which it shares a common language and history. The two sides fought a short but bloody war in the spring of 1992 that claimed more than 1,000 lives and was quashed by Russian troops stationed in Transdniester since Soviet times, who intervened on the side of the separatists. Half-hearted attempts at negotiations under various mediation formats, including ones led by the Organization or Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the European Union, yielded no result, turning the dispute into a decades-long frozen conflict. The February 28 statement issued after the meeting in Tiraspol called on the EU, the OSCE, and the United Nations to "prevent Moldovan pressures" and relaunch negotiations, although neither Tiraspol nor Moscow has been interested in fresh talks for years. Russia still keeps more than 1,000 troops in Transdniester who ostensibly keep the peace between the two sides and guard a huge Soviet-era weapons depot in the village of Cobasna. "The problem of Moldova and [Transdniester] is not a new one and the threat of Russian intervention or at least some provocation there is something permanent. I am not surprised. But it shows how dangerous the situation is not only for Ukraine," Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said. Moscow has been the sole economic backer of Transdniester, largely seen as a smugglers' haven. Many residents of Transdniester have also obtained Moldovan citizenship, which allows them to travel unhindered in the EU. With reporting by AFP Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/32840503.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 Transnistria Seeks Russia's Help in Wake of Economic Blockade by Moldova Sputnik News 20240228 Predominantly Russian-speaking Transnistria, 60 percent of whose ethnic population are Russians and Ukrainians, declared its independence from Moldova during the collapse of the Soviet Union. Transnistrian lawmakers have asked Russia for assistance over mounting economic pressure from Moldova. The legislators put forward a request to both the Federation Council and State Duma of Russia, urging them to implement measures to safeguard Transnistria, especially in light of Moldova's growing pressure. This request is backed up by the fact that over 220,000 Russian citizens reside in Transnistria. The bill's authors pointed to the unique and positive experience of Russia's peacekeeping work in the region and highlighted that Moscow has served as a mediator in negotiations. "The critical situation requires urgent and maximum active international intervention in order to prevent an escalation of tensions and not allow the situation to develop into a crisis," the document says. As of January 1, 2024, Moldova launched a compulsory customs duty on goods imported to Transnistria. In reality, this amounts to multimillion-dollar losses for export-import companies operating in Transnistria, since they are required to pay a double tax: one to Transnistria and the other to the Moldovan budget. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General Department of Public Information . News and Media Division . New York 28 February 2024 The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today's noon briefing by Stephane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General. ** Secretary-General Trip Announcement A few travel announcements to share with you. The Secretary-General will be travelling to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines tomorrow morning for an official visit to the country and to attend the Eighth Summit for the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC). At the opening of the Summit on Friday, he will highlight the importance of solidarity in the region to find solutions to common problems such as armed conflict, organized crime, getting countries back on track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and addressing the climate emergency. The Secretary-General is expected to meet with the Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves, and other leaders who are attending the summit. He will also visit an area impacted by the eruption of the La Soufriere volcano a few years ago and to see some of the ongoing reconstruction efforts, including on infrastructure, housing and reforestation. The Secretary-General will be back in New York on Monday. ** Deputy Secretary-General Trip Announcement For her part, our Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, will be traveling to Sao Paulo, in Brazil, to attend the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting. The meeting comes at a critical time when the economic outlook across countries is diverging, with many of the world's poorest countries struggling to service their debts. In Sao Paulo, Ms. Mohammed will advance the Secretary-General's calls for reform of the international financial architecture, support the SDG Stimulus and to enable countries to recover from the setbacks to development caused by the recent shocks to the global economy. Ms. Mohammed, the Deputy Secretary-General, will be back here in New York on Friday. ** Democratic Republic of the Congo A couple of peacekeeping updates for you. From the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the UN peacekeeping mission in that country has handed over a first base to the Government as part of its disengagement plan from South Kivu. The base was established in Kamanyola in 2005 and will now be managed by the Congolese National Police. The Head of our peacekeeping mission, Bintou Keita, praised the commitment and work of the Pakistani peacekeepers who, for 19 years, have worked to protect civilians, in coordination with the national defence and security forces. In Kamanyola, the peacekeepers have supported the establishment of local protection committees bringing together communities working alongside the local authorities on issues of security and protection of civilians. A community early warning system is also now in place there. And as we mentioned in the past, the joint memorandum signed in November last year by the Congolese Government and the UN peacekeeping mission identified South Kivu as the first province from which it is to withdraw as part of an orderly, responsible and phased withdrawal from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. ** Central African Republic And just north, in the Central African Republic, our peacekeeping colleagues there report that in response to incidents and alerts in Zemio and its surroundings in Haut-Mbomou prefecture, which is in the south-eastern part of the country, UN peacekeepers, working in close coordination with the Central African armed forces, took immediate steps to protect civilians in these localities and to restore calm. The situation deteriorated in Zemio following a recent attack on Kere village by the Azande militia, which killed five civilians. There are also reports of intercommunal tensions and risks of clashes between the Azande militia and other armed groups in the area. Meanwhile, peacekeepers on patrol detected the presence of armed individuals near a village close to the town of Am-Dafock in the Vakaga prefecture, which is on the border of Sudan. The individuals fled the area, towards the Sudanese border, when they were confronted by UN peacekeepers. As we have been reporting, the mission recently established a temporary operation base in the town of Am-Dafock, close to the border with Sudan, to secure the area, protect civilians and help reduce tensions. ** Sudan And a note on the humanitarian situation in Sudan. A shipment of wheat donated by Ukraine to the UN World Food Programme's Sudan operation has arrived in Port Sudan and is now being loaded onto WFP trucks for emergency food distributions. The shipment part of Ukraine's humanitarian 'Grain from Ukraine' initiative was made possible by the German Federal Foreign Office, which covered the entire operating costs of 15 million. The 7,600 tons of flour will be provided to families, many of whom have fled their homes due to the fighting and are struggling every day to meet their food needs. WFP notes that nearly 18 million people face acute food insecurity in Sudan, of which nearly 5 million are in emergency levels of hunger (IPC4). WFP has already provided around 7 million people with emergency food and nutrition support since the conflict began in April, yet the needs are continuing to grow. ** Occupied Palestinian Territory And yesterday afternoon, in the Security Council, you heard from Ramesh Rajansingham, the Director of Coordination for OCHA, and he told Security Council members that at least 576,000 people in Gaza that's one quarter of the population are one step away from famine; with one in six children under 2 years of age in northern Gaza suffering from acute malnutrition and wasting. Practically the entire population of Gaza is left to rely on woefully inadequate humanitarian food assistance to survive. He said that the UN is continuing ceaselessly to plan, search and call for solutions to overcome the hurdles that would allow us to scale up food delivery and health services. In the immediate term, this includes clearer security guarantees; a better humanitarian notification system to minimize risks; fewer restrictions on telecommunications equipment; and the removal of unexploded ordnance; and the use of all possible entry points into Gaza. Carl Skau, the Deputy Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP), told Council members that Gaza is seeing the worst level of child malnutrition anywhere in the world, adding that WFP is ready to swiftly expand and scale up operations if there is a ceasefire agreement. In the meantime, the risk of famine is being fuelled by the inability to bring critical food supplies into Gaza insufficient quantities and the almost impossible operating conditions faced by our colleagues who work in Gaza. ** Questions and Answers Spokesman : Sherwin? Question : Steph, thank you so much. Yesterday, in the Council meeting that you just referred to, the Israeli envoy said that Israel was doing all it can for civilians going above and beyond what was expected, let alone required in Gaza. He then sought to lay the blame for the lack of humanitarian aid in Gaza firmly at the UN's door, right? He said the limitations on the quantity and pace of aid are dependent on the capacity of the United Nations and other agencies to receive, store and distribute the assistance efficiently. In recent days, over 508 trucks have been waiting on the government side of Kerem Shalom and Rafah crossings. It's not Israel who's holding up these trucks. They've already been approved. So, he's pointing to inefficiencies within the UN. How do you respond to that? Spokesman : Well, I mean, first of all, I would say that the UN is not a party to this conflict, right? We are not the ones doing the fighting. And that's why we've asked repeatedly, asked for a humanitarian ceasefire. Yes, there are trucks that have crossed from Israel into Gaza. The situation in Gaza is, as we've described it numerous times, almost impossible for us to do humanitarian work. There is an active conflict going on. There's a breakdown of law and order. There is insufficient coordination on the security end, on deconfliction with Israel. We've laid out all the challenges. That doesn't stop us from working. It doesn't stop our colleagues who are on the ground, Palestinians, international staff, of putting their lives at risk to distribute humanitarian aid wherever they can. But it is an opportunistic distribution as opposed to one that should be better funded, better organized and more efficient if there was a ceasefire. Edie? Correspondent : Thank you, Steph. This isn't, just as a follow-up to Sherwin. This certainly isn't the first time that the Israelis have accused the United Nations of basically not doing what they're supposed to be doing to deliver aid. Spokesman : That is indeed a fact. Yes. Question : Has this message been delivered personally to any senior Israeli officials? Spokesman : Our humanitarian colleagues are in daily, if not constant contact with their Israeli counterparts, right? So, there are things that are being said here in New York, and then there are things that we are trying to make happen on the ground. I mean, I thought my list to Sherwin was fairly exhaustive. The challenges are real, and the challenges are life-threatening for those who distribute the aid, and they're life-threatening for those who are trying to receive the aid. Amelie, then this child man. Question : Thanks, Steph. Just on Gaza as well, about the famine situation, yesterday, the OCHA and WFP representative said clearly that there is an imminent famine coming in the north. And that widespread famine in the whole territory is almost unavoidable. But can you walk us through, how would a famine be declared? What is the process and who would do that? What are the rules? Spokesman : Well, I mean, there are set procedures that involve WFP, FAO. There's a UN system through monitoring and the gathering of information. And there are different phases, you know, what's called the IPC, different levels. So, they are working. WFP and our colleagues are working with the information they can gather based on what they see and what they're being told on the ground. Benno? Question : Thank you. On the same topic, we all heard yesterday how difficult it is for you and how dire the situation is to get aid into Gaza through the border crossings. And I understand that airdropping humanitarian aid is kind of the last resort for you guys, but aren't we at this point? Spokesman : Ideally, we want to have more routes available to us within Gaza, more routes available in terms of access into Gaza. And in absence of this, I mean, WFP, which would be the lead, is looking at all options. But I think we all understand and see the risks in doing that. I mean, I think the pictures that we saw, I think yesterday, the last days, I think, kind of tell the story of the risks. Ibtisam? Question : A follow-up on the subject or two follow-ups. First, regarding the statement of the Israeli representative. He was talking about 500 trucks that got the permission and waiting for the UN to distribute the aid. Can you confirm that this is correct? Spokesman : I don't know the exact number, but what I do know, and I think we've tried to explain this as clearly as possible, is that trucks make it through a checkpoint, right? They have to then be unloaded and reloaded into trucks that can move into Gaza, right? So, the trucks that come in from Israel, that come in from Egypt through Rafah will not be those vehicles that circulate or try to circulate through the jammed streets of Gaza. Those have to be Palestinian trucks and trucks based in Gaza. Those trucks are smaller, and they aren't enough. And we also have the issue of the lack of security for the cargo and lack of security for our humanitarian workers. Question : Just a quick follow-up. When you talk about lack of security, you mean by that the fact or do you mean by that, the fact that you don't have a ceasefire and that...? Spokesman : Well, we don't have a ceasefire. And the de facto authorities in Gaza had a form of police that would be escorting a lot of the humanitarian convoys. And as far as I know, those are not operating anymore. Question : Okay, sorry. I have another follow-up on the issue of airdrops. So, Jordan and France and I think other countries did different operations. There was a critique by local journalists and activists on the ground in Gaza that some of these airdrops ended up in water. Some of the helicopters or the airplanes had also influencer on them, that a lot of show happening and that it's not getting the benefits that it's needed. And there were some questioning about the purpose of these airdrops in the sense of that there's more showing off that this is happening than the amount of aid is really getting there. And the question here, if you have any comments on that, but also if you talked to these countries to make more airdrops in areas like northern Gaza, where is the aid more needed than... Spokesman : Look, first of all, I will not question the good intentions and the goodwill of all Member States who are trying to help, right? The more coordination there is between Member States and ourselves on humanitarian operations, the better it is. I think the pictures of the airdrop tell the story. I mean, I can only speak from WFP's own experience and our own experience. Airdrops are extremely challenging, but they are an option. I mean, I think we all remember the challenges around Deir ez-Zor in Syria and those challenges. So, ideally, we want to move things by road. We want more roads open, we want more entry points open. But as I said, all options remain on the table for WFP. Dennis? Question : Good afternoon, Stephane. So, Congress of Transnistria adopted a resolution with regards to Russia to implement measures to protect this republic amid growing pressure from Moldova. This document also calls on the UN chief to prevent any further escalation between Moldova and Transnistria and contribute to reviving a full-fledged dialogue between the Dniester banks. Do you have any comment on that? Spokesman : I've seen the press reports. We're trying to get a bit more information. I hope to have some answers for you a bit later today. Question : And a second one. President of Turkiye Tayyip Erdogan told that Turkiye works with the UN on framework for secure navigation in the Black Sea. Can you provide some details about that? Spokesman : We continue to do whatever we can to work on freedom of navigation in the Black Sea to ensure greater access to world markets of those products that come out of the Black Sea. Michelle? Question : Thank you, Steph. Just a follow-up on yesterday's council meeting as well. At the end, the Russian and US envoys kind of had a bit of a back and forth where they were essentially picking apart each other's credibility to discuss various topics. What does the SG think about this? You know, he's spoken about that. Spokesman : I have no intention of placing myself between the Russian envoy and the US envoy. Dezhi? Question : Yeah. A follow-up first, on airdrop. Let me put this question simple. Does the UN think now there's condition for airdrop humanitarian aids there? Spokesman : All due respect, Dezhi, I think I've answered that question repeatedly. Question : But you said it's challenging, right? Spokesman : And I also said that we want more access within Gaza. We want more access into Gaza because that's our preferred option. But I also said everything remains on the table. Question : Okay. Second, you constantly told us that the UN staff has been in contact with the Israeli counterpart on almost daily basis. Given the fact that we all heard the briefers yesterday in the Security Council on the humanitarian delivery obstacles and everything, how effective is, do you think, those conversations with the Israeli counterpart have? Spokesman : Look, everyone is... We are working in good faith. It's a very challenging situation and we continue to engage. Gabriel, Dmytro, and then Nabil, and then we'll go to everybody. Don't worry. Question : Thanks, Steph. Appreciate it. More on the briefing from yesterday, WFP, I'm sorry, mentioned trying to resume deliveries back to the north of Gaza. And they're working on this, urgently exploring all viable delivery options. But if there was a viable delivery option, presumably they would be doing it right now. So, can you give any more details about that time frame? Spokesman : Well, I mean, this is about better security coordination, right? This is about the situation on the ground. So, just because it doesn't exist today doesn't mean that they aren't trying to create those conditions, working with everyone they need to create those conditions. Dmytro, please go ahead, sir. Yeah. Yeah. Sorry, I missed. Go ahead. Yeah. Sorry. Correspondent : My name is Vladimir... [cross talk] Spokesman : Yeah. Sorry, I don't know somebody I... it's just my... Question : It's all right. Financial Times claims Russia conducted exercises with a rehearsal for the use of nuclear weapons in case of a Chinese invasion. The newspaper refers to classified documents leaked by the Russian Defence Ministry. Do you have any comments on that? Spokesman : We have no comments on leaked documents, obviously. But I think the Secretary-General has been very clear about his fears and his criticism of nuclear weapons. Nabil? Question : Yeah. Thank you, Stephane. Yesterday, in the Security Council meeting, in the Arab group statement, the PR of Tunisia, who is the President of the group for this month, he said that the Arab group opposes any attempts to expand the mandate of the Special Coordinator Ms. Kaag, to the detriment of UNRWA. Does the SG share the same concern? Spokesman : Two different things. I mean, first of all, Ms. Kaag has a mandate given to her by the Security Council, right? That's, Council members created that mandate. We named her. She's fulfilling her, doing whatever she can to fulfil her mandate. As far as I read the resolution, her mandate is not to replace UNRWA. That is not her mandate. Question : But, I mean, because UNRWA is now facing a lot of obstacles and on many levels. Does the SG think that if UNRWA cannot provide the services it's mandated to provide, that some of these services could be done by other entities in the UN? Spokesman : Look, we've been through this. In terms of the UN, there is no getting around UNRWA to provide the services that it provides. And I think every UN humanitarian entity working in the region will tell you the same thing. Question : And last question. The GA is expected to discuss UNRWA on Monday, I think. So how is the SG, how is he preparing for this meeting? Spokesman : Well, I mean, we want to see greater solidarity towards UNRWA, and that solidarity would be best expressed through helping its funding. Linda, then Mushfiq. Question : Thank you, Steph. Earlier you said, and we know the humanitarian conditions are dire, but that there's looting and theft going on. And I was just wondering, how significant is the theft and looting? And, for example, do they have a sense of what portion of the aid is being taken and who is taking it? Spokesman : No, I don't have a percentage. Part of it and the large part of it. People who are taking it are people who are hungry, right? I can only start to imagine what it would be like if I found a truck full of food when I was hungry and not knowing, and that truck was made to wait hours at a checkpoint. At some point, I would probably take stuff myself. And there are also criminal elements that are stealing it. This is all part of the breakdown of law and order that we've been talking about. Mushfiq? Question : Thank you, Steph. Given that over 25,000 opposition party members were arrested in Bangladesh before the sham election in January 7 and 13 have died in the custody and only a few released due to international pressures. So, will you call for the releasing of the rest of the prisoners? Spokesman : I think we've been very consistent, and we continue to call for the release of all those who may have been detained from merely expressing themselves peacefully. Correspondent : One more on... Spokesman : Yeah. Go ahead. Sorry. Question : How is the UN monitoring Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus' situation in Bangladesh? Spokesman : I mean, our country team in Bangladesh continues to follow that case very closely. Professor Yunus is a dear friend of the United Nations throughout his career, and I think his work has been critical to the development work we do today. Correspondent : Thank you. Spokesman : Abdelhamid? Question : Thank you, Stephane. I have a few questions. Since Sigrid Kaag was appointed as a Special Coordinator, do you see that the scale up of the humanitarian aid went up or didn't... [cross talk] Spokesman : I mean, Abdelhamid, you pay as much attention to these briefings as I do. I think you know the answer to that question. And Mr. Lazzarini has been very clear. The aid has not gone up. I don't think anyone would blame Ms. Kaag for that fact. Your next question. Question : So then does it mean that her mandate is not being fulfilled? Spokesman : It does not mean that. She continues to do her utmost to fulfil her mandate. Question : Okay, my second question. I know what's going on in Gaza is humongous and it covers every other news in the world. But what's going on in the West Bank, Mr. Dujarric, is also immense. Three Palestinians were killed yesterday and three wounded every single day. The number of people killed since October 7 exceeded 570, I think. And hardly it makes it to the noon briefing or to the statement or to the comments... [cross talk] Spokesman : I think, Abdelhamid, we report back regularly on what goes on in the West Bank. Okay, I see Mister... Correspondent : One more. Spokesman : Yes, one last one. Go ahead. Question : There is a news that the British Petroleum signed a contract with Israel to explore the gas depots on the shores of Gaza. Do you have any confirmation or any... [cross talk] Spokesman : I do not. I had not seen that report. Mr. Roth. Question : Thank you, Stephane. I was just doing some day trading. I have a question from my colleagues overseas. I think I've shared with you a CNN investigation out today. No need to take off the scarf. Has detailed in an unprecedented detail amount how indiscriminate fire by the Israeli Defense Forces led to the death of over half the members of one family over the course of one harrowing night in early January. Does the UN Secretary-General believe this is an appropriate use of military force? Spokesman : Look, I saw the harrowing images that CNN reported on. It is yet another vivid and tragic illustration of the price that civilians are paying in Gaza, that families are paying in Gaza, that children are paying in Gaza, and yet another example of why we need a humanitarian ceasefire. And another example why we keep calling for the protection of civilians. Civilians cannot be a target. Civilians need to be protected. And we call for a full investigation into what was reported. We from ourselves have no information as to what happened in these events, but they need to be investigated. And I think, as we've also said, there needs to be more reporters let into the area. Gabriel, Dezhi, and then we're going to call it, and then Evelyn and then we'll let Monica speak. Question : Thanks, Steph. Thanks for coming back to me. I appreciate it. I just had a follow-up on Ms. Kaag. Yesterday marked two months since she was appointed into her current role. Can you just characterize, how will the Secretary-General judge if she's fulfilled her mandate or not? Will it just be on how much aid gets into Gaza in the future? Or are there other parameters he's looking at as well? Spokesman : I think the goals and the parameters of her mandate were set very clearly in the resolution. It will be up to the Security Council to make that decision. Ms. Kaag and her team have been working intensely, traveling throughout the region, talking to the right people, engaging with different authorities. And in due course, she will report back to the Security Council and I'm sure Council members will express their opinion on her work. Dezhi, then Evelyn. Question : Several clips of alleged Israeli soldiers looting in Gaza were online for a couple of days. What is the Secretary-General's position on this looting? Spokesman : I think all of these cases need to be investigated. I've seen reports that the Israeli army is investigating these cases, but obviously all of these cases, any possible violation of rules needs to be investigated. Question : But could these clips be the evidence for war crime? Spokesman : It's not for me to judge that. Evelyn? Question : Thank you, Stephane. Since UNRWA can do nothing right and all sorts of politicians and officials are finding reasons to discredit it, when do you think you'll have the first either OIOS or someone else's report that you could counter some of this? Because it goes on and on. It seems to be easy to knock on UNRWA. Spokesman : I can't prejudge what OIOS will find. I can't prejudge the findings of the independent review, but both are being worked on as quickly and efficiently as possible. Thank you. Monica, all yours. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address All parties to Gaza crisis may have committed war crimes: UN rights chief 28 February 2024 - All parties to the Gaza conflict have been responsible for "clear violations of international humanitarian law including possible war crimes", according to the UN's top human rights official, Volker Turk. In his Office's latest report on the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory scheduled to be delivered to the Human Rights Council on Thursday, Mr. Turk repeats his condemnation of the Hamas-led massacres in Israel on 7 October that left some 1,200 butchered and calls for the immediate release of all Israeli hostages. Plight focus The High Commissioner for Human Rights also underscores how Israel's "massive military response" had caused "unprecedented destruction and suffering" which had led to the dire humanitarian crisis being endured by Gazans now facing imminent famine. "Clear violations of international humanitarian law, including possible war crimes, have been committed by all parties," the report from the Office of the High Commissioner states, before calling for further investigations to establish accountability and to overcome "entrenched impunity". Humane treatment call Among the actions expected of the warring parties, the report from the UN rights chief urges Palestinian armed groups in Gaza "to ensure the humane treatment and immediate release of all hostages", to stop firing "indiscriminate projectiles" at Israel and to pull out fighters from buildings used by civilians. The High Commissioner's report also calls for Israel to "immediately end all practices of collective punishment" of Gazans including the "complete siege" and ensure "immediate access to humanitarian and commercial goods throughout Gaza, commensurate with the immense humanitarian needs". Appealing to the Israeli military, Mr. Turk urges the return of all Palestinians uprooted from their homes by the war, along with compliance with international humanitarian law by ending the use of explosive weapons "with wide area effects" in built-up areas. Protection must also be provided for hospitals and other civilian infrastructure that are essential for people's survival, the report states. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Wheat from war-torn Ukraine to feed families affected by conflict in Sudan 28 February 2024 - More than 7,000 tonnes of wheat donated by war-ravaged Ukraine will help to feed one million conflict-affected people in Sudan for a month, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) said on Wednesday. The in-kind donation - part of the 'Grain from Ukraine' humanitarian initiative launched by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy - arrived in the coastal city of Port Sudan and was loaded onto WFP trucks for emergency food distribution. The UN agency is working around the clock to urgently deliver critical food assistance to families who are struggling with skyrocketing food insecurity as fighting between rivalry military forces in Sudan enters a 10th month. 'We need to act now' "The humanitarian situation in Sudan is catastrophic, but we need to act now to stop it from spiralling further out of control," said Eddie Rowe, WFP's Country Director in Sudan. Staff are "working at pace to get food assistance into the hands of families that need it as quickly as possible", he added. The 7,600 tonnes of wheat flour will be provided to families, many of whom have fled their homes due to the fighting and are struggling every day to meet their food needs. Critical time as fighting spreads The shipment was made possible by the German Federal Foreign Office, which covered the entire 15 million operating costs, including the transportation of the wheat from Ukraine to Sudan and the implementation and distribution within the country. It has arrived at a critical time as fighting continues to spread ahead of the lean season in May, when food typically becomes scarcer and hunger rises. "This donation will enable WFP to support people whose lives have been completely upended by the war," said Mr. Rowe, expressing gratitude to Ukraine and Germany for supporting the Sudanese people in their greatest hour of need. Steadfast support Germany is WFP's second largest donor and has been a steadfast supporter of its lifesaving work in Sudan, the agency said. Last year, the German Government provided nearly 30 million to WFP operations in Sudan, ensuring vital food assistance reaches people trapped by conflict. WFP has been warning of a looming hunger catastrophe in the country as the lean season approaches. Currently, nearly 18 million people face acute food insecurity, of which nearly five million are in emergency levels of hunger. The UN agency has already provided emergency food and nutrition support to around seven million people since the conflict began last April, yet needs continue to grow. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Humanitarians launch $674 million appeal urging 'increased solidarity' with Haiti 28 February 2024 - Humanitarians are hoping that donors will robustly support a $674 million appeal for Haiti, where armed gangs continue to terrorize the population, a senior UN official said on Wednesday during a briefing to journalists in New York. Ulrika Richardson, UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Haiti, was speaking from the capital, Port-au-Prince, a day after the Government and partners launched the plan to provide food, shelter, health, education and protection services for 3.6 million people this year. "This is a call for increased solidarity, and Haiti needs it," she said, noting that the country is "going through one of the most critical moments in its recent history". Record violence, rising displacement Ms. Richardson reported that last year saw "a very steep increase" in murders, lynchings, rape and other violence committed by gang members operating mainly in the capital and nearby Artibonite province. This "very tragic trend" has continued into 2024, with January being the most violent month in two years, she added, echoing recent findings by the UN human rights office, OHCHR. Sexual violence, including collective rape - mainly affecting women and girls - effectively rose 50 per cent over 2022 levels, and "too often the perpetrators go free," she said in response to a reporter's question. The number of Haitians forced to flee their homes has also risen, with some 314,000 now displaced. People are sleeping on the streets, camping out in schools or living in host communities, where resources are already overstretched. Education under attack Haiti has a population of around 11 million, and humanitarians have assessed that around 5.5 million people require assistance. Of that number, more than four million are facing acute food insecurity, with increased malnutrition among children and pregnant women. Additionally, 45 per cent of Haitians do not have access to clean drinking water. Ms. Richardson drew particular attention to the plight of children, who comprise the majority of people in need, around three million. Rampant violence is threatening their access to education, while students who rely on school feeding programmes are missing out on meals. "At some point, we had 1,000 schools not open during the month of January, and that means a lot to children and a generation that has already seen impacts on their schooling," she said, citing first the COVID-19 lockdown followed by the collapse of security and services. Support for UN-backed mission Whether at home or in the streets, people in gang-affected areas are at risk. Gangs also often control major roads in and out of the capital, thus hindering both Haitians and the humanitarians that serve them. Ms. Richardson was asked how Haitians feel about the proposed multinational security support mission authorized by the UN Security Council to back up the national police. "If you would ask people on the street if they need assistance to deal with the gang violence, they will say yes," she answered. Responding to another question, the veteran humanitarian described the suffering and pain in Haiti as "daunting" and "appalling". "I can say that what I've witnessed here - and many with me, including Haitians - it goes beyond even what you could have feared in your worst nightmare." Tackle root causes Last year, the UN and partners sought $720 million for their operations in Haiti and received around 34 per cent of the funding. She explained that this year's "financial envelope" is lower, even though needs are greater, as humanitarians have tried to be more targeted in their approach, plus they have learned what works best and also have very good cooperation with local organizations. "We really count on a very robust mobilization of the international community," she said, expressing hope for the 2024 plan. However, she stressed that humanitarian assistance is not the solution to the crisis in Haiti and called for parallel investment to address the root causes. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address UNRWA Situation Report #83 on the situation in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem - All information from 25-26 February 2024, is valid as of 26 February 2024 at 22:30 UNRWA 28 Feb 2024 The Gaza Strip The Humanitarian Country Team reported that humanitarian partners (including UNRWA) have been unable to reach northern Gaza, and increasingly parts of southern Gaza, safely. Aid convoys reportedly continue to come under fire and are denied access by the Israeli Authorities. Furthermore, according to OCHA there have been continued reports of shooting by Israeli forces at Palestinians waiting for humanitarian aid in Gaza City. Ground operations and heavy fighting continue across the Gaza Strip, in particular in northern Gaza, Deir al Balah and Khan Younis. Increased airstrikes in Rafah, including in residential areas without prior warnings have heightened fears that they will further hamper overstretched humanitarian operations. Nearly 1.5 million people are in Rafah, more than six times the population before 7 October. Intense fighting in and around Khan Younis (southwest of Gaza) over the last six weeks is causing loss of life and damage to civilian infrastructure. This is forcing thousands of Palestinians to flee further south towards Rafah, which is severely overcrowded. At the same time, population movements out of Rafah and towards Deir Al Balah and Nuseirat refugee camps in the Middle Area have been reported, even though there are reports of further fighting and airstrikes in those areas. Supply routes into the Gaza Strip have functioned inconsistently throughout the reporting period. Between 25 - 26 February, only 232 trucks entered the Gaza Strip via both Rafah and the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing points. February continues to see very little aid coming in, with on average of nearly 99 trucks entering per day, whereas approximately 150 trucks of supplies were entering Gaza per day in January 2024. The number of trucks entering Gaza remains well below the target of 500 per day, with significant difficulties bringing supplies in through both Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) and Rafah. UNRWA trucks have struggled to enter the Gaza Strip due to security constraints and temporary closures at both crossings. UNRWA has at times had to temporarily stop dispatching supplies due to security concerns. Security to manage the crossing has been severely impacted due to the killing of several Palestinian policemen in Israeli airstrikes near the crossings recently. In the period between 21 October 2023 and 20 February 2024, people have received the following: a. 27,029 metric tons of flour, including 17,300 metric tons from UNRWA b. Delivered to Gaza: Biscuits and High Energy Biscuits: 2.7 million units Protein based food (beans, chicken, beef, canned meat): 7,745,678 cans Dairy items (Cheese): 6,449,674 units c. Other food items: 1,976,056 US$ value d. 23.5 million litres of water via water bottles and water tankers have been delivered to Gaza e. 104,00 family hygiene kits were delivered to Gaza f. Over 200,000 blankets were delivered to Gaza j. 196,000 mattresses h. 3.7 million diapers On 10 February, Education Cluster released its preliminary findings regarding damages to schools since the beginning of the conflict. The report assessed that up to 44 per cent of UNRWA school buildings have been either directly hit or damaged. As of 26 February, the total number of UNRWA colleagues killed since the beginning of hostilities is now 158. As of 26 February, up to 1.7 million* people (over 75 per cent of the population) ** have been displaced across the Gaza Strip, some multiple times.*** Families are forced to move repeatedly in search of safety. Following intense Israeli bombardments and fighting in Khan Younis and the Middle Area in recent days, a significant number of displaced people have moved further south. *This includes one million individuals residing in or near emergency shelters or informal shelters. As of 12 October, approximately 160,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) were recorded in North Gaza and Gaza governorates. The ability of UNRWA to provide humanitarian support and updated data in these areas has been severely restricted. The ongoing hostilities, evacuation orders issued by Israeli Security Forces (ISF), and the constant need for safer locations have resulted in people being displaced multiple times. **UNRWA reported in Situation Report 64 that up to 1.9 million IDPs were either residing in 154 UNRWA shelters or near these shelters. Due to the continued escalation of fighting and evacuation orders, some households have moved away from the shelters where they were initially registered. *** There are instances where the same IDPs are registered in multiple shelters due to the fluid movement of populations; hereafter, estimates are used for these shelters. UNRWA plans to conduct a more accurate count of IDPs in shelters, including informal shelters, as soon as the security situation allows. The West Bank, including East Jerusalem Between 22 and 26 February, more than 150 ISF search operations were reported across the West Bank, averaging more than 30 per day. At least 124 Palestinians were detained during this period, including twelve children. An operation in Jenin Camp, northern West Bank, commencing in the evening of 22 February involved a drone strike on a Palestinian-owned vehicle, killing two Palestinians including a child. On the evening of 26 February an operation commenced in El Far'a Camp, northern West Bank, with at least two Palestinian fatalities reported. Damage to camp infrastructure including roads, caused by ISF bulldozers, was also recorded. On 22 February, live fire was exchanged between Palestinians and ISF at a checkpoint east of Jerusalem after two Palestinians purportedly opened fire near an Israeli settlement, resulting in one Israeli and three Palestinian fatalities. As of 26 February cement blocks were installed by ISF at the entrance of Bab Asbat (Lion's Gate), in Jerusalem Old City, to prevent vehicular access. Between 22 -26 February, other closures at checkpoints and using roadblocks were reported in Bizarriya, Wadi an Nar, Shu'fat Camp, Az Za'ayyem and Sinjil. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Air Force holds multinational ACE conference Published Feb. 28, 2024 By Staff Sgt. Adam R. Shanks Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs ARLINGTON, Va. (AFNS) -- Headquarters Air Force hosted an Agile Combat Employment Interoperability and Integration conference with seven allies and partners at the Pentagon, Feb. 27-28. ACE is an Air Force doctrine outlining operational schemes of maneuver to increase asset survivability while generating airpower in a high-threat environment. Combat employment experts from Australia, Canada, France, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the U.S. gathered to strategize ways to improve integration of airpower. The event began with opening remarks from Lt. Gen. Adrian Spain, U.S. Air Force's deputy chief of staff for operations. "I'm really proud of the evolution that ACE has taken, in how we've evolved the concept itself and in evolving our way of thinking," Spain said. "We're acknowledging that this only works with allies and partners. We can certainly do ACE in the continental U.S., but that's just not where it's going to be." Various country leads offered their perspectives on how to best utilize ACE in speaking sessions and brainstorming sessions. The ACE concept shifts airpower generation from large, centralized bases to a network of smaller, dispersed bases. It shapes the way Airmen are trained and how resources are allocated, providing flexible forces that commanders can utilize for a wide variety of missions. "Proactive maneuvers involve moving forces and assets between main operating bases and potential dispersed sites to assure allies and partners and to alter adversary understanding of our intentions and capabilities," said Dr. Sandeep Mulgund, senior advisor to the Air Force deputy chief of staff for operations. "It allows us to posture ourselves to deter aggression or to gain advantage." By utilizing smaller teams of mission ready Airmen dispersed over many locations, the U.S. Air Force and its partners can multiply force advantages. These mission ready Airmen are trained in expeditionary skills and capable of accomplishing tasks outside of their core Air Force specialty. "The first step of practicing ACE is by getting together like this to figure out what aspects come into play whenever our forces operate together," Mulgund added. "We can better identify locations from which we can operate in an integrated, synchronized manner and what policies that we need to have in place to allow collaborative operations at these locations." The ACE concept is maximized by sharing resources for forces, basing, logistics, and more. "Events like this conference provide a forum to create common understanding of the military challenge, our collective approach to it, and how we're going to bring our national military instruments of power to the effort in a way that complicates our adversaries' calculus," Mulgund said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Combined Task Force 154 Conducts Operation Northern Readiness II in Aqaba, Jordan US Navy 28 February 2024 From Courtesy Story AQABA, Jordan -- Operation Northern Readiness II was conducted at the Royal Jordanian Naval base in Aqaba, Jordan, Feb 18 - 22. The Maritime Security Enhancement Training (MSET) was the latest iteration of Combined Task Force (CTF) 154's international training exercises and included participants from eleven nations from the Combined Maritime Forces, as well as EUNAVFOR and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). The operation was the largest scale event in CTF 154 history, with approximately 150 participants, facilitators and observers, providing an excellent opportunity to build international relationships between participating nations, as well as share knowledge and practice capabilities. The facilitators and participants shared skills and expertise on core areas including the law of the sea, uncrewed systems, Visit, Board, Search and Seizure (VBSS), patrol boat operations and drills, explosive ordnance disposal and diving. Representatives from Combined Maritime Forces, EUNAVFOR and UNITAR provided daily lectures on the law of the sea, covering the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the role of international organizations in combating piracy and drug smuggling and the legal issues on the use of uncrewed surface and air systems. Personnel from Bahrain-based Task Force 59 briefed participants on how they are currently employing uncrewed systems and provided training on the Saildrone operating portal, used by the Jordanian Maritime Operations Center. Taking full advantage of the facilities and assets available at the naval base, participants practiced vital VBSS skills, man overboard procedures and towing drills by simulating real world scenarios, led by the Royal Jordanian Navy. Multi-national training exercises such as these allow navies to seamlessly work together when such situations occur in real life. Under the surface of the Gulf of Aqaba, the dive team taking part in Operation Northern Readiness practiced diving drills and shared best practices, before returning to the surface to share their knowledge on explosive ordnance disposal. The team also took the opportunity to view the recompression chambers at a nearby hospital, used to treat or prevent decompression sickness. CAPT Ayman Al Naimat, Commander of CTF 154 and himself a member of the Royal Jordanian Navy said, "This is an incredible opportunity for both the CMF and the partner nations participating in this exercise as well as for the Royal Jordanian Navy. All members were able to share their knowledge, experience and demonstrate their skills throughout the week. The opportunity to share and learn from each other is how we grow and improve maritime security operations and support the rules-based international order at sea." CAPT Ayman Al Naimat added, "It was an honor to both host Operation Northern Readiness in my country, and to lead Combined Task Force 154 that coordinated this work." This is the fifth focused training event led by CTF 154, with plans for future training operations already underway. CMF launched CTF 154 in May 2023 to organize multinational maritime training opportunities at locations across the Middle East, enabling more CMF partner nations to participate in training opportunities without ships or aircraft, particularly during courses taught ashore. CMF consists of 41 member and partner nations whose forces operate in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, Arabian Gulf, and Indian Ocean. These nations are united in upholding international rules-based order to protect the free flow of commerce, promote regional maritime security, and deter illicit activity by non-state actors. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address U.S. Naval Forces Africa Hosts Nigerian Navy Delegation for Staff Talks US Navy 28 February 2024 From U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa Public Affairs NAVAL SUPPORT ACTIVITY NAPLES, Italy -- Adm. Stuart Munsch, commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa (NAVEUR-NAVAF), and NAVAF staff members welcomed their Nigerian counterparts, including Rear Adm. Zakariyyah Muhammad, the Nigerian Navy's Chief of Training and Operations, for staff talks onboard Naval Support Activity Naples, Italy, Feb. 27-28, 2024. During staff talks, the Nigerian and U.S. delegations discussed capacity building, maritime domain awareness, and bilateral maritime integration, among other focused topics. They also presented corresponding briefs on command priorities and capabilities, outlooks for 2024, and opportunities for future collaboration. Adm. Munsch and Rear Adm. Muhammad delivered opening remarks to kick off the event, Feb. 27. The leaders discussed recent operations and activities conducted by the Nigerian and U.S. navies, Nigeria's enduring participation in the NAVAF-facilitated exercise Obangame Express, and collaborative efforts to combat illicit activity and piracy in the Gulf of Guinea and West Africa. "Africa encompasses several global maritime crossroads, and the Nigerian Navy plays a critical role in providing maritime security and countering illicit activity not only in the Gulf of Guinea, but across the continent," said Munsch. "Having our Nigerian counterparts here in Naples to discuss maritime initiatives and areas for enhanced collaboration has been an invaluable experience, and I am very grateful to our partners for their participation in these talks." The Nigerian Navy is a longtime participant and frequent host of Obangame Express, an exercise designed to counter sea-based illicit activity by improving regional cooperation, information-sharing practices, and maritime interdiction expertise of participating nations. Additionally, the U.S. and Nigerian navies routinely participate in bilateral and multilateral engagements to strengthen interpersonal bonds and address shared challenges and opportunities. USS Hershel "Woody" Williams (ESB 4), U.S. Coast Guard Cutters USCGC Spencer (WMEC 905) and USCGC Mohawk (WMEC 913), and USNS Carson City (T-EPF 7) all conducted port visits to Lagos, Nigeria in recent years, and Lagos served as the primary hub for Obangame Express 2023, demonstrating the close ties between Nigeria and the United States. "The U.S. Navy and Nigerian Navy have a long history of strong relations, built on a foundation of shared approaches and collaboration through many engagement opportunities," said Muhammad. "We thank NAVAF for hosting these staff talks and we look forward to continuing to strengthen our cooperation and partnership in maritime efforts." The U.S. Navy shares a common interest with African partner nations in ensuring security, safety, and freedom of navigation on the waters surrounding the continent, because these waters are critical for Africa's prosperity and access to global markets. For over 80 years, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-U.S. Naval Forces Africa (NAVEUR-NAVAF) has forged strategic relationships with allies and partners, leveraging a foundation of shared values to preserve security and stability. Headquartered in Naples, Italy, NAVEUR-NAVAF operates U.S. naval forces in the U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) and U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM) areas of responsibility. U.S. Sixth Fleet is permanently assigned to NAVEUR-NAVAF, and employs maritime forces through the full spectrum of joint and naval operations. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Secretary of the Navy Del Toro Meets with Leaders of HD Hyundai and Hanwha in the Republic of Korea, Tours Shipyards US Navy - Press Release 28 February 2024 Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro met with top shipbuilding industry executives in the Republic of Korea (ROK) and toured some of the world's most technologically advanced and prolific shipyards, Feb. 27. Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro met with top shipbuilding industry executives in the Republic of Korea (ROK) and toured some of the world's most technologically advanced and prolific shipyards. Discussions were very productive and centered on attracting Korean investment in integrated commercial and naval shipbuilding facilities in the United States. Shortly after arriving in Seoul on Sunday, February 25, Secretary Del Toro engaged separately with Hanwha Vice Chairman and CEO Dong Kwan Kim and HD Hyundai Vice Chairman and CEO Kisun Chung. The morning of Tuesday, February 27, Mr. Chung personally gave Secretary Del Toro a tour of Hyundai's shipyard in Ulsan. Later that afternoon, the Secretary traveled to Geoje Island, where Hanwha Ocean CEO Hyek-woong Kwon led a tour of his company's shipyard there. Secretary Del Toro reflected, "In each of these engagements, I brought to the table a simple, yet profound opportunity: invest in America. I was enormously gratified by the strong interest expressed by the leaders of each of these world-class shipbuilders in establishing U.S. subsidiaries and investing in shipyards in the United States." As China continues to aggressively pursue worldwide shipbuilding dominance, Secretary Del Toro expressed his heartfelt appreciation that the Republic of Korea, one of America's closest allies, continues to hold its own in the international shipbuilding industry. The importance of Korean shipbuilding as an asset to the U.S.-ROK alliance and to the network of global maritime democracies cannot be overstated. As part of his call for a new Maritime Statecraft in his speech to the Harvard Kennedy School on September 26, 2023, Secretary Del Toro had observed that the U.S. maritime industry "is ripe with opportunity to partner with a greater number of shipbuilders here in the U.S. and with our closest allies overseas, including Japan and South Korea." In the same speech, he announced his objective to "attract the most advanced shipbuilders in the world to open U.S.-owned subsidiaries and invest in commercial shipyards here in the U.S., modernizing and expanding our shipbuilding industrial capacity and creating a healthier, more competitive shipbuilding workforce." Secretary Del Toro said his engagements over the past several days affirmed and advanced that vision. "As I saw firsthand during my shipyard visits in Korea this week, Hanwha and Hyundai set the global industry standard. I could not be more excited at the prospect of these companies bringing their expertise, their technology, and their cutting-edge best practices to American shores. As world class leaders in the global shipbuilding business, they are poised to energize the U.S. shipbuilding marketplace with fresh competition, renowned innovation and unrivaled industrial capacity." The Secretary's current trip to the Republic of Korea, Japan, and Palau, a key step in his Maritime Statecraft efforts to reinvigorate America's comprehensive maritime power, aligns closely with the Pentagon's National Defense Industrial Strategy, which calls for venture capital and new ideas to revive the U.S. industrial base. Secretary Del Toro noted that "in addition to our currently active shipyards, there are numerous former shipyard sites around the country which are largely intact and dormant. These are ripe for redevelopment as dual-use construction facilities for both warships, like AEGIS destroyers, as well as high value chain commercial vessels, such as the ammonia gas carriers that will enable the global transition from fossil fuels to green energy sources like hydrogen." The Secretary emphasized the economic value of revitalizing U.S. shipbuilding: "Investment in dual-use shipyards in the United States will create good paying, blue collar and new-collar American jobs building the advanced ships that will protect and power the economy of tomorrow." As he departed Korea, Secretary Del Toro underscored that his engagements with Hyundai and Hanwha's leaders this week marked only the beginning, adding, "I look forward to hosting Mr. Chung and Mr. Kim at my office in the Pentagon to continue our discussions in the coming weeks." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US Military Reports Destroying 5 Houthi Drones By VOA News February 28, 2024 The U.S. military said U.S. and coalition forces shot down five Houthi drones late Tuesday in the Red Sea. U.S. Central Command said the drones were launched from areas of Yemen controlled by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, and that the drones "presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and to the U.S. Navy and coalition ships in the region." The strikes were the latest in months of actions seeking to counter attacks by the Houthis against vessels in the Red Sea. The Houthis have said they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians amid the war in Gaza. The attacks have prompted many shipping companies to avoid the Red Sea corridor, opting instead for the much longer and more expensive route around Africa. Maritime security firms reported the latest suspected Houthi attack late Tuesday about 110 kilometers west of Yemen's port of Hodeida. The UK Maritime Trade Operations center said it received reports of a rocket exploding several kilometers from a vessel, which was unharmed and proceeding to its next port of call. British security firm Ambrey said the vessel involved appeared to be a Marshall Islands-flagged, Greek-owned bulk carrier. Some information for this report came from Agence France-Presse and Reuters. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Tuvalu Reaffirms Taiwan Relations as China Works to Increase Influence in Pacific By William Yang February 28, 2024 Tuvalu's new government released a statement of priorities Wednesday, reiterating the Pacific island nation's intent to maintain its "long-term and lasting special relationship" with Taiwan, while vowing to review a security pact that the previous administration signed with Australia in November. The announcement comes after some lawmakers hinted before last month's parliamentary election that the new Tuvalu government might review the country's ties with Taiwan. That kicked off weeks of speculation that the Pacific island nation might switch diplomatic recognition to Beijing. The new government "intends to reassess options that would strengthen and lift [its relationship with Taiwan] to a more durable, lasting and mutually beneficial relationship," the new government under Prime Minister Feleti Teo said in the statement shared by Transport, Energy, Communication and Innovation Minister Simon Kofe on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. Some analysts told VOA that Wednesday's statement can be viewed as Tuvalu's effort to push back against Beijing's influence campaign. "This is a strong sign of Tuvalu's intent to thwart what I must assume are strong offers from Beijing," Timothy Rich, a professor of political science at Western Kentucky University, said in a written response. Other observers say the announcement, which is a welcome message to the United States and its democratic allies, can shore up Taiwan's remaining diplomatic footprint in the Pacific region while serving as a temporary setback for China. "I see this development as a setback for Beijing as they were hoping to lure Tuvalu into their camp but China [still] has other mechanisms through which they can increase their influence [in the Pacific region,]" Parker Novak, a nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Council's Global China Hub told VOA by phone. Since Tuvalu's new government highlights climate change and connectivity as important areas for development, some experts say Taiwan needs to consider how it can constructively contribute to Tuvalu's priorities. "As China looks to woo countries that have ties with Taiwan onto its side, the Tuvalu government needs to demonstrate to the Tuvalu community that its relationship with Taiwan is delivering something for the people while it passes the potential benefits of a relationship with China," Mihai Sora, a research fellow in the Pacific Islands program at Lowy Institute in Australia, in a phone interview. He said Taiwan needs to consider how it can elevate its relationship with Tuvalu. "The ball is in Taiwan's court to elevate the relationship with Tuvalu [as] the language [in the statement] indicates that Tuvalu is interested in upgrading its relationship with Taiwan and getting more out of it," Sora added. In response to the new Tuvalu government's commitment to maintaining diplomatic ties, Taiwan's Foreign Affairs Ministry said Wednesday that it treasures the "special relationship" with Tuvalu and hopes to continue to work together with the Pacific island nation. While Taiwan and Tuvalu reaffirmed their bilateral relationship, Beijing emphasized that "upholding the One China principle," which designates Taiwan as a part of China, is "where global opinion trends." "A handful of countries who still have so-called 'diplomatic ties' with the Taiwan region should choose to stand on the right side of history and make the right decision that truly serves their fundamental and long-term interests," Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said during a regular press conference on Monday. Three Pacific island nations have switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China since 2019. Beijing has also increased efforts to deepen relations with regional countries, signing security deals with countries such as the Solomon Islands while promising a large amount of aid. To counter Beijing's influence campaign, the United States and its allies have stepped up engagement with Pacific island nations, signing new agreements to deepen cooperation and increase support for regional countries. However, some of the efforts have been met with caution or stalled by domestic politics. In the Wednesday statement of priorities, the new Tuvalu government said while it supports the broad principles and objectives of the security and migration pact that the previous administration signed with Australia in November, it acknowledges "the absence of transparency and consultations" in informing the general public about the deal. The government vowed to address the "process issues." While analysts say the deal between Tuvalu and Australia will not be completely scrapped, the U.S. Congress has been unable to pass new funding packages for several Pacific island nations, forcing leaders from several countries to warn about Beijing's attempt to seize the opportunity to shift their allegiances. Sora in Australia said the U.S. congressional failure to pass the aid package, the Compacts of Free Association, or COFA, agreement, hurts U.S. credibility as a reliable partner to Pacific island nations. "COFA is a core Pacific interest for the U.S. and if it can't make that, how could it credibly expand its engagement and presence in the rest of the Pacific?" according to Sora. Rich from Western Kentucky University said failure by the U.S. and its allies to provide economic support to Pacific island nations, who rely heavily on foreign aid for their development, could give China an opportunity to present itself as an alternative. "My concern is that without aid, the Pacific islands have no choice but China, and China could use these relations [to increase its presence in the region,]" he said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Emergency food aid from Ukraine arrives in war-torn Sudan World Food Programme 28 February 2024 Port Sudan/Nairobi -- A shipment of wheat donated by Ukraine to the United Nations World Food Programme's (WFP) Sudan operation has arrived in Port Sudan and is being loaded onto WFP trucks for emergency food distributions. This in-kind food donation will be a core part of food rations provided to one million conflict-affected people in Sudan for one month. The shipment - part of Ukraine's humanitarian 'Grain from Ukraine' initiative launched by President Zelensky - was made possible by the German Federal Foreign Office, which covered entire operating costs of EUR 15 million. This includes the transportation costs of the wheat from Ukraine to Sudan and the implementation and distribution within the country to people in need. As the war raging across the country enters its tenth month, WFP is working around the clock to urgently deliver critical food assistance to families in Sudan who are struggling with skyrocketing food insecurity. "The humanitarian situation in Sudan is catastrophic but we need to act now to stop it from spiralling further out of control," said Eddie Rowe, WFP's Country-Director in Sudan. "WFP is working at pace to get food assistance into the hands of families that need it as quickly as possible." The 7,600 tonnes of wheat flour will be provided to families, many of whom have fled their homes due to the fighting and are struggling every day to meet their food needs. This donation has arrived at a critical time in Sudan's hunger crisis as fighting continues to spread ahead of the lean season in May, when food typically becomes scarcer, and hunger rises. "This donation will enable WFP to support people whose lives have been completely upended by the war. We are deeply grateful to the Ukraine and Germany for supporting the Sudanese people in their greatest hour of need," said Rowe. Germany is WFP's second largest donor and has been a steadfast supporter of WFP's life-saving and life-changing work in Sudan. In 2023, the Foreign Office provided EUR 29.24 million to WFP operations in Sudan, ensuring vital food assistance reaches people trapped by conflict. WFP has been warning of a looming hunger catastrophe as the lean season approaches if civilians do not receive food assistance. Currently nearly 18 million people face acute food insecurity in Sudan, of which nearly 5 million are in emergency levels of hunger (IPC4). WFP has already provided around 7 million people with emergency food and nutrition support since the conflict began last April, yet needs continue to grow. # # # The United Nations World Food Programme - saving lives in emergencies and changing lives for millions through sustainable development. WFP works in more than 80 countries around the world, feeding people caught in conflict and disasters, and laying the foundations for a better future. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address WFP Deputy Chief warns Security Council of imminent famine in northern Gaza unless conditions change World Food Programme 28 February 2024 NEW YORK -- The World Food Programme Deputy Executive Director Carl Skau addressed the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday 27 February on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. He was speaking at a High-Level Open Debate on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict. Here are his remarks, as delivered: "As you have already heard, the Famine Review Committee has warned of a real prospect of famine by May, with over 500,000 people at risk if the threat is allowed to materialize. Even before October, two-thirds of the people in Gaza were supported with food assistance. Today, food aid is required by almost the entire population of 2.2 million people. Gaza is seeing the worst level of child malnutrition anywhere in the world. One child in every six under the age of two is acutely malnourished. The World Food Programme is ready to swiftly expand and scale up our operations if there is a ceasefire agreement. But in the meantime, the risk of famine is being fueled by the inability to bring critical food supplies into Gaza in sufficient quantities, and the almost impossible operating conditions faced by our staff on the ground. Conditions in northern Gaza are particularly dire. On Sunday, February 18, we resumed deliveries to the north for the first time in three weeks. Our intention was to send 10 trucks per day, for seven days, to address immediate needs, and provide some reassurance to people living there that sufficient food would be brought in. However, on both February 18 and 19, our convoys faced significant obstacles. There were delays at checkpoints; they faced gunfire and other violence; food was looted along the way; and at their destination they were overwhelmed by desperately hungry people. As a result, we have been forced to pause deliveries of food to the north until conditions are in place that allow for safe distributions - both for our staff, and for the people receiving our assistance. This is not a decision WFP has taken lightly, as we know it means conditions will worsen, and more people will be at risk of dying from hunger-related causes. But the breakdown in civil order, driven by sheer desperation, is preventing the safe distribution of aid. We are now urgently exploring all viable delivery options to allow the resumption of operations in northern Gaza as soon as possible. This is an absolute humanitarian imperative. The staff on our convoys witnessed catastrophic conditions in the north: food and clean water are scarce, malnutrition is soaring and disease is rife. Madame President, immediate action is required to enable a huge increase in the volume of food and other humanitarian supplies going into northern Gaza. This is the only way to calm tension and restore some semblance of civil order. For this to happen, we need a functioning operating environment for humanitarian staff. We need the port of Ashdod and the Karni crossing to be open, so we can import food and other essential supplies swiftly and at scale. And we need a working humanitarian notification system, and a stable communications network to keep humanitarian staff safe. If nothing changes, a famine is imminent in northern Gaza. We must all double down and live up to our responsibilities to ensure it does not happen on our watch. Meanwhile, in the south of Gaza, WFP and partners are on the ground, delivering food as it comes to shelters, to make-shift camps, and to shops. But we are unable to provide regular or sufficient food to people who badly need it. Most food is distributed in Rafah - the hub of WFP's current operations in Gaza - and very little assistance reaches people elsewhere. WFP has made efforts to support the re-establishment of local food systems where-ever possible. This has included expanding distribution points to include local shops; supporting bakeries by providing them with wheat flour and other necessary resources to operate; and supplying community-run kitchens that provide hot meals every day. But the fact remains that without safe and greatly expanded access, aid workers cannot mount a relief operation at the scale required to reverse the severe humanitarian crisis now gripping Gaza. It is essential we avert a famine: and this requires much more than just food supplies. Basic services must also be restored, including health services, electricity networks, and water and sanitation pipelines. In this UNWRA is indispensable. Council members, in 2018, this body adopted Security Council Resolution 2417, which reaffirms international humanitarian law and the need to break the vicious cycle between armed conflict and food insecurity. Today we call on the Council to uphold this Resolution. Thank you." The United Nations World Food Programme is the world's largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Increased support for strike action against Houthi rebels The Hon Richard Marles MP Deputy Prime Minister Minister for Defence 29 February 2024 Australia is increasing its contribution of Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel to support United States and United Kingdom actions targeting the capabilities used in Houthi rebel attacks in the Red Sea. Additional ADF personnel will deploy to support strike action on Houthi targets in Yemen under the newly formed Operation Hydranth. These personnel will be embedded staff within US operational headquarters. Since January 2024, Australia has provided support to coalition strikes aimed at protecting international shipping transiting the Red Sea. The strikes on Houthi targets to date have degraded their capabilities; however these illegal attacks continue to threaten mariners and vessels. While our focus remains on our near region, Australia will continue to work with our international partners to uphold international rules and norms across the globe. This increased commitment under Operation Hydranth is separate to Australia's contribution of up to 16 ADF personnel deployed to support the Combined Maritime Forces in Bahrain, under Operation Manitou. Quotes attributable to Deputy Prime Minister, the Hon Richard Marles MP: "The ongoing attacks by Houthi rebels continue to threaten the safety of seafarers, navigational rights and freedoms, and international commerce and maritime security. "Australia will continue to work with our international partners to de-escalate tensions and restore stability in the Red Sea." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Operation Iron Swords - Day 145 - 28 February 2024 According to Hebrew media, the fears of the Israeli security authorities regarding the upcoming Ramadan season in the West Bank and occupied Jerusalem are rising, amid warnings from the occupation that Hamas may exploit the most important time for Muslims as an opportunity to ignite the scene. The biblical holidays for the Jews this year intersect with the second week of Ramadan and Tarawih prayers, which may open the door to a new battle in Al-Aqsa Mosque. Ramadan is celebrated Mar 10, 2024 Apr 9, 2024. Tarawih, also known as Taraweeh, is a voluntary (nafl) night prayer performed by Muslims during the Islamic month of Ramadan. Tarawih prayers are a sunnah of the Prophet, which means that it was his practice to perform them. Purim is a Jewish holiday that celebrates the survival of the Jewish people from annihilation in the 5th century BCE. The story is told in the Book of Esther and is known as the Feast of Lots. Purim dates are March 2324, 2024. Hamas called on 28 February 2024 for Palestinians to march to Jerusalems Al-Aqsa Mosque at the start of Ramadan, raising the stakes. This is a call on our people in Jerusalem and the West Bank to march to Al-Aqsa since the first day of Ramadan, said Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. It is the duty of the Arab and Islamic nations to take the initiative to break the starvation conspiracy in Gaza, Haniyeh said. Israeli military and intelligence officials had recommended that restrictions be eased, fearing that "Hamas takes advantage of the most important time for Muslims, as a chance to ignite the [West Bank]," Yoav Zitun, the military affairs analyst for Israeli news website Ynet, wrote. Hebrew Channel 12 reported that the Israeli War Council had withdrawn powers regarding decisions in Al-Aqsa Mosque from extremist National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir. Channel 12 reported that there are no restrictions on the entry of Arabs from 1948 and Jerusalem to Al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan. Netanyahu had previously approved the decision of National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir , which restricts the entry of Palestinians from inside and Jerusalem into Al-Aqsa Mosque during the month of Ramadan. Ben Gvir demanded that citizens of the West Bank and Jerusalem be prevented from entering Al-Aqsa during the month of Ramadan. Ministers Gantz, Eisenkot and Gallant put pressure on Netanyahu - and demanded that Ben Gvir not participate in decisions regarding the Temple Mount. The ministers turned to Netanyahu and clarified: "In an explosive issue there is no room for foreign and political considerations." Sweeping restrictions will not be imposed on the entry of Israeli Arabs; The police will set a quota of worshipers according to capacity and safety considerations only; Individual restrictions will be imposed only in accordance with intelligence information - as was customary in the past.. According to estimates: initially 50-60 thousand worshipers will be allowed to enter. The decision of the cabinet ministers to revoke Ben Gavir's authority from the sensitive issue, came after a warning from officers in the command staff of the police. According to it, if the demands to limit Arab worshipers are accepted - it could lead to a flare-up in Jerusalem and the cities involved. The Minister of Defense also criticized Ben Gvir's statements on the matter, saying: "During a time of war, everyone says what they want - including people who are supposed to be responsible, but they are not responsible. ... In the face of all these noises - we do what is necessary, Biden administration officials say they want to reach an agreement before the start of Ramadan. Israeli Defence Minister Gallant, asked about Bidens optimistic, said: Who am I to express an opinion about what the president said? I very much hope that he is right. An Israeli official told the Hebrew Channel 12: Our goal is to reach a prisoner exchange deal before the month of Ramadan. The increase of bloody and watery diarrhea can be directly attributed to the lack of safe drinking water, posing a significant public health challenge. The absence of segregated sanitation facilities and electricity within shelters presents a considerable safety risk, depriving women and girls of secure environments and thereby increasing their vulnerability to sexual violence. Restricted access to northern Gaza significantly contributes to insufficient humanitarian aid delivery, leading to concerns about food insecurity and the possibility of widespread starvation and fatalities due to hunger. The food security situation continues to be extremely critical across Gaza, particularly in northern Gaza, with people reportedly feeding their children animal fodder. Vulnerable segments of the population, including children, the elderly and people with underlying health conditions, are particularly exposed to the risk of malnutrition and famine. The Israeli Broadcasting Authority reported that two soldiers were killed out of 30 who were infected with a toxic fungus during the war on the Gaza Strip , which has been ongoing for about 5 months. At the end of last year, Israeli media revealed for the first time that an Israeli soldier had been killed as a result of a fungal infection in the Gaza Strip, and that 10 other wounded soldiers had suffered similar conditions, before the broadcasting authority announced on Tuesday that the death toll had increased. The Israeli news site Ynet said at the time that the soldier suffered serious injuries to his limbs on the battlefield, and then treatment-resistant fungi appeared on his body. The website, which is the online version of Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper, added that he was transferred to Assuta Hospital in Ashdod (south), where doctors tried every possible treatment, including experimental treatments from abroad. He added that the doctors brought in specialists as much as they could, and finally the fungus took over the organs in the injured person's body until his death was determined. He continued, "The fungus may have originated in soil contaminated with sewage," noting that a number of soldiers returned from the battlefield infected with various fungi and infections. In mid-December 2023, the Gaza Municipality warned of the danger of areas north of the city being flooded with sewage, as the pumps stopped working due to the running out of fuel, which would cause major environmental and health disasters. In the same month, Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper revealed that a number of Israeli soldiers participating in the war on the Gaza Strip were suffering from dysentery (inflammation and disorder in the intestines) and poisoning, which causes cases of severe diarrhea and high temperature, and this requires their evacuation from combat sites. The New York Post published new details about American Air Force airman Aaron Bushnell - who burned himself in front of the Israeli embassy in solidarity with Gaza - and quoted a friend of his that Bushnell told him that he had seen secret information indicating the presence of American forces on the ground killing large numbers of Palestinians. According to what this close friend said - whose name the newspaper did not publish but said it had verified his relationship with the deceased - Bushnell (25 years old) informed him that he had a permit authorizing him to view US military intelligence data classified as top secret. Bushnell was serving in the 70th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing of the US Air Force, where he was said to have worked as an Innovation Services Technician. His friend said, His actual job involved processing intelligence data, some of which was related to the Israeli conflict in Gaza. He explained that Bushnell called him on the night of Saturday, February 24 - that is, hours before he set himself on fire on Sunday afternoon - and told him that some of the information he had seen indicated that "the American army is involved in the ongoing genocidal operations in Palestine." He continued, "He told me that we have forces on the ground, and that they are killing large numbers of Palestinians." War Termination There is no end to the war in sight, as both sides still see the other as an existential threat, and there is no clear path to any kind of permanent peace between them. Israeli Knesset Member Zeev Elkin said on Wednesday that as long as Hamas continues to rule the Gaza Strip civilianly, it will be able to rehabilitate itself militarily. Speaking about the next day after the war, Elkin, who is from the Likud Party led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said, As long as Hamas continues to rule the Gaza Strip from a civilian point of view, we will not have achieved the main goal of the war. It will be able to rehabilitate itself militarily, because when it controls the population, it knows how to recruit people into the military arm as well. Elkin revealed the differences within the Military Council in Israel, noting that it is clear that the approach of Gadi Eisenkot and Benny Gantz towards the Palestinian state differs from our approach (in the Likud Party). Netanyahu had previously rejected any talk about establishing a Palestinian state. The administration of US President Joe Biden proposed to the Netanyahu government not to attack unarmed Hamas forces , but Tel Aviv rejected this proposal. The channel explained on its website that the American administration believes that there is no need to target Hamas forces who wear official or civilian uniforms, not military uniforms, and who accompany humanitarian aid convoys, but the Netanyahu government refused. An Israeli channel revealed the content of an alleged draft resulting from the Paris meeting regarding a prisoner exchange deal between the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) and Israel, which it claimed included the release of 40 detainees in the Gaza Strip in exchange for 404 Palestinian prisoners. Israeli Channel 13, which published the draft, claimed that it was agreed upon last Friday in the French capital after negotiations took place with the participation of Qatar, Egypt, the United States, and Israel. According to the channel, the document mainly includes the details of the first phase of the crystallized deal that was approved by Israel. It added, "The first phase extends for 40 days, during which a ceasefire will prevail in the Gaza Strip." According to the draft, In the first phase, 40 detainees will be released, including 15 people over 50 years old, 13 patients, 7 women, and 5 female soldiers. On the other hand, the draft stipulates the release of 404 Palestinian prisoners, including 15 prisoners sentenced to long prison terms, and 47 who were released in the Shalit deal (in 2011) and were later re-arrested by Israel, according to the same source. The arrangements agreed upon in the first phase of the proposed deal will not apply to the second phase, which will be subject to separate negotiations later, as the channel reported. The draft also stipulates, according to the same source, an increase in the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza to achieve the goal of 500 trucks of aid entering Gaza daily by the end of the first phase. Channel 13 quoted an unnamed Western official as saying, The document was drafted by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt. No official body has confirmed the authenticity of the document published by the Israeli channel or its content. Biden confirmed that Israel is ready to stop its attacks in the Gaza Strip during the month of Ramadan, which was not confirmed by Tel Aviv. For his part, White House National Security Advisor John Kirby said that the US administration is optimistic about reaching an agreement for a temporary ceasefire in Gaza soon. He explained that his team "is engaged in the talks to crystallize the agreement, but that does not mean competing for time before the month of Ramadan." Biden said during an interview with NBC that Israel is ready to stop its attacks in Gaza during the month of Ramadan in accordance with a ceasefire agreement that leads to the release of detainees. For its part, the official Israeli Broadcasting Authority spoke of cautious optimism in the negotiations, but the gaps are still large. She added in a report that the Israeli delegation present in Qatar is scheduled to receive Hamas response to some of the controversial issues discussed in the talks. In Doha, Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majid Al-Ansari said that Qatar is optimistic about the ceasefire talks in the Gaza Strip, and hopes for a cessation of hostilities during the holy month of Ramadan, but he stressed that there is no agreement yet between Hamas and Israel. Al-Ansari added in a press conference in Doha, We call on all parties to calm down and we seek to reach this goal despite the presence of obstacles. He stressed that efforts are continuing at various levels regarding mediation, and he spoke of optimism in light of the continuation of negotiations, and but there is nothing new to announce. about him". He stressed that Qatar hopes that the two parties will be able to stop hostilities during the month of Ramadan, and pointed out that Doha cannot comment on the statements of the US President, during which he spoke about the possibility of reaching an agreement on a ceasefire next Monday. The Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman criticized the lack of international pressure to bring aid into Gaza in light of the decline in the amount of humanitarian aid that entered the Strip in the recent period, and said, "It is painful for the humanitarian side to be part of the negotiations." Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas sent identical letters to a number of presidents, prime ministers, organizations and unions in which he affirmed his rejection of the principles of the day after the war on Gaza announced by Benjamin Netanyahu. Mahmoud Abbas warned "of the danger of what was stated in Netanyahu's announcement, in which he challenges the international positions and efforts made for a ceasefire and complete Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, and to increase the amounts of humanitarian food and medical aid and basic needs, to stop an ongoing crime and certain famine accompanied by an outbreak of epidemics that require urgent intervention to provide Sheltering places for more than 1.8 million displaced people, ensuring their return to their places of residence, especially in the northern Gaza Strip, and restarting hospitals and schools, which requires continuing the work and funding of UNRWA to carry out its tasks. The Palestinian President said: What was stated in Netanyahus plan for the next day and the announcement it included of building thousands of new settlement units reflects his governments declared policies that deny the Palestinian people and insist on imposing Israeli sovereignty over the entire land extending from the Mediterranean Sea to the Jordan River. He added, "The goal that this extremist Israeli government is working on is not only to undermine the chances of achieving peace based on the two-state solution, but rather to intensify the campaigns of ethnic cleansing and displacement of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem, and to attack the identity of Jerusalem, its character, its people, and Islamic sanctities." And Christianity there, and the infringement on freedom of worship in Jerusalem, through systematic steps, which portends a major explosion with undesirable consequences. Muhammad Abbas reiterated that "the Gaza Strip is an integral part of the State of Palestine, and that we are ready to do what is necessary to assume the responsibilities of governance in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and East Jerusalem. We are also ready to work to establish security, peace and stability in the region within the framework of A comprehensive peace plan." The Palestinian President called for continuing to support Palestines efforts to obtain full membership in the United Nations by a decision of the UN Security Council, and to call for the convening of an international peace conference in order to approve a comprehensive peace plan with international guarantees and a timetable for implementing an end to the Israeli occupation of the land of the State of Palestine, with Jerusalem as its capital, on the 1967 lines and to resolve the issue. All issues of a permanent solution, and establishing the foundations of security and peace for all countries and peoples of the region. Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki said that Hamas realizes the necessity of forming a technocratic government in the Palestinian territories instead of a coalition that includes the Islamic Resistance Movement. He explained during a press conference in Geneva, "I think Hamas understands this, and I think it supports the idea of forming a technocratic government based on experts who can move the entire country into a transitional phase because any government that includes Hamas will be boycotted internationally." Earlier, the Palestinian Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Hossam Zomlot, revealed Qatar and Egypts assistance in forming a new Palestinian technocratic government amid consultations between all Palestinian factions, including Hamas. Zomlot stressed that Hamas will not have members in the new technocratic government, but the fact of consulting with it shows that efforts are underway to find out whether Palestinian unity between Hamas and Fatah is achievable, considering that the expected government will be a purely technocratic government without factions, and it is designed. To unify the Palestinians, their geography and their political system. He added: "The political landscape has changed. This is the time to listen to our people, not the time for political factions. It is our responsibility to provide a government that can secure the needs of its people, and unify our people and our political system." He expressed his hope that the formation of a technocratic government would be followed by "holding Palestinian parliamentary and presidential elections." He did not specify a specific timetable for implementing this, but he said that the matter would be a matter of months, not years. Analysts and academics who spoke to Al-Jaazerra's program Gaza...What Next? stated the Palestinian resistance is aware of the intentions of Israel, which wants a humanitarian truce conditional on the exchange of prisoners, but it rejects a complete ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the withdrawal of its forces from the Strip. US President Joe Biden said that Israel agreed not to carry out military activities in the Gaza Strip during the upcoming month of Ramadan. In Doha, Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majid Al-Ansari said that Qatar is optimistic about the talks, and hopes for an end to hostilities during the month of Ramadan, but he stressed that there is no agreement yet between the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) and Israel. Writer and political researcher Sari Orabi said that the Palestinian resistance has two basic limitations: It seeks to have any deal or settlement that leads to a complete ceasefire in Gaza and the withdrawal of the Israeli occupation forces from the Gaza Strip, but at the same time it is aware of the humanitarian catastrophe caused by the occupation, and therefore She finds herself responsible for searching for urgent solutions and an outlet for the Palestinians within the Strip. Orabi added that the Israeli occupation wants a humanitarian truce conditional on the exchange of prisoners in the war, and that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seeks to get rid of the burden of prisoners that may hinder his armys operations in Gaza, and at the same time he wants to strip the Palestinian resistance of the prisoner card. Orabi expressed his belief that the Palestinian resistance is alert to the intentions of the Israelis, and will not throw away the cards in its hands at one stage. It wants to control the stages so that Netanyahus plans fail and effectively establish a ceasefire and the withdrawal of the occupation forces from Gaza, stressing that the Palestinian resistance has shown solidity in its negotiations. Contrary to the historical experiences of the Arabs in their negotiations with Israel, where it remained committed to its demands within a reasonable framework of maneuver in dealing with the proposals presented to it. On the other hand, academic and expert on Israeli affairs, Dr. Muhannad Mustafa, believes that Israel, especially its Prime Minister Netanyahu, insists on not ceasefire in Gaza, and they are talking in parallel between truce talks and preparing for a military operation in Rafah , south of the Gaza Strip. The fact that the war does not end and resumes after the truce is a fundamental issue for Israel, and it says - as the academic and expert confirms - that the truce is not linked to any form of political perceptions proposed in the region, and is not linked to the military operation in Rafah, meaning that the truce for Netanyahu is only for the sake of recovering the prisoners. Israelis with the Palestinian resistance. For his part, Professor of Political Science at An-Najah National University, Hassan Ayoub, confirmed that the resistances performance on the ground does not indicate Israels ability to resolve the negotiation process using military pressure, as the occupation claims, stressing that there is strong criticism of the Israeli army and the state of chaos in which it is floundering, and the resistance has revealed The Palestinian Authority said on Tuesday that the occupation army ended its operations in Khan Yunis (southern Gaza Strip) more than a week ago without achieving any achievement. Dr. Ayoub believes that the United States of America is throwing its weight towards the success of the negotiation process between the Palestinian resistance and Israel and reaching compromise solutions, but these solutions seem unacceptable to the resistance, especially Hamas, but it does not reject them publicly. Ayoub pointed to a strategic dimension in the negotiating process, which is that Israel is not accustomed to negotiating with any Palestinian or Arab party that possesses strong cards. He said that there is a strategic game to change the rules of negotiation now and in the future, because what can be agreed upon today will have its negotiating repercussions in the future. The next stages of negotiation. The professor of political science at An-Najah National University spoke about the points of disagreement between the Americans and the Israelis regarding the political vision after the war on Gaza, as Washington wants the Palestinian Authority to return to Gaza, which Tel Aviv rejects. In the same context, he stressed that the Americans are proposing a political vision based on the idea of eliminating resistance as a condition in the process of negotiating the future of the region. The "divergence in visions" reflects the conflicting political calendars that Biden and Netanyahu are working on, according to the New York Times. Netanyahu has a pressing interest in prolonging the war with Hamas to postpone the day of reckoning when he will face accountability for his failure to prevent the attack that occurred on October 7, according to the newspaper. Conversely, Biden has a strong incentive to end the war as soon as possible to quell anger on his party's left wing before his re-election campaign in the fall when he will need support. At the same time, each has reason to believe he might get a better deal if the other loses his position, as the New York Times described it. Frank Lowenstein, the former special envoy for peace in the Middle East under President Barack Obama, said, Biden and Bibi (Benjamin Netanyahu) have different timetables regarding the Gaza war. The divergent goals are evident in attempts to reach an agreement on the hostages before the start of Ramadan. Biden indicated during an interview with the Seth Meyers program on NBC that Ramadan is approaching and there was an agreement among the Israelis not to engage in activities during the month of Ramadan in order to give us time to extract all the hostages held by the Hamas movement. He said earlier during a visit to New York, "I hope that by next Monday there will be a ceasefire," adding that some of his national security advisors told him, "We are close (...) and we are not finished yet." But this depends on Netanyahu agreeing to a deal with Hamas. Hamas is currently studying the proposal that Israel agreed to in discussions with mediators in Paris last week, for a truce that would stop the fighting for 40 days, which would be the first long pause in the war that has been going on for about five months, according to Reuters. The two sides have delegations in Qatar to discuss the details. Israel will redeploy its forces outside populated areas, and the population of Gaza, with the exception of males at the age where they can fight, will be allowed to return to the areas from which they were previously displaced, and the volume of aid to the Gaza Strip will increase, including the entry of equipment that is urgently needed to shelter the displaced. Hamas has long said that it will not release all its hostages except within the framework of an agreement that ends the war, while Israel said that it will only consider temporary truces and will not end the war until it eliminates Hamas, which launched an attack on sites and areas adjacent to the Gaza Strip on October 7. But the offer does not appear to meet the main demand made by Hamas that any agreement include a clear path to a permanent end to the war and an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, or reach a solution regarding Israeli hostages of military age. Israeli government spokeswoman Tal Heinrich said earlier that any agreement would require Hamas to abandon "strange demands." She added, "We have a desire...but the question remains whether Hamas has a desire." She added, "If Hamas can return to reality, we will be able to reach an agreement." Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisis talk about a future demilitarized Palestinian state raised questions about the meaning of this concept, and the extent to which Israel and the Palestinian Authority accept the proposal, while officials and specialists reveal to Al-Hurra website the extent to which this can be implemented on the ground. Netanyahu was more willing to challenge Biden publicly, a position that allows him to say that he is the only person capable of confronting American pressure to implement the two-state solution, and therefore he must remain in office, whatever the failures that preceded October 7th. Amid Arab and international demands for the establishment of a future, independent Palestinian state next to Israel, questions arise about what this state could look like? Who rules and controls it? Will the current Israeli government be overthrown by its presence? This is what Israeli and Palestinian officials and specialists the Al-Hurra website spoke to must do. Alon Pinkas, the former Israeli consul general in New York, said: The further Netanyahu moves away from October 7, the less responsibility and accountability he has, in his opinion. He added: "I think that Netanyahu is seeking a direct confrontation with Biden because that is beneficial to his political interests." It is a risky game, and it is becoming clearer than ever how dependent Israel acting alone is on the United States. The matter is not only related to the ammunition that Israel uses in the war with Hamas, but to defend it on the international scene, as Washington used its veto against draft resolutions in the Security Council. Biden can offer Netanyahu something that the Israeli leader really wants, which is the possibility of normalizing relations with Saudi Arabia, which is the kind of historic achievement that any prime minister wants for his legacy. Biden's view is that "such a breakthrough can only be achieved if the war ends and the establishment of a Palestinian state is on the table." However, it is unclear whether Netanyahu, who has resisted such a solution throughout most of his long career, could even accept such a process. In a previous report on the Al-Hurra website , an Israeli diplomatic source revealed that the current Israeli government, headed by Benjamin Netanyahu, does not support the two-state solution. The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, Israel has for years supported a two-state solution for two peoples, and the Palestinians have rejected that, noting that Hamas does not support the two-state solution. He adds: Even 4-5 years ago, all Israeli governments since the 1990s supported the two-state solution for two peoples, and we tried to negotiate with the Palestinians, but every time we approached a peace agreement, they chose violence and terrorism, as he put it. Saudi Arabia and Israel are negotiating under American auspices to normalize relations between the two countries, and the Palestinian issue emerges as one of the prominent files during the negotiations, while specialists reveal to Al-Hurra website the pillars of those discussions, the obstacles facing them, and the extent to which the two sides can make concessions in this regard. Netanyahu's often-stated goal of "eliminating Hamas" may be militarily unrealistic, according to security analysts, and therefore if he fails to achieve it, the prime minister could point to American pressure as the reason. Mitchell Barak, an Israeli pollster and analyst who worked as Netanyahu's assistant in the 1990s, believed that Netanyahu might blame Biden if he "does not achieve complete victory." He added: "We are getting an unprecedented level of support from Biden militarily, morally, emotionally and globally, and for our part, we are responding to it with trivial arguments and internal political declarations." The Biden team has become increasingly frustrated by this, and the president's advisers had hoped that the war would end by January, so that by the summer everyone would focus on reconstruction efforts in Gaza and peacemaking efforts that lead to Palestinian self-rule, according to the New York Times. But things have not happened this way, so far, as the month of January has ended, and the month of February is also drawing to a close, and the timetable for Biden and Netanyahu is heading towards a collision, according to the newspaper. Operational Update There were 24 regional battalions in Gaza we have dismantled 18 of them, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told foreign reporters. Now, Rafah is the next Hamas center of gravity. Horn testing of the Home Front Command will take place today (Wednesday) at 10:05 in the settlement of Kedmat Zvi. If a true alert is activated, an additional ascending and descending alarm will be heard, at the same time an alert will also be distributed in the Home Front Command applet and the supplementary warning means. Bloomberg cited the former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert saying that the invasion of Rafah would be "a danger we ["Israel"] would not be able to withstand". According to Olmert, an attack on Rafah would be an unnecessary additional move, calling on Benjamin Netanyahu to stop the war, focus on drawing a plan for the Israeli occupation forces' retreat from Gaza, and seek international presence in the Strip. Netanyahu previously revealed in an interview with ABC that "those who oppose the war are welcoming our defeat in Gaza". However, amid Netanyahu's insistence on the Rafah invasion, it seems like his cabinet and military both share different views on his plans. A few days ago, Israeli media reported that conflict arose between Netanyahu and the IOF after he shared his plans. Earlier, discord between him and the Israeli Commander-in-Chief Herzi Halevi was also reported, according to Israeli broadcaster Channel 12. Channel 12's political affairs analyst, Yaron Avraham, said the dispute arose when Netanyahu discussed the continuation of the Israeli military operation with Halevi. The Israeli Prime Minister who heads the Israeli war cabinet is reportedly rushing the Israeli military to take direct action in Rafah, while Halevi stresses that necessary conditions need to be made available before such action could be taken. Among these conditions is the "evacuation" of Palestinians from Rafah, in coordination with Egypt. Both Israeli political and military leading figures agree on the mass expulsion and displacement of Palestinians. However, they disagree on the timeframe and the method of doing so. Avraham says Netanyahu is conflating between the Israeli war objectives and his own personal ambitions. It has become widely accepted that the continuation of the war on Gaza and achieving what Netanhayhu describes as an "absolute victory" ensure that his political career lasts. On that point, Channel 12's Amnon Abramovich said that "absolute victory" is neither a political nor military concept, saying that the term is only constricted to Netanyhu's political practice. The analyst called the Prime Minister a "coward" who cannot "complete his tasks." Intense Israeli bombardment from air, land and sea continues to be reported across much of the Gaza Strip, resulting in further civilian casualties, displacement, and destruction of civilian infrastructure. On 27 February, Palestinian armed groups fired several rockets towards southern Israel, with no reports of injuries or damage. Ground operations and heavy fighting between Israeli forces and Palestinian armed groups also continue to be reported, particularly in Khan Younis, Gaza city and Deir al Balah. The paratroopers' IDF is fighting in the west of Khan Yunis , the fighters are raiding terrorist targets and eliminating many terrorists at close range by shooting and directing fire from the air and on land. The fire center of the Southern Command and the Air Force attacked eight significant targets in the area from which a TMS was launched to Ashkelon last night and later, terrorist shafts and infrastructures from which terrorists came out to carry out terrorist operations in the Gaza Strip. The combat team of the 7th Brigade raided buildings in western Khan Yunis and located weapons and military equipment. The fighters eliminated five terrorists by firing a precise missile at a vehicle in which they were traveling. In addition, fighter jets attacked two military buildings and eliminated terrorists who were in them. The fighters of the combat team of the paratrooper brigade eliminated a number of terrorists with sniper fire. Fighters of the Givat Brigade Combat Team identified two terrorists and by closing a circle with the brigade's fire complex, they were eliminated through an aircraft attack. The fire center of the 98th division directed a fighter jet to attack terrorists who were ambushed against our forces in a military building in the Khan Yunis region. Secondary explosions detected after the attack testified to the many weapons they possessed. In the center of the Gaza Strip, the fighters of Division 162 continue to operate in the Zeyton neighborhood. The fighters of the Nahal Brigade's combat team eliminated a number of terrorists throughout the last day and located weapons in the area. In one of the activities, the forces on the ground identified a terrorist squad and eliminated them through a combat helicopter attack. The Al -Qassam Brigades - the military wing of the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) - said that its fighters are waging fierce battles from zero range and clashes behind the lines, forces and vehicles of the occupation in the Al-Zaytoun neighborhood, east of Gaza City. The military and strategic expert, Major General Fayez Al-Duwairi, says that the Israeli occupation army will not be able to eliminate the Zaytoun Brigade - which is considered one of the Qassam strike brigades - and will not be able to control and stabilize, and will be forced to withdraw to escape a losing battle. Al-Duwairi added - during his analysis for Al Jazeera - that the ferocity of the battles in Al-Zaytoun confirms that the resistance is managing the defensive battle effectively, based on the worst-case scenario, despite the overwhelming military strength of the occupation. He points out that the Zaytoun neighborhood had been in a state of direct clashes with the occupation forces since the first day of the ground battle, especially the southern sector, because it is in direct contact with the Gaza Valley, home to the occupation forces and vehicles. He pointed out that the nature of the land helps the resistance to fight battles behind enemy lines and gives it an opportunity to attack subsequent waves. From the occupation forces. The strategic expert explains that the Battle of Olive is the third of its kind after the northern Gaza Strip entered the third phase of the war, as the first attack was on the neighborhoods of Al-Tuffah, Al-Daraj, and Jabalia Camp, then the other attack was on the neighborhoods of Sheikh Ajlin, Tal Al-Hawa, Al-Rimal Al-Janubi, and Al-Nasr Street. These operations confirm - according to Al-Duwairi - that the occupations claims of dismantling the Qassam Brigades and their organizational frameworks in the region are not true, and the ferocity of the intense battles of Olive shows that the combat resistance structure in the northern sector was not destroyed, and the Qassam Brigades were rebuilt and work in partnership with the rest of the factions, specifically the Al-Quds Brigades , the military wing. For the Islamic Jihad movement. He points out that if the degree of damage inflicted on the resistance factions in the current war had been as severe as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claims , these brigades would have collapsed, but this did not happen, citing statements by former generals in the occupation army. Regarding the implications of the Al-Quds Brigades bombardment of Ashkelon and the settlements surrounding the Gaza Strip with rocket salvoes, Al-Duwairi says that the resistance, through implementation tools, is still effective by firing rockets, and it is also sending a message to the settlers, some of whom are thinking of returning again to the region to review themselves. On the other hand, no missiles were fired at central Israel since the start of the talk about Pariss approach to calm and the exchange of prisoners because it would have been used negatively against the resistance that it was not serious about the negotiations and their success, according to Al-Duwairi. It is noteworthy that Israeli media reported that a person was injured in Ashkelon as a result of rockets falling from Gaza that caused a fire and the burning of a car, noting that alarms were activated in Ashkelon after a calm that lasted 10 days. The Dawlah Intersection and al-Sikka Street in Gaza City have been "turned into a graveyard" for Israeli Merkava tanks, a leader in the Palestinian Resistance from al-Zaytoun neighborhood told Al Mayadeen on Wednesday morning. His remarks come after various Palestinian Resistance factions fiercely engaged invading Israeli occupation forces in al-Zaytoun neighborhood throughout the past ten days. Tuesday in particular saw intense fighting, which resulted in the killing of two Israeli military officers, the spokesperson for the Israeli occupation forces admitted on Wednesday. "The occupation's military incurred heavy losses yesterday," the Resistance commander told Al Mayadeen, adding that military "helicopters landed [in the area] three times to evacuate those killed and wounded." "Israeli warplanes intervened three times to cover the evacuation operations, executing concentrated raids on several axes," the source explained. "Our fighters from [every faction] are still in their combat positions and are carrying out their tasks according to plans established in advance," the Resistance commander in al-Zaytoun told Al Mayadeen, highlighting the Resistance's ability to command and control large-scale operations in the northern Gaza Strip, contrary to Israeli claims. "A state of confusion dominates the movements of the occupation soldiers [in al-Zaytoun neighborhood]." In one of its operations in the aforementioned areas, the Palestinian Resistance killed at least two Israeli officers who served under the Givati Brigade's Tzabar Battalion, one of which was a company commander, while the other was a platoon commander. According to the IOF's spokesperson, seven other soldiers and officers were severely injured and evacuated in the same incident, in which an improvised explosive device was detonated in a building in the area. On 27 February, Israeli forces installed a roadblock at the main entrance to Rantis village, west of Ramallah, impacting the daily movement of more than 3,600 people. Since 7 October, the Israeli army has installed dozens of new obstacles to movement throughout the West Bank, including road gates, earth-mounds and roadblocks, exacerbating the access and movement of Palestinians that had been impeded by some 645 obstacles prior to 7 October. The restrictions disconnect cities, villages and vulnerable communities from one another, and disrupt communities access to basic services and the delivery of humanitarian aid. The soldiers of the IDF, the Shin Bet and the Security Guard operated tonight to arrest ten wanted persons throughout Judea and Samaria. In Jenin, in Manasha, the fighters arrested a wanted person under the intelligence guidance of the Shin Bet and worked to uncover explosives buried under the axles in order to harm the forces. Also, an aircraft attacked an armed terrorist identified in the area. In Yehuda the fighters arrested six wanted men, interrogated many suspects and confiscated weapons. In Kalkilia in Ephraim, two wanted men were arrested and in Abu Kesh in Benjamin, the soldiers arrested another wanted man. The wanted persons who were arrested and the means of warfare that were confiscated were transferred to the security forces for further treatment, there are no casualties to Israeli forces. The occupation forces withdrew from the city of Jenin and its camp in the occupied West Bank after storming it at dawn on Wednesday. They clashed with resistance fighters, destroyed infrastructure, and besieged the outskirts of the camp. They also stormed the town of Yatta, north of Hebron, and the village of Al-Walaja, west of Bethlehem, and launched an arrest campaign. The Jenin Battalion - affiliated with the Al-Quds Brigades - confirmed that it engaged in violent clashes with the Israeli forces and caused serious injuries among the ranks of the occupation soldiers and vehicles. Al Jazeera's correspondent reported that the occupation bulldozers destroyed and bulldozed streets and infrastructure on the outskirts of the Jenin camp that had been rehabilitated a few days ago. The correspondent indicated that the storming and destruction took place in light of the flight of reconnaissance planes and the deployment of sniper teams in various locations. For its part, the Palestinian News Agency confirmed that a young man was moderately injured as a result of a bombing operation from an Israeli drone in the eastern neighborhood of Jenin camp, confirming that the occupation forces arrested an ambulance volunteer. In a related context, local Palestinian platforms published video clips documenting the Israeli occupation forces storming of the town of Yabad, located south of the city of Jenin. Al Jazeera's correspondent also confirmed that the occupation soldiers targeted school students with live bullets at the Tariq Bin Ziyad roundabout in Hebron. He added that the occupation forces, accompanied by demolition vehicles, stormed the village of Al-Walaja, west of Bethlehem, and also stormed the towns of Al-Mazraa Al-Gharbiyya and Birzeit, north of Ramallah, and the city of Qalqilya. Al Jazeera's correspondent confirmed that the Israeli occupation forces stormed the town of Yatta, east of Hebron, arrested about 19 Palestinians and launched a campaign of raids. Yesterday, Tuesday, 4 Palestinians were killed by the occupation armys bullets, 3 of them in a military operation in the city of Tubas and the nearby Al-Faraa camp, and the fourth was killed by the occupations bullets at the Mazmoria checkpoint (between Bethlehem and occupied Jerusalem). Hamas' al-Qassam Brigades in Lebanon launched large salvos of Grad-type artillery rockets aimed at two Israeli military sites in al-Jalil Panhandle on Wednesday morning. The Resistance faction said its fighters launched a total of 40 Grad-type rockets at the bases from South Lebanon. The targeted sites are the 769th Territorial Brigades' headquarters in "Kiryat Shmona", named "Camp Gibor" and the "Matar" Barracks near "Beit Hillel". The operations come in response to Israeli massacres against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the assassination of the leaders in the Southern Suburb of Beirut, a statement released by al-Qassam revealed. Pictures circulating on social media highlighted the impact of a rocket on a building in "Kiryat Shmona", as Israeli occupation forces arrived at the scene to inspect the damage caused by a rocket's impact. This is the second time that al-Qassam Brigades fighters have executed a rocket launch operation in response to the assassination of the late Deputy Chief of Hamas' Political bureau and Resistance leader martyr Sheikh Saleh al-Arouri and six other leaders and fighters in the Southern Suburb of Beirut, on January 2. The first response occurred on January 16, when al-Qassam fighters launched 20 rockets from South Lebanon at an Israeli military base in "Liman" near the coast of northern occupied Palestine. At the time, the group also mourned its fighter, Walid Ahmad Hasanayn, who was martyred on the same day of the retaliatory attack. The Islamic Resistance in Lebanon - Hezbollah also played a crucial role in responding to the attack, which not only led to the martyrdom of al-Arouri but also violated the security of the Southern Suburb of Beirut. In their own response, Hezbollah fighters launched a total of 62 guided-missile and rockets at the "Meron" Air Traffic Control Base, on the morning of January 6. The attack severely damaged the spyware and radar system equipment and was dubbed a top-tier operation, as the site is located on the highest point in occupied Palestinian territories. "Hezbollah" targeted the sites of Ramtha and Al-Sammaqa, and the deployment of Israeli soldiers in the vicinity of the Birkat Risha site. The Lebanese "Hezbollah" announced on Wednesday that its fighters had targeted the Ramtha and Sammaqa sites and the deployment of Israeli soldiers around the Birkat Risha site, confirming that direct casualties had been achieved. Hezbollah issued several statements confirming that it had targeted the vicinity of the Birkat Risha site with missile weapons, the Ramtha site in the Shebaa Farms, and the Al-Summaqa site in the Lebanese Shebaa Farms. Hezbollah explained in a statement: The Mujahideen of the Islamic Resistance targeted, at 05:00 in the afternoon, on Wednesday, February 28, 2024, a deployment of Israeli enemy soldiers in the vicinity of the Birkat Risha site with missile weapons, and they achieved direct hits. He added in a statement: At 05:00 in the afternoon on Wednesday, February 28, 2024, the Mujahideen of the Islamic Resistance targeted the Ramtha site in the occupied Lebanese Shebaa Farms with missile weapons and hit it directly. Hezbollah confirmed: At 05:05 pm on Wednesday, February 28, 2024, the Mujahideen of the Islamic Resistance targeted the Al-Summaqa site in the occupied Lebanese Shebaa Farms with missile weapons and hit it directly. Israeli media reported that a missile attack was fired from southern Lebanon towards Israeli settlements on Wednesday morning. An RT correspondent reported that an Israeli artillery shelling targeted the town of Rashaya Al-Fakhar, and an interceptor missile fired by the Israeli Iron Dome exploded in the airspace of the town of Kafr Hamam in the eastern sector of southern Lebanon. Tel Aviv acknowledged that the Meron Air Base, north of the occupied territories, was damaged by missiles launched by the Lebanese Islamic Resistance. The army said in a statement, After the sirens sounded earlier (Tuesday), about 20 rocket launches were detected from Lebanese territory. He added, A number of them (the missiles) were successfully intercepted... An anti-tank missile was also detected that crossed Lebanese territory towards the Meron area in the Upper Galilee. The army confirmed that damage was detected in the air force control unit, claiming that there is no damage to the facilitys efficiency. Yesterday morning, Tuesday (2/27/2024), the Islamic Resistance targeted the Meron air control base in Jabal Al-Jarmak, with a large missile attack from several launchers. The Mujahideen of the Islamic Resistance also targeted the Ruwaisat Al-Alam site in the occupied Lebanese Shebaa Farms, as well as two enemy spy equipment at the Ramtha site with appropriate weapons. Fighter jets attacked Hezbollah military infrastructures in the areas of Kafra and Tzadikin in southern Lebanon. In addition, the IDF attacked with artillery fire in a sick area. Fighter jets attacked a launcher from which launches were made towards the Kiryat Shmona area this morning. In addition, a number of military infrastructures of the Hezbollah terrorist organization were attacked in the A-Ski, Bint Jebel and Yarin areas. Following the warnings in the Western Galilee area, a number of launches were detected from Lebanon towards Israeli territory, some of them landed in Lebanese territory and the rest in open areas in Israeli territory, there were no Israeli casualties. Fighter jets attacked a munitions warehouse and military buildings of the Hezbollah terrorist organization in the Ramiyah region of southern Lebanon. During the night, the IDF attacked a site for the production of weapons of the terrorist organization Hezbollah in the Kharbat Salem area. Following the alerts that were activated in the Kiryat Shmona area, about ten launches from Lebanese territory were detected that crossed into Israeli territory, the air defense fighters successfully intercepted several launches. The IDF attacked the sources of the shooting in Lebanese territory. Fighter jets attacked military buildings and terrorist infrastructures of Hezbollah in the areas of A-Taiba, Beit Leaf, Tzadikin and Khirbat Salem. Earlier, fighter jets attacked a military infrastructure and an aircraft attacked a terrorist cell that was identified in the Eyta al-Sha'ab region. During the day, several other terrorist infrastructures were attacked in the area. The Israeli Broadcasting Authority said that Lebanese Hezbollah bombed an Israeli army base during a tour by Chief of Staff Herzi Halevy at the site, on a day that witnessed the launching of dozens of rockets from southern Lebanon , and some reports described it as an unprecedented escalation. The Commission stated that Hezbollah fired a number of missiles at the 146th Division headquarters in Gatoun, near the Nahariya settlement in the Western Galilee, during the Chief of Staffs tour of the site. For its part, Hezbollah announced that on Tuesday it bombed the Meron air control base in Jabal al-Jarmaq twice with missiles from several launchers, and also targeted the 146th Division headquarters with dozens of Katyusha rockets, in response to the Israeli armys bombing of the vicinity of the city of Baalbek in eastern Lebanon, on Monday. Some Israeli media reported that more than 100 missiles were launched from southern Lebanon since Tuesday morning, and pictures broadcast by activists showed shells landing in the vicinity of the Meron base in Jabal al-Jarmaq. During his inspection of the soldiers near the northern border, Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevy said that Hezbollah "will pay a very heavy price." On the other hand, former Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said - commenting on the intense missile bombardment from Lebanon - that "the war government lost the northern front." In turn, the head of the Regional Council of the Galilee region of Merom said that they do not feel that Hezbollahs escalation is being deterred, and added that they were subjected to a heavy barrage of missiles towards Mount Meron. Al Jazeera's correspondent said that Israeli artillery shelling targeted the vicinity of the towns of Markaba and Mays al-Jabal, and the Wadi Saluki area, south of Lebanon. The correspondent also reported earlier that Israeli aircraft launched a series of raids on various areas in southern Lebanon, targeting the vicinity of the towns of Al-Bisariya, Jibshit, Al-Mansouri, Al-Haniya, and Ayta Al-Shaab. + Hezbollah entered into a confrontation with Israel following the Al-Aqsa Flood operation on October 7, and the outbreak of the Israeli war on Gaza. Israel evacuated tens of thousands of Israelis from settlements and towns near the border with Lebanon. Israeli officials threatened to launch a massive military operation if a settlement was not reached that would remove Hezbollah fighters from the border beyond the Litani River, while the party threatened a strong response. The German naval frigate "Hessen" was deployed in the Red Sea as part of a European Union naval mission to protect shipping operations. The deployment that began on 23 February 2024 was considered one of the most dangerous missions for the German Armed Forces in several decades. The German News Agency reported that the frigate "Hessen", which is part of the European naval mission "Aspids" to protect merchant ships in the Red Sea, mistakenly attacked an Allied drone. The agency explained in a statement, quoting Defense Ministry spokesman Michael Stempfel: The frigate Hessen inadvertently attacked a drone belonging to an allied country, after being detected in the area of operations, which initially could not be linked to any allied country. The agency added: "Hesse attacked this drone, but without being able to shoot it down, as it later became clear that it was not hostile." The frigate "Hessen" is stationed in the Red Sea as part of the European naval mission "ASPEDS" to protect navigation and attacks against ships. 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 The UN rapporteur on the right to food, Michael Fakhri, said that the crisis in the Gaza Strip is unprecedented in the world, calling for Israel to be held accountable for war crimes and genocide. In statements to Al Jazeera, Fakhri added that there are attempts by governments to introduce aid, but there is no action. The UN rapporteur indicated that Israel's allies bear responsibility for human rights violations, and pointed out that there is targeting of humanitarian workers and obstruction of aid convoys. Fakhri expressed his frustration with the international system, and said, "I do not trust the Security Council, as its decisions may not be implemented or face a veto." Since the start of the war on Gaza on October 7, the United States has used its veto in the Security Council three times against draft ceasefire resolutions. the British newspaper The Guardian quoted Fakhri as saying that Israel is not only targeting civilians, but is trying to destroy the future of the Palestinian people by harming their children. He added that Israel is deliberately starving the Palestinians, and must be held accountable for war crimes and genocide, and this means that the entire State of Israel is guilty, not individuals or the current government alone. Health workers across Gaza continue to face enormous risks and challenges to save lives, as the health care system struggles to remain functional amid continued hostilities, access constraints, lack of supplies, and an overwhelming patient load per health-care worker. Reflecting on her experience at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis in January, MedGlobals medical director, Dr. Nahreen Ahmed, describes a situation where death [is[ happening in a fully treatable situation due to the lack of medications and supplies, and doctors are operating to the sound of gunfire and missile strikes. Dr. Ahmed further states that injured persons limbs are amputated without anesthesia, and the delivery of urgent medical supplies can often take weeks to months. More than 1,000 children are reported to have suffered a loss of limb because of the bombing since the onset of hostilities, according to UNICEF. On 27 February, MoH reported that some 120 patients still require medical evacuation from Nasser Hospital, the largest hospital in southern Gaza, which has become non-functional and requires urgent repairs to restore running water and electricity, and to cope wih the disposal of solid waste and sewage overflow. MoH also called for the release of 70 health personnel who were detained by Israeli forces during a raid on the hospital, following weeks of heavy fighting in its vicinity and shelling that caused damage to the orthopaedic department. Between 18 and 23 February, the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) evacuated 72 critically wounded and sick patients from the hospital, with the support of the World Health Organization (WHO) and OCHA. As of 28 February, 64 per cent of hospitals in Gaza have become non-functional (23 out of 36), with the remainder only partially or minimally functional, according to WHO. The situation is especially critical in Rafah where the influx of internally displaced persons (IDPs) has overwhelmed available hospital bed capacities, and in northern Gaza where access by Emergency Medical Teams (EMTs) remains challenging. Between 7 October and 20 February, WHO documented 378 attacks on health care across Gaza that resulted in the killing of 659 people and the injury of 843 others. The food insecurity and malnutrition crisis in Gaza is intensifying. On 27 February, MoH in Gaza reported that two infants had died in Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, as a result of dehydration and malnutrition. Food Security Sector (FSS) partners are reporting a lack of sufficient basic food supplies and an urgent need to import the agricultural inputs necessary for reactivating domestic production of essential fresh food, such as eggs, vegetables, meat, fish and milk. Children, pregnant and breastfeeding women, the elderly, people with underlying health conditions, and tens of thousands of injured persons are at high risk of malnutrition, as are hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in northern Gaza, which has been largely cut off from assistance despite some relief efforts. In a briefing to the Security Council on food security risks in Gaza on 27 February, Director of OCHA Coordination Division, Mr. Ramesh Rajasingham, highlighted recommendations to ensure, among others, the lifting of restrictions on fishing activity, access to farmland and the entry of agricultural products, warning that if no action is taken, widespread famine in Gaza is almost inevitable. According to projections by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) for the period between 8 December and 7 February, the entire population of the Gaza Strip faces crisis or worse levels of food insecurity, including more than half a million people, or one in four households, facing catastrophic conditions characterized by lack of food, starvation and exhaustion of coping capacities. According to Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), the prolonged and unpredictable administrative procedures which Israel imposes on aid deliveries to Gaza are impeding access to lifesaving equipment and supply for health care facilities. Because of strict screening procedures, it can take up to one month for supplies to enter Gaza, and if the Israeli authorities deny entry to reject even a single item, the entire cargo is returned to Egypt. With no official list of restricted items, MSF reports that it has consistently been denied the import of power generators, water purifiers, solar panels, and other medical equipment. According to the MSF project coordinator in Gaza: These supplies mean the difference between life and death for many people, including thousands who suffer from chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes or epilepsy. WHO reports that referring patients outside of Gaza for tertiary care is also a challenge, with 2,293 patients and 1,625 companions permitted to exit through the Rafah Crossing since the onset of hostilities, while more than 8,000 patients are currently on the waiting list. UNRWA is also reporting difficulties in having its trucks enter Gaza due to security constraints and temporary closures at both the Kerem Shalom and Rafah Crossings. According to UNRWA, more than 2,300 trucks have entered Gaza so far in February, a nearly 50 per cent reduction compared to January 2024, and far short of the estimated 500 trucks needed each day to meet peoples basic needs. Security has been severely impacted due to the killing of several Palestinian policemen in Israeli airstrikes near the Kerem Shalom Crossing recently, which has led to the withdrawal of the policemen from the Palestinian side of the crossing, and trucks being stopped and their contents either robbed or taken directly by residents deeply in need of assistance. Crowds of Gaza residents stampeded, some of whom were stationed on the beach, in an attempt to obtain aid dropped from the air, according to cameras that documented the airdrop operation carried out by four Arab countries in partnership with France, to relief civilians amid the ongoing war between Israel and the Hamas movement. This comes in conjunction with a UN warning that a quarter of Gazas population is one step away from famine, which raises questions about the reasons for the airdrops and the extent of the possibility of it being repeated, in light of reports of its connection to an expected closure of land crossings. Four Arab countries: Jordan, the Emirates, Egypt, and Qatar, in addition to France, carried out an airdrop operation of aid to the residents of the Gaza Strip. The military and strategic analyst residing in Jordan, retired Colonel Ismail Abu Ayoub, attributes the four Arab countries airdrop to preventing and disrupting Israels control of access of aid to the Gaza Strip via land. Over the past few days, Palestinians have gathered in northern Gaza awaiting the arrival of aid trucks, which UN agencies say can no longer be delivered there. General Samir Farag, confirms that the airdrop included economic, food and medical aid so that the aid reaches the residents of the central and northern Gaza Strip. The "ground" aid did not reach those areas, because after it passed through Rafah, it was "arrested by the Israeli army, or seized by the people," according to what he told the "Al-Hurra" website. For his part, Emirati political analyst, Mohammed Taqi, points out that the operation is not the first of its kind, and comes to help the residents of the Gaza Strip, as part of ongoing humanitarian efforts to alleviate the suffering of civilians who face exceptionally critical circumstances. Qatari political analyst, Abdullah Al-Wathin, he believes that the Arab countries that participated in the airdrop operation were forced due to the closure of the land crossings, as well as the Israeli naval blockade on the Gaza Strip. Israel is not satisfied with the introduction of aid to the population in the Gaza Strip by land through international crossings, and is trying to disrupt the arrival of aid and prevent its flow, according to what he told the Al-Hurra website. Israel is using "aid as a pressure card on Hamas" to free the hostages, which is related to the negotiations currently underway between the two sides, according to the Qatari political analyst. Speaking to the Al-Hurra website, Palestinian political analyst Adel Al-Ghoul describes the aid arriving to the residents of Gaza by air as without any benefit or impact on the ground. He believes that Israel took a decision to "disrupt the arrival of aid through the Rafah crossing," and thus "trucks carrying thousands of tons of aid piled up on the Egyptian side." The aid being dropped by air cannot cover 1 percent of the needs of the population in Gaza, and is therefore useless, while hunger is increasing and the humanitarian crisis is escalating among civilians, according to Al-Ghoul. But on the other hand, the Israeli political analyst, Mordechai Kedar, talks about a problem related to the passage of trucks through the crossings. Hamas members seize aid trucks, sell them to residents at exorbitant prices, and leave residents to die of hunger in order to exploit the issue, according to what he told the Al-Hurra website. He believes that the countries decided to send aid by air, to deliver it directly to the needy population, and so that the matter would not be done through Hamas members. Video clips circulating on social media platforms, and published by CNN and the New York Times , documented some of this aid falling into the sea, and dozens stampeding over it. Some clips showed a huge stampede among residents to get bags of food, and some also entered the beach to pick up aid dropped by the Jordanian army in the presence of Jordanian King Abdullah II personally, from the air on the coast of the Gaza Strip. The airdrop was carried out without parachute guidance devices, and the planes were forced to fly at low altitudes, according to the Jordanian Petra Agency. Abu Ayoub confirms that there are negatives to airdrop operations, for several reasons. A large portion of the aid fell at sea and the population in Gaza did not benefit from it, due to the small geographical area in which it was dropped, according to what the former military pilot said. He points out that "the wind speed at the upper levels is different from that on the ground, as well as the difference in directions," which leads to difficulty controlling the direction of dropping aid. There are more advanced methods, but it requires high technology, which not all countries possess, through the presence of an autopilot in the parachute that can direct it to the point where aid is intended to be dropped, as Abu Ayoub reveals. He believes that "this advanced technology was not present in the aircraft used to deliver aid," and thus a large portion of it fell into the sea. Since the start of the war in Gaza, the Jordanian army had carried out 22 airdrops, and Israel said that the operations were carried out in coordination with it. This is confirmed by Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Lior Hayat to Al-Hurra website, who says that "the operation was carried out in coordination with the Israeli government and the Israeli army." The Israeli army spokesmen's unit explained to Al-Hurra website that the landing operation was carried out in cooperation with Israel. The aid included 160 parcels of food and medical equipment for residents of the southern Gaza Strip, and during the past two days, approximately 160 food baskets were dropped at about 17 different points along the southern coast of the Gaza Strip, according to the Israeli Army Spokesmens Unit. This was done using American, Egyptian, Emirati, French, and Jordanian aircraft, and the aid included food supplies and medical equipment intended for residents of the southern Gaza Strip, according to the Israeli Army Spokesmens Unit. Kedar stresses that Israel wants to check and make sure that there are no weapons under the aid, and insists on inspecting every truck, but Egypt does not want this to be done on Egyptian territory. In Israel, there are residents who do not want trucks to pass through the Israeli territory of the Gaza Strip, as long as there are Israeli kidnappers, and therefore the process of aid arriving by land is very complicated, in the words of the Israeli political analyst. He confirms that Israel prefers aid to reach the population via air, because it trusts that governments do not send weapons to Hamas, considering that the problem relates to the earth, not the sky. The aid that comes via land is a big problem for Israel, especially if it comes via Egypt because it (may carry weapons), according to the Israeli political analyst. But Samir Farag denies this and says: All trucks leaving Egypt are fully audited and reviewed. If this proposal was true, it would have been better to deliver the weapons by parachute, which is not subject to scrutiny by the Israeli side, according to the Egyptian military expert. For his part, Al-Wathin believes that the Israeli side is trying to "disrupt ground aid by deliberately closing the crossings," describing this as "intransigence." Arab countries also bear responsibility for this, but Egypt and Jordan bear the greatest responsibility by virtue of the presence of border crossings and outlets with Israel, according to the Qatari political analyst. He points out that the Arab countries on the other side of the crossings are negligent in putting pressure on the Israeli side, in reference to Egypt and Jordan. Al-Ghoul believes that the airdrop of aid is a prelude to completely closing the crossings. If there is no Arab and international pressure to bring aid through the Rafah crossing and distribute it under the supervision of UNRWA, we will see many people dying from hunger, according to the Palestinian political analyst. He says, "Israel is bringing aid into the northern Gaza Strip through (families and tribes) and thus leaving the besieged residents to eat each other." But the Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman denies that Israel has taken any decision to close the crossings. Hayat points out that Israel is considering several options to deliver humanitarian aid to the civilian population in Gaza, and to ensure that the aid does not pass through UNRWA due to its relationship with Hamas. For his part, Samir Faraj denies that there is any intention on the part of Egypt to close the Rafah crossing. He says: Egypt has not and will not close the Rafah crossing, and the Egyptian side of the crossing is always open. Egypt sends 80 trucks daily carrying hundreds of tons to the population, through the crossing, to alleviate the suffering of the people of Gaza, but the Israeli authorities are obstructing their arrival to the population with the aim of pressuring Hamas, according to the Egyptian military and strategic expert. Axis of Resistance The head of the political bureau of the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ), Ismail Haniyeh , in a speech broadcast on Al Jazeera, called on all parties to take the initiative to break what he called the starvation conspiracy in Gaza, warning the occupation against attacking Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. Haniyeh said that it is the duty of the Arab and Islamic nations to take the initiative to break the starvation conspiracy in the northern Gaza Strip. He added, "It is not permissible for the people of Gaza to watch their nation while hunger is crushing them and taking from them what they deserve," stressing the need to reach sustainable aid bridges that protect Gaza from the clutches of the starvation conspiracy. Haniyeh stressed that the Israeli occupation is committing the most horrific crimes of murder, extermination and displacement that humanity has ever witnessed in Gaza, and that its army represents one of the lowest armies that humanity has known in its history, but for months it was helpless in the face of the Palestinian resistance men in the field in Gaza, and it only succeeded in killing children. Women and the elderly. In the same context, Haniyeh warned Israel against carrying out a ground military operation in Rafah, threatening it that the Palestinian resistance in the field would confront it, and called on the world - especially the Arab countries - to confront this enemy and restrain it to discourage it from invading Rafah. The head of the Hamas political bureau also warned Israel and the United States of America that what they were unable to impose on the field will not be taken over by the machinations of politics. He said that the resistance will remain faithful to the sacrifices and adhere to the principles of its people and nation, and that any flexibility we show in negotiations is out of concern for the blood of our people and to put an end to For his great pain and great sacrifices in the brutal war of extermination against him, they are matched by his willingness to defend the Palestinian people. Regarding the issue of Al-Aqsa Mosque , Haniyeh addressed a call to the Palestinians in Jerusalem, the West Bank and the occupied interior to travel to Al-Aqsa from the first day of the month of Ramadan, stressing that Al-Aqsa will remain the address of confrontation, and our people will defend their mosques, churches and sanctities with all forms of resistance. He said that the Al-Aqsa Flood operation was for Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa, and that the resistance entered Al-Aqsa Flood at a time when the enemy was preparing to liquidate the Palestinian cause. He stressed that the occupier imagines that he is emptying the meaning of the Al-Aqsa Flood Battle by further encroaching on Al-Aqsa Mosque, where he besieged it and freed his extremists to perform Biblical rituals, and released his soldiers to display their religious war by raising the flags of the alleged Temple on their tanks. He said, "The occupier is setting the foundations once again for future battles, with Al-Aqsa as their title," and in the same context, he stressed that the minimum that the Palestinians accept in Al-Aqsa Mosque and other holy sites is adherence to the status quo in accordance with international law. Haniyeh also spoke in his speech - which came within the Al-Quds International Foundation event in Beirut - about the West Bank, saying that the intensification of aggression it is witnessing lays the foundation for a comprehensive displacement plan. Allied for Democracy Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant said that the costs they are incurring in the Gaza Strip in terms of the dead and wounded are high. Gallant added, "Our soldiers are fighting in Gaza and on the northern front, and we are doing our best to recover the kidnapped people." He added, "There is a real national need to extend the service of the military and extend the service of reserve soldiers," noting that all segments of society must share the high price we pay during the war. He continued, saying, "We have not witnessed such a war in 75 years, and this calls us to approve amendments to the conscription law." The Israeli Minister of Defense stated that the required agreements must be reached regarding the conscription law among coalition members, expressing his hope that the opposition will join in working on the amendments. Gallant added, "This is not a political matter, but a national matter." He stressed that they would not hesitate to resort to the military option to restore security to the people of the north if the political process failed. For his part, Minister in the Israeli War Council Benny Gantz stated that all segments of society must be part of military service and this is a security, national and social need. He explained that he would work with the Minister of Defense to reach a general agreement on the conscription law and a possible national consensus. The Swiss newspaper Le Temps [not Le Tan or Lotan] said that the pro-Israel non-governmental organization United Nations Watch held a secret conference in a restaurant near the United Nations, to which a group of figures - including former Special Coordinator for the Middle East Dennis Ross during the era of US President Bill Clinton - called to work to abolish the agency. The United Nations Relief and Works for Palestine Refugees ( UNRWA ), which believes that it is working to perpetuate the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The event was organized - according to Stephane Bussard's report for the French-language newspaper - under the title "The International Summit for a Future Without UNRWA," but the attendance in Geneva was small, and consisted mainly of Israel enthusiasts and a group of speakers. The conference, which was initially supposed to be held at the Palais des Nations, was transformed into a restaurant located a stone's throw from the United Nations headquarters. The organization's executive director, Hillel Neuer, directly attacked UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres , who was a few hundred meters away to open the 55th session of the Human Rights Council, saying, "You say that UNRWA is indispensable and that it is vital for the Palestinians, and yet 42 of its members participated." In the October 7 attacks, between 1,200 and 1,500 agency employees were part of the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ) or Islamic Jihad , according to Neuer, although none of these claims have yet been proven. After distributing a booklet entitled Torgram - which recounts the conversations of 300 UNRWA teachers on Telegram in which they welcomed the Hamas attack - Neuer said, Enough is enough, UNRWA must be replaced. According to Neuer, UNRWA is a corrupt organization to the core, echoing a campaign led by Israel for years for the agencys disappearance. This was echoed by Israels ambassador to the United Nations, Merav Elon Shahar, saying, Israel cannot continue to live with UNRWA in Gaza. For his part, Dennis Ross believed that it was necessary to make radical changes, saying that if UNRWA maintains the same role it plays today, it will allow Hamas to return, and any reconstruction of Gaza will be impossible. Ross pointed to the possibility of benefiting from organizations such as the World Food Program and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees as alternatives to UNRWA. These criticisms against the agency - headed by the Swiss Philippe Lazzarini - come at a time when the people of Gaza are suffering from real hell and a humanitarian catastrophe, and they are besieged by Israeli bombing and hunger due to the ban on entry of insufficient humanitarian aid, and 18 countries have frozen the agencys funding. Although the future of UNRWA is under threat - as the newspaper says - its fate depends on two investigations, one led by the United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services, and the other led by former French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna and authorized by the Security Council , to shed light on possible charges against UNRWA employees. American writer Thomas Friedman says that Israel's status , level of acceptance, and legitimacy that has been painstakingly built for it over decades are eroding at an increasing speed among friendly countries. If US President Joe Biden is not careful, Washington's global standing will decline along with Israel's standing. Friedman explained - in an article in the New York Times - that after a long tour from India to the Emirates and Jordan , he wants to deliver an urgent message to Biden and the Israelis, which is that he believes they do not fully appreciate the anger that is rising around the world, and which is fueled by social media. Social media and television footage, due to the killing of thousands of Palestinian civilians, especially children, with weapons provided by the United States in the war on Gaza. The writer added that it is clear that such anger is intensifying in the Arab world, but he heard it repeatedly in conversations in India over the past week with friends, business leaders, officials, and journalists, young and old. He pointed out that what he heard in India is more significant because the Hindu-dominated government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the only major force in the global south that supported Israel and constantly blamed the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ). He said: With so many civilians being killed in a retaliatory invasion launched by an Israeli government with no political horizon for the next day, and with its Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announcing a plan that tells the world that Israel intends to occupy both the West Bank and Gaza indefinitely, it is not surprising that Israel's friends will They move away and the Biden team will start to look bad. The writer indicated the erosion of Israel's position in the world with the calls that occur every day to ban Israel from international academic, artistic and sporting competitions or events, saying that the current Israeli government is doing things that make this very easy. He claimed that many of Israel's friends are now praying for a ceasefire so that their citizens or voters do not ask them not to be indifferent to this large and rising number of civilian casualties in Gaza. He added that many Arab leaders who secretly want to see Hamas destroyed are being pressured from the streets to the elites to publicly distance themselves from Israel, which is unwilling to consider any political horizon for Palestinian independence on any borders. He went on to say that he felt that the world was initially prepared, after the October 7 attack, to accept that there would be significant civilian casualties if Israel were to uproot Hamas and take back its hostages, but now it did not accept this toxic combination of thousands of civilian casualties and a peace plan. For Netanyahu, it only promises endless occupation. He described the entire Israeli war in Gaza as beginning to appear to more and more people like a human meat grinder whose only goal is to reduce the population so that Israel can control it more easily. The writer believes that Netanyahu's refusal to even think about trying to strengthen a new relationship with Palestinians other than Hamas is because this threatens his position as prime minister, which depends on the support of the extreme right-wing Jewish parties that will never give up a single inch of the West Bank . He stressed that this was difficult to believe, but the writer reiterated that Netanyahu is ready to sacrifice Israel's hard-won international legitimacy for his personal political needs, and will not hesitate to bring Biden down with him. The writer expressed his belief that the Israelis, whom he described as still deeply shocked by the October 7 attack, had failed to see that making an effort, at least to move slowly towards a Palestinian state led by a changing Palestinian authority and conditional on disarmament and the achievement of certain goals of institutional governance It is not a gift to the Palestinians or a reward to Hamas. He said that Israel is currently losing on three fronts simultaneously. It loses to the global narrative that it is fighting a just war, and it loses because it has no plan to exit Gaza, and it loses regionally to Iran and its anti-Israel proxies in Lebanon , Syria , Iraq , and Yemen , who are putting pressure on Israels northern, southern, and eastern borders. The writer concluded that there is one solution that would help on all three fronts: an Israeli government ready to begin the process of building two national states for two peoples, with a Palestinian authority that is truly ready and willing to change itself, saying that this gives cover for Israels Arab allies to partner with it in rebuilding Gaza. It provides the target for the regional alliance that Israel needs to confront Iran and its proxies. He concluded, "Failing to see this jeopardizes decades of diplomacy to get the world to recognize the right of the Jewish people to national self-determination and self-defense. It also puts the Biden administration in an increasingly untenable position that would make Iran happy." Axios quoted American and Israeli officials as saying that the administration of US President Joe Biden gave Israel a deadline to sign a letter committing it to international law when using American weapons. Officials confirmed that the deadline expires in mid-March, and includes Israel allowing humanitarian aid to enter the Gaza Strip. They added that if Israel does not provide guarantees by the specified date, American arms transfers to it will stop. According to the website, the deadline came after members of the US Senate expressed their concern about the use of weapons against civilians in the Gaza Strip. Axios explained that the aforementioned guarantees have now become a requirement under a memorandum issued by President Biden earlier this February, and although it does not specifically concern Israel, the new policy came after some Democratic senators expressed their concerns about the Israeli military campaign in Gaza. The website quoted a senior Israeli official as saying that the United States has set to obtain written guarantees from Israel by mid-next March so that US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken can ratify them by the end of the same month. The official pointed out that the letter did not specify the Israeli party that must sign the guarantees, and that Tel Aviv gets to decide who will sign the letter in the government. In turn, an American official said that similar messages had been sent in recent days to many other countries that use American weapons, according to what Axios reported. Reuters reported from officials in the Democratic Party and the White House that the election campaign of US President Joe Biden was surprised by the extent of anger and frustration within the party over Washingtons support for Israel in its war on Gaza and other issues. The agency also quoted a senior adviser to Biden's election campaign as saying that the party was harmed by its support for Israel in a way that was more than expected. In a lengthy report that highlighted the escalation of protests within the Democratic Party 9 months before the presidential elections, American officials said that anger over Bidens handling of the Gaza war may lead to a decline in support for him. The agency noted the escalation of calls from activists in the Democratic Party not to vote for Biden in the presidential elections, during which he is supposed to face the potential Republican Party nominee, Donald Trump. The report indicated that anger at Biden's policies, especially with regard to his support for Israel in its war on Gaza and his refusal to call for a permanent ceasefire, is rising among young people and Americans of Arab and African descent. Axios reported that the administration of US President Joe Biden is increasingly concerned about the possibility of Gaza becoming a new Mogadishu, after the security vacuum and desperation opened the door for armed gangs to attack and plunder humanitarian aid trucks. Social media platforms had recently circulated pictures of Gaza police officers , who were affiliated with the administration of the Strip by the Islamic Resistance Movement ( Hamas ), and civil service forces in the north and south of the Strip. Among their tasks was protecting aid convoys arriving into the Strip. But the deployment of these forces, even if it was to secure the arrival of humanitarian relief convoys and distribute their contents, disturbed the Israeli occupation, which saw it as a sign of the return of Hamas and the extent of its ability to withstand, which prompted it to target it directly. The United States Special Envoy for Humanitarian Issues in the Middle East, David Satterfield, commented on these targeting, saying, Earlier in February, the Israeli army killed members of the Palestinian police who were guarding a United Nations aid convoy, in the besieged city of Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip. One of the World Food Program convoys heading north was subjected to chaos and violence due to the collapse of civil order. Several trucks were looted between Khan Yunis and Deir al-Balah, and the driver of one of them was beaten, which prompted the World Food Program to suspend its aid in the north. The Biden administration's fear of Gaza turning into a new Mogadishu comes because the latter was the most dangerous and lawless city in the world, due to long years of war and destruction, something that Biden fears will be repeated in the Strip. The collapse of civil order and the spread of chaos in Gaza will not be in the interest of any party, and so the US administration asked Israel to avoid this - according to Axios - to stop targeting civilian police members, affiliated with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, who accompany aid trucks in the Strip. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin discussed Washington's concerns with his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Gallant , and stressed the need to find a way to provide security for aid trucks entering the Strip. But Israel rejected the American request, because it says that one of its main goals in the war is to ensure that Hamas no longer runs the Gaza Strip. Al-Jazeera's Shabakat program monitored some of the tweeters comments on the matter, including what Elian wrote: It will turn into Mogadishu, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, or Ukraine, all of which defeated the West. While Saleh Al-Amoudi tweeted: I swear to God, we have surpassed Mogadishu.. War, killing, and famine are another thing, and the absence of law is another thing, thefts, looting, and prices are another thing. As for Nour El-Din, he wrote, America is trying to market itself as caring for the rights of the Gazans, but it is the country that contributes most to the extermination of the Palestinians. How can the Zionist enemy refuse a request from America when it is the one that supplies it with weapons and ammunition? Alaa Abu Radi said: There are no risks (for) Israel and no risks for America, and by the way, the police are not affiliated with Hamas. The police are a civilian body and include elements from all segments of the people. It is noteworthy that the occupation does not only target the Gaza Strip police, as cameras have recorded in recent days targeting gatherings of Palestinian civilians at aid convoys seeking relief, which led to the martyrdom of dozens of them in the northern Gaza Strip. President Joe Bidens campaign did not celebrate his victory last night in the state of Michigan, as Biden lost the votes of more than 100,000 Democratic voters who voted Uncommitted by 13.2%. Or the equivalent of 102,000 voters, with approximately 85% of the votes counted. This percentage is considered a victory for the movement not to vote for Biden against the backdrop of his full support for the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip . The results of the Michigan primary elections not only reflected an assessment of President Biden's strength in one of the most important swing states that represents a major battleground against his rival, Republican candidate Donald Trump , but will also serve as a decisive test of the price of Biden's refusal to call for a ceasefire in Gaza. The state of Michigan is home to more than 300,000 Americans of Middle Eastern origin, and this number does not include other groups that do not agree with the war in Gaza, especially young people and minorities. At the same time, a number of Democratic commentators believe that Arab and Muslim voters will not risk not voting for Biden because they believe that his rival, Donald Trump, will be much worse than him, as he pledged to prevent refugees from Gaza from entering the United States. Among those who voted "non-committal" was the representative of Palestinian origin, Rashida Tlaib, who said in a video clip, "Hello everyone, I am Rashida. I was proud today because I entered and withdrew a ballot for the Democratic Party, and I vote without commitment." "We must protect our democracy, and we must make sure that our government takes care of us," she added. Tlaib took the initiative to support Listen Michigan, a group that supports protests against Biden in the primaries. "When 74% of Democrats in Michigan support a ceasefire, and President Biden doesn't hear us, this is the way we can use our democracy to say listen to us," Tlaib continued. Organizers of Listen Michigan, the group behind the Vote Unconformity effort, were looking to win 10,000 votes, equal to Trump's margin of victory in the state in the 2016 election. Leaders of the Arab and Islamic American community in the state explained that non-compliant voting is the appropriate alternative to justify their feeling once again that they are not influential and unimportant by the American administration. Although Biden won the state in 2020 by about 150,000 votes, the margin of victory was much narrower in 2016, when Trump defeated Hillary Clinton by about 11,000 votes. The group leading the protest campaign said it hoped to get at least that number of votes, aiming to send a message to Biden's campaign about the domestic political costs of his stance on a conflict that is increasingly being referred to as genocide. The French newspaper Le Monde said that initiatives denouncing the complicity of the administration of US President Joe Biden in the ongoing killing in Gaza are multiplying, and have become part of the discussions related to the upcoming presidential elections, noting the increase in demonstrations in front of public buildings and the homes of elected officials, and voting on a resolution in favor of a ceasefire in dozens of cities. The newspaper started - in a report written by Corinne Lynes, its correspondent in San Francisco - from the small town of Ojai near Los Angeles, where 7,500 people live, because it became the media center for the pro-Palestinian mobilization in the state of California, after a small group of local activists stormed the municipal council hall led by Cyrus Mayer (29 years old). On February 13, the young man, who was wearing a keffiyeh and a cloth covered in red ink, stormed into the municipal council hall, where elected officials were meeting, and shouted, Help! Stop shooting! Stop shooting!, before collapsing on the ground as if receiving a fatal blow. Group members then grabbed the microphone and read the names of Palestinian children killed in Israeli bombings, and one woman broadcast recordings on her cell phone of the victims' screams. Why doesn't anyone do anything? she said. Activists came, at every municipal council meeting, to demand a study of the decision to support the residents of Gaza , and Mayer - the son of an Ashkenazi Jewish mother and an Iranian father - said, This is the realistic measure that we can take. We are trying to pressure the local authorities to demand a ceasefire, noting. Until poverty and police brutality made him aware of injustice since childhood. In addition to the City Council, the group targeted the luxury hotel that attracts Hollywood celebrities, and which is owned by the wealthy Crown family in Chicago, which is one of the major shareholders in General Dynamics, a manufacturer of military equipment whose bombs Israel uses, and thus the municipality collects taxes from this hotel, whose owner benefits from... The genocide of the Palestinians, Mayer criticized. In the end, the mobilization was successful, according to the young activist, as the city council adopted the ceasefire call by a majority of 3 votes to one, and Mayor Betsy Stix justified this decision by saying that it was to reduce suffering as much as possible. Pro-Palestinian mobilization in the United States has not stopped four months after the start of the war. Rather, demonstrations are multiplying in front of public buildings, such as state capitol buildings and airports, and even in front of the homes of officials and elected officials, such as the homes of Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin , and Nancy Pelosi , the former Democratic Speaker of the House of Representatives, who filed a complaint, and in front of the headquarters of oil companies such as Chevron, which operates a gas field off... Coasts of Israel. Since the fall - as the correspondent says - more than 70 cities, including Chicago, Seattle, St. Louis, Madison, Minneapolis, Oakland and Atlanta, have adopted resolutions calling for a ceasefire, often after arduous discussions and the reluctance of elected officials who prefer to avoid having to take a position on the conflict that divides the population. I strongly condemn them. In Chicago, the largest city that called for a ceasefire, the text of the municipal resolution reiterated the terms of the United Nations resolution that the United States vetoed last December . Democratic consultant Daniel La Spata said, Do I think our vote today has a direct impact? "On international politics? No, I don't live on illusions. But we vote to help people feel heard in a world of silence." In this largest city of Illinois, which includes the largest Palestinian community in the country and a large number of Jewish residents, Governor J.B. Pritzker, who is close to Joe Biden, announced that he was disappointed, after the citys mayor, Brandon Johnson, cast the decisive vote to choose between the two camps, 23 votes to 23, Hundreds of high school students demonstrated in the streets against the bombing in Gaza the next day. The correspondent indicated that most of the decisions were adopted in Democratic or swing states, and Michigan representative Rashida Tlaib, the only elected official of Palestinian origin in the Federal Congress, called on Democrats to show their disappointment with Bidens policies by voting for the non-committed option instead of Choice of the outgoing president. The campaign, called Listen to Michigan, was supported by director Michael Moore, a native of the state, in a largely symbolic vote, because Biden has no real opponent in the primaries, but this vote shows the discontent of part of the Democratic camp over Occupant of the White House. The correspond Russo-Ukraine War - 28 February 2024 - Day 734 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 the war in Ukraine has contributed to a significant shift in Russia's relationship with the countries of the former Soviet Union. Russia almost certainly continues to see maintaining its influence in these countries as a foreign policy priority, crucial to domestic security and economic prosperity. Since February 2022, while there are variations between countries, Russia's overall influence in its near neighbours has declined. The resources Russia has committed in Ukraine and its failure to achieve a military breakthrough have called into question Russia's traditional position as a regional security guarantor. Russia's violation of Ukrainian sovereignty has raised the prospect of a security threat from Russia itself. The decline in the Russian economy and the risk of secondary sanctions has intensified concerns around economic dependence on Russia. In response to these trends, states across the former Soviet Union have intensified efforts to diversify their economic, political and security relationships to reduce their dependence on Russia. While Russia maintains a significant presence, both overt and covert, in the region, the Kremlin's ability to achieve its aims and objectives has almost certainly declined significantly over the past two years. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that during the day of February 28, there were 79x combat engagements. Russian forces launched a total of 5x missile and 91x air strikes, carried out 102x MLRS attacks at the positions of Ukrainian troops and various settlements. Unfortunately, Russian attacks resulted in killed and wounded civilians. Residential private and apartment buildings, as well as other 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. Russian forces launched air strikes in the vicinities of Ploske, Budarky, Varvarivka (Kharkiv oblast). More than 30x settlements came under Russian artillery and mortar fire, including Prohres (Chernihiv oblast), Fotovyzh, Seredyna-Buda, Stara Huta (Sumy oblast), Strilecha, Luk'yantsi, Starytsya, Vovchans'k (Kharkiv oblast). Kup'yans'k axis: the Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled 1x attacks near Tabaivka, where the occupiers made attempts to dislodge Ukrainian troops from their positions. Russian forces launched air strikes in the vicinities of Kup'yans'k and Syn'kivka (Kharkiv oblast). Russian forces fired artillery and mortars at more than 10x settlements, including Zapadne, Syn'kivka, Ivanivka, Kotlyarivka (Kharkiv oblast). Lyman axis: the Ukrainian defenders repelled 6x assaults near Terny, Yampolivka (Donetsk oblast) and Bilohorivka (Luhansk oblast), where Russian forces made attempts to breach Ukrainian defense. Russian forces launched air strikes in the vicinities of Novojehorivka, Makiivka, Bilohorivka (Luhansk oblast), Terny, Rozdolivka (Donetsk oblast). Russian forces fired artillery and mortars at more than 10x settlements, including Nevs'ke, Bilohorivka (Luhansk oblast), Yampolivka, Tors'ke, Rozdolivka (Donetsk oblast). Bakhmut axis: the Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled 8x attacks in the vicinities of Ivanivske, Klishchiivka (Donetsk oblast), where the Russian occupiers made attempts to improve their tactical situation. Russian forces launched air strikes near Vasyutyns'ke and Chasiv Yar (Donetsk oblast). Around 10x settlements came under artillery and mortar fire, including Hryhorivka, Chasiv Yar, Andriivka, Druzhba (Donetsk oblast). Avdiivka axis: the Ukrainian defenders repelled 20x attacks in the vicinities of Berdychi, Orlivka, Tonen'ke, Pervomais'ke, Nevel's'ke (Donetsk oblast). Russian forces launched air strikes near Oleksandropil', Ocheretyne, Novobakhmutivka, Novoselivka Persha, Orlivka, Netailove (Donetsk oblast). Russian forces fired artillery and mortars at around 20x settlements, including Keramik, Novokalynove, Novobakhmutivka, Semenivka, Orlivka, Pervomais'ke (Donetsk oblast). Novopavlivka axis: the Ukrainian Defense Forces continue to hold back the invaders in the vicinities of Krasnohorivka, Heorhiivka, Novomykhailivka and Urozhaine (Donetsk oblast). In that area, Russian forces, with air support, made 25x attempts to breach Ukrainian defense. Russian forces launched air strikes near Kurakhove, Vuhledar, Staromaiors'ke (Donetsk oblast), Novodarivka (Zaporizhzhia oblast). Russian forces fired artillery and mortars at more than 20x settlements, including Krasnohorivka, Heorhiivka, Novomykhailivka, Kostyantynivka, Vuhledar, Blahodatne, Staromaiors'ke (Donetsk oblast). Orikhiv axis: the Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled 1x attack east of Robotyne (Zaporizhzhia oblast). Russian forces launched an air strike in the vicinity of Malynivka (Zaporizhzhia oblast). Around 20x settlements, including Malynivka, Chervone, Mala Tokmachka, Novodanylivka, P'yatykhatky (Zaporizhzhia oblast), were under Russian artillery and mortar fire. Odesa operational-strategic group, Kherson axis: the Russian occupiers do not abandon their intention to drive Ukrainian units out of their footholds on the left bank of the Dnipro. During the day, Russian forces made 3x attempt to assault positions of Ukrainian troops. Around 20x settlements, including L'vove, Ponyativka, Kherson, Antonivka (Kherson oblast), came under Russian artillery and mortar fire. During the day of February 28, the Ukrainian Air Force launched air strikes on 7x concentrations of Russian troops. The Ukrainian missile troops hit 1x command post, 1x concentration of troops, weapons and military equipment, 4x artillery systems, 1x air defense system and 1x electronic warfare station, 1x important target of the Russian invaders. The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that in Kupyansk direction, units of the Zapad Group of Forces improved the tactical situation and delivered strikes at enemy manpower and hardware near Sinkovka (Kharkov region). In addition, seven attacks launched by assault detachments of the AFU 32nd Mechanised Brigade, 77th Air Mobile Brigade, 95th Air Assault Brigade, and 57th Motorised Rifle Brigade were repelled near Sinkovka (Kharkov region) and Terni (Donetsk People's Republic). The AFU losses amounted to up to 145 Ukrainian troops, two infantry fighting vehicles, and two pickup trucks. In the course of counterbattery warfare, one U.S.-made M777 artillery system, one D-20 howitzer, one Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system, and one D-30 howitzer were neutralised. In Donetsk direction, units of the Yug Group of Forces improved the tactical situation along the front lines and inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the AFU 5th, 92nd assault brigades, 28th, 93rd mechanised brigades, 107th and 241st territorial defence brigades near Krasnoye, Bogdanovka, Kleschcheyevka, and Kurdyumovka (Donetsk People's Republic). Moreover, three counterattacks of the AFU 46th Air Mobile Brigade were repelled near Georgiyevka (Donetsk People's Republic). The AFU losses amounted to up to 230 Ukrainian troops, two tanks, two infantry fighting vehicles, and six motor vehicles. In the course of counterbattery warfare, one Polish-made Krab self-propelled artillery system, two D-20 howitzers, one Rapira anti-tank gun, one U.S.-made M119 towed howitzer, and one AFU ammunition depot were destroyed. In Avdeyevka direction, units of the Tsentr Group of Forces liberated Petrovskoye, took more advantageous lines, and repelled 11 counterattacks launched by assault detachments of the AFU near Leninskoye, Novgorodskoye, Novobakhmutovka, Tonenkoye, Orlovka, and Pervomayskoye (Donetsk People's Republic). The AFU losses amounted to up to 165 Ukrainian troops, four tanks, two Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, one U.S.-made M113 armoured personnel carriers, and five motor vehicles. In the course of counterbattery warfare, three D-20 howitzers, one Msta-B howitzer, one Gvozdika self-propelled howitzer, and five D-30 howitzers were wiped out. In South Donetsk direction, units of the Vostok Group of Forces supported by aviation inflicted losses on manpower and hardware of the AFU 128th Territorial Defence Brigade near Urozhaynoye and Staromayorskoye (Donetsk People's Republic). The AFU losses amounted to up to 115 Ukrainian troops, one tank, three motor vehicles, one Gvozdika self-propelled artillery system, one Rapira anti-tank gun, and one ammunition depot. In Kherson direction, as a result of active actions, Russian units took more advantageous positions, inflicted losses on manpower and hardware clusters of the AFU 128th Mountain Assault Brigade and 121st Territorial Defence Brigade near Primorskoye, Novopokrovka (Zaporozhye region), and Dudchany (Kherson region). One counterattack launched by an assault detachment of the AFU 117th Mechanised Brigade was repelled near Rabotino (Zaporozhye region). The AFU losses amounted to up to 40 Ukrainian troops and two motor vehicles. In the course of counterbattery warfare, one French-made CAESAR self-propelled artillery system, three D-20 howitzers, one Akatsiya self-propelled artillery system, and one D-30 howitzer were neutralised. Operational-Tactical aviation, unmanned aerial vehicles, and Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Groups of Forces wiped out one S-300 anti-aircraft missile system radar, one ammunition depot, one AFU POL depot, one unmanned aerial vehicles storage and manufacture facility, as well as engaged manpower and hardware in 131 areas during the day. Air defence units shot down 99 unmanned aerial vehicles close to Zovtnevoye (Kharkov region), Arapovka, Troitskoye, Novonikolskoye (Lugansk People's Republic), Yelenovka, Shevchenko (Donetsk People's Republic), as well as intercepted three HIMARS MLRS shells. In total, 575 airplanes and 267 helicopters, 13,622 unmanned aerial vehicles, 474 air defence missile systems, 15,266 tanks and other armoured fighting vehicles, 1,226 combat vehicles equipped with MLRS, 8,203 field artillery guns and mortars, as well as 19,179 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 Joint Statement on Charting a New Path for Hemispheric Migration Partnership at Trilateral Ministerial Meeting US Department of State Media Note Office of the Spokesperson February 28, 2024 The text of the following statement was released by the Governments of the United States of America, Guatemala, and Mexico on the occasion of a Trilateral Ministerial Meeting in Washington, DC. Begin Text. Senior officials from the United States, Guatemala, and Mexico met today at the State Department for a trilateral ministerial meeting to enhance cooperation on hemispheric migration management and regional development. Led by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, and White House Homeland Security Advisor Liz Sherwood Randall of the United States, Foreign Minister Carlos Ramiro Martinez and Minister of the Interior Francisco JosA JimAnez Irungaray of Guatemala, and Foreign Secretary Alicia BArcena Ibarra of Mexico, the meeting solidified key areas of collaboration between the three partners, including on issues related to root causes and development, border enforcement, labor mobility pathways and orderly, humane, and regular migration in the region. During the meeting, Foreign Minister Martinez announced Guatemala will host the next Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection ministerial meeting in the near future. The U.S. and Mexican delegations congratulated the Guatemalan delegation on a successful democratic transition and pledged to work closely with President Bernardo ArAvalo's administration to help strengthen institutions and democratic values in Guatemala. The three delegations agreed on the urgency of addressing the root causes of irregular migration and displacement. To that end, participants discussed the importance of encouraging investments in Guatemala that develop infrastructure and expand access to health, education, electricity and housing. Participants also emphasized the need to foster economic productivity, foster supply chains between our countries, and create jobs in the region. The delegations committed to expand access to labor mobility pathways as a strategic response to migration challenges in the region. All three countries emphasized the importance of upholding international human rights and protection standards, ensuring the dignity and well-being of migrants and refugees, and maintaining consular cooperation as a means of defending labor rights. The three countries discussed efforts to combat human trafficking and the importance of trafficking prevention programs. The participants committed to strengthen joint law enforcement efforts, including by enhancing information sharing and working collectively to investigative and prosecute human trafficking and migrant smuggling networks. Discussion also focused on the need to increase coordinated joint efforts on humane border management and enforcement, including at the U.S. - Mexico and Mexico - Guatemala borders. The three delegations committed to share data about migration flows by launching a new dashboard, which will enhance data-driven decision-making and coordination. The three delegations also committed to establish an operationally focused trilateral working group which will work to improve security, law enforcement, processes, and infrastructure along their international borders. Law enforcement authorities from the three countries will work together to identify security gaps, share information, and develop coordinated operational plans. This effort will build on and expand existing partnerships to address shared challenges at our borders. The participants reaffirmed their commitment to other regional cooperation initiatives, including the Summit on Labor Migration Pathways, which will be co-hosted by Mexico, Colombia, and the International Organization for Migration in May. This forum will help foster regional cooperation to address migration challenges in an effective manner that upholds the rights and dignity of all migrants. End Text. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Secretary Antony J. Blinken, Mexican Foreign Secretary Alicia Barcena, and Guatemalan Foreign Minister Carlos Ramiro Martinez before the U.S.-Mexico-Guatemala Trilateral Migration Ministerial Meeting US Department of State Remarks Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of State Benjamin Franklin Room February 28, 2024 SECRETARY BLINKEN: Thank you and good morning, everyone. Alicia, Carlos Ramiro, colleagues - welcome. It's wonderful to have you here today. We have the opportunity today to host two of our most important partners in the region, Mexico and Guatemala. And I have to tell you how much we appreciate the cooperation and the collaboration that we've had starting, of course, with the Lopez Obrador administration. I had the opportunity speaking to this yesterday to note that, at least from my perspective, the collaboration, the work between the governments of Mexico and the United States has never been stronger, never been greater. The challenges are also significant but we are facing them together across the board, and that's something that the United States deeply appreciates. And indeed, the collaboration that we have in many ways represents a model for what we would hope to see throughout our hemisphere, including with Guatemala. And here I have to say how much we both appreciate and admire the work of the new Arevalo administration - very, very pleased to see the transition take place and the government not only in place but acting strongly to meet the challenges of our moment, including the challenge of irregular migration. And of course, we know as Mexico heads into an election season as well, we wish our Mexican friends every success. Today we are really here to double down on the collaboration that we have in dealing with migration flows. We know that all of us are living in what is genuinely a historic time - around the world, more people on the move than at any time in recorded history, and the same is true of course in our own hemisphere. We have a shared commitment to safe, orderly, humane migration, and we want to make sure that the work that we are doing continues to move us in that direction. At the same time, I think we're all well attuned to the importance of focusing on root causes. In effect, people should have a right to remain in their own countries, but that means that the conditions have to exist that really make it not only possible but attractive for them to remain. The bottom line for so many people around the world is if you can't put food on the table for your kids, you'll try to figure out anything necessary to do that, including leaving your own country, your own community, your own family, your own language, your own culture. So creating those opportunities is a critical piece of addressing this challenge. Vice President Harris has led a major effort that's producing major results in terms of private-sector investment in Guatemala, in Honduras, in El Salvador. We've already seen results, and those results are translating into new opportunities for people at home. We also, of course, are looking at other important things that we can and should be doing together, including expanding lawful pathways to migration, including expanding protection for migrants, including supporting and expanding the processes of asylum and other ways for people in other countries to stay where they are. So in all of these areas our countries are working together, and that only underscores the fact that when it comes to irregular migration we have to meet this together, not only among Mexico, Guatemala, and the United States but all the countries in our region. That was the spirit of the Los Angeles Declaration and of the meeting that took place during the Summit of the Americas, a commitment by countries of origin, countries of transit, countries of destination to work together, because no single country can effectively deal with this challenge alone. So I'm looking very much forward today to hearing from our colleagues about the progress that we've made. And of course, we've had intense collaboration with Mexico, including in recent weeks, with multiple virtually monthly high-level meetings among us and then weekly - even daily - engagements among our officials. And I look forward as well to talking about how we can move forward with the Los Angeles Declaration and the work that we will be doing there. So with that, again, welcome to everyone. Alicia, let me turn it over to you. FOREIGN SECRETARY BARCENA: (Via interpreter) Thank you very much and good morning, everyone. Dear Secretary Antony Blinken, dear friend Alejandro Mayorkas, Liz Sherwood-Randall, Richard Verma, Isobel Coleman, Lisa Monaco, Ken, dear friend Carlos Ramiro, Antonio Escobedo, Francisco Villagran, Vivian Arenas - good morning. It's such a pleasure to have you across the table this morning. I wanted to extend the warmest greetings, first of all, from our president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, and especially thank Secretary Blinken for the warm welcome he has given us once again in Washington, both to the Mexican delegation with me - we are very well represented here with our ambassador Esteban Moctezuma, with Martin Borrego, Christina Planter, Ana Luisa Fajer - and I would like to say to you that I believe that we have a unique opportunity at this trilateral meeting between the U.S., Guatemala, and Mexico. It truly is a pleasure to work with Carlos Ramiro and with Antony Blinken in these efforts. Mexico shares thousands of kilometers with Guatemala and the U.S., and this is a deep-rooted history. And the symbolism of brotherhood with no borders is what brings us together today. Guatemala and Mexico share common cultural roots over the millennia. Our common dream has seen a civilization rise, perhaps one of the largest in the Americas, which is from the Maya culture. And last August we were happy to attend the democratic ceremony whereby Guatemala resolved to elect as its leader Bernardo Arevalo in January of this year. We made a call to the Government of Guatemala so that this constitutional mandate would go into effect. I believe that this has happened, and President Bernardo Arevalo, Karin Herrera, the vice president, have a bright path ahead of them. The Mexican Government applauds the fact that this transfer of power did take place, and we affirm our firm support for Bernardo Arevalo and his administration. In the framework of respect for our sovereignty, Mexico reiterates its interest in strengthening this relationship between Guatemala and the U.S. with Mexico. The difficult paths that migrants in our continent take towards the north to seek better and more opportunities in life is transcendental. It stops at the line that separates the U.S. and Mexico, and Chiapas, Campeche, Tabasco, with Guatemalan provinces. These geographical circumstances means that as countries, we face most of the cycles of the migration process. Guatemala and Mexico are origin, transit, destination, and return. And beyond that, we have the human reality. This links us as countries that must work together to face migration and solve these challenges. That is why I'm glad we have a shared vision and we have worked bilaterally with the U.S. And I feel very proud of that because, as Secretary Blinken said, this is the best time of our relationship, but we also face the greatest challenges of our history, possibly. So I think that finding solutions to these challenges with a more regional perspective will truly be transcendental, and I think it will be unheard of because we are developing a unique migration model. And that is the truth. I think that this can even be a model for other regions throughout the world to go beyond unilateralism and things that are simply situation-based. I think - I would say that we are very excited about finding specific measures for cooperation, for the development of our societies, for a holistic vision, the well-being of our people, and to transform human mobility from a condition that is imposed to an option. We look at migrants as people who are moving for work. That is what we see. We see people who are seeking opportunities. And that is why we believe that this is a time where to turn migration into an option and not an obligation, we need to look at the root causes. And that is one of the topics on our agenda that will be a very important one. And the second one will be: how do we strengthen regular pathways for labor mobility? Deep down, then, how do we help people who are seeking opportunities to find them? And that is why we need to mobilize our industrial sector. We need to mobilize the private sector and really all stakeholders involved. And I think that Guatemala as a country historically has been characterized by a search, a long-enduring search for peace and well-being of their people, Mexico and the United States as well. But Guatemala is a country of illustrious people such as Juan Jose Arevalo, Miguel Angel [Asturias], Jacobo Arbenz, who are well-remembered; Rigoberta Menchu, whose words are still very much relevant today. And that is why I would say, in the words of Rigoberta Menchu, peace is not only the absence of war. As long as there is poverty, racism, and discrimination and exclusion, it will be difficult for us to achieve peace in the world. Thank you very much. We are ready for a very productive agenda with concrete results. FOREIGN MINISTER MARTINEZ: (Via interpreter) Good morning. Thank you very much to our hosts, to the U.S. delegation led by Secretaries Blinken and Mayorkas. Thank you to Mexico, Alicia Barcena, foreign minister, and Mexican officials of the delegation. I would like to start by thanking the U.S. and Mexico for the support you provided my country. And I say my country and not an elected administration because it was truly Guatemala that received your support in our search for a space to ensure democracy, for respect for our votes, so that President Arevalo, the president-elect, could take power on a long, long day on January 14th. There were difficult months, and you were with us throughout them. And we received significant support from the international community as well, and I believe that if that had not been the case, I would not be sitting here today in this room speaking to you. I think that the commitment of President Arevalo's administration is clear and evident. It is clear in the sense that we must keep working with the U.S. and with Mexico on these issues - in this specific case, irregular migration. But we have a vast agenda for cooperation, investment, dialogue that bring us together that bring us closer, and this is the fundamental goal of the work of the current administration, the Arevalo administration. With Mexico, as Secretary Barcena said, we share a history, we share a border, and therefore we also share a series of common challenges that we are trying to manage the best way possible with the support, of course, of the United States. The challenge of irregular migration, as Secretary Blinken said, in order to make it safe, orderly, and humane, this is fundamental. We need to look at the causes; we need to look at the roots of this phenomenon. Sometimes it's called a problem, the migration - irregular migration problem. We see it as a phenomenon, not a problem. And we believe that behind this, of course, there is a fundamental task for the Guatemalan state. We are the first who must manage the needs of our population. We must create and provide opportunities so that our people do not migrate, so that these flows of Guatemalans seeking opportunities do not continue to grow. So the first task is a task for the Guatemalan state. And of course, we must work along with the international community and with any support that you can provide so that we can create a space for opportunities and possibilities because in the long term the issue is really development. Root causes - these may be words that we add to a word that sums it all up, which is development. That's what we don't have. We have deficiencies in Guatemala. We have accumulated social debt over decades. This is an effort that, even if we work over the next four years, we will not correct this scenario, but rather we want to build a foundation upon which to build a new country. I think, as has been mentioned, we need to broaden legal pathways, such as via temporary work. That is a clear measure for support, for assistance. We must explore regular pathways for labor mobility. This is a joint task, as has been mentioned. A single country cannot manage this issue alone. We have seen how the phenomena has broadened and expanded to other regions, regions I won't mention, but it used to be there was barely a trickle; now there are great migration flows, irregular migration. So the work needs to revolve around joint work among countries. We must have a comprehensive view of the phenomena, and we must, as states, be responsible. But other stakeholders must be as well. We can't cast the private sector aside. That is a basic instrument as well when it comes to creating jobs. Guatemala as an origin, transit destination, and return country is committed, and we would like to express this today at this table. We are committed to find solutions for working together and cooperating with the United States and Mexico. Thank you very much. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Senior Administration Officials Previewing the U.S.-Mexico-Guatemala Trilateral Ministerial Meeting on Migration US Department of State Special Briefing Office of the Spokesperson Via Teleconference February 28, 2024 MODERATOR: Hello, everyone, and welcome to our call previewing the U.S.-Mexico-Guatemala trilateral ministerial meeting on migration. This call will be on background to senior administration officials and it's embargoed until 12:00 p.m. tomorrow, Wednesday, the 28th of February. For your information only and not for reporting, joining us today are, from the White House, [Senior Administration Official One]; from the Department of State, [Senior Administration Official Two], and from the Department of Homeland Security, [Senior Administration Official Three]. We'll take brief opening remarks from our speakers, then we will turn it over to you all for your questions. And with that, let's please turn it over to [Senior Administration Official One]. Please, go ahead. SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: Great, thanks for - thanks for that and thanks, everybody, for joining. We wanted to share the information that tomorrow we're hosting the first trilateral ministerial meeting on migration between Guatemala, Mexico, and the White House. This will be led by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, and White House Homeland Security Advisor Liz Sherwood-Randall will represent the U.S. Government, among others. Foreign Secretary Alicia BArcena will participate on behalf of the Government of Mexico, and Foreign Minister Carlos Ramiro MartAnez and Minister of Interior Francisco JosA Jimenez Irungaray will represent the Government of Guatemala. We see this meeting as an important opportunity to further our trilateral cooperation on issues related to economic development, border enforcement, labor mobility pathways, and orderly, humane, and regular migration in the region. As I know all of you know, Mexican and Guatemalan nationals represent two of the most represented nationalities that we encounter at our southwest border currently, which is why this joint collaborative effort is so and critically important. We are also particularly excited about this new step in our bilateral relationship with the Government of Guatemala following the election and then the inauguration of President ArAvalo and President ArAvalo's commitment to address migration, border security, and anti-corruption efforts. There are four key agenda items scheduled for tomorrow's meeting. First is collaboration to address the root causes of irregular migration and highlight the ArAvalo administration's efforts to do so, among other efforts as well; opportunities to - second, opportunities to deepen our trilateral efforts to expand legal pathways, including labor migration pathways; third, work on joint commitments to strengthen the management of irregular migration flows; and fourth, coordination on future ministerial-level meetings related to migration. Just to be clear, this is not merely a meeting just to talk about the problem. Out of the meeting we expect to make several important announcements about commitments for deeper cooperation, including first that Guatemala will be the host of the next Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection ministerial meeting this coming April; secondly, the creation of a U.S.-Mexico-Guatemala operational cell to jointly tackle migration issues, and I know [Senior Administration Official Three] will speak more about this as well; and finally, we plan to issue a joint statement that showcases our joint commitment to further trilateral cooperation on migration and related matters. And with that, I'll turn it over to [Senior Administration Official Two] to add a little bit more color. MODERATOR: [Senior Administration Official Two], go ahead. [Senior Administration Official Two], are you there? We might have lost him. Okay. While the team - [Senior Administration Official Two], are you there? Okay. Can we turn it over to [Senior Administration Official Three] to speak in the meantime while the team dials [Senior Administration Official Two] back in? SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL THREE: Sure. Hi, everybody. So we expect a part of the conversation is - oh, go ahead, [Senior Administration Official Two]. SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: Apologies. Can you hear me now? Sorry about that. MODERATOR: Yes, we have you. SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: Okay, I can go ahead, unless you'd like to go, [Senior Administration Official Three]. SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL THREE: No, please. SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: Okay, apologies. Thank you very much. The U.S. Government continues to engage in a comprehensive, long-term effort to enhance cooperation on migration management and regional development in our hemisphere. And so during tomorrow's trilateral meeting, in addition to the critical discussions on border management and enforcement, Secretary Blinken will discuss the need to continue our important work to address the root causes of irregular migration and displacement. To achieve our goals and ensure individuals do not embark on the dangerous journey north in the first place, we're focused on creating good jobs, promoting democratic governance, protecting human rights, and improving security to help people in our hemisphere build better lives at home. We're committed to promoting respect for human rights and fostering inclusive economic prosperity for all people throughout the region. Part of this means combating and rooting out corruption and reducing gender-based violence, and we cannot accomplish these goals alone. The longstanding challenges before us require sustained attention and reliable partners like Guatemala and Mexico. We welcome the opportunity to work closely with President Bernardo ArAvalo to deepen our root causes work, including through the leadership of Vice President Harris and her Central America Forward Initiative, which has promoted $4.2 billion in new investments in northern Central America. In addition to this, this administration has led the largest expansion of lawful migration pathways to the United States in decades. Those who seek to migrate should have the opportunity to do so safely and lawfully, and we want to continue to expand lawful pathways so people can migrate through safe, regular modes of travel rather than paying smugglers who put their lives in danger and do not provide safe and lawful entry to the United States. Among other lawful pathways, at tomorrow's ministerial the Secretary will discuss further expanding the labor pathway, one of our most successful lawful pathway initiatives. In 2023, we issued over 442,000 visas to temporary and seasonal workers. Those who work here through labor pathways contribute to the U.S. economy and send money back home to support friends and family and invest in their futures. So thank you very much, and apologies again for the technical difficulty. MODERATOR: Thank you so much. Over to [Senior Administration Official Three], please. SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL THREE: Yes, thank you very much, and thanks to [Senior Administration Official One] and [Senior Administration Official Two] for their excellent overviews. We anticipate part of the conversation tomorrow will focus on ways that we can deepen our already strong collaboration with both Mexico and Guatemala on migration management and border enforcement matters. We have a long history of working bilaterally with both governments on this issue, as I think everybody is aware. And one of the key, I think, goals of the meeting tomorrow from the Department of Homeland Security standpoint is to foster more trilateral cooperation between all three governments on this matter. And as such, as [Senior Administration Official One] noted, one of the deliverables that we hope to announce tomorrow is a new trilateral working group that will share best practices and focus on ways that we can, again, enhance an already strong collaboration with both governments, but bring it all together so that we are working seamlessly across all three governments. And with that, I think we can stop and take your questions. Thank you. MODERATOR: Great, thank you so much. AT&T Moderator, would you just mind please repeating the instructions for joining the question queue? OPERATOR: Certainly. Ladies and gentlemen, if you wish to ask a question, please press 1 then 0 on your telephone keypad. If you're using a speakerphone, please pick up the handset before pressing the numbers. Once again, if you have a question, please press 1 then 0. MODERATOR: Great, thank you. Can we please go to the line of Tracy Wilkinson from the Los Angeles Times? QUESTION: Thank you. A couple of quick questions. Many people think that the Root Causes Strategy has largely failed, and the goals you mentioned, [Senior Administration Official Two], tonight are again the same things we've been hearing for a long time - better governance, human rights, corruption, eliminating gender-based violence. Little - those are all scourges that continue to exist in these countries. So my question is: What else can you all do, or is there another way to - to put forward those goals? My second question has to do with LApez Obrador, who is really mad at the United States these days. So my question is what you're doing to sort of reassure him and keep him on board with the immigration plans. I know your Ambassador Salazar has been going all around the country assuring people that the United States is not investigating LApez Obrador. What else can you do? And lastly, I understand you're asking Mexico to take more and more of the deportees, the people that are being removed from the country. How - what can they do really though about citizens from places like China and Afghanistan? Is it fair to ask them, ask Mexico, to take people from countries so far afield? Thank you. SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: Thanks, Tracy. I can take the first two questions, then turn to my colleague from DHS for the third question. In terms of the Root Causes Strategy, this is certainly a long-term effort that requires lots of work from throughout the U.S. Government, throughout international organizations, foundations, and otherwise. We believe that it has been successful and that you asked about other efforts that could be taken. I think the best example I could give you is the support from the United States and other members of the international community for Guatemala's democratic transition over the last several months. And I think that that effort shows that through strong diplomacy, through the use of other tools such as sanctions, and through our assistance through the Root Causes Strategy, we can help support countries as they strive for better outcomes. In terms of the United States and Mexico, we share a strong economic and security partnership that really has made North America the most competitive and dynamic region in the world. Our deep familiar and cultural ties unite our peoples in ways that has enriched both countries for generations. Mexico is the U.S. top trading partner. The U.S.-Mexico relationship remains among the most complex and consequential for the American people. And if you just look at 2022, our bilateral trade hit a record $860 billion, which means - which is basically over $1.5 million exchanged every minute. So we remain committed as enduring partners on a number of fronts, including through the Bicentennial Security Framework where we counter illicit fentanyl and arms trafficking by dismantling criminal networks, but also as enduring partners to humanely reduce the unprecedented irregular migration flows in the region. And in addition to that, to go back to your question of root causes, together we're partnering to address the root causes that drive irregular migration and also work together on lawful pathways and the improvement of enforcement efforts. SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL THREE: Thanks, [Senior Administration Official Two]. In terms of the extra-hemispheric migration that we are seeing, I can say that it is an issue that is of deep concern for many governments in the region - not just us and not just Mexico. We have been working with governments all over the hemisphere to address the routes that migrants from outside of the Western Hemisphere are taking to travel into the hemisphere and ultimately up to our border, and that includes Chinese nationals. In terms of returns to Mexico, I will just note that we are not currently returning nationals of the countries you referenced to Mexico. We are, as I think everybody knows, for the first time in our bilateral relationship with Mexico effectuating Title 8 removals and returns of third-country nationals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. And that collaboration has been strong and is ongoing. Thank you. MODERATOR: Thank you so much. Can we please go to the line of Ted Hesson from Reuters? QUESTION: Thank you all for doing the call. I know you've mentioned here how Mexico is a strong partner with the U.S., and I've heard Biden officials in the past say Mexico is a stable democracy and a good partner. Is there a reason why Mexico couldn't be a safe third country the way Canada is, and wouldn't that address many of the issues that you're facing in regards to asylum and migration? SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL THREE: So I can probably start us off. We have not had conversations with the Government of Mexico about safe third country status, and there are no current plans to do so. MODERATOR: Okay. Barring any other interventions from our speakers, can we please go to the line of Rafael Bernal from The Hill? QUESTION: Thank you for having this. Just a couple quick questions, two sides of the same coin. How are Guatemala's sort of newfound democratic bona fides helping you deal with Guatemala? Like what are the advantages, the immediate advantages, of ArAvalo? And the flip side: With Mexico and the opposition's accusations of democratic backsliding, some very believable accusations in that sense, what concerns or what risks do you see in putting - in giving Mexico such a big role? SENIOR STATE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL TWO: Great question. So these are both extremely strong partners on migration management. We share a border with Mexico, so obviously they're going to have a big role in anything we do on the migration front, and you've seen high-level cooperation and a number of senior meetings in December, January, and (inaudible) February. With regard to Guatemala and the ArAvalo government, I would say that even from the start they have taken a number of efforts with regard to border management. As one example, their border police suffered from corruption, and they are taking steps to clean up that force. With support from the international community, they're looking to do a lot more under the Los Angeles Declaration. So we see them as a valuable partner not only on migration management but also on root causes and a wide array of issues. MODERATOR: Thank you. Can we please go to Rebecca Santana from the Associated Press? QUESTION: Hi, thanks so much. This is a question for [Senior Administration Official Three] but others as well. The numbers of - and border encounters plummeted from January - from December to January, and a number of officials have noted the role that Mexico played in greater border enforcement that led to that basically halving of the numbers. Can you describe a little bit more in detail about what exactly Mexico did that you're crediting them with? And are you continuing to see that same action? Are they being as aggressive as they were in January? SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL THREE: Yeah, thanks for that question. I would say a couple things. I think one is just to note that this is normally the time of year when we do see reductions in encounters; and so while we do believe that the actions the Government of Mexico has been taking have helped contribute to the decline in encounters at our border, I think it is also seasonally when we expect to see fewer encounters as well and have historically seen that over the last few years and really over the last couple decades. In terms of the actions Mexico has taken, I would really refer you to the Government of Mexico to talk about what specific actions they are taking, but we have a longstanding collaboration in terms of coordinating enforcement actions on both sides of the border. We have also - in December saw the increasing use of commercial cargo or freight trains to bring migrants illicitly quickly up to the border, and we know that they have been addressing that issue and with the freight carriers as well as with their enforcement agencies, and that I think has been helpful in reducing flows particularly to some of the more challenging parts of the border for us to enforce. [Senior Administration Official Two], I don't know if you want to add anything to that. SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: No, that's perfect. Thank you. MODERATOR: Okay. We've got time for just one or two more questions, unfortunately. Can we please go to JosA DAaz from Reforma newspaper? QUESTION: Thank you so much for doing this. This is a question for [Senior Administration Official Three]. I've been asking this question repeatedly and have not gotten any response from the press office at DHS. I wanted to know the number of nationals of Nicaragua, Haiti, Cuba, and Venezuela that have been deported to Mexico since the end of Title - since May of 2023. Do you have them available, sir? SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL THREE: I'm sorry, I don't have the specific numbers in front of me. It has been thousands - I'm sorry, I'm hearing a bit of an echo. It has been thousands of people, but I don't have the specific number. I will ask our Office of Public Affairs to follow up. Thank you. MODERATOR: Thank you, and time for just one last question. That'll go to Lauren Villagran from USA Today. QUESTION: Hi. Thanks, everyone. Regarding the $4.2 billion that was part of the Root Causes Strategy to Central America, my understanding is that it's been very difficult to disburse that money because of the lack of reliable partners. Could you speak to how much of that funding has actually made it to Central America and whether you expect to see an acceleration of investment in Guatemala specifically under the ArAvalo government? SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: Great, thanks for your question. The $4.2 billion that I referenced is private-sector investment that has been (inaudible) under Vice President Harris's Central America Forward Initiative. Separate from that, President Biden committed to seek $4 billion over four years from Congress to invest in the root causes. Happy to follow up with you on specifics, but I would say a large amount of that has been disbursed, and it's been disbursed not only to governments but to - in large part to NGOs, to other implementing organizations across the border in all three countries. And we do expect to accelerate efforts in Guatemala with the ArAvalo administration proving to be a great partner on the Root Causes Strategy. MODERATOR: Great. Thank you so much. That does conclude the time we have for this evening's call. Thank you all so much for joining us. As a reminder, today's call was on background to senior administration officials, and it is embargoed until noon tomorrow. Thank you all so much and have a great evening. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Treasury Sanctions Guatemala's Los Pochos Drug Trafficking Organization, Members, and Companies U.S. Department of the Treasury February 28, 2024 Washington -- Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) redesignated, pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 14059, the Los Pochos Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO), and designated three members and four affiliated companies based in Guatemala. First sanctioned in 2019 pursuant to the Kingpin Act, the Los Pochos DTO is a Guatemala-based organizationprimarily engaged in cocaine trafficking from Guatemala through Mexico to the United States. Today's action places renewed attention on the Los Pochos DTO following a change in leadership and involvement of its members in local Guatemalan politics. The Los Pochos DTO controls narcotics trafficking activities on the Guatemala-Mexico border and is associated with Mexico's Sinaloa Cartel, one of the world's most notorious drug trafficking organizations. "The Los Pochos DTO, relying on a network of corrupt officials, has continued to facilitate the flow of illicit drugs from Guatemala into Mexico and the United States,"said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian E. Nelson. "Treasury, in close coordination with our law enforcement partners, will continue to leverage our tools to disrupt these facilitation networks and deadly drug flows." This action was coordinated closely with the Government of Guatemala, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Texas, and U.S. Southern Command. THE LOS POCHOS DTO AND ITS NETWORK The Los Pochos DTO, based in Guatemala and Mexico, supplies multi-ton quantities of cocaine to multiple high-level Guatemala- and Mexico-based heads of cocaine trafficking cells. The Los Pochos DTO supplies vast quantities of cocaine to Sinaloa Cartel leaders who have an existing transportation infrastructure to receive, consolidate, and transport the cocaine to markets in the United States. The Los Pochos DTO relies on corrupt public officials, including police and military officers, prosecutors, and other Guatemalan authorities, to facilitate its trafficking. In December 2019, Erik Salvador SuAiga Rodriguez (SuAiga Rodriguez), known as "El Pocho," and the SuAiga Rodriguez DTO or "Los Pochos DTO" were identified as significant foreign narcotics traffickers pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (Kingpin Act). The DTO's name was derived from SuAiga Rodriguez's alias. SuAiga Rodriguez was the mayor of the Municipality of Ayutla, in the Guatemalan border department of San Marcos. Using his official government position, SuAiga Rodriguez controlled narcotics trafficking activities on the Guatemala-Mexico border with support of corrupt Guatemalan local law enforcement officials. In 2018, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Texas charged SuAiga Rodriguez with trafficking cocaine to the United States. SuAiga Rodriguez surrendered to Guatemalan authorities and was extradited to the United States in December 2019 on drug trafficking charges. SuAiga Rodriguez died of cancer in prison in April 2020. Despite his death, the Los Pochos DTO remains active and under new leadership by SuAiga Rodriguez's family members. Today, OFAC redesignated the Los Pochos DTO pursuant to E.O. 14059 for having engaged in, or attempted to engage in, activities or transactions that have materially contributed to, or pose a significant risk of materially contributing to, the international proliferation of illicit drugs or their means of production. The designation under new authorities serves to maintain pressure on the Los Pochos DTO by targeting its new leadership. Juan Jose Morales Cifuentes (Morales Cifuentes), a leader of the Los Pochos DTO since 2019, is a Guatemala-based cocaine distributor and transportation coordinator associated with the Sinaloa Cartel and the son-in-law of deceased significant foreign narcotics trafficker SuAiga Rodriguez. Morales Cifuentes takes advantage of his political connections through his wife Isel Aneli SuAiga Morfin (SuAiga Morfin), who is the new mayor of Ayutla, to protect the Los Pochos DTO's interests. Morales Cifuentes is notorious for using violence to resolve conflicts and has engaged in executions of former associates in furtherance of the Los Pochos DTO's narcotics trafficking activities. Mexican traffickers pay taxes to Morales Cifuentes to store their narcotics in the Guatemalan border towns of Tecun Uman and San Marcos. On June 15, 2023, a grand jury in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas charged Morales Cifuentes with multiple crimes, including conspiracy to manufacture and distribute cocaine, intending, knowing, and having reasonable cause to believe it would be unlawfully imported to the United States. Guatemalan authorities arrested Morales Cifuentes in December 2023 based on a U.S. request for his extradition. Morales Cifuenes is currently awaiting extradition to the United States. Isel Aneli SuAiga Morfin (SuAiga Morfin) is identified as a leader of the Los Pochos DTO. She is SuAiga Rodriguez's eldest daughter and a Guatemalan public figure who represented Guatemala as a Miss Universe contestant in 2017. She is married toMorales Cifuentes. SuAiga Morfin is one of several Guatemala-based associates working for Morales Cifuentes and the Los Pochos DTO. In June 2023, SuAiga Morfin was elected as the first female mayor of the municipality of Ayutla, the same position her father held. SuAiga Morfin reportedly uses her political connections to further the Los Pochos DTO. OFAC has reason to believe that SuAiga Morfin owns businesses and bank accounts that she has used for illicit financial activities in support of the Los Pochos DTO. Erick Manuel Ochoa Villagran (Ochoa Villagran) is another Guatemala-based narcotics trafficker operating and working for Morales Cifuentes and the Los Pochos DTO. Ochoa Villagran is one of Morales Cifuentes' primary lieutenants who provides storage for cocaine consignments. Ochoa Villagran was arrested in 2013 in Guatemala on murder charges. On June 10, 2021, a grand jury in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas charged Ochoa Villagran with multiple crimes, including conspiracy to manufacture and distribute cocaine in the United States. Guatemalan authorities arrested Ochoa Villagran in December 2023 based on a U.S request for his extradition, and he is awaiting extradition to the United States. OFAC designated Morales Cifuentes and Ochoa Villagran pursuant to E.O. 14059 for having engaged in, or attempted to engage in, activities or transactions that have materially contributed to, or pose a significant risk of materially contributing to, the international proliferation of illicit drugs or their means of production. OFAC designated SuAiga Morfin pursuant to E.O. 14059 for being owned, controlled or directed by, or having acted for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, the Los Pochos DTO. In addition, OFAC designated four entities that are owned or controlled by members of the Los Pochos DTO. Importadora Jireh, a car dealership, and Construhogar, a hardware store, were designated for being owned, controlled, or directed by, or having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, Morales Cifuentes. WIV Sociedad Anonima, an industrial parking lot, and Condado Real, a real estate company, were designated for being owned, controlled, or directed by, or having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, SuAiga Morfin. All of the entities designated today are registered in the Guatemalan Department of San Marcos. SANCTIONS IMPLICATIONS As a result of today's action, all property and interests in property of the designated individuals and entities that are in the United States or in the possession or control of U.S. persons must be blocked and reported to OFAC. In addition, any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, 50 percent or more by one or more blocked persons are also blocked. Unless authorized by a general or specific license issued by OFAC, or exempt, OFAC's regulations generally prohibit all transactions by U.S. persons or within (or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in property of designated or otherwise blocked persons. U.S. persons may face civil or criminal penalties for violations of E.O. 14059 or the Kingpin Act. Today's action is part of a whole-of-government effort to counter the global threat posed by the trafficking of illicit drugs into the United States that is causing over 100,000 deaths of Americans annually, as well as countless more non-fatal overdoses. OFAC, in coordination with its U.S. Government partners and foreign counterparts and in support of President Biden's National Drug Control Strategy, will continue to target and pursue accountability for foreign illicit drug actors. This action demonstrates the Biden-Harris Administration's strengthened approach to saving lives by disrupting the trafficking of illicit fentanyl and its precursors into American communities. These efforts are part of the Administration's comprehensive strategy to tackle the nation's overdose epidemic, which goes after two key drivers of this crisis: untreated addiction and the drug trafficking profits that fuel it. Today's action will help strengthen public safety by disrupting the illicit drug production and trafficking pipeline that profits by harming Americans. As a key part of the President's Unity Agenda, the Administration has also made historic investments in critical public health interventions including research, prevention, treatment, and recovery support services. The power and integrity of OFAC sanctions derive not only from OFAC's ability to designate and add persons to the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List (SDN List), but also from its willingness to remove persons from the SDN List consistent with the law. The ultimate goal of sanctions is not to punish, but to bring about a positive change in behavior. For information concerning the process for seeking removal from an OFAC list, including the SDN List, please refer to OFAC's Frequently Asked Question 897 here. For detailed information on the process to submit a request for removal from an OFAC sanctions list, please click here. View more information on the individuals designated today. View the chart on the individuals designated today. ### NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US, Mexico, Guatemala Boost Cooperation to Control Migrant Arrivals at Southern Border By Aline Barros February 28, 2024 U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken hosted a meeting Wednesday in Washington with top Mexican and Guatemalan officials to discuss managing irregular migration, displacement, and expanding lawful immigration pathways in the Western Hemisphere. Blinken, joined by Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas and other high-level U.S. officials, met with Guatemalan Foreign Affairs Minister Carlos Ramiro MartAnez, Guatemalan Minister of the Interior Francisco JosA JimAnez Irungaray, and Mexican Foreign Affairs Secretary Alicia BArcena Ibarra. The three delegations agreed on the urgency of addressing the root causes of irregular migration, expanding more legal pathways to the U.S., and the creation of a U.S., Mexico, and Guatemala "operational cell" to jointly tackle migration issues. "We are really here to double down on the collaboration that we have in dealing with migration flows. We know that all of us are living in what is genuinely a historic time. Around the world, more people are on the move than at any time in recorded history, and the same is true, of course, in our own hemisphere," Blinken said. Guatemala will also host the next Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection ministerial meeting in April. MartAnez said they do not see the migration issue as a problem, but a phenomenon. "And we believe that behind this, of course, there is a fundamental task for the Guatemalan state. We are the first who must manage the needs of our population. We must create and provide opportunities so that our people do not migrate, so that these flows of Guatemalans seeking opportunities do not continue to grow. So, the first task is a task for the Guatemalan state," Martinez said. During a background call with reporters on Tuesday, a U.S. official said Mexican and Guatemalan nationals represent the largest number of migrants that border officers currently encounter at the Southwest border. The official added that the United States is looking forward to deepening trilateral efforts to expand legal pathways, including for labor migration. "One of our most successful lawful pathway initiatives a in 2023, we issued over 442,000 visas to temporary and seasonal workers. Those who work here through labor pathways contribute to the U.S. economy and send money back home to support friends and family and invest in their futures," the U.S. official said. Earlier this year, officials from the United States and Mexico met and set goals to make migration numbers consistent, fight human smuggling and create a plan to discourage migrants from crossing through the dangerous DariAn Gap in Panama. The meetings come as the Biden administration considers cracking down on asylum-seekers after a record number of migrants arrived at the U.S.-Mexico border in December. The number fell by 41% in January. "The difficult paths that migrants in our continent take towards the North to seek better and more opportunities in life is transcendental. ... These geographical circumstances mean that as countries, we face most of the cycles of the migration process. Guatemala and Mexico are origin, transit, destination and return," Barcena said. Immigration has become one of the leading issues in this year's presidential election. Former President Donald Trump, who is likely to face President Joe Biden in November, promises to take stronger action on it. For now, Biden is going to Brownsville, Texas, on Thursday. At the same time, Trump will be going to Eagle Pass, Texas, which is also on the border with Mexico. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Landmark strategy to maximise support for Defence industry The Hon Pat Conroy MP Minister for Defence Industry Minister for International Development and the Pacific 29 February 2024 The Albanese Government has today released a master plan that defines the strategic rationale for a sovereign defence industrial base and sets out pathways for maximising support for Australian industry and its critical contribution to national security. The Defence Industry Development Strategy (DIDS) articulates for the first time the defence industrial base needed in the face of the changing strategic circumstances outlined in the Defence Strategic Review. This landmark strategy details the actions the Government will take to grow that industrial base, which employs more than 100,000 Australians, and deliver a greater partnership between Defence and industry. In addition to critical procurement reforms within Defence, the Albanese Government is today announcing increased funding for defence industry grants programs, taking the total investment to $183.8 million, in alignment with the DIDS. The Government said in its response to the Defence Strategic Review that Australia requires strong defence capabilities of our own and a fully integrated Australian Defence Force to contribute to the strategic balance of power that keeps the peace in our region. Defence industry is critical to delivering on this key objective. Together, Defence and industry create, maintain and sustain vital capabilities that offer Australia a competitive advantage and contribute to regional stability. With the release of the DIDS, industry will have clarity on the priorities for Defence through the Sovereign Defence Industrial Priorities (SDIPs). The SDIPs provide detail, certainty and timelines that Australian industry needs to invest and was sorely missing under the former Government. This new level of detail provides industry with information they need to prepare, invest and deliver on development, production and sustainment of Defence capabilities. The seven Sovereign Defence Industrial Priorities are: Maintenance, repair, overhaul and upgrade of Australian Defence Force aircraft. Continuous naval shipbuilding and sustainment. Sustainment and enhancement of the combined arms land system. Domestic manufacture of guided weapons, explosive ordnance and munitions. Development and integration of autonomous systems. Integration and enhancement of battlespace awareness and management systems. Test and evaluation, certification and systems assurance. Quotes attributable to the Minister for Defence Industry, Pat Conroy: "Australia's defence industry supports over 100,000 Australian jobs. It is an essential partner in keeping Australians safe at home, secure in the world and employed in well-paid, high skill jobs. "This strategy will underpin essential reforms that will ensure that critical capabilities are provided to the men and women of the ADF as soon as possible, while also supporting an industry vital to our national security. "I look forward to working with industry to implement the Defence Industry Development Strategy, and deliver an innovative, resilient and competitive Australian defence industrial base that creates a stronger, more secure Australia." MEDIA NOTE: The public version of the Defence Industry Development Strategy is available at: https://www.defence.gov.au/about/strategic-planning/defence-industry-development-strategy NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Welcome to President Marcos Speech Thursday 29 February 2024 Prime Minister Anthony Albanese The Hon Anthony Albanese MP Prime Minister of Australia President Marcos, on behalf of the Australian Government and the Australian people, it is my very great pleasure to welcome you and the First Lady to our Parliament. This is an historic occasion for both our democracies. It is also the natural next step in our nations' growing partnership. The bilateral relationship between Australia and the Philippines is now 78 years old. Our ties of trade and culture, friendship and family are centuries older. In East Arnhem Land, the art and stories of the Yolngu people tell of their ancestors boarding visiting trading ships and sailing to far-off lands. In every sense, Mr President, our peoples have been on a voyage together, for a very long time. Australia and the Philippines are in the same boat and we share a vision for our destination: a peaceful, secure, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific. We know the course to follow: strengthening our economic partnership through trade and investment. Building on our connections in education and skills and creating more opportunities for our young people through the new work and holiday visa that we have agreed together. Continuing our shared efforts in agriculture research. And deepening our cooperation in defence, to support regional security. This is the new level of engagement our Government is seeking between our two nations and indeed across ASEAN as a whole. I know the Philippines is rightly proud of its place as one of the five founding members of ASEAN. And all of us in Australia are looking forward to next week's Special Summit in Melbourne, which will mark 50 years since Australia became ASEAN's first Dialogue Partner. For Australia, ASEAN is central and it is essential. And we want to continue to work closely with the Philippines and all our friends and partners in ASEAN, to promote the shared opportunity that drives our regional prosperity, and to fulfil our collective responsibility to uphold regional security. Mr President, our nations share a determination to navigate the challenges of our time: climate change, food security, cybersecurity, counterterrorism and regional security. The new Strategic Partnership you and I signed together in Manila last year speaks to our mutual trust and our common resolve. I am pleased we are building on this momentum today. Signing a Memorandum of Understanding for Enhanced Maritime Cooperation. And agreeing to new initiatives in the key areas of digital technology and cybersecurity. As our nations work together in this decisive decade for the Indo-Pacific, we can draw inspiration from our shared history. In June 1943, when eight Australian servicemen escaped from their prisoner of war camp in Sandakan, they joined the Filipino resistance in their struggle against Japanese occupation. In Palo, on Leyte, a memorial stands in honour of the 92 Australians who lost their lives in the liberation of the Philippines in 1944. Our nations served and sacrificed together in Korea. In 1999, the Philippines joined Australia in supporting independence for East Timor. And in 2013, Australian defence personnel and medical mission teams returned to the Philippines to provide humanitarian assistance after Typhoon Yolanda. That's the spirit of Filipino bayanihan and Australian mateship: we work together and we care for each other. Mr President, this connection and affection lives and thrives in the electorates of so many of the Members of Parliament you see here today. Where members from all sides of politics have the privilege of representing the large and growing Filipino-Australian community, many of whom have joined us in the Parliament today. People famous for their generosity, hospitality and love of family. Renowned for their hard work and aspiration. And always looking to give back to the community. That's just as true in my electorate in Sydney's inner west as it is in the regions, like in Port Wakefield in South Australia. Eighteen months ago, their local Country Fire Service was staring down the barrel of closure. When the small band of volunteers put out a call for new recruits, they received only one response. Samson Bucol, who migrated to Australia from the Philippines in 2014. His dedication to duty won the respect and affection of his fellow volunteers and he soon passed the word to others. Today, a quarter of the members of that Country Fire Service are of Filipino descent and half of the cadets. Characteristic of the spirit of the Filipino diaspora that calls Australia home. Mr President, you address us today as a leader in the region where, more than any other, Australia's destiny lies. And as we look to shape the future together, I'm reminded of something you said to me at our last meeting: prosperity and progress depend on peace. That is what our Strategic Partnership recognises. And that is what is so significant about the maritime cooperation activities our two navies completed together for the first time in November last year. We are both island nations. We are both trading nations. And for both of us, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea is not an abstract notion or a theoretical question. Freedom of navigation is fundamental to our sovereignty, our prosperity, our security and our territorial integrity. Our co-operation is an assertion of our national interest and a recognition of our regional responsibility. It reflects our shared understanding that peace depends on more than the presence of the great powers. All of us in the international community, middle powers like our countries, as well as small nations, have our part to play in building a more stable, peaceful and prosperous future. President Marcos, to conclude on a personal note, I want to say how touched Jodie and I were by the kindness extended to us during our time in your wonderful country last year. We were proud to host you at The Lodge last night, to begin your important visit. And I know you will be warmly welcomed wherever you go in Australia. Because all of us in this place, and indeed all Australians, are united in our respect for the contribution your nation and your people make to our region and our communities. You honour us today and we look forward to your address. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China, Sierra Leone deepen ties, advance cooperation Global Times Friendly bilateral cooperation exemplifies South-South relations: experts By Wang Qi Published: Feb 28, 2024 10:44 PM Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with President of the Republic of Sierra Leone Julius Maada Bio, who is on a state visit to China, in Beijing on Wednesday. The two leaders hailed the traditional friendship, signed various bilateral cooperation agreements under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), and announced the deepening of the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. President Bio started his five-day state visit to China on Tuesday. Before meeting with President Xi, President Bio laid a wreath at the Monument to the People's Heroes in Tian'anmen Square in Beijing on Wednesday. Noting that China and Sierra Leone enjoy a time-honored friendship, Xi said the two sides have supported each other on issues concerning their core interests and major concerns, carried out efficient cooperation in the fields of economic and social development, coordinated closely on issues such as world peace and development, and worked together to fight against Ebola and the COVID-19 pandemic. China-Sierra Leone relations are a good example of China-Africa solidarity and cooperation, Xi said, adding that China is willing to work with Sierra Leone to consolidate high-level political mutual trust, advance pragmatic and mutually beneficial cooperation, and strengthen coordination on international and regional affairs to push bilateral relations to a new level. China is also willing to provide assistance and support to the best of its ability for Sierra Leone's development in agriculture, infrastructure construction and human resources, and encourage Chinese enterprises to invest and do business in Sierra Leone, Xi said. Bio said Sierra Leone abides by the one-China principle, supports China in safeguarding its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and supports China in safeguarding its core interests. He said Sierra Leone is willing to learn from China's experience, strengthen cooperation with China on the BRI, and tap the potential for cooperation on infrastructure, trade, education and public services. Chinese Premier Li Qiang also met with visiting President Bio in Beijing on Wednesday, calling for enhanced cooperation between the two countries. President Bio is the first African head of state President Xi received this year, which shows China attaches great importance to its ties with Sierra Leone, Zhan Shiming, an associate research fellow with the Institute of West Asian and African Studies under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Wednesday. Sierra Leone, as an important supporter of China's major global initiatives, has been supporting China in international affairs, while China is also an active supporter of Sierra Leone's development and stability, having provided a large amount of financial and technical support for its development, as well as providing assistance in the field of public healthcare to the best of its ability, said Song Wei, a professor from the School of International Relations at Beijing Foreign Studies University. After the talks, the two heads of state witnessed the signing of bilateral cooperation documents in the fields of the Belt and Road Initiative, agriculture, economic development, and the implementation of the Global Development Initiative. Both sides issued a joint statement on deepening their comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. According to Zhan, deepening the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries is conducive to further promoting poverty reduction and economic and social development in Sierra Leone, promoting mutually beneficial cooperation between the two sides as well as the construction of a China-Africa community with a shared future. The two sides will focus on agriculture, education, infrastructure construction, investment, exchanges of governance experience, and international coordination, said Zhan, noting that there is still great potential for further cooperation between the two sides. "In recent years, a number of military coups have occurred in West African countries, which has had a very negative impact on regional development and stability. Sierra Leone also hopes to deepen its strategic partnership with China to inject peace and stability into the region," Song said. Given that US and Western countries are further strengthening their strategic competition with China and Russia in Africa, deepening the relationship with Sierra Leone is also of strategic importance for China, Song added. With the ninth Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) scheduled to be held in the second half of 2024 in Beijing, analysts also view the year as an opportunity to boost ties between China and Africa. In his meeting with President Bio, President Xi stressed that China has always taken developing solidarity and cooperation with African countries as an important cornerstone of its foreign policy. He added that China will strengthen mutual support and upgrade the quality of friendly cooperation with African countries. China-Sierra Leone relations are not only a paragon for the development of China-Africa relations, but also exemplify South-South relations, Zhan said. "China and Africa will further strengthen cooperation around FOCAC... At the same time, under the global governance issues concerning the fundamental interests of the Global South, we should coordinate positions, build consensus, and actively respond to the development demands of the Global South," Song said. China and Africa are expected to reach a series of new consensus and introduce a series of new measures that will bring China-Africa relations to a new level and usher in new prospects, Zhan said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China expected to set moderate defense budget growth for 2024 Global Times Military spending considers modernization needs, security environment, economic situation: experts By Liu Xuanzun Published: Feb 28, 2024 10:41 PM China will likely continue its trend of moderately increasing its defense budget in 2024, prompted by the country's needs in military modernization, the challenging security environment, and the recovering economic situation, experts predicted shortly before the figure's anticipated announcement next week. A draft for the defense budget for the year 2024 is scheduled to be released in Beijing at the opening of the annual session of the National People's Congress (NPC), the country's top legislature, on Tuesday. China's defense expenditure for 2023 was set to 1.5537 trillion yuan ($224.79 billion), an increase of 7.2 percent compared with the figure of 2022. The country has maintained single-digit growth in its annual defense budget for eight consecutive years since 2016. The gradual increase of China's defense budget is a trend, said Fu Qianshao, a Chinese military expert. Fu told the Global Times that China is undergoing an important period of military modernization, which includes replacing legacy weapons and equipment with modern ones, and enhancing personnel training to operate them. In 2024, China's third aircraft carrier, the electromagnetic catapults-equipped Fujian, is expected to conduct test voyages, and other advanced military assets like the J-20 fighter jets will likely continue to ramp up production, observers said. To master these new weapons and equipment, intensive training exercises are needed, and the training requires funding, Fu said. China has not fought a war in decades, and only through realistic combat training can its force maintain the capability to safeguard national sovereignty, territorial integrity and development interests, and to serve as a creditable deterrent in preventing wars, analysts said, noting that another aspect accompanied by military modernization is the recruitment and the welfare of personnel, as more highly educated talents are required to operate the more advanced weapons and equipment. The security environments around China and in the world have been deteriorating, and China's military spending must also take these factors into account, another Chinese military expert who requested anonymity told the Global Times. Over the past year in the South China Sea, the US instigated the Philippines to provoke China's islands and reefs and gained access to additional military bases in the Philippines to enhance its military encirclement on China at the southern end of the so-called first island chain. Rallying its allies and partners, including Australia and Japan, the US continued to frequently carry out close-in reconnaissance and hold provocative exercises on China's doorstep in attempts to contain China's development. Japan, taking advantage of the US strategy in containing China, also showed signs of revival of its right-wing militarism, as it broke away from its post-war self-defense-only principle and began procuring and deploying missiles that can attack other countries. In the Taiwan Straits, the recent election of secessionist Lai Ching-te as the island of Taiwan's next regional leader added fuel to the flames lit by the Democratic Progressive Party authorities' years of "Taiwan independence" separatist attempts, which are backed by the US that repeatedly sold arms to the island and sent warships through the Straits. Elsewhere around the world, the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict marked the degradation of the global security environment. A strong Chinese military supported by sufficient defense budget is vital to the strategic balance in the world and to the deterrence of conflict in the Asia-Pacific region, as it contributes to peace and stability in the region and the world, the expert said. Experts pointed out that China's defense spending is closely related to the country's economic situation, and with the country recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, it is normal that the defense budget will also rise. According to publicly available information, China's military expenditure takes about 1.3 percent of its GDP in recent years, and this is a very low figure compared with other major military powers, as well as the world average. China's Defense Budget 2019-2023. Graphic:Global Times China's Defense Budget 2019-2023. Graphic:Global Times Restrained figure Reuters reported that the US President Joe Biden in December 2023 signed into law the fiscal 2024 National Defense Authorization Act, authorizing a record $886 billion in annual military spending, which is nearly four times the figure of China's defense budget in 2023. The US' military expenditure as a share of GDP was 3.49 percent in 2023, and the guideline figure for NATO members is 2 percent, according to data published by NATO. These are also significantly higher than China's figure of approximately 1.3 percent. Fu said that China's military spending increase is restrained, and the goal is to safeguard national sovereignty, territorial integrity and security, as well as peace and stability in the entire region. Unlike the US, the top military spender in the world that pursues global hegemony, China pursues a national defense strategy that is defensive in nature, Fu stressed. "China is not interested in engaging in an arms race with the US," Fu said. China also regularly conducts UN peacekeeping missions, naval escorts in the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia, as well as disaster relief and humanitarian aid operations, which are public security goods provided to the international community that build peace and stability. Enough funding can also provide the foundation for the Chinese military to fulfill its international responsibilities and obligations, experts said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Different opinions on Article 23 legislation reflect Hong Kong's diversity, value of freedom of speech Global Times By Chen Qingqing Published: Feb 28, 2024 10:33 PM With the public consultation period for the Article 23 legislation ended on Wednesday, local officials said there is a general consensus in Hong Kong society that we must expedite the legislation as soon as possible while the major issues of concern in the legal community include the purpose of the legislation, definitions and penalties of offenses and protection of human rights and freedom, some legal representatives said, noting that those various opinions also reflect the city's diversity and protection of freedom of speech. In his latest address to a subcommittee on the Article 23 legislation in the Legislative Council (LegCo), Secretary for Justice Paul Lam Ting-kwok said we will provide detailed definitions for some key and important terms in drafting the law including national security, foreign forces and collusion with foreign forces. Also, offenses will be clearly outlined to specify what actions, circumstances and intentions constitute a crime. Where applicable, we will specify whether there are exceptions or defenses, as well as the conditions that must be met. If an offense has extraterritorial effect, we will also specify the subjects and scope of application of extraterritorial effect, Lam said. As for penalties, we tend to follow the common law practice of specifying maximum penalties with sufficient deterrent effect in the draft legislation, without prescribing minimum sentences, the official said. The main concerns of the legal community regarding the Article 23 legislation include the purpose of the legislation, legal basis, legal system and enforcement mechanisms, definitions and penalties of offenses, human rights and freedoms, and the business environment, Willy Fu, director of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies and vice-president of the Hong Kong Basic Law Education Association told the Global Times on Wednesday. "Feedback from the legal community has been focused, acknowledging that the Article 23 legislation is a constitutional responsibility of the HKSAR government, and in discussions with foreign chambers of commerce, consulates, and others, they also recognize that," Fu said. The closing date for the public consultation on the legislation also coincides with the central government's top official overseeing Hong Kong and Macao affairs concluding his seven-day inspection visit to the city. During his visit, Xia Baolong, director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, met with legal community representatives, where Victor Dawes, head of the Hong Kong Bar Association said the Article 23 legislation should both safeguard national security and balance the rights of local residents protected by the Basic Law, according to media reports. Dawes also said during the meeting that the association would submit written opinions on the legislation to the HKSAR government. In the legal community, we have fully expressed many different opinions, which show that Hong Kong is a diverse society and values freedom of speech, Louis Chen, a member of the Election Committee and general secretary of the Hong Kong Legal Exchange Foundation, told the Global Times on Wednesday. "Among these opinions, there are major concerns about whether the legislation will affect the business environment of Hong Kong or sabotage the privacy of individuals. But overall, the legal sector is fully supportive for the legislation and has the consensus that this is the constitutional responsibility," he said. The new law, proposed to be entitled as the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, aims to comprehensively address national security risks and will play a complementary role to the National Security Law for Hong Kong. The One Country, Two Systems principle will be kept as a permanent feature, Xia told about 40 local and foreign business chambers in a recent meeting where the Article 23 legislation was also discussed, the South China Morning Post reported on Monday. Xia also attached great importance to Hong Kong's status as an international city and listened to the opinions of local and foreign chambers of commerce, the media report said. Xia's visit holds significant implications for the practice of the One Country, Two Systems in Hong Kong, the governance and policies of the HKSAR government in the future, as well as the future development of Hong Kong, Lau Siu-kai, a consultant from the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies who is also a senior policy advisor, told the Global Times on Wednesday. "His visit comes at a crucial time when Hong Kong is facing severe economic, social, livelihood and developmental challenges, which have become more complex under pressure from the US and some Western countries," Lau said, noting that enhancing the HKSAR government's governance will, therefore, be vital in enabling Hong Kong to better address these challenges and even turn them into opportunities. "The Security Bureau is actively analyzing all received opinions. The vast majority of opinions support expediting the legislation. Authorities will thoroughly analyze and summarize all feedback and then report to the LegCo, aiming to expedite the legislation as soon as possible," the HKSAR Chief Executive John Lee told media on Wednesday. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning's Regular Press Conference on February 28, 2024 Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People's Republic of China 2024-02-28 17:07 Starting from March 2, Special Representative of the Chinese Government on Eurasian Affairs Li Hui will visit Russia, the EU headquarters, Poland, Ukraine, Germany and France for the second round of shuttle diplomacy on seeking a political settlement of the Ukraine crisis. CCTV: Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) started to dump the fourth batch of Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean on February 28. The discharge is expected to last until March 17 and reach nearly 7,800 tonnes. What's China's comment? Mao Ning: Despite international concern and opposition, Japan has dumped over 23,000 tonnes of Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean, spreading the risk of contamination worldwide. This is against the international law and seriously irresponsible. China firmly opposes it and asks Japan to stop this wrongdoing. Recent incidents at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station where nuclear-contaminated water was splashed onto workers and leaked from the purification system spotlight TEPCO's management deficiency and inadequate government oversight. Japan's claim that the discharge is "safe" and "reliable" is not convincing. The ocean discharge of the Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water impacts the health of all humanity, the global marine environment and the international public interest. Japan needs to take seriously domestic and international concerns and handle the discharge properly with a responsible and constructive attitude. China urges Japan to provide full cooperation in setting up an independent international monitoring arrangement that remains effective in the long haul and has the substantive participation of Japan's neighboring countries and other stakeholders, so as to avoid irrevocable consequences stemming from the ocean discharge. Global Times: You just announced that Special Representative Li Hui will carry out the second round of shuttle diplomacy on seeking a political settlement of the Ukraine crisis. Could you explain the timing for the action? What's China's expectation for Li Hui's trip? Mao Ning: It has been two years since the full escalation of the Ukraine crisis began. As the conflict drags on, the most urgent priority now is to restore peace. The sooner peace talks begin, the less the damage that is done. In the past two years, China has never given up on promoting peace or slackened its efforts to facilitate talks. We had in-depth exchanges with countries including Russia and Ukraine, playing a constructive role in addressing the crisis. China also published its position paper on the political settlement of the crisis, and its special envoy traveled intensively to mediate among different parties. China has not sat idly by or added fuel to the flame, still less profiteered from the conflict. Behind all this, there is only one goal that China hopes to achieve, that is, to build consensus for ending the conflict and pave the way for peace talks. China will continue to play its role, carry out shuttle diplomacy, pool consensus and contribute China's wisdom for the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis. AFP: The world reacted to French President Emmanuel Macron's statement this week that the possibility of sending Western troops to Ukraine is not ruled out. The White House spokesperson said yesterday that the US will not send troops to Ukraine. What's the Foreign Ministry's comment on Macron's statement?a Mao Ning: China's position on the Ukraine crisis is consistent and clear. We call on all sides to build consensus and accumulate conditions for deescalation and ceasefire. China will continue to play a constructive role for the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis. AFP: It's reported that the Filipino President said today that the presence of China's Navy and China Coast Guard vessels at Huangyan Dao is "worrisome". What's your comment? Mao Ning: China's position on the South China Sea is consistent and clear. We express grave concern over the Philippines' recent activities in the South China Sea that infringe on China's sovereignty and will continue to take necessary measures to firmly safeguard our territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, and keep the South China Sea peaceful and stable.a NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hong Kong's Article 23 law will 'damage rights,' hurt business: experts and activists A UN expert adds her voice to a chorus of dismay over the new security legislation. By Amelia Loi for RFA Mandarin, Cheryl Tung and Kwong Wing for RFA Cantonese 2024.02.28 -- Hong Kong's forthcoming "Article 23" security legislation will be a major blow to human rights in the city, according to a U.N. human rights expert, American legal scholars and human rights groups. Public consultation for the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, which will criminalize "treason," "insurrection," the theft of "state secrets," "sabotage" and "external interference," among other national security offenses, under Article 23 of Hong Kong's Basic Law, ended on Wednesday. The legislation, highly likely to be passed by the Legislative Council in the absence of opposition lawmakers, is being billed by the government as a way to close loopholes in the stringent 2020 National Security Law, which was imposed by Beijing, ushering in a crackdown on dissent in the wake of the 2019 protest movement. But rights experts and activists warned in submissions to the government that the law will criminalize actions like peaceful protest or political opposition that should be protected under international law. "V concerned re proposed legislation under Art23 of the Basic Law in Hong Kong - vague provisions will criminalize peaceful exercise of human rights," Mary Lawlor, U.N. Special Rapporteur for Human Rights Defenders, said via her X account on Feb. 26. The law will also "have a detrimental impact on HRDs," Lawlor wrote, referring to human rights defenders. "I urge HK govt to ensure the legislation complies with its int. legal obligations," said the tweet, which tagged in the X account for the Chinese mission to the United Nations in Geneva. Rare show of defiance Public opposition to the law in Hong Kong has been muted amid an ongoing crackdown on dissent under the existing National Security Law and colonial-era sedition laws. In a rare show of public opposition, three members of the opposition political party, the League of Social Democrats, chanted slogans outside government offices on Tuesday calling for fully democratic elections and human rights before enacting national security legislation. "No Article 23 without universal suffrage!" they chanted, watched by dozens of police officers. "No national security without democracy and human rights!" Party Chairwoman Chan Po-ying said the group was trying to respond to the government consultation on the Article 23 legislation, yet had been met by more than 50 police officers on arrival at the venue, while police had filmed the whole protest. "It really wasn't easy for us to stand in front of government headquarters today," Chan told reporters at the scene. "We are still in the consultation period for the Article 23 legislation ... so I can't think of any reason why they should prevent us from expressing our opinions via a peaceful petition." The party wants the government to clarify the meaning of terms like "covering up treason" and "stealing state secrets," to prevent the law from covering peaceful activities by members or the public or the media. They also want amendments to the 2020 National Security Law so it is less of a threat to freedom of speech. Seven sins The London-based rights group Hong Kong Watch made similar points in its submission to the Hong Kong government during the consultation period, the group said in a statement. The law will prohibit seven types of offenses, and has proposed provisions that the group said were "vague and will criminalize the Hong Kong people's peaceful exercises of human rights," as well as undermining due legal process and the right to a fair trial in Hong Kong. "Article 23 will bring further devastating consequences for human rights and freedoms in Hong Kong, beyond the impact of the National Security Law imposed by Beijing in 2020," the group said. "It will also further violate Hong Kong's international obligations under international human rights law." It called for sanctions against officials responsible for introducing the law, as well as the repeal of the 2020 National Security Law. "Although Hong Kong Watch has been repeatedly condemned and harrassed by the Hong Kong government via the use of the 2020 Hong Kong National Security Law, we are still eager to constructively engage in policy and legislative conversation with the authorities," Benedict Rogers, the group's chief executive said. "We urge the Hong Kong government to ... ensure that it complies with Hong Kong's legal obligations under the Sino-British Joint Declaration and international human rights law," he said. Amnesty International said in its submission to the consultation process that many provisions in the draft law contravene international covenants on civil and political rights, and on economic, social and cultural rights. These remain in force in Hong Kong after being extended to the city in 1976, under British colonial rule. It cited the Johannesburg Principles as saying that "national security" cannot be invoked to justify restrictions on rights and freedoms unless genuinely and demonstrably intended to protect a state's existence or territorial integrity against specific threats of the use of force. "Nor can this national security framework legitimately be applied by governments to protect themselves against embarrassment or exposure of wrongdoing, or to entrench a particular ideology," it said, adding that national security laws should only be invoked in the event of "a clear and imminent danger of violence," and the peaceful criticism must not be penalized. According to the Siracusa Principles, a state must also not invoke national security as a justification for measures aimed at suppressing opposition to human rights violations or at perpetrating repressive practices against its population. "Nor may this be used as an excuse to deny people the right to express different political views, the Amnesty International submission to the consultation on Article 23 said. Bad for business Meanwhile, legal scholars at Georgetown University's Asia Law Center said the new law wouldn't just affect basic human rights, but also make it harder to do business in Hong Kong. While Hong Kong officials have repeatedly pointed to national security legislation in the United Kingdom and the United States to legitimize Article 23 legislation, the Georgetown report said such statements were "disingenuous at best, or willfully misleading at worst." "For all of their failures, most of [these] states ... have not used their national security laws to jail opposition politicians, for example, or to close down media outlets that have published pieces critical of the government," the report said. It cited a lack of political opposition in the Legislative Council and the dissolution of dozens of civil society groups in the wake of the 2020 National Security Law. "Many of the groups that remain open are a shadow of their former selves, and would probably face government harassment or even criminal prosecution if they were to put forward a full throated critique of the Consultation Document," the report said. "If new laws are enacted, and existing laws amended, along the lines put forward in the proposal, we believe that the impact on human rights and the rule of law in Hong Kong will be significant," it said. "We are also deeply concerned that the business environment will be affected as well." Yaqiu Wang, China research director at Freedom House, said authorities in Hong Kong are more likely to use the law to its fullest extent to suppress any political opposition in the city because its people are less brainwashed and more likely to resist the government. "A lot of Hong Kongers have lived in a free environment for so long, and have a lot of strong feelings to express," Wang told RFA Mandarin in a recent interview. "So naturally the Chinese government isn't confident it can rule Hong Kong the same way it does the mainland ... [where] self-censorship runs bone-deep. Hong Kongers aren't like that yet, so ... the Chinese government has to use a more intense form of suppression to extinguish the spirit of resistance among the people of Hong Kong," she said. She said the vagueness of the definitions in the Article 23 legislation raises concerns that international organizations could run afoul of the law for fundraising from overseas donors, or engaging in exchanges with overseas academics. Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Malcolm Foster. Copyright 1998-2024, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content February not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China In Eurasia Briefing: Is China The Winner From The War In Ukraine? By Reid Standish February 28, 2024 Is China The Winner From The War In Ukraine? The war in Ukraine is still grinding on but has entered something of a stalemate, with minimal movement on the battlefield. But after two years of war, how has China managed to gain from the war in Ukraine? Finding Perspective: While Chinese leader Xi Jinping may be feeling some anxiety over slow economic growth and a slumping property market at home, there's plenty of reasons to believe that he's feeling emboldened abroad. For starters, China is not at war, it is not geopolitically isolated, and it has been able to gain from the broader fallout from Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion. The war has been a boon for China's credentials as a leader of the Global South, positioning itself as a peacemaker in the conflict while accusing the United States of fueling the war through its military support for Ukraine. Beijing is also feeling confident as it looks at wavering Western support for Ukraine. Billions of dollars' worth of U.S. military aid for Ukraine remains blocked in Congress and further struggles are likely ahead as war and funding fatigue grow in the run-up to the U.S. presidential election in November. The seemingly short shelf life of Western support for Ukraine is no doubt being noted in Beijing and factored into any plan of possibility of moving on Taiwan in the future. The war has also been a test that has largely helped bring China and Russia closer together. While Beijing has at times sought to distance itself from Moscow, it has helped its economy and given political cover where it can. Russia is also now far more dependent on China today than ever before -- a trend set to continue into the future. Why It Matters: Looking ahead, U.S.-China relations will continue to be Xi's leading issue. While both Beijing and Washington are looking to keep things calm for the time being, the coming U.S. election also brings unpredictability. On the one hand, former President Donald Trump launched a trade war and raised tensions, but a Trump victory is also likely to weaken U.S. alliances around the world. The stalled aid for Ukraine and a potentially more erratic United States are not lost on Taiwan, either. A recent delegation of senior Taiwanese officials to Washington told Politico that they're "extremely worried" that Ukraine could be abandoned. In conversations I've had with Taiwanese officials over the last year, they've often said how important it is that Ukraine prevails and that it would send an important message to the Chinese Communist Party on Taiwan. The Ukraine war's geopolitical winds could certainly change later on in 2024, but for now it looks like they're at China's back. Three More Stories From Eurasia 1. Welcome To The New Central Asia Perhaps nowhere have the ripple effects from Russia's invasion been felt stronger than in Central Asia, where Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan have found themselves navigating a very different-looking world since February 24, 2022. The Details: To better understand how the war in Ukraine has altered Central Asia, I asked five leading experts and journalists to explain how they think the region has changed and where it may be going in the future. While the answers varied -- and I highly suggest reading the full article -- the general consensus has been that the Central Asian states are more autonomous than ever when it comes to their foreign policy and they've leaned increasingly hard on China over the last two years. 2. The EU's New Sanctions The European Union announced a fresh package of sanctions over the war in Ukraine on February 23, including three Chinese companies and one based in Hong Kong. What You Need To Know: RFE/RL had the scoop that a new batch of Chinese companies had made the list. Up until now, Brussels had placed sanctions on three Chinese firms in past packages and has been in discussions with Beijing over China's growing role in supplying Russian companies with nonlethal but militarily useful equipment. But with Russian imports of dual-use goods through firms based in Central Asia and China skyrocketing since the start of the war, the West has felt compelled to take action. The four firms included were: Guangzhou Ausay Technology Co Limited, Shenzhen Biguang Trading Co. Limited, Yilufa Electronics Limited, and the Hong Kong-based RG Solutions Limited. The sanctions package targeted Russia's defense industry and slapped asset freezes and travel bans on 106 individuals and 88 organizations, including firms from Russia, India, Sri Lanka, Serbia, Kazakhstan, Thailand, and Turkey. 3. Serbian Villagers And A Chinese Mine Villagers in eastern Serbia protesting environmental degradation and the dangerous use of explosives have forced the Chinese mining giant Zijin to suspend production at a nearby mine, setting the stage for a deeper struggle over its future, my colleague Branko Pesic reports. What It Means: A growing number of protesters from Krivelj, a village of some 700 people a few kilometers from Bor, a city that is home to a massive complex where copper and other minerals are mined and processed by China's Zijin Mining Group, have launched a blockade against the mine. The mostly elderly villagers have blocked the main road and stopped trucks and other vehicles from accessing the mine, leading to Zijin suspending production. Locals have long complained about pollution, contaminated drinking water, and other environmental damage from the sprawling operations, which were taken over by the Chinese mining giant in 2018. Since then, the company has revived mining in the area and sought to open new sites with a $3.8 billion investment announced in September to expand its copper mines. Villagers told Branko that their struggle was far from over and they will continue to block the main road, setting the stage for a prolonged fight over the future of their village and Zijin's expanding mining operations in eastern Serbia. Across The Supercontinent A Hikvision Hack: Ukrainian intelligence officials say that Russia hacked two ordinary outdoor CCTV cameras in Kyiv to help guide a missile attack that took place in January. Schemes, the investigative unit of RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service, discovered that the cameras were made by China's Hikvision, which raises new questions over lingering concerns about their security and vulnerabilities. A Boon In Budapest: China offered to support longtime strategic partner Hungary on public security issues. Visa-Free: Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said on February 26 that Georgian citizens can now visit China without visas for a period of up to 30 days, RFE/RL's Georgian Service reports. The move comes after Georgia allowed visa-free entry for Chinese citizens in January. A Taiwan Connection: About 20 percent of nitrocellulose -- a compound used in gunpowder -- imported into Russia has been sourced from Taiwan, accordingto an investigation done by the think tank Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in cooperation with Ukraine's Center for Defense Strategies. Looking For Work?: Afg-Chin Oil and Gas Limited, the joint Afghan-Chinese company looking to drill in Afghanistan, is looking for an external auditor. One Thing To Watch An enormous data leak from a Chinese cybersecurity firm has offered a rare glimpse into the inner workings of Beijing-linked hackers. The company, I-Soon, has yet to confirm the leak is genuine, but analysts say the leak is a treasure trove of intel into the day-to-day operations of China's hacking program. There are long lists of targets, from British government departments to Thai ministries. I-Soon staff also boasted in leaked chats that they secured access to telecom service providers in Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Thailand, and Malaysia, among others. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/china-winner- ukraine-war/32840603.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 Hong Kong national security proposals: UK statement Foreign Secretary David Cameron gave a statement on Hong Kong's Article 23 national security proposals. 28 February 2024 Foreign Secretary David Cameron said: The Sino-British Joint Declaration on Hong Kong confirmed that for 50 years, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region ( SAR ) would maintain a high degree of autonomy and that the rights and freedoms, as provided for by the laws previously in force in Hong Kong, would continue. Hong Kong's Basic Law sets out those rights and freedoms. As a co-signatory to the Joint Declaration, the UK has a responsibility to ensure that those rights and freedoms are maintained. The UK government recognises the right of all jurisdictions to implement legislation to address national security concerns. We also acknowledge that Hong Kong has a constitutional obligation to introduce such legislation under Article 23 of the Basic Law. Hong Kong is also required to ensure that national security legislation aligns with international standards and upholds rights and freedoms, as set out in the Joint Declaration, the Basic Law, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Legislative proposals announced on 30 January by the Hong Kong government do not uphold these obligations. They will have a negative impact on the people of Hong Kong in the exercise of their rights and freedoms. My officials have raised our concerns privately with the Hong Kong authorities and through the public consultation process. Those concerns include, but are not limited to: the toughening of penalties for speech crimes and the use of the broadly defined term 'state secrets' will inhibit freedom of speech, of expression and of the press the risk that the work of international organisations in Hong Kong could be labelled as 'foreign interference' vague references to 'external forces' and the new offence of 'external interference' threaten the legitimate and lawful diplomatic and consular activity as protected in the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations the absence of any reference to independent oversight, or the mechanisms that would support it lack of clarity on the procedures that will govern detention without charge, and the absence of a judicial oversight mechanism the absence of any provision for independent and robust mechanisms to safeguard against arbitrary action by the executive on national security grounds The UK has noted the references to UK national security legislation throughout the consultation document. UK national security legislation is informed by public consultation and was subject to full scrutiny by both Houses of Parliament, including the democratically elected House of Commons. This ensures that our national security legislation is fully representative of the views of the UK public and has democratic legitimacy. I strongly urge the Hong Kong SAR government to re-consider their proposals and engage in genuine and meaningful consultation with the people of Hong Kong. We will monitor development of this legislation closely. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Defence Secretary interacts with German Defence Industry India - Press Information Bureau Ministry of Defence Shri Giridhar Aramane highlights recent reforms to make India an investment destination in defence sector Posted On: 28 FEB 2024 6:11PM by PIB Delhi Defence Secretary Shri Giridhar Aramane interacted with the Federal Association of the German Security and Defence Industry (BDSV) at Berlin on 28 Feb, 2024. In a meeting organized by BDSV, Defence Secretary outlined the recent changes in the Indian defence industry through progressive reforms, making it attractive to invest in India, and to enter into partnerships with the Indian defence industry. Shri Giridhar Aramane highlighted that India is progressively moving towards into the next defence innovation, manufacturing and maintenance hub in Asia. The Managing Director of BDSV Dr Hans Christoph Arzpodien welcomed the Defence Secretary to the event, and provided the German defence industry perspective. The meeting was also attended by Shri P Harish, Ambassador of India to the Federal Republic of Germany. A number of German defence companies were present, represented by their top leadership, and an engaging discussion on business and investment possibilities was conducted. ******** ABB/Anand (Release ID: 2009867) NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Defence Secretary co-chairs India-Germany High Defence Committee meeting in Berlin India - Press Information Bureau Ministry of Defence Both countries focus on collaboration in high technology in defence. Posted On: 28 FEB 2024 8:38AM by PIB Delhi Defence Secretary Shri Giridhar Aramane co-chaired the India-Germany High Defence Committee (HDC) meeting in Berlin on 27 Feb 2024 with the State Secretary, German Ministry of Defence Mr Benedikt Zimmer. Both sides discussed a range of bilateral security and defence issues, with a focus on developing the defence cooperation as a key pillar of the Strategic Partnership between India and Germany. They exchanged views on the regional security situation, discussed likely joint exercises with Germany in the Indo-Pacific, and deliberated on potential defence industrial projects and proposals. They emphasized on the need for a closer defence partnership and connecting the defence industries from both sides together. Of particular focus was the collaboration in high technology in defence. The conduct of HDC meeting follows the visit of German Federal Minister of Defence Mr Boris Pistorius to India in 2023. Shri Giridhar Aramane later interacted with a prominent think tank German Institute of International and Security Affairs (Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik - SWP) in Berlin. *** ABB/Anand (Release ID: 2009618) NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address INDIAN NAVY - NARCOTICS CONTROL BUREAU ANTI NARCOTICS OPERATIONS AT SEA India - Press Information Bureau Ministry of Defence Posted On: 28 FEB 2024 9:41AM by PIB Delhi In a coordinated operation at sea, the Indian Navy and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) apprehended a suspicious vessel carrying almost 3300 Kgs contraband (3089 Kgs Charas, 158 Kgs Methamphetamine 25 Kgs Morphine). Based on intelligence received from the Indian Navy's maritime surveillance aircraft which were corroborated with inputs from the NCB, a mission-deployed IN warship was pressed into action to intercept a suspicious dhow enroute to the Indian waters with sizeable contraband. IN units successfully located, tracked and intercepted the suspicious boat at sea. The Boarding Operations on the dhow resulted in the largest seizure of narcotics, in quantity, in recent times. Subsequently, the boat was towed by the IN warship to the nearest Indian port for handing over the crew and contraband to the Law Enforcement Agencies. This operation is significant, not only in terms of quantity and cost of the seized contraband, but also highlights the collaborative efforts between the Indian Navy and the NCB for disruption of the illegal narcotics smuggling routes, which emanate from the Makran coast and flow towards various IOR countries. The successful coordinated mission reaffirms the strong commitment and resolve of the Indian Navy in thwarting the attempts to use the seas as a medium for illegal activities, especially in India's maritime neighbourhood. *** VM/PS (Release ID: 2009627) NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran, US still exchanging messages: Amirabdollahian IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Feb 28, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- Iran's Foreign Minister, Hossein Amirabdollahian, in an exclusive interview with Lebanon's Al-Mayadeen channel confirmed that the Islamic Republic and the United States keep exchanging messages on various topics, including the 2015 nuclear deal. The American side, in some of these messages, hints at its desire for all parties to return to their obligations as per the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). On our part, we have expressed our readiness to welcome recommendations that would allow the return to commitments, but also annul the unilateral sanctions imposed on Iran," Amirabdollahian disclosed on Tuesday. The top Iranian diplomat further emphasized that "under President Ebrahim Raisi's government, we held serious talks with nuclear negotiators, but unfortunately, at a certain point, the war in Ukraine cast its shadows on them." But he said that the Iranian government has affirmed from the start that it does not consider the JCPOA as an approach to resolving the country's issues, but Iran has proven that it is one of the countries most committed to its international obligations," he said, referring to Iran's nuclear program, which Tehran has maintained for years is solely peaceful. The Iranian Foreign Minister, when asked for a comment on the US election slated for the year-end, underlined that Tehran does not see a significant difference between both US President Joe Biden and his challenger Donald Trump. "It doesn't matter to us who becomes the American president.". Over the past 45 years, the US saw several democratic and republican presidents. What is significance to us is their behavior. If they treat Iran with mutual respect and forego their errors and hostility, then we would give similar gesture and respect," he said. If they continue with enmity, then our response would be direct and appropriate no matter who and which party at the helm of politics, Amir-Abdollahian stressed. 4399 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Not going to lift anti-Iran sanctions: Biden admin IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Feb 28, 2024 New York, IRNA -- US National Security Council spokesman, John Kirby on Tuesday proudly talked about anti-Iran sanctions the administration of President Joe Biden has come up since taking over the White House. Kirby at a news conference said the Biden administration has imposed 55 sanctions on the Islamic Republic, targeting more than 550 Iranian individuals and institutions over the past three years. He also mentioned new sanctions jointly imposed by the US and Britain against Mohammad Reza Fallahzadeh, the deputy commander of the Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolutions Guards Corpse over allegations that he supported Yemen's Ansarullah Movement for its operations in the Red Sea against Israeli, American and British interests. "We do not have any plan to cancel, exempt or any discount regarding the sanctions imposed on Iran", he said, adding that the current administration has so far imposed more than 55 unilateral sanctions on Iran under various pretexts, ranging from rights violation to nuclear programs. Kirby also said that the United States will push for more actions and hold Iran accountable. The United States and the United Kingdom had been working together for some time to impose some sanctions against individuals and institutions of the Islamic Republic of Iran, as well as Ansarullah in Yemen, he said. The US Treasury has emphasized that new sanctions also extend to entities involved in facilitating the transportation of Iranian commodities to support Yemen's Ansarullah and the IRGC Quds Force. Under this measure, Washington has blacklisted Arturia, a ship belonging to Hong Kong-based company and Ibrahim Al-Nashiri, a member of Yemen's Ansarullah. The Biden administration, despite the slogan of diplomacy, continues to adopt the maximum pressure policies of the previous administration under Republican Donald Trump The United States has targeted almost all Iranian sectors with sanctions on various pretexts. Trump during his term in office unilaterally withdrew Washington from a multilateral deal between Iran and several world powers known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and began re-imposing sanctions that were removed under the deal. 4399 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address No resolution against Iran on IAEA board of governors ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency Wed / 28 February 2024 / 11:10 A source told ISNA that there would be no resolution against Iran nuclear activities in upcoming IAEA board of governors meeting. Tehran-ISNA-Member states of The International Atomic Energy Agency will hold their new meeting on 4-8 March in Vienna. Earlier, U.N. nuclear watchdog said on Monday that Iran's stock of 60% uranium enriched has shrunk. The IAEA estimated in its quarterly report that as of February 10, Iran's total enriched uranium stockpile was at 5,525.5 kilograms (about 12,182 pounds), an increase of 1,038.7 kilograms (2,289 pounds) since the last quarterly report in November 2023. It also said that according to its assessment, Iran has an estimated 121.5 kilograms (267.8 pounds) of uranium enriched up to 60% purity, which represents a decrease of 6.8 kilograms (14.9 pounds) since the last report in November 2023. A source told ISNA that there would be no resolution against Iran nuclear activities in upcoming IAEA board of governors meeting. Meanwhile There is a possibility that the three European countries and the United States will repeat their claims against Iran's nuclear program in a "non-binding statement" next week. It seems that European countries and the Israel are trying to maintain the pressure on Iran in different ways, but US administration, which is involved in the crisis in Gaza and Ukraine and the upcoming presidential elections, does not want to escalate the situation regarding Iran. End Item NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iran FM: US military support from Israel have been active round-the-clock ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency Wed / 28 February 2024 / 10:55 In an interview with Al Mayadeen, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian gives insight on regional and international issues, ranging from the Gaza genocide to the nuclear agreement. Tehran-ISNA- Our intel and satellite images we obtained, also show that weaponry and military gear suppliance operations from the US bases and ships to Tel Aviv have been active round-the-clock," Amir-Abdollahian revealed. The performance of the United Nations is unfortunate, and Iran cannot leave space for recognition of the Israeli entity, because it does not acknowledge its legitimacy and considers it an occupation power over Palestinian lands, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told Al Mayadeen on the sidelines of the International Court of Justice in The Hague. Throughout the interview, the Iranian Foreign Minister discussed topics such as the United Nations Human Rights Council, particularly in light of what is happening in Gaza, the events unfolding in the Strip and the Middle East region, and Iran's current foreign policy and nuclear program. UN being used by those in power Upon being asked in what light Iran viewed the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva taking all that is going on in Gaza into consideration, Amir-Abdollahian referred to his speech during the 55th UNHRC meeting, wherein he said the UN's performance and behavior regarding what was happening in Gaza and the West Bank was "unfortunately unacceptable." "The Security Council did not fulfill its duty as the United States continuously, unilaterally, and arrogantly exploited its veto power. Every prospect and proposal of a ceasefire resolution in Gaza has been rejected by the American veto, exhibiting a contradictive behavior to the banners of primary human rights. Even at the UNHCR, we still have not seen any adequate mobilization in this regard," he said. "During the first month of the war and the start of the genocide in Gaza, I visited Geneva and met with prominent officials at the United Nations, including the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and frankly told them that the commotion made, in the same council, when claims circulated the death of an Iranian woman, would not be forgotten. "[Does the UNHCR] not want to create a special committee that relays the facts and investigations into war crimes, genocide, and human rights violations being committed in Gaza? So far, we have not witnessed a singular decisive measure taken by any of the organizations that fall under the UN. "Of course, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Antonio Guterres, has taken some fairly good and appropriate measures, such as visiting the borders of Rafah, loudly demanding the opening of the Rafah Crossing, and the prohibition of the killings of more children, women, and people deprived of food and medicine. However, he could not efficiently and corporeally help the people of Gaza using the UN's mechanisms. Meanwhile, at the UNHRC, we clearly see that everything succumbs to the will and control of those in power, the lying pretenders of human rights advocacy," he stressed. South Africa ICJ lawsuit "There are two simultaneous lawsuits raised against the Israeli apartheid and criminal occupation. The first one is a South African lawsuit filed against Israel and is currently being adjudicated. We hope the judges announce their charges in the upcoming days for them to be transformed into principles and foundations for all UN organizations, including the UNHRC," Amir-Abdollahian said when asked about whether South Africa's lawsuit at the ICJ could have a different outcome from the ICJ deliberations, taking into account that there is no veto power within the ICJ. The second lawsuit, he clarified, "Was raised by the UN requesting judicial guidance regarding the legal consequences arising from the policies and practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, based on a decision made a few weeks ago. The ICJ's guidance, in this case, could become a precedent that presents a solution to the Palestinian cause." While the foreign minister maintained Iran's support for South Africa's case as one of justice and bravery, recalling how Tehran championed it at the political and legal levels while providing extensive media coverage for the case, he said Iran had one caveat regarding the case "One criticism we have is that, as the Islamic Republic of Iran, we have to work under the paradigms that do not leave space for recognition of the Israeli entity, because we do not acknowledge its legitimacy and consider it an occupation power over Palestinian lands. "The occupation is not sustainable, and it will dissolve after all, just like its precedent in Algeria, despite its extension for several decades, it was defeated by the resilience of the Algerian people and their Resistance," he stressed. Expanding circle of fire? Commenting on the Israeli attacks on Baalbek, northeastern Lebanon, which is a precedent since the 2006 July War, and whether it would make for an escalation that could ignite an all-out war that extends beyond the Lebanese front in the south, Amir-Abdollahian stressed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "thinks the solution to his extremist government's and his own salvation is war." "The Zionist entity itself is sustained by war and insecurity in the region. However, today, what is the situation we are experiencing? Israel was unable to achieve any of its goals from the war in Gaza," he said. The Iranian top diplomat explained that the Israeli occupation "could not defeat Hamas, or demilitarize it. It failed to locate and retrieve its captives, and many of its other goals, including capturing Yahya al-Sinwar, despite the mass bombing and the full-on genocide it perpetrated on the Gaza Strip, and the massive funding the US has supplied it with." "Our intel and satellite images we obtained, also show that weaponry and military gear suppliance operations from the US bases and ships to Tel Aviv have been active round-the-clock," Amir-Abdollahian revealed. "This is what we discussed with several regional leaders, whose countries comprise US military bases, and told them the lands of Islamic nations must not be transformed to grounds that allow the extension of weapons to the Israeli entity, which allows it to kill more Palestinians." "What is Netanyahu looking for now, and why did he attack east Lebanon? Notably, not a single Israeli attack passed without a consequential response, and the region and Hezbollah have both responded strongly and appropriately to all Israeli aggression," he said, leaving it up to the Resistance to escalate how it sees fit. Threat of regional war? In a follow-up question regarding his commentary on the presence of foreign powers in the region, the Iranian Foreign Minister was asked about Iran's opinion on the increased Western presence in the region in light of the growing number of US and other Western naval entities and whether this could signify an escalation that could affect and reach Iran, Amir-Abdollahian simply answered: "No." "Our evaluations indicate that Netanyahu wants to expand the war and wants to implicate the United States in conflicts and wars, now more than ever, at a rate that surpasses the holistic support the US and its allies have been supplying the Israeli entity with... But the main point is that the US and other Western nations are seemingly encountered with specific conditions," he said. "There are several points to consider regarding the latest updates and lineups toward Palestine. The first is that the US backs "Israel's" war and genocide. Americans are facing special conditions in light of the upcoming elections which spike the need for the Israeli lobby's support. We realize that they do not possess the will to end the war, but they have simultaneously expressed, through letters and statements, their aversion to an expanded war. "They are very well aware of the dangers that could follow if the war is expanded. On the other hand, they are part of the expansion operation through their joint aggression with Britain in Yemen. The Americans discuss the de-escalation of the war, not stopping it. In my opinion, that signifies their malicious behavior embodied by giving Netanyahu the green light. Today, in Europe, everyone is discussing the need to end the war. But Britain, in this case, is jumping a double rope. It seeks to proceed with its regional foreign policies alongside the US. "Islamic and Arab nations also advocate for the end of the war. But in all cases, we must not forget "Israel's" forceful displacement policies of Gazans to the Sinai desert, and people of the West Bank to dispersed parts of the Jordanian lands. "This is certainly what Netanyahu is striving for, and we vivaciously declare that if it weren't for the Palestinian Resistance and the resilience of the Palestinian masses, the reality of the regions aligned with the occupied Palestinian territories would have been completely different," he stressed. Displacement into Sinai "Around two weeks ago, I visited the region and met with several Resistance leaders and the Resistance leadership. According to the reports they provided, the Resistance is at its best. Regarding its morale, despite all the hardships and the challenges, it remains spirited, be it in Lebanon or Palestine," Amir-Abdollahian said of the regional tour he made in early February. "The Resistance affirmed that they possessed the material and human capabilities necessary to maintain all acts of resistance in the lengthiest war yet," he added. "The spirits of the people of Gaza and the West Bank deserve to be commended. They have indeed inter-moved in Gaza, but based on our accurate information, more than 600,000 Palestinians remain in the north, in afflicted and destroyed areas, and refuse to leave, despite all the difficult conditions," he said. Asked about whether the displacement of the Palestinian people to Rafah was feasible, he said the Israeli plans "will not be materialized and will not be able to direct people to Egypt and enforce their displacement." "We frankly announced that the US cannot proceed with its hypocritical discourse that urges de-escalations on one hand, and then imposes measures that intensify the war and allow Israel to carry out its crimes by providing it with the necessary intelligence and logistics," he added. "Indicators show that the West, regional countries, Islamic nations, the Palestinian leadership, and the Resistance, all agree that if the US ceased all military aid to Israel, then Netanyahu would not be able to carry on with the war, not even for an hour. What happened over the past five months in Gaza is depicted in scenes that portray the pride of its Resistance, its women, and its men." Red Sea confrontations The Iranian Foreign Minister revealed that he talked with his British counterparts about the joint US-UK aggression on Yemen, calling it a "strategic mistake" and underlining that Yemen has "proven that they do not trifle with any party regarding the security of their lands. They have been able to sound this message and clearly relayed that ships carrying military cargo to Israel will be stopped," "Remarkably, they kept their vows to the fullest. If you take a satellite look at the Red Sea, you will find hundreds of ships on that route. We realize that shipping and insurance costs have soared, but trade ships that do not carry any supplies to the Israeli occupation cross the Red Sea safely," he clarified, commending the Yemeni leadership for its steadfastness and for adhering to its principles. "The National Salvation Government has addressed that maritime and the Red Sea security is of its highest interests. In Iran, we also sail this route for international trade, and the entire world would benefit if it were safe, but the root of the issue lies in Gaza, not the Red Sea. "If the genocide in Gaza ended, then the situation in the Red Sea would return to normal. We appreciate Yemen's brave support of Palestine, and Yemenis continue taking that road to champion Gaza, without jeopardizing the safety of certain shipments and maritime security. "In constant reminders, the general maritime security has not been jeopardized, but ships headed toward the occupation are," he said, once again stressing that Yemen is not targeting any ships that are not affiliated with the Israeli occupation. Iranian 'regional proxies'? "We do not have any proxies in the region," the Iranian Foreign Minister underlined. "Hezbollah and the Resistance in Palestine work as they see fit, based on their own interests. Yemen follows the same framework as well. In Iraq and Syria, groups to fight ISIS were formed and still operate for their countries' interests and considerations." "It would be best if the United States focused on finding a political solution instead of throwing accusations and fabricating false scenarios," he said of the Western accusations that Iran is using regional Resistance movements, whether in Iraq, Yemen, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, or elsewhere, as regional proxies and tools to further its interests. "Five months of war proved that warfare is not the solution, thereby emphasizing the need for political resolutions realistically and from a Palestinian-centric lens." "I told David Cameron that following 80 years of occupation, it is about time for Palestinians to determine their own fate and the future of their nation. It is good that countries meet and propose suggestions to resolve the Palestinian issue, but what is better and more appropriate is the focus on Palestinian solutions that stem from the unity of Palestinian groups and factions, regardless of their political direction. "I realized, through my meetings with all Palestinian Resistance leaders, that they have been holding meetings for weeks to suggest recommendations and ideas related to different topics, and we believe that now is their chance to democratically propose their ideas on negotiation tables. In turn, all related countries should consider purely Palestinian notions to aid the people of Palestine in Gaza and the West Bank. No difference between Biden, Trump The Iranian Foreign Minister, asked for a comment on the US election slated for the year-end, underlined that Tehran does not see a significant difference between both US President Joe Biden and candidate Donald Trump. "Over the past 45 years, the US saw several democratic and republican presidents. What is of significance to us is their behavior. If they treated Iran with mutual respect and forego their errors and hostility, then we would return the respect," he said. "If they continue employing this hostility, then our response would be direct and appropriate, whatever the party and political direction they might belong to and have," Amir-Abdollahian stressed. Iranian nuclear file "Under President Ebrahim Raisi's government, we held serious talks with nuclear negotiators, but unfortunately, at a certain point, the war in Ukraine cast its shadows on them," he said. "Letters are still being exchanged between Tehran and Washington regarding several topics. The American side sometimes hints at its desire for all participating parties to revert to their previous obligations as per the nuclear agreement. On our part, we frankly expressed our readiness to welcome recommendations that would allow reversion to previous commitments, but also annul the unilateral sanctions imposed on Iran," he clarified. "The Iranian government affirmed from the start that it does not consider the nuclear agreement as an approach to resolving the country's issues, but Iran has proven that it is one of the countries most committed to its international pledges," he once again said of Iran's nuclear program, which Tehran has maintained for years is solely peaceful. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address President Raeisi due in Algeria in 1st presidential visit in 14 years Iran Press TV Wednesday, 28 February 2024 6:07 PM President Ebrahim Raeisi of Iran is to visit Algeria over the weekend in a first trip by an Iranian president to the North African country in 14 years. Iran's official IRNA news agency said on Wednesday Raeisi will travel to Algiers on March 2 at the official invitation of President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. The Iranian president is scheduled to attend the seventh meeting of the leaders of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) in Algiers. IRNA said Raeisi's trip to Algeria is in line with his administration's efforts to bolster cooperation with regional and international organizations and to expand relations with Muslim and "like-minded" countries. It said Raeisi will hold talks with Tebboune in Algiers, adding that high-ranking delegations from the two countries will also negotiate and sign several memoranda of understanding during the trip. The last time an Iranian president visited Algeria was in September 2010, when Mahmoud Ahmadinejad stopped for a few hours in Algiers as part of a regional tour to hold talks with then President Abdelaziz Bouteflika. The GECF was established in 2008 based on an initial proposal by Iran, a country which is one of the world's largest holders of natural gas reserves and a top producer and consumer of the hydrocarbon resource. The forum has 13 permanent members and seven observers. Raeisi's trip also comes on the backdrop of Iran's efforts to boost relations with countries in North Africa, including Sudan, with which Iran had strained relations in recent years, and with Egypt, a country with no diplomatic relations with Iran since 1979. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Leader: Iran will advance if world sees Iranian nation's presence in 'decisive scenes' Iran Press TV Wednesday, 28 February 2024 8:51 AM Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says if the Iranian nation shows the world that they are present in 'decisive scenes', they will save the country and contribute to Iran's progress. "Strong and fervent elections constitute one of the pillars of running the country properly," the Leader said. "If we can show the world that the nation is present in the country's critical and decisive scenes, we have saved and moved the country forward." Ayatollah Khamenei made the remarks in a meeting on Wednesday with a visiting group of the families of Iranian martyrs as well as first-time voters at the country's elections for Iranian Parliament (Majlis) and the Assembly of Experts on March 1. Pointing to some people's indifference to the vote, Ayatollah Khamenei said, "I am not accusing anyone, but I remind all that we should look at the elections from the perspective of national interests, not from the view points of factions and groups." The Leader stressed, "Anyone who loves Iran, their nation and security should know that if the elections are poorly held, no one will benefit and everyone will be hurt." Ayatollah Khamenei stressed that the presence of Iranian voters at the polls bespeaks "national power," noting that the country's adversaries are closely watching the event. "National power supports national security. If the enemy feels that you are not capable, [and] the Iranian nation has no power, they will threaten your security in every way," the Leader said He added, "National security is all that matters. If there is no security, there remains nothing [else]. The enemy is opposed to our national power. Therefore, they oppose everything that is a manifestation of national power, including elections." Ayatollah Khamenei hailed elections as an "opportunity" that should be seized, saying the vote not only benefits the country, but also disappoints the country's enemies. "Whoever loves Iran, loves the Islamic Republic, loves the Islamic Revolution, anyone who loves national power, anyone who loves progress should be active in the elections and enthusiastically participate in the vote," the Leader said. Elsewhere in his remarks, the Leader touched on Israel's months-long aggression on Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip and said the issue of Gaza introduced Islam to the world as an element which encourages people not to give up and promotes resistance in the face of Zionists' crimes. The Leader noted Gaza developments also showed the true color of Western culture and civilization, saying their leaders in practice failed to halt Israel's aggression by vetoing UNSC resolutions that called for Gaza ceasefire. Pointing to the recent self-immolation of Aaron Bushnell, an active-duty member of the US Air Force, in protest at Israel's genocidal campaign in Gaza, Ayatollah Khamenei said, "An Air Force officer sets himself on fire; which means that even a young person who was brought up in that culture finds it burdensome, and even his conscience is offended." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iraqi MP: Parliament supports gov't to expel US military IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Feb 28, 2024 Tehran, IRNA -- Habib Al-Halawi, and Iraqi parliamentarian, has said that sooner or later the American occupying forces must leave Iraq and that the parliament supports the government's position in expelling them. According to Iraqi media, Al-Halawi referred to the proposed options for preserving the sovereignty of Iraq, saying that the American occupying forces must leave Iraq sooner or later. All options are being analyzed by the parliament to support the Iraqi government in expelling foreign forces from the country completely. He noted that the presence of foreign forces in Iraq threatens its security and stability, and violates Iraq's national sovereignty. Earlier on February 24, Iraq's National Security Advisor Qasim al-Araji said that there is a consensus among political factions that foreign forces should leave the Arab country. "There is a consensus on the withdrawal of foreign forces. And, the Iraqi government will sign bilateral security agreements with the countries that are part of the international coalition against the Daesh terror group, in response to their assistance", he said. The international coalition, led by the United States, was formed in September 2014 to defeat Daesh. Currently, there are about 2,500 US troops still present in Iraq as part of that coalition. However, calls have been getting louder for the withdrawal of American forces from Iraq ever since the US military assassinated top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in a drone attack near Baghdad in January 2020. At the time, the Iraqi parliament voted for the American forces' pullout of the country. 9376**9417 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Battle erupts on northern Myanmar university campus More than 130 staff and students are detained and evacuated by rebels who attacked junta troops on campus. By RFA Burmese 2024.02.28 -- A battle erupted on a university campus in northern Mynamar's Sagaing region earlier this week as ethnic Kachin and Chin fighters attacked junta troops based on the property, prompting the rebels to detain and eventually evacuate more than 130 civilians trapped in the crossfire, residents and fighters told Radio Free Asia. Fighters from the Kachin Independence Army, the Chin National Front and local People's Defense Force fighters attacked a junta camp on the Kale University campus on Monday. They had to retreat from the campus after military reinforcements for junta troops arrived, an official from local militia group Kalay-Kabaw-Gangaw said. That's when the students and staff were moved, he told RFA Burmese. "We moved them to places where they were safe from flying bullets, so they didn't get hurt during the battle. That's it," he said. A PDF member who wanted to be anonymous for his safety concerns said some of the students and staff were interrogated, but everyone was held in a way that allowed them to keep their dignity and rights. "We didn't arrest them," he said. "We just kept them for a while." Heavy artillery from junta forces the following day, on Tuesday, left four civilians in the area dead, local residents told Radio Free Asia. Junta-affiliated newspapers on Wednesday reported that junta troops saved 285 teachers and students from being captured by PDF forces. There was no mention of the 130 people who were detained and evacuated by anti-junta forces. Junta troops on campus A PDF member from Kale township who didn't want to be named for security reasons said that the joint rebel forces attacked a junta checkpoint at the university's entrance because junta troops were demanding money from trucks and passenger cars. "The primary motivation for our attack on the university was the presence of occupation of junta's soldiers in the school campus," the PDF member said. "They have been there for three years since the coup d'Atat," in February 2021. Also on Monday, the Chin National Front and local PDFs attacked the Ko Mai police station in Khaikam city in Chin state, which is adjacent to the campus of Kale University, according to a PDF official. Locals said the heavy artillery that was fired continuously on Tuesday was in retaliation for the attack on the police station. Residents said that there has been intense fighting between the junta's forces and local PDFS in Kale and in surrounding villages over the last week. The Kale District PDF said in a statement on Monday that residents should evacuate as soon as possible ahead of an expected increase in fighting with junta forces in the coming days. Residents said some people have been hiding in their own homes and bunkers and placing sandbags outside. A local resident who didn't want to be named said junta troops have been shooting people walking on the street and also shooting into homes with light and heavy weapons. Translated by Kalyar Lwin. Edited by Matt Reed and Malcolm Foster. Copyright 1998-2024, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content February not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Scores of captive Muslims forced to undergo military training at displaced camp Junta authorities threaten to kill the 107 mostly ethnic Rohingyas if they refuse. By RFA Burmese 2024.02.28 -- Junta authorities are holding more than 100 mostly ethnic Rohingya Muslims captive at a camp for the displaced in western Myanmar's Rakhine state and threatening to kill them if they refuse to take part in military training, residents said Wednesday. The military is desperate for new recruits after suffering devastating losses on the battlefield to the ethnic Arakan Army, or AA, in Rakhine. On Feb. 10, the junta enacted a conscription law that has seen draft-eligible civilians flee Myanmar's cities, saying they would rather leave the country or join anti-junta forces in remote border areas than fight for the military, which seized power in a 2021 coup d'etat. On Tuesday, a group of around 80 junta troops and police arrived at the Kyauk Ta Lone camp for internally displaced persons, or IDPs, in Rakhine's Kyaukphyu township and forcibly gathered 107 Muslims between the ages of 18 and 35 at the camp's food warehouse, after collecting their personal information. Junta personnel told the captives that they would be "beaten to death" if they refused to take part in military training and threatened to "remove their families from the camp" if they attempted to escape, according to a resident. The Muslims were also banned from using mobile phones and threatened with punishment if they spoke with the media, said the resident who, like others interviewed for this report, spoke to RFA Burmese on condition of anonymity due to security concerns. Another resident with knowledge of the situation told RFA that junta personnel said the 107 Muslims were on the camp's "first list for military training" and expected to undergo verbal instruction on Wednesday. "The IDPs are not allowed to go outside at all ... [and they] are surrounded by junta troops," he said. "I found out that [on Thursday] they will be given guns and undergo [physical] military training." RFA attempted to contact camp officials and other residents on Wednesday for comment on the recruitment drive at Kyauk Ta Lone, but was unsuccessful, as their phones had been powered off. Camp recruitment RFA reported last week that the junta had offered freedom of movement to ethnic Rohingya Muslims restricted to Kyauk Ta Lone and other IDP camps in Rakhine state as part of a bid to entice them into military service amid the nationwide rollout of the conscription law. But rights campaigners say the junta is drafting Rohingya into military service to stoke ethnic tensions in Rakhine, while legal experts say the drive is unlawful, given that Myanmar has refused to recognize the Rohingya as one of the country's ethnic groups and denied them citizenship for decades. Some 1 million Rohingya refugees have been living in Bangladesh since 2017, when they were driven out of Myanmar by a military clearance operation. Another 630,000 living within Myanmar are designated stateless by the United Nations, including those who languish in camps and are restricted from moving freely in Rakhine state. Kyauk Ta Lone is located 6.5 kilometers (4 miles) from the seat of Kyaukphyu township and is home to more than 1,000 people from 375 families. While many identify as Rohingyas, others claim to be Kamans, who are recognized as one of the country's ethnic groups but were forced to vacate the urban areas of Kyaukphyu in 2012 amid racial conflict in Rakhine state. The state's population mostly belongs to Myanmar's ethnic Rakhine Buddhist minority. The latest census, taken in 2020, documented no Kamans living in Kyaukphyu township, which suggests that some Rohingyas living in the camp are identifying as Kaman to avoid social and political repercussions. Draft for citizens only Ro Nay San Lwin, a Rohingya activist, told RFA that because the conscription law stipulates that only citizens are eligible to serve in the military, it is "illegal" to recruit those without citizenship status. "The mandatory conscription law only applies to citizens and [the junta] doesn't recognize Rohingyas as citizens," he said. Only some of the residents of Kyauk Ta Lone hold documents identifying them as citizens of Myanmar, while others have not been registered. Ro Nay San Lwin said that the junta wants to train the Rohingya to fight against the AA to bolster its defense of territory in Rakhine state, which it has hemorrhaged since November, when the ethnic rebels ended a ceasefire that had been in place since the coup. In the past three months, the military has surrendered Pauktaw, Minbya, Mrauk-U, Kyauktaw, Myay Pon and Taung Pyo townships in the state, as well as Paletwa township in neighboring Chin state. "Although the ongoing situation is unrelated to the Rohingya issue, the junta is trying to reduce pressure on itself by using Rohingyas as human shields and creating communal conflict between ethnic groups," he said. Attempts by RFA to contact Attorney General Hla Thein, the junta's spokesperson for Rakhine state, for comment on the situation there went unanswered Wednesday. Pro-junta mouthpiece Myanma Alin has reported that no Muslims are being listed for military service in Rakhine state. International Rohingya organizations have called on the U.N. Security Council to take action against the junta to prevent further oppression of the ethnic group in Myanmar. Translated by Aung Naing. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster. Copyright 1998-2024, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content February not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US sanctions 'may not apply' to gas pipeline project with Iran: Pakistan energy minister Iran Press TV Wednesday, 28 February 2024 10:33 AM Pakistan's caretaker energy minister says the sanctions the United States has imposed on Iran over its civilian nuclear program may not apply to the gas pipeline as Islamabad was going to start work on the project within its territory and connect to neighboring Iran. "I don't think that the US sanctions can apply to the IP project at this stage," Muhammad Ali responded to a question during a news conference in the Pakistani capital on Tuesday. When asked about US's anti-Iran sanctions, the interim minister replied that he was unaware of what the Americans wanted in connection with the IP gas pipeline project. Meanwhile, he said work on 80 kilometers of the pipeline in the Pakistani territory would be carried out, adding that it would take around 1.5 years to complete the pipeline project in the Pakistani territory. "It will take time to connect it with the Iranian side for the supply of gas," he noted. The remarks come as Islamabad has given the green light for advancing much-delayed work on gas pipelines within its territory. Analysts say the project will improve Pakistan's energy security and support regional industries by providing stable and enhanced gas supplies. "We should make it a trade border, not an international border, and Pakistan and Iran should actually enhance their trade. And there is so much of informal trade which is going on between both countries. "It has to be formalized and increased and to truly go in the national interest and benefit of both nations," said Reza Muhammad, president of Islamabad Policy Research Institute. Iran has extended the project deadline by 180 days until September 2024 so as to avoid a legal dispute with Pakistan at international tribunals. The project, launched in 2013, required Pakistan to finish the construction of the pipeline on its territory by the end of 2014. But the work stalled, upsetting Tehran, which has said it already invested $2 billion in the pipeline on its side of the border. Washington has opposed the pipeline, saying it could violate the illegal sanctions imposed on Tehran. Pakistan will likely face an 18-billion-dollar fine if it terminates the gas pipeline agreement. Experts say that Pakistan's decision to kick off work on the gas pipeline project in its territory comes due to fear of a potential penalty for failing to complete the project. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia: Statement on behalf of High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell at the EP debate on the murder of Alexei Navalny European External Action Service (EEAS) 28.02.2024 Strasbourg EEAS Press Team Speech delivered by Commissioner for Energy, Kadri Simson, on behalf of High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell Check against delivery! President, Honourable Members of the European Parliament, On 16 February, we received very sad reports by the state-controlled Russian media of the sudden death of the Russian opposition politician and anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny in Siberia. His tragic and unnecessary death was confirmed by his family and lawyer when they arrived the following day to this inhuman and grim penal colony, reminding us of dark Soviet times. Let me once again, on behalf of the European Union, express my deepest condolences to Mr Navalny's family, children and friends and all those who worked with him for the benefit of their country. We admire the bravery of Mr Navalny. The European Union has repeatedly called on the Russian authorities for his immediate and unconditional release pointing to the dangerous conditions where he and other Russian political prisoners are held. Our colleagues in Moscow have tried, in vain, to reach out to Russian authorities on his case. They have been observing the politically motivated court hearings in Moscow. Through his life, Alexei Navalny demonstrated incredible courage and determination, through his anti-corruption work across Russia, spreading a message that inspired many, especially young people. He represented the possibility of a different Russia. In October 2020, the European Union was the first to adopt sanctions to respond to the assassination attempt of Mr Navalny, after he was poisoned with a toxic nerve agent. Moreover, the very first listings in March 2021 adopted under the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime were also related to the case of Mr Navalny. Since then, we have further expanded our sanctions addressing his case and we will continue to do so in response to his death. These sanctions are also meant to complement other tools: the European Union's substantial support to civil society, human rights defenders and independent media inside and outside Russia. The European Union is committed to continue supporting NGOs, civil society organisations, human rights defenders and independent journalists. Russian NGOs receive support from the European Union, for example for legal defence for political prisoners including citizens participating in anti-war demonstrations. Russian human rights defenders also receive EU support, for temporary relocation, trainings and urgent practical assistance, and for monitoring the human rights situation in Russia. The European Union supports Russian-language independent media and journalists. We will continue keeping the international pressure on Russia for the human rights violations and supporting individuals, including through trial observation. Mr Navalny's death makes us even more committed to continue this essential support. Honourable Members, We join international calls by the UN Secretary General [AntAnio Guterres] and other UN bodies on Russia to allow for a full, transparent and credible investigation. We also urge Russia to immediately and unconditionally release all other political prisoners. Mr Navalny's death is yet another sign of the accelerating and systematic repression in Russia. Our answer will be our continued and substantial support to Russian civil society, human rights defenders and independent media inside and outside Russia, and to hold those responsible of Navalny's death to account. Thank you. Link to the video (starting at 5:46) : https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-253384 Closing remarks Honourable Members, I have taken note of your comments and concerns, and I will convey them to High Representative/Vice-President [Josep] Borrell. As you know, five days ago, the 13th package of sanctions against Russia was adopted . It required unanimity and it will not remain the last one. Russia's illegal, unjustified and unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine has amplified internal repression, severely curtailing the freedoms of association, peaceful assembly and expression, drastically limiting media freedom, introducing war censorship and fundamentally undermining the independence of the judiciary and the fair trial guarantees. We repeat calls on Russia to fully implement all rulings of the European Court of Human Rights. On behalf of High Representative/Vice-President Borrell, I can assure you that we will continue to call upon the Russian authorities to uphold their domestic and international obligations to respect, protect and fulfil human rights, including to uphold the rights of persons belonging to minorities and persons in vulnerable situations. We will continue to call on the Russian Federation to fully cooperate with the United Nations and all special procedures related to the human rights situation in the Russian Federation. This is not only our moral obligation, but so much more. It defines who we are and what do we believe in. Our shared values make us stronger together. Thank you. Link to the video: https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-253386 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address What To Watch For In Putin's Annual Address By Robert Coalson February 28, 2024 Russian President Vladimir Putin will deliver his annual address to parliament and the nation on February 29, less than three weeks before an election that is set to hand him a new six-year term in the Kremlin. Putin, in power as president or prime minister since 1999, uses the nationally televised speech to send signals to audiences at home and abroad. As he prepares for the noncompetitive vote on March 15-17, Putin is likely to comment on matters ranging from the economy to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, now in its third year. He may not stray far from well-worn narratives and propaganda, but the points he chooses to emphasize and the pose he adopts will set the tone for a country mired in war and repression. Here are a few things to keep in mind: The War That Must Not Be Called A War In his two-hour state-of-the-nation address in February 2023, Putin devoted a large portion of his time to repeating his justifications for the full-scale invasion that he launched 12 months earlier. This year, he may repeat his false claims that Kyiv is run by fascists or that Ukraine is not a real country, but analysts will cut through any such material to look for clues as to how optimistic Putin is about the progress of the war and see whether he nudges the goalposts for what he hopes to achieve. The meager results of Ukraine's 2023 counteroffensive, Russia's recent capture of the eastern city of Avidiyivka, and growing signals of war fatigue from Ukraine's supporters in the West may have emboldened Putin and the hawks within his inner circle. However, there have been signs of war fatigue inside Russia as well. The relatives of soldiers have been increasingly vocal with calls to bring their loved ones home, while a wave of significant protests swept the Bashkortostan region in January, fueled at least in part by the widespread belief that families from non-Russian ethnic minorities are bearing a disproportionate share of the war's burden. The short-lived presidential bid of anti-war would-be candidate Boris Nadezhdin, who has been barred from the ballot, generated impressive shows of popular support when people stood in long lines to endorse his candidacy. How Putin balances these competing pressures regarding the war -- which the Kremlin still insists be referred to by the euphemism "special military operation" -- could be telling. During his combined press conference and public Q&A session in December, he insisted that the war would continue and that Moscow's goals had not changed. 'Enemies' Foreign... Analysts will also be watching the way Putin describes the confrontation between Russia and the West. In the throes of an election campaign that he is trying to cast as an unequivocal popular endorsement of his continued rule, Putin is likely to play the fear card and stress that any hint of disunity could be disastrous for a country he often asserts is surrounded by malicious enemies bent on Russia's dissolution. A certain amount of saber-rattling is almost inevitable in such circumstances. But will Putin step up the anti-Western rhetoric in the pursuit of domestic political goals -- and, if so, precisely how? He has caught the West's attention in the past with references to Russia's nuclear arsenal and the development of powerful new weapons. One way Putin might seek to apply pressure on the West is by expressing support for pro-Russian separatists in Moldova's Transdniester region -- who passed a resolution on February 20 asking the Russian parliament for support in the face of what they call an "economic blockade" by Chisinau -- or in the Bosnian region of Republika Srpska, whose president, Milorad Dodik, met in Moscow with Putin on February 21 in a visit that Putin called "useful." Putin's address will be watched closely for direct or indirect remarks about the suspicious death in prison on February 16 of his most prominent opponent, Aleksei Navalny, and about the possibility of a prisoner swap that would bring Americans held in Russia home. These two subjects became closely intertwined when allies of Navalny asserted that negotiations on an exchange that would have freed Navalny and two U.S. citizens in exchange for a former officer of the Federal Security Service (FSB) who is serving a life sentence in Germany for the 2019 murder of a Kremlin opponent in Berlin, Vadim Krasikov, were in their final stages ahead of Navalny's death, which they blame on Putin. Putin has said nothing about the death of Navalny, who is to be buried in Moscow on March 1 after a bitter tug-of-war in which Russian authorities refused to hand his body over to relatives for eight days after his death. At his December press conference and Q&A, Putin raised the possibility of a prisoner swap with the United States when asked specifically about the fate of Wall Street Journal correspondent Evan Gershkovich, who has been held in custody without trial since he was arrested in March 2023 and charged with espionage. And in an interview with conservative U.S. commentator Tucker Carlson this month, Putin made it clear that he wants to secure Krasikov's release and return to Russia. In the light of reports that a possible prisoner swap was blown up by Navalny's death, analysts will be looking for indications that a deal could still be on the table. ...And Domestic In the weeks leading up to Putin's speech, the world's attention has been galvanized by Navalny's suspicious death in prison, by the authorities' reluctance to hand his body over to his relatives, and by the opposition's efforts to organize a public farewell for the charismatic politician. Many observers have argued that Putin's antipathy toward Navalny was deeply personal, noting that the president has been unable to bring himself even to utter Navalny's name. The state-of-the-nation address seems an unlikely venue for Putin to reverse course in this regard. The government's crackdown on political dissent since the last presidential election in 2018 and, particularly, since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine two years ago, has eliminated the space for normal political opposition in Russia. The Kremlin and prominent figures dominating the messaging from state-controlled media have cast the political landscape as a place that contains only supporters of Putin and those who hate Russia. Putin may use the speech to further this narrative, and it will be watched for suggestions that he wants lawmakers to adopt even more draconian legislation aimed at quashing dissent. 'Traditional Values' Putin will likely devote a portion of his speech to presenting himself as a champion of what he describes as traditional values, a theme that plays well among many of his supporters in Russia and abroad. He might not go so far as to expound on the supposed threat of gender-neutral toilets, as he has in the recent past, but he could praise the government's recent decision to declare the nonexistent "international LGBT social movement" as an "extremist organization." That designation opens numerous avenues for cracking down on LGBT Russians and others, including feminists. Putin could call for further legislation to piggyback on this designation, and strong language on his part could embolden vigilante groups in Russia that have been denouncing and even attacking LGBT people, feminists, and others. The Fifth Term Aside from a stint as prime minister in 2008-12, Putin, 71, has been president since 2000. In 2020, he rammed through a raft of constitutional amendments, including one that enables him to seek two more six-year terms and remain in the Kremlin until 2036. In previous election-connected appearances, Putin has often unveiled populist initiatives, many of which are conveniently targeted to deadlines set for years after the election. He may continue this practice in this year's speech, using such promises in tandem with his calls for patriotic unity. In order to foster a sense of normalcy, he might set out an agenda for the next six years that may be partially or wholly forgotten after the vote, while in reality the Russian public could be in for some unpopular surprises. Some analysts have predicted that Moscow will be forced to implement another unpopular military call-up after the election, although the Kremlin has said it has sufficient manpower to continue invading Ukraine. Others have warned that the government is developing technology to tighten its control over the Internet in the near future. While Putin's political promises could offer little guide to the future, they could shed light on his assessment of the public mood. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-putin- annual-address/32840912.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 Navalny's Funeral Service Set For March 1 In Moscow After Days Of Uncertainty By RFE/RL's Russian Service February 28, 2024 A funeral service for the late Russian opposition politician Aleksei Navalny will be held on March 1 at a church in the Maryino area of Moscow, where the Kremlin critic once lived, after several days of uncertainty marked by claims by his mother that she was being blackmailed by officials into holding a secret commemoration. Navalny's spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, on February 28 that, after the service at the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God, Navalny will be buried at the nearby Borisovskoye cemetery, a short walk from the banks of the Moskva River. The distance between the church, which has a square out front, and the cemetery is about 2 kilometers. It was not clear whether there would be a procession from one venue to the other, or if supporters would gather at the church or the cemetery. Navalny's widow, Yulia, said in a speech to the European Parliament on February 28 that she feared security forces will intervene during the event. "I'm not sure yet whether it will be peaceful or whether the police will arrest those who have come to say goodbye to my husband," she said. The announcement of the services comes a day after Navalny's associates said they were having trouble finding a location for the service, which will take place two weeks after the anti-corruption crusader was pronounced dead by officials at the Arctic prison where he was incarcerated. Navalny's body was released to his mother, Lyudmila Navalnaya, on February 24, more than a week after his suspicious death in prison. The official death certificate said the 47-year-old died of "natural causes." Officials have not commented further. Before the body was released, Navalnaya said the authorities were setting conditions on where, when, and how her son should be buried. "They want it to do it secretly without a mourning ceremony," she said, adding that investigators threatened to bury her son at the prison where he died unless she agreed to bury him quietly. Russian media reports on February 27 said that police briefly detained on unspecified charges Navalny's former lawyer, Vasily Dubkov, who represented his family after his death and accompanied Lyudmila Navalnaya on her trip to the so-called "Polar Wolf" prison to get Navalny's body. Hundreds of Russians have been arrested as people continued to honor Navalny's memory at sites across the country. Ivan Zhdanov, the former head of Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation, said February 29 was initially chosen as the day for the ceremonies, but that it "quickly became clear" that officials were forcing a different date, likely because President Vladimir Putin is to give a state of the union address that day. He said Navalny's team was told that people were available to dig the grave on February 28 and March 1, but "not a single person was available" on the day in between. "The real reason is clear: The Kremlin understands that nobody will listen to Putin and his message on the day of the farewell to Aleksei. We don't care about the message. Aleksei needs to be buried," Zhdanov said. Zhdanov also said Moscow city authorities were still trying to force Navalny's relatives to move the ceremony to a different location and have a "quiet family funeral." But Zhdanov, in an interview with the Meduza news outlet, said the location would not change, giving everyone who wants to say goodbye to Navalny a chance to do so. Mikhail Khodorkovsky, a self-exiled leading Russian opposition figure, said in an interview with RFE/RL last week that a public funeral could trigger "large-scale confrontations" between Navalny supporters and law enforcement. Navalny died while serving a 19-year prison term on charges including extremism that he, his supporters, Western officials, and rights watchdogs called politically motivated. Navalny's relatives, associates, and Western officials have blamed Putin for Navalny's death. Russian officials have said no foul play was involved and called the international outrage over Navalny's death while in prison "hysterical." Investigative journalist Christo Grozev told RFE/RL on February 27 that there was a plan in the works that included talks among three countries -- the United States, Germany, and Russia -- to exchange Navalny, along with the Americans currently held in Russia, for the convicted murderer and former colonel in Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) Vadim Krasikov. Grozev, who said he also took part in the negotiations, said Russia had given its consent, however, he did not know whether Putin personally approved the exchange. "But that was the last ingredient everybody was waiting for," he told RFE/RL. "By the time Navalny died -- or as I believe he was killed -- it seemed like a very optimistic scenario that could work in the coming months," Grozev said. According to Grozev, the fact that Germany agreed to exchange Krasikov was a signal to the Kremlin that it would swap for not-so-high-ranking prisoners being held in Russia, which is why the Russians withdrew. The calculation on Moscow's part was that it might be possible to get Krasikov released without having to free the Americans -- who were never named but are presumed to be Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan -- along with Navalny. Maria Pevchikh, the chairwoman of Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation, has said she received confirmation that negotiations were in the final stage on the evening of February 15. The next day, Navalny was pronounced dead. Navalnaya has vowed to continue her late husband's fight for a "free Russia." Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-navalny- yarmysh-funeral/32840647.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 Navalny's Widow Urges EU To Investigate Money Flows Tied To 'Bloody Mobster' Putin By RFE/RL's Russian Service February 28, 2024 Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of the late Russian anti-corruption crusader and Kremlin critic Aleksei Navalny, has called on European lawmakers to investigate Russia's leadership, which she characterized as an "organized criminal gang" led by President Vladimir Putin and his allies. Speaking to the European Parliament on February 28, almost two weeks after her husband was pronounced dead at an Arctic prison where he was serving time on what his supporters and the West call trumped-up charges, Navalnaya said an investigation of financial flows in the West would lead European lawmakers straight to Putin. "You aren't dealing with a politician but with a bloody mobster. Putin is the leader of an organized criminal gang. This includes poisoners and assassins but they're just puppets. The most important thing is the people close to Putin -- his friends, associates, and keepers of mafia money," she said in a speech delivered in English. "You, and all of us, must fight the criminal gang. And the political innovation here is to apply the methods of fighting organized crime, not political competition. Not statements of concern but the search for mafia associates in your countries, for discreet lawyers and financiers who are helping Putin and his friends to hide money," she added. Navalny's death was reported on February 16, prompting an outpouring of grief and mounting outrage in Russia and around the world as the authorities refused to release his body to his mother amid suspicions about the cause of his death, which was officially attributed to "sudden death syndrome." Navalnaya has accused Putin directly of having her husband, one of the president's most vocal critics, killed. The Kremlin has rejected all accusations that it played a part in Navalny's death, while Navalnaya has pledged to carry on her late husband's work in exposing corruption in Russia and pushing for democratic freedoms and rights that Putin has rolled back during the more than two decades that he has ruled the country. With Russians heading to the polls in a presidential election scripted to hand Putin another term, Navalnaya has called upon the West to refuse to recognize the March 17 balloting. "Putin must answer for what he has done to my country. Putin must answer for what he has done to a neighboring, peaceful country. And Putin must answer for everything he has done to Aleksei," she said in her speech to lawmakers in Strasbourg. In a brief interview with RFE/RL, Roberta Metsola, the president of the European Parliament, paid tribute to Navalny, whose death she said was "horrific." "The reaction we have seen since his death, the outrage and the clampdown by Russian authorities on anyone expressing that outrage is a symbol to us of the situation that Russia is in at the moment, which is absolutely the case of how we would never recognize the results of the upcoming Russian elections," Metsola said. Putin -- who has an official annual salary of around $140,000 -- has been accused of amassing a fortune estimated by some at as much as $200 billion, while also doling out billions to his closest allies, through a tangled web of financial entities. Navalny's team in 2022 published details it uncovered of a $700 million superyacht they said showed the vessel was Putin's. In early 2021, Navalny's team issued an investigation shining a spotlight on a $1.35 billion estate on the Black Sea's exclusive Gelendzhik Bay that was allegedly built for Putin. Putin has consistently denied any allegations that he has amassed a fortune. In his income and asset declaration from 2020, he listed a modest apartment, three Soviet-era cars, and a small camping trailer handed down by his late father. "You cannot hurt Putin with another resolution or another set of sanctions that is no different from the previous ones. You can't defeat him by thinking he's a man of principle who has morals and rules," Navalnaya said, calling for more effective action against the money flows of the ruling elite. "If you really want to defeat Putin, you have to become an innovator. And you have to stop being boring," she said. With reporting by RFE/RL's Zoriana Stepanenko in Strasbourg Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-navalnaya-putin- bloody-mobster/32840971.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 Statement by the Head of the Russian Delegation, Mr. Dmitry Birichevskiy, at the Informal Meeting of BSEC CSO on February 23, 2024 28 February 2024 19:18 28-02-2024 Mr. Chair, Dear colleagues, First of all, I would like to support the words of our distinguished Secretary General, H.E. Mr. Lazar Comanescu, and reiterate that Russia has consistently been calling for upholding the economic mandate of BSEC and the depoliticized character of its work which constitutes the fundamental basis for its result oriented activities. We have heard support and similar calls from the vast majority of countries during our December ministerial meeting. Moreover, much time has been spent over the recent years to increase the efficiency of BSEC activities. Thanks to the last three BSEC Chairmanships-in-Office, we collectively managed to revitalize the Troika mechanism to promote the consensus based unified initiatives. We also formulated an extensive number of recommendations for increasing the efficiency of the Organization. Last December we agreed on the BSEC Economic Agenda that is aimed at economic prosperity and cooperation in the Black Sea Region. We also managed to re-activate Project Development Fund. Russia has been consistently calling upon upholding the economic mandate of BSEC and the depoliticized character of its work, which constitute the fundamental basis for its results-oriented activities. We have heard support and similar calls from the vast majority of members. So I wonder very much, why should we rush to call up an extraordinary informal meeting without observing any procedures, without involving Troika, without even consulting it? And now we go totally beyond the mandate of the Organization and its Rules of Procedure. If we continue in such a manner, we will fade out all our previous results and the Albania's presidency will become a great failure in our history. The fact that Albania decided to convene us today - on the Russian National Holiday - also stays beyond the BSEC common practice. And it is not just a holiday, today we celebrate the Holiday of the Defender of Motherland. It is about the Red Army which liberated Europe from the Nazis. Now Russian warriors keep liberating the reminiscence of neo-Nazism and neo-colonialism in Europe which emanated in recent years. However, if there is a general mood in the room not to focus on BSEC, let's consider it as a talk show, as a self-made Security Council which we invented ourselves for ourselves, not for practical projects, not for helping people. We do realize that amidst the geopolitical fragmentation provoked by the collapsing unipolar world project we will get no effect from condemning Ukraine for its provocative performance in BSEC. This country lost its sovereignty not now, but 10 years ago in 2014 as a result of the US-EU sponsored and directed coup d'Atat. Yesterday, on February 22 was the 10th anniversary of the so-called Maidan. By the way, we all remember the absolute fascist slogan of Maidan "Moskalyaku na Gilyaku" which means "Death to Russians". Of course we consider this coup d'Atat as absolutely nondemocratic, ruthless ousting of the legal authorities of Kiev. That happened on the very next day after the former president of Ukraine Victor Yanukovich signed an agreement with the representatives of the opposition on political settlement of the crisis with France, Germany and Poland being the guarantors of that. In the morning of that day the agreements were flushed down the drain. And nobody still cares. If we want to remember everything today, then let's remember everything. They had a cheerleading team already in action. Victoria Nuland, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs of the US was personally feeding the protesters with cookies! A few days earlier that respected lady was discussing with the US Ambassador to Kiev Geoffrey Pyatt the composition of the new authorities in Ukraine. They didn't want anybody, including their closest ally - the EU - to interfere into their plots: - "So that would be great, I think, to help glue this thing and have the UN help glue it, and you know... F**k the EU" - Nuland; - "Oh, exactly" - Pyatt responded. That is the American way to promote democracy standards! Today we don't expect any meaningful thoughts from the representatives of the nationalist neo-Nazi regime, the regime of our brother Ukrainian people, that has been conducting a full-fledged war against its own population for as long as 10 years. Daily shelling of peaceful neighborhoods, civilian infrastructure - these are the methods by which the Kiev regime has been operating. The data on losses and destruction is terrifying. Since February 2022, the territory of the Donetsk Peoples' Republic alone has been subjected to over 32,388 attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. 4,787 civilians died on the territory of the Republic, including 142 children. 5,776 people, including 375 children, were injured. Lepestok anti-personnel mines used by the Ukrainian military in violation of all international treaties killed 143 people, including 11 children. We have many other figures, I don't want to draw your attention to all of them. But all of them are recorded and registered by the Russian prosecutors. The economic consequences of Ukrainian military operations are grave indeed - and this is recognized by the representative of this country today. We witness continued attacks on critical civilian infrastructure, primarily water and heat supply facilities. The Ukrainian military are targeting doctors, rescuers, and firefighters who are providing assistance to civilians affected by shelling. Among the attacked are civil objects of regional dimension: On 8 October 2022 and 17 July 2023 - the Crimean Bridge with the civilian traffic on it; on 26 October 2023 - the Kursk nuclear power plant, with the Zaporozhie power plant being shelled regularly. Attacks on the Kakhovka hydro electrical power plant conducted since July 2022 have lead to its catastrophic destruction on 6 June 2023 severely damaging the ecosystems for hundreds of kilometers. On 5 June 2023 Togliatti-Odessa ammonia pipeline in Kharkov region of Ukraine was blown up by the saboteurs. This list can be continued. All facts are meticulously registered by the Russian investigators and law enforcement. Judicial processes are taking action against the criminals. The proxy war till the last Ukrainian is not just about providing security to the US and NATO. Many times we suggested negotiations to our American and European counterparts and they [our proposals] were neglected. It is a lucrative business project for Washington, nothing more. The majority of EU members obediently follow Washington's orders to supply more and more arms to Kiev replenishing them with products purchased from the US defense industry. Another "gain" of the US warfare project in Ukraine is the destroyed economic might of the EU, that has lost at least 1,5 trillion USD due to the anti-Russian so-called sanctions initiated by Brussels. All of the mentioned are manifestations of neocolonialism aimed at global dominance. Ukraine is not a unique example of such policy. Let's commemorate the innocent victims in Serbia, Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan. Other regions of the world - Asia, Middle East and Africa, Latin America clearly feel the negative impact and opt for more democratic and efficient global governance. The global majority - about 150 countries - never blamed Russia and never introduced any restrictions and they are ready to cooperate. As for the Russian policy in Ukraine, we will pursue the goals of the special military operation. Observers and statistics register that local residents are fleeing from war crimes of the Ukrainian Armed Forces to the territory of Russia, and not to Ukraine at all, as they say in Kiev. A total of about 7 million Ukrainians have found refuge in Russia, far more than in any European state. We will continue to provide security, stability and development to the new regions of our country. Their economic restoration is under way in the framework of comprehensive 5-year plans (the current one encompasses projects to be implemented in 2024-2028). Russia has built and restored over 18 thousand objects, including over 4 thousand apartment buildings and 2 thousand social objects. Special focus has been put on roads with more than 2 thousand kilometers already in operation. As the President of Russia has said on many occasions Russia has always been and remains open for peaceful negotiations. It was not Russia, but Ukraine that suspended talks in 2022 after a direct instruction from London and Washington. The genuine unwillingness of Kiev and its Western patrons to put an end to the tragedy lasting from 2014 has been demonstrated on numerous occasions. Ukraine for Russia is not about territories - we have plenty of other issues historically. It's not about geopolitics as well. It is not only a cradle of our civilization - with churches, monasteries and monuments destroyed by the Nazis during WWII and neo-Nazi ripping off the cultural essence of the people. Ukraine is a matter of life and death for Russia. It is about children from Belgorod being able to hug a granny in Kharkov without being called a "Moscal" or being threatened to be hung and killed. It is about a daughter from Moscow being able to come and take care of her elderly father in Kiev - without fear. It is about being able to live as it was for ages - as one family with the same core values that are not for foreign intruders to destroy. Coming back to the nature of our Organization, we will call on collective efforts to strengthen the identity of the Black Sea region through collective measures, developing beneficial economic, trade, cultural and scientific ties. It would be to the detriment of all if we allow turning our region into an area of chaos, conflicts and economic degradation. We believe that BSEC will overcome these issues. The newly adopted Economic Agenda provides necessary tools for our further practical work. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Press release on Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's talks with Malian Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Abdoulaye Diop 28 February 2024 18:57 385-28-02-2024 On February 28, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held talks with Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Republic of Mali Abdoulaye Diop who is in Moscow on a working visit. The foreign ministers discussed in detail the full range of issues related to further strengthening the traditionally friendly relations between Russia and Mali that are now being elevated to a fundamentally new level. They also expressed the commitment of Moscow and Bamako to promote diverse forms of mutually beneficial cooperation under corresponding agreements signed at the meeting of Russian President Vladimir Putin with Interim President of Mali Assimi GoAta on the sidelines of the Second Russia-Africa Summit in St Petersburg in July 2023. In this context, the ministers reviewed in detail ways of expanding the trade, economic and investment partnership, prospects for practical cooperation in energy, geological prospecting and development of mineral deposits, and construction of transport infrastructure as well as cooperation in education. The Malian minister expressed his gratitude to Russia for humanitarian supplies of Russian fertiliser, wheat and oil products. The ministers had a confidential exchange on key international issues, including UN reform, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the situation in Yemen, and the crisis in Ukraine. They confirmed the common position of Russia and Mali of rejecting "the rules-based order" that is imposed by the collective West. Both countries are also opposed to its continued neocolonialist practices in relations with sovereign states. The ministers noted that Moscow and Bamako are in full agreement on the need to create a fairer polycentric international order in which international law and the UN Charter reign supreme. They expressed the shared determination to coordinate efforts in the UN and other multilateral forums, including the Group of Friends in Defence of the UN Charter. Discussing African challenges, the ministers focused on the resolution of conflicts and counterterrorism in the Sahara-Sahel region and West Africa. They emphasised that the priority is to settle crises by political and diplomatic means, with Africans taking the leading role and the international community providing support. The ministers paid special attention to the situation in Mali. Mr Diop emphasised that owing to Russia's meaningful assistance, the Malian army significantly enhanced its capacity to defend the national unity, territorial integrity and sovereignty of Mali. They noted that one of the main goals of the recently established Alliance of Sahel States, consisting of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, is to ensure that national security and counterterrorism challenges are met. Mr Lavrov reaffirmed that Moscow remains steadfast in continuing to assist Bamako's efforts to stabilise the situation in Mali, including its efforts to overcome the existing socioeconomic challenges. That said, Moscow unconditionally respects the inalienable right of Malians to determine their future themselves. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov's remarks and answers to media questions during a joint news conference with Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Republic of Mali Abdoulaye Diop following their talks, Moscow, February 28, 2024 28 February 2024 16:04 379-28-02-2024 Good afternoon, We are glad to welcome a delegation of our Malian friends in Moscow. It is headed by Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Mali Abdoulaye Diop and also includes Defence Minister Sadio Camara. We discussed our efforts to develop bilateral ties in various spheres based on the agreements between the leaders of Russia and Mali, including during their meeting on the sidelines of the 2nd Russia-Africa Summit and a series of telephone conversations between President Vladimir Putin and Interim President of Mali Assimi GoAta. We agreed to take additional practical steps to expand our trade and economic cooperation. So far, it has been falling short compared to what we have achieved in terms of trust-based political dialogue. We went on to reaffirm our interest in holding a meeting between the corresponding economic agencies in order to explore specific steps we can take to follow up on the two visits by Malian expert delegations to Moscow in 2023. This includes involving Russian companies in specific projects in geological exploration, developing mineral deposits, as well as working together in transport, infrastructure, energy, agriculture, IT and in many other sectors. We have already designated joint projects during our preceding contacts. Today, we want to focus on making sure that these projects can get off the ground as early as this spring. We took note of the positive momentum in developing our military cooperation and military-technical ties. On an equally positive note, we discussed our cooperation in humanitarian affairs, including the fact that Russian educational institutions have been training Malian specialists. More than 10,000 Malians who graduated from Soviet and Russian higher education institutions live and work in Mali for the benefit of their country. We will perpetuate this approach by renewing the expanded quotas for Malian students. Every year, they are entitled to 290 government-sponsored scholarships. Our Malian friends briefed us on the current situation in Mali and what its government is doing to promote a peace process including through the so-called direct inter-Malian dialogue, as initiated by Interim President Assimi GoAta in January 2024. Our friend, Minister Diop, emphasised Russia's special role in combatting terrorism and improving the combat capabilities of the Malian army and law enforcement agencies, including by training army personnel and police officers. We discussed Mali's requirements for humanitarian assistance. Our friends thanked us for sending 50,000 tonnes of wheat to them in 2023, 25,000 tonnes of fertilisers in December 2023 and 17,000 tonnes of diesel fuel in January 2024. We will certainly continue to give this assistance to them. We also exchanged views on Africa's main problems. We agree that international relations must be made really democratic, above all on the basis of strict compliance by all countries with the provisions and principles of the UN Charter as an interrelated whole. The fundamental principle that this universal organisation is based on respect for the sovereign equality of states is not respected by our Western colleagues, not in the slightest. The West has not shown respect for the fundamental UN principle of equality in any situation that ever occurred in international relations. We are grateful to our Malian friends for supporting our initiative at the UN and other multifaceted platforms. In most instances, Mali becomes a co-author of the draft resolutions proposed by the Russian delegation. We have agreed to continue to strengthen our foreign policy coordination in all spheres. We also held an in-depth discussion on the situation in the Sahara-Sahel region with a focus on neighbouring Burkina Faso and the republics of Niger and Chad. I listened with appreciation to Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop characterise efforts taken in Bamako, Ouagadougou and Niamey to build up the Alliance of Sahel States they have created. We were briefed on the situation in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). We hope that problems in relations between regional countries will be settled on the basis of the principle of neighbourliness. We have always supported the idea of African solutions to African problems. We firmly believe that the Sahara-Sahel countries will find common ground if nobody interferes in the process. We are ready to continue to provide assistance to all regional countries based on the solutions, formats and quantities that are optimal for them and do not undermine their interests. We are paying considerable attention to the follow-through on the results of the second Russia-Africa summit, which I mentioned above. It was held in St Petersburg in 2023. One of its decisions was to set up a Russia-Africa forum at the level of foreign ministers. The forum will hold its first meeting in Sochi this autumn. I hope that our friends will attend this event. We discussed tasks related to reforming the UN so that its structure would better reflect the interests and influence of African countries on the world stage. We also focused on the fight against terrorism, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and Yemen. I reiterated Russia's praise of the responsible and balanced approach Mali has taken to the Ukraine crisis. Mali clearly understands our views. We talked about this again today. The talks were useful, and will be followed up in the next couple of months on the trade and economic track. I am sincerely grateful to our friends for their cooperation. Question: In your opening remarks, you said that Russia continues to actively provide humanitarian aid to Mali, supplying wheat and fuel. How does Russia plan to assist Mali in further overcoming its socioeconomic problems? Sergey Lavrov: Regarding our assistance for Mali's socioeconomic development, my colleague Abdoulaye Diop and I have both mentioned the two visits by Malian experts to Russia in 2023 where they met with their counterparts from our government's economic bloc. They agreed on a number of areas of mutual interest for implementing joint projects. Russia's Ministry of Economic Development and the Malian Ministry of Industry and Trade have signed a Memorandum of Cooperation that provides for establishing a relevant working group, which will handle further work in the areas we have discussed: natural resources, energy, agriculture, transport, information technology, and others. The working group will meet for the first time in April 2024. Today, our colleagues have confirmed the timeframe, so the process is underway. We would prefer to expedite it because currently, trade between Russia and Mali obviously falls short of its potential or mutual interests. When it comes to security, we are making active progress on military and defence industry cooperation. We see Mali's defence capabilities growing stronger thanks to our military instructors who are training personnel for the Malian armed forces in Russia, not to mention Russian-supplied equipment. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Baltic Fleet ships train conducting individual battle 28.02.2024 The small missile ships Serpukhov, Odintsovo and the missile boat Chuvashiya underwent an individual battle exercise. During the training, the crews conducted artillery live-fire drills targeting maritime and aerial targets. During the exercises, the crew practised artillery live-fire drills at large shields imitating an 'enemy' ship. Moreover, the Russian seamen trained countering small targets and buoyant mines. The live-fire drills involved 100-mm, 76-mm, and 30-mm artillery guns. During the sortie, the ships' battle stations used electronic warfare systems to set decoy targets. The ships also manoeuvred to evade enemy's backfire. Press Service of the Western Military District NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russian Defence Minister inspects fulfilment of state order by defence industry enterprises in Tula region 28.02.2024 Russian Defence Minister General of the Army Sergei Shoigu inspected the progress of fulfilling the state defence order by defence industry enterprises in the Tula Region during a working visit to the Western MD's troops. At the Strela defence industry enterprise, the head of the Russian military department was informed that the task for the production of the Yastreb-AV and Zoopark-1M reconnaissance radar systems, as well as the Aistenok radar stations used in counterbattery warfare, has been completely fulfiled in 2023. The head of the enterprise reported to the Russian Defence Minister that the purchase of new equipment and transition to a 12-hour working shift allowed to increase the number of manufactured complexes in the current year by two times, and in 2025 will allow to increase by four times. 'We have flexible working hours. We have a 12-hour working shift, six days a week. Sometimes we work every day. It depends on the amount of work. When it is necessary, we stay late at the work', said assembly line worker Ivan Berbatukhin reported to the head of the Russian military department. 'Good work. Thank you,' said Sergei Shoigu. The Russian Defence Minister was presented a system of additional protection of radar complexes against munitions with defeat elements developed at the enterprise. Director General of the Strela defence industry enterprise Vyacheslav Chapkin reported that this system is made of metal sheets and anti-fragmentation blankets with a set of reflectors and simulators of thermal and radar radiation, which allows to significantly increase survivability of hardware and personnel in the conditions of the special military operation. 'It is a highly demanded product. We plan to install such protection on every armoured vehicles', said the Russian Defence Ministry. Also, the head of the Russian military inspected the production of modern means of destruction of the enterprise Research and Production Association SPLAV named after A.N.Ganichev. General of the Army Sergei Shoigu was presented the new production workshops of the plant commissioned in 2023, which allowed to increase the production of shells for the entire range of products by four times, and for some items by seven times. The Head of the SPLAV defence industry enterprise Rinat Idrisov reported that in accordance with the instruction of Russian Defence Minister, the enterprise is actively carrying out technical re-equipment, large-scale construction, and reconstruction of production facilities. Only since the beginning of this year the plant has installed more than 90 new machine tools and necessary equipment. Following the results of the work, the Russian Defence Minister held a working meeting with the Governor of the Tula Region Aleksey Dyumin, heads of enterprises, and representatives of the relevant military authorities. The head of the Russian Defence Ministry noted that the enterprises produce a large range of weaponry and military hardware. 'This applies both to rocket and tube artillery, it also applies to means of counter-battery warfare,' Sergei Shoigu said. The Russian Defence Minister demanded to adjust the schedule of deliveries to the troops for the entire range of weaponry produced, to shift the deadlines for the transfer of equipment to the 2-3rd quarters, as well as to maintain an even delivery of weapons throughout the year. General of the Army Sergei Shoigu stressed that the President had earlier decided to prepare a schedule and a list of instructions. 'The tasks are set. On everything related to the allocation of funds, determination and approval of schedules for the delivery of missiles to MLRS, on the projectiles, on the vehicles themselves, as well as on the transport and loading and launching systems'. 'The President's instruction is being implemented and the timetable is generally adhered to. It pleases us', the Russian Defence Minister noted. 'Today we will discuss how we can optimise the schedules for the transfer of weapons and military equipment to the left in order to shift deliveries to the troops for the most part from the second half of the year to the first half of the year,' the Russian Defence Minister said. General of the Army Sergei Shoigu also emphasised that the enterprises have undergone serious changes since the previous inspection. For certain samples of weapons and military equipment, it was possible to reduce the production time from 6-8 months to one and a half months. 'This is a great merit of the heads of these enterprises, and, of course, of the engineers and specialists who work here. I would like to thank Yan Valentinovich (Director General of Almaz-Antey joint stock company), he has done a lot during this period,' the Russian Defence Minister said. Department for Media Affairs and Information NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Frigate Marshal Shaposhnikov undergoes training in Arabian Sea 28.02.2024 The frigate Marshal Shaposhnikov (Pacific Fleet) detached from the ship battle force being on long-distance underwent a counter-piracy exercise in Arabian Sea. According to the scenario, a suspicious coastal vessel was detected, which did not respond to the ship's requests by means of International VHF Marine Radio Channels. The inspection team, consisting of members of a special unit, approached the suspected coastal vessel in a fast boat and, upon boarding, found several crew members who were trying to resist. On the second stage of the exercise, the frigate's artillery crews practised destroying 'enemy' small fast boats on which armed men had attempted to attack and seize a foreign merchant vessel. The AK-630 artillery systems and the Utyos machine gun were used to disarm the mock attacking pirates. During the third stage of the counter-piracy exercise at sea, the ship's Ka-27PS helicopter of the Pacific Fleet Naval Aviation carried out air patrols in a specified area. Currently, the frigate Marshal Shaposhnikov continue missions in Arabian Sea. Press Service of the Eastern Military District NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Syria confronts Israeli airstrike near Damascus: Report Iran Press TV Wednesday, 28 February 2024 9:30 PM The Syrian military reportedly confronts an Israeli airstrike on a suburb of the Arab country's capital of Damascus. The act of aggression was carried out on Wednesday from the direction of the country's Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) reported, citing a military source. The source specified the time of the attack as several locations close to the capital and its time as roughly 21:35 local time (20:35 GMT). "The Syrian Army's air defense [units] confronted the missiles and brought down most of them," the source said, adding that the airstrike had just resulted in some "material damage." The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a so-called monitor, said the incoming Israeli projectiles had hit "two locations" near Damascus. Syria and the Israeli regime are technically at war due to the latter's 1967-present occupation of the Golan Heights. The regime has carried out hundreds of attacks against the country after 2011, when the Arab nation found itself in the grip of rampant foreign-backed militancy and terrorism. Tel Aviv has significantly ramped up the strikes since last October, when it began a genocidal war against the Gaza Strip, in what has been described by observers, as a reckless bid threatening to fan tensions throughout the region. On Sunday, at least three people were killed when an Israeli unnamed aerial vehicle carried out a strike against the western Syrian province of Homs, close to the border with Lebanon. Damascus has repeatedly complained to the United Nations over the Israeli assaults, urging the world body's Security Council to take action against Tel Aviv's crimes. Its demands have, however, fallen on deaf ears. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address New Tuvalu government reaffirms Taiwan ties in government document ROC Central News Agency 02/28/2024 03:15 PM Taipei, Feb. 28 (CNA) Tuvalu's new government on Wednesday reaffirmed that it will continue to formally recognize the Republic of China (Taiwan) instead of switching its allegiance to China following a national election last month. "The new government wishes to reaffirm its commitment to the long-term and lasting special relationship between Tuvalu and the Republic of China, Taiwan," a government document posted by parliamentarian Simon Kofe on X (formerly Twitter) said. The statement reaffirming Tuvalu-Taiwan ties is cited as one of the new government's top 20 priorities on its statement of priorities, according to Kofe. "Of particular interest to our partners in the region is the reaffirmation of our relations with Taiwan and our position on the Falepili Treaty with Australia," Kofe said in his Tweet. Kofe, who won reelection in the Jan. 26 election, was a former foreign minister known for his Taiwan-friendly stance. He most recently visited Taiwan in May 2023. He was named as transportation minister in the new government by Feleti Teo, Tuvalu's new prime minister, earlier Wednesday when Teo's Cabinet lineup was revealed. Teo unseated his brother and former Parliament Speaker Samuelu Teo in Tuvalu's elections on Jan. 26. The naming of a new prime minister was supposed to occur soon after the general election, but stormy weather and rough seas kept several lawmakers from traveling by boat from Tuvalu's outer islands to the capital Funafuti to pick a new leader until late last week. After his appointment, Teo met with Taiwan's Ambassador to Tuvalu Andrew Lin () during which he affirmed that "the diplomatic alliance between Taiwan and Tuvalu is solid and that all sectors of Tuvalu share a long-standing consensus on supporting official bilateral relations," according to a Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) statement. "The two governments will continue to jointly promote substantive cooperation projects aimed at enhancing the welfare of both their peoples," Teo was quoted as saying in the statement. Meanwhile, MOFA spokesman Jeff Liu () said on Tuesday that the government is expected to officially invite Teo to attend President-elect Lai Ching-te's () inauguration ceremony on May 20. There were concerns before Teo was appointed on Monday that Taiwan's ties with Tuvalu could be in jeopardy. Outgoing Tuvaluan Finance Minister Seve Paeniu, who was reelected on Jan. 26 and a contender for the country's leadership, told Reuters last month that Tuvalu's ties with Taiwan "need to be debated and reviewed in the new parliament." Paeniu said Tuvalu's people wanted more financial support from the international community to help the island nation address climate change and other issues. The issue was sensitive in Taiwan, coming shortly after Taiwan lost another Pacific ally, Nauru, to Beijing on Jan. 15, leaving only 12 countries around the world that formally recognize the Republic of China. (By Joseph Yeh) Enditem/ls NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Military expert highlights threat of Chinese research ships spying on Taiwan ROC Central News Agency 02/28/2024 09:53 PM Taipei Feb. 28 (CNA) A military expert cautioned against the threat of Chinese civilian vessels operating in waters off Taiwan conducting espionage under the pretense of research. Su Tzu-yun (ece), a research fellow at Taiwan's state-run Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that China currently has a fleet of more than 60 research/survey vessels, and that Taiwan is not the only country susceptible to their threats. Su's comments come following a Feb. 27 report in the Financial Times (FT), which stated that the Zhu Hai Yun, a Chinese drone carrier with links to the People's Liberation Army, made an unprecedented sailing down the full length of Taiwan's east coast in November. In addition, there had been a sharp uptick in the number of such incursions from just two in each of the previous three years to nine since September of that year, the FT said. According to the FT's analysis of the Zhu Hai Yun's path, the ship spent a day tracking the 24-nautical mile line east of Taiwan's shores demarcating the country's contiguous zone, crossing it once off the city of Hualien, home to the Chiashan Air Force Base, and again in the Bashi Channel, which Chinese ships need to pass through to reach the Pacific. "While past incursions occurred mostly north, south and west of Taiwan, there is a more recent focus on the strategic waters to the east," the FT reported. Su noted the Xiang Yang Hong 03 will be moored in the Maldives, describing the move as one that will surely touch a raw nerve with the South Asian archipelagic country and India. In addition, Su said, China previously dispatched Type 815 Dongdiao-class spy ships to waters off Australia. These examples show that Taiwan is not alone in facing Chinese harassment, and more importantly, that Taiwan should be vigilant about espionage. China frequently uses vessels operated by government and military-affiliated research institutes to assert its claims in disputed waters, sailing close to oil exploration sites inside the exclusive economic zones of Vietnam and Malaysia in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims almost in its entirety. "This represents one more tool the People's Republic of China is using in what I call the all-domain pressure campaign against Taiwan," Christopher Sharman, director of the China Maritime Studies Institute at the U.S. Naval War College was quoted by FT as saying. In light of the aforementioned threats, Su recommended holding live-fire drills on the "red beach" - beaches along Taiwan's west coast deemed most vulnerable to landing by Chinese troops - in preparation for the scenario that China escalates exercises into a conflict. (By Henry Wu and Sean Lin) Enditem/ASG NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Speedboat deaths used as grey zone tactic to pressure Taiwan: official ROC Central News Agency 02/28/2024 09:22 PM Taipei, Feb. 28 (CNA) An anonymous high-level Taiwanese national security official said on Wednesday that Beijing is using grey zone tactics in its handling of an incident in which a speedboat capsized and two Chinese men died in Republic of China (Taiwan) territorial waters off the Kinmen Islands after being chased by the Taiwan Coast Guard. The Chinese speedboat entered "prohibited waters" off the Kinmen Islands, which are at their nearest point 2km from the Chinese coast, on Feb. 14. It capsized after being chased and colliding with a Taiwan Coast Guard vessel. Immediately after the incident China's Taiwan Affairs Office described it as "cruel" and "malignant" and used its official media and social media outlets to amplify the incident, making it a widely searched event on the Chinese internet, according to the official. The official claimed that Beijing manipulated information on social media and had its coast guard board a Taiwanese tourist vessel on Feb. 19, in an effort to use the incident to exert grey zone pressure against Taiwan. The best response to such grey zone tactics is transparency, the official said, adding that the Taiwanese government has been consistent in its position that the incident is one of maritime law enforcement and will be investigated by prosecutors. In other words, it has nothing to do with cross-strait politics, the official stressed. As to Chinese coast guard vessels operating in waters just outside the prohibited zone around the Kinmen Islands following the incident, an official involved in the case said the Taiwan Coast Guard will maintain its patrol capacity and increase its existing 16 patrol boats in Kinmen with patrol vessels larger than 1000-tonnes, or have them stationed in Kinmen if tensions continue. As for the apology demanded by China, the national security official said the demand indicates China's denial of Taiwan's law enforcement rights in its territorial waters. Taiwan is willing to resolve the issue, continue communicating, and provide necessary humanitarian aid to the family members of the deceased Chinese crew members, the official added. It is difficult to know whether tensions will continue to rise or conflict become more regular, the official said, noting that Taiwan will continue its surveillance and reconnaissance operations in the area, while providing a comprehensive explanation by conducting an investigation. All in all, the incident is one of maritime law enforcement against the trespassing of a "three nos" vessel which displayed no name, no certificate and no registration from its port of registry, the official said. (By Wen Kuei-hsiang and Alison Hsiao) Enditem/AW NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address DPP authorities tell lies, conceal truth about fatal boat incident: Taiwan Affairs Office Global Times By Global Times Published: Feb 28, 2024 07:14 PM We express strong indignation and condemnation on the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities' move following a recent incident in waters near Kinmen that led to the death of two people on a mainland fishing boat, said Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council on Wednesday. On February 14, a fishing boat from Fujian was brutally handled by Taiwan authorities in waters near Kinmen, leading to all four people on board falling into the sea, and two of them died. The move by Taiwan authorities serious hurts the feelings of compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Straits, which has caused strong indignation in the mainland and widespread questioning in the island, Zhu said. The incident has been ongoing for half a month, and the DPP authorities have not issued any apology. They have concealed, lied, and misled the public about the truth of the incident, with contradictions and attempts to cover up the truth and shift blame. Some politicians and media in the island have disregarded the facts, talked nonsense, acted arrogantly, showing no humanity, Zhu noted. We urge the DPP authorities to promptly disclose the truth of the incident, punish those responsible, apologize to the families of the victims, meet the reasonable demands of the families of the victims, and give an explanation to the families of the victims and compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Straits, Zhu said. We will resolutely defend the legitimate rights and interests of our compatriots and will not allow such incidents to happen again. The mainland reserves the right to take further measures, and the DPP authorities will bear all the consequences, Zhu said. The two surviving fishermen of the fatal incident returned to the mainland on February 20, accompanied by representatives of the Red Cross Society of China branch in the port city of Quanzhou, Fujian Province. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China Warns Taiwan US-Sponsored Pursuit of Separation Rife With Military Risks Sputnik News 20240228 BEIJING (Sputnik) - The Taiwanese administration's attempts to achieve independence with the help of the United States and new weapons will create military danger in the Taiwan Strait, Zhu Fenglian, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the Chinese State Council, said on Wednesday. Last week, the US Department of State approved a possible sale of communications defense equipment, requested by Taiwan and valued at $75 million. "Attempts by the government of the Democratic Progressive Party of Taiwan to reach independence relying on the US and weapons, can only cause military danger in the region of the Taiwan Strait and put the Taiwanese compatriots into a dangerous position," Zhu told a press conference. China calls on the US to commit to the one-China principle, the terms of the three Chinese-US joint communiques as well as to stop selling weapons to Taiwan, the spokesperson added. "We stand strongly against the US selling weapons to the Taiwanese region, this position is consistent and clear," Zhu said. Earlier in February, the Pentagon said it had signed a contract worth over $68 million with the Raytheon defense-industrial company for the production and delivery of 50 air-to-ground missiles to Taiwan. Work under the contract is expected to be completed in March 2028. Tensions between the United States and China soared in August 2022 after then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi traveled to Taiwan despite Beijing's warnings against the visit. Beijing condemned Pelosi's visit, which it regarded as a gesture of support for separatism, and launched large-scale military drills in the vicinity of the island. Taiwan has been governed independently of mainland China since 1949. Beijing views the island as its province, while Taiwan a a territory with its own elected government a maintains that it is an autonomous country but stops short of declaring independence. Beijing opposes any official contacts of foreign states with Taipei and considers Chinese sovereignty over the island indisputable. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan Feb. 29, 2024 ROC Ministry of National Defense 2024/02/29 PLA activities in the waters and airspace around Taiwan 1.Dateis 6 to 6 a.m. (UTC+8) Wednesday to Thursday, Feb. 28-29 2.PLA activitiesis 19 PLA aircraft and 7 PLAN vessels operating around Taiwan were detected up until 6 a.m. (UTC+8) today. 12 of the aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and entered Taiwan's northern, southwestern, and eastern 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 Widespread reforms to transform delivery of kit to UK's armed forces A new procurement system will see earlier expert assurance of future military programmes, ensuring they deliver for UK forces on the frontline. 28 February 2024 Integration, early industry engagement, and exportability at the heart of Spring 2024 reforms. Introducing new checks and balances to avoid procurement challenges, speed up frontline delivery and bring down costs. New approach to test and improve advanced new capabilities on the battlefield. A new procurement system will see earlier expert assurance of future military programmes, ensuring they deliver for UK forces on the frontline, under a raft of reforms announced by the Defence Procurement Minister, James Cartlidge today (Wednesday 28 February). To avoid previous challenges where programmes have been over-complex, over-budget, and over time, a new Integrated Procurement Model will be brought in from April, which will see: The Integration Design Authority (IDA) introducing new checks and balances to avoid some of the challenges faced in previous procurements. Greater empowerment of subject matter experts across the defence enterprise including defence scientists, government export leads, finance experts and industry partners to challenge and shape proposals before they receive the go-ahead. Increased focus on exportability of a capability at the start of a procurement, to prioritise developing kit that can be sold to and used by other nations. Earlier engagement with the UK defence industry to ensure quicker delivery of kit into the hands of the armed forces. The new model will expose and resolve potential issues in any major programme at the start of the process, aiming to avoid unexpected complications that could cause in-service delays or additional costs. Minister for Defence Procurement, James Cartlidge said: There is no question that we are living in an increasingly dangerous world, and so our approach to major military procurement programmes cannot go on as it has before. Pace, challenge, and integration are vital to setting ourselves up for success and replacing the siloed nature of major programmes that hamper timely delivery and squander global export opportunities. All parts of UK defence must embrace these reforms as a positive shift in our approach that will deliver a military fit for the future. Delivering new equipment and technology more quickly is key to the overall reforms, and the concept of 'spiral' development will be at the forefront as new programmes are initiated. This will avoid capabilities that are not adaptable to the changing environment or are overly complex and too bespoke to export. Rather than striving for perfection before delivering to the frontline, capabilities at 60-80% of their full potential will be provided to the user, allowing early application, and subsequent improvements to reach their full potential. Chief Executive of Defence Equipment & Support, Andy Start said: This reform is a key turning point for defence procurement and change is already underway in DE&S to help defence realise the ambitions set out today. We aim to help bring greater insight from industry and allies into the development of capability at an earlier stage, and we go live with the first part of our new operating model in March to set up major programmes up for success from the start. The Archer capability for the British Army is just one example where we have shown we can bring new systems and platforms into service faster. We look forward to helping defence make this kind of pace the norm. DE&S, the MOD's procurement arm, has recently redesigned the way it operates so it can get equipment into the hands of our armed forces faster. Its new operating model features a single-entry point which will engage with the military earlier in the process, to help set up projects for success. It will encourage collaboration across MOD, industry and with our allies to plan projects coherently and efficiently, injecting the appropriate pace and innovation and making sure work is deliverable, with spiral development built into the plan. Yet the new reforms aim to go further, avoiding competition between the military Services for programmes to be approved and encouraging people to speak up in the face of emerging challenges for delivery - a key recommendation of Clive Sheldon KC's report into the AJAX programme. Today's announcement follows last week's launch of the Uncrewed Systems Strategy, backed by A4.5 billion in funding, outlining how the UK is embracing technological change and implementing the lessons from Ukraine, to deliver integrated procurement that is agile and maintains our military competitiveness. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Prime Minister in Prague: it is our duty to support Ukraine in its defence against Russian aggression Republic of Poland 27.02.2024 Prime Minister Donald Tusk continues talks with the heads of government and institutions. This time, the head of the Polish government met with the Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala in Prague. The main topic of the Prime Ministers' talks was the war in Ukraine. Poland will join the Czech initiative, which assumes the supply of ammunition to our eastern neighbour. The heads of government also discussed issues related to the EU's Green Deal policy and the interests of Polish farmers. A common voice on the most important issues Poland and the Czech Republic present convergent positions on the most important issues that are crucial for Europe today. This is, m.in, the Russian aggression on the territory of Ukraine. - I knew that I was going to a friend and to a friendly country, but I did not think that in politics there could be two partners who would agree on all aspects that we had taken up in the discussion. This is very important for Polish, for the Czech Republic, for the whole region. It may also be important for Ukraine, the European Union, NATO that in this region, which has been quite complicated recently, there are two capitals that speak with one voice on practically all issues, said Prime Minister Donald Tusk. The head of the Czech government stressed that Poland and the Czech Republic have many issues in common. Among them are m.in common values for both countries. - What we have in common is the way we look at foreign policy. How do we perceive the values that need to be defended, that need to be promoted? We have a similar view on key events in Europe, on events that pose a huge challenge for Europe, stressed Prime Minister Petr Fiala. Poland will join the Czech initiative to provide additional support to Ukraine The Prime Minister of the Czech Republic announced that his country will launch a new initiative to support the fighting Ukraine. It will consist of the delivery of ammunition. Poland, as one of the leaders in helping Ukraine, will join the actions proposed by the Czech side. - I am glad that we will also be able to practically cooperate when it comes to support for Ukraine on the issues that are most important to them, such as the supply of ammunition. I am full of appreciation for the Czech initiative. We are ready to participate in any initiative - and this is one of them - that will bring us closer to ending the Russian aggression against Ukraine. It is our moral and political duty, but also our obvious interest, to support Ukraine in its defence against Russian aggression, said Prime Minister Donald Tusk. The head of the Czech government thanked Poland for its readiness to act together. He also stressed that we must not forget what Ukraine is fighting for. It is not only the freedom of Ukrainians, but also the freedom of the whole of Europe. - We are ready to support Ukraine intensively, continuing to look for all ways to intensify this support. Ukraine is fighting not only for its independence, freedom and democracy, but it is also fighting for the freedom of the whole of Europe. We must not forget that. I would like to express my sincere thanks to the Prime Minister for his readiness to Polish join the Czech initiative to supply artillery ammunition to Ukraine. Yesterday I presented this project to the other Prime Ministers in Paris. I believe that this is a very important initiative, said the Czech Prime Minister. We soberly assess the negative impact of the free trade decision with Ukraine Our country has been actively supporting Ukraine since the very beginning of the Russian aggression. This includes both military support and humanitarian aid. Thousands of Ukrainians found their home in Poland during this tragic time. However, we must not forget our farmers, who are suffering from the negative effects of trade liberalisation with Ukraine. - No one has the right to believe that the Czech Republic or Poland do not support Ukraine. At the same time, however, we are sober in our assessment of the negative impact of the free trade decision with Ukraine, which has a negative impact on our economies. And we will work together in Brussels for corrections that will protect the common European market from the negative effects of such a decision, assured the head of the Polish government. Prime Minister Donald Tusk thanked the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic for his understanding and support, as well as his readiness to cooperate when it comes to changes in the Green Deal. - Thank you very much for your understanding, support and readiness to cooperate when it comes to changes and corrections in the Green Deal - especially those that clearly strike at the interests of Czech industry, Polish industry or Polish agriculture - we must talk about it openly. We have a special mandate here, as guarantors of the pro-European attitude of the entire region. But it is in the interest of Europe, in the interest of the EU, to be as pragmatic as possible in these matters, and we will urge our colleagues in Brussels to do so, to assess very precisely the consequences of certain decisions for our agriculture, for our industry. And we also have a common view here, added the head of the Polish government. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address February 28, 2024 By David Vergun , DOD News Air Force General Says Ukraine Desperately Needs Ammunition In the last two years of fighting in Ukraine, Russians have not hesitated to initiate frontal assaults with no concern about sacrificing their own people, said Air Force Lt. Gen. Leonard J. Kosinski, Joint Staff logistics director. Despite Ukraine's ability to skillfully incorporate high-end technology into the fight, it's imperative that they receive more munitions, he said today on a panel at the Hudson Institute in Washington, D.C. "Sometimes you just need bullets to be able to fight against bullets and onslaughts of folks," he said. Over the last few decades, the U.S. has not adequately prepared itself for near-peer competition with mass production of munitions and other warfighting materiel, he said, adding the U.S. is now making better decisions to increase that capability. The U.S. is also relying on the defense industrial bases of partners nations for sustainment to Ukraine, he said. The Defense Department is preparing itself for the near-peer fight by investing in readiness and modernization in some creative ways a such as the replicator initiative, which will get weapons produced at speed and scale, he said. Jan Jires, an official with the Czech Republic defense ministry, said that Europe's contribution to Ukraine's war effort has been far better than anyone expected. For instance, a single German company is now producing more 155 mm artillery shells than the entire U.S. defense industry combined, he said. "The combined value of European support to Ukraine, [in terms of] financial, humanitarian and military [assistance], has been larger than what came from the United States. And that's a good thing," Jires said. That said, Europe should be doing even more, he added. "It's in our vital interests." Rebeccah Heinrichs, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, said, "Ukraine needs weapons immediately." Getting supplemental [security assistance] passed benefits not just Ukraine, Taiwan and Israel, it also benefits the U.S. industrial base, she noted. The American people need to be reminded why European security is directly related to U.S. security, she said. "Russia remains not just an acute threat to the American people and to the United States of America, [but] it's a chronic threat," she said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Tsahkna in Geneva: we must continue to work tirelessly on the return of deported Ukrainian children Republic of Estonia - Ministry of Foreign Affairs 28.02.2024 Today 27 February, Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna was in Geneva to launch Estonia's bid for a seat on the UN Human Rights Council and hold bilateral meetings to discuss closer cooperation on improving the state of human rights and on continued support to Ukraine. In his statement at the 55th high-level session of the UN Human Rights Council, Tsahkna said that advancing human rights, democracy and the rule of law was a priority for Estonia and we could achieve more in this area as a member of the Council. "As a member of the UN Human Rights Council, Estonia would concentrate on the rights of children, human rights online and media freedom," Tsahkna said. "We would do our utmost to stand up for freedom, human dignity and human rights." The minister said were witnessing a worrying number of conflicts across the globe that all have a negative impact on the state of human rights. "As a result of Russia's aggression, we are seeing constant brutal attacks on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine and civilian deaths," Tsahkna said, adding that the deportation of children was one of the most horrific in the long list of crimes committed by Russia. "Children should never be used as war trophies. Estonia is tirelessly working on ensuring their safe return to their legal guardians." Speaking about the situation in the Middle East, Tsahkna said that Israel was entitled to defending itself after the horrendous terror attacks by Hamas but the ongoing war is devastating for civilians in Gaza. "International humanitarian law must be respected in all conflicts," the minister said. Tsahkna noted that the world must demonstrate its commitment to international law, most importantly by stopping perpetrators and holding them accountable. At his bilateral meetings with the Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan Murat Nurtleu, with the Depurty Foreign Minister of Argnetina Leopoldo Francisco Sahores and Deputy Foreign Minister of Costa Rica Alejandro Solano, he discussed the need to uphold the UN Charter and support for Ukraine. The meetings also covered opportunities for boosting bilateral relations and advancing cooperation on e-governance and cybersecurity. His meeting with United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Nada Al-Nashif discussed the possibilities for the improved protection of human rights, and talks with the Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization Daren Tang covered the role of intellectual property in boosting innovation and economic growth. In Geneva, the minister also held a reception to mark the 106th anniversary of Estonia's independence, and a side event organised with Costa Rica and Ukraine titled 'Right to education - opportunities and challenges digitalization offers.' NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 'Western rifts' exposed as Macron's remarks on sending troops to Ukraine contradicted by US, allies Global Times By Zhang Yuying Published: Feb 28, 2024 10:12 PM After the US and some European countries made remarks contradicting French President Emmanuel Macron's position on aid to Ukraine, Chinese experts pointed out that this reflected Western discord on the matter, given the current deadlock on aid to Ukraine, and that this may exacerbate the difficulties in paving the way for peace talks. During a meeting of European leaders in Paris on Monday local time, French President Emmanuel Macron declined to rule out the possibility of putting Western boots on the ground in Ukraine in order to prevent a Russian victory, according to Reuters. Following Macron's remarks, the US State Department and the Pentagon both reiterated that President Joe Biden had ruled out sending US troops to fight in Ukraine, CNN reported. Meanwhile, in addition to NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg saying that the military alliance had no plans to send troops to Ukraine, many other European leaders distanced themselves from the possibility of committing soldiers to the war, including those from Germany, UK, Spain, Poland and the Czech Republic. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said during a regular press conference on Wednesday that China's position on the Ukraine crisis is consistent and clear, and calls on all sides to build consensus and accumulate conditions for de-escalation and ceasefire. "China will continue to play a constructive role for the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis," Mao said. The US and several European countries' contrasting remarks with Macron's reflected the current internal divisions within the West on the issue of Ukraine, Cui Hongjian, a professor with the Academy of Regional and Global Governance at Beijing Foreign Studies University, told the Global Times on Wednesday, adding that NATO is unlikely to directly involve itself in the conflict, as adopting practices that minimize harm to its own interests while still gaining some strategic benefits is in its best interests. Cui added that with the conflict entering its third year, the West is stuck in a deadlock over aid to Ukraine, and Macron's stance can be seen as a diplomatic counterattack against Russia, given that the West believes Russia is currently gaining momentum in the battlefield. "The different voices expressed by the US and European leaders may also have achieved the so-called 'strategic ambiguity' that Macron wanted to create, causing some confusion for the Russian side regarding the current situation in the West," the expert said. The Kremlin warned on Tuesday of the inevitability of a direct conflict between Russia and the US-led NATO military alliance if European members of NATO sent troops to fight in Ukraine, according to media reports. Analysts noted that it appears the parties involved are drifting farther apart from peace talks, as both sides have shown a lack of confidence and sincerity in pursuing dialogue for peace. Cui said that the Russian side is giving the West the impression that it has no intention of halting the war, and in response, Europe will definitely not show weakness, as it is now moving to establish consensus aimed at preventing a Russian victory. "Therefore, it seems that there is a lack of a basis for peace talks, given that at least one party needs to show some sincerity to pave the way for peace talks," the expert said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China to start second round of shuttle diplomacy on Ukraine crisis, contributing China's wisdom to address the issue: FM Global Times By Global Times Published: Feb 28, 2024 05:13 PM China will continue to play its role, carry out shuttle diplomacy, pool consensus, and pave the way for peace talks and contribute China's wisdom for the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis, Chinese Foreign Ministry said after announcing the start of the second round of shuttle diplomacy on the Ukraine crisis. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning announced during a press briefing on Wednesday that starting from March 2, Special Representative of the Chinese Government on Eurasian Affairs Li Hui will visit Russia, the EU headquarters, Poland, Ukraine, Germany and France for the second round of shuttle diplomacy on seeking a political settlement of the Ukraine crisis. According to Mao, it has been two years since the full escalation of the Ukraine crisis began and the conflict drags on. The most urgent priority now is to restore peace. The sooner peace talks begin, the less the damage that is done. In the past two years, China has never given up on promoting peace or slackened its efforts to facilitate talks, and China has had in-depth exchanges with countries, including Russia and Ukraine, playing a constructive role in addressing the crisis, Mao said. China also published its position paper on the political settlement of the crisis, and its special envoy traveled intensively to mediate among different parties. China has not sat idly by or added fuel to the flame, still less profiteered from the conflict, Mao added. Behind all this, there is only one goal that China hopes to achieve, that is, to build consensus for ending the conflict and pave the way for peace talks, Mao stressed, noting that China will continue to play its role, carry out shuttle diplomacy, pool consensus, and contribute China's wisdom for the political settlement of the Ukraine crisis. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Western Balkan Countries Reaffirm Support For Ukraine At Summit In Tirana By RFE/RL's Balkan Service and RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service February 28, 2024 TIRANA -- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on February 28 urged unity among the Western Balkan countries as he sought the continuation of military and financial aid to Kyiv at a summit of Western Balkans countries at which he also warned of the dangers they face if Russia is not stopped. Zelenskiy sought to build solidarity between the countries of the region and Ukraine, saying all of them deserve to be members of the European Union and NATO. He also expressed interest in increasing cooperation with weapons suppliers in the Balkan countries as Ukrainian troops face a shortage of ammunition on the battlefield. "We are interested in co-production with you and all our partners," Zelenskiy said, speaking in his opening remarks to the summit in Tirana attended by delegations from Albania, Bulgaria, Serbia, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Bosnia, Montenegro, Croatia, Moldova, and Romania. "There are about 500 defense companies operating in Ukraine; each of them adds strength but it is not enough to win," he said, proposing the establishment of a Ukrainian-Balkans defense forum in Kyiv or in a Balkan capital to nurture arms cooperation. There are significant arms industries in parts of the Balkans, especially Serbia and Croatia, a legacy of former federal Yugoslavia. Ukraine made similar arrangements last year with British and U.S. weapons companies, which are the main suppliers of weapons and ammunition to Ukraine. But in recent weeks its troops have been forced to withdraw from some of their defensive positions in the east as a critical bill containing $61 billion in U.S. military aid remains blocked in the House of Representatives. Zelenskiy said at a joint news conference with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama that unity among the Western Balkan nations is important because Russia will do everything to destabilize the situation. "Russia will not stop. Russia draws conclusions from the mistakes it has made on the territory of Ukraine and will destabilize even further if it's provided with opportunities to survive in this aggression against us -- to politically survive -- and then it will use other tactics," he added. "It will try to exert influence on the countries where it can immediately get success -- the Baltics, Moldova, and the Balkan states -- everywhere where [the] Soviet Union was present." Zelenskiy also demanded quicker delivery of weapons, saying that the more Russian President Vladimir Putin sees Ukraine's shortcomings, "the more he can think he can challenge Europe and the West." Rama admitted that there is a clear danger for the Balkans, adding that what is happening in Ukraine "can be repeated in different ways." Rama called on the Western Balkan states to continue aid to Ukraine, and warned against it being delayed by internal politics. "Ukraine deserves to be supported and helped with all the necessary means to resist and ensure that any peace that comes out of this war will be a just peace based, first of all, on Zelenskiy's 10-point plan, which we support and want all states to discuss," said Rama. Rama also said that Zelenskiy's presence in Tirana was an indication that Putin, despite the military power of his country, has failed to "suppress the will of Ukrainians to live in a free, independent, and democratic state [and] has failed to keep the truth quiet." The summit participants later on February 28 adopted a 12-point statement in which they said that Russian military aggression against Ukraine remains the biggest threat to European security, is in flagrant violation of international law, including the United Nations Charter, and is a crime against the Ukrainian people. Participating states pledged to continue supporting Ukraine and condemned Russia's efforts to hold Russian presidential elections in the parts of Ukraine it has occupied. The leaders also reaffirmed efforts to further advance the integration of the Western Balkans, Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia into the European Union, and they said they "fully support Ukraine's right to choose its own security arrangements" and backed its desire to join NATO. But the statement did not mention sanctions against Russia. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said this was at the request of Serbia, a traditional ally of Russia that has not joined the EU's sanctions regime against Moscow. "There is no talk of sanctions. There is no mention of malicious Russian influence," Vucic told reporters. With reporting by AFP and Reuters Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-zelenskiy-albania- summit/32840367.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 Ukrainian Forces Withdraw From Two More Villages In East By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service February 28, 2024 Ukraine's military said its forces have withdrawn from two more villages near the eastern city of Avdiyivka, which was captured earlier this month by Russian forces, marking further losses for Ukraine as its troops continue to struggle with shortages of equipment, especially ammunition. Ukrainian troops withdrew from Stepove and Syeverne, which lie west of Avdiyivka, Ukrainian military spokesman Dmytro Lykhoviy said on February 27. "Our forces withdrew from the small villages of Syeverne and Stepove.... Heavy battles for Syeverne went on yesterday in the evening and night," Lykhoviy said, adding that Russia had taken significant losses in the fight. Ukrainian forces have consolidated new defensive positions west of Avdiyivka, he said. Russia's Defense Ministry said it had captured Syeverne, and that its troops had "occupied more advantageous lines and positions" and struck Ukrainian troops and equipment near Syeverne and Stepove, and another settlement, Lastochkyne, which Kyiv announced on February 26 it had abandoned. Oleksandr Tarnavskiy, the commander of Ukraine's southeastern sector, said on Telegram that in the Avdiyivka "sector," the line of defense has been "stabilized" in the areas of Tonenke, Orlivka, and Berdychi. Russian forces had failed in their attempts to advance in two areas further south, including to the Ukrainian-held village of Robotyne, Tarnavskiy added. It was not possible to verify the claims. The U.S. State Department said on February 27 that the situation on the battlefield in Ukraine was "extremely serious" because the Ukrainian military does not have enough ammunition to repel Russian aggression. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Ukrainian troops "continue to fight bravely" with the weapons and ammunition that they have, but "they have to [conserve] it because the U.S. Congress has failed to act." Miller again called on Congress to pass a bill that would provide $61 billion in military aid to the Ukrainian Army. "Fundamentally, we think that the path to victory for Ukraine right now is in the United States House of Representatives," Miller said. House Speaker Mike Johnson (Republican-Louisiana), an ally of former President Donald Trump and head of a razor-thin Republican majority in the House, has refused to allow a vote on the bill. U.S. President Joe Biden and top Democrats met with Johnson and other senior Republican members of Congress on February 27 at the White House to press again for its passage. A White House statement issued after a meeting said Biden "discussed how Ukraine has lost ground on the battlefield in recent weeks and is being forced to ration ammunition and supplies due to congressional inaction." Biden again warned of the terrible cost of delaying the aid, which was approved overwhelmingly by the Senate nearly two weeks ago. Johnson said after the meeting the Senate's package "does nothing" to secure the U.S.-Mexico border, which is what Republicans have demanded in return for passing aid to Ukraine. "The first priority of the country is our border, and making it secure," Johnson said. The House has adjourned until February 28 and will work on reaching an agreement on government funding as agreements to continue spending at previous levels begin to expire. The House is not expected to return to the national security package until after the first week of March. With reporting by Reuters and AP Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-donetsk-withdraw- avdiyivka-russia/32839211.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 Scholz Reiterates That German Soldiers Will Not Be Sent to Ukraine Sputnik News 20240228 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - NATO will not become a party to the conflict in Ukraine, and German military personnel will not be sent to Ukraine, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Wednesday. On Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron said Western leaders had discussed the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine and no consensus had been reached, but nothing could be ruled out, and they would do everything to stop Russia from winning. Scholz and German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius responded by saying that Germany will not send its forces to Ukraine. "NATO is not and will not become a party to the conflict. This will continue to be the case. We do not want Russia's war with Ukraine to turn into a war between Russia and NATO. We are united with all our allies in this. It also means a no German involvement in the war! And I can say bluntly, as federal Chancellor, I will not send soldiers of the German armed forces to Ukraine!" Scholz said in a video address published on X. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Poland to Push for Tighter Limits on Ukrainian Food Exports to EU - Prime Minister Sputnik News 20240228 WARSAW (Sputnik) - Poland will keep pushing for tighter limits on Ukrainian food imported into the European Union without duties in order to safeguard farmers' livelihoods, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Wednesday. "We are ready for a serious talk about limits. We cannot agree with the limits proposed by Brussels," Tusk, who is also the former president of the European Council, told reporters in Warsaw. The Polish prime minister said he wanted the EU's executive to cap cheap Ukrainian food imports at pre-2022 levels, while the European Commission insists that keeping imports of sensitive products like poultry, eggs and sugar at 2022-2023 levels will be enough to protect the interests of EU farmers. "Poland will suggest in Brussels that the ceiling be set ... at the pre-war levels when limits on Ukrainian agricultural products were strict and posed no threat to Polish producers a at least not at the current scale," Tusk said. The European Commission proposed late last month renewing the suspension of import duties and quotas on Ukrainian exports to the EU for another year as part of its commitment to support Ukraine's war effort "as long as it takes." This prompted Polish farmers to stage a nationwide strike. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukraine Loses Up to 230 Soldiers in Donetsk Direction in Past Day Sputnik News 20240228 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Ukraine has lost up to 230 soldiers both killed and wounded in the Donetsk direction over the past 24 hours, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday. Over the given period, the Russian armed forces have repulsed 11 counterattacks by Ukrainian military in the Avdeyevka direction, seven attacks in the Kupyansk direction, and three counterattacks in the Donetsk direction. "The enemy lost up to 230 military personnel, two tanks, two infantry fighting vehicles and six vehicles [in the Donetsk direction]," the ministry said in a statement. Ukraine has also lost up to 165 soldiers in the Avdeyevka direction, up to 145 soldiers in the Kupyansk direction, and up to 115 soldiers in the South Donetsk direction, the ministry added. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russian Forces Take Control Over Petrovskoye in Avdeyevka Direction Sputnik News 20240228 MOSCOW (Sputnik) The Russian armed forces have taken control over the Petrovskoye village in the Avdeyevka, direction, the Defense Ministry said on Wednesday. Moreover, the Russian troops took better positions in the Kherson direction and repelled a Ukrainian attack in Rabotino, the ministry said. Ukraine lost up to 40 soldiers in the Kherson direction in past 24 hours, according to the statement. "In the Avdeyevka direction, ... [Russian] liberated the village of Petrovskoye, took more advantageous positions and repelled 11 counterattacks of the Ukrainian armed forces' assault groups in the areas of ... the Donetsk People's Republic," the ministry said in a statement. The Russian Armed Forces liberated Avdeyevka in February, a small city that had been described by analysts as "the most heavily fortified location on Earth" due to actions taken by the Kiev regime. With Russia's protection, the city is now transitioning back to civil life, and residents are already receiving new citizenship documents. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Europe's Defense Official Says 'There Are Western Special Forces in Ukraine' - Reports Sputnik News 20240228 MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Remarks of French President Emmanuel Macron on a possible deployment of Western troops to Ukraine were aimed at creating deterrence and ambiguity toward Russia, and "everyone knows" that Western special forces are in Ukraine, an unnamed senior European defense official told Financial Times on Tuesday. "Everyone knows there are western special forces in Ukraine a they've just not acknowledged it officially," the official said. After a Paris-hosted conference on Ukraine on Monday, Macron said Western leaders had discussed the possibility of sending troops to Ukraine and had neither reached a consensus on the matter nor ruled out the possibility. Several NATO countries, including Germany, Italy, Poland, Finland and Hungary, have since distanced themselves from Macron's comment, emphasizing that they have no intention of deploying troops on the ground in Ukraine. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday that Moscow had taken notice of the French president's remarks and was well aware of his position regarding the need to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia, adding that some countries that participated in a meeting held in Paris on Ukraine held a quite "wise assessment of potential dangers" of being involved in the conflict. In addition, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that discussions of the possibility of sending military personnel to Ukraine were due to the absence of any visible results in increasing assistance in the form of supplies of ammunition and weapons to Kiev. Western countries, including member states of the European Union, have been providing military and financial aid to Kiev since the start of Russia's special military operation in Ukraine in February 2022. The Kremlin has consistently warned against continued arms deliveries to Kiev, saying it would lead to further escalation of the conflict. A Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address In Tirana, Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with the Chairwoman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina President of Ukraine 28 February 2024 - 21:02 In the framework of the Ukraine - South East Europe Summit in Tirana, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Chairwoman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina Borjana KriAto. The Head of State thanked Bosnia and Herzegovina for political support of Ukraine in times of Russia's full-scale invasion. "Thank you for supporting Ukraine and Ukrainians, our territorial integrity. Thank you for being on our side from the first days of the full-scale war," the President said. The parties discussed mutual support of Ukraine and Bosnia and Herzegovina on their way to a common goal - full membership in the European Union. "We are walking side by side and are ready to help each other on this path to the EU," the President noted. Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Borjana KriAto discussed defense cooperation. The Head of State informed his interlocutor of Ukraine's defense needs, particularly in artillery and air defense. The President of Ukraine thanked Bosnia and Herzegovina for its willingness to take part in the first Global Peace Summit to be held in Switzerland. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Joint declaration of Ukraine and the Republic of North Macedonia on the Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine President of Ukraine 28 February 2024 - 20:57 At their meeting in Tirana on 28 February 2024, the President of Ukraine and the Prime Minister of the Republic of North Macedonia adopted the following declaration. The President of Ukraine and the Prime Minister of the Republic of North Macedonia: discussed the state and prospects of bilateral Ukrainian-Macedonian relations against the backdrop of Russia's ongoing armed aggression against Ukraine, as well as security, economic and social challenges stemming from it for the European continent and the entire world; condemned Russian atrocities against civilian population and civilian infrastructure of Ukraine, including energy facilities, schools, hospitals and residential buildings, which are protected by international humanitarian law; emphasized the need for an immediate and complete withdrawal of all Russian troops and armed formations from the sovereign territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders as of 1991 and reiterated Ukraine's right for individual and collective self-defense in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter; acknowledged the need of further strengthening Ukraine's defense capabilities, in particular to deter Russia's ongoing armed aggression and its possible escalation, and supplying to that end to Ukraine military equipment and weapons; welcomed participation of North Macedonia in the implementation of the Ukraine's Peace Formula, based on the principles of the UN Charter and universal human values, aimed at restoring security in all its dimensions and justice for Ukraine and the world; noted the unwavering support of Ukraine during Chairpersonship of North Macedonia of the OSCE and of the USA - Adriatic Charter (A5) in 2023; recalled the interest of participation of North Macedonia in the restoration and rebuilding the infrastructure, damaged by Russia's attacks during a full-scale aggression against Ukraine; noted active participation of North Macedonia in International Crimea Platform activities, and recognize Crimea as integral part of Ukraine, and welcomed creation of the Inter-party Parliamentary Group in the North Macedonia`s Assembly to support the initiative as well as the establishment of the Register of Damage caused by the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine; reiterated the importance of investigating the war crimes on the territory of Ukraine in order to bring the perpetrators to justice, and other crimes, including crime of aggression, in accordance with the international law, in particular through the International Criminal Court, and supported the creation of a Special Tribunal regarding the crime of aggression against Ukraine, as well reiterated the continuation of their engagement in the "Core group on options for the establishment of a tribunal on the crime of aggression against Ukraine"; stressed the importance of signing on October 6, 2022 in Prague the Amendments to the bilateral Free Trade Agreement between North Macedonia and Ukraine as an important step towards further mutual trade liberalization and deepening mutual national producers' integration into European and regional trade and economic processes; wished to build on an already extensive network of bilateral and multilateral connections, agreements and arrangements, as well as to deepen and maximize the potential of their cooperation across various spheres including defense and security; reiterated the security commitments and arrangements as expressed by North Macedonia by co-signing the G7 Joint Declaration of Support for Ukraine of 12 July 2023, in accordance with our respective legal and constitutional requirements; acknowledged the need to further strengthen the consolidated capacity of the Euro-Atlantic community to counter existing and potential global challenges and security threats, noted Ukraine's significant contribution to the security of Euro-Atlantic area, in particular its efforts to deter Russia's unprovoked and unjustified military aggression, confirmed their commitment to strengthen joint efforts to ensure further progress towards the implementation of EU and NATO standards as well as obtaining membership of Ukraine in the European Union and the North Atlantic Alliance; reaffirmed their mutual support during the process of accession negotiations of Ukraine and North Macedonia on European Union membership; emphasized the support for strong decisions of the upcoming 2024 NATO Summit in Washington, D.C. that will bring Ukraine closer to NATO; acknowledged that North Macedonia supports invitation to Ukraine to join the Alliance when conditions are met. Signed in Tirana, on 28 February 2024 in two copies in English language. For Ukraine: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy For the Republic of North Macedonia: Prime Minister Talat Xhaferi NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address In Tirana, the President of Ukraine and the Prime Minister of North Macedonia signed the Joint Declaration on Euro-Atlantic integration of Ukraine President of Ukraine 28 February 2024 - 20:47 During the Ukraine - South East Europe Summit in Tirana, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister of the Republic of North Macedonia Talat Xhaferi signed a Joint Declaration on Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic integration. The document reaffirms North Macedonia's support for Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic aspirations and invitation to join NATO when the conditions are met. The parties reaffirmed mutual support in the process of negotiations on Ukraine's and North Macedonia's accession to the European Union. The Joint Declaration also reaffirmed the intention to continue to provide Ukraine with comprehensive assistance in its struggle for the full restoration of its territorial integrity. In particular, the President of Ukraine and the Prime Minister of North Macedonia condemned Russia's atrocities against Ukrainian people and infrastructure, including energy facilities, schools, hospitals, and apartment buildings. They emphasized the need for the immediate and complete withdrawal of all Russian troops from the territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized 1991 borders. The parties recognized the need to further strengthen Ukraine's defense capabilities, in particular by providing our country with military equipment and weapons to deter Russian aggression. In addition, the declaration welcomes North Macedonia's participation in the implementation of Ukraine's Peace Formula and states its interest in participating in the reconstruction of Ukrainian infrastructure damaged by Russian aggression. The President of Ukraine and the Prime Minister of North Macedonia reaffirmed the importance of investigating war crimes on the territory of Ukraine, including the crime of aggression, and bringing the perpetrators to justice in accordance with international law. The declaration also supports the establishment of a Special Tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine. The leaders expressed willingness to develop bilateral and multilateral ties and deepen the potential for cooperation in various fields, including defense and security. Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Talat Xhaferi discussed other topical issues of the bilateral agenda. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address President of Ukraine met with President of Moldova in Tirana President of Ukraine 28 February 2024 - 19:43 In the framework of the Ukraine - South East Europe Summit in Tirana, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with President of the Republic of Moldova Maia Sandu. The Heads of State discussed recent events in the Transnistrian region of Moldova, Russia's attempts to destabilize the situation there and effective ways to counteract the influence of the aggressor country. "Thank you for your words of support. We are fully on your side. We support you and your people," Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized. During the talks, the two presidents paid special attention to the functioning of transport corridors for the export of Ukrainian products through the territory of Moldova. The interlocutors emphasized that the integration of Ukraine and Moldova into the European Union is a common goal of the two countries and agreed on further mutual support and coordination of efforts on the path to EU membership. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Head of State met with the President of North Macedonia President of Ukraine 28 February 2024 - 19:31 In the framework of his participation in the Ukraine - South East Europe Summit in Tirana, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with President of the Republic of North Macedonia Stevo Pendarovski. The Head of State praised North Macedonia's support for Ukraine at the political level. Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the interlocutor for a clear position on the future membership of our country in NATO, which was confirmed in the Joint Declaration on Ukraine's Euro-Atlantic Integration. The President of Ukraine informed Stevo Pendarovski on the situation at the front and current defense needs of Ukraine. Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted the importance of North Macedonia's participation in the implementation of the Ukrainian Peace Formula and preparations for the Global Peace Summit in Switzerland. The leaders also discussed the creation of a hub for the rehabilitation of wounded Ukrainian servicemen and the children of fallen defenders with the participation of the Balkan countries. "If our friends help us, we can talk about a rehabilitation coalition. It will be very important if our Balkan friends can help organize such a platform with the participation of different countries," the Head of State said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address President: Ukraine will support all initiatives that will strengthen its ability to fight the aggressor President of Ukraine 28 February 2024 - 17:54 Ukraine will welcome the initiatives of world leaders aimed at strengthening the Ukrainian army on the battlefield and the country's resilience in the fight against the aggressor - Russia. This was stated by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a conversation with media representatives following the Ukraine - South East Europe Summit in Tirana. Answering journalists' questions about the summit of the leaders of the European Union and the United States in Paris, Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that he had good communication with French President Emmanuel Macron on many initiatives, such as the artillery coalition, which is being built in good cooperation with the United States. "These are very concrete things. We need to survive. And survival for Ukraine means having very concrete solutions," the President said. "As for the arrangements and contracts regarding assistance - everything has to be delivered on time. This is a basic, fundamental initiative that should come from everyone: give us on time if you can. Implement your decision to support us if you can. I think that's why he (Emmanuel Macron - Ed.) had a lot of initiatives on how to strengthen Ukraine on the battlefield," the Head of State added and noted that during the meetings, they had discussed intelligence, drones, joint production and other technical issues. Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that he expects more detailed information about the partners' decisions to support our country during the French President's visit to Ukraine in mid-March. "I was not present at that summit. He said he would talk about some new ideas on how to strengthen Ukraine. And he said he would share the information with me when he arrives in Ukraine," the Head of State said. According to the President of Ukraine, any new initiatives of the partners should be seen as next steps, and the priority should be to defend and strengthen Ukraine at the moment. "Because now we have questions about aid packages with our partners - with the European partners and the United States. We are very grateful to the United States for their leadership during this time, to our partners from the EU and the United Kingdom, but it is very important to be strong at this point. Because now we have no alternative. We are all dealing with a killer," Volodymyr Zelenskyy added. According to him, the stronger Ukraine is, the weaker Vladimir Putin will be. "This is the answer about any initiatives. If any initiatives in the world strengthen Ukraine, they are positive for the whole world," the President emphasized. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address President following the Ukraine - South East Europe Summit in Tirana: Everyone in Europe must be ready to defend their sovereignty, and Ukraine offers joint work, co-production in the sphere of defense President of Ukraine 28 February 2024 - 16:45 Russia's war is an attempt to destroy not only Ukraine's independence, but also the international order as a whole, so today everyone in Europe must be ready to defend their sovereignty. And Ukraine offers joint work and co-production in the defense sector. This was stated by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a joint press conference with Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama following the Ukraine - South East Europe Summit in Tirana. The Head of State expressed gratitude to Edi Rama and the entire Albania for the sincere and principled support of Ukraine, our people and justice in Europe in general. According to him, our country appreciates every kind of assistance from Albania in this terrible time of full-scale war, particularly defense packages for Ukrainian defenders. The President also noted the conclusion of the Treaty on Friendship and Cooperation with Albania. "Thank you for the political interaction and for having the same, absolutely fair understanding that all nations deserve respect and security and the right to determine their own lives, future, and destiny without any external dictates," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. The Head of State emphasized the meaningful work of all participants of the second Ukraine - South East Europe Summit, the joint declaration of which clearly noted the existing threats not only to Ukraine, but to all nations. "Russia's war against our country is an attempt to destroy not only our independence, but also the international order in general, in which every nation has the right to live freely and deserves respect. Putin does not respect anyone and does not want to allow anyone to live freely. And this is the meaning of his war. And that is why, if he is not stopped now, he will expand his aggression," the President emphasized. Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed his belief that today everyone in Europe must be ready to defend their sovereignty. In particular, this requires increasing arms production, and Ukraine offers joint work and co-production in the defense sector. "We must do everything possible to ensure that there is not a single delay in the supply of weapons to our warriors. Every pause in the supply, every doubt about the world's readiness to defend itself, encourages Putin. The more he sees our arms shortages, the more he thinks he can put pressure on Europe and the West. This is an extremely dangerous situation for every free nation. And today, as a result of the meetings, as a result of this summit, we have reached concrete agreements, in particular, on bolstering Ukrainian artillery," he said. The Head of State also emphasized that every nation that aspires to be a part of the European and Euro-Atlantic communities and shares common European and Euro-Atlantic values deserves full integration into the respective alliances. "Ukraine supports the integration of the Balkan states, and we are grateful for the support of Ukraine's integration," he said. The Head of State thanked all the state leaders present at the Summit for their consent to take part in the Global Peace Summit to be held in Switzerland. "We can make this peace summit and all the work on the Peace Formula effective. War is always started by one. But peace is always a joint effort. Of all those who respect the rules. All those who respect other nations. All those who truly value life. The world is bigger than any aggressor. And that is why I am confident that the restoration of a just peace is possible. And we have to make it happen," Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized. Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, for his part, noted support for Ukraine's right to territorial integrity, freedom of choice and democracy. "All the people of our country stand with Ukraine, support it steadfastly and will continue to support Ukraine for as long as it takes and until there is a just peace. The citizens of Albania support you and want Ukraine not to lose this war, but to win it," he said. According to Edi Rama, Albania is also concerned about the delay in providing assistance to Ukraine by the most powerful countries. He also does not agree that the cessation of arms supplies to the Ukrainian state will contribute to peace. "This is not only cynical, but also absurd, because you cannot stop the battle by depriving the victim of weapons. Ukraine deserves to be supported in all possible ways to make sure that any peace that comes after this war will be just," the Prime Minister of Albania emphasized. He expressed hope for strengthening cooperation between Ukraine and the Republic of Albania. Edi Rama also noted that the Ukrainian people are simultaneously fighting the aggressor and working on reforms, including those necessary for integration into the European Union. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ukraine - South East Europe Summit Declaration President of Ukraine 28 February 2024 - 16:02 We, President Vjosa Osmani, President Maia Sandu, President Jakov Milatovic, President Stevo Pendarovski, President Aleksandar Vucic, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Prime Minister Edi Rama, Chairwoman of the Council of Ministers Borjana Kristo, Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, Prime Minister Ion-Marcel Ciolacu, gathered in Tirana on February 28, 2024, and issued the following declaration: 1. Russia's unprovoked military aggression against Ukraine remains the greatest threat to the European security and international peace. This act of aggression is unacceptable; it is a flagrant violation of international law, including the UN Charter, and a crime against the Ukrainian people. 2. We reiterated our unwavering support for the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders as of 1991 and remain committed to providing Ukraine with necessary support to prevail against the Russian war of aggression for as long as it takes in order to achieve a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in accordance with the UN Charter and on the basis of the Ukrainian Peace Formula. 3. We call on the whole international community to strongly increase support to Ukraine in its ongoing struggle for freedom, independence and territorial integrity. 4. We strongly condemn the intentions of the Russian Federation to hold presidential elections in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, which represents a blatant violation of international law. We emphasize the illegal nature of the upcoming elections in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol and in Russia-occupied territories of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions of Ukraine. 5. During today's discussions in Tirana, we reaffirmed our solidarity with Ukraine and its people in their heroic defense of their freedom and our shared values and expressed our readiness to participate in the implementation of the Peace Formula of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, which is in line with the Purposes and Principles of the UN Charter, and to take part in the inaugural Peace Summit, ensuring the widest possible international participation in this process. 6. We are convinced that Russia's full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine has demonstrated the critical need and crucial importance of a united and strong Europe capable of facing global challenges for the peace and prosperity of our peoples. We emphasized that we are united by common European values and a vision of their further development within a united Europe. 7. We reaffirmed our determination to intensify joint efforts to ensure further progress and mutual support towards the membership of the Western Balkan region, Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, and Georgia in the European Union. 8. We fully support Ukraine's right to choose its own security arrangements. NATO Allies and aspiring countries commend the steps taken towards its future membership in NATO and support Ukraine to become member of the Alliance as soon as security conditions allow. 9. We underlined our firm commitment to bring to justice those individuals responsible for the crime of aggression, crimes against humanity and other atrocity crimes under international law committed in connection with Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, through appropriate, fair and independent investigations and prosecution at the national or international level, including through the work of the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine and the International Criminal Court to ensure that allegations of war crimes and other international crimes are fully and fairly investigated by independent, effective and robust legal mechanisms. 10. We agreed to cooperate and focus our efforts on the return of unlawfully and illegally deported and forcibly relocated Ukrainian children. 11. We pledge to enhance our cooperative efforts to fight disinformation, including fake narratives about the war, and to remain committed in combating hybrid warfare and cybersecurity challenges, contributing to the stability and security of the international community. 12. Today in Tirana, we reaffirmed our solidarity and support for Ukraine, expressed our commitment to participate in the post-war recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine in order to enable the Ukrainian people to rebuild their country, engaging all relevant partners, including private companies and international financial institutions, with the aim of securing the financial support, investments and knowledge needed to ensure a prosperous future for Ukraine. We underline the importance of demining in the broader context of Ukraine's recovery, as the crucial initial step toward the safe return of people and resumption of economic and agricultural activity. We, the friends of Ukraine, confirm our firm belief that only by uniting will we be able to restore just peace, stability, and prosperity on the European continent. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address We believe that respect for every nation and the right of nations to security and independent choice of their destiny should be universal principles - address by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the opening of the Ukraine - South East Europe Summit President of Ukraine 28 February 2024 - 14:12 Dear Prime Minister Rama! Dear colleagues, dear friends! First of all, I would like to thank Prime Minister Rama for all your personal and Albania's support for Ukraine - both military and humanitarian, as well as political one. Thank you for organizing and hosting this Summit. This is the second time we meet in such a format - previously we met in Athens, and now in welcoming Tirana. Edi, Mr. Prime Minister, I highly appreciate your hospitality and this opportunity to discuss all together how we can strengthen our countries, regions, and the entire Europe. Everyone understands that now is the time when the path of Europe is being determined for at least several next generations. We all want Europe to be a space where every nation determines its own destiny. We have seen in the past how someone else tried to determine the fate of other nations. This happened in the Balkans, in Eastern Europe, and in all other parts of Europe. Now Putin wants to do exactly the same. All his hostility, everything he does, and everything he wants to force other nations to do, is an attempt to make the old dictates of how nations should exist and what they should agree or disagree with - to make it "the new normal". So, that's why it is important for all free nations, all of us, that Putin and his regime lose - because all his failures are our common security. Dear colleagues! Our vision of Europe and life in all its regions is based on the principle of dignity - equal dignity of each country. There must be no Europe of "different dignities" - when someone deserves security and peace while someone's struggle for peace is ignored, when someone deserves integration into unions and alliances, and someone is supposed to stay behind and wait. We believe that respect for every nation, the equal right of nations to security and independent choice of their destiny should be universal principles. And through our cooperation we can ensure this. Firstly, we believe that every nation in Europe which keeps the principles of the European and Euro-Atlantic communities and wants to be a member of these communities deserves full integration. Ukraine supports your countries on their integration path and is grateful for your support of our integration. The European Union and NATO have provided Europe with the longest and most reliable era of security and economic development. And we are all equally worthy of being a part of the European and Euro-Atlantic communities. Secondly, I am grateful to all the leaders and nations who have already supported our Peace Formula and joined the global efforts to implement it. The obvious advantage of the Peace Formula is that it is comprehensive - meaning that every aspect of the Russian war can be resolved through the points of the Formula, and also that its nature is inclusive. Every leader and every state can prove themselves in the peace process - not only the so-called "great powers", not only those who are traditionally active in diplomacy in Europe or elsewhere. We want international law and global stability to be based on truly multilateral and transparent processes - on the equality of nations. Just as everyone deserves peace, everyone can contribute to the restoration of peace. I invite you all to take part in the first Global Peace Summit - at the level of leaders, to be held in Switzerland. Thirdly - defense. During the full-scale war, we proved that it is possible to withstand and overcome even an enemy that seemed to be one of the strongest in the world. Every nation can succeed in defense when different nations cooperate and people are motivated enough to be resilient. We propose to combine and strengthen such our experience. We are proud that there are about 500 defense companies operating in Ukraine in different areas, and each of them adds strength. But it is not enough to win over Putin. We see the problems with supply of ammunition - which are affecting the situation on the battlefield. And we are interested in co-production with you and all our partners. Our governmental team will present the details. We propose to hold a special Ukraine-Balkans Defense Industry Forum in Kyiv or in one of your capitals. And I am grateful for the joint work between our countries on roads and ports, railways and at sea. Together with defense packages, macro-financial and political support, the interaction between us, between neighbors, between neighboring regions, between all partners - has become a factor that, along with the resilience of our people in Ukraine, does not allow Putin to prevail. I would also like to emphasize our joint work in the Black Sea and the Danube region for the sake of food security. It helps the whole world. We must continue to develop our good neighborly relations - in logistics and infrastructure, in trade and energy relations, in politics, in countering Russian disinformation and Russian attempts to destabilize our political systems. Everything that makes us good partners also makes Putin weaker. That is why he invests so much in divisions and crises - he knows exactly what serves his interests. We must see exactly what works for our interests - and that's the way we will all be protected. I am sure of it. Thank you for your attention! Thank you for the invitation, Prime Minister! NNN! NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address President met with the Prime Minister of Albania in Tirana President of Ukraine 28 February 2024 - 11:49 During his visit to the Republic of Albania to participate in the Ukraine - South East Europe Summit, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama. The Head of State expressed gratitude to the government and people of Albania for the strong support of Ukraine in the struggle against the Russian aggressor. "Since the first days of the full-scale invasion, Albania has supported Ukraine, our struggle for freedom and territorial integrity. We will also never forget the warm attitude of your society towards Ukrainians who were forced to leave their homes because of the war," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. He noted the defense assistance provided by Albania to Ukraine and thanked the Albanian government for the decision to allocate a new tranche of military support, including equipment and ammunition. The President and the Prime Minister discussed Ukraine's urgent defense needs and further cooperation in this area, including joint arms production. The Head of State expressed hope that Albania would continue to host Ukrainian children for rehabilitation and assist in the rehabilitation of wounded Ukrainian defenders. Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted the active work of the Republic of Albania on the implementation of the Ukrainian Peace Formula and the readiness of Edi Rama to participate in the upcoming Global Peace Summit in Switzerland. During the meeting, the parties discussed the work on a bilateral security agreement in the framework of the G7 Joint Declaration of Support for Ukraine, which was joined by Albania. The President thanked the Republic of Albania for joining the EU sanctions against the aggressor and supporting the 13th sanctions package. In addition, the Head of State presented the Order of Yaroslav the Wise, I class, to the Prime Minister of Albania for his significant contribution to the strengthening of interstate cooperation, supporting state sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, and promoting our country worldwide. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address CALGARY, AB, Feb. 28, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) hearing panel released today a decision on AlphaBow Energys regulatory appeals. The hearing panel confirmed that both the March 30, 2023 (Reasonable Care and Measures - RCAM) and June 5, 2023 (Suspension) orders stand. The panel found that the AER did not breach procedural fairness in issuing orders to AlphaBow and that the AER did not exercise its discretion to issue the Orders in a manner that was unreasonable. Regarding the June (Suspension) Order, AlphaBow did not convince the panel that the AER failed to satisfy the requisite elements of section 27 of the Oil and Gas Conservation Act in issuing the June (Suspension) Order (including the necessity of the June Order to protect the public or the environment). The RCAM order was issued to AlphaBow as the company had repeatedly failed to comply with regulatory requirements and address compliance issues in a timely manner. The Suspension order was subsequently issued after the company failed to comply with the RCAM order. In June 2023, the AER granted AlphaBows requests for regulatory appeal of the reasonable care and measures order and suspension order. The AER held the public oral hearing between November 27, 2023, and December 1, 2023. Part of the hearing was conducted in private to prevent the disclosure of sensitive financial information protected under AER legislation (Oil and Gas Conservation Rules and Alberta Energy Regulator Rules of Practice). As such, the public version of the hearing decision contains redactions so as not to reveal the confidential information, the confidential positions of the parties, and the hearing panels related findings. A separate confidential decision, without redactions, will be issued to the parties who signed confidential undertakings in the proceeding. About the Alberta Energy Regulator The AER ensures the safe, efficient, orderly, and environmentally responsible development of energy resources in Alberta through our regulatory activities. For more information visit aer.ca. Orange, Feb. 28, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Orange, California - Napolin Accident Injury Lawyer Orange County, today, reiterated its renewed dedication to serve personal injury victims in the region. This commitment comes at a time when the legal landscape is evolving, and the demand for high-quality legal representation is escalating. Alex Napolin, renowned as the Auto Injury Lawyer Orange, is at the forefront of Napolin Accident Injury Lawyer Orange County. Napolin is highly regarded within the legal profession for his unwavering commitment to his clients and careful attention to the details of each case. In an official statement, Napolin articulated, "Our primary goal remains to ensure all injury victims have access to justice, no matter the complexity of their situations. We are committed to tirelessly seeking appropriate resolutions for our clients." In an effort to expand its influence, Napolin Accident Injury Lawyer Orange County is solidifying its foothold across the region. Simultaneously, the firm is augmenting its resources to align with rising client expectations. The team's proficiency in handling motorcycle accident cases is being enhanced to meet the escalating demand for competent Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Orange. Navigating the legal system can be extremely challenging for accident victims," Mr. Napolin explained. "Our aim is to simplify this process by offering expert legal counsel along with a sympathetic approach." The firm's unwavering commitment to maintain strong client engagement and transparent communication is a core belief that will persist as they continue to serve the community. As part of this undertaking, the clients will receive regular updates on case progress, a practice that Napolin and his team take great pride in. Equally important is their persistent effort in pursuing each case to ensure an optimal outcome for each client they represent. Despite the increasing competitiveness of the industry, Napolin Accident Injury Lawyer Orange County remains resolute in its determination to provide comprehensive legal services to those in need. Their service offerings include representation not only to victims of auto accidents, an area in which Mr. Napolin excels as an experienced Auto Injury Lawyer Orange, but also catering to those involved in various other personal injury situations. Every situation is unique, and the team constructs specialized legal plans after rigorous assessment of each client's unique circumstances. In his closing statement, Mr. Napolin expressed, "Our purpose is to serve the unfairly injured, by ensuring their rights are perpetually upheld. The conviction that every victim deserves access to superior legal representation is what propels us forward." Napolin Accident and Injury Lawyer Orange County, bolstered by a reinforced team and an unwavering commitment to their clients, stands prepared to handle a wide spectrum of personal injury cases ranging from auto accidents to more complex personal injury scenarios. With diligent case management and a tenacity for justice, the firm pledges an unwavering commitment to the community. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3pr0KF-pe4&t=1s For individuals seeking dedicated legal representation in Orange County, the professional expertise and client-focused approach of Napolin's team ensures the rights of injury victims are continuously championed. By placing clients' needs at the epicenter of their operations, Napolin Accident Injury Lawyer Orange County holds a pivotal role in the fight for justice in the realm of personal injury law in Southern California. ### For more information about Napolin Accident Injury Lawyer Orange County, contact the company here: Napolin Accident Injury Lawyer Orange County Alexander D. Napolin 714-451-2006 hurt@napolinlaw.com 2230 West Chapman Avenue, Ste. 234 Orange, California 92868 Chicago, Feb. 28, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Chicago, Illinois - The spotlight has recently been shining on IV Solution & Ketamine Centers of Chicago for their progressive approaches to wellness treatments. The center has gained a reputation for its dedication to providing cutting-edge, scientifically proven therapies such as its much sought-after IV nutritional treatments and the newer ketamine infusion therapy. The proficient team at the center comprises experienced medical professionals from various specializations. Their collective expertise and dedication form a crucial component of the success story of IV Solution & Ketamine Centers of Chicago. Moreover, they are also focused on fostering a secure and welcoming environment for the patient. Dr. Bal Nandra, CEO of IV Solution & Ketamine Centers of Chicago, said, "We are profoundly committed to the well-being of our patients. We belief it is vital to ensure they feel heard and supported throughout their path to improved health and recovery." The IV Solution & Ketamine Centers of Chicago have made it into several media stories of recent times. The public has demonstrated notable interest in the centers revolutionary treatments, particularly the ketamine infusion therapy. This therapy has proven beneficial for patients struggling with a range of mental health conditions such as depression, bipolar disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder, amongst others. The center has indeed carved a new benchmark for a wide range of wellness treatments. Moreover, IV Solution & Ketamine Centers of Chicago's staunch commitment to keeping the public informed is abundantly evident in their active utilization of social media platforms like Instagram. They frequently share information on multiple topics related to their work, from detailed features on their treatments to the newest advancements in their field, ensuring that potential patients and the public stay well-informed. Dr. Nandra added, We believe everyone should have access to these treatments. Thus, we leverage platforms like Instagram to connect with larger audiences, communicating our practices work and its potential impact on individuals lives. Besides the groundbreaking ketamine infusion therapy and the conventional IV nutrient therapy, IV Solution & Ketamine Centers of Chicago also offers Vitamin C IV therapy. This treatment is considered vital for enhancing the immune system, primarily during flu season. The center continually expands its repertoire of treatments to address the unique needs of their patients. For further details on the treatment options available and the specialized approaches utilized at IV Solution & Ketamine Centers of Chicago, interested individuals can visit their website. This platform provides comprehensive information on their range of services, including Intravenous Ketamine Therapy, Stellate Ganglion Block (SGB) for PTSD, and NAD+ Therapy, among others. It also highlights their commitment to providing financial assistance through partnerships, ensuring that more patients can access these life-changing treatments. Considering the myriad benefits these treatments provide, it is no wonder that IV Solution & Ketamine Centers of Chicago is capturing media attention. From their highly trained team of experts to their research-backed therapies, their commitment to providing optimal care is evident. Their active presence on Instagram and other social media platforms reveals a solid commitment to keeping their community aware of digital health services and their potential benefits. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQjVkoqDjwk IV Solution & Ketamine Centers of Chicago will surely continue being a significant media story, given their innovative therapies and commitment to patient wellness. As the field continues to grow and evolve, IV Solution & Ketamine Centers of Chicago is indisputably leading the way. ### For more information about IV Solution & Ketamine Centers of Chicago, contact the company here: IV Solution & Ketamine Centers of Chicago Bal Nandra, M.D. (844) 948-6337 b.nandra@chicagoivsolution.com 712 N Dearborn St Chicago, IL 60654 Ontario, Feb. 28, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ontario, California - Located in Ontario, California, Napolin Accident Injury Lawyer has developed a reputation for being a reliable legal firm specializing in personal injury cases. The firm, headed by veteran professional Alexander D. Napolin, has gained recognition for its proficient handling of work injury cases. As a trusted Work Injury Lawyer Ontario, clients turn to them, appreciating the firm's dedication to not only shield their rights, but also explain the complex facets of law and workers' compensation benefits. For further details about the firm and their extensive range of legal services, visit their website at www.napolinlaw.com. Navigating through work injury cases can be quite cumbersome, with intricate negotiations with insurance firms, precise calculation of lost incomes, and factoring in potential long-term rehabilitation expenses. Napolin Accident Injury Lawyer assists injured workers throughout this convoluted journey. The firm is committed to its clients receiving their deserved compensation, which has led to a significant uptick in their work injury cases. In tragic scenarios where families have lost a loved one due to someone else's negligence or unlawful actions, the firm steps in to provide much-needed support. As a Wrongful Death Lawyer Ontario, they have continuously helped families receive justice. The grief of losing a loved one is hard enough; legal complications and financial burdens can make it even more overwhelming. Napolin is there to lighten these loads, aiding families in seeking compensation for funeral costs, loss of future earnings, and emotional distress. In the context of the firm's commitment to such clients, Alexander D. Napolin elucidates, "Every wrongful death case we address is a sharp reminder of the humanness of our work. It propels us to chase justice with even fiercer determination. Getting our clients the compensation they're entitled to, is more than professional duty; it's deeply personal." Car accidents make up a significant portion of the cases that Napolin Accident Injury Lawyer handles. As a Car Accident Lawyer near me Ontario, the firm assists clients who have been the victims of car accidents. The aftermath of such incidents can be physically and mentally draining. Managing insurance claims and property damage requires expert knowledge, which the firm provides. They guide their clients, ensuring their rights are safeguarded and appropriate compensation is received. Another crucial dimension of their work involves representing families with injured children. As an Injured Child Lawyer Ontario, the firm handles cases where children have become victims of personal injury. These cases demand particular expertise, compassion, and a thorough understanding of the impact of injuries on the child and their family. Napolin discusses, "Cases involving injured children are amongst the toughest we tackle. The loss of innocence is heart-wrenching, and the family's life becomes topsy-turvy. These cases need a uniquely skillful approach, not just legally but emotionally too. Our goal is to secure justice and provide some comfort to the affected families." Napolin Accident Injury Lawyer's pledge of "No Win, No Fee", instills trust amongst their clients. This practice greatly minimizes clients' financial risk, allowing them to concentrate on recovery and rebuilding their lives. Additionally, their offer of free consultation and round-the-clock availability encourages accessibility and open communication. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgJxm0TI1GQ In the realm of personal injury law, Napolin Accident Injury Lawyer continues to support individuals and their families during challenging times. Their unwavering dedication and pledge to justice remain their key operational principles, consistently providing clients the support necessary to overcome life-altering obstacles. ### For more information about Napolin Accident Injury Lawyer, contact the company here: Napolin Accident Injury Lawyer Alexander D. Napolin 909-962-8415 hurt@napolinlaw.com 430 N. Vineyard Ave. Ste. 125 Ontario, CA 91764 Davenport, Feb. 28, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Davenport, Iowa - La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries & Decor, famed for its broad selection of furnishings, doesn't just sell furniture in Quad Cities, Iowa. Located in Davenport, this business transcends the typical expectations of a furniture store by offering comprehensive services to those looking to design or revamp their home interiors. For those interested in seeing the wide range of furniture offers, a visit to their website is highly recommended. The La-Z-Boy Davenport location distinguishes itself with its extensive furniture sale. The store's wide-ranging catalog spans multiple home needs. A carefully curated collection includes everything from comfortable recliners to family-friendly sectionals, elegant dining tables to durable cabinets, and versatile bedroom furniture to aesthetically pleasing decor items. Customers can be confident that every piece from La-Z-Boy Davenport carries a stamp of superior quality, style, and craftsmanship. Explore more about the products and services offered by visiting their website. Moreover, the company prides itself on being more than a simple furniture store by providing assistance that helps customers turn their visions into reality. La-Z-Boy Davenport excels at providing a rewarding shopping experience by incorporating professional interior design services. The company realizes that the perfect home should reflect the homeowner's unique taste, and harmonizing each piece of home decor with the assigned area is a skill. The interior design services at La-Z-Boy Davenport include consultations, concept development, and the implementation of a personalized room plan that genuinely echoes the customer's style, preferences, and budget. The design procedure offers chances to review fabric samples, wood finishes, and 3D renditions of the room's updated look. After final decisions have been made, the design team manages the ordering, arrangement, and reveal, ensuring a smooth and enjoyable experience for customers. To learn more about the personalized design services provided, please visit their official website. Discussing the critical relevance of interior design services, Tonia Noordt, a spokesperson for La-Z-Boy Davenport, stated, "Our aim has always been to assist homeowners in personalizing their spaces. The emphasis on design services is founded on the principle that every item purchased should reflect each customer's individuality. With our professionally conducted design services, we are getting closer to making this principle a reality." Recognizing varying customer needs and financial situations, La-Z-Boy Davenport accommodates customers with a range of budgetary needs through its financing options. These tailored financial plans enable customers to buy their chosen pieces without having to pay the full cost upfront, making the buying process more affordable and ensuring customer satisfaction. La-Z-Boy Davenport is committed to maintaining open lines of communication with customers through both conventional and current channels. The company has a strong presence on Facebook, engaging consistently with its large follower base. This online platform serves not only to update customers about new arrivals, discount offers, and sales, but also functions as a platform for customer interaction, feedback, and community engagement. As Tonia Noordt explained, "Our commitment to crafting top-quality furniture is equaled by our dedication to creating a robust community that appreciates and celebrates excellent home design. By utilizing our online platforms, we aim to maintain open lines of communication, exchange ideas, and draw inspiration." The popularity of La-Z-Boy Furniture Stores, particularly in the Davenport region, is not only due to their vast range of furniture and interior design services. The company's commitment to encouraging individual expression through home design, backed by professional advice and quality service, makes it unique in the sector. As the company continues to deliver a seamless shopping experience to its clientele, it strengthens its reputation as the go-to source for furniture and home decor solutions in Quad Cities, Iowa. ### For more information about La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries & Decor, contact the company here: La-Z-Boy Furniture Galleries & Decor Tonia Noordt (563) 355-7801 storemgr@lazboydav.com 4775 Elmore Ave Davenport, IA 52807 Washington, DC, Feb. 28, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A new report from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW) counters the public perception that rural localities have been left behind: the rural workforce comprises 13% of the total 25-to-64-year-old working population in the US and holds 12%, or a roughly proportionate share, of the good jobs. CEWs latest report uses a good jobs framework to highlight rural Americas assets and challenges. It also provides recommendations to mitigate the regions high labor-force non-participation rate (26%), low bachelors degree attainment rate (25%), and overall population decline. Small Towns, Big Opportunities: Many Workers in Rural Areas Have Good Jobs, but These Areas Need Greater Investment in Education, Training, and Career Counseling finds that 7.4 million workers ages 2564 in rural America have good jobs paying at least middle-class wages. CEW defines a good job as one that pays, nationally, a minimum of approximately $43,000 to workers ages 2544, a minimum of approximately $55,000 to workers ages 4564 (in 2022 dollars), and a median of approximately $82,000 for all good jobs. The report accounts for differences in cost of living between rural and urban areas when assessing whether workers have good jobs. Rural Americans are only slightly less likely to have a good job than their urban counterparts, and for workers without a bachelor's degree, rural America actually offers a better likelihood of having a good job, CEW Director and lead author Anthony P. Carnevale said. That being said, white workers are currently the only demographic group in rural America in which the majority hold a good job. White workers are the majority of the rural workforce (81%) and hold a disproportionate share of the good jobs (86%). Hispanic/Latino and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander workers are slightly more likely to have good jobs in rural areas than in urban areas. Nevertheless, the likelihood of holding a good job among Hispanic/Latino and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander workers is low in rural areas, at 37% and 42%, respectively. Good jobs skew toward men over women in both rural and urban areas, but this disparity is even more pronounced in rural areas. In rural areas, men make up 52% of the 25-to-64-year-old workforce but hold 63% of the good jobs. In contrast, women make up 48% of the rural 25-to-64-year-old workforce but hold only 37% of the rural good jobs. In urban areas, the differences are slightly smaller: men are 52% of the 25-to-64-year-old workforce and hold 60% of good jobs, while women are 48% of the workforce and hold 40% of good jobs. Women suffer even greater economic inequality in rural areas than in urban areas due to wage discrimination, occupational segregation, and labor-force nonparticipation, said Martin Van Der Werf, report co-author and CEWs director of editorial and education policy. The highest-paying jobs in rural areas are in white-collar, blue-collar, and protective services occupations, and blue-collar and protective services occupations are more likely to employ men. Workers with lower levels of educational attainment fare better in the rural workforce than in urban areas, in part due to rural Americas blue-collar economy. For example, workers with a high school education hold 26% of good jobs in rural areas, compared to 15% of good jobs in urban areas. The blue-collar economy is particularly strong in rural America: blue-collar occupations employ 31% of rural workers but only 21% of urban workers. However, rural America has been going through some tough times: 201020 was the first decade in American history in which the population of rural areas declined. The population decline has coincided with a rapidly decreasing labor-force participation rate. From 200719, the labor-force participation rate in rural areas fell by 2.6 percentage points among adults ages 2564, while it fell by just 0.7 percentage points for the same group in urban areas. Rural Americans often feel deeply connected to their communities, but they are increasingly faced with the hard choice of moving to urban areas or staying in rural areas where they have fewer professional and educational opportunities, Carnevale said. Rural America needs more strategies and investment to hold onto its good jobs and create more economic opportunity. The report has a number of recommendations for stimulating new growth, including the following: Rural America needs more comprehensive counseling services in schools, colleges, and communities to help individuals interpret and apply data on projected job openings and expected earnings when making decisions about their career pathways. Training programs should be created that are geared toward the specific needs of women and members of underserved racial/ethnic groups to help them attain the credentials that will prepare them for good jobs in the rural economy. States with large rural populations should join the 24 states that allow community colleges to award bachelors degrees and consider offering free programs to help combat rural education deserts. Educators and employers in rural America need to develop high school-to-career pipelines that train the local workforce to fill local jobs that do not require 4-year degrees. Leaders in rural America need to capitalize on emerging sectors of the renewable energy industry to bring new jobs and additional federal funds to rural communities, help stimulate economic growth, and retain the local population. To view the full report, including profiles showing attainment gains by state, visit: https://cew.georgetown.edu/ruralgoodjobs. The Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW) is a research and policy institute within Georgetown's McCourt School of Public Policy that studies the links between education, career qualifications, and workforce demands. For more information, visit https://cew.georgetown.edu/. Follow CEW on X @GeorgetownCEW, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Medium. February 29, 2024 SBM Offshore is pleased to announce a EUR65 million (US$70 million equivalent1) share repurchase program, effective from March 1, 2024. The objective of the program is to reduce the Companys share capital. All shares purchased will therefore be cancelled. The repurchase program is expected to be completed within 2024, and it will be accomplished under the authorization granted by the Annual General Meeting of the Company on April 13, 2023 and, if granted, the authorization of April 12, 2024. The execution of the share repurchase program will be done under the terms of an engagement letter with a third party, performed in compliance with the safe harbor provisions for share repurchases, and therefore transactions may be carried out during closed periods. In accordance with the European Market Abuse Regulation, the Company will inform the market of the progress made in the execution of this program through weekly press releases and updates on its website. Corporate Profile SBM Offshore designs, builds, installs and operates offshore floating facilities for the offshore energy industry. As a leading technology provider, we put our marine expertise at the service of a responsible energy transition by reducing emissions from fossil fuel production, while developing cleaner solutions for alternative energy sources. More than 7,400 SBMers worldwide are committed to sharing their experience to deliver safe, sustainable and affordable energy from the oceans for generations to come. For further information, please visit our website at www.sbmoffshore.com . Financial Calendar Date Year Annual General Meeting April 12 2024 First Quarter 2024 Trading Update May 8 2024 Half Year 2024 Earnings August 8 2024 Third Quarter 2024 Trading Update November 14 2024 Full Year 2024 Earnings February 20 2025 For further information, please contact: Investor Relations Wouter Holties Corporate Finance & Investor Relations Manager Mobile: +31 (0) 6 23 34 37 64 E-mail: wouter.holties@sbmoffshore.com Website: www.sbmoffshore.com Media Relations Evelyn Tachau Brown Group Communications & Change Director Mobile: +377 (0) 6 40 62 30 34 E-mail: evelyn.tachau-brown@sbmoffshore.com Website: www.sbmoffshore.com Market Abuse Regulation This press release may contain inside information within the meaning of Article 7(1) of the EU Market Abuse Regulation. Disclaimer Some of the statements contained in this release that are not historical facts are statements of future expectations and other forward-looking statements based on managements current views and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance, or events to differ materially from those in such statements. These statements may be identified by words such as expect, should, could, shall and similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties. The principal risks which could affect the future operations of SBM Offshore N.V. are described in the Impact, Risk and Opportunity Management section of the 2023 Annual Report. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results and performance of the Companys business may vary materially and adversely from the forward-looking statements described in this release. SBM Offshore does not intend and does not assume any obligation to update any industry information or forward-looking statements set forth in this release to reflect new information, subsequent events or otherwise. Nothing in this release shall be deemed an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities. The companies in which SBM Offshore N.V. directly and indirectly owns investments are separate legal entities. In this release SBM Offshore and SBM are sometimes used for convenience where references are made to SBM Offshore N.V. and its subsidiaries in general. These expressions are also used where no useful purpose is served by identifying the particular company or companies. "SBM Offshore", the SBM logomark, Fast4Ward, emissionZERO and Float4Wind are proprietary marks owned by SBM Offshore. 1 Based on the foreign exchange rate on February 22, 2024 Attachment Dublin, Feb. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Social Commerce Market Intelligence and Future Growth Dynamics Databook - 50+ KPIs on Social Commerce Trends by End-Use Sectors, Operational KPIs, Retail Product Dynamics, and Consumer Demographics - Q1 2024 Update" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global social commerce industry is expected to grow steadily over the forecast period, recording a CAGR of 12.7% during 2024-2029. The global social commerce GMV is forecast to increase from US$642.09 billion in 2023 to reach US$1.33 trillion by 2029. This report provides a detailed data centric analysis of social commerce industry, covering market opportunities and risks. With over 50+ KPIs at country level, this report provides a comprehensive understanding of social commerce market dynamics, market size and forecast, and market share statistics. Key Report Coverage: In-depth Understanding of Social Commerce Market Dynamics: Understand market opportunities and key trends along with forecast (2020-2029). Insights into Opportunity by end-use sectors - Get market dynamics by end-use sectors to assess emerging opportunity across various end-use sectors. Develop Market Specific Strategies: Identify growth segments and target specific opportunities to formulate social commerce strategy; assess market specific key trends, drivers, and risks in the industry. This title is a bundled offering provides detailed 20 reports, covering global insights along with data centric analysis at global and country level: Global Social Commerce Market Intelligence and Future Growth Dynamics (Databook) Argentina Social Commerce Market Intelligence and Future Growth Dynamics (Databook) Australia Social Commerce Market Intelligence and Future Growth Dynamics (Databook) Brazil Social Commerce Market Intelligence and Future Growth Dynamics (Databook) Canada Social Commerce Market Intelligence and Future Growth Dynamics (Databook) China Social Commerce Market Intelligence and Future Growth Dynamics (Databook) France Social Commerce Market Intelligence and Future Growth Dynamics (Databook) Germany Social Commerce Market Intelligence and Future Growth Dynamics (Databook) India Social Commerce Market Intelligence and Future Growth Dynamics (Databook) Italy Social Commerce Market Intelligence and Future Growth Dynamics (Databook) Mexico Social Commerce Market Intelligence and Future Growth Dynamics (Databook) Nigeria Social Commerce Market Intelligence and Future Growth Dynamics (Databook) Philippines Social Commerce Market Intelligence and Future Growth Dynamics (Databook) Russia Social Commerce Market Intelligence and Future Growth Dynamics (Databook) South Africa Social Commerce Market Intelligence and Future Growth Dynamics (Databook) Thailand Social Commerce Market Intelligence and Future Growth Dynamics (Databook) United Arab Emirates Social Commerce Market Intelligence and Future Growth Dynamics (Databook) United Kingdom Social Commerce Market Intelligence and Future Growth Dynamics (Databook) United States Social Commerce Market Intelligence and Future Growth Dynamics (Databook) Vietnam Social Commerce Market Intelligence and Future Growth Dynamics (Databook) Report Scope Country reports in this bundled offering provide in-depth analysis of Social Commerce industry. Below is a summary of key market segments offered at country level: Ecommerce Industry Market Size and Future Growth Dynamics by Key Performance Indicators, 2020-2029 Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Future Growth Dynamics by Key Performance Indicators, 2020-2029 Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by Retail Product Categories, 2020-2029 Clothing & Footwear Beauty and Personal Care Food & Grocery Appliances and Electronics Home Improvement Travel Hospitality Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by End Use Consumer Segment, 2020-2029 B2B B2C C2C Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by End Use Device, 2020-2029 Mobile Desktop Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by Location, 2020-2029 Domestic Cross Border Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by Location, 2020-2029 Tier-1 Cities Tier-2 Cities Tier-3 Cities Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by Payment Method, 2020-2029 Credit Card Debit Card Bank Transfer Prepaid Card Digital & Mobile Wallet Other Digital Payment Cash Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by Platforms Video Commerce Social Network-Led Commerce Social Reselling Group Buying Product Review Platforms Social Commerce Industry Market Size and Forecast by Consumer Demographics & Behaviour,2023 By Age By Income Level By Gender Key Attributes: Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 1400 Forecast Period 2024 - 2029 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2024 $737.2 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2029 $1339.7 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 12.7% Regions Covered Global Company Coverage: Facebook TikTok Instagram eBay Australia JB Hi-Fi BuyersCircle Shopify Austria Refurbed wikifolio kyddo snooopit Daraz ShopUp AjkerDeal Evaly Kazidomi My Social Book myShopi Lokkal Earnieland YouTube Facily Zoop Brasil LTK Think Dirty PopshopLive ESCAPESwithYOU Chile 360 Fantastic Douyin Live Shopping Taobao Live Kuaishou Pinduoduo Taobao Marketplace Elenas Valienta Unisport My SkatePro Flauntin Brimore Taager Shopping Apprl StyleDoubler Swappie Rue du Commerce Smiirl Sephora mobile.de Zalando idealo Tomigo Greeks.Social Broombids Meesho Shopsy Twitter Chilibeli Aplikasi Super Divar Shopping Trumpet Digikala Popdeem Irish Brands Boards Easy Social Shop GROO Bantoa GreenApes Comehome Line Linktree Flip Fit KiliShop Copia PG Mall TikTok Seller Sav.com Truekeo.com eBay Orderchamp Productpine Jiji Nigeria Sendbox reselr.com Resellee cafe24 corp. Brainly Vkontakte Youla Shoppilot Tajer Fordeal Shopee Carousell Mdada atonzo BabyGroup.co.za TMON Zigbang Wemakeprice Playtomic 21Buttons Moodyo SHEIN ImmoScout24 Inyova Kkday koo.live LinkBy Trendyol TurkSey The Luxury Closet Zbooni SellAnyCar.com Floranow LOOKK Depop AGORA Company Shop Amazon Shopping Verishop and Verishop Mini Zalo For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/7nviwf About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment Dublin, Feb. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Biobanking Market Report 2024-2034" has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. World revenue for the Biobanking Market is forecast to surpass US$75 billion in 2024, with strong revenue growth through to 2034. Growing Investments and Funding Projected to Boost Industry Growth Biobanks are experiencing increased acknowledgment and support from global governments, research bodies, and financial institutions, leading to a surge in investment in these facilities. Notably, initiatives like the Biorepository and Precision Medicine Initiative Cohort Program, funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), seek to amass biological samples from over a million individuals to establish a comprehensive national research resource. Concurrently, the European Commission has committed funding to the Biobanking and Biomolecular Resources Research Infrastructure (BBMRI), a pan-European facility focused on biobanking and biomolecular resources. This heightened attention and financial backing underscore the strategic importance of biobanks in advancing scientific research and precision medicine on a global scale. Hight Cost of Equipment Likely to Challenge Industry Growth The market's growth potential is anticipated to face limitations due to the substantial expenses associated with automated equipment. While cutting-edge technologies like advanced sample handling systems have the potential to enhance operational efficiency and elevate the quality of biobanking processes, their high price tags pose a considerable challenge, particularly for smaller biobanking enterprises or those with constrained financial capacities. Take, for instance, the expenditure involved in acquiring an automated storage system, which can vary based on its size and complexity. The initial capital outlay for such systems can be substantial, ranging from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Beyond the initial investment, ongoing considerations encompass maintenance and operational expenses, including software updates, repairs, and training. This cost factor serves as a strategic consideration for businesses evaluating the incorporation of automated equipment in their biobanking operations. Key Market Dynamics Market Driving Factors Increased Focus on Precision Medicine and Genetic Testing Growing Demand for Umbilical Cord Blood Banking Evolution of Biobanks Rapidly Enabling Massive Collections of Biological Materials and Associated Information Market Restraining Factors Private Sponsorship Has Raised a Number of Ethical Issues Issues Related to Biospecimen Sample Procurement Long-term Sustainability of Biobanks Market Opportunities Human Biospecimens are Essential for Progress in Biomarker Discovery and Customised Treatment Opportunities for Cardiovascular Research Growing Focus on the R&D of Cell Therapies Forecasts to 2034 and other analyses reveal commercial prospects In addition to revenue forecasting to 2034, the new study provides you with recent results, growth rates, and market shares. You will find original analyses, with business outlooks and developments. Discover qualitative analyses (including market dynamics, drivers, opportunities, and restraints), Porter's Five Forces Analysis, PEST Analysis and recent developments. Segments Covered in the Report Ownership National/Regional Agencies Universities Non-profit Private Product and Service Equipment Consumables Services Software Sample Blood Products Human Tissues Nucleic Acids Cell Lines Biological Fluids Others Application Regenerative Medicine Life Science Research Clinical Research End-users Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology Companies CROs Academic & Research Institutes Hospitals In addition to the revenue predictions for the overall world market and segments, you will also find revenue forecasts for five regional and 22 leading national markets. The report also includes profiles and for some of the leading companies in the Biobanking Market, 2024 to 2034, with a focus on this segment of these companies' operations. Leading companies profiled in the report ASKION GmbH Avantor Inc. Azenta Inc. Boca Biolistics BIOIVT & ELEVATING SCIENCE Cryoport Inc. CTI Biotech Hamilton Company Isenet Biobanking Merck & Co., Inc. PHC Holdings Corporation ProteoGenex Inc. Qiagen N.V. Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. Tecan Trading AG US Biolab Corp. Inc. In summary, the report provides you with the following knowledge: Revenue forecasts to 2034 for Biobanking Market 2024 to 2034, with forecasts for ownership, product and service, sample, application, end-users each forecast at a global and regional level - discover the industry's prospects, finding the most lucrative places for investments and revenues. Revenue forecasts to 2034 for five regional and 22 key national markets - See forecasts for the Biobanking Market, 2024 to 2034 market in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and MEA. Also forecasted is the market in the US, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Germany, France, UK, Italy, China, India, Japan, and Australia among other prominent economies. Prospects for established firms and those seeking to enter the market - including company profiles for 16 of the major companies involved in the Biobanking Market, 2024 to 2034. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/5yb5lv 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. Dublin, Feb. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global COVID-19 Diagnostics Market Forecast by Technology, Product, Channel and Country: Assay Volumes and 5-Year Market Size Outlook" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. A new dynamic market is emerging for COVID-19-based diagnostics. Testing is moving into physicians' offices and even into the home. Saliva tests? Handheld multiplex testers? Home based testing sticks? And what about the workplace market where safety is paramount? And what happens to the large laboratory capacity that was built up to handle a pandemic now in decline? Learn all about these changing markets in our latest report. Revenue, testing volumes, technology, products and channels - they are all looked at in this complete report that provides detailed breakdowns by country and regions. Get on top of the situation quickly with market guides and situation analysis. The report includes five year market forecasts. Scope of the Report Global COVID-19 Diagnostic Markets - By Technology PCR PCR Multiplex Sequencing Antibody Antigen Global COVID-19 Diagnostic Markets - By Product Instruments Reagents & Kits Extraction Collection Global COVID-19 Diagnostic Markets - By Channel Public Hospital Clinic Workplace DTC/OTC Wastewater Key Topics Covered: 1 Market Guides 1.1 COVID-19. Strategic Situation Analysis 1.2 COVID-19. Guidance for Executives 1.3 COVID-19. Guidance for Management Consultants and Investment Advisors 2 Introduction and Market Definition 2.1 What are Pandemics? 2.2 The Role of Zoonosis 2.3 Market Definition 2.3.1 Assay Volumes 2.3.2 PCR 2.3.3 PCR Multiplex 2.3.4 SEQ 2.3.5 Antigen 2.3.6 Antibodies 2.3.7 Instruments 2.3.8 Reagents and Kits 2.3.9 Extract 2.3.10 Collect 2.3.11 Public 2.3.12 Hospital 2.3.13 Clinic 2.3.14 Workplace 2.3.15 DTC/OTC 2.3.16 Wastewater 2.4 Methodology 2.5 Historical Perspective on Pandemics 2.5.1 HIV/AIDS Pandemic 2005-2012 2.5.2 Flu Pandemic 1968 2.5.3 Asian Flu 1956-1958 2.5.4 Spanish Flu 1918 2.5.5 Sixth Cholera Pandemic 1910-1911 2.5.6 Flu Pandemic 1889-1890 2.5.7 The Black Death 1346-1353 3 The Pandemic Overview 3.1 What is a Virus? 3.1.1 Is a Virus Alive? 3.1.2 Viral Structure 3.1.3 The Viral Genome 3.1.4 Viral Mutation 3.2 The Coronavirus 3.2.1 Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) 3.2.2 Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) 3.2.3 COVID-19. The SARS CoV 2 Virus 3.2.3.1 Signs and symptoms 3.2.3.2 Transmission 3.2.3.3 Diagnosis 3.2.3.4 Prevention 3.2.3.5 Management 3.2.3.6 Prognosis 3.2.3.7 A Note on Global Statistics Reporting 3.3 Pandemic Diagnostics 3.3.1 Risk Management - Spark and Spread 3.3.2 Dx Technology - Nucleic Acid Based 3.3.3 Dx Technology - Immunoassay 3.3.4 Time to Market and Preparedness Issues 4 Diagnostic Company Profiles 4.1 Abacus Diagnostica 4.2 Abbott Diagnostics 4.3 Accelerate Diagnostics 4.4 Acces Bio 4.5 Advanced Biological Laboratories 4.6 Agena Bioscience, Inc 4.7 Agilent/Dako 4.8 Altona Diagnostics 4.9 Alveo Technologies 4.10 Anatolia Geneworks 4.11 Applied BioCode 4.12 Applied DNA Sciences 4.13 Assurance Scientific Laboratories 4.14 Aus Diagnostics 4.15 Autobio Diagnostics 4.16 Beckman Coulter Diagnostics 4.17 Becton, Dickinson and Company 4.18 BGI Genomics Co. Ltd 4.19 BillionToOne 4.20 Binx Health 4.21 Biocartis 4.22 Biodesix Inc 4.23 BioFire Diagnostics (bioMerieux) 4.24 Biolidics Ltd 4.25 bioMerieux Diagnostics 4.26 Bioneer Corporation 4.27 Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc 4.28 Bio-Reference Laboratories 4.29 Bosch Healthcare Solutions GmbH 4.30 Cepheid (Danaher) 4.31 Chembio 4.32 Co Diagnostics 4.33 Color Genomics 4.34 Cue Health 4.35 Curetis N.V. / Curetis GmbH 4.36 Diagenode Diagnostics 4.37 Diasorin S.p.A 4.38 Ellume 4.39 Enzo Life Sciences, Inc 4.40 Everywell 4.41 Fluxergy 4.42 Fulgent Genetics 4.43 Fusion Genomics 4.44 Genedrive 4.45 Genetic Signatures 4.46 GenMark Dx (Roche) 4.47 Gold Standard Diagnostics 4.48 Hologic 4.49 Illumina 4.50 Immunexpress 4.51 Inflammatix 4.52 Janssen Diagnostics 4.53 Karius 4.54 Laboratory Corporation of America 4.55 Letsgetchecked 4.56 Lexagene 4.57 Luminex Corp 4.58 LumiraDx 4.59 Mammoth Biosciences 4.60 Mayo Clinic Laboratories 4.61 Mbio Diagnostics 4.62 Meridian Bioscience 4.63 Mesa Biotech (Thermo Fisher) 4.64 Mobidiag (Hologic) 4.65 Nanomix 4.66 Novacyt 4.67 Orasure 4.68 Ortho Clinical Diagnostics 4.69 Oxford Nanopore Technologies 4.70 Perkin Elmer 4.71 Primerdesign (Novacyt) 4.72 Prominex 4.73 Qiagen Gmbh 4.74 quantumdx.com 4.75 Quest Diagnostics 4.76 Quidel 4.77 Randox Toxicology 4.78 Roche Molecular Diagnostics 4.79 SD Biosensor 4.80 Seegene 4.81 Sherlock Biosciences 4.82 Siemens Healthineers 4.83 Sona Nanotech 4.84 SpeeDx 4.85 Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc 4.86 Veredus Laboratories 4.87 Vircell 4.88 Visby Medical 4.89 YD Diagnostics 4.90 Zhejiang Orient Gene Biotech 5 COVID-19 Diagnostics Recent Developments 5.1 Recent Developments - Importance and How to Use This Section 5.1.1 Importance of These Developments 5.1.2 How to Use This Section 5.2 LetsGetChecked Closes $150M Funding Round 5.3 Novacyt Gets CE Mark for Multigene SARS-CoV-2 Test, Launches RUO Variant Assay 5.4 Abbott Sees Sharp Decline in COVID-19 Test Revenue 5.5 Phosphorus Diagnostics Gets EUA for DTC C19 Test, Sample Collection Kit 5.6 NY Times Explores Multiplex Testing 5.7 Hologic Banking on MDx Acquisitions 5.8 Demand for Cepheid SARS-CoV-2 Point-of-Care Tests to Continue Through 2022 5.9 DiaSorin Acquires Luminex to Broaden MDx Portfolio, Expand US Presence 5.10 LumiraDx to Go Public Through SPAC 5.11 Eurofins Test Helps to ID Mutations 5.12 Roche Sees Growing Opportunities for Diagnostics 5.13 Roche to Acquire GenMark Diagnostics for $1.8B 5.14 Fulgent Genetics is to Use COVID-19 Testing Gains to Grow Clinical Sequencing 5.15 LexaGene Syndromic Panel Platform Lets Labs Customize Targets 5.16 FDA Grants EUAs for DTC Sample Collection Kit, Two Molecular Tests 5.17 At-Home Infectious Disease Test Developer Lucira Health Goes Public Appendix U.S., Europe, Asia Approved COVID-19 Assays For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/hxgy3d 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. NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES, AUSTRALIA, CANADA, JAPAN, NEW ZEALAND, SOUTH AFRICA OR ANY OTHER STATE OR JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION WOULD BE UNLAWFUL. THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONTAINS INSIDE INFORMATION FOR THE PURPOSES OF ARTICLE 7 OF THE MARKET ABUSE REGULATION (596/2014/EU). COMPANY ANNOUNCEMENT Luxembourg, 29 February 2024 Art Share 002 S.A. (Art Share 002), confirms that the closing of the offer period in relation to the private placement of up to 550,000 class B shares of Art Share 002 (the Class B Shares or the Offered Shares) (the Offering) and the determination of the aggregate EUR price equivalent for the Offered Share is scheduled for 5 March 2024. Delivery of the Offered Shares against payment of the offer price is expected to take place on 7 March 2024 and trading is expected to commence on or around 8 March 2024. For questions, orders and requests for assistance in connection with the operation we direct you to: Zeus Capital Limited: Ben Robertson ben.robertson@zeuscapital.co.uk InCore Bank AG: Volkan Sirer trading@incorebank.ch For more information on the Offering, please consult the preliminary offering memorandum relating to the Offering here, (the Offering Memorandum ). About Art Share 002 S.A. Art Share 002 is a public limited liability company (societe anonyme) incorporated under the laws of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg existing as a securitisation undertaking (organisme de titrisation) within the meaning of the Luxembourg law of 22 March 2004 on securitisation, as amended. It has been set-up to issue shares, tracking the economic risk associated with the artwork, Three Studies for Portrait of George Dyer, by Francis Bacon (the ) and any other associated risk within the meaning of article 53 of the Luxembourg law of 22 March 2004 on securitisation, as amended, financed inter alia by the issuance of the Class B Shares. Art Share 002 was established to facilitate fractional investment in the Artwork through the issuance of the Class B Shares (i.e., undertaking a securitisation transaction of the Artwork). The principal activity of Art Share 002 is to hold and securitise the Artwork, as well as assuming risks, existing or future, relating to the holding of the Artwork. Its principal activities to date have been limited to organisational activities, including entering into certain agreements (i) for the acquisition of the Artwork and (ii) those necessary for the preparation and execution of the Offering, its admission and listing on the ARTEX Stock Exchange. Art Share 002 is managed by a board of directors who are Mrs Ursula Schmidt, Mr Edouard de Burlet and Mr Ronan Le Bouc. Contact Information: Press contacts France and Global Alienor Miens | Alienor.miens@margie.fr | +33 (0)6 64 32 81 75 Bertrand Chambenois | bertrand.chambenois@margie.fr | +33 (0)6 11 84 34 92 For investor inquiries, please contact: investor-relations@artshare002.com DISCLAIMER This publication is an announcement and not a prospectus for the purposes of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 (the Prospectus Regulation), and as such does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to purchase securities of Art Share 002 . These materials do not constitute or form a part of any offer or solicitation to purchase or subscribe for, or otherwise invest in, securities in the United States. The securities mentioned herein have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933 (the Securities Act). The securities may not be offered or sold in the United States (as such term is defined in Regulation S under the Securities Act) except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act. There will be no public offer of securities in the United States. In any member state of the European Economic Area, this communication is only addressed to and is only directed at qualified investors in such member state within the meaning of the Prospectus Regulation, and no person that is not a qualified investor may act or rely on this communication or any of its contents. In so far as forecasts or expectations are expressed in this investor relations news or where our statements concern the future, these forecasts, expectations, or statements may involve known or unknown risks and uncertainties. Actual results or developments may vary, depending on changes in the operating environment. Art Share 002 does not assume an obligation to update the forecasts, expectations or statements contained in this release. The information contained in this announcement is for background purposes only and does not purport to be full or complete. No reliance may be placed by any person for any purpose on the information contained in this announcement or its accuracy, fairness, or completeness. This announcement is not for publication or distribution, directly or indirectly, in or into Australia, South Africa, Canada, Japan, New Zealand or the United States (including its territories and possessions, any State of the United States) or any other jurisdiction where to do so would constitute a violation of the relevant laws of such jurisdiction. The distribution of this announcement may be restricted by law in certain jurisdictions and persons into whose possession any document or other information referred to herein comes should inform themselves about and observe any such restriction. Any failure to comply with these restrictions may constitute a violation of the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. Offered Shares may not be offered or sold in the United States unless registered under the Securities Act except pursuant to a transaction exempt from, or not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act. The Offering and sale of the Offered Shares has not been and will not be registered under the Securities Act or under the applicable securities laws of Australia, South Africa, Canada or Japan and New Zealand. Subject to certain exceptions, the Offered Shares may not be offered or sold in Australia, Canada or Japan, New Zealand or to, or for the account or benefit of, any national, resident or citizen of Australia, Canada, or Japan. There will be no public offer of the Offered Shares in Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, the United States. In the United Kingdom, this announcement is being distributed only to, and is directed only at, persons who: (A) (i) are investment professionals specified in Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the "Order") and/or (ii) fall within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order (and only where the conditions contained in those articles have been, or will at the relevant time be, satisfied); and (B) are qualified investors within the meaning of Article 2 of the Prospectus Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2017/1129) as it forms part of retained EU law as defined in the EU (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (all such persons together being referred to as "Relevant Persons"). In the European Economic Area (the "EEA"), this announcement is addressed only to and directed only at, persons in member states who are "qualified investors" within the meaning of Article 2(e) of the Prospectus Regulation (Regulation ((EU) 2017/1129) ("Qualified Investors"). This announcement must not be acted on or relied on (i) in the United Kingdom, by persons who are not Relevant Persons, and (ii) in any member state of the EEA, by persons who are not Qualified Investors. Any investment or investment activity to which this announcement relates is available only to: (i) in the United Kingdom, Relevant Persons; and (ii) in any member state of the EEA, Qualified Investors, and will be engaged in only with such persons. For the avoidance of doubt, no offer to the public will made in the United Kingdom and no application will be made for the Offered Shares to be traded on a regulated market in the United Kingdom. This announcement may include statements that are, or may be deemed to be, "forward-looking statements". These forward-looking statements may be identified by using forward-looking terminology, including the terms "believes", "estimates", "plans", "projects", "anticipates", "expects", "intends", "may", "will" or "should" or, in each case, their negative or other variations or comparable terminology, or by discussions of strategy, plans, objectives, goals, future events or intentions. Forward-looking statements may and often do differ materially from actual results. Any forward-looking statements reflect the Company's current view with respect to future events and are subject to risks relating to future events and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to the Company's business, results of operations, financial position, liquidity, prospects, growth, and strategies. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Each of Art Share 002 and Zeus Capital Limited, expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to update, review or revise any forward-looking statement contained in this announcement whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise. Any subscription or purchase of Offered Shares in the possible Offering should be made solely on the basis of information contained in the final Offering Memorandum to be issued by Art Share 002 in connection with the Offering. The information in this announcement is subject to change. Before subscribing for or purchasing any Offered Shares, persons viewing this announcement should ensure that they fully understand and accept the risks which set out in the Offering Memorandum when published. No reliance may be placed for any purpose on the information contained in this announcement or its accuracy or completeness. Neither this announcement, nor the references herein to the Offering Memorandum, shall form the basis of or constitute any offer, or any solicitation of any offer to purchase or subscribe for any Offered Shares nor shall it (or any part of it) or the fact of its distribution, form the basis of, or be relied on in connection with, any contract thereof. Art Share 002 may decide not to go ahead with the Offering and there is therefore no guarantee that the admission will occur. You should not base any financial decision on this announcement. Acquiring investments to which this announcement relates may expose an investor to a significant risk of losing all of the amount invested. Persons considering making investments should consult an authorised person specialising in advising on such investments. Neither this announcement, nor the Offering Memorandum referred to herein, constitutes an investment recommendation concerning the Offering. The value of the Offered Shares can decrease as well as increase. Potential investors should consult a professional advisor as to the suitability of the Offering for the person concerned. None of Zeus Capital Limited or any of its affiliate or any of its or their affiliates' directors, officers, employees, advisers or agents accepts any responsibility or liability whatsoever for/or makes any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the truth, accuracy or completeness of the information in this announcement (or whether any information has been omitted from the announcement) or any other information relating to Art Share 002, its subsidiaries or associated companies, whether written, oral or in a visual or electronic form, and howsoever transmitted or made available or for any loss howsoever arising from any use of the announcement or its contents or otherwise arising in connection therewith. Information to distributors in the EEA Solely for the purposes of the product governance requirements contained within: (i) EU Directive 2014/65/EU on markets in financial instruments, as amended (MiFID II); (ii) Articles 9 and 10 of Commission Delegated Directive (EU) 2017/593 supplementing MiFID II; and (iii) local implementing measures (together the MiFID II Product Governance Requirements), and disclaiming all and any liability, whether arising in tort, delict, contract or otherwise, which the Company, in its capacity as manufacturer for the purposes of the MiFID II Product Governance Requirements may otherwise have with respect thereto, the Offered Shares have been subject to a product approval process, which has determined that such Offered Shares are: (a) compatible with an end target market of retail investors and investors who meet the criteria of professional clients and eligible counterparties, each as defined in MiFID II; and (b) eligible for distribution through all distribution channels as are permitted by MiFID II (the Target Market Assessment). Notwithstanding the Target Market Assessment, distributors (for purposes of the MiFID II Product Governance Requirements) should note that the price of the Offered Shares may decline and investors could lose all or part of their investment; the Offered Shares offer no guaranteed income and no capital protection, and an investment in the Offered Shares is compatible only with investors who do not need a guaranteed income or capital protection, who (either alone or in conjunction with an appropriate financial or other adviser) are capable of evaluating the merits and risks of such an investment and who have sufficient resources to be able to bear any losses that may result therefrom. The Target Market Assessment is without prejudice to the requirements of any contractual, legal or regulatory selling restrictions in relation to the Offering, including the selling restrictions described in Notice to Investors (Selling Restrictions). Furthermore, it is noted that, notwithstanding the Target Market Assessment, the financial intermediaries acting as placement agents (the Placement Agents) will only procure investors who meet the criteria of professional clients and eligible counterparties. For the avoidance of doubt, the Target Market Assessment does not constitute: (i) an assessment of suitability or appropriateness for the purposes of MiFID II; or (ii) a recommendation to any investor or group of investors to invest in, purchase, subscribe for, or take any other action whatsoever with respect to the Offered Shares. Each distributor is responsible for undertaking its own target market assessment in respect of the Offered Shares and determining appropriate distribution channels. Information to distributors in the UK Solely for the purposes of the product governance requirements of Chapter 3 of the FCA Handbook Product Intervention and Product Governance Sourcebook (the "UK Product Governance Requirements"), and/or any equivalent requirements elsewhere to the extent determined to be applicable, and disclaiming all and any liability, whether arising in tort, contract or otherwise, the Company, in its capacity as manufacturer (for the purposes of the UK Product Governance Requirements) may otherwise have with respect thereto, the Offered Shares have been subject to a product approval process, which has determined that the Offered Shares are: (a) compatible with an end target market of retail investors and investors who meet the criteria of professional clients and eligible counterparties, each as defined in Chapter 3 of the FCA Handbook Conduct of Business Sourcebook (the U.K. Target Market Assessment). Notwithstanding the U.K. Target Market Assessment, "distributors" (for the purposes of the UK Product Governance Requirements) should note that: the price of the Offered Shares may decline and investors could lose all or part of their investment; the Offered Shares offer no guaranteed income and no capital protection; and an investment in the Offered Shares is compatible only with investors who do not need a guaranteed income or capital protection, who (either alone or in conjunction with an appropriate financial or other adviser) are capable of evaluating the merits and risks of such an investment and who have sufficient resources to be able to bear any losses that may result therefrom. The U.K. Target Market Assessment is without prejudice to the requirements of any contractual, legal or regulatory selling restrictions in relation to the Offering. Furthermore, it is noted that, notwithstanding the U.K. Target Market Assessment, the Placement Agents will only procure investors who meet the criteria of professional clients and eligible counterparties for the purposes of the U.K. MiFIR Product Governance Rules. For the avoidance of doubt, the U.K. Target Market Assessment does not constitute: (i) an assessment of suitability or appropriateness for the purposes of Chapter 9A or 10A respectively of the FCA Handbook Conduct of Business Sourcebook; or (ii) a recommendation to any investor or group of investors to invest in, or purchase, or take any other action whatsoever with respect to the Offered Shares. Each distributor is responsible for undertaking its own target market assessment in respect of the Offered Shares and determining appropriate distribution channels. TORONTO, Ontario, Feb. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lavras Gold Corp. (TSX-V:LGC, OTCQX:LGCFF) (Lavras or the Company) is pleased to release the results from six (6) new drill holes testing the Fazenda do Posto gold discovery, located at the western edge of the LDS project in southern Brazil. Gold mineralization was intersected in five of the six holes at the Fazenda do Posto gold discovery. These new holes were designed to test the nature and extent of gold mineralization and hydrothermal alteration associated with this new gold discovery as explained below. These new results continue to move Lavras Gold toward its short-term corporate goal of defining an economically feasible gold resource on the LDS Project, focused on Fazenda do Posto and adjacent Butia gold deposit. HIGHLIGHTS Hole 23FP011: 173.0 metres grading 1.0 g/t gold from 69.0 metres and including: 2.0 metres grading 2.1 g/t gold from 99.0 metres 94.8 metres grading 1.4 g/t gold from 126.0 metres (about 109.0 metres vertical), including 2.0 metres grading 3.6 g/t gold from 126.0 metres, and 3.0 metres grading 2.5g/t gold from 135.0 metres, and 6.0 metres grading 2.0 g/t gold from 209.0 metres and including: Hole 23FP008: 123.0 metres grading 1.1 g/t gold from 228.0 metres including: 78.0 metres grading 1.4 g/t gold from 228.0 metres and 35.0 metres grading 2.5 g/t gold from 231.0 metres and 4.0 metres grading 2.7 g/t gold from 331.0 metres and 3.0 metres grading 3.5 g/t gold from 332.0 metres and 1.0 metre grading 8.8 g/t gold from 334.0 metres including: These new drilling results are consistent with previous drill results and demonstrate the excellent near-surface gold grade and continuity of Fazenda do Posto. The large lateral and vertical extent of the hydrothermal alteration points to a sizable gold mineral system for which the full potential remains to be tested, commented Lavras Gold President & CEO Michael Durose. Results like these have the potential to materially enhance the economics of a combined Butia-Fazenda do Posto near-surface bulk tonnage open-pit type of gold project. Fazenda do Posto is not only demonstrating very good continuity and gold grade at depth, but also laterally, where it remains open in several directions. Two drills are actively working in the area, drilling off the Fazenda do Posto area in a grid with vertical holes on 50 metre centres. (Click here for comments on todays news from CEO Michael Durose.) [* Footnote: Butia hosts an NI 43-101 compliant near-surface gold resource of about 500,000 ounces, as detailed in the NI 43-101 Technical Report Mineral Resource for Butia Gold Prospect dated and effective January 25, 2022. The report was prepared by VMG Consultoria e Solucoes Ltda. for Lavras Gold Corp. and is available on the Companys website and www.sedar.com under Lavras Golds issuer profile.] Discussion of Drill Results Fazenda do Posto Since announcing the Fazenda do Posto gold discovery in late August 2023, a total of 12 drill holes totalling 3,309 metres have been disclosed. This press release discloses results for six new holes 23FP007 through 23FP012. Results for the first six of the 12 holes have been disclosed previously. All assay results are tabulated in Table 1, and drill-collar coordinates are summarized in Table 2. Figure 1 shows a plan view of all drill holes at Fazenda do Posto, and Figure 2 illustrates a cross section of all drill holes looking west. So far, drilling has defined a large gold mineral system consisting of a near-surface bulk-tonnage disseminated style of mineral deposit hosted in a hydrothermally altered granitoid host rock and strategically located 150 metres west of the adjacent half million-ounce Butia gold deposit. Fazenda do Posto and Butia are both open to possible expansion in several directions. Generally, very long continuous intervals of gold mineralization containing higher-grade subintervals were encountered. The host rocks are extensively hydrothermally altered, and gold is typically hosted in disseminated sulphide minerals (pyrite +- arsenian pyrite) within episyenite host rock or mineralized perthitic granite. Occasional visible gold has been observed associated with sulphide minerals (galena, pyrite). The mineralization is bulk tonnage in its nature and has been detected to depths of more than 400 metres, and a lateral extent of at least 200 metres northeast-southwest, and 200 metres northwest-southeast. Drill hole 23FP011 was collared in the northeastern portion of Fazenda do Posto (see Figure 1 ). The hole was drilled at an inclined angle of 60 degrees on an azimuth of 200 degrees. The purpose was to test the lateral continuity of mineralization and gold grade continuity at depth towards the southwest. A long continuous interval of bulk-tonnage disseminated gold mineralization was encountered starting at 69.0 metres (60.0 metres vertical depth) to 242.0 metres down the drill core (vertical depth of 210 metres) within mineralized episyenite as detailed below. Generally, this long interval of continuous mineralization has multiple higher-grade intervals. Highlights are as follows:173.0 metres grading 1.0 g/t gold from 69.0 metres including: 4.0 metres grading 1.2 g/t gold from 75.0 metres 6.0 metres grading 1.1 g/t gold from 97.0 metres 2.0 metres grading 2.1 g/t gold from 99.0 metres 94.8 metres grading 1.4 g/t gold from 126.0 metres 2.0 metres grading 3.6 g/t gold from 126.0 metres 3.0 metres grading 2.5 g/t gold from 135.0 metres, and 8.0 metres grading 1.6 g/t gold from 153.0 metres 14.9 metres grading 1.7 g/t gold from 166.1 metres 13.0 metres grading 1.5 g/t gold from 191.0 metres 6.0 metres grading 2.0 g/t gold from 209.0 metres, and 2.0 metres grading 2.0 g/t gold from 239.1 metres was collared in the northeastern portion of Fazenda do Posto (see ). The hole was drilled at an inclined angle of 60 degrees on an azimuth of 200 degrees. The purpose was to test the lateral continuity of mineralization and gold grade continuity at depth towards the southwest. A long continuous interval of bulk-tonnage disseminated gold mineralization was encountered starting at 69.0 metres (60.0 metres vertical depth) to 242.0 metres down the drill core (vertical depth of 210 metres) within mineralized episyenite as detailed below. Generally, this long interval of continuous mineralization has multiple higher-grade intervals. Highlights are as follows:173.0 metres grading 1.0 g/t gold from 69.0 metres including: Drillhole 22FP008 was collared in the northeast portion of Fazenda do Posto and drilled on an azimuth of 200 degrees at an inclined angle of 80 degrees (see Figure 1). The purpose was to better understand the nature and continuity of gold mineralization at depth. Continuous gold mineralization was encountered over long intervals in episyenite and mineralized perthitic granite. Higher-grade intervals have been found at depth. A summary of assay composites is as follows: 123.0 metres grading 1.1 g/t gold from 228.0 metres including: 78.0 metres grading 1.4 g/t gold from 228.0 metres 35.0 metres grading 2.5 g/t gold from 231.0 metres 20.0 metres grading 0.6 g/t gold from 325.0 metres 4.0 metres grading 2.7 g/t gold from 331.0 metres 3.0 metres grading 3.5 g/t gold from 332.0 metres Drillhole 23FP010 was positioned in the central portion of Fazenda do Posto, above the trace of drillhole 23FP002 (see Figure 1 & Figure 2). The hole was drilled on an azimuth of 110 degrees and inclined at 60 degrees. The purpose was to better understand the nature of the geology and the extent of alteration and possible mineralization along a southeast direction perpendicular to the azimuth of drill hole 23FP002. Figure 3 shows an example of near-surface mineralized episyenite from 23FP010. A continuous zone of intense albite alteration interspersed with zones of bulk-tonnage and disseminated style of gold mineralization consisting mainly of disseminated pyrite +- arsenian pyrite within episyenite and perthitic granite was encountered from 3.0 metres to 147.0 metres a drillhole length of 144.0 metres. Further highlights are as follows: 144.0 metres grading 0.6 g/t gold from 3.0 metres including: 41.0 metres grading 1.0 g/t gold from 3.0 metres and including 21.0 metres grading 1.3 g/t gold from 23.0 metres and 9.0 metres grading 2.2 g/t gold from 31.0 metres and including 4.0 metres grading 3.5 g/t gold from 31.0 metres 2.0 metres grading 1.6 g/t gold from 78.0 metres 4.4 metres grading 1.2 g/t gold from 107.0 metres Drillhole 23FP012 was collared along the northwest edge of the Fazenda do Posto mineralized footprint and drilled on an azimuth of 110 degrees and inclined 60 degrees (see Figure 1). The purpose was to test the central western extension of hydrothermal alteration and mineralization. The hole encountered very intense albite alteration with moderate intervals of gold starting at 4.0 metres depth. Significant long intervals of higher gold grades were found at 58.0 metres along the drill core after intersecting a lamprophyre dyke. Several long intervals of disseminated gold mineralization were encountered and including multiple higher-grade subintervals as follows: 115.0 metres grading 0.6 g/t gold from 58.0 metres including: 53.0 metres grading 0.9 g/t gold from 118.0 metres and 26.0 metres grading 1.1 g/t gold from 130.0 metres, and including 15.0 metres grading 1.2 g/t gold from 130.0 metres, and 6.0 metres grading 1.1 g/t gold from 162.0 metres including: Exploration Program Summary and Next Steps at Fazenda do Posto & Relationship to Butia Gold Deposit The purpose of this phase of exploration drilling has been to define the geometry and distribution of alteration and gold mineralization at Fazenda do Posto. And, although still relatively early in the exploration program, the results of drilling are very encouraging highlighting the discovery of a large, disseminated, bulk-tonnage intrusive-hosted gold system. The lateral extent and intensity of the hydrothermal alteration footprint has now been traced over 200 metres in a northeast-southwest direction, 200 metres in a northwest-southeast direction and to vertical depths of more than 400 metres. Gold mineralization is being defined over large continuous intervals for hundreds of metres. At Fazenda do Posto, a higher-grade core of gold mineralization is developing at depth, surrounded by a lower grade halo of gold. The gold mineralization is typically associated with disseminated sulphides (pyrite, arsenian pyrite) typically hosted within the vuggy spaces of pervasively altered granitoids. The mineral system is open in several directions and requires significantly more drilling. Importantly, gold mineralization being defined at Fazenda do Posto is 150 metres west of the adjacent Butia gold deposit that hosts an existing 43-101 compliant measured, indicated, and inferred gold resource of 0.5 Moz that is open to expansion. It is possible that these two deposits may be developed together as one mining project in the future, and so it is important to understand the relationship between these deposits. Figure 4 illustrates a plan view showing the Butia gold resource relative to the Fazenda do Posto gold discovery. Figure 5 shows an oblique view facing northeast. The next step of the drilling program will systematically drill Fazenda do Posto on 50 metre drill centres with vertical holes. In this way, the size, geometry, and grade distribution of the discovery will be better understood. This drill strategy will also be applied selectively to the adjacent Butia gold deposit. Further ideas will be tested as the drill program evolves. Lavras Golds short-term corporate objective is to define an economic gold resource on the LDS Project with a focus on Fazenda do Posto and the adjacent Butia gold deposit. The current drilling program consists of two diamond drill rigs that are now on site and designed to test exploration targets continuously from now until the end of the first half of 2025. Approximately 10,000 metres of drilling have been budgeted to test Fazenda do Posto and Butia. Further drilling of these targets may occur as results warrant. Drilling of other exploration targets is anticipated in the second half of 2024 with the objective of discovering new economic gold deposits on the LDS property. Table 1. Summary of Drill Hole Composites from Fazenda do Posto Gold Discovery Drill Hole From To Interval Gold grade Comment (metres) (metres) (metres) (grams/tonne) 23FP001 77.00 153.00 76.00 0.17 Drilled peripheral to main target 85.00 86.00 1.00 0.32 Along southeast edge of FP 90.00 93.00 3.00 0.33 96.00 97.00 1.00 0.57 102.00 104.00 2.00 0.34 109.00 110.00 1.00 0.42 113.00 118.00 5.00 0.23 135.00 137.00 2.00 0.47 143.00 144.00 1.00 0.26 23FP002 58.00 59.00 1.00 0.18 Extensive albite alteration 117.00 457.00 340.00 1.09 Mineralized episyenite Including 199.00 359.00 160.00 1.79 Brick red colouration (Ba, Fe) Including 208.00 235.00 27.00 2.07 Including 293.00 361.00 68.00 2.09 23FP003 24.00 27.00 3.00 0.71 Extensive albite alteration 87.00 294.00 207.00 0.49 Mineralized episyenite including 87.00 227.00 140.00 0.67 Extensive albite alteration Including 87.00 195.00 108.00 0.80 Mineralized episyenite Including 87.00 151.00 64.00 0.91 Brick red colouration (Ba, Fe) Including 106.00 145.00 39.00 1.17 23FP004 No Significant Values Fresh granodiorite, perthitic granite, drilled SW 23FP005 118.00 119.00 1.00 0.26 Extensive albite alteration 131.55 135.00 3.45 1.01 Mineralized perthitic granite 139.00 140.00 1.00 0.99 Mineralized perthitic granite 143.00 146.00 3.00 1.21 Mineralized perthitic granite 159.00 161.00 2.00 0.26 Mineralized perthitic granite 171.00 172.00 1.00 0.33 Mineralized perthitic granite 176.00 177.00 1.00 0.30 Mineralized perthitic granite 181.00 182.00 1.00 0.33 Mineralized perthitic granite 23BT006 31.06 261.00 229.94 0.86 Drilled southwest into target including 31.06 235.00 203.94 0.95 Mineralized episyenite including 31.06 222.00 190.94 1.00 Mineralized episyenite including 149.00 214.00 65.00 1.94 Mineralized episyenite including 149.00 187.00 38.00 2.03 Mineralized episyenite including 154.00 164.00 10.00 2.96 Mineralized episyenite including 190.00 205.00 15.00 2.05 Mineralized episyenite 23FP007 No Significant Values Fresh granodiorite, perthitic granite, drilled NE 23FP008 104.00 105.00 1.00 0.27 Mineralized episyenite 114.00 115.00 1.00 0.42 Mineralized episyenite 106.00 229.00 123.00 1.12 Mineralized episyenite including 228.00 306.00 78.00 1.36 Mineralized episyenite including 231.00 266.00 35.00 2.46 Mineralized episyenite 325.00 345.00 20.00 0.60 Mineralized perthitic granite including 331.00 335.00 4.00 2.67 Mineralized perthitic granite including 332.00 335.00 3.00 3.49 Mineralized perthitic granite 23FP009 1.00 3.00 2.00 0.49 Pervasive albite alteration 15.00 16.00 1.00 0.40 Pervasive albite alteration 23.01 37.00 13.99 0.79 Pervasive albite alteration Including 29.00 38.00 9.00 0.91 Pervasive albite alteration 40.00 40.94 0.94 0.25 Pervasive albite alteration 75.00 77.00 2.00 0.72 Pervasive albite alteration 93.00 96.00 3.00 0.44 Pervasive albite alteration 131.00 132.00 1.00 0.41 Pervasive albite alteration 149.00 152.00 3.00 0.44 Pervasive albite alteration 157.00 160.00 3.00 0.43 Pervasive albite alteration 162.00 163.00 1.00 0.25 Pervasive albite alteration 164.00 168.00 4.00 0.30 Pervasive albite alteration 23FP010 3.00 147.00 144.00 0.58 Pervasive albite alteration, episyenite, Perthitic granite Including 3.00 44.00 41.00 1.00 Mineralized episyenite Including 3.00 4.00 1.00 1.06 Mineralized episyenite Including 23.00 44.00 21.00 1.29 Mineralized episyenite Including 23.00 26.00 3.00 1.07 Mineralized episyenite Including 31.00 40.00 9.00 2.17 Mineralized episyenite Including 31.00 35.00 4.00 3.46 Mineralized episyenite Including 50.00 51.00 1.00 1.14 Mineralized episyenite Including 64.00 65.00 1.00 1.28 Mineralized episyenite Including 72.00 79.00 7.00 0.89 Mineralized episyenite Including 78.00 80.00 2.00 1.55 Mineralized episyenite Including 83.00 90.00 7.00 1.02 Mineralized episyenite Including 107.00 111.41 4.41 1.21 Perthitic granite Including 139.00 142.00 3.00 0.97 Mineralized episyenite 23FP011 32.00 33.00 1.00 0.29 Mineralized episyenite 69.00 242.00 173.00 0.95 Mineralized episyenite Including 75.00 79.00 4.00 1.16 Mineralized episyenite Including 97.00 103.00 6.00 1.07 Mineralized episyenite Including 99.00 101.00 2.00 2.08 Mineralized episyenite Including 126.00 220.83 94.83 1.37 Mineralized episyenite Including 126.00 128.00 2.00 3.56 Mineralized episyenite Including 135.00 138.00 3.00 2.47 Mineralized episyenite Including 153.00 161.00 8.00 1.64 Mineralized episyenite Including 166.10 181.00 14.90 1.66 Mineralized episyenite Including 191.00 204.00 13.00 1.46 Mineralized episyenite Including 209.00 215.00 6.00 2.01 Mineralized episyenite Including 239.13 241.13 2.00 1.97 Mineralized episyenite 23FP012 4.00 5.27 1.27 0.29 Mineralized episyenite 12.00 14.00 2.00 0.32 episyenite 58.00 60.00 2.00 0.27 episyenite 63.00 64.00 1.00 3.19 Mineralized episyenite 58.00 173.00 115.00 0.59 Mineralized episyenite, albite alteration Including 83.00 84.00 1.00 2.26 Mineralized episyenite Including 87.77 89.92 2.15 0.95 Mineralized episyenite Including 102.16 104.00 1.84 1.06 Mineralized episyenite Including 107.00 108.00 1.00 0.95 Mineralized episyenite Including 110.00 111.00 1.00 1.10 Mineralized episyenite Including 118.00 171.00 53.00 0.86 Mineralized episyenite, intermittent perthitic granite Including 118.00 119.00 1.00 1.09 Mineralized episyenite Including 121.00 169.00 48.00 0.91 Mineralized episyenite, intermittent perthitic granite Including 130.00 156.00 26.00 1.08 Mineralized episyenite, intermittent perthitic granite Including 130.00 145.00 15.00 1.24 Mineralized episyenite Including 162.00 168.00 6.00 1.09 Mineralized episyenite Assumes 0.25 g/t gold cut-off grade, no top cut. The Company has been targeting larger intersections of greater than 0.25 g/t gold. Intersections lower than this threshold may provide exploration insight and may therefore be disclosed. Intervals represent drill core interval; true widths have not been determined at this time. Table 2. Fazenda do Posto Drill Hole Coordinates Drill Elevation Azimuth Dip Start Depth Final Depth Hole Easting Northing (metres) (Degrees) (Degrees) (metres) (metres) 23FP001 217907 6586453 378 20 -60 0 214.1 23FP002 217858 6586480 385 20 -60 0 464.6 23FP003 217892 6586568 379 0 -90 0 332.2 23FP004 217826 6586607 387 200 -60 0 201.3 23FP005 217935 6586309 397 20 -60 0 248.2 23FP006 217932 6586677 377 200 -60 0 308.3 23FP007 217928 6586677 377 20 -60 0 161.4 23FP008 217931 6586675 382 200 -80 0 401.4 23FP009 217910 6586591 383 290 -60 0 232.9 23FP010 217910 6586581 384 110 -60 0 288.0 23FP011 217926 6586674 380 220 -60 0 280.0 23FP012 217845 6586647 386 110 -60 0 177.0 Figure 1. Plan View of 2023 Fazenda do Posto Drill Holes Showing Lithology & Gold Assay Results Figure 2. Cross Section of 2023 Fazenda do Posto Drill Holes (Looking West) Showing Lithology and Assay Results Figure 3. Example of Mineralized Episyenite Host Rock at Fazenda do Posto Gold Discovery. Sulphide mineralization is extremely fine grained but detectable with a magnifying glass. The episyenite displays an aphanitic texture but is hydrothermally fractured. This sample from drillhole 23FP010 is from interval 25.0 m to 26.0 m and grades 4.6 g/t gold. Figure 4. Plan View of Fazenda do Posto Gold Discovery Relative to Butia Gold Deposit Figure 5. Oblique View Facing Northeast of Fazenda do Posto Gold Discovery Relative to Butia Gold Deposit About the LDS Project The LDS Project is centred on the town of Lavras do Sul in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. It is approximately 320 kilometres, or a 4.5-hour drive, from the state capital of Porto Alegre. The Company, through its subsidiary, holds directly or indirectly, contractual interests over 29 mineral rights covering 22,000 hectares. The LDS intrusive complex is a multiphase intrusive centre that is surrounded by coeval volcanic rocks to the east. Geologically, LDS is in the far south of the Neoproterozoic Mantiqueira Province, a 2,700-kilometre-long belt of tectonically and magmatically accreted terrains that stretch as far south as the coastline of central Uruguay and north into southern Bahia State in Brazil. The most advanced targets are the Butia and Cerrito gold deposits, which have consolidated NI 43-101 resources of approximately 1 million ounces. About Lavras Gold Corp. Lavras Gold Corp. (TSXV: LGC, OTCQX: LGCFF) is a Canadian exploration company focused on realizing the potential of a multi-million-ounce gold district in southern Brazil. Its Lavras do Sul Project is located in Rio Grande do Sul State and is primarily an intrusive hosted gold system of possible alkaline affinity. More than 24 gold prospects centred on historic gold workings have been identified on the property, which spans more than 22,000 hectares. Follow Lavras Gold on www.lavrasgold.com, as well as on LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube. Michael Durose, President & CEO for Lavras Gold Corp., is the qualified person ("QP") as defined by Canadian National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical information contained in this release. On Behalf of Lavras Gold Corp. Michael Durose President & CEO For further information, please visit the Lavras Gold Corp. website at www.lavrasgold.com, or contact: Michael Durose, President & CEO or Naomi Nemeth, VP Investor Relations Phone: +1-289-624-1343 or +1-289-624-1377 Email: investor@lavrasgold.com Website: www.lavrasgold.com X (Twitter): @LavrasGold LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lavras-gold-corp Additional Technical Notes: Quality Assurance & Quality Control: For the Butia Gold Deposit, sample handling, preparation, and analysis are monitored through the implementation of formal chain-of-custody procedures and quality assurance/quality control programs designed to follow industry best practices. All drill hole samples in this drilling program consist of split NQ diamond drill core. Drill core is logged and sampled in a secure facility located in Lavras do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. Drill core samples for gold assay are cut in half using a diamond saw and submitted to ALS Laboratories Inc. in Goiania, Goias State, Brazil for preparation by crushing to 85% passing 1.0 mm, riffle splitting to obtain 500 g aliquots, and pulverizing to 85% passing 75 microns. Pulps are shipped to ALS Laboratories Inc. in Lima, Peru and analyzed by a 50g fire assay and AAS finish. Three 50g aliquots are taken for samples in the mineralized zone and one aliquot is taken in fresh rocks. The average grade of the three aliquots is used to determine the final grade of the mineralized sample. Certified standards, non-certified blanks and field duplicates are inserted into the sample stream at regular intervals, so that QA/QC accounted for about 10% of the total samples. Results are routinely evaluated for accuracy, precision, and contamination. Lavras Gold has been targeting larger intersections of greater than 0.25 g/t gold. Intersections that are lower than this threshold may provide exploration insight and may therefore be disclosed. The Company maintains a robust QAQC program that includes the collection and analysis of duplicate samples and the insertion of blanks and standards (certified reference material). Disclaimer: 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 includes certain forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (collectively forward looking statements). Forward-looking statements include predictions, projections and forecasts and are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as seek, anticipate, believe, plan, estimate, forecast, expect, potential, project, target, schedule, budget and intend and statements that an event or result may, will, should, could or might occur or be achieved and other similar expressions and includes the negatives thereof. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding the Companys further 2024 drill plans and future results at the LDS Project are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements are based on a number of material factors and assumptions. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from Companys expectations include actual exploration results, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, results of future resource estimates, future metal prices, availability of capital and financing on acceptable terms, general economic, market or business conditions, uninsured risks, regulatory changes, defects in title, availability of personnel, materials and equipment on a timely basis, accidents or equipment breakdowns, delays in receiving government approvals, unanticipated environmental impacts on operations and costs to remedy same, and other exploration or other risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause such actions, events or results to differ materially from those anticipated. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate and accordingly readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Photos accompanying this announcement are available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/cc785944-1188-4cd8-b8b6-c0580892b1ed https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/cb42b014-fdc7-4c41-9508-1697913ad2c9 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/472c4746-c793-48d3-93df-69c0d6807c4c https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/83178d24-9485-4f15-b8f6-735fdd089571 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b0543fb8-5dd4-4106-83fd-26302babed3b TORONTO, Feb. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lithium Ionic Corp. (TSXV: LTH; OTCQX: LTHCF; FSE: H3N) (Lithium Ionic or the Company) reports that is has amended the purchase agreements related to the acquisition of certain of its Itinga properties, in Minas Gerais, Brazil. The amendments are as follows: Vale Claims: On January 20, 2023, Lithium Ionics 100%-owned Brazilian subsidiary, MGLIT Empreendimentos Ltda. (MGLIT), entered into a purchase agreement with Exotic Mineracao Ltda. pursuant to which MGLIT had the option to acquire up to a 100% equity interest in Vale do Litio Mineracao Ltda. (respectively, the Vale do Litio Agreement and Vale do Litio). Vale do Litio has a 100% beneficial ownership interest in three lithium mining claims covering a total of 3,140 hectares (the Vale Claims; see Figure 1). Based on the payments that have been made to date, Lithium Ionic own 7.4% of the Vale Claims. The amendment to the Vale do Litio Agreement is as follows: The payment schedule for the remaining 92.6% is as follows: R$50,000 (~C$13,700) to be paid to the vendor on July 20, 2024, to acquire 0.15% interest in Vale do Litio; R$29,950,000 (~C$8.2 million) to be paid to the vendor on January 20, 2025, to acquire the remaining 92.45% in Vale do Litio. Lithium Ionic may terminate the Vale do Litio Agreement at any time without incurring any additional financial penalties. Borges Claims: On December 5, 2022, MGLIT entered into a binding asset purchase agreement with Mineracao Borges Ltda. (Borges) to acquire from Borges a 100% ownership interest in three mining claims (the Borges Claims) covering a total of 1,478 hectares (the Borges Agreement; see Figure 1). Amendments to the Borges Agreement are as follows: R$50,000 (~C$13,700) to be paid to the vendor by March 9, 2024; R$14,950,000 (~C$4.1 million) to be paid to the vendor on the establishment of an NI 43-101 mineral resource estimate (minimum of 2 million tonnes with a Li2O content of over 1.30%), whose deadline to completion has been extended to June 5, 2025. Lithium Ionic may terminate the Borges Agreement at any time without incurring any additional financial penalties. Figure 1. Lithium Ionics Itinga Group of Properties Showing the Vale and Borges Claims View Figure 1 here: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6415dedf-2d00-46b6-91f6-fec2830ebd2c About Lithium Ionic Corp. Lithium Ionic is a Canadian mining company exploring and developing its lithium properties in Brazil. Its flagship Itinga and Salinas projects cover 14,182 hectares in the northeastern part of Minas Gerais state, a mining-friendly jurisdiction that is quickly emerging as a world-class hard-rock lithium district. The Itinga Project is situated in the same region as CBLs Cachoeira lithium mine, which has produced lithium for +30 years, as well as Sigma Lithium Corp.s Grota do Cirilo project, which hosts the largest hard-rock lithium deposit in the Americas. Investor and Media Inquiries: +1 647.316.2500 info@lithiumionic.com Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains statements that constitute forward-statements. Such forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Companys actual results, performance or achievements, or developments to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes, in light of the experience of its officers and directors, current conditions and expected future developments and other factors that have been considered appropriate that the expectations reflected in this forward-looking information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on them because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. When used in this press release, the words estimate, project, belief, anticipate, intend, expect, plan, predict, may or should and the negative of these words or such variations thereon or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements and information. The forward-looking statements and information in this press release include information relating to the prospectivity and development of the Companys mineral properties, the amendments to the Vale do Litio Agreement and the Borges Agreement and the Companys future plans. Such statements and information reflect the current view of the Company. Risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in those forward-looking statements and information. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking information contained in this news release represents the expectations of the Company as of the date of this news release and, accordingly, is subject to change after such date. Readers should not place undue importance on forward-looking information and should not rely upon this information as of any other date. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that managements beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Information and links in this press release relating to other mineral resource companies are from their sources believed to be reliable, but that have not been independently verified by the Company. Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. Dublin, Feb. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global Calibration Services Markets: Strategies and Trends with Forecasts by Type of Calibration, Industry, and Country - Includes Custom Analysis and World Metropolitan Area Market Sizes" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. A growing market. Key growth drivers. An industry protected from economic cycles. An industry driven forward by increasing global regulations and security. The future of the calibration services industry is explored with detailed market forecasts and strategic analysis. Worldwide Metropolitan Market sizes are included with every report. This latest edition of the industry standard report provides valuable information and insight. The report doesn't just look at market size. It examines key operational principles and industry best practices provided by industry veterans. Look at acquisition and divestiture opportunities. Revise pricing and service terms. Develop new service packaging and offerings. Consider integrated marketing programs. Report Highlights 29 companies are profiled in this report. This version of the report includes a major metropolitan market size table for 2023. If your country is not already listed, purchasers can request individual country market size information, or other customization, for no additional charge. All the important facts are here. Industry growth rates. Geographic, instrumentation and industry breakdowns of market size. Explore the potential of the industry and gain an appreciation of the big picture for a relatively new industry that is expanding onto a global stage. Make investment decisions and valuations with confidence using the latest data. The report includes five year market forecasts. Scope of the Report The Global Market for Calibration Services Calibration - Global Market Overview by Country Calibration - Global Market Overview by Type Calibration - Global Market Overview by Industry Type of Calibration Electrical Calibration Dimensional Calibration Mechanical Calibration Thermal Calibration Other Calibration Industry Calibration Market Aerospace & Defence Calibration Market Agro & Biomedical Calibration Market Electronic & Communications Calibration Market Industry & Manufacturing Calibration Market Other Industry Market Sizes and Forecasts World Metropolitan Areas World Metropolitan Areas Datatable. Market Size Forecasts Key Topics Covered: 1 Market Guides 1.1 Strategic Situation Analysis 1.2 Guide for Executives and Business Development Staff 1.3 Guide for Management Consultants and Investment Advisors 2 Introduction and Market Definition 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Methodology 2.3 Global Economic Outlook 2.5 Important Role of Metrology Institutes 3 Market Overview 3.1 Manufacturer Practices 3.1.1 Manufacturer versus other Vendors 3.1.2 Electronic versus Mechanical Segments 3.2 Accreditation 3.2.1 Accreditation Recognition 3.2.2 Two-Tiered Accreditation Standard 3.3 Segments and Capability 3.3.1 An Overview of Segmentation Practice 3.3.2 Segmentation by Company Size 3.3.3 On-site Service as a Segment 3.4 Industry Structure and Participants 3.4.1 The International System of Measurement - A Primer 3.4.2 Current Industry Participants 3.4.3 Industry Structure 3.5 Geographic Influences 3.5.1 Geographic Preference 3.5.2 Implications for Laboratory Management 3.5.3 Growing Demand for On Site Service 4 Market Trends 4.1 Factors Driving Growth 4.1.1 Accreditation 4.1.2 Technology 4.1.3 Regulation 4.1.4 Environment 4.1.5 Outsourcing 4.1.6 Security 4.1.7 Global Economy 4.1.8 Impact of Climate Change 4.2 Factors Inhibiting Growth 4.2.1 Laboratory Automation 4.2.2 Quality Movement Maturity 4.2.3 Measurement Technology 4.2.4 Economic Uncertainty 4.2.5 Equipment Lifecycles 4.2.6 Reliability/disposability 4.2.7 Recalibrate Versus Replace 4.3 The Changing Role of the Manufacturer 4.3.1 The Position of Trust 4.3.2 Customers Have an Equipment Management Need 4.3.3 Effect on Repair Demand 4.3.4 Manufacturer's Rethink Service and Support 4.4 Services Packaging 4.4.1 Services Packaging Today and Tomorrow 4.4.2 Reduced Services Play a Role 4.4.3 Basic Calibration Changes 4.4.4 The Role of On Line Value Added Services 4.4.5 Change in Demand for Accreditation 4.4.6 Pricing for On Site to Change 4.4.7 Contract Agreements to Change 4.5 Technology Development 4.5.1 Three Important Technology Developments 4.5.2 Calibration Services Look to Installed Base 4.5.3 Calibration Intervals Change 4.5.4 Impact of Self Calibration 5 Pricing and Business Development 5.1 Calibration Service Pricing and Plans 5.1.1 Variable Factors in a Calibration Service 5.1.2 Fee Based Pricing 5.1.3 Approaches to Pricing 5.1.4 Pricing and Geography 5.1.5 Surcharges 5.1.6 Limited Calibration 5.1.7 Volume Discounts 5.1.8 Mobile Pricing 5.1.9 Service Plans 5.1.10 Asset Management 5.1.11 Customer Commitment 5.1.12 Personnel Rental 5.2 Promotion 5.2.1 Sales Promotion Practice 5.2.2 A Calibration Services Marketing System 5.2.3 Services Marketing Program Tools 5.2.4 Company Website and Marketing Strategy 5.3 Customer Service 5.3.1 Customer Service Measurement 5.3.2 Teamwork in Customer Service 5.3.3 The Role of Leadership 5.4 Merger and Acquisition 5.4.1 Economies of Scale 5.4.2 Caveats and Factors Unfavourable to Merger Activity 5.5 Competition 6 Industry Segmentation Analysis 6.1 Aerospace/Defense 6.2 Agriculture and Food Production 6.3 Automotive 6.4 Biomedical/Pharmaceutical 6.5 Communication 6.6 General Manufacturing 6.7 High Technology 6.8 Material Production 6.9 Other 7 Recent Market Activity 7.1 Recent Developments - Importance and How to Use This Section 7.1.1 Importance of These Developments 7.1.2 How to Use This Section 7.1.3 Storm Aviation Gains Calibration Accreditation 7.1.4 Scientific Laboratory Supplies Acquires C&M Scientific 7.1.5 Elemental Machines Creating Lab Monitoring Solution 7.1.6 Pipette.com Expands Calibration Footprint 7.1.7 Survey Reveals Changes in Calibration Services Industry 7.1.8 Trescal Launches Its Single Source Calibration Solution 7.1.9 Pipette.com Adds New Capability 7.1.10 Calibration Technology Ltd Expands Operations 7.1.11 Transcat Acquires Tangent Labs 7.1.12 NMI acquires Young Calibration 7.1.13 Summit Laboratory receives BAB certifications 7.1.14 Kaye Earns Accreditation in China Lab 7.1.15 Autel US Expands Calibration Coverage 7.1.16 New Chairman of the Board at Transcat, Inc. 7.1.17 Vision Engineering's Cal Lab Attains ISO 17025:2017 7.1.18 NMI Metrology is Expanding Services 7.1.19 Mitutoyo Introduces New Package 7.1.20 Transcat Acquires TTE Laboratories, Inc. 7.1.21 Breathalyzer Calibration Investigated 7.1.22 Transcat, Inc. Acquires Software Company 7.1.23 Endress+Hauser builds new Calibration Laboratory 7.1.24 Transcat acquires Infinite Integral Solutions Inc. 7.1.25 Keysight opens new calibration facility 7.1.26 Transcat Acquires Gauge Repair Service 7.1.27 Trescal Announces 3 Aquisitions 7.1.28 Newbow Aerospace Expands Calibration Laboratory 7.1.29 Trescal Acquires Diamond Technical and Acteam 7.1.30 Boonton and Noisecom Receive Accreditation 7.1.31 Transcat Acquires Angel's Instrumentation 7.1.32 Trescal and Stahlwille UK sign agreement 7.1.33 Laboratory Testing Inc. Acquires TAC Technical 7.1.34 Trescal Acquires Metriccontrol Key Players ABB Ametek Beamex Bruel & Kjaer Consumers Energy e2b calibration Emerson Endress & Hauser ESSCO Calibration Laboratory Fluke GE Kaye Innocal (Cole Parmer) Instron J. A. King Keysight Technologies Lockheed Martin Mettler-Toledo/Troemner Micro Precision Calibration Optical Test and Calibration Rhode & Schwarz SGS Siemens Simco Technical Maintenance Inc. Tektronix Teseq Tradinco Instruments Transcat Trescal For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/fe5hko 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. Phil Elams New Album, My Name is Coco Bean ft. Snoop Dogg Out now on Spotify and All Leading Platforms AUSTIN, Texas, Feb. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Actor, filmmaker, and recording artist, Phil Elam, will join the celebration on the red carpet at the premiere of the eagerly awaited feature film Bob Trevino Likes It, written and directed by Tracie Laymon, at this years South by Southwest (SXSW) 2024 in Austin, Texas. The film, in which Elam appears has been recognized with a Grand Jury Award nomination, a testament to its compelling narrative and artistic achievements. Phil Elam (a.k.a. Coco Bean) Actor, Filmmaker, and Recording Artist Bob Trevino Likes It is scheduled to premiere at SXSW on the following dates and locations: March 9th, 3:00 PM - 4:42 PM at ZACH Theatre March 12th, 10:45 AM - 12:27 PM at ALAMO LAMAR 8 March 12th, 11:15 AM - 12:57 PM at ALAMO LAMAR 7 March 16th, 2:15 PM - 3:57 PM at ALAMO LAMAR 6 Bob Trevino Likes It Scheduled to premiere at SXSW on March 2024 Bob Trevino Likes It tells the story of a people-pleasing young woman who unexpectedly forms a close bond with a grieving, childless man with the same name as her estranged father online. Inspired by a true story, Elam plays the Office Manager. Reflecting on his experience, Detroit native Elam shared his enthusiasm about the project, It was such a great experience being on the set of Bob Trevino Likes It. The director, Tracie Laymon, created such a wonderful atmosphere of creativity that radiated throughout the entire cast. Phil is also slated to guest on Austin Radio station KOOP 97.1FM to celebrate the premiere and the recent release of his 1970s-inspired track, My Name Is Coco Bean, featuring his alter ego, Coco Bean, and legendary hip-hop icon, Snoop Dogg. The new track is featured on Spotify editorial playlists showcasing its wide-ranging appeal on the platform. To release a track including Snoop Dogg is such a blessing. I am so thankful for everyone involved who helped to make this feature possible, Elam remarked with gratitude. Adding to the tracks allure, My Name Is Coco Bean" has been remixed by famed remixer Eric Kupper (Usher, Cher, Miley Cyrus), introducing a new dimension to the song. This remix, alongside the original track, is currently available on Spotify and other major music platforms and was recently added to iHeartRadios 99.7 DA HEAT MIAMI. You can listen here . Phil also serves as Music Supervisor to the new interview program INSPIRED LIVES , hosted by award-winning reporter Tony Fama, premiering on PBS in February 2024. The premiere episode features music legend Dionne Warwick and Shark Tank entrepreneur Daymond John. For more information, please visit CocoBeanSuperstar.com , and his social media on Facebook and Instagram . Photos accompanying this announcement are available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d8a4be72-e2df-4284-ad3e-2a8389f4eaf2 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7916e42f-dfa0-4202-9697-835ad79140a1 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3dd44cbd-d4c7-4f71-825f-aaa61e6bdc8c Wilmington, Delaware , Feb. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, Furniture Lacquer Market by Type (Solvent- Based and Water-Based) and Application (Wood Furniture, and Metal Furniture): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032." According to the report, the global furniture lacquer market was valued at $10.1 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach $17.4 billion by 2032, expanding at a CAGR of 5.7% from 2023 to 2032. Prime determinants of growth Nitrocellulose lacquer, in particular, has a fast drying time compared to other finishes such as oil-based varnishes. This property is beneficial for manufacturers looking to increase production efficiency. Furthermore, advances in lacquer formulations, such as catalyzed lacquers, have improved the overall durability of lacquer finishes. This has addressed concerns about the susceptibility of traditional nitrocellulose lacquers to damage. These factors are anticipated to drive the market growth during the forecast period. Download Sample Pages of Research Overview: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/2805 Report coverage & details: Report Coverage Details Forecast Period 20232032 Base Year 2022 Market Size In 2022 $10.1 Billion Market Size In 2032 $17.4 Billion CAGR 5.7% No. Of Pages In Report 300 Segments Covered Type, Application, And Region Drivers Increased Demand For Building Renovation And Remodeling Increased Furniture Industry Will Drive The Market Growth Opportunity Increase In Demand For Water-Based Furniture Lacquer Restraint Rise Of Alternative Finishes The water-based furniture lacquer segment is expected to maintain its lead position during the forecast period By type, the water-based type accounted for the largest share in 2022, contributing more than half of the global furniture lacquer market revenue and it is anticipated to grow at the highest CAGR of 5.8% during the forecast period, as water-based lacquers are generally considered more environmentally friendly compared to solvent-based alternatives. They often have lower volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions, contributing to a healthier indoor environment and aligning with the increasing focus on sustainable and eco-friendly products. The wood furniture segment maintained its lead position during the forecast period By application, the wood furniture application accounted for the largest share in 2022, contributing more than half of the global furniture lacquer market revenue and it is anticipated to grow at the highest CAGR of 5.8% during the forecast period, as wood is a popular material for furniture due to its natural beauty and warm aesthetics. Furniture lacquer enhances the visual appeal of wood by providing a glossy and smooth finish, showcasing the natural grain and color variations. Procure Complete Report (248 Pages PDF with Insights, Charts, Tables, and Figures) @ https://bit.ly/3wzxf6l Asia-Pacific to maintain its dominance by 2032 Region-wise, North America held the highest market share in terms of revenue in 2022, accounting for one-third of the furniture lacquer market, as economic growth in North America leads to increased consumer spending on home furnishings, including furniture with lacquer finishes. A strong economy often correlates with higher disposable incomes, allowing consumers to invest in more luxurious or aesthetically pleasing furniture. However, the Asia-Pacific region is anticipated to grow at the highest CAGR of 6% during the forecast period. Leading Market Players: - Akzo Nobel N.V., PPG Industries, Inc., Nippon Paint Holdings Co., Ltd., The Sherwin-Williams Company, Diamond Paints, Minwax, Rust-Oleum, Morrells Woodfinishes Ltd., M.L. Campbell Axalta Coating Systems Want to Access the Statistical Data and Graphs, Key Players' Strategies: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/furniture-lacquer-market/purchase-options The report provides a detailed analysis of these key players in the global furniture lacquer market. These players have adopted different strategies such as new product launches, collaborations, expansion, joint ventures, and agreements to increase their market share and maintain dominant shares in different regions. The report is valuable in highlighting business performance, operating segments, product portfolio, and strategic moves of market players to showcase the competitive scenario. About Us Allied Market Research (AMR) is a full-service market research and business-consulting wing of Allied Analytics LLP based in Portland, Oregon. Allied Market Research provides global enterprises as well as medium and small businesses with unmatched quality of "Market Research Reports" and "Business Intelligence Solutions." AMR has a targeted view to provide business insights and consulting to assist its clients to make strategic business decisions and achieve sustainable growth in their respective market domain. Pawan Kumar, the CEO of Allied Market Research, is leading the organization toward providing high-quality data and insights. 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. 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 United States 1209 Orange Street, Corporation Trust Center, Wilmington, New Castle, Delaware 19801 USA. Int'l: +1-503-894-6022 Toll Free: +1-800-792-5285 Fax: +1-800-792-5285 help@alliedmarketresearch.com Web: www.alliedmarketresearch.com Allied Market Research Blog: https://blog.alliedmarketresearch.com Blog: https://www.newsguards.com/ Follow Us on | Facebook | LinkedIn | YouTube | LONDON, Feb. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Renowned customer analytics expert and best-selling author of "Converted: The Data-Driven Way to Win Customers' Hearts," Neil Hoyne, is set to deliver the keynote address at Optimove's Connect Conference. As one of the foremost authorities on customer relationship marketing, as well as a Senior Fellow at the Wharton School and Chief Strategist at Google, Hoyne will share his expertise with top marketers during the conference on March 20-21 at the Pullman St. Pancras Hotel, London. Optimove, the first Customer-Led Marketing Platform, notes that attendees can look forward to gaining valuable insights, practical tips, and networking opportunities that will enhance their customer relationship marketing strategies and drive customer loyalty for their brands. Hoyne's book provides a straightforward, research-backed playbook accessible to anyone aiming to identify their best customers and foster long-lasting relationships. During his keynote address, Hoyne will go beyond the book, offering fresh insights to assist marketers in establishing deeper and more meaningful connections with their customer base. Leveraging his extensive data analytics and customer engagement expertise, Hoyne will challenge conventional business approaches and illuminate the potential of building lasting customer relationships through data insights. Attendees can expect to gain powerful, actionable tips that they can immediately implement in their organizations. "Neil Hoyne is recognized as one of the world's top experts in customer relationship marketing. As our keynote speaker at Connect, attendees will have a rare chance to hear how marketers can create deeper relationships with customers," said Pini Yakuel, CEO at Optimove. "His profound knowledge and innovative thinking in customer-centric, data-driven strategies align perfectly with our mission to empower marketers to win customers' loyalty for life." "It is an honor to be the keynote speaker at Optimoves premier conference," said Hoyne. "I look forward to tapping into the vast knowledge and collective wisdom of the attendees, who are cutting-edge marketers with real-life case studies on how leading brands drive customer loyalty. Together, we will look at marketing through the lens of conversations and deep relationships that the best brands create with their customers. Plus, I am excited to share new learnings and insights from the book that are relevant to the challenges of todays marketers." The Connect Conference, hosted by Optimove, brings together industry experts, professionals, and thought leaders from various domains to explore the latest trends, best practices, and technological advancements in Customer-Led Marketing. About Optimove Optimove is the first Customer-Led Marketing Platform. Its solutions ensure that marketing always starts with the customer instead of a campaign or product. Customer-led marketing has been proven to deliver brands an average increase of 33% in customer lifetime value. It is the only customer-led marketing platform powered by the combination of 1) rich historical, real-time, and predictive customer data, 2) AI-led multichannel journey orchestration, and 3) statistically credible multitouch attribution of every marketing action. In Gartner's 2023 Magic Quadrant for Multichannel Marketing Hubs, Optimove was positioned the highest in execution and furthest in vision among Challengers. In Gartner's companion report and ranked #1 by Gartner for Multichannel Marketing Journey Orchestration. Optimove provides industry-specific and use-case solutions for hundreds of leading consumer brands, including BetMGM, SodaStream, Pennsylvania Lottery, bet365, and Staples. For more information, go to Optimove.com. Attachment NASHVILLE, Tenn., Feb. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In an era where the U.S. healthcare landscape is rapidly transforming due to evolving legal and economic factors, hospital and healthcare system leaders, particularly CEOs and CFOs, find themselves at a crucial juncture. The imperative is clear: adapt swiftly to safeguard and enhance your organization's financial health. LBMC, a premier accounting and business consulting firm nationally recognized for its expertise, offers guidance for hospitals and healthcare systems. By fortifying revenue cycle services and staying ahead of the curve in regulatory, compliance, and AI advancements, leaders can not only navigate these changes successfully, but also set the stage for substantial long-term benefits. These strategic moves are more than financial decisions; they are key to driving superior patient outcomes and positioning your organization at the forefront of healthcare excellence. "Given the complex payor environment and ever-evolving regulatory and compliance landscape, leaders of health care systems should proactively review their revenue cycle management strategies," advises Lane Jackson, shareholder and practice leader of LBMCs revenue cycle service line. "Working with a revenue cycle expert will help healthcare providers protect their long-term solvency, ultimately supporting what they do best, taking care of patients. Here are four ways revenue cycle management services can help healthcare organizations improve performance and stay in compliance. Improve Revenue Cycle Operations As most providers and healthcare systems have razor thin margins, a disruption to the revenue cycle can be problematic. Revenue cycle management services help these organizations enhance each aspect of the revenue cycle by improving people (organizational structure and resource allocation), processes, and technologies. These experts can also help organizations get their revenue cycle in order. This becomes extremely important during the normal course of business or before potential transactions whether on the buy or sell side. By assisting in maximizing EBITDA prior to transactions, they can ensure that products have been appropriately valued and also identify any compliance or regulatory concerns. Streamline System Implementations and Optimize Processes As healthcare leaders already have a large span of responsibility, layering on an EMR, billing platform, claims vendor, or eligibility tool implementation to their day job is a constraint on their already full plates. Revenue cycle experts can off-load that burden while helping ensure effective and efficient implementations. Additionally, in more complex scenarios such as integrating newly acquired entities, advisory support from a team that has deep technical expertise and experience is critical. Having an experienced implementation partner can help drive organizations ability to adopt new technologies, advises Matt Wallace, Director at LBMCs Healthcare Advisory Services. Project management along with operational and financial guidance from a trusted advisor that serves as the liaison between implementors and operators is crucial to keeping technology implementations on time, on budget and with defined and measured success outcomes. Address Staffing Issues Revenue cycle services can also help providers and healthcare systems balance the ongoing challenge of staffing. Retention is a chronic issue across the industry, primarily in the clinical space with nursing shortages at the forefront. Providers are compensating by reducing overall bed space capacity or other ancillary services. A revenue cycle team can ease some of that burden by providing interim leadership and resource support. Navigate Artificial Intelligence While no industry is immune to the impact of artificial intelligence, AI is of particular significance to the healthcare industry. Not surprisingly, most healthcare organizations are beginning to consider the impact of AI both in the short and long term. A revenue cycle team of experts can help address questions such as how AI should be used, the governance and controls needed, the primary risk areas, and how much to invest in these tools. As healthcare organizations navigate challenges such as misaligned incentives between payors/providers, reporting and incentive-based relationship reliance, consolidation pressures, and traditional budget and performance expectations, a healthy revenue cycle can be elusive. Working with an expert that fills the holes and provides the full range of advisory services can make the difference. By choosing a consultant that has the breadth of expertise including transaction advisory services, operational/financial/compliance due diligence, tax, business intelligence, healthcare consulting and revenue cycle services - is key to a robust revenue cycle for these organizations. To learn more about navigating the challenging healthcare landscape, contact Lane Jackson, lane.jackson@lbmc.com or Matt Wallace, matt.wallace@lbmc.com. About LBMC LBMC is a 2023 Forbes Best Tax and Accounting Firm, one of the Southeasts largest accounting and business consulting firms, and an Accounting Today Top Firm in the Nation serving approximately 11,000 clients with diverse needs across a spectrum of industries. Primary client groups include privately-owned middle market companies in the healthcare, manufacturing, technology, and private equity space. LBMC has more than 900 team members, with offices in Nashville, Chattanooga, and Knoxville, Tennessee; Louisville, Kentucky; and Charlotte, North Carolina. A four-time national certified Great Place to Work, LBMC was also named 2023 Best Workplace in Consulting & Professional Services. Founded in 1984 as a traditional accounting firm, LBMC today is an industry leader in financial, human resources, technology, cybersecurity, and wealth advisory services for businesses and individuals. For more information on LBMCs experts and comprehensive services, visit our website or call 615.377.4600. LBMC is growing, and job opportunities can be found on our careers page. Attachment HALIFAX, Feb. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Business Awards UK is delighted to announce the winners and finalists of the 2024 Fintech Awards. This year's awards spotlight the remarkable contributions and innovations made by companies and individuals in the fintech sector, emphasising their dedication, leadership, and impact in the realm of financial technology. Business Awards UK 2024 Fintech Awards Winners CryptoProcessing - Best Cryptocurrency Tech Verifone - Best B2B Tech REGnosys - RegTech of the Year Imaginera - InsurTech of the Year ACE Money Transfer - Best Fintech App Capitalixe - Fintech Employer Award YouLend - LendTech of the Year Good Lioness - Best Investment Tech First AML - Best AML/KYC Solution R3 - Best Blockchain Tech MillTechFX - Best Trading Tech Ruleguard - Best Customer Experience Trading Central - Best AI/ML Tech finova - Best Banking Tech MLabs Ltd - Business Growth Award Creditspring - Fintech Startup of the Year Vertice - Rising Star Award @Taxd - Best B2C Tech Digis - Director of the Year Fintuity Ltd. - Best Personal Finance Tech GoCardless - Fintech Innovation Award, Fintech Business of the Year Claire Maillet, Ziglu - Diversity & Inclusion Award Business Awards UK 2024 Fintech Awards Finalists Hazy - Finalist for Best AI/ML Tech REGnosys - Finalist for Fintech Business of the Year Imaginera - Finalist for Fintech Employer Award ACE Money Transfer - Finalist for Best Customer Experience Ruleguard - Finalist for RegTech of the Year Trading Central - Finalist for Best Trading Tech Hokodo - Finalist for LendTech of the Year Cashflows - Finalist for Best AI/ML Tech MLabs Ltd - Finalist for Diversity & Inclusion Award Red Flag Alert - Finalist for Rising Star Award Creditspring - Finalist for Best Personal Finance Tech Payrow - Finalist for Best AML/KYC Solution Vertice - Finalist for Fintech Startup of the Year @Taxd - Finalist for Fintech Startup of the Year SDK.finance - Finalist for Best B2B Tech Digis - Finalist for Business Growth Award Tiller Technologies - Finalist for Best Fintech App Fintuity Ltd. - Finalist for Best B2C Tech Worldpay - Finalist for Best Blockchain Tech Trading Central - Finalist for Best Investment Tech Cashflows - Finalist for Fintech Innovation Award MLabs Ltd - Finalist for Best Customer Experience Red Flag Alert - Finalist for Director of the Year Creditspring - Finalist for LendTech of the Year Payrow - Finalist for Best B2B Tech Tiller Technologies - Finalist for Director of the Year Worldpay - Finalist for Best Cryptocurrency Tech The 2024 Fintech Awards celebrate the exceptional achievements of these industry leading companies. From CryptoProcessing's leadership in secure cryptocurrency services for businesses to First AML's innovative approach to AML/KYC solutions, enhancing security and compliance in financial transactions, these winners exemplify innovation in fintech. This year we've seen some exceptional winners. Verifone, securing Best B2B Tech, is renowned for providing tech-forward, secure payment solutions, earning trust worldwide. Their commitment to empowering clients with advanced systems and data is pivotal in refining customer journeys and accelerating growth. James Lotz, Managing Director at Verifone, said this: Were honoured to win the B2B Tech award at the UK Business Awards 2024! This recognition highlights our commitment to empowering businesses with innovative payment solutions. At Verifone, we believe in more than just technology; its about fostering growth, innovation, and support every step of the way. A heartfelt thank you to our exceptional team for their relentless dedication and to our valued clients for entrusting us with their commerce needs. Were thrilled to continue our journey of shaping a brighter future for businesses worldwide. Creditspring, recognised as the Fintech Startup of the Year, is redefining how people manage unexpected expenses. Their innovative approach to lending is setting new standards in the industry, offering a straightforward, risk-free alternative for financial management. GoCardless have starred this year, winning the Fintech Innovation Award and being crowned Fintech Business of the Year. At the forefront of revolutionising bank payments, GoCardless focus on making payments faster, cheaper, and more secure is transforming the payment experience and leveraging the potential of open banking. Pat Phelan, Chief Customer Officer & Managing Director of UK&I at GoCardless said this: "We're delighted to be named as winner of the Fintech Business of the Year and Fintech Innovation categories. It's wonderful to be recognised for the momentum we continue to build in the market and our continued efforts to help businesses of all sizes to access easier and faster ways to collect their payments." These companies, along with all the winners and finalists, are not just leading in their respective fields but are also paving the way for future innovations in financial technology. Their creative solutions, strategic leadership, and commitment to excellence have significantly contributed to the evolution and diversity of the fintech landscape. We look forward to their continued influence and the new trends they will set in the fintech world. The achievements of these pioneers serve as a beacon of inspiration and a testament to the vital role of fintech innovation in shaping a progressive and inclusive financial environment. For more information about the 2024 Fintech Awards, please contact Business Awards UK. Company Details: Organization: Business Awards UK Contact Person: Mark Byrne, Director Email: mark@business-awards.uk Website: https://business-awards.uk Contact Number: +441422 771042 Country: United Kingdom City: HALIFAX The information provided does not constitute endorsement of any activities or claims mentioned in the press release. Neither KISS PR, nor its distribution partners, are responsible for the validity or accuracy of the information provided. Decisions based on the content of the press release are at the reader's own risk. For further inquiries about the company or the content issued, please contact the source company directly. Details about the source company are included in the press release. Charleston, SC, Feb. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Inspired by stories shared with her grandchildren, author Linda Horwitz Lager wrote The Grate Cheese Escape, a fantastic voyage by three brave cheeses. Complete with imaginative illustrations by Violetta Vrublevskaya, The Grate Cheese Escape makes an ideal gift for the young cheese fan. Part of the proceeds from book sales will go to support the Chepinitas, a K-12 school author Linda Horwitz Lager founded in Veracruz, Mexico. Together, the adventurous sisters Brie, Feta, and Gouda make up the Cheesettes. On the day of their market sale, they make a daring escape and embark on an adventure in cheese freedom. Savoring Chicagos culinary sights and venturing from the Hancock Center to the Cheesecake Factory, the Cheesettes rescue other wayward cheeses all along the way. Escaping traps and bubbling cauldrons, their cheesy odyssey takes them to a train bound for New Orleans, and then a grand cruise ship. The Cheesettes risk all to save their dairy companions and row ashore to build a joyful cheesy community. The Grate Cheese Escape is an ideal adventure for young readers that parents and caregivers will get a splendid kick out of as well. The book celebrates the power of friendship and community while basking in the wonders of childhood imagination. The Grate Cheese Escape is available for purchase online at Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble.com. For more information about the author, please visit any of her social media platforms. Facebook: Linda Lager About the Author: Linda Horwitz Lager makes her living as a passionate violin teacher and dedicated performer with The Symphony. A faithful philanthropist, Linda drives for Lyft to support the Chepinitas K-12 School she founded in Veracruz, Mexico, over 8 years ago. She was inspired to write a childrens book after sharing delightful stories with her grandkids. Her three main characters in The Grate Cheese Escape are based on her beloved grandkids, and another character, Chedder Chep, is inspired by the Chepinitas school. Her earnings from the book will be used to continue to support her educational mission. Available for interviews: Author, Linda Horwitz Lager Attachment St. Louis, MO, Feb. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright announced today that Adam Braun has joined its St. Louis office as a partner in its employee benefits and executive compensation group. Braun advises clients on a range of executive compensation and employee benefits matters, particularly in the context of mergers and acquisitions. He counsels both public and private companies on the design, drafting and operation of equity-based compensation plans and programs, employment, severance, retention and change in control agreements, and other deferred compensation arrangements. He also assists his clients in navigating the tax, ERISA, securities law and accounting implications of those plans, programs and arrangements. Additionally, Braun represents clients on corporate governance and compliance matters, including disclosures regarding executive and director compensation arrangements in proxy filings. He negotiates employment agreements for executives and companies and advises on tax-qualified retirement plans and health and welfare plans. Jeff Cody, Norton Rose Fulbrights US Managing Partner, said: Companies seek out Adam for his extensive employee benefits and executive compensation experience. He has a national practice and further enhances our Midwest presence, which is a key component of our strategic growth plan. Stacey Murphy, Norton Rose Fulbrights St. Louis Partner-in-Charge, commented: Adam is a highly skilled lawyer with a fantastic track record of advising clients on sophisticated employee benefits and executive compensation issues. I am thrilled to welcome him to the St. Louis office. Braun, who has been recognized by Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America and Missouri Super Lawyers Rising Stars, said: "I am thrilled to join the partnership at Norton Rose Fulbright and contribute to the firm's strategic growth plan in the Midwest by joining the highest Am Law 100-ranked firm with an office in St. Louis. Coming to the firms award-winning employee benefits and executive compensation group presents a fantastic opportunity to provide sophisticated compensation and benefits advice to a massive platform of clients around the world." Braun joins from Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner. Licensed in Missouri and California, he received his law degree, masters of science in accountancy and bachelors in business administration from the University of Notre Dame. Norton Rose Fulbright Norton Rose Fulbright provides a full scope of legal services to the worlds preeminent corporations and financial institutions. The global law firm has more than 3,000 lawyers advising clients across more than 50 locations worldwide, including Houston, New York, London, Toronto, Mexico City, Hong Kong, Sydney and Johannesburg, covering the United States, Europe, Canada, Latin America, Asia, Australia, Africa and the Middle East. With its global business principles of quality, unity and integrity, Norton Rose Fulbright is recognized for its client service in key industries, including financial institutions; energy, infrastructure and resources; technology; transport; life sciences and healthcare; and consumer markets. For more information, visit nortonrosefulbright.com. Attachment Dublin, Feb. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "In Vitro Toxicology Testing Market by Product & Service (Assays (ELISA & Western Blot), Equipment, Consumable, Software), Toxicity Endpoints (ADME, Genotoxicity, Cytotoxicity), Technology, Method, Industry (Pharma, Cosmetics) - Global Forecast to 2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global in vitro toxicology testing market is projected to reach USD 17.1 billion by 2028 from an estimated USD 10.8 billion in 2023, at a CAGR of 9.5% during the forecast period. The growth of this market can be attributed to the technological advancements in toxicology equipment, research and development efforts aimed at early-stage toxicity detection, and growing focus on drug discovery and personalized medicine using in vitro toxicology testing methods and increasing focus on predictive toxicology. The consumables segment accounted for the largest share by product & services in 2022 In 2022, the consumables segment accounted for the largest share of products & services in the global In vitro toxicology testing market. The factors like growing focus on improving product safety across industries, such as pharmaceutical, food, cosmetics, and chemicals, are driving the demand for consumables in the in vitro toxicology testing market. The increasing demand for high-quality reagents and the repeated use of media and reagents in vitro toxicology studies are also driving the growth of this market. Furthermore, the market share of the consumables market is expected to grow simultaneously with the increasing adoption of in vitro toxicology testing across various industries. Europe has continued to dominate the in vitro toxicology testing market during the forecast period of 2023-2028 The ban on animal testing in the region is the major factor driving the adoption of in vitro toxicology testing across all industries. Europe dominated the global in vitro toxicology testing market in 2022. This dominance is attributed to the presence of over 33 scientific facilities and research centers, often associated with cosmetic manufacturers, fostering a dynamic and highly innovative cosmetics industry. Additionally, the region is experiencing increased investments in biologics and advanced dosage forms, partly driven by the impending patent expiration of numerous blockbuster drugs. The growing need to expedite the drug development process, which typically spans 10 to 12 years, has further fueled the demand for in vitro toxicology testing. Notably, the European Union has been at the forefront of supporting research for the development and validation of advanced in vitro toxicology testing protocols for regulatory purposes. Consequently, the European market is witnessing growth due to the development of novel drugs and personal care products, the research and development efforts of EU member states to find alternatives to animal testing, and the ban on cosmetics tested on animals. List of companies profiled in the report: Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (US) Merck KGaA (Germany) Eurofins Scientific (Luxembourg) Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings (US) Charles River Laboratories (US) SGS SA (Switzerland) Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. (US) Evotec SE (Germany) Promega Corporation (US) Catalent, Inc. (US) Agilent Technologies, Inc. (US) Intertek Group plc (UK) Revvity (US) Inotiv (US) BioIVT (US) Lonza (Switzerland) Creative Biolabs (US) Shanghai Medicilon Inc. (China) Creative Bioarray (US) Aragen Life Sciences Ltd. (India) Enzo Biochem Inc. (US) Microbac Laboratories, Inc. (US) Vimta Labs Ltd. (India) Pacific BioLabs Inc. (US) MB Research Laboratories (US) Research Coverage This research report categorizes the In vitro toxicology testing market by product and service (consumables, assays, equipment, software, and services), toxicity endpoints & tests (absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME), skin irritation, corrosion, and sensitization, genotoxicity, cytotoxicity, ocular toxicity, organ toxicity, phototoxicity, dermal toxicity, and other toxicity endpoints & tests), industry (pharmaceutical & biopharmaceutical, consumer care, food, and other industries (including chemical and medical device industries), technologies (cell culture, high-throughput screening, and toxicogenomics), method (cellular assays, biochemical assays, molecular toxicology assays, ex-vivo model, and in silico models.) The report's scope encompasses detailed information regarding major influencing factors such as drivers, trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the growth of the in vitro toxicology testing market. A comprehensive analysis of key industry players has been conducted to offer insights into their business overview, products, key strategies, collaborations, partnerships, and agreements. The report also covers recent developments, including new product launches, mergers, and acquisitions, in the in vitro toxicology testing market. Key Attributes Report Attribute Details No. of Pages 414 Forecast Period 2023-2028 Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2023 $10.8 Billion Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2028 $17.1 Billion Compound Annual Growth Rate 9.5% Regions Covered Global Market Dynamics Market Drivers Growing Public Resistance Against Animal Testing Technological Advancements Research and Development Efforts Aimed at Early-Stage Toxicity Detection Market Restraints Resistance of Certain Regulatory Bodies to Embrace Alternative Approaches in Toxicology Testing Failure to Establish Intricacies of In Vivo Conditions Lack of In Vitro Models to Study Complex Endpoints Market Opportunities Growing Focus on Drug Discovery and Personalized Medicine Using in Vitro Methods Increasing Number of Toxicology Databases Increasing Focus on Predictive Toxicology Market Challenges Lack of Data Availability and Validation Complexity in Data Analysis and Management For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/71mwro About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment NEW YORK, Feb. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of common stock of GrafTech International Ltd. (NYSE: EAF) between February 8, 2019 and August 3, 2023, both dates inclusive (the Class Period), of the important March 25, 2024 lead plaintiff deadline. SO WHAT: If you purchased GrafTech securities during the Class Period you may be entitled to compensation without payment of any out of pocket fees or costs through a contingency fee arrangement. WHAT TO DO NEXT: To join the GrafTech class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=22210 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than March 25, 2024. A lead plaintiff is a representative party acting on behalf of other class members in directing the litigation. WHY ROSEN LAW: We encourage investors to select qualified counsel with a track record of success in leadership roles. Often, firms issuing notices do not have comparable experience, resources or any meaningful peer recognition. Many of these firms do not actually litigate securities class actions, but are merely middlemen that refer clients or partner with law firms that actually litigate the cases. Be wise in selecting counsel. The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rosen Law Firm has achieved the largest ever securities class action settlement against a Chinese Company. Rosen Law Firm was Ranked No. 1 by ISS Securities Class Action Services for number of securities class action settlements in 2017. The firm has been ranked in the top 4 each year since 2013 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for investors. In 2019 alone the firm secured over $438 million for investors. In 2020, founding partner Laurence Rosen was named by law360 as a Titan of Plaintiffs Bar. Many of the firms attorneys have been recognized by Lawdragon and Super Lawyers. DETAILS OF THE CASE: According to the lawsuit, defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) GrafTechs manufacturing operations in Monterrey, Mexico had for decades chronically contaminated neighboring communities with harmful carcinogenic gasses and particulate matter; (2) GrafTech had signed agreements with local authorities committing itself to improving the environmental performance of its Monterrey facility, but repeatedly failed to honor these commitments; (3) GrafTech had been repeatedly warned over an approximately 30-year period regarding its wanton disregard for the environment and health and well-being of people near its operations in Monterrey, Mexico; (4) GrafTechs operations in Monterrey, Mexico were not in compliance with applicable environmental laws and regulations; (5) GrafTech had failed to adequately remediate the environmental problems caused by the Monterrey facility following the 2019 administrative proceeding conducted by the Department of Sustainable Development of the State of Nuevo Leon; (6) the government of Apodaca had sought intervention from the State of Nuevo Leon authorities to curtail and prevent the adverse environmental impacts and noncompliance with environmental laws and regulations caused by the Monterrey facility; (7) GrafTechs purported cost leadership was achieved in substantial part by failing to implement appropriate and effective environmental safeguards at its manufacturing facility in Monterrey, Mexico; (8) GrafTechs capital expenditures and/or related operational projects were woefully insufficient to adequately address the harm that GrafTechs operations in Monterrey, Mexico had inflicted on the environment and people within the neighboring communities; (9) as a result of the above, GrafTech was acutely exposed to undisclosed material risks that GrafTechs manufacturing operations in Monterrey, Mexico would be severely disrupted by government action or enforcement; and (10) as a result of the above, GrafTech was acutely exposed to undisclosed material risks that its supplies of pin stock and graphite electrodes would be withdrawn and/or materially diminished, thereby materially harming GrafTechs business, operations, reputation, and financial results. When the true details entered the market, the lawsuit claims that investors suffered damages. To join the GrafTech class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=22210 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@rosenlegal.com or cases@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. No Class Has Been Certified. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. You may select counsel of your choice. You may also remain an absent class member and do nothing at this point. An investors ability to share in any potential future recovery is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff. Follow us for updates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-rosen-law-firm, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosen_firm or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosenlawfirm/. Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. ------------------------------- Contact Information: Laurence Rosen, Esq. Phillip Kim, Esq. The Rosen Law Firm, P.A. 275 Madison Avenue, 40th Floor New York, NY 10016 Tel: (212) 686-1060 Toll Free: (866) 767-3653 Fax: (212) 202-3827 lrosen@rosenlegal.com pkim@rosenlegal.com cases@rosenlegal.com www.rosenlegal.com Dublin, Feb. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "United Kingdom (UK) Charity Insurance Market - 2023" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. This report explores charities' purchasing behaviors and preferences for insurance. New trends and innovations are highlighted, as well as the key factors that will influence the market moving forward. The insurance market for non-profit organizations (NPOs) is expected to have increased to GBP1.04 billion in 2023, growing by 6.6%. This has been led by the hardening of premiums in many lines. Zurich took the lead in the industry in 2023, demonstrating its influence in this sector. Aviva took second place, and AXA took third place. The market experienced shifts in 2023, as indicated by the rise in uptake of 11 out of 16 products, but with the highly challenging economic environment and the cost of business soaring, the potential for NPOs to cut back on cover increased. The onus is therefore on insurers to engage with their customers, understand their challenges, and reflect on how they can meet their customers' needs in their propositions and messaging. Report Scope The insurance market for NPOs is expected to have increased to GBP1.04 billion in 2023, growing by 6.6%. The market experienced shifts in 2023, as indicated by the rise in uptake of 11 out of 16 products. Professional indemnity experienced the greatest increase of 19.7 percentage points. Brokers are essential, facilitating 61.6% of insurance policies. Even though this percentage was marginally lower than in 2022, it still shows how important brokers are today. In 2023, 57.2% of policies were bought online, up from 34.1% in 2019. This increase can be ascribed to the impact of digitalization. Key Report Benefits Identify the UK charity insurance market leaders. Understand the NPO landscape. Discover the purchasing journey of charities in the sector. Identify growth opportunities in the NPO space. Find out which value-added services are in demand. Key Topics Covered: Executive Summary Non-Profit Organization Landscape Product Uptake and Packages The Purchasing Journey Providers and Switching Future Market Company Coverage: Benefact Group Nationwide Zurich Aviva AXA Hiscox Ecclesiastical Zixty Lemonade Access Insurance Endsleigh Insurance For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/asi3uj 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. Hong Kong: Govt rejects biased remarks The Security Bureau today strongly disapproved of and rejected the biased and erroneous remarks made by UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron concerning Basic Law Article 23 legislation. In a press statement, Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung said Mr Cameron, while making his remarks, deliberately refrained from mentioning the extensive public consultation and nearly 30 consultation sessions conducted by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government on Article 23 legislation. In fact, a majority of the participants and members of the public filing written submissions in response to the public consultation indicated their support for the legislation; and once the Safeguarding National Security Bill is finalised, it will be introduced to the Legislative Council for scrutiny. Mr Tang noted that the legislative proposals were made with reference to laws of foreign countries, including those of the UK where over 10 stringent laws are enacted to safeguard its national security. What Mr Cameron said reflected his double standards. Moreover, the security chief pointed out that regardless of political, social, economic and cultural systems, every state will enact laws on safeguarding national security. This is an inherent right of every sovereign state, and is also an international practice. Each country or region has the right to enact laws in the most suitable way, having regard to its own circumstances and needs. It should also respect the systems of other countries and regions and their responsibilities and needs to legislate for safeguarding national security, rather than conceitedly attempting to interfere in the legislative procedures of other countries or regions. Additionally, he stressed that the UK should immediately stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs which are the internal affairs of China. After Hong Kongs return to the motherland, the Chinese Government rules the Hong Kong SAR with the Constitution of the Peoples Republic of China and the Basic Law rather than the Sino-British Joint Declaration, he reiterated, adding that the UK has no sovereignty, jurisdiction or right of supervision over Hong Kong. Mr Tang also made it clear that the Hong Kong SAR Government will complete the Article 23 legislative exercise as early as possible to plug national security loopholes. In formulating the relevant offences and drafting the bill, we will target acts endangering national security with precision and define the elements and penalties of the relevant offences with clarity. Normal business operations and normal exchanges with overseas institutions, organisations and individuals will be fully protected by the law, he added. This story has been published on: 2024-02-29. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. CHARLOTTE, N.C., Feb. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fresh Vine Wine Inc (NYSE: American VINE) today announced that it has reached a marketing agreement with Splash Wines, Inc., the highest rated direct-to-consumer digital wine company in the USA. The agreement is designed to expand purchase opportunities for customers of both companies where Fresh Vine Wines focuses on sales of premium low carb wines from California, and Splash features wine from international sources. This is all about the benefits to our customers. Splash is a great company with a tremendously loyal customer base as evidenced by over 29,000 five-star reviews, states Michael Pruitt, Fresh Vines Chairman and CEO. We are excited that this association will give our customers broader options to purchase quality wines at great prices. Garrett Imeson, Splash Chief Marketing Officer, echoed the sentiment. Our customers have expressed considerable interest in zero sugar wines from California and, until now, we have not been able to provide suitable options. We think the Fresh Vines relationship is a great opportunity to get our customers exactly what they are looking for and are enthusiastic to start the program. The partnership will launch with an offer today featuring Fresh Vine Wines together with a selection from Vine Oh!, a Splash owned brand curated by women, for women that features 5-6 full-sized beauty, lifestyle and self-care products plus globally sourced wine. This offer showcases the benefits of the relationship to customers of both companies and is the perfect way to honor Leap Day, added Pruitt. We expect it to be very well received. Vine Oh! Link: Vine Oh - Fresh Vine Wine Fresh Vine Wines will also be hosting its Fireside Chat with Notes Live CEO JW Roth today at 2:00 PM ET. Webinar Registration Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_72DyyGyLS6-Q4gZIG7zqog The Merger Agreement sets forth certain conditions precedent to any closing of the Transaction, including among other things, the approval of Fresh Vines and Notes Lives shareholders, the receipt of regulatory approvals that may be required, including approval by the NYSE American for the continued listing of the combined companys common stock after closing, Fresh Vine satisfying minimum net cash requirements and having no liabilities on its balance sheet or unpaid or unsatisfied obligations that will require a cash expenditure by Fresh Vine after the Effective Time, Fresh Vine completing a sale, license, transfer, disposition, or divestiture, or winding down of Fresh Vines current wine production business in a manner reasonably acceptable to Notes Live, the absence of dissenting Notes Live shareholders and the entry by Notes Live into lock-up and leak-out arrangements with its shareholders to its satisfaction. There can be no assurance that the proposed Transaction will be completed as currently contemplated on anticipated timelines, or at all. Additional information about the transaction will be provided in a Current Report on Form 8-K that will be filed by Fresh Vine with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and will be available at www.sec.gov. About Fresh Vine Wine, Inc. Fresh Vine Wine, Inc. (NYSE American: VINE) is a producer of lower carb, lower calorie premium wines in the United States. Fresh Vine Wine positions its core brand lineup as an affordable luxury, retailing between $14.99 - $24.99 per bottle. Fresh Vine Wines varietals currently include its Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Rose, Sauvignon Blanc, Sparkling Rose, and a limited Reserve Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. All varietals have been produced and bottled in Napa, California. Forward-looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements generally can be identified using words such as anticipate, expect, plan, could, may, will, believe, estimate, forecast, goal, project, and other words of similar meaning. These forward-looking statements address various matters including statements regarding the timing or nature of future operating or financial performance or other events. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. Among these risks and uncertainties are those set forth in Fresh Vines annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, and subsequently filed documents with the SEC. In addition to such risks and uncertainties, risks and uncertainties related to forward-looking statements contained in this press release include statements relating to the satisfaction of the conditions to and consummation of the proposed merger, the expected timing of the consummation of the proposed Transaction and the expected ownership percentages of the combined company, Fresh Vines and Notes Lives respective businesses, the strategy of the combined company and its future operations. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including without limitation: (i) the risk that the conditions to the closing of the Transaction are not satisfied in a timely manner or at all, including, among others, the failure to obtain stockholder approval of matters related to the Transaction, the existence of dissenting Notes Live shareholders, or the failure by Notes Live to enter into lock-up and leak-out arrangements with its shareholders to its satisfaction; (ii) uncertainties as to the timing of the consummation of the proposed Transaction and the ability of each of Fresh Vine and Notes Live to consummate the Transaction; (iii) risks related to Fresh Vines ability to satisfy the minimum net cash condition to the closing of the Transaction; (iv) risks related to Fresh Vines continued listing on the NYSE American pending closing of the Transaction; (v) the risk that the combined company will not satisfy the initial listing standards of the NYSE American or otherwise be approved for listing on the NYSE American; (vi) the risk that as a result of adjustments to the merger exchange ratio, Fresh Vine stockholders or Notes Live shareholders could own less of the combined company than is currently anticipated; (vii) uncertainties regarding the impact of any delay in the closing the Transaction would have on the anticipated cash resources of the parties prior to closing or of the combined company upon closing and other events and unanticipated spending and costs that could reduce the parties cash resources; (viii) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance or condition that could give rise to the termination of the Merger Agreement; (ix) uncertainties regarding the terms, conditions and timing of a transaction pursuant to which Fresh Vine sells, licenses, transfers, disposes, or divests, or winds down its current wine production business, and Fresh Vines ability to complete such a transaction in a manner reasonably acceptable to Notes Live, (x) the effect of the announcement, pendency or completion of the proposed Transaction on Fresh Vines or Notes Lives business relationships, operating results and business generally; (xi) costs related to the proposed Transaction; (xii) the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against Fresh Vine, Notes Live or any of their respective directors or officers related to the Merger Agreement or the transactions contemplated thereby; (xiii) the sufficiency of Fresh Vines cash and working capital to support continuing operations, to pay transaction costs through a closing of the Transaction and to satisfy the minimum net cash condition to the closing of the Transaction; (xiv) Fresh Vines ability to obtain additional financing when and if needed to do so, and the dilutive impact of any such financing; (xv) risks related to the impact that the reverse split of Fresh Vines outstanding common stock to be effected prior to closing of the Transaction may have on the trading price and volume of Fresh Vines common stock; (xvi) risks associated with the possible failure to realize certain anticipated benefits of the Transaction, including with respect to future financial and operating results and the ultimate success of the combined company; and (xvii) legislative, regulatory, political and economic developments, among other risks and uncertainties. A further description of the risks and uncertainties relating to the business of Fresh Vine is contained in Fresh Vines most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, as well as any amendments thereto reflected in subsequent filings with the SEC. Fresh Vine cautions investors not to place considerable reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. You are encouraged to read Fresh Vines filings with the SEC, available at www.sec.gov, for a discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements in this press release speak only as of the date of this document, and Fresh Vine undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements as a result of new information, future events or changes in its expectations. Important Additional Information In connection with the proposed transaction, Fresh Vine will file materials with the SEC, including a registration statement on Form S-4 (Form S-4), which will include a document that serves as a proxy statement/prospectus of Fresh Vine and an information statement of Notes Live, and other documents regarding the proposed transaction. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THESE MATERIALS, INCLUDING THE FORM S-4 AND THE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS, WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE, BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION AND THE PARTIES TO THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION. Investors and security holders will be able to obtain the Form S4, the proxy statement/prospectus and other materials filed by Fresh Vine with the SEC free of charge from the SECs website at www.sec.gov or from Fresh Vine at the SEC Filings section of https://ir.freshvinewine.com/invest/ . No Offer or Solicitation This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offering of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Subject to certain exceptions to be approved by the relevant regulators or certain facts to be ascertained, a public offer will not be made directly or indirectly, in or into any jurisdiction where to do so would constitute a violation of the laws of such jurisdiction, or by use of the mails or by any means or instrumentality (including without limitation, facsimile transmission, telephone or internet) of interstate or foreign commerce, or any facility of a national securities exchange, of any such jurisdiction. Participants in the Solicitation Fresh Vine and Notes Live and their respective directors, executive officers and other members of management may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies in respect of the proposed transaction. Information about Fresh Vines directors and executive officers is available in Fresh Vines Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022 and its definitive proxy statement dated November 6, 2023 for its 2023 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. Other information regarding the participants in the proxy solicitation and a description of their interests in the transaction, by security holdings or otherwise, will be included in the proxy statement/prospectus and other relevant materials to be filed with the SEC regarding the proposed transaction when they become available. Investors should read the proxy statement/prospectus carefully when it becomes available before making any voting or investment decisions. You may obtain free copies of these documents from Fresh Vine or the SECs website as indicated above. Limassol, Cyprus, Feb. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Eassyshark, a leading essay writing service provider, has announced the launch of its new finance essay writing service, tailored to meet the evolving needs of the academic and professional sectors in the age of artificial intelligence (AI). This innovative service aims to redefine the standards of financial essay writing by incorporating advanced analytical insights and original content to cater to the changing demands of readers and the academic community. In a landscape increasingly shaped by AI advancements and evolving reader preferences, traditional finance essay writing is experiencing a profound shift. The emergence of AI-driven text generators has elevated content quality expectations, prompting a transition towards essays enriched with in-depth analysis and distinctive insights. Eassyshark's latest offering responds adeptly to this new paradigm, prioritising content curation that intelligently incorporates AI technologies while foregrounding the irreplaceable value of human creativity and insight. This approach not only leverages digital tools but also underscores the importance of utilising resources from local libraries, ensuring that essays are grounded in comprehensive research and original thought. The finance essay writing landscape is being reshaped by several key factors, including the challenges posed by AI and clip thinking, which demand a move away from one-size-fits-all essays to more nuanced and engaging content. Eassyshark recognizes the importance of moving beyond standard essays to provide value through in-depth research, analysis, and storytelling techniques that connect with readers on an emotional level. Research and analytical skills are more critical than ever, with a need for essays that not only inform but also analyze and interpret financial data to offer fresh insights and perspectives. Eassyshark's approach involves a meticulous research process, drawing on reputable sources and incorporating original data to ensure comprehensive and expertly crafted essays. The service emphasises a revised writing process that includes extra steps for crafting finance essays that stand out. This involves a focus on storytelling and emotional writing tactics to engage readers, as well as presenting internal and original data to add credibility and depth to the content. Ethical standards in content creation are paramount, with a strict adherence to academic integrity and originality. Eassyshark's initiative reflects a broader trend in the writing niche, where the role of the writer is evolving to meet new content demands. The service is not just about adapting to AI but about leveraging it to enhance human creativity and insight, ensuring that finance essays are insightful, engaging, and valuable to both average readers and finance specialists. For more information about Essayshark and its new finance essay writing service, please contact Bobby at support@essayshark.com or visit the Essayshark website. Media Information Name: Bobby Organisation: Essayshark Website, http://essayshark.com/ Email: support@essayshark.com Address: 9, Vasili Michailidi street, 3026, Limassol, Cyprus A Media Snippet accompanying this announcement is available by clicking this link. TORONTO, Feb. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Spring is an ideal season to fully immerse yourself in the vibrant arts scene of Hong Kong. The city offers a plethora of captivating arts experiences that will leave you inspired. From world-class art exhibitions to enchanting art installations, breathtaking artsy restaurants and bars, and unique hotel art experiences, art surrounds you at every corner. Marvel at Remarkable Art Exhibitions and Enchanting Installations Art Basel Hong Kong (March 28-30) - Showcasing more than 240 international galleries from 40 countries and territories. This edition is particularly noteworthy for its inclusion of 66 new exhibitors, enriching the diversity and depth of the presentation. Art Central (March 28-31) - An extraordinary convergence of 95 galleries from Hong Kong, Asia, and beyond, showcasing the work of innovative artists who shape contemporary art. Art@Harbour 2024 (March 25-June 2)- A large-scale outdoor art project on both sides of Victoria Harbour. Dont miss out on the teamLabs groundbreaking Continuous installation launched at Tamar Park and the Central and Western District Promenade, where hundreds of glowing egg-shaped structures come alive with ever-changing colours and sounds, interacting with viewers. The 52 nd Hong Kong Arts Festival (February 22-March 24) - With a lineup of more than 1,400 international and local artists and over 150 performances, this festival promises a cultural feast unparalleled in scope and diversity. Hong Kong Arts Festival (February 22-March 24) - With a lineup of more than 1,400 international and local artists and over 150 performances, this festival promises a cultural feast unparalleled in scope and diversity. HKWALLS Festival 2024 (March 23-31) - Hong Kongs biggest street art festival that brings together artists worldwide, transforming walls into mesmerizing visuals. This year's lineup features renowned artists such as Rabi from the USA, Aches from Ireland, and Bond Truluv from Germany, alongside talented Hong Kong artists including Lousy, Tom, and Siukins. Indulge in Artsy Restaurants and Bars The Butterfly Room - During the Art Basel Hong Kong week, the Butterfly Room offers a renowned art afternoon tea experience. Indulge in a masterful art pastry collection featuring a stunning selection of mini replica cakes inspired by iconic artworks from artists such as Yayoi Kusama, Banksy, Andy Warhol, Vladimir Kush, and Jackson Pollock. The Cristal Room by Anne-Sophie Pic - Designed by the Parisian studio Gilles et Boissier, it creates an elegant ambiance that complements the highly decorated French cuisine of renowned chef Anne-Sophie Pic. The design captures the spirit of Baccarat, exemplified by an entrance with a chandelier embodying the four elements of earth, air, fire, and water. Qura Bar - An intimate and decadent bar at Regent Hong Kong, boasts art deco, vintage accents, and stunning harbour views. With its collection of rare spirits and a cigar lounge, this is a cocktail den where you can while away the hours. Stay in Inspiring Hotels with Unique Art Experiences The Peninsula Hong Kong - Known as the 'Grande Dame of the Far East,' The Peninsula continues to set global hospitality standards. This iconic hotel recently announced the return of its acclaimed "Art in Resonance" program, celebrating contemporary art and cultural vibrancy. Explore newly commissioned artworks from visionaries Kingsley Ng and Lachlan Turczan, exhibited alongside masterpieces from The Peninsula's collection. The Hari Hong Kong - Located in Wan Chai, The Hari Hong Kong exudes a relaxed and contemporary aura. Curated by London's Pontone Gallery, the hotel's art collection features graphic paintings, digital pieces, three-dimensional images, and captivating works by young Hong Kong artists, creating an immersive and inspiring artistic experience. Experience the vibrant arts scene of Hong Kong this Spring, where art is everywhere, waiting to inspire and captivate you. Whether you're a seasoned art enthusiast or simply curious about the arts, these art experiences offer an enriching cultural journey. Discover the cultural vibrancy that defines Hong Kong as a global hub of creativity and expression. For more information, please visit discoverhongkong.com/ca. Members of the media can download the photos from the following link: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1BQpSRi6KTHuurgOwMBs0x2hTX2-GLQU3?usp=sharing For media inquiries, please contact: Jorge Lee jorge.lee@hktb.com Tel: (416) 366-2389 ext 206 Carol Lam carol.py.lam@hktb.com Tel: (416) 366-2389 ext 201 NEW YORK, Feb. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (UnitedHealth or the Company) (NYSE: UNH). Such investors are advised to contact Danielle Peyton at newaction@pomlaw.com or 646-581-9980, ext. 7980 The investigation concerns whether UnitedHealth and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices. [Click here for information about joining the class action] On February 27, 2024, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has launched an antitrust investigation into UnitedHealth. Specifically, the WSJ reported that DOJ investigators have been interviewing healthcare industry representatives in sectors where UnitedHealth competes to determine the possible impacts of acquisitions made through its health services arm, Optum. On this news, UnitedHealths stock price fell $27.04 per share, or 5.15%, over the following two trading sessions, to close at $498.28 per share on February 28, 2024. Pomerantz LLP, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, London, Paris, and Tel Aviv, is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, Pomerantz pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 85 years later, Pomerantz continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered billions of dollars in damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomlaw.com . Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes. Madison, Wisconsin, Feb. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Following Wisconsins designation as a Regional Technology and Innovations Hub (Tech Hub) from the Economic Development Administration (EDA) last October, the Wisconsin Biohealth Tech Hub submitted its Phase 2 application seeking $75 million in funds to support six interconnected projects designed to transform the State of Wisconsin into a global leader in biohealth innovation and personalized medicine. The Projects: Wisconsin Health Data Hub- aims to establish a cyber-secure repository of expansive health data, fueling innovation and reducing the cost and time required to bring new therapies to market. Led by UW-Madison. CAREScan Mobile Screening Center- addresses health disparities by deploying mobile cancer screening fleets in underserved communities, collecting valuable biomarker data, and advancing health equity. Led by Medical College of Wisconsin. Image-Guided Therapy Data-Centric Patient Care Pathway- streamlines the integration of new technologies into healthcare systems, supporting the growth of theranostics and driving innovation in personalized medicine. Led by GE HealthCare. Advancing Innovation to Commercialization- bridges the gap between invention and market deployment, providing critical support for entrepreneurs and moving innovations closer to market readiness. Led by BioForward Wisconsin. Actualizing Biohealth Career Pathways- ensures a skilled workforce to sustain sector growth through expanded certification programs, apprenticeships, and skills-based training, creating inclusive talent pipelines aligned with employer demands. Led by Madison College and Milwaukee Area Technical College. Wisconsin Biohealth Tech Hub Governance- nurtures collaboration across projects, tracks metrics, and shares learnings, reinforcing the cycle of innovation and deployment. Led by BioForward. "Receiving the Tech Hub designation was just the beginning," explains Wendy Harris, Regional Innovation Officer for the Wisconsin Biohealth Tech Hub. "It recognizes Wisconsin's strengths in personalized medicine, biohealth technology, and precision manufacturing. Now, as we seek funding to drive growth and innovation while safeguarding national security, witnessing Wisconsin companies come together is an amazing testimony to our collaborative spirit and our ability to succeed as a unified force." The consortium, led by BioForward Wisconsin, is comprised of Wisconsin businesses, education institutions, civic leaders and entrepreneurs that applied for, and secured, the Tech Hub designation, an essential first step that created the opportunity to apply for Phase 2 funding. Only the 31 EDA designated Tech Hubs could apply for Phase 2 funding. We are now competing against the 30 other Tech Hub regions in the country for Phase 2 funding, said BioForward CEO, Lisa Johnson. We are excited about the opportunity as we launch our state to become a global tech hub in personalized medicine due to our highly ranked research institutions, high growth biohealth industry and a robust manufacturing ecosystem. The projects will concentrate on personalized medicine, merging genomic innovation, advanced imaging, big data analytics, and bioscience breakthroughs to tailor treatments to individual patient needs, while democratizing health data access and addressing cancer care disparities. "Wisconsin's strong foundation in biotech , manufacturing, data science, and healthcare sets the stage for future advancements," stated Dr. Mara Lord, Senior Vice President, University Engagement and Strategic Planning and Assistant Professor, Medical College of Wisconsin. "With funding, we'll invest in groundbreaking technologies, enhance manufacturing, and deploy advanced medical solutions, driving equitable growth and innovation for generations to come." Wisconsin is a state of innovators. We have second-to-none workers, a thriving private sector, and a strong of manufacturing sector, and bringing a Tech Hub to Wisconsin will help us continue that legacy into the future. Wisconsins application shows that spirit of innovation and how well our state is positioned to lead the world in biohealth and personalized medicine, creating new technologies that will improve access to affordable care, better diagnose and treat patients, and save lives, said Senator Baldwin. I am proud to have helped bring a Tech Hub home to Wisconsin, and now Im calling on the Biden administration to deliver the funding we need to execute it. Make no mistake, Wisconsins Tech Hub has the potential to create good-paying jobs in an expanding sector, create more opportunities for our businesses, and grow our economy. I applaud Wisconsins strong application and collaboration and am committed to making this Tech Hub a reality. Implemented as part of the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act and championed by Sen. Baldwin, the Tech Hub designation recognizes Wisconsins existing strength in personalized medicine, biohealth technology, precision manufacturing and automation and its capabilities for exponential growth and innovation. Since achieving the Tech Hub designation, the consortium has: Hired a Regional Innovation Officer, Wendy Harris Added new consortium members including The Medical College of Wisconsin, Forward BIOLABS, and University Research Park Secured bipartisan support from the State of Wisconsin, led by bill sponsors Senator Duey Stroebel and State Representative Amanda Nedweski, Amanda Nedweski, with tech hub legislation signed by Governor Evers allocating $7.5 million in grant funding to BioForward Hosted focus groups and interviews with employers regarding industry needs and trends Added investment commitments and partners in both the public and private sector The WI Biohealth Tech Hub will be based in Milwaukee-Waukesha and Madison MSAs but will have statewide impact involving technology, workforce, manufacturing, and entrepreneurship. The consortium estimates the initiatives outlined in Phase 2 will directly create over 30,000 new jobs, with an additional 111,000 indirect jobs, over the next ten years. It also has the potential to unlock billions in regional gross domestic product. Wisconsin has the opportunity to lead a transformative era in healthcare, improving both the health of our citizens and the vibrancy of our economy, asserted Aaron Olver, Managing Director of University Research Park. Our vision includes building on Wisconsins manufacturing heritage, fortifying healthcare supply chains, reducing our foreign dependence, and increasing economic resilience. About the Consortium The Wisconsin Biohealth Tech Hub is anchored by a coalition the state has never seen. Civic leaders, educators, entrepreneurs, and healthcare giants have come together to ensure the Hub harnesses the regions assets, ingenuity, and collaboration to create a healthier, more equitable and prosperous future for Wisconsinites. BioForward is the lead consortium member responsible for the application and reporting requirements. Other consortium members include: Accuray, Employ Milwaukee, Exact Sciences, Forward BIOLABS, GE HealthCare, Madison College, Madison Region Econ. Partnership (MadREP), Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee 7 (M7), Milwaukee Area Technical College, Plexus, Rockwell Automation, Universities of Wisconsin, UW-Madison, University Research Park, Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) and WRTP| Big Step. About BioForward BioForward Wisconsin represents more than 230 member organizations across an integrated network of health solution leaders, including research institutions, biotech and biopharma, digital health, healthcare systems, and medical device, and diagnostics. It is an action-oriented association that focuses on initiatives to strengthen the states biohealth industry. ### Media Contact : Rissa Guffey (she/her) Director of Marketing & Communications rguffey@bioforward.org (608) 236-4693 Attachments Los Angeles, California, Feb. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, State Superintendent Tony Thurmond named 293 exceptional middle and high schools as 2024 California Distinguished Schools. Among them are four Green Dot Public SchoolsAnimo Ellen Ochoa Charter Middle School, Animo Inglewood High School, Animo Jackie Robinson High School, and Animo Leadership High School in Los Angeles. We are honored that the tireless efforts of our administrators, teachers, students, and families at these four schools are being acknowledged, said Dr. Cristina de Jesus, President and CEO of Green Dot Public Schools California. This honor highlights our successful work in striving to eliminate systemic barriers and ensuring educational excellence reaches all students. The California Distinguished Schools program recognizes schools for closing achievement gaps and for demonstrating exceptional student performance. Animo Ellen Ochoa Charter Middle School, Animo Inglewood High School, Animo Jackie Robinson High School, and Animo Leadership High School were honored for the exemplary education they provide to students. "I cannot fully express how proud I am of our incredible students, teachers, and staff, Kristin Botello, principal at Animo Jackie Robinson High School. This California Distinguished School recognition affirms that with hard work, compassion and a commitment to equity, we can truly give all young people the chance to shine academically while supporting their social-emotional growth. The schools earned recognition for strong overall academic achievement in English and math, accelerated growth for historically underserved groups, reduced suspensions, and high graduation rates. This affirms Green Dot's commitment to equity and empowering students. Our school community has poured so much energy into fostering excellence for students of all backgrounds, said Cynthia Ybarra, principal at Animo Ellen Ochoa Charter Middle School. To be acknowledged through this Distinguished Schools award, as a school closing achievement gaps, inspires us to keep empowering our students to reach for their highest aspirations." We are honored that Animo Inglewood High School has been named a 2024 California Distinguished School, said Dr. La Shawn Allen, principal at Animo Inglewood High School. Our students confront systematic barriers, yet continually rise to achieve academic and personal excellence. This recognition is a testament to our resilient students, devoted educators and innovative approach to preparing the next generation to thrive. At Animo Leadership, our students gain knowledge and tools to create meaningful change, said Danielle Berger, Animo Leadership High School principal. We cultivate empowered, compassionate future leaders. This Distinguished School award validates that our approach inspires students to excel academically while developing confidence to stand up for their communities. Tony Thurmond, the State Superintendent remarked in a press release , It is my pleasure to honor and recognize these 293 secondary schools for their efforts to provide exemplary public education to all students. Excellent middle schools and high schools play a critical role in the life outcomes of our young people. This years California Distinguished Schools celebration provides us with an opportunity to recognize the hard work of our secondary educators and school staff who help our young adults discover passions and access college- and career-ready experiences that will propel them through life. The awarded schools will be celebrated at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim on May 3rd, 2024, and will hold the distinguished title for two years. Green Dot congratulates our students, families, teachers, and school leaders on this wonderful recognition of their hard work and perseverance paying off. About Green Dot California Green Dot Public Schools California operates 18 charter middle and high schools in Los Angeles, providing over 10,000 students from historically under-resourced communities with a transformative educational experience grounded in the belief that every student has a right to an excellent education that unlocks their potential. Implementing a rigorous college preparatory curriculum along with personalized academic counseling and support, Green Dot empowers students to overcome barriers, achieve at the highest levels, and graduate prepared for higher education, leadership roles, and fulfilling careers. As Title 1 schools serving predominantly low-income populations, Green Dot provides its students with the tools and opportunities required to realize their full potential, closing opportunity gaps. Driven by the pillars of High Expectations, Local Control with Extensive Professional Development, Personalized Learning, and Parent Participation, Green Dot is an established leader in transforming public education to profoundly and positively impact students, families and their communities. Follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn @GreenDotCA, and Instagram, TikTok and X @GreenDot_CA. WALNUT CREEK, Calif., Feb. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Having long prioritized wellbeing as the ultimate measure of its service to families of children with intellectual developmental disabilities (I/DD) including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), Catalight introduces its Family Wellbeing Scale a one-of-a-kind industry gauge that has been validated by statistical analysis in a recently published study. Catalight, one of the nations largest non-profit providers of autism and developmental disabilities services and research in the United States, offers solutions that challenge the status quo by focusing on care that goes beyond traditional outcome measures augmented with family wellbeing, affordability and efficiency. For more than a decade, Catalight has sought to define wellbeing as not just a nebulous, variable feeling but as a measure of treatment success. In serving clients with I/DD and autism, clinicians utilize various strategies to improve the lives of the individual and their families, decrease stress and save time. The Wellbeing Scale focuses on the holistic health and happiness of the individuals, families and communities we serve, said clinical psychologist and Catalights Vice President of Clinical Excellence Lindsey Sneed, Ph.D., BCBA-D. Wellbeing for people with I/DD and their families is historically significantly lower compared to the general population. We needed a way to measure if and how our work was impacting clients and families. After not finding any wellbeing scales that serve the I/DD population, Catalight set out to create this scale in 2020. A sliding points survey was created asking families to answer 15 questions twice yearly ranging from Family members feel safe in our family to We are able to resolve conflict and support each other when things go wrong and We enjoy spending time together. Over the four years, the sample size of respondents has grown to 3,106 families in the Catalight network, including affiliate companies Easterseals Hawaii and Easterseals Northern California. The scale itself and its subsequent psychometrics turned heads at the International Society for Autism Research annual meeting last year in Stockholm, Sweden. The pioneering initiative is designed to assess the overall wellbeing of families on a micro and macro level, emphasizing the importance of holistic success beyond traditional methods. With this scale, wellbeing scores are something we can now analyze both for all families as a way to see if were improving as a whole and for each family we serve, Sneed said. If, for instance, we see a particular familys wellbeing is stagnating or regressing, we know we need to alter our approach. Maybe weve set a goal thats not achievable and its causing stress or maybe theres a personal matter that we can address. The scale has undergone rigorous validation through meticulous statistical analysis, ensuring its reliability and effectiveness in measuring the multifaceted aspects of family wellbeing. The large, diverse sample size of the Catalight Family Wellbeing Scale has allowed for several psychometric tests that have notably shown a strong positive relationship with parental self-efficacy and a strong negative relationship with parental stress. Details of the data analysis are included in Sneeds recent study Initial Psychometric Properties of the Catalight Family Wellbeing Scale, published by the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders on Feb. 1, 2024. Unlike conventional success metrics that often prioritize goal attainment and long hours of treatment, Catalight's Family Wellbeing Scale recognizes that true happiness encompasses physical, emotional, social and mental aspects. By considering a broad range of factors, the scale provides a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of family wellbeing. "At Catalight, we believe that true success is defined by the wellbeing of our clients and their families, said Catalights Senior Vice President of Sustainable Program Design Michelle Befi, a co-author of the study and a licensed marriage and family therapist. Were not looking to simply tick off the traditional boxes. We help identify changes that will be truly meaningful for families and make a tangible, positive improvement in their lives. We let families choose the treatment path thats best for them. Catalight recently made the Family Wellbeing Scale available for external agencies, recognizing the broader impact it can have on the field of family support, healthcare and social services. Catalight also utilizes similar Adult Wellbeing and Youth Wellbeing Scales for individuals within its network. The Youth Wellbeing Scale study is currently in progress with equally positive psychometric properties. The company is seeking to collaborate with other agencies to bolster sample sizes for the Adult Wellbeing Scale before conducting psychometric analyses. "We envision a future where organizations across various sectors can benefit from our wellbeing scales to create positive and lasting impacts, Sneed said. Information on all three wellbeing scores and how outside agencies can utilize them can be found here: https://www.catalight.org/wellbeing-scales -30- About Catalight Catalight breaks down barriers and biases to create a more equitable world so people with developmental disabilities can choose their path. Catalight provides access to innovative, individualized care services, clinical research and advocacy all powered by intelligent technology solutions. Through the work of affiliate partners, Easterseals Hawaii and Easterseals Northern California, Catalight and its family of companies support people with developmental disabilities and their families to support them across their care journey. The Catalight family of companies is one of the largest behavioral health networks in the nation with more than 8,000 practitioners serving 14,000 clients and families every day. Backed by more than a decade of experience and a multidisciplinary team of clinicians, we are reimagining the way people with developmental disabilities and their families experience healthcare. Catalights goal is to ensure that individuals and families receive timely access to evidence-based treatment, including naturalistic developmental and language-based services, applied behavior analysis, occupational therapy and speech therapy. Contact: Keith Ferguson Catalight Director of Communications and Marketing keith.ferguson@catalight.com 925-532-9615 Attachment The annual general meeting of Fly Play hf. will commence at 16:00 (GMT) on 21 March 2024, and will be held at Setri, Grand Hotel, Reykjavik. Agenda: Report of the Board of Directors for the operational year 2023. Approval of the annual accounts for the operational year 2023. Voting on the handling of financial results for 2023. Election to the Board of Directors. Election of auditor or audit firm. Election of an external member of the Companys Audit Committee. Decision on the payments to the Board of Directors, alternate directors, and subcommittee members. Proposal for the Company's remuneration policy. Proposal for a share-based incentive plan and a proposal for the amendment of the Articles of Association to grant the Board of Directors the authority to increase the Companys share capital in relation to such an incentive plan. Proposal for the amendment of the Articles of Association to grant the Board of Directors the authority to increase the Companys share capital, in connection with a private placement, as has been announced. Proposal for the amendment of the Articles of Association to grant the Board of Directors the authority to increase the Companys share capital, in connection with potential strategic opportunities. Proposal for the amendment of the Articles of Association. Any other matter lawfully proposed. Participation will be limited to those in attendance. Rules relating to participation and voting at the meeting One vote is attached to each ISK 1 of share capital. The simple majority of votes will decide issues at shareholders meetings unless otherwise required under Icelandic law or the Articles of Association. Shareholders who will not attend the meeting can vote on relevant agenda items via letter vote. A request for a letter vote shall be submitted no later than five days before the annual general meeting, to legal@flyplay.com. Shareholders have the right to propose matters to be added to the agenda and submit resolutions. A request thereof shall include reasoning for the relevant matter and a draft resolution and shall be submitted no later than at 12:00 (GMT) on 7 March 2024. A shareholder can grant a dated and written proxy. A proxy cannot be valid for more than one year. A proxy can be revoked at any time. A duly completed proxy shall be delivered to the Company before the annual general meeting commences. Proxy forms are available on the Companys website. Other information A final agenda, proposals of the board of directors, and meeting materials will be published no later than 7 March 2024 on the Companys website: https://www.flyplay.com/corporate-governance. Meeting materials will also be available at the Companys headquarters at Suurlandsbraut 14, 108 Reykjavik, on weekdays between 9:00 (GMT) and 16:00 (GMT). Should any proposals be submitted by shareholders, they will be published at least three days before the annual general meeting, along with an updated agenda. According to Art. 63(a) of Act. No. 2/1995 on Public Limited Liability Companies candidacies for the board of directors shall be announced in writing at least five days before the annual general meeting, or before 16:00 (GMT) on 16 March 2024. Information on candidates will be published no later than 2 days before the annual general meeting. Meeting materials will be available at the location of the meeting from 15:00 (GMT) on the date of the annual general meeting. Reykjavik, 29 February 2024 The Board of Directors of Fly Play hf. Attachments Covina, Feb. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to the recent research study, the Telehealth Market size was valued at about USD 105.5 billion in 2024 and expected to grow at CAGR of 23.7% to extend a value of USD 888.1 billion by 2034. What is Telehealth? Market Overview: Telehealth, also known as telemedicine, refers to the delivery of healthcare services, including diagnosis, consultation, treatment, and monitoring, remotely using telecommunications technology. Key aspects and trends related to telehealth: Remote Consultations: Telehealth allows patients to consult with healthcare providers remotely, eliminating the need for in-person visits to medical facilities. Patients can receive medical advice, prescriptions, and treatment recommendations from the comfort of their homes, reducing travel time, expenses, and inconvenience associated with traditional healthcare visits. Telehealth allows patients to consult with healthcare providers remotely, eliminating the need for in-person visits to medical facilities. Patients can receive medical advice, prescriptions, and treatment recommendations from the comfort of their homes, reducing travel time, expenses, and inconvenience associated with traditional healthcare visits. Virtual Visits: Telehealth platforms enable virtual visits between patients and healthcare providers, facilitating real-time communication and interaction through video conferencing or teleconferencing tools. Telehealth platforms enable virtual visits between patients and healthcare providers, facilitating real-time communication and interaction through video conferencing or teleconferencing tools. Remote Monitoring: Telehealth technologies support remote monitoring of patients' vital signs, health metrics, and chronic conditions using connected medical devices, wearable sensors, and mobile health apps. Telehealth technologies support remote monitoring of patients' vital signs, health metrics, and chronic conditions using connected medical devices, wearable sensors, and mobile health apps. Behavioral Health Services: Telehealth platforms provide access to mental health and behavioral health services, including therapy, counseling, and psychiatric consultations, remotely. Get Access to Free Sample Research Report with Latest Industry Insights: https://www.prophecymarketinsights.com/market_insight/Insight/request-sample/3828 *Note: PMI Sample Report includes, Overview & introduction of market study Revenue and CAGR of market Drivers & Restrains factors of market Major key players in market Regional analysis of the market with a detailed graph Detailed segmentation in tabular form of market Recent development/news of market Opportunities & Challenges of Market Top Leading Players in Telehealth Market: Medtronic Cerner Corporation Tunstall Healthcare AMD Global Telemedicine, Inc. Philips Healthcare Cisco Systems, Inc. Aerotel Medical Systems Ltd. Honeywell Life Care Solutions Medvivo Group Ltd. American Well. Market Dynamics: Driving Factors: The growing demand for convenient and accessible healthcare services, especially in remote or underserved areas, is a major driver of the telehealth market. Telehealth enables patients to consult with healthcare providers remotely, reducing travel time, eliminating geographical barriers, and improving access to care for individuals living in rural or isolated communities. Ongoing advancements in telecommunication technology, including high-speed internet connectivity, mobile devices, and video conferencing platforms, have made telehealth more feasible and user-friendly. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of telehealth as a means of delivering healthcare services while minimizing the risk of virus transmission. The aging population and the rising prevalence of chronic diseases drive the demand for telehealth services, particularly for managing long-term health conditions and providing continuous care to elderly patients. Telehealth addresses disparities in healthcare access by providing virtual consultations and specialist services to underserved populations, including rural communities, low-income individuals, and individuals with mobility limitations. Restrain Factors: Digital Divide and Access Disparities Regulatory and Legal Barriers Privacy and Security Concerns Emerging Trends and Opportunities in Telehealth Market: Telehealth is evolving beyond traditional video consultations to encompass a broader range of virtual care services, including remote monitoring, telemedicine visits, e-visits, and asynchronous communication. The expansion of virtual care services enables healthcare providers to deliver more comprehensive and convenient care to patients across diverse clinical specialties and care settings. AI and ML technologies are increasingly being integrated into telehealth platforms to enhance diagnostic accuracy, personalize treatment plans, and automate administrative tasks. Remote patient monitoring solutions enable continuous monitoring of patients' health metrics, vital signs, and chronic conditions outside traditional healthcare settings. Telepsychiatry platforms connect patients with licensed mental health professionals, therapists, and counselors remotely, providing timely access to mental health support, counseling, and therapy sessions from the privacy and comfort of home. Telehealth enables rapid diagnosis and treatment of acute medical conditions such as stroke and cardiac emergencies through telestroke and telecardiology programs. Download PDF Brochure: https://www.prophecymarketinsights.com/market_insight/Insight/request-pdf/3828 Challenges of Telehealth Market: Disparities in access to technology and internet connectivity create barriers to telehealth adoption, particularly among underserved populations, rural communities, and low-income individuals. The digital divide limits access to telehealth services and exacerbates healthcare inequalities, widening disparities in healthcare access and outcomes. Data privacy, security, and confidentiality concerns present significant challenges for telehealth adoption and acceptance among patients, healthcare providers, and regulatory authorities. Technological barriers, including interoperability issues, compatibility challenges, and inadequate infrastructure, hinder the seamless integration and deployment of telehealth solutions. Resistance to change and cultural barriers within healthcare organizations, including resistance from healthcare providers, administrators, and staff, may impede the adoption and implementation of telehealth initiatives. Detailed Segmentation: Telehealth Market, By Product: Integrated Standalone Telehealth Market, By Type: Software Hardware Services Telehealth Market, By Mode: On-premise Cloud-based Web-based Telehealth Market, By End-User: Patients Payers Healthcare providers Telehealth Market, By Region: North America U.S. Canada Europe Germany UK France Russia Italy Rest of Europe Asia Pacific China India Japan South Korea Rest of Asia Pacific Latin America Brazil Mexico Rest of Latin America Middle East & Africa GCC Israel South Africa Rest of Middle East & Africa Regional Analysis: Regional insights highlight the diverse market dynamics, regulatory landscapes, and growth drivers shaping the Telehealth Market across different geographic areas. Understanding regional nuances and market trends is essential for stakeholders to capitalize on emerging opportunities and drive market expansion in the Telehealth sector. North America market is estimated to witness the fastest share over the forecast period due to the presence of advanced medical services and increasing government initiatives for creating awareness about telehealth in the region. Report scope: Attribute Details Market Size 2024 US$ 105.5 billion Projected Market Size 2034 US$ 888.1 billion CAGR Growth Rate 23.70% Base year for estimation 2023 Forecast period 2024 2034 Market representation Revenue in USD Million & CAGR from 2024 to 2034 Market Segmentation By Product - Integrated and Standalone By Type - Software, Hardware, and Services By Mode - On-premise, Cloud-based and Web-based By End User - Patients, Payers, and Healthcare providers Regional scope North America - U.S., Canada Europe - UK, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Russia, Rest of Europe Asia Pacific - Japan, India, China, South Korea, Australia, Rest of Asia-Pacific Latin America - Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Rest of Latin America Middle East & Africa - South Africa, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Rest of Middle East & Africa Report coverage Revenue forecast, company share, competitive landscape, growth factors, and trends Key highlights of the Telehealth Market: The telehealth market is experiencing rapid growth, driven by the increasing demand for virtual healthcare services, advancements in telecommunication technology, and the need for remote access to healthcare amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Telehealth services are expanding beyond traditional video consultations to encompass a broader range of virtual care services, including remote monitoring, telemedicine visits, e-visits, and asynchronous communication, catering to diverse healthcare needs and specialties. Telehealth improves access to healthcare services by overcoming geographical barriers, reducing travel time, and providing convenient access to care for patients in remote or underserved areas, enhancing healthcare access and equity. Ongoing advancements in telecommunication technology, remote monitoring devices, telemedicine platforms, and digital health tools are driving innovation in the telehealth market, enabling more seamless and interactive virtual care experiences for patients and healthcare providers. Consumer acceptance and adoption of telehealth services are increasing, driven by changing healthcare preferences, digital literacy, and the convenience and accessibility of virtual care options, leading to greater utilization of telehealth services for routine and specialty care needs. Any query or customization before buying: https://www.prophecymarketinsights.com/market_insight/Insight/request-customization/3828 Browse More Research Reports: Blog: www.prophecyjournals.com Follow us on: LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook |YouTube Consolidated EBITDA in 2023 closed at 350.5 million pesos, reporting a sales margin of over 27.0%. The company increased its revenues by 200% over the previous year, reporting a consolidated revenue for 2023 of 1,279.3 million MXN. The value of fixed assets as of December 31, 2023 was 5,408.5 million MXN, reflecting an increase of 4,174.3 million MXN versus 2022, mainly as a result of the acquisition operations carried out during 2023. Cox Energy at the close of 2023 had an advanced pipeline totaling 3.3GW of energy, with 57 projects in different stages of development, construction and operation, including 5 projects in operation totaling 383MW. MEXICO CITY, Feb. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cox Energy, Coxabengoa's energy division, recorded a 200% increase in revenues during 2023 compared to the previous year. This increase in the company's revenues was mainly due to the incorporation of the assets of Coxabengoa Infraestructuras Energia, which were only consolidated for one month of the year, as well as the 3 months of consolidation of Cox Energy Europe. In addition, energy trading revenues in Mexico grew by 25% during the year, contributing to the increase in consolidated revenues. With these results, the Company exceeds its 2023 targets, reaffirming its commitment to growth and value generation. EBITDA for the twelve months of 2023 was 350.5 million MXN, which includes the positive effect of the integration of Abengoa's energy assets, as well as the contribution of what was generated by the European platform and the trading and self-consumption business. During the twelve months of 2023, a net loss of 83.9 million MXN was recorded for accounting purposes, mainly as a result of the recording of an extraordinary accounting effect due to the impairment of intangibles. However, without considering this extraordinary effect, the account for the period would have recorded an adjusted net income of 56.2 million MXN. The value of fixed assets as of December 31, 2023 was 5,408.5 million MXN, an increase of 4,174.3 million MXN versus 2022, mainly as a result of the acquisition of Abengoa's energy assets, including the operating assets in Brazil and Algeria, and the incorporation of the assets of the European platform, which include the trading company in Spain and the 40% stake in Ibox Energy, a developer of photovoltaic projects in Spain. Cox Energy's CEO, Jose Antonio Hurtado de Mendoza, noted that "2023 was a year of transformation marked by several milestones: The integration of Cox Energy's European platform and the acquisition of CA Infraestructuras which includes Abengoa's energy production assets." Hurtado de Mendoza also stated, "During 2023 we increased our operations by participating in public tenders and long-term strategic agreements, which allowed us to achieve extraordinary financial results, with record growth in revenues and EBITDA, thus exceeding the established objectives." Cox Energy has an advanced pipeline of projects totaling 3,3GW of power in different stages of development, construction and operation, including two assets in operation from Abengoa's energy portfolio totaling 220 MW, Abengoa Bioenergia Brasil, which operates a 70 MW bioethanol cogeneration plant in Brazil, and a 150 MW hybrid combined cycle plant with solar thermal technology for power generation in Algeria. In addition, in 2023, it commissioned the La Meseta de los Andes solar plant in Valparaiso (Chile) with a capacity of 160 MW and started operations of the portfolio of PMGDs in Chile, totaling 42 MW. Cox Energy is present in the entire value chain: from project development, financing, procurement of materials, operation and maintenance, to asset management, energy supply, self-consumption and now also the engineering and construction of the plants. Toronto, February 28, 2024 - Avalon Advanced Materials Inc. (TSX: AVL) (OTCQB: AVLNF) ("Avalon" or the "Company") announces the results of its 2024 Annual and Special Meeting of Shareholders held in Toronto, Ontario on February 27, 2024 (the "Meeting"). At the Meeting, all eight director nominees listed in the Company's information circular dated January 9, 2024 were elected as directors of the Company. The detailed results of the vote are as follows: Director Number of Votes Cast Percentage of Votes Cast Alan Ferry For: 168,362,630 97.450% Against: 4,405,715 2.550 % Timothy Haig For: 168,777,567 97.690% Against: 3,990,778 2.310% Jan Holland For: 168,669,939 97.628% Against: 4,098,406 2.372% Naomi Johnson For: 166,923,113 96.617% Against: 5,845,232 3.383% Alec Kodatsky For: 168,639,607 97.610% Against: 4,128,738 2.390% Benny Loix For: 168,588,301 97.581% Against: 4,180,044 2.419% Scott Monteith For: 168,688,470 97.639% Against: 4,079,875 2.361% Harvey L. A. Yesno For: 168,494,329 97.526% Against: 4,274,016 2.474% At the Meeting, shareholders also re-appointed Ernst & Young LLP as auditors of the Company and approved an amendment to the Company's Deferred Share Unit Plan. About Avalon Advanced Materials Inc. Avalon Advanced Materials Inc. is a Canadian advanced manufacturing company focused on vertically integrating the Ontario lithium supply chain. The Company, through its joint venture with SCR-Sibelco NV, is currently developing its Separation Rapids lithium deposit near Kenora, ON, while also continuing to advance the Snowbank lithium and Lilypad lithium-caesium projects. Avalon is also working to develop its Nechalacho rare earths and zirconium project located in the Northwest Territories. This deposit contains critical minerals for use in advanced technologies in the communications and defense industries among other sectors. In addition to these upstream activities, Avalon is executing on a key initiative to develop Ontario's first midstream lithium hydroxide processing facility in Thunder Bay, ON, a vital link bridging the lithium resources of the north with the downstream EV battery manufacturing base in the south. For more information and media inquiries, contact Zeeshan Syed, President, Avalon Advanced Materials Inc., at 416-364-4938 or IR@AvalonAM.com. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/199749 VANCOUVER, Feb. 28, 2024 - TSX VENTURE COMPANIES BULLETIN V2024-0627 iMetal Resources Inc. ("IMR") BULLETIN TYPE: Consolidation BULLETIN DATE: February 28, 2024 TSX Venture Tier 2 Company Pursuant to a resolution passed by directors on February 21, 2024, the Company has consolidated its capital on a (10) ten old for (1) one new basis. The name of the Company has not been changed. Effective at the opening March 1, 2024, the common shares of iMetal Resources Inc. will commence trading on TSX Venture Exchange on a consolidated basis. The Company is classified as a 'Mining' company. Post - Consolidation Capitalization: Unlimited shares with no par value of which 5,608,006 shares are issued and outstanding Escrow: Nil shares subject to escrow Transfer Agent: Computershare Trust Company of Canada Trading Symbol: IMR (UNCHANGED) CUSIP Number: 45250A406 (new) _______________________________________ BULLETIN V2024-0628 MINEHUB TECHNOLOGIES INC. ("MHUB") BULLETIN TYPE: Consolidation BULLETIN DATE: February 28, 2024 TSX Venture Tier 2 Company Pursuant to a directors' resolution passed on December 28, 2023, the Company has consolidated its capital on two (2) old for one (1) new basis. The name of the Company has not been changed. Effective at the opening on Friday, March 1, 2024, the common shares of Minehub Technologies Inc. will commence trading on the TSX Venture Exchange on a consolidated basis. The Company is classified as a 'Technology' Company. Post - Consolidation Capitalization: UNLIMITED shares with no par value of which 68,134,675 shares are issued and outstanding Escrow: 2,103,543 shares are subject to escrow Transfer Agent: Odyssey Trust Company Trading Symbol: MHUB (Unchanged) CUSIP Number: 60273M204 (new) _______________________________________ BULLETIN V2024-0629 SINTANA ENERGY INC. ("SEI.WT") BULLETIN TYPE: Warrant Expiry-Delist BULLETIN DATE: February 28, 2024 TSX Venture Tier 2 Company Effective at the opening, March 6, 2024, the Share Purchase Warrants of the Company will trade for cash. The Warrants expire March 8, 2024 and will therefore be halted at Noon E.T. and delisted at the close of business March 8, 2024. TRADE DATES March 6, 2024 - TO SETTLE - March 7, 2024 March 7, 2024 - TO SETTLE - March 8, 2024 March 8, 2024 - TO SETTLE - March 8, 2024 The above is in compliance with Trading Rule C.2.18 - Expiry Date: Trading in the warrants shall be for cash for the two trading days preceding the expiry date and cash same day on expiry date. On the expiry date, trading shall cease at 12 o'clock noon E.T. and no transactions shall take place thereafter except with permission of the Exchange. _______________________________________ BULLETIN V2024-0630 Sterling Metals Corp. ("SAG") BULLETIN TYPE: Resume Trading BULLETIN DATE: February 28, 2024 TSX Venture Tier 2 Company Further to TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange") Bulletin dated February 14, 2024, trading in the securities of Sterling Metals Corp. (the "Company") will resume at the opening on Friday, March 1, 2024. This resumption of trading does not constitute acceptance of the Company's Reviewable Transaction announced by press releases dated February 14, 2024 and February 27, 2024, and should not be construed as an assurance of the merits of the transaction or the likelihood of completion. The Company is required to submit all of the required documentation relating to the transaction. IF THIS DOCUMENTATION IS NOT PROVIDED, OR IS INSUFFICIENT, A TRADING HALT MAY BE RE-IMPOSED. Completion of the transaction is subject to a number of conditions, including but not limited to, Exchange's acceptance. There is a risk that the transaction will not be accepted or that the terms of the transaction may change substantially prior to acceptance. SHOULD THIS OCCUR, A TRADING HALT MAY BE RE-IMPOSED. _______________________________________ 24/02/28 - TSX Venture Exchange Bulletins TSX VENTURE COMPANIES BULLETIN V2024-0631 ANFIELD ENERGY INC. ("AEC") BULLETIN TYPE: Shares for Bonuses BULLETIN DATE: February 28, 2024 TSX Venture Tier 2 Company TSX Venture Exchange has accepted for filing the Company's proposal to issue 42,105,263 warrants, with each warrant entitling the holder to acquire one common share of the Company at an exercise price of $0.095 until October 6, 2028, to an arm's length party (the "Lender") in consideration of a secured credit facility of $4,300,000 (the "Facility"). The Facility bears an interest of SOFR plus 5% per annum and has a maturity date of October 6, 2028. The Company may elect to capitalize the interest payable on the Facility semi-annually, in arrears, at a rate of SOFR plus 7%. The Facility will have an original issue discount of 7%. The Company also paid an arrangement fee of $100,000 to the Lender for the Facility. The Company also issued 1,158,301 shares, at a deemed price of $0.0777 per share, and paid a cash fee of $90,000 to an arm's length financial adviser in relation to the Facility. For additional details, please refer to the Company's news releases dated September 27, 2023 and October 6, 2023. _______________________________________ BULLETIN V2024-0632 enCore Energy Corp. ("EU") BULLETIN TYPE: Property-Asset or Share Disposition Agreement, Private Placement Non-Brokered. BULLETIN DATE: February 28, 2024 TSX Venture Tier 1 Company Disposition: TSX Venture Exchange has accepted for filing documentation with respect to the arm's length disposition of a 30% interest in the Alta Mesa project located in Texas. Consideration is US$60,000,000. Private Placement: TSX Venture Exchange has accepted for filing documentation with respect to a Non-Brokered Private Placement announced on December 6, 2023: Number of Shares: 2,564,102 shares Purchase Price: $5.27 per share Number of Placees: 1 placee Insider / Pro Group Participation: Placees # of Placee (s) Aggregate # of Shares Aggregate Existing Insider Involvement: N/A N/A Aggregate Pro Group Involvement: N/A N/A Aggregate Cash Amount Aggregate # of Shares Aggregate # of Warrants Finder's Fee: N/A N/A N/A For further details, please refer to the Company's news releases dated December 6, 2023, and February 26, 2024. _______________________________________ BULLETIN V2024-0633 Harvest Gold Corp. ("HVG") BULLETIN TYPE: Property-Asset or Share Purchase Agreement BULLETIN DATE: February 28, 2024 TSX Venture Tier 2 Company TSX Venture Exchange has accepted for filing documentation with respect to the arm's length acquisition of a 100% interest in the Urban Barry Property located in the James Bay/Abitibi region of Quebec. Consideration is $90,000 cash, 2,750,000 common shares and $300,000 exploration expenditures. The vendor retains a 2% NSR, with the company having the option to repurchase 1% at any time for $1,000,000. For further details, please refer to the Company's news release dated December 19, 2023. _______________________________________ BULLETIN V2024-0634 MOON RIVER CAPITAL LTD. ("MOO") BULLETIN TYPE: Halt BULLETIN DATE: February 28, 2024 TSX Venture Tier 2 Company Effective at 1:58 p.m. PST, Feb. 27, 2024, trading in the shares of the Company was halted, pending news; this regulatory halt is imposed by Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada, the Market Regulator of the Exchange pursuant to the provisions of Section 10.9(1) of the Universal Market Integrity Rules. _______________________________________ BULLETIN V2024-0635 MOON RIVER CAPITAL LTD. ("MOO") BULLETIN TYPE: Resume Trading BULLETIN DATE: February 28, 2024 TSX Venture Tier 2 Company Effective at 7:00 a.m. PST, Feb. 28, 2024, shares of the Company resumed trading, an announcement having been made. _______________________________________ BULLETIN V2024-0636 NICAN LIMITED ("NICN") BULLETIN TYPE: Private Placement - Brokered BULLETIN DATE: February 28, 2024 TSX Venture Tier 2 Company TSX Venture Exchange has accepted for filing documentation with respect to a Brokered Private Placement announced February 2, 2024: Number of Shares: 8,400,000 Flow-Through Common Shares ("FT Shares"). 3,600,000 Common Shares ("Shares"). Purchase Price: $0.175 per FT Share and $0.10 per Share. Warrants: NA Warrant Price: N/A Number of Placees: 8 placees Insider / Pro Group Participation: Placees # of Placee (s) Aggregate # of FT Shares / Shares Aggregate Existing Insider Involvement: N/A N/A Aggregate Pro Group Involvement: N/A N/A Aggregate Cash Amount Aggregate # of Shares Aggregate # of Warrants Finder's Fee: $128,100 N/A 840,000 Finder's Warrants Terms: Each Finder's Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one Common Share at the price of $0.10 for a period of 2 years from the date of issuance. The Company issued a news release on February 23, 2024 confirming closing of the private placement. _______________________________________ BULLETIN V2024-0637 PETRO-VICTORY ENERGY CORP. ("VRY") BULLETIN TYPE: Private Placement-Non-Brokered BULLETIN DATE: February 28, 2024 TSX Venture Tier 2 Company TSX Venture Exchange has accepted for filing documentation with respect to a Non-Brokered Private Placement announced on December 19, 2023 and February 14, 2024: Number of Shares: 1,205,350 units Purchase Price: $3.00 per unit Warrants: 1,205,350 share purchase warrants to purchase 1,205,350 shares Warrant Exercise Price: $4.00 for a one year period Number of Placees: 12 placees Insider / Pro Group Participation: Placees # of Placee (s) Aggregate # of Units Aggregate Existing Insider Involvement: 1 33,750 Aggregate Pro Group Involvement: N/A N/A Aggregate Cash Amount Aggregate # of Shares Aggregate # of Warrants Finder's Fee: N/A N/A N/A Finder's Warrants Terms: N/A The Company issued a news release on February 28, 2024 confirming closing of the private placement. Note that in certain circumstances the Exchange may later extend the expiry date of the warrants, if they are less than the maximum permitted term. _______________________________________ BULLETIN V2024-0638 PETRO-VICTORY ENERGY CORP. ("VRY") BULLETIN TYPE: Warrant Term Extension BULLETIN DATE: February 28, 2024 TSX Venture Tier 2 Company TSX Venture Exchange has consented to the extension in the expiry date of the following warrants: Number of Warrants: 1,851,960 Original Expiry Date of Warrants: March 28, 2024 New Expiry Date of Warrants: March 28, 2025 Exercise Price of Warrants: $4.00 These warrants were issued pursuant to a private placement of 1,851,960 common shares with 1,851,960 share purchase warrants attached, which was accepted for filing by the Exchange effective April 4, 2023. _______________________________________ SOURCE TSX Venture Exchange TORONTO, Feb. 29, 2024 - Montero Mining and Exploration Ltd. (TSX-V: MON) ("Montero" or the "Corporation") announces that it has completed a debt settlement transaction (the "Debt Settlement") with Dr. Antony Harwood, the Corporation's CEO and certain other creditors, in consideration for the issuance of 1,300,813 common shares of the Corporation (the "Settlement Shares") at a deemed price of CAD$0.15375 per Settlement Share (the "Debt Settlement"), as previously announced on December 29, 2023. The Corporation settled aggregate debt of CAD$200,000 (the "Debt") pertaining to expenses accruing since 2021. The Corporation issued the Settlement Shares to settle the Debt in order to preserve cash for general working capital purposes. Dr. Harwood is an insider of the Corporation, was issued 905,849 Settlement Shares pursuant to the Debt Settlement, and accordingly, the Debt Settlement is considered a "related party transaction" within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transaction ("MI 61-101"). The Corporation relied on the exemptions from the requirement for a formal valuation and minority shareholder approval under MI 61-101 on the basis of the exemptions contained in section 5.5(1)(a) and section 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101, as the fair market value of the Settlement Shares issued to Dr. Harwood in connection with the Debt Settlement did not exceed 25% of the Corporation's market capitalization. The Debt Settlement was approved by all of the independent directors of the Corporation. The Settlement Shares issued pursuant to the Debt Settlement are subject to a four month and one day hold period, which will expire on June 29, 2024. About Montero Montero is currently in arbitration proceedings before the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes seeking in excess of $90 million in damages from the United Republic of Tanzania over the expropriation of the Wigu Hill rare earth element project. Montero is also seeking a joint venture partner to advance its Avispa copper-molybdenum project in Chile. Montero's board of directors and management have an impressive track record of successfully discovering and advancing precious metal and copper projects. Montero trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol MON and has 45,281,295 shares outstanding. For more information, contact: Montero Mining and Exploration Ltd. Dr. Tony (Antony) Harwood, President and Chief Executive Officer E-mail: ir@monteromining.com Tel: +1 604 428 7050 www.monteromining.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. CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION: This news release includes certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements, projections and estimates with respect to the Debt Settlement, including the final approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. 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 state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". Such information is based on information currently available to Montero and Montero provides no assurance that actual results will meet management's expectations. Forward-looking information by its very nature involves inherent risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance, or achievements of Montero to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Actual results relating to, among other things, results of exploration, project development, reclamation and capital costs of Montero's mineral properties, and financial condition and prospects, could differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements for many reasons such as: an inability to complete the agreement on the terms as announced or at all; changes in general economic conditions and conditions in the financial markets; changes in demand and prices for minerals; litigation, legislative, environmental and other judicial, regulatory, political and competitive developments; technological and operational difficulties encountered in connection with Montero's activities; and other matters discussed in this news release and in filings made with securities regulators. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of Montero's forward-looking statements. These and other factors should be considered carefully and accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Montero does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. ?? El #Minsa lidero la reunion del Grupo de Trabajo de Salud del Foro #APEC2024, que tiene como objetivo fortalecer la salud y el bienestar de las poblaciones de las 21 economias miembros del Asia - Pacifico. ???? El #Peru informo sobre el trabajo del sistema de cobertura integral pic.twitter.com/uDVm3SEnN8 /NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION, DISTRIBUTION OR DISSEMINATION DIRECTLY, OR INDIRECTLY, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES./ VANCOUVER, BC and HOUSTON, Feb. 29, 2024 /CNW/ - International Battery Metals Ltd. ("IBAT" or the "Company") (CSE: IBAT), is pleased to announce that it has completed its previously announced (February 22, 2024) initial private placement financing with EV Metals VI LLC ("EV Metals"), in which it issued 2,702,400 units of the Company ("Units") at a price of C$1.00 per Unit, for gross proceeds of USD$2 million (the "Initial Closing"). Each Unit consists of one common share in the capital of the Company (a "Common Share") and one Common Share purchase warrant (a "Warrant"). Each Warrant entitles the holder to acquire one additional Common Share (each, a "Warrant Share") at an exercise price of C$1.25 per Warrant Share, until March 1, 2026. The proceeds from the Initial Closing will be used by the Company to fund its current obligations for the deployment of its modular direct lithium extraction plant in the western United States as previously announced on January 11, 2024. The Initial Closing forms part of a larger contemplated offering of up to USD$20 million, pursuant to the terms of a binding term sheet entered into with EV Metals (the "Strategic Offering"). Concurrently with completing the Initial Closing, the Company entered into an investor rights agreement with EV Metals. The securities issued under the Initial Closing are subject to a statutory hold period of four months from the date of issuance under Canadian Securities laws and will be restricted securities under the United States Securities Act of 1933. About International Battery Metals Ltd. The Company's direct lithium extraction technology is based on proprietary lithium extraction housed in patented extraction towers that are enclosed in a modular, shippable platform able to be loaded and brought into production within 10 days of arrival on a customer site. Utilizing the patented technology, the Company's focus has been on advanced extraction of lithium chloride from ground water salt brine deposits and returning the same water to the subsurface aquifer from which it is extracted. The Company's unique patented technology ensures faster delivery of lithium chloride while ensuring minimal environmental impact. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD "Garry Flowers"' "Libor Michel" Garry Flowers, Co-CEO Libor Michel, Co-CEO Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This press release contains certain information that may constitute "forward-looking information "under applicable Canadian securities legislation. This forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements relating to the expected use of proceeds from the Initial Closing, and statements about plans of the Company and EV Metals to complete additional private placement closings pursuant to the Strategic Offering. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause IBAT's actual results, performance, achievements, and future events to be materially different from the results, performance, achievement, or future events expressed or implied therein. Factors that could affect the outcome include, among others: failure to complete additional closings under the Strategic Offering, future prices and the supply of metals, the future demand for metals, inability to raise the money necessary to incur the expenditures required to advance the Company's business strategies and objectives, general business, economic, competitive, political, and social uncertainties, results relating to its extraction technologies, failure to obtain regulatory or shareholder approvals (if required). 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 information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward looking information. All forward-looking information contained in this press release is given as of the date hereof and is based upon the opinions and estimates of management and information available to management as at the date hereof. IBAT disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether because of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. SOURCE International Battery Metals Ltd. Key Highlights: Pancake Creek - Golden Shield intersects 90m shear zone in the second of three diamond drillholes at Pancake Creek. Mazoa Hill - Golden Shield intersects 15 m at 1.40 g/t Au from 14.5 m depth and 16 m at 1.01 g/t Au Incl. 8 m at 1.23 g/t Au from 71 m depth in initial drill results from the first 100 m of hole MH-24-40. Golden Shield has now drilled 1336m in 6 drillholes at the Marudi Mountain property in 2024. VANCOUVER, Feb. 29, 2024 - Golden Shield Resources Inc. (CSE: GSRI) (OTCQB: GSRFF) (FRA: 4LE0) (the "Company" or "Golden Shield") is pleased to report positive drill results and provide an initial update on the ongoing diamond drill program occurring at the company's flagship Marudi Mountain Property ("Marudi" or the "Property"). The Company intersected a 90m shear zone with a chlorite-pyrite-pyrrhotite assemblage that is seen to host gold in the FQ unit, in hole PAN-24-42 at the Pancake Creek target. Assays from the hole are currently in process. Initial results for the top 100m of the first deep drillhole at Mazoa Hill MH-24-040, have now been returned with >300 m of results still pending. Results from hole MH-24-40 yielded multiple high-grade gold intercepts across two double digit intervals. Hole MH-24-40 was designed to test the vertical extent of the steeply dipping ore shoot at Mazoa Hill. Unfortunately, the hole had to be abandoned at 417 m due to excessive deviation (See February 1st News Release). Results are also pending from 5 holes drilled at the Pancake/Locust Creek prospects. Mazoa Hill Results Hole MH-24-40 was designed to test the deep extension, and ore grade controls of the steeply dipping oreshoot at the Mazoa Hill deposit. The initial top 100 m of MH-24-40 have now been received (Table 1). The first 100 m of MH-24-40 displayed consistent FQ lithology (the host of gold mineralization on the Marudi Mountain property), with a brief interval of saprolite (Figure 1 & 2). The FQ continued downhole to 180 m depth where the FQ became intercalated with the metavolcanic host rock. The FQ lithology then returned at a depth of 205 m. The FQ continued to be encountered, uninterrupted, until 366.7 m. After 366.7 m, the drill entered the metavolcanic host rock. The drill continued for an additional 50 m, but the hole was shut down when the drill failed to intersect any further favorable FQ lithology. Table 1. Drill Results from hole MH-24-40 Drillhole Depth of Hole (meters) Azimuth (degrees) Dip (degrees) From (m) To Interval Au (g/t) MH-24-40 417 118 56.5 14.5 29.5 15 1.40 AND 71 87 16 1.01 INCL. 77 85 8 1.2 The initial results illustrate the mineralization potential of the ore shoot across the Mazoa Hill deposit. This ore shoot displays consistent high-grade gold mineralization in Ferruginous Quartzite (FQ) host rock. Further results are awaited for the additional >300 m interval remaining in hole, MH-24-40. These results will help formulate a greater understanding of the overall controls and metal tenor of the Mazoa Hill deposit. These results will be implemented into an updated mineral resource in late 2024. Exploration Update 1134 m of diamond drilling has now been completed on the Mazoa Hill deposit in six drillholes. Drillhole MH-24-40 was completed at Mazoa Hill; however, the hole had to be abandoned at a depth of 417 m due to excessive deviation. Following this, the drill moved to Pancake and Locust Creek where a total of 5 drillholes were completed (PAN-24-41, PAN-24-42, PAN-24-43, LOC-24-44 and PAN-24-45. The drilling at Pancake Creek intersected a large shear zone, with a chlorite-pyrite-pyrrhotite assemblage that is seen to host gold in the FQ unit; however, the mineralization potential of this area has not been validated at this time as all geochemical results are pending. Quality Assurance All Golden Shield sample assay results have been independently monitored through a quality control / quality assurance ("QA/QC") protocol which includes the insertion of blind standards, blanks as well as pulp and reject duplicate samples. Logging and sampling are completed at Golden Shield's core handling facility located at the Marudi property. Drill core is diamond sawn on site and half drill-core samples are securely transported to Actlabs Guyana Inc ("Actlabs") sample preparation and analysis facility in Georgetown, Guyana. Samples are crushed and pulverised and a 50-gram charge is analysed by Fire Assay with gravimetric finish. Golden Shield is not aware of any drilling, sampling, recovery, or other factors that could materially affect the accuracy or reliability of the data referred to herein. ACTLABS Laboratories is independent of Golden Shield. Qualified Persons Leo Hathaway, P. Geo, Executive Chair of Golden Shield, and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, has reviewed, verified, and approved the scientific and technical information in this news release and has verified the data underlying that scientific and technical information. About Golden Shield Golden Shield Resources is a gold-exploration company centered on its 100% owned project in Guyana, South America, Marudi Mountain. Marudi Mountain, located in southwestern Guyana, covers 5,457 hectares of a greenstone belt assemblage and features an extensive mineralized gold system at the Mazoa Hill Deposit. Golden Shield is led by an experienced management team with a proven track record of discovery globally. Connect with Golden Shield Email | Website | Facebook | LinkedIn | X/Twitter | YouTube | To register for investor updates please visit https://goldenshield.ca This news release includes certain "Forward?Looking Statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and "forward?looking information" under applicable Canadian securities laws. When used in this news release, the words "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "target", "plan", "forecast", "may", "would", "could", "schedule" and similar words or expressions, identify forward?looking statements or information. These forward?looking statements or information relate to, among other things: the exploration and development of the Company's mineral projects; and release of exploration results. Forward?looking statements and forward?looking information relating to any future mineral production, liquidity, enhanced value and capital markets profile of Golden Shield, future growth potential for Golden Shield 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 gold and other metals; no escalation in the severity of the COVID-19 pandemic; costs of exploration and development; the estimated costs of development of exploration projects; Golden Shield's ability to operate in a safe and effective manner and its ability to obtain financing on reasonable terms. These statements reflect Golden Shield'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 Golden Shield 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 mineral exploration activities in Guyana; 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 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 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; and the factors identified in the Company's public disclosure documents available on www.sedar.com. 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. SOURCE Golden Shield Resources Edmonton, February 29, 2024 - Altiplano Metals Inc. (TSXV: APN) (WKN: A2JNFG) ("Altiplano" or the "Company") is pleased to report on Q4 2023 operation results from the Farellon Copper-Gold-Iron (Cu-Au-Fe) mine located near La Serena, Chile. The Company extracted a total of 9,114 tonnes of mineralized Cu-Au material and processed 8,125 tonnes during Q4 2023 at Farellon. This represents a 12% and 13.6% increase respectively from the Q3 production and processing figures. Mine production in Q4 represented the highest quarterly production over the 2024-year period. Copper grade improved in Q4 to 1.87% representing an 8.7% increase from the 1.72% Cu recovered in Q3. Sales of 325,328 pounds of copper in 2023 Q4 generated approximately US$798,919 in revenue (after processing costs), an increase of 25% over the $639,458 revenue figure received in Q3 - an increase related mainly to processing higher Cu grade material. Waste removal decreased 52% to 1,221 tonnes in Q4 2023 as the new 336 m operating level was reached. Work on the advance to the next level at 328m began in late November and is expected to be intersected in April. Level 328 m will bring an additional production level, with mining planned on drifts to the NE and SW direction. President and CEO Alastair McIntyre comments: "In the last two years, Farellon has produced and sold on average approximately 300,000 pounds of copper per quarter and we are pleased to see that we closed out in Q4 2024 well above that average. Copper grades in Q4 also came in above our overall 1.8% average at 1.87%, which is an excellent achievement considering global grades of copper average 0.5% copper. Production increases and recovery of high-grade copper, combined with the benefits of the reduction in processing and transportation costs at the El Penon processing plan, will drive the operation success at APN in 2024." At the end of December 2023, the Company had 540 tonnes in stockpiles at the Farellon site and a total of 1,555 tonnes of stockpiles at the El Penon mill site. An additional 8,381 tonnes of lower-grade material are stockpiled at Farellon site and ready to be shipped for processing at the El Penon facility over the next several months. This stockpile will be blended with newly mined material to optimize processing efficiencies. In addition, the Company currently has 1,314 tonnes of material in process with third party processors. This material will be processed for copper sales and the revenue will be realized in the coming months. Figure 1. Quarterly Review of US$ Revenue and Copper Pounds Sold Period Mined USD Revenue* Cu Pounds Sold Copper Grade Q1 2022 9,843 $908,419 295,199 2.06% Q2 2022 10,742 $967,685 310,062 1.96% Q3 2022 13,440 $692,731 297,403 1.87% Q4 2022 11,340 $691,103 295,397 2.05% Q1 2023 7,675 $822,764 307,104 1.90% Q2 2023 8,315 $745,162 294,162 1.75% Q3 2023 8,116 $639,458 263,232 1.72% Q4 2024 9,114 $798,919 325,358 1.87% * After processing costs Figure 2. Mined, Processed, Waste Removed and Cu Grade by Quarter 2021-2023 To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4303/199840_altiplanoimage1.jpg Figure 3. Processed Material, Income vs. Mining Costs by Quarter 2021-2023 To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4303/199840_altiplanoimage2.jpg Figure 4. Chalcopyrite with Bornite in Stockpiles. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4303/199840_49c55a7d3413baf5_003full.jpg Figure 5. Bench Mining on Floors and Roofs in the 336m North Mining Area To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4303/199840_49c55a7d3413baf5_004full.jpg Altiplano has generated over US$14.2 million from the recovery and sale (after processing costs) of more than 6.25 million pounds of copper with an average grade of 1.8% Cu (2018 Q1-2023 Q4). Cash flow has been re-invested into equipment, underground drilling, expanding underground development at Farellon, enhancing ventilation to increase productivity and capacity, new underground development and exploration, and the start-up of the El Penon fit-for-purpose mill and flotation plant located 15 km from the Farellon site. About Altiplano Altiplano Metals is a growing gold, silver, and copper company focused on the Americas. The Company has a diversified portfolio of assets that include an operating copper/gold/iron mine and a state-of-the-art operating copper/gold and iron processing facility in the final stages of completion. Altiplano is focused on creating long-term stakeholder value through developing safe and sustainable production, reinvesting into exploration, and pursuing acquisition opportunities to complement its existing portfolio. Management has a substantial record of success in capitalizing on opportunity, overcoming challenges and building shareholder value. Altiplano trades on the TSX.V under the symbol APN and the Frankfurt Exchange under the symbol A2JNFG. John Williamson, B.Sc., P.Geol., a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101, has reviewed, and approved the technical contents of this document. Altiplano is part of the Metals Group of Companies, led by a dynamic group of resource sector professionals with a long record of success in evaluating and advancing mining projects from exploration through to production, attracting capital, and overcoming adversity to deliver exceptional shareholder value. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD /s/ "John Williamson" Chairman For further information, please contact: Alastair McIntyre, CEO alastairm@apnmetals.com Tel: (416) 434 3799 Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the (TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address exploration drilling, exploitation activities and events or developments that the Company expects are forward-looking statements. A qualified person has not done sufficient work to classify any historical estimates as current mineral resources or mineral reserves and the issuer is not treating the historical estimates as current mineral resources or mineral reserves. The Farellon mine was previously in production dating back to the 1970's with a reported historical production (to a depth of 70 m) yielding approximately 300,000 tonnes at an average grade of 2.5% copper and 0.5g/t gold. This material was processed locally and sold to ENAMI. Altiplano is relying upon past production records, underground sampling and related activities and current diamond drilling to estimate grade and widths of the mineralization to reactivate production. The decision to commence production on the Farellon deposit is not based on a feasibility study of mineral reserves demonstrating economic and technical viability and there is increased uncertainty and economic and technical risks of failure associated with any production decision. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration successes, continuity of mineralization, uncertainties related to the ability to obtain necessary permits, licenses and title and delays due to third party opposition, changes in government policies regarding mining and natural resource exploration and exploitation, 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. For more information on the Company, investors should review the Company's continuous disclosure filings that are available at www.sedarplus.ca . To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/199840 Vancouver, February 29, 2024 - Element79 Gold Corp. (CSE:ELEM) (OTC:ELMGF) (FSE:7YS) ("Element79 Gold", the "Company") Vancouver - is pleased to announce that today it has filed its annual financial statements in respect of its First Quarter ending November 30, 2023, its management discussion and analysis relating to its annual financial statements, and the CEO and CFO certifications (collectively, the " Required Documents "). The Filings are available on SEDAR+ as well as the CSE website. As previously announced, the Company was under a voluntary management cease trade order (" MCTO ") for failure to file its annual financials and the required documents and it will remain in default until it completes the filing of its Q1 Interim Financial statements for the period ended November 30, 2023 along with the management discussion and analysis, and the interim CEO and CFO certifications. With this filing, the Company is back within the compliance requirements and anticipates the MCTO to be lifted in due course as the regulator reviews and confirms the required filings. For corporate matters, please contact: James C. Tworek, Chief Executive Officer Email: jt@element79.gold For investor relations inquiries, please contact: Investor Relations Department Phone: +1 (403)850.8050 Email: investors@element79.gold Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements This press contains "forward?looking information" and "forward-looking statements" under applicable securities laws (collectively, "forward?looking statements"). Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. The Company believes that the expectations reflected in these forward?looking statements are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward?looking statements included herein should not be unduly relied upon. These statements speak only as of the date hereof. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable laws. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor the Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Copyright (c) 2024 TheNewswire - All rights reserved. Darlene Gates to become President & CEO with departure of Derek Evans CALGARY, Feb. 29, 2024 - MEG Energy Corp. (TSX: MEG) ("MEG" or the "Corporation") today announced that Derek Evans will be stepping down from his role as President and Chief Executive Officer and from its Board of Directors effective May 1, 2024. Concurrent with this announcement, the Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Darlene Gates, the Corporation's current Chief Operating Officer, to succeed Mr. Evans as President and Chief Executive Officer. Ms. Gates will be nominated for election to the Board of Directors at the Corporation's annual general meeting scheduled for May 7, 2024. "Derek has completed the work he and the Board set out to accomplish on his recruitment to MEG as President and CEO in 2018. He has led MEG's transformation, strengthening the balance sheet, focusing on disciplined capital allocation, improving efficiencies, delivering value to our shareholders and reshaping the Corporation's long-term strategy. Derek's relentless focus on health and safety, operational excellence, emissions reduction and talent development provide an enduring foundation for MEG's future success. On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank Derek for the exceptional leadership, integrity and passion he has brought to his CEO role at MEG over the past five years, and to recognize his outstanding contributions to the Canadian energy industry." said Jim McFarland, Chair of the Board. "Ensuring MEG had a strong succession plan for the CEO position has been a priority for the Board and we have worked closely with Derek and Darlene to guide Darlene's development as a potential CEO succession candidate since she joined MEG in 2021. Darlene has the experience, skills and personal drive to deliver on our strategy and lead the organization into the future. Her passion for MEG's people, our communities and our business performance have driven significant improvements in our safety culture and the record operating results we delivered in 2023," McFarland added. "We have full confidence in Darlene's ability to lead and focus the talents of the entire MEG team to build on MEG's strong foundation and continue to deliver value to all of our stakeholders." "I have been honoured to lead the exceptionally talented team we have built at MEG and I am extraordinarily proud of what we have accomplished together," said Evans. "Darlene has been an outstanding partner to me. She has entrenched our operating priorities, driven an intense focus on health and safety and been instrumental in delivering our operating and financial results. With her knowledge of our business, commitment to our people, operational and commercial acumen, and strategic vision for our company, she is the ideal candidate to lead MEG forward." Ms. Gates is an accomplished energy executive with over 30 years of experience in the oil and gas sector, including global leadership roles with Imperial Oil and ExxonMobil. Prior to joining MEG in 2021 as the Chief Operating Officer, she served as the President, ExxonMobil Alaska. Darlene has progressed through many technical, managerial, financial and operating positions in Canada, US, Germany, and Qatar, leading to running Imperial Oil's Cold Lake asset, one of the largest thermal in-situ operations in the world. A native Albertan, she holds a mechanical engineering degree from the University of Victoria and is a member of the RCAF Command Advisory Council and 4 Wing's Honorary Colonel. She has also been on numerous charitable and industry boards. "Derek's disciplined leadership, integrity, and intense focus on delivering value to shareholders and other stakeholders has repositioned MEG as a premier oilsands company. It has been my pleasure and honour to work with and learn from him. I am excited to lead our talented and innovative team as we continue to develop our world-class, Canadian-based asset in its mission to supply the world with affordable, secure, environmentally and socially responsible energy. I look forward to the opportunity of working with all our stakeholders to realize the true long-term potential of MEG," said Gates. About MEG MEG is an energy company focused on sustainable in situ thermal oil production in the southern Athabasca oil region of Alberta, Canada. MEG is actively developing innovative enhanced oil recovery projects that utilize steam-assisted gravity drainage extraction methods to improve the responsible economic recovery of oil as well as lower carbon emissions. MEG transports and sells thermal oil (AWB) to customers throughout North America and internationally. MEG is a member of the Pathways Alliance, a group of Canada's largest oil sands producers working together to address climate change and achieve the goal of net zero emissions1 by 2050. MEG's common shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "MEG" (TSX: MEG). _______________________________ 1 Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions For further information, please contact: Investor Relations T 403.767.0515 E invest@megenergy.com Media Relations T 403.775.1131 E media@megenergy.com SOURCE MEG Energy Corp. 09:24 | Lima, Feb. 29. "Regarding the economic figures, January has been a good month," Arista said without delving into details during a press conference held at the Ministry of Energy and Mines in Lima on Wednesday. In his opinion, the figures might be the result of a rebound effect. As is known, Peru's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in January 2023 registered a decline of more than 1%. "There is always the counterargument that suddenly we have done alright because of the rebound, which possibly has a lot of truth in it. I still don't know about February," he remarked. In that sense, the Cabinet member specified that the official results will be disclosed at the end of 2024's first quarter, with advance figures from March. "At the end of March, we would be giving reports on the achievements, especially for the first quarter with some advance figures," he said. Estimates from financial entities such as BBVA, Banco de Credito del Peru (BCP), Scotiabank, Fitch Ratings, the Peruvian Institute of Economics (IPE), and the Central Reserve Bank (BCR) suggest that Peru's GDP growth might stand above 2% in 2024. Formula 1 teams and drivers are now ready to take part in the second free practice session for the 2024 Bahrain Grand Prix at the Bahrain International Circuit. Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing won the race 12 months ago, but will their advance remain this time around? Follow all of the action in our liveblog. F1 LIVE | FP2: Bahrain Grand Prix What do we expect in FP2? The second free practice session of the weekend will last 60 minutes and will feature more performance runs than we've seen so far this year. The F1 cars completed around 24 hours of running during last week's testing days in Bahrain so teams and drivers will already have a realistic picture of how their car works at the Bahrain International Circuit. Early today, teams had a chance to shakedown and try out new parts. Now they will complete some qualifying simulations and long runs. Article continues under ad It will be interesting to see how teams and drivers tackle the windy conditions in Bahrain this weekend. The wind is expected to be stronger compared to last weekend, however that will change on Saturday when calmer conditions are introduced. View this post on Instagram A post shared by GPblog.com (@gpblog_com) Why is FP2 on Thursday? The Bahrain Grand Prix weekend must be finished on Saturday to allow enough time to travel to Saudi Arabia next weekend. The Saudi Arabian weekend has been moved forward a day to avoid a clash with Ramadan. Therefore, the weekend in Bahrain also needs to move forward one day. Two practice sessions will take place on Thursday, with the third and final practice hour on Friday. Qualifying takes place on Friday evening, with the Bahrain Grand Prix on Saturday. Alonso's wild claim about Red Bull dominance realistic Dr Helmut Marko had to smile in Bahrain when asked about Fernando Alonso's prediction of another sure-fire title for Max Verstappen this year. Red Bull RB20 Red Bull Alonso said that, based on last week's pre-season test, all 19 drivers except the reigning triple world champion know they will not win the drivers' title in 2024. That's realistic, Marko smiled to Kronen Zeitung newspaper. Seriously, I think Ferrari has become stronger and things could get tight in qualifying between Max and (Charles) Leclerc, who is one of the best qualifiers, he said. The biggest surprise about Red Bull's pre-season form, however, is not that the team remains in front - but that they've managed to do it with a new-concept car - reminiscent of the scrapped Mercedes concept of 2022-2023. Mercedes now has a more 2023-like Red Bull concept car - with George Russell admitting it still hasn't eliminated the team's struggles with 'bouncing'. At the same time, Sky Deutschland pundit and former F1 driver Timo Glock says he's heard rumours that at Suzuka in April, Red Bull may unveil an update that adds an even more radical 'no sidepods' look to the 2024 car. In the end, it's a slap in the face for Mercedes, who pursued the concept for two years and had to eventually abandon it because they didn't understand it, said the German. Then Red Bull comes around the corner and goes down the same path that Mercedes took unsuccessfully, and they seem to have made it work. That's outstanding. Although with probably the second-fastest 2024 car so far, Ferrari - like Mercedes - also needs to take the lesson from Red Bull, Carlos Sainz admitted in Bahrain. The first impression you get is that they are six months, a year ahead, the Spaniard said. "The rest of us have all come to this first race with a car more similar to theirs from last year. So it gives you a bit of a feeling that it is a car that seems to have a little bit of an advantage in terms of the way they develop. Red Bull's Marko agrees, hailing his engineers for being able to go to the extremes with the 2023-to-2024 step without risking it being a flop . The word conservative simply does not exist in the minds of our engineers around Pierre Wache and Adrian Newey, he said. "That is also part of Red Bull's DNA. I think we've surprised everyone with this car - one look at the narrow sidepods is enough. You can also see that the entire field is now, let's say, based on our (old) car. (GMM) Did F1 block Russian female from entering F1 Academy? A well-known Russian motorsport boss has slammed Formula 1 for shunning yet another young talent. Bahraim GP 2023 Ferrari At the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in early 2022, Nikita Mazepin and his sponsor Uralkali were kicked out of the sport by Haas - with the FIA also imposing tough conditions for any Russian drivers amid ongoing anti-Russian global sanctions. And now, Peter Aleshin, former boss of the Russian driver development program SMP Racing, alleges that F1 excluded young female driver Victoria Blokhina, 17, from consideration for the all-female F1 Academy series for 2024. Vika was not accepted into the F1 Academy, he told the Russian portal Championat. "It was pure politics. Nothing worked, no matter how hard I tried. Just a polite refusal - that's all. Although in terms of her level, she is absolutely good enough for this series. We could have ended up there last year, but this year they changed some political concepts, Aleshin charged. (GMM) Steiner's latest move in F1 unusual Ralf Schumacher thinks it's "unusual" that sacked Haas team boss Gunther Steiner has returned to the paddock for 2024 as a television pundit. Gunther Steiner, Bahrain GP 2023 Red Bull Ralf, a former F1 race winner, was highly critical of Steiner's management of Haas when his nephew Mick Schumacher was struggling at the team. Now, with 48-year-old Schumacher working for Sky Deutschland and Steiner tapped to be a similar expert pundit at the other German broadcaster - RTL - things could get awkward between the pair as they cross paths in 2024. It may take a bit of getting used to at first because he had a somewhat difficult relationship with Mick, Ralf admitted. But RTL in turn was and is a loyal companion of the Schumacher family for many years. More interesting for Schumacher is that he thinks it's an unusual step for Steiner to so suddenly give up on team management whilst still remaining in the paddock. You would think that as a former team boss in Formula 1 you could find yourself in a position like that again somewhere else, he said. But, anyway, I find it interesting and it could be entertaining. For his part, when asked by Kolner Express about the prospect of clashing with fierce critic Ralf Schumacher this year, Steiner insisted: "I don't give anyone a wide berth. You get along with some people, you don't get along with others, that's life, he told the German broadcaster ntv. "I don't have any problems with that, otherwise you'll put yourself under pressure. If he wants to greet me, good. If not, also good. Logically we won't become friends, but respect is always there. (GMM) War not over despite Horner winning scandal battle The investigation into a staff member's allegations of bad behaviour has finally resulted in Christian Horner being cleared of wrongdoing. Christian Horner, Mexican GP 2023 Red Bull But in the words of France's L'Equipe: Horner is cleared, but the war is not over. Despite calls for clarity and transparency before the track action kicks off in Bahrain on Thursday, Wednesday's media statement put out by Red Bull does not detail the nature of the allegations or why Horner was found not guilty. Red Bull is confident that the investigation has been fair, rigorous and impartial, the statement put out by Red Bull GmbH declared, insisting that the details of the more than 100-page dossier compiled by the investigator is confidential . We will not be commenting further out of respect for all concerned, the energy drink company added. Red Bull will continue striving to meet the highest workplace standards. So why isn't the 'war' over yet? For one, the complainant - who remains at work at Milton-Keynes - has been given the right of appeal , amid speculation she may pursue civil action. But a bigger worry for Red Bull Racing is the apparent power struggle that is raging between the parent company's Austrian and Thai factions. Some believe Adrian Newey may have fallen out with Horner, 50, over the affair, while Red Bull nemesis Toto Wolff may be putting out the feelers to Max Verstappen to see if he might want to jump ship for 2025. I would be surprised if they (Mercedes) haven't contacted him, Dr Helmut Marko admitted to Austrian newspaper Kronen Zeitung. Luckily Max is a very loyal driver. Former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher thinks the Horner controversy may have revealed and deepened conflict within the sport's most dominant team at present. A lot of things have broken there, he told Sky Deutschland. "They have to fix that now. The problem is that you almost get the impression that some people inside the team were interested in getting rid of Horner, Schumacher added. There was quite a bit of fighting and now the question is whether he will be able to maintain his position and has the support of the whole team. Horner, although trackside in Bahrain, was not available to the media on Wednesday. When Verstappen was asked about whether he still supports Horner, the Dutchman said just prior to Red Bull's statement: "Well, I'm trusting the process. I don't want to get into that. Because it's not my case and I don't want to get involved in that. But when you talk about performance, it's of course very important that everyone sticks together, the triple world champion added. But with the wider power struggle probably still playing out behind the scenes, 26-year-old Verstappen - a major key to Red Bull's current dominance - may continue to be asked about the saga throughout the 2024 season. Many in the paddock suspect that Verstappen's corner repeatedly leaked details of the allegations to the Dutch press, Tobias Gruner, a correspondent for Auto Motor und Sport, said. (GMM) Remarks were made during the inauguration of a new facility at 14065 Educational Institution in La Union district, Piura province, northern Peru. "For us, education is a priority; we bet on it, because it is not only the future but also a right for children and adolescents to attend schools like these that we have inaugurated," Mrs. Boluarte expressed. "Yesterday, four (schools were inaugurated) in Lima and there are seven (schools in Piura) today; we will continue to inaugurate more of them in the days to come," she added. The Head of State explained that the new educational infrastructure entailed an investment worth S/33 million (about US$8.70 million). It will benefit more than 385 students. Efforts Later, President Boluarte participated in the inauguration of 14064 Educational Institution's infrastructure, also in La Union district. Within this framework, the top official said that those schools are part of the joint effort undertaken by the Executive Branch and subnational governments. The Head of State indicated that this school will allow children and adolescents to have a better learning experience, thanks to an investment of S/27.60 million (about US$7.82 million). It will benefit more than 200 students. "The children now have a modern school with nine fully-equipped classrooms and diverse spaces that will contribute to their academic learning," she added. ? A pocos dias del inicio del ano escolar, el Gobierno de la presidenta Dina Boluarte entrega las nuevas instalaciones de siete centros educativos en la region Piura, las que albergaran a mas de 3 400 escolares piuranos. ? Se trata de las instituciones educativas Genaro pic.twitter.com/oLMkHg7K8G This event, a testament to Peru's commitment to international outreach, showcases the values of national hero and millennium Peruvian, Admiral Grau. ?? Commemorating Admiral Miguel Grau Seminario, the "Gentleman of the Seas," a plaque unveiling took place on February 23, 2024, at Alabama Way, Birkenhead. pic.twitter.com/ICvR5Bi32t The Mobile World Congress in Barcelona is wrapping up, and the Global Mobile Awards (GLOMO) announced its yearly winners. Judges awarded 28 prizes across 6 categories, with four of them in the Device section: Best Smartphone : Google Pixel 8 series : Google Pixel 8 series Breakthrough Device Innovation : Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 : Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Best Connected Consumer Device : Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra : Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra Best in Show: Honor Magic V2 RSR Porsche Design The Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro phones won the coveted Best smartphone award, topping the iPhone 15 Pro series, Galaxy S23 lineup, Z Flip5, and the OnePlus Open/Oppo Find N3. The award is for outstanding performance, innovation and leadership for smartphones launched between January 2023 and December 2023. The Breakthrough innovation category had shortlisted the silicon-carbon battery of the Magic V2, Google's commitment to 7 years of updates and the AI imaging capabilities. Judges decided it is the Qualcomm's latest chipset that deserves the award for core hardware and software innovation within smartphone devices themselves. The Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra triumphed in a rather diverse company, as other shortlisted devices were the Motorola Defy 2 with satellite communication by Bullitt, HTC Vive XR Elite, Huawei Watch Ultimate and RayNeo Air2 XR Glasses. In the end, the Samsung tablet was voted to the top as it was found to be the best everyday consumer electronic device or gadget that brings new and smart applications, efficiencies and functionality to the user, at home or on the move. The Best in Show winner was picked from launched products at the Congress. The Magic V2 RSR Porsche Edition, while technically introduced first in China, was unveiled to the international audience in Barcelona on February 25 during the Honor keynote. The rest of the GLOMO categories can be explored in the Source link below. Source A teacher at Simon Sanchez High School on Tuesday launched a fundraising project on behalf of her students club by selling printed t-shirts to prompt local government officials to expedite the rebuilding of the Yigo campus. Simon Sanchez High School has been facing structural issues over the years, which compounded after Typhoon Mawar in May, making the campus completely inoperable. For the past nine months, SSHS students have been in a double session arrangement, sharing campus with students from John F. Kennedy High School in Tamuning. Acie Jo Sablan Cruz, a Simon Sanchez High School teacher, said the fundraising project is in line with the upcoming rally scheduled for March 15, which is a joint effort by her students club called Legacy, alumni, parents, and teachers. Cruz said some SSHS alumni have requested the printing of t-shirts, which features the message Rebuild Sanchez with an image of the campus, to be worn at their rally. They aim to call the attention of Guam leaders to get some movement going in the campus rebuilding. Any proceeds from the fundraiser go towards the awareness campaign to get our leaders to do something, Cruz said in the post. Please pass the word along if you have ever called SSHS home. Once a Shark, always a Shark. Bring us home. Been way too long Its been way too long and our local government has been talking about building a New School since my (high school) days back in 1993-1997, way over 30 years now and they continue to kick this can down the road, Joey Cruz stated in a Facebook post featuring the campaign material. Cruz also said despite the devastation caused by Mawar, rebuilding the campus hasnt been a priority, leaving students, teachers, and staff displaced. He compared the students double session set-up to families sharing their living space with others. Imagine this. An entire family coming into your home, having to share not just your kids bedrooms but also you and your husbands room. Imagine. Now youre limited in time that you have in your own home, being told you can only have dinners at this time, you cant take naps because its not your time, and you have to leave your house because its now time for that family to take over the house, he said. Earlier in February, Del. James Moylan sought technical and/or financial assistance from federal agencies to find a temporary facility to address the challenges posed by the double sessions at the two schools. The Council on the Arts and Humanities Agencys board of directors will meet on March 12 and is expected to vote on Guams final 100-member delegation to the 13th Festival of the Pacific Arts amid public calls for the removal of one person from the list. Guams list of FestPac delegates remains tentative until the CAHA board makes a final determination. A letter-writing campaign that began around Feb. 9 seeks for suruhanu or traditional healer Frank Ko James San Nicolas removal from the list of FestPac delegates, alleging hes a known sexual predator. San Nicolas, however, was twice acquitted of criminal sexual conduct in 2022 and got his job back as a port police officer after he was cleared of the charges. CAHA asked Attorney General Douglas Moylan for a legal opinion on how to handle the matter. Moylan issued a Feb. 23 opinion, stating that the CAHA board has broad powers of authority and the decision whom to include as part of Guams FestPac delegation is a discretionary one of the Board. The AG said the CAHA board is free to remove any delegate for any reason, that they need not consider legal analysis of any of its applicants, and that individuals have no vested rights to be part of the delegation. Moylan also reminded CAHA that any board decision should be taken at a properly noticed public meeting under the Open Government Law. Acting CAHA Executive Director Angie Taitague on Wednesday said with the release of the AGs opinion, CAHA can now move forward in planning for Guams participation at the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts in Hawaii. The next step is for CAHA Board to review the recommendations of the organizing committee at their next meeting on Tuesday, March 12 at 3 p.m., and determine who will be a member of the FestPac delegation, Taitague wrote. FestPac is the largest cultural festival in the region. Guam hosted the last FestPac in 2016, and Hawaii was supposed to host it in 2020 but the COVID-19 pandemic postponed it until June 6 to 16, 2024. While in Honolulu, Guams FestPac delegates will showcase CHamoru cultural traditions, arts and practices from dances to chants and even the practice of traditional healing. San Nicolas as a suruhanu is supposed to represent Guams traditional healing practices at the festival, which is expected to draw thousands of delegates and spectators from around the Pacific and beyond. The Guam delegation so far has more than $400,000 to cover its expenses, sourced from local, federal and private sector funding. For more than a year, a group united by Guams judicial system has been meticulously poring over the Criminal Codes of Guam and Criminal Procedure Codes. For the first time since those codes were created by the 13th Guam Legislature in 1976, a group of 15 members have been going over each pertinent section of the Guam Code Annotated. The group is called the Criminal Law and Procedure Review Commission, and their enabling legislation was signed into law on Nov. 9, 2022. They address each section by updating, modifying, editing and even striking out words, phrases and sections as deemed appropriate, and leaving them alone if no changes were needed. The commission is tasked with compiling all modifications and suggestions and recommendations into a comprehensive summary, then submit the product of their work to the Legislature for its review. The chairman of the commission is Magistrate Judge Johnathan R. Quan and the executive director is Andrew Serge Quenga. Along with management officer Valerie Cruz, they work with Compiler of Laws Geraldine Cepeda and exist as a division of the Supreme Court of Guam. The group is further broken down into sub-commissions: Crimes Against Persons led by attorney Joseph B. McDonald, Crimes Relating to Property led by attorney Phillip Tydingco, Drug and Other Criminal Offenses led by Judge Maria T. Cenzon, and Criminal Procedure, led by Judge Anita A. Sukola. Membership comes from all three branches of government, plus private citizens from public interest organizations relating to the criminal justice system. The group held its first meeting of 2024 on Thursday inside Quans courtroom. They approved the minutes from October and December 2023, which addressed sub-commission reports on drugs and other criminal offenses and continued discussions on a proposed correctional medical clinic to be built at the Department of Corrections. A new prison clinic would be administered by the Guam Memorial Hospital, and it would allow inmates to receive a higher level of medical care, as it has experienced by having a Guam Behavioral Health and Wellness annex at the prison facility. The Commission on Crimes Against Persons also shared their subcommittee results and recommendations from those meetings. McDonald had pointed out issues and inconsistencies in amendments to certain sections that were created by a public law in 1998, and had recommendations to fix the issues. For instance, manslaughter is defined and classified as a homicide that is committed recklessly, or a homicide where murder is committed under the influence of extreme mental or emotional disturbance, or death is indirectly or directly caused by an accident by illegal use of a Schedule I or Schedule II Controlled Substance, or when an adult dies from a transfer or sale of a Schedule I or II substance that causes a death. Manslaughter is a first-degree felony. Following every proposed amendment was a vote to keep or submit the recommendations. All final recommendations then get moved into a final reading file for a comprehensive vote on the collection at a later time. The committee held several meetings throughout 2023. Its next meeting is tentatively scheduled for April 4. Lawmakers will meet in an emergency session Wednesday to decide if a number of safeguards in Guam procurement law should be waived so that the Guam Power Authority can expedite a deal for $25 million worth of temporary power. Speaker Therese Terlaje called for the session after GPA General John Benavente wrote to her about the emergency need for 20 megawatts worth of temporary power, meant to shore up power generation capacity and stave off a return to major load shedding this summer. The proposed contract with equipment supplier Aggreko also calls for the company to help fix some of GPAs generators in the hopes of generating another 34 MW of power. Members of the Public Utilities Commission will decide whether to approve the deal on Thursday night. Terlaje, in her Feb. 29 emergency certification, stated that it is unclear whether PUC will approve the contract, and said that she has unofficially been told by the governor that the Legislature does not need to give GPA any authority to secure the deal. But the continued risk of load shedding left over from Typhoon Mawar does present a threat to the welfare of the people of Guam, she stated. Lawmakers will convene at 9 a.m. Wednesday in the Guam Congress Building. Stall worries GPA is concerned that if the contract with Aggreko is approved, a protest from another company could stall the timely delivery of the additional power. Guam law allows competing companies to protest if they believe a government contract award is wrongfuland any deal is frozen until the protest is resolved. Lengthy protest delays have killed two major GPA projects in recent years, including the construction of a 40 MW solar farm in Dededo. While the attorney general can lift a stay on any procurement award, GPAs Benavente has expressed doubt that Attorney General Douglas Moylan will assist the utility if needed. Terlajes emergency certification notes that the AGs office has withdrawn from representing government agencies it is investigating, causing its own threat to public welfare. To that end, Bill 206-37, the subject of next weeks emergency session, will remove the automatic stay if the temporary power deal is protested, and require the AGs office to review the Aggreko contract within 48 hours. The bill also seeks to allow GPA to extend the timeline on its emergency procurement with Aggreko from the legal limit of 90 days to two years. Benavente on Tuesday said the two-year extension is necessary so that Aggreko can continue to operate the generator for GPA until the new Ukudu power plant comes online around late 2025 to 2026. Bill 206-37 is sponsored by power oversight chairman Sen. Will Parkinson, and has been amended since first introduced. Similar legislation meant to help with another procurement stall at GPA failed to pass during Januarys legislative session over transparency concerns from some senators. When Tammy Mildenstein began working on Guams fruit bat recovery plan in 2009, she found herself in a room full of biologists who, with all their scientific knowledge, couldnt identify any fanihi colonies in the Marianas. We thought there were zero colonies on Guam, zero on Saipan, zero on Tinian, she told the audience at the sixth Marianas Conservation Conference Tuesday afternoon on Saipan. Where the experts fell short, people in the community provided information. Today, she knows of three fruit bat colonies on Guam, one or two on Saipan and one on Tinian. None of those colony locations came from a paid bat biologist walking around and looking for them. These all came from other people giving us information, she said. Mildenstein was among the presenters discussing the importance of volunteers in conservation efforts. The scientists, educators and program managers attending the conference delved deep into strategies for saving birds and plants, restoring forests and coral, and combatting invasive species. Without help from the community, however, those efforts would have had limited success. It doesnt matter how much money you could throw at this project, she said. Theres only a couple of us, you know, and having a whole island full of people watching for bats really changes things. By inviting the public to participate in annual fruit bat counts, Mildensteins team has been able to estimate fanihi populations and trends. Because of community volunteers, better data has been collected, and researchers have been able to refine their survey methodology. Its not only cool that everybody helps us with fanihi conservation and monitoring, she said. It is critical. In a conference with presentations about ants, hornets, tree snails and surgeonfish, David Benavente of the Mariana Islands Nature Alliance explained the importance of developing people to carry out conservation efforts. Benavente said the vision of the Mariana Islands Nature Alliance is that Micronesians, with their values and traditions, will thrive in healthy environments and sustainable island economies. Pretty much we want to empower communities for conservation, which is really important for us, he said. The group started the Tasi-Watch Ranger Program in 2010 to recruit young people as eyes and ears. We want them to know their environment, and also to protect, conserve it and be knowledgeable about the environment, he said. The volunteers are trained to become stewards of the community. They understand management, they understand research, become technicians in whatever field they choose. Overall, we want to strengthen local capacity, so that we can manage our resources. Its a really important thing that local knowledge, local values are instilled in the type of management we do, he added. The conference, which is free and open to the public, continues through Friday. Sessions can be viewed on Zoom. To see the schedule, register or attend sessions, visit bit.ly/4bLLxAO. After nearly eight years of service, K-9 Officer Rex will be retiring from the line of duty at the A.B. Won Pat International Airport Authority, Guam. The K-9 officer, a male German short pointer, will be retiring on March 15, the airport announced on Thursday. "We have been fortunate to have had such a loyal and hardworking K-9 Officer in Rex since 2016 and we thank him for his service and wish him the best in retirement, Guam International Airport Authority Executive Manager John M. Quinata said in a statement. Quinata said GIAA's active K-9 teams are extremely vital to the airport's safety and security, and the agency continues to partner with the Transportation Security Administration and invest in their training to uphold TSA requirements. "Our five remaining active K-9 teams will continue this important work with a replacement to be trained in the coming months," Quinata said. Officer Rex and his partner/handler, Airport Police Officer II Robert J. Umadhay were trained, certified, and recertified at the prestigious TSA National Explosives Detection Team Program out of Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, GIAA said. Such certification guarantees that they meet and exceed TSAs stringent requirements and standards in the highly specialized field of explosive detection and public safety in the challenging aviation environment. From Guam to Super Bowl The team of K-9 Officer Rex and Officer Umadhay brought distinction to GIAA in 2017 when they were chosen to provide explosive detection and augment the security detail for Super Bowl LI in Houston, Texas and again for the 2018 Super Bowl LII in Minneapolis, Minnesota, GIAA said. K-9 teams from units across the country were selected for the TSA-funded security detail. Two of GIAAs K-9 teams had been specifically requested as they had received superlative marks in their initial and recurrent NEDTP training, GIAA said. They also have augmented the security detail for various congressional delegation visits to Guam and were a critical security component when Guam hosted the Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture, or FestPac, in 2016. "Our K-9 teams actively protect the millions of passengers that use the Guam Airport and the over 3,400 airline, tenant, and GIAA employees who come to work every single day," GIAA's Quinata said. He said the K-9 teams are not only vital to the airport's daily operations, but also assist in bomb sweeps, ensuring the island schools safety when bomb threats are called in. "And they are by far one of our most requested sections for community outreach as active demonstrators to the hundreds of school children who tour the airport and as presenters supporting various school career day programs," Quinata added. An arrow signage shows the direction to Guam Power and Water Authoritys main headquarters which is located in the village of Mangilao. YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 29, ARMENPRESS. The Azerbaijani Armed Forces soldier, who was neutralized by the Armenias Armed Forces servicemen at the border line of Tegh community, Syunik region, on February 28th, has been arrested. The investigation is currently underway, the Armenias Investigative Committee has said. Criminal proceedings have been initiated against Azerbaijani Armed Forces serviceman Ruslan Eldanis-Oghlu Penakhov in the General Department of Investigation of Crimes against the State, Fundamentals of the Constitutional Order, and Public Security. The proceedings are based on the provisions outlined in Points 7 and 15 of Part 2 of Article 44-155, Part 1 of Article 335, Part 1 of Article 340, Part 1 of Article 44-425, and Part 1 of Article 469 of the Armenian Criminal Code regarding the cases of diversion attempt, attempted acts dangerous to the lives of others, attempted murder driven by national, religious hatred, intolerance, and enmity, illegal possession and transportation of firearms and ammunition, smuggling of firearms and ammunition, and illegal border crossing on February 28, 2024, reports the Investigative Committee. Ruslan Penakhov was arrested under the investigator's decision. Circumstances are being revealed by examination. Notice: Individuals accused of a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty in accordance with the procedures outlined by the Armenian Criminal Procedure Code and by a legally binding court verdict. Earlier, the Armenian National Security Service reported that an Azerbaijani Armed Forces serviceman armed with an AKM-type assault rifle and one magazine crossed the Armenian-Azerbaijani contact line near the Tegh community, Syunik region, around 05:15 a.m. on February 28th. There is now a project plan for building an additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, technology and workforce education center on Guam, the governors office announced. 3D printing technology could allow the military to more easily get needed parts while deployed or in remote areas. The Applied Science and Technology Research Organization of America, or ASTRO America, joined Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero and U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Scott Pappano, program executive officer for Strategic Submarines, at a joint meeting last week where they announced a project plan for building the 3D printing technology and workforce education center on Guam, according to a press release from the governors office. This project is the culmination of efforts, spearheaded by the governor over two years ago, to bring 3D printing to Guam in order to diversify and expand the islands economy. I am pleased to join Rear Admiral Pappano in developing this project plan, informed by the input of public and private entities across the island of Guam, the governor said in a statement. This plan will create new job opportunities for Guam while contributing to Americas national security interests. Its a win-win. The governor commissioned a study by ASTRO America, a manufacturing policy think-tank, to evaluate the feasibility of bringing such technology to Guam. A strong advocate for modernizing submarine production and addressing material readiness challenges through advanced technology, Pappano and his team became natural partners, especially as they implement and scale innovative solutions to modernize Americas submarine industrial base. The Navy is excited to be working with the Government of Guam and the great team at ASTRO on this vital mission to further the national imperative for advanced manufacturing capability and the workforce to execute those requirements in a strategic location that directly benefits our ships and submarines, Pappano said in a statement. The new 3D printing center is envisioned to serve a dual mission of: (1) Advancing national security by giving the submarine industrial base abilities to print components on-demand at the point-of-need. (2) Supporting economic development on Guam, forming a workforce skilled in key science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers, while also building out a new industry sector on-island, capable of delivering complex ship components. Our announcement marks an historic inflection point for both the Government of Guam and the U.S. Submarine Industrial Base, according to ASTRO America President Neal Orringer, the former Department of Defense director of manufacturing). Orringer said by working together, an innovative and resilient technology base will be built. Not only will we train a new generation of advanced manufacturing engineers, and operators but we will ensure the Navys access to critical capabilities for prototyping, producing, and validating key parts, components, and materials through advanced manufacturing and 3D printing capability, Orringer said in a statement. The project plan that the governor and Pappano discussed involves three key phases to develop and sustain submarine industrial base capabilities in the Indo-Pacific. Phase 0: Structure, business plan This phase, announced earlier this year, includes designing an advanced manufacturing technology and education center on Guam, with plans to procure, position, and operate industrial equipment on the island. A satellite campus at the University of Guam will be comprised of several partners that are mainland U.S.-based universities with leading industrial manufacturing higher education programs. This concept will include strategies for the campus long-term training, operation, and sustainment. Additionally, details for building capabilities on-site for part-production and test/evaluation will be developed, in concert with leading submarine industrial base and government officials to ensure supply can meet demand in Guam. Phase 1: Staging, transition Based on the plans and concepts established in Phase 0, while the government of Guam is constructing a permanent facility, the team will procure equipment and position technology appropriately within shipping container modules to establish initial capability, and determine optimal factory equipment and large-scale testing configuration for qualification of advanced shipbuilding tools and components. The campus will be operational, enrolling students with appropriate support staff and technology integration. Additionally, use-cases will demonstrate effectiveness of the teams short- and long-term approach to part prototyping and validation. Phase 2: Deployment, operational launch In the next stage, modules with 3D production and advanced inspection equipment will be positioned and transitioned for implementation on Guam. Coursework will be underway for students on Guam for on-island credentialed higher education, as well as prototyping and testing/evaluation of naval ship production parts to support the submarine supply chain. Each of these phases will be carried out in close coordination with and direction from another leading defense nonprofit organization, BlueForge Alliance (BFA), which serves as system integrator for the submarine industrial bases broad-based initiatives across every region of the United States. At the meeting, the governor and Pappano affirmed their joint commitment to this project plan, including support from the Guam Economic Development Authority and UOG in establishing a facility and investments by BFA on behalf of the Navy to advance common goals, including enabling the future tri-lateral AUKUS partnership. Plan implementation Adelup said the projects success will be measured by the teams efforts to catalyze growth of a specialized advanced manufacturing workforce, as well as necessary capabilities to produce parts that will meet growing national security needs for the submarine industrial base. ASTRO will continue to manage this effort, with support from both the Navy and GovGuam. The project is expected to be informed by Phase I of the feasibility study completed for GEDA last year, as well as the second report being completed with the Guam Bureau of Statistics and Plans. That forthcoming report is focused on developing an implementation plan to establish an ecosystem tailored to distinct advanced manufacturing and additive manufacturing requirements, as well as the unique economic and geo-political conditions on Guam. Both agencies will play roles in the new project that advances both economic and security needs through additive manufacturing development on Guam. What started out to be an oversight hearing on the Guam Police Department headlined by complaints against police officers morphed into a stark presentation of the difficulties that police face daily, and have for years. Two women also waited more than three hours for their turn to speak, both giving personal heart-wrenching stories involving the police. Chief of Police Stephen Ignacio narrated through 40 pages of text with an accompanying slide show, addressing more than a dozen different topics, including complaints against police officers, what officers learn about the use of force on the job, how officers otherwise engage with the community, updates on recent cases, the status of psychological services, the GPD crime lab and the new radio system. Ignacio also spent a good amount of time talking about the difficulties his department has in attracting new recruits, as well as retaining officers. Sen. Chris Barnett, chairman of the Legislatures public safety committee, welcomed fellow senators to ask all the questions they wanted of Ignacio and his command staff, including Col. Joe Carbullido and Majors Fred Chargualaf, Manny Chong and Andrew Quitugua. Ignacio said GPD is facing a severe staff shortage, which results in overworked officers. He said in a recent recruitment effort, 78 people qualified to move forward to the interview phase. More than 200 people took the entry-level exam. And of those 78, only 30 qualified to become police recruits following interviews and background checks. Ignacio added that police officers are retiring and leaving for medical reasons. He also said GPD is competing with local and stateside job opportunities that offer higher starting pay and more privileges. The police chief suggested a separation from other law enforcement on Guam such as Airport and Port Police, and that the government do what it can to raise the starting pay for officers currently about $16 an hour he said. He said GPD responds to more than 30,000 calls a year, and makes about 4,000 arrests. Sen. Joanne Brown shared her personal experience following an auto accident, where it took GPD more than two months to get her police report. I think a lot of residents dont feel theres any other recourse and they dont know where to go or who to talk to with regards to that, she said. Ignacio said he is happy and more than willing to work with anybody that comes to his office, and people should feel free to visit, call or email him. Ignacio also said from 2021 through 2024, the top three complaints against officers were for unsatisfactory performance, followed by unbecoming conduct and vehicle operation. For three years plus the two months of 2024, 170 of those complaints were reported. Use-of-force complaints averaged 3.75 per year since 2021. Ignacio also shared some numbers from GPDs Internal Affairs section. There were 80 complaints in 2021, 79 complaints in 2022, and 67 complaints in 2023. Of those in 2023, 48 cases were closed and 19 resulted in adverse actions, he said. Police brutality After a break, Barnett moved to the public comment section of the oversight hearing. Veronica Patao said she and her husband were victims of police brutality at the Dededo precinct several months ago. She mentioned others who had approached her with other stories of police brutality, and she thanked senators for legislation that allowed officers to wear body cameras. Carol Anderson said that for all of Ignacios words of welcome to visit or call, she said she has never received a return call from the chief, and was turned away all three times she visited. Anderson said her son Xavier Tedtaotao and his girlfriend were shot by Guam police in November 2020. Her son was shot 23 times, she said, and his girlfriend was shot five times and died two months later. My son had a criminal record, yes. He was in and out of juvenile and DOC. But he was not an animal to get shot like that so many times, said Anderson. She said she waited three years to talk about her sons tragic death. Ive never gotten a call from anyone. No apologies. Ive never gotten an answer, why my son was shot and killed the way he was, she said. Ive written letters to the U.S. Attorneys and havent received anything back. Both of my daughters have left the island; they couldnt take it anymore. He has four children. How do I tell a 9-year-old that her father was shot by police? Barnett said hes thankful for her testimony, and that he would follow up with Ignacio so he could offer Anderson some closure. Guam Memorial Hospitals failing finances may require help from a private company to fix, according to Lt. Gov. Joshua Tenorio. Tenorio on Wednesday told the Pacific Daily News that he plans to sit down with the Adelup fiscal team in the coming week to see what can be done about the hospitals cash issues. The lieutenant governor in October ordered Adelups fiscal team to oversee the finances at the cash-strapped hospital, around the same time that the governors office and the Legislature pumped $50 million worth of local and federal funds into GMH to help it catch up on its bills and fix its facility. On Monday, GMH officials told senators they still expect to see a $30 million loss this year, and the hospital is again over three months behind on $9 million worth of payments to vendors. Its very frustrating for me to see it. Really, I think that we need to have outside maybe, or additional help in the accounting side, said Tenorio, though he said he still needed to be briefed on the specifics of the situation at GMH. The hospital, if its going to be on good footing, and be able to provide services, its very clear that we need to get some private sector help, experienced companies within management, but also part of networks so that we can bring in personnel and be part of a network of hospitals that can help focus on the patient care, Tenorio said. A public-private partnership, long floated as a situation to the problems with GMHs billing, may be needed, he said. Tenorio said his main concern is not with nursing staffing, but the business side of the house. If additional resources need to go in, we have to bring them in, he said. Much of the problems with GMHs finances have to deal with the timely billing and collection for medical services and supplies. The hospital over the decades has accumulated about $362 million worth of accounts receivables that it has never collected onexcluding billings that the hospital has written off as uncollectible. Management issues Meanwhile, Guam Medical Association President Dr. Tom Shieh said on The Ray Gibson Show that GMH should not see more funding if leadership at the hospital is not changed. I would not give GMH another dime until they change administration. Period, Shieh said. He compared the situation to putting lipstick on a pig. You keep feeding that pig, Shieh said. The GMH Board of Trustees needs to get rid of members of the hospital leadership who have been there for years, and oversee the bad state of the facility, he said. Tenorio on Wednesday told the PDN he would have to reserve any comment about changing leadership until he consulted with the hospitals board. Im not sure about that. I really respect and admire and have confidence in (GMH Administrator Lillian Perez-Posadas). She is an excellent health care official. And Ive seen her in different areas of the hospital do well, Tenorio said. Issues seemed to be more on the financial side of GMH operations, he said. Lt. Gov. Joshua Tenorio says hes looking at a number of fixes to make it less cumbersome for businesses that are trying to do legal work on Guam. Tenorio told the Guam Chamber of Commerce this week that GovGuam agencies that issue permits for construction and business licenses on the island will be asked to gather input on how to make permitting easier. He also floated several of his own ideas to make GovGuam better at dealing with the private sector, including removing the automatic freeze that happens every time a company challenges a government contract award. Tenorio is looking to get elected as governor in 2026. Permitting problems Businesses have long complained that getting permits to operate a business or start construction takes too long, even years. Permitting issues have also been one of several factors that have stalled a legal cannabis industry for Guam. To that end, permitting agencies like the Department of Public Works and the Guam Fire Department, among others, will be hosting hearings in the next few months where residents and business owners can weigh in on the delays, according to Tenorio. From there, permitting rules and regulations will be revised. Among solutions offered by Tenorio: Moving more permitting paperwork online. Only require permitting inspections for projects that are of greater risk to the community. Letting professionals like engineers and architects self-certify that they are complying with the law. Allow Municipal Planning Councils to opt-in to village hearings for rezoning projects that are of great community concern, instead of requiring them. Remove barriers for construction of duplexes, triplexes, and four-plexes. Stop procurement purgatory Automatically halting the governments business with the private sector every time a company that lost out an award protested does not make sense, and is unique to Guam, Tenorio said. Procurement stays have held up major government projects for years. A years-long procurement protest notably caused a deal for a 40-megawatt solar farm that the Guam Power Authority wanted built in Dededo to fall through in 2022, and imperiled GPAs compliance with a federal settlement. Consolidated Commission on Utilities Chairman Joey Duenas has called the procurement law stupid. For a contract award to be frozen by a competing company, there should be adequate evidence, or clear evidence of a failure in the system, right in the procurement, Tenorio said. But automatic stays because youre just unhappy that you lost the contract? This is a very highly litigious area also, but I think automatic stays are not sure its serving any purpose, he said. In fact, moving operations online at the governments Building Permit Application Center is now being held up due to new software being stuck in procurement purgatory. Hostile with Legislature Tenorio said some of the changes he and businesses will propose will need changes in the law, to be made by the Legislature. He called on Chamber of Commerce members to help work with senators to that end, as any legislation introduced by the governor would likely be marked dead on arrival due to the current partisan divide. And on top of that, there are sectors in power that are anti-development, anti-progress, and suspect of any economic opportunity deriving from or connected to military operations, he said. Adelup and the Legislature are now in a hostile situation on many fronts, and proposals for any change are better off coming from the outside, the lieutenant governor said. Have an idea? Want to praise or comment on something? Submit your letter to the editor. On Tuesday, as school officials confirmed a seventh case of measles at Manatee Bay Elementary School in Weston, Florida, a lawmaker demanded the immediate termination of Floridas surgeon general, Joseph Ladapo, referring to him as a misinformation super spreader. Amid a mid-February measles outbreak that initially tallied six confirmed cases at the Broward County school, School Superintendent Peter Licata revealed a seventh case during a news conference Tuesday morning though he said the individual has not physically been on campus since Feb. 15 leaving the end of the schools 21-day infectious period unchanged at March 7. However, just prior to Licatas announcement, Florida Democratic U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz convened her own news conference, during which she criticized Ladapo and other health officials for their handling of the outbreak. Surgeon General Ladapo is a misinformation super spreader, Wasserman Schultz said. Measles is a public health threat to Florida and so is Joe Ladapo ... so, Im calling for his immediate termination and demanding Governor DeSantis replace him with a public health expert that will place Floridians health, safety and well-being first. Ladapo is no stranger to controversy. In April, Politico reported that Ladapo altered a state study about COVID-19 vaccines to suggest that some doses pose a significantly higher health risk for young men than had been established by the broader medical community. And in January, Ladapo made headlines when he publicly called for a halt in the use of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines, referring to them as the Antichrist of all products. In a letter to parents of Manatee Bay Elementary School students, sent on Feb. 20, Ladapo noted the standard protocol: When measles is detected in a school, its typically advised that individuals lacking a history of prior infection or vaccination remain at home for up to 21 days, as this is the window during which the virus can be transmitted. However, he added, due to the high immunity rate in the community, as well as the burden on families and the educational cost of healthy children missing school, the Department of Health is deferring to parents or guardians to make decisions about school attendance. Not good enough, according to Wasserman Schultz. She said Ladapo did not declare an emergency; did not discuss, recommend or require vaccination; and did not require quarantining potentially exposed children. Instead, Ladapo places the key decisions fully on parents, Wasserman Schultz said. Imagine that burden, wrongly claiming that we have sufficient immunity in place and voicing only an incomplete picture. Highlighting the exceptional contagiousness of measles, a virus declared eliminated from the U.S. by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2000, she underscored the potential for severe complications, even death and further contends that Ladapo is refusing to communicate the kinds of precautions that people need to be taking, especially given this outbreak. Sadly, frustratingly, Floridas surgeon general stands in stark contrast to Americas proud legacy of bipartisan public health success, Wasserman Schultz said. Ladapo politicizes public health and peddles risky freedom of choice rhetoric that fuels vaccine hesitancy and downplays the public and personal health necessity for vaccination. Noting that experts recommended that measles vaccination rates be at least 95% Wasserman Schultz claims Broward County falls below that threshold, which increases the risk of further outbreak. On Wednesday, Grant Kemp, deputy press secretary for the Florida Department of Health sent out a mass email to media outlets accusing many of reporting false information and politicizing this outbreak. In the email, Kemp noted that 97% of students at Manatee Bay Elementary have received at least one dose of the MMR immunization but with a national measles immunization rate thats less than 92%, outbreaks are occurring in multiple states. When measles is detected in a school, it is recommended that individuals without history of prior infection or vaccination stay home for up to 21 days, Kemp said. This is the period of time that the virus can be transmitted. This recommendation has been made at Manatee Bay Elementary. Kemp added, Due to the high immunity rate, as well as the burden on families and educational cost of healthy children missing school, the Surgeon Generals current guidance ensures that parents or guardians are able make the best decisions for their families regarding school attendance. Currently, the Florida Department of Health has confirmed 10 cases of measles among individuals between the ages of 0 and 14 with nine in Broward County (seven of whom are from Manatee Bay Elementary School) and one confirmed adult case in Polk County. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of Feb. 22, 2024, a total of 35 measles cases were reported by 15 jurisdictions, including Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York City, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington. The Gulf Coast has some of the worst states for women, according to a new WalletHub study. The personal finance company evaluated all 50 states and the District of Columbia, using living standards including economic and social wellbeing, as well as safety and health care. Four out of five Gulf Coast states ranked in the top-five worst places for women to live in. Louisiana was second-worst, followed by Mississippi, Alabama and Texas. Florida scored better, placing at the 24th-worst state for women. Rankings were determined by 25 metrics including: Median earnings, unemployment rates and the share of women living in poverty Affordability of doctors visits, quality of reproductive and preventative health care, and womens life expectancy at birth Homicide, rape and suicide rates Women in the U.S. still face a lot of adversity, so living in the right state can greatly impact their quality of life, said Cassandra Happe, a WalletHub analyst quoted in the study. The best states for women provide equitable economic conditions, encourage robust political participation, have quality health care, and ensure safety for the women who reside there. States that voted Republican in the 2020 presidential election were less women-friendly than their Democratic counterparts, according to the study. Every Gulf Coast state voted Republican. Texas has the highest rate of uninsured women, according to the study. Texas also has had the most rape-related pregnancies of any state with a total abortion ban since Roe v. Wade was overturned, according to a study released earlier this year. Mississippi and Louisiana have the two-highest rates of women in poverty, respectively, according to the WalletHub study. Mississippi also has the lowest life expectancy for women at birth, while Louisiana has the third-lowest and Alabama the fifth-lowest. Some Gulf Coast states earned high marks in certain areas: Alabama tied with four other states for the lowest rate of unemployed women. Florida has the highest percentage of women-owned businesses although Mississippi has the fourth-lowest. YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 29, ARMENPRESS. Former US president Donald Trump plans to host Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida next week, a move thats likely to fuel anxiety among US allies about the prospect of the former president returning to power, Bloomberg reports. The meeting is expected to take place March 8, according to a person familiar with the plans who spoke on condition of anonymity. The Hungarian leader has long been revered by the American right over his strident opposition to immigration and rights for LGBTQ+ people as well as his attacks on liberals and news organizations, Bloomberg adds. Last week, Trumps aides promoted his meeting with Argentine President Javier Milei, a recently elected populist, who spoke at CPACs gathering. Haiti - Florida : A Haitian sentenced to 5 years in prison for arms trafficking On Wednesday February 28, 2024, Jocelyn Dor, aged 31, a Haitian citizen residing in Orlando, Florida, was sentenced to 5 years in prison for participating in a very sophisticated smuggling scheme which allowed the export or attempted exported at least 24 firearms from the United States to Haiti, as well as hundreds of rounds of ammunition. Along with the prison sentence, U.S. District Court Judge John D. Bates sentenced Dor to three years of probation. Dor pleaded guilty on October 30, 2023, to conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act, violation of the Export Control Reform Act, and money laundering to promote a specific illegal activity. According to government documents, "400 Mawozo" is a notoriously violent Haitian gang and criminal organization that operated in the Croix-des-Bouquets region, east of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Starting on January 12, 2020, "400 Mawozo" carried out armed kidnappings of American citizens in Haiti for ransom. Dor acted as a straw buyer (secret representative) for "400 Mawozo". From September 18, 2021 to October 17, 2021, he purchased 10 high-powered semi-automatic rifles from gun stores in the Orlando area, on the instructions of Germine [Leader of the 400 Mawozo gang, Germine Joly aka "Yonyon"] with the express purpose of shipping these weapons to the leaders of the 400 Mawozo gang in Haiti. Rifles were intended for combat. One of the weapons, a 50 caliber Barrett rifle, is primarily used by the military against heavy machinery. Dor falsely stated to arms sellers that he was the "real buyer" of these weapons. He also received multiple transfers of thousands of US dollars from his accomplices to ensure payment. The FBI attempted to arrest Dor on October 31, 2021, but was unable to locate either Dor or the high-powered rifles. Dor stopped using his cell phones, showing he was aware law enforcement was after him. The search extended to the Midwest where Dor was nearly captured at a truck stop. On November 5, 2021, Dor rented storage space in Orlando. On November 8, 2021, he asked his lawyer to contact the FBI in order to surrender. The FBI arrested Dor the same day and recovered the weapons from the warehouse in Orlando. He has been in detention since his arrest. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-36596-haiti-usa-3-haitians-and-an-american-charged-with-having-provided-weapons-and-ammunition-to-the-gang-400-mawozo.html HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - Economy : Haiti seeks to restructure its debt with Venezuela In a note, the Government of Haiti informs that it has been negotiating for several months with the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, the restructuring of the Haitian debt contracted within the framework of the PetroCaribe program and other cooperation projects, which According to several sources, it would amount to between 2 billion and 2.5 billion US dollars. Pending the finalization of an agreement, both parties have agreed to maintain confidentiality regarding these negotiations. It is undoubtedly for this reason that the Government was careful not to confirm or deny the payment to Venezuela of 500 million dollars (according to a Venezuelan Government source) reported by Bloomberg and Reuters https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-41739-haiti-flash-haiti-pays-a-debt-of-usd-$500-to-venezuela-linked-to-the-petrocaribe-program.html In the interest of transparency, the Government of Haiti is committed to providing all information to the general public when the agreement becomes effective. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-41739-haiti-flash-haiti-pays-a-debt-of-usd-$500-to-venezuela-linked-to-the-petrocaribe-program.html HL/ TB/ HaitiLibre YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 29, ARMENPRESS. The European Union annual report on the common security and defense policy adopted by the European Parliament on February 28, highlights the need to apply purposeful and targeted sanctions against Azerbaijan in case of its aggression against Armenia. According to the Armenpress Brussels correspondent, the report calls for readiness to apply targeted and individual sanctions against the perpetrators of aggression, without necessarily limiting these sanctions solely to the political and military circles associated with President Aliyev. Additionally, it suggests suspending the import of oil and natural gas from Azerbaijan in the event of any military aggression. The MEPs with the adopted report, call on the EU to immediately apply sanctions against Azerbaijan and suspend the Memorandum of Understanding on Strategic Partnership in the energy sector. They also call into question Azerbaijan's eligibility to host the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) in 2024, while the country plans to increase its fossil fuel production by a third over the next decade. According to the members of the European Parliament, the risks of a resumption of military operations in the South Caucasus are a cause for serious concern and underscore the need for more active engagement by the EU in the region. The report calls on the EU's European External Action Service (EEAS) to assist Armenia and Azerbaijan in reaching a historic peace agreement. It also urges the two parties and the international community to remain vigilant and reject any attempts or provocations from outside aimed at preventing the two countries from achieving a stable peace agreement. The European Parliament expresses concern that the prospects for normalization of relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan remain fragile. Therefore, the EU should assist and encourage both parties toward this goal, including by offering the prospect of closer integration with the EU if they decide to pursue it. The report welcomes the establishment of the EU civilian monitoring mission in Armenia (EUMA), which aims to contribute to increased security in the region by reducing the number of incidents in Armenia's conflict-affected and border regions, thereby decreasing the level of risk to the population. The adopted reports call not only to strengthen and extend the mandate of the EUMA, but also to deploy monitors along Armenias border with Turkiye. The EEAS is called upon to be ready to provide the necessary technical assistance to Armenia through the European Peace Facility so that Armenia reviews its current military alliances, as this will strengthen the country's resilience in the context of ensuring security, independence and sovereignty. Lilit Gasparyan Multiple businesses from the region participated at the North Star High School career fair Wednesday afternoon, with students from multiple schools attending. The fair was set up in the high school's gymnasium in Rudyard, and was organized by North Star students Quinn Trueax and Ecko Fraser. "Pretty much, it's a vendor show but with jobs," Trueax told Havre Daily News before the show. "We want students to know that there are more careers than just farming." Business set-up started at 7:30 a.m. with the schools signing up for times for their students to attend the show, which was set to run until about 4 p.m.. Scott Leeds and Jake Ingram served as representatives for Triangle Communications and Hill County Electric. "Triangle Hill County is a career job, so that's what we want to explain to kids," Leeds said. "This isn't just a one-stop shop. This is a job that is a community-minded business." Leeds also mentioned the scholarships that are available for students and teachers. "Both companies provide scholarship opportunities to these kids, whether it's college or trades, anyway they want to go. They just go to the website and apply," Leeds said. "Both companies offer scholarship opportunities to teachers to these small communities that are within our serving area." Ingram added the importance of the options that students have when pursuing their career in this field. "What I want to talk about to kids today is how to get in to an apprenticeship, how to become a lineman," he said. "There are utility lineman versus contract lineman. So Hill County Electric, we are utility lineman." Sugar Shack, a local Rudyard food business, was also in attendance. Owner Kimberly Seidlitz and Chef Barb Snyder run the show until children are out of school for summer vacation. Seidlitz discussed the history of the Sugar Shack. "The Sugar Shack started in Chinook in 1954, and then it moved to Conrad in the late '50s to '98, and then it went to Chester," she said. "In 2018, in October, we moved it, and in 2019 we opened. ... We are open from May to usually the end of August." Capt. Ryan Pearson represented the Havre Police Department. "We were excited about the event," he said. "It's good to come out and talk to some kids and gauge their interest in being in law enforcement. "We let them know that we have a couple spots open at the police department," Pearson added "It's been good. We are happy to be up here and happy to be invited, and we're hoping it'll turn out to be a good day." Havre Fire Chief Nate Courtnage brought firefighter gear, such as a flashlight, a tank, and even a fire suit and hat for students to try on. "(I am) super excited to be here," he said. "The fire service is a competitive service, and there's lots of jobs out there." YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 29, ARMENPRESS. The European Union has the necessary toolkit to impose sanctions against Azerbaijan without the unanimous consent of twenty-seven member states. Tigran Balayan, Armenia's Ambassador to Belgium and Head of the Mission of Armenia to the EU, stated this in an interview given to the correspondent of "Armenpress" in Brussels. In an exclusive interview, the Ambassador has addressed Armenia-EU and Armenia-Belgium relations, the EU's mechanisms for applying sanctions against Azerbaijan, and the inconsistency of the latter's aggressive actions. Armenia-EU relations are at a high level, but Ambassador Balayan is still not satisfied. According to Balayan, dialogue in some areas, especially regarding the liberalization of visas, should start a second earlier. - Mr. Ambassador, two weeks ago, the fifth session of the EU-Armenia Partnership Council was held, at the end of which the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, announced that relations with Armenia are at their highest and most active level ever. How do you assess bilateral relations, and what opportunities do you see for developing them?" - I think our foreign minister Mr. Mirzoyan, during the press conference with Mr. Borrell, also presented Armenia's assessment of those relations. Yes, we see relations with the EU at the highest level, which, first of all, helps to strengthen Armenia in all possible areas. Speaking about security, it is necessary to emphasize the presence of the EU mission on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border, on the Armenian side, which allows Brussels to have firsthand information about what is happening there, who is exacerbating the situation, and, I think, recently, the European side's unambiguous and clear statements are the result of this. Of course, it is good to say that our relations are progressing positively but on the other hand, I am not entirely satisfied, because there are clear steps that could be taken, but have not been done yet. For example, one of them is the initiating a dialogue on the liberalization of visas. We also need to focus on improving our economy, not only by enhancing the quality of our products but also by implementing reforms in the state system and providing appropriate education to specialists in various fields. Take, for instance, my department. The diplomatic school, established fifteen years ago with active support and assistance from the EU, now supplies high-quality personnel not only to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs but also to other state structures. - If relations are at the highest level, as stated by the High Representative of the EU, then why has the EU not taken practical steps to hold Azerbaijan accountable, particularly in terms of imposing sanctions? - In the coming weeks, we will have the opportunity to witness quite practical steps in terms of supporting Armenia. As for sanctions, we observe a certain reluctance to acknowledge the dangers posed by the Aliyev regime, which has successfully carried out ethnic cleansing without facing any obvious consequences. This occurred in the 21st century, by a member state of the Council of Europe. Nevertheless, the powers of the parliamentary delegation were terminated in any case. I believe the EU's mission for peace is already clear: it should curtail the measures of the Aliyev regime to prevent further military aggression and adventures against Armenia. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan also emphasized this in an interview with France 24. I reiterate that it is evident Aliyev has no interest in pursuing peace, because the point of his regime's existence is constant violence against his own people, against Armenia. In terms of sanctions, I think the EU has a very good toolkit, which does not even need the unity of the member states to start imposing sanctions on Azerbaijan, not only for its aggressive actions, but also purely in terms of human rights, which are in a shameful state in Azerbaijan. - A few days ago, European Commission's lead spokesperson for foreign affairs and security policy Peter Stano in an interview to Armenpress noted that in order to apply sanctions, the unanimous agreement from all member states is required to apply sanctions. However, you mentioned an existing toolkit that does not require unanimity. What mechanisms are we discussing? - There are contracts that can be partially or completely suspended. EU sanctions specialists know much better what they are, what they can be used for and under what circumstances. In this case, we are not reinventing the wheel. There are mechanisms that can be implemented. What's required is political will and a clear conscience. By the way, the European Parliament has this awareness. - In one of your recent interviews, you described the attack in the direction of Nerkin Hand as an open challenge to the credibility of the EU in the region. Does the EU not see this, and have you had contacts regarding this issue? How do your European colleagues react? - Of course, I have had contacts. I expressed the Armenian side's displeasure regarding the disproportionality of the European side's reaction. Just two weeks ago, we heard Mr. Borrell stating that Azerbaijan's new aggression towards Armenia would have irreversible consequences. Now, we have experienced a new aggression, yet there seem to be no irreversible consequences for Azerbaijan. It should be clearly understood that this operation was carried out by the border guard service, under the commander's command, to shoot Armenian soldiers. By the way, it occurred within the sovereign territory of Armenia, from occupied positions. Since at least December 12 of the previous year, we had been warning that Azerbaijan was preparing for ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh. They told us we were exaggerating, that Azerbaijan would not take such a step, but Azerbaijan did exactly that. Aside from condemnations, which, of course, are important but never enough, what was the result? Now, we openly assert again that Azerbaijan is preparing an attack against the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of Armenia. We state that its objective is to destabilize Armenia and achieve a violent change of power within Armenia. These are the messages we convey to our European partners. In response, they tell us they will assist us in stabilizing and strengthening our resilience. Yes, we acknowledge that, for which we are grateful, and we expect to deepen relations in that direction. - But consider that the EU does not believe. In the interview with Peter Stano, he clearly stated that they do not believe Azerbaijan will attack Armenia. - I don't think the EU doesn't believe. - So is he turning a blind eye to it? - They see and try to prevent it without burning bridges with Azerbaijan. But we are not talking about burning bridges. Dialogue must be maintained. We are not accusing our European partners of inaction, but rather suggesting that more active steps need to be taken, perhaps not publicly, to deter Aliyev's appetite toward new aggression against Armenia. The official rhetoric disseminated by Azerbaijan only confirms this. They have recently released a video in which they suggest they can already see Sevan and that it is very easy to reach it through the mountains. What is this if not preparation for aggression? - You have mentioned that the EU observation mission is important because they receive firsthand information in Brussels. Besides this, what does the presence and expansion of this mission in Armenia offer us? Considering it does not restrain Azerbaijan, as we have recently seen with the example of what happened in Nerkin Hand?" - Let me start with perhaps the most important aspect- contacts with people. Our European partners, situated in various regions of Armenia, communicate with our compatriots also outside the capital. This is the foremost significant fact that should be noted. Secondly, these individuals, residing among Armenians, I would say, upon their return, they become ambassadors of Armenia in a certain sense, representing Armenia, its people, and culture. Thirdly, these individuals, living in Armenia, share their joys and difficulties with us.In fact, the deployment of this mission has been the most beneficial development for the region since 2008, when a similar mission was deployed in Georgia. - Until recently, Azerbaijan had been avoiding negotiations on European platforms, but a meeting was held in Munich at the initiative of Germany. What does this signify? Has the West succeeded in bringing Baku back to the negotiating table, and what are the expectations regarding this? - Our position is as follows: we are ready to negotiate on any platform. The issue is not the platform itself but rather the presence of goodwill. We have witnessed gross violations and breaches of agreements reached at the highest level with the mediation of President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin. The problem lies in the mediator's ability to ensure the fulfillment of agreements reached through their mediation. Reiterating the Prime Minister's stance, even if an agreement is reached with Azerbaijan, we need clear mechanisms for its implementation and mechanisms with international accountability. Once again, I would like to emphasize that the issue lies not in the platforms themselves, but in the genuine desire to achieve peace. - Let's also talk about Belgium-Armenia relations. What level of political dialogue have you recorded during this half-year tenure? - Our relations with Belgium are at a very high political level. Belgium already has an embassy in Armenia, a very active ambassador has been appointed. Mr. Eric de Muynck in addition to politics, is also very active in the cultural and economic spheres. -How would you summarize the relations with the community? -Excellent. A few days ago, I met with the new members of the Committee of Armenians in Belgium. We are discussing various cultural programs. We also maintain very good relations with the Armenian Apostolic Church. Lilit Gasparyan The report may contain more questions than answers, as well as an unusual mystery concerning the fate of a report made by locomotive drivers, according to YLE . VR , the state-owned railway company of Finland, has presented its account of the disruption witnessed in long-distance rail services on 13 February to the Ministry of Transport and Communications. The Finnish public broadcasting company reported last week that locomotive drivers submitted a report of a clank and suspected track damage into the joint messaging system of drivers and Finntraffic on Friday, 9 February. What is unusual is that the report vanished from the system three days later and that damaged section was not located until four days later, on 13 February. Dozens of trains passed through the site, but drivers no longer reported their sightings because the drive log already had an entry about suspected track damage. For some reason, the report was removed from the system at 2.34pm on Monday, 12 February, before the damage had been located, reads the report from VR. The company detected several damaged wheels in its rolling stock and cancelled all long-distance services for Tuesday. It argued in the report that the damaged section caused widespread damage to its fleet because repairs were delayed, estimating that a third-party investigation into the incident is warranted. To ensure the Finnish railway systems safety, VR is proposing that this incident be investigated thoroughly, transparently and in an unbiased manner by a neutral party, reads the release signed by CEO Elisa Markula. So that similar incidents can be avoided in future. Its report to the ministry lays out 13 unanswered questions, including the disappearance of the driver report, the delay in locating the damaged section, the failure to request further information from locomotive drivers and the decision not to lower the speed limit for the section. Aleksi Teivainen HT In Central Ostrobothnia, Minna Korkiakoski-Vasti stepped down last week as the managing director of the well-being services county, citing lack of confidence in the elected leadership, namely the county council. Sari Innanen (Centre), the chairperson of the county council, was forced to step aside shortly thereafter after losing the confidence of her party, according to YLE . Pohde, the well-being services county of North Ostrobothnia, announced last week it is launching large-scale consultative negotiations as part of a 90-million-euro cost-cutting programme. The well-being services counties were created as part of the long-debated social and health care reform carried out by the previous government. The counties began their operations in early 2023, their primary duty being to organise social, health care and rescue services, and decide how to allocate the funding provided by the central government. With the counties set to stick to economic austerity and cost savings that have provoked outrage among locals, their internal tensions have begun to surface. The Central Finland well-being services county unveiled a new plan for its service network, revealing that health care centres would be shut down in a number of smaller municipalities. Chairperson Jani Kokko (SPD) responded to the plan immediately, commending the plan as something he himself could have drawn up in a press release. The current financial and human resources, he argued, simply make it impossible to provide services in each corner of the county and force the county to make hard choices. Bemoaning wont do you any good in this situation. Thats not a way to make investments or pay wages, he said to Helsingin Sanomat on Saturday. Im a rare opposition member in the sense that Im not extending my hand to the government, calling for money. What Id hope from the central government is that the deadline for closing the deficit be extended from two to three or four years. Kokko stated that the closure of small health care centres is unfortunate but outlined that the objective is to ensure all residents can access a well-equipped health care centre in 30 minutes. Slightly larger social and health care units, he gauged, are also more attractive employers for care professionals. In North Ostrobothnia, the economic and productivity programme entails the closure of service units for the elderly and re-examination of some smaller health care centres. The programme is a state-imposed condition for running up debt to invest in developing the hospital system in Oulu. Hanne-Leena Mattila (Centre), a councillor for Pohde, told Helsingin Sanomat that the county has the desire to reform itself and take advantage of its larger area. The cost savings demands, though, are too harsh. This isnt enough time to produce good results. We havent been able to conduct impact assessments of the consequences of closing a health care centre in a particular area, she said to the newspaper, adding that the digital and mobile services that are to replace in-person services are still on the drawing board. We recognise that Finlands economic situation is difficult, but the counties have been given no opportunity to start operations. We cant carry out any kind of development work when all our resources go into devising savings measures, she retorted. Heikki Vestman (NCP), the chairperson of the well-being services county council in Eastern Uusimaa, said the National Coalition was right to oppose the social and health care reform during the previous electoral term. My experiences as a county councillor have proved that. The reform was a mistake. It was expensive it was only about reforming administration, not the services. The current economic difficulties are due to the social and health care model and funding law decided by the previous government, he stated to the newspaper. Helsingin Sanomat pointed out that parliamentary debates about the counties have been complicated by the fact that the reform was strongly opposed by two of the current ruling parties, the Finns Party and National Coalition. Opposition members who criticise the implementation of the reform are often met with remarks that they are in fact criticising their own party. Aleksi Teivainen HT In January , businesses within the Ilmarinen Economic Index experienced a 2.6% decrease in workforce numbers compared to the previous year, continuing a trend of employment challenges across Finland. The most significant declines were observed in the staffing services, construction, and hospitality sectors. Regionally, the largest drops in workforce numbers were seen in Eastern and Northern Finland. The Ilmarinen Economic Index, which tracks the performance of over 60,000 companies employing around 500,000 workers, provides up-to-date information on the state of the Finnish economy. Despite a slight improvement from December's 2.8% decline, January's figures underscore ongoing economic concerns. Jouni Vatanen, a researcher at Ilmarinen, highlighted the widespread nature of the decline, affecting nearly all monitored sectors. "There are still plenty of concerns in the Finnish economy. Employee numbers fell in almost every sector we monitor. Although industrial orders saw a rise in December, our export value dropped by nearly seven percent last year. Meanwhile, political wrangling over proposed labor market reforms continues to lead to widespread strikes," Vatanen stated. However, there remains optimism for Finland's economic outlook. "Fitch Ratings recently maintained Finland's rating in the second-highest category in their latest assessment. According to the company, Finland's significant pension assets mitigate risks associated with debt burden and an aging population. Ilmarinen will release its financial statement and investment returns on Thursday, February 15," Vatanen reminded. The sectors experiencing the most significant declines include staffing services (-13.2%), construction (-10.0%), and hospitality (-3.2%), with transportation, commerce, and industry also reporting losses. Vatanen noted the particular impact on the construction sector, with approximately one-fifth of builders unemployed or laid off in January, a significant increase from both the previous year and the past month. "The distress in the construction sector and related staffing services has been evident in Ilmarinen's Economic Index since the beginning of last year," he said. The workforce reduction was a nationwide trend, with the most substantial decrease in Eastern Finland (-4.5%) and the least in Southern Finland (-1.9%). Despite the overall decline, there were areas of growth, notably in the communication and information technology sector, which saw increases in some regions. Ilmarinen's Economic Index, which has been published since 2013, reflects changes in employee numbers compared to the previous year, providing a consistent measure of the Finnish economy's health over time. HT A BID to secure bathing water status for the River Thames at Mill Meadows in Henley has been rejected. Thames21, a charity which improves and restores rivers, applied to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in October. It was part of its Reclaim our Rivers project, which aims to increase the number of inland bathing waters across the Thames Basin. Bathing water status places a legal obligation on polluters and government to test water quality during the bathing season and improve water quality. The application was supported by Henley Town Council and South Oxfordshire District Council. Thames21 had counted the number of bathers and said that 545 people were swimming on the busiest day for the Henley Swim event Club to Pub in July. But Defra has now written to the charity to say that its bid was unsuccessful because it did not meet the criteria. It said: The application guidance states that surveys should not be held on days when organised events are being held, such as festivals or swimming races and competitions. This application will therefore not be taken forward for bathing water designation on this occasion. Aggie Hodges, bathing water development officer at Thames21, said: The River Thames in Henley is an incredibly significant part of the towns cultural and natural heritage and missing this chance to take steps to protect it is massively disappointing. Bathing water designation can be an effective tool to improve water quality, as has been evidenced by Englands coastal bathing waters. However, there are shockingly few inland river bathing water designations in England, especially when seen in contrast to the hundreds in countries such as France. None of Englands rivers, including the Thames through Henley, is in ecologically good health, and raw sewage was discharged upstream of the proposed bathing water site from Wargrave sewage treatment works for 319 hours in 2023. We believe all river users, including event participants, deserve to swim without risk to their health. Despite this setback, we will continue to work with the community to fight for a cleaner Thames. Mayor Kellie Hinton said she was perplexed by Defras decision. She said: The organised events that take place on the River Thames are what Henley is famous for. It is frustrating that Defra does not consider the participants of these events as people who deserve clean rivers safe from health risks. We were happy to support Thames21 on this application and will continue to work together and with the community to advocate for a cleaner, safer Thames. During the bathing water season from May to September, Thames21 worked with councils and consulted environmental and community groups as part of the application process. Ninety-seven per cent of responses were in support of designating the stretch of river at Mill Meadows as a bathing water site. The charity also trained citizen scientists to carry out weekly water quality sampling at the site. The samples were analysed by Thames Water and showed the presence of E.coli and intestinal enterococci, bacteria which indicate faecal matter and pose a serious risk to human health. Susan Barry, citizen scientist and year-round swimmer with the Henley Mermaids, said: The River Thames is central to life in Henley and is enjoyed by rowers, swimmers, anglers and boaters, yet its routinely polluted by sewage. It is bitterly disappointing that our iconic town did not make it through to the national consultation stage for bathing water designation. But I wasnt surprised Last summer, the Government moved the goalposts, requiring at least 100 bathers a day during the bathing season, discounting all the river users such as rowers, canoeists, paddle-boarders and people attending organised swimming events, often numbering in their hundreds. As a keen swimmer and a member of the Henley Mermaids and Henley Open Water Swimming Club, I was excited to have the opportunity to get involved with Thames 21 and its water testing programme alongside Henleys application for bathing water status. As swimmers, we are aware that the river can contain sewage and we accept the risks but even I was horrified by the results. This just reinforces the urgent need for formal bathing water status designation so people can take informed decisions about when they use the river and to hold Thames Water to account. If nothing else, this has raised awareness about the chronic state of our sewerage infrastructure and the scandal that Thames Water is using our beloved river as an open sewer. Freddie Van Mierlo, cabinet member for climate at South Oxfordshire District Council, said: I am really disappointed, although this outcome was not unexpected. I think that Defras thinking is absolutely backwards and wrong. What they are expecting is for bathers to swim and bathe in polluted water before they clean up the water. If we could clean up the water it would encourage more bathers and wildlife. District councillor and Thames champion Jo Robb said: It is dismally disappointing, especially after all the work that the volunteers did to take water samples and test them. What the process has achieved is getting Henley involved in this important issue. It was not a waste of time. Wallingford Town Council applied for bathing water status in a joint application with the district council and has reached the next stage. What do you think? Write to: Letters, Henley Standard, Caxton House, 1 Station Road, Henley or email letters @henleystandard.co.uk A MAN has avoided prison after being caught sending sexual messages to a child decoy set up by paedophile hunters. Jason Batty, 35, of Vicarage Road, Henley, was given a suspended sentence after pleading guilty to attempted sexual communication with a child and possession of a small amount of cannabis. Oxford Crown Court heard on Friday how in February 2022 officers were alerted by a vigilante group that one of their online chats had caught the attention of a man. Batty, who has learning difficulties, was caught engaging in online communication with Ethan, purported to be 11 years old. Tim Naik, prosecuting, said members of the group arrived at the door of Battys family home and pointed out the chat to him in the presence of his family. Police were called and arrested Batty. They found the cannabis in a search. Battys phone was seized and police found he had engaged in a conversation with the decoy via Facebook. Mr Naik said that initially he had said Hi but after a few messages the tone of the conversation changed. Batty made sexually suggestive messages and requests and asked to see photos of Ethan in school uniform and of parts of his body. He also sent explicit photos of himself. When he was interviewed, he said little but did seem to accept that it was him who had engaged in the chat, saying the page had just popped up. Mr Naik said Batty had committed a category 1 offence, the highest category for harm and culpability. But he asked Judge Michael Gledhill KC to take into consideration that Ethan didnt exist. Francis Howard, mitigating, described the offence as unattractive with some ugly factors. But he said Batty was of previous good character and had not displayed predatory sexual intentions to children or males before this. He said Batty had learning disabilities and had undergone two psychiatric checks and one had found he was not fit to plead. Mr Howard said: This is an individual with physical and some cognitive disabilities. Both reports mention a developing and growing dependency on alcohol. He said Batty lived in quite a small world and was lonely and isolated. According to the psychiatric reports, the death of his father when he was quite young had a deleterious effect on him. But the real blow was the death of his mother, who had been his carer and guardian, after which he fell into the bottle. Mr Howard said the paedophile hunters had planned a confrontation with Batty which had caused him trouble with his family. He said: He has lost his good name and his reputation but it was an attempted offence. It was not a real child, it was a decoy. Batty had pretended to be 20 but the nature of the messages was juvenile. The comments were childish not as camouflage to manipulate the boy and showed the defendants limited vocabulary and language. Mr Howard said Batty accepted he was guilty. He knows its wrong, knew it was wrong, he said. It popped up; he fell into temptation. He tells me that he is sorry and he expresses his regret and remorse. Obviously he is sorry he has been caught and will be punished. He told the judge that prison would be unlikely to help the defendant. But a sexual harm prevention order would have a chilling effect on Battys life and give the public security and reassurance about the risk of him offending again. Mr Howard said: Prison could have consequences for him other than taking him out of society and protecting the public. He suggested Batty would benefit from alcohol treatment and had already engaged with Turning Point. He would also benefit from completing Horizon, a programme for medium-risk sex offenders, on a one-to-one basis, as Batty was frightened of groups and of people. Mr Howard added that Batty required daily assistance due to his learning difficulties. Judge Gledhill told Batty: This behaviour is totally and utterly unacceptable you come across this Facebook profile and you contact who you think is an 11-year-old boy and within a few messages youre sending filthy pictures of yourself and asking for filthy pictures of him. You should be utterly ashamed of yourself. You knew it was wrong but you couldnt stop yourself. The judge acknowledged that it was Battys first offence and added: The fact of the matter is that there was no actual child involved. Batty was sentenced to 12 month in prison, suspended for two years and given a sexual prevention harm order for 10 years. He is required to fulfil an alcohol treatment programme. His phone and the drugs were confiscated. A plan to destroy 40,000 hectares of native forest in Australia will be met with global condemnation, conservationist Dr Bob Brown has warned. The proposal could have damaging implications for Tasmanias famous devils and trash the states clean green image, he told Yahoo News. The proposal to log more than 10 per cent of 356,000 hectares protected under a 2012 deal struck between loggers and conservation groups was announced by Liberal premier Jeremy Rockliff on Thursday. If reelected on March 23, he plans to capitalise on what he says is growing international demand for timber after Labor governments in Victoria and Western Australia restricted native forest logging. Tasmania's "clean green" image could be ruined by a plan to log an extra 40,000 hectares of native forest, Bob Brown warns. Source: Getty (File) The announcement was made in the face of increasing international condemnation of Tasmanias forestry industry. Just three weeks ago, actor and conservationist Leonardo Dicaprio called for an end to native forest logging across Australia and Tasmania. In an Instagram post he highlighted the work of the Bob Brown Foundation in fighting the destruction of critically endangered swift parrot habitat which is being harvested by Tasmanias state-owned logging company. The Liberal Party has promised to unlock the forests for harvesting within 100 days of reelection, which it says could result in a 10 per cent boost in annual timber supply for the industry. Only a re-elected majority Rockliff Liberal Government has a 2030 Strong Plan to keep Tasmanias native forest industry strong, the government's resources minister Felix Ellis said. It cuts right across Tasmanias clean green image and it will lead to global condemnation for Australia in an age of extinction and climate crisis.Bob Brown Bob Brown predicts mass arrests if logging in Tasmania escalates Should the plan go ahead, Brown has predicted hundreds could be arrested for opposing the logging. In Tasmania protesters face fines of $12,975 or 18 months in jail for a first offence, while organisations risk a $103,800 penalty. Story continues I think with their draconian anti protest laws, people are just going to turn out in bigger numbers, because this logging threatens a whole range of rare and endangered creatures including the worlds largest freshwater crayfish (Astacopsis gouldi) which grows a metre long and up to six kilograms, he said. If it was in the Mississippi or the Amazon everybody we would be amazed by it, but it's in Tasmanias rivers and they're just seen as logging catchments. Independent think tank the Australia Institute also struck out at Rockliffs logging plan, saying it will drive threatened species closer to extinction. While todays announcement will have a miniscule effect on Tasmanias economy, it will be hugely destructive for the environment, spokesperson Vanessa Bleyer said. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? Get our new newsletter showcasing the weeks best stories. Missing mum Samantha Murphy has "no secrets" that she could be running from and police are likely hunting a killer in their investigation into her disappearance, which is now in its fifth week, a veteran crime expert has warned. Murphy, 51, left her home in Ballarat on February 4 to go on a run in the Woowookarung Regional Park and despite an exhaustive, month-long search, the mother of three has not been found. The hunt for answers has involved the missing persons squad, specialist commands and hundreds of Ballarat locals, with multiple theories emerging over her whereabouts most recently that she fell down a mine shaft. But according to one veteran crime reporter, there's only one true explanation. Samantha Murphy, 51, has not been seen since early February. Source: NCA Newswire Expert's grim theory on missing mum John "Sly" Silvester said that Murphy's disappearance was not "orchestrated". "Its not a disappearance as such or someone whos orchestrated their disappearance," he told 3AW. "We know its not self-harm or a medical issue. Why? Because the area has been searched, and theyre very confident if someone has fallen down one way or another, they would have been found. So that leaves you with the suggestion of foul play and probably murder." Samantha Murphy likely not hiding from any 'secrets' While some 300 locals have pooled their efforts to look for the mother, among them may just be the killer, Sylvester theorised. "Police will also be considering that one of those searchers is the (alleged) killer in that they have inculcated themselves into that situation to be seen as part of the community, but also keeping an eye on whats going on," he explained, adding that Murphy likely has no skeletons in her closet that she could be running from. "The victim has no secrets," he said of police's investigation. "You have to go deep into that person to find out potential enemies or what could have happened." Story continues Despite an exhaustive, month-long search for answers Samantha Murphy hasn't been found. Source: NCA Newswire Murphy's body 'could be in a mine' Meanwhile, esteemed mine shaft explorer Raymond Shaw, who has been helping police in the search for Murphy, said that her body could be lying in one of the 5000 mine shafts that are hidden beneath Ballarat. "I think there could be anywhere between 4000 and 5000 gold mines just underneath the town," Shaw told Nine's Under Investigation. Some of the mine shafts are 100 metres deep, Shaw said, adding that he believes it's possible one of them contains her body. Former Victorian detective Damian Marrett agreed the theory is plausible. "They could be a great place to conceal a body or a crime after the fact and you'd probably never find it," Marrett told the program. The new theories come as the 300 person-strong volunteer-led search for Murphy was cancelled this week over a catastrophic fire danger in the area. Volunteer group Ground Crew were also forced to postpone this weekends search, with those leading the hunt making the call to ensure "more strain" isnt placed on SES and CFA volunteers. Search efforts for the 51-year-old have been suspended due to a catastrophic fire risk. Source: NCA Newswire "Due to the current bushfires and catastrophic fire warnings, we have made the decision to postpone this weeks search efforts for Samantha Murphy," a search organiser posted to Facebook. Police revealed they were looking at "everyone" as a "person of interest in investigations". "At this stage [Ms Murphys husband] is not [a suspect]. Everyone in relation to Samantha is a person of interest. In our investigation we are speaking to everyone that was in her life, Detective Acting Superintendent Mark Hatt said last week. Police have ruled out the possibility of a medical episode and added they hadn't seen any evidence to indicate "she left the area of her own accord". Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. BERLIN (JTA) Israeli director Guy Nattiv and British actor Helen Mirren have received a Dove Award from the Cinema for Peace Foundation for their joint work in the 2023 biopic, Golda, in which Mirren stars as Golda Meir, the fourth prime minister of Israel. The film focuses on Meirs role during the Yom Kippur War in 1973. Nattiv and Mirren attended the awards ceremony in Berlin this week, where their prize was presented by 102-year-old Margot Friedlander, one of the oldest remaining Holocaust survivors. The ceremony took place contemporaneously with the Berlinale International... A Wisconsin father accused of starving his 12-year-old son to death was captured on Sunday, months after the boys older brother found his siblings decomposing body. Romuan Moye was arrested and charged with several child neglect felonies, including failure to report the death of a child and reckless homicide in the death of his son. Milwaukee police said the boy was starved to death, according to court records and a criminal complaint obtained by HuffPost. Media outlets have identified the boy as Jacarie Robinson. According to the criminal complaint against his father, Robinsons 22-year-old brother arrived at the fathers Milwaukee home on Oct. 10 to find his younger brother dead. The Milwaukee Police Department said they found the boy's father last weekend after following a tip. He had been sought since the Oct. 10 discovery of the body. Getty Images Jacaries brother entered his fathers home and was immediately struck by a strong odor, then discovered a human foot protruding from covers on the living room floor, the complaint stated, citing a police officers interview with the brother. When the 22-year-old pulled the covers back, he found Jacarie already dead and his face eaten up, the document said. I dont even know how to fucking feel right now, the brother told police during his interview. Police noted in the document that Jacaries body was in an advanced state of decomposition.Maggots covered his face, and there were several drops of dried blood towards his feet. A police detective noted that the boy appeared to be extremely malnourished. During his interview with police, the brother said their father had kept Jacarie away from the family for months and would not let him leave the home, according to the complaint. The last time the older brother saw his younger sibling alive was on Aug. 19, he told police. According to the document, on the rare occasion that the older brother saw Jacarie, he would often appear sullen and never happy. Investigators who searched the home were met with an overwhelming smell of mold, feces, and decay, according to the complaint. Detectives also noted large piles of garbage scattered everywhere inside the home. Story continues Jacaries mother told police that his two other siblings were living with her in the weeks leading up to the discovery and that she had not seen Jacarie in person in three years. The mother also said Moye had called her within the past several weeks to inform her that Jacarie was being punished because he was misbehaving and stealing food, according to the complaint. Michael Driscoll, a detective with the Milwaukee Police Department, told CBS affiliate WDJT-TV in Milwaukee that Moye was wanted for questioning but disappeared following the discovery of the body. He left the house that night and has not been seen since, Driscoll told the TV station. Milwaukee police found Moye last weekend after following a tip from an outside source. What we thought was maybe a really small investigative lead for us ... ended up pointing us in the right direction, Thomas Kotnik, an officer with the Milwaukee Police Departments fugitive apprehension division, told WDJT-TV. According to court records reviewed by HuffPost, Romuan Moye was ordered to have no contact with his surviving children. An attorney listed as Moyes representative did not immediate respond to HuffPosts request for a comment. Related... ORLANDO (JTA) Ethan Smith ranks fifth in his New Jersey high school class, scored high on the SAT and aced a full slate of five Advanced Placement tests last year. On Oct. 1, he submitted his application to a nearby Ivy League school, the University of Pennsylvania. Six days later, Hamas attacked Israel, launching a war that has been accompanied by a reported spike in antisemitism in the United States including on college campuses. About two months after that, Penn President Liz Magill told Congress that calling for the genocide of Jews wouldnt necessarily violate the rules at h... (JTA) Pearl Berg, thought to be the oldest Jewish person in the world and the third oldest American, died Feb. 1 in Los Angeles. She was 114. A philanthropist active in her local Hadassah chapter, Berg was married for 58 years to Mark Berg, a businessman and investor. He died in 1989. She maybe had a sip of Sabbath wine but she didnt drink, she didnt smoke, she ate sensibly, she had good emotional balance and she clearly had remarkable genes, Bergs youngest son, Robert Berg, told the Los Angeles Times. Berg was born Oct. 1, 1909, in Indiana and raised in Pittsburgh, where... (JTA) At least one Israeli was killed in an early morning shooting attack on the highway leading from the Israeli West Bank settlement of Maaleh Adumim to Jerusalem. Eleven others were wounded in the terror attack Thursday morning, one seriously. The three gunmen were killed at the scene by security forces. The attack occurred amid Israels war against Hamas in Gaza, and amid an accompanying rise in violence in the West Bank. Hours earlier, a house in northern Israel was hit by a missile fired from Lebanon. Another missile shot by the Houthis in Yemen in Thursday targeted the south... (JNS) Sixty-three percent of Israeli Jews oppose the establishment of a Palestinian state, and most believe terrorism will either stay the same (27.5 percent) or increase (44 percent) should one be created, according to the Israel Democracy Institutes eleventh War in Gaza survey, published on Wednesday. The survey puts the majority of Israeli Jews at odds with the Biden administration, the European Union and other international players pushing Palestinian statehood in the aftermath of Hamass Oct. 7 massacre. It also underscores the differences between Israels Arab and Jewish... The Judea and Samaria security barrier as seen from Kibbutz Meirav, with Jalbun and Jenin in the background. (JNS) - The head of a prominent group of American Christian media broadcasters urged members in the association to cease using the term "West Bank" when reporting about Israel's biblical heartland. The announcement by the National Religious Broadcasters during their annual Christian Media Convention in Nashville, Tennessee, comes amid an intense media war of narratives in reporting about Israel as the war against Hamas in Gaza rages for a fifth month. "NRB opposes the use of the erroneous term 'West Bank' to describe the biblical heartland of Israel and calls on its members to refer to... (JNS) Israeli forces seized cash and financial documents from an underground compound in Khan Yunis showing direct Iranian financial support for Hamas, the Israel Defense Forces disclosed on Tuesday night. We found official documents from 2020 detailing the funds transferred by Iran to Hamas between the years 2014 and 2020 and to [Hamas leader in Gaza Yahyah] Sinwar. More than $150 million were transferred from Iran to Hamas, said IDF Spokesperson Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari. The intelligence indicated a direct connection from Iran to Hamasand more so to Yahya Sinwar, he add... (JTA) On his first day of his visit to Israel, Argentinas new president, Javier Milei, told Israeli authorities that his country would move its embassy to Jerusalem. Milei had vowed during his campaign to move the embassy from its current home in Herzliya, in a sign that Argentina recognizes Jerusalem as Israels capital. If carried out, the embassy move would make Argentina the sixth country, and only the second major country, to relocate its embassy to Jerusalem. Since then-President Donald Trump moved the U.S. embassy in 2017, fulfilling a campaign pledge, four countries have fo... (FLAME via JNS) If members of the Ku Klux Klan vote overwhelmingly Republican, should Republican politicians adopt policies that curry favor with white supremacists? Certainly not. It would not only be wrong, it would also offend the vast majority of American voters, who are not white supremacists. Similarly, if voters who support terrorists vote overwhelmingly Democrat, should Democrats craft policies to attract them? Definitely not. It would be immoral and unethicaland would alienate the overwhelming majority of Americans, who oppose terrorism. Yet, as the U.S. presidential el... (JNS) France confirmed that 45 Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza have received urgent medications that entered the enclave over a month ago in a deal brokered by Paris and Doha. The Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs deputy spokesperson expressed this to local media, and the government ministry also contacted the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, a group representing the families of those captured by Hamas on Oct. 7, which confirmed the exchange in a statement. We wish to personally thank President Emmanuel Macron of France for his meaningful initiative and involv... On Feb. 15, the isles of Dillard's Altamonte Mall were transformed into a runway of compassion and style as over 200 attendees gathered for the annual Jewish Pavilion Fashion Show. This glittering event served a dual purpose: to raise funds for the Jewish Pavilion and to pay homage to Lisa Eichenblatt, an esteemed board member, sponsor, realtor specializing in seniors, and community leader. With the support of sponsors from the Jewish Pavilion, attendees were treated to a breakfast buffet. Central to the festivities was the recognition of Lisa Eichenblatt, whose dedication to the Jewish Pav... Plans to clear farmland and build a multi-million dollar housing project could push a rare Australian lizard back towards extinction, ecologists are warning. With over five million people living in Melbourne, the population is verging on soaring higher than Sydney's, and the government has committed to building 800,000 new homes by 2034, many of them to the city's west, the region where the critically endangered reptile has been found. The rediscovery of the Victorian grassland earless dragon at a 90-hectare farm south of Bacchus Marsh in 2023 came as a surprise as it had not been seen since the 1960s, and was thought to be extinct. Its presence has already stalled a 500-hectare development plan for the wider area, and dragon population surveys are now being undertaken to determine how much land is affected. The Victorian grassland earless dragon has been rediscovered. Source: Zoos Victoria A dragon breeding program established at Melbourne Zoo has produced 50 hatchlings, but its the future of wild populations that is causing angst amongst some experts who are calling for its home range to be urgently protected. More land has been cleared in Victoria than any Australian state, and while the state government has reduced its harvesting of native forests, grassland habitats remain particularly vulnerable to exploitation, and less than one per cent of viable dragon habitat remains intact. Frustration over 'slow' response to protect dragon habitat Two dragon experts who have direct knowledge of its ecological needs spoke to Yahoo News on the condition of anonymity. These ecologists believe measures taken by the state to safeguard the species in the wild have been too slow, and are particularly frustrated that more than a year since the dragons were found, the rediscovery site is not adequately protected. The wider area is mostly farmland but much of it is slated to be rezoned for industrial and urban use. The ecologists want the government to immediately commit to supporting the ongoing stewardship of the land where rediscovery site is located. Sheep grazing and cropping there have provided conditions just right for the highly picky dragons which are often described as a Goldilocks species. Story continues Dragons could halt development at other sites Yahoo News has chosen not to name the project to protect the dragons living at the site, as the rare creatures remain at risk from poachers as well as amateur photographers who could accidentally crush them. The development is being facilitated by the Victorian Planning Authority (VPA), which has declined to answer questions about the rediscovery of the dragons. The rediscovery of the dragons has also prompted hope other remnant populations may also survive on land to the north and west of Geelong the states second largest city however these areas have also been earmarked for development. If the dragons are to persist in nature in the wild, ecologists say multiple areas of viable habitat may need to be protected. Isolated populations are vulnerable to extinction from disease and extreme weather events such as drought and bushfire. There is pressure to develop farmland around Melbourne's west because of the city's booming population. Source: Getty/VPA Developer calls for industry certainty after dragon find Its not just ecologists who are unsettled by the uncertainty created by the dragon discovery developers and property owners are also concerned. The Urban Development Institute of Australia estimates 310,000 homes and 230,000 jobs could be impacted by the find. This issue must be treated as a priority to ensure the longevity of the species, and to give industry certainty, it told The Age. After the species was first rediscovered, the state and federal Labor governments issued a joint press conference pledging $188,000 to help find wild lizards. Their highly publicised announcement raised the profile of the dragons, making it harder for their protection to be undermined. A related species in the ACT is also under threat from development, and a search is underway for another dragon species in the Bathurst region that has not been seen since the 1990s. I want to protect our precious creatures for our kids and grandkids, environment minister Tanya Plibersek said at the time. Victorias then state environment minister Ingrid Stitt said it is an amazing discovery, and offers an opportunity for us to "recover a species once thought lost to our state and the world". Government continues to survey habitat for dragons Victoria's Department of Environment (DEECA) did not respond directly to questions from Yahoo News about which specific sites would be retained as dragon habitat, or if it could commit to protecting the rediscovery site. It confirmed it has been working with the VPA and councils to help them map habitat where dragons could be living, and these assessments will likely inform decisions on which areas will eventually be protected from development. Were continuing our conservation efforts following the rediscovery of the endangered Victorian grassland earless dragon last year this includes the ongoing assessment of population distribution, habitat modelling and delivery of a National Recovery Plan in partnership with the Commonwealth," a Victorian government spokesperson said in a statement. Its hoped remnant populations of dragons could have survived on pockets of grasslands on Victoria's basalt plains. Source: Corangamite CMA Animals across Australia being killed by development Across Australia, governments and developers are having to make decisions between protecting endangered species, and carving up their land for much-needed housing. In Queensland where koalas are listed as endangered, remnants of habitat have been carved up for houses, roads, a KFC, McDonald's, a Toyota dealership and a Westfield. NSW has faced similar issues a large development by LendLease is being constructed next to the state's last disease-free population of koalas. In Western Australia, the Albanese government approved a new road through the centre of a population of endangered western ringtail possums. Fragmentation of habitat prevents populations from expanding and leaves them vulnerable to the impact of extreme weather during a recent heatwave, rescuers responded to more than 150 injured animals. In the Northern Territory, a plan by the government-owned Defence Housing Australia would have resulted in the destruction of 400 new trees, known to shelter endangered species including the Gouldian finch and black-footed tree rat at Lee Point. That project is on hold following protests by Indigenous elders who said they had not been adequately consulted. Even common species like eastern grey and western grey kangaroos have become landlocked by development, resulting in high numbers of mortality, mostly due to car strikes as the animals cross busy roads in search of new homes. Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? Get our new newsletter showcasing the weeks best stories. (JTA) When the Biden administration announced new sanctions meant to stop the flow of U.S. donations to extremist Israelis, many watchdogs assumed that one charity would be especially concerned. But the Central Fund of Israel says it is unfazed by the new sanctions, which were announced amid a push by the White House to rein in violence in the West Bank. The sanctions came alongside a warning against funneling money to nonprofits that promote violence. The Central Fund is a New York-registered charity that distributes tens of millions of dollars every year to hundreds of Israeli nonprof... (JNS) The Israel Defense Forces in the coming days will start an internal investigation into the militarys response to the Oct. 7 Hamas-led massacre and the period preceding the cross-border invasion. Army commanders will be leading the probe, including from the Gaza Division; Unit 8200, the Military Intelligence Directorates main information-gathering unit; the Southern Command; and the Operations Directorate, responsible for preparing the IDF for war. The investigation is expected to conclude towards May, after which external investigations will take place carried out by mili... (JNS) Israel is evaluating the credibility of Hamass confirmation to Qatar that the terrorist group in Gaza received a shipment of medical supplies in a deal brokered by Qatar and France and has started delivering them to hostages in Gaza. Doha made the announcement on Tuesday evening, over one month after the badly needed medicines entered the coastal enclave. The Qatari announcement is the direct result of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus insistence on receiving proof that the medicines have reached our hostaAes, the Prime Ministers Office said in a statement. Isr... (JNS) The Knesset plenum on Wednesday voted 99-11 to back the governments decision to reject any unilateral recognition of Palestinian statehood, amid reports the Biden administration is considering such a move. All coalition lawmakers and most members of the opposition Yesh Atid, National Unity and Yisrael Beiteinu parties voted in favor of supporting Sundays Cabinet statement against international diktats regarding a permanent settlement with the Palestinians. The Labor Party boycotted the vote and its members were not in attendance. The Arab parties voted against the... (JNS) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to not cave to international pressure demanding a ceasefire in the war against Hamas. "There is considerable pressure on Israel at home and abroad to stop the war before we achieve all of its goals, including a deal at any price to free the hostages," said Netanyahu during a visit to the IDF Sky Rider Unit at the Zikim Base along the border with the Gaza Strip. "We very much want to achieve another release and we are prepared to go far but we are not prepared to pay any price, certainly not the delusional prices that Hamas is demandin... (JNS) Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh submitted the collective resignation of his entire government on Monday, the P.A.s official Wafa news agency reported, amid talk of a unity deal with the Hamas terrorist organization. During a Cabinet meeting in Ramallah, Shtayyeh explained that this decision comes in light of the political, security and economic developments related to the aggression against Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, and the unprecedented escalation in the West Bank, including the city of Jerusalem, according to Wafa. We will remain... (JTA) A campaign to protest President Joe Bidens support of Israel by voting Uncommitted in the Michigan Democratic presidential primary declared victory on Tuesday night, as returns showed the movement garnering more than 10 percent of the vote. Biden still won the primary overwhelmingly. But the Uncommitted movement, also called Listen to Michigan, had set a goal of drawing 10,000 votes the margin by which Donald Trump won the state in the 2016 presidential election. By early Wednesday, with most votes counted, more than 100,000 people had voted Uncommitted. Our moveme... (Ettinger Report via JNS) - FBI Director Christopher A. Wray visited Israel on Feb. 14, 2024, meeting with leaders of Israel's Mossad intelligence agency and Israel Police. The goal of the visit was to benefit from Israel's unique urban and tunnel warfare experience against Islamic terrorists, who are advancing the vision of Iran's ayatollahs and the Muslim Brotherhood. Director Wray considers Israel's to be the most effective battle-tested laboratory for the U.S. armed forces, law enforcement agencies and defense industries. He is aware of the ayatollahs' and Hezbollahs' growing entrenchm... (Jewish Journal via JNS) It is hard not to despair when one reads about the billions of dollars poured into Gaza, where a Singapore on the Mediterranean could have been created. Instead, the funds were used to purchase weapons and build tunnels in an attempt to destroy Israel. It is hard not to despair when, 80 years after the Holocaust, antisemitism has returned with a vengeance, including on the campuses of many universities. It is hard not to despair when political correctnessa movement intended to be inclusive and non-discriminatoryhas morphed into a woke culture... (JNS) When I was a child, my grandmother called me her little shiksa. In Yiddish, shiksa means a non-Jewish woman. This was meant as a compliment. My grandmother was a glamorous woman who knew a thing or two about beauty and fashion. I loved her immensely, so I clung to the nickname she gave me with pride. At the time, American beauty as shown in magazines and movies was pretty singular: white skin, blue eyes and an upturned nose, the likes of Farrah Fawcett and Christie Brinkley. Dark-skinned Barbie dolls did not exist. At the time, it wasnt considered objectifying to comm... The White House is said to be considering airdropping aid from US military planes into Gaza amid dire warnings of famine in the territory and following the failure of US officials to convince Israel to allow sufficient aid deliveries on the ground. The move follows months of warnings from aid groups that Israels war in Gaza is causing a humanitarian catastrophe on a scale that would be impossible to contain. Jeremy Konyndyk, who led USAIDs Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance during the Obama administration and oversaw humanitarian air drops to Nepal, the Philippines and Iraq, described the potential US plan to drop aid by air as a major policy failure on the part of the Biden administration. When the US government has to use tactics that it otherwise used to circumvent the Soviets and Berlin and circumvent Isis in Syria and Iraq, that should prompt some really hard questions about the state of US policy, he told The Independent. The United Nations warned this week that some 576,000 people, or one quarter of Gazas population, are one step away from famine. It has also accused Israel of systematically blocking aid deliveries into Gaza and of opening fire on convoys that do make it through. The US has repeatedly said it has been working behind the scenes to convince Israel to allow more aid into Gaza, but the amount of aid that has reached Gazans dropped by half in February compared to the previous month. The dire conditions on the ground in Gaza were drawn into sharp relief on Wednesday when more than 100 Palestinians were killed after Israeli forces opened fire on a crowd that was scrambling to collect aid from food trucks near Gaza City. The Israeli army said its forces had fired at those who posed a threat after some civilians rushed towards the trucks. Mr Konyndyk, who is now president of Refugees International, told The Independent that airdrops are the most expensive and least effective way to get aid to a population. We almost never did it because it is such an in extremis tool. Story continues He referenced his experience managing US airdrops to Yazidi civilians who were fleeing attacks from Isis fighters on the top of Mount Sinjar in northern Iraq in 2014. At the same time it was dropping aid, the US was also carrying out airstrikes against Isis fighters who were besieging the Yazidis. We coordinated US military aid airdrops to that population while they were sheltering on the mountain. We had to do that because they were being besieged by a terrorist group. So when we see this happening in a place that is under the military control of an ally of the United States, its just a shocking thing to see, he said. Israeli military tactics here are functionally the equivalent of an earthquake in Nepal in terms of the impact they're having on humanitarian access. That's a policy choice, he said. And it's totally inexcusable that governments, including potentially the US government, are resorting to airdrops because Israel won't allow consistent humanitarian access and won't open the border crossings. The State Department did not respond to a request for comment. The US has said that it is engaged in diplomacy with Israeli officials to urge them to allow greater humanitarian access to Gaza. In an interview with the New Yorker published on Wednesday, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the US has had very frank and very forthright discussions with Israeli officials in private. We have been able to get humanitarian assistance in Gaza since the beginning of the conflict. There have been times when its been easier than others. Some of thats based on the operational environment. Were working hard with the Israelis to keep that aid flowing and to hopefully increase that level of aid. I think Id leave it there, Mr Kirby said. I think they understand our concerns. Even though there needs to be more aid, even though there needs to be fewer civilian casualties, the Israelis have, in many ways, been receptive to our messages, he added. Israels war in Gaza was launched in response to a Hamas attack that killed 1,200 people. Hamas and other militants are still holding around 100 hostages and the remains of about 30 more, after releasing most of the other captives during a November truce. More than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed by the war, including some 13,000 children, according to the Palestinian health ministry. Many more Palestinians are thought to be buried under the rubble of destroyed buildings. In recent weeks, the security situation inside Gaza has made aid deliveries even more perilous. The World Food Program suspended what it described as life-saving aid deliveries into northern Gaza on 20 February over safety concerns. The agency said in a statement that the decision had not been taken lightly, but added that the pause would continue until conditions are in place that allow for safe distributions. Gaza is hanging by a thread and WFP must be enabled to reverse the path towards famine for thousands of desperately hungry people, the agency said. The UN said that 80 per cent of aid deliveries destined for northern Gaza were blocked by the Israeli army in January . Gazas health ministry said on Wednesday that six children have died from dehydration and malnutrition in recent days. Mr Konyndyk, the former Obama administration official, now believes it may be too late to prevent a famine. Just based on the other circumstances where I've worked on famine relief operations, it's very hard for me to see how you could avert famine now, he said. With the humanitarian footprint that currently exists, you would need a total change. You would need complete access through the territory. You would need a level of security that is hard to envision without a ceasefire. That, he added, is unlikely to come without serious pressure on Israel from the Biden administration. Thus far, it is unclear if there is any event that would cause Biden to exert that pressure. I used to think there was a line or hope there was a line, and I have a harder time discerning what that line would be at this point, Mr Konyndyk said. I would hope that famine would be the line, it should be. (CAMERA via JNS) Her history is so replete with antisemitic rhetoric that multiple governments have condemned her. She doesnt believe Israel has a right to self-defense. She has legitimized Hamass Oct. 7 massacre by claiming that Palestinians are actually forced to resort to armed struggle. Just over a week ago, she even claimed that the Oct. 7 attackthe deadliest mass murder of Jews since the Holocaustwas not antisemitic. Yet, bewilderingly, CNN once again decided to amplify this antisemites horrific allegations against the Jewish state, notwithstanding they lac... By Mitchell Bard (JNS) - The Biden administration is trying to pressure Israel to accept its idyllic vision of the Middle East by threatening to recognize a Palestinian state. The Israeli government should answer in the immortal words of actor Clint Eastwood in the "Dirty Harry" films: "Go ahead. Make my day." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should explain what will happen the day after the United States makes its announcement. Israel will recognize "Palestine" and inform the administration that now that the Palestinians have achieved independence, peace negotiations will be perm... In Birmingham, Secretary Becerra hears from families and health care professionals impacted by the courts decision On Tuesday, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra visited Birmingham, Alabama, in the wake of the Alabama Supreme Courts recent ruling on IVF. In Birmingham, Secretary Becerra sat down with patients and providers who have been directly impacted by the IVF decision to hear their stories. Secretary Becerra also visited Planned Parenthoods Birmingham clinic the last Planned Parenthood left operating in the state of Alabama to speak with advocates and patients about their fight for reproductive freedoms. Its just been kind of a gut punch, LaTorya Beasley shared with the Secretary. LaTorya is an IVF patient who was preparing for another round of IVF and had an embryo transfer scheduled for March 4 that has now been cancelled. We were at the doctors office when the doctors and the clinics said they would close down. The very next day, I got progesterone shots delivered. Its just been gut punch after gut punch for us. This affects real people this affects real families, shared Dr. Rachel Charles, who told the Secretary about her journey with IVF and scheduled transfer for the end of March that is now in limbo. It makes it so that people arent able to make those decisions for themselves about whether or not they want to pursue the idea of having a child. When our son was born, in December of 2020, it was the brightest, most beautiful light in what was such a dark time, Stephanie Perry, an IVF patient at the University of Alabama Birmingham who has a 3-year-old son because of IVF. Were not finished growing our family. And the ruling that came down, I just think about the families that got a phone call from their doctors that said they cant move forward. I am devastated for them because its a chance, its not a guarantee. I am asking, dont take away that chance. Dont take away that light from these families. Image United States Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra comforts Stephanie Perry as she tells her story of IVF treatment in Birmingham, Alabama. Photo from Jake Crandall of the Montgomery Advertiser. Read and watch more about Secretary Becerras visit to Alabama: AP: Alabama lawmakers look for IVF solution as patients remain in limbo Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra visited Alabama to lead a roundtable discussion with a group of IVF patients on Tuesday in Birmingham. Becerra said the decision has had heart-wrenching consequences, and it underscored the importance of protections for reproductive care that were lost when Roe v Wade was overturned. When Roe went down and took away health care rights and access, it did it for more than just abortion care, Becerra said. The 19th: Gut punch after gut punch: In Alabama, IVF patients speak out Rebecca Mathews, a 36-year-old mother of two children conceived through IVF, told The 19th in an interview earlier Tuesday that she reacted with a mix of shock and anger when she heard news of the decision. She has a remaining frozen embryo and hasnt yet decided how to proceed. We had options and we only had time, and now we dont have either of those, Mathews said. MSNBC: Prosecution for 'simply trying to have a family' is a 'real fear': HHS Secy. on IVF ruling Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra joins Morning Joe to discuss the widespread "fear and confusion" sparked by recent IVF restrictions in Alabama, emphasizing the broader implications beyond abortion. With legislation like the Life at Conception Act gaining traction, families nationwide face uncertainty and potential legal hurdles in accessing reproductive healthcare. CNN: Florida unborn child bill stalls amid concerns over IVF and abortion policies US Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra is in Birmingham Tuesday to meet with patients and health care workers directly impacted by the IVF ruling. He noted the confusion caused by the ruling is a consequence of the Supreme Courts Dobbs decision, which overturned the federal right to an abortion under Roe v. Wade. If youre looking to have a family, all of a sudden, youre told that you could face prosecution, Becerra told CNNs John Berman Tuesday morning of families in Alabama. Certainly, youre facing confusion as to whether or not you can continue with your in vitro fertilization. And what are the consequences for you if theyre not successful, if you have embryos that you dont use? Its just a situation that would not have existed if Roe vs. Wade continued to be the law of the land. MSNBC: Following court ruling on embryos, HHS secretary heads to Alabama It was 11 days ago when the Alabama Supreme Courts far-right majority ruled that frozen embryos are actual people. It wasnt long before real-world consequences started affecting families throughout the state, including three medical facilities halting in vitro fertilization treatments. It also wasnt long before some officials started asking what, if anything, can be done to help those hurt by the courts ruling. NBC News reported that Biden administration officials have already begun discussing possible legal and policy options. Barbara Plett Usher Thursday February 29, 2024 Agnes Wanjiru's family says they hope justice will be served this year The UK's Minister for the Armed Forces has offered to personally meet the family of a Kenyan woman allegedly murdered more than a decade ago by a British soldier. James Heappey told the BBC he "absolutely" understood the pain of the relatives of Agnes Wanjiru, whose body was discovered in 2012 in a septic tank near a British military base in Nanyuki, central Kenya. advertisements During an earlier visit to Kenya, Mr Heappey had suggested a meeting between British officials and Ms Wanjiru's family, but none has since taken place.In October last year the family wrote an open letter to King Charles saying British officials dont seem to care about the case, and asked the monarch for a visit during his trip to the country.The author of the letter, Ms Wanjirus niece Esther Njoki, welcomed Mr Heappeys offer with a warm heart and said she hoped that justice would be served and prevail this year.Its been 12 years of painand frustration, she told the BBC. Every time they come, they promise, but their promises, they are unkept And we are worried that time is really moving and nothing has been done.The minister told the BBC that Kenya had not formally asked for the extradition of suspects, but the UK would support any requests that are made up to and including charging and an extradition.Seven years after Ms Wanjiru's death, a Kenyan inquest concluded that she had been murdered by one or two British soldiers.Following reports of an alleged cover-up, Kenya's Department of Criminal Investigations opened an inquiry, but has yet to charge anyone.Mr Heappey said he sympathised with the family's anger at how long the process is taking.But he clarified that any meeting would not be about accepting culpability on behalf of the UK while the legal investigation continued. An auspicious week lies ahead as the planets and stars shift to bring favourable alignments. This week, Mercury will transition into the compassionate and intuitive sign of Pisces, promoting spirituality and imagination. Venus enters intellectual Aquarius, focusing on friendships and collective pursuits. Ketu's passage into Hasta nakshatra enlightens our skills and knowledge. Further, Mars enters the musical Dhanishtha Nakshatra, energising creativity. This week, we also celebrate Yashoda Jayanti, the appearance day of Lord Krishna's loving foster mother. Auspicious muhurta is also available this week pertaining to marriage, griha pravesh, and vehicle and property purchases. Let's explore this weeks Panchanga details for New Delhi, NCT, India. Get weekly Panchang to determine auspicious and inauspicious time for performing day-to-day tasks based on the prevailing planetary position. Shubh Muhurat This Week According to Vedic Astrology, the odds of accomplishing a task successfully are significantly enhanced if they are carried out during an auspicious muhurta. An auspicious muhurta provides us with the best outcome possible according to our destiny if we execute the work in harmony with the cosmic timeline. That is why it is essential to take muhurta into account while commencing any auspicious work. This weeks Shubh Muhurat for various activities is as follows: Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Vivah Muhurat : Auspicious Marriage Muhurat is available this week on March 1 (Friday, 06:46 AM to 12:48 PM), on March 2 (Saturday, 08:24 PM to 06:44 AM, Mar 03), on March 3 (Sunday, 06:44 AM to 03:55 PM), on March 4 (Monday, 10:16 PM to 06:42 AM, Mar 05), on March 5 (Tuesday, 06:42 AM to 02:09 PM), on March 6 (Wednesday, 02:52 PM to 06:40 AM, Mar 07), and on March 7 (Thursday, 06:40 AM to 08:24 AM). : Auspicious Marriage Muhurat is available this week on March 1 (Friday, 06:46 AM to 12:48 PM), on March 2 (Saturday, 08:24 PM to 06:44 AM, Mar 03), on March 3 (Sunday, 06:44 AM to 03:55 PM), on March 4 (Monday, 10:16 PM to 06:42 AM, Mar 05), on March 5 (Tuesday, 06:42 AM to 02:09 PM), on March 6 (Wednesday, 02:52 PM to 06:40 AM, Mar 07), and on March 7 (Thursday, 06:40 AM to 08:24 AM). Griha Pravesh Muhurat : Auspicious Griha Pravesh Muhurat is available this week on March 2 (Saturday, 02:42 PM to 06:44 AM, Mar 03) and on March 6 (Wednesday, 02:52 PM to 04:13 AM, Mar 07). : Auspicious Griha Pravesh Muhurat is available this week on March 2 (Saturday, 02:42 PM to 06:44 AM, Mar 03) and on March 6 (Wednesday, 02:52 PM to 04:13 AM, Mar 07). Property Purchase Muhurat : Auspicious property purchase Muhurat is available this week on March 1 (Friday, 12:48 PM to 06:45 AM, Mar 02). : Auspicious property purchase Muhurat is available this week on March 1 (Friday, 12:48 PM to 06:45 AM, Mar 02). Vehicle Purchase Muhurat: Auspicious muhurta is available this week on March 1 (Friday, 06:46 AM to 12:48 PM) and March 3 (Sunday, 08:44 AM to 03:55 PM). Upcoming Planetary Transits This Week In Vedic astrology, planetary transits are particularly crucial since they are the principal way of anticipating changes and advances in life. Planets move on a daily basis and go through several nakshatras and rashis in the process. It assists in comprehending the nature and characteristics of events as they occur. Here are the upcoming transits this week: Venus enters Dhanishtha Nakshatra on March 2 (Saturday) at 01:40 AM Mercury enters Poorva Bhadrapada Nakshatra on March 2 (Saturday) at 05:12 AM Ketu enters Hasta Nakshatra on March 4 (Monday) at 08:52 AM Rahu transits Revati Pada on March 4 (Monday) at 08:52 AM Ketu transits Hasta Pada on March 4 (Monday) at 08:52 AM Sun enters Poorva Bhadrapada Nakshatra on March 4 (Monday) at 12:44 PM Mars enters Dhanishtha Nakshatra on March 7 (Thursday) at 04:25 AM Mercury enters Pisces sign on March 7 (Thursday) at 09:40 AM Venus enters the Aquarius sign on March 7 (Thursday) at 10:55 AM Upcoming Festivals This Week Yashoda Jayanti (March 01, Friday): Yashoda Jayanti is the celebration of the birth anniversary of Yashoda (the foster mother of Lord Krishna). It is observed on the eighth day of the lunar cycle in the month of Phalguna, under the waxing moon. Devotees celebrate Yashoda's motherly devotion to Krishna and depict their loving connection in this maternal bond. Bhanu Saptami (March 03, Sunday): Bhanu Saptami, sometimes referred to as Vivaswat Saptami is a Hindu festival that is observed in the Magha months seventh day when there is a bright fortnight (Shukla Paksha) of the Hindu lunar calendar. It is dedicated to worshipping Surya, the Sun god, and is said to bring wealth and fortune. Shabari Jayanti (March 03, Sunday): Shabari Jayanti is a celebration of Shabari`s devotion, a character from the Hindu epic Ramayana. Shabari is valued for her unconditional love and devotion to Lord Rama. She represents the purity of heart and selfless service. On this day, faith, piety and recitation of her story are the order of the day, with pilgrims being encouraged to emulate her. Kalashtami (March 03, Sunday): Kalashtami, also known as Kala Ashtami, is a Hindu festival dedicated to Lord Bhairav Maharudev, an incarnation of Lord Shiva. The devotees go on fast and do rituals to get Lord Bhairav's blessings; it is believed that the evil forces won't affect them and they will be strong and courageous. Janaki Jayanti (March 04, Monday): Janaki Jayanti, commonly called Sita Jayanti, is the festival which marks the birth of Goddess Sita, the consort of Lord Rama. Devotees usually fast, chant hymns and worship to pay respect to Goddess Sita's qualities and her association with Indian mythology. Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati Jayanti (March 05, Tuesday): The Jayanti Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati, also known as the birth anniversary of the Indian philosopher and social reformer Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati. He gave lessons that stressed education, equality, and the eradication of social evils. Vijaya Ekadashi (March 06, Wednesday): Vijaya Ekadashi, otherwise known as Jaya Ekadashi, is an annual Hindu fasting day which happens on the Ekadashi tithi (the 11th day) of the Krishna Paksha (waning phase of the moon) in the month Phalguna. The devotees observe fast and pray to Lord Vishnu for achievement, conquering and security. According to Vedic astrology, Rahu is an inauspicious planet. During the transition of planets, the time under the influence of Rahu should be avoided to do any auspicious work. Doing Puja, Hawan or Yagya to propitiate auspicious planets during this time is interfered with by Rahu due to its malefic nature. It is important to consider Rahu Kaal before starting any new work. By doing so, the possibility of achieving desired results is increased. Following are the timings of Rahu Kalam for this week: March 01: 11:07 AM to 12:34 PM March 02: 09:39 AM to 11:06 AM 09:39 AM to 11:06 AM March 03: 04:55 PM to 06:22 PM 04:55 PM to 06:22 PM March 04: 08:10 AM to 09:38 AM 08:10 AM to 09:38 AM March 05: 03:28 PM to 04:56 PM 03:28 PM to 04:56 PM March 06: 12:32 PM to 02:00 PM 12:32 PM to 02:00 PM March 07: 02:00 PM to 03:29 PM Panchanga is a calendar used in Vedic astrology to determine the auspicious and inauspicious time for performing day-to-day tasks based on the prevailing planetary position. It comprises five elements - Vaara, Tithi, Nakshatra, Yoga and Karana. The essence of the Panchanga is the inter-relationship between the Sun (our soul) and the Moon (mind) on a daily basis. Panchanga is used for different branches of Vedic astrology such as natal, election, prashna (horary), religious calendars, and to understand the energy of the day. The day of our birth panchanga depicts our emotions, temperament, and nature. It can provide more insight into who we are and how we feel. It can amplify the effect of the planets and endow us with additional characteristics that we may not understand only based on our natal chart. Panchanga is the life force energy that nourishes the birth chart. ---------------------- Neeraj Dhankher (Vedic Astrologer, Founder - Astro Zindagi) Email: info@astrozindagi.in, neeraj@astrozindagi.in Url: www.astrozindagi.in Contact: Noida: +919910094779 Bhubaneswar, 28th Feb: Leading global philanthropist, Mr. Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft and co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation was honored with the KISS Humanitarian Award 2023 in a significant recognition of his philanthropic work. The ceremony took place on February 28, 2024, in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, acknowledging Mr. Gates for his unparalleled contributions to enhancing global health, and education, and addressing climate change through innovative technology solutions aimed at reducing inequality. The award ceremony featured virtual participation from the staff and students of KIIT and KISS, along with alumni. A notable moment from the event was Mr. Gates's engagement in a meaningful conversation on gender equality, prompted by a question from a KISS alumna. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Prof. Achyuta Samanta, Founder of KIIT, KISS & KIMS said, Awarding Bill Gates with the KISS Humanitarian Award not only honors his exceptional contributions but also elevates the prestige of this recognition. His acceptance sets a new benchmark for humanitarian work globally. It is a profound honor for us that Bill Gates is joining the esteemed roster of our awardees. In his acceptance speech, Mr. Gates expressed deep gratitude for the recognition and reflected on the transformative work of Dr. Samanta and KISS. "Thank you so much for this wonderful award, and for welcoming me here. Though I should be the one congratulating you on all you have accomplished," said Mr. Gates. He lauded Dr. Samanta's vision and dedication to providing quality education to indigenous communities and highlighted the importance of civic engagement and a community-first approach to education. Initiated in 2008 by Prof. Achyuta Samanta, the KISS Humanitarian Award is the highest honour of KIIT and KISS dedicated to recognizing individuals and organizations that embody the spirit of humanitarian work worldwide. The award consists of a citation scroll and a gold-plated trophy that depicts a great social message given at a public function at KISS. The gold-plated trophy embodies the golden heart of a humanitarian with the virtues of purity, kindness, prosperity, and hope. It features a pair of hands uplifting a heart, which is textured with shapes resembling waving hands that symbolize how a pair of dedicated hands can make a significant difference in the lives of the helpless and make the world a better place to live in. Previous recipients of this prestigious award include a diverse group of global leaders, Nobel laureates, and notable figures from various sectors, showcasing the award's broad international appeal and respect. Among others, Minister Counsellor Graham Mayer, US Embassy New Delhi; Frank Talluto, Political Officer Hyderabad; Ananth Sukesh, Political Advisor, US Embassy New Delhi and Srimali Kari, Political Specialist US Consulate Hyderabad were present on the occasion. Some of the notable recipients are Madam Edna Bomo Molewa, former premier of the North-western state of South Africa Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment, Dr. Ham-Kee-Sun, President of Hanseo University, an outstanding Ophthalmologist of South Korea, Mr. Anerood Jugnauth, President of the Republic of Mauritius, Rt. Hon. Lord Justice Nicholas Addison Phillips, President of the Supreme Court of the UK, Lyonchhen Jigmiy Thinley, Prime Minister of Bhutan, Madam Albina Du Boisrouvray, Founder FXB International, Switzerland, His Holiness Dalai Lama, Spiritual Leader and Nobel Peace Laureate 2005, Prof Muhammad Yunus, Founder, Grameen Bank, Bangladesh and Nobel Peace Laureate, Mr. Dansa Kourouma, President of the National Transition Council of Guinea and Mama Rachel Ruto, the first lady of Republic of Kenya. Disclaimer: This article is a promotional feature 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. Bengaluru-based entrepreneurs are usually too decent and quiet unlike their counterparts in Delhi and Mumbai, said Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, adding that the business community in the country's IT capital uses harsh words for the central government only on social media. Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman (HT Photo) The city's entrepreneurs barely listen to us (government), it's fine. But because they are very tech-savvy, they will go about tweeting: Hey central government, you are not doing thisyou dont take care of Bengaluru. We are the next California, Sitharaman said at an event. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. However, the minister, who is a Rajya Sabha member from Karnataka, of which Bengaluru is the Capital, also stated that issues faced by one or two startups cannot be seen as the entire startup worlds problems.' Many of them (startups) are doing alright. I do not want the sector to have any apprehension. The government is very much with the startups. We want you to be sure that the you will get all the assistance, she added. The senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader also hailed Bengaluru's taxpayers for what she said were their contributions in building a strong and Viksit Bharat (developed India). The taxpayers here are absolutely giving us 'buoyancy,' Sitharaman noted, and thanked the region's individual and corporate taxpayers for ensuring the foundation of a strong and Viksit Bharat. The contribution is relentless. There has never been a dip. So thank you very much Bengaluru for keeping that momentum up, the minister remarked. Cryptocurrency Bitcoin on Thursday surpassed $60,000 for the first time in more than two years. A bitcoin is seen in an illustration picture taken at La Maison du Bitcoin in Paris, France, June 23, 2017.(Reuters) The jump comes amid surging optimism that demand for the token is widening beyond committed digital-asset enthusiasts, according to Bloomberg. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. On Thursday, the token rose as much as 5.12% to $63,649 by 9:30 am (local time) in New York. Earlier, Bitcoin spiked to $63,968 on Wednesday but soon lost the gains to end at below $59,000. Bitcoin had last traded at the $60,000 mark in November 2021, after reaching an all-time high of almost $69,000 earlier that same month. Also Read | Bitcoin's relentless march sets it up for biggest monthly gain since December 2020 According to Bloomberg, Bitcoin has jumped over 40% already this year atop the successful debut of the US ETFs (Exchange-Traded Fund), which directly hold the token. Why Bitcoin prices are rising? According to Chris Newhouse, a DeFi analyst at Cumberland Labs, Bitcoin is approaching new yearly highs off the back of increased spot demand and momentum traders taking positions after a week of consolidation. Besides this, a projected reduction in Bitcoins supply growth is also adding to the upbeat sentiment in the cryptocurrency market. Optimism around Bitcoin is being driven by a few factors working together: the spot BTC ETF inflows in the US, the upcoming reduction of new Bitcoin issuance known as the halving, and overall renewed optimism around the crypto asset class as a whole, Jonathon Miller, managing director of the Kraken Australia digital-asset exchange, told Bloomberg. Also Read | Why small investors are returning to cryptocurrency? The devil is in the details Zaheer Ebtikar, founder of crypto fund Split Capital, told the media outlet that more and more people are just convinced to buy. We are starting to see a pretty clear FOMO kind of rally, he said. However, some experts have also warned of a sharp correction in the rally. This move has been very sharp, leverage is very high at the moment, as implied by derivatives basis and funding rates, so I would not be surprised by a sharp correction of 20% or more, said Jaime Baeza, founder at crypto hedge fund AnB Investments. Nonetheless, I would not be shorting into this rally while it continues to move at this pace. (Inputs from Bloomberg) The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has issued a crucial reminder to FASTag users, urging them to complete their KYC (Know Your Customer) update by Thursday (February 29) to avoid potential deactivation or blacklisting of their accounts. NHAI has introduced the "One Vehicle, One FASTag" initiative, discouraging using a single FASTag for multiple cars or associating multiple FASTags with one vehicle. (Representational Image) Stressing the importance of timely KYC updates for seamless toll payment experiences on national highways, NHAI has introduced the "One Vehicle, One FASTag" initiative, discouraging the use of a single FASTag for multiple cars or associating multiple FASTags with one vehicle. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Also Read | How to buy FASTag online from FASTag app itself? Follow these six steps What is KYC and what if you fail to update? KYC serves to verify both your identity and address. Keeping your KYC information up to date ensures the efficient operation of your FASTag account and serves as a deterrent against potential misuse. Failure to update your FASTag KYC details by February 29 could result in your bank deactivating or even blacklisting your account, making it unusable at toll plazas. This could cause unnecessary delays and inconvenience during journeys. Here are the steps to update your KYC -Go to the dedicated customer web portal https://fastag.ihmcl.com. and log in using either your registered mobile number and password or through OTP validation. -Navigate to the "My Profile" option located in the Dashboard Menu or the left side Menu of the Dashboard. This will display the "My Profile" page where you can view the status of your KYC and all profile details submitted during registration. -Click on the 'KYC' sub-section adjacent to the 'Profile' sub-section. -Within the 'KYC' sub-section, specify your "Customer Type". -Complete the mandatory fields by providing the necessary ID Proof and Address Proof documents, along with a passport-sized photo and address details matching the Address Proof. -Tick the mandatory declaration confirming the authenticity of the attached documents and that you possess the originals. -Upon submission of your KYC upgrade request, your KYC verification process will be completed within a maximum of seven working days. You can track the status of your KYC on the "My Profile" page of the Customer Portal after submitting the request. How can you update it offline? Go to your bank branch where you obtained your FASTag and bring along the necessary documents to request a KYC update for your FASTag account. What are the documents required? You can provide any of the following valid identity proofs: Passport, Driver's License, Voter ID, PAN Card, Aadhaar Card, or NREGA job card. Additionally, you will need to present the Vehicle Registration Certificate (RC) of the vehicle associated with the FASTag. The disappearance of a teacher has been referred to homicide detectives after a series of police failures left the case lying dormant for decades while her family were told she was alive and well. Mother-of-two Marion Barter, 51, disappeared in suspicious circumstances in 1997. She was last seen on June 22, the day she flew out of Brisbane for an indefinite trip to England with Ric Blum, a man with whom she had recently started a relationship after meeting him through a personal ad. Ms Barter's daughter, Sally Leydon, filed a report with police in October, concerned she had not heard from her mother while also noting $80,000 had been drained from her bank account in a series of transactions. But the file was not marked as a missing-person report and lay dormant for a decade. NSW State Coroner Teresa O'Sullivan on Thursday accepted Ms Barter was dead and described the circumstances surrounding her disappearance as "troubling". Dozens of Ms Leydon's friends and supporters filled the Sydney courtroom for the inquest findings, with many wearing green in tribute to Ms Barter's favourite colour. The Belgian-born Mr Blum did not appear. Ms O'Sullivan dismissed the NSW Police investigation into Ms Barter's disappearance as inadequate, noting little was done until 2019, when the case became the subject of a hit podcast series. The coroner detailed a series of police missteps, including the initial failure to document Ms Barter as missing. She also criticised Detective Senior Constable Gary Sheehan's decision to reclassify Ms Barter as located in 2011 when she had not been seen and there was no evidence of her being alive. The lack of any police investigation - despite Ms Leydon's repeated attempts to have officers consider the case - meant crucial evidence was lost, Ms O'Sullivan said. Marion Barter disappeared in suspicious circumstances in 1997. (HANDOUT/NSW POLICE) The coroner also outlined a series of extraordinary coincidences in the case, including the unusual name Ms Barter adopted via deed poll in the month before she disappeared. Story continues Ms Barter was last seen at a bus station in the hours before she took a flight under her new identity, Florabella Natalia Marion Remakel. Her outgoing passenger card stated that she was divorced and intended to live in Luxembourg. Weeks later, on August 2, she was listed as returning to Australia with an incoming passenger card stating she was married and living in the small European nation. Ms Barter changed her name because "she was in a relationship with Mr Blum and sought to share a name and life with him", Ms O'Sullivan found. The schoolteacher met Mr Blum after the married man placed a personal ad under the name "M F Remakel" without the knowledge of his wife and family. He encouraged Ms Barter to change her name and start a new life with him in Luxemburg, the coroner said. There was also evidence she withdrew tens of thousands of dollars from her account, on the encouragement of Mr Blum, before she disappeared. Inquiries revealed someone accessed the missing woman's bank account following her disappearance. Ms O'Sullivan said she did not accept any evidence given by Mr Blum, who she believed was withholding key information and had represented himself to "single, vulnerable women for financial gain". "His lies and deception throughout this inquest convinces me that he does indeed know more than he's saying," she said. Ms O'Sullivan has referred the case to the NSW Police unsolved homicide team for review. A teary Ms Leydon hugged supporters after the findings were delivered, telling them: "We'll get him eventually." In a statement, NSW Police said they would consider the coronial findings. "This matter has been referred to the homicide squad, unsolved homicide team for ongoing monitoring and assessment," the statement said. "Anyone who may have information that can assist Strike Force Jurunga investigators is urged to contact police." A $500,000 reward for information on Ms Barter's disappearance remains on offer. Mukka Proteins, a Mangalauru-based manufacturer of fish protein products, will open its initial public offering (IPO) for subscription on Thursday, with March 4 being the deadline to subscribe to the public offer. IPO stands for Initial Public Offering and it is when the promoters of the company in question for the first time want to raise additional funds by offering shares of the company. The company aims to raise 224 crore through the exercise; on the IPO's eve, it garnered 67.20 crore out of the total net proceeds, doing so by allocating as many as 2,39,99,565 shares to six anchor investors at 28 per share, reported HT's sister website Mint. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. The anchor investors were: Neomile Growth Fund, Saint Capital Fund, Zinnia Global Fund PCC, Eminence Global Fund PCC, Craft Emerging Market Fund PCC, and Elara India Opportunities Fund. Mukka Proteins IPO details The public offer consists of a fresh issue of up to 8 crore equity shares with no offer-for-sale (OFS) component, with the price band being 26- 28 per share. Additionally, investors can bid for a minimum of 535 equity shares, and in multiples of 535 equity shares thereafter. Mukka Proteins has reserved not more than 50% shares for qualified institutional buyers (QIBs), at least 15% for non-institutional investors (NIIs), and not less than 35% for retail investors. Fedex Securities Private Limited is the sole book-running lead manager and Cameo Corporate Services Limited is the registrar to the IPO. Important Dates (tentative) On March 5, Mukka Proteins will finalise the allotment of shares; the following day, these will be credited to the demat accounts of the allottees, and on the same day, the company will initiate refunds for those who missed out on the shares. Then, on March 7, the firm's shares are likely to be listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and National Stock Exchange (NSE). Net proceeds to be used for? As stated by Mukka Proteins in its red herring prospectus (RHP), the company intends to use the money to fund the following: general corporate purposes; investment in its associate (Ento Proteins Private Limited); and, its own working capital requirements. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday said police have subjected seven people to inquiry in connection with supporters of Congress leader Syed Naseer Hussain, who was elected to the Rajya Sabha, allegedly raising pro-Pakistan slogans, as the opposition BJP and JD(S) stepped up their attack on the Congress regime. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday was responding to protests by the opposition BJP and JD(S), which rocked the proceedings of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly.(ANI) He assured that based on evidence strict action will be taken against those who chanted the slogans, and the government has no intention to protect any one. The Chief Minister was responding to protests by opposition BJP and JD(S), which rocked the proceedings of Karnataka Legislative Assembly for the second consecutive day, with their members trooping into the well of the House and later staging a walkout. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Hussain's supporters allegedly shouted "Pakistan zindabad" slogans, while celebrating his victory in the Rajya Sabha polls on Tuesday. A purported video of the incident was telecast by TV news channels and it also had gone viral on social media. "The government has taken the issue seriously. We need not learn patriotism from you. In accordance with law seven people have been subjected to inquiry and their statements have been recorded. Investigation is going on. FIR was registered suo moto. If the government was not serious we would not have booked a suo moto case," Siddaramaiah said. "Whoever it is, those who have shouted 'Pakistan zindabad' slogans, strict action will be taken against them. We are not sitting quite waiting for the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report, an investigation is going on," he said. Home Minister G Parameshwara said an investigation is on, and the police are awaiting FSL report to have technical evidence to know the truth. "The government has taken it seriously and will take strict action. There is no need for the government to protect anyone." Not convinced by the government's clarification, opposition members continued their protest from the well of the House shouting slogans against the government, even as Siddaramaiah replied to the discussion on the budget. Leader of Opposition R Ashoka said there is no trust in this government as no action has been taken yet to "nab the culprit and punish him"; instead, attempts seem to be on to shut the case. "The government is trying to protect the 'desha drohis' (traitors)." Siddaramaiah, however, continued with his reply, even as opposition members shouted slogans and tore copies of the Assembly agenda and threw them in the air during their protest. Ashok said Siddaramaiah's budget is a "bogus budget" and it is "anti-Hindu", as the government has indulged in appeasing minorities. They have even tried to "loot" Hindu temples. This government has no moral grounds to stay in power even for a minute, he said, demanding the government's and Chief Minister's resignation. "They have colluded with desha drohis. This government is in favour of terrorists. We will meet the Governor asking him to sack this government," he said, as he announced that the opposition will stage a walkout. Earlier, as soon as the House met for the day, BJP and JD(S) members trooped into the well, to continue with their protest. Ashoka questioned as to why the government has not taken any action against the traitors who shouted "Pakistan zindabad" slogans. "The government is sitting quite. They have not taken any moral responsibility, no one has been arrested yet. Neither Naseer Hussain has been called for inquiry...If terrorists can come to Vidhana Soudha, where is the security," he said. Questioning the government's "carelessness" on such an important issue, calling it irresponsible, Ashoka further said, "treason case has not been booked against the culprits, they (government) are trying to shut the case...if the government lacks ability to arrest people involved, it has no moral grounds to continue." The crime branch of Chandigarh Police, in a joint operation with Delhi Police special cell, has arrested three shooters of the Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldy Brar gang who were in the city to gun down rival gangster Bhuppi Rana. Police are also looking for their female associate, Pooja, who also did recce with them at the Chandigarh, Panchkula and Mohali district courts for eliminating Bhuppi Rana. (iStock) Rana is a close associate of fugitive gangster Lucky Patial, who is believed to be in Armenia and operates the Davinder Bambiha gang. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. The arrested shooters were identified as Sunny, alias Sachin, alias Maddy Manchanda, 27; and Umang, 25, both of Rohtak; and Kailash Chauhan, alias Tiger, 23, of Greater Faridabad, Haryana. Two pistols, along with six live cartridges, were recovered from them. Posing as advocates, complete with advocate gowns, the trio was planning to eliminate gangster Bhuppi Rana at the time of his appearance in district courts on the directions of their gang, said Ketan Bansal, superintendent of police (Crime), Chandigarh. However, acting on a tip-off, police apprehended Sunny and Umang from near the District Courts Complex in Sector 43, Chandigarh, on Monday. Their white Honda Activa was seized. Following interrogation, police arrested their third accomplice, Kailash, from the same area. Two advocate attires, purchased from Nexus Elante Mall, were found in their possession. They were provided transportation, shelter, money and weapons by different gang members on the direction of Vicky Chauhan, an associate of Goldy Brar, said police. The gang has been recruiting gang members through Instagram and Signal. They send them the picture of their target and provide them weapons just before the attack. Their priority is to take back the weapons right after the hit. They are also targeting rival gangsters to gain influence, said SP Bansal. Kailash and Sunny had also arrived in Chandigarh in September last year to eliminate someone in Sector 7 on the directions of Goldy Brar, said police. At that time, Sukha of Dera Bassi and Gilly Rana of Yamunanagar had helped them with weapons and transportation. However, they could not open fire as their pistol got stuck and fled the scene. The trio are being interrogated for leads about other gang members who helped them with weapons, shelter and money. Police are also looking for their female associate, Pooja, who also did recce with them at the Chandigarh, Panchkula and Mohali district courts for eliminating Bhuppi Rana. A case under the Arms Act has been registered against the trio at the Sector 36 police station. They are currently in five-day police remand. The much awaited relaunch of flight operations from the Adampur Civil Airport, which was to take place on March 2, has been postponed for a few days. The much awaited relaunch of flight operations from the Adampur Civil Airport, which was to take place on March 2, has been postponed for a few days. (HT Photo) Jalandhar MP Sushil Rinku said the launch had been postponed due to technical issues as several other domestic airports were either to be virtually relaunched or inaugurated by PM Narendra Modi on March 2. The launch has been postponed by a few days. The new date is yet to be announced but we are expecting that flights from Adampur airport will resume in the coming week, he said. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Jalandhar deputy commissioner Vishesh Sarangal said all the work has been completed and the administration is not to blame for the delay. Once we get the green signal, flights will resume as multiple airlines have already shown interest in launching flights from Adampur to other parts of the country, he said. Adampur airport director Kamaljit Kaur said Spice Jet and Star Air had approached the airport authorities for carrying out flight operations, but as of now only, Star Air had completed all the formalities, surveys and sought all the required approvals. In fact, Star Air, was to launch its maiden flight from Adampur to New Delhi on March 2. Aviation operations have remained suspended at the airport since the Covid pandemic broke out in 2020. In the meantime, the aviation ministry started renovating the airport terminal, which further delayed resumption of operations. The renovations have cost 125 crore, and now the airport will be able to host 300 passengers at its peak hour. Earlier, the airport, which was inaugurated in 2018, would provide flights to Delhi, Mumbai and Jaipur. Resumption of flights from Adampur airport was one of the key promises made by all the political parties, including the victorious Aam Aadmi Party in Jalandhar lok Sabha by-elections as it caters to the needs of international students and NRIs in the region. The senior leadership of all political outfits had been frequenting the Union aviation ministry so that airport operations could resume before 2024 lok sabha elections. Recently, Union aviation minister Jyotiraditya M Scindia had said that Adampur has been lined with five other airports, Hindon, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Nanded and Goa under the Union governments UDAN 5.0 scheme. The army on Tuesday evening opened over two dozen rounds of fire at a Pakistan drone along the Line of Control (LoC) in Mendhar sector of Poonch district in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said. In another incident, a Pakistani drone was spotted at Sarla area along the LoC in KG sector (HT File) The movement of the Pakistan drone was picked up between Topi Post and Parvinder Post along the Line of Control in the Mendhar sector. The enemy drone was well within the proximity of the LoC, around 100 meters, when alerts soldiers detected it, officials said. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. They informed that soldiers fired over two dozen rounds at the enemy drone forcing it to retreat to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir around 7.30 pm on Tuesday. In another incident, a Pakistani drone was spotted at Sarla area along the LoC in KG sector. The troops fired around 10 rounds and this drone also retreated to PoK, said officials. Notably, Jammu and Kashmir Police had recently announced a cash reward of 3 lakh to anyone providing drones that cross the to drop off drugs, arms, or explosive materials, leading to the recovery of the contraband. The army has launched searches in both the areas to rule out the possibilities of weapons drop, said officials. An army officer said around six such incidents have taken place along the LoC in the past week. Keen to topple the 14-month-old Congress government, the Bharatiya Janata Party is keeping a close eye on the developments as the ruling party swings into action. Jai Ram Thakur (HT File) BJP legislature group met at Hotel Marina in the evening to chalk out its strategy. The party leaders were of the view that few more Congress legislators could break off, further weakening the government. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. The legislators were of the view that BJP should parade the six Congress legislators at the Raj Bhavan and seek letters of support from other Congress MLAs who were in touch with the saffron party. Also Read | Himachal crisis: Sukhvinder Singh Sukhua claims Congress govt is 'safe' Before the meeting, the BJP core group had also met Himachal governor Shiv Pratap Shukla and apprised him that the ruling Congress no longer enjoyed the majority in the House. They also expressed concern over speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathanias role in the proceedings. We are seeing the development in the Congress future strategy will be chalked accordingly, said senior BJP leader Randhir Sharma. The legislators were led by leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur. Its very unfortunate the way things were handled inside the assembly yesterday. We tried to meet the speaker but the marshals stopped the BJP legislators and misbehaved with them, said Jai Ram. Also Read | Himachal Pradesh crisis: Former minister, ex-chairman of ST panel among rebels The marshals even caught MLAs by their collars and were clear that instructions were given by the speaker, he added. The BJP has demanded a division of votes on the cut motion and we are seeking voting on the financial bill. The BJP submitted a memorandum to the governor highlighting its various demands and complaints against the speaker. he added. Senior legislators Satpal Singh Satti, Randhir Sharma, Anil Sharma and Jeet Ram Katwal were also present. The district administration and the city municipal corporation are looking at various sites to shift the carcass plant, which is currently situated in Rasulpur Patti village and was locked up by MP Ravneet Bittu on January 25. The carcass plant at Rasulpur village in Ludhiana could not be made operational due to locals resistance. (HT FILE) According to reports, the officials have seen a couple of sites, including at the Tajpur Road and at Jamalpurm but nothing has been finalised yet. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. MC officials have made several attempts to open the carcass plant but failed and on January 25, MP Ravneet Bittu locked the gates of the carcass plant as a large number of villagers have opposed the decision of opening it. We have made a number of attempts to open the carcass plant but residents become violent as in the last hearing we have told the NGT that we have made plant operational and it will remain open, but later, MP Ravneet Bittu locked the gates along with the residents. We will again make an attempt to open the carcass plant before the next hearing, MC Commissioner Sandeep Rishi said. The next hearing by the NGT is on March 5. The carcass plant, with an approximate cost of 7.8 crore, was established in Rasulpur village during the tenure of the previous Congress government under the Smart City initiative. Although the plant had been ready for operation since June 2021, it could not be made operational due to local resistance. According to the area residents, they have allowed the officials to run the plant till the next hearing of the NGT. A local court on Thursday sentenced two brothers to 10 years rigorous imprisonment in a gangrape case. Ludhiana: Two brothers get 10 years RI for raping woman Additional sessions judge (fast track) Harbans Singh also imposed a fine of 20,000 each on the convicts. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. The convicts, identified as Bahadur Singh and his brother Narinder Singh of Muslim colony, Sherpur Kalan, were booked by Moti Nagar police station on September 28, 2022. The victim, who is also a resident of Muslim Colony, said that she was doing a beautician course in Moti Nagar. Meanwhile, she had come in contact with Bahadur Singh and befriended her. The accused came to her residence when she was alone at home and established physical relations with her after threatening her. Meanwhile, the accused clicked lewd pictures and videos of her. The accused also threatened her to keep quiet. The woman added that after some days, Narinder came to her house and forced her to establish physical relations with him. When she resisted, the accused claimed that he has lewd pictures and videos of her and he will make it viral. The victim alleged that the accused had taken her to Chandigarh and established physical relations with her in a hotel. She also alleged that had raped her several times. The Punjab vigilance bureau (VB) on Thursday arrested conman Pinder Sodhi, who along with his accomplices was declared a proclaimed offender for obtaining two cheques amounting to 25 lakh from farmers by posing as vigilance officials. The accused in the custody of VB officials in Ludhiana. (HT) A VB spokesperson said that Sodhi, a resident of Chabbewal town in Hoshiarpur district, was arrested from a park in the sector 32 area, near BCM School, Chandigarh Road in Ludhiana. On seeing the vigilance officials, he tried to flee. The vigilance bureau recovered logos of the Human Rights Commission, besides three mobile phones, a driving licence of UAE, Indian currency notes, along with 305 Dirham from the car. He would be produced in a court on Friday. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. The spokesperson said that a case against Sodhi was registered by complainant Palwinder Singh, a resident of Bhaini Salu village of Koom Kalan in Ludhiana. The complainant had said that he had sold 18 acres of his ancestral land. Thereafter, he received a notice regarding the sale of panchayat land. Later, three unknown persons came to his house on August 12, 2023, posing themselves as officers from the vigilance department in Chandigarh. The complainant alleged that the accused claimed that he had sold the panchayat land by claiming it as his ancestral land. The accused demanded 50 lakh from him to sort out the matter claiming that an inquiry was already marked against the land deal. The accused also threatened him that if he did not give them money, they would lodge an FIR against him. The complainant agreed to pay 25 lakh to them. The imposters made him issue two cheques amounting 15 lakh and 10 lakh as a guarantee and promised to return it once they received 25 lakh in cash. The imposters had taken 27,000 in cash from him and left after taking his phone number. The complainant added that he received threatening calls on his WhatsApp from the accused that they will lodge an FIR against him if he did not pay 25 lakh to them. The spokesperson added that after the complainant approached the vigilance bureau, an FIR under sections 7-A of the Prevention of Corruption Act and 384, 120-B of the IPC was registered against Manjeet Singh of Bhaini Salu village and four other unknown persons at VB police station, Ludhiana range, on August 28, 2023. Later, the vigilance bureau had arrested Manjeet Singh, Paramjeet Singh of Mehlon village of Samrala, and Parminder Singh, a resident of Akash Colony, Hoshiarpur city. Pinder Sodhi, and Hardip Singh, a resident of Khamano, were absconding and were declared proclaimed offenders (PO) by the court in January. On January 19, 2019, Sodhi was booked by Koom Kalan police for duping 11 city residents on the pretext of helping them in securing jobs in the income tax department. Impersonating himself as a senior income tax officer, Sodhi along with his aides had duped the victims of 1.4 crore. Four inmates of a juvenile home here assaulted six security personnel of the facility and also vandalised its doors and windows, police said on Thursday. 4 juvenile home inmates create ruckus, assault security personnel in Ludhiana. (HT) ASI Jaswinder Singh, who is investigating the case, said that the inmates were creating ruckus in the facility when the security personnel intervened and tried to deter them. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. The FIR was lodged by the Shimlapuri police on the complaint of Kamaljit Singh Gill, superintendent at the juvenile home, under sections 353 (assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from discharge of his duty), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 506 (criminal intimidation), 34 (act done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the IPC and section 4 of Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act. Gill said that all four inmates were indulged in a scuffle and were creating ruckus. The inmates started vandalising the windows and door of a room when security guard Amandeep Singh, also a caretaker at the facility, and Punjab Home Guard volunteers Ratan Singh, Sanjeev Kumar, Nishal Singh, Gurpreet Singh and Balwinder Singh intervened. However, the inmates attacked them and left them injured. They immediately informed the police and filed a complaint. Lady Gabriella Windsor and Thomas Kingston on their wedding day (Getty Images) The inquest into the death of Thomas Kingston will be opened on Friday. A court official said the inquest will open at 2pm at Gloucestershire Coroner's Court.It came as friends of Mr Kingston, the husband of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent's daughter Lady Gabriella Kingston have told of their deep shock at his sudden death aged 45. The son-in-law of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent was found dead in Gloucestershire on Sunday. Police said there were no suspicious circumstances over the death of the financier and former hostage negotiator.A source close to the family said Kingston and Gabriella had no known relationship or financial problems. A friend of the pair, who married at Windsor Castle in 2019, told The Times: They remained childless but were happily married until the end. Another friend who spoke to the couple at a party at the National Gallery last week told the Daily Mail: They seemed happy and positive as ever. Ella was particularly chatty. The Vicar of Baghdad also paid tribute to the late devout Christian. Reverend Canon Andrew White, who managed Iraq's sole Anglican church and worked with Mr Kingston in Baghdad, recalled their shared love for adventure and numerous narrow escapes. Mr Kingston, having worked almost three years in war-ravaged Iraq to mediate conflicts and negotiate hostage releases, was hailed by Rev White as his best ever intern. I worked with Tom in all sorts of dangerous places. Most of the time we were there in the middle of war zones, he said, adding he was a risk-taker and a person of great faith. He said: Tom wasn't a yellow-belly. He was never scared. I could never say to him 'do this' and he'd say it was too dangerous. He was always willing to be there. In a tribute Lady Gabriella called her financier husband an exceptional man who lit up the lives of all who knew him. A statement issued with his family added: His death has come as a great shock. His sudden death on Sunday aged only 45 shocked the royal family. Story continues The King and Queen sent their most heartfelt thoughts and prayers to Lady Gabriella, known as Ella, and Mr Kingston's family. An inquest will establish the cause of death but there are no suspicious circumstances. The news followed a day of royal drama as Prince William mysteriously pulled out of attending a memorial service for the late King Constantine of Greece at the last minute for unspecified personal reasons. Kensington Palace would not elaborate on why he could not be there but reported that the Princess of Wales, who recently had abdominal surgery, continued to do well. Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, Lady Gabriella's parents, both attended the memorial service at St George's Chapel, Windsor. It is understood Prince William's absence from the memorial was not linked to Mr Kingston's death. King Charles was also absent as his cancer treatment continues, leaving Queen Camilla as the most senior royal in attendance. Constantine, who died in January last year, was William's godfather. He died aged 82, decades after being toppled from the throne in a coup. The house of Wakeel Hasan, one of the rat-hole miners involved in the rescue operations to evacuate labourers trapped at the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand in November last year, was razed during a demolition drive conducted by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) at Khajoori Khas in northeast Delhi on Wednesday. Separately, officials from the forest department, along with Delhi Police carried out a demolition drive at Sangam Vihar in Delhi on Wednesday. (Samchit Khanna/HT Photo) According to DDA officials, the drive was conducted after prior intimation was given to the occupants of the structures demolished during the drive. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. On February 28, 2024, a demolition drive was conducted by DDA to remove encroachment from its acquired land in village Khajoori Khas. The land was part of planned development land, DDA said in a statement. Also Read | I removed last rock and saw them: Rat-hole miner who rescued trapped workers Hasans family, however, alleged that they were not given any prior notice. We risked our lives to save people without once thinking beyond what was our duty. This is how the authorities are repaying me by making my children homeless. My 15-year-old daughter was also injured during the demolition. I begged the DDA team to stop the demolition action, but they did not listen to me. They removed only my house during the drive, Hasan alleged. DDA officials did not respond to the allegations. Rat-hole mining refers to the practice of burrowing through mines manually using hand-held tools, a practice that is effective at navigating packed spaces but is illegal. In November 2023, a portion of the under-construction Silkyara tunnel collapsed, trapping 41 workers inside. Though rescue operations started immediately, authorities had to rope in a 12-member rat-hole miners team in a last-ditch attempt to clear the final 12m of the 57m-thick wall of debris that trapped the 41 in the tunnel for 17 days. For their heroics, the team was hailed nationally, and also felicitated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. New Delhi: The Delhi high court on Thursday dismissed a plea seeking to change the boundaries of the states of Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana and also shifting the capital and high court of Haryana and Punjab. Delhi high court (Representative Photo) The bench headed by acting chief justice Manmohan said that the courts are not empowered to change the boundaries of the state, and the same is within Parliaments exclusive domain. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. The court noted that the plea was filed in ignorance of Article 3 of the Constitution, which authorises the Parliament to form a new state, increase, diminish, or alter the boundaries or name of any state. I cannot issue directions to the Parliament. We dont recognise the boundaries of the states. We do not decide which high court should function where. This is not our domain or jurisdiction, the court told petitioner JP Singh, who appeared in person. The court was hearing a public interest litigation filed by Singh, a retired chief engineer, who had sought to direct the Centre to merge Meerut Commissionerate, Sonepat, Faridabad and Gurugram with Delhi and Chandigarh with Haryana, claiming that Meerut was located much closer to Delhi. The plea also sought to shift the capital of Punjab and Haryana from Chandigarh to Kurukshetra for Haryana and Jalandhar for Punjab. Singh had also urged the court to direct the Union government to bifurcate the common high court for Punjab and Haryana. He demanded a separate high court for Punjab in Jalandhar and for Haryana in Kurukshetra. Currently, both Punjab and Haryana share a common capital (Chandigarh) and high court. Singh argued that the people living in Meerut found it difficult to travel to Lucknow for judicial/administrative work and people living in Amritsar and nearby areas also faced difficulty in coming to Chandigarh for such work. Considering the submission, the bench also comprising justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora remarked that Singh, instead of confining himself to only North India, should have also sought to merge boundaries of other parts of the country. This is all that was left. Someone is now asking us to redraw the map of India. Why have you confined yourself only to North India? You should have gone into other parts of the country as well, the bench told Singh. The court is of the view that the petition has been drafted and filed in ignorance of article 3 of the Constitution of India, the court said in the order. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to visit Jammu and Kashmirs summer capital Srinagar in mid-March, his second visit to the Union Territory in over two weeks, officials said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi (HT File) He last visited the Kashmir Valley in February 2019. While officials in Kashmir are tight-lipped, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders said that the PM was most likely to visit the valley by mid-March. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. PMs visit to Kashmir is scheduled. But the date is not yet final. Tentatively, he will be here around March 15, said BJP spokesperson Altaf Thakur. While the Prime Minister will attend some official functions in Srinagar, including a likely security review meeting, the J&K BJP leaders are ecstatic for a planned mega rally ahead of the upcoming Loks Sabha elections. There is a public rally of the PM scheduled and by that time, the elections would have been announced. So it would be a political rally, said another BJP leader. Another senior Kashmir BJP leader said that the PMs visit was due as he has not visited the Valley in five years. We take it as the kick start of our Kashmir election campaign, he said. There has already been an announcement of assembly elections as well by the lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha and hence, the PMs visit is important, he said, while pointing to a statement of Sinha in Jammu on Wednesday. The L-G had said that assembly elections in J&K would be held before September. While three Lok Sabha seats of Kashmir are a stronghold of J&Ks main regional party National Conference, the BJP is eyeing the south Kashmirs Anantnag seat as Rajouri-Poonch areas of Jammu were merged into it during the delimitation process. Modi had visited Kashmir on February 3, 2019, to inaugurate and lay foundation stones for various development projects related to healthcare, higher education, skill development and employment. The public rally is most likely to be organised at the convention centre along the Dal Lake, they said. The public address of the Prime Minister may be streamed live at various locations in the valley, especially in south Kashmirs Anantnag district, the officials said. The visit is part of his outreach programme ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. He visited the Union territorys winter capital Jammu on February 20. In Jammu, Modi launched development projects worth over 32,000 crore before addressing a public rally at the Maulana Azad Stadium. With PTI inputs Sheikh Shahjahan, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) strongman of Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas, was arrested by the state police early on Thursday morning after almost two months of being on the run. But who is this controversial leader who has been absconding since January 5? TMC strongman Sheikh Shahjahan. (Image from social media) Local TMC leaders said the rise of 45-year-old Shahjahan has been meteoric. He joined the party in 2013, two years after the Mamata Banerjee-led party came to power in the state ousting the Left Front government. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. According to local sources, Shahjahan used to work as a driver and sometimes a helper of trekkers, collecting fares from passengers in Sandeshkhai and Sarberia in his early days. He grew under the shadow of his maternal uncle Moslem Sheikh, who was a panchayat-level CPI(M) leader. Shahjahan gradually entered the fish trade and started controlling the fish farms in the area. As his empire grew, he also started building his own army comprising village youths. He used to keep in touch with local party leaders and helped them during elections, a villager said. His popularity and power were spotted by former state minister and TMC leader Jyoti Priya Mallick after the TMC came to power in 2011. Mallick is now in jail for his alleged involvement in the multi-crore ration distribution scam. Shahjahan, known to be a close associate of Mallick, joined the TMC in 2013. Since then he gained immense popularity in the party. According to many, he was more powerful than many MLAs and ministers, another villager said. Such was his clout that ED officials who came to search his house on January 5 were attacked by a mob of 800-1,000 people. Three officials were injured and Shahjahan had been on the run since then. He is alleged to have masterminded the attack sitting in his house and making multiple calls within a few minutes. Such was his influence that if any villager went to the police to lodge a complaint against any TMC men, the cops would advise him to approach Shahjahan. He was popularly known as bhai. It was he who ensured that Sandeshkhali became free of any opposition. If he is removed, the political equation may change in the future, said a police official. State advocate general Kishore Datta informed the Calcutta high court earlier this week that 43 FIRs involving him were registered in the last four years. While the police have submitted charge sheets in 42 cases, he has been shown absconding in some. Not much is known about his educational qualification. Even the document which he submitted during the 2023 panchayat polls doesnt mention anything about his educational background. The documents, however, reveal that he claims to be a businessman with an annual income of around 19.8 lakh and bank deposits of more than 1.9 crore. A father of three children, he owns around 43 bighas of land (worth around 4 crore) and a house in Sarberia, worth around 1.5 crore. He also owns at least 17 bikes. Sheikh, known as Matsa Karmadhakshya (in-charge of fisheries) in North 24 Parganas, oversees the districts fishery development, reflecting his influential standing in both political and economic spheres. Pressure, however, has been mounting on the TMC after villagers, mostly women, hit the streets demanding his arrest. The Calcutta high court also expressed surprise on multiple occasions as to why Shahjahan wasnt arrested. Even though the opposition has been alleging that the Mamata Banerjee government was shielding him, the state government maintained that he couldnt be arrested because of a stay order on his arrest by the Calcutta HC. Brushing aside claims made by TMC leaders that police were not being able to arrest him because of a stay order, the high court on Monday said that it hadnt passed any order restraining the police from arresting the TMC strongman. On Wednesday the court gave the CBI and ED a green signal to arrest him. LUCKNOW: The elusive Meerut mafioso Badan Singh, alias Baddo, has been charged as a key conspirator in the sensational murder of jailed mafioso-turned-politician Mukhtar Ansaris henchman and gangster, Sanjeev Maheshwari, alias Jeeva (48), inside the SC/ST court of Lucknow on June 2, 2023, said senior police officials of the Lucknow Police Commissionerate. Badan Singh Baddo (Sourced) The police arrested Jaunpur resident Vijay Yadav when he attempted to flee after shooting Jeeva dead inside the court premises disguised as a lawyer. The Lucknow police had previously filed a chargesheet against Vijay Yadav in the court of the chief judicial magistrate (CJM) on September 2, 2023, in which they had mentioned Baddos role for hatching conspiracy of Jeevas murder from Nepal. The chargesheet said that Baddo hired Vijay Yadav for 50 lakh and also met him in Nepal. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Confirming the filing of the chargesheet against Baddo, a senior Lucknow police official said that it was filed after Vijay Yadav confirmed meeting Baddo in Nepal upon seeing his photograph. The official further said that Jeevas letter to the court, expressing apprehension of a threat to his life from Baddo before he was shot dead last year, was also used as the basis for naming Baddo as a key conspirator in the case in the chargesheet. Sharing further details about Baddo, Special Task Force (STF) Meerut unit additional superintendent of police (ASP) Brijesh Kumar Singh said that Baddo had escaped from police custody after drugging police personnel in a Meerut hotel on March 28, 2019. Singh said that Baddo, known for his luxurious lifestyle, had carried a reward of 5 lakh since May 25, 2023. He added that the accused was believed to be living abroad, and his locations in different countries had been tracked at times. Another Lucknow police official added that investigators have found more evidence regarding the criminal conspiracy involving Baddo and his gang members in the crime. The said that Baddos gang members provided a bulletproof jacket to Vijay Yadav, but he refused to wear it, citing the hot and humid weather. Suspicious individuals were also spotted assisting Vijay Yadav in entering the court premises in CCTV footage obtained from various locations during the investigation, he added. Meanwhile, another senior cop, privy to the investigation, said the chargesheet was filed against the key accused Vijay Yadav under Indian Penal Code sections including 302 for murder, 307 for attempt to murder, 332 for causing hurt to public servant in the discharge of his duty, 353 for assault or use of criminal force against public servant as well as section 7 of Criminal Law Amendment (CLA) Act as well as sections 3/25/27 of the arms act. He said Baddo has been made accused under section 120 of IPC under criminal conspiracy. Lucknow In a meeting with the Election Commission of India (ECI) team on Thursday, the opposition parties raised the issue of alleged malfunctioning in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), irregularities in electoral rolls, abuse of government machinery by the ruling party and strict enforcement of the model code of conduct during elections . The Election Commission (EC) team led by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar was in Lucknow for three days to review the preparation in Uttar Pradesh for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections . (Pic for representation) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) delegation urged the poll panel for checking voters who arrived at polling booths with their faces covered under burqas or veils, at multiple levels by women staff to curb bogus voting during the Lok Sabha election. The poll panel was also urged to conduct the polling process under video cameras at all the polling booths across the state. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. The Election Commission (EC) team led by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar was in Lucknow for three days to review the preparation in Uttar Pradesh for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections . The Election Commission team met the representatives of national and regional political parties, including Aam Aadmi Party, Bharatiya Janata Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, Communist Party of India, Indian National Congress, Apna Dal (Sonelal) and Samajwadi Party in a meeting organized in Yojana Bhawan on Thursday. Talking to media persons after the meeting, Samajwadi Party (SP) state unit president Naresh Uttam Patel said the SP delegation told the ECI that people had lost faith in EVMs and ballot papers should be used in the polling. The ECI told us that EVMs will be used in the 2024 Lok Sabha election. The Samajwadi Party will participate in the electoral process and during the counting of votes when a candidate raises demand for recounting of votes then instead of counting slips of five voter verifiable paper audit trails (VVPATs) the ECI should order recounting of the slips of all the VVPATs, he said. Patel said the SP also raised objection to the ECI direction to the political parties to refrain from using children in election campaigns. Elections are considered a festival of our democracy and people of all age groups, including children, participate in the election activities. The ruling party might misuse the Child Labour Act for action against the opposition parties, he said. The SP also drew the attention of the ECI toward irregularities in electoral rolls in Uttar Pradesh. During the revision of voters lists, 30.85 lakh names of the voters had been removed while the names of 57.29 lakh voters had been added. Today there were 15.30 crore voters in UP. We told the panel that names of the supporters of the SP have been deleted from the voters lists. The anomalies in the voters lists should be corrected before the poll, he said. Congress delegation, including deputy leader of the party in the Rajya Sabha, Pramod Tiwari, former MP PL. Punia and Congress Legislature Party leader Aradhana Mishra Mona raised the issue of abuse of official machinery by the ruling BJP in the coming Lok Sabha election, uniformity in voters lists and deletion of names of voters during the revision of electoral roll. The Congress delegation also expressed dissatisfaction over the reply of the Uttar Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) on the complaint lodged by the party regarding the fire in the strong room of the election warehouse in Farrukhabad district in which several EVMs were destroyed. Large scale transfer of administrative and police officers was being carried out before the start of the election process with the aim of misusing the election machinery during poll. The transfers of officers should be stopped immediately and those made in the past three months should be reviewed by the ECI, the Congress leaders said. The BSP delegation led by state unit president Vishwanath Pal raised the demand for strict measures to conduct free and fair polling during the Lok Sabha election. The BJP delegation, including cooperative minister JPS Rathor, state general secretary Sanjay Rai and state convenor Arunkant Tripathi raised the demand for setting up of polling booths in multi-storied buildings and residential societies to ensure participation of maximum voters, proper seating arrangement at polling booths for the elderly and disabled voters, transparent electoral rolls and a clear cut guideline for the installation of party flags and wall writing in the Lok Sabha election. BOX REVIEW MEETING The 13-member team of the Election Commission of India led by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and Election Commissioner Arun Goel, which reached Lucknow on Thursday, began the visit with the launch of an exhibition based on the evolution of Indias electoral system organized in Yojana Bhawan. The commission also held a review meeting with the UP CEO, Navdeep Rinwa, state police nodal officer Prashant Kumar, CAPF nodal officer L R Kumar, Central CAPF nodal officer Satpal Rawat and additional director general, law and order Amitabh Yash. The ECI discussed the arrangements for holding free, fair and peaceful voting in the state. The Election Commission will also hold a meeting of the DMs/ SPs of the 75 districts as well as the returning officers of the 80 Lok Sabha constituencies, divisional commissioners, IGP (Zones) and DIG (Ranges) in a meeting on Friday. To ensure the implementation of the model code of conduct, expenditure control, peaceful conduct of the election the Commission will hold meeting with the officers of various government departments including income tax, narcotics, transport, trade tax, railways, civil aviation and banks. LUCKNOW The Special Task Force (STF) expedited its probe into the U.P. police constable recruitment exam paper leak after the arrest of four suspects from Siddharthnagar by the local police on Wednesday, said police here on Thursday. STF officials suspected the same trick may have been used by the fraudsters in leaking question papers of the U.P. police constable recruitment examination held on February 17 and 18. (Pic for representation) They said one of the arrested persons, Sanjay Kumar Gaur, was also involved in an online question paper leak when the examination for recruitment of 226 junior engineers (electrical) of the UP Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) was held on February 11, 2018. The question papers then were leaked through special software (Ammy Admin) installed in computers at two of the examination centres in Lucknow, said cops. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. SP (Siddharthnagar) Prachi Singh informed media that those arrested were identified as Sanjay Kumar Gaur, Jitendra Bharti and Natraj, all residents of Deoria and one Bittu, of Howrah, West Bengal. She said the police recovered academic documents of 32 aspirants, three cheque books and two passbooks and some stamp papers. STF officials suspected the same trick may have been used by the fraudsters in leaking question papers of the U.P. police constable recruitment examination held on February 17 and 18. But it is yet to be verified that special software was installed on the computers at the examination centres. The STF could seek Sanjay Kumar Gaurs custody remand for questioning. The force is also verifying the involvement of other people who were arrested along with Gaur in connection with UPPCL question paper leak in 2018. Those arrested then included managers of two Lucknow schools that served as centres for the online examination of UPPCL, four examinees, a software installer and five others. The official said the role of some staff members of an IT company are also under scanner. On February 24, chief minister Yogi Adityanath had asked the STF to probe the matter thoroughly and take strict action against those involved in the question paper leak after the cancellation of the UP Police Constable Recruitment Examination-2023 for 60,244 posts. He asked officials to conduct the re-examination within six months with full transparency. Mumbai: There are many questions around the history of the mid-19th century Afghan War Memorial Church in Colaba that still remain unresolved, said conservation architect Kirtida Unwalla. She would know. The conservation planner and educator has been working on the restoration of the 165-year-old structure for the past 28 years in bits and pieces. Afghan War Memorial Church to open its doors on March 3 in a freshly restored avatar Two years ago, the World Monuments Fund India (WMFI) undertook the restoration of the church with funding support from Citi. Unwalla was made lead conservationist, and together with Swati Chandgadkar whom she referred to as her work partner for life and a handful of consultants, was finally able to help restore the Anglican church affiliated with the Mumbai Diocese of the Church of North India, one stained glass window pane and column poultice at a time. It will be open for all to see on March 3. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Even two months ago, this site looked unrecognisable. Its not hyperbole to say that the restoration of the Church was a real miracle, said Rashmi Poddar, director, WMFI. In its newly restored avatar, the church finds itself with a freshly restored gargantuan Burma teak roof (complete with waterproofing and lead filling and new structural parts to support its arched shape), cleaned lime columns, restored mosaic reredos, as well as stained glass windows on all walls to reflect the true glory of gothic revivalist artistes, and even replicas of the standards, or regimental colours, of the troops that were on display in wall-topped vitrines of the vestibule. The original standards, now threadbare, are being restored and will be made available for viewing and research. Art conservationist Anupam Sahs team, together with Unwalla and Chandgadkar, Christopher Elisha of the churchs Pastorate Committee, structural engineer Sahnawaz Siddiqui and contractor Mehul Thakkar, among other members of the core team took a group of media persons on February 28 for a walkthrough of the church. The restoration works were numerous and involved everything from giving the church a new drain system (called a french drain, it allows the water to move through to collection pits and evaporate rather than be blocked in, Unwalla explained) to bringing back the full-circle ringing and Ellacombe chiming (an apparatus that enables one to ring all bells with one move) of the eight bells that were gifted to the church in 1903 by Sir Charles Gayzer of Gartmore to commemorate his wedding. Quite like its restoration, which took place as Unwalla points out, in intervals between 1998 and 2008, the church itself came up over a period of time. An exemplar of Gothic revival architecture, it was first consecrated in 1858 in a rather humble avatar it started under a thatched roof, mainly for the European officers working with the East India Company at the time. Its design plans were prepared by Henry Conybeare, the civil engineer responsible for bringing piped water to Mumbai. Its foundation stone was laid in 1847, but the interior works carried on well into the turn of the century, till 1907. The bell tower served as a beacon for ships coming into the port. At 210ft, it was first installed in 1865. Around the same time, the brother of General David Barr, an officer who served in India, gifted the church a stained glass window pane, replete with the story of the nativity and with intricate details like medallions and grisaille common to the 13th and 14th century Gothic artists and it was installed in the section of the church that came to be popularly called the ladys chapel. Materials were both locally sourced (the marble on the pulpit and the floor) as well as sent from England through ships (the stained glass works, designed for instance, by William Wailes, one of their most renowned manufacturers). The altar itself was placed on a plinth of a carboniferous limestone imported from Derbyshire and which carried deep within it, fossils of corals and brachiopods. Quite like the city, the church too came up, in fits and starts even as the faithful congregated in it religiously. The primary purpose of the church, as described by A.J. Nix Seamen in his authoritative History of Colaba (1918) was to establish some permanent memorial to the gallantry and endurance of those of all regiments concerned, the Madras Army as well as the Bombay Army who fell in the First Afghan War, between 1839-42, campaigns which immediately proceeded the building of the Church. Names of English soldiers who died in the second Afghan war (1878-1880) are also inscribed on the walls of the chancel as well as the sanctuary of the church. Interestingly, the memorial to the soldiers who died in the third Afghan war (May-August 1919) was built in Kolkata, but it was not built to be a church. The Church in itself is an All-India monument, and that a Church was chosen, and not a monument of any other form, was because it was intended to combine the original purpose with an object of the highest spiritual utility. There is therefore a very intimate connection between the Church of Colaba and the First Afghan War, Seamen, who was the Archdeacon of Bombay, wrote. This restoration project sparks renewed interest in conserving Indias cultural heritage. I am confident that the newly restored church will reclaim its status as a vibrant social landmark in Mumbai, said Sangita Jindal, Chairperson of JSW Foundation and WMFI board member. Noida: Two scrap dealers were arrested on Thursday for allegedly purchasing cars that were damaged in accidents and then exchanging their registration and chassis numbers with those of end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) so as to extend their life and sell them to earn money, said senior police officers, adding that three cars, including an ELV, were recovered from their possession. No petrol vehicle that is older than 15 years and diesel vehicle older than 10 years is allowed to operate on Delhi/National Capital Region (NCR), according to orders by the National Green Tribunal (2015) and the Supreme Court (2018). These rules are meant to cut down on the number of vehicles on the citys roads with dated emission standards, said police (AFP/representational image) No petrol vehicle that is older than 15 years and diesel vehicle older than 10 years is allowed to operate on Delhi/National Capital Region (NCR), according to orders by the National Green Tribunal (2015) and the Supreme Court (2018). These rules are meant to cut down on the number of vehicles on the citys roads with dated emission standards, said police. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Manendra Pratap Singh, station house officer, Sector 63, said, On Wednesday, police received information that two Bahlolpur-based scrap dealers were involved in tampering with the chassis and engine numbers of ELVs, financed, and stolen cars to sell them at a higher price in the second-hand market. Acting on a tip-off, a team raided their workplace and found three cars in which one car chassis and engine number were tampered while two cars were in the process of being tampered with, said SHO Singh, adding that police have taken them into custody and interrogated them. The suspects told us that they used to buy cars involved in accidents after the owners have collected the insurance money. After purchasing such vehicles, they would professionally exchange the registration, chassis and engine number with those vehicles that are not allowed to operate in Delhi-NCR, said Singh. He further said, Recently, they bought a 2008 model car from Delhi and exchanged its registration and chassis number with those of a vehicle damaged in an accident. The suspects were involved in this tampering for the past sometime and efforts are underway to identify the cars that they sold previously after tampering with the chassis and registration numbers. The suspects were identified as Akthar Ali, 33, who hails from Amroha and a resident of Ghaziabad, and Hakam Ali, 26, a resident of Amroha, said Singh, adding that a case under sections 420 (cheating and dishonesty) and 414 (assisting in the concealment of stolen property) of the Indian Penal Code and further investigations are underway in the case. A 20-year-old man was injured in the celebratory firing at a wedding he was attending in Greater Noida on Wednesday evening, police said, adding that the brides cousin, who allegedly fired the shot, was arrested six hours later, in the early hours of Thursday Police at the wedding venue in Kheli Bhau village under Rabupura police station, where the celebratory firing took place on Wednesday night. (HT Photo) According to Ashok Kumar, additional deputy commissioner of police, Greater Noida, while the suspect is the brides cousin, the injured man was from the grooms side. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. On Wednesday evening, a wedding was taking place at Kheli Bhau village under Rabupura police station jurisdiction. Around 10pm, local police received information that a person was injured in the celebratory firing, immediately, a local police team reached the spot, said the ADCP. The injured man was identified as Zeeshan, a resident of Atta Fatehpur village and a relative of the grooms, while the suspect who fired in the air was identified as Danish (19), a resident of Kherli Bhau village. The bullet grazed past the forehead of the victim and he was rushed to a private hospital in the area where he is undergoing treatment. On the basis of a complaint from his father Vakeel, an FIR was registered at Rabupura police station under Sections 336 (act endangering life or personal safety) and 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide) of the Indian Penal Code, said the ADCP. As soon as Zeeshan got hurt, chaos ensued at the wedding venue as panicked guests ran helter-skelter, he said. During this, the suspect managed to flee the spot. Police were able to identify him after questioning those present at the venue and teams were deployed to nab him. Danish was arrested within six hours from a nearby village Ronija with the help of electronic surveillance and manual inputs. An illicit countrymade pistol with empty and live cartridges was also recovered from him, said the officer. OPINION Mardi Gras season has long been dubbed gay Christmas a celebrated and inclusive event that millions all over the country excitedly look forward to each year. But this time around, days out from the annual parade that will on Saturday see hundreds of thousands of people descend on Oxford Street in Sydney, emotions are raw. Almost everyone by now would've heard the devastating news that the bodies of missing Sydney couple Jesse Baird and Luke Davies were found in a shallow grave at a rural NSW property on Tuesday afternoon, days after they were allegedly dumped there by accused double murderer, serving NSW Police officer Beau Lamarre-Condon. Although the harrowing discovery marked the end to a week-long investigation to locate the pair, it has left behind a plethora of questions facing NSW Police, and not just from within their own divisions. Jesse Baird and Luke Davies were allegedly murdered by serving NSW Police officer Beau Lamarre-Condon. Source: Instagram. Why police should sit this year out Earlier this week, police were uninvited from the Mardi Gras parade, and while I felt sad for the queer officers within the force, with it taking place merely metres from Jesse's home, I agreed with the committee that it was the right call to make under the circumstances. The vast majority of police men and women are decent, hard-working public servants who put their lives on the line every day, but the more I think about it, the less I see a need for the force to be in the parade as a collective at all and, I'm wondering whether officers are simply better suited marching permanently in a private capacity with their own individual communities. Particularly given the strained relationship between queer people and NSW Police when it comes to the Mardi Gras, which dates back to a protest in June 1978. That first night, 53 gay men and women were beaten and arrested at the hands of officers, simply for championing acceptance. Dozens more were brutally bashed. NSW Police officers were formally uninvited from the Mardi Gras parade earlier this week, but the committee backflipped on that decision and now officers will march in plain clothes. Source: Associated Press The following morning The Sydney Morning Herald published the names, addresses and occupations of those arrested. As a result, many were fired and kicked out of home. Others, unable to overcome the avalanche of hate pedalled towards them, died by suicide soon after. Story continues On Wednesday, it was announced officers will now march, but will remain in plain clothes "in consideration of current sensitivities". But I think that's wrong. It's a privilege to march in the parade, not a right. I think those in the upper echelons of the NSW Police force have a lot of self-reflection to do, and a lot to answer for toward a community that is right now, really hurting. After bodies found, NSW Police still have a lot to answer for Horrific, crushing, senseless and brutal are just some of the words that have been used to describe the chilling events that took place in the last week. Events that have dominated the news cycle here in Australia, made global headlines and have left the queer community feeling enraged, vulnerable and suffering a profound sense of loss. And we're not just mourning the deaths of a young and in-love couple who had their whole lives ahead of them, we're also mourning every other queer person that's ever been killed, beaten or abused by someone that should've been protecting them be that a police officer or otherwise. Jesse Baird and Luke Davies are being remembered for their kindness, generosity and their love of each other. Source: Instagram We're not just angry about how police have, yet again, failed in their duty of care to protect young gay people from those seeking to do them harm. We're not just angry about how a serving police officer allegedly murdered two young gay men and the state's Police Commissioner Karen Webb thought it best to wait three whole days to make a public address. Webb, who is facing intense criticism over her handling of the investigation into the alleged murders, recited a lyric from a Taylor Swift song in response to her "haters". While obviously facing gruelling daily challenges in her role, one would think NSW's most senior police officer would be able to generate a more empathetic response to grieving families and an entire community many of whom are, frankly quite rightly, upset with her. It's also hard to imagine a similar time frame to front media if the murdered couple in question were heterosexual. A growing memorial has been established outside Baird's Paddington address, in Sydney's inner-east. Source: NCA Earlier this week Webb described the gruesome alleged murders as "a crime of passion", a statement she later attempted to justify as a way to separate the incident from gay hate. But her language perpetuates some of the most harmful attitudes towards domestic violence, that "love makes us do crazy things". And it is clumsy language like that which has featured regularly throughout the investigation. Criticised for saying officers "were very grateful" to Lamarre-Condon for allegedly providing information that led to the bodies, Webb then said the issue police were trying to highlight throughout this tragedy was the underreporting of domestic-related crimes in the community. Report highlights police failures in investigating gay hate crimes Yet why would any queer person in NSW feel comfortable reporting a crime committed against them to the police, who merely months ago was handed down a scathing report into the force's major failures to adequately investigate dozens of deaths since 1970? An inquiry found gay hate bias was a likely factor in 25 of 32 suspected homicides from 1970 to 2010. As a result, 15 recommendations were given to police. Not a single one of those recommendations has so far been implemented. Last year, during Sydney's WorldPride celebration, a supercharged version of the Mardi Gras in which 300,000 people descended on the harbour city, my partner at the time and I were verbally abused on the streets of Surry Hills one of the most gay-friendly suburbs in Australia. During PRIDE. We were called faggots, intimidated and berated by a stranger while trying to order a pizza at about 11pm. I immediately called Triple-0, and, to their credit, police officers arrived within minutes. Though after both my partner and I made our statements to a female officer, I then saw a male officer laughing and looking chummy with the man who had just verbally abused us. That man was told to move on but was allowed to go on about his business for the rest of the evening. Subtle but significant microaggressions remain within the force It's these types of incidents, that can often be subtle, which add to the deep-rooted distrust between the LGBTQ+ community and the police. Queer Australians are frustrated and fed up with NSW Police's consistent lack of enthusiasm when it comes to issues affecting the LGBTQ+ community. And that it's not just us that feel that way. The parade takes place on Sydney's Oxford Street, metres from where Jesse Baird and Luke Davies were allegedly murdered. Source: Associated Press The sentiment was astonishingly echoed in the hate crimes report, where Supreme Court Justice John Sackar detailed how police took an "adversarial or unnecessarily defensive" stance during inquiries, and he "faced significant and unexpected challenges" both with availability of records and the inquirys dealings with police. This was an investigation looking into the literal murders of gay men over a 40-year period. Issuing a statement on the Mardi Gras flip flop, Webb said she was "committed to continuing to strengthen the relationship between my organisation and the LGBTQIA+ community." But it remains to be seen what the results of that "commitment" will be in the coming weeks and months. Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube. The Chhattisgarh government will seek a probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) into the murder of a cow shelter worker in Kabirdham district, chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai said on Wednesday. Chhattisgarh chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai. (PTI File Photo) Sadhram Yadav (48) was allegedly killed by six men who belonged to the minority community on January 20 on the outskirts of Kawardha city in the district. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. His kin had met the chief minister in Raipur to demand for a high-level investigation and strictest action against the accused. Addressing media persons on Wednesday evening, Sai said, Sadhram Yadav, who was brutally killed, had no quarrel with the accused. It seems that the murder wasnt of a person but of an ideology and this requires a detailed investigation. Following the murder, the Chhattisgarh police arrested all six accused under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. As per the police statement, Ayaz Khan was identified as the main accused following which the district administration bulldozed his shop and other illegal encroachments. KL Deemed to be University is inviting applications for admissions to various undergraduate and postgraduate programs for the academic year 2024. The University has its campuses in Hyderabad comprising of KLH Global Business School and KLH Hyderabad campus while the mother campus is situated in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh.(Representative Image) According to a press release by KL University, candidates who aspire to join the university need to secure a valid score in the entrance exams as mentioned below: Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. KLEEE - Engineering Entrance Exam KLSAT - Science Aptitude Test for candidates who are looking for science-related programs KLECET - Engineering Common Entrance Test (Diploma/Polytechnic students) KLHAT- Humanities Aptitude Test (Graduation courses) KLMAT - Management Aptitude Test (PG courses) The University has its campuses in Hyderabad comprising of KLH Global Business School and KLH Hyderabad campus while the mother campus is situated in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, mentioned the press release. Entrance Exam Dates: March 20th- 24th, 2024 Application Deadline: March 19th, 2024 Eligibility Criteria: For UG - 10+2 education or equivalent qualification For PG Graduate or undergraduate or equivalent degree from a recognised university Scholarships: According to the press release, the university has released a beneficent allocation worth INR 100 crore for merit scholarships in 2024. For more information, visit the official website. Central Board of Secondary Education has conducted CBSE Class 12 Geography Exam 2024 on February 29, 2024. The examination was conducted from 10.30 am to 1.30 pm across the country. Students who appeared for Class 12 Geography exam said that the paper was interesting and also in-depth. CBSE Class 12 Geography Exam 2024: In-depth and interesting paper, say students (HT File) The objective questions were quite direct, said Anantjeet, Class 12 student of GD Goenka Public School, Lucknow. Samriddhi of Class 12 same school said that the map questions were also to the point and direct and not very complicated. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Manjiri, another Class XII student of GD Goenka School Lucknow, said that the subjective portion was interesting; the children's comprehension power and clarity of concept were required to answer these. According to Aastha, a Class 12 student of the same school, the graph question had no clarity, and the variables given were NOT at all clear or identifiable. She hopes that the board will take cognizance of this and moderate marking will be done for same. Class 12 student, Aalya said that over all the paper was inclusive. Soma Majumdar, PGT Geography, VidyaGyan Leadership Academy, Bulandshahr said that all three sets of Geography Papers were relatively easy. The papers were well-structured with a variety of competency-based questions. However, some questions required critical thinking, necessitating students to draw upon their prerequisite knowledge. The bar graph in question 19 was a little blurred. The map questions were good. Overall, it was a balanced paper and students were satisfied. Lovely Professional University (LPU) celebrated its 11th annual Convocation on Sunday, which was attended by former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott as the Chief Guest. LPU Chancellor Dr Ashok Kumar Mittal addressing the students during the 11th Annual Convocation held at LPU campus. As per a press release issued by LPU, the celebrations witnessed the conferral of an honorary doctorate, Honoris Causa, upon the former Australian PM. The convocation ceremony also marked the graduation of LPU's first batch of 'Online Mode Students'. More than 60,000 graduating students received degrees in diverse domains. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Addressing the gathering, Abbott acknowledged the achievements of 102 gold medallists and 555 PhD scholars and also lauded the remarkable performance of 567 meritorious students who excelled in academics and co-curricular activities. Also read: BPSC TRE 3.0 exam dates out, notice here Abbott expressed his admiration for India as a remarkable country and urged the graduating students to take pride in their nation's potential to bring peace, prosperity, freedom, and development to the world. Founder Chancellor of LPU, Dr Ashok Kumar Mittal, presided over the convocation. In his address, Dr Mittal highlighted the partnership between LPU and 16 prestigious Australian universities and shared the university's recent achievements. He encouraged graduating students to carry the spirit of research (Anusandhan) for a brighter future, while referencing the national slogan "Jai Anusandhan" given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to LPU, said the press release. The conferral of the honorary doctorate upon Abbott marks the ninth such recognition by LPU, with previous recipients including esteemed leaders such as Presidents, Prime Ministers, and Nobel Peace Prize laureates, including His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. Also read: Kerala SET January 2024 result declared at lbsedp.lbscentre.in, direct link here The convocation ceremony was attended by important guests, including Lovely Group Chairman Ramesh Mittal, Vice-Chairman Naresh Mittal, Vice-Chancellor Rashmi Mittal, Community Leader in Australia Jagvinder Singh Virk, Vice Chancellor GNDU & former Secretary, UGC Dr Jaspal Singh Sandhu, industrialists, and other dignitaries. Besides, students and parents from across India and countries like Canada, Australia, Bhutan, Nepal, and Sri Lanka were also present on the occasion. Yodha trailer is out and features Sidharth Malhotra as crazy Indian soldier Arun, who will not negotiate with the enemy, open fire before he is told to and sacrifice himself for the country in a second. Yodha trailer was unveiled by the cast and the rest of the team on Thursday and gives a glimpse into the high-octane thrills, gripping mysteries and the action-packed journey of Yodha (Sidharth Malhotra) on a mission. Also read: Watch Yodha teaser Yodha trailer: Sidharth Malhotra in a still from the action film produced by Karan Johar. Watch Sidharth Malhotra's Yodha trailer The almost three-minute Yodha trailer teases Sidharth Malhotra's journey as a proud child, who saw his father serve in the Indian Army. After being 'suspended' and labelled a traitor, Sidharths Arun was still doing all he could to protect the country. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. He was seen fighting terrorists mid-air to rescue passengers on a hijacked Air India flight during a thrilling operation in the Yodha trailer. Disha, who is also in the lead role in Yodha, is seen as a cabin crew member in the trailer. At one point, Sidharth admitted in the Yodha trailer that he was a 'crazy Indian soldier'. More about the film Recently, the makers had also dropped the first song, Zindagi Tere Naam, from the movie. The film, directed by Sagar Ambre and Pushkar Ojha, will be released on March 15. Earlier the film was first scheduled to release on November 11, 2022 and the makers pushed the release date to July 2023, September 15, December 15 and then moved it to December 8. Now, the film is set to release on March 15, 2024. Sidharth Malhotra on Yodha "Being a part of Yodha has been an extraordinary journey. The depth of courage and patriotism woven into the film's narrative is truly inspiring. I'm eagerly looking forward to sharing this cinematic odyssey with audiences," said Sidharth in Hyderabad during a recent promotional event for his upcoming film Yodha. Entertainment! Entertainment! Entertainment! Click to follow our Whatsapp Channel Your daily dose of gossip, films, shows, celebrities updates all in one place Bianca Censori's family may be controversial on all ends of the spectrum, with Kanye West allegedly controlling her actions and her paternal side notoriously famed for its gangland killing associations. Presumably, it isn't easy to be in the shoes of the 29-year-old Yeezy designer, who doesn't seem to catch a break, ever. Bianca Censori's father, Leo, wants to confront Kanye West for parading his daughter around as a 'trashy' commodity.(X) DailyMail.com's inside sources spilt the beans on how her convict father possibly wants to have a serious sit-down with Ye for turning her into a trashy commodity. This pointed request follows Bianca's recent appearance with her husband in Paris on Tuesday, as snaps revealed her to have ditched her underwear underneath sheer stockings. The issue arose as a pronounced matter of concern due to France's indecency laws (Article 222-32) that could land Censori behind bars or exact a heavy fine out of her pocket. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Let alone what the Australian architect's fashion choices may be, Kanye has previously been accused of influencing her wardrobe aesthetic, resulting in several X-rated snaps or videos that have often stood centre-stage in the musician's controversial life cycle. Why Bianca Censori's father wants to confront Kanye West According to the DailyMail reports, Bianca's father, Leo, wants to have a serious talk with Kanye about what he would do if his daughters, North or Chicago, were seen in public half-naked in outfits encouraged by their husbands. Also read: Love is Blind Season 6 finale: Release date, Couples Status update and more Jumping forth to answer the question for him, the insider suggested that Leo knew that there was no way in hell that Kanye would let that happen, which raises the paradox about why then he's encouraging his own wife to walk this path. Ever since Kanye and Bianca wedded in a private December 2022 ceremony, her family has accused him of shutting her out from them in Australia. Leo honestly wants to just sit Kanye down to let him know that he is hurting her family by turning his beloved daughter into a trashy-looking marketable commodity, the insider continued. Adding on, he reiterated the same influence of control clouding his daughter's judgement: That isn't love. That is control.' About Bianca Censori's family and friends One would wonder how Bianca's dad could be a threat to a man as vocally controversial as Kanye. Well, the showdown would indeed be concerning, mainly due to his father-in-law's sinister history. DailyMail's previous reports outed Leo as having done time in jail. He was convicted of possessing heroin in 1982, ultimately landing him in jail for five years. To top it all off, Leo has also been convicted of having a pistol on him, and he shares notorious connections to gangland killings, with Eris Censori being his brother. The latter was dubbed Melbournes Al Capone' as he was sentenced to death for murder. The sentence was eventually reduced to life in prison. The source also divulged that her old friends are no longer phased by what she wears in public as they've grown accustomed to these sightings. However, the dead look in her eyes when she is out with Kanye rings a cry of alarm in their minds. Even her family has previously spoken out about how they fail to recognise her anymore because She would not be doing this unless she was being controlled. BLACKPINK's Jennie has never shied away from her trend-setting maverick. Claiming her well-deserved throne on YouTube records, the South Korean rapper has achieved a new benchmark by claiming one billion views on YouTube. She's now the first female K-pop solo artist to have achieved this feat; it's almost poetic that her Solo music video made the unthinkable happen. Jennie Kim in Solo music video (2018)(YouTube / BLACKPINK) Jennie debuted as a soloist in 2018, the same year the Solo MV was released on YouTube. While the track was released through YG and Interscope, she's now spread her wings and embarked on her solo journey on a new level. Many consider a new beginning the mark of something better, but Jennie had different plans for closing 2023 on a banging note. Grabbing the moment and making the most of the final days of the past year, she launched her exclusive label OA (Odd Atelier) in December 2023. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. This isn't the first time that Jennie's solo debut has helped the pop diva clinch a YouTube milestone. In August 2021, her track's music video helped her secure the title of the first female K-pop soloist to have surpassed 700 million views on YouTube. Solo video dropped on November 12, 2018, and since then, it has become an anthem-worthy response to her haters, with the lyrics confirming that she's sittin' on (her) throne. Also read: Taylor Swift blows a kiss to Sydney; Here's how the Eras Tour stop welcomed her Watch the BLACKPINK Jennie Solo MV: Jennie's solo success and other projects: Staying true to her main character energy, BLACKPINK Jennie also asserted her musical dominance on the Billboard chart with her song One of the Girls. This track was born in collaboration with her The Idol costars, The Weeknd and Lily-Rose Depp, in 2023. Its successful streak continued well into 2024. Earlier this year, it sailed a steady journey on Billboard's Hot 100, reappearing at the 69th position on the most-consumed songs in the US list. Its high-ranking stance helped consolidate its post as the highest-charting song of all time by a South Korean solo female musician on the Hot 100. This spot was previously held firmly by Jennie's own bandmate, Rose. (Forbes) What makes her solo wins even more special is that The Idol star also participated in writing, styling and choreographing some bits of the song. She followed in the footsteps of Korean icon Psy, as he was the first K-pop soloist to hit the billion mark with his 2012 song that took the world by storm - Gangnam Style. Additionally, some of Jennie's hits from the BLACKPINK roster have previously earned their billion-views badges. With each member off foraying into the solo territory, group activities seemed to have been halted for a minute. Jennie's recent solo activities also involved stepping up for the Calvin Klein Spring 2024 campaign. The press release aptly sums up her confident display in the campaign as it magnifies Jennies playful confidence and infuses Calvin Kleins emblematic underwear and jeans with her distinctive pop energy, elevating each style to icon status. Stephen Baldwin took to Instagram to ask for prayers for daughter Hailey Bieber and her husband Justin Bieber."Christians, please when you think of Justin & Hailey, take a moment to offer a little prayer for them to have wisdom, protection and to draw close to the Lord, a Feb. 26 Instagram Reel from Victor Marx read. Stephen Baldwin took to Instagram to ask for prayers for daughter Hailey Bieber and her husband Justin Bieber (Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP, stephenbaldwin7/Instagram) He captioned the post, featuring Justinplaying the guitar and singing I Could Sing of Your Love Forever,' I seldom like to post about certain folks in the limelight because of the negative comments we get. Eileen and Haileys mom pray often together for J&H and our children as well. There are special challenges that folks in high visibility positions face and also the enemy doesnt want them to draw closer to Jesus. So often regardless of the material things or the accolades they often face spiritual warfare that intense and seeks to ship-wreck their faith , marriage and life in general. So thank you. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Baldwin shared the post to his Instagram story, which has since expired. However, he did not say why he was seeking prayers. Stephen Baldwin shared the post to his Instagram story, which has since expired (stephenbaldwin7/Instagram) Justin and Hailey Biebers health struggles Back in 2022, Justin cancelled his Justice World Tour after he was diagnosed with Ramsay Hunt Syndrome. He explained that it "is from this virus that attacks the nerve in my ear and my facial nerves and has caused my face to have paralysis." "As the result of this illness, I was not able to complete the North America leg of the Justice Tour," he posted to Instagram Stories at the time. "I realized that I need to make my health the priority right now. So I'm going to take a break from touring for the time being. I'm going to be ok, but I need time to rest and get better." "Thank you for your prayers and support throughout all of this! I love you all passionately!" he added. Hailey, too, has faced health challenges. In March 2022, she revealed that she suffered a blood clot to her brain. "Although this was definitely one of the scariest moments I've ever been through, I'm home now and doing well," she shared on her Instagram Story at the time, "and I'm so grateful and thankful to all the amazing doctors and nurses who took care of me! Thank you to everyone who has reached out with well wishes and concern, and for all the support and love." Cher and her 38-year-old boyfriend, Alexander AE Edwards, looked chic and stylish as they appeared at the Balmain fashion show in Paris on Wednesday, February 28. The 77-year-old Grammy winner and her partner coordinated their looks. They were later spotted sitting in the front row. Alexander Edwards and Cher arrive for the presentation of creations by Balmain for the Women Ready-to-wear Fall-Winter 2024/2025 collection as part of the Paris Fashion Week, in Paris on February 28, 2024 (Photo by Miguel MEDINA / AFP)(AFP) Both of them wore denim with black blazers. While Cher donned a slim denim with an oversize black blazer with sequin lapels, Ewdwards was spotted in loose jeans with a differently-shaped, patterned blazer. Both were seen wearing black shoes. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Social media is amazed at Chers latest appearance with Edwards, and many admired how beautiful she looked at 77. See what X users are saying: Fans have long been in awe of Cher's youthfulness. In an interview with Good Morning Britain last year, she said, I'll be 80 at some point sooner than I wish and I'll still be wearing my jeans and still be wearing long hair and doing the same stuff I have always done. Susanna Reid asked her, "What is the secret to the fact you look so terrific? The genes in my family are pretty amazing. I dont know if not feeling old makes you younger? I keep up with the trends and have young friends," Cher replied. Cher and Alexander AE Edwards' relationship Cher and Edwards went public with their relationship back in 2020. They had met at Paris Fashion Week in September that same year. Later, appearing on The Kelly Clarkson Show, Cher said of their age gap, On paper, it's kind of ridiculous. But in real life, we get along great. He's fabulous. And I don't give men qualities that they don't deserve." In March last year, they made their red carpet debut when they attended the Versace show in Los Angeles together. In a previous interview with PEOPLE, Cher admitted that she broke rules for Edwardsbecause he is "just so special". "I hate when people say people are special, but lots of people say I'm special, so I can say that he's special," she added. "No matter what happens, I love being with him. He makes me laugh, and we have fun. What I learned is that it's never too late. If you wrote out all the statistics, you would go, 'Well, this is doomed.' But we've been together a year, and if it was just a year, it would've been worth it. I've had the best time," she said. She also said that she focuses on the happiness her boyfriend brings into her life despite their age gap. "If you have happiness, you can't think about how long it's going to last. You have to think about 'How does it feel?' and live in the moment," she said. Director SS Rajamouli, his wife Rama and actor Yash attended the pran pratishtha ceremony of Sree Amrutheshwara temple in Bellary, Karnataka. Photos and videos of the director, his wife and the actor are now doing rounds on X. (Also Read: Indonesian actor Chelsea Islan follows SS Rajamouli on Instagram; sparks rumours of her acting in SSMB29) SS Rajamouli and Yash at Sree Amrutheshwara temple in Bellary Rajamouli and Yash attend consecration Rajamouli was seen dressed traditionally in a white dhoti and shawl for the ceremony while Rama opted for a red saree and a purple blouse. Yash dressed in his statement style in a kurta-pyjama set, with a blue bandana and sunglasses completing his look. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. In videos shared online, numerous fans can be seen surrounding Yash to click his pictures. Rajamouli, Rama and Yash attended the ceremony and prayed to the idol made of phantom quartz before leaving the premises. The temple has been built by filmmaker Sai Korrapati of Vaaraahi Chalana Chitram. Upcoming work Rajamouli is currently working on a script for Mahesh Babus yet-to-be-titled film with his father Vijayendra Prasad. The adventure drama, which will be along the lines of Indiana Jones, will go on-floors mid 2024. Pre-production for the film is in progress and the rest of the cast is yet to be announced. The film is rumoured to be titled Maharaja, but the makers are yet to make an official announcement. Given that this is Rajamoulis next film after the highly successful RRR, expectations are high about the project. Yash was last seen as Rocky Bhai in Prashanth Neels KGF 2. He will reportedly debut in Bollywood with Nitesh Tiwaris Ramayan as Ravana. The film will see Ranbir Kapoor as Ram and Sai Pallavi as Sita, an official announcement is yet to be made. He announced that he will star in a film called Toxic, directed by Malayalam director Geetu Mohandas of Moothoon fame. The rest of the cast and crew are yet to be announced and the film will release in theatres in 2025. Entertainment! Entertainment! Entertainment! Click to follow our Whatsapp Channel Your daily dose of gossip, films, shows, celebrities updates all in one place All nine school districts in the Cayuga County area recorded above-average test scores in most subjects last year, and the majority improved upon their scores the previous year as well. According to recent data from the New York State Education Department, all nine Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES districts scored higher than the state average in the majority of 2022-23 Regents exams. All but two of the districts, Auburn and Jordan-Elbridge, recorded proficiency rates above the state average in seven tests. Auburn Enlarged City School District students recorded above-average rates in five subjects: algebra II, geometry, living environment, chemistry, and U.S. history and government. The district had rates below the state average in four subjects: English language arts, algebra I, Earth science and global history and geography II. Auburn's highest 2022-23 proficiency rate was for U.S. history and government, with 87% of students passing (217 out of 249), which had a state average of 80%. The district's 72% in ELA was its most below-average score, as the state's rate is 77%. Regents exam scores in physics were not listed for Auburn, nor the Skaneateles or Southern Cayuga school districts, despite them being listed for most other districts. Auburn Superintendent Jeff Pirozzolo told The Citizen in an email that he was glad the district's exam rates were above the state average in most categories. With a current student population of about 3,800, the Auburn district is by far the biggest of the Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES districts due to its more urban composition. "We still have work to do, but we are getting there," Pirozzolo said. Like Auburn, the Jordan-Elbridge Central School District recorded proficiency rates below the state average in four subjects, but above it in six subjects. Jordan-Elbridge also had the lowest 2022-23 rate of any Cayuga County-area district in a single subject, at 33% in physics, with seven students scoring as proficient out of 21 who were tested. Meanwhile, the Union Springs, Weedsport and Skaneateles school districts scored above the state average in every Regents exam subject. Gregory Stone, superintendent of the Weedsport Central School District since early January, told The Citizen in an email that the district's English language arts proficiency rate of 96% for 2023 also exceeded every other school in Cayuga and Onondaga counties. Weedsport's 96% passing rate for geometry is the second-highest in the counties, he added. "It's clear that Weedsport has a longstanding tradition of academic excellence, which owes much to our exceptional teachers and staff, diligent students and the unwavering support of our community," he said. "Since stepping into the role of superintendent, I've witnessed firsthand the resolute dedication to maintaining and even enhancing this commitment to academic excellence throughout our district." Skaneateles boasted some of the highest proficiency rates of all local districts. Its lowest rate for 2022-23 was 87% in living environment, which had a state average of 66%. The only local district with a higher living environment rate was Weedsport, at 88%. Skaneateles is also one of a handful of Cayuga County-area districts in the last school year to have achieved a 100% rate in any subject, with all 83 students who took the geometry exam passing. The Southern Cayuga, Cato-Meridian and Moravia districts posted perfect scores for algebra II. Eric Knuth, Skaneateles' superintendent, expressed happiness about the district's 2022-23 results in an email to The Citizen. "We are extremely proud of our students and their performance on these Regents exams, but more so the hard work and sustained effort required to perform at this level," he said. "Our teachers are incredibly engaging, dedicated to individual student success and a cycle of continuous improvement professionally." Exam scores for the majority of Cayuga County-area districts also improved from the prior school year, with five out of the nine districts achieving increases from 2021-22 to 2022-23. The Auburn, Jordan-Elbridge, Skaneateles and Southern Cayuga school districts saw more year-to-year decreases than increases in the majority of subjects. The Union Springs Central School District saw the largest year-to-year increase in a single subject, 28% in algebra II, from 68% in 2022 to 96% in 2023. Jordan-Elbridge saw the largest year-to-year decrease, 47% in physics, from 80% in 2022 to 33% in 2023. Jordan-Elbridge also recorded year-to-year proficiency rate decreases in eight subjects, the most of any local district. The Moravia, Port Byron and Weedsport districts achieved the most year-to-year increases in Regents exam scores, in six subjects apiece. "Our mission focuses on preparing our students for the dynamic challenges of our ever-changing world," Stone said of Weedsport. "We recognize the pivotal role that high rates of literacy and comprehension play in shaping successful futures, and we are proud to continually focus our efforts to ensure that every student excels." Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives will be called Fabulous Lives vs Bollywood Lives beginning from an upcoming third season. The hit Netflix reality series has added three new wives to the mix, all from Delhi. These include Riddhima Kapoor Sahni (wife of Bharat Sahni, sister of Ranbir Kapoor), Shalini Passi (wife of Sanjay Passi, chairman of PASCO Group), and Kalyani Saha Chawla (ex-wife of Vishal Chawla). They join two season veterans Maheep Kapoor, Neelam Kothari Soni, Seema Sajdeh and Bhavana Pandey. Fabulous Lives Vs Bollywood Wives has taken a new twist with entry of three new rich wives from Delhi. Executive producer of the show Karan Johar said in a statement, After the success of the first two seasons, the challenge for both the teams, at Dharmatic and Netflix, was to figure a way to give fans a season that has everything they love about the show and also manages to take them by surprise. So this season, the Bollywood Wives will step out of their comfort zone as they enter a new city and face off with Delhi's best-known divas. What happens when the bling of Delhi excess battles it out against the swag of Bollywood star power? Season 3 will be entertaining, funny, emotional, dramatic, over the topbut at the heart of it all, it remains an exploration of the many faces of friendship. If you have watched and loved us in the last two seasons, we assure you Season 3 will be worth the wait. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. The wives were introduced during a special Netflix event in Mumbai. Check out photo from the same: Neelam Kothari Soni, Bhavana Panday, Maheep Kapoor, Seema Sajdeh, Riddhima Kapoor Sahni, Shalini Passi and Kalyani Saha at the Netflix event. The first season review of Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives on HT read, What was supposed to be a collective exercise for us to laugh with (and mostly at) the real housewives of Juhu, has been turned into yet another panegyric in the glory of Bollywood superstars, this time Shah Rukh and his wife Gauri Khan. Some might call it the one thing that makes it worthwhile to put up with four screaming and potty-mouthed women, but I would prefer to hit play for some Kardashian nonsense rather than another Shah Rukh special episode of Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai. Women continue to be under-represented in leadership roles across industries, with significant gender disparities persisting at the C-suite levels and in boardrooms around the world. It has been seen that pervasive conscious and unconscious biases construct barriers for women to advance into senior leadership positions. However, the tide is slowly turning as more organisations realise the tangible benefits of diversity and inclusion. Working women(Pexels) The under-representation of women in leadership roles does not stem from a lack of competence but from deeply entrenched stereotypes around gender roles. Common misconceptions that construct barriers include: Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Women are too emotional for leadership roles Women lack essential leadership traits like assertiveness and authoritativeness Women prioritise family over career commitments Data corroborates these notions. A study by McKinsey highlighted how women are often under-evaluated for promotions when compared to men. Gendered slogans like think leader, think male reveal the prevalent unconscious bias in most workplaces. Such limiting assumptions ignore the reality that stereotypically masculine and feminine traits can co-exist in individuals regardless of gender. Rigid dichotomies fail to comprehend that effective leadership requires a diverse blend of task-oriented assertiveness and people-centric empathy. Authentic leaders navigate from their core values and convictions. Instead of conforming to historical leadership stereotypes, they lead with self-awareness and transparency, prioritising ethics and integrity. Many prominent female leaders today are pioneering this leadership style and driving change through moral courage, compassion and collaboration. Former New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Arderns crisis leadership during the pandemic is a powerful example of authentic, servant-hearted leadership transcending gender barriers. Other trailblazers include General Motors CEO Mary Barras authentic, empathetic leadership in crisis management and nonprofit leader Melinda Gates values-driven influence. Such women leaders leverage character strengths like integrity, emotional intelligence and commitment to a higher purpose to drive impact, leading through influence rather than command. Women leaders continue to face significant barriers from conscious and unconscious gender bias. Studies reveal that successful leaders often exhibit traits commonly associated with masculinity rather than those associated with femininity. Women exhibiting the same traits face labels like bossy, stubborn and aggressive due to peoples inherent bias. Such double standards make it harder for women to exhibit confidence and assert authority. Bias also exists in talent evaluation, as reflected in lower promotion rates. In research conducted, it was seen that women consistently rated their test performance lower than men despite both groups achieving the same average score. Structural barriers around talent development processes and lack of mentorship opportunities also impact career progress for women. Organisations serious about gender diversity must mitigate bias across critical stages like recruitment, performance reviews and promotions. Women also need more access to senior leaders as mentors and sponsors to enable talent mobility. Progress remains gradual but the needle is moving with more organisations investing in diversity interventions. Gender parity in leadership is thus a strategic business priority, not just a moral obligation. A report by McKinsey found that companies in the top quartile for gender diversity were 25% more likely to have above-average profitability than companies in the fourth quartile. Higher innovation revenue, better customer orientation and loyalty, stronger employee engagement and greater stakeholder responsiveness are other proven benefits of gender-inclusive leadership. Diverse leadership boosts the diversity of thought and drives better decision-making through varied perspectives and role modelling, fostering stronger corporate performance. Women leaders cannot dismantle existing stereotypes without embracing their authentic selves. Conforming to masculine stereotypes only reinforces that leadership belongs to gendered expectations. The most influential women leaders are leveraging their authentic strengths from personal values. For instance, feminist philosopher Mary Wollstonecraft led change through courageous advocacy for womens rights by appealing to peoples reason and moral values. Former PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi blended empathy, creativity and strategic vision to drive the companys transformation and financial success. Poet Maya Angelou inspired social change through the power of her authentic voice and words. In India too, often women leaders in politics or business have been found to be leading with integrity and resilience. Such examples demonstrate that embracing ones uniqueness and leading through moral purpose inspires people far more powerfully than conformity to the status quo. Authenticity enables connective, transformative leadership by building trust and a community centred around shared values. Accelerating cultural change alongside increasing womens leadership representation is crucial for meaningful progress. Gender-inclusive talent strategies must address bias and dismantle systemic barriers. Approaches like blind resume reviews and mentoring programmes foster fairness and career mobility. Visible commitment from top leadership and middle management advocacy is essential, alongside transforming workplace language and imagery for gender equity, facilitating large-scale change toward parity. While existing biases contribute to the broken rung phenomenon today, the future presents much promise for women in leadership. Younger generations show a growing affinity for values-based leadership. Millennials and GenZs are leading the charges for social justice, sustainability and inclusive cultures. Women leaders, rather than succumbing to conformity pressures, are boldly leveraging their authentic strengths to challenge stereotypes and lead innovatively. Despite persistent systemic barriers, positive shifts in society and workplaces are emerging, easing the path for young female leaders. Bain & Company's report highlights that nearly 20% of Indian enterprises are women-owned, reflecting progress towards economic and social transformation. Furthermore, technological advances expanding remote and gig working also provide more flexible work options to balance career and family. Such shifts can significantly improve talent mobility and career growth opportunities for women. The expanding caring, healthcare and creative economies with strong existing female representation also open new leadership avenues. This article is authored by Dr. Rashmi Saluja, executive chairperson, Religare Enterprises Limited. Actor Geetanshi Lamba asserts that after her dream debut, the quality of projects coming her way has surely gone a notch up. Actor Geetanshi Lamba A right debut with the right people changes a lot for you as a newcomer. It might be a big cast as its a common pattern in todays time where each character, be it for an OTT show or a film, does get the due. Today, a good story is the original hero. Things started to change for me after the release, and now the offers coming my way are surely much better and polished, says the Mission Raniganj (2023) actor. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Talking about getting the film, she adds, I was shooting for a commercial when Tinu (Suresh Desai, director) sirs wife Bhavnaji, who was working on the project, spotted me and inquired whether I was from theatre or not. And I was like yes, so it all started from there. Then, I went for the audition and got selected for Rekhas role. Working with the husband-wife duo has been magical for me. I learned so much while working on the film. Also, when you share a screen with a star like Akshay (Kumar, actor) sir, you know you are in the right place. I had a good number of scenes with him. He is such a perfectionist and a very disciplined actor. For now, Lamba is auditioning and ready to get back on the set. If all goes well, I will start my next soon. Besides, play Chattan, a superhero drama, opened this month, so things are on track as this is what I have decided that I will work across mediums including giving time to stage performances. For an artiste, the real test is to perform live as thats what helps to keep your craft game up. Renowned for offering a diverse range of travel experiences, Dubai is a must-visit destination. With a range of new attractions and upcoming experiences, the city earns a spot on every avid travellers bucket list. FRANK offers a modern ambience with trendy interiors Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. NAC Dubai combines the charm of a Parisian bistro with the comfort of a classic diner EMBARK ON A CULINARY SOJOURN Looking to embark on a culinary adventure in this vibrant city? Here are a few newly-opened places to try out: Mont Fleuri, a floating cafe adorned with a sea of pink and white flowers, is one of the citys newest gems. Nestled in the Dubai Harbour, this delightful 8-person capacity boat promises an enchanting cruise through the scenic Dubai Marina and Jumeirah Beach Residence. FRANK, a meat-focussed dining spot fusing hip-hop vibes with a free-spirited urban ambience, has recently opened its doors. Located at Bluewaters Island in the Marina, the place serves dishes such as lamb chops, steaks and burgers, as well as the eaterys signature dishes like Cheesy Killer, a cheese sauce-infused beef burger, and the classic FRANK cheeseburger. North Audley Cantine (NAC), a dining outlet from Mayfair, London, has expanded to bring its culinary offerings to Dubai. Located in H Residence, Al Safa, NAC Dubai combines the charm of a Parisian bistro with the comfort of a classic diner. The menu features a blend of signature dishes, such as the flavourful shakshouka with zaatar and feta on the weekend breakfast menu, and also the flamed aubergine and halloumi fries. MUST-TRY FUN ACTIVITIES Leo & Loona Kids Park Dubais newest premium family destination, is located in the Festival City Mall. One of the largest indoor kids parks in the city, its a perfect blend of fun and dining. Children can explore the expansive playground, while parents enjoy a diverse menu in the restaurant. The place also hosts special occasions and masterclasses for kids. Another attraction for families is the Dubai Safari Park, situated in the Al Warqa 5 locality. It houses approximately 3,000 animals from around the world. For a unique experience, head over to Dubai Crocodile Park, which is home to 250 Nile crocodiles. The park includes a Natural History Museum, an African lake-themed aquarium, a Savanna-inspired landscaped area, a curio shop and multiple dining outlets. So, what are you waiting for? Pack your bags and head over to Dubai to explore these myriad attractions that cater to the interests of both first-time and seasoned travellers. *Partnered content About 20 Indian nationals serving with the Russian military have approached authorities seeking help for their discharge, the external affairs ministry said on Thursday against the backdrop of reports of casualties among Indians forced to fight in the war against Ukraine. In this photo taken from video and released by Russian defence ministry press service on February 8, 2024, a rocket is fired from the Russian army's TOS-1 thermobaric system at an undisclosed location in Ukraine. (AP) Reports have suggested that up to 100 Indian nationals had been recruited as support staff by the Russian Army and that dozens of them had been forced to fight on the border with Ukraine. There were unconfirmed reports of two deaths and several injuries among the Indian nationals. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. External affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told a regular media briefing that some 20 Indians, working as support staff or helpers with the Russian Army, have contacted Indian authorities for assistance. He didnt specify the total number of Indians believed to be working with the Russian military. Also Read | Several Indians discharged from Russian Army, pursuing all cases: MEA We have an understanding that 20-odd people are stuck. We are trying our level best for their early discharge, he said in response to several questions. We have told people not to venture in the war zone or get caught in situations which are difficult. The Indian side is in regular touch with Russian authorities in New Delhi and Moscow to address this issue. We are trying to do our best. We are deeply committed to the welfare of all Indians, Jaiswal said. In response to another question on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Jaiswal said Indias position on this issue was well known and had been articulated at the highest levels. India, he said, desires that there be discussions, diplomacy [and] constant engagement so that both sides can come together and find a solution for peace. Also Read | Back from Russia, Indian recruit recounts horror, safe return The external affairs ministry on Monday said that several Indians were discharged from the Russian Army after their case was taken up by Indian authorities. The ministry also said that every such case brought to the attention of the Indian Embassy in Moscow has been strongly taken up with the Russian authorities. There is, however, still no clarity on the exact number of Indians who had been discharged from the Russian Army. Last week, India advised its citizens to stay away from getting caught up in the Russia-Ukraine conflict following reports that Indian nationals in support jobs had been forced to fight alongside Russian troops. All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader and MP Asaduddin Owaisi and the Karnataka government recently approached the external affairs ministry to bring back the Indians caught in the fighting. Several of these Indians belong to Karnataka, Telangana and Jammu and Kashmir. Earlier, there were reports of some 200 men from Nepal being recruited by the Russian military. Nepals foreign ministry acknowledged in December that six Nepalese nationals serving in the Russian Army were killed in the Ukraine war. New Delhi: About 20 Indian nationals serving with the Russian military have approached authorities seeking help for their discharge, the external affairs ministry said on Thursday against the backdrop of reports of casualties among Indians forced to fight in the war against Ukraine. External affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal (File Photo) Reports have suggested that up to 100 Indian nationals had been recruited as support staff by the Russian Army and that dozens of them were forced to fight on the border with Ukraine. There were unconfirmed reports of two deaths and several injuries among the Indian nationals. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. External affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told a regular media briefing that some 20 Indians working as support staff or helpers with the Russian Army have contacted Indian authorities for assistance. He did not specify the total number of Indians believed to be working with the Russian military. We have an understanding that 20-odd people are stuck. We are trying our level best for their early discharge, he said in response to several questions. We have told people not to venture into the war zone or get caught in situations which are difficult. Also Read: Several Indians discharged from Russian Army, pursuing all cases: MEA The Indian side is in regular touch with the Russian authorities in New Delhi and Moscow to address this issue. We are trying to do our best. We are deeply committed to the welfare of all Indians, Jaiswal said. In response to another question on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Jaiswal said Indias position on this issue was well-known and had been articulated at the highest levels. India, he said, desires that there be discussions, diplomacy [and] constant engagement so that both sides can come together and find a solution for peace. The external affairs ministry said on Monday that several Indians were discharged from the Russian Army after their case was taken up by Indian authorities. The ministry also said that every such case brought to the attention of the Indian Embassy in Moscow has been strongly taken up with the Russian authorities. There is, however, still no clarity on the exact number of Indians who had been discharged from the Russian Army. Last week, India advised its citizens to stay away from getting caught up in the Russia-Ukraine conflict following reports that Indian nationals in support jobs had been forced to fight alongside Russian troops. All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader and MP Asaduddin Owaisi and the Karnataka government recently approached the external affairs ministry to bring back the Indians caught in the fighting. Several of these Indians belong to Karnataka, Telangana, and Jammu and Kashmir. Earlier, there were reports of some 200 men from Nepal being recruited by the Russian military. Nepals foreign ministry acknowledged in December that six Nepalese nationals serving in the Russian Army were killed in the war with Ukraine. A Delhi court recently refused to release accused Christian Michel from custody in the alleged Agusta Westland VVIP chopper scam being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Michel had approached the court, in December 2023 seeking release from custody. (PTI file photo) Michel had approached the court, in December 2023, seeking release from custody citing that he has been in custody for more than five years, since his arrest on December 4, 2018, after being extradited from UAE, which is the maximum sentence that he can be punished with, as pre-trial incarceration, while the offence has not yet been made out. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. He had submitted before the court that the offences alleged against him are under sections 8, 9 and 12 of the Prevention of Corruption Act. He further pointed out that the first information report (FIR) in the case was filed by the agency in 2013, so the act which was applicable before the amendment of 2014 would be implemented, which entailed a maximum sentence of five years. He also submitted that the agency has also alleged offences under sections 415 (cheating) and 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) but there are no ingredients of these sections are not made out. The court refuted the argument noting that the CBI had in one of the supplementary chargesheets also invoked section 467 (Forgery of valuable security, will) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against him which entails a life sentence. Since Section 467 IPC has been invoked by the prosecuting agency by way of supplementary charge sheet, this plea that the accused has already undergone the maximum period of detention u/S. 415, 420 IPC as well as u/S. 8 of the PC Act is not tenable, said special judge Sanjeev Aggarwal in the order dated February 23. The court also observed that Michels contention, that no offence under section 415, 120B IPC and under section 8 of the Prevention of Corruption Act has not been made out, can only be examined at the stage of arguments on the point of charge and the court cannot delve into it at the present stage. The court also noted that it is ambiguous regarding which section of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) has been invoked by Michel to move an application seeking release, as he can only be released on bail under CrPC. Even otherwise this court being trial court is not a constitutional court clothed with powers of writ jurisdiction, therefore, relief of release sought by way of present application is even otherwise misconceived for this reason also, the court further added while dismissing Michels application. Union minister Anurag Thakur on Thursday lashed out at West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on the Sandeshkhali case, alleging there is a jungle raaj (misrule) in the state. Everyone has seen the 'Jungle Raaj' of West Bengal. Sandeshkhali's 'sandesh' has reached everyone that in Mamata Banerjee's rule, there is 'Jungle Raaj' and how atrocities are being done against women, ANI quoted the minister as saying. The women seeking justice are forced to come on streets. But they have to bear the lathis of police, their voices are brutally suppressed and nobody listens to them. When they approach the court, the government backs those committing atrocities against women and evading law, Thakur added. The minister questioned Banerjee over the delay in arresting Sheikh Shahjahan, the local Trinamool Congress leader, who has been accused of sexual assault and land grabbing in Sandeshkhali. What was Mamata Banerjee's compulsion behind letting this individual roam freely instead of being arrested? Why does she protect those who rape women and are accused of corruption? the minister added. Thakur's attack comes on the day Shahjahan, absconding since January 5 when his supporters had attacked officials of Enforcement Directorate in Sandeshkhali, was arrested from a house in North 24 Parganas' Minakhan. He was produced before a local court which sent him to 10-day police custody. Union minister Anurag Thakur. Later in the day, the TMC suspended Shahjahan from the party for a period of six years. ""All India Trinamool Congress has decided to suspend Sheikh Shahjahan from the party for six years," TMC MP Derek O'Brien said at a presser. "There are two types of political parties, one is who only talks but TMC walks the talk. This is not the first time we are doing this; we have done it in past too. Mr Modi we dare you to suspend Narayan Rane, Himanta Biswa Sarma and Suvendhu Adhikari. But you will not do as you are not from TMC," he was quoted by PTI as saying. NEW DELHI: Captain Shweta Singh on Wednesday became the first woman chief flight operations inspector (CFOI) in aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation, people familiar with the matter said on Thursday. Capt Singh became the first woman to hold the top post in DGCAs flight safety department. (Linkedin photo) Captain Singh was given an additional charge of CFOI last month after the regulator terminated its then CFOI on administrative grounds and public interest. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Capt Singh became the first woman to hold the top post in DGCAs flight safety department after clearing the mandatory interview. Captain Singh has now become first woman to be on the top position in flight safety directorate (FSD), an official close to the development said on condition of anonymity. DGCA, in January issued an order to terminate the then CFOI Vivek Chhabra. The letter stated, On the basis of confidential inputs associated relevant provisions of the terms and conditions of his engagement, the contract of Capt. Vivek Chhabra, CFOI stands terminated with immediate effect on administrative grounds and in public interest. Singh had posted an update on her LinkedIn after she was given the additional charge last month. I am delighted to report that I have been given additional charge of Chief Flight Operations Inspector at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation. The opportunity humbles me because this historic achievement places me as the first female in this distinguished job, breaking down boundaries and paving the way for future generations. With my new responsibility, I hope to represent the spirit of leadership and determination and make my late father, Brigadier HC Singh, proud. I wish to inspire aspiring aviators while simultaneously pushing for greater diversity in industry leadership roles. This is not only a personal triumph but a significant leap towards fostering inclusivity and excellence in the Indian aviation sector, she had written. New York's congressional district map, including two districts for Cayuga County, is set for the 2024 elections. Gov. Kathy Hochul on Wednesday signed the new map into law after the state Legislature approved it earlier in the day. The 26 congressional districts were drawn by legislators after they rejected the state Independent Redistricting Commission's proposal. The map splits Cayuga County into two congressional districts, with the city of Auburn and towns of Fleming, Genoa, Ledyard, Locke, Moravia, Niles, Owasco, Scipio, Sempronius, Sennett, Springport, Summerhill and Venice in the 22nd Congressional District. The 24th Congressional District includes the towns of Aurelius, Brutus, Cato, Conquest, Ira, Mentz, Montezuma, Sterling, Throop and Victory. Before the change, all of Cayuga County was in the 24th district. The southern half of the county, including Auburn, is part of a key battleground again in the race for control of the House of Representatives. The 22nd is comprised of Onondaga and Madison counties, along with parts of Cayuga, Cortland and Oneida counties. Democrats outnumber Republicans by roughly 30,000 voters in the new district, which President Joe Biden won by 11 points in 2020. The incumbent is U.S. Rep. Brandon Williams, a Sennett Republican. He was elected in 2022, defeating Democratic candidate Francis Conole in the previous version of the 22nd district. Four Democrats are vying for the party's nomination to challenge Williams in the general election. The candidates include Sarah Klee Hood, a DeWitt town councilor and Air Force veteran, and state Sen. John Mannion, who previously was a teacher at West Genesee High School in Camillus. Jake Addington, a farmer from Oneida County, and Clemmie Harris, a Utica University professor, are also competing for the Democratic nod. Northern towns in Cayuga County remain part of the sprawling 24th district that stretches from the westernmost towns in Niagara County to Alexandria Bay in Jefferson County. The 24th includes all or parts of 14 counties. U.S. Rep. Claudia Tenney, a Republican who lives in Cleveland, Oswego County, represents the 24th district. It is a safe Republican district former President Donald Trump won the area with 60% of the vote in 2020. Tenney is facing a Republican primary challenge from a familiar foe. Mario Fratto, an attorney and businessman from Geneva, challenged Tenney for the GOP nomination in 2022. Tenney won the primary by 13 points, 53 to 40%, and easily won reelection in the general. David Wagenhauser will likely be the Democratic nominee in the 24th district race. He is an attorney and former village trustee in Brockport, Monroe County. He now lives in Waterloo. The approval of the new map marks the end of a long redistricting fight that began in 2022. Democrats in the state Legislature took over the process that year and produced a map that was successfully challenged by Republicans. A court-appointed special master redrew congressional and state Senate district lines. But a separate lawsuit, spearheaded by Democrats, focused on the Independent Redistricting Commission's process. In 2022, the commission did not reach a consensus on congressional district lines and submitted competing proposals to the state Legislature. But after lawmakers rejected those plans, the commission never submitted a second set of maps to the state Legislature. A state Court of Appeals ruling in December restarted the redistricting process by directing the commission to produce a second congressional district map. The commission reconvened and submitted its proposal to the state Legislature. Legislators rejected the plan, allowing them to redraw the congressional district lines. However, the state Legislature did not make significant changes to the map drawn by the redistricting commission. The 22nd district in the final map drawn by legislators is the same as what was proposed by the commission. Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday didn't appear before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for questioning as a witness in a five-year-old illegal mining case, saying that the probe agency acts as a cell of the BJP. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav(ANI) Read here: SP, Congress assail BJP over CBI notice to Akhilesh Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. The SP chief sent a reply to the CBI through a lawyer explaining his inability to appear in person because of the preparations for the upcoming parliamentary polls but assured all the help and coordination to the probe agency in the investigation. While speaking to the reporters on the sidelines of the PDA conference in Lucknow, Yadav said that such summons prove that the CBI is nothing but a wing of the BJP. He said, "Summons before elections... they (CBI) act as 'prakoshth' (cell) of the BJP." "Jo kagaz aaya tha, humne uska jawab de diya hai" (I have given a reply to the paper that I got), he added. The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said that the upcoming Lok Sabha election is a battle between those who want to save the democracy and constitution and those who are hell-bent on destroying the nation. "Those who used to raise slogans of zero tolerance, today when it comes to corruption, law and order their tolerance is absolutely 'zero.' The double-engine government showed dreams of investment in the Defence sector, meetings were held with top industrialists. Even after the ground-breaking ceremony, the ground reality is different, " he said. He earlier attacked the BJP on the CBI summons saying, "The SP is on the maximum target (of the BJP). In 2019, I got a notice in some matters as there were Lok Sabha elections then. Now, when the election is approaching again, I am getting a notice again. I know, when the election comes, notice will also come. Why this nervousness? If you (BJP) have done a lot of work in the past 10 years, why are you nervous?" he said. Read here: CBI summon Akhilesh as witness in 2019 mining case Reacting on the SP MLAs who cross-voted for the BJP candidates in the recently held Rajya Sabha polls, Yadav said the BJP is at its weakest it is constantly in a bid to poach the other party's legislators for grabbing power. "BJP is at its weakest now. You can buy MLAs, but you can't buy janata," he said. The SP chief was issued a notice under section 160 of CrPC, where the probe agency had asked Yadav to appear before it on Thursday. The case pertains to the issuance of mining leases in alleged violation of the e-tendering process. The Allahabad High Court had ordered the probe. It was alleged that public servants allowed illegal mining during 2012-16, the period when Yadav was chief minister, and illegally renewed licences despite a ban on mining by the National Green Tribunal. (With bureau, agency inputs) New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has issued summons to Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav, asking him to appear before it on Thursday as a witness in connection with a 2019 probe into alleged illegal mining of minor minerals in Hamirpur district of Uttar Pradesh, people familiar with the development said on Wednesday. Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav addresses the press conference in Lucknow on Wednesday. (ANI) The summons to the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister has been issued under Section 160 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), which allows investigators to record statements of witnesses or individuals familiar with details. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Yadav, however, linked the CBI summons to the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, saying he had received a notice before the 2019 general elections as well. He also accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Centre of targeting his party, which is their main challenger in the state in the upcoming polls. Also Read | SP, Congress assail BJP over CBI notice to Akhilesh Yadav The federal agency had registered a case in January 2019 against 11 people, including UP cadre IAS officer B Chandrakala, Samajwadi Party leader Ramesh Kumar Mishra and Sanjay Dixit, who unsuccessfully contested the 2017 assembly polls on a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) ticket, to probe alleged illegal mining of minor minerals in Hamirpur district during 2012-16. The agency was probing illegal mining in Shamli, Hamirpur, Saharanpur, Deoria, Fatehpur, Siddharth Nagar and Kaushambi districts as part of its seven Preliminary Enquiries (PEs) registered in 2017 on the order of Allahabad high court, of which three FIRs were registered in January 2019. The role of then mining ministers concerned during the relevant period may be looked into during the course of investigation of the case, CBIs FIR said. The cases pertain to the issuance of mining leases in alleged violation of e-tendering process as mandated by the UP government in its May 31, 2012 order. It is alleged that government officials conspired with private persons and allowed illegal mining of minor minerals by granting fresh leases and renewing existing leases during 2012-16, the period when Akhilesh Yadav was chief minister. As part of the conspiracy, the accused allowed excavation of minor minerals with a purpose of theft and to extort money from the lease holders as well as from the drives of the vehicles transporting the minor minerals like stones, gravel, clay and sand which are considered government property according to the Mines and Minerals (development and regulation) act of 1957. CBI stated that all of this was being done despite a ban on mining by the National Green Tribunal (NGT). Reacting to the summons, Yadav, who was attending a TV news channels event, said: Samajwadi Party is the only party taking on the BJP, which is why its on top of the list of targets. During the 2019 polls, I got a notice, and I have received a notice again ahead of the elections. So we know that when elections come, notice comes. The union cabinet on Thursday approved several schemes and decisions including PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, the 75,000 crore rooftop solar scheme for one crore households, subsidy on phosphatic and potassic (P&K) fertilisers for the upcoming kharif season and setting up three semiconductor units in Gujarat and Assam. Union minister Anurag Thakur. (PTI) Read here: What is PM-Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojna? Details here Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Briefing the media after the cabinet meeting, Information and Broadcasting (IB) minister Anurag Thakur informed, Today cabinet meeting was held under the leadership of PM Modi. 'PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana' has been approved today, one crore families will get 300 units of free electricity under this scheme. He said that the initiative will give thrust to solar manufacturing and supply chain and provide direct employment to 17 lakh people. Through the scheme, which was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 13, each household can get a subsidy of 30,000 for 1 kw system and 60,000 for 2 kw system. The Modi cabinet also announced a 24,420-crore subsidy on phosphatic and potassic (P&K) fertilisers for the upcoming kharif season and said the farmers will continue to get key oil nutrient DAP at 1,350 per quintal. A nutrient-based subsidy of 24,420 crore on P&K fertilisers has been approved for the kharif season starting April 1 till September 30, Thakur said. The minister further mentioned that the subsidy on Nitrogen (N) has been fixed at 47.02 per kg, phosphatic (P) at 28.72 per g, potassic (K) at 2.38 per kg and Sulphur (S) at 1.89 per kg for 2024 kharif season, he said. The subsidy on phosphatic fertilisers has been increased to 28.72 per kg for the 2024 kharif season from 20.82 per kg in the 2023 rabi season. However, the subsidy on nitrogen (N), potassic (K) and Sulphur (S) has been kept unchanged for 2024 kharif season. In addition, the Centre also approved the proposals to set up three semiconductor units in Gujarat and Assam with an estimated investment of 1.26 lakh crore. The construction of all three units will start within the next 100 days, telecom minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said while briefing the media persons. Tata Electronics Private Limited will set up a semiconductor fab in partnership with Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp (PSMC), Taiwan. This unit will be constructed in Dholera, Gujarat. The plant will attract 91,000 crore investment. CG Power -- in partnership with Renesas Electronics Corporation, Japan, and Stars Microelectronics, Thailand -- will set up a semiconductor unit in Sanand, Gujarat. Further, the Modi cabinet also okayed the creation of International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) to set up a global network to conserve tigers and other big cats with a one-time budgetary support of 150 crore for the IBCA for a period of five years from 2023-24 to 2027-28. Read here: Centre to set up three semiconductor plants in Gujarat and Assam The India-headquartered alliance was conceived as a multi-country, multi-agency coalition of 96 big cat range countries and others to establish a common platform for conservation. Out of the seven big cats (tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard, puma, jaguar and the cheetah), five -- tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard and cheetah -- are found in India. In the year 2000, Debiprasad Ray was the official Congress candidate for the Rajya Sabha when the dominant faction of the West Bengal Congress propped up an independent, Jayanta Bhattacharyya. The latter, supported by the then nascent Trinamool Congress, defeated Ray, the first such mishap for the party in Bengal. The Congress party has lost at least 6 state govts in the past 10 yrs due to cross voting or party MLAs turning hostile. (Representative file photo) Over the years, cross-voting and desertion of MLAs have become a serious problem for the Congress party, which has taken a turn for the worse in the in the last ten years. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. The Congress party has lost at least six state governments in the past ten years due to cross voting or party MLAs turning hostile. In 2016, the entire Congress Legislative Party except its floor leader Nabam Tuki left the Congress and formed joined Peoples Party of Arunachal, which later merged with the BJP. In the same year, nine Congress MLAs cross voted against their governments budget in favour of the BJP. While the Uttarakhand assembly Speaker ignored their votes and declared that the budget has been passed through voice vote. The Harish Rawat government was temporarily removed but he came back and won a trust vote, as directed by the Supreme Court. This High Command culture of the Congress that will decide everything and not leave key decisions with state units has boomeranged badly. Also, look at how the BJP has rewarded those who left the Congress. Himanta Biswa Sharma is a CM, Jyotiraditya Scindia is the civil aviation minister. Ashok Chavan got a Rajya Sabha berth, said Achirangshu Acharya, professor of economics at ViswaBharati. But we also have to acknowledge the political aggressiveness of the BJP and the sheer audacity to achieve the near-impossible tasks, said Acharya. This year the BJP fielded two extra candidates in Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh respectively and fought against all the odds to secure the victory of both candidates. The most sensational victory came in Himachal Pradesh where the ruling Congress, which had the support of 43 MLAs in the assembly, was certain to win the seat, leaving both Congress candidate Abhishek Singhvi and BJPs Harsh Mahajan with 34 votes each. In the draw of the lots, Mahajan got lucky. BJPs national spokesperson Tuhin Sinha argued to media on Wednesday that The Congress is unable to manage its government in states. Congress leadership knew this would happen. Congress communications chief Jairam Ramesh blamed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for shamelessly trying to destabilize the government elected by the people of the state. He feels that by doing this he is troubling the Congress. But this is actually an insult to the people of Himachal Pradesh, who have chosen the Congress Party to serve them. The people of the state are with us. The people of Himachal Pradesh will give a befitting reply to this insult in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Ramesh posted on X (formerly Twitter). Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, in a post on X wrote, The way BJP is using government security and machinery for this purpose is unprecedented in the history of the country. If a party with 25 MLAs is challenging the majority of 43 MLAs, then it clearly means that it is dependent on horse-trading of representatives. This attitude of theirs is unethical and unconstitutional. The people of Himachal and the country are watching everything. The BJP, which did not stand with the people of the state during the natural disaster, now wants to push the state into political disaster, she added. While the Himachal Pradesh government has managed to avert an imminent crisis, not all Congress governments have been able to manage it. In 2018, the Congress formed the government in Madhya Pradesh but in two years, Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia along with 26 party MLAs left the Congress and the BJP returned to power. A senior Congress leader admitted that there is a problem in handling crisis situation. The BJP had announced its candidate in Himachal Pradesh on February 15. We had 12 days in hand. But we still couldnt avert the crisis, the leader said. The Delhi Traffic Police has advised commuters using the DelhiNoida Direct or DND Flyway to take alternate routes such as the Chilla border on Thursday. The police issued the advisory due to heavy traffic on both the carriageways of the DND Flyway as a result of the deployment of picket or checking. Delhi Traffic Police have advised commuters on DND flyway to take alternate routes like the Chilla border route on Thursday. (File photo) The traffic alert read, "Due to the deployment of picket/checking on DND Flyway, traffic is heavy on both the carriageways of the DND Flyway. Commuters from Noida to Delhi and vice-versa are advised to take alternative routes like Chilla Border route". Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. ALSO READ| Modi most powerful Indian, Adani, CJI Chandrachud in top 10; ED chief above Virat Kohli, Jay Shah | Check list Earlier in the day, Delhi Traffic Police also issued a traffic alert for the Singhu Border and suggested people to use Piao Maniyari, Saboli, Safiyabad, Singhu School Toll and Zero Palla toll for their journey. "Traffic is heavy at Singhu Border as at Singhu Border only the service roads on both the carriageways of NH-44 are open for movement of traffic. Commuters are advised to use Piao Maniyari, Saboli, Safiyabad, Singhu School Toll and Zero Palla toll for their journey," Delhi Traffic Police wrote in a post on X(formerly Twitter). Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Delhi Traffic Police spread road safety awareness by sensitising TSR and E Rickshaw drivers at Subhash Nagar, Auto Stand about traffic rules, lane discipline, women safety, pedestrian safety, etc. Karnataka deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar, who was sent as one of the Congress' observers to Himachal Pradesh amid the political turmoil, on Thursday said that Himachal CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has accepted that some sort of failure happened within the government and MLAs during the Rajya Sabha polls and a coordination committee between the party and the government with five to six members has been formed to tackle the situation. Congress Himachal observer and Karnataka deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar(ANI) Read here: 'So-called Chanakya failed': Congress' Jairam Ramesh taunts PM Modi on Himachal crisis Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. While speaking to the reporters, Shivakumar said that the observers have spoken to the party MLAs individually and another round of discussion will happen later. He also mentioned that the government is safe and will complete the five-year term. "Our CM accepted that some failure has happened. But it will not continue further. We have spoken to all the MLAs personally. We have spoken to the PCC president, CM. One round of discussion will happen later. So all of them have sorted out all their differences. They'll work together... We are forming a coordination committee between the party and the government with five to six members....They will all work together to save the party and save the government," Shivakumar said. Follow Himachal crisis LIVE Updates The Congress observer further said that Sukhu will remain the chief minister. "Congress government is there and Sukhu is the CM. All the MLAs want Congress government for 5 years...No operation Lotus here," he added. The political turmoil unfolded in Himachal Pradesh when the BJP claimed that the Sukhu-led government was in minority after the former won the state's lone Rajya Sabha seat defeating Congress in an election marred with cross-voting. However, Sukhu affirmed that his government was in the majority and would complete its five-year term. Congress had deputed Bhupesh Baghel, DK Shivakumar and Bhupinder Hooda as observers to speak to the party MLAs and then submit a report to president Mallikarjun Kharge. Congress MLA Vikramaditya Singh, who resigned and then withdrew his resignation, continues to keep the Congress top brass guessing. Singh maintained that he would not press the issue of his resignation but he stayed away from a breakfast meeting called by Sukhu. Read here: Sukhwinder Singh Sukhus future in question as Congress battles to save Himachal government Earlier today, Himachal Pradesh Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania disqualified the six Congress MLAs who cross-voted in the Rajya Sabha polls saying "Six MLAs, who contested on Congress symbol, attracted provisions of anti-defection law against themselves...I declare that the six people cease to be members of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly with immediate effect." The six MLAs disqualified are Sudhir Sharma, Rajinder Rana, Davinder K Bhutto, Ravi Thakur, Chaitanya Sharma and Inder Dutt Lakhanpal. After the 2022 Assembly elections, the Congress had 40 MLAs, while the BJP had 25 in the 68-member state assembly. The remaining three seats are held by independents. The Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with Kuki militant groups in Manipur is expiring on Thursday but there is yet no clarity either on its renewal or abrogation from the central government. The SoO agreement was signed by the Centre and the Manipur government with Kuki militant groups in August 2008. (Reuters file photo) The SoO agreement with 25 armed Kuki armed groups in Manipur was extended for another one year until February 29, 2023. The Centre has renewed the extension every year since 2008. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. We are also awaiting clarity from the Centre. The situation is peaceful but tense in Manipur, a top government officer said on Thursday. The SoO agreement was signed by the Centre and the Manipur government with Kuki militant groups in August 2008. On Wednesday night, hundreds of Meira Paibis, who are Meitei women, held a candlelight march across Imphal, demanding that the SoO be not renewed. In the last few days, Meitei groups have been demanding that the SoO be withdrawn as the members of such militant groups have indulged in violence during the ethnic clashes in Manipur. Civil society groups such as COCOMI (Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity) have also written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah. Kuki-Zo legislators have also written to the PM and HM in the last nine months requesting that SoO should not be abrogated. The Kuki groups have reiterated that the bulk of arms and ammunition looted from government armouries is with Meitei civilians and members of radical Meitei group, Arambai Tenggol. The unilateral suspension of the SoO by the state last March is also seen as one of the factors behind the ethnic violence that has roiled the state since May, with the trigger being a High Court order (read down recently) that said the state should ensure Meiteis get Scheduled Tribe (ST) status, sparking a protest by Kukis that turned violent. What is the Suspension of Operations (SoS) agreement? The Suspension of Operation was first signed between the Government of India, Manipur government and Kuki National Organisation (KNO) on August 22, 2008, to cease hostilities. The militant groups agreed to completely stop any form of violence. The Centre and the state also agreed that no force (army, paramilitary, state police) would launch operations against the signatories if they abide by the agreements terms. A Joint Monitoring Group (JMG) comprising of principal secretary (Home), inspector general of additional director general (intelligence), representatives of army, paramilitary forces and home ministry was set up. The JMG is tasked to meet every month and check if the militant groups are abiding by the terms of the agreement. Some terms of the agreement have been revised at least thrice over the years. The terms of the agreement are as follow: Cadres of the militant groups to stay in designated camps. The routine administration of the camp will be in the hands of the group. The cadres are paid a monthly stipend of 6,000. Such camps will not be located close to populated areas and National Highways. Also, such camps to be located far away international border A complete list of the cadres of the UG group is provided to the special branch of state police with name, date of birth along with latest photographs. All cadres are issued identity cards. Leaders/cadres from the group requiring to frequently move, will be given different photo identity cards by IGP (Intelligence) Manipur. The JMG decides the list of the leaders of the group who shall be allowed to have PSOs. They cannot have more than 5 PSOs. No more than 20% of cadres will be allowed to leave the camp at any given time. The state government and JMG members can conduct inspections at the camp to check for violations. All weapons will be held within the camps armoury in a double locking system, with one key being with the group and other, with the concerned security force. Cadres will not be allowed to acquire additional arms, ammunition or military equipment. They will not be allowed to carry fresh recruitment of cadres or raise additional military/civil outfits/ front organisations or try to run its own government. They will not undertake offensive operations against the security forces or the public. They will not construct memorials, hoist flags or carry out parades of armed cadres. In case of any violation, the state government can cancel the SoO but this can be done only on the recommendation of the JMG. The JMG has members from Centres MHA, Army and paramilitary forces who do not report to the state chief minister. NEW DELHI: India said on Thursday that the first batch of Indian technical personnel had reached the Maldives to replace military personnel who were operating two helicopters and an aircraft used mainly for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations. Indias move follows an ultimatum given by the Maldives pro-China President Mohamed Muizzu for withdrawing all Indian military personnel from the Indian Ocean archipelago (AFP FILE PHOTO) The move follows an ultimatum given by the Maldives pro-China President Mohamed Muizzu for withdrawing all Indian military personnel from the Indian Ocean archipelago. Close to 80 Indian personnel are stationed in the Maldives to operate two Advanced Light Helicopters and a Dornier aircraft provided by India. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. The first batch of [Indian] technical personnel to operate an Advanced Light Helicopter at Gan [island] has reached the Maldives. It will replace the existing personnel that were until now operating this platform, external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told a media briefing. He declined to give details about the team, including its strength, and did not specify the date for the third meeting of a core group set up by India and the Maldives to deal with the issue of the military personnel. Such issues are decided in mutual consultation, he said. The defence ministry of the Maldives announced on Monday that the first team of Indian civilian personnel had reached the country to replace the military personnel. It also said the Indian military personnel station on Addu, the countrys southern-most atoll, will leave the Maldives by March 10. Following the second meeting of the core group earlier this month, the Maldivian foreign ministry said India would replace military personnel for one aircraft by March 10 and complete replacing all the personnel by May 10. The Indian side said that both countries had agreed on mutually workable solutions for operating the three aircraft. Muizzu, widely perceived as being close to China, has sought to move the Maldives away from dependence on India in crucial sectors such as food security and defence following his victory in last years presidential election. Besides finalising arrangements with Sri Lanka for medical evacuation services, Muizzus government has signed agreements with Turkiye to drones to be used for maritime surveillance. The Maldives government has also said it will carry out all maritime surveillance operations by itself, instead of depending on other countries. The Maldives has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of Indias Neighbourhood First policy and New Delhi has poured billions of dollars, including grants and soft loans, into development and infrastructure projects. The budgetary allocation for the Maldives in Indias budget for 2024-25 was 779 crore, up from 600 crore projected earlier. Belagavi :A pickup van carrying labourers from Maharashtra to Hyderabad rammed into a sugarcane-loaded truck, killing four people, including the driver, and injuring five, said police. The accident took place in Karnatakas Bidar district . (Getty Images/iStockphoto) The accident took place in Karnatakas Bidar district in the wee hours of Wednesday. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. According to the Bidar police, a work contractor was carrying 14 people, including the labourers and their three children, in the pickup van when the vehicle had a head-on collision with the truck near Sevanagar Lamani Tanda village in Balki town around 4.30am. The deceased have been identified as Dastagir Davalsab (36), Rasidaa Sheikh (41), Amam Sheikh (51), and the driver Vali (31). Out of the total 14 people travelling in the pick-up van, nine labourers were injured. They were rushed to the Bidar Institute of Medical Sciences, where four of them succumbed to injuries between 9am and 10am while undergoing treatment. Five others are critical, said Channabasava Langoti, the superintendent of police in Bidar. Bengaluru: The police found the bodies in the river near Haleyangadi. (HT) Four students drowned while swimming under the Haleyangadi Koppal dam railway bridge in Mangalurus Surathkal, said police on Wednesday. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. These students were studying at Vidyadayinee High School located in Surathkal. They were returning after completing their SSLC preparatory examination when they decided to go for a swim in the Phalguni River around 6.30pm on Tuesday. But when they failed to return home, the concerned parents reported their disappearance to the police station. The subsequent search efforts led to the discovery of the four bodies in the river near Haleyangadi, said Mulki inspector, Vinayaka. Police identified the students as Yashvit, Chandrakant, Nirup, Raghavendra, and Anvit, all aged 15 and students of Vidyadayinee High School. The boys used to return home by 5pm, but on Tuesday they did not return till late, nor did they inform their parents about any plans after school. None of them knew swimming, said Muniraju, a relative of one of the students. The police said the students, perhaps seeking relief from the exam stress and scorching sun, ventured into the river for a swim. Police suspect that one student must have drowned while swimming, while others, who went to rescue him, also drowned. An autopsy was conducted on the victims at the district government Wenlock hospital on Wednesday, after which the bodies were handed over to the family members. We have registered a case of unnatural death, added the inspector. Despite pundits saying U.S. Rep. Brandon Williams will have a difficult path to reelection, national and state Republican leaders are renewing their support for the GOP congressman in his newly drawn central New York congressional district. U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, the No. 3 House Republican, and the chairs of the state Conservative and Republican parties are among those who released statements backing Williams, R-Sennett, in the 22nd Congressional District race. "Radical Democrats in Albany and Washington are scared of Brandon because he is not a career politician and is committed to common sense principles that will keep our streets safe, meals on our tables, the government off our backs, our energy bills lower and our borders secure," said Stefanik, who serves as House Republican Conference chair. She continued, "He is a Navy veteran, a loving husband, an outsider and a friend Team Elise is all-in and will work tirelessly to ensure Brandon is reelected. NY-22 will remain RED." The 22nd Congressional District redrawn by state legislators includes all of Onondaga and Madison counties, along with parts of Cayuga, Cortland and Oneida counties. The cities of Auburn, Cortland, Syracuse and Utica are in the district. President Joe Biden, a Democrat, won NY-22 by 11 points over Republican Donald Trump in the 2020 election. Democrats outnumber Republicans by roughly 30,000 voters in the new district. Although those figures would suggest Republicans are at a disadvantage, Williams and GOP leaders are confident they can keep the seat. In 2022, Williams overcame a Democratic enrollment advantage to win the election. That same year, Republican gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin outperformed Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul by two percentage points in the 22nd district. "The race for NY-22 will be one of the most-watched and competitive races in the country a choice between common sense and progressive fantasies," Williams said in a statement. "Lee Zeldin won this district and we will too!" Zeldin is one of the Republican leaders who is rallying behind Williams after the latest round of redistricting. The former Long Island congressman praised the central New York Republican's stance on border issues and crime, while pledging to "do everything in our power to help Brandon Williams win again this November." "He is the best leader to get the job done," Zeldin said. Williams is a top target for House Democrats, who view the seat as critical to winning back the majority. Democratic-friendly groups are pledging to spend millions on House races in New York, including the 22nd district. Four Democrats are vying to challenge Williams. The leading contenders are Sarah Klee Hood, a DeWitt town councilor and Air Force veteran, and state Sen. John Mannion. Jake Addington, an Oneida County farmer, and Clemmie Harris, a former aide to Gov. David Paterson and a Utica University professor, are also seeking the nomination. The race is a high priority for Republicans, too. House Speaker Mike Johnson visited central New York last week to raise money for Williams and open a National Republican Congressional Committee office in the Syracuse area. It is one of 24 offices the NRCC, the House GOP's campaign arm, has opened in congressional districts across the country. Republican-friendly outside groups, like the Democratic organizations, are expected to spend millions helping Williams defend the seat. The Union government is likely to halt the disbursal of funds under its flagship Samagra Shiksha Scheme for the current financial year to five states and one Union Territory, all administered by parties that are not part of the Bharatiya Janata Partys NDA , that are yet to sign Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with it adopt the Pradhan Mantri Schools For Rising India (PM-SHRI) scheme, senior government officials said on Wednesday. A staff member walks inside an empty classroom of a school after Kerala state government ordered the closure of schools across the state, amid coronavirus fears, in Kochi, India March 12, 2020. REUTERS/Sivaram V (REUTERS) So far, 30 states and Union territories (UTs) have signed MoUs with the union ministry of education for the PM SHRI programme, which targets to upgrade 14,500 schools benefitting 1.8 million students, and ensuring that these schools serve as model institutes and encapsulate the spirit of National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. The government has already selected 6448 schools from 28 states and UTs for the upgrade in the first round. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. According to senior government officials, despite several requests from the ministry to the states and UTs of Delhi, West Bengal, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Punjab and Kerala, urging them to adopt the scheme, there has been reluctance on their part. While five of these states have not signed the MoUs yet, Punjab has stopped the implementation of the PM SHRI scheme after initially signing the MoU, said a senior government official, asking not to be named. Despite taking funds from the Centre for Samagra Shiksha Scheme, the refusal of the five to sign MoUs for PM SHRI schools, reflects a troubling pattern. It is a clear politicization move by the States/UTs, where they accept funds under Samagra Shiksha but resist signing an MoU for PM SHRI, added the official. The Samagra Shiksha Scheme or Abhiyaan is the largest central government scheme for universal school education . PM SHRI schools, to showcase all initiatives of NEP-2020, will work as exemplar schools for neighbouring cluster schools as well. Therefore, the Centre is going to halt the remaining funding by the Centre under the Samagra Shiksha scheme for these states for the financial year 2023-24, the official added. The fund sharing pattern for the scheme between Centre and States is 60:40 for all states and Union Territories with legislatures except for the North-Eastern states where the Centre contributes 90% of the total funds. According to the government records, the remaining funds for West Bengal under the scheme for the current financial year is 1,273 crore, Tamil Nadu , 1,045 crore, Kerala, 168 crore , Punjab, 370 crore, and Delhi, 190 crore. The details for Odisha were not available. Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Santanu Sen, said, The Center has already frozen funds under various schemes to West Bengal. The amount is around 1.6 lakh crore. The Centre wants to break the federal structure by creating financial blockades to all non-BJP states. They fear Bengal the most and hence the level of vindictiveness is all the more against the state. In 2022, the Centre withheld funds to West Bengal including the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). In February, a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India alleged that the TMC-government in West Bengal didnt submit utilization certificates of 2.29 lakh crores against allocations made under different schemes by the Centre. Meanwhile, officials in Odisha and Punjab said that they are yet to receive a communication from the Centre regarding this. I cant comment unless there is a communication from Centre, said the secretary Odisha school and mass education secretary Aswathy S. Punjab school education minister Harjot Singh Bains said there is no issue of funds being cut so far. (With inputs from state correspondents) The Himachal Pradesh assembly was on Wednesday adjourned sine die after the passage of the budget for 2024-25 in the absence of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members, as 15 of them, including former chief minister Jairam Thakur, were suspended for alleged unruly behaviour and the remaining 10 walked out in protest against the action. Himachal Pradesh chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu speaks to the media in Shimla on Wednesday. (ANI) Six Congress MLAs and three independents, who cross-voted for the BJP in the Rajya polls on Tuesday and subsequently pushed Congress government into a political crisis, were also not present in the House when the budget was passed. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. The BJP, which claims that the Rajya Sabha election made it clear that the state government was in the minority, alleged the suspensions were a ploy to pass the budget in the House. The Congress dismissed the allegation. Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania, meanwhile, reserved his order on a Congress petition seeking disqualification of the six party rebels. Also Read | Himachal Pradesh crisis: Former minister, ex-chairman of ST panel among rebels Earlier in the day, the state assembly plunged into chaos after BJP legislators demanded division of votes on a fresh cut motion during the budget session. On Tuesday, the speaker had rejected the oppositions cut motion that allows members of the House to oppose any provision in a Finance Bill or allocation of ministry-wise Demand for Grants in the budget. Amid continuous protests by BJP legislators, parliamentary affairs minister Harshwardhan Chauhan moved a motion, seeking the suspension of 15 members for allegedly disrespecting the speaker and misbehaving with him. To ensure smooth running of the House, the protesting BJP MLAs should be suspended for the remainder of the session, Chauhan said, as the resolution was passed by a voice vote. Also Read | Himachal crisis: Sukhvinder Singh Sukhua claims Congress govt is 'safe' As the BJP members refused to leave, the speaker adjourned the House till 12pm amid uproarious scenes. The House, however, failed to reassemble at noon as some of the suspended legislators refused to leave the premises, prompting the speaker to direct the marshals to evict them. The Rajya Sabha poll has made it clear that the Sukhu government is in minority and speaker Pathania is trying to save him, Thakur told reporters outside. The BJP had 25 MLAs in the House before some of the Congress MLAs cross-voted during polling for the Rajya Sabha seat. Our strength rose to 34 after the Rajya Sabha vote, which set off alarm bells in the government. They had to pass the budget by any means necessary or else this government would fall. They knew they had to devise a ploy to reduce our strength in the House and hence, got some of our members, including myself, suspended in a desperate bid to save the government, he added. The Congress has 40 MLAs while the BJP has 25 in the assembly. The remaining three seats are held by independents. In one family, there could be differences but the issues will be resolved amicably, education minister Rohit Thakur said later. The session eventually resumed at 2pm and the budget for 2024-25 and related Appropriation Bill authorising the government to spend 6,24,21.73 crore from the consolidated fund was passed by a voice vote. We have the requisite numbers to get the budget passed, Chauhan said. The six Congress MLAs Sudhir Sharma, Chaitanya Sharma, Devender Bhutto, Rajender Rana, Inderdutt Lakhanpal, and Ravi Thakur and three independent legislators Hishiyar Singh, Ashish Sharma, and KL Thakur also arrived in the House chanting Jai Shri Ram and raising slogans in favour of the protesting BJP legislators. They left the House after the suspended BJP members were removed. Meanwhile, Pathania reserved his order on a Congress petition seeking disqualification of the six party legislators. Chauhan said a whip was issued to the party MLAs to be present in the House during voting Wednesday on the budget. But these MLAs defied it by staying away, he added. Chauhan asked the speaker to take note of it. Pathania said the matter is in his knowledge and he will take cognisance of it, even as senior advocate Satya Pal Jain, who represented the six MLAs before the speaker, asserted that a party whip does not apply in the case of Rajya Sabha polls. Apart from Thakur, the suspended MLAs are Vipin Parmar, Vinod Kumar, Hans Raj, Janak Raj, Balbir Verma, Trilok Jamwal, Deep Raj, Surinder Shouri, Puran Thakur, Inder Singh Gandhi, Dilip Thakur, Randhir Sharma, Lokender Kumar, and Ranvir Singh. Democracy is being strangled and every effort is being made to save the government which is in the minority. The speaker should have allowed voting instead of suspending the MLAs, Randhir Sharma said. In the Rajya Sabha election on Tuesday, Congress candidate Abhishek Singhvi received 34 votes after the six Congress lawmakers and three independents previously backing the government supported BJP nominee Harsh Mahajan, who also received 34 votes. The tie was then resolved by a draw-of-lots, which favoured Mahajan. But the embarrassing loss also meant that the Congress was unable to cross the simple majority mark of 35 in the 68-member House, fuelling speculation that the Sukhvinder Sukhu government had been reduced to a minority, and sparking calls for the chief ministers resignation. Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, along with other Congress observers, spoke with the media on Thursday. Himachal Pradesh News: Amidst political turmoil in Himachal Pradesh following the defeat of the Congress candidate in the Rajya Sabha elections, chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu affirmed on Wednesday that his government would continue to operate for the full five-year term. "Neither the high command nor anyone else has requested my resignation, and there is no indication of such," Sukhu stated....Read More He highlighted, The state BJP leaders lacked confidence in their own people, resorting to the deployment of CRPF and Haryana police, and even using a helicopter.In an unexpected setback for the ruling Congress in Himachal Pradesh, the BJP secured victory in the state's sole Rajya Sabha seat on Wednesday, with its candidate Harsh Mahajan defeating Congress stalwart Abhishek Manu Singhvi. This result has potentially paved the way for a no-confidence motion in the assembly. Sukhu affirmed, "Despite this setback, I want to stress that the people of Himachal are with us, the MLAs are with us, and I can confidently say that we will lead the Himachal government for the next five years." When asked whether the current situation stemmed from "Operation Lotus" or internal issues, the chief minister admitted, "There may have been some mistakes and shortcomings due to those errors." However, he added, "Operation Lotus played a more significant role in the situation, employing certain tactics." Tuesday's voting ended in a tie, with both Congress and BJP candidates securing 34 votes each, indicating that at least six Congress MLAs voted against the party. The result was subsequently determined by drawing lots. In the 68-member Himachal Pradesh Assembly, the Congress holds 40 seats, the BJP has 25 legislators, and the remaining three seats are held by independents. Here are some pointers on the political crisis in Himachal: HT brings you a round-up of the most important and interesting stories, so you dont miss your daily dose of news. Shimla, Feb 28 (ANI): Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, Former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, Former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Congress leader Rajeev Shukla during a meeting, in Shimla on Wednesday. (ANI Photo)(ANI) 1) Cong battles to save Himachal government The Congress on Wednesday scrambled to save its only state government in north India as it rushed senior leaders to Himachal Pradesh to placate six rebel lawmakers whose cross-voting cost the party a Rajya Sabha seat the day before and cast a shadow on the future of chief minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu. The government survived a potential showdown in the state assembly after the speaker suspended 15 Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmakers amid pandemonium in the House. Leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur and his party colleagues also met governor Shiv Pratap Shukla and argued that the Sukhu government was in a minority Read more. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. 2) Behind the rise in rural consumption spending The significant gains in Monthly Per Capita Expenditure (MPCE) in the 2022-23 Household Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES) conducted by the National Statistical Office (NSO), compared to the level reported in 2011-12, have made headlines. The rate of increase for rural households (40.42%) is sharper than that for urban ones (33.5%) and, for the first time, non-food items account for more than 50% of the total consumption expenditure. Relatively poorer states such as Uttar Pradesh (UP), Madhya Pradesh (MP), and Bihar reported significant gains from 2011-12 levels, but continue to lag the southern states. Among the states, Kerala ( 5,924) has the highest average rural MPCE, followed by Punjab ( 5,315), Tamil Nadu ( 5,310) and Andhra Pradesh ( 4,870). What explains this performance? How can it be improved further? Read more. 3) 219 deaths, 800cr loss: Guv on Manipur clashes Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey on Wednesday told the state legislature that to date 219 persons have been killed in the ethnic violence that has roiled the northeastern state since May last year, which has also resulted in a loss of around 800 crore to the exchequer, among the first official consolidated numbers coming out on the toll clashes between ethnic groups have taken. Delivering her address on the first day of the fifth session of the 12th Manipur Assembly, Uikey spoke about efforts undertaken to bring peace and normalcy and the effect of the violence on the states economy. Read more. 4) Massive narcotics haul on vessel near Gujarat coast The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Indian Navy and Gujarat anti-terrorism squad (ATS) in a joint operation seized drugs weighing nearly 3,300kg, and ostensibly worth 1,200 crore, off the Gujarat coast, officials said on Wednesday, outlining an elaborate exercise that ended in one of the countrys largest crackdowns on contraband, with five men suspected to be from Pakistan and Iran arrested. The drugs together weighed 3,293kg 3,110kg hashish, 158.3kg methamphetamine and 24.6kg heroin and were concealed in packets that bore the names of a Pakistani food brand and a coffee company, said officials, detailing an intricate smuggling operation that originated in the Chabahar Port in Iran. Read more. 5) Learning outside the syllabus, beyond the board exams A young student I know is writing his Class XII CBSE Board Examination. The other day I talked to him, sent my prayers, and conveyed my best wishes. Even though I believe he will do extremely well, satisfy his parents and impress his teachers, I am disturbed by some questions. Will he be able to find his swadharma, and live creatively and meaningfully with a life-affirming relationship with the world, even if with, say, 99% marks in the exam, he manages to get admission in a branded medical/engineering college or a top-ranking university? Read more. In a fiery exchange at the 55th Regular Session of the UN Human Rights Council, India exercised its 'Right of Reply,' staunchly refuting Pakistan's allegations and highlighting its own concerns over Islamabad's track record on human rights. First Secretary Anupama Singh took the floor to address what she described as "flagrantly false accusations about India" made by Pakistan. First Secretary Anupama Singh exercising India's 'Right to Reply' at 55th UN Human Rights Council. "With regard to the extensive references to India made by Pakistan, we note that it is deeply unfortunate for the Council's platform to have once again been misused to make patently false allegations against India," Singh said. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Also Read: 'Put own house in order': India's stern message to Pakistan at UN She reiterated India's stance on the status of Jammu and Kashmir, stating unequivocally that it is an integral part of India and any measures taken in the region are internal matters. "The entire Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh is an integral and inalienable part of India, and the constitutional measures taken by the Government of India to ensure socio-economic development and good governance in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir are matters internal to India. Pakistan has no locus standi to pronounce on matters that are internal to India," the diplomat added. Also Read: Russia fails to win a seat on UN's top human rights body In a sharp rebuke, Singh pointed out Pakistan's own human rights record, highlighting incidents of persecution against minorities, such as the brutal attacks on the Christian community in Jaranwala city in 2023. She also drew attention to Pakistan's support for UNSC-sanctioned terrorists, contrasting it with India's pluralistic ethos and democratic credentials. "A country that has institutionalised the systemic persecution of its own minorities and has a truly abysmal human rights record, commenting on India, which is demonstrably making great strides in achieving economic progress and social justice, is not merely ironical but perverse." "A glaring example was the large-scale brutality perpetrated against the minority Christian community in Jaranwala city, Pakistan in August 2023, when 19 churches were gutted and 89 Christian houses burnt down. Three, a country that hosts and even celebrates UNSC-sanctioned terrorists, commenting on India whose pluralistic ethos and democratic credentials are exemplars for the world, is a contrast for everyone to see," she went on to say. Also Read: India re-elected to UN Human Rights Council with overwhelming endorsement Singh concluded by dismissing Pakistan's credibility, referencing its involvement in terrorism, economic struggles, and failure to serve its people's interests. "We cannot pay any further attention to a country that speaks while being soaked in red the red of the bloodshed from the terrorism it sponsors around the world; the red of its debt-riddled national balance sheets; and the red of the shame its own people feel for their government having failed to serve their actual interests," she said. The 55th Regular Session of the UN Human Rights Council is taking place from February 26-April 5. India had in August last year said that an environment free of terror and hostilities was imperative for normal ties with Pakistan. Jazz musicians from India and Italy, including veteran percussionist Trilok Gurtu, pianist Rita Marcotulli and trumpeter Paolo Fresu, are coming together for a series of concerts in three cities that are aimed at strengthening people-to-people ties between the two countries. The concerts are being organised by the Italian embassy and the Italian Cultural Centre. (HT photo) While all three musicians have worked with each other, this is the first time that they will be performing live and the India, Jazz Up! concerts will feature them performing their own compositions with extended improvisation. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. The concerts are being organised by the Italian embassy and the Italian Cultural Centre, which have described them as the flagship event for 2024. Also Read: India, Italy sign pact to deepen defence cooperation Gurtu, a master drummer and world music pioneer, has long-standing ties with Italy, where he began his international career in 1972. In a career of five decades that has seen him recording with guitarists Pat Metheny, John McLaughlin and Gary Moore, Gurtus music has been a mix of Indian classical music, Western jazz, and African and Brazilian rhythms. Fresu, best known as a jazz trumpeter, began with a marching band in his hometown in Sardinia and has recorded and performed with Gurtu, Omar Sosa and Carla Bley. He is no stranger to India as he first came to the country in 1984 to perform at the Jazz Yatra. Fresu, part of the European jazz nouvelle vague movement, often experiments with electronics and using the trumpet as a percussion instrument. Marcotulli is a well-known Italian pianist and composer who is respected for her ability to improvise, which was on display at a masterclass conducted in New Delhi on February 27 by the three musicians for Indian music students. Her influences include Indian, Brazilian and African music. During the masterclass in New Delhi on Tuesday, the three musicians took questions from students about their inspiration, playing techniques and making it in the music business. Gurtu regaled the audience by talking about his days sleeping under a bridge in Florence and being helped by an Italian woman who, on finding out that he hadnt eaten, kept him plied with pasta aglio, olio e peperoncino for several days. Announcing the concerts, Italian ambassador Vincenzo de Luca said: Italy and India, being heirs of ancient civilisations and young democracies, share the same need to preserve their immense cultural heritage and traditions while looking at innovation. The three concerts at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi on February 29, NCPA in Mumbai on March 2 and Prestige Srihari Khoday Centre for Performing Arts in Bengaluru on March 3 are a live depiction of a brilliantly well-balanced collaboration between our musical worlds: the Mediterranean notes travel a long way, landing in India where they perfectly blend with folk beats, de Luca said. This union of sounds symbolises the Indo-Italian mutual engagement, where culture and creativity represent crucial dimensions of soft power, he said. It is quite an extraordinary occasion to see these three amazing music personalities to perform together in Delhi. Beyond the gift of seeing them on stage, they are the tangible example of what happens when different cultural identities do not generate walls but pathways to a shared vision of the beauty of multiple voices, said Andrea Anastasio, director of the Italian Cultural Centre. While the US has sent leading jazz musicians such as Duke Ellington, Dave Brubeck and Louis Armstrong to India for performances aimed at building cultural bridges, this is the first time Italy is arranging such a trio performance that combines both traditional and modern elements originating in the Mediterranean area and India. Days after putting to rest swirling rumours of him joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress stalwart Kamal Nath told party workers in Chhindwara on Wednesday that he would not "impose" himself upon them and was prepared to step aside if that's what they desired. Bhopal: Congress Madhya Pradesh President Kamal Nath with senior leader Digvijaya Singh and other leaders.(PTI / File) Addressing a program at Chand Block in Chaurai Assembly Constituency, Kamal Nath said, "You gave me love and trust for so many years. If you want to bid farewell to Kamal Nath, then it is your choice, I am ready to bid farewell. I don't want to impose myself, this is a matter of your decision." Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Also Read: Kamal Nath describes Rahul Gandhi as 'our leader', quells BJP switch rumours Kamal Nath's son Nakul Nath is a Lok Sabha member from the Chhindwara Lok Sabha constituency. At another program in the Harrai block of the Amarwada assembly, the Congress leader targeted the BJP over Ayodhya Ram Mandir. "Does the BJP have the lease (patta) of Ram temple? It is not right to do politics in the name of Ram Temple. The Ram temple is built with your (public) money, it is not right to bring Lord Ram into politics," the Congress leader said. Also Read: Doors shut, BJP doesn't need Kamal Nath: Kailash Vijayvargiya amid buzz Nath also said he worshipped Lord Ram and constructed a big temple dedicated to Lord Hanuman on the land owned by him in Chhindwara. "We are religious people and keep our culture intact," he said. Kamal Nath's possible switch to the rival BJP intensified last week after his former media advisor and BJP spokesperson Narendra Saluja posted a photo of the former chief minister and his son in Bhopal and captioned it, "Jai Shri Ram." The Congress veteran's visit to New Delhi and his son removing Congress from his profile bio on X further fuelled the speculations. Nath even refused to deny the rumours explicitly and said he would inform the media first if something like that happened. The veteran leader was replaced as the party's Madhya Pradesh unit chief following its rout in last year's assembly polls, in which the BJP retained power, winning 163 seats in the 230-member House. The Congress managed to win just 66 seats. (With inputs from agencies) The bodies of two minor girls were found hanging from a tree in Kanpur's Ghatampur area on Wednesday night. Family members alleged that the girls were raped by three men a few days ago. All three accused have been arrested while the bodies have been sent to autopsy to ascertain the reason for death. Two minor girls were found hanging from a tree at a brick Kiln in the village Barauli in the Ghatampur area of Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh. (PTI) The girls were last seen on Wednesday evening and as they did not reach home at night, the family members started looking for them. The bodies were found hanging from a ber tree near a brick kiln. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. The three accused including the owner of the kiln Ramroop Nishad, (48), his son Raju (18) and nephew Sanjay (19) allegedly made a video of the girls and were threatening them. Additional CP (law and order) Harish Chandra said the blackmailing might have led the girls to take the extreme step. Photos of the two minors have been found on the mobile phones of the three accused and have been sent for forensics. "The three arrested are distant relatives of the deceased girls. It has been told that the girls were beaten and sexually assaulted," Chandra said. (With inputs from UP bureau) Congress MLA BK Hariprasad defended his "Pakistan enemy country for the Bharatiya Janata Party, not for us statement on Thursday, saying that the BJP was playing dirty tricks and asked the central government to declare Pakistan an enemy state. Karnataka MLC BK Hariprasad during the state Legislative Council Session, at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru. (ANI) He also threatened to move a privilege motion against channels that twisted his statements Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. "I said Pakistan is our neighbouring state. Let the BJP declare Pakistan an enemy state. The BJP is fully active in playing dirty tricks; whatever I have said in the Council, we have no objection to publishing whatever I have said. If they add masala to that, I think I'll have to move a privilege motion against those channels that have twisted my statements. Whatever statement I made in the Council, I stand by that," BK Hariprasad told news agency ANI on Thursday. The Congress legislator's remarks came while speaking in the assembly on Wednesday, sparking a stir amid ongoing controversy over alleged 'Pakistan Zindabad' slogans by supporters of the party's MP-elect Syed Naseer Hussain outside Vidhana Soudha. Earlier on Wednesday, Hariprasad, in his speech in the legislative council, claimed that Pakistan may be an enemy country for the BJP, but the Congress considered it a neighbouring country He said, If at all the BJP feels that Pakistan is an enemy state, the central government should ban all the trade and they should declare Pak an enemy state. Until and unless they declare Pak an enemy state we can't call them enemy state. So they are our neighbour. He said in the state assembly, They (BJP) speak about our relationship with an enemy country. According to them, Pakistan is an enemy country. For us, Pakistan is not an enemy country, it's our neighbouring country. They say Pakistan is our enemy country. Recently, they awarded the Bharat Ratna to LK Advani, who visited Jinnah's mausoleum in Lahore and said there was no other secular leader like him. Was Pakistan not an enemy country then? The Congress legislator also alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the wedding of former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's granddaughter in Lahore without being invited. PM Modi went to Pak to attend Nawaz Sharif's grand daughter's marriage without an invitation, breaking all protocols; we have not done any such thing. Whatever I have said, I stand by that. The comments from Hariprasad caused a stir amidst the ongoing controversy surrounding alleged 'Pakistan Zindabad' slogans by supporters of the Congress MP Syed Naseer Hussain outside Vidhana Soudha. Karnataka deputy LoP and BJP leader Arvind Bellad said on Hariprasad's statement, It is extremely sad that a senior leader from Congress, BK Hariprasad, said so. Very unfortunate. We all know what Pakistan has done to India and Indians. This shows Congress' mentality. In order to appease minorities and Muslims, just for votes, Congress can go to any extent. Google is celebrating Leap Day on Thursday, February 29, with a doodle. The Google doodle on Thursday featured a frog with the number 29 marked on it jumping from one side of what seems to be a pond to another. Ribbiting news, it's Leap Day! Leap Day, February 29th, only occurs about every four years, to keep our calendars in alignment with the Earth and sun Enjoy this bonus day of February Happy Leap Day! Google wrote along with the doodle image on its site. Google doodle Along with the doodle, Google also shared some interesting facts like information on its very first doodle, the first doodle series, doodle for Bastille Day celebrations in the year 2000 and the like which unfurls into a trip down the memory lane. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Google had previously shared a Leap Day doodle in February 2020. Speaking of the Leap Day illustration, the Google Doodle page said, "Today's Doodle is jumping for joy on Leap Day, the 29th day of February that only occurs about every four years, to keep our calendars in alignment with the Earth and sun." "We HOP you have a good one-Happy Leap Day!" it added. Leap Day which arrives every four years on February 29 is observed in various solar calendars including the Gregorian calendar. More about Leap Day A leap day occurs in years that are multiples of four. The date -- February 29 -- is added to most years that are divisible by 4, such as 2024, 2028 and 2032. Leap day occurs when the Earth's orbit around the Sun exceeds about six hours beyond a typical 365-day year. To address this misalignment, leap days are incorporated into different solar calendars, with the Gregorian calendar being the predominant choice globally. Across the globe, people celebrate Leap Day with peculiar customs, folklore, and superstitions. Individuals born on February 29 are also called "leaplings." In certain legal frameworks, like English law, if someone is born on February 29, their official birthday is recognized as March 1 in non-leap years. This legal clarification guarantees individuals born on Leap Day maintain a consistent birthdate for administrative matters. Toyota Toyota announced on Tuesday that it's issuing a safety recall involving 2022 and 2023 Tacoma pickups due to an issue with the rear axle assembly that could increase the risk of a crash. Approximately 381,000 vehicles are involved in the recall. In the recall statement, Toyota said that welding debris left on the ends of the rear axle assembly during manufacturing could cause certain retaining nuts to loosen over time and eventually fall off, potentially causing a part to separate from the axle. If separation occurs, this can affect vehicle stability and brake performance, increasing the risk of a crash. Customers impacted by this recall will be notified via mail by late April 2024. Toyota dealers are instructed to inspect the rear axle assembly and retighten the axle retaining nuts. If the inspection finds that any axle components are damaged, they will be repaired or replaced. This service will be provided free of charge to customers. Toyota has not announced if any crashes or injuries have been reported because of this potential defect. ADVERTISEMENT If you own a Tacoma that may be involved in the recall, and you dont want to wait for the notice in late April you can visit Toyota.com/recall or nhtsa.gov/recalls and enter your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) or license plate information. Owners are also welcome to call the Toyota Brand Engagement Center (1-800-331-4331) for Toyota vehicles. The Tacoma has been completely redesigned for the 2024 model year. The all-new Tacoma has just started to arrive at dealerships and is not part of this latest recall notice. Last week, Toyota also recalled 280,000 Tundras, Sequoias, and LX 600s for a transmission issue that could also increase the risk of a crash. You Might Also Like The special Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (TADA) court on Thursday acquitted Abdul Karim Tunda, a key accused in the 1993 serial bomb blast case, citing lack of evidence. Cops escort Lashkar-e-Taiba bomb maker Syed Abdul Karim alias Tunda.(HT Photo / File) This is not the first time that a court has ruled in favour of Tunda for a similar reason. In March 2016, a Delhi court said the police could not prove that Tunda, a man with a blown-off hand, was a bomb-maker. The court said there was no proof that Tunda could be a Lashkar-e-Taiba bomb-maker. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Tunda has already been let off in the Sadar Bazaar and Kotla bomb blasts for lack of evidence. Abdul Karim Tunda, a notorious figure allegedly associated with several terror outfits, had been facing charges related to his involvement in the coordinated bomb blasts that rocked several locations in 1993. The 1993 serial bomb blasts, one of the most devastating terror attacks in India's history, shook the nation to its core, claiming hundreds of innocent lives and causing extensive property damage. The explosions targeted prominent landmarks in Mumbai, including the Bombay Stock Exchange and various other commercial and residential areas. Also Read: LeT bomb expert Abdul Karim Tunda gets life term Tunda has allegedly been associated with extremist groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), and the Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami (HUJI), among others. Despite his alleged involvement in numerous terrorist activities, Tunda managed to evade law enforcement for many years, operating clandestinely and often crossing international borders to avoid capture. However, in August 2013, he was finally apprehended by Indian authorities near the Indo-Nepal border. Following his arrest, Tunda faced a slew of charges related to terrorism, including conspiracy, murder, and waging war against the state. Also Read: Abdul Karim Tunda not a LeT terrorist, court rules again In October 2017, a Sonepat court pronounced the bomb maker guilty in the 1996 Sonepat blasts case and awarded him life imprisonment. Tunda was held guilty under Section 307 (attempt to murder) and 120 B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 3 of the Explosive Substances Act. Originally from Uttar Pradesh, he is accused of teaching bomb-making to jihadists in Bangladesh and Pakistan. Some reports said he was planning to train Rohingyas from Myanmar to target the Buddhists there. At least 14 people were killed and 21 others injured in Madhya Pradesh's Dindori district after a pick-up vehicle overturned as the driver lost control in the wee hours of Thursday. The police said the incident took place under the jurisdiction of the Shahpura police station of Dindori district when the victims were returning from a "godh bharai" programme. The police said the incident took place in Dindori district when the passengers were returning from a "godh bharai" programme. Madhya Pradesh chief minister Mohan Yadav announced a compensation of four lakh for the families of the deceased. Mohan Yadav directed the local administration to provide medical treatment to the injured. The chief minister also directed cabinet minister Sampatiya Uikey to rush to the accident spot in Dindori to oversee the rescue operations. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has expressed deep condolence over the untimely demise of many precious lives in a vehicle accident in Dindori district. He has prayed to God to grant peace to the departed souls and give strength to the family members to bear this thunderbolt. The chief minister said that financial assistance of 4 lakh each will be provided to the families of those injured in the incident. Instructions have been given to the district administration for proper treatment of the injured. On the instructions of the chief minister, cabinet minister Sampatiya Uikey is reaching Dindori, the chief minister's office (CMO) said in Hindi in a post on X (formally Twitter). Dindori accident: What we know so far The accident took place near Badjhar Ghat around 1.30am when the vehicle's driver lost control over the wheels. As a result, the vehicle overturned, killing 14 people and injuring 21 others, the official said. The victims had gone to Amhai Devri village to take part in the programme, the police said. Soon after getting information about the incident, Dindori district collector and superintendent of police rushed to help the victims. Guwahati: The Manipur assembly on Thursday unanimously adopted a resolution urging the central government to abrogate the suspension of operations (SoO) agreement with 25 Kuki militant outfits on the grounds of violation of rules, people familiar with the matter said. Manipur chief minster N Biren Singh (File Photo) The move comes as the deadline for the agreement signed expired Thursday. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Also Read | 219 deaths, 800cr loss: Guv on Manipur clashes This House unanimously resolves to urge the government of India to abrogate the suspension of operations pact with all the Kuki-Zo underground groups/militants, stated Speaker T Satyabrata Singh in the assembly following a discussion on the topic. The Centre and the Manipur government in August 2008 signed the SoO with the 25 Kuki militant groups, which included 17 from the Kuki National Organisation (KNO), and eight belonged to the United Peoples Front (UPF). Also Read: Explained: Suspension of Operations agreement with Kuki militant groups in Manipur Though the Centre has been extending it annually since 2008, it is not clear if it will be extended this time. As per the agreement, the cadres of these groups were to be confined to designated camps and their arms were kept locked in safe rooms under a double-locking system. In March last year, the Manipur cabinet decided to withdraw the agreement following a review of the law-and-order situation leading to a clash in Kangpokpi district over a government eviction drive. However, the Union home ministry dismissed the Manipur governments decision. Manipur has been witnessing ethnic clashes between the Meitei community, which is in majority in Imphal Valley, and tribal Kuki-Zo communities, who are dominant in some hill districts, since May last year. The violence has so far claimed 219 lives and displaced over 50,000 people. Several Meitei organisations have been protesting in Imphal, urging the Centre not to extend the SoO agreement beyond the present deadline, alleging that members of Kuki groups under the agreement have been indulging in the ongoing violence. On Wednesday, thousands of women demonstrated in different parts of Imphal Valley, demanding the scrapping of the suspension of operations agreement. The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), Indian Navy and Gujarat anti-terrorism squad (ATS) in a joint operation seized drugs weighing nearly 3,300kg, and ostensibly worth 1,200 crore, off the Gujarat coast, officials said on Wednesday, outlining an elaborate exercise that ended in one of the countrys largest crackdowns on contraband, with five men suspected to be from Pakistan and Iran arrested. The mothership in this case was a small, unmarked fishing boat, no longer than 15 feet, said officials. (HT PHOTO) The drugs together weighed 3,293kg 3,110kg hashish, 158.3kg methamphetamine and 24.6kg heroin and were concealed in packets that bore the names of a Pakistani food brand and a coffee company, said officials, detailing an intricate smuggling operation that originated in the Chabahar Port in Iran. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. The consignment was then hidden in a cavity hollowed into the floor of the mothership a vessel that carries large quantities of narcotic contraband and then distributes it to smaller vessels along the route that was eventually caught 60 nautical miles off the coast of Porbandar in Gujarat. The mothership in this case was a small, unmarked fishing boat, no longer than 15 feet, said officials. Union home minister Amit Shah in a post on X called it the biggest offshore seizure of drugs in the country. The historic success is a testament to our governments unwavering commitment to making our nation drug-free. On this occasion, I congratulate the NCB, the Navy, and the Gujarat Police, Shah said. To be sure, officials are still piecing together the nuts and bolts of the racket, with the exact route, stopovers and points of handover still unclear. However, preliminary investigations revealed that the mothership likely travelled 400 nautical miles from Chabahar Port to the point where it was captured. NCB officials suspect the contraband was loaded on to the mothership sometime between February 23 and 24 at Chabahar Port, and sailed towards Indian waters, where it was to be handed to Indian nationals on board a fishing trawler that had sailed, or was set to sail from Tamil Nadu. The people in the boat from Tamil Nadu are yet to be traced. The boat, officials suspect, stopped at a Pakistan port along the way, but this is yet to be verified. The five men, aged between 30 and 45, posed as fishers and carried nets and two weeks worth of rations. Three of the men are from Iran and two from Pakistan, according to what they revealed during interrogations, said officials. The five were not carrying any identification documents. Indian waters are particularly vulnerable to international drug smugglers. Most of the southeast Asian drug trade flows through the so-called golden triangle essentially the region surrounding the point where the borders of Laos, Vietnam and Thailand meet making the Indian waters a lucrative corridor to smuggle contraband to other regions in the neighbourhood. Still, Indian authorities have in recent times cracked down on a raft of smuggling operations and seized thousands of kilos of drugs. Over the last two years, NCB, in joint operations with the Indian Navy, has conducted three major operations in the Indian Ocean off the coast of Kerala and Gujarat. In February 2022, they recovered 221kg methamphetamine from a ship near the Gujarat coast, and another 200kg high-grade heroin, also from a ship, was seized near the Kerala coast in October 2022. Last year, on May 11, the agency seized at least 2,500kg methamphetamine worth 12,000 crore from a mothership headed to Indian waters from Pakistan. The ship was intercepted in the Indian Ocean before it could hand over the drugs to cartels for use in India, Sri Lanka and Maldives. At a joint press conference by the three agencies in Delhi on Wednesday, NCBs director general (DG) SN Pradhan said they received information about an unregistered foreign fishing vessel, which was carrying drugs and did not have an automatic identification system installed, entering Indian waters. It was to deliver the drugs to a fishing boat that was coming from Tamil Nadu on the morning of February 27, Pradhan said, adding that to trace the mothership, the federal agency launched an operation Codenamed Sagar Manthan 1. He said that on the morning of February 27, the joint team of NCB, Gujarat ATS and Indian navy intercepted the mothership, arrested the five men inside and got the boat towed by an Indian warship to Porbandar. The packaging material bears the print Ras Awad Foods, Produce of Pakistan. We are investigating the cartel behind the drugs. We are taking the help of foreign drug law enforcement agencies to track the entire international syndicate, he added. Explaining the details of the operation, NCB deputy director general (operations) Gyaneshwar Singh said that in the days before February 26, the agency shared intelligence with the Indian Navy and Gujarat ATS. By the evening of February 26, marine commandos joined the exercise and were ready with a chopper to locate the mothership in the Indian waters. A joint team of 14 Gujarat ATS and NCB officials also moved from Porbandar coast on the night of February 26. Around 7am on February 27, the teams located the mothership in Indian waters about 60 nautical miles from Porbandar. They were arrested and the ship was towed to Porbandar. The five men were not carrying identification papers. An initial probe has revealed that they are from Iran and Pakistan, said Singh, adding that NCB is now on the lookout for the people who were supposed to receive the delivery. Pradhan said the agency is working to crack down on bigger cartels that send large consignments in bulk using the marine route. The modus operandi of these cartels shows that they are using Arabian Sea to transfer the drugs. They are in constant touch with people on the mainland and coordinate for days before deciding on a specific point in the sea to transfer the drugs. The Indian coastline is vulnerable, so the agencies are on alert. Pradhan also said the stockpile of heroin has increased in Afghanistan. On the other hand, Myanmar has become a record supplier of heroin. So, we are sandwiched between the two sides, Pradhan said. NCBs probe in past cases has suggested that Pakistan-based smuggler Haji Salim is using the marine channel to smuggle drugs into India. Haji Salim is a major player who is operating from outside. it is too premature to say if he is behind this. In this case, we are yet to verify if he is the one behind this consignment, Singh said. Bengaluru: Naresh Pujari Goswami (HT) The Bengaluru railway police arrested a 45-year-old man on Wednesday for allegedly cheating over 250 women whom he befriended on matrimonial sites and social media platforms, they said. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. The police said they have identified the accused as Naresh Pujari Goswami, a native of Rajasthan who has been living in the city for the past 20 years. He created fake profiles on matrimonial sites and social media platforms and lured women and their families into paying him. The police said the accused created profiles online using young mens photos and posed as a customs official and software engineer. It has come to light that the accused has cheated a total of 259 women in over 10 states. He posed as a customs official at the airport or a software engineer. Then he invited them to Bengaluru for marriage discussions. After their arrival, he told them that he would. send his uncle to receive them as he had urgent work at the office. Then, using another phone number, he met the woman or her family at the railway station and pretended to be the uncle. Later, he used to go at a distance from them after making an excuse and called up the victims using his previous phone number. He would request that the woman or her family give 5,000 10,000 to his uncle, as he had to book railway tickets for his family on an urgent basis so that the families could meet. The man, pretending to be the uncle then, disappeared from the scene on the pretext of giving the money, and promised to return shortly. Soon, the accused switched off both his phone numbers, said SD Sharanappa, deputy inspector general of police (DIGP), Bengaluru railways police. The railway police started investigating the case after a victim from Coimbatore registered a complaint on February 23. According to the police, Goswami targeted widows and divorced women. The police said that he texted and spoke to women late at night and gained their trust before inviting them to Bengaluru. The family of a woman from Coimbatore filed a complaint alleging that the man cheated them of 10,000. We started investigating the case, and arrested him from the railway station. So far, we have recorded the statements of 16 victims, and we expect more complaints after the news of the fraud spreads. We have booked him under sections IPC 419 and 420 (cheating), said railway police inspector Santhosh M Patil. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal on Thursday said giving entry to a foreign national into the country is a sovereign decision explaining why UK writer Nitasha Kaul was denied entry to the country. The UK-based, Kashmiri-origin writer took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to recount her ordeal at the airport in Bengaluru where she was denied entry though she was invited by the Karnataka government for a seminar. Kaul said the order was from New Delhi and based on her past articles against RSS. BJP leaders called Nitasha Kaul a 'known terrorist sympathiser' spreading anti-India propaganda. UK professor Nitasha Kaul said she was denied entry to India and was harassed for hours at Bangalore airport. "Denied entry to India for speaking on democratic & constitutional values. I was invited to a conference as esteemed delegate by Govt of Karnataka (Congress-ruled state) but Centre refused me entry. All my documents were valid & current (UK passport & OCI)," Nitasha wrote on X triggering a war of words between the Congress and the BJP. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Karnataka VHP leader Girish Bharadwaj who questioned the Congress government in Karnataka over inviting Nitasha Kaul has written to Union home minister Amit Shah requesting the ministry to terminate Nitasha Kaul's OCI card. "She frequently visits India with a malicious agenda that goes against the interests of our country. Union government should notify all state governments to refrain from inviting Dr Kaul as guest for any events in India," Bharadwaj wrote. "This particular UK national (Nitasha Kaul) came to India on 22nd Feb. As you know, the entry of foreign nationals into our country is a sovereign decision. I leave it at that," the MEA spokesperson said. After being deported from India, Nitasha said she was facing death threats from the right-wing ecosystem of the country. "I am not married to a Pakistani, not Muslim convert, not a pawn of China, not a puppet of West, not a commie, not a jihadi, not Pak sympathiser, not terrorist supporter, not anti-India, not part of a gang. I am what authoritarians fear -- a thinking woman," Nitasha Kaul wrote. Karnataka ministers said it was another example of how the BJP trampled the rights of the state government. It is the right of the Karnataka Government to both organise a convention on the Constitution and to host experts who can meaningfully contribute to how the state's development and national interest can be furthered, Karnataka minister H C Mahadevappa said. New Delhi: Union home ministry has asked the prison administrations in all the states and union territories to ensure that their respective prison manual or act doesnt contain any discriminatory provisions which provide for segregation of prisoners based on their caste and religion, according to an advisory issued by the ministry. The action comes about two months after the Supreme Court issued notice to the Centre and 11 states (Representative Photo) The ministry pointed out that instances of such prison manuals or acts have come to its notice, which is against the constitution of India. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. The action comes about two months after the Supreme Court issued notice to the Centre and 11 states on a public interest litigation (PIL) which alleged caste-based discrimination and segregation of prisoners in jails and sought a direction to repeal provisions that mandate such practices under the state prison manuals. Also Read: SC notice to Centre, 11 states on PIL alleging caste-based discrimination in jails The petition filed by journalist Sukanya Shantha was based on a report compiled by the petitioner in 2020 alleging caste-based discrimination being perpetrated through jail manuals. In its latest advisory to principal secretaries (home department or jails) and director generals of prisons of states/UTs, sent on February 26, the ministry of home affairs (MHA) said, It has come to the notice of this ministry that the jail manuals of some states provide for segregation of prisoners on the basis of their caste and religion and they are being assigned duties in the prisons accordingly. It may be noted that the constitution of India prohibits any kind of discrimination on the grounds of religion, race, caste, place of birth etc. The MHA asked states/UTs to take note of the issue and ensure that their state prison manual or prison act should not contain such discriminatory provisions. In case any such provision exists, immediate steps must be taken to amend/remove the discriminatory provision from the manual/act. It is reiterated that there should be no caste-based assignment of duties or work in the prisons, it said. The home ministry highlighted that a model prison manual, 2016, has been prepared by and has repeatedly asked states to adopt it. The model prison manual, 2016, prepared by the MHA and circulated to all states and UTs in May 2016, explicitly prohibits caste and religion-based discrimination of prisoners in management of kitchen or cooking of food on caste or religious basis. The manual also provides that any special treatment to a group of prisoners belonging to a particular caste or religion is strictly prohibited. It further provides that no classification of prisoners shall be allowed on grounds of socio-economic status, caste or class, the MHA communication states. The Centre, last year, also finalised a comprehensive model prison act, 2023, which allows security assessment and segregation of prisons, separate wards for women and transgenders and punishment for conniving jail staff. The advisory further asks states to update the database of the prisoners on the e-prisons platform regularly and also ensure that the information is entered in all columns and no field is left blank. India is going to take a major step in expanding its maritime footprint deep into the Indian Ocean when at 1 o'clock today Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth launch the much-awaited Agalega airstrip and a jetty which can dock a warship. The Agalega airstrip, as well as the jetty, will not only provide maritime domain awareness to both Mauritius and India but also allow operational turnaround for Indian Navy warships while on missions of the Eastern Seaboard of Africa as well as the South West Indian Ocean. The airstrip can land a Boeing P-8I multimission aircraft and the jetty can dock either a destroyer or a frigate of the Indian Navy. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mauritius counterpart Pravind Jugnauth. The airstrip is 3 km long and can even handle heavy-lift C-17, medium-lift IL-76 and C-130 Hercules, and Boeing P-8I surveillance and anti-submarine warfare. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. It is understood that as many as 50 officers and personnel of the Indian Navy are already stationed at this strategic island with both countries having plans to further augment the manpower strength at the Agalega islands. India's efforts to strengthen its maritime capabilities extend beyond Agalega. With the establishment of a maritime support base in Duqm port, Oman, and plans to set up an air support facility in north Agalega Islands, India aims to enhance maritime domain awareness and coastal security for friendly nations in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), particularly in light of China's expanding presence in the area. Although official details about these developments remain undisclosed, insiders suggest that the Duqm port facility is already operational, offering maintenance, repair, and overhaul services for Indian ships. Similarly, the airstrip in north Agalega islands is set to be operationalized soon, providing vital support to Mauritius' maritime security efforts, including safeguarding its tourism assets. The decision to establish support facilities in Oman and Mauritius comes amid heightened Chinese naval activities in the Indian Ocean. With the Chinese Navy's Carrier Strike Forces expected to patrol the IOR by 2025-26, there is growing concern among national security planners regarding China's expanding naval presence. Data from South Block reveals a steady increase in the number of Chinese vessels in the IOR, with surveillance, research, and ballistic missile tracking ships regularly entering the region. This includes recent deployments of PLA Navy ships, satellite tracking vessels, and scientific research ships, highlighting China's sustained interest in the Indian Ocean. Bhubaneswar, Feb 29 (PTI) President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday underscored the importance of peace and harmony for human existence during her address at the 53rd convocation of Utkal University, where she herself was once a student. HT Image She urged students to cultivate qualities such as modesty, humility, love, and compassion in their interactions with others. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. "All should remember that peace and harmony are essential for human existence. Compassion should not only be for humans, but also for all the living and non-living beings that share our planet," she said. Reflecting on her own educational journey, President Murmu reminisced about being taught to love one's mother, motherland, and mother tongue during her school days. She emphasized the significance of education in one's mother tongue, which fosters a connection with one's culture and heritage. She stressed the importance of preserving India's rich cultural heritage and urged everyone to recognise their roots to uphold the country's knowledge tradition. President Murmu praised Utkal University for its contributions to education, not only in Odisha but also across India, highlighting its distinguished campus, environment, and teaching methods. She paid tribute to the visionaries who have played a role in the university's journey and expressed her gratitude for being a student of such a prestigious institution. She also acknowledged the achievements of Utkal University alumni, noting that many have brought honour to the institution through their remarkable accomplishments in various fields. President Murmu noted with pleasure that more than two lakh students are enrolled in colleges affiliated with Utkal University, with a higher percentage of girls than boys among these students. On this occasion distinguished individuals including principal secretary to Prime Minister, Dr. Pramod Kumar Mishra, Director General of India Meteorological Department Dr. Mrityunjay Mohapatra, and Managing Director of Hindalco Industries Ltd. Satish Pai were conferred with Honoris Causa. In all, 166 students were awarded PhD degrees, while 95 received gold medals in recognition of their academic excellence. Additionally, 106 people were honored with prizes and scholarships, celebrating their achievements and contributions to the university community. The Odisha government on Thursday a 12-member high-level committee headed by former Supreme Court judge, justice Arijit Pasayat (retd) to supervise the process of preparing an inventory of valuables stored inside the Ratna Bhandar of Jagannath Temple in Puri in line with the Orissa high court order. An aerial view of the Shree Mandira Parikrama Prakalpa Project at the Lord Jagannath temple in Puri (ANI FILE PHOTO) Eminent heart surgeon Ramakant Panda has been named the deputy chairman of the committee and the chief administrator of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA)will be the member convener. Other members are former chairman and managing director of Allahabad Bank Bidhubhusan Samal, chartered accountant A K Sabat, Puri king Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb, a representative of ASI, servitors representatives and deputy chief administrator of SJTA. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. In September last year, the Orissa high court ordered the formation of a high power committee to supervise preparation of the inventory of the valuables including jewellery in the Ratna Bhandar, the temples treasury. According to Madala Panji, the official chronicle of the temple, King Anangabhima Deva donated nearly 1.5 quintals of gold for preparing the ornaments of the three deities. In an affidavit filed in high court last month, the temple administration said there was gold jewellery weighing about 149.47 kg and silver jewellery weighing 198.79 kg and utensils in the Ratna Bhandar. According to the Jagannath Temple Act, 1955, the Ratna Bhandar needs to be opened for inventory every three years. The treasury was last audited between May 13 and July 23, 1978. The treasury was then opened in 1985 to use some gold for the repair of Lord Balabhadras ornaments. On April 4, 2018, the government had made an unsuccessful attempt to reopen the Ratna Bhandar for a physical examination of the structure. However, it could not be completed as the keys of the Ratna Bhandars inner chamber could not be traced. Following outrage over the missing keys, chief minister Naveen Patnaik constituted a judicial commission headed by retired Justice Raghubir Das to probe into the missing keys. The commission submitted its report in December 2018. Read the full article on Motorious In a time of darkness, this is a reminder of how the Allies pressed on to brighter days. Almost six years ago Jeep released one of its most impactful commercials ever. Pretty much everyone knows Jeeps were instrumental in helping American forces during World War II but not many are aware of Old Faithful. The story of the Jeep awarded an honorable Purple Heart shows just how much US servicemen respected and relied on these vehicles. The commercial below was shot to commemorate Jeeps 75thanniversary. Quite frankly, its probably one of the best if not the best car company anniversary celebrations weve ever seen. Some people no doubt just watched the 30-second TV spot and then never thought of it again. But the story behind this vehicle is pretty amazing. ADVERTISEMENT Old Faithful was on display at the Marine Corps Museum, which is located in Quantico, Virginia. During its active duty it served four Marine generals in the pitched Guadalcanal campaign and the Bougainville invasion, both in the Pacific Theater. When US forces landed on Guadalcanal, Old Faithful was the first Marine Jeep to hit the beach. It was among the first Jeeps to reach land at Bougainville. It transported high-ranking officers and VIPs on several islands important work to keep the war effort going. The off-roader was finally retired from active service on December 22, 1943. During its time on rugged jungle battlefields, this vehicle racked up 11,000 miles. Amazingly, the Jeep still runs, a testament to how well-built and durable the military vehicles were. One of the efforts which helped fuel the US military machine was war bonds. After Old Faithful was retired, the Jeep sat on display at the San Diego War Bond drive, serving as inspiration for people thinking of buying bonds which would fund activities like building more Jeeps. As you know, the Purple Heart is only given out to servicemen injured in combat. Old Faithful was damaged when shrapnel punched through the windshield in two spots during the Japanese shelling of Guadalcanal on October 13, 1942. The vehicle has gone down in Marine and WWII lore, showing that Americans love as well as depend on their cars both in peacetime and in combat. Sign up for the Motorious Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Amid the controversy surrounding the alleged 'Pakistan Zindabad' slogans outside the Karnataka assembly, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs held a protest in the Vidhana Soudha on Thursday morning, urging action on the matter. Leader of the Opposition of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly R. Ashoka along with supporters protest against alleged "Pakistan Zindabad" slogans in Vidhan Soudha, in Bengaluru. (ANI) They criticised the ruling Congress government for its failure to arrest the supporters of Congress MP Syed Naseer Hussain allegedly involved in chanting pro-Pakistan slogans outside the assembly premises. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Down down Congress government which is deciding nation, Spineless government is not capable to take action, We want justice, Arrest the culprit, Down down government were among the slogans raised in the state Assembly. R Ashoka, the Leader of the Opposition in the Karnataka assembly, called for the arrest of those who chanted pro-Pakistan slogans. On Thursday, the Byadagi Police said it has arrested a trader and supporter of Syed Naseer Hussain, Mohmad Shafi Nashipudi. A trader and supporter of Syed Naseer Hussain, Mohmad Shafi Nashipudi, detained by Byadagi town. Police collected his voice sample and took him to analyse the voice in the alleged pro-Pakistan slogan video. He was present in Vidhana Soudha with Syed Nasser Hussain in the celebration after the Rajya Sabha election victory, it said. R Ashoka said, It been 24 hours, but no action has been initiated by the government. What can we expect from them. In response to the protest by the BJP, Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah said the government forwarded the audio recording to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), and appropriate action would be taken once the report is received. He added, As I have told you already the government is committed, we'll not spare any person once the report comes. We have given it to FSL. We'll take action once the report comes. Meanwhile, BJP MLAs raised Jai Sri Ram slogans in the state assembly during their protest, to which Siddaramaiah responded with Jai Sita Ram. What happened Syed Naseer Hussain said? Rajya Sabha member Syed Naseer Hussain posted a video on his social media account stating that some of his supporters shouted slogans like 'Nasir Hussain Zindabad', 'Nasir Sahab Zindabad' and Congress Party Zindabad. He said, Then all of a sudden as I was leaving for my house, I got called by the media saying that somebody had raised slogans of 'Pakistan Zindabad'. I would like to say here that when I was there in the midst of the people, a lot of slogans were being raised but I never heard the slogan 'Pakistan Zindabad', but whatever it is we have asked the police and let the police investigate it. "If someone has raised such a type of slogan, then he has to be dealt with sternly and strictly according to the law. There should be an inquiry. And in case someone has morphed or doctored the video and played mischief, even that has to be inquired about. And if somebody has given the slogan, there should be a proper inquiry into who the person is, where he came from, how the person entered the premises, and what was his motive or intention behind raising those slogans. should be investigated." He added, However, as far as I am concerned, when I was there, there were no such slogans that were raised, because if the slogans had been raised in our presence then I am sure no sane person or an Indian citizen would have tolerated it. So let us wait for the enquiry and whatever comes forward, we will be there in the public domain. Thank you so much. Guwahati: Two days after two policemen, including a senior officer were allegedly abducted by armed miscreants from Imphal, the Manipur Police released a statement on Thursday accusing the radical Meitei outfit Arambai Tenggol of abduction and accused it of indulging in a range of anti-social activities. Manipur Police (Representative Photo) On Tuesday night, Imphal West additional superintendent of police (operations) M Amit Singh was allegedly abducted from his home along with another colleague after over 200 militants stormed Singhs residence, vandalised it, and fired gunshots, according to the police. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Though Singh was rescued two hours later, the incident shook the police establishment, leading many commandos in Imphal Valley districts to take part in an arms down protest on Wednesday. In a detailed press release issued on Thursday, Manipur police stated that Singhs abduction was the fallout of the arrest of one person who was involved in stealing/snatching two vehicles from the government oil depot on Tuesday. It stated that the outfit carried out a targeted attack on Singh and other policemen in connection with the snatching of vehicles and for lawful discharge of duties. AT (Arambai Tenggol) is engaging in many anti-social activities like assaulting civilians and snatching vehicles from public/government officials. They are also indulging in extortion from the common public and businessmen, the release stated. Also Read: Manipur Police commandos stage arms down protest after abduction of officer The police alleged that the outfit was garnering false support from the public in the garb of protecting the public, but its members were committing many anti-social activities and criminal acts. The police further urged the public not to get misled and asked for support in its efforts to bring peace back to the strife-torn state. On the accusation that the force was being biased towards one community, the police maintained that it is a neutral force and not acting against any community or in favour of one. With Manipur Police being targeted, the need for calling in the army and other central forces will have to be enhanced. Combing operations will continue in the days to come, and no one responsible for such criminal activities will be spared, the release stated. Manipur has been roiled by ethnic clashes between the Meitei, which is dominant in Imphal Valley, and the tribal Kuki-Zo community, which is in majority in a few hill districts, since May last year. To date, the violence has claimed 219 lives and displaced over 50,000. Several Kuki groups have levelled allegations against the Arambai Tenggol of looting arms from state armouries and attacking Kuki settlements. However, this was the first time the police had taken note of the same. Arambai Tenggol had last month called 38 lawmakers and other politicians from the Meitei community to take an oath to protect Manipurs integrity and sign a list of demands. The demands included fencing of the India-Myanmar border, implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Manipur, abrogation of suspension of operations signed with Kuki groups, deportation of Myanmar refugees, removal of Kuki immigrants from the Schedule Tribes list and removal of Assam Rifles from Manipur. Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday interacted with a group of IT professionals on employment and disparity within the countrys economy, while highlighting the importance of Artificial Intelligence, Unicorns, and Tech Policy. Rahul Gandhi during the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Amethi on February 19. (PTI Photo) In a YouTube video, hes seen speaking on several topics, including AI capabilities of India, building a democratic production economy focused on creating jobs, augmenting production centers by connecting technology networks, policy and regulatory concerns of the tech industry, among other things. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. The professionals, from various states across the country and working at organisations such as Google, KPMG and Deloitte, joined Gandhis Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Uttar Pradesh. Our biggest networks are not connected at all. You guys are a tiny network. You are one percent of the county. You are not connected to anything else, Gandhi said. Talking about networking, he said, Today, most Indians do not have access to the opportunities and progress that only a few enjoy. We need to reimagine development and technology so that we create an economy that doesnt leave 90% of our population behind. These networks are not just physical. There are caste networks, business networks, and agriculture networks in India, he said. Gandhi stressed that technology must include all Indians in the development process by bringing disconnected networks together. Highlighting challenges faced by farmers and the MSME sector, Gandhi said, On one hand, our primary producers, Indias farmers are being harassed and denied their right to a minimum income, while on the other, the second level of production, - the MSMEs - suffer the burden of a poorly planned GST and the monopoly of crony capitalists. Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday took a sharp dig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in the state and party MLAs switching to the BJP saying that his Yatra gave a big boost to BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha Sabha polls. Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma(ANI) Read here: BJP to continue alliance with partners in Assam for Lok Sabha polls: CM Himanta Sarma Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Citing the reason for the Congress' unfortunate luck, Sarma said that Gandhi was roaming on the streets of Assam when the pran pratishtha of Lord Ram Lalla took place in the newly built Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya in January this year, which offended the sentiments of all Lord Ram's devotees. "Rahul Gandhi's Yatra was a big boost for BJP. Because he has chosen a time which was a very, very unfortunate time. When Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha was going on, he decided to come to Assam and offended the sentiment of all Ram devotees," news agency ANI quotes Sarma as saying. He further took a jibe at the grand old party saying that it was assumed that the Congress leaders were not invited to the mega event but when Rahul Gandhi was taking out his Yatra in Assam during the ceremony, it became clear that he was boycotting the pran pratishtha ceremony. Read here: Cong's Jitendra Singh accuses Himanta Sarma of poaching. Assam minister responds "Earlier people used to hear in the newspaper or television that they had refused the invitation. But on the day of Pran Pratishtha, when people saw Rahul Gandhi in the street of Assam and people clearly realised that he is boycotting the pran pratishtha ceremony," he added. He further claimed that within the coming years, barring a few MLAs, no other person would remain in Congress party. "I think the downhill journey of Congress began from that day at least in Assam. And after that, you have seen what is going on, what is happening every day. I am sure that barring 4-5 MLAs, I do not think in days to come, maybe six months, one year, two years, other people will remain in Congress party," he added. The chief minister's remarks came hours after the working president of the state's Congress unit, Rana Goswami, joined the saffron camp on Thursday, a day after he resigned from the primary membership of his former party. Goswami, a two-time former MLA from Jorhat, joined the BJP in the presence of Sarma and BJP Assam president Bhabesh Kalita in Guwahati. Read here: Will not allow child marriages in Assam till I am alive: Himanta Biswa Sarma Earlier, Purkayastha, who represents the North Karimganj seat from Congress, quit the post this month and extended support to the BJP government. Another Congress MLA, Basanta Kumar Das, had also extended support to the ruling government this month. The Congress won 29 out of the 126 seats in the assembly polls held in 2021. But within months, the number was reduced to 27 after two of its legislators resigned from the party and joined the BJP. (With inputs from agencies) CHANDIGARH: Rajinder Rana, one of the six disqualified Congress legislators in Himachal Pradesh, on Thursday said the final trigger that led them to revolt against the party was the decision to field an outsider for the Rajya Sabh, ignoring the states veteran and bright party leaders. Expelled Congress MLA Rajinder Rana said (Facebook/rajinderranahamirpur) We kept silently swallowing our humiliation at the hands of Sukhu (Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu) despite informing the Congress high command about our grievances. But Congress decision to rehabilitate an outsider in the Rajya Sabha from Himachal was an unbearable humiliation. We voted in favour of the BJP candidate to uphold the honour and self -respect of Himachal and its people, Rana, 57, said on phone from a Chandigarh hotel where the six expelled MLAs were staying. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. How long can you silently watch those at the helm trample on swabhiman (self respect) of the hill state with impunity. Was there not a single leader of stature available in Himachal Congress who deserved a berth in the Rajya Sabha? A shadow of uncertainty looms over the 15-month-old Congress government in the hill state after the Congress candidates Abhishek Manu Singhvi lost to BJPs Harsh Mahajan after the six Congress legislators cross-voted Rana, considered to be the architect of the rebellion against the Sukhu government, is a three-term legislator from the Sujanpur assembly segment in Hamirpur district. A graduate of Panjab University evening college Chandigarh in 1986, Rana humbled the BJP veteran and two-term chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal at the hustings in 2017 assembly elections as a Congress nominee. According to Rana, the trouble was simmering and the central leadership of the Congress was informed about the grievances, unrest among MLAs and party workers due to CMs style of functioning. I asked high command at that meeting to intervene and replace Sukhu, who lacks foresight and doesnt have a large heart to take everyone along. We made it clear that we (now expelled MLAs) dont want to become CM. We wanted respect and development of our segments, said Rana, pointing out that Rahul Gandhi had then asked to specify the reasons behind this unrest among the MLAs. Rana recalled saying at this meeting in the presence of Sukhu that a majority of MLAs were feeling demoralised and humiliated and urged the party leadership to act fast before this malaise takes some drastic turn. The high command heard them patiently but didnt act on their concerns. He said the Congress was struggling to run the government and fulfil the election manifesto promises as the coffers are empty. It is the result of this procrastination and high command brushing our grievances under the carpet that we decided to revolt and voted in favour of BJP candidates because it was an issue of honour of Himachal. (Himachal ke swabhimann ka swala tha.) GUWAHATI: Rana Goswami, who resigned as the working president of the Assam Congress, joined the states ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday, just a day after resigning from the Congress, Rana Goswami was welcomed into the Assam BJP at an event in the presence of chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and Assam BJP chief Bhabesh Kalita (X/BJP4Assam) Goswami, a two-time former MLA from Jorhat, joined the BJP at the state BJP head office in Guwahati in presence of chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and partys Assam president Bhabesh Kalita. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. It a great day for BJP in Assam as two working presidents of Congress have expressed confidence in our party. While Goswami has officially joined the party, Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha has extended full support to us both inside the assembly and outside, Sarma said. Sarma also took a swipe at senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, describing the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra which passed through Assam last month, as a big boost for the BJP since several Congress leaders have joined the BJP after that event. Gandhis boycotting of the consecration ceremony of Ram Temple at Ayodhya on January 22, which coincided with his Assam visit, led to the downhill journey of Congress in Assam. In the next two years, only 4-6 MLAs will remain in the Congress, said Sarma. On February 14, North Karimganj legislator Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha - also a working president of the Assam Congress - stepped down from the party post and announced his support for the BJP. Purkasyastha had then said that he was staying in the Congress only because he was elected on a Congress ticket but it was the BJP which had his support. The same day, another Congress MLA, Basanta Kumar Das, also extended support to the ruling government. There was speculation on Thursday that Purkayastha would also join the BJP, but he clarified that there were some technical issues and he would shift only after they are sorted. Goswami told reporters that joining the BJP was a political move. I joined it only after meeting senior BJP leaders and was assured of getting a scope to work in the party. This step has been taken keeping the welfare of our people and the state in mind, Goswami told journalists after joining BJP. Congress won 29 seats of Assams 126 assembly seats in 2021. But the partys strength started declining within months after two legislators resigned from the party, joined the BJP, and were re-elected on a BJP ticket from the same seats. The Trinamool Congress on Thursday suspended Sheikh Shahjahan, the main accused of the Sandeshkhali case where several women have been sexually assaulted for days and their land was grabbed. Hours after his arrest by the West Bengal Police, the party announced the decision to suspend Shahjahan from the party for six years. Sheikh Shahjahan will lose all party posts that the TMC strongman used to hold. The decision came a day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi's scheduled visit to West Bengal. Sheikh Shahjahan was arrested by the West Bengal police in the early hours on Thursday.(PTI) In a press conference, Trinamool leaders Derek O'Brien, West Bengal minister Bratya Basu announced the decision and asserted that the West Bengal government was committed to upholding the rule of the law while the BJP was trying to create a disruption over the Sandeshkhali issue. Derek challenged the BJP to take action against tainted leader, former Wrestling Federation of India chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh -- now that Sandeshkhali became a Centre versus West Bengal and the BJP versus Trinamool issue. There are two types of parties. One type of parties talk, talk, talk. Trinamool is the party which 'walks the talk', Derek said. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Bratya Basu said Sheikh Shahjahan could not be arrested because of a court order which was earlier pointed out by Abhishek Bandyopadhyay. Hours after the restriction was lifted, West Bengal Police arrested Sheikh Shahjahan and not any central agency, Bratya Basu added. Sandeshkhali-Sheikh Shahjahan: Here is a timeline of what happened so far January 5: A team of ED went to raid his house and came under attack from Sheikh Shahjahan's supporters. The ED raid was in connection with an alleged ration scheme. Sheikh Shahjahan escaped from Sandeshkhali. January 8: Protests against Sheikh Shahjahan started. Local women demanded his immediate arrest complaining that Sheikh Shahjahan and his supporters were raping women in Sandeshkhali. February 18: January and February saw protests intensifying in Sandeshkhali. On February 18, Sheikh Shahjahan's aide Shibu Hazra was arrested. February 25: Trinamool general secretary Abhishek Banerjee said the high court stayed the investigation against Sheikh Shahjahan. February 26: The high court clarified that there was no stay and Shahjahan should be arrested. February 29: Sheikh Shahjahan was arrested by the West Bengal Police. Was sent to 10-day police custody. CID took over the case. Trinamool suspended him for six years. West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Thursday welcomed the arrest of TMC strongman Sheikh Shahjahan, calling it light at the end of the tunnel. Sheikh Shahjahan, an accused in a sexual violence and land grab case in Sandeshkhali village in North 24 Paraganas district, was arrested in the morning from the Bamanpukur area at Minakhan in connection with the attack on ED officials last month. West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose addresses a press conference in Kolkata. (ANI / File Photo)(Utpal Sarkar) The arrest comes after the governor had given a 72-hour "deadline" to the state government. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. I told you there will be light at the end of the tunnel. That is democracy. This is a lesson for everyone. Now, let's hope a new dawn of lawfulness will come back to Bengal. I am glad that good things are happening, Bose told reporters. Also Read: Sheikh Shahjahan arrested: Trinamool credits Abhishek Banerjee, BJP dubs it scripted Shahjahan was taken to the Basirhat court and will be produced before it later in the day. Supratim Sarkar, ADG South Bengal, said, He was arrested in connection with the case related to attack on ED officials on January 5. He was one of the principal accused in the case. Several other cases have been lodged against him after protests broke out in Sandeshkhali earlier this month. Those are being investigated. Also Read: CBI, ED free to arrest TMC strongman Sheikh Shahjahan, rules Calcutta high court While the ruling TMC, facing the heat over Sandeshkhali unrest, claimed credit for Shahjahan's arrest, the opposition BJP dubbed it scripted. What is the TMC govt and Police gloating about...Shahjahan has been arrested only as a cosmetic measure, it is nothing but eyewash. It only happened when BJP took up the issue of Sandeshkhali, was on the streets and even courts were forced and constrained to come down heavily on the TMC government and on the action of police, BJP's national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said. ".TMC knew where he was and gave him protection. In the Assembly Mamata Banerjee defended him, outside Abhishek Banerjee defended him," he said. Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan, who was arrested on Thursday morning for allegedly torturing villagers in the trouble-torn Sandeshkhali area in West Bengal, has been sent to a 10-day police custody by a local court. Sheikh is accused of alleged sexual atrocities on women and land grabbing in Sandeshkhali. TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan He was arrested from a house at Minakhah in North 24 Parganas district where he was hiding, the police said. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Advocate Raja Bhowmick, lawyer of Sheikh Shahjahan said, ...The police sought 14 days custody but the court granted 10 daysOn March 10, he will be produced in court again The Calcutta high court on Wednesday directed that Sheikh Shahjahan can be arrested by the CBI, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) or the West Bengal Police. On Monday, the high court had directed police to arrest Sheikh Shahjahan, following which the state's ruling party asserted that it does not shield culprits and he would be arrested within seven days. Sheikh Shahjahan was at large since an ED team that went to raid his house in connection with the alleged ration scam was attacked by a mob of around 1,000 people on January 5. West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose welcomed the arrest of Sheikh Shahjahan asserted that the time has come to put criminals, who are ruling the roost in parts of Bengal, behind bars. This is the beginning of an end. We have to put an end to the cycle of violence in Bengal. In parts of Bengal, the goons are ruling the roost. This must end and the gangsters should be put behind bars, news agency PTI quoted the Bengal governor saying at a press conference. CV Ananda Bose maintained that the Sandeshkhali incident is only the tip of an iceberg, suggesting there is much more to it than what meets the eye. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Thursday launched a scathing criticism of the current parliamentary setup, likening the new parliament building to a "five-star jail" where productivity is severely hampered. New Delhi: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut at the Parliament House complex during the Budget session, in New Delhi, Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024.(PTI) One should see the condition of Central Vista in New Delhi Raut told media persons, expressing frustration over the problems faced by legislators. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. The new parliament is like a five-star jail where you can't work, the Rajya Sabha member said. Raut further announced his party's intention to relocate parliamentary sessions to the historical old parliament building if the opposition INDIA bloc is voted to power at the Centre. When we form our government, we will start our parliament session in our historical parliament, he said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the country's new parliament building in Delhi in May 2023. The building which was built at a cost of 971 crore, can accommodate 888 members in the Lok Sabha and 300 members in the Rajya Sabha. However, several teething issues came to the fore after the proceedings shifted to the new building during a special session of Parliament in September. Some opposition MPs complained that one needed binoculars to see each other in the complex. The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader also mocked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over its claims of the ruling coalition winning more than 400 seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Also Read: NCP likely to contest Shirur seat; MVA draws consensus on Kolhapur candidate When asked about his response to BJP's ambitious target, Raut said the people of Maharashtra would have clapped if they had boasted of winning 600 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha. PM Modi should set a target of 600 instead of 400 for the 2024 elections, he said. On Wednesday, Raut said that members of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance have agreed on a seat-sharing formula in Maharashtra for the coming Lok Sabha elections and it would be announced soon. In the 2019 general elections, the BJP had won 23 Lok Sabha seats in the state, its alliance partner Shiv Sena (which was then undivided) had won 18 seats, undivided NCP had won four while Congress and AIMIM had won a seat each. An independent candidate had won one seat. 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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 The Congress on Wednesday scrambled to save its only state government in north India as it rushed senior leaders to Himachal Pradesh to placate six rebel lawmakers whose cross-voting cost the party a Rajya Sabha seat the day before and cast a shadow on the future of chief minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu. Himachal Pradesh chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Karnataka deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar,former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel, former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Congress leader Rajeev Shukla during a meeting, in Shimla on Wednesday. (ANI) The government survived a potential showdown in the state assembly after the speaker suspended 15 Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmakers amid pandemonium in the House. Leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur and his party colleagues also met governor Shiv Pratap Shukla and argued that the Sukhu government was in a minority. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Also Read: Sukhu claims Congress govt 'safe' An air of inevitability hung around the hills of Shimla as Karnataka deputy chief minister and former Haryana CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda met 32 legislators as the Congress found itself firefighting in yet another state after having being caught unawares by the BJPs planning. In Delhi, the party indicated that all options were open to save the government amid speculation that the CMs position was becoming more tenuous by the minute. The party interest is supreme The Congress will not hesitate in taking tough decisions as the party is our priority and we will not let peoples mandate be betrayed in Himachal Pradesh, senior leader Jairam Ramesh told reporters. Also Read: CM Sukhu's first reaction amid reports of resignation But the dissension in the state unit was apparent. Prominent minister Vikramaditya Singh, the son of former chief minister Virbhadra Singh, resigned from the cabinet on Wednesday morning, accusing the CM of disrespecting his fathers legacy. But later in the day, he said that he will not press for the resignation. The party is above an individual. After speaking to observers and the CM, I have decided not to press for my resignation, he said. Late in the evening, Congress leaders hinted that changes in leadership were in the offing. Among the people who could be given more prominent roles were deputy CM Mukesh Agnihotri and minister Vikramaditya Singh. The crisis began on Tuesday after the Congress slumped to an embarrassing loss in the Rajya Sabha polls in the state. Congress candidate Abhishek Singhvi received 34 votes after six Congress lawmakers and three independents previously backing the government supported BJP nominee Harsh Mahajan, who also received 34 votes. The tie was then resolved by a draw of lots, which favoured Mahajan. But the shock defeat also meant that the Congress was unable to cross the simple majority mark of 35 in the 68-member House, fuelling speculation that the Sukhu government had been reduced to a minority, and sparking calls for the chief ministers resignation. Sukhu said he was a fighter and would ensure that the Congress remains in power for the remaining four years of its term. Neither I have resigned nor I have offered to resign. All such news is wrong, the CM told reporters. But the Rajya Sabha debacle appeared to have damaged his standing within the party irreparably. Congress leaders said 32 of the 33 Congress lawmakers who met Shivakumar and Hooda one legislator is in the hospital wanted a change in state leadership. I gave my honest opinion to the central observers, said a Congress MLA. Another legislator said the observers heard them patiently and noted down their concerns about the Sukhu government. They also sought our opinion on who could be possible replacement of Sukhu, said a third MLA, requesting anonymity. Several legislators blamed the CM for Singhvis loss, arguing that signs of rebellion within the party were visible for several weeks, said a senior state Congress leader. The six rebel legislators returned to Shimla from Panchkula in BJP-ruled Haryana, and met the observers late in the evening, said Congress leaders. The rebels pointed out various problems, some were resolved and changes could be expected soon, the people quoted above added. The Congress has 40 MLAs in the 68-member assembly and the BJP has 25. There are three independents who had backed Sukhu till now but changed tack on Tuesday. The unexpected loss highlighted growing dissension within the Congress, which won the 2022 assembly elections with a clear majority but has been riven by rivalry between groups loyal to Sukhu and state unit chief Pratibha Singh. Mahajan, a three-time former lawmaker and minister in the Virbhadra Singh government who quit the Congress in 2022, had underlined this rift when he asked Congress lawmakers to vote as per their conscience in the run-up to the crucial polls. The day began with the Congress apprehensive about facing a resurgent Opposition in the assembly to pass the finance bill. But the budget was passed through a voice vote after speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania suspended 15 BJP MLAs including Thakur, for unruly behaviour. The BJP MLAs were demanding a division of votes on a motion brought by the party on grant of demands, arguing that the CM had lost the confidence of the house. Minutes after the budget passed, the House was adjourned sine die. In the evening, Pathania initiated disqualification proceedings against the six Congress rebels and reserved his order on the disqualification petition moved by the Congress. Pathania had issued notice to the rebel MLAs in the morning. The six lawmakers, who returned to Shimla in a helicopter on Wednesday morning, sought seven days to reply to the disqualification notice. All eyes are now on the observers report which is expected to be submitted to party chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday. The BJP vowed to keep the pressure up. In the meeting with the governor, Thakur said that Pathania wrongly rejected their cut motion and that Sukhu had lost the confidence of the House. The governor assured the BJP delegation that he will consider their memorandum asking him to direct the speaker to allow division of votes on the cut motion. Late in the evening, Raj Bhavan officials said they were closely monitoring the situation. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) founder Sharad Pawar on Thursday extended an invitation to Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde, and the two deputy CMs Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar for lunch at his Baramati residence on Saturday when the state leadership will visit the constituency to inaugurate several developmental projects. Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde, Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar. (X/ @mieknathshinde (File image)) Read here: 'Working style similar with PM Modi..': Ajit Pawar on dumping Sharad Pawar's NCP Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. In a letter addressed to Shinde, Fadnavis and his nephew Ajit, the veteran leader said that this is the first time that Shinde will be visiting Baramati after becoming the chief minister. "After taking oath as CM of the state, the CM is coming to Baramati for the first time and I am very glad about his visit to attend the Namo Maharojgar Event in Baramati. Therefore I would like to extend the invitation for the meal at my residence after the event along with his other Cabinet colleagues," the letter read as shared by news agency ANI. He further said that he, along with his daughter and incumbent Baramati Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule, would like to attend the Namo Maharojgar event, being the legislators of the constituency. "I am aware that you are coming to Baramati for a government event on March 2. Being MPs, my daughter and I would like to attend the event," the letter read. Read here: Supriya Sule's first reaction to Ajit Pawar's wife buzz: Tagda...why bhabhi? Sharad Pawar's invitation to the state leadership comes days after speculations were made that Ajit Pawar's wife Sunetra Pawar could contest against Sule in Baramati in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Ajit Pawar had made an emotional appeal to his constituents to elect a first timer who is though surrounded by experienced people. While speaking to his party workers, Ajit Pawar, who joined the Eknath Shinde government along with eight MLAs in July last year, leading to a split in the Sharad Pawar-founded NCP, told party workers in Baramati that he would field a candidate who has not contested an election earlier, but that person would have the support of those with ample experience. People, he added, should vote for his candidate as if he himself were in the fray. Read here: NCP founder Sharad Pawar reacts to losing party name, symbol to nephew Ajit Pawar The Baramati Lok Sabha constituency has traditionally been a bastion of Sharad Pawar and his daughter Supriya Sule. Sule was first elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2006, followed by three consecutive terms in 2009, 2014 and 2019 as MP in Lok Sabha. (With inputs from agencies) Trinamool Congress (TMC) strongman Sheikh Shahjahan, who lorded over Sandeshkhali in West Bengals North 24 Parganas district, was arrested by the state police late on Wednesday night in connection with the attack on Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials on January 5 this year after being on the run for the past 55 days, a period during which several allegations of sexual assault and land grab have been made against him by local tribal communities. Sheikh Shahjahan at Basirhat court in North 24 Parganas. (HT photo) Hours after the arrest, which comes against the backdrop of protests by the Left, Congress, and the Bharatiya Janata Partys local units against Shahjahan, TMC MP Derek O Brien announced that the TMC has also decided to suspend Shahjahan from the party for six years. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. We have arrested Shahjahan, one of the prime accused in the case in which ED officials were assaulted in Nazat area, from Bamanpukur at Minakhan in North 24 Parganas on Wednesday night, Supratim Sarkar, ADG (south Bengal), told reporters. The state Criminal Investigation Department (CID) said that it has taken over the investigation into the cases involving Shahjahan. From Basirhat court he was brought to the CIDs headquarters at Bhabani Bhavan in Kolkata. Also Read | TMC suspends Sheikh Shahjahan for 6 yrs: Now take action against Brij Bhushan Police said that after the January 5 incident three FIRs were registered by the Nazat police station. While one was registered on the basis of a complaint lodged by deputy director of ED, police opened a separate suo moto case. A third FIR was lodged against ED on the basis of a complaint lodged by the caretaker of Shahjahans house accusing officials of theft and outraging modesty of women. He was arrested in the first two cases. We had applied for a bail on the ground that he was not named in the suo moto case registered by the police, said Raja Bhowmik, Shahjahans counsel. The TMC leader was produced before the Basirhat court on Thursday. Police sought his custody for 14 days and got it for 10. Also Read | Why didnt Shahjahans arrest warrant mention crimes against women, asks BJP He was charged under multiple sections including 353 (using criminal force to deter public servant), 333 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt to public servant), 307 (attempt to murder), 395 (dacoity) and 397 (causing grievous hurt with weapons during dacoity among others, said Arun Kumar Pal, the states counsel. The Calcutta high court observed on Thursday that it has no sympathy after his counsel approached the division bench requesting that Shahjahans plea for regular bail be listed as an urgent motion. Let him be arrested. For the next 10 years, this person will keep you very busy. You wont have any time for any other brief. 42 cases have been registered against him, he had been absconding as well. You come on Monday. Anything you want you come on Monday, we have got no sympathy for that person, a division bench observed. Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas has been on the boil since February 7 with village women hitting the roads demanding the arrest of Shahjahan and his aides over allegations of land grab and sexual assault. Prohibitory orders had to be clamped in several pockets. Multiple complaints have poured in against him since February 7. Police have registered cases against them, but as these cases are related to incidents which took place at least two to three years ago, investigation and evidence collection will take time, said ADG Sarkar. Pressure was mounting on the ruling TMC government seeking Shahjahans arrest. The Calcutta high court was criticising its lack of action and opposition parties stepped up their attack alleging that the administration was shielding him. Shahjahan has been suspended from the party. The fate of the posts, which he is holding, will be decided soon. The BJP wanted to keep the Sandeshkhali issue burning till Prime Minister Narendra Modi comes. Only TMC can set an example of raj dharma by arresting the accused. We have arrested Uttam Sardar and Shibaprasad Hazra earlier. Had Abhishek Banerjee not flagged the issue that Shahjahan was not being arrested because of a stay given by the Calcutta high court, it wouldnt have come to the notice of the court, said Bratya Base, state minister. Earlier this week the Calcutta high court, however, clarified that the police were free to arrest him as there was no such stay. On Wednesday a division bench led by Calcutta high court chief justice TS Sivagnanam also allowed CBI and ED to arrest him. Shahjahans arrest was celebrated in the region. A section of villagers in Sandeshkhali distributed sweets. Women blew conch shells. But the BJP alleged a cover-up. He is in the safe custody of the police. This is not an arrest. This is a mutual adjustment. He has been promised five-star facilities inside the prison and will be allowed to use mobile phone to control his area from the jail. Thats why we want that either ED of the CBI should take him into custody, said Suvendu Adhikari, BJP legislator, His so-called arrest (on basis of mutual understanding) has been declared now, as the nitty-gritties of the deal between him and Mamata Police regarding the facilities he would be enjoying in lockup and prison have been finalised, Suvendu Adhikari, leader of the opposition, wrote in his X handle. We all know that gangsters are ruling the roost in many pockets of West Bengal unchecked by law enforcement agencies. This is not a contemporary phenomenon but a continuation of what has been there. What we see is the tip of the iceberg. I had an opportunity to interact with the people in the field after the last panchayat polls. People said goonda raj is there. Strong action has to be taken and this has to be nipped in the bud stage, CV Anand Bose, West Bengal Governor told reporters after Shahjahans arrest. Trinamool Congress spokesperson Kunal Ghosh on Thursday hailed the arrest of absconding party leader Sheikh Shahjahan, accused of torturing villagers in trouble-torn Sandeshkhali area, and said it was possible only after the Calcutta high court cleared the decks and accused the opposition of exploiting the earlier "embargo" on his arrest. Kunal Ghosh also claimed that TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee had pointed out earlier that due to some parts of the order from the court, the West Bengal Police had been restrained from taking any action. TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.(PTI) The Bharatiya Janata Party, however, dubbed the arrest as scripted and claimed he was in the safe custody of the West Bengal Police. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Sheikh Shahjahan, accused of alleged sexual atrocities on women and land grabbing in West Bengal's Sandeshkhali, was arrested on Thursday morning, the police said. Sheikh Shahjahan was arrested from a house at Minakhah in North 24 Parganas district where he was hiding, the police added. "Due to a legal tangle, he couldn't be arrested initially. However, after the court clarified that there was no stay on his arrest, the West Bengal Police did its job. The opposition had earlier exploited the embargo on his arrest," Kunal Ghosh told news agency PTI. Our leader Abhishek Banerjee pointed out earlier that due to some parts of the order from the high court, the state police has been restrained from taking any action. After Abhishek Banerjee pointed out the problem, the high court removed the restrictions and the Police became free. We had full trust and full faith in the police, we said within a few days, you would see the result and today Shahjahan has been arrested..., Kunal Ghosh told news agency ANI. On Wednesday, the Calcutta high court directed that Sheikh Shahjahan can be arrested by the CBI, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) or the West Bengal Police. On Monday, the high court had directed police to arrest Sheikh Shahjahan, following which the Trinamool Congress asserted that it does not shield culprits and he would be arrested within seven days. "We had said he would be arrested in seven days as we were confident of the ability of the state police," he said. The opposition BJP, which had claimed that Sheikh Shahjahan was in "safe custody" of the Bengal police since Tuesday night, dubbed the arrest as scripted. "It was the TMC and the state police which were shielding the culprits. He has been arrested now as a part of a well-scripted story," BJP state spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said. Sandeshkhali unrest The riverine Sandeshkhali area situated on the borders of the Sundarbans, about 100 kilometres from Kolkata has been on the boil for over a month now, with protests over allegations of sexual abuse and land grabbing against Sheikh Shahjahan, who is absconding, and his supporters. The violence erupted after accusations against Sheikh Shahjahan and his supporters of land grabbing and sexual assault with the local TMC strongman evading authorities since a mob attack on Enforcement Directorate officials on January 5. A Constitution bench of the Supreme Court on Wednesday set aside its 2018 decision that had directed that every order of stay in a civil or criminal trial must only last for six months, noting that even the highest court lacked the power to impose judicial legislation or disregard the litigants substantive rights. The bench was headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud. (File photo) The 2018 judgment of the top court implied that if a case involving stayed proceedings was not decided within six months, the temporary stay would be automatically lifted. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. The five-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud, held that there could not be a generic direction for vacation of stay in all cases after six months, and that it should be best left to the wisdom of the courts concerned to prioritise certain categories of cases. The bench also comprised justices AS Oka, JB Pardiwala, Pankaj Mithal and Manoj Misra. We hold that there cannot be automatic vacation of stay granted by the high court. We do not approve of the direction issued to decide all the cases in which an interim stay has been granted on a day-to-day basis within a time frame. We hold that such blanket directions cannot be issued in the exercise of the jurisdiction under Article 142 of the Constitution of India, held the bench. The court emphasised that even the apex court could not take away the substantive rights of individuals in exercise of its authority under Article 142 that empowers the Supreme Court to pass any order to do complete justice in a case. All interim orders of stay passed by all high courts cannot be set at naught by a stroke of pen only on the ground of lapse of time...The right to be heard before an adverse order is passed is not a matter of procedure but a substantive right. The power of this court under Article 142 cannot be exercised to defeat the principles of natural justice, which are an integral part of our jurisprudence, said the Constitution bench. Limiting the life of a stay order passed by a high court will also amount to making a dent on the latters jurisdiction under Article 226 of the Constitution, said the court, adding the writ jurisdiction under Article 226 was recognised an essential feature that formed a part of the basic structure of the Constitution. The judgment added that constitutional courts, in ordinary course, should refrain from fixing a timebound schedule for the disposal of cases pending before any other courts. No court of law is inferior to the other. This court is not superior to the high courts in the judicial hierarchy. Therefore, the judges of the high courts should be allowed to set their priorities on a rational basis. Thus, as far as setting the outer limit is concerned, it should be best left to the concerned courts unless there are very extraordinary circumstances, said the bench, adding that high court orders of stay, at the same time, ought to show application of mind. Ateev Mathur, partner-head dispute resolution, SNG & Partners, welcomed the judgment. In a country like India where dockets of the courts are always overflowing, it is not always a litigants fault for a prolonged litigation. The Supreme Court has today clarified that interim order granted by it or a high court would continue to remain in operation until and unless they are modified or varied by a judicial order by such courts. It is in line with the cardinal principle of law that no one should be condemned unheard, Mathur added. The court allowed an appeal filed by the High Court Bar Association of Allahabad against its 2018 judgment in Asian Resurfacing of Road Agency Vs CBI by a bench of three judges, who felt that limiting the life of a stay order could be an effective method of cutting long delays in trials. The 2018 judgment had held: In cases where stay is granted in future, the same will end on expiry of six months from the date of such order unless similar extension is granted by a speaking order. Such a speaking order was required to show that the case was of such exceptional nature that continuing stay was more important than having the trial finalised. The Congress on Thursday appeared to have staved off a crisis roiling its government in Himachal Pradesh after the speaker disqualified six rebel lawmakers whose dissension cost the party a Rajya Sabha seat and cast a shadow over the future of chief minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu. Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu presides over a cabinet meeting with Congress MLAs, in Shimla on Thursday. (ANI) The Congress also announced a coordination committee to iron out differences between the party and the government at a joint press conference addressed by Karnataka deputy CM DK Shivakumar, Sukhu and his main rival, state unit chief Pratibha Singh. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. We have spoken with all the MLAs, CM and state unit chief personally. All the differences have been sorted out, said Shivakumar, who has emerged as the chief troubleshooter for the Congress in recent months, having worked to save the state government by meeting 32 lawmakers over the past two days along with former Haryana CM Bhupender Singh Hooda. Sukhu, who was under fire after the rebellion of six lawmakers appeared to reduce the party to a minority in the 68-member House, accepted responsibility for the debacle and attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party. Singh accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of trying to destabilise the government. I am very sorry that our senior leader lost in the Rajya Sabha elections. Our CM has accepted that some failures have happened, Shivakumar said. The crisis began on Tuesday after the Congress slumped to an embarrassing loss in the Rajya Sabha polls in the state. Congress candidate Abhishek Singhvi received 34 votes after six Congress lawmakers and three independents previously backing the government supported BJP nominee Harsh Mahajan, who also received 34 votes. The tie was then resolved by a draw of lots, which favoured Mahajan. But the shock defeat also meant that the Congress was unable to cross the simple majority mark of 35 in the 68-member House, fuelling speculation that the Sukhu government had been reduced to a minority, and sparking calls for the chief ministers resignation. Thursday began with high drama after former CM Virbhadra Singhs son and public works minister, Vikramaditya Singh, did not turn up for a breakfast meeting called by Sukhu. Vikramaditya had resigned a day before and publicly accused the CM of disrespecting his fathers legacy, before appearing to backtrack on the resignation late at night. Pratibha Singh and Vikramaditya later met the central observers, where some of the issues raised by them were sorted out. But speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathanias decision to disqualify six rebels immediately gave the Congress a cushion in the state assembly, and with it, some much-needed breathing room as it tried to keep its government afloat. Pathania said the six legislators Sudhir Sharma, Rajinder Rana, Chaitanya Sharma, Devender Bhutto, Inder Dutt Lakhapal, and Ravi Thakur attracted the anti-defection law by defying the Congress whip during the vote on the finance bill. These six MLAs are disqualified and cease to be members of Himachal Pradesh legislative assembly with immediate effect, he said, marking the first decision in the states history to disqualify any MLA. Pathania told reporters that he had disqualified the MLAs on basis on evidence on record which showed that the six MLAs were in the House at the time of the passage of the finance bill but did not participate in the vote despite a whip issued by the Congress. The rebels challenged the order before the high court, but the decision brought the effective strength of the assembly down to 62 and the majority mark to 32 below the Congresss effective strength of 34. To be sure, the courts can overturn the disqualification. The Sukhu government will also have to face six bypolls that have to be held within six months. At a Cabinet meeting later in the day, Sukhu decided to constitute the 7th state finance commission to review the financial position of panchayats and municipalities and present the government with its recommendations. Leaders aware of the discussions said many lawmakers expressed their anguish about Sukhu to the central observers, pointing out to slow developmental work and stalled transfer and postings. Pratibha Singh told the observers that Singhvis defeat could have been prevented if the CM had heard the MLAs, said rebel MLA Sudhir Sharma. But Shivakumar said the differences were resolved. We are forming a co-ordination committee between the party and the government of five to six members. PCC president, CM and Deputy CM will be part of it. All of them have taken an oath that at any point in time, they will all work together to save the party, he said. When asked about future of Sukhu as CM, Shivakumar said that the Congress will complete its full term of five years. Hooda terms the question as hypothetical as Sukhu was still the CM. Sukhu said all issues were sorted out and there was coordination between the party and the government. The rebel MLAs will not be able to face the people of the state. I want to tell BJP leaders who are trying to topple the government that people will give them the right answer, he said. Shivakumar accused the BJP of misleading the people. All Congress MLAs are with the party, he said. Himachal Pradesh BJP chief Rajeev Bindal said the Congress has forfeited its moral authority to govern after its defeat in the Rajya Sabha election, despite holding a majority in the state assembly. He also demanded the CMs resignation. One of the main causes of the explosion of unauthorised structures is the governments incapacity to provide people with access to affordable homes, the Supreme Court observed on Thursday, adding that the right to shelter is a fundamental right. The bench was seized of a clutch of petitions challenging the demolition of 24 commercial spaces in Lucknows Akbar Nagar after the Allahabad High Court dismissed the pleas of the occupants on February 27. (ANI) There is some fault with the government also here. Land mostly is always with the government and the land prices are very high. People cannot afford...Take Delhi for example. Why are there so many unauthorised colonies in Delhi? Because DDA (Delhi Development Authority) could not do much, lamented a bench of justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Hearing a case concerning demolition of commercial and residential units in Lucknows Akbar Nagar, the court further emphasised: Right to have a roof over ones head is a fundamental right. This court has held so. The bench was seized of a clutch of petitions challenging the demolition of 24 commercial spaces in Lucknows Akbar Nagar after the Allahabad High Court dismissed the pleas of the occupants on February 27. Senior counsel S Muralidhar and Shoeb Alam appeared for the petitioners, complaining that the demolition started on February 27, minutes after the high court order, depriving them of having a day in the Supreme Court. Alam pointed out that the occupants have been there since 1970s, pleading demolition could be stayed until the Supreme Court grants a detailed hearing. However, additional solicitor general KM Nataraj, representing the Lucknow Development Authority and the Uttar Pradesh government, argued that the petitioners before the bench were occupants of commercial properties, who were running shops and other commercial units illegally on the government land. The ASG added that none of the petitioners belongs to economically weaker sections, and they were all income tax payees. Nataraj also clarified that there were no residential units being demolished by LDA and that the issue relating to demolition of residential units was pending before the high court. At this, the bench told Alam that the court cannot intervene when titles and ownership are admittedly with the government even as it acknowledges the inconvenience caused to the occupants, which the state government will take care of in terms of the prevailing policy. It then proceeded to record ASG Natarajs statement that 23 of 24 commercial properties have already been demolished. It is to be noted that petitioners are not stating that they own the lands, and that the land belongs to and owned by the government. The constructions, therefore, would be unauthorised and illegal. Thus, we direct that the petitioner herein would be entitled to remove all his belongings on or before midnight of March 4,2024. Thereafter the petitioner can also move an application under the scheme for alternate accommodation. After midnight of March 4, 2024, LDA shall be entitled to demolish the structure, take photos pre- and post-demolition and photograph left behind belongings, stated the bench in its order. On the fate of 1800 houses in the two-decade old colony, the bench recorded Natarajs submissions that no residential unit will be razed down until the high court decides the related petitions pending there. Please have a little humane approach... Mr Natraj, please be careful. Many will be poor... In demolishing houses, do not precipitate action. Let the high court take a call, the court told the ASG while disposing of the matter. The occupants of the commercial spaces approached the high court challenging the LDAs demolition orders. However, a division bench on February 27 dismissed their petition, stating that it found no reason to exercise the courts discretionary jurisdiction. The division of the residents into taxpayers and Below Poverty Line (BPL) cards was crucial to the high courts decision. The high court observed that the parties had misrepresented themselves as slum residents and had not given correct information. The petitioners were not slum inhabitants, nor did their establishments fall inside the defined slum region, the court clarified after perusing the relevant documents. New Delhi The offices of the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF), the top forest official in Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Kerala do not appear to have state expert committee (SEC) reports on deemed forests in these states reports that they were mandated to collect following a 1996 Supreme Court order. The only two states to provide SEC reports are Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. (HT ARCHIVE) According to RTI responses seen by HT, the states have delegated the task of providing these reports to their sub-offices and other forest officials. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. These RTI responses raise serious concerns about the implementation of Supreme Courts December 12, 1996 order in TN Godavarman vs Union of India matter, which directed that each state government constitute an expert committee within a month to identify areas which are forests as per the dictionary meaning, irrespective of whether they are so notified, recognised or classified under any law, and irrespective of their ownership. The court also directed the committees to identify areas that were earlier forests but stand degraded, denuded or cleared; and identify areas covered by plantation trees belonging to the government and those belonging to private persons. Deemed forest data from the whole state was to be collected and compiled by SECs in 1997 and then submitted to the Supreme Court. It isnt just these states. In response to a RTI application , the Kerala government said on February 14 that it only has details of reserved forests in the state . HT reported on February 21 that the Union environment ministry does not have details of the state expert committee reports which identified all forests including unclassed/deemed forests in every state following Supreme Courts 1996 order in TN Godavarman Vs Union of India case, according to information received under an RTI application. All the RTI applications were filed by retired IFS officer Prakriti Srivastava, who served as the former principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF), Kerala. In January, she sought the names of all states that have submitted state expert committees as directed by the Supreme Court in 1996; and also copies of all state expert committee reports prepared as per direction of the top court. In response to the query, the environment ministry, on January 25 said: The requisite information is not available in the Forest Conservation division of the Ministry. Accordingly, a copy of the application is hereby transferred under section 6 (3) of the RTI Act of 2005 to the PIO, O/o PCCF all states/UTs to furnish information directly to the applicant, as available with them. Thus far, Srivastava has received responses from seven states of which four Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana have not provided the information, and instead forwarded the query to other officials. A fifth state, Kerala, said that it only has revenue forest records. The only two states to provide SEC reports are Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. Assams report doesnt mention deemed forests and reveals that the geographical location, boundaries of each forest site and extent is not given in the report and therefore forests mentioned in the report are not identifiable in the field. Arunachal Pradeshs report said total area under forest cover is 68, 621 sq km which constitutes 81.94% of the states total geographical area. About 14,445 sq km is under open forest and 54,176 sq km is under closed forests. The committee felt that areas under Jhum cultivation should be exempted from the purview of the forest conservation act. But, overall the report is generic and does not give any geographical locations of forests, their boundaries and extent. The RTIs are revealing that the Godavarman order of 12.12.1996, I am afraid, has not been complied with in letter and spirit by state governments. It is very disturbing that the MoEFCC has assured the Joint Parliamentary Committee in July 2023 that all SEC reports have been taken on record and the amended Act will be applicable to the forests identified in the SEC reports. It appears that the ministry in their urgency to push through the amended Forest Conservation Act neither examined the SEC reports and ascertained their competency and robustness when it is admitted by them that they do not even have the SEC reports, said Srivastava. We now have a situation where the whole forest governance of the country has been changed based on half- baked inadequate information and data. This can only be viewed as irresponsible and callous while playing ducks and drakes with the ecological security of our country, she added. A Terrorist and Anti-Disruptive Activities Act (TADA) court on Thursday acquitted 1993 serial blasts accused Abdul Karim Tunda due to lack of evidence. Abdul Karim Tunda is innocent, today the Court gave this judgement. Abdul Karim Tunda has been acquitted in all sections and all acts. CBI prosecution could not produce any concrete piece of evidence before the court in TADA, IPC, Railway Acts, Arms Act, or Explosive Substances Act, Tunda's lawyer Shafqat Sultani was quoted by ANI as saying. ALSO READ: Abdul Karim Tunda not a LeT terrorist, court ruled in 2016 Abdul Karim Tunda was acquitted by a Terrorist & Anti-Disruptive Activities Act (TADA) court in the 1993 serial bomb blasts case, in Ajmer,(PTI) Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan, accused of sexual violence and land grabbing in Sadeshkhali village, was apprehended on Thursday in the Minakhan area of North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal. TMC leader Shahjahan Sheikh. (Sourced.) His arrest follows protests in Sandeshkhali over alleged crimes committed by local TMC leaders, including Shahjahan. He had been evading authorities since an attack on Enforcement Directorate officials in Sandeshkhali last month. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. The arrest comes after weeks of pressure on the West Bengal government, with tensions remaining high in Sandeshkhali and various political and civil groups demanding action. Shahjahan is set to appear in Basirhat court today. Who is Sheikh Shahjahan? Sheikh Shahjahan, 42, also called "Bhai", initially worked in the fisheries and brick kilns of Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas near the Bangladesh border, according to PTI. He started his career as a labourer and gradually transitioned into politics. Joining as a union leader in brick kilns in 2004, he later affiliated with the local CPI(M) unit, maintaining his involvement despite political shifts in West Bengal. Recognised for his passionate speeches and organisational abilities, Shahjahan gained notice from Trinamool Congress leaders in 2012. With the support of TMC figures like Mukul Roy and Jyotipriyo Mullick, he joined the party and swiftly rose in rank, developing a close association with Mullick. His political ascent continued, culminating in his appointment as the president of the Sandeshkhali TMC unit and his election to a Zilla parishad seat in 2023. He is recognised as a mediator in local disputes and is involved in resolving family and land conflicts. Despite facing criminal charges, Shahjahan has been known to play an important role in curbing child trafficking and turning Sarberia Agarhati Gram Panchayat's recognition as a 'Child-Friendly Gram Panchayat' in 2019, as per PTI. However, after the clashes between Bharatiya Janata Party and TMC workers in Sandeshkhali post-2019 Lok Sabha elections, which led to deaths on both sides, Shahjahan was implicated in a murder FIR. New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday launched an attack on the West Bengal government following the arrest of Trinamool Congress (TMC) strongman Sheikh Shahjahan, who had been on the run since January 5, saying that he was under the state governments protection. BJP leader Sudanshu Trivedi (File Photo) BJP national spokesperson Dr. Sudhanshu Trivedi in a press conference here alleged that he was being protected by chief minister Mamata Banerjee-led government, who provided him security and hospitality. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. I am saying hospitality because the body language of Sheikh Shahjahan during his arrest did not look like that of a criminal. How would an accused of a heinous crime dare to walk like this? What was the meaning of the victory sign he showed to the media? he said. Also Read: TMC strongman Sheikh Shahjahan arrested, sent to 10-day police custody Trivedi also questioned why there was no mention of crime against women in Shahjahans arrest warrant. After 56 days of search by agencies, Sheikh Shahjahan has finally been arrested. What is worrying is that there is no mention of crimes against women in his arrest warrant.If he has been arrested in ED-related cases then why is the Bengal government not handing him over to the ED? he further questioned. It can be said that before his arrest, he was in a safe house under the protection of the Mamata government. Now, he has been put under mehman-nawazi (hospitality) by the West Bengal Police to avoid arrest by ED and CBI, Trivedi alleged. Also Read: TMC suspends Sheikh Shahjahan for 6 yrs: Now take action against Brij Bhushan Shahjahan is accused in multiple cases of land grabbing and sexual assault. He was arrested in connection by the West Bengal Police on Thursday with the January 5 attack on an Enforcement Directorate (ED) team in Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district. After the arrest, he was sent to 10 days in police custody. Trivedi said that the arrest took place amid pressure from the people, the court, and continuous efforts. The BJP leader said this is the voice of Devishakti, and demanded that Shahjahan, accused of sexual assault, should be given death punishment. A comment by Thailand's ambassador to WTO Pimchanok Vonkorpon Pitfield accusing India of using subsidised rice procured for the public distribution system for capturing the export market has created a diplomatic storm with the government lodging a protest against the statement and Indian negotiators refusing to participate in discussions where Thai representatives are present The Times of India reported on Thursday. Delegates attend the 13th World Trade Organisation Ministerial Conference in Abu Dhabi of February 26, 2025. (HT_PRINT) The Thai ambassador's statement came during the meeting of the World Trade Organisation in Abu Dhabi. It was cheered upon by countries like the US, Canada and Australia. Meanwhile, speaking at the meeting Union commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal said, "India's stand is consistent, world needs to see who is blocking the issues and why WTO work is not going on smoothly. It shows India is a consensus builder, and we are playing an important role in this regard, but many countries are breaking the consensus." Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. READ | India is consensus builder at WTO, but certain nations breaking that: Goyal "India stands on strong principles of fair play, justice and wants to ensure that all decisions taken at the WTO are keeping in mind the best interests of India's farmers, India's fisherfolk and ensures that our work towards meeting the Sustainable Development Goals, ameliorating poverty, ensuring good quality of life and ease of living for the people of India, and promoting strong and speedy growth in our Amrit Kaal is promoted through the various decisions at the WTO," he added. The 13th ministerial conference (MC) of the WTO commenced in Abu Dhabi on February 26 (Monday) to discuss issues such as agriculture and fisheries subsidies, dispute settlement and a moratorium on customs duty levied on e-commerce trade. During the conference, India accused Washington of halting the progress of the trade body after the push led by the United States to reform the embattled dispute settlement system of the World Trade Organization caused divisions. Meanwhile, addressing reporters on Wednesday, US trade representative Katherine Tai described dispute settlement reform as a "challenging issue," but noted that the atmosphere in the negotiating room at MC13 was "constructive, positive, and pragmatic." She acknowledged that there is still more work to be done. At the previous WTO ministerial in 2022, member states made a commitment to establish a fully operational and effective dispute settlement system by 2024. The overall outcome of MC13 could only reaffirm this commitment, despite calls from some member states, including India, for more substantial progress. (With agencies' inputs) Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates on Thursday spilled the beans on being a philanthropist and giving away his wealth saying that he always knew that he would have to learn how to be a philanthropist and found things like vaccines for malaria or malnutrition due to the wealth generated from his company. Co-founder, Microsof Bill Gates (PTI) Read here: Smriti Irani on Bill Gates' adventures: From Dolly to chaiwala who became PM Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. In an interview to news agency ANI, the tech boss said that he finds himself lucky that Microsoft was so successful that it generated gigantic wealth and through partnerships, governments, and money, he could help to eliminate the persisting problems. "I'm very lucky that Microsoft was so successful. It generated gigantic wealth and I was able to find things like vaccines of malaria or malnutrition that would not be solved without philanthropy. That is, you know, people are malnourished. It's not a big enough market that, you know, companies were responding to that. And so, through partnerships with governments, I see a path to really eliminate a lot of these awful problems," he said. Gates also mentioned that he lets his kids have some money to be comfortable but he doesn't need money for his own spending. "Well, you know, I'll let my kids have some money so that they're comfortable. But, I don't need the money for my own spending and I think, having a limited amount be inherited means that the rest of it's available to give back to society and try to improve things as much as possible," he added. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation co-founder further said that he has never faced the problems of financial crisis as he belonged to an upper-middle-class family. "Well, when I started, I was in an upper-middle-class family, so I've never been in what you'd call tough circumstances. My parents sent me to a great private school. When I dropped out of Harvard, I could have gone back at any time and as soon as Microsoft was successful, I wasn't going to spend that money because I was working all the time and that was my big focus. So I always knew that I would have to learn how to be a philanthropist. I didn't really figure it out until the year 2000, and that's when I created the Gates Foundation, and it became the largest in the world," he added. Read here: What does Bill Gates think about PM Modi's vision for India? He replies Microsoft ex-CEO, who is on a tour to India, on Wednesday, paid a visit to a slum in Odisha's Bhubaneswar on Wednesday and interacted with the people living there. The philanthropist also asked the slum residents about the changes in their lifestyle as a result of the welfare schemes. "He asked about how we were living earlier and our present status," a slum resident said. Earlier today, he along with union minister Smriti Irani attended the "Poshan Utsav Celebrating Nutrition" event and addressed the students at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi, on Artificial intelligence. Gates also has an invitation to attend Anant Ambani's pre-wedding bash in Gujarat's Jamnagar. (With inputs from ANI) Mukesh Ambani and Nita Ambani's son, Anant Ambani, are all set to tie the knot with Radhika Merchant. The couple kickstarted their pre-wedding festivities in Jamnagar recently. On Wednesday, the couple participated in the long-standing tradition of Anna Seva started by the Ambani family. Radhika and Anant wore traditional outfits for the ceremony. While Radhika looked absolutely gorgeous in a multi-coloured salwar-kameez set, Anant complemented his to-be-wife in red silk-kurta pants and a matching embroidered Nehru jacket. Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant participate in Anna Seva. (Instagram) Radhika Merchant, in a Sabyasachi suit, participates in Anna Seva with Anant Ambani Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Radhika Merchant and Anant Ambani participated in the Anna Seva tradition of the Ambani family, along with their family members, including Mukesh Ambani. Radhika's salwar-kameez set for the occasion is from the shelves of designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee's eponymous label. It comes in double-toned hues of orange and rani pink shades. She accessorised the heavily embellished ensemble with heritage gold jewellery pieces, including Chandbalis, kadhas adorned with jhumkis, and statement rings. The Sabyasachi suit set features a rani pink and orange-hued kurta featuring a round neckline, full-length sleeves, delicate gold embroidery, sequin embellishments, gota patti work, and floral thread work. She styled it with matching rani pink flared palazzo pants and an orange net dupatta decked in gold gota patti work and sequins. Lastly, Radhika opted for centre-parted loose locks, subtle shimmering eye shadow, glossy berry lip shade, rouge on the cheeks, a dainty bindi, and darkened brows for the glam picks. Meanwhile, the Anna Seva benefited 51,000 local residents and will continue for the next few days in villages in and around Jamnagar. During the anna Seva, traditional Gujarati dinner items were served. Apart from Radhika and Anant, Mukesh Ambani, Nita Ambani, and Radhika's parents also served food to the community. Earlier, in an interview with India Today, Anant Ambani revealed the reason behind choosing Jamnagar as his wedding location. He said, "I have grown up here, and it's my good fortune that we could plan the celebration here. This is my dadi's janmbhoomi and my dada and papa's karmbhoomi. And this is my home. My father often says that this is my dada's sasural (in-laws' house), and hence we are celebrating here. I also believe I am from Jamnagar." PARIS (AP) Chloe revisited its vibrant 1970s essence, infused with late Karl Lagerfelds indelible influence, while propelling the brand into a new era for the debut show of its new designer Chemena Kamali on Thursday at Paris Fashion Week. HT Image Despite Lagerfelds lasting presence in the brand aesthetic, Kamali is the latest in a swathe of female designers including Gabriela Hearst, Clare Waight Keller and Phoebe Philo at the helm of the storied Maison. This is apt for the house credited with inventing ready-to-wear in the 1950s post-war period that liberated women from the constraints of formality. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Here are some highlights of Thursdays fall-winter 2024 shows: Going back to its roots or close enough Kamali challenged the brands 70s heyday and, in the process, pulled in the great and good of the fashion world for her debut. This show was among the hottest tickets at Paris Fashion Week. Attendees were a whos who of fashion dynasties harking back to the past and looking to the future. Pat Cleveland, the iconic model and one of the first women of color anywhere to attain success on the runway, in the 1960s and 1970s entered into a flurry of camera snaps with her model daughter, Anna Cleveland. The fashion dynasty was followed shortly by Jerry Hall and Georgia May Jagger, the model daughter of Hall and Mick Jagger. They nestled into their cushioned seats near Mikhaela Aghion, the granddaughter of Chloes founder, Gaby Aghion. Kamali, a 42-year-old designer from Dusseldorf who rose the ranks inside the house, said a sense of nostalgia and something that triggers a memory is at the heart of the brand seen not just in the stars who attended but also the clothes that had one foot in the past and the other in the future. For fall, diaphanous tiers of 1970s flounce in almost angelically light hues defined the shows aesthetic inside a brutalist warehouse space. The gorged-out concrete and visibly rough plaster gently contrasted the femininity inherent in the designs. The solid collection had plenty of moments of whimsy. Exaggeratedly floaty dresses were sometimes chicly tucked into giant sheeny thigh-high leather pirate boots adding unexpected styling contrasts. So, too, did the occasional sheen of gold-metal Chloe belts, golden grape neck clasps, or the occasional giant brown leather handbag almost as big as the model holding it. Layering, statement fur, and pirate-style tights also put the style dial firmly in the late 1970s. Kamali said she aimed to honor the brands heritage of liberation and innovation. Gaby (Aghion) wanted to liberate women from the stiffness of couture (in the 1950s)," she told reporters, connecting the brands inception to its ongoing mission. She was one of the first to actually do ready-to-wear because she wanted women to be able to move and go to work. Reflecting on the transformative Karl Era, Kamali said that Lagerfeld was so influential in the late 70s (as he) was someone who could look into the past and the future simultaneously. In a touching moment, capturing that vibe, Kamali dedicated the show to her father, who recently passed away. Her young son jumped up unscripted into her arms from the audience as she stepped forward to the applause. One more installment of Paris Fashion Week brought another designer-less Givenchy display to the (albeit sublimely chic) Avenue George V headquartered salons. While the LVMH-owned brands decor was minimal a pared-down affair across the bare wooden Point dHongrie parquet it compensated with buzz as well-wishers crowded the famous Parisian avenue, and VIP guests were lavished with champagne. The Givenchy studio took the reins for ready-to-wear again, unveiling whimsical designs with inventiveness inspired, it said, by seduction, and the flirtatious and suggestive aspects of the muses who inspired the founder Hubert de Givenchy. The collection opened with a mini dress featuring a scratched metallic-like surface texture, a contemporary contrast to its long, classical train. Stiff swirling neck scarves introduced a major banding theme, echoing in rigid band panels adorning the bust of a signature little black dress like the one famously donned by muse Audrey Hepburn in a notable fashion-forward gesture. Oversized statement fur coats added on-trend glamour, alongside a loose A-line woolen coat with an off-kilter back and an array of gleaming gold and bejeweled earrings. Yet, amidst the acclaim, a faint murmur among attendees suggested a lack of a cohesive, creative backbone. Could this stem from the knowledge the storied house was navigating here without its captain, following Matthew Williams departure announced in December last year? The hope remains that this great Parisian Maison will soon find Williams successor. The latest showcase from American fashion maestro Rick Owens was an avant-garde exploration of anthropomorphism, presenting a universe where human and alien blurred. Owens ready-to-wear collection, dubbed Porterville after the California town of his youth, served as a namesake and muse for this season. Emblazoned logos on tops pay homage to Owens roots and catapulted the audience into a display of bleak displacement and surreal, unhuman references. Models emerged as if stepping out of the future, their silhouettes dramatically elongated by boots reminiscent of insect limbs or exaggerated horse hooves and heads crowned with caps that merged the equestrian with the cosmic explorer. Silver balled pendants added an ancient and futuristic aura to the collections unique edge. Owens signature embrace of volume came in the airbag-like body wrappings, while High Priestess-style spiked shoulders on duvet jackets and the primal fierceness of fluffed jumpsuits and capes conveyed a sense of protection. World Day of Prayer 2024: We all pray to the power that we believe in. It gives us peace, hope and resilience to carry on during both good and bad times. Praying to the Almighty helps us to believe in ourselves, and the strength of time to make everything alright. Women are believed to have a strong sense of identifying the needs of other women and children. World Day of Prayer is observed to urge Christian women in engage in praying, both personally, as well as in their mission auxiliaries and associations. As we gear up to observe the special day of spirituality and belief, here are a few things that we should know about the day. World Day of Prayer is observed on the first Friday of the month of March.(Unsplash) Date: Every year, World Day of Prayer is observed on the first Friday of the month of March. This year, the month of March starts with a Friday, and hence, World Day of Prayer will be observed on March 1. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. History: In 1887, Mary Ellen Fairchild James, wife of the Chairman of The National Missions Department for PCUSA called for a day of prayer for home missions, thereby launching the first Women's World Day of Prayer in the United States. In 1920, the first Friday of Lent was established as the joint day of prayer for missions. In 1924, World Day of Prayer saw global acceptance and celebrations as the worship service was shared with other countries. In 1930, Helen Kim from Korea was the first non-American woman to write the order of worship for the World Day of Prayer. Significance: The best way to observe the special day is by join a prayer slot with the Christian women and celebrate the day together. Observing the day in the church and donating to the mission auxiliaries and organisations can make the day extra special. Miss India Tripura 2017 Rinky Chakma has died at the age of 28. The former Miss India Tripura winner was battling cancer for the last two years but eventually succumbed to the disease. She had been fighting cancer since 2022. Rinky was first diagnosed with a malignant Phyllodes Tumor (breast cancer), for which she underwent surgery. However, the cancer metastasized to her lungs and progressed to her head, resulting in a brain tumour. Later, her health deteriorated, and she was unable to sustain chemo, a report by Femina said. Former Miss India Tripura Rinky Chakma. (Instagram) Former Miss India Tripura Rinky Chakma passes away at 28 According to news reports, Rinky Chakma was in critical condition and was admitted to Max Hospital Saket on February 22. She was on the ventilator in the ICU as one of her lungs was almost non-functioning. Last month, the former Miss India Tripura shared a post on Instagram requesting people to provide financial aid for her treatment. In the post, she explained her cancer journey and how earlier she was not comfortable sharing her health issues on social media. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. However, Rinky explained how she and her family need financial aid now for the cancer treatment. She wrote, "I just wanted to let everyone know that me and my family is going through a rough time and the last two years have also not been easy with regular hospital stays and visits. I am accepting donations as of now because we have exhausted all our savings on my treatment since the last two years. I thought letting everyone know what I am going through will also make me feel better." Meanwhile, Rinky Chakma won the Miss India Tripura crown in 2017. As a Miss India finalist, Rinky won two sub-titles, Miss Congeniality and Beauty With a Purpose. Manushi Chhillar won the Miss World pageant and the Miss India World pageant in the same year. Canada's government is reimposing some visa requirements on Mexican nationals visiting Canada, an official familiar with the matter told The Associated Press on Wednesday. Canada Immigration Minister to announce changes in visa rules for visitors from Mexico (File Photo) Quebec's premier has been urging the federal government to slow the influx of refugees which he says has been straining resources. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. The official spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak ahead of the Thursday announcement. The official said the new rules will take effect late Thursday and they won't mean a complete return to pre-2016 rules. Canada's immigration minister is expected to announce details. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government lifted the visa requirement for Mexican visitors in late 2016, removing a major irritant in relations between the two countries. But Canadian Immigration Minister Mac Miller has said asylum claims from Mexico have shot up since Canada lifted the visa restriction in 2016. Canada getting rid of visa free travel from Mexico is also expected to reduce the number of illegal crossings of Mexicans into the U.S. from Canada. In 2023, Canada's Immigration and Refugee Board had 17,490 claims from Mexico, making up 19% of claims referred that year. A year prior, the number was 7,483 making up 12% of claims. Previously, refugee service providers in Montreal have said that Mexican families are fleeing violence, insecurity and a lack of jobs in Mexico. Canada only grants asylum to people it believes cannot safely live in any part of their home country because officials are unable or unwilling to provide those conditions. During his daily press briefing Wednesday morning, Mexico President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador suggested Canada was going to announce actions when he took a reporter's question about potential U.S. tariffs on Mexican steel exports and launched into a rambling complaint about a lack of respect coming from Mexico's North American neighbors. The president said that conservative forces in Mexico had been lobbying in the United States and Canada for actions that would reflect poorly on his administration. He mentioned U.S. complaints about fentanyl production in Mexico and assertions by both the U.S. and Canada that Mexico was not doing its part to control immigration flows. The immigration issue, it's Mexico's fault, Lopez Obrador mocked. 'We're going to build a wall and that's how we'll solve the problem. We're going to militarize the border and that's how we'll solve the problem.' And now Canada is doing the same, they're wanting to take measures against Mexico; we really regret it, Lopez Obrador said. They're negotiating to reach an agreement, that we can control the migration flows to Canada, as we always have. And we have acted generously toward them, with the administration of Prime Minister Trudeau, but they were already at the point of imposing unilateral measures, right now, when there are elections in Mexico. Lopez Obrador also raised the possibility that he would not attend the North American Leaders' Summit, scheduled for April in Quebec. If there isn't respectful treatment, I don't participate, he said. New Zealand issued travel bans against a number of extremist Israeli settlers, joining the US and other nations in cracking down on individuals who commit violent attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank. New Zealand issues travel bans on extremist Israeli settlers involved in West Bank violence (Photo from Raw Pixel) New Zealands consistent position is that Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories are a violation of international law, Foreign Minister Winston Peters said in a statement on Thursday. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Settlements undermine the prospects for a viable two-state solution, he said. Recent statements by some Israeli ministers about plans for further settlement construction are of serious concern and will raise tensions further between Israelis and Palestinians. Earlier this month, President Joe Biden signed an executive order allowing the US to impose more sanctions on Israeli settlers and possibly government officials involved in violence against Palestinians, while the UK also issued a travel ban and imposed financial sanction against four Israeli settlers. New Zealand also Thursday designated Hamas in its entirety including its political wing a terrorist entity following the Oct. 7 massacre in Israel. The death of Russias leading opposition activist Alexei Navalny, 47, in an Arctic penal colony brought to a tragic close an idealistic life of non-violent struggle against an entrenched tradition of authoritarianism going back centuries. It was not a coincidence that the harsh Siberian prison where Navalny perished while serving a thirty-and-half-years long sentence had been constructed on the site of Gulag number 501, the notorious labour camp that housed political prisoners during the Communist dictatorship of Joseph Stalin. To rewind further back in time, Navalny met the same fate as thousands of dissidents and rebels who had staged uprisings against the Czarist empire and were subjected to the Katorga punishment system in Siberia since the 17th century. Russias political culture of an absolutist State, which brooks little dissent and where rule by law overrides the rule of law, has devoured millions of victims over the ages. President Vladimir Putin, now in his 25th year in power, is only the latest exponent of a model of a strong police State that has forever been associated with Russia. It is this accumulated legacy which ultimately devoured Navalny and put to rest a restless crusader who dared to imagine and mobilise people for a break from the past. Navalnys eerie self-confidence and daredevilry to sacrifice life and liberty for the sake of a freer Russia will be memorialised by his sympathisers as heroic and exemplary. But seen in light of Russias DNA of resilient authoritarianism and invincible strongmen, he was a dreamer who could be accused of naivete for confronting a system that rarely relents and mostly crushes resistance with an iron fist. As Navalnys untimely demise shook the worlds conscience, the pivotal question that haunted observers was: Why did he choose to return from Germany to Russia in 2021 after surviving a debilitating Novichok nerve agent poisoning when he knew it would mean arrest, ill-treatment and certain death? How could an innovative and crafty politician who introduced ideas like strategic voting, unified opposition candidates and catchy online audiovisual messaging to challenge Putin just walk into the jaws of an unforgiving State system? Why not remain abroad and campaign from the safety of Europe to gradually weaken Putins vice-like grip? Navalnys own explanation for his bold return to Russia despite heavy risks was that I dont want to give up either my country or my beliefs, and If your beliefs are worth something, you must be willing to stand up for them and make some sacrifices. In his calculus, fear of being reduced to irrelevance in exile overrode fear of being killed. This kind of agonising choice was not uniquely Navalnys. It has been a standard feature of the contest between democracies and dictatorships worldwide. The Nobel Prize-winning Chinese human rights activist and political reformer Liu Xiaobo, who died in State custody at the age of 61 in 2017, had been offered a Faustian bargain by the ruling Communist regime to sign a confession of guilt in 2010 while serving an 11-year sentence for subversion of state power, and in return offered freedom to permanently leave the country. As with Navalny, Liu insisted on an unconditional release and decided he would not abandon the country and the cause, come what may. He too paid the price for this bravery or bravado with his life. Another famous political prisoner of our times, Myanmars Aung San Suu Kyi, spurned similar deals from the military junta while under detention. Like every classic authoritarian ruling clique, the Myanmar junta considered her too dangerous as long as she remained in the country, even under house arrest, and sought to expel her in exchange for freedom. She refused and demanded all political prisoners being released. Later in life, she did compromise with the junta, but it was too good to last. As of today, she has served a cumulative 18 years in detention and is staring at being locked up for a further 27 years over charges of sedition, corruption and election fraud. Now aged 78, with few signs of Myanmar returning to the path of democratic transition, Suu Kyi faces the depressing reality of never realising her dream of a democratic Myanmar during her lifetime. A rare instance of a triumphant democratiser who did not end up getting martyred was Nelson Mandela of South Africa. In 1985, after completing 21 years in prison, he was offered by the apartheid state to be freed if he undertook to obey the racist regimes laws and renounce violence. Mandela rebuffed the offer and famously declared to his people, I cherish my own freedom dearly, but I care even more for your freedom. Fortunately for him and for South Africa, destiny saw to it that he would eventually be released in 1990 and become the countrys first democratically elected president. The end of the Cold War, the sustained international sanctions campaign against apartheid, and intensified revolutionary mass movements by ordinary South Africans, worked in his favour. Today, democracy as a norm and idea is in decline worldwide. The tragedy of Navalny can be interpreted as a manifestation of this new normal. Should democratisers who are struggling under the yoke of oppressive regimes realise this fait accompli, temper their eternal idealism and strike bargains with their tormentors so that they at least live to fight another day? History reveals that democratisation mostly happens through stop-go negotiated settlements between regimes and opposition groups at opportune moments rather than by sudden revolutionary overthrows. For democracy to return, the prerequisite is the democratisers must stay alive. Sreeram Chaulia is dean, Jindal School of International Affairs. The views expressed are personal The Centre on Thursday announced the setting up of three semiconductor plants in the country. "Today the Prime Minister has taken an important decision to set up semiconductor fab in the country. The first commercial semiconductor fab will be setup by Tata and Powerchip-Taiwan, whose plant will be in Dholera," Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw was quoted by ANI as saying. The minister added that all the three semiconductor units will start construction within the next 100 days. Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.(ANI) A total of 50,000 wafer per month will be manufactured. 300 crore chips will be manufactured annually through this facility. Northeast will get its first semiconductor Unit in Assam. 48 million chips per day will be manufactured from here, Vaishnaw added. Cumulative investment in all three units will be one lakh twenty-six thousand crore. The breakdown is investment in FAB will be 91,000 crore. Investment in the Assam unit will be 27,000 crore. Investment in the Sanand unit will be 7,600 crore, he added. With this the total investment in the semiconductor project amounts to around 1.26 lakh crore. CG Power will set up semiconductor unit in Gujarat in tie-up with Renesas Electronics Corp, Japan, and Stars Microelectronics, Thailand, the minister added. ALSO READ: UPs semiconductor policy gets cabinet nod Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Other cabinet decisions The Union cabinet also approved a 75,000 crore rooftop solar scheme, under which one crore households will get financial assistance to set up solar panels at their homes. Today cabinet meeting was held under the leadership of PM Modi. 'PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana' has been approved today, one crore families will get 300 units of free electricity under this scheme, Union minister Anurag Thakur said. Besides this, the government has also cleared nutrient-based subsidy rates for Kharif season 2024 on Phosphatic and Potassic fertilizers and the inclusion of 3 new fertilizer grades under the NBS scheme. The government will give a subsidy of 24,420 crore on NBS-based nutrients, Thakur added. Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates on Thursday hailed India's efforts in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI), saying there is a fantastic work happening in the country. Well, there's a lot of fantastic AI work going on in this country. You have innovators like Nandan Nilekani who's taking all that digital work and saying, OK, how does AI make that even better? You have groups like Wadhwani. You have the IIT groups that are very state of the art, Gates said in an interview to ANI. ALSO READ: What does Bill Gates think about PM Modi's vision for India? He replies In India, there will be a lot of fantastic leadership work in AI here. And when it's helping the poorest in areas like health and agriculture, our foundation will be proud to help shape that and support it, he added. Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates(Reuters) The billionaire also lauded India's efforts in the field of digital public infrastructure. The rate of improvement in a lot of the key areas is very, very strong. You know, everyone knows that in vaccines, India's the world's leader, so we're investing with our partners here to come up with lots of new vaccines. A diagnostics industry has come out of some of the work in the pandemic, so we're partnering there as well, he added. ALSO READ: Why is Bill Gates giving away his wealth? Microsoft co-founder says... Hours ago, Gates had addressed the students at IIT-Delhi, wherein he had hailed India's AI endeavours. "If I was a student today, the mysteries of AI would draw me in. It is kind of weird that even the systems that are working so well, we don't really understand them. I would definitely be drawn to that," PTI quoted him as saying. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. "I think you have a very bright future. No matter what your specialty is - whether it is engineering, discovering new drugs, or policy work. The AI advances will give you opportunities and force you to think through these new systems in very deep ways," Gates added. (With PTI, ANI inputs) Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh took to their Instagram profiles to share that they are expecting their first child. With emojis in the caption, they shared a special picture with baby items in blue and pink. In the middle of the image, the words September 2024 are written. Since the news broke, netizens couldnt keep calm and flocked to various social media platforms to show their happy reactions. In fact, the names of the actors have been trending on X too. Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh jointly announced the news on Instagram. (Instagram/@deepikapadukone) While some congratulated the duo, others shared pictures of the couple to celebrate. Here are some tweets that people have posted on X. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. So happy for Deepika and Ranveer, wrote an X user. Congratulations. Bollywood's power couple, Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh, are expecting their first child, shared another. Everything aside but congratulations to Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh. May god bless the baby, added a third. Ranveer and Deepika got married in November 2018 in a destination wedding at Lake Como, Italy. They tied the knot in the presence of their close family and friends. The couple had an Anand Karaj ceremony and a South Indian-style wedding. In a scary incident, doctors in Kerala pulled out a cockroach from a mans lungs. As per reports, the man complained of severe breathing difficulties and sought treatment at Amritha Hospital in Kochi. Upon examination, the doctors reportedly found that the 55-year-old mans breathing troubles were caused by a cockroach. As per doctors, the situation of a cockroach in the man's lungs could have been a result of negligence. (Unsplash/@Erik Karits) Led by Dr Tinku Jospeh, Head of Interventional Pulmonology at the hospital, a team of doctors removed the cockroach, reports Asianet Newsable. As per the doctors, earlier, a tube was inserted into the patient's neck, and the insect could have entered the lungs through the tube. However, the doctors didn't elaborate on where this procedure involving the tube was performed. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Dr Jospeh told the outlet that people visit them with various kinds of respiratory problems. However, someone having breathing problems due to a cockroach being stuck in their lungs is very rare. He also shared that such incidents may happen due to negligence. The man who was suffering from breathing troubles was later discharged from the hospital. Earlier, a story about the reason behind a mans frequent nosebleeds went viral. The man in Florida visited a doctor after having nosebleeds and feeling extremely off. The reason behind his issue turned out to be live bugs living inside his nasal cavity. The doctors found not one or two but over 150 live bugs in his nose. After removing the creatures, the doctors gave the man a special anti-parasitic rinse. He was later discharged and is expected to make a full recovery. However, he needs to visit the doctor at least three to four times a year for regular checkups. The execution of serial killer Thomas Eugene Creech, scheduled to take place on February 28, was halted. The warden at the Idaho Maximum Security Institution took this decision after the medical team failed to establish an intravenous line to carry out the lethal injection. This image shows Thomas Eugene Creech, a serial killer, whose execution was halted. (AP) 73-year-old Creech is one of the longest-serving death row inmates in the US. He is serving jail time after being convicted of five murders. However, he got the death sentence when he beat a fellow inmate to death in 1981. He killed 22-year-old David Dale Jensen who was specially abled and was in prison for car theft. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Hailing from Ohio, Creech was acquitted of a murder in 1973 despite authorities believing he was the perpetrator. In 1974, he killed two people - one in Oregon and another in California. Later that year, he was arrested in Idaho after killing two house painters, John Wayne Bradford and Edward Thomas Arnold, who gave a lift to him and his girlfriend. While in prison convicted of the crimes he committed, he killed Jensen. He was taken to the execution chamber at the Idaho Maximum Security Institution on a gurney at 10:00 am on February 28, where a three-member medical team was supposed to carry out the death sentence with lethal injection. According to Josh Tewalt, director of the Department of Correction, the medical team tried eight times to establish an IV but couldnt access the vein or had concerns about the vein quality. They attempted to find a suitable vein in his arms, legs, and feet. Finally, the warden halted the execution at 10:58 am. Creechs attorneys filed a new motion for a stay in US District Court. They argued that the correctional departments badly botched execution attempt" proves their inability to carry out a humane and constitutional execution. This is what happens when unknown individuals with unknown training are assigned to carry out an execution, the Federal Defender Services of Idaho said in a written statement. This is precisely the kind of mishap we warned the State and the Courts could happen when attempting to execute one of the countrys oldest death-row inmates. The day before the execution, Creech was served his last meal of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy and ice cream. He also spent time with his wife. (With inputs from AP) The impact of bilateral tensions between New Delhi and Ottawa is being felt in immigration patterns as the number of applications from Indians for permanent residency in Canada decreased by over 62% in December 2023. A Canadian flag outside homes in Brampton, Ontario, Canada, on Friday, Jan. 5, 2024. In Canada, a post-Covid explosion in foreign students has resulted in housing shortages and flawed academic programs being taught in strip malls. Photographer: Laura Proctor/Bloomberg(Bloomberg) According to data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the number of applications for December fell from 16,796 in 2022 to 6,329 in 2023. That trend was evident through the last quarter of 2023, as applications from Indians fell from 35,735 to 19,579 for that period. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Several factors may have contributed to that decline, including the state of bilateral ties after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated in the House of Commons on September 18 last year that there were credible allegations of a potential link between Indian agents and the killing of pro-Khalistan figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18 last year. The connection for the October-December quarter is evidenced by the numbers having increased substantially in previous months including September. Those higher PR applications figures between January and September 2023 took the overall figure for the year to 90,215 out of a total of 38,6577 from all countries in 2022 to 112,107 out of 426,730 last year. Another factor contributing to the reduction in numbers is the smaller diplomatic presence of Canada in India after 41 of its diplomats were asked to leave in October as New Delhi sought parity in presence, though that move was described as mass expulsion by Ottawa. This included fewer IRCC staff in the country. The trend of decreasing numbers was first reported by the outlet Better Dwelling, which noted, Canadas eroding relationships with key sources of immigrants is certainly contributing to the issue. Canada has already announced it is not increasing PR levels in the immediate future. In December, Ottawa stated it will maintain its targets of 485,000 permanent residents for 2024 and 500,000 in 2025, as announced in 2022. However, a statement from IRCC at the time added, Starting in 2026, the government will stabilize permanent resident levels at 500,000, allowing time for successful integration, while continuing to augment Canadas labour market. Israel has killed more than 25,000 Palestinian women and children since the October 7 attack by militant group Hamas, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Thursday. Palestinians gather at Tal Al-Sultan cemetery, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Rafah(REUTERS) "It's over 25,000," Austin told lawmakers when asked during a House Armed Services Committee hearing for the figure on women and children killed. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. The United States has backed Israel since the unprecedented Hamas attack in October that resulted in the deaths of around 1,160 people. Israel responded to the attack with a relentless assault on Gaza that the coastal territory's health ministry said has left more than 30,000 people dead. The number provided by Austin is within the same range, and come as Washington pushes for a ceasefire and a reduction in civilian casualties in Gaza. More than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip since the start of the Israel-Hamas war nearly five months ago, health officials in the territory said as a strike on a crowd of people waiting for aid in Gaza City killed and wounded scores on Thursday. Residents and rescuers check the destruction after an overnight Israeli bombardment in the southern Lebanese village of Kafra, on February 29, 2024, amid ongoing cross-border tensions as fighting continues between Israel and Palestinian Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.(AFP) At least 70 people were killed as Palestinians lined up for humanitarian assistance, said Gaza's Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra. Another 280 people were wounded, he said. The war has driven 80% of Gazas population of 2.3 million Palestinians from their homes, and U.N. officials say a quarter of the population is starving. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. After the strike, Gazas Health Ministry said the Palestinian death toll from the war in the territory climbed to 30,035, with another 70,457 wounded. The ministry does not distinguish in its count between fighters and non-combatants. Israel says it has killed 10,000 militants, without providing evidence. Israels air, sea and ground offensive launched in response to Hamas Oct. 7 attack has caused widespread devastation in Gaza City, largely isolating it from the rest of the territory for months, with little aid entering. The war has unleashed a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and sparked global concern over the situation in Rafah, Gazas southernmost town along the border with Egypt, where 1.4 million Palestinians have sought safety from Israel's daily bombardments. The war began after Hamas-led militants stormed across southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking about 250 others hostage. Competing claims emerged after dozens of people were killed Thursday in a scramble for aid in Gaza, with the Hamas-run territory's health ministry saying Israeli forces shot them, but the army insisting they died in a stampede. This image grab from a handout video released by the Israeli army on February 29, 2024, shows what the army says are Gazans around aid trucks in Gaza City. Israeli forces shot dead 104 people when a crowd rushed towards aid trucks on February 29, the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said.(AFP) Here is what we know so far: Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Did Israeli troops open fire? A witness in Gaza City told AFP the violence unfolded when thousands of people desperate for food rushed towards aid trucks at the city's western Nabulsi roundabout. "Trucks full of aid came too close to some army tanks that were in the area and the crowd, thousands of people, just stormed the trucks," the witness said, declining to be named for safety reasons. The soldiers fired at the crowd as people came too close to the tanks. The health ministry in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip said 104 people were shot dead and 760 were wounded. Hossam Abu Safiya, director of Gaza City's Kamal Adwan Hospital, said all the casualties were hit by "bullets and shrapnel from occupation forces". An Israeli military official said there was an initial stampede, involving "thousands of people" in which "dozens of Gazans were injured and killed, some of them run over by the trucks". Part of the convoy had then managed to continue on its way. "Dozens of civilians rushed to the trucks, approached the tanks and the forces nearby," the official said. This image grab from a handout video released by the Israeli army on February 29, 2024, shows what the army says are Gazans around aid trucks in Gaza City. Israeli forces shot dead 104 people when a crowd rushed towards aid trucks on February 29.(AFP) "Soldiers fired warning shots in the air and then fired towards those that posed a threat and did not move away. "I can say we had a limited response, limited fire... It was not a massive event from our perspective." Aerial images released by the Israeli army showed what it said were scores of Gazans surrounding aid trucks in Gaza City. AFP images showed mourners gathered around bodies wrapped in white shrouds at Gaza City's Al-Shifa Hospital. Ali Awad Ashqir, who had gone to get some flour for his starving family, had been waiting for two hours when violence erupted. "At approximately 4:00 am the trucks began to arrive. The moment they arrived, the occupation army fired artillery shells and guns," he told AFP. Have Gazans ransacked aid before? On February 20, the World Food Programme announced that despite widespread hunger, it was again suspending aid deliveries to northern Gaza after two convoys were mobbed and looted by desperate civilians. The two convoys were the first in more than three weeks. On February 18, a convoy had to fend off "multiple attempts by people trying to climb aboard our trucks, then facing gunfire once we entered Gaza City", the UN agency said. On February 19, "several trucks were looted... and a truck driver was beaten. The remaining flour was spontaneously distributed off the trucks in Gaza City, amidst high tension and explosive anger," it added. Why are Gazans so desperate? For months, aid workers have warned of an increasingly desperate situation for Gazan civilians, and on Monday an official from the UN humanitarian office OCHA said widespread starvation was "almost inevitable". UN estimates show that 2.2 million people -- the vast majority of the Gaza Strip's population -- are threatened with famine, particularly in northern areas around Gaza City. According to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, just over 2,300 aid trucks entered the Gaza Strip in February, a drop of about 50 percent compared with January. That is an average of well below 100 trucks per day, down from around 500 that were entering daily before the war. Who organised Thursday's convoy? The Israeli military official did not specify who organised the aid convoy and a senior UN aid official said it was not any UN agency. "Neither UNRWA nor any other UN agency were involved in this distribution," said Philippe Lazzarini, head of UNRWA, the main UN aid agency in Gaza, in a post on X. The secessionist group Sikhs for Justice or SFJ has threatened to target Indias High Commissioner to Ottawa ahead of his first visit to Surrey since pro-Khalistan figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar was killed in that town in British Columbia on June 18 last year. Indias High Commissioner to Ottawa Sanjay Kumar Verma speaking at an engagement in British Columbia on Wednesday. High Commissioner Sanjay Kumar Vermas visit to the province of British Columbia includes stops in the capital Victoria, as well as Vancouver and Surrey. On Friday, he is scheduled to meet with Surreys Mayor Brenda Locke and also with the Surrey Board of Trade. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Also Read: Sikhs for Justice: Shots fired at Pannun associates home in Canada In an email, SFJ general counsel Gurpatwant Pannun said his group will Question-Target Verma on March 1. Pannun said, India is responsible for orchestrating assassination of Shaheed Nijjar and Pro-Khalistan Sikhs will have an opportunity in Surrey to directly Challenge-Target-Question the Indian High Commissioner. A protest is also being organised in Surrey then. This is Vermas first visit to BC since March last year. Responding to the SFJ message, he said, The threat against me has been conveyed to the concerned Canadian authorities, who have assured me of my security. As you are aware, SFJ is a banned organization under Unlawful Association Prevention Act of India. It continues its venomous efforts to derail otherwise rich Canada-India bilateral relations, he said. Also Read: Sikhs for Justice asks Hindus of Indian origin to leave Canada SFJ said it is hiring lawyers to hold Indian diplomats accountable for orchestrating violence against pro-Khalistan Sikhs. Alluding to being targeted by Pannun, Verma said, He has been doing so for quite some time, without any cost put on him by society or the system and by misusing freedom of speech. Nijjar, SFJs principal figure in the province, was gunned down in the parking lot of the Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara that he headed at the time. That murder subsequently led to bilateral relations being severely impacted after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated in the House of Commons on September 18, 2023, there were credible allegations of a potential link between Indian agents and the killing. Since that killing, SFJ ran a poster campaign targeting Indias seniormost diplomats in Canada including Verma. The High Commissioners previous visit to Surrey last year when on March 19, he had to cancel an appearance at a reception organised by the Friends of India & Canada Foundation in the town as nearly 200 protestors, some wielding swords, gathered in front of the venue, the Taj Park Convention Centre and blocked the entrance. Thailand's health minister has informed the country that the government would ban recreational use of marijuana by the end of this year. However, the use of marijuana for medical purposes would continue to be allowed, reported news agency Reuters. Thailand health minister Cholnan Srikaew informed that illegal cannabis shops would not be allowed to continue The draft bill will go to cabinet for approval next month before heading to parliament to be passed before the end of the year, Thailand's health minister Cholnan Srikaew said. He highlighted the need to bring law to regulate cannabis use. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. "Without the law to regulate cannabis it will be misused," Cholnan said on Wednesday, referring to recreational use. "The misuse of cannabis has a negative impact on Thai children. In the long run it could lead to other drugs," he added. ALSO READ| One dead, five injured in Norway helicopter crash The health minister informed that illegal cannabis shops would not be allowed to continue. Also home-grown cannabis will be discouraged. He put the number of legally registered shops at 20,000. "In the new law, cannabis will be a controlled plant, so growing it would require permission. We will support (cannabis cultivation) for the medical and health industry," Cholnan said. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of cannabis shops are operating in an industry projected to be worth up to $1.2 billion by next year. In 2018, Thailand became the first country in Southeast Asia to free up medicinal use. It approved recreational use in 2022. ALSO READ| Pakistan's newly elected assembly meets amid pro-Imran Khan protests New law regulating use of marijuana As per the report, the draft law specifies a fine of up to 60,000 baht ($1,700) for recreational use. Those selling cannabis for such use and participating in advertisement or marketing of buds, resin, extract or smoking devices face jail terms of up to a year, or a fine of up to 100,000 baht ($2,800) or both. Anyone engaging in cannabis farming without a licence, will face jail terms ranging from one to three years and fines from 20,000 baht ($560) to 300,000 baht ($8,000). Import, export, cultivation and commercial use of cannabis will also require permits now, the health minister said. Time to businesses to adjust The government, recognising the economic benefit of the cannabis industry, would give businesses time to adjust to the new regulation, Cholnan said. He added that such shops could operate until their licences expire and convert to legal cannabis clinics if they follow the new rules. He further added that the new regulation would have no impact on tourism. Strange banging sounds that were heard beneath the Atlantic Ocean giving rise to false hopes that the occupants of the Titan submersible were alive can now be heard in a chilling video. Minute by Minute: The Titan Sub Disaster, which is an upcoming British documentary from Channel 5, played the audio for the public for the first time. The noises sound like someone knocking against metal. Debris from the Titan submersible, recovered from the ocean floor near the wreck of the Titanic, is unloaded from the ship Horizon Arctic at the Canadian Coast Guard pier in St. John's, Newfoundland (Paul Daly/The Canadian Press via AP, File)(AP) The documentary will let viewers take a look into the day OceanGates submersible disappeared in the North Atlantic with five passengers aboard OceanGate Expeditions CEO Stockton Rush, British billionaire Hamish Harding, French diver Paul Henry Nargeolet, and Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son, Suleman. The submersible began its journey on June 18. About one hour and 45 minutes into its descent, the vessel lost contact with the Polar Prince, the support ship that transported it to the site. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. In a trailer for the documentary, which can be watched on British site UNILAD, the banging sounds that evoked hope that the passengers may be alive can be heard. The symmetry between those knockings is very unusual, former Navy submarine Captain Ryan Ramsey says. Its rhythmic, its like somebody is making that sound, and the fact that it is repeated is really unusual. What were the banging sounds? At the time the sounds were heard, a submarine expert claimed it was encouraging that the five people on board were still alive. While it was not positively determined what the banging sounds were, experts later came up with various theories. Carl Hartsfield, an expert with the Wood Hole Oceanographic Institution, told CBS news there could be several explanations. The ocean is a very complex place, obviously human sounds, nature sounds, and its very difficult to discern what the sources of those noises are at times, he said. Jeff Karson, professor emeritus of earth and environmental sciences at Syracuse University, told Daily Mail that that the noise may have been a complicated echo that came from sounds that bounced around the Titanic debris field. Its just not bouncing off of one thing. Its bouncing off a bunch of things. And its like, you know, dropping up a marble into a tin can. Its rattling around and that would confuse the location, he said. They could have also been made by marine wildlife like whales, said Stefan Williams, a professor of marine robotics at the University of Sydney, according to Insider. All the passengers died as a result of a catastrophic implosion of the submersible. Panera Bread is dishing out $2 million to settle lawsuit claims suggesting that the American bakery company misled customers about delivery costs. This settlement is reminiscent of the Chick-fil-A settlement for which the fast-food restaurant chain paid $4.4 million to do away with allegations of pushing low-cost delivery advertisements. However, that was never the case since the hiked food prices on delivery orders worked out significant compensations. A Panera Bread Co. restaurant in Novato, California, US, on Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024. A California law that's about to raise the state minimum wage at fast-food spots to $20 an hour from $16 offers an unusual exemption for chains that bake bread and sell it as a standalone item. Photographer: Michaela Vatcheva/Bloomberg(Bloomberg) On the other hand, Panera has more than 2,000 diners across the US and Canada, but still hasn't come clean about the alleged wrongdoings. Regardless of their hushed act, their actions seem to speak louder than necessary, which might work in your favour, too. As far as the settlement goes, customers stand a chance of securing food vouchers or cash if filing a claim. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Eligibility for filing a Panera claim Those seeking compensation must have placed a delivery order via the Panera app or the website from October 1, 2020, to August 31, 2021. Also read: H-1B Registration: A guide to file your application process with recent updates How to file a Panera Bread claim A claim deadline has been set in the case. Customers seeking compensation must submit their Claim Form by June 10, 2024. Claim Forms handed over via mail to the Class Action Settlement Administrator must be marked June 10, 2024. However, if you seek to exclude yourself from the settlement, the deadline for the same is March 11, 2024. What will you receive from the Panera Bread lawsuit settlement Customers making a claim will have two options - two vouchers of $9.50 each for items marked under Panera's Soup & Mac menu or money reimbursement of $12 through PayPal, Venmo, etc. The settlement site also highlights that this figure could drop depending on the number of people turning up with their claims. As for when these vouchers or cash will be sent out, customers may expect either form of payment to be sent within 60 days after the settlement has been certified. The Panera Bread settlement heart is scheduled for May 31, 2024. The reversal of fate is as real as oxygen in the air; the latest victim of this professional tragedy is Thrasio, an early leader of e-commerce aggregators for Amazon. The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in a New Jersey court on Wednesday after undertaking the arduous journey that started showing red signs in 2022 as the pandemic came to a close and physical reality started pedalling fast ahead. The startup once proudly bore its $10 billion valuation after successfully raising #3.4 billion from investors. However, now it has entered a restructuring agreement with reduced debt. Top Amazon aggregator, Thrasio declares bankruptcy.(YouTube . Thrasio) With the world falling inwards once the COVID-19 pandemic kicked off, Thrasio gained the appropriate platform to open its profitable chapter. As an aggregator, it acquired businesses on Amazon with growth potential and helped consolidate their positions within the third-party seller ecosystem. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Also read: $2 million Panera Bread lawsuit settlement explained: How to file a claim? Thrasio bankruptcy declared The startup has come to an agreement with lenders to cut off about $495 million of its debt. On the other hand, in its plan of reorganisation, Thrasio has joined forces with creditors willing to offer it up to $90 million in fresh capital. This will, in turn, be invested in its ongoing operations to facilitate the workings of brands already listed in its portfolio. An extract from Thrasio CEO Greg Greeley's statement highlighted: Thrasio is one of the largest third-party sellers on the Amazon marketplace, and with a strengthened balance sheet and new capital, we will get better equipped to support our brands, scale our infrastructure and enable future opportunities (CNBC). With the pandemic's reign losing grip, the hype around Thrasio's works also started slipping out. As e-commerce growth took a step back, Thrasio had no choice but to lay off about 20% of its employees in 2022. Several executives, including co-founder Josh Silberstein, also parted ways with the company. Idahos attempt to execute one of the nations longest-serving death row inmates, Thomas Creech, was halted on Wednesday after the medical team could not find a suitable vein for the lethal injection after trying 10 times in both of his arms and legs. Idaho on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, halted the execution of serial killer Thomas Eugene Creech, one of the longest-serving death row inmates in the U.S., after a medical team repeatedly failed to find a vein where they could establish an intravenous line to carry out the lethal injection. (Idaho Department of Correction via AP, File)(AP) Creech, 73, who has been in prison since 1974 for multiple murders, was scheduled to die for the 1981 killing of a fellow prisoner with a sock filled with batteries. He is also the prime suspect in a cold case from 1974 in California that was recently solved. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. The U.S. Supreme Court had rejected several appeals from Creechs lawyers, who argued that he had ineffective assistance of counsel and that the states execution protocol was unconstitutional. ALSO READ| Who is Thomas Eugene Creech? Idaho set to execute serial killer with love for poetry However, the execution could not proceed because the medical team failed to establish an IV line after trying 10 times in both of Creechs arms and legs, according to a statement from the Idaho Department of Correction. The states death warrant expired as a result, and the state will have to seek a new execution date from the court. The harmelss old man has suffered enough Creechs lawyers expressed their anger and frustration at the states botched execution, saying that it was the result of using unknown individuals with unknown training to carry out the procedure. They also said that Creech was a harmless old man who had suffered enough. Idaho has not executed anyone since 2012, and is one of the few states that allow the use of firing squads as an alternative method of execution. However, according to the Associated Press, the state has not yet built a facility or developed a policy for that option. ALSO READ| Top Lauren Boebert family controversies recollected as son Tyler was arrested on felony charges Meanwhile, Texas was preparing to execute Ivan Cantu on Wednesday night, despite claims of his innocence and calls for a retrial from his supporters, including some celebrities and jurors from his original trial. Cantu was convicted of shooting his cousin and his cousins fiancee during a robbery in 2000. He maintains that he was framed by another man who was the real killer. It has been revealed that Georgia nursing student Laken Riley desperately tried to call 911 when her murder suspect, Jose Antonio Ibarra, attacked her in the morning as she went for a run. According to police documents, Ibarra prevented her from dialling the number, and then dragged her body to a secluded area. The murder of Georgia nursing student Laken Hope Riley, 22, has sent shockwaves across the US (GoFundMe) Ibarra likely panicked and went on to crush her skull when she tried to fight back, as per a former criminal profilers analysis, New York Post reported. The details of her injuries in the new warrants suggest Riley put on a brave fight, and Ibarra panicked before killing her. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. In this case, the offender was met with resistance which he wasnt expecting, and it got overpowering and he couldnt control it and he resorted to violence, John Lang Jr., a former Georgia Bureau of Investigation investigator, told WSB-TV. But he didnt know what he was in for and I suspect she probably fought back, said Lang, a criminal profiler not involved in the case. Hes not a very big fellow and he may have been overwhelmed by her size and her strengths and tenacity to fight back, Long added. Concealing her body, thats just an opportunity to distance himself from the crime, he said, adding that investigators cannot rule out that sexual assault may have been a motive. In looking at this whole thing, this is like a disorganized offender. Thats what we call them he added. He just does it on the spur of the moment for whatever motivating factors. Laken Riley died from "blunt force trauma Riley was found dead near a lake on the campus in Athens. She died from "blunt force trauma," according to official police reports. Riley was found to have visible injuries, according to UGA Police Chief Jeff Clark. New charging documents have alleged that Ibarra caused great bodily harm with an object. Affidavits shared by Fox News says he was charged with aggravated battery for seriously disfiguring her body by disfiguring her skull. He is also charged with preventing the 22-year-old from making or completing a 911 call with intent to harm. He dragged her body to a secluded area. Ibarra, 26, an illegal immigrant, has been charged with malice and felony murder, aggravated battery, kidnapping, concealing the death of another and other charges. Police said the incident was a crime of opportunity. According to Clark, Ibarra does not have an extensive criminal history. The Texas Panhandle and the Northern Plains are facing Lucifer's wrath in the form of a wildfire because of the hot and windy weather. The raging flares have destroyed almost 900,000 acres of land so far, and people have to leave their homes, roads are closed, and nuclear weapon facility have to shut down. The charred remains of a home burned by the Smokehouse Creek Fire are seen Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, in Canadian, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)(AP) The government has declared a state of emergency. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. The worst fire is the Smokehouse Creek Fire, which is barely under control and covers 850,000 acres north of Stinnett. It is the second-largest fire in Texas history. The fire got much bigger on Wednesday, from 300,000 acres to what it is now. The heat was unbearable, almost 126 degrees Fahrenheit or 52 degrees Celsius. The cause of the fire is still unknown, but the firefighters made some headway on Wednesday thanks to cooler and less windy weather. ALSO READ| Texas wildfire grows into second-largest in state history, briefly shuts down nuclear weapons facility Snow may bring some relief The weather might help a bit on Thursday, as some snow could fall in the area from a weak storm coming from New Mexico, according to the FOX Forecast Center. But the snow will be very light, hardly an inch. The weather will get worse again on Friday, with temperatures going up to 70 Farenhite or 22 degrees Celsius, strong winds over 30 mph, and very dry air below 20% humidity. These conditions are expected to continue over the weekend. Governor declares it a disaster, second largest in state history On Tuesday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott declared a disaster for 60 Texas counties affected by the wildfires. He asked to channel more state resources to help local firefighters. One of the towns threatened by the fire is Canadian in Hemphill County. On Tuesday afternoon, the fire destroyed an automated weather station called Mesonet station. The West Texas Mesonet, which runs the station, reported that the temperature reached 126 degrees before the station was burned. The fire also moved north of Pampa with winds of 40 to 50 mph, according to Texas A&M Forest Service. ALSO READ| Idaho fails to execute serial killer Thomas Creech after 10 failed attempts to find the vein for IV line A nuclear weapons facility near Amarillo had to stop its operations after the fire came too close to the property. Pantex said that all its employees were safe, and firefighters were protecting the property. The North CIG Fire fire began as a 750-acre brush fire along CIG Road started in the morning, but it grew to more than 4,000 acres by Sunday night. Texas inmate Ivan Cantu, accused of shooting two people including his cousin dead, was executed by lethal injection on Wednesday, February 28. Ever since his conviction, Cantu had maintained his innocence, alleging it all happened based on false testimony and questionable evidence. He was convicted more than 20 years ago. This undated booking photo provided by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice shows Texas death row inmate Ivan Cantu (Texas Department of Criminal Justice via AP, File) Cantu was pronounced dead at 6:47 pm at the state penitentiary in Huntsville for fatally shooting his cousin, James Mosqueda, 27, and Mosquedas 22-year-old girlfriend, Amy Kitchen, in November 2000. He reiterated several times that he was innocent, in his final words from the execution chamber. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. Cantu has been accused of killing the pair while attempting to steal cocaine, marijuana and cash from his cousins north Dallas home. Mosqueda dealt with illegal drugs. Cantu long claimed that his cousin was killed by a rival drug dealer over money. Cantus execution was the first in Texas this year. On Tuesday, February 27, two lower courts denied his request to stay his execution. The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles previously voted 7-0 against commuting the suspects death sentence to a lesser penalty. A four-month reprieve was also rejected. Several faith leaders and celebrities supported Cantu and called for efforts to delay his execution, including Kim Kardashian and actor Martin Sheen, and U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, and his brother, former U.S. Housing Secretary Julian Castro. The murders As per reports, police found bloody jeans with the victims DNA and a key to the victims home in Cantus home after the murder. The guns barrel also had Mosquedas blood on it. Cantus fingerprints were reportedly discovered on the guns magazine. Matthew Goeller, one of Cantus trial attorneys, said in a 2005 affidavit that Cantu admitted to him he had indeed killed Mosqueda for ripping him off on a drug deal. He allegedly said he killed Kitchen because she witnessed the murder. Amy Boettcher, who was Cantus girlfriend at the time, testified that he told her he was planning to kill Mosqueda and Kitchen. She alleged Cantu took her back to the crime scene after the murders. On Wednesday, the US Supreme Court announced that it would hear the case of Donald Trump, who claims that he has absolute immunity from prosecution in the criminal investigation into his attempts to overturn the 2020 election results. The Supreme Court agreed on Feb. 28, 2024, to decide whether former President Donald Trump can be prosecuted on charges he interfered with the 2020 election and has set a course for a quick resolution. (House Select Committee via AP)(AP) This decision could delay the trial until after the 2024 election. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. The court scheduled oral arguments for the week of April 22 to review a recent ruling by a three-judge panel of the US Court of Appeals for the DC circuit, which strongly denied Trumps immunity claim in a decision earlier this month. The Court will see through the whole The criminal case against the former president will be paused until the Supreme Court makes its final judgment on the issue, putting it in the politically sensitive position of possibly affecting whether Trump will face trial before the presidential election in November. ALSO READ| Illinois judge kicks Donald Trump off the state ballot, third state to take action The courts order, which did not have any signatures, said that the court planned to address at oral arguments whether and if so, to what extent does a former president enjoy presidential immunity from criminal prosecution for conduct alleged to involve official acts during his tenure in office. What is the accusation against Trump? In the federal 2020 election case, Trump is accused of four counts of criminal charges in Washington DC by the special counsel, Jack Smith, who alleges that Trump conspired to defraud the United States, conspired to obstruct the congressional certification of the election results, and violated rights. Trump tried to get the charges dismissed last year, arguing in a 52-page document that the actions he was accused of were part of the so-called outer perimeter of his official duties, which meant that he could not be prosecuted because of the wide protections given to the presidency. The document to dismiss argued that all of Trumps efforts to reverse his 2020 election loss detailed in the charges, from pressuring his vice-president, Mike Pence, to stop the congressional certification of Bidens win to creating fake slates of electors. Trump asked for immunity The core of the Trump legal teams document was the extraordinary claim that not only was Trump entitled to absolute presidential immunity, but that the immunity applied no matter what Trumps intention was in doing the actions described in the charges. The arguments were rejected by the US district judge in charge of the case, Tanya Chutkan, and later by the three-judge panel of the DC circuit. ALSO READ| Biden doing everything to improve the H1B visa process, says White House Former President Trumps position would destroy our system of separated powers by putting the President out of the reach of all three Branches, the opinion said. We cannot agree that the office of the Presidency places its former holders above the law forever after. The 45th US president's lawyers chose to pursue the immunity claim last October mainly because it is what is known as an interlocutory appeal. This appeal can be argued before trial. Trump has 87 days left from that period, calculated by finding the difference between the original trial date of March 4 and December 8. Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed Thursday to fulfill Moscows goals in Ukraine and sternly warned the West against deeper involvement in the fighting, saying that such a move is fraught with the risk of a global nuclear conflict. Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures as he delivers his state-of-the-nation address in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024.(AP) Putin's blunt warning came in a state-of-the-nation address ahead of next months election hes all but certain to win, underlining his readiness to raise the stakes in the tug-of-war with the West to protect the Russian gains in Ukraine. Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now. In an apparent reference to French President Emmanuel Macron's statement earlier this week that the future deployment of Western ground troops to Ukraine should not be ruled out, Putin warned that it would lead to tragic consequences for the countries who decide to do that. Also Read | Vladimir Putin pays tribute to Russian national unity as fighting grinds on in Ukraine Putin noted that while accusing Russia of plans to attack NATO allies in Europe, Western allies were selecting targets for striking our territory" and "talking about the possibility of sending a NATO contingent to Ukraine. We remember the fate of those who sent their troop contingents to the territory of our country, the Russian leader said in an apparent allusion to the failed invasions by Napoleon and Hitler. Now the consequences for the potential invaders will be far more tragic. In a two-hour speech before an audience of lawmakers and top officials, Putin cast Western leaders as reckless and irresponsible and declared that the West should keep in mind that we also have the weapons that can strike targets on their territory, and what they are now suggesting and scaring the world with, all that raises the real threat of a nuclear conflict that will mean the destruction of our civilization. The strong statement followed earlier warnings from Putin, who has issued frequent reminders of Russia's nuclear might since he sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022 as he sought to discourage the West from expanding its military support for Kyiv. Putin emphasized that Russias nuclear forces are in full readiness, saying that the military has deployed potent new weapons, some of them tested on the battlefield in Ukraine. The Kremlin leader said they include the new Sarmat heavy intercontinental ballistic missile that has entered service with Russian nuclear forces, along with the Burevestnik atomic-powered cruise missile and the Poseidon atomic-powered, nuclear-armed drone, which are completing their tests. At the same time, he rejected Western leaders statements about the threat of a Russian attack on NATO allies in Europe as ravings and again dismissed Washington's claim that Moscow was pondering the deployment of space-based nuclear weapons. Putin charged that the U.S. allegations were part of a ploy to draw Russia into talks on nuclear arms control on American terms even as Washington continues its efforts to deliver a strategic defeat to Moscow in Ukraine. Ahead of the U.S. election, they just want to show their citizens, as well as others, that they continue to rule the world, he said. It won't work. In his speech that focused heavily on economic and social issues ahead of the March 15-17 presidential vote, Putin argued that Russia was defending its sovereignty and security and protecting our compatriots in Ukraine, charging that the Russian forces have the upper hand in the fighting. He reaffirmed his claim that the West was bent on destroying Russia, saying "they need a dependent, waning, dying space in the place of Russia so that they can do whatever they want. The Russian leader honored the troops fallen in Ukraine with a moment of silence, and said that military veterans should form the core of the country's new elite, inviting them to join a new training program for senior civil servants. Putin has repeatedly said that he sent troops into Ukraine in February 2022 to protect Russian interests and prevent Ukraine from posing a major security threat to Russia by joining NATO. Kyiv and its allies have denounced it as an unprovoked act of aggression. The Russian leader has repeatedly signaled a desire to negotiate an end to the fighting but warned that Russia will hold onto its gains. Putin, 71, who is running as an independent candidate in the March 15-17 presidential election, relies on the tight control over Russias political system that he has established during 24 years in power. Prominent critics who could challenge him have either been imprisoned or are living abroad, while most independent media have been banned, meaning that Putins reelection is all but assured. He faces token opposition from three other candidates nominated by Kremlin-friendly parties represented in parliament. Russias best-known opposition leader Alexei Navalny, whose attempt to run against Putin in 2018 was rejected, died suddenly in an Arctic prison colony earlier this month, while serving a 19-year sentence on extremism charges. Navalnys funeral is set for Friday. Half Moon Bay, CA (94019) Today Cloudy skies this morning will become partly cloudy this afternoon. High near 60F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Cloudy skies. Expect mist and reduced visibilities at times. Low 49F. Winds light and variable. The Hamas-ruled territory's health ministry announced on Wednesday that children have died from dehydration and malnutrition at hospitals in Gaza after food deliveries to the north of the enclave were suspended due to security concerns. Since December, the United Nations has warned of looming famine in northern Gaza due to severe food shortages. Families, including children, have reportedly gone days without eating. Children Died From Dehydration, Malnutrition in Gaza On Wednesday, the ministry confirmed that two children died at al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. Earlier, it said that four children died at the Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza, while seven others were still in critical condition. Health Ministry spokesperson Ashraf al-Qudra said as Israel's bombardment on Gaza continues, "We ask international agencies to intervene immediately to avert a humanitarian catastrophe in northern Gaza." "The international community is facing a moral and humanitarian test to stop the genocide in Gaza," al-Qudra added. Kamal Adwan Hospital's Director, Ahmed al-Kahlout, stated that the hospital has been forced to close due to a lack of fuel to run its generators. On Tuesday, Al-Awda Hospital in Jabalia also went out of service for the same reason. In a video posted on Instagram and confirmed by Al Jazeera's Sanad verification unit, journalist Ebrahem Musalam shows a baby on a bed in the pediatric section of Kamal Adwan Hospital as power comes in and out. Musalam claimed that the children in the department are malnourished as there is a lack of infant formula, and necessary devices have stopped functioning because of constant power outages due to fuel shortages. Furthermore, the Palestinian group Hamas said on Wednesday that the closure of Kamal Adwan Hospital would worsen the health and humanitarian situation in northern Gaza, which is already on the verge of famine as Israel continues to block or disrupt aid missions there. Read Also: Biden, Harris Convene Top Congressional Leaders as Government Shutdown Looms Qatar, France Launch Joint Humanitarian Aid Initiative for Gaza On Wednesday, Israel announced that 31 food-carrying trucks entered northern Gaza. According to the Coordination of Government Activity in the Territories (COGAT), the Israeli military office that oversees Palestinian civilian affairs, nearly 20 additional trucks entered the north on Monday and Tuesday. These were the first major aid deliveries in a month to the devastated, isolated area, where the UN has warned of escalating famine. Qatar and France stressed their opposition to an Israeli military operation on Rafah in southern Gaza in a joint statement on Wednesday. They emphasized their rejection of the killing and starvation suffered by the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip. They demanded the opening of all borders into Gaza, including in the north, to allow humanitarian actors to resume their activities and the delivery of food supply and pledged jointly a $200 million effort in support of the Palestinian population. Jan Egeland, secretary-general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, also said Israel must allow aid trucks into Gaza to address the grave humanitarian situation in Gaza. Egeland wrote in a social media post that included a video of a long line of aid trucks that hundreds of aid trucks wait in line to cross into Gaza at the Rafah and Kerem Shalom crossings to a starving civilian population. Related Article: The Latest: Families of Israeli Hostages Stage March, Fewer Aid Deliveries Could Mean Famine in Gaza On Wednesday, Ghana's parliament voted to pass a highly controversial anti-LGBTQ bill that intensifies a crackdown on the rights of LGBTQ people and those promoting lesbian, gay, or other non-conventional sexual or gender identities in the West African country. The 'Human Sexual Rights and Family Values' Bill is one of the toughest anti-LGBTQ laws in Africa. Ghana's Parliament Passes Anti-LGBTQ Bill According to Al Jazeera, a coalition of religious and traditional leaders supported the legislation favored by most lawmakers and approved it in parliament on Wednesday. The bill would punish people who support the rights of the LGBTQ community, as well as those who engage in LGBTQ sexual acts. It still needs the president's approval to become law, which observers believe is unlikely before the upcoming election in December. Activist groups have criticized the bill as a human rights regression and urged Ghana President Nana Akufo-Addo's administration to reject it. However, the legislation is widely supported in Ghana, where Akufo-Addo has declared that homosexual marriage will never be allowed while he is in office. A group of Ghanaian, Muslim, and Christian traditional leaders backed the anti-gay bill and had strong support from members of parliament. Homosexual sex is already illegal in the religious West African nation. Although there is a lot of discrimination against the LGBTQ community, there has never been a prosecution under colonial-era law. Furthermore, the bill's provisions could result in six months to three years of imprisonment for those who take part in LGBTQ sexual acts. It also imposes a prison sentence of three to five years for the wilful promotion, sponsorship, or support of LGBTQ activities. Read Also: Colombian Warlord Responsible for Thousands of Murders Extradited After Serving Sentence in US Activist Groups Speak Out Angel Maxine, Ghana's first openly transgender musician and LGBTQ activist, told Reuters, "My heart is broken and devastated at the moment; that's all I can say for now." She added, "My pronouns are She/her/hers." According to Ghana's constitution, the bill will be presented to Akufo-Addo after it has been voted in parliament, and he will have seven days to either approve or reject it. If he approves, the bill becomes law. Despite avoiding the heated discussion surrounding the measure, Akufo-Addo stated he would respond once it is voted on by parliament. Winnie Byanyima, executive director of the United Nations Aids agency UNAIDS, said the bill would affect everyone if it became law. She also noted that punitive laws, as embodied by the bill, are a barrier to the elimination of AIDS and eventually jeopardize everyone's health. Furthermore, Byanyima claimed it would worsen fear and hatred, encourage violence against fellow Ghanaians, and have a detrimental effect on the rights to free speech, association, and mobility. She continued that if passed into law, it would make it difficult to receive life-saving care, undermine social protection, and endanger Ghana's progress toward development. Related Article: Is Oklahoma's Bill Banning Trans Students From Bathrooms To Blame for 16-Year-Old Nex Benedict's Death? Food aid convoys arrived in northern Gaza this week, according to Israeli authorities on Wednesday. This is the first significant supply to the beleaguered, remote region in a month, where the United Nations has issued a dire warning that hundreds of thousands of Palestinians may become more starved as a result of Israel's onslaught. The growing concern about hunger in Gaza has led to global appeals for a truce, with efforts underway by the US, Egypt, and Qatar to broker an agreement between Israel and Hamas to halt the violence and free some of the hostages taken by Hamas during its Oct. 7 assault, as per AP News. Mediators Seek Israel-Hamas Deal Before Ramadan Mediators are trying to reach a deal between Israel and Hamas before Ramadan begins on March 10. However, public declarations show that the parties' demands remain separate. Hostage families began a four-day march from southern Israel to Jerusalem on Wednesday, increasing pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reach a compromise. About 100 captives released during a late November cease-fire will march near Netanyahu's official house. The captives' experience has deeply affected Israelis, reminding them of the state's apparent failure to protect them from Hamas. Israel says the Palestinian terrorist organization abducted 250 people, including men, women, children, and older adults, on October 7. Israel reports that 25% of the 130 prisoners are dead after the November releases. Israel's post-attack Gaza assault to dismantle Hamas has killed around 29,900 Palestinians. If Israel targets Rafah, where more than half of Gaza's 2.3 million population has fled, UN authorities worry about mass deaths. One such attack could damage the region's already weakened humanitarian operation, they warn, according to Politico. Read Also: Texas Inmate Facing Execution Says New Evidence Proves Innocence Dire Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza The humanitarian situation in Gaza is dire, with over 576,000 people, constituting a quarter of the population, on the brink of famine, according to the UN. Northern Gaza, in particular, has been ravaged by hunger, as the region faces isolation and destruction since the Israeli ground incursion in late October. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are believed to be struggling to survive, resorting to consuming animal fodder. Shockingly, one in six children under two in the north is reported to suffer from acute malnutrition and wasting. The Israeli military agency supervising Palestinian civilian affairs (COGAT) confirmed the entry of 31 food trucks into northern Gaza on Wednesday in order to improve the humanitarian situation. Since the UN denies involvement, it is unidentified who organized these shipments. As of Sunday, the UN had encountered difficulties delivering food to northern Gaza since January 23, raising concerns about the worsening conditions. Despite international calls for increased aid, the volume of supply trucks entering has significantly declined in recent weeks. COGAT contends that Israel does not impose limits on aid entry, attributing the bottleneck to UN agencies and aid groups. The Gaza Health Ministry estimates 29,954 deaths and 70,325 injuries during Israel's attack. The government does not separate civilians from combatants but reports that two-thirds of victims were children and women. Southern Israel was attacked by Hamas and other Palestinian terrorists on October 7, killing 1,200 civilians, Arab News reported. Related Article: The Latest: Families of Israeli Hostages Stage March, Fewer Aid Deliveries Could Mean Famine in Gaza In a significant legal development, former President Donald Trump has been barred from appearing on the Republican presidential primary ballot in Illinois. The decision, handed down Wednesday by Cook County Circuit Judge Tracie Porter, centers on Trump's involvement in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riots. Trump Disqualified From Illinois Ballot Judge Porter's decision orders the removal of Trump's name from the state's primary ballot, scheduled for March 19. However, the implementation of this ruling has been temporarily halted, pending an expected appeal by the former president. In her ruling, Judge Porter emphasized the gravity of the decision and its potential impact on the upcoming primary elections. She cited the precedent set by the Colorado Supreme Court, which similarly disqualified Trump from the ballot in that state. Porter deemed Colorado's rationale compelling and opted to apply it to the Illinois case. "The court also realizes the magnitude of this decision and its impact on the upcoming primary Illinois elections," Porter wrote. "The Illinois State Board of Election shall remove Donald J. Trump from the ballot for the General Primary Election on March 19, 2024, or cause any votes cast for him to be suppressed." The ruling marks the culmination of a legal challenge initiated by a group of voters in coordination with Free Speech For People, a legal advocacy organization. The challenge asserts that Trump's role and actions on January 6, 2021 violated the anti-insurrection clause of the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution, rendering him ineligible for future public office. On January 6, 2021, a violent mob of Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol during the certification of the 2020 election results. They vandalized offices, threatened lawmakers, and clashed with Capitol Police. Five people died, including a Capitol Police officer beaten by rioters. Read Also: Donald Trump Wins Michigan Republican Primary, Setting Up Last Stand for Nikki Haley in Super Tuesday Contests Next Week 14th Amendment's Insurrection Clause The legal basis for Trump's disqualification rests on the 14th Amendment's prohibition against individuals who have engaged in insurrection from holding public office. Section 3 of the amendment explicitly states that those who have taken an oath to support the Constitution but have subsequently engaged in insurrection are ineligible for office. However, the application of this provision raises questions about its interpretation and enforcement. The amendment lacks specific guidance on defining terms such as "insurrection" or "rebellion," leading to legal debates over its application. Historically, the provision was utilized to disqualify former Confederates from holding office in the aftermath of the Civil War. Yet, it has remained largely dormant since 1919, making its application in contemporary politics a subject of legal scrutiny. The Illinois decision marks the third instance where Trump has been disqualified from a primary ballot, following similar decisions in Colorado and Maine. However, in those states, the decisions are currently on hold pending appeals to the US Supreme Court. Trump's legal team has vowed to challenge the ruling, asserting its unconstitutionality. Steven Cheung, a spokesperson for the Trump campaign, criticized the decision, labeling it as the product of an "activist Democrat judge." Related Article: Trump Challenges NY Civil Fraud Court Order to Pay $454 Million Government lawmakers have reached a temporary deal to avert a shutdown ahead of a Friday deadline to approve funding for the nation. The development includes four funding bills that will be extended to Mar. 8 while the rest of the budget will be extended to Mar. 22. In a joint statement, top American lawmakers said that they were in agreement that Congress needs to work in a bipartisan manner in order to fund the government. Deal to Avert Government Shutdown Following the new agreement, the House is expected to vote on the stopgap measure as early as Thursday. Democratic and Republican lawmakers have been far apart in the budget negotiations on border security as well as additional aid for Ukraine against Russia's invasion. The GOP's control of the House is only slim while Democrats have power over the Senate but only by a single seat. Spending bills are needed to keep the American government open and running but they require both parties in order to advance through both chambers to the United States President Joe Biden's desk for signature, as per BBC. There have only been 10 government shutdowns or partial shutdowns in the last four decades. The latest bipartisan deal was struck by House and Senate negotiators on Wednesday. It came a day after congressional lawmakers traveled to the White House in order to meet with President Biden. In a statement, House Speaker Mike Johnson, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said that the measure will be voted on by the House and Senate this week. The focus will now shift to congressional leaders who will face the difficult task of convincing rank-and-file lawmakers to support the bipartisan agreement. The Republican speaker is facing fierce objections from some within his own party who are demanding spending cuts and insist that additional support for Ukraine should be tied to border security policies. Read Also: Arab American Democrats in Michigan Run Successful "Uncommitted" Voter Campaign to Send Message to Biden Months of Negotiations The joint statement noted that the bills will adhere to the Fiscal Responsibility Act discretionary spending limits and January's topline spending agreement. The leaders said that the announcement of the measure was set to give the House and Senate Appropriations Committee sufficient time to work on the matter, according to CBS News. The new deadlines could still pose a problem for the American government, as the House has struggled to approve funding amid Republican divisions. For months, Congress has punted the spending fight down the road as House conservatives expressed their demands. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on the other hand said that the president and congressional leaders made it clear that they cannot allow a government shutdown. She added that the tentative agreement will help prevent a "needless" incident. Johnon's troubles are exacerbated by hard-right Republicans who are opposing funding proposals. This issue is expected to worsen as on Wednesday Democrat Tom Suozzi of New York was sworn in after winning a special election to take the seat of ousted GOP Rep. George Santos over lying about his background and financial misconduct, said the Associated Press. Related Article: Mitch McConnell to Step Down As Senate Republican Leader in November The Supreme Court agreed to find out if former President Donald Trump can face prosecution for allegedly interfering with the 2020 election. This decision raises questions about the exact date of a potential trial before the November election. While the court set an agenda for a rapid solution, it continued to keep focus on preparations for a trial centered on Trump's attempts to reverse his election defeat. The court is scheduled to hear arguments in late April, and a decision is expected by the end of June, as per to AP News. Supreme Court to Review Trump's Immunity Claim The United States Supreme Court has scheduled oral arguments for the week of April 22 to deliberate on a recent ruling by a three-judge panel at the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit. This panel unequivocally rejected former President Donald Trump's claim of immunity earlier this month, paving the way for a pivotal legal battle. Trump's criminal case, which faces a four-count indictment in Washington DC, will remain in abeyance until the Supreme Court reaches a definitive ruling on the matter. The court's decision places it in a politically sensitive position, as the outcome could potentially impact whether Trump will face trial before the presidential election in November. The court's order without a signature details its plan to discuss, in oral arguments, the level of immunity a former president has from criminal prosecution for actions that are argued to be associated with official acts during their time in office. In the federal 2020 election case, Trump is charged with conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to obstruct the congressional certification of election results, and violating rights. Special Counsel Jack Smith has brought forth these charges, asserting that Trump's actions, such as pressuring Vice President Mike Pence and orchestrating fake slates of electors, fall outside the protection afforded to the presidency, according to The Guardian. Read Also: Thomas Creech Case: US Appeals Court Rejects Delay for Execution of Idaho's Long-Serving Death Row Inmate Trump's Immunity Bid Rejected by DC Panel Trump's attempt to dismiss the charges last year, based on the argument that the actions were within the "outer perimeter" of his official duties, was rejected. The legal team contended that Trump was entitled to absolute presidential immunity, irrespective of his intent in the alleged conduct. The three-judge panel at the DC Circuit unanimously rejected this extraordinary claim, stating that accepting such an interpretation of executive power would undermine the separation of powers and place a former president above the law. Trump's lawyers had strategically advanced the immunity claim as an interlocutory appeal, allowing pre-trial litigation and placing the case on hold pending resolution. Meanwhile, Trump's legal team argues that without immunity from criminal prosecution, the presidency would be at risk, suggesting that political opponents could use the threat of indictment for acts that do not warrant prosecution to influence and control future presidents. The Supreme Court's intervention follows a decision by Washington, DC, federal Judge Tanya Chutkan to postpone the trial, which was scheduled to start before Super Tuesday, until the high court decides on its role. Special Counsel Smith has brought charges against Trump for conspiracy-related offenses related to the Capitol riot on January 6 and alleged interference in the 2020 election. In August, Trump entered a plea of not guilty to all charges, Fox News reported. Related Article: Ohio Amber Alert: 5-Year-Old Boy Missing, Allegedly Abducted by Foster Mother The authorities in Moldova's Russia-aligned separatist region of Transnistria requested assistance from Moscow on Wednesday, amid rising tensions with the pro-Western administration. Moldova, a potential European Union member, used new customs tariffs on Jan. 1, 2024 for goods entering and leaving Transnistria, a region neighboring Ukraine that lacks recognition from any UN member states, including Russia, which has strong connections to the area, as per ABC News. Transnistria's Appeal to Russia Amid Rising Tensions The self-proclaimed and internationally unrecognized microstate of Transnistria, which is located on the eastern bank of the Dniester River, has made a formal request for protection to Russia. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the region that is primarily Russian-speaking broke away from Moldova and established its own national government in 1992. This was the beginning of the present standoff, which can be traced back to the aftermath of the fall of the Soviet Union. Transnistria's Congress of Deputies held a rare session in which they made an appeal for Russian assistance. Moscow did not respond to a similar request made in 2006, despite its resemblance to this one. The plea gained an additional geopolitical facet when President Vladimir V. Putin delivered a state of the country speech at the same time. While Transnistria explicitly asked the two houses of Russia's Parliament for unspecified measures to safeguard against increasing Moldovan pressure, it notably stopped short of seeking annexation. The enclave's president, Vadim Krasnoselsky, claimed that a "policy of genocide" was being applied against Transnistria, a statement reminiscent of unsubstantiated claims made during Russia's involvement in eastern Ukraine. Unexpectedly, Transnistria additionally asked for support from the Red Cross, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and the European Parliament, demonstrating a multifaceted strategy to handle its issues. The Russian Legislature's Committee on International Affairs specified that the request was mainly for economic aid rather than military assistance, according to New York Times. Read Also: Famed Comic Richard Lewis Passes Away at Age 76, Leaving Fans in Mourning Russian Spokesperson Warns of Moldova Tensions Russia's foreign ministry spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, accused Moldova and the West of needlessly heightening tensions and speculated annexation, stating that NATO was attempting to shape a situation akin to Ukraine, contrary to the desires of the Moldovan population. This scenario could become an urgent problem during an election year, potentially leading to increased tensions between Transnistria and Moldova's government supporting the European Union. The continuous challenge, albeit restricted, is exacerbated by the lack of a physical border separating Russia and Moldova, along with the pressure on Russian forces. Concerns have also emerged regarding potential election interference, with the US anticipating increased political meddling from Russia ahead of Moldova's presidential elections. Moldova's pivot westward under President Sandu's leadership, seeking EU membership, has fueled suspicions of Russian attempts to destabilize the nation. The NATO Deputy Secretary General expressed dedication to supporting Chisinau in the situation of Russia adding Transnistria, but Russian authorities dismissed what he said as speculation. With the changing geopolitical landscape, the international community is closely monitoring developments in the Eastern European region, Bloomberg reported. Related Article: Moscow Court Sentences Russian Human Rights Activist Oleg Orlov to 2.5 Years in Prison Over Criticism of War on Ukraine During the course of at least three decades, William Blankenship is accused of committing acts of stalking and harassing women and young girls in the counties of Hamilton and Campbell by breaking into their houses and raping them unlawfully. Blankenship, aged 59, received a 50-year prison sentence in Campbell County Circuit Court on Wednesday, part of which will be served concurrently with a 19-year sentence he is already serving in Ohio, as per Cincinnati. Serial Rapist Blankenship Faces Justice Blankenship, the 59-year-old serial rapist, faced the repercussions of his horrible actions in both Ohio and Kentucky over several years in a courtroom scene. In February 2023, reached the end of a legal dispute that originated in 2021 when facing charges of rape and sexual assault from 1987. Between the years 1999 and 2011, Blankenship was responsible for the sexual assault of a mother as well as two children on many times. According to the investigators, the offenses, which were initially detected in Hamilton County and northern Kentucky, spurred them to investigate his background, which ultimately led to more charges and convictions. The prosecution believes that every aspect of his illegal activity extends beyond the cases that were revealed during the trial. The court proceedings disclosed Blankenship's apology to his victims, with some of them in presence during the sentencing in front of Judge Julie Reinhardt Ward. One of the troubling revelations was that, along with the forced rapes, Blankenship was involved in an unlawful sexual relationship with a young teenage girl for ten years, beginning in 1989 when she was only 13. The prosecutors detailed how Blankenship targeted vulnerable victims, specifically focusing those who came from broken homes, according to WLWT. Read Also: Buffalo Supermarket Gunman Payton Gendron Awaits Death Penalty Decision Blankenship Linked to Decades-Old Rape Cases Throughout the investigation, DNA testing was essential in connecting Blankenship to unresolved rape cases spanning more than three decades. Michelle Snodgrass, the Campbell County Commonwealth Prosecutor, has verified that they examined over three decades of unsolved cases to identify any links to Blankenship. The victims, many of whom did not know Blankenship, bravely spoke out during the court hearings, shedding light on the trauma they endured. Two of the six victims were juveniles, with ages ranging from 12 to 14. Similar to the Ohio cases, Blankenship was accused of breaking into Kentucky homes to assault his victims. As Blankenship begins his 50-year sentence in a Kentucky prison, the possibility of parole after 20 years looms. Commonwealth Attorney Snodgrass emphasized the strength of the survivors, commending their courage in coming forward during a different era when sexual assault victims faced additional challenges. The impact of Blankenship's actions was evident as victims recounted difficulties sleeping and trusting others. As the legal chapter comes to a close, the hope is that justice serves as a form of closure for those who have endured years of pain and suffering at the hands of this serial rapist, Fox19 reported Related Article: Kentucky Prison System in Chaos After Prison Guards Caught Having Sex With Inmates, 14 Others Smuggled Drugs Prosecutors said that on Thursday, February 22, a lady from Cleveland, Ohio entered a guilty plea to the charge of aggravated murder of a child that she had left unattended for almost a week while on vacation. An autopsy conducted by the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office determined that the toddler passed away due to starvation and severe dehydration, as per Meaww. Mother Abandons Toddler for Vacation This week, a woman who has been named as Mariah Candelario entered a guilty plea to the charges of aggravated murder and child endangerment in connection with the terrible abandonment and subsequent death of her daughter, Jailyn, who was 16 months old. Due to the unfathomable nature of the crime, both the community and the prosecutors have been left struggling to make sense of the situation. The terrible details came out during the process of the guilty plea, indicating that while Candelario was celebrating a 10-day trip to Detroit and Puerto Rico, her helpless child lay neglected and alone in a Pack-N-Play enclosure. At the same time, Candelario was enjoying her vacation. After further investigation, the medical examiner's office in Cayuhoga County came to the judgment that Jailyn had died as a result of severe dehydration and malnutrition. Those in charge of prosecuting the case expressed their disbelief at the mother's callous behavior, arguing that this case is going to continue to haunt them for many years to come. The photographs that were shot during Candelario's vacation gave the impression that she was happy and carefree. One of the pictures shows her having a good time at a Star Wars theme park, indicating that she was completely unaware of the tragedy that she had left behind in Cleveland. Upon returning home on June 16, 2023, Candelario found Jailyn lifeless, surrounded by filth and soiled blankets. Paramedics and police, unfortunately, pronounced the toddler dead at the scene. The shocking autopsy results led to Candelario's indictment on charges of aggravated murder, murder, felonious assaults, and endangering children, according to Daily Mail. Read Also: Nuclear Weapons Plant Shuts Down Amid Texas Wildfires Kristal Candelario's Serious Charges Dropped in Guilty Plea All of the charges against Candelario, including the two counts of murder and the felony assault charge, were dropped in return for his guilty plea to the charges of aggravated murder and child endangerment. This was an unusual plea agreement. Michael O'Malley, the prosecutor for Cuyahoga County, referred to the conviction as the initial step toward bringing Jailyn one step closer to justice. The attorneys for Candelario's defense, Derek Smith and Patrick Milligan, recognized their client's guilt and mental health issues, but they did not provide any particular information about the emotional toll that the defendant had endured. Meanwhile, there are reports that indicate that this was not the first time that Candelario had left her child alone, which has caused neighbors to express worry over the parenting choices that she has made. During this time, as the community struggles to come to terms with the tragedy, the defense desires to understand and presents the point that Candelario, despite her crimes, should not be seen as a monster. During the sentencing phase, it is expected that additional details on reducing factors surrounding the case will be released. This will throw into clarity the complicated circumstances that led to this heartbreaking tragedy, Express reported Related Article: Arab American Democrats in Michigan Run Successful "Uncommitted" Voter Campaign to Send Message to Biden New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) has filed a lawsuit against JBS Foods, a prominent beef producer, alleging that the company has deceived the public regarding the environmental effects of its products. On the social media network X, which was then known as Twitter, James criticized JBS for making false representations about their dedication to sustainability and for contributing to climate change, as per The Hill. NY Attorney General Targets JBS USA The Attorney General of the State of New York has initiated proceedings against JBS USA, which is known as one of the most popular meat suppliers in the United States. The case says that the corporation engages in misleading environmental practices and engages in fraudulent advertising. According to the accusations made in the complaint, JBS USA participated in greenwashing, which is the practice of taking advantage of the environmental concerns of customers while also allegedly breaking state laws that protect customers from being defrauded. James, the New York attorney general, strongly criticized JBS USA, stating, "JBS USA's environmental greenwashing exploits the pocketbooks of everyday Americans and the promise of a healthy planet for future generations." The lawsuit specifically focuses on the meat company's net-zero commitment, arguing that it is unattainable due to the significant carbon emissions associated with beef production, including methane produced by the animals. JBS USA, a major player in the meat industry with an annual revenue of nearly $80 billion, has faced longstanding criticism from environmental groups. The lawsuit sheds light on the company's climate goals and practices that environmentalists argue have contributed to deforestation in the Amazon rainforest. The accusations have prompted concerns not only within the environmental community but also among lawmakers, according to WSJ. Read Also: Arab American Democrats in Michigan Run Successful "Uncommitted" Voter Campaign to Send Message to Biden JBS USA's Environmental Commitments The legal action comes amid JBS USA's plans for a listing on the New York Stock Exchange, with environmentalists opposing the move. The company's operations, processing over 200,000 cattle, 500,000 hogs, and 45 million chickens weekly, generate substantial revenue, with half of it coming from its US operations. The lawsuit questions the feasibility of JBS USA's net-zero commitment, considering the emissions associated with beef production and alleged links to deforestation. The state's lawsuit alleges violations of consumer protection laws and seeks fines of $5,000 per violation, along with the potential requirement for JBS USA to repay any profits derived from false sustainability claims. Additionally, the lawsuit aims to halt JBS USA's "Net Zero by 2040" campaign, emphasizing the need for transparency and accountability in environmental commitments. The charges were met with a comment from a JBS representative who expressed disagreement with the charges and defended the company's commitment to a sustainable future for agriculture. It is expected that the court procedures would shed insight into the environmental impact of the meat business as well as the responsibilities that corporations carry in accordance with their commitments to sustainability and the promotion of such values, Independent reported. Related Article: Joe Biden to Sign Executive Order Limiting Foreign Access to America's Highly Sensitive Data The French Senate on Wednesday voted in favor of enshrining abortion rights into the country's constitution with 267 in favor and only 50 against. The legislation would now need to receive the approval of a three-fifths majority of both houses that would meet in a joint congress on Mar. 4. In a statement, French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said that the vote marked "huge progress" and was a "protection that we owe to all women." France Votes to Enshrine Abortion Rights Into Constitution He added that the passage of the bill is the recognition of women's right to freely control their bodies. The legislation was quickly discussed following the United States Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, which is a 1973 ruling that secured access to abortion across the American nation. Following the 2022 decision, several U.S. states have passed new legislation to restrict women's access to abortion. A recent local court decision in Alabama also impacted in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures as well. The explanatory introduction to the French president's constitutional law proposal noted that the Supreme Court demonstrated that rights and freedoms are precious to the people but can still be threatened even though they seem to be firmly established, as per EuroNews. The introduction continued to say that that incident was not an isolated event, noting that there have been movements in many nations, including in Europe, that have tried to restrict access to abortion. In 2020, a court ruling in Poland led to a near-total ban on abortion across the country. In France, abortion has been authorized since 1975 when legislation led by then health minister Simone Veil decriminalized the procedure in the first 10 weeks of pregnancy. Since then, the time limit has been extended to 14 weeks and the cost of the procedure has become covered by the national health insurance system. Read Also: France Says They'll Do 'Anything' To Ensure Russian Defeat, Won't Rule Out Ground Forces Prompted by a US Ruling The country's National Assembly, or lower house of parliament, previously endorsed a constitutional change in November last year but the Senate changed the wording. French President Emmanuel Macron last year announced a new legislative proposal to amend the constitution. It was made on Mar. 8, 2023, during an homage to feminist activist Gisele Halimi. In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Macron said that he was committed to making women's freedom to have an abortion irreversible by enshrining it in the constitution. His post was made in celebration of the French Senate's latest decision on the matter, according to CNN. The decision had also received overwhelming support from the French public based on polling. However, it faced criticism from right-wing lawmakers. Supporters of the bill said that constitutionalization would safeguard abortion rights even if an anti-abortion majority were to be voted into office. In support of the decision, Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti said that it is always too late if they wait until a right is threatened to protect it. He added that the freedom of abortion is unlike others because it allows people to decide their future themselves. He noted that women must be allowed to control theirs for democracy to control its destiny, said the New York Times. Related Article: Moscow Court Sentences Russian Human Rights Activist to Prison Over Criticism of War A botched Idaho execution of a five-time murder convict resulted in renewed scrutiny of lethal injection following failed attempts to stick needles into the individual's veins. The execution, if it was successful, would have marked the state's first in the last 12 years and involves one of the longest-serving death row inmates in the United States. Public defenders who were representing the inmate, Thomas Eugene Creech, as well as witnesses, said that officials repeatedly tried to stick needles into each of his limbs before stopping further efforts. Idaho's Botched Execution of Murder Convict With Creech's death warrant set to expire at the end of the day, officials decided to let him return to his cell. The incident marked the state's first attempted execution in more than a decade and the failure was the latest in a series of botched executions across the nation. The majority of the incidents were a result of executioners having difficulties finding the individuals's veins. Amid mounting legal pressure, some states have tried to explore alternatives, including nitrogen gas. Idaho is among the states that have recently approved the use of firing squads to carry out capital punishments, as per the New York Times. Following the failed execution, the inmate's lawyers filed a motion in federal court to halt any further attempts at capital punishment. They also denounced the failures of the Idaho Department of Correction. In a statement, Creech's lawyers said that they were angered but not surprised that the State of Idaho botched the execution of their client on that day. The 73-year-old was convicted of five murders and suspected of several others. He had spent 50 years of his life in prison and was sentenced to death in 1983 in relation to the murder of a fellow inmate, David Jensen, whom Creech attacked with a sock filled with batteries. Read Also: Kentucky Serial Rapist Who Kept 'Child Bride' Sentenced to 50 Years in Prison Renewed Scrutiny of Lethal Injection In January, the sheriff's department in San Bernardino, California, announced that it had solved a 50-year-old cold case. It was where investigators determined Creech was responsible for the murder of a young man named Daniel Walker, according to CNN. The inmate's Wednesday execution proceeded after the United States Supreme Court rejected a series of the inmate's last-minute appeals. The situation comes as executions are considered rare in the state. Since 1976, Idaho has only carried out three as per data from the Death Penalty Information Center. Prior to the execution attempt, the Idaho corrections medical team was confident that they could establish adequate access to the inmate's veins. However, despite eight attempts through multiple limbs and appendages, the execution was stopped. In some instances, the medical team had "an access issue" and at other times, it was able to establish but encountered a "vein quality issue." This made them not confident in their ability to administer the needed chemicals through the IV site. The corrections department said that its death warrant for Creech would expire, adding that it was already considering additional steps. While other medical procedures could allow for the execution, Idaho is mindful of the 8th Amendment's ban on cruel and unusual punishment, said Yahoo News. Related Article: Ohio Mom Leaves Baby Alone in Playpen for 10 Days To Go to Beach While 16-Month-Old Daughter Starves to Death Chad officials reported that several people were killed in the Central African country after a foiled attack on an intelligence agency that was allegedly conducted by members of the opposition Socialist Party Without Borders (PSF). The agency that was targeted was the headquarters of the nation's National State Security Agency (ANSE), which was located in the capital N'Djamena. In a Facebook post on Wednesday, the leader of the PSF party, Yaya Dillo, said that the military had surrounded him as well as others at the party's headquarters. Alleged Attack on Chad Intelligence Agency The local ministry said that law enforcement officers were able to foil the attack "with efficiency" and claimed that the situation was "completely under control." Additionally, the government accused the finance secretary of the opposition party of being responsible for an assassination attempt against the Supreme Court president on Wednesday. It remained unclear whether or not it was a separate incident or whether the court president was in the security agency's office during the assault. Tensions run high in Chad as the nation gears up for presidential elections that are scheduled in May this year, as per CNN. The elections will mark the first of their kind since military leader Gen. Mahamat Idriss Deby took control of the government in 2020 following the death of his father on the battlefield. The government previously warned that it was crucial to highlight that every person who was planning to disrupt the democratic process would be taken to court. Officials did not provide additional details on the total number of casualties that resulted from the latest attack. The recent statement came as authorities promised that they would release the death toll "later on." Netblocks, an internet monitoring firm, said that network data showed there had been a "disruption to internet connectivity" in the nation following the reports of a "deadly attack" in the intelligence agency headquarters. Residents living in N'Djamena reported hearing intense gunfire near the PSF's main office on Wednesday, adding that they observed several military vehicles traveling to the area. One witness also said that the PSF buildings were cordoned off, according to BBC. Read Also: French Senate Votes To Enshrine Abortion Rights Into Constitution Political Battle for Power One of Dillo's colleagues, the PSF's general secretary, said that despite the government's claims, it was their headquarters that came under attack from soldiers. Their members were allegedly trying to retrieve the body of their colleague Ahmed Torabi. The latter was said to have been arrested and shot dead on Tuesday before having his corpse dumped outside the ANSE buildings. The government said that Torabi was the one who had tried to assassinate the president of the Supreme Court. Dillo and the current governing party ruler are cousins and intend to face off against each other in the upcoming elections. Deby had previously pledged to hand over power to an elected government after 18 months. It was a deadline that was not achieved before postponing the election to this year, said Aljazeera. On the other hand, France, which is a former colonial power, has been supporting Deby since the beginning of the transition. The decision raised eyebrows both in and out of the country. The French nation currently has roughly 1,000 troops stationed in Chad that are ordered to fight against jihadist groups across West Africa. Related Article: Australia: 30,000 Residents Ordered to Evacuate Amid 'Catastrophic' Bushfire Threat The mysterious knocking sounds heard for the first time beneath the Atlantic Ocean gave hope of life to the families of those trapped inside the doomed Titan submersible. The Titan was destroyed a few hours into a dive to the Titanic shipwreck on June 18, which took the lives of OceanGate Expeditions CEO Stockton Rush, father and son Shahzada and Suleman Dawood, Hamish Harding, and Paul-Henri Nargeolet. Mystery Banging Sounds Heard in Titanic Submarine US Coast Guard officials revealed that sonar devices had detected tapping sounds from the extensive search area in the North Atlantic Ocean during a frantic and ultimately futile multi-day search for survivors. The search and rescue operation was led by the Royal Canadian Air Force, which recently released the audio of the repetitive knocking sounds to the creators of a new documentary, 'Minute by Minute: The Titan Sub Disaster.' According to The Independent, the documentary, which will air on Channel 5 in the UK on March 6 and 7, will feature rescuers who heard the banging sounds ringing in regular 30-minute intervals. Former Navy submarine Captain Ryan Ramsey said in the documentary that the symmetry between those knockings is very unusual. Ramsey described the sound as rhythmic and said it was like somebody was making that sound. The taps were initially detected at around 11:30 pm on June 20. The US Navy confirmed it had also heard the sound the next morning. International search and rescue teams speculated that the sounds might be survivors knocking on the walls to signal their location when they landed on the Titanic wreck. Furthermore, the US Coast Guard officials described the noises as "inconclusive" and tried to lower hopes that they were a sign of life. The hope of the US Coast Guarded ended as they announced on June 28 that they had retrieved "presumed human remains" from the sea floor near the debris about 1,600 feet. It was later discovered that the sub's carbon fiber hull had collapsed less than two hours after the departure of the support ship, the Polar Prince. The extreme water pressure had killed everyone on board in a matter of milliseconds. Read Also: Beverly Hills: Investigation Underway After Middle-School Students Share AI-Generated Nude Images of Classmates Ex-former OceanGate Director Voiced Safety Concerns Weeks after the disaster, David Lochridge, a former director of marine operations at OceanGate, revealed that he warned in 2018 that taking shortcuts in the company's design would have deadly consequences. Rush, who also died on the Titan, was later discovered to have disregarded safety warnings from passengers, industry experts, and former co-workers. In a wrongful termination complaint, Lochridge claimed that he was met with hostility and denial of access to important papers after discovering multiple problems during a quality inspection process. Related Article: OceanGate Titan Sub Update: US Coast Guard Claims to Recover More Human Remains-Another Public Hearing to Happen The teenage son of GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert, Tyler Boebert, is facing possible felony charges over a series of vehicle break-ins that involved him and a group of other youths taking advantage of stolen credit cards. The 18-year-old was identified as a suspect after being spotted in a gas station surveillance video. At the time, he was with a group of other youths when one of the stolen cards was used for a purchase by someone else. Series of Vehicle Break-Ins Tyler's arrest affidavit noted that he was wearing a hoodie from Shooter's Grill, the restaurant that was once owned by his mother and was also recognized by law enforcement personnel from previous encounters. Additionally, the name of the other person who used the stolen credit card, who officials believe is a juvenile, was redacted. Law enforcement officers in the small western Colorado city of Rifle announced on Tuesday that the suspect was arrested in relation to a recent string of vehicle break-ins as well as property thefts, as per ABC News. They noted that the teenager is facing possible felony charges of criminal possession of identification documents that involve multiple victims and conspiracy to commit a felony. He is also facing more than 15 additional misdemeanor and petty offenses. Read Also: Kentucky Serial Rapist Who Kept 'Child Bride' Sentenced to 50 Years in Prison On Wednesday, Tyler was released after briefly appearing in court by video from prison. He was seen wearing a black-and-white striped uniform. In a statement, defense lawyer Peyton Miller told Magistrate Jill McConaughy that prosecutors had agreed to have the suspect released without bail. Another prosecutor told the defense lawyer that juveniles were suspected of being involved in stealing and using the stolen credit cards. The judge then ordered that the names of any of them be redacted from the affidavit. Series of Legal Challenges The Republican lawmaker released a statement in response to the news about her son's arrest and potential charges. She said, "I love my son Tyler, who has been through some very difficult, public challenges for a young man and the subject of attention that he didn't ask for," according to CBS News. The lawmaker added that her heart was broken to see her child struggling, especially after being provided multiple opportunities to get his life back on track. Boebert continued by saying that his son would take responsibility for his actions and should be held accountable for his poor decisions, just like any other citizen of the United States. Tyler's arrest marks the latest development in a series of legal troubles that the Boeberts have been facing. In January, the Republican representative's ex-husband, Jayson Boebert, was arrested in relation to two separate incidents. Boebert was granted a restraining order last month against Jayson after she accused him of attacking Tyler during a fight on Jan. 9. The series of issues threaten to overshadow the lawmaker's political career and re-election prospects. The Republican herself has a history of trouble with the law, as in 2016, she was arrested after skipping a court-ordered hearing. It was found that she had rolled her truck into a ditch onto a rural road, said Business Insider. Related Article: Ohio Mom Leaves Baby Alone in Playpen for 10 Days To Go to Beach While 16-Month-Old Daughter Starves to Death American fast-food giant Wendy's has sought to quash rumors of implementing surge pricing at its outlets following customer backlash and accusations. The controversy stemmed from comments made by CEO Kirk Tanner during an investor call earlier this month, where he hinted at the possibility of introducing "dynamic pricing" features as part of the company's digital menu board rollout. Wendy's Denies Surge Pricing Plans Dynamic pricing, a strategy commonly associated with ride-sharing services like Uber, involves adjusting prices based on demand, potentially resulting in higher costs for consumers during peak hours. However, Wendy's has moved swiftly to clarify its intentions, asserting that the company has no plans to raise prices during busy periods. "Wendy's will not implement surge pricing, which is the practice of raising prices when demand is highest," the company's spokesperson, Heidi Scheuer, told Fox News Digital. "We didn't use that phrase, nor do we plan to implement that practice." Wendy's emphasized that the purpose of the digital menu boards was to enhance flexibility in promoting featured items and offering discounts, particularly during slower times of the day. "This was misconstrued in some media reports as an intent to raise prices when demand is highest at our restaurants," Scheuer clarified in a statement issued Tuesday. "We have no plans to do that and would not raise prices when our customers are visiting us most." Read Also: McDonald's Accelerating Expansion in China, Set to Open 1,000 New Restaurants Amid Growing Fast Food Demand How Wendy's Addressed Concerns Over 'Dynamic Pricing' Remark The misunderstanding arose from Tanner's mention of "dynamic pricing" during the investor call, which led to backlash and concerns among customers and policymakers alike. "Beginning as early as 2025, we will begin testing a variety of enhanced features on these digital menu boards like dynamic pricing, different offerings in certain parts of the day, AI-enabled menu changes, and suggestive selling based on factors such as weather," Tanner said. Left-wing Senator Elizabeth Warren was among the vocal critics, condemning the potential move as "price gouging plain and simple." Wendy's has sought to assuage these concerns by reiterating its commitment to providing value to customers and maintaining transparent pricing practices. The company emphasized that any future testing of dynamic pricing features would be aimed at benefiting both customers and restaurant staff. "Any features we may test in the future would be designed to benefit our customers and restaurant crew members," the company stated. While dynamic pricing has been successfully implemented in various industries, including airlines and e-commerce, its potential adoption in the fast-food sector has sparked debate and skepticism. Industry analysts have noted the potential risks associated with dynamic pricing, including consumer confusion and backlash. As Wendy's seeks to reassure customers and stakeholders, the incident underscores the importance of clear communication and transparency in implementing pricing changes. Related Article: Wendy's To Copy Uber's Pricing Strategy! Menu Prices Will Soon Change Depending on Consumer Demand Sesame shaobing, a local snack of Beijing Photo: VCG Savory 'shaobing' bread By Li Hang Sesame shaobing, a local snack of Beijing Photo: VCG Last week, an article by CNN spotlighted shaobing, a traditional flatbread in China, as one of the 50 kinds of world's best bread. "Crack into the sesame-seed crust of a shaobing to reveal tender layers that are rich with wheat flavor. Expert shaobing bakers whirl and slap the dough so thin that the finished product has 18 or more layers. The north Chinese flatbread can then be spiked with sweet or savory fillings, from black sesame paste to smoked meat or Sichuan pepper," the article described. Historical memories In China, shaobing is a beloved traditional snack that carries rich regional culture and historical memories. In different regions, shaobing's cooking skills and flavors exhibit diverse characteristics, not only reflecting the local people's lifestyles and culinary traditions, but also serving as important representatives of regional characteristics. From the sweetness of sesame shaobing in Beijing to the duck or lamb shaobing delights, these century-old flatbreads serve as canvases for the rich culinary culture of the country. Historical accounts trace the origins of this kind of snack back to the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220), which has evolved over the centuries to encompass a myriad of varieties. Blended with sesame The love for sesame paste among Beijing locals runs deep to their core. Whenever indulging in hot pot, they insist on dipping them in sesame paste. Even when enjoying pancakes or cold noodles, sesame paste is a necessary accompaniment. This culinary devotion has given birth to a signature Beijing delicacy known as majiang (sesame paste) shaobing. Majiang shaobing is made of wheat flour as the base and filled with sesame paste. They are sprinkled with a layer of sesame seeds on the surface and have multiple layers inside. Nowadays, Majiang shaobing is not only a daily morning meal for the Beijing locals, but also a must-eat local delicacy for visitors to the city. Venturing into the northern regions, the youtiao (fried dough sticks) shaobing is another beloved breakfast staple. Its golden, crispy exterior gives way to a tender interior infused with the delectable crunch of freshly fried dough sticks. Timeless classic In Central China's Henan Province, the ingredients for shaobing are relatively simple, consisting of flour, sesame oil, seasonings, and scallions. Traditional Henan shaobing is baked in wood-fired ovens. With a crisp, flaky texture and the aromatic essence of fresh scallions, this timeless classic embodies the essence of home-cooked comfort and aroma. Zhao, a local Henan resident, told the Global Times that a rustic delicacy can be baked to perfection in traditional wood-fired ovens. However, in time, electric ovens gradually replaced the iconic wood-fired hearths. Shaobing can offer a variety of eating experiences. By accommodating an array of savory fillings, from eggs to ham, vegetables to grilled meats, it will offer a symphony of flavors with every bite. In the northwestern part of China, the tradition of grazing cattle and sheep has thrived for generations. Among the people of the region, cattle and sheep are the most common livestock, with lamb being a staple delicacy in their daily cuisine. The lamb shaobing in the region is supreme, boasting a fragrant, golden crust encasing a succulent lamb filling. Each bite is a blend of crispy exterior and juicy, flavorful meat. Strong aroma In Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu Province, there is a popular saying: "Without duck, there is no feast." The love for ducks among the people of Nanjing has become deeply ingrained in their daily lives. With a long history of duck farming, Nanjing's climate is highly conducive to duck rearing. Consequently, the city boasts a variety of duck-based delicacies, with salted duck being the most renowned. The locals' penchant for duck consumption is also reflected in its traditional methods of shaobing preparations. The duck shaobing of Nanjing tantalizes the senses with its golden, crispy exterior and fragrant, tender interior, utilizing duck fat as the primary cooking oil. The crab shell shaobing is a traditional delicacy of Nanjing, earning its name due to the resemblance to the back shell of a crab both in shape and color. Prepared by frying dough made with partially cooked vegetable oil until it reaches a crispy texture, it is then combined with water dough to form multiple layers. The filling is carefully selected from preserved vegetables and fatty pork, and sprinkled with sesame seeds. Then shaobing is baked in a special large oven, pressed against the oven wall until it is fully cooked and removed. Freshly baked crab shell shaobing emanates a strong aroma even before tasting, and upon biting into it, the layers peel off crisply, leaving a lingering fragrance. Rustic delicacy Caolu shaobing is a rustic delicacy originating from Yangzhou, East China's Jiangsu Province. Cooked with wheat straw as fuel in traditional upright ovens, they are filled with various fillings, boasting a golden hue and a delightful crispiness with a hint of sweetness. For many elderly residents of old Shanghai, scallion shaobing represents more than just a street-side snack; it evokes fond childhood memories. They reminisce about the aroma of scallions wafting through the alleyways of their homes, the long queues at breakfast stalls, and the crispy texture with every bite. True to its name, the main ingredients of scallion shaobing are flour, scallions, and oil. Some vendors also use a combination of lard and vegetable oil to enhance its fragrance. In addition to the specialty shaobing mentioned from both northern and southern areas of China, there are countless other varieties of shaobing, each exuding strong regional characteristics and unique flavors. "Bread is basically what your culture says it is," says Rubel, the author of Bread: A Global History. Shaobing, as "one of the 50 world's best breads," stands not only as a culinary delight, but also as a cultural icon that continues to inspire and delight food enthusiasts worldwide. Florida Health Department officials are warning against alleged "false information" that they claim is being spread by media outlets regarding the state's ongoing measles outbreak. Various reports revealed that at least 10 cases have been recorded in the state, leading some to criticize the department and Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo. This was for urging parental discretion on determining whether or not to keep children home in impacted areas of the state. Florida Health Officials Warn of "False Information" A spokesman for the department then noted to Florida's Voice a few details regarding the current situation in the state. First, at Manatee Bay Elementary, an originally impacted school, roughly 97% of its students have at least one dose of the relevant vaccination for measles, mumps, and rubella, MMR. They also noted that students were being recommended to stay home for up to 21 days if they have no history of infection or vaccination. It was noted that this was the length of time that the measles virus could still be transmitted, as per Florida's Voice News. The statement said that there have been no recorded additional cases at Manatee Bay since Feb. 15. State authorities were said to have been working with the local school to inform parents of the risks as well as the best options that they can take for their own children and family members, whether or not the child is vaccinated. Read Also: West Virginia's Bill for Child Vaccine Religious Exemptions Criticized by Health Experts The Florida Health Department said it was also taking the measles cases very seriously and that investigations into the matter are ongoing despite a recorded high rate of immunity. Ladapo also issued a letter to local parents that sparked media outrage due to the surgeon general's emphasis on parents making the best choice for their child and family. On Feb. 20, he said that given the high immunity rate in the community, the burden on families, and the educational cost of healthy children missing school, they were referring to parents or guardians to make decisions about kids going to school. Guidance To Protect Against Measles The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) gives out typical guidance that tells unvaccinated children who have not yet had measles to isolate for 21 days in the event of a potential exposure at school, according to Fox News. The Florida Department of Health also noted that details of the agency's investigations into the ongoing outbreak are "confidential." It also claimed that many media outlets have been reporting false information and politicizing the current health crisis. A report on Tuesday noted that roughly 30% of students at Manatee Bay Elementary were unvaccinated. A statement by the school board noted that outbreaks were occurring in multiple states and that the national immunization rate for measles is less than 2%. Other medical professionals have expressed their support of measles vaccinations and cautioned against sending unvaccinated kids to school amid an outbreak. A clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center, Dr. Marc Siegel, said that it was extremely important for children to be vaccinated at this point in time, said WFIN. Related Article: Florida Authorities Record 7th Measles Case in Student From Elementary School With Iran's elections set for Friday (March 1), many observers and analysts focus more on the voter turnout and not on the people running for office. Some of the factors as to why Iranians are hesitating to vote include widespread discontent over the country's worsening economy, years of mass protests rocking the country, tensions with the West over the Tehran regime's nuclear program, and its support for Russia's war in Ukraine. Officials have urged people to cast their votes, but no information has been released this year from the state-owned polling center ISPA about expected turnout, which has been a constant feature even in previous elections. CNN reported that there were around 15,000 candidates competing for the 290-seat parliamentary election and 144 for the 88-seat Assembly of Experts, which has the power to appoint the country's Supreme Leader. The current one, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is over 84, which means the incoming Assembly would select his successor if he died during the body's eight-year term. It was previously reported that Iranian opposition figures like imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize winner Nagres Mohammadi - who called the election a "sham" - have urged the public to boycott the elections. Read Also: Nuclear Watchdog Warns of Iran's Capabilities as Uranium Stockpile Grows Low Voter Turnout Expected Both CNN and the Associated Press were able to interview Iranians, most of whom have opted not to participate in the voting. Of the 21 Iranians the AP interviewed, only five said they would vote, while 13 would not. Three others said they were undecided. "If I protest about some shortcoming, many police and security agents will try to stop me," said Amin, a 21-year-old university student who gave only his first name for fear of reprisals. "But if I die from hunger on the corner of one of the main streets, they will show no reaction." Under the law, the parliament has oversight over the executive branch, votes on treaties, and handles other issues. In practice, absolute power in Iran rests with its supreme leader. For the past two decades, hard-liners have controlled the parliament, with some of them often chanting "Death to America" in the chamber. Under parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, a former Revolutionary Guard general who supported a violent crackdown on Iranian university students in 1999, the legislature pushed forward a bill in 2020 that greatly curtailed Iran's cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, UN's nuclear watchdog. The country's situation worsened after 22-year-old Masha Amini died in police custody in 2022, which sparked nationwide protests and called for the overthrow of the theocracy of Iran's clerical rulers. The security crackdown that followed killed over 500 people and detained 22,000 others. Related Article: Hundreds of Activists Boycott Iranian Elections, Cite Rigging for Reason The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has given Boeing 90 days to address quality issues and meet safety standards for its new planes. This comes as reports indicate that the Department of Justice is investigating whether a plane door panel blowout in January violated a prior settlement agreement between Boeing and the United States government. The FAA announced the revised date after a meeting among Whitaker, Boeing CEO David Calhoun, and other senior executives from the firm. Also Read: FAA Boss Vows to Hold Boeing Accountable for Air Safety Violations Ultimatum Amid Investigation In a report by The Guardian, the FAA said on Wednesday, February 28, that the decision was the result of talks with high-ranking officials from Boeing, including CEO Calhoun, which took place at the FAA headquarters in Washington. According to FAA administrator Mike Whitaker, Boeing must make significant, long-lasting modifications. "Making foundational change will require a sustained effort from Boeing's leadership, and we are going to hold them accountable every step of the way," he added. The FAA now scrutinizes production lines at Boeing's plant outside Seattle. The company produces aircraft like the 737 Max 9, which had a door-panel blowout in January. As per the investigators, the fasteners that hold the panel in place were missing after the Alaska Airlines plane was repaired at the Boeing plant. Boeing was able to settle criminal charges after two fatal airline accidents in 2021 owing to a $2.5 billion deferred-prosecution deal. However, the justice department is now investigating if the January door incident violated this deal. Tragically, 346 lives were lost in two separate incidents involving Boeing 737 Max planes, one in Indonesia and the other in Ethiopia. Also Read: Avolon CEO Claims Boeing Making Significant Progress, Argues Other Manufacturers Also Have Quality Issues The Biden Admin claims that Chinese-made cars pose national security risks. Officials stated that could be the case since these vehicles can spy on Americans. U.S. President Joe Biden shared his remarks during a speech on Thursday, Feb. 29. He said that China is very determined to dominate the future of the auto industry across the world. Joe Biden warned that by using its policies, Beijing could flood the U.S. auto market with its vehicles. He added that this poses risks to the national security of the American nation. The U.S. president promised America's people he would not let this happen while he was the leader. Now, an investigation targeting Chinese smart cars will be opened. Biden Admin Claims Chinese Smart Cars Spy on Americans According to CNN's latest report, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced that an investigation into Chinese-made smart cars will be opened. This probe could lead to regulations restricting certain automobile components used in the United States, especially those from China. The investigation reflects the Biden Administration's concerns regarding China's car technologies. Previously, Joe Biden warned that Beijing could exploit charging station connections and navigation data to sabotage infrastructure or collect intelligence. "Connected vehicles from China could collect sensitive data about our citizens and our infrastructure and send this data back to the People's Republic of China (PRC)," said the U.S. president. "These vehicles could be remotely accessed or disabled," he added. China is not the only country that U.S. national officials are concerned about when it comes to connected vehicles. Iran, Venezuela, and Russia could also exploit smart cars to acquire sensitive details of the U.S. Read Also: Biden Admin Urges Supreme Court to Overturn Ruling on Ghost Gun Regulations US DOC Secretary Says Smart Cars Are Like Smartphones US DOC Secretary Gina Raimondo said smart cars are like "smartphones on wheels." Because of this, she believes that these vehicles pose a serious national security risk. "These vehicles are connected to the internet. They collect huge amounts of sensitive data on the drivers," said Raimondo via Yahoo News. She was referring to sensitive details, including biometric information and personal data. Raimondo said that it doesn't take a lot of imagination to see how China could exploit smart cars to gather information at scale. Gina Raimondo stated that data collection is just among the concerns posed by smart cars. She explained that bad actors could also manipulate these advanced vehicles. Related Article: Biden Admin Waters Down Gas Stove Crackdown by Publishing Less Strict Regulations The Gaza Health Ministry said on Thursday, February 29, that more than 30,000 Palestinians had been murdered since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas conflict about five months ago. This follows reports from the local hospital that an assault on a crowd of Palestinians waiting for aid in Gaza City killed scores and injured dozens more. When Israel responded to Hamas' attack on October 7, 2023, with an air, sea, and land operation, its first targets were Gaza City and the remainder of northern Gaza. The area has been devastated due to the prolonged isolation and lack of assistance. According to relief organizations, the sheer number of people in Gaza makes it practically hard to deploy humanitarian supply convoys. An estimated 2 out of every 3 Palestinians in Gaza are at risk of starvation, according to the United Nations. Also Read: Food Aid Reaches North Gaza in First Major Delivery as UN Warns Worsening Starvation Reports of Increased Deaths, Injuries The chief of the nursing department at Shifa Hospital, Dr. Jadallah Shafai, said that 250 people were injured and roughly 50 were murdered, as reported by The Associated Press. He did not specify the total number of affected individuals. The director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, also said that the facility had received at least ten corpses and 160 persons injured. According to Fares Afana, the chief of the ambulance service at Kamal Adwan, doctors who arrived at the site saw bodies lying on the ground. Donkey carts were used to transport some of the injured and deceased to hospitals since there were insufficient ambulances, according to him. The interim director of Al-Awda Hospital, Dr. Mohammad Salha, said that the facility received 90 injured and transported three bodies to Kamal Adwan. He predicted that the death toll would climb. Salha informed them that Al-Awda is mostly inoperable due to a lack of electricity and the fact that the operating room is now functioning on battery power, with just a few hours remaining. The Israeli military has said that it is investigating the mentioned reports. Death Toll Throughout Conflict The Gaza Health Ministry has not yet released an official death toll from the attack, but they have reported that 30,035 Palestinians have been killed and 70,457 injured throughout the conflict, according to Al Jazeera. The report lists women and children as constituting almost two-thirds of the casualties, although it fails to distinguish between civilians and soldiers in its estimates. The ministry, which is under the control of the Hamas-run government, keeps meticulous statistics on fatalities. Historically, its war casualty tolls have been quite consistent with those of the UN, other third-party analysts, and even Israel itself. Also Read: Israel-Hamas Ceasefire: What To Expect If Deal Has Been Reached? Elon Musk boasted about himself not needing therapy. The tech billionaire even said that he wants this fact about him to be put on his gravestone. Using his official X (formerly called Twitter) account, he posted about his opinion. His post quickly went viral, generating over 670,00 views, 17,000 likes, and hundreds of comments. But why is the tech billionaire so proud of not going to any therapy? Elon Musk Boasts Not Needing Therapy According to Gizmodo's latest report, Elon Musk surprised his fans on Wednesday, Feb. 28, by posting about not going to therapy in his entire life. "Put 'Never Went to Therapy' on my gravestone," said Elon Musk via his official X post. He just posted this out of the blue. This is not the first time that the billionaire boasted about not going to therapy. One instance was when X user The Rabbit Hole shared a graph showing how many white and non-white individuals were told by doctors that they have mental health illnesses. The graph from the Pew Research Center focused on individuals based on their political ideology. The majority of people who were very liberal, liberal, and neutral were whites. Meanwhile, the majority of conservatives and very conservatives who have mental health conditions were non-whites. After seeing these details, Elon Musk replied to The Rabbit Hole's X post. "'Never went to therapy.' Please put that on my gravestone," said the tech executive. He didn't actually explain why he's proud about this. But, there were times when Elon Musk shared that he struggled with mental health issues. Read Also: Elon Musk: X Users Who are Unfairly Treated to Receive Financial Help-Billionaire Says There's No Limitation Elon Musk Allegedly Have Mental Health Issues In 2023, some unnamed sources claimed that Elon Musk was taking psychedelic drug ketamine, hinting that the billionaire is suffering from mental health issues. After the controversial report was released, the tech executive confirmed that he's really taking ketamine. However, he clarified that he's using it occasionally. He stated unlike traditional medication for depression, ketamine is a better option based on what his friends told him. This statement already shows that Elon could be experiencing depression. Aside from this, he also described his mind as "a storm." He shared this in a podcast interview with Lex Fridman. Related Article: Elon Musk Is Getting His Own Movie: Billionaire's Biopic Now Being Developed by Indie Studio Prince William was seen on Thursday, Feb. 29, visiting the Western Marble Arch Synagogue in central London to speak with several Jewish community members. According to the BBC, the visit was the first time the Prince of Wales was seen again after he reportedly pulled out of a memorial service commemorating his distant granduncle, the late former King Constantine II of Greece. Constantine was William's godfather and a cousin of Prince Philip, his grandfather - and King Charles III's father. During his visit to the synagogue, William met with Holocaust survivor Renee Salt and spoke to young people. He was told about a rise in antisemitism and its "dehumanizing" effects since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack and Israel's retaliatory military campaign in Gaza. "It's never been like this before," Emma Levy, president of Leeds University's Jewish Society, told the prince. "Our grandparents and parents say the same." Union of Jewish Students head Edward Isaacs also praised William for being an "ally" Read Also: King Charles, Prince William Send Messages of Condolence, Grief to Israeli People Holocaust Survivor Wishes Kate Well During William's conversation with Salt, the Holocaust survivor wished the prince's wife, Catherine, well during her recovery period after undergoing abdominal surgery last month. Kensington Palace made a statement on Tuesday (Feb. 27) that the Princess of Wales is continuing to do well as part of its announcement of William's pulling out of the memorial service for King Constantine. Before leaving, synagogue officials presented a bouquet of flowers to the heir to the British throne which were intended for Catherine. William has been bearing the brunt of all the royal engagements to cover for his father and for his wife. It was previously reported that Charles revealed his cancer diagnosis. Last week, the Prince of Wales took part in a video call with Red Cross staff in Gaza, who gave him graphic firsthand accounts of their work as the war in the strip continued. Related Article: Prince William Weighs In on Israel-Hamas War: 'Too Many Have Been Killed' On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated his determination to achieve Moscow's objectives in Ukraine. He strongly cautioned the Western nations against escalating their involvement in the conflict, emphasizing the significant risk of triggering a global nuclear war. Putin delivered his brazen warning during his State-of-the-Nation Address ahead of the upcoming election he is slated to win. The warning highlights his resolve to escalate tensions in the ongoing struggle with the West to safeguard Russian advancements in Ukraine. The Associated Press revealed in an apparent reference to French President Emmanuel Macron's statement earlier this week that the future deployment of Western ground troops to Ukraine should not be "ruled out," Putin warned that it would lead to "tragic" consequences for the countries. Putin noted that despite accusations of Russia planning to attack NATO allies in Europe, Western nations were actively "identifying targets for hitting our territory" and discussing the potential deployment of a NATO presence in Ukraine. Recalling History: "We remember the fate of those who sent their troop contingents to the territory of our country," the Russian leader said in an apparent allusion to the failed invasions by Napoleon and Hitler. "Now, the consequences for the potential invaders will be far more tragic." According to Reuters, the experienced Kremlin leader dismissed Western ideas that Russian forces might go beyond Ukraine and attack European countries as "nonsense." He also stated Moscow would not repeat the mistake of the Soviet Union and allow the West to "drag" it into an arms race that would devour much of its budget. "Therefore, our task is to develop the defence-industrial complex in such a way as to increase the scientific, technological, and industrial potential of the country," he explained. Putin also expressed Moscow's willingness to engage in discussions on nuclear strategic stability with the United States before concluding his address to say, "...On the eve of the U.S. presidential election, they simply want to show their citizens and everyone else that they still rule the world." (CNN) An intense, long-lasting atmospheric river is moving across California bringing widespread power outages, mudslides and life-threatening flooding as it dumps heavy rain and snow. Follow our live coverage here. This is whats happening: Rare high flood risk persists: A firehose of rain has parked over Southern California, including Los Angeles, worsening flooding on Monday with rain set to linger into Tuesday. The forecast predicts an additional 1 to 3 inches of rain, with up to 6 inches possible in parts of Southern California, according to the National Weather Service Weather Prediction Center. Serious flash and urban flooding are likely to be seen across Los Angeles. Power outage numbers remain high: Strong winds and rain have knocked out power for more than 300,000 customers in California, particularly along the coast, according to the tracking website PowerOutage.us. The majority of outages are across the northern half of the state where winds gusted as high as 100 mph over the past day. At least 1 fatality reported: A man in Yuba City, about 40 miles north of Sacramento, was killed Sunday by a large redwood tree that fell as winds of nearly 50 mph hit the area. Through the investigation, it appeared he was possibly using a ladder to try and clear the tree away from his residence when it fell on him, the Yuba City Police Department said in a statement. The mans identity has not been released. A historic downpour in Los Angeles: The torrential downpour brought an astonishing 6.65 inches of rain since Sunday to downtown Los Angeles, marking the third-wettest two-day stretch the city has seen since January 26, 1956. February is typically the wettest month of the year in Los Angeles, with an average of 3.64 inches of rain in total downtown. Rare rain risk: The Weather Prediction Center issued a rare high risk of excessive rainfall - or a Level 4 of 4 - for more than 16 million people across Southern California on Monday. This includes downtown Los Angeles, Anaheim and Long Beach. In Central and Southern California, widespread rainfall totals of 3 to 6 inches are expected more than a months worth of rain for most areas in several days. Life-threatening landslides and flash flooding expected: An extremely dangerous situation is unfolding Monday morning in the Hollywood Hills area where homes have been evacuated and around the Santa Monica Mountains, the weather service said. A flash flood warning was issued for the Santa Monica Mountains and the Hollywood Hills, with more rain creating the risk of flooding and mudslides. Numerous damaging landslides, flooded roadways, submerged vehicles, and flooded creeks and streams are ongoing, in an area that includes Malibu, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, Brentwood and Burbank, the service said. Storm causes avalanche in Nevada: The same storm system helped cause an avalanche in the Lee Canyon and Mount Charleston areas, northwest of Las Vegas, according to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Lee Canyon has received about a foot of snow in the last 24 hours. Several people were reported missing after the incident but have been found. Multiple mudslides and roads closed in Bel-Air: Heavy rain doused the ritzy Los Angeles community of Bel-Air with more than 11 inches of rain since Sunday afternoon, according to the weather service. Due to the hilly nature of our canyons, there are multiple mudslides and landslides, and tons of debris in our roads. Many of the roads are closed, Bel-Air Association spokesperson Hattie Rogovin told CNN. Storm hinders travel in the mountains: Significant snowfall is burying parts of the Sierra Nevada and Southern Californias mountain ranges, with heavy snow expected through Tuesday afternoon. Heavy, wet snow will reach pass level for some travelers and pose very difficult-to-impossible conditions, according to the National Weather Service. Parts of the Sierras have already recorded more than 2 feet of snow this week, with several more inches coming Tuesday. Some schools closed: All Malibu schools are closed Monday, the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District announced on X, citing road closures and the inability of some staff to get to schools. Several school districts in Santa Barbara County canceled classes due to the severe weather, and Pepperdine University in Malibu canceled in-person classes. Others schools, including California State University Fullerton, switched to remote learning. Two bigger factors are making this worse: Scientists say the broader climate crisis and El Nino are increasing the rainfall and destructive power of this storm. When El Nino has a strong presence in the Pacific Ocean, it can intensify atmospheric river events on the West Coast. Atmospheric river still slamming California This strong type of atmospheric river a long, narrow moisture band that carries saturated air thousands of miles then discharges it like a fire hose is called a Pineapple Express. Its carrying moisture buildup from the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii and walloping the US and Canadian West coasts with heavy rain and snow, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The strongest winds associated with the system have subsided, but there are still gusts up to 50 mph across the higher elevations of Central and Southern California. Wind advisories are in place across Central California and in Orange and San Diego counties Monday morning. The atmospheric river impacting California this week follows another recent storm that drenched most of the state, including Los Angeles, with record rainfall. As the state braced for flooded roadways and swollen rivers, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday declared a state of emergency for Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. Southern California continued to prep for the prolonged impacts of the storm, which parked as it moved onshore, bringing a much longer duration of rain compared to the last storm. Californians can expect to see the worst of the storms impacts through Tuesday, according to the weather service. In Los Angeles, officials urged residents to stay off the roads and stay home, if possible even sending a flash flood emergency alert to phones Sunday evening telling people not to travel due to the dangerous and life-threatening situation. All lanes of Interstate 5 were flooded in San Fernando in Los Angeles County as of late Sunday evening. A flash flood warning in place for western and central Los Angeles County covers more than 2.5 million people. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass signed a declaration of a local emergency Monday, saying it will help the city respond to the storm now and during the recovery. Bass asked residents to follow evacuation orders to help out first responders. We have had to rescue individuals in certain neighborhoods because they did not follow the evacuation orders, Bass said at a news conference Monday. We ask that when notified that you need to evacuate, please do that so you do not end up needing to be rescued. Officials rescued a man Monday who had jumped into the Los Angeles River to save his dog in the fast-moving water, the Los Angeles Fire Department said. A helicopter crew lowered a rescuer into the rain-swollen river, who was able to grab the man and hoist him to safety, officials said. The dog managed to swim safely to the edge of the river and escape the rapids, the department said. The man was taken to a hospital and his dog was taken to a shelter for minor injuries and temporary care. The worst of the storms rainfall is set to slowly expand south throughout Monday, with the threat moving to include more of the San Diego area by the evening. San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria told CNN Monday the city was preparing but the downpour followed another recent storm that sent several feet of water rushing through some streets and prompted hundreds of rescues. Weve seen areas that have not traditionally flooded flood because of the volume of rain in a very short amount of time, he said. These atmospheric rivers are something that probably many of us never even grew up with knowing about, but now theyre sort of ever-present in our lives. Low-lying and flood-prone areas of San Diego were issued an evacuation warning, according to Gloria. The city will likely see somewhere between 2 and 2.5 inches of rain through Tuesday, with some areas potentially getting half an inch of rain per hour, he said. As the rain moved in over San Diego, salvage workers dressed in hazmat suits were traipsing in and out of Louis Edwards San Diego home Monday, cataloging his every possession after nearly everything he owns was destroyed by rain-induced floodwaters that besieged his neighborhood nearly two weeks ago. He said he barely escaped the last storm, having to swim through his front door as water rushed into his home. He climbed onto the roof of his minivan, which he says was only about an inch above water. He doesnt have much to lose this time. I just take one day at a time, he told CNN. Thats all, I cant do no more otherwise than that. Across Los Angeles, damage and evacuations were reported. Two homes in the Studio City area were damaged and nine others were evacuated after debris flow in the area, according to the fire department. In the Encino area, three homes were impacted by debris flow and several people were evacuated, the department said. Debris flows are fast-moving landslides that destroy objects, and can occur during periods of intense rainfall, according to the US Geological Survey. North in Ventura County, the storms dangers began taking shape on Sunday after law enforcement reported several flooded roads, submerged vehicles, rock and mudslides and quickly rising river levels, according to the weather service. In San Bernardino County, three people were rescued after becoming stranded in a tree while trying to cross a flooded road in their vehicle, the San Bernardino County Fire Department said on X Monday morning. Two factors making this storm worse Scientists point to two factors that are increasing the rainfall and destructive power of this weeks storm: the broader climate crisis and El Nino. On top of the global warming trend and ocean temperatures at record highs, a strong El Nino is present in the Pacific a phenomenon that can enhance atmospheric river events on the West Coast. California, which is recovering from a historic megadrought that triggered water restrictions, has seen a deluge of heavy rain and snowstorms since last winter. These dramatic swings between the two extremes extreme drought and high precipitation also known as weather whiplash, is another phenomenon that scientists warn will happen more often on a warming planet in coming decades. CNNs Cindy Von Quednow, Amy Simonson, Christal Hayes, Joe Sutton, Jeffrey Kopp, Tina Burnside, Nouran Salahieh, Allison Chinchar, Caitlin Kaiser, Sara Tonks, Elisa Raffa and meteorologists Mary Gilbert and Brandon Miller contributed to this report. The-CNN-Wire & 2024 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved. On Thursday, a federal judge ruled against a Texas law that would have given police and law enforcement officers the sweeping power to arrest, detain, and deport migrants who are suspected of illegally entering the country. The legal victory is indeed a boon for the Biden administration and a definitive rejection of Republican Gov. Greg Abbott's immigration enforcement effort. US District Judge David Ezra's ruling is a preliminary injunction and pauses the law, which was set to take effect on March 5. It comes as President Joe Biden and his Republican challenger Donald Trump travel to the US-Mexico border to pitch their plans to fix immigration, subsequently taking shots at one another as well. The Texas attorney general's office immediately appealed the ruling via a statement. The ruling puts down Republican claims of an ongoing swarm of immigration along the southern border. Judge Ezra also stated that the law violates the Constitution's supremacy clause, conflicts with federal immigration laws, and may cause harm to US foreign relations and treaty obligations. This is Ezra's second time coming up against Gov. Abbott's border policies after earlier ruling against a floating barrier the state erected in the Rio Grande. "...It Is Not An Excuse To Violate The Constitution" The judge says the law would have allowed Texas to "permanently supersede federal directives" due to a so-called invasion would "amount to nullification of federal law and authority - a notion that is antithetical to the Constitution and has been unequivocally rejected by federal courts since the Civil War," the judge wrote. Opponents of the would-be Texas measure call it the most dramatic attempt by a state to police immigration since 2010 when an Arizona law suggested similarly draconian measures. The Arizona law was partially struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court but some Texas GOP politicians agreed with the gist of it. Judge Ezra wrote in his decision that the law was preempted by the US Supreme Court's decision in the Arizona case, adding that the two laws were very similar. He also rebutted claims floated by state officials that large numbers of illegal border crossings are an invasion, saying such a novel interpretation of the Constitution's invasion clause allowing for the law to stand would, in effect, be like permitting a state to engage in war. "Although some may empathize with Texas officials' claims regarding the federal government's handling of immigration policy, it is not an excuse to violate the Constitution," the judge wrote in a statement. Abbott blamed the influx of migrants on Biden and said "We will not back down in our fight to protect our state - and our nation." "Texas has the right to defend itself because of President Biden's ongoing failure to fulfill his duty to protect our state from the invasion at our southern border," he wrote, noting that he believes the case will ultimately end up before the Supreme Court. Civil rights groups who have sued the state argue that the law, if allowed to stand, could lead to civil rights violations and racial profiling. "With today's decision, the court sent a clear message to Texas: S.B. 4 is unconstitutional and criminalizing Black, Brown, Indigenous, and immigrant communities will not be tolerated," said Jennifer Babaie, director of advocacy and legal services with Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center. Dr. Kevin O'Connor, President Joe Biden's physician, conducted his annual physical and concluded the elder statesman is a "healthy, active, robust, 81-year-old male who remains fit to successfully execute the duties of the presidency." O'Connor revealed that the president is adjusting well to a new device that helps control his sleep apnea and has experienced some hip discomfort but also works out five times per week. The Doctor said in a six-page memo on the president's health following a physical that took Biden to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for more than 2 1/2 hours. His memo added that Biden "feels well, and this year's physical identifies no new concerns." The Associated Press noted Biden would be 86 by the end of a second term, should he win one, making him the oldest president in U.S. history. His latest physical was interestingly identical to his previous one from February last year when O'Connor described Biden as "healthy, vigorous" and "fit" to handle his White House duties. Biden has been heavily scrutinized in the media following public instances of memory loss, gaffes, extended coughing, slow walking, and a recent fall off his bike. Voters remain hesitant and rightfully concerned over his mental well-being should he be reelected, especially given his presidential handlings as of late. The Real Deal or Delusion? Returning to The White House on Sunday, Biden attended an event combatting crime and doubled down on the fabrication that "everything is squared away" and "there is nothing different than last year." He even managed to crack a flat joke about his age and said people think, "I look too young." O'Connor's report disclosed Biden's stiff walking was no worse than last year and was most likely the result of arthritic changes in his spine. He said the president mentioned "some increased left hip discomfort". However, there are no signs of stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's or other similar conditions in what the report called an "extremely detailed neurologic exam." A recent special counsel's report on the investigation into Biden's handling of classified documents does nothing to help his reelection campaign, as it repeatedly disapproved of Biden's memory, calling it "hazy," "fuzzy," "faulty," "poor" and having "significant limitations." It also acknowledged times when Biden could not recall defining milestones in life, such as when his son Beau died or when he served as vice president. Addressing the report's release in an impromptu press conference, Biden said, "My memory is fine" and grew considerably angry as he maintained he did not forget when his son died of brain cancer in 2015. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told the AP that O'Connor was one of a team of 20 medical specialists who helped complete what should have been a simple physical to declare a clean bill of health. When asked why Biden wasn't undergoing a cognitive test as part of the physical, Jean-Pierre insisted Dr. O'Connor and Biden's neurologist "don't believe he needs one." Intel's new programmable chip unit began as a standalone business last year. On Thursday, the company laid out plans for the future and finally gave us its official name, Altera. Intel plans, according to Reuters, to hold a stock offering for Altera within the next two or three years. Intel acquired the business when it bought Altera for $16.7 billion in 2015. The chips can be used for everything from encrypting data to 5G wireless telecommunications equipment. The programmable chips designed by Altera are useful for AI applications and computing tasks that range between purpose-built customer processors designed by cloud computing companies, such as Amazon, and general-use AI chips made by Nvidia. The hardware needed to run AI is fluctuating, according to a statement from Intel. However, the company believes its programmable chips will fill a void in a growing market. "(Programmable chips are) always at the forefront of that innovation cycle and that's our job to stay at the forefront," CEO Sandra Rivera said. "To make it easy to drive these transitions." The market estimate for programmable chips was roughly $8-$10 billion for 2023, but it's not clear how large the opportunity for programmable chips is because no good third-party data exists, Rivera said. "I think it's larger than people realize," she said, and added that's because there are many programmable chips helping at various stages of the "AI workflow." Intel's current line of programmable chips, Agilex, is produced by Intel Foundry, the company's contract manufacturing wing. Intel's CEO declined to say if Intel Foundry will manufacture the Agilex 3 chips but expects Intel will be "treated like customers" and get a "friends and family discount on top." The Continued Effect Of A.I. Artifical Intelligence continues to be at the forefront of discussion in the culture. Late last year, HNGN reported that the drug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteria had been a cause for concern to the international medical community for at least 30 years. However, a new class of antibiotics was discovered by using deep learning AI models. The use of artificial intelligence helped scientists to create the first new antibiotics in 60 years. A deep-learning model was used to predict the mechanisms and potentially toxic nature of each new compound. Deep learning methodology uses artificial neural networks to learn and present information gleaned from data without needing to be programmed to do so. The severity of MRSA infections ranges from skin infections to life-threatening conditions such as pneumonia and bloodstream infections. Israeli Defense Forces fired on a crowd of Palestinians rushing to pull food off an aid convoy in Gaza City on Thursday. Israel has refused to allow any food or medical aid to enter the enclave, starving Palestinians and denying them dire medical help. More than 100 people were killed in the chaos, according to the Associated Press, bringing the death toll since the start of Israel's bombardment to more than 30,000. Israel said many of the dead were trampled in a chaotic stampede for food aid, and delusionally believes troops only fired when they felt endangered by the crowd. Just like a broken record, the abhorrent and violent incident was quickly condemned by Arab countries, and U.S. President Joe Biden feigned concern that it would add to the difficulty of negotiating a ceasefire after being the only one to veto the call for a permanent ceasefire. The AP revealed that the deadly chaos in Gaza City will likely fuel criticism of Israel when it comes to allowing aid in, rather than focusing on a populating of 2.3 million that is purposely being starved by Israel. "We've Been Eating Animal Feed For Two Months " Military officials said the pre-dawn convoy of 30 trucks driving to northern Gaza was met by huge crowds of people trying to grab the aid they were carrying. Dozens of Palestinians were murdered as soldiers fired at them, and some were run over by the trucks as the drivers tried to get away from the barrage of bullets. Israeli troops policing the area supposedly only fired warning shots toward the crowd because "they felt endangered," said Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, Chief Military spokesperson. Kamel Abu Nahel, who was being treated for a gunshot wound at Shifa Hospital, told the AP that he and others went to the distribution point in the middle of the night because they heard there would be a delivery of food. "We've been eating animal feed for two months," he said. Abu Nahel recounted Israeli troops opening fire on the crowd as people pulled boxes of flour and canned goods off the trucks, sending them into a frenzy as they sought shelter under cars. After the shooting stopped, people went back to the trucks, and the soldiers resumed fire. He was shot in the leg and fell over before a truck ran over his leg as it sped off. The increasing alarm over hunger in Gaza continues to fuel pointless international calls for a ceasefire. Mediators want to reach an agreement before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. But all proposals have come to a standstill. Biden had earlier expressed hope that a deal would be reached by Monday. On Thursday, he said that looked unlikely, as he enjoyed an ice cream cone. A somber Yellowstone County courtroom watched surveillance footage Tuesday of a wounded man collapsing in the snow outside of the Colonial apartments. The man in the footage, Troy Chaney, wandered across the east side of the apartment building before falling to the ground. Seconds later, another man approached Chaney and shot him twice, killing him. County prosecuters are accusing Melvin Joseph Pretty On Top of shooting Chaney three times on the night of Dec. 21, 2022, charging him with deliberate homicide and tampering with evidence. The 26-year-olds ongoing trial concluded its third day Wednesday, during which jurors heard testimony from detectives, Pretty On Top and his mother. Pretty On Top is not denying that he shot Chaney. Defense attorneys are arguing that he killed the man while under extreme emotional stress, according to court documents. As such, the defense is arguing that he qualifies for the lesser offense of mitigated deliberate homicide. During his first interviews with police, Pretty On Top told law enforcement he killed Chaney at the insistence of his mother, who stayed with him intermittently at the Colonial. Leading up to Pretty On Tops testimony Wednesday, jurors also heard from Billings Police Department investigators who responded to the shooting, along with witnesses who saw and spoke with Pretty On Top during the hours leading up to his arrest. Those witnesses included Pretty On Tops girlfriend and his family. As much as I love him, said Shelley Runningcrane, grandmother to Pretty On Tops daughter, what he did wasnt right. On Dec. 21, 2022, Chaney was in a parked van on the 2600 block of Third Avenue South, on the east side of the Colonial apartments. Snow covered the ground and temperatures were below freezing. Security footage recovered by BPD and eventually shown to jurors captured a figure approaching the van, and what appeared to be muzzle flash. That same figure then dragged Chaney out of the drivers seat and onto the ground, got into the van and drove away onto Third Avenue South. Chaney stood up, staggered toward the Colonial and then fell. Within minutes, as seen in court, the van returned to the Colonial. Although the footage was not close enough to the scene to clearly reveal the identity of the shooter, it did show him get out of the van and walk up to a limp Chaney. Two more muzzle flashes popped on the security footage, then the shooter kicked Chaney several times. The shooter, identified by several witnesses in court as Pretty On Top, got back in the van and was joined by his girlfriend, who rushed out of the Colonial seconds after the shooting. The two left the area before first responders arrived. Emergency crews transported Chaney to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. He was 48 years old. Montana Chief Medical Examiner Walter Kemp testified during the trial that he determined Chaneys cause of death to be multiple gunshot wounds, with the final bullet striking Chaney in the head. The morning after the shooting, BPD officer Seth Foster searched for Chaneys connections in Billings, which took him to emergency shelters in town. Eventually, he found the car dealer who sold Chaney the van he drove the night he was shot. Chaney, a transient man, planned on eventually trading in the van for a passenger car as he wanted to get to Washington State to see his children, Foster testified. That same morning, Foster found Chaneys van parked near a derelict home and shed along the 200 block of South 31st Street, prompting him to alert his colleagues. BPD SWAT eventually cleared both buildings. They detained several people, one of whom testified in court that Pretty On Top had come into the shed earlier that morning and said hed just shot someone. Police found and arrested Pretty On Top back at the Colonial roughly 24 hours after he shot Chaney. Within a month, county prosecutors charged him with intentionally shooting and killing Chaney, then disposing of the handgun he used to do so. By the time of Pretty On Tops trial, police still had yet to find the gun. BPD Det. Annalisa Jones, one of the investigators assigned to the case, testified in court that Pretty On Top admitted to shooting Chaney with minutes of his first interview with detectives. He never claimed to kill Chaney in defense of himself, or anyone else, Jones testified. In that same interview, Jones said, Pretty On Top told police he shot Chaney because he was trying to take care of his mother inside the Colonial. Specifically, Pretty On Top asked his mom if she wanted him to shoot the man in the van outside the apartment building. His mother told him, yes, Pretty On Top said to detectives. During Jones testimony, county attorney Ed Zink clarified with Jones that during her initial interview with Pretty On Top, he told Jones that he asked his mom if she wanted Pretty On Top to shoot Chaney. The word shoot came from the defendant, Zink asked. Jones confirmed that it did. On Wednesday, Pretty On Tops mother, Mabel Pretty On Top testified that shed ridden in Chaneys van on the night of the shooting, with Chaney dropping her off at the Colonial about an hour before shots were fired. Before Mabel Pretty On Top got out of the van, she said, Chaney wanted an exchange of $5 for drugs and a syringe. The two argued, which ended with Chaney assaulting Mabel, according to her testimony. She told jurors that after getting out of the van, she entered the Colonial and explained the attack to her son. When questioned by defense attorney Joseph Zavatsky as to what exactly she and Melvin Pretty On Top discussed inside the Colonial, Mabel said Melvin asked her if she wanted him to take care of it. She answered that she did. Court ended Wednesday with jurors hearing testimony from Melvin Pretty On Top, where he again acknowledged that he shot and killed Troy Chaney. When questioned by defense attorney Sarah Kottke, Pretty On Top said hed been living at the Colonial for about a year before he was arrested in December 2022. Although unemployed, he said he was allowed room and board by doing odd jobs around the apartment building, such as sweeping the floors and taking out garbage. Though still in custody on a $600,000 bond, he appeared for his trial dressed in a collared shirt and flanked by detention officers. Pretty On Top also testified that he felt obligated to protect his mother, who had a history of abusive relationships, after he saw bruises to her neck that night. Seeing her hurt, Pretty on Top said, made him feel panicked and nervous. He walked outside to speak with Chaney, as seen in surveillance footage, then returned to the Colonial. It was during this time that he asked his mom if she wanted him to shoot Chaney, according to his testimony, with his mom saying that she did. Chaney then went to his room, got a handgun, and went back outside to shoot Chaney. Prosecutor Ed Zink asked Pretty On Top if he was mad at Chaney during that first conversation with him. Pretty On Top answered that he wasnt. Zink asked if Pretty On Top threatened Chaney or told him that he had to leave. Pretty On Top said he didnt. You werent pissed off that this guy had just put hands on your mom? Zink said. No, Pretty On Top answered. Zink also spent a stretch of questions centered on why Pretty On Top decided to shoot Chaney, with Pretty On Top mostly answering that he didnt know. With security footage showing the fatal shooting playing during his testimony, Zink asked what changed occurred that led Pretty On Top to kill Chaney. Me having a gun, Pretty On Top said. Going into Thursday, both the state and defense have rested their cases but have yet to make their final argument to jurors. If convicted of deliberate homicide, Pretty On Top could be sentenced to life in prison. Yellowstone County District Judge Collette B. Davies is overseeing the trial. Marriott International in the Caribbean and Latin America announced today the latest addition to its All-Inclusive by Marriott Bonvoy portfolio with the signing of Marriott Miches Beach, An All-Inclusive Resort, currently the Sunrise Miches Beach Resort in Dominican Republic. Set to undergo a conversion process commencing in the second quarter of 2024, the resort is slated to open its doors under the Marriott Hotels brand in the first quarter of 2025. Nestled on a sprawling 62-acre site in the enchanting locale of Miches, within a 60-minute ride distance of the Punta Cana International Airport, the resort boasts nearly 1,000 feet of pristine beachfront. It will feature 498 rooms, with balconies and terraces, and select accommodations offering private swim-up pools. In recent years, the Miches locality has garnered attention from local and international travellers and tourism companies alike, with numerous branded all-inclusive hotels currently operating or under construction in the destination. Following Marriott Hotels' legacy of elevating the guest experience, the resort will showcase a wide array of amenities, including a spa with more than ten treatment rooms, a retail area, three expansive pools with poolside bars, six restaurants, three pop-up venues, and stylish bars, a serene jacuzzi lounge, approximately 8,600 square feet of indoor meeting space, a vibrant discotheque, and a fully equipped gym. Programming and activity options will be curated following Marriott All-Inclusive standards, ensuring unforgettable experiences for every guest. Following the announcement of the first Marriott All-Inclusive Resort, in Cancun (Mexico) in late 2023 (set to open in March 2024), the Marriott Miches Beach, An All-Inclusive Resort, Dominican Republic, joins a portfolio of worldwide properties debuting into Marriott Hotels All-Inclusive flagship throughout 2024 and 2025, including Marriott Puerto Vallarta, An All-Inclusive Resort and Marriott Djerba, An All-Inclusive Resort - Tunisia. Hotel website Tanguy is a seasoned consultant specializing in hospitality-related capital market projects across the CEE & SEE region. Since joining Cushman & Wakefield in 2021, shortly after graduating from Hotelschool The Hague in the Netherlands, Tanguy has been at the forefront of building real estate strategies. At Cushman & Wakefield, one of the leading real estate service firms, Tanguy collaborates with a network of over 51,000 employees across 400 offices and 70 countries. Gilda Perez-Alvarado surprised some hotel industry vets when she joined Accor last October, becoming its chief strategy officer. She switched from being the Global CEO of hotel broker JLL. In her first media interview since taking the job, Perez-Alvarado talked with Skift about strategy at the Paris-based travel titan, her plans to address the U.S. market more effectively, her new role as CEO of the Orient Express brand, and her outlook for hotel dealmaking. "If we, as hotel companies, fail to take advantage of what's happening in the market right now, shame on us," she said. The interview has been edited for brevity and clarity. Why Accor? Skift: When you were at JLL, you had one of the industry's most glamorous jobs brokering deals for the creme de la creme of hotel investors. Why jump to Accor? Gilda Perez-Alvarado: It's a super fair question. It was the perfect time. I had an amazing 19 years at JLL. Sebastien [Bazin, Accor Chairman & CEO] is really the reason I'm here. If you look at what Accor has been doing over the last 10 years, under his tenure, it has done more innovation than anyone. I like the entrepreneurial mindset here. Accor deals with the same cadre of investors I was dealing with at JLL. So, it seemed like a natural progression. I am bringing an 'owner's mentality' in hospitality real estate investment that can bring a complementary perspective. Gilda Perez-Alvarado has been chief strategy officer of Accor since October 1, 2023. Source: Accor. Hotels' tremendous opportunity Skift: What was something you suspected was true of hotel groups while you were at JLL that proved true after you joined Accor? Perez-Alvarado: At JLL, we were always anticipating secular changes in the industry regarding tech and hospitality adjacencies like branded residential, etc. Read the full article at skift Inc. London Travalyst, the not-for-profit organisation, founded by Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex today welcomes Mastercard and Sabre to its coalition. Mastercard and Sabre join other leading travel and technology brands in the Travalyst coalition including Amadeus, Booking.com, Expedia Group, Google, Skyscanner, Travelport, Trip.com Group, Tripadvisor and Visa. The group, which represents a combined market cap of almost $3tn, aims to bring sustainability information to the mainstream to help people make better travel choices. The addition of Mastercard and Sabre will help accelerate that ambition. Mastercard is a global technology company in the payments industry, with a mission of powering an inclusive, digital economy, where both people and planet prosper. Using secure data and networks, partnerships and passion, Mastercard is focused on partnering across the public, private and social sectors to drive new solutions that combat climate change. Sabre is a leading technology provider to the travel industry, specialising in delivering modern retailing, distribution and fulfilment technology for airlines, hoteliers, agencies and other travel partners around the globe. Sabre is committed to building towards a better tomorrow, enabling responsible travel choices for all. Brad West, Head of Partnerships, Travalyst said, The addition of Mastercard and Sabre aligns with our partnerships strategy and adds further scale to our mission. Bringing a payments technology leader on board, as well as enhancing our presence among key technology providers to the travel industry, means we are strategically poised to deliver on our mission to mainstream sustainability information within the travel industry to help drive change. At Mastercard, we envision a world where each swipe, click or tap provides businesses and consumers with the opportunity to make more sustainable choices, said Chad Wallace, global head of Commercial Solutions, Mastercard. By joining the Travalyst coalition, we can further activate the power of our global network, insights and technologies to empower travellers to better understand the environmental impact of their business and leisure trips. Kristin Hays, Chief Communications and Sustainability Officer, Sabre said, Were committed to taking on the biggest opportunities and solving the most complex challenges in travel, so were thrilled to be joining forces with Travalyst and our peers in the industry to help drive more sustainable travel decisions. Consumers want to travel more sustainably and sustainability is a top priority for the corporate travel industry as well. Travalyst works to deliver clear, consistent and credible sustainability information, at scale, to enable people to make better travel choices. For example, the same flight emissions estimates are now available across the majority of Travalysts partner platforms. The lower-emitting flight is flagged which empowers the person booking travel to select a flight with lower-than-average emissions, reducing the impact of their trip. Providing consistent sustainability information is key to driving travellers trust. Striving to transform the travel industry into a more sustainable one, by providing people with sustainability information, is a shared journey and both Mastercard and Sabre are fully aligned with Travalysts mission. About Travalyst Founded in 2019 by Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, Travalyst is a not-for-profit global coalition of some of the biggest brands in travel and technology: Amadeus, Booking.com, Expedia Group, Google, Mastercard, Sabre, Skyscanner, Travelport, Trip.com Group, Tripadvisor and Visa. Travalyst aims to bring sustainability information to the mainstream to help people make better travel choices. Find out more at www.travalyst.org Booking.com Sustainable Travel Report 2023 - 76% of travellers want to travel more sustainably GBTA Oct 2023 Business Travel Outlook Poll - Sustainability is a priority for the business travel industry with 45% of businesses ramping up investment in 2024 WASHINGTON -- The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) and the Hotel Association of Canada (HAC) announced today that their formal partnership to operate the Green Key Global sustainability certification program in the U.S. and Canada will take effect April 1. In the meantime, hotel properties can continue to sign up for the Green Key sustainability certification program here. HAC created Green Key Global in 1994 to certify hotels environmental sustainability policies and processes, and its certification criteria are aligned with all 17 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The initiative, which provides certifications to hotels around the world, puts hotels through an assessment and audit to measure their performance in areas such as energy and water conservation, land use, hazardous and solid waste management, air quality, and more. The AHLA-HAC partnership is crucial for the industry, as sustainability is increasingly shaping the behavior of leisure, business, and group travelers. Green Key Global programing is designed to give credibility to the sustainability initiatives properties are already undertaking, while equipping them with a plan for continued improvement. The partnership builds on AHLAs Responsible Stay initiative, which underscores AHLA member companies long-standing and growing commitment to energy efficiency, water conservation, waste reduction, and responsible sourcing. This partnership is a gamechanger for the hotel industry in the U.S. and Canada and takes our commitment to sustainability to the next level, said AHLA President & CEO Chip Rogers. Green Key Global provides important third-party validation for hotels sustainability efforts, and it gives sustainability-minded travelers the information they need to choose the lodging options that are right for them. AHLA and HAC will be working together to promote these goals through this important partnership. We are so proud of the commitments hotels are making on the ground as part of this program, said HAC President & CEO Susie Grynol. Establishing a Green Key Global North American standard of sustainability allows more properties to elevate their leadership in this space, and through this partnership, we believe we can make sustainability accessible for all hotels. Hotels can enroll in the Green Key Global sustainability certification program here. About Green Key Global Green Key Global, established in 1994 by the Hotel Association of Canada, is the leading international environmental certification body designed specifically for the hotel and meetings industries. Best-in-class third-party certification programs Green Key Eco-Rating and Green Key Meetings leverage corporate social responsibility and support sustainable initiatives across the industry to benefit the environment and improve fiscal performance. Based on the results of a comprehensive environmental self-assessment, Green Key Global awards lodging facilities a certification rating which is shared with online and business travel agents, destination management and corporate companies. Green Key Global strives to provide tools and resources to assist members in uncovering the value these activities have on a broader environmental, social, and economic level. For more information on Green Key Global: http://www.greenkeyglobal.com/home. About HAC The Hotel Association of Canada is the leading voice of the Canadian Hotel & Lodging industry. For over 110 years, it has worked to enhance the prosperity of the industry through strong member engagement, effective advocacy, and the provision of value-added programs and services. The Hotel Association represents more than 8,200 hotels, motels and resorts that encompass the $20.8 billion Canadian hotel industry which employs over 300,000 people across Canada. For more information, please visit www.hotelassociation.ca. About AHLA The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) is the largest hotel association in America, representing more than 30,000 members from all segments of the industry nationwide including iconic global brands, 80% of all franchised hotels, and the 16 largest hotel companies in the U.S. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., AHLA focuses on strategic advocacy, communications support, and workforce development programs to move the industry forward. Learn more at www.ahla.com. The global luxury travel market is huge, not in the number of guests with substantial buying power but the astonishing level of buying power that these luxury travellers have. The good news for hoteliers targeting those top 5% of guests is that they seem to spending more every year. The global Luxury tourism market had an estimated total revenue of USD 1,308.15 billion in 2022, and is projected to be worth USD 3,023.78 billion by 2032. Aside from these travellers being prepared to spend up to $3000 per night, with the average landing at a comfortable $500 per night according to a Bloomberg MLIV Pulse Survey, they are also taking more than double the number of trips that your regular traveller may take. A study by Resonance found that the top five per cent take 14.3 trips per year (half for business and half for leisure, totalling an average of 29 days per year). U.S. travellers overall take an average of 4.8 trips. One of the biggest benefits of appealing to the luxury market is that while the rest of the world may be affected financially by global events (e.g. covid-19, the Russia-Ukraine War and the cost of living crisis) these most affluent travellers have the wealth to continue to spend despite global economic turmoil. How do you attract this small but lucrative target segment to your property? Step 1: Know Who You Are Talking To The luxury travel industry is fairly complex, with different demographic groups looking for different experiences from their luxury holiday. While they all have significant buying power, marketing to the different guest segments would look quite different. By age group, the market is segregated into Millennials, Generation X, Baby Boomers, and the Silent Generation. Depending on the degree of wealth these types of luxury travellers will spend on travel, products are further segmented into absolute luxury, aspiring luxury and accessible luxury. The absolute luxury segment spends the most and most frequently. However, targeting aspiring and accessible luxury travellers could lead to a significant boost in your bottom line, as they are still frequent travellers who are looking for exceptional experiences in their next destination. Millennials & Aspiring Luxury One significant luxury demographic group are the Millennials, these are travellers between the ages of 28-43 who were born into the age of technology and use it to their advantage. They generally seem to be more active than the Baby Boomers and also seek unique experiences and culturally immersive trips over predictable luxury hotel stays. These travellers tend to seek authenticity and want to become involved in the day-to-day living of the location they are visiting. They are also looking for the most Instagrammable location for their vacation, to be able to share it with friends and family on their social media platforms. While Millennials encompass a large part of the luxury travel market, according to a report by Allied Market Research, Millennials spend $527 a day on a trip which is 62% less than their older counterparts. In line with the findings from the Allied Market Research report, many of the Millennial travellers are often classified as aspiring luxury and newly rich travellers. These moderately wealthy individuals value travel and are willing to part with significant amounts of their disposable income for travel. On average, they take five business and leisure trips annually, which are generally shorter luxury breaks, in comparison to their older counterparts, due to financial constraints. Baby Boomers and Absolute Luxury While there is still significant wealth attributed to the aspiring and accessible luxury travel market there is not much that can compare to the affluence of a small percentage of high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs). However, if you are catering to these guests you will know that they demand opulence, exclusivity, careful curation and innovation. They expect private yachts to remote locations, gastronomic journeys through foreign countries and a private butler to see to their every need. Considering that 20% of over 65s in the UK are HNWIs, and that Baby Boomers control about half of the wealth in the United States (while only accounting for 20% of the population), its not surprising that Baby Boomers had the highest share of the Luxury travel market in 2022 at about 41.57%. These guests are often retired or soon to retire and have the disposable income and time to take extended luxury vacations, and they are generally seasoned travellers and know exactly what they expect from their next holiday. These travellers also have the means to employ someone else to do their research and running around, and they do. When it comes to booking, they often seek the advice of travel agents rather than going it alone online 85% of luxury travellers told Deloitte that the best way to book personalised luxury travel was through a travel advisor. Step 2: Keep Up To Date With Luxury Travel Trends No matter which luxury segment you are marketing to, there are some clear trends across the luxury travel market. One of which is the significant change in consumer behaviour from seeking material possessions to spending disposable income on unique experiences. In 2022, luxury travel took on a new perspective, prioritizing experiences over material possessions. Travellers sought personalized and customized journeys, while also embracing sustainability and responsible travel practices. Global Data Many of these travel trends are not exclusive to luxury travellers, but when done on a luxury budget many of these trends translate into something a lot more enticing and lucrative for property owners. Barefoot Luxury Barefoot luxury can be defined as experiencing comfort, sophistication and luxury in a laid-back environment. Traditional luxury often requires some input from the guest they have to look, dress and act the part of the luxury tourist. Barefoot luxury gives the guest space to truly relax and quite literally let her hair down, while still being treated like a VIP. Its all about embracing comfort and encouraging guests to experience your surroundings while at the same time providing an excellent, exclusive and luxurious experience. Over the years, barefoot luxury has come to be associated with nature and local experiences together with comfort, making it a possibility regardless of where you find yourself. Barefoot luxury requires careful planning to ensure the right balance between authenticity and comfort. Andrea Britt, the co-founder at Secret Getaway summarised it perfectly in an article for IOL Barefoot luxury isnt about being cheap, it is about the immersive experience that guests get to enjoy. These experiences are well out and different to what many have experienced before, she explained. Safari and adventure travel the stereotypical barefoot luxury holiday was the single largest luxury travel segment in 2022, accounting for 34.2% of market share and a revenue of USD 461.65 billion. Other variations on the barefoot luxury theme, such as wellness retreats, are also increasing in popularity. Multigenerational Travel & Grand Gatherings Another two travel trends which have leaked into the luxury travel market include the increase in multigenerational family holidays and the newer concept of Grand Gatherings. Grand Gatherings refer to a large group of travellers who travel together for a special event or function. These groups may be somewhat related, for example, several family units travelling together to create a gathering. Around 40% of the top five per cent of earners planned to take a multigenerational trip in the next year, according to an Altiant survey, and Jack Ezon, founder of Embark Beyond, a luxury travel group focussing on Ultra-HNWIs, told Forbes: Multigenerational travel is still the biggest growth area for us, and has been consistently growing for years. In 2019 multigen experiences grew by 22% and now account for 32% of our transactions and 43% of our overall revenue. In line with the continuous growth of multi-generational and group gathering demand, villa vacations continue to grow with the greatest growth in what we call the mega-villa segment. Families still account for the lion's share of villa sales with about 60% of villa requests. However, a huge emerging market segment accounts for almost 30% of villa demand, and that is small gatherings of non-family constituents. This is one of the most important market phenomena that has emerged from Covid. Embark Travel Trends 2023 report Sustainability Sustainability is a hot topic in all industries, from the revolt against using single-use plastics to increasing scrutiny of the carbon output of delivery and manufacturing processes. Unsurprisingly, consumers are also looking for sustainable ways to travel. Aside from doing your bit for the earth, you will be a more attractive option for many travellers if you have green credentials to flaunt - over 80% of respondents in a Statista survey said that sustainable travel was important to them. A business with a focus on sustainability is a business which actively seeks out engagement with people, community and planet. EHL This may be especially true among those who dont mind spending a little bit more to ease their conscience. Many affluent travellers want to know that their luxurious and extravagant trips are not coming at the expense of the environment and therefore many luxury travellers are searching for eco-conscious travelling. When luxury travel advisory group Virtuoso surveyed their clients, 74% of them said they were willing to pay more to travel sustainably if they know where their moneys going. Post-pandemic sustainable travel has also come to include not only the preservation of the environment but the preservation of cultural heritage and local communities as well. This feeds back into the loop of luxury travellers looking to immersive themselves in a location, and experience all that it has to offer. The upside is that incorporating local cuisine, culturally immersive excursions and embracing the local environment means that much of the influx of wealth via travellers is dispersed into the local community. Sustainability should therefore not simply be seen in terms of once-off changes that can be made or a problem that can be fixed. It requires a long-term commitment to being sustainable. And when sustainability is committed to, it becomes not just a feature that you can advertise to your environmentally conscious clientele, but an investment in your, and your communitys, future. Wellness tourism Wellness is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the hospitality industry, accounting for 476.1 billion in 2022, and predicted to be worth 1.02 trillion by 2030. Travellers across the wealth spectrum appear to agree that travel can be beneficial for mental and physical wellness, and that this is something worth spending time and money on. When they were surveyed in 2022, 44% of Booking.coms users were planning a meditation or mindfulness holiday in the coming year, and 42% wanted a break with a focus on physical or mental health. In 2021, 88% of survey respondents told American Express they believed travel was good for mental health, and 76% said they wanted to spend more on travel that would improve thier wellbeing, and 55% said they would pay more for additional wellness activities. In an Altiant survey, 61% of the top five per cent of earners said that wellness played a major role in their travel plans. Interestingly enough wellness tourism is experiencing many cross-overs with other key luxury niches such as sustainable travel and barefoot luxury as many travellers are foregoing the commercial spas and cookie-cutter retreat centres and rather looking at doing nature immersive experiences and reconnecting with Mother Earth. Luxury retreats that offer mountain hikes, forest bathing, and wild swimming even in cold waters adopting the Wim Hof cold therapy method, will be on the list of high-end travellers looking for a dive into the wild in 2024. Me Time Away Magazine Bleisure/Bluxury Bleisure travellers are those people who mix or combine travelling for business and pleasure some do both at the same time and some go to places for business and then stay for a few days afterwards for a luxury vacation. Bluxury is a similar concept but with the addition of these business and leisure guests seeking absolute luxury. Blesiure travel has been on the increase post-covid. With many employees working remotely or living nomadically, there is no reason to rush home after a work trip, as long as there is sufficient Wifi and other business-related amenities, remote workers are free to stay on and experience the local culture. In addition to this many employers are using travel to bring together teams who work remotely, trying to encourage team morale and communication. Growth in commercial flight bookings exceeded leisure travel for a portion of 2022 and is now recovering in tandem with leisure travel in 2023, up 42% year-over-year-to-date change from 2022 to 2023. Mastercard Economics Institute Staycations A trend that was borne out of necessity during the travel restrictions of 2020, the staycation has evolved into an affordable and convenient way for travellers to get their taste of luxury. Whether they are on a tighter budget than the traditional luxury traveller or if they dont have available time to take a long trip to new destinations you can offer them the same solutions to their problems of needing a rest, feeling pampered and feeling like they are experiencing exclusive luxury and they can do that around the corner from their home. As we have mentioned before, the luxury traveller is looking for an experience, not just a lavish hotel room. With that in mind hoteliers looking to capitalise on the staycation phenomenon need to think outside the box and create the same exclusive experiences that the luxury traveller is seeking but from a different perspective. Place focus on those elements that symbolise luxury vacation in the mind's eye of your guest. When creating your staycation package, look to include a bottle of champagne, an upgrade to a suite, or maybe a cooking class. The idea of a staycation is to get away from day-to-day life. You need to sell your guests on the fact that they can achieve this without travelling to a faraway place. To do this, youll need to create that sense of escape within the grounds of your own hotel. Consider creating a weekly or monthly event schedule focused on movies, music, wellness, and meditation. Step 3: Adjust Your Offerings Offer unique experiences According to MasterCards report on Travel Industry Trends, spending on things increased a measly 12% from 2019 to 2023, while travellers spent 65% more on experiences in the same period. Luxury travellers are looking to spend their money, and lots of it, on unique, once-in-a-lifetime and culturally immersive experiences. It's no longer about fancy hotel rooms and top-of-the-line amenities, these travellers are looking for something unique. Luxury travellers are looking for experiences that are authentic, unique, and personal. Theyre not interested in cookie-cutter vacations or one-size-fits-all solutions. They want something that is tailored specifically for them. Katie Dillon, Editor, La Jolla Mom This trend is not confined to the luxury travel market, in fact, according to a Booking.com study, 73% of respondents are looking forward to experiencing out of comfort zone travel that pushes them to the limit. We can see this in action as some of the larger brands are already taking huge strides in including experiences and not just hotel rooms into their offerings, for example, Marriott launched their first fleet of The Ritz Carlton yachts during the last quarter of 2022, offering a novel way to experience hidden gems and amazing places. In practice: Crafting tailored packages that centre around activities and experiences can be a compelling draw card for these discerning luxury travellers seeking unique adventures. Even if your property doesn't host these activities directly, establishing partnerships with local providers can yield mutually beneficial arrangements. Furthermore, ensuring that your website features a curated list of nearby activities and experiences, along with showcasing them creatively in guest rooms, can elevate the overall guest experience. Equipping your staff with thorough knowledge of the local area and its offerings will also contribute to making guests feel well-cared-for and their needs catered to. Offer authenticity and immersive guest experiences With millennial travellers prioritising discovery and adventure, it's evident that they crave immersive experiences and authentic cultural encounters. Rather than opting for traditional luxury resorts, Millennials are drawn to unconventional experiences such as staying at a Berber camp in Morocco, dog sledging in Norway, or embarking on a helicopter ride over Victoria Falls. Experiential, or immersive, tourism typically attracts travellers seeking in-depth physical enrichment, emotional fulfilment, spiritual awareness, intellectual nourishment, or a combination of these. Future of Luxury Travel In practice: Hoteliers can also strive to create an experience for potential guests online, using creative content and images to tell a story that allows potential guests to immerse themselves in the experience while they are still in the early stages of planning their travel. Creating immersive experiences doesn't necessarily have to see the guest even leave the hotel. You can think of creative and culturally relevant fine dining experiences and sampling locally made spirits or wines. In addition, you can include novel and locally sourced amenities, such as artisanal soaps and naturally occurring flowers in the rooms. Offer Instagrammable moments With the rise in social media popularity and online travel influencers, the industry has seen a rise in guests looking for photographic moments to share online. This coupled with the idea of aspirational living means that many travellers are looking to go to places they've seen the rich and famous travel to, or just to one-up their social media friend circle. According to a report written by The Olinger Group based on a survey of over 1500+ luxury travellers, 77% of them admitted to selecting vacation destination based primarily on social media. They are also hugely impacted by online traveller reviews with 85% of the participants agreeing that they have read online reviews from review sites before booking their luxury trip. In practice: Making sure your hotel is Instagrammable at all times can be a tall ask, but you can start to look at consolidated review data and learn what your guests love most about your property and work to highlight those areas even more. With social media an increasingly important channel for communicating guest preferences and recommendations, hoteliers would do well to focus on features that their guests are speaking most about enhancing these features, without sacrificing other parts of the guest experience which lead to overall guest satisfaction and loyalty. Jonathan Barouch, Local Measure Founder and CEO You can think about creating set photographic locations for your guests, this way you start to control the narrative as to which areas of your hotel are photographed frequently. For the guest, it also takes out the mental effort to decide where to take their photos, and can instead just concentrate on enjoying themselves. Curating these photo-worthy scenes also creates a trend, and potential guests who have seen friends and family or even influencers photographed in a particular location will book their trips around capturing those trending shots. Giving guests novel or creative welcome packages, creative cuisine or unique room decor are just a few examples of how you can help inspire guests to snap pictures in your hotel. You can use your hotel's social media to market your hotel to potential guests, bringing in the idea of FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) marketing. Think of Instagram as an image magazine that people browse through frequently tell them stories to captivate their interest. Share stories about your staff, guests, and locals, and let your guests feel connected to and invested in your property and your location before they have even booked with you. Offer Hyperpersonalisation The luxury traveller expects individual attention privacy and exclusivity. Now more than ever luxury travellers want to feel that they are the only ones around. Think private yachts, private islands, custom tours and private excursions. Often this starts with travel advisors who are there to make guests trips completely tailored and one-of-a-kind. One of the simplest definitions of luxury goes like this: Of course I can do it myself. I dont want to. Travelers want to find somebody that really knows what theyre doing, has great connections, saves time, and has their back. Matthew Upchurch, chairman, Virtuoso Having this ultra-personalisation even before you have embarked on your trip can set the stage for the holiday. Once the luxury traveller has decided on where to go it is important that the accommodation, excursions and added extras all exude the same level of exclusivity. Starwood Hotels, for example, assigns personal assistants to guests who stay with them for 100 nights a year or more, and guests at The Portrait Roma hotel in Rome are invited to make use of their lifestyle team, who are on hand to personalise each guests stay and help them to explore Rome. Dont think you need to offer a personal assistant to achieve a personalised experience, however; proving personalisation is becoming easier and easier with the right technology. In practice: Personalisation can and should start long before a guest arrives at your hotel, and it can begin before a traveller has even decided to book with you with targeted advertising and dynamic website content, websites that adapt to the client's language and show them content based on their location or even search history. Once you have received a booking, you should send guests a pre-stay questionnaire to ask them the questions you need to make their stays memorable. Not only can you ask them the basics (do they have any food allergies or physical special needs), but you can also ask whether they would prefer a mountain or a pool view, which floor they would like to stay on, and which brand of tea you should leave in their rooms. Getting to know key details about your guests before they arrive gives you the opportunity to make them feel even more valued when they check in and discover everything they need is already prepared. Again this can be further enhanced by offering clients the ability to customise their in-room experience through mobile-controlled in-room technology via the use of hotel apps and in-room tablets, think of the guest being able to remotely adjust the temperature of their room before they have even stepped foot inside. A post-stay questionnaire should be a staple in any establishment, but this questionnaire neednt just be used to improve your offerings and guest experience information collected in your post-stay questionnaire can be added to a guest's profile so that, as he or she stays with you more frequently, you can get a fuller picture of their likes and dislikes and make their holidays more specialised and memorable, and you can make your marketing correspondence with them more relevant to their interests. Whether targeting Baby Boomers, Millennials or any other luxury travel demographic, the key lies in offering unique, authentic, and hyper-personalised experiences that resonate with the luxury traveller's desire for exploration, authenticity, and exclusivity. Look at what your property or location has that is unique and tell your story to those potential high-end travellers, let them know what they can do, the images they can capture and how a trip to your hotel can enrich their lives. GuestRevu helps hoteliers worldwide to listen to, learn and earn from their guests by enabling them to leverage the power of guest intelligence to build lasting loyalty and drive revenue. GuestRevu's mission is to give hoteliers tools they can use every day to develop a guest-centric culture in their hotels, enhance guest experience, optimise operations, and ultimately, to drive revenue using online surveys and reputation management. With their headquarters in the UK, GuestRevu is a TripAdvisor Platinum Review Collection Partner. For more information please visit www.guestrevu.com To the left: Grant Healy, Chief Executive Officer Conduit House. To the right: Oliver Bonke, Chief Executive Officer H World International To the left: Grant Healy, Chief Executive Officer Conduit House. To the right: Oliver Bonke, Chief Executive Officer H World International Deutsche Hospitality is rebranding to H World International to drive the expansion of its ownership group, H World, outside of China. All of H World International's brands will be part of the H Rewards global loyalty program and online booking platform. The brand family includes Steigenberger Icons, Steigenberger Porsche Design Hotels, Steigenberger Hotels & Resorts, Jaz in the City, House of Beats, IntercityHotel, Maxx and Zleep Hotels. New to the international brand family is Ji Hotel, one of H World China's fastest-growing midscale brands with the recently opened Ji Hotel Orchard Singapore as the first of its kind outside of China. "The rebranding to H World International is ushering in a new chapter of international growth, complementing our vast presence in China", says Jin Hui, CEO of H World. "It is an important step towards our goal to become a world-class global hotel group, with one global team." Oliver Bonke will serve as CEO H World International alongside the established executive leadership team of the former Deutsche Hospitality. Oliver Bonke and Choon Wah Wong, CFO H World International, will remain Managing Directors of the Steigenberger Hotels GmbH. H World International includes Europe, Middle East, India & Africa (MEIA), as well as Asia Pacific (APAC). "We are excited to bring all of our distinctive brands to key global markets. With our compelling value proposition for owners and investors, we will be able to offer our employees career opportunities across the globe and 218 million H Rewards members more choice - an even more attractive hotel portfolio, in more destinations, and across more brands", says Oliver Bonke. Joint venture with Conduit House To kick-start its growth in APAC, H World International has entered into a joint venture with Conduit House, a fully integrated hotel operator and hospitality asset manager in Asia, for pre-opening support, technical services and operations. Bonke continues: "We are encouraged by the prospects of partnering with Conduit House, which is run by industry veterans Grant Healy and Achim Lenders whose Asian expertise, relationships and networks will be hugely beneficial for our ambitious growth plans." Five new signings across H World International's growth regions H World International just signed an agreement with Tantakitt Company Limited for the Montien Surawong Bangkok, a Steigenberger Hotel. Having recently finished a complete renovation, it will be the first Steigenberger hotel in Thailand and carry the brand as of July this year. The legendary and stylish hotel offers 475 rooms, combining timeless Thai style with a contemporary attitude. Furthermore, an agreement was signed with Tai Xiang International Co., Ltd. for the Maxx Huay Yai Villa, Pattaya, Thailand comprising 108 spacious, state-of-the-art villas and with an expected opening towards the end of 2025. In the MEIA region, the company recently signed an agreement for the new build Steigenberger Resort Byoum Lakeside in Egypt, adding to the existing 16 Steigenberger Resorts in the country. The hotel features 90 luxury rooms and is located about 90 kilometers southwest of Cairo, close to Qarun Lake. It is expected to open in late 2025. Earlier this month, H World International announced the opening of the IntercityHotel Bawshar in Muscat, Oman the fourth IntercityHotel in Oman and sixth in MEIA overall. In Europe, the Steigenberger Hotels & Resorts brand announced the addition of the renovated and historical Bielefelder Hof in Germany. Furthermore, the economy brand Zleep Hotels, of Danish origin, is on the rise with openings in Horsens, Denmark as well as Lausanne and Zurich, Switzerland. Agreements for two further Zleep Hotels were recently signed for the Zleep Hotel Bern, set to open in late 2025, and the Zleep Hotel Goppingen in Southern Germany, which is expected to open in 2026. Montanas Public Service Commission is being asked to draw up rules for evaluating climate change risks created by utilities they regulate. In a Wednesday filing, authored by several conservation groups and businesses, commissioners were asked to bring their rules into compliance with Montanans constitutional right to a clean and healthful environment. The petition for rulemaking on evaluating climate risks comes seven months after a state District Court ruled that Montanas government should be evaluating climate risks as part its environmental review before issuing permits. The petitioners included the Montana Environmental Information Center, Bridger Bowl, Families for a Livable Climate, and the Montana Chapter of American Pediatrics. If the commission opts not to create rules for evaluating climate risks, then the issue would advance to court, said attorney Jenny Harbine of EarthJustice, though she expects its probable the commission will act. Were really optimistic that the Commission will, will implement its constitutional obligations to maintain and improve the clean and healthful environment, including unhealthy climates for Montanans, Harbine said. And so, we're hoping we don't have to cross that bridge. If the commission decides not to abide by those constitutional obligations, it certainly subjects itself to legal arguments that it acted unlawfully. Climate change has been a part of utility matters before the PSC for several years, as intervening parties argued that utility investments in fossil fuel-burning power plants created economic and environmental risks for customers. But those concerns have mostly been dismissed. In April NorthWestern Energys vice president of supply and Montana government affairs, John Hines, testified before the PSC that NorthWesterns carbon emissions were inconsequential to climate change. There has been interest among commissioners to take up permitting authority for power plants. Specifically, Commissioner Randy Pinocci suggested that the PSC, not the Department of Environmental Quality, should be permitting power plants. However, Pinoccis interest was more in getting power plants permitted, not assessing climate risks. The commissioner from Sun River had suggested on more than one occasion that carbon emissions werent concerning, at one point likening the risk presented by power plant emissions to bubbles in carbonated drinks. The Mozart Prague Hotel The Mozart Prague Hotel Accor and Courbet, chaired by Jean-Francois Ott, today announced an agreement that will see Accor assume management of The Mozart Prague hotel. Following an extensive renovation, the iconic hotel will join the Sofitel Legend brand, a collection of historic luxury hotels. This decision is supportive of Courbet's strategy to forge partnerships with leaders in the global hotel industry for the management of its hotel portfolio, and also aligns with Accor's global development strategy, which includes targeted expansion for Sofitel Legend as well as continued growth of its other luxury and lifestyle brands. The Mozart Prague is owned by the Courbet group and has been part of the Ott family heritage since 1999. The iconic hotel sits in the Old Town district in the heart of the Czech capital and is well-located at the base of the Charles Bridge with picturesque views of Prague Castle. The Hotel dates back to the 17th century and has a rich history, having hosted numerous celebrities such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Wagner, and more recently Vaclav Havel. Sofitel Legend Drawing on its rich historical and cultural heritage, The Mozart Prague hotel perfectly embodies Sofitel Legend's spirit and DNA. The exclusive portfolio of unparalleled Sofitel Legend destinations is part of Sofitel, the only luxury hotel brand of French origin to have expanded internationally, which advocates hospitality that blends heartfelt, genuine, and committed luxury with a French zest. The addition of The Mozart Prague hotel to Sofitel Legend will make it the seventh jewel in the brand's unique and exclusive portfolio of luxury establishments. The Sofitel Legend brand comprises iconic hotels appreciated for their timeless elegance, bearing witness to historical moments that have created unique atmospheres that tell stories of the past. From the writing of Agatha Christie's masterpiece "Death on the Nile" to Charlie Chaplin and Paulette Godard's honeymoon, and even the birth of James Bond, The Mozart Prague joins this select network to share the story of where Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart wrote six German dances. The hotel will be the second Sofitel Legend in Europe, joining the ranks of Sofitel Legend The Grand in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Worldwide, other hotels in the brand's portfolio include Sofitel Legend Old Cataract in Aswan, Egypt; Sofitel Legend Casco Viejo in Panama City, Panama; Sofitel Legend Santa Clara in Cartagena, Colombia; Sofitel Legend The Metropole in Hanoi, Vietnam; and Sofitel Legend People's Grand in Xi'an, China. The hotel will offer another perspective of the city of Prague: an elegant city, steeped in its past and culture. Official opening expected 2027 The hotel will undergo an ambitious renovation program with Ivo Nahalka, a renowned Prague architect, to meet the standards of the Sofitel Legend brand. Further enhancing the luxury experience at the hotel will be a new restaurant featuring a globally recognized brand. Throughout the entire revitalization process, an exacting and careful approach will be taken with the famed hotel's majestic exteriors, which will be honored and respected. Indeed, The Mozart Prague hotel is an emblematic building with a unique history and connection to the city of Prague and its heritage. Until the start of the refurbishment works, The Mozart Prague will be managed by Accor under a white label and will retain its existing signage. Once the renovation activity is complete, expected in 2027, the hotel will reopen as the Sofitel Legend The Mozart Prague. Advertisement The Accor group and Sofitel Legend emerged as the clear choice for management of The Mozart Prague hotel. More specifically, the Sofitel Legend brand perfectly aligns with the authenticity of the location, steeped in history and refinement, and has the experience and global standing to help preserve the original soul of this incredible building. Jean-Francois Ott, President of Courbet, explains: "Prague is my heart's city. I bought my first building there in 1990 with all my savings. I settled there, built my life, and started a family. I love this city, respect it, and cherish it. I have owned The Mozart Prague for 25 years, and it was important for me to choose the best partner to entrust the management of this hotel. Accor fought for it and genuinely wanted it. Our common values of seeking authenticity, preserving history, and promoting local culture confirmed our desire to move forward with the Sofitel Legend brand." Maud Bailly, CEO of Sofitel Legend, Sofitel, MGallery, and Emblems adds: "The Mozart Prague perfectly complements our mosaic of carefully selected unique destinations and allows us to add a hotel in this European city with an incredibly rich architectural and artistic heritage. More than just hotels, these living legends resonate with whispered secrets, authentic encounters, and extraordinary stories that are written every day. We will be able to offer our clientele committed luxury, with a hotel rooted in its local culture that celebrates its destination." Courbet was advised by Wingate in Paris and by J&T Bank in Prague, the historic bank of The Mozart Prague. Aerial view of the beachfront site for Pullman Mactan Cebu Hotel & Residences Signing of Pullman Mactan Cebu Hotel & Residences (from left): Accor - Chris Cho, Vice President Development, Singapore, Philippines, Japan, Korea, and Maldives; C9 Hotelworks - Bill Barnett, Managing Director; Tytans Properties Development - Gerard Tan, Chairman; Daphne A. Lagon, Board Member Congresswoman; Cong Sonny Lagon, President; Accor - Andrew Langdon, Chief Development Officer, Asia; Kash Salvador, Director of Development, Philippines Accor Partners with Tytans Properties Development to Develop World's Largest Pullman in Cebu Accor continues its expansion in the Philippines with the signing of Pullman Mactan Cebu Hotel & Residences, which is set to become the world's largest Pullman property. The signing of the beachfront destination represents a milestone for mixed-use lifestyle real estate in the Philippines, as a new generation of integrated resorts emerges in Mactan, Cebu. Scheduled to commence construction in 2025 and welcome its first guests in 2028, the new-build development will feature 200 stylish guest rooms and suites alongside 900 branded residences, making this the most significant branded residential community in the Philippines. The development will consist of three towers, each topped with a penthouse. Guests and residents will enjoy state-of-the-art amenities and full-service facilities, including world-class restaurants, contemporary lounges, collaborative leisure zones and forward-thinking corporate spaces. Pullman Mactan Cebu Hotel & Residences is being developed by Tytans Properties Development and will be managed by Accor, under the pioneering Pullman brand, renowned for its trendsetting concepts. Pullman offers the ultimate playground for modern travellers and today's new entrepreneurs, blending immersive design with progressive hospitality to inspire minds and energize bodies. Following closely in the footsteps of the exceptionally well-received Pullman Residences in Singapore, set to open in 2024, Pullman Mactan Cebu Hotel & Residences is poised to set a new standard for branded residences in the Philippines, offering unparalleled living experiences. Accor's branded residential properties are supported by Accor One Living, the group's industry-first, mixed-use platform focused on supporting the development and operation of branded residential communities. Through Accor One Living, homeowners, guests, and partners are connected to Accor's diverse ecosystem of brands, expertise, and solutions, fostering a continuous stream of new opportunities to live, work, and play. The signing of Pullman Mactan Cebu Hotel & Residences was announced during a ceremony in Mactan, Cebu on Monday 26th February 2024, attended by senior executives from Tytans Properties Development and Accor. Mr. Gerard Tan, Chairman of Tytans Properties Development, said, "This is a proud moment for our company. Pullman is one of the most iconic brands in the global travel industry, with a reputation for leading the premium hospitality segment. This makes it the perfect partner for our landmark property, which is one of the largest of its kind in the Philippines and indeed the world. We look forward to working with our esteemed partners at Accor as we bring this important project to life," Tan said. Advertisement Commenting on the signing of Pullman Mactan Cebu Hotel & Residences, Mr. Garth Simmons, Chief Operating Officer of Accor, Asia, said, "We are delighted to partner with Tytans Properties Development on this outstanding project that demonstrates Accor's confidence in and commitment to the promising potential of the Philippines. Cebu City, with its distinctive blend of urban vibrancy and coastal charm, presents an ideal locale to cater to diverse markets. Pullman Mactan Cebu Hotel & Residences will attract a wide variety of homeowners and guests, from leisure enthusiasts to corporate travellers seeking extended stays. This project is poised to redefine premium living and hospitality experiences in Cebu," Simmons said. C9 Hotelworks, a leading hospitality and real estate consultancy firm, has identified a trend towards branded residences in the Philippines. Its Managing Director Mr. Bill Barnett, said, "This shift, which is attributed to attractive investment yields offered by management programs, coupled with a rising demand for residential-type units, is reshaping lifestyle preferences in the post-pandemic landscape. Hotel branded residences are redefining luxury living in the Philippines, and I expect this momentum to be sustained, driving the evolution of the country's property market in the coming years," he said. Accor is the leading international hotel operator in the Philippines with an existing network of 12 hotels and resorts, and a committed pipeline of 15 properties across the country. Accor currently operates over 150 Pullman properties globally with an additional 50+ properties in the brand's development pipeline. With its extensive inventory, Pullman Mactan Cebu Hotel & Residences will provide a major boost to the brand's footprint in Asia. Visuals have long played a significant role in the advertisement of travel destinations. During the 1930s, travel advertising posters were booming in the hope of stimulating the depression-era economy. Visuals have long played a significant role in the advertisement of travel destinations. During the 1930s, travel advertising posters were booming in the hope of stimulating the depression-era economy (see some examples by clicking on the previous link). Actors like railway companies hired famous artists to create those posters. One noticeable example is the set of posters created by Salvador Dali for the French railway company. One of the objectives of the travel advertising posters was to allow potential customers to project the destination thanks to the emotions that one can encounter when looking at visual representations. Nowadays, travel advertising posters have been replaced mainly by digital pictures and videos. Still, it is worth noticing that the creators of todays visual representations of travel are also very different from artists such as Dali. Indeed, thanks to social media and streaming platforms, pictures and videos are ubiquitous in our lives. Consequently, creating visual representations, including ones for traveling, is no longer proper for artists or advertisement experts but is within the reach of anyone with a social media account and smartphone. Thus, we have witnessed in the past years a democratization of visual representation creators in travel, a trend that will keep unfolding in the coming years. However, before exploring how travel actors, such as hotels and guests, reinforce this trend and understanding why it will keep shaping the hospitality and tourism industry going forward, lets review some general facts and figures that explain why digital visuals remain prevalent. Travel marketing: Facts and figures First, according to DataReportals Digital 2023 April Global Statshot Report, 4.8 billion people use social media, which nearly represents two-thirds of the world population, and this number is expected to keep increasing by 2025. Almost 2.5 billion use Instagram, and over 2 billion use TikToktwo well-known platforms for users who post pictures or videos of their holidays. Similarly, 81% of small and medium-sized companies have social media accounts. Second, according to a survey conducted in the US in 2019, not only Millennials or GenZ use social media. Indeed, among US adults aged between 50 and 64 years, 68% of them recognize using Facebook, and 23% Instagram. The age group that spends the most time on social media is the 16 to 24-year-old group, followed by 25 to 34-year-olds. They respectively spend 3 hours and 11 minutes for females/2 hours and 46 minutes for males and 2 hours and 56 minutes for females/2 hours and 42 minutes for males. Third, according to the Digital 2023 Global Overview Report, when taking all social media platforms together, 21.3% of users recognize being on social media platforms to post things about their lives, and 20.8% for following celebrities and influencers. Those percentages are even higher when analyzing social media platforms dedicated to pictures and videos. Moreover, when comparing all platforms, 44.9% of users follow friends, family, or other people they know, and 25% of accounts are dedicated to restaurants, chefs, or food personalities. When focusing on Instagram, the #travel tag is the thirteenth most popular hashtag of all time, with 662,100,000 posts. Those numbers indicate how mainstream social media platforms are in our daily lives. Moreover, they represent many opportunities for the hospitality and travel industry actors, as they allow them to multiply marketing channels. Indeed, the rise of social media platforms has allowed anyone to create visual representations of travel and become Dali. So, the different actors in the industry need to capitalize on the opportunities that represent online content, whether from social media users or influencers. The role of influencers within the hospitality industry Influencers in the hospitality industry are social media personalities who create online content related to their travels, such as about the hotels they stay in. They usually have a lot of followers on social media platforms like Instagram or TikTok. In exchange for a complimentary stay (or other services) and sometimes money, influencers promote the hotel by posting pictures and videos on their social media platforms. Working with influencers is now part of the hotel's marketing strategy to reach a larger audience and increase visibility. Based on a study of more than 4,700 travel influencers and 325 hotels, cruises, and other travel companies conducted in 2023, travel creators averaged 170,944 impressions (the number of time an online content is shown to any users) from the content they made per partnership and generated on average 16,921 likes and 913 comments per brand deal. However, there are downsides, such as the lack of control over the online content posted as the hotel hands over its brand reputation to the influencers, and the lack of authenticity as followers may sometimes feel that the content is forced or insincere, which can negatively impact the reputation of the hotel. To overcome those issues, some social media agencies (companies that connect hotels and influencers), such as Roundabout, have focused on developing niche creators that can convey the right image and values expected by specific hotels or restaurants. Some companies have developed specific marketing campaigns based on influencers. Pan Pacific Hotels Group has launched a global influencer social media marketing campaign titled #YoursToDiscover. This campaign features international content creators showcasing the Group's experiences, with guests using discovery dollars from the Groups loyalty program to enjoy the hotels and local attractions. The campaign aims to inspire travelers to plan holidays. Content created by collaborators will be shared on the brands' social profiles, each reflecting the brand's essence. Additionally, there's a social contest inviting travelers to participate, where they can win 1,000 discovery dollars (equivalent to US$1 each) to use across the three brands. Marriott is assembling a team of expert global creators skilled in budget travel. The hotel chain has initiated a new effort within its Bonvoy rewards program, TikTok Travel Tribe. This group of influencers specializes in engaging young explorers through brief social media videos. The potential of user-generated content User-generated content (UGC) has emerged as the new panacea for marketing strategy as it improves performance on every digital marketing channel. Indeed, people spend 90% more time on websites that have user-generated content galleries. Furthermore, social campaigns featuring user-generated content see a 50% increase in engagement, and ads with user-generated content generate click-through rates that are five time higher. Even better, 50% of consumers find UGC more memorable than brand-produced content, and 53% of millennials say user-generated content has influenced their purchasing decisions. Moreover, hotels have started to embrace the potential of social media platforms by allowing users to tag them, for example, or to be displayed as a location. Some hotels have even developed an entire online campaign based on user-generated content. The Red Carnation Hotel Collection has capitalized on the consumer desire for authenticity by introducing user-generated content throughout the customer journey. Doing so gives potential guests more transparency as user-generated content accurately reflects their properties and Instagrammable hotspots that professional photographers may overlook. Moreover, when they see guests taking pictures or selfies, employees are encouraged to offer to help with taking the photo. This allows them to inform the guests of the brand hashtag and social channels to tag. Ultimately, it results in photos that increase engagement at lower costs. Last year, the Ritz London even published a blog post on its website about a selection of the most Instagrammable spots at the Ritz London to find obscure hidden gems & stunning hotel photography opportunities. Pictures of the afternoon tea or the magnificent staircase were displayed to inspire customers to take pictures, selfies, or videos of those spots to create user-generated content. There is no doubt that visuals will remain essential for the hotel and tourism industry. However, actors should be aware of the shift towards organic online content creation and develop marketing strategies accordingly. To conclude this section, we suggest essential takeaways related to the prevalence of visuals in hospitality and travel industry marketing that the different actors should focus on in the coming months and years should they wish to keep making the best of this ongoing trend. Key takeaways to create a top-level hospitality and travel marketing Influencers will ask for more than complimentary stays or services "The emotional value that people put into travel is so high that travel companies haven't had to pay out creator fees, instead offering free stays or experiences, but I do expect that to change as more creators tap into affiliate marketing," Tim Morgan, Jerne co-founder and CEO said. "We might see them roll that concept into the deliverables for companies because they'll be able to make money from that long after the trip." Stricter regulations concerning influencers content Authorities have issued new regulations to regulate better influencers' work online, such as France, which requires hotels to be up-to-date should they wish to avoid issues like the one faced by the Savoy hotel in London last year. Influencers have the power to shape the hotel and tourism industry Influencers may use their visibility not only for the profit of those who hired their service but also to raise issues regarding the lack of inclusivity in the industry. The growing importance of user-generated content when searching online During the Google I/O 2023 developer conference, Google announced one significant update for the travel industry: introducing the "Perspectives" filter in Google Search. This filter, appearing at the top of search results, will be beneficial for queries related to travel. It allows users to access various content types, including blog posts, Q&A threads, images, and videos from TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, Reddit, Quora, and Twitter. This feature is mainly aimed at increasing the visibility of content from influencers and traveler reviews, and it includes details about content creators, such as their names, profile photos, and popularity metrics. The move is a response to the growing trend of younger generations using platforms like TikTok and Instagram for search purposes. Google's "Perspectives" filter is an evolution of an earlier concept aimed at providing diverse insights for understanding news stories. Better integrate user-generated content throughout the customer journey Hotels should integrate user-generated content into all of their usual marketing channels, from the hotel website to the confirmation email. Hoteliers should get inspired by companies such as The Red Carnation Hotel Collection, which displays user-generated content at the bottom of its webpage. Design instagrammable hot-spots Hotels should develop Instagrammable hot spots, focusing on breathtaking views, specific architecture, or signature dishes. For example, McDonalds was recently crowned the most Instagrammable fast-food chain in the US. In the ever-evolving landscape of hospitality and travel marketing, the role of visual content has become paramount. As we have explored, this shift from traditional artist-created travel posters to the current era of digital content and social media influence marks a significant transformation in how travel experiences are marketed and perceived. The democratization of content creation, enabled by platforms like Instagram and TikTok, has led to a surge in user-generated content and influencer marketing, offering new avenues for engagement and brand promotion that hospitality actors absolutely need to keep integrating in their marketing strategy. Lionel Saul - Research Assistant & Visiting Lecturer at EHL Hospitality Business School. Connect with Lionel on LinkedIn. This article originally appeared on EHL Insights. Hudson, NY (12534) Today Partly cloudy. High 47F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Mostly cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. A few flurries are possible. Low 32F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Livestreams Live! August Burns Red celebrates with their global fans Livestreams may have lost their pandemic luster, but they still have value, as indie metal rocker August Burns proved with a 20-year anniversary concert streamed to their global fanbase via Singles pay-per-view platform alongside exclusive merch deals via Shopify. from Single.xyz Celebrating 2 Decades of Metal with a Momentous Show Heavy metal titans August Burns Red recently celebrated their 20th anniversary as a band with a special concert at the renowned Stage AE in Pittsburgh, PA. To make this milestone event accessible to fans worldwide, they decided to livestream the show directly within their Shopify store using Singles pay-per-view platform. Capturing a Major Milestone for Global Fans Given their 20 year milestone, August Burns Red wanted to capture audio and multi-cam video of the celebratory Stage AE concert. While third-party streaming was an option, hosting in their own Shopify store allowed complete ownership of the viewing experience. Selling virtual tickets themselves also provided valuable sales and fan data not available through pay-per-view platforms like Vimeo or YouTube. To integrate a polished live stream into their merch store, they needed an all-in-one broadcasting and monetization solution. A Built-In Streaming Platform for Total Ownership The band utilized Singles live video streaming and pay-per-view platform to broadcast and sell their anniversary show directly in their Shopify store. Single provided the paywall functionality to sell single tickets and VIP bundles granting access to the stream. Bundles included an exclusive t-shirt, laminate, signed poster and moreoffering fans a souvenir of the special occasion. Strengthened Fan Connections & Data Ownership The built-in live chat feature enabled real-time connection between the band and fans while watching together. August Burns Red was also able to schedule the video for on-demand viewing after the live broadcast, maximizing accessibility. With Single powering the back end, August Burns Red could focus on delivering an interactive, high-fidelity concert experience tailored specifically for their Shopify superfans. The Results Deepened Fan Connections & Data Ownership Hosting in their Shopify store allowed August Burns Red to: Completely own the end-to-end fan experience Generate sales around this special event Offer exclusive merch bundles tied to virtual tickets Bring fans together over live interactive chat We wanted to make our 20 year show accessible for fans everywhere. Single made it easy to host the stream in our Shopify store so we could totally own the experience. The bundles and chat feature brought our community together, even from afar, for this special moment. In Summary August Burns Red leveraged Singles streaming platform to celebrate their 20th anniversary with fans across the globe. Hosting in their Shopify store allowed total control of the end-to-end viewing experience while offering interactive features and exclusive merch. Most importantly, the band could provide VIP access to this special show strengthening connections with their biggest supporters. Share on: Formal child sex crime charges have been filed against a third grade teacher who is employed by Bismarck Public Schools. John Jerome Vetter, 26, of Bismarck, faces 12 felony counts stemming from his arrest Tuesday after an investigation by the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation. A conviction on the most serious charge -- promoting or directing an obscene sexual performance by a minor -- carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Vetter faces 11 separate counts of that charge, along with one count of possessing prohibited materials which carries a potential five-year prison sentence. BPS has put him on administrative leave. The district says it is not aware of any students being impacted by Vetter's alleged actions. South Central District Judge Jackson Lofgren during a Thursday hearing set Vetter's bond at $15,000 cash. The amount was significantly less then requested by Burleigh County State's Attorney Julie Lawyer, who had recommended a $50,000 cash bond based on the number of charges. She also alluded to Vetter's potential for flight from prosecution. "He lives with his parents. He has no rent, no house payment, nothing to keep him here really," Lawyer said. Bismarck attorney Carey Goetz, appearing for Vetter in a limited capacity for purposes of the initial appearance, asked for a $5,000 cash bond. Goetz said Vetter's living with his parents would ensure compliance with any other bond conditions. Vetter's parents attended the hearing. Lofgren did not give a reason behind settling on the $15,000 amount. He did set a number of conditions should Vetter make bond and be released from jail. Among them, Vetter is to have no contact with anyone under the age of 18. Vetter's next court appearance is a preliminary hearing scheduled for April 1. Goetz said Vetter will be represented by a different attorney. Vetter could enter pleas at that time. The charges against Vetter come after members of the BCI's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force received information from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, according to an affidavit. The document said that tip led investigators to discover four computer files sent by private chat messaging to a user associated with Vetter's email address. The contents of those files reportedly showed children engaging in a variety of sex acts with and without adults. Investigators executed a search warrant on the private chat service, according to the affidavit. The document states the warrant produced more than 50 digital files containing videos and images of what authorities term child sexual abuse material. It also produced correspondence records allegedly showing Vetter engaged in sending and receiving similar files with others. Among the digital files discovered are a number of video clips of children engaging in a variety of sex acts, their estimated ages ranging from 8 to 16, according to the affidavit. The investigation determined the computer address used to send and receive the files was from an internet connection in the Vetter family's home, according to authorities. Officers were also reportedly able to use records from the Department of Transportation to match a vehicle registered at the Vetter home to a vehicle seen in the parking lot of Lincoln Elementary School, where John Vetter has been working as a third grade teacher. Vetter was hired as a teacher in August 2022, according to Bismarck Public Schools spokesman Steve Koontz. Prior to that Vetter was hired as a substitute teacher after graduating from Dickinson State University in 2020. Vetter also worked as an instructional aide at Miller Elementary from October 2020 through May 2022. Koontz told the Tribune there are no reports of any disciplinary actions in Vetter's record with the school district. Nor does the district have any indication any of the charges against Vetter relate to any BPS student, the district said in an email to Lincoln families and staff. A search of North Dakota court records indicates that Vetter does not have a criminal history in the state. Koontz said the district is cooperating fully with investigators. MINNEAPOLIS (AP) Three Minnesota first responders who were gunned down while responding to a report of a domestic incident at a home with seven children inside were remembered at a memorial service Wednesday as heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice. The Minneapolis suburb of Burnsville has been in mourning in the week and a half since police Officers Paul Elmstrand and Matthew Ruge, both 27, and firefighter-paramedic Adam Finseth, 40, were slain. Investigators say Shannon Gooden, 38, opened fire on them without warning during a standoff at his home, then later killed himself. Sgt. Adam Medlicott, 38, who was wounded but survived, recalled with humor how Elmstrand, as a rookie, once referred excitedly to a getaway car as a go-away vehicle." And he told how an inexperienced Ruge didn't know what to say on a call when a young woman in crisis resisted going to addiction treatment, and admitted afterward that he messed up. But he said Ruge grew as an officer and was doing an amazing job as a crisis negotiator on the day he was killed. You cant reason with evil, he said. Medlicott went on to say that he didn't know Finseth as well. But I saw you run into the line of fire to save me and my guys. Youre the bravest person Ive ever known. I will be forever thankful. Brad Finseth, the firefighter's father, paid tribute to the three with a reading from the Gospel of John: "No one has greater love than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends. Burnsville Police Chief Tanya Schwartz expressed gratitude for the support we have received from our brothers and sisters in blue, brown, maroon and every other color that I see in this space, as well as the hundreds of public safety personnel who stood at attention outside the hospital to honor the three. They did the job selflessly, with integrity, honor and courage," she said. "They knew the dangers, but it never deterred them. On February 18th, they paid the ultimate sacrifice while trying to protect children. Their bravery and willingness to put themselves before others is why the word hero is now synonymous with each of their names. Officer Pete Mueller, who trained with Ruge as a crisis negotiator and was at the scene, revealed that Ruge brought a wounded Elmstrand to safety, even though he had been injured himself. Ruge repeatedly risked his life to save our friend," he said. "And in doing so, Matt made the ultimate sacrifice. And Burnsville Fire Chief B.J. Jungmann said Finseth was drawn to honorable professions, noting that he began his career in the Army, where he served two tours in Iraq, and that he never sought glory, but to serve. I can say without reservation, firefighter-paramedic Adam Finseth was tried, he was tested and he was found worthy, he said. Adam died helping his comrades without a second thought. The service, which drew thousands of law enforcement officers, paramedics and firefighters, was held at the nondenominational Grace Church in suburban Eden Prairie, one of the largest churches in the Minneapolis area. Because of the overflow crowd, officials had encouraged the public to watch the livestream from home or at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Burnsville. As the service concluded, officials held a ceremonial last call, calling out the badge numbers for the three as if they were being called by radio, then announcing to all units that Elmstrand, Ruge and Finseth had answered their final call. These men responded together, laid down their lives for one another and died doing what they were called to do," the mourners heard. "The citizens of Burnsville will forever be in their debt, and their sacrifice will not be forgotten. A procession of squad cars, fire trucks and ambulances with flashing lights, and three hearses, headed from the Eden Prairie church after the service to Burnsville on a 21-mile route past a fire station, police headquarters and the Burnsville church. Officials encouraged people to line the route to pay their respects. Aerial video showed that many did, with large flag-waving crowds at several spots along the way. Authorities have made only limited information about the incident public, citing the ongoing investigation. Police were dispatched to the home around 1:50 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 18, according to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, which is leading the investigation. Gooden refused to leave but said he was unarmed and that he had children inside. Officers entered and negotiated with him for about 3 1/2 hours to try to persuade him to surrender. But just before 5:30 a.m., the BCA says, Gooden opened fire on officers inside without warning. The BCA said Elmstrand and Ruge, and Medlicott are believed to have been first shot inside the home. Medlicott and another officer, who was not injured, returned fire from inside the home, wounding Gooden in the leg. Ruge and Medlicott were shot a second time as officers made their way to an armored vehicle in the driveway, according to the BCA. Finseth, who was assigned to the SWAT team, was shot while trying to aid the officers, it said. Elmstrand, Ruge and Finseth were pronounced dead at a hospital. The BCA said Gooden had several firearms and shot more than 100 rounds before killing himself. A court document filed by a BCA agent said the initial 911 call was regarding an alleged sexual assault allegation. Authorities have not provided further details about that. Court records show Gooden wasnt legally allowed to have guns because of his criminal record and had been entangled in a yearslong dispute over his three oldest children. The children in the house were ages 2 to 15 years. Thursday 29 February 2024, 14:17 - Last updated: 2 March, 11:31 The unusual, bizarre, and disturbing news perhaps did not surprise Pope Francis at Santa Marta too much, given that for some time now he has been asking the faithful, at the end of a meeting, to pray for him, immediately adding: "but not against me, mind you?". A phrase that has been heard dozens and dozens of times in the Vatican, always causing a certain amusement among his guests because it seemed like a joke. That the Church is polarized like never before is clear to everyone, just look at what is happening in Germany, however, what is now blatantly emerging is the presence of priests who publicly admit to praying for the swift departure of the current Pope. The most striking case erupted in the diocese of Toledo, in Spain where in a zoom meeting of priests and seminarians, a priest admitted to reciting daily prayers with a specific intention not exactly benevolent towards Bergoglio. "I pray a lot for him, so that he can go to heaven soon". The parish priest explained the reasons for his action, referring to the divisions that have originated in the theological field in ten years, the disorientation of the faithful, the chaotic situation of the Church. Another stance came from another Spanish religious. He too recites rosaries against him every morning. And these are not isolated cases. Don Ramon Guidetti, a priest excommunicated for offending Pope Francis: "He is a usurper". What happened Naturally, the diocese of Toledo immediately distanced itself by issuing a very harsh statement. The archbishop expressed the "deep rejection of any manifestation of disaffection for the person and ministry of the Holy Father". The two priests were ordered to apologize for their statements. "The Archdiocese of Toledo is not responsible for the statements released on that Youtube channel, which does not represent in any way the line of communication of this particular Church. We reiterate and ratify the calls for effective and affectionate communion with the successor of Peter". The two priests who pray against may incur further sanctions as they have shown a "conduct unworthy of their status". The biographer of Ratzinger: "The death of Benedict XVI acted as a stopper, now Francis will sweep away his legacy" Similar episodes are not confined only to Spain: reports reveal priests or bishops violently anti-Bergoglian elsewhere, to the point of invoking God's help to bring another Pope. Not long ago in Livorno a priest was excommunicated by the bishop for saying that Francis "is a usurper" and "a Masonic Jesuit". Monsignor Simone Giusti, the local bishop, did not hesitate to expel him. The incident occurred last December 31, the day on which the first anniversary of the death of Benedict XIV was remembered. Don Ramon Guidetti, the diocese explained, "publicly committed an act of a schismatic nature, refusing submission to the Supreme Pontiff and communion with the members of the Church subject to him". Another sensational case concerns Don Alessandro Minutella, now relegated to the lay state for the same reason. He has repeatedly attacked Pope Francis with particularly heavy epithets, hoping for his earthly demise. However, Minutella still tours Italy preaching. Often bishops prohibit him from using parish spaces and ask the faithful to boycott his meetings which, however, always fill up. Pope Francis again affected by flu, but continues to make plans. How is he really? Some years ago, the bishop of Bolzano, Ivo Muser, described in an alarming way the increasingly deep divisions in the Church. "The current polarization, which is fueled by different sides, in my opinion, is a sin against unity". In an interview with the diocesan weekly Katholisches Sonntagsblatt Muser added that "it is very worrying if there are bishops who jeopardize this unity, asking for the Pope's resignation". "The struggle for the right path has always been legitimate, but that certain groups and even bishops do not have a clear understanding of who the Pope is and what the service of Peter means. Pope Francis is today's Peter, as were John Paul II and Benedict XVI. The schisms have also always been a consequence of polarizing and aggressive language". Pope Francis, Archbishop Vigano speaks out again and calls him a liar Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse Loughrey Get our The Life Cinematic email for free Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the The Life Cinematic email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Ray Winstone has said that his experience on a Marvel film became so soul-destroying that he threatened to quit. The British star is the latest actor to share his candid views on the comic book movie studio, following in the footsteps of Christian Bale and Anthony Hopkins, who both spoke out against their experience after appearing in the Thor franchise. Winstone played the villain in 2021 film Black Widow, a prequel focused on Scarlett Johanssons character, alongside Florence Pugh, Rachel Weisz and David Harbour. The actor, who will next be seen in Netflix series The Gentlemen, said that his initial experience on the film, directed by Cate Shortland, was fine, but that antipathy seeped in when it came to doing reshoots. As well as speaking to The Independent ahead of the release of new Netflix series The Gentlemen, Winstone spoke to Radio Times about why he struggled with the Black Widow reshoots. You find out that a few producers have come down, and your performance is too much, its too strong, he said of the meddling of outside forces. Thats the way Marvel works, he added, saying it can be soul-destroying as you feel like youre doing great work. He disliked this aspect of the shoot so much that he threatened to quit, but that he had no choice but to see it through due to contractual obligations. I actually said, You ought to recast it, because that was it for me. And you end up doing it again because youre contracted to do it. Otherwise you end up in court. Its like being kicked in the balls. Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free Bale previously described the green-screen work required for his time in Thor: Love & Thunder (2022) as monotony. Ray Winstone and Scarlett Johansson in Black Widow (Marvel Studios) He acknowledged that good people work on the films, but told GQ: Can you differentiate one day from the next? No. Absolutely not. You have no idea what to do. I couldnt even differentiate one stage from the next. Meanwhile, Hopkins said there was no acting required when he played Odin in the Thor franchise. However, Angela Bassett, who achieved an Oscar nomination for her role in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, defended the studio from such criticism, saying she was sorry Hopkins felt that way. Winstones latest comments come years after director Martin Scorsese made headlines after declaring Marvel films were not cinema. The director told Empire magazine he had tried watching superhero flicks, but decided theyre not for him. He said: I dont see them. I tried, you know? But thats not cinema. Honestly, the closest I can think of them, as well made as they are, with actors doing the best they can under the circumstances, is theme parks. Christian Bale as Gorr in Thor: Love and Thunder' (Marvel Studios) It isnt the cinema of human beings trying to convey emotional, psychological experiences to another human being. At the time, Scorseses comments ruffled feathers, with many associated with Marvel projects including Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi and late Black Panther actor Chadwick Boseman expressing their disagreement. Sign up to Roisin OConnors free weekly newsletter Now Hear This for the inside track on all things music Get our Now Hear This email for free Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Roisin OConnors email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Jack Antonoff has spoken out in defence of his collaborator Taylor Swift, saying that her frequent antagoniser Kanye West just needs his diaper changed so badly. Antonoff and Swift have been working together since 2013, notably on her albums 1989, Reputation, Lover, Folklore, Evermore and Midnights. He is also expected to be involved with her forthcoming record The Tortured Poets Department. In a new interview with the Los Angeles Times, Antonoff declares: Im a little b**** sometimes. But you come after my friend Taylor, youre toast to me. He adds that questioning Swifts songwriting is like challenging someones faith in God. You just dont go there. Asked by the newspaper whether he might one day wish to collaborate with West, Antonoff laughed off the suggestion. Its been a long time since I wouldve taken Kanyes call, he said. Im so incredibly bored when someone doesnt have the sauce anymore, so they go elsewhere to shock. Its just a remarkable waste of space. Jack Antonoff (left) and Kanye West (Getty) Elsewhere in the interview, Antonoff, who also releases music with his band Bleachers, confirmed that he is currently at work on Lana Del Reys next record, which is expected to be a country-themed album called Lasso. Weve been cooking, Antonoff said. Its f***ing brilliant. Earlier this month, Antonoff paid tribute to Swift while accepting the Grammy Award for Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical. In his speech, Antonoff said: Taylor Swift kicked that f***ing door open for me, because when a lot of people were saying: Yeah, I love it, sounds great, now lets get a producer to do it. Enjoy unlimited access to 70 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up Enjoy unlimited access to 70 million ad-free songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up Everyone, in this room especially, knows that feeling when you hear something and say: I love this and then theres all these people saying: No, its gotta go to a big name person. He continued: We made a song called Out of the Woods for 1989, and when I was waiting for that call to tell me it was going to some big name person, she said: Lets mix this s***. So I love you to death, Taylor and I love all you guys. This means a lot to me. Last year Antonoff married the actor Margaret Qualley, who said at the time that they were thinking about starting a family. The pair tied the knot in a star-studded ceremony surrounded by friends and family in New Jersey. Celebrities in attendance included some of Antonoffs collaborators like Taylor Swift and Lana Del Rey as well as couple Channing Tatum and Zoe Kravitz. State Rep. Cole Christensen, R-Rogers, has resigned from the Legislature because he plans to move to Missouri to join his wife. Christensen last fall indicated he was not seeking reelection because he was getting married and planned to move out of state. On Monday, Christensen confirmed that he announced at the District 24 Republican Party endorsing convention over the weekend that he is resigning and not completing the rest of his term, the North Dakota Monitor reported. Christensen served in the House since 2021 and was active in the North Dakota Young Republicans. He said in a statement that he never wavered from his principles of being pro-life, pro-liberty and pro-family. The District 24 NDGOP executive committee plans to meet this week to discuss appointing someone to fill the remainder of Christensens term, District Chair Dan Johnston said. On Friday, District 24 Republicans endorsed Johnston for House and Sen. Mike Wobbema, R-Valley City, for another term in the Senate. Rep. Dwight Kiefert, R-Valley City, did not seek the districts endorsement but plans to gather signatures to be on the June ballot, according to Johnston. Johnston said hes not interested in serving the remainder of Christensens term because of the term limits measure recently approved by voters. Under the measure, lawmakers cant serve more than eight years in each chamber, and a partial term would count toward that limit. Johnston said hes aware of potential candidates who are interested in completing Christensens term. 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 }} Dave Myers, the TV chef best known as one half of the Hairy Bikers and who won new fans as a competitor on Strictly Come Dancing, has died from cancer aged 66. Im afraid I bear some sad news, his co-star Si King said in a statement as tributes poured in for the celebrity chef. Most of you will know Dave has been fighting cancer for the past couple of years. Last night, on 28 February 2024, with Lili, Daves wife, his family, close friend David and myself by his side, he passed away peacefully at home. All who knew Dave are devastated at his passing. His beloved wife brought him such happiness as did her children, Iza and Sergiu who Dave loved like his own. Personally, I am not sure I can put into words on how I feel at the moment. My best friend is on a journey that for now, I cant follow. I will miss him every day and the bond and friendship we shared over half a lifetime. I wish you gods speed brother; you are and will remain a beacon in this world. See you on the other side. Love ya. He continued: I know Dave and his family would want me to thank all of you who sent messages of support in recent times. It meant the world to him, his family and all the Hairy Bikers team. I am sending you all much love and gratitude for those simple acts of kindness, generosity and spirit. We are eternally grateful for them. May I ask you all for one further kindness and allow Lili, his wife, his family, close friends and I some time and some peace to process our huge loss. I am sure I will see you all soon. Love Si. Myers, who hailed from Barrow-in-Furness, first revealed his cancer diagnosis on Agony Uncles, the podcast he shared with King. Si King and Dave Myers (BBC/South Shore Productions/Jon Boast) In May 2022, he told listeners he would be taking a step back from filming and attending food festivals while he received treatment. Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free Kingy, Ive got to come clean now, he said. I havent been too well recently and basically, Ive got to have some chemo, you know all this anyway, so this year is going to be a bit quiet for me. Im not going to be filming, some of the festivals Im not going to be able to go to, some I may be OK, but this years a bit of a write off for us. He continued: I would love it if people respected my privacy and just let me get on with it and give Si and our team all the support they need, that would be great. Myers working relationship with King began in 1995. The pair met on TV drama The Gambling Man, where Myers was working as a make-up artist specialising in prosthetics. Hairy Bikers star Dave Myers has died (BBC) The duo made their debut as the Hairy Bikers on The Hairy Bikers Cookbook in 2004, and have presented numerous shows together over the years. These include The Hairy Bikers Food Tour of Britain in 2009, The Hairy Bikers Cook Off in 2010 and The Hairy Bikers Asian Adventure in 2014. The projects merged their love of cooking and motorcycles. In a June 2023 interview with The Times, King revealed that Myers immediately called him after learning of his cancer diagnosis. I was driving. I had to pull over, he said, adding: Its so distressing. Its very difficult to verbalise. Theres a sense of loss, but theres also that sense of hope, you know, knowing my mate as I do. King called Myers a scrapper and a fighter, adding: But there were certain points that I thought, Wheres it going to go? What is happening to my friend? He revealed that he stayed with Myers, whose first fiancee died of cancer in 1998, during his chemotherapy, which he said made his fellow chef very, very, very unwell. Hairy Biker Si King announces co-star Dave Myerss death (Instagram) King went on: And its funny, you know, when you see somebody you love so much in so much distress, its very hard to know what to do. My character and personality is, naturally, I just want to fix it. I just want to fix it. I get very distressed when I cant. The pair recently reunited on-screen in an eight-part series titled The Hairy Bikers Go West, which saw them travel the western shores of Britain to experience a wide range of culinary surprises. Speaking to The Mirror ahead of the new show, Myers said: Its unbelievable to be back. Every breath I take now is just refreshing and fabulous. He called it a huge step back to normality. The BBC paid tribute to Myers in a statement that read: Dave made cooking a truly joyful adventure and he shared that joy with millions. The public loved him and his unique partnership with Si. Together they made every viewer feel like a friend. In 2013, Myers participated in the 11th series of Strictly Come Dancing. He was partnered with Karen Hauer, and the pair finished in 10th place. Myers married Liliana Orzac in 2011 after meeting while filming a Hairy Bikers series in Romania. 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 }} Hairy Bikers fans paid tribute to Dave Myers after the first episode of The Hairy Bikers Go West aired since his death last week aged 66. Myers, from Barrow-in-Furness, found fame alongside his best friend and work partner Si King as the pair became known for travelling the world on their motorbikes and trying out foods from different regions on their TV show, The Hairy Bikers. King announced on Tuesday (29 February) that Myers had died aged 66 after revealing he had been diagnosed with an undisclosed type of cancer two years ago. Introducing the first episode of The Hairy Bikers Go West since Myerss death, a BBC Two channel controller paid tribute to the TV star in a voiceover, saying he was gone but not forgotten. In the episode, which was recorded last year, the bikers meet Maggie, a Nigerian chef based in the Welsh village of Penygroes. They also meet Steff, whose love of travel inspired him to open his own speciality coffee shop 10 years ago. They make visits to farmers Matt and Jenny, who grow food by replicating the ecosystems found in the wild, and a bakery that produces Kurdish pasties. Myers decided to keep what type of cancer he had a secret (Getty Images) Fans were left emotional after watching the episode, which included a scene with Myers leaving the episode to go for a cancer treatment appointment while King told cameras he missed his best mate while he was at the hospital. Hard watch this, especially Si being on his own wishing Dave was there, wrote one fan on X/Twitter, as another added: @HairyBikers very hard to see the TV, something in my eye. Ride In Peace lovely Dave. Watching @HairyBikers Go West.in tears. Cant believe the genius Dave Myers is no longer with us, commented another viewer. Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days New subscribers only. 8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled Try for free One added that it was poignant and heartbreaking to watch to hear Myers talking about his illness posthumously. Bittersweet watching @HairyBikers tonight. So amazing they got to do it but now knowing it was the last trip is heartbreaking #davemyers RIP. At the end of the episode, an on-screen message read: In loving memory of our friend Dave Myers 1957-2024. The BBC chef first publicly revealed that he had been diagnosed with cancer on the podcast he co-hosts alongside presenting partner King, titled Agony Uncles, in May 2022. He told listeners he would be taking a step back from filming and attending food festivals throughout the summer, stating: Anyway Kingy, Ive got to come clean now. I havent been too well recently and basically, Ive got to have some chemo, you know all this anyway, so this year is going to be a bit quiet for me. Si King and Dave Myers in Hairy Bikers: Go West (BBC) Myers later revealed that he lost his beard and his iconic handlebar moustache due to the side effects of chemotherapy. I just miss having my beard the feeling of it, because your skins different and all peachy, Myers said during an episode of his podcast Agony Uncles. No, I want my beard back. Im alright with my hair I think the bald head and beards the way to go for a biker. Myers returned to filming in Spring 2023 to make The Hairy Bikers Go West, which began airing last month. The new series follows the pair as they travel down the west coast of the UK on a nostalgic and emotional journey. After his cancer diagnosis, Myers said he did not want to specify the type of cancer he had because he thought the public might start drawing conclusions about his health. Myers told The Guardian in 2022 that he decided not to disclose what type of cancer he had because everybody then goes Googling, everybody becomes an amateur doctor... And I dont want to be judged yet. After Myerss death, the BBCs Chief Content Officer Charlotte Moore said the public loved him in a tribute. Everyone at the BBC is incredibly sad to hear this news. Dave made cooking a truly joyful adventure and he shared that joy with millions, Moore said. The public loved him and his unique partnership with Si. Together they made every viewer feel like a friend. More than that he was simply a lovely man. Our thoughts go out to his family and many friends. Kings statement announcing Myerss death read: Last night, on 28th February 2024, with Lili, Daves wife, his family, close friend David and myself by his side, he passed away peacefully at home. All who knew Dave are devastated at his passing. His beloved wife brought him such happiness as did her children, Iza and Sergiu who Dave loved like his own. I will miss him every day and the bond and friendship we shared over half a lifetime. I wish you gods speed brother; you are and will remain a beacon in this world. See you on the other side. Love ya. 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 }} Larry David has led tributes to his Curb Your Enthusiasm co-star Richard Lewis, who has died aged 76. The acclaimed and beloved stand-up comedian suffered a heart attack at home in Los Angeles on Tuesday night (27 February). In a statement shared by HBO, David wrote: Richard and I were born three days apart in the same hospital and for most of my life hes been like a brother to me. He had that rare combination of being the funniest person and also the sweetest. But today he made me sob and for that Ill never forgive him. Jamie Lee Curtis, who starred alongside Lewis in the sitcom Anything But Love (1989-1992), also paid tribute to the late actor with a heartfelt post on Instagram. Ive just read that my friend Richard Lewis has died, wrote Curtis. I remember exactly where I was when I saw a billboard of him about a stand up special on Sunset Boulevard when we were casting the ABC pilot Anything But Love and asked the casting people to bring him in to audition to play my best friend/maybe boyfriend, Marty Gold. Richard Lewis with Larry David in 2013 (Getty Images for AFI) I thought he was handsome. He made me laugh, which is the one thing that a strong, capable woman, cant really do for herself. He got the part when I snort laughed when he mispronounced the word Bundt cake. He blew everyone else away. It was a love triangle show and they didnt pick up that pilot but they came back to me and said that the chemistry with Richard was so great and could we revamp the original pilot which is the show we ended up making for a couple years. He was also a stand-up comic and hated the live audience, where I, who had never done a play, loved it. He used to hide his lines everywhere on the set, on props, door frames, on my face in a close up and was always carrying a clipboard with his lines on them. It turns out he was a wonderful actor. Deep and so freaking funny. Curtis added that Lewis, who was sober for several decades, helped her find sobriety herself. He also is the reason I am sober, she wrote. He helped me. I am forever grateful for him for that act of grace alone. He found love with Joyce and that, of course, besides his sobriety, is what mattered most to him. Im weeping as I write this. Strange way of saying thank you to a sweet and funny man. Rest in laughter, Richard. My Marty, I love you, Hannah! On X/Twitter, This Is Spinal Tap star Michael McKean wrote: Farewell, Richard Lewis. Procol Harum has lost another fan, and the rest of us have lost a very good man. And Albert Brooks added: RIP Richard Lewis. A brilliantly funny man who will missed by all. The world needed him now more than ever. 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 }} It is always surprising how few historical dramas feature what is known, somewhat euphemistically, as the worlds oldest profession. Prostitution, for money or power, runs through centuries, from the Roman Forum to the Oval Office. In the history of debauchery at least here in Britain its the early modern era, as Tudor court intrigue transitioned to the turbulence of the Stuart stewardship, that most stands out. Mary & George, a new Sky drama, vividly renders how sex was used to wield power for both prostitute and pimp who, in this case, happens to be a son and his mother. Mary Villiers (Julianne Moore) is an ambitious widow facing financial ruin. Her eldest son, John (Tom Victor), has learning difficulties, while her younger son, George (Nicholas Galitzine), is an immature fop. Remarrying Sir Thomas Compton (Sean Gilder) solves her financial issues but does not stifle her ambition. Have you found me a wife? George asks, upon returning from a seedy finishing school in France. I think we aim higher, Mary replies. And by higher she means higher: the King, James the VI and I of Scotland and England (Tony Curran). Jamess homosexuality is notorious throughout the land. The king, Compton declares, is a dead-eyed, horny-handed horror who surrounds himself with many deceitful well-hung beauties. And so, Mary sets George the task of seducing His Majesty, competing for his attention with the kings current favourite, the Earl of Somerset (Laurie Davidson). Thus begins a romp through the 17th century court, where queerness, rather than facing stigma, becomes a double-edged sword. It allows young, ambitious men to influence the king, but it also becomes a point of vulnerability for Mary, who is, herself, carrying on a covert relationship with brothel owner Sandie (Niamh Algar). If this all sounds like a rather familiar set-up, thats probably because its a very similar dynamic to the one depicted in Yorgos Lanthimoss 2018 Oscar-winner, The Favourite. A hot young arrival at court usurping the established favourite to enter a combustible same-sex relationship with the monarch: clearly, history repeats itself. But its not just the narrative that feels lifted from that Olivia Colman-led love triangle. The tone, too, is similarly irreverent and anachronistic. Mary is described as half courtesan and half bookkeeper (front and back of the same shop, she replies), while the king is so cockstruck, its like a curse. Theres plenty of skin on show, and plenty of thrusting of both hips and opinions. A few years ago, this wouldve felt like a radical way of dealing with period drama, invoking its squalor and tawdriness with a sharpness and vulgarity of language. But this sort of iconoclasm no longer feels fresh, indeed The Great a foul-mouthed and bawdy show about Catherine, Empress of Russia, scripted by The Favourite writer Tony McNamara has already lived and died on our TV schedules. What The Great had that Mary & George lacks is a clear comedic tone. Created by DC Moore, a playwright noted for works like The Empire and Town, which meld historical perspectives with urgent psychodrama, Mary & George has the intricate, almost satirical, timbre of shows like Succession and The White Lotus. If I were a man and I looked like you, I would rule the f***ing planet, Mary tells George, channelling her inner-Logan Roy. And yet, Mary & George doesnt aspire to be a comedy. Moore one of the great actors of her generation is more effective in Marys dramatic moments than her farcical ones. And so, the tone of the series becomes somewhat confused: lots of screwing, lots of balls (the dancing kind, please), but not much screwball. All the same, its a brilliant cast, and stenographic portraits of the Jacobean court are more interesting than endless retellings of life under Henry VIII. The sexual politics (and sexual politicking) of Mary & George will come to define the show for most viewers, but underneath the heaving buttocks, theres an interesting depiction of life at the advent of modernity. Its a shame, then, that in trying to be so modern, the show forgets to take a punt on having an identity of its own. Risque, perhaps, but risky? Not so much. All seven episodes of Mary & George will launch on Sky Atlantic and streaming service NOW on 5 March 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 }} David Cameron has strongly called on Hong Kong to reconsider their proposal for a new national security law, which he said will inhibit freedom of speech, expression, and the press. The British foreign secretary said Hong Kongs new security legislation breaches its obligations signed under the British governments handover deal of the former UK colony. Hong Kongs chief executive John Lee proposed the legislation on 20 January which is aimed at addressing what city officials call deficiencies or loopholes in the national security regime, which was bolstered just four years ago by another national security law imposed directly by China. The one-month consultation period to pass the law ended on Wednesday and the Hong Kong legislature, which is dominated by pro-Beijing lawmakers, is expected to approve it. The law, known as Article 23, will target crimes including treason, sedition, theft of state secrets, espionage, and "external interference" including from foreign governments. Authorities have proposed harsher penalties for seditious intention and possession of seditious publication, an addition some lawyers say is concerning, as many journalists, activists and media outlets in recent years have been charged with sedition before being jailed or shut down. Mr Cameron raised concern over the various features of the law, saying there is a lack of clarity and risks the work of international organisations in Hong Kong being labelled as foreign interference. My officials have raised our concerns privately with the Hong Kong authorities and through the public consultation process, Mr Cameron said. A rare protest in Hong Kong over the new law (AFP via Getty Images) I strongly urge the Hong Kong SAR (special administrative region) government to reconsider their proposals and engage in genuine and meaningful consultation with the people of Hong Kong, he added. The Chinese embassy in London on Thursday furiously pushed back against what it said was groundless attack. It added that Hong Kongs domestic legislation was fully in line with international law and common practice in various countries and regions and the declaration that Mr Cameron referred to did not give Britain the right to intervene in Hong Kongs affairs. In a separate and longer statement, Chinas Foreign Ministry office in Hong Kong called the British government statement irresponsible remarks and malicious smear. Activists and lawmakers have said the new law criminalises basic human rights such as freedom of expression. "Many of these proposed provisions are vague and criminalize peoples peaceful exercises of human rights, including the rights to freedom of association, assembly, expression and the press," a group of 80 civil society groups, including British-based Hong Kong Watch, wrote in a joint letter. "The United Nations Committee of human rights experts already concluded in 2022 that the sedition provisions should be repealed and Hong Kong should refrain from using them to suppress the expression of critical and dissenting opinions," said Mark Daly, a Hong Kong based human rights lawyer. The Hong Kong Journalists Association (HKJA) said in its submission that "sedition should be abolished", adding the scope and definition of what constitutes "state secrets" was very broad and vague, especially in relation to newly added categories that include economic and social development. In 2003, a prior endeavor to implement Article 23 was abandoned following approximately 500,000 people protesting against it. This time, there had been no significant protests, and the majority of public submissions received thus far endorse the legislation. 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 }} South Korea has warned junior doctors of legal consequences including having their licenses revoked if they did not return to work by Thursday. On Tuesday, health minister Cho Kyoo-hong issued this threat amid the ongoing protests by approximately 9,000 junior doctors, who have been absent from their hospitals for eight days. They are opposing the governments proposal to increase the medical school entry quota by 2,000 seats next year. We will continue to respond under the law and the principle for illegal collective action, Mr Cho told reporters. We urge trainee doctors who have left their workplaces to return by Thursday. If they do, they will not be held accountable for previous actions. He stated that starting March, suspending licenses and initiating legal proceedings will be unavoidable for those who do not return. South Korea has one of the lowest doctor-to-patient ratios among major economies and recently the government proposed to add 2,000 slots to the current annual quota of 3,000 medical students. The plan was immediately criticised by doctors, who took to the streets to protest with signs that read end of healthcare. The striking doctors argue this expansion wont solve the actual shortages in certain specialities, where conditions and pay are poor, and could degrade medical service quality. Park Min-soo, South Koreas second vice health minister, also warned trainee doctors that the government could ban them from resigning by law. While trainee doctors argue their resignations are based on the constitutional right to choose jobs, certain regulations can be implemented to safeguard the common interest and maintain social order, he said. We have concluded the legal review, confirming that the order comes in line with the current medical system, he was quoted as saying by Yonhap news agency. Meanwhile, by the end of this week, officials plan to carry out inspections at 50 hospitals to investigate the work stoppages by trainee doctors. The South Korean government has raised the public health and medical crisis in the country to the highest level of severe. After the trainee doctors walked away protesting the governments plan, emergency rooms at major hospitals have been turning away patients leading to a major healthcare crisis in the country. 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 officials in the restive Indian state of Manipur staged a symbolic protest on Wednesday by laying down their arms after a senior officer was abducted from his house by armed militants. Tensions escalated in the northeastern state on Tuesday after additional superintendent of police Amit Singh was abducted by cadres allegedly belonging to a Meitei organisation in the states capital, Imphal. Around 200 armed people stormed the ASPs residence and abducted him along with a staff member. Though the Manipur police issued a statement that the officer was swiftly rescued, fresh tension mounted in the state, leading to the deployment of the Indian army and columns of paramilitary force, the Assam Rifles. Manipur has been hit by fierce fighting since last May between members of the majority Meitei and minority Kuki communities over sharing economic benefits and quotas given to the tribes. As many as 219 people have been killed in the conflict nine-month-long conflict, earlier shared states governor Anusuiya Uikey. The state has also lost revenue of up to Rs 80m (760,000) in the backdrop of violence that has displaced over 60,000 people. Following the incident, police filed a case against the accused under anti-terror law the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) that allows authorities to detain people without charge or the production of any incriminating evidence for up to 180 days, and has particularly stringent requirements for gaining bail once charges have been brought. A case has been filed under sections of UAPA, a senior police officer told The Hindustan Times on condition of anonymity. They have also snatched a police gun, which is yet to be retrieved. The ASP and another person who were kidnapped were also assaulted, he said, adding they are in the hospital at the moment. Different sections of commandos belonging to Manipur Police staged an arms down protest in different parts of the valley, against the abduction as well as the support they are receiving from the locals. When the general public are present in a situation like that, the police also cannot respond fully to the perpetrators because innocent people will die, a senior police officer told The Indian Express. The protest is against the actions of the Arambai Tenggol but also against the public at large. It is also meant to urge those at the top to act seriously against these anti-social elements, he said. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} At least two people were crushed to death and several others injured on the tracks when an incoming train ran them over in Indias Jharkhand state, according to officials. Earlier it was reported that those dead were passengers trying to flee their own train that was on fire from the wrong side when the incoming local train crushed them. However, officials in India denied the reports of fire. A large-scale rescue operation, with medical teams, ambulances and transport police was launched after the accident in Jharkhand state in eastern India. Several people are feared dead, although the exact number has not been confirmed. Earlier, NDTV reportred that the passengers had been trying to escape after reports of a fire on board an express train at the Kalajharia railway station in Jharkhands Jamtara district. People travelling on the Anga Express from Bhagalpur to Bengaluru got off the train as rumours of a fire on board spread panic, the channel reported. As they tried to run across the tracks to escape the alleged fire, another train running on the route ran them over, NDTV said. However, the Eastern Railway said the victims were not passengers but had been walking on the tracks when they were hit by a train. The company also denied reports of a fire. Two persons walking on the track were run over by the train at least two km away from train number 12254 passing from Vidyasagar Kasitar. There is no incident of fire, an official said, NDTV reported. As of now, two deaths have been confirmed. The deceased are not passengers, they were walking on the track. A three-member committee has been formed to enquire about the issue, Kaushik Mitra, of Eastern Railways, said. But Jamtara police officer M Rahman told PTI the accident happened when some of the passengers got down from a train on the wrong side. Mr Rahman said a search operation was underway and the death toll might increase, according to the Indian Express. Irfan Ansari, a local politician, said he would go the the scene of the accident. I have given the directions to identify those responsible for it. We will also raise the issue in the assembly... The deceased have not been identified yet... the member of the legislative assembly said. The search for survivors was hampered by a lack of lights in the area, The Times of India reported. President of India, Droupadi Murmu, offered her condolences to the bereaved families. I express my deepest condolences to the bereaved families and pray for the speedy recovery of those injured. 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 }} Kashmiri journalist Asif Sultan, one of first media professionals booked under a stringent anti-terror law, was released from jail on Tuesday after being incarcerated for over five years. He was released on Tuesday following a delay of over two months after the Jammu and Kashmir High Court quashed his detention due to procedural lapses. Sultan had been incarcerated for over five years in a jail in Uttar Pradeshs Ambedkar Nagar district. His continued detention even after the High Courts decision was attributed to the pending arrival of clearance letters from the Home Department of Kashmir and the Srinagar district magistrate. In September 2018, Sultan was detained under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), accused of offering logistical aid to a prohibited militant organisation. Four years later, on 5 April 2022, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court approved his release on bail, citing the investigative agencies inability to prove his association with any militant group. However, just four days after this decision, the district magistrate of Srinagar ordered his detention under the Public Safety Act (PSA). On 11 December, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court annulled Sultans detention under the PSA, stating that the necessary procedural steps were not adequately followed. According to this law, individuals can be detained without trial for up to two years for national security reasons and up to a year to maintain public order. Justice Vinod Chatterji Koul noted that the authorities seemed to consider the case against Sultan under the anti-terror law while detaining him under the Public Safety Act, but failed to provide him with essential documents like the FIR or statements recorded under Section 161 of the criminal procedure. This omission prevented Sultan from effectively challenging his detention order. The court then ordered his release, declaring the detention illegal and unsustainable due to the failure to supply the necessary documents to Sultan. Sultan was a journalist with the monthly magazine Kashmir Narrator when he was arrested. In July 2018, he wrote an article for the magazine focusing on Burhan Wani, a Kashmiri militant whose death at the hands of Indian forces in July 2016 sparked widespread protests against the government in Kashmir. The article featured insights from non-fighting members of the Hizbul Mujahideen, the group Wani was part of, which is recognised as a terrorist organisation by India. Motta Sultan, his brother, claimed that police exerted pressure on Sultan to reveal his sources for the article. Sultans lawyer, Adil Pandit, said his release was a huge relief for him and his family. Sultans father, Mohammad Sultan, was quoted as saying by Newslaundry that his grand daughter was six months old when he was arrested, and now she is six years old. And she doesnt recognise her father. He added that she used to ask us every day when she would get to see him. We would always say tomorrow. 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 London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) has said that last year was poor for company listings, but it is encouraged by the pipeline for this year. London has struggled to attract new companies over the last year, and several businesses that are listed in the capital have abandoned or downgraded their listing. These include travel giant Tui, which is ditching its London listing in favour of Frankfurt, Paddy Power owner Flutter, which will likely shift its main listing to New York, and medical company Indivior, which could do the same. In our equities business, we continued to work with the industry, regulators and Government on market reform, LSEG said on Thursday. We continued our track record of broad-based growth, despite an uncertain environment, and delivered on all the targets we set at the time of the Refinitiv acquisition David Schwimmer, LSEG chief executive 2023 was a poor year globally for IPOs. The company said that its equities division had seen an 8.5% drop in revenue to 227 million in 2023. But chief executive David Schwimmer said there are some green shoots. Earlier this week it was reported that Chinese fast fashion giant Shein is eyeing a potential initial public offering (IPO) in the UK. We are also seeing an encouraging IPO pipeline for the London Stock Exchange, he said. The group reported that pre-tax profit fell 3.7% to 1.2 billion on total income of 8.4 billion, up 8.2%. Mr Schwimmer said: 2023 was another strong year for LSEG. We continued our track record of broad-based growth, despite an uncertain environment, and delivered on all the targets we set at the time of the Refinitiv acquisition. We also significantly improved our products and services, further strengthened our leadership team and made great progress on creating a high-performance culture throughout the organisation. Shares had dropped 0.8% on Thursday morning. Hoge Island to the north of Bismarck also experienced flooding in 2011, and one house was swept away. The Water Resource District bought four properties after the flood for $1.3 million to make way for a possible levee, but area homeowners were not interested in paying for the project. The water district later sold the properties for $121,300 but retained easements in case a flood protection project is approved in the future. No permanent structures are allowed on the properties. Even at moderate flood stage, few Bismarck-area homes are imperiled, according to information provided by Michelle Klose, director of utility operations for Bismarck Public Works. Burleigh County road raises since 2011 aimed at permanent ice jam protection have helped, she said. The Burleigh County Emergency Management Flood Annex states that at minor flood stage, flooding is mainly in rural areas, and that even at moderate flood stage of 16 feet, there is "No significant threat to the incorporated cities of Bismarck and Mandan." At 17 feet, there can be flooding in low-lying areas of Bismarck, and "Access to Fox Island and other rural developments becomes increasingly difficult," the document states. "Access to homes in the Briardale, Hoge Island, Ponderosa, and Misty Waters developments north of Bismarck may be cut off, and some homes are taking on water if not protected." It would take a river level of 22 feet to result in a significant number of homes and businesses in Bismarck-Mandan being impacted, according to the document. During the historic 2011 flood the river crested in Bismarck at 19.25 feet. Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Bradley Cooper has opened up about fatherhood in a new interview, revealing that he initially was not sure if he loved his daughter. Cooper welcomed daughter Lea de Seine with his then partner, Russian model Irina Shayk, in 2017. He and Shayk separated two years later. The 49-year-old Hangover actor is currently nominated for three Oscars for writing, producing and starring in the 2023 Leonard Bernstein biopic Maestro. During an appearance on Dax Shepards Armchair Expert podcast to promote the film, Cooper discussed the early months of his daughters life. The first eight months I dont even know if I really love the kid, he said. Its dope. Its cool. Im watching this thing morph. Thats my experience, Cooper continued. Fascinated by it. Loved taking care of it. But would I die if someone came in with a gun? Cooper went on to explain that he underwent a realisation a few months into her life, recalling that all of a sudden, its like no question. Bradley Cooper and Lea De Seine Shayk Cooper at a special screening of Maestro (Getty Images for Netflix) Im not sure Id be alive if I wasnt a dad, he continued. I just needed someone to say, like, Were gonna drop this massive anchor. Im like, Why? Were speeding! I just got an upgrade on the boat, and I know where the winds coming in. Theyre like, No, no, no, theres a tsunami coming in, and you need an anchor and were gonna drop it. Because this is gonna dictate everything you do from now on. Your DNA is going to tell you that theres something more important than you. In Maestro, Cooper plays Bernstein, the revered classical conductor and composer of West Side Story. Carey Mulligan, meanwhile, plays Bernsteins wife Felicia Montealegre. Mulligan, 38, has also received an Oscar nod for Best Supporting Actress for her role. In another recent interview that went viral, Cooper was seen becoming visibly emotional as he discussed Bernsteins death, while sat next to the music icons children. Asked if he missed Bernstein whom Cooper had never met the actor replied: Oh yeah, man. Bradley Cooper in Maestro ( 2022 Netflix, Inc.) Its hard to talk about, he told the Bernstein children. I dont know, we, the four of us [Cooper and Bernsteins three children], shared something very special, its hard to even articulate. Referring to the filming of Maestro, Cooper continued: He was with me, certainly, throughout the entire time. His energy has somehow found its way to me, and I really do feel like I know him, Cooper added. Bernstein, a long-time smoker, died of a heart attack caused by progressive lung failure in 1990. He was 72 years old. Maestro is available to stream now on Netflix. Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Google Doodle is celebrating Leap Day on 29 February - a date that only comes around every four years to keep our calendars in line with the Earth and the Sun. The artwork for this doodle depicts a little green frog with the number 29 on its chest, landing and jumping off a lily pad between the numbers 28 and 1. It takes the Earth approximately 365.25 days to orbit the Sun, which is called a solar year. However, we usually round the days in a calendar year to 365 to make things simple, but to compensate for the missing quarter days, one day is added to our calendar every four years and is known as a leap year. The day is added to the end of February, the shortest month, and one which usually consists of 28 days, but in 2024, there are 29. While it may seem unnecessary to add a whole day every four years just to make up for the missing quarter days, if they were ignored, it could seriously mess up how we perceive our calendar. Each Earth day represents how many hours it takes for the planet to finish one rotation on its axis this is 24 hours. A year is the amount of time it takes for a planet to do one orbit of its star in our case, the Sun. If you kept subtracting the quarter days, or approximately six hours, to create a nice round 365-day year, and leap years were never added, all those missing hours would start adding up into days, weeks and eventually months, according to Nasa. In a few hundred years, you would find all the months would be out of kilter, and our summer months would eventually occur when the winter season is happening. While a few countries around the globe divide their time using different calendars, much of the world uses the Gregorian calendar. This calendar system was actually introduced for use by Julius Caesar during the Roman Empire, around 46 BC; however, their calendar was 11 minutes and 14 seconds longer than it should have been, Nasa said. Due to this, timekeeping errors were amassed over the years. Pope Gregory XIII reformed this calendar system in 1582 and said that all years that are divisible by four should be a leap year except for century years, which must be divisible by 400 to qualify as a leap year. The Gregorian calendar was introduced into Roman Catholic countries in October 1582, and not until September 1752 for Britain and its colonies, Nasa said. Aside from trying to navigate the relationship between time and space, leap years have also brought traditions and superstitions worldwide. One of the most well-known is an Irish tradition where, on 29 February, women can propose to men. Known as Bachelors Day or Ladies Privilege, the tradition is derived from Irish folklore. While it is more common for all genders to be getting down on one knee these days, the story goes that St Brigid, the patroness saint of Ireland, asked St Patrick to give women one day to propose to their partners, according to the Irish Star. After some bargaining, St Patrick agreed that women could propose one day every four years. 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 }} Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. told Australias Parliament on Thursday that the strategic partnership between the two nations was more important than ever with the rule of law and peace in the region under threat from China. Marcos told a special joint sitting of the two chambers during a state visit that the Philippines would not allow a foreign power to take even one square inch of our sovereign territory. It is a declaration he has often repeated since taking office in 2022 and refers to Chinas disputed claims to the Philippines' territory in the South China Sea. Marcos said Australia and the Philippines need to band together against new challenges to the regions peace and stability, as they had against Japanese forces during World War II. Not one single country can do this by itself. No single force can counter them by themselves, Marcos said. This is why our strategic partnership has grown more important than ever. Marcos said his father, former President Ferdinand Marcos, and then-Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitlam reaffirmed that the security of their two countries was bound together in 1974 when they toured the Philippines' WWII battlefields of Bataan and Corregidor. Australia and the Philippines for the first time conducted joint sea and air patrols in the South China Sea in November last year. Marcos said the Philippines and Australia fought to build a rules-based international order after WWII, and that they must now fight to protect that order in the South China Sea. The protection of the South China Sea as a vital, critical global artery is crucial to the preservation of regional peace and, I dare say, of global peace, Marcos said. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese reminded Marcos of his words when the leaders last met: prosperity and progress dependent on peace. That is what is so significant about the maritime cooperation activities our two navies completed together for the first time in November last year, Albanese said. Our cooperation is an assertion of our national interest and a recognition of our regional responsibility, Albanese added. Marcos address was interrupted briefly by Senator Janet Rice, from the minor Greens party, who held up a sign that read: Stop human rights abuses, in a protest against the Philippines' record on rights. Rice was later censured by a majority of her colleagues in the Senate with a motion that disapproved of her unparliamentary and disrespectful conduct in her protest and her disregard for the importance of Australia-Philippines relations. The censure is symbolic and carries no consequences for Rice. Marcos and Albanese on Thursday announced new agreements on maritime cooperation, cybersecurity and fair trade regulation. Following the two-day state visit, which ends on Thursday, Marcos will return to Australia next week with other Southeast Asian leaders to take part in an ASEAN-Australia Summit that marks 50 years of Australias partnership with the regional bloc. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Two scientists at Canadas top infectious disease laboratory lost their jobs after reviews found they failed to protect sensitive assets and information, and failed to acknowledge collaborations with China, newly released records show. The scientists, Xiangguo Qiu and her husband, Keding Cheng, were stripped of their security clearances in 2019 at Canada's National Microbiology Laboratory over questions about their loyalty to Canada and the potential for coercion or exploitation by a foreign entity, the documents say. More than 600 pages were made public Wednesday five years later following a special all-party review of the records. The records show Canada's spy agency, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, assessed that Qiu repeatedly lied about the extent of her work with institutions of the Chinese government and refused to admit involvement in various Chinese programs, even when evidence was presented to her. Opposition parties hoped the documents would shed light on why Qiu and Cheng were escorted out of Winnipegs National Microbiology Laboratory in July 2019 and subsequently fired in January 2021. The two have not publicly commented and are reportedly in China. Three former senior judges had the final say on public disclosure of the newly disclosed documents, which are partially redacted. The Canadian Security Intelligence Service concluded that, despite being given every opportunity in her interviews to describe her association with Chinese entities, Ms. Qiu continued to make blanket denials, feign ignorance or tell outright lies. A November 2020 Public Health Agency of Canada report on Qiu says investigators weighed the adverse information and are in agreement with the CSIS assessment. Investigators concluded that Qius loyalty remains of grave concern due to her direct contact with the entities linked to a foreign state. A Public Health Agency report on Chengs activities says he allowed restricted visitors to work in laboratories unescorted and, on at least two occasions, did not prevent the unauthorized removal of laboratory materials. The report also says Cheng was not forthcoming about his activities and collaborations with people from government agencies of another country, namely members of the Peoples Republic of China. Dr. Chengs actions reflect those of an individual who is careless with information and assets in his custody and not forthcoming and truthful when questioned about these communications. Health Minister Mark Holland said Wednesday the documents revealed a lax adherence to security protocols. But Holland insisted that at no time did national secrets or information that threatened the security of Canada leave the lab. I think that there was an inadequate understanding of the threat of foreign interference, he told reporters. I believe that an earnest effort was made to adhere to those policies, but not with the rigor that was required." 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 }} Ghana 's parliament passed a highly controversial anti-LGBTQ+ bill on Wednesday that could send some people to prison for more than a decade. The bill was introduced to parliament three years ago and criminalizes members of the LGBTQ+ community as well as its supporters, including promotion and funding of related activities and public displays of affection. Speaking to reporters after the bill was passed Wednesday one of its sponsors, lawmaker Sam George, said he felt relieved. (I) feel like a burden has been taken from me, he said. The bill has been sent to the president's desk to be signed into law. The West African nation has generally been considered more respectful of human rights than most African countries and the bill has sparked condemnation among the international community and rights groups. A coalition of human rights activists said the bill violated fundamental human rights. This bill seeks to infringe on, among others, the rights to dignity, freedom of speech, freedom of association, freedom to partake in processions, academic freedom, equality and non-discrimination, said the group in a statement. Sponsors of the bill defended it saying it seeks to provide protection for children and people who are victims of abuse. Lawmakers proposing the bill said they consulted influential religious leaders while drafting it. Among those endorsing it are the Christian Council of Ghana, the Ghana Catholic Bishops Conference and the countrys chief imam. ____ Follow APs Africa coverage at: https://apnews.com/hub/africa 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 }} Canadas government is reimposing the visa requirements on Mexican nationals visiting Canada, the immigration minister announced Thursday. Quebecs premier has been urging the Canadian government to slow the influx of immigrants, which he says has been straining resources. The U.S. government also urged Canada to take action as some Mexicans have been crossing illegally into the U.S. from Canada. Immigration Minister Marc Miller said that the new rules take effect late Thursday. We have seen exponential growth in asylum claims particularly from Mexican nationals in the last year, Miller said. Miller said Mexico accounted for 17% of all asylum claims received by Canada from around the world, and said most claims from Mexico are either rejected, withdrawn or abandoned, so a change was needed. Claims that dont even have the prospect of success put a pressure on the system and put a pressure on the social supports that these people get, he said. It has ripple effects across the system. Miller said Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau raised this issue with Mexico's president every time he spoke with him, and said not enough was being done to decrease the numbers. Trudeaus government lifted the visa requirement for Mexican visitors in late 2016, removing a major irritant in relations between the two countries. But Immigration Department data show asylum claims from Mexico have spiked dramatically. In 2015, there were only 110 such claims, but the number jumped to nearly 24,000 last year. The Quebec government has been calling on Ottawa to reimburse 1 billion Canadian dollars ($740 million) the amount the province has said it has spent on a growing number of asylum-seekers. Miller said that Canadas relationship with the U.S. is also a factor. We have seen a number of claimants cross into the United States, Miller said. They are nothing compared to what the U.S. is facing with respect to their southern border." But they are significant, and they have increased dramatically in the last year or two, he said. "And thats something we have to manage as a partner with the U.S. Previously, refugee service providers in Montreal have said that Mexican families are fleeing violence, insecurity and a lack of jobs in Mexico. Canada only grants asylum to people it believes can't safely live in any part of their home country, because officials are unable or unwilling to provide those conditions. During his daily media briefing on Wednesday, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador suggested that Canada was going to announce actions when he took a reporters question about potential U.S. tariffs on Mexican steel exports and launched into a rambling complaint about a lack of respect coming from Mexicos North American neighbors. The president said that conservative forces in Mexico had been lobbying in the United States and Canada for actions that would reflect poorly on his administration. He mentioned U.S. complaints about fentanyl production in Mexico, and assertions by both the U.S. and Canada that Mexico wasn't doing its part to control immigration numbers. The immigration issue, its Mexicos fault, Lopez Obrador said mockingly. Were going to build a wall and thats how well solve the problem. Were going to militarize the border and thats how well solve the problem. And now Canada is doing the same, theyre wanting to take measures against Mexico; we really regret it, Lopez Obrador said. Theyre negotiating to reach an agreement, that we can control the migration flows to Canada, as we always have. And we have acted generously toward them, with the administration of Prime Minister Trudeau, but they were already at the point of imposing unilateral measures, right now, when there are elections in Mexico. Lopez Obrador also raised the possibility that he wouldn't attend the North American Leaders Summit, scheduled for April in Quebec. If there isnt respectful treatment, I dont participate, he said. ___ Christopher Sherman contributed to this report from Mexico City. 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 }} Japans beleaguered prime minister was set to stand before a political ethics committee Thursday at Parliament in a bid to showcase his leadership. Fumio Kishida has fought against plummeting support ratings since his governing partys corruption scandal rocked the government. The scandal, considered the biggest in decades, centers on political funds raised through party event tickets bought by individuals, companies and organizations. It led to 10 people lawmakers and their aides being indicted in January. While Kishida himself is not the focus of the scandal and was not even invited to the hearing, the surprise announcement of his personal appearance broke a deadlock between the opposition lawmakers and his governing party Wednesday when the five implicated attendants refused to go public, holding up a hearing and further tarnishing the party image. The ruling Liberal Democratic Partys resistance to have a fully open session fueled public criticism that Kishidas party is taking the corruption lightly and trying to hide something. Kishida's action could help ease criticisms that he was too slow and lax in addressing the public's distrust and taking anti-corruption measures. As head of the LDP, I will appear and fulfill my responsibility to explain in front of the media, Kishida told reporters Wednesday. He said the deadlock on the hearing was extremely disappointing. I had a strong sense of crisis, that it would worsen the public's distrust in politics." Kishida doesnt have to call a parliamentary election until 2025, but his party has set a leadership vote for September. The ethics committee is tasked with determining whether a lawmaker violated political ethics standards and should be held responsible, but critics say it's largely a show and any serious investigative role is not expected. Its hearings can be held in a closed meeting, but all but nine of its previous hearings were held publicly. More than 80 LDP lawmakers, most of them belonging to a faction previously led by assassinated former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, acknowledged not reporting funds in possible violation of the Political Funds Control Law. The money was alleged to have gone into unmonitored slush funds in the systematic long-term practice. Kishida removed a number of ministers from his Cabinet and others from party executive posts, while some stepped down in the sandal, though support ratings for his government dwindled to around 20%. The prime minister has announced the dissolving of his faction following the scandal, and has established an internal task force to make reforms. But half of its members are linked to the scandal, raising questions about how much it can achieve. The LDP has governed postwar Japan almost without interruption and has repeatedly had corruption scandals followed by promises for cleaner politics. Kishida and a former Internal Affairs Minister Ryota Takeda, who belongs to another powerful faction, were to appear at the hearing Thursday. Four Abe-faction members, including former Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno and former Trade Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura, were set to show up Friday. 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 }} Austrias foreign minister on Thursday urged Israel and Lebanons militant Hezbollah group against escalating the conflict along the volatile Israel-Lebanon border and expressed hope for a pause in the fighting in Gaza in time for the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in March. The Middle East has witnessed enough devastation and cruelty, said Alexander Schallenberg, speaking after meeting his Lebanese counterpart in Beirut. Schallenberg said he came to Lebanon after visiting Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian city of Ramallah in the Israeli occupied West Bank. Overnight, Israeli airstrikes on Lebanese villages along the southern border killed two people and wounded 14 others in the village of Kafra, state-run National News Agency reported. Since the Israel-Hamas war started on Oct. 7, after Palestinian militants stormed parts of southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 250 hostage, Hezbollah started attacking Israeli posts, drawing return fire from Israel in daily exchanges. More than 210 Hezbollah fighters and nearly 40 civilians have been killed since then on the Lebanese side. In Israel, nine soldiers and nine civilians have been killed in Hezbollah attacks since Oct. 7. European and American officials have tried to ease the tensions in visits to Beirut, to avoid a full-blown war between Israel and Hezbollah, which has said it won't discuss any deals before the war in Gaza ends. Everybody is asked not to escalate and it always takes two sides, Schallenberg said. The Hezbollah-Israel exchanges have mostly focused on the stretches along the border but on Monday, Israels air forces attacked areas near the northeastern city of Baalbek after Hezbollah fighters shot down an Israel drone flying over Lebanon. Israel was also blamed for a strike in Beirut in January that killed top Hamas official Saleh Arouri. The region has accounted enough devastation, enough cruelty and we should try to solve the problems and not create further problems, Schallenberg said. He also criticized Yemens Houthi rebels who have been attacking ships in the Red Sea, saying: They think they can play with fire without getting burnt. Lebanons Foreign Minister Abdallah Bouhabib urged for a deal for a disputed stretch of the Israel-Lebanon border, similar to the deal reached through U.S. mediation in 2022 over the two countries' disputed maritime border. He said the problem can be solved when Israel withdraws from disputed areas, including Chebaa Farms that Israel captured from Syria in 1967. Israel would return all the Lebanese land to us and then the problem of Hezbollah and Israel will be at least partly solved, Bouhabib said. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Jack Teixeira, the Massachusetts Air National Guard member accused of leaking highly classified military documents on a social media platform, is expected to plead guilty in his federal case, according to court papers filed Thursday. Prosecutors asked the judge to schedule a change of plea hearing for Monday, but no other details were immediately available. Teixeira had previously pleaded not guilty. The Massachusetts U.S. attorney's office declined further comment. An attorney for Teixeira didn't immediately return a phone message Thursday. Teixeira, of North Dighton, Massachusetts, has been behind bars since his April arrest for a leak that left the Biden administration scrambling to assess and contain the damage among the international community and reassure allies that its secrets are safe with the U.S. Teixeira was indicted on six counts of willful retention and transmission of national defense information. He was accused of sharing classified military documents about Russias war in Ukraine and other sensitive national security topics on Discord, a social media platform popular with people who play online games. Investigators believe he led a private chat group called Thug Shaker Central, where enthusiasts shared jokes, talked about their favorite types of guns and discussed wars, including Russias invasion of Ukraine. Authorities say Teixeira, who enlisted in the Air National Guard in 2019, began around January sharing military secrets with other Discord users first by typing out classified documents and then sharing photographs of files that bore SECRET and TOP SECRET markings. Teixeira worked as a cyber transport systems specialist, essentially an IT specialist responsible for military communications networks. Authorities have said that Teixeira was detected on April 6 the day The New York Times first published a story about the breach of documents searching for the word leak in a classified system. The FBI says that was reason to believe Teixeira was trying to find information about the investigation into who was responsible for the leaks. Billing records the FBI subsequently obtained from Discord helped lead investigators to Teixeira. Prosecutors say he continued to leak government secrets even after he was warned by superiors about mishandling and improper viewing of classified information. After being admonished by superiors last year, he was again seen in February viewing information not related to the intelligence field, not his primary duty, according to internal Air National Guard memos filed in court. Authorities have provided few details about an alleged possible motive, but accounts of those in the online private chat group where the documents were disclosed have depicted Teixeira as motivated more by bravado than ideology. Prosecutors had urged the judge to keep Teixeira jailed while the case played, in part because of an arsenal of weapons found at his home and his history of disturbing online statements. They included one social media post from last November saying that, if he had his way, he would like to kill a ton of people because it would be culling the weak minded. In pressing for their client to be freed from jail, Teixeira's attorneys pointed to the pretrial release of former President Donald Trump and others in high-profile classified documents cases. Teixeiras lawyers noted that prosecutors did not seek to detain Trump or his co-defendant, Walt Nauta even though they said the former president and his valet possess extraordinary means to flee the United States. U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani last year denied Teixeira's bid for release, saying No set of release conditions will reasonably assure the safety of the community, or prevent destruction of evidence. 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 }} Tributes have been paid to a lovely man killed as he went to pick up his newspaper on his normal routine to an east London train station. Bernard Fowler, 87, was found by a member of staff early on Tuesday morning on the floor of Harold Wood station, suffering extensive injuries. Miles Skai, 22, from Brent Cross, in Hendon, has been charged with the murder. Charmaine Tonks told The Independent that the pensioner, known affectionately as Bernie, was a very close friend of her late father. She said: He always used to get the free paper from the station early each morning, Ill always remember his smile, I thought he was a lovely man. It is a massive shock for anyone to reach such an age and to have your life taken in such a horrific way. It is absolutely despicable. A murder probe was launched after a member of staff reported Mr Fowler had been attacked on the platform of the Elizabeth Line station just after 4.30am. Despite the best efforts of paramedics, he was pronounced dead at the scene. Senior investigating officer DCI Sam Painter, of the British Transport Police, said: My thoughts are with Bernards family and loved ones at this time. His family are currently being supported by specially trained officers. I would ask the public not to speculate any further on the incident We are carrying out high visibility patrols in the area and are working alongside our colleagues at the Metropolitan Police to provide visible reassurance. Skai will next appear at the Old Bailey on Friday. Anyone who witnessed the incident is asked to text BTP on 61016 or call 0800 40 50 40, quoting reference 53 of 27/02/24. 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 mother fell to the floor screaming after being told her only son had been stabbed in the head - and was later informed his NHS medical bill would cost more than 11,000. Tharel Thompson had only been in the UK for three days on a trip to visit family, when he was attacked in the Walkabout nightclub in Reading shortly after 2am on Sunday 11 February. The 28-year-old was rushed to hospital but remains in a critical condition after the knife wound struck his right temple and pierced his brain. Given that he is uninsured and not a British citizen, his family was handed a hefty bill within hours of arriving at John Radcliffe Hospital, with the figure likely to rise given the costs of additional treatment he will require. I had only been there a couple of hours when the lady handed me the bill, his mother Yvonne Thompson said. That is just an estimate, we have no idea what the bill will be and we dont know how long he will be in hospital for. He is going to need a lot of physical and psychological therapy. Having last visited the UK from their native Barbados when he was just five years old, Ms Thompson had been delighted when her son said he wished to revisit and see his cousins and family. Tharel Thompson had been at Readings Walkabout nightclub when he was stabbed (Yvonne Thompson) The lighting technician had recently been recuperating from a motorcycle accident, and had been looking forward to a holiday. However, while out with his fathers family in Reading city centre, he suffered catastrophic injuries and remains in a medically induced coma, with significant pressure on his brain. When I woke up I saw missed calls from his father, immediately after his cousin gave me the news, she said. I was screaming because I couldnt understand how this could happen. I was puzzled and shocked. She immediately booked an overnight flight to London and travelled straight to the hospital, where she was greeted with a real horror scene. Tharel remains in a medically induced coma and will require extensive physiotherapy (Yvonne Thompson) It was unbelievable, I couldnt believe it was my only child. There were so many wires hooking him to different machines. He was in surgery for hours until they got the bleeding under control, and he is still very critical. Two men, Krisma Anthony, 23, and Jahlil Chales, 22, have been charged with attempted murder and have been remanded into custody. Both are next due to appear at Reading Crown Court on 11 March. Mr Thompsons family are now faced with the stark prospect of raising thousands to pay for his care, and face an uncertain future given the extent of his injuries. Tharel is a free spirit, his mother said. He is passionate about everything, he likes to dress nice and cares about how he presents himself. He likes jet skis and motorcycles, and never complains as hes a dedicated worker. One thing he always does is tell me that he loves me every day. Having already undergone two surgeries, doctors have told his family that they must now patiently wait for the pressure to reduce, before efforts are made to awaken him. They have now launched a GoFundMe to help raise the funds for his treatment, which has already raised a staggering 20,000 in recent days. I just want to thank everyone who has donated so far, Ms Thompson said. From all of the hospital staff and all our friends and family in Barbados, it means the world. 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 }} Wayne Couzens predatory sexual behaviour started 20 years before he raped and murdered Sarah Everard and he should never have been allowed to join the police, a damning inquiry has found. A shocking new report has uncovered allegations that Couzens committed a very serious sexual assault against a child who was barely in her teens before his policing career even started. Lady Elish Angiolini said the allegations were among five other incidents of sexual offending which were never reported to police and, due to under-reporting of sexual offences, she fears there may be even more victims. (PA/Getty) Following his arrest for the abduction and murder of Ms Everard, police received reports he attempted to kidnap someone at knifepoint in North London in 1995. The complainant came forward after recognising Couzens in the media. He was also accused of raping a woman at a singles night in east London between 2006 and 2007 and further alleged rape under a bridge in the capital 2019. Both victims came forward after Couzens was arrested for murdering Ms Everard, but no further action was taken due to evidential difficulties. Following our live coverage and reaction from the publication of the report by clicking here Another complainant came forward to say that Couzens has assaulted a man dressed in drag at a bar in Kent in summer the same year and invited him to perform a sex act outside The long-awaited 350-page report published on Thursday morning detailed his diverse and deviant sexual interests, with evidence he showed friends and colleagues violent pornography and on at least two occasions shared unsolicited pictures of his genitals with young women. She also found Couzens, who is also alleged to have possessed indecent images of children, paid female online retailers to masturbate into clothes and send them to him. The inquiry has called for a radical overhaul of police vetting and recruitment after finding repeated failures to spot red flags, allowing three separate police forces to permit him to serve. It has also called for a fundamental change to how police respond to indecent exposure after repeated incidents linked to Couzens were not properly investigated. The inquiry found eight occasions in which alleged incidents of alleged indecent exposure were reported to police between 2008 and 2021 - prior to Ms Everards murder - but not one led to his arrest and prosecution. A further incident, dating to 2004, was reported after her death. Lady Elish said: Wayne Couzens should never have been a police officer. And, without a significant overhaul, there is nothing to stop another Wayne Couzens operating in plain sight. Dame Elish Angiolini has looked at whether potential risks posed by Wayne Couzens were missed during his policing career (Metropolitan Police/PA) (PA Media) Couzens was a serving Metropolitan Police officer when he kidnapped, raped and murdered Ms Everard, 33, three years ago as she was walking home in Clapham, south London. The horrifying crime shocked the nation and led to a widespread outpouring of grief, thrusting issues of police corruption and violence against women and girls into the spotlight. Lady Elish added: I would urge all those in authority in every police force to read this and take immediate action. Sarahs parents and loved ones live in the perpetual grief and pain of having lost Sarah in this way. Her death, and the public discourse it caused, should galvanise those responsible for policing to make sure something like this can never happen again. Responding to the report in a rare statement Ms Everards devastated family said it was obvious that Couzens should never have been a police officer. Whilst holding a position of trust, in reality he was a serial sex offender. Warning signs were overlooked throughout his career and opportunities to confront him were missed, the family said. We believe that Sarah died because he was a police officer she would never have got into a strangers car. The statement from Sue, Jeremy, Katie and James Everard paid tribute to Sarah, a marketing executive, ahead of the third anniversary of her death on Sunday. We no longer wait for her call; we no longer expect to see her. We know she wont be there at family gatherings. But the desperate longing to have her with us pervades every part of our lives, they said. People gathered to pay their respects at a vigil on Clapham Common after her death (Getty Images) The independent inquiry, commissioned by former Home Secretary Priti Patel, sets out 16 key recommendations to government and policing leaders to prevent other officers from abusing their position of trust in such a heinous way again. It was found that Couzens carefully managed the impression he gave of himself to people, manipulated information on application forms and only shared his callous views of women with a very small group of like-minded people. Couzens successfully applied to become special constable at Kent Police in 2006, despite him having failed vetting two years earlier when he applied to be a regular officer. The report found the forces recruitment policies were applied inconsistently after the 2006 vetting was carried out by a different team. He worked as a special with Kent Police until he resigned in 2010. It was also found that he should not have been allowed to join the Civil Nuclear Constabulary in 2011 because of his troubled finances, where he went on to be approved as a firearms officer. At the time of his recruitment Thames Valley Police, to whom the CNC outsourced vetting, recommended he should not pass because he had an Individual Voluntary Arrangement but this was not followed. His initial vetting to join the Met in 2018 was also flawed after the outcome of a Police National Database check was recorded as no trace despite him being reported missing in 2013 and his car being linked to an incident of indecent exposure in 2015. This was missed yet again when he applied to serve as an authorised firearms officer with the force the following year. Couzens - who will never be released from prison - went on to use his knowledge and police powers to falsely arrest Ms Everard for breaching lockdown restrictions, before raping and dumping her strangled body in a woodland near Ashford. Shockingly even after he was exposed as a killer - the Met told the inquiry in 2022 they would still have recruited him if they were provided the same information again. I found this astonishing, Lady Elish said. I make a number of recommendations to improve recruitment and vetting covering everything from in person interviews, and home visits for new recruits, to improvements for information sharing around transfers. Sarah Everard was raped and killed as she walked home in south London on 3 March 2021 (Family handout/CPS/PA) (PA Media) She added that allegations of indecent exposure were treated as low level by investigating officers. In 2015 someone reported a man driving Couzens car while indecently exposing himself to Kent Police. A further report was made about a masturbatory incident towards a cyclist down a narrow country lane in 2020. While just days before he abducted Ms Everard he was reported for exposing himself at a drive-through in London. Then-Met police constable Samantha Lee was sacked and barred from being a police officer after it was found she had not properly investigated the incidents. The report also noted the police working environment did nothing to discourage his misogynistic view of women, which allowed his deviant behaviour outside of work to flourish. Anna Birley, co-founder of Reclaim These Streets, which staged a high profile vigil in the wake of Ms Everards murder, said it will be difficult for women to trust police until the inquirys recommendations are embraced by the government. She told The Independent: Its the worst kind of broken record inquiry after inquiry describing serious failings in police policy, processes and culture but time and again an utter lack of action or change. Misogyny still thrives within policing culture, warning signs are missed and dangerous men operate in positions of authority in plain sight. The report is a grim read, and Lady Elish has done a thoughtful and thorough job but until the Home Secretary makes the inquiry and its findings statutory I dont trust that the necessary reforms will be implemented. Until then, it will be difficult for women to trust that there are not predators among the ranks of the people tasked with keeping them safe. Responding to the Angiolini report, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said Couzens crimes were the most appalling betrayal of trust. It damages the relationship between the public and the police and exposes long-standing fundamental flaws in the way we decide who is fit to be a police officer and the way we pursue those who corrupt our integrity once they get in, he said. The report published today is an urgent call to action for all of us in policing. We must go further and faster to earn back the trust of all those whose confidence in policing has been shaken by events of recent years. Kent Police has apologised for failing to properly investigate when Couzens was reported for indecent exposure in 2015, adding it fully accepts the reports recommendations. We also accept our investigation into a 2015 incident of indecent exposure was flawed due to it being allocated to an officer who was not a trained investigator, and apologise for this failing, the force added. Meanwhile home secretary James Cleverly said Ms Everards murder was an act of pure evil but insisted it is not a reflection of the majority of dedicated police officers. He said the government will thoroughly consider the recommendations, adding: In the three years since, a root and stem clean-up of the policing workforce has been underway and we have made huge strides as well as making tackling violence against women and girls a national policing priority to be treated on par with terrorism. But we will continue to do everything in our power to protect women and girls. I am grateful to Lady Elish for her meticulous investigation. Her insights will be invaluable as we move forward in supporting our police to build forces of the highest standards of integrity and regain the trust of the British public. 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 }} Hundreds of commuters were evacuated from Charing Cross station on Thursday afternoon after a trespasser on the tracks sparked rush hour chaos, with dozens of trains cancelled or diverted. Armed police rushed to the scene as witnesses claimed a man had attempted to cross the Hungerford Bridge, bringing rush hour trains to a halt. A man was pictured standing on the bridge which carries the railway line over the River Thames on Friday. By 7pm, Southeastern Rail said the man had been apprehended and the power to the line had been switched back on. A British Transport Police spokesman said: Officers were called to Charing Cross railway station at around 5.07pm following reports of a person trespassing on a railway bridge. Officers attended, alongside firearms officers, and a person was taken to a place of safety. The managing director of Southeastern Railway, Steve White posted on X: I am sorry to advise that a trespasser on the railway at Charing Cross has prevented all trains leaving for the last hour. British Transport Police are on site working to resolve. Services will be diverted where possible to keep customers moving. A Southeastern spokesman added: A trespasser on the railway between London Charing Cross and London Bridge means that all lines are blocked. Trains running between to / from London Charing Cross be cancelled, delayed by up to 90 minutes or revised. Trains between London Bridge and London Charing Cross are currently unable to run. 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 }} Staff at asylum seeker hotels made unaccompanied refugee children guess who was going to be fostered next in a cruel game uncovered in a report by the former borders chief. The Home Office launched a full investigation after inspectors discovered the practice during a visit to hotels housing unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in Kent. One team leader said they would make the children guess who was going to leave the hotel for a foster placement next, explaining that they were making a game of it. The game was described as insensitive in the extreme and undoubtedly upsetting to the children by the inspectors. The shocking incident is just one revelation from a total of thirteen reports from the former inspector of borders and immigration that the Home Office published at all once on Thursday afternoon. Labour accused the government of trying to hide shameful information by dumping the reports. The former inspector, David Neal, was dramatically sacked over Microsoft Teams last week for apparently breaching his contract by speaking to the media about alleged border security failings at City Airport. He had submitted fifteen reports to the Home Office over the past year but, despite an agreement to publish the reports within eight weeks, none had been made public until Thursday. Labours shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said that government was trying to hide shameful information by publishing thirteen of the reports at the same time. She added: Its totally chaotic, its trying to hide things. I think its totally irresponsible. Chair of the Home Affairs Committee, Dame Diana Johnson, said: This is wholly inadequate and raises serious questions about what the Home Office has been doing all this time. She asked: Has the Home Office just been sitting on them? But Downing Street downplayed suggestions this was a deliberate move. Former chief inspector David Neal spoke in front of MPs after his sacking (PA) A No 10 spokeswoman said: We wanted to publish them as swiftly as possible following the necessary and appropriate due diligence. Mr Neals reports found: Border security at UK airports is neither effective nor efficient with some posts left unstaffed. Quality of asylum decisions has been sacrificed in an attempt to slash the backlog, with decisions to withdraw claims sometimes made in error. Between July 2021 and September 2023, there have been 467 episodes of asylum-seeking children going missing from the hotels. Home Office operated a secret policy when they stopped relocating Afghans from Pakistan to UK to limit use of hotels. The Home Office has a culture of defensiveness and will not change if it does not want to. Here is a summary of some of the reports most important findings: Quality of asylum decisions sacrificed to slash backlog Routine checks of the quality of asylum decisions have been sacrificed for increased productivity, a report by the former independent chief inspector of borders and immigration has found. This will likely increase the number of appeals made by asylum seekers as a result of poor-quality refusals, Mr Neal found - creating another backlog. The number of asylum claims being withdrawn by Home Office officials has soared, yet only one of these decisions was quality assured, the report found. Morale among asylum decision-makers is extremely low and 60 per cent of workers surveyed said they wanted to leave their role as soon as possible or within the next year. They told the inspectors team that the pressure to meet targets affected their mental health. In response to this, a dedicated wellbeing hub had been created on their internal communications platform. In order to incentivise asylum decision-makers to hit targets, the department introduced a number of reward schemes. In one scheme, any member of staff who exceeded their target by 10 per cent was eligible for a 100 bonus. With the government struggling to get their flagship Rwanda policy off the ground, 72 per cent of some 28,560 asylum claimants who were initially deemed ineligible for asylum in the year to June 2023 were then later admitted into the asylum process. At the time of the inspection into asylum casework in June to October 2023, some 7,500 people were earmarked for removal to Rwanda. Mr Neal was told by Home Office officials at the time of his inspection that no action would be taken on their cases until the Supreme Court ruled on the legality of the policy. Mr Neal described their cases as being effectively in indefinite limbo. A ministerial decision was also made to prioritise asylum claims from Albanians, with staff telling inspectors that this had delayed the processing of claims from other nationalities. No accurate data for Afghans who arrived during Operation Pitting evacuation The Home Office does not have a single accurate dataset for Afghans who arrived during Operation Pitting, the military evacuation of Afghans and UK citizens after the Taliban takeover in August 2021, the chief inspector found. The inspector noted that Home Office officials had resorted to contacting arrivals by phone to establish their immigration status. He said a number of British citizens had been incorrectly given temporary leave to remain as a result of the faulty data. Mr Neal also criticised the Home Office for failing to announce that they had effectively halted Afghan relocations to the UK in November 2022, following a political decision to end the use of hotels in the UK. The independent inspector did not find out about the decision until 7 March 2023, despite carrying out an inspection into Afghan resettlement. The Independent revealed in April 2023 that hundreds of Afghans deemed eligible to come to the UK had been abandoned in Pakistan as a result of the decision to stop relocations. Home Office is continuing to run unregistered childrens homes, with 467 incidents of children going missing from hotels Borders chief Mr Neal said that the Home Office has been running unregistered childrens homes for two years now, in a report submitted in February this year. The report focused on unaccompanied asylum-seeking children who are being housed in hotels in Kent and are under the care of the Home Office. He pressed the government to put the children in the immediate care of Kent County Council. He also raised concerns about a lack of checks of DBS clearance for staff at the hotels, with the Home Office only carrying out periodic spot checks. The Home Office reported that between July 2021 and September 2023 there have been 467 episodes of children going missing from the hotels. In 320 of the incidents, the child was found but 147 children remained unaccounted for. Home Office staff attributed the increase in missing children to an increase in the number of Albanian children entering the hotels, who are at much greater risk of disappearing. As part of the inspection, Mr Neal visited two hotels in September 2023, both of which were in Kent. The children living in the hotels had little access to help, with no written information in their own language about the asylum process or where they would be transferred to, the report said. Despite a court finding that housing unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in hotels was unlawful, there was no exit strategy detailing how the situation could be changed. Home Office has a culture of defensiveness and will not change The Home Office has a culture of defensiveness and will not change if it does not want to, the borders and immigration watchdog warned in a report produced before he was fired. In his annual report, covering April 2022 to March 2023, Mr Neal said the Home Office had a reluctance to engage with recommendations for improvement and he had experienced significant pushback while drafting inspection reports, including responses which have gone way beyond just checking factual accuracy. Some of this is perhaps down to a culture of defensiveness, but it is not good, he said, although he noted many senior officials embrace the independent oversight. He expressed fears that some officials would be content to polish and put a positive gloss on far too much, which results in a failure to deliver real change, adding: To put it bluntly, if the Home Office does not want to change, it will not. The only meaningful way of determining whether a recommendation has been delivered is to review it as part of another inspection. Mr Neal also said he senses a reluctance for some officials to get out on the ground and speak to people, adding: Part of that is a legacy of the pandemic, but the bigger part is a lack of self-confidence and a culture that prioritises office-bound policy over on-the-ground experience. Stansted border force caseload increased 400 per cent after Brexit Border force managers at Stansted Airport told inspectors that their casework had increased by 400 per cent since the UKs departure from the EU, with most of the cases coming from e-gate referrals. The sacked border watchdog Mr Neal said that following his re-inspection of electronic passport gates basic stuff was not being done well. He added that the protection of the UKs border was neither effective nor efficient. Mr Neal added: Inspectors saw border posts left unmanned while officers signalled for attention from their managers. This is unacceptable and needs to be addressed urgently. 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 }} Residents have hit out at the management company of a tower block which caught fire, after they learned that it was fitted with Grenfell-style cladding. The Fire Brigades Union issued a warning over the use of cladding after over 120 firefighters were called to put out the massive fire in north-west London on 29 January that came after residents said they heard an explosion from a boiler room on the roof. After the fire, families were left out in the cold before being put up in local hotels whilst housing manager Octavia determines if the building can be made safe again. Octavia said they are still unable to return home until the London Fire Brigade deems the five blocks safe, however London Fire Brigade says the decision to return is with Octavia. Resident Urutha Kailasapillai said his severely disabled daughter, for whom he provides round-the-clock care, was separated from him because the hotel they were offered had no wheelchair access. Fire rages at Wembley flats as 20 engines called to tackle blaze (Snapchat) His daughter burst into tears after she waited 16 hours to be given the choice by social services to be taken to a hospital or a care home. Hundreds of residents were evacuated, with some recounting the frightening moment they were evacuated - which reminded some of the Grenfell Tower fire. The families were told in a nearby Wetherspoons pub doubling as an emergency shelter by Brent North MP Barry Gardiner that the cladding that caught fire was the same material used at Grenfell. Mr Gardiner claimed the blocks managers were repeatedly warned about safety risks and had known about unsafe cladding for more than three years but had failed to get it replaced. The London Fire Brigade said it is working with a scientific advisor at testing company Bureau Veritas to find the cause of the fire but confirmed cladding was involved. The building has a variety of external cladding materials including high pressure laminate (Trespa) and small areas of aluminium composite material (ACM) around some windows, similiar to materials used in Grenfell. Blue cladding is still visible after the blaze (Barney Davis) One of the first people to move into the block just off Wembley High Street about 15 years ago was NHS nurse Angel, 51. She works with Grenfell survivors still suffering respiratory problems six years after the fatal inferno claimed the lives of 72 people. She told The Independent: It was very scary. We are still treating Grenfell patients; we know what it is like, it lasts for such a long time. To hear it is the same cladding is terrifying. They did work on the fire system two years ago but then stopped for some reason. We are not getting help, we come back every morning to find out what is happening there is a wall of silence. Its just so unfair. When Octavia turned up they treated us so bad they were shouting at us. We approached them with humility but they didnt do the same. She added: Residents fighting the hierarchy is not going to be easy, they wont pay for our hotels forever and then what will they do, make us homeless? Lessons have not been learned from Grenfell at all. It is extremely frustrating regardless of how the building looks without the cladding you have to take it off. The back of our building is completely covered. The night of the fire ( @LondonFire/Twitter) Dozens of families said they were left without heating since August, before the fire on January 29. A single mother-of-one, 41, from Kensington Court said: My fire system never worked, the alarm never went off. It was lucky no-one was killed. What makes me angry is that we still dont have a clear answer. We can go back, but what do we have to go back to? We dont know who to listen to. Who is looking after us? If Im going to take my kid back in there we need to be shown it is safe. We cannot risk our lives. Urutha Kailasapilla is the care for his disabled daughter (Barney Davis) Mr Kailasapillai, 79, was returning to his flat to pick up medicine for his severely disabled daughter who suffers from a mitochondrial disorder. He told The Independent: I am so unhappy. Im her carer, she needs me. She was left for 16 hours, she was crying and distressed but we still couldnt get transport for her. 999 wouldnt take her because it was not an emergency. The taxi eventually came 16 hours later. He added that there had been a lack of communication from Octavia housing. He said: They havent told us that it is safe. No-one is talking to us. It needs to be fully sorted out. Residents await permission to collect belongings from their homes (Barney Davis) Chantelle John, 43 and a mother-of-three, has lived in the block for 15 years and was also critical of fire safety. She told The Independent: There were no fire marshals, no alarms, it was our neighbours who were banging on doors to get us out. It was only our MP who told us it was the same material as Grenfell. He was shouting that he had warned them for years this could happen but lawyers were being secretive about the details every time he tried to get a conclusion. The cladding is just there to make it look pretty. Ever since Grenfell happened everyone has lived in fear here. She added: My eldest daughter is traumatised, she cant work, another is doing her GCSEs and cant sleep for crying. We dont want to go back. Our kids will not go back while the cladding is up. If they removed it before and worked with us they would not be traumatised. They are traumatised from knife crime in the area and all this is just more trauma on top of that. Mickala Austin, 36, said she was placed in a dusty and cold hotel which has triggered her asthma along with that of her son. She said: It was a McDonalds worker who I had never seen before telling me to get out. I put my son and his friend in my car but then we were told to get out and get further back. They left us in the cold for five hours. There was no evacuation point, no plan. My son doesnt want to go back and hes lived there his whole life. No-one cares about us. We were told in the hotel today we werent even allowed breakfast this morning. I am stressed but no-one knows what is happening. An LFB spokesman said: Under the fire safety order, London Fire Brigade, in its regulatory role, is not responsible for determining when it is safe for residents to move back into these buildings. Octavia Housing has a legal obligation to meet its responsibilities to ensure the safety of its buildings. The spokesman added they handed over the scene to Octavia, as the responsible person, on February 2. MP Barry Gardiner said Octavia has had a long-running battle with their insurer to rip the blue cladding down before the fire took hold. Barry Gardiner is the Labour MP for Brent North (Richard Townshend/UK Parliament/PA) (PA Media) Matt Wrack, Fire Brigades Union general secretary, said: Firefighters have once again been called to cladding fire which could have resulted in tragedy. Decades of deregulation have created unnecessary risks to residents and firefighters, and put homes and lives at risk. An Octavia spokeswoman insisted that no-one will be made homeless as a result of the fire and that a fire risk assessment had taken place. She added: We will not be asking people to return home without prior approval from the London Fire Brigade. The safety of our residents is our priority. We are working with the London Fire Brigade, Brent Council, and our contractors to ensure homes are safe and secure, in order for residents to be able to return to their home. No one will be asked to return home until the London Fire Brigade has assessed the building as safe. On why the cladding had not been removed despite being raised by residents for at least three years, she said completing the works is a priority. She said: We share Mr Gardiners frustration that the developer has not agreed to carry out the necessary external works. Like many housing associations, Octavia simply does not have the financial resources to carry out works of this nature at its own expense. This is why Octavia must first reach an agreement with the developer and insurers before the works can commence. We have not had any feedback from residents that they were shouted at by Octavia staff any time during visits, meetings, telephone calls, or other contacts. We fully understand that the fire at Elm Road was an extremely distressing experience for our residents. The safety, health and wellbeing of residents is our absolute priority. We are in contact with them every day to ensure we continue to offer every possible assistance to them. People from our Housing team were on site from the evening of the fire to support residents and help ensure their safety. They made sure everyone had somewhere to take refuge and had access to food and other refreshments, before finding them temporary hotel accommodation nearby. Since then, we have been in contact with the evacuated residents daily, to ensure their temporary accommodation meets their needs. We are also covering all reasonable costs residents are incurring as a result of being out of their homes. We are working with Brent Council, the NHS and other local partners to enable residents to access a range of local welfare, wellbeing and mental health support. This has included our charitable Foundation covering the cost of half-term activities for families with children last month. We will continue to offer this support for as long it is needed. 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 number of people sleeping rough in England has soared by 27 per cent in a year with charities calling on politicians to act over an escalating crisis. More than 100,000 households two-thirds of which are families with children are also living in temporary accommodation, government figures released on Thursday show. Last year, 3,898 people were recorded as sleeping on the streets an increase of almost a third on 2022s figure, say the statistics. The government takes a snapshot of rough sleeping on a single night in autumn each year. The latest figures are still less than the peak in 2017 but more than double the number of people who were sleeping rough in 2010, when records began. The figure is also likely to be an underestimate as people sleeping in hidden or moving locations, such as on public transport, are likely to be missed, homelessness charities said. The number of households living in temporary accommodation has also increased by 10.3 per cent year on year, to 109,000 in 2023. Rough sleeping has more than doubled since 2010 (PA) Data from the Department for Levelling Up showed that street homelessness is rising among women, with 568 recorded as rough sleeping last autumn up from 464 the year before. UK nationals remain the biggest proportion of people found to be sleeping rough at 62 per cent. Labours shadow homelessness minister, Mike Amesbury, said that the latest data showed the true human cost of the lack of social housing built by this government over the past 14 years. He added: It is unacceptable to have over 142,000 children in temporary accommodation. We must get Britain building houses, hopes and dreams. Charities accused the government of allowing rough sleeping to more than double on their watch. The largest rise in the number of people estimated sleeping rough was in London, which saw an increase of 32 per cent in the past year. The most affected borough was Westminster where 277 were recorded sleeping on the streets in the 2023 snapshot. Adam Hug, leader of Westminster City Council, said it was clear that the governments policy of moving asylum seekers out of hotels within 28 days of an asylum grant was resulting in a spike in rough sleeping numbers. He added: People from often traumatic backgrounds are being catapulted out of Home Office accommodation with scant preparation for what that means. The result is a growing number of cases where asylum seekers who have been initially placed across London and further afield end up sleeping rough on Westminsters streets. Polly Neate, chief executive of Shelter, said: We havent built enough social homes in decades, and with rents at a record high, thousands of people are being forced to spend their nights freezing on street corners. Meanwhile, families are being pushed into grim hostels and B&Bs miles away from their support networks and where children have to share beds. Ignoring a crisis of this magnitude cannot continue. The number of women rough sleeping has increased (PA) Matt Downie, chief executive at Crisis, said the scale of rough sleeping is now a source of national shame. He added: Through our frontline services we hear directly from people who have been spat at, urinated on or attacked simply because they do not have the security of a safe home. Things have got to change. To bring these numbers down, we urgently need the Westminster government to put long-term funding into the proven solutions we know help people to leave the streets behind, such as Housing First. Fiona Colley, at Homeless Link, said the data points to a situation that is out of control and demands emergency action. A Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities spokesperson said they were spending 2.4bn to help people at risk of homelessness and support rough sleepers. They added: Whilst we have made good progress and rough sleeping remains below pre-pandemic levels, there is more work to be done to meet our ambition to end it entirely and we will continue to work with local authorities to help people off the streets for good. Temporary accommodation is a vital safety net to make sure families are not left without a roof over their heads, but councils must make sure it is suitable for families. 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 Metropolitan Police say they are assessing a report of hate speech made against MP Lee Anderson after he accused the mayor of London of being controlled by Islamists. Scotland Yard said a report was received a day after the former Tory deputy chairman made the remarks that unleashed an Islamophobia row. The Ashfield MP was stripped of the Conservative whip over the weekend after he claimed that Islamists had got control of Sadiq Khan and that the first Muslim London mayor had given away our capital to such extremists. The Met does not provide information on named individuals. However, after a report in The Sun newspaper, the force said on Wednesday: A report was made to police on Saturday, 24 February. Officers are assessing this report. The assessment could result in a full investigation or a dismissal because of a lack of sufficient evidence. Mr Andersons comments sparked outrage across the political spectrum. But the MP, who is now sitting in the House of Commons as an independent, has continued to refuse to apologise and said prime minister Rishi Sunak made a mistake in suspending him. Instead, days after the first criticism, he launched a fresh attack on Mr Khan, accusing him of enjoying protest scenes in Whitehall that cause disruption to parliament and cast the government in a bad light. Mr Anderson says Mr Sunaks suspending him was a mistake (Jacob King/PA Wire) When Mr Anderson was asked on Channel 5 News whether he would take back last weeks remarks, said he would probably change his words slightly, adding: I think its all political. I think he almost enjoys seeing these scenes on Whitehall and on Parliament Square, which disrupts parliament, which puts my government in a bad light. I think he just turns a blind eye. Its politics. The East Midlands MP has not ruled out standing for Reform UK, formerly known as the Brexit Party, at the next election. GB News, the right-wing broadcaster that pays Mr Anderson a 100,000 salary, on top of his 86,584 MPs pay, to present a show on its network, reported that he met Reform leader Richard Tice on Sunday, only 24 hours after being deprived of his Tory affiliation in the Commons. Senior Conservatives have described Mr Andersons attack on Mr Khan as wrong, but have so far stopped short of describing them as Islamophobic. The Labour London mayor has urged the prime minister to call the remarks racist and Islamophobic. Critics said Mr Sunaks reluctance to describe the comments as Islamophobic was weak. Conservative MPs have struggled to answer clearly when asked to condemn Mr Andersons remarks, merely describing them as wrong. Mr Sunak has been forced to deny the Conservative party has Islamophobic tendencies. 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 stand-up comedian hired to play Willy Wonka at a widely criticised chocolate factory experience has spoken out after furious parents demanded refunds. Willys Chocolate Experience organiser Billy Coull apologised for his vision of the artistic rendition of a well-known book that didnt come to fruition and offered 850 people their money back before closing the Glasgow experience on Saturday. Paul Connell said he was given 15 pages of AI-generated gibberish (Supplied) One parent complained of arriving to find a disorganised mini-maze of randomly placed oversized props, a lacklustre candy station that dispersed one jelly bean per child, and a terrifying chrome-masked character that scared many of the kids to tears. There was supposed to be a chocolate fountain somewhere but I never saw it (Stuart Sinclair/Facebook) Did you attend the event? If so email barney.davis.ind@independent.co.uk The Wonka-esque impersonator Paul Connell, 31, spoke to The Independent about how he got the gig and how the chaos unfolded. Im constantly applying for more acting jobs and comedy work, then I got a phone call on Thursday saying, Congratulations you are going to play Willy Wonka, we will send you over the script and dress rehearsal is tomorrow, Mr Connell said. The script was 15 pages of AI-generated gibberish of me just monologuing these mad things. The bit that got me was where I had to say, There is a man we dont know his name. We know him as the Unknown. This Unknown is an evil chocolate maker who lives in the walls. It was terrifying for the kids. Is he an evil man who makes chocolate or is the chocolate itself evil? They even misspelt my contract but I do have a legally binding Coontract [sic]. But I stayed up all night learning it, thinking this would make sense in the dress rehearsal when I see all the tech. Parents were not happy with the Wonka Experience (Stuart Sinclair/Facebook) But at the Friday evening dress rehearsal hours before opening, he turned up to find the immersive and enchanting Willy Wonka experience was, in fact, an empty warehouse with a few plastic mushrooms. In some ways, it was a world of imagination, like imagine that there is a whole chocolate factory here, he said. I spoke to the people running it and thought, surely by the morning it wont look like this, and then I turned up in the morning and it absolutely did. At the end of my monologue, I was supposed to suck up the Unknown Man with a vacuum cleaner. I asked them if they had a vacuum cleaner and they said, yeah, we havent really got there yet, so just improvise. So I started to cut things out, thinking that would be silly. All the actors were lovely people. We gathered together in the morning and said, Were probably not going to get paid for this but kids are still going to come up. Lets make this as magic as possible for them. Children were given a quarter cup of lemonade, the actor said (Supplied) I was making jokes but we were told to give them one jelly bean and a quarter cup of lemonade, he continued. No chocolate at the chocolate experience. There was supposed to be a chocolate fountain somewhere but I never saw it. I was told I would get a 15-minute break every 45 minutes after each group went through. But I ended up playing Willy Wonka for three and a half hours straight. I didnt know where I ended and Wonka began. I was losing my mind by that point. The organiser came up to me, saying, Youre spending too much time with the kids, we need to get them through as quickly as possible. By this point, I was visibly angry. I was like, now theres going to be a lot of disappointed kids. The actor said he finally managed to get a lunch break, deciding to spend it sitting in his car staring at the floor trying to avoid the sight of crying children being turned away by security. When I came back, thats when everything kicked off, he explained. There was an angry mob at the door not being let in. I had to wedge my way through. I was Wonka and its my face everywhere. But I am just a last-minute actor, really, I didnt organise anything. People were shouting, people who put on the event were crying. There were arguments, people running around everywhere the set had been trashed. An AI poster was printed out and stuck to a wall (Stuart Sinclair/Facebook) He called another huddle of the two other Willy Wonkas and the nearest Oompa Loompas, adding: We decided to just walk away. It was actually getting quite dangerous for us. But it was heartbreaking, to be honest. There were kids in costume better than ours, crying. I used to be a teacher and that was triggering for me. One thing I want to make clear is everyone has been so nice to the actors in person and on the day, the people who were there understand we did our best. We didnt take any abuse but we gave abuse to the people running it. The whole thing was disrespectful to the families and us as promising actors. There were three Willy Wonkas but I was the most unlucky because I went first and stayed for three and a half hours doing it through either commitment or stupidity. Planning a stand-up tour soon, the actor, originally from Hull, said he had moved to Glasgow to follow his dream of becoming a stand-up comedian after googling what is the funniest city in the UK. He finished: Its a night Ill try to forget. Sadly, not only will I remember it, everyone I know will remember it too. We as actors were brought in last minute and we just did our best for the kids. Gene Wilders Wonka in the iconic original movie (Warner Bros) Stuart Sinclair, who travelled two hours to attend the experience with his family, told The Independent: It was nothing short of shocking. But all the cast that were there did their absolute best. Unfortunately, they were all sub-contractor actors hired by Illuminati and havent been paid either. They were in as much shock as us. But it was probably worse for them because this is their job and made them look bad when it wasnt their fault. Organiser Billy Coull, the director of immersive events company House of Illuminati, told STV News: Im really shocked that the event had fallen short of the expectations of people on paper. My vision of the artistic rendition of a well-known book didnt come to fruition. For that, I am absolutely truly and utterly sorry. 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 }} Labour is preparing for Jeremy Hunt to steal its flagship policy and scrap the non-dom tax loophole in next weeks Budget. The chancellor is considering an emergency move to poach one of Sir Keir Starmers key plans, which underpins Labours biggest spending commitments. The measure would leave the opposition scrambling for new sources of cash to fund pledges on the NHS and school breakfast clubs. The chancellor is also reported to be considering extending the windfall levy on North Sea oil and gas another Labour policy to fund tax cuts elsewhere. Karl Turner, Labours shadow solicitor general, told The Independent that the Tories are desperate. And a shadow minister told The Independent that whatever they announce, we will be ready to respond. The figure said they were not surprised by the governments apparent change in stance on the non-dom loophole, claiming they have never had a strong argument about why they were keeping it. They added: It looks like they are running out of other options and are desperate to find room for tax cuts to please the right of the party. There are so many other examples where they have taken Labours ideas but lets see what they actually announce and what they do with the money they take from the most wealthy, I think people will be looking at those political choices. And Mr Turner said: Its come to something when the Tories are so desperate that they start talking about hiking taxes on friends and family of the prime minister. The non-dom tax loophole, which lets foreign nationals living in Britain avoid paying tax on overseas earnings, was thrust into the spotlight when The Independent first revealed that Akshata Murty, Rishi Sunaks wife, had used it to save potentially millions of pounds. A shadow minister for Sir Keir Starmers party says they will be ready if Hunt does steal their policy (PA) Ms Murty, whose family business is estimated to be worth around 60bn, later said she would no longer claim the status on her worldwide earnings. At the time, she said she did not want her tax status to be a distraction for my husband or to affect my family. But Labour has ruthlessly attacked the PM over The Independents revelation, with Sir Keir accusing Mr Sunak of desperately holding onto his beloved non-dom status. And the latest row erupted as it emerged Mr Hunt is considering scrapping the loophole in a bid to fund national insurance or income tax cuts. The chancellor is looking at the move ahead of next weeks Budget, in what would be a major blow to Labours post-election spending plans. Sir Keir has promised to pay for NHS reform and school breakfast clubs with the money it would raise by scrapping the tax break. It believes the move would raise around 2bn, but if Mr Hunt scraps or drastically alters the non-dom regime, Labour will have to find the money to fund the pledges elsewhere. Jeremy Hunt has called scrapping the non-dom tax break the wrong thing to do in the past (PA) Mr Hunt has been handed a list of revenue-raising measures that would help him fund further pre-election giveaways to win over voters. He is prepared to take the move if pre-budget forecasts deteriorate in the run-up to next Wednesdays statement. But a Treasury source told The Independent Mr Hunt would not do anything that risked undermining the competitiveness of the City. Mr Sunak has been dismissive of Labours plans to scrap the loophole, describing Sir Keirs attacks on the status as this non-dom thing. And Mr Hunt has said abolishing the tax break does not make sense and would be the wrong thing to do. Asked about the idea, he told BBC Radio Four: These are foreigners who could live easily in Ireland, France, Portugal, Spain. They all have these schemes. All things being equal, I would rather they stayed here and spent their money here. Labour mocked the potential U-turn on the tax status, with a source saying: We will wait and see whether the chancellor manages to get this past Rishi Sunak given his family finances. But a senior Labour MP said the prospect of Mr Hunt stealing the policy shows just how unambitious Labour is being. Given the scale of the challenges facing the country the fact theyre being matched on fiscal policy by one of the most socially and economically regressive right-wing parties in the history of the UK, the figure said. They also said the idea showed how desperately bad the economic outlook is and how little financial room Mr Hunt has. Labour has said it will not reverse Mr Hunts tax cuts if it comes to power after the election, expected this autumn, meaning the party may have to find other ways to fund its existing spending pledges. It has committed to spending 1.1bn on NHS operations, scans and appointments, 171m for health scanners, 111m for dental appointments and 365m for primary school breakfast clubs. The remainder would be spent on additional funding for the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish governments. Rachel Reeves has warned Labour will inherit the worst economic outlook since the Second World War (PA ) The plans emerged as shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves warned Labour is set to inherit the worst economic situation of any incoming government since the Second World War if the party comes into power at the next general election. Speaking with Sky News, Rachel Reeves pointed to debt interest payments, growth, living standards and taxation as she accused the Conservative Party of burning the whole house down during its time in government. She told the broadcaster: This is the worst inheritance any incoming government will have had since the Second World War in terms of debt interest payments, growth, living standards and taxation. (Former chancellor) George Osborne said in 2010 that they were going to fix the roof. What theyve done is smash the windows, broken the door down and are burning the whole house down. That is the reality for whoever is prime minister and chancellor after the next election thats the inheritance that whoever forms the next government is going to have to deal with. Ms Reeves signalled she would potentially replicate any impending tax cuts, but they would need to be in line with her fiscal rules. She said: Fiscal responsibility is non-negotiable for me. The sums have to add up. Everything will be subject to the fiscal rules Ive set out. I want taxes on working people to be lower. But it has to be affordable. Next weeks Budget is one of the last major set pieces for the government before voters head to the polls. With the Conservatives facing a heavy defeat, Mr Hunt is under pressure to find the cash for a cut to income tax or national insurance. He is said to prefer a national insurance cut, following a reduction in the tax announced in Novembers budget, as well as a vape tax. It is thought he may introduce a vaping products levy to be paid on imports and by manufacturers to try to make the habit unaffordable for children. 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 }} Former prime minister Sir John Major has called on Jeremy Hunt to prioritise extra spending on defence over tax cuts in Budget. The extraordinary intervention by the former Conservative leader lays down a challenge to the chancellor just days before he unveils his plans. Mr Hunt is set to defy calls to give the Ministry of Defence more money at the same time as he uses tax cuts to try to woo voters before the election. But Sir John said more money must go to the Armed Forces in the wake of Russias invasion of Ukraine and rising tensions in the Middle East. Asked whether defence spending should be Mr Hunts priority, he said: That would be my choice. We face a real difficulty, both with defence and some public services. Usually when defence spending increases, it is because a threat is evident. There is a threat that is evident. Britain would be making a mistake over the next few years if we turn away from the necessary expenditure that must go into the armed forces, he added during a discussion at the Global Soft Power Summit in Westminster on Thursday. His comments echo calls from other senior Tories for more cash for defence. Ex-defence secretary Ben Wallace said the UK needed more cash for defence or we will not be match-fit for the conflicts to come. Commons Leader and former defence secretary Penny Mordaunt told Mr Hunt this week that the governments first duty was to protect the UK. John Major (Jonathan Brady/PA Wire) The UK currently spends just over 2 per cent of GDP on the defence budget. The government has said that it has an ambition to increase that figure to 2.5 per cent in the longer term. However, it has refused to put a date on when that might be. In response to the comments by the former prime minister, a Treasury source said: A growing economy means we can sustainably fund public services into the long term. Jeremy Hunt is set to use next weeks Budget to scrap the non-dom tax loophole, which lets foreigners living in Britain avoid paying tax on overseas earnings. The rule was thrust into the spotlight when The Independent revealed that Akshata Murty, prime minister Rishi Sunaks wife, had used it to save potentially millions of pounds. Scrapping the perk is a flagship policy of the Labour Party, which has promised to pay for NHS reform and school breakfast clubs with the money that would be raised. But the chancellor is thought to be planning to use the income to fund national insurance or income tax cuts. Labour believe scrapping the non-dom tax break would raise around 2bn, but if Mr Hunt does scrap or drastically alter it, Sir Keir Starmers team will have to find the money to fund the pledges from elsewhere. Mr Hunt is also reported to be considering extending the windfall levy on North Sea oil and gas another Labour policy to fund tax cuts elsewhere. A shadow minister said they were not surprised by the governments apparent change in stance on the non-dom loophole, claiming they had never had a strong argument about why they were keeping it. They added: It looks like they are running out of other options and are desperate to find room for tax cuts to please the right of the party. With the Conservatives facing defeat at the general election, Mr Hunt is under pressure to find the cash for a cut to income tax or national insurance. He is said to prefer a national insurance cut, as well as a vape tax. 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 }} A Tory tycoon in a cash for access controversy accused a female ex-MP of attempted sexual blackmail, according to a former Cabinet minister. Conservative MP Sir David Davis called for a police investigation into businessman and Tory donor Mohamed Amersi for the possible criminal harassment of former Bristol MP Charlotte Leslie. Using parliamentary legal protection, Sir David also accused Mr Amersi of a misogynistic hate campaign against Ms Leslie on social media. Multi-millionaire Tory donor Mohamed Amersi and his partner Nadejda Roditcheva (Stephen Pover/Shutterstock) He also claimed Mr Amersi had tried to intimidate former Labour minister Dame Margaret Hodge. In a wide-ranging attack, Sir David said multi-millionaire Mr Amersi was a shady fixer for corrupt politicians who had made his fortune by facilitating corrupt deals for dictatorships and autocracies including Russia. Mr Amersi, along with his Russian partner Nadejda Roditcheva, has given 750,000 to the Tories (Dave J Hogan/Getty) And he claimed Mr Amersis libel lawyers, Carter Ruck, had committed perjury by lying about how much Mr Amersi had spent on his failed lawsuit against Ms Leslie. Mr Amersi responded on Tuesday night by calling Sir David a biased bully, coward and liar and denied the allegations in their entirety. He also challenged Sir David to repeat them outside the Commons debating chamber, where he would not have legal immunity. Nigel Tait, managing partner of Carter Ruck rejected Sir Davids claim. Mr Tait told The Independent: The judge found that Mr Amersi had misremembered his costs. There was no suggestion of any perjury. Former Bristol MP Charlotte Leslie (PA) Sir Davids comments come after a High Court judge threw out a libel action by Mr Amersi against former Conservative MP Charlotte Leslie last year. Mr Amersi, who along with his Russian partner Nadejda Roditcheva has given 750,000 to the Tories and backed Boris Johnsons leadership, claimed he had been defamed by Ms Leslie in a secret dossier. They fell out in 2020 after she claimed he tried to use his wealth to take over a Tory group run by her which aims to boost UK-Middle East relations. He also donated more than 1m to King Charles favourite charities, leading to him dining with the then-heir to the throne. Mohamed Amersi and King Charles, who was then the Prince of Wales (Amersi Foundation) Philanthropist Mr Amersi defended his conduct as access capitalism and has always vehemently denied any wrongdoing. Sir David castigated Mr Amersi for the way he had fought his battle with Ms Leslie. Mr Amersis campaign against her went far beyond the (legal) case itself - he set out to destroy her reputation, he said. There were lies that she sexually blackmailed men, the collection of intimate details about her family, physical intimidation. And an obsessive, misogynistic and ultimately defamatory hate campaign on social media by Amersi himself. Sir David said Mr Amersi is deeply immersed in a twilight world of backroom bribes. This is why he was so desperate to suppress Ms Leslies claims, he added. He did not want to be exposed and have his carefully crafted public image that of a savvy entrepreneur and generous philanthropist shredded. Amersi clearly hoped he could break Ms Leslies resolve and force her to concede through bullying, intimidation, and the threat of financial ruin. He failed. He put Charlotte Leslie through years of torture in what may have amounted to criminal harassment. Sir David said Mr Amersi, 63, had earned 7 million a year for a Swedish-based telecoms firm and had aided and enriched regimes that resembled a shopping list of dictatorships and autocracies. They included Russia and post Soviet states like Uzbekistan. Amersi facilitated corrupt deals. The repeat nature of the murky practices involved is striking, said Sir David. Mr Amersi had attempted to buy his way into the British establishment - and worryingly he has had some success. He has managed to recast himself as a philanthropist and benefactor, rather than the shady political fixer for corrupt politicians that he really is. He would do whatever he can to get influence.. and clearly, the British establishment is vulnerable. There is a green-eyed gullibility at the top of society, with institutions happy to hoover up cash without asking questions. Sir Davids dramatic Commons intervention followed a separate clash between Mr Amersi and Dame Margaret Hodge. The BBC reported on Tuesday that she has written to the Metropolitan Police and Electoral Commission calling on them to investigate whether the Conservative Party had broken election rules by taking a 200,000 donation from his partner, Ms Roditcheva. Dame Margaret said fresh details of the donation shortly before the 2017 election had emerged in a new book, Cuckooland, by investigative journalist Tom Burgis. She said Mr Amersi had offered to make a donation and had been advised by Tory HQ that the money should come from his partners account because he was not on the electoral register. Dame Margaret told BBC Newsnight: The Conservative Party may have knowingly taken a donation from a non permissible person. Mr Amersi at the time was not on the electoral register. And if you arent on the electoral register you arent allowed to give donations. If his money was transferred to a third party that is also non permissible. That is a very serious matter. The Conservatives said they only accept money from permissible sources. Mr Amersi said no rules had been broken and that the money came from his partners account. He accused Dame Margaret of a politically motivated vendetta against him. When Sir David criticised Mr Amersi in parliament in the past, the businessman responded by calling the Tory grandee a liar, coward and bully. In the High Court judgment last year Mr Justice Nicklin threw out Mr Amersis libel case against Ms Leslie, saying he had failed to prove serious harm had been inflicted on him by her. It was hailed as a landmark victory by press freedom campaigners. She sent a dossier which raised questions about Mr Amersis past business links Russia to a handful of senior Tories and figures in the intelligence services. Mr Amersi claimed her dodgy dossier contained false information which damaged his reputation. After Sir Davids attack in the Commons, Mr Amersi said: David Davis made another misinformed rant against me in favour of Leslie and to promote Burgiss book. For the record I repeat what I had previously said: By using parliamentary privilege, Davis has bullied and lied about the true facts. If he has any substantive proof about what he alleges, please say it to me outside. Do not be a coward. Every deal undertaken had magic circle advisors and blue chip banks. I deny in the strongest terms any and all allegations. All the deals have been the subject of review by various enforcement agencies around the world and no wrongdoing on my part was established. 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 }} Nigel Farage has urged Suella Braverman to ditch the Tories and join Reform UK ahead of this years general election. The former UKIP leader challenged Ms Braverman, who was sacked as home secretary by Rishi Sunak, to think about whether she is in the right party. Mr Farage said the Conservatives will never pull Britain out of the European Convention on Human Rights, something Ms Braverman has called for, and said she should consider joining the insurgent right-wing party. Mr Farage set up Reform UK as the Brexit Party in 2018, handing the leadership to fellow Brexiteer Richard Tice in 2021. It poses a significant threat to Mr Sunak at the general election as, while it may not win any seats, it could deprive the Tories of majorities in dozens of constituencies. Nigel Farage has said Ms Braverman should question whether she is in the right party (Gareth Fuller/PA) (PA Archive) It currently has the backing of around 10 per cent of the electorate, attracting voters upset with the governments handling of immigration and the economy. Speaking to GB News, Mr Farage said he would welcome Ms Braverman to the party. He said: Lets be honest, there is no Conservative Party. They stand up and pretend to be Conservative occasionally but always govern like liberals. Are we, in Brexit Britain, a self-governing, self-determining nation? Probably not. You can say Labour are worse than the Tories, and they probably are, but the Tories are pretty awful. They wont even contemplate, as a party, leaving the ECHR which we have to do because that will be true to the spirit of Brexit. He added: Its all well and good for Suella to come out now, as a former Home Secretary, to say we should do this. Maybe Suella should be asking herself whether shes in the right party. Richard Tice runs Reform, I am merely the honorary president: I am non-executive, I have no fiduciary responsibility so its not up to me. But would I like to see Suella join Reform? Of course I would. Ms Braverman was sacked as home secretary for stoking tensions ahead of a pro-Palestine march in London (PA Wire) Mr Farages intervention comes amid fevered speculation that Lee Anderson, who was suspended as a Tory MP after an Islamophobic rant about London mayor Sadiq Khan, will defect to Reform. The ex-Tory deputy chairman has met Mr Tice and has repeatedly refused to rule out joining the party. And the comments come days after former Tory PM Liz Truss said Mr Farage, who is the honorary president of Reform, should rejoin the Tories to help turn our country around. Mr Farage quit the Conservative Party in 1992 after John Major signed the Maastricht Treaty. Mr Sunak has left the door open for his potential return, refusing to rule it out. But Mr Farage has said he is not interested, lashing out at the Tories big state, high tax policies. Close Jeremy Hunt forced to defend Budget impact on low-income earners 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 }} Both the Conservatives and Labour are engaged in a conspiracy of silence about what will happen to the public finances after the election, the head of a leading economic think tank has said. Responding to the spring Budget, Paul Johnson, director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, said both parties were not being straight about the scale of the trade-offs they will face after voters go to the polls. They, and we, could be in for a rude awakening when those choices become unavoidable, he told a press conference on Thursday. Mr Johnson also warned that the UK was facing its most difficult period financially since the Second World War. The combination of high debt interest payments and low forecast nominal growth means that the next parliament could well prove to be the most difficult of any in 80 years for a chancellor wanting to bring debt down, he said. 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 }} George Galloway has won the Rochdale by-election following a chaotic campaign dominated by the war in Gaza. The former Labour politician and Celebrity Big Brother contestant took 12,335 votes and becomes the only MP for the Workers Party of Britain. The partys number 1 pledge is to end imperialist wars and withdraw from Nato. The campaign for the Greater Manchester constituency was marred by chaos and ugly scenes with candidates receiving death threats and Labour withdrawing support for its candidate in the race over comments he made on the Israel-Hamas war. A voter leaves a polling station in Rochdale where the by-election has been marred with controversary (Getty Images) The Rochdale vote was the latest in a string of recent by-elections triggered by deaths, resignations and MPs losing their constituencies for bad behaviour. Since the start of the current parliament in December 2019, there has been a total of 22 by-elections across the UK - two of which have taken place in Scotland with the remainder being held in England. Labour and the Liberal Democrats have, at the expense of the Conservatives, gained seven and four seats respectively. Keir Starmers party has held five of its seats and lost one to Mr Galloway, while the Tories have managed to hold one, scraping a narrow victory - 495 votes - in Uxbridge & South Ruislip, a contest that was dominated by the expansion of Ulez in outer London. View more The SNP held on in the one seat it was defending in Airdrie and Shotts, with the partys candidate Anum Qaisar winning comfortably with a majority of 8,779. Labour was hoping for its sixth consecutive by-election victory in Rochdale but the partys plans were damaged when candidate Azhar Ali was recorded saying that Israel had allowed Hamass 7 October terror attack to take place. Although Mr Alis name still appeared as a Labour candidate on the ballot, the party withdrew its support and did not campaign in the seat. Labour will now choose another candidate before the next general election, which must take place by 28 January 2025. Simon Danczuk (Reform UK), Azhar Ali (former Labour) and George Galloway (Workers Party) were among the candidates in the Rochdale by-election (PA / Getty) With potentially 11 months to go before voters head to the polls for a national vote, the Rochdale by-election might not be the last. With Labour commanding a double-digit lead in the polls, 58 Conservative MPs have so far announced they will stand down before the election and some party insiders predict the number could rise to well over 100, according to The Sunday Times. Alok Sharma, the former business secretary and Cop26 president, Sajid Javid, the former health secretary, Dominic Raab, the ex-justice secretary and Ben Wallace, the former defence secretary, are among the other big-name Tories who are stepping down at the next election. Mr Sharma and Mr Raab would have been defending majorities of fewer than 5,000 votes at the next national poll. 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 woman is accused of running over her girlfriend as she reversed out of a driveway in Arizona, before driving away. Josarina Woody, 30, was arrested by Glendale Police Department officers on 23 February, nine miles northwest of Phoenix with a five-year-old in the back seat. Ms Woody had been backing out of the driveway at around 9pm that evening when her girlfriend fell into the road, the police department told The Independent. A man standing in the homes front yard yelled at her to stop driving, police said, but she then allegedly ran over the woman and then kept driving. When police officers found her, Ms Woody told them she hadnt been aware that she had run over her girlfriend, instead thinking there was a bump in the driveway. She also told police that she had had a few cans of beer before getting behind the wheel. Ms Woody now faces multiple charges, including aggravated assault and driving under the influence. 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 small Wisconsin town is continuing to search for a missing three-year-old boy, who hasnt been seen in over two weeks. Elijah Vue vanished from his mothers boyfriends home in Two Rivers on Tuesday 20 February. He had been sent 150 miles away from home for disciplinary reasons, with details now showing that the little boy was subjected to lengthy time-outs and threats of cold showers if he misbehaved. Both Elijahs mother Katrina Baur, 31, and her boyfriend Jesse Vang, 39, have been charged with child neglect. As of Thursday 7 March, the search is still underway for the little boy and the FBI has offered a $15,000 reward for information. Here is a timeline of Elijahs disappearance so far 12 February Katrina Baur leaves Elijah with Jesse Vang in Two Rivers, around a 2.5-hour drive from her home in Wisconsin Dells. Elijah Vue, three, was last seen in Two Rivers, Wisconsin, on Tuesday 20 February 2024 (FBI) 12-20 February Elijah is allegedly subjected to discipline tactics by Mr Vang, including standing time-outs, teaching him to pray and threats of cold water if he misbehaves. 16 February - Manitowoc District Attorney alleges Elijah is left alone for around an hour in Maitowoc City while Ms Baur and Mr Vang are elsewhere. 20 February, 7.30am Mr Vang gets up to give Elijah breakfast cereal without milk. 20 February, 8am Elijah is told to stand at the foot of Mr Vangs bed and pray while the man takes a nap. This was the last known sighting of Elijah, according to Mr Vangs police testimony. 20 February, 10.59am Two River Police Department gets a call from Mr Vang, reporting Elijah missing. 20 February, 1.37pm Police issue an appeal for help in finding Elijah, while an amber alert also goes out to the local community. Elijah is described as around 3ft tall, with brown eyes and hair. He was wearing grey sweatpants, a dark-coloured long-sleeve shirt and red-and-green dinosaur slip-on shoes. He may have been carrying a red-and-white plaid blanket. Elijah Vue, three, was last seen in Two Rivers Wisconsin on 20 February 2024 (Two Rivers Police Department) 20 February, 5pm Locals are asked to search outbuildings, vehicles and any other areas where Elijah may have become trapped or hidden, while police utilise drones and search dogs as part of their efforts. Jesse Vang is arrested on suspicion of child neglect that evening. 21 February Katrina Baur is arrested on suspicion of being party-to-a-crime child neglect. 23 February Search efforts continue across Two Rivers and Elijahs hometown of Wisconsin Dells. Ms Baur and Mr Vang appear in court. 26 February Two Rivers Police Department confirm they are searching a local landfill site as part of the investigation. Ms Baur and Mr Vang appear in court again, with the mother receiving two additional charges of obstruction. The details of Mr Vangs tactics emerge in court documents. Police and area firefighters walk along state Highway 310 near Johnston Road during the search for missing three-year-old Elijah Vue on Tuesday 27 February (USA Today-Wisconsin 2024, copyright, all rights reserved) 27 February A week after Elijahs disappearance, police say they are still hopeful of bringing him home safely. The FBI announces a $15,000 reward for information. Elijahs grandmother cries as she pleads for help in finding him. 29 February Ms Baur asks for her bond to be changed so she can get out of jail. Police say they have searched storm water drains as part of continued efforts to find Elijah, while volunteers in Fond du Lac have started searching the town, which sits between Two Rivers and Wisconsin Dells. 4 March - Search enters third week. Two Rivers Police Department release photos of a beige 1997 Nissan Altima, asking for help in tracking its movements on 19 February the day before Elijah was reported missing. Law enforcement has possession of the vehicle. 7 March - The two suspects appear in court, with updated charges announced for Ms Baur. A statement from her mother is read out, asking for the judge not to let her daughter out of jail. 14 March - A judge rules that Ms Baur will go to trial. Mr Vang has requested a speedy trial and an attorney. Ms Baurs arraignment is scheduled for 22 March. 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 }} James Crumbley, the father of the Michigan high school shooter, is going on trial next week, when a valuable piece of evidence may make or break his case. His wife, Jennifer Crumbley, became the first parent to ever be convicted for a mass shooting committed by her child, Ethan Crumbley. She was convicted of four counts of involuntary manslaughter; her husband faces the same charges and has pleaded not guilty. The 17-year-old, who last year was sentenced to life without parole, had written a series of disturbing journal entries, including one that read: I will have to find where my dad hid my gun before I can shoot (up) the school. A judge is expected to decide this week on whether the entry is admissible. This line could be favourable for Mr Crumbleys defence, as prosecutors argue that he and his wife ignored their their troubled sons mental health and gave him easy access to a firearm in their home. However, that piece of evidence was not permitted in Jennifer Crumbleys trial, the Detroit Free Press reported, yet jurors were allowed to hear other entries and texts regarding Ethan requesting help from his parents for his mental health issues, which they allegedly ignored. Its unclear whether the entry will be allowed to be used in James Crumbleys trial. James Crumbley appears in court for a preliminary examination on involuntary manslaughter charges in Rochester Hills, Mich., Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022. (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) Throughout his wifes trial, her defence lawyer painted James Crumbley as being in charge of guns, while she didnt know much about them. The trial revealed that Mr Crumbley took his then 15-year-old to purchase the gun that became a murder weapon four days later. The storage of the gun will likely be a key point in Mr Crumbleys case if his wifes trial serves as precedent. The jury foreperson said after Jennifer Crumbleys guilty verdict was read: The thing that really hammered it home is that she was the last adult with the gun. So not having a journal entry underscoring that Ethan didnt know where the gun was stored or Ethan himself, who refused to testify in either of his parents trials could prove difficult for Mr Crumbleys defence team. A videotaped police interview right after the November 2021 shooting could also highlight some care that he took to store the gun. In the video, Mr Crumbley said that the weapon was hidden in a gun case in an armoire and that the bullets were in a completely different spot underneath some jeans. If the journal entry is ruled admissible, it could serve as a counter-balance to other entries that will be allowed in court that could hurt Mr Crumbleys defence, including one in which Ethan Crumbley wrote: I have zero help for my mental problems and its causing me to shoot up the f***ing school. Mr Crumbleys trial begins on 5 March. His wifes sentencing is scheduled for 9 April. 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 Lone Star State executed a man on Wednesday despite the protests of advocates and celebrity supporters including Kim Kardashian and Martin Sheen. Ivan Cantu, 50, was convicted of killing his cousin, James Mosqueada, and his cousins fiancee Amy Kitchen, in 2001. In addition to high profile supporters, three jurors who convicted the man had advocated for a stay of execution in Cantus case. Cantus death was announced by officials at 6.47pm CT on Wednesday at Texas State Penitentiary at Huntsville. He used his final statement to say he did not kill Kitchen and Mosqueda, adding he did not believe his execution would bring the families any closure or peace. I want you to know that I never killed James and Amy, he said, according to state justice department. And if I did, if I knew who did, you wouldve been the first to know any information I wouldve had that wouldve helped to bring justice to James and Amy I wouldve shared. I want you all to know that I dont think that this situation here will bring you closure if it does. If this is what it takes or have any reservations off in your mind, then so be it. This is not going to help you guys and I want you to know from me that it never occurred. Cantu also thanked his family members and his attorney. Two relatives and a family friend of Kitchen reportedly were present for the execution, but later declined to speak with reporters. Throughout the week, Cantus legal team made efforts to postpone his death but they were denied by the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles and the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals. His attorneys decided against filing a writ of certiorari with the US Supreme Court because they could not find a viable path forward, CNN reported. His only hope would be a 30-day stay of execution from Republican Governor Greg Abbott, though this was ultimately not granted. At least 16 Texas death row prisoners have been exonerated since 1973. Cantus attorney had hoped to present new evidence to officials regarding his claim to innocence. Much of the new information was found by Matt Duff, a podcaster. Mr Mosqueada and Ms Kitchen were fatally shot in Dallas in 2000. Cantus trial was riddled with problems, jurors said. The foreman told media outlets this week that he doesnt believe the jury was presented with a complete picture of the case. A key witness in the trial has recanted and its believed that another witness mightve lied on the stand. Cantu has previously said that he was framed in the trial and believes that Mr Mosqueada, an alleged drug dealer, and Ms Kitchen were targeted by a rival dealer in the area. Ivan Cantu was pronounced dead at 6.47pm local time in Texas on Wednesday (Texas Department of Criminal Justice) Hes also said that he had ineffective counsel at his trial. His attorneys did not call any witnesses during a part of the trial that analysed whether he was guilty. Despite this, Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis has not been swayed. Its my firm belief that justice has been done in this case and that a Collin County jurys verdict should be carried out on February 28th, he told the outlet. At the time of Cantus trial, prosecutors said that his fingerprints were found on the magazine that was part of the firearm used to kill his cousin. Additionally, Cantus jeans had blood that belonged to Mr Mosqueada and Ms Kitchen per DNA tests, prosecutors said. Cantu was put to death by lethal injection hours after a similar attempt was botched by prison officials in Idaho. Officials there were unable to establish an IV line, during the execution of Thomas Creech. Similar incidents have previously happened in attempted lethal injection executions. Cantus death sentence has previously received attention from high-profile figures including Kim Kardashian, who said she had been really moved by the case. In January the reality star took to X and urged her Texan followers to write to their state conviction integrity units. The prosecutors offices are beginning to recognize that there are a lot of mistakes in convictions, she wrote. They encourage you to write into their integrity units about specific cases, so I am encouraging everyone to write in about the case of Ivan Cantu. The time to act to save Ivan Cantu is now! In an Instagram video posted by celebrity activist Jane Fonda, actor Martin Sheen also implored fans to add their names to a petition to have Cantus case re-examined. A small group of anti-death penalty protesters gathered outside the Huntsville Unit shortly before the execution took place. 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 lyrics to Hotel California and other classic Eagles songs should never have ended up at auction, Don Henley told a court Wednesday. I always knew those lyrics were my property. I never gifted them or gave them to anybody to keep or sell, the Eagles co-founder said on the last of three days of testimony at the trial of three collectibles experts charged with a scheme to peddle roughly 100 handwritten pages of the lyrics. Henley is returning to the road as The Eagles next show is Friday in Hollywood, Florida. On trial are rare-book dealer Glenn Horowitz and rock memorabilia connoisseurs Craig Inciardi and Edward Kosinski. Prosecutors say the three circulated bogus stories about the documents' ownership history in order to try to sell them and parry Henleys demands for them. Kosinski, Inciardi and Horowitz have pleaded not guilty to charges that include conspiracy to criminally possess stolen property. Defense lawyers say the men rightfully owned and were free to sell the documents, which they acquired through a writer who worked on a never-published Eagles biography decades ago. The lyrics sheets document the shaping of a roster of 1970s rock hits, many of them from one of the best-selling albums of all time: the Eagles' Hotel California. The case centers on how the legal-pad pages made their way from Henleys Southern California barn to the biographer's home in New York's Hudson Valley, and then to the defendants in New York City. Musician Don Henley arrives to court in New York (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.) The defense argues that Henley gave the lyrics drafts to the writer, Ed Sanders. Henley says that he invited Sanders to review the pages for research but that the writer was obligated to relinquish them. In a series of rapid-fire questions, prosecutor Aaron Ginandes asked Henley who owned the papers at every stage from when he bought the pads at a Los Angeles stationery store to when they cropped up at auctions. I did, Henley answered each time. Sanders isnt charged with any crime and hasnt responded to messages seeking comment on the case. He sold the pages to Horowitz. Inciardi and Kosinski bought them from the book dealer, then started putting some sheets up for auction in 2012. While the trial is about the lyrics sheets, the fate of another set of pages Sanders' decades-old biography manuscript has come up repeatedly as prosecutors and defense lawyers examined his interactions with Henley, Eagles co-founder Glenn Frey and Eagles representatives. Work on the authorized book began in 1979 and spanned the bands breakup the next year. (The Eagles regrouped in 1994.) Henley testified earlier this week that he was disappointed in an initial draft of 100 pages of the manuscript in 1980. Revisions apparently softened his view somewhat. Eagles manager Irving Azoff, center, arrives at supreme court to testify (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) By 1983, he wrote to Sanders that the latest draft flows well and is very humorous up until the end, according to a letter shown in court Wednesday. But the letter went on to muse about whether it might be better for Henley and Frey just to "send each other these bitter pages and let the book end on a slightly gentler note? I wonder how these comments will age, Henley wrote. Still, I think the book has merit and should be published. It never was. Eagles manager Irving Azoff testified last week that publishers made no offers, that the book never got the bands OK and that he believed Frey ultimately nixed the project. Frey died in 2016. The trial is expected to continue for weeks with other witnesses. 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 }} President Joe Biden used a meeting with police chiefs on Wednesday to spotlight his administration's efforts to help cities and police departments manage crime while also providing job opportunities for youth in communities affected by that violence. The president underscored how the American Rescue plan has helped Detroit pay for bonuses and hire 200 additional officers, Milwaukee fund gun crime investigations and Chicago better focus on community violence intervention efforts. He also took a glancing shot at Republicans, suggesting that his administration has helped cities around the U.S. reduce violent crime without Republican help. "We stepped up thanks to my American Rescue Plan, which I might note, not a single person on the other team voted for," Bidens said at the start of the White House meeting that included the heads of police departments from Buffalo, Charlotte-Mecklenburg, Chicago, DeKalb County, Georgia, Miami, Milwaukee, and Philadelphia. Doug Emhoff, the husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, hosted a roundtable later in the day on $85 million in federal grants meant to improve job opportunities for youth in communities affected by gun violence and crime. The president is looking to show he is tough on crime and compassionate to those communities affected by crime as the 2024 election heats up and Republicans criticize the Democrat. The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan passed in 2021 by a Democratic-led Congress and signed by Biden contained $350 billion of flexible aid to states, territories, tribes, counties, cities and towns. Biden said billions of that money has been used effectively at fighting crime, including reducing gun violence. Since day one, my administration been working with law enforcement, mayors and community leaders to do what we know works to keep people in communities safe, Biden said. Violent crime across the nation rose following the pandemic. But despite Republican claims that it's continuing to rise, crime decreased in 2022, dropping to about the same level as before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the most recent FBI crime data. The exception is property crime. The cities that have benefited from federal funding include Detroit, which invested more than $100 million in public safety, and in 2023 it had the fewest homicides since 1966; 18% fewer than in 2022, the White House said. In Chicago, a city often cited as one with a gun violence problem, the city used $100 in federal funding for public safety and community violence intervention efforts that target communities at the highest risk for violence. The city saw a 13% drop in homicides last year and nonfatal shootings also declined, the White House said. Biden has called gun violence the ultimate superstorm, affecting not just victims but the everyday lives of community members. His administration says the response should better resemble how the government acts after natural disasters. It's clear that with gun violence now being the number one cause of premature death for all youth in America, that we must take an all-of-government public health approach to address this crisis, said Greg Jackson, deputy director of the White House office of gun violence prevention. Jackson said the grants to communities will help provide key resources for community organizations and government leaders and will invest in those most at risk for violence. He said it was a way to address both the lack of economic opportunity and the crisis of gun violence. The grants will be open to nonprofits, governments and civic leaders to fund education, skills training and paid work experience. The money is being made available through the Labor Departments employment and training administration. AP writer Aamer Madhani contributed reporting. Retire Congress North Dakota is an effort to apply congressional age limits of 80 years on North Dakotas federal delegation. The recent editorial by the Tribune implies that our campaign illegally collected signatures. That is false. We have operated within the law, but we do believe the law should change. Supporters of our campaign have filed suit against our states ban on paying out-of-state petition circulators. Like many businesses who struggle to find qualified workers, campaigns are no different. Legislative candidates receive access to national party databases, which are developed through millions of dollars raised nationally. Fungible sources of external contributions are funneled through lobbyists PACs into North Dakota. Often, they are the bulk of campaign contributions to incumbents. Many statewide candidates (including our governor) employ out-of-state consultants. Yet, the Legislature does nothing to curtail these out of state interests." Many legislators only seem concerned about political money when it comes to ballot measures supported by the people. This is discriminatory against the peoples rights to petition their government in our state constitution. No matter who asks for the signature, only North Dakota electors are legally able to sign a petition to place a measure on the ballot, and only they will be able to vote on each ballot measure. The Tribune editorial concedes our measure addresses a legitimate area of concern for voters. Yet, it dismisses these concerns by suggesting our campaign is a mere legal exercise. It is not. The fitness of our elected leaders in Washington, D.C., is a serious issue. Members of Congress make critical decisions on agency and court appointments, and have the power to send us to war. They vote on bills that are thousands of pages long and add trillions to our national debt. Within the last six months, there have been numerous instances of U.S. senators publicly displaying serious cognitive decline. Yet, they dont leave. Its easy for well-funded incumbents to stay in power without congressional term limits. The median age of retirement in the United States is 64, yet we allow career politicians to stay until they croak. They should go home, be with their grandchildren, and live under the laws theyve passed. Should the North Dakota secretary of state approve our measure for the June ballot, and should voters approve it, the Tribune suggests it will almost certainly result in a legal challenge. We have no control over what the courts do, but we firmly believe our proposal is within our rights to propose as a state. Oddly, the editorial implies that the state's obligation to defend its own statutes and constitution is a misuse of funds. Our states leaders are supposed to fiercely defend laws passed by the people of our state. Suggesting it is a waste of time and money to decide cases of states rights with far-reaching consequences is shortsighted and wrong. This is the essence of how a federation of states in a constitutional republic is intended to operate. As concerns over the age and health of leading presidential candidates dominate the news cycle, age limits will almost certainly grow in popularity. Recent polling in North Dakota by RMG Research shows 83% of voters favor congressional age limits. They dont care about a legal argument. They want competent leadership in Washington that will remain in touch with the issues that affect growing families. 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 boyfriend of a ballerina who has been detained in Russia has spoken of his guilt at buying her plane ticket to go and visit her family, a trip which ended in her being detained in a Russian jail cell on treason charges. Ksenia Karelina, also known as Ksenia Khavana, was arrested in late January on public disorder charges while outside a cinema in Yekaterinburg. This month, she was charged with treason, according to Russian human rights activists, and appears to be confined to a Russian jail for allegedly sending $51.80 to a Ukrainian charity. I thought it might be dangerous for her to go, with everything going on with the war in Ukraine, but she reassured me that she was Russian and that everything would be fine, Chris Van Heerden told The Los Angeles Times. So, for her birthday in December, I bought her a ticket. She was so excited. Now, I am hitting myself over the head about it. Mr Van Heerden, a South African professional boxer known as The Heat, told the newspaper that his girlfriend flew to Russia using her Russian passport after the couple both went to Istanbul to celebrate New Years together. Mr Van Heerden flew back to the US. Ms Karelina, who became a US citizen in 2021, told her boyfriend that she missed her family and wanted to go to Russia to visit them. Ksenia Karelina, also known as Ksenia Khavana, was arrested in late January on public disorder charges while outside a cinema in Yekaterinburg (Ksenia Karelina via Facebook/First Department) However, when she arrived in the country on 2 January, according to Mr Van Heerden, Ms Karelina faced hours of questioning by Russian authorities, as well as her phone being taken away from her. He told the Times that she was ordered to stay in Yekaterinburg, and told to check in weekly with Russias security agency, the Federal Security Service. Initially, the couple kept in touch by Ms Karelina using her motherss phone. However, in late January, Karelina said she was going to leave her family home to meet government officials to get her phone back but never returned, the outlet reported. According to Russian media, Ms Karelina was originally accused of "petty hooliganism, with court officials saying she had used "coarse, obscene language in front of other citizens, and was behaving rudely and defiantly." The officials further claimed that she violently resisted arrest. On 29 January, she was reportedly found guilty and sentenced to 14 days in jail. Things appeared to change after she filed a complaint about her arrest with the court. The FSB now claims that she donated money to Razom, a Ukrainian aid charity based in New York City, on the day of Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Ksenia Karalina celebrates her US citizenship in 2021 (Ksenia Karelina via Facebook/First Department) Now, Mr Van Heerden has been separated from his girlfriend and is struggling to understand how Ksenia was gone and worried about when she would get back, he told the Times. I have spoken to the State Department. I have spoken to anybody I can, he added. We are trying everything. He told the outlet that he received a letter from Ms Karelina last week, written in Russian, that was sent to one of her friends, who scanned it and sent it to Mr Van Heerden. Using a translator to decipher the letter, Mr Van Heerden said it included sentiments from his girlfriend, such as Im sorry for putting you in this position. Im sorry for the pain. While he told the newspaper that she was not an activist nor political, and even avoided talking about the war in Ukraine due to its sensitivity, she said she was so proud to be Russian. She had love and friends from everywhere and respect for everyone, he said. I believe she made a donation. That is true. But she is not an activist. Karelinas former mother-in-law Eleonara Srebroski, 56, spoke to The Independent, and while she declined to discuss the details of Karelinas alleged donation, spoke on her character. "Shes just that kind of person. If somebody needs help, she will be helping. Whether its an animal, a child, or a grown-up, shes the one who is always opening her heart and her wallet, Ms Srebroski said. 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 organisation known as the Satanic Temple is getting ready to send its chaplains into Florida schools, as a bill edges closer to adoption that allows volunteer chaplains in schools. The religious group, which does not actually believe in Satan, encourages effective and artful protest, according to its website. In the ten years since its conception, the group has advocated for First Amendment rights, as well as religious freedom, across the United States. The Satanic Temple also runs a series of after school groups, saying they are an alternative to offerings by other religions. Groups are only set up when other religious groups are present on campus. Now, Floridas legislature is close to passing a bill which would allow the groups chaplains into schools alongside other religious leaders. The bill, known as House Bill 931 or Senate Bill 7044, passed its final committee hearing earlier this week. A final Senate vote looks imminent, with the law set to take effect on 1 July, ready for the next school year. The Satanic Temple did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Independent, but one of its leaders told the Tallahassee Democrat that the group was ready to help kids. Any opportunity that exists for ministers or chaplains in the public sector must not discriminate based on religious affiliation, director of ministry Penemue Grigori told the outlet. Our ministers look forward to participating in opportunities to do good in the community, including the opportunities created by this bill, right alongside the clergy of other religions. As well as seeking to offer that alternative for school kids, the group also advocates for reproductive rights, the safety of mental health patients and alternative addiction recovery methods. These traits would seem to align with the ideas behind Floridas bill, which is being touted as a way to help students with their mental health needs. However, parents will have to give their consent before their child meets with a chaplain. Background checks will also be necessary before a volunteer can work in a school and it will be down to individual school boards or charter school leaders to decide how to adopt the new policy. A similar bill passed recently in Utah, promising chaplains would be nondenominational and fair to all, while Texas passed its version last year. 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 }} Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw testified before a Uvalde grand jury as part of an investigation into the failed police response to the Robb Elementary School shooting. The grand jury , which was formed in January, is working to determine whether criminal charges should be brought against law enforcement officers for their role in the tragedy. On 24 May 2022, a shooter walked into the Uvalde elementary school and killed 19 children and two adults. Police arrived on the scene within three minutes, but took more than an hour to confront the shooter. A Department of Justice report released in January condemned the police response as a failure. Officers demonstrated no urgency, and cascading failures of leadership, decision-making, tactics, policy and training may have allowed more victims to die than otherwise would have, it stated. The victims and survivors of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School deserved better, Attorney General Merrick Garland said in a statement. The law enforcement response at Robb Elementary on May 24, 2022 and the response by officials in the hours and days after was a failure. As a consequence of failed leadership, training, and policies, 33 students and three of their teachers many of whom had been shot were trapped in a room with an active shooter for over an hour as law enforcement officials remained outside. Reggie Daniels pays his respects a memorial at Robb Elementary School, 9 June 2022, in Uvalde, Texas (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) On Wednesday morning, Mr McCraw flew into Uvalde to appear before the grand jury, KSAT reported. Details of his testimony are not known, as grand jury proceedings in Texas are conducted in secret. In the wake of the Robb Elementary School shooting, Mr McCraw blamed local police officers for the abject failure of a response and vowed to resign if he or any of his state officers were found to have any culpability for the botched response, the Texas Tribune reported. But he later walked back that promise, even as calls for his resignation particularly from victims families reached a fever pitch. If DPS as an institution as an institution failed the families, failed the school or failed the community of Uvalde, then absolutely I need to go, he said. But I can tell you this right now: DPS as an institution, right now, did not fail the community plain and simple. In the DOJ report last month, DPS and Mr McCraw himself did not escape blame for their role in the shooting response. Nearly 400 police officers responded to the shooting, 91 of which were from DPS. The department has faced continued criticism for its actions in the aftermath of the tragedy. More than a dozen news outlets have sued DPS for refusing to release public records related to the shooting. DPS conducted its own investigation into seven of the officers who responded to the shooting, ultimately firing two of them, with a third reportedly resigning before the investigation was completed. 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 }} Eerie banging sounds that briefly gave rescue teams hope of saving the Titan submersibles crew and passengers have been released. The Titan was destroyed a few hours into a dive to the Titanic shipwreck on 18 June, claiming the lives of OceanGate Expeditions CEO Stockton Rush, father and son Shahzada and Suleman Dawood, Hamish Harding, and Paul-Henri Nargeolet. During a frantic and ultimately futile multi-day search for survivors, the US Coast Guard revealed that sonar devices had detected tapping sounds coming from the vast search zone in the North Atlantic Ocean. The Royal Canadian Air Force, which led the search and rescue operation, has now released audio of the rhythmic tapping sounds to the makers of a new documentary Minute by Minute: The Titan Sub Disaster. The documentary, which will screen on Channel5 in the UK on 6 and 7 March, shows the rescuers as they first hear the banging sounds ringing out in regular 30-minute intervals. Titanic submarine: What happened? The symmetry between those knockings is very unusual, former Navy submarine Captain Ryan Ramsey says in the documentary. Its rhythmic, its like somebody is making that sound, and the fact that it is repeated is really unusual. OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush later came under scrutiny for lax safety standards on the Titan (OceanGate) The taps were first detected at around 11.30pm on 20 June. As multinational search and rescue teams descended on the Titanic wreck, speculation mounted that the sounds could be survivors tapping on the walls of the Titan to alert them. US Coast Guard officials said the noises were inconclusive, and tried to temper expectations they were a sign of life. Hopes of finding survivors ended on 28 June, when the US Coast Guard revealed that presumed human remains had been recovered from the sea floor near the debris. Audio of banging noises that briefly gave hope of finding survivors of the Titan submersible has been released (The Titan Sub Disaster- Minute By Minute) It later determined that the subs carbon fibre hull had imploded less than two hours after it departed support ship the Polar Prince. Stockton Rush, the OceanGate CEO who perished on the Titan, was later found to have ignored safety warnings from industry experts, passengers and former employees. Weeks after the disaster, it emerged that a former OceanGate director of marine operations had warned in 2018 that shortcuts in the companys design would end up having deadly consequences. David Lochridge alleged in a wrongful termination lawsuit that he identified numerous issues during a quality inspection process and was met with hostility and denial of access to necessary documents. 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 }} A pair of towns along the US-Mexico border became stages for two presidential candidates on Thursday as President Joe Biden slammed his predecessor and opponent for getting in the way of needed immigration reform and border security legislation. In Brownsville, Texas a border town along the Rio Grande, river Mr Biden received a briefing from top Customs and Border Patrol personnel, including CBP Deputy Commissioner Peter Flores, Border Patrol chief Jason Owens, and Gloria Chavez, a top CBP officer who serves as the Brownsville sector chief. Mr Biden was told by the head of Immigrations and Customs Enforcements Enforcement and Removal Operations division that DHS requires more personnel and more resources, including additional detention beds, technology for monitoring asylum seekers while they await hearings, as well as more cooperation from cities and states by having them alert ICE when they arrest people who arent legally present in the US. Mr Biden was also told about non-intrusive inspection technology that could be purchased with the held-up supplemental legislation to prevent illicit fentanyl from being trafficked into the US. He replied: We cant afford not to do this. In remarks to DHS personnel, Mr Biden praised their border enforcement efforts, telling them: No one works harder for a safe and secure border than all of you. Trump falsely claims no one speaks languages of migrants in lie-filled speech at US border The president said it was long past time for action on the border security deal held up by Republicans, which was painstakingly negotiated by a group of bipartisan senators including Oklahoma Republican James Lankford, Arizona independent Kyrsten Sinema, and Connecticut Democrat Chris Murphy. He described it as the toughest set of border reforms weve ever seen in this country. It's pretty basic. With this deal, we could hire 1500 additional border security officers in between ports of entry, he said, adding that staffing at CBP has been flat for years, even while border agents worked large amounts of overtime and made major sacrifices. Mr Biden said it was long past time for a pay increase when he signed legislation in December to give border agents a raise, but said more was necessary. Its time to step up, he said. The bipartisan border security deal is a win for the American people. That's a win for the people of Texas and it's fair for those who legitimately have a right to come here to begin with. It's a win for the people are brown. So I believe that's why the Border Patrol Unit endorsed it. I believe that's why the national Chamber of Commerce endorsed it. Biden lays into Trump for urging Republicans to oppose compromise border bill The president recalled how Mr Trumps command to Republican senators and the GOP-controlled House leaders pushed them to shelve the bill so the ex-president could keep demagoguing about immigration on the campaign trail, rather than actually enact legislation that could alleviate problems at the border. This bill was in the United States Senate, it was on its way to being passed. Then it was derailed by rank partisan politics, he said. The US Senate needs to reconsider this bill. And those senators who oppose it, need to set politics aside and pass it on merits, not on whether it's going to benefit one party or benefit the other party. It's about whether it benefits the American people. He also said House Speaker Mike Johnson, a close ally of Mr Trump, needs to allow an up-or-down vote on the border package, and noted that it had bipartisan support until Mr Trump ordered Republicans to oppose it. The majority of Democrats and Republicans in both houses supported this legislation until someone came along and said don't do that, don't benefit the incumbent, he said, adding that pushing to kill a bill for such partisan reasons was a hell of a way to do business in America for such a serious problem. Donald Trump talks with Texas Governor Greg Abbott in Eagle Pass, Texas (AP) We need to act its time for the speaker and some of my Republican friends in Congress who are blocking this bill to show a little spine, he said before finally acknowledging his predecessors competing visit to the Lone Star State in Eagle Pass, Texas. Heres what Id say to Mr Trump ... instead of telling members of Congress to block this legislation, join me or Ill join you in telling the Congress to pass this bipartisan borer security bill, he said. We can do it together. You know, and I know it's the toughest most efficient, most effective border security bill this country has ever seen. So instead of playing politics with the issue, why don't we just get together and get it done? At the same time Mr Biden was touring Brownsville and calling for more resources, the former president, who launched his first presidential campaign by accusing Mexico of sending crime, drugs, and rapists across the southern border and ended his term by fomenting an attempted coup after the lost the 2020 election, was meeting with federal and state personnel allied with his goal of significantly reducing nonwhite immigration and blocking anyone from seeking asylum in the US. Ex-presidents visit tries to replicate presidential pomp with help from partisan allies In an ersatz approximation of a presidential visit, Mr Trump travelled to Eagle Pass, Texas aboard his bespoke and self-branded 757, and was met by Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican ally who has devoted significant state resources to undermining the federal governments efforts to reform immigration laws whenever Democrats have controlled the White House. Mr Trump and Mr Abbott toured sites where he has used Texas National Guard personnel to block federal agents from carrying out border enforcement duties, often with the use of razor wire and armed soldiers working to keep border agents from rescuing migrants in distress. They were accompanied by Brandon Judd, the Trump-aligned head of the US Border Patrol Union. Mr Judd, who is an active Border Patrol officer, delivered a blistering tirade against Mr Biden and praised Mr Abbotts efforts to undermine the Biden administrations immigration policies. Joe Biden, flanked by US Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, receives a briefing at the US-Mexico border in Brownsville, Texas (REUTERS) What President Trump has seen right here is he's seen how his policies have worked, but he's also seen how he can expand upon those policies once he takes goes back into the White House. He has seen how Governor Abbott has been able to use his policies to secure this specific area at the epicenter of the last two years of the illegal border crisis that we have had to endure, said Mr Judd, who claimed that Border Patrol officers are upset that we cannot get the proper policy that is necessary to protect human life. to protect American citizens. to protect the people that are crossing the border illegally. We can't do that because President Biden's policies continue to invite people across, said Mr Judd, who is nominally a federal civil servant charged with serving in a nonpartisan fashion no matter which party controls the White House. But the duelling visits, one official and one ersatz, offered a window into the funhouse mirror of Mr Trumps efforts to present himself as a shadow president with the aid of state and federal officials who have rejected Mr Bidens legitimacy and the legitimacy of the federal government without consequence. Trump remarks light on facts, heavy on racial innuendo Mr Trump, who also met with Texas national guard soldiers under Mr Abbotts command, delivered a bizarre, falsehood-filled rant flanked by the Texas governor and Mr Judd, in which he accused Mr Biden of deliberately allowing an invasion. This is a Biden invasion over the past three years ... it's allowing 1000s and 1000s of people come in from China, Iran, Yemen, the Congo, and a lot of other nations, he said, adding that the US was being overrun by the migrant crime even though crime rates in most US cities have fallen over the last three years. These are the people that are coming into our country and they're coming from jails and they're coming from prisons, and they're coming from mental institution, and they're coming from insane asylums, and they're terrorists. They're being led into our country, he continued, calling the situation horrible and accusing leaders in other countries of deliberately sending asylum seekers to the US, again specifying the Congo as a source of violent migrants. I know many of the leaders of these other countries that are doing it and it's not just South America, it's all over the world, the Congo, a very big population coming in from jails from the Congo. You look at the jails. Now you take a look at the jails throughout the region, but more importantly, throughout the world. They're emptying out because they're dumping them into the United States, he said. In a statement, Biden campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez reacted to Mr Trumps trip and speech attacking Mr Biden, calling him weak on border security and weak on crime. Thats why he directed MAGA Republicans to kill the toughest and fairest reforms to secure the border in decades and tried to defund the police every year he was in office, she said. The truth is, Donald Trump doesnt want to secure the border. He prefers chaos and cruelty because hes betting it helps him politically. Last time he was in office, kids were held in cages, families were ripped apart, and violent crime skyrocketed. Its a bad bet one that he will pay for at the ballot box this November. 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 }} Watch again as Joe Biden makes an election-year visit to the US-Mexico border on Thursday 29 February. The US president is making a trip to the border community of Brownsville, Texas, as he attempts to seize the narrative around immigration ahead of a potential match-up against Donald Trump later this year. Mr Biden will meet with US Border Patrol agents, law enforcement officials and local leaders, according to a White House official. He will reiterate his calls for congressional Republicans to stop playing politics and to provide the funding needed for additional US Border Patrol agents, more asylum officers, fentanyl detection technology and more, the official added. Mr Trump is due to visit the migrant hotspot of Eagle Pass on the same day as Mr Bidens trip. Republicans have long used immigration to attack the Biden administration even going so far as to impeach Alejandro Mayorkas, the homeland security secretary. 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 being mocked for hitting out at President Biden after he suggested he forgot the name of his wife, Melania Trump. During an appearance on NBCs Late Night with Seth Meyers on Monday, Mr Biden, 81, who has repeatedly faced concerns over his age and cognitive ability, turned the tables on his opponent, who he claimed cant remember his wifes name. Mr Biden later posted a video of his appearance on X, adding the caption: The other guy and I are about the same age. The question in this election is: How old are your ideas? He wants to take us back 60 years. Im focused on the future. The president was referring to an appearance by Mr Trump at the recent Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), where he appeared to refer to his wife Melania as Mercedes. Well look, my wife, our great first lady, she was great... people love her, Mr Trump told the CPAC crowd on Saturday. The audience applauded, to which he responded, Oh, look at that, wow. Mercedes, thats pretty good! The comments were highlighted by some of Mr Trumps opponents as evidence of his cognitive decline. Mr Trump hit out at these accusations in a video posted to his Truth Social account on Wednesday, where he accused Democrats of being really dishonest, adding: They make up things constantly. The radical left Democrats are at it again. Theyre constantly making up stories about me, because their candidate is a mental and physical basket case. There has never been anything like it, he said. Donald Trump on the campaign trail in South Carolina (Getty) He then called President Biden the worst president in the history of our country, before saying Mr Biden went on a very poorly rated show last night, and he talked about Donald Trump and his wife, [alleging that] I dont know the name of my wife. He was referring to the fact that at CPAC, he added. We had a sold out speech the biggest audience theyve had in years, I think, maybe ever. I made the statement that Melania was very popular because, when I mentioned her name, the audience went wild. I then looked at the two people man and wife Matt and Mercedes Schlapp. Then I said, Wow, they really like the first lady. So this got taken as the fact that I thought Mercedes was the first lady. It has nothing to do with that. Mercedes Schlapp is Mr Trumps former White House director of strategic communications and the wife of CPAC organiser Matt Schlapp. Ms Schlapp quickly responded on Sunday to claims that Mr Trump had mistaken her for his wife, calling it fake news at its finest Elsewhere in the video, Mr Trump highlighted other gaffes he has been accused of, including suggesting that former president Barack Obama is currently in office, which he said he did purposely for comedic reasons and for sarcasm, because a lot of people say that Obama is running the country, not Biden, because hes sleeping all the time. Mr Trump also said he had been accused of having trouble getting off the stage. He claimed this was actually him imitating President Biden, who earlier this month was characterised as an elderly man with a poor memory in a report by special counsel Robert Hur. What they do is they say, Oh, he had trouble getting off the stage. I have no trouble getting off the stage. Anybody that watches what I do at rallies would say, Wow, thats amazing. He can go two hours without a teleprompter and not make even a little mistake. Very few people maybe almost nobody can do what I do, Mr Trump said. The disinformation of the Democrats is unbelievable, he added, concluding that Mr Biden should not be leading this country. And hopefully on November 5th, hes not going to be. Were gonna have a big election. Were gonna have a big victory. And were gonna make America great again. Mr Trump was mocked for the video on X, with Pod Save America co-host and former Obama speechwriter Jon Favreau saying the former president is so easily triggered by Biden mocking his verbal diarrhea. Anti-Trump super PAC, The Lincoln Project, branded the video the ramblings of a madman. Meanwhile, another X user called the video deranged. Everyone has a right to be stupid. But Trump is abusing that privilege, they added. Mr Trump, who is the GOP frontrunner, has been accused of several gaffes recently, including appearing to confuse Nikki Haley with former Democratic House speaker Nancy Pelosi. This has led to critics accusing the one-time real estate mogul of being too old to run for president and rumors about his cognitive decline. But the 77-year-old has insisted he has aced cognitive tests on more than one occasion and that he feels sharper now than I did 20 years ago. He has also been highly critical of the 81-year-old Mr Biden, who he claims cant put two sentences together and hes in charge of nuclear warfare. Mr Trump also trolled Mr Biden last month with a spoof advert depicting the White House as a senior living establishment where residents feel like presidents. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Donald Trump has been disqualified from appearing on the Republican presidential primary ballot in Illinois over his role in the insurrection at the US Capitol on 6 January 2021. On Wednesday, Cook County Circuit Judge Tracie Porter sided with voters who argued that the former president should be disqualified from the states 19 March primary ballot and the 5 November general election ballot for violating the anti-insurrection clause of the US Constitutions 14th Amendment. However, Judge Porter delayed her ruling from taking effect in light of an expected appeal by the former president. A campaign spokesperson for Trump, the national frontrunner for the 2024 Republican nomination, confirmed the intention in a statement which called the ruling unconstitutional. The outcome of the Illinois case and similar challenges will likely be decided by the US Supreme Court, which heard arguments related to Mr Trumps ballot eligibility on 8 February. Oral arguments on his immunity defence will take place on 22 April in the middle of a primary election calendar and Mr Trumps busy schedule of multiple criminal and civil cases. Following the ruling in Illinois, the advocacy group Free Speech For People, which spearheaded the Illinois disqualification effort, praised the ruling as a "historic victory" in a statement. Supporters of Mr Trump attacked police and swarmed the Capitol on 6 January 2021 (AP) Colorado and Maine earlier removed the former president from their state ballots after determining he is disqualified under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. Both decisions are also on hold while Mr Trump appeals. Section 3 bars from public office anyone who took an oath to support the US Constitution and then has "engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof." Supporters of Mr Trump attacked police and swarmed the Capitol on 6 January 2021 in a bid to prevent Congress from certifying Joe Bidens 2020 election victory. The former president gave an incendiary speech to supporters beforehand, telling them to go to the Capitol and "fight like hell." He then for hours did not act on requests that he urge the mob to stop. The Supreme Court is currently weighing Mr Trumps challenge to his Colorado disqualification. The justices in Washington appeared sceptical of the decision during oral arguments in the case, expressing concerns about states taking sweeping actions that could affect the national election. Additional reporting from Reuters. 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 }} FBI agents raided the home of a longtime aide to New York Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday morning, the latest action to hit the Mayors office as Mr Adams faces a probe into his mayoral campaign, according to reports. The raid occurred at a home at a Bronx home that belongs to Winnie Greco, a longtime aide to Mr Adams according to a report from News 12. Ms Greco served as a senior policy advisor to Mr Adams last year and was paid approximately $99,700 by the city of New York. She previously helped raise money for Mr Adamss mayoral campaign in 2021. Federal officials carried out law enforcement activity at the home on Gillespie Avenue, a spokesperson from the FBIs New York bureau told The Independent. It is unclear if the raid was connected to an ongoing federal probe into Mr Adamss 2021 mayoral campaign. Federal agents have previously raided the homes of former aides to Mr Adams. In November, the FBI searched the home of Mr Adamss former chief fundraiser, Brianna Suggs and a former aid in his international affairs office, Rana Abbasova. They also seized Mr Adamss cell phones and other electronic devices via a court-ordered warrant last year. So far, Mr Adams has denied any wrongdoing and has not been accused of anything. Mayor Eric Adams speaks during a press conference at the office of the District Attorneys on February 08, 2024 in New York City. (Getty Images) Ms Greco was under investigation by the Department of Investigation since late last year after the mayors office referred her to the department. Reporting from THE CITY, alleged that Ms Greco used her position in city hall to receive improper benefits. A spokesperson for Mr Adamss office told The Independent that Ms Greco was on leave from her city hall job. Our administration will always follow the law, and we always expect all our employees to adhere to the strictest ethical guidelines. As we have repeatedly said, we dont comment on matters that are under review, but will fully cooperate with any review underway. The mayor has not been accused of any wrongdoing, Fabien Levy said in a statement. Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Washington email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The White House has formally called on Fox News to walk back its coverage of bribery and corruption allegations against Joe Biden. In a letter sent to Fox News executives, White House spokesperson Ian Sams accused the right-wing network of failing to retract, correct, or update its reporting on a false allegation made by FBI informant, Alexander Smirnov, about a bribery scheme worth millions involving the Bidens, according to CNN. Mr Smirnov allegedly told the FBI that Hunter Biden, who sat on the board of Kyiv-based Burisma, used his fathers name to solicit millions of dollars in bribes from the company. He also claimed that executives from Burisma, a Ukrainian energy company, paid Hunter and Joe Biden $5m each around 2015 a claim that was later reported by Fox News, among other outlets. The claim, which has been central to attempts by Republicans to impeach the Bidens in Congress, was later found to be false. Earlier this month, Mr Smirnov was charged by federal authorities for allegedly fabricating the story and even apparently confessed that Russian intelligence was involved in efforts to smear the president. The White House has formally called on Fox News to walk back its coverage of bribery and corruption allegations against president Joe Biden (Getty Images) He has pleaded not guilty. If convicted, he could face up to 25 years in prison. Despite the charges, the White House said, Fox News has refused to walk back the story in a meaningful way. I would cite the number of times Jesse Watters and Sean Hannity promoted this allegation and made false statements about President Biden on primetime television throughout this time period, but the footnote citations would fill multiple pages, Mr Sams underscored in his letter to three top Fox News executives, including chief executive Suzanne Scott, president Jay Wallace, and Washington bureau chief Bryan Boughton. While Fox News has reported on Mr Smirnovs arrest and legal proceedings, some of its hosts have not changed the tone of their coverage. Hannity and Watters have continued to stand by the claims in dozens of segments, with Watters promoting a conspiracy theory Biden was locking up Mr Smirnov in retaliation for revealing the supposed scheme. Meanwhile, articles by reporter Brooke Singman advancing Mr Smirnovs bribery allegations remain unaltered on the Fox News website, without any mention that he has been charged with lying to federal law enforcement. We feel strongly that all Fox News Digital articles on this topic should at a minimum be updated with editors notes informing readers that the source of this allegation has been federally indicted for making it up, Mr Sams wrote. We also feel strongly that Fox News Channel television personalities like Hannity and Watters, among others, should inform their viewers on air that they have been sharing a discredited allegation from a source who has been federally indicted for making it up, he added. CNN reported that Fox News has informed the White House that it does not intend to correct or retract its reporting. In a statement, the network said: Fox News Media has reported on all key developments since the announcement that Alexander Smirnov was charged with lying to the FBI, featuring the story prominently. We will continue to report on developments in all aspects of the ongoing investigations, hearings, and trials. https://www.yahoo.com/tech/intel-ceo-admits-ive-bet-135908172.html Watch: French student shocked by her discovery upon visit to Chinese beach A viral TikTok video featuring security cameras lining the shores of Hainan's Haitang Bay in China has ignited a discussion on the growing presence of security cameras on Chinese beaches. About the video: TikTok user @louiserct, identified only as 22-year-old French exchange student Louise, posted a clip of herself relaxing on the beach lined with surveillance cameras mounted on lampposts. "POV: You're at the beach in China. OF COURSE there are security cameras every 50 meters and lifeguards patrolling," the text overlay reads. In the caption, she wrote: Were at the beach in China of course we arent allowed to swim in the ocean Trending on NextShark: 240-million-year-old 'Chinese dragon' fossil discovered in southern China Netizens reaction: The video has since attracted over 7 million views and thousands of comments, with users divided on the cameras' merits. Worst dystopian nightmare, commented a user. Every move being monitored. Trending on NextShark: Watch: Hearts melt as senior Singapore couple reunite with daughter, grandkids for Lunar New Year I rather see security cameras than see women getting sexually assaulted while out jogging on the beach, a user commented. You? I like feeling safe. Wow they keep people safe from drowning how dystopian, wrote another. Meanwhile, other users provided context, explaining the need for such surveillance and the possible reason swimming is prohibited. Trending on NextShark: 70-year-old grandfather from China amazes with his physique and fitness routine There are plenty of beaches at China where you can swim and of course there's also some you can't swim at because it's dangerous to, a user claimed. Thank you for creating a safe space for sinophobia. assuming you can't read, there are clear signs that say the water is dangerous. you can swim if u want but good luck surviving, another pointed out. Not complaining: Louise, who is studying at a business school near Shanghai, told Newsweek that while she was "surprised" by the number of cameras, she appreciates the great security they bring. Trending on NextShark: Sriracha lovers are now buying this bottle at Costco "The beach experience in China is truly interesting. So many things are different from my Western culture I think it's important to note I wasn't complaining about these security cameras. China is a very strict and surveilled country, but this does bring a great security in the country that I much appreciate," she was quoted saying. CCTVs for public safety: China has been building the Hainan coasts as a budding tourist destination and has implemented safety initiatives to protect its visitors, including the deployment of security cameras. These cameras may aid in drowning prevention and swift responses to emergencies. The presence of surveillance technology also serves as an environmental monitoring as well as a deterrent against criminal activities. Surveillance and control: The proliferation of security cameras in public places also aligns with broader surveillance and control measures in China. These cameras assist authorities in upholding national security interests. The extensive surveillance network present in public spaces like beaches has raised concerns regarding privacy infringement. 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 }} The House and Senate voted to pass a stopgap spending bill, averting a looming government shutdown once again and prompting pro-Trump Republicans to level fury against House Speaker Mike Johnson. The continuing resolution will keep the government open until 8 March. The bill came as part of a larger agreement from Mr Johnson, Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer, Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell, and House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries as well as the leadership on the House and Senate Appropriations Committees to vote on six of the 12 spending bills by 8 March. The bill passed in the House by 320 to 99 Republicans being split on the matter and Democrats making up most of the support for the agreement. Only two House Democrats voted against the legislation. Similarly, the Senate voted 77 to 13 on the stopgap funding bill to head to President Joe Bidens desk. As has typically been the case, Mr Johnson and House Republican leadership had to rely on Democrats to pass the legislation while suspending the House rules, which requires a two-thirds majority and allowed the House to sidestep the House Rules Committee and a vote on a rule for debate on the House floor. I think having a bipartisan deal that you keep the government open on its face is not a problem, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York told The Independent. I think that's a political problem for him in his caucus. The bipartisan agreement includes bills to fund the Department of Agriculture and Food and Drug Administration; the Justice and Commerce Departments and science, energy and water development; the Department of Interior; the military construction and the Department of Veterans Affairs; and the Departments of Transportation and Housing and Urban Development. Those bills will receive a vote on 8 March. Representative Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, a Republican, praised the agreement. We're gonna see what it is. I don't believe in government shutdowns, he told The Independent. I never support government shutdowns. They cost the government money. The six other spending bills including the Pentagon; financial services and general government spending; the Department of Homeland Security; the Departments of Labor and Health and Human Services; the legislative branch; and the State Department and foreign operations will receive a vote on 22 March. A large slice of Republicans voted against the spending bill, including members of the House Freedom Caucus. I'm not a fan, that's all I got to say, Mr Donalds of Florida told The Independent on Wednesday evening after leadership announced the agreement. We're spending way too much money. Way too much. On Thursday, Mr Donalds told The Independent he would not be voting for the continuing resolution. Representative Troy Nehls of Texas also said ahead of the vote that he would not back the agreement, adding that Republicans should have the agreement, extended it through the end of the year, got to one per cent reduction. But despite dissatisfaction among Republicans, Mr Johnson does not look in danger of losing the gavel. Asked if he thinks the speaker is in danger of losing his post, a sarcastic Mr Nehls said: I don't know. What do we do? Let's just go down to Disney and see if Daffy Duck or maybe Goofy would want the job. Adopting a similar tone, Democratic representative Jared Moskowitz told The Independent: It's great that we run the government week to week around here. Representative Tim Burchett of Tennessee said it wasnt his agreement, saying that he would vote no ahead of the ballot. The chair of the right-wing House Freedom Caucus, representative Bob Good of Virginia, told reporters that I actually had a Democratic member telling me this morning: We like it when you're in charge because nothing changes. But you guys get all the blame. There is hope for the future now that the Democrat minority leader has stepped down, he added, in reference to the outgoing Republican Senate leader, Mr McConnell. Speaker Johnson has been working against [President Joe] Biden, and [Vice President Kamala] Harris and Schumer and McConnell and Jeffires so now at least we're gonna get a Senate leader, I hope that it'll certainly be more conservative. 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 }} Democratic members of the House Oversight & Accountability Committee accused Republicans of falling for Russian propaganda after Hunter Biden testified behind closed doors on Wednesday. Their words came after President Joe Bidens son Hunter testified behind closed doors on Wednesday and insisted that I did not involve my father in my business and that House Republicans built your entire partisan house of cards on lies when it came to opening an impeachment inquiry into the president. Republicans have sought to tie the younger Biden to his father and say that Hunter involved his father in his business dealings. But Democrats said that the testimony from the testimony from the younger Biden showed how faulty the GOP investigation is. I think that the American people deserve better, Representative Jasmine Crockett of Texas told The Independent. They know that they deserve better. They're going to get better this November when the House flips because it is going to flip. This has been a monstrous waste of tax dollars. Ms Crockett said that Republicans focused on an impeachment inquiry of the president instead of working to keep the US government open. She also alluded to Republican members of the Oversight Committee such as Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia displaying photos of Hunter Biden naked in hearings. The problem is that we're six months behind on the work that we're supposed to be doing, because they decided that they wanted to see what was in Hunter's pants or they decided that they wanted to somehow propagate Russian propaganda, Ms Crockett said. Jasmine Crockett said investigations into Joe and Hunter Biden represented a monstrous waste of tax dollars (Getty Images) The testimony comes after Alexander Smirnov, a former FBI informant, was arrested and accused of making false statements about President Biden and Hunter Biden. Mr Smirnov claimed to have connections with Russian intelligence and was charged with bribery after he allegedly told the FBI that executives from Ukrainian energy company Burisma paid Joe and Hunter Biden $5m each. Republicans such as House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan dismissed the arrest of Mr Smirnov and said it was a double standard compared to Christopher Steele, who compiled the Steele Dossier about Donald Trump. Maybe the guy did lie, Mr Jordan said last week during the Conservative Political Action Conference just outside of Washington, DC. But there sure is quite a contrast for, Christopher Steele can give false information about President Trump, and he continues to get paid. This guy, this Mr Smirnov, can give false information, what theyve said is false information, and he gets arrested. Double standard again. But Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, the number-two Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, told The Independent that the Republicans impeachment inquiry stood on shaky ground. Hunter Biden arrives on Capitol Hill for his behind-closed-doors testimony (EPA) Listen, Republicans set up a whole investigation based on a flimsy account that was connected to Russian intelligence, and once that was exposed, their entire case has fallen apart, she said. And now they're trying to scramble to grasping for straws and, you know, they're taking it out on the president's son. Ms Ocasio-Cortez said that Mr Smirnovs charges showed how gullible Republicans are and said that not only was Mr Smirnov indicted, but other sources were compromised as well. The Republican party has decided to proceed with an investigation that is largely based on accounts and individuals connected to Russian intelligence, she said. It's an abuse of power, period. And frankly, it's extremely disturbing because it begs the question, who these folks are actually working for. Hunter Bidens testimony came after he unexpectedly appeared in front of the House Oversight Committee when it planned to hold him in contempt of Congress. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez highlighted the Russian connections in the Republicans investigation (Getty Images) Representative Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the Oversight Committee, said the fact Republicans wanted Hunter Biden to testify behind closed doors showed they wanted to take him out of context. They wanted it behind closed doors so they could leak out selective bits of information to distort what he was saying, he told The Independent, saying Republicans did the same with other witnesses. I think that Hunter Biden, who has made some terrible mistakes in his life, anchored in his addiction, here, is speaking with absolute clarity and lucidity. His father had nothing to do with his business ventures and was not financially profiting from them and did nothing to render official favors or benefits to his businesses. The Republican-controlled House of Representatives voted in December solely on party lines to open an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. But so far they have not produced the evidence they desired in the investigation. 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 Bidens physician says the 81-year-old chief executive continues to be fit for duty after he completed his annual physical at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Wednesday. In a memorandum distributed by the White House press office, Physician to the President Dr Kevin OConnor summarised his findings by stating that Mr Biden is a healthy, active, robust 81-year-old male, who remains fit to successfully execute the duties of the Presidency, ot include those as Chief Executive, Head of State and Commander in Chief. Dr OConnor also reported that Mr Bidens stable and well-controlled medical conditions include obstructive sleep apnea, a-fib with normal ventricular response, hyperlipidemia, gastroesophageal reflux, seasonal allergies, spinal arthritis and sensory peripheral neuropathy of the feet, for which he takes prescription and over-the-counter medications including Eliquis (an anti-coagulant), Crestor (a statin for cholesterol control), the nasal spray Dymista, as well as Allegra, Pepcid and Nexium. The president feels wel and this year's physical identified no new concerns. He continues to be fit for duty and fully executes all of his responsibilities without any exemptions or accommodations, he said. Mr Biden had told reporters he would be undergoing the examination before he travelled to the Navy-operated facility in Bethesda, Maryland on Wednesday, departing by helicopter at 9.06am and landing at the hospitals helipad nine minutes later. A White House official confirmed that Mr Bidens visit to the hospital was for his routine annual physical and promised that his physician would release a written summary of the findings afterwards. The president finished the exam just before noon after spending over two and a half hours at the facility before returning to the White House via motorcade. Speaking to reporters several hours later at an event to discuss his administrations crime-fighting efforts, the president responded to questions about his physical with a joke. They think I look too young, he said. Joe Biden jokes he 'looks too young' after physical He added a more substantive answer shortly after, telling reporters there was nothing different than last year about the results. Im alright, everything is squared away, he said. Everythings great. Mr Biden, 81, is the oldest person to ever serve as Americas chief executive. A lifelong teetotaler and nonsmoker, he is known to exercise regularly, but he has had some health issues in recent years, including spinal arthritis that has caused him to exhibit a stiff gait and skin cancer lesions that were removed from his chest last March. In a memorandum released by the press office at the time, Dr OConnor said a biopsy had confirmed that the small lesion removed from Mr Biden was basal cell carcinoma and noted that no further treatment was required after the lesion was removed. President Biden arrives at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland (EPA) Now, a year later, the physician said Mr Biden underwent a full-body examination that detected no areas that required a biopsy to determine whether a recurrence of the skin cancer had occured. The presidents age and a number of high-profile verbal slips and gaffes have led many voters to express concern about whether he is physically and mentally up to the job. In his report, Dr OConnor said an extremely detailed neurologic exam had been reassuring, with no findings which would be consistent with any cerebellar or other central neurological disorder, such as stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's or ascending lateral sclerosis. But the White House has repeatedly declined too make Dr OConnor available to discuss Mr Bidens physical condition with reporters, instead claiming that the annual memorandum he issues should be sufficient information for assuaging any concerns over the presidents health or age. Pressed on the reasons for not making the presidents phyisician available for questions, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre offered a meandering, stem-winding explanation, touching at times on Dr OConnors past military service, as well as the presence of as many as 20 other medical personnel who assisted with Mr Bidens annual examination. She also falsely claimed that there was no precedent for Dr OConnor to appear in the briefing room even though one of his predecessors, then-US Navy Admiral Dr Ronny Jackson, spent over an hour answering questions on then-president Donald Trumps physical exam results in January 2018. What Dr OConnor has done is he has put forward over the last two years, a comprehensive, robust robust memo ... that is sent to me and then obviously we disseminate to all of you that lays out lays out in parts of the Presidents physical and I think thats important. It is it is robust and it is comprehensive, she said. 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 }} Republican Senator John Cornyn of Texas has thrown his hat into the ring to replace departing Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, becoming the first member of his party to do so. Mr Cornyn, a close ally of the minority leader, released a statement announcing his candidacy in which he pledged to end backroom deals and give members adequate time to read legislation before it is voted upon. I believe the Senate is broken - that is not news to anyone. The good news is that it can be fixed, and I intend to play a major role in fixing it, said the Texas Republican on Thursday. He is far from the only candidate expected to mount a bid. Others including members of leadership such as John Thune, Joni Ernst and John Barrasso are expected to consider running for the top spot as well. Theres also the possibility of a candidate backed by Donald Trump, such as Rick Scott. The Florida Republican previously challenged Mr McConnell for control of the Senate GOP caucus in 2022. Mr Cornyn is known as being supportive of bipartisan compromise in the Senate while also being a fierce advocate for Republicans. He previously led the Senate GOPs campaign arm, where he helped engineer key victories for his party and raised millions for his colleagues. Like many of his colleagues, he has endorsed Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential race, though doing so only after the former president established a clear frontrunner status with victories in Iowa and New Hampshire. The election of the next Senate Republican leader is likely to be a test of former President Donald Trumps influence in the Senate Republican caucus, which has long been an obstacle to his total control of the Republican Party. The obstinance of the Senate GOP caucus at least its leadership, under Mr McConnell contrasts sharply with that of their colleagues in the House, who under Speaker Mike Johnson largely follow the whims and wishes of the former president. Mr Trumps relationship with the outgoing Senate Republican leader has been fraught for years, though it came to a head in late 2020 and early 2021 when Mr McConnell refused to back his false claims about the presidential election and later whipped his caucus against voting to interfere with the certification of the presidents defeat. Under his presidency and Mr McConnells leadership of the Senate, however, the GOP did see three conservative Supreme Court justices confirmed to the bench and major tax legislation pass. One of the Kentucky senators defining moments as Senate leader came in 2018 when the long-awaited Republican bid to repeal Obamacare narrowly failed in the upper chamber despite its Republican majority. Mr Cornyn, who like most of his GOP colleagues voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, would later go on to awkwardly praise it during the Covid-19 pandemic. 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 }} Jimmy Kimmel mocked Donald Trumps upcoming border visit as an attempt by the ex-president to sell his $399 golden high-tops on the streets of Mexico. The late-night TV host joked about Mr Trump and Joe Biden visiting the US border at the same time, saying that if they can get two more senior citizens to go with them, they got themselves a pickleball match. The president and the former president are set to visit the southern border on Thursday - albeit more than 300 miles from each other and on differing business. Kimmel gave his Jimmy Kimmel Live! audience a rundown on what the two political rivals would be doing during their trip to Texas. The president is going to see what can be done to solve the border crisis; Trump is going to make sure he doesnt solve whats happening at the border, Kimmel said. Bidens planning to meet with US border agents while Trump is planning to sell golden high tops on the streets of Juarez, he quipped. While Mr Biden is meeting with border patrol agents, in reality, Mr Trump is set to speak in Eagle Pass, Texas, an area where migrants are often filmed crossing into the US to claim asylum, according to CNN. Before he sets off to the border, Mr Trump has been taking the time to hand out various endorsements to state lawmakers, some of whom he said are committed to securing the border, on his Truth Social account. Kimmel said that the majority of them were all pretty much copy and paste jobs, yet one name particularly stood out to the host. One of the people he endorsed is Stormy Bradley. Another Stormy? Who knows two Stormys? I wonder if he will write this Stormy a cheque, too, he said. I would pay so much money to watch Donald Trump load a dishwasher. (Jimmy Kimmel Live) The host brought up the fact that Mr Trump sees the issue of the border as a key point of attack against Biden, and the Republican candidate even went as far as coming out against a bipartisan border bill agreement to restrict immigration. Trumps funny because he goes from a topic like the border, which plays very well for him, even though he himself did nothing meaningful to secure it, Kimmel said. Yet Mr Trump has another fixation on water conservation, something which he is apparently against, according to Kimmel. In a clip, Mr Trump can be heard ranting about there not being enough water for faucets or washing machines. Theyre destroying our country. Whether its a water faucet that doesnt put out water...or a washing machine where you can be in the middle of the greatest waterfall, you know, you have some states that cant get rid of their water. The washing machines, they dont give you enough water, Mr Trump rambled in a phone call on Real Americas Voice. Its like Moses has risen to lead us again through the water, Kimmel joked. For a man who has never done his own laundry, he is very concerned. Do you think this man of the people has ever loaded a washing machine? Or a dryer, or washed a dish or rinsed anything other than his filthy boxers in a hotel sink to get the smell of hooker off, not a chance, he continued. I would pay so much money to watch Donald Trump load a dishwasher. 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 has faced mounting criticism over his age in recent weeks, with some polling suggesting it could deter voters from supporting him in the 2024 presidential election. But Mr Bidens allies, including Florida Representative Maxwell Frost, say that is not true. Mr Frost, 27, is the youngest member of Congress. He believes that other young voters are less concerned about age than people think pointing to the perception of Senator Bernie Sanders in 2020 as an example. Look, a lot of young people really loved Bernie Sanders, right? Hes also old. So its not really about age, but its about policies, Mr Frost told The Independent. Mr Sanders, who was 78 at the time of his 2020 presidential campaign, was particularly popular with young voters in the primaries. He received the majority of the young peoples vote in New Hampshire and Iowa before suspending his campaign. Ultimately, when it came time to vote in the general election, more than half of young voters supported Mr Biden something Mr Frost emphasised. The highest youth voter turnout weve ever had in our countrys history was in 2020. Whod they vote for? For Joe Biden, Mr Frost said. Despite a recent Harvard poll finding young Americans are less likely to vote in 2024 than in 2020, Mr Maxwell said he expects Gen Z to vote in record numbers this election cycle. Maxwell Frost, the youngest congressman, said that he believes young voters are more focused on Bidens policies than his age (Julia Saqui) While Mr Bidens age has long been a talking point, he has faced more scrutiny lately after Special Counsel Robert Hurr released a damning report claiming the president presented as an elderly man with a poor memory and was unable to recall major events of his life. Following the report, Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson claimed Mr Biden was not fit to be president. Other Republicans echoed similar sentiments. The president, as well as other Democrats, insist the report was inaccurate and that Mr Bidens memory is fine. Mr Frost believes voters especially young voters are less focused on Mr Bidens age and more focused on his policies, especially in a politically tense environment. Mr Frost added: I live in a state run by a right-wing neo-fascist... He stepped into being an authoritarian governor and someone whos clamping down on civil rights and civil liberties, and its hurting people. People are feeling the negative aspects of the government more than they are the positive. Whether or not Governor Ron DeSantis policies can be fairly described as fascist is subject to debate. At an event last year, DeSantis responded to someone calling him a fascist by thanking the heckler, then saying that his position is merely to protect children from a liberal agenda. However, Mr Frost believes its Mr Bidens policies, which are more radical and progressive than some might give him credit for, that will win voters over. Were talking about a president who has had the most aggressive climate agenda out of any president weve ever seen, [and] the Office of Gun Violence Prevention which is something that a lot of young people care about, Mr Frost said. 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 }} Joe Biden may have won the Democratic Michigan primary handily yesterday, but anger over his unconditional support for Israels war in Gaza led to a significant protest vote that may threaten his chances of winning the state, and the presidency, later this year. More than 100,000 Democratic presidential primary voters cast their ballots as uncommitted on Tuesday following a campaign by activists and lawmakers in the state to impose a political cost on Mr Biden for providing political and financial support for Israels war. In some areas of Dearborn, home to the largest Arab American community in the US, around three quarters of voters chose to cast their ballots as uncommitted. In a crucial swing state, which Mr Biden only won by 154,000 votes in 2020, those margins could prove to be decisive. One hundred thousand uncommitted votes sends a powerful message to the president that hes got to change course or risk losing to Trump in November, Joseph Geevarghese, executive director of Our Revolution, which was part of the uncommitted campaign, told The Independent. Mr Geevarghese noted said the campaign to convince voters to cast their ballots for uncommitted only began three weeks ago, and that those 100,000 votes may not account for the real number of Democratic voters who may stay home in November. Just based on our internal organising there were a lot of people who have given up or dont think that their voice matters, so I think a lot of people did sit out, Mr Geevarghese said. The White House should interpret that number as 100,000 people speaking for other friends and neighbours who not who did not vote for whatever reason, he added. As a Muslim woman, I understand the ramifications of a Trump presidency. Ive lived through four years of a Muslim ban, Ive lost rights as a woman, health care, increased taxes. All of those things that have happened over Trump and Ive lived through them. And yet 30,000 Palestinians did not live through four months of Biden Samraa Luqman, activist and member of the Abandon Biden campaign Biden surrogates have sought to play down the protest vote, pointing to a large turnout and more than 600,000 votes in his favour. They also noted that Barack Obama went on to win reelection in 2012 after facing a similar percentage of uncommitted votes in 2012. But the Biden campaign has become increasingly uneasy about the growing discontent in Michigan and elsewhere over the Gaza war, especially among Arab Americans. Earlier this month, Mr Biden dispatched top officials to meet with Arab and Muslim leaders in the state which is home to more than 310,000 residents of Middle Eastern or North African ancestry in an attempt to limit the damage. Those pleas largely fell on deaf ears. Samraa Luqman, a Yemeni-American activist who is part of the Abandon Biden campaign, said the effort to punish Mr Biden politically for his support of Israels war in Gaza is coordinated, committed, and just getting started. The fervour is there, she told The Independent. We have leaders in Florida, Nevada, Georgia, Arizona, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, so its not like this is some isolated campaign or only focused on one state or one area in particular. This is a national movement, and there is emotion and passion for the ousting of Biden from the presidency. Ms Luqman said there was a gulf between what she has been seeing while campaigning, and the signalling from Democrats, political analysts pundits, who argue that Mr Biden can win back support if he negotiates a ceasefire. If youre on the ground, you know thats just not true, she said. Thirty thousand lives have already been lost, and unless the president can resurrect them, nobody is going to be voting for him. Its not about what hes doing now, its about what hes already done. People participate in a vigil for U.S. Air Force active-duty airman Aaron Bushnell outside the Israeli Embassy on February 26, 2024 in Washington, DC. Bushnell died after setting himself on fire while live streaming, according to published reports, in front of the Israeli Embassy in protest over the Gaza war. (Getty Images) More than 30,000 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 in response to a surprise attack by Hamas militants on 7 October that killed 1,200 people in Israel. Some 250 people were also kidnapped and taken back to Gaza. The US government is Israels strongest ally, providing almost unconditional political and material support for decades. The US gives Israel around $3.8bn a year in aid for its military and missile defence systems, and has given more than $130bn since Israels founding in 1948. Following the Hamas massacre of 1,200 people on 7 October, which sparked the latest Gaza conflict, Mr Biden has given Israel unconditional financial and political support. His administration has twice passed Congress to send Israel weapons worth hundreds of millions of dollars to carry out its war and asked Congress to approve a further $14.3bn in funding. As the war has continued, Mr Biden has signalled his unease at the death toll, but has so far refused to call for a ceasefire or use billions of dollars in US military aid as leverage to pressure the Israeli government to change course. Democrats have tried to persuade Arab and Muslim Americans to cast their vote for Mr Biden in November by raising the spectre of a second Trump term that would target the community, as he did during his first. Michigans governor, Gretchen Whitmer, said on CNN ahead of the primary: "Its important not to lose sight of the fact that any vote thats not cast for Joe Biden supports a second Trump term. A second Trump term would be devastating ... this was a man that proposed a Muslim ban." Ms Luqman said she faced this question frequently on the campaign trail. Nobody understands how bad is it Trump is for Muslims better than a Muslim, so these messages are condescending, she said. I can tell you, as a Muslim woman, I understand the ramifications of a Trump presidency. Ive lived through four years of a Muslim ban, Ive lost rights as a woman, health care, increased taxes. All of those things that have happened over Trump and Ive lived through them. And yet 30,000 Palestinians did not live through four months of 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 }} For the last three presidential election cycles, North Carolina, a red-leaning state, has favoured the Republican presidential candidate. But a January analysis by Moodys Analytics suggests it could flip in 2024. It projects that the assumed Democratic nominee President Joe Biden will flip North Carolina in Democrats favour by less than a percentage point. Its no secret that North Carolinas red has appeared more purple in recent years. Mr Trump barely secured the state in 2020, winning by a margin of 1.3 per cent. Republicans only narrowly won a Senate seat in the 2022 midterms by 3.2 per cent. Republicans currently have control over the legislature but the governor is a Democrat. With an electorate that is almost completely split between the two parties, neither one can afford to lose any votes. Increasingly, its looking like the state will favour Democrats in the future. North Carolina has one of the fastest-growing populations in the country, with most people moving toward urban counties. Moodys attributes that population boom to its shifting electorate. Population growth in the state has been among the strongest nationally since the last election due to a large influx of immigrants and residents from other states prompted by the pandemic and remote work Since the immigration debate will likely be at the forefront of 2024s presidential race and given the recent conservative drift of the Hispanic vote, the results in these key states will likely be very close, according to Moodys analysis. Recent Moodys Analytics shows Joe Biden narrowly flipping North Carolina in 2024 (Moodys Analytics / The Independent ) For months now, Democrats have been eyeing North Carolina as a potential flip state. Last year, North Carolina Representative Wiley Nickel urged Mr Biden to invest more time in getting the vote out in his state, according to NPR. It is now or never for us, Anderson Clayton, the states Democratic Party Chair, told The Independent. We either have it happen in 2024 or we go to sleep for ten years, honestly, because if we lose this Supreme Court seat this year, weve got no chance to take back the courts in 2028, which means were under gerrymandered maps for the next ten years in North Carolina. Part of Ms Claytons job is to encourage voters especially young ones to get out and cast their ballots. The youngest voting bloc helped elect Mr Biden nationwide in 2020 and Ms Clayton feels that the voting group may be able to do the same in North Carolina. For Republicans, the possibility of the state flipping is very much on their radar. Weve all kind of been worried about it flipping, Emily Stack, the Chair of the North Carolina Federation of Young Republicans, said. Weve known were kind of shifting into the purple area...We have a good ground game and are actually reaching out to people and making sure theyre registered to vote, Ms Stack added. In 2020, 60 per cent of 18 to 25-year-olds in North Carolina voted a majority of whom voted for Mr Biden. Given the margin that Mr Trump won by four years ago, increasing youth voter turnout in 2024 will be a top priority for both sides. 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 }} Democratic Representative Jamie Raskin of Maryland lamented the fact that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell did not vote to convict former president Donald Trump in the former presidents second impeachment trial in 2021. Mr Raskin, the lead impeachment manager for Mr Trumps impeachment trial in the Senate regarding Mr Trumps incitement of the January 6 riot at the US Capitol, spoke to The Independent upon news Mr McConnell would step aside as Republican leader in November. I wish Senator McConnell had shown the courage of his convictions and his real sentiments, Mr Raskin said. Mr McConnells wife Elaine Chao resigned as secretary of the Transportation Department in protest at Mr Trumps whipping up a horde of his supporters to breach the US Capitol and threaten the life of lawmakers during the certification of the 2020 presidential election results. But Mr McConnell and all but seven Republicans voted to acquit Mr Trump despite the fact Mr McConnell acknowledged Mr Trump acted in a way that caused the attack at the Capitol. Mr Raskin said that during the impeachment trial wherein he delivered evidence of Mr Trumps culpability, he stood 15 to 20 feet away from Mr McConnell on a daily basis. His body language, his facial expressions, and his statements all revealed that he was shocked and appalled and disgusted by what Donald Trump had done, Mr Raskin said. And yet, he could not bring himself to vote with seven Republican colleagues to join all 50 Democrats in affirming the obvious, which is that Donald Trump had incited an insurrection against the Constitution the election and in the union. Mr McConnell did later denounce Mr Trump, saying his actions preceding the riot were a disgraceful dereliction of duty. but he later said that he could not be convicted because he was by then a former president. However, in the context of impeachment, the Senate might have decided this was acceptable shorthand for the reckless actions that preceded the riot, Mr McConnell said in a speech after the end of the Senate trial. But in this case, that question is moot. Because former President Trump is constitutionally not eligible for conviction. But Mr Raskin, a former constitutional lawyer and professor at American University, said he refuted the rationale and the fact that the Senate had voted 56-44 to proceed with the impeachment trial on the first day of proceedings. That's why I say this is, you know, the actual result in Trump's second trial was the greatest case of jury nullification in American history, he said. Basically, the senators who are both the judge and the jury, contradicted themselves. They said, as a court of law, that they had jurisdiction, they heard the case and then they said in deciding guilt and innocence, that although Donald Trump was guilty, he should not have been tried because there wasn't jurisdiction, that that legal issue had already been decided. Ultimately, not only did Mr McConnell make that argument, but so did his potential successors, Senate Minority Whip John Thune, Senate Republican Conference Chairman John Barrasso and Senator John Cornyn of Texas. All three men have endorsed Mr Trump in his 2024 bid to re-assume the presidency. I wish that Senator McConnell had stuck with the courage of his convictions and not hung his hat on that very flimsy jurisdictional argument, Mr Raskin said. 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 }} A Republican senator has blocked legislation that would have federally protected access to in vitro fertilization (IVF) at the national level. The bill, proposed by Democratic Senator Tammy Duckworth, came after the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos can be considered children under state law, prompting several clinics in the state to halt IVF treatments, which can involve discarding nonviable or excess embryos as part of standard practice. Ms Duckworths bill would have protected access to IVF on a federal level, but Republican Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith objected to the legislation, branding it an overreach full of poison pills that would go far beyond ensuring access to IVF. It would legalize human cloning. It would legalize commercial surrogacy, including for young girls without parental involvement. It would legalize gene edited designer babies and lift the federal ban on the creation of three parent embryos, Ms Hyde-Smith said. Ms Duckworth said Ms Hyde-Smith was misinterpreting the bill. It does not force anyone to see reproductive technology. It does not force anyone to offer it. It does not force anyone to cover it. It simply says you have a statutory right should you choose to pursue assisted reproductive technology, said Ms Duckworth, who used IVF treatments to have her two children after struggling with years of infertility. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., center, speaks about a bill to establish federal protections for IVF (AP) Ms Duckworth sought to pass the bill by unanimous consent, which meant that just one senator could object and scuttle the entire effort. However, the Democratic senator said on Wednesday she would ask Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer for a roll call vote on the bill in order to put Republicans on record. This week, Republicans, including Donald Trump, have sought to declare their support for access to IVF following the Alabama ruling but have reiterated that the federal government should not interfere with state-level decisions on reproductive care. I support the ability for mothers and fathers to have total access to IVF and bringing new life into the world. I also believe human life should be protected, Ms Hyde-Smith said. Democrats have questioned Republicans claims of support for access to IVF. In this nightmarish moment, its nowhere near enough to send out a vaguely worded tweet claiming you care about womens rights, despite your voting record to the contrary, Ms Duckworth said on the Senate floor. She said that, by bringing the bill up again, Democrats are challenging Republican senators to stay true to their word and display real support for IVF access. Mark my words, if we dont act now, it will only get worse, Ms Duckworth said, echoing fears over threats to reproductive rights after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade in 2022. Meanwhile, Mr Schumer said on Tuesday that Republicans who have denounced the Alabama ruling are like the arsonist who set a house on fire and say, why is it burning? / /: : (jpg, jpeg, png). (25 MB). 5 . . 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 and his predecessor Donald Trump will both visit the USborder on Thursday in an attempt to seize the narrative around immigration ahead of their presidential match-up later this year. The duelling visits by the two presumptive nominees follow a record number of undocumented migrants entering the country in December and an influx of those migrants into Democratic-run cities. Mr Trump, who is due to visit the migrant hotspot of Eagle Pass, is likely to use the backdrop of the troubled border town to accuse the Biden administration of failing to protect the border while offering his vision for a draconian immigration policy that would see mass deportations. Republicans, particularly Mr Trump, have long used immigration as a cudgel to attack the Biden administration even going so far as to impeach Alejandro Mayorkas, homeland security secretary, by the smallest of margins in the House 214-213. Mr Biden, meanwhile, has accused Republicans of blocking a border deal that would address many of the issues they have long complained about at the behest of Mr Trump. He is due to meet with US Border Patrol agents, law enforcement, and local leaders, according to the White House. The border is set to be a key issue at the general election in November, so how do the policies of both candidates compare? Trumps second term will be more draconian Mr Trump used the imagined threat of a migrant invasion to propel him to the White House in 2016 promising to build a wall that stretches the entire length of the border and force Mexico to pay for it. He appears to be following the same playbook in his second re-election bid. The GOP frontrunner is plotting a draconian expansion of his previous anti-immigrant agenda, building on the policies that President Joe Bidens administration has sought to reverse. At rallies and campaign events, he has used dehumanising language to describe people arriving at the US-Mexico border in an attempt to justify his agenda. Speaking at a rally in New Hampshire late last year, the former president echoed the pages of Mein Kampf and white supremacist manifestos by claiming that immigrants are poisoning the blood of our country. The next day, at a rally in Reno, Nevada, he accused migrants of waging an invasion and falsely claimed people are charging across the border by the hundreds of thousands. At both rallies, he revealed his radical vision for overhauling the nations immigration laws, from implementing the largest deportation operation in American history to ideological screenings for people arriving at the southern border. Put simply, if elected, the next Trump administration would upend asylum protections for thousands of people who are legally in the US; round up undocumented people living in the US and detain them at camps before theyre expelled; and prohibit children born in the US to non-citizen parents from being granted citizenship. It would represent one of the most extreme immigration agendas of any president in American history. Biden wants a deal Border security and immigration have long been a political vulnerability for President Biden. A recent poll found that voters see the border as his biggest failure. Mr Bidens visit to the border is aimed at undercutting that impression. Late last year, Mr Biden gave his approval for his officials to join negotiations on a bipartisan bill that would address many Republican grievances about the border. Lawmakers on both sides drafted a deal that would have overhauled the asylum system to implement tougher immigration enforcement and give new powers to the White House to expel migrants. The deal was essentially killed when, at the urging of Mr Trump, many Republicans came out against it. Following the failure of a deal in Congress, Mr Biden has reportedly been exploring the possibility of taking executive action to reduce the number of arrivals at the border. The president is reportedly mulling executive action to block people who cross the southern border without legal permission from claiming asylum once inside the US, upending guarantees that protect asylum rights for people on US soil. Such a proposal, which would bypass Congress, would mirror an illegal Trump-era measure that a federal judge had previously rejected as an unlawful attempt to rewrite the nations immigration laws to impose a condition that Congress has expressly forbidden. Mr Bidens proposed order would reportedly invoke Section 212(f) of the 1952 Immigration and Nationality Act, which allows the president to suspend immigration for anyone determined to be detrimental to the interests of the United States the same authority Mr Trump used to unilaterally ban immigrants from majority-Muslim countries, which was later struck down in court. The Biden administration also would reportedly raise the standards for border agents credible fear screenings for people seeking asylum and establish a last in, first out policy for deportations. That proposal has angered progressives in the Democratic Party and raised warnings from rights groups. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the United Nations Refugee Convention have affirmed asylum rights for people fleeing persecution and violence. In the US, a person granted asylum is legally allowed to remain in the country without fear of deportation, and qualifies for legal work with potential pathways to permanent legal status. Those claims can only be made at the US border or within the US. The changes would undoubtedly violate both US and international human rights law that establish people may seek asylum regardless of whether they cross at a port of entry or between ports of entry, Amy Fischer, director of refugee and migrant rights with Amnesty International USA, told The Independent. 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 }} Warning: the following livestream has not been independently fact-checked and may contain misinformation. The Independent strives to counteract misinformation across its platforms. Click here for the latest on the 2024 US Presidential Election: https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics Watch again as Donald Trump visits the US-Mexico border on Thursday 29 February - the same day as Joe Biden - highlighting how illegal immigration has become one of the most important issues as they look towards a likely general election rematch in November. The former president is due to visit the migrant hotspot of Eagle Pass, Texas, a location where people are frequently filmed crossing into the US to claim asylum. Mr Biden, meanwhile, will visit the border more than 300 miles away from where his successor will be. A White House official said the president would visit the border community of Brownsville to meet with US Border Patrol agents, law enforcement officials and local leaders. He will reiterate his calls for congressional Republicans to stop playing politics and to provide the funding needed for additional US Border Patrol agents, more asylum officers, fentanyl detection technology and more, the official added. 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 }} The White House is said to be considering airdropping aid from US military planes into Gaza amid dire warnings of famine in the territory and following the failure of US officials to convince Israel to allow sufficient aid deliveries on the ground. The move follows months of warnings from aid groups that Israels war in Gaza is causing a humanitarian catastrophe on a scale that would be impossible to contain. Jeremy Konyndyk, who led USAIDs Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance during the Obama administration and oversaw humanitarian air drops to Nepal, the Philippines and Iraq, described the potential US plan to drop aid by air as a major policy failure on the part of the Biden administration. When the US government has to use tactics that it otherwise used to circumvent the Soviets and Berlin and circumvent Isis in Syria and Iraq, that should prompt some really hard questions about the state of US policy, he told The Independent. The United Nations warned this week that some 576,000 people, or one quarter of Gazas population, are one step away from famine. It has also accused Israel of systematically blocking aid deliveries into Gaza and of opening fire on convoys that do make it through. The US has repeatedly said it has been working behind the scenes to convince Israel to allow more aid into Gaza, but the amount of aid that has reached Gazans dropped by half in February compared to the previous month. The dire conditions on the ground in Gaza were drawn into sharp relief on Wednesday when more than 100 Palestinians were killed after Israeli forces opened fire on a crowd that was scrambling to collect aid from food trucks near Gaza City. The Israeli army said its forces had fired at those who posed a threat after some civilians rushed towards the trucks. Mr Konyndyk, who is now president of Refugees International, told The Independent that airdrops are the most expensive and least effective way to get aid to a population. We almost never did it because it is such an in extremis tool. He referenced his experience managing US airdrops to Yazidi civilians who were fleeing attacks from Isis fighters on the top of Mount Sinjar in northern Iraq in 2014. At the same time it was dropping aid, the US was also carrying out airstrikes against Isis fighters who were besieging the Yazidis. We coordinated US military aid airdrops to that population while they were sheltering on the mountain. We had to do that because they were being besieged by a terrorist group. So when we see this happening in a place that is under the military control of an ally of the United States, its just a shocking thing to see, he said. Israeli military tactics here are functionally the equivalent of an earthquake in Nepal in terms of the impact they're having on humanitarian access. That's a policy choice, he said. And it's totally inexcusable that governments, including potentially the US government, are resorting to airdrops because Israel won't allow consistent humanitarian access and won't open the border crossings. The State Department did not respond to a request for comment. The US has said that it is engaged in diplomacy with Israeli officials to urge them to allow greater humanitarian access to Gaza. In an interview with the New Yorker published on Wednesday, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the US has had very frank and very forthright discussions with Israeli officials in private. We have been able to get humanitarian assistance in Gaza since the beginning of the conflict. There have been times when its been easier than others. Some of thats based on the operational environment. Were working hard with the Israelis to keep that aid flowing and to hopefully increase that level of aid. I think Id leave it there, Mr Kirby said. I think they understand our concerns. Even though there needs to be more aid, even though there needs to be fewer civilian casualties, the Israelis have, in many ways, been receptive to our messages, he added. Israels war in Gaza was launched in response to a Hamas attack that killed 1,200 people. Hamas and other militants are still holding around 100 hostages and the remains of about 30 more, after releasing most of the other captives during a November truce. More than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed by the war, including some 13,000 children, according to the Palestinian health ministry. Many more Palestinians are thought to be buried under the rubble of destroyed buildings. In recent weeks, the security situation inside Gaza has made aid deliveries even more perilous. The World Food Program suspended what it described as life-saving aid deliveries into northern Gaza on 20 February over safety concerns. The agency said in a statement that the decision had not been taken lightly, but added that the pause would continue until conditions are in place that allow for safe distributions. Gaza is hanging by a thread and WFP must be enabled to reverse the path towards famine for thousands of desperately hungry people, the agency said. The UN said that 80 per cent of aid deliveries destined for northern Gaza were blocked by the Israeli army in January . Gazas health ministry said on Wednesday that six children have died from dehydration and malnutrition in recent days. Mr Konyndyk, the former Obama administration official, now believes it may be too late to prevent a famine. Just based on the other circumstances where I've worked on famine relief operations, it's very hard for me to see how you could avert famine now, he said. With the humanitarian footprint that currently exists, you would need a total change. You would need complete access through the territory. You would need a level of security that is hard to envision without a ceasefire. That, he added, is unlikely to come without serious pressure on Israel from the Biden administration. Thus far, it is unclear if there is any event that would cause Biden to exert that pressure. I used to think there was a line or hope there was a line, and I have a harder time discerning what that line would be at this point, Mr Konyndyk said. I would hope that famine would be the line, it should be. 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 former Australian politician sold out the country after being recruited by a foreign intelligence service, the countrys intelligence chief has said. The politician, whose identity was not disclosed, targeted Australias defence industry and sought information on the Aukus partnership with the UK and US, Mike Burgess, the director-general of security for the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), said. In a speech during his annual threat assessment in Canberra on Wednesday, Mr Burgess said they confronted the foreign spy ring to let them know their cover had been blown. The foreign spies, identified as the A Team, were offered access to the then-prime ministers family by the MP. Alex Turnbull, the son of former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, claimed that he was one of the targets of suspected Chinese agents while working on an infrastructure project, according to news.com.au. It was just so brazen, Mr Turnbull told the outlet My reaction was to express no interest and forward the details immediately to the authorities. Without identifying the name of the country involved in the espionage activities, Mr Burgess said the foreign spy agency "successfully cultivated and recruited a former Australian politician" several years ago. "The spies pose as consultants, head-hunters, local government officials, academics and think tank researchers, claiming to be from fictional companies," he said. "Most commonly, they offer their targets consulting opportunities, promising to pay thousands of dollars for reports on Australian trade, politics, economics, foreign policy, defence and security." The allegations of espionage by a retired MP have sparked concerns in Canberra with many calling on the spy agency to reveal the name of the retired politician. He described the A Team as "an aggressive and experienced" foreign intelligence network which had Australia as its priority target. The retired Australian politician has not been charged and is no longer working with the group, he said, adding that the operation had been disbanded. "This politician sold out their country, party and former colleagues to advance the interests of the foreign regime. At one point, the former politician even proposed bringing a prime ministers family member into the spies orbit," he said. "Fortunately, that plot did not go ahead but other schemes did." In an apparent reference to Volt Typhoon, a Chinese hacking group previously named by the US and Australia as infiltrating Western critical infrastructure, Mr Burgess said one nation state was attempting to scan and target water, transport and energy networks in Australia and other countries. "We assess this government is not actively planning sabotage, but is trying to gain persistent undetected access that could allow it to conduct sabotage in the future," he said, without identifying the country. Chinas foreign ministry has previously called the accusations of hacking "groundless" and "extremely irresponsible". 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 }} German chancellor Olaf Scholz has been accused of a flagrant abuse of intelligence for divulging details of British aid for Ukrainian forces. Mr Scholz said Germany will not be sending Kyiv Taurus, Berlins version of the Storm Shadow missile, pointing to a risk of his country becoming directly involved in the war, referring to the UK and French assistance to Ukraine. On Monday, he said that German soldiers could not follow the lead of their British and French allies in the way of target control and accompanying target control. This is a flagrant abuse of intelligence deliberately designed to distract from Germanys reluctance to arm Ukraine with its own long-range missile system, said Tobias Ellwood, the former chairman of the Commons defence committee. He added that Mr Scholzs argument will no doubt be used by Russia to racket up the escalator ladder. At home in Berlin, Mr Scholz is facing flak for not delivering aid sought by Ukraine, especially long-range weapons, needed to stop Russias advance on the battlefield. The need for long-range weapons like Storm Shadow cruise missiles and Taurus has been reiterated by Volodymyr Zelensky, who admits his troops are running low on ammunition. Last week German lawmakers called on the government to deliver further long-range weapons to Ukraine, but voted down an opposition call explicitly urging it to send Taurus long-range cruise missiles. A motion drawn up by governing parties urged the government to keep up military support and said this includes the delivery of further necessary long-range weapons systems and ammunition to enable attacks on strategically important targets far in the rear of the Russian aggressor. That unspecified formulation allowed government lawmakers to advocate sending Taurus missiles, or not. Mr Scholzs latest comments have been slammed as irresponsible by German opposition MPs. Norbert Rottgen, a senior lawmaker from the CDU, the former ruling party of Angela Merkel, said: The chancellors statement regarding France and Britains alleged involvement in operating long-range cruise missiles used in Ukraine is completely irresponsible. The German chancellor has openly clashed with French president Emmanuel Macron and refused to entertain the idea of any deployment of Nato or Western soldiers in the Ukraine war. Rishi Sunak on Tuesday confirmed the UK government has a small number of soldiers deployed inside Ukraine but added that Britain has no plans for a large-scale deployment of troops to the war-hit nation. "Beyond the small number of personnel we do have in the country supporting the armed forces of Ukraine, we havent got any plans for large-scale deployment," the PMs spokesperson told reporters, adding that large numbers of Ukrainian troops were being trained in Britain and London was supporting Kyiv with equipment and supplies. 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 authorities could use violence to shut down Alexei Navalnys funeral as supporters pay a last tribute to him, allies of the Kremlin critic warned. Vladimir Ashurkov, a long-term friend and associate of Navalny, warned there was a chance of police brutality and violence at the funeral on Friday. The service will take place at a church in Maryino, Moscow, at 11am GMT, despite hearse companies refusing to transport his body, his spokesperson said. Mr Ashurkov told The Independent: For many people Navalny was a hero and it only makes sense people have a chance to pay a last tribute to him tomorrow. I dont know how brutal and violent it will get in Moscow, but there is a chance of it. In the two weeks since Navalnys death, authorities have been quite brutal and dozens of people were arrested. Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny (Moscow City Court) At least 387 people have been arrested in 39 cities across Russia for mourning Navalny following his death in an Arctic penal colony on 16 February, according to protest watchdog OVD-Info. In Surgut, central Russia, one mourner was allegedly tortured at a police station by being beaten and having a gun pointed at his head for laying flowers, Amnesty International Russia Researcher Oleg Kozlovsky said. And in St Petersburg, around 390 miles north of Moscow, courts have imposed administrative detentions on at least 26 people who have commemorated Navalny, with others known to be his supporters arrested ahead of the funeral. Russian police stand outside the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God Quench My Sorrows in Maryino ahead of Navalnys funeral on Friday (AP) Mr Kozlovsky explained that Russian police have a huge arsenal of tools and techniques ready to disperse mourners - in part designed to erase the memory of Navalny. They will likely station lots of men in uniform at the funeral, as well as in other cities outside of Moscow, he told The Independent. They may also try directly to break up or disperse any assembled people by using force, either completely unnecessarily or disproportionately. This is the usual modus operandi when dealing with Navalnys protests. The Church of the Icon of the Mother of God, where Navalny allies have warned police could use violence to disperse mourners (AP) He previously explained the crackdown was designed to erase the memory of Navalny from Russian history. The removal of photos of Navalny and the swift dismantling of memorial events across the country, sometimes directly in front of mourners, reveals how the authorities are seeking to expunge his name from the history books, he said. Despite up to 100,000 Russians signing a petition demanding a public funeral for Navalny, it is unclear how many will turn up for the service. Young people are more likely to show up because they have less to lose. In general, they are more active and less dependent on the state. They dont think about the risks as much as older people. At the same time, a funeral is a very unusual and unique opportunity for direct participation with anything related to Navalny. So, I expect a lot of older people think its their obligation to show up, Mr Kozlovsky said. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }} {{ message }} {{ /verifyErrors }} {{ ^verifyErrors }} Something went wrong. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} A bishop has rebuked comments made by priests on their YouTube channel about praying for Pope Francis to die as soon as possible. Archbishop Francisco Cerro Chaves of Toledo posted a statement on the archdiocese website saying it rejected the comments and warned that it may take corrective measures, without elaborating. The statement followed an episode of a program on YouTube called The Sacristy of the Vendee. A counter-revolutionary priestly gathering earlier this month. In it, a Toledo priest makes an introductory salute saying, I also pray a lot for the Pope, so that he can go to heaven as soon as possible. Another priest expresses his support for this while the conversation group, which involved six Spanish-speaking priests from different countries, laughed over the comments. The group then went on to discuss different religious, social and political issues, mostly from a conservative point of view. In his statement, Chavez says he expresses his profound rejection of any manifestation of disaffection towards the person and ministry of the Holy Father, adding that it has told the priests they should seek forgiveness. Pope Francis hugs a baby at the end of his weekly general audience in the Paul VI Hall, at the Vatican on Wednesday (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) The statement says the archbishopric is not responsible for or represented by the statements made by the priests in the internet program. In messages posted on its X platform account, The Sacristy of the Vendee group apologized. We are sorry for the unfortunate comment, said in a humorous tone, about praying for the Pope to go to Heaven as soon as possible, it said. "It is a comment in bad taste and, although it does not express wishes for the death of the Pope, as some media have maliciously spread, ... we understand that it can be understood that way," the group said. Pope Francis, who has been suffering from influenza, made a brief trip to a Roman hospital for medical checks on Wednesday but was able to return to the Vatican, his office said in a statement. The pope, who is 87, had checks at the Tiber Island hospital after his weekly general audience, the statement said, without providing further details. Francis underwent the same procedure at the same hospital in November, following another bout of influenza. The scan allows doctors to see detailed internal images of a patients body. Televised images on Wednesday showed a Vatican-registered white Fiat - a model Francis uses regularly - leaving the medical facility in the centre of Rome at around midday (1100 GMT). Pope Francis delivers his speech during his weekly general audience in the Paul VI Hall (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) The pontiff earlier skipped a reading at his Wednesday weekly audience, delegating the task to an aide and telling the faithful he was still not well. Dear brothers and sisters, I still have a bit of a cold, Francis said at the audience on Wednesday, announcing that someone else would read his catechesis on envy and vainglory, two of the seven deadly sins. The pope spoke at the end of his audience, sounding hoarse and coughing a bit, to greet some of the faithful and issue calls for peace, as is customary. Francis, who has had a number of health issues recently, had cancelled appointments on Saturday and on Monday due to what the Vatican called a mild flu. On Sunday, he addressed crowds in St Peters Square as normal, to deliver his Angelus message. Close Putin threatens Nato with World War 3 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 West has criticised Vladimir Putins sham elections as the Russian president sent a sinister warning to Nato. Putin warned against any move that would risk direct conflict with Russia, saying it would be one step away from World War 3. Asked about the dangers of a wide-scale Nato-Russia conflict, Putin said: Everything is possible in the modern world. It is the latest example of the Russian president dangling the threat of a larger, or even nuclear, conflict in Europe as he attempts to pressure Ukraines Western allies against an escalation of their involvement in his war. The comments came as Putin claimed a landslide victory in Russias sham presidential election with 87.8 per cent of the vote. The US, Germany, the UK and other nations have said the vote was neither free nor fair due to the imprisonment of political opponents and censorship. Earlier, Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of Alexei Navalny, called Mr Putin a killer and a gangster, as she joined scores of Russians unhappy with his regime lining up to vote on Sunday afternoon at polling stations both inside Russia and at its embassies around the world. 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 }} Vladimir Putin has spoken for more than two hours in a rambling state of the nation speech, during which he issued a series of nuclear threats against the West ahead of presidential elections in two weeks. But there was one name he would not say, Alexei Navalny, his most prominent critic. Navalny died in an Arctic prison earlier this month. The opposition leaders family and supporters say he was killed by Putin. Western leaders have also lined up to lay the blame at Putins door. Navalny will be buried in Moscow on Friday. He was serving a decades-long prison sentence on charges that were seen as trumped up to silence him, having been seen as a threat to Putin for his ability to pull together dissent against the Kremlin. Addressing legislators in Moscow, having turned up 15 minutes late, Putin began his speech by speaking of the pride he has in Russias seizure of the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea, which happened a decade ago, and the subsequent capture of parts of eastern Ukraine. Putins full-scale invasion of Ukraine, launched two years ago, has caused hundreds of thousands of casualties among Russian troops according to US estimates, with much of the frontline in bloody stalemate, despite some recent advances by Moscows troops. Kyivs troops have been staunchly defending their territory, with Putin reiterating his false claims that Russia is seeking to liberate areas populated by Russian people oppressed by Ukrainian rule as opposed to illegal annexations of Ukrainian territory decried by the international community. Despite a crackdown on criticism of the invasion of Ukraine, with long prison sentences handed out to dissenters, the Russian leader sought to claim that the absolute majority of Russians supported the war. The Russian autocrat, who will certainly assume office for his fifth term after a presidential ballot in mid-March, then alleged that the West was attacking Russia via Ukraine, a narrative that he has maintained throughout his full-scale invasion. Putins speech was broadcast to cinemas across the country and on billboards in Moscow. According to Russian state media, the crowd applauded Putin more than 80 times. Vladimir Putin delivers his annual address to the Federal Assembly, in Moscow, 29 February 2024 (via Reuters) Addressing comments made by French President Emmanuel Macron earlier this week that he could not rule out the idea of sending soldiers into Ukraine, Putin said: There has been talk about the possibility of sending Nato military contingents to Ukraine. But we remember the fate of those who once sent their contingents to our countrys territory. But now the consequences for possible interventionists will be far more tragic. He then launched into a nuclear warning, something he has reached for repeatedly since the Ukraine invasion started. They must realise that we also have weapons that can hit targets on their territory. All this really threatens a conflict with the use of nuclear weapons and the destruction of civilisation. Dont they get that? Sergey Radchenko, a Russian-born British historian, suggested Putins quick lurch to nuclear threats suggested Mr Macron had touched a raw nerve. I thought it was interesting that Putins speech included a direct reference to Macrons recent remark that the use of Natos troops in Ukraine should not be excluded, he said. His apoplectic reaction to this [threatening nuclear war] suggests that Macron touched a raw nerve. Putin later suggested that the West was being cavalier about the threat Russia poses. The West is trying to drag us into an arms race. They are trying to wear us down, to repeat the trick they succeeded [in pulling off] with the Soviet Union in the 1980s, Putin said. Therefore, our task is to develop the defence-industrial complex ... (and) the scientific, technological and industrial potential of the country. Russian civilians watch Vladimir Putins address from a cinema in Volgograd, 600 miles south of Moscow (Telegram ) For Professor Radchenko, however, this merely belies the fact that Putin himself does not know what a world war would be like. If he did, the historian said, he would perhaps behave with greater circumspection. He also downplayed the nuclear threats of Putin, saying it was part and parcel of his usual arsenal of threats that he uses to dissuade the West from helping Ukraine. On the ground in Ukraine, the Russian army is trying to seize the towns and villages of Tonenke, Orlivka, Semenivka, Berdychi and Krasnohorivka in the eastern Donetsk region, Ukraines army chief Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi has said. Those are places where Ukrainian military officials had said they would form a new line of defence after Ukrainian troops pulled out of the symbolically important town of Avdiivka earlier this month. Meanwhile, Ukraines air force commander Mykola Oleshchuk said his units shot down two Russian Su-34 jets overnight. That makes a total of 11 warplanes, including an early warning and control A-50 plane, that Ukraine claims to have downed since 17 February. Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesperson, had told reporters in the run-up to the address that Putins speech should be understood as a political pitch for his re-election. Though his reappointment is not in doubt Putin is already the longest-standing Russian leader since Joseph Stalin he did use the speech to speak about domestic issues outside of the war in Ukraine. After roughly 15 minutes on Ukraine, Putin spent nearly two hours then addressing issues in Russia. He offered spending promises across as many sectors as possible, seemingly aimed at the Russian public, but more importantly at the heads of businesses and regional officials. Those that he needs to keep on his side politically. Mark Galeotti, a Russia expert, described this as a painfully extended political broadcast promising money for everything but with no sense of how this could be paid for, when 40 per cent of the state budget is going to the war [in Ukraine]. 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 }} Ukraines military has said it has shot down three more Russian Su-34 fighter-bombers, the latest successes it has reported against Moscows air force. After successful combat operations against an enemy aircraft in the night on Feb. 29, two more Russian aircraft were destroyed: Su-34 fighter-bombers in the Avdiivka and Mariupol sectors, Army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on the Telegram messaging app. Russia, which began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine two years ago, did not immediately comment on Syrskyis remarks. Avdiivka in eastern Ukraine fell to Russian forces this month after a long battle. Russia took full control of the southeastern port city of Mariupol in May 2022. The Ukrainian military said last week that Russia had lost six warplanes in three days. Since receiving advanced Western air defence systems, Ukraines military has posed a greater threat to Russian aviation in areas near the front lines although it has suffered recent setbacks on the eastern battlefields. Kyiv accuses Moscow of hitting civilian targets using Su-34s, in particular in the southern Kherson region, as well as in attacking Ukraines front lines. Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers his annual address to the Federal Assembly, in Moscow, Russia, February 29, 2024 (via REUTERS) Russia has denied deliberately targeting civilians although many have been killed in its strikes. With the war starting its third year, Russian forces have been bludgeoning some Ukrainian defensive positions into submission, deploying overwhelming amounts of artillery and troop numbers in an effort to punch through defensive lines at targeted points. Though Russias gains have been small, slow and costly, Ukraine doesnt have enough reservists and has a severe shortage of artillery shells as the supply of military aid from Western partners has waned. A view of the yard of hospital which was damaged by Russian shelling is seen from a broken window in Krasnohorivka, Ukraine (Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) The Russian army is trying to seize the towns and villages of Tonenke, Orlivka, Semenivka, Berdychi and Krasnohorivka in the eastern Donetsk region, Ukraines army chief Col. Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi said on social media. Those are places where Ukrainian military officials had said they would form a new line of defense after Ukrainian troops pulled out of Avdiivka on Feb. 17. In the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region, Russian forces are focusing on retaking Verbove and Robotyne, towns that Ukraine won back in last summers counteroffensive in 2023, Syrskyi said. Syrskyi, who was appointed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to lead the countrys military accused some of his commanders of making miscalculations in assessing the enemy and taking countermeasures. 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 }} Ukraines pioneering drone technology and its growing domestic weapons industry are a game-changer that could help win the war, a Ukrainian minister has said urging Western allies to do all they can to support Kyiv as its forces struggle to hold the front line at the beginning of the third year of Russias invasion. Speaking to The Independent, Ukraines minister of strategic industries, Oleksander Kamyshin, warned that as a brutal artillery war has ground on, Ukraine requires an amount of ammunition that no single country can deliver even the United States. And so, as the war enters its third year, they are developing more cost-effective means to hold the front while simultaneously maximising domestic production. Ukraines domestic defence output tripled in 2023 and there are plans to increase it sixfold this year. Kamyshin said Ukraine was positioning itself as a global pioneer in drone technology, as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have become the surprise cornerstone in the very modern battlefields of Ukraine. Drones are so important that Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky announced the creation of a separate branch of the military, called the Unmanned Systems Force, dedicated to UAVs and their technology. Domestic production is crucial, says Kamyshin, who was appointed to his role last March after running the state-owned Ukrainian Railways. We can produce over one million first-person-view (FPV) drones this year plus thousands of drones that can fly over 1,000km, reaching as far as refineries in Russia. This is a game-changer, he says. Our defence tech is really cool, and together with the newly formed force of unmanned drone systems, it will deliver results. At the moment, Ukraine is producing FPV, long-range and sea drones, all of which have had surprising results in clawing back control of the Black Sea and destroying Russian ships and other hardware. Kyiv claims its drones have damaged or destroyed more than $5.5bn (4.3bn) of Russian equipment, including more than 1,000 tanks, 1,600 armoured vehicles and nearly 900 artillery guns. This year, they will launch land drones that move across the ground, as part of an effort to be drones first on the battlefield. Domestic production is crucial says Oleksander Kamyshin (AP) Vadym Sukharevskyi, deputy commander of the military, said this week that Ukraine is developing the future textbooks for standard operating procedures. The country is also exploring locally fashioned hybrid models. As Western allies have struggled to locate and produce enough hardware, Ukraine is now building its own hybrid air defence systems. Nicknamed FrankenSAMs, they cobble together Soviet launchers like Buk air defence vehicles with American-made (and provided) surface-to-air missiles which according to Kyiv have been effective on the battlefield. Kamyshin says Ukraine has some of the fastest capabilities for developing all these new technologies as it is actively testing prototypes in real time on the battlefield: information that can be shared with partners, particularly as the world follows Ukraine in pivoting towards uncrewed systems in conflict. This month, the UK government said the Ukraine war had shown the true importance of UAVs and announced it was investing 4.5bn in its own drones over the next decade. This paradigm shift could change the face of warfare, particularly as Russias invasion has seen the cost of the most ubiquitous artillery shell the 155mm quadruple from around $2,000 to more than $8,000. Drones, Kamyshin says, are considerably cheaper: a single Ukrainian-made FPV drone is just $1,650. But the problem for Ukraine right now is financing internal development and production. Our defence industry capabilities are several times larger than the funding available to support it, so right now we have to cherry-pick, Kamyshin says. We are capable of making more but we dont have the funding for it. We prioritise first ammunition, then drones and then air defence. We try to cover this with the funding available. The rest suffers. Our defence industry capabilities are several times larger than the funding available to support it, so right now we have to cherry-pick Oleksander Kamyshin, strategic industries minister But it could be something that the US and other partners could cover: we are asking the UK and the US for funding. We are already capable. Ukraine has been outnumbered and outgunned ever since Russian president Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale invasion two years ago, an assault which has likely killed tens of thousands of people and Ukraine warns is a direct challenge to the security of Europe and the West. But despite the discrepancy in firepower, the Ukrainian military made surprise gains in the north, northeast and south of the country, seizing back occupied territory and holding a 1,200km-long front line. It has been largely reliant on its Western allies for ammunition and weapons, support that has fallen short in recent months due to political deadlock in the US Congress over military assistance, combined with the chronic lack of production capacity in Europe and general global deficits. Rustem Umerov, Ukraines defence minister, said at the weekend that half of the promised military aid from its Western allies is being delivered late, costing lives and territory. Ukraine has only received a third of the million artillery shells the European Union had promised last year to deliver by March. Russia, meanwhile, has nearly half a million personnel fighting in Ukraine right now and has ramped up its domestic production, moving into a war economy, one Ukrainian diplomat told The Independent. Last year, The Independent understands, Moscow produced two million 122- and 152-calibre shells while also receiving weapons from North Korea and Iran. President Zelensky admitted recently that every day, Russian forces fire on average seven times more munitions at Ukrainian forces than they are able to fire back. There are reports in recent months that Ukraine has had to ration its forces to firing just 2,000 artillery rounds a day. On the front lines, it has translated to concerns of ceding territory. This week, the Ukrainian military announced Russia had advanced once again around the eastern city of Avdiivka, from which they had had to withdraw recently after a brutal four-month battle. Attack drone operators in eastern Ukraine (Reuters) Kamyshin admits that no matter how much Ukraine produces domestically, it will always be reliant on external supply because of the ferocity of the battlefield. But new technology like FPV drones and long-range drones hitting deep into Russian territory is helping push the needle and could eventually mean they reach air superiority for the first time. He believes Ukraine is facing becoming a global pioneer in unmanned systems. We have technology we can share: our naval and flying drones are already better and cheaper than any other country. Later, those products could be available for our partners to strengthen the joint defence capabilities, he adds. Speaking to The Independent at a recent conference in Kyiv, former prime minister Boris Johnson said: One of the things we should consider is whether its time for Nato to give a percentage of our allocated budget for Ukraines defence. I believe now is the time, he added, saying that the UK and other Western allies need to do more and faster. British parliamentarians last week visited drone factories in Ukraine. There, SNP MP Stewart McDonald noted that Ukraine has more experience of drone warfare than any other country. Its in our own interest to support that, to learn from it, to tap into it as much as possible, he added. Kamyshin says the best help is financing. It is in the interest of our partners like the US and the UK to fund our industry and let us produce more to win the war. 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 }} Israeli troops opened fire on Palestinians rushing to get supplies from a rare aid convoy in Gaza City, witnesses have said. More than 100 people were killed, according to health officials in the territory. The Health Ministry in the besieged Strip blamed Israeli forces for killing 112 people. Israeli officials acknowledged troops fired towards some in the crowd they believed posed a threat. The Israeli military said publicly the incident was under review and disputed the account given by the Health Ministry, saying dozens were killed and injured from pushing, trampling and being run over by the trucks. The Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said that around 760 were also wounded, bringing the total death toll of the war to more than 30,000 in just five months. Spokesperson Ashraf al-Qidra called it a massacre. At Al-Awda hospital in north Gaza, where at least 160 wounded were taken, Dr Mohammed Salha said his teams were treating gunshot and tank shell injuries. Weve done three amputation procedures due to tank shelling. Twenty-seven injuries needed urgent surgical interference, and we were barely able to conduct them due to fuel shortages, he said in a statement sent to The Independent. He said supplies were so low they were worried they will have to shut down. We cant receive critical and serious injuries as the hospital is barely able to run life-saving surgeries. An Israeli military spokesperson said: There is no knowledge of Israeli shelling in the area. Hamas issued a warning that it could stop taking part in negotiations for a ceasefire in the war and the release of the remaining hostages it holds. Those talks had been progressing with help from mediators Qatar and Egypt, as well as the US and there has been hope in some quarters about the possibility of reaching an agreement before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan starts around 10 March. The negotiations conducted by the movements leadership are not an open process at the expense of the blood of our people, the Hamas statement said. Egypt also condemned the killings. It is a heinous crime to target peaceful civilians who are rushing to get their share of humanitarian aid, read a statement released by Egypts foreign ministry. It is a flagrant violation of the international law and the international humanitarian law, and also shows disregard to the sanctity of human lives. Gaza City has been devastated by Israels bombardment (Reuters) Kamel Abu Nahel, who was being treated for a gunshot wound at al-Shifa Hospital, said he and others went to the distribution point in the middle of the night because they heard there would be a delivery of food. Weve been eating animal feed for two months, he told Associated Press. He said Israeli troops opened fire on the crowd, causing it to scatter, with some people hiding under cars. After the shooting stopped, people went back to the trucks, and the soldiers opened fire again, he said. He was shot in the leg and fell over, and then a truck ran over his leg as it sped off, he said. The head of Kamal Adwan hospital in Gaza City, Hussam Abu Safieyah, said it had received 10 dead bodies and dozens of wounded patients from the incident west of the city. Videos posted on social media showed trucks carrying bodies. Trucks full of aid came too close to some army tanks that were in the area and the crowd, thousands of people, just stormed the trucks, a witness told AFP, declining to be named for safety reasons. The soldiers fired at the crowd as people came too close to the tanks. An Israeli military official said two separate incidents had occurred as the convoy of trucks passed into northern Gaza from the south along the main coastal road. In the first incident, he said aid trucks were surrounded by hundreds of people and in the confusion, dozens were injured or killed, by being trampled or run over by the trucks. As the trucks left, he said, a second incident occurred in which some of the people who rushed the convoy approached Israeli forces including a tank, which then opened fire. The soldiers fired warning shots in the air and then fired towards those who posed a threat and did not move away, he told a news briefing. From our perspective, this is what we understand. Were continuing to review the circumstances. Jan Egeland the head of the Norwegian Refugee Council told The Independent that there were around 300,000 people who remained in north Gaza who were already experiencing famine because there has been no systematic aid being delivered. Speaking from Rafah on Wednesday he said in peoples desperation law and order had broken down because in a long litany of catastrophic mistakes Israeli bombing had stopped police in the Hamas-run territory from guarding convoys of aid trucks. People are at their limit, he said, adding that the only reason famine had not been formally declared was because no one can get to the north to do a formal assessment. There is no systematic aid going there because what comes into Rafah [in the south] is not leaving Rafah as there are so many people who are in need... Israel could have opened Erez crossing [in the north] They haven't for one day. Its really hard to nearly impossible to reach north Gaza because of the looting, the insecurity and the Israeli checkpoints, he added. A tent camp in Rafah housing Palestinians displaced by the Israeli offensive (AP) Last week, the World Food Programme said it had been forced to suspend aid deliveries to northern Gaza after its first convoy in three weeks was surrounded by crowds of hungry people close to the Israeli militarys Wadi Gaza checkpoint, and then faced gunfire in Gaza City. Trucks carrying food reached northern Gaza this week, the first major aid delivery to the area in a month, officials said on Wednesday. An Israeli government spokesperson described the latest Palestinian casualties as a tragedy and said initial indications were that deaths were caused by delivery drivers plowing into a surging crowd. At some point the trucks were overwhelmed and the people driving the trucks, which were Gazan civilian drivers, plowed into the crowds of people, ultimately killing, my understanding is, tens of people, spokesperson Avi Hyman told reporters. Its obviously a tragedy but were not sure of the specifics quite yet. In an Israeli military night-time aerial surveillance video hundreds of people can be seen crowding around at least seven lorries in the same area. The footage shows how numerous people surrounded the trucks and as a result, dozens were killed and injured from pushing, trampling and being run over by the trucks, a statement said. The official Palestinian news agency, Wafa, cited medical sources as saying that Israeli forces fired towards thousands of people from Gaza City and other northern areas as they waited at Nabulsi roundabout for the arrival of lorries loaded with humanitarian aid. The UNs undersecretary for humanitarian affairs, Martin Griffiths, said: Even after close to five months of brutal hostilities, Gaza still has the ability to shock us. Im appalled at the reported killing and injury of hundreds of people during a transfer of aid supplies west of Gaza City today. This comes as the death toll across Gaza... hits the 30,000 mark. Life is draining out of Gaza at terrifying speed. The White House said it is looking into reports of Israeli fire on Palestinians waiting for aid near Gaza City, describing it as a serious incident. We mourn the loss of innocent life and recognise the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, where innocent Palestinians are just trying to feed their families, a White House National Security Council spokesperson said in a statement. This underscores the importance of expanding and sustaining the flow of humanitarian assistance into Gaza, including through a potential temporary ceasefire. President Joe Biden said that he believes the deadly incident will complicate talks on a ceasefire. I know it will, Mr Biden told reporters when asked about the prospect. Theres two competing versions of what happened. I dont have an answer yet, he said. He also said a temporary ceasefire probably would not happen by Monday, as he had earlier predicted. I was on the telephone with the people in the region. Probably not by Monday but Im hopeful, Mr Biden said. Separately, the Health Ministry in Gaza said the Palestinian death toll from the war has climbed to 30,035, with another 70,457 wounded. It does not differentiate between civilians and militants in its figures but says women and children make up around two-thirds of those killed. The ministry, which is part of the Hamas-run government in Gaza, maintains detailed records of casualties. Its counts from previous wars have largely matched those of the UN independent experts and even Israels own tallies. Gaza City and the surrounding areas in the Strips north were the first targets of Israels air, sea and ground offensive, launched in response to a bloody attack by Hamas inside Israel on 7 October. That attack killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and the militants seized around 250 hostages. Hamas and other militants are still holding around 100 hostages and the remains of about 30 more, after releasing most of the other captives during a November truce. International calls for a ceasefire have been growing as the Palestinian death toll has risen. Israels staunchest ally, the US, and a number of other nations have warned of further mass casualties if Israel follows through on vows to attack the southernmost city of Rafah, where more than half of Gazas population of 2.3 million has taken refuge. They also say a Rafah offensive could decimate what remains of aid operations in the territory. 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 }} In a nutshell: A buzzy atmosphere, an excellent range of a la carte restaurants and a large kids club make this Maldivian resort a great choice for families Location Located in Dhaalu Atoll, Kandima is a large resort in the Maldives, and one of the more remote atolls. Transfer options include a domestic flight followed by a boat, or a 40-minute seaplane, which offers amazing views of the reefs and lagoons but does come at a price. The resort is not located on a house reef, so theres less sealife spotting than at other resorts, such as its sister hotel Nova. The look Instantly recognisable as the Maldives, Kandima is characterised by white sand and pale blue ocean. But theres also lush vegetation, which gives the resort a jungle-like feel. If visiting during the rainy season, insect repellant is a must as the humidity means the mosquitos are out in full force. The bright and colourful design means the resort feels more inclusive and fun than other luxury and exclusive hotels in the Maldives. It also leans into the fact that its meant to be a destination for fun activities. The bright colours of the reception set the vibe for the resort (Kandima) The vibe Appealing to a young crowd, Kandima is best suited to those looking to get involved in the fun as opposed to a quiet retreat. Owing to this buzzy vibe, its less of a honeymoon destination and instead a great one for groups, families or couples looking to soak up a lively atmosphere. Little ones are catered for in the form of a large kids club. Bed and bath Comprising 264 studios and villas, there are lots of accommodation options. Nestled among the trees, even the most basic rooms feel private designed so you cant see your neighbours and complete with either a balcony or direct beach access. There are sunrise and sunset beach villages the latter dont have access to the sea owing to the current, which is not made clear during booking. The choppiness of the sea can be loud, particularly during stormy conditions. Both do feel like a private oasis though, complete with their own private pool and large, outdoor bathrooms. These, while novel and fun, does mean youre exposed to the elements. Ocean villas are located on a jetty, and are quiet and sophisticated, feeling miles away from the busy main bar and restaurant. A great choice for couples. The sky villas are the most affordbale accommodation options (Kandima) Food and drink Breakfast is a buffet served at either the Flavour or Zest. The former is the busy main restaurant. When dining here you really could be anywhere; there are very few tables outside and its far from the shore. Zest, however, is the complete opposite. Situated on the beach, there are sea views from some tables and its a more relaxed environment. The extensive breakfast menu is impressive: think freshly cooked eggs and pancakes, a great selection of pastries, cereals, yoghurt, cheeses (dont miss the creamy feta) and cold meats. Drinks are self-served, including coffee. Lunch is also a buffet service at Flavour during off-peak, and Zest is open in high season. The offering is extensive, with a large number of pre-cooked dishes. While Id have liked a greater salad selection, if youve spotted something you enjoy at breakfast, the waiters are more than happy to serve it up at lunch too. Sea Dragons Asian-inspired menu was superb (Kandima ) What really sets Kandima apart from other resorts though is the option to dine at three different a la carte restaurants. First is Azure, a relaxed spot on the beach that serves up a Mediterranean-inspired menu dont miss the beef arrosticini. Theres also Smoked, a grill house offering fresh meat and fish. Finally, Sea Dragon, an Asian-inspired spot offers exquisite freshly caught seafood. Walk through a tunnel to the restaurant to find the fun, adults-only Forbidden Bar. All three of the restaurants offer something different, yet sensational. Owing to the size of the resort compared to the capacity of the restaurants, the a la carte restaurants get booked up, so its important to get reservations in as soon as you arrive. While the food offering is impressive, drinks were often chargeable on top of all-inclusive packages. Public areas Theres plenty to enjoy. Whether youre looking to partake in an art class in the studio, enjoy yoga at the fitness centre or relax and unwind with a massage (which incidentally was one of the best weve ever had), youll be kept busy. But thats just on land. The Aquaholics Centre offers a range of exciting aquatic excursions, including dolphin watching and snorkelling with turtles, both of which are led by an enthusiastic team who are keen to make your trip as exciting as possible. To make getting from A to B easy, theres a shuttle service, but you can also rent bikes for $10 a day, which Id recommend doing as it offers a nice activity, plus the bus is quite slow. That being said the price does seem a little steep, particularly if youre there en famille. Walking is of course an option it takes around 20 minutes on foot from one end to the other. After sunset, the main walkway is not well-lit. The pink-hued main pool area has its own bar (Kandima) There are two large pools. One is situated at the centre of the resort next to the buzzy main bar, and the other, at the top of the island, has a swim-up bar serving drinks until sunset. Both are kid-friendly, which is a boon for families, but the hotel would benefit from having one solely for adults. Nuts and bolts Room count: 270. Wifi: Free. Extra charges: Excursions, alcoholic drinks outside of package, and snacks in the day. Disability access: Wheelchair accessible. Pet policy: No pets allowed. Bottom line Best thing: The buzzy atmosphere and the impressive range of dining options. Worst thing: Tricky to book into a la carte restaurants. Perfect for: Families. Not right for: Those looking for peace and quiet. Instagram from: Beach next to Zest at sunset. 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 }} Two recent inflight brawls both on Ryanair flights from Edinburgh to Tenerife have drawn renewed attention to the problems of drink-fuelled air rage. On the first occasion, Spanish police arrested the perpetrators on arrival in the Canary Islands. On the second, the plane from Scotlands capital was diverted to Porto in Portugal for the troublesome passengers to be offloaded. Passengers on these and many other flights have spoken out about their scary ordeal as violence erupted in a confined environment. Air rage threatens the safety of passengers and crew. The European Union Air Safety Agency (EASA) says: Any kind of unruly or disruptive behaviour whether related to intoxication, aggression or other factors introduces an unnecessary risk to the normal operation of a flight. Many of these incidents are fuelled by excess alcohol. Drunkenness and disruption draw the crew away from their normal safety duties. They also cause a potential hazard in the event of an emergency evacuation when every passenger needs their wits about them. Amy Leversidge, general secretary of the British Airline Pilots Association (Balpa), told The Independent: These sorts of things are really distracting to the cabin crew and the pilots. Theres lots more that could be done to make sure that theres a good culture and good behaviours on the flight. How bad is the problem, and what are the possible solutions? These are the key questions and answers. Is there such a thing as a typical case of air rage? EASA asserts: Unruly passengers threaten the safety of 1,000 flights a year. That is an average of almost three a day. Every month, on average, a flight has to make an emergency landing due to unruly behaviour. Every incident is different, but many involve alcohol as a contributory factor. The ban on smoking and vaping, as well as the anxiety some people feel about flying, can contribute to a travellers stress. Alcohol is often considered an alternative. A disruptive passenger typically boards an aircraft after having had several drinks, and proceeds to consume more on board either provided by the cabin crew or surreptitiously swigged from duty-free bottles. Their behaviour may be exacerbated by drugs. The individual can then become loud and aggressive, possibly threatening cabin crew and other passengers. What are the rules on drinking on planes? You cannot be drunk aboard an aircraft: you are not allowed to board a plane if you are intoxicated, nor drink excessively once on a flight. The maximum penalty under UK law is a 5,000 fine and two years in prison or up to five years in jail if the culprit is found guilty of endangering the safety of an aircraft. The Civil Aviation Authority says: Airlines have a right to refuse to carry passengers that they consider to be a potential risk to the safety of the aircraft, its crew or its passengers. But that doesnt stop a fair number of people boarding planes after several drinks and consuming more alcohol once flying. How easily available is alcohol to airline passengers? In the UK and many other nations, drinking is feasible from the moment you arrive at an airport. At a typical British airport, bars are open landside (before the security check) and, more particularly, airside (after security) from first thing in the morning until the last flight departs. Many travellers regard a drink while they wait for their (possibly delayed) plane as an essential part of the holiday experience. Hospitality businesses at the airports welcome the spending, as do airports which take a substantial slice of the revenue and use it to keep passenger charges down. An increasing trend is for passengers to pay a flat fee for entry to an airport lounge in which alcohol is available sometimes in unlimited quantities. Some holiday companies are including free lounge access as part of their offer to customers. In addition, duty-free sales, particularly of miniatures of vodka, whisky or gin can provide an additional supply of alcohol, at least for those who ignore the requirement for them to be exported intact to the final destination. Once on board the plane, passengers are typically either offered free drinks by cabin crew or invited to buy them. Can you drink your own alcohol on board? No according to almost every airlines rules. Jet2, which has long been tackling alcohol-fuelled disruptive behaviour on its flights, says: You may not bring on board alcohol for the purposes of consumption whilst on the aircraft. Only alcoholic drinks purchased on board may be consumed during the flight. This does not have quite the status of a law. But since it is implied to be a command from the captain, all passengers are expected to obey it. Some airlines have made an exception. For example, in the past Royal Brunei has positively encouraged travellers to bring their own alcohol on board with cabin crew serving mixers as required to passengers. Whats the solution? Passengers need to be made to understand that tanking yourself up in the terminal isnt going to get your holiday off to a good start, a senior member of cabin crew for a budget airline told The Independent. At the departure gate, ground staff could breathalyse passengers who are suspected of being over the drink-driving limit in England, Wales and Northern Ireland: 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath. This corresponds to about two pints of beer, or two glasses of wine, or two double-measures of spirits for men less for women. It is regarded as a reasonable limit for a passenger. Once on board, consumption of alcohol could be more strictly policed though cabin crew duties are already onerous. To stop travellers surreptitiously drinking their own supplies in flight, duty-free drink could be sealed in a security tamper evident bag (known in the trade as a Steb), making it tougher for passengers to open and consume alcohol. There could even be a check at the end of the flight to identify anyone who has broken the seals. Anything else? Some effective persuasion could come from making examples of people who cause trouble for example by pursuing them through the courts for the costs arising from a diversion. The CAA says: Diversion costs typically range from 10,000 to 80,000 depending on the size of the aircraft and where it diverts to. Long term, perhaps alcohol will be banned from airports and/or airlines. Such a move would be deeply unpopular: many people, especially me, relish a drink while waiting for a plane and once on board. Many people believe it is reasonable to consume alcohol in moderation and that they are able to behave decently after a couple of drinks. But smoking was also once permitted. In the late 1980s, British Airways even handed out cigars to passengers on Concorde after their meals. BA started banning smoking on its flights in 1990, and by the end of the 20th century the habit was banned more or less globally. The habit is now regarded as entirely unacceptable. Views can change swiftly and, heaven forbid, were there to be a fatal incident involving drink-fuelled air rage, calls for a ban will increase. Is alcohol banned on any transport? Yes. A significant number of airlines ban alcohol completely. The national carrier for Saudi Arabia says: Saudia does not serve or permit passengers to carry or drink alcoholic beverages on its flights. Egyptair has a more opaque policy, saying: You are not allowed to consume alcohol onboard our aircraft (whether purchased as duty free from us or someone else or otherwise obtained) unless it has been served to you by us. Consuming alcohol or carrying an open container of alcohol is banned on ScotRail and at stations in Scotland; on trains and buses in Northern Ireland; and on Londons public transport. ScotRail introduced an alcohol ban in 2020 when staff reported there were significant numbers of drunk passengers were ignoring Covid rules. Forty months on its still in place. No alcohol can be drunk at any station in Scotland or on board any ScotRail train, and passengers must not carry visible alcohol though alcohol can be carried in a bag where it cannot be seen. Alcohol is banned on some non-ScotRail trains in Scotland, and on some services in England and Wales particularly around major sporting events. The 9.52am departure on Fridays from Aberdeen to Newcastle on LNER is also singled out for attention. The train operator says: We expect a number of large groups to be travelling on this train, so to help make it a pleasant experience for everyone, we'll be operating an alcohol-free policy for part of the journey. This means that alcohol cannot be brought onto or purchased on board our trains at any stop between Aberdeen and Newcastle. Passengers tempted to try to sneak drink on board are warned: Customers may be searched before boarding. Listen to Amy Leversidge, general secretary of the pilots union, Balpa, talking to Simon Calder 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 }} Mexico authorities have warned that the Popocatepetl volcano, 50 miles from the country's capital, has erupted 13 times in the past day and urged people to not try to climb it due to debris shooting out of the crater. Volcanic ash from the Popocatepetl disrupted flights out of Mexico City's largest airport on Tuesday and caused another airport even closer to the volcano to temporarily suspend activity. Mexico City's Benito Juarez international airport said at least 22 flights were cancelled due to safety concerns after ash was found in some planes during safety checks. Other flights were rerouted to different parts of Mexico. In Puebla, a city close to the volcano, airport operations were temporarily suspended on Wednesday due to the gas and fumes coming from the Popo. The airport said staff was hard at work cleaning up the ash floating down from above. Mexico City's airport also warned Wednesday that operations could be suspended with its website showing a number of cancellations and delays. Our priority is safety in operations, the airport's official account posted on X, formerly Twitter, adding that it is continually monitoring flight conditions. According to the airport, the ash has produced a slew of safety concerns. Volcanic ashes are especially dangerous for aviation, not only because they reduce visibility but because they can act as an abrasive, damaging an aircrafts wings and fuselage. In airports, the ashes can coat runways, hurt airport personnel and cause a number of other logistical issues. The volcano has been active for half a million years and regularly erupts. Last year, large eruptions caused alarm after nearby towns were coated in ash, but volcanologists called the activity nothing new or surprising. The Popocatepetl volcano emits smoke and ash, seen from Mexico City at sunrise on Tuesday, February 27, 2024 (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) Its last major eruption happened more than a thousand years ago. Elsewhere in South America hundreds of flights were canceled and dozens of others rescheduled in Argentina on Wednesday as unionized air travel workers went on a 24-hour strike nationwide to demand better wages, in the latest sign of social unrest in the South American country. Most of the countrys more than 50 airports remained open but airlines had canceled hundreds of flights. At the countrys largest airport on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, the Ezeiza international airport, only the low-cost company Flybondi and American Airlines were operating Wednesday. The state-owned Aerolineas Argentinas said in a statement that 331 flights were affected by the strike called by the Association of Aeronautical Personnel, the Argentinian Association of Airline Pilots and the Union of Senior and Professional of Aero Commercial Companies. The strike is expected to impact nearly 24,000 passengers of the state-owned airline alone, with an economic impact estimated at $2 million, according to Aerolineas Argentinas. 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 }} The boss of Ryanair has launched an attack on the Irish Transport Minister, calling him a dunce. Michael OLeary blamed a passenger cap at Dublin Airport for blocking the airlines growth. Mr OLeary said Eamon Ryan and his Green Party colleague Catherine Martin, the Minister for Tourism, are dunces who should leave politics if they do not act to remove the cap. Ryanair said while it expects to grow traffic at Irelands regional airports in Cork, Shannon and Knock, it cannot expand in Dublin due to a limit of 32 million passengers per year. The company said the cap limits its plan to grow its Irish traffic by 50% by 2030. The airlines chief executive told a press conference on Thursday that Mr Ryan had failed to deliver on the National Aviation Policy of enhancing Irelands connectivity, fostering growth in aviation, and maximising the contribution of aviation to national development. Mr OLeary, one of Irelands wealthiest businessmen, posed for photos holding cut-outs of the two ministers wearing green dunce caps. Asked if he is another rich businessman taking on an environmentally friendly agenda, Mr OLeary said: Nobody does more for climate change than Ryanair does. He said the airline is investing 20 billion euro (17 billion) in aircraft which could carry 20% more passengers with 20% less fuel. Mr Ryan has previously said the airline chief has become personally abusive in his comments. Michael OLeary, chief executive of Ryanair, at a media event in London (Simon Calder) Asked on Thursday if he feels the latest media stunt is abusive, Mr OLeary said it is intended to be humorous. He said: I cant imagine when Ive ever been personally abusive. Ive said hes incompetent. I dont think thats personally abusive, its a statement of fact. I think calling him a dunce is fair, but if hes that thin-skinned or that upset by personal abuse, I have two suggestions: One, do something useful and lift the cap. Or two, maybe politics isnt for you, if you cant handle the occasional barb from some loudmouth like me. Mr OLeary said Ryanair will add 50 Boeing 737 aircraft this summer, open 80 new routes and grow overall traffic by more than 16 million to 200 million. But he said none of the new traffic will be delivered at Dublin Airport due to the cap and will instead be in Spain, Italy, Poland, Morocco, Denmark and Albania. He also criticised Dublin Airport operator DAA for plans to raise airport fees by 45% by 2026 when compared to 2022 levels. The airline said the cap is an indefensible artificial restriction given that Dublin Airport had spent 300 million euro (257 million) on opening a second runway which could provide capacity for 60 million passengers. He said: If Ireland had a capable Transport Minister committed to delivering our National Aviation Policy, then he or she would intervene to lift this cap while the planning matter is being dealt with, or better still, pass legislation to raise the traffic cap at Dublin Airport to 50 million passengers. Dublin Airport is a national asset. It is our main gateway on and off the island of Ireland. Its growth cannot be left to a few county councillors in Fingal or the usual planning nimbys and loonies who will block or delay this cap for up to four years. A Ryanair plane lands at Dublin Airport (PA Archive) Mr OLeary said Ryanair is making a 4 billion US dollar (3.7 billion euro, 3.2 billion) investment in Irish aviation by basing 40 aircraft in the country. He said it is offering 210 routes, 10 of which are new options from the regional airports. The chief executive said Ryanair would place four new aircraft in Dublin and implement 12 new routes to and from the airport this summer if the cap was not in place. He added: We would have increased frequencies on other routes and grown traffic in Dublin by about another two million passengers from last years number. Mr OLeary said Dublin Airport is losing traffic to almost every other country in Europe. Ireland has a Green Transport Minister and a Green Tourism Minister, he added. After four years of failure, these two ministers have shown they are sadly not up to the job. If they dont act now to abolish this traffic cap at Dublin Airport, then they should quit. The choice is simple. These two Green ministers should either grow or go. Mr OLeary said he wants to hold a face-to-face meeting with Mr Ryan at the Ryanair offices in Swords next Thursday. The Green Party declined to comment. 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 tourist hotspot that set a record for heat in Europe has declared a state of emergency. The Italian island of Sicily is grappling with severe drought after a lack of winter rainfall, with inhabitants having to stock up on drinking water. The island, which set a European heat record in 2021 at 48.8 degrees Celsius (119 degrees Fahrenheit), has declared a state of emergency, with dozens of towns rationing water for agricultural and residential use and making supplies available only every other day. Even making herbal tea or cooking pasta becomes a tiring job, said Maria Maneri, a student and waitress from the southern Sicilian city of Agrigento, who often has to lug around a heavy bag of filled water bottles. Water in Agrigento is gold, said Antonio, a fellow resident who declined to give his surname, adding that he regularly fills tanks and bottles at the nearest city fountain. The world is seeing the warmest February ever documented, following eight consecutive record-breaking monthly temperatures, with devastating effects on water access globally. A panoramic view of Palermo, Sicily where record heat has hit (Getty Images) Agriculture in Sicily, one of the southernmost regions in Europe, was cited as a particular concern by the European Unions crop monitoring service MARS, which in December raised an alarm on droughts in the Mediterranean. The Italian island is a producer of citrus fruits and olives, as well as wheat. Water shortages are nothing new to Sicilians, many of whom have cisterns on their roofs to collect rainwater, but the stocking system has proved insufficient in the face of the long dry spells of recent years. Some inhabitants are now filling their bathtubs when supplies are available to have washing and cooking water at hand when they are turned off, said restaurant owner Federico Castronovo. Southern Italy, Greece, the Mediterranean islands and northern Africa now fear that rising spring temperatures will compound the problems for agriculture, ecosystems and the availability of drinking water. Many Sicilians expect that things will only get worse. Future winters could probably be even less rainy, said Peppe Riccobene in Agrigento. We are feeling the disastrous impact of climate change every year. The globe has broken heat records each month since last June. January 2024 broke the old record from 2020 for warmest first month of the year by 0.22 degrees Fahrenheit (0.12 degrees Celsius) and was 3 degrees Fahrenheit (1.66 degrees Celsius) warmer than the late 1800s, the base for temperatures before the burning of fossil fuels. Even though it was record hot in January, the level above normal was lower than the previous six months, according to Copernicus data. Climate scientists blame a combination of human-caused warming from the burning of fossil fuels and a natural but temporary El Nino warming of parts of the Pacific, saying greenhouse gases have a much bigger role than nature. Police in Texas responded to the "goat of all calls" as they were tasked with getting a herd under control in a residential neighbourhood on Tuesday, 27 February. Arlington Police Department said they received a report that a herd of goats escaped from their enclosure at the Crystal Canyon Natural Area. This body-worn camera footage shows how officers helped herders wrangle the goats and guide them safely back to their enclosure. "File this one under 'Only in Texas,'" police said. Joe Biden has completed his annual physical examination and reported that doctors described him as heathy, active and robust. The US president joked that doctors think he looks too young during a press conference held on Wednesday 28 February. The 81-year-old has faced criticism recently over his health after a special counsel report that described him as an elderly man with a poor memory. Concern about his fitness increased after he made a series of verbal fluffs and mixed up the presidents of Mexico and Egypt. This is the moment a missing five-year-old girl who wandered into woods in Florida is rescued by police. The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office Aviation Unit used thermal imaging to locate the girl walking through a dense wooded area in Tampa on Monday evening (26 February). She was heading towards a body of water, and aviation guided deputies to find her. The girl throws her hands up in the air when she sees the officers and asks Are you going to get me out of the water?. The officer then scoops her up and carries her out of the water to safety. Watch the moment an English local council meeting descends into chaos as pro-Palestine protesters stage a demonstration before scuffles erupt. A Torycouncillor is heard shouting: Its Chorley, not bloody Gaza, get out! after activist Jenny Hurley and a large group hijacked the meeting which would have seen the council in Chorley, Lancashire, debate the budget on Monday 26 February. Others chat Free Palestine in unison before a number of people appear to be pushed towards the door. Chorley will be heard! Ms Hurley wrote, sharing footage of the incident on social media. The Prince of Wales was seen in public for the first time two days after he pulled out of attending a memorial service for the late King Constantine of Greece at Windsor Castle due to a personal matter. Kensington Palace would not elaborate further but said the Princess of Wales, who is recovering from abdominal surgery, continues to be doing well. Prince William visited the Western Marble Arch Synagogue on Thursday, 29 February, where he took part in conversations about the rise in antisemitism in the UK. The prince also met Holocaust survivor Renee Salt to hear about her experiences. Police officers will be automatically suspended in future if charged with certain criminal offences, James Cleverly told MPs. Mr Cleverlys comments come after an inquiry found Sarah Everards killer Wayne Couzens should never have been given a job as a police officer and chances to stop the sexual predator were repeatedly ignored and missed. The Home Secretary reminded the Commons of plans to give police chiefs more power over misconduct hearings adding: There will be a presumption for dismissal for any officer found to have committed gross misconduct. I can announce today (29 February) that there will also be an automatic suspension of police officers charged with certain criminal offences. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice When movies give us a worst-case-scenario glimpse of the future of artificial intelligence, they tend to focus on the big picture stuff: roving gangs of human-exterminating robots. A Big Brother superintelligence that watches you use the bathroom. Haley Joel Osment gets frozen in ice. That sort of thing. But the real danger at least in the immediate instance is that our over-reliance on AI is going to fundamentally alter the way we approach basic tasks, particularly those that are creative or research-based. Similar to how studies have suggested that our increased use of search engines like Google has changed the way we recall and store information in our own brains, our use of AI could completely transform the way we learn, and go about our work and not for the better. Weve already seen plenty of instances of the pitfalls of AI Ive written about a fair few myself but one of the more recent examples is perhaps most illustrative of how relying on this technology could lead to serious problems in the future. In response to the popularity of ChatGPT, Google has launched its own AI system, Google Gemini. As well as responding to text prompts, Googles AI can also generate images based on basic instructions. However, users quickly found an issue with Geminis ability to generate images: when asked to generate pictures of human subjects, it would often make those subjects as ethnically and gender diverse as possible. While that may not sound like a big deal and could even be viewed as a good thing, considering previous language models tendency towards bias and discrimination, such as early versions of Stable Diffusion producing sexually explicit images when given the prompt a Latina this led to some baffling outputs. If asked to generate a picture of, say, the founding fathers of the United States a famously male, famously pale group it might generate a picture of men and women of all races in colonial dress. While that sounds fairly harmless, and even funny, real problems start to emerge when the system is asked to generate images of World War Two, and starts pumping out pictures of Black and Asian Nazi soldiers. While it isnt clear why exactly Gemini has gone woke in the worst imaginable way, its possible that in trying to avoid issues of potential bias, Google had programmed its AI system to be inclusive by default, without really thinking about how that could go wrong (inclusivity being, generally speaking, a good thing). Prabhakar Raghavan, senior vice president at Google, suggested this may be the case, writing in a blog post that our tuning to ensure that Gemini showed a range of people failed to account for cases that should clearly not show a range. Whatever the reason, the main takeaway from the episode is clear: this technology is not ready yet. Moreover, theres a possibility that it will never be ready or, at least, may never reach the point that it can be fully relied on to produce consistent, dependable results. We saw a particularly striking example of the dangers of over-relying on AI this week, and it happened in the unlikeliest of places a sketchy warehouse full of drama students somewhere in Glasgow. If you havent seen the many viral videos and first-hand accounts yet, heres all you need to know: parents in Scotland paid 35 to take their children to an event advertised as an interactive Willy Wonka experience. When they arrived, they were greeted by a sparsely decorated warehouse full of bored actors who didnt seem to know what they were doing and, worst of all, not a scrap of chocolate in sight. The event predictably descended into chaos, with reports that parents rioted over the poor-quality, way-too-expensive day out. The most interesting part of the story, though, is that the organisers seemed to rely on AI for certain aspects of the experience. Promotional materials on Facebook were AI-generated, and so poorly done that the text on them was complete gibberish. Actors were handed script pages full of AI nonsense, and when they asked how certain things were going to work logistically they were told to improvise. The whole incident works as a sort of case study of the inherent dangers in peoples approach to this technology. Sure, it doesnt sound like there was ever going to be a world where the organisers provided a really well-thought-out immersive experience for these kids, but they clearly were under the impression that they could leave large parts of the work to a brand-new technology that they didnt really understand how to use. Thats the thing: its not necessarily that AI itself is bad. But people will glom on to shiny new toys and implement them in their daily lives without a second thought. To the average person, their smartphone may as well have been constructed by witches for all they know. How often do we just click on the top link of a Google search and take it that thats the best result for what we need? How many times have you bought something on Amazon because Siri recommended it to you? People are extremely eager to give over huge parts of their lives to AI without really knowing if its ever going to be in a position to take on those duties. Sure, for now its just a dodgy kids show (and to be fair, if you pay 35 for a mystery day out in a spooky warehouse, thats on you), but is this really a million miles away from what Hollywood wants to do with AI scripts and actors? Tyler Perry just announced that hes putting a stop to an $880m studio expansion because he believes OpenAIs new video generation tool will be able to save him money. Is this the same AI that thinks George Washington is a Chinese lady? Good luck with that, Mr Perry. AI could be the next big technological leap forward, whether we like it or not. But we have to be careful, before we get there, not to give ourselves over to it completely before its even ready. Central Bank warns finance minister that meltdown at e-payments firm could trigger wider crisis CBI says growth has outpaced risk management at some fintechs Central Bank Governor Gabriel Makhlouf. Photo: Steve Humphreys Donal O'Donovan Thu 29 Feb 2024 at 03:30 Governor of the Central Bank Gabriel Mahklouf has issued a stark warning to Finance Minister Michael McGrath that an operational meltdown at a payments or electronic money provider could now pose a threat not just to its customers, but to the wider financial system. Goodbody Stockbrokers has been fined 1.225m by the Central Bank of Ireland for regulatory breaches between July 2016 and January 2022. That time frame includes a period after the countrys second biggest broker was bought by AIB in a 138m deal that closed in September 2021. The breaches, which have been admitted by the firm, relate to what are known as Market Abuse Regulations, specifically a requirement that firms that professionally arrange or execute transactions establish and maintain effective arrangements, systems and procedures to detect and report suspicious orders and transactions. Today's News in 90 Seconds - February 29th It is the first time the firm, Irelands oldest stockbroker, has been sanctioned by the regulator. Market abuse can include things like insider trading where someone such as a director of a company illegally uses information not available to the wider market to gain a financial advantage or market manipulation, where someone might spread false information to affect prices in order to gain an advantage. Stockbrokers are obliged to try to have strong measures in place to detect and prevent such abuses. The Central Bank said it had found that Goodbody failed to put in place an effective trade surveillance framework to monitor, detect and report suspicious orders and transactions over a five-and-a-half-year period. The regulator determined the appropriate fine to be 1,750,000, which was reduced by 30pc as a settlement discount a common feature of enforcement that means a reduced fine where firms accept adverse findings against them. Seana Cunningham, the Central Banks Director of Enforcement and Anti-Money Laundering, said the outcome of the case stresses the importance of effective arrangements, systems and procedures, such as trade surveillance frameworks, within firms that professionally arrange or execute transactions. The failings that gave rise to this investigation were first identified by the Central Bank during the course of its supervisory Market Abuse Thematic Review in 2020. This investigation found that Goodbodys trade surveillance did not operate effectively in respect of risk identification, risk monitoring and governance arrangements, which in turn undermined its ability to detect and report suspected market abuse. The Central Bank wrote to all of the firms subject to the MAR rules in 2019 and 2020 alerting them to review their approach and take steps to ensure compliance. That was followed by a so-called Thematic Review where the regulator assessed compliance and the effectiveness of trade surveillance arrangements, systems and procedures across the industry. The findings of the 2020 Thematic Review identified multiple suspected deficiencies in Goodbodys compliance with Article 16(2) of MAR, the Central Bank said. Goodbody submitted a remediation plan to address the findings of the 2020 Thematic Review, which required some revision following consideration by the Central Bank. Goodbody has confirmed that this plan has been implemented. A Central Bank investigation, which commenced in January 2022, also found evidence of a contravention of Article 16(2) of MAR by Goodbody. In a statement, Goodbody Stockbrokers said it fully acknowledges the failures outlined by the regulator. "We apologise for these framework weaknesses. Goodbody co-operated fully with the CBI during its investigation. The firm has addressed the findings that were identified by the Central Bank in relation to this matter. Aer Lingus CEO calls for interim planning application to raise Dublin Airport passenger cap to 40 million IAG Chief Executive Luis Gallego: 'Until those discussions are concluded we will be limiting investment in Aer Lingus' An computer image of an Airbus A321XLR in Aer Lingus livery. Jets due this year might now go elsewhere in IAG. The boss of Aer Lingus owner IAG, Luis Gallego, has warned that unless the Irish carrier can reach a pay agreement with pilots, investment in the carrier will be scaled back. That even means that Aer Lingus might not end up being the launch customer for the Airbus A321XLR jet later this year, as had been expected. The airline had anticipated receiving two of the jets in the final quarter of this year, but Mr Gallego said that without a pilot pay agreement, those jets might now be deployed elsewhere within the group. The XLR aircraft can be used to serve the United States from Ireland. The original idea was that they were going to fly in Aer Lingus, but today, I can tell you, without an agreement [with pilots], theyre not going to fly in Aer Lingus, he said. IAG also owns British Airways, Iberia and Vueling. Aer Lingus is due to hold talks at the Labour Court with the Irish Airline Pilots Association (IALPA) after talks at the Workplace Relations Commission recently ended in a stalemate. IAG Chief Executive Luis Gallego: 'Until those discussions are concluded we will be limiting investment in Aer Lingus' As we have always said, our capital allocation and growth plans are based on being able to so profitably and sustainably, and until those discussions are concluded we will be limiting investment in Aer Lingus, said Mr Gallego on Thursday as IAG released a strong set of full-year results. Aer Lingus posted an operating profit of 225m last year, up from 168m in 2022. We want to invest in Aer Lingus but the gap we have between the company and the pilots is very extreme, he added. When they have things that are miles away from what we can offer, unfortunately we cannot have a commitment to invest in the company. Pilots at the airline rejected an effective 8.5pc pay rise in January. Last month, IALPA president Captain Mark Tighe said that the Aer Lingus pay offer did not reflect the sacrifices made by pilots to sustain the company during the pandemic. Aer Lingus chief executive Lynne Embleton said that she has no date yet for when the Labour Court talks will begin. She also said that its critical that the DAA apply for planning for an interim measure that would allow it to raise the annual passenger cap at Dublin Airport from the current 32 million while a full planning application to do so by the airport operator is being assessed by Fingal County Council. Aer Lingus Chief Executive Lynne Embleton The passenger cap issue needs to be addressed urgently, she said. Something has to happen to get the growth and the economic benefits that we all know comes with aviation. If that needs an interim planning application, then thats what needs to happen. She said the pilot pay talks are a real, pressing issue. The timescales absolutely do matter, said Ms Embleton. There are a lot of aircraft in the group that we would very much like to come to us. We do take a very fair, reasonable approach to pay. We need to be cost competitive, but Im optimistic and hopeful IALPA will recognise that this is in the best interest of their members, of customers, of future growth and jobs, she added. The Government has been fined at least 2.5m by the EUs highest court for delaying the introduction of new rules on streaming services, online safety and hate speech. A daily fine of 10,000 will be applied on top of that lump sum for each day that Irish law is not brought into line with the EUs rules. The penalty was imposed after Ireland failed to meet a September 2020 deadline for implementing the EUs updated Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD). The directive sets a 30pc quota for European content on streaming services, creates new online protections for children and anti-hate speech rules that apply to video-sharing platforms such as YouTube and TikTok. It also strengthens national media regulators. The law was adopted in 2018 and guidelines on implementation were published two years later. The European Commission sent warning letters to Ireland in November 2020, September 2021 and November 2021, telling the Government it was in breach of EU law. At the time the case was taken, Irelands online safety and media regulation bill was still making its way through the legislative process. It was finally adopted in December 2022. Coimisiun na Mean, Irelands media regulator, which features the countrys first online safety commissioner, began work last year. The Department of Culture and Media said in a statement that it accepted the judgment and said the Online Safety and Media Regulation Act 2022 marked partial transposition of the EU law. "Ireland is completely committed to implementing the directive into Irish law, the statement said. Full transposition will be achieved once Coimisiun na Mean adopts online safety and media services codes. Most EU member states failed to bring the rules into place in time, and the Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia and Spain were also warned they could face fines. But Ireland is in the spotlight because it is the European headquarters of many of the worlds biggest tech firms. Ireland is the EU member state where the largest number of VSPs [video sharing platforms] are established, the European Court of Justice said on Thursday. The Court finds that Ireland failed to fulfil its obligations under EU law, by neglecting to adopt the legislative, regulatory, and administrative provisions necessary to comply with the directive by the deadline set out by the Commission, and by failing to communicate these provisions to the Commission. The Court also finds that Ireland has persisted in this failure, as it was not remedied by the day of the examination of the facts by the Court. In court, Ireland did not dispute that the law was late, but asked the European Commission not to impose a fine as the online safety bill faced a number of difficulties and required complex legislative changes. However, the European Commission said that even though the act is now adopted, it does not contain strong enough protections for minors, nor on content that incites violence and hatred. It also said the 30pc content threshold is not ensured under the law. The European Commission had wanted to impose a lump sum penalty of just under 5m and a daily fine of 30,000, given Irelands high GDP growth and institutional weight in the European Parliament. It lowered its demands after the Government informed Brussels in March last year that it had passed the online safety act. The European Court of Justice said on Thursday that a high penalty was warranted for the effective prevention of future repetition of infringements. Note: This article was amended to include a statement from the department and to correct the size of the lump sum and daily penalty payment imposed on Ireland, due to an error in a press release issued by the European Court of Justice on 29 February. The Dark Web is an area of the internet that cannot be accessed using ordinary tools. Photo: Dominic Lipinski/PA Live payroll and tax return data are being posted on the Dark Web for criminals to access, a cyber-security conference has heard. ThreatLockers Zero Trust World event hosted a demonstration from an ethical hacker which described portions of employee financial data being accessed in real time on the Dark Web. The demonstration was set up to warn IT professionals how easy it is for hackers and criminals to access leaked and stolen data. The hacker side-event also revealed the presence of Dark Web operatives who claimed they could destroy individuals reputations for a fee, by planting illegal images and other data. The demonstration was held a week after authorities claimed to have disrupted one of the most notorious ransomware gangs in the world, LockBit. The Dark Web is an area of the internet that cannot be accessed using ordinary tools, such as Google. It often contains illegal content such as child abuse imagery and is also used to illegally trade goods such as drugs and weapons. ThreatLocker, which is a specialist in IT security software and zero trust IT processes, recently opened a base of operations in Blanchardstown, promising to scale to 120 jobs. CEO Danny Jenkins told the event that the purpose of the Zero Trust World was not not to make this another conference where you walk around some booths, but to make them actually educational. He said he set up ThreatLocker in 2017 in response to a local insurance company being ravaged by ransomware, partially due to sub-standard decryption software. The owner of the company, a 60-something-year-old man, called me up, crying, Mr Jenkins said. He didnt have any backups and his databases were gone. And it was a disaster. Soon after, Threatlocker was set up between Mr Jenkins, his wife Sami and John Carolan. The company announced an update to its recently-launched ThreatLocker Ops service, designed to identify and detect IT security anomalies using telemetry and other methods. The service alerts users to vulnerable versions of popular office software, such as Microsoft Exchange. Mr Jenkins said that cybersecurity tools tend to be for big large organisations and that the industry needed to provide more solutions for smaller firms. The sequels archaic world seems like a parallel of todays political anxieties and joins a long line of sci-fi classics with a a medieval aesthetic Denis Villeneuves Dune: Part Two arrives in cinemas this weekend. Though its set in a distant future filled with spaceships, lasers and forcefields, viewers might find something more old-fashioned in its feudalistic setting dominated by dukes, barons, princesses and emperors. This is a universe crafted around royal houses, gladiatorial arenas and ritualised combat. Its characters are governed by arcane tradition and whispered superstition. Its positively medieval. Villeneuves Dune duology is an adaptation of Frank Herberts science-fiction classic, published in 1965. That novel was part of the wave of pulp fiction from the era blending a medieval aesthetic with the trappings of futurism, such as Poul Andersons The High Crusade and Walter M Miller Jrs A Canticle for Leibowitz. George Lucas Star Wars developed from that strain of pulp science-fiction, building a galaxy of Jedi Knights, laser swords and evil emperors. Dune: Part Two - Official Trailer Star Wars aside, this vision of sci-fi struggled to leap from page to screen. In popular film and television, the future tended to be rooted in modernity: the utopian ideals of the Star Trek franchise, the hyper-capitalist hellscapes of the Alien or Robo-Cop series, the robotic nightmares of the Terminator or Matrix movies, or even the horrors of young adult franchises such as The Hunger Games. There had been a minor boom in wholesome medieval epics during the 1990s, prompted by the success of Kevin Reynolds Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. This begat a host of similar projects, including Mel Gibsons Braveheart, Jerry Zuckers First Knight and even Rob Cohens Dragonheart. However, the genres popularity dwindled at the turn of the millennium. There were a number of high-profile and embarrassing flops, like John McTiernans The 13th Warrior and Kevin Reynolds Tristan + Isolde. More broadly, historical epics struggled to connect with audiences, with notable failures like Oliver Stones Alexander, Alex Proyass Gods of Egypt and Timur Bekmambetovs remake of Ben-Hur. Villeneuves films, though, belong to a more modern wave of large-scale films and shows embracing a feudalist aesthetic. Some of these projects are rooted in science-fiction, such as Aleksei Germans Russian epic Hard to be a God or Lana and Lilly Wachowskis goofy throwback Jupiter Ascending. George Millers recent revival of the Mad Max franchise, Fury Road, leaned hard into its medieval iconography, to the point that co-lead Furiosas (Charlize Theron) title was Imperator. Outside of science-fiction, the past few years have seen an explosion of old-fashioned medieval fantasy. While Hollywood studios struggled with the genre during the 1980s, leading to infamous bombs such as Matthew Robbins Dragonslayer and Ridley Scotts Legend, the success of Peter Jacksons Lord of the Rings trilogy paved the way for a host of imitators. The most successful of these was Game of Thrones, which spawned its own cycle of medieval fantasy shows and films. In recent years, Hollywood has been looking for the next Game of Thrones. Amazon invested heavily in Wheel of Time and Rings of Power. Disney+ bet big on Willow, a series spinning out from one of those 1980s movies. Netflix embraced an animated and irreverent approach to the genre, with Matt Groening sitcom Disenchantment and family adventure film Nimona. HBO is following Game of Thrones with a host of spin-offs. House of the Dragon has already been a massive success. Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryene in Game of Thrones The past few years have seen some less fantastical feudal epics, though these tend to be more cynical than their earlier counterparts. Netflixs recent awards slates included films such as David Mackenzies Outlaw King and David Michods The King. Ridley Scotts The Last Duel was a medieval #MeToo movie. Shogun launched this week on Disney+, the second TV adaptation of James Clavells novel. Its possible to write this off as a Hollywood trend. The studios tend to play follow the leader, with any breakout success inspiring a generation of clones. Following the success of Barbie and The Super Mario Bros. Movie, audiences can look forward to about a decade of films and shows based around toys and video games, from Hot Wheels to a Minecraft movie starring Jason Momoa. While the source material for both Dune and Shogun predates Game of Thrones, its easy to understand why these projects appealed to studios trying to recapture some of that success. These are both deeply cynical stories about the politics of power, rejecting the romantic fantasy that informed earlier pseudo-medieval epics like the Lord of the Rings trilogy or First Knight. This might hint at a deeper resonance to these more cynical takes on the medieval setting. The past few years have demonstrated that democracy is a fragile thing. Since 2016, the United States has been downgraded by various groups to a backsliding or a flawed democracy. There are concerns about the spread of authoritarianism in Eastern European countries like Hungary and Poland. Global politics are increasingly dominated by wannabe fascists like Javier Milei and Jair Bolsonaro. While these discussions tend to be framed in terms of fascism, theres also been an increase in the political power leveraged by both private individuals and corporate entities, which observers like Jodi Dean have described as neo-feudalism. Economist and philosopher Yanis Varoufakis argues that the power of modern tech companies that extends beyond the boundaries of capitalism into techno-feudalism. Last year, the Rand Corporation claimed global politics was now a neomedieval world. As such, the futuristic feudalism of Villeneuves Dune adaptations may not be as abstract as it seems. The past is not just present, it may also be the future. An intriguing documentary from Netflix that brings you down a rabbit hole As the famous line from Catch-22 puts it, Just because youre paranoid doesnt mean they arent after you. Was the late journalist Danny Casolaro, the subject of American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders (Netflix, streaming from Wednesday, February 28) paranoid? Possibly. Given the rabbit hole his work took him down, it would be understandable if he was. By the end of Zachary Treitzs four-part series, which is billed as a true-crime documentary, yet pushes through the usual parameters of the genre to become an examination of obsession and even possible mental illness, you would be forgiven for feeling the world is out to get us all. Was someone after Casolaro? Again, possibly. It depends on who among the many talking heads in this engrossing, if ultimately frustrating, series you find the most persuasive. To Treitzs credit, he treats everything with equal scepticism, a quality theres not nearly enough of in this field. In 1991, Casolaro, a freelance writer, was found dead in a bath full of his own blood at the Sheraton Hotel in West Virginia. There were multiple deep cuts to his wrists. Razor blades and a short suicide note were found. The hotels maintenance man Eric Weidman, who was one of the first on the scene, recalls, with remarkable restraint, that it was messy. There were bloody handprints all over the walls and surfaces. The medical examiner, who didnt request an autopsy, declared that Casolaro had died by suicide. His body was promptly embalmed, making further investigation impossible. Casolaros family and others close to him dont believe he killed himself. Theyre convinced he was murdered by the shadowy forces hed been investigating. For one thing, says a contributor here, how could anyone cut the wrist of one hand so deeply that the tendons are severed, and then use that hand, which would now be all but useless, to inflict similarly deep cuts on their other wrist? In 1991, Casolaro, a freelance writer, was found dead in a bath full of his own blood And what about those handprints? It seems odd that someone whos just cut their wrists would move around the room, spreading blood everywhere, before dying. Theres also the fact Casolaro had told everyone he was going to the Sheraton to meet a contact who would provide him with the final piece of information that would allow him to expose a conspiracy led by eight of Americas most powerful men, a group he dubbed The Octopus. Danny Casolaro in American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders. (Photo: Netflix 2024) A third theory is aired here: Casolaro did indeed take his own life, but tried to make it look like hed been murdered, in the hope someone else would continue the investigation hed begun. And, in fact, thats exactly whats happened. Christian Hansen, a journalist who also happens to be a friend of Zachary Treitz, has spent the last 10 years trying to complete Casolaros work. Treitz, an intermittent presence on screen, has been watching and filming his friend growing more obsessed with the conspiracy. He worries that Hansen has slipped into the same kind of paranoid fantasy that may have caused Casolaros mental health to unravel. The Octopus, whether real or imagined, began to consume Casolaro in the early 1980s when a Washington-based company called Inslaw developed software called PROMIS, which it licensed to the Justice Department. Inslaws boss claimed the US government deliberately drove his company into bankruptcy and stole PROMIS, having discovered that it could be used for espionage purposes. It then licensed what was supposed to be a simple criminal case tracking system to both its enemies and its allies, in order to spy on who they were spying on. The man who put Casolaro on to all this was Michael Riconosciuto, whos either a genius, a con artist or both. Riconosciuto told Casolaro he was the one who discovered a backdoor into PROMIS that could turn it into a powerful spying tool, and was now a target of the Octopus. The series stretches its own tentacles far and wide, touching on the Iran-Contra affair and the widely held belief that Ronald Reagan stole the 1980 election from Jimmy Carter by bribing Iran to hold onto the US Embassy hostages until after the vote. Intriguing as all this is, the documentary ultimately throws up even more questions, without providing answers to anything. Polish farmers with national flags and angry slogans written on boards, protest against European Union green policies that trim their production and against cheap grain and other food imports from Ukraine, in Warsaw, Poland, on Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024. Farmers have been protesting for weeks across the EU. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski) A senior Ukrainian official said Kyiv is prepared to limit surges in exports into the European Union as a way to allay mounting concerns of Polish farmers after Warsaw threatened to temporarily shut the border for trade. Deputy Economy Minister Taras Kachka, who was in Warsaw for talks on Wednesday, aimed to defuse increasingly violent protests in the EU by farmers lashing out over the impact of exports from the war-battered nation on local markets. Ukraine may use monitoring and licensing instruments to curb shipments in cases of abrupt surges, the minister said. "We will accept export growth not advancing as rapidly and suddenly as it was observed in previous years," Kachka said in an interview in Kyiv. "At present, predictability in the market is more important for Ukrainian producers and exporters than an aggressive expansion." Ukraine has struggled to find new routes to ship key exports as it fends off Russia's military campaign, which has devastated the economy and choked off foreign revenues. But a surge in shipments of grain and food products into the EU has rattled tensions, particularly with Poland, which last year led a group of EU member states to ban grain shipments. The standoff culminated in a public falling out between the wartime allies, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and his Polish counterpart, Andrzej Duda, trading barbs at a United Nations meeting in September. While the new Prime Minister Donald Tusk has vowed to mend the rift, blockades at the Ukrainian-Polish border have disrupted trade since November a first from truckers and now farmers. Tusk, who took office in December, has struggled to navigate the politics of standing with Kyiv while assuaging his nation's farmers. Kachka said his government has made an overture. Kyiv is leaning on its exporters to ship only with allowances from the Polish authorities or even to turn away from the market "for the time being" until markets calm, he said. "We need to speed up the dialog to find an understanding," Kachka said. But the time is starting to run out. Tusk said on Wednesday his government is considering temporarily shutting its border for trade with Ukraine if Warsaw can't strike a satisfactory deal that would limit imports of food products. Poland is paying "too high a price for the decision to launch free trade with Ukraine," he said. The government in Warsaw currently allows only for transit of Ukrainian grain to the ports on the Baltic Sea and into other EU states. Other food products should continue to flow freely in both directions between the two neighbors. Ukrainian and Polish governments will meet in Warsaw on March 28 to try to come up with solutions, according to Tusk. Earlier this week, as many as 50,000 Polish farmers and their supporters held a march in Warsaw demanding action from the government and a swift overhaul of the EU's climate policies, a common refrain during similar protests across Europe. "Polish farmers are suffering from new tough measures of the EU, and our farmers are suffering from shelling," Kachka said. "If all of us are in turbulent period, there are two options: to be enemies or to be friends. I think taking into consideration dynamics of our relations, including in agriculture, we should be friends." Bloomberg. A student who brandished a pole at a gang of youths to scare them away had been threatened by them and was in genuine fear of his life, a court heard. Gangland criminal and double-murder suspect back on streets after release from prison Mangan was named in court as being involved in murders of Marlo Hyland and innocent plumber Anthony Campbell John Mangan Patrick O'Connell Thu 29 Feb 2024 at 18:05 A gangster, named in court as being involved in the murders of mobster Marlo Hyland and innocent plumber Anthony Campbell, is back on the streets after he was freed early from Portlaoise maximum security prison this morning. Crime New victim comes forward with claims against Bill Kenneally and says detective advised him to drop allegations Described as gentle, caring and highly intelligent, the orangutan was 45 years old, and arrived at Dublin Zoo when he was five. In a statement, the zoo said Sibu had been showing symptoms of an age-related cardiac and respiratory condition in the last few weeks. As his condition deteriorated, an in-depth assessment took place to examine what further medical management was needed. During the procedure veterinarians and specialists confirmed that Sibu had progressive cardiac disease but it was during the procedure that the orangutan died. Dublin Zoo said it was deeply saddened to announce the death of Sibu the orangutan and that the loss of the male orangutan will be felt by the whole team. Everyone in Dublin Zoo is devastated by the loss of Sibu, who has been an iconic figure at the Zoo since he first arrived 40 years ago this year, the statement read. He was gentle, caring and highly intelligent, forming strong bonds with the keepers who cared for him. His absence will be felt by the whole team, and undoubtedly by the millions of visitors who were fortunate enough to see him over the years. The zoo said it is now awaiting the results of a post-mortem report. Today's News in 90 Seconds - February 28th Visitors to Dublin Zoo have paid tribute to the animal on the zoos social media pages. So very sad to read this, so many wonderful memories of my own childhood visiting him and my own children, one of whom was convinced he waved at her on every visit, one person said. Heartbreaking news. He was such a huge personality and character. Will be hugely missed, another commented. Others remembered the memories they had of the orangutan over the years. He was my favourite. I loved watching him eat - the way he'd inspect his bowl, cherry pick his favourite veg and throw the undesirable pieces across the room, they said. Fishing groups and environmental campaigners have demanded a tough crackdown on poaching amid concerns that some river stocks are being badly depleted by the sheer scale of illegal fishing. Concern has focused on rivers including the Suir where one politician warned that fishermen were now quitting the sport because of the impact of poaching. Further, some fishermen who complained about poaching have been subjected to intimidation and harassment. Concerns over the scale of poaching came as the latest statistics from Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) revealed a 15pc decline in the number of concluded prosecutions for fisheries offences. IFI, which is based in Clonmel, Co Tipperary, confirmed that a total of 95 prosecutions for fisheries offences were concluded in 2022. However, the number of prosecutions for fisheries offences concluded in 2023 had fallen to 81, a decline of 15pc. Last year, IFI recorded a total of 77 new prosecutions initiated for fisheries offences. That is significantly lower than the 92 prosecutions initiated in 2022. Over the same period, IFI triggered 24 prosecutions for environmental offences. Senator Garret Ahearn raised the issue in the Seanad and warned that firm action needs to be taken to protect fish stocks and to support angling clubs and fishermen. "The River Suir is regarded as one of the best rivers in the country for salmon fishing," he said. "About a third of the salmon are in the rivers Suir, Nore and Barrow. The stock has been depleting over many years, but since 1995 there has been a catch-and-release policy. Essentially, this is to protect the fish, which is very important. "There are a significant number of clubs in Tipperary. The angling club in Clonmel has been going since the 1950s and has more than 150 members. The club in Carrick-on-Suir has been going since the 1920s, which is more than 100 years, and has well in excess of 100 members. There are also clubs in Ardfinnan and Golden. Therefore, there is a strong fishing community that loves fishing. "It loves the river and wants to protect it. It is genuinely feared that it is not being protected and that it is essentially being left to the clubs to do so. Particularly from the fishing clubs' perspective, it seems Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) is not patrolling the river to the extent it should. "Many people are poaching fish from the river and essentially getting away with it. The fishermen who fish in it every week, who catch and release, feel like they have to manage the river themselves." The situation has deteriorated to the point where a number of anglers have threatened to quit the sport. Sen Ahearn has now sought data on the patrol operations of IFI on key Irish angling rivers and queried whether more intensive patrols need to be enforced on vulnerable rivers. "There is certainly a feeling within the community that protection is not happening to the extent it should." IFI insisted it was working both to protect national fish stocks and to support the angling sector. The fisheries body noted that it enforces fishery protection regulations, provides advice and assistance in respect of Irish angling both on a national and international basis, it assists with media coverage of major Irish angling events, works with Failte Ireland and other tourism bodies to promote angling, assists with national angling events and regularly surveys fisheries to identify the best angling locations and facilities. A woman who says she is a pet psychic has offered her help in locating the body of missing Fungie the Dingle dolphin. Laura Stinchfiled claims the remains of the beloved dolphin are near three lights. Beloved Fungie had lived off Dingle, Co Kerry, for nearly four decades and was a major tourist attraction in Dingle for decades. He was well known for swimming up to the boats that visited him, and became a one-cetacean visitor magnet. Today's News in 90 Seconds - February 29th Marine experts believe Fungie, who made Dingle Harbour his home in 1983, either moved to new waters or died in October 2020. Despite a massive search operation, Fungie has never been found. Following learning of Fungies disappearance on air, American pet psychic Laura Stinchfield told Irelands Classic Hits Radios Nighttime Talk the dolphin is possibly dead. "I dont get that he is alive anymore, she said while looking at Fungies pictures and speaking directly to him. "He says his spirit is still there and some people feel like they still see him. He saw three lights from his cove. Do you know where that is? "I think the three lights are out on the water... It looks like it's steep above him. The rocks are high over the cove. Its not a beach, she added. Ms Stinchfield described herself as a pet psychic and people medium, who studies animal behaviour, training and animal communication. She says she uses telepathy to have two-way conversations with live and deceased animals or people. Although lost animals are not Ms Stinchfields specially, she said she can definitely try to help locals find the missing dolphin. "It's weird that they didn't find his body because he said that he went to one of his favourite coves to pass away and he showed me the rocks, Ms Stinchfield added. Dingle held a special tribute day to Fungie in October 2021, to honour his remarkable legacy and express gratitude for the dolphin who helped underpin the local tourism economy for decades. The image of the bottlenose dolphin appeared on town shop fronts, local tourist goods and even craft jewellery. Kevin Bakhurst tells RTE workers at protest it has been a horrendous period for staff at broadcaster RTE staff are still pinning their hopes on director general Kevin Bakhurst to reverse the troubled broadcasters fortunes, despite growing concerns from politicians. Workers spoke of their disappointment over revelations about his role in secretive golden handshakes, but many gave him a vote of confidence during a rally yesterday. Mr Bakhurst was warmly welcomed by staff when he joined the crowd at a lunchtime protest seeking a fresh focus on RTEs future funding, before making a quick exit when approached by the media afterwards. He told them he appreciated that it had been a horrendous period for all staff. Perhaps hinting at former chair of the board Siun Ni Raghallaighs recent departure, he said: Its been a rough few weeks for lots of people and the organisation. Im absolutely determined to make this a better organisation for you all to work in. A better organisation to deliver to audiences and to rebuild trust and pride in working here. Thats my job and Im going to get on with it. Mr Bakhurst may be feeling the pressure following Ms Ni Raghallaighs departure as his judgment has come in for scrutiny. Three politicians Shane Cassells, Michael Carrigy and Mattie McGrath have said they do not have confidence in him, although others gave Mr Bakhurst their backing. This followed a meeting he attended with Media Minister Catherine Martin. Mr Cassells asked sarcastically at an Oireachtas committee meeting whether Mr Bakhurst had been there to make the tea. He knows the institution, said one senior staff member, when asked yesterday whether he had confidence in the director general. Hes also seen as a straight shooter, although he should have told some of the executives who cited legal reasons to keep their exit packages hidden to f*** off. He said he could understand how Mr Bakhurst might not have intervened at the ministerial meetings because it was not his place, but rather that of Ms Ni Raghallaigh. Fears about the future had been heightened, the staff member said, following Taoiseach Leo Varadkars comments that a new funding model for public service broadcasting should be open to competition. There are fears RTE could be turned into a commissioning house. Education correspondent and NUJ Dublin broadcasting branch chair, Emma O Kelly, raised a laugh when she said she had a chair, unlike RTE, as she stood on one to address the crowd. We have confidence in Kevin Bakhurst, she said. Kevin came down to our protest here. Im glad that he came and he was most welcome. I have confidence in Kevin Bakhurst. That doesnt mean to say that I agree with everything that Kevin Bakhurst will want to do as a DG. Just as I dont agree with the course the Government might want us to go on. I dont agree with the suppression of 400 jobs in the organisation. She said staff wanted more transparency around the exit packages and she told the crowd that RTE now needed adequate and sustainable funding. Ms O Kelly said bogus self-employment at RTE goes back to funding and trying to get people to work on the cheap. Speaking to the crowd, Ms O Kelly said the last week had been like a bad dream. She said she did not want to dwell on the past, but believed the root of much of the scandal had been the issue of funding and RTE desperately chasing money streams because it was starved of funding. And if you look, for example, at the things like the flip-flops, the London club, the rugby season tickets, that was all because RTE was desperately chasing advertising, she said. If you look at something like Toy Show The Musical, it was RTE desperately looking for a goose that would lay a golden egg because we were starved of public funding. Weather and continuity presenter Trevor Keegan spoke of his embarrassment at telling people where he works. He said pride had turned to pity from the public. Journalist Fergal Bowers said staff were angry and frustrated during this unending existential crisis and said a high-calibre chairperson, who was familiar with the sector and recognised the need for a truly independent RTE, needed to be appointed as soon as possible. The family of an Irish man detained in Iraq have said the charges against him have been dropped but that it remains a long road before he can come home. Town Centre First Initiative plans to makes places more attractive to work and live in Patricia McIntyre, Town Regeneration Officer, Donegal County Council, at the site of the derelict Milford Hotel in the town. Picture: Declan Doherty. Louths Town Regeneration Officer, Terry Hamilton, says the Dunleer Town Plan has identified a series of actions, including creating better links to the White River, an underutilised asset running parallel to the Main Street. Pic: MediaConsult Anna Orman (left) and Bernie Henry of the Clara town team at the Co Offaly towns Erry Mill site. Picture: Brian Bastick. Twenty-six towns across Ireland have started working on an ambitious regeneration initiative geared towards breathing new life into places. Here, we look at the transformation that could be on the way for three towns through the Town Centre First initiative. Milford, Co Donegal Milford has several vacant and derelict properties. These form part of the town teams plan for the area. The development of a community park at Mount Marian, to include pathways, cycleways and charging points, is proposed. It is also intended to address the lack of public recreational space for young people. A covered dome area to facilitate a mix of sporting activities, as well as plans to develop the site of the old Milford Hotel which has been derelict for over two decades is also in the works. The concept is to retain some part of the facade as a gateway to a public space which could also facilitate some commercial units and could also be used as an area for outdoor events or markets, said Donegal town regeneration officer (TRO) Patricia McIntyre. Clara, Co Offaly Plans to create a vibrant town centre in Clara have led to the acquisition of the Co-op by the town team. The Co-op is a derelict building that town officials hope to see restored as a multi-purpose community space. Plans are under way to improve the quality and functionality of streets, as well as to add new street furniture. A former rail line has been earmarked for transformation into a greenway. A walking route by the River Brosna is also on the cards, as is a watersports facility. Midsize towns like Clara suffer from retail decline, dereliction and vacancy, said Offaly TRO Olwen Cummins. New pollination of buildings and spaces has become virtually impossible. Dunleer, Co Louth The town team in Dunleer is looking into the creation of better links to the White River an underutilised asset running parallel to the Main Street. It is also hoped to establish biodiverse links connected to it. These include a network of pedestrian loops linking Dunleers public open spaces and improving connectivity between different parts of the town. Additionally, a vacant building on Main Street could house a new library. The reuse of a vacant building on Main Street as a new public library is proposed, said Louth TRO Terry Hamilton. Another key project is the revitalisation of the Main Street itself to create an enhanced pedestrian experience. Mairead Hunt, national co-ordinator for Town Centre First, said: This is operation transformation for Irelands towns, with communities coming together to make unique plans to sustain and improve their urban centres. The policy contains 33 unique, game-changing actions that will give our towns the tools and resources they need to become more viable, attractive and resilient places in which to live, work, visit and run a business. Jeffrey Donaldson has said unionists must recognise they no longer live in a place where 70pc of the population are red, white and blue British. The DUP leader said the choices unionists make today will either grow support for Northern Ireland or will cede ground to the enemies of the Union. Addressing his party members in Newry and Armagh on Wednesday night, Jeffrey said that Northern Irelands future did not lie with a court or Parliament, it rests in the hands of our children and grandchildren: they will determine the Unions longevity. Jeffrey said that while some in unionism focussed on seeking out heretics, he was in the business of winning converts and growing support for the Union. The DUP leader also accused Sinn Fein of engaging in fantasy on a border poll, with Gerry Adams previous prediction of Irish unity by 2016 now replaced with Michelle ONeills aspiration of a border poll by 2034. However, Jeffrey recognised that Northern Ireland was a changing place. As leaders of unionism, we must realise that a demographic and political shift is taking place, he said Either we close our eyes and ignore it, or we recognise that we are no longer in a place where 70pc of the population are red, white and blue British. The DUP leader described himself as a long-time Privy Council member, MP for 27 years, proud royalist, Presbyterian, and a long-standing Orangeman who came from a family who served with the Royal Irish Regiment. The symbols I identify with include the harp and crown I wore with pride as my (UDR) cap badge, he said. "I value my Britishness as represented by the crown, but I also value the Irish element of my identity as represented by the harp. "To be Northern Irish and British is not at all a mutually exclusive thing. The Northern Ireland of 2024 is made up of people who are British, Irish, Northern Irish and some emerging identities who dont sit within any of the above. "As unionists, our vision for a Northern Ireland that works for everyone is one that embraces all of these identities. These people live, work and raise their families here because its their home. "They must be able to feel at home whether in their Britishness, their Irishness or something in between. Jeffrey said fully functioning Stormont institutions delivering for people was the best way to strengthen the Union. He said DUP membership had been steadily growing in recent weeks and while certain opponents might find it interesting and even fulfilling being critical, it is the sure and certain path to self-destruction and reducing support for our cause. Jeffrey dismissed Sinn Feins calls for a referendum on a united Ireland as fantasy stuff with constantly changing dates. In 2011, Gerry Adams told us Northern Ireland would have left the UK by 2016. In August 2021, Gerry had changed 2016 to 2024, he said In May 2022, Mary Lou McDonald called for a border poll by 2027. In July 2022, Mary Lou McDonald changed from 2027 to 2030. "Just this month, Michelle ONeill had shifted the Sinn Fein goalposts again to call for a border poll by 2034. Jeffrey added: If Sinn Fein needs to throw border poll dates to the republican base, lets not all get caught up in that game. Our objective must be to make Northern Ireland an economic powerhouse for the UK. "This, more than anything, will secure our place in the Union for generations to come. Barry Cowen will now be joined on the ticket by Lisa Chambers and Niall Blaney Fianna Fail has added senators Niall Blaney and Lisa Chambers to its European election ticket in the Midlands-North-West constituency alongside former minister Barry Cowen. In a surprise move the partys national constituencies committee confirmed on Thursday it has added the two senators to the ticket, meaning Fianna Fail will run three candidates in the five-seat constituency in the election on June 7. Mr Blaney and Ms Chambers had lost out on the partys nomination to Mr Cowen at a selection convention in Westmeath at the beginning of February. Mr Blaney, a Donegal-based senator, came second to Mr Cowen by only 70 votes in the final vote among more than 2,000 Fianna Fail members in the vast constituency that runs from Donegal in the northwest to Offaly in the midlands. Mr Cowen, the former agriculture minister, won 894 votes in the first count compared to 803 for Mr Blaney, while the Mayo-based Ms Chambers came a distant third, having won 570 votes. After Ms Chambers was eliminated, the distribution of her votes meant Mr Cowen, a TD for Laois-Offaly, finished ahead of Mr Blaney by 1,140 votes to 1,070 votes. Both Mr Blaney and Ms Chambers have intensively lobbied party headquarters to be added to the ticket in recent weeks in what has been an at times ill-tempered campaign. Mr Blaney told the Donegal News after the convention: If you talk to any of the party members or back benchers they are all of the view that they are sick of seeing Lisa Chambers hogging the media limelight even though it did not do much for her when it came to Mondays actual votes. Mr Cowen had expected only one of the unsuccessful candidates at the convention to be added. He told the Irish Independent on Thursday afternoon: "I remain committed and focused on winning support for my candidacy in the midlands/Leinster base. Ill also obviously seek preferences for my colleagues in the hope of Fianna Fail winning two seats. That would ensure a strong mark is made for the region in Europe." Today's News in 90 Seconds - February 28th Ms Chambers said she was "delighted" to be added to the ticket, saying: "This is an important election for our country and for Fianna Fail. "Ireland needs to send our best team to the European Parliament and I am putting myself forward to be part of that team. Europe matters and it matters who we send to Europe. Fianna Fails director of elections, the Housing Minister Darragh OBrien, said in a statement: "This is a very strong, ambitious ticket and represents the best of what Fianna Fail offers in the form of three highly committed, hard-working and able public representatives who are determined to fight for Ireland in Europe. "This is also a very geographically well-balanced ticket, with the candidates strategically spread across a vast geographic constituency." He said the three candidates "bring unique and complimentary strengths and abilities to our ticket" and he said "I know they will individually and collectively work hard to maximise our vote and ensure that we are successful in June." Mr Blaney told the Irish Independent he expected a discussion in the coming days on how the constituency may be divided among the three candidates and he said he would be "bringing a serious ground offensive". "I am looking forward to getting into the campaign. I am enthused about this. My family name has been synonymous with Europe since the late 70s, he said. "I am really looking forward to getting stuck in because this part of the world is not represented by the four MEPs. If you look at CAP budgets that have declined and infrastructure projects that are not happening, nobody has been fighting for balanced regional development. "There is an unbalanced debate on climate change; farming has been scapegoated from the point of view of climate change." Health Minister warned plan to abolish rental contributions on Fair Deal scheme will create a two tier system of nursing home care Health Minister Stephen Donnelly was warned he risked creating a two-tier nursing home system and an urban/rural divide by allowing people in care under the Fair Deal scheme to keep all income from renting their family home. An internal Department of Health briefing document sets out a series of risks linked to the significant change to the Nursing Homes Support Scheme (NHSS), or Fair Deal as it is also known, which came into effect this month. The review warned that allowing nursing home residents to keep 100pc of rental income from their primary residence creates a significant legal risk and could potentially lead to a High Court challenge. The NHSS rental income report drafted before the new system was introduced says the policy change risked creating a scenario where people with property assets would contribute far less to the cost of their care than those who could not rent their home. The document said nursing-home residents with rentable assets might see a net financial benefit to going into care, while those without faced a substantial cost. This would create a substantial inequity within the scheme, it says. There would effectively be two tiers of participants with a radically more favourable treatment for those with rentable assets compared to those without. The report also warned changing how Fair Deal treats rental income would inadvertently exacerbate financial inequality around the country. This is because there is more demand for rental properties in some parts of the country. It specifically notes that most nursing home residents who rented out their home when they could keep 60pc of the income were living in urban locations. It said people with an asset of a higher value in a more expensive and in-demand location would benefit more than those who did not have homes in such an area. As part of a suite of measures aimed at increasing rental housing stock, Mr Donnelly and Housing Minister Darragh OBrien agreed to abolish any contributions raised from rental income. The Regional Independents Group also pushed for rental income to be disregarded in return for their support during a contentious Dail vote on an eviction ban. Junior minister for Older People Mary Butler raised concerns about the proposal due to fears older people, especially those with dementia, could be taken advantage of. Ms Butler said she believed the changes to the scheme could result in some people being prematurely admitted to nursing home care. The Department of Health review supported Ms Butlers concerns, saying there was evidence of trusting concerns and elder abuse by the family members of people in care. It noted that advocacy groups raised concerns about people being pushed into nursing homes after they had been hospitalised when they could have returned to their homes due to the new rental income rules. People who are already financially vulnerable could be more at risk of going into long-term residential care prematurely due to the potential financial incentives this policy offers, it said. This could also lead to financial abuse where a family member may coerce an elderly person into nursing-home care, it added. To reduce the chances of the scheme being abused, the report says enhanced safeguarding checks should be put in place to protect older people. The report said there were currently 22,827 people in care under the Fair Deal scheme and of these, 14,201 people had had their homes assessed for a financial contribution towards the cost of their care. It found that since the Government decided to allow people keep 60pc of rental income, a total of 51 properties were being rented. However, this included 21 properties being rented while people could claim only 80pc of the incomes. This means reducing the contributions from 80pc to 40pc resulted in 30 properties being added to the rental market. The majority (35) of the properties currently being rented are based in Dublin or commuter-belt counties. The report does not make a final recommendation on whether the Government should abolish rental contribution to Fair Deal. However, it says a lot of homes may not be in a sufficient state to rent and could need repairs before they are put on the market. The report said the responsibility for delivering the Governments Housing for All strategy lay with the Department of Housing and said the Department of Health must be careful to ensure Fair Deal policy decisions were focused on the care and support of older people who needed residential long-term care. More than 300,000 applications to the electoral register have been made online, leading to the greatest addition ever to the voter pool in time for the referendums on March 8. However, the register has now closed, and unless someone has previously arranged to be added when they turn 18 over the next 10 days, there will be no further accommodations. The last date for applications to the register of electors for the referendums was February 20. The big additional intake raises uncertain questions as to whether a large number of new voters are likely to cast their ballots for the first time or whether the proposals will attract their interest. Next months referendums are the first national electoral event in four years, with large numbers becoming eligible to vote but only if they apply to be included. The referendums are the first polling test since relevant parts of the Electoral Reform Act came into effect, paving the way for rolling registration. This enables people to register to vote at any time of year, both online as well as in paper form. Local authorities, however, remain responsible for the management and maintenance of the electoral register in their areas. With rolling registration there is no longer a supplementary register: instead, the rolling register closes for applications. Since the new legislation in October 2022 more than 300,000 applications to the register have been made online. The Irish Independent has learned that more than 37,000 of these were received in the last 48 hours before the deadline, suggesting an anxiety to vote in the referendums. Not all of these application figures will translate into updates to the register for the referendums, however. Officials said that some of them may be applications to change address or to confirm existing entries on the register. But the final figures for the numbers of people who are registered to vote in the March referendums is still expected to constitute a new record. The precise statistics will be available in the coming days. Each local authority is now required to prepare and maintain a pending electors list. This stand-by catalogue enables the pre-registration of 16 and 17-year-olds, who are then transferred to the electoral register automatically once they turn 18. As of mid-January this year there were almost 2,000 on the pending electors list. The record number of newly-entitled electors for a referendum was previously 157,086, ironically for the poorly-supported referendum on removing the concept of blasphemy from the Constitution, held in 2018. The documentary, which was never distributed here, is a poignant reminder of life in the 1960s where Irish women were seen but not heard In the midst of yet another referendum campaign, we are wondering about what kind of Ireland we want, and how much of our past we should keep. There is a film that looked at the same questions, and received little thanks for it. It would not be true to say that Rocky Road to Dublin, made in 1967, is in the news, exactly, but it is being discussed on a podcast. Rocky Road to Dublin, a documentary just over an hour long, was not formally banned. Instead it was what Aoife Bhreatnach, presenter of the Censored podcast, calls shadow banned. Rocky Road To Dublin is a beautiful, furious film. It tells the truth: that the rare oul times were pretty awful. And it shows that the people, although dancing and singing and watching sport and snogging (a bit), deserved better. Made shortly after the 50th anniversary of the Easter Rising, it asks an interesting question: What do you do with your revolution when youve got it? One old revolutionary, Sean O Faolain, who fought in the War of Independence, is not impressed with the Ireland of 1967. In the film he calls it a society without moral courage, observing a self-interested silence, never speaking in moments of crisis. The whole spirit of 16 has been lost. That was never going to go down well. The film was not distributed in Ireland. Its director, Dubliner and Guardian journalist Peter Lennon, went back to his new home in France, at that time just about to experience the riots of May 1968. It was in that same month that Rocky Road To Dublin was shown at the Cannes Film Festival, as one of the few films on the Critics Choice list. . Godard and Truffaut stood up after the Cannes screening to say that they wanted the festival cancelled so that everyone could concentrate on the riots in Paris. Lennon had employed the best film cameraman in France, Raoul Coutard, who took a break from working with Godard and Truffaut to work on the Irish film, who shot informally, with a handheld camera, as was the style of the New Wave, the punk version of cinema, which had exploded in France.. Lennons work in Paris for the Guardian newspaper had allowed him to befriend intellectuals. He was a friend of Samuel Beckett. Peter Lennon had grown up in Dublin. His family was newly impoverished and moved around the city, renting for a time in Leinster Road in Rathmines. He attended the Christian Brothers school in Synge Street. And it was to Synge Street that Lennon brought Raoul Coutard and their film crew, to record little boys reciting the catechism; at one point a prepubescent boy recites all the dangers to chastity. It is a scarifying list. Raoul Coutard was particularly good at filming children, whether in the classroom or playing in the rubble of Dublins many slums. He was also very good at shooting Dublin crowds, and the priests and nuns who moved among them: at the Horse Show, at a GAA match in Croke Park. It is easy to forget just how many priests and nuns we had at that time. Father Michael Cleary is interviewed. Time would prove how prescient Lennon was in choosing this example of what was then a modern priest: Cleary lectured on sex and restraint even though he fathered two children. All the women shown on camera in Rocky Road to Dublin are silent: little girls walking to the shops, young women in dance halls, young women in pubs listening to the men sing and play. Even the lone woman at a discussion by Trinity College students and filmed, like much of the socialising here, in a pub does not get a word in, although she tries. The only female voice comes off camera, from a young wife describing her attempts at using so-called natural methods of contraception. This is a view of the new patriarchy, which looks just like the old patriarchy. But the besuited men interviewed are offset by Coutards shots of street life, showing the vitality of the people, and a lot of smoking. In France the rioting students screened the film at the Sorbonne. In Ireland it only escaped being banned because, as the censor explained to Peter Lennon, there was no sex in it. Its showing at the Cork Film Festival was timed to coincide with a boozy lunch for journalists which took place 20 miles away. It was shown in one Dublin cinema and then nothing, for 25 years. You can watch Rocky Road To Dublin on YouTube. Or you can rent it online from the Irish Film Institute for 4.50. If you take the IFI option, you can see a fascinating companion film, The Making of Rocky Road To Dublin, directed by Paul Duane, in which a much older Peter Lennon looks back on how he created it, and chats to Raoul Coutard. On Censored, Aoife Bhreatnach and her co-presenter Lloyd Meadhbh Houston laughed at the Anglicised accents of the experts and criticised the film for not covering the North or the Magdalene laundries. But Lennon said the film was affectionate, always on the side of the people, and personal to him. It is, as he pointed out, the only Irish film record of Ireland in the 1960s. A SENIOR Garda has said he has "serious concerns" about misinformation spread online which included the "completely untrue" claim that a child was sexually assaulted by a group of foreign nationals. In recent days allegations were made on social media that a young girl had been raped by a number of men residing at an accommodation centre in Kildare. The false rumours were widely circulated and also shared by a number of prominent far-right agitators. Following the comments a group of protesters gathered at a hotel housing refugees in Celbridge on Tuesday night, during which gardai were verbally abused while also being targeted with fireworks and other missiles. No injuries were reported. Speaking at a meeting with the Policing Authority this afternoon, the senior officer in charge of policing in the Eastern Region said he has "serious concerns" about misinformation being spread online. Recent instances included false claims that a property in Leixlip was to be used as an accommodation centre and was subsequently targeted in an arson attack. Assistant Garda Commissioner Paul Cleary said the site was not earmarked for such use and that "there was no such thing" planned. He added: "More worryingly then in the last week we had reports circulating online about allegations of an assault on a child, allegedly by males staying in one of these centres. "Completely untrue and [it] resulted in a fairly large protest on that particular centre with people taking a certain view due to the misinformation circulating online. "Again we also have an investigations underway in relation to those and we are liaising with the social media platforms". Gardai are currently investigating around 19 arson attacks and attempts on buildings either earmarked for refugee accommodation or falsely rumoured to be use for housing migrants. In recent weeks there has been arsons at buildings in Leixlip and a former nursing home in Brittas. Assistant Commissioner Angela Willis said that there is a "serious and immediate" risk to life with these incidents to the occupants, including security persons who could be inside a property when it is set alight. The senior garda overseeing policing in Dublin said that they are facing "challenges" of the circulation of "absolutely inaccurate" information about properties which are then targeted. She said that in relation to one recent incident in Dublin a suspect has been identified and a file sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions. Senior detectives overseeing separate arson investigations also met in recent days to review any potential commonalities in the attacks. "We're satisfied they are all localised incidents so far," Ms Willis said. Today's News in 90 Seconds - February 28th The Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said all the incidents are being investigated locally with the Special Detective Unit overseeing the national investigation for any potential commonality and individuals involved. "At this moment in time we've not seen in effect an overall conspiracy. And a conspiracy has to be something more than four or five fire emojis on an X post," Mr Harris added. He added that a lot of posts are concerning by their content but do not meet the criminal threshold. The counter-terror unit are also investigating what he said was "not a direct parallel but close cousin" of these arsons relating to the abuse of politicians which meets the criminal threshold. The Public Accounts Committee will next week publish its report into the controversy surrounding the 345,000 payments to former RTE presenter Ryan Tubridy. Photo: Steve Humphreys Side deals such as the one agreed for former RTE presenter Ryan Tubridy should be banned in future, the Dails public spending watchdog is set to recommend. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) will also urge the embattled broadcaster to publish all future exit payments, regardless of how much they are. The positions of staff earning over 150,000 should also be published each year, in a similar way as the top 100 earners were published. A report is also expected to recommend more transparency in dealings with agents. Mr Tubridys agent Noel Kelly joined the presenter at committee hearings last summer to answer questions on the hidden payments to the presenter. Next week the PAC will publish its report into the crisis over the 345,000 of payments to Mr Tubridy. The report is expected to recommend that no one person should be able to sign off on credit notes, underwrite agreements or invoices with general descriptions. Accountancy best practice should be used and there will be recommendations around the issues of standards of invoicing, said a source with knowledge of the report. A draft of the report is being held tightly under wraps and is not being circulated to TDs prior to its publication. The Irish Independent previously reported it would also recommend that the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) take RTE under its wing. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar told his parliamentary party last week the Government is currently considering this. Media Minister Catherine Martin also favours putting RTE back under the eye of the States auditor. This would mean the C&AG would probe RTE annual accounts every year and the broadcaster would also be accountable to the PAC. It would also require legislative change. Sources said the final report was very broad and detailed and would make more than 20 recommendations on how RTE can be better overseen financially and with tighter scrutiny. Separately, Ms Martin has said she was not informed of a six-figure cost of an investigation into a complaint made against a former head of current affairs at RTE who received an exit package. The editorial adviser on RTE content role was controversially created for David Nally, who was Kevin Bakhursts number two when the director general formerly headed up the current affairs department. Mr Bakhurst had left RTE when the new position was announced by his predecessor, Dee Forbes, in late April 2022. Mr Nally left the organisation last August after just 18 months in the 150,000-a-year role, which was created for him despite a complaint against him from an RTE journalist being upheld in 2022. The chair of the powerful Oireachtas Media Committee has now called on Ms Martin to get her own legal advice on RTE exit packages. I did ask last week about it and I was told for legal reasons I couldnt get details, Ms Martin told Fianna Fail TD Niamh Smyth, the committee chair. Ms Smyth said the minister should seek her own legal advice. Now we see the minister being stonewalled and not given information. The legal advice is coming from within RTE, which is RTEs legal advisers, their own paid representatives, she said. I think it may perhaps be time the minister has got her own independent legal view on it. Extreme rainfall that caused devastating floods in Co Cork was made more than twice as likely to happen by climate change. A study by scientists in Ireland and Britain found the deluge that accompanied Storm Babet last October was directly linked to global warming. They warn that Midleton, which saw unprecedented flooding that occurred with shocking speed, could have been in even greater trouble if it had coincided with high tide rather than low tide. One of the studys authors, Professor Peter Thorne from the ICARUS Climate Research Centre at Maynooth University, says it was blind luck that we avoided a worse catastrophe in this case. The study, to be detailed on RTE Prime Time on Thursday night, was carried out using World Weather Attribution techniques developed by scientists to assess extreme weather events for the contribution made to them by global warming. It is the first time the technique has been applied to Ireland where, up to now, meteorologists have been reluctant to attribute any single weather event to climate change. Professor Peter Thorne says it was blind luck" that things were not worse during Storm Babet. Dr Ciara Ryan, climatologist with Met Eireann, tells the programme: With this study, now we can. The study compared current climate conditions with those in pre-industrial times, before the explosion in fossil fuel use accelerated carbon emissions and drove up global temperatures. It found the chances of such intense rainfall as occurred in Cork during Storm Babet were 120pc more likely to happen today. During the storm, almost a months worth of rain dropped on east Cork in just over 24 hours. It has long been understood that warmer conditions mean more water vapour rises into the air and is likely to fall as rain faster and heavier, but the intensity and speed of the downpours that hit Midleton stunned the region. RTE Prime Time found local residents, many still out of their homes since the flooding, fearful of a repeat event and concerned that government is not doing enough to protect them. The authors of the report say they hope it will prompt policymakers to take the necessary precautions. Professor Thorne said: It's significant to understand, for any event, was it made more likely, more severe due to climate change? Equally, was it made less likely, less severe due to climate change? If we're going to make sensible decisions, if we're really going to build a climate resilient island, we need to know the answers to these questions. Bridget Tierney pictured on her 107th birthday at her home in Loughduff, Co Cavan, with her seventh medal from President Michael D Higgins (Photo: Lorraine Teevan) Irelands oldest person Bridget Tierney has died at the age of 108. Ms Tierney, who died yesterday, Wednesday, February 28, has lived through two world wars, the 1916 rising and two pandemics. She is survived by her daughters Mary, Margaret, Pauline, Betty and Kitty; her sons John and Tom; sister Kathleen; sons-in-law John Joe, Peter, John Joe and Colm; and daughters-in-law Maureen and Eileen. Ms Tierney was a mother of nine, a grandmother of 30, great-grandmother of 49 and great-great-grandmother of four. A retired farmer from Drumgore, Loughduff, Co Cavan, Ms Tierney had previously told the Irish Independent she could still recall her first day of school in 1919. Today's News in 90 Seconds - February 29th I was four on my first day in school," she said. I can still recite the poetry I learned in national school. She never drank alcohol or smoked, only ate home-cooked fresh food and has never been on an aeroplane. Ms Tierney always had a love of politics and could remember walking to Granard as a child to hear Michael Collins speaking. I have voted in every election since I got my vote, and I am proud of that, she said. All the neighbours in Loughduff continued to visit Bridget over the years, and they always enjoyed her sense of humour and sound advice. Her daughter Kitty Cullen spoke of her very family-oriented mother who always brought a sense of calmness and happiness to all of their lives. "Mammy was widowed in 1983. She worked just as hard on the farm as our father, Patrick. She has been a tower of strength to us all, especially since she lost her beloved son Vincent in November 2021, Ms Cullen said. Granddaughter Victoria Zanella had previously said her grandmother is a fountain of knowledge and love and the rock of our family. "A visit with Granny always leaves you with a sense of peace and serenity, she said. Ms Tierney has received a commemorative coin from President Michael D Higgins every year since her 101st birthday. Bridget Tierney passed away peacefully surrounded by her family and will repose at her home in Drumgore today from 5pm to 10pm, Thursday, February 29, and tomorrow from 1pm to 4.30pm. Her funeral mass will take place at St Josephs Church Loughduff on Saturday, March 2, at 12pm, followed by burial in the adjoining cemetery. Many people have paid their heartfelt tributes to Ms Tierney. "May her lovely gentle soul rest in peace, one person wrote. Another mourner added: "She was a lovely lady to have a conversation with, may her gentle soul rest in peace. She was described as an icon in Irelands history and the most beautiful lady inside and out. Our deepest sympathy to Tom, Eileen & family & the entire Tierney family on the sad loss of Bridget who is an icon in Ireland's history, a mourner wrote. How lucky I was to get to witness your magic Bridget. The oldest ever Cavan resident and also the oldest person in Ireland since January. Simply a legend. Thank you to all her wonderful family for sharing her with me, another person said. Our critic tries a new Dublin eatery serving up delicious food at a great price I subscribe to the Dublin Inquirer, which publishes a monthly print edition alongside its regularly updated website. If you live in the city, its a great source of information on local issues and whats going on in Dublin City Council. The Dublin Inquirer team is also good at finding restaurants you dont see written about in other places. Back in December, the papers Sam Tranum visited a new taco joint in Kilmainham, in a little space to the side of Clearys pub on Sarsfield Road. I like tacos (who doesnt?) and I liked the sound of Tacos Lupillo. I didnt get around to going for a while, but I kept hearing about the queues outside every weekend. They were insane, people told me. And sometimes Tacos Lupillo sold out of tacos. Im not the biggest fan of queueing for food at the best of times, but the idea of queueing and then not getting to eat is untenable. So we drop in mid-afternoon on a Wednesday, in the hope of avoiding the crowds. This turns out to be a good move and, though theres a steady stream of customers and Deliveroo drivers, were able to order straightaway and nab a table. You can take the food away and eat in the pub next door if you buy drinks. Our wine expert shares her pick of tasty whites from inland Galicia and northern Portugal We Irish love Albarino, and Albarino loves us: its spiritual home of the Atlantic-fringed Rias Baixas region in Galicia counts Ireland as the third-largest export market after the US and UK, by volume alone. We can both afford to spread the love then, Albarino and us. Todays selection of white wines features friends from inland Galicia and south into neighbouring northern Portugal. On the Galician team, Ive showcased Godello, a wonderfully food-friendly grape worth getting to know. It has the freshness and minerality, charm and drinkability of Albarino, typically less fruit-forward but often with more volume and density that can be fleshed out by its natural affinity with barrel fermentation and ageing. A recent tasting of Godello from Bodegas Valdesil of Vilamartin de Valdeorras, in one of the best regions for this native Galician grape, reminded me of how versatile and delicious it can be. As my wine of the week, Ive chosen a lees-aged introduction to their range of five available in Ireland, or splash out on their creamy Pezas da Portela Godello (53, Jus de Vine), a tribute to Portela villages patchwork of 11 pezas (small historic vineyards), aged for six months in oak. Look on restaurant wine lists for Valdesils extraordinary barrel-fermented O Chao, a wine that can stand proud beside top Burgundies and commands a price to match. Any Godello from Rafael Palacios will be worth the spend, whether its the age-worthy, Puligny-like As Sortes Godello (66.50, 64 Wine) or its more accessibly priced sibling, the gastronomic Louro do Bolo, which I previously featured as my wine of the week (26.50-29, independents). Ely Wine Store has an interesting selection from Adega Algueira in Ribeira Sacra, including their barrel-fermented Escalada Godello (48) and Cortezada blend of Godello with Albarino and Treixadura (37). Fans of Treixadura should hunt out the warm and textured Dominio do Bibei Lalume White Ribeiro 2020 (36.95, independents including Mannings Emporium and Mortons) for its floral, apricot and spice notes. For a very affordable introduction to Godello, Dunnes Stores still carries the previously featured ripe, broad yet zesty Paloma de Plata Godello (14). Todays real steal, however, is a Portuguese Alvarinho that is a guest wine in SuperValus annual Spanish and Portuguese wine sale that continues until March 20. Ive also thrown in a Portuguese blend of Alvarinho and Loureiro, a grape grown in the Vinho Verde DO and up in Galicia in DOs such as Ribeiro, and which often brings a distinctive herbal character. Wines of the week Valdesil Godello Sobre Lias Valdesil Godello Sobre Lias, DO Valdeorras, Galicia, Spain, 13.5pc, 31 From a family-run winery established in 1885, and today applying biodynamic practices to some of Valdeorrass oldest Godello plantings, with spectacular results. Burgundy lovers should seek out their smoky, supple O Chao (on-trade only), but the lees-aged Valdesil from schist soils is a smart representation of the quality and finesse from their impressive range of terroir-focused Godello. Think soft stone fruits, sweet fennel, citrus blossom and delicate grapefruit zest. The Corkscrew, Jus de Vin Gargalo Godello Gargalo Godello, Monterrei DO, Galicia, Spain, 13pc, 17.95 Lipsmacking Godello to stand up to spice or roast white meats, thanks to toasty tropical fruit and a plump creaminess bolstered by four months on the lees, yet with a stony minerality and lively acidity that sings with seafood. Reduced from 20.95 until March 10, so snap up a few bottles now. OBriens Wine; obrienswine.ie A Coroa Godello 2022 A Coroa Godello 2022, Valdeorras DO, Galicia, Spain, 13.5pc, 20.19 Super-fresh and mineral-driven with great concentration and power, thanks to slate soils, this satisfying Godello trips a pretty line between rich and bright, with warm lemon curd, toasty and mineral aromas and a profile that starts very lively on the palate and finishes silky and glycerol. Think roast fish on the bone. winespark.com Lolo Loureiro-Alvarinho 2022 Lolo Loureiro-Alvarinho 2022, Vinho Verde DO, Portugal, 12pc, 18 Paco & Lola winerys Lolo Albarino was named Irelands White Wine of the Year 2023; here they head to the Minho region. Plump yet saline with wild oregano and balsam notes. Go salt cod or fish n chips. Ardkeen (Waterford), Cove Stores (Tramore), Dalys (Roscommon), Jaynes (Ennis), Foleys (Sligo), some Carry Outs, Redmonds, Gibneys, Nolans, McHughs, Cappagh Stores, Country Crest Farm Shop Adega de Moncao AM Alvarinho 2022 Adega de Moncao AM Alvarinho 2022, Vinho Verde DO, Portugal, 13.5pc, 10 Featuring in SuperValus annual Spanish and Portuguese wine sale until March 20, this juicy Alvarinho from the river-dominated subregion of Moncao e Moncago captures northern Portuguese sunshine with a ripeness balanced by Atlantic maritime freshness. Think tomato-based stews or seafood risotto. SuperValu UNs refugee agency receives scant credit for the important work it is doing Public opinion surveys suggest that, while nearly 60pc of Americans have a favourable view of the United Nations, they are less supportive than the citizens of many other countries. Forty percent of Americans have an unfavourable impression of the global body compared with 25pc of Britons and Germans. Some criticism is definitely warranted. For example, the Biden administration has suspended funding for the United Nations Palestinian-aid group, the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), after some of its employees were alleged to have participated in Hamass October 7 attack on Israel. The UN Human Rights Council is a sick joke: Its members include notorious human-rights abusers such as Russia, Venezuela and China. And UN peacekeeping troops have become notorious for abusing the very people they were supposed to protect. But the UN also does a lot of important work for which it receives scant credit in the United States. I recently spent a week travelling across Moldova and Ukraine with a delegation of US experts assembled by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, as the UN refugee agency is known, and I came away greatly impressed by UNHCRs efforts to alleviate the refugee crisis created by the Russian invasion. Its work which is helping Ukraine and its neighbours to weather the onslaught deserves continuing US support. The scale of the refugee crisis is mind-boggling: Two years after the Russian invasion, nearly 6.5 million people have fled Ukraine and another 3.7 million are internally displaced. Thats roughly a quarter of Ukraines pre-war population. And, in frontline communities, even many of those who remain in their homes are struggling to survive. In all, 14.6 million Ukrainians require humanitarian assistance. Those needs are far beyond the capabilities of the Ukrainian government or those of its neighbours to cope with on their own; Kyiv can only fund half its own state budget and requires foreign aid for the rest. Filling the vacuum have been myriad governmental and private relief agencies, including organisations funded by the US State Department and US Agency for International Development. The UN is often in the lead. Last year, UNHCR provided 2.63 million people in Ukraine with assistance of various kinds. That includes repairing damaged houses, sending winter blankets and generators to frontline communities, helping displaced Ukrainians restore legal documents lost in the war, and offering psychological and social services to people traumatised by Vladimir Putins incessant bombing. UNHCR sometimes delivers relief supplies; we saw a warehouse full of food, winter clothes, hygiene kits and kitchen sets in Odessa. But the agency prefers, wherever possible, to provide cash assistance via an ATM card utilising Ukraines existing banks. Those grants went to nearly 900,000 Ukrainians last year. Though the average stipend is only about $120 a month, that pittance helps displaced Ukrainians get whatever they need the most, whether its housing, health care, transportation, food or clothing. It also boosts the local economy rather than creating a parallel aid economy. Our group visited a Kyiv apartment building two days after it was hit by a Russian missile to see how quickly and effectively UNHCR and its local and international partners can swing into action. Four people had been killed, 39 injured and hundreds forced out of their homes. By the time we arrived, labourers were already repairing the damage while, in a nearby school gymnasium, UNHCR and other aid agencies had set up shop to help the affected families. The gym was emptying out because most of the people had already received what they needed, whether food or medicine or a place to sleep. Such rapid response operations occur all the time across Ukraine, and they are helping that country to survive the Russian onslaught. UNHCR also has been an indispensable lifeline in European countries struggling to cope with a massive refugee influx. We visited Ukraines neighbour Moldova (population 2.5 million), which has been inundated by more than one million Ukrainians since the start of the war in 2022. Yet there are no tent cities for Ukrainian refugees in Moldova or anywhere else in Europe; all the newcomers either move on or get absorbed by the local population. Thats one of the hidden success stories of the past two years. In part, that speaks to the generosity of European nations in dealing with the continents biggest refugee crisis since 1945. But it is also a reflection of the international aid effort spearheaded by UNHCR. UNHCR is far from perfect; it is subject to some of the same problems as other UN agencies. Its Uganda operation was rocked by a corruption scandal in 2018, and in Ukraine it was initially criticised by government officials for being slow to respond to the Russian invasion. But I was impressed by the UNHCR employees I met in Ukraine, a combination of local and foreign hires who appear intensely committed to the mission and work long hours under gruelling and often dangerous conditions. The UNHCR country director, Karolina Lindholm Billing, is a no-nonsense Swede who has been in Ukraine since 2021. She manages 370 staff in 10 different locations, employing a combination of firmness and compassion. Ms Lindholm Billing had to evacuate her husband and three teenage children from Kyiv when the Russians invaded and sees them only on occasional home visits to Stockholm. If I didnt believe that the work my colleagues and I do, often seven days a week and in risky situations, was meaningful to the people we serve, then I would never sacrifice these years with my teenagers, she told me. Because we are on the ground where the brutal war hits people every day, we see the positive impact that humanitarian support has on peoples lives. I saw it, too, as we visited the refugee-assistance sites that UNHCR operates for grateful Ukrainians who are eager not only for material aid but a sign that the world cares about their plight. UNHCR spent nearly $1bn (922m) last year responding to the Ukrainian refugee and displacement crisis. The US government was the single biggest donor, giving $200m (184m), but European nations gave more in aggregate, while also incurring substantial costs in handling millions of refugees in their own countries. This year, UNHCR is asking for a similar contribution from the US to continue its lifesaving work. But that money may not be forthcoming. It is part of the $95bn(87bn) foreign aid bill which includes $60bn (55bn) for Ukraine that passed the Senate but is stalled in the House by Republican isolationists. Even some House members who support military aid for Ukraine are talking about removing humanitarian aid and budgetary support for Ukraine. That would be foolish and heartless. Humanitarian and budgetary aid allows Ukraine to keep functioning in the face of continuing Russian aggression, and makes it possible for refugees to return to their own country as roughly two million Ukrainians have already done. Without that international support, Ukraine could become a failed state no longer able to defend itself and millions more refugees could flee the country, destabilising its neighbours. US Congress needs to provide both military and budgetary aid to Ukraine as that country battles not only for its own survival but also the security of the entire West. And it needs to keep supporting UNHCR as part of the US response to refugee crises not only in Ukraine but also as far afield as Lebanon, Sudan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. The United Nations makes its share of mistakes, but UNHCR is an unheralded success story. ( Washington Post) Micheal Martin said he was not surprised after being told the High Court in Belfast had found parts of the British governments Legacy Act giving immunity for offences during the Troubles were incompatible with human rights law. The contentious legislation is opposed by victims groups and every political party in the North. It is controversial for conferring a limited form of immunity for Troubles-related crimes for those who co-operate with the new Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery. It will also stop future civil cases and legacy inquests. Relatives of victims of violence fought to have the act overturned. In his ruling Mr Justice Colton told the court: There is no evidence that the granting of immunity under the act will in any way contribute to reconciliation in Northern Ireland, indeed the evidence is to the contrary. Nonetheless, the British government seems determined to go ahead with the act despite the ruling and serious objections from both the North and the Republic. Northern Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris told the House of Commons his government was committed to implementing the legislation. Labours Shadow Northern Secretary, Hilary Benn, said: Given that immunity has always been presented as the central foundation of the Legacy Act, what do ministers intend to do about this judgment and how can the Commission became operational when one of its central powers has just been struck down? These are highly pertinent questions. The act has had a noticeably chilling effect on Anglo-Irish relations. In all, 19 separate legal challenges had been lodged against the act, but a judge consolidated them into one lead case. Its detractors have dubbed it a bill of shame and claimed it was designed to shield former members of the British army. Our Government is challenging it in the European Court of Human Rights. The Tanaiste was quick to say the finding reflects and underpins the course of action which the Government has taken. PSNI Chief Constable said anything done about legacy issues has to be done with the support of victims and that isnt happening. The bereaved families of the Troubles across the divide have surely suffered enough. There can be no bringing their loved ones back. But holding those who were responsible for their deaths to account ought not be too much to hope for. The Good Friday Agreement brought a new era of stability to the North. But there are still scars and deep divisions. For civil rights leader Martin Luther King, peace was not merely the absence of tension, but it was also the presence of justice. The British government has described the act as an attempt to draw a line under the Troubles. But manifestly for those most affected by them, it is viewed as an invidious move to sweep them all under the carpet. In the end it was a close-run thing played out to the background sounds of fierce street protests by farmers. The EUs embattled plans to restore nature and wildlife in the coming decades just scraped the bar as they went over in a crucial European Parliament vote. It all means the clock is now ticking for Ireland: we have barely six years to restore 20pc of land and sea habitats by 2030. The follow-up is restoring all damaged habitats by 2050, leading cynics to ask: Do you want anything else with that? The European Parliament approved the Nature Restoration Law (NRL) by a margin of just 54 votes. But 12 of Irelands 14 MEPs backed the law including the five Fine Gael representatives, who broke with their overarching European Peoples Party (EPP) grouping on the issue. This is about bringing nature back to Europe so we can secure livelihoods, food production and economies into the future The EPP is facing severe pressure from hard-right rivals and fears significant losses in the upcoming European Parliament elections in early June. Big numbers of protesting farmers on the streets, including in Ireland, since the start of this year have concentrated minds as the traditional Christian Democrat bloc fears losing its rural hinterland support that was always heavily tied into EU farm supports. Under this new draft law which Ireland had pledged to implement in principle at all events member states have two years to plan the restoration of 20pc of land and sea areas by 2030 and all ecosystems by 2050. Junior minister Malcolm Noonan. Photo: Gareth Chaney/ Collins Photos The NRL must be rubber-stamped by EU environment ministers next month, but yesterdays vote was the real final hurdle it faced. The policy-guiding European Commission says more than 80pc of Europes natural habitats are in very bad shape. But this new watered-down law does provide for member state exemptions, and an emergency brake, allowing for targets for agricultural ecosystems to be temporarily suspended under exceptional circumstances. The junior minister responsible for nature protection, Malcolm Noonan of the Green Party, said Irelands National Biodiversity Plan already sets out ambitious targets. But opposition politicians in Ireland, including Michael Fitzmaurice, from Roscommon-Galway, were sharply critical of a lack of funding to help farmers through losses due to land rewetting and other projects to rewild productive farm lands. Mr Noonan countered that funding will be decided over the coming two years. Officials pointed to the 3.2bn Climate and Nature Fund announced in last years budget. This is due to be legislated for in the comings months and a deal of this funding will be used to pursue these EU stated aims. The Kilkenny Green Party TD has committed to holding a public consultation as part of the Irish planning process to implement the NRL over the coming two years. Dublin Green Party MEP Ciaran Cuffe said the NRL is about bringing nature back to Europe so we can secure livelihoods, food production and economies into the future. But the recently-elected president of the Irish Farmers Association, Francie Gorman, insisted the new EU law is still flawed, saying: Even though legitimate farmer concerns have not been adequately addressed, the EU has pushed ahead with the introduction of the NRL. This will not reassure farmers about the impact of the NRL. The IFA president said farmers are doing more to support nature than any other sector of society. He said that up to one-seventh of farmland is now space for nature, and he also insisted that recent commission law modifications did not go far enough. Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore criticised Sinn Fein MEP Chris MacManus and Independent MEP Luke Ming Flanagan for voting against the NRL in yesterdays European Parliament decision. Mr MacManus later said he voted against the law in error and said he intended to vote in favour of it. But Independent TD Mattie McGrath, of Tipperary, said the law would devastate rural Ireland. The whole process showed how much centre-right EU political parties now feel under pressure from their far-right opponents. Farmers and rural communities were long seen as the mainstay of the EPP to which Fine Gael is allied due to its founding role in the Common Agriculture Policy which has funded rural Europe since 1962. It has led the European Union, whose commission president Ursula von der Leyen belongs to the EPP grouping, to try to meet farmers demands to dilute environment laws and address reducing the paper work facing farmers. But a plague of drought, apparently driven by climate change, across mainland Europe has driven other political groupings, with more urban support bases, to face up to the need for real change in farming practices. What fitness smartwatch wearable should you get? Are you better off getting a specialist watch? Or might one of the latest fitness trackers or rings be a good option? Joining Adrian on The Big Tech show is fitness and wearables editor at TechRadar, Matt Evans. Are you considering buying a fitness watch? What will do for the average person? And how much should you spend? In todays episode of The Big Tech Show, Adrian Weckler dives into the fitness wearables, watches, rings and trackers to find out what are the best options on the market. On the show this week, Adrian speaks to fitness and wearables editor at TechRadar, Matt Evans. Adrian began by asking Matt about how the Apple Watch compares to the likes of Garmin as a fitness device. Evans says the watch compares really well to the purer fitness brands and serves as a sort of everything watch, that can hold boarding passes and has many fitness functions. The fitness and wearables editor singled out Coros and Polar as watches that are in the mid-expensive price range. He also pointed out that Luxe and Fitbit are the budget options in the fitness tracker area which are very affordable, typically under 100. In the fitness ring domain, Aura is the big player, but Samsung have mooted that they will release their Samsung Galaxy Ring in late 2024. You can listen to the full episode here or wherever you get your podcasts. A new visionary plan created by Failte Ireland is set to transform Cork Harbour into a must visit world-class tourism destination. Failte Ireland, in partnership with Cork County Council, Cork City Council and Port of Cork, recently announced the Cork Harbour Tourism Plan which will enhance the visitor experience and unlock tourism potential. The plan will be a key element of Failte Irelands five-year Destination and Experience Development Plan (DEDP) for Cork City, Harbour and East Cork. The plan aims to enhance Corks tourism offering and create a focal point for Corks maritime story, improving accessibility, capacity, interpretation, visitor facilities and visitor flow as well as visitor experiences. It will also include a high-level of visitor orientation in the Cork Harbour area with recommendations to improve transport, look at sustainable transport initiatives and encourage a greater spread of visitors throughout the area. Cork Harbour is the largest natural harbour in the northern hemisphere but is currently underutilised from a leisure tourism perspective. This transformation will increase visitor numbers to the Cork Harbour area by building on the uniqueness offered by the Cork Harbour islands, which are supported by great on-water experiences linking the harbour islands and harbour communities. Brian O Flynn, Head of Irelands Ancient East at Failte Ireland, expressed his enthusiasm about this new chapter for Cork. The Cork Harbour Tourism Plan aims to unlock Cork Harbours huge potential in attracting both domestic and international visitors to the region. The plan will be key in enhancing the unique tourism offering in Cork harbour to encourage visitors to stay longer and spend more, which will bring significant benefits for the local economy and community and the wider region. Failte Ireland, in partnership with Cork City and County Councils, and the Port of Cork, aims to develop and deliver this ambitious plan to position Cork Harbour as a must-visit destination within Irelands Ancient East. The representative said that local authority-owned piers and harbours have to fight for scraps on the table in order to do any enhancement works A Cork South West TD has called for a fund of 50 million to be established for the refurbishment of council-owned piers and harbours across the country. Deputy Christopher OSullivan, who is Fianna Fails spokesperson for coastal communities, said the sum allocated for the development for piers and harbours at present is determined by their ownership, with those owned by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) accessing increased funds. Im seeking the establishment of a 50 million fund to help develop local authority-owned piers and harbours across the country. At the moment there is a DAFM fund of about five million per annum, which means these piers and harbours have to fight for scraps on the table in order to do any enhancement works, Deputy OSullivan told the Dail on Wednesday, February 28. The Brexit Adjustment: Local Authority Marine Infrastructure (BALAMI) Scheme of last year, which allocated once-off payments, worth a total of 50 million, allowed incredible work to take place on local authority-owned piers and slipways and marinas. If a pier is owned by the Department of the Marine, theres access to much bigger funding. Castletownbere in my own constituency, received funding of about 48 million for an extension there. It shows the improvements that can be made with significant investment. Im asking for a fund of at least 50 million for local authority-owned piers and slipways so that they can go about enhancement works. The potential from a tourism point of view, from a fishing point of view and off-shore wind point of view is incredible. We just need to see that investment. Minister Simon Harris, who was taking Questions on Promised Legislation in the Dail, said people in the community want to see action and that he would ask Minister for Housing Darragh OBrien TD, and Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue TD, to consider Deputy OSullivans suggestion. A councillor said there was talk that the stop could be relocated to a companys nearby facility A Bus Eireann representative told the Macroom council that the 220 route, which begins at the Grange Road Terminus and travels as far as Fort Camden via Cork city, will continue to stop at Grange Manor. Image: Google Maps A Macroom councillor has asked that the local Municipal District council write in opposition to what she said is a proposal to relocate a villages bus stop to the grounds of a private company. At last months Macroom MD meeting, councillor Gobnait Moynihan said there was talk that the bus stop at Grange Manor could be relocated to DELL in Ovens, which would be a huge disadvantage to a big population in that area. Cllr Moynihan said she had written to BusConnects, the National Transport Authoritys (NTA) programme to improve bus services, in opposition to the proposal but received no response. Council chair Ted Lucey and councillor Eileen Lynch said that they had also written and received no response so it was agreed that a correspondence would be sent on behalf of the council. At the most recent MD meeting on Friday, February 23, Cllr Moynihan enquired into whether BusConnects had been written to by the council as the minutes of the January meeting noted that council will write to Bus Eireann. The councillor also asked if the council had received a response from Bus Eireann. Municipal District Officer Marie OLeary said that she spoke with a representative of Bus Eireann who said that, as far as she understood, there will be no change to the 220 bus route and it will continue to stop in Grange Manor. The BusConnects Cork is through the NTA and I suppose they are looking at all routes. I can write separately to the NTA if you wish, Mrs OLeary said. I had a query that I understood from you last time was that this route was not stopping in Grange Manor, it was stopping in DELL, so thats the query I asked of Bus Eireann. Cllr Moynihan said that the main focus of the councils correspondence should be BusConnects. The plan is to change the route that is presently there so that the stop will be inside in DELL as opposed to being out on the side of the road by Grange Manor there. I want to make sure that the bus stop is open to all. Of course, its going to be open to all when its in DELL too but its accessible to all there on the side of the road as opposed to being inside in DELLs land. Id ask that the council would write to BusConnects and get clarity on that proposed change and that were looking for it to not go ahead. Cllr Lucey said that he agreed with Cllr Moynihan as it makes no sense having a bus stop for a private company. In one of the fastest growing villages in County Cork it makes no sense, he said. Mrs OLeary said she would write to the NTA for an update and Cllr Moynihan asked her to also write to BusConnects. The plan was developed with insight from six Traveller organisations A plan to reduce the health inequalities and challenges faced by the Travelling community in Cork and Kerry was launched by HSE CEO Bernard Gloster on Thursday. Mr Gloster was joined by representatives from Traveller organisations from across the region to launch the Cork Kerry Traveller Health Implementation Plan 2023-2028 at the Triskel Arts Centre in Cork city centre. The plan, which outlines key health priorities for travellers across the region, was developed by the Cork/Kerry Traveller Health Unit with the help of six Traveller organisations. According to Cork Kerry Community Healthcare, the Traveller organisations expressed key insights during the consultation phase of the plan and these issues are reflected in its priorities. Key Traveller health issues that the plan hopes to address includes mental health and suicide, the impact of trauma on the community, addiction and access to culturally appropriate services across the region and the impacts of lifelong discrimination and racism. The impact of poor accommodation and barriers to education experienced by the Travelling community is another area which is prioritised in the plan, which also hopes to address chronic ill health, health promotion for Travellers who are LGBTI+, older or disabled and service access to community members in rural areas. Mr Gloster said that it was a great privilege to launch the plan, titled Missling on the Tobar 2023-2028 alongside proactive Traveller organisations. This new plan sets out a clear vision to ensure that Cork and Kerry Travellers health and wellbeing is prioritised, whilst also focusing on establishing equitable outcomes in health for Travellers and their families, Mr Gloster said. Working in partnership with Travellers and Traveller Organisations, we are best positioned to provide safe, culturally appropriate, and sustainable healthcare for Travellers and their families. Tess ODonovan, chief officer of Cork Kerry Community Healthcare welcomed the launch of the important plan, which not only promotes safe and equitable access to healthcare, but it also sets out clear measurable targets to ensure that Traveller health is given prominence on our healthcare agenda. David Lane, general manager for social inclusion and primary care and co-chair of the Cork/ Kerry Traveller Health Unit said the plan marks the culmination of many months of hard work involving a large number of key stakeholders, A particular word of thanks to all of the Traveller Organisations involved in the development of this plan; along with colleagues and friends in the health services. We really look forward to working together to reduce the inequalities and challenges faced by so many Travellers across Cork and Kerry. Breda ODonoghue, also co-chair of the Cork/ Kerry Traveller Health Unit said that the launch of the plan is a very important day for Travellers across the region. Working together we can make a difference, and this report is just the first step in many years of hard work and partnership working, which is critical to the successful implementation of this document. A Dublin woman surprised her partner of 18 years with a secret Leap Day proposal today, all thanks to Radio Nova hosts PJ and Jim. Deirdre Barry (35) told her partner Colum Battigan (37) they had to travel into Dublin city centre as she had signed them up for a Radio Nova Mr and Mrs competition. In reality, she had won an engagement ring worth 5,000 from in Martin Gears Jewellers on Mary Street in the Get your Finger out for PJ and Jim competition and she was going to use it to propose. PJ Gallagher and Jim McCabe greeted the Clonsilla couple and their newborn daughter Sophie, who is just four-weeks old. The Dublin radio DJs got their mics out and told Deirdre to ask Collum the first question. There and then, she asked him to marry her. Shaking, she went down on one knee and he said yes. Deirdre Barry, who proposed to her partner of 18 years, Colum Battigan, with their newborn baby, Sophie Now, the couple, who met while working in Tesco when they were just 19, are planning their wedding day, with PJ already looking for an invite. You only do this once. I struggle to keep my mouth shut for everything, a delighted Deirdre said afterwards while getting fitted for the engagement ring. I made him practice questions for All Star Mr and Mrs on YouTube with me, he thought we were going to do that today. I told him wed an appointment in the Rotunda and he had to book the day off on Monday. Martin Gear, owner of the store, rang into Radio Nova on Valentines Day and said he would love to give someone a 5,000 ring if they were to get down on one knee and propose on February 29. Were having a leap year proposal, its somewhat unique. Women will come in on a mission for themselves, then theyll come back with the guy, he said. Years ago, it was the traditional couple who went to get the ring, or the guy would come in on his own. It seems that the guy wants to know what to buy before he puts his money where his mouth is. PJ Gallagher, Colum Battigan, Martin Gear, Deirdre Barry, and Jim McCabe Deirdre was lucky to win the contest as entries flooded in once PJ and Jim announced the competition, with hundreds of couples entering, including some already married who had lost a ring. Wed a man send in a picture of his half-severed hand, there was someone else who had their kids throw their wedding rings out of their car, and someone else broke their hand and had to get their wedding ring cut off, PJ said. Theres always the sick pleasure of someone being put on the spot, regardless of what it is. The poor fella [Colum] was lost, he couldnt breathe when we were taking the photographs afterwards, he was genuinely rocked. Its a great story for the baby Sophie, who slept through the whole thing. We presume were getting invited. The very least they can do is let Jim give her away and I can present a ring. I can be a page boy, or a flower boy. Ill be with the family labrador and well be the ring bearers, PJ added. Co-host Jim said: The demand for this contest was huge. We didnt limit it to a proposal, maybe someone wanted to renew their vows or had lost their ring. It was a huge prize. It was great to see it come to life, it was also nerve-wracking because we didnt know if itd go to plan. It couldve gone terribly wrong. You cant help feeling nervous on their behalf. At the very least were expecting an invite. Im not saying we have to go on the honeymoon, but if its somewhere nice, we just might, he added. A group of 40 artists will lose access to Dean Arts Studios as Dublin City Council chose different operator A Dublin city councillors motion calling for a review into the decision-making process that saw 40 artists evicted from their city centre studio, has been rejected. The group of 40 artists had been using Dean Arts Studios, based in Chatham Row, which is wholly funded by the Press Up Hospitality Group, for the past 18 months. Following meetings of the Subcommittee of the Arts, Culture, Leisure and Recreation Strategic Policy Committee, it was decided to explore longer term cultural uses and occupancy of the studio space. An Open Call process was initiated and seven organisations were interviewed, including Dean Arts Studio, to present their vision and plans for the future use of the premises. However, a new operator was chosen to use the space in Chatham Row, leaving the current group of artists devastated at losing access to their multi-disciplinary artistic hub. At the time, Kate Farnon, Director at The Dean Art Studios, said they were unclear about how the decision was reached and asked for clarity on elements of the committees response to our tender. As always, it is the artists and the arts workers who will lose out on all of this, she said. Fine Gael councillor James Geoghegan agreed, and said the decision-making process was procedurally deeply flawed, with both councillors and management from Dublin City Council making the ultimate decision. Cllr Geoghegan this week tabled a motion requesting a review of the process and an opportunity for residents of Dean Arts Studio, who have occupied the premises holding events and supporting artists, to be given a fair crack of the whip. At a meeting of the 21 members of the Arts, Culture, Leisure, and Recreation Strategic Policy Committee on Monday, three voted against the motion tabled by Cllr Geoghegan, while the remainder abstained. The group of artists who had been using the studio said the decision to reject the motion was unfortunate. The selected applicant will now negotiate a one-year lease with DCC to operate from the premises. A license will first come before the area meeting committee, before going to the main city council for a vote. This was a mixed process involving some people from management within DCC and some elected officials, Mr Geoghegan said. That, to me, is procedurally deeply flawed, and it means that peoples political ideologies and positions on the use of public buildings contaminated the process. The bottom line is the interview panel took the view it wasnt appropriate for a privately funded art studio to be operating from a vacant building, and they werent given a fair crack of the whip. He added that he thought it was only fair that the process be started again and run with an independent panel with independent criteria for everyone to have a fair chance to operate from the premises. Whats been missing from this whole conversation is that these artists werent paying for the studio. If youre doing an art form thats hard to generate income from, this was kind of a godsend, he added. If we are supporting art, surely that has a public function and I think the people who are suffering are the artists who created something quite special and its very disappointing and sad. Dublin City Council has been contacted for comment. Mourners were told of how Ann became the heart and queen of her community in Dublin where she lived on the streets for over seven years Ann Delaney was remembered as someone who had so much love to give others despite her own struggles. Photo: RIP.ie. Family, friends and loved ones of Ann Delaney gathered today in memory of a woman who brought so much positivity to the lives of others, even though she was struggling herself. "Larger than life and the life and soul of the party were just two of the endless tributes paid to the mother-of-one, who had so much love to give others despite her own inner struggles. Ms Delaney (47), was originally from Crettyard, Co Laois but had been living homeless on the streets of Dublin for over seven years. She was a well-known member of the city centre homeless community who slept most nights on Aungier Street. She died suddenly on Sunday in St James Hospital in Dublin after she was found unresponsive. Mourners at her funeral mass ton Thursday were told of how the family had hoped Ms Delaney would recover from her recent illness, but their hopes were dashed when they heard the news of her death at the weekend. "Ann was a mother, daughter, sister, auntie and friend. She was a well respected nurse and the job suited her kind and caring nature. Ann was always such fun and the life and soul of the party, reminisced her sister, Roisin. "She was a huge music lover and always up for a sing song. She loved to travel and visited many countries all over the world. Everywhere she went she made friends. She made an impact on everyone she met. Ms Delaney has left behind a family who she adored including her daughter Saoirse, who embodies Anns kind nature in her everyday. "Ann gave us many gifts as a family, added an emotional Roisin. She gave us a lot of laughs, she taught us how to be more loving and affectionate, but most of all she gave us Saoirse. We are incredibly proud of Saoirse and the kind, articulate, caring young woman she has become. She brings such joy to our family and we see Anns kind nature in her everyday. "As a family we never understood why Ann chose to live the life she did. Over the last number of years it has been incredibly frustrating and painful that Ann would not accept help that so many people offered her. Family, friends and professionals offered her as much assistance and support that they could, however, sadly it was to no avail. "The outpouring of grief for Ann shows how loved she was and how she brought positivity to other peoples lives, even though she was struggling herself. "Mammy you never gave up hope and Ann always knew she had a home and family who loved her very much. We hope you have finally found peace Ann, we love you so much and we will always miss you, concluded a tearful Roisin. Fr Jimmy OReilly who celebrated the mass is a close friend and neighbour of the Delaney family. He recalled how Ms Delaney had many qualities that made her the witty but also empathetic person she was. "Ann was always a very outgoing person who loved life and was larger than life. She was always witty, funny and very empathetic. She loved all types of different adventures from skydiving to hunting crocodiles when on holidays. "She loved travelling, she travelled a lot and even worked in Australia and also travelled in South Asia and had many adventures there. She was a brilliant nurse and worked in England, Australia, and Ireland. Today's News in 90 Seconds - February 28th One word that came up time and time again during Ms Delaneys funeral was the use of the word kind to describe her. "Ann was never one for material things and if someone gave her something she wanted to give something back. I experienced that myself in November, remembered Fr Jimmy. Ann was at home for some time and I gave her a lift into Carlow one day. At the end of the journey she gave me a little bit of paper with a beautiful poem written on it about kindness. "During the last years of her life in Dublin, she became the heart and queen of the community there. She helped so many people by being there and by just being herself. "She held the community in Dublin together. Her qualities of generosity, outreach and sensitivity came into play in relation to the most vulnerable. "Anns family have always been there for her supporting her throughout her life. They were hoping she would regain her strength and her energy after her recent illness in November. But their hopes have been dashed, sighed Father Jimmy. There has been an outpouring of grief from past colleagues of Ms Delaney. Many people she worked with throughout her nursing career took to RIP.ie to share their sadness at the news of her sudden passing. "Darling Ann, I could not believe it when I read about your passing. Cannot describe the shock this has caused so many. Absolutely loved working with you. You were always ready to selflessly listen to others. Your wit was quick and laugh infectious. You made a night shift a pleasant experience. Cant believe your beautiful soul left this earth alone with no one holding your hand, said one of Ms Delaneys former colleagues. As Ms Delaneys coffin was carried out of St. Abbans Church in Doonane, Co Laois, her favourite song Caledonia echoed throughout the church and encompassed the loved ones she left behind. Wynn's Hotel on Abbey Street in Dublin will be impacted by construction work on the proposed MetroLink Wynns Hotel in Dublin has said it would be ultimately impossible for it to take bookings during the two-week timeframe when a tunnel boring machine is due to be operating on the construction of MetroLink. A hearing has been listening to submissions from interested parties along the route, which includes 16 stations. The MetroLink is proposed to run underneath Abbey Street and directly beneath the hotel. Wynns Hotel, described as an iconic hotel in the city centre with a long history, is over 170 years old and is considered a protected structure. It was acknowledged that the construction of MetroLink will have a certain amount of impact on the hotel on lower Abbey Street. A representative with planning and development experience on behalf of the hotel told the hearing it has serious concerns regarding the noise and associated construction that may impact the building. Blaine Cregan, working as Director Executive with John Spain Associates, said it would be ultimately impossible for the hotel to take bookings during the time when the tunnel boring machine is going underneath the hotel. This work is stated to last approximately two weeks when significant noise will be expected as a result. He also said a fundamental aspect of the hotels offering is to provide guests with a restful stay away from the hustle and bustle of city centre traffic and noise. This will have a significant financial impact on the hotel, Mr Cregan said. Wynns Hotel had prior experience with Irish railway constructions, notably the Luas Red Line extension, which was completed in 2004 and caused extensive disruption during the construction phase, exacerbated by poor communication by the developer. Mr Cregan said that since the Luas became operational, the hotel has been forced to install triple-glazed windows to mitigate the noise from passenger travel, which can begin from just before six in the morning until after midnight. Artist's impression of Metrolink O'Connell Street entrance Wynns Hotel said it is of fundamental importance that guests at the hotel are able to sleep at night as it is a central offering of the hotel and without it, threatens the hotels success and reputation. The submission concluded by adding that while it is acknowledged the MetroLink project will be of significant benefit to Dublin city upon completion, the impact on the hotel should be mitigated. The hotel added that it needs more robust timelines in terms of the period in which the tunnel boring machine will be at peak noise levels to ensure that guests booking in can be accommodated. They also added that the impact on commercial activities is beyond slight and that a matter of compensation needs to be fully acknowledged by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII). Rick Methold, an expert in acoustics, noise and vibration with over 30 years of experience, said that the independent acoustics report commissioned by the hotel was very similar to the one carried out by TII. The ground wall and noise vibration will be lower than the assessment done at first, he said. It is unlikely to cause any disruption to guests. Ronan Hallissey, with experience in environmental management for major rail and road projects, said while he expects there will be peak noise levels for 2-3 days, it will only be some level of audibility, which does not represent a period of significant noise effects. Project manager Aidan Foley said that TII acknowledges it is a complex issue in terms of the impact on the hotel due to the number of rooms. He added that the hotels concerns warrant a specific engagement. Meanwhile, a registered architect and representative on behalf of the Rotunda Hospital and The Millennium Theatre Company said that while the hospital outlined concerns regarding potential impacts for the current services, they are pleased with the engagement from TII. The concerns from the hospital and the Millennium Theatre Company, which represents the Ambassador Theatre, relate to matters such as noise and vibration and the impact on the Rotunda development plan. The Rotunda can confirm all representations and submissions made by the Rotunda-owned properties in respect of this draft railway order have been satisfactory with additional reassurances made by TII, he said. Health Minister Stephen Donnelly is to meet with a local South Kerry community group next week to discuss the ongoing GP crisis on the Iveragh peninsula. Following the retirement of a GP in Cahersiveen last year the town has only one resident GP, and that GP is now due to retire in the coming months leaving the town without any GP service, and the rural Iveragh peninsula with just one GP who is based in Waterville. The lack of health cover in the region is extremely worrying for local communities in the area, not only in Cahersiveen, but across the region including on Valentia island, Portmagee, and Ballinskelligs. This is Kerry Newsletter Enter your email address below and click 'Sign Up' to receive the This is Kerry newsletter direct to your inbox. Please check your inbox to verify your details The HSE has failed to find a replacement for last years retirement so it is unlikely that the second position would be filled either. Attempts are continuing to be made to find a GP for the town. Currently locums are in place but this does not provide continuity of care for the community. The population of the Iveragh peninsula has grown by more than 1,000 due to the arrival of Ukrainian refugees. This, along with a significant influx of people during the summer months, means there are serious concerns about the lack of primary health care in the region, further exacerbated by the peripheral location of the region. Local representatives including Cllr Norma Moriarty have long called for the situation to be resolved given the need for rural communities to have access to health care. Cllr Moriarty said the situation is critical especially given the looming retirement of the second GP. For the past 12 months, the HSE and Tascforsa Uibh Rathaigh have worked together in a bid to attract a GP to the area and have sought a meeting with Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly. This meeting will take place this Wednesday to discuss the South Kerry healthcare crisis. "This is an important meeting and I am hopeful we can come up with innovative solutions to get a GP to the area, said Cllr Moriarty who will travel to Dublin for the meeting. Cllr Michael Cahill has also welcomed the meeting and will attend it. The gravity of a reduction in Doctors in an area the size of the Iveragh Peninsula, now with a population increased to 8,500 approximately, cannot be stressed strongly enough. There are many people who are in poor health, getting on in years and they fear now that they will be without a Doctor to tend to them for the rest of their days said Cllr Cahill. The Kenmare Bay Hotel has increased its commitment to sustainability by unveiling of 50 state-of-the-art electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. The move sees the hotel become one of the most advanced EV destination in Ireland, offering a seamless blend of eco-consciousness and guest services. Management said it proudly announced what is a significant step towards environmental sustainability and guest convenience. This is Kerry Newsletter Enter your email address below and click 'Sign Up' to receive the This is Kerry newsletter direct to your inbox. Please check your inbox to verify your details "We are thrilled to introduce our latest offering of 50 electric vehicle charging spaces, further solidifying Kenmare Bay Hotel's commitment to sustainability and innovation," said Bob Lyne, Kenmare Bay Hotel. In response to the growing demand for eco-friendly travel options, Kenmare Bay Hotel adopted what it feels is a proactive measure to cater for the evolving needs of its guests. The installation of the 50 EV spaces underscores the hotel's commitment to reducing its carbon footprint and promoting sustainable tourism practices. "As the hospitality industry continues to embrace eco-friendly practices, we are proud to lead the charge by providing cutting-edge amenities that align with the preferences of today's environmentally conscious travellers and everyday families," Mr Lyne added. The EV charging stations were installed by EV Charging Ireland and are designed to accommodate various types of electric vehicles, ensuring compatibility and convenience for all guests. Whether visitors are embarking on a scenic road trip along the Wild Atlantic Way or exploring the charming town of Kenmare, they can now recharge their vehicles while enjoying the hotel's world-class amenities and hospitality. In its statement, the hotel said it aims to set a new standard for sustainable hospitality, inspiring other establishments to follow suit. By prioritising environmental stewardship and guest satisfaction, the hotel continues to uphold its reputation as a pioneer in the industry, Mr Lyne said. A company building a 985-bed emergency accommodation centre in Co Kildare has secured a temporary High Court injunction restraining protesters from blocking entrances to the site. The action has been brought by Total Experience Ltd, trading as Pastures New Accommodation, which is constructing facilities at Newhall, Naas, Co Kildare for families fleeing the two year old Russia/Ukraine conflict. It claims its work is being hampered by those opposed to the State's provision of accommodation to displaced persons who are mounting a 24-hour "blockade" of the site's main entrances. In recent days up to 50 protesters have been preventing people and vehicles from entering or leaving the site by using tactics including forming "a human shield," and by parking cars in front of the entrances, the court heard. These alleged activities amount to a nuisance and an unreasonable interference with the company's work, it claims. The protesters have no legitimate basis for blocking the site, it further alleges. On Thursday Mr Justice Mark Sanfey said he was prepared to grant a temporary injunction restraining two named protestors and persons unknown from obstructing the entrances. The application was made with only the builders side represented. The firm has been contracted by the State to provide the 985 beds in 387 cabins as well as a dining marquee, laundry and recreation facilities at the site. It claims the protesters' actions are hampering its efforts to complete its work on time. The facility is 90pc complete and is due to be ready by early March. The actions of the protesters may result in it not being operational on time, it is claimed. Gary McCarthy SC, appearing with Barry Mansfield Bl, for the builder, said his client was not attempting to interfere with anyone's lawful right to peacefully protest. However the blocking of the entrances is not lawful and it creates a safety risk, counsel said. Counsel said that the blockade commenced last Tuesday (February 27) when some 50 people prevented vehicles from entering the site. The only way workers could leave the site was due to an intervention by the gardai. The protesters have acted in an aggressive and intimidating manner, he said. It is claimed that some of the foreign workers at the site were racially abused and the Irish workers referred to as "traitors." by the protesters. Counsel said that it has only been able to identify two of the protesters as one was involved in another protest against the project while the second has been active on social media sites for a group called "Kildare Says No." Many of the other protesters at the site, counsel added, have covered their faces using balaclavas and have not been identified. Follow Independent Kildare on Facebook Counsel said his client is also concerned about aggressive social media posts made by various persons regarding the protest. One post stated "All them trucks need is (fire emoji), while others stated that "(Four fire emojis) only solution man!", "Put barrels at the entrance and make fires in them. Big fires," "Put a few nails through timber and lay it down in front of the truck tyres", and "Burn it It will take a war are the Irish ready". Counsel said that his client is fearful that matters may escalate, and noted that other buildings have been burnt after they were earmarked as accommodation for refugees. Mr Justice Sanfey said he accepted that the matter was urgent, and was prepared to grant a temporary injunction. The matter was made returnable to next week. However the judge said that given the dynamic of the situation the parties were free to return to court before then should the need arise. The 40k walking challenge, aptly named One Step at a Time will take place during the month of March. The charity is appealing to the public to sign up and walk in solidarity with those battling addiction and their families. To take part simply visit www.idonate.ie/event/onestepatatime. Aiseiri is calling on individuals, families, friends, workplaces, work colleagues, clubs and community groups to sign up in their droves to show their support for the families who suffer too. All too often families affected by addiction suffer in silence and without the support they need. John Tobin, Operations Manager for Aiseiri Cahir has been a long-time advocate for whole family recovery. Family members need a lot of support when their loved one is in addiction, in treatment and in recovery, said Mr Tobin. Last year, we were delighted to expand the support that Aiseiri provides to families. Addiction affects the whole family and recovery is available to the whole family too. We always say theres not a family in Ireland who isnt affected by addiction. The family plays a critical role in a persons recovery, but they also have their own recovery journey too. This is not always easy and that is why Aiseiri is committed to making this service a priority. Aileen Byrnes is the mother of a young man who attended Aiseiris Treatment Centre for Adolescents, Aiseiri Aislinn, in County Kilkenny. He progressed to Secondary Treatment in Waterford and accessed the Community Services thereafter also. Speaking at the launch of the Aiseiri One Step at a Time Walking Challenge, Aileen said: Addiction nearly took his life and it nearly took us all with it, it destroyed us as a family, but we are one of the lucky ones to come out the other side. As a family we did everything Aiseiri taught us and it worked, we have our son back. We are back taking family pictures and making memories again and I am so grateful for our whole familys recovery which would not have been possible without their support. Aiseiri consists of four unique recovery centres in Kilkenny, Tipperary, Wexford and Waterford where they provide residential, primary and secondary treatment services. They also provide support to families nationwide who are recovering from the destructive impact of alcohol, drugs and gambling. Whole family recovery support is offered in various ways, weekly Concerned Persons Group meetings are complemented by regular educational workshops and lectures. In addition to their two-year family recovery support programme, Aiseiri also has a full-time family therapist on hand to offer specific family relationship support. This is a needs-based service which has demonstrated remarkable results since it was introduced last year. Funds raised will ensure the continuation of this support service which has become a vital part of their Family Recovery Programme. Mary Hennessy, CEO of Aiseiri, highlighted the organisations charitable status commenting, Aiseiri is a progressive and forward-thinking organisation that delivers extraordinary treatment services and supports to those who seek recovery. Over the years, the team and I have witnessed many miracles, weve seen lives turned around and families heal, reunite and recover together. At Aiseiri we absolutely believe that everyone can recover, there is hope and whole family recovery is possible, were seeing it every day. Addiction is a family disease and the ripple effects of addiction often hurts those closest, most of all. This why we are dedicating all the proceeds of our One Step at a Time Walking Challenge to our Family Support Services, added Ms Hennessy. The key message to families suffering today is simple, the ripple effects of addiction can be immense but whole family recovery is possible with the support of Aiseiri. Aileen concluded: If your child or someone in your family is battling addiction, please reach out and ask for help. Its not your fault, you didnt cause it, dont hide away, please reach out there is loads of support there for you so please talk to someone before its too late, get all the help you can. Addiction doesnt discriminate and all walks of life may be affected. Aiseiris professional and dedicated support team are always ready and willing to help those seeking recovery. The organisation is fully accredited by CHKS, recognised by all the main health insurance providers and there are several pathways to treatment available. To learn more about Aiseiri and its many services visit www.aiseiri.ie or call 052 7441166. Drogheda BIDs also attending meetings in efforts to change accommodation crisis Further meetings are being arranged over the next few days between Drogheda and District Chamber, Drogheda BIDS and government in a bid to resolve the ongoing concerns in relation to the d Hotel and its proposed change in use from visitor accommodation to short term housing of International Applicants. The resulting impact on the town's economy and tourist trade has been deemed 'potentially devastating' by members of the business community. The significant loss of bed nights in a town already in dire need of more accommodation could impact the area for years to come. Drogheda Chamber President, Hubert Murphy and Drogheda BIDS CEO, Trevor Connolly, met Justice Minister Helen McEntee and Fergus O'Dowd TD on Tuesday. This is Louth Newsletter Enter your email address below and click 'Sign Up' to receive the This is Louth newsletter direct to your inbox. Please check your inbox to verify your details "We found the minister very supportive of Drogheda and she clearly understands the landscape here. She was a major player in the formation of the Drogheda Implementation Board and helped deliver a key piece of infrastructure that has been vital for the town since its inception," the chamber president remarked. "We have pushed for an economic analysis to be conducted by the Department of a given area before major decisions like this are thrust upon towns and communities. We have sought a reversal of this proposal due to the overall economic impact this will have on the town's tourism and hospitality sector for years to come" Mr Connolly added. Following lengthy debate, the minister said that she was committed to assisting how she can and would update the business bodies again in the coming days. "We thank the minister for meeting us. This is about finding a way to bridge the gap between the humanitarian needs of desperate people and the needs of the biggest town in Ireland. A way has to be found and quickly,' the business groups added. Heavy machinery caused damage to the stream (above). Sligo County Council has been fined for damage caused to a tributary of a river linked to a Special Area of Conservation. The incident happened at Carraun, Corballa, Co Sligo on a stream which flows into the Killala Bay/Moy Estuary Special Area of Conservation. It involved machinery, commissioned by the council, driving through a river bed, while carrying out road improvement works nearby. 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 The machinery crossed the stream a number of times, despite previous instructions from Inland Fisheries Ireland(IFI) to use an alternative route. Sligo County Council was fined 250, must pay costs of 1,845, and 500 to IFI in respect of the expense of assessing restorative works. Mary Walsh, Director of IFIs Western River Basin District, Ballina, said: This work was overseen by the Council, a large public body, and the habitat damage caused by machinery traversing the stream should never have taken place. IFI will continue to prosecute such illegal activity in fulfilment of our remit to protect and conserve Irelands important inland fisheries resource. Prior to the commencement of proposed council works, consultation took place between an IFI Senior Environmental Officer and a representative from Sligo County Council during which IFI outlined the sensitivity of the watercourse on the site, and of the pollution mitigation measures required. Damage however was done to the river bed and the banks of a tributary stream of the Newtown River in April 2023. The case was heard at Sligo District Court on February 6th 2024. Mary Walsh continued: "Public bodies, contractors and landowners need to seek all necessary and relevant information from Inland Fisheries Ireland, before carrying out any works near, or on, a watercourse. IFI encourage members of the public to report incidents such as this, and those of water pollution, fish kills, and illegal fishing to its 24/7 phone number, 0818 34 74 24. A $20.2 million plan by a Rochester developer and a Southern Tier nonprofit to build a senior apartment building in place of the former Silver Creek High School will get more than $1.5 million in tax breaks from Chautauqua County. Park Grove Development and Southern Tier Environments for Living want to redevelop the long-abandoned school property at 60 Main St. located in both the Village of Silver Creek and the Town of Hanover to meet the growing need for more affordable housing in the area, while reviving an empty eyesore. 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. The abandoned school really does send the wrong impression of what Silver Creek is, said Allen Handelman, vice president of Park Grove Development. This project goes a long way towards both providing affordable housing for members of the community, but also sending a message for the people that live in Silver Creek and people that visit there that this is a growing community that is poised to reach its full potential. The partners first plan to demolish the three-story school with 57,070 square feet of space, before completing a necessary environmental remediation to remove and dispose of hazards like asbestos, PCBs and lead paint. They will then construct a three-story building, featuring 54 affordable apartments for seniors age 62 and up, for those earning no more than 60% of the area median income. Due to the limited availability of housing units in our community, many of our local seniors have had to leave the area in order to find adequate housing and services, said Silver Creek Mayor Jeff Hornburg. This project will not only help to remove an eyesore in the heart of our village but also finally offer additional modern housing for our older population. The 50,574-square-foot Silver Creek Apartments will include 51 one-bedroom and three two-bedroom apartments, with 15 of the total units set aside as supportive housing for the frail and elderly. Services will be provided by People Inc. the 2.3-acre property for $1, but projected costs include $1.5 million for demolition, $1 million for site work, $12.43 million for construction, and $5.22 million in professional, financial and other fees and costs. After several months of consideration, CCIDA directors this week approved an incentive package that includes $497,261 in sales tax relief over 16 months, $191,574 in mortgage-recording tax breaks, and a specially tailored payment-in-lieu-of-taxes on the property that will save the developers $858,978 over 30 years. The project will also receive $1 million in assistance from a Restore NY award to the village, and the developers are seeking affordable housing tax credits from New York State Homes and Community Renewal, with a decision expected as soon as next month. keep our development budget competitive and viable compared to other projects competing for the state credits, increasing our chances of receiving additional state funding, said STEL Project Manger Ashley Switzer. Construction is expected to begin in August, with completion by January 2025, and full occupancy by May 2025. The old Silver Creek High School has been abandoned and vacant for many decades, said Mark Geise, Deputy County Executive for Economic Development and Chief Executive Officer of the CCIDA. If we can make this work, it will fulfill a need in the community, while removing an unsightly and dangerous influence in the community. This is the latest effort to redevelop the derelict school, which has been vacant since 1978 despite multiple attempts to renovate it. STEL itself had previously applied for tax credits for its own project years ago, but was unsuccessful. Most recently, Region Nine Housing Corp., a real estate and investment spinoff from the United Auto Workers Region 9 labor union, had planned to convert the building into 47 affordable senior apartments for low- and very-low-income seniors aged 62 and up, with 46 one-bedroom and one two-bedroom unit. But it scrapped the project in early 2023 because the available grants, tax credits and rental limits wouldnt cover the costs of the $24 million project. Protesters pictured outside the former Eir depot at the Croghan Industrial Estate on Emoclew Road in Arklow. Protesting Arklow residents remain sceptical in the wake of news that a disused property is no longer being considered to house Ukrainian refugees or asylum seekers, saying they will protest again if plans re-emerge. When the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth recently confirmed that the former Eir depot on Emoclew Road was no longer being appraised to house Ukrainian refugees or International Protection applicants, it brought an end to nightly protests that saw hundreds of Arklow residents stationed outside the building. Green Party Councillor Lourda Scott suspended standing orders at the February meeting of Greystones Municipal District to propose that they write to the Minister of Education Norma Foley requesting clarification on the exact number of children without a secondary school place in September 2024 and what the proposed solution is to accommodate them. Branding the Department utterly inept, Cllr Scott was strongly supported by the elected members, with the Department of Education singled out for having created what one councillor called a crisis in the area, and another saying it needed to hang its head in shame. Councillor Scott remarked how she was bringing the suspension of standing orders very reluctantly, as she was being contacted daily by parents who are distraught over the uncertainty surrounding their child attending secondary school in September. "It is important to say that this issue is all about young children, some with special needs, who are being treated abysmally by the Department of Education around their basic right to education. The pressure on secondary school places has been at crisis point for the last five years and the Department of Education has abysmally failed to provide enough places for the community, despite repeated requests for an overall strategy and concrete solutions to be provided, she said. 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 She pointed out that almost three weeks ago, the Department said some 120 students were without a place in the area. "This was contradicted by a meeting officials had with TDs where numbers of 70- 80 were mentioned. At that time, Greystones Community College released an additional 48 places. Since then, the Department has not been able to confirm how many more places are needed or where those children are to go, despite repeated questions. It seems to me, she continued, that children are being used as pawns in this game and that it is beyond unfair what stress they are being put under. Calling the Education Minister and her Department utterly inept, she added that she had no faith that writing to her will achieve anything but that it behove the elected members to do so. "I would like to propose that we would write, as a council, expressing our concern, asking very specifically, how many places are needed for September 2024 and what the plans are for those children, with a timeframe. Cllr Scott was backed passionately by the other elected members, with Cllr Tom Fortune seconding her proposal. He remarked that while the issues with schools have been going on for years, it had now become a crisis and the Department is the problem. He said that it needed to be tackled collectively as he had seen posts on social media that TD X and TD Y are pushing this and that. "That doesnt mean anything, he said, because this is a crisis." In his capacity as chair of the Board of Management at KWETB, where Cllr Scott is also a board member, he said he was well aware of what the problems are, and while the KWETB could be pushing harder, the real problem lies with the Department. The Department needs to be called out, he said, because this crisis has been building year on year. This is a massive issue, he continued, and we do need our TDs to come in here and sit down with us and work as a team, because it is only going to get worse. The ominous tones were echoed by Cllr Derek Mitchell, who said there was ample opportunity for the Department of Education to have acted more quickly given there was ample opportunity to have purchased a site that was zoned for these purposes. The town will soon need another school, he said, even if the current issues are resolved for this year. "Anyone with even the slightest knowledge of whats going on locally, [knows] theyre building everywhere and we must need schools. He referred to figures which showed the population was heading towards a 20pc growth over the forecasted target for 2028, so clearly land is needed and should be bought, and it is shocking that the Department didnt have the foresight to do so. Cllr Gerry Walsh also called for clarification around the numbers, which seem to be inconsistent, and while GCC have offered 48 places, how they are going to do that is still up in the air, bearing in mind that the school is still behind on its building project. Cllr Mark Barry supported the proposal, remarking how the stress on parents was unacceptable. The Department of Education should hang its head in shame, Cathaoirleach Councillor Stephen Stokes said. [Over] the absolute uncertainty that they have left for parents and children, not just in Greystones but right across the country. We see massive population growth and the lack of any planning. To find any place, not just the preferred place at the school theyd actually like to be in." He said it the lack of planning for infrastructure growth was shameful from the Government, not just the Department of Education. Concluding that there is no clarity from the Department, Cllr Scott asked that the focus in any correspondence is specifically on the shortfall of places for 2024, and what is the actual plan to address it. Separately, the councillors agreed to contact the five sitting TDs for the county with a view to holding a meeting to discuss the crisis. Tuesday's callout was the 12th of the year for Wicklow's teams. File pic. Wicklows Mountain Rescue teams came to the aid of a woman on Tuesday afternoon after she sustained a lower leg injury below the summit of Djouce Mountain. The alarm was raised at 12.55pm after National Ambulance Service tasked both the Glen of Imaal Irish Red Cross Wicklow Mountain Rescue Team and Dublin and Wicklow Mountain Rescue Team and alerted them to the situation. 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 The casualty was soon located by mountain rescue personnel and was treated at the scene before being stretchered down and transferred to a waiting ambulance. The callout was stood down at 3.37pm. Brazilian singer and actress Anitta has said her use of plastic surgery has nothing to do with me not liking myself. The 30-year-old performer from Rio de Janeiro told Cosmopolitan UK that she likes to be open about her use of cosmetic procedures. Its important to own it. I never had a problem saying the things that I get, she said. Brazilian singer, songwriter and actor, Anitta, is Februarys digital cover star (Bernardo Doral/Cosmopolitan UK/PA) When I did plastic surgery, I wanted people to know. When you lie, it gets harder. It has nothing to do with me not liking myself. For me, its more about image reinvention. Anitta also discussed public perceptions of her bisexuality. She said: People want to dictate how you need to behave as a bisexual. Ive never dated a woman long term. I had a thing with a person my friends just know, but it wasnt serious Im the same with men! The Brazilian singer and songwriter stars on Cosmopolitan UKs February digital cover (Bernardo Doral/Cosmopolitan UK) People like to say, oh, she says shes bisexual, but shes never had a girlfriend. Does that make me a fake bisexual? No! Speaking further on her romantic relationships, she said: It takes time for my partner to understand that Im different from the person on stage I think thats my biggest challenge: to make my partners see me, and not that persona. Anitta, real name Larissa de Macedo Machado, is one of Brazils biggest pop stars. Her debut self-titled album was released in 2013 and followed by records including Bang! (2015), Kisses (2019) and Versions Of Me (2022). She has enjoyed international success with tracks such as Downtown, with J Balvin, and Alessos Is That For Me. Anitta is the February digital cover star of Cosmopolitan UK. The Dubliner, who appeared on series 8 of the reality dating show, took to social media to share the devastating news as he paid tribute to his late father Babijide. In the emotional post, Dami opened up about the painful reality he has been living in. He wrote: Theres pain in my heart as I write this. Took me a while to actually say it out loud to the point at times I didnt even know what to say. Nothing feels real, I keep praying Im just in a fever dream and everything will be as it once was when I wake up. But I keep waking up to the same painful reality. Ive lost my father. Hes no longer here anymore and it kills me inside. I would have done anything to have been able to keep him here! My dad was really HIM. Paved the way for all of us, my siblings and I. Hes taught me countless things that stand testament in my character today. The first person that taught me how to be selfless unconditionally and unwaveringly. I learned how to laugh because of him. He really was the first person to ever make laugh on this green earth, memories that bear so much weight at my core. Man Im in pain, people dont tell you about the trauma death brings, you steel yourself but ultimately you still break down over and over again and tbh so be it. Continuing, the 27-year-old wrote: Memories with people really ought to be cherished more, especially with loved ones. I want to honour him with my tears, my pain, my laughter, and my joy because these are things that are deserving of the pillar he was in our lives. I pray that Gods calling for you, was to show you even greener pastures unimaginable here on earth. I pray youre at peace knowing I will do everything in my power to uplift your name. I pray I live a life deserving of your respect and one you could be proud of. I pray you know no more sorrow or suffering and only joy. I will miss you every day for the rest of my life dad. Thank you for always being someone to look up to. Even in death, I will still look up to you. Im happy I was by your side till the bitter end, I hope every word I spoke to you reached you. I love you dad and even though Im my moms twin Im most definitely my fathers son. Heres to celebrating your life dad. Babajide, who was originally from Nigeria and lived in New Ross, Co Wexford, previously spoke to the Sunday World while his son was in the Love Island villa. At the time, he spoke about how his son would be a perfect dad as he used to thrive when he was younger looking after his kid siblings. Hes used to it, because when he was growing up in the house he used to babysit and change nappies with the younger ones, he said. When the youngest, Amanda, was very small and he was about 10-years old he used to always love carrying her around and being protective of her. He always helps and protects the younger ones, in everything they do. Mothers Day gift inspiration: thoughtful presents for under 50 and they are all Irish-made This year, support Irish businesses and give your mother a unique gift she will treasure, whether this is a beautifully crafted floral bouquet or a one-of-a-kind experience A gift doesnt have to be expensive to truly touch a loved ones heart. Photo: Getty Meadhbh McGrath Thu 29 Feb 2024 at 03:30 Mothers Day is fast approaching, but you still have time to get yourself in gear and pick up a thoughtful present shell love. The holiday falls on March 10 this year, and weve asked Irish creatives for their favourite gifts that wont break the bank. Prince Harry vows to appeal decision by British authorities to downgrade his security when he visits the UK Duke of Sussexs lawyers say he was singled out and treated less favourably by Home Office Prince Harry, seen here with wife Meghan, said his family cannot feel safe in the UK after the decision. Photo: Getty Tom Pilgrim Thu 29 Feb 2024 at 03:30 Prince Harry will seek to appeal a London High Court ruling dismissing his challenge over a decision to change the level of his personal security when he visits the UK. US considers airdropping aid to starving Gazans as death toll passes 30,000 Civilians are in desperation and are fighting for the last crumbs Children queue for food at a tent camp in Rafah, southern Gaza. Photo: Reuters Bel Trew UK Independent Thu 29 Feb 2024 at 03:35 A quarter of the population in Gaza is one step from famine and it is suffering from the worst levels of child malnutrition in the world the United Nations has said, as aid groups warned that a ceasefire is the last chance for sanity and humanity to prevail. Sucro Sourcing is hoping to expand its sugar-refining operation into Lackawannas Renaissance Commerce Park by acquiring another 10 acres of land, where it plans to build a warehouse and distribution facility. The Coral Gables, Fla.-based company, which was one of the first occupants of the former Bethlehem Steel site off Route 5, is negotiating with the Buffalo & Erie County Industrial Land Development Corp. to purchase an additional parcel of vacant land adjacent to its existing facilities, which sit just outside the boundaries of the county-operated business park. That would increase its total land holdings at Renaissance to more than 22 acres. The fast-growing sugar company would then construct a 126,000-square-foot storage and logistics facility on the site, significantly expanding its distribution capacity in order to manage the rapid growth of its business, which is expected to more than double within the next year. Sucro is the fastest-growing sugar company in the North American market, and employs 55 at its existing facilities in Lackawanna, located on 12 acres of the former Bethlehem Steel campus between Route 5 and Lake Erie. The company spent $35 million to renovate three former Bethlehem Steel buildings Blowing Engine House No. 3, Boiler House No. 3 and Power House No. 1 and added a new storage facility as well. Through its Sweet Life by Sucro, it produced approximately 60,000 metric tons of sugar last year, with production expected to grow this year to 150,000 metric tons. And its building a new $100 million refinery in Hamilton as well. The newest building would support increased refinery production locally, and also would be used to store and ship molasses to a new sugar refinery that Sucro Sourcing announced it will build in the Chicago area by 2026. That would result in adding 25 new full-time jobs locally within two years of completion, with 10 at the new warehouse operation and the remaining 15 at the legacy operation next door to handle the increased work. The company and ILDC said there is also a possible second phase of the project in Lackawanna, for packing facilities that could add another 25 jobs. In all, the project is expected to cost between $3 million and $5 million, including related site improvements, the company said. Sucro and the ILDC have agreed to a nonbinding letter of intent calling for the sale of the 10-acre site for $55,000 per acre, or $548,900 in all. Final terms must still be negotiated. Sucro would be required to begin construction within 24 months of the agreement, and to finish within another 24 months. The proposed sale would mark the latest success at Renaissance, a 165-acre business park that the county, through the ILDC, has carved out of sprawling former steel-making site. The goal is to clean up and revive the enormous property while filling the need for more industrial and warehouse space in Western New York. So far, Welded Tube and TMP Technologies maker of the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser built and occupy large manufacturing facilities, while Uniland Development Co. has put up two warehouses on Dona Street and Steelworkers Way two new roads that the county constructed. The first is fully occupied by Total Quality Assurance International of Michigan and Max Advanced Brakes of Ontario, while the second has one tenant so far, KPM Exceptional. A third warehouse has also been proposed. And the county will extend Odell Street and Ridge Road into the park, creating additional access into the site. Heavy rain in California this month has led to much of the cliff at Dana Point being swept away in a landslide, with three mansions now positioned perilously close to the cliff edge. Photos: Getty North America Thats going to be the least of it: Donald Trump claims US is facing a bloodbath if he loses November election Photo courtesy: wikipedia.org Mumbai: Avtar Saini, the former Intel India head, who played a pivotal role in designing the Pentium processor, died on Wednesday morning following an accident in Navi Mumbai, media reports said. The 68-year-old was riding his bicycle with a group of cyclists around 5:50 am on Palm Beach Road in Nerul when a speeding taxi struck his bicycle from behind, NDTV reported. Witnesses reported that Saini's bicycle became lodged under the car, and he was dragged for a distance as the driver attempted to flee the scene. The cab driver was nabbed by the other cyclists and turned over to the police. Police have filed a case of reckless driving and causing death due to negligence against him. However, police noted that he has not yet been arrested, the report said. Saini was a resident of Chembur and lived alone after his wife passed away three years ago. He was due to visit his son and daughter, who live in the US, next month. Gokul V Subramaniam, the president of Intel India, expressed his sorrow on Saini's passing. He said that the prolific inventor would be fondly remembered as a valuable mentor at Intel. "At Intel, we are deeply saddened by the demise of former country manager and director of Intel South Asia, Avtar Saini. Avtar played a key role in setting up the Intel R&D center in India. Avtar will be remembered as a prolific inventor, an outstanding leader and a valuable mentor," he wrote in a post on LinkedIn. Saini was Intel Indias vice president from 1982 to 2004 when he helped design several processors, including Intel 386, Intel 486, and the popular Pentium processor. Image Credit: Video grab Kolkata: Hours after the arrest of Trinamool Congress strongman SheikhShahjahan in the Sandeshkhali land-grab and sexual assault case, the party announced its decision to suspend him from its ranks for six years. According to reports, he was arrested in the North Parganas district. Announcing on Thursday, TMC MP Derek OBrien said, We have decided to suspend Shahjahan Sheikh from the party for six years. As always, we walk the talk. We have set examples in the past, and we are doing that again today. The TMC strongman in Sandeshkhali had been escaping the police for the past 55 days before being arrested by the West Bengal Police early on Thursday. Following his arrest, he was remanded to police custody for 10 days by a local court. After his appearance in court, the TMC leader was taken to the CID headquarters at Bhavani Bhawan in Kolkata. Sources indicate that the case is likely to be transferred to the CID. Sheikh and his aides are key figures in cases involving land grab and allegations of sexual harassment that emerged after violent protests erupted in Sandeshkhali island, located in the North 24 Parganas district. He had been in hiding since January 5, following an incident where a group of his supporters attacked a team of ED officials near his residence in Sandeshkhali. Sandeshkhali incident The turmoil in Sandeshkhali, a remote block about 80 kms from Kolkata and a part of the Basirhat sub-division of North 24 Parganas district, broke out first in early January when a team of Enforcement Directorate (ED) reached TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan's residence to quiz him in connection with the ration distribution scam in the state. Shahjahan's aides allegedly assaulted and chased the ED officers turning the area into a political hotspot months ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. While Shahjahan, the Pradhan of Zila Parishad in Sandeshkhali, is now absconding, several women from the village came out with brooms and sticks demanding the arrest of the TMC strongman. The protesting women have alleged Shahjahan and his aides captured several lands forcefully and sexually harassed them. Reacting to the allegations, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said in the state assembly on Thursday, "By targeting Shahjahan, ED entered into the area and then created a rift between the Adivasis and minorities." "If there is any genuine complaint, the government will take action. But first, I have to learn what has happened," she added. DYouville University plans to open a new $175 million College of Osteopathic Medicine on its West Side campus, expanding its focus on the health professions with a program that it hopes to grow to 720 students to help address the local and national shortage of healthcare workers. The new medical school would be housed in a new academic building that DYouville is constructing on the site of a parking lot at 443 West Ave., a block away from the $30 million Health Professions Hub the university opened in 2021. DYouville officials believe that the new medical school would be an important expansion of its healthcare offerings and would enhance the pipeline of graduates that could be hired for key positions in the medical profession, particularly in the local area. The proposed College of Osteopathic Medicine is intended to be an economic driver for Buffalos Westside, responding to physician shortages and improving our communitys access and acceptability to high quality healthcare, said DYouville President Lorrie Clemo. Adding a medical school is a continuation of our overall strategic plan, which has been focused on the advanced health professions, said Nick Fiume, a CPA with Dobkins & Co. who is serving as DYouville's acting chief financial officer. We have built doctoral programs in chiropractic, nursing, physical therapy and pharmacy, and now about 90% of our students are in the health professions, Fiume said. Healthcare today is all about care teams with a doctor who leads a cohort of health professionals. So, adding a doctor of osteopathic medicine fills that lead position on the care team. D'Youville gets $3.2M federal grant to woo future health workers DYouville applied for and won a $3.2 million grant from the federal Health Resources and Service Administration to provide opportunities and support to potential health workers of the future, including a focus on rural high school students. DYouvilles proposed College of Osteopathic Medicine would be the fourth such school in New York state and the second in Upstate New York. Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Erie, Pa., offers a doctoral program and other degrees in osteopathic health for about 650 students at its Elmira campus. Osteopathy is a holistic approach to medicine that emphasizes preventive care, lifestyle and mental health. Fiume said 95% of the curriculum for osteopathic medicine is the same as that for allopathic or conventional medicine. For medical doctors, the other 5% is research-focused, Fiume said, while for doctors of osteopathy, that 5% focuses on body manipulation that has been compared to chiropractic treatment. Osteopathy is one of the fastest growing healthcare professions, representing 25% of all medical students in the U.S. and 11% of all doctors, according to the American Osteopathic Association. Additionally, Fiume said, osteopathic doctors are more likely to focus on primary care and related fields, which are in short supply. Creation of a new medical school in the Buffalo community is expected to have a substantial impact on both DYouville University and the surrounding community, DYouville wrote in its application. In addition to 720 new students at full capacity, the program will enhance the reputation and draw of existing undergraduate health programs at the University and further a pipeline with major local health care providers to address workforce shortages, particularly with primary care physicians, DYouville wrote. D'Youville plans new $100 million academic building If approved, construction would begin in May 2023 and finish by January 2025, involving more than 300 construction jobs. DYouville has built a reputation as a health professions school by increasingly investing in training the regions healthcare workforce. It currently serves 3,000 students and employs 400 faculty and staff over four schools, the School of Nursing, School of Pharmacy, School of Health Professions and School of Arts, Sciences and Education. The university laid out its newest plans in an application for $48 million in taxable bonds from an affiliate of the the Erie County Industrial Development Agency to help cover startup costs. The agencys Industrial Land Development Corp. approved the bond funding Wednesday. DYouville is just starting construction on the project, which will be a four-story academic building with 110,000 square feet of space at the West Avenue site. The new building will occupy the 2.1-acre site already owned by DYouville and currently used as its parking Lot D. DYouville first revealed plans for the new academic building in late 2022, but only said at the time that it would be used to expand its healthcare programs. It will include simulation space and a new gross anatomy lab that all of the universitys healthcare programs can use, Fiume said. The medical school site is down the block from DYouvilles new Health Professions Hub at the corner of Connecticut Street and West Avenue. That medical education space and community health center includes a primary care clinic, pharmacy, physical and occupational rehabilitation and nutrition, among other services. Health Professions Hub expands D'Youville's role on the West Side DYouville College Health Professions Hub opens Thursday to redouble the school mission to educate students and serve its surrounding West Side community. Overall, DYouville will invest $175 million to start the new school. That includes $100 million for the new building itself, which will be built by Embree Group of Texas and leased back to DYouville. An additional $50 million in reserve funds is required by the accrediting body, the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation, in case the program fails to gain traction, and another $25 million is needed for startup costs for the first three years it will take to break even at 400 students. Fiume said DYouville has $160 million in net assets, $70 million of which are liquid. Fiume said DYouville is investing $35 million of its cash to finance the project, and would obtain financing for the remainder of the cost. That includes the bonds, which allow the university to tap a much broader pool of investors than if DYouville just sought out another bank, Fiume said. The bonds can also be more easily sold between investors later, he added. DYouville is in a pretty strong position going into this, in part because of focus on healthcare programs, Fiume said, also citing its lower discount rate than many of its Northeast peers. But DYouville is still a relatively small university. Its a big lift, and the ability to finance the building directly comes after the accreditation and permission to enroll students. Construction staging began this week, but the school wont be completed until summer 2026, in time for the second year of students. In the interim, Fiume said DYouville can accommodate the new classes in existing facilities. The osteopathic medical college would start with 90 students in summer 2025 and achieve full accreditation on graduating its first class in 2029, DYouville said in its bond application. The medical school would serve 720 students by year six and create 50 jobs, half of them medical faculty who will command average salaries of $240,000. The other half of the jobs would be for administrative and professional staff, who are projected to earn $71,000 on average, DYouville said. Fiume said that with the University at Buffalos Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences school serving about 800 students, DYouville would nearly double the number of medical students living and practicing in the community within a few years. Since many people tend to settle near where they went to college, graduate school or did a residency, Fiume said there is a lot of potential for DYouville medical graduates to stay and work in primary care in Western New York. As a healthcare-focused school, this will also allow us to expand undergraduate programs to offer a pre-med program to build on, he added. And part of the universitys vision is to better connect our local community with our students in the health professions. DYouville is also teaching out the psychology doctoral program from the former Medaille University, which closed in August, to allow students to complete their degrees. DYouville hired four former Medaille faculty to teach the program in hopes of adding it permanently at DYU. News Business Reporter Jonathan D. Epstein contributed to this story. Photo courtesy: video grab | wikipedia.org Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court Thursday refused to hear the bail plea of TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan, who managed to evade arrest for 55 days for attacking ED officials and is also the key figure in multiple allegations of land grab and sexual assault in West Bengal's Sandeshkhali. The High Court bench headed by Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam said it had no sympathy for Shahjahan. The lawyer representing Sheikh Shahjahan faced a stern response from the High Court bench when he presented the anticipatory bail petition before the court on Thursday morning. "Certain observations were made by your Lordships against my client," the lawyer said. Chief Justice Sivagnanam replied, "Wonderful, we were waiting for you." "Mr Counsel, this man has some 43 cases against him. Mind you, now for next 10 years, this man will keep you busy. You will have to handle all his cases till next 10 years at least," the Chief Justice added, according to Bar and Bench. The Chief Justice refused to hear the bail plea and asked Shahjahans lawyer to return on Monday. On Wednesday, the court had ruled the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) are free to arrest Trinamool Congress strongman Sheikh Shahjahan. In his bail plea, Shahjahan said, "My anticipatory bail was rejected. I was arrested last night. I cannot mention before the regular bench now." "Come on Monday. We have got no sympathy for that person. Please come on Monday, not now," the bench told his lawyer, who presented the petition before it. The turmoil in Sandeshkhali, a remote block about 80 kms from Kolkata and a part of the Bashirhat sub-division of North 24 Parganas district, broke out first in early January when a team of Enforcement Directorate (ED) reached TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan's residence to quiz him in connection with the ration distribution scam in the state. Shahjahan's aides allegedly assaulted and chased the ED officers turning the area into a political hotspot, months ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. Photo courtesy: Instagram video grab New Delhi: Malayalam actress Lena Thursday said that she has married Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, a Gaganyaan pilot. The news came shortly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the names of the four Indian Air Force pilots selected for India's inaugural human space travel mission, Gaganyaan. Taking to Instagram, Lena explained that she had to withhold the news of her marriage to Nair until the legally required period of anonymity had passed. Lena confirmed that she tied the knot with Group Captain Nair on January 17. This is her second marriage. Sharing a video with glimpses from the event attended by PM Modi and their wedding, she wrote, "Today, on February 27, 2024, our Prime Minister, Modi ji, presented the first Indian astronaut wings to Indian Air Force fighter pilot and Group Captain Prashant Balakrishnan Nair. This is a historical moment of pride for our country, Kerala, and for me. To keep the secrecy officially demanded, I have been waiting for this announcement to inform you that I have married Prashant on January 17, 2024, in a traditional ceremony." In the collage, the newly married couple can be seen adorned with garlands, posing with their families in traditional attire. On Tuesday, Prime Minister Modi released the identities of the four astronaut candidates selected to undergo training for India's inaugural human spaceflight mission. In addition to Group Captain Prashanth Nair, the other chosen Indian Air Force pilots include Group Captain Ajit Krishnan, Group Captain Angad Pratap, and Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla. These four astronauts received training at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Russia. During his visit to Kerala, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inspected the advancement of the Gaganyaan mission and presented Astronaut Wings to the four candidates at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre. The Gaganyaan mission will mark India's first human spaceflight program, and significant preparations are ongoing at various ISRO facilities in preparation for it. Photo courtesy: X/MKStalin Chennai/IBNS/UNI: The ruling DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance in Tamil Nadu Thursday clinched a seat-sharing agreement with its allies, the two Left parties CPI and CPI(M) for the ensuing Lok Sabha polls. Under the agreement both the parties were allotted two seats. According to the agreement, the DMK allotted two seats to the CPI(M), and the pact was signed by DMK President and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K.Stalin and CPI(M) State Secretary K.Balakrishnan after the third round of talks at the DMK headquarters Anna Arivalayam here. The DMK allotted two seats to CPI and the agreement was signed by Stalin and CPI State Unit Secretary R.Mutharasan. The DMK had earlier finalised the seat-sharing pact with IUML and KMDK allotting one seat each--presently held by them. While IUML was allotted the Ramanathapuram seat, the KMDK was given the Namakkal seat. IUML President K M Khader Moideen said sitting MP Nawaz Kani will be re-elected as the candidate for the seat. The DMK-led front, which had won 39 out of the 40 seats, including the lone seat in the Union Territory of Puducherry, in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, is eyeing an encore and has commenced seat-sharing talks with its alliance parties. The DMK Thursday held the third round of seat-sharing talks with the MDMK, which has sought two Lok Sabha seats and a Rajya Sabha seat. An interesting alliance scenario is likely to emerge for the polls with Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) of actor-politician Kamal Haasan expected to ally with the DMK-led alliance, that has Congress, the two Left parties--the CPI and the CPI(M)--MDMK, VCK, KMDK, Tamizhaga Vaazhvurimai Katchi, IUML and Manithaneya Makkal Katchi (MMK) in its fold. Reports said that the Congress has been asked to allot two seats from its quota to Kamal's party which is likely to contest under the Congress symbol. However, a final picture will emerge in the coming days. Though speculations were rife over the last few weeks, the MNM is yet to formally announce its alliance with the DMK-led front. The DMK had already formed various committees to hold seat-sharing talks and prepare themanifesto for the polls. The committee members also started visiting various districts to elicit the views of the public before drafting the manifesto. It has also taken the lead by starting seat-sharing talks with its allies and has already held talks with its key allies, Congress, MDMK, VCK, and others. Photo courtesy: Screenshot grab Kolkata/IBNS: Just months ahead of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024, West Bengal's Sandeshkhali turned out to be a heated political battleground after the state's ruling party Trinamool Congress (TMC)'s now expelled leader Sheikh Shahjahan faced charges of land grabbing and sexual abuse from women of the area, which falls in North 24 Parganas. As the mass protests by women demanding the arrest of Shahjahan, who was only on Thursday nabbed from Minakha by state police after 56 days since he went absconding, swelled up in Sandeshkhali, the bitter political rivalries between the TMC and spirited opposition camp Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) soared. Shahjahan's two aides, Shibaprasad Hazra or Shibu Hazra and Uttar Sardar- co-accused of land grabbing and sexual abuse- were arrested earlier this month. Genesis of the case On January 5, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials reached Shahjahan's residence to quiz him in connection with the ration distribution scam, in which erstwhile state Food and Supplies Minister Jyotipriya Mallick is already in jail. In quite an unanticipated reaction, the ED officials were attacked allegedly by Shahjahan's followers who were in huge numbers and were forced to flee the spot boarding a vehicle of a news organisation. Shahjahan- the head of an administrative block in Sandeshkhali- was an aide of Mallick, who is accused of diverting a huge sum of money from the food distribution system. After Shahjahan went absconding from Sandeshkhali- an island where one can reach through ferry services from Dhamakhali in North 24 Parganas- a few women came out in protests against the leader accusing him of land grabbing for over a decade. The protests escalated in February when a large of number of women with brooms, sticks gathered to demand the arrest of Shahjahan accusing him of sexual abuse. Several women with most of them covering their faces accused Shahjahan and his aides of calling them to the local party office at odd hours. Some accused the TMC leaders of sexual abuse. "They used to call good looking women at night. If they don't turn up, their husbands will be beaten up," protesters told the press. "When we used to file a complaint with police, we were asked to talk to Shahjahan," another protester said. Fresh round of protests have started in #Sandeshkhali. Instead of arresting Shahjahan Sheikh, WB Police randomly picked up the protestors... They barged into their homes and picked up the men. How dare they protest against Mamata Banerjee and men in her criminal syndicate? pic.twitter.com/MqlnpnU26W Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) February 23, 2024 The protests, which were mostly led by women, turned out to be recurrent incidents in the area featuring in the headlines of the news channels and newspapers nationally. Police on Thursday nabbed Shahjahan only after the Calcutta High Court cleared no stay was put on his arrest in connection with the January 5 incident, a claim put forward by the TMC top brass, a party which is at loggerheads with the BJP which runs the Centre. TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee last Sunday claimed police could not arrest Shahjahan due to a stay order by the Calcutta High Court. The claim was outrightly rejected by the high court. In another direction, the high court on Wednesday said police or ED or Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) can arrest Shahjahan, who has been now remanded to 10-day police custody by the Basirhat court. Sheikh Shahjahan after arrest | Photo courtesy: Screenshot grab from video Political firestorm In a remote similarity with the 2007/2008 Singur and Nandigram land movements that catapulted TMC chief Mamata Banerjee to power a few years later, the Sandeshkhali incident triggered a political slugfest between the ruling party and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's BJP just months ahead of the General Elections. In her initial remarks, Mamata, a three-term Chief Minister and a seasoned politician, had said in the state assembly, "By targeting Shahjahan, ED entered into the area and then BJP entered and created a rift between the Adivasis and minorities." "If there is any genuine complaint, the government will take action. But first, I have to learn what has happened," she added. Facing a barrage of protests from the locals, the TMC, which rules the state from 2011, set up camps in Sandeshkhali to register complaints and also claimed to have solved many of them. Sandeshkhali violence | Photo courtesy: Screenshot grab from video Leader of Opposition (LoP) and BJP MLA Suvendu Adhikari, who was at the forefront of the BJP's protests against the TMC government, claimed Shahjahan's arrest was a "mutual understanding". Adhikari posted on X, "Told you so yesterday, that the Scoundrel of Sandeshkhali - Sheikh Shahjahan is in the safe custody of Mamata Police. "His so-called arrest (on basis of mutual understanding) has been declared now as the nitty-gritties of the deal between him and Mamata Police regarding the facilities he would be enjoying in lockup and prison have been finalised." Told you so yesterday, that the Scoundrel of Sandeshkhali - Sheikh Shahjahan is in the safe custody of Mamata Police. His so called arrest (on basis of mutual understanding) has been declared now as the nitty-gritties of the deal between him and Mamata Police regarding the https://t.co/n313b0Tkbf Suvendu Adhikari (@SuvenduWB) February 29, 2024 Photo courtesy: Fired scientist Dr. Xiangguo Qui/ courtesy: X/@bobconfer Winnipeg/IBNS: A scientist couple from Winnipeg was fired from Canadas top infectious disease lab as he was working to benefit China, a Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) assessment says. Working in the Level 4 virology facility at the Winnipeg-based National Microbiology Lab, equipped to deal with the most serious and deadly human and animal diseases, Dr. Xiangguo Qui and her husband Keding Cheng were fired from the facility in July 2019 and were stripped of their security clearances. One of the scientists fired from Canada's top infectious disease laboratory "intentionally" shared scientific information with China potentially putting people's health in jeopardy says an assessment by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service https://t.co/gnQNnINkgu Bob Confer (@bobconfer) February 29, 2024 Opposition parties had hoped the documents would shed light on why their dismissals were announced in January 2021, triggering concerns about Chinese espionage. Qiu was using the lab as a base to assist China to improve its capability to fight highly-pathogenic pathogens and achieved brilliant results, according to the documents released on Tuesday. The agency said that during interviewing her, she repeatedly lied when confronted about her association with China and her involvement in various Chinese programs, even when she was presented with the evidence. Those programs are set up to boost Chinas national technological capabilities and may pose a serious threat to research institutions, including government research facilities, by incentivizing economic espionage and theft of intellectual property, CSIS report said. The released documents showed that Qiu provided Beijing with the Ebola genetic sequence, which opened a door of convenience for China, wrote CSIS. Qiu was accused by CSIS of being associated with multiple talent programs administered and funded by various Chinese entities, calling her reckless judgement regarding decisions that could have impacted public safety and the interests of Canada. In a statement, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre accused the Liberal government of allowing the Chinese government and its entities to infiltrate Canadas top-level lab. This is a massive national security failure by Justin Trudeau and his Liberal government, which he fought tooth and nail to cover up. Although Canadas Health Minister Mark Holland acknowledged the documents reveal as lax adherence to security protocols, he insisted that at no time did national secrets or information that threatened the security of Canada leave the lab. I think that there was an inadequate understanding of the threat of foreign interferencean earnest effort was made to adhere to those policies, but not with the rigour that was required, he told reporters. (Reporting by Asha Bajaj) Kangana Ranaut recently praised Anant Ambani after the latter spoke about his siblings in a recent interview. The Bollywood actress was so impressed by his ideologies that she called him cultured, rooted and sensible. Furthermore, she applauded him for not hanging out with the "Bollywoodia mafia druggie gang". Kangana Ranaut praises Anant Ambani BCCL Ahead of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant's pre-wedding celebrations, the family organised Anna Seva to seek the blessings of the local communities. In one of the clips doing the rounds, he compared his elder brother Akash to Lord Ram and sister Isha to Mata Rani. Touched by this, Kangana praised him on X (formerly called Twitter). "He seems really cultured, rooted and sensible, also doesnt hang out with the bollywoodia mafia druggie gang wish him the best," she wrote. What did Anant Ambani say about brother Akash and sister Isha? He seems really cultured, rooted and sensible , also doesnt hang out with the bollywoodia mafia druggie gang wish him the best https://t.co/TJv4LHcqqD Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) February 28, 2024 He was quoted as saying, "So, theres no scope for competition between us. Mera bhai mera Ram hai, aur meri been ekdum mere liye mata ke swaroop mein aati hai... Humare beech mein koi competition nahi hai... As long as we trust each other, there's no way we'll compete. We are very close." Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant's pre-wedding celebrations The pre-wedding celebrations are all set to kick off on March 1. A day before that, Anna Seva was organised to seek blessings of local community on February 28. About 1,000 guests are expected to attend. For the three-day festivities, the guests have started arriving already. On the first day, there is a cocktail party called 'An Evening in Everland'. On the second day, the guests will taken for a 'A Walk on the Wildside' for which they have been advised to wear comfortable clothing and shoes. On the third day, they will celebrate the cultural heritage of India with 'Hastakshar' as the theme. Also Read: Anant Ambani Weight Loss Journey: How He Lost 108 Kgs In 18 Months & Made Impossible Possible Also Read: From Childhood Friends To Fiances, Fairy Tale Love Story Of Anant Ambani And Radhika Merchant For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment. Sameer Wankhede, a former officer of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) who oversaw the drugs investigation on Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan's son Aryan, expressed sympathy for the parents of drug users. He told Lallantop, "I won't talk about him (Shah Rukh Khan). But whenever we take action against someone (in a drugs-related case), we feel bad for their parents and relatives. Especially if that person has consumed (the drugs) or is in a habit of it. You feel that the person must be sent to rehab," said Wankhede. "We once had caught a woman who was a drug peddler. She had young children. So in such cases, we feel bad. But at the end of the day, it is our duty (to catch such people)," he added. X Why was Aryan Khan arrested by NCB? Aryan Khan, the son of Shah Rukh Khan, was detained by the NCB in October 2021 in relation to a drug bust case involving a Mumbai cruise. It was claimed that Aryan Khan was in possession of and consuming illegal substances and narcotics while on the cruise. Aryan Khan was allegedly using narcotics when he went to a party on a Mumbai cruise with his pals. It required several hearings and more than a week of custody for Aryan Khan to be freed on bail. Also read: 'Sounds Very Roadside': Former NCB Chief Sameer Wankhede Responds To Shah Rukh Khan's Dialogue Aryan Khan was declared not guilty and cleared in the narcotics bust case by NCB following several months of judicial proceedings. X Aryan's arrest resulted in the leakage of alleged conversations between Shah Rukh and Sameer Wankhede, in which the actor begged Wankhede to have mercy on his son. Also read: Amid Jawan's Success, Sameer Wankhede Wins Big In Rs 25 Crore Bribery Case Involving Aryan For those who don't know, With the establishment of Slab Ventures in 2022, Khan, along with his business associates Bunty Singh and Leti Blagoeva, started a luxury collective brand called D'yavol, which takes its name from the Bulgarian word for devil. They collaborated with Anheuser-Busch InBev, a brewing corporation, to introduce D'yavol Vodka, a premium vodka brand. After being remade in various languages, now Jeetu Joseph's Drishyam is all set to get a Hollywood remake. The original 2013 film that starred Mohanlal, Meena, Ansiba Hassan and Esther Anil has already been remade in four Indian languages. Now, an English version is also in the works. Drishyam's English Remake According to a Variety report, Panorama, the producer of the Hindi version for Viacom18 Motion Pictures, has secured the global remake rights for Drishyam 1 and 2 from the original producers, Aashirvad Cinemas. X The publication quoted Kumar Mangat Pathak, who is Panorama's chairman and MD, as saying, "Drishyam's clever narrative has a universal appeal and we are keen to celebrate this story with audiences worldwide. After Korea and Hollywood, our mission is to produce Drishyam in 10 countries in the next three to five years." Mike Karz and Bill Bindley, co-founders of Gulfstream, have previously brought to the screen the romantic comedy Blended, featuring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore, as well as the workplace comedy Upgraded. In a joint statement, they said, "The film is a timeless thriller that has entranced audiences across the globe. We cant wait to bring the movie to fans here in the US." Drishyam's remakes X The crime thriller was first remade in Kannada in 2014. This one starred Ravichandran, Navya Nair, Swaroopini Narayan and Unnathi among others. In 2015, the film was remade in Hindi and featured Ajay Devgn and Tabu in the lead roles. Both films were super hit. In the same year, Tamil version Papanasam starring Kamal Haasan, Gautami, Nivetha Thomas and Esther Anil was released. It was also remade in Sinhala language as Dharmayuddhaya (2017) and in Chinese as Sheep Without a Shepherd (2019). The Indonesian remake was announced in September 2021, making it the first Indian film to be remade in Indonesian. The Korean remake was announced in May 2023. For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment. French-Canadian filmmaker Denis Villeneuve is just a few films old in the industry and yet he is hailed as one of the best filmmakers at present. As his next highlight anticipated film Dune Part 2 is all set for its release on March 1 (on IMAX, the Hollywood film is released a day in advance on February 29), here is all the information about Dune Part 2 OTT release. Where to watch Dune 2? X The original film, Dune 1, was released simultaneously on OTT as well as in theatres. However, with Dune 2, that is not the case. The film will likely be streamed on HBO MAX. In India, Dune 2 will be available for streaming on Jio Cinema as Warner Bros had a partnership with Jio for their forthcoming content. When to watch Dune 2? While the official confirmation of the same is awaited, Dune 2 will likely be streamed on three to four months after its theatrical release. More about Dune Part 2 If reports are to be believed, the second film continues the adaptation of Frank Herbert's acclaimed best-seller Dune. It follows Paul Atreides' (Timothee Chalamet) mythic journey as he unites with Chani (Zendaya) and the Fremen to get revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Tim Blake Nelson, Souheila Yacoub, and Lea Seydoux are also newcomers in Dune: Part 2 as well as Lady Margot, a Bene Gesserit. Chalamet, Zendaya, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Skarsgrd, Dave Bautista, Charlotte Rampling, and Stephen McKinley Henderson are all back in the cast. Villeneuve co-wrote the sequels script with Jon Spaihts and directed it. The Frank Herbert novel-based drama directed by Denis Villeneuve was nominated for 10 Academy Awards and took home six of them. Also Read: From 'Dune 2' To 'Pushpa 2': 19 Biggest Movie Sequels We Are Excited To Watch In 2024 Also Read: There's A Lot To Be Excited About! 27 Highly Anticipated Indian Movies Of 2024 That Look Promising For more news and updates from the world of OTT, and celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment. Holi 2024: Holi, the festival of colours, will be celebrated on Wednesday, March 25, 2024. The festivities will begin on March 24 with Holika Dahan or Chhoti Holi and people celebrate Dulhandi or Rangwali Holi on March 25. The festival of colours is just around the corner and everyone has already got into the Holi spirit. Following the tradition, schools are going to organise special morning assemblies where students will prepare speeches and address the school about the significance of Holi. A set of speeches in English has been curated to assist students in articulating their thoughts about the auspicious festival of Holi. These speeches encompass the mythological significance of Holi and trace its evolution into a celebrated festival. Whether you require a brief or extensive speech, the available material offers a variety for you to choose from. Feel free to explore this content and select the speech that resonates most with you. 2 Minute Short speech on Holi for students Greetings everyone, Today, I want to talk about Holi, the vibrant festival of colours! Celebrated in the spring season, Holi is more than just throwing colours; it signifies the triumph of good over evil, the blossoming of new beginnings, and the strengthening of bonds. The festivities begin with Holika Dahan, a symbolic bonfire representing the burning of negativity. The next day, streets come alive with a kaleidoscope of colours as people playfully chase and smear each other with vibrant powders and water balloons. The laughter and joy are contagious, breaking down barriers and fostering a sense of community. Holi is not just about fun, though. It's a time to mend broken relationships, seek forgiveness, and connect with loved ones over delicious traditional sweets like Gujiya and Thandai. So, as we celebrate Holi, let's embrace its spirit of joy, togetherness, and new beginnings. May the colours of Holi paint our lives with happiness and hope. Thank you! Long Speech On Holi 2024 Greetings everyone, I stand before you today to delve into the vibrant world of Holi, the festival of colours, celebrated with immense joy and enthusiasm across India and other parts of the world. Holi transcends its playful surface, carrying deep-rooted cultural significance and timeless messages. A Tale of Triumph and Renewal Holi's story can be traced back to the legend of King Hiranyakashyap, an arrogant ruler who sought immortality and demanded his subjects worship him as God. His pious son, Prahlad, refused, remaining loyal to Lord Vishnu. Enraged, the King hatched several plans to kill Prahlad, each failing due to divine intervention. Finally, Hiranyakashyap's sister, Holika, who possessed a boon to be immune to fire, agreed to enter a pyre with Prahlad on her lap. However, the fire backfired, burning Holika and saving Prahlad, symbolizing the victory of good over evil and righteousness over arrogance. This event is commemorated on the eve of Holi with Holika Dahan, the bonfire representing the burning of negativity. A Tapestry of Colours The primary day of Holi, also known as Rangwali (meaning "coloured"), is an explosion of vibrant hues. People of all ages, social backgrounds, and faiths come together, armed with dry colours (gulal) and water balloons filled with coloured water. Streets transform into a playful battleground, filled with laughter, shrills, and the joyous spirit of camaraderie. The colours, symbolic of spring's arrival and nature's rejuvenation, are not merely pigments; they represent different aspects of life: Red: signifies love and passion. Yellow: embodies optimism and new beginnings. Green: represents growth and harmony with nature. Blue: denotes calmness and peace. Holi transcends religious boundaries, promoting a sense of unity and equality as everyone gets drenched in the same colours. It's a time to shed inhibitions, forgive past grievances, and embrace new beginnings. Beyond the Playful Exterior Holi is not just about the exuberant festivities. It offers valuable lessons: The importance of community: Holi fosters a sense of belonging and strengthens the social fabric by bringing people together irrespective of their social status or background. The spirit of forgiveness: Holi encourages us to let go of past grudges and embrace forgiveness, fostering a sense of peace and harmony. Celebrating life's vibrancy: The colours of Holi remind us to embrace the diverse and vibrant nature of life, appreciating its richness and beauty. Holi is more than just a festival; it's an experience that transcends cultural and religious limitations. It's a celebration of life, harmony, and the triumph of good over evil. As we partake in this vibrant festival, let us carry its message of unity, forgiveness, and new beginnings throughout the year, making our lives and the world around us a little more colourful and joyful. Thank you. 10 Lines on Holi 2024 Holi is known as the festival of colours. The Hindu festival marks the transition from winter to spring, earning it the name "festival of spring." Holi symbolises the triumph of good over evil. The festival also commemorates the divine love between Radha and Krishna. Holi celebrations kick off on the evening of the Purnima in the Phalguna month of the Hindu calendar, corresponding to March in the Gregorian calendar, with the ritual of Holika Dahan. This year, Holi will be celebrated on March 25. People engage in religious rituals by a bonfire, praying for the eradication of their internal evils, mirroring the fate of Holika, the sister of the demon king Hiranyakashipu, who met her end in the fire. The following morning is celebrated as Rangwali Holi, where people joyfully smear and drench each other with vibrant colours. Pichkaris (water guns) and water-filled balloons add to the festive fun. Holi is a culinary delight featuring delicacies such as gujia, malpua, thandai, and more. Mathura, Vrindavan, Barsana, and Nandgaon are renowned for their grand celebrations of Holi. Welcome Speech for Holi Celebration Ladies and Gentlemen, Good [morning/afternoon/evening], I extend a warm and colourful welcome to each one of you as we gather here today to celebrate the joyous festival of Holi. It's a delight to see this vibrant assembly, filled with the spirit of camaraderie and festivity. Holi, the festival of colours, is a time when we come together to embrace the arrival of spring, bidding farewell to winter's chill. It is a celebration that goes beyond mere colours, as it signifies the triumph of good over evil, truth over falsehood, and the joy that radiates from unity. Today, we embark on a journey of laughter, sharing, and merriment. Holi is not just a festival; it's a kaleidoscope of emotions where each colour holds a unique significance. It is an opportunity to immerse ourselves in the vibrant hues of love, compassion, and understanding. As we partake in the festivities, let us remember the essence of Holi a celebration that transcends barriers, erases differences, and brings people together. It's a time to renew friendships, mend broken relationships, and rejoice in the collective spirit of joy. We have a wonderful array of activities planned for today, including the traditional throwing of colours, water balloons, and the lively music that echoes the spirit of Holi. So, let us revel in the festivities, share laughter, and create memories that will last a lifetime. May this Holi fill our lives with the brilliance of colours and the warmth of togetherness. Once again, a heartfelt welcome to each one of you. Let the celebration begin! Thank you. For more informative articles on historical and upcoming events from around the world, please visit Indiatimes Events. A Buffalo man accused of shooting another man to death in June 2022 was arraigned Wednesday before State Supreme Court Justice Paul B. Wojtaszek on an indictment charging him with second-degree murder and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, according to the Erie County District Attorney's Office. Prosecutors said Abdulla Abdalla, 25, is accused of shooting Monroe J. Cross III, 40, inside a home in the 100 block of Grote Street in Buffalo's Grant-Amherst neighborhood at about 8:15 a.m. on June 20, 2022. Cross was transported by ambulance to Erie County Medical Center where he later died. Abdalla was held without bail. Prosecutors said a return court date was not scheduled Wednesday. If convicted of the highest charge against him, he faces a maximum prison sentence of 25 years to life. Abdalla previously pleaded guilty to charges stemming from a 2021 nonfatal shooting incident on Howell Street near Amherst Street in the city's Black Rock neighborhood, and was sentenced to five years in prison in September 2023. Harold McNeil District Attorney John J. Flynn commended the Buffalo Police Department for its work in solving the most recent shooting case against Abdalla. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Rebecca L. Schnirel of the Homicide Bureau and Assistant District Attorney William Fitzgerald of the Felony Trials Bureau. International Women's Day is a special day celebrated every year on March 8th. It's a day to honor and recognise the achievements of women around the world. It's also a day to raise awareness about gender equality and women's rights. On this day, people come together to show their support for women's empowerment and to celebrate the progress that has been made towards gender equality. It's a day to celebrate the strength, resilience, and contributions of women in all walks of life. International Women's Day is an important reminder that we still have work to do to achieve true gender equality. UN Women's announced the theme for IWD 2024 is "Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress." It emphasizes empowering women to address global crises and create a healthier, safer, and more equitable world. International Women's Day's 2024 campaign theme, "Inspire Inclusion," promotes diversity and empowerment, urging for equal opportunities for women in all fields. On International Women's Day 2024, we celebrate the achievements of women in various fields, including law enforcement. India has seen a rise in the number of women IPS officers, who are making significant contributions to the country's security and law enforcement. Here are seven women IPS officers who have made a mark in their respective fields. 1. Vimla Mehra Vimla Mehra | Photo: BCCL A 1978 batch IPS officer from the Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram, and Union Territories (AGMUT) cadre, Vimla Mehra has held various roles within the Delhi Police. She also served as the Director General of Tihar Jail in 2012. During her tenure, she implemented numerous changes, including the introduction of vocational programs aimed at equipping inmates with employment-oriented skills. Notably, she initiated foreign language courses for female inmates and undertrials. As the head of the Crime Against Women Cell, she established a women's helpline (1091) and implemented defense training programs for women. Her appointment as the first female Special Commissioner of Police in Delhi Police history marked a significant milestone. 2. Kanchan Chaudhary Bhattacharya Kanchan Chaudhary Bhattacharya | Photo: BCCL Kanchan Chaudhary Bhattacharya, born in Shimla in 1947, was a trailblazer in the Indian Police Service (IPS). She was the second woman to become an IPS officer in India and the first woman to rise to the rank of Director General of Police. She was also the first IPS officer in Uttar Pradesh. Kanchan represented India at the Interpol meeting in Cancun, Mexico in 2004. She was the chairperson of the All Indian Women in Police and the Police of Uttarakhand. Throughout her career, she received numerous accolades, including the President's medals in 1997 and 1989, the Rajiv Gandhi Award in 2004, and other honors for her exemplary work and achievements. Kanchan retired from service in 2007 and passed away in 2019 at the age of 72 after a long illness. She was known for her exceptional investigative skills, having solved high-profile cases such as the murder of seven-time national badminton champion Syed Modi in 1987 and the Reliance-Bombay Dyeing case in 1989. During her tenure as Assistant Commissioner of Police in Malihabad, Uttar Pradesh, she successfully tracked down 13 dacoits in a single year. 3. Sonia Narang Sonia Narang | Photo: BCCL Sonia Narang, a native of Chandigarh, is the daughter of a retired Deputy Superintendent of Police and a 2002 batch IPS officer. She holds a Gold medal in Sociology from Punjab University. During her career, she has served in various major cities in Karnataka. Her dedication and integrity have led to criminals fleeing wherever she has been posted. Narang gained public attention in 2006 when she slapped a politician during a protest between the two political parties. 4. Soumya Sambasivan Soumya Sambasivan | Photo: The Weekend Leader Soumya Sambasivan, the first female IPS officer in Shimla, is renowned for her strict discipline and her successful resolution of six murder cases, including two blind murder mysteries, during her two-year tenure in the Sirmaur district. Her achievements have garnered significant attention not only from the Sirmaur Police but also from the Himachal Police. Soumya holds a degree in Biology and has completed an M.B.A. in Marketing and Finance. She has also worked in a multinational bank. In addition to her law enforcement duties, Soumya is dedicated to preventing incidents of molestation of school and college girls. She has developed a special spray made from chili, refined oil, and nail paint, which, when used, incapacitates assailants for up to half an hour, rendering them unable to open their eyes. 5. Dr. Ruveda Salam Dr. Ruveda Salam | Photo: X Dr. Ruveda Salam became the first IPS officer from the Kashmir valley, fulfilling her father's dream of her joining the IPS. She completed her MBBS from the Government Medical College in Srinagar. After clearing the UPSC exam twice, she joined the IPS cadre and underwent training in Hyderabad. She was later posted in Chennai as Assistant Police Commissioner. She enjoys interacting with locals and learning about their culture. In 2015, she appeared for the civil services examination again to qualify for the Indian Administrative Service (IAS). 6. Sangeeta Kalia Sangeeta Kalia | Photo: X The daughter of a retired carpenter in Fatehabad police became the IPS after passing the UPSC exam in the third attempt in 2009. Her first posting was in the same department as SP. IPS Sangeeta Kalia's father Dharampal was working in Fatehabad Police and retired from there in 2010. Sangeeta did her schooling from Bhiwani and took the UPSC exam for the first time in 2005. In November 2016, an IPS Sangeeta Kalia posted in Fatehabad, Haryana refused to bow before the mood swings of cabinet minister Anil Vij. During a meeting over liquor smuggling, the minister accused the smuggling is happening because of police protection, the officer opposed the minister's argument and thats where the minister got irked. 7. Sanjukta Parashar Sanjukta Parashar | Photo: X Sanjukta Parashar, known as the Iron Lady of Assam, is a courageous officer who has taken down 16 militants. During her 15 months in Assam, she captured many terrorists alive and seized tons of arms and ammunition. In 2008, she became the Assistant Commandant of Makum. At the age of 23, she decided to appear for the UPSC examination and achieved her dream in 2006 through hard work. She was responsible for controlling ethnic violence between Bodo and illegal Bangladeshi militants in Udalguri. Sanjukta became one of the most feared police officers among Bodo militants when she led a team of CRPF soldiers armed with AK-47s in the terror-infested Sonitpur district. She graduated in Political Science from IP College, Delhi University, and pursued a master's degree in International Relations from JNU, as well as earning an M.Phil in US foreign policy. For more informative articles on historical and upcoming events from around the world, please visit Indiatimes Events. A video gone viral, showcasing an intoxicated educator entering a government school in Chhattisgarh's Bilaspur district with a liquor bottle concealed in his pocket, has stirred widespread fury on social media. Representational Image 'Is that a problem?': Drunk teacher's defence In the footage, a man confronts the teacher, identified as Santosh Kewat, about the alcohol in his possession. Unfazed, Kewat defiantly admits to his daily drinking habit, dismissing the man's concerns with a nonchalant "Koi dikkat (Is that a problem?)." Meanwhile, the person recording the video admonishes the teacher, highlighting the inappropriate nature of his actions in a school setting, emphasizing, "This behavior shouldnt be promoted at a school. Look! students are watching." Undeterred, Kewat proceeds to the staff room, proudly displaying his liquor bottle and encouraging the cameraman to capture the scene. Despite reminders from fellow teachers about being tardy, Kewat asserts, "Ill come late and its my wish." The incident, shared by journalist Sudhir Mishra on X, garnered significant attention, with the accompanying Hindi post urging for action: Keep doing Repost until fired. This teacher is playing with childrens future by openly drinking alcohol in school. Video of teacher Santosh Kewat in Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, goes viral. The outcry on social media prompted one netizen to directly appeal to Chhattisgarhs Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma, tweeting, "@vijaysharmacg sir look at the matter and permanently suspend him." Alcohol consumption in school raises concerns This incident follows a recent similar occurrence in Madhya Pradeshs Jabalpur, where a school teacher was suspended after being filmed in an inebriated state on school premises, further underscoring concerns about alcohol consumption among educators. Representational Image Such incidents highlight the need for stringent regulations and monitoring mechanisms within educational institutions to ensure the safety and well-being of students. Authorities in Chhattisgarh and across India continue to face the challenge of addressing such misconduct among educators to maintain the integrity and effectiveness of the education system. For more news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News. Just a few months ago, Wakeel Hassan was hailed a hero when he led a team of rat-hole mining experts who dug through the rubble to save the 41 construction workers who were trapped inside the tunnel in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand. On Wednesday he became homeless after the Development Authority (DDA) demolished his house. BCCL House demolished without notice Among the several houses razed by the DDA in Khajoori Khas of North East Delhi, one belonged to Hassan. On Wednesday, Hassan shared a video of the area, claiming the building he and his family were residing in was "razed in the drive". In the video, he also claimed that he had to go to a police station in connection with this incident. He was accompanied by Munna Qureshi, another member of his team that rescued the trapped workers, who also said they were beaten up by the police. Wakeel Hassan the rat miner who with his team rescued 41 workers trapped in the Uttarkashis Silkyara tunnel, drilling by hand to get to the trapped men, today has his home demolished.#WakeelHassan #Demolition #DDA #SilkyaraTunnel pic.twitter.com/WlUI4syskr Moaz (@moaz20in) February 28, 2024 This is what we got in return Hassan further alleged that the DDA's action was arbitrary and that they were not informed in advance. "We rescued 41 people in the Silkyara tunnel and in return we got this. Earlier, I had requested the authorities and the government to give this house to us but to no avail. Today, without any information, DDA came and demolished it," Hassan alleged. TWITTER Demolished for planned development According to DDA, the demolition drive was carried out on land that was part of planned development land. "On February 28, a demolition drive was conducted by the DDA to remove encroachment from its acquired land in village Khajoori Khas. The land was part of planned development land," the DDA said in a statement. The Delhi Police said several structures built illegally were demolished during the drive. Uttarakhand tunnel rescue The rat-hole miners from Delhi and UP were instrumental in the success of one of the most challenging rescue operations in India ever. BCCL When some of the most sophisticated machines failed to reach the 41 trapped men, it was the rat-hole miners who dug through the rubble and rescued them from the tunnel. For more news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News. A shocking video has emerged on social media showing a ride elephant attacking a female tourist in Rajasthan's Amer Fort. According to reports, the tourist, a Russian national was left with a fractured leg after she was flung into the air by the ride elephant, Gouri. SCREENGRAB Ride elephant attacks tourist Two others have also reportedly been injured in the angry outburst by the elephant. In the video released by PETA, Gouri also known as Elephant Number 86 can be seen violently swinging the female tourist, while another person seated on the jumbo also falls down. URGENT PLEA! Frustrated elephant Gouri attacks again! Call for her to be sent to a sanctuary, and appeal to Rajasthan authorities to swap elephant rides for eco-friendly electric vehicles at Amer Fort: https://t.co/KD3Xoe9VUm pic.twitter.com/zbqpsKLLQD PETA India (@PetaIndia) February 28, 2024 Second attack by same elephant PETA also pointed out that this is not the first time Gouri has turned violent and attacked humans. The animal rights group has also appealed to the state government to end elephant rides at Amer Fort and replace them with eco-friendly vehicles. Controversial elephant ride Over the years, elephant rides have become an integral part of a trip to the Amer fort in Jaipur. BCCL But animal rights groups have long alleged that the more than 80 captive elephants used as ride animals are overworked and abused by their mahouts. They also point out that these elephants which are not native to Rajasthan are forced to make several trips up and down the fort daily carrying tourists in temperatures above 40 degrees. BCCL In 2021, PET had released the concept design of a chariot that can be used for rides at the fort, instead of elephants. PETA said the electric vehicle, suggested to be named Maharaja, resembles a royal chariot. The vehicle could ferry four tourists per trip and would be suitable for hilly terrain like that at Amer Fort. Amer Fort Jaipur Located in Amer, 11 kilometres from Jaipur on a hill the Amer fort also known as the Amber Palace which dates back to the 16th century is one of the most famous tourist attractions in the Rajasthan capital. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage site. For more news and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News. In the heart of Ranthambore National Park, amidst the lush greenery and serene landscapes, a heartwarming sight unfolded as Tigress Riddhi revelled in a delightful 'family splash time' with her adorable cub. This intimate moment she captured the essence of maternal care and bonding in the wild. The majestic tigress, known for her grace and ferocity, exhibited a tender side as she playfully interacted with her cub, showcasing the nurturing instincts that define the feline species. The scene, witnessed by fortunate onlookers and captured through lenses, is a poignant reminder of the beauty and fragility of nature's ecosystems. Ranthambore, renowned for its rich biodiversity and tiger conservation efforts, continues to be a sanctuary where such enchanting encounters thrive, offering glimpses into the intricate dynamics of the animal kingdom. As visitors and conservationists alike marvel at this spectacle, it reaffirms the importance of preserving these habitats to ensure the survival of endangered species and perpetuating such magical moments in the wild. What Happened At Ranthambore National Park? The tigress Riddhi enjoys 'family splash time' with its cub at Ranthambore National Park | Image: Instagram Plenty of charming animal images and clips populate the internet, showcasing cute puppies and kittens and endearing creatures from the wild. One recent viral video, sourced from Rajasthan's Ranthambore National Park, features Tigress Riddhi and her delightful tiger cubs engaged in playful antics, much to the delight of viewers. In the footage, the tigress frolics in the water alongside her energetic cub, who eagerly follows her lead. The tigress Riddhi enjoys 'family splash time' with its cub at Ranthambore National Park | Image: Instagram Subsequently, two more cubs join the scene, adding to the heartwarming display with playful antics, drawing admiration from wildlife enthusiasts. In the background, a tourist vehicle can be spotted as visitors eagerly observe the enchanting spectacle. A few days ago, the video was posted on Instagram with the caption, "Family Splash Time: Tigress Riddhi and Cubs Cooling Off in the Water Pit." Where Can You Watch The Video? You can watch the viral video on Instagram posted by Ranthambore National Park. How Did The Internet React? The video has amassed over 10,000 views and received more than 700 likes. Internet reacts to the tigress Riddhi enjoys 'family splash time' with its cub at Ranthambore National Park | Image: Instagram What do you think about it? Do let us know in the comments. For more trending stories, follow us on Telegram. As February 29th rolls around once every four years, the internet is abuzz with celebrations and memes, marking Leap Day 2024 as a special occasion. While it may be a rare birthday for those born on this unique day, the online community has joined the festivities with many hilarious memes. From jokes about ageing four times slower to humorous comparisons with fictional characters who also experience time anomalies, social media platforms are flooded with creative and entertaining content. This digital celebration showcases the playful nature of internet culture and serves as a reminder of the significance of this once-in-four-year occurrence. As people worldwide share laughter and camaraderie through these lighthearted memes, Leap Day 2024 becomes a memorable moment for those born on February 29th and everyone who delights in the joy of online humor. What Is Leap Year? Memes join the birthday party of february 29 kids for leap day 2024 | Image: X A leap year is a year that contains an additional day, February 29th, to synchronize the calendar year with Earth's orbit around the sun. It occurs every four years to adjust for the discrepancy between the length of the solar year (approximately 365.24 days) and the standard calendar year (365 days). This extra day compensates for the fractional time discrepancy, ensuring that seasonal events align with the calendar. The concept dates back to the Roman era, with Julius Caesar introducing the first leap year in the Julian calendar. Today, leap years are a fundamental aspect of the Gregorian calendar system. How Did The Internet React With People Born On 29th February? Memes join the birthday party of february 29 kids for leap day 2024 | Image: X For those born on a leap year, today presents an opportunity to embrace the advantages and quirks of their birth date, as rare as finding a four-leaf clover. They are akin to fine wine, maturing gracefully with a touch of enchantment! As the global community acknowledges their distinct status, social media erupts with memes playfully teasing them about being 'timeless marvels' or questioning if they're merely one-quarter of their chronological age. When you were born on leap year day and waited until your 21st birthday to start drinking: pic.twitter.com/R3TIfMKbW2 Shubham Sakhuja (@ishubhamsakhuja) February 29, 2024 Will Microsoft Office 365 work in Leap Year?? pic.twitter.com/rxsiVP1yT6 Akhil Sethiya (@bas_kar_oyee) February 29, 2024 Those who r born in leap year pic.twitter.com/WJvAheuGiv Ethuku (@ellakonjanaldha) February 28, 2024 People born on February 29th who have not celebrated their birthdays for the past 3 years will now finally celebrate their birthday today bambi!!!! pic.twitter.com/JY17kLthKH (@GodwinMeyerz) February 29, 2024 People born on 29th Feb 1940 waiting for their 21st birthday to get married pic.twitter.com/7tJhTWoC1K Sagar (@sagarcasm) February 29, 2024 Let's meet here after 4 years, Bol ayega ? 2028 ! pic.twitter.com/luifuu30W6 Aachal Agrawal (@Awwwchallllll) February 29, 2024 What do you think about it? Do let us know in the comments. For more trending stories, follow us on Telegram. A woman whose mugshot went viral said it could have saved her life when she earned $24,000 (19,000) in the week after being released from prison. Following her arrests for theft and disorderly behavior, Abbie Newman's mugshot went viral. The 28-year-old had her mugshot put on a website called 'Mugshawtys', which distributes women's mugshots with nearly 750,000 Instagram followers, and she went viral as a result. Woman's mugshot went viral leading to a successful social media career The Alabama woman was unaware of this while in jail | Image: Instagram The Alabama woman was unaware of this while in jail, but after she was freed, she discovered that she had garnered a big following on social media, with people tagging her mugshot. "I didn't even know until I got out of jail and saw that all of my social media had gained followers and I was being tagged everywhere with my mugshot up," she said in an interview with the Daily Mail. "Really it turned out for the best I suppose." Her viral celebrity boosted support for her OnlyFans page, and she said that she made almost $24,000 (19,000) in the week following being freed from jail thanks to all of her new fans. The viral moment happened during a tough time in her life Her mugshot becoming viral may have saved her life because it occurred at a tough time | Image: Instagram Abbie also stated that her mugshot becoming viral may have saved her life because it occurred at a tough time. She admitted: "I was going through a lot at the time. I had just experienced a miscarriage and was a complete wreck. To be honest, going to jail helped me not just monetarily, but also saved my life in several ways." "I am a heroin addict in recovery. I've been clean for six years, and following the miscarriage, I went down a dark path of sadness. I have BPD (borderline personality disorder) and PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), and I wasn't taking my medication, so I wasn't myself. So going viral helped me not only pay off my debts and live a more comfortable life, it also helped me get back to myself." Who else became famous for his mugshot? It is not the first time that taking a mugshot has resulted in a successful career move for someone. Jeremy Meeks swept the internet by storm after his mugshot went viral, and he became an online meme, which led to modeling offers and film roles when he was released from prison. However, someone who went viral for their mugshot appears to have had less success in monetizing the internet's attention, as people spent much of their time analyzing his extraordinarily long neck. Then there's the guy who commented on his own mugshot after police uploaded it as part of a plea to locate him. What do you think about this? Tell us in the comments. For more trending stories, follow us on Telegram. Operatives of Ogun State Police Command, on Wednesday, said that it has arrested one suspect, identified as Jamiu Salihu, aged 29 in connection to the murder of his 20-year-old girlfriend, Temitope Elemide. According to a source who spoke with PUNCH, today, revealed that the deceased was reportedly raped and stabbed to death on Sunday at her family residence in Bosero community, Olodo in Odeda Local Government Area of the state. The source said: This incident occurred on Sunday when some hoodlums stormed the residence of this girl, raped her and smashed her head. These hoodlums took advantage of the fact that she was the only one at home to carry out the heinous act. Meanwhile, before her death, Elemide was reportedly getting ready for the upcoming Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, or UTME. Also confirming the horrible development to newsmen, today, the the spokesperson for the state police command, SP Omolola Odutola, described the incident as a murder case, adding that Jamiu had been arrested in connection with the murder. She said: There was a suspected murder report on February 25, from Odeda that they met a lifeless body of Elemide inside the room, stabbed with a knife on her head and body. There is one Jamiu Salihu, 29 years old boyfriend who is suspected to have committed the heinous crime. He was seen coming out from the bush on the said day of the crime. J. Eustace Wolfington didnt want to fund another movie. Not even when a persuasive nun, Sister Mary Louise Sullivan, former head of Cabrini College in Radnor, came to his King of Prussia office in 2011 and asked for millions for a film about his favorite saint, the forceful Italian American immigrant advocate and shelter, hospital, and school builder Francesca Saverio (Frances Xavier) Cabrini. He reversed course when he learned what the community of sisters that Cabrini founded had in mind what he described as a pious but bland version of Cabrinis bold, dramatic life, in which she challenged violent public prejudice and church and civil authorities to help despised immigrants in New York and Chicago. The story he backed, Cabrini, opened a weekend ago in King of Prussia, with four generations of Wolfingtons family in attendance. A second premiere was held in Los Angeles. The movie is to open widely on Friday. They wanted to make her a fairy tale, Wolfington said, shaking his head in a theater seat at the Regal UA multiplex ahead of the red-carpet premiere. Hundreds of guests, including the movies directors and several lead actors, were also there. Advertisement I had to make a better movie to capture who she was, a woman who didnt take no for an answer, not from the pope, not from her archbishop, not from the mayor of New York or the head of the Senate in Italy, he said. He argued to do a movie like Gandhi about this very strong woman who happened to be a nun. Cabrini, who died in 1917, was canonized the first Italian American saint in 1946. You dont need to show all the preaching and praying, because her life is the sermon, he said. Wolfington said he had admired Cabrini since 1955, when he stopped by her shrine at St. Donato Roman Catholic Church in West Philadelphia along the route of his commute to his fathers Chrysler Plymouth dealership. He saw her as an entrepreneur what I aspired to be. Wolfington became the patriarch of a large family that has made fortunes in the automotive business. After selling his national leasing company, Half-a-Car, in 2000, he named his family investment firm Cabrini Asset Management Inc. He had sworn off risking scarce capital and reputation on the chancy movie business after he helped his nephew Sean Wolfington produce Bella, the feature debut by Mexican director Alejandro G. Monteverde, released in 2006. That film won awards and repaid its modest budget but failed to reach a mass audience. The Cabrini project changed his mind. In 2017, he recruited Monteverde and his writing partner Rod Barr, who together made Sound of Freedom, a controversial sleeper hit that grossed a reported $250 million worldwide after it was placed on more than 1,000 screens by Utah-based Angel Studios. The company has a reputation for using social media and church networks to reach audiences immune to mainstream Hollywood hype. Eustace put together this whole team, Monteverde told the audience at the King of Prussia premiere. Our last movie [Bella] was a forgotten, orphan film. But I think Mother Cabrini used that movie to introduce us to Wolfington and his community of financiers and support people. He said we had to shine a light on Mother Cabrini, who shone a light to the world, Monteverde said Angel Studios also agreed to distribute Cabrini lining up 2,600 screens for its national rollout on Friday, according to Angel. We talked to all the majors Universal, Disney, Apple, Amazon, Wolfington said. Everyone loves this movie. But I didnt feel they knew how to market it. Angel knows. Its been a wild journey, Angel cofounder Jordan Harmon said at the premiere. He compared Monteverde to Frank Capra, Italian American director of Its a Wonderful Life and other mid-20th century movies that exemplify familiar virtues. Wolfington lined up $50 million from investors and lenders to make the movie, which portrays Cabrini, played by Naples-born actress Christiana DellAnna, in relentless conflict with civil and church leaders in the United States and Italy. Her diminutive but tough band of sisters fights to build lifesaving, community-building institutions amid a rain of anti-immigrant insults, arsons, intracommunity violence, and official obstruction, before winning more widespread support and recognition. Near the end, the movie suggests that Cabrini successfully marshaled growing Italian American political clout to win elected officials support after initial opposition. Actors playing the powerful male obstructionists include Federic Castelluccio, who played Furio in The Sopranos, as the senator who eventually funds Cabrinis hospital; 1970s heartthrob Giancarlo Giannini as a wise though patronizing Pope Leo XIII; Philadelphias own David Morse as the very political Archbishop Michael Corrigan of New York; and John Lithgow as a fictional, racist, deeply corrupt New York mayor. The movie was produced under a nonprofit charity, Lodigiano Film Development Inc., named for Cabrinis hometown in northern Italy. Any revenues above costs is to go to charities backed by the investors, including Cabrinis Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in 17 countries. Wolfington said the movie met its backers goals: You want people to walk in upset about the broken world and to walk out on fire, wanting to change things. An exterior of Southwark School in South Philadelphia. The school was temporarily closed when asbestos was found in October. Critics of tax abatements say the programs drain funding that would go to schools to use for maintenance and academic support while benefits to the local economy are unclear. Read more At James Elementary in Kansas City, Mo., principal Marjorie Mayes escorts a visitor to a classroom with exposed brick walls and pipes. Bubbling paint mars some walls, evidence of leaks spreading inside the aging building. Its living history, Mayes said. Not the kind of living history we want. The district would like to tackle the $400 million in deferred maintenance needed for its 35 schools, but it doesnt have the money. The lack of funds is a result of tax breaks Kansas City lavishes on companies that do business there. The program is supposed to bring new jobs but instead has starved schools. Between 2017 and 2023, those schools lost $237.3 million through tax abatements, according to the Kansas City Public Schools. Property tax drain That city is hardly an anomaly. An estimated 95% of cities provide incentives to woo corporations. A 2021 review of 2,498 financial statements from schools across 27 states revealed that in 2019 at least $2.4 billion was redirected for tax incentives, according to the academic research that appeared in Community Development. Yet that downplays the magnitude: Three-quarters of the 10,370 districts did not provide any information on tax abatement agreements. Abatements have long been controversial, pitting communities against one another in beggar-thy-neighbor contests. Yet their value is unclear: Studies show most companies would have made the same location decision without subsidies. Advertisement A three-month investigation by The Conversation and experts in economic development, tax laws, and education policy shows that the cash drain is not equally shared by schools in the same communities. In multiple cities examined, tax abatements often take critical funding from districts that disproportionately serve low-income students from underrepresented groups. In Kansas City, for example, nearly $1,700 per student was redirected in 2022 from poorer public schools, while between $500 and $900 was taken from wealthier schools. Other studies found similar demographic trends elsewhere, including New York state, South Carolina, Texas, and Columbus, Ohio. The result The funding gaps often force schools to delay needed maintenance, increase class sizes, lay off teachers, or close. All told, tax abatements can harm a communitys value, with funding shortfalls creating a cycle of decline. Researchers agree that a lack of adequate funding undermines educational outcomes, especially for poor children. Atlanta schools face chronic absenteeism among Black students, and a teacher shortage. But the city showers corporations with tax breaks, taking $103.8 million from schools from fiscal 2017 to 2022, according to school system financial statements. At the same time, fewer than a quarter of companies that receive breaks needed an incentive to invest, according to a 2018 study by the Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, a nonprofit research organization. And governors have used the incentives to take credit for job creation, even when the jobs were coming anyway. We know that subsidies dont work, said Elizabeth Marcello, a lecturer at Hunter College. But they are good political stories. Trouble in Philadelphia In October 2023 an environmental team was preparing Southwark School in South Philadelphia for the winter cold. While checking an attic fan, members of the team saw loose dust on top of flooring that contained asbestos. Within a day, Southwark was closed the seventh Philadelphia school temporarily shuttered since the previous academic year due to possible contamination by the cancer-causing agent. Asbestos is a major problem for Philadelphias public schools. The district needs $430 million to clean up the asbestos, lead, and other environmental hazards that place the health of students, teachers, and staff at risk, according to a comprehensive 2017 facilities report from an outside contractor. And that is on top of an additional $2.4 billion to fix failing and damaged buildings. Yet the money is not available. Matthew Stem, Pennsylvanias former deputy secretary of K-12 education, testified in a 2023 lawsuit about financing of Pennsylvania schools that the environmental health risks cannot be addressed until an emergency arises such as the one at Southwark because existing funding sources are not sufficient to remediate those types of issues. Meanwhile, the city keeps doling out abatements. In the fiscal year ending June 2022, such tax breaks cost the school district $118 million more than 25% of the total amount needed to remove the asbestos and other health dangers, according to the annual comprehensive financial report of the school district. These abatements take 31 years to break even, according to the citys own impact analyses. Huge subsets of the community primarily Black, brown, poor, or a combination are being drastically impacted by the exemptions and funding shortfalls for the school district, said City Councilmember Kendra Brooks. More than half the districts schools that lacked adequate air-conditioning 87 schools had to go to half days during the first week of the 2023 school year because of extreme heat. Poor heating systems also leave the schools cold in the winter. And some schools are overcrowded, resulting in large class sizes, she said. City Council recently passed a scale-back on the 10-year property tax abatement by decreasing the percentage of the subsidy over that time. But even with that change, millions will be lost to tax exemptions that could instead be invested in cash-depleted schools. We could make major changes in our schools infrastructure, curriculum, staffing, staffing ratios, support staff, social workers, school psychologists take your pick, Brooks said. A tale of two cities Baton Rouge is a tale of two cities, with some of the best and some of the worst outcomes in the state for education, income, and mortality. Only separated by sometimes a few blocks, said Edgar Cage, the lead organizer for the advocacy group Together Baton Rouge. Underserved kids dont have a path forward. The campus of ExxonMobil, which has received $580 million in tax abatements since 2000, sits not far from schools in desperate need of maintenance. The company received its latest tax exemption, $8.6 million, to install facilities at the Baton Rouge complex that recycle plastic and purify isopropyl alcohol. The project created zero new jobs. On Feb. 21, Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry signed an executive order removing the school board oversight on corporate property breaks that a previous governor had enabled in 2016. Landrys order also waived job creation and retention requirements. Meanwhile, a teacher shortage looms because district pay is so inadequate. Schools have limited internet access, and outside some buildings glass and barbed wire litter playgrounds. But at least those schools have a playground. Hayden Crockett, a seventh grader at Sherwood Middle Academic Magnet School, told the school board that his sisters elementary school lacked one. If it wasnt in the budget to fund playground equipment, how can it also be in the budget to give one of the most powerful corporations in the world a tax break? Crockett said. The math just aint mathing. Christine Wen is an assistant professor of landscape architecture and urban planning, Texas A&M University; Danielle McLean is an award-winning reporter and editor at The Conversation; Kevin Welner is director of the National Education Policy Center, University of Colorado Boulder; and Nathan Jensen is professor of government, the University of Texas at Austin. This is a condensed version of an article from The Conversation. Read the original, complete article here. A former exotic dancer testified Thursday that she sometimes acted as a go-between for patrons at Pharaohs Gentlemens Club who wanted cocaine and a drug dealer who supplied them with the drug with approval from Peter Gerace Jr., the strip clubs owner. At first, the dancer would clear the patrons requests with Gerace, and he would send her to the dealer inside the club, she testified. But over time, she didnt have to ask Gerace. There was a time I stopped asking because Peter said I didnt need to anymore, she said. She described the patrons as Geraces friends. The drug dealer would emerge from a bathroom with the powdery substance wrapped in a dollar bill for her to give to the patrons, and the dealer would give one to her to use herself, she said. She said she acted as a go-between for Geraces friends seven or eight times over the years she worked at the club, but said she knew another dancer was also a source of cocaine for Gerace and others in the club. The dancer testified she frequently saw people in Pharaohs using cocaine. The Buffalo News is not identifying women whom prosecutors say were exploited through their drug use and coerced into engaging in commercial sex acts or other crimes. Lifelong friend testifies bribing DEA agent gained drug traffickers a 'watchful eye' Testifying for nearly four hours Wednesday, Louis Selva barely looked at the defense table where his friend since sixth grade, Joseph Bongiovanni, sat. Her account on Thursday the eighth day of testimony in the Joseph Bongiovanni bribery trial bolstered Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Tripis assertion that Pharaohs had become a rampantly drug-involved premises with drugs flowing through there, patrons and dancers using, distributors dealing. The ex-dancers testimony is the latest development in the governments case against Bongiovanni, a retired DEA agent facing charges he accepted at least $250,000 in bribes from drug dealers whom he thought were associated with Italian organized crime and shielded them from arrest, as well as provided them with information about investigations and cooperating sources. Many of the charges are related to how he allegedly protected the Ronald Serio drug-trafficking organization, and other counts involve Gerace, who himself is expected to face trial later this year on charges that include bribery, drug trafficking and sex trafficking. Bongiovanni denies the charges. The woman who testified Thursday became the second former dancer to take the stand. Federal prosecutors are using testimony from dancers in their case against Bongiovanni. But unlike the ex-dancer who testified last week, the 36-year-old dancer on the stand Thursday did not link the former federal agent to Gerace and the Cheektowaga strip club. Under cross-examination from Parker MacKay, a defense lawyer for Bongiovanni, the dancer said she could not recall seeing Bongiovanni in the club. Prosecutors did not ask her any questions about Bongiovanni. The dancer testified she saw law enforcement personnel display their badges at the strip clubs entrance to be allowed to enter for free. Prosecutors have charged Bongiovanni with protecting Gerace, a childhood friend. Lifelong friend testifies bribing DEA agent gained drug traffickers a 'watchful eye' Testifying for nearly four hours Wednesday, Louis Selva barely looked at the defense table where his friend since sixth grade, Joseph Bongiovanni, sat. In addition to selling drinks, food and private dances with strippers, Gerace offered additional services through his strip club to include cocaine and women to high-end clientele people of prominence in this community that Gerace had become friends, Tripi said earlier in the trial. And that gave him a strong motivation to protect the drug operation he had centered around his strip club, Tripi said. And his childhood friend, Joe Bongiovanni, was looking out for him. He had his back. In her testimony Thursday, the dancer said she started working at the club in 2012 at the age of 23, lured by good money. She worked there on and off for six years. She said she used cocaine for the first time in her life when she was called to an upstairs portion of Pharaohs not open to the general public. She said she walked down a dark hallway and into a dark room with a chair. I was told to sit down by Gerace, she said. Gerace sprinkled some cocaine onto a card, and then Gerace held it to her nose, she testified. He told me to sniff it, she said. I thought it was OK to keep my job, she said, tearfully explaining why she followed his instructions. I was new. I didnt know. Cars driving under the Chestnut Street overpass on Columbus Boulevard near Penn's Landing in Philadelphia. Similar drivers often have very different insurance rates at different companies. Read more Most drivers stick with the same auto insurance company year after year, and thats often a costly mistake. They dont shop for lower rates because they believe most companies charge about the same prices or conclude that the steep discounts they get (for their loyalty, or lack of speeding tickets or accidents) mean they wont find better pricing elsewhere. But theyre wrong: Insurance companies charge vastly different rates for the same families and policies, and although you might be getting a price break from your current company, youll likely find a better deal elsewhere. Nonprofit Delaware Valley Consumers Checkbook compared prices charged by insurers operating for seven illustrative policyholders and found that most area drivers can save hundreds of dollars every year by making better auto insurance choices many will save more than $1,500. For example: One of Checkbooks illustrative couples, living in Montgomery County with two cars and with clean driving records, would pay $1,667 per year with Liberty, $1,690 with Erie, or $1,786 with Travelers, compared to $2,549 with GEICO, $2,694 with Allstate, and $3,482 with Farmers. If that couple lives in Camden County, their annual premium would be $1,361 with AAA or $1,510 with NJM, compared to $3,456 with Farmers and $3,705 with State Farm. If they moved to Philadelphia and added a teenager to their policy (gulp!), theyd pay $3,397 per year with AAA or $4,254 with Liberty, but more than $9,300 per year with Allstate or GEICO, and more than $10,500 per year with Amica. Advertisement Through a special arrangement with Checkbook, Inquirer readers can see ratings of local auto insurance companies until April 5 at Checkbook.org/Inquirer/auto-insurance. You dont have to wait until your current policy term expires to switch and save. If you change companies, your old insurance company must refund the unused share of any prepaid premiums. You also dont have to forsake good service for a better rate: Checkbooks ratings reveal that some highly rated companies offer low rates. Checkbook compared companies for price and quality. Because small differences in policyholder characteristics, many of which have nothing to do with driving records, can have big effects on some companies premiums, be sure to check rates yourself. You want to buy enough coverage to protect yourself but not so much that youre wasting money. Avoid common car-insurance mistakes by doing the following: Maintain the highest deductible amount with which youre comfortable. Be vigilant that your coverage doesnt lapse. Consider dropping collision and comprehensive coverage when your cars value drops below $5,000. Find out how much more it will cost to raise limits beyond standard coverages. It is usually inexpensive to increase limits for liability coverage above standard amounts. Carefully consider the extras. Some optional coverages arent worth much, but companies charge a lot for them. Many companies now offer discounts if you allow them to track how much you drive, how far, how fast, and whether you often do knuckleheaded things like suddenly accelerate, brake, or turn. Under these programs, you get an initial discount (10% or 15%) for playing along; after three to six months of tracking, your company might offer a bigger discount (on average, an additional 10-15%) if they deem you a safe driver or provide no price break if it decides youre a maniac. Of course, in our world of Big Data and big data breaches, its important to consider the privacy risks these programs could pose. You might think that if youve been driving for many years without an accident and with few speeding tickets that insurance companies will offer you their best rates. Unfortunately, thats not necessarily the case. Insurers increasingly are offering their best rates only to customers who meet criteria that have nothing to do with their driving histories. For example, most companies offer their lowest rates only to customers with excellent credit scores and who are college graduates and homeowners. And companies are increasingly using secretive and opaque methods to calculate rates. With most companies, your credit score and other information may matter more than your driving record. Research by Checkbook and other organizations has found drivers with fair or poor credit scores can pay twice as much as similar drivers who have excellent credit scores a similar penalty for having a recent at-fault accident or several speeding tickets in the last year. Delaware Valley Consumers Checkbook magazine and Checkbook.org is a nonprofit organization with a mission to help consumers get the best service and lowest prices. We are supported by consumers and take no money from the service providers we evaluate. Escaped prisoner Alleem Borden was arrested Thursday afternoon more than 200 miles away from where he fled police custody earlier this week, U.S. Marshals said. Authorities took Borden, 29, into custody in Johnstown, Cambria County, about 2 p.m. Investigators discovered him hiding in the attic crawlspace of a home on the 300 block of David Street, and officers forcibly removed him from the space, supervising Deputy U.S. Marshal Robert Clark said at a news conference Thursday. Borden is in custody at the Cambria County Prison in Ebensburg, and will be brought back to Philadelphia at a later date. He is the seventh fugitive arrested by the Eastern Pennsylvania Violent Crime Fugitive Task Force in the last year, Clark said. The public should take comfort in knowing that there is a professional, dedicated, investigative fugitive task force that specializes in finding people who do not want to be found, Clark said. Advertisement Investigators developed information that Borden had been picked up in Philadelphia and driven to Cambria County after he eluded authorities for a second time on Tuesday afternoon. He has a criminal history in Cambria County, and authorities had already begun investigating the possibility of Borden fleeing to Western Pennsylvania, Clark said. Police initially searched an apartment in Johnstown late Thursday morning after receiving information that Borden had been staying there, but were not able to locate him. Investigators, however, later received information that Borden had reached out to a woman with prior connections to Philadelphia, and they went on to respond to her home on David Street. The woman, whom police did not identify, gave authorities permission to search the residence, and indicated that Borden was inside, Clark said. No other people have been charged in connection with Bordens escape, Clark said. But, he added, that could change in the future. Before his arrest Thursday, Borden was last spotted on Tuesday afternoon running from a home on the 5300 block of West Columbia Street in West Philadelphia. In that encounter, Clark said Wednesday, Borden eluded police by sprinting from the house and jumping down a 30-foot embankment to SEPTA tracks before fleeing north. Borden was initially arrested Sunday after he was suspected of stealing a running Hyundia Elantra owned by a person making a food delivery on Frankford Avenue last week, according to the affidavit of probable cause for his arrest. He escaped from police custody early Monday morning at Temple Universitys Episcopal Hospital on Lehigh Avenue in North Philadelphia after being taken to the facility complaining of pain following his arrest. Previously, Borden pleaded guilty to resisting arrest and flight to avoid apprehension in connection with a 2020 escape. Clark said Thursday it was not yet clear when he would be returned to Philadelphia. Canh Le shot four of his relatives Feb. 7 before turning the gun on police who came to investigate, officials said Wednesday. Le then shot himself before setting the family's home on Lewis Avenue in East Lansdowne on fire. Read more Five of the six family members who perished in a shooting and house fire in East Lansdowne earlier this month died of gunshot wounds, Delaware County officials said Wednesday, including the man who opened fire at police officers after turning the gun on his relatives and then set the family home ablaze. Canh Le, 43, shot his brother, sister-in-law, and two of their three children Feb. 7 with a 5.56mm rifle before using the weapon to take his own life, police said. The couples son died of smoke inhalation. What led Le to do that will forever be lost to the raging inferno that consumed their home. Nobody has come forward and provided anything that would explain what happened that day, Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer said at a news conference Wednesday a few blocks from the charred Lewis Avenue lot where the familys home once stood. Advertisement I think Canh Le took the why to his grave. Still, amid those unanswered questions, officials are officially closing the investigation, now that the man responsible, and his victims, have been fully identified and accounted for. Dental records and DNA testing have confirmed that those who died along with Le were his 40-year-old brother, Xuong Le; Xuongs wife, Britni McLaughlin Le, 37; and the couples children: Natalya, 17; Nakayla, 14; and Xavier, 10. In interviews with Canh Les parents, investigators learned that his father, Huong Le, made the initial 911 call to police from within the home, screaming for help as gunfire could be heard in the background. He made that call, Stollsteimer said, after his older son got into an argument with Nakayla and, in a fit of anger, retrieved a Diamondback D15 rifle from his second-floor bedroom. Investigators found that Le had legally purchased the gun in July 2020 from a gun store in Norwood. He then shot the 14-year-old, authorities said, as his parents fled in a panic. Stollsteimer said it was unclear what the two were arguing about. Nobody knows what, nobody knows why, and well never be able to answer those questions, the DA said. After shooting the four other members of his family, Le went to the third-floor attic and opened fire from a window at two officers who had responded to the 911 call, hoping, Stollsteimer said, to rescue his niece. East Lansdowne Police Officer John Meehan, 44, was shot in the left arm, and Lansdowne Police Officer David Shiazza, 54, was wounded in his leg. They were dragged to safety by other officers from Upper Darby as Le continued to fire. Even while wounded, Meehan was able to reload his gun with his other arm and return fire at Le, officials said. READ MORE: After the tragedy in East Lansdowne, the Le familys loved ones find solace in memories Both officers were later released from Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, and are home recovering with their families. It remained unclear whether Meehan, who requires more medical care, will return to work, but Schiazza has indicated an early desire to get back on duty, according to Lansdowne Police Chief Ken Rutherford. From our perspective, the police response was absolutely fantastic, if not heroic, Stollsteimer said. It should be taught in police academies. After shooting the officers, Le lit a fire on the third floor that quickly spread throughout the home and enveloped it in flames. Investigators were unsure how he set the fire, or what accelerants he used. This is an absolute, unmitigated tragedy, Stollsteimer said. The Le family came here from South Vietnam to build a better life, and for some reason, in one fell swoop, everything they had built was taken away from them. No mental-health concerns about Le had been reported to police or other authorities by his family, according to Stollsteimer. His only previous interaction with police was in 2006, when he got into a dispute with an employee at the now-shuttered Toys R Us at Granite Run Mall and told the officers who detained them that he would return to the store to attack the employee. An initial charge of making terroristic threats was later reduced to summary offenses of defiant trespassing and disorderly conduct, for which Le entered a diversionary program for first-time offenders. He completed the program in 2007, according to court records. As investigators finalize their case, the East Lansdowne community continues to mourn the loss of the family, including three bright, outgoing students who were active in the William Penn School District. East Lansdowne Mayor Majovi Bland said the borough is partnering with the Red Cross and the school district to host a community healing event on March 9, offering resources for families including behavioral health and crisis help. Were still hurting, he said. And the healing process will take a very, very long time. Staff writer Oona Goodin-Smith contributed to this article. U.S. Marshals said they were hoping for additional confirmed sightings of escaped prisoner Alleem Borden after he was again able to elude authorities following an encounter in West Philadelphia on Tuesday afternoon. It was heartbreaking that we werent able to get him, supervising Deputy U.S. Marshal Robert Clark said at a news conference Wednesday. Borden, 29, escaped from police custody at Temple Universitys Episcopal Hospital on Lehigh Avenue in North Philadelphia at 6:42 a.m. Monday after having been taken to the facility complaining of pain shortly after he was arrested in connection with a car theft. He was seen minutes later at a gas station on the corner of North Front Street and East Lehigh Avenue, and again entering a home on the 2700 block of Hope Street on Monday in West Kensington before getting into a gold-colored Honda and being driven off. After U.S. Marshals became involved in the search for him Tuesday, investigators were able to identify a residence on the 5300 block of West Columbia Avenue in Wynnefield that Borden was known to frequent, Clark said. At 3:15 p.m. Tuesday, 10 U.S. Marshals personnel knocked on the door of the residence, and a male later confirmed to be Borden ran from the back of the home, jumping down a 30-foot embankment onto the SEPTA train tracks below. Borden then continued to flee north. Advertisement Investigators were unable to cut off Bordens escape path, and a tracking effort of the area conducted with Philadelphia Police Department canines and U.S. Marshals investigators was unsuccessful, Clark said. The effort, Clark added, was hampered by bad weather Tuesday that made it dangerous for investigators to pursue Borden down the embankment. It just wasnt worth the safety of my officers to take that jump and try to pursue him, Clark said. No confirmed sightings of Borden have been reported to authorities since then. No one associated with the homes or vehicle where Borden has been spotted had been charged as part of the case as of Wednesday afternoon, authorities said. Clark said that investigators are offering a $2,500 reward for information that leads to Bordens arrest. He added that anyone who encounters Borden should contact the police and not attempt to apprehend him personally. Let us know what residence he goes into, what corner store, where hes hanging out and how you know, Clark said. Those types of tips are invaluable to us. Borden, he said, has a criminal record that shows a history of escaping police custody, having access to firearms, and possible mental health and substance use issues. As a result, investigators consider him possibly armed, dangerous, and undoubtedly desperate, Clark said. Police initially arrested Borden Sunday after he was suspected of stealing a running Hyundai Elantra owned by a person making a food delivery on Frankford Avenue Thursday, according to the affidavit of probable cause for his arrest. Previously, he pleaded guilty to resisting arrest and flight to avoid apprehension in connection with a 2020 escape incident. Authorities ask that anyone with information about Bordens whereabouts call 911 or 1-866-865-TIPS. The Rev. Mark Hatcher, seen here with his defense attorney, Robert Gamburg, at his preliminary hearing in 2022, was convicted of sexually assaulting three victims in incidents that took place between 2000 and 2008. Read more The pastor of Holy Ghost Headquarters Revival Center in North Philadelphia was convicted late Wednesday of sexually assaulting three children, including a congregant, between 2000 and 2008. A Montgomery County jury reached the verdict against the Rev. Mark Hatcher, 60, after a two-day trial in Norristown. He was found guilty of rape, statutory sexual assault, and indecent assault in acts at his home in Blue Bell and at a church-owned property in Brewerytown. After the verdict was read, Hatcher maintained his innocence, saying the outcome of the case was not right. Its not fair, Hatcher told reporters as he left the Montgomery County courthouse. Theres no truth in it. Advertisement His lawyer, Robert Gamburg, declined to comment Thursday morning. Even after his arrest in May 2022, Hatcher continued to preach at Holy Ghost, a congregation of several hundred members that worships inside the Met on Broad Street. Hatcher has led the church since 1983, after inheriting the position from his father. During the trial, prosecutors, led by Assistant District Attorney Caroline Goldstein, presented evidence, including testimony from the three victims, that Hatcher preyed on them when they were children, exploiting his status as a trusted authority figure. The investigation began in January 2022, when two of Hatchers relatives told Whitpain Township police that he sexually abused them at his Blue Bell home, prosecutors said. One of the victims told police Hatcher assaulted her in 2000 when she was 15, fondling her breasts and exposing himself to her after isolating her from her family. The woman told investigators she was terrified during the encounter and unsure of what to do. Another victim said Hatcher assaulted him at least five times, beginning in 2007 when he was 6 years old. The final victim was a former parishioner of Holy Ghost whose mother was in a relationship with Hatcher in 2006. At the time, she said, she was 13, and Hatcher kissed and groped her on two occasions while giving her rides to school. In another encounter, she said, Hatcher drove her to a house under renovation that Holy Ghost owned in Brewerytown. While she was alone with him in the house, she said, he pinned her to a mattress and raped her, covering her mouth as she screamed for help. The woman reported what happened to Philadelphia police in 2008, but investigators said the case was never pursued by prosecutors there. During the trial, Gamburg called nearly a dozen character witnesses who attested to the longtime Pentecostal preachers good character and said he has a reputation in the community for being peaceful and nonviolent. He also suggested that the victims accounts were unreliable because of the passage of time and their ages at the time of the alleged assaults. But the jurors were not swayed. Hatcher is scheduled to be sentenced by Montgomery County Court Judge Thomas C. Branca on May 23. Exterior of Northeast High School at Cottman and Glendale Avenues in Northeast Philadelphia. Read more The African American history class assignment: Examine a modern-day group of indigenous or oppressed peoples use of art as an act of resistance and connect it to enslaved Black peoples use of spirituals. Two Northeast High students chose to create a video of a podcast about Palestinian art. Their teacher gave them an A and chose it for entry into the schools Black History Month assemblies, after clearing the video with her principal, who reached out to higher-ups in the Philadelphia School District. After the first assembly, one Jewish teacher raised objections that the video was antisemitic, as did community groups alerted about it, and then district officials ordered the immediate removal of the video, which never mentions Jewish people but mentions the ongoing situation in Palestine and Israel and uses an image of people in Muslim garb standing in front of a Palestinian flag next to people in yarmulkes in front of an Israeli flag. The act proved to be a lightning rod, stirring voices of educators aghast at censorship, while groups including the newly formed School District of Philadelphia Jewish Family Association say that the video indicates Jewish people are oppressors and is therefore antisemitic. Teacher Keziah Ridgeway, who assigned the project, is crushed. Our kids are entitled to choose what they want, she said. They have freedom of speech. What happened? When Ridgeway told her 10th-grade students about the project, she deliberately did not assign them a group to think and write about. Some chose Brazilians using Capoeira, a martial arts dance, others picked Native American resistance art. And one student chose Palestinian art. A friend of the student, who is not in Ridgeways class, was so excited about the assignment that he chose to participate, too. Advertisement These kids were very measured in what they created, and very respectful, said Ridgeway. The video begins with the voice of one of the students. Welcome to the Oppression Art Podcast, where we explore the profound impact of artistic expression on the resistance of oppressed and indigenous people, it said. In todays episode, we delve into the historical use of art as a tool for resistance, drawing parallels between the experiences of enslaved African Americans and the ongoing situation in Palestine and Israel. The students go on to describe enslaved Black Americans spirituals and visual art, and reference murals on the separation wall between Gaza and Israel, and talk about Palestinian artist Emily Jacirs work bringing global attention to the injustice in the region. Ridgeway was impressed by the final product, which described the situation as complex, and referenced attempts to erase the Palestinian name. Because the plan was to show the video at the Black History Month assembly, Ridgeway sent the video to Northeasts principal, just in case he saw issues with it. The veteran principal, Omar Crowder, said he saw no problems, Ridgeway said, and was also impressed by the students work. He sent the video to district officials to flag if they had objections, but heard nothing back. The video aired on Feb. 21, at Northeasts first Black History Month assembly. (The school, with 3,200 students, is so large that four Black History Month assemblies were scheduled.) After the assembly, one teacher complained to Crowder, and apparently someone shared a photo of the event, including a screenshot of the video, with others. A parent of a child who attends another district school also emailed Crowder to ask him why there was an assembly about Palestinian resistance efforts and requested that future assemblies be canceled. Concerns were also raised to district officials, who ordered the video removed. (Ridgeway shared a copy of the video on her personal Instagram account, with the students permission, but she said it was an edited copy the students edited out the image of the Palestinian and Israeli people on their own, Ridgeway said, but made no other substantial changes.) Telling her student that his project was being removed was excruciating, said Ridgeway, who has won the districts prestigious Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching. His first response was, What did I do wrong? said Ridgeway, who is a member of the Racial Justice Organizing Committee, a city activist group. He did nothing wrong. This is what we want students to do to think about, to synthesize, to connect history to modern-day issues. You would think the school district would be celebrating a student thats able to do that at the highest level. Concerns about the video The district parent who asked Crowder to take down the video said there were serious civic and legal concerns about your schools actions taken to educate students on why Palestinian resistance is warranted and needed. Jewish individuals, including [district] students, are currently fighting unprecedented antisemitism, and this assembly will undoubtedly create more, the parent wrote in the email, which was obtained by The Inquirer. The School District of Philadelphia Jewish Family Association, in another email to Crowder, said that even if the word Jewish were not used in the video, the inference was that Palestinians are resisting Jewish oppressors. This narrative is antisemitic and dangerous, the email said. This misinformation stokes the flames of hate against Jewish people in America, and now, within the confines of your school. The Jewish Family Association said it knew of specific acts of antisemitism, including swastikas drawn in schools, but a district spokesperson said there was no record of such acts. Caroline Tiger, a district parent and member of the Jewish family group, said that in the school system, Jewish students and teachers are scared and are not being supported in their schools or by school leadership. Antisemitism is going unchecked and the climate is hostile. Crowder, in response to the first parents email, said that Northeast has a zero-tolerance policy in regards to discrimination and we take antisemitism and all other forms of bigotry and discrimination seriously. Monique Braxton, a district spokesperson, responded to questions about the students podcast with a statement that read, in part, the violence in the Middle East region is heartbreaking and we urge everyone to channel their anger, sadness and heartbreak into caring actions. We hope there will be a swift end to this crisis so that peace and healing can begin. Students speak out at another Black History Month assembly Northeasts final Black History Month assembly was held Thursday morning, without the video. The student hosts of the assembly members of the schools Black Student Association made a speech about the videos removal and blamed it on censorship at the point in the program where the video was shown in the first assembly. The students then continued with the program. Shortly after the assembly, the Jewish family association sent an email to Superintendent Tony B. Watlington Sr. and school board members, saying that Ridgeway had students stage a protest, calling out white teachers (Jewish) for having the truth removed from the program. Ridgeway said she had no idea the students were planning to speak about the video, and did not direct them to do anything. Members of the Jewish family organization, which has partnered with the regional Anti-Defamation League and Jewish Federation, told Watlington and the board that Ridgeway cannot continue to incite violence and indoctrination against Jewish students and faculty, an accusation that Ridgeway denies. Whats next? With word of what happened at Northeast spreading on social media, some people upset at the videos removal have drafted letters to read to the school board. Others testified at a Thursday board meeting. Andrew Saltz, a teacher at Paul Robeson High School, wrote to the board to implore that they reverse course and apologize to the students who created the podcast. Saltz, who is Jewish, said he was ashamed that a Jewish colleague engineered the removal of a student project. I hope Mrs. Ridgeways class understands there are many Jews who may agree or disagree with their idea, but support their right to express themselves in the classroom. Alondra Ramirez-Colondres, a Northeast student, told the board she found the districts actions hypocritical and took issue with the notion that the video was antisemitic. I saw the video, Ramirez-Colondres said. It wasnt at all. Im just confused as to why it was banned. As several people held signs that read Free Palestine and Stop Silencing Students stood behind her, Ridgeway herself told the board that she was furious that the district took down the best student assignment shes seen in her career because a white teacher was uncomfortable. By doing so, it is harming Palestinian students who feel erased. Guess what? I am a Black woman and I was born feeling uncomfortable, Ridgeway said. They are just upset that the word Palestine is being said. Ridgeway and others asked the superintendent to address the issue. We will gladly look into that matter, Watlington said, adding that he was not prepared to address it Thursday night. Amaryllis Rivera-Nassar posed for a portrait outside of her new shop, Amys Pastelillos, in Fishtown. After a series of successful pop-ups, Nassar is opening a brick and mortar shop. Read more Amaryllis Rivera-Nassar, who goes by Amy, is a Philadelphia-born boricua known for her food pop-ups featuring pastelillos. For the uninitiated, pastelillos are Puerto Rican-style crispy turnovers with flavors like guava barbecue and spicy ground pork chile. She offers traditional fillings like shredded chicken or beef but her new flavor combinations, including vegan options like soy chorizo and potato, set her apart. We are meeting on la isla for the first time after connecting in Pennsylvania as diasporicans (Puerto Ricans living outside of the archipelago) and as I arrive, I see her holding up a brown bag of fritters. The first thing she says as she greets me is I hope youre hungry! Shes in Puerto Rico on a mission to get inspiration for her latest endeavor, Amys Pastelillos Puerto Rican Kitchen. The takeout restaurant is set to open on March 7 at 2001 Memphis St. in Fishtown. Inspired by the colorful streets of Old San Juan, the corner spot with its bright pink and white facade is impossible to miss. Her signature pastelillos will be on the opening menu with fillings like bacalao guisado (stewed codfish) and truffle mushroom and cheese. You can also expect comforting dishes like pollito, a bowl of stewed chicken served with rice, fried plantains, and salad. Vegetarians and meat eaters alike can enjoy plantain nachos with pineapple pico, jalapeno, cilantro, mayo-ketchup, and La Parchita, her Puerto Rican-style hot sauce. In a city with one of the largest communities of Puerto Ricans outside of the island and a substantial Latino population, her cooking resonates with locals, who often share memories of home with Rivera-Nassar. My customers have become friends. Its humbling. Im grateful for them showing up with kind words, stories, and laughs. Ive heard so many stories about how important food is to our culture, and our families, Rivera-Nassar said. Advertisement Amys Pastelillos was born after Rivera-Nassar left a marketing career to be a full-time mom. Months after her second daughter was born, she began selling pastelillos and never returned to corporate life. I lost my mom and was trying to work through my grief. [Cooking] became a way to find myself again, and remember my mom, who was a longtime cook, Rivera-Nassar said. Unfortunately, she has no written recipes from her mom. But through trial and error, shes pieced them together and is writing them down for her children and nephews in the hopes of honoring her sazon and, most of all, to keep her mothers memory alive. She recalls nights paging through cookbooks and testing recipes with her family. The encouragement from her husband led her to ask one of the owners of Garage Fishtown if she could pop up at their bar for a night. People kept asking her to return but she wasnt ready to commit to building a business. It was a hustle and I treated it that way. Growing up you always had your sorullito and your pastelillo lady, so I thought, let me just sell them on the side, Rivera-Nassar recalls. The turning point was when an FYI Philly reporter approached her. The day the interview aired, she remembers being bedridden with COVID and having lost her sense of taste and smell, all while her phone was blowing up with messages. She panicked. If it doesnt come back, how am I going to cook? Rivera-Nassar said. She no longer considers pastelillos a hustle. After many collaborations, a residency at the Mural City Cellars taproom, and a booth at Christmas Village, the business is growing. Shes hired staff and plans to use the kitchen to prep for catering and events. However, shes mindful about being a mother first and foremost. The restaurant will be open Wednesday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., a schedule that allows her to maintain some of the flexibility of the popup model. I grow at the rate that my children grow. I dont want to be tied to a traditional restaurant and never be home, said Rivera-Nassar. Pastelillos are her specialty, but shes expanded her repertoire to include sopa de fideo (chicken noodle soup), pastelon (plantain lasagna), and more. Most recently, shes been trying to recreate her moms sopa de bola, a soup made with plantain dumplings. It was the comfort food of my household. Ive been trying to make it by following nostalgic flavors. Its been fun but also emotional and frustrating to get right. I make it thinking about my mom, said Rivera-Nassar. Her food isnt necessarily about technique, its about how it makes you feel. For many Puerto Ricans who have been away from home for a long time, it elicits the nostalgia of family home cooking a meaningful expression of who we are and where we come from. Philadelphia saw a big increase in the number of medical malpractice case filings last year, in part because of a rule change that now allows cases to be filed in the city rather than in the county where the incident occurred. Attorneys filed 544 cases last year, a 33% increase from the average annual caseload in the three years before the pandemic, Daniel J. Anders, administrative judge in Philadelphia Common Pleas Courts trial division, said Tuesday during a webinar on the courts new system for managing medical malpractice cases. It looks like were settling into an number thats around 45 filings per month, which will be the new normal for Philadelphia, said Anders during his presentation, which was part of a Philadelphia Bar Association event. That monthly average is about 10 more than before the pandemic, when cases slowed because of restrictions on public gatherings. The rule change took effect at the beginning of last year. It allows cases to be filed in Philadelphia as long as a defendant has any office or clinic in the city. It was expected to draw cases to Philadelphia, where juries have long been more likely to decide in favor of plaintiffs and approve bigger awards. Court officials did not say how many of last years cases would have been filed in another county before the rule change. Advertisement Curt Schroder, executive director of the Pennsylvania Coalition for Civil Justice Reform, a Harrisburg trade group that favored the old rule, estimated that 41% of last years Philadelphia cases could not have been filed in Philadelphia before the change took effect. Big Philadelphia verdicts Cases progressing through the courts before the rule change already resulted in large verdicts last year against Temple University Health System, the University of Pennsylvania System, and a group including the Rothman Orthopaedic Institute. A $183 million verdict against Penn was the largest ever in Pennsylvania. The case involving a child born with severe brain injuries is being appealed. READ MORE: A Philly jury has awarded $43.5 million to a former Eagles captain suing his doctors over a career-ending knee injury The citys courts yielded last year four verdicts of at least $10 million, second only to Cook County, Ill., which includes Chicago, according to Richard T. Henderson, a senior vice president at TransRe, a New York reinsurance firm. The trend toward high verdicts is starting to affect Pennsylvanias malpractice insurance market, though not to the extent seen 20 years ago when companies stopped writing insurance policies in Pennsylvania and some insurers left the industry. Were not there, Henderson said. Were in a hardening market or a transitional market. There are still people willing to write, but theyre only going to write it at much higher prices. Pandemic backlog In response to a backlog of cases from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Philadelphia trial court developed a system, including more and firmer deadlines for lawyers, to move cases through the system more quickly and encourage more cases to settle long before trial. The number of medical malpractice settlements increased to an average of 23.9 per month last year, compared to 18.8 per month from 2017 through 2019, Anders said. In the second half of last year, the average rose to 30.3, he said. A plaintiff attorney who participated in Tuesdays webinar praised the new system. Hopefully, it will become the norm, because we never want to go back to the days when 90 to 95% of our cases settled the day of jury selection or the morning of the first day of trial, said Robert Ross, a founding partner at Ross Feller Casey LLP in Philadelphia. Were resolving far more cases, were resolving them sooner, resolving them with less time and effort in terms of trial preparation and less expense, he said. In doing that, were freeing up juries and were freeing up judges. Its good for the system. The University of Pennsylvania Health System plans to build a $295 million cancer center at Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center in Plainsboro, N.J. Read more The University of Pennsylvania board on Thursday approved a Penn Medicine plan to build a $295 million cancer center at Princeton Medical Center in Plainsboro, N.J., which Penn has owned since 2018. A health system executive said at the board meeting in University City that Princeton Medical Center needed a differentiator in advanced medicine to help it stand out amid increased competition from RWJ Barnabas, one of New Jerseys largest health systems, and New Yorks Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Kevin Mahoney, CEO of the University of Pennsylvania Health System, told board members that he and other health system executives considered other possibilities for adding to Princetons offerings, but decided that cancer treatment was the way to go. Cancer is our sweet spot, so we opted to push forward on an advanced platform around the cancer program, Mahoney said. Penn also expanded cancer services at Lancaster General Hospital since acquiring that facility in 2015. Advertisement The approved plan calls for the Plainsboro cancer center to have more than 40 exam rooms, more than 30 infusion chairs, and two linear accelerators for treating cancer, according to a presentation at the board meeting. In addition to the cancer center, Penn plans to build a 1,161-space, six-level parking garage for $56 million and an outpatient imaging center for $50 million. Penn hopes to raise $30 million in donations toward the total $401 million cost of the three projects. As is true across the hospital industry, the shift of many surgeries to outpatient settings has hurt the profitability of Princeton Medical Center, health system chief financial officer Keith Kasper said. Health-care providers get less money for outpatient surgeries than inpatient surgeries. You really need this differentiator to bring Princeton back into a place of financial stability, Kasper said. Staff writer Susan Snyder contributed to this article. Rob McElhenney has weighed in on the viral Glasgow-based Willy Wonka immersive experience that ended up being a low-budget disaster heavily leaning on AI. The Philly-born actor said it felt like a plot out of a hypothetical Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Abbott Elementary crossover episode. And fans agreed. How did Willys Chocolate Experience go wrong? It all started when families attended a Willy Wonka-inspired Willys Chocolate Experience in Glasgow, Scotland, over the weekend. For about $45 per ticket, visitors were promised an immersive experience with extraordinary props, oversize lollipops, and a paradise of sweet treats, on the events website. Instead, ticket holders stumbled into a laughably sparse warehouse, actors in cheap costumes, several creative liberties (generously speaking), and no chocolate. It was so rough, attendees called the cops, saying they felt scammed. The experience was ultimately canceled. After news of the event spread on social media, people from all over the world have become invested, digging into the promotional material and reading interviews with the paid actors. Content creators have pointed out just how heavily event organizers appeared to rely on AI when it came to promotion, using fliers riddled with typos and mocking up fantastical sceneries that would be near-impossible to replicate in real life without professional set designers and a large budget (two things the event clearly lacked). We also got a new meme out of it. Meet Kirsty Paterson, the actor hired to play a now-viral Oompa Loompa At the Wonka experience, a photo of Kirsty Paterson a well-meaning gig actor who took the $315-per-day job as an Oompa Loompa began circulating across social media. It went completely global, Paterson told Vulture in an interview Wednesday. She revealed in the interview that the moment that photo was snapped was when the employees were told to abandon their scripts because the jelly bean room ran out of jelly beans to ration to the kids. It was just humiliating, she added. Now able to laugh about it, Paterson and attendees have emphasized that she joined the crew for the right reasons and did her best to be a good sport over the circumstances. But things got derailed. ok, there is a group that shared more photos of her and all the parents highlighted that she was extremely kind and lovely to their children and that she was trying her best. I'll leave the photos here so that more people can understand that the actors just didn't want to pic.twitter.com/07aIfJf9uL leo saquetto (@leosaquetto) February 29, 2024 McElhenney says this would make a great Its Always Sunny x Abbott crossover episode Following McElhenneys comment that this whole fiasco is sitcom gold, fans have started suggesting which sitcom characters would be responsible for which Wonka experience plot points. Charlie singing Pure Imagination and Franka-Loompa would have me in tears, one user said on X (formerly Twitter). Sunny organised [sic] this and Abbott visits, said another. Another contributor reasoned that Charlie, Kelly, and Frank of Its Always Sunny were responsible for the AI-generated graphic for the event flier, which was full of gibberish and fake words. Thats why theres no spell check. Definitely an Always Sunny scheme that Frank would've come up with pic.twitter.com/5d1jSxpck8 W3irdo | Content Creator (@WackyW3irdo) February 29, 2024 As one user mused, this episode writes itself. SUNY Fredonia remains in a stalemate with the philosophy professor administrators banned from campus two years ago following his comments about whether adult-child sex is always wrong. Lawyers for Stephen Kershnar, who has taught philosophy courses at Fredonia since 1998, filed a lawsuit in June in U.S. District Court in Buffalo asking the court to declare that Fredonias administrators violated his First Amendment rights by removing him from the classroom and barring him from campus. Theyre seeking his return to campus. But Fredonia officials fear the potential campus disruption his return could cause. In past court appearances, lawyers for the university cited threat assessments by the former police chief at SUNY Fredonia that the return of Kershnar to our campus would pose an unacceptable risk of violence. Assistant Attorney General Christopher Boyd told a federal judge Tuesday that the university would focus on dollars and cents walkaway money in settlement discussions with Kershnars lawyers. SUNY Fredonia says allowing professor back on campus would 'pose an unacceptable risk of violence' At a court hearing Friday, lawyers for Stephen Kershnar pressed a federal court judge for a preliminary injunction to bar the university from keeping him off campus and prohibiting contact with the campus community. They said the university has violated his First Amendment rights. Robert Corn-Revere, an attorney for the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression and on Kershnars legal team, said settlement talks can be hard to predict, but added he is somewhat skeptical they would be fruitful. Another of Kershnars lawyers noted the length of time that has passed since the professor was banned from campus. His rights have been violated for a long period of time, said Adam B. Steinbaugh, also a lawyer for the nonprofit civil liberties group that seeks to protect freedom of speech on college campuses in the United States. U.S. District Judge Lawrence Vilardo on Tuesday appointed Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy to handle scheduling, hearings, evidence supervision and other procedural matters. I will have the magistrate judge reach out to both sides and try his hand at getting the parties together, Vilardo said. Named as defendants in Kershnars lawsuit are two university administrators: Stephen Kolison Jr., the president, and David Starrett, the executive vice president and provost. The professors comments about pedophilia on a podcast on Jan. 30, 2022, led to a social media firestorm and vile emails directed at him, although the emails have waned since the winter of 2022. During the podcast, Kershnar said: Imagine that an adult male wants to have sex with a 12-year-old girl. Imagine that shes a willing participant. A very standard, very widely held view is that theres something deeply wrong about this, and its wrong independent of being criminalized. Its not obvious to me that it is in fact wrong. Within a few days, social media posts and video clips generated negative media coverage for SUNY Fredonia, with articles and broadcasts from Fox News, online conservative media outlets and local TV news stations. SUNY Fredonias then-police chief told Kershnar he was barred from campus until further notice. Palestinians search the rubble of a destroyed building following an Israeli airstrike in the Nuseirat refugee camp, central Gaza, on Wednesday. Read more RAFAH, Gaza Strip Israeli troops fired on a crowd of Palestinians racing to pull food off an aid convoy in Gaza City on Thursday, witnesses said. More than 100 people were killed in the chaos, bringing the death toll since the start of the Israel-Hamas war to more than 30,000, according to health officials. Israel said many of the dead were trampled in a chaotic stampede for the food aid and that its troops only fired when they felt endangered by the crowd. The violence was quickly condemned by Arab countries, and U.S. President Joe Biden expressed concern it would add to the difficulty of negotiating a cease-fire in the nearly five-month conflict. The Gaza City area was among the first targets of Israels air, sea and ground offensive, launched in response to Hamas Oct. 7 attack into Israel. Advertisement While many Palestinians fled the invasion in the north of the enclave, a few hundred thousand are believed to remain in the largely devastated and isolated region. Several deliveries of aid reached the area this week, officials said. READ MORE: Montco Congresswoman Madeleine Dean returns from Israel and calls for bilateral cease-fire The deadly chaos in Gaza City will likely fuel criticism of Israel when it comes to allowing aid in. Aid groups say it has become nearly impossible to deliver supplies in most of Gaza because of the difficulty of coordinating with the Israeli military, ongoing hostilities and the breakdown of public order, with crowds of desperate people overwhelming aid convoys. The U.N. says a quarter of Gazas 2.3 million Palestinians face starvation; around 80% have fled their homes. Military officials said the pre-dawn convoy of 30 trucks driving to northern Gaza were met by huge crowds of people trying to grab the aid they were carrying. Dozens of Palestinians were killed in the stampede, and some were run over by the trucks as the drivers tried to get away, said Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the chief military spokesperson. Israeli troops guarding the area fired warning shots toward the crowd because they felt endangered, he said. We didnt open fire on those seeking aid. Contrary to the accusations, we didnt open fire on a humanitarian aid convoy, not from the air and not from land. We secured it so it could reach northern Gaza, he said. Kamel Abu Nahel, who was being treated for a gunshot wound at Shifa Hospital, said he and others went to the distribution point in the middle of the night because they heard there would be a delivery of food. Weve been eating animal feed for two months, he said. He said Israeli troops opened fire on the crowd as people pulled boxes of flour and canned goods off the trucks, causing the Palestinians to scatter, with some hiding under cars. After the shooting stopped, people went back to the trucks, and the soldiers opened fire again. He was shot in the leg and fell over, and then a truck ran over his leg as it sped off, he said. At least 112 people were killed, Gaza Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra said. The ministry described it as a massacre and said more than 700 others were injured. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan accused Israel of targeting civilians in the incident. In separate statements, they called for increased safe passages for humanitarian aid. They also urged the international community to take decisive action to pressure Israel to abide by international law and to reach an agreement for an immediate cease-fire. Biden spoke with the leaders of Egypt and Qatar about the deaths, according to U.S. officials, and the U.N. Security Council scheduled emergency closed consultations on them for later Thursday. We are urgently seeking additional information on exactly what took place, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said. READ MORE: Montco Congresswoman Madeleine Dean returns from Israel and calls for bilateral cease-fire The increasing alarm over hunger across Gaza has fueled international calls for a cease-fire, and the U.S., Egypt and Qatar are working to secure a deal between Israel and Hamas for a pause in fighting and the release of some of the hostages Hamas took during its Oct. 7 attack. Mediators hope to reach an agreement before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan starts around March 10. But so far, Israel and Hamas have remained far apart in public on their demands. Biden had earlier expressed hope that a deal would be done by Monday. He said Thursday that looked unlikely. Hope springs eternal, Biden told reporters. I was on the telephone with people from the region. Probably not by Monday, but Im hopeful. When asked if the bloodshed in Gaza City on Thursday would complicate those efforts, he said, I know it will. In a statement condemning Thursdays attack, Hamas said it would not allow the negotiations to be a cover for the enemy to continue its crimes. Medics arriving at the scene of the bloodshed Thursday found dozens or hundreds lying on the ground, according to Fares Afana, the head of the ambulance service at Kamal Adwan Hospital. He said there were not enough ambulances to collect all the dead and wounded and that some were being brought to hospitals in donkey carts. Another man in the crowd who gave only his first name, Ahmad, as he was being treated at a hospital for gunshot wounds to the arm and leg said he waited for two hours before someone with a horse-drawn cart had room to take him to Shifa. The violence came more than a month after witnesses and health officials in Gaza accused Israeli troops of firing on a previous aid distribution in Gaza City, killing at least 20 people. Dr. Mohammed Salha, the acting director of the Al-Awda Hospital, said the facility received 161 wounded patients, most of whom appeared to have been shot. He said the hospital can perform only the most essential surgeries because it is running out of fuel to power emergency generators. The Health Ministry said the Palestinian death toll from the war has climbed to 30,035, with another 70,457 wounded. The agency does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in its figures but says women and children make up around two-thirds of those killed. The ministry, which is part of the Hamas-run government in Gaza, maintains detailed records of casualties. Its counts from previous wars have largely matched those of the U.N., independent experts and even Israels own tallies. The Hamas attack into southern Israel that ignited the war killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and the militants seized around 250 hostages. Hamas and other militants are still holding around 100 hostages and the remains of about 30 more, after releasing most of the other captives during a November cease-fire. Violence has also surged across the West Bank since Oct. 7. An attacker shot and killed two Israelis at a gas station in the settlement of Eli on Thursday, according to the Israeli military. The attacker was killed, the military said. Meanwhile, U.N. officials have warned of further mass casualties if Israel follows through on vows to attack the southernmost city of Rafah, where more than half of Gazas population of 2.3 million has taken refuge. They also say a Rafah offensive could decimate what remains of aid operations. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are believed to remain in northern Gaza despite Israeli orders to evacuate the area in October, and many have been reduced to eating animal fodder to survive. The U.N. says 1 in 6 children under 2 in the north suffer from acute malnutrition and wasting. COGAT, the Israeli military body in charge of Palestinian civilian affairs, said around 50 aid trucks entered northern Gaza this week. It was unclear who delivered the aid. Some countries have resorted to airdrops in recent days. The World Food Program said earlier this month that it was pausing deliveries to the north because of the growing chaos, after desperate Palestinians emptied a convoy while it was en route. Since launching its assault on Gaza following Hamas Oct. 7 attack, Israel has barred entry of food, water, medicine and other supplies, except for a trickle of aid entering the south from Egypt at the Rafah crossing and Israels Kerem Shalom crossing. Despite international calls to allow in more aid, the number of supply trucks is far less than the 500 that came in daily before the war. This image shows three recalled applesauce products: WanaBana apple cinnamon fruit puree pouches, Schnucks-brand cinnamon-flavored applesauce pouches and variety pack, and Weis-brand cinnamon applesauce pouches. U.S. health officials said cinnamon applesauce pouches tied to lead poisoning in U.S. kids contained chromium, a chemical element that can be toxic. Consumers should not eat or serve the pouches and should discard them. Read more Hundreds of American children were poisoned by lead-contaminated, cinnamon-flavored applesauce last year, revealing troubling issues within the American food safety system, an investigation by the New York Times and nonprofit newsroom the Examination found. The Pennsylvania Department of Health said it has reported 23 cases to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including 22 probable cases and one suspect case. The CDC, which classifies cases as confirmed, probable, or suspected, has recorded 468 cases from 44 states, including 111 confirmed cases. The Pennsylvania cases occurred in Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia Counties, as well as in seven others, said Health Department spokesperson Neil Ruhland. The applesauce, sold in pouches under the name WanaBana and generic store brands such as Pennsylvania-based Weis, was recalled last fall. (There are Weis locations around the region, in towns such as Conshohocken, Norristown, and Huntingdon Valley.) The FDA told the public to throw away any such products. Advertisement Citing investigations by officials in Ecuador, the FDA said it was likely that a spice grinder there had contaminated the cinnamon with lead. The FDA recommended people call your health-care provider about getting a blood test for lead if you or your children may have consumed recalled products. The New York Times and the Examinations investigation, based on hundreds of pages of documents and interviews with government and company officials in several countries, shows the consequences of an overstretched FDA and a food-safety law that gives companies, at home and abroad, wide latitude on what toxins to look for and whether to test. Largely, the food supply regulatory system is based on an honor system, Neal Fortin, director of the Institute for Food Laws and Regulations at Michigan State University, said in the article. The cinnamon originated in Sri Lanka and then was shipped to Ecuador, where it was ground into powder and likely contaminated with lead, according to the FDA. It was eventually sold to a company called Austrofood, which mixed the cinnamon with applesauce and shipped it to the United States. Austrofood did not test the cinnamon and said its supplier had certified that the cinnamon was lead-free. The FDA had not inspected Austrofood in five years, according to the report. The FDAs top official, Jim Jones, said it was companies responsibility to ensure that their products were safe to consume. The agencys job is to help the industry comply and hold those who evade these requirements accountable, as appropriate, he said in a statement. (L-R) State Representative Gina H. Curry, Councilmember Katherine Gilmore Richardson, Cleopatra Robinson, Founder of a Home for Shana Foundation, and Marianne A. Fray, President & CEO of Maternity Care Coalition, pose for a photo after Robinson received a check from Councilmember Katherine Gilmore Richardson for $250,000 to in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, February 28, 2024. Read more When City Councilmember Katherine Gilmore Richardson became pregnant with her second child in 2016, she didnt anticipate problems. After all, her older daughter had been born without complications two years earlier. However, on the delivery table, despite an epidural, she felt excruciating pain. She would later learn she ruptured her uterus, a rare but serious complication that she said made her another statistic in the nations ongoing Black maternal health crisis in which Black women are twice as likely to face life-threatening pregnancy-related complications and three or four times more likely than white and Hispanic women to die from them. READ MORE: WHEN THE WATER BREAKS When housing insecurity is added to that mix, the likelihood of maternal health risks escalate. Advertisement This is why on Feb. 28, at a morning City Hall news conference, Gilmore Richardson announced a $250,000 grant from the city to Cleopatra Robinson, founder and executive director of the nonprofit A Home From Shana Foundation, to create LaborLiveLove a transitional housing facility for expectant people who do not have stable housing to help reduce Black maternal health disparities. What we found is the housing instability experience translates into food insecurity, unemployment, transportation issues and the results of all that is not getting the type of care you need to receive, said Gilmore Richardson, adding that LaborLiveLove would provide emergency housing and transition support to help during the precarious time of pregnancy. Robinson said the facility, which she plans to open in the summer, will be located in Wynnefield and will serve up to six people at a time, providing prenatal, postpartum care and help finding affordable housing for the clients and their infants. Unhoused and pregnant For Erica Elrod, being pregnant and insecurely housed was a devastating time in her life. For a while everything was going well. Her job was good she worked in a busy dental office. She had her own apartment, she had a car and was in a romantic relationship. And then she became pregnant. According to the Urban Institute, just becoming pregnant is a risk factor for becoming unhoused, and that increases the likelihood of having birth-related complications. At around five months pregnant, Elrods relationship with her boyfriend fell apart, her landlord needed the Bridesburg apartment for her own use and refused to renew Elrods $900 a month lease. All Elrod could find was a monthly lease for $1,200 to rent a room with a shared bathroom in South Philadelphia. And when she had to leave her job earlier than she expected because of pregnancy-related health complications, her unemployment was denied. Her travails continued. Her new landlord decided to sell the building and said she would have to leave. They let me stay a month in an Airbnb they had in Germantown but afterwards, out of options, she returned to her ex-boyfriends home. I had to go stay with my daughters father and that was a toxic environment. He wound up kicking me out, Elrod said. By her third trimester, she had lost her job, housing, savings, transportation and furnishings, all while trying to deliver a healthy baby. A lot of my belongings went into storage and I fell behind (with the storage fees). My savings were depleted. My belongings got auctioned off. Im not material girl, but I lost a lot.Elrod said. I couldnt keep my cell phone on. I hit rock bottom. After giving birth, Elrod was again unhoused and started looking for a city shelter that had room for her and a newborn. Unsuccessful and out of options, she left Philadelphia last February to live with her brother in Arizona. Robinson, a certified doula who provides nonmedical birth support and a former intake worker at a city youth shelter, has heard too many stories like Elrods and is looking to help mothers who are couch surfing or in a community shelter or facing eviction. The LaborLiveLove program will be an emergency maternity safe haven staffed with certified doulas, Robinson said. Right now, nothing exists prioritizing a very vulnerable population. A Home From Shana Foundation was named for LaShana Gilmore, once Cleopatra Robinsons best friend. When Gilmore went into labor in July 2019 with her second child, Robinson never thought she wouldnt return home. But despite a good job, good health, stable housing, a loving family and good health insurance, Gilmore became another Black woman who died from a preventable delivery death. It changed Robinsons career path she became a certified doula in the hope of preventing needless tragedy. A Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council report released in August found between 2016 and 2022 there had been a 40% rise in the rate of poor maternal health outcomes and the increase was largest for Black women. Pennsylvania absolutely mirrors what is happening across the country, said State Rep. Morgan Cephas, cochair of the newly-formed PA Black Maternal Health Caucus. We need to write our own story as it relates to the maternal care morbidity and motility space, Cephas said. READ MORE: Severe health problems after childbirth in Pa. rose 40% between 2016 and 2022 In Arizona, Elrod received support services that enabled her to get back on her feet. She now has a good job, a comfortable, affordable apartment, childcare for her daughter and a working car. Elrod thinks Pennsylvania should do more to help. People are experiencing a lot of hardships, she said. People riding dirt bikes and four wheelers ride down the Art Museum steps in Philadelphia on Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024. Read more The Philadelphia Police Departments ATV detail has been around in some capacity for years, with operations typically ramping up in late spring and early summer without much warning. Not under the new mayoral administration, the department says. On Tuesday, as the temperature in Philadelphia hit the 60s, the detail hit the streets and confiscated 15 unregistered ATVs in two hours, until they were stopped by the rain, said Deputy Commissioner James Kelly. The goal of the sweep in parts of North and South Philly was simple: set the tone that illegal ATV and dirtbike riding would not be ignored as a quality-of-life issue. Advertisement Theres not a neighborhood in the city that isnt fed up with this nonsense, said Kelly, adding that the issue extends beyond the sometimes-viral rides on Broad Street near City Hall. Without giving many specifics regarding the new approach to enforcement so as not to tip the departments hand, Kelly said the ATV details would be going out more frequently and involve more officers. Kelly described the ramped-up effort as part of Mayor Cherelle L. Parkers 100-day plan and larger vision to make people feel safe in the city by paying attention to the little things that really arent that little. Off-road vehicles have been a perennial gripe among some residents, who say hoards of young people riding through the streets often break traffic rules and are just plain noisy. Still, bike life, as its often called, has flourished through social media and some advocates say an alternative to seizing the vehicles and handing out citations would be to create bike parks where young people could participate in the activity freely. READ MORE: The ins and outs of Philly ATVs and how bike life continues to flourish here Most of the ATV bikes on Phillys streets are illegal, according to Kelly. Police will stop riders, issue fines of up to $2,000, and confiscate bikes when drivers are stationary. These bikes can run in the thousands of dollars, so owners can appeal the confiscation in traffic court. Still, Kelly said, about 80% of the ones police confiscate end up being destroyed. In addition to the ATV detail, the departments mobile surge team, a flexible detail deployed to incidents on Friday and Saturday nights, will be able to respond to car meets and aid in the ATV and dirtbike crackdown. In the past, police have touted bike sweeps on social media after the fact. But in a news conference Wednesday, Kelly offered a warning to the riders who make drivers and pedestrians feel terrorized when they flout the law: Thats the kind of behavior were not going to tolerate anymore. Start your day with the Philly news you need and the stories you want all in one easy-to-read newsletter Good morning! Its mostly sunny and somewhat cooler with a high near 41. This particular Thursday or as I like to call it, Friday Jr. also happens to be Leap Day. Why February gets an extra date every four years is quite the astronomical saga, so stay tuned for an intriguing history lesson. But first, our top story highlights the significant rise in the number of medical malpractice lawsuits last year in Philadelphia, which coincides with a change in a rule that dictates where cases can be filed. Paola Perez (@pdesiperez, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com) Advertisement If someone forwarded you this email, sign up for free here. Philly saw more malpractice cases filed in 2023, in part due to a rule change that now allows cases to be filed in the city rather than in the county where the incident occurred. By the numbers: 544 cases were filed in Philadelphia last year, an increase of 33% from the average annual caseload in the three years before the pandemic. It looks like were settling into a number thats around 45 filings per month, which will be the new normal for Philadelphia, said Daniel J. Anders, an administrative judge in Philadelphia Common Pleas Courts trial division, during a webinar on the courts new system for managing medical malpractice cases. Playing catch-up: The number of lawsuits filed in Philadelphia fell during the pandemic, but a backlog still formed. In response, the Philadelphia trial court developed a process to move cases through the system more quickly and encourage more cases to settle long before trial. Cases progressing through the courts before the rule change already resulted in large verdicts last year against Temple University Health System, the University of Pennsylvania Health System, and a group including the Rothman Orthopaedic Institute. The citys courts last year yielded four verdicts of at least $10 million. Keep reading for a closer look at the rise in cases and to see how the trend toward high verdicts is starting to affect Pennsylvanias malpractice insurance market. What you should know today Now Im passing the mic to Tony Wood, who writes about where we all live the atmosphere. Feb. 29 is the one day every four years where we learn that we really can make up for lost time in this case 1,440 minutes, or 24 hours. This all gets rather cosmically complicated, and unraveling it was quite a saga, but here are the SparkNotes: It takes Earth about 365 days to make the annual 574 million-mile trip around the sun. Our calendars dont do quarter days. Thus, every four years we give day-deprived February an extra day for the sake of keeping whole numbers in our yearly scorekeeping. We can thank Julius Caesar, a lesser-known astronomer, for bringing order to the calendar. But time flies when youre hurtling through space at 67,000 mph and things got out of kilter. It took Renaissance Pope Gregory XIII to get us where we are today. We should be good for the next few thousand years. Tony Wood Leap days will eventually be obsolete, give or take 4 million years. Read on for Tonys full breakdown of this phenomenon. Trivia time An Academy Award-nominated actor and star from the TV series Empire said its immoral to tax descendants of slaves. A federal judge in Philadelphia just ordered that actor to pay nearly $1 million in back taxes. Who was it? A) Malik Yoba B) Jussie Smollett C) Terrence Howard D) Trai Byers Think you know? Check your answer. What we're... Browsing: A gallery of scenes on film from Florida during Phillies spring training, captured by Inquirer staff photographer Heather Khalifa. Anticipating: Flyers beat reporter Jackie Spiegels Reddit AMA. Shell be answering your burning questions tonight as the trade deadline approaches. Join the conversation at 6 p.m. Watching: Whats next for Congress after Mitch McConnell announced he will step down as Senate Republican leader. Unscramble the anagram Hint: Verizon Hall, the cello-shaped concert room at the Kimmel Center, is getting a new moniker something with a decidedly more Philadelphia flair. ADORE MALLS RIHANNA Email us if you know the answer. Well select a reader at random to shout out here. Cheers to Parella Long who correctly guessed Wednesdays answer: Fairmount Park. The hint was Home of the Roots Picnic festival. The weekend is almost here. Thanks for starting your morning with The Inquirer. By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirers Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10. President Joe Bidens unwavering support of Israel has deadly implications for the people of Gaza. And it is something that, as an Arab American voter, my community cannot stand for, writes Samuel Kuttab. Read more I have been a staunch supporter of the Democratic Party for decades. In Philadelphia, where I have lived for 40 years, I have voted, contributed money, and helped organize fundraisers for Democratic candidates at the local and national level from school superintendents to City Council, mayors, and state representatives. I support the Democratic Party because I believe in the tenets of justice, equality, and human rights that the party espouses, and which are enshrined in the partys platform and policies. Our party has a long history of championing these values, not just domestically, but also on the global stage. Yet, the party has a disconnect when it comes to Palestine. President Joe Bidens unwavering support of Israel has deadly implications for the people of Gaza. And it is something that, as an Arab American voter, my community cannot stand for. We cant be silent after the U.S. voted against the U.N. Security Councils call for a cease-fire on Feb. 20, the third vote of its kind. Let me clarify that this is not an argument against the Democratic Party or its principles. Its quite the opposite: Its a call to uphold our values even more fiercely, to scrutinize our leaders, and to ensure they align with our principles. Arab Americans are a crucial component of the partys base, and we are asking Democrats to support the fact that all human beings are equal. The blood of an Israeli woman or child is not any more important than the blood of a Palestinian woman or child. Advertisement While some may argue that our communitys focus on challenging Bidens stance on Israel makes us a single-issue group, our civic commitment extends far beyond one issue. We have tirelessly worked to support Democratic candidates at all levels of government, from city council to national elections, even when some of the liberal issues Democrats have espoused run counter to our cultural and religious beliefs. This has not been easy. Many believe Biden might not be president today had it not been for the critical Arab American and Muslim American voters in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania. The betrayal felt by many of us in the face of Bidens complicity in the loss of innocent Palestinian lives is profound. How can we continue to support leaders who ignore the devastation caused by American weapons and American protection? The argument that defeating Biden would result in a worse outcome is flawed and dismisses our agency and power to demand accountability from our elected officials. The Biden administration insists that Israel is still acting in self-defense even though the worlds court, the International Court of Justice, has rejected the argument that an occupying country has the right to self-defense. By advocating to defeat Biden while supporting the rest of the Democratic ticket, we are not only standing up for our values but also presenting an opportunity for the Democratic Party to realign its policies with the principles of justice and compassion. We extend an olive branch to the party by urging a correction in the U.S. governments position to recognize a Palestinian state under the pre-1967 borders and calling for an immediate cease-fire to prevent further loss of innocent lives. On a personal level, I have dedicated myself and some members of my family along with our Jewish Philadelphia friends to stand outside various churches in our City of Brotherly Love with a simple sign calling on fellow Christian worshipers to pray for peace in Gaza. Our response to the current crisis is not about partisan politics, but rather upholding the values of justice, peace, and human rights. We demand accountability, action, and a commitment to a more just and equitable future for all. Samuel Kuttab is a Philadelphia-based Palestinian American who has been active in the Democratic Party since the 1980s. Linda S. Wallace on Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024. She recently moved away from Center City because she didn't feel safe there. She's now in Fairmount, which she says feels much better. Read more Soon after I moved to Center City in 2021, a stranger approached me on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. As he passed me, he stopped long enough to glare and spit in my face. Another night, a mysterious man followed me and my dog home from Love Park. My protective dog, Gabby, first noticed the man behind us, and she positioned her body so she was between me and him. I moved with Gabby into the doorway of a nearby, well-lit apartment building. Rather than scurry off, the man walked across the street and leaned against a wall for 15 minutes, watching us. We stayed put until, eventually, he walked away. Once, in the early evening, children playing with blocks in Love Park began to throw them at Gabby in an effort to provoke her. When I asked them to stop, they aimed the toy blocks in my direction. A week or so ago, I fell while walking across JFK Boulevard on my way to the farmers market in Rittenhouse Square. No one stopped to help; a man simply walked by. Two women asked if I was OK, but didnt come close to see if I needed help. I managed to get up on my own even though my pants were torn and both knees were badly skinned. Advertisement But the scariest moment I experienced after I moved downtown occurred when dozens of all-terrain vehicles and motorized carts roared down Broad Street one afternoon. One of the drivers veered onto the sidewalk and tried to chase me a 69-year-old woman as his fellow riders laughed. READ MORE: A vibrant Center City benefits all Philadelphians | Editorial A great debate is underway in Philadelphia: Is Center City safe? The correct answer, of course, is yes and no. Those who answer the question with a yes tend to consult police reports on property crimes and violent crimes for guidance. They point to studies that examine data on property and violent crime rates, like the April one by the Brookings Institution, which showed that Center City is remarkably safe, and crime is not on the rise. I would agree that, compared with other neighborhoods, Center City is relatively safe, with its brightly lit thoroughfares and private security personnel who keep watch to protect businesses and their customers. Since November 2020, the Center City District has deployed a bicycle patrol to support restaurants, cultural institutions, museums, and the like. Its community service representatives also patrol spots of downtown, acting as the eyes and ears for the police. But public safety extends beyond academic data about murder, apartment break-ins, and assaults. The central question is: Do people feel safe as they work, shop, run errands, visit restaurants, or just sit quietly in a park? In other words, how safe a neighborhood is has less to do with official crime statistics, and more to do with how people feel living and working there. I didnt report any of the incidents I experienced in Center City to the police, and even if I did, they wouldnt be included in statistics about property theft and violent crime. So when I hear business leaders saying people who believe Center City isnt safe have a perception problem, I wonder why they see the majesty of Center City yet are so blind to its flaws. My concerns about Center City prompted me to move last summer to Fairmount a distance of one mile. Here, I have found more joyful street encounters and greater peace of mind. I have not had one unsafe or scary encounter on the street since I moved here. According to crime statistics from the last month, Fairmount has about half the rate of violent crime as Center City, but roughly similar levels of property crime. But in Fairmount, I am not out there on my own residents are walking alongside me as I carry groceries from the store, large numbers of students are heading to schools and to Community College of Philadelphia, and there are coffee shops galore, trendy nail salons, and places where neighbors gather. With all the walkers on the streets, it feels much safer than Center City. Now, when I pass a stranger, they often smile and say hello. There is greater diversity of age and race, and it feels more like a neighborhood. When I was looking for apartments, I had to wait in the lobby of one building for the agent. The nice young man at the front desk immediately changed the music playing to Sade and Earth, Wind and Fire. As I exited the building, I teased him, asking if he had changed the music for me. He replied, I thought it would make you feel more at home. We should never underestimate the power of cultural competence, which can include the ability to make strangers and visitors feel special, appreciated, and welcomed. In Fairmount, I feel as though I belong. I feel as though I belong. The bottom line is the crime rate doesnt necessarily tell you how safe a neighborhood is. Wealthy neighborhoods are not always ideal places to live. And poor neighborhoods can provide surprising encounters and experiences. Residents have to look beyond crime stats to determine if it is a place where you could be happy. Our new Police Commissioner Kevin Bethels recent comments about crime in Philadelphia have given me reason to hope that our officials will eventually recognize the disconnect between official crime statistics and how safe a neighborhood feels to the people who live there. He noted that while hes working to reduce major crimes and violence, hes also trying to restore a sense of order to the city. That could include tackling problems that may not be officially tracked but affect how people perceive their neighborhoods, such as selling drugs and corner gambling. Lets take the law out of it just order, he told The Inquirer recently. All of this stuff is happening and people are looking at us like, Dont you see what I see? That is precisely the question I had been asking officials during the two years I lived in Center City. Instead of employers, business leaders, and residents spending time trying to educate the residents who are raising valid concerns about how safe Center City is, they should publicly join with other neighborhoods to solve the underlying issues of crime poverty, untreated trauma, underfunded schools, the lack of affordable housing, and the need for safe hangout spaces and life-changing opportunities for disadvantaged youth. Center City will be safe when every Philadelphian has reason to feel that a better future lies ahead. Linda S. Wallace, a former real estate editor and reporter at The Inquirer, is a blogger who writes about diversity and belonging on her blog, Cultural IQ. A man holds the body of his daughter at a hospital morgue in Rafah on Feb. 21. She was killed in the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip. Read more President Joe Biden said a temporary cease-fire could be reached soon in Gaza and more hostages could be released. While Israel and Hamas officials were less optimistic about a deal, lets hope peace is near because the war has been hell. Israel was well within its right to root out Hamas terrorists following the brutal Oct. 7 attack. But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has waged an all-out assault killing an estimated 30,000 Palestinians and injuring another 70,000, including many women and children. Israels bombing campaign has destroyed or damaged 70% of Gazas 439,000 homes and half of its buildings. Roughly 85% of Gazas 2.2 million residents have been displaced. READ MORE: Middle East violence may be a harbinger of dark days ahead | Editorial Advertisement Netanyahu may be making gains on the battlefield, but he has lost majority support in his own country and is alienating much of the world. He is also fraying relations with Israels staunchest ally, the United States. To be clear, Hamas provoked Israels response after it massacred some 1,200 Israelis and took 240 hostages. Targeting Hamas terrorists was the right approach, but a recent poll found that half of U.S. adults think Netanyahu has gone too far. Indeed, the International Court of Justice found it plausible that Israel has committed genocidal acts in Gaza. Netanyahu denied the findings, but there is no denying the humanitarian disaster in Gaza. Nearly all the hospitals there have been damaged or destroyed. Many Palestinians are crammed into makeshift camps that lack food, water, and medicine. Families have been left out in the cold with no bathrooms or clean water. The horrific conditions are leading to starvation and the spread of disease. A 40-day pause in military operations part of the latest proposal from mediators would hopefully enable humanitarian aid to get to Gaza along with the release of some Israeli hostages and Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. But then what? More than one million displaced Palestinians have sought refuge in the southernmost city of Rafah, yet Netanyahu remains intent on invading in an effort to eliminate Hamas battalions. He said there was a plan to evacuate civilians before attacking, but it did not sound reassuring: Well do our best to get as many of them out. Netanyahu said Israel must destroy Hamas to secure the future for Palestinians and the Jewish state. Total victory is how you win the war, he said. That means more bloodshed. Roughly 10,000 Palestinian militants have been killed, according to Israeli officials, but the majority of the estimated 30,000 fighters remain intact. Netanyahus focus on eliminating Hamas leaders and military infrastructure is understandable given the terrorist organizations stated goal is to eradicate Israel. But will Netanyahus indiscriminate killing in Gaza ultimately inspire new terrorists and leave Israel less safe? Where is the plan for peace? Biden has tried to balance public support for Israel while privately pressing for military restraint and a two-state solution. But his tightrope diplomacy has come at great political cost at home, as many young voters and Arab Americans have soured on him over his support for Israel. While a Biden aide acknowledged mistakes in the administrations response to the war in Gaza, anyone who thinks Donald Trump would be a better alternative has forgotten his foreign policy failures and his administrations indifferent approach to human rights abuses abroad. READ MORE: Back from the dustbin: Two-state solution reemerges as the only way to Israel-Palestine peace | Trudy Rubin Peace in the Middle East has been an elusive goal for many U.S. presidents, and Biden lacks an honest negotiating partner. Netanyahu has rejected calls for a two-state solution while he uses the war to distract from his corruption charges at home. Palestinian leadership on the West Bank, which Biden would like to ultimately take over in Gaza, is weak and undermined by Netanyahu. Polls show Netanyahu would likely lose an election. To avoid prison, he must stay in power. But to maintain his right-wing coalition, Netanyahu must reject any deal that puts the Palestinians on a political path toward a state alongside Israel. Yet, Bidens goal of a two-state solution is the best path forward for Israel and the Palestinians. Getting there will not be easy, but it must start with a cease-fire in Gaza. WASHINGTON Congressional leaders announced Wednesday they have reached a tentative agreement to prevent a government shutdown for now, days before an end-of-the-week deadline that risked shuttering some federal operations. Under the new plan, Congress would temporarily fund one set of federal agencies through March 8 and another set through March 22. In the meantime, Congress will try to draft and pass packages of legislation to fund the government for the remainder of the budget year. But there was no immediate plan to approve the $95 billion emergency national security funds for Ukraine, Israel and other allies. We are in agreement that Congress must work in a bipartisan manner to fund our government, said the joint statement from House Speaker Mike Johnson, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, along with the Appropriation Committee leaders. Advertisement Johnson said the House would vote Thursday to approve the temporary funds ahead of Fridays deadline, when some federal monies run out. The Senate would be expected to vote next. The deal comes together as negotiators in Congress have been working furiously to finish up a federal spending plan and Washington joined Ukraine and other American allies around the world in watching and waiting for Johnsons next move. The new Republican leader is facing the test of his career trying to keep the U.S. government open by Fridays midnight deadline for several federal departments. At the same time, emergency funding for Ukraine, Israel and Indo-Pacific allies remains stubbornly stalled. President Joe Biden convened leaders Tuesday in hopes of pushing them toward a deal. As the President and Congressional Leaders made clear at yesterdays meeting, we cannot allow a government shutdown, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement. She said the agreement reached would help prevent a needless federal shutdown. Congress is in what has become a familiar cycle of threatened shutdowns and disruptions as hard-right Republicans in Johnsons majority strive for steeper spending reductions than Democrats and even some other Republicans are willing to accept. This would be the fourth short-term funding extension in about five months. While Johnson, R-La., inherited a difficult dynamic, it was only compounded after his majority shrunk further when Democrat Tom Suozzi of New York was sworn in Wednesday to boisterous applause from Democrats and visitors in the galleries following the special election to replace ousted GOP Rep. George Santos. The House is split 213-219, leaving Johnson no room for dissent. Congressional leaders said they reached an agreement on six bills that will adhere to spending levels previously agreed to last year. Those bills involve Veterans Affairs and the departments of Agriculture, Transportation, Interior and others and will be voted on and enacted before March 8. The remaining six bills for the Pentagon, Homeland Security, Health and Human Services and the State Department still need to be finalized, voted on and enacted before March 22. Leaders said a short-term extension would be voted on this week so that funding would continue for agencies while lawmakers worked on the two packages. Lawmakers would be given 72 hours to review the broader legislative packages, as is expected under House rules. If the deal and the subsequent bills are approved, it would keep the federal government funded until the end of the budget year, on Sept. 30, and avoid more short-term measures. Top military officials said at a Pentagon briefing that the delay in passing a 2024 budget has affected the military as it has responded to crises over the past several months without additional new money to do so. Gabe Camarillo, the Army undersecretary, said that with continued funding delays, we have some very significant costs that were going to have to overcome. Meanwhile, Western allies are keeping close tabs on Johnson to see whether he will consider Bidens request for $95 billion in emergency funds for Ukraine and the overseas national security needs. The Senate overwhelmingly approved the $95 billion supplemental request earlier this month that includes $60 billion for Ukraine as its military runs short of munitions to fight Russian President Vladimir Putin. About half the Ukraine money would boost U.S. defense manufacturing as part of the war effort. Biden hosted Schumer, Johnson, McConnell, R-Ky., and Jeffries, D-N.Y., in the Oval Office on Tuesday with Vice President Kamala Harris. The meeting was something of a pile-on as Johnson, who has endorsed Donald Trump in the Republican presidential race, was the only leader reluctant to help Ukraine as prioritizes a U.S.-Mexico border security deal despite rejecting an earlier proposal that collapsed. Biden pulled Johnson aside for a private conversation. Biden told the lawmakers, its Congress responsibility to fund the government. Without funding by Friday thousands of government employees could be furloughed and federal government offices and services temporarily shuttered or unavailable. Biden warned that a government shutdown would damage the economy significantly. We need a bipartisan solution. WASHINGTON Texas Sen. John Cornyn has informed his colleagues that he intends to run for Senate Republican leader, becoming the first senator to announce a campaign after Sen. Mitch McConnell said he will step down from the post in November. Cornyn, who served as McConnells No. 2 in leadership before he was term-limited out of the job five years ago, is citing his experience in that role in a statement Thursday to fellow senators announcing his run. But he also is trying to distinguish himself from McConnell, saying, I believe the Senate is broken that is not news to anyone. From experience, I have learned what works in the Senate and what does not," Cornyn said. And I am confident Senate Republicans can restore our institution to the essential role it serves in our constitutional republic. There has long been speculation that Cornyn, South Dakota Sen. John Thune and Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso the three Johns would vie to replace McConnell, R-Ky., if and when McConnell were to step down. But the longtime leaders surprise announcement on Wednesday that he wont run again for Republican leader after the November elections has jump-started the campaign earlier than expected, almost nine months before GOP senators are expected to gather and choose a new leader behind closed doors. Advertisement Cornyn, a former Texas attorney general who was first elected to the Senate in 2002, is a prominent member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and a popular member of the GOP conference who is seen as a steady hand. He has managed to bridge some of the caucus' deep divides in recent years while also occasionally negotiating with Democrats, as he did on bipartisan gun legislation in 2022. He is also a prolific fundraiser for the party, having raised a total of $13 million for incumbents, the partys Senate campaign arm, and Senate Republican nominees already in the 2024 cycle. In his statement, Cornyn said he believes he has built a track record of listening to colleagues and seeking consensus, while leading the fight to stop bad policies that are harmful to our nation and the conservative cause. Cornyn said he would work to improve communication, try to move spending bills individually and make an effort to include every member in decisions. That's a response to frequent complaints from some senators about massive year-end spending bills and McConnells top-down leadership approach. Both Thune, the current No. 2 Republican, and Barrasso, the chairman of the Senate GOP conference, have left the door open to runs after McConnells announcement. Neither has officially announced a campaign for the job. Thune told reporters that McConnells departure leaves big shoes to fill, but that now is a time to reflect on his service and and honor him for that. And then well well go from there. After Cornyn's announcement, a spokesman for Thune said the senator is reaching out to colleagues to discuss the future of the Senate Republican Conference and what they would like to see in their next leader, but intends on keeping those conversations private. Barrasso said Wednesday hes focused on the November election and getting a Senate majority. In terms of leadership decisions, Im going to talk to members of the conference, hear what they have to say, listen to them in terms of what direction they want to take. Much of the race for leader is likely to take place through phone calls, one-on-one meetings and private gatherings over the next several months. Unlike the House, where both parties vote for speaker in a public and recentlymessy spectacle, Senate party leadership is chosen in closed-door conference meetings by secret ballot. Cornyn was already making calls and reaching out to his fellow senators in the hours since McConnells announcement. Republican senators havent chosen a new leader since 2007, when McConnell was elected. That's before most current GOP senators took office. It is unclear which of the three Johns would have an advantage among their peers. While Cornyn is well liked and has drawn attention for his fundraising, Thune could have the advantage of incumbency, as McConnells current deputy. Barrasso has tracked furthest to the right of the three, becoming the first of them to endorse former President Donald Trump for the GOP presidential nomination. Thune and Cornyn have criticized Trump in the past, especially since the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol by Trumps supporters. But each eventually endorsed him as it became more likely that he will be the partys presidential nominee this year. There are certain to be other candidates, as well, including from the wing of the party that is closest to Trump. Florida Sen. Rick Scott challenged McConnell in 2022 at Trump's urging, winning 10 votes, and he could run again. Scott has said he is focused on his own reelection bid this year, but has appeared open to a run after that. I think theres a better way to run the Senate, Scott said after McConnells announcement. So well see what happens. On Thursday, Scott said that he and Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisc., will soon call for a special conference meeting to discuss the future of the party. The sudden scramble for the next leader comes as McConnell, 82, had faced louder and increasing criticism from some within his party who have said it is time for a change in leadership. They have criticized McConnell's support for the huge end-of-year spending bills and, most recently, his outspoken backing for aid for Ukraine. A growing number in his conference has opposed the assistance, saying it would be better spent on the U.S.-Mexico border or elsewhere within the U.S. The Republican leader was also at odds with Trump, whom he has said was " practically and morally responsible " for the Capitol attack. The two haven't spoken since before then, and Trump frequently bashes him publicly. McConnell acknowledged his critics in his Senate floor speech announcing that he would step down from that role. Believe me, I know the politics within my party at this particular moment in time, McConnell said. I have many faults, misunderstanding politics is not one of them. He also echoed his critics, calling for a new generation to take over. In the hours after the announcement, as the surprise wore off, many senators praised McConnells legacy, including his role in the Senate confirmation of three conservative Supreme Court Justices who tilted the court to the right. Others were more focused on the future. This is a good development, said Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley, a frequent McConnell critic. My question is: Why wait so long? At the Amherst Town Board meeting, someone standing next to me said, These politicians are all the same, they dont listen to what the people want, and theyre all in it for themselves. I agreed, but I told him that this board has a special place with their disregard of the will of the people. I told him that comparing Supervisor Brian Kulpas Town Board to past Amherst Town Boards is like saying that a veterinarian and a taxidermist are in the same business, because either way you get your dog back. Theres a big difference! The residents from the neighborhood surrounding the former Gleasons Nursery at 4780 Sheridan Drive plead with the board not to rezone the property, so RAS Development can build 22 new houses and disturb the contaminated soil at the site. After the residents collected over 150 petition signatures this year from people who do not agree with this new construction, the Town Board simply voted to approve the resolution to rezone the property which allows the construction to begin. How sad and tone-deaf can they get? What the board did is typical of whats happening at the former Westwood Country Club, 4550 Main St., and the movement of the Buffalo Niagara Heritage Village. The board simply does not care what the residents want and can afford. Bill Blake Amherst City Council President Kenyatta Johnson is creating a commission to produce recommendations for reforming the city's tax structure. Read more Stop me if youve heard this one before: City Hall is establishing a blue-ribbon panel to reform Philadelphias tax structure. Tax commissions have come and gone so many times, its become a bit of a joke. The last one, announced during former Mayor Jim Kenneys second term, faded away without producing so much as a report. City Council on Thursday approved a resolution to create a new Tax Reform Commission, which technically is a reconstitution of the original panel from 2002. The new measure was authored by Council President Kenyatta Johnson and is supported by Mayor Cherelle L. Parker. The commission will have 15 members who will be named within 30 days. Parker and Johnson will each nominate four members, City Controller Christy Brady will name one member, and the rest will be selected by local chambers of commerce. That lineup appears favorable for business interests that have long called for dramatically lowering city wage and business taxes. Advertisement Brady has already decided who she will appoint, a spokesperson said: real estate magnate and former Councilmember Allan Domb, who lost to Parker in last years Democratic primary for mayor. While its easy to be pessimistic about the creation of the fourth tax policy panel in 22 years, there is some reason for hope. Parker and Johnson both took office last month, and tying themselves to policy recommendations so early in their tenures may be a sign they actually hope to follow through on some of them. We need a tax structure that encourages businesses to move into Philadelphia and, most importantly, stay in Philadelphia, Johnson said. I believe we can find a healthy and fair balance between providing tax relief for businesses, while also significantly investing in small businesses, which are the bedrock of our economy and our neighborhoods. READ MORE: Mayor Parker calls on Philadelphia businesses to return to in-person work There is a lot at stake. Will the panel find a way to lower Phillys 3.75% wage tax, the citys largest revenue source and the highest of its kind in the nation? Will they reform the business income and receipts tax, which is often described as being unnecessarily complicated by taxing both gross revenue and net profits? What will they recommend on property taxes, which are relatively low in Philadelphia but have been criticized for relying on inaccurate assessments? In a speech Wednesday, Parker praised the citys practice of incrementally lowering the wage tax and reducing the number of companies subject to the business tax. Parker also reiterated her support for amending the state constitution to allow Philly to tax commercial properties at higher rates than homeowners, which would make major tax reform more politically viable. Thank you, Mr. President, for taking that important step, Parker said, and we want you to know that we look forward to a lively discussion on these issues this year. What else happened this week? Message from the mayor: Councilmember Rue Landau, a freshman Democrat who represents the city at-large, introduced legislation on behalf of Parker that would empower the citys Law Department to investigate complaints of consumer fraud. Currently, consumer protection law is enforced by both the state attorney general and the Philadelphia district attorney. Under the new legislation, the citys Law Department could bring cases in the citys Court of Common Pleas and seek civil penalties. The bill specifically says the city can target bad actors engaging in false product advertising, bogus financing plans, pyramid schemes, and misleading telemarketing. Those practices are already against state law. Another crack at streeteries: Council is poised to hold hearings examining city regulations for so-called streeteries, the outdoor dining structures that proliferated during the pandemic. But many closed over the last year after the city implemented a licensing process that requires restaurants comply with specific building requirements and secure a $1 million insurance plan. Landau introduced legislation to hold hearings on the matter, saying in a statement that Council wants to revisit and consider improvements to our current policies, ensuring fair access to streeteries and sidewalk cafes for all restaurateurs. A hearing has not yet been scheduled. A representative from the Pennsylvania Restaurant and Lodging Association said Thursday the trade group supports the city taking another look at its system. There is urgency to this conversation, not only due to spring and summer on the horizon, but especially given all the visitors we intend to host as a region in 2026, said Zak Pyzik, a spokesperson for PRLA. We commend this step and hopefully it signals a commitment to providing certainty, predictability, and guidance to the hospitality industry. The city will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the nations founding in 2026. Who was there? A new clerk: Council was canceled last week due to the death of longtime Chief Clerk Michael A. Decker, whose job entailed overseeing Council procedures and recording legislation. READ MORE: Longtime Philadelphia City Council Chief Clerk Michael A. Decker has died Council reconvened Thursday under the guidance of Interim Chief Clerk Elizabeth McCollum-Nazario, who worked in Deckers office until recently. Johnson led lawmakers in a moment of silence to honor Decker at the start of the meeting. Decker was to be laid to rest after a funeral mass Friday morning at Holy Innocents Parish. A big name in politics and journalism: Female members of Council on Thursday honored Renee Chenault-Fattah on Thursday, an attorney and former NBC10 coanchor who worked in broadcast journalism for three decades. Her impact transcends boundaries and inspires us all, Councilmember Cindy Bass said. In recognizing her accomplishments, we not only pay tribute to her individual journey, but also acknowledge the countless narratives of strength, leadership, and excellence within the community of Black women. Chenault-Fattah is a well-known name in city politics. Shes married to former U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah, a Democrat who was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2016 on federal corruption charges but was released early in 2020. And she was implicated in that case, with federal prosecutors alleging she was involved in a bribery scheme and fraudulently sold a Porsche to a Florida-based lobbyist. But Chenault-Fattah wasnt charged, and accused prosecutors of personally attacking her and misleading the court. She delivered remarks in Councils chambers Thursday, saying the honor left her speechless. I really feel like I owe this city so very much, she said. Philadelphia gave me my career. Quote of the week We can never over-spend on amazing students who have the future in their hands. Ezechial Thurman, music technology teacher at Hill-Freedman World Academy Council on Thursday recognized Northwest Philadelphias Hill-Freedman World Academy, which has gained national acclaim and an HBO documentary for creating a record label in which every song is written, performed, and produced by students. READ MORE: The Philly songwriting teens who caught John Legends attention with their original album Music technology teacher Ezechial Thurman leads that program and accepted the honor on behalf of the school. In his remarks, he thanked the donors who backed the program and urged others to do more. Thurman is the husband of Tiffany W. Thurman, Parkers chief of staff. Nicolas ORourke speaks at a press conference with council members and leaders of the task force, announcing the structure of the Philadelphia Reparations Task Force at City Hall in Philadelphia, Pa., on Friday, Nov., 17, 2023. O'Rourke is now an at-large member of City Council. Read more The Working Families Party has tapped Philadelphia City Councilmember Nicolas ORourke to deliver its response to President Joe Bidens State of the Union address next week, a sign that the progressive third party sees the new lawmaker as a national face of its movement. The selection of ORourke, who was sworn in as a member of Council representing the city at-large just last month, also demonstrates the importance of Philadelphias role in the 2024 election cycle as the largest city in a critical swing state. The Working Families Party has not endorsed Biden for reelection, but its leadership has made clear that it opposes former President Donald Trump. Nicolas will bring all his moral clarity and strategic vision to this speech, Working Families Party national director Maurice Mitchell said in a statement. Just like in 2020, winning states like Pennsylvania will mean really understanding what matters to working people in cities like Philadelphia. Anyone who wants to stop the MAGA movement in its tracks should listen to Nicolas closely. ORourkes bid for Council last year represented a historic win for the labor-aligned Working Families Party, which secured two seats on City Council that are effectively set aside for non-Democrats ousting Republicans from seats theyd held for more than 70 years in the process. He joined incumbent City Councilmember Kendra Brooks, who won reelection last year after four years ago becoming the first third-party candidate to win a seat on Council in decades. Advertisement This years State of the Union response the partys seventh is also unique because ORourke ran and won as a member of the Working Families Party. In past years, progressive Democrats backed by the Working Families Party have delivered the response, including Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D., Mich.) and Jamaal Bowman (D., N.Y.), both of whom have been critical of Biden. The party often endorses Democrats and does not typically run its own candidates in general elections if its likely theyll end up helping the GOP. READ MORE: The Working Families Party's history in Philadelphia ORourke said in a statement that its an honor to deliver the Working Families Party response. The speech and response will be on March 7. I hope to give voice to the working people in Philadelphia and around the country, he said, who want a better life for themselves and a brighter future for the next generation. He is expected to praise Biden on some economic policy, but is likely to criticize the president over his support for Israel in its ongoing war in Gaza. The conflict in the Middle East has become a vulnerability for Biden in his reelection bid, as many in the party have threatened to sit out the election if the war continues on its current trajectory. The Working Families Party, which is based in New York and has chapters in states across the country, played a role in Bidens successful bid for White House in 2020, launching get-out-the-vote efforts in such cities as Philadelphia and encouraging progressives to vote for Biden despite disagreeing with him on some issues, including health care and climate policy. READ MORE: Philadelphia was told to brace for mass unrest after the Election. Instead, the city danced. And after election day, when pro-Trump protesters demonstrated outside the Pennsylvania Convention Center where election workers were counting Philadelphia ballots, the Working Families Party organized a counter-protest-turned-dance-party with ORourke as the emcee. City officials credited the events organizers for keeping peace in a situation that could have devolved into political violence. Never, ever in a million years did we see Joe Biden as a destination, ORourke said at the time. Hes a doorway to the kind of terrain and world that we could actually organize in. It can happen in what feels like the blink of an eye: Yellow bananas turn brown and mushy, pale green avocado halves develop dark splotches, and crisp leafy greens become wilted and yellow. The culprit? Ethylene, a naturally occurring plant hormone that drives ripening and can shorten the shelf life of produce, often causing fruits and vegetables to spoil before you can get around to eating them. Rotten produce is not only costly, but also contributes to the staggering food waste problem in the United States. About 30 to 40% of the countrys food supply goes to waste, according to estimates from the Department of Agriculture. Globally, food waste produces about 8% of overall greenhouse gas emissions more than the amount generated by the airline industry. But there is a simple technology experts say could help keep your produce fresher for longer: ethylene gas absorbers. Heres what you need to know about how they work and whether they might be right for you. Pulling ethylene out of the air Many fruits and vegetables produce significant amounts of ethylene and are sensitive to the gas, which plays an important role in triggering the ripening process. At home, you can use ethylene absorbers inside and outside the fridge, placed near or around your fruits and vegetables. These absorbers typically contain a chemical compound that attracts ethylene and binds to the gas, said Randy Worobo, a professor of food science at Cornell University. As they draw the gas out of the air and hold onto it, they can reduce the amount of the hormone that produce is exposed to and slow the ripening process. Advertisement Absorbers can come in different forms, including individual packets and storage bags that have the technology built in. The principle is good; they definitely absorb ethylene, said Elizabeth Mitcham, a professor emeritus at the University of California at Davis, whose research focuses on fruits after theyve been harvested. The question is, do they absorb enough to have a significant impact? Household absorbers typically have a limited absorption capacity and will eventually become saturated, Mitcham said. If youre going to use ethylene absorbers, its important to follow the manufacturers instructions. Products should come with guidance for use, including when they need to be replaced. But here are some additional tips on how to use them effectively. Which fruits and vegetables might benefit the most from an absorber? To decide whether an absorber might be useful, consider which types of produce you're storing, Mitcham said. The technology could work better to protect green vegetables, which don't release much of the gas themselves but can be fairly sensitive to low levels of it. An absorbers capacity to absorb ethylene is probably best suited to that kind of a situation, rather than putting it in with your fruits, where its just going to get saturated and probably not be able to do very much, she said. Here are some of the fruits and vegetables that produce significant amounts of ethylene, as well as those that are sensitive to it. Producers: Bananas, melons (such as cantaloupe, but not watermelon), apples, tomatoes, and avocado. Sensitive: Greens, carrots, broccoli, and cucumbers. Where do I place it? Your refrigerator already helps slow down the production of ethylene. Absorbers can be an extra help here. To get the most out of the technology, give it some space to work, said Alexis Hamilton, an assistant professor in the department of food science and technology at Virginia Tech. An absorber thats buried in the back of a full drawer might not be able to effectively pull ethylene from areas that it cant reach, Hamilton said. If youre storing produce outside the fridge, you might be doing so because you want things to ripen, so you probably dont need an absorber. Absorbers might come in handy, though, if what you have on your counter is tropical fruit and you want it to last as long as possible. Those types of fruit typically shouldnt be stored in the fridge. How many do I use? The number of absorbers you need can depend on how much produce you have and on ventilation, Hamilton said. A single sachet, for instance, might become quickly saturated if placed among several bunches of bananas. But you could need fewer absorbers if your produce is stored in a well-ventilated space where airflow can help dissipate some of the gas, she said. How long do they last? Some ethylene absorbers might come with a color indicator that tells you when theyre saturated, Hamilton said. But if yours doesnt, be mindful of the products instructions and expiration dates. Youve got to keep up with it and set a schedule for yourself of when youre going to change them out in order to be sure that theyre going to stay effective for the entire time that youve got it in there, Hamilton said. And keep in mind that there are many other ways, aside from using absorbers, to make your food last longer and help you cut down on the amount of uneaten things you throw away. That includes buying only what you need when you need it and being thoughtful about how you store your groceries. If everybody did a little bit of everything in terms of buying less or only what you need, and taking the approach to using up what youve got, in addition to ethylene scrubbers, it all helps to reduce food waste, Worobo said. Wendy Williams answers questions before a live audience at the Fillmore in Silver Spring on July 31, 2018. Williams has been diagnosed with aphasia and frontotemporal dementia. MUST CREDIT: Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post. Read more Wendy Williams, a former talk-show host, has been diagnosed with aphasia and frontotemporal dementia, her care team announced. Williams, 59, is best known for dishing celebrity gossip on The Wendy Williams Show, which was one of the top-ranked daytime talk shows when it aired 2008-2022. Before having her show, she was a radio host in Philadelphia, at Power 99, and in New York City. Actor Bruce Willis, 68, was also diagnosed with aphasia, a communication disorder, in March 2022, and his family said he was retiring. Last year, his family announced that he had been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, a rare form of dementia. We asked neurologists and other health-care experts questions about the conditions, and here are their answers: What are frontotemporal dementia and aphasia? Frontotemporal dementia is a category of neurodegenerative diseases in the same family as Alzheimers disease and Parkinsons. About 50,000 to 60,000 people in the United States have FTD. It mostly affects people between the ages of 40 and 60. The most accurate term would be frontotemporal lobar degeneration, which is more specific to the process going on in the brain, said Joel Salinas, a behavioral neurologist, assistant professor of neurology at NYU Langone Health and chief medical officer of Isaac Health. Advertisement FTD is a category of dementias that specifically affects the brains frontal and temporal lobes. Sometimes its more the frontal, sometimes its more the temporal, and over time it usually involves both, Salinas said last year. When the abnormality develops in the temporal lobe, in particular the temporal side of the brain that involves speech and language, a patient could have primary progressive aphasia. Aphasia, which has various forms, including primary progressive aphasia, is a disorder caused by damage to the brain tissue responsible for language, usually on the left side of the brain. The condition can manifest as difficulty understanding language, producing language or both. It most often occurs in middle age or later. Strokes are the most common cause, and about 25-40% of stroke survivors develop aphasia, according to the National Aphasia Association. Other acute events, including brain hemorrhages, tumors, or brain injuries caused by a car accident, can also serve as the origin. Less frequently, aphasia develops slowly and worsens over time. Aphasia is not a cognitive disorder and doesnt affect a persons intelligence. But cognitive issues may occur simultaneously as another result of the event that caused the aphasia, said Swathi Kiran, director of the Aphasia Research Laboratory at Boston University, in March 2022. What are the symptoms of FTD and aphasia? Symptoms of FTD can vary and depend on where the abnormal proteins begin to accumulate in the frontal or temporal lobe. It can take a few years for a patient to be diagnosed with FTD since the symptoms are varied and also may be seen in people with other diseases, the experts said. A patient with frontal lobe-focused abnormality would show behavioral issues of impulsivity and disinhibition. Thats called behavioral variant activity, which is the more common subvariant of FTD. For example, a polite person may become rude and a kind person may become self-centered, said Andrew Budson, chief of cognitive and behavioral neurology, associate chief of staff for education, and director of the Center for Translational Cognitive Neuroscience at the Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System, last year. There may also be a lack of self-control that sometimes causes overeating of foods, such as an entire jar of mayonnaise, which one of my patients ate. Social disinhibition is one symptom, said Ryan Darby, assistant professor of neurology and director of the Frontotemporal Dementia Clinic at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. They may even commit crimes because of their disinhibition and socially inappropriate behaviors, he said last year. They lose empathy and compassion toward others. There are two major subtypes of aphasia the agrammatic type or the semantic type that are caused by FTD, said Brad Dickerson, director of the Frontotemporal Disorders Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital, neurologist and professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School. The agrammatic type is more of a problem with producing grammatically constructed sentences, syntax, whereas the semantic type is really the meanings of words, he said last year. The agrammatic type tends to be due to the tau problem in the brain, which affects the frontal lobe, mostly. Whereas the semantic type tends to be due to the TDP-43 type, which tends to affect the temporal lobe of the brain. Some others can develop abnormal protein in parts of the brain associated with motor functioning and eye movement, the experts said. Aphasia manifests in varying ways, even in patients with the same type of the condition. Some people struggle to remember the names of objects or formulate sentences that reflect what theyre thinking. Others have difficulty comprehending what those around them are saying because the words may sound rushed or confusing. As a result, socializing can be a very stressful experience. Some aphasia patients limit their interactions with others, causing them to suffer from isolation. They try to stay away from situations because its tough for them to talk and they would rather not talk, and that actually ends up being much more debilitative, Kiran said. Among the most common forms of the disorder is Wernickes aphasia, which is caused by damage to the brains temporal lobe and may make someone have trouble understanding spoken language. Their speech may sound relatively normal if youre not listening closely, but they might use words that dont fit, make up words or say complete sentences with no meaning, Ellyn Riley, director of Syracuse Universitys Aphasia Research Lab, said in March 2022. Someone with Brocas aphasia, caused by injury to the brains frontal lobe, may understand other peoples speech but struggle to form their own sentences. They might speak in short phrases and omit small words, such as and. Global aphasia results from extensive damage to the parts of the brain responsible for language. People with this type of the condition may have difficulty with both understanding language and formulating it themselves. They also usually cannot read or write. The gradual form of aphasia, called Primary Progressive Aphasia, causes a persons brain tissue and, therefore, language abilities to deteriorate over time. While the National Aphasia Association says this type of the condition is caused by neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimers disease, Kiran said scientists have not reached universal agreement on that point. Is there a cure for frontotemporal dementia and aphasia? There is no cure for FTD. Just like Alzheimers, at this time, there is no disease-modifying therapy, no curative therapy, Chi-Ying Roy Lin, a neurology professor at Baylor College of Medicine, said last year. There also is no cure for aphasia once someone develops it, and the National Aphasia Association says complete recovery is unlikely for people whose symptoms persist for more than two or three months after the acute event. How fast do frontotemporal dementia and aphasia progress? Progress of FTD can vary, the neurologists said. The average life expectancy is about 7 to 13 years; however, some patients die within a few years, and others can live 20 years after diagnosis, Salinas said. Aphasia can be treated, and treatments can significantly enhance patients ability to communicate. Speech language pathologists can help people maintain the language skills they still possess or relearn language and grammar. Many of them can go back to their old jobs and lead lives from before, Kiran said. Sometimes the road to rehabilitation is long and hard, but its possible to improve. The progressive form of aphasia cant be reversed, but research suggests that rehabilitation can stall or slow the decline of a patients communication abilities. Ongoing research is examining whether electrical brain stimulation could eventually be paired with behavioral treatments for maximum impact. Samantha Chery contributed to this report. Suncorp must address their systemic failures and operate fairly and transparently with customers and repairers. Its unfair to consumers and bad for business. Suncorp Group needs to improve, he said. Making customers wait five months for a vehicle assessment and authorisation is unacceptable. If staffing is an issue for insurance companies, then the simple message is fix it. Either hire and train more motor vehicle assessors or use external independent assessing firms. The government has also responded with the introduction of the Youpla Support Program, slated to start on July 1, 2024, providing financial assistance to former Youpla members impacted by the collapse. Additionally, the Youpla Group Funeral Benefits Program has been established to offer funeral benefits to deceased members of the Youpla fund since April 1, 2020. In 1980, 52 Americans were taken hostage in Iran during Jimmy Carters presidency. Recently (2023) it was confirmed that at that time, a prominent Republican sought to sabotage then-President Jimmy Carter's reelection by getting a message to the Iranians; keep the American hostages until after the election and Ronald Reagan will "give you a better deal." (Alter NYT 3/23.) In 1968, Anna Chennault, widow of Claire Chennault, leader of the Flying Tigers in China (World War II), was a prominent Republican fundraiser and Washington hostess. While running against Democrat Hubert Humphrey, Richard Nixon met with Mrs. Chennault and the South Vietnamese ambassador earlier in the year to make clear that Chennault was the campaigns sole representative to the Saigon government. She was the conduit for urging the South Vietnamese to resist Johnsons entreaties to join the Paris talks and "wait for a better deal under Nixon." (Farrell Politico 2017) Is it possible that President Biden is facing a similar scenario: i.e., if Biden does not give unquestioning support to Israel in its war against the Palestinians, Donald Trump will approach Benjamin Netanyahu to support him in his bid to become president so Israel can get "a better deal?" Is it also possible that Netanyahu is playing both ends against the middle? This is a crucial moment in American history. Lawmakers need to look into possible contact between Trump and Netanyahu and seek to nip it in the bud. However popular he is, we cannot condone Trump undermining the U.S. just to win an election. Maureen Bernas Olean I'd wanted to join Delta when the time was right. The company is a growth story kicking into higher gear with the right balance of innovative products and people who know underwriting in the various risk categories we address, Barrett said. Delta's strength lies between its people's expertise and dedication to delivering exceptional service to our brokers and customers. I'll support our operations team to align with strategy and business ambition to deliver on that. This former politician, as per Burgesss account, went as far as to suggest involving a member of a prime ministers family in the espionage activities, although this plan was never actualised. However, other elements of their cooperation were realised. Although there have been efforts to increase the flow of reinsurance capital into Africa over the past decade, few have come in the context of a commercial entity specifically focused on risks in the region, Ismail said. ASR is fully committed to Africa and the Middle East and we are delighted to be able to double our parametric capabilities. MEAG has decades of experience with forestry investments around the globe, and these have proven to be an important stability factor in our portfolio, Bayerl said. In view of the challenging conditions on capital markets right now, we are even happier about the success of the funds first closing with more than $200 million. According to the financial services company, its net income in the quarter grew 14% to $3.6 billion. Notably, net income from personal & commercial banking, wealth management, and capital markets all went down from the same three-month span a year ago. Insurance, on the other hand, saw its net income climb to $220 million. We successfully transitioned to the new international financial reporting standards and remained financially strong, reflected by our capital ratio. We refreshed our brand to emphasize that our clients are at the centre of everything we do. And we started executing a five-year strategic plan to solidify a strong future and prepare our organization for tomorrow. Citizens is right now still at a net gain, which means theyre taking in more than theyre being able to put out by the assumption process, he told WPTV. But the assumption process seems to be going very well with the latest round of assumptions. What I recommend doing is, number one, even if somethings not coming your way, always have a go bag ready, he said. Number two: if you do have to flee your home, keep your receipts. Keep track of all of that. My agency has loss-of-use coverage on everything, and loss-of-use will cover those reimbursements. So keep track of what youre spending if you have to go to a hotel or something. Recent reporting indicates that most aviation insurers have been coy about the amount of funds they have reserved for Russia-related claims, Marks went on to note in his letter to FIO director Steven E. Seitz. The few insurers that have publicly disclosed their Russia-related reserves which include some of Carlyles insurers have reserved amounts in the tens of millions of dollars. These amounts are obviously inadequate for purposes of ensuring solvency and an ability to pay Russia-related claims, as it is just a fraction of the insurers total exposure to Russia-related claims. The combination of that work with the introduction of products with innovative features that are competitively priced, and the work that were doing behind the scenes, is making sure that both the advisor and the end-customer feel that the experience is straightforward and frictionless in many ways, not only in the buying experience but post issue when our customers need to manage those products, Berman said. The husband of a New York doctor who died shortly after dining at a Disney Springs restaurant last year accused Walt Disney Parks and Resorts of negligence in a 19-page lawsuit filed in Florida. Jeffrey Piccolo is seeking in excess of $50,000 in the wrongful death of Kanokporn Tangsuan, a doctor at New York University Langone hospital in Manhattan, in the lawsuit filed Feb. 22 in Orange County, Florida. The lawsuit states that Tangsuan had dinner at Raglan Road Irish Pub on Oct. 5, 2023, with her husband and his mother. Tangsuan had a severe allergy to nuts and dairy products and informed the waiter that she required allergen free food. The couple questioned the waiter about various items on the menu, according to the lawsuit. The waiter then asked the chef whether certain foods could be made allergen free, before returning to the table and confirming they could. The couple asked the waiter several more times to be absolutely sure the food would be allergen free before Tangsuan ordered a fritter, scallops and onion rings, the lawsuit said. When the food arrived, some items did not contain allergen free flags, prompting the doctor and her husband to ask the waiter if the items were nut and dairy free. The waiter guaranteed that the food was allergen-free, the lawsuit said. Around 8 p.m., after finishing dinner, the doctor and her mother-in-law went shopping separately at Disney Springs, while Piccolo returned to their room with the leftover food, the lawsuit said. About 45 minutes later, Tangsuan was having difficulty breathing when she entered Planet Hollywood and collapsed to the floor. The lawsuit said she had self-administered an epi-pen while suffering from the allergic reaction. Her mother-in-law began calling to meet back up with her, but the calls went unanswered, according to the lawsuit. The mother-in-law returned to the hotel, and she called Tangsuans phone again. This time someone answered and said Tangsuan had been taken to a hospital. The doctor died at the hospital, the lawsuit said. A medical examiners investigation determined she died as a result of anaphylaxis due to elevated levels of dairy and nut in her system, the lawsuit said. The lawsuit alleges that Raglan Road failed to educate, train and/or instruct its employees to make sure food was allergen-free. Walt Disney World and Great Irish Pubs Florida did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment on the lawsuit. Copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Florida A European Union law designed to clean up corporate supply chains has been derailed by the blocs biggest member states, forcing negotiators back to the drawing board on one of the most consequential pieces of ESG legislation ever attempted. The Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive would expose companies to legal liability if they fail to address environmental or human rights abuses in their value chains. Parliament and national representatives had reached a provisional agreement in December, only for key member countries to withdraw their support on Wednesday. Lara Wolters, the lawmaker in charge of steering CSDDD through the EU Parliament, said she was outraged at the political games being played in Council today on due diligence, in a comment posted on X. The development represents a flagrant disregard for the European Parliament, she said. Member states need to get their act together. The fate of CSDDD, which also requires EU businesses to have climate transition plans, now hangs in the balance with time running out before EU elections in June. All laws usually need to be finalized around three months beforehand and its unclear whether the EU Parliament would accept a substantial rewrite of the text. At a press conference called after it was clear CSDDD had been blocked, Wolters said that member states holding back the process were listening to a minority of extreme business voices. But she also indicated lawmakers may be open to changing some parts of the proposed directive, which has been two years in the making. This project is one where Europe needs to lead, Wolters said. The German coalition partner that had pushed for CSDDD to be stalled cheered Wednesdays development. Its good news, Johannes Vogel, deputy chair of the FDP, said in an emailed comment. The EU must stand for a strong economy, not for bureaucracy, he said. This CSDDD might be well-intentioned but is badly done and damages its good purpose. Little modifications will not change this. Europes Toughest ESG Rule Hits Wall of German Objections Meanwhile, Germany doesnt expect therell be another attempt at getting CSDDD passed until after EU parliamentary elections. There are EU elections coming up, and a new Commission will have to be found, the new majorities in parliament will find themselves, German government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said at a regular press conference in Berlin on Wednesday. Then we will have to see what can be done. But we cannot determine that at the current moment. Belgium, which holds the EUs rotating presidency, had been trying to get Italy on side to get CSDDD over the finish line, despite last-minute German objections. Those efforts proved unsuccessful with both Italy and Germany along with a number of smaller EU countries citing concerns as to how such a law would affect the competitiveness of European businesses. France also withdrew its support after insisting CSDDD only apply to much larger businesses than the current text requires, according to a person in the room who asked not to be identified discussing private talks. Its likely that Frances conditions will be examined closely with a view to taking its concerns into account, the person said. We now have to consider the state of play and we will see if its possible to address the concerns put forward by member states in consultation with the European Parliament, the Belgian presidency posted on X. The outcome of Wednesdays decision quickly drew condemnation from climate and human-rights activists. EU governments last-minute sabotaging and postponement of this new rulebook not only disregard the lives, communities, and ecosystems affected by destructive business practices, but also deal a blow to the EUs credibility as a legislator, said Uku Lillevali, sustainable finance policy officer at WWFs European Policy Office. Lets be clear: the law wouldnt burden companies with unnecessary red tape; instead, it would secure a level playing field and help firms navigate necessary transitions in an informed and responsible manner, Lillevali said. Photograph: European Union flags at the Berlaymont building of the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium, on Friday, July 14, 2023. Photo credit: Simon Wohlfahrt/Bloomberg Related: Copyright 2024 Bloomberg. Topics Legislation Europe Since joining Asahi Group in 2020 as sustainability chief, Preeti Srivastav has helped the Japanese brewer make several environmental and social pledges but has not got it to disclose all its progress. Asahi said on Feb. 9 it had brought forward its target to 2040 from 2050 for lowering net greenhouse emissions to zero. It has not fully explained how it plans to get there. Asahi is keeping private a sustainability and diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) dashboard launched in December 2020 to monitor progress in environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG), Srivastav said in an interview. EU Lawmakers Outraged After States Block Landmark ESG Law The dashboard serves as an internal system for collecting the data, which is then used for external reporting, Asahi said. Theres so many landmines in some of these areas, Srivastav said. She noted that peer Anheuser-BuschInBev saw Bud Light sales slide as some U.S. beer drinkers bristled at a promotion featuring transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. Srivastav also cited fears that employees and consumers could criticize slow progress on ESG targets or that regulators or investors could file greenwashing lawsuits accusing Asahi and other firms of exaggerating ESG accomplishments. A lot of companies are hesitant, including us, to talk about any of our sustainability work until we can show even marginal improvement or impact, Srivastav said. Reuters interviews with more than 20 company executives, data firms, consultants and investors shed light on how corporate ESG disclosures have become an ever more challenging balancing act for companies. Environmentally and socially minded shoppers, employees and business partners seek ambitious ESG goals and want companies to document progress, while regulators and investors scrutinize ESG statements for accuracy. Meanwhile, some politicians, especially U.S. Republicans, have pressured companies to drop ESG policies altogether. The result often is discretion about ESG policies and accomplishments, or greenhushing as business leaders call it. Analysis of more than 10,000 news sources for environmental statements shared with Reuters by data firm Permutable shows greenhushing has been most prominent in the U.S., particularly for companies relying on Republican-led states for revenue or regulatory support. Financial sector companies worth $10 billion or more collectively showed the biggest drop in ESG-related statements year-on-year in the third quarter of 2023, down 20%. U.S. Republican politicians have targeted banks and asset managers that support the transition away from fossil fuels to cleaner forms of energy. A recent survey by The Conference Board, a U.S. think tank, showed 37% of financial and insurance industry respondents had experienced some type of ESG backlash. That far outpaced the next most impacted sector, business and professional services, at 8%. ESG mentions by autos and healthcare companies also fell according to the Permutable data. Food and beverage company statements were flat. Politicians in Republican-controlled U.S. states have already launched 150 anti-ESG bills in 2024, which has had a chilling effect, according to Andrew Behar, chief executive of activist group As You Sow, which pressures companies, including the big U.S. banks, over ESG issues. We have to walk a very fine line were in a particularly tough situation in the United States right now. The way we talk is impacted, an executive at a U.S-based bank said on condition of anonymity. A European banking source said U.S. clients were also affected: Look, the environment in the U.S., you go to a client who does an E [environment-focused] project, he doesnt even want to name it E Everyone is hesitant right now. Different Tensions In the U.S. ESG announcements in sectors including retail, and food and beverage were up, according to the Permutable data, as some consumers put a premium on environmentally and socially friendly products. This led to different tensions between companies and their legal teams over being vocal about environmental strategy, even in the same industry, depending on who their customer base is, As You Sows Behar said. Starbucks, for instance, increased environmental announcements by 56% in the third quarter, and started 2024 by announcing it was cutting down on paper waste by letting customers use their own cups in its stores. Customers care about their communities and the planet, a Starbucks SBUX.O spokesperson said, adding this has contributed to it reporting more on the environment and linking executive pay to progress on the targets. In the U.S. utilities sector, which has suffered from extreme weather events such as storms and wildfires, total statements rose 5% year on year. One exception was regional utility Black Hills, which said its investors prioritized its near-term financial wellbeing. Once earnings growth rates were in jeopardy, the investors and analysts were suddenly less interested in ESG topics, said Jerome Nichols, director of investor relations. Other companies said they were concerned about negative press or consumers misinterpreting nuances of sustainability initiatives. Its too complicated to put into a few words on a package, Oriol Margo, head of EMEA sustainability transformation at Huggies diapers maker Kimberly-Clark, told Reuters on the sidelines of the Reuters IMPACT conference in London. This is a problem I cannot claim we have an answer to it We dont talk sustainability a lot. We dont talk enough. (Reporting by Richa Naidu and Simon Jessop in London; additional reporting by Isla Binnie in New York; editing by Greg Roumeliotis and David Gregorio) This edition of International People Moves details appointments at the managing general agents Fusion Specialty and Nirvana. A summary of these new hires follows here. Fusion Specialty Appoints Harwood for M&A in Asia Pacific Fusion Specialty, a Sydney-based MGA platform within Pop Group Holdings (POP), announced the appointment of Steven Harwood as managing partner, M&A, Fusion Asia Pacific (APAC). In his new role, Harwood will spearhead the Fusion M&A team in the APAC region, overseeing operations from New Zealand to India. A seasoned professional with more than 26 years of expertise in transactional liability risks, Harwood brings a wealth of experience to Fusion, the company said. As an ex-Royal Navy officer, London-based reinsurance broker and English-qualified lawyer, Harwood joins Fusion having previously established and led two transactional liability teams in APAC where he was responsible for all transactional liability products including warranty and indemnity (W&I), tax, and contingent liabilities. During that time, he underwrote the first tax indemnity policy placed in the Japanese market and led a very large litigation buy-out tower relating to a Japanese litigation risk. He also worked on a number of contingent liability risks, including one relating to the liquidation of the Singapore arm of a very high-profile US company. According to his LinkedIn profile, Harwood joins Fusion from Volante Transaction Service where he was managing director, Asia Pacific. Prior to that role, he was head of Transactional Liability, Asia and Middle East, for Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance. He has also held key positions at Ironshore Groups Pembroke Syndicate at Lloyds Japan and in the M&A practice of Herbert Smith Freehills Tokyo office. His experience as an underwriter in APAC spans not only warranty and indemnity (W&I) but also tax indemnity largely indirect tax matters involving India, Singapore, UAE, Mauritius and Netherlands but also Japanese, Australian and Korean tax risks. He is also a market authority on contingent liability risks, including litigation buy-out risks, and is the go-to underwriter for Asian brokers expanding into this area. About Fusion Specialty and POP Holdings Established in 2018, Fusion Specialty is the leading specialist underwriting agency (MGA) focused on providing innovative, tech-driven and sustainable insurance solutions, primarily to the small and medium-sized business market. Backed by large global insurance partners, Fusion has rapidly expanded globally with offices in Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, the UK, Germany, Spain and the USA. POP Group Holdings is an owner of/investor in M&A and specialist, data & technology-enabled insurance businesses. *** Specialty MGA Nirvana Hires Garcia-Beltran to Grow European Cyber SME Portfolio Nirvana, the London-based media, tech and cyber managing general agent (MGA), announced it has appointed Andrea Garcia-Beltran to the newly created post of head of Cyber Europe. Garcia-Beltran, a cyber insurance veteran, joins in March, and will be responsible for leading and building a new cyber insurance product, focusing on small-to-medium-sized (SME) businesses in Europe, which is expected to launch later in 2024. GarciaBeltran was head of cyber underwriting at RSA until 2022. She then moved to head of Finex Latam at Willis Towers Watson, before setting up her own cyber consultancy business in 2023. Garcia-Beltran worked for more than a decade at Aon and was previously chair of the Cyber Underwriting Insurance Committee at the International Underwriting Association. Based in Barcelona, she will report to Rob Jones, Nirvana chairman and head of Media, Tech and Cyber. Andrea is one of the foremost cyber insurance underwriters in the London market, and we are thrilled that she has chosen to join our growing team at Nirvana, said Jones. We see tremendous growth opportunities in the cyber market, and Andreas vast experience will be invaluable as Nirvana seeks to grow our share of this market. Nirvana Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder Kabir Chanrai added: We are very excited to be building our new European cyber insurance product with Andrea at the helm, bringing a wealth of product experience with her. In March 2023, Nirvana announced it had appointed industry veteran Thomas M. Mannsdorfer as part of its leadership team to build out a European underwriting business. Based in Barcelona, mergers and acquisitions (M&A) specialist Mannsdorfer is leading a pan-European team to develop warranty and indemnity (W&I) insurance to SMEs in Europe. Nirvana was founded by Rob Jones in 2017 as a trading division within the Castel Underwriting Agencies platform. Topics Mergers & Acquisitions Cyber Europe Insurance Wholesale ST. LOUIS (AP) The St. Louis suburb where Michael Brown was fatally shot by a police officer has agreed to pay $4.5 million to settle a class-action lawsuit that accused it of operating a so-called debtors prison. The legal nonprofit ArchCity Defenders announced the settlement Tuesday with the city of Ferguson, Missouri. The preliminary agreement calls for the money to be paid out to more than 15,000 people who were jailed between Feb. 8, 2010, and Dec. 30, 2022, for failing to pay fines, fees and other court costs. Michael Brown, 18, was fatally shot by white Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson on Aug. 9, 2014, during a street confrontation. Wilson was not charged, but the shooting led to months of protests and prompted a Department of Justice investigation. The Justice Department in 2015 accused Ferguson of racially biased policing and using excessive fines and court fees. A year later, Ferguson and the agency reached an agreement that required sweeping reforms. Meanwhile, lawsuits were filed against Ferguson and several other St. Louis County cities over policing and municipal court practices. ArchCity Defenders said preliminary settlements have been reached in seven class-action cases, with total payouts of nearly $20 million. The lead plaintiff in the Ferguson lawsuit, Keilee Fant, died before the case was settled, as did another original litigant, Tonya DeBerry. The harsh reality is that, oftentimes, those most impacted by injustice do not live long enough to see the seeds of change bloom, ArcyCity managing attorney Maureen Hanlon said in a news release. But this settlement would not be possible without them. Ferguson admitted no wrongdoing in the settlement. Phone and email messages left with the city were not returned. Copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Lawsuits Claims Journal, a Wells Media Company, has named Don Jergler as editor. He succeeds Jim Sams who retired in January. Jergler has covered the insurance industry for over 20 years and holds multiple nominations and an AZBEE award from the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE). He is also the Western Region Editor of Claims Journals sister publication Insurance Journal, where he reports on the regions P/C insurance news. He is also the host of Insurance Journals popular Insuring Cannabis Podcast. Jergler worked for several daily newspapers before heading into B2B media, including serving as business editor of the Antelope Valley Press, and as a reporter at the Pasadena Star-News and later the Long Beach Press-Telegram. He continued to do freelance work for daily newspapers, with his work appearing often in the Los Angeles Times and Orange County Register. I am honored to join Claims Journal as Editor and am excited about the opportunity to contribute to the sites continued success, said Don Jergler My goal is to build on the sites reputation for delivering timely, accurate, and insightful content, while also exploring innovative ways to engage with our readers. Don Jergler is set to spearhead a new era for Claims Journal that will include expanded coverage of emerging trends, exclusive interviews with industry leaders, and in-depth analyses of critical issues affecting the claims industry. Wells Media Groups Vice President of Content, Andrea Wells, expressed confidence in Don stating, We are thrilled to welcome Don Jergler as editor of Claims Journal. With Dons expertise and vision, we are confident that Claims Journal will continue to be the go-to source for comprehensive and reliable information of the claims industry. Claims Journal, a Wells Media Group Company, is the highest trafficked P/C claims-specific news site in the world. Other brands of Wells Media Group include: Insurance Journal, the P/C insurance industrys leading website and magazine; the Academy of Insurance an online learning center for P/C insurance professionals; Insurance Journal TV, a media site featuring insurance industry videos and podcasts, and MyNewMarkets.com, a searchable insurance markets directory which connects thousands of insurance agents with market providers every day; and Carrier Management, which provides research, news, online media and a magazine for insurance company leaders. Topics Claims A U.S. judge on Thursday will consider whether to dismiss X Corps lawsuit against a nonprofit that has criticized a rise in hate speech on the social media platform once known as Twitter since Elon Musk took it over. X sued the Center for Countering Digital Hate last July, accusing it of trying to scare advertisers away by claiming that Musk was doing little to stop hate speech, racist posts and other misinformation from overwhelming the platform. According to X, the nonprofit improperly scraped and cherry-picked data to create false and misleading reports, hoping to silence those it disagreed with on hotly disputed topics such as COVID-19 vaccines, reproductive health and climate change. The Center for Countering Digital Hate countered that it was Musk, a self-proclaimed free speech absolutist, who was attempting the silencing. The center said it was not liable for how advertisers reacted to its non-defamatory reports about publicly available content on X, and that the lawsuit violated Californias so-called anti-SLAPP law, or strategic lawsuits against public participation. The nonprofit also denied Xs claim that commercial rivals and perhaps foreign governments were bankrolling its efforts. U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer in San Francisco will consider the dismissal request at a hearing. It was unclear whether he would rule immediately. The European Climate Foundation, which promotes efforts to mitigate climate change, is also a defendant. Musk, the worlds second-richest person, bought Twitter for $44 billion in October 2022. He has since faced much criticism for firing too many people at X who policed misinformation, and for allowing more harmful and abusive posts. Musk in November 2023 endorsed an antisemitic post on X that said members of the Jewish community were stoking hatred against white people, saying the user was speaking the actual truth. He has denied being antisemitic and sought to make amends for his post. In January he visited former Nazi death camp Auschwitz in southern Poland. Advertisers have fled X since Musk bought it and reduced content moderation that has resulted in a dramatic increase in hate speech on X, civil rights groups have said. Musk is also chief executive of electric vehicle maker Tesla, which has faced several lawsuits claiming it tolerated harassment of workers. The case is X Corp v. Center for Countering Digital Hate Inc et al, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No. 23-03836. Topics Lawsuits Florida authorities charged a Miami contractor with vastly underreporting his payroll and skipping out on $253,000 in workers compensation insurance premiums to Travelers Property and Casualty Co. Gustavo Antonio Munguia, 48, owner of American Iron Group Corp., was arrested Thursday, charged with premium fraud and grand theft, the Florida Department of Financial Services announced. If convicted, Munguia could face years in prison. DFS investigators found that subcontractors had paid Munguias firm more than $3.1 million for labor service supplied by American Iron Group. But Munguia allegedly did not report the big increase in payroll to Travelers. Munguia was booked into the Miami-Dade County Jail, with bond set at $10,000. FTP of California LLC has rebranded to Hinterland Insurance and moved its headquarters to the Denver Tech Center in Colorado. The rebrand is part of a larger strategy to reflect the firms growing business in the U.S. The company continues to develop its operations in San Diego and Chicago. The plan is to continue strengthening their product offering under the Hinterland name with a focus on small market enterprise and middle market business, in addition to adding programs of need for some of the displacement in California and Midwestern markets. The companys physical expansion now covers the west, Midwest and Mountain time zones. Hinterland Insurance is hiring experienced general liability, professional, and property underwriters in their San Diego and Chicago offices, and at their new Denver headquarters. Founded in 2019, Hinterland Insurance is an independently owned and operated insurance managing general agency and program administrator specializing in underwriting solutions for tough-to-place commercial insurance risks. The company offers insurance programs nationwide, including commercial property/casualty, and excess and surplus lines. Topics California Colorado Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.B) is a diversified holding company whose subsidiaries are involved in insurance, freight rail transportation, energy generation and distribution, manufacturing, and retailing. Led by billionaire investor and chief executive officer (CEO) Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway also holds a large investment portfolio of equity securities and derivatives. In January 2024, Berkshire Hathaway announced it reached an agreement with Pilot Corporation to purchase the remaining 20% interest in the company. As such, Berkshire Hathaway now owns all of the Pilot Travel Centers. The top shareholders of Berkshire Hathaway class B shares are Warren E. Buffett, Susan A. Buffett, Ronald L. Olson, Vanguard Group, BlackRock (BLK), and State Street (STT). The company's net income for the trailing 12 months (TTM) was $96.22 billion as of Dec. 31, 2023. The revenue for the same period was $439.34 billion. As of Feb. 28, 2024. Berkshire Hathaway had a market capitalization of $894.96 billion. Below, we look in more detail at Berkshire Hathaway's top shareholders. Key Takeaways Berkshire Hathaway is a diversified holding company. Its subsidiaries are involved in insurance, transportation, energy generation, manufacturing, and retailing. The top three individual shareholders are Warren Buffett, Susan Buffett, and Ronald Olson. The company's top three institutional shareholders are Vanguard, BlackRock, and State Street. Top 3 Individual Insider Shareholders The shares held by the individuals below only refer to direct ownership. As such, the information noted below does not include indirect ownership of shares or shares accessible through stock options. Warren E. Buffett Warren Buffett owns a total of 276 Berkshire Hathaway Class B shares and 227,416 Class A shares. Regarded as one of the world's most successful investors, Buffett is the company's chair and CEO. After his investment group took control of Berkshire Hathaway in 1965, Buffett built it into one of the world's biggest and best-performing companies. He achieved that in two ways: By buying undervalued companies through numerous acquisitions By investing in the shares of scores of public companies Berkshire's giant investment portfolio has equity holdings worth hundreds of billions of dollars. Buffet also serves as manager for Burlington Northern Santa Fe LLC, another subsidiary of the company. Buffett has a net worth of $132.3 billion. Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett's unofficial successor will be Greg Abel, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Energy and vice chair in charge of noninsurance operations, according to an announcement from vice chair Charlie Munger on May 1, 2021. No date was suggested for the succession. Susan A. Buffett Susan Buffett owned roughly 4.38 million shares of Berkshire Hathaway Class B stock and 80 Class A shares. Susan Buffett is a member of the company's board, having been elected to the position in October 2021. She also serves as chair of two charitable trusts, The Sherwood Foundation and The Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation. Ronald L. Olson Ronald Olson owns 27,742 Berkshire Hathaway Class B shares and 145 Class A shares. Olson is a director of Berkshire Hathaway. He and the board have approved many of Buffett's major acquisitions into diverse industries, sharply boosting Berkshire's revenue and net income. Olson co-founded and is a senior partner at law firm Munger, Tolles & Olson. The term insider refers to people in senior management positions and members of the board of directors, as well as people or entities that own more than 10% of the company's stock. In this context, it has nothing to do with insider trading. Top 3 Institutional Shareholders Institutional investors hold the majority of Berkshire Hathaway's class B shares. Vanguard Group Vanguard Group owns roughly 144.86 million class B shares of Berkshire Hathaway as of Feb. 27, 2024. This represents 6.7% of the total shares outstanding. The company is primarily a mutual fund and ETF management company with about $7.2 trillion in global assets under management (AUM). The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) is one of the company's largest exchange-traded funds (ETFs) with about $413.4 billion in AUM. Berkshire Hathaway is one of VOO's top 10 holdings, comprising 1.62% of the fund's total holdings. BlackRock BlackRock owns 105.22 million class B shares of Berkshire Hathaway or 4.87% of total shares outstanding. The company is primarily a mutual fund and ETF management company with over $9 trillion in AUM. The iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV) is among one of BlackRock's largest ETFs with approximately $443.62 billion in AUM. Berkshire Hathaway is one of IVV's top 10 holdings, comprising 1.71% of the fund's total holdings. State Street State Street owns 67.05 million class B shares of Berkshire Hathaway. This represents about 3.1% of the total shares outstanding. The company is primarily a manager of mutual funds, ETFs, and other assets with approximately $4.13 trillion in AUM. The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) is among one of State Street's largest ETFs with approximately $498.98 billion in AUM. Berkshire Hathaway is one of SPY's top 10 holdings, comprising 1.72% of the fund's total holdings. Diversity & Inclusiveness of Berkshire Hathaway As part of our effort to improve the awareness of the importance of diversity in companies, we offer investors a glimpse into the level of transparency of Berkshire Hathaway and how that reflects its commitment to diversity, inclusiveness, and social responsibility. We examined the data Berkshire Hathaway releases. It shows Berkshire Hathaway does not disclose any data about the diversity of its board of directors, C-Suite, general management, and employees overall. It also shows Berkshire Hathaway does not reveal the diversity of itself by race, gender, ability, veteran status, or LGBTQ+ identity. What Does Berkshire Hathaway Do? Berkshire Hathaway is a diversified holding company. The company has subsidiaries in the insurance, transportation, energy, manufacturing, and retail industries. Some of its well-known subsidiaries include GEICO, Home Services of America, Pilot Flying J, and Allegheny. The company also has a large stake in major companies like American Express and Coca-Cola. How Can I Invest in Berkshire Hathaway? There are several ways you can invest in Berkshire Hathaway. Consider buying shares of an ETF or mutual fund that have the company in their portfolios. This option gives you indirect fractional ownership in Berkshire Hathaway, as the money you invest in these funds buys you a very small percentage of the company. If you can afford to do so, you can buy and sell shares in the companyusually Class B stock. Keep in mind that Class A stock was worth more than $600,000 per share. Who Will Succeed Warren Buffett as Berkshire Hathaway's CEO? Greg Abel was named as the successor to Warren Buffett. Abel serves as the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway Energy and vice chair in charge of noninsurance operations. Although the announcement was made in May 2021, there is no confirmed date that Abel will officially take over the reins from Buffett. The Bottom Line Berkshire Hathaway is a diverse holding company with well-known subsidiaries like GEICO and Dairy Queen. The company's top three individual shareholders are Warren Buffett, Susan Buffett, and Ronald Olson. The three main institutional shareholders are Vanguard, BlackRock, and State Street. If you're interested in investing in the company, consider buying shares of a mutual fund or ETF that have Berkshire Hathaway in their portfolio. Here is a selection of people starting new roles with Lakeland Dairies, Grafter, County Kildare Chamber, CIE Tours, DLA Piper and Siro. Liz Shouldice has been appointed as chief people officer (head of HR) with Lakeland Dairies, the cross-border dairy co-op. She replaces Tadhg OHalloran, who is to retire at the end of 2024 after 11 years in the role. Liz brings 20 years experience in HR, most recently as chief people officer with the National Lottery (ROI). She has led change management in technology, services, utilities and aviation. From a dairy farm in Co Tipperary, she holds a BSc in Mechanical Engineering from UL, an Exec MBA from Smurfit Business School (UCD) and qualifications from IMI, London Business School and Ibec. She has represented Ireland in kayaking. Brian Loughney has been appointed as marketing manager with Grafter, the flexible workspace provider. He will oversee marketing strategy for Grafters portfolio of locations in Ireland and the UK. He will also develop and manage events and all aspects of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) at Grafter. He brings more than a decade of marketing experience with tech, insurance, food and beverage, consultancy and education companies in Ireland and Europe. With the Institute of Education, he oversaw digital strategies and marketing campaigns, and developed its virtual learning platform. Brian studied at the Dublin IT (now TU Dublin) and holds a BSc in Marketing. Sinead Ronan has been appointed as CEO with County Kildare Chamber, succeeding Allan Shine. Formerly Kildare Chambers head of public affairs and operations, Sinead will prioritise members concerns in her new role, notably housing availability, which is the top concern for businesses in terms of competitiveness within Kildare, closely followed by skills and labour availability. Liz will also emphasise the need for strategic infrastructure development in Kildare to attract businesses and nurture talent in the Mid-East region. The latest Chamber sentiment report found that 73% of businesses believed infrastructure development within Kildare was lagging and that more urgently needed to be done. Stephen Cotter has been appointed as managing director of CIE Tours, the bus tour company. An Irish tourism veteran, Stephen has worked with CIE Tours for the past 20 years in lead roles in finance and operations, most recently as chief operations officer. During 2023, some 35,000 people travelled with CIE Tours, the largest carrier of visitors from the US to Ireland. In recent years, CIE Tours has expanded its business to destinations including Iceland and Italy. The expansion of our tours in Ireland and to other countries will be a key focus for me as we look to grow the company, said Stephen. Kathi O Riain has been appointed as a partner in the real estate practice of law firm DLA Piper. She joins from Addleshaw Goddard Ireland, where she was a partner and head of property and construction. Kathi has 20 years experience advising clients on real estate sector projects and transactions across all major real asset classes, including logistics, PRS, retail, offices, hotels and leisure. She also brings expertise in commercial leasing. Kathi will join DLA Pipers team of 115, including 18 partners and 17 legal directors in Ireland. She will use help clients to complete transactions and projects with maximum oversight and compliance. Read More Semiconductor firm Infineon to create 100 new jobs in Cork and Dublin Barry McWeeney has been appointed as head of new developments with fibre network operator Siro. He will lead the rollout of Siros full fibre broadband network to new homes and apartments across the country. Barry has over 15 years' experience working in telecoms, including as a project manager with KTL, overseeing various network upgrade projects for major telecom providers, and with Vodafone/Netshare managing its upgrade to 4G capability, responsible for site design, installation, and quality assurance. Barry joined SIRO in 2016, and was most recently team lead within its technology division. He holds a BEng in Civil Engineering from Atlantic Technological University Sligo Ryanair chief Michael OLeary said he wants Green Party ministers Eamon Ryan and Catherine Martin to rush through emergency legislation to lift a passenger cap at Dublin Airport, but has denied he is engaging in an international anti-green agenda in the now long running spat over the future of the airport. Mr OLeary is pressing on with a campaign over the lifting of the planning restriction that puts an annual cap of 32 million people who can use the airport. The Dublin and Cork operator, the Daa, has also pressed Fingal County Council, the local authority responsible for planning decisions in north Dublin, on the basis that the airport is a key gateway for prosperity and jobs across the island. The spat between Ryanair and Mr Ryan has lasted for weeks. Mr Ryan has rejected claims by the Ryanair boss, saying he cannot intervene in a planning process currently in front of Fingal and characterised the communications with Mr OLeary as personalised, inaccurate, and inflammatory. However, in a media briefing on Thursday, Mr OLeary widened the attack to Green Party government ministers, brandishing cardboard mock-ups of Mr Ryan and Ms Martin, the tourism minister, both wearing dunces hats. In pointed attacks on the Green Party ministers, he told reporters he wants the Government to back emergency legislation to recognise Dublin Airport as a piece national infrastructure whose future should not be in the hands of local loonies. Mr OLeary said that Ryanair will be prevented from growing at Dublin but faces no such restrictions at Shannon, Cork, and Knock airports. Mr OLeary denied that his verbal broadsides are part of any international agenda that is pushing back against climate change policies. It is not an anti-green agenda, he said. Nobody does more than Ryanair to promote the green agenda," he said. He said it just happened that both ministers he was questioning were Green Party ministers. Mr O'Leary insisted that his call for emergency legislation to lift the cap was credible, saying that the Oireachtas was able to rush through emergency laws during the banking crisis over a decade ago. It is not the first that the Ryanair chief has clashed with an Irish government minister. Mary ORourke, Seamus Brennan, as well as officials have been the subject of his verbal broadsides. In 2004, Mr OLeary took out full-page newspaper ads attacking former taoiseach Bertie Ahern over his alleged failure to break up the then State airport company, Aer Rianta. Mr Ahern at the time said that if Mr OLeary was still at school he could be described as a bully. Mr OLeary in turn responded that Mr Ahern was being bullied by trade unions at Dublin Airport. In 2014, Mr O'Leary announced plans to increase jobs and capacity at Dublin Airport after the coalition scrapped plans to introduce a passenger tax on airlines. At a press conference at Ryanair's north Dublin head offices at the time, then taoiseach Enda Kenny and former finance minister Michael Noonan sat side by side with former finance minister Charlie McCreevy, who was then a non-executive director on the Ryanair board, to endorse the growth plans. Mr O'Leary on Thursday predicted that fares are going to increase this summer by between 5% to 10%, but added that the fares could either fall or rise further depending on the war in the Middle East, he said. He said that Ryanair will take 10 fewer new planes from Boeing by this summer because of the production turmoil facing the US plane maker after regulators intervened following the blowout of an airborne Boeing Max 9 plane above Portland in Oregon in January. He said that the Boeing delays will lead to Ryanair cutting back frequencies this summer, including at Dublin Airport. Ryanair has still a good relationship with Boeing despite having to deal with management speak from the plane maker amid its current challenges with regulators, he said. Boeing is in the eye of the storm at the moment, he said, but insisting that Airbus faces a greater challenge over its aircraft. Ryanair is one of the largest customers in the world for Boeing. Ryanair has also placed one of the world's largest orders for the still-to-be-certified Max 10 planes. The airline hopes to start taking delivery of some of the massive order starting in about 36 months. Last May, it said it had ordered 300 new Max 10 planes worth over $40bn (36.5bn). The deal includes a firm commitment for 150 of the planes and an option for 150 more, with the first planes due for delivery from 2027. Mr OLeary said on Thursday that he still expected the Max 10 plane to get its certification this year or in the early part of 2025 but that the orders were crucial to the growth plans of Ryanair for years to come. On the Gaza war, Mr OLeary was asked whether as chief of Europes largest airline, he should speak about the war given his interventions in hot political issues abroad in the past, including ahead of the Brexit referendum in the UK in 2016. He said that Ryanair operated flights out of Tel Aviv carrying both Israelis and Palestinians. Ryanair wanted a ceasefire and the release of the hostages held by Hamas and the airline also wants to get Russian military forces out of Ukraine, he said.. Ryanair said earlier this week said it wanted Ben Gurion International Airport to reopen its Terminal 1 for the airline to start flying again into Tel Aviv. Ryanair resumed daily flights to Tel Aviv at the start of the month but said that the airport had since insisted it use the more expensive Terminal 3. It again terminated its flights into Tel Aviv from Tuesday which it said was forced on it because it was forced to charge significantly more for its fares. Mr O'Leary on Thursday said that Ryanair had agreed plans with Ukraine to restore flights once the air restrictions for civil aircraft were lifted. Video games developer Electronic Arts (EA) has announced it is cutting 5% of its staff about 670 employees as part of cost-cutting and a restructuring of its business. In an email to staff announcing the cuts, EA chief executive Andrew Wilson said the company is moving away from creating new games to instead focus on its owned IP, sports, and massive online communities. Mr Wilson said the company will, as a result, stop work on some in-development games and cancel other planned titles that we do not believe will be successful in our changing industry, and instead double down on its existing titles which includes EAFC, the football game series formerly known as Fifa. He said the company is leading through an accelerating industry transformation where player needs and motivations have changed significantly. Electronic Arts is headquartered in Redwood City, California (Alamy/PA) He added: Fans are increasingly engaging with the largest IP, and looking to us for broader experiences where they can play, watch, create content, and forge deeper connections. Our industry exists at the cutting edge of entertainment, and in todays dynamic environment, we are advancing the way we work and continuing to evolve our business. In this time of change, we expect these decisions to impact approximately 5% of our workforce. I understand this will create uncertainty and be challenging for many who have worked with such dedication and passion and have made important contributions to our company. While not every team will be impacted, this is the hardest part of these changes, and we have deeply considered every option to try and limit impacts to our teams. EA has not confirmed publicly which teams will be affected by the cuts. The games developer has an office in Galway, as well as several offices in the UK, including in Guildford, Birmingham and Manchester. The announcement comes days after Sony confirmed it is cutting about 900 jobs from its PlayStation division, including closing its London studio. It also follows EAs previous job cuts, announced in March last year, which saw about 6% of its workforce laid off, and Microsoft confirming last month it is cutting 1,900 jobs. The cuts in the gaming industry follow a wider trend of downsizing across the wider tech sector in response to ongoing economic uncertainty around the world. Farmers are warning that they "cannot bear the cost of retailers' price cuts". Irish Farmers' Association president Francie Gorman said that the brunt of retail campaigns to cut prices on beef, chicken, lamb, and pork "cannot land on farmers". These campaigns, regardless of what the retailers say, will have negative consequences for farmgate prices. We cannot allow this to happen, Mr Gorman said. "Consumers are entitled to the best quality produced meat, dairy, fruit and vegetables, and fish, which are sustainably produced to the highest standards as set and audited by Bord Bia. "This high-quality food has a cost. Retailers and processors in the food supply chain, including our dairy co-ops, meat factories, and fruit and vegetable consolidators must be cognisant of the primary producer and their need for a sustainable economic return." Undermining The IFA said it has engaged with all main retailers about the need for farmers to be "properly compensated from the food chain", and warned these retailers that they "cannot exploit their dominant position". "This time of year has the highest cost for most food production," the IFA said. The association pointed out in these meetings that price campaigns designed to attract footfall into their stores are "very damaging and ultimately undermine the value of what farmers produce". This dominance of the market by such a small number of retailers has led to a "major imbalance in buying power and this must be addressed", the IFA added. The Agri-Food Regulator has an "important and very urgent role to play in exposing where the margin goes in the food chain and potential profiteering by big retailers at the expense of farmers". Utilising legumes and growing catch crops to protect soil health are climate-smart ways grassland farmers can lower inputs while continuing to drive production. This was the message at Germinals recent Technical Day in Portlaoise (2 February). Pasture utilised continues to be a key driver of profit per hectare. It is important we dont start to see system drift. Grass and clover management will become increasingly important, Mary McEvoy, Germinal technical director, told delegates. She added: Healthy soils will underpin the profitability of our systems. We need to maintain productive agricultural systems to ensure we can feed the world. 90% of land in Ireland is in grass which provides huge scope to sequester carbon at a national level, she said, adding: Agriculture and the environment can have a very symbiotic relationship in the future. She highlighted the importance of using the Pasture Profit Index published by the Dept. of Agriculture and Teagasc for grass seed to select top-performing varieties. There is a 157/ha/year difference between the best and the worst perennial ryegrass on the list, she revealed. The role of Red Clover Clover establishment in grassland swards was becoming an absolute necessity to reduce reliance on artificial nitrogen, she said. Dr Nicky Byrne from Teagasc Grange agreed that Red Clover could play a key role in helping to meet lower nitrogen derogation limits. Since 2019, Teagasc Grange has reduced chemical nitrogen from 250kg/ha/year to 120kg by incorporating white and red clover into grassland. Dr Byrne explained that red clover could biologically fix up to 300kg of N/ha but needed careful management to achieve good persistency. He encouraged farmers to select varieties for good persistency after year three and sow red clover alongside good quality perennial ryegrasses and white clover to bridge the gap when red clover diminishes in the sward. New developments in plant breeding Dr David Lloyd, Head of Plant Breeding at Germinal Horizon, which is part of Aberystwyth University, explained how Germinal is developing improved varieties of red clover to improve persistency. One of these is RedRunner, which has a stoloniferous growth habit like white clover, which he said could be "revolutionary in grassland agriculture". Not only does it have improved grazing tolerance, but it also reduces ammonia losses. When leaves are damaged during grazing or when clover is ensiled, it produces compounds that bind to proteins, making them less vulnerable to degradation by fermentative processes. Therefore, it reduces the loss of nitrogen as ammonia and increases protein available for use by the animal. Dr Lloyd explained. RedRunner is one of the varieties being developed as part of the Nitrogen Utilisation Efficiency-Legume (NUE-Leg) project which has recently secured 4m in grant supports from the UK Dept. of Environment and Rural Affairs for its next on-farm trial phase. Project NUE-Leg seeks to combine newly developed legume varieties with selected soil microbes and bespoke plant nutrition programmes to achieve a three-fold increase in fixing atmospheric nitrogen, to thereby eliminate dependence on fertiliser nitrogen. Cover crops soil scientist Neil Fuller from Atlas Sustainable Soils Program, talked about how cover crops could retain nutrients like nitrogen whilst building a brand new proposition for agriculture in helping to mitigate climate change. The only piece of the puzzle that can get involved with carbon removals is farmers because they have land and thats a unique proposition. The whole thing pivots around soil [sequestration], he said. Growing multi-species cover crops for 90 days after barley harvest retained 120kg of N and 32kg of phosphorus, three years of data showed. If its green, its growing, its multispecies, its really climate-friendly, and youre taking the first steps towards climate-smart farming, Dr Fuller told the audience. Germinal Area Sales Manager Diarmuid Murphy said: Germinal is driving change through innovative forage breeding. We believe theres a positive future for those in farming, particularly those with a low-cost base. Without wishing to see this descend into a sisters are doing it for themselves type cliche fest, particular as some of these sisters no longer identify as such, I will say this: Some serious female talent coming across my desk these days. But there is something else I cant help but notice: how often many of these writers have what you might call an interesting background. Writers who drift into music on a gap year with money borrowed from parents, is really quite the exception. Some recommendations: Hurray for the Riff Raff, The Past is Still Alive Hurray for the Riff Raff is the name under which Alynda Segarra writes and performs. She has a poets soul, which is small surprise given that as a troubled teen, raised by her grandparents in the Bronx, she was hopping trains by 17, listening to Woodie Guthrie and travelling America. She is the very definition of Americana. She collates those experiences here, writing with such hard worn wisdom of the souls she encountered along the way, a poet that lives to sing the tale. This has been already described as the next great American Road album. I know it's February, but this is a potential album of the year. Ireland doesnt have the rail network to produce writers like Alynda. Adrianne Lenker, Bright Future Lenkers background is even more interesting: Raised in a Christian cult til she was four. Wrote her first song at the age of eight and recorded her first album aged 13. Spent a summer travelling through the Midwest and living in her car, a Ford Transit, naturally. You can tell her you dont like her band, but I will warn you: she was state karate champion three years in a row. Won a music scholarship to Berkely funded by Susan Tedeschi of the Tedeschi Trucks Band. The Tedeschi family owns a chain of shops, seeing as you asked. The three songs available from this album so far, a March 22 release, confirm her huge talent. The lazy line on social media is that she writes at a Thom Yorke level. I see her more as a Muhammad Ali; The songs float like butterflies, and yet. She is also responsible for a moment in my car that will live forever. When I started it one night, her song Anything started to play automatically. I checked to see if it was coming from my phone. But it wasnt. It was coming from my 15-year-old daughters. I love her, dad, she said. Waxahatchee, Tiger Blood No hopped trains here, but Katie Crutchfield a product, disappointingly almost, of a white, Southern, fairly conventional upbringing - was singing Velvet Underground songs with her twin sister at all ages shows before she was knee high to a grasshopper. Waxahatchee is the name she records and performs under. Her album Saint Cloud was released as the world went into lockdown and was the backdrop to my first few weeks painting my home office as the radio talked of case numbers and deaths. That does somehow give her a very special place in my heart. She has a unique voice, there is no song that isnt improved by her singing it. Two tracks so far from an album scheduled for March release reveal an artist whose upward trajectory is sky rocketing. Nadine Shah, Filthy Underneath Nadine Shah albums come with a lot of emotional baggage, and this is no different. In fact, it probably trumps all previous releases in the misery endured stakes. She has been through hell. Yet, as on previous releases, it is her wit, energy and incandescent life spirit that comes through the strongest. Nadine also hasnt train hopped but she does have an interesting lineage: her mum is half Norwegian and her dad Pakistani. Being a Muslim is important to her and she once said it would be great if her career inspired any young Muslim to pick up a guitar and write a song. Then theres Mitski. Half Japanese, half America. Had lived in Turkey, China, Malaysia, the Czech Republic and The Congo before writing her first song in Ankara at 18. With that background, its a wonder she waited so long. I write this in a week that Ive witnessed CMAT being interviewed by Elton John. Her rise and rise continues apace. If all these talents have one thing in common its their ability to write songs that drip personality, wit, and insight. And leap from the radio! Film Dune: Part Two Out Friday, March 1 Dune: Part Two has already received rave reviews ahead of its release on Friday. Picture: Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures/ 2023 Denis Villeneuve's second installment of Dune has gone above and beyond the 2021 film. This is where we get the payoff from all that was set up in the first part. The new film has received rave reviews across the board. Boasting an all-star cast, this film has it all - fantastic performances, great storytelling, and stunning visuals. The sprawling epic takes us to the end of Frank Herbert's first Dune novel but fans will be pleased to know that Villeneuve is already developing a third film based on 1969s Dune Messiah. Festival Cork French Film Festival Arc Cinema, Saturday, March 2 - Sunday, March 10 Johnny Depp in Jeanne du Barry which is the opening film at the Cork French Film Festival. In its 35th year, the 2024 programme for this year's film festival is packed full of wonderful films. The selection includes several that won awards at Cannes and audiences will be treated to no less than nine Irish premieres. The festival will open on Saturday with Jeanne du Barry which is a fictional account of a true story about a courtesan-turned-countess in the time of King Louis XV. The film stars Johnny Depp. There are films to suit every taste and there are family tickets and student offers to be enjoyed as well. Show Sleeping Beauty - The Ukrainian Ballet of Peace Cork Opera House, Sunday, March 3 The Ukrainian Ballet of Peace returns to Cork Opera House with a performance of classic tale, Sleeping Beauty. Picture: Cork Opera House After selling out two shows last year, The Ukrainian Ballet of Peace is back with their performance of Sleeping Beauty. The company is made up of over 30 of Ukraine's finest dancers and they are thrilled to share their heritage and culture with the people of Cork. Their stunning portrayal of the classic story of love, innocence, mystery, and magic is something to behold. With world-class choreography, majestic costumes, and sublime stage sets, you will be transported to another world as you see a fairytale brought to life right before your eyes. TV The Gentlemen Netflix, Thursday, March 7 Kaya Scodelario and Theo James in The Gentlemen. Theo James leads the cast of this quintessential Guy Ritchie show. Set in the same world as Ritchie's 2020 film of the same name, this offbeat comedy-drama is thoroughly enjoyable to watch. James' character plays the son of an English aristocrat who has found himself in the East London gangster scene. The eight-episode series is a bit of a rollercoaster and often ridiculous but if you take it at face value then you are sure to have a good time with it. It features all the things you associate with Ritchie - guns, geezers, and Vinnie Jones. Theatre Gatman! The Everyman, Cork city, Thursday, March 7 - Saturday, March 9 Gatman is the latest play from Cork's own Tadhg Hickey. Picture: The Everyman Tadhg Hickey is known for his sharp comedy style and his ability to deliver spot-on social commentary and this show delivers just that. Gatman! is a one-man monologue play that presents two contrasting but interdependent narratives. We follow an alcoholic father trying desperately to pull it together and Gatman, a superhero who gets powers from booze. The dark comedy explores the effect of alcohol on the human spirit and doesn't shy away from delving into the depths of trauma that can come with it. As always, Hickey hits the nail on the head making the audience laugh and think in equal measure. Some years ago, a concerned senior drinks company executive told me that 11 public houses had closed on the route from Cork to Killarney. No doubt, a few more have gone since. Reasons for pub trade decline have been well aired. The shut-down hostelry, once a magnet in a local community, but now shabby and neglected, is another symptom of general rural decline. Small towns, villages and crossroads have lost a lot more shops than pubs, with many now derelict. And theres the spectre of dwelling houses once kept lovingly by proud owners now deserted and overgrown with trees, windows broken, and roofs falling in. Television programmes by architects such as Dermot Bannon and Hugh Wallace show what can be done with old, abandoned houses and grants are now available for that work. Some derelict buildings seem to have been in that state forever. There can, of course, be practical reasons for that. Owners may not be living locally, or there could be legal issues with the transfer of property after a death, while others could be left untouched for speculative reasons amid hopes of property price rises. The widespread building of one-off houses in the countryside has also contributed to the decline of older settlements. Reversing that trend is a huge challenge. Theres a lot to be said for restoring old houses in towns and villages, which often have plenty garden space at the rear, and proximity to schools, sports facilities, and other services. Dublin politicians may not grasp rural issues but, as a TD for Cavan-Monaghan, Rural and Community Development Minister Heather Humphreys should understand. Our Rural Future: Minister Humphreys announces investment of more than 4.5 million to tackle dereliction and vacancy in rural towns and villages She has announced 4.5m funding to tackle dereliction and vacancy in rural Ireland. According to the last census, there are 166,752 vacant buildings, many of them derelict, nationally. The new scheme will see 26 old buildings repurposed for 21st-century community use these include former garda stations, schools, post offices, parish halls, and business premises. For instance, a boathouse, campsite, and community space will be provided in one site, in Villierstown, County Waterford, while an old pub in Tipperary town will be converted into a multi-purpose community space. Considering the extent of dereliction, this is a proverbial drop in the ocean. However, it shows what can be done and might provide inspiration for other areas and projects. Longford's first ever skate park is located on the site of the former greyhound track in the town.The project received funding of 405,000 under the Town and Village Renewal Scheme, a key element of the Governments Rural Development Plan, Our Rural Future, which aims to make rural towns and villages vibrant places for people of all ages. Picture: Clare Frances Photography Some places have long since shown the way. Take the delightful West Cork town of Clonakilty where a 200-year-old old mill, now housing a library and offices, dominates the streetscape. Then theres the literary and heritage town of Listowel, County Kerry, noted for its colourful, artistic shopfronts and a restored 13th-century castle. Cmere, how can you tell if a bot is from Cork? I went on the RTE website there last night to complain that there s nothing good on telly any more, have you noticed that yourself Audrey? Im not sure if RTE was the right place but you have to start somewhere. Anyway this chat-box pops up on screen, Shirley was her name, and she was like 'how can I help?' And I said: "Theres nothing on the telly." Aand she was like: "Who are ya telling boy, I do be worn out from waiting for Im a Celebrity every year." I said: "Hang on Shirley, are you from Cork?" And she says: "Born and bred, boy." And I said: "What part of Cork?" And she said: "Ill give you three guesses love." I thought to myself: "This is getting well saucy now, like." So I fired off my three guesses Wilton , Farranree, Mayfield. She goes: "No, Model Farm Road." And Im going: "No way girl , you do nt talk posh enough." Next thing, a new chat-box opens up, Clara, saying Shirley had to go on her break... and this one Clara was from Naas so I didnt bother talking to her. I told my man Budgie and he was like: "Youre some gowl boy, that was a chat-bot, she was trying to pretend to come from Cork but you have to live here to know the place." I was devastated because to be honest I was falling in love with Shirley. Is she really a bot? Dowcha Donie, Blackpool Shirley is real, Dowcha Donie. Most people from Wilton will tell you they come from the Model Farm Road. Hello, its Rosealeen here in Ballydesmond. Bad cess to my mothers perfect eyesight and the woman 82. We keep telling her that shes too old to drive and she keeps going into the doctor and coming out with a letter saying, You have incredible eyesight, keep her lit Maura. Im not paraphrasing, the doctor is a ferocious culchie. She makes a point of driv ing to the doctors surgery, even though its next door, the bitch, she has us driven bananas . The woman should have been off the road years ago. She made the news on RTE last month when she got stuck for two days going around the Kinsale Road Roundabout. They had cars driving next to her passing food in the window didnt she send the beef back because it was a bit tough. Im down to my last fingernail worrying about the woman but the doctor said there is nothing she can do, the eyes dont lie lads. Anyway, didnt Berna do a bit of digging and found out something shocking about said doctor, and Im not talking about her mother being from Scartaglin here like. Im going to threaten to reveal this secret if she doesnt put my mother off the road. Is that blackmail now tell me? Rosealeen, Ballydesmond My ex is a barrister, he spends all his time at the bar. (When hes not working.) I said: "W hat would be your advice to Rosealeen from Ballydesmond?" He said: "Do it. Admit it, two years in prison will be a welcome break from life in north Cork." Hi, Im really worried about my daughter. Shes 12 now and most of the girls in her class have smartphones. I asked her if shed like one and she said no, she prefers reading books. Jesus Christ like, what kind of 12-year-old doesnt want a smartphone? Weve offered her a top-of-the-range iPhone and a weekend in New York, but shes adamant that she wants to stay offline for a while longer , the little weirdo. Sorry now, my husband and I put our lives on hold for the past 12 years rearing her, and now its time for technology and her friends to take over. I told her shed end up isolated but didnt the little wagon start a book club in her class with the other anti-phoners and theyre over here every afternoon reading Percy Jackson novels, theyre starting to freak me out at this stage. Im thinking of buying them all a smartphone in the hope they get addicted. Do you think their parents will mind? Honor, Mallow. I have a 12-year-old daughter. The other parents wont mind. Hello. Id like to register my disgust that the Frank and Walters are going to be the marshals at the St Patricks Day parade in Cork city. Its making a mockery of the holy saint, the city, and the country on this most important day. Surely The Sultans of Ping would be a better option. First of all, theyre not all from the Bishopstown, unlike the Franks as we must call them. And even a 74-year-old pensioner like myself can tell you that ' Wheres Me Jumper?' is a better song than ' After All'. Can you ring them inside in City Hall and see if they make the change? Eileen, Rochestown Road I know what you mean about the dignity of the day. Nothing could be more Irish than standing in the pouring rain watching a judo club from Dillons Cross trying not to cry because theyre marching in front of a diabolical samba band that actually constitutes a hate-crime against the people of Brazil. The donation of an umbilical cord from a baby boy was enough to save the life of one of the 410,000 people in Ireland living with a rare disease. Without that act, disability activist Emma Ward said: "I wouldnt be here without it." Ms Ward shared her experience to mark Rare Disease Day, a global event usually celebrated on February 28, but on February 29 during leap years as it is the rarest day of the year. A Traveller from Athenry in Galway, Ms Ward lives with mucopolysaccharidoses type one (MPS I), known as Hurler Syndrome. MPS I is a lysosomal storage condition, which hinders the bodys ability to break down long-chained sugar molecules and impacts how they function, while putting pressure on her organs. I was always interested in knowing about my condition when I was in the hospital and my parents would describe it as a blood condition. It is very normal to me, Ms Ward said. MPS is one of 7,000 identified conditions that is celebrated on Rare Disease Day. Rare diseases impact more than 410,000 people in Ireland and 300 million worldwide. One in 17 people will live with a rare disease at some point in their lives, and about 70% of rare diseases affect children, young people, and their families, with a significant portion being chronic conditions. Some 35% of these conditions are life-limiting or life-threatening, often leading to premature death. Emma at five years of age. As in Ms Ward's case, the majority of people living with MPS I require a bone marrow transplant to prolong their lifespan and limit the damage done to their body. However, finding a match is challenging as it is unlikely that a blood relation will have a bone marrow that will match. Ms Wards match was provided by an umbilical cord from a baby boy from Liverpool, when she was nine months old. I waited for six months to get a bone marrow transplant and I was nine months old when it happened. The hospitals struggled to find a match as getting a blood relation match is very uncommon, so it is hard to find a match, she added. Emma Ward at 10 months old, two weeks after her bone marrow transplant. Ms Ward is a wheelchair user and recently underwent hip replacement surgery last month after 11 years of waiting. My hip bones are smaller than average and are far more fragile. I had to wait 11 years for a hip replacement, she added. Ms Ward hopes to return to a journalism PLC course in September. She enrolled in the course at Galway Technical Institute in Galway city last year but had to leave due to her operation. Raising awareness about Hurler Syndrome is important because it could give someone the facts that could possibly save someones life, Ms Ward said. Emma Ward: 'My hip bones are smaller than average and are far more fragile. I had to wait 11 years for a hip replacement.' A new initiative called the All-Ireland Children and Young Adults Research Advisory Group for Rare Diseases (RAiN CRAG) was launched ahead of this years Rare Disease Day. It is spearheaded by the All-Island Interdisciplinary Rare Disease Research Network (RAiN), an initiative that addresses the unique needs of children and young people affected by rare diseases. RAiN CRAG is the first of its kind in Ireland and aims to amplify the voices of children living with rare diseases between the ages of six and 17. The Tanaiste has pledged to use all available diplomatic tools to help secure the release of an Irish citizen who has been detained in Baghdad. Micheal Martin said he is concerned for the safety of Yasser Eljuboori, who was detained at Baghdad Airport on Monday as he tried to travel back to Ireland on his Irish passport following a visit to his ailing mother. Mr Martin said Irish diplomats have been in contact with Iraqi authorities in Baghdad seeking a clear response as to why Mr Eljuboori has been detained. We've also made the point that he's a wife and children at home and that hes an Irish citizen, a dual Irish-Iraqi citizen, he said. We will do everything we possibly can to assist in this case and get this case resolved. We will be using all the tools at our disposal diplomatically and consular to get him released. "Were always concerned in situations like this, but we will work with the Iraqi authorities. I hope I can make contact again today and get clarity on all of this and get a resolution to this as effectively and quickly as we can. Mr Eljuboori, a father of three, lives and works in Ireland but is a prominent anti-corruption activist with a large social media following. His wife, Laura Wickham, said his detention came as a shock because he had visited Baghdad last September without issue. He came to Ireland 16 years ago, the couple met 13 years ago, married eight years ago, and have three children, the eldest having just started primary school. Detained at airport However, as he attempted to travel back to Ireland on his Irish passport on Monday, he was detained at Baghdad Airport by Iraqi authorities who did not give a reason for his detention. He appeared in court on Tuesday where a judge requested his transfer to a different court where he will appear on Thursday, but he continues to be detained without bail. It has been reported that he was being charged with defamation. Ms Wickham said she has received information that her husband has been mistreated since his detention, that he was beaten, blindfolded, and transported to different locations. She told Morning Ireland on Wednesday: He is a full-on dad wholeheartedly involved. A big family man. I have a big family. We've extended family in Cork. He's like the first into the Atlantic. Loves his pint of Guinness, a big rugby supporter. And he's held in very high regard by his friends, colleagues, neighbours. He works in LinkedIn here. He loves his team. I'm using all of my energy, all of this, just to try and get him home. I want him home safe. "I'm trying to kind of use my energy in the right places, and that's what I'm doing at the moment. I'm grateful for all of the help that's been pouring in. "And everybody he knows, as I said, he's well-liked. He's great fun. He's a gorgeous person. He's my number one person. So Im overwhelmed by the response and people reaching out to raise awareness. "So I'm very grateful for that. And that's kind of keeps me going. A senior Green Party figure has branded Fine Gael minister Patrick ODonovan a fool for criticising his own partys MEPs who voted for the landmark EU Nature Restoration Law. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Cork City councillor Dan Boyle, who helped to negotiate his party's programme for government with Fianna Fail in 2007, said: This man is a fool and he should be nowhere near the Office of Public Works (OPW). It followed the OPW Minister's claim that the legislation, which is designed to restore at least 20% of the EUs land and sea areas by 2030 and all ecosystems by 2050, will have implications for the delivery of already-delayed flood defence projects here, and for those living in one-off houses. The law was finally approved in the European Parliament on Tuesday after two years of debate. Despite Fine Gaels EU political grouping, the European Peoples Party, opposing the law, Fine Gaels five MEPs broke ranks and were among 12 of Irelands of 14 MEPs who voted for the bill. SUSTAINABILITY & CLIMATE Check out our Sustainability and Climate Change Hub where you will find the latest news, features, opinions and analysis on this topic from across the various Irish Examiner topic desks and their team of specialist writers and columnists. In a radio interview with Jerry OSullivans Kerry Today show on Radio Kerry, Mr ODonovan, whose department oversees the delivery of flood defences, said he was disappointed at the stance taken by his own partys MEPs on the legislation. I am disappointed to put it mildly that while the European Peoples Party as a bloc wanted to vote against this, because they believed there was another day to be had, as it were, that most of Irelands MEPs voted for it, he said. Anywhere in the country I can take you to places where we have schemes that are bogged down in environmental restrictions and regulation, where it's clear that the preference and priority is to protect the habitat over protecting peoples houses. The Limerick TD insisted he was not a climate-denier or opposed to nature restoration, but he said the new law and its implications, had not been properly debated. He said that the commitment to restore habitats means flood relief schemes will be held up, and he cited how otters in the River Bride have delayed the Blackpool flood relief scheme in Cork City. If anyone tells me that this is going to come without consequences and its just public land, thats just not true, he said. There isnt a perch of land in this country thats owned by the State that doesnt have within an asss roar of it a private one-off house. Green Party minister, Pippa Hackett, the Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, also criticised her Cabinet colleagues views as unhelpful, and wholly inconsistent with agreed Government position. Mr ODonovan said he was disappointed at Mr Boyles comments. I think it's disappointing, to say the very least, to see experienced politicians descend to name-calling and personalised attacks on people with whom they have a different opinion. That's not how a democracy is supposed to function. At a time when politicians of all parties and none are experiencing huge levels of online and personal abuse, I think commentary like this directed at other public representatives only serves to add to the level of toxicity in politics," he said. Sinn Fein split Meanwhile, a split has also emerged in Sinn Fein over the nature restoration bill after its MEP Chris MacManus, of Midlands/North West, voted against it, while Senator Lynn Ruane, the partys European candidate in Dublin, supports it. Green MEP Ciaran Cuffe said: Sinn Fein have to come clean about what they stand for. They cant be standing up for nature in Dublin and standing against it in rural Ireland. But the party said it rejected the law because key concerns of farmers had not been met. In a statement, Mr MacManus said Sinn Fein wanted "clarity and assurances" on long-term permanent funding as a source of income for farmers, fishers, foresters and others for dedicated nature restoration. "We voted in favour of the law in the July plenary session in the hope that during the negotiations that small farmers, particularly along the west and northwest of Ireland, would not have to bear the heaviest burden. Unfortunately, this did not materialise," he said. "We in Sinn Fein must now make sure that the consultation process on the national restoration plans will address these key issues, so we can ensure the viability of long-term farming, funding and the environment." Sinn Fein has been accused of being silent and two-sided on the Palestine question while in the US by the Tanaiste. Micheal Martin also denied accusations from Sinn Fein and said that Ireland hadnt failed to intervene in any legal case on the conflict in the Middle East. He condemned the unacceptable and extraordinary situation facing people in Gaza. Tanaiste Micheal Martin denied accusations from Sinn Fein (Niall Carson/PA) The death toll since the start of the Israel-Hamas has risen to more than 30,000, with another 70,457 wounded. The UN said that a quarter of Gazas 2.3 million Palestinians face starvation and around 80% have fled their homes. The Hamas attack in southern Israel that ignited the war killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and the militants seized around 250 hostages. Hamas and other militants are still holding around 100 hostages and the remains of about 30 more, after releasing most of the other captives during a November ceasefire. The increasing alarm over hunger across Gaza has fuelled international calls for another ceasefire, and the US, Egypt and Qatar are working to secure a deal between Israel and Hamas for a pause in fighting and the release of some of the hostages. Mediators hope to reach an agreement before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan starts around March 10. Matt Carthy said that if the world does not take a stand there will be no Palestine left to recognise (Liam McBurney/PA) Sinn Fein TD Matt Carthy said: What Israel is doing on a daily basis is barbaric. You previously failed to support motions calling on Ireland to intervene in the case against Israel at the International Court of Justice brought by South Africa. Can I ask you, do you accept that what is happening in Gaza is genocide because the evidence is crystal clear? Will you recognise the state of Palestine? No more excuses. Israel is attempting to bomb Palestine out of existence. If the world doesnt take a stand there will be no Palestine left to recognise. We've used every political, financial, diplomatic measures that we possibly can and humanitarian to help the people of Gaza and help the people of Palestine Mr Martin said that they had acted to help the people of Palestine, and said Irelands Attorney General was before the International Court of Justice to speak about Israeli settlements, a process that began before the October 7 Hamas attack. Weve used every political, financial, diplomatic measure that we possibly can and humanitarian to help the people of Gaza and help the people of Palestine. He added: We have not failed to intervene in any case. And you know that deep down but youre just playing politics again, unfortunately with it and seeking to divide and try to create this wedge issue, as if youre more virtuous than anybody else. South Africa itself has not filed the memorial on that case yet. They will probably in two or three months when they have it ready. Mr Martin added: I would respectfully suggest to you have a role too. Youve been two-sided to the United States. Youve been extraordinarily silent on the Palestinian question in the United States. Ive gone to Washington, Ive spoken to Senators, and Ive spoken to some of your friends who challenge me about Irelands position in terms of Israel and Palestine. I actually suggested to one or two that they should talk to you. Sinn Fein take every opportunity with every individual and state of influence to call for an end to Israeli oppression of the people of Palestine Mr Carthy responded: Sinn Fein take every opportunity with every individual and state of influence to call for an end to Israeli oppression of the people of Palestine. Mr Martin said that the Arab states are very close to concluding a peace initiative, which Ireland had been briefed on. Mr Martin suggested that Ireland and EU nations may move to recognise a Palestinian state when an administration is in place to run the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Theres no issue in Ireland in terms of recognition, but I think it does merit consideration at least, I will put it to you any sensible person watching would say, lets use it in the most optimal way possible for the benefit of the Palestinian people and that moment is not too far away. Charges against an Irish citizen who was detained by police in Iraq earlier this week as he prepared to board a flight back to Ireland have been dropped. Yasser Eljuboori, 37, had been held by police in Baghdad since he attempted to board a flight out of the Iraqi capital on Monday. He had spent a week in Iraq visiting his ill mother. Mr Eljuboori is a renowned anti-corruption activist who has tens of thousands of followers on various social media platforms. He has frequently criticised corruption in the government of Iraq. According to the London-based law firm Doughty Street Chambers, which is representing Mr Eljuboori, he appeared before a court in Baghdad this morning, when the charges against him were dropped. He was subsequently released on bail. However, Doughty Street Chambers said Iraqi authorities have retained his passport, and that two or three days of paperwork must be completed before he is given permission to leave the country and return to his family in Dublin. In a statement, Mr Eljubooris wife, Laura Wickham, said there is still a long road ahead to bring Yasser home to us. It is wonderful news that the charges have been dropped, but I will not stop campaigning until Yasser is safely home in Dublin Airport. I call on the Iraqi authorities to return Yassers passport urgently, end this ordeal, and allow him to return home," she said. Mr Eljuboori came to Ireland 16 years ago. He met Ms Wickham 13 years ago and they married eight years ago. They have three children, the eldest having just started primary school. Ms Wickham also thanked Tanaiste Micheal Martin and the Department of Foreign Affairs for their efforts to keep the pressure up and make clear to the Iraqi authorities that this case is not over until Yasser is safely home in Ireland. On Wednesday, the Tanaiste said his department was using all the tools at our disposal to assist Mr Eljuboori, and that Irish diplomats have been in contact with Iraqi authorities since Monday. My statement on the case of Irish citizen Yasser Eljuboori. pic.twitter.com/WpJZMb8qvH Micheal Martin (@MichealMartinTD) February 29, 2024 On Thursday, Mr Martin welcomed the dropping of the charges against Mr Eljuboori and said he hoped the days developments would "go some way towards alleviating the stress they have been experiencing, but I understand that their deep worry will not ease until the moment they are reunited with Yasser in Dublin". The Tanaiste also said he had spoken to Iraqs deputy prime minister and foreign affairs minister, Dr Faud Hussein, about Mr Eljubooris case. Micheal Martin said he understood the family's 'deep worry will not ease until the moment they are reunited with Yasser in Dublin'. Picture: Niall Carson/Pa Dr Hussein subsequently advised me that he had raised the case at the highest level and was confident that Mr Eljuboori would be released following the waiving of the charges against him. Officials in my department and our embassy in Jordan remain actively involved on this case and will continue to provide consular assistance until Mr Eljuboori is reunited with his family in Dublin. Doughty Street Chambers barrister Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC, counsel for Ms Wickham, said the last few days had been "agonising" for Mr Eljuboori and his family. "He should never have been arrested, detained, or charged in the first place, and his family should never have been put through this ordeal," she said. "We have asked the Irish Government and the Department of Foreign Affairs, the European Union External Action Service, and the United Nations Special Procedures to seek urgent assurances from the Iraqi authorities that Yasser will face no further impediments and will finally be allowed safe passage from Baghdad." Ms Gallagher said that risks to Mr Eljuboori will continue while he remains in Iraq and that it is "imperative that the Iraqi authorities know the world will continue to watch their actions until Yasser lands safely in Dublin airport". A young man arrested and charged with carrying out arson attacks at five large Cork city centre stores on Sunday has told gardai who interviewed him at the Bridewell garda station that he was responsible for the crimes. This emerged within moments of the first appearance on Wednesday at Cork District Court by 23-year-old Samuel Nunes Neto of no fixed abode. Judge Mary Dorgan asked for the prison governor to provide all necessary medical attention to the accused when the defence requested a psychiatric report. There was no application for bail as Sergeant Gearoid Davis applied to have the accused remanded in custody on the five arson charges until March 6. He is accused of arson whereby he caused criminal damage by fire at Next on Opera Lane, Lifestyle Sports on St Patricks St, Boots on Half Moon St, Superdry on St Patricks St and TK Maxx on Cornmarket St all on Sunday, February 25. No reference was made to the value of damage on the charge sheets and no such evidence was given in court. The damage mentioned on the charges referred to clothing at Next, Superdry and TK Maxx, clothing and building structure at Lifestyle Sports, and damage to cosmetics, perfumes, toiletries and shelving at Boots. Detective Sergeant Colin Greenway was present in court for the case but he was not required by the prosecution to give evidence. However, defence solicitor, Joseph Cuddigan, asked for the Det. Sgt Greenway to be called to address certain issues raised by the defence. Mr Nunes was questioned last night at the Bridewell and he made full admissions. Those admissions are corroborated by CCTV gardai took from the various premises. And gardai are not seeking any other person in connection with these incidents, defence solicitor, Mr Cuddigan, suggested. Det Sgt Greenway agreed. Mr Cuddigan went on to request a recommendation to the prison governor that the accused would be seen by psychiatric services in the prison and that legal aid would be extended to obtain a report from the prison psychiatrist. Mr Cuddigan was granted free legal aid to represent the accused. He asked for a separate certificate of free legal aid to be granted to another solicitor in his office on one of the other arson charges. He said they were five separate offences and he would limit his application to two separate certificates for free legal aid. After the defence concluded its questions for Det Sgt Greenway, Mr Cuddigan submitted that there should be no delay in the Director of Public Prosecutions giving directions in the case claiming that the detective sergeant had said that the file was effectively completed and the State case effectively closed. Sgt Davis objected and said his colleague had said no such thing. Referring to the defence remarks, Sgt Davis said: That is a bit of a hijacking, to be fair. Mr Cuddigan returned to the issue of his application for free legal aid for a psychiatric report. It is sought by the defence as a result of certain matters that have come to my attention. I have done a certain amount of research with his family as to the mans mental health. Judge Dorgan said: I am noting your application. We will talk about it again on March 6. I will deal with that application on that date. The judge said she would recommend that the accused would get all appropriate medical attention. The young man accused of the arsons wore blue jeans and a black sweatshirt as he stood in the dock at Courtroom 1 at Anglesea St courthouse and was not required to speak during the hearing. He will appear by video link from prison on the next occasion. The accused mans 24th birthday will fall during his remand in custody on Sunday, March 3. A man has been found not guilty of the UVF murders of Catholic workmen Eamon Fox and Gary Convie in north Belfast in 1994. James Stewart Smyth, 58 of Forthriver Link in Belfast, was also cleared of one count of attempted murder, possession of a firearm and membership of a proscribed organisation, the UVF. Mr Convie and Mr Fox were sitting in a parked car at a building site when they were shot dead by a gunman standing in an adjacent playground beside North Queen Street in May 1994. Representatives of the Convie and Fox families said afterwards they were devastated at the verdict. James Smyth celebrating as he leaves Belfast Crown Court after he was found not gully of the murders of Catholic workmen Eamon Fox and Gary Convie in 1994 (Liam McBurney/PA) Delivering his judgment in the non-jury trial at Belfast Crown Court, Mr Justice OHara said it could not be proven beyond reasonable doubt that Smyth was the gunman. The main prosecution witness in the case was UVF man turned loyalist supergrass Gary Haggarty. Haggarty was handed a reduced prison sentence after admitting more than 500 terror crimes, including five murders, but he was released from prison in 2018 only four months into the six-and-a-half year term, for providing information about other terrorist suspects. Beginning his judgment, the judge told the court: The only reason this attack took place was that the men were Catholics. In the eyes of the UVF, that was enough to make them targets, and easy targets. He said the sole issue to be considered in the case was whether it could be proven beyond reasonable doubt that Smyth had been the gunman who shot Mr Convie and Mr Fox. However, the judge said he had doubts about DNA evidence presented by the prosecution. Turning to bad character evidence, the judge pointed out that Smyth had a previous conviction for murder. He said this showed he was happy to murder Catholics for being Catholics. Kieran Fox, son of Eamon Fox, outside Belfast Crown Court (Liam McBurney/PA) Dealing with the evidence given by Haggarty, the judge said he was a deeply flawed individual who had shown he was prepared to lie. He also said he had difficulty in reconciling some of Haggartys evidence with independent evidence. The judge also said that a number of eyewitnesses had described the gunman as being between 5ft 8in to 5ft 10in in height, while Smyth is 5ft 4in tall. Mr Justice OHara said he could not be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that Smyth was the gunman and found him not guilty. However, he said that Smyth did not leave the court without a stain on his character, having been previously convicted of murder. James Smyth (right) was also cleared of one count of attempted murder, possession of a firearm and membership of a proscribed organisation, the UVF (Liam McBurney/PA) Speaking outside court, Eamon Foxs son Kieran was asked if the familys last chance of getting justice had passed. He said: As far as the criminal side goes, yes I think it is. We are looking at other possibilities because this is just the tip of an iceberg. He added: We thought we had a strong case but the threshold to get a conviction in these courts (is so high). It is heartbreaking. Its a sad day for us. Kieran Fox, son of Eamon Fox, said the courts decision was heartbreaking (Liam McBurney/PA) Lawyer for the Convie and Fox families, Padraig OMuirigh, said the case had demonstrated deficiencies in the criminal justice system, He said: The Convie and Fox families are devastated by todays verdict. It has been a long journey for them and a very disappointing end to that. The judge identified considerable lacunas in the prosecution case. I think this case highlights the deficiencies in the criminal justice system dealing with matters like this When you are relying on an assisting offender, a convicted criminal in a notorious UVF unit, that is always going to be highly problematic in a criminal trial. He added: There needs to be another process where these issues, which are of huge public concern, are publicly ventilated in a proper forum. The High Court has refused to stop the trials of three young men who face charges arising out of the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl when they were all on a break during school exams. The defendants, who themselves were all teenagers at the time but are now over 18, claimed a lengthy delay in prosecuting them meant they had lost certain entitlements to be tried as children, including the chance of being dealt with in the district court where penalties are lower and they would have the right to anonymity. Two of them are charged with sexual assault while the third faces a charge of a false imprisonment during the incident. Mr Justice Garrett Simons refused their application to restrain their prosecution but said they were entitled an order that no report shall be published or broadcast identifying them, the complainant or two others who are also charged but did not bring legal challenges. The judge found there had been blameworthy prosecutorial delay in the investigation and prosecution of the offences alleged against the three. There was also an absence of any proper explanation for the delay. However, he said case law indicates the existence of blameworthy prosecutorial delay would not automatically result in the prohibition of a criminal trial. Something more had to be put in the balance to outweigh the public interest in the prosecution of serious criminal offences and certain factors had to be considered, including the length of delay itself and the age of the accused at the time the alleged offences occurred, among others. Here, the only prejudice which had been established by the three applicants was the potential loss of the opportunity to avail of the reporting restrictions under the Children Act 2001, he said. Reporting restrictions The risk of potential prejudice can be eliminated by the High Court making a direction that the criminal prosecution is to be subject to ad hoc reporting restrictions and he made such an order. Earlier, the judge said the alleged incident occurred in June 2019 when the girl and the defendants had all been students at the same secondary school and were known to each other. The girl alleged that, during a break between examinations, they were all sitting at the time, she had gone into an off-campus building and eight male students entered after her. It is alleged one of the three pulled down his trousers and underpants and others then told the girl to perform a sex act on him. The same boy touched her outside her clothing while the second defendant touched her outside and inside her clothing, it is alleged. She said she was prevented by two students, including the third defendant, from leaving by grabbing her waist and throwing her back in. She alleges she was told she would not be allowed out until she agreed to French kiss one of the students and that she was coerced into doing so. She said she felt like "a monkey in a cage". The incident ended when a number of female students approached the building as the lunchtime recess was coming to an end. She first made a complaint to the gardai some eight months later, in February 2020 and she was interviewed in May 2020. In August that year, the three were arrested and interviewed. In December 2020, they were deemed unsuitable for the Juvenile Diversion Programme. A file was submitted to the DPP in July 2021 and in May 2022 they were charged, by which time they had all reached 18. They brought High Court proceedings seeking to stop their trial, claiming if the authorities pursued the investigation and charged them with reasonable expedition, the criminal proceedings would have been heard before they "aged out" (reached 18). DPP opposed application The DPP opposed the application. Mr Justice Simons said notwithstanding a delay of two years and three months calls for explanation, the DPP had "signally failed to provide any adequate explanation". It was not sufficient for the DPP to file a statement of opposition which set out an incomplete narrative grounded on pro forma affidavits, he said. Crucial information, such as the date on which directions were given to charge the applicants has been omitted, he said. Throughout the DPP's statements of opposition, reference was made to factors which supposedly delayed the criminal investigation, including a reference to the coronavirus pandemic. But, the judge said, no attempt was made to relate "this generic concern to the circumstances of this specific criminal investigation". A man was caught on CCTV burgling a premises at an industrial estate and the next night he was seen returning and carrying out another burglary at the same place. Now at Cork District Court, 30-year-old Patrick Maguire of 16A Sunday School Lane, Blackpool, Cork, has been sentenced to seven months in prison. At 7pm on April 30, 2022, he carried out a burglary at Fastway Couriers in Courtstown Industrial estate, Little Island, County Cork, he got in by an unlocked shutter and stole a TV valued 400 from the depot. The following evening at 8pm he went back and got in to the same premises and stole four Samsung Galaxy phones valued 500 each, power-tools valued 400 and two other items valued 100 each. On February 17, 2023, he went to Bessborough care centre in Mahon and he caused damage to a fuel tank and attempted to steal fuel. He pleaded guilty to trespass and criminal damage arising out of that incident. Back on September 5, 2018, he was driving without insurance at Great William OBrien Street. Defence solicitor, Frank Buttimer, said: He made admissions. He has been in custody for the past seven days. He is a father of six and there is another child on the way. His main plea in mitigation is his family situation. In the past he had not been responsible as a parent due to substance abuse. But in last 12 months he has behaved properly parentally. He has got his act together in relation to drugs. My request ultimately is for leniency because of his family circumstances. Judge Mary Dorgan said: This is a pretty shocking catalogue of offending. The judge imposed a total sentence of seven months' imprisonment, noting that the accused was previously given 200 hours of community service but failed to do most of them. He was also disqualified from driving for nine years. A food entrepreneur who has closed his restaurant on Corks eat-on-the-street dining destination has urged the Government to reduce the Vat rate for food-led businesses or face more closures. Damien Twohig said up to 10 jobs had been lost following his decision to close Burnt Pizza on Princes Street the second restaurant closure on the street in recent weeks. He said the Governments decision last year to restore the Vat rate eroded its already fine margins. Burnt was like my baby, he said. I opened it on my birthday in December 2018. It was all about quality, I wanted it to be authentic. We specialised in high-quality Neapolitan pizzas with the best of ingredients. I went to Naples to get a second-generation oven, and we went to Naples to get our chefs. We came through covid, and then the war in Ukraine affected the price of our flour we were buying it from Italy but the wheat came from Ukraine and then energy costs went through the roof. The Government cant do much about covid and the war. But then the Government increased the minimum wage, that had a knock-on effect on other staff who looked for an increase, then they changed holiday and pension entitlements, and then they restored the Vat rates. I dont know who the Einstein is thats making these decisions and thinks that its not going to have an effect on an industry that is already under pressure. He also said turnover was down 18% in the first six weeks of this year compared to the same period last year, but the restoration of the Vat rate was the tipping point. He said the Government must reduce it for food-led businesses or face more closures of indigenous Irish-owned food businesses. Mr Twohig, his wife, Irene, and son Paul, are successful food entrepreneurs, who run the Soma Coffee company and the citys boutique food market, The Black Market. They also run two gyms. These businesses continue to operate as normal. The Burnt outlet in the Black Market will close, but the market will continue to have a pizza offering. Burnt's neighbour, Nash 19, which closed last month, was one of the highest profile casualties of what has been a cascade of food business closures since the start of the year. Other high-profile closures in Cork City since January alone include Pigalle, Tung Sings 60-year-old Patrick Street restaurant, White Rabbit Bar & BBQ and Electric. Greene's on MacCurtain Street has also announced a reinvention of its offering. A 10-year-old boy has become the latest person to die on Irish roads since the start of the year. Dylan Coady Coleman, who was seriously injured when he was struck by a van in Co Clare last weekend, died in hospital in Dublin on Wednesday. Tragically, he died just days after his mother, Laura, gave birth to a little boy, Shane. Dylan is the 36th person, and the sixth pedestrian, to die on Irish roads since January 1. In a moving tribute on social media, his school, St Tolas NS remembered their much-loved fourth-class pupil. His gorgeous smile and kind heart endeared him to everyone in our school community. He will be greatly missed, they said. Our thoughts and prayers are with his mum Laura, dad Garry, little sister Zoe and new baby brother Shane. We are also thinking of his grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, his extended family and his wide circle of friends, especially those here in St Tolas. Shannon's co-parish priest Fr Tom Whelan said there is a palpable sense of sadness in the area following the news. He said that everybody was worried about Dylans family. There is a palpable sadness all around the place and you can just feel the sadness around the place. The heads are bowed. People cannot believe it. It's a tragedy beyond tragedies. Speaking to RTE's Morning Ireland, Fr Whelan said both of Dylans parents grew up in Shannon. It was a very close community where people were trying to do what they could to support the family. One of the things they're telling me is 'we don't know what to say'. They cannot actually believe it. It's almost like living in a mirage. They don't know what to do. Dylan was struck by a van at Purcell Park in Shannon town shortly after 2pm on Sunday. Gardai at the scene of the crash at Purcell Park in Shannon last Sunday. Picture: Press 22 He was airlifted to University Hospital Limerick with serious injuries but was later transferred to Childrens Health Ireland at Temple Street, where despite the best efforts of the medical teams, he died on Wednesday morning. Gardai investigating his death arrested a man in his 20s on Monday for questioning about the road traffic incident. He was released later without charge. Gardai said their investigation is ongoing and they have renewed their appeal for witnesses to the incident to come forward. Any road users with camera footage (including dash-cam) who were traveling in the Purcell Park area between 1.45pm and 2.30pm on Sunday afternoon are asked to provide this footage to gardai at Shannon on tel: 061-365900. Press Release February 28, 2024 Bong Go lauds signing of expanded centenarians law; calls for continuing support for senior citizens welfare Senator Christopher "Bong" Go lauded the signing into law of Republic Act No. 11982, or the Amendments to the Centenarian Act. The measure, signed by President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. last February 26, now expands the benefits for elderly Filipinos. The law, which Go is a co-author and co-sponsor, now includes cash gifts for Filipinos aged 80, 85, 90, and 95, amounting to P10,000 each, in addition to the existing P100,000 cash gift for centenarians. Go, who is a member of the Senate Committee on Social Justice, emphasized the government's commitment to recognizing and rewarding the contributions of senior citizens to Philippine society. "This law is a testament to our unwavering respect and gratitude for the wisdom, resilience, and contributions of our elderly population. It's more than just financial assistance but also a tribute to their enduring spirit and a celebration of their milestones," Go remarked. The senator further highlighted how the amendments aim to give seniors more opportunities to enjoy their golden years with dignity and joy. "Nasa kultura na nating mga Pilipino na alagaan ang ating mga nakatatanda. Dapat natin silang suportahan at bigyan ng pagkilala. Habang kaya pang pakinabangan at ma-enjoy ng senior citizen ang cash gift, ibigay na natin sa kanila," added Go. Go also took the opportunity to express gratitude to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for signing the law and Senator Imee Marcos, who was its principal sponsor. "This is a collaborative victory for all Filipinos, showcasing our collective effort to care for the elders in our communities. Together, we are making significant strides in improving the welfare of our senior citizens," he stated. In line with the National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC) remarks, the law aims to acknowledge the longevity of Filipinos living healthy and active lifestyles, expanding the benefits to include those reaching significant milestones before becoming centenarians. Go has been a staunch advocate of the welfare of senior citizens. Previously, he also co-authored RA 11916, an Act Increasing the Social Pension of Indigent Senior Citizens, which amended RA 7432, the first Senior Citizens Act. "This amendment is a step forward in ensuring a better quality of life for our senior citizens. We must provide them with the necessary support to live comfortably," Go said. "Nandiyan na ang batas. Dapat ma-implementa ito ng maayos para mapakinabangan ng taumbayan lalo na ng mga matatanda na sakop ng batas na ito. Ibigay dapat ang nararapat sa kanila at huwag patagalin pa," he stressed. Planning approval has been granted for a new centre on the grounds of the existing Owenacurra mental health facility in Midleton, a development hailed as a milestone in the locality. Approval for the new 10-bed facility has been granted just two months after the initial application was lodged on December 20. The fast-track approval comes as a major fillip to the Save Owenacurra campaign, which has battled for nearly three years for the preservation of a mental health service in east Cork for nearly three years. The current Owenacurra centre itself has been vacant since being flooded during Storm Babet last October. Hailing the planning approval, local Social Democrats councillor and prominent Owenacurra advocate Liam Quaide said the development is a major milestone in the Owenacurra Centre campaign. Mr Quaide said that the campaign has come a very long way from 2021 when the HSE's proposal at that stage was to remove all 24-hour staffed placements from East Cork and rely on isolated, institutional wards in Glanmire for this level of support. He said the new service will, along with two other facilities acquired by the HSE in the immediate area, provide vital rehabilitation for people with the highest level of mental health need in East Cork far into the future". The news means that, since HSE chief executive Bernard Gloster provided his personal assurance that a new facility would be built last November, the Owenacurra campaign has made as much measurable progress in three months as it had in the previous 29. The facility was first marked for closure by the HSE in June of 2021, with the facility expected to close its doors to its 20 patients by the end of that October. Instead, staunch opposition to the closure - among patients, their families and within the local community saw the October date come and go with no movement towards a full closure. Just six of the 20 patients of the facility, many of whom had lived there for decades, remain in situ at present. Those six are expected to be accommodated in the near future at two three-bed houses the HSE has procured in the Midleton area. To reach your 100th birthday is special. To do it on a leap year day is even more special. But then, this remarkable 'leapling' has always been considered one in a million. Leap year baby, Sr de Pazzi, marked her milestone 100th birthday on her actual birth date on Thursday for the 25th time in her long and remarkable life by reminding guests at her party: Im really only 25." Centenarian and music lover Sister De Pazzi serenades family and friends at her birthday party. Picture: Chani Anderson The sprightly centurion was swamped with visitors, and lavished with flowers, gifts and cards at her first leap year birthday party since just before the covid lockdown. And the Tipperary native kicked the party off in style, tinkling the ivories for her family, friends, the staff and residents of her home for the last two years, Darraglynn Nursing Home in Douglas, Cork, with a performance of Its a Long Way to Tipperary followed quickly by a few bars of The Banks of My Own Lovely Lee for her adopted county. I feel good thank God. There is no secret to long life really, she said. A lot of people like to live and are happy living, and its Gods will for us to live on and be happy. I look at the positives always. What else should a person do, only look at the positive. We all have our up moments and our down moments give them all to the Lord when they come, as they come. Sister De Pazzi, nee Kathleen Finn, who turned 100 on Thursday makes a wish as she blows out the candles on what is just her 25th ever official birthday cake. Picture: Chani Anderson And Ive had plenty of help around me to help me through any hardships that might be there. People are very kind. The more you get to know them, you realise how kind they can be. One of her nieces, Elizabeth Eastlake, who travelled from England to attend, alongside several nephews including Andrew, Frankie, Gerard, and Mike, and their families said the entire family is just so proud of their last surviving aunt. Sister De Pazzi celebrating her birthday with her brother-in-law Frank Woods (90). Picture: Chani Anderson She and my mother were just so close. She is amazing, shes unique. Shes worked hard all her life. She is just a beautiful person, she said. Even the members of the Farranree parish choir, which she conducted for over 40 years, joined the celebrations. Sure youd have to come to the party for Sr de Pazzi, said Marian Clifford, who recalled joining the choir in 1975 when Sr de Pazzi was musical director. Kathleen Finn was born in Dualla, near Cashell on February 29, 1924, and was schooled in Tipperary before she entered the North Presentation Convent in Cork on February 2, 1942, taking the name Sr de Pazzi and beginning her ministry in North Presentation Primary school. Sister De Pazzi (left) with her friend Sr Catherine Fenton at her birthday party. Picture: Chani Anderson It marked the start of a deep and enduring link with the citys northside where she is fondly remembered today. I loved teaching the children there. They were all lovely, beautiful children, and the parents were always lovely to deal with, she said. Picture: Chani Anderson She underwent teacher training in Carysfort College from 1947 to 1949, took up teaching in Scoil Aireiri Chriost in Farranree in 1962, and graduated with a music degree from UCC in 1967. She taught in Florida from 1975 to 1979 before returning to Scoil Aiseiri Chriost where she served as principal from 1979 until her retirement in 1989, but she maintained her close connection with the school and parish. Presentation Sisters Provincial leader, Sr Grace McKernan, who started her own teaching career with Sr de Pazzi as principal, also attended saying: "She continued playing music for the school, helping the children as they prepared for the sacraments, and every Friday when the children went to Mass, and she continued that right up to covid, when she was 95." Bishop Fintan Gavin (left) with Sister De Pazzi at her birthday celebration in Douglas, Cork. Picture: Chani Anderson Bishop of Cork and Ross, Fintan Galvin, also called to the nursing home to wish her a happy birthday. Its a wonderful privilege to be able to sit with Sr de Pazzi 100 years of life, its like she's starting again, so fresh and positive, and such energy. Its testament to her to see so many people from all over the country, and from England, here today, he said. Mary Conroy, the assistant director of nursing at Darraglynn, said Sr de Pazzi is incredibly popular. And in all the time weve been here, we have never seen anyone with so many visitors, of all ages," she said. One of the most emotional tributes came from Micheal O Drisceoill, who remembers meeting Sr de Pazzi on his first day in junior infants over 75 years ago. Sister De Pazzi (third from left) with her cousins (left to right) Aileen Carroll, William and Margaret OBrien, Anne Fitzgerald, Maura OBrien and Michael Fitzgerald at her birthday celebration. Picture: Chani Anderson As a preparation for life, I had won the lottery, he said. It is only as I grow older I realise the huge impact Sr de Pazzi has had on my life. I may have only been an infant but there were subliminal seeds being sown and later effects being set in motion which would only become apparent many years later. Joan Barrett (left), aged 101 with Sr De Pazzi in Daraghglynn Nursing Home in Douglas. Picture: Chani Anderson I was too young to know any of this was happening at the time. But, as I look back now, I am realising more and more how privileged I was to have been in her class. It was a magical time and, I now realise, a tremendous privilege. All of this 'magic' was achieved by her presence alone. She exuded love. She made us feel safe and happy. It was fun to be taught by her. Raindrops give Caroline Leahy the shivers the minute she hears them. Her chest tightens and she starts to panic. This is because the 38-year-old Cork city legal executive is one of hundreds of householders whose homes in and around Midleton were flooded last October. Like so many homes in the town, hers is also still in the throes of being rebuilt. She says many of the 60 or so houses on her estate are still wrecked from the floods, and a big reason is the complicated process of drawing down humanitarian aid from a 10m fund announced last year in the wake of Storm Babet. Skips can still be seen outside peoples houses, along with piles of sandbags. Some businesses in the town are only just reopening. 'Each and every time it rains, I become very anxious, I get a tightness in my chest and I automatically start panicking,' says Caroline Leahy. Picture: Cian O'Regan As well as grappling with the 100,000 bill for damage to the house, the floods have left Ms Leahy with a deep-rooted fear that the house she owns with partner Aidan Murphy will be flooded again. I cant let go of the sandbags, she says of the eight or so white sandbags in a heap at the side of her front porch. Each and every time it rains, I become very anxious, I get a tightness in my chest and I automatically start panicking. There are even times when I have got up at night repeatedly just to check the levels of the river nearby. There are many more like her. A few miles away in Mogeely, Gleann Fia estate resident Christian Kyriacou says he too gets up to check that the three-bed semi he lives in with his wife Milena and their children Ryan, 12, and Mia, 4, is not being flooded. Virtually all of the ground floor was destroyed in the flood and the family now lives upstairs as work is still being carried out. The delay has much to do with the family being told by the Department of Social Protection administering funds for flooded residents that the 70,000 they need to pay for a basic restoration will have to be paid upfront before they can get it back. Its money we, along with other homeowners, just dont have, Mr Kyriacou said. Christian Kyriacou demonstrates the chest-height water levels seen at his home in Mogeely, East Cork, during last October's floods. Picture: Cian O'Regan If a new report is anything to go by, many hurt by the Storm Babet damage will be facing the threat of floods for years to come. A study commissioned by RTEs Prime Time team has concluded that the extreme rainfall and resultant flooding which devastated Midleton and surrounding areas during Storm Babet last October was more than twice as likely to happen due to global warming. The study, carried out by leading international climate scientists, found the chances of such heavy rainfall occurring are now 120% more likely. The climate attribution analysis, the first of its kind in Ireland, examined the impact of climate change on this extreme weather event. The research was led by Dr Ben Clarke from Imperial College London, and involved researchers from the Icarus Climate Research Centre at Maynooth University and Met Eireann. The town and the area had a lucky escape because the river flooding hit at the spring low tide," said Icarus Professor Peter Thorne, one of the studys authors. The ocean acted as the very, very best friend Midleton has ever had as it let the waters out and acted like a vacuum cleaner, drawing that water out of Midleton as the flood hit. If it had hit six hours earlier during spring high tide, the water would have had nowhere to go. Midleton would have been flooded higher and it would have been flooded for longer. This could have had potentially fatal consequences, particularly if it had hit hours earlier in the morning when lots of people would have been asleep. What happened last October is, he said, going to happen more frequently and the floods are going to be more severe. The Storm Babet floods were a calling card, he warned. This is just the first performance. It has not yet reached a crescendo. Rachel McCarthy of Ina McCarthy Flowers in Midleton shows the level of flood waters in the shop last October. Picture: Cian O'Regan If the people of Midleton are hoping for flood relief, they will be waiting a long time, as Cork County Council has now said that it anticipates the scheme will only be submitted for statutory consent in 2025. As far as early warning of floods is concerned, a spokesperson said: Investigations to date suggest a flood warning system for Midleton would not be effective. So, for now, other petrified Midleton residents and the towns businesses are going to have to rely on various WhatsApp groups that have sprung up to warn each other of flooding risks. Flood damage to Christian Kyriacou's home in Mogeely saw almost all of the ground floor destroyed. Picture: Cian O'Regan. Added to that, many, especially residents and members of the Midleton East Cork Flood Action Group, feel they are still being left to fend for themselves. Chairperson Mona Stromsoe said: While the scheme set up to help businesses in the town has helped a lot of people, the scheme to help residents is far more complicated. We are hearing of people being assessed in the size of their house, we have heard of people being means-tested, and we are hearing of people being told to do all the work and reclaiming back later from available State funds. But given that a lot of the work is around 80,000, nobody has that kind of money to draw down in the hope the State will pay it all back. The Department of Social Protection was asked for a comment. The British government has said it remains committed to its controversial Northern Ireland Troubles Legacy Act despite a High Court judge ruling that one of its key elements is unlawful. Delivering a judgment at Belfast High Court, Mr Justice Adrian Colton ruled that the provision for conditional immunity from prosecution for Troubles offences in the Act is not compliant with the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). The judge also said there was no evidence the immunity provision will in any way contribute to reconciliation in Northern Ireland. However, he did rule that a new body set up to probe Troubles killings could carry out human rights-compliant investigations. Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris said the Government remained committed to the Legacy Act (Oliver McVeigh/PA) Speaking outside the court, the victims who took the legal challenge described their battle as half won and vowed to fight on, potentially to the supreme court. Martina Dillon, whose husband Seamus was shot dead by loyalist terrorists in Co Tyrone, said she got half my case today, adding: I have fought for 26 years and I will continue to fight on. Responding in the House of Commons, Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris said: We will consider Mr Justice Coltons findings very, very carefully, but we do remain committed to implementing the Legacy Act. Solicitor Darragh Mackin, of Phoenix Law, who acts for the families, said the foundations of the Act were eroded by the court, and urged the British government to go back to the drawing board. Campaigners outside Belfast High Court on Wednesday (Brian Lawless/PA) The Secretary of State has indicated he will appeal. If so, were ready for it, this will go the whole way to the Supreme Court, he added. The Act received royal assent in September despite widespread opposition from political parties, victims organisations in Northern Ireland and the Irish Government. Aspects of its laws included a limited form of immunity from prosecution for Troubles-related offences for those who co-operated with the new Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR). The new Act would also halt future civil cases and legacy inquests. Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Hilary Benn (Maja Smiejkowska/PA) A number of Troubles victims launched the legal action challenging the human rights compliance of the Governments Act. Delivering his 200-page judgment, Mr Justice Colton referred to the provisions for immunity from prosecution. He told the court: I am satisfied that the immunity from prosecution provisions under Section 19 of the Act are in breach of the lead applicants rights pursuant to Article 2 of the ECHR. I am also satisfied they are in breach of Article 3 of the ECHR. He added: There is no evidence that the granting of immunity under the Act will in any way contribute to reconciliation in Northern Ireland; indeed the evidence is to the contrary. Turning to the ICRIR, Mr Justice Colton said: I fully understand the opposition to the new scheme and the reasons for it. That said, I cannot, at this remove, say the system established under the Act cannot provide an Article 2 and 3 compliant investigation. It has wide powers and wide range of discretion to carry out its reviews. Should it fall short of its obligations on Articles 2 and 3, I have no doubt they will be subject to the scrutiny of the court. He added: The court is satisfied that the provisions of the Act leave sufficient scope for ICRIR to conduct an effective investigation as required under Articles 2 and 3 of ECHR. Delivering his conclusions, the judge said that the immunity from prosecution provisions in the Act should be disapplied. He also ruled that a provision of the Act that no new Troubles-related civil claims may be brought after 18 November 2023 was incompatible with human rights laws and should be disapplied. Separately, the Irish Government has launched an interstate legal case against the UK Government over the Legacy Act, arguing that it breaches human rights laws. At this point, readers are surely familiar with the broken windows theory, beloved thesis of a thousand pop-sociology articles. It began with a 1982 article in The Atlantic by James Q Wilson and George L Kelling stating: Social psychologists and police officers tend to agree that if a window in a building is broken and is left unrepaired, all the rest of the windows will soon be broken. This is as true in nice neighborhoods as in rundown ones. "Window-breaking does not necessarily occur on a large scale because some areas are inhabited by determined window-breakers whereas others are populated by window-lovers; rather, one un-repaired broken window is a signal that no one cares, and so breaking more windows costs nothing. The lesson derived from this theory was that if police focused on minor crimes and maintaining public order, then that would create a safer environment all around; broken windows is often credited with the sharp improvement in public safety in New York in the nineties, for instance, even if there are competing schools of thought on that issue. Still, who wouldnt like public order and a better environment? Itd be nice to see that in Cork, where we learned recently that there were no fines issued in Cork for dog fouling in 2023. At all. Either the dogs of Cork city have absorbed the teachings of Barbara Woodhouse completely or there is no enforcement of the bylaws which govern dog fouling. The man who uncovered this, Labour Party local election candidate Peter Horgan, told The Echo: Not even one fine issued is a sign of failure to tackle the matter, not that the issue is solved. The mind continues to boggle at the seemingly disinterested approach to tackle dog fouling in City Hall. "Kerry County Council conducted 173 operations last year that resulted in 12 fines still low but an insight to some proactivity at least. It is an issue raised on every door I knock on and will only be resolved through a change in approach by a new bylaw and proactive method of tackling the issue. Hes absolutely correct on this being an issue that exercises people. The amount of dog shit sorry, no other term will do which owners are happy to see Fido or Buster deposit all over the streets of Cork is staggering. At certain points, the footpaths seem mostly brown, in fact. And not one fine? Lack of enforcement is a recurring theme in Cork. Take the MacCurtain Street area, unveiled last year to much ballyhoo as a retail-hospitality quarter with a bus corridor and two-way traffic, etc. Now its a car park at night. Its so bad that Labour Councillor John Maher told this newspaper last November that towing should be introduced. I am not trying to be negative. I am trying to get the best out of this project but people are breaking the law by parking on the new pavement and in the bus stops," he said. "And its being tolerated at certain times. This project was undertaken to improve the movement of public transport, pedestrians, and cyclists but now, parts of it are like a free car park and there are little or no signs of enforcement. Later that month Eoin English of this parish reported that traffic wardens would work later in the evenings and on Sundays ... but the city council has confirmed that the additional enforcement will be occasional and that there will be no additional recruitment to bolster staffing numbers in its traffic warden team. Occasional enforcement: better or worse than no enforcement? The MacCurtain Street area was unveiled last year to much ballyhoo as a retail-hospitality quarter with a bus corridor and two-way traffic, etc. Now its a car park at night. Picture: Larry Cummins And then of course we have the big one. Dereliction enforcement. Before Christmas, a meeting of the Cork City Joint Policing Committee was told that Cork City Council received marginally over 10% of an estimated 1.1m in fines levied on owners of derelict sites in the city in 2023: invoices amounting to 1,109,324 were issued to owners in 2023 but just over 102,000 was collected that year. The committee was also told there were 147 sites on the Derelict Site Register, up from 109 in 2022, though the local authority were looking to add another 55 sites to the register. Park the fact that thats 1m left uncollected for a moment. Wilson and Kelling had something to say about dereliction as well. A piece of property is abandoned, weeds grow up, a window is smashed. Adults stop scolding rowdy children; the children, emboldened, become more rowdy. Families move out, unattached adults move in. Teenagers gather in front of the corner store. The merchant asks them to move; they refuse. Fights occur. Litter accumulates. People start drinking in front of the grocery; in time, an inebriate slumps to the sidewalk and is allowed to sleep it off. Pedestrians are approached by panhandlers. The Atlantic, 1982. Or Cork, 2023, with 2024 shaping up to be worse. Obviously, there is an element of personal responsibility here. If you are happy to let your dog defecate anywhere in the city then youre not functioning in a civilised society. Maybe the dog is taking you for a walk rather than the other way around. Likewise, if you enjoy blocking footpaths for the elderly and the disabled with your car, endangering lives by impeding the emergency services, and inflicting your worldview on everyone in the vicinity ... its your planet, clearly. Were just extras in the movie of your adventures. If life teaches us anything, however, its that relying on people to do the right thing by their fellow citizens is a losing proposition. Thats why we have laws. Correction: laws that are enforced. The cumulative effect of the issues mentioned above is depressing. The boarded-up windows and peeling plaster on unpainted walls; cars beached crossways on pavements, the token blinking hazard lights by way of an excuse; those same pavements speckled with dog waste in many areas. It all adds up, and the result is plain. Cork is grim, and going into the centre of the city can be a depressing experience. What makes it worse is there seems to be no champion of the city, nobody sounding the alarm. There seems to be no awareness of just how bad the experience now is for people using the city. The authorities made great play of long-term plans and bold visions of the future recently, but what about the city as it is, rather than the city of a PowerPoint presentation? Case in point: Eoin English reported earlier this week about the graffiti on the South Gate Bridge. Cork City Council said something something natural stone something chemicals something: We will assess it with our heritage experts and decide on the best options but that will take time. Where is the urgency? The vision for the present? Where is the plan to make it better for those who live here now? And even if there were a plan, who would enforce it? Seachtain na Gaeilge is upon us, a fabulous, fortnight-long, celebration of Irish language, culture and heritage. The festival is the biggest annual celebration of our native language and culture in Ireland and in many other countries, and this year it is running from March 1 to 17. The culture and heritage are important elements of the knees-up though, because feting the Irish language in and of itself could be confronting for the many of us who cannot actually converse in it. Although my name may reasonably suggest otherwise, I am not proud to be one of that number, someone for whom conversation as Gaeilge would be very stilted indeed. We have a relationship with our native tongue that at the very least raises questions. Opinion polls show a consistently high level of public support for the Irish language. A 2022 poll by Ireland Thinks showed that a clear majority (65%) would like to see people using it more on a daily basis. We value it, but that doesnt mean we are willing to learn it. How often have you heard someone say they dont like how it is taught, or, that we shouldnt be forced to sit it for the Leaving Certificate? Census 2022 tells us that the number of Irish speakers has grown since it was last measured in 2016. Almost 1.9 million, 40% of us, stated that we could speak it, an increase of 112,577 since 2016. Those who wish to see our native language survive and thrive might want to hold the celebratory bubbles though, because the number who said they could speak Irish but never did so, grew to almost 473,000. In short, more of us can but we are speaking it less frequently, if indeed at all. That doesnt sound like a win. There were other discouraging Census findings, including a 2% decrease in the number who speak Irish daily, despite a 7% increase in the population of An Ghaeltacht. Late last year, the Department of Education released figures which showed a sharp rise in the number of second-level students being granted Irish exemptions; up 33% at Junior Cycle and 22% at Leaving Certificate. These increases, due to changes in exemption eligibility criteria, sparked an interesting debate on RTE recently. Speaking on the current affairs programme Upfront, barrister and journalist Brenda Power said she loves Irish, but believes it should be scrapped for State exams. Her argument is this; if the success of a language is measured by the ability to speak it, then its compulsory nature in schools has been a failed experiment. She argues that obliging us to study it up to Leaving Certificate hasnt kept the language alive. It has surely contributed considerably to doing exactly that? By keeping and prioritising it in education, we acknowledge its importance. It is difficult to imagine how or where else that could meaningfully be done. Left to choice, how many would pick Irish for a highly competitive State exam that dictates entry to Third Level? Julian de Spainn, General Secretary of Conradh na Gaeilge, agrees that if we were put in a situation where Irish had to be chosen, it wouldnt be. File photo: Leah Farrell / Photocall Ireland It would undoubtedly be spurned for subjects perceived to be more points-friendly. As the Leaving Cert changes, its likely that it would eventually be cast aside as more useful subjects emerge, subjects we think might train us for a job; coding, cryptocurrency, influencing, or whatever happens to be trendy and trending by that time. Julian de Spainn, General Secretary of Conradh na Gaeilge, agrees that if we were put in a situation where Irish had to be chosen, it wouldnt be. Languages became optional in the UK in 2004 and Mr de Spainn points to the subsequent dive in their uptake as a warning for what would happen here. He also suggests that a social divide would likely emerge. In 2023, the British Council Language Trends survey found that in private schools, three in 10 pupils take a language for GCSE (Junior Cycle equivalent) compared to just one in 10 in state schools. Comedian and actor Michael Fry is not a native speaker but as he learnt Irish, he eventually grew to love it. He believes studying our language enriches our understanding of our culture, history and identity but observes that we have a different emotional response to being required to study it, than we do to say Maths, or Shakespeare. He has since school availed of free Irish classes and feels that if you give people more opportunities to learn and use Irish, theyll take them. Those Census figures belie the enthusiasm for Irish that Im sure Ive noticed more of in recent years; growing attendance at Pop Up Gaeltachts, our collective pride at Paul Mescals interview as Gaeilge on the Bafta red carpet, Bambie Thug singing an Irish refrain when interviewed after becoming our Eurovision hopeful. Irish language productions such as the film An Cailin Ciuin, programmes like Gra ar an Tra and the radio show and podcast Beo ar Eigean (Just About Alive) are getting plenty of water cooler airtime too. And Im sure you heard the one about the former politician and the television presenter who spoke disparagingly about Irish on television last month? Their pre-teen like dissing and high-fiving seemed to get quite the berating from the public at large, and on social media in particular. Our pride in and support for the Irish language is justified, not least because the turn of phrase and emotion within it is uniquely beautiful. Comedian Tommy Tiernan describes this well, seeing in it a connection between the heart and the mouth, that is less evident in other languages. He feels theres a spirit in Irish that is mischief orientated, that it has a fish of devilment swimming through it and a defiance that perhaps comes from having survived against the odds. To say its survival has been against the odds may not do justice to the centuries of hard work, and unpopular decision-making, on the part of those who valued it and knew how easily it could be lost. To keep Irish alive, it needs to be kept it in our schools and making it optional would mark the true beginning of its end. If we genuinely want to tackle the issue of being better able to speak it, perhaps primary education delivered entirely through Irish should be seriously considered? Doing it in school alone is never going to be enough to make us liofa (fluent) for life though, we have an active part to play too. A part that involves taking a look at our attitude to it, considering whether or not it is as hard as we make it out to be, and acknowledging the need to actively put into Irish, the time and effort thats required to be good at anything. Ive been lazy to the point of neglect about maintaining and using my own chuid Gaeilge but would be devastated if the language were lost. Seachtain na Gaeilge is a good opportunity for us to stop and think about opening our minds, and letting go of our baggage, when it comes to learning it, and speaking it. Have you ever wondered why the extra day of the leap year falls on February 29, an odd date at the start of the year, and not at the end of the year on December 32? There is a simple answer, and a slightly more complex one. Lets start with the simple answer. Several ancient cultures, including early Christians, believed the world was created in the spring and therefore March was the beginning of the year. This means that when the Roman calendar added an extra day in February, they were in fact adding a day at the end of their year. So the simple answer is that we put the leap day at the end of February because the Romans did. Except that isnt exactly true. The Romans did not add an extra day on February 29, but on February 24, which is where the more complicated answer begins. The Romans kept a calendar by counting backwards from specific set times of the month, the kalends (March 1), the nones (March 7) and the ides (March 15). Julius Caesar was famously told in Shakespeares play to: Beware the ides of March, also known as March 15, the day of his murder. HISTORY HUB If you are interested in this article then no doubt you will enjoy exploring the various history collections and content in our history hub. Check it out HERE and happy reading If the Romans started counting on the first day of March, which they called the kalends and moved backwards, then their days would progress retrospectively like this: the kalends is March 1, second kalends is February 28, third kalends is February 27 and so on until February 24 is the sixth kalends of March. On a leap day, they added a second sixth kalends of March, which they called the bissextile day, that is the second sixth day. In older writings of various kinds, you will still see people call the leap day, February 29, the bissextile day. This practice of adding a leap day in February continued into the Middle Ages and was taught in monastic classrooms. Writing in the 11th century, the Anglo-Saxon scholar Byrhtferth of Ramsey explained to his students: [The bissextile day] is so called because bis is twice and sextus is sixth, and because in that year we say sixth kalends of March [February 24] today and the next day we say sixth kalends of March [February 25] again. Byrhtferths students were monks and priests, and they needed to know about the leap day so that they could calculate religious feasts like Easter correctly. Easter is tricky to calculate because it is the first Sunday, after the first full moon, after the spring equinox (March 21 in medieval observance, March 20 in modern reckoning). If you fail to include the leap day, you will also place the spring equinox on the wrong day, and suddenly your parish is celebrating a whole host of religious observances from Ash Wednesday, to Lent, to Holy Week, to Pentecost on the wrong day. For Byrhtferth and his contemporaries celebrating these holy feasts on the wrong day was no small matter. They believed that the correct reckoning of time lies beneath the very fabric of the universe. Byrthtferth was known for elaborate diagrams (pictured at top). His most famous diagram shows the cosmic correspondence between the times of the year (represented in the outside circuit by the astrological signs) with the equinoxes and the solstices positioned at the corners. As you move to the interior diamond shape, you see the four elements (earth, wind, fire and water), the four stages of a mans life (youth, adolescence, maturity and old age) and the four seasons. The interior diamond has the four cardinal directions in Greek (north, south, east and west), positioned in such a way that they spell Adam, which refers to the first man, but also the human nature of Christ. Taken together, this diagram shows how elements on earth and heaven relate to each other and are held in balance with Christ at the centre and bound on the outside by time, which controls and orders the world. For Byrhtferth and many medieval churchmen like him, calculating dates correctly is about more than the proper observance of religious feasts it is about honouring Gods role in the creation of the universe. Byrhtferths monastic classroom also shows why the simple answer because the Romans did it isnt adequate to explain why we still insert this leap day in February, nearly 1,600 years after the fall of Rome. At any point, the leap day could have been changed to something that made more sense in a modern calendar. However, the date needed to remain in February throughout the middle ages and still does so that the extra day is inserted before the spring equinox and Easter celebrations are kept on track. Diarmuid Fawsitt was called home from the US to help out with the Treaty negotiations of 1921. He was one of 11 children born in Ballymacthomas, Co Cork, to a Protestant father and Catholic mother. He was raised by his mothers family and attended the North Mon where he got to know Terence MacSwiney and Tomas McCurtain. DeValera sent him to the US in the Autumn of 1919 to represent the new government and negotiate the treacherous straits of Irish-American politics. He didnt take part in the Civil War but was pro-treaty. His granddaughter Carol and her siblings and cousins knew some of his story, but not all. A few years ago they came together to get stuck into a bit of research. This was bang smack in the middle of the Decade of Centenaries, celebrating the revolutionary period of the early 20th century. We didnt know enough about our own grandfather, she says. Six of us came together and did the research, and as a consequence of that Maurice Manning (chair of the advisory group on the Decade of centenaries) gave us the opportunity to present the research at the NUI Dublin in 2019. There had been over the years a lot of secrecy, a lack of information, silence at home. My father died at 56 and I was the eldest of six. Anyway, we found a diary through the research and now it is in the Cork and County archive. Carol Fawsitt and her family didnt stop there. They got in contact with other descendants of those who had negotiated the Anglo-Irish Treaty that gave birth to the Irish State. A book, entitled The Men And Women Of The Anglo-Irish Treaty Delegations 1921, was published in 2022. And now the Fawsitts and a number of other descendants are campaigning for a fitting memorial, a day of reconciliation, to be established by the State. Such an event, they suggest, should not just be for the Irish State but should be right across the island, where there is surely plenty of scope for reconciliation among all sorts of groups. The proposal has serious merit. There appears to be a consensus that the decade of centenaries was handled well, with due respect and sensitivity. However, one of the thorniest issues, the signing of the treaty, was, to a large extent, glossed over. On one level this was entirely understandable. The treaty had opened a fissure, initially violent and for decades after, political, in the new state. Yet all that it promised and all the stepping stone theory advocated by Michael Collins all came to pass. The partition of the island remained, but that was always going to be the case. So the treaty ultimately was the greatest achievement in 800 years of attempting to separate this island from John Bull. That was not, and never really has been, fully acknowledged even a century down the line. Some of the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Diarmaid Fawsitt were present at the launch of their grandfather's archive. The Fawsitts and several other descendants are campaigning for a fitting memorial, a day of reconciliation, to be established by the State. File picture: Brian Lougheed The other slightly leftover aspect to the recent commemorations is the absence emerging from it of an annual day of commemoration, a standard feature in most established nations, not to mind democracies. In this regard, the proposal by the descendants steers a sensitive and considered course, advocating for a day or reconciliation, rather than independence or commemoration of a still contested history. Michael OMahony is a grandnephew of Michael Collins. His two sisters, Nora Owen and Mary Banotti went into politics but he pursued a career in law that began when he was sent down to Clonakilty to apprentice to his uncle, Liam Collins. My mother Kitty Collins was one of Johnny Collins' children and he was a teacher in Cathal Brugha Street in Dublin, OMahony remembers. There was silence around a lot of what happened. My mother was teaching a large cross-section of students, you couldnt very well be talking about points of view, Collins or Brugha or anyone else. We didnt speak about it. When I became an apprentice to my uncle I was up and down to Clon for four years and I became very interested in the whole thing. Today, he believes there should be a visual manifestation of reconciliation. Its very important that this (day of reconciliation proposal) is taken over by the State. We are all transient, ships in the night. This should become part of the calendar. "You will know from Cork and Kerry and other places there is still this deep trauma from splits which is very destructive and there is silence between people who are connected in one way or the other to (civil war) sides. Fittingly, the group that has come together has descendants from the other side of the divide that opened up over the treaty. Cathal McSwiney Brugha has a double-barrelled surname that is about as iconographic as one could find in relation to the period of revolution. His grandfather Terence MacSwiney died, as Lord Mayor of Cork, on hunger strike in 1920. His grandfather Cathal Brugha died in a blaze of gunfire after he refused to surrender to free state forces in the early days of the Civil War in 1922. We have a day in mind, he says. Sunday 2nd June. The next day is a bank holiday. People are free, chilling out, lets go out on the green and shake hands with somebody else. Another major name from the period was Harry Boland, who also died in the Civil War. His grand-nephew Tadgh Coakley says that the concept of inter-generational trauma is one that really interests him. Harry Boland on his deathbed gave instructions to his sister, my grandmother, that there be no retribution and he didnt want the family to find out who mortally wounded him. One idea that the group has floated is the use of a cup that had been presented to Harry Boland, and is currently in the Irish embassy in Washington, be awarded as an annual peace award. The group stresses that their concept should be all-encompassing, and not include just the divisions that opened up on this island. The large numbers of people that are born here but who have now made this state their home should also be included as many will have come from countries of origin where there also was internal strife. Retired high court judge Bernard Barton, whose family was close to Robert Barton, points out that the day should also be celebrated north of the border. Its very much our intention that this is nationwide, we are hoping that the concept is adopted not just in the south but the north as well because there reconciliation between nationalists and unionists is just as necessary. The descendants of the Irish Delegation to the Anglo-Irish Treaty and others from major figures of the period are guests on this weeks Mick Clifford Podcast. There has been a consensus for some time now that the most pressing threat facing the world is climate change and the problems it causes. Environmental problems, forced migration, sweeping behavioural changes all of these challenges have climate change as a basic animating principle. This makes the research released this week by the Environmental Protection Agency all the more alarming. That research suggests almost 40% of Irish people believe climate change is jointly caused by people and natural occurrences. That belief was described by EPA director Eimear Cotter as wrong, pure and simple, given the scientific consensus that climate change is man-made. There was further cause for concern in the softening of support for policies which are specifically aimed at mitigating the effects of climate change. For instance, the overall proportion of those surveyed who supported bans on peat, coal, and oil for home heating has decreased by nine percentage points since 2021, down to 59%; overall support for higher taxes on cars that use petrol or diesel has decreased by 13 percentage points, down to 51%. The good news? The EPA believes this softening of support is not the result of ideology or belief and, in an era of malign disinformation campaigns seeking to mislead entire national populations, that can be taken as a positive. The natural retort is that ignorance cannot be used as an excuse when the effects of climate change are so widely discussed. An EPA spokesperson articulated the disconnect here between belief and action, however, saying it is entirely possible to have a complete understanding and acceptance of climate change as a threat but still find it difficult to accept a policy that affects ones daily life, is a neat summary. It is a longstanding challenge to get individuals to link their personal activity to a wider global challenge, and at least there was a chink of light in the EPA research on this issue. One person in eight said Ireland was too small to make a difference on climate change and should let others take the lead, but an overwhelming majority said that Ireland has a responsibility to do what it can. Replicating this attitude at a personal level is non-negotiable. For all of us. Truth before reconciliation In the High Court in Belfast yesterday, Mr Justice Adrian Colton was unequivocal. Justice Colton said that provisions for conditional immunity from prosecution for offences committed during the Troubles, which are in the British governments Legacy Act, are not compatible with human rights legislation. He was ruling in a case brought by relatives of victims and the survivor of a shooting. The relevant provisions in the act include a conditional amnesty for suspects, along with a ban on inquests and future civil actions related to the period of the Troubles. The legislation has been controversial from the start, attracting criticism from political parties within Northern Ireland, as well as a letter to British prime minister Rishi Sunak from members of the US Congress, which expressed concern at the acts provisions. The Irish Government launched an interstate legal case against the act, arguing that it breaches the European Convention on Human Rights. It is not hard to understand why emotions still run so deep when it comes to culpability and the Troubles. The day before that High Court ruling in Belfast, an inquest into the death of Sean Brown in 1997 heard some astonishing allegations that 25 individuals were linked through intelligence to his murder, a number of them being described as agents of the state. There was a good deal of optimism arising out of the return to operation of the Stormont Assembly, but matters such as the Brown case show there is still a distance to travel when it comes to dealing with the long shadow cast by the Troubles. In that context, it was interesting to read the ruling of the High Court judge yesterday: There is no evidence that the granting of immunity under the act will in any way contribute to reconciliation in Northern Ireland, indeed the evidence is to the contrary. Reconciliation is often combined with the word truth when considering such matters, significantly enough there can be no real reconciliation without the truth. On that score, yesterdays judgment is welcome. Just a stand in? A testing few days for the Football Association of Ireland brightened up considerably with the announcement of John OShea as interim head coach of the mens senior team. FAI officials had a disastrous outing at the Public Accounts Committee last week, while the ongoing search for a successor to Stephen Kenny has taken some unfortunate twists and turns, with leading candidates dropping in and out of contention. OSheas appointment yesterday will be welcomed, then, as a positive step. The Waterford native worked with Kenny as an assistant coach, but surely derives his authority from a dazzling playing career. He won 118 caps for the Republic of Ireland, along with a fistful of Premier League titles with Manchester United, and FAI officials will surely hope he brings the same calm authority to his new post that he did to his defensive duties on the field of play. Those same officials have indicated that a full-time managerial appointment will be made in early April. Based on the experience of the womens team, where Eileen Gleeson graduated from interim to full-time boss, will OShea make his temporary appointment a permanent one? A development of 89 homes in Waterford is now free to proceed after the conclusion of an appeals process. Suirbay Ltd had been granted permission for the works at Dunmore Road, some 5km south-east of Waterford city, by Waterford City & County Council, but a third-party appeal saw the matter referred to An Bord Pleanala. The proposal from Suirbay included 74 two-storey houses and 16 mews dwellings, as well as a creche. The initial planning permitted the development of 89 of the proposed 90 homes. A third-party appeal raised concerns about site access, water supplies, and further site services. However, An Bord Pleanala has upheld the decision of the local authority and approved the development of 89 homes on the site. Clare homes refused Elsewhere, in Clare, a proposal to build 13 homes in Ennis has been refused by An Bord Pleanala. Clare County Council had granted permission to Padraig Howard for the plans, to be located at Knockanean in Ennis. The application related to the construction of 13 detached houses in a low-density scheme on lands where development was already underway in relation to services and infrastructure. However, an appeal raised concern that the site in question is a floodplain. The appellants also noted that the proposed development would create a traffic hazard. An Bord Pleanala has overturned the decision of the local authority. In doing so, it said that a low-density development in a location lacking pedestrian connectivity would result in a highly car-dependent development. It said it would constitute "piecemeal, fragmented and uncoordinated development", which would be in conflict with the local development plan. It also said the access to Ennis was insufficient. Meanwhile, the HSE has been granted planning permission for the demolition of a mental health centre in East Cork to build a new purpose-built rehabilitation residence. The Owenacurra Centre in Midleton will be regenerated under the plans. The Owenacurra Centre in Midleton will be regenerated under the plans, which have been approved by Cork County Council. The works include the demolition of the existing mental health unit and associated outbuildings on the site. This is to facilitate the construction of a new single-storey, 10-bed community rehabilitation residence. Permission has also been granted for 17 parking spaces and associated facilities. There isnt a person in the country who wants to spend more time doing laundry, a chore that consumes up to 10 per cent of the energy consumption in residential households. Thats before you deal with the clutter of drying racks, garments on radiators and the endless pairing of socks. Tom Daly is Currys Ireland laundry expert and category manager for home appliances. While he cant help with finding the comrades of missing socks he can steer you towards the smartest appliances to buy for your households needs and to help dial down energy consumption. He says that older washing machines and tumble dryers are more energy draining and cost more to run in the long term when compared to newer models and believes that a few judicious upgrades will save you money on electricity bills. Pictured in the flagship store in Blanchardstown, D15, Tom Daly is laundry expert and category manager for home appliances at Currys Ireland. Technology in washing machines and dryers has really evolved over the last decade; optimising your wash, cutting down on energy consumption, saving on money and water usage and making your machine and clothes last longer. The introduction of smart features and eco-friendly settings has really helped enhance energy-efficiency in laundry appliances. Currys innovative Go Greener campaign helps customers make greener choices. Daly heads up the team that can talk you through the merits of newer appliances from washing at lower temperatures, to using less water while still delivering brilliant results. Less energy used also means lower electricity bills. Jaimie Cantwell, head of commercial at Currys Ireland, shows how to box clever with space in her laundry room where she stacks the tumble dryer above the washing machine. People do want greener appliances now, he says. Increased coverage about how we are going to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and carbon footprint and the rising costs of electricity bills has all combined for us to range more eco-friendly appliances and give consumers greater choice in this space. The introduction of a new energy label rating system in 2021 has simplified shopping too. Most domestic appliances are now rated from A to G with A-rated machines being the most energy efficient. When in store or online Currys customers can make use of an independent tool called Youreko to determine which appliances will give the most savings for the budget that you have. Currys Go Greener campaign is designed to inform consumers on smarter user habits and counsels on which models will best suit their household. Where to start Start by reviewing the models that you have, Daly says. He suggests asking questions such as; is it a brand that you like? and What are the benefits that appeal? If you do really like a brand, there might be smart features in newer models to help you save in the long run, he says. Have a budget in mind, he counsels, but advises not to chase a deal on price point alone. You also need to research all its energy aspects so that long-term this appliance is going to give you the best experience, he says. Explore the choice on sale at Currys. One of Currys many eco-friendly supports is that it will not only deliver your new appliance and install it, the delivery team will also take away your old appliance and recycle it for you. Capacity for busy families When it comes to saving money Daly says the increase in capacity in washing machine design has been a real game changer for families. The top brands are striving to get A-ratings for their appliances with options like quick wash programmes; full load options and larger capacity drum size now all widely available. It means less washes and, in the long run, the benefits and savings are massive. What are some new eco features worth noting in washing machines? Samsungs ecobubble technology is notable, Daly says. Using a mix of air, water and detergent it lifts dirt and cleans your clothes at lower temperatures. The south Korean brand also has an auto dose feature that uses the exact amount of detergent required for each load reducing wastage. German brand Boschs active water plus facility uses the precise amount of water needed for each wash. This can actually save up to 50 per cent of water on smaller loads, Daly explains. Another south Korean brand LGs turbo wash technology cuts wash time to just 39 minutes per half load while retaining the same quality and care ideal for busy and sporty households. Samsung tumble dryers include technologies to prevent your garments and linen from over-drying. The fibercatcher feature in German brand Grundig models is a clever technology that catches up to 90 per cent of plastic microfibers during the wash cycle. This capture prevents the fibres entering the water system and protect marine ecosystems from pollution, he explains. Tumble dryers that won't cost the earth In Samsung models there is an optimal-dry technology that uses moisture and temperature sensors to stop the cycle and prevent over-drying. The auto dry feature on Bosch models offers similar benefits. For long-term savings consider heat pump technology models, Daly counsels. These models might seem more expensive than condenser-based dryers but can use up to 40 per cent less energy and dont require a vent to install. Essentially, they recycle hot air that normally gets lost during the drying process, using it to keep drying your clothes. This approach is kinder to the environment and helps to reduce energy bills as well, he explains. Washer dryers perfect for those living in small spaces also form part of Currys Go Green campaign. While in general these use more energy, there are energy efficient models available such as Haier, he says. How can we optimise our appliance usage? Keep it short and sweet, Daly says. Its not always necessary to select a long cycle. Choose a short programme for a slightly soiled load. By opting for a 30-degree cycle you will use up to 40 per cent less energy. Use high temperatures above 40 degrees only for things like towels, bed linen and underwear. And wait for a full load, otherwise youre wasting water and literally throwing money down the drain. Overfilling a washing machine can also cause complications, he explains. You will have uneven distribution so water detergent may not be evenly distributed across the wash]. It can cause drum damage as well. Pre-soaking particularly tough stains or very dirty clothing in water remains a great way to save energy instead of repeat washing the garments. Dont put soaking wet clothing into the tumble dryer, keep the filters clean, and dry similar fabrics together, he says. By talking to Currys highly-informed team you will get the right advice for the way you want to wash and dry clothes. Thats exactly what were here for, Daly says. Click here to find out more about the laundry appliances on offer under Currys Go Greener campaign. Aid convoys carrying food reached northern Gaza this week, Israeli officials said on Wednesday, the first major delivery in a month to the devastated, isolated area, where the UN has warned of worsening starvation among hundreds of thousands of Palestinians amid Israels offensive. The increasing alarm about hunger across Gaza has fuelled international calls for a ceasefire as the US, Egypt and Qatar work to secure a deal between Israel and Hamas for a pause in fighting and the release of some of the hostages seized by Hamas in its October 7 attack. Mediators hope to reach an agreement before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan starts on about March 10. But so far, Israel and Hamas have remained far apart in public on their demands. Increasing the pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to reach a deal, families of hostages on Wednesday launched a four-day march from southern Israel to Jerusalem to demand their loved ones be set free. Families of hostages held in the Gaza Strip march in southern Israel (Tsafrir Abayov/AP) Some of the approximately 100 hostages freed during a ceasefire in late November are joining the march, which is to end near Mr Netanyahus official residence. The plight of the hostages has deeply shaken Israelis, who see in them an enduring symbol of the states failure to protect its citizens from Hamas assault. The Palestinian militant group abducted roughly 250 people, according to Israeli authorities, including men, women, children and older adults. After the November releases, some 130 hostages remain, and Israel says about a quarter of them are dead. Israels assault on Gaza, which it says aims to destroy Hamas after its attack, has killed more than 29,900 Palestinians. UN officials warn of further mass casualties if it follows through on vows to attack the southernmost city of Rafah, where more than half of Gazas population of 2.3 million has taken refuge. They also say a Rafah offensive could collapse the aid operation that has already been crippled in the fighting. Across Gaza, more than 576,000 people, a quarter of the population, are a step away from famine, the UN says. The destruction after an Israeli strike on residential buildings and a mosque in Rafah (Fatima Shbair/AP) But northern Gaza in particular has been gutted by hunger. The north has largely been cut off and much of it has been levelled since Israeli ground troops invaded in late October. Several hundred thousand Palestinians are believed to remain there, and many have been reduced to eating animal fodder to survive. The UN says one in six children under two in the north suffer from acute malnutrition and wasting. A convoy of 31 trucks carrying food entered northern Gaza on Wednesday, the Israeli military office that oversees Palestinian civilian affairs said. The office, known by the acronym COGAT, said nearly 20 other lorries entered the north on Monday and Tuesday. Associated Press footage showed people carrying sacks of flour from the distribution site. It was not immediately clear who carried out the deliveries. The UN was not involved, said a spokesman for the UNs humanitarian co-ordination office, Eri Keneko. A tent camp housing Palestinians displaced by the Israeli offensive in Rafah (Hatem Ali/AP) As of Sunday, the UN had been unable to deliver food to northern Gaza since January 23, according to Philippe Lazzarini, the head of UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees that has led the aid effort. Since launching its assault on Gaza Israel has barred entry of food, water, medicine and other supplies except for a trickle of aid entering the south from Egypt at the Rafah crossing and Israels Kerem Shalom crossing. Despite international calls to allow in more aid, the number of supply trucks entering has dropped dramatically in recent weeks. COGAT said on Wednesday that Israel does not impose limits on the amount of aid entering, blaming UN agencies and aid groups for the bottleneck. The Gaza Health Ministry said the death toll from Israels offensive had risen to 29,954 people, with 70,325 wounded. The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and combatants, but it says two-thirds of the dead were children and women. In its attack on southern Israel on October 7, Hamas and other Palestinian militants killed some 1,200 people, mainly civilians. The Popocatepetl volcano just 50 miles from Mexicos capital has erupted 13 times in the past day, and the countrys National Disaster Prevention Centre urged people not to climb it because of the debris shooting out of the crater. Volcanic ash from the Popocatepetl disrupted flights out of Mexico Citys largest airport on Tuesday and caused another airport even closer to the volcano to temporarily suspend activity. Mexico Citys Benito Juarez international airport said at least 22 flights were cancelled because of safety concerns after ash was found in some planes during safety checks. Other flights were rerouted to different parts of Mexico. In Puebla, a city close to the volcano, airport operations were temporarily suspended on Wednesday because of the gas and fumes coming from the Popo. Mexico Citys airport also warned Wednesday that operations could be suspended and its website showed a number of cancellations and delays. Our priority is safety in operations, the airports official account posted on X, formerly Twitter, adding that it is continually monitoring flight conditions. According to the airport, the ash has produced a slew of safety concerns. Volcanic ash is especially dangerous for aviation, not only because they reduce visibility but because they can act as an abrasive, damaging an aircrafts wings and fuselage. In airports, the ashes can coat runways, hurt airport personnel and cause a number of other logistical issues. The volcano has been active for half a million years and regularly erupts. Last year, large eruptions caused alarm after nearby towns were coated in ash, but volcanologists called the activity nothing new or surprising. Its last major eruption was more than a thousand years ago. Canada will airdrop humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip at the first opportunity, a cabinet minister has said. The update comes after Canadian international development minister Ahmed Hussen said politicians in Ottawa were exploring new options to deliver aid. The United Nations has accused Nicaraguas government of committing serious systematic human rights violations, tantamount to crimes against humanity after an investigation into the expanding crackdown on political dissent. The government of President Daniel Ortega has gone after opponents for years, hitting a turning point during mass protests in 2018 that resulted in a violent crackdown by authorities. In the past year, repression has expanded to large swathes of society with a focus on incapacitating any kind of opposition in the long term, according to the independent group of UN experts investigating the issue since March 2022. Catholics have been among those targeted (Inti Ocon/AP) Nicaragua is caught in a spiral of violence marked by the persecution of all forms of political opposition, whether real or perceived, according to Jan Simon, an expert who headed the investigation. The Government has solidified a spiral of silence incapacitating any potential opposition. Mr Ortegas government has repeatedly said the mass demonstrations against it in 2018 constituted a failed coup attempt orchestrated by the United States, and often responds similarly to criticisms. The state has targeted civilians, including university students, indigenous and black Nicaraguans, and members of the Catholic Church. Children and family members are now targeted simply for being related to people who raise their voices against the government. ln December, police also charged the director of the Miss Nicaragua pageant of a beauty queen coup plot, saying she rigged the competition against pro-government beauty queens. In February, the government shut down yet another round of social groups, including the countrys scouting organisation and a rotary club. The report said the crackdown has expanded past Nicaraguas borders to the hundreds of thousands of people who have fled government repression, largely landing in the United States and Costa Rica. Hundreds of Nicaraguans have been stripped of their citizenship and left stateless, unable to access fundamental rights. The UN report urged the Ortega government to release arbitrarily detained Nicaraguans and called on global leaders to expand sanctions on individuals and institutions involved in human rights violations. ChatGPT creator OpenAI is looking to fuse its artificial intelligence systems into the bodies of humanoid robots as part of a new deal with robotics start-up Figure. California-based Figure announced the partnership on Thursday along with 675 million dollars (533m) in venture capital funding from a group that includes Amazon founder Jeff Bezos as well as Microsoft, chipmaker Nvidia and the start-up funding divisions of Amazon, Intel and OpenAI. Figure is less than two years old and does not have a commercial product but is persuading influential tech industry backers to support its vision of shipping billions of human-like robots to the worlds workplaces and homes. If we can just get humanoids to do work that humans are not wanting to do because theres a shortfall of humans, we can sell millions of humanoids, billions maybe, Figure CEO Brett Adcock told the Associated Press last year. Figure AI CEO Brett Adcock welcomed the deal (Jae C Hong/AP) For OpenAI, which dabbled in robotics research before pivoting to a focus on the AI large language models that power ChatGPT, the partnership will open up new possibilities for how robots can help in everyday life, said Peter Welinder, the San Francisco companys vice president of product and partnerships. The collaboration will see OpenAI building specialised AI models for Figures humanoid robots, likely based on OpenAIs existing technology such as GPT language models, the image-generator DALL-E and the new video-generator Sora. That will help accelerate Figures commercial timeline by enabling its robots to process and reason from language, according to Figures announcement. The company announced in January an agreement with BMW to put its robots to work at a car plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, but has not yet determined exactly how or when they would be used. Robotics experts differ on the usefulness of robots shaped in human form. Most robots employed in factory and warehouse tasks might have some animal-like features a robotic arm, finger-like grippers or even legs but are not truly humanoid. We started robots too early and so we had to put that project on hold That is in part because it has taken decades for robotics engineers to develop effective robotic legs and arms. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman hinted at a renewed interest in robotics in a podcast hosted by Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and released early this year in which Mr Altman said the company was starting to invest in promising robotics hardware platforms after having earlier abandoned its own research. We started robots too early and so we had to put that project on hold, Mr Altman said, noting that we were dealing with bad simulators and breaking tendons that were distracting from the companys other work. We realised more and more over time that what we really first needed was intelligence and cognition and then we could figure out how we could adapt it to physicality, he said. Gaza health authorities said Israeli forces on Thursday shot dead more than 100 Palestinians as they waited for an aid delivery. Israel has challenged the death toll and said many of the victims were run over by aid trucks. At least 112 people were killed and more than 280 wounded in the incident near Gaza City, Palestinian health officials said, as the death toll in nearly five months of war passed 30,000. Medics said they could not cope with the volume and severity of the injuries. Dozens were taken to Al-Shifa Hospital, which is only partially operational after Israeli raids. Hamas said the incident could jeopardise talks in Qatar aimed at securing a ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages it is holding, while US President Joe Biden, when asked if he thought it would complicate the talks said, "I know it will." US president Joe Biden said Thursday's events may jeopardise peace talks. FileP icture: AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) The White House said Biden discussed the "tragic and alarming incident" with the leaders of Egypt and Qatar, as well as ways to secure the release of Hamas hostages and a six-week ceasefire. The US is urgently seeking information on what took place, the State Department said, adding Washington will push for answers from Israel which said it is investigating. The loss of civilian lives was the biggest in weeks. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said it was an "ugly massacre conducted by the Israeli occupation army on people who waited for aid trucks at the Nabulsi roundabout". Palestinians inspect the rubble of destroyed buildings after an Israeli airstrike in Nusseirat refugee camp, central Gaza Strip, on Thursday. Picture: AP Photo/Adel Hana The UN condemned the deaths and injuries. It said it had it had not been able to deliver supplies to Gaza's north in more than a week and was not involved in the distribution. Israel disputed the account provided by health officials in Hamas-run Gaza, which has been bombarded by Israeli forces for months in a war that began after the Palestinian militant group's deadly rampage in southern Israel on Oct. 7. An Israeli military official said two separate incidents occurred as the convoy of trucks passed into northern Gaza from the south along the main coastal road. In the first, he said aid trucks were surrounded by hundreds of people and, in the confusion, dozens were injured or killed, by being trampled or run over. As the trucks left, he said, some of those who had rushed the convoy approached Israeli forces including a tank, which then opened fire. "The soldiers fired warning shots in the air and then fired towards those who posed a threat and did not move away," he told journalists. "This is what we understand. We're continuing to review the circumstances." He said he did not believe the death toll from Palestinian authorities but provided no Israeli estimate, saying: "It was a limited response." 'Aid and bullets' Ashraf Al-Qidra, spokesperson for the Gaza health ministry, said the comments showed Israel "had pre-plotted intentions to carry out the new crime and massacre", and that the death toll could rise. One video shared on social media, whose location Reuters was able to verify, showed trucks loaded with many dead bodies as well as wounded people. Another, which Reuters could not verify, showed bloodstained people being carried in a truck, bodies wrapped in shrouds and doctors treating injured patients on the hospital floor. "We don't want aid like this. We don't want aid and bullets together. There are many martyrs," a man said in one of the videos. Palestinians wounded in an Israeli strike while waiting for humanitarian aid on the beach in Gaza City are treated in Shifa Hospital. Picture: AP Photo/Mahmoud Essa US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin told a congressional hearing that more than 25,000 women and children had been killed by Israel in Gaza since October 7, and that it could and should do more to protect civilians. In a post on X, UN aid chief Martin Griffiths said he was "appalled", adding: "Even after close to five months of brutal hostilities, Gaza still has the ability to shock us." Palestinian death toll tops 30,000 The Palestinian health authorities said 30,035 Palestinians were now confirmed killed and more than 70,000 wounded in Israel's offensive, launched after the Oct. 7 attack in which Israel said Hamas gunmen killed 1,200 people and abducted 253. Much of Gaza has been reduced to rubble and the majority of its 2.3 million population displaced from their homes at least once. Aid deliveries to northern Gaza have been rare and chaotic, passing through more active military zones to an area where the U.N. says many people are starving, with videos showing desperate crowds surging around supply trucks. Picture: AP Photo/Mahmoud Essa UN and other relief agencies have complained that Israel has blocked or restricted their attempts to get aid to the area. Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN Palestinian aid agency UNRWA, told reporters in Jerusalem that the supply of aid into Gaza as a whole had halved since January. He described Thursday as "another day from hell," and asked, "when will this madness end?" Gaza's uniformed municipal police were refusing to accompany aid convoys because several had been killed by Israeli strikes. Israel has denied restricting humanitarian aid and has blamed the UN for failures to deliver supplies. - Reuters 1371138342::cfb49c8e-2422-11e5-99a3-d7f5c6e8b241 A weekly review of the best and most popular stories published in the Imperial Valley Press. Also, featured upcoming events, new movies at local theaters, the week in photos and much more. (Photo : Unsplash/Mojahid Mottakin) The excitement about generative AI in the market comes with increased scrutiny, as Google was reminded for the second time. The tech giant announced its intention on Monday to reintroduce its Gemini AI image generator, following instances on social media where users demonstrated inaccurate or surprising prompts for historical images of people, which some critics labeled as anti-White bias. Anti-White Bias Criticism A viral post showed a Gemini result of a Black man and a Native American man portrait as the "Founding Father of America." Other instances of image and text results drew criticism from notable figures, such as X owner Elon Musk, who has previously voiced concerns about the perceived liberal bias of AI tools. The incident is the latest stumble for Google as it competes in the growing AI market, trying to catch up to Microsoft and its AI partner OpenAI. After announcing the pause on the tool, alphabet, Google's parent company, saw its shares drop by around 5%. Pulling AI Gemini Offline Google CEO Sundar Pichai addressed the company's AI errors in a memo on Tuesday, acknowledging the need for further testing after Google had to take its Gemini image-generation feature offline. Pichai described the issues as "problematic" and acknowledged that they have offended users and shown bias, as initially reported by Semafor. Rob Sanderson, managing director at Loop Capital, remarked that Google's public relations misstep indicates its lagging performance in the competitive field of generative AI, suggesting that concerns about Google's position and dominance in search could impact its valuation. Sanderson remarked that Google's strategy for product rollout seems different compared to its traditional practices, noting that while Google is striving hard to catch up, it now needs to "go backward to repair its core technology" to deal with a major PR blunder or something worse. Earlier this month, Google launched an image generator called Gemini, part of its main group of AI models. The tool lets users input prompts to generate images. However, users found historical inaccuracies in the generated images in the past week, which spread widely online. As a result, the company removed the feature last week, with plans to reintroduce it in the coming weeks. Pichai acknowledged that some of the responses from the AI had offended users and demonstrated bias, which he deemed completely unacceptable. He emphasized that while AI technology is still evolving, the company recognizes the high standards expected of it. The announcement comes after Google renamed its chatbot from Bard to Gemini earlier this month. READ ALSO: First AI Officer Named, as New Technology Challenges U.S. Justice Department Google Non-Stop Addressing AI's Glitches Pichai's memo stated that teams have worked non-stop to fix the problems. The company plans to introduce clear actions, structural changes, and better launch processes. Pichai emphasized in the memo that Google has consistently strived to provide users with helpful, accurate, and unbiased product information, which has earned people's trust. He underscored that this approach must be applied across all products, including their emerging AI offerings. RELATED ARTICLE: Google Layoffs Continue, Raising Workers' Fears of Being Replaced by AI Technology They are Creating 2017 Jobs & Hire All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. (Photo : Unsplash/Jiawei Zhao ) Starbucks stated on Tuesday that it would start talking about potential collective bargaining agreements with the labor union representing nearly 10,000 employees across about 400 stores. The coffeehouse chain's move comes almost three years after Workers United, a labor union covering American and Canadian workers, first organized baristas at a Starbucks location in Buffalo, New York. Starbucks' Commitment to Collective Bargaining Starbucks announced in a statement on Tuesday its commitment to fostering a positive relationship with Workers United, aiming to support Starbucks partners. The decision came after mediation discussions last week, revealing a constructive path forward on the future of organizing and collective bargaining at Starbucks amidst ongoing brand and IP litigation. Alongside initiating discussions, Starbucks agreed to grant employees represented by Workers United the ability to accept credit card tips from customers and other benefits as a gesture of good faith, which was previously announced in May 2022. Workers United stated that while there is much work to be done, the development of this framework signifies a significant step forward and underscores the shared commitment to collaborative work with mutual respect. READ ALSO: Starbucks Anti-Union Tactics Not True, Calling It Pure Propaganda Amidst Employee Relations Controversy Starbucks and the union started improving their relationship in December 2023 when the company sent a letter to Workers United to suggest a way forward for productive contract negotiations. In the letter, Starbucks shared that the current deadlock should not be acceptable to either party, emphasizing that the impasse has not benefited Starbucks, Workers United, or their partners. Hence, Starbucks sought support and agreement from Workers United to restart bargaining. Before the letter was sent in December, neither parties had communicated for seven months, as reported by the Associated Press. Unresolved Legal Matters with The Labor Union Despite efforts to improve relations, both sides still have unresolved legal matters, which Starbucks stated on Tuesday it aims to resolve with the labor union. In October 2023, the company filed a lawsuit against Workers United for sharing pro-Palestinian social media posts from its account, which angered many Starbucks customers, endangered other employees' safety, and harmed the chain's reputation, per court records. The lawsuit was filed in the Southern District of Iowa. The company sued Workers United for using unauthorized Starbucks logos in fundraising, merchandise sales, and promoting political and social causes. According to court records, Workers United used "copycat logos" that resembled Starbucks logos without permission, which the company claimed misled the public about Starbucks' involvement. As per court documents, Starbucks requested a jury trial and permanent injunction to prevent the union from using logos resembling theirs. Workers United filed a countersuit against Starbucks in a Pennsylvania federal court, seeking permission to use Starbucks' name and similar logos. Workers United also accused Starbucks of defamation by linking the union to terrorism. Workers United's Red Cup Rebellion After filing the lawsuit, Starbucks announced in November 2023 that it would raise hourly wages and benefits for many U.S. workers, following a fiscal year with record sales for the company, as stated by Starbucks. During the same month, Workers United organized a strike that resulted in thousands of Starbucks employees from hundreds of locations walking out on Red Cup Day. According to a news release from Workers United, the union called it the "Red Cup Rebellion," alleging that Starbucks was unlawfully refusing to negotiate with baristas on matters such as staffing and scheduling. The union stated that promotional days like Red Cup Day, half-off ThursYays, and Buy One Get One Free promos result in a surge of customers at stores without extra staff to handle the increased orders. RELATED ARTICLE: Starbucks Under Fire as Students Demand Contract Cancellation in 25 Campuses Due to Union-Busting Allegations 2017 Jobs & Hire All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Passengers on the 'Serenade of the Seas' were asked to vote on their next destination, after Royal Caribbean decided to reroute the 9-month-long cruise due to conflicts in the Red Sea and Suez Canal Peter Bischoff/Getty The passengers on the Serenade of the Seas have selected their new route after a tumultuous few weeks of uncertainty. After Royal Caribbean announced earlier this month that its viral 9-month cruise would be forced to reroute due to the ongoing unrest in the Red Sea and Suez Canal, its passengers had a vote on what to do instead. Were going to Africa! cruise passenger and podcaster Brandee Lake confirmed in a TikTok post Thursday. Excited was the word that I had when I heard Captain Kjell come across the speaker system and say that Itinerary 1: Immersive Africa was exactly what was gonna happen for the Serenade of the Seas. In celebration of the reveal that The Ultimate World Cruise was indeed going to make several stops around the continent and surrounding islands, Lake showed off her African outfit, featuring flowing pants and a white and blue print. She also gave the Serenade of the Seas African crew members a chance to shine, showing off their dance moves and including flag emojis for each of their home countries including those of Zimbabwe, Kenya, Mauritius and South Africa. ADVERTISEMENT Less than 5 minutes after the announcement, I changed into my African outfit and danced my way through the ship ALL DAY LONG with my African brothers and sisters who work on the ship, she said. I also had a dance lesson with a fellow passenger, Auntie, and learned a few moves from Jamaicans on board as well. What an AMAZING way to close out #blackhistorymonth! she finished her caption. Related: 9-Month Cruise Passenger Reveals Details of 2 Options Cruisers Will Vote On After Forced Rerouting (Exclusive) Alamy Lake previously broke down the two options passengers would vote between for PEOPLE. The first was Immersive Africa," which includes stops in Senegal and Ghana, plus nearby islands including the Seychelles, Madagascar and Mauritius. However, this choice excludes some previously planned stops in Turkey and a long stay in Greece. Story continues The second route that guests could vote for included more time Egypt, Turkey, and Greece closer to the ships original itinerary but involved many more days at sea in order to navigate around Africa as quickly as possible, Lake said previously. The 160-destination voyage left from Miami nearly three months ago and has already traveled through multiple parts of the Americas, including Brazil, Argentina and Peru, and is set to end on Sept. 10, 2024. The next leg of the cruise in Asia will go on as planned. Related: Royal Caribbean Confirms It's 'Reviewing Alternative' Routes for 9-Month Cruise Due to Middle East Unrest Suez Canal (c) Linda Garrison Small Village on the Suez Canal The news of a major itinerary change first came on Feb. 9, when The Ultimate World Cruise responded to rumors about rerouting its third leg which was set to head for the Middle East and Mediterranean in May due to the conflict in Israel and Palestine, issues in the Suez Canal and U.S. military activity in Yemen. The safety of our guests and crew is our top priority, and we are monitoring what is taking place in and around the Red Sea, Royal Caribbean told PEOPLE at the time. The Ultimate World Cruise which went viral on TikTok when it embarked on its long journey in December 2023 has had its fair share of ups and downs since the beginning of the month. Rough seas canceled several planned ports of call around South America, and unrest in certain areas of South America forced Royal Caribbean to skip others. On Feb. 12, reports began to circulate online that the cruise had had its first death. World cruiser and content creator Adita, who goes by @aditaml2759 on TikTok, confirmed the news. Related: Royal Caribbean Confirms Death of Passenger on 9-Month World Cruise "Some sad news," she said on TikTok while the ship was docked in Los Angeles. "We had our first death on the Ultimate World Cruise. A lady passed away last night. She was an elderly lady, and the reason why I know is because I was coming to my room when they were taking the body out." "I'm thinking it was probably a heart attack. But I don't have much news other than it was a female elderly patient, or guest, that passed away," she continued, adding that it was "very, very sad" to have witnessed. Royal Caribbean confirmed her report to PEOPLE shortly afterwards, writing in a statement that A guest sailing onboard Serenade of the Seas has sadly passed away. We are actively providing support and assistance to the guest's loved ones at this time. Out of the privacy of the guest and their family, we have nothing further to share at this time," the statement read. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Everyone's guilty of a little white lie from time to time. Whether it's telling your friend her new blunt bangs look amazing or promising your boyfriend that he's the first guy to ever serenade you with a guitar little lies pop out sometimes. Malerapaso / Getty Images Little lies to protect someone's peace aren't so bad and can usually be glossed over. It's the big lies, and the outlandish ones, that aren't so easily forgiven or forgotten. Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images Perhaps you once had a friend spot your long-term partner out at a bar, clearly on a date with someone else. They snapped a few photos for proof and sent them to you. When you asked your partner where they'd been, they claimed they had been working late. When you confronted them with the photo evidence, they blew up at you and claimed the person in the photos was actually just their doppelganger, not them, though they were in the same clothes. They committed to the doppelganger lie so hard, that they actually tried to turn the argument around on you and said if you couldn't tell them apart from their "lookalike," you were the one who was a bad partner. ABC Maybe you had a friend growing up who always told outrageous, fabricated stories. The most memorable was when she saw One Direction in concert and concocted an entire story about how they invited her up on stage, gave her flowers, took her backstage, and let her get photos with each band member. She claimed she couldn't show you the pictures because they asked her not to share them. In reality, she went to the show with her older sister and sat in the nosebleeds. She swore by her lie for years. Europa Press Entertainment / Europa Press via Getty Images Or, perhaps you went on a blind date with your coworker's brother. He told you all about the year he spent living in Italy and painting for small, local galleries. You thought that was so cool and you brought it up to your coworker the next day. She immediately got tense and said, "Oh, he never lived in Italy. We went on a family trip to Rome for a week when we were in high school, but that's it. I don't know what he's talking about." Yikes. The Good Brigade / Getty Images What's the wildest lie you've ever been told or heard someone tell? Tell us in the comments or submit anonymously using this form for a chance to be featured in a BuzzFeed Community post! Weather Alert ...INCREASED FIRE DANGER FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING... After coordination with local land managers, a Fire Danger Statement has been issued for Alleghany, Surry and Wilkes Counties in northwest North Carolina. In these affected areas, gusty afternoon winds will coincide with low humidity and dry fuels. Fire will have an easier time starting and spreading. Refer to your local burn-permitting authority on whether you may burn today. If you do burn, exercise extreme caution. TIRANA, Albania (AP) The leaders of Western Balkan countries agreed Thursday to speed up regional cooperation to benefit more from a new European Union plan of financial aid that will help provide a faster road to membership. Brussels' plan calls for 6 billion euros (about $6.5 billion) to be sent to the Balkan states over the next three years in an effort to double the region's economy over the next decade and accelerate their efforts to the join the bloc. That aid is contingent on reforms that would bring their economies in line with EU rules. Balkan leaders have welcomed the plan, but the reform agenda is a challenge to implement. Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, who hosted the summit in Tirana, called the new growth plan a truly encouraging result of a friendly and open exchange of views. ADVERTISEMENT The new opportunity of this out-of-the box plan represents not only recognition from the EU of our decade-long efforts to build a common future against the savage winds of the past, but also challenges us to demonstrate our readiness for a shared European destiny, he said in an opening speech. The region's six countries Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia are at different stages in their applications for membership, but residents have been frustrated with the slow pace of the process. Croatia was the last EU member country to be accepted in 2013. EU Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi said the European Commission aims to halve the implementation time for the new ambitious plan. Varhelyi told reporters that the Western Balkan countries agreed to take concrete steps this year such as unifying their financial regulations. Rama said banking transaction costs are six times higher for countries in the region and the new rules would save a half billion euros ($540 million). The six countries also pledged to adapt customs regulations and create joint border crossings like EU member countries. Story continues They also set targets of launching research and development hubs for industry and installing free Wi-Fi in public places. But for this to go forward, we also need the region to go forward and that means to deliver on the reforms that are necessary to make this plan functioning and functional, Varhelyi said. Present at Thursdays meeting were Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, North Macedonian Prime Minister Talat Xhaferi and Borjana Kristo, head of Bosnia-Herzegovinas Council of Ministers. Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti planned to send an online message. There was no representative from Montenegro. Varhelyi was accompanied by senior Commission officials and representatives from international financial institutions. Rama said bilateral disputes should not interfere in the implementation of the growth plan. Serbia has not recognized Kosovos 2008 independence, and recent tensions between them have sparked concern among Western powers. Both have said they want to join the EU, but the bloc has warned that their refusal to compromise is jeopardizing their chances for membership. ___ Follow Llazar Semini at https://x.com/lsemini Llazar Semini, The Associated Press ( Middle East Monitor) Left to its own devices, Israel would never grant Palestinians their freedom. In the past, though, some people, whether in ignorance or otherwise, claimed that peace in Palestine can only be achieved through unconditional negotiations. This mantra was also championed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when he cared enough to pay lip service to the peace process and other US fantasies. Back then, he spoke about his readiness to hold unconditional negotiations, while arguing constantly that Israel does not have a partner for peace. All of this, of course, was doublespeak. What Netanyahu and other Israelis were actually saying was that Israel should be freed from any commitment to international law, let alone international pressure. Worse, by declaring that Israel has no Palestinian partner for peace, the Israeli government has essentially cancelled the hypothetical and unconditional negotiations before they have even taken place. For years in fact, for decades Israel has been allowed to perpetuate such nonsense, empowered, of course, by the total and unconditional support of Washington and its other Western allies. In an environment where Israel receives billions of dollars of US-Western aid, and where it has grown to become a thriving technological hub, as well as one of the worlds largest weapons exporters, Tel Aviv simply had no reason to end its occupation or dismantle its racist apartheid in Palestine. But things must change now. The genocidal Israeli war in Gaza should completely alter our understanding, not only of the tragic reality in occupied Palestine, but of past misunderstanding as well. It should be made clear that Israel has never had any intention of achieving a just peace, ending its colonisation of Palestine that is, the expansion of illegal settlements or granting Palestinians an iota of rights. On the contrary, Israel has been planning to carry out genocide against the Palestinians all along. Al Jazeera English Video: Final day of ICJ public hearings: Calls for Israeli occupation to be declared illegal It is a fact that Israel has already carried out many terrible war crimes against Palestinians, starting with the 1947/48 Nakba and in successive wars ever since. Such crimes, large or small, have always been accompanied by ethnic cleansing. Over 800,000 Palestinians were ethnically cleansed, for example, when Israel was established on the ruins of Palestine 76 years ago. An additional 300,000 were ethnically cleansed during the Naksa, the war and setback of 1967. Throughout the years, mainstream Western media outlets did their best to hide Israeli crimes, or minimise their impact; or even blame someone else for them. This process of shielding Israel remains in place to this day, even when tens of thousands of Palestinians have been killed since 7 October and most of the civilian infrastructure in the Gaza Strip, including hospitals, schools, mosques, churches, homes and shelters, has been destroyed by the occupation state. Considering all of this, anyone who still speaks of unconditional negotiations especially those conducted under the auspices of Washington is, frankly, only doing so to help Israel escape international legal and political accountability. Fortunately, the world is waking up to this fact and, hopefully, this awakening will mature sooner rather than later, as Israeli massacres in Gaza continue to claim hundreds of innocent lives every single day. This collective realisation that Israel must be stopped through international measures is also accompanied by an equally critical realisation that the US is not an honest broker for peace. Indeed, that it never was. To appreciate the ruinous role of the US in this so-called conflict, just marvel at this fact. While practically every country that participated with a legal opinion and a political position in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) public hearings from 19 to 26 February formulated its position based on international law, the US did not. The Court should not find that Israel is legally obligated to immediately and unconditionally withdraw from occupied territory, the acting legal adviser for the US State Department, Richard Visek, said embarrassingly on 21 February. Thats right: 76 years after the Nakba and following 57 years of military occupation in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, the position of the US even in the ICJ remains committed to defending the illegality of Israels conduct throughout Palestine. Compare this US stance with the rounded, courageous and legally grounded position of almost every country in the world, especially the 50-plus countries which asked to speak at the ICJ hearings. Take China, for example. Its words and actions seem far more consistent with international law than many Western nations, especially now, and it went even further: In pursuit of the right to self-determination, Palestinian peoples use of force to resist foreign oppression and complete the establishment of an independent state is [an] inalienable right well founded in international law, Chinese representative Ma Xinmin told the ICJ on 22 February. Unlike the cliched and non-committal position of the likes of UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron on the need to start irreversible progress towards an independent Palestinian state, the Chinese position is arguably the most comprehensive and realistic articulation. Ma linked self-determination to liberation struggle, to sovereignty, to the inalienable rights of people, which are all consistent with international laws and norms. In fact, it is these very principles that have led to the liberation of numerous countries in the Global South. Given that Israel has no intention of freeing Palestinians from the grip of apartheid and military occupation, the Palestinian people have had no other option but to resist that occupation. According to the Geneva Conventions, resistance is an entirely legitimate response. The question now is whether or not the international community will continue to defy the US position in words only, or if it will formulate a new approach to the Israeli occupation of Palestine, thus bringing it to an end by any means necessary. In his statement to the ICJ on 19 February, British barrister Philippe Sands, who is a member of Team Palestine, offered a roadmap on how the international community can force Israel to end its occupation: The right of self-determination requires that UN Member States bring Israels occupation to an immediate end. No aid. No assistance. No complicity. No contribution to forcible actions. No money. No arms. No trade. No nothing. Indeed. Now is the time to turn words into actions, especially when thousands of children are being killed for no other reason than that they were born Palestinian. Its time to end the worlds longest military occupation. The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor or Informed Comment. Via Middle East Monitor By Michael Traugott, University of Michigan | Joe Biden won the 2024 Michigan Democratic primary, but uncommitted ran a spirited campaign. More than 100,000 Michiganders voted uncommitted in Tuesdays Democratic primary, 13% of the Democratic electorate. Listen to Michigan organized the uncommitted campaign in Michigan, promoting it as a way to express dissatisfaction with the Biden administrations public stance in support of Israels actions in its conflict with Hamas in Gaza. The group also set a goal of securing more uncommitted votes than the 11,000-vote margin by which Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in 2016. The total was nearly 10 times that number. Biden won Michigan in 2020 by 154,181 votes. While there were no exit polls conducted with Michigan primary voters, preelection polling just before the primary showed Bidens weakness among potential young voters as well as Arab Americans. The Young Turks Video added by IC: Arab-Americans FED UP With Biden Vote Uncommitted #TYT Michigan has the largest Arab, Muslim and Palestinian population in the United States, currently numbering more than 200,000. More than half of the population of Dearborn, Michigan, is Arab, as is its mayor; it is home to the largest mosque in the United States. One of the leaders of the uncommitted movement is U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib from the 12th District, the first Palestinian American woman elected to Congress. At time of publication, with 98% of precincts reporting a day after the election, vote tallies from Dearborn, the city with the highest percentage of Arab American voters in the state, show uncommitted leading there 6,290 votes to President Bidens 4,517. Its not clear that all of the uncommitted voters were part of the protest. In primaries, some voters will vote uncommitted if they have not yet made their choice or dont want to disclose that choice for any number of reasons. In 2020, 19,106 Democratic voters in Michigan selected uncommitted, while 21,601 did so in 2016 even though no protest was attached to those decisions. What makes the 2024 primaries different from previous contests is that uncommitted voters are being reported in exit polls and by election officials because that designation actually appears on the ballot in some states. Besides Michigan, which added uncommitted to its primary ballots in 2012, there are uncommitted lines on the ballots in New Hampshire, North Carolina and South Carolina; Florida has a no preference line. In Oregon and Washington, citizens will be able to vote for an uncommitted delegate to the convention. Selecting uncommitted is a way for voters to express dissatisfaction with the candidates whose names appear on the ballot while still participating in the democratic act of voting. In my view, this form of peaceful protest is an essential element of American democracy and more demonstrative than staying home from the polls. It is not an option for the fall general election, where the only alternative to a Biden vote for Democrats will be to stay home or vote for Donald Trump. Given his past record and proposals to exclude Arabs from immigration to the United States, I dont believe that will be a realistic alternative for many of Michigans uncommitted voters. Michael Traugott, Research Professor at the Center for Political Studies, University of Michigan This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that Israel only allowed half as many aid trucks into Gaza in February as had been in January. The Gaza Ministry of Health said that two infants died on Tuesday at the Kamal Adwan hospital in northern Gaza of dehydration and malnutrition. They were 2 of 6 known child deaths from hunger that day. Those are only the cases we are hearing about because the deaths happened at barely functioning hospitals. About 150,000 Palestinians are still in the north, though most were forced south by the Israeli army. No aid trucks are going north because the Israelis routinely fire on aid missions. Those Palestinians trying to survive up there suffer from lack of food and potable water because the Israeli military strategy has been to reduce everything to rubble, including bakeries. This policy of bombing everything in sight is not necessary to fight the Hamas guerrilla movement, and therefore it must be a deliberate attack on civilian lives. Israel continues to bomb Gaza heavily every day, though US television news refuses to report it or show the footage. On Tuesday, 76 Palestinians were killed, and 110 Palestinians were injured. Just to give the flavor of these deaths, on the day before Monday, 26 February, at about 19:00, eight Palestinians including three children were reportedly killed, and others were injured, when a house in the vicinity of Kuwait Hospital, in central Rafah, was hit. Israeli military personnel have admitted that they use artificial intelligence for targeting and are trying to hit midlevel Hamas commanders. Presumably the Israelis believed that house near the (former) Kuwait Hospital in Rafah was the residence of or was being visited by a Hamas platoon leader, so the AI revved up the attack. Under normal rules of engagement in normal countries you cant blow up a house and kill eight people, including three children, to get at one enemy fighter. Neither the Israeli leadership, many of them outright fascists, nor Mr. Biden and his cabinet, however, care. But denial of food and potable water are going to kill 4 times as many people as the bombs have, if the current Israeli policies set by fascist Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir and others of his ilk continue. Al Jazeera Video: Gaza food crisis: Threat of famine for 576,000 Palestinians. The director of OCHA Coordination Division Ramesh Rajasingham, urged the lifting of restrictions on fishing activity, access to farmland and the entry of agricultural products. He cautioned that in the absence of such actions, widespread famine in Gaza is almost inevitable. 500,000 people in Gaza (and remember half are children) are facing catastrophic conditions characterized by lack of food, starvation and exhaustion of coping capacities. UN Officials accuse Israeli military authorities of deliberately firing on aid trucks, and of placing bureaucratic obstacles in the way of food and aid deliveries. Israel wont issue a list of permitted items for entry, so aid organizations just have to guess what will be allowed in. If Israeli soldiers inspect a truck at the Rafah crossing and find even one item they consider prohibited, the whole truck is sent back to Egypt. (Egypt does not actually control the Rafah crossing, Israel does). Rajasingham says that 1 in 6 children in Gaza are suffering from severe malnutrition and wasting. Facing unrest from angry protesters at home, Jordan coordinated a limited air drop of food by Egyptian, Emirati and French planes on Tuesday. Some of the aid is dropped on land by parachute. Some apparently is being dropped without parachutes right into the sea, requiring pilots to fly lower and risk being targeted by the Israeli air force. Jordanian newspaper al-Dustur reported, Video footage taken on Monday showed a group of parachutes falling into the sea near the city of Deir al-Bahl in the middle of the Gaza Strip, and men went out in small boats through the turbulent waters to retrieve aid, under the watch of a crowd of hundreds who rushed to get the supplies as soon as they reached the beach. Such desperate measures cannot, however, replace the 500 trucks a day of aid that went into Gaza before October 7. Moreover, there is a danger of people being shot by Israeli troops as they rush the supplies, which are falling haphazardly along the coast. ST.JOHN'S, NL / ACCESSWIRE / February 29, 2024 / Sokoman MineralsCorp. (TSXV:SIC) (OTCQB:SICNF) is pleased to report that two of the first three holes of the winter drill program at the 552 Zone have intersected quartz veins with visible gold. All three holes (MH-24-578 to 580), drilled on the same section from the same setup, encountered the 552 structure, with the deepest hole, MH-24-580 cutting a 2.0 m zone that included two 0.30 m to 0.50 m intervals, with up to 30 specks of fine (sub-millimetre) visible gold. All assays are pending. Timothy Froude, P.Geo., President and CEO states; "We are pleased with the progress on the winter program at the 552 Zone. We will continue the drilling as long as weather and ground conditions allow until spring breakup. The 552 Zone area has seen limited drilling along strike and to depth and it remains open. The relationship between the 552 Zone and 253 Zone, which is located 100 m to the north, is unknown and it will also be tested in the current program which is anticipated to take six to eight weeks to complete." The three-hole section lies 30 m to the west of MH-23-574 (see news release dated February 14, 2024) that cut 2.10 m of 5.0 g/t Au with 12 specks of sub-millimetre visible gold noted. The winter diamond drilling program is planned for 2,000 m to 2,500 m of HQ drill core focusing on a 150-m strike-length to a depth of 125 m (vertically) of the 552 Zone. Drilling has defined a continuous, roughly northwest trending, two- to five-metre-wide zone of locally vuggy (epizonal), quartz veining/quartz breccia, with 2%-3% disseminated arsenopyrite, sphalerite, boulangerite and chalcopyrite, in variably sheared to undeformed sedimentary units located approximately 400 m to the east of the main Eastern Trend mineralization, and 100 m southeast of the 253 Zone. It is thought that the 253 Zone which was drilled assuming an east-west orientation, could be a more northerly, subparallel to parallel zone to 552. Additional drilling to the north undercutting the 552 Zone will test this possibility, as well as extend the 552 Zone to depth. Drilling is also planned to test the upper portion of the Footwall Splay where gaps exist in the geological model linking the zone to surface. The Footwall Splay has returned some of the highest grades on the property including MH-20-115 (4.60 m grading 47.20 g/t Au from 64.0 m downhole), and MH-21-163 (5.10 m grading 30.83 g/t Au from 45.0 m downhole). 552 Zone intersection in MH-24-580 - note: brecciated upper contact in top row and laminated high-grade section in lower row QP This news release has been reviewed and approved by Timothy Froude, P.Geo., a "Qualified Person" under National Instrument 43-101 and President and CEO of Sokoman Minerals Corp. Analytical Techniques / QA/QC Samples, including duplicates, blanks, and standards, are submitted to Eastern Analytical Ltd. in Springdale, Newfoundland for gold analysis. Eastern Analytical Ltd. is an accredited assay lab that conforms to the requirements of ISO/IEC 17025. All core samples are saw cut by Sokoman personnel with one-half submitted for assay and one-half retained for reference. Samples are delivered in sealed bags directly to the lab by Sokoman personnel. Samples with visible gold are submitted for total pulp metallics and gravimetric finish. All other samples are analyzed by standard fire-assay methods. Total pulp metallic analysis includes the whole sample being crushed to -10 mesh; and then pulverized to 95% -150 mesh. The total sample is weighed and screened to 150 mesh; the +150 mesh fraction is fire-assayed for Au, and a 30 g subsample of the -150 mesh fraction is fire-assayed for Au; with a calculated weighted average of total Au in the sample reported as well. One blank and one industry-approved standard for every twenty samples submitted is included in the sample stream. Random duplicates of selected samples are analyzed in addition to the in-house standard and duplicate policies of Eastern Analytical Ltd. All reported assays are uncut. About Sokoman Minerals Corp. Sokoman Minerals Corp. is a discovery-oriented company with projects in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The Company's primary focus is its portfolio of gold projects; the 100% flagship, advanced-stage Moosehead, as well as Crippleback Lake; and East Alder (optioned to Canterra Minerals Corporation) along the Central Newfoundland Gold Belt, and the district-scale Fleur de Lys project near Baie Verte in northwestern Newfoundland, that is targeting Dalradian-type orogenic gold mineralization similar to the Curraghinalt and Cavanacaw deposits in Northern Ireland. The Company entered into a strategic alliance with Benton Resources Inc. through three, large-scale, joint-venture properties including Grey River, Golden Hope, and Kepenkeck in Newfoundland. Sokoman now controls, independently and through the Benton alliance, more than 150,000 hectares (>6,000 claims - 1,500 sq. km), making it one of the largest landholders in Newfoundland, in Canada's newest and rapidly emerging gold districts. In October 2023, Sokoman and Benton completed an agreement with Piedmont Lithium Inc., a major developer of lithium projects and processing plants in the USA, and exactly the right partner to have to advance the lithium project. The agreement provides for Piedmont to earn up to 62.5% of the Killick Lithium Project (formerly Golden Hope project) by funding up to $12 million in exploration expenses and issuing $10 million common shares in three stages. The Killick Lithium Project has been transferred to Killick Lithium Inc. (Killick), a 100%-owned subsidiary of Vinland Lithium Inc. (Vinland). Newly created Vinland has received $2 million in financing from Piedmont for a 19.9% interest, with the balance of ownership between Sokoman and Benton. Sokoman and Benton will continue to operate the exploration efforts at Killick through the earn-in stages. Sokoman and Benton will retain a royalty of 2% NSR on future production. Piedmont will have exclusive marketing rights for the promotion and sale of any lithium products produced from the project on a life-of-mine basis, and the right of first refusal on 100% offtake rights to the lithium concentrates. The Company also retains a 1% NSR interest in an early-stage antimony/gold project (Startrek) in Newfoundland, optioned to Thunder Gold Corp (formerly White Metal Resources Inc.), and in Labrador, the Company has a 100% interest in the Iron Horse (Fe) project which has Direct Shipping Ore (DSO) potential. Mineralization hosted on adjacent and/or nearby properties is not necessarily indicative of mineralization hosted on the Company's property. The Company would like to thank the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador for past financial support of the Moosehead and Fleur de Lys gold projects through the Junior Exploration Assistance Program. For more information, please contact: Timothy Froude, P.Geo., President & CEO T: 709-765-1726 E: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Cathy Hume, VP Corporate Development, Director T: 416-868-1079 x 251 E: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Website: www.sokomanmineralscorp.com Twitter: @SokomanMinerals Facebook: @SokomanMinerals LinkedIn: @SokomanMineralsCorp 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. Investors are cautioned that trading in the securities of the Corporation should be considered highly speculative. Except for historical information contained herein, this news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially. Sokoman Minerals Corp. will not update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof. More detailed information about potential factors that could affect financial results is included in the documents filed from time to time with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities by Sokoman Minerals Corp. First Two Drill Holes in Ongoing 30K Metre Campaign Among Highest-Grade in Project History, Support Open Pit Potential at B26 Polymetallic Deposit, Quebec Highlights: Drillhole 1274-24-293 intersected 4.0% CuEq over 22.7 metres , including 6.3% CuEq over 10.6 metres beginning at 120 metres depth; , including 6.3% CuEq over 10.6 metres beginning at 120 metres depth; Drillhole 1274-24-294 intersected 4.1% CuEq over 34 metres , including 11.4% CuEq over 10.6 metres beginning at 135 metres depth; , including 11.4% CuEq over 10.6 metres beginning at 135 metres depth; Results represent some of the highest-grade intercepts in the project's history and support the near-surface open-pit potential of the B26 Polymetallic Deposit; Maiden 10,000-metre drill program ongoing, with 6,088 metres completed across 20 holes to date; Abitibi Metals will display drill core from these holes at PDAC, March 3-6, 2024 ; and ; and Additional assay results are anticipated in the coming weeks and throughout 2024. LONDON, ON, Feb. 29, 2024 /CNW/ - Abitibi Metals Corp. (CSE: AMQ) (OTC: AMQFF) (FSE: FW0) ("Abitibi" or the "Company") is pleased to announce results from the first two holes of the maiden drill program currently underway at the B26 Polymetallic Deposit ("B26", the "Project" or the "Deposit"). The Company is currently completing its winter drill program at the Deposit, where a minimum of 10,000 metres is targeted by the end of March under the first phase of a fully funded 30,000-metre 2024 field season. On November 16th, 2023, the Company entered into an option agreement on the B26 Polymetallic Deposit to earn 80% over 7 years from SOQUEM Inc (see news release dated November 16, 2023). Jonathon Deluce, CEO of Abitibi Metals, commented, "We are pleased to announce these results from the first two holes of our maiden drill program at the B26 Polymetallic Deposit. These are some of the highest-grade intercepts in the Project's history and show a way to potentially increase the grade of our block model. #294 is an excellent example of a gap in the current drill-grid where we have been able to add a new high-grade intercept and confirm the down-dip continuity of high-grade lenses, while #293 exceeds the grade reported in historical drilling, suggesting potential for grade improvement within the deposit. Investigating the significant increase in grade in #293 when compared to the historical results will be a key objective of ours moving forward in order to revise our strategy and review other potential opportunities for grade improvement within the deposit." Mr. Deluce continued: "This is the start of a very exciting period where we drill over 40 holes at the B26 Polymetallic Deposit. With the lower half of these two holes still pending and assays from the balance of the program still to come, Abitibi will be communicating regularly, and we anticipate providing updates over the next 3 months. We are very pleased that these results support the near-surface open pit potential of the B26 Polymetallic Deposit, and we look forward to announcing the results of our holes targeting the northern bedrock interface in the coming weeks." Abitibi Metals strategic investor, Greg Chamandy, commented, "This is a superb start for Abitibi Metals, as the results highlight the exceptionally high grade of the deposit and demonstrate the open-pit potential. With a well-capitalized treasury, strong leadership and one of the most promising copper and gold projects in North America, Abitibi is in an excellent position to realize its vision of establishing a significant metals company in the Abitibi Greenstone belt and I look forward to seeing the remainder of a very successful maiden drill program at B26." Table 1: Significant Intercepts Hole ID From (m) To (m) Length (m) CuEq (%) Cu (%) Au (g/t) Ag (g/t) 1274-24-293 120 142.7 22.7 4.0 3.5 0.69 6.6 Including 120.4 131 10.6 6.3 5.4 1.28 9.6 Including 120.4 122.7 2.3 8.2 5.1 4.5 9.2 1274-24-294 (Note 3) 135.3 169.3 34.0 4.1 3.0 1.5 6.0 Including 136.2 146.3 10.6 11.4 8.1 4.8 13.3 Including 139.7 142.2 2.65 22.4 11.8 15.9 20.9 Note 1: The intercepts above are not necessarily representative of the true width of mineralization. The local interpretation indicates core length corresponding to 75 to 80% of the mineralized lens' true width. Note 2: Copper equivalent values calculated using metal prices of $4.00/lb Cu, $1.50/lb Zn, $20.00/ounce Ag and $1,800/ounce Au. Metal recoveries of 100% are applied in the copper equivalent calculation. Note 3: Results received to date represent rushed intervals only. Mineralized intervals are open with two overlimit results for copper still outstanding. Drillholes 1274-24-293 and 1274-24-294 were designed to test the geometry and validate (infill & extension) of mineralization in historical hole B26-40 at the intersection with historical hole 1274-16-224 (3.05% CuEq over a length of 48.1 metres) on section 652900E. Hole 1274-16-224 was drilled to the south at 180. Hole 1274-24-293 was planned to reproduce historical hole B26-40 and extend the hole to cover the entire mineralized structure to the north. Hole 1274-24-294 is an undercut, drilled at about 20 metres down-dip of 1274-24-293 in a 70-metre gap in the model. The results obtained in both holes are associated with well-defined mineralization composed of a network of nearly massive chalcopyrite veins hosted in sheared chlorite-sericite alteration assemblage developed with varied intensity in felsic tuffs. The grade within the first 140 metres of 1274-24-293 was significantly better than historical hole B26-40 with a 22.7 metre interval in 1274-24-293 grading 4.0% CuEq from 120 to 142.7 metres whereas the same approximate interval of 24.6 metres from 115.5 to 140.1 metres graded 1.2% CuEq in B26-40. This represents an opportunity to investigate other areas in the deposit where the grade could be understated. The Company is awaiting assays from the remainder of the hole. Table 2: Comparison to Duplicated Historical Hole Hole ID From (m) To (m) Length (m) CuEq (%) Cu (%) Au (g/t) Ag (g/t) 1274-24-293 120 142.7 22.7 4.0 3.50 0.69 6.6 B26-40 (Note 1) 115.5 140.1 24.6 1.2 1.10 0.10 2.7 Change 333 % 318 % 690 % 244 % Note 1: Hole B26-40 is historical, results can not be linked to a QAQC procedure. Hole 1274-24-294 illustrates a variant of the same type of mineralization with a higher fraction of quartz veining associated with local tectonic breccia. This environment can be related to gold enrichment observed from 136.2 to 146.3 metres (4.8 g/t Au and 8.1% Cu over 10.1 metres). Overall, the style of mineralization observed in the two holes close together could follow a braided deformation pattern which can explain part of the grade variations observed. On the section drilled, the interlacing of veins creates a lens structure that can be followed from hole to hole 150 metres vertically. This preliminary study done by duplicating while extending a historical hole and undercutting mineralized intervals supports the results representing a higher grade than the block model and historical intercepts surrounding these holes. The purpose of drilling a close-range key mineralized interval was both to infill the drill pattern and document the precision of assays. Outlook: In the 2018 Resource estimate, SGS recommended the QAQC protocol to explain the replicability for the four metals (Au-Cu-Ag-Zn). The Company has set up for this program a series of assaying protocols with the objective to control QAQC issues from the beginning of the project. As a result, samples are crushed finer with 95% of particles passing 1.7 mm and a large split of 1 kg is pulverized down to 106 m (150 mesh). Other measures put in place include the automatic re-assaying of gold results above 3 g/t by metallic screening and the use of sodium peroxide fusion in mineralized intervals interval corresponding to a target grade above 0.5% Cu. The Company believes that these adjustments will help to better evaluate the higher-grade areas of the deposit as shown in the results of hole 1274-24-293 which represents the potential opportunity to increase the grade within areas of the deposit. As a result of these developments, the Company will: Review the historical core to determine any areas which require re-assaying to test for higher grades. Review historical intercepts to determine areas to duplicate to confirm whether there is a similar increase in grade. The Company will further revise its strategy to determine follow-up holes for 1274-24-294 to test the down-dip and lateral expansion potential of this high-grade lens. Drilling continues at the project with 6,088 metres completed to date amongst 20 holes with two rigs currently active. The Company will potentially bring on a third drill in March to finish off the winter season. Within the additional holes completed to date, the Company continues to see positive visuals in both the infill and extension targets. Table 3: Drill Hole Information Drill hole number Target UTM East UTM North Elevation Azimuth Dip Length (m) Drilled 1274-24-293 B26 Main 652950 5513385 276 360 -52 291 1274-24-294 B26 Main 652950 5513385 276 360 -56 310 The core logging program is run by Explo-Logik in Val d'Or. The drill core was split with half sent to AGAT Laboratories and prepared in Val d'Or, QC. All samples are processed by fire assays on 50gr with Atomic Absorption finish and by "four acids digestion" with ICP-OES finish. Samples returning a gold grade above 3 g/t are reprocessed by metallic screening with a cut at 106m. Material treated is split and assayed by fire assay with ICP OES finish to extinction. A separate split is taken to assay separately mineralized intervals with target grades above 0.5% Cu using Na2O2 fusion and ICP-OES or ICPMS finish. Samples preparation duplicates, varied standards, and blanks are inserted into the sample stream. Qualified Person Information contained in this press release was reviewed and approved by Martin Demers, P.Geo., OGQ No. 770, who is a qualified person as defined under National Instrument 43-101, and responsible for the technical information provided in this news release. About Abitibi Metals Corp: Abitibi Metals Corp. is a Quebec-focused mineral acquisition and exploration company focused on the development of quality base and precious metal properties that are drill-ready with high-upside and expansion potential. Abitibi's portfolio of strategic properties provides target-rich diversification and includes the option to earn 80% of the high-grade B26 Polymetallic Deposit (Ind: 7.0MT @ 2.94% Cu Eq & Inf: 4.4MT @ 2.97% Cu Eq) and the Beschefer Gold Project, where historical drilling has identified 4 historical intercepts with a metal factor of over 100 g/t gold highlighted by 55.63 g/t gold over 5.57 metres and 13.07 g/t gold over 8.75 metres amongst four modelled zones. About SOQUEM: SOQUEM, a subsidiary of Investissement Quebec, is dedicated to promoting the exploration, discovery and development of mining properties in Quebec. SOQUEM also contributes to maintaining strong local economies. Proud partner and ambassador for the development of Quebec's mineral wealth, SOQUEM relies on innovation, research and strategic minerals to be well-positioned for the future. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD Jonathon Deluce, Chief Executive Officer The Company also maintains an active presence on various social media platforms to keep stakeholders and the general public informed and encourages shareholders and interested parties to follow and engage with the Company through the following channels to stay updated with the latest news, industry insights, and corporate announcements: Twitter: https://twitter.com/AbitibiMetals LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/abitibi-metals-corp-amq-c/ Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Source 1: Fayard, Q, Mercier-Langevin, P., Wodicka, N., Daigneault, R., & Perreault, S. (2020). The B26 Cu-Zn-Ag-Au Project, Brouillan Volcanic Complex, Abitibi Greenstone Belt, Part 1: Geological Setting and Geochronology. Source 2: Rapport Technique NI 43-101 Estimation des Ressources Projet B26, Quebec, For SOQUEM Inc., By SGS Canada Inc., Yann Camus, ing., Olivier Vadnais-Leblanc, geo., SGS Canada Geostat., Effective Date: April 18, 2018, Date of Report : May 11, 2018 Source 3: Fayard, Q. (2020). CONTROLES VOLCANIQUES, HYDROTHERMAUX ET STRUCTURAUX SUR LA NATURE ET LA DISTRIBUTION DES METAUX USUELS ET PRECIEUX DANS LES ZONES MINERALISEES DU PROJET B26, COMPLEXE VOLCANIQUE DE BROUILLAN, ABITIBI, QUEBEC. Copper Equivalent values were calculated using metal prices of $4.00/lb Cu, $1.50/lb Zn, $20.00/ounce Ag and $1,800/ounce Au. Metal recoveries of 100% are applied in the copper equivalent calculation. Forward-looking statement: This news release contains certain statements, which may constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information involves statements that are not based on historical information but rather relate to future operations, strategies, financial results or other developments on the B26 Project or otherwise. Forward-looking information is necessarily based upon estimates and assumptions, which are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond the Company's control and many of which, regarding future business decisions, are subject to change. These uncertainties and contingencies can affect actual results and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements made by or on the Company's behalf. Although Abitibi has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. All factors should be considered carefully, and readers should not place undue reliance on Abitibi's forward-looking information. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "expects," "estimates," "anticipates," or variations of such words and phrases (including negative and grammatical variations) or statements that certain actions, events or results "may," "could," "might" or "occur. Mineral exploration and development are highly speculative and are characterized by a number of significant inherent risks, which may result in the inability of the Company to successfully develop current or proposed projects for commercial, technical, political, regulatory or financial reasons, or if successfully developed, may not remain economically viable for their mine life owing to any of the foregoing reasons, among others. There is no assurance that the Company will be successful in achieving commercial mineral production and the likelihood of success must be considered in light of the stage of operations. Toronto, ON TheNewswire - February 28, 2024 - Zodiac Gold Inc. (Zodiac Gold or the Company) (TSXV:ZAU) is pleased to report positive initial results from its Phase II Drill Program consisting of assay results from three recently completed diamond drill holes at the Companys Arthington Target. The Arthington Target is positioned within an 18.5 km long district-scale mineralization trend and is one of the five high-priority, multi-kilometer drill-ready targets situated within the 2,316 km2 Todi gold project (the Todi Project) located in the Republic of Liberia, West Africa. In 2022, the Company completed a 3,465m Phase I Drill Program targeting an 800m strike at Arthington which intersected multiple intervals of gold mineralization in 20 of 22 holes including the highest-grade interval drilled to date: AD007, which intersected 7.5 g/t over 9.65m from 87.35m. Phase II Drill Program Initial Results The Company is currently conducting a 2,000m Phase II Drill Program at Arthington targeting Garang Base, Red Hill, & Deep Mine. Today, the Company is pleased to report assay results from an initial three drill holes (ADD23, ADD24, & ADD25) which successfully intercepted multiple intervals of shear zone-hosted gold mineralization enlarging the known mineralization footprint from Red Hill to 400 meters southeast towards the Garang Base target (See Figure-1). Figure-1: Map showing significant intercepts at Red Hill and Garang Base zones of the Arthington Target These three initial drill holes (see below) revealed shear-hosted gold mineralization with intercepts cutting through multiple shallowly dipping mineralized zones associated with shears across a 300m wide corridor of the Arthington Shear Zone. This extensive gold bearing zone spans at least 1,000m along strike and reaches vertical depths of 140m, illustrating a substantial orogenic gold footprint along the prominent Todi Shear Zone system. Notable mineralized shear structures include intervals in hole ADD24, with 25.9m averaging 2.10 g/t Au, including 9.14m at 4.20 g/t Au, and 10.20m at 1.23 g/t Au, including 2.81m at 2.95 g/t Au. The continuity of mineralization is highlighted by three distinct intervals in hole ADD23, ADD24 and ADD25 which underscore the significant potential of the Arthington Target and the Todi Project overall. Management Commentary David Kol, President & CEO of Zodiac Gold, stated These initial Phase II results are very positive and drilling to date has only scratched the surface of our vast land package. Arthington has delivered some significant gold intercepts thus far and with each drill hole, its potential continues to grow. We look forward to additional drill results from our ongoing Phase II program to further enhance the strike length and width at Arthington. Highlights from the initial Phase II drill program include: Table 1: Significant Intercepts at the Arthington Target Hole ID From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Average Au (g/t) ADD023 34.00 46.00 12.00 0.59 ADD023 48.72 57.00 8.28 0.75 ADD023 115.38 118.05 2.67 3.24 ADD024 93.30 119.20 25.90 2.10 including 95.00 104.14 9.14 4.20 ADD024 76.00 86.20 10.20 1.23 including 81.00 83.81 2.81 2.95 ADD024 68.25 70.95 2.70 1.00 ADD024 133.00 135.00 2.00 1.41 ADD025 71.23 73.42 2.19 1.35 ADD025 96.00 99.00 3.00 2.85 ADD025 103.00 114.60 11.60 0.85 ADD025 170.00 180.00 10.00 0.53 Significant intersections have been determined as intervals above 0.2 g/t Au with a minimum length of 1m and a maximum of 2m of consecutive samples below 0.2 g/t Au. Intervals are drilled rather than true thicknesses. Table 2: Collar Information for the Reported Holes Hole ID Easting (UTM WGS 84 29N) Northing (UTM WGS 84 29N) Elevation(m) Azimuth Dip(degrees) Depth(m) ADD023 323879 722401 35 0 -53 194.80 ADD024 323777 722423 45 25 -52 161.35 ADD025 323674 722438 56 20 -52 186.95 QA/QC Protocols and Sampling Procedures The drilling program at Arthington was conducted by a Fordia Eider 2000 diamond drill rig with HQ and NQ diameter core. Core recoveries were excellent throughout the program approaching 100%. Drill core was transported from the drill site to the Companys exploration camp facility. After geological logging, the core was cut along the long axis by a diamond saw, with half being sampled and half retained. Core sampling was undertaken by Zodiac Golds Liberian exploration team, supervised by senior staff members of the Company. All core samples met the standards for adequate chain of custody without the opportunity for third party access from the field to the preparation laboratory in Monrovia, Liberia, and then onward to the SGS analytical laboratory in Ghana. Sample preparation was performed by Liberia Geochemical Services Inc. in Monrovia. The entire core sample was dried and then crushed to 70% passing -2 millimeters and a representative split was taken by riffle splitting. The 1,000g split was then pulverized up to 85% passing -75 micron and the required pulp mass of ~200g was bagged and labelled for analysis; with the remainder being stored. Analysis was performed by SGS at their laboratory in Ghana by fire assay with atomic absorption finish with a 50g charge. In addition to the laboratory's quality control program, a rigorous quality assurance and quality control program was implemented by the Company involving the insertion of blanks, standards and duplicates to ensure reliable assay results. Laboratory standards and QA-QC are monitored by the Company. About Zodiac Gold Zodiac Gold, Inc. (TSX.V:ZAU) is a West-African gold exploration company focused on its flagship Todi Project situated in Liberiaan underexplored, politically stable, mining-friendly jurisdiction hosting several large-scale gold deposits. Strategically positioned along the fertile Todi Shear Zone, Zodiac Gold is developing a district-scale gold opportunity covering a vast 2,316 km2 land package. The project has undergone de-risking, showcasing proven gold occurrences at both surface and depth, with five drill-ready targets and high-grade gold intercepts. Qualified Person Efdal Olcer, Vice President of Exploration at Zodiac Gold, is a member of the Society of Economic Geologists, Geological Society of London, Australian Institute of Geoscientists, the Society of Geology Applied to Mineral Deposits, and the Turkish Association of Economics Geologists and a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. He has reviewed and approved the technical and scientific information provided in this release. For further information, please visit the Zodiac-Gold website at www.zodiac-gold.com or contact: David Kol President & CEO This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 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 Information This news release includes certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include predictions, projections, and forecasts and are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as seek, anticipate, believe, plan, estimate, forecast, expect, potential, project, target, schedule, budget and intend and statements that an event or result may, will, should, could or might occur or be achieved and other similar expressions and includes the negatives thereof. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding the Companys planned exploration programs and drill programs and potential significance of results are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements are based on a number of material factors and assumptions. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from Companys expectations include actual exploration results, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, results of future resource estimates, future metal prices, availability of capital, and financing on acceptable terms, general economic, market or business conditions, uninsured risks, regulatory changes, defects in title, availability of personnel, materials, and equipment on a timely basis, accidents or equipment breakdowns, delays in receiving government approvals, unanticipated environmental impacts on operations and costs to remedy same, and other exploration or other risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events, or results to differ from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause such actions, events, or results to differ materially from those anticipated. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, and accordingly readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Ukraine has been locked in an existential fight for its freedom ever since Russia sent armed soldiers with no insignia -- dubbed the "little green men" -- to take over the Crimea peninsula on February 28, 2014, following a pro-EU revolution in Kyiv. The annexation of Crimea marked the beginning of a decade of Russian aggression against its former Soviet neighbour. AFP looks back at key moments in the fight for Ukraine: - 2014: Crimea annexed, war in eastern Ukraine - In March 2014, after weeks of mass protests, Ukrainians overthrow their Kremlin-backed leader Viktor Yanukovych for reneging on a deal to develop closer ties with the European Union. Russia retaliates by seizing Ukraine's Crimea peninsula. The following month, pro-Russian separatists in the eastern region of Donbas, on the border with Russia, take up arms against Kyiv. Ukraine and the West accuse Russia of supplying the separatists with arms, troops and military advisors, which Moscow initially denies. On July 17, 2014, Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 is shot down over rebel-held Ukrainian territory by a Russian-made missile, killing all 298 people on board, mostly Dutch nationals. - 2015: Peace deal - A first ceasefire deal in September 2014 collapses within days. A second agreement, negotiated in February 2015 in the Belarus capital Minsk by the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, France and Germany, proves more effective. The fighting subsides but sporadic clashes continue in frontline areas. - 2019: Zelensky brings detente - In May 2019, TV comedian Volodymyr Zelensky becomes president. He makes ending the war, which has left around 14,000 dead on both sides, his priority and holds talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Paris. A new ceasefire in July 2020 ushers in several months of relative calm. - 2021: war drums beat - In 2021, fighting in eastern Ukraine intensifies again. Invasion jitters set in after Putin pens a 7,000-word essay in July entitled "On the historical unity of Russians and Ukrainians". Fears reach fever pitch in December, when Russia starts large-scale land, air and naval war games on Ukraine's eastern, northern and southern borders, massing 150,000 troops, according to Western estimates. Moscow denies any plans to attack Ukraine. - February 2022: invasion and resistance - At dawn on February 24, 2022, Ukraine's fears are realised when Putin announces a "special military operation" to demilitarise and "de-Nazify" Ukraine. Missiles begin raining down on Ukrainian cities and Russian tanks rumble across the border. A defiant Zelensky stays in Kyiv to lead the resistance. Russian forces make early gains in the south, seizing the Black Sea port of Kherson, near Crimea. But their expectations of a quick victory quickly fizzle in the face of fierce resistance around Kyiv and Ukraine's second city of Kharkiv in the northeast. After a month, Russia is forced to retreat from the north to focus on the south coast and the Donbas region, partly held by separatists since 2014. - April 2022: scenes of horror - As they withdraw from Kyiv's suburbs, the Russians leave behind scenes of horror. In early April, AFP discovers the bodies of at least 20 civilians on a street in the previously Russian-occupied city of Bucha, near Kyiv. It is the first of several grisly discoveries that draw the world's attention to alleged Russian war crimes. After a brutal three-month siege, Moscow announces the fall of the ruined southeastern port city of Mariupol. - November 2022: Ukraine fights back - A bitter battle begins in the summer of 2022 for the eastern town of Bakhmut, led on the Russian side by the Wagner mercenary group. Putin annexes the eastern regions of Lugansk, Donetsk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, without controlling them entirely. Ukrainian forces manage to win back Kherson city in November 2022. Russia emerges the winner of the longest and bloodiest battle of the war to date when it conquers Bakhmut in May 2023. - Summer 2023: failed counter-offensive - In early 2023, Ukraine begins stockpiling more powerful weapons for a major counter-offensive. Germany agrees to Zelensky's pleas for top-of-the-line Leopard tanks and the US sends powerful HIMARS mobile artillery systems and other weapons. In June, Ukraine launches its long-awaited fightback. But as the months pass, the sprawling 1,000-kilometre (620-mile) front line barely budges. Support for Ukraine's war effort begins to fray in the United States and there is friction among European Union members. On the eve of the war's second anniversary in February 2024, Russian forces claim their biggest victory since Bakhmut. They seize the eastern town of Avdiivka, which was also the object of a protracted, scorched-earth battle. bur/jmy-kd/cb/gil-jj Malaysia Airlines The committee that decides the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, said Wednesday that the sentencing of human rights campaigner Oleg Orlov in Russia to a prison term was an attempt to "silence" critics. The 70-year-old Orlov -- a key figure of the Nobel Prize-winning Memorial group -- was sentenced to two and a half years in jail for denouncing Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Tuesday. Jorgen Watne Frydnes, Chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, said in a statement that Russian President Vladimir Putin's "regime has for many years tried to silence the leadership of Memorial and other important civil society organisations in Russia. "They are now using the war on Ukraine as a pretext to finish the job," Frydnes said in a statement. "It is important that they won't succeed," Frydnes added. In 2022, Memorial was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize together with Ales Bialiatski from Belarus and Ukraine's Center for Civil Liberties. The Nobel Committee said that Memorial was honoured for "its outstanding efforts in documenting war crimes, human rights abuses, and the abuse of power in the former Soviet Union as well as in post-Soviet Russia." Orlov was accused of discrediting the Russian army in a column written for the French online publication Mediapart, and fined in October after a first trial. The fine was a relatively lenient punishment and prosecutors called for a new trial. Created in the late 1980s, Memorial established itself as a key pillar of Russian civil society by preserving the memory of victims of communist repression and by campaigning against rights violations. Russian authorities officially disbanded the organisation in late 2021 amid an already tightening repression. A UK law granting immunity to combatants involved in the decades of sectarian violence in Northern Ireland known as "the Troubles" breaches the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), a Belfast court ruled Wednesday. Victims of the violence challenged the law, which received royal assent in September despite widespread opposition from political parties, victims' organisations, the Irish government and the Council of Europe. Following the ruling, it is now up to the UK parliament to decide whether to amend the controversial Troubles law or ignore it, which could prompt further legal action. The law calls for the creation of a truth and recovery commission offering amnesty to British security personnel and paramilitaries if they cooperate with its enquiries. More than 3,500 people were killed during three decades of sectarian conflict that began in the 1960s over British rule in Northern Ireland. Around 1,200 deaths remain under investigation by police in the province, according to the UK government. In its ruling, the Belfast High Court said there is no evidence that the immunity provision in the new law will in any way contribute to reconciliation in the UK territory. Judge Adrian Colton found the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act, as it is formally known, breaches at least two ECHR articles. However, he also said the new body set up to probe Troubles killings -- the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) -- could proceed with human rights-compliant investigations. "The court is satisfied that the provisions of the Act leave sufficient scope for ICRIR to conduct an effective investigation as required under Articles 2 and 3 of ECHR," he added. But Colton noted "should it fall short" of these obligations, he expected further court scrutiny. - 'Complex' - Reacting in parliament, Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris said the government "remains committed" to implementing the law but needed more time to consider the court decision. "It is a very complex case, I am told the judgment runs to over 200 pages and I am yet to see it," he told MPs. "It will take some time to consider," Heaton-Harris adding, vowing to do so "very carefully". His ministry has previously insisted the new commission would have "necessary powers to conduct criminal investigations... ensuring compliance with the government's international obligations under the ECHR". But Hilary Benn, the main Labour opposition's Northern Ireland spokesman, questioned how it could now become operational "when one of its central powers has just been struck down". The Council of Europe, the continent's leading human rights watchdog, last June said it had "serious concern" about the law, then still in draft stage. It had urged the UK to reconsider the immunity scheme, highlighting "the importance of gaining the confidence of victims, families and potential witnesses". The bill has drawn ire from the families of victims, both sides of Northern Ireland's political divide and leaders in the Republic of Ireland. Ireland's minister for further education Simon Harris said on Wednesday the court ruling appeared "positive from the perspective of the Irish government wanting to work to ensure that all families get justice". Ethiopian authorities said Wednesday that a French journalist detained there since February 22 had been operating outside his legal accreditation and "collecting information related to internal political affairs". Antoine Galindo had travelled to Ethiopia to cover the African Union summit earlier this month for the specialist publication Africa Intelligence. He was arrested last week on suspicion of conspiring "to create chaos" in the country, his employer said Monday. The 36-year-old's detention was extended until March 1, following his appearance before a judge over the weekend, his employer said, denouncing the "spurious accusations" against him. Selamawit Kassa, a spokeswoman for Ethiopia's government said Wednesday that Galindo had been given permission to cover the African Union summit. But he had "engaged in activities in total contradiction with the reason for his visit, in particular collecting information related to internal political affairs," she added. "Moreover he was speaking with political party leaders and members," Kassa said, in the first public remarks by the Ethiopian government about the arrest. "We were able to confirm that he was meeting and collecting information from social media activists and other entities related to the internal political affairs of the country," she told a press briefing for state media. According to a source close to the case who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity on Monday, Galindo was arrested at a hotel in Addis Ababa while meeting an official from the opposition Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) party. Media watchdogs have urged the government to release Galindo, with the Committee to Protect Journalists saying Monday that his "unjust arrest highlights the atrocious environment for the press in general in Ethiopia". Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed was hailed as a reformer when he came to power in 2018 after decades of authoritarian rule. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019 for his rapprochement with neighbouring Eritrea. But his reputation has taken a hit in recent years, with UN investigators accusing his government of crimes against humanity during a two-year war in Tigray -- claims rejected by the authorities. According to media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF), as of January 1 this year, 15 journalists were in prison in Ethiopia. Ethiopia has expelled several foreign journalists since the end of 2020. But until Galindo's detention, authorities had not arrested a foreign journalist in more than three years. European consumer organisations from eight countries today (29 February) filed complaints with national data protection authorities against Meta, claiming that the US social media giant is illegally collecting user data through its subscription model for ad-free use of the platform. The groups form part of pan-European consumer group BEUCs network from Czechia, Denmark, Greece, France, Norway, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain, and claim Meta's subscription model does not respect principles under the EUs general data protection regulation (GDPR), and that the tech giant has no valid legal basis to justify the collection of data of Facebook and Instagram users. A Meta spokesperson told Euronews that the company "takes its regulatory obligations extremely serious and are confident that our approach complies with GDPR." Meta introduced the model in October as it said the upcoming Digital Markets Act, EU competition rules for online platforms, require the company to offer consumers in the bloc an alternative way to use Facebook and Instagram. If a person chooses to subscribe, they will not see ads and Meta will not process their information for personalised advertising. The ad-free service costs 9.99 per month for web users and 12.99 for app users on iOS or Android. We introduced this choice, called Subscription for no ads, as our consent solution to comply with a unique combination of connected and sometimes overlapping EU regulatory obligations with differing compliance deadlines, a blog post said. BEUC Deputy Director General Ursula Pachl said in a statement today that surveillance-based business models pose all kinds of problems under the GDPR and its time for data protection authorities to stop Metas unfair data processing and its infringing of peoples fundamental rights." Story continues Opinion The consumer groups' claims come after privacy organisations and data protection authorities voiced similar concerns over recent months. In January, the Dutch, Norwegian and Hamburg data protection authorities requested an opinion by the European Data Protection Board a body that includes all the EU national data protection watchdogs on the tech giant's behavioural advertising model. The EDPB should issue its opinion within eight weeks, by the end of March, with the possibility of a further six week extension. Austrian privacy organisation NOYB warned that if the Meta model is legitimised, companies across all industry sectors could follow suit. In November BEUC lodged a complaint with consumer protection authorities over the same practice. This story has been updated with a comment from a Meta spokesperson. A UK law granting immunity to combatants involved in decades of sectarian violence in Northern Ireland breaches the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), a Belfast court ruled Wednesday. Victims of the violence challenged the law, which received royal assent in September despite widespread opposition from political parties, victims' organisations, the Irish government and the Council of Europe. Following the ruling, it is now up to the UK parliament to decide whether to amend the law or ignore it, which could prompt further legal action. The law calls for the creation of a truth and recovery commission offering amnesty to British security personnel and paramilitaries if they cooperate with its enquiries. More than 3,500 people were killed during three decades of sectarian conflict known as the Troubles, which began in the 1960s over British rule in Northern Ireland. Around 1,200 deaths remain under investigation by police in the province, according to the UK government. In its ruling, the Belfast High Court said there is no evidence that the immunity provision in the new law will in any way contribute to reconciliation in the UK territory. Judge Adrian Colton found the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Act, as it is formally known, breaches at least two ECHR articles. However, he also said the new body set up to probe Troubles killings -- the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) -- could proceed with human rights-compliant investigations. "The court is satisfied that the provisions of the Act leave sufficient scope for ICRIR to conduct an effective investigation as required under Articles 2 and 3 of ECHR," he added. But Colton noted that "should it fall short" of these obligations, he expected further court scrutiny. Grainne Teggert, Amnesty International UK's deputy director for Northern Ireland, welcomed the ruling, calling it "an important and significant development for many victims". - 'Complex' - Reacting in parliament, Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris said the government "remains committed" to implementing the law but needed more time to consider the court decision. "It is a very complex case, I am told the judgment runs to over 200 pages and I am yet to see it," he told MPs. "It will take some time to consider," Heaton-Harris added, vowing to do so "very carefully". His ministry has previously insisted the new commission would have "necessary powers to conduct criminal investigations... ensuring compliance with the government's international obligations under the ECHR". But Hilary Benn, the main Labour opposition's Northern Ireland spokesman, questioned how it could now become operational "when one of its central powers has just been struck down". Martina Dillon, whose husband Seamus was shot dead during the Troubles, vowed after the ruling that she will "continue to fight on, until I get what I want, that's truth and justice for my husband's murder." The Council of Europe, the continent's leading human rights watchdog, last June said it had "serious concern" about the law, then still in draft stage. It had urged the UK to reconsider the immunity scheme, highlighting "the importance of gaining the confidence of victims, families and potential witnesses". The bill has drawn ire from the families of victims, both sides of Northern Ireland's political divide and leaders in the Republic of Ireland. Ireland's minister for further education Simon Harris said on Wednesday the court ruling appeared "positive from the perspective of the Irish government wanting to work to ensure that all families get justice". By the time I made my way over to the courtroom entrance at 14:45 on February 28, the queue for courtroom security was longer than many of those I have stood in at Amsterdams Schiphol Airport. It seemed to be mainly composed, however, of a university class visit and staff from the International Criminal Court (ICC), rather than NGOs and other external parties. A few members of the press made their way past to take the elevator to the media room, as we all trooped into Courtroom I. Loud and excited chatter quickly gave way to hushed silence as a security guard gave two loud claps, called for quiet, and reminded us to stand in respect for the judges once the curtains opened. A few minutes later they did just that, as the court actors gathered for what was likely the final performance in the long saga of the trial of abductee turned-child soldier-turned-LRA commander-turned ICC convict Dominic Ongwen. Convicted in February 2021 of a staggering 61 counts of crimes against humanity and war crimes committed largely in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in Uganda between 2002 and 2005, Ongwen attended virtually from a room in the Norwegian prison at which he is serving his 25-year sentence. After introductions from all attending parties, including common legal representatives of the victims (public counsels appointed by the court), ICC legal representatives of the victims, Trust Fund for Victims, defence for Ongwen, and the Office of the prosecutor, presiding judge Bertram Schmitt embarked on the reading of the Reparations Order. A special mention to child victims In crisp, measured, and enunciated English, Schmitt began with a summary of the case, describing Ongwen as a high-level member of the Lords Resistance Army (LRA). He acknowledged, right away, that the reparations pronounced were only in regard to victims who suffered harm from any of Ongwens 61 convictions. Noting that victims of the much longer and more widespread conflict in Uganda may be confused and disappointed at this limitation, he insisted that the chamber acknowledges these victims and recognises their suffering. Referring to the principles for reparation outlined in the case of Congolese warlord Bosco Ntaganda, another ICC convict, Schmitt first noted that the Ongwen chamber would expand upon these principles in relation to both modalities of reparations and, significantly, child victims. This was, he explained, a result of the extensive manner in which children were victimised by Ongwens crimes. Reflection on this point in particular will undoubtedly come from many, after the reparations order has been published in full. Ongwen was notoriously once a victim himself of many of these kinds of crimes. Despite an acknowledgement from the registry that thematic child soldier victims made up a very small number of those who participated in Ongwens trial-proper, Schmitt heavily emphasised the nature of the harm caused to such victims. The extent of the paradox between the ICCs acknowledgement of the seriousness of victimising children by forcing them to become child soldiers, and its complete dismissal of Ongwens own victimisation in his conviction, remains to be seen. The bulk of the hearing was taken up by Schmitts reading of the victims section of the reparations order. Moving thematically through different victim groups, he pronounced the crimes whose victims would be eligible for reparations. Providing examples of the kinds of harms suffered by direct victims of the LRA attacks on Pajule, Odek, Lukodi and Abok IDP camps, he observed that the examples are distressing. When it came to victims of thematic crimes, namely sexual and gender-based violence and use of child soldiers, Schmitt was keen to stress that so-called, I underscore so-called wives of Ongwen himself were subjected to crimes including forced marriage, sexual slavery, and forced pregnancy. Entire families and communities of victims...suffered tremendous harmdue to unimaginable atrocities, Schmitt declared. Significantly, addressing what was a point of intense dispute between the parties, the Chamber recognised the transgenerational harm suffered by children and grandchildren of the victims. The to-be-published reparations order acknowledges all this harm in detail, something the judges hope will provide some symbolic satisfaction to the victims. 52,429,000 euros The moment those in the courtroom appeared to be waiting for most eagerly was the pronouncement of types and modalities of reparations. In a universal gesture of intense concentration, counsel for victims Paolina Massidda took off her glasses and leaned forward. The first measure announced, due to the overwhelming numbers of victims, were collective, community-based rehabilitation measures to the tune of 15,000,000. This announcement earned a small but pronounced shake of the head from Massidda. But Judge Schmitt was not finished. The judges provided a conservative minimum estimate of 49,772 victims. They then announced that a symbolic amount of 750 was to be awarded to individual victims. In the gallery, you could almost hear the cogs whirring as many observers, including myself, tried to do the mental arithmetic. It was thankfully spelled out for us shortly afterwards. These individual victims would be awarded a total of approximately 37,329,000. With a final 100,000 awarded for apologiesceremoniesmemorialset cetera, that brought the total reparations number to 52,429,000. Declaring that the court had found Ongwen to possess no discernible assets, he was declared indigent. Schmitt recognised that the Trust Fund for Victims would require significant additional funds to enact and implement these measures, and encouraged statesorganisationsand private individuals to contribute to the fund to this end. Indeed, this amount of reparations is staggering, and a record for the ICC. In the case of Bosco Ntaganda, convicted of war crimes in 2019, a judges bench presided over by Chang-ho Chung, who also sat in this hearing, awarded $30,000,000, or about 27,500,000 in reparations. In the case of Thomas Lubanga Dyilo, who was also convicted for crimes against children through the conscription and use of child soldiers, a bench containing Judge Peter Kovacs who also sat on the Ongwen reparations bench awarded reparations of $10,000,000 or approximately 9,200,000. Not only does the Ongwen reparation number break ICC records, it defies ICC budgetary belief. In 12 months from July 2021 the Courts Trust Fund for Victims received 3,228,059 in state contributions, 18,111 from individuals and institutions, and approximately 2,000,000 in-kind: a total of 5,246,170. An implementation plan is to be provided within 6 months, and the community measures are to be designed in consultation and collaboration with victims. The courts Victims Reparation and Participation Section, the Registry, and the courts outreach unit are to co-operate in the dissemination and implementation of any measures designed. Schmitt concluded by expressing the chambers concern and compassion for the victims, and its hope that sooner or later sooner rather than later, they would receive their compensation. Many opinions, what solution? Before the hearing, I had discussed my (lack of) expectations, and scepticism that any measure announced would come close to being enough, with a colleague. The Chamber undoubtedly exceeded those initial expectations. The hundreds of victims who gathered in Gulu, Northern Uganda, to watch the proceedings in a screening organised by the ICC outreach coordinator for Kenya and Uganda, have undoubtedly had the scale of the harm they have suffered recognised by the ICC, even if Ongwen himself will not (and cannot) pay them a penny. The next question is how soon, and how well, these reparation measures will be implemented. Judging by the animated chatter as the gallery cleared out, every attendee had an opinion on that issue. No doubt the thousands of victims, not to mention their wider communities, as well as scholars of international law, violence, and reparations, will soon add their voices to the cacophony. The ICCs privilege of having an opinion, given the force of law in an order, does not necessarily lend itself to a practical solution. The question of how a reparations order that rivals the entire Office of the Prosecutor budget in 2023, it asked for 59,340,000 can possibly be achieved was, in the moment, lost in the excitement of the announcement for many. But while observers and victims may have applauded the order, the Registry and Trust Fund representatives may well have broken out in cold sweats. It will likely take frenzied initiatives, if not a downright miracle, to match ICC reparations rhetoric to any kind of reality. Lee Ji Ah feels the pressure of unlocking secrets and saying "yes" to her ex-husband in "Queen of Divorce" Episode 9. Thankfully, Kang Ki Young, her business partner, offers her comfort. Will sparks fly once again? Here's what went down in the drama's latest episode. 'Queen of Divorce' Episode 9: Kim Sa Ra Says No After hearing No Yul Seong's (Oh Min Seok) proposal, Kim Sa Ra (Lee Ji Ah) is caught off guard due to its hilarity. She rejects it immediately but later breaks down as she remembers her beloved son. The next day, Kim Sa Ra receives flowers from her ex-husband. Kim Sa Ra sends them back to him, refusing any romantic gesture from her ex-husband. Meanwhile, Dong Ki Joon (Kang Ki Young) helps her out to prepare for a memorial service. She is delighted about his efforts in helping out commemorate her mother's death anniversary. Later on, she learns that her mother was an informant to one of her cases. Dong Ki Joon Offers Comfort She suspects that her mother's death might not just be a suicide. Dong Ki Joon gives her a phone with her mother's number, telling her to call whenever she misses her. After Dong Ki Joon leaves, Kim Sa Ra breaks down in pain. At Solutions, Bae So Hee (Kim Jae Eun) reveals that before her mother died, she entered a car alongside No Yul Seong's assistant. READ MORE: Loving Kang Ki Young? Here's Where To See More of 'Queen of Divorce' Star Kim Sa Ra is certain that No Yul Seong is involved in her mother's death. Bae So Hee agrees to become a witness against her ex-husband but sadly, she loses her last ray of hope. Solutions learns that Bae So Hee is killed by her stalker. Kim Sa Ra breaks down once again, making Dong Ki Joon worry. He rushes to the former's apartment to comfort her. Sparks Fly Between Kim Sa Ra & Dong Ki Joon Things become awkward for the two after Dong Ki Joon discovers that the password to Kim Sa Ra's apartment was his date of birth. While Kim Sa Ra explains, Dong Ki Joon declares that he's holding on to the fleeting hope even if it meant nothing to her. The two then share a soft kiss, stirring new emotions and excitement. The following day, Kim Sa Ra clarifies that everything happened due to her being emotional. Dong Ki Joon takes no offense, saying that he still likes her despite being one. Later on, Dong Ki Joon looks for a driver related to their case, and learns that he's working for No Yul Seong. Things Become Awkward At the office, Kim Sa Ra receives new flowers but to everyone's surprise, she doesn't return it to the sender which leaves Dong Ki Joon confused. She reveals that her ex-husband asked her to marry him, and that she plans on returning to No Yul Seong's house. Once again, Dong Ki Joon is left speechless and unhappy. ALSO READ: Lee Ji Ah's Agency To Take Action Against Malicious Commenters KDramaStars owns this article. Written by Elijah Mully. Jeon So Nee is set to return to the brown screens this spring with Netflix's new dark fantasy "Parasyte: The Grey" with Koo Kyo Hwan. In an interview with MEN Noblesse, the actress dished on her new project, how she prepared for it and what she thinks about the work as a whole. Keep on reading to know more. Jeon So Nee Reveals First Impression On New Netflix Film On February 29, MEN Noblesse editorial team revealed its exclusive interview with rising actress Jeon So Nee. She shared her excitement about her brand new film "Parasyte: The Grey," which is based on the original Japanese webtoon of the same name by Hitoshi Iwaaki. The show depicts the stories of humans who co-exists with parasitical life-forms inside their bodies after trying to invade Earth from outer space. Jeon So Nee shared that the work scarred her as a child due to its gruesome graphics. However, after being cast, the comic book stirred excitement as it opened a new world for her. She revealed that she spent more than 6 hours reading the comic book, thanks to its engrossing narrative. The actress said, "I was able to experience the depth of the original work." Here's What To Expect From 'Parasyte: The Grey' According to Jeon So Nee, the key point that viewers shou;dn't miss in the film is its core values, and how the philosophical woes about classes in human society were interpolated. In addition, she asked fans to tune in the film to see how she improved as an actress. Jeon So Nee confessed that she felt immense pressure after accepting the drama offer. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Jeon So Nee Rocks Y2K Chrome Looks In New Pictorial "Since it's a work that had accumulated a big fanbase, I didn't want to disappoint them," she admitted. "I wonder whether fans want to see the original work rather than a differentiated film." The actress added, "I'm thankful that I was chosen to participate in the work so I really prepared a lot for the film. I hope fans will love it." Moreover, the film is helmed by the legendary director Yeon Sang Ho who also directed "Train To Busan" and "Hellbound." With this, a great caliber of work is highly guaranteed. Don't miss the premiere of "Parasyte: The Grey" this April 5 on Netflix. ALSO READ: Jeon So Nee Falls Victim To Parasites In New Thriller Series 'Parasyte: The Grey' KDramaStars owns this article. Written by Elijah Mully. Han So Hee never fails to impress the public with her chic airport outfit look. Heading to Paris, France, for a brand engagement, the South Korean actress once again wowed the crowd with her unique fashion style. Han So Hee Airport Fashion On February 28, the "My Name" star was spotted departing from Incheon International Airport. Wearing a casual all-black ensemble, she waved and smiled to fans and media as they greeted her on her way to the boarding gates. Han So Hee's airport fashion look consists of a cropped turtleneck sweater, tattered denim pants, and leather chunky boots. IN CASE YOU MISSED: Han So Hee Reveals Why She Doesn't Consider Herself Beautiful According to a media outlet, her overall look costs around 426 USD, except for shoes and jewelry. The black bolero worn by the actress retails for around 169,000 KRW, or 126 USD. While the leather outerwear that she was holding is estimated at 320,000 KRW, or 240 USD,. As for the denim pants, they retail for 81,000 KRW or 60 USD. In addition to this, Han So Hee was also spotted wearing the white edition of the Quattro Collection from the luxury jewelry brand Boucheron, where she serves as a brand ambassador. Seemingly, she is also heading to Paris for an event with the brand along with other global ambassadors. Han So Hee's Tattoo Sparks Buzz Interestingly, as some swooned over her sexy abs, eagle-eyed fans noticed her tattoo peeking through her low-rise pants. Han So Hee gave fans another rare glimpse of her stunning hip tattoo. In one post on Dispatch Korea's Instagram, netizens can't help but gush over how effortlessly stunning Han So Hee is. Although tattoos are still taboo in South Korea, the actress is unafraid to show these works of art in public. To recall, she made headlines after flaunting her arm and hip tattoo during the campaign shoot with Balenciaga in 2022. It was followed by face piercings, particularly around her eyebrows and cheeks. Interestingly, she once spoke about her tattoos and the impression of the public regarding them. During her interview with Wikitree, the actress got honest and talked about her career growth and image. Han So Hee, who gained fame after playing the antagonist in the hit K-drama "The World of the Married," said that she had her tattoos removed before her debut. removed these tattoos as she started her acting career, saying, "That was the beginning of my second life." This prompted the question: What has been the most daunting challenge in Han So Hee's life? Describing it as the most daunting challenge in her life, the actress explained the things she had to deal with before becoming an actress. "I embarked on my acting journey after removing my tattoos. I had my own personal life, and I was reluctant to part with the tattoos; after all, I paid for it, didn't I?" READ MORE: Han So Hee Reportedly Earned THIS Much in 'Gyeongseong Creature' For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news, keep your tabs open here at KDramaStars. KDramaStars owns this article Written by Geca Wills Flooding rains, 100 km/h winds, sudden freeze hit the East Coast Click here to view the video Heavy rain and powerful winds swept into the Maritimes Wednesday, with gusts over 100 km/h reported at Halifax's airport by Thursday morning. That prompted widespread warnings across the region. By the early morning hours, more than 32,000 were already left in the dark, though those numbers dropped to about 10,000 before 11 a.m., local time. Baron - ATL peak winds.jpg SPRING 2024: Get an in-depth look at the Spring Forecast, tips to plan for it, and much more! Rainfall totals have been significant as well, with major flooding and impacts across parts of southern New Brunswick. Around 100 mm of rain, possibly more, was reported in the town of Sussex, which resulted in evacuations and street closures there. The threat of a flash freeze follows the wind and rain, as temperatures take a fast and steady tumble, freezing any standing water on roads and surfaces. The quickly deteriorating conditions prompted several school closures across New Brunswick first thing Thursday. Thursday: Rain, wind and a flash freeze The Maritimes were the first in the region to see the impacts from this powerful late season winter storm. With the heaviest rain falling through the overnight hours on Wednesday, most areas woke up to a decent soaking Thursday morning. The rain will continue to be persistent for the eastern Maritimes through the day on Thursday, with a transition over to snow on the backside of the system. An additional 10-20 mm of rain is expected for most areas, with storm totals widely ranging, depending on location. Southern New Brunswick bears the brunt of this soggy system, with over 100 mm possible, locally, before it winds down. Baron - ATL rain.jpg People will need to be cautious around waterways as a quick snowmelt from rising temperatures and rain could cause some rivers to overflow their banks. MUST SEE: Sussex, N.B., faces major flooding, evacuations, street closures Light rain will push into southwestern Newfoundland through Thursday, with just scattered showers expected for northern and eastern sections of the island. Story continues Baron - ATL Thursday pm rain.jpg The winds have been fierce and will remain quite strong through the first half of the day, with gusts between 80-100 km/h persisting for the southern Maritimes. The winds have taken a toll on power lines, and travel conditions, with ferry cancellations reported early Thursday, as well. Drivers are urged to adapt to the changing road conditions due to the high winds. In addition to the rain, and winds, temperatures are taking a quick and steady tumble with the passing of the cold front, prompting a flash freeze warning for parts of the region. Areas of northern New Brunswick could see a 20-25C drop in just six hours, while Nova Scotia and P.E.I. will see temperatures tumble by about 10C. Factor in the wind chill, and things will be feeling brutally frigid by Friday, especially in comparison to the milder conditions earlier this week. Baron - ATL temps.jpg Surfaces, such as roads, streets, sidewalks and parking lots, may become icy and slippery with the sudden temperature drop. Expect more travel troubles as sea-effect snow squalls follow the cold front, bringing snow to Cape Breton and western Newfoundland Friday. Temperatures rebound significantly through the weekend This blast of winter will be intense, but quick, as temperatures will rebound greatly on Saturday. Daytime high values will reach the double digits for much of the Maritimes. image1 Temperatures will be more typical of April, and even May, across the Maritimes through the middle of next week. Newfoundland will turn very mild for a few days next week. A couple of systems will bring primarily rain to the region mid and late next week. An active pattern is expected through mid-March, and it is possible that there will be more cold air available for messy systems during the second week of the month. Floods in eastern Canada overwhelm sump pumps and roads: Click here to view the video Stay tuned to The Weather Network for the latest forecast updates for Atlantic Canada. Thursday, February 29, 2024 American actor and Good Time and Heaven Knows What star, Buddy Duress, has died at the age of 38. Duress, who co-starred alongside Twilight star Robert Pattinson in Good Time, died in November 2023 due to a 'cardiac arrest from a drug cocktail' his brother, Christopher Stathis, told People. He made his acting debut in Josh and Benny Safdie's 2014 film Heaven Knows What, a role he landed shortly after being released from Rikers Island for a drug-related conviction. The actor, who was in-and-out of jail throughout his life is survived by his mother Jo-Anne, and younger brother Christopher. He had a long history of legal troubles, having been in jail at least 10 times with charges including identity theft, grand larceny, and heroin possession. Buddy was born Michael C. Stathis in Queens, New York in May 1985, and went to Robert Louis Stevenson High School in Manhattan. After his 2014 movie debut, he later teamed up with the Safdie brothers again in the 2017 movie Good Time, where he played a drug dealer who teams up with Pattinson's character. He also appeared in several other film projects, including Person to Person, Funny Pages, Flinch, Beware of Dog, The Mountain, and more. He has two more projects scheduled to be released later this year as per his IMDb page: Skull and Mass State Lottery. Thursday, February 29, 2024 At least 31 people were killed in Mali on Tuesday, Feb. 27, when a bus plunged off a bridge over a river near the western town of Kenieba, the transport ministry said. 10 others were injured in the crash, some seriously, causing fears that the death toll could rise, The bus had been en route to Burkina Faso when the accident occurred at around 5:00pm local time, the transport ministry said. The statement added that Malians and citizens of elsewhere in the West African subregion were among the victims. "The probable cause was the driver's failure to control the vehicle," it said. Thursday, February 29, 2024 Bianca Censori could face prison or a fine of 15,000 after she made an explicit outing in Paris by going underwear-free for a dinner with Kanye West On Tuesday, the Yeezy architect, 29, wore her most explicit outfit to date as she went underwear-free beneath a pair of sheer stockings during a public outing with husband Kanye West. Bianca didn't conceal her genitals or bare backside in the garment as commanded attention. She also did not appear to be wearing a shirt or bra under a cropped fur coat as she returned to the Ritz Hotel with her husband Kanye after enjoying dinner at Ferdi. However, her latest display could cause her trouble with French officials if she is found in breach of their decency laws. Article 222-32 of the new penal code (applicable since 1 March 1994) stipulates: 'Deliberate sexual display in the sight of others in a place accessible to the public gaze is punishable by one year in prison and a fine of one hundred thousand francs. [15,000]' Nudity itself does not equal indecency, however, with the legislator stipulating: 'The charge has been worded in such a way as to rule out any possibility of proceedings against persons practising naturism in places specially designated for this purpose.' This isn't the first time, Bianca has risked a run-in with the law due to her wild antics on holiday. Last year, Bianca ran the risk of a 10,000 fine and imprisonment during the couple's trip to Italy, where she had been walking around 'virtually naked' in the European nation. According to the Italian Constitutional Court, a fine from 5,000 to 10,000 euros can be issued, or whoever exposes in a place or nearby to a place attended by minors, may be sentenced from four months to four years imprisonment. For one outing Bianca went braless in a skintight see-through all-in-one and at some points was forced to cover her nipples with a black cross-body bag. Thursday, February 29, 2024 - Former Churchill Show comedian Eddie Butita has opened up about the challenges he went through when he was part of the comedians at the defunct weekly comedy show that used to air on NTV. He termed the comedy show that brought him to the limelight as a living hell, affirming the widespread gatekeeping. He called out the same gatekeepers who frustrated him for seeking favors from him today after things went south. They really messed up the industry. If they avoided gatekeeping, the industry could be much far ahead, he said. Butita said the gatekeepers could deny some talented comedians a chance to appear on television. He further said that his talent was threatening the said gatekeepers and for this reason, he appeared on the little watched segment, Churchill Raw for close to a year. Only a select few made it to the widely watched Churchill Show. To make a cut for the prime-time show, one had to have lit many faces with his humor. However, despite Butita putting out a good run, the gatekeepers could deny him a chance to showcase his talent on the main show. For those who were in good books with the gatekeepers, they were instantly catapulted to stardom. However, many ended up disappearing into oblivion since they were half-baked. Butita left Churchill Show to start his own production show and currently, he is among the most sought-after creative directors. Butita also clarified the allegations that Churchill bought the comedians cars. What happened is that they were placed in groups of threes and fours with Ksh 200,000 given to each team. The money was to finance gigs by the budding stars in towns of their choice. He further acknowledged his group getting the said amount. The money was to be repaid later. Butita said his team paid the money back after their Dubai trip. The Kenyan DAILY POST. Thursday, February 29, 2024 News anchor, Don Lemon and CNN have reportedly reached a financial agreement after he was fired last year. After 17 years with CNN, the longtime anchor announced his firing from the network in an X post in April 2023. "I was informed this morning by my agent I have been terminated by CNN. I am stunned," Lemon wrote. Shortly after Lemons post, CNN's public relations team released a counter statement, accusing Lemon of misrepresenting what occurred. "Don Lemon's statement about this morning's events is inaccurate," CNN Communications tweeted. "He was offered an opportunity to meet with management but instead released a statement on Twitter." The former CNN anchor and the media company reached a separation deal that would pay Lemon approximately $24.5 million and the total is reportedly the amount of money Lemon, 57, was set to receive if his final contract ended in 3 and a half years. The journalists separation from the network followed his exit from the CNN This Morning show. In February 2023, Lemon received backlash for comments he made about Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley being "past her prime." He made his remarks on the politicians age during a segment on the show with co-hosts Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins. After the Haley comment, Lemon publicly apologized, "agreed to participate in formal training" and was back on air after less than a week. Two months later, Lemon conducted a confrontational interview with Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, which reportedly left several CNN leaders exasperated. In July 2023, Lemon broke his silence in an interview with Rudy Williams of ABC24. I have a responsibility not only as a journalist, but as an American, to tell the truth, Lemon said. And to abide by the promises of the Constitution, because the Constitution says a more perfect union. Not a perfect union. I'm not a perfect person. No one is," Lemon added. "In order to fulfil the promise of the Constitution, we have to stand up for what is right. We have to stand up for the truth. Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt have both criticised Labour's plan to end non-dom tax status in the past. PAUL ELLIS via Getty Images Jeremy Hunt is apparently considering scrapping the tax rules which allow wealthy foreigners living in the UK but who are officially domiciled in their own countries to cut their tax bills. The so-called non-dom status means that they do not pay UK tax on money they earn abroad, potentially saving them millions of pounds in tax. The Chancellor could end the scheme - which is estimated to cost the Treasury around 3.2 billion a year - in next weeks Budget as he tries to find enough cash to pay for pre-election tax cuts. The move would be politically explosive because Labour has already said it would end non-dom tax status if it forms the next government. Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves has said Labour would spend the money raised on, among other things, improving the NHS. But it would also open the Tories up to accusation of hypocrisy given how critical senior party figures - not least Jeremy Hunt himself - have previously been of the policy. In November 2022, shortly after be became Chancellor, he told Radio Fours Today programme: These are foreigners who could live easily in Ireland, France, Portugal, Spain they all have these schemes. All things being equal, I would rather they stayed here and spent their money here. He added: Im not going to do anything thats going to damage the long-term attractiveness of the UK, even though it gives easy shots to opposition parties. I think it would be the wrong thing to do in terms of creating jobs in the UK. Im not going to do anything thats going to damage the long-term attractiveness of the UK, even though it gives easy shots to opposition parties. I think it would be the wrong thing to do in terms of creating jobs in the UK Just last year, Rishi Sunak - whose Indian-born wife Akshata Murty has personally benefited from non-dom status in the past - attacked Keir Starmer over Labours plans at prime ministers questions. He said: He talks about this non-dom thing. I think hes already spent the money that hes claimed hes raised on five different things. Because its the same old Labour party theyre always running out of other peoples money. Story continues The Toriess opposition to scrapping non-dom tax status is also a longstanding position. When then Labour leader Ed Miliband announced plans to scrap it in 2015, George Osborne - who was chancellor at the time - said it would cost our country hundreds of millions of pounds in lost tax revenues and lost investment. Related... Thursday, February 29, 2024 A University of York student took his own life after convincing himself he had incurable cancer, but he was found to have been perfectly healthy, an inquest has heard. Charles Henry Johnson, 18, declined offers to socialise with his new housemates a day or two after he started his first year, telling them he was still unpacking. But when his father contacted the university, worried he had not heard from his student son, the computer science student was found suffocated in his room with his bags still full. In notes found in his room, the Computer Science student said he had started to feel unwell about two years before, and believed he had stage four bowel cancer that had spread to his chest and brain. Charles had self-diagnosed his condition, saying that it 'wasn't survivable', York Mix reported. But a post-mortem found that his organs were completely healthy and his brain was normal, with no traces of cancer. Alison Norton, the assistant coroner for York and North Yorkshire, told the inquest the teenager's notes and blog entries 'indicated that he had made a decision to take his own life, rather than suffer with an illness that he believed that he had'. Charles was said to be 'happy to start university' after finishing school with As in maths, physics, and computer science. He had plans to become a computer engineer. 'He was an excellent student, very intelligent, he knew everything about technology,' his father James' statement to the inquest said, The York Press reported. Charles had previously been referred to the local mental health support services in his hometown in September 2021, who had advised him to reduce the amount of time he spent online. And just a month later, his father had told the surgery his son was feeling 'much better', with the surgery not seeing him regarding his mental health again. When Mr Johnson contacted the university on September 20, worried he had not heard from his son, two safety officers were sent to his room at 11am. After not getting a response they gained entry and found Charles lying on his bed at Philip Brockbank Court, Langwith College, appearing to be lifeless and cold. He was declared dead at 11.51 am, with officers finding that it was not suspicious and there were no visible injuries. His door and window were locked and there was no alcohol, drugs or prescription medication nearby, while the cause of death was suffocation. His body had increased ketone levels which may have been caused by fasting and could have sparked mental health issues before his death, but a pathologist could not rule out whether it did or how much it may have affected him. A University of York spokesperson said: 'We were deeply saddened by the death of Charles and our thoughts are with his family and friends. 'Since we shared the very sad news with our staff and students, we continue to encourage anyone who is struggling to contact us for further advice and support.' Thursday, February 29, 2024 - Shirley Ogalo was among the top 3 students in the 2016 KCSE exams and when she appeared in the media after her remarkable performance, she said her dream was to become a doctor. She went to the University and pursued a degree in medicine but there is nothing to smile about after graduating. She joined other medical students on Friday to protest over delays in internship placements. The medical graduates included dentists, pharmacists, and physicians donning white medical coats and protective hairnets. They marched in solidarity to protest the delay in their postings for compulsory professional training and licensing by the Ministry of Health. The young medic took to her Twitter account and lashed out at the Government for failing her. How it started vs how its going. I said I wanted to be a doctor 7 years ago, I became a doctor and now the government is failing me, she tweeted. The Kenyan DAILY POST. Thursday, February 29, 2024 - Azimio Leader Raila Odinga has retracted his own statement on a recent meeting with President William Ruto and his Ugandan counterpart, Yoweri Museveni. Speaking during the second day of the Homa Bay County International Investment Conference, Raila noted that he had gone to Uganda to visit President Museveni to seek his support for his African Union Commission Chairmanship bid and did not know Ruto would also be attending the same meeting. According to him, Presidents Ruto and Museveni met to discuss an oil crisis that was bedeviling the two neighbouring nations. I have been running around trying to get support from different Heads of State. "I was in Namibia just the other day and I went to the President of Uganda after I had talked to him to go and ask for his support, he said. We met there with Mr. Ruto who had also gone there to talk about issues they are having with oil, the G to G with his Energy minister. This contradicts Railas own statement just three days ago, in which he said Museveni had invited him for a joint meeting with Ruto, in which his AUC candidacy was discussed and both Heads of State resolved to support it. The opposition leader made the revelation in a post on social media platform X attached with the now-viral pictures of the three leaders at Musevenis Kisozis country home with his famous Ankole cows grazing in the background. The Kenyan DAILY POST Thursday, February 29, 2024 Ghanaian man, Michael Houston, who married his two wives the same day, has said that he had the best Valentine's Day celebration. He stated this in a Facebook post on Monday, February 26, 2024, after he and his wives returned from Dubai, where they had celebrated their first Valentine together. This year's Valentine, na me enjoy pass, the post partly read. Thursday, February 29, 2024 - Narc Kenya chairperson, Martha Karua, has distanced herself from claims that former Prime Minister Raila Odingas allies will be appointed in President William Rutos cabinet. On Thursday, one of the local dailies reported that seven of Raila Odinga's allies will be appointed to the cabinet once Ruto reshuffles his cabinet. The Daily reported that this agreement was made in Uganda when Ruto and Raila met in a meeting mediated by Ugandan dictator, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni. Karua, who was the former Premiers running mate in the last election, while responding to a question directed at her regarding the arrangement, insisted that she was not privy to the deal and other favours as alleged online. Martha Karua, I hope this is fake news. Kenyans can only take so much, a journalist Rasna Warah reached out to Karua over a news headline reading Key Raila Allies to Land State Jobs in Ruto Deal. Responding to the journalist, Karua wrote, Not aware! The Kenyan DAILY POST Thursday, February 29, 2024 - Former Mukurweini Member of Parliament, Kabando Wa Kabando, has said the current political bromance between President William Ruto and opposition leader, Raila Odinga, will not end well. For the last few months, Ruto and Raila have been meeting secretly and according to impeccable sources, they have even signed a political pact of working together. It was during those meetings that Ruto endorsed Raila Odingas bid to become African Union Chairperson. Speaking about the new political bromance between the two politicians, Kabando said the bromance will not last. Kabando warned Raila to rethink his association with the head of state, adding that he's not fit to lead Kenya. "A conspiracy replete with chicanery, fraud, greed, opportunism, and betrayals. "AU's job shouldn't justify deodorising Zakayo's ills of lootocracy, regime ineptitude, killing pro-democracy protestors, and crazy taxes. Dear RAO: As a veteran statesman, you'd rethink this Ruto-fueled charade. "Yes, Ruto won fairly, albeit cunningly. In "deep-state" illusions, We failed to plan to win Ikulu! "But no, Ruto is not the best deal for Kenya. As constitutionalists, we recognised him as Rais, yet we'd escalate plans to end his kleptocracy. Yes, we can do It nonviolently soon," Kabando said. The Kenyan DAILY POST Thursday, February 29, 2024 Alexei Navalny's body was abused after he died in the Arctic gulag, his grieving widow has told the European Parliament. Speaking to the European Parliament in Strasbourg today, Yulia Navalnaya, 47, said that her late husband's body had been abused and that she was not sure if his funeral on Friday would be a peaceful event. She also warned Putin, who she accused of having her husband killed: 'You are not dealing with a politician but a bloody monster.' Navalny, Vladimir Putin's strongest domestic critic, fell unconscious and died suddenly at the age of 47 on February 16 after a walk at the 'Polar Wolf' penal colony above the Arctic Circle where he was serving a three-decade sentence. The West and Navalny's supporters, including his widow, say the Russian president is responsible for Navalny's death. The Putin critic's funeral will be hosted at the Borisovskoye cemetery after a farewell ceremony starting at 2pm at a church in the Maryino district, his spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh said on X, formerly known as Twitter. The Kremlin warned yesterday that Russians should not use Navalny's funeral as a moment for protests. 'These people, so-called supporters [of Navalny] are well known for their provocative calls - to break the laws of the Russian Federation,' said Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov. 'This is a very harmful practice and has legal and law enforcement consequences for those who respond to these calls.' Yarmysh urged Navalny supporters to arrive 'in advance' if they want to come and pay their respects as many are expected to turn up for the funeral in southern Moscow. His allies have confirmed that Navalny's funeral service will be held at the 'Mother of God Quench My Sorrows' church in southern Moscow on Friday. It is unclear whether Navalny's wife Yulia - who has been living in Germany since her husband's arrest in 2021 -, his two children or his mother Lyudmila will be there. The cause of his death at age 47 is still unknown according to Russian authorities. Thursday, February 29, 2024 A lawyer who represented the late opposition politician Alexei Navalny and accompanied his mother last week as she appealed to authorities for the return of his body has been arrested in Moscow, Russian news media said. Vasily Dubkov's arrest on charges of 'violating public order' was first reported by independent Russian news outlet Novaya Gazeta Europe. Dubkov has since been let go, telling independent news outlet Verstka that he did not want to specifically comment on why he was detained, but said it was an obstruction of his activity as a lawyer. He was a key player in efforts to get Alexei Navalny's corpse back from Russian authorities, after he died on February 16 in the IK-3 penal colony in Siberia after he fell ill when he went on a walk. Russian authorities refused to release his body to allow his grieving mother, Lyudmila, to bury him unless she agreed to lay him to rest in a private ceremony. Dubkov was pictured accompanying Lyudmila to several meetings with Russia's Investigative Committee in the days after the Navalny's death. Lyudmila said she told Russian authorities that they had a duty to return her son's body as it was already beginning to decompose. 'Time is not on your side, corpses decompose', she warned investigators. Navalny is now expected to be buried in a plot in the Borisov cemetery in the southeast of Moscow, just next to the Moskva River, this week. Armed guards were today seen standing outside the cemetery, seemingly in preparation for the expect outpouring of sympathy for the family of the dead dissident. Allies said on Monday that Navalny was due to be freed in a prisoner swap, but was killed a day before he was due to be released. Maria Pevchikh, a longtime confidant, said in a YouTube video: 'Navalny should have been out in the next few days because we got a decision about his exchange. 'In early February, Putin was offered to exchange the killer, FSB officer Vadim Krasikov, whos serving time for a murder in Berlin, for two American citizens and Alexey Navalny.' A spokesperson for the German government said on Monday that while it was aware of the reports of the reported swap, Germany could not comment on them. Pevchikh also claimed former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich acted as an 'informal negotiator' who worked with American and European officials. 'At the same time, [he represented] Putin [as]an unofficial channel of communication with the Kremlin.' Other allies have claimed that they have been unable to find a venue in Russia where people could pay their respects to Navalny. Kira Yarmysh said on Tuesday: 'Since yesterday we have been looking for a site where we can say farewell to Alexei. We called round most private and public funeral agencies, commercial sites and funeral halls. 'Some places say the space is busy, some places refuse upon mention of the name "Navalny". In one place we were directly told that funeral agencies were prohibited from working with us.' Navalny was imprisoned since January 2021, when he returned to Moscow after recuperating in Germany from a nerve agent poisoning he blamed on the Kremlin. He received three prison terms since then, on charges he rejected as politically motivated. Thursday, February 29, 2024 The Moretele Magistrates Court in South Africa has sentenced a 24-year-old man, Nkateko Masha to a 15-year jail term, with 5 years suspended, for murdering his 17-year-old girlfriend, Gontse Malatji. The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) North West Division, Regional spokesperson, Henry Mamothame, in a statement on Wednesday, February 28, 2024, said Masha was declared unfit to possess a firearm. His conviction emanates from an incident that occurred on 16 November 2021, at Stinkwater near Moretele, wherein he confronted his girlfriend, who was with him at his home. He accused her of cheating after seeing images on Facebook. An argument ensued and the girlfriend decided to end the relationship with him. She, however, slept over in his outside room, and that was when he decided to get a knife and stabbed her to death while she was asleep. He subsequently fled to a nearby bush where he attempted suicide by cutting his hands with a knife. He later withdrew from killing himself and went back home to report what he had done before handing himself to the police. The court granted him R1000 bail, and he pleaded guilty to the offence. In aggravation of sentence, the state prosecutor, Mpho Matlala urged the court to consider the rifeness of femicide in the country and further argued that being in a relationship doesnt give any partner a right to kill whenever theres a conflict. Magistrate Gilbert Sono agreed with the state but also considered that the accused is young and a first-time offender who is a candidate for rehabilitation, before imposing a sentence on him. The Director of Public Prosecutions in the North West, Dr Rachel Makhari, lauded the prosecutor and Constable Kekana from the South African Police Service for their collaboration in bringing justice to the family of the deceased. She called on all community formations to strengthen educational programmes on gender-based violence and femicide. Thursday, February 29, 2024 Shocking security footage shows the moment a Las Vegas nail salon owner was beaten inside his shop by three people for allegedly refusing to allow a woman to use the salon's bathroom. Nathan Nguyen, the owner of The Nail Palace, was working on Sunday, February 26 when a woman came into his salon asking for a pedicure, with her sole intention of using the bathroom, according to 8 News Now. Nguyen declined the womans request before she smashed a plant as she left the store, which is located two miles away from the Las Vegas strip. The woman, however, returned with three individuals who violently beat the owner inside his salon, a video obtained by 8News Now shows. For nearly a minute, they stood over Nguyen, hitting him with punches and kicks as he lay on the ground, trying to cover himself from the blows. I did not do anything wrong yesterday, I did not hurt her too. I dont understand why people come back and hurt me like that, Nguyen told the outlet. Following the beating, the suspects were captured on cell phone video by people at the business next to the Nail Salon, entering a red sedan before fleeing from the scene. Another video shows Nguyen sitting on a couch inside his business, gasping for air in front of a blood-stained floor. If they did not hurt me by hand, then they would hurt me by a gun or something else, then maybe I would die already, Nguyen explained to the outlet. There was blood all over the clothes. It looked like a horror movie, Nick Hardman, Nguyens spouse and the salon co-owner, told 8 News Now. Its a crazy world and someone just went off and I dont know why. This could happen to someone else, someone could go off . someone has got to do something and its got to be us, I mean unfortunately. UTAH-BASED TABERNACLE CHOIR OPENS SENATE SESSION WITH SONGS OF WORSHIP February 28, 2024 As part of the Senate's plan to invite Filipino artists to open the Senate session, today marks a little divergence from the program: members of the Utah-based The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square performed songs of worship to senators and guests before plenary discussions on important measures. Upon the invitation of Senate President Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri, the globally renowned Tabernacle Choir, formed by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints based in Salt Lake City, delivered a three-song set before session in the Senate opened today. The ensemble is in the Philippines today for a pair of concerts as part of their world tour dubbed as "Hope." "Every week, we invite Filipino artists to open our Senate session, as a showcase for the vast array of talent across the land," explained Zubiri. "The Tabernacle Choir may be American, but we are proud to note that they have Filipino members, and several more who have lived here in the Philippines and called our country home. So we are very happy to welcome them to the Senate and hear their music, which very much speaks to our people." The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square performed worship songs such as "Awake and Arise, All Ye Children of Light" and "God be With You Till We Meet Again." The choir also gave a performance of "Bahay Kubo" to complete their Senate set. The vacancy rate in Cape Breton has dropped from 8.2% in 2020 to 0.8% in 2023. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press - image credit) Cape Breton's vacancy rate has plummeted to 0.8 per cent, the lowest in the province, according to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. That's down from 1.5 per cent in 2022, and 6.1 per cent in 2021. The data is from the agency's fall count, which also shows that the overall vacancy rate in the province is 1.1 percent. Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island were tied with the lowest rates in the country. "I think in the case of Cape Breton, it's a situation of higher demand and not enough supply," said Kelvin Ndoro, a senior analyst with the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. "Unlike Halifax, where we [have] seen lots of construction, especially in their apartment sector or the rental construction sector, it's not necessarily the case in Cape Breton." Vancouver and Quebec City were tied with the lowest vacancy rate among the country's major cities, at 0.9 per cent. Halifax's was next, remaining at a "very low" rate of 1 per cent for the third straight year. Kelvin Ndoro, senior analyst with the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, says house prices have shot up in June and July. Kelvin Ndoro, senior analyst with the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, says the low number of apartment developments in Cape Breton means fewer options for renters. (CBC) Recent investments announced for the Sydney area from the federal government's housing accelerator fund will help, but not for several years, he said. Ndoro added that the type of construction happening in Cape Breton does not lend itself to lowering the vacancy rate because it's focused on single detached homes rather than apartments. CBRM Mayor Amanda McDougall said she was surprised the vacancy rate was that low, but all levels of government have made commitments to improve housing availability in the municipality. "Being able to provide grants to developers to kind of get over those hurdles of, 'how do I afford to put affordable housing, use it as units into my development,'"she said. "All of this expedites the process and gets things moving. If we can get those numbers changed, we're going to do it as fast as possible." Story continues Catherine Leviten-Reid, a professor in community economic development who studies housing issues, said recently that the recent announcement that $13.3 million will be provided through the federal Housing Accelerator Fund to fast-track construction of 367 housing units in Cape Breton over the next three years will help developers but not the people who have the highest need for housing. The trend toward falling vacancy rates in CBRM comes after many years in which the municipality saw its population decline. Derek Mombourquette is the MLA for Sydney-Membertou. He says other communities, like Antigonish and Wolfville see traffic in their downtown year round as a result of their campuses. Derek Mombourquette, MLA for Sydney-Membertou said CBRM continues to be overlooked by developers as a good place to build apartments. (Matthew Moore/CBC) A surge of families moving to the island during the COVID-19 pandemic caught many in the housing sector by surprise. Some believe the municipality has been overlooked by multiple levels of government. "CBRM is the second largest municipality in the province and I argue, and have been arguing that they're not treated as such," said Derek Mombourquette, MLA for Sydney-Membertou. "It's a population of 100,000 people, we're growing for the first time in decades and with that comes pressure on the resources that we need to provide to people, including housing." Mombourquette said the vacancy rate being so low in CBRM should set off alarms for developers, saying there is an opportunity to build large apartment developments in the community. Based on recent policy changes and commitments from government, Ndoro said he believes the vacancy rate could improve on Cape Breton, but that would take time. "Small changes can make a big difference," Ndoro said. "But for now we have such a shortage in housing that the supply gap is big, so we don't necessarily expect to see immediate changes right away." MORE TOP STORIES Thursday, February 29, 2024 Authorities in France have seized 72 firearms from the home of French screen legend Alain Delon, who doesn't have a permit for any of the weapons. Police also found more than 3,000 rounds of ammunition and a shooting range in the actor's rural home in Douchy-Montcorbon, some 84 miles south of Paris. Delon, 88, 'has no authorisation that would allow him to own a firearm', said local prosecutor Jean-Cedrix Gaux. The star played gun-toting gangsters in several of his most famous films, including 'Borsalino' and is credited with creating the Hollywood trope of the mysterious cerebral hitman in the 1967 film 'The Samurai'. Delon has been in poor health since he suffered a stroke in 2019 and has recently been the centre of an escalating family feud. The search was ordered after a court-appointed official sent to his home noticed a weapon and alerted a judge. Delon's last major public appearance was to receive an honorary Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 2019. Last month, Delon's youngest son Anthony Delon, 59, reported his sister Anouchka Delon, 33, to French police for not telling him or his brother Alain-Fabien, 29, that their father had failed five cognitive tests at a private clinic in Switzerland. Those tests were particularly significant because Delon is currently in the middle of a family dispute over his 250million fortune. The veteran performer had even told his family that the Christmas just gone could be his last, sparking more disputes over his Will. Delon's family have complained about him being exploited for his 'psychological weakness', saying that those close to him are after his financial assets and property. The feud went public after Delon's oldest son Anthony Delon told the Paris Match magazine that his father was in a 'weakened' state. In the January interview, Anthony said his sister 'left me no choice'. Anthony said: 'My sister never informed my brother and I that between 2019 and 2022 my father had been subjected to five cognitive tests during his visits to the clinic in Switzerland and that he passed none of them. 'According to doctors, these tests demonstrate cognitive degradation which places my father in a position of psychological weakness and therefore vulnerability.' In July, the three children evicted Delon's 60-year-old live-in partner, Hiromi Rollin, from the countryside estate they shared at Douchy-Montcorbon, south of Paris. Delon had a stroke in 2019 and, according to his daughter and sons' depositions Ms Rollin was cruel to him, and his Belgian Shepherd dog, Loubo, while also stealing money. They feared the ultimate aim of Ms Rollin, who denies any wrongdoing, was to get her hands on Delon's entire fortune. Delon senior, through his lawyer, said he was 'shocked' and would file a complaint for defamation. Concerns were first raised about him last year when his three children filed a complaint against his former live-in assistant Hiromi Rollin, accusing her of harassment and threatening behaviour. Delon is estimated to be worth millions. Thursday, February 29, 2024 President William Rutos man and National Assembly Chief Whip Silvanus Osoro has heaped praises on ODM Leader Raila Odinga, saying he is a good man with extensive networks across Africa and beyond. Speaking during an interview, Osoro said Raila's networks run deeper than those of President William Ruto, describing him as the ideal man for the African Union Commission chairman position. "Raila is not a bad person by the way. He has very deep networks than even President Ruto, and I want to assure you that he will get the AUC seat. "And President Ruto is doing everything possible to make sure that he gets that seat," Osoro said. The South Mugirango MP, however, faulted Raila for what he termed as failure to mentor a successor. He said that if the former Prime Minister exits the national politics, he will leave behind a void that will be difficult to fill. "You see the problem with Raila is that everyone around him does not grow to become greater in politics. "Only those he mentored and they ditched him go ahead to make it in politics. "If you stick around him, you don't progress politically because everything is about him," he argued, adding that despite his deep networks and national politics craftsmanship, Raila was unlucky not to become president of Kenya. Osoro put Raila in the league of the late President Mwai Kibaki, saying he has played a key role in shaping the country's political course. The Kenyan DAILY POST Thursday, February 29, 2024 - Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader, Raila Odinga, has called for the speedy parliamentary approval of the Bipartisan Committee Bills to end the culture of political prostitution. Speaking on Thursday, Raila said once the National Dialogue Committee (Nadco) report is adopted by Parliament, its implementation will see MPs who cross over the other side of the political divide lose their seats. Speaking in Marani, Kisii County while launching an irrigation scheme, Raila said that elected leaders must respect the will of the people who voted for them by remaining loyal to the sponsoring parties for the rest of their term. "Once elected on an ODM ticket, you have a contract with the party for five years and if you want to cross to the other side, then you must resign and seek a fresh mandate,'' Raila said "That is why we took the Nadco report to Parliament and we want it passed quickly so that those who cross to other parties must resign,'' Raila added. The National Assembly and the Senate last week approved the Nadco report without any amendments. The Kenyan DAILY POST Thursday, February 29, 2024 - Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has indirectly said he is not ready to exit Kenya's political scene even if he becomes the African Union's Chairperson. The former Premier has already declared that he is ready to lead the continental body and one of the requirements of the post is never to play politics. But Raila Odinga, who was speaking in Homa Bay County on Wednesday, while attending the Homa Bay County International Investment Conference at Tom Mboya University, said he will be multitasking as an AU chairperson and also as the head of opposition in Kenya. The former Premier also observed that Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, was just two hours from Kenya, and he could easily travel between the two countries and physically coordinate both Kenyan and African affairs. It is not clear whether he will be elected as AUC after stating that he will be working in Ethiopia and Nairobi. The Kenyan DAILY POST Thursday, February 29, 2024 - Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has revealed what happened during his recent meeting with President William Ruto and President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda. Speaking during the Homa Bay investment conference yesterday, Raila revealed that he had planned to meet Museveni in advance, stating that campaigns for the African Union Commission chairperson post topped the agenda. However, he further explained that President Ruto had also scheduled a visit to Uganda on the same day, with his main focus being the recent fallout in fuel importation. He added that given that the duo was present, he took the opportunity to ask them to support his bid. The ODM boss also revealed that Museveni offered to back his candidature and be the main man behind his bid. "I talked to both of them and they agreed to support me. Museveni agreed to support me and he even stated that he would be the one to propose my candidature," he stated. Raila made the remarks after reports suggested that the ODM boss was the one who orchestrated the Monday meeting. Various reports suggested that the ODM boss sought to have Ruto and Museveni reach a truce over contentious fuel importation deal given that it would have impacted on his candidature. Unconfirmed reports also alleged that the duo travelled together using the presidential jet. The Kenyan DAILY POST Thursday, February 29, 2024 Rapper Ja Rule has been left "devastated" after being denied entry into the UK just days before the start of his tour. The US rapper, 47, real name Jeffrey Bruce Atkins Sr, was due to begin his Sunrise tour at the Utilita Arena in Cardiff on Friday, March 1, before concerts in London, Birmingham, Nottingham, Leeds and Liverpool. The music star, wrote on social media: "Im so devastated. I cant believe the UK wont let me in. "Ive spent a half million dollars in production of my own money to put this tour together only to be denied entry DAYS before my shows. This is not fair to me or my fans, these venues are 85 per cent sold and now I cant come "The UK is one of the few European countries that restricts entry to people with criminal records. "In general, you will likely be denied entry if you have been convicted of a crime punishable by 23 months or more under British law or served more than 12 months in prison." Ja Rule served two years in prison on gun and tax evasion charges, and was released in May 2013. The Home Office can refuse entry to individuals who "have previously been convicted of a criminal offence punishable by at least 12 months imprisonment," according to Unlock, a charity which assists people with criminal records. Ja Rule also confirmed to fans that refunds would be available. Thursday, February 29, 2024 Porsha Williams has issued a cautionary message to her estranged spouse, Simon Guobadia, advising him against tampering with any documentation pertaining to his financial matters. According to court documents obtained by Page Six, the returning "Real Housewives of Atlanta" personality has stipulated that Guobadia must preserve all financial records, including statements, income details, tax filings, and expenses. Failure to comply could result in legal consequences. Additionally, Williams' filing discloses that she and Guobadia executed a prenuptial agreement on November 17, 2022, outlining the delineation of each party's individual and joint property interests. The 42-year-old Bravolebrity is petitioning for the enforcement of the prenuptial agreement. Additionally, she has asked that Guobadia covers her legal expenses. Williams' attorney, Randall Kessler, has expressed optimism that his client and Guobadia will come to a mutual agreement resolving all outstanding matters. In the court documents, Williams affirmed that she and the entrepreneur are presently living apart in a genuine state of separation. She emphasized that their marriage is irreparably fractured, with no possibility of reconciliation. Last week, Williams initiated divorce proceedings from Guobadia, aged 59, following a brief 15-month marriage. Shortly after, she took to Instagram to address the unexpected separation. "Thank you for your prayers & support," she shared on Instagram on Sunday, February 25, notably referencing her maiden name initial. Following the divorce filing, Williams updated her Instagram bio, removing any mention of Guobadia and returning to her maiden name. Additionally, she debuted a fresh hairstylea bob, seemingly inspired by her new chapter post-divorce. The Pursuit of Porsha author and Guobadia married twice in November 2022. They tied the knot for the first time in an extravagant traditional Nigerian ceremony in Atlanta and followed up the next day with a conventional American wedding. Guobadia proposed to Williams after just one month of dating, but the engagement quickly became addled with controversy as the businessman previously had been married to Williams friend and RHOA co-star Falynn Pina. Thursday, February 29, 2024 - One of President William Rutos close confidants has cleared the air on whether the Kenya Kwanza Alliance regime has promised former Prime Minister Raila Odinga seven cabinet slots once he conducts a reshuffle. On Thursday, one of the local dailies reported that during a meeting mediated by Ugandan dictator, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni over the weekend, Ruto and Raila agreed to work together and the former agreed to appoint the latter's allies in his cabinet. However, in a social media statement on Thursday, Digital Strategist Dennis Itumbi dismissed the claims of Raila allies landing key government appointments. Itumbi said there is no deal of Railas orphans joining Rutos government. There is no deal on state positions for allies! We promised Kenya it is not about positions but jobs We will keep the promise, Itumbi insisted. The Kenyan DAILY POST Thursday, February 29, 2024 Authorities in Saudi Arabia have executed seven people for 'terrorism' offences, the highest single-day figure since 81 were put to death in March 2022. The seven executed on Tuesday, February 27, were convicted of 'creating and financing terrorist organisations and entities', the official Saudi Press Agency said, citing the Gulf kingdom's interior ministry. Saudi Arabia, one of the world's most prolific users of capital punishment, has now executed 29 people this year. The nationalities of the seven executed were not revealed, but their names and titles indicated they were Saudi. They were convicted of 'adopting a terrorist approach that calls for bloodshed, establishing and financing terrorist organisations and entities, and communicating and dealing with them with the aim of disrupting the security and stability of society' and endangering national security, the official news agency said. The report did not provide further details of the accusations against them. The kingdom, notorious for beheadings, drew a wave of condemnation from around the world with 81 executions in one day in 2022. That year Saudi Arabia executed a total of 196 people. In 2022, Saudi Arabia executed more people than any other country besides China and Iran, Amnesty International has said. According to an AFP tally of official announcements, 170 people were put to death in 2023. In September, when the number already stood at nearly 100, Heba Morayef, Amnesty International's Middle East and North Africa Director, said: 'In clear contrast to Saudi Arabia's repeated promises to limit its use of the death penalty, the Saudi authorities have already executed 100 people this year, revealing their chilling disregard for the right to life. 'The authorities' relentless killing spree raises serious fears for the lives of young men on death row who were under 18 at the time of the crimes. 'Saudi Arabia is one of the world's top executioners. 'Amnesty International has documented numerous cases in which the authorities have sentenced people to death for anything from a few tweets to drug-related offences following grossly unfair trials that fell far short of international human rights standards. 'In August alone, Saudi Arabia executed an average of 4 people per week, including one Pakistani man who was executed for drug smuggling. 'The death penalty is prohibited under international law for drug-related offences, which do not fall under the category of 'most serious crimes.' Thursday, February 29, 2024 - Narc Kenya Leader Martha Karua has broken her silence on reports that former Prime Minister Raila Odinga sealed a deal with President William Ruto to appoint her and other Azimio leaders into government. While responding to a question directed at her regarding the arrangement, Karua insisted that she was not privy to the deal and other favours as alleged online. "Martha Karua, I hope this is fake news. Kenyans can only take so much," a journalist Rasna Warah reached out to Karua over a news headline reading 'Key Raila Allies to Land State Jobs in Ruto Deal.' Responding to the journalist, Karua wrote, "Not aware!" Her response came hours after Digital Strategist Dennis Itumbi also dismissed the claims of Raila allies landing key government appointments. "There is no deal on state positions for allies! We promised Kenya it is not about positions but jobs. "We will keep the promise," Itumbi insisted. The reports went viral following the meeting between President Ruto and Raila in Uganda where they met President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni in a bid to win his support for Babas AU Chairmanship bid. The Heads of State vowed to popularise and support Raila in his quest to head the continental body. Speaking in Homa Bay on Tuesday, Ruto noted that his support for Raila's candidature of the African Union Commission was a way of uniting the country. The Kenyan DAILY POST This leaf adds a heady fragrance and vibrant green hue to dishes from cakes to curries. Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Pandan is Southeast Asias aromatic, enigmatic green muse. The flowering tropical plant thrives in the region and is so abundant that if not for its culinary significance, it might be considered a weed. There are hundreds of species of pandan, but only the leaves of Pandanus amaryllifolius exude a tantalizing fragrance. The scent of its elongated, spearlike, glossy deep-green blades is elusive, but envision the melding of toasted rice, freshly mown grass, and sweet blooming jasmine, and youll begin to get the idea. In savory dishes, pandan amplifies sweetness, bringing a unique depth of flavor. In Singapore and Malaysia, pandan leaves are simmered in coconut milk to produce the rich, fragrant coconut rice pivotal to nasi lemak (coconut rice topped with fried anchovies and peanuts). In Indonesia, pandan joins forces with turmeric to make nasi kuning (turmeric rice). The realm of pandan-tinted sweets is even more vast and varied. Theres the honeycomb-textured Vietnamese cake banh bo nuong, and Singapores ethereal pandan chiffon cake that seemingly dissolves on the tongue. Pandan has a special affinity for coconut: Indonesians and Malaysians enjoy kue dadar gulung, fluorescent green pandan-flavored pancakes rolled around a sweet coconut filling; kaya, the beloved pandan and coconut jam; and kuih seri muka, a steamed, sticky glutinous-rice cake snack with layers of white coconut and green pandan. To me, pandans allure rests not just in its flavor but also in its versatility and rich traditions, which Ive used as inspiration for a layered Pandan and Coconut Cake. Every time I make it, I wonder at the power of such a humble ingredient a simple leaf to dazzle and perfume. Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Julian Hensarling / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Related: Pandan and Coconut Cake How to source pandan Whole pandan leaves are typically steeped in liquid (a pot of rice; a simmering stew) to impart its aroma and a very subtle green hue to dishes. Refrigerate fresh leaves upright in a jar of water or wrapped in a damp towel in an airtight container, or buy them frozen. Story continues Bottled pandan can turn your treats a glow-stick fluorescent green, so it should be used a little at a time until the desired color is achieved. (Start with 1/8 teaspoon.) Pick one that has mostly natural ingredients, like Koepoe Koepoe pandan paste. $9 at amazon.com Pandan powders work well in doughs, cakes, and batters, adding a mellow mint-green hue. Some are made from evaporated pandan juice and others from the more aromatic freeze-dried leaves. My favorite is Suncore Foods Emerald Pandan Leaf Powder. $20 at suncorefoods.com Dried pandan leaves rehydrate once steeped in hot liquid, so toss dried pandan directly into your rice, curries, desserts, or soups. They will keep for a year or more, but once theyve lost their fragrance, they should be discarded and replaced. $6 for 0.5 ounce at amazon.com This clear pandan-flavored liquid is available from brands such as McCormick and Star Brand and can be used in desserts or beverages to add aroma and taste but without the signature green color imparted by fresh pandan leaves. $3 at umamicart.com Pandan juice Also known as pandan water or homemade extract, pandan juice is made from fresh or frozen pandan leaves that have been roughly chopped and blended together with water, then strained. Store pandan juice in the fridge in a sealed jar for three to four days or in the freezer up to three months. For more Food & Wine news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on Food & Wine. Thursday, February 29, 2024 - Government Spokesperson Isaac Mwaura has made drastic changes to his office. In a statement yesterday, Mwaura announced that his office will be decentralizing how the national government communicates with Kenyans. He noted that his office will from now on be having weekly press conferences in the counties. The Office of the Government Spokesperson & The National Government Communications Centre is decentralizing how the national government communicates with Kenyans by having our weekly press conferences in the counties, read the statement in part. The office of the Government spokesperson has so far held local briefings in Wajir, Tana River, and Kilifi Counties. The announcement comes after Mwaura attended a briefing session by the Homa Bay County Commissioner Moses Lilan. The session was also attended by Deputy Government Spokesperson Gabriel Muthuma, staff from the office of the government spokesperson, and head of government agencies in Homa Bay county. The office of the government spokesperson is mandated to coordinate, plan, manage, and implement communication of government policies, programs, and initiatives. It is also mandated with providing oversight of the technical operations of the Directorates of Information, Public Communication, and Film Services, Kenya News Agency, Government Advertising Agency, Office of the Information Secretary, the Government Media Centre, and all affiliated functions in various Ministries and Government Agencies. The Kenyan DAILY POST Thursday, February 29, 2024 South African police have arrested six suspects in connection to the murder of popular rapper, Kiernan Forbes, better known as AKA, and his close friend, celebrity chef and entrepreneur Tebello Tibz Motshoane. The pair were murdered on February 10, 2023, while walking with a friend outside a popular Durban restaurant hours before he was to perform at a nearby club. According to the police, the suspects are to appear in court on Thursday, Feb. 29. It was clear that AKA was monitored from the airport and Tibz was not the intended target in the murder on Florida Road in Durban. We know they were paid for this, KwaZulu-Natal provincial Police Commissioner, Lt Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, said Tuesday night, Feb. 27. South Africa Police Minister, Bheki Cele, said: I hope South Africans will sleep better after this." Thursday, February 29, 2024 Former US President, Donald Trump has won Michigans Republican primary, a victory that confirms Trumps dominant run through this years presidential primaries and caucuses, despite the lingering candidacy of former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley. Michigan is a two-part nominating contest for the GOP. Only 16 of the states 55 delegates to the Republican National Convention will be awarded based on Tuesdays primary results. The remaining delegates will be decided at a state party convention o Saturday. Trump called in to a Michigan GOP watch party in Grand Rapids shortly after the race was called to thank supporters. We have a very simple task we have to win on Nov. 5, Trump, referring to the general election, told the crowd by phone. We win Michigan, we win the whole thing. We want to send a signal, but we want to win Nov. 5, he added. Nov. 5, were going to get this guy out. Were going to change our country. Were going to bring our country back. Haley has been winless in every primary and caucus including in her home state of South Carolina. Despite that she emphasized how she received nearly 40% of the vote in South Carolina and suggested her vote share indicated problems for Trump. Hours before the polls closed in Michigan, Haley spokesperson Olivia Perez-Cubas lowered expectations, suggesting that even a 10% share would signal an appetite for a Trump alternative in the GOP. When early results showed Haley losing Michigan by an even wider margin than past contests, Perez-Cubas reinforced that assertion. Joe Biden is losing about 20% of the Democratic vote today, and many say its a sign of his weakness in November, Perez-Cubas said. Donald Trump is losing about 35% of the vote. Thats a flashing warning sign for Trump in November. Thursday, February 29, 2024 Aaron Bushnell claimed he had secret knowledge of US troops fighting in Hamas tunnels under Gaza just hours before setting himself on fire in an extreme act of protest against Israel, a close friend has revealed. The 25-year-old US airman who served in the Air Forces 70th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) Wing, ranted he had top-secret clearance for military intelligence data in the call to his friend Saturday night, he said. He told me on Saturday that we have troops in those tunnels, that its US soldiers participating in the killings, the friend, whose ties to Bushnell have been verified by The NY Post, claimed. His actual job involves the processing of intelligence data. Some of what he was processing had to do with the Israeli Gaza conflict. One of the things he told me is that coming across his desk was the US military was involved in the genocides going on in Palestine, the friend said, referring to Israels war against the Palestinian terror group Hamas in Gaza. He told me that we had troops on the ground, you know, that were there and were killing large numbers of Palestinians. Theres just too many things I dont know, but I can tell you that the tone of his voice just had something in it that told me he was scared, the buddy said. Ive never heard that tone come out of him. The White House has repeatedly said it will not put US troops on the ground in Gaza and President Biden has said he hopes to negotiate a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas this week. But US Special Operations forces have been deployed in Israel since Hamas Oct. 7 terror attack, according to the New York Times, to identify hostages, including American hostages, after over 200 were taken by the group during their raid. Special Forces have also been on hand to assist with strategy for Israeli troops in Gaza, who are flushing out Hamas members from the network of underground tunnels under the territory, but US says troops are not assigned any combatant roles, the publication added The friend who noted he does not support Hamas in any way, shape or form said he was surprised as Bushnell never previously violated his military clearance.Hes had a security clearance for four years now, and it is the only time that he has ever, as far as I know, broke protocol and gave out information that he shouldnt have, the pal said of their conversation. He was frightened, the friend said of Bushnell, who grew up in a controversial religious compound in a tiny seaside town in Massachusetts, but ended up fatally lighting himself on fire in front of the Israeli embassy in Washington, DC, around 1 p.m. Sunday while screaming, Free Palestine! In the minutes before setting himself alight, Bushnell had a live-streamed a short video address where he said he would no longer be complicit in genocide. In his final Facebook post Bushnell also wrote: Many of us like to ask ourselves What would I do if my country was committing genocide? The answer is, youre doing it. Right now. Thursday, February 29, 2024 - National Assembly Speaker, Moses Wetangula, has ordered a probe into the alleged reports of promotion of LGBTQ activities and mistreatment of Muslim students at Daystar University. Speaking on the floor of the House on Wednesday, Wetangula said he has received reports of gays and lesbians at the institution and also forcing Muslim students to attend the Chapel contrary to their rights to freedom of religion. The Speaker directed the Education Committee led by Tinderet MP Julius Melly to conduct the inquiry and report back within the next 14 days. Wetangula also told Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu, who was in parliament to respond to members questions, to deploy his team for a fact-finding mission to Daystar University to establish the truth on the matter. Go and find out these allegations. Ill direct the Clerk to avail you of the Hansard report of what Nyali MP Mohammed Ali has said. "You will be at liberty to also call the member and discuss with him and appear before the committee of education, Wetangula ruled. Ali had raised the question over the alleged malpractices at the university following complaints about the alleged practice of withholding marks from Muslim students who fail to attend mass at the University chapel. The Kenyan DAILY POST. Thursday, February 29, 2024 - A fresh row is brewing in Meru County after Deputy Governor Isaac Mutuma accused Governor Kawira Mwangaza of plotting to kick him out of office. Speaking yesterday, Mutuma alleged that the county boss had been sending threatening messages to him through proxies, asking him to resign. "We are operating in a very hostile environment in Meru and as deputy governor, I have said time and again that things are escalating from bad to worse," Mutuma said. "Mama Governor through her proxies are sending threats to me, telling me that Mama is proposing that I resign and get the package to engage in other issues out there," the DG added. Mwangaza and her deputy have been at loggerheads over her style of leadership since they were elected on an independent ticket in the August 2022 General Election. The governor, who has survived impeachment twice, has previously accused the deputy governor of being behind an elaborate scheme to hound her out of office. Days before Mwangaza's second impeachment by the Meru County Assembly in October last year, the DG had accused the governor of moving his office from the current Meru County headquarters, where the governors offices are located, to the old headquarters. Mutuma also accused Mwangaza of unilaterally withdrawing his personnel as well as denying his office funding. However, the governor denied the rift with her deputy, saying the matter had been blown out of proportion. She accused the DG of working with her political opponents to undermine her. The Kenyan DAILY POST 3 Shares Share Our mission, should we choose to accept it, is seemingly simple: we are to join forces with another non-profit group in order to deliver medical care to those that need it most on St. Lucia, a West Indian island nation variously colonized by the English and French, with Arawak and Carib roots. It will be our inaugural trip to this Caribbean idyll and our first collaboration with another non-profit, but it will be our second venture as the Women in Medicine arm of Integrative Clinics International (ICI), a Los Angeles-based non-profit supporting medical mission work for more than two decades. ICI has been sending dedicated teams to Falmouth, Jamaica at least twice a year, providing medical and dental care to the surrounding population since 2001. Our sub-group, Women in Medicine, developed organically after our co-leaders met on a joint mission trip to Jamaica and bonded over shared interests in medicine, travel, and family. We are both physicians working in large, urban settings; the fast-paced and high-stakes world of emergency rooms and urgent cares are where we ply our trade. Since our work days are typically taken up with chest pains, abdominal pains, depression, and anxiety not to mention a recent pandemic we quickly jump at the chance to cast off for a new shore. Suddenly we both feel recharged and renewed, and we havent even left. During our last trip, we had the serendipitous good fortune to gather together the finest group of care providers we could ever hope for. So we hastily compose a few emails to our group stating our new directive and our intent to take a week off from current obligationsboth professional and familialand re-focus our volunteer efforts with St. Lucia, now clearly in sight. And, just as quickly, we received replies back: a resounding, Yes, I will come! Count me in! was heard from nearly every former participant. Now, on a mission from ICI, fortified with anticipation, excitement, exceptionally good nurses, and an irreplaceable logistician, we start putting the band back together. We are, as the iconic Gen X movie The Breakfast Club paints it, a variation on a brain, an athlete, a basket case, a princess, and a criminal. Truth be told, we can all lay claim to being at least partial brains, and we harbor no criminals in our ranks. But we also have a former junior Olympic roller skater in our midst; some of us may or may not be on mood stabilizers, though we are too polite to ask, and the St. Lucian Minister of Health himself proclaimed one of our nurses a Caribbean princess. While we are all at various stages in our careers, the beauty of our groupand what brings us all together again for a second medical mission to parts unknownis the abiding care, compassion, respect, and love that we feel not only for our patients but for each other as well. This last point, in particular, we believe, has proven itself key to achieving a successful and restorative mission trip. For instance, we encountered multiple challenges during the months leading up to our trip, in addition to unforeseen circumstances on the ground that might have discouraged a less cohesive group. Confusion about the anticipated protocol for medication dispensing, profuse and redundant red tape during the credentialing process, and differing expectations regarding the roles of each non-profit group were a few of the complicating issues that arose on this trip. Rather than feeling defeated, however, we buoyed one another up when we felt overwhelmed, and we championed the beauty in all that we were able to accomplish, both individually and as a group. Another defining characteristic of our group is the curiosity and desire to step out of our comfort zones. While providing quality care to the underserved is what drives our missions, we are also committed to expanding our knowledge of the host countrys history and culture. This is central to our trips, and helps us frame our work as pleasure. For example, pre-St. Lucia, we shared links to current events in newspaper articles, poems by the Nobel Laureate, Derek Walcott, and ideas for excursions we hoped to go on. We also branded our trip, further confirming our group identity: one physician was able to procure scrubs donated by a female-founded company; one nurse silkscreened tank tops with our group logo; and another physician mailed out a small party-in-a-box, which festively included a recipe for that classic rum drink, the daiquiri. Having traveled with the same group to Jamaica pre-COVID, we all had the easy camaraderie that comes with meeting up after a long absence; laughter and tears both flowed easily. We caught up on each others work lives and personal lives, trading stories of life in the ER and urgent care, GI and IR, and even administration. We shared trade secrets on how to (somewhat) successfully raise teenagers, how to navigate romantic relationships, and how to sustain a sense of control amidst health concerns. We talked about it all. Our medical mission trip was a success twice over. We gave of ourselves and we received. We met with and treated the underserved in two different St. Lucian communities, helping to alleviate a small portion of the overall health burden for the local providers. We also revisited and reinforced mutual feelings of love and respect within both our professional relationships and our friendships. This trip was the restorative balm we all so desperately needed. Even though we volunteered our time, services, and vacation days, we received so much more in return, from both the beautiful country of St. Lucia and from each other. Hollywood could not have written a better ending than that. Belen Gallarza-Wilson is a family physician. Lisa Sanders is an emergency medicine physician. 266 Shares Share The absolute belief in a vast conspiracy is often associated with an unbalanced mind. People suffering from some forms of mental illness are prone to these beliefs, seeing the invisible hand of the CIA behind the music choices on their radio stations. But thats not always the case. Dr. Andrew Wakefield was born in 1956 and completed his medical degree in 1981, becoming a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons in 1985. From 1986 to 1989, he studied tissue rejection at the University of Toronto, and by 1993 he was working back in the U.K. at the Royal Free Hospital in London. It was then and there that he published reports first claiming that the measles virus was associated with Crohns disease, and then two years later, publishing a paper in The Lancet that claimed there was a link between the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine and that disease. Researchers later questioned these associations and found that the claims could not be supported by the evidence, but this didnt slow him down. By 1996, Dr. Wakefield was researching a connection between the MMR vaccine and autism. In 1998 Dr. Wakefield was the lead author of a study involving twelve children that was also published in the Lancet, positing the existence of a new medical condition called autistic enterocolitis and claiming a link between the MMR vaccine, colitis, and autism, reporting that the behavioral abnormalities started within two weeks of vaccination in eight of the twelve children. Rather than wait for peer review, he gave a press conference that generated massive public interest, and the sensationalized news broadcasts terrified many parents into refusing to vaccinate their children. Dr. Wakefield was fine with this, saying that it was a moral issue for him to speak out. Japan took it so seriously that they individualized each vaccine and administered them separately. Generating an excellent dataset that disproved the association. There appears to be no recognized statistically significant link between the MMR vaccine and autism. But how could the good doctor have been so wrong? A reporter for the Sunday Times found the first clue. Reporter Brian Deer reported that some of the twelve children in the study published in the Lancet had been recruited by an attorney who was preparing a lawsuit against manufacturers of the MMR vaccine. Dr. Wakefields publicized claims could sway potential jurors. But the conspiracy didnt end there. It turned out that Dr. Wakefield had applied for a patent on his own vaccine. Keeping the British spelling, the patent application stated that, The present invention relates to a new vaccine/immunisation for the prevention and/or prophylaxis against measles virus infection and to a pharmaceutical or therapeutic composition for the treatment of IBD (inflammatory bowel disease); particularly Crohns disease and ulcerative colitis and regressive behavioural disease (RBD). And went further to say, It has now also been shown that use of the MMR vaccine (which is taken to include live attenuated measles vaccine virus, measles virus, mumps vaccine virus and rubella vaccine virus, and wild strains of the aforementioned viruses) results in ileal lymphoid nodular hyperplasia, chronic colitis and pervasive developmental disorder including autism (RBD), in some infants. So, we have law firms profiting from lawsuits, a long-recognized and reasonably safe medical therapy demonized, and a physician leading the charge while trying to personally profit from the panic. And that brings us to a parallel scam. In the 1990s, it was recognized that pain was being inadequately treated in the U.S., and steps were taken to make it easier to treat pain. State laws were passed to protect doctors who treated pain from overzealous prosecutors who might want to blame every death on these medications. These laws were necessary as it is extremely easy to confuse a medically naive jury into convicting a doctor, especially if the prosecutor accuses the doctor of being greedy and uncaring. For a while, doctors treating pain were left alone. Then came a paradigm shift. After decades of failure, attorneys had finally won against the tobacco industry, bringing hundreds of millions of dollars into the participating states coffers. These funds offset tax cuts that had become politically popular, and politicians started looking for the next target. They needed a cash-rich industry with massive profits that wouldnt look good in court. In stepped the Sackler family and Perdue Pharma. The next factor to align was an epidemic of overdose. This epidemic was caused, in fact, by fentanyl smuggled across the American border at checkpoints, which the federal government had failed miserably at stopping, but the federal government wasnt keen to focus on this failure. They would be happy if a different narrative could be written. This new narrative encompassed calling every fentanyl-related death a prescription-related death in the federal databases. These are used by the states and they quickly recognized a new target. Pharmaceutical manufacturing and distribution companies were targeted for civil lawsuits. At first, these failed. In fact, in some of the trials, the court specifically recognized that the opiate crisis was NOT being caused by prescription medications. Law firms invest millions in publicizing the narrative to win civil suits. The media began to demonize an entire class of medication that had been used safely for over a century. needed to demonize opiates and the doctors who prescribed them. Then, the attorneys could sue the companies that made them, claiming that they were intentionally negligent, shipping too much medication to areas of the country where drug use was high. Law firms started investing in research that backed their point of view. Insurance companies joined forces with the Department of Justice and started targeting doctors they didnt like. Doctors who ordered lots of labs and braces, for instance. Finally, creating an AI that would sift through millions of previously private patient and pharmacy records to create target lists of tens of thousands of patients and hundreds of doctors, eventually marking every doctor in pain management as criminal. Blaming the opioid crisis on physicians overprescribing opiate medications turned out to be very easy. Reporters love to sensationalize a fallen physician and gleefully continue to report millions of morphine dose equivalents as millions of opiate doses. This tainting of potential jury pools, assisted by outrageous exaggerations masquerading as cinema like Painkillers, paid off, giving both the DEA and the states a target-rich environment. Experts are paid to convince juries that using opiates at all is somehow nefarious. Insisting that a good doctor would power taper or not prescribe them at all. Dr. Terry King is one of those experts. He tried to patent a diversion and addiction-detecting algorithm so he could license it to the DEA and personally profit, just like Wakefield, from his fraudulent claims. Suddenly, lawsuits started going in favor of the states, and so far, $54 billion dollars have been taken from pharmaceutical and pharmacy companies. Dont get me wrong. Im not saying these companies were not greedy and uncaring. Im saying they all are. Do you think the companies that keep tweaking insulin production, charging hundreds or thousands of dollars per month for a medication that its physician developer released free to the world out of moral principle, are any different? But what started off as a way to soak the billion-dollar pharmaceutical industry and dictate the practice of medicine in America started having unintended consequences. As doctors saw their colleagues hauled off for daring to treat pain and addiction, thousands of them retired or quit treating those conditions at all. Every doctor shut down or driven out of medicine leaves over a thousand patients scrambling for help, often traveling hundreds of miles to find treatment. The new doctor has now opened himself up to targeting and prosecution as patients drove a long way to see them has been used in hundreds of indictments against physicians as evidence of criminal conduct. Now we have the fallout of these policies. Desperate pain patients try to get their medications on the black market and find instead fake pills that look identical to what they had been on. The overdose rate skyrockets as these patients die, and the DEA uses these statistics to get more support for its war on pain doctors. The states get billions of dollars from the pharma conglomerates, and the prisons stay full. Everyone gets what they want, except, of course, the patients suffering from severe chronic pain and the physicians sitting today in dark cells for the crime of trying to help. But not one member of the Sackler family sits behind bars. In fact, they are happily spending their billions. Other pharmaceutical companies have, like the victims of Stalin yelling Long Live Stalin as they were led away, started demonizing the very opiate medications they were making a few years before. Although it didnt turn out well for the aforementioned communists, this change in attitude has proven very lucrative for the drug companies. Opiates are cheap. The new better treatments for pain are horribly expensive. Hydrocone costs a few dollars per prescription, $40 per 120 pills on GoodRx. While Hysingla, the long-acting and abuse-deterrent form costs about $750 for 60 pills. Despite studies showing no substantial benefit to using the more expensive one, as no one was snorting hydrocodone anyway, you can now be deemed criminal by not using it. If the local U.S. Attorney or DEA agent doesnt understand why. And that brings us to addiction treatment. The same companies that rewarded government regulators for looking the other way are now making huge profits on substance abuse treatments, while doctors actually treating addiction, like Dr. Meredith Norris, are locked away when any patient has a bad outcome or just because the DEA thinks they are prescribing too much medication. All the big players are making out like bandits, literally, while the American people continue to suffer and die. L. Joseph Parker is a distinguished professional with a diverse and accomplished career spanning the fields of science, military service, and medical practice. He currently serves as the chief science officer and operations officer, Advanced Research Concepts LLC, a pioneering company dedicated to propelling humanity into the realms of space exploration. At Advanced Research Concepts LLC, Dr. Parker leads a team of experts committed to developing innovative solutions for the complex challenges of space travel, including space transportation, energy storage, radiation shielding, artificial gravity, and space-related medical issues. He can be reached on LinkedIn and YouTube. Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes! Join Harry Severance, an emergency physician, as we delve into the alarming rise in violence against health care workers. Well explore the root causes of this issue, the impact on health care professionals, the implications of underreporting, and the urgent need for preventive measures. Harry Severance is an emergency physician. He discusses the KevinMD article, Leaders advise us to accept it as a job norm: violence and abuse in the health care workplace. Our presenting sponsor is Nuance, a Microsoft company. Together, Microsoft and Nuance are leveraging their rich digital technology and advanced AI capabilities to tackle some of health cares biggest challenges. AI-driven technology promises to revolutionize patient and provider experiences with clinical documentation that writes itself. The Nuance Dragon Ambient eXperience, or DAX for short, is a voice-enabled solution that automatically captures patient encounters securely and accurately at the point of care. DAX Copilot combines proven conversational and ambient AI with the most advanced generative AI in a mobile application that integrates directly with your existing workflows. Physicians who use DAX have reported a 50 percent decrease in documentation time and a 70 percent reduction in feelings of burnout, and 85 percent of patients say their physician is more personable and conversational. Discover AI-powered clinical documentation that writes itself. Visit https://nuance.com/daxinaction to see a 12-minute DAX Copilot demo. VISIT SPONSOR https://nuance.com/daxinaction SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST https://www.kevinmd.com/podcast RECOMMENDED BY KEVINMD https://www.kevinmd.com/recommended GET CME FOR THIS EPISODE https://earnc.me/tcn0Nt Powered by CMEfy. Molly Katanga, the widow of murdered businessman Henry Katanga, has filed an application seeking bail. The application was filed before the Kampala High Court Criminal Division through her lawyers from Kampala Associated Advocates and Tumusiime and Kabega Company Advocates. Katanga argues that it is her constitutional right to apply for bail, as she is presumed innocent until proven guilty. She states that prior to her transfer to the High Court and subsequent remand to Luzira Womens Prison, she spent over two months at IHK Hospital in Kampala receiving specialized treatment and undergoing several major scalp surgeries. This treatment, she claims is unavailable at Luzira Prison. In her application, Katanga pledges to comply with any bail conditions set by the Court. She also states that she has substantial sureties and a permanent residence at Mbuya I, Mbuya Hill Village, Nakawa Division, Kampala District, which falls within the jurisdiction of the High Court. The prosecution, led by Jonathan Muwaganya and Samalie Wakhooli, alleges that on November 2nd, 2023, at Mbuya Chwa Two Road, Nakawa Division, Kampala Capital City, 55-year-old Molly Katanga with malicious intent murdered Henry Katanga by shooting him dead with a pistol. She is charged alongside her two daughters, Martha Nkwanzi and Patricia Kankwanza, who are accused of destroying evidence related to their fathers death. Additionally, the familys shamba boy, George Amanyire, and male nurse, Charles Otai, are charged with being accessories to the murder. The application is yet to be fixed for hearing BY DEUS BUGEMBE The Katikkiro (prime minister) of Buganda has lauded the Nation Media Group (NMG) for joining the fight to ensure an HIV-free generation. Mr Charles Peter Mayiga, who launched the Kabaka Birthday Run yesterday at Bulange in Mengo, urged other institutions to join the fight against the epidemic. The Nation Media Group, represented by its newly-appointed managing director, Ms Susan Nsibirwa, is one of the sponsors of the 11th edition of the Kabaka Birthday Run that has been set for April 7. We welcome partners like Nation Media Group, who share our vision, Mr Mayiga said. He also commended other partners, who included Airtel Uganda, I&M Bank, Nivana Water, UNAIDs, and the Uganda Aids Commission. The UN programme on HIV/Aids (Unaids) named Kabaka Muwenda Mutebi as goodwill ambassador for East and Southern Africa in the fight against HIV/Aids and Buganda King dom has since championed the fight against the pandemic. He was first appointed in 2017 for three years and was reappointed in 2020 for three more years. Proceeds from Kabaka Birthday Run have previously been used to tackle medical conditions such as fistula and sickle cell. Katikkiro Mayiga said: Our vision is to bring about social and economic transformation for the people in the kingdom and Uganda. We want our people to have a happy and decent livelihood, but the major factor that is going to determine this is health, especially that of the ordinary person because they contribute significantly to the growth of any country. We, therefore, join the efforts of the international community, Unaids, the Uganda Aids Commission, and all people involved in promoting our health in the fight against HIV/Aids. And we should all be happy because the Kabaka is a good ambassador for the African continent,he added. This years theme, Men to fight against HIV/Aids to save the girl child, urges men and male youth to take charge. The UNs Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG 3) aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. The World Health Organisation says Uganda has recorded significant reduction in new HIV infections but the war is far from over. The global health body says while there is a dip in infections, a lot more remains to be done. The Anti-Corruption Court in Kampala has issued a second set of criminal summons against the Minister in charge of Karamoja Affairs, Mary Gorreti Kitutu Kimono, after she failed to appear in court today. Grade one Magistrate Abert Asiimwe issued the summons. The court received a letter from her lawyers, Jbyamukama Advocates, stating that the Minister is ill with high blood pressure. As a result, the magistrate adjourned the case until March 19, 2024, when she is expected to appear. Minister Kitutu faces charges of causing a financial loss of Shs1.5 billion to the government by failing to conduct peace-building activities in the Karamoja sub-region. Minister Kitutu is jointly charged with Geoffrey Seremba, the accounting officer in the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), Magezi Deogratius, under secretary and head of department for the pacification and development program, and Ms. Tracy Atuhairwe, an accountant from the OPM. The prosecution alleges that between February and June 2022, while performing her duties as a minister for Karamoja Affairs, Kitutu failed to conduct peace-building activities, leading to the loss of the Shs1.5 billion. Seremba and Magezi are accused of illegally obtaining benefits by authorizing payment of Shs2.2 billion to various staff for peace-building activities without proper due diligence. A driving disqualification and fines totalling 500 have been handed down to a man convicted of motoring offences at Kilkenny District Court. Alamin Mohammad, 5 Fr Walsh Close, Kilkenny pleaded guilty to several charges: drug driving, driving without insurance and speeding. Garda Tom Loughnane gave evidence that on Saturday, June 17, 2023, he was operating a checkpoint at Deansground, Kilkenny. A Volkswagen Passat turned away from the checkpoint and the garda followed. Garda Loughnane met Mr Mohammad, the driver who admitted he did not have a driving licence or insurance. Mr Mohammad failed a roadside oral fluid and a blood test carried out at Kilkenny Garda Station proved positive for cannabis. A charge of speeding dated from May 21, 2023, the court heard. Mr Mohammad was observed by a speed van driving at 69kph in a 50kph zone at Callan Road. The court was told Mr Mohammad has previous convictions for robbery and assault causing harm and is currently serving a prison sentence. Mr Mohammad cooperated with gardai, his solicitor said. He is 19 and has started his adult life with a four-month sentence. He intends to work in a barbering business he has set up with his brothers on his release from prison, the solicitor added. Judge Geraldine Carthy convicted Mr Mohammad of driving without insurance and imposed a fine of 300. He was also disqualified from driving for two years. For drug driving he was disqualified from driving for one years and an additional fine of 200 was imposed on the speeding conviction. 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. A parliamentary committee has urged the Justice Minister to address concerns about the accuracy and bias in the use of facial recognition technology by gardai. Facial Recognition Technology (FRT) has been cited as a way of speeding up Garda investigations, but has also raised concerns around its accuracy and possible infringement of peoples privacy. Minister for Justice Helen McEntee has said the aim of the FRT Bill is to help gardai trawl through thousands of hours of CCTV when investigating serious crimes. But groups such as the Irish Council for Civil Liberties have raised concern about how FRT could be used by authorities. The technology also resulted in a split at Cabinet, which was addressed when standalone legislation was proposed to regulate the technology and to ease the Green Partys qualms. On Tuesday, the Oireachtas Justice Committee published its pre-legislative scrutiny report into the draft law that would provide for FRT. The committee recommended that the rationale for introducing FRT be published alongside the Bill, and that there should be a periodic, independent, judge-led review included in the legislation of all use of biometric identification. It recommended that the Minister for Justice address both ongoing concern about discrimination or inherent bias and the ongoing concern about accuracy in the technology. It also recommended that after Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said they do not intend to run images against a database that Gardai provide clarify on what exactly FRT would be used for. The Committee also recommends that an Garda Siochana (AGS) and the Department of Justice must urgently clarify some of the following details regarding the database: if it is the intention to provide access to databases; what database they intend to use in respect of retrospective FRT; the source of the database; how a database would be populated if they are to make their own; and the criteria for adding anyone to that database. Thirty-two recommendations were made in total, including redrafting the definition of biometric data in order to bring it in line with EU law; clarifying the access to remedy for those whose rights are breached as a result of FRT; and a requirement that any prosecutions using FRT shall disclose that to the defence before a trial. Chairman of the Justice Committee James Lawless said they had acknowledged its potential use for Garda operations, but noted the concerns that were raised that could lead to miscarriages of justice. We urge the Minister and the Commissioner to address these concerns proactively in public discourse and parliamentary debates to instil greater confidence in the use of such systems, he said on Wednesday. South East Technological University (SETU) hosted the inaugural Enterprise Ireland New Frontiers Programme Showcase at its Carlow campus. The showcase was an opportunity for graduating New Frontiers Phase 2 founders to pitch their innovative businesses to a wider audience that included potential investors for prizes that included cash and specialised training. It also gave stakeholders of the region an occasion to network, build connections, and find common ground with new members of the South-Easts business community. New Frontiers is the national entrepreneurial development programme funded by Enterprise Ireland for individuals with business ideas which have the potential to scale and provide employment. It is delivered throughout the year by SETU at its campuses in Carlow and Waterford. The university has a strong track record of successfully providing a business incubation environment that supports entrepreneurial development and company growth. Speaking at the showcase, Professor Veronica Campbell, President of SETU, said programmes such as New Frontiers that champion new talent and ideas are fundamental to SETUs strategic goals. "Our centres in Carlow and Waterford offer a live entrepreneurial learning environment for start-ups that gives participants the opportunity for full immersion in a commercial eco-system here in the South-East," she said. "Id like to thank our sponsors, META, UNUM, Netwatch, and Carlow Local Enterprise Office for their continued support. The mix of public and private sponsorship is a great indication of the support for entrepreneurial development and innovation in the region. I wish to congratulate our ten New Frontiers entrepreneurs who showcased their businesses today. It is a strong reminder of the range of talent we have in the south east, and that our strength lies in our unity and our ability to collaborate. New Frontiers Programme Manager at SETU in Carlow, Gemma Purcell congratulated winners of Best Pitch Audrey Vance from Activity Time Ireland, and Most Innovative Business Rakesh Rayapurreddi from Egrow Agritech. It was a tough decision for the judging panel to make. I am very proud all the groups achievements and the progress they have made over the past six months. New Frontiers offers a second-to-none support for founders in growing their connections, confidence, and capital. The support package valued at 40,000 is an integral part of this support, allowing them to fully focus on their business," she said. The entrepreneurs and start-ups featuring on the 2023 New Frontiers include: Alex Kelly, Flower Child; Niall Quirke, Suspage Limited; Audrey Vance, Activity Time Ireland; Amit Sharma, D41 Technologies; Isabelle Kidney, Zing; Diarmuid ODonovan, Bloodstock; Olive Maher, Preen Digital; Rakesh Rayapurreddi, Egrow Agritech; Hollianne Phelan, Cotone Collection; and Donnchadh Kelly, Truck I/O. For more information on the New Frontiers programme at SETU and how to apply please contact New Frontiers Programme Manager, Gemma Purcell, gemma.purcell@setu.ie or apply at newfrontiers.ie/register. Applications are now open for the part time New Frontiers Phase 1 at SETU 's Carlow campus, which will start April 17, 2024. LAPORTE Police in Indiana say a Madison area motorist who admitted to having "a lot" of marijuana in his vehicle wasn't kidding. The 28-year-old DeForest man was nabbed with 56 pounds of the illegal drug, 1,000 THC vape cartridges, a variety of marijuana gummy-style candies and syrup, and four jars of THC wax, LaPorte County police said. Police said they were patrolling a local stretch of westbound Interstate 94 Friday morning as part of a drug interdiction team when they noticed a white Kia K5 with Wisconsin license plates violate traffic laws. They stopped the vehicle and the driver reportedly said he was on his way back home from visiting friends in Detroit. Police, noticing a large box in the vehicle that was heavily taped shut, discovering the vehicle was a rental and knowing Detroit to be a drug distribution hub, called out a drug sniffing dog. The dog alerted officers to the presence of narcotics, police said. While the man initially denied there being anything illegal inside the vehicle and denied police permission to search, he later admitted to having marijuana. "I asked (the man) how much, to which he stated, 'A lot,' " police said. The DeForest man reportedly told police the box contained "carts," which is slang for vape cartridges. Police said they discovered 56 bags of marijuana weighing a pound each and the other assorted marijuana products. The DeForest man was taken to the LaPorte County Jail and is charged with a felony count of dealing in marijuana, records show. Shenandoah, IA (51601) Today Some clouds this morning will give way to generally sunny skies for the afternoon. High 42F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Clear skies. Low 29F. Winds SW at 10 to 15 mph. About 150 irate and frightened parents, students, staff and residents attended Tuesday night's Chippewa Falls school board meeting to let officials know about their concerns. Throughout a two-hour discussion about school safety and the Chippewa Falls Area Unified School District's public notification policies and procedures in response to school threats, many of those in the room shared their feelings and frustrations. The school security debate came about after reports in early February that a middle school student threatened to kill classmates, build a bomb and kill themselves. Parents were not notified about the threat in October when school officials and law enforcement learned about the incident. Seven members of the public were allowed to address the board during the public comment time at Tuesdays meeting, which took place in the auditorium at Chippewa Falls High School. One of them was David Kelly, who had attended the middle school. I found out three months later what happened back in October. That truly upset me and devastated me. There is no reason why families of this district were not told about a potential threat to our children's lives. Yes, you stopped the threat, and we will forever be grateful for that. However, by failing to notify the families of this potentially volatile incident, you've lost their trust, Kelly said. As a parent, taxpayer, community member and a concerned citizen, I feel your lack of transparency in this possibly volatile matter deserves accountability. Kelly then asked the board to release superintendent Jeff Holmes from his duties here. Sally Inzerillo, an educational assistant in special education for Chippewa Falls Middle School, praised the actions of officials in preventing an incident but questioned the secrecy surrounding it. It seems to me that our community has lost sight of the main takeaway from this whole event. The plan put into place by our district and the police department worked. The diligent efforts of our resource officer and our administration at the middle school prevented what might have been a horrific tragedy, Inzerillo said. All that being said, I do feel that as a parent and an employee, I would have liked to have been informed that there was an incident. Something of this magnitude cannot be hidden for long and getting in front of it to quell the fears of parents that their kids are safe should have been a secondary priority after the threat was extinguished. 'Anxiety and pain' Matthew Jessop is a grandfather of two children in the school district. He said after Tuesdays meeting ended that he felt disgusted and full of anxiety and pain. Jessop did not address the board. He said he was there to listen and hopefully get some answers. There were no answers. There was no excuse for what Holmes did. It is indefensible. Thats a fact, Jessop said Wednesday. I can tell you I no longer trust this board. I dont trust the superintendent. Everyone is covering their butt. Holmes said Tuesday that as an educator he has always tried to do the best for students and staff with the resources he has available. He said he strives to lead in a moral, legal and ethical manner. I strive to be stoic and that approach emphasizes balance in a currently unbalanced human environment. I want solutions that everyone can live with while understanding that not necessarily everyone may agree with our decision making. Unfortunately, I now live and work in a polarized world where it's often necessary to make unpopular decisions where everyone is concerned, Holmes said. I can understand and empathize with multiple sides of this issue. Most everyone has valid points of consideration. And I and others carefully consider those points during the course of our decision making processes. Alexis and Brandon Ratsch are a young married couple who graduated from high school in 2021. Both attended Chippewa Falls public schools. After the meeting, Alexis said, Someday we're going to have children, and what are we going to do because we don't trust them going to this school. Alexis said she and her husband are already thinking about whether they will homeschool their future kids and what that would mean for the family financially. We need to figure it out now for the future generations, she said. The school board just kept talking about just keeping the kids' identity safe and that's fine. Nobody is arguing with that. We actually thought originally that they were talking about a situation from when we were in school, because when we were in middle school a very similar situation happened and a kid had written a letter or whatever with threats and a year later he was back in high school. It's a recurring thing. Brandon said he thought the handling of the situation and the boards defense of their actions was fine up until the last bit. Like he didn't have to go out and tell us every itty bitty detail, he said. We dont need the kids' names to be public. But the issue is that the community wasnt warned and thats not safe. Who decides? Chippewa Falls resident and grandmother Mary Gebben said the truth is coming out. She feels strongly the district should have notified parents about the situation. The school is not the parents. The parents are the parents. Theyre more worried about defending the guilty one instead of protecting the innocent, Gebben said after the board meeting. Bloomer resident Duane Shoebridge said he believed Holmes' main defense was were professionals, trust us. But he said Holmes is employed by district residents and parents of school children. Yes, he's professional, but not over us. Not over the parents. Hes supposed to inform us, and he didnt because hes too smart for us, he said. They said they don't sacrifice any kid. But they did. How many other victims are they going to sacrifice defending predators? Some parents were concerned that McDonell Area Catholic School kids ride the buses with Chippewa Falls school district kids. The manifesto written by the student who was investigated in October said they were going to go after Christian kids, pretty girls and athletes. The school district did not inform the Catholic schools of the threat, they said Tuesday. Jessop, who graduated from McDonell, said he couldnt believe his ears. To not make a call to the school, the Christian school which is literally right across the street, and let them know that a student was threatening Christian kids is about as big of a botched job as I can fathom, Jessop said. Western Wisconsin hospitals are in line to receive $15 million in state funding to support health care access under a bill signed into law Wednesday by Gov. Tony Evers after the announced closure of two major hospitals in the region. But Republican leaders immediately pledged to block the funding for anything other than the bills original intent after the governor used his powerful line-item veto authority to expand how and where the money could be spent. Rep. Mark Born, who co-chairs the Legislatures budget committee, said he has no intention of releasing the money after the Democratic governor vetoed language limiting the area where the funds could be spent to Chippewa and Eau Claire counties, where the soon-to-be-closed hospitals are located. Officials with Hospital Sisters Health Systems St. Josephs Hospital in Chippewa Falls and Sacred Heart Hospital in Eau Claire, as well as all Prevea Health locations in western Wisconsins Chippewa Valley, last month announced plans to begin laying off employees on March 22 and permanently close the facilities about a month later. Earlier this month, legislative Republicans approved grant funding to pay for emergency department capital expenses at hospitals in Chippewa and Eau Claire counties to help mitigate the impact of the impending closures. The proposal essentially repurposed $15 million originally approved in the state budget for capital improvements at Sacred Heart Hospital funding that has not been used. The measure passed the Senate on a 30-2 vote, but Sen. Jeff Smith said in a statement earlier this month restricting the funds to only capital expenses will do more harm than good if signed into law. We shouldnt unnecessarily constrain our community during this crisis, said Smith, D-Brunswick. Democratic lawmakers in the Assembly proposed amending the measure to address the state Department of Health Services request to broaden the area covered under the bill to include the entire western region of the state and expand what services funds could be spent on. That proposal was rejected by Assembly Republicans. But when Evers signed the bill on Thursday, he used his line-item veto power to essentially accomplish the same thing, expanding the proposals scope to cover more broad health care needs, including urgent care, OB-GYN services, inpatient psychiatry and mental health substance use services. The governors partial-veto also expands the area covered under the proposal to include all 18 counties in the states western region. Evers said in a statement the changes were made to ensure more flexibility so these critical resources can be used for any hospital services to meet the health care access needs of the Chippewa Valley region, no matter what they may be. Its been clear in my visits to the Chippewa Valley region and my conversations with community leaders that the impacts of these recent closures do not end at hospital emergency doors these closures are affecting access to critical health care services across the board, and we have to be responsive to these challenges to meet Wisconsinites and communities needs, Evers continued. Sponsor wants closures addressed Rep. Jesse James, R-Altoona, applauded the bills signing in a statement, noting the timeline was tight, but with a little perseverance, we were able to get it across the finish line. James, who co-authored the bill, said he was concerned that Evers partial veto excessively expands the scope and uses of the funds. We need to ensure the money remains in the area and goes towards the needs and services most impacted by the HSHS closures, James said. The law authorizes the Legislatures budget committee to allocate up to $15 million in grant funding to be directed to hospital services provided in the states western region, with priority placed on hospitals in Eau Claire and Chippewa counties. Evers urged the committee to approve the funding to help stabilize and support health care access across the Chippewa Valley region, and to do so without delay. In a statement Thursday, Born offered harsh criticism of Evers expansions to the proposal. It is unbelievable Governor Evers would veto funding that was intended to support emergency services in Chippewa Falls a community which just lost its last hospital to allow it to be used in any of 18 counties, Born said. The committee will not support a proposal that redirects the funding from this high-need area to anywhere in Western Wisconsin. In a joint statement, Chippewa Valley Republican Reps. Rob Summerfield, of Bloomer; Clint Moses, of Menomonie; Karen Hurd, of Fall Creek; Warren Petryk, of the Town of Washington; Trieg Pronschinske, of Mondovi; Donna Rozar, of Marshfield; Dave Armstrong, of Rice Lake; and James Edming, of Glen Flora, criticized the governors partial veto, which they said creates a slush fund that wont guarantee these funds are used to help the needs of the Chippewa Valley. The lawmakers said they will work with the budget committee and DHS to ensure that this money will be used for its original intent which is to provide emergency services for Chippewa Valley services. Closures affect 1,400 employees Hospital Sisters Health System, a faith-based health system with operations in Illinois and Wisconsin, said last month the permanent closures are part of a complete exit from the western Wisconsin region. The closures affect nearly 1,100 HSHS and 325 Prevea staff and physicians. The organization said it will provide support services and career transition assistance, including the potential to seek positions elsewhere in the organizations, if available. According to the American Hospital Association, 136 rural hospitals closed between 2010 and 2021, as well as a record 19 closures in 2020 alone. More than 600 rural hospitals 30% of all rural hospitals in the country are at risk of closing, according to the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform, because they do not have adequate revenue to cover the cost of the care provided. Today in history: Feb. 28 1993: David Koresh 1996: Princess Diana 2009: Paul Harvey 2012: Matt Kenseth 2013: Benedict XVI 2014: Barack Obama 2018: Dicks Sporting Goods 2018: Walmart 2020: Dow Jones 2021: Andrew Cuomo U.S adults fracture along party lines in support for Ukraine military funding, poll finds A poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that U.S. adults have become fractured along party lines in their support for military aid for Ukraine Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A. (NYSE:BLX Get Free Report) announced a quarterly dividend on Thursday, February 22nd, Zacks reports. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 4th will be paid a dividend of 0.50 per share by the bank on Tuesday, March 19th. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 7.23%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 1st. This is a boost from Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A.s previous quarterly dividend of $0.25. Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A. has decreased its dividend payment by an average of 4.1% per year over the last three years. Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A. has a payout ratio of 19.6% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Analysts expect Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A. to earn $5.10 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $1.00 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 19.6%. Get Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior S. A. alerts: Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A. Trading Up 0.6 % BLX opened at $27.67 on Thursday. Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A. has a 1-year low of $16.26 and a 1-year high of $28.34. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 6.07 and a beta of 1.19. The business has a 50 day moving average of $24.82 and a 200-day moving average of $23.80. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Analyst Ratings Changes An institutional investor recently raised its position in Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A. stock. Thomas White International Ltd. increased its position in Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A. ( NYSE:BLX Free Report ) by 0.3% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 353,718 shares of the banks stock after purchasing an additional 1,021 shares during the quarter. Thomas White International Ltd. owned approximately 0.98% of Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A. worth $5,510,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Institutional investors own 7.02% of the companys stock. Separately, StockNews.com cut Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A. from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday. Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A. About Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A. (Get Free Report) Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior, S. A., a multinational bank, primarily engages in the financing of foreign trade in Latin America and the Caribbean. The company operates through two segments, Commercial and Treasury. It also offers bilateral loans; structured loans including syndicated and clubbed, such as acquisition and pre-export financing, A/B loan financing, bridge loans, and liability management; and project financing. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior S. A. Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior S. A. and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Enerplus Co. (NYSE:ERF Get Free Report) (TSE:ERF) declared a quarterly dividend on Wednesday, February 21st, Zacks reports. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 4th will be given a dividend of 0.13 per share by the oil and natural gas company on Friday, March 15th. This represents a $0.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.94%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 1st. This is an increase from Enerpluss previous quarterly dividend of $0.06. Enerplus has increased its dividend by an average of 24.3% per year over the last three years and has increased its dividend every year for the last 1 years. Get Enerplus alerts: Enerplus Price Performance ERF stock opened at $17.69 on Thursday. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $15.23 and a 200-day moving average price of $16.13. The company has a market capitalization of $3.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.42 and a beta of 1.95. Enerplus has a 52-week low of $12.84 and a 52-week high of $19.01. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09, a quick ratio of 0.80 and a current ratio of 0.80. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Analysts Set New Price Targets Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ERF. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. boosted its holdings in Enerplus by 155.3% during the first quarter. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. now owns 30,620 shares of the oil and natural gas companys stock worth $390,000 after purchasing an additional 18,625 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its holdings in Enerplus by 656.1% during the first quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 135,638 shares of the oil and natural gas companys stock worth $1,723,000 after purchasing an additional 117,700 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its holdings in Enerplus by 13.0% during the first quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 116,659 shares of the oil and natural gas companys stock worth $1,481,000 after purchasing an additional 13,430 shares during the last quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in Enerplus during the first quarter worth about $158,000. Finally, Private Advisor Group LLC purchased a new position in Enerplus during the first quarter worth about $138,000. 56.60% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Several research firms have recently weighed in on ERF. TD Securities reiterated a tender rating and set a $18.85 price objective (down from $21.00) on shares of Enerplus in a research report on Thursday, February 22nd. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price target on shares of Enerplus from $21.00 to $22.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Monday, November 6th. National Bankshares decreased their price target on shares of Enerplus from $25.00 to $21.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 10th. Finally, CIBC decreased their price target on shares of Enerplus from $23.00 to $19.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 16th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $21.69. View Our Latest Research Report on ERF Enerplus Company Profile (Get Free Report) Enerplus Corporation, together with subsidiaries, acquires, develops, and explores crude oil and natural gas in the United States. Its oil and natural gas properties are located primarily in North Dakota, Colorado, and Pennsylvania. Enerplus Corporation was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Enerplus Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Enerplus and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. United Services Automobile Association raised its position in Exxon Mobil Co. (NYSE:XOM Free Report) by 78.9% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 695,403 shares of the oil and gas companys stock after purchasing an additional 306,609 shares during the quarter. Exxon Mobil accounts for approximately 2.1% of United Services Automobile Associations portfolio, making the stock its 7th largest holding. United Services Automobile Associations holdings in Exxon Mobil were worth $81,765,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. raised its holdings in shares of Exxon Mobil by 83.0% during the 3rd quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 1,269,030 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $149,213,000 after buying an additional 575,649 shares during the period. Qsemble Capital Management LP raised its holdings in shares of Exxon Mobil by 34.3% during the 3rd quarter. Qsemble Capital Management LP now owns 4,700 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $553,000 after buying an additional 1,200 shares during the period. Meyer Handelman Co. raised its holdings in shares of Exxon Mobil by 5.9% during the 3rd quarter. Meyer Handelman Co. now owns 390,975 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $45,971,000 after buying an additional 21,895 shares during the period. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Exxon Mobil by 23.5% during the 2nd quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 229,416 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $24,605,000 after buying an additional 43,654 shares during the period. Finally, Pinkerton Retirement Specialists LLC grew its stake in Exxon Mobil by 1.1% during the 2nd quarter. Pinkerton Retirement Specialists LLC now owns 40,900 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $4,387,000 after purchasing an additional 453 shares in the last quarter. 58.53% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Exxon Mobil alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. UBS Group lowered their price objective on Exxon Mobil from $133.00 to $132.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 23rd. Royal Bank of Canada restated a sector perform rating and set a $120.00 price objective on shares of Exxon Mobil in a research note on Monday, February 5th. Erste Group Bank restated a hold rating on shares of Exxon Mobil in a research note on Friday, December 22nd. Mizuho lowered Exxon Mobil from a buy rating to a neutral rating and set a $117.00 price objective for the company. in a research note on Wednesday, January 3rd. Finally, TD Cowen upgraded Exxon Mobil from a market perform rating to an outperform rating and set a $115.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 23rd. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $127.53. Insiders Place Their Bets In other news, VP Leonard M. Fox sold 12,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, December 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $102.65, for a total value of $1,231,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 220,678 shares in the company, valued at $22,652,596.70. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. In other news, VP Leonard M. Fox sold 12,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, December 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $102.65, for a total value of $1,231,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 220,678 shares in the company, valued at $22,652,596.70. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, VP Darrin L. Talley sold 2,400 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $105.00, for a total value of $252,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 30,189 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,169,845. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.06% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Exxon Mobil Stock Performance XOM traded down $0.02 during trading on Thursday, reaching $104.30. 7,853,345 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 18,636,096. The stock has a market cap of $413.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.78, a PEG ratio of 3.79 and a beta of 0.97. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $101.56 and a 200 day moving average of $106.01. The company has a current ratio of 1.48, a quick ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18. Exxon Mobil Co. has a 52 week low of $95.77 and a 52 week high of $120.70. Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 2nd. The oil and gas company reported $2.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.20 by $0.28. Exxon Mobil had a return on equity of 18.51% and a net margin of 10.45%. The company had revenue of $84.34 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $90.03 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $3.40 EPS. The firms quarterly revenue was down 11.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Exxon Mobil Co. will post 9.15 EPS for the current fiscal year. Exxon Mobil Announces Dividend The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 11th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, February 14th will be given a dividend of $0.95 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 13th. This represents a $3.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.64%. Exxon Mobils dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 42.74%. Exxon Mobil Company Profile (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. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding XOM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Exxon Mobil Co. (NYSE:XOM Free Report). 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. Shares of SSAB AB (publ) (OTCMKTS:SSAAF Get Free Report) passed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $6.44 and traded as high as $7.37. SSAB AB (publ) shares last traded at $7.37, with a volume of 435 shares changing hands. SSAB AB (publ) Price Performance The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $7.67 and its 200-day simple moving average is $6.46. SSAB AB (publ) Company Profile (Get Free Report) SSAB AB (publ) produces and sells steel products in Sweden, Finland, Rest of Europe, the United States, and internationally. It operates through five segments: SSAB Special Steels, SSAB Europe, SSAB Americas, Tibnor, and Ruukki Construction. The SSAB Special Steels segment offers quenched and tempered steels, and advanced high-strength steel products. Read More Receive News & Ratings for SSAB AB (publ) Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for SSAB AB (publ) and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. The Butler County Area Foundation Fund is hosting its annual banquet on March 16, 2024. The event will be held at Winfields. Social hour with a cash bar will begin at 5:30 p.m. and dinner will be served at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 each. Tickets are available for purchase from Bank of the Valley (all locations in Butler County), First National Bank, Union Bank & Trust, Cornerstone Bank-Rising City, and Bank of Brainard. The ticket purchase deadline is March 8. For more information or tickets, call Russ Heller at 402-367-6164 or Jacque Masek at 402-367-2327. The Butler County Area Foundation Fund was founded in 1982 and is an affiliate of Nebraska Community Foundation. Taylor Wimpey plc (LON:TW Get Free Report)s share price passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of GBX 127.55 ($1.62) and traded as high as GBX 147.05 ($1.87). Taylor Wimpey shares last traded at GBX 146 ($1.85), with a volume of 7,929,424 shares changing hands. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Separately, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on Taylor Wimpey from GBX 94 ($1.19) to GBX 96 ($1.22) and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Friday, November 10th. Get Taylor Wimpey alerts: Check Out Our Latest Research Report on Taylor Wimpey Taylor Wimpey Stock Down 1.0 % Taylor Wimpey Announces Dividend The company has a current ratio of 5.04, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.51. The companys 50 day simple moving average is GBX 145.30 and its 200-day simple moving average is GBX 127.90. The firm has a market cap of 4.98 billion, a P/E ratio of 878.44, a PEG ratio of -0.99 and a beta of 1.78. The company also recently announced a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 28th will be given a GBX 4.79 ($0.06) dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 28th. This represents a yield of 3.41%. Taylor Wimpeys payout ratio is 6,250.00%. About Taylor Wimpey (Get Free Report) Taylor Wimpey plc operates a residential developer in the United Kingdom and Spain. It builds and delivers various homes and communities. Taylor Wimpey plc was incorporated in 1935 and is based in High Wycombe, the United Kingdom. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Taylor Wimpey Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Taylor Wimpey and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Sweden's ambassador-designate to Pyongyang has been visiting North Korea amid prospects that European countries may reopen their diplomatic missions in the reclusive country following years of North Korea's COVID-19 border shutdown. Chinese Ambassador to North Korea Wang Yajun met with the Swedish envoy, Andreas Bengtsson, on Wednesday and discussed the issue of the Korean Peninsula, the Chinese Embassy in Pyongyang said on its website. Earlier this week, a German diplomat in charge of East Asia affairs visited North Korea in the first known case that a Western diplomat has visited Pyongyang since the reclusive nation closed its border in January 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Some European countries that established diplomatic relations with North Korea, such as Britain and Sweden, have pulled out of Pyongyang in early 2020 due to the North's COVID-19 restrictions. North Korea began opening its border partially in August last year, but it has only permitted China, Russia, Cuba and Mongolia to resume diplomatic activities in Pyongyang. South Korea's unification ministry said North Korea's permission for Western diplomats to visit the North might be related to the latest establishment of diplomatic ties between South Korea and Cuba. Earlier this month, South Korea established diplomatic relations with Cuba in a surprise announcement that could be a blow to Pyongyang, which has long boasted brotherly ties with the Caribbean nation. "Since COVID-19 was brought under control last year, European countries have been sounding out the possibility of reopening their diplomatic missions in North Korea via various channels. But North Korea has shown no reaction," an official at the ministry told reporters. "But given that North Korea has recently showed signs of opening its door, it could be a response to the establishment of the Seoul-Havana ties," he added. Experts said North Korea may not overtly express its complaints to Cuba, but its relations with Cuba may not be the same as before as the news came at a time when Pyongyang newly defined South Korea as its "primary foe." Seoul's foreign ministry said the government is paying close attention to such developments and communicating with international organizations about the ongoing situation. Some diplomatic sources said the trips to Pyongyang by some European delegations are more likely related to maintenance purposes to check their facilities that had been shut down since the pandemic. "As for international organizations, they need North Korea to allow them to go to provincial areas, but apparently they still can't do that," a diplomatic source said. "In this context, it can be seen as working visits by the delegations that include technicians to check the facilities at their diplomatic missions in the North, rather than a sign of improvement in bilateral relations," the source said. (Yonhap) The top diplomats of South Korea and the United States agreed Wednesday to sternly deal with North Korea's provocative acts and continue efforts to block the regime's financial gains through illicit activities. Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul announced the agreement after his hourlong talks with Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the State Department in Washington. It marked their first bilateral in-person meeting since Cho took office last month. Their meeting came amid concerns that Pyongyang could ratchet up tensions ahead of parliamentary elections in South Korea in April and the U.S. presidential vote in November. "At a time of heightened North Korean nuclear and missile threats, (the two sides) agreed to sternly deal with North Korea's provocations, continue efforts to block the North's illicit funds and strengthen cooperation on efforts for human rights," he told reporters after the meeting. Casting the talks as "fruitful and in-depth," Cho also said the two sides agreed to strengthen cybersecurity cooperation and the institutionalization of information cooperation. In addition, the top diplomats agreed to strengthen bilateral "strategic communication at all levels" to realize the two countries' vision for the "alliance in action toward the future." President Yoon Suk Yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden agreed on the vision during Yoon's state visit to the U.S. last year. Cho and Blinken also discussed cooperation to respond to various other challenges, including the war in Ukraine and the Middle East issue. At the start of the talks, Cho stressed that Seoul and Washington have "always moved in lockstep" in the face of regional and global challenges. "We are one in condemning North Korea's increasingly provocative rhetoric and actions that violate multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions, including its export of munitions and ballistic missiles to Russia," he said. "We continue to stand together in supporting Ukraine, and we are united in condemning Houthi attacks and working together to uphold navigational rights and freedoms in the Gulf of Aden," he added. Cho also noted "historic strides" in trilateral cooperation with Japan as evidenced by last year's three-way Camp David summit. "Strengthening our trilateral coordination is essential for addressing common security challenges, promoting stability and enhancing prosperity in the Indo-Pacific," he said. Blinken underscored the "stronger" partnership between Seoul and Washington on a "bilateral, regional and global" basis. "That's largely because of the extraordinary leadership that Korea shows. ... Something that the United States is grateful for," he said. "We're working together on virtually every major challenge that we have to contend with around the world, as well as working together to build even greater opportunities for our people here in the United States and in South Korea." (Yonhap) South Korea and the United States will likely hold talks "in the near future" about a new defense cost-sharing deal, a senior Seoul official said Wednesday, as the current six-year agreement is set to expire at the end of next year. The move comes amid concerns that should former President Donald Trump be reelected, he could drive a hard bargain over the 12th Special Measures Agreement (SMA) for the upkeep of the 28,500-strong U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) in a way that could cause friction in the alliance. "Usually, it takes more than a year to conclude negotiations (on a new SMA). So naturally, there should be a move sometime this year (toward negotiating a deal)," the official said in a meeting with reporters. "In the near future, South Korea and the United States will discuss the defense cost issue." During Trump's presidency, the SMA negotiation was a major bone of contention as he demanded a hefty rise in South Korea's share of the cost for the USFK. He reportedly called for a fivefold increase to $5 billion. Since 1991, Seoul has partially shouldered costs under the SMA for Korean USFK workers; the construction of military installations, such as barracks, and training, educational, operational and communications facilities; and other logistical support. Regarding Japan's diplomatic outreach to North Korea, the official said Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and his U.S. and Japanese counterparts, Antony Blinken and Yoko Kamikawa, touched on the issue during their trilateral meeting on the margins of the G20 foreign ministerial gathering in Brazil last week. "(Cho) delivered (Seoul's) basic stance that all contacts with North Korea, including the contact between the North and Japan, should proceed through close (cooperation) on the prior sharing of relevant information, and that all contacts should proceed in a way that contributes to peace and security on the Korean Peninsula," he said. "All shared the understanding (on the view)," he added. The official also commented on a news report that South Korea's top nuclear envoy, Kim Gunn, resigned to join the ruling People Power Party just weeks ahead of the April parliamentary elections. His surprise departure raised concerns that it could undermine Seoul's policy on North Korea and its coordination with his counterparts in the U.S. and other countries. "It was a personal choice and it would have little effect (on policy implementation)," the official said. Lee Jun-il, the deputy nuclear envoy, will serve as the chief nuclear negotiator until a new head is appointed, according to Seoul's foreign ministry. The ministry will review the appointment at the earliest date possible, it added. The official also noted that First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun has experience as Seoul's top nuclear envoy. "So there isn't any big problem if we transition to an interim system," he said. (Yonhap) By Kim Hyun-bin As preparations for the upcoming Korea-Africa Summit gain momentum, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs convened a consultation with the diplomatic missions of African countries on Wednesday. The meeting reviewed the current status of preparations for the summit scheduled to take place in Seoul this June. Chung Byung-won, deputy foreign minister, presided over the consultation, which saw the participation of 47 personnel from African diplomatic missions in Korea. Among the attendees were 15 resident ambassadors from countries including Gabon, Morocco and South Africa, along with 11 non-resident ambassadors from nations such as Benin, Djibouti and Uganda. Chung shared insights from his recent trip to Ethiopia, where he engaged in discussions with key figures, including the deputy chairperson of the African Union Commission. The discussions focused on enhancing cooperation between Korea and African nations. The meeting provided updates on the progress of preparations, particularly regarding publicity and protocol arrangements for the summit. The diplomatic missions of African countries in Korea commended Korea's communication efforts and stressed the importance of making the summit outcome-driven and mutually beneficial through close collaboration. Before the consultation, First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun paid courtesy visits to the diplomatic missions of African countries in Korea. During his visit, Kim emphasized the pivotal role of African countries' engagement in the success of the summit, asking for continued active participation from the diplomatic missions. Carlos Victor Boungou, the ambassador of Gabon to Korea and chairman of the diplomatic missions of African countries here, expressed full support from the diplomatic missions for a successful summit. Moreover, both sides agreed to convene a senior officials' meeting in the future, with the participation of delegations from various African countries' headquarters. The meeting will focus on issues such as the summit's outcome document. The Korea-Africa Summit is expected to further strengthen ties between Korea and African nations, fostering cooperation in various fields including trade, investment and development. By Park Jae-hyuk Meta founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg indicated the U.S. multinational technology conglomerate's intention to work with Samsung Electronics in the artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductor sector to rely less on chip giant Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, or TSMC, according to the presidential office Thursday. After a 30-minute meeting between the American tech entrepreneur and President Yoon Suk Yeol in Seoul that day, a senior official at Yoon's office told reporters that Zuckerberg recognized Samsung for its status as one of the largest foundry companies in the world. "Zuckerberg said Samsung's status can be the key point in their cooperation," the official said. The Meta CEO is also said to have mentioned his company's reliance on the Taiwanese chipmaker, describing the current situation as "volatile." The operator of Facebook and Instagram had asked TSMC to manufacture two types of AI chips, which were designed by the U.S. firm and unveiled last May. "His remarks mean that Samsung's status can help in stabilizing Meta's heavy reliance on TSMC under the current geopolitical situation," the official said. Meta's Korean operation declined to confirm what its CEO said exactly to Yoon. After Zuckerberg's dinner with Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong a day earlier at the Korean firm's VIP guest house in Seoul, Meta remained silent on what the two discussed during the meeting. Unlike LG, which informed reporters on Wednesday that the company's executives and Zuckerberg had in-depth discussions centered on technological cooperation related to extended reality, Samsung declined to comment on Lee's meeting with the Meta CEO. Industry officials speculated that their discussions revolved around semiconductor cooperation, particularly concerning the production of AI chips, which are necessary for operating Meta's next-generation large language model known as Llama 3. The presidential office said that Yoon told Zuckerberg about the government's support for Samsung's investments in the construction of the world's largest semiconductor cluster near Seoul. The Meta CEO responded positively to Yoon's request to prevent the spread of fake news on social media ahead of elections in Korea and other countries, the presidential office added. Following the meeting with Yoon, Zuckerberg departed for India to attend a wedding ceremony for the son of billionaire Mukesh Ambani, the head of the oil and technology conglomerate Reliance Industries. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday he will travel to South Korea this month as it holds the Summit for Democracy, a signature initiative of President Joe Biden. Meeting his South Korean counterpart in Washington, Blinken said that the summit was "near and dear to the heart of President Biden." "We're grateful that you've picked up the torch on the Summit for Democracy, and I very much look forward to being in South Korea and participating," Blinken said. South Korea is set to hold the summit from March 18 to 20. Biden initiated the summit, which has been primarily virtual, in 2021 to champion democracy, in an explicit contrast to his predecessor and likely 2024 election rival Donald Trump, who befriended authoritarian leaders and refused to accept his own defeat at the polls. A second edition took place in 2023 that was organized largely by the United States but included virtual co-hosts on other continents South Korea, Zambia, Costa Rica and The Netherlands. The first two summits have drawn scrutiny for the invitation list, with the United States declining to invite a number of allies and partners who see themselves as democratic, such as Bangladesh, Singapore, Thailand and Turkey. Hungary, where Prime Minister Viktor Orban has been an outspoken critic of liberal values, has been alone among European Union members not to be invited. South Korea has become a growing partner of the United States, with conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol building defense ties with Washington and seeking to repair historical rifts with fellow U.S. ally Japan. The U.S.-South Korea "alliance is sustained and strengthened by the values we share. We are working to stand up for human rights and democratic values," South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae Yul told Blinken. Cho said Washington and Seoul were also moving "in lockstep" in condemning "North Korea's increasingly provocative rhetoric and actions that violate multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions." (AFP) Kendallville, IN (46755) Today Snow this morning will diminish to a few snow showers this afternoon. High around 35F. Winds NW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of snow 90%.. Tonight Partly cloudy early followed by cloudy skies overnight. A few flurries are possible. Low 27F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph. 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. Shenzhen TV: Its reported that in a statement released on February 28, the UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron said that Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) governments legislative proposals on Article 23 of the Basic Law do not uphold the obligations of the Sino-British Joint Declaration, which will have a negative impact on the people of Hong Kong in the exercise of their rights and freedoms and a risk that the work of international organizations in Hong Kong could be labeled as foreign interference. The UK strongly urged the HKSAR government to re-consider their proposals and will monitor development of this legislation closely. Whats the Ministrys comment? Mao Ning: The UKs statement is a gross interference in Chinas internal affairs and Hong Kong affairs, which lays bare again its deeply entrenched colonial mindset and mentality as a lecturer. China firmly opposes it. The UKs concerns have no ground. First, the Sino-British Joint Declaration by no means put the UK in a position or gave it any right to interfere in Hong Kong affairs. Second, one of the principles that guide the legislation on Article 23 of the Basic Law is to respect and protect human rights, and protect in accordance with the law the rights and freedoms which the residents of Hong Kong enjoy under the Basic Law and the provisions of relevant international covenants as applied to Hong Kong. Third, there is a clear line drawn between acts that constitute an offence that endangers national security, and normal commercial exchanges and activities in the fields of economy, culture and science and technology. The normal activities of foreign institutions and personnel in the HKSAR will continue to be protected in accordance with law. Its worth pointing out that the UKs National Security Act that came into force last year contains many provisions with vague definitions and grants law enforcement agencies sweeping power, which can be easily abused. We urge the UK to find the right mindset, face squarely the fact that Hong Kong has already returned to China, stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs, reflect on its action, and end double standards. Hubei Media Group: The latest data shows that the China-Europe Railway Express made over 85,000 trips in cumulative terms, effectively boosting the development of countries along the routes. Whats your comment? Mao Ning: The China-Europe Railway Express is a flagship project and distinct brand of Belt and Road cooperation. After a decade of ground-breaking and innovative efforts, the China-Europe Railway Express has kept adding new lines and expanding its capacity, providing the Eurasian continent fresh corridors of land transport and new bridges for economic and trade cooperation. Over the past 10 years, along the routes of the China-Europe Railway Express, customs clearance and inspection has been streamlined, the business environment at ports of entry has been improved, and rules and regulations for cross-border transportation have become more standardized. Thanks to the China-Europe Railway Express, China enjoys closer cooperation and more robust trade ties with Central Asia and Europe. A large number of companies specializing in international trade, smart manufacturing, and supply chain service have established presence along the routes. Industries such as manufacturing, trade and commerce, finance and information have been constantly upgraded. More and more European products have entered the life of the Chinese people, while Made in China is becoming more popular in Europe. President Xi Jinping announced at the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation that China will speed up high-quality development of the China-Europe Railway Express, which has been actively supported by countries along the routes. In 2024, we believe the China-Europe Railway Express will continue to run at full speed and inject new impetus into the development of the Eurasian continent. Antara: The Qatari mediators propose Israel to pause its war on Hamas in Gaza during the upcoming Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. Will China also join Qatars proposal and put more effort to stop war during Ramadan? Mao Ning: As the conflict drags on, the dire humanitarian situation continues to worsen in Gaza. The international community must act now and focus all efforts on bringing about a ceasefire and protecting civilians. China supports all diplomatic efforts conducive to deescalation and easing the humanitarian crisis. We call on all parties concerned to stop fighting immediately, do everything possible to prevent casualties among innocent civilians and prevent an even worse humanitarian catastrophe. Bloomberg: Weve seen reports that Wang Yi will head to Australia. Can you confirm this or do you have any details? Mao Ning: With the concerted effort of China and Australia in recent years, the bilateral relationship has returned to the track of sound and steady growth. China values the growth of its relations with Australia and stands ready to work with Australia to deliver on the important common understandings between leaders of the two countries, enhance exchanges across the board and at various levels, cement mutual trust, promote cooperation, handle differences properly and advance the China-Australia comprehensive strategic partnership. On your specific question, I have nothing to offer at the moment. TASS: Starting from March 2, Special Representative of the Chinese Government on Eurasian Affairs Li Hui will visit Russia, the EU headquarters, Poland, Ukraine, Germany and France. What are the important plan and arrangement of Li Huis trip to Russia? Mao Ning: The protraction of the Ukraine crisis does not serve the common interest of the international community. The main objective of the upcoming round of shuttle diplomacy is to build consensus for ceasefire and pave the way for peace talks. China stands ready to continue to play its role and contribute Chinas wisdom to seeking a political settlement of the Ukraine crisis. Bloomberg: President Xi Jinping told Sierra Leones President on a visit to Beijing that the two nations should boost their coordination in the UN Security Council and jointly secure the interests of Africa and developing countries. This appears to be Chinas latest effort to be seen as a leader of Global South nations. Would the Ministry like to provide details on how China plans to protect the interests of Africa and developing nations in this leadership role? Mao Ning: As a developing country, China, a natural member of the Global South, has invariably stood in solidarity with fellow developing countries through thick and thin and firmly upheld the common interests of developing countries. President Xi Jinping has put forth important strategic guidelines and policies to consolidate and deepen our relations with fellow developing countries. We follow the principle of sincerity, real results, amity and good faith and the principle of pursuing the greater good and shared interests, and firmly uphold sovereignty, independence, the principle of non-interference in each others internal affairs, and the legitimate rights and development opportunities of developing countries. We call for an equal and orderly multipolar world to make the international order more just and equitable and to raise the representation and say of developing countries. We call for a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization to share opportunities with other developing countries for common development. China will always stand together with developing countries, work toward building a community with a shared future for mankind, advance together the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, pursue high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, apply the common values of humanity and work for a peaceful, safer and prosperous world with a bright future. Dragon TV: According to reports, the Japanese government protested against the ROK courts ruling which orders a Japanese company to compensate victims of forced recruitment of laborers during World War II. The Japanese Foreign Minister expressed strong regret to the ROK Foreign Minister on the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers meeting. There are media comments saying that despite the improvement of ROK-Japan relations in the past two years, the Japanese side still maintains its erroneous attitude toward historical issues and even becomes more arrogant. Whats Chinas comment? Mao Ning: Forced recruitment and enslavement of laborers is a grave crime against humanitarian law committed by the Japanese militarism during its aggression and colonial rule against the people of Asian nations, including those of China and the ROK. The facts are backed by ironclad evidence and shall not be denied or altered. China has long asked the Japanese government to properly handle relevant issues left over from history with an honest and responsible attitude. Japan needs to face squarely and reflect on that part of history, and show remorse for its historical crimes and respect for the victims through concrete actions. Japan also needs to shape a correct view of history among the younger generation. Only by doing so can Japan truly earn the trust of its Asian neighbors and the wider international community. PTI: Foreign Minister Mr. Wang Yi yesterday met the UN officials in charge of reforms, especially the UN Security Council reforms. There was a readout issued by the Ministry. Several emerging economies, including India, have criticized China, holding it responsible for blocking the reforms in the UN Security Council. I just would like to ask you have there been any concrete proposals put forward by China with regard to the reforms, especially of the UN Security Council? Mao Ning: The reform of the Security Council is an integral part of the reform of the UN as a whole. China supports necessary reform of the Security Council so that it can better fulfill its important responsibilities of maintaining international peace and security and better respond to major global challenges in todays world. We believe that the reform of the Security Council should effectively increase the representation and say of developing countries and give more small and medium-sized countries the opportunity to participate in the decision-making of the organization. Upholding solidarity and cooperation of the international community should be a priority and member states need to seek the broadest possible consensus for a package solution through serious and thorough consultations. The reform should benefit all member states, rather than serving the selfish interests of a few. Bloomberg: President Joe Biden signed an executive order designed to prevent foreign entities from accessing troves of American personal data. This is amid worries that it could be exploited for commercial and military advantage, particularly by China and Russia. Does the Foreign Ministry have a comment on this? Mao Ning: The US overstretches the concept of national security, falsely accuses China of purchasing Americans personal and sensitive data for malicious activities, and prevents the transfer of data to so-called countries of concern including China. These are discriminatory practices clearly targeted at certain countries. China firmly rejects these measures. The Chinese government takes data privacy and security very seriously. We have never asked and will never ask any company or individual to collect or provide data, information or intelligence located abroad against local laws for the Chinese government. We put forward the Global Initiative on Data Security. If the US truly cares about data security, it can publicly endorse this initiative or make similar commitments. We urge the US to stop smearing and discrediting China, effectively safeguard a fair, open and non-discriminatory business environment, and work with others to formulate universal data security rules to enable orderly and free data flows around the world. Bloomberg: Australia and the Philippines have signed an agreement to boost collaboration on maritime security, including promoting respect for international law as they put it. This is the latest sign of their deepening defense ties. Do you have a response to this? Mao Ning: The South China Sea is generally stable at the moment. Relevant countries maritime security cooperation should not undermine other countries interests or disrupt regional peace and stability. PTI: One thing that you mentioned was that the system should not serve the selfish interests of a few countries. This is precisely where the criticism is about the Permanent Five. The entire system is geared up to serve the interests of these Permanent Five while the rest of the countries are left to defend for themselves. Mao Ning: The UN is the broadest-based organization in the world and is therefore able to represent all countries in the world. I dont think that the Security Council only represents the interests of the permanent members but theres a need for necessary reform of the Security Council, so that developing countries and medium and small-sized countries can have more opportunities to take part in the decision-making of the Council. As for how the reform should be carried out specifically, this will require serious and full consultation among UN members and accommodation of the concerns of all countries so that all members will benefit from the reform. Columbus Community Hospital will welcome Boutique29eleven for a one-day clothing sale from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday, March 4, in the hospitals first-floor conference center. The public can browse a selection featuring the latest in womens fashion, in sizes ranging from small-3XL. In addition to clothing essentials, there will also be a variety of accessories and shoes. Proceeds from the event will help benefit medical advancement efforts at the hospital. Organizers will accept cash, check, credit/debit cards and Venmo. Hospital employees can also use payroll deductions. For more information on the Boutique29eleven sale, visit columbushosp.org. Auburn, IN (46706) Today Snow this morning will taper off as a few snow showers this afternoon. High near 35F. Winds NW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of snow 90%.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. A few flurries are possible. Low 27F. Winds W at 10 to 20 mph. An outlet pointed out the "disappointing" performance of TWICE in South Korea, and explained what the group is "lacking" by comparing them to BTS Jungkook. On February 28, the Korean newspaper TenAsia compared TWICE to BTS Jungkook's performance, especially in South Korea. Contrary to their title "3rd-gen Nation's Girl Group," TWICE's latest album is showing poor results in the Korean music charts. With this, the media discussed what it was lacking by using BTS Jungkook's "formula of success" as an example. TWICE's 'With YOU-th' Earns Poor Reaction from South Korea Music Charts Earlier on February 23, TWICE unveiled their 13th mini-album, "With YOU-th," along with its title track "ONE SPARK." Since release, it has been showing off its potential in international charts, topping the iTunes To Album Charts in 23 countries around the world. It has been about a week since it was released, but both the album and song are still showing lacking performance in the Korean charts. Contrary to other fourth-gen and fifth-gen artists, the girl group, which is considered an A-class girl group, can't be found in the Top 100 of the MelOn Chart. On the Hot 100, it failed to reach even the Top 10. Clearly, compared to TWICE's performance in the 2010s where the girl group always sat atop all the Korean music charts, this is "disappointing." K-Media Highlights Reason TWICE Failed to Reign Korean Charts With 'ONE SPARK' With this, TenAsia claimed that what went wrong with TWICE's new release was their choice of genre that doesn't follow the current "easy-listening" music trend. The media described the girl group's new song as "complicated." Although the track follows TWICE's usual fast, kitsch and lively music concept, "ONE SPARK" is characterized by a fast and complex drum and bass that is unfamiliar to the general public. This genre suits the music preference of the Anglo-American music market, but the media implied that they shouldn't ignore the Korean music fans, pointing out that they need a clever strategy to keep track of domestic trends while targeting overseas markets. The article then referenced Jungkook's success story through its global hit "SEVEN," which catered to both international and local fans' tastes. It has been about eight months since the song was released, but it remained in the MelOn chart for more than three months and is constantly loved by both Korean and foreign fans. An industry expert stated the reason for Twice's poor performance in Korea, saying: "The fatigue caused by glamour. Unlike in the past, more music fans feel tired of the flashy and complicated sounds in 2020s. If you use too many instruments within a set amount of time, both clarity and concentration will decrease. "Recently, K-pop's music composition is showing a trend of becoming simpler. In a situation where music composition trends have changed, the previous splendor may feel tiring or somewhat old-fashioned to the public." READ MORE: TWICE Neglecting Promotions in Korea? K-ONCEs Plead Group's Domestic Activities, Music Shows, More For more K-Pop news and updates, keep your tabs open here at KpopStarz. KpopStarz owns this article. Written by Eunice Dawson. The skull of a saint was placed in front of the altar at St. Johns Catholic Church on the Creighton University campus on Tuesday. At first glance, it looked like a normal skull, beyond missing its jawbone. The eye sockets and nasal cavity remained clearly defined. But what makes the skull unusual is its age and who it belonged to: The canonized saint Jean de Brebeuf, who was brutally killed nearly 400 years ago. Jesuit chapters have taken Brebeufs skull, a holy relic, on a tour of the United States this year. A selfless life A Jesuit French missionary, Brebeuf spent about 20 years in what is now the Canadian province of Quebec in the early to mid-17th century. There he embedded himself with the Huron Native American tribe. Brebeuf first gained notice from his unusual size as he stood about 6 feet tall, said Isaac Beck, custodian of the relic. Brebeuf developed a reputation of respect, earning the affectionate nickname of Echon meaning the one who carries the heavy load, Jesuit Rev. Eric Immel said Tuesday. Brebeuf learned the ways and customs of the Huron tribe, Immel said. Eventually, Immel added, Brebeuf learned and documented the tribes language in a dictionary. It was the first time anyone had written down the tribes language that previously had only been spoken, Jesuit Brother Matt Wooters said. After Brebeuf was forced to go back to France due to illness for four years, Immel said other missionaries heard requests for Echon to come back to them. Eventually he did come back and spent close to two decades living among tribe members and converting thousands of people to Christianity. The 55-year-olds work and life were cut short in 1649 after he was captured by a raiding Iroquois tribe, according to a biography on the Society of Jesus website. Having heard about Brebeufs actions, the Iroquois subjected Brebeuf to ritual torture. The Society of Jesus said the torture methods included the Iroquois pouring boiling hot water over Brebeufs head in an apparent mockery of baptism. Even as he was being tortured, Brebeufs encouraged his fellow captured Christians to remain strong, according to the Society of Jesus. He made a vow years before that if he was in a situation where he was going to be martyred, he wouldnt run. He would embrace it, said Isaac Beck, custodian of the relic. Brebeuf eventually died when he was dismembered and his heart was taken out of his body, according to the Society of Jesus. Brebeuf and seven other Jesuit missionaries were canonized as saints in 1930, according to Salt and Light Catholic Media Foundation. Brebeufs skull keeps his legacy alive Before this year, Brebeufs skull has never been taken to the United States, Beck said. As part of an effort to educate more people about Brebeufs life and work, as well as an attempt to recruit more missionaries, three Society of Jesus provinces have taken the skull exclusively by ground transportation from Canada to most regions of the United States. We want a lot of people to see it and pray with it, Beck said. Its a difficult and time-consuming task, requiring a padded case to preserve the centuries-old skull and ensuring the skull is never left unattended. Its irreplaceable, Immel said. Its a singular object. The responsibility to keep it protected is one we take pretty seriously. Immel said the Ursuline Sisters in Quebec possess the bottom half of Brebeufs skull. Having made its way through the mountain and southern regions of the United States, the upper half of Brebeufs skull is now making its way through the Midwest. The skull is expected to be on display for one day on Wednesday at the St. Thomas Aquinas Newman Center close to the University of Nebraska-Lincolns main campus. Everywhere Brebeufs skull has been, it has drawn admiration and inspiration, Wooters and Beck said. Dozens of written prayer requests could be seen Tuesday underneath a painting depicting Brebeuf. Some people have shed tears, Beck said. Young people have particularly gravitated toward the skull, Wooters said. Young people are very moved by this because its very real, Wooters said. Theres something here thats beyond their day-to-day lives in their world. While Brebeuf may be long gone, his skull ensures his legacy lives on, Wooters said. The symbols matter because they tell us the story of something bigger, he said. Photos: Warren Memorial Hospital becomes first rural emergency hospital in Nebraska. Spanish-speaking community members interested in starting or improving their child care businesses are invited to attend a free conference presented in Spanish. Growing Together: Spanish Child Care Educators Conference is set for 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 27, at College Park, 3180 W. U.S. Highway 34, in Grand Island. This year's conference has been carefully curated to provide valuable insights and resources for child care professionals, said Brissa Borjas Esparza, senior business development specialist with the Center for Rural Affairs. The lineup of workshops is truly comprehensive and designed to address key aspects of child care operations and development. These workshops collectively contribute to a holistic approach to child care business development. Sessions will focus on emergency evacuation planning, healthy use of social media with children and families, self-care for early educational professionals, supporting children with challenging or difficult behavior, helping child care business owners get organized with accounting and bookkeeping, becoming an early child care educator, and best practices. Anyone with a child care business is welcome, from aspiring entrepreneurs to those seeking to improve existing businesses. Limited stipends are available for participants traveling more than 100 miles. Organizers of the conference include Center for Rural Affairs, Central Region Early Learning Connection, Education Service Unit 10, Nebraska Department of Education, Multicultural Coalition, First Five Nebraska, Communities for Kids, Nebraska Children and Families Foundation, Nebraska Early Childhood Collaborative, Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, University of Nebraska Extension, Buffett Early Childhood Institute, Child Saving Institute, Por Todos Los Ninos, Karime Child Care LLC, Lexies Little Sunshines Childcare, and Community Action of Western Nebraska. Registration is required by April 22. Visit cfra.org/events to register and for more information. For questions or assistance in registering, contact Brissa Borjas Esparza at brissabe@cfra.org or 402-870-2749. India PR Distribution New Delhi [India], February 29: Appy Pie Connect, a leading workflow automation platform, has announced integrations for major platforms including Wix, Shopify, Slack, Zoom, Netsuite, and FedEx into its already robust lineup. This enhancement enables users to streamline their business operations by connecting their preferred apps through Appy Pie Connect's AI-powered integration platform, thereby optimizing productivity and efficiency across various functions. Also Read | Bengaluru Shocker: BTech Student Parties in Goa with Friends After Murdering Aunt in Bengaluru, Confesses to Police. The Appy Pie Connect app directory currently supports over 1000 apps allowing its customers to integrate their desired apps. With the inclusion of Wix, Shopify, Slack, Zoom, Netsuite, and FedEx, users can now automate tasks across e-commerce, communication, video conferencing, and logistics with ease. By leveraging machine learning algorithms, Appy Pie Connect analyzes data to automate workflows intelligently, enabling businesses to make informed decisions that optimize their operations. This AI-driven approach ensures that businesses can achieve higher efficiency and productivity by minimizing manual tasks and focusing on strategic growth initiatives. Also Read | India Digital Awards: Open Network for Digital Commerce Wins 'Start-Up of the Year' Award. The platform is designed to support businesses at every stage of their growth. From startups to established enterprises, the platform offers scalable solutions that adapt to the unique needs of every business. With its intuitive drag-and-drop interface, Appy Pie Connect makes it easy for users to create custom workflows between their favorite apps without the need for coding skills, saving time and resources. "Adding Wix, Shopify, Slack, Zoom, and FedEx into Appy Pie Connect's app directory marks a significant milestone in our mission to provide businesses with the tools they need to succeed in the digital age," said Abhinav Girdhar, Founder and CEO of Appy Pie. "We are committed to continuous innovation and are excited to see how our users leverage these integrations to streamline their operations and achieve their business goals." Appy Pie, a Trademark of Appy Pie LLP, is a leading no-code development platform that enables individuals and businesses to transform their ideas into reality without technical knowledge. Recognized globally for its comprehensive suite of no-code tools, Appy Pie's offerings include an app builder, website builder, workflow automation, graphic design software, chatbot builder, help desk software, and live chat software. With a focus on user-friendliness, affordability, and innovation, Appy Pie has emerged as a top choice for businesses of all sizes seeking to thrive in the digital ecosystem. For more information on how Appy Pie Connect can transform your business operations with its new integrations, please visit: https://www.appypie.com/integrate/ Media Contact Abhinav Girdhar sales@appypie.com +1 888 322 7617 (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by India PR Distribution. 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) Dindori, February 29: Fourteen people were killed and 20 others injured when a pick-up vehicle overturned in Madhya Pradesh's Dindori district in the wee hours of Thursday, a police official said. The accident took place near Badjhar Ghat at around 1.30 am when the vehicle's driver lost control over the wheels. As a result, the vehicle overturned, killing 14 people and injuring 20 others, the official said. The victims had gone to Amhai Devri village to take part in a programme in the district's Shahpura block and were returning when the accident took place. Madhya Pradesh Road Accident: Four Killed, Three Injured As Car Hits Divider in Shivpuri District (Watch Video). Road Accident in Dindori: Soon after getting information about the incident, Dindori collector and superintendent of police rushed to help the victims. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav expressed grief over the incident and announced an assistance of Rs 4 lakh each to the kin of the deceased. Bengaluru, Feb 29 (PTI) Police have subjected seven people to inquiry in connection with supporters of Congress leader Syed Naseer Hussain, who was elected to the Rajya Sabha, allegedly raising pro-Pakistan slogans, the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Thursday as the opposition BJP and JD(S) stepped up their attack on the Congress regime. Also Read | Sandeshkhali Case: Shahjahan Sheikhs Close Aide Amir Ali Gazi Arrested by CID From West Bengal-Jharkhand Border. The BJP demanded that the Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot recommend dismissal of the Government. "This act of anti-national slogans from Naseer Hussain's supporters need to be thoroughly probed by the NIA/IB, national agencies and culprits to be booked under the law and need to be punished," a delegation led by Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R Ashoka told the Governor in Raj Bhavan. Also Read | Infanticide in Gujarat: Desperate for Son, Man Kills Five-Month-Old Daughter in Ahmedabad, Arrested. "This government has failed utterly to comply with the Law and Order situation and to uphold the Constitutional values," he added. Speaking to reporters, Ashoka alleged that the Congress has been trying to cover up the case as it has planned to tamper with the Forensic Science Laboratory investigation report. In the Legislative Assembly, Siddaramaiah assured that based on evidence strict action will be taken against those who chanted the slogans, and the government has no intention to protect any one. The Chief Minister was responding to protests by opposition BJP and JD(S), which rocked the proceedings of the House for the second consecutive day, with their members trooping into the well of the House and later staging a walkout. Hussain's supporters allegedly shouted "Pakistan zindabad" slogans, while celebrating his victory in the Rajya Sabha polls in the corridors of "Vidhana Soudha", which houses the legislature and state secretariat, on Tuesday. A purported video of the incident was telecast by TV news channels and it also had gone viral on social media. "The government has taken the issue seriously. We need not learn patriotism from you. In accordance with law seven people have been subjected to inquiry and their statements have been recorded. Investigation is going on. FIR was registered suo moto. If the government was not serious we would not have booked a suo moto case," Siddaramaiah said. Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje, meanwhile, called for a centrally monitored investigation by the NIA into the alleged raising of pro-Pakistan slogans in the corridors of 'Vidhana Soudha' here. Terming the incident as a "security breach of seditious nature", the senior BJP leader said it is imperative to uncover the identities of the perpetrators and any potential instigators behind this reprehensible act. "Also, the local law enforcement agencies may face undue pressure or influence", she said urging the Ministry of Home Affairs to initiate an NIA probe. The Chief Minister said: "Whoever it is, those who have shouted 'Pakistan zindabad' slogans, strict action will be taken against them. We are not sitting quite waiting for the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) report, an investigation is going on," Home Minister G Parameshwara said an investigation is on, and the police are awaiting FSL report to have technical evidence to know the truth. "The government has taken it seriously and will take strict action. There is no need for the government to protect anyone." Not convinced by the government's clarification, opposition members continued their protest from the well of the House shouting slogans against the government, even as Siddaramaiah replied to the discussion on the budget. Ashoka said there is no trust in this government as no action has been taken yet to "nab the culprit and punish him"; instead, attempts seem to be on to shut the case. "The government is trying to protect the 'desha drohis' (traitors)." This government has no moral grounds to stay in power even for a minute, he said, demanding the government's and Chief Minister's resignation. "They have colluded with desha drohis. This government is in favour of terrorists. We will meet the Governor asking him to sack this government," he said, as he announced that the opposition will stage a walkout. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Guwahati (Assam) [India], February 29 (ANI): The United Opposition Forum, Assam on Thursday submitted a memorandum to the President through Assam Governor Gulab Chand Kataria opposing the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Congress, Aam Aadmi Party, All India Trinamool Congress, Asom Jatiya Parishad (AJP) and 12 other political parties met the Assam Governor and submitted a memorandum to the President through him requesting that the law should be implemented in the state. Also Read | Delhi Shocker: 15-Year-Old Boy Stabbed to Death Inside Park in Inderpuri Area After Altercation, Three Juveniles Arrested. The United Opposition Forum led by Assam Congress president Bhupen Kumar Borah, TMC Assam president Ripun Bora, and AJP president Lurinjyoti Gogoi met the Assam Governor at Raj Bhavan in Guwahati and submitted the memorandum. Assam Congress president Bhupen Kumar Borah said that the CAA is anti-constitutional and the people of Assam will not accept the CAA. Also Read | Karnataka Assembly Session: BJP MLAs Protest in Vidhana Soudha Demanding Action on Alleged 'Pro-Pakistan Slogan' Incident (Watch Video). "If the government will not listen to the voice of the people of Assam, then all 16 political parties will unitedly start a mass movement against CAA in Assam," Bhupen Borah said. TMC Assam president Ripun Bora and AJP president Lurinjyoti Gogoi said that the situation in Assam in the context of illegal influx is completely different compared to the other parts of the country, so the government should rethink about implementation of the CAA. On the other hand, talking about the seat sharing of the 16 political parties United Opposition Forum, the Assam Congress president said that, discussions on the seat sharing are going on and it will be finalized soon. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is expected to announce the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) 2019 regulations prior to the enforcement of the model code of conduct, sources said. The CAA rules, introduced by the Narendra Modi government, aim to confer Indian citizenship to persecuted non-Muslim migrants - including Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, and Christians - who migrated from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan and arrived in India before December 31, 2014. Following the passage of the CAA by Parliament in December 2019 and its subsequent Presidential assent, significant protests erupted in various parts of the country. Sources privy to the development told the ANI that "the regulations for the CAA could be announced anytime before the enforcement of the model code of conduct". On December 27, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had asserted that the implementation of the CAA cannot be halted as it stands as the law of the land. He had also accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of misleading the public regarding this matter. Under the Citizenship Act of 1955, Indian citizenship by registration or naturalization is granted to non-Muslim minorities from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan in nine states such as Gujarat, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and Maharashtra. It's notable that authorities in districts of Assam and West Bengal, both politically sensitive regions on this matter, have not been empowered with these citizenship-granting authorities thus far. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Guwahati, Feb 29 (PTI) The Customs Department on Thursday handed over a 206-year-old tracker telescope of the British East India Company to the Archaeological Survey of India. The rare telescope was seized in 2018 near Rangia in Assam's Kamrup district by the Customs sleuths when it was being smuggled from West Bengal to Bhutan, Central Excise and Customs Chief Commissioner (Guwahati Zone) Bandhana Deori told reporters here. Also Read | Cabinet Approves Three Semiconductor Fabrication Units, To Generate 20,000 Advanced Technology Jobs and 60,000 Indirect Jobs. "After its seizure by the Guwahati Customs Division, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) was requested to verify its genuineness," she added. The expert committee of ASI, Kolkata examined the telescope and confirmed the seized tracker telescope with the inscription 'UK EAST INDIA COMPANY, 1818, SI.NO.LEO103' and engraved with a logo of a crown, a spider and a scorpion, Deori said. Also Read | Indian Innovation Key to Solving Health, Agriculture and Climate Issues, Says Microsoft Co-Founder Bill Gates. "Declaring it as an antique item, the ASI further informed the Customs that this is a navigational and observation tool used by the British East India Company during the early 19th Century and it was designed for a variety of purposes, including navigation, exploration and warfare," she added. The seized tracker telescope and documents were handed over by Customs Division Guwahati Deputy Commissioner Varun Yadav to ASI Assistant Superintending Archaeologist Anurag here in the virtual presence of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman from New Delhi. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Guwahati, Feb 29 (PTI) A day after opposition parties of Assam threatened a state-wide bandh if the Citizenship (Amendment) Act is implemented, DGP Gyanendra Pratap Singh on Thursday warned that financial losses, estimated to be Rs 1,643 crore a day due to the agitation, can be recovered from the organisers. The United Opposition Forum Assam (UOFA), formed in the state in line of Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), on Wednesday announced that a state-wide bandh will be called the very next day of the contentious Act coming into force, followed by 'gherao' of the Janata Bhawan (the secretariat) on next day. Also Read | Karnataka Assembly Session: BJP MLAs Protest in Vidhana Soudha Demanding Action on Alleged 'Pro-Pakistan Slogan' Incident (Watch Video). In a post on X, Singh shared two pages of a Gauhati High Court order on bandhs, pronounced in 2019, and posted his own post on the issue from June 2022. "Needless to say that with the GSDP of Assam pegged at Rs 5,65,401 crore, loss from a day's bandh would be approximately Rs 1,643 crore recoverable from those who call for such a bandh in accordance with para 35(9) of the aforementioned order of the Hon'ble Gauhati High Court order," he added. Also Read | Uttar Pradesh Shocker: Woman Kills Husband With Grinding Machine in Lucknow Over Suspicion of Extra-Marital Affair, Arrested. Reacting to the DGP's post, Raijor Dal chief and MLA Akhil Gogoi said there will be no problem at all if the CAA is not implemented. "You (Centre) will bring a draconian law and if we protest, then we will be punished for making the losses. Who is to be blamed for this loss? Is it BJP or us? They are planning to give citizenship to 15-20 lakh Bangladeshis and we cannot even protest! "Who is this DGP? Why does he not tell the Centre to withdraw this law if he is so concerned about the financial losses to the state?" asked Gogoi, who had spent 567 days in jail for his alleged role in violent anti-CAA agitation of 2019 before a Special NIA Court cleared him of all charges. Gogoi, who is the Chief Spokesperson of the UOFA, claimed that Assamese identity and culture will die if the CAA is implemented in the state. The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA) seeks to provide Indian citizenship to Hindus, Jains, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Parsis entering India on or before December 31, 2014 from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan after five years of residence here. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Recently, amid renewed concern about the brain drain, my thoughts returned to a particularly inspiring moment during Nebraska Community Foundations 2023 annual celebration. At the end of her lunch plenary speech, Takaylynn Hergott of Hebron asked any attendees under the age of 25 to stand. As the applause faded, she told the audience to look around the hall at her peers who remained standing. This, she said, is the future. It was a powerful scene, and it hinted at something weve heard time and time again at NCF. Countless young Nebraskans have expressed a willingness, even a desire, to return to their hometowns and build a life. Yet Nebraska is now at or near the top of states (in percentage terms) in the net loss of college graduates. What should we do? To reverse the brain drain we need to evolve our conventional wisdom. For so long, the prevailing narrative was that people seek jobs thats no longer the case. For the first time in my life, jobs are now seeking people. Communities are seeking people. I first observed this phenomenon about a decade ago, and the last five years have seen it rooted in our reality. With the rise of remote work, a communitys quality of life matters more than ever. Exceptional schools (including early childhood development); quality health care; recreational and outdoor amenities; ample and affordable housing; and trusting relationships are all now at least as important as the right job. Prospective employees expect all these assets to be in place. To adapt, we must think differently. We must understand that people live in or move to communities, not states or regions. Dozens of affiliated funds in the NCF network are already focused on a three-pronged strategy to make a difference. Those three elements are: 1. Encouraging residents to give charitably to build local endowments: we co-own what we help to co-create. Endowments built collectively by the community for the community help all of us feel a greater sense of ownership and pride in our homeplace. 2. Granting the payout from these endowments to improve education, health and wellness and quality-of-life amenities: to be a community of choice for people with options, we need money (endowment payout) to provide a margin-of-excellence to make our schools, medical services, libraries, and community and recreational amenities top notch. 3. Inviting homegrown college students to build community with us: we must build and sustain trusting relationships. It is through those connections that positive change happens. Many of our community-based affiliated funds host college students like Takaylynn each summer as part of Nebraska Community Foundations Hometown Interns program. These students already know their homeplace, have long-standing relationships and are in a wonderful position to share fresh perspectives on local assets and opportunities. They spend their summer uncovering and mapping the goodness in their hometown and sharing those discoveries with their affiliated fund and other community leaders. Nebraska Community Foundation has now completed five years of this program. Our findings are powerful, with these three rising to the top: All hometown interns express a new sense of appreciation for their family and other adults in their community who helped them have a wonderful childhood. All express how surprised they were to discover so many assets so close to home. Examples include local creatives (artisans, musicians, woodworkers, quilters), small businesses, volunteer groups, community services, history, festivals, traditions, etc. Many hometown interns express a greater desire to live and work in their hometown than when they started their internship. NCF affiliated funds benefiting Ainsworth, Albion, Auburn, Chester, Columbus, Deshler, Diller, Hebron, Howells, McCook, Nebraska City, Norfolk, Ogallala, Red Cloud and West Point have all now hosted two or more Hometown Interns. And its making a difference. Takaylynn is among the growing number of interns who have said they plan on returning to Greater Nebraska after graduation. Some have already planted roots in their hometowns. We need to customize our people attraction work for each young person, not a generation writ large. The Hometown Interns program is one version of that customized approach, encouraging young Nebraskans to see their homeplace with fresh eyes and use established relationships to ask authentic questions about what if and whats possible. In other words, this work opens the door to intergenerational cocreation, which is the secret sauce for any community to thrive and prosper. There is no simple way to reverse the brain drain, but we can start by asking young Nebraskans this simple question: will you help us build a Greater Nebraska? New Delhi, Feb 29 (PTI) The Centre has asked states and Union Territories not to segregate prisoners on the basis of their caste and religion and to stop assigning duties like managing prison kitchens according to the discriminatory approach. In a communication, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said the jail manuals of some states provide for segregation of prisoners based on their caste and religion and they are being assigned duties in the prisons accordingly. Also Read | Sandeshkhali Case: Shahjahan Sheikhs Close Aide Amir Ali Gazi Arrested by CID From West Bengal-Jharkhand Border. "It may be noted that the Constitution of India prohibits any kind of discrimination on the grounds of religion, race, caste, or place of birth. The Model Prison Manual, 2016 prepared by the Ministry of Home Affairs and circulated to all states and UTs in May 2016 explicitly prohibits caste and religion-based discrimination of prisoners in the management of kitchen or cooking of food on caste or religious basis," the communication said. "The manual also provides that any special treatment to a group of prisoners belonging to a particular caste or religion is strictly prohibited," it added. Also Read | Infanticide in Gujarat: Desperate for Son, Man Kills Five-Month-Old Daughter in Ahmedabad, Arrested. The MHA said the prison manual also provides that no classification of prisoners shall be allowed on grounds of socio-economic status, caste or class. All states and Union Territories are requested to take note of the above and ensure that their prison manual or prison act should not contain such discriminatory provisions, it said. The MHA said in case any such provision exists, immediate steps must be taken to amend or remove the discriminatory provision from the manual or the act. It is reiterated that there should be no caste-based assignment of duties or work in the prisons, it said. The MHA said it has been the constant endeavour of the central government to reach out to the prison authorities of the country and provide them assistance in the form of financial aid for technology-driven projects as well as sharing contemporary best practices and guidelines on varied aspects of efficient prison administration from time to time. As part of this exercise, the MHA said, the medical care of prisoners is one of the significant concerns of prison management. The MHA said it has been advising the states and Union Territories from time to time to ensure that due importance is given to the physical and mental well-being of prisoners. To maintain uniformity in the process of medical check-ups of prisoners, the Model Prison Manual 2016 provides for the procedure to be followed by the states and Union Territories. The MHA said health check-ups of prisoners especially those who are old and specially-abled should be conducted regularly. Special health check-ups of women prisoners and transgender prisoners should also be conducted besides periodic check-ups or screening of inmates for their mental well-being, it 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 29 (PTI) The Congress on Thursday accused the BJP government of not fulfilling its promises to farmers such as doubling their income and said "enough with the jumlas", it is time to answer the people now. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said 16 years ago, the Congress-UPA government had waived Rs 72,000 crore farm loans and interest of 3.73 crore farmers. Also Read | Indian Innovation Key to Solving Issues Related to Health, Agriculture, Gender and Climate. Says Microsoft Co-Founder Bill Gates. "This was the guarantee of Congress which was fulfilled. Modi ji made two big promises to the farmers -- first, cost+50 per cent of MSP and second, to double the income of farmers by 2022. Both 'Modi's guarantees' turned out to be fake, and the condition of farmers became worse," the Congress president said in a post in Hindi on X. "Now Congress has again promised the farmers -- We will give legal guarantee of MSP to 15 crore farmer families. Only Congress fulfils its guarantee," he asserted. Also Read | Telecom Firms Need Not Deduct Tax at Source on Profits To Be Made by Their Distributors, Says Supreme Court. In a post on X, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh referred to Modi's virtual address the people of Madhya Pradesh and said that amidst the inevitable wave of "lies and propaganda" that will unfold, the people of Madhya Pradesh have questions for him. "In 2014, the BJP manifesto had promised that it would ensure 'a minimum 50% profit over the cost of production' for farmers. In the Madhya Pradesh assembly elections 2023, the BJP had promised the farmers that MSP for wheat would be fixed at Rs 2,700 and paddy at Rs 3,100 per quintal," Ramesh said. Today, the Union government's MSP for wheat is only Rs 2,275 and the state government has taken no step to pay a bonus to farmers for the differential, he said. Why has the double engine sarkar failed to provide 'nyay (justice)' to our farmers, Ramesh asked. "During the Madhya Pradesh elections a few months ago, the BJP had promised that the amount of money transferred to women under the Ladli Behna Scheme will be increased to Rs 3,000 per month. Upon winning the election, the government has not made any steps to fulfilling the promise," he claimed. Recently in the assembly, the state government declared that "it was not possible" to set a time limit to the promise, he said. Is this "Modi ki guarantee" or yet another "chunavi jumla (election rhetoric), Ramesh asked. Ramesh said the BJP promised a budget of Rs 3 lakh crores for tribal welfare in the Madhya Pradesh elections. "To the contrary, the last few months have seen an increase in incidence of atrocities on Adivasi in Madhya Pradesh. Just a few days ago, after Modi's rally in Jhabua, ruling party workers brutally abused and beat an Adivasi youth in Betul. Does the Prime Minister have any vision for Adivasi welfare and social justice?" he said. "Pradhan Mantri ji, enough with the jumlas, it is time to answer the people now," Ramesh said. Congress general secretary, organisation, K C Venugopal said, "15 years ago, the UPA announced a historic Rs. 60,000 crore nationwide farm loan waiver which brought immense relief to all the Annadatas across India." "This time, we have promised a legal guarantee of MSP. We have always prioritised farmers' welfare and ensured they have a safety net during difficult times," he said in a post on X. Venugopal alleged that farmers are being "silenced, treated as anti-nationals and the promise of doubling farmers' income has fallen flat,". It is once again clear that only the Congress can truly save our farmers from their misery, he added. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) By Vijender Kumar Jind (Haryana) [India], February 29 (ANI): Haryana Samyukta Kisan Morcha (HSKM) leaders held a meeting in Narwana town of Jind district on Thursday to mull over the strategy to support ongoing farmers' protests at the Data Singhwala-Khanauri and Shambhu borders between Punjab and Haryana. Also Read | Bill Gates Meets PM Narendra Modi, Discusses AI for Public Good (See Pic). Haryana farmers have formed HSKM, which includes the different 18 outfits of the state. The collective took part in the meeting and extended their support and extended their support to the farmer protest. Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) state president Joginder Singh Nain presided over the meeting during which they observed silence for two minutes and paid tribute to a young farmer, Shubhkaran Singh, who died in a police crackdown at the Khanauri border on February 21. Also Read | Morarji Desai Birth Anniversary 2024: Gujarat Vidyapith Honours Former Prime Minister on His 129th Birth Anniversary. Haryana Sanyukt Kisan morcha (HSKM) leaders, including Joginder Singh Nain, Inderjeet Singh, Ratan Maan, Sukhdev Jammu, Satyawan, Azad Palwa, and many others, came down heavily on the Haryana government for making staying arrangements for paramilitary forces in government-run schools in villages that fall near border areas. The leaders said students in schools are in panic and fear due to the presence of security personnel equipped with heavy weapons. "The government created a war-like situation and environment near border area villages and converted it into a containment zone, leading to fear among students," a leader said. In the meeting, the leaders jointly resolved to mobilise a large gathering at Ramlila Grounds of Delhi for a mega rally named Kisan mazdoor Mahapanchayat, which is to be held on March 14. Moreover, farmers sought the resignation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, and Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij for the crackdown on farmers. The SKM national body has given a call for the Mahapanchayat in Delhi to highlight issues of a legal guarantee of MSP, against the electricity amendment bill, freedom from debt, old age pension, rolling back of labour codes, and other pending issues, said Joginder Singh Nain, another farmer leader. The meeting concluded with the resolve to launch joint district-level Jathas to make the SKM's call for protest on March 14 a big success. "We demanded prompt reopening of all roads, the withdrawal of police personnel camping in many schools in Haryana near the border, thus hampering the studies of students, the release of arrested persons in Haryana, and the withdrawal of police cases. The farmers also condemned the raids conducted at the residence of former governor of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, Satyapal Malik, who exposed corruption besides disclosing the truth about the criminal failure in preventing the 2019 Pulwama terror attack," Inderjeet Singh, another farmer leader 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) Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], February 29 (ANI): Ahead of the Assembly session, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has called a 'breakfast meeting' of all Congress MLAs on Thursday in Shimla. "It is an important meeting. Let's see what happens...This is an informal meeting," party MLA Ashish Butail. Also Read | Matrimonial Scam: Fraudster Poses as Customs Officer, Dupes Over 250 Women on Matrimonial Sites in Bengaluru, Arrested. Congress MLA Sudarshan Singh Bablu said, "The CM has called everyone for breakfast. Let's see what discussions are taking place...We received the message last night. Our Government will continue under the leadership of the Chief Minister." On Wednesday the Congress MLAs met individually with the two central observers DK Shivakumar and Bhupendra Hooda. The observers will now submit their report to the party high command. Also Read | Samajwadi Party Youth Wing Leader Mohammad Kala's Brother Shot Dead in His Office at Uttar Pradesh's Baghpat. Meanwhile, the Speaker of Himachal Pradesh Assembly Kuldeep Singh Pathania is likely to pronounce the order on the future of six rebel Congress MLAs who cross voted in the Rajya Sabha polls. The petition was filed by Congress MLA and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Harsh Wardhan Chauhan under the anti-defection law for disqualification of the six MLAs. Earlier on Wednesday, the Speaker said that the Parliamentary Affairs Minister had filed a petition against the six MLAs of the Congress party because the anti-defection law attracts proceedings against them. The Congress government in the state faces a crisis after six MLAs crossed sides and are learnt to be in touch with the BJP. The Congress has 40 MLAs, while the BJP has 25 in the 68-member state assembly. The remaining three seats are held by independents. The Congress had managed to pass the state budget after the speaker suspended 15 BJP MLAs for allegedly creating a ruckus in his chamber, a move that came under severe criticism from the BJP. "The BJP has 25 MLAs. The number increased to 34 after the Rajya Sabha voting. This created a danger for the government... They had to pass the budget somehow otherwise the government would fall. For this, they had to decrease the no. of BJP MLAs. 15 MLAs including me have been suspended... We were suspended to save the Congress government. After our suspension, they passed the budget" BJP leader Jairam Thakur said. The BJP has claimed the Congress had lost the moral standing to be in power after losing majority in the Assembly. (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 29 (ANI): Leader of Opposition in Karnataka Assembly R Ashoka on Thursday alleged that the Karnataka government are giving the animal husbandry property in Bengaluru to minorities in a bid to appease them and termed it a "big scandal." "The goverment of Siddaramaiah, they are giving the animal husbandry property in Bengaluru, which is worth more than Rs 500 crores to minorities because minorities are more. It is a big scandal. BJP will protest inside and outside Vidhana Soudha" Also Read | Delhi Shocker: 15-Year-Old Boy Stabbed to Death Inside Park in Inderpuri Area After Altercation, Three Juveniles Arrested. In post on X, Leader of Opposition in Karnataka Assembly asked what was the necessity of closing down the government veterinary clinic that treats cattle and giving it to minorities. "Land Jihad of Congress Government, CM @siddaramaiah you dare to give two acres of valuable animal husbandry land in the heart of Bengaluru city to Muslims. What was the necessity of closing down the government veterinary clinic that treats cattle and giving it to Muslims? That clinic is not set up only for cattle. The treatment of other domestic animals was also established. We will not let the land in the heart of the city, worth more than five hundred crores, be handed over," he posted on X. Also Read | Karnataka Assembly Session: BJP MLAs Protest in Vidhana Soudha Demanding Action on Alleged 'Pro-Pakistan Slogan' Incident (Watch Video). He further asked "Can this move by Congress Govt be called Land Jihad by @INCKarnataka government? Ashoka further suggested that state government that if the government wants to please minorities they can buy or purchase land and give it to them. "Why take land dedicated to animal husbandry department. Where should the pet or domesticated animals of that area go?" he added. Meanwhile, amid the ongoing row over alleged 'Pakistan Zindabad' slogans outside Karnataka Assembly, BJP MLAs staged a protest in Vidhana Soudha demanding action on the incident. Slogans including, 'down down congress government which is deciding nation, Spineless governmenrt is not capable to take action, we want justice, arrest the culprit, down down government,' were raised by the BJP MLAs in assembly. Leader of Opposition R Ashoka said that today in Karnataka emergency and dictatorship has been brought to Vidhana Soudha. "Indira Gandhi then brought emergency in 1975 and now they brought this here," he added. "What we are demanding is don't make Vidhana Soudh Pakistan agents spot or pro-Pakistan slogan raisers. They are brining censored videos to prove themselves right. They haven't taken action against those who raised slogans. We are protesting for nation and to keep our nationality safe. Dignity of the nation is degraded and Home Minister also admitted that they are bens asked about what happened," he added. Responding to the protest, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that the government has sent the voice report to FSL and action will be taken after the report is received. "As I have told you already government is committed, we'll not spare any person once the report come. We have given it for FSL. We'll take action once report comes," the Chief Minister said. Congress' Rajya Sabha arty's MP-elect Syed Naseer Hussain on Wednesday dismissed the BJP's allegation that his supporters raised pro-Pakistan slogans at Vidhana Soudha. "I can understand the frustration of the BJP. They have lost badly despite both parties (BJP-JDS) coming together and trying every trick in the book to get an extra Rajya Sabha seat from Karnataka," Hussain told ANI. "The supporters were sloganeering 'Naseer Sahab Zindabad, Naseer Khan Zindabad, Naseer Khan Zindabad'," he added. Meanwhile, the BJP MLAs are going to hold 'Raj Bhavan Chalo' march from Vidhana Soudha againt the state govt over various state issues, specially on the Budget. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah presented the state budget at the assembly on February 16, in which he allocated funds for fee reiumbursement of minority students, Rs 100 crore for the development of Waqf properties. (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 29 (PTI) Former Congress leader Kaustav Bagchi, who resigned from the party a day before, joined the BJP on Thursday and vowed to fight against the Trinamool Congress (TMC) regime in the state. "Today, we are happy to welcome Kaustav Bagchi in the BJP," party leader Suvendu Adhikari said at a programme here. West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar was also present on the occasion. Also Read | Infanticide in Gujarat: Desperate for Son, Man Kills Five-Month-Old Daughter in Ahmedabad, Arrested. Bagchi had resigned from the Congress on Wednesday, claiming "lack of respect" within the organisation. Bagchi, who had his head tonsured after being released on bail following his arrest over comments against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee last year, sent his resignation letter to Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge, with copies to party state chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and general secretary and state in-charge Ghulam Ahmed Mir. Also Read | IndiaTech and Leading Startup Incubator T9L Partner To Launch Early-Stage Incubation Programme for Startups. (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 29: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will kickstart the BJP's campaign for Lok Sabha Elections in West Bengal from March 1. PM Modi will be on a two-day visit to TMC-ruled West Bengal on March 1 and 2. Notably, PM Modi's visit to the state in the wake of the ongoing unrest in the Sandeshkhali enclave where women recently hit the streets and vented their fury by setting ablaze the properties belonging to TMC leaders who are accused of tormenting villagers. He will address two big public meetings. This visit of the Prime Minister is being considered very important before the Lok Sabha elections. He will also give mantra to the BJP workers to ensure victory in the upcoming elections. PM Narendra Modi Says 'Today Is a Historic Day for Our Railways!'; Here's Why. On March 1, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a public meeting in Arambag and on that day he will have a night stay in the state. Apart from this, on March 2, he will address a public meeting in Krishna Nagar. "Lakhs of people will be present in the rally," BJP's Bengal chief Sukant Majumdar told ANI. Sukant Majumdar also mentioned that the Prime Minister is coming to Bengal, it is a matter of happiness for all of us and he will address the people of West Bengal. There is a lot of enthusiasm among the workers too. PM Modi will also be addressing the women of the entire country from Barashat, West Bengal on March 6. Lok Sabha Elections 2024: BJP's Central Election Panel to Meet on February 29 Ahead of LS Polls. BJP Mahila Morcha chief Vanathi Srinivasan held a meeting in West Bengal on February 24 to take stock of the preparations in this regard. BJP Bengal sources told ANI that in 2024 polls, BJP will be winning more seats in West Bengal than before. This time the figure is likely to go up to 26, however at present it is estimated that 20 to 26 seats will be won by BJP. Overall, the BJP is very confident and is continuously engaged in its work. All the leaders and workers of the BJP are working on the ground to make people aware on the Modi-led dispensation's welfare and development schemes in the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The Pradhan Mantri Employment scheme, the Ayushman Bharat upto an insurance of Rs 5 lakh, the Pradhan Mantri Jan Oushadhi scheme, the Kisan Samman Nidhi and the Pradhana Mantri Jeevan Jyoti are some of these schemes. (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 29 (PTI) The first phase of deployment of more than 3.4 lakh central armed police forces (CAPFs) for the upcoming general elections in the country and assembly polls in few states will begin from Friday, official sources said Thursday. According to the plan, about 2,000 companies will be mobilised as part of the pre-poll deployment in sensitive and hyper-sensitive constituencies beginning March 1. About 1.5 lakh personnel will move through roads and rail as part of this mobilisation, the sources told PTI. Also Read | Cabinet Approves Three Semiconductor Fabrication Units, To Generate 20,000 Advanced Technology Jobs and 60,000 Indirect Jobs. The first CAPF units will start reaching the states affected by Left Wing Extremism (LWE), apart from West Bengal and Jammu and Kashmir, later this week, they said. The second phase of inducting the poll companies will be initiated from March 7, followed by some last units moving in their designated locations in the second and third week of March, they said. Also Read | Indian Innovation Key to Solving Health, Agriculture and Climate Issues, Says Microsoft Co-Founder Bill Gates. The commanding officers of these units have been issued the movement orders and directed to familiarise their troops about the areas they are going for polls duty apart from the general instructions issued by the Election Commission, a senior CAPF officer said. In the first phase, companies deployed for law and order duties in various states and those in reserve like training exercises are being sent. Some units deployed for regular duties like border guarding and security will be withdrawn and deployed during the later phases, the sources said. The troops of these CAPF companies are drawn from the CRPF, BSF, ITBP, CISF and SSB. As many as 3,400 companies of the CAPFs and state police forces have been requisitioned by the EC for ensuring free and fair polls during the upcoming general elections and assembly polls in Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha and Sikkim. The poll panel is expected to announce the phases and poll dates in March. It has also directed the railway board to ensure "smooth and hassle-free" train movement for the troops and officers of these security forces. (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 29 (ANI): The Delhi High Court on Thursday issued notice on the bail plea filed by Shahrukh Pathan to the Delhi Police. He is accused of pointing a gun at a policeman in the Jafrabad area during riots in February 2020. Justice Jyoti Singh issued notice to Delhi police on the plea and listed the matter for hearing on April 16. Also Read | Delhi Shocker: 15-Year-Old Boy Stabbed to Death Inside Park in Inderpuri Area After Altercation, Three Juveniles Arrested. The High Court has also sought a status report of the prosecution proceedings in the case against Pathan. It has been stated that the trial has been delayed and only two out of ninety witnesses have been examined. He has been in custody for four years. Also Read | Karnataka Assembly Session: BJP MLAs Protest in Vidhana Soudha Demanding Action on Alleged 'Pro-Pakistan Slogan' Incident (Watch Video). On December 14, 2023, Karkardooma Court dismissed the bail plea of Shahrukh Pathan after considering his conduct in custody and prior to his arrest. Advocate Khalid Akhtar appeared for Shahrukh Pathan. He argued that the accused is seeking bail on the grounds of a delay in trial. It was submitted before the trial court in December 2023 that the accused has been in custody for the last three years and nine months. Only two prosecution witnesses have been examined till now. One charge sheet and three supplementary charge sheets have been filed. There are 90 prosecution witnesses and only two of them have been examined completely. For some time, the matter was heard on a daily basis. Defence counsel had further submitted that the court had ordered a day-to-day trial on March 7, 2023; the court had fixed an 8th date for the hearing but still trial has not started. On the other hand, Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Anuj Handa for Delhi Police had opposed the bail plea. He submitted that the accused's conduct in jail was not good, and he also met the culprits of the Red Fort bomb blast in jail. It was also argued that the accused was summoned by the jail authorities multiple times for his conduct and a mobile phone was also recovered from him. He also assaulted other prisoners in the jail. The defence counsel rebutted and said that the maximum sentence is 10 years. The case was not delayed because of the accused. If other accused are not being produced, is this my fault? Can I be put in prison for this reason? (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Jammu, Feb 29 (PTI) Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Thursday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has created lucrative livelihood opportunities other than government jobs through different schemes like MUDRA, Startup India and Aroma Mission. Speaking at 'Mudra Loan Mela' organised by State Bank of India here, the minister of state in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said there are instances of youngsters leaving corporate jobs to opt for Startup entrepreneurship. Also Read | Sandeshkhali Case: Shahjahan Sheikhs Close Aide Amir Ali Gazi Arrested by CID From West Bengal-Jharkhand Border. J&K has been highly benefited under the MUDRA scheme that is evident from the fact that out of over six crore beneficiaries across the country, J&K has nearly 25,000 beneficiaries though being a smaller territory with a lesser population compared to some UTs (Union territories) and many states in the country, the minister said. He congratulated the State Bank of India, J&K chapter for this achievement. Also Read | Infanticide in Gujarat: Desperate for Son, Man Kills Five-Month-Old Daughter in Ahmedabad, Arrested. What is significant is that across the country, about 60 to 70 per cent of MUDRA beneficiaries are women, he said. Singh emphasised that there would not be any scheme in the world supported by a bank without a guarantee or a mortgage. But, MUDRA started under PM Modi and supported by the banks disbursed loans under this scheme without a guarantee or a mortgage and the only guarantee is Modi's guarantees which means guarantee of fulfilment of a guarantee. Schemes like PM-SVANidhi and PM Vishwakarma have touched and benefited the strata of the society that has not been taken care of by the previous governments. But, Modi has taken care of every segment of the society without any discrimination or vote bank politics. The prime minister has created lucrative livelihood opportunities other than government jobs through different schemes, he said. While appreciating the Direct Bank Transfer (DBT) conceptualised by Modi, the minister said it has garnered international recognition, has become the role model for the world and has been able to save Rs 1 lakh crore, which is a massive achievement of the central government. Singh said these schemes are largely women-driven as the Modi-led government is strongly focussing on empowerment of women, youth, farmers and poor. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Nominations are now being accepted for the 2024 D.J.s Hero Awards Scholarships. Select Nebraska high school seniors who have overcome adversity will be chosen to receive the awards named in honor of the late D.J. Sokol for commitment to others and to their communities. Honorees will be selected by a panel of metro-area civic leaders. This year, a minimum of 16 scholarships will be awarded. 2024 is a milestone for the D.J.'s Hero Awards, as it marks the 25th year of the program. Each Hero Awards Scholarship winner will receive a $12,000 scholarship toward their selected college or university. Honorees will be recognized at the D.J.'s Hero Awards event in Omaha on May 7. Among the criteria for selecting honorees are the following: Nebraska residency High school senior Having overcome challenges/adversity Commitment to others and to the community Nominators and their nominees must submit scholarship applications (nominations) online at djshero.org. Applications must be submitted by March 13. Call 402-898-7669 with any questions. Rajouri/Jammu, Feb 29 (PTI) Two girls were injured in a low-intensity explosion at a village in the Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir following which security forces recovered over two dozen detonators from there, officials said on Thursday. Tasveer Kouser (10) and Saima Kouser (15) suffered injuries in their hands after they fiddled with some unidentified substance while returning from school at village Doongi-Brahmana on Wednesday, the officials said. Also Read | Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar-Led Team in Lucknow To Assess Preparedness for General Polls (Watch Video). Initially, it was believed that the girls had suffered burn injuries due to bursting of crackers but later the nature of injuries pointed towards low-intensity explosion, they said, referring to the severe damage caused to their fingers. Following the incident, police and Rashtriya Rifles troops launched a joint cordon and search operation in the village, leading to the recovery of over two dozen detonators. Also Read | Bill Gates India Visit: Growth of Indian Economy a Real Positive, Says Microsoft Co-Founder. The search operation in the area is still in progress, the officials said, adding the nature of the detonators and their sources is not known yet. Senior army and police officers are camping at the operation site to monitor investigation, they said. No arrest has been made so far in connection with the recovery of the detonators. (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 29 (ANI): The Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that a stay order granted in civil and criminal cases does not automatically lapse after six months and will remain in operation till the matter is decided unless it is specifically time-bound. A five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice of India, DY Chandrachud set aside the top court's 2018 decision. Besides CJI, justices Abhay Oka, JB Pardiwala, Pankaj Mithal, and Manoj Mishra were also on the bench. Also Read | PM Narendra Modi, Mauritian Counterpart Pravind Jugnauth Virtually Inaugurate Development Projects in Agalega Island in Mauritius (Watch Video). As per the 2018 order, interim orders of stay granted by the High Courts and other courts in civil and criminal cases will automatically expire after a period of six months unless the orders are specifically extended. Expressing a disagreement with the 2018 Asian resurfacing judgement, the court refused to issue any direction that all interim orders passed by High Courts will automatically expire on the lapse of time. Also Read | Airtel Tariff Hike: Company To Raise Telecom Tariffs if Market Signals Are Perfect for Healthy Valuations, Says Sunil Bharti Mittal. The top court said that constitutional courts should refrain from laying down time-bound schedules for cases pending before any other courts. It further said that the issue of prioritising the disposal of cases should be best left to the concerned court where the cases are pending, and it should only pass direction laying down a time-bound schedule for cases only in exceptional circumstances. The top court noted that the situation at the grassroots level is better known to the judges of the concerned court, therefore, the issue of giving out-of-term priority to certain cases should be best left to the concerned court. The court had reserved its judgement in the matter for December 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) New Delhi, Feb 29 (PTI) An Uzbek national carrying more than 29,000 strips of a medicine, worth about Rs 1.3 crore, was apprehended by Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel at the Delhi airport, officials said on Thursday. The passenger was intercepted by the security personnel on Wednesday morning at the terminal-3 of the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport as his movement was found to be suspicious, a CISF officer said. Also Read | DRDO Successfully Flight Tests Two 'Very Short-Range Air Defence System' Missile. A bag stuffed with medicines was found from the passenger, he said. The man was headed for Tashkent in an Uzbekistan Airlines flight. A total of 29,200 strips of Mesopril kit tablets were found in the bag, the officer said. The medicine is used for medical termination of early pregnancy, controlling excessive blood sugar level and treating gastric ulcers. Also Read | Koustav Bagchi Joins BJP: Big Jolt to Congress in West Bengal, Estranged Leader Joins Bhartiya Janata Party in LoP Suvendu Adhikaris Presence (Watch Video). "As the passenger could not produce valid authorisation for carrying such a huge quantity of medicines, he was offloaded from the plane and handed over to customs officials," the CISF officer said. The CISF provides a counter-terrorist and counter-sabotage cover to the Delhi airport. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Jaipur, February 29: Three men were killed and another injured when their speeding car rammed into a moving dumper truck in Rajasthan's Alwar district on Thursday, police said. Naugaon Station House Officer (SHO) Bhupendra Singh Jat said the accident took place on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway highway killing Mustakeen (25), Rashid (25) and Asaf Ali Khan (24) on the spot and injuring Zahid (24), all residents of Bharatpur district. The four men were on their way to Haryana's Ferozepur Jhirka when their car rammed into a dumper truck moving ahead of it, he said. Zahid was rushed to a hospital in Jaipur where he is undergoing treatment, police said. Rajasthan Road Accident: Three Killed After Car Hits Divider and Catches Fire in Ajmer (Watch Video). The bodies have been handed over to the relatives after post-mortem and a case has been registered against the truck driver who fled from the spot after the accident, the SHO said. Further investigation is underway, 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, February 29: In a fit of rage, three youths stabbed a 15-year-old boy to death in a park in west Delhi after an altercation between them, police said on Thursday. Police said the accused, all minors, were held by police later in the day. The murder happened on Tuesday in Harit Park in the Inderpuri area. The accused fled the scene after the incident, a senior police officer said. Police received a call around 9 pm regarding the stabbing of a boy and immediately reached the spot, the officer said. The injured boy was admitted to Kapoor Medical Centre, Naraina, where doctors declared him brought dead, the officer said. "The victim had sustained injuries on his chest and abdomen," the official said. Delhi Shocker: 15-Year-Old Boy Stabbed to Death Inside Park in Inderpuri Area After Altercation, Three Juveniles Arrested. Police said during investigations it was found that victim was known to the attackers and they had an altercation over an issue. The accused are being interrogated, they 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 29 (PTI) The AAP on Thursday demanded that all those people whose houses have been demolished by central agencies in the last one year be provided houses under the PM Awas Yojana. Addressing a press conference, Delhi minister Atishi said that in the last one year, demolition drives have been carried out by different central agencies and bodies such as the DDA, ASI, Railways, etc. Also Read | One Vehicle, One FASTag Initiative: Complete FASTag KYC Update by February 29 To Avoid Account Deactivation; Here's a Step-by-Step Guide. "Yesterday, the house of a rat-hole miner who was involved in the Silkyara tunnel rescue was demolished during a drive by the DDA. "Lt Governor has said that the rat-hole miner will be given a house. We welcome this move but we demand that others who have lost their homes in such drives should also be provided homes under the PM Awas Yojana," she said. Also Read | CUET-UG Exam 2024: Application Process for Common University Entrance Test-UG Begins Today, Exams To Be Conducted in Hybrid Mode; Check Other Details. Rat-hole miner Wakeel Hassan's house was razed in a demolition drive carried out by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) in northeast Delhi's Khajoori Khas area. Several other houses were also demolished during the drive. He spent the night on the street with his wife and their two children after his house was razed in the drive on Wednesday. Neighbours provided them with food and other necessary items. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Jaipur, Feb 29 (PTI) Rajasthan Police has recovered 484 cartons of illicit Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) and seized seven vehicles, including a truck, in Rajasthan's Sanchore district, police said on Thursday. The liquor was being smuggled from Punjab and to Gujarat, they said. Also Read | One Vehicle, One FASTag Initiative: Complete FASTag KYC Update by February 29 To Avoid Account Deactivation; Here's a Step-by-Step Guide. Additional Director General (Crime) Dinesh MN said that on the information of the Police Headquarters Crime Branch team, the police station raided the house of Ganpat Lal in Paladar village. The team seized 484 cartons of different brands of Punjab-made liquor from four cars, a truck and two pickup trolleys parked there. Also Read | CUET-UG Exam 2024: Application Process for Common University Entrance Test-UG Begins Today, Exams To Be Conducted in Hybrid Mode; Check Other Details. He said that the team had received information that liquor was being smuggled in trucks from Punjab to Sanchore police station area and then being loaded in other small vehicles and sent to Gujarat. Two men fled the spot after seeing police, leaving the vehicles behind, 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) Milan, Feb 29 (AP) An avalanche buried three German backcountry skiers in Italy's northern South Tyrol province on Wednesday, killing one and critically injuring the other two, Italy's alpine rescue corps said. All three skiers were recovered quickly thanks to electronic location devices; the two survivors were transported to a hospital in critical condition. A fourth member of the group stayed behind in a mountain hut and was unharmed. Also Read | King Harald V Hospitalised: Europe's Oldest Monarch Remains Hospitalised on Malaysian Island After Falling Ill on Vacation. The avalanche occurred as darkness fell about a kilometer (half a mile) from the nearest lift during an alpine ski outing near the town of Racines, south of the Austrian border. Some 30 rescuers responded to the emergency. About 60 centimeters (more than 23 inches) of snow have fallen in the area in recent days, putting the entire province under a high avalanche risk. (AP) Also Read | US President Joe Biden To Issue Executive Order Aimed at Protecting Americans' Sensitive Data From China and Russia. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Bhubaneshwar (Odisha) [India], February 29 (ANI): Leading global philanthropist Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft and co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, was honoured with the KISS (Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences) Humanitarian Award 2023 in significant recognition of his philanthropic work. The ceremony took place on Wednesday in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, acknowledging Gates for his unparalleled contributions to enhancing global health, and education, and addressing climate change through innovative technology solutions aimed at reducing inequality. Also Read | King Harald V Hospitalised: Europe's Oldest Monarch Remains Hospitalised on Malaysian Island After Falling Ill on Vacation. The award ceremony featured virtual participation from the staff and students of KIIT and KISS, along with alumni. A notable moment from the event was Gates's engagement in a meaningful conversation on gender equality, prompted by a question from a KISS alumna. Achyuta Samanta, Founder of Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, said, "Awarding Bill Gates with the KISS Humanitarian Award not only honours his exceptional contributions but also elevates the prestige of this recognition. His acceptance sets a new benchmark for humanitarian work globally. It is a profound honour for us that Bill Gates is joining the esteemed roster of our awardees." Also Read | US President Joe Biden To Issue Executive Order Aimed at Protecting Americans' Sensitive Data From China and Russia. In his acceptance speech, Gates expressed deep gratitude for the recognition and reflected on the transformative work of Samanta and KISS. "Thank you so much for this wonderful award, and for welcoming me here. Though I should be the one congratulating you on all you have accomplished," said Gates. He lauded Samanta's vision and dedication to providing quality education to indigenous communities and highlighted the importance of civic engagement and a community-first approach to education. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Moscow, Feb 29 (AP) The editor-in-chief of the renowned Russian independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta was detained in Moscow on Thursday and later fined after being accused of discrediting Russia's armed forces, the newspaper said. Sergei Sokolov was detained by officers from Russia's Center for Combating Extremism (Center E), and fined 30,000 rubles (USD 329) in a hearing at a Moscow court later on Thursday, Novaya Gazeta said. Also Read | Anant Ambani-Radhika Merchant Pre-Wedding Festivities: Mark Zuckerberg Arrives With His Wife Priscilla Chan in Gujarats Jamnagar. It said the charges which are administrative and are usually punishable by a fine or a short prison sentence are related to material posted on the outlet's Telegram channel. It was found in an examination by the authorities to contain linguistic and psychological signs of verbally discrediting the actions of power structures," the paper said. The media watchdog Reporters Without Borders, or RSF, said on X, formerly known as Twitter, that it protests against this arrest which further testifies to the violence of censorship in Russia. Also Read | Humpback Whales Caught Having Sex: First-Ever Sighting of Whales Indulging in Sexual Activities And They Were Both Male. Sokolov took the leadership of Novaya Gazeta's newsroom in September 2023 after the previous longtime editor-in-chief, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dmitry Muratov, was named a foreign agent by Russian authorities. In September 2022, a Moscow court revoked the license of Novaya Gazeta, which has been critical of the Kremlin for years, as part of the authorities' continuing crackdown on dissent. Days after Russian President Vladimir Putin sent troops into Ukraine just over two years ago, the Kremlin-controlled parliament approved legislation that outlawed disparagement of the Russian military or the spread of false information about the country's invasion of Ukraine. Dozens of Russian independent media outlets were banned as a result, while others said they were halting any reporting related to Ukraine. Novaya Gazeta announced in March 2022 that it was suspending its operations for the duration of the war in Ukraine. But Novaya Gazeta's staff who moved abroad launched a new project, Novaya Gazeta Europe, that has been strongly critical of the invasion of Russia's neighbour. (AP) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) The Nebraska Department of Transportation will hold three public information open house meetings regarding the proposed expansion of approximately 41 miles of U.S. Highway 81 located in York, Polk and Butler counties. The meetings will be held in an open house format with no formal presentation. All three meetings will present the same information. Tuesday, March 12, 5 to 7 p.m., Shelby-Rising City Public Schools, 650 N. Walnut St, Shelby Wednesday, March 13, 5 to 7 p.m., Osceola Auditorium, 361 Central St., Osceola Thursday, March 14, 5 to 7 p.m., Holthus Convention Center, 3130 Holen Ave., York Identified as York Columbus, the proposed project would expand the existing two-lane highway to a four-lane expressway along an approximately 41-mile segment. The proposed project would start near the north U.S. Highway 34/Highway 81 junction at the end of the existing four-lane York bypass. It would extend north to the Nebraska Highway 64 and Highway 81 junction, where it would connect to the existing four-lane roadway. The purpose of the project is to fulfill legislative intent to continue the development of the expressway system identified in the 1988 Nebraska Highway Needs Study; improve regional connectivity for vehicles in east-central Nebraska by providing important expressway connections with Nebraska Highway 66, Highway 64, and Nebraska Highway 92, while maintaining convenient highway access for communities in the area; maximize use of existing transportation infrastructure, including connecting highways and existing right-of-way; improve the condition of the existing infrastructure; and maximize the cost-effectiveness of the project. The project is needed to advance the last two-lane segment between York and Columbus of the U.S. Highway 81 Expressway from the Kansas-Nebraska border to Norfolk. The proposed project would require the acquisition of additional property rights, which could include new right-of-way, control of access, permanent easements, and/or temporary easements. Residential relocations are anticipated. If your property is impacted by this project, you will be contacted by a representative once the design footprint has been established. Access to adjacent properties would be maintained during construction, but may be limited at times due to traffic phasing requirements. Proposed project costs are estimated at approximately $400 million to $450 million and would come from federal and state funding sources. Construction could begin as early as fall 2028 and is subject to funding availability. These meetings are being held to provide information regarding the project and to receive the publics input. All interested persons are invited to attend and present relevant comments and questions. Project information will be displayed and personnel from NDOT will be present to answer questions and receive comments. A public hearing is tentatively planned to be held in a centralized public location (Osceola) in fall 2024. NDOT will make every reasonable accommodation to provide accessible meeting facilities for all persons. Appropriate provisions for the hearing and visually challenged or persons with limited English proficiency will be made if the Department is notified by March 5. Information regarding the proposed project will be available at ndot.info/42967. For those without internet access, information may be obtained at NDOT Headquarters: 1500 Nebraska Parkway, Lincoln, NE 68502, or by contacting: Wes Wahlgren, NDOT District 4 Engineer, at 308-385-6265 or wes.wahlgren@nebraska.gov. Comments will be collected through March 29. Submit them to: Sierra Luhn, NDOT Public Involvement, PO Box 94759, Lincoln, NE 68509-4759. US Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell announces he will step down from his leadership role in Washington, DC (Photo/Reuters) Washington, DC [US], February 29 (ANI): Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell announced on Wednesday his decision to step down from the GOP leadership position in the Senate come November, signalling the conclusion of a significant era on Capitol Hill and initiating a consequential race for his successor, CNN reported. McConnell, a stalwart figure in Washington, DC, 82, expressed that "the end of my contributions are closer than I prefer." Also Read | King Harald V Hospitalised: Europe's Oldest Monarch Remains Hospitalised on Malaysian Island After Falling Ill on Vacation. Despite stepping down from the leadership role, McConnell affirmed his commitment to serving in the US Senate, emphasising the importance of allowing "the next generation of leadership" to assume control of the Senate Republican Conference. Having achieved the distinction of becoming the longest-serving Senate party leader in history in 2023, McConnell has played a pivotal role in shaping Republican politics. Also Read | US President Joe Biden To Issue Executive Order Aimed at Protecting Americans' Sensitive Data From China and Russia. However, recent months have seen internal discord within his party, particularly concerning additional US funding for the war in Ukraine. Additionally, McConnell's strained relationship with the GOP's presidential frontrunner, Donald Trump, has been evident, with reports indicating that the two had not spoken in over three years, as reported by CNN. In his floor remarks, McConnell reflected on his decision, stating, "As I have been thinking about when I would deliver some news to the Senate, I always imagined a moment when I had total clarity and peace about the sunset of my work. A moment when I am certain I have helped preserve the ideals I so strongly believe. That day arrived today." The announcement garnered a standing ovation, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer approached McConnell to extend congratulations, symbolising a rare moment of bipartisan recognition. Throughout his tenure as Senate majority leader during former President Donald Trump's administration, McConnell played a crucial role in guiding three Trump-nominated Supreme Court justices to confirmation--Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett. His influence also extended to the confirmation of numerous conservative judges to the federal bench, significantly impacting the federal judiciary. Despite these accomplishments, McConnell's relationship with Trump has been marked by significant disagreements. Following the storming of the Capitol on January 6, 2021, McConnell attributed blame to Trump for provoking the attack. However, during the subsequent impeachment proceedings, McConnell voted to acquit Trump of inciting an insurrection. McConnell, typically aligned with Trump during his presidency, led the Senate's certification of the presidential election that the Capitol rioters sought to overturn and strongly condemned the violence, according to CNN. McConnell's decision to step down comes amidst health concerns, including a concussion in March following a fall in a Washington, DC hotel. Subsequent episodes, where McConnell appeared to briefly freeze up while speaking with reporters, raised questions about his fitness to lead the Senate Republican Conference. Explaining the timing of his decision, McConnell cited the recent tragedy of his wife Elaine Chao's youngest sister, Angela, who died in a traffic accident earlier this month. He emphasised the introspection accompanying the grieving process, stating, "Perhaps it is God's way of reminding you of your own life's journey to reprioritize the impact of the world that we will all inevitably leave behind." Acknowledging his wife of 31 years, McConnell referred to her as the "love of my life" and expressed eternal gratitude for her companionship. Concluding his speech, McConnell assured his critics that he still had "enough gas in my tank to thoroughly disappoint," pledging to maintain his active role as a thorn in their side. The announcement has now set the stage for a closely-watched race for McConnell's successor, with three prominent Senate Republicans--John Thune, John Cornyn, and John Barrasso--emerging as potential candidates. Barrasso, referring to the upcoming election, emphasized that his focus was on securing the presidency, the Senate, and the House, while Thune and Cornyn sidestepped questions about their potential candidature. Rick Scott of Florida, a vocal critic of McConnell, remained non-committal about running for Republican leader, stating that his primary focus was on reelection as his Senate term concludes this year, CNN reported. (ANI) (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) United Nations/Geneva, Feb 29 (PTI) Voicing grave concern over the situation in Palestine, India on Thursday said there is an immediate need for a sustainable humanitarian corridor to provide relief and underlined that the conflict must not spread within, or beyond the region. In a statement during the 55th Session of the Human Rights Council at the Interactive Dialogue following the High Commissioner's report on the Humanitarian Situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, India's Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva Ambassador Arindam Bagchi underlined the need to be clear about the universal obligation to observe International Humanitarian Law. Also Read | Anant Ambani-Radhika Merchant Pre-Wedding Festivities: Mark Zuckerberg Arrives With His Wife Priscilla Chan in Gujarats Jamnagar. The situation in Palestine continues to be of grave concern, with large-scale loss of civilian lives, especially women and children, and an alarming humanitarian crisis. This is clearly unacceptable and we strongly condemn the death of all civilians, Bagchi said. Further, there is an immediate need for a sustainable humanitarian corridor to provide relief. The conflict must not spread within, or beyond the region, he said. Also Read | Humpback Whales Caught Having Sex: First-Ever Sighting of Whales Indulging in Sexual Activities And They Were Both Male. India emphasised that a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict is necessary more than ever before. These are not choices, these are all musts and unless we are able to address all of them, we are not going to really solve the problem, Bagchi said. He also asserted that we must be clear that terrorism and hostage-taking are unacceptable and deserve our unequivocal condemnation. India has a zero-tolerance approach to terrorism. The return of hostages is imperative. India, on its part, will continue to support the Palestinian people through the bilateral development partnership and will also continue to send humanitarian assistance to the people of Palestine, he added. In his statement, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk told the session that the present report on the situation makes for very painful reading. There appear to be no bounds to no words to capture the horrors that are unfolding before our eyes in Gaza. Since early October, over 100,000 people have been killed or wounded, Turk said. He said the attacks on Israeli civilians on October 7 and 8 last year were shocking, profoundly traumatising and totally unjustifiable. The killing of civilians, reports of torture and sexual violence inflicted by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups, and the holding of hostages since that time, are appalling and entirely wrong, he said. The UN human rights chief added: And so is the brutality of the Israeli response; the unprecedented level of killing and maiming of civilians in Gaza, including UN staff and journalists; the catastrophic humanitarian crisis caused by restrictions on humanitarian aid; the displacement of at least three-quarters of the population, often multiple times; the massive destruction of hospitals and other civilian infrastructure and in many cases, systematic demolition of entire neighbourhoods, rendering Gaza largely unliveable. He noted that between October 8 and 21, 2023 in the aftermath of the October 7 Hamas attacks, Israel imposed a complete ban on all supply of aid, food, fuel and electricity to Gaza. Since then, Israel has continued to hinder humanitarian assistance. All people in Gaza are at imminent risk of famine. Almost all are drinking salty and contaminated water. Healthcare across the territory is barely functioning. Just imagine what this means for the wounded, and people suffering infectious disease outbreaks, he said. He noted that in northern Gaza, where the operational space for humanitarian work is now almost zero, many are already believed to be starving. In all other parts of Gaza, humanitarian assistance has become extremely challenging and this is not only dangerous but also dehumanising. The blockade and siege imposed on Gaza amount to collective punishment, and may also amount to the use of starvation as a method of war both of which, committed intentionally, are war crimes, the top UN human rights official said. Turk said that since October 7, more than 7,000 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank have been arbitrarily detained. About 9,000 are currently being held as 'security prisoners', over 3,400 of them in administrative detention without charge or prospect of a trial; and at least 606 are being held incommunicado. He said the international community must hold on to the promise that peace is achievable in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel. For that to work, the occupation must end. Israeli leaders must accept the right of Palestinians to live in an independent state. And all Palestinian factions must accept the right of Israel to exist in peace and security, 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) Washington, Feb 29 (PTI) The Biden administration hopes that the four-nation grouping QUAD continues the momentum of its past three years under India's presidency in 2024, the White House has said. "The president (Joe Biden) is incredibly proud of the progress QUAD has made over the past three years," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters at her daily news conference on Wednesday. Also Read | Elon Musk Announces Algorithm Change in X: Live Breaking News Headlines & Updates, February 29, 2024. Members of the QUAD -- the US, Australia, India and Japan -- had held their first summit at the White House in March 2021. "The (QUAD's) anniversary is coming up and we are hoping to continue that momentum in 2024, under India's host year, as you just stated. And, we are talking about not just the United States, obviously, India, Japan and Australia," Jean-Piere said in response to a question. Also Read | King Harald V Hospitalised: Europe's Oldest Monarch Remains Hospitalised on Malaysian Island After Falling Ill on Vacation. "We all have a shared vision here, of a free, open and prosperous Indo-Pacific. The QUAD is helping all of our nations deliver concrete benefits to the Indo-Pacific across a number of critical important sectors. So, we look forward to continuing that progress for the QUAD in 2024, and not just in 2024, but also beyond," she said. The annual summit of the QUAD countries is scheduled to be held in India this year. The date of the summit has not been announced yet. (This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body) Ahmedabad, February 29: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's "Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra" is set to make its presence felt in Gujarat from March 7, spanning a four-day campaign, a party source said on Thursday, adding preparations are currently underway. A preparatory meeting in Dahod saw the presence of several Congress leaders, including Gujarat in-charge Mukul Wasnik, state unit president Shaktisinh Gohil, and others. Scheduled to commence its Gujarat leg at Jhalod on March 7, the yatra would start its march near the Dahod bus stand the next day. Gujarat Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi said: "The 'Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra' is not just a political rally but a clarion call for justice, aiming to shed light on the grievances of tribal communities, farmers, small traders, job-seeking youths, and government employees among others. Uttar Pradesh: Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi Greeted With Black Flags During Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Rae Bareli, Video Surfaces. "This initiative comes when the state grapples with challenges such as corruption, infrastructural inadequacies, and a faltering law and order situation. Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in UP: Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi Resumes Yatra from Amethi, BJP MP Smriti Irani Holds Jan Samwad (Watch Videos). "The yatra promises to be more than a march; it's envisioned as a platform for dialogue, awareness, and action against Gujarat's pressing issues. We have an enthusiastic response from the people of Dahod and beyond," he added. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 29, 2024 11:19 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). New Delhi, February 29: John Chambers, the Chairman of the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF), expressed his admiration for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, labelling him the "best leader in the world today." Former tech titan Chambers highlighted Prime Minister Modi's remarkable 76 per cent approval rating and his unique ability to build trust. "One thing about your prime minister, and obviously I'm a huge fan. I think he's the best leader in the world today. And I wish we had somebody like that in the US. We haven't got a political leader who has over 50 per cent approval rating, and Prime Minister Modi has 76 per cent," Chambers, who is known for his influential role in the tech industry, remarked during an interview with a private channel. PM Modi Australia's Friend: Former Australian PM Tony Abbott Lauds Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Says 'Modi Has Been the Best Indian Friend That Australia Has Ever Had' (Watch Video). Chambers also emphasised the significance of a leader's track record, relationships, and trust-building abilities. He commended PM Modi for forming relationships with every political leader in the United States, citing the Prime Minister's ability to garner trust from the people. "If you think about a leader, it's about their track record. It's about their relationships and trust. He's formed a relationship with every political leader we've had in the US. The people trusting," Chambers added. In 2022, India and US marked the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations. The two nations enjoy a comprehensive global strategic partnership covering almost all areas of human endeavour, driven by shared democratic values, convergence of interests on various issues and vibrant people-to-people contacts. Narendra Modi First Prime Minister To Visit ISROs Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Four Decades, Meets Gaganyaan Astronauts (Watch Video). Earlier in December, USISPF President and CEO Mukesh Aghi said diplomatic momentum gained during the visits of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden paved the way for a "concrete strategic roadmap" and new initiatives between India and the US in several areas. "The diplomatic momentum gained during the visits of Prime Minister Modi and President Biden paved the way for a concrete strategic roadmap and new dialogues and initiatives in multifaceted areas such as clean energy cooperation, education, space collaboration, semiconductors, quantum computing, drone technology, artificial intelligence, with accelerated joint projects such as manufacturing GE F-414 jet engines in India, putting India in the elite club of countries with such manufacturing capability," Aghi said. In June last year, PM Modi travelled to the US for a State visit. US President Joe Biden had invited PM Modi for a State visit. He also addressed a joint meeting of Congress before a State dinner at the White House. Later, US President Biden travelled to India to attend the G20 Summit under India's Presidency. Ahmedabad, February 29: Gujarat Vidyapith on Thursday celebrated the 129th birth anniversary of former Prime Minister and Bharat Ratna awardee Morarji Desai, with Gujarat Governor and Chancellor, Acharya Devvrat, naming the main auditorium as 'Morarji Desai Mandapam'. Speaking on the occasion, Vice-Chancellor Harshad Patel talked about the institution's pioneering initiative to integrate cultural and spiritual education with technology. The event also commemorated Morarji Desai's contributions to the nation and the institution through a cleanliness campaign on the Vidyapith campus. Morarji Desai Birth Anniversary 2023: PM Narendra Modi Pays Tribute to Indias First Non-Congress Prime Minister. Acharya Devvrat, in his tribute, said, "Born in the small village of Bhadeli in Valsad district, Morarji Desai was a great man with strong willpower, who, after coming into contact with Gandhiji, joined the freedom struggle, leaving behind his collector's post. He lived a life of values and ideals, proving that greatness comes from small acts and principles that can lead to change." Swami Vivekananda Jayanti 2024: Interesting Facts About the Great Indian Hindu Monk and Philosopher on His 161st Birth Anniversary. Reflecting on Morarji Desai's life, former Education Minister and trustee of the Gujarat Vidyapith board, Bhupendrasinh Chudasama, shared his memories of meeting Desai, describing him as a straightforward speaker and a man of purity and humor. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 29, 2024 11:33 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). Mumbai, February 29: Nothing Phone 2(a) will be launched in India on March 5, 2024, with its unique horizontal camera and Glyph Light interface design. The Nothing Phone 2(a) is different in aesthetics compared to the previous smartphones introduced by UK-based Nothing Technology Limited. Recently, Nothing CEO Carl Pei shared an article showing the exclusive look of the upcoming smartphone. The CEO Carl Pei's shared report on Wallpaper.com suggested that the Nothing Phone 2(a) is a revolutionary step from the previous smartphones. It mentioned that the new Nothing smartphone has a different approach to its design as the company added another layer of 'design'. The report said that the upcoming design would indicate a schematics of the arrangement of the components. OPPO F25 Pro 5G To Launch Today; Check Expected Price, Specifications and Features Ahead of Launch. Nothing Phone 2(a) Exlusive First Look: Nothing Phone (2a): an exclusive first look https://t.co/XqpUtSTbu0 Carl Pei (@getpeid) February 28, 2024 The Nothing Design Adam Bates said, "'We want to be a company that does things differently." He further discussed focusing on different areas and finding how the company would express itself. The report mentioned that the Nothing Phone 2(a) is the company's expression of an 'affordable smartphone'. Unlike the previous models with glass backs, the smartphone will have a high-density polycarbonate rear and 'triple anti-fingerprint coating'. The upcoming Nothing smartphone's circuitry is arranged using a 100% recycled aluminium midframe. The company said to show the bare engineering. Besides, the report highlighted that the smartphone will have a full suite of Glyph apps that would trigger with ringtones and packaging featuring colour render. TECNO Camon 30 Premier 5G Debuts at MWC 2024: Check Specifications and Features. As per the report, the UK smartphone maker sent out 500 units for internal testing over months, focusing on the hardware and software. Nothing Phone 2(a) launch is set for March 5, and it will feature a MediaTek Dimensity 7200 Pro processor, up to 12GB RAM and an additional 8GB extended RAM. The device is expected to have a 50MP dual camera, one primary and another ultra-wide, and 128GB and 256GB storage options. The Phone 2(a) is expected to cost around Rs 30,000 and above. (The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 29, 2024 12:36 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com). On 28 February leaders from the Caribbean Community (Caricom) said Haitis caretaker prime minister,, had agreed to hold elections in Haiti by 31 August 2025. End of preview - This article contains approximately 591 words. Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article Not a Subscriber? Choose from one of the following options On 28 February Brazils federal police (PF) arrested a suspect who was allegedly an accomplice in the high-profile 2018 assassination of Rio de Janeiro city councillor End of preview - This article contains approximately 395 words. Subscribers: Log in now to read the full article Not a Subscriber? Choose from one of the following options On 28 February aviation workers in Argentina went on strike, prompting mass flight cancellations. 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 The Legislatures Education Committee advanced a bill that aims to reimburse school districts that contract with licensed psychologists for mental and behavioral health services. The bill (LB1014) from Sen. Lynne Walz of Fremont would allow school districts to recoup the costs of working with those providers at rates set by the Nebraska Department of Education. School psychologists said the measure would give districts the ability to expand access to school psychologists amid a shortage of those professionals across the state. At a hearing in January, the Nebraska School Psychologist Association said school districts have paid more than $2 million to independent psychologists to meet their federal and state requirements. The committee briefly discussed but did not take any action on a series of school safety-related bills, including a measure (LB1339) from Sen. Tom Brewer of Gordon that would authorize school districts to allow off-duty and retired law enforcement to carry guns onto school property. Brewer's bill would also give but not require school districts the ability to adopt policies allowing for teachers or other staff to be armed, and set guidelines for training. LB1339 also includes a proposal from Sen. Ben Hansen of Blair that would provide grants to schools to complete maps for use by law enforcement agencies in an emergency response. Other bills advanced by the committee on Wednesday include: STUDENT TEACHERS: Omaha Sen. Kathleen Kauths bill (LB953) providing full-tuition waivers for student teachers attending the University of Nebraska or the Nebraska State College System was moved to general file. A fiscal note on Kauths bill estimates the waivers, which would be available beginning in the 2025-26 school year and run through the 2030-31 school year, would cost the university and state college system $2.6 million in the first year. The bill includes an intent to appropriate up to $3 million to those institutions to fill in that funding gap. SCHOOL TRAINING: A bill (LB1377) from Walz providing school districts more flexibility in how they determine what kinds of training school employees are required to complete each year was also advanced. Walz introduced the measure on behalf of Gov. Jim Pillen to reduce the annual requirements for teachers. The bill gives school boards authority to not make teachers or other school employees complete classroom or behavior management training each year. An amendment adopted by the committee before it was advanced to the floor would remove school resource officers or security guards from the bill, requiring them to continue to complete the requirements. MERCATOR MAPS: The committee also advanced a bill (LB962) from Sen. Justin Wayne of Omaha that would require public schools to use only the Gall-Peters or AuthaGraph projection maps in classes. Wayne said the Mercator projection map, which was first developed in 1569 as a navigational tool and became widely used in the 1800s, distorts the size of land masses based on their position; those closer to the poles appear larger than those closer to the equator. In a Feb. 20 committee hearing, Wayne said he believed schools should be showing students maps that accurately reflect the sizes and positions of the continents and bodies of water. An opponent to the bill said the Legislature should not be mandating which maps school districts are using in their curriculum. Top Journal Star photos for February 2024 A New York appellate judge slapped down Donald Trump's latest attempt to employ his "Delay Delay Delay" tactics on his $454 million civil fraud penalty on Wednesday. He must now pay a $100 Million bond if he wants to appeal the ruling. Judge Anil Singh ruled that Trump must post a bond covering the full amount if he wants to stop the judgment from being enforced. However, that same judge granted a few of Trump's requests, such as the three-year ban on him seeking loans from New York banks, as these are necessary for him to secure a loan to pay off that massive bond. Earlier that day, the former president's attorneys told the appellate court that their client was prepared to post a $100 million bond. They argued that the lending ban that was part of the verdict "made it impossible for him to secure a bond for the full amount." The Trump attorneys also floated the offer of a smaller bond, according to court documents. However, Judge Singh shut that offer down and ruled that the former president must pay the full amount should he want to pause the collection automatically. Donald Trump and his co-defendants only have until March 25 to secure a stay on the collection. If they fail to do so, CBS News noted that they will be forced to pay the monetary penalty or risk having some of their assets seized. New York AG Letitia James previously made it clear that she and her office are already prepared to seize Trump Organization assets if this were to happen. Donald Trump Attorneys and New York AG React to Ruling Donald Trump's attorneys released a joint statement after the ruling. "The exorbitant and punitive amount of the judgment coupled with an unlawful and unconstitutional blanket prohibition on lending transactions would make it impossible to secure and post a complete bond," it read. READ MORE: Michigan Primary: Donald Trump, Joe Biden Projected to Win Meanwhile, AG James stated that she opposed the former president's plan because his lawyers have all but conceded he has "insufficient liquid assets to satisfy the judgment." "There is no merit to defendants' contention that a full bond or deposit is unnecessary because they are willing to post a partial undertaking of less than a quarter of the judgment amount," she wrote in her opposition to the Trump plan. "Defendants all but concede that Mr. Trump has insufficient liquid assets to satisfy the judgment; defendants would need 'to raise capital' to do so." Donald Trump Claims He Is 'Too Rich' To Pay $91 Million Bond in E. Jean Carroll Case While Donald Trump is offering to pay that larger $100 million bond for his fraud trial, he is also trying to get out of paying his $83 million penalty to former writer E. Jean Carroll for defaming her. He has vowed to challenge the ruling but is refusing to pay the bond to halt the judgment being enforced. That $83 million penalty could be paused if he pay 110% of that judgment through a bond that would be worth around $91 million. According to Newsweek, the Trump legal team requested an unsecured stay where he does not have to pay a bond to stop the enforcement. However, they also claimed that Carroll "effectively conceded that she is adequately secured" after suggesting to the jury during the civil trial that Trump's personal wealth "greatly exceeds the amount of the judgment." This means that Trump is effectively saying he is "too rich' to pay the judgment, so therefore, it "nullifies risk to the judgment creditor and weighs heavily in favor of an unsecured stay." The motion was denied. READ MORE: Donald Trump Prepared To Cry Foul and Repeat His Debunked Voter Fraud Claims Should He Lose This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH: Trump SCREWS HIMSELF HARD with MISSING Bond - MeidasTouch In a shocking revelation, Ecuador's prosecutor's office discloses that the murder of Ecuador presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was orchestrated by the "Los Lobos" gang from within the confines of Latacunga prison, 70 kilometers south of Quito, according to Nova News. Six individuals, including Carlos Angulo, known as "The Invisible," and Laura C., alias "La Flaca," have been implicated as authors, co-authors, and accomplices in the heinous crime. Carlos Angulo, identified as the leader of a faction within "Los Lobos," is pinpointed as the mastermind behind Villavicencio's murder. Laura C. believed to be the logistical organizer of the crime, coordinated details through video calls with Angulo in prison. Messages exchanged between "The Invisible" and the hired hitman, along with video evidence from Angulo's cell, substantiate the prosecutor's case against the alleged perpetrators. Utilizing CCTV footage, law enforcement identified one assailant and traced the individual to a residence in the city's east. Subsequent raids led to the arrest of six Colombian suspects, weapons seizures, and the discovery of grenades and ammunition. Tragically, these suspects were later found dead in El Litoral prison, reportedly having suffocated or been hanged. Prosecutors suspect that these individuals were hired gunmen and that the order to target the politician originated from within the Ecuadorean jail. READ NEXT: Ecuador Gang Boss' Family Arrested Links to Los Lobos Gang and Cartel The prosecutor's office connects messages sent to one of the gunmen with an inmate in Latacunga jail associated with "Los Lobos," BBC noted. A woman, accused of providing logistical support to the assailants, also appears linked to the criminal gang. Los Lobos, boasting approximately 8,000 members, stands as one of Ecuador's most potent criminal organizations, with reported connections to the influential Jalisco New Generation cartel in Mexico. Ecuador has experienced a surge in gang violence, prompting President Daniel Noboa to declare a state of emergency. Los Lobos, responsible for some of the country's bloodiest prison riots, has contributed to the deteriorating security situation. The trial, set to determine the fate of the six remaining suspects, sheds light on the complex intersection of criminal enterprises and political violence within Ecuador. Trial Significance and National Implications The prosecutor's call for a trial marks a critical juncture in seeking justice for Ecuador presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio's assassination. As legal proceedings unfold, attention turns to a forthcoming defense hearing where the accused will respond to charges, BNN reports. This trial serves as a pivotal moment for Ecuador's justice system, grappling with the interplay between criminal gangs and political violence. With six of the 14 individuals involved still alive, the case underscores the perilous involvement of criminal elements in political affairs. The murder of Ecuador's presidential candidate, Fernando Villavicencio, and the ensuing trial carry profound implications for Ecuador's democracy and the safety of its political figures. The case highlights the urgent need for robust security reforms and stringent controls on criminal organizations within the nation. Ecuador stands united in mourning the loss of a presidential candidate, and the trial of the six Los Lobos gang members stands as a testament to the nation's determination to combat political violence and safeguard the integrity of democratic processes. READ MORE: Haiti: Benin Offers 2,000 Troops To Fight Gangs This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Bert Hoover WATCH: Ecuadorian presidential candidate known for his anti-corruption message assassinated -From NBC News After leading Senate Republicans for years, becoming the party's longest-serving Senate leader, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky says he is stepping down from his leadership position in the US Senate. This will become effective in November. The 82-year-old senator announced his decision to step down last Wednesday in the Senate Well. He told his fellow senators, "I had the honor of representing Kentucky in the Senate longer than anyone else in our state history. I just never could have imagined, never could have imagined that happening when I arrived here in 1984 at 42." "One of life's most underappreciated talents is to know when it's time to move on to life's next chapter," he said in his announcement speech. "So I stand before you today ... to say that this will be my last term as Republican leader of the Senate." According to USA Today, McConnel is expected to finish his term, which is slated to end on January 2027, after stepping down from Republican leadership this November. He has been in the Senate for four decades now and has been in Republican leadership for almost 20 years, becoming the longest-serving Republican leader in the US Senate. However, McConnel's age has been showing, including during that "freezing" incident when the Kentucky Republican "froze" during the middle of a press conference with other Republicans. Mitch McConnel Changed Life Plans After Sister-in-Law's Death in a Car Accident One of the main reasons for McConnel stepping down may be a personal matter, as his sister-in-law, Angela Chao, died in a car accident earlier this month. The Hill reported that the veteran lawmaker had stated that he began reevaluating his career plans after her death. READ NEXT: Meta Oversight Board Finds Holes in Facebook and Instagram Company's Manipulated Media Policy "When you lose a loved one, particularly at a young age, there's a certain introspection that accompanies the grieving process. Perhaps it is God's way of reminding you of your own life's journey to prioritize the impact of the world that we will all inevitably leave behind," he stated. "I turned 82 last week. The end of my contributions are closer than I'd prefer." Many of the Kentucky Republican's allies were told of his plans to step down before his announcement speech. Those same allies attended his announcement, including Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Senate Republican Whip John Thune (R -South Dakota), former Senate GOP Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas), and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska). Who Will Replace Mitch McConnell as Senate Republican Leader? For now, Senate Republicans are scrambling who should replace McConnell after he steps down in November. There are already three frontrunners for the job, though, according to Politico, and they are all white men named John. The "three Johns" have been identified as Minority Whip John Thune (R-S.D.), former Whip John Cornyn (R-Texas), and GOP Conference Chair John Barrasso (R-Wyo.). However, Republicans have not decided which John they want, with many still on the fence about who they should vote for to replace McConnell. READ MORE: Arizona: Kari Lake Continues Struggles After Failing To Make Peace With McCains This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH: Mitch McConnell announces he will step down as GOP leader - MSNBC Idaho abruptly halted the scheduled execution of 73-year-old serial killer Thomas Eugene Creech on Wednesday after a medical team struggled to find a suitable vein for the lethal injection, according to AP News. Creech, who has spent half a century in prison, faced the death penalty for beating fellow inmate David Dale Jensen to death in 1981. Thomas Eugene Creech was brought into the execution chamber at the Idaho Maximum Security Institution, but medical personnel faced significant challenges in establishing an intravenous line for the lethal injection. Three medical team members made eight unsuccessful attempts to find a suitable vein, trying locations in Creech's arms, legs, hands, and feet. The attempts were met with difficulties in accessing the vein or concerns about its quality. As a result, the Idaho execution was stopped, and Creech was returned to his cell. The death warrant will expire, and the state is contemplating its next steps, according to the Idaho Department of Correction Director, Josh Tewalt. READ NEXT: Idaho Murder Suspect's Family Home Searched Thomas Eugene Creech's Criminal History Creech, a native of Ohio and one of the longest-serving death row inmates in the United States, faced the possibility of execution on Wednesday, per the NY Post. Imprisoned since 1974, Creech has been convicted of five murders across Idaho, California, and Oregon, with suspicion surrounding at least six other killings. Admitting involvement in the murders of at least 26 people, Creech was recently implicated in the 1974 fatal shooting of Daniel Walker in San Bernardino County, California. His criminal history includes a 1981 incident where he bludgeoned a fellow inmate to death, leading to his placement on death row. Despite dodging a dozen planned executions during his decades in prison, Creech's recent legal battles involved a clemency request, where he expressed remorse for his actions during a parole board meeting in January. However, prosecutors labeled him a "sociopath," arguing that he remained a danger to others. In the lead-up to the scheduled Idaho execution, Creech's legal team filed multiple appeals, alleging unfairness in the clemency hearing, questioning the constitutionality of his sentencing, and claiming ineffective assistance of counsel. Despite these efforts, the courts found no grounds for leniency, and Creech's last-minute petition to the US Supreme Court was rejected just hours before the planned lethal injection. On the night before the scheduled execution, Creech spent time with his wife and had a final meal consisting of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, and ice cream. If carried out, this would have marked Idaho's first execution in 12 years. Legal Challenges and Execution Preparations The serial killer, Thomas Creech's execution proceeded after the US Supreme Court rejected last-minute appeals. Idaho, where executions are rare, has carried out only three since 1976, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. Governor Brad Little, a supporter of the death penalty, acknowledged that medical providers were prepared for the possibility of vein access issues, NY Times reports. He commended the decision not to proceed with the lethal injection execution, emphasizing that they "did the right thing." With the Idaho execution halted, discussions about the next steps and potential death warrants will unfold in the coming days. Governor Little indicated that alternatives such as the firing squad were available under Idaho law, though the state currently lacks the necessary capabilities. Additionally, a change in state law would be required to make nitrogen gas an option. Idaho's recent ability to acquire lethal drugs was facilitated by a 2022 law that shields the identity of those supplying them. The challenges faced during Creech's execution bring attention to broader issues surrounding the death penalty, with an increasing number of states banning it and some struggling to maintain execution schedules due to difficulties in obtaining lethal drugs. READ MORE: Wisconsin: Elijah Vue Remains Missing This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Bert Hoover WATCH: Press conference after Idaho delays execution of serial killer Thomas Eugene Creech - From KIFI Local News 8 US President Joe Biden underwent his annual physical exam. A team of doctors examined him and found that he continues to be "fit for duty" despite him being 81 years old. Currently, Biden is projected to be the Democratic nominee and is already the oldest US president in history. "President Biden is a healthy, active, robust, 81-year-old male, who remains fit to execute the duties of the presidency, to include those as chief executive, head of state and commander in chief," said physician to the president, Dr. Kevin O'Connor. He added that "this year's physical identified no new concerns." However, the president's health report did find a few health problems that are common for a man his age, including having a "stiff gait as a result of osteoarthritis." The report stated that this has not worsened. It was also noted that Biden has incorporated a ventilation mask for positive airway pressure to treat his sleep apnea. However, as The Guardian noted, the report did not specifically address the president's cognitive or memory health. Dr. O'Connor admitted that President Biden had already been given "an extremely detailed neurologic exam," which was "again reassuring" with no findings of cerebellar or neurologic disorders. These include things like stroke and Parkinson's Disease. The president has "peripheral neuropathy" in both feet, gastroesophageal reflux, allergies, and spinal arthritis that are treated with medication, per the report, but Dr. O'Connor has assured that Biden is feeling well and that "this year's physical identified no new concerns." Joe Biden Continues Busy Routine After Passing Annual Physical Exam Joe Biden would be 86 should he win a second term, and this has many in the US concerned if he is able to do his duties as the president. His age has led him to be scrutinized for his frequent gaffes, as well as other health concerns like his coughing and falls. READ MORE: Michigan Primary: Donald Trump, Joe Biden Projected to Win To show that he is really fit, Biden immediately returned to work after his physical, attending an event on combatting crime where he claimed that when it came to his health, "everything is squared away" and "there is nothing different than last year." Biden, who regularly exercises to keep fit, even joked about the concerns surrounding his old age, saying, "People think I look too young." Joe Biden Signs Executive Order Banning Several Countries from Purchasing US Data The president continues his work even though there is much concern regarding his age. This includes his signing of a new executive order regarding the sale of personal data to other countries. According to WIRED, the new executive order aims to prevent the sale of Americans' data to "countries of concern." These countries include Russia, China, and North Korea. Currently, other countries can buy sensitive information about Americans through commercial data brokers in the United States. The ban would include preventing other countries from purchasing personal identifiers, precise location information, and biometrics. These have previously been used for "waging cyberattacks, espionage, and blackmail operations against the US." READ MORE: Hunter Biden Investigation: Republicans Were Warned About Their 'Star Witness' Vs. Bidens Being Not Credible, Admits GOP Rep This article is owned by Latin Post. Written by: Rick Martin WATCH: Dr. Sanjay Gupta breaks down President Biden's annual physical summary - CNN UPDATE: Cops searching for attempted homicide suspect in Southside Bethlehem shooting A woman was reported shot Wednesday afternoon on Southside Bethlehem, according to city police. The victim was hospitalized with serious injuries from a gunshot wound to the body, police said. No arrests were immediately made, and the investigation was ongoing. Police said they received several 911 calls at 3:15 p.m. for a shooting that had just occurred in the 400 block of Cherokee Street. One caller reported a female victim had been struck by at least one gunshot, according to police. Arriving officers learned the victim, in her 20s, had been taken to an area hospital in a personal vehicle, police said. Investigators asked anyone with information on the shooting to contact Bethlehem police at 610-865-7000 or BethlehemPolice@bethlehem-pa.gov or to offer up anonymous information via the departments tip line at 610-691-6660. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com. Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Nigeria Detains Two Binance Execs Amid Exchange Probe Authorities in Nigeria have detained two senior Binance executives and confiscated their passports as the country cracks down on crypto exchanges. The Financial Times reported Wednesday that the two executives traveled to Nigeria after the country decided to prohibit multiple crypto websites. However, upon their arrival, the office of Nigerias national security adviser reportedly apprehended them. It is currently unclear who the executives are. Last week, Nigerias telecommunications regulator instructed telecom firms to block access to websites like Binance, Coinbase, and OctaFX. This measure was intended to curb crypto speculation activities within the country, local media reported. It appears the crackdown is aimed at preventing cryptocurrencies from exacerbating currency instability. The efforts come particularly as the Nigerian naira experiences frequent declines against the US dollar. Bayo Onanuga, a special adviser to President Bola Tinubu, recently said: We were told that, if we dont clamp down on Binance, it will destroy the economy of this country. Binance didnt return Cryptonews request for comment by press time. Binance Halts Naira Trading After Execs Detained After their detention, Binance reportedly suspended trading of the naira against bitcoin and tether digital coins on its platform. Separately, during a press conference on Tuesday, Nigerias central bank governor, Olayemi Cardoso, singled out Binance as he addressed funds moving through crypto exchanges. He expressed the banks concern about suspicious flows passing through various crypto platforms. In the last one year alone, $26bn has passed through Binance Nigeria from sources and users who we cannot adequately identify, he told reporters. Nigerian Authorities Launch Joint Probe into Crypto Exchanges Various authorities are reportedly collaborating on an investigation into crypto exchanges. These include Nigerias anti-corruption agency, police, and national security adviser. They have requested a list of all Nigerian-based Binance users since the exchanges establishment. According to ConsenSys, Nigeria was the most aware nation in crypto-related matters last year. The African country even surpassed the US and European countries. The data revealed that 99% of Nigerians were fully aware of cryptocurrencies. 70% were found to possess an understanding of the value, functioning, and basics of blockchain technology. The statistics came despite the Central Government of Nigeria banning digital asset ownership in 2021 due to concerns about investor protection. The previous administration also issued strong statements regarding the market before introducing its Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC), the e-naira. For the third time in eight days, a Lehigh Valley city government meeting featured impassioned calls for Israel to end its occupation of Gaza and war against Hamas. The scene before Easton City Council mirrored meetings last week in Bethlehem and Allentown and two more Easton meetings last fall, all of which failed to garner official, immediate condemnation of the violence. This time, the Easton council did vote, 6-1, for a statement that it recognizes the inherent value of human life and the fundamental rights to peace and security and expresses solidarity with all those affected by conflict and reaffirms its commitment to supporting efforts aimed at achieving lasting peace and justice. The lone no vote from Councilwoman Taiba Sultana rejected the generalized statement that goes on to say the council encourages residents of Easton to exercise their right to peaceful protest and to advocate for an end to violence and conflict worldwide. She tried for a third time to get the council to urge state and federal officials to call for a ceasefire in Gaza. Councilwoman Taiba Sultana responds to a speaker as Easton City Council at its Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, meeting works through an agenda that includes dueling resolutions, one calling for a cease fire in the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza and another promoting an end to violence and conflict worldwide.Donna Fisher | lehighvalleylive.com contributor Can you guys name the 45 armed conflicts? Sultana pressed her colleagues, citing the reference to worldwide suffering, displacement and loss of life in the resolution that gained passage. Its actually more, city Solicitor Joel Scheer said after some on-the-fly research the 45 conflicts are just in the Middle East and North Africa. A dozen residents, many from Eastons Lafayette College, spoke prior to Wednesday nights vote in favor of Sultanas resolution and against the broader proposal. One woman described the latter as the height of hypocrisy ... lip service and do not think your constituents are too dumb to notice. Mark Rosenzweig of Easton speaks as Easton City Council at its Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, meeting works through an agenda that includes dueling resolutions, one calling for a cease fire in the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza and another promoting an end to violence and conflict worldwide.Donna Fisher | lehighvalleylive.com contributor We cant ignore this conflict, this genocide in progress, said Downtown Easton resident Mark Rosenzweig. Its being televised. One resident spoke in opposition to Sultanas ceasefire resolution, saying the residents of South Side elected Sultana to represent them on city issues and accusing her of falling short on that promise. Sultana pushed back, engaging with the resident during the period of the meeting reserved for public comment before Vice Mayor Ken Brown reined back in the proceedings. Speaker after speaker decried the innocent Palestinian victims of Israels offensive, launched after an incursion into by Hamas fighters last Oct. 7 killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and resulted in the abduction of roughly 250 people, according to Israeli authorities. Gaza has seen more than 29,700 people killed, most of them women and children, according to the Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza. It does not distinguish between fighters and civilians in its count. Councilman James Edinger listens to a speaker as Easton City Council at its Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, meeting works through an agenda that includes dueling resolutions, one calling for a cease fire in the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza and another promoting an end to violence and conflict worldwide.Donna Fisher | lehighvalleylive.com contributor Pointing to Michigan voters casting a symbolic vote against President Joe Biden in Tuesdays Democratic primary, Azalea Danes promised Easton residents would do the same: We wont forget, we will organize and we will vote you out for your complicity. Speakers who continued to press the council after the vote vowed to keep coming back until Sultanas resolution is passed. We know how the world works, said Lafayette student Thomas Henschen, and we are here to change it because we know how to change it and we know that starts with you and that does not start with a vague platitude for peace that is a copout and that is not what we are here to support ... . Sultana demanded how the resolution generally condemning armed conflict came to be drafted. This is not something thats unusual, replied Councilman Roger Ruggles, referring to resolutions brought forward by multiple members. A resolution is not a city law, Scheer, the councils attorney, noted. Attendees listen to speakers as Easton City Council at its Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, meeting works through an agenda that includes dueling resolutions, one calling for a cease fire in the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza and another promoting an end to violence and conflict worldwide.Donna Fisher | lehighvalleylive.com contributor Councilman Frank Pintabone said hed received some 740 emails Wednesday, 90% of which expressed that he was elected to represent citizens on city business rather than world affairs. Sultana said she received similar emails and found the rate at which they came in suspicious, suggesting a bot was behind them. In a statement Wednesday, the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley said it vehemently opposes Sultanas resolution and strongly supports the broader support for peaceful resolution of all international conflicts. Hamas leaders have threatened to repeat the onslaught of October 7 to murder Jews and destroy Israel. Israeli citizens must be safe from terrorist attacks, which is why the Israeli military needs to continue the war in Gaza until Israel is certain a repeat attack is not possible, the federations president, Robert Wax, stated. In addition, Hamas still holds over 100 hostages, including many women and children, and those hostages including Americans must be returned before the hostilities can end. Mayor Sal Panto Jr., participating in Wednesdays meeting via telephone, rejected claims that city tax dollars are funding United States support of Israel. Thats federal decision-making, he said: Thats where this issue belongs. Sultana tried again and again, as she did last October and November, to point out shes trying through her resolution to call on officials in higher levels of government to push for an immediate ceasefire. As occurred last fall, no one seconded her resolution for a vote. All of us up here dont want to see people die, harmed, said Councilwoman Crystal Rose. We dont want to see armed conflict throughout the world, but we want to get back to city business and I think that if we keep bringing this up were getting away from the things that people elected us to do here. The meeting that opened at 6 p.m. adjourned just after 9 p.m. A live-stream is archived at easton-pa.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com. Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Police are searching for an 18-year-old attempted homicide suspect they say shot a woman Wednesday afternoon in Southside Bethlehem. Allen Jahmell Grimes, of the 600 block of Cherokee Street, remains on the lam. Grimes is being charged with criminal attempted homicide; aggravated assault; simple assault; recklessly endangerment; and possessing instruments of crime. City police said the incident unfolded at 3:15 p.m. Wednesday when the department received multiple 911 calls reporting a shooting in the 400 block of Cherokee Street. Witnesses reported a woman struck by at least a single gunshot and taken to an area hospital for treatment in a personal vehicle. Investigators later determined the 22-year-old victim suffered a gunshot wound to the neck; she remained hospitalized Thursday morning with serious, but stable injuries, police said. Investigators connected Grimes to the alleged crime by reviewing video surveillance footage of the area. Grimes is shown in the footage entering an involved vehicle prior to the shooting and running away after the shooting, police said. A witness who was with the victim at the time of the incident reported Grimes knew the victim and that witness also had a prior conflict with Grimes, according to police. Bethlehem Police Departments Emergency Response Team later obtained a search warrant for Grimes home and raided it by 9:30 p.m. Wednesday. Grimes was not located in the search. A warrant has since been filed for his arrest. Those with information on Grimes whereabouts or more information related to the investigation are asked to call the Bethlehem Police Department at 610-865-7000 or email BethlehemPolice@bethlehem-pa.gov. Anonymous information can be provided on the departments tip line at 610-691-6660. Bethlehem police said the incident unfolded at 3:15 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024 when the department received multiple 911 calls reporting a shooting in the 400 block of Cherokee Street. Witnesses reported a woman struck by at least a single gunshot and taken to an area hospital for treatment in a personal vehicle.Google maps Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust. Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. A natural gas leak led to the evacuation of 25 people living along a Hellertown street, a utility spokesman said. John Mason, a spokesman for UGI Utilities Inc., told lehighvalleylive.com residents shortly after 10:30 a.m. Thursday called 911, complaining of a strong odor in the first block of West Water Street. UGI crews responded and found a contractor working in the kitchen of a private home damaged a fuel line, which caused the leak, Mason said. Fire officials evacuated the homes before UGI crews arrived, Mason said. There were no reported injuries in the incident. Mason said the fuel line was later shut off by a responder. PPL Electric Utilities also responded, but did not need to turn power off to any customers, according to Tracie Witter, spokeswoman for the utility. All those evacuated returned to their homes by 11:20 a.m. Thursday, Mason said. Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust. Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. UPDATE: Over 3K in Lehigh Valley still in dark after gusty winds knock down utility lines, utilities say Thousands across the Lehigh Valley were in the dark early Thursday following strong, gusty winds and significant downpours overnight across the region. The National Weather Service issued a wind advisory, which was in effect until 4 a.m. Thursday, ahead of the storm. Meteorologists said, Gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result. Winds began Wednesday in the south during the day, increasing to 25 to 30 mph from the west, and then gusting up to 45 mph overnight, the weather service forecast at the airport stated. Rainfall already totaled 0.83 inches between Tuesday and Wednesday at the airport, Sarah Johnson, warning coordinator meteorologist for the National Weather Services Mount Holly office, told lehighvalleylive.com. As of 7:30 a.m. Thursday, PPL was reporting 900 customers without power in Northampton County and another 3,072 customers without power in Lehigh County. Jane George, PPLs regional affairs director, told lehighvalleylive.com all the regional outages were caused by strong winds. In total, about 12,200 of a total 1.5 million customers were without power. Crews working through the night restored power by 8:30 a.m. Thursday to 30,000 folks, she said. Our team will continue working safely to restore power to customers who are experiencing outages, George said. George expected most customers to be restored by 11 a.m. Thursday. However, full restoration could take until Friday for some, she said. Met-Ed, a First Energy company, had 1,106 without power in Northampton County and 46 customers without power in Lehigh County. JCP&L, another First Energy Company, has 3,265 customers without power in Warren County. Met-Ed spokesman Todd Meyers said all the utilitys reported outages are weather-related. Because many of the outages came after dark, Met-Ed crews are still assessing damage to establish an estimated time of restoration for customers, Meyers said. Met-Ed crews have made solid progress in the overnight hours already with restoring power to customers. Initial counts had 4,000 Northampton County and Lehigh County customers originally without power prior to the restoration efforts, Meyers said. However, he does expect some additional outages on Thursday. We could see some new outages occur today even as we restore power to customers with breezy conditions with lingering winds up to 45 mph until late afternoon, Meyers said. Met-Ed additionally plans to send crews from the York, Pennsylvania, area to help with the restoration, as well as line workers from a Met-Ed sister company. The public is being urged to stay away from any downed wires. Because trees could break wires and bring them to ground, always assume these wires are energized and stay at least 30 feet away, Meyers said. Wires do not have to be sparking, sizzling or smoking to be deadly. They can look completely inert. The region could see some isolated snow showers Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024, the National Weather Service says. This is especially pertinent for higher elevations, such as in the Pocono area.National Weather Service Thursdays forecast calls for a high temperature of 39 degrees as a potent cold front continues to impact the area, the weather service says. There also could be some isolated snow showers between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. with the chance of precipitation at 20%. This is especially pertinent in areas with higher elevation, such as the Pocono area. AccuWeather predicts a high of 31 degrees with a real feel of 30 degrees for the region Thursday. At the weather services climate station at Lehigh Valley International Airport outside Allentown, forecasters predict Thursday evening will be mostly clear, with a low temperature around 25 degrees. A west wind is forecast to be 5 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. AccuWeather is making similar predictions for Thursday night, calling for a low temperature of 24 degrees. On Friday, the forecast for both weather agencies is much milder. There will be sunny skies with a high temperature near 49 degrees, according to both forecasts. A light southwest wind becoming south 5 to 10 mph is expected for Friday morning, the weather service says. The next chance for rain will come Friday night, when temps are expected to fall to a low of around 34 degrees, both weather agencies say. Rain is expected late in the evening and mainly after 2 a.m. Saturday with the chance of precipitation at 60%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible, the weather service says. The Lehigh Valleys official precipitation total since Jan. 1 through Tuesday was 8.12 inches, which is 2.16 inches more than the normal total of 5.96 inches, according to weather service data. Current radar: Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust. Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. A young couple who work at Portlaoise Mail Centre are gearing up to climb Mount Kilimanjaro later this year to raise funds for Meningitis research. Timahoes Micheal Conlan and his girlfriend Kirsha Rice from Walsh Island in County Offaly are both students at Maynooth University. Speaking to Leinster Express/Laois Live this week the pair explained the rigorous training involved before they take on the challenge in August. We are both excited, overwhelmed, and nervous, said Kirsha. We are excited to broaden our horizons and do something new and different. But the fundraising amount is overwhelming and neither of us have ever fundraised on such a large scale before. Kirsha came across the climb on Instagram after a girl she follows was recruiting students to take part. I immediately knew it was for me. I attended an online information session and then paid my first instalment. Its for such an amazing cause too, Meningitis research. I looked into the charity and I saw the amazing work they were doing and I knew I wanted to help. Kirsha is a student in biomedical and pharmaceutical chemistry while Micheal is a final year student in accounting and finance. They both work in the An Post Mail Centre in Clonminam Industrial Estate. I work in Portlaoise mail centre at night to pay my way through college. Ive always been into hiking and trekking. My dad would bring the whole family on a Sunday morning out hiking in Glenbarrow, the earlier the better, said Kirsha. Dad was into his hiking before it became as popular as it is today. Ive always been into my fitness, I get that from dad, even throughout Covid hed have us up running in the mornings at the Mountlucas wind farm. I remember in school coming home and dad having the hi-vis out and the head torches and wed all get out and go for a run. Ive always been interested in the seven summits. Id love to complete them all one day, a dream so big I thought Id never achieve. But this is definitely a start! We still go hiking most Sundays with my mam and dad. Only my boyfriend and my sisters boyfriend tag along now. In preparation for the big climb Kirsha and Micheal, both aged 22, have joined the gym and have taken up running. Ive joined the gym with a girl called Jessica from work who is also taking on this challenge with us. Shes a lot more experienced in the gym than I would be and shes definitely helping me while being very patient, added Kirsha. The three of us are trying to tick off every hike in Roz Purcells book before we fly over to Tanzania to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. I also do Pilates every Saturday morning which helps me to stretch out and focus on my breathing. We are currently looking for a personal trainer that could specialise in this to help us train as we are still kind of clueless on what you can train for. Theres only so much training you can do. The altitude is going to be one of our hardest obstacles to overcome. That alone with the different climates on the mountain is something we just cant train for. They will fly out from Ireland on August 20 with the hike itself taking about eight days and involves camping on the mountain. The fundraising target seemed and still is so daunting but I am prepared to take on the challenge! We are funding our own trips and fundraising along the way, said Kirsha. We have a fundraising target of 11,000 that we are trying to reach but we are only now just getting started. If you would like to donate you can do so through Just Giving. A Mountmellick author has drawn on his background in psychology to pen a new thriller. Gary Colton started writing ten years ago and has previously written adventure novels. His latest book Dark Finds centres around a young detective who unknowingly falls in love with the serial killer she is trying to catch. Speaking to the Leinster Express / Laois Live this week Gary said he wanted to give the reader the opportunity to travel into the villain's world. When I came out of college I worked in the psychology department in the National College of Ireland. A lot of the research that came up was about the impact of early childhood trauma. I think that stuck with me, said Gary. My thesis in college was based in the Midlands Prison in Portlaoise and it looked at psychopathy among the prison inmates. It looked at how they identify as a criminal and how it spurs on that kind of behaviour. These two factors were the genesis of the book and led me to create this serial killer, a psychopath that has suffered this trauma and then goes on to do these unspeakable acts. Writing hasnt always come natural to the Laois native and it was only when he was in first year in secondary school that he discovered he is dyslexic. As I got older I knew that was something I wanted to conquer and to get better at. I started reading a lot when I was travelling in Canada, explained Gary. I was working in a hostel and I was doing the night shift so there was ample time to read and start to write. Along with a passion for writing Garys other love is advertising and he is currently a Senior Client Solutions Manager at LinkedIn. I have been working in advertising for the last six years. It tends to be far more analytical so I think the writing balances my brain. It fulfils the creative desire while the day job is very numerical. When he had his latest novel written Gary set out to build a marketing engine around the book to capture the audience. This led him to set up the very popular Instagram page DarkFinds, where his content delves into the dark side of humanity. It has clearly struck a chord with readers and has a following of 228,000 on the social media platform. I started that in August last year and it took off really well. It has a really active community around it, Gary said. There's an evolutionary aspect of why we are drawn to darker elements of people and society. We see this with the media, we pay so much more attention to something that's dangerous or darker. People are naturally drawn to it. It's ultimately the way our brains are wired up. Readers can expect all this and more in Dark Finds, which follows detective Eve Salah and her seasoned partner, Mitch, as they face their most perplexing case. A serial killer known as The Poet has struck again, bludgeoning an Irish businessman to death in Torontos financial district. Everything changes when Eve meets handsome psychologist Jack Lawson, who Mitch becomes suspicious of after new evidence is uncovered. Continued after book cover I wanted to tell the book from the serial killers perspective. I always found the most interesting characters in books or TV are the villains. I was more curious about their background and how they became like this, said Gary. Since the book has launched Gary has been overwhelmed by the support from his community in Mountmellick and his work colleagues. After writing such a dark book I got to see the beautiful side of humanity and that has been so heartwarming. It contrasts with the darkness of the book, he added. Not one to rest on his laurels, the Mountmellick man has already begun working on his next book which is set to be released before Christmas. This time Gary is turning his attention to ancient Greece and this adventure epic will retell the myth of narcissus. It is exciting, I have always had a massive interest in ancient Greece and mythology, said Gary. Dark Finds will be available from this week in Bookmark in Portlaoise Shopping Centre, OGormans Shop in Mountmellick and also online at Amazon through the following link Dark Finds: Amazon.co.uk: Colton, Gary: 9781805173632: Books The sister of the late Laois woman Ann Delaney has delivered an emotional eulogy at her funeral, stating she and her family will always miss her. Loved ones gathered at St. Abbans Church, Doonane this afternoon (February 29) to pay respects to Ms Delaney after she was found unresponsive outside a Tesco Express in Dublin last week. A nurse who was well known for her kindness, Ms Delaney (formerly of Dromagh, Co Laois) had reportedly been sleeping rough in the capital city for the past seven years. Speaking to the gathered congregation earlier today, her sister Roisin said, Ann was a mother, daughter, sister, auntie and friend, and she was well respected. She loved to travel and visited many countries all over the world, and everywhere she went she made friends. She made an impact on everyone she met. It has been so lovely to meet her friends over the last few days to hear some great stories of her over the years. She gave us a lot of laughs and taught us how to be more loving and affectionate, but most of all she gave us spirit. Roisin, who became emotional during the eulogy, said a lot of Anns qualities can be seen in her daughter, Saoirse. [Saoirse] brings such joy to our family and we see Anns kind nature in her every day. She continued: As a family, we never understood why Ann chose to live the life she did. Over the last number of years, it has been incredibly frustrating and painful that Ann did not accept the help that so many people offered. Family and friends and professionals offered as much support as they could. However, sadly it was to no avail. The outpouring of grief for Ann shows how she brought positivity to other people's lives even though she was struggling herself. Ann always knew she had a home and a family who loved her very much. Ann, we hope that you find peace. We love you so much and will always miss you. Father Jimmy O'Reilly, who officiated the mass, said Ann was "never one for material things". He said, "She had great kindness in her heart. She had great care for others, she was outgoing and had a very rich inner life, her poetic side showed that. She was a very spiritual person, and her kindness and care reached out to other people. "In the last years of her life in Dublin, she became the heart and queen of the community there. She helped so many people by being there and just being herself. "We've heard so many comments quoted on RTE and through different media during the week and the condolences on RIP.ie notices, and how the qualities of generosity, outreach and sensitivity can play in relation to the most vulnerable. "It manifested in the outpouring of love, sorrow and sympathy expressed publicly in so many ways by so many people over the last few days." On Monday (February 26), hundreds of mourners turned up to a vigil in Dublin to honour Ms Delaney, with many in attendance sharing their encounters with the popular character. The crowd also reportedly sang Aslans Crazy World and released balloons in tribute. Hundreds of people paid tribute to the beloved lady on RIP.ie, with one person stating: "My sincere sympathy to Ann's daughter Saoirse, her mam Mary and all her siblings on the sad and tragic passing of Ann. A truly wonderful, kind human being who deserved more. "Saoirse, be exceptionally proud of your mam. She loved you so much and wanted so much to be able to have a life with you. No one knows what tomorrow will bring and when the supports aren't there, it's very easy to hit rock bottom. Your mam will be watching over you now and will help you to get through this dreadful time. May Ann rest in peace and may her memory be a blessing." Another person wrote: "Your beautiful smile radiates with the people of Ireland, we also know the emotional burden of nursing can break a fledgling heart too. All that caring where no one knows your heartbreak, where did it go? Ann, we pray your family's heartbreaking time will heal and bring with it memories of earlier and happier times. I didn't know you but now I do, sadly. RIP beautiful Ann." A further condolence reads: "We got to know Ann over a long period. She wrote occasional poetry and regularly took photographs, which she got developed locally. She was like a magnet to passersby and had a word for everybody. She always wanted to give, to share what little she had with others. "Heaven will be enriched by her presence. We wish to extend to her daughter, her mother, and her extended family, our sincerest condolences. Ar dheus Dei go raibh a h-anam." Ann is survived by her mother Mary, daughter Saoirse, brothers Thomas, John, Ciaran and Paul, sisters Siobhan, Tricia, Roisin and Emer, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, aunts, uncles, cousins, nephews, nieces, relatives and a wide circle of friends. Ms Delaney was predeceased by her father Tom. The head of the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals urged dog owners to remain vigilant at lambing season during a recent visit to Laois. Dr Cyril Sullivan was giving a presentation at a meeting of Laois County Council in Portlaoise on Monday. Fine Gael Cllr PJ Kelly asked Dr Sullivan if farmer had the right to kill dogs that were worrying animals on their land. At this time of year sheep are lambing, said Cllr Kelly. Dr Sullivan said the ISPCA issued a press release regarding lambing season for dog owners last week. During lambing season, it's crucial for dog owners to understand the profound impact their actions can have on vulnerable livestock. By keeping our pets under control and secured, we not only safeguard the welfare of sheep and their newborns, but also prevent unnecessary suffering and financial burden for all involved, the release stated. Dr Sullivan told Cllr Kelly that landowners were entitled to protect their animals. Dog Warden Tristan Blundell said farmers can shoot a dog that is worrying livestock. However, he said they must report the incident within 48 hours and if a dog is caught alive, they are required to contact the dog warden. Mr Blundell said if the dog is not there when they arrive at a location where dogs have been worrying animals they will investigate. I still urge any farmer to ring both the gardai and the dog warden, he said. Mr Blundell said he is coming across an increase in cases of dogs attacking other dogs. There was one the other day and the owner did decide to put the dog down, he revealed. A boy has died in hospital days after being injured in a road crash in Co Clare. The 10-year-old boy has been named locally as Dylan Coady Coleman. Dylan, who was a pedestrian, was injured in the crash involving a van at Purcell Park, Shannon, on Sunday. He was initially taken to University Hospital Limerick and was later transferred to Childrens Health Ireland at Temple Street, Dublin. The primary school Dylan attended said he could be greatly missed and said the school communitys thoughts were with his family. It is with great sadness that we have learnt of the tragic death of our beloved pupil Dylan Coady Coleman, St Tolas National School said in a statement on Facebook on Wednesday. Dylan is a much loved 4th class pupil in St Tolas NS. His gorgeous smile and kind heart endeared him to everyone in our school community. He will be greatly missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with his mum Laura, dad Garry, little sister Zoe and new baby brother Shane. We are also thinking of his grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, his extended family and his wide circle of friends, especially those here in St Tolas. An appeal for witnesses to the collision is continuing. Road users with footage who were in the Purcell Park area between 1.45pm and 2.30pm on Sunday are asked to provide it to authorities. Anyone with information is asked to contact Shannon Garda Station at 061 365900, the Garda confidential line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda station. A man in his 20s was arrested in connection with the incident and was later released. A group of barristers have argued for two No votes in the upcoming referenda, stating that the carers amendment is utterly toothless. The Lawyers For No group, comprising around 10 members, raised concerns about inserting wording on durable relationships and on removing a reference to mothers duties in the home. Two referenda will be held on March 8 proposing to change the Irish constitution. The family amendment proposes extending the meaning of family beyond one defined by marriage and include those based on durable relationships. The care amendment proposes deleting references to a womans roles and duties in the home, and replace it with a new article that acknowledges family carers. Senator Michael McDowell, a former tanaiste and ex justice minister, said there would be a decisive 60-40 defeat of both referenda. Leading the concerns on behalf of the Lawyers For No group, he said that extending the meaning of family to being based on durable relationships is unnecessary and introduces huge uncertainty into our fundamental law. He said that requests to define what durable is gets confused, half explanations, some of which are mutually contradictory. He said that it is unnecessary to extend the meaning of family in the constitution to other durable relationships as were of the view that there is nothing that a single parent or a de facto cohabiting couple cannot be given by statute. He said that during a Seanad debate, an amendment was put down proposing to define durable based on those decided by the Oireachtas and designated by law. If you think that by widening the definition of family, youre simply engaging in some broad brush, gestural amendment of the Constitution, you have another thing coming because every single word thats in the Constitution and thats been taken out of the constitution will be parsed and analysed by all the courts in the future. He said that the Minister for Children Roderic OGorman had argued this would create a differential approach between families. The door will be open to what we call concurrent or successive families with multiple partners common to each. Can a male partner be the man in two families at the same time and can somebody leave a durable relationship and then get married in circumstances that leaves effectively two families in existence? On the care amendment, Mr McDowell said labelling it the women in the home amendment is a deliberate distortion and said the new article on care is utterly toothless. The current wording recognises that by her life within the home women supports the State, and that mothers shall not be obliged by economic necessity to engage in labour to the neglect of their duties in the home. The proposed wording is that the State shall strive to support the provision of care by family members. Asked whether he believes the change could lead to the opposition of the home credit, Mr McDowell said: No, I dont think you could do that. Im not making any wild claims because the Oireachtas is the master of the law. Asked whether he would have voted Yes for the Citizens Assembly wording, that said the state would take reasonable measures to support carers, he said: Im generally reluctant on a separation of powers basis for the courts to get involved in budgetary matters. I do believe that the place across the road (the Oireachtas) is the place for all these decisions to be made. He added: I think theres an agenda out there at the moment, I call it the gender agenda, to remove all gender from statutes and bills and the like and just to deal with people as if women and motherhood was just another thing that happens to persons and to take away the value that constitution gives them. He said he encourages everyone to come out to vote, but said he believed the No vote would be much more highly motivated. Columnist and barrister Brenda Power said: There is no pressing social injustice that they can point to that will be rectified by inserting the words durable relationships. Architect and barrister Maria Steen, barrister and TD Michael McNamara and several other barristers were also in attendance at the event on Thursday. Mr McNamara asked whether were going to be presenting Christmas cards in the Supreme Court to force the state to recognise certain things? The Government parties, Sinn Fein, Labour, the Social Democrats, People Before Profit, the National Womens Council, One Family and Treoir are all advocating for a Yes vote in both referenda. TD Peadar Toibins Aontu party and Senator Ronan Mullen are among those advocating for a No vote in both plebiscites. Some organisations, such as Free Legal Advice Centres (Flac), are advocating for a Yes vote on the family amendment and a No vote for the care amendment. South Koreas Ruling Party Delays Proposal to Ease Crypto Restrictions South Koreas ruling People Power Party has indefinitely postponed its plans to ease crypto regulations, including the lifting of the ban on local spot Bitcoin (BTC) exchange-traded funds (ETFs). According to a report from local media outlet Chosun Biz, the party recently removed virtual assets from its list of policy priorities, effectively abandoning its plan to make a pledge to ease regulations. Previously, the People Power Party, led by Representative Yoon Chang-hyun of the National Assemblys Political Affairs Committee, intended to announce a virtual asset pledge ahead of the general election scheduled for April 10. An official familiar with the partys situation stated that the party leadership is currently focused on constituency nominations and personnel selection for the Peoples Future, a proportional satellite party. The official further explained that starting in March, the party will prioritize election campaigns in each constituency, leaving little possibility for the announcement of virtual asset pledges in the remaining period. South Koreas Ruling Party Fails to Coordinate Crypto Regulations One of the key factors behind the partys decision is believed to be the challenges faced in aligning with the government and financial authorities on cryptocurrency policies. The People Power Partys proposed pledge included plans to allow the issuance and trading of Bitcoin spot ETFs. However, the Financial Services Commission has maintained a strong negative perception of the investment risks associated with virtual assets. While the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission approved the Bitcoin spot ETF in the past month, the Financial Services Commission has prohibited investment in and issuance of these products, citing the exclusion of virtual assets from the underlying assets defined in the Capital Markets Act. The party also considered a plan to postpone taxation on virtual assets for two years and permit corporate investment in virtual assets. However, insufficient consultation with relevant ministries and concerns over potential significant risks of loss, especially in the case of corporate investments, prevented the inclusion of these proposals as pledges. Additionally, the People Power Party conducted internal investigations to ensure that there were no fraudulent activities or suspicions related to virtual assets among party officials. Opposition Party Also Pledged to Allow Bitcoin ETFs It is worth noting that the Democratic Partys Digital Asset Institutionalization Pledge, revealed earlier, also included plans to allow Bitcoin spot ETFs and an increase in the deduction limit for virtual asset sales profits. In fact, the similarity in content between the People Power Partys intended pledges and those already announced by the Democratic Party of Korea contributed to the decision to withhold their announcement. Per the report, the People Power Partys leadership felt that their pledges lacked novelty and would fail to attract attention. Meanwhile, South Korean police continue to wage war on crypto-powered drug trafficking, with officers in the capital Seoul making 452 arrests from June 2022 to December 2023. As reported, police arrested three suspected drug dealers just this week. Officers also charged 445 buyers and four illegal cryptoasset trading platform operators. A top scoring graduate of Clonaslee College in Laois has been honoured by University College Dublin (UCD) with an entrance scholarship. Student Mary Grehan achieved over 560 points in her Leaving Cert exams in 2023, making her eligible for the UCD award. She is now pursuing a degree in commerce at the university. The award ceremony took place on February 27, 2024 on the campus. Among the guests present at the ceremony was Deirdre Caplice, yearhead at Clonaslee College, who joined in extending heartfelt congratulations to Mary on her remarkable achievement. Clonaslee College Yearhead Deirdre Caplice and graduate scholar Mary Grehan. It is a proud moment for all of the secondary school's staff. "The staff of Clonaslee College echo these sentiments wholeheartedly, expressing their pride in Mary's accomplishment and offering their best wishes for her continued success in her academic pursuits. "Mary's outstanding achievement was marked with the prestigious UCD Entrance Scholar Award, a testament to her exceptional performance in the Leaving Certificate examinations. "With her unwavering dedication and scholarly expertise, Mary Grehan undoubtedly has a bright future ahead, poised to make significant contributions to her chosen field and beyond," the school stated. UCD Entrance Scholars, comprising of first-year students who have attained an impressive 560 points or more in their Leaving Certificate, are recognised for their scholarly dedication and excellence. Recipients are presented with a recognition certificate and their achievements are recorded on their final academic transcript. A heartbreaking poem written by a Laois father forced to bury his baby at night in unconsecrated ground 61 years ago, is to be enscribed in stone for a new monument to honour the communal burial site. The historic Cillini burial ground is in Abbeyleix, for babies who were not allowed in a Catholic graveyard because they died before being baptised. The community has now generously donated to a fundraiser for a sculpture and a stone seat, for the site at Tunduff, traditionally called a Cillini. The Gofundme.com fundraising target, set by a local committee in mid January 2024 was 2,000. Such is the support that within six weeks, donations almost doubled the target reaching 3,780. The new installation will now be launched with a special Mass in April. A ceramic installation designed by Laois artist Jen Donnery will depict multiple white blossoms, referencing a hawthorn tree that once grew there, as well as the babies' innocence and the baptismal ceremony. They will be inlaid with traditional embroidery patterns inspired by the Abbeyleix Baby Linen Society. It is already approved by the Laois Heritage Officer. Artist's image of the flower sculptures. The now elderly father of one of the babies wrote this poem, wishing to remain anonymous. "The world may never notice if a snowdrop doesnt bloom Or even pause to wonder if the petals fall too soon But every life that ever forms or even comes to be Touches the world in some small way for all eternity It makes me sad, as I shed a tear for the life that wasnt to be I remember well, laying you down, To rest under the shade of the white thorn tree Back in 61, on a cold and moonlit Winters night I ask myself the question, What is the meaning of life? Im glad those babies are recognised now, they committed no crime Those sad dark days are long since passed, Im glad to say I look forward now to telling my wife, that everything now is okay." Noel Burke is part of the committee who spearheaded the successful fundraiser. "The Tunduff Cillini Committee wish to thank all those people that have contributed financially or helped in any way helping us complete this project which is expected to be finalised at a Mass that will be celebrated by Fr. Paddy Byrne just after the Easter ceremonies this year. "Our community here in Abbeyleix can now feel justifiably proud that we have done our bit to recognise and protect this sacred burial site at Tunduff. The onus will be on future generations to help safeguard and protect this Cillini burial site long after we have all passed on. "The conclusion of this project and our final thoughts will no doubt be a very proud feeling of our community leaving a lasting legacy behind. We hope that the generations of the future will never forget the mistakes of the past," he said. The fundraiser describes the pain that those past decisions caused. "How the parents of the unbaptised had to cope and deal with the loss of their babies, a practice that continued right up until the early part of the 1960s, can you just imagine how these parents felt as they had to bury their babies in the dark of night in a rural location, in a burial plot that was unconsecrated, these places known throughout the Country as a Cillini. "The emotional suffering that these parents felt just because they were unable to comply with the Churchs teaching at the time for one reason or another was just unimaginable, the parents were further forbidden to talk about the loss of their baby, or their experience to any other member of their family, neighbours or friends at the time," the gofundme account states. The women of Abbeyleix Ladies Development Group are selling eco friendly knitted Easter Creme Egg gifts in aid of the project. "The Abbeyleix women have decided to try and help raise funds for our project by knitting Easter egg covers from scrap wool left over after the women have finished knitting, some of their beautiful craft work like the knitting of cardigans, jumpers, dolls clothes etc. "The women are adamant that none of the wool they use in their craft shop will end up in the waste bin. The women meet at their work-shop every Monday afternoon at New Row in the town between 2pm and 4pm, something they have done at this premises ever since 1999," Noel explains. A huge cache of illegal drugs bound for addresses in Kildare and Dublin has been seized by Revenue. Revenue officers examined parcels at a premises in Dublin yesterday (February 27) and seized 45kg of herbal cannabis with an estimated value of 900,000. They were discovered in parcels originating from Spain and destined for recipients in Kildare and Dublin. In a separate discovery, officers also seized 11.2kg of cannabis with an estimated value of 224,000 at Dublin airport the same day, bringing the total amount seized to 1.1 million. The cannabis was discovered concealed within vacuum-packed packages within the baggage of a passenger who had disembarked a flight from Spain. A woman in her 40s was arrested by An Garda Siochana and has since been charged and appeared before the courts this morning. Additionally, in another standalone operation yesterday (27/02/24), and as part of an intelligence-led operation with the assistance of detector dog Toby, Revenue officers seized 144kg of 'roll your own' tobacco following the search of a premises in Co. Louth. The illicit tobacco, branded 'Amber Leaf', has an estimated retail value of over 118,000, representing a potential loss to the Exchequer of approximately 89,000. Investigations are ongoing. The seizures are part of Revenues ongoing operations targeting the importation of illegal drugs and the sale and supply of illegal tobacco products. If businesses, or members of the public, have any information regarding smuggling, they can contact Revenue in confidence on 1800 295 295. The company constructing emergency accommodation facilities in Co Kildare for hundreds of Ukrainian refugees has secured a temporary High Court injunction restraining protesters from blocking the entrances to the site. The action has been brought by Total Experience Limited, trading as Pastures New Accommodation which is constructing facilities at Newhall, Naas, Co Kildare for families fleeing the two year old conflict. It claims its work is being hampered by those opposed to the State's provision of accommodation to displaced persons who are mounting a 24-hour "blockade" of the site's main entrances. The company claims that in recent days up to 50 protesters have been preventing persons and vehicles from entering or leaving the site by using tactics including forming "a human shield," and by parking cars in front of the site's entrances. These alleged activities amount to a nuisance and a unreasonable interference with the company's work, it claims. The protesters have no legitimate basis for blocking the site, it further alleges. On Thursday Mr Justice Mark Sanfey said he was prepared to grant the applicant a temporary injunction, on an ex-parte basis, restraining two of the alleged protesters Noreen O'Shea and Jessica McLoughlin from deliberately preventing or obstructing entrances from the site. The interim order is also against 'persons unknown' who are also alleged to be obstructing the entrances. The firm, which has been contracted by the State to provide 985 beds in 387 cabins as well as a dining marquee, laundry and recreation facilities at the site, claims the protesters' actions are hampering its efforts to complete its work on time. The facility, which the Court heard is 90% complete and is due to be ready by early March. The actions of the protesters, the company claims, may result in the facility not being operational on time. Seeking the injunction Gary McCarthy SC, appearing with Barry Mansfield Bl for the plaintiff said his client was not attempting to interfere with anyone's lawful right to peacefully protest. However the blocking of the entrances is not lawful, and it creates a safety risk, counsel said. Counsel said that the blockade commenced last Tuesday (February) 27th when some 50 people prevented vehicles from entering the site. The only way workers could leave the site, was due to an intervention by the Gardai. The protesters have acted in an aggressive and intimidating manner, he said. It is claimed that some of the foreign workers at the site were racially abused, and referred to the Irish staff as "traitors." by the protesters. Counsel said that it has only been able to identify two of the protesters, Ms O'Shea and Ms McLoughlin at the site. Counsel said that in addition Ms O'Shea has been involved in another protest against the project, while Ms McLoughlin has been active on social media sites including a Facebook group called "Kildare Says No." Many of the other protesters at the site, counsel added have covered their faces using balaclavas and have not been identified. Counsel said his client is also concerned about aggressive social media posts made by various persons regarding the protest. One post stated "All them trucks need is (fire emoji), while others stated that "(Four fire emojis) only solution man!", "Put barrels at the entrance and make fires in them. Big fires," "Put a few nails through timber and lay it down in front of the truck tyres" "Burn it" It will take a war are the Irish ready". Counsel said that his client is fearful that matters may escalate, and noted that other buildings have been burnt after they were earmarked as accommodation for refugees. Mr Justice Sanfey said he accepted that the matter was urgent, and was prepared to grant a temporary injunction. The matter was made returnable to a next week's sitting of the court. However the judge said that given the dynamic of the situation the parties were free to return to court before then should the need arise. Amendments are being sought for a planning permission application which relates to a childcare facility situated in Naas. Maircon Limited is seeking permission from Kildare County Council to make the alterations to the Funbugs Childcare building at Rathmore West, Eadestown in Naas. The application in question refers to planning permission Ref. No. 23/60162, and the amendment relates to changing a curved barn-style roof design to a flat roof. According to the latest application, the works would include renovation and extension of the existing detached ancillary building currently containing the store room and boiler house (26.6 square meters), and to also provide a new detached after school classroom with associated entrance lobby & WC at ground floor level (40.5m). Permission is also being sought for a store room and plant room (40.5m) at first floor level, accessed by an external steel staircase, in addition to all associated ancillary site works. The date received is listed as February 29, while the submission-by and due dates are listed as April 3 and April 24 respectively. The business information website SoloCheck.ie shows that Maircon Ltd also trades as Funbugs and was established in 2006. Its principal activity is listed as 'social work activities without accommodation.' Maircon Ltd / Funbugs has a listed address at Unit 2, The Hyde Building, The Park, Carrickmines, Dublin 18, County Dublin. Funbugs Childcare in Naas, as seen on Google Maps Street View. A husband has appealed for help after his wife suffered from serious injuries after being hit by a car in Cork while on her scooter. The woman, Beatriz, suffered from fractured ribs and a pelvis injury after a scooter incident in Cork. Beatriz, who is originally from Brazil, moved to Cork as an exchange student with her husband. "On February 23, Friday, at around 12:30pm, she was returning from work on her scooter via the cycle lane and on S Douglas Rd she was unfortunately hit by a car," explained her friends and husband on a fundraiser page. "Bia remembers that a small truck approached and the driver abruptly turned the signal (as he was going to enter a street on the left that didn't have a traffic light), but he didn't wait for her to pass (which was further ahead than the truck). As she no longer had time, she tried to brake and desperately followed the truck, also turning left. However, there was no more space, which caused the crash and ended up falling under the truck that passed over her body." Even though she was well-equipped with a cap, helmet, jackets, gloves and boots, the protection wasn't enough and she was admitted to Cork University Hospital. "Bia fractured 6 ribs (one of which was fractured in two places), had a slight puncture in her lung, fractured her pubis (in the pelvic region), fractured her scapula, fractured her nose and had a slight hemorrhage in the brain. She's awaiting a response from a Dublin hospital to find out whether surgery on the pelvic region will be necessary, which is only performed in Dublin," said her friends. "She isn't expected to be discharged and will have long months of recovery at home along with physiotherapy, medication and the support of friends she found here and family who, even far away, are praying for her recovery! Due to everything that has been reported, Bia needs our union to be able to cover the medical and financial expenses, as she will be away from work and school for months," they added. The Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys TD, has announced the largest ever expansion of Irelands National Walks Scheme with 62 new trails announced across 17 counties. This is part of a phased expansion that will see the number of trails on the Walks Scheme increase from 80 to 150 over the next two years. The initiative is designed to boost outdoor recreation and rural tourism and is a key element of Embracing Irelands Outdoors, the National Outdoor Recreation Strategy. Sligo Leitrim Fine Gael TD has welcomed the announcement for Co Leitrim which includes; Keeldra Lake Walkway, Bothar na Naomh, (Cloone) Crummy Loop and Mullaghgarve Mass Rock, Kiltubrid. This is great news for Leitrim, I want to acknowledge the team at Leitrim Development Company and their outdoor recreation officer in particular for placing these applications before the department. The National Walks Scheme is about working in partnership with landowners so we can open up access to local communities and tourists to enjoy these wonderful hidden gems we have all across Ireland. I want to acknowledge and thank the work of all the farmers and landowners involved in the Walks Scheme especially here in Leitrim and Sligo who provide access to their holdings and who help to maintain the trails to a high standard for the benefit of a huge number of locals and visitors. Without the goodwill of farmers we would not have access to many of our favourite tracks and trails. It is incumbent on all of us to use these amenities responsibly, respect local landowners and of course Leave No Trace. Getting out into the fresh air for a walk is good for the body and good for the mind. These trails allow people of all ages and ability the opportunity to enjoy open countryside, riverside walks and mountains hikes concluded Deputy Feighan Local FG councillors Enda McGloin and Ita Reynolds-Flynn also welcomed the announcement for the walks which are based in the Ballinamore Electoral Area. Cllr McGloin paid tribute to the local community in Kiltubrid who have worked with Leitrim Development Company and Leitrim County Council to develop Crummy and most recently the Mass Rock at Mullaghgarve. This is another example of investment by this government and Minister Heather Humphreys in rural Co Leitrim which enhances our leisure facilities for both natives and visitors alike, hopefully more walks will be considered under the next tranche of announcements concluded Cllr McGloin. Under the Walks Scheme, funding is provided to farmers and other landholders to maintain the walking trails that go through their holdings. The Scheme is operated by the Department of Rural and Community Development in conjunction with Local Development Companies. Over 15 million has been paid to farmers and landholders participating on the Scheme since 2017, with an additional 1.4 million spent on materials for the maintenance of trails. This expansion will see an additional annual investment of over 500,000 to rural areas through the scheme. he Department is now inviting expressions of interest from LDCs for new trails and substantial extensions to existing trails. Potential applicants (e.g. trail management committees, community groups, local authorities, and other similar entities) should be advised that expressions of interest must be made through LDCs in respect of trails that are eligible for inclusion in the scheme. The closing date for EOIs is 11th October 2024. Minister Humphreys concluded by saying, Due to the phenomenal response to this expansion, I am formally launching a further call for expressions of interest to join the Walks Scheme. I would encourage trail management committees, community groups and other similar bodies to contact their nearest Local Development Company to make an expression of interest for trails they would like to include in the scheme. The wife of a renowned anti-corruption advocate who holds an Irish passport is extremely concerned after reports he has been beaten after being detained in Baghdad, Iraq. Yasser Eljuboori, an Irish citizen originally from Iraq, was denied permission to leave the country to return to his family in Ireland and has been detained in Baghdad, Iraq, since Monday, February 26. Last night, Yassers family filed an urgent appeal with the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, after reports that their loved one has been beaten and blindfolded while in detention. Mr Eliuboori's wife, Laura Wickham, has learned that he has been seriously mistreated in detention. It is now known, from information available to his family members and his local legal representatives in Baghdad, that Mr Eljubooir has been beaten, blindfolded, and transported to different locations, making it difficult for family members to locate his whereabouts, reads the statement sent to the UN by the family. Speaking from her home in Balgriffin, Dublin, Laura Wickham said: It has been a living nightmare for me and my family this week. Learning that Yasser had been mistreated made me feel sick to my stomach. We are bringing an urgent appeal to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture to protect Yasser and keep him safe. I hope that the UN Special Rapporteur and the Irish Government will do all they can to ensure the Iraqi authorities do the right thing, and let Yasser come home to his family where he belongs. After learning of the news, Ms Wickham was instructed by her legal representatives to file an urgent appeal. The appeal submits that Mr Eljuboori is at real risk of further ill treatment in detention given the events of the past three days and Irag's history of ill treatment of prisoners. The appeal refers to prior findings of the United Nations Committee Against Torture, from 2022: the Committee expressed concerns at the widespread use of torture and ill treatment and lack of accountability, especially during the investigation and pre-trial stages, in official and unofficial places of detention in Iraq.' According to the United Nations Mission for Irag and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, torture and other forms of ill treatment are "a reality in places of detention throughout Iraq" and allegations of torture and ill treatment of detainees are commonplace, further states the appeal. A company based in the Midwest has purchased two Cumberland County funeral homes within the past six months. Hoffman Funeral & Cremation in North Middleton Township and Buhrig Funeral & Cremation in Mechanicsburg are now owned by Vertin, a funeral service company based in Minnesota. Vertin closed on Buhrig Funeral & Cremation, as well as nearby Buhrigs Gathering Place along East Main Street Sept. 8. A little more than two months later, the company purchased Hoffmans Funeral & Cremation along West Trindle Road Nov. 27. Leah OLeary, Vertin marketing manager, said Buhrigs was the first funeral home the company owned in Pennsylvania. Its not like weve targeted Pennsylvania, she said. Our company, our organization, is really focused on just working with great funeral home brands in great communities. OLeary said both businesses will operate under the same names and will maintain the same staff. Bob Buhrig, supervising director of Buhrigs Funeral & Cremation, said there were several reasons he decided to sell the business, including a desire to spend more time with family and friends. Another reason is the funeral service is changing at the speed of light, he said. The world is changing that quickly, too, but funeral services really started changing very, very rapidly, and its becoming more and more and more difficult for small, one-location [or] two-location funeral homes, to innovate and to bring the best to the communities they serve. Buhrig cited changes in technologies, consumer preferences and legal and tax landscapes as factors that can make it challenging for smaller funeral homes to continue to improve and move forward. He believes joining a larger organization allows each individual company to take advantage of the groups strengths and gain access to the latest technologies. Since last years change of ownership, Buhrig said technology changes are already increasing the organizations ability to engage with families and allowing community members more control over how their loved ones are remembered. He described Vertin as a wonderful family-owned organization. They have a long, deep commitment to the communities that they serve and they have very strong beliefs about leaving local operations in place and letting the people that have been running the funeral home for years continue to do that, so that we can continue to serve the families in the community at the same level or [a] higher level of service. According to OLeary, the transition at both locations has been smooth. Were just very happy ... to be working with such great people at two really wonderful funeral facilities who just work to provide the community the best possible care, she said. Hoffman Funeral & Cremation did not return a request for comment. Photos: An inside look at Union Church in Mechanicsburg The Irish Prison Service has confirmed the death of a convicted murderer who was serving a life sentence in Cork Prison. Michael Leonard died in hospital earlier this week while in the custody of the Irish Prison Service. The 63-year-old previously pleaded guilty to the murder of Mary O'Keeffe in Doneraile, north Cork and was sentenced to life in prison in December of 2023. Mr Leonard, who was originally from Co. Limerick, had set the car the 72-year-old was in on fire and she burned to death. In a statement, a spokesperson for the Irish Prison Service confirmed his death: The Irish Prison Service can confirm that there was a death of a person in custody of Cork Prison on February 27, 2024 and the next of kin have been notified. All deaths in custody are investigated by the Irish Prison Service, the Inspector of Prisons and An Garda Siochana, where circumstances warrant." The statement added: The cause of death is determined by the Coroners Office." It is understood Mr Leonard had been battling cancer in the months prior to his death. Charges against Irish citizen Yasser Eljuboori, who was being held in jail in Iraq, have been dropped, his family has confirmed. Mr Eljuboori was detained by Iraqi police earlier this week after he tried to board a flight back to Dublin following a trip to visit his sick mother. Mr Eljuboori, a well-known anti-corruption activist, appeared in court on Thursday morning in Baghdad. He was told that the charges against him were to be dropped and he has been released on bail. But the Iraqi authorities have retained his passport and he has been informed that there are two to three days of paperwork to complete before he will be allowed to leave the country and return home to his family in Dublin. Speaking from her home in Balgriffin, Dublin, Mr Eljubooris wife Laura Wickham said: This is a step in the right direction but there is a long road still ahead to bring Yasser home to us in Dublin. It is wonderful news that the charges have been dropped, but I will not stop campaigning until Yasser is safely home in Dublin airport. I call on the Iraqi authorities to return Yassers passport urgently, end this ordeal and allow him to return home. I thank the Tanaiste and the Department of Foreign Affairs for the support which has brought us to this point. But now I call upon them to keep the pressure up and make clear to the Iraqi authorities that this case is not over until Yasser is safely home in Ireland. Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC, counsel for Ms Wickham, added: We welcome the news that Yasser Eljuboori has finally been released from custody, after an agonising four days of unjust and arbitrary detention, and mistreatment. He should never have been arrested, detained or charged in the first place, and his family should never have been put through this ordeal. We call on the Iraqi authorities to ensure he is now able to leave the country safely and speedily and return to his home in Dublin. We have asked the Irish Government and the Department of Foreign Affairs, the European Union External Action Service and the United Nations Special Procedures to seek urgent assurances from the Iraqi authorities that Yasser will face no further impediments and will finally be allowed safe passage from Baghdad. Regrettably, we know from other cases that this is a danger point for Yasser, as there are continuing risks to him whilst he remains in Iraq. It is imperative that the Iraqi authorities know the world will continue to watch their actions until Yasser lands safely in Dublin airport. In a statement, Tanaiste Micheal Martin said he welcomed the decision to drop charges against Mr Eljuboori. This is naturally positive news for him, for his family, and all those who know and cherish him, Mr Martin said. I know from speaking directly with Mr Eljubooris wife, Laura, today and earlier in the week, just how difficult the past few days have been for her and their three young children. I hope todays developments will go some way towards alleviating the stress they have been experiencing, but I understand that their deep worry will not ease until the moment they are reunited with Yasser in Dublin. Earlier this morning, I had an open and constructive call with Dr Fuad Hussein, the deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs of the Republic of Iraq, on Mr Eljubooris case. Dr Hussein subsequently advised me that he had raised the case at the highest level and was confident that Mr Eljuboori would be released following the waiving of charges against him. Officials in my department and our embassy in Jordan remain actively involved on this case and will continue to provide consular assistance until Mr Eljuboori is reunited with his family in Dublin. Hampton Financial Corporation ? Closing of Private Placement of Debentures NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES TORONTO, Feb. 28, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hampton Financial Corporation ("Hampton" or the "Company", TSXV:HFC) advises that it has closed the non-brokered private placement of debentures previously announced in the Company's news release of February 23, 2024. Hampton has issued debentures in the principal amount of $1,000,000, having a term of five years, bearing interest at the rate of 12% per annum and convertible at any time at the option of the holder into subordinate voting shares in the capital of the Company at the price of $0.60 per share. If the entire principal amount of the debentures is converted the Company will issue 1,666,667 subordinate voting shares. The Company will have the option to prepay the principal amount of the debentures together with accrued interest at any time after 6 months following the date of issuance of the debentures. The proceeds from the private placement will be used for working capital and general corporate purposes. About Hampton Financial Corporation Hampton is a unique private equity firm that seeks to build shareholder value through long-term strategic investments. Through HSL, Hampton is actively engaged in family office, wealth management, institutional services and capital markets activities. HSL is a full-service investment dealer, regulated by CIRO and registered in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, Northwest Territories, Ontario, and Quebec. In addition, the Company, through HSL, provides investment banking services, which include assisting companies with raising capital, advising on mergers and acquisitions, and aiding issuers in obtaining a listing on recognized securities exchanges in Canada and abroad and HSL's Corporate Finance Group provides early stage, growing companies the capital, they need to create value for investors. HSL's Treasury Group works to maximize returns from its balance sheet and strengthen its competitive position as one of Canada's leading independent financial institutions. HSL continues to develop its Wealth Management, Advisory Team and Principal-Agent programs which offers to the industry's most experienced wealth managers a unique and flexible operating platform that provides additional freedom, financial support, and tax effectiveness as they build and manage their professional practice. The Company is also exploring opportunities to diversify its sources of revenue by way of strategic investments in both complimentary business and non-core sectors that can leverage the expertise of its Board and the diverse experience of its management team. For more information, please contact: Olga Juravlev Chief Financial Officer Hampton Financial Corporation (416) 862-8701 Or Peter M. Deeb Executive Chairman & CEO Hampton Financial Corporation (416) 862-8651 The TSXV has in no way approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. No securities regulatory authority has either approved or disapproved of the contents of this press release. This press release does not constitute or form a part of any offer or solicitation to buy or sell any securities in the United States or any other jurisdiction outside of Canada. The securities being offered have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or the securities laws of any state of the United States and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to a U.S. person absent registration or pursuant to an available exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws. There will be no public offering of securities in the United States. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains certain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively referred to herein as "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws, which may include, but are not limited to, information and statements regarding or inferring the future business, operations, financial performance, prospects, and other plans, intentions, expectations, estimates, and beliefs of the Company. All statements other than statements of present or historical fact are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "should", "hopeful", "recovery", "anticipate", "achieve", "could", "believe", "plan", "intend", "objective", "continuous", "ongoing", "estimate", "outlook", "expect", "may", "will", "project" or similar words, including negatives thereof, suggesting future outcomes. Forward-looking statements involve and are subject to assumptions and known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors beyond the Company's ability to predict or control which may cause actual events, results, performance, or achievements of the Company to be materially different from future events, results, performance, and achievements expressed or implied by forward-looking statements herein. Forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance. Although the Company believes that any forward-looking statements herein are reasonable, in light of the use of assumptions and the significant risks and uncertainties inherent in such statements, there can be no assurance that any such forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate. Actual results may vary, and vary materially, from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements herein. Accordingly, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of the risks and uncertainties inherent in forward-looking statements herein and should not place undue reliance upon such forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements herein are qualified by this cautionary statement. Any forward-looking statements herein are made only as of the date hereof, and except as required by applicable laws, the Company assumes no obligation and disclaims any intention to update or revise any forward-looking statements herein or to update the reasons that actual events or results could or do differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or results, or otherwise, except as required by applicable laws. 28 february 2024 at 17:15 News published onand distributed by: Treasury Prime Accelerates Embedded Banking With New Bank-Direct Initiatives Treasury Prime, the leading embedded banking software company, today is launching a series of new initiatives, including a new Bank-Direct product, that enhance support for banks and credit unions and empower them to directly sell, manage and service fintechs and other corporate customers. To further sharpen its focus, Treasury Prime will also be reorienting the company to concentrate on direct-to-bank partnerships and accelerate other efforts to drive their long-term success and growth. "The future of banking is embedded, with regulated institutions and technology firms working closely together to deliver critical financial services within new channels and apps, and the most successful fintechs are forging direct partnerships with banks," said Chris Dean, the CEO and co-founder of Treasury Prime. "That is why Treasury Prime is doubling down on a "bank-direct" approach, and is launching a Bank-Direct product that makes it possible for any bank to build a safe and successful embedded banking business line." Treasury Prime's industry-leading, Bank-Direct product makes real-time collaboration between bank and fintech partners easy and convenient. With new self-service tooling and features, banks can more easily access actionable insights, customize risk controls, and utilize a unified dashboard that fosters joint collaboration with their fintech partners. In addition, Treasury Prime will be accelerating efforts to: Focus its sales strategy on supporting banks as they close their own deals, including the development of automated screening tools to identify the fintechs they want as partners and a new business development team to provide specialized advice. Enhance support for platform implementation and customer onboarding, including streamlining its contracts to make it clear to regulators that the bank directly oversees its fintech customers. Provide more flexibility for banking institutions to tailor their partnerships with fintech customers, deepen those relationships, and build their own fintech brands. Optimize investments in personnel and infrastructure to drive bank-led, fintech and embedded banking partnerships. "Treasury Prime is unique in the industry because we strengthen bank-led, fintech relationships," said Jeff Nowicki, Chief Banking Officer at Treasury Prime. "As we step up our efforts to serve America's banks and credit unions, the powerful combination of Treasury Prime's modern, API-driven infrastructure and our Bank-Direct product means that we can offer the industry's most transparent, flexible, and compliant operating system and drive the confidence for more firms to join the embedded banking revolution." Treasury Prime is a "Banking as a Service" operating system that provides modern banking software so that fintechs or corporate clients can directly connect to the underlying infrastructure of banks through its APIs, and banks can distribute their products through fintechs or embed them in apps and other new channels. Treasury Prime will continue to provide dedicated support for all parties on its BaaS operating system. Going forward, however, it will focus its sales efforts and software development to enable banks to directly sell and serve fintechs and other embedded banking brands. This bank-direct approach reflects two major developments as the fintech marketplace has matured. First, banks have expanded their own, in-house business development capabilities and are looking for a BaaS operating system that can enhance their ability to sign up, manage, and support those clients. Meanwhile, regulators are calling for more rigorous oversight and compliance, and have made it clear that banking institutions ? not intermediaries ? are best positioned to manage the fintech customer relationship. "Regulators are demanding that banks and regulated financial institutions directly oversee the activities of their fintech partners, but these institutions need the right tools and resources to succeed," said Sheetal Parikh, General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer. "We clearly see where embedded banking is headed and are following our customers that recognize that Treasury Prime's bank-direct approach will ultimately create a safer and more sustainable ecosystem for all participants ? banks, fintechs, and partners alike." About Treasury Prime Treasury Prime is building the future of finance. Through its cutting-edge embedded banking software, Treasury Prime helps banks to seamlessly connect to fintech and enterprise clients, equipping them with everything they need to launch innovative financial products with a strong commitment to responsible practices. Beyond its core banking offerings, which encompass accounts and payment infrastructure, Treasury Prime also provides a robust partner marketplace. This marketplace offers a wide range of auxiliary services, including access to FDIC insurance through the Intrafi network, tailored to meet the diverse needs of bank-fintech partnerships. Treasury Prime was named Best Banking-as-a-Service Platform in the Tearsheet Embedded Awards 2021 and 2022, and was named to CB Insights' annual 2021 Fintech 250 list. 28 february 2024 at 17:15 News published onand distributed by: Sandoz US subsidiaries resolve generic drug antitrust class action litigation with direct purchaser class plaintiffs Ad hoc announcement pursuant to art. 53 SIX Swiss Exchange Listing Rules MEDIA RELEASE Sandoz US to pay USD 265 million in exchange for full release of all claims by the class Resolves all federal antitrust damages for direct purchaser class plaintiffs' claims in this litigation, if approved by Court Basel, February 29, 2024 ? Sandoz Inc. and its subsidiary Fougera Pharmaceuticals Inc. (together, "Sandoz US") ? both indirect subsidiaries of Sandoz Group AG ? have entered into a settlement agreement with the class of direct purchaser plaintiffs in the multidistrict litigation entitled In re Generic Pharmaceuticals Pricing Antitrust Litigation in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. This agreement, which contains no admission of wrongdoing by Sandoz US, resolves all of the damages claims of the direct purchaser class, which is the only class of plaintiffs that purchased directly from Sandoz US and brought their claims under federal law. Under the terms of the agreement, Sandoz US will pay USD 265 million in exchange for a full release of all claims asserted against it in the direct purchaser class action by the settlement class members. The full amount of the payment will be included in the company's 2023 financial results. As a new public company, this settlement underscores the Sandoz commitment to integrity and sound governance, and is an encouraging step toward putting allegations of legacy conduct behind us. Beyond the payment, settlement terms include: A broad release of claims that covers alleged conduct between 2009 and 2019 as well as all medicines at issue in the direct purchaser class claims. Class members have the right to opt out of the settlement, which could result in the settlement amount being reduced on a pro rata basis by up to 12 percent, or USD 31.8 million, based on the aggregate dollar sales of the generic pharmaceutical products at issue. Sandoz US also has the option to terminate the settlement if opt-outs reach a certain pre-determined threshold. The settlement is subject to Court approval, as is required for class settlements under US law. If the Court preliminarily approves the settlement, class members will be notified of the settlement and given an opportunity to opt out of the class, object to the settlement, and file a claim to receive a settlement payment. Following approval of this settlement, the multidistrict litigation, which was disclosed in the August 18, 2023 Listing Prospectus , will have two remaining plaintiff classes, but they concern indirect and downstream purchases and damages claims under state law. Sandoz US continues to defend itself vigorously in those cases, and has raised a number of defenses, including whether downstream purchasers were actually damaged due to the alleged conduct. About Sandoz Sandoz (SIX: SDZ; OTCQX: SDZNY) is the global leader in generic and biosimilar medicines, with a growth strategy driven by its Purpose: pioneering access for patients. 22,000 people of more than 100 nationalities work together to bring Sandoz medicines to some 500 million patients worldwide, generating substantial global healthcare savings and an even larger total social impact. Its leading portfolio of more than 1,500 products addresses diseases from the common cold to cancer. Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Sandoz traces its heritage back to the year 1886. Its history of breakthroughs includes Calcium Sandoz in 1929, the world's first oral penicillin in 1951, and the first biosimilar in 2006. In 2022, Sandoz achieved sales of USD 9.1 billion and core EBITDA of USD 1.9 billion. Disclaimer This Media Release contains forward-looking statements, which offer no guarantee with regard to future performance. These statements are made on the basis of management's views and assumptions regarding future events and business performance at the time the statements are made. They are subject to risks and uncertainties including, but not confined to, future global economic conditions, exchange rates, legal provisions, market conditions, activities by competitors and other factors outside of the control of Sandoz. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual outcomes may vary materially from those forecasted or expected. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of the particular statement, and Sandoz undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, except as required by law. Contacts Global Media Relations contacts Investor Relations contacts [email protected] [email protected] Steffen Kurzawa +41 79 800 8501 Karen M. King +1 609 722 0982 Leslie Pott +1 201 354 0279 Laurent de Weck +41 61 529 14 85 Attachment 29 february 2024 at 01:00 News published onand distributed by: DronePort Rotterdam's Strategic Alliances Propel Zuid-Holland as Leader in Autonomous and Uncrewed Ecosystems Uniting industry leaders to advance drone and aerospace Innovation, setting new standards globally ROTTERDAM, Netherlands , Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In a landmark move, DronePort Rotterdam is thrilled to announce a series of strategic developments that firmly cement its position as a leader in the realisation of a fully integrated innovative mobility ecosystem spanning ports, airports, urban, and regional landscapes. A Global Event: U-Space Revolution Event in Rotterdam Beginning with the inaugural launch of the 'U-Space Revolution in Rotterdam' on March 5, 2024, co-organised with the Port of Rotterdam and attracting 200 participants from 14 countries, this unique event marks the start of a new era in autonomous and uncrewed intelligent systems, such as drones. The conference serves as a platform to highlight the rising interest in the emerging potential of this technology and its expected impact on society. Additionally, it acts as a launching pad for DronePort Rotterdam's strategic alliances. Aerospace Delta Launch: Forging the Future of Autonomous and Uncrewed Intelligent Systems At the core of this strategic vision lies the Aerospace Delta initiative, stemming from the collective ambition of DronePort Rotterdam and its premier regional partners, including Unmanned Valley, the Aerospace Innovation Hub @TU Delft, InnovationQuarter, and STC (Scheepvaart en Transport College), with support from the City of Rotterdam and the Province of Zuid-Holland. With a newly formed coalition of 100 out of 260 entities under the Aerospace Delta umbrella, there is a unified commitment to transforming both the region and the Netherlands into a global hub for autonomous and uncrewed intelligent systems. This coalition focuses on innovation and industry transformation through education, testing, training, social entrepreneurship, investments, regulations, policies, and actively applying these initiatives operationally for broader impact. Strategic Partnerships: Strengthening the Ecosystem Through Educational Innovation In partnership with STC ? the worldwide operating educational and research institution for the shipping, logistics, transport, and process industries ? DronePort Rotterdam is collaborating on developing an extensive drone curriculum. This curriculum, covering the entire drone ecosystem, is tailored for both regular and professional education levels. It encompasses a range of drone-related educational content, from regulatory frameworks and safety protocols to practical applications, technological innovations, and policy implications. Additionally, these resources are being developed into online formats to cater to a broad audience, including students, professionals, and newcomers, ensuring everyone can access the information they need to engage with drone technology safely and effectively. For the second half of this year, STC and DronePort Rotterdam are hosting the 'Smart Vision Experience: Autonomous and Uncrewed Intelligent Systems'. The event serves to educate and inspire the current and next generations of industry leaders and innovators, showcasing the latest advancements in drone technology and autonomous and uncrewed intelligent systems. In partnership with Drone Fusion ? the international platform for drone researchers and schools innovating for a circular tomorrow ? Saxion University of Applied Sciences and DronePort Rotterdam are developing a prime and future-proof platform to drive innovation, research, business, and excellence in the field for autonomous and uncrewed intelligent systems. This partnership believes in the potential of drone technology to facilitate Europe's digital, sustainable, and societal transitions, offering benefits for businesses and society to help build a resilient future. By connecting bright minds, makers, and entrepreneurs in the industry, our partnership is set to catalyse technological progress and market growth, setting new standards for the adoption and integration of autonomous and uncrewed systems worldwide. Ultimately, this partnership seeks to contribute to societal advancement and economic growth while skilling future generations and reskilling the current ones. A Collaborative Blueprint for Regional Advancement The DronePort Rotterdam organisation and its regional collaboration with partners under the Aerospace Delta banner reflect our collective vision and dedication to the future of the Zuid-Holland region and beyond. Uniting pioneers across business, education, and government, we are establishing a strong foundation for a future enriched by autonomous and uncrewed intelligent systems, essential to our daily lives, economic growth, and community well-being. We encourage you to further explore this initiative and collective vision. About Aerospace Delta Zuid-Holland Aerospace Delta Zuid-Holland stands as the premier aerospace ecosystem in the Netherlands, recognised as a top-tier European hub in the fields of aeronautics and aviation, upstream and downstream space, and drones and urban air mobility. At the heart of the region of Zuid-Holland, over 260 companies, institutes, and organisations collaborate, employing nearly 9,000 highly skilled professionals in this sector. Thanks to the strength of its educational and research institutions, the region is also home to one of the largest sources of aerospace talent in Europe. Unmanned Valley, Aerospace Innovation Hub @TU Delft, and DronePort Rotterdam are eager to lead this ecosystem to international heights. For more information, visit www.aerospacedelta.nl . About DronePort Rotterdam DronePort Rotterdam is evolving into a foundation jointly founded by the Port of Rotterdam and INSPIR8ION to drive the development of the autonomous and uncrewed intelligent systems industry. Situated at the strategic intersection of a port, airport, city, and region, we are forging a unified mobility ecosystem that breaks conventional barriers. Our ambition extends beyond drones, embracing a comprehensive approach that integrates autonomous and uncrewed intelligent systems across diverse environments while focusing on the vertical and horizontal integration of spatial layers. As we explore the building blocks of this synergy, our dedication to safety, sustainability, and societal progress remains paramount. In 2024, the foundation will release its agenda for 2024-2030, outlining strategic goals and initiatives. This compact and comprehensive plan will foster collaboration, innovation, and regulatory and policy development, establishing DronePort Rotterdam as a leading ecosystem for technology, education, and commercialisation, aligning with the Aerospace Delta Agenda 2030. For partnership inquiries or more information, please visit www.droneportrotterdam.com . SOURCE DronePort Rotterdam 29 february 2024 at 03:00 News published onand distributed by: COGNITA PARTNERS WITH UCL'S WORLD-LEADING IOE, FACULTY OF EDUCATION AND SOCIETY, TO DELIVER INNOVATIVE LEADERSHIP AND TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAMMES Cognita schools from around the world are participating in ground-breaking tailored training programmes, delivered in partnership with the University College London (UCL) Centre for Educational Leadership ? part of UCL's world-leading IOE, Faculty of Education and Society LONDON, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Cognita has partnered with UCL's IOE, Faculty of Education and Society, ranked top for education for the last 10 years in the 2023 QS World University Rankings, to deliver two bespoke, cutting-edge training programmes exclusively for educators in Cognita schools. A new cohort of 15 schools from eight countries are taking part in both programmes. Of these, six schools are taking part in the Team Fellowship Programme, which helps teachers explore new practices in student learning. A further nine schools from around the world have just started training with the Senior Leader Enquiry Programme, a new initiative aimed at school leaders. These 15 schools follow in the footsteps of Cognita schools from nine countries which have already been through the Team Fellowship Programme. Both programmes enable Cognita staff to develop tailor-made solutions to their schools' unique needs and context. They also offer an opportunity for them to forge stronger links with their colleagues around the world, and learn from each other. Dr Simon Camby, Chief Education Officer at Cognita, said: "These programmes form part of Cognita's longstanding belief in the power of using robust global evidence and purposeful research to improve the educational experience and outcomes for our students. These programmes result in tangible differences in each school, driven by teachers and leaders who deeply understand the school's context. "The diversity of Cognita schools is one our great strengths, enabling us to learn from one another, benefiting our school leaders, teachers, and students. At the same time, each of our schools operates within a specific context. That is why we are so grateful and proud to be partnering with the world-leading faculty at UCL on tailored training programmes for each participating school." Greg Ross, Associate Professor at UCL, said: "It can be a challenge to know how to best apply messages from research in the busy reality of a school. Participants on the programmes we have developed with Cognita become researchers into their own practice and into their distinctive school contexts. They are supported in leading innovations based on robust evidence, both from research and from data they gather in their schools. "This approach helps teachers and leaders make good decisions about how to best serve the students in their care. We are proud of our long-term partnership with Cognita and have been impressed on both our programmes by the commitment to continuous learning and improvement from Cognita teachers and leaders." As part of the Senior Leader Enquiry Programme, teams of 2-3 school leaders from nine schools across Asia, Europe, and the Middle East will spend 20 months developing their leadership skills in areas like professional learning and pedagogy. At the start of the programme, participants set out questions around their own leadership development priorities and the priority needs in their schools. With the help of UCL researchers, they will then explore innovative solutions, which they will test out within their schools. They will assess their progress in a series of online and face-to-face tutorials and workshops led by UCL. This will allow them to refine their solutions. By the time the programme concludes in June 2025, they will have developed evidence-based leadership tools tailored to their schools. Separately, the Team Fellowship Programme is helping teams of three teachers from six Cognita schools around the world work with UCL experts to explore a specific area of practice linked to student learning. Throughout the nine-month programme, the teams will attend three tutorials with a member of UCL faculty. They will then produce a short video and written document to evidence their learning and to share with others. At the end of the programme, in June 2024, they will lead a professional learning session in their own school. Previous cohorts have looked into how feedback could encourage greater self-reflection and independence in students, for example. The schools taking part in the Senior Leader Enquiry Programme are Vietnam's International School Ho Chi Minh City; Singapore's Stamford American International School and Australian International School; Hong Kong's Stamford American School; the UK's North Bridge House Senior School Hampstead and King's School Plymouth; the International School Zurich North in Switzerland; and the UAE's Horizon English School and RGS Guildford Dubai. The schools taking part in the Team Fellowship Programme are the Australian International School in Singapore; St. Andrews International School Green Valley in Thailand; Spain's British School of Barcelona and Hastings School; and the UAE's Horizon English School and Ranches Primary School. About Cognita Launched in 2004, Cognita is an extraordinary family of diverse yet connected schools that span 16 countries and share one common purpose: to enable students to thrive in a rapidly evolving world. With over 100 schools in Europe and the US, the Middle East, Latin America, and Asia, Cognita employs over 18,000 teaching and support staff in the care and education of more than 90,000 students. Together, Cognita schools provide a uniquely global education that goes beyond grades, to develop all-round academic excellence ? equipping young people with the agency, adaptability and positive attitudes that prepares them to grow, thrive and find their success in a rapidly evolving world. www.cognita.com Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2351357/Cognita.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2244643/Cognita_Logo.jpg 29 february 2024 at 07:00 News published onand distributed by: CIRA offers up to $100,000 to community-led internet projects through its Net Good Grants program OTTAWA, Feb. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- For many Canadians, the ability to access, stay safe and succeed on the internet is still out of reach. To help close this gap, CIRA is launching its 2024 grants program to support not-for-profits, Indigenous communities, researchers and registered charities across the country that are working to bridge that digital divide. Without access to high-quality, resilient internet, or the knowledge to stay safe online, many people remain isolated and at risk. Through its Net Good Grants program, CIRA is leveraging more than 10 years of experience supporting communities, projects and policies that make Canada's internet better. CIRA Net Good Grants CIRA awards grants up to $100,000 for community-led internet projects with over $1,000,000 available in funding. The program welcomes projects that focus on three core areas to bring about digital development in communities nationwide: Infrastructure : connectivity research, network planning and solutions to improve internet access, speed and affordability. : connectivity research, network planning and solutions to improve internet access, speed and affordability. Online safety: research, educational frameworks, tools, consultations and training programs that increase Canadians' safety against cybersecurity threats. research, educational frameworks, tools, consultations and training programs that increase Canadians' safety against cybersecurity threats. Policy engagement: events, research and policy ecosystem work that broadens public awareness in domestic internet policy and governance. Applications will be accepted from every province and territory with a focus on projects that benefit rural, Northern and Indigenous communities and K-12 and post-secondary students. CIRA especially encourages applications for eligible projects in the Prairies, Quebec and the Maritimes to help ensure funding reaches traditionally underserved communities. For the past 10 years, CIRA has invested $11.7 million towards 217 digital equity projects across Canada from revenue generated through .CA domain registrations and CIRA's cybersecurity services. Learn more about how to apply for a CIRA Grant by visiting www.cira.ca/grants. Interested applicants can also join a webinar in English on March 5 at 1 p.m. ET or in French on March 6 at 1 p.m. ET. Executive quote "CIRA's Net Good Grants are intrinsic to CIRA's desire to build a trusted internet in Canada. As a non-profit ourselves, we choose to put our resources at the disposal of communities and issues that are often overlooked. We fund these projects because they help close the digital equity gap to ensure that Canadians have access to the opportunities and resources the internet offers no matter where they live and work." ? Charles Noir, Vice president of community investment, policy and advocacy Who is eligible to apply? Organizations recognized by the Canada Revenue Agency as registered charities; Not-for-profit organizations; Indigenous communities; and Academics and researchers affiliated with a Canadian university or college. Applicants are encouraged to submit their applications in advance of the deadline on April 10, at 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT. Additional information See how CIRA's Grants are empowering communities: https://www.cira.ca/en/grants/ For more information about CIRA's commitment to building a trusted internet for Canadians, visit www.cira.ca/en/net-good/. About CIRA CIRA is the national not-for-profit best known for managing the .CA domain on behalf of all Canadians. As a leader in Canada's internet ecosystem, CIRA offers a wide range of products, programs and services designed to make the internet a secure and accessible space for all. CIRA represents Canada on both national and international stages to support its goal of building a trusted internet for Canadians by helping shape the future of the internet. About Net Good by CIRA and CIRA Grants Net Good by CIRA supports communities, projects and policies that make the internet better for all Canadians. CIRA proudly funds Net Good by CIRA from the revenue CIRA generates through .CA domains and cybersecurity services. CIRA Grants is one of CIRA's most valuable contributions to Net Good, with nearly $12 million invested in hundreds of community-led internet projects across Canada that address infrastructure, online safety and policy engagement needs. Media contact Delphine Avomo Evouna CIRA [email protected] 613 315-1458 29 february 2024 at 08:00 News published onand distributed by: Bridge Data Centres Expands Footprint with Third Hyperscale Data Centre in Cyberjaya, Malaysia Spearheading Digital Transformation in Malaysia and Asia Pacific CYBERJAYA, Malaysia, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Bridge Data Centres ("BDC") has expanded its presence by acquiring new land in Selangor for the development of its third data centre, MY02, in Cyberjaya, Malaysia. This expansion, in partnership with Cyberview Sdn Bhd ("Cyberview"), is estimated to be the largest among its three data centre developments. The project is expected to increase IT capacity by approximately 87 MW across three phases. The first two phases both involve the construction of a three-story data centre. The Sales & Purchase Agreement was formalised in a ceremony at RekaScape, Cyberjaya, officiated by Kamarul Ariffin Abdul Samad, Chief Executive Officer of Cyberview Sdn Bhd, and Patrick Png, Vice President of Solutions for APAC at Bridge Data Centres. Witnessing the event were Dato' Hasan Azhari Hj. Idris, CEO of Invest Selangor Bhd and Haffizam Abu Seman, Deputy Director, Business Services & Regional Operations Division of Malaysian Investment Development Authority, Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA). As the tech hub developer, Cyberview is thrilled to welcome BDC into the city's data centre ecosystem. BDC, recognised as one of the largest hyperscale data centre operators, aims to provide deeply integrated and mission-critical infrastructure, prioritising efficiency, and cost-effectiveness with advanced cooling technology. YBhg. Datuk Wira Arham Abdul Rahman, CEO of Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA), congratulated Bridge Data Centre on the inauguration of its third data centre expansion, MY02, in Cyberjaya. He emphasised, "This ongoing investment underscores BDC's confidence in Malaysia, reinforcing our role as a regional data centre hub. Aligned with the New Industrial Master Plan (NIMP) 2030, BDC's commitment contributes to the nation's sustainable economic growth, creation of high-skilled jobs for locals, and propel the digital transformation journey." Ts. Mahadhir Aziz, Chief Executive Officer of Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) said, "We are thrilled to witness Bridge Data Centres (BDC) on board with Cyberview Sdn Bhd towards the initiative to catalyse the growth of the digital economy. BDC, being the largest data centre development, establishing its presence here will boost Malaysia's position as the digital hub of ASEAN, significantly attract substantial investment and generate numerous employment opportunities. MDEC as the nation's digital IPA fully supports such collaboration, and this perfectly aligns with MDEC's Malaysia Digital (MD) in driving the nation's digital economy. Congratulations to BDC and Cyberview on this remarkable milestone." Kamarul Ariffin Abdul Samad, Chief Executive Officer, Cyberview Sdn Bhd, said, "Bridge Data Centre's investment in Cyberjaya, represents a significant achievement and validates the city's positioning as the prime location for hyperscale data centre providers. This is testament to our commitment in fostering innovation, in line with the government aspiration to continue to grow the digital economy." BDC's strategic investment not only promises to invigorate the growth of ancillary businesses but also holds the potential to spark innovation across various industries. By injecting resources into key sectors, BDC aims to drive economic expansion and enhance competitiveness. Their investment signifies a pivotal step towards sustainable growth, job creation, and a thriving high-skilled workforce. Eric Fan, President Bridge Data Centres, said, "Our ongoing expansion in Malaysia underscores our commitment to meeting the evolving needs of our customers and further solidifying our position as a key player in the data centre industry. With this latest development in Cyberjaya, we are poised to continue driving innovation and supporting the digital transformation of businesses across the nation." Patrick Png, Vice President of Solutions for APAC, said, "Our focus remains on delivering cutting-edge solutions to meet the evolving needs of our clients. The MY02 data centre will embody our commitment to sustainability, boasting energy-efficient power and cooling technology alongside robust network connectivity. We are confident that these features will ensure uninterrupted IT operations and maximize performance for our valued customers." In 2023, Cyberjaya saw an increase in data centre investments, cementing its role as the global technology hub. The city is currently home to 15 commercial and captive data centres including hyperscale, as well as the location for 90% of Malaysia's co-location data centres. About Bridge Data Centres Established in 2017, Bridge Data Centres (BDC) is a leading global provider of hyperscale and wholesale data centre solutions. We help businesses grow with highly scalable, resilient and carrier-neutral data centres in India, Malaysia and Thailand. We are a subsidiary of Chindata Group that provides ultra-large scale data centre solutions in Asia Pacific. Our mission is to deliver the highest level of speed, reliability and performance to our customers, with built-to-suit data centre services ranging from planning, design, construction to operations. We are committed to developing sustainable data centres that are carbon-neutral and powered by 100% renewable energy by 2040. For more information, please visit www.bridgedatacentres.com and follow BDC on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/bridgedc/ SOURCE Bridge Data Centres 29 february 2024 at 08:00 News published onand distributed by: Japan Hosted a Conference to Boost Ukraine's Economic Growth and Recovery On February 19th, representatives of the governments of Japan and Ukraine, as well as business organizations, gathered in Tokyo for the Japan-Ukraine Conference for Promotion of Economic Growth and Reconstruction. The Japanese government delegation, led by Prime Minister of Japan Kishida Fumio, pledged long-term support for Ukraine's recovery through public-private partnership. The Ukrainian delegation, led by Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal, thanked Japan for its assistance and invited Japanese businesses to invest in Ukraine's reconstruction. Each delegation consisted of more than 100 government and corporate officials. In total, around 300 people and 130 companies took part in the conference. The two governments agreed to cooperate on seven key areas: land mine action and debris clearance, humanitarian aid and livelihood reconstruction, agricultural development, biotechnology, digital and information technology, transportation and energy infrastructure, and anti-corruption and governance-strengthening measures. In his keynote speech, Prime Minister Kishida described supporting Ukraine's recovery from the ongoing war as "investing in the future," and called on the international community to contribute. "Japan's public and private sectors will all work together through an all-Japan approach, utilizing the knowledge derived from Japan's postwar and disaster reconstruction efforts," he said in his speech. "The promotion of economic reconstruction, however, is not only investment for the future of Ukraine but also investing in Japan and the whole globe." He outlined new initiatives for Japan's public and private sectors to support Ukraine. Kishida also announced that Japan would ease entry visa requirements for Ukrainian citizens involving in Japan-Ukraine cooperation projects. Prime Minister Shmyhal thanked Japan for its ongoing assistance and Prime Minister Kishida for his visit to Ukraine in 2023. He added "Today's conference will be the next step towards continuing the development of both countries' relationships." Shmyhal mentioned the financial success of Japanese companies in Ukraine so far and invited businesses to further invest in the coming "Ukrainian economic miracle." He underlined key sectors such as energy, agriculture, and infrastructure as offering prime investment opportunities with robust growth potential. Both leaders emphasized their commitment to cooperation, as well as the importance of the private sector in Ukraine's reconstruction. The conference resulted in the announcement of 56 documents, including inter-governmental agreements. The two governments signed a convention eliminating double taxation, which will support Japanese companies to invest in Ukraine. They also signed an agreement on bilateral crediting, exchanged notes concerning a grant aid for emergency recovery, and pledged to collaborate in the fields of education and technology. Other documents included deals between government agencies and individual businesses and business organizations. Japanese companies signed deals with Ukrainian companies and government agencies to develop energy facilities, rebuild infrastructure, remove land mines, and more. Since the Russian invasion in February 2022, Japan has consistently provided humanitarian aid and other assistance to Ukraine. With the public-private partnership announced at this conference, Japan plans to use its technological expertise and experience in post-disaster recovery and reconstruction to strengthen its support for Ukraine. 29 february 2024 at 08:20 News published onand distributed by: BEIJING, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with President of the Republic of Sierra Leone Julius Maada Bio, who is on a state visit to China, in Beijing on Wednesday. Noting that China and Sierra Leone enjoy a time-honored friendship, President Xi said the two sides have supported each other on issues concerning their core interests and major concerns, carried out efficientcooperation in the fields of economic and social development, coordinated closely on issues such as world peace and development, and worked together to fight against Ebola and the COVID-19 pandemic. China-Sierra Leone relations are a good example of China-Africa solidarity and cooperation, President Xi said, adding that China is willing to work with Sierra Leone to consolidate high-level political mutual trust, advance pragmatic and mutually beneficial cooperation, and strengthen coordination on international and regional affairs to push bilateral relations to a new level. President Xi said China firmly supports the Sierra Leonean people in pursuing a development path suited to their national conditions. He said China stands ready to strengthen exchanges with Sierra Leone on national governance, and work with Sierra Leone to continue supporting each other's major concerns and safeguarding their respective sovereignty, security and development interests. China is also willing to provide assistance and support to the best of its ability for Sierra Leone's development in agriculture, infrastructure construction and human resources, and encourage Chinese enterprises to invest and do business in Sierra Leone, President Xi said. Both sides should strengthen cooperation on UN Security Council affairs and jointly safeguard the interests of Africa and developing countries, Xi noted. The Chinese president welcomed Sierra Leone to participate in the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, and jointly promote the building of a community with a shared future for humanity. "China has always regarded solidarity and cooperation with African countries as an important cornerstone of our foreign policy," President Xi said. China will work with African countries to align its initiatives to support Africa's industrialization, agricultural modernization and talent development with the African Union's Agenda 2063 and the development strategies of African countries; and to further integrate the development of China, Africa and the world to promote the upgrading of China-Africa cooperation and move the world towards a bright future of peace, security, prosperity and progress, President Xi said. China is ready to work with African friends, including Sierra Leone, to make this year's session of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) a success, President Xi said. President Bio said China is a trustworthy and reliable friend, thanking China for its great support for its economic and social development. He spoke highly of the Communist Party of China leading the Chinese people to achieve leapfrog development and promoting national rejuvenation. Bio said China's experience provides inspirations for developing countries to accelerate their development. President Bio said Sierra Leone abides by the one-China principle, supports China in safeguarding its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and supports China in safeguarding its core interests. He said Sierra Leone is willing to learn from China's experience, strengthen cooperation with China on the Belt and Road Initiative, and tap the potential for cooperation on infrastructure, trade, education and public services. After the talks, the two heads of state witnessed the signing of bilateral cooperation documents in the fields of the Belt and Road Initiative, agriculture, economic development, and the implementation of the Global Development Initiative. Both sides issued a joint statement on deepening their comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. Prior to the talks, President Xi and his wife Professor Peng Liyuan held a welcome ceremony for President Bio and his wife Fatima Bio at the Great Hall of the People. In the evening, President Xi and Professor Peng held a banquet for Bio and Fatima. Members of the Shapiro administration were in Carlisle Wednesday afternoon to promote the governors proposed investments in public safety in the 2024-25 budget. According to Gov. Josh Shapiros budget, he proposes increasing the Fire and Emergency Medical Services Grant Program from $30 million to $60 million, which his administration said will help fire responders recruit more people, update outdated safety equipment and provide additional training. Cumberland Goodwill EMS Assistant Chief Nathan Harig said funding in the current program has helped the local EMS fund the stretcher systems for its fleet of 10 ambulances. Stretcher systems cost upward of $40,000, and doubling the grant funding will help to keep up with rising expenses for equipment, he said. Currently, the maximum annual award per organization for EMS grants is $15,000, with fire grants maxed out at $20,000. Our dedicated first responders need support now more than ever, Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency Director Randy Padfield said in a news release. Since emergencies begin and end in local communities, we need to invest in our local fire and EMS organizations to ensure the commonwealths emergency response system stays strong for current and future risks they face. TMX Group Welcomes International Mining Community to PDAC 2024 Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) and TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV) are patron sponsors TORONTO, Feb. 29, 2024 /CNW/ - TMX Group, the global exchange leader in mining, is a patron sponsor of the 2024 Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada's (PDAC) International Convention, being held on March 3-6, 2024, in Toronto. "Toronto Stock Exchange and TSX Venture Exchange are proud to support the world's premier mining event, and to welcome representatives from across the global mining industry ecosystem to Toronto for PDAC 2024," said Loui Anastasopoulos, CEO, Toronto Stock Exchange and Global Head, Capital Formation, TMX Group. "Home to 40% of the world's public mining companies, TSX and TSXV are committed to supporting the growth of innovative companies of all sizes, from key centres across the globe. We look forward to meeting and working with delegates from around the world at this year's conference." TSX and TSXV will play an active role at this year's conference, including hosting the first-ever TSX Lithium Investor Day; hosting roundtable events with delegations from Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Peru, Australia and Mongolia; and exhibiting in the Investors Exchange at booth #2917. The Exchanges will host market open and close ceremonies throughout the conference: Date Market Open Market Close Friday, March 1 - PDAC Monday, March 4 Celebrating Canadian Mining International Mines Ministers Summit Tuesday, March 5 Latin American Mining delegation African/Francomine Mining Ministers Wednesday, March 6 Australian Mining delegation - Together, TSX and TSXV are the world's leading listing and public capital raising venue for mining companies. As at December 31, 2023, the Exchanges were home to 1,119 mining issuers with a combined market capitalization of over $517 billion. TSX and TSXV mining companies completed 1,213 mining financing transactions in 2023, representing approximately 48% of the total public mining financing activity globally. For more information, visit tsx.com/mining . For Market Openings and Closings: Media may pick up a feed from the TOC (television operations centre) for all market open/close ceremonies. The feed is named TSX Transmit 1 (HD-SDI) and is produced at the TMX Market Centre and sent live to the TOC. To pick up the feed via the Dejero network, please contact [email protected]. The client feature video will begin playing on the TMX media wall at approximately 9:29 a.m. ET and 3:59 p.m. ET respectively, and the markets will open/close with the sound of a siren at 9:30 a.m. ET. and 4:00 p.m. ET. About TMX Group (TSX: X) TMX Group operates global markets, and builds digital communities and analytic solutions that facilitate the funding, growth and success of businesses, traders and investors. TMX Group's key operations include Toronto Stock Exchange , TSX Venture Exchange , TSX Alpha Exchange , The Canadian Depository for Securities , Montreal Exchange , Canadian Derivatives Clearing Corporation , TMX Trayport and TMX VettaFi , which provide listing markets, trading markets, clearing facilities, depository services, technology solutions, data products and other services to the global financial community. TMX Group is headquartered in Toronto and operates offices across North America (Montreal, Calgary, Vancouver and New York), as well as in key international markets including London, Singapore and Vienna. For more information about TMX Group, visit www.tmx.com . Follow TMX Group on X: @TMXGroup . Neither TMX Group Limited nor any of its affiliated companies guarantees the completeness of the information contained in this publication, and we are not responsible for any errors or omissions in or your use of, or reliance on, the information. This news release is not, and should not be construed as an invitation to purchase securities listed on TSX or TSX Venture Exchange. No statement in this news release should be construed as advice regarding an investment strategy. Please seek professional advice to evaluate specific securities. Listing on TSX or TSX Venture Exchange does not guarantee the future performance of a security or an issuer. SOURCE TMX Group Limited 29 february 2024 at 09:00 News published onand distributed by: CENIC Recognizes CSU San Bernardino's High Performance Computing Program for Improving CSU Access to National Research Platform Resources The High Performance Computing Program (HPCP) at CSU San Bernardino has been selected to receive the CENIC 2024 Innovations in Networking Award for Research Applications in recognition of its work supporting faculty who wish to avail themselves of all the National Research Platform (NRP) has to offer. The CENIC Innovations in Networking Awards recognize exemplary people, projects, and organizations that leverage high-bandwidth networking. "I am delighted to extend my heartfelt congratulations to the High Performance Computing Program," said Louis Fox, CENIC's Chief Executive Officer. "The dedication and efforts of all the honorees in advancing high-performance computing and research capabilities are truly inspiring." The NRP is a partnership of more than 50 institutions nationwide, led by researchers and cyberinfrastructure professionals at UC San Diego and is a national open-access, scalable cyberinfrastructure for research and education grown through the in-kind contributions of its user community. Thanks to the NRP, researchers and educators across California, the United States, and the world are able to store, transfer, and access vast amounts of information regardless of geographical distance. Supporting a Broad Range of Big-Data Disciplines: Archaeology, Pediatrics, Materials Science, and more While many of the most active heavy users are located at large research universities, the role of the High Performance Computing Program (HPCP) at CSU San Bernardino is particularly noteworthy in the rapid adoption and use of these resources at the California State University system. The HPCP and the collaborative work with the NRP that led to it is headed by Samuel Sudhakar, Chief Financial Officer and Vice President, Finance, Technology and Operations; Youngsu Kim, Professor of Mathematics and High-Performance Computing Faculty Fellow; and Dung Vu, Lead High-Performance Computing Analyst at CSU San Bernardino. Sudhakar stated, "The High Performance Computing Program at CSUSB supported by the National Research Platform and CENIC has opened up tremendous opportunities for faculty-led innovation and research at our University. We are grateful for the collaboration we have with NRP and CENIC and the funding from NSF to grow and expand the HPC resources we provide our faculty." Sudhakar, Kim, Vu, and their team's work has been pivotal in supporting faculty in their research endeavors and providing them with the tools and resources to access and manipulate vast amounts of data ? crucial not only for researchers and educators across California and the US but also for international collaborations. The High Performance Computing Program Faculty Showcase for 2023 may be viewed on YouTube. All the researchers in the showcase spoke highly of the value they place on the resources themselves as well as the individualized support received from the HPCP team. Reconstructing a Virtual Archaeological Site in Egypt One extraordinary example of a recent HPCP-supported project is Benson and Pamela Harer Fellow in Egyptology Dr. Kate Liszka's and Robert and Frances Fullerton Museum of Art's research Egyptologist and educator Bryan Kraemer's interactive 3D model of a large archaeological site in southeastern Egypt, Wadi el Hudi, created from 91,000 still images. With so many images and so much data to manage, as Kraemer says, "The scale of the data can sometimes outstrip our ability to process it." For example, a site called Dihmit South provided 12,000 high-resolution photographs in only two days of examination. "That's just not going to work properly on most of the machines we have available." Discovering, Manufacturing, and Deploying New Materials Faster: the Materials Genome Initiative Many of the innovations we interact with and rely on ? sensors, touchscreens, medical implants and medications, kitchen appliances, and much more ? employ highly specialized materials that react to electricity, deformation, temperature, or even light in very precise ways. However, making and testing materials in order to determine their usefulness can be expensive and time-consuming. The ability to predict in advance whether a given material will exhibit one or more of these useful behaviors would save time and money and can enable researchers to design such materials from first principles and models. Performing such calculations on these materials of course requires access to vast databases and processing power, and thanks to the resources and support provided by the HPCP, CSU San Bernardino's Center for Advanced Functional Materials has already found promising candidate materials worth investigating. Using Machine Learning to Predict and Treat Pediatric Sleep Apnea Another HPCP-supported project makes use of large datasets from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality relating to pediatric obstructive sleep apnea. Thanks to the access and computing resources that they need to make use of these vast national datasets, the team of Benjamin Becerra, assistant professor at CSU San Bernardino's Center for Health Equity, is working on developing predictive models for this disorder. This work can be seriously hampered by what Becerra calls the "curse of dimensionality" ? the amount of different types of data associated with each patient encounter. For each of the tens of millions of such records, the sex, age, race, and various diagnostic and billing codes only scratch the surface of the data that must be accounted for in their machine-learning models. It would be practically impossible to do this locally. Luckily, the team has access to the National Research Platform and JupyterLab notebooks. These resources have also enabled students to participate more fully in this research, who would normally be using less powerful laptops or tablets incapable of handling such datasets locally. Optimizing Traffic Monitoring Using Drones One of the most potentially revolutionary uses of artificial intelligence and machine learning is in the real-time management of fleets of unmanned aerial vehicles, commonly known as drones. Environmental monitoring and data collection ? especially in situations where fast response and decision-making are needed such as agricultural uses and disaster response ? is a perfect example of how real-time routing of drones based on the data they provide can intersect deeply with big-data science, artificial intelligence, and machine learning, including their high-performance computing requirements. Research performed by CSU San Bernardino's Information and Decision Sciences Department focuses on mathematical models to optimally route and schedule fleets of drones in order to monitor and respond to traffic flow and emergency situations. A very small model with only a few drones can be manageable, but as the number of drones increases, such models quickly become cumbersome beyond the ability of ordinary computer resources; without the resources and support of the university's HPCP, these calculations would be unmanageable. About CENIC | www.cenic.org CENIC connects California to the world?advancing education and research statewide by providing the world-class network essential for innovation, collaboration, and economic growth. This nonprofit organization operates the California Research and Education Network (CalREN), a high-capacity network designed to meet the unique requirements of over 20 million users, including the vast majority of K-20 students together with educators, researchers and others at vital public-serving institutions. CENIC's Charter Associates are part of the world's largest education system; they include the California K-12 system, California Community Colleges, the California State University system, California's Public Libraries, the University of California system, Stanford, Caltech, USC, and the Naval Postgraduate School. CENIC also provides connectivity to leading-edge institutions and industry research organizations around the world, serving the public as a catalyst for a vibrant California. 29 february 2024 at 10:05 News published onand distributed by: CPKC Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer to address the J.P. Morgan 2024 Industrials Conference on March 12, 2024 CALGARY, AB, Feb. 29, 2024 /CNW/ - Canadian Pacific Kansas City (TSX: CP) (NYSE: CP) (CPKC) Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer Nadeem Velani will address the J.P. Morgan 2024 Industrials Conference on March 12, 2024 at 10 a.m. ET. CPKC will provide access to the live audio webcast at investor.cpkcr.com. A replay will also be available following the conclusion of the event. About Canadian Pacific Kansas City 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. Stretching approximately 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. Visit cpkcr.com to learn more about the rail advantages of CPKC. CP-IR SOURCE CPKC 29 february 2024 at 11:00 News published onand distributed by: Treasury Board President Anita Anand tables 2024-25 Main Estimates, including reporting on the Refocusing Government Spending initiative OTTAWA, ON, Feb. 29, 2024 /CNW/ - Responsible spending is about making prudent investments in priorities that matter most to Canadians. Today, the Honourable Anita Anand, President of the Treasury Board of Canada, tabled in Parliament on behalf of departments and agencies the Government of Canada's spending plans for 2024?25, the Main Estimates and Departmental Plans. The Main Estimates provide details on how taxpayer funds will be allocated to fulfill government priorities as well as outline any proposed new government spending. Departmental Plans outline how the government will serve Canadians in the coming year, with details on planned programs and services, performance targets, and expected results. The Main Estimates 2024?25 present detailed information on $191.6 billion in voted expenditures and $257.6 billion in statutory spending, for a total of $449.2 billion in planned budgetary spending for 129 organizations to deliver programs and services to Canadians. This includes $5.6 billion in spending for the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, $8.4 billion for Health Canada, including funding to expand the Canadian Dental Care Plan, as well as $28.8 billion for National Defence investments including Ukraine, and training and equipment for the Canadian Armed Forces. This funding allows the government to provide a wide variety of programs and services as well as to support other levels of government, organizations and individuals through transfer payments. These documents are important tools for Canadians to hold government to account for the prudent investment of public resources. These Estimates also present the first phase of the Refocusing Government Spending initiative announced in Budget 2023. As outlined in the Estimates, approximately $10.5 billion over the next 3 years from departmental budgets is being refocused towards top priorities for Canadians, like health care and housing. This is in addition to the refocusing of $500 million reported in the Supplementary Estimates (B) 2023?24, tabled in the fall. Together with the second phase of the Refocusing Government Spending initiative, announced in the 2023 Fall Economic Statement, these reallocations will refocus a total $15.8 billion over 5 years and $4.8 billion every year thereafter. Details of the refocused spending for each government department will be available in their respective 2024?25 Departmental Plans. The government is committed to strengthening fiscal prudence and accountability while continuing to support Canadians by creating greater growth and opportunities. Canadians can explore the Main Estimates, Departmental Plans, and other government financial reports to see how public money is used on Canada.ca and GC Infobase. Quote "The government continues to invest prudently in programs and services that Canadians rely on while ensuring that resources go towards priorities that matter most to Canadians. Through the Main Estimates, we are reiterating the transparent, efficient, and prudent spending of taxpayer dollars." - The Honourable Anita Anand, President of the Treasury Board Quick Facts The 2024?25 Main Estimates present information on $191 .6 billion in voted expenditures, meaning new spending, and $257 .6 billion in statutory spending, already authorized through existing legislation, for a total of $449 .2 billion in planned budgetary spending for 129 organizations to deliver programs and services to Canadians. present information on .6 billion in voted expenditures, meaning new spending, and .6 billion in statutory spending, already authorized through existing legislation, for a total of .2 billion in planned budgetary spending for 129 organizations to deliver programs and services to Canadians. Departmental Plans set the reference point for institutions to track their performance against objectives. Progress is reported in the Departmental Results Report following the end of the fiscal year. The Estimates documents include the Departmental Plans, Departmental Results Reports, Main Estimates, and Supplementary Estimates, which are tabled throughout the fiscal year, as required. Spending amounts in the Estimates represent "up to" amounts by each federal organization requesting authority to spend. Estimates data is also available through GC InfoBase , an online tool that presents performance results and indicators from departmental reports. Related Products Associated Links Stay connected Twitter: @TBS_Canada Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TBSCanada LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tbs-sct/ SOURCE Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat 29 february 2024 at 11:09 News published onand distributed by: Minister Boissonnault announces funding to make post-secondary education more affordable for Indigenous youth OTTAWA, ON, Feb. 29, 2024 /CNW/ - When young people have access to the supports needed to complete their studies and achieve their career goals, then communities, the economy and all of Canada thrive. That is why the Government of Canada continues to make meaningful investments in youth through its comprehensive array of youth programming. Today, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages, Randy Boissonnault, announced an additional $6 million for Indspire for their Building Brighter Futures: Bursaries, Scholarships and Awards program. This funding, provided through the Supports for Student Learning Program, will allow Indspire to offer scholarships and bursaries to 2,400 Indigenous students across Canada so they can pursue post-secondary training. The Supports for Student Learning Program funds organizations that help students to stay in school, continue their studies, and gain new skills that will help them succeed in their education. The program aims to reach students who may face greater barriers to education, such as Indigenous students, visible minority and racialized students, students living with disabilities, students living in a low-income household, and students identifying as 2SLGBTQI+. Funded activities may include: tutoring sessions; mentoring programs; mental and social well-being services; bursaries and scholarships; or opportunities to study or work outside Canada Indspire is a national Indigenous-led registered charity that invests in the education of Indigenous peoples for the long-term benefit of them, their families and communities, and Canada. For more than 35 years, Indspire has empowered thousands of Indigenous students to dream big for the future and achieve their highest potential in and outside of their educational pursuits. In collaboration with Indigenous partners like Indspire, the Government of Canada is ensuring that First Nations, Inuit and Metis can fully contribute and share in Canada's economic success, which is a critical part of advancing reconciliation and self-determination. Quotes "Having access to the right skills and resources is crucial when it comes to landing a good job. Investing in Canada's future through the Supports for Student Learning Program will help thousands of Indigenous youth across the country to access the post-secondary training they need for the career of their dreams." ? Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages, Randy Boissonnault "Receiving this $6 million investment from the Government of Canada for our Building Brighter Futures program is a transformative step towards supporting Indigenous students in their educational journeys. It not only fuels their personal and academic growth but also strengthens the foundation for vibrant communities and a thriving Canadian economy." ? President & CEO of Indspire, Mike DeGagne Quick Facts Since 2019, the Supports for Student Learning Program has provided more than $245 million in funding to youth-serving organizations across Canada . In 2022?2023, the program helped support more than 130,000 youth. This includes more than 7,500 students supported by Indspire. in funding to youth-serving organizations across . In 2022?2023, the program helped support more than 130,000 youth. This includes more than 7,500 students supported by Indspire. Indspire participants have strong education outcomes. Between 2016 and 2022, 89% of former Indspire scholarship and bursary recipients indicated that they completed their program, and 88% of those who graduated reported being employed. The Government of Canada recently demonstrated its support of reconciliation with Indigenous people through the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act Action Plan, released on June 21, 2023 . The plan includes measures to break down barriers, combat systemic racism and discrimination, close socio-economic gaps, and promote greater equality and prosperity for Indigenous Peoples. recently demonstrated its support of reconciliation with Indigenous people through the Action Plan, released on . The plan includes measures to break down barriers, combat systemic racism and discrimination, close socio-economic gaps, and promote greater equality and prosperity for Indigenous Peoples. This announcement supports the Government of Canada's commitment to reconciliation informed by: The Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Call to Action #7, which calls on the Government to work with Indigenous groups on a joint strategy to eliminate the education and employment gaps that exist between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. The Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and 2SLGBTQI+ People Calls for Justice, which calls upon all governments to provide supports and resources for educational, training, and employment opportunities for all Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ people. commitment to reconciliation informed by: This announcement aligns with the Government of Canada's implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by the United Nations to help build stronger, safer and more inclusive communities that leave no one behind. Associated Links Supports for Student Learning Program Follow us on X (Twitter) SOURCE Employment and Social Development Canada 29 february 2024 at 13:55 News published onand distributed by: SPEEA: Pilot Contract Talks Illustrate Boeing Safety Culture Problems The union for Flight Technical and Safety Pilots with Boeing's Flight Operations Group says it has first-hand experience of the kinds of safety-culture problems an expert panel reported on earlier this week. That highly critical report on Feb. 26 from the Federal Aviation Administration said there was a "disconnect" between public commitments to safety and quality made by senior executives at Boeing and the situations faced by Boeing employees in the workplace. SPEEA, the union that represents some two-dozen technical and safety pilots at Boeing, says it is experiencing that as it tries to negotiate a new contract for the pilots. The SPEEA-represented Technical and Safety Pilots perform three main functions for Boeing: They are the company's liaisons to the Federal Aviation Administration, National Transportation Safety Board and global aviation safety regulators. They work closely with Boeing customers to ensure the airlines have comprehensive safe operating plans in place. They are on-call consultants available to help flight crews understand the nuances of safely flying Boeing aircraft. The collective bargaining agreement for these pilots expires Monday. The most contentious issue in these negotiations is pay. "Boeing's last proposal is to pay the Tech and Safety pilots 28.6% less than the Boeing corporate pilots who chauffeur executives around," said Ray Goforth, SPEEA Executive Director. "With the entire world focused on the Boeing safety culture, it was truly startling to see how differently Boeing leadership values the safe operation of its products versus the comfort of executives." Talks have not gone well, SPEEA said, with Boeing negotiators failing to show up for the last two scheduled bargaining sessions this week. In another strange turn, Boeing asked SPEEA's negotiators to sign a retroactive Non-Disclosure Agreement so that the union couldn't tell its members how much they were being underpaid compared to their peers. SPEEA declined; Goforth called the request "weird." "To put this in context," he said, "Boeing has systematically hollowed out the SPEEA Pilot Instructors Unit, replacing valued Boeing expertise with contractors. The resulting degradation in expert advice given to Boeing's airline customers is another example of the safety-culture problem highlighted by the FAA." Boeing starts talks March 8 with the International Association of Machinists on a new contract for more than 32,000 Pacific Northwest production workers. That's four days after the contract for the SPEEA-represented Flight Technical and Safety Pilots expires. SPEEA represents more than 19,000 engineers, scientists, technical workers and pilots at Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems facilities in Washington, Kansas, California, Oregon and Utah. 29 february 2024 at 14:05 News published onand distributed by: The "Bunker", the ultra-secure wing of the Amsterdam courthouse, during the Mocro Maffia trial, October 28, 2022. REMKO DE WAAL / AFP He was absent from the "Bunker," the ultra-secure wing of the Amsterdam courthouse, on Tuesday, February 27, where he was sentenced to life imprisonment. Ridouan Taghi, head of the "Mocro Maffia" in the Netherlands, chose not to attend the end of a trial that captivated the country for almost six years. In all, 142 hearings were conducted since the formal opening of the proceedings in 2018. Once the 46-year-old Moroccan-born mafioso decided to attend, he was transported in a helicopter by an elite police unit to prevent escape attempts. In addition to Taghi, 16 defendants were charged with seven murders, four attempted murders and a host of other criminal projects linked to the activities of the mafia, a sprawling group specializing in cocaine and synthetic drug trafficking, active in the Netherlands, Belgium and Spain, with links to South American cartels. Its boss "sowed violence and terror," the judges concluded. The three prosecutors had called for life imprisonment for five of Taghi's main associates. In the end, the court imposed this sentence on only two of them, Said Razzouki, extradited from Colombia in 2021, and Mario R. The other defendants received sentences ranging from one year and eight months to 29 years' imprisonment. Mastermind Along with Taghi, the central figure in the case was Nabil Bakkali, a former member of the gang who was sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment. In 2017, he was involved in an execution ordered by the Mocro Maffia in Utrecht. His accomplices chose the wrong target and killed one of his relatives. He then decided to provide information to the police. This was the start of the so-called "Marengo" case and a confession that, combined with the decryption of cell phone messages, would provide a wealth of evidence on the workings of the Mocro Maffia. In March 2018, Redouan Bakkali was killed less than a week after the courts had revealed his brother's identity. The Mocro Maffia was true to its motto, "Wie praat, die gaat" ("He who speaks will die"). Derk Wiersum, Nabil Bakkali's lawyer, was shot dead outside his home in Amsterdam in September 2019. In July 2021, Peter R. de Vries, a well-known journalist who had become a confidant and advisor to the reformed criminal, was shot dead by two killers in the heart of Amsterdam. The assassinations were masterminded by Taghi, who was apprehended in December 2019 in Dubai, where he had found refuge but continued to run his organization. He was then incarcerated in a high-security wing in the Netherlands and continued his activities, aided in particular by his nephew Youssef, a lawyer brought to trial and sentenced to five and a half years in prison in 2023. Shortly afterward, another of the mobster's lawyers, Inez Weski, was implicated. It is not yet known whether she will stand trial. You have 44.72% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only. Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace, Paris, February 27, 2024. YOAN VALAT / AP During dinner at the Elysee Palace on Tuesday, February 27, Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani condemned what he described as the "genocide" underway in the Gaza Strip. The war between Israel and Hamas, following the Hamas terrorist attacks of October 7, 2023, formed the backdrop to the Qatari leader's first state visit to France since coming to power in 2013. French President Emmanuel Macron is seeking to increase his ability to influence the Middle East by seeking to strengthen relations with this country, a key intermediary between Israel and Hamas. In a joint statement, the two leaders called for an "immediate and permanent ceasefire," while reiterating their "opposition to an offensive against Rafah," a threat regularly brandished by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. They also discussed the fate of hostages still being held in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, including three French-Israelis, while negotiations, under the aegis of Qatar, continue with a view to their release and a truce in the fighting. The two countries signed a declaration of intent on humanitarian cooperation, particularly in Gaza, including a joint commitment of 200 million in aid to the Palestinian population. This funding comes at a time when the UN refugee agency UNRWA has been weakened by the suspension of funding from its main donors, led by the US, after Israel accused 12 of its agents of involvement in the attack on October 7, 2023. France and Qatar also chartered humanitarian and medical aid to Arish, the Egyptian port near Rafah, including 75 tonnes of freight, 10 ambulances, food rations and almost 300 family tents. Read more Subscribers only UNRWA: Who funds the UN agency dedicated to Palestinian refugees? Paris hoped that Doha would step up its support for the Lebanese military, which may be deployed in the buffer zone in southern Lebanon, with a view to the removal of Hezbollah militiamen from the area. The aim is to dissuade Israel from attacking Lebanon, in order to weaken the movement close to Iran and avoid a regional war. No definitive announcement was made, but, in their joint declaration, they "stressed their readiness to further support the Lebanese Armed Forces in this context, including through an international conference to be held in Paris." the date of which was not specified. Read more Subscribers only Lebanon: violence escalates between Israel and Hezbollah, sparking fears of uncontrollable escalation 'Relationship well and truly back on track' "Further support from Qatar for the Lebanese military cannot be ruled out, as Qatar is the only Gulf country that has agreed to support Lebanon," said Cinzia Bianco, Gulf specialist at the European Council on Foreign Relations. Bianco said that even if the diplomatic results of the visit are modest, against a backdrop of persistent stalemate in truce negotiations, "the relationship between France and Qatar is well and truly back on track." You have 45.97% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only. A fisherman walks to his pirogue as mist shrouds Ngor's beach in Dakar, Senegal February 28, 2024. ZOHRA BENSEMRA / REUTERS Rescuers pulled more than 20 bodies from the sea off northern Senegal on Wednesday, February 28, after a Europe-bound boat loaded with migrants sank. "A little more than 20 bodies" had been found, Saint-Louis regional governor Alioune Badara Samb said by telephone, adding that another 20 people had been saved. "Since the afternoon, we have been witnessing lifeless bodies wash up," he said, with local rescuers and the navy searching for survivors after nightfall. Badara Samb did not say how many passengers were aboard the vessel but survivors declared the number could have been in the hundreds. Read more Subscribers only Europe faced migration resurgence from Africa in 2023 Mamady Dianfo, a survivor from Casamance in the far south of the country, said there were about 300 passengers when the boat left Senegal a week ago. Another survivor, Alpha Balde, spoke of 200 passengers. Dianfo said the vessel reached Morocco, where the captain said he was lost and could no longer continue the journey. "We asked him to take us back to Senegal," he added, saying the accident happened in the notoriously dangerous waters off Saint-Louis. According to EU border agency Frontex, Senegal, and Morocco are the most common nationalities of migrants arriving on the Atlantic archipelago. The US Capitol is seen in Washington, DC, on February 27, 2024. MANDEL NGAN / AFP Congressional leaders reached a tentative agreement Wednesday, February 28, to prevent a government shutdown for now, days before an end-of-the-week deadline that risked shuttering some federal operations. Under the new plan being finalized, Congress would temporarily extend funding for one set of federal agencies through March 8 and for another set through March 22, so long as both Republicans and Democrats agree to a broader funding plan for the remainder of the budget year. An announcement was expected later Wednesday from party leaders comes as negotiators in Congress have been working furiously to finish up a federal spending plan and Washington joined Ukraine and other American allies around the world in watching and waiting for House Speaker Mike Johnson's next move. The new Republican leader is facing the test of his career trying to keep the US government open by Friday's midnight deadline for several federal departments. At the same time, emergency funding for Ukraine, Israel, and Indo-Pacific allies remains stubbornly stalled. President Joe Biden convened leaders Tuesday in hopes of pushing them toward a deal. "We are very close to getting it done," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said as he opened his side of the Capitol on Wednesday. Republicans are also optimistic that a deal can be reached. Congress is in what has become a familiar cycle of threatened shutdowns and disruptions as Johnson's hard-right Republicans in his GOP majority strive for steeper spending reductions than Democrats and even some other Republicans are willing to accept. New Dominion Bookshop will present a book talk and signing with musicologist and author John Brackett at 4 p.m. Saturday. Brackett will speak about his recent book, Live Dead: The Grateful Dead, Live Recordings and the Ideology of Liveness, which was released from Duke University Press in early December, and then take part in a conversation with Nick Rubin, co-host of Radio Freedonia on WTJU-FM. Brackett explores the impact of the Grateful Deads more than 2,300 live shows between 1965 and 1995 and its lasting reputation as a remarkable live band. He examines how a wealth of live recordings, ranging from official releases to fans own tapes, shaped the bands history and popular mythology for half a century. The event is co-sponsored by WTJU. The bookshops staff recommends arriving early for the best seating. Learn more at ndbookshop.com or by calling (434) 295-2552. Revalation Vineyards will welcome Mollie Ann Cox, author of The Lace Widow, at 5:30 p.m. Friday. Guests will be able to meet Cox, learn more about the inspiration for and creation of the book and purchase signed copies. Cox, an award-winning author, also writes mysteries under the name Maggie Blackburn. to learn more about the event, call (540) 407-1236 or email francoise@revalationvineyards.com. Bluebird & Co. will present an event with Elle Cosimano, the Virginia-based author of Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice, and author Jo Piazza at 7 p.m. Saturday at Veritas Vineyard & Winery in Afton. Cosimano is a New York Times best-selling author and an Edgar Award nominee. She will be speaking about the next installment in the popular Finlay Donovan series and answering questions from the audience. Cosimano also will participate in a conversation with Piazza, who is the national and international best-selling author of The Sicilian Inheritance, We Are Not Like Them, You Were Always Mine, Charlotte Walsh Likes to Win, The Knockoff and How to be Married. Tickets are $40 and include a hardcover copy of the book and a drink ticket. For tickets, go nine to http://www.bluebirdcrozet.com/events-list/cosimanoandpiazza. Friends of the Fluvanna County Library will meet at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Fluvanna County Library in Palmyra to learn more about the Looking Back; Seeing Now collaborative portrait project with Fluvanna painter Linda Staiger. The collaborative portrait project aims to memorialize a continuing thread of Fluvanna County life. The artists paint portraits of descendants of people of color who lived and worked from Scottsville to Columbia. There will be information about how to get involved in the portrait project, and question-and-answer time is included. Coffee, tea and light refreshments will be available. For information, call (434) 589-1400. Jefferson-Madison Regional Library will offer the following events in the coming week: 3:30 p.m. Thursday at Central Library: Tinkering with Tech is an exploration of technology for ages 9 to 11 that ranges from Cubelet Robot Blocks to mastering a robotics obstacle course. Learn more at childrens@jmrl.org. 4:30 p.m. Thursday at Gordon Avenue Library: The Thorsday Thursday celebration salutes Hiccup from How to Train Your Dragon, whose birthday is on Leap Day. The Viking-style party for ages 7 to 10 includes games and snacks, Registration is required. All day Friday at Louisa County Library: Drop by for a free copy of Rachel Beanlands Florence Adler Swims Forever for adults and a sweet treat for the kickoff of the Same Page Community Read. Check the librarys website for read-alikes for teens and children. All day Friday at Nelson Memorial Library: Readers can pick up free copies of Rachel Beanlands Florence Adler Swims Forever for the kickoff of the Same Page Community Read while supplies last. 10 a.m. to noon Friday at Gordon Avenue Library: While supplies last, pick up free copies of Rachel Beanlands Florence Adler Swims Forever for the kickoff of the Same Page Community Read. 3 to 5 p.m. Friday at Crozet Library: While supplies last, pick up free copies of Rachel Beanlands Florence Adler Swims Forever for the kickoff of the Same Page Community Read and get a sweet treat. 3:15 p.m. Friday at Gordon Avenue Library: Ballet & Books, an eight-week program for ages 6 to 9, helps young readers improve literacy skills through dance instruction and dialogic reading. Registration is required at uva@balletandbooks.org. Remember that there will be no session on March 8. 3:30 p.m. at Nelson Memorial Library: Teens are invited to a discussion of the Same Page Community Reads read-alike book option for teens. All day Saturday at Northside Library: Pick up free copies of Rachel Beanlands Florence Adler Swims Forever for the kickoff of the Same Page Community Read and learn about discussion groups and a Writing Your Familys Story program coming up at Northside. 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Northside Library: Blue Ridge Irish Music School will present a performance and class featuring the music and dance of Ireland. Registration is not required but is recommended, as space is limited. The event is for ages 5 and older, including teens and adults. 2 p.m. Saturday at Central Library: The 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten Gala is for young readers who have registered for the program at JMRL branches. There will be a storytime including some of the programs most frequently read books. Readers who completed the program this year will be recognized. 1 p.m. Sunday at Central Library: Writing Your Familys Story is presented by Sharon Harrigan of WriterHouse. Harrigan will offer research tips and explore the pros and cons of using fiction versus nonfiction to tell family history, as well as the ethics and challenges involved. 2 p.m. Sunday at Central Library: While supplies last, pick up free copies of Rachel Beanlands Florence Adler Swims Forever for the kickoff of the Same Page Community Read All day Monday at Greene County Library: Pick up free copies of Rachel Beanlands Florence Adler Swims Forever for the kickoff of the Same Page Community Read while supplies last. All day Wednesday at Scottsville Library: Pick up free copies of Rachel Beanlands Florence Adler Swims Forever for the kickoff of the Same Page Community Read while supplies last. For information about JMRL events, go to jmrl.org. Fountain Bookstore in Richmond will have a book launch for Blueprint for Going Green: How a Small Foundation Changed the Model for Environmental Conservation with author Gerald McCarthy at 6 p.m. Wednesday at 1312 E. Cary St. McCarthys book explores how the $8 million payment made by Allied Chemical after a judges ruling in 1977 led to the creation of the Virginia Environmental Endowment and the protection of Virginias water quality and landscapes. McCarthy, a leader in the field of environmental conservation, served as founder and executive director of Virginia Environmental Endowment for 36 years. He has received numerous awards for his work over the years, including Chesapeake Bay Conservationist of the Year. Admission plus a copy of the book is $26; admission alone is free. The US Supreme Court, Washington, February 28, 2024. JACQUELYN MARTIN / AP The prospect of Donald Trump being tried in Washington for his role in the January 6 insurrection is fading. On Wednesday, February 28, the US Supreme Court agreed to examine the question of presidential immunity which the candidate claims applies to his role in the assault on the Capitol and the attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election. According to the Court's statement, it will consider "whether and if so to what extent does a former President enjoy presidential immunity from criminal prosecution for conduct alleged to involve official acts during his tenure in office." Read more Subscribers only The 187 minutes during which Donald Trump let the Capitol insurrection happen In a strongly argued case on February 6, a federal appeals court in Washington, DC, ruled that the former president lacked such immunity. The Supreme Court is undertaking an accelerated process by claiming the final word on this fundamental issue. During the week of April 23, the nine justices will debate the issue three of whom were appointed by the then-president. However, their written decision may not come until the end of the session, on July 1, almost certainly compromising the possibility of holding the federal trial before November's presidential election. Due to the amount of evidence, which stretches from election night in November 2020 to January 6, 2021, Special Counsel Jack Smith has proposed a two- to three-month trial. Dialatory procedures will likely succeed, as any serious trial will be delayed until after the election, as Trump has repeatedly stated that he would pardon himself should he return to the White House in January 2025. 'Trump's radical claim' The Supreme Court had already exempted presidents from civil liability for official acts and the former president's lawyers argued that this protection should extend to criminal prosecutions as well. Trump's filing said that, "An absence of criminal immunity for official acts threatens the very ability of the president to function properly." "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," the filing went on. Read more Subscribers only Trump's fate lies in the hands of the Supreme Court, a key player in the presidential election Special counsel Smith wrote in his brief to the Supreme Court that "It would be a striking paradox if the president, who alone is vested with the constitutional duty to 'take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed,' were the sole officer capable of defying those laws with impunity." The special counsel believes that civil immunity is possible because of a criminal responsibility that has never been disputed. He recalled that Ronald Reagan was the subject of a criminal investigation, which resulted in no final indictment, during the Iran-Contra affair in 1985. According to Smith, Gerald Ford's pardon for Richard Nixon after his resignation following the 1974 Watergate scandal was a de facto recognition that criminal immunity did not exist. You have 55.04% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only. French journalist Antoine Galindo was freed on Thursday, February 29, "after a week in prison and was able to leave Addis Ababa to return to Paris," said Paul Deutschmann, editor-in-chief at the specialist publication Africa Intelligence. Galindo, who heads the publication's East Africa section, had traveled to Ethiopia to cover the African Union summit earlier this month and was arrested on February 22. Authorities accused the 36-year-old reporter of conspiring "to create chaos" in the country. "I'm well and I'm in good health," Galindo declared before leaving Addis Ababa. "I've been treated well," he added, despite what he described as difficult conditions in detention. Deutschmann said Galindo's release was a "real relief" to the entire staff of Africa Intelligence, who were eager to be reunited with him. Galindo was arrested at a hotel in Addis Ababa while meeting an official from the opposition Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) party. He was brought before a judge on Saturday, who ordered his detention be extended until March 1. Selamawit Kassa, a spokeswoman for Ethiopia's government, said Wednesday that Galindo had been given permission to cover the African Union summit. But he had "engaged in activities in total contradiction with the reason for his visit, in particular collecting information related to internal political affairs," she added. 'Hostility towards independent journalism' Media watchdogs urged the government to release Galindo, with the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) saying Monday that his "unjust arrest highlights the atrocious environment for the press in general in Ethiopia". On Friday, the CPJ said Galindo's release "is great news" and called on Ethiopian authorities to release all other journalists in detention. According to media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF), as of January 1 this year, 15 journalists were in prison in Ethiopia. "Hostility towards independent journalism seeking to cover all national issues is growing and foreign media and journalists are also in the sights of the authorities," said Sadibou Marong, director of RSF's Sub-Saharan Africa desk. In 2023, Ethiopia ranked 130th in the world in terms of press freedom, down 16 places compared to 2022, according to the NGO. Ethiopia has expelled several foreign journalists since the end of 2020. But until Galindo's detention, authorities had not arrested a foreign journalist in more than three years. In July 2020, a Kenyan journalist was detained for more than a month in Addis Ababa, despite an Ethiopian court ordering his release on bail. French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday, February 29, said that all his comments on the war between Ukraine and Russia were carefully thought out, after he sparked an uproar by not ruling out sending Western troops. Macron on Monday said that "everything that is necessary" must be done to ensure Russia's defeat after its invasion of Ukraine, alarming several European allies, including Germany. "These are sufficiently serious issues; every one of the words that I say on this issue is weighed, thought through and measured," Macron told reporters. Macron declined to comment further. Read more Subscribers only Macron defends idea of potentially sending troops to Ukraine as allies distance themselves The French president had said after a conference of European leaders that while there was "no consensus" on the sending of Western ground troops to Ukraine, "nothing should be excluded." Most of Macron's European allies said they would not send troops to Ukraine, while French officials also insisted any such forces could be sent to back operations such as de-mining rather than fighting Russian forces. In an apparent response to Macron, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a state-of-the-nation address Thursday "that we also have weapons that can hit targets on their territory" and warned of a "real" risk of nuclear war. Read more Subscribers only Putin delivers an avalanche of threats, billions and promises ahead of Russia's presidential election Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump pumps his fist as he departs after speaking during the Conservative Political Action Conference, CPAC 2024, in Oxon Hill, United States, February 24, 2024. ALEX BRANDON / AP A judge in the US state of Illinois on Wednesday, February 29, ordered former President Donald Trump stricken off the state's primary ballot over his role in the January 6 Capitol riot. The decision by Cook County Circuit Judge Tracie Porter comes as similar anti-Trump ballot measures have cropped up in several states, including a Colorado ruling now before the US Supreme Court. The question before the nine US justices is whether Trump, the presumed Republican presidential candidate, is ineligible to appear on the Republican presidential primary ballot in Colorado because he engaged in an insurrection the January 6, 2021 assault on the US Capitol by his supporters. Earlier this month, the high Court signaled it was skeptical of the Colorado ruling. Trump blasted the Illinois decision as politically motivated and unjust. "Democrat front-groups continue to attempt to interfere in the election and deny President Trump his rightful place on the ballot," Trump's campaign said, vowing to appeal the decision. Anticipating pushback, the judge in Illinois put her decision on pause until Friday to allow an appeal. "In the meantime, President Trump remains on the Illinois ballot, is dominating the polls, and will Make America Great Again!" Trump's campaign said. Colorado and more than a dozen other states are to hold their presidential nominating contests on March 5 also known as "Super Tuesday" and the Supreme Court is expected to issue its ruling before then. Read more Subscribers only In a decision that delays the Capitol assault trial deadline, the Supreme Court has decided to take up Donald Trump's presidential immunity argument THE IRISH Prison Service has confirmed the death of a prisoner in the custody of Cork Prison. It is understood that Limerick murderer Michael Leonard died while in the custody of the Irish Prison Service on Tuesday, February 27. The 63-year-old pleaded guilty to the murder of Mary O'Keeffe in Doneraile, Cork and was sentenced to life in prison in December of 2023. Mr Leonard had set the car Ms OKeefe was in on fire and she burned to death. READ MORE: Limerick motorist detected driving nearly double the speed limit In a statement released to the Limerick Leader, a spokesperson for the Irish Prison Service said: The Irish Prison Service can confirm that there was a death of a person in custody of Cork Prison on February 27, 2024 and the next of kin have been notified. All deaths in custody are investigated by the Irish Prison Service, the Inspector of Prisons and An Garda Siochana, where circumstances warrant. The cause of death is determined by the Coroners Office, the statement read. It is understood that Mr Leonard died due to a lengthy battle with cancer. A THEN 15-year-old boy has been charged at Kilmallock Court with two counts of assaulting gardai with one of the offences taking place in a garda station. It is alleged he spat at a garda in Bruff garda station and sprayed a fizzy drink, which he had stolen from a shop, at another member of the force. Sergeant Tadgh Reeves gave evidence of arresting, charging and cautioning the youth in the presence of his father on Friday morning. He made no reply to each charge after caution, said Sgt Reeves. The juvenile, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was charged with a total of five offences. The teenager is charged with the theft of 20 bottles of Bulmers and a soft drink from Spar on Lord Edward Street, Kilmallock at 6.15am, on September 8, 2023. He is charged with intoxication in a public place and assaulting a member of An Garda Siochana by spraying a fizzy drink at him / her, a short time later. He is also charged with assaulting a garda in Bruff garda station, at 8.20am on the same date, by spitting at them and engaging in threatening, abusive, insulting behaviour. The court heard the youth was previously charged with five other offences. He is charged with the theft of a crate of Bulmers at the Gala shop on Sheares Street, Kilmallock on May 27, 2023. On March 18, 2023, it is alleged he committed criminal damage on Wolfe Tone Street, Kilmallock. On the same date and at the same location, the youth is accused of having a slash hook in his possession. On August 23, 2023, he is accused of threatening, abusive, insulting behaviour at Sheares Street, Kilmallock. READ MORE: Limerick greenway considered 'no go' area after assault On April 10, 2023, it is alleged he purchased goods at Spar, Lower Edward Street, Kilmallock with a 50 note which he knew to be counterfeit. Con Barry, solicitor for the now 16-year-old, said there was a plea of guilty to all 10 matters. Sgt Reeves said there was no objection to bail subject to the current conditions which includes a curfew. Judge Patricia Harney asked Mr Barry to draw his clients attention to the curfew because if it is not adhered to there might be consequences. Judge Harney asked for a report from the Probation Service before adjourning the case until a date in March. The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has asked Boeing to develop a comprehensive action plan within 90 days to address its systemic quality-control issues, after the midair blowout of a door plug on an Alaska Airlines jet last month. Boeing must commit to real and profound improvements," FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said Wednesday after meeting Boeing Chief Executive Dave Calhoun and his senior safety team. Making foundational change will require a sustained effort from Boeings leadership, and we are going to hold them accountable every step of the way, with mutually understood milestones and expectations," Whitaker said. The FAA in January grounded scores of MAX 9 jets after the Alaska Airlines accident. It later cleared the grounded jets to resume flying after airlines completed inspections but halted production expansion of the Boeing 737 MAX. Responding to the FAA statement, Boeings CEO said Wednesday that the plane maker is committed to addressing concerns and developing the plan. We have a clear picture of what needs to be done. Transparency prevailed in all of these discussions," Calhoun said. Earlier this week, an independent panel established by the FAA said that Boeings efforts to improve its safety culture after two 737 MAX crashes are falling short. The panel, which issued a report Monday, also found a disconnect between Boeings senior management and others at the company over safety matters. The Boeing safety review was prompted after two 737 MAX crashes in 2018 and 2019. Write to Kimberley Kao at kimberley.kao@wsj.com Theres a fallacy that pharmacists merely move pills from big jars to little ones, but two Charlottesville-area grocery store pharmacies are accused of doing just that and thereby endangering the public. Pharmacies within a Charlottesville Kroger and an Albemarle County Harris Teeter will pay a combined $1.3 million to settle government claims that they violated federal law by filling at least 160 illegal prescriptions for dangerously addictive drugs, including the opioid oxycodone, a leading cause of accidental death in the United States. We know that many individuals struggling with addiction are obtaining opioids and other addictive drugs from pharmacies who choose to look the other way, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Virginia Christopher R. Kavanaugh said in a statement announcing the settlement released earlier this month. The settlement agreement identifies the grocery store pharmacies that filled the allegedly bogus prescriptions as the Barracks Road Shopping Center Kroger at 1904 Emmet St. and the Hollymead Town Center Harris Teeter at 159 Community Drive. Both have been owned by the publicly held Kroger Company since a 2014 merger. Healthcare providers, including pharmacies, have a vital responsibility when it comes to dispensing medications to meet the health needs of their patients, Jarod A. Forget, a special agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration, said in the statement announcing the settlement. The DEA investigation found that between February 2018 and April 2021 the two pharmacies sent customers home with more than 160 prescriptions for pain-killing opioids and anxiety-relieving benzodiazepines, each a class of drugs prone to causing addiction. [The prescriptions] were written by a physician clearly acting outside the scope of his medical practice, the government wrote in announcing the Feb. 1 settlement, and pharmacists at both locations should have known this information and refused to fill those illegal prescriptions, Such fulfillment violated the Controlled Substances Act, the 1971 law that established federal drug policy. The fulfillment may have also violated the code of ethics of the American Pharmacists Association, which suggests that a pharmacist should do much more than fill prescriptions. The primary obligation of a pharmacist is to individual patients, according to that code. However, the obligations of a pharmacist may at times extend beyond the individual to the community and society. A Daily Progress review of four years of state disciplinary records found 160 actions taken against Charlottesville pharmacies and just one reprimand of a pharmacist with a Charlottesville address, but none of the actions stemmed from the pharmacies targeted in the federal settlement. Neither the prosecutor nor representatives of the Kroger Company would answer questions about the matter, including whether offending pharmacists would face any discipline. Kroger and Harris Teeter take DEA requirements very seriously, and we train our associates on the DEA requirements to help assure regulatory compliance, a Kroger representative wrote in an emailed statement to The Daily Progress. We have implemented ongoing processes to identify and correct potential issues as well as rigorous training to identify and address potential red flag behaviors. Even while branding the fulfillment illegal, the government concedes that it did not get the company to admit any liability. The $1.3 million settlement resolved the civil claims to avoid the delay, uncertainty, inconvenience, and expense of protracted litigation. According to the settlement agreement, a majority of the illegal prescriptions, 121 of them, were for oxycodone. The drug has been blamed for destroying communities, especially rural communities, and was responsible for 290 Virginians deaths in 2021, according to health policy nonprofit organization KFF, formerly known as the Kaiser Family Foundation. There were 13 prescriptions for methylphenidate, better known by its brand name, Ritalin. And there were 18 prescriptions were for lorazepam, a tranquilizer that can produce short-term euphoria when crushed and snorted. Other offending prescriptions were for hydromorphone, diazepam and alprazolam. In 2021, the Virginia General Assembly established an authority to distribute money from opioid and other drug settlements. Will the $1.3 million settlement go to that fund? Perhaps not. The agreement specifies that the companies were to pay the funds to the federal government. The Kroger representative says the company supports federal legislation that would mandate electronic prescriptions for controlled substances. In a significant setback for mining giant Vedanta, the Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed the company's plea to reopen its Sterlite Copper smelter plant in Tamil Nadus Thoothukudi. The top court upheld the decisions of the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) and the Madras high court's 2020 ruling to close the plant due to violations of environmental norms. The plant was shut down following violent protests in 2018 that left 13 people dead. A three-judge bench led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud noted that while closing the industry is not the first course of action, the persistent breaches and severity of violations left authorities with no alternative but to shut the plant. "Closure of industry undoubtedly not a matter of first choice. However, the repeated nature of breaches, coupled with the severity of the violations would in this analysis neither the statutory authorities nor the HC take any other view unless they were to be oblivious of their plain duty," the Court said in its judgment. The apex court acknowledged the plant's contribution to the nation's revenue generation, but stressed the need to prioritize the well-being of the local populace and upheld the principles of sustainable development, the polluter-pays principle, and the public trust doctrine in its decision to keep the plant closed. The court noted various environmental violations, including the failure to remove copper slag dumped in 11 sites, mishandling of gypsum, and lack of authorization for hazardous waste disposal that led to the unit's closure. According to the court, Vedanta was given opportunities for compliance but it failed to act upon previous warnings. The court initially proposed the formation of an expert committee to examine the future of the plant but the Tamil Nadu government questioned the need for such a panel given the exhaustive findings of the Madras high court. The state government also told the court that the plant should not be considered a national asset or deemed necessary to reopen. It said the Adani Groups forthcoming copper smelter plant in Gujarat was capable of fulfilling Indias copper demand. Before its closure, Sterlite's plant accounted for nearly 40% of India's copper demand. Trouble began for the company in mid-1990 when local fishermen, concerned about pollution affecting their livelihoods, demanded closure of the plant. Legal battles ensued, including a closure order from the Madras high court in 2010, which the Supreme Court later stayed. The company faced further challenges following a sulphur dioxide leak in 2013 and violent protests in 2018, leading to the plants closure by the Tamil Nadu government. The Supreme Court's refusal to allow Vedanta to reopen its Sterlite copper smelting plant in Tuticorin sets a precedent for stringent enforcement of environmental regulations, emphasizing sustainable development, the polluters pay principle, and the public trust doctrine," said Pratik Bakshi, counsel, BTG Advaya. India may see more ESG-focussed regulations come into play. For instance, Indian regulators have been driving the ESG push with the release of ESG disclosure requirements and guidelines. SEBI had introduced a framework to regulate ESG rating providers," he added. There could be stricter scrutinization and increased penalties by regulators for non-compliance with environmental norms to avoid legal repercussions similar to those faced by Vedanta, said Shruti Maniar, partner at Solomon & Co., Advocates & Solicitors. VEDANTA 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! Sridhar Ramaswamy took over as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of US firm Snowflake after the "surprise" retirement of long-time CEO Frank Slootman on February 27. He also became a member of the Board of Directors at Snowflake on Wednesday. Ramaswamy joined Snowflake last year with the companys acquisition of Neeva, an AI-powered search engine. Here's all you need to know about Sridhar Ramaswamy Education and background Sridhar Ramaswamy was born in Tamil Nadu in 1967. In 1989, he immigrated to the United States. He earned a Ph.D. in computer science from Brown University and a B.Tech degree in Computer Science from IIT Madras, as per his LinkedIn profile. ALSO READ: Snowflake CEO Frank Slootman scores IPO hat trick with big bet on data Career Sridhar Ramaswamy co-founded Neeva in 2019, which was acquired by US-based data cloud company Snowflake in 2023. Ramaswamy served as the senior vice president of AI at Snowflake, as per his profile on the Snowflake website. Since joining Snowflake in May 2023, Ramaswamy has been spearheading Snowflake's AI strategy, a press release by the US firm read. He led the launch of Snowflake Cortex, Snowflake's new fully managed service that makes AI simple and secure for all users to quickly drive business value. Ramaswamy spent more than 15 years at Google, where he started as a software engineer and rose to Senior Vice President (SVP) of Ads & Commerce. He also held research positions at Bell Labs, Lucent Technologies, and Bell Communications Research (Bellcore). He was a Venture Partner at Greylock Partners from October 2018 until recently, and he sits on the board of trustees at Brown University. About Snowflake Snowflake enables every organization to mobilize their data with Snowflakes Data Cloud. Customers use the Data Cloud to unite siloed data, discover and securely share data, power data applications, and execute diverse AI/ML and analytic workloads. Thousands of customers across many industries, including 691 of the 2023 Forbes Global 2000 (G2K) as of January 31, 2024, use Snowflake Data Cloud to power their businesses, the company's press release said. 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! Passengers with disabilities have long complained that they have been mistreated by airlines. Wheelchairs that people rely on for mobility can get lost or broken. They can face long waits for help getting on and off planes and can be jostled and hurt in the process. The government is proposing new measures aimed at addressing problems that have made commercial air travel challenging, unpleasant and, at times, unsafe for those with disabilities. Some of the measures would clarify existing rules or formalize current practices. Altogether, the proposal is the biggest expansion of passenger rights for wheelchair users in more than 15 years, according to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. The proposal doesnt require airlines to find a way to allow people to remain in wheelchairs while flying, which Buttigieg said will likely take years of research and development. And it could be some time before the newly outlined steps are finalized and implemented following public comments. The rule-making process can grind on for months or years. Several of the measures announced this week seek to address persistently high rates of mishandled wheelchairs. Wheelchair users have to be transferred to their seats using a skinny airplane aisle chair, handing their devices over to airline workers to be stowed away. Many have grown frustrated over the years by high rates of broken equipment. More than one out of every 100 wheelchairs and scooters transported in cargo compartments of domestic flights are damaged, delayed, lost or stolen, according to government data. That rate is significantly higher than for other checked luggage and hasnt improved much over the past several years, the Transportation Department said. We havent had the kind of economic incentives that compel airlines to pay enough attention to proper handling of wheelchairs," Buttigieg said. Airlines for America, a trade group that represents several major carriers, said airlines have made progress in reducing wheelchair mishandling. The group said airlines are continuing to take steps to improve accessibility and services for passengers with disabilities. The proposal would make it easier for the department to penalize airlines for mishandling wheelchairs. Buttigieg said it clarifies that any lost, damaged or stolen wheelchair will result in a violation, even if the airline didnt take the device apart to stow it. The proposal also seeks to give passengers the option to use their preferred vendor to repair or replace a wheelchair rather than relying on the carrier. Passengers with disabilities have complained that the process of having an airline repair or replace a device can be messy, lengthy and frustrating," the department said. The proposed rules would require that a handler be waiting at the gate to help a wheelchair user get off a plane by the time the last unassisted passenger walks off. Current rules require carriers to provide prompt" assistance, without a specified time frame. Those who assist passengers or handle wheelchairs would be required to go through annual training to ensure they can provide help that is not only safe but also dignified. The department cited consumer complaints alleging incidents such as being lifted improperly causing a passengers pants to slide off, and incidents when passengers have been injured after being dropped or bumped. Write to Alison Sider at alison.sider@wsj.com India and South Africa have lodged a formal objection against an investment agreement during a World Trade Organization (WTO) meeting in Abu Dhabi, hindering its adoption, Reuters reported on February 29. This move, observers say, has the potential to impede hundreds of billions of dollars in investment. The agreement, supported by approximately 125 countries, representing three-quarters of WTO members, aims to streamline bureaucratic processes, enhance the investment climate, and boost foreign direct investment. However, WTO rules dictate that any of its 164 members can obstruct the adoption of a deal, a crucial step to ensure compliance among countries. "We underscore that given the lack of exclusive consensus, this is not a matter for the...(meeting) agenda," as per a document from the WTO. Delegations from India and South Africa have not publicly commented on the development. Reactions and Concerns Alan Yanovich, a partner at Akin Gump Strauss, expressed concern, stating that this "deplorable" development would particularly affect the world's poorest countries. "The notion that two members can prevent a broad group of willing members from moving forward is absurd," he remarked. A Western trade delegate labelled it "ironic that India and South Africa stand in the way of something with such manifest benefits for developing countries." The initiative, known as the Investment Facilitation for Development (IFD) Agreement, led by Chile and South Korea with strong support from China, could potentially result in global welfare improvements ranging from $200-800 billion, according to a study. Kerrie Symmonds, the facilitator for negotiations at the meeting and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of Barbados, encouraged members to discuss the issue at the General Council in Geneva after the ministerial conference. Status of WTO Talks WTO talks, spanning four days to establish new global trade rules covering various topics, are set to conclude today, February 29. However, little progress has been reported, aside from the formal inclusion of two new members: East Timor and Comoros. On February 27, the United States trade chief ruled out a deal on reforming the WTO dispute settlement system, which has been hindered for four years due to US objections. A paragraph on climate change remains confined to a WTO annexe of the draft package, reflecting the challenge of addressing significant issues in trade, as emphasised by New Zealand's Trade Minister Todd McClay. 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 pendulum is swinging away from jam-packed trips and Instagram-worthy adventures and toward vacations with little to write home about beyond a pretty sunset and a cold drink. More vacationers say they want a true break to rest and recharge during their time off. Their do-nothing vacations have no schedule. These arent beach trips that involve surfing or kayaking, or foodie tours requiring hours of researchand decision fatigue. Rest and relaxation" jumped ahead of having a fun time" and spending time with immediate family" as the main motivator for leisure travel, according to a nationally representative February survey of 1,000 U.S. travelers from Longwoods International, a market-research firm. Rest and relaxation rose to 21% from 17% between the September and February surveys. All-inclusive resorts are helping travelers meet this need. Bookings for Apple Leisure Group all-inclusive properties in the Americas, which include Secrets resorts and spas, are up 11% thus far in the first quarter of 2024 compared with the same period last year, a Hyatt spokesman said. Hyatt is the parent company of Apple Leisure Group. Lorraine Sanders has safaried through the South African jungle, explored Machu Picchu and backpacked through Thailand. So she hardly recognized herself when she and her partner decided they wanted their next trip to be to an all-inclusive resort. It was a little bit of a swallow-your-pride type thing," says Sanders of their roughly $3,400 trip to the adults-only Secrets resort in Cancun, Mexico, in November. I never thought Id be staying somewhere called Secrets." Amid the stress of managing their careers and four kids, however, getting to make exactly zero decisions for five days turned out to be just what they needed, says Sanders, a 47-year-old who works from Charlottesville, Va., for a venture-capital firm. Change of priorities Vacationers wanted to reunite with family and friends when travel roared back in 2021. After countries dropped Covid-19 entry requirements, revenge travel continued as leisure travelers voyaged to bucket-list destinations. Now, with geopolitical crises in Europe and the Middle East, a coming U.S. election and financial concerns top of mind, people want to use their vacations to disconnect and recharge, says Amir Eylon, president and chief executive of Longwoods International. Travelers feel like: OK, Ive caught up with people, I need some time for me," he says. Travel advisers say clients looking for a break are turning to cruises and all-inclusive resorts to take the guesswork out of planning. Carnival had more first-time cruise passengers in the last quarter of 2023 than it did in the same period in 2019, executives said in a recent earnings call. All-inclusives formerly held a reputation as inexpensive vacations with loads of alcohol and so-so food. Now, hotel companies are pouring big bucks into opening and upgrading new properties so they have a luxury feel, with Marriott planning to open a Ritz-Carlton-branded all-inclusive resort in the Dominican Republic. Travel agencies are seeing the trend play out in the types of activities their clients request. I was shocked at how many trips our agency started booking beginning in 2023 that involved things like beach time and chocolate tastings instead of helicopter tours and cliff diving," says Shane Mahoney, founder of Lakeland, Fla., luxury tour company Lugos Travel. He says that within the past year, about 80% of their clients have said that they just want to relax." Camilla Beldhams 2024 vacation-planning north star: spending seven to 10 days doing nothing on a beach. The 23-year-old law student from Los Angeles traveled to Peru and Amsterdam in recent years, but has never taken a trip solely for relaxing. After she takes the bar exam in July, shes considering an all-inclusive stay. She knows her costs upfront and looks forward to not doing so much homework before picking where to eat. As a law student, she says its hard for her to unplug. I dont want to have to think about things that are going on politically, socially, economically," she says of her plans for her vacation. The wellness factor Many travelers still want to explore new destinations and have meaningful experiences, but are placing a greater priority on taking care of themselves while they are traveling, says Amanda AlMasri, Hiltons vice president of wellness. The companys new Signia by Hilton Atlanta has 11 dedicated wellness rooms, which have an air purifier, blackout curtains and aromatherapy from the showerhead, she says. Other hotel brands, including Tempo, have emphasized new designs, like putting more outlets away from the bed so people are less likely to check their charging phones overnight, she says. Van canceled already-booked 40th birthday travel plans to relax closer to home. As the date crept closer, she says she felt overwhelmed rather than excited at the thought of partying at the Agriculture and Food Fair on St. Croix. Feeling burned out from running a small, Denver-based brand strategy consulting firm and keeping up with social plans and family commitments, she says she realized what she really wanted for her birthday was to turn her brain off and sleep. She and her husband just returned on Monday after a week filled with massages, drinking wine and watching Netflix at the Alila hotel in Napa Valley, Calif. Not leaving the country meant not having to figure out a whole new place," Louis-Woolley says. Back in Charlottesville, Sanders and her partner, Neil Hord, arent planning to return to their adventure-packed travels for the foreseeable future. Theyve already booked a second all-inclusive vacation, this time, to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. As Hord says, Ive discovered Im really good at doing nothing." Write to Allison Pohle at allison.pohle@wsj.com and Rachel Wolfe at rachel.wolfe@wsj.com MUMBAI : For a sure sign that domestic dealmaking is picking up in India, as is the economy, turn to the recruitment scene at the countrys premier management schools. Investment banks and private equity firms are handing out more domestic postings than international gigs to graduating students of the Indian Institutes of Management, in a sign that the persistent funding winter perhaps is finally thawing. Large domestic as well as global firms including DE Shaw, Goldman Sachs and Premji Invest are hiring graduates for functions across wealth management, institutional equities, asset management and investment banking profiles. But given listless global markets, few of these have been for international roles, show campus placements reports at the IIMs. Domestic postings were instead made more attractive with higher-than-usual joining and retention bonuses. The roles were mainly in investment and market research, corporate, wholesale and retail banking, trading, and operations functions. While graduating students who might have been hoping for international roles would likely be disappointed, theres a potential silver lining for homegrown companies in this shift in hiring patterns. Investors and bankers expect the fundraising cycle to pick up again in 2024 after a funding winter that has prolonged for about two years, especially for early- and growth-stage companies. Our investment banking business is growth-focussed and we see a lot of tailwinds. We want to be ready for the structural long-term India growth story," said Anirban Banerjee, chief human resources officer at Avendus Group. The financial services firm recruited 15 associates from the batch of 2024 at the IIMs. Indias retained its crown as the worlds fastest-growing major economy, growing at 8.4% in the December quarter and showing signs of expanding at 7.6% clip in FY24, as per the statistics ministrys latest data. Bucking initial fears of a poor placement season, the IIMs have seen consulting firms, consumer goods companies, banks and large conglomerates recruit management graduates in good numbers, but with a marked preference for students with work experience. While the established older IIMs have almost completed their placements, the newer ones are in their last leg. Recruiters said the graduating students, cognizant of the global market conditions, as they should be, were keen on accepting domestic roles rather than hanker for international postings. The students from IIMs were more welcoming to the domestic firms including JM Financial and it was quite encouraging for us," said Anil Salvi, managing director and group head, human resource and administration, at JM Financial. We feel the gap between the domestic versus international postings is getting narrower and students are clearer and realistic on their career expectations and aspirations." The homegrown investment bank hired management analysts from the IIMs at Ahmedabad, Lucknow and Udaipur. The Indian economy has charted its growth path and is showing resilience so much so that the impact of global macro indicators is balanced with the domestic drivers," Salvi said. According to a placement team member at IIM-Udaipur, the banking, financial services and insurance sector was surprisingly upbeat on hiring. While consulting firms had taken the hit, the BFSI sector and investment banks that had profiles based out of India recruited with higher joining and retention bonuses," this person said. Investment banks and domestic private equity firms have rolled out offers at a median 25-30 lakh, according to this person. Another placement head at one of the older IIMs said the business school had taken additional measures to bring in banks and asset management funds for hiring. We conducted more seminars with the domestic I-banks and had students who had experience in the BFSI sector, and this led to a higher-than-expected (number of) recruiters coming in." Superhit crime-thriller, Drishyam, is set to get a Hollywood makeover as production house Panorama Studios has partnered with Gulfstream Pictures and JOAT Films for the international remake of the movie. After South Korea and China, the movie will be recreated in English for Hollywood, Kumar Mangat Pathak, Chairman and Managing Director, of Panorama Studios said on Thursday. Also Read: Laapataa Ladies Premiere: Kiran Rao's film wins praise; Kajol finds movie super cool Panorama Studios has acquired the international remake rights to the Malayalam movies "Drishyam 1 & 2" from the original producers Aashirvad Cinemas. The Bollywood version of the movie starred Ajay Devgan, Tabbu and Shriya Saran and gained massive popularity among Hindi-speaking audiences. The movie is also being recreated in South Korea and another deal has been finalised for a Spanish-language version. Also Read: Shah Rukh Khan has 17 phones: Vivek Vaswani on why the two friends haven't spoken in 4 years "We are very happy to collaborate with Gulfstream Pictures and JOAT Films to create this story in English for Hollywood. After Korea and Hollywood, our mission is to produce 'Drishyam' in 10 countries in the next three to five years," Kumar Mangat Pathak, Chairman and Managing Director, of Panorama Studios, said in a statement. Producer Abhishek Pathak, who also directed the Bollywood version of Drishyam 2" said, We have received immense love from our Indian audiences, who have made the 'Drishyam' franchise a massive success. The strength of 'Drishyam' lies in its story, and we want it to be enjoyed by audiences globally." Also Read: Indrani Mukerjea web series: Bombay HC halts Netflix docu-series on Sheena Bora murder case ahead of release Malayalam crime thriller Drishyam is a timeless masterpiece The movie was first released in 2013 in Malayalam. Its story revolves around Georgekutty (Mohanlal) and his family, who come under suspicion when Varun Prabhakar, the son of the IG Geetha Prabhakar, goes missing. The movie was written and directed by Jeethu Joseph. In addition to being made in Korean, Spanish and English, the movie has been already remade in Mandarin (Chinese remake), and other languages like Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, and Sinhala. Also Read: Deepika Padukone stuns at 77th BAFTAs, presents Best Foreign Film Award | Watch Video "The film is a timeless thriller that has entranced audiences across the globe. We can't wait to bring the movie to fans here in the U.S.," Karz and Bindley of Gulfstream Pictures said in a joint statement. The Gulfstream banners are known for giving movies like "Blended" and Upgraded". Jack Nguyen, founder of JOAT Films, described "Drishyam" as a unique yet enduring story. "The story has resonated with audiences worldwide as evidenced by the numerous remakes it has spawned. Gulfstream, Panorama and JOAT are excited to have the opportunity to present our take on this cleverly crafted thriller to audiences globally," Nguyen said. (With inputs from PTI) 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! Bitcoin is on track for its most significant monthly gain in over three years, reaching a firm $62,000 in Asia morning trade on February 29, Reuters reported. The world's biggest cryptocurrency experienced a surge, peaking at $63,933 overnight, resulting in a monthly gain exceeding 45 percent, marking its most substantial increase since December 2020, the report said. Bitcoin's momentum is also influencing the smaller cryptocurrency, Ether, which is currently priced at $3,429, reflecting a 50 percent increase in February. Analyst Predicts Potential Break of $69,000 Brian Armstrong, head of crypto exchange Coinbase Global, reported a surge in traffic on the platform due to the heightened interest in cryptocurrencies, as per the report. Analyst Tony Sycamore from brokerage IG Markets anticipates that Bitcoin is headed towards a breakthrough, suggesting a "test and likely break" of $69,000 levels. This move could surpass the previous record high set in November 2021. Spot Bitcoin ETFs Attract Massive Inflows The approval and launch of spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in the United States earlier this year has attracted substantial investments and reignited excitement in the cryptocurrency market. LSEG data reveals that the 10 largest spot Bitcoin ETFs brought in $420 million on February 27 alone, marking the highest inflow in almost two weeks. Notably, ETFs managed by Grayscale, Fidelity, and BlackRock experienced a surge in volumes. Traders Flock to Bitcoin Ahead of Halving Event Traders are also actively entering the Bitcoin market in anticipation of the upcoming halving event scheduled for April. This event, occurring every four years, involves a reduction in the rate at which tokens are released, along with decreased rewards for miners. With the supply of bitcoin limited to 21 million, and 19 million already mined, this event adds to the overall bullish sentiment. Investor Appetite Boosted by Rate Cut Prospects and Market Stability Further, the potential for a series of rate cuts by the US Federal Reserve (Fed) this year has increased investor appetite for higher-yielding and more volatile assets. Flows into Bitcoin have surged, as foreign exchange volatility hits two-year lows, and the US equity volatility index returns to pre-pandemic ranges. 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! For the markets, 2023 was a great year with almost every sector delivering decent gains. Some sectors outperformed with prominent examples being power, PSU, and financial stocks. One stock that fit into all three categories was Power Finance Corp (PFC). The stock was up about 240% in 2023. There were a few solid reasons for this run-up. After such a stupendous performance, its natural to ask if can be sustained. 2024 has been a mixed year for the stock so far. The stock kept up the momentum from last year and rose about 16% in January. But it has fallen about 7% this month. So, has the rally ended? It is difficult to say with any certainty. Investors can look at the reasons for the bull run in the stock and take a call on its prospects for 2024. PFC in 2023 PFCis a state-owned maharatna company, established as an NBFC. It was incorporated on 16 July, 1986. Its under the administrative control of the ministry of power. The company offers term loans, short-term loans, equipment lease financing, transitional financing, etc., catering to various power projects across generation, transmission, and distribution segments. It has also ventured into the infrastructure and logistics segment, focusing on e-vehicle fleets, charging infrastructure, roads, ports, metro rail, smart cities, and other large infrastructure projects. As of writing, its market cap is about 1.32 trillion (tn). Its loan book size was a massive 9.54 tn as on 31 December 2023. PFC has been aggressive in giving loans to the renewable energy sector over the last few years. It has grown its renewable energy portfolio at around 20% CAGR over FY19-23. As far as financials go, PFC has done well recently. Its net interest income and net profit have grown at a CAGR of about 10% over the last five years. Its aggressive lending has caused an increase in provisioning. As of the end of FY23 the amount set aside for bad loans was about 1.7 billion (bn). However, the company has made significant efforts to collect pending payments from discoms in FY24. As of 31 December 2023, its net non-performing assets (NPA) fell to 0.86% compared to 1.15% from the same period a year ago. The companys return on assets (ROA) and return on equity (ROE) are excellent at 2.5% and 20% respectively. PFC is also a good dividend payer. Except for FY19, the company has been consistently paying dividends since 2007. The dividend payout ratio stands at 22%. The reason for the run-up in the stock was the companys push towards giving loans to the renewable energy sector. This has ensured that the growth in net interest income and thus the net profit, has remained solid and consistent. This fact combined with efforts of the management to reign in NPAs has made PFC a favourite among investors. Other reasons for the run-up in the stock price include overall positive sentiment in the market, and renewed interest in PSU stocks, especially PSU financial stocks. Even so, the company itself has performed admirably. This is a good example of a stock being rewarded by the market when investors have assurance in the underlying fundamentals of the business. However, it would be wrong to say that its fundamentals were the main reason for the stocks multibagger returns last year. One of the biggest reasons was the market treating the stock as a proxy play on Indias renewable energy sector. This sector has caught the fancy of investors. Any stock with a renewable or clean energy tag on it, did very well in 2023. The market knows this sector will need major long-term financing. What better stock to bet on than market leader PFC? PFC in 2024 First, investors need to understand that multibagger returns are not possible year after year. There will be some years when even a great long-term investment underperforms. That is just the nature of the stock market. PFCs performance in 2023 was extraordinary. One look at the stocks long-term chart will make that abundantly clear. View Full Image .. The stock has been a big underperformer for many years due to the poor performance of the power sector in general along with serious NPA issues in the past. Once this scenario changed for the better, the stock took off in late 2022, especially because it had a big tailwind to support its rise, i.e., the renewable energy megatrend. In conclusion, it would be incorrect to expect gains similar to 2023 from the stock of PFC in any calendar year, especially 2024. The market has priced in the multiple positive changes to the companys long-term prospects, in just about 15 months or so. Instead of a steady rise upward, the stock went up almost parabolically. Such a rise is not sustainable beyond a point. This does not mean the stock will crash. But it does mean that much of the gains investors expected from the stock have already been achieved. If an investor is considering the stock as a new investment, this is the key point to keep in mind while analysing the stock. Happy investing. Disclaimer:This article is for information purposes only. It is not a stock recommendation and should not be treated as such. This article is syndicated from Equitymaster.com Notwithstanding the UPIs success story that has earned commendation in India and overseas with volume of transactions surging at a frantic pace, the unanticipated crackdown on Paytm Payments Bank has caught everyone by surprise. For the uninitiated, RBI barred Paytm Payments Bank from accepting any customer deposits after Feb 29 citing non-compliance. The deadline was later extended to March 15. Meanwhile, UPI as a mode of payment is catching up in a big way with customers and merchants alike. The total volume of UPI transactions stood at 18.41 lakh crore in January 2024, which was 41 percent higher than the corresponding figure one year ago. Merely a blip? We spoke to a number of fintech industry stakeholders to get a sense of what they perceive would be the outcome of the current set of circumstances revolving around Paytm Payments Bank. Most of them believe that it is a setback, albeit temporary, and does not encapsulate the goings-on in the fintech sector. They also argue that the UPIs success story is still not ripe and it has several more milestones to achieve. One such milestone is the UPI credit line getting activated by banks. Ashwin Bhambri, Founder, Phone par loan, says The UPI rails have global scalability and its success in India as an alternative to MasterCard & VISA can be replicated in many other countries." ALSO READ: RBI allows pre-sanctioned credit lines through UPI As digital payments continue to evolve, many more financial instruments will be rolled out, thus expanding the UPIs footprint in size as well as in the volume. The recent crisis in a large payments bank is only a temporary setback rather than a reflection of the overall health of fintech companies. Although it may have momentarily hurt investor trust, particularly amidst heightened regulatory scrutiny, it underscores the growing importance of adhering to governance and compliance norms within the sector," says Gaurav Jalan, Founder & CEO, mPokket. The recent crisis in a prominent payments bank has certainly caught market attention. At this juncture, it's premature to fully grasp the long-term implications of this event. However, it is anticipated that investment in the fintech sector will persist, particularly within enterprise-focused fintech companies," says Sameer Singh Jaini, CEO and Founder, The Digital Fifth. This might have a temporary impact on investor sentiment but on a better understand of the RBIs point of view its a mere blip that's agnostic to fintech innovation & investments," says Ashwin Bambri. QR codes to continue What has, in fact, has kept the stakeholders confidence intact is that the paytm wallet users will continue to have a normal digital payment experience even after the March 15 deadline. This would be made possible when the transactions made on Paytm wallet are backed by other bank(s) instead of Paytm Payments Bank. In order to keep Paytm QR codes running, One97 Communication is expected to open settlement accounts with one or more banks, Additionally, Paytm is likely to get the third party application provider (TPAP) licence, on the lines of Google Pay and PhonePe, which means paytm wallet and QR codes would continue to work once linked to other bank(s), and therefore, it would not need to have its payment bank backing its wallet service. Paytm-related anxiety? In an apparent attempt to allay the concerns of stakeholders, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday held a meeting with top executives from leading fintech firms such as Amazon Pay, Zerodha, Cred, LendingKart. During the meeting, no Paytm-related anxiety or concerns were shown by startup founders and other fintech entities present during the meeting," said one participant on the condition of anonymity. Additionally, Sitharaman has asked the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to hold monthly meetings with fintech companies in order to address regulatory concerns. 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! Virginia needs to keep the Breyana Stewarts who are graduating from our colleges and universities from taking their brains, their energy and their winning personalities to other states. In May, Stewart will become the first in her familys line of descent to earn a degree when she graduates from Virginia Commonwealth University. At age 23, shes smart, optimistic, instantly likable and looking for a job where she can soon put her new bachelors degree in communications to good use. She is a candidate for a permanent, fulltime, post-commencement job within Virginia. But she plans to search elsewhere, too. I just applied for my first communications job, she said over a latte in a Shockoe Bottom coffee shop this week. I think its a shot in the dark because I havent graduated yet, but I want to get the ball rolling. Too many newly minted graduates from Virginias institutions of higher learning are finding their futures outside the commonwealth, and its creating a demographic brain drain that could have economic consequences. That bothers Kirk Cox. If the name sounds familiar, its because he was the 55th speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates from 2018 to 2020. A Republican and a career educator who represented Colonial Heights for 32 years in the House, Cox now heads the Virginia Business Higher Education Council, a nonprofit, nonpartisan coalition of leaders from the states business community and higher education institutions. In an interview earlier this month, Cox was blunt about challenges Virginia faces from other states that are magnets for early-career professionals and recent college grads. And hes advancing a solution that makes sense: paid internships that build bridges to connect Virginia college students particularly diverse students and those of limited economic backgrounds with relevant experience in their fields of study, which can lead to jobs here after college. Theyll tend to stay if they get a really good internship. If they dont, theyre looking for other places to go, Cox said. The statistics show and I think the kids will tell you [that] if they get a meaningful internship, its much more likely that they get offered a job, [and] theyre much more likely to stay. The stay part has become a problem in the past decade. During the latter 20th century though the first decade of this one, educated, upwardly mobile, young professionals flocked to Virginia for jobs in such numbers that it created uncontrolled suburban sprawl, especially in Northern Virginia. That trend is now in reverse as more of todays smart, youthful and affluent cohort are leaving for opportunities in other states than are moving here. One way to track arrivals from other states vis-a-vis departures is Internal Revenue Service year-to-year personal income tax returns. The IRS aggregates data on the number of returns filed each year from within all 50 states and the District of Columbia and the number of individuals represented in them. Recent year-over-year comparisons do not inspire confidence for Virginia. Thirty years ago, almost 15,000 more people moved into Virginia than left, according to the IRS data for tax years 1994-95. Returns from tax years 2020-21, however, show that almost 9,300 more left Virginia than moved in. There were 243,217 departures compared to 233,924 come-heres. Twenty-seven states took more people from Virginia than migrated here from those states. Florida alone took in 10,584 more people from Virginians than came to Virginia from Florida, roughly the equivalent of Essex County. Hamilton Lombard, the chief demographer for the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at the University of Virginia, said the trend has hit Northern Virginia the hardest. Hampton Roads has also lost more than it gained, he said, but not as sharply. Smaller, less urbanized areas of Virginia, by contrast, have enjoyed net gains, especially since the pandemic popularized widespread use of working virtually from home, Cooper Center research shows. Another worrisome omen for colleges and businesses in need of their graduates is that enrollment still struggles with pandemic disruptions. National Student Clearinghouse Research Center data from last September shows that undergrad enrollment ticked marginally upward for the first time since the start of the pandemic, but freshman enrollment dipped by 3.6%. That may be because teens see some recent college grads moving back home with their parents, working gigs as rideshare drivers, pizza deliverers and wait staff to repay college loans and seek work in their degree field. Short-term undergraduate certificate programs spiked by nearly 10% compared with a 3.6% jump in associate degrees and just under 1% for bachelors degrees, according to the group. The idea of paid internships has done the nearly impossible: united Democratic and Republican policymakers. Its no mean feat to get Senate President Pro Tem Louise Lucas, a Portsmouth Democrat, and her frequent nemesis Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin literally reading from the same script as they did in this recent promotional video. At the behest of the council and its development campaign, Growth4Va, the program is poised to receive either $24 million (under the Senate version of the budget) or $29 million (in the House version) from the state through June of 2026. Some of that will help small businesses pay for interns. (Some disclosure is in order here. This initiative is advised by McGuireWoods Consulting, a public policy advisory services firm where I was a senior adviser for more than five years. I did not perform work for the Virginia Business Higher Education Council.) Lets put aside the retail politics as well as the commercial and macroeconomic considerations. Paid internships for all Virginia students stands on its own egalitarian merit because of the way it can improve the lives of kids like Breyana Stewart. She knew she wanted to work in communications since her elementary school days in Hampton Roads, when she was an anchor of the schools closed-circuit morning newscast. My mom always advocated for me to go to college, Stewart said. She was always saying how important it is to get a degree. I knew that when I started college that I would have to support myself so Ive always worked since Ive gone to college. Now in her final semester, she works two jobs: one as a receptionist at a clinic and another as a promotions assistant at Radio Ones Richmond stations. But the big differentiator for her career path is the three months she spent last summer as an intern at the Hodges Partnership, a marketing, PR and media relations shop in Richmond. Being able to have an internship that paid me for my time was definitely necessary, she said. Because of that, she was able to cover her rent in Richmond during that time. Might she wind up where she interned? Who knows. Stewart said she loved her time at Hodges and stayed in touch with the friends and colleagues she made there. Regardless, just listing experience with such an esteemed company on her resume gives her an edge wherever her search leads her. Its time for Virginia to make paid internships accessible to any kid willing to learn and put in the work the way she did and with a little luck keep more of our most promising prospects home. This column originally appeared in the Virginia Mercury. Nishan Konan (36) had no inkling of the emergency that awaited him in the US. Barely a week after he moved there in July 2022 to do a Master of Science (MS) course in business analytics from the University of Texas, he suffered a heart attack and collapsed. Konan was hospitalized and had to undergo an emergency open-heart surgery. The hospitalization costs were huge but Konan had a health insurance plan, albeit one that was provided by his university and covered all his bills. The insurance premium was part of the course fee that I had paid. After my recovery, I decided to discontinue the course and move back to India. The university returned the tuition fee, excluding the insurance premium," Konan says. That episode involving Konan emphasizes the importance of health insurance plans for those going abroad to study. Some universities, particularly in the US, make it mandatory for students to buy the health plans that they offer as part of the course fee, while others allow private or third-party insurance. In the UK, international students pay IHS (immigration health surcharge), included in the visa fee, that gives them access to National Health Service (NHS), a publicly-funded healthcare system. They can purchase a private plan if they so wish. To be sure, the university-backed insurance plans in the US are quite expensive. Anubhaw Goyal (29), who is doing MS in supply chain analytics from a university in New Jersey, says he paid $1,400-1,500 insurance premium for one semester of six months. The plan also had a fixed deductible of $100 and co-payment on various expenses. One of my friends who had this policy was hospitalized recently and had to pay $550 from his pocket for a total bill of $11,000," says Goyal. Insurers say a private plan brought alongside the university plan would help in such cases. Student travel insurance Not many students or their parents and guardians are aware that Indian insurers offer travel-cum-health insurance plans. These so-called student travel insurance takes care of hospitalization costs and also offers additional benefits in terms of coverage for loss of baggage and delay in flights, among others, during their stint abroad. Data released by Policy Ensure, an insurance broker, shows that student travel plans offered by Indian insurers come with a premium of 25,000-30,000 for two years and provides coverage of $100,000 in the US. Despite this, the plans are not very popular. Lack of awareness and convenience are reasons why parents tend to go with a university-backed plan. In my case, when my son went to the US last year, due to lack of time, I went with the insurance that the university provided for the first semester but I will buy a student international travel plan before the next semester starts," says Priya Deshmukh, head of health products, operations & services at ICICI Lombard. Interestingly, some US universities also allow you to have a non-campus plan. However, in such private plans, it is necessary to have unlimited sum insured. Indian insurance companies do not offer such unlimited coverage, but that is something they have taken note of. Many insurers are coming up with unlimited coverage plans that will meet the university requirements and we would be seeing a flurry of products during the June-July admission season," says Amit Chhabra, health business head, Policybazaar.com. View Full Image (Graphic: Mint) On campus insurance versus student travel insurance When a university itself is offering a health insurance plan, it is obvious that parents will choose the on-campus plan instead of exploring other options, say some insurance experts. So, how does that affect student travel plans offered by Indian insurers? Deshmukh says that at least 20% of all travel insurance policies sold at ICICI Lombard are student travel plans. Canada, US and Malta (Europe) account for the top three countries for which such plans are sold. Data from University Living, an education counsellor, shows a year-on-year jump of 74% in US-related student travel plans and 81% in Canada in 2023. The growth in student insurance plans was much higher in Europe and UK (particularly Ireland) at 163% and 273%, respectively. We have observed that university insurance is mandatory for undergrad and MS courses, but private plans are allowed for MBA and postgraduate courses. The US ranks first among countries for which students buy our health plans," says Aashish Sethi, head -health SBU and travel at Bajaj Allianz General Insurance. Even in countries where government-backed insurance plans are available, such as NHS in the UK, education counsellors will still advice you to buy a private plan. We highlight the importance of taking insurance from our own country in our pre-departure sessions with students. One, there is price arbitrage. Second, there are non-medical benefits. Even in case of countries where the health insurance premium cost is included in the visa itself, it is better to take a private plan because the government-backed health plans are not extensive. Consultations with doctors, or procedures such as dental or eye care are not covered in such plans. If one does not want a private coverage for the entire duration, we suggest they take it for at least a month while they settle down," says Mayank Maheshwari, co-founder & COO, University Living. Sethi of Bajaj Allianz says the long waiting period for treatment within the government-funded healthcare system such as the NHS in the UK is a major concern. A private plan allows you to get quick treatment." Moreover, on-campus insurance will not give you wider coverage. For instance, it will not offer coverage for events that happen outside the campus. Student travel insurance extends coverage beyond the university campus, providing protection in unknown environments. If a student plans a trip to a nearby country such as Mexico or Cuba, having a student travel insurance ensures coverage for such excursions, enhancing their overall safety net," says Chhabra. Non-medical benefits Apart from medical cover, a comprehensive student travel plan also offers trip-related covers for common carrier delay, trip cancellation, trip abandonment, loss of baggage, and also loss of personal belongings. These covers are equally important for students since most of them usually travel back home during vacation and might face inconvenience due to trip-related crisis. They can also get a cover for loss of personal belongings like laptop and mobile phone," says Vivek Chaturvedi, CMO and head of direct sales, Digit General Insurance. Financial exigencies are also covered in such plans. For example, in case your studies are interrupted due to a medical reason or an emergency at home, a study interruption cover will take care of the financial losses. A sponsor cover ensures that the insurers will pay the fees if something untoward happens to your sponsor, Compassionate visitor is another important non-medical benefit that covers the travel and accommodation expenses of one immediate family member during medical emergencies. Making a claim Indian insurers usually have a tie up with a global insurance company or a third-party administrator (TPA) having a global network of hospitals. To make a claim, students can call the 24/7 helpline number for claims or mail the insurer for assistance. Digit has a dedicated 24/7 missed call facility for students. This enables them to seek quick assistance," says Chaturvedi. Typically, global partners or TPAs request the non-network hospitals to accept cashless hospitalization but it is at the discretion of the hospitals whether to accept it or not. To ensure seamless healthcare access abroad, we have partnered with Allianz Partners, our assistance partner overseas. They facilitate payments to hospitals , both in-network and out-of-network, while we provide a guarantee of payment (GoP)," says Sethi. If you are looking to buy a plan from an Indian insurer, check if pre-existing diseases (PEDs) are covered from day one. Also check if there is any deductible or co-pay involved. Choose a plan without PED waiting period, co-pay and deductible. Go with an Indian provider having a joint venture with a global company so that the hospital network coverage is wider," says Rahul M. Mishra, director and co-founder at Policy Ensure. (Bloomberg) -- Ali Hassan Mwinyi, who during two terms as Tanzanias president oversaw the introduction of a multiparty democracy and the liberalization of the economy, has died. He was 98. Mwinyi died from lung cancer in Tanzanias commercial hub, Dar es Salaam, where he had been hospitalized for several weeks, President Samia Suluhu Hassan announced on state television TBC1. He said there will be seven days of national mourning and Mwinyi will be laid to rest on March 2 in Zanzibar. Mwinyi took office in 1985, succeeding Tanzanias charismatic founding president, Julius Nyerere, who had led the country to independence from Britain in 1961 and headed a one-party state for 24 years. Nyerere had introduced a homegrown form of socialism, known as Ujamaa, which took a heavy toll on the economy and led to crippling shortages of food, clothing, fuel and other necessities. The problems were compounded by an eight-month war with neighboring Uganda, which culminated in the overthrow of dictator Idi Amin. As president, Mwinyi set about loosening state controls, encouraging private investment and opening up the state-dominated media. He also repaired Tanzanias relationship with the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, which had become strained during Nyereres rule. A multiparty system was introduced in 1992, and Mwinyi stepped down three years later setting a precedent of Tanzanian leaders observing term limits. He was lauded internationally, yet endured stinging public criticism from Nyerere who remained widely revered as the father of the nation for abandoning socialism and failing to tackle corruption. Zanzibar Upbringing Born in the eastern village of Kivure on May 8, 1925, Mwinyi was raised in the semiautonomous island of Zanzibar and worked as a teacher before joining the government. He held several senior positions, including permanent secretary in Zanzibars education ministry. He was appointed minister of state in Nyereres office in 1970 and served as Tanzanias ambassador to Egypt from 1977 to 1982. He rejoined the cabinet upon his return, heading the health, natural resources and home affairs ministries. He stepped down as home affairs minister in 1977 following an outcry over the torture and deaths of a number of suspects rounded up during a police crackdown on two communities where people accused of witchcraft had been killed. In his resignation letter, he said that although he hadnt participated in those crimes or issued instructions for them to be committed, he couldnt escape responsibility as a cabinet minister. His decision to take accountability and resign was and remains a rare act for a senior Tanzanian politician, and was widely praised. Resuscitating his political career, Mwinyi was named president of Zanzibar and vice president of Tanzania in 1984. He ascended to Tanzanias presidency the next year, as Nyerere retired. Mwinyi lived with his family in the commercial hub of Dar es Salaam after stepping down as president and maintained a low public profile. A moderate Muslim, he had two wives and several children, including Hussein Mwinyi, Zanzibars current president. 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! Leading global philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, who is currently in the country, Thursday said he is bullish on India's future. He said the rate of improvement in a lot of the key areas in the country is very strong. "I'm certainly bullish," he said when asked whether he is bullish or bearish on India's future. The growth of the Indian economy is definitely a real positive", he added. During an interview with news agency ANI, when he was quizzed about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision for India, the former Microsoft CEO said, "The strength of India today, in terms of economic growth, innovation, is very exciting...Democracy is a magic system when it works well. It's not just that my group deserves a term but rather that my group will grow the pie for everyone, improve the economy, education." Also Read | Who is Dolly Chaiwala? Internet sensation who earned praise from Bill Gates for his unique style of serving tea On India's future, the billionaire said, "I'm certainly bullish. The rate of improvement in a lot of the key areas is very strong. Everyone knows that in vaccines, India is the world's leader. So we are investing with our partners here to come up with lots of new vaccines. The diagnostic industry has also come out with some work after the pandemic so we are partnering there as well." Lauding Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership in introducing digital public infrastructure, Gates told ANI that other countries can certainly benefit from the Indian leadership. "This idea of digital connections that starts with Aadhaar and the bank accounts that you manage digitally, that's flourishing. And so we see in agriculture now that they are registering the farmers and giving them advance notice. And so Indian leadership is something other countries should benefit from," he said. Gates on Indian Economy When asked about the Indian economy, the Microsoft co-founder said the growth of the Indian economy is definitely a real positive" adding that the strength of India today, in terms of economic growth and innovation, is very exciting. He said that the growth of the Indian economy comes up in his discussions with Buffett and his associate, Ajit Jain. "I've been friends with Warren for a long time, over 30 years, and we really never had much overlap in our businesses...we had a very similar view of the world, we love talking to each other. I talk to Warren many times a month about all the different things going on, and he did decide at one point, although it was a complete surprise to me, to funnel some of his generosity through the Gates Foundation. So that's allowed us to be even more ambitious. But our friendship is basically independent of that...Warren hasn't been to India a lot, so he wouldn't claim any deep knowledge. But as we talk about good things going on in the world, the growth of the Indian economy is definitely a real positive," Bill Gates said Gates on AI in India Noting that Artificial intelligence (AI) is the most transformative technology he has seen in his lifetime, Gates said, "If I was a student today, the mysteries of AI would draw me in. It is kind of weird that even the systems that are working so well, we don't really understand them. I would definitely be drawn to that". On AI in the India, Gates said there is a lot of fantastic work ongoing in the country in this field. "I think you have a very bright future. No matter what your specialty is - whether it is engineering, discovering new drugs, or policy work. The AI advances will give you opportunities and force you to think through these new systems in very deep ways," he said. "You have groups like Wadhwani, you have the IIT groups that are very state-of-the-art. There will be a lot of fantastic leadership work in AI here in India. And when it's helping the poorest in areas like health and agriculture, our foundation will be proud to help shape that and support it," he said during the ANI interview. 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! Former Intel India country head, Avtar Saini, was killed after a speeding cab hit him while he was cycling in Navi Mumbai township of Maharashtra, police said on Thursday. Saini (68) was riding a bicycle with his fellow cyclists when he was hit by a car at 5:50 am on Palm Beach Road in the Nerul area, an official said. The official said that a speeding cab hit Saini's bicycle from behind, and the driver then tried to escape from the spot with the bicycle's frame wedged under the front wheels of the cab. Saini was rushed to the hospital by his fellow cyclists. He had received injuries and was declared dead at the hospital, the official said. A resident of suburban Chembur, Sainis contributions to the tech world were significant. As the former Intel India country head, he played a pivotal role in setting up the Intel R&D centre in India. His expertise extended to working on the Intel 386 and 486 microprocessors, and he also led the design of the iconic Pentium processor. His legacy lives on through the innovations he helped shape. The police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) against the cab driver under several sections of the Indian Penal Code, including Section 279 (rash driving), Section 337 (causing hurt by doing an act rashly or negligently so as to endanger human life) and Section 304-A (causing death of any person by doing any rash or negligent act not amounting to culpable homicide), and provisions of the Motor Vehicles Act. The accused has not yet been arrested, an official from the NRI police station said. (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! In a shocking incident, bodies of two minor girls were found hanging from a tree near the brick kiln they were working in Kanpurs Ghatampur area, days after they were allegedly raped, Uttar Pradesh police said on Thursday, PTI reported. The family members of the victims have accused the contractor of the brick kiln and two others (contractors son and his nephew) of gang rape and murder, Additional CP (law and order) Harish Chandra told PTI. All three accused have been arrested, he said. The accused had also made a video of the act to blackmail the girls due to which they took the extreme step, the news agency quoted ACP as saying. The minor girls went missing late Wednesday evening, and their bodies were found hanging from a tree, 400 metres from the brick kiln on Thursday, the ACP added. ACP Chandra said all the three accused have been booked under the Indian Penal Code sections 376D (gang rape), 306 (abetment of suicide) and the Protection Of Children Against Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. We have recovered videos and photographs of the girls from mobiles of the accused which would be sent for forensic examinations," the officer added. Also Read | TMC suspends Sandeshkhali accused Sheikh Shahjahan for 6 years | 10 points DCP South Zone Ravindra Kumar told Amar Ujala, "The culprits will not be spared. The police will take strict action." The victims are daughters of two labourers who work at the brick kiln and live with their families at the kiln site. 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 Mizoram Assembly adopted a resolution against the central government's decision to fence the Indo-Myanmar border and scrap the Free Movement Regime (FMR) with the neighbouring country. The FMR allows people living on both sides of the border to travel 16 km into each other's territory without a visa. Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced earlier in February that the entire India-Myanmar border would be fenced. On February 8, Shah said that the Centre decided to scrap the India-Myanmar Free Movement Regime to maintain the country's internal security and demographic structure of the northeastern states. ALSO READ: What comes under India's Free Movement Regime with Myanmar and why was it scrapped? Top points Before this, in January, Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma maintained that he was opposed to the Free Movement Regime and fencing of the border. Here's why Mizoram leaders saying yes to FMR and no to border fencing Lalduhoma said last month that his government and different organisations in the state opposed the Centre's move as Mizos share ethnic ties with the people of the Chin community in Myanmar. According to reports, over 31,000 people from Myanmar, mostly from the Chin state, have taken refuge in Mizoram following the military coup in the neighbouring country in February 2021. "Mizos living in different parts of the world dream of reunification", and fencing the present border will amount to approval of the boundary "imposed" by the British, the Mizoram Chief Minister was quoted by PTI as saying. Meanwhile, Mizoram Home Minister K Sapdanga, who moved the resolution against the Centre's decision on Wednesday, explained that the British demarcated the India-Myanmar border and divided the Zo ethnic people's land into two countries. "The Zo ethnic people can't accept the India-Myanmar border, which has been imposed on them by the British. They have been dreaming of reunification under one administrative unit someday," the home minister said. He said fencing the India-Myanmar border or scrapping the FMR, which will mandate the approval of the imposed boundary, is unacceptable for the Zo ethnic people, PTI reported. The minister added that the Mizoram government is yet to receive official intimation about the Centre's plan. Border fences and 'national security' Lalduhoma had acknowledged that the idea of scraping the FMR primarily stemmed from cross-border trafficking. He said believes that the smuggling of drugs and other contraband has increased due to it. Meanwhile, Home Minister K Sapdanga said national security "can't be an excuse" for fencing the India-Myanmar border and lifting the FMR. "If the Centre is so concerned about national security, it should also fence all the international borders that the country shares with neighbouring countries," he said. He argued that that even during the peak period of insurgency in the northeastern states, the FMR with Myanmar was never questioned. "I urge the Centre to consider the hardships that will be faced by the Zo ethnic people if the India-Myanmar border is fenced and the FMR is scrapped," Sapdanga said. Four Indian states Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh share a 1,643-km-long international border with Myanmar. Mizoram shares a 510-km-long border with Myanmar's Chin state and the Mizos share ethnic ties with the Chin people. Mizoram's civil society organisations and student bodies also strongly opposed the Centre's decision to fence the border and lift the FMR. (With inputs from PTI) 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! Several unions of railway employees and workers threatened to stop all train services across India from May 1 if their demand to implement the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) is not met. These unions have come together under the Joint Forum For Restoration of Old Pension Scheme (JFROPS). The decision to carry out "Indefinite Strike for OPS from 1 May 2024 (International Labour Day)" was taken during the JFROPS core committee meeting, said Shiva Gopal Mishra, the convener of JFROPS and general secretary of All India Railwaymen's Federation. In a post on X on Tuesday, Mishra shared notice regarding the indefinite strike. The notice said that it was unanimously decided to serve upon "Indefinite Strike Notice as per relevant Rules on 19th March 2024, and the Indefinite Strike to comment on 1st May 2024 i.e on international Labour Day". The press note shared by him said that after "considering the prevalent situation thoroughly and keeping in view the Non-Response of the Government on Restoration of Defined Guaranteed Old Pension Scheme in place of NPS", the committee decided "that there is no alternative left but to resort to direct action by all constituent trade unions collectively". Shiva Gopal Mishra was quoted by PTI as saying, The government is completely non-committal to our demand for the restoration of Defined Guarantied Old Pension Scheme' in place of New Pension Scheme. Now, there is no alternative left but to resort to direct action." ALSO READ: It is time for India's 97% to speak up against the Old Pension Scheme He said the representatives of various federations under the JFROPS have jointly consented that a notice will be officially served to the Railway Ministry on March 19. The notice would inform them about the countrywide strike and disruption of all train services from May 1. ALSO READ: NPS is an attractive product because of its low cost According to Mishra, several unions of other government employees, who are also part of JFROPS, will also go on strike along with railway workers. The press note issued by JFROPS said, All the constituent organisations are therefore requested to take appropriate action and to make all sorts of preparations for serving upon the strike notice to their respective Administrations in a befitting manner." Mishra said that while the OPS was in the interest of workers, the New Pension Scheme doesnt take care of their employees' welfare. 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! Saudi Arabia's Prince, Mohammad Bin Salman, issued an order banning Iftars in mosques ahead of Ramadan, tentatively slated to begin on March 11 and conclude by April 9 this year. Saudi Arabias Ministry of Islamic Affairs issued a set of instructions for mosque employees to follow during the month of Ramadan in an order dated February 20, 2024. The Ministry also issued orders restricting imams and muezzins from collecting financial donations for organising iftar feasts. The Islamic Affairs Ministry of Saudi Arabia also imposed a ban on organising iftar feasts inside the mosques, raising concerns regarding cleanliness. Also read: brought down British empire: Saudi's ex-intelligence chief mentions India in his take on Israel-Hamas war In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the caption to the notice read, The #Ministry_of_Islamic_Affairs, Dawah and Guidance issues a number of instructions related to mosques during the blessed month of #Ramadan 1445 AH." Also read: Putin to visit Saudi Arabia, UAE in rare trip outside Russia The order stated, "Imams and muezzins in various regions of the Kingdom not to collect financial donations for Iftar projects for fasting people and others." The notice, raising issues about cleanliness being compromised when iftar feasts are held inside mosques, directed imam and muezzin to oversee the organisation of these feasts in mosques courtyards and charged them with the responsibility to ensure cleanliness soon after the feast concludes. The Ministrys notice stated, Iftar projects should not be held inside mosques due to concerns about cleanliness, so an appropriate place should be prepared in the mosques courtyards without the use of temporary rooms, tents, or the like, and that Iftar should be under the imams and muezzins responsibility, with the obligation of the one who breaks the fast to clean the place immediately after finishing food." Moreover, the Ministry discouraged using cameras inside the mosque premises, stating that they should not be used to record the imam and worshippers offering namaz, as this undermines worshippers reverence. The Ministry also issued orders that prayers should not be broadcast on media of any kind, including social media. Hence, no cameras will be allowed inside the mosque premises during prayer times, and visitors have been ordered to refrain from filming. Additionally, instructions were issued to officials to avoid being absent during this crucial period and to maintain punctuality. 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! Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav may skip CBI summons on Thursday in illegal mining case, sources suggest. Akhilesh Yadav is a witness in an illegal mining case registered five years ago. The CBI had issued summons asking the party chief to appear before it on February 29, officials informed. The notice issued under section 160 of CrP permits a police officer to summon witnesses in a probe. "He is not the accused. He is a witness," a senior official informed PTI. Party sources further informed that the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister is scheduled to attend a meeting of PDA "Picchda (backward classes), Dalit and Alpsankhyak (minorities)" at the party office and has no plans to go anywhere at the moment. The Samajwadi Party's backward wing state president Rajpal Kashyap said, "Akhileshji will attend a meeting of PDA at the party office today," reported PTI. Samajwadi Party spokesperson Rajendra Chowdhury said, "He is not going anywhere. He will be attending a meeting in Lucknow," reported PTI. He added, "I don't have detailed information But it is sure, he is not going to Delhi today," over CBI summons. The Allahabad High Court had ordered a probe in the case about the issuance of mining leases in alleged violation of the e-tendering process. During the period when Akhilesh Yadav was chief minister, it is alleged that public servants permitted illegal mining during 2012-16, and illegally renewed licences despite a prevailing ban on mining by the National Green Tribunal. Also read: Akhilesh Yadav summoned by CBI as witness tomorrow in UP illegal mining case The former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister slammed the BJP while reacting to the issued notice in the cases registered in 2019. He said, "The SP is on the maximum target (of the BJP). In 2019, I got a notice in some matters as there were Lok Sabha elections then. Now, when the election is approaching again, I am getting a notice again," reported PTI. Cheging at BJP, he further added, "I know, when the election comes, notice will also come. Why this nervousness? If you (BJP) have done a lot of work in the past 10 years, why are you nervous?" (With PTI 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! Sandeshkhali violence: Absconding TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan was arrested by West Bengal Police from the Minakhan area in North 24 Parganas. Absconding Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Sheikh Shahjahan was arrested by West Bengal Police from the Minakhan area in North 24 Parganas on Wednesday, February 28, night . SDPO of Minakhan, Aminul Islam Khan informed that following arrest Sheikh Shahjahan was taken to Basirhat Court on Thursday morning. Aminul Islam Khan further informed that Sheikh Shahjahan will be produced before the Basirhat Court at 2 pm today, February 28. Also read: Sandeshkhali violence: Order from Delhi is to keep issue alive, says TMC's Kunal Ghosh; BJP's Locket Chatterjee detained Security has been tightened at Basirhat Sub-Divisional Court, where Shajahan Sheikh will be produced before the Court later today, reported PTI. West Bengal State president, Sukanta Majumdar said, Due to the continuous agitation by the BJP, this government was compelled to arrest Sheikh Shahjahan. The government was in denial mode. They were not even accepting that anything as such had happened," reported ANI. Also read: Sandeshkhali violence: NHRC takes suo motu cognizance of human rights violations, seeks report from govt in 4 weeks He added, "I had already said that we would compel the government to arrest Sheikh Shahjahan. Today, due to the agitation of the BJP and the women of Sandeshkhali, government and Mamata Banerjee are compelled to arrest Sheikh Shahjahan." Also read: Sandeshkhali Violence: PM Narendra Modi to visit West Bengal on March 6 The TMC leader had been evading arrest by both state and central agencies for over a month. ADG (South Bengal), Supratim Sarkar claimed that ED officers were assaulted on January 5 while raiding Sheikh Shahjahan's residence. He said, "Sheikh Shahjahan, one of the principal accused in a case which happened on 5th January 2024 where ED officers were assaulted during the course of raid they were conducting...We arrested him yesterday night from Minakha Police area. We have forwarded Sheikh Shahjahan to Basirhat court...We will ask for Police remand." A section of women in the Sandeshkhali region in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district have been seeking justice against alleged atrocities committed by the TMC leader, Shahjahan Sheikh. Thus the region bore witness to widespread protests against TMC strongman. These women accused Shajahan Sheikh and his close aides of "land-grab and sexual assault" under coercion. Three days ago, Calcutta High Court Chief Justice ordered to add Sheikh Shahjahan to the Sandeshkhali case following which the arrest was made. Calcutta HC Justice on February 26 said, "There is no reason to not arrest him." The Court issued an order for Sheikh Shahjahan's arrest and stated, Public notice shall be given in this case. There is no stay order in Sandeshkhali cases." Earlier on February 23, the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) had raided almost half-a-dozen locations in West Bengal including residences of the absconding TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan and his close aides in connection with the alleged land grabbing case. (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! Thank you for reading! To read this article and more, subscribe now for as little as $1.99. 2024 US Presidential Elections: Illinois became the third state where former President Donald Trump was barred from the ballot after a decision by a county judge on Wednesday. However, he paused the decision and gave Trump until Friday to appeal. Cook County Circuit Judge Tracie Porter removed Trump from the ballot, based on the 14th Amendment, which bars people from returning to office if they took an oath to support the Constitution and then engaged in insurrection, Bloomberg reported. Today, an activist Democrat judge in Illinois summarily overruled the states board of elections and contradicted earlier decisions from dozens of other state and federal jurisdictions. This is an unconstitutional ruling that we will quickly appeal," a Trump campaign spokesman, Steven Cheung said in an official statement as quoted by The New York Post. This came after the Colorado Supreme Court and Maine's Democratic secretary of state Shenna Bellows also found Trump ineligible" for the national ballots. The former US President is leading in Republican primary polls. Meanwhile, the US Supreme Court agreed on Wednesday to hear Donald Trump's claim that as a former president he is immune from prosecution, further delaying his trial on charges of conspiring to overturn the 2020 election. The nation's highest court scheduled arguments in the high-stakes case for the week of April 22 and said Trump's federal election interference trial would remain on hold for now, as per AFP reports. Trump had been scheduled to go on trial in Washington on March 4 for conspiring to subvert the results of the 2020 election won by Democrat Joe Biden but the proceedings have been frozen as his presidential immunity claim wound its way through the courts. The 77-year-old Trump, the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, welcomed the Supreme Court decision to hear the case. "Without Presidential Immunity, a President will not be able to properly function, or make decisions, in the best interest of the United States of America. He must not be guided by the fear of retribution!" Trump said. The question of whether a former US president is immune from prosecution is an untested one in American jurisprudence because until Trump, an ex-president had never been charged with a crime. 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! Thank you, PIA, a cabin crew member of Pakistan International Airlines went missing after landing in Canada on PIA flight PK-782 from Islamabad . Maryam Raza was on duty and failed to report for her return flight PK-784 to Karachi from Toronto, Dawn reported. Authorities checked her hotel room and found her uniform with a note reading Thank you, PIA. She was assigned the flight from Islamabad to Toronto on Monday. Maryam Raza joined the national flag carrier about 15 years ago. Notably, this is the second case this year. The airline's spokesman attributed the trend to the flexible Canadian law as it offers asylum after entering the country. A similar incident took place last month when an air hostess failed to report for the return flight from Canada. At least seven PIA cabin crew members went missing in Canada last year while on duty, as per Dawn reports. In January, an air hostess named Faiza Mukhtar arrived in Canada, but she did not show up for the return flight. The attendant was put on suspension a few years back due to allegations that she was involved in the smuggling of foreign currency and cell phones. On its scheduled return to the country, Ms Mukhtar did not turn up [in Toronto and the flight of the national flag carrier had to proceed without her," a PIA official said as quoted by Dawn. He also informed that a crew member who had absconded while on duty a few years ago has since relocated to Canada and is now advising other crew members to consider applying for asylum. The PIA management has been coordinating with the Canadian authorities to avoid such incidents in future, he said. 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! Russian President Vladimir Putin warned of a growing risk of global war as well as the use of nuclear weapons, as he ramped up his bellicose rhetoric in his annual parliamentary address and vowed to press forward with his assault on Ukraine. As Moscows forces take the upper hand on the battlefield and U.S. military support for Kyiv has stalled, Putin accused the West of trying to drag Russia into a new arms race even as he touted the progress made in modernizing Russias military equipment. All this really threatens a conflict including the use of nuclear weapons, and therefore the destruction of civilizationdont they understand that?" the Russian leader told lawmakers Thursday. Russias opponents must, after all, realize that we too have weapons that can hit targets on their territory," Putin said, referring to recent comments by French President Emmanuel Macron, who refused to rule out sending Western troops to Ukraine. Since Moscows full-blown invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, relations between Russia and the U.S. have sunk to their lowest level since the end of the Cold War. Moscows military adventurism has left it isolated from the West, which has imposed broad sanctions on the country but has failed to halt Russias war machine. Last year, Putin used his address to the Federal Assembly to announce that Moscow would step back from the New Start treaty, which was the last remaining major nuclear-arms-control treaty between the U.S. and Russia. He has also warned that Moscow would stand ready to test new nuclear weapons if the U.S. moved to do so first, bringing into question the survival of a long-running global ban on nuclear weapons tests. According to U.S. intelligence, Russia is seeking to develop a nuclear weapon that could be launched in space and used to target satellites. On Thursday, Putin called the reports a lie, designed to make Moscow look bad. In the first hour of his speech, Putin, who has ruled Russia for over two decades, returned to a refrain he has often used to justify his decision to invade Ukraine, telling Russian lawmakers that the West was trying to undermine Moscow. The West seeks to do to Russia the same thing that they did in many other regions of the world, including Ukraine: to bring discord into our home, to weaken it from within," he said. We will not allow anyone to interfere in our domestic affairs." We are dealing with a state whose ruling circles are taking open hostile actions against us," he said, referring to the U.S. Russia would do absolutely everything" to pursue its military operation in Ukraine, Putin said in the speech, which was relayed live in some movie theaters around the country. Moscow currently has the edge on the battlefield over Ukrainian forces, who are short on equipment while U.S. military aid is held up in Congress. Russias capture of the city of Avdiivka this monththe biggest battlefield victory for Putin since his forces seized Bakhmut in May 2023has heightened anxieties in the West about the course of the war, particularly after Kyivs counteroffensive last year failed. Putins remarks come as Russia prepares for a presidential election next month where a wide-scale crackdown on opposition parties and independent media is expected to ensure he scores an easy victory. His most ardent critic, opposition politician Alexei Navalny, died earlier this month in a Russian penal colony above the Arctic Circle where he was serving a sentence amounting to 30 years on various charges that he and his supporters said were politically motivated. Navalnys family and associates have accused Putin of murdering the opposition leader, an allegation the Kremlin has dismissed. Navalnys funeral is scheduled for Friday and could pit security forces against his supporters, who have been arrested simply for laying flowers in his memory in the days since he died. Putin has used repression to cement his hold on power, introducing laws to punish critics of war, muzzling most independent media, branding pro-peace authors and artists as foreign agentsa term akin to being a traitorand stifling Russians ability to have their own opinion about the war. Much of the crushing of dissent has been directed against ordinary Russians, who constitute the majority of more than 20,000 people who have been arbitrarily detained in the past two years, according to local and international human-rights advocates. Write to Georgi Kantchev at georgi.kantchev@wsj.com and Ann M. Simmons at ann.simmons@wsj.com Russia's Vladimir Putin delivered his annual state of nation address on Thursday, accusing Western countries of creating the conditions for a global nuclear conflict that would destroy civilization". His statement came as the war between Russia and Ukraine entered its third year on February 24. The West is creating 'real' risk of nuclear war, Putin was quoted by news agency AFP as saying. The Russian President also warned that Moscows "strategic nuclear forces are in a state of full readiness for use". the consequences for the potential interventionists (in Ukraine war) will be much more tragic...They (West) should finally understand and I just told them that we too have weapons that can destroy targets on their territories," Putin was quoted by the Moscow Times as saying on Thursday. ALSO READ: Russia-Ukraine War: Two years of war, Europe grapples with mounting costs as EU tightens sanctions on Russia. 10 points "Russia wont let anyone interfere in its internal affairs," Putin added. Taking a another potshots at the West, Putin said the West claims that Russia is supposedly going to attack Europe. "...And you and I understand that they are talking nonsense," he said, adding that at the "same time they themselves are choosing targets for striking our territory." "(Western nations) must realise that we also have weapons that can hit targets on their territory. All this really threatens a conflict with the use of nuclear weapons and the destruction of civilisation. Don't they get that?!" said Putin. Putin, who was speaking ahead of a March 15-17 presidential election when he is certain to be re-elected for another six-year term, lauded what he said was Russia's vastly modernised nuclear arsenal, the largest in the world As per Russian news agency TASS, Putin said Russia is ready for dialogue with the US on strategic stability. He, however, rejected the possibility of "strategic stability talks" with the US "in isolation from issues of Russias national security". "The West is trying to drag Russia into a new arms race, thereby repeating the 1980s trick. The US is hypocritical in trying to defeat Russia and offering talks on strategic stability at the same time," Putin said. He suggested Western politicians recall the fate of those, like Nazi Germany's Adolf Hitler and France's Napoleon Bonaparte who unsuccessfully invaded his country in the past. "But now the consequences will be far more tragic," said Putin. "They think it (war) is a cartoon," he was quoted by Reuters as saying. President Vladimir Putin further emphasised that Russia's economy would soon be among the world's four largest in terms of purchasing power parity. Boasting vast natural resources, Russia's gross domestic product (GDP) rebounded sharply last year from a slump in 2022, but the growth relies heavily on state-funded arms and ammunition production for the war in Ukraine, Reuters reported. . 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! Congressional leaders reached a last-minute deal to avoid a disruptive US government shutdown , setting up another clash with ultra-conservatives who swiftly blasted the agreement. The deal would provide one week of temporary funding to avert a March 2 partial shutdown and fund parts of the government through Sept. 30. The remainder of the US government, including the Defense and Homeland Security departments, would still face a potential March 23 shutdown. Hardline Republicans condemned the deal, with Representative Ralph Norman of South Carolina telling Bloomberg TVs Balance of Power" that it is an insult to the American people." But all signs point to Speaker Mike Johnson ultimately defying his right flank and compromising to keep the government open. The White House backed the agreement. Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said it would help prevent a needless shutdown while providing more time to work on bipartisan appropriations bills." Financial markets had shrugged of the risk of a shutdown, with many investors assuming Congress would once again reach a last-minute deal. House and Senate leaders said in a joint statement that Congress would vote in coming days on one week of temporary funding to avoid a Saturday shutdown of parts of the US government. The House plans to go first, with a floor vote Thursday. It will be the fourth time since the Oct. 1 start of the federal fiscal year Congress has turned to interim spending. That short-term funding is needed because technical work remains on the package, which has been agreed to in principle. While negotiators havent yet agreed on spending for the remainder of the government, the temporary funding also covers those parts of government through March 22. Johnsons office had said that, without an agreement on full-year spending bills, he was prepared to allow a shutdown. Republican leaders are backing the deal despite a risk of backlash among conservatives who have demanded new immigration restrictions to avoid a government shutdown. GOP congressional leaders have instead chosen to hold up emergency funding for Ukraine assistance to wring concessions from President Joe Biden. It seems we are just doing what the Democrats want," said Virginia Republican Bob Good, who leads the ultraconservative House Freedom Caucus. The agreement includes funds for the departments of Agriculture, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Veterans Affairs and Energy, along with the Food and Drug Administration. The deal also includes full-year funding for the the Environmental Protection Agency and departments of Commerce, Justice and Interior, removing the possibility national parks will close. The inclusion of the Justice Department funding is a surprise given a push by conservatives to use it to defund investigations into Donald Trump. The agreement is in line with a $1.59 trillion overall spending level for fiscal 2024 that Republican and Democratic negotiators agreed to in January. Funding for the remainder of the government, including the Homeland Security Department, will be tougher to negotiate due to disputes over asylum policies at the US southern border. 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! Did you hear? Google has been accused of a secret vendetta against Caucasians. Elon Musk exchanged tweets about this conspiracy on X more than 150 times this week, all on portraits generated with Googles new AI chatbot Gemini. Like Ben Shapiro, Musk reacted to its image diversity: Female popes! African-looking Nazis! Indigenous founding fathers! Google apologized and paused the feature. Clearly, the company did a shoddy job over-correcting tech that had a racist skew. No, CEO Sundar Pichai wasnt infected by a woke mind virus. Rather, hes growth obsessed. Three years ago, Google got in trouble when its photo-tagging tool started labelling some African-American people as apes. It shut the feature and then fired two of its leading AI ethics researchers. These were the folks whose job was to make sure Googles tech was fair in how it depicted women and minorities. Not overly diverse like Gemini, but equitable and balanced. When Gemini started spouting images of non-Caucasian German World War II soldiers, it was a sign that the ethics team hadnt become more powerful, but was being ignored amid Googles race against Microsoft and OpenAI to dominate generative web search. Proper investment would have led to a smarter approach to diversity. People who test artificial intelligence (AI) systems for safety are outnumbered by those whose job is to make them bigger and more capable by 30-to-1, according to an estimate by Center for Humane Technology. Often they are shouting into a void and told not to get in the way. Googles earlier chatbot Bard was so faulty that it made factual errors in its marketing demo. Employees had warned about that, but managers didnt listen. One posted that Bard was worse than useless: please do not launch," and many of the 7,000 staffers who viewed the message agreed, according to a Bloomberg News investigation. Not long after, engineers whod carried out a risk assessment told their Google superiors that Bard could cause harm and wasnt ready. You can guess what Google did next: It released Bard to the public. Googles rushed, faulty AI isnt alone. Microsofts Bing chatbot wasnt just inaccurate, it was unhinged, telling a New York Times columnist soon after its release that it was in love with him and wanted to destroy things. Google has said that responsible AI is a top priority, and that it was continuing to invest in the teams" that apply its AI principles to products. A spokeswoman for Google said the company is continuing to quickly address instances in which [Gemini] isnt responding appropriately." OpenAI, which kickstarted Big Techs race for a foothold in generative AI, normalized the rationale for treating us all like guinea pigs with new AI tools. Its website describes an iterative deployment" philosophy, where it releases products like ChatGPT quickly to study their safety and impact and to prepare us for more powerful AI in the future. Googles Pichai says much the same. By releasing half-baked AI tools, hes giving us time to adapt" to when AI becomes super powerful, according to comments made in an interview last year. Asked what keeps him up at night, Pichai said, with no trace of irony, that it was knowing that AI could be very harmful if deployed wrongly." So what was his solution? Pichai didnt mention investing more in researchers who make AI safe, accurate and ethical, but pointed to greater regulation, a solution beyond his control. There have to be consequences for creating deepfake videos which cause harm to society," he said, referring to AI videos that could spread misinformation. Anybody who has worked with AI for a while, you know, you realize this is something so different and so deep that we would need societal regulations to think about how to adapt." This is a bit like the chef of a restaurant saying, Making people sick with salmonella is bad, and we need more food inspectors to check our raw food," when they know there are no food inspectors to speak of and wont be for years. It gives them licence to dish out tainted food. The same is true in AI. With regulations far off, Pichai knows the onus is on his company to build AI systems that are fair and safe. But now that he is caught up in the race to put generative AI into everything quickly, theres little incentive to ensure that it is. We know about Geminis diversity bug because of all the tweets on X, but the AI model may have other problems we dont know aboutissues that may not trigger Elon Musk but are no less insidious. The female popes and non-Caucasian founding fathers are products of a deeper, years-long problem of putting growth and market dominance before safety. Expect our role as Big Tech guinea pigs to continue until that changes. bloomberg It should go without saying that fighting wars is a nasty business. The political, economic and moral corrosion that wars bring with their onslaught is often difficult for distant onlookers to decipher from the outside. In a contemporary context, this is especially true; for people who are not involved directly, wars are largely an audio-visual experience, to be imbibed merely as information or entertainment, devoid of their political and strategic contexts. And for a large part of the developed world, which had lulled itself into believing that wars would only be fought in faraway lands without imposing any significant costs directly, this is a moment of reckoning. Europe is struggling to find an adequate response to the challenge of managing Russian aggression against Ukraine. When French President Emmanuel Macron recently suggested that while there was no consensus" on sending Western troops to Ukraine, nothing should be excluded," it resulted in a strong response not only from the Russians, but also from the US and Frances European partners such as Germany and the UK. The US promptly made it clear that the path to victory" in Europe is to provide Ukraine with military aid, so Ukrainian troops have the weapons and ammunition they need to defend themselves," and that the US will not send troops to fight in Ukraine." The UK too underlined that it had no plans for a large-scale military deployment to Ukraine, beyond the small number of personnel already training Ukrainian armed forces. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz also reiterated that no European country or Nato member state would send troops to Ukraine. This is a delicate moment in the Ukraine war. Two years into the conflict, Russia seems to have an upper hand on the battlefield. It has gained some ground in the last few weeks, though its strategic utility remains disputed. While Putin seems to have realized that he just needs to wait this out in the context of political polarization in the US and public disaffection in European countries, the West is still trying to work out a position that can convey with a degree of credibility that it would stand by Ukraine even as costsboth economic and politicalmight continue to rise. On one hand, while an American aid package for Ukraine is stuck in the US House of Representatives, Europeans are finding it difficult to even come out with consensus statements in support of Ukraine. Last week, Hungary blocked a statement shepherded by the European Council President Charles Michel, pledging unwavering" support for Ukraine. So while Macron can maintain that the defeat of Russia is indispensable to security and stability in Europe," it is not clear if the West has adequate means available to achieve this end. Russia has no such constraints, as its war aims are being supported by its own economy on a war footing as well as its allies like North Korea and Iran. The other war that is raging in the Middle East is also showing no signs of coming to a conclusion, despite US President Joe Bidens claims that he is hopeful of a ceasefire by next week. This war began when Israel launched a large-scale air and ground campaign in Gaza after Hamas terrorists killed about 1,200 people in southern Israel last October, and has now entered a phase where there is a worldwide focus on the humanitarian crisis Israeli actions have unleashed. Israel is now under pressure not to launch an offensive in Rafah, which its military believes is the last holdout of Hamas but where there are about 1.5 million Palestinians taking shelter as well. But Israeli forces have struggled with getting their strategy right from the very beginning. Their tactics have resulted in a lot of destruction and some ostensible degradation of Hamas capabilities, but beyond that, Israels Binyamin Netanyahu government has not offered any real coherent plan for moving forward in Gaza when it comes to governance and reconstruction. Israel is having to fight on multiple fronts, with Hamas and Hezbollah militants as well as Iranian proxies in Syria, Iraq and Yemen targeting it. As a consequence, threat of escalation remains high and Americas Joe Biden administration is under political pressure at home to restrain Israeli forces. While support for Ukraine languishes in Western capitals, support for Israel is also wavering. Both are dependent on external support as a key variable in their battle strategies and both find themselves vulnerable. In both theatres, information is being deployed effectively to turn the tide of the war in favour of one side or the other. And in both cases, Western societies and politics are shaped by their aversion to casualties while the other side seems to have no such compunction. This means that both Ukraine and Israel are facing a challenge in bringing their ends, ways and means in sync to achieve sustainable battlefield and political outcomes. And it is this lack of strategic coherence that is now putting pressure on one country which saw its territorial sovereignty violated by a powerful neighbour and another that suffered a brutal terror attack on its citizens. It can only be hoped that Indian policymakers and military planners are learning the right lessons from these conflicts that show no sign of coming to a conclusive end anytime soon. Results declared on Tuesday for 15 seats in the Rajya Sabha representing Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka saw the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) win 10. More stunning was the cross-voting in its favour, particularly in Himachal. Six Congress legislators and three independents that this party was counting on voted in favour of the BJPs Harsh Mahajan. That gave him 34 votes to level the score with Abhishek Manu Singhvi, the Congress candidate whose presumptive tally had been 40. The tie led to a draw of lots in which the BJP candidate won. That was plain luck. But denuded support for the Congress raised the question of whether its state government in Shimla had lost its majority backing. We may not know unless it comes to a floor test, but theres little doubt that the Congress is proving unable to retain the power it won in elections not long ago. More significantly for India, with these new wins, the National Democratic Alliances strength in the Rajya Sabha will rise to 117, which would bring it within sniffing distance of the 121 needed for a House majority. If attained, it could consolidate the BJPs legislative hold and ease the pursuit of its policy agenda. Karnataka Congress MLA BK Hariprasad defended his 'Pakistan enemy country for the BJP, not for us', statement on Thursday, saying that the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) is playing dirty tricks. The Karnataka Congress MLA also alleged that the BJP has asked the central government to declare Pakistan an enemy state. Earlier on Wednesday, BK Hariprasad, in his speech in the legislative council, claimed that Pakistan may be an enemy country for the BJP, but the Congress considers it as only a neighbouring country. "They (BJP) speak about our relationship with an enemy country. According to them, Pakistan is an enemy country. For us, Pakistan is not an enemy country, it's our neighbouring country. They say Pakistan is our enemy country. Recently, they awarded the Bharat Ratna to LK Advani, who visited Jinnah's mausoleum in Lahore and said there was no other secular leader like him. Was Pakistan not an enemy country then?" Hariprasad said while speaking in the assembly. The Congress legislator's remarks came while speaking in the assembly on Wednesday, sparking a stir amid ongoing controversy over alleged 'Pakistan Zindabad' slogans by supporters of the party's MP-elect Syed Naseer Hussain outside Vidhana Soudha. On Thursday, BK Hariprasad also threatened to move a privilege motion against channels that twisted his statements "I said Pakistan is our neighbouring state. Let the BJP declare Pakistan an enemy state. The BJP is fully active in playing dirty tricks; whatever I have said in the Council, we have no objection to publishing whatever I have said. If they add masala to that, I think I'll have to move a privilege motion against those channels that have twisted my statements. Whatever statement I made in the Council, I stand by that," BK Hariprasad said while speaking to ANI on Thursday. "If at all the BJP feels that Pakistan is an enemy state, the central government should ban all the trade and they should declare Pak an enemy state. Until and unless they declare Pak an enemy state we can't call them enemy state. So they are our neighbour," the Congress legislator said. BK Hariprasad further claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended former Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif's granddaughter's wedding in Lahore without invitation. "PM Modi went to Pak to attend Nawaz Sharif's grand daughter's marriage without an invitation, breaking all protocols; we have not done any such thing. Whatever I have said, I stand by that," Hariprasad said. BJP lashed out at the Congress leader's remarks, saying that this statement made the party's 'attitude' clear. Meanwhile, former Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai demanded a probe by the National Investigation Agency into raising of pro-Pakistan slogans and the dismissal of the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government in the state since "it was not functioning according to the Constitution". Bommai alleged that the state government protected "anti-nationals". (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! The Congress infighting is no longer a secret in several states as the Lok Sabha Elections 2024 nears. The fissures within the Congress are visible not just in its Himachal Pradesh unit, but also in many other states including, West Bengal, Assam and Punjab. Heres a list of 7 states where the Congress faced infighting in the past few months, just ahead of Lok Sabha Elections 2024: 1. Himachal Pradesh The Congress-led Himachal Pradesh government plunged into a crisis after six of its MLAs cross-voted in favour of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate in the Rajya Sabha elections. High-profile leader Vikramaditya Singh resigned as minister, complaining that MLAs were overlooked" under the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led government in the state. Singh, who is the son of Himachal Congress president Pratibha Singh, said Wednesday morning that he was submitting his resignation from the council of ministers, but hours later, he softened his stand. 2. Bihar Two MLAs of the Congress in Bihar Siddharth Saurav and Murari Gautam crossed over to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Tuesday. The party, on Wednesday, sought their disqualification from the state assembly. Earlier, Congress legislative party leader Shakil Ahmed Khan said that both MLAs have also been stripped of the partys primary membership". When asked about speculations of more MLAs deserting the Congress, Saurav was quoted by PTI as saying, There will be a series (ladi lag jaane wali hai)." 3. Assam Assam Congress working president Rana Goswami resigned from the party on Wednesday and headed to New Delhi, where he is likely to join the BJP. Goswami had on Sunday resigned as the partys organisational in-charge of Upper Assam, citing various political reasons". I beg to state that I am tendering my resignation as the working President of Assam Pradesh Congress Committee and as an active member of Indian National Congress," he was quoted by PTI as saying in the resignation letter addressed to Congress general secretary (organisation), KC Venugopal. Leader of opposition Debabrata Saikia of the Congress told reporters that Goswami had not given any reason for quitting the party. Goswami was a close associate of former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi. He was elected to the assembly in 2006 and 2011 from Jorhat. He was appointed the state partys working president in 2021. Earlier this month, Congress MLA Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha resigned as state working president and, along with another party legislator, Basanta Das, expressed support for the BJP-led governments development agenda". 4. West Bengal West Bengal Congress leader Koustav Bagchi tendered his resignation from the party on Wednesday. He reportedly asserted that the Congress is in a self-destructive mode and is more interested in seeing the Trinamool Congress as its West Bengal Unit". He said the party seems to have shifted its focus from winning the elections and rather seems to prioritise image branding. In a letter to West Bengal Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary, Bagchi said, Without hesitation, I can firmly say that in the present day scenario, the Indian National Congress has lost its political character. Still being a part of the Indian National Congress would be nothing but a compromise with ones self-respect, which I choose not to." I hereby tender my resignation as a Primary Member of the Indian National Congress and also from the membership of the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee with immediate effect," the letter read. 5. Punjab Amid the political crisis in Himachal, Punjab Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu called for an assessment of the partys assets and liabilities". The former Punjab unit president said the Rajya Sabha poll defeat was not just of the party candidate but had larger" implications. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Sidhu said, The Himachal fiasco calls for an assessment of assets and liabilities for the Grand Old Party??? Masqueraders on plum posts covertly dancing to the tunes of agencies like CBI, ED and IT have spelt dooms-day for us many a times!" Earlier in February, reports claimed that Sidhu and three other state MLAs are looking to jump ship and join the BJP. 6. Madhya Pradesh Several Congress workers in Kamal Naths stronghold, Chhindwara, joined the BJP in February, PTI reported. The leaders joined the BJP in the presence of Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, who claimed that many more Congressmen would join the ruling party. Earlier, speculation was rife that former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath could also ditch the Congress to join the BJP. 7. Maharashtra Congress leader Milind Deora announced his resignation from the primary membership of Congress on January 14, bringing an end to his familys 55-year association with the party. Taking to X, Milind Deora said, Today marks the conclusion of a significant chapter in my political journey. I have tendered my resignation from the primary membership of Congress, ending my familys 55-year relationship with the party." Later, Congress leader Baba Siddique also quit the grand old party. Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan followed suit and joined the BJP on February 13. Basavaraj Patil, who resigned from the Congress, joined the BJP on February 27. (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! County officials want the house with the literal rats nest gone. And seemingly no one disagrees, including the only person left living at the property where Linn County spent more than $40,000 in 2022 cleaning up piles of tires, rotting camp trailers and buckets of human feces. Theyre going to have to bulldoze the house, Samantha Foreman said. A Place to Sleep, episode 5: Lebanon How did the last couple of elections change the way East Linn County interacts with its unho Foreman stood on the folding metal steps of a white camp trailer Tuesday morning Feb. 27 and groaned at the mention of Linn County. Digger, a fluffy-tailed dachshund, pushed his face around her legs to bark over the rugs and mud and containers piled near an old wooden frame. They finally sent me a letter and I asked them whats going on. They said its abandoned. And no its not Ive been here for five years, Foreman said. Foreman said shes from the Coos Bay area but has been in Lebanon on and off since age 8. At age 55, she left a relationship with a person who she said struck her and threatened her. The house at 2187 Mill St. hasnt had electricity in years. Foreman estimated it hasnt had running water since the early 2000s. But Roy Simms, the previous owners son, let Foreman stay there. He gave a lot of people a place to stay. Its a safe place, Foreman said. Its fed them and sheltered them. Foreman said as many as 17 lived on the property on a gravel road just outside Lebanon city limits. She called them the Gravelonians, and she counts herself the last of them. When Im gone, there will be no one left on the gravel, Foreman said. History The house started drawing official scrutiny years ago. The 720-square-foot home belonged to Frankie Brinkley, an aide in local skilled nursing homes. She died in July 2018, when she was 80. She had lived in Lebanon for more than 60 years. Everyone who lived near her called her Grandma. Grandma left $600 in a bank account and no one could find a will. Simms had lived on the property with Grandma, then kept living there after the womans death. Foreman said people living there began carrying trash and furniture and other items from the house. When she died, everything ended up in the front yard, Foreman said. Later that year, the house caught fire. But its still there, painted in peeling yellow and white. Its all smoked-up and water damaged, Lebanon Fire District Marshall Ken Foster said by phone Feb. 27. He was on the call when firefighters used hoses to pump gallons per second of water into the home, Foster said. The district, he said, usually has one conversation, sometimes two with a property owner about burning trash, or burning material outside without the districts blessing, which is illegal under local law. Lebanon firefighters have been to the address for illegal burns five times since 2018, plus a fire in a motorhome in 2019. Thats a lot compared to most properties in the city, he said. This seems to be an ongoing conversation, Foster said. Foreman said the people who lived at the property lived outside in makeshift shelters, in recreational vehicles or in tents. She described Simms as big-hearted. He extended it too far, she said. Way too far. He collected rent from Foreman they had a lease, even. But Foreman said Simms barely could read or write, let alone balance a checkbook. He didnt understand the countys bill for taxes levied on the property. She didnt know where the rent or his checks from the Social Security Administration went, Foreman said. He was like a 10-year-old in the head, she said. When things got done, I had to do them. And then Simms died, too, in 2023. Neighborhood Chippie Friend said the house already looked a little off-putting to some potential buyers when she moved in next door in 2006. When you tell everyone look for the homeless camp we live next door, its kind of discouraging, Friend said Tuesday morning. But Grandma always had butterscotch candies in an apron pocket to hand to Friends kids. We loved Grandma, Friend said. She was always very sweet to the kids. Friend said Grandmas son, Simms, appeared to struggle with an addiction to controlled substances. Simms or people he knew would bring old cars, old appliances and other nonfunctional things to the house. As fast as she could have it removed, someone else was bringing it in, Friend said. The youngest of Friends seven children still lives at home. But the family intends to stay put even as empty-nesters. Its the only property Friend and her husband, Terrill Friend, have owned together, and they wanted someplace stable for their kids to grow up and come back to. Chippie Friend described the neighboring house as an unfortunate situation. How drugs impact the whole family, Friend said. Had there been a family member who could really step in and stand up to someone who had those issues, it would be a whole other story. Friend said her family members did call 911 a couple of times over the years, for fights. And someone took one of the childrens bicycles when it was left out overnight, near the road outside a gate. Then there was the time crews put a road in behind the house. Someone scaled the back fence and took some bags of cans and bottles. Mostly, the neighbors had mutual respect. Leave our property alone, and well leave your property alone, Chippie Friend said in describing the ethos. If she could change anything, Chippie Friend wishes Linn County would have stepped in with more resources when Grandma needed help paying medical expenses and taxes. Without help, Friend said, shes not surprised the trash piled up. I think after living in it for so long, and that being her family home, she was low-income. And $100 to take a load to the dump is the difference between food and medicine, Friend said. Hearing Technically, no one owned the house, built in 1940. But that didnt stop people from living there. Soon after Grandmas death, an adult child made a claim to the womans estate. They reported the value of the house as $50,000. Then Oregon made a claim against the estate for $47,217 in December 2018, when the state Department of Human Services sought the money for claims and premiums reportedly owed for coverage through Medicaid. Linn County made a list of all property within its borders owing three of years of back taxes by May 16, 2023, then foreclosed on all of them, 57 in all including Grandmas house. The smallest bill was for $25.77; the largest nearly $33,000. The average back tax bill was $8,500. Grandmas property owed more than $4,000. Properties usually are granted a two-year redemption period after foreclosure. Elected leaders on Feb. 20 scheduled a public hearing for April 16 that will determine whether the house is considered hazardous, and therefore the county qualified to cut short the redemption period. If I were the neighbor, I would be upset about living next to a dump, said Linn County Commissioner Sherrie Sprenger. Sprenger told the board of commissioners shes been working on the issue for a couple of years while health and safety violations and tax bills stacked up. In December 2022 the county ordered a cleanup of the property, located across from a city park but just outside city limits, where clothes and furniture and kitchen trash had piled in the front yard for years. Quality journalism doesn't happen without your help Support local news coverage and the people who report it by becoming a subscriber today. Literally there were so many rats there that when they removed one I hate to say shack or trailer, Im not sure what it was the rats were literally bumping into each other, Sprenger said. A county spokesperson said hypodermic needles were found near the property. Foreman said shes ready to leave the property. Shes been taking junk to the landfill one load at a time since that 2022 cleanup. Theres very little left at the property, and she just has to sell her trailer, Foreman said. Change is good no matter what you do and its time for a change, Foreman said. This era has come to an end. Editor's note: This article is updated to re-attribute several quotes from a Feb. 20 Linn County Board of Commissioners meeting. Related stories: Mocking BJP's claim that it will secure seats in double digits in Kerala in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, Shashi Tharoor stated on Wednesday, that the only way they could achieve a double digit in Kerala would be by obtaining two zeros. "Otherwise, there is only one digit coming the BJP's way in Kerala, and that is zero," Tharoor told media. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his speech at the BJP meeting in the state, urged voters to vote for the saffron party so that it can win double digits in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls 2024. Commenting on the claim, Thiruvananthapuram MP told ANI, "I don't think the BJP is going to win a single seat in Kerala. Their strongest performance has always been in Thiruvananthapuram... I am not expecting that they will be anything better than that this time around either. Everywhere else, we have strong candidates." BJP never understood the history, culture of Kerala The Thiruvananthapuram MP cited that BJP's reach in Kerala is limited as the saffron party is yet to understand the culture and history of the state. He adds, "I think the BJP's support base is limited in our state. Their kind of appeal is based on Hindutva, Hindi, Hindu and Hindustan- their kind of message does not fly very well here in Kerala." Noting that people of different faiths cohabit peacefully, he said, as reported by PTI, "We have had more than 2,000 years of living together. Our relationship with each other is one of welcome and acceptance," Tharoor said. Kerala welcomed Jews when they came here after the destruction of the First Temple by the Babylonians, which is about 500 years before Christ was born. Today, Jews tell me this is the only Jewish Diaspora that never knew a single instance of anti-Semitic persecution in the world." On the Christian and the Muslim community in the state, he added, Similarly, Christianity came with St Thomas, St Thomas of the apostles, it was again welcomed and spread. Then we had Islam coming, not by the sword." You see, the problem in the north is that they think their history is the only history. We have traders from the Arab world coming to Kerala centuries before the Prophet, and they brought the message of the Prophet as news from their peninsula" Why Kerala will never vote for BJP As far as Kerala is concerned, communalism cannot go beyond a very small limit" he said adding, we have already seen the BJP in Kerala reach that limit." "In the two successive elections, their vote was between 12 and 13 per cent. I'll give Mr. Modi the credit that they went up from a 6 per cent party to a 12 -13 per cent party under him, but I think that's it; the ceiling has been reached," Tharoor said. He said the BJP tried to reach out to the Christian community in Kerala, "but after the horrors in Manipur, there is very little receptibility to their approach." "So I can assure you that, as far as the people of Kerala are concerned, the BJP is not likely to win any seats in the Lok Sabha elections in Kerala. And as I said, the two digits, Mr Modi, are going to be seen as zero and zero," Tharoor added. While the BJP did not manage to win any seat in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls in Kerala, the Congress swept the state, winning 15 out of 20 seats. The Indian Muslim League won two, CPI the Revolutionary Socialist Party one and the Kerala Congress(M) won one seat. (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! Himachal Pradesh Assembly speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania on February 29 disqualified the six rebel Congress MLAs who cross-voted during the Rajya Sabha elections. With this, the six MLAs cease to be members of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly. Congress survives scare? After the disqualification, the Congress government has, for now, survived in Himachal Pradesh after a two-day scare over its future due to cross-voting by six of its MLAs in favour of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate in the Rajya Sabha election on February 27. The strength of the house after the disqualification, pending judicial scrutiny, comes down to 62. The Congress now has 34 MLAs in the house, with 32 being the majority mark. Three independent MLAs who supported the Congress also cross-voted for the BJP in the Rajya Sabha election. BJP's plans The BJP had demanded a trust vote soon after the Congress lost the Rajya Sabha polls due to defections. Former Chief Minister, Jairam Thakur, and other leaders claimed that the Congress party had lost the majority in the house. However, the Congress government passed the budget on Wednesday, February 28, while 25 BJP MLAs were not present in the house after 15 of them were suspended. Also, the disqualification of six rebel MLAs has changed the dynamics. Follow Live Updates on Himachal Pradesh Political Crisis Here "Our experts will analyse the situation, and after looking at their judgments, we will take a decision. It is too early to say anything. Congress was totally exposed in the Rajya Sabha elections. Congress has lost its opportunity. Morally, they have no right to stay in power and the emotions of the people of Himachal Pradesh are clear from this," Rajeev Bindal, Himachal Pradesh BJP president, told news agency ANI. The Court Route This disqualification order is subject to judicial scrutiny and will attain finality after judicial scrutiny, Pathania said. Also, it remains to be seen if these six MLAs approach the court against the disqualification. The six legislators had cross-voted, along with three independents, during Rajya Sabha polls. However, they have not been disqualified for cross-voting, but for violating the whip and skipping the budget session of the Himachal Pradesh assembly. Pathania said he wanted to prevent 'the aya Ram gaya Ram' politics. This phrase is used to refer to politicians switching party allegiances frequently. The Congress government's survival will also depend on whether the party can ensure that there are no more defections among the 34 MLAs. CM Sukhu's Fate As Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu's fate hangs in the balance, all eyes are on the team of Congress observers deployed in Himachal Pradesh. The observers, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister, DK Shivakumar, former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister, Bhupesh Baghel and former Haryana Chief Minister, Bhupinder Singh Hooda, had a consultation with local Congress leaders and legislators at Chief Minister Sukhu's residence in Shimla today, February 29. The team is all set to submit a report on the situation unfolding in Himachal Pradesh to Congress Party President Mallikarjun Kharge later in the day. Sources said the Congress may allow Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu to continue as Chief Minister until the Lok Sabha 2024 elections. The party fears that changing him might lead to another phase of rebellion by the Sukhu camp legislators. In a show of strength, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had a breakfast meeting with his MLAs earlier on February 29. Sources said 31 MLAs attended the invitation. All eyes on Pratibha Singh The crisis that the Congress government faced in Himachal Pradesh brought to the fore the rift between the two factions in Himachal Pradesh Congress - one led by the Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and the other led by Pratibha Singh, the president of Himachal Pradesh Congress and widow of six-time chief minister Virbhadra Singh. On the disqualification of MLAs, Singh said it will have an impact on the upcoming Lok Sabha 2024 elections. "When it has been more than a year, and you take no cognisance or listen to them, it is natural for them to be upset. Had you sat them down, talked to them, and found a solution, this situation would not have occurred," she told news agency 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! Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said that if the investigation found the charge to be true, serious action would be taken against those who allegedly raised the 'Pakistan zindabad' slogan inside the 'Vidhana Soudha', which houses the state legislature and secretariat. The opposition BJP has demanded the resignation of the Siddaramaiah government after the pro-Pakistan slogans were allegedly raised by the supporters of a winning Congress candidate in the Rajya Sabha elections, creating a political furore in the state. The BJP has alleged that when Congress workers were celebrating Syed Naseer Hussain's victory in the Rajya Sabha elections on Tuesday, some people shouted 'Pakistan zindabad' slogans. The saffron party has lodged a police complaint regarding the same, and staged protests in several parts of Karnataka, including Belagavi on Wednesday. The Chief Minister has maintained that if the FSL (Forensic Science Laboratory) report proves that the slogan raised in favour of Pakistan is true, serious action will be taken. Talking to reporter, Siddaramaiah said, "If the FSL (Forensic Science Laboratory) report proves that the slogan raised in favour of Pakistan is true, serious action will be taken in this regard. There is no question of protecting those who raised slogans in favour of Pakistan. We have sent the voice report to the FSL. When the report comes, if it's true that somebody has made a slogan that 'Pakistan zindabad' such a person will be punished seriously." "If somebody has raised such a slogan, there is no question of sparing them. If it is true we will take strict action, serious action." Karnataka Legislative Assembly and Council proceedings rocked Opposition BJP staged a protest from the well of the House in the Assembly, demanding the Congress government's resignation for its "inaction" in nabbing the culprits who shouted the "Pakistan zindabad" slogans, and accused it of trying to shield those behind it, which was met with strong rebuttal from the ruling side. Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara replied to the issue in the Assembly and said an investigation is underway and FSL report is awaited to know about the veracity of the video in connection with the alleged incident. "If it is proved in the FSL report that 'Pakistan zindabad' slogans were raised, we will not spare that person even for a second. Merciless action will be taken and there is no need for the government to protect anyone, whoever he may be." The BJP, however, was not satisfied with the Home Minister's statement. Leader of Opposition R Ashoka said, despite having all the "evidence and videos", the government is still not ready to accept that the slogans were raised and have not arrested anyone. "This (Vidhana Soudha) is the heart of seven crore people of Karnataka, the sanctity of this place has been polluted with pro-Pakistan slogans. If we are not able to take action against those who shouted such a slogan it is as good as dead...this government has no right to continue in power even for a moment. I demand this government's resignation. It is the matter of the country, the Constitution and law and order." (With PTI 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! The parties in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance have agreed on a seat-sharing formula in Maharashtra for the coming Lok Sabha elections on Wednesday. The details of the agreement will be announced soon, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut told reporters after a meeting of the Congress, NCP-Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena (UBT) in Mumbai. The MVA parties are part of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc, an amalgamation of leading opposition parties came up last year to fight together in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections against the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Maharashtra has 48 Lok Sabha seats, second highest after Uttar Pradesh which sends 80 members to the lower house of the Parliament. Congress leaders Patole, Prithviraj Chavan, Varsha Gaikwad, NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) leaders Jayant Patil, Jitendra awhad and Anil Deshmukh, and Sena (UBT)'s Sanjay Raut and Vinayak Raut participated in the meeting, according to news agency PTI. "Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray, state Congress president Nana Patole and Prakash Ambedkar will meet to give final approval to the deal and it will be announced at a press conference," the Rajya Sabha member said. In the 2019 general elections, the BJP had won 23 Lok Sabha seats in the state, its alliance partner Shiv Sena (which was then undivided) had won 18 seats, undivided NCP had won four while Congress and AIMIM had won a seat each. An independent candidate had won one seat. Some parties in the bloc have already sealed seat-sharing deals in many states, including Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, to name a few. In Delhi, the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress on Saturday announced a formal seat-sharing arrangement in Delhi. The AAP will contest four of the seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi while the remaining three will be contested by the Congress party, as part of the agreement between the two INDIA bloc partners. (With PTI inputs) 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! Sharad Pawar, the chief of Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) invited Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and both Deputy Chief Ministers Ajit Pawar and Devendra Fadnavis for lunch at his Baramati residence on March 2. The three leaders belong to Sharad Pawar's rival factions. In a letter, Sharad Pawar wrote, "After taking oath as the chief minister of the state, the CM is coming to Baramati for the first time and I am very glad about his visit to attend the Namo Maharojgar Event in Baramati. Therefore, I would like to extend the invitation for the meal at my residence after the event along with his other Cabinet colleagues." Shinde along with his deputies Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar are scheduled to attend a job fair, 'Namo Maharojgar Melava', in the premises of Vidya Pratishthan college in Baramati town of Pune district. Sharad Pawar's surprise invitation to Shinde and the two deputy chief ministers came in the backdrop of a split in the NCP, a party founded by him in 1999. He has strained ties with his nephew and Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar who parted ways with his uncle and joined the Shiv Sena-BJP government in July last year. Ajit Pawar's faction of the NCP was declared the real NCP faction" by the Election Commission and the Maharashtra Speaker earlier this month. Besides, speculations are rife that Ajit Pawar is thinking of fielding a candidate for the Baramati Lok Sabha constituency, news agency PTI reported. This seat is currently represented by his cousin and Sharad Pawar's daughter Supriya Sule. In the invitation (which is part of a letter dated February 28) extended to Shinde, Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, Sharad Pawar stated that as parliamentarians, he and Sule would like to attend the official event in Baramati. The Rajya Sabha MP, in the letter addressed to Shinde, said as president of Vidya Pratishthan, he would be glad to welcome CM Shinde on the premises of the educational institute. He urged Shinde along with Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar to accept his invitation for a meal at his residence in Baramati, 'Govindbaug, after the event at Vidya Pratishthan. (With inputs from PTI) 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 new parliament building is five-star jail" and its productivity is much less than the previous setup, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut takes a jibe at the BJP government while talking about Central Vista in New Delhi. One should see the condition of Central Vista in New Delhi" in a mocking tone Raut told media persons and further added that The new parliament is like a five-star jail where you can't work." In May 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated India's new 971 crore parliament building in Delhi, accommodating 888 members in the Lok Sabha and 300 in the Rajya Sabha. However, during a special session in September, teething issues surfaced. Some opposition MPs complained of visibility challenges, stating that binoculars were needed to see each other within the complex. Parliamentary sessions might be taken back to the old building if INDIA comes to power The Rajya Sabha leader also hinted that if the opposition INDIA bloc is voted to power at the Centre, then parliamentary sessions might be taken back to the old building. When we form our government, we will start our parliament session in our historical parliament," he said. Earlier this week, Raut said that members of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance agreed on a seat-sharing formula in Maharashtra for the coming Lok Sabha elections on Wednesday and it would be announced soon. "Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray, state Congress president Nana Patole and Prakash Ambedkar will meet to give final approval to the deal and it will be announced at a press conference," the Rajya Sabha member said. The meeting that took place between Congress, NCP-Sharadchandra Pawar and Shiv Sena (UBT) was attended by Patole, Prithviraj Chavan, Varsha Gaikwad, NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) leaders Jayant Patil, Jitendra awhad and Anil Deshmukh, and Sena (UBT)'s Sanjay Raut and Vinayak Raut Maharashtra has 48 Lok Sabha seats, second highest after Uttar Pradesh (80). (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! TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan, who was arrested by West Bengal police on Thursday morning, will remain safe in police custody, state Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari claimed and further alleged that he has cut a deal with Mamata Banerjee. The TMC leader from Sandeshkhali has been apprehended in connection with allegations of 'sexual assault and land grab'. Reacting to the arrest, Adhikari took to social media noting that that Shahjahan will be provided five-star facilities while in jail. Suvendu Adhikari said in his post, The Scoundrel of Sandeshkhali, Seikh Shahjahan, is in the safe custody of Mamata Police since 12 am last night. He was taken away from the Bermajurr-II Gram Panchayat area, after he managed to negotiate a deal with the Mamata Police, through influential mediators, that he would be taken care of properly while in police and judicial custody." "He will be extended 5-star facilities during his time behind bars and will have access to a mobile phone, through which he will be able to lead the Tolamool Party virtually," he added. "Even a bed in the Woodburn Ward will be kept ready and vacant for him if he chooses to spend some time there," Adhikari said. Shahjahan's arrest comes three days after the Calcutta High Court Chief Justice ordered to add Sheikh Shahjahan to the Sandeshkhali case. On February 26, Calcutta HC Justice asked to issue a notice in the case and said, "There is no reason to not arrest him." He had been evading arrest by both state and central agencies for over a month. Sandeshkhali in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district has been witnessing widespread protests against TMC strongman Shahjahan Sheikh this month as a section of women were seeking justice against alleged atrocities committed by the TMC leader. A large number of women in Sandeshkhali had accused Shajahan Sheikh and his close aides of "land-grab and sexual assault" under coercion. (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! Never mind the layoffs: Some of the biggest U.S. tech companies have swelled their ranks much more than they have trimmed them. Microsoft, Alphabet and Netflix each employed 50% more people than before the pandemic, year-end disclosures show. Not far behind is Meta Platforms, and Amazon.com has nearly doubled its workforce since 2019, a Wall Street Journal analysis shows. Since late 2022, these companies have said they would cut more than 70,000 jobs combined. Continued hiring, acquisitions and past recruiting binges have more than offset the recent wave of reductions. Consider Microsoft. In January, the software giant said it would cut 1,900 jobs in its videogame unit, after promising to shed some 11,370 in three layoff announcements last year. Job cuts announced in January targeted employees of Activision Blizzard, which employed about 13,000 people before it was acquired by Microsoft in October. Activision employees werent reflected in Microsofts most recently disclosed employment figures. Most of Microsofts head-count growth appears to have come outside the U.S., where 101,000 people worked for the company at its fiscal year-end, up more than 70% from 2019. A Microsoft spokeswoman declined to comment beyond the companys securities filings. A similar hiring boom occurred at Alphabet. Googles parent company employed 182,502 people at the end of last year, up more than 63,000 from 2019. That increase includes Alphabets employment levels falling about 8,000 last year. Since early 2023, Alphabet has said it would cut more than 12,000 jobs at Google and other business lines. An Alphabet spokeswoman said the company is seeking to simplify its structure to become more efficient and focus resources on its biggest product categories. Apples workforce fell slightly during its fiscal year ended in September to about 161,000 people. That figure was up about 24,000 from four years earlier. Apple has largely avoided the high-profile layoffs that other big tech companies have announced. This week it scrapped plans to build an electric car, a move that would shift some jobs but could result in layoffs. Meta, Facebooks parent company, slashed its workforce last year by about 22%, or 19,000. Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg trumpeted plans for a year of efficiency" in March last year, when the company said it would cut 10,000 jobs, following the announcement of 11,000 job cuts in November 2022. The company still had about 50% more employees at the end of 2023 than at the end of 2019. A Meta spokesman declined to comment. The biggest job gains have occurred at Amazon, which has added 727,000 employees since 2019. It has roughly doubled its workforce over that span, despite announcing it would cut some 27,000 jobs in 2023. Much of Amazons workforce, and much of its hiring boom, consists of warehouse workers, while layoffs have been concentrated among white-collar workers across businesses as varied as cloud computing, the Twitch streaming service, MGM Studios and online shoe-seller Zappos. For several years leading up to this one, most of our businesses added a significant amount of headcount," CEO Andy Jassy wrote in a March 2023 message to employees. However, given the uncertain economy in which we reside, and the uncertainty that exists in the near future, we have chosen to be more streamlined in our costs and headcount." An Amazon spokesman said the company has continued to hire in targeted areas based on business priorities. All six companies also had their businesses expand sharply by other measures since 2019, increasing revenue in every case faster than they added workers. Amazon more than doubled sales since 2019, while Meta and Alphabet came close. Apple trailed the pack, with 47% sales growth over the four-year period. Revenue per employeea measure of productivitywas higher in 2023 for all the companies than it was before the pandemic. Write to Theo Francis at theo.francis@wsj.com and Alana Pipe at alana.pipe@wsj.com An illustration of the people of Troy bringing the Trojan horse, which was secretly filled with their Greek enemies, into their fortified city, as described in Homer's "The Iliad." Troy is an ancient city and archaeological site in modern-day Turkey, but is also famously the setting for the legendary Trojan War in Homer's epic poems the "Iliad" and the "Odyssey." In legend, the city of Troy was besieged for 10 years and eventually conquered by a Greek army led by King Agamemnon. This "Trojan War erupted because Helen, a queen from Sparta , was abducted by Paris, the son of Troy's King Priam, according to Homer's epic poem "Iliad." Throughout the "Iliad," the gods including Hera, Athena and Poseidon supporting the Greeks, and Aphrodite, Apollo and Ares rooting for the Trojans constantly intervene. Troy also refers to a real ancient city, also known as Hisarlk, located on the northwest coast of Turkey about 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) from the Dardanelles. It has been identified by many as the legendary Troy featured in Homer's poems. Whether the Trojan War actually took place, and whether the site in northwest Turkey is the same Troy, are matters of debate. The idea that Hisarlk is the real-life location of the city portrayed by Homer goes back at least 2,700 years, when the ancient Greeks were colonizing the west coast of what is now Turkey. In the 19th century, the idea again came to popular attention when Heinrich Schliemann, a German businessman and early archaeologist, conducted a series of excavations at Hisarlk and discovered treasures he claimed belonged to King Priam. Ruins of the Roman amphitheater in Troy, Turkey. (Image credit: Shutterstock) The legend of Troy and the Trojan horse The Trojan War is thought to have taken place near the end of the Bronze Age, around or before 1200 B.C. At that time, a Greek civilization we call the Mycenaean was collapsing . The Mycenaens built great palaces and developed a system of writing, and their culture dominated the Greek world for about 300 years before their decline. In the "Iliad," the Greek forces are led by Agamemnon, the king of Mycenae. The earliest accounts of this war come from Homer, a Greek author who lived around the eighth century B.C. several centuries after the war supposedly took place. Homer's works were told through oral stories and do not appear to have been written down until even later, likely during the sixth century B.C. Homer's "Iliad" is set in the 10th year of the Greeks' siege of Troy and tells of a series of events that appear to take place over a few weeks. The story makes clear that the siege had taken its toll on the Greek force sent to recover Helen. The "timbers of our ships have rotted away and the cables are broken and far away are our wives and our young children," the poem says (translation by Richmond Lattimore). By this point, the war had essentially become a stalemate, with the Greeks unable to take the city and the Trojans unable to drive the invading force into the sea. We "sons of the Achaians [Greeks] outnumber the Trojans those who live in the city; but there are companions from other cities in their numbers, wielders of the spear to help them," the "Iliad" says (translation by Eric Robinson). A terracotta jar from 540 B.C. that shows the ancient Greek king Menelaos reclaiming his wife, Helen, after the Trojan War. (Image credit: Fletcher Fund, 1956; The Met; (CC0 1.0 DEED) A number of key events happen in the poem, including a duel between the Trojan Prince Paris and Menelaos (or Menelaus), the king of Sparta and husband of Helen. The winner is supposed to receive Helen as a prize, ending the war. However, the gods intervene to break up the duel before it is finished, and the war continues. Another important duel occurs near the end of the poem between Achilleus (or Achilles) and a great Trojan warrior named Hektor (or Hector). The Trojan knows that he's no match for the Greek warrior and initially runs three laps around Troy, with Achilleus chasing him. Finally, the gods force him to face the Greek warrior, and Hektor is killed. The Trojan horse, the subterfuge that the Greeks used to enter the city of Troy is shown in this 19th-century engraving. (Image credit: Leemage/Corbis via Getty Images) Who won the Trojan War? Contrary to popular belief, the "Iliad" does not end with the destruction of Troy but with a temporary truce, after which the fighting presumably continues. Another Homeric epic poem called the "Odyssey" is set after the destruction of the city and features the Greek hero Odysseus trying to get home. That poem briefly references how the Greeks took Troy using the famous "Trojan Horse." The Greeks left a gift to the Trojans "of a giant wooden horse as an offering to the goddess Athena" that concealed Greek warriors within, while the "Greek army, encamped outside the city walls, made as if to sail home," Armand D'angour, professor of Classics at Oxford University, wrote in a BBC article in 2014. The Trojans took the offering into the city, and the Greeks emerged from the horse and attacked the unsuspecting Trojans. "What a thing was this, too, which that mighty man wrought and endured in the carven horse, wherein all we chiefs of the Argives were sitting, bearing to the Trojans death and fate!" reads part of the poem (Translation by A.T. Murray through Perseus Digital Library). Like the "Iliad," the "Odyssey" was also probably not written down until sometime after the death of Homer. One of the earliest surviving copies of the "Odyssey" is a fragment of the text that appears on a fifth century B.C. pottery shard found at Olbia in modern-day Ukraine. After leaving his native Ithaka to fight in the Trojan War, Odysseus (depicted at right) goes on an adventurous, years-long journey home, according to Homer's "The Odyssey." Back in Ithaka, he finally reunites with his wife Penelope (center), who is being harassed by suitors. (Image credit: Fletcher Fund, 1930; The Met; (CC0 1.0 DEED) The city's origin The site of Hisarlk, in northwest Turkey, has been identified as the site of the legendary Troy since ancient times. Archaeological research shows that it was inhabited for almost 4,000 years, starting around 3500 B.C. The city was constantly changing, and the settlement was destroyed and rebuilt repeatedly: After one city was destroyed, a new city would be built on top of it, creating a human-made mound called a "tell." "There is no one single Troy; there are at least 10, lying in layers on top of each other," Gert Jan van Wijngaarden, a researcher at the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands, wrote in a chapter of the book "Troy: City, Homer and Turkey" (W Books, 2013). Van Wijngaarden noted that archaeologists have had to dig deep to find remains of the first settlement, and from what they can tell it was a "small city surrounded by a defensive wall of unworked stone." Outside the largest gate was a stone with an image of a face perhaps a deity welcoming visitors to the city. Troy took off in the period after 2550 B.C. The city "was considerably enlarged and furnished with a massive defensive wall made of cut blocks of stone and rectangular clay bricks," van Wijngaarden wrote. He noted that the settlement's citadel featured houses of the "megaron" type, which contained "an elongated room with a hearth and open forecourt." When Heinrich Schliemann excavated this level of Troy in 1873, he discovered a cache of treasure, which he believed belonged to King Priam. "The collection of weapons, gold, silver, electrum, copper and bronze vessels, gold jewellery, including thousands of gold rings, and a range of other objects made of precious materials apparently came to light close to the outer side of the city wall near the building which Schliemann designated as the royal palace," Trevor Bryce, a researcher at the University of Queensland in Australia, wrote in his book " The Trojans and their Neighbours " (Routledge, 2006). Some researchers have speculated that these treasures were not found all in one hoard but were rather precious objects from across the site, which Schliemann gathered over a number of weeks. While Schliemann believed he had found Priam's treasures, it became clear in the following decades that these artifacts date back more than 4,000 years a millennium too early for Priam. Homer's Troy? Two other phases, or layers, of Troy that date between roughly 1700 B.C. and 1190 B.C. may be the city that featured in Homer's works. Bryce noted that during this period the city's defenses were formidable. "The walls, surmounted by mud-brick breastworks, once reached a height of nine meters [30 feet]. Several watchtowers were built into these walls, the most imposing of which is the northeastern bastion, which served to reinforce the citadel's defences as well as offer a commanding view over the Trojan plain," he wrote. The exact size of the city is disputed. Archaeological work on the site shows that there was a "lower city" beyond the citadel, bringing its total size to about 30 hectares (74 acres), archaeologist Manfred Korfmann, who led excavations at the site, wrote in a study published in the book "Troy: From Homer's Iliad to Hollywood Epic" (Blackwell Publishing, 2007). "This Troy had a large residential area below a strongly fortified citadel. As far as we know today, the citadel was unparalleled in its region and in all of southeastern Europe," he wrote. The extent of the residential area is a topic of debate among scholars, with some arguing that Korfmann overestimated its extent. But was this really the same city as the one depicted by Homer? While scholars have noted that the topography of Troy as told in the legend does seem to generally match that of the real-life city, a key problem with identifying it as Homer's Troy is the way the city was destroyed. Cracks in its walls suggest that it was hit by an earthquake around 1300 B.C., possibly followed by an uprising or attack. "There are also some indications of fire, and slingstones in the destruction layer (suggesting) the possibility that there might have been some fighting," van Wijngaarden wrote. "Nevertheless an earthquake appears to have caused the most damage." An interesting fact is that the city was rebuilt after its destruction by the same population groups as before, rather than by a foreign Greek force, van Wijngaarden noted. While there is also archaeological evidence that the city was attacked in 1190 B.C., there are once again problems with the idea that it was carried out by a Greek force. By this time, Greece's Mycenaean civilization had collapsed. Additionally, archaeologists have found ceramics and bronze axes at Troy that originate from southeast Europe, suggesting that people from this area may have conquered, or otherwise moved into the city around this time. Around 1190 B.C. the Hittite Empire was in decline and may not have been able to assist Troy. Later Troy: A venerated site Here, the ruins of the ancient legendary city of Troy in Canakkale, Turkey. (Image credit: skaman306/Getty Images) Troy was abandoned around 1000 B.C. but was reoccupied in the eighth century B.C., around the time Homer lived. The Greeks called the reoccupied city "Ilion." Many scholars believe that the people who resettled Troy were Greek colonists, although there is some evidence that people who already lived in the area also settled in the reoccupied settlement. In 2014, a team of scholars published research in the Oxford Journal of Archaeology that examined amphorae at Troy dating to after 1000 B.C., and found that they were locally made rather than imported from Greece, leading the researchers to conclude that the new settlers were not exclusively from Greece. For its first few centuries, Ilion was a modest settlement, although it later grew thanks to its association with Homer's works. The "new settlers had no doubt that the place they were preparing to occupy was the fabled setting of the Trojan War," Bryce wrote, and in later times its inhabitants took advantage of this to draw in political support and ancient tourists. Xerxes, the Persian king (lived 519-466 B.C.), stopped to pay homage to Troy on his way to attack Greece around 480 B.C., and, most notably, Alexander the Great (356 to 323 B.C.) did the same on his way to conquer the Persian Empire, and he granted it special status within his empire. "It is said that the city of the present Ilians was for a time a mere village, having its temple of Athena, a small and cheap temple," wrote Strabo, an ancient Greek geographer and historian who lived from 64 B.C. to A.D. 23 . When "Alexander went up there after his victory at the Granicus River he adorned the temple with votive offerings, gave the village the title of city, and ordered those in charge to improve it with buildings, and that he adjudged it free and exempt from tribute; and that later, after the overthrow of the Persians, he sent down a kindly letter to the place, promising to make a great city of it." (Translation by H.L. Jones, through Perseus Digital Library) Troy's special status continued into the period of Roman rule, when the Romans conquered the region in 129 B.C. The Romans believed that Aeneas, one of Troy's heroes, was an ancestor of Romulus and Remus, ancient Rome's legendary founders. Troy's inhabitants took advantage of this mythology, and it became a "popular destination for pilgrims and tourists," Bryce wrote. He noted that in this phase the city became larger than at any time before, including when the Trojan War was said to have taken place. However, during the Middle Ages, Troy fell into decline, and by the 13th century, the city had been reduced to a modest farming community. Troy today In the 1860s Frank Calvert carried out excavations at the site and was convinced that the site was likely Troy and his work helped persuade Heinrich Schliemann to carry larger excavations at the site starting in 1870. Schliemann dug deep into the city, most famously unearthing treasures that he incorrectly attributed to King Priam. His work greatly increased the fame of the site. Archaeological work continued off and on over the next 150 years. As archaeological techniques were refined and new scientific tests such as radiocarbon dating were discovered the different levels of Troy could be more accurately dated. This dating was important as it showed what levels could be associated with the Trojan war and what levels were too early. They also proved that the artifacts that Schliemann attributed to King Priam were created almost a millennium before Priam lived. Today, Troy is a UNESCO World Heritage site and a popular attraction for tourists. Excavations continue at Troy but are now led by archaeologists from Turkey, the most recent digs being led by Rustem Aslan, a professor at Canakkale Onsekiz Mart Universitesi. The fact that work is now led by Turkish archaeologists is important as historically work was led by archaeologists from Europe or the United States. Aslan's team found that Troy may have been founded around 3500 B.C., which makes it about 600 years older than originally believed, says a report in Hurriyet Daily News . A new museum was opened at Troy in 2018; its displays include a collection of gold jewelry that was repatriated to Turkey from the Penn Museum. The jewelry was returned after research revealed that it was taken from Troy sometime in the early-mid 20th century, C. Brian Rose, a professor of archaeology at the University of Pennsylvania, wrote in an article published in 2017 in the Journal of Eastern Mediterranean Archaeology and Heritage Studies. Was there a Trojan War? German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann sketches the remains of ancient Troy. (Image credit: Bettmann / Getty Images) The big question researchers still face is, was there ever a Trojan War? Unfortunately, there are few written clues for scholars to go on. The only written record found at Troy that dates to before the Greek colonization in the eighth century B.C., is a seal written in a language called Luwian, which was perhaps brought to Troy from elsewhere in Turkey. Archaeologists unearthed historical records at Hattusa, the capital city of the Hittite Empire, in modern-day Turkey in the late 19th and early centuries. The Hittite Empire thrived in the region from roughly 1750 B.C. to 1200 B.C, and Hittite records claim that Troy (which the Hittites called "Wilusa") was likely a vassal state of the empire around the time of the Trojan War, British Museum curators Lesley Fitton and Alexandra Villing wrote in a blog post. This means that Troy may not have been an independent kingdom, something that contradicts the story told by Homer. The records do, however, mention fighting between the Hittites and people from Greece over Wilusa, the curators noted, suggesting that it's possible that this fighting could have served as a basis for the Trojan War stories. As mentioned earlier, the archaeological evidence at Harsalik is ambiguous regarding the Trojan War: While there is evidence that Troy was attacked around the time period the stories are set in, there is no strong evidence that the city was assailed by a Greek force. These issues leave researchers with a mystery about the truth of the Trojan War. "At one end of the spectrum of opinion is the conviction that there was indeed a war and that it was pretty much as the poet described it," Bryce wrote. "From that we pass through varying degrees of scepticism and agnosticism to the other end of the spectrum where the tradition is consigned wholly to the realm of fantasy." Korfmann, a modern-day excavator of Hisarlk, believes that the story of the Trojan War contains some truth. "According to the current state of our knowledge, the story told in the "Iliad" most likely contains a kernel of historical truth or, to put it differently, a historical substrate," he wrote. "Any future discussions about the historicity of the Trojan War only make sense if they ask what exactly we understand this kernel or substrate to be." Additional resources Troy is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and its entry can be read here . The site of the lost city of Tenea was discovered in Greece in 2018. Ancient historians say that the people of Tenea believed that they were descendants of Trojan prisoners taken to the city. Another recent find is a woman who died at Troy of a pregnancy related cause during the Middle Ages. Bibliography Bryce, Trevor "The Trojans & Their Neighbours" Routledge, 2006 Carolyn Aslan, Lisa Kealhofer and Peter Grave "The Early Iron Age at Troy Reconsidered" Oxford Journal of Archaeology 33, 3, August 2014 Gunay Uslu, Jorrit Kelder and Omer Faruk Saroglu eds., "Troy: City, Homer and Turkey" W Books, 2013 Rose, Brian C, "Beyond the UNESCO Convention: The Case of the Troy Gold in the Penn Museum" Journal of Eastern Mediterranean Archaeology and Heritage Studies 5, no 1, 2017 Winkler, Martin ed., "Troy: From Homer's Iliad to Hollywood Epic" Blackwell Publishing, 2007 Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. German Bionic will demonstrate some of the industry's latest fully connected, smart wearable tools at booth #B7450 at MODEX 2024, March 11-14 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. BERLIN, GERMANY / ACCESSWIRE / February 29, 2024 / ... While various voucher bills are advancing, the differences aren't likely to be resolved before the last moments of the session in April. In vitro fertilization patients in Alabama described the heartbreak and anger after a state court decision that called into question the future of IVF in the state. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra visited Alabama to lead a roundtable discussion with a group of IVF patients. Three IVF providers in the state paused services after the state Supreme Court ruled that frozen children were considered extrauterine children" under the state wrongful death law. Dr. Rachel Charles, an internal medicine physician and an IVF patient, said the decision has left women like her in limbo. UPDATE: Federal civil suit filed against Cherokee County Sheriff's Office after no charges filed against deputies in shooting Antonine Healy, Director of Further Education and Training at Longford Westmeath Education and Training Board (LWETB) was a featured speaker at this years Education and Training Boards Ireland (ETBI) Further Education and Training conference which welcomed 250 delegates from across Ireland to Athlone last week. The title for this years conference Pathways Pathways to FET, Pathways in FET, Pathways from FET.. Also contributing to the conference from LWETB was Deborah Murphy, a tutor for speakers of other languages, and James Reilly, tutor at LWETB and former FET learner, on a panel discussing the pathway from FET learner to FET practitioner. The event brought together over 250 representatives from across the sector and featured a line-up of over 30 speakers. Simon Harris, Minister of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, addressed the conference on Thursday (22.02.24), giving the official Ministerial conference address. Speaking ahead of the event, Minister Harris said: Over recent years we have worked incredibly hard to ensure no one is left behind when it comes to education. No matter who you are, what your background is or what your interests are you get an opportunity to reach your full potential. This conference is a timely opportunity. The impact ETBs have had on the learners but also on the wider communities they serve has been transformative. This two-day event is an invaluable opportunity to come together to learn from each other, to discuss the challenges and opportunities in the year ahead. Commenting on the future of education, General Secretary of ETBI, Paddy Lavelle said: The FET Strategy Future FET Transforming Learning, acknowledges the key role of FET in driving both economic development and social cohesion. This roadmap for the sector is built around three core pillars of building skills; fostering inclusion; and facilitating pathways. This conference deals with one of those three Pillars - pathways. Dr. Joseph Collins, Director of Further Education and Training (FET) at ETBI, said: We can see clearly that Minister Harris has made significant inroads in developing an integrated, coherent and well-articulated further and higher education system in which there are no dead ends for learners. We have pathways from school to FET, within FET, between further and higher education, pathways into work and lifelong pathways which can bring people back to learning at any stage of their career or life. The conference took place over two days, with a full line-up of keynote speakers and panel discussions. The Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU), Irelands independent energy, energy safety and water regulator, secured a prosecution against Brian Farrell for illegally carrying out restricted electrical works and falsely portraying himself as a registered electrical contractor (REC). Brian Farrell of Ballymahon, Co Longford was convicted at Longford District Court in respect of two offences; carrying out designated electrical works without being a registered electrical contractor contrary to Section 9E (3) of the Electricity Regulation Act 1999 as amended. And describing himself as a registered electrical contractor or in a manner likely to suggest he was a registered electrical contractor without being a member of a designated body contrary to Section 9D (25) of the Electricity Regulation Act 1999 as amended. The Court heard evidence from Sean Ward, Electrical Investigative Officer from the CRU, that on April 19, 2021 the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) received a notification via email from the Safety Supervisory Body, Safe Electric, regarding alleged illegal electrical works carried out on a domestic property at Tang, Ballymahon, Co Westmeath by Brian Farrell. Prior to work commencing, Mr Farrell indicated he could certify the electrical work to allow the ESB to connect the electricity to the homeowners new home once the works were complete. He also suggested that he was able to issue a certificate and in doing so, portrayed himself in a manner likely to suggest he was a registered electrical contractor. On February 5, 2020, the homeowner posted on a Facebook page looking for advice on a builder. On February 6, 2020, Mr Farrell contacted the homeowner after seeing the post, asking to keep him in mind for the electrical works. In January 2021, the homeowner met Brian Farrell outside a shop, in the local area, and he said he would be still interested in quoting. Mr Farrell eventually started on site to complete the electrical wiring in September 2021, while informing them he was in the process of becoming Safe Electric registered and assured the homeowners confidence in his ability. Mr Farrell previously applied with Safe Electric to become a registered electrical contractor but this application was rejected in May 2021. Subsequent inspections found a number of breaches of the national wiring rules whereby; main tails cabling, cabling to solar PV and percolation all undersized. No isolation provided for inaccessible sockets. Lighting circuits wired with only a foot of oversized cabling, overpopulated and not wired to ever function; some lighting and socket circuits wired from a bedroom socket below; No certificate of compliance was issued for the electrical works completed. These were potential hazards to occupants of the house. Mr Farrell attended the CRU on a voluntary basis and made full admissions of guilt under caution. He also admitted to providing a fake Electrical Completion Certificate to the homeowner. The Court viewed photographs of the electrical works carried out by Mr Farrell. Judge Bernadette Owens noted the mitigation put forward by Mr Farrells solicitor that he cooperated with the CRU investigation, had made a substantial repayment to the homeowner. Judge Owens commented that this was a very serious matter and, in the circumstances, imposed criminal convictions and fines of 1,000 in respect of both offences, totalling 2,000. The CRUs Chairperson, Jim Gannon, said, This successful prosecution by CRU sends a clear message that, Safety is paramount and the CRU will actively investigate and prosecute unregistered individuals that act outside the law. The CRU would remind the public that all restricted electrical works in the home must be completed by registered electrical contractors, to ensure the work is safe. A Limerick student is hoping to reunite with her family, who are living between life and death in Gaza. Tamar Nejem, a 25-year-old Limerick student, has appealed for help to reunite with her family members, whom she fears she could lose at any moment. Tamars family home was damaged by bombings and her family sought shelter at her uncles house. Then, her parents, little sister and four brothers lived in tents after being told they had to evacuate. They had to evacuate in 24 hours and leave. Suddenly, they have been targeted and the place around them has been erased so they left the house running for their lives without food, clothes or anything under bombing, live shooting and phosphorus gas, she told us. Her family saw dead bodies all the way to Rafah, a city in the southern Gaza Strip, where they sought shelter. They had to see dead people and bodies all the way. They had to evacuate to Rafah as they assume its a safe place and they had to live in hard conditions in a tent sharing a small space and eating canned foods. They got sick many times with no medical treatment, they have been targeted inside Rafah where they assumed its safe, Tamar explained. My brothers got targeted twice and they were about to die. My dad had a heart attack as he couldnt handle the hard circumstances. She explained that everything in Gaza is expensive as traders are using the situation to make more money. Multiply the real price with ten nowadays. Its really hard for them to get food every day. They had to drink dirty water and when it rains the tent sink with water and they spend the night washing the tent and shivering. Sometimes they shower every 2 weeks as they lack clean water. When they were living in a tent, women couldnt have access to bathrooms as they had to use a cover and use a bucket to relieve themselves. So, they only used to go twice a day and thats it, which led them to kidneys problems and they got sick. Its also harder when youre on your period, she says. Despite the hardships her family faces every day, Tamar is trying to remain hopeful. Although, she finds it hard to, as there is a price on human life for those who want to cross the Egyptian border. To go to Egypt you need to pay 7000 to 10 000, its like putting a price on your life as a human. Im doing all that I can but without help, its hard. Im hoping that people will understand how important it is, I can lose them any minute. I hope to be reunited with them once I get them out. For 20 weeks without fail, crowds have been attending pro-Palestine rallies in Limerick city. A demonstration take place every Saturday on Bedford Row at 1pm. Tamar has been touched by the support showed by the Limerick community, which makes her feel like people care and Palestinians are not dying in vain. It makes me feel like I can do something for my people, it makes me feel like the world cares for us and that we arent just a number or animals. It makes me feel like somebody cares and our death isnt going in vain, it makes me feel loved and welcomed. It makes me feel at home, she shared. According to health officials, more than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. Tamar points out the war should not be referred to as a conflict. The definition of a conflict is that two equal parties in power are fighting. But in Gaza, there is only one side in this war that is systematically cutting water, electricity and food, starving people till death and making fun of their grief. Its not a religious war, its about humanity. We are humans, like anyone in the world. We want to live and have a decent life. We have limits, we arent heroes, we just want to live, have the right to travel, love and have a good education. We are brilliant people and an extraordinary nation. Speaking of what she loves most about Gaza, she notes: The most precious thing that I love about home is the simplicity that lies in everything. Gaza might not be the fanciest city in the world, but it never fails to make us feel loved. You can help Tamar's family by donating to the fundraiser here. Local News By Chris Boyle Published: February 28 2024 JBS USA Misled Consumers and Claimed That the Company Would Achieve Net Zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 2040. New York Attorney General Letitia James today filed a lawsuit against JBS USA Food Company and JBS USA Food Company Holdings (JBS USA), the American subsidiary of the worlds largest producer of beef products, for misleading the public about its environmental impact. JBS USA has claimed that it will achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040, despite documented plans to increase production, and therefore increase its carbon footprint. Beef production emits the most greenhouse gasses of any major food commodity, and animal agriculture accounts for 14.5 percent of annual global greenhouse gas emissions. In 2021, the JBS Group, JBS USAs global parent company, reported total global greenhouse gas emissions of over 71 million tons, more than the total emissions of some countries. Attorney General James seeks to stop JBS USA from continuing these false and misleading marketing practices, pay disgorgement of all ill-gotten profits, and penalties. As families continue to face the daily impacts of the climate crisis, they are willing to spend more of their hard-earned money on products from brands that are better for the environment, said Attorney General James. When companies falsely advertise their commitment to sustainability, they are misleading consumers and endangering our planet. JBS USAs greenwashing exploits the pocketbooks of everyday Americans and the promise of a healthy planet for future generations. My office will always ensure that companies do not abuse the environment and the trust of hardworking consumers for profit. When greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane are emitted into the earths atmosphere, they trap the heat from the sun, resulting in global warming and climate change. Beef production contributes significantly to global climate change and is the top driver of deforestation in the worlds tropical forests, more than double that of soy, palm oil, and wood production combined. JBS USA has made several misleading claims about its environmental impact, including pledges to curb deforestation and reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. At a 2015 industry presentation, a JBS USA executive said it was important for beef producers to convey to consumers that they were lowering their environmental impact to maintain their share of the food market. Since then, JBS Group and JBS USA have continued to make claims about the sustainability of beef products. For example, in April 2021, the company ran a full-page advertisement in the New York Times that featured the net zero claim. As recently as September 2023, the JBS Group CEO told the audience at a Climate Week event in New York City that the company pledged to be Net Zero in 2040. As of February 2024, the companys website still boasts that claim. Consumers worldwide are increasingly concerned about their impact on the environment and put greater trust in companies and brands that pledge to be sustainable or climate conscious. Recent studies have shown that people are influenced by a companys environmental reputation and are willing to change their habits to switch to more environmentally friendly products: more than two-thirds of American adults are willing to pay more for sustainable products. JBS Group and JBS USA have used greenwashing and misleading statements to capitalize on consumers increasing desire to make environmentally friendly choices, claiming: Agriculture can be part of the climate solution. Bacon, chicken wings, and steak with net zero emissions. Its possible. We will cut our own emissions by 30% in 2030 and eliminate Amazon deforestation from our supply chain within five years. JBS will achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions, reducing its direct and indirect emissions and offsetting all residual emissions. JBS Group and JBS USA repeatedly misled consumers with these claims while the companys executives told their industry peers that they needed to use messaging targeted to climate-conscious consumers in order to remain competitive. In reality, when making these promises, JBS Group and JBS USA had not calculated the companys total greenhouse gas emissions, and therefore had no way of knowing whether they could successfully reduce those emissions to net zero by 2040. JBS USA continued to make these false claims despite receiving a warning from the Better Business Bureaus National Advertising Division (NAD), which determined that the companys evidence did not support the net zero claims it was making to consumers. The NAD recommended that JBS USA stop making these net zero claims in its advertising. This recommendation was affirmed by the National Advertising Review Board. Further, the JBS Groups greenhouse gas emissions calculations have not accounted for emissions resulting from deforestation in the Amazon. The companys net zero commitment is not feasible given the current scope of the JBS Groups business operations and its plans to significantly increase beef production. These actions constitute deceptive business practices and false advertising in violation of sections 349 and 350 of the General Business Law. JBS USAs insistence on continuing to tout Net Zero by 2040 despite knowing the claim was fraudulent also constitutes a violation of Executive Law 63(12). With this lawsuit, Attorney General James is asking the court to require JBS USA to cease its Net Zero by 2040 advertising campaign, conduct a third-party audit of its compliance with New Yorks consumer protection statutes, and pay disgorgement of all ill-gotten gains earned by misleading the public about their business practices as well as penalties of at least $5,000 per violation. The total number of violations will be determined at trial. As the fight against climate change presses on around the world, it is heartening to know that many corporate entities are working to reduce their carbon footprint and greenhouse gas emissions, said State Senator Pete Harckham, Chair of the Committee on Environmental Conservation. Deceiving consumers in this regard is doubly shameful because, falsehoods aside, major efforts along these lines are truly needed. I thank Attorney General James for recognizing there can be no grey areas in greenwashing claims and climate action. The growing dangers of climate change require all of us from individuals to governments and corporations to take immediate bold action, said Assemblymember Deborah Glick, Chair of the Committee on Environmental Conservation. Consumers want to know that the companies they do business with are doing their part to curb their greenhouse gas emissions. Companies that mislead the public into believing that they are being responsible environmental stewards when they are not must be held accountable for their deception and I thank Attorney General James for doing so. Greenwashing is a form of fraud that harms the market and the planet. Through their deceit, companies engaged in greenwashing deprive consumers of their right to make informed decisions and gain dollars that could have gone to genuinely environmentally friendly practices, said Assemblymember Dana Levenberg. Frequently, greenwashing is used to justify higher prices, which makes this practice even more harmful to the public. I applaud our Attorney General for taking action against JBS USA and sending a strong message that New York state will protect consumers from all forms of fraud, including novel ones such as greenwashing. I applaud the Attorney General for taking action against JBS Group for their false or misleading claims that their products would reach Net Zero by 2040 in greenhouse gas emissions, said Assemblymember Chris Burdick. The public needs to be able to rely upon truthful statements from good public citizens in the corporate world that they are working to advance our shared goals in fighting climate change. Any false or misleading claims undermine our collective efforts. JBS repeatedly claims that it will reach net zero by 2040. This claim was found to be misleading and yet JBS continues to assert it, said Peter Lehner, Managing Attorney, Sustainable Food & Farming Program at Earthjustice. While it is critical for every company to reduce its climate change impact, JBS would need to implement enormous operational changes to achieve this goal. However, JBS is doing very little and is not taking anywhere close to the steps that would be required. The law is clear that a company cannot claim credit for some goal without a realistic plan to achieve it. We applaud New York Attorney General Letitia James for blowing the whistle on this consumer fraud. Families deserve the truth while trying to stretch their food dollars to eat healthy and sustainable food. Consumers are ready to support companies taking strong climate action, but they want assurance that climate claims are real, not greenwashed, said Ben Lilliston, Director of Climate Strategies at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy. As the largest meat company in the world, with a significant climate footprint, JBS has a responsibility to be fully transparent about its emissions, reduction strategies, and outcomes. The New York Attorney Generals action today not only holds JBS accountable for its unsubstantiated net-zero claim, but also sends a strong signal to other companies that empty promises do not pass for climate action. JBS has driven more than 2.4 million acres of Amazon deforestation, has poured record methane pollution into the atmosphere, and has a total climate footprint estimated to exceed the entire country of Spain, said Glenn Hurowitz, CEO at Mighty Earth. Although the company has pledged to be Net Zero by 2040, it has excluded from its calculation sources of pollution that represent more than 90 percent of its footprint and has not offered a credible plan to improve its performance. JBS has repeatedly resisted implementing affordable, cost-effective solutions like channeling development onto degraded land, scaling sustainable protein production, or prohibiting egregious pollution in its supply chain. Attorney General James is showing that even a company this big cant get slick greenwashing past the state of New York. We applaud Attorney General James and her team for cracking down on deceptive greenwashing practices that mislead consumers and, specifically, for holding JBS accountable, said Monique Mikhail, Campaigns Director, Agriculture & Climate Finance at Friends of the Earth U.S. JBS is one of the top global companies contributing to climate change and has proven time and again it can't be trusted to self-police. Consumers want and need real action on climate. Corporations should and must be held responsible when they mislead the public about their harmful impacts. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions needs to be a priority for every segment of society, said Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director at Citizens Campaign for the Environment. Everyone needs to do their part to make the planet a more livable, breathable place. Corporations that market GHG reductions to the public need to deliver on their promise. When they do not deliver, they need to be held accountable. Claiming net-zero emissions while driving up harmful polluting emissions is an illegal marketing tactic. Greenwashing beef production is just bull-ony. Kudos to Attorney General Letitia James for holding corporations accountable when they fail on their promises and misled the public through deceptive marketing claims. Through our choices, consumers have enormous power to support sustainable practices, but only if product and sourcing information is accurate, said Noam Bramson, Executive Director at Sustainable Westchester. In this sense, greenwashing is a particularly harmful form of deceptive marketing that actively impedes effective climate action. I applaud the Attorney General for her leadership in ensuring accountability and promoting truthful practices that serve our state, nation, and world. We applaud the climate and consumer protection leadership being shown by New York Attorney General Letitia James, and need more elected officials who are willing to stand up to the worlds largest and most destructive corporations. JBS certainly meets that standard as one of the largest drivers of deforestation in the Amazon, including the territories of Indigenous communities, said Todd Paglia, Executive Director at Stand.earth. We need to stop the rise of greenwashing and increase accountability for corporations like JBS who mislead consumers with false climate and sustainability claims. This lawsuit should put others on notice as well, including the banks that continue to fund JBS and other extractive industries like oil and gas in the Amazon. If you deceive consumers about your environmental impact, you will be challenged. This matter is being handled by Assistant Attorneys General Rita McDonough and Ashley M. Gregor, Senior Counsel for Climate Change and Air Pollution Litigation Michael J. Myers, and Law Fellow Alexandria Lopez of the Environmental Protection Bureau, Environmental Scientists Amelia Grant-Alfieri and Linda Wilson, under the supervision of Bureau Chief Lemuel M. Srolovic. The Environmental Protection Bureau is a part of the Division for Social Justice, which is led by Chief Deputy Attorney General Meghan Faux and overseen by First Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Levy. Local News By Chris Boyle Published: February 29 2024 "This is yet another example of the CCPs long history of aggressively targeting and detaining individuals on trumped-up charges of spying, said LaLota. Yesterday, Rep. Nick LaLota (R-Suffolk County) spoke on the floor of the House calling on the Biden Administration and State Department to do everything in their power to bring Huntingtons Kai Li home from China, where he has been detained since 2016. Since being sworn into office fourteen months ago, I have called on this Administration to do everything in its power to bring Kai Li home to his family, including his son Harrison. This is yet another example of the CCPs long history of aggressively targeting and detaining individuals on trumped-up charges of spying, said LaLota. Soon, I will be introducing legislation to urge this Administration to prioritize bringing Kai home and end his wrongful detainment. We must right this wrong and reunite a broken family. Background: Next week, LaLota will introduce a resolution urging the Administration to prioritize bringing Kai home and end his wrongful detainment. Since 2016, Kai Li of Huntington, New York, has been unjustly imprisoned by the Chinese Communist Party. In 2016, Kai Li visited Shanghai to mark the first anniversary of his mothers death. When he arrived at the airport in Shanghai, CCP authorities immediately arrested him on state security charges. For months Kai was held in secret detention without access to legal counsel. Then, almost two years later in July 2018, in a one-hour secret trial, Kai was convicted of espionage. IDF troops operate in Gaza on February 27. (IDF) Two Israeli officers were killed in northern Gaza, the Israel Defense Forces said on February 28. This brings the total IDF losses since the war began to 582 soldiers, of whom 242 fell since the ground operation in Gaza began on October 27. The IDF continues to carry out operations in various parts of Gaza, however the intensity of the fighting was greatly reduced throughout February. This comes amid a new round of hostage deal talks with Hamas as well as escalation in northern Israel. While Israel had threatened an operation in Rafah, the last major stronghold of Hamas in Gaza, it appears the major focus is now on a new deal to free remaining hostages. Israels strategy in Gaza has shifted over time. After Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, the IDF began a campaign of building up forces and carrying out airstrikes. In late October, a ground operation began that eventually included five divisions and numerous brigades of fighters in Gaza. This led to a pause in fighting and a hostage deal on November 24. Israels Defense Minister said that military pressure brought about the release of around 100 hostages, and that more pressure would lead to more releases. However, despite launching a campaign to take Khan Younis from Hamas in December, pressure did not result in a new deal. Now the Khan Younis operation is almost three months old, and the war in Gaza is approaching five months of fighting. In February, the IDF began going back into neighborhoods in northern Gaza where Hamas members have reappeared. Shati, northeast of Gaza City near the beach, was re-cleared of terrorists in a two-week operation that ended around February 15. The then IDF went back into Zaytun, a neighborhood southwest of Gaza City. On February 28, the IDF said that in the central Gaza Strip, IDF troops are continuing to operate in Zaytun. Over the past day, IDF troops killed a number of terrorists and located weapons in the area. The forces identified a terrorist cell that was eliminated by an IDF helicopter. The operation in Zaytun is emblematic of the challenges in Gaza. Hamas was defeated in northern Gaza in November, with around ten of its battalions shattered in heavy fighting. However, Hamas members remain and others have infiltrated back. Now the operations are easier for the IDF because a lot of the terrorist infrastructure Hamas had prepared over a decade and a half ruling the area has been degraded. But fighting still continues. The IDF said on February 27 that over the last week, the soldiers of the 932nd Battalion Combat Team have been operating against Hamas in the Zeitoun area in the northern Gaza Strip. The IDF has increased its speed in identifying and eliminating terrorists responsible for rocket fire from Gaza, and rocket fire from the area has subsequently been reduced to near-zero in the last month. However on February 26, the IDF had to hunt down an operational center from which a number of launches were carried out. On February 28, the IDF also struck eight targets linked to rocket fire that targeted the city of Ashkelon on the evening of February 27. The overall trend in Gaza has now led to increased use of a corridor in the middle of Gaza that helps partition the strip into two pieces, to easily manage raids into neighborhoods either in northern or central Gaza. While the IDF continues to operate in Khan Younis, questions loom about an operation in Rafah and about how Israel will settle into a new routine along the border and in areas it controls inside Gaza. Reporting from Israel, Seth J. Frantzman is an adjunct fellow at FDD and a contributor to FDDs Long War Journal. He is the acting news editor and senior Middle East correspondent and analyst at The Jerusalem Post. Former MEP, who vacated seat just four months ago, is lead candidate for party along with Isabel Wiseler-Lima Luxembourg deputy Christophe Hansen will head the CSVs charge to regain the third European Parliament seat the party lost to its current coalition partner, the DP, in 2019, after he was selected to co-lead the partys list at the elections on 9 June. Hansen, who has been nominated as Luxembourgs pick for the next EU commissioner, is seeking a return to the European Parliament just four months after he vacated it to take up a seat in the national chamber. The CSV party of prime minister Luc Frieden, which returned to national government following Octobers elections after a decade in opposition, unveiled six candidates on Wednesday evening for the upcoming poll. Also read: EU Parliament seat swaps hands after Luxembourg election Days after the national election in October, Hansen announced that his CSV colleague Martine Kemp, who missed out on a seat in 2019 after finishing third on the partys list, would succeed him as one of Luxembourgs six members of the European Parliament. Hansen received the most votes of any CSV candidate in 2019, and the second highest number overall in Luxembourg. Also read: All change at top of EU politics in 2024 Isabel Wiseler-Lima, the partys other MEP, will be seeking to defend the seat she won five years ago, as the joint top candidate for the party along with Hansen. Two local councillors, Guy Breden and Melanie Grun, who stood unsuccessfully for election to the Chamber of Deputies in October, are also on the CSV ticket, along with Metty Steinmetz, who is aiming to get elected to the post of president of the CSJ, the CSVs youth wing, on Saturday. Hansens planned appointment as EU Commissioner could be derailed if the European socialist group, the S&D, tops the poll in June. Also read: Luxembourg MEP Semedo to run as candidate for fringe party Fokus Luxembourgs current commissioner, the LSAPs Nicolas Schmit, is the lead candidate for the S&D, the European socialist group, meaning he would be in line to take over from current European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen should his party emerge victorious. Schmit was himself set to become Luxembourgs commissioner in 2014, but saw his hopes dashed when the EPP party, headed by the CSVs Jean-Claude Juncker, topped the polls. Schmit was an MEP for the LSAP when he was finally appointed Luxembourgs commissioner in 2019. (This article was originally published by the Luxemburger Wort. Translation and editing by John Monaghan) LIVONIA, MICH. Angela Rudolph, a Livonia resident, has been hired as vice president for finance and business operations at Madonna University, effective February 20, 2024. She takes over for Matthew Beattie who served as interim vice president since September 5, 2023. Beattie has returned to his role as controller for the University. The primary responsibility of the vice president for finance and operations is to provide leadership and oversight for the development and implementation of University policies regarding administrative and financial matters to include accounting/budgeting, endowment management, debt management, auxiliary enterprises, human resources management, facilities management, and purchasing. I am pleased that Angela has joined the leadership team at Madonna, said Madonna University President Chris Dougherty, Ph.D. She brings expertise in business leadership, finance, and accounting from across a range of educational environments and systems. In her conversations on campus, she shared her interest in improving business processes and services in addition to continuing the sound fiscal management practices that have characterized Madonna Universitys work. As a member of the Livonia community, she also expressed her enthusiasm for the region as a great place to live, learn, and work. Dougherty expressed his gratitude to the Search Committee Chair Dr. Deborah Dunn and the entire Search Committee for their diligent and excellent work in bringing Rudolph to Madonna. Dunn, too, was pleased with the outcome of the search, I am so grateful to the members of the search committee for the time and thoughtfulness they gave to completing a successful search process to hire Angela Rudolph. She is mission-driven and I look forward to working with her to move Madonna forward, said Dunn, who also serves as provost, vice president for academic administration, and interim dean of nursing. A member of the leadership team, Rudolph will work closely with internal and external constituencies to enhance Madonnas finance and business processes. The following operational divisions will report to her: Business Office, Human Resources, Facilities Management, and Student Financial Services. Rudolph brings to Madonna more than 20 years of experience in finance and business operations, much of which was in education. Most recently, she served as director of finance for Charter Schools Management Company, where she managed the finances for three charter schools and the management company. During her career she has served as director of finance and operations in the Romulus, Clintondale, and Inkster Public Schools. Rudolph also has managed financial responsibilities and reporting in the Southfield, Dearborn Heights, and Oak Park school districts. She holds a bachelors degree in economics and management from Albion College and a masters in management from Walsh College. She has one daughter, Kourtney, and in her spare time Rudolph likes to watch murder mysteries and decorate. About Madonna: Liberal arts education, career preparation, and service learning have been the hallmarks of a Madonna University education for over 85 years. In addition to the beautiful main campus, conveniently located at I-96 and Levan Road in Livonia, Madonna offers academic programs in Gaylord, Macomb, and online in Haiti and the United Arab Emirates. Michigans most affordable, independent, Catholic, liberal arts university, Madonna offers some 95 undergraduate and 35 graduate programs in the Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Education and Human Development, and Nursing and Health, as well as the School of Business. Millions of Britons are already dreaming about their next holidays and what to pack, but when it comes to eating and drinking onboard flights, read the small print to avoid being penalised because some food and drinks are banned. TUI says: You can bring food for consumption during the flight. Do mind that this is only possible if you have purchased it after the customs checkpoint in the tax-free zone at the airport. In case of certain food allergies you can bring your own prepared meal on board upon presenting a medical certificate. However, fliers are prohibited from consuming any alcohol that wasnt purchased on the plane. According to BimrnghamLive, easyJet said: You can bring food into the cabin, although we do sell a range of delicious food and drink on board. Theres a 100ml limit for liquid food, like soup or custard. Different countries have different regulations about importing food and drink, so make sure you check the rules for your destination. This last bit could technically mean you should not bring, for example, a sandwich containing meat or dairy into the EU, as it could be confiscated. easyJet also said: Its strictly forbidden to drink any alcohol that has not been purchased on board the aircraft and those found consuming their own alcohol may face prosecution. Ryanair has a feel free policy allowing passengers to bring on food and soft drinks, but hot and/or alcoholic drinks are not allowed. They say In the interest of safety we cannot allow passengers to board the plane with hot drinks or consume their own alcohol during the flight. According to the BA website, passengers can bring solid foods, such as sandwiches and biscuits, on board. It adds: The same restrictions for liquids apply to liquid foods, e.g. drinks, soups, sauces, jam or jelly. Be aware that there are no facilities to warm or refrigerate anything that you bring onboard. And, Jet2 also bans hot drinks, as well as hot food. Guidance on its website reads: You may not bring hot food or hot drinks onboard the aircraft. However, we do offer a great selection of food and drinks to purchase during your flight. 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. Telecom Egypt released a barrage of announcements at Mobile World Congress this week covering two 5G partnerships, Africas first 1.2 Tbps fibre connection and a 50G PON trial. Telecom Egypt and Huawei said they have formed a strategic partnership to deploy 5G network. Under the partnership, Huawei will offer its latest network solutions including 5G wireless, 5G service-oriented core and 5G-ready transport network. Huawei said it has collaborated with Telecom Egypt to established 5G sites in hotspot areas across Egypt. Meanwhile, Telecom Egypt also announced with Ericsson that they have successfully trialled 5G across several key locations in Egypts New Administrative Capital using 2.6 GHz spectrum. For that trial, Ericsson deployed a 5G non-standalone (NSA) solution using 4G/5G radios from the Ericsson Radio System connected to Ericssons Evolved Packet Core (EPC) and Unified Data Management (UDM). On the fibre network front, Telecom Egypt also said it successfully collaborated with Huawei to complete the trial of what they claim is Africa's first 1.2-Tbps single channel DWDM connection. The 1.2-Tbps channel uses Huaweis concentrated wavelength division optical fibre technology, which Huawei says increases the bandwidth of existing fibre networks. The 1.2Tbps coherent solution which will be utilized in Telecom Egypt's live network soon will deliver the transmission reach, spectral efficiency, latency, and system energy consumption to support the telcos 5G network, Huawei said. The technology can also support applications such as metro, short-haul, and data center interconnect (DCI) on a single wavelength. Telecom Egypt and Huawei also announced that they have completed what theyre billing as the first 50G PON trial in Africa. The test results demonstrated that the upload and download rate of Huaweis 50G PON prototype meet the standard requirements. The test also verified the capability of managing 50G PON ONTs and supporting the G/10G 50PON combo function. The test also verified that 50G PON is compatible with Telecom Egypts existing fibre optic network, and works seamlessly with the optical distribution network (ODN) on optical devices, paving the way for future development. Huawei said the technology will enable Telecom Egypts broadband offerings to support UHD video, virtual and augmented reality and industrial digitization. In yet another scandalous attack on freedom of expression, a number of our Austrian comrades have been summoned by a state prosecutor for their support for the IMT and Palestine. We thoroughly reject the baseless accusations of the Austrian state, and express our complete solidarity with the comrades subject to this attack. Our comrades in Austria are being persecuted by the state because they are the most consistent and determined defenders of the Palestinian people, in contrast to every other organised left-wing group in the country. Around the globe, communists are fighting not only to oppose the slaughter in Gaza, but to defend the basic democratic right to protest against Israels crimes. We refuse to be intimidated! If you are also enraged by the bloodbath in Gaza, and the complicity of your ruling class, then join the communists! We are launching the Revolutionary Communist International (RCI) in June: click here and register to attend! The comrades of Der Funke in the State of Vorarlberg in Austria have been under constant harassment since the autumn, as a result of their activities in solidarity with Palestine. The press, the state, the bourgeois parties and the Social Democratic Party (SPO) have done their utmost to put pressure on the comrades. The comrades have faced a flurry of hostile articles, including the naming of individual comrades, visits by the police at their homes and workplaces, scandalous false accusations and threats of expulsion from the (SPO). Now, the state prosecutors office in Vorarlberg has taken things one step further and formally summoned the comrades to an interview, accusing them of supporting Hamas and terrorism. The bundle of so-called evidence, compiled by the State Office for the Protection of the Constitution and Counterterrorism (LVT), tasked with monitoring extremism and threats, is not evidence at all. It consists of screenshots of the Socialist Youth of Vorarlberg (SJV) sharing the IMT statement on Palestine on social media. This was covered extensively in the press back in the autumn, and the comrades reiterated that it is perfectly possible to oppose Israels brutal occupation without supporting Hamas. But to defend Israels massacre of the Palestinians it is necessary to lump all opposition together and declare them all terrorist sympathisers. The distortions got so bad that the state broadcaster, ORF even had to issue a correction and a retraction for misrepresenting the IMT statement on Palestine. The ORF, in an article entitled The Socialist Youth justifies the Hamas attack, claimed that the IMT defended the 7 October attack as part of a revolutionary struggle. The comrades of Der Funke in the State of Vorarlberg in Austria have been under constant harassment since the autumn / Image: Der Funke This was actually something that the journalist had copied more-or-less verbatim from a press statement of a regional conservative MP of the youth of the Conservative Party (OVP) in Vorarlberg a few hours earlier. The very same slanderous accusation also found its way into an LVT police officers report. It is, of course, a completely baseless lie. The IMT statement is perfectly clear on this question, under the heading: Do we support Hamas? Our enemies will say: then you support Hamas. To this accusation we will answer: we have never supported Hamas. We do not share its ideology, nor do we condone the methods it uses. We are communists and have our own ideas, programme and methods, based on the class struggle between rich and poor, oppressors and oppressed. It is this that determines our attitude in every case. The LVT has to admit that the statement distances itself from Hamas and the attacks. But as the IMT expresses sympathy for the plight of the Palestinians, and explains what might lead Palestinians to cheer on the attack; in the warped minds of the OVP and the security police, this means that the IMT supports the attack. The fact that Hamas is hardly mentioned in the IMT statement, and support is only expressed for the Palestinians, does not seem to bother the police one bit. But they decided, without any evidence whatsoever, that what the IMT really means when it speaks about supporting the rights of Palestinians is that it is supporting Hamas. Again, theres not a sliver of evidence, but this doesnt seem to cause them undue concern. In reality, of course, this is not at all about evidence. Its an attempt to intimidate these young comrades through legal harassment, and to criminalise Palestine solidarity. It is ironic that a state body that is supposed to protect the Constitution, and presumably the freedoms enshrined in that constitution, engages in blatant harassment of opponents of the governments policy. The fact that the lies stem from the OVP, the ruling party both in the state of Vorarlberg and nationally, makes it all the more damning. The cowardly, slanderous actions of social democratic leaders certainly helped to fuel the attacks on the comrades. They not only joined the most blatant slanders of leading conservative MPs in the national parliament against Der Funke and the SJV, but even contributed their own fantastical lies to the witch hunt. This is an attempt to intimidate these young comrades through legal harassment, and to criminalise Palestine solidarity / Image: fair use Regional SPO leader Mario Leiter accused the Vorarlberg comrades of expressing sympathies with people who slit childrens throats. The Viennese party general secretary Barbara Novak invented and promoted the claim that Der Funke stands for the glorification of violence and terrorism. The subservient social democratic leaders are sucking up to the establishment in the hopes that they will be allowed to enter government and manage capitalism on behalf of the ruling class. The revolutionary communists of Der Funke constitute one of the organisations in Austria that has campaigned most energetically in defence of Palestine, in stark contrast to most of the cowardly Austrian left. This is what singled them out for attacks by the press and the whole establishment, which have published daily articles full of lies and slanders of this type. Austria is of course not the only country where the 7 October attack has been used as an excuse for an assault on freedom of speech. All of the Western democracies have engaged in an orgy of censorship and victimisation of pro-Palestine activists. Along with many others, our comrades in Switzerland, the US, Canada, Germany and Britain have been subjected to similar actions. We take the slanders of the bourgeois and their hired lackeys as a compliment. It shows that we are doing something right. Today, the comrades of Der Funke are launching a nationwide campaign condemning the harassment of the comrades and the attacks on democratic rights. The IMT offers them our full support against this attack. Freedom for Palestine! Hands off Sonja and Alex! [The following is the appeal that the Austrian comrades published in German on their website at derfunke.at] The ruling class internationally have been on the offensive against any organisation displaying solidarity with Palestine. The revolutionary communists of Der Funke the Austrian section of the International Marxist Tendency have been slandered and harassed by our political enemies for months. Now our comrades Sonja and Alex have been summoned to the public prosecutor's office as defendants, because they shared the IMT statement denouncing Israels war. In conjunction with the attacks on Gaza, the ruling class has launched a wave of slander and persecution against all those who take the side of the oppressed the Palestinians. Throughout Europe and the USA, pro-Palestinian demonstrations have been banned; activists have been arrested and harrassd by the police, and fired by their employers; while pro-Palestinian events have been cancelled and speakers censored. In Austria, at least 13 gatherings have been banned, 400 legal charges have been filed, 10 people have been arrested and the judiciary is investigating more than 70 cases. However, the Austrian state is now going one step further: it is claiming that the IMT statement Down with hypocrisy! For the defence of Gaza! is guilty of inciting terrorism, a crime that carries a maximum two-year sentence. This accusation is devoid of any truth and is simply a brutal attack on democracy and freedom of expression. The revolutionary communists of Der Funke have been slandered and harassed by our political enemies for months / Image: Der Funke The revolutionary communists of Der Funke have been slandered and harassed by our political enemies for months. The current defendants are our comrades Sonja and Alex, the chair and vice-chair of the Socialist Youth Vorarlberg, who are being targeted for sharing the IMT statement. They will be summoned as defendants to the public prosecutor's office in Feldkirch on Wednesday 21 February. The IMT statement, now criminalised in Austria, has been distributed and reproduced in dozens of countries worldwide. Has the Austrian Ministry of the Interior really discovered something new here, or is this a simple case of politically motivated defamation? We know that the latter is the case. On 18 October, the right-wing People's Party (OVP) in Vorarlberg launched a media campaign against us that rapidly spread throughout Austria and continued for weeks. A particularly important role in this witch hunt against us has been played by politicians and the media. Raphael Wichtl, a member of state parliament and the youth wing of the People's Party (JVP), has never before achieved such political success as he has from starting this smear campaign. In his initial press release, he hysterically decried our solidarity with the Palestinians and claimed that our statement welcomed the Hamas attacks as a revolutionary means for Palestinian freedom. This defamatory press release was reproduced uncritically in several media outlets and can also be found in the state polices investigation file. The IMT statement clearly explains that, with regard to Hamas: "We do not share its ideology, nor do we condone the methods it uses." The young capitalists of the JVP and all the other slanderers for that matter have deliberately ignored this. They have been at pains to show solidarity with the actions of the Israeli state apparatus, which has since killed 30,000 Palestinians and is currently bombing Rafah, the last intact city in Gaza and the last refuge for over a million imprisoned Palestinians. The hypocrisy of the bourgeoisie is unrivalled. The social democrats in Austria (SPO), meanwhile, are desperate to return to government and its leaders are prepared to capitulate at any cost. These ladies and gentlemen are using the bourgeois attacks on our principled revolutionary position to make their subservience to the OVP quite clear. In doing so, they are scraping the barrel to find whatever fantastical lies they can. The chair of the SPO in Vorarlberg, Mario Leiter, used a press conference to claim that we sympathise with child murderers: Imagine my son lives in a flat and terrorists come and slit his throat... and then perhaps our own people come along and say that everything is fine. In addition, the SPO in Vienna, in particular its regional party secretary, accused us of glorifying violence and terrorism. We stand for the international solidarity of the working class as the only force that can put an end to capitalist barbarism / Image: Der Funke All those who agitate against the Palestinians and their defenders follow the same primitive logic: Anyone who is not in favour of the genocide of the Palestinians must instead be in favour of the extermination of Jews. This is absurd and shows that the logic of the defenders of capitalism can only lead to genocide and war! The truth is that only through the class struggle, the methods of the labour movement, intifada and socialist revolution can the barbarism in the Middle East be ended. This is what we stand and fight for as revolutionary communists. Instead, the ruling class and the reformists support oppression and exploitation. All parliamentary parties in Austria are unconditionally backing Israel and are scapegoating Muslims and migrants in this country. This is profitable for them in several ways. The Austrian ruling class want to show Washington and Brussels that they are firmly committed to Western values, despite their wheeling and dealing with the West's main enemy Vladimir Putin. But the Palestinians? They have nothing, not even the half-state that they were guaranteed 30 years ago. This makes them the perfect target for the ruling class to prove their loyalty to their Western friends. Stomping on the weak also helps the ruling class deal with their problems at home. Their goal is to hammer the working class so that it cannot oppose further real wage cuts and attacks on working conditions! The bosses demonstrated this tactic in the autumn by sabotaging collective bargaining negotiations with the metalworkers, due to anonymous threats against representatives of the industry for which the trade unions are partly responsible. We stand against this hypocrisy. Dividing the working class only strengthens the exploiters. We stand for the international solidarity of the working class as the only force that can put an end to capitalist barbarism! Withdraw all accusations against Sonja and Alex! Long live international solidarity! Stop the criminalisation of solidarity with the Palestinian people! Down with the racism and division of the ruling class in Austria! For class struggle against all attacks by the capitalists on workers' rights, wages and democratic rights! For a socialist revolution in the Middle East and internationally to end the barbarism of capitalism! What can YOU do? If you want to help fight back against these slanderous attacks on revolutionary communists, here are some ways you can help: Show solidarity Share this article as widely as possible on social media and with colleagues, friends, family, acquaintances or others. It is often surprising where like-minded people can be found! Our comrades in Austria have produced this flyer in German, explaining the attacks on them. Solidarity messages can be sent by email to the following address: solidaritaet.sonja-alex@derfunke.at Donate so that we can fight back! The ruling class are becoming increasingly brazen in their attempts at intimidation and attacks. This was not the first and will not be the last. We will not be silenced support Der Funke financially to cover campaign, printing and legal costs. Support the revolutionary press! Spread the ideas that the rulers want to silence. We are attacked for openly standing on the side of the oppressed and the working class. It is precisely these ideas that are needed to change the world! Get a copy of our Austrian comrades newspaper Der Funke here. Join us! Help us to build the forces of revolutionary communism internationally! We have local groups all over the world, as well as in Austria. If there is nothing in your area, build a branch yourself with our help. Get in touch and get organised! The following statement by the International Marxist Tendency declares our solidarity with the Palestinian people. It answers the disgusting hypocrisy of western imperialism and its lackeys, who are rallying behind the reactionary Israeli state as it unleashes bloody vengeance on Gaza, following Hamas' surprise attack on 7 October. We moreover explain why freedom for Palestine can only be achieved through revolutionary means and the overthrow of capitalism in the whole region. The lightning attack, launched by Hamas on Saturday 7 October, caused shockwaves throughout the world. It was met immediately by a loud chorus of condemnation from Western governments. The attack was instantly presented in the most harrowing terms by the media. Western public opinion was thoroughly prepared by what is comically described as our free press to take sides in the conflict, which, as usual, is depicted as the Forces of Good versus the Forces of Evil. In this macabre comedy of errors, the roles are conveniently reversed. The victims become the aggressors, and the aggressors become the victims. This lie is backed up by a constant stream of moral condemnations of violence, killing and all the other atrocious attributes of terrorism. In Washington, according to the New York Times, President Biden bristled with anger as he characterised the acts as pure unadulterated evil, and vowed unequivocally to stand with Israel against terrorism. The president of the wealthiest and most powerful state in the world lost no time in announcing that the USA will expedite the delivery of additional equipment, resources and munitions to Israel, as well as sending its newest and most advanced aircraft carrier, along with a full carrier strike group, to the Eastern Mediterranean. Imperialist hypocrites, or the relativity of morals The killing of men and women is something that naturally evokes feelings of repugnance in most people. We are constantly reminded of the biblical injunction: thou shalt not kill. This commandment, at first sight, bears an absolute character. However, on closer inspection, it becomes clear that the aversion of the ruling class and the media to violence and killing is not at all absolute, but has an entirely relative content. The killing of men and women is something that naturally evokes feelings of repugnance in most people / Image: Tasnim News Agency, Wikimedia Commons When ordinary men and women express their horror and indignation at the atrocities they read about in the press, that is a normal human reaction that we can understand and sympathise with. But when the same words are spoken by an American president, whose hands are stained with the blood of countless innocent people, we can only shrug our shoulders and turn away in disgust. The imperialist scoundrels who pretend to be shocked by violence have repeatedly launched vicious wars of aggression. They did not hesitate in unleashing bloody wars against Iraq and Afghanistan lasting two decades, in which hundreds of thousands of civilians were killed. They bombed Libya, Syria, Sudan, Serbia, without any regard for innocent civilians. The most atrocious case of all in recent times was the barbaric war against the people of Yemen, one of the poorest countries on the planet, which was waged by Saudi Arabia with the full support, complicity and active participation of the USA, Britain and other imperialist powers. If any war can be described as genocidal, Yemen was surely it. According to the UN, over 150,000 people have been killed in Yemen, as well as estimates of more than 227,000 dead as a result of a terrible famine deliberately created by the Saudis and their allies, who also were responsible for the destruction of hospitals and healthcare facilities. These figures undoubtedly represent a serious underestimate of the total number of victims inflicted on the people of Yemen by the Saudis and their imperialist backers. But where were the condemnations of this barbarity? Where were the protests from Washington and London? Where were the giant headlines shouting about terrorism? They were silent, because Western governments were actively involved in this war of extermination against a poor, downtrodden people. They have no right to complain of violence, or to accuse anyone of terrorism. When it comes to war, it is useless to appeal to moral or humanitarian considerations. Wars are about killing people. And there never has been a humanitarian war in history. That is merely a cynical phrase, a convenient fig leaf, which is nowadays used by aggressors to justify their aggression before public opinion. Gaza and Ukraine, or the relativity of the right to self-defence As for the so-called right of Israel to defend herself, here again we see the double standards of Western imperialism / Image: public domain As for the so-called right of Israel to defend herself, here again we see the double standards of Western imperialism. When it comes to Ukraine, they armed her to the teeth to fight Russia on their behalf, under the excuse that a people under occupation have the right to fight back. But when it comes to the Palestinians, suddenly this right vanishes completely. Instead of defending the oppressed, the imperialists arm and supply the oppressors. Evidently the right to self-determination does not apply to everyone! Incidentally, following the twisted logic of imperialism, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has compared Russia's invasion of his country to Hamas, and has added his hoarse little voice to the chorus defending Israels right to defend itself! Do we need any more proof of the reactionary nature of this gentleman? Predictably, Zelensky has accused Russia of wanting war in the Middle East to undermine international support for Ukraine, in comments that reflect concern that the war between Israel and Hamas could distract attention from Kyivs fight. Russia is interested in triggering a war in the Middle East, so that a new source of pain and suffering could undermine world unity, increase discord and contradictions and thus help Russia destroy freedom in Europe, he said. Zelensky is a desperate man, who will resort to anything he thinks will secure the flow of weapons and money when Ukraine has suffered a crushing defeat on the battlefield and there are clear signs of wavering support among allies, including the U.S., Slovakia and Poland. Revenge Once one has accepted the theory of relativity as applied to morality, it becomes a simple matter to justify murder as long as it is carried out by our side. We see this convenient moral relativity in action right now. Israels response to Hamas attack on Saturday has been swift and brutal. Benjamin Netanyahu has declared that Israel is at war. He has promised to reduce Gaza to a deserted island. Fighter jets have been pounding the occupied strip, razing high rise buildings to the ground in residential areas, hitting schools, hospitals and mosques indiscriminately. A school run by the UN Agency for Palestinian refugees, where there were no militants, received a direct hit. And many residential blocks of flats were targeted, with no prior warning. Israel continued to hammer Gaza with airstrikes, reducing some buildings to rubble. Officials in Gaza said hospitals and schools were hit, and that 900 Palestinians have been killed already, including 260 children. All this has nothing to do with self-defence, but everything to do with a thirst for revenge. Not for the first time, the Israeli state seeks to punish the people of Gaza for the actions of its leaders by deliberately targeting civilians. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant ordered a complete siege of the Gaza Strip: I have ordered a complete siege on the Gaza Strip. There will be no electricity, no food, no fuel, everything is closed. To deprive men, women and children of food, water and electricity is supposed to be a crime under international law. Even the pathetic United Nations found it necessary to remind the Israelis of this small detail, although the results of this polite reminder were predictably nil. Human animals And how do they justify all this? Very simply. Israels Minister of Defence Yoav Gallant put things clearly when he said: We are fighting human animals and we are acting accordingly. This language is well-known to us. It is common practice of the imperialists to justify slaughter by dehumanising the enemy. If we accept that our enemies are not humans like ourselves, but merely animals, we feel entitled to treat them any way we please. Let us remind ourselves that for decades, Jews were regarded, not as people, but as subhuman beings. That meant that they could be beaten, tortured, starved and murdered, who cares? After all, they are only animals, or human animals. The difference is purely semantic. But the inhabitants of the Gaza Strip are not animals. They are human beings, just as the inhabitants of Israel are human beings. And all human beings are entitled to be treated the same. A chorus of hypocrites All human beings are entitled to be treated the same / Image: Fars News, Wikimedia Commons As if in a well-planned unison, political leaders all over the world have fallen over themselves in their haste to declare their unconditional support for the right of Israel to defend herself. Right and left, Republican and Democrat all are singing loudly from the same well-worn hymn book. The same media that remained silent about the crimes of imperialism have also been highly remiss in reporting the criminal terror inflicted on the Palestinians by the Israeli state for many decades. They have been the victims of constant violent provocations by the ultra-right-wing Jewish settlers. Evidently, this is meant to provide material backing for Israels right to defend itself by pulverising a tiny strip of land filled to overflowing with two-and-a-half million poor people. It has been described as the biggest open-air prison in the world. The whole imperialist camp stands behind Israel as it moves to massacre the Palestinians in Gaza. And in case the bombs, artillery shells and missiles do not kill a sufficiently large number of Palestinians, the European Union planned to eliminate a few more by starvation. The EU announced that it was suspending financial aid to the Palestinians, on which they heavily depend for their survival. The decision was so scandalous that it was later on reversed. Here we see summed up in a few lines the distilled essence of what passes for western civilization. It comes as no surprise that right-wing Labour leaders like Sir Keir Starmer in Britain immediately added their shrill voices to this hypocritical chorus. These ladies and gentlemen sold their souls to the Devil long ago. They are nothing more than agents of imperialism. But the right reformists are not the only culprits. To their shame, many left reformists have joined in the condemnation (Sanders, Ilhan Omar, AOC, the French Communist Party, among others.) Not for the first time, these so-called lefts have displayed their complete cowardice and lack of principle. They have immediately buckled under the pressure of the capitalist mass media and bourgeois public opinion and end up towing the line of the ruling class. The International Marxist Tendency will not join the hypocritical chorus of the imperialists and their hangers-on. Where do we stand? In every war the belligerent parties always make use of stories of atrocities real or invented in order to justify their own acts of violence and murder. The attitude of communists to war can never be based on sensationalist propaganda that is used cynically to provide justification to one side or the other. Nor can a war be justified on the matter of who struck first. Our attitude to war must rest upon other grounds altogether. Our position is very simple: In every struggle, we will always take the side of the poor oppressed people, never of the rich and powerful oppressors. In the given case, the question must be asked: who are the oppressors and who are the oppressed? Is it the Palestinians who are oppressing the Israelis? Nobody in their right mind believes that. It is not the Palestinians who are occupying land that does not belong to them and holding it by force. It is not they who have been driving out Israeli settlers from land that was occupied by them for generations, but precisely the other way around. It is not the Palestinians who are occupying land that does not belong to them and holding it by force / Image: Humberto Patrick, Wikimedia Commons It is not they who are denying Israeli citizens the most elementary rights, or subjecting them to brutal blockades and reducing them to pariahs in their own land. Is it necessary to recite the long list of crimes committed by the reactionary Israeli state against the Palestinians? We have no space to mention these crimes, which continue, day after day, month after month and year after year, turning the lives of the Palestinians into a living hell. Palestinians have been reduced to a status not very different from a kind of slavery. And slaves, when deprived of every other right, can only have recourse to the one right that remains: the right to revolt. Throughout history, slave revolts were usually accompanied with acts of extreme violence, which were merely a reflection of the extreme oppression which they themselves had suffered at the hands of the slave owners. This is a regrettable fact. But it does not acquit us of the obligation of defending the revolt of the slaves against the slave owners. Marx dealt with this question in an article written in 1857, in which he answers the articles in the British press that emphasise the atrocities committed during the Indian uprising against the British: The outrages committed by the revolted Sepoys in India are indeed appalling, hideous, ineffable such as one is prepared to meet only in wars of insurrection, of nationalities, of races, and above all of religion; in one word, such as respectable England used to applaud when perpetrated by the Vendeans on the Blues, by the Spanish guerrillas on the infidel Frenchmen, by Servians on their German and Hungarian neighbours, by Croats on Viennese rebels, by Cavaignacs Garde Mobile or Bonapartes Decembrists on the sons and daughters of proletarian France. However infamous the conduct of the Sepoys, it is only the reflex, in a concentrated form, of Englands own conduct in India, not only during the epoch of the foundation of her Eastern Empire, but even during the last ten years of a long-settled rule. To characterize that rule, it suffices to say that torture formed an organic institution of its financial policy. There is something in human history like retribution: and it is a rule of historical retribution that its instrument be forged not by the offended, but by the offender himself. K. Marx, (The Indian Revolt) Do we support Hamas? Our enemies will say: then you support Hamas. To this accusation we will answer: we have never supported Hamas. We do not share its ideology, nor do we condone the methods it uses. We are communists and have our own ideas, programme and methods, based on the class struggle between rich and poor, oppressors and oppressed. It is this that determines our attitude in every case. But our differences with Hamas, though fundamental, are not nearly so fundamental as the differences that separate us from US imperialism the most reactionary force on the planet and its accomplices in crime, the Israeli ruling class. Our critics will ask: do you agree with the killing of so many innocent civilians? We will answer that we have never advocated such things. Nor do we condone them. Our first task, to quote Spinoza, is neither to weep nor laugh, but understand. Moral considerations are utterly useless to explain anything. In order to understand what is happening, it is necessary to pose the question in a different way: what was it that led to Hamas attack? Can it be separated from the decades of oppression, violence and occupation of Palestine by the reactionary state of Israel? Of course not. Israel is a powerful and wealthy state that has for decades been dispossessing and oppressing the Palestinians by a combination of brute force and economic muscle. And we must also see the chain of events that have led directly to the present situation. It did not drop from a clear blue sky, as we are asked to believe. Betrayal The imperialists promised the Palestinians justice if only they would wait a little longer. But they have waited and waited and the only result has been further destruction of their homeland and further loss of rights. When the patience of the oppressed is exhausted, sooner or later, they will lash out against their oppressor. In such moments, excesses and brutality will inevitably be committed. That is naturally to be regretted. But who is really responsible? If a man or woman commits a cold-blooded murder, that is undoubtedly a crime and is punished as such. But if a woman is subjected to savage brutality for many years by her husband and one day turns against her tormentor and kills him, most people would say that the circumstance that led to her actions should be taken into account. Let us return to the present case. In the weeks before the explosion, constant provocations were perpetrated by Jewish religious fanatics. They stormed the compound of the Al-Aqsa mosque one of the holiest places in the Islamic world. They were acting under police and military protection. Provocation Under these conditions, no one can really be surprised that the Palestinians are fighting back / Image: Tasnim News Agency, Wikimedia Commons Netanyahu is in an alliance with the Zionist far right, some of whom are openly fascists. Their stated aim is to provoke a new Nakba that is to say, to physically remove the Palestinians from the land they live in now, starting in Jerusalem and the West Bank. This policy is not new, but it has escalated in the recent months. Settlers, imported mainly from the US and recruited among the most extreme of religious fundamentalists, have built settlements in the West Bank. These are connected by a network of militarily-defended roads, which dissect the territory formally under the control of the Palestinian territory. The reactionary settlers feel emboldened and protected by the ultra-nationalist Israeli government. Armed gangs of religious zealot settlers have been conducting pogroms against Palestinians with the open or covert support of the Israeli army and police. These land grabs are supposed to be illegal under international law. But all the pious resolutions passed by the UN in a meaningless ritual have done nothing to stop these criminal acts. Under these conditions, no one can really be surprised that the Palestinians are fighting back. Oppressed people have the right to resist. Hypocrites will argue that both sides are to blame because both have used violence. Formally, this statement is true. But its content is fundamentally false. The violence of one cannot be equated with the violence of the other. There is absolutely no equivalence between the two sides. On the one hand, we have a modern advanced capitalist country, equipped with nuclear weapons, fighter jets armed with powerful missiles, advanced technology and surveillance equipment, which counts on the full material and financial support of the worlds most powerful imperialist country. On the other hand, we have the oppressed Palestinians, fighting with whatever weapons they can get their hands on To be surprised by recent events is actually extremely foolish. Given these circumstances, some kind of an explosion was absolutely inevitable, although the time and content of it could not be foreseen even by the Israeli secret services. Israel humiliated It is necessary to approach war on its own terms, and not introduce extraneous considerations that are quite alien to it. What has caused fury in the Israeli ruling class is not the amount of people who have lost their lives. Their concerns are purely of a practical nature. From a merely military point of view, the attack was a success. The unexpected Blitzkrieg caught the much-vaunted Israeli intelligence services completely by surprise. Well-armed groups of commandos penetrated Israels defences, breaking through what was supposed to be an impregnable line and inflicting severe losses on Israeli forces. The unexpected Blitzkrieg caught the much-vaunted Israeli intelligence services completely by surprise / Image: public domain When this became known, it caused a wave of panic and fear in Israel, where the population had been lulled by the authorities in the belief that they were protected by an invulnerable line of defence. Overnight, peoples faith in the myth of invulnerability was shattered. This fact will have incalculable consequences for the future. By contrast, news of the attack was celebrated on the streets of many Arab capitals. The masses were encouraged by the fact that, at last, the mighty Israeli state had suffered a humiliating defeat. Compared to this fact, all other considerations seemed to be of secondary importance. Netanyahu feels supremely confident because he has the firm backing of US imperialism, which supplies Israel with endless quantities of dollars and deadly weapons. They have moved their embassy to Jerusalem a slap in the face of all Palestinians. President Trump took that provocative decision. But President Biden has not reversed it. He is anxious to secure the Jewish vote in next years election, as well as maintaining one of its few remaining unwavering allies in the region. Peaceful or violent? Our enemies very often confront us with the question: are you in favour of violence? They might as well ask us if we are in favour of bubonic plague, since it is just as empty of real content. There are questions that answer themselves, and these are precisely of that kind. But merely to answer in the negative is quite useless. One would have to explain the concrete circumstances in which violence is employed: for what purpose? And in whose interest? Without such information, it is really impossible to provide an accurate answer. That is the case in every conflict, and it is also the case now. Many on the left (as usual) confine themselves to decrying violence in general, calling for a peaceful settlement through negotiations and the intervention of international institutions. But this is a lie and a deception. For 75 years, there have been endless negotiations and talks and that has not advanced the cause of Palestinian freedom one inch. For decades the so-called United Nations have passed resolutions condemning the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories in 1967, but nothing has changed. In fact, the situation has become far worse. The current escalation of the conflict is actually the result of the complete failure of the Oslo Accords. The idea of establishing a Palestinian statelet next to Israel on a capitalist basis was doomed to fail, as we warned at the time. The aim of Israel was to outsource the policing of the Palestinians to the Palestinian National Authority, led by Fatah bourgeois nationalists who were completely demoralised and organically incapable of taking the Palestinian national liberation struggle forward. The last 30 years have revealed the abject failure of the two-state solution imposed by US imperialism and Israeli capitalism on the Palestinians. It is no wonder that in a recent opinion poll, 61 percent of Palestinians said that they were worse off than before Oslo, and 71 percent said that it had been a mistake to sign the agreement. Despite this, the hopeless left pacifists argue that Palestinians should only be using peaceful means of struggle. But when they tried to do this, what was the result? The 2018 march of return protest was carried out by unarmed civilians. The Israeli army used live ammunition killing hundreds and injuring over ten thousand, including children, women, journalists and medics. It is precisely this that has convinced the Palestinians that the only way forward is to meet violence with violence. One may regret this fact, but it is the only possible conclusion the Palestinians can be expected to draw. And that is 100 percent the responsibility of the Israeli state and its imperialist backers. According to the same poll 71 percent believe a two-state solution is no longer practical due to settlement expansion, 52 percent support dissolving the PA and 53 percent think armed struggle is the only way to break the deadlock. Imperialist plans in ruins Prior to the events of 7 October, a so-called normalisation process was underway: which basically means that Israel establishes normal diplomatic and economic relations with the Arab countries (notably Saudi Arabia), As a consequence, the Palestinian problem is declared as ended. This was highlighted by Netanyahus intervention at the UN General Assembly in September, where he showed a map of the region showing Israel and the countries with which it was normalising relations but the Israel in the map included the Golan Heights, Gaza and the West Bank, leaving Palestine completely out of the picture! This blatant cynicism showed the callous attitude, not just of Netanyahu and his reactionary gang, but also of the so-called imperialist democracies, which treat small nations as so much small change in their machinations. This monstrous carve-up was to be carried out behind the backs of the Palestinians. Their very existence is regarded as an irritating inconvenience. Their constant complaints can be safely disregarded, while the unpleasant, but necessary, task of keeping them in order can be entrusted to the jackboots of the Israeli armed forces. That was the theory. But life has an unfortunate habit of contradicting even the finest of theories. And this particular one had one gaping hole at its centre: it assumed that the Palestinians were so cowed, so utterly crushed, that they would not be capable of putting up a real fight. That assumption was smashed to smithereens on Saturday, 7 October. A number of sources have pointed the finger at Iran. Despite the denials of Tehran, this may be true. The skilful execution of the attack and the way it quickly penetrated Israels strong defences showed a degree of professionalism that can hardly be the work of Hamas on its own. As long as the Israeli state can rely upon the backing of the majority of the Jewish population, it will be very difficult to achieve its overthrow / Image: , Wikimedia Commons Moreover, Iran had a vested interest in its success. The immediate effect was to wreck Netanyahus plan to forge close relations with Saudi Arabia. The reactionary gang in Riyadh was quite prepared to sell out the Palestinians, striking a deal with Israel. But those plans which were naturally encouraged by the United States were wrecked. Mohammed bin Salman has pointedly refused to join the chorus of support for Israels right of self-defence. He would place the monarchy itself in danger if he dared to go against the feelings of the Saudi people, who will be fervent supporters of the Palestinians. The Guardian published an article, entitled: Hamas attack has abruptly altered the picture for Middle East diplomacy. These words put the matter very nicely. Patrick Wintour, the diplomatic editor of the Guardian writes: Iran wants to make it impossible for Saudi Arabia to strike a deal with Israel, while others in the region cannot afford mayhem in Gaza. That is correct. The Arab leaders cannot afford it because of the profoundly unsettling effects it has on the masses in their own countries. The threat of a revolt on the streets is ever present in the minds of the Arab ruling cliques, who have not forgotten the lesson of the mass uprisings known as the Arab Spring. This is a nightmare for the Arab rulers and Washington alike. But a new version of the Arab Revolution is the only hope for a lasting solution to the Palestinian question. The oppressed people of Palestine must place no trust in the promises of foreign governments. Their only interest is to make empty declarations of support for the Palestinians, to create for themselves an image of solidarity with the oppressed that is false to the core. It goes without saying that the promises of the imperialists are entirely worthless, as are the fictitious resolutions routinely passed by the so-called United Nations. The Palestinian people can only free themselves through their own efforts. And the only reliable allies they can count upon are the workers and peasants in the region and across the world who are oppressed and exploited as they themselves are. Israel on a dangerous path There is one other factor that cannot be ignored. As long as the Israeli state can rely upon the backing of the majority of the Jewish population, it will be very difficult to achieve its overthrow. Only by dividing the state of Israel along class lines will this be a viable proposition. Under present circumstances, this seems to be an unlikely variant. This is, in part, due to the extreme limitations of the ideology and methods of Hamas, which convinces many Israeli citizens that their lives are threatened by the Palestinian terrorists. Unfortunately, the recent assault and the killing of civilians has convinced many Israelis that the only solution is to rally to the government. This has been encouraged by the scandalous conduct of the so-called opposition, which has immediately dropped all its objections to the reactionary policies of the Netanyahu government and hastened to offer entering a so-called government of national unity. This is a disastrous line of action. The people of Israel must ask themselves the following question: how can it happen that after so many years of conflict, so many wars, and so many military victories they now feel more insecure than at any time since the founding of the State of Israel? All the elaborate measures allegedly designed to guarantee their safety, in the moment of truth, have counted for nothing. It is true that Israel, with its colossal military strength and superior firepower, can easily defeat Hamas in military terms. However, a ground invasion of Gaza, with its narrow streets, myriad of tunnels, and a hostile and embittered population, will not be accomplished without serious loss of life on both sides. And after Gaza has been reduced to a heap of rubble, what then? You do not have enough forces to occupy and hold down a hostile population of 2.3 million people for an indefinite period of time. Sooner or later, new explosions and bloodshed will occur. And matters do not end there. The oppression of the Palestinians serves to inflame feelings across the Middle East and the region. The attempts to forge relations with Saudi Arabia now lie in ashes. Israel now finds itself more isolated than ever before. Surrounded by millions of enemies on all sides, the outlook for Israel is grim indeed. And the recent bloodbath constitutes a serious warning of even worse to come, unless something fundamental changes in Israel itself. Marx pointed out long ago that no nation can ever be free as long as it oppresses and subjugates another nation: It is the special task of the Central Council in London to make the English workers realise that for them the national emancipation of Ireland is not a question of abstract justice or humanitarian sentiment but the first condition of their own social emancipation. (Marx to Sigfrid Meyer and August Vogt, 1870) At present, the voice of reason in Israel is being silenced by the ravenous roar of the counter-revolution. But those who advocate uniting with the reactionary forces of Netanyahu and the ultra-religious zealots, are driving Israel directly towards the abyss. What now? For many years, the Palestinian masses have shown over and over again their selflessness, courage and their willingness to fight. The problem is that they have not had a leadership that is equal to the task. After so many decades of sell outs and broken promises, the patience of the Palestinians is now exhausted. To the militant Palestinian youth who wish to fight against the powerful Israeli state, the rockets of Hamas seem to provide some kind of an answer. This belief has received a powerful boost as a result of recent events. There can be no doubt that the success of Hamas, in breaking through the Israeli defences, that were said to be inviolable, and striking blows against Israel, has been seen as a victory by many in the Middle East and the region, who longed to see Israel humbled. To the militant Palestinian youth who wish to fight against the powerful Israeli state, the rockets of Hamas seem to provide some kind of an answer / Image: Whewes, Wikimedia Commons In the short-term, this will enormously increase the prestige of Hamas. But in the longer term, the limitations of Hamas success will become only too evident. The military balance of forces is overwhelmingly in favour of Israel. The militant youth have concluded that the only way forward is not through talks but through revolutionary struggle. That involves mass action, mass strikes and yes, in the final analysis, the fight against the state of Israel must mean armed self-defence and armed struggle. However, it is important not to lose a sense of proportion. The revolutionary struggle of the Palestinian masses, as long as it remains isolated, will not be enough to defeat the might of the Israeli state. That will require the combined efforts of a mass revolutionary movement throughout the Middle East. But a huge obstacle stands in the way: the reactionary bourgeois Arab regimes support the Palestinian cause in words only, but at every juncture are ready to betray the Palestinians and make a deal with imperialism. Only through the overthrow of these corrupt regimes can the way be open for the victory of the socialist revolution in the Middle East the prior condition for the liberation of Palestine. In the last analysis, only the establishment of a united front between the people of Palestine and the working class and progressive layers of Israeli society will create the possibility of dividing the Israeli state on class lines, opening the way for a lasting and democratic settlement of the Palestinian question. This will be a byproduct of the Arab revolution, which can only succeed if it is carried out to the end. The overthrow of corrupt regimes is only half a solution. The genuine liberation of the people can only be achieved through the expropriation of the landlords, bankers and capitalists. Socialist revolution the only solution! For too long the Middle East, with its colossal potential, natural resources and huge untapped pool of surplus labour power and educated young people has been balkanised a heritage of colonialism that divided the region into small states that could be easily dominated and exploited. This poisonous heritage has been a breeding ground for endless wars, national and religious hatred and other destructive forces. The Palestinian question is only the most evident and monstrous expression of this fact. Workers have no interest in conquering foreign territory or holding other people in a state of subjugation. When power is in the hands of the working people, all the problems facing the Middle East and the region can be resolved peacefully, democratically, by agreement. Under a democratic socialist federation, it would be possible to establish fraternal relations between the peoples Arab and Jew, Sunni and Shia, Kurds and Armenians, Druses and Copts. The way would finally be open for a lasting and democratic settlement of the Palestinian question. There is enough land to create a genuinely autonomous, viable and prosperous Palestinian state, with full autonomy for both Arabs and Jews, along the lines of the Soviet Republics that were established by the Bolsheviks after the October Revolution. Small-minded people will say that this is a utopia. But the same people have always maintained that socialism is a utopia. These self-styled realists cling stubbornly to the status quo, which they say is the only reality possible merely on the grounds that it happens to exist. According to this bankrupt theory, revolution is impossible. But all that exists deserves to perish. And all history tells us that revolutions are not only possible, but inevitable. The capitalist system is rotten to the core. Its foundations are crumbling and it is tottering before a fall. All that is required is that it should be given a good push. And it is not at all discounted that this can come from a new uprising in the Arab world. This is the only way forward for the peoples of the Middle East. The Palestinian revolution will triumph as an integral part of the socialist revolution, or it will not triumph at all. London, 11 October 2023 Could the fortunes of Indian operator Vodafone Idea be about to change? Thats probably too optimistic an assessment at this stage, but recently announced plans to raise Rs45,000 crore (about US$5.5 billion) via equity and debt signal that a much-needed funding boost may finally be on the way for Vodafone Idea. The company plans a meeting of its shareholders (including, presumably, the government, which owns 33% of Vodafone Idea) on 2 April to approve the equity fund raising. The money is likely to mainly be used for capacity expansion, to improve the 4G network, and to fund stalled 5G rollout in an effort to cut the gap with rivals Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, who are surging ahead in key markets. Indias Economic Times reports that the Vodafone Idea board has already cleared raising Rs20,000 crore (US$2.4 billion) via equity or equity-linked instruments to be completed in the April-June quarter. The company is also actively engaged with its lenders for tying up the debt funding, which will follow the equity fund raise. Combined with the equity this will raise the US$5.5 billion mentioned earlier. A statement said: These investments will enable the company to improve its competitive positioning and offer an even better customer experience." The shares of the operator have risen 13% in the last month amid expectations that the fundraising effort would go ahead. But will would-be investors and lenders get involved? Debt funding could be costly given the companys financial situation, which includes some truly mind-boggling numbers. Its net debt is estimated at to Rs2.14 lakh crore (US$25.8 billion) along with nearly Rs70,000 crore (US$8.4 billion) of AGR (adjusted gross revenue) dues. Cash and cash equivalents were at Rs318.9 crore (US$38.5 million). Bank debt, though, currently stands at less than Rs4,500 crore (US$543 million). However, catching up with Airtel and Jio could involve billions of dollars of fresh capital on top of the billions now being discussed. That said, Vodafone Idea argues that its financials are improving: while it has a falling mobile user base, 4G subscriber numbers are apparently growing as is ARPU. The last word, for now, comes from Vodafone Idea, which, according to the Economic Times, announced: The company has consistently shown an improvement in performance even with limited investments. With the proposed fund raise and the positive operational developments, the company is confident of effectively competing in the market. During the month of March, your sub could go above and beyond for people living with autism. If you buy a sandwich at any Jersey Mikes Subs in Massachusetts in March, you will have the option of donating money to the Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation for Autism. Customers can round up their purchase to the nearest dollar or donate $1, $3 or $5 when placing their order at any one of Jersey Mikes 36 locations in Massachusetts, the company said in a press release. Read More: Dairy Queen introduces new Confetti Cake Dipped Cone for a limited time The initiative is part of Jersey Mikes 14th Annual March of Giving campaign that supports local charities. The campaign will culminate with Jersey Mikes Day of Giving on Wednesday, March 27 when all participating locations will give 100% of the days sales not just the profits to the Flutie Foundation. Jersey Mikes is deeply committed to giving back, and our partnership will directly improve the lives of people with autism in local communities throughout New England, said the Flutie Foundations Co-Founder Doug Flutie. This month, Jersey Mikes delicious subs will nourish us, so that people with autism and their communities can flourish. Jersey Mikes Month of Giving has raised more than $88 million for local charities since the campaign launched in 2011. Jersey Mikes hopes to surpass last years record-breaking national fundraising total of $21 million. The promotion will apply to Jersey Mikes 71 locations in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont. A full list of participating stores can be found here. Its not pizza its Chizza. At least, thats what renowned fast food chain Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) is calling its latest menu item. KFC introduced the first-of-its-kind chicken pizza to all of its stores nationwide this week. The Chizza is made with two fried chicken filets topped with marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese and pepperoni. The hybrid product debuted on KFC menus in the Philippines in 2015. Since then, the Chizza has been served in at least seven other countries, before arriving in the United States. Fried chicken and pizza collaborated to create something even better the Chizza, said Nick Chavez, chief marketing officer of KFC U.S. The fan-favorite mashup is finally available in the U.S. after making its way around the world. Read More: Dairy Queen introduces new Confetti Cake Dipped Cone for a limited time Chicken and pizza lovers can try the Chizza on its own or with a combo meal, which includes the Chizza, Secret Recipe Fries and a medium drink. The Chizza is available for a limited time. Click here to find your nearest KFC. Graffiti at an Acton elementary school prompted local police to investigate the campus after they found that it mentioned a weapon, police said on Thursday. At around 10 a.m., Luther Conant Schools administration contacted Acton police about graffiti found at the school, the police department said in a statement. When officers saw the graffiti, they found that it contained language about a weapon being brought onto the school grounds. Police started to search the school building while it went into a shelter-in-place out of an abundance of caution, the department said. All students were safe in their designated classrooms during the search of the building, police said. Massachusetts State Police and State Police K9 units helped Acton police with the search. By 1:20 p.m., no weapon was found and police determined there was no threat to the school, the department said. While the shelter-in-place was lifted, an Acton police officer will be stationed at the school for the rest of Thursday. The Boston Police Department is warning Brighton residents of a string of recent break-ins and attempted break-ins in the neighborhood. We are deeply concerned about these incidents and are working diligently to address the situation. We urge all residents to remain vigilant and take proactive measures to protect their property, the department wrote in a press release. Investigators have recovered images of a suspect they believe was involved in at least two of the incidents. They are pictured below. Boston police believe the suspect pictured above was involved in at least two break-in incidents in Brighton.Boston Police Department Police recommend that Brighton residents keep all their all doors and windows locked at all times and report any suspicious activity they witness. Additionally, police are asking residents to consider installing additional security measures such as motion sensor lights, alarm systems and cameras. We understand the importance of community cooperation in keeping our neighborhoods safe. Together, we can work to deter criminal activity and ensure the safety and well-being of all residents, the department wrote. Police are still investigating the break-ins. Anyone with information about these incidents is asked to call detectives at 617-343-4256. The Boston Police Department is mourning the death of Officer Andrew OConnor, who died Tuesday, the department announced Wednesday night. OConnor joined the department in June 2021 and successfully completed his training at the Boston Police Academy in January 2022, the department said. Serving the people of East Boston, OConnor was assigned to District A-7 when he died at age 42, a department spokesperson said. Throughout his tenure, Officer OConnor received commendations and praise for his unwavering dedication to duty from both the community and his colleagues, the department wrote in a press release. As you go about your day, please keep Officer OConnor and his family in your thoughts and prayers. The Boston Fire Department joined its law enforcement counterpart in mourning OConnors death Wednesday evening. We offer our sincere condolences to the family and our 1st Responder partners at the Boston Police Department on the passing of Active Duty Officer Andrew OConnor. May he Rest in Peace, the department wrote on social media. Boston police did not say what caused OConnors death. Boston police are praising a courageous bystander who they said chased down a woman accused of robbing a bank and restrained her while police arrived. Police responded to a bank alarm at 501 Southampton St. in South Boston shortly after 11:15 a.m. on Wednesday, when they were told a robbery had just happened, according to a statement by police. The suspect, who police described as a woman about five feet tall wearing a white disposable surgical mask, had fled in an unknown direction, police said. After broadcasting the womans description, police were flagged down by the bystander on Father Songin Way, where he was restraining a woman matching the suspects description, police said. The bystander told police he noticed the suspect running from the bank parking lot with red smoke coming from her sweatshirt pocket and chased her down Dorchester Avenue and onto Father Songin Way, police said. He was able to restrain the suspect, according to police. Police arrested Miriam Dealmeida, 38, of Boston and charged her with unarmed bank robbery, with further charges anticipated for a separate bank robbery earlier in the day at East West Bank at 68 Kneeland St., police said. Dealmeida is expected to be arraigned at South Boston District Court. Dracut police are asking for the publics help after a woman was found injured on Pleasant Street on Monday, the department announced. At around 10:24 p.m. on Monday, police were called to the area of 23 Pleasant St. for a report of a woman down in the roadway, police said in a statement on Thursday. Police found the woman, 33, with what appeared to be serious injuries, the department said. She was taken to a nearby hospital before she was transferred to a Boston area trauma center. The investigation has not yet determined what happened, so Dracut police are asking anyone who may have seen anything in that area to contact investigators by calling the department at 978-957-2123. A man who pleaded guilty to child sex abuse committed on five children was sentenced to prison in Fall River Superior Court, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn IIIs office announced. Andres Escribano Sanchez pleaded guilty to indictments charging him with two counts of rape of a child (use of force), two counts of rape of a child (aggravated by age difference), seven counts of indecent assault and battery on a person under the age of 14, three counts of attempted indecent assault and battery on a person under the age of 14, one count of indecent assault and battery on a person over the age of 14 and once count of assault with intent to rape, Quinns office said in a statement on Thursday. Judge Raffi Yessayan sentenced Sanchez to serve 15 to 20 years in state prison, followed by 10 years of probation. The child sex abuse took place between April 2017 and April 2020 in New Bedford and Fairhaven, Quinns office said. Following an investigation, an arrest warrant was issued in February 2022, Bristol County District Attorney spokesperson Gregg Miliote told MassLive. Sanchez was arrested in September 2022 while residing in Puerto Rico, and first appeared in court on Sept. 26, 2022, Miliote added. The defendant raped and molested five young girls because he had access to them, Quinn said in the statement. The repeated rapes and sexual assaults of multiple young victims clearly demonstrate that the defendant is a predator and has a demented mind. He needs to be kept off the street and away from young children for the rest of his life. A Melrose man was sentenced to prison over a decade-long tax fraud scheme where he failed to pay employment taxes, resulting in a federal tax loss of over $1 million, Acting United States Attorney Joshua Levys office said. Stephen Schofield, 70, was sentenced on Tuesday to nine months in prison followed by two years of supervised release, Levys office said in a statement on Wednesday. U.S. District Judge Denise J. Casper also ordered him to pay a $7,500 fine and restitution of $1,051,000 to the IRS. Schofield pleaded guilty to one count of failure to pay over taxes in October 2023. Schofield owned and operated Schofield Concrete Forms in Stoneham and Schofields of Melrose, Inc. Between 2010 and 2020, he withheld federal and state employment taxes from his employees wages and issued W-2 forms showing that his employees taxes were withheld, Levys office said. But Schofield did not pay those taxes to the IRS as required by federal law, which led to a federal tax loss of $1,051,000, Levys office continued. During this 10-year period, he did not file corporate or individual tax returns and used company funds to pay $612,000 to himself and $344,000 to a family member not affiliated with the company. He also paid personal expenses, such as travel, jewelry, restaurants, boating supplies and setting up a Fidelity investment account, Levys office said. A Massachusetts father has been left permanently disfigured after being pistol whipped while protecting his home on Monday, according to the Plymouth Police Department. Brodric Mason, 19, of Plymouth, was charged with assault to murder and faces several other charges in connection with the incident, the department said. He pleaded not guilty during his arraignment in Plymouth District Court on Feb. 29, and was held without bail pending his March 7 dangerousness hearing. Despite many claims to energy efficiency, data centres still have questions to answer about water usage, something highlighted by a Chilean environmental courts partial reversal of a permit allowing Google to build a data centre in the country. The court this week asked Google to revise its application to take into account the effects of climate change. Google received initial authorisation for its US$200 million Cerrillos Data Centre in Santiago in early 2020, but residents and local officials have highlighted the projects possible impact on the capital's aquifer. Data servers require water for cooling in this case an estimated 7.6 million litres of potable water a day. Chile is 15 years into an unprecedented drought, with the government enforcing water rationing in 2022. Earlier this month, the deadliest wildfire on record left at least 112 people dead and thousands displaced. A possible modification of the cooling system of the servers has been suggested by the court. Reuters reports that Google has said it will "continue to collaborate with the requirements of local authorities", adding that in February 2022 it had submitted a change to the original design in order to have the centre air-cooled instead. This certainly will not be the end of the issue. As the UKs Financial Times points out, the worlds biggest technology companies have substantially increased their use of water to cool down data centres, sparking concerns over the environmental impact of the generative artificial intelligence boom. Meanwhile Googles Latin American water management problems look set to continue. With Uruguay also facing an extreme drought, local opposition has risen up against Googles plan to build a large data centre in the department of Canelones in the countrys south. A Milford man was arrested in connection with owning child sex abuse material, Milford police announced. Robert Nolan, 27, was charged with possession of child pornography and disseminating photographs of sexual or intimate parts of a child, police said in a statement on Thursday. Working with the Massachusetts State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce, Milford police arrested Nolan at around 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, police said. During a search of his home, police obtained other electronic devices and plan to obtain a search warrant to examine their contents, Milford Police Chief Robert Tusino told the Milford Daily News. Police also found that Nolan worked as a local school bus driver, but Tusino added that there is no evidence that any of the photos are of students. There was nothing to indicate any Milford students were involved, at least not yet, Tusino told the newspaper. We just dont know yet. We wanted to make parents aware of this. Nolan was booked and held at Milford Police Headquarters on $10,040 bail, police said. His arraignment was scheduled for Thursday at Milford District Court. Last summer, 15-year-old Millis High School student Aedan Wetherbee was diagnosed with a rare cancer. Hes now recovering after a bone marrow transplant, and his community is showing their support through a fundraiser for his family at his school on Friday. The event is a comedy show organized by a Rhode Island-based charity called Funny 4 Funds, which helps raise money for causes through comedy performances. Three local comedians will be performing at Aedans show on March 1, which will begin at 8 p.m. You can buy tickets here. Read more: Outgoing Springfield Superintendent Daniel Warwick honored by state Aedan first began having symptoms such as weakness on his left side at the end of June last year, his mother, Dawn Wetherbee, said. His family took him to the hospital, and the doctors did a CAT scan and MRI, which revealed a tumor in his brain. At first, the doctors thought it might be a benign tumor, but within a week, it doubled in size, Wetherbee said. So the doctors biopsied the tumor and diagnosed Aedan with ALK+ Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma one of several cancers that originate in immune system cells and are not limited to a single disease. Aedan began chemotherapy on July 5, going into Massachusetts General Hospital for five days at a time before returning in three weeks for more treatment, Wetherbee said. But while the chemo shrunk the tumor in his brain, in October the doctors discovered that his cancer had spread to other parts of his body. This meant the doctors had to change Aedans treatment and prepare him for a bone marrow transplant, which was performed at Boston Childrens Hospital in February, Wetherbee said. The process was very physically demanding, and Aedan has spend much of the last few months just sleeping. The bone marrow transplant actually has been the hardest part of this journey so far, she said. 5 1 / 5 Millis High School Student Aedan Wetherbee's Battle with Cancer Aedan went into remission in December, and his family was told Wednesday that the transplant was successful, Wetherbee said. He will likely be discharged from the hospital soon, but then he will need to isolate similar to how people isolated during the COVID-19 pandemic for a year, as his immune system will be compromised. Its just hard to watch someone you love go through something like this, and you cant do anything other than just be there for them, she said. Read more: Brockton superintendent placed on leave during fiery school meeting Millis High School has already been helping Aedan attend school virtually, and he will keep at it as he isolates, Wetherbee said. He hasnt been able to see his friends as much as hed like, but he was able to go to the homecoming dance last fall and has kept up with his friends via FaceTime, Discord and online video games. Millis High School students have also been supporting their friend by selling tickets to the comedy show this past month. All the money is going to benefit Aedans family, whose health insurance has left them responsible for a lot of out-of-pockets costs, Wetherbee said. Every appointment was $150. That was my portion. And wed go two or three times a week. So all that stuff adds up pretty quick, she said. But its not just healthcare costs that have piled up for Aedans family, Wetherbee said. Theyve also paid for take-out food during trips to the hospital and games and other activities to keep him occupied during his hospital stays. Any support people can spare is appreciated, Wetherbee said. You can donate money to help Aedan and his family here. Just the fact that people are coming together and supporting him really means more to us than any dollar amount thats raised, she said. Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. honored several Sturbridge firefighters and police officers who worked together to revive an off-duty police officer, Earlys office said Wednesday. The first responders were awarded the Team Excellence and Merit, or TEAM, award at a ceremony on Wednesday, Earlys office said in a statement. At around 10:02 p.m. on Dec. 17, 2023, Sturbridge Emergency Communications Unit dispatcher Benjamin Grasso received a 911 call asking for an ambulance for a man who had trouble breathing, Earlys office said. The caller, Sandra Murphy, said her husband, off-duty officer Jeffrey Lavallee, told her he didnt feel well and was going to rest. After she checked on him, he was unconscious and not breathing. Murphy called the police before she asked for help from her neighbor, East Brookfield Police Officer Matthew Schlegel, Earlys office said. Schlegel, who was off-duty at the time, performed CPR on Lavallee. Lavallees stepson, Brayden Fillios, and Schlegel pulled Lavallee down from the bed to the floor to begin chest compressions. Sturbridge Emergency Communications Unit dispatcher Aaron Berry sent Sturbridge Police officers Daniel Hemingway, Garrett Danna and Nicole Patterson to the address, which they all recognized as Lavallees address, Earlys office said. Lavallee was a 25-year veteran who retired from full-time duty to work part-time. Danna used a defibrillator on Lavallee. After paramedics arrived, they performed multiple shocks at the home and on the way to the Harrington Memorial Hospital, Earlys office said. It was not clear to medical personnel if Lavallee would survive what was found to be a heart attack. He was placed into a medically induced coma with his body temperature brought down for several days. Lavallee has since been released and is working his way toward a full recovery, Earlys office said. You never think youll be the call, never in a million years did I think it would be me, Lavallee said in the statement. Everybody I train with when we do our CPR training and when I look around my roll call room, I know Im around capable people at all levels. Its been an emotional thing for me and my family. Im sure it affected the other officers. Emotionally its going to hit everybody. Nobody is promised tomorrow. I just couldnt be more thankful to the guys whove assisted me in this whole thing. Answering the call to work on one of their own is one of the worst scenarios [first responders] can face, Early said in the statement. They knew the severity of the situation and that they had to put aside their personal feelings to save a life, he said. Quick thinking by his family members and the teamwork of the crew of emergency responders ensured not a minute was wasted in the fight to save Officer Lavallees life. Because of each persons actions on that night, he is still with us today. Here are all of Wednesdays TEAM award recipients: Blue Hill Avenue is getting a makeover a big one. On Wednesday, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, joined by Democratic U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, along with other officials, announced what theyre describing as a historic $44 million transformation of the street that links some of the citys most diverse neighborhoods. The plans officials announced Wednesday calls for, among other things, a center-running bus lane for the more than 37,000 strap-hangers who travel the traffic-choked corridor every workday, as well as better define[d] spaces for drivers and pedestrians that are aimed at improving safety. That bus lane, along with other road improvements, will speed the path for people who not only take MBTA buses to work, but also to medical appointments and school, state Rep. Russell E. Holmes, D-6th District, who represents the area on Beacon Hill, said. The reconstruction plan depends on a mix of funds from the city ($18 million), the MBTA ($11 million), and the federal government, the latter coming through a $15 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportations RAISE program, officials said in a statement. Taken together, the massive infusion of public cash will underwrite the design and full reconstruction of Blue Hill Avenue from River Street north to Warren Street, righting decades of disinvestment, officials said. This substantial investment in Blue Hill Avenue is a vital opportunity to make the corridor safer and smoother for the residents and commuters who depend on it daily, Wu said in a statement. From the majority of commuters in Blue Hill Ave. who are stuck in traffic waiting on the bus, to seniors and families who cant safely cross the wide roadway to get where they need to go, weve heard community feedback that improvements are needed for all road users. Short-term improvements aimed at addressing residents immediate concerns about the street and its immediate environs will start this spring, Wus office said. Those improvements include repainting crosswalks, improving street lighting, repaving some damaged sections of the avenue, and installing speed humps in neighborhood streets, officials said. The thoroughfares full reconstruction is expected to start in 2026. Read More: You can find more information about You can find more information about the reconstruction program here The reconstruction effort is the end result of what city officials have described as a yearslong community engagement process that yielded some 2,000 public comments from residents and business owners who spoke out on what they needed from a redesigned Blue Hill Avenue. Officials said Wednesday that they intend to continue working block by block with that same constituency to determine the avenues final design. The reconstruction effort will make public transit travel through this critical artery safer, more efficient, and more reliable for Black, Brown, and low-income riders, Markey said, as it reduces traffic congestion and improves local air quality. Warren offered a similar sentiment, arguing that residents and commuters deserve the safer, greener and more efficient roadway that the $15 million in funding from Washington will help to provide. U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-7th District, whose district includes the Blue Hill Avenue corridor, called the reconstruction project long overdue. The unjust status quo at Blue Hill Ave has got to change, Pressley said, adding that our neighborhoods deserve this kind of generational investment in their health, wealth, and well-being, and I am proud to play a part in the transformation of the corridor. Kevin Canty, who runs Walnut Deluxe Cleaners, a community fixture for more than 60 years, at 700 Blue Hill Ave., said much the same. An overall facelift is long overdue for this community and hopefully will spark a transformation that Ive noticed in other communities similar to my own, throughout the city, Canty said. The coming investments also will mean more people will have reliable and safe transportation into Mattapan Square. Our small business and residents deserve this investment, Boston City Councilmember Enrique Pepen said. Massachusetts consumers already are feeling the squeeze in the check-out line, at the gas pump, and in their home utility bills. So why is now a good time to allow local governments to ask them to pay even more elsewhere? Thats the question state lawmakers weighed, and the policy two senior Healey administration officials were asked to defend, as a joint state House and Senate committee considered a proposal to give municipal governments the ability to hike local taxes on restaurant meals, hotel stays, and cars. Were giving cities and towns options and I stress the word options, Healey administration Budget Czar Matthew Gorzkowicz told the Legislatures Joint Committee on Revenue on Thursday afternoon. Because just like those consumers who are balancing their checkbooks, the Bay States 351 cities and towns also are stretching the buck to fund public schools, pay local cops, and keep the roads paved, Gorzkowicz and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll told lawmakers. What we heard are that local budgets are under serious fiscal pressure. Were asking for additional powers to raise important, non-property tax revenues, Driscoll, who leaned hard on her cred as Salems former elected mayor, told the panel. Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey rolled out the local tax plan during an appearance before municipal leaders in January, arguing that her office was heeding a call to provide multiple reforms that municipal leaders have asked for to improve the services they can provide to their communities and make operations more efficient. Healeys plan, dubbed the Municipal Empowerment Act, could raise as much as $150 million in local revenue if its eventually signed into law, MassLive previously reported. The plan calls for: Allowing municipalities to raise the local meals tax from .75% to 1%. Since it went on the books in 2009, 251 communities have adopted the levy, raising some $175 million in local tax revenue in the 2023 budget year, according to a summary released by Healeys office. Authorizing the creation of a new 5% local option Motor Vehicle Excise tax. Under current law, municipalities currently tax cars at $25 per $1,000 of a cars value. The current levy, which one lawmaker noted is universally loathed by motorists, is nonetheless a money-maker, generating some $950 million a year in revenue as of the 2022 budget year. If its eventually approved, the levy would generate an extra $48 million a year in tax revenue, according to Healeys office. Boosting the states existing lodging tax of up to 6% by 1%, to a maximum of 7% except Boston, where the maximum levy would rise from the current 6.5% to 7.5%. The levy for municipal governments has raised some $317 million in local revenue. Officials in Boston, which is replete with hotels, have estimated that the increase could raise $124.5 million from the tax in the current budget year, The Boston Globe reported. But back to that thorny pocketbook question. State Sen. Susan Moran, D-Plymouth/Barnstable, got right to the heart of the matter, musing whether is this the right time to ask already harried Bay State residents, who are busy enough trying to get the kids to school and themselves to work, to pay more. Driscoll and Gorzkowicz, whod earlier both touted the $1 billion tax cut Healey signed into law last fall, said the local levies would supplement the millions of dollars in aid the state already channels to municipal governments. We know these revenues are not enough theyre not always able to meet every single need communities have, Driscoll said. Rep. David Linsky, D-5th Middlesex, may have been speaking for all drivers when he called the excise tax on cars their most-hated tax. But if the state is going to insist on having one, Linsky said hed like to see the money specifically dedicated to road repair. I don[t see that in the legislation right now, he said. Maybe thats something we should put in there. And wonder if it will be favorably received. Driscoll said the administration could be open to trying to tie it to specific increases, espeically something that has usage in every community. But, she noted, the intent was to let cities and towns to have the flexibility to use those resources. Rep. Erika Uyterhoeven, D-27th Middlesex, told Healeys top deputies that while she appreciated the prospect of more options for local governments, Massachusetts also is awash in institutions of higher learning that both boast huge endowments and are off the local tax rolls. Were at the frontier of the affordable housing crisis. Theres a push against the use of the property tax as a leveler for local budgets, Uyterhoeven, whos sponsoring a bill to tax some nonprofits, told her colleagues. Uyterhoevens proposal got an enthusiastic second from Rep. Jeffrey Turco, D-19th Suffolk, who recommended taxing all universities. Especially with scourge of antisemitism, he said. What I have seen over the last few months, I think we should tax them all. Next Tuesday, March 5, is a big day on the U.S. political calendar. Its Super Tuesday, the day that voters in 15 states, including Massachusetts, and one territory, head to the polls to make their voices heard in the 2024 race for the White House. Early voting for the election started on Saturday in the Bay State. And through Thursday, Secretary of State William L. Galvins office said it had mailed out 754,145 ballots, while 368,594 had been returned. Meanwhile, 31,455 Massachusetts residents had participated in early voting, for a total of 400,049 ballots cast. Thats a turnout rate of 8.1% in the early going, according to Galvins office. And with that in mind: MassLive wants to hear from you. Are you planning to vote in next Tuesdays election. Or are you staying home? Are you backing former President Donald Trump over ex-South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley in the Republican primary. What are the big issues that are driving you out to the polls, or prompting you to cast your mail-in ballot? Let us know by filling out the Google form below. You also can access it directly here. Well publish your responses this Sunday, March 3 on MassLive. All responses to our survey are anonymous. Heres the chance to make your voice heard this primary season. Faced with mounting bills and bed space at beyond a premium, two top Democrats in the state House have said theyre mulling changes to how the state manages its emergency shelter system, as migrants continue to flow into the Bay State, and the prospect of action by Washington becomes ever more remote. Were looking at a billion dollar bill for next year in the midst of declining revenues, do you realize what that will do to us? And so we have to take a look at how we administer this program, state House Speaker Ron Mariano, D-3rd Norfolk, said Wednesday after a closed-door meeting with his fellow Democrats, the Boston Herald reported. Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey has proposed draining a $900 million a state budget account to help meet those mounting costs. Earlier this week, after a meeting with Healey and Senate President Karen Spilka, D-Middlesex/Norfolk, Mariano said the majority-Democrat House had " just taken a look at the proposal, and would continue to review it. Well take a look at how were going to address it. And well continue to talk with the administration, Mariano said. Costs for the states shelter system are expected to sail past $900 million a year for the next two years amid a time of flagging tax collections. The fiscal challenge of meeting that growing need was a central theme of a legislative hearing earlier this month, where Healey and her top aides were peppered with questions over the administrations $58 billion spending plan for the new fiscal year that starts July 1. On Wednesday, House Ways & Means Committee Chairperson Aaron Michlewitz, D-3rd Suffolk, said the House did not want to change the states right-to-shelter law, and would be continuing forward with the statute, according to the Herald. How we manage the (emergency assistance) program going forward, I think is up for discussion. To be able to manage it and make it sufficient and sustainable long-term with no help coming from Washington is certainly going to have to create some, were gonna have to look at some potential changes, Michlewitz said, according to the newspaper. Michlewitz said last November that he expects a $250 million funding injection that lawmakers approved this fall to get the states shelter system through the winter months and into the spring, according to State House News Service. The initial $325 million that state officials allocated for shelter costs in the state budget ran out this month, the wire service reported. When he was asked whether residency requirements or other changes were on the table, Mariano told reporters Wednesday that lawmakers had been talking about a lot of different options, the Herald reported. As of Thursday morning, there were 7,517 in the states emergency shelter system, with 19 new families enrolled within the last 24 hours, according to state data. The House Democrats internal caucus meeting came two days after Healey announced that the state will soon open another emergency overflow site, primarily for migrants, in an office building in Bostons Seaport neighborhood. Reports first emerged earlier this month that the state was eyeing the 92,000-square-foot building in Fort Point, owned by the Unitarian Universalist Association, as a potential site, MassLive previously reported. The news came only days after the state opened an emergency overflow site in Bostons Roxbury neighborhood that quickly filled to capacity. The latest shelter announcement also comes as lawmakers on Capitol Hill struggle to reach agreement on a border security and foreign aid bill that could send badly needed assistance to interior states, such as Massachusetts, that are spending millions of dollars to provide shelter and services to the flood of migrants. Speaking to reporters during a news conference earlier this week, a visibly angry Healey called on Washington to send that assistance, keeping up the drumbeat of criticism shes issued for months on the lack of federal action. So we are we continue to ask for Republicans in Congress to put this country ahead of partisan politics, to find it within their own conscious and, and do what is right, Healey said. Im also not holding out hope Im a realist here. And, you know, the sad reality of what happened [to a prior border bill] is that one former President opened his mouth and killed a deal that was right there, [that was] ready to be voted on by Republicans and Democrats and signed by the president of the United States. It remains the responsibility of Congress to act. SPRINGFIELD The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education celebrated School Superintendent Daniel Warwicks long career with a prestigious award on Wednesday. The Lifetime Achievement Award was given to Warwick one month after he announced he would retire after 48-year career in Springfield schools, which includes 12 years as superintendent. BOSTON Between 2021 and 2022, Bay State police officers generally have not been making traffic stops based on race, although once a stop happens, Black and Hispanic residents are more likely to be searched and arrested, a study by state universities shows. The purpose of the 2021 And 2022 Massachusetts Uniform Citation Data Analysis Report prepared for and released by the states Executive Office of Public Safety and Security was to identify any patterns that indicate racial disparities in traffic stops and to advance the just enforcement of state traffic laws, Terrence Reidy, public safety and security secretary, said in a statement. Could Americans fear and disappointment in the likely rematch between Democratic President Joe Biden and Republican former president Donald Trump be what fuels voter turnout? Several University of Massachusetts Amherst pollsters say so. At Mobile World Congress 2024, Amazon Web Services (AWS) signed separate deals with Malaysian telcos CelcomDigi and Maxis to collaborate on generative AI solutions to improve network operations and develop use cases. Under a Letter of Collaboration signed by CelcomDigi and AWS on Tuesday, CelcomDigi will establish an AI Sandbox using Amazon Bedrock, a managed service that offers high-performing foundation models from AI companies via a single API, along with a broad set of capabilities to build generative AI apps with security, privacy, and responsible AI. CelcomDigis AI Sandbox will be set up in its Innovation Centre for its employees to experiment with, innovate, and implement generative AI solutions for use cases that will be integrated into the operators operational platforms for HR, customer service, legal and finance, among others. The two companies will also collaborate to train CelcomDigi employees on AI capabilities. CelcomDigi also intends to develop and implement Bahasa Melayu language algorithms with Amazons Bedrock Large Language Models (LLM), Amazon Titan and Anthropic Claude, that have deep learning algorithms that can process natural languages. CelcomDigi will use these LLMs to develop solutions such as chatbots to communicate with its linguistically and culturally diverse customer base. CelcomDigi and AWS will also explore deploying personalised generative AI use cases for Malaysian businesses across industries and consumers. With AWS, CelcomDigi can drive new use cases at scale with AI-optimized infrastructure and the flexibility to choose fit-for-purpose foundational models through Amazon Bedrock, said Pete Murray, Country Manager for Malaysia at AWS. This collaboration also accelerates the delivery of new innovative AI services to Malaysian enterprises. Meanwhile, AWS also announced a new collaboration with Maxis to accelerate innovation in generative AI and 5G use cases for Malaysian enterprise customers. Under the collaboration, the two companies will focus on leveraging advanced 5G and generative AI technologies to develop business use cases, targeting the retail, manufacturing, logistics and financial services domains. The collaboration also targets Maxis internal processes, focusing on customer service enhancements and support offerings for enterprise customers to make faster, compelling and more effective business decisions. Maxis said the combined efforts of generative AI integration and LLMs trained to support Bahasa Melayu will also help accelerate the digital transformation journey for more Malaysian businesses. The AWS deal is Maxis second generative AI announcement at MWC2024 this week. On Monday, Maxis said it had expanded its strategic collaboration with Google Cloud by integrating generative AI into its workflow and service offerings. Maxis and Google Cloud will also develop applied generative AI solutions for data analytics and cybersecurity, and extend generative AI skilling opportunities and learnings to Maxis employees. Maxis said it also plans to extend its experience with integrating generative AI to its community programmes, eKelas Usahawan and eKelas, to upskill individuals and school students. Google Cloud also signed an agreement with Indonesian telco Telkomsel at MWC this week under which the operator will integrate enterprise-grade generative AI into its operations and core product offerings for consumers and businesses. Air Mauritius, the national carrier of Mauritius, will operate one weekly flight from Chennai to Mauritius from Saturday 13 April 2024. The flagship carrier of Mauritius is set to operate a weekly flight every Saturday from Chennai, the Capital city of Tamil Nadu, with an Airbus A330 aircraft equipped with 254 seats. Each flight will offer a seamless journey with a duration of 5 hours 45 Minutes from Chennai International Airport, India to SSR International Airport, Mauritius. from Chennai Flights from Chennai as from 13 April 2024 Date Flight Number Routing Time of Departure Time of Departure Saturday MK 747 Chennai- Mauritius 03H35 07H50 Flights from Chennai as from 13 April 2024 from Mauritius Date Flight Number Routing Time of Departure Time of Departure Friday MK 746 Mauritius Chennai 18H30 01H50** Laurent Recoura, Officer in Charge of Air Mauritius stated that, We are pleased to restart our operations from Chennai after four years of absence. Mauritius and India share a special relationship that is built on the foundation of people-to-people ties. With its idyllic sandy beaches, crystal-clear turquoise waters and thriving marine life, visitors can expect to relish in Mauritius natural wonders, as well as its rich cultural heritage, which reflects its history and deep-rooted cultural ties with India. Both countries are united by ancestry, language and geography. Air Mauritius currently operates six times weekly from Mumbai and thrice weekly from Delhi. Mr. Arvind Bundhun, Director of the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority, highlighted the significance of this milestone, stating, The reinstated flight from Chennai to Mauritius is a significant step forward in facilitating travel for visitors from Southern India. We extend our sincere gratitude to Air Mauritius for spearheading this initiative, which not only serves to meet the growing demand for seamless travel experiences but also fosters stronger ties and greater connectivity between our two nations. This renewed connection opens doors to endless possibilities, inviting travelers to explore the unparalleled beauty and hospitality of Mauritius like never before. As from 13 April 2024, passengers will be able to embark on a seamless journey from the vibrant city of Chennai to the idyllic paradise of Mauritius. LANDOWNERS living along the preferred route of the Greenway from Westport to Murrisk have told local councillors that they will not allow the Greenway through their land. A large number of landowners living along the preferred route Greenway route linking Belclare to Murrisk held a public meeting last night where they reiterated their strong opposition to the Greenway going through their land. The four local councillors Peter Flynn (FG), Brendan Mulroy (FF) and the two Independents Christy Hyland and John O'Malley were all in attendance and told that the preferred route option will not be supported. The meeting was chaired by local landowner, Peter Shanley, who told the meeting that the public consultation event organised by Mayo County Council and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) which took place last week was 'insulting' and claimed there has never been any discussion with landowners. What we saw last week was not consultation, it was more like Duffy's circus, it was just a road show and a joke and insulting. This is not consultation, this is bulldozer bureaucracy and Stalinism where they decide they will do something and say it is for your benefit. They are not doing it for us. It will not benefit this community so let's get that straight. They are not consulting, they come in with the jackboot and tell us they are going to take the land from us. That is not consultation, he said. Mr Shanley said as far as he and the local landowners were concerned the best option would be to upgrade the roadway from Westport to Murrisk and incorporate a Greenway along it. We are all in favour of a greenway make no mistake about that but we want it down along the main road where it is already partially built. The main beneficiary will be the community because we will have a better road with a walkway cycleway beside it, he told the meeting which took place in Cronin's Sheebeen Pub & Restaurant in Rosbeg, Westport. The preferred route option will see the Greenway from Westport go off-road via the townlands of Cloonagh, Kiladangan and Deerkpark towards Murrisk and will cut through land at the foot of Croagh Patrick. Landowners told the meeting they were opposed to allowing their strips of land being cut in two while there were also concerns regarding the Greenway going through a flood plain. Mr Shanley asked the local councillors who decided to put a greenway through people's land and if they would support the landowners in opposing the preferred route option Cllr Flynn told the meeting that none of the councillors had any 'hand act or part' in deciding the route and will have no part in any of the process. He explained that the preferred route would be his preferred option but advised the landowners to sit down with the engineers and consultants and point out their concerns. Cllr Hyland advised the landowners to form a committee and engage in the process with the engineers. Local Independent election candidate, Chris Maxwell told the meeting that there was no commonsense in bringing the greenway through people's land and said it should be brought along the sea. Cllr Mulroy said it was clear that the landowners were against the preferred route and that they should have been consulted with in the beginning. The last thing we need is division and I see people who are emotional. We need to be united going forward and anything we can do to make that greenway happen we will do but it will be on your terms, he said. Cllr John O'Malley said he was 100 percent behind the landowners in opposing the Greenway as he understands the feelings farmers have for their land. I tell you we are not going to let this greenway go through and spoil the lovely village that is tranquil and quiet. It is not right that anyone should come in and infringe on anyone else's land. If someone comes down and tries to come through our land well I tell you something you will never see a war in Ukraine like it and that is for sure. It won't happen, he said. Cllr O'Malley also challenged the other councillors to say they will vote against the route if it comes before the council for approval. However, Cllr Flynn said that it is likely the project will go before An Bord Pleanala for approval and they will have no say. The vision of the newly launched Plean Teanga Acla is to make the use of the Irish language an everyday feature in the parish of Achill and used by both young and old. Minister of State for the Gaeltacht, Patrick ODonovan TD, travelled to the Achill Gaeltacht this morning to officially launch Plean Teanga Acla which is a seven year Irish language plan to promote the use of Achill Irish in the parish. The launch took place in Ostan Oilean Acla and was also attended by Minister of State, Dara Calleary and Tomas O Siochain , CEO of Udaras na Gaeltachta and a wide section of the local community. As part of the 2012 Gaeltacht Act, Gaeltacht communities are obliged to prepare and implement a language plan. Plean Teanga Acla was drawn up after engaging actively with the community and it reflects the community's opinions, suggestions, recommendations and views on the Irish language. Achill has its own unique local Irish dialect, 'Gaeilg' Acla' and much of the vision of the plan is to nurture, promote and keep the dialect alive for future generations to use. As part of the plan, Colm MacEachmharcaigh was appointed as Achill's first Oifigeach Pleanala Teanga (Language Development Officer) in May 2022 and has been developing the language by organising activities and classes and supports for people trying to learn and build up the Irish speaking community. He acknowledged that the language has been in decline in the parish but believes that attitudes are changing and there is momentum building to reverse that decline. There was a long period when there was a reduction in the language when emigration played a big part. It was seen for a long time as an old fashioned thing and if you were going to America or England you needed English and that took a long time to shake off. I feel like the tide has turned and it is on the way back and people are recognising what it means to us and how valuable it is to us to have our own dialect and history and tradition that goes with that, he said. The launch was attended by pupils from the six national schools in the Achill parish as well as the pupils from the local secondary school, Colaiste Pobail Acla. Colm stressed that to grow the language the young people have to play an active part. Schools are the foundation stone of the whole thing and there is brilliant work going on in the schools. Having them here today and hearing them chatting away in Irish and getting stuck into music and being happy to perform gives up a bit of hope and a lift. The long term plan is to have Irish as part of our daily lives. There are a number of people doing it and to make it as close to 100 percent as we can. There are challenges because English pushes in from everywhere. It can be difficult to get everyone to make the effort together so no doubt there are challenges but you have to face them one by one and try to overcome them and keep the positivity going, he said. Minister O'Donavan said he was delighted to be invited to launch Plean Teanga Acla and commended the local Coiste Pleanala Teanga GaeilgAcla for their hard work in drawing up the plan. He said that as with all other plans currently being implemented, opportunities will be provided for the plan to be central in the additional efforts required to ensure that the Irish language continues to thrive for future generations. The launch of Seachtain na Gaeilge in Mayo which runs from Friday, March 1 to Sunday, March 17 also took place in Ostan Oilean Acla. Colman O Raghallaigh of Conradh na Gaeilge said he was delighted to be in Achill for the launch and that there will be a number of events planned for the next fortnight to encourage people to use the Irish language. Achill-based harpist Laoise Kelly who helped launch Seachtain na Gaeilge admitted that growing up she hated Irish going to school but she grew to love it through music and is now delighted to speak it when she can in Achill. More information about Seachtain na Gaeilge is available on the website, www.snag.ie. RARE Disease Day 2024 takes place today (Thursday), February 29. Held on the last day of February each year, this global event aims to raise awareness and generate change for the 300 million people worldwide living with a rare disease, their families and carers. Rare Ireland is the voice for families living with rare conditions in Ireland, offering understanding and support, and advocating for those affected by rare diseases. Chatting to The Mayo News, Westport native Selina Neal, a member of the Rare Ireland committee, explained that Rare Disease Day is basically about creating awareness, adding that its a day that we really like to celebrate. Many fundraising events have been taking place to raise awareness for the day, including cold-water dips, coffee mornings and a skydive by parents and committee members. Rare Ireland, a parent-run charity, was established in 2017 by two mothers, Laura Egan and Louise OKeefe, after they experienced a lack of support and information when their children were diagnosed with rare conditions. They were two parents who felt that they were given a diagnosis of their childs rare condition and that was it, Selina said. They were sent out with no more information, no help whatsoever, not knowing what the future is going to bring. So they set up a Facebook group to begin with. It was just kind of trying to help other parents who were going through the same thing. And from that its developed into a charity thats able to help she explained. Rare Ireland has a board of trustees that manages the charity in accordance with the principles set out in our constitution. Our committee also consists of several trustees and currently has 12 parents, all of whom contribute on a voluntary basis, to support our members and raise awareness of the many challenges facing the rare community. Were supporting almost 1,700 families across Ireland, and thats done through one-on-one support. The charity provides subsidies for different therapies, as these can be very expensive. They also can have very long waiting lists, with many waiting for years before getting to see someone. The organisation also offers genetic counselling from a top consultant, Dr Anand Saggar, who frequently comes over from the UK to provide genetic counselling for members, subsidised by Rare Ireland. This genetic counselling can help families understand their childs diagnosis and come to grips with it quicker. Information vacuum SELINA was one of these parents left with no information after diagnosis. Her eight-year-old daughter, Maya, was diagnosed with Beckwith-Wiedemann Syndrome (BWS) at birth. When I was pregnant with Maya, she said, we didnt really know anything. I was going, Somethings not right here, and I basically got told by doctors, Well, your last baby was fine, so this baby will be fine, which is probably the worst statement you could say to anyone. Maya was arrived into the world through an emergency Cesarean section in 2015. She was born with an extremely large, protruding, tongue, and it looked like there was a line drawn down the centre of her body, and half of her body was larger than the other. Shortly after birth, little Maya was taken to the baby unit due to low glucose levels. Selina said she and Mayas dad, Michael, didnt know anything about rare diseases and had only been informed about more common conditions, such as Down syndrome. However, Selina added, they were lucky that Maya had very clinically obvious features, and when she was just a few hours old, they were told that doctors believed she had BWS and she was transferred to Temple Street Childrens Hospital. Maya spent the first five weeks of her life in Temple Street, and still Selina and her family knew nothing. No one could tell me anything about it, she recalled. We did see a geneticist who explained a bit about it, but there wasnt really any information. We didnt know any other parents. We didnt know who to get in touch with, where to go or what to do. None of this information was given. That was a really hard time for us. We struggled. There were an awful lot of questions. Did we do this? Did we do something wrong? Is there something we could do to fix this? Ms Neal says they were on that journey for a few years until they managed to find support networks in the UK and America. Now, nearing her ninth birthday, Maya is a pretty healthy kid a little diva, her mum said with a laugh. Invaluable support BWS is an overgrowth syndrome, where one side (or parts) of the body grows faster, but Mayo also has other conditions, including tumours and hyperinsulism. Shes been through a bit now; she had tumours when she was about eight months old. Shes had a couple of surgeries, explained Selina. Thats something weve been monitoring her entire life. Like, shes been out of hospital checking for scans for tumours, and shes been out checking for her glucose levels and all that. So its just an ongoing thing with her, but shes a really happy, healthy little person. Rare Ireland has become an invaluable source of support to its members. The aim is to create as much awareness and support as possible for families around Ireland something Selina didnt exactly have. There are so many different conditions in our group, and our big thing is, even if a condition isnt exactly the same, a lot of them have similar features, characteristics and issues that another parent has been through, and theyre able to provide the support and information for other families. The charity doesnt just offer financial support, it also offers invaluable mental support. Families living with rare conditions face many prolonged hospital stays, creating many challenges. To help lift their spirits, Rare Ireland also sends gift boxes and care packages to the hospital. People can support Rare Disease Day and Rare Ireland by sharing stories, hosting events and donating. Theres also an international Light Up for Rare Disease Day initiative, which aims to create a global chain of green, purple and pink lights shining from homes and public buildings across the world. We always need support, Selina said, adding that all donations to Rare Ireland go directly towards helping families across the country. While we wish they didnt need to exist at all, charities like these, helping families like Selinas, are so important. This Thursday, think about what you might be able to do to help the cause. To find out more information or to make a donation, visit Rare Irelands website, rareireland.ie, or its Facebook and Instagram pages. The Ray Leonard Players from Claremorris will set out on their All-Ireland Drama Festival Circuit journey this week, with their first outing at Tubbercurry Drama Festival on tomorrow, Friday night, March 1. This year, the award-winning team will stage Patricia Burke Brogans powerful drama, 'Eclipsed' a show that will have audiences laughing and crying in equal measure. The group will continue to travel across the west and beyond throughout the month of March, participating in eight festivals along the way and hoping to secure a place in the All-Ireland Confined Finals. Outlined by a present-day prologue and epilogue, the play is set in 1963 in a convent laundry at St Paul's Home for Penitent Women in Killmacha, Ireland. Eclipsed explores the poignant and sometimes humorous story of young pregnant, unwed mothers consigned to work as 'penitents' in church-run laundries. Supervised by nuns, these women were treated as virtual slaves and their infants were forcibly put up for adoption. After seeing the goings on in the laundries as a young novice, playwright Patricia Burke Brogan decided to highlight the plight of these women, and Eclipsed was one of the first plays to tell the story of the Magdalene Laundries. A stellar cast has been put in place for Eclipsed, with Brigit Murphy played by Sonja Stevens, Cathy McNamara played by Karen Hahessy, Nellie-Nora Langan by Andrea Silke, Mandy Prenderville by Una Monahan, Juliet Mannion by Grainne Hahessy, Sister Virginia by Aishling Costello, Mother Victoria by Lisa Dowd-Hynes, and Rosa/Caroline played by Jenny Carney. Alongside an excellent cast, the production team is headed up by Anne Fahey as Director, with Billy Freeley on lighting, Dave Donnellan and Mary Murphy on sound, and Mary Esler as Production Co-ordinator. Again this year, John Fallon and Claremorris Mens Shed have done an excellent job in Set Design and Construction, while some of the stars of last years show Tim Oates, Robert Holden and Alan Heneghan have come on board as Stage Managers. Annie Moore is on Costumes/Props, with John Russell and Joseph Fahey as Stage Crew. The Ray Leonard Players enjoyed great success in 2023, finishing fourth overall in the All-Ireland Full Length Confined Finals last April, and winning the All-Ireland Confined One-Act Drama Final in December. Of course, The Ray Leonard Players was established to honour and perpetuate the memory of the late Ray Leonard, who was synonymous with drama across the west of Ireland throughout his life. Ray who passed away in 2005 was a director, producer and mentor who made an outstanding contribution to drama, musicals and stagecraft. For the cast and crew of Eclipsed, March is shaping up to be a very busy month, beginning this Friday night, March 1, with a performance in Tubbercurry. Next stop is at Roscommon Drama Festival on Tuesday, March 5, with the Charleville Drama Festival on Saturday, March 9, Ballyshannon Drama Festival on Wednesday, March 13 and Claregalway Festival of Drama on Saturday, March 16. The Ray Leonard Players will be at home, performing at Claremorris Drama and Fringe Festival on Tuesday, March 19, in Glenamaddy Theatre Festival on Tuesday, March 26, and will finish the circuit run in Scariff at Clare Drama Festival on Thursday, March 28. Pictured above are the cast of Eclipsed from The Ray Leonard Players in Claremorris. Back, from left: Aishling Costello (Sister Virginia), Grainne Hahessy (Juliet Mannion), Karen Hahessy (Cathy McNamara), Una Monahan (Mandy Prenderville), Sonja Stevens (Brigit Murphy), and Lisa Dowd-Hynes (Mother Victoria). Front, from left: Andrea Silke (Nellie-Nora Langan), and Jenny Carney (Rosa/Caroline). Mayo Sinn Fein TD, Rose Conway-Walsh has said that the current Defective Concrete Block scheme is another government housing failure and needs to be changed to enable families to rebuild their homes and their lives. Speaking after a Oireachtas Housing Committee this week that heard from effected homeowners from Mayo, Donegal and Clare, teachta Conway-Walsh said: People should be rebuilding their homes and moving on with their lives and not be forced to go to Dublin to push the government to deliver a redress scheme that works at this late stage. There have been so many false dawns for individuals and families effected by Pyrite and Mica. In Mayo we have been fighting for over a decade for a redress scheme that works for everyone. This week we heard how many of the so called enhancements are just delaying mechanisms and that many people are still financially excluded, and others are struggling in a dysfunctional scheme. Deputy Conway-Walsh added that people on the older scheme are being disadvantaged despite promises from the government. We heard how SEAI grants have effectively stalled for people in the defective block scheme. The government still have no system in place with the Banks as they will not lend against houses that are affected by defective blocks and people struggle to get top ups on their mortgages. This means many people have no way of accessing the working capital they need to start the rebuild. Effectively locking them out of the scheme. There is still no certainty around whether engineers will be able to sign off on the works being undertaken which will have huge knock-on effects for insurance, mortgages, and reselling. Sinn Fein warned the government that their scheme would not deliver the redress needed. Sinn Fein stands ready to work with the government to make the reforms needed to finally end this nightmare that so many people in Mayo are facing, she concluded. Gardai found just under 335,000 worth of Xanax tablets in a secret, lead-lined compartment under the floor of a Renault van at Dublin Port last summer, a court has heard. The tablets, also known as Alprazolam, were discovered when gardai pulled up the floor carpet of the van which arrived from Manchester on July 4 last year. Dublin man Conor Kealy (42) was sentenced to four and a half years in prison after he pleaded guilty to importing controlled drugs on the date in question. Kealy of Gleann na hEorna, Springfield, Tallaght, Dublin 24, told gardai he didnt know what was in the compartment. Passing sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on Wednesday, February 28, Judge Martin Nolan accepted that Kealy had been transporting the drugs to alleviate his own drug debt. Judge Nolan said although 167,000 tablets was a large quantity of drugs, Kealys level of culpability was at the lower end of the scale. He backdated the sentence to the date of the offence last July when Kealy went into custody. A prosecuting garda told Sinead McMullan BL for the State that Kealy was driving a small Renault Kangu van when he was stopped at Dublin Port at 6am in the morning. Kealy told gardai he had travelled to the United Kingdom the previous week and was working in cladding. During a search of the van, gardai pulled up the carpet and found a hidden compartment, lead-lined to avoid detection, containing tablets valued at 334,950. Kealy cooperated with gardai but said he hadnt known what was in the compartment. He has 21 previous convictions, all from the District Court, including two for drugs offences. The garda agreed with Dominic McGinn SC, defending, that Kealy was a vulnerable person with no trappings of wealth who had struggled with addiction since his teens. Mr McGinn said his client had a sad childhood, with his father dying when he was very young and his mother dying when he was 21. He had been his mothers sole carer for the last year of her life, the court heard. Kealy started smoking cannabis at the age of 11 and was on heroin by 16. He moved to Canada for a year after his mother died but continued to struggle with addiction the court heard. Counsel said Kealy was in fear for himself and his family over his drug debt, which was the major catalyst for this offence. The court heard Kealy is doing well in prison and has adapted well to life in custody. Colombian local connectivity service provider INRED and global satellite operator SES have kicked off a project to deliver high-throughput satellite services for the Ministry of Information and Communication Technologies (MinTic) to support digital inclusion projects across the country. Under the project, called "Zonas Comunitarias para la Paz", INRED will use SESs Managed Enterprise service delivered via its high throughput SES-17 and SES-14 geostationary satellites to connect 300 new sites in remote, sparsely-populated areas. As part of the project, INRED will provide free Wi-Fi services to historically unconnected areas across Colombia via SESs satellites. This will allow INRED to quickly deliver broadband services to 300 sparsely-populated areas that cannot be reached by fibre terrestrial networks, with the ability to easily scale up capacity in the future if needed. INRED and SES have been collaborating with the Colombian government for the last six years, and have connected more than 2,000 sites in some of the most hard-to-reach areas of the country. We have previously enabled INRED to connect nearly one million people in 1300 sites across Colombia with Wi-Fi access, said Omar Trujillo, VP of Enterprise Americas at SES. By expanding our collaboration with INRED, we can bring more technology-based services to more people across the region to help them take advantage of tools and resources that can help generate new opportunities. SES's Managed Enterprise Service is a turnkey managed service designed to enable customers to deliver ultra-reliable, high-performance broadband services to any remote business site. SES said it can install VSATs quickly, allowing INRED to meet the aggressive timelines for completing the project. SESs satellite technologies provide INRED with the ability to easily scale up capacity to meet MinTics requirements, while reducing the overall cost and complexity of bringing connectivity to more rural and isolated areas of Colombia, says INRED CEO John Urena. by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, February 28, 2024 A California state lawmaker has introduced a bill that would require browser developers to offer a tool that would easily allow consumers to opt out of online behavioral advertising throughout the web. Assembly Bill 3048, quietly unveiled earlier this month by California Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal (D-69th District), would prohibit businesses from developing or maintaining web browsers that lack an opt-out preference setting. The best known current opt-out preference signal is the Global Privacy Control -- a mechanism created by privacy advocates to enable consumers to reject all sharing of online data for ad purposes. That type of setting automatically conveys an opt-out request to every site a user visits. Without such a setting, consumers who want to reject behaviorally targeted ads can click on individual companies' opt-out links one-by-one, or can use a tool created by an ad industry organization to opt out of behavioral targeting by a broader range of companies. advertisement advertisement In December, California's privacy agency called for legislation mandating that browser developers offer a tool like the Global Privacy Control. Ashkan Soltani, executive director of the state's privacy agency, praised Lowenthal's bill. All Californians have the right to object to the sale and sharing of their personal information via opt-out preference signals, but most Californians are unable to avail themselves of these important rights because the tools they use to navigate online do not communicate their privacy preferences, Soltani stated earlier this week. Its high time these vendors let consumers take full advantage of their rights. California's privacy law gives consumers the right to reject cross-context behavioral advertising -- meaning ads served based on activity across different sites. That law has been interpreted as requiring companies to honor opt-out requests that consumers transmit through browser-based tools -- referred to in state regulations as opt-out preference signals. Other states including Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Montana and Texas have recently passed laws or regulations requiring companies to honor universal opt-out mechanisms. Some developers, including Mozilla, Brave and Duck Duck Go have already built the Global Privacy Control into their browsers. Apple used to include a do-not-track setting in Safari, but disabled the setting in 2019 due to concerns that ad-tech companies would harness the signal for device fingerprinting -- a tracking technique that identifies users based on characteristics of their browsers. Google's Chrome doesn't include the specific Global Privacy Control setting, but has long had a do-not-track setting, which sends a no-tracking request to all websites consumers visit. The California privacy agency has suggested that this older do-not-track command isn't equivalent to an "opt-out preference signal," but it's not clear whether other state officials will agree -- or whether Google could tweak the do-not-track command so that it could serve as an opt-out preference signal. Effective March 15, Fleischer will be based in Atlanta, the companys North American headquarters. She replaces Lea Anderson, who left the automaker in October after a year in the position. Fleischer joins PCNA after four years at Infiniti USA, where she most recently served as director, Infiniti customer experience and training, and previously held the role of general manager Infiniti global strategy, transformation office and presidents office in Yokohama, Japan. She is charged with shaping the automaker's future direction "as we strive to ensure every customer experience is exceptional, said Timo Resch, president and CEO, PCNA, in a release. More than a decade spent working in the U.S. means Christine joins us already with extensive knowledge of our market." advertisement advertisement Fleischer previously spent 16 years at BMW AG in Germany and the United States. She held senior roles for BMW M performance division and led the BMW i electric vehicle team as electrification was introduced to the U.S. market. She was charged with developing an operational excellence strategy to support sustainable growth and customer delight. She holds a Master of Arts degree from Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich. I am an enthusiast at heart, and the opportunity to join Porsche Cars North America fulfills a long-held ambition, Fleischer says in a release. by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, February 29, 2024 An Illinois resident can proceed with a claim that Meta Platforms violated the Illinois biometric privacy law by capturing her voiceprint when she used Messenger to make audio calls or send text messages she had dictated, a federal judge ruled this week. The decision, handed down by U.S. District Court Judge Susan Illston in the Northern District of California, stems from a class-action complaint brought last year by Natalie Delgado (formerly Turck), who alleged in that Meta collected users' voiceprints without obtaining their written consent. She accused Meta of violating the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act, which prohibits companies from collecting voiceprints, retinal scans, fingerprints, scans of facial geometry, and other biometric identifiers from state residents without their permission. advertisement advertisement That law doesn't define the term voiceprint. Delgado alleged that Meta updated its privacy policy in January 2023 to disclose that it may have collected users' voice recordings at some time in the previous 12 months. That updated provision also said those voice recordings may be used to identify you, according to the complaint. Her complaint also referenced a patent awarded to Meta in 2020 for a method of identifying social networking users based on their voices. Meta urged Illston to dismiss the lawsuit at an early stage for several reasons. Among other arguments, Meta said the allegations, even if proven true, wouldn't show that the company collected voiceprints, as opposed to voice recordings. The company specifically urged Illston to rule that neither its patent for a voice identification system nor the reference in its 2023 privacy policy to collecting voice recordings provides plausible support for the allegation that Meta has collected any voiceprints. The existence of a patent does not indicate that the owner practices the covered invention, Meta wrote in a motion filed last October with Illston. The company added that its privacy policy merely reflects -- consistent with Metas disclosure obligations under California law -- that Meta may collect a voice recording -- not a voiceprint -- from users of its services. Illston rejected those arguments for now, but said company could raise them again at a later stage of the proceedings. "The court ... finds it is proper to consider plaintiff's allegations regarding the privacy notice and the patents in ruling on the motion to dismiss," Illston wrote. Voice recordings which may be used to identify a person are more than mere 'voice recordings,' Illston continued, adding that Meta could challenge the relevance of its 2023 privacy policy after there was a more complete factual record. She also said statements in the patent awarded to Meta were sufficient to infer -- for now -- that it collects voiceprints. Whether or not Meta actually practices the technology described in the voiceprint patents may be appropriately litigated down the line, she wrote. While the ruling went against Meta on the key issue in the case, Illston did dismiss some of the claims in the complaint -- including a claim that the company failed to adequately protect users' biometric data -- but said Delgado could beef up her allegations and refile those counts. Meta hasn't yet responded to MediaPost's request for comment. Trusted Source List of Rare Diseases | Go to source Trusted Source Genetic Research Centre (GRC) - Timely Therapeutic Interventions for Rare Diseases Enhancing the availability of genetic testing and counseling services for rare diseases will facilitate early diagnosis and timely intervention. #rarediseases #worldrarediseaseday Did You Know? The recently established Genetic Research Centre (GRC) will evaluate clinically abnormal instances of rare pediatric diseases and trace the origins of undiagnosed genetic disorders. List of Rare Diseases - (https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/) To address the challenges posed by rare diseases in the nation, the ICMR's National Institute for Research in Reproductive and Child Health (ICMR-NIRRCH) declared its initiative to provide complimentary genetic testing and counseling services.) are typically chronic and progressive medical conditions that pose life-threatening risks to those affected.according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW).Genetic Research Centre (GRC) also aims to facilitate timely therapeutic interventions and provide critical support for both patients and their families. The centre also holds approval under Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act, 1994 (PCPNDT) to conduct genetic counselling and testing. While the GRC is currently offering its services in Maharashtra, people with rare diseases from other parts of the country can avail the services, ICMR-NIRRCH said.Strengthening access to genetic testing and counselling for rare diseases will pave the way for their early diagnosis and timely intervention, helping improve the health and wellbeing of some of the most vulnerable sections of society. This is a revolutionary step that can transform several lives, especially young lives in the country, said Dr. Geetanjali Sachdeva, Director, ICMR-NIRRCH, in a statement.With no approved treatment for 95 percent of rare diseases, the diagnosis of rare diseases is challenging. While early genetic testing is key, diagnosis is conducted through a distinctive blend of clinical and laboratory methods, including cytogenetic, biochemical, and molecular approaches.At present, the centre is providing its services to around 570 families yearly, covering genetic conditions during infancy, childhood, and adolescence, as well as for reproductive difficulties faced by couples.Our centre is working to address a critical public health concern. By reaching out to special schools, hospitals and the public, we are striving to raise awareness around rare diseases and enhance uptake of essential testing and counselling. In doing so, we aim to mitigate the societal burden of these diseases and realize the national goal of a healthy society, with universal access to healthcare services, said Dr. Shailesh Pande, Medical Geneticist and Head GRC, in the statement.Source-IANS Bob Cordery explains why he believes George Washington was the greatest leader of all time Leadership is something that many aspire to, but few achieve in full measure. It has been defined as being a combination of charisma, integrity, determination, flexibility, resourcefulness, creativity, self-confidence, a sense of responsibility, the ability to communicate, and consistency. George Washington had all these qualities, and it is therefore somewhat ironic that although he was truly a great leader, he never aspired to be one. Washingtons greatness can be judged by the way in which he fulfilled three important roles during the foundation and early years of the United States; Firstly, as commander in chief of the Continental Army, secondly as president of the Constitutional Convention, and thirdly as the first President of the country. Washington was unanimously elected by the delegates to the Continental Congress to command all the continental forces, raised, or to be raised for the defence of American liberty. on June 15, 1775. The reasons given can be gleaned from the writings of those who were there, and in the main they appear to be George Washingtons character, his trustworthiness, and his reputation as being the best colonial military commander. Washington created the Continental Army; his organisational and administrative skills, coupled with the trust of his citizen soldiers, enabled him to weld them into a fighting force able to take on the British and win. Had it not been for Washington, a large part of the Continental Army would have left at the end of their enlistments just after the Battle of Trenton, and his leadership on the battlefield was never better demonstrated than at the Battle of Monmouth, when he took command and not only stopped the American retreat but forced the British to fall back to New York. In the end, Washingtons determination to win the war was greater than that of the British not to lose it. As president of the Constitutional Convention, George Washington exhibited the same leadership qualities he had shown on the battlefield, and it is little wonder that his ideas a written constitution, a strong union with an elected legislature, an executive with the power to enforce the rule of law, the supremacy of national laws over state laws, and the creation of a permanent army controlled by the civil power became central to the creation of the United States. It is small wonder, therefore, that Washington was unanimously elected to be the first President of the United States of American, and that four years later he was re-elected. But in some ways Washingtons true greatness can be measured by what happened afterwards. He retired to his estate at Mount Vernon to resume his career as a farmer and, with the exception of a short period when President John Adams asked him to serve as commander-in-chief of the United States Army, Washington took no further part in national affairs. Only a truly great leader would have done that. Voting is now closed Why you voted for George Washington My hero is George Washington. Unfortunately, Washingtons name has become so familiar that we forget what a great person he was. He commanded a ragtag army of volunteers against what was then the mightiest force in the world: the British empire. He did so not from the comfort of a Manhattan townhouse, but from shared quarters in the frozen fields of Valley Forge. Paul His leadership managed to fight a far more superior better trained army because of passion and the need for freedom from the crown. Adrian Alexander, Caesar, or Napoleon could have beaten him on the battlefield, but Washington was the most principled of all of them. Not simply power hungry, he voluntarily relinquished command after defeating the greatest military power of the day, and declined to rule his new country as king. Scott Successfully transitioned the American people from hereditary to electoral rule. By stepping down after his second term ended, he set a precedent for a peaceful transfer of power that did not depend on a leaders lifespan. M. He could have been a king, instead became the first president of what would become the greatest modern nation. He was a brilliant general who fought against The military superpower at the time with Militia and won. He also chopped down a cherry tree. Steve George Washington was the first President of the United States and he will always be remembered and was a hard act to follow Richard George W. risked his neck to lead a ragtag militia to a victory that inspired revolutions all over the world (France to name one) and then became president. A job he promptly quit and went back to become a wealthy farmer again just like nothing happened. He was already wealthy, he didnt want the power or fame. Most of the other canidates here wanted to be king or even a God. Andy He called morality a necessary spring of popular government. I WOULD PERHAPS ADD ACCOUNTABILITY TO THAT STATEMENT.. HE BELIEVED IN A PERFECT UNION. AND DROVE THE BRITISH OUT OF AMERICA TO GAIN INDEPENDANCE Philip Acclaimed as the father of his country he developed the forms and rituals of government that have been used ever since, and built a strong, well-financed national government that avoided war, suppressed rebellion and won acceptance among Americans of all types. he is the man!!!! Michelle He was the first president of USA and in my opinion the best. A National Treasure that no-one will forget Emma Even through adversity and almost being replaced Washington never faltered. Without him the greatest nation on earth would not be as we know it. Dylan His example set the standards for future US leaders. Mike Founded one of the most powerful countries in the modern world, and fough against large odds. Chris In all reality the biggest underdog fight in history, is England against the Colonys. Therefore to win when at a disadvantage you must have an exceptional leader, or the best. It was nearly impossible to wage war on the country who supplies you with weapons, and with boats, and horses, and everything. Tyler Against great odds he bravely fought and succeeded which resulted in the worlds first truly democratic country. Andrew Was the presence that molded a small number of ill-equipped militia into a force that defeated the greatest power on earth at the time. After securing the military victory, he had the foresight to realize that US leaders should not be in office for life, as he declined being named / elected such office and left it for others to continue after his 2 terms of service. Paul In my opinion the Greatest Leader of all time would have to go to Jesus. But since hes not on the list I vote for George washington as the best all around leader. Coming from the bottom up was not handed some special birth right kingdom or prince of any kind and rose up to become the founding father of the greatest nation in the world not only in military might , Technology, but ideas that have spread across the world people from all over the world come to America because of freedom because of a dream that can become real cause one man stood up and lead a new nation or should i say colonies and united them to go on and achieve what no other country would even think would be possible at the time the birth of an independent and powerful nation. These top 3 leaders u guys got posted on there did not measure up to george Washington. Yeah, they might of lead larger armies or had more battles and so on but he not only lead in the battle field but also created from nothing a new form of government which is still to this day the best form of government in the world and am guessing will continue to be till one day a global government is created. Raymond Washington is great because he knew how to give up power for the greater good of his nation Arthur Although his early military campaigns did not succeed, George Washington was able to overcome the early failures and lead a ragtag group to relative success over the British empire. He negotiated treaties and then when the war ended, he voluntarily stepped down from power. He reluctantly agreed to take on the mantle of leadership again as president, but despite all of this, he remained humble to the end. Howard I believe he is the greatest simply because he had no initial intention of becoming such a great leader, because those who fight for power usually end up abusing that power, this is my opinion. James He wasnt the greatest general but was tenacious and he was a very wise president who set the standard for nearly 100 years (and beyond for some people). If I had choices not on your survey Id probably choose either Genghis Khan or Solomon. David George Washington won a war that, by all accounts, he should not have won. He was fighting against an enemy who had superior training, equipment, and numbers, and yet, he led 13 colonies who were not even united yet to their independence. Even after this amazing feat, he became the first president, who set precedents that almost every president to this day has followed. He pulled a few small British colonies together into a nation that would one day become the greatest superpower in the world. And, throughout all of this, he never wanted to be the leader of this nation, and yet, he did so anyway, because he knew that he was the most qualified to be the leader who all future presidents would look to as the model leader. William George Washington wasnt a very talented general in warfare, but what he lack in military strategy he made up in courage. He would inspire soldiers to fight for him for the sake liberty. There was no one at the present time that could fill his status at that time. For without Washington I dont think the United States would have existed. Michael When Washington was the President of the United States, he had the opportunity to remain permanent, since many Americans wanted him to. His wisdom and intelligence led him to say no to this, since he knew that to do so would be counter to all the Americans had just fought for. Kurt He did not get full of himself. Zach I truly admire this man Rafal Whereas most leaders had a vast empire to lead, Washington had to make do with a makeshift army of farmers. Mark George Washington was not only a great general who fought the most powerful nation of his time and succeeded, but he developed guerrilla warfare and as the first president of the United States he set forth a strong tradition for other presidents to follow. Adrian After leading the underdog Americans to victory, he could have taken over the country, and could have ruled as King. Instead he step down, and stepped aside; which established the model for future US Presidents. Leo Washington was a combination of a soldiers General, and a capable diplomat, with a drive to succeed and not let those beneath him down. He did not crave power or influence, but rather shied away from it. Larry Because he could have been King of America, but instead chose to make the U.S. a democracy thereby ensuring that the great experiment (democracy) would flourish. Ben Washingtons part in creating a new nation and then stepping down from all that power laying at his feet. This character trait gives Washington the edge in my book. Matthew Voluntarily gave up power after two terms setting a precedent for peaceful transition of power. Kurt George Washington is the greatest, because he alone knows that for an empire to be truly great, it cannot be confined to himself. George Washington, at his peak days, could have became president of America for many many terms, perhaps even for life, like many dictators would do. Instead, he refused to run for third term, and starting the trend (later to become law) that presidents serve only two terms. Steven George Washington was a brilliant military strategist who helped liberate his fellow peoples from THE world superpower of the day. In addition, upon gaining independence, Washington could have ruled with absolute power. His virtuosity to abstain from that power makes him the greatest leader. Alexander would have been my choice for best military leader. Jonathan George Washington was not the great military leader, like Augustus, Alexander, or many others on the list. But every other leader on the list ruled. While there were great moments in each leaders civilization they were undoutedly despots. Washington, however, governed; and only for 8 years. What makes his so remarkable is even while he was the most popular man in America in the 1790s and could have easily been president as long as he pleased, he stepped down to allow the next generation of Americans to govern themselves. Knowing full well the legacy he was leaving, one that didnt involve monarchy. Andrew George Washington was a great general and statesman, but there are probably others on the list that were as good as or better. What makes Washington such a good leader is this: He had the chance to become a tyrant, but instead he resigned his post and really wanted to live peacefully, away from politics. But instead he stepped up to lead the young United States through its first few years. He gave up his power and avoided turning America into a dictatorship. As George III said, If he does that, he will be the greatest man in the world. Caleb Not only was General George Washington a fighter and leader in the American Revolution he also set the bar for all following presidents. Such greatness is obvious in modern texts, but also in the fact that many in his own time wanted him to be King! His refusal of absolute power and his understanding of the greatness in liberty and self determination by the people is what many civilizations have striven for in their leaders. Jason Not only was George Washington an inspiration to everyone in the country he is on of the only leaders in history to voluntarily give up their power and set a great precedent for American presidents that prevented any one president from being in power for too long, if only we had term limits for Congress. Michael George Washington overcame political and military challenges. Moving troops, timing, and giving then taking ground was brilliant. The country that he helped form is still standing strong and he was wise enough to step away from power and let the people lead themselves. Ken Led an obviously and painfully underequipped and undertrained group of rebels to victory against the worlds undisputed superpower. Andrew George Washington is the father of the United States of America, which is the greatest country in the world. The USA is the first country to put men on the moon. Before this decade is out, the USA will sending men (along with new advanced science equipment) to the moon again (this time the spacecraft will land close to one of the poles). It is the USA where the internet was started. If not for the internet, this contest for which I am now a contestant could not exist right now. I also predict that the USA will be the first country to have human beings set foot on the planet Mars. Before GW was our first president, he was a general, and before that, he rose through the ranks of the military as results of his merit. The United States of America was an underdog in the war known as the American Revolution. Had it not been for the brilliance and bravery of General George Washington, the USA and all previously mentioned achievments might not exist right now. The United States of America is not a perfect country. No country is. I am not a perfect human being. No human being is. Human beings are corruptable. Power is one of the things that can corrupt. Absolute power can corrupt absolutely. The Constitution of the USA has checks and balances that can prevent power from corrupting too much. Although GW did not sign the Declaration of Independence or the Articles of Confederation, GW was involved with creating and did sign the US Constitution. In short, once again, George Washinton as the father of the greatest country in the world is the greatest leader of all time. John Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin said Wednesday that the service is investigating the suicide of an airman who set himself on fire in front of the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C., this week to protest ongoing violence in Gaza. Meanwhile, the Department of the Air Force told Military.com that it is advocating for airmen to seek mental health resources if they need them following the death, which made front-page news across the country. The service, along with the rest of the military, has long grappled with suicide among the rank and file, with a new policy meant to get troops faster mental health treatment. Senior Airman Aaron Bushnell, 25, a cyber defense operations specialist assigned to the 70th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing at Fort Meade in Maryland, recorded a video of himself on Sunday walking up to the embassy in uniform, dousing himself with fuel and setting himself on fire. He later died from the injuries. Read Next: Army Lieutenant Colonel at Fort Belvoir Accused of More than 16 Allegations of Domestic Abuse, Assault "We have about 100 or so suicides per year, and every year we try to get after, how do we reduce this? said Allvin, who was speaking at the Brookings Institution think tank in D.C. "So, right now, where we are in that case is, understanding that has a lot of political fervor attached to it, this is just one of our airmen that we lost. "And we're looking after family, looking at the unit and really trying to understand if there's any context behind this, what lessons can be learned, but it's really about the individual that we lost," he said. The death has become entangled in the public divisions over the Israel-Hamas war, sparking an anti-war vigil in front of the embassy and inspiring protesters. In the video, Bushnell says he is about to engage in an "extreme act of protest" and screams "free Palestine" repeatedly before collapsing to the ground, engulfed in flames. During his appearance Wednesday, Allvin was interrupted by several activists and protesters who interjected about Bushnell and called for an end to the Israel-Hamas war. "Say his name, Aaron Bushnell!" one activist shouted. "Cease-fire now," another yelled, according to footage provided to Military.com from someone involved in the protest. Many of the protesters were escorted out of the room while they shouted their remarks. Allvin did not address the activists directly. "For our Air Force, we look at this as, whether it was politically motivated or other, we lost one of ours," Allvin said. "And so, any suicide, whether by political protest or by resiliency issues or wherever it is, is a tragedy and, as we're looking at wherever the rationale might be, there's a standard investigation process we go through that and we look at that to make sure we understand everything about what happened." Brooke Rohner, one of the activists who was escorted from Allvin's discussion at Brookings, told Military.com that she was dismayed at how the service has responded to Bushnell's death. "We've been disappointed by the response of Air Force leadership in honoring Aaron. Regardless of whether or not they agree with his political stance or form of protest, he dedicated several years to service and should be honored at the highest degree," Rohner told Military.com. "It's a shame they have not done better." Bushnell was assigned to the wing at Fort Meade and was a member of the 531st Intelligence Squadron at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in Texas. He had been on active duty since May 2020. "When a tragedy like this occurs, every member of the Air Force feels it," Col. Celina Noyes, the 70th ISRW commander, said in an emailed statement Monday. "We extend our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Senior Airman Bushnell. Our thoughts and prayers are with them, and we ask that you respect their privacy during this difficult time." Department of the Air Force spokeswoman Rose Riley told Military.com that the 531st Intelligence Squadron in San Antonio, whose members knew and worked with Bushnell, held a commander's call Monday to inform the squadron of his death, offering to "connect their airmen with support resources." She added that resiliency teams "will continue to engage and support their airmen to ensure awareness of and access to helping resources." Last year, the Air Force and Space Force implemented resources for the Brandon Act, which was signed into law in December 2021 after Brandon Caserta, a 21-year-old sailor, died by suicide. It updated a wide variety of regulations allowing troops to voluntarily request an immediate mental health referral from a commander or supervisor with a rank of E-6 or above. "The Department of the Air Force encourages a culture that promotes help-seeking behavior and intervening when an airman or Guardian recognizes signs of distress in another," Riley said. "All airmen and Guardians should actively engage in building connected communities, which includes sharing their views and concerns with leadership and peers." The Washington Post reported Monday that Bushnell was raised in a religious compound in Orleans, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod called "The Community of Jesus," which has faced allegations of inappropriate behavior in the past. Those who knew Bushnell also told the Post the young airman expressed dissatisfaction with the U.S. role in the Israel-Hamas war and had considered leaving the military early. Bushnell had pre-registered for an upcoming term at Southern New Hampshire University that was slated to start next week, WMUR News in New Hampshire reported. Bushnell's protest is the second act of self-immolation related to the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, which has led to massive casualties in the Gaza Strip. Israel declared war in October following a bloody terrorist attack by Hamas and has since pummeled Gaza, creating a humanitarian crisis for residents there. In December, a protester set themselves on fire outside an Israeli consulate in Atlanta, Georgia. A Palestinian flag found at the scene was part of the protest, The Associated Press reported. Service members or veterans experiencing a mental health crisis or their loved ones can call the Veterans Crisis Line 24/7 at 988, Press 1. Help also is available online at VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat, or by texting 838255. Related: Air Force Identifies 25-Year-Old Cyber Specialist as Airman Who Set Himself on Fire in Front of DC Embassy BETHESDA, Md. President Joe Biden continues to be fit for duty, his doctor wrote Wednesday after conducting an annual physical that is being closely watched as the 81-year-old seeks reelection in November. Dr. Kevin OConnor, Biden's physician, wrote that the president is adjusting well to a new device that helps control his sleep apnea and has experienced some hip discomfort but also works out five times per week. President Biden is a healthy, active, robust, 81-year-old male who remains fit to successfully execute the duties of the presidency, OConnor said in a six-page memo on the presidents health, following a physical that took Biden to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for more than 2 1/2 hours. His memo added that Biden feels well and this year's physical identifies no new concerns. The oldest president in U.S. history, Biden would be 86 by the end of a second term, should he win one. His latest physical mirrored one he had in February last year when O'Connor described Biden as healthy, vigorous and fit to handle his White House duties. Still, voters are approaching this years election with misgivings about Bidens age, having scrutinized his gaffes, his coughing, his slow walking and even a tumble off his bicycle. After he returned to the White House on Wednesday, Biden attended an event on combating crime and suggested that when it came to his health everything is squared away and "there is nothing different than last year. He also joked about his age and people thinking "I look too young. Former President Donald Trump, 77, is the favorite to lock up the Republican nomination later this month, which would bring him closer to a November rematch against Biden. Trump was 70 when he took office in 2017, which made him the oldest American president to be inaugurated until Biden broke his record by being inaugurated at 78 in 2021. O'Connor's report said that Bidens stiff walking was no worse than last year and was the result of arthritic changes in his spine. He said the president also noted some increased left hip discomfort. There were no signs of stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinsons or other similar conditions in what the report called an extremely detailed neurologic exam. Biden, last summer, began using a continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, machine at night to help with sleep apnea, and O'Connor wrote that the president had responded well to that treatment and is diligently compliant" about using it. A recent special counsels report on the investigation into Biden's handling of classified documents repeatedly derided Biden's memory, calling it hazy, fuzzy, faulty, poor and having significant limitations. It also noted that Biden could not recall defining milestones in his own life such as when his son Beau died or when he served as vice president. Still, addressing reporters the evening of the report's release, Biden said "my memory is fine and grew visibly angry as he denied forgetting when his son died of brain cancer in 2015 at the age of 46. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that OConnor was one of a team of 20 different medical specialists who helped complete the physical. Asked why Biden wasn't undergoing a cognitive test as part of the physical, Jean-Pierre said that O'Connor and Biden's neurologist don't believe he needs one. He passes a cognitive test every day, every day as he moves from one topic to another topic, understanding the granular level of these topics, Jean-Pierre said, noting that Biden tackled such diverse issues as Wednesday's crime prevention event before his planned trip to the U.S.-Mexico border on Thursday and next week's State of the Union address. This is a very rigorous job," she added. That picture of the president doesnt reflect the type of struggles with routine tasks that might indicate the need for further tests, said Dr. Michael Rosenbloom, a neurologist at the University of Washington School of Medicine. Constantly questioning older folks who may have an occasional lapse is a form of ageism, Rosenbloom said. From sleep apnea to arthritis, Bidens health report seems pretty run of the mill for an 81-year-old person, said Dr. Jeffrey A. Linder, chief of general internal medicine at Northwestern Universitys Feinberg School of Medicine. His doctors are in a unique position to assess his cognitive ability on a daily basis, Linder said. "These doctors are able to see how hes functioning day to day. Thats much more useful than a cognitive assessment. Many Americans, including Democrats, have expressed reservations about Biden seeking a second term during this fall's election. Only 37% of Democrats say Biden should pursue reelection, down from 52% before the 2022 midterm elections, according to a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Biden counters that his age brings wisdom, and he has begun to criticize Trump for the former presidents recent public gaffes. The president joked that his age was classified information and suggested during a taping in New York on Monday of Late Night With Seth Meyers that Trump mistakenly called his wife Melania, Mercedes during a weekend speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference -- though the Trump campaign says he was correctly referring to political commentator Mercedes Schlapp. Trump has indeed had his share of verbal miscues, mixing up the city and state where he was campaigning, calling Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban the leader of Turkey and repeatedly mispronouncing the militant group Hamas as hummus. More recently, he confused his Republican primary rival Nikki Haley with former Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. While he was president, Trump's annual physical in 2019 revealed that he had gained weight and was up to 243 pounds. With his 6-foot, 3-inch frame, that meant Trump's Body Mass Index was 30.4. An index rating of 30 is the level at which doctors consider someone obese under this commonly used formula. Wednesday's report listed Biden as 6-foot tall and weighing 178 pounds. ___ Weissert reported from Washington. AP Medical Writer Carla K. Johnson in Washington state contributed. The opinions expressed in this op-ed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Military.com. If you would like to submit your own commentary, please send your article to opinions@military.com for consideration. Saturday, Feb. 24, marked the second anniversary of Russia's unprovoked and illegal invasion of Ukraine. It's a conflict that has completely redefined the intersection of modern warfare and modern media, capturing the attention of the entire world, branding terms like "HIMARS" and "Javelin" into the Western psyche, and turning an unlikely entertainer-turned-president in Volodymyr Zelenskyy into one of the most important ambassadors of freedom in modern history. The impact of the way the narrative around this war has been shaped and managed cannot be overstated. Of the many lessons communicators and policymakers can take away from the last two years, three specific examples come to mind: one before the invasion, one during, and one from right now. In the weeks leading up to the invasion, the Biden administration took an enormous communications gamble: It started broadcasting Russian President Vladimir Putin's every move to the American public. At the time, Putin claimed his troop buildups were "purely defensive" and "not a threat to any other country." In a stark response, President Joe Biden called the Russian dictator's bluff, saying he had "every indication" an attack would occur "within the next several days." And thanks to a fortuitous coming together of government and private industry -- we had before and after imagery to all but prove it. Putin had every opportunity to withdraw his troops and make the American president look like a fool. But Biden was right, immediately defining the West as truthful and the Russians as liars. The administration saw an opening in a hectic message environment, took a calculated risk to occupy that space, and seized immediate control of the narrative. As a result, Putin spent the next year counting his losses and killing his generals in relative silence from an ivory bunker. In the immediate days following the invasion, the prevailing narrative was one of certain doom. Nearly every media outlet on the planet printed headlines with U.S. officials saying "Kyiv will fall in days." But it didn't. In fact, the opposite happened. The sheer patriotic will of the Ukrainians prevailed, and our digital media platforms showed us everything as it was happening. Drone footage and CCTV cameras caught Ukrainian forces eliminating whole Russian vehicle columns. We saw viral TikTok videos of Ukrainian farmers stealing Russian tanks. We saw memes pop up on Reddit, Twitter and Telegram: Ukrainian Memes Forces, NAFO and (my personal favorite) Saint Javelin. One can hardly say it's a coincidence that the Ukrainians relied so heavily on modern media tactics as part of their war-fighting strategy. They beat the Russians at their own game, empowering their own fighting force and galvanizing the world. It seems that some lawmakers and members of the media are throwing in the towel for Ukraine. Recently, a high-profile social media personality actually flew to Moscow to create a two-hour puff piece for Putin. Detractors are calling Ukraine's defense "a failure" and "a wasted effort." Yet, here we are, two whole years later, and Ukraine still retains 82% of its territory. Putin has over 800 additional miles of NATO territory on his doorstep, which more than doubles the previous land border. Despite conflicting reports, Russia's military-industrial complex has been badly depleted, and the Ukrainian armed forces have inflicted what that military's leadership estimates is more than 315,000 casualties. Right now, the war is at a critical turning point. American lawmakers are fiercely debating the next phase of U.S. support for Ukraine -- namely, the $60 billion supplemental package stuck in a congressional tug of war. Media coverage of the war, too, has changed. A recent study showed a precipitous drop in coverage from four major news networks, and Google searches for "Ukraine" have steadily dropped over the last 12 months. The Ukrainian people cannot rely on courage and bravery alone. So as the conflict moves into year three (and four, and five), it's important to remember that aid comes in many forms -- and Ukraine has never needed it more than right now. Of course, wars are won in the trenches, but it's not all just about dollars and ammo. If we truly have Ukraine's best interest at heart, it needs one of our most powerful weapons -- our attention. It needs our media, our coverage, our content, and our concern. And, yes, even a good meme once in a while doesn't hurt. -- Andy Oare is the founder of BlueWing Impact, a national security-focused public affairs firm. He was previously the director of digital media for the U.S. Department of Defense. On Jan. 10, 1968, Private 1st Class Clarence Sasser was part of a reconnaissance mission in southern Vietnam when his detachments helicopters were attacked upon landing. Over five grueling hours, Sasser, an Army medic, risked his life to help his fellow soldiers to safety and aid the wounded despite leg and shoulder injuries that rendered him "in agonizing pain and faint from loss of blood." The following year, President Richard Nixon presented Sasser with the Medal of Honor. "I don't think what I did was above and beyond," Sasser, now 76, said during a video interview with the Congressional Medal of Honor Society (CMOHS) in the early 2000s. "I never have, and for a long time, I had a problem with that. But finally, ... a friend helped me reconcile it to the point that it meant, 'Hey, you did your job.'" Fellow Vietnam War veterans Melvin Morris and Paris Davis did their jobs, too, and they eventually were rewarded with the U.S. military's highest award for valor after racism-fueled delays stretching generations. Davis, Morris and Sasser are the only three living Black Medal of Honor recipients, according to the CMOHS. While Blacks have served in every major U.S. conflict dating to the Revolutionary War, only 94 have had their military service immortalized with a Medal of Honor, CMOHS data shows. Overall, 63 of the 3,517 Medal of Honor recipients all time are alive today. "One of the good things about a war or any type of crisis like Vietnam is that ... there's no race there," Davis told talk-show host Phil Donahue in 1969, just after the civil rights movement in America ended. "In the dark, brown is just as Black or white as anyone else. They're bodies. They're human beings." On June 17-18, 1965, Capt. Davis and three other Special Forces troops were assisting a regional force company from the Army of the Republic of Vietnam, or ARVN, near Bong Son when they were attacked. Over most of the next day, Davis was wounded multiple times, including having part of his trigger finger blown off, but repeatedly refused medical attention. Davis ignored a superior's order to stand down in order to retrieve three injured team members, and he helped guide inexperienced South Vietnamese soldiers as they staved off the Viet Cong until reinforcements arrived. Davis' Medal of Honor nomination packet was inexplicably lost twice, and had it not been for an inspired group of advocates fervently promoting his case beginning in 2014, the Pentagon might not have finally ordered an expedited review three years ago. In 2023, President Joe Biden presented Davis with the award at the White House. President Joe Biden awards the Medal of Honor to retired Army Col. Paris Davis for his heroism during the Vietnam War, in the East Room of the White House, Friday, March 3, 2023, in Washington. (Evan Vucci/AP Photo) "You don't spend your life worrying about something that you have no control over," Davis, 84, said in a Washington Post article after his award ceremony. "You just let it happen the way it's going to happen." Morris' White House ceremony came in 2014, nearly 4 decades after he commanded a Special Forces unit near Chi Lang that came under surprise attack on Sept. 17, 1969. Then a staff sergeant, Morris reorganized his men before he and two others endured heavy fire while attempting to recover a dead team commander's body near an enemy bunker. The men with Morris were injured, and after making sure they were safely back with friendly forces, Morris ventured forth once more with a couple of fresh volunteers as suppressive fire covered them. He successfully retrieved the dead master sergeant, whose map case containing sensitive information had fallen out of his pocket along the way. Once again, Morris went back to grab the case, taking out four enemy bunkers with hand grenades as he endured intense machine-gun fire. He was wounded three times, including being shot at such close range that he saw bubbles coming out of his chest. With three bullet holes, I didnt feel the pain, Morris, 82, told the CMOHS in a video interview. I [didnt] feel nothing. Morris, who was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, was hospitalized for three months. The Medal of Honor would come much, much later. Youre happy. Youre glad. Youre nervous, Morris, who went on to serve a second tour in Vietnam, said of receiving the award. Youve got a lot of anxiety; all of those things just come up. And I just became very proud. I dont know, it just seemed like a weight was lifted off of me or something. No medal, though, can bring back what was lost on those battlefields or ease the painful memories of what Morris, Davis and Sasser saw and experienced. Sasser saved more than a dozen lives, according to author Larry Smith's 2003 book, "Beyond Glory: Medal of Honor Heroes in Their Own Words," but when he thinks back, he recalls the thoroughly bad situation confronted by his company, the intense sensation of how a shell fragment felt on his skin, his legs becoming immobilized during the fighting and, perhaps most of all, wounded service members pleading for their mothers comfort. Help me, Sasser, choking back tears, recalled the soldiers saying in the Congressional Medal of Honor Society interview. Theres nothing I can do. Now-retired Col. Paris Davis received the Medal of Honor in 2023 after the Army inexplicably lost the paperwork for the military's highest award twice. (U.S. Army photo) Davis, who achieved the rank of colonel, considers the Medal of Honor a symbol of "what teamwork, service and dedication can achieve." As he prepared to receive his long-overdue award last year, Biden expressed the appreciation of a grateful nation, then addressed the former Green Beret directly. "You are everything this medal means," Biden said. "I mean, everything this medal means." The president's comments were meant for one man, but could have easily been said of any other Medal of Honor honoree, a very select club bonded by a common trait that any service member or civilian can understand: They did their job exceptionally well. Want to Know More About the Military? Be sure to get the latest news about the U.S. military, as well as critical info about how to join and all the benefits of service. Subscribe to Military.com and receive customized updates delivered straight to your inbox. MONTGOMERY, Ala. Federal and state investigators are asking for the publics help in trying to find the person who placed an explosive device outside the Alabama attorney generals office. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency asked anyone with information to submit tips at 1-800-CALL-FBI and upload any photos or digital files at www.fbi.gov/alabamaagexplosion. The device had been placed outside the Alabama attorney generals office in downtown Montgomery. It exploded at about 3:42 a.m. Saturday morning, according to the state law enforcement agency. No one was injured and no building damage was reported. Thankfully, no staff or personnel were injured by the explosion, Alabama Attorney General Marshall said in a statement Monday. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency did not release any additional information about the device or if there was any indication of a possible motive. Editors Note: This article has been updated with information about Trevina Goodmans arraignment. DETROIT A Michigan couple is facing charges related to the fatal dog mauling of a 35-year-old Detroit man, the father of six. Harold Phillips, 35, of Detroit, was mauled by three dogs around 9:20 p.m. on Jan. 29 in the area of West Chicago and Longacre. He died in a local hospital on Feb. 2, said Shauntaye Phillips, his wife. CURTIS, MI A Michigan man is accused of sexually abusing a 12-year-old girl during an online relationship in which they exchanged explicit photos, authorities said. After a search of his home, he is also accused of bestiality. The Mackinac County Sheriffs Office began investigating Kelton Paul Salowitz, 18, of Curtis, after receiving a report of a local man engaging in an inappropriate online relationship with a 12-year-old girl from Texas, Mackinac County Sheriff Edward Wilk told WJMN. Investigators believe that Salowitz was exchanging sexually abusive photos and videos with the victim, primarily using the app Discord. Search warrants were executed and revealed hundreds of photos and videos that the suspect had allegedly labeled child sexually abusive material, the report said. Several other child victims were discovered through these materials; all are known to the 12-year-old victim. In addition, a video was found of him engaged in a sexual act with a dog, Salowitz has been arraigned on 10 counts of aggravated child sexually abusive activity; 11 counts of possession of child sexually abusive material; one count of child sexually abusive activity, disturbing/promoting; two counts of using a computer to commit a crime; and one count of bestiality, the report said. His bond was set at $250,000. National fast-food chain Wendys came under fire this week following reports that the company will introduce dynamic pricing next year that could lead to higher prices depending on the time of day a customer visits. However, in a blog post released Tuesday, the Ohio-based restaurant claims it will not use the pricing strategy to charge more when the restaurants are busier. We have no plans to do that (raise prices when busy) and would not raise prices when our customers are visiting us most. Any features we may test in the future would be designed to benefit our customers and restaurant crew members, reads a portion of the blog post. The controversy started when Wendys CEO and president Kirk Tanner told analysts last week the company plans on investing $20 million for new digital menuboards. Those menuboards will give each restaurant the option to quickly change pricing or to upsell other items on the menu, Tanner told analysts. But in the blog post, the company says the digital menuboards will be used for a different reason. Digital menuboards could allow us to change the menu offerings at different times of day and offer discounts and value offers to our customers more easily, particularly in the slower times of day, reads the post. Dynamic pricing or surge pricing is a concept used in other industries that allows for companies to see how much customers are willing to pay for a service. Many airlines use the pricing model, as do ticket services like Ticketmaster and rideshare services such as Lyft or Uber. Depending on demand, the prices can rise and fall throughout the day. While Wendys claims that prices would not go up during busiest times, dynamic pricing still allows for one customer to pay a different price than another based on the time of day and demand on products. Meaning prices would be higher for some and lower for others. Wendys has not said when it will begin testing the menuboards or which locations will be used to conduct the tests. Editors note: This is an opinion column by MLive/The Ann Arbor News local government reporter Ryan Stanton ANN ARBOR, MI As Black History Month winds down, I have an idea for Ann Arbor to consider. And Ill confess I have both altruistic and self-serving reasons for what Im proposing. Lets rename Fourth and Fifth avenues to honor the Black history of the areas they run through and simultaneously solve the problem of people confusing them with Fourth and Fifth streets. As a resident of Fifth Street in the Old West Side, Ive actually been suggesting this to city officials for several years, noting Fourth and Fifth avenues are the last two holdouts of downtowns old numbered street network. Im happy to report theres now gaining momentum around the idea as the city is celebrating its bicentennial. A sign for Fourth Avenue at Catherine Street in downtown Ann Arbor on Feb. 27, 2024. (Ryan Stanton | MLive.com)Ryan Stanton | The Ann Arbor News Recent talks with city officials, Black community leaders and bicentennial committee members have been promising and there seems to be a fair amount of support for City Council taking up a resolution to rename the streets. What could the avenues be called? Various names have been floated, but what makes a lot of sense to some is renaming Fifth Avenue to Wheeler Avenue, honoring the late civil rights activist Albert Wheeler, the citys first and only Black mayor and the first tenured Black professor at the University of Michigan, and his wife Emma Wheeler, a co-founder and leader of the local NAACP branch who fought alongside her husband to get the city to enact a fair housing ordinance in 1964, among other achievements. It would be especially fitting since Fifth Avenue runs past city hall through the old Black neighborhood to Wheeler Park. Ann Arbor civil rights activists Albert and Emma Wheeler in 1965.Ann Arbor News archives courtesy of OldNews.AADL.org And what about Fourth Avenue? One idea some like: Dennard Avenue, honoring the late Richard Dennard, who lived at 809 N. Fourth Ave. and was considered a pioneer in the battle for fair housing. As an Ann Arbor school custodian in 1957, he became the citys third Black council member, representing the 1st Ward. Another longtime champion for Ann Arbors Black residents and a founding member of the local NAACP, Dennard fought for a housing commission in Ann Arbor and joined in helping forge the citys first-in-the-state fair housing law. Richard Dennard in 1956. A Democrat from the 1st Ward, he became the third Black City Council member in Ann Arbor history when he was elected in 1957.Ann Arbor News archives courtesy of OldNews.AADL.org The citys Housing Commission is preparing to move forward now with an affordable housing development along Fourth Avenue with a cultural space paying tribute to the neighborhoods Black history, which makes it all the more fitting. Other potentially worthy names have been suggested and theres still room for other convincing arguments, but so far Ive only heard one person argue in favor of keeping Fourth and Fifth avenues numbered as they are. Many people recognize the confusion it causes and I can attest to that after over a decade on Fifth Street. People, including delivery drivers, occasionally get lost going to the wrong street. Packages and food orders intended for Fourth or Fifth streets mistakenly go to Fourth or Fifth avenues, and vice versa. The city has even confused the streets and avenues in street-closure notices and other city documents. Lets hope the fire department never confuses them in case of a fire. A sign for Fifth Avenue at Huron Street in downtown Ann Arbor on Feb. 27, 2024. (Ryan Stanton | MLive.com)Ryan Stanton | The Ann Arbor News In the summer of 2018, I watched as one of the mayors campaign volunteers trying to deliver a yard sign marched up and down my street, searching for a house they couldnt find. I helped them realize they were looking for Fifth Avenue, not Fifth Street. I called the mayor and told him about it and all the confusion Ive witnessed over the years. That marked the start of my six-year quest to get the avenues renamed. For those who dont know the history, when Ann Arbor was laid out starting in 1824, a grid with numbered north-south streets was created in the downtown area, from First to Fifth going east, with Third becoming Main Street. Later, there were Twelfth, Thirteenth and Fourteenth streets continuing east beyond Division, State and other streets. Starting in the 1840s, William Maynard platted the Old West Side next to downtown with mirroring numbered streets continuing west from First, labeling them West Second Street and so on. First through Ninth streets remain there today, no longer with west signifiers, while Fourth and Fifth avenues are the last two numbered avenues downtown that havent been renamed. A sign for Fourth Avenue at Catherine Street in downtown Ann Arbor on Feb. 27, 2024. In the background is a city-owned parking lot where the Ann Arbor Housing Commission plans to break ground soon on an affordable housing development in partnership with Avalon Housing. (Ryan Stanton | MLive.com)Ryan Stanton | The Ann Arbor News What would be Second Avenue today was renamed over a century ago to Ashley Street after Jim Ashley, who was involved in building the Toledo-to-Ann Arbor railroad in the 1800s. Other changes over the years: Twelfth is now Fletcher, Thirteenth is Glen and Fourteenth is Zina Pitcher. Hopefully by the time Ann Arbor celebrates its official 200th birthday in May, we will have seen more change, keeping in mind the act of renaming two streets does not make up for the injustices Black residents have faced throughout history. A Black Lives Matter sign in Ann Arbor on Feb. 27, 2024. Many homes throughout the city have had such signs perched in their front yards for several years. (Ryan Stanton | MLive.com)Ryan Stanton | The Ann Arbor News Even as a City Council member in 1991, the late Black activist Larry Hunter endured harassment by police. Hunter lived at 610 N. Fifth Ave. in the historically Black neighborhood north of downtown and is another name some have suggested for consideration in renaming one of the avenues. Dunbar Avenue could be another possible option for Fourth Avenue, which runs past the old Dunbar Community Center that was for many years an important gathering place for Black residents, named for the poet Paul Laurence Dunbar. The Ann Arbor District Library also shed light recently on Ann Arbors lost poet Charles Henry Shoeman, who has been compared to Dunbar. Grinning children leave the Dunbar Community Center, 420 N. Fourth Ave. in Ann Arbor, after an afternoon of play in October 1951. The center was a place where Ann Arbor's Black community members regularly gathered for meetings, events and educational and recreational programs back when Ann Arbor was still largely segregated.Eck Stanger | Ann Arbor News archives courtesy of OldNews.AADL.org Have other name ideas to suggest? Send an email to ryanstanton@mlive.com. 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. ANN ARBOR, MI - The research head at University of Michigan could soon become the president of a Big Ten peer. Rebecca Cunningham, the universitys vice president of research and innovation, was nominated by the University of Minnesotas Board of Regents to lead its state university system, officials said in a Feb. 26 announcement. The board nominated Cunningham at a Feb. 26 special meeting. Cunningham and the Minnesotas regents chair are now negotiating a contract that is pending the boards approval this spring, officials said. University of Michigan is unable to comment on the move until the contract is finalized, spokeswoman Kim Broekhuizen said. Pending finalization of the contract, Cunningham is expected to take over at the University of Minnesota as its 18th president on July 1, officials said. I want to congratulate Rebecca and reiterate how excited my Board colleagues and I are to welcome her to Minnesota, said University of Minnesotas Board Chair Janie Mayeron. Other finalists for the job were James Holloway, provost at University of New Mexico, and Cleveland State University President Laura Bloomberg, officials said. While the deal is not final, Cunningham called the chance to lead University of Minnesota the thrill of a lifetime. Im eager to meet with (University of Minnesota) students, who are at the heart of the Universitys teaching mission, she said in a statement. Im excited to meet the world-class faculty and staff that make the University a research and outreach powerhouse. And lastly, I look forward to meeting Minnesotans statewide who benefit from all the University of Minnesota does to improve our lives. Cunningham showed strong leadership and relationship-building skills throughout the interview process, Mayeron said. Cunningham expanded the University of Michigans research volume to a record $1.86 billion annually, officials said. She also serves as the universitys Professor of Emergency Medicine, as well as a principal investigator for the Firearm Safety Among Children and Teens Consortium. Her role is unchanged on the Ann Arbor campus for now, Broekhuizen said. Cunningham became a faculty member at the universitys public health and medical schools in 1999. She also served as associate chair of emergency medicine and chair of the the universitys Injury Prevention Center, which is sponsored by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. If you would like more reporting like this delivered free to your inbox, click here and signup for our weekly newsletter: Michigan Schools. 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. All In Credit Union was presented with a Congressional Certificate of Recognition for outstanding and invaluable service to the community by U.S. Rep. Barry Moore, (R-Alabama). The certificate presented by Moore specifically cites the credit unions giving and financial literacy education. All In Credit Union is the only credit union in the state of Alabama to ever receive this citation which is reserved for people, places, or events of public distinction that positively contribute to the economic, social, and cultural fabric of the community. I am pleased to present this award today to All In Credit Union, Moore said. Youre making a difference in the communities you serve. Best of all, you ensure that members in rural areas have access to the affordable financial services they need. In addition to this congressional citation, All In Credit Unions community activities have recently been recognized with national awards such as the Dora Maxwell Social Responsibility Award, the Desjardins Financial Education Youth Award and the Louise Herring Philosophy in Action Award from the Credit Union National Association (CUNA). All In was selected for these awards from credit union nominees throughout the country as a result of their profound outreach to the communities and members that All In serves. Along with national recognition, All In has received numerous state and local awards from municipalities and organizations with whom it partners to ensure that citizens are cared for and that services are available to those most in need. In 2023, All In Credit Union employees provided 5,603 hours of volunteer assistance to 159 organizations. Employees also provided 173 hours of classroom education teaching 2,037 students the basics of financial education. The credit union also donated $451,613 in grants to worthy local charities from All Ins Helping Hands Foundation. All In Credit Union Chairman of the Board, Charlie Mingus, stated, The credit union movement is about people helping people and All In Credit Union is proud to be a living example of that motto. We are honored to be recognized for the value All In provides as we seek to enrich the live of our members and communities. Bobby Michael, President/CEO of All In Credit Union, echoed those thoughts, Whether were educating members about finances or lending a helping hand at a community event, we work hard to integrate the credit union philosophy into all our daily operations. Were particularly proud of the personal volunteer hours provided by our employees as they sacrifice time away from families after hours to make a difference in our communities. ANN ARBOR, MI Ann Arbor officials are discussing the future of downtown and seeking input on ideas like permanently closing some streets to create pedestrian malls. One example where thats been done before is along South University Avenue next to the University of Michigan Diag, where East University Avenue north of South U was transformed into a pedestrian zone in the 1980s. Ingalls Mall on the UM campus where Ingalls Street used to run between North University Avenue and Washington Street is another example. Its now where the Ann Arbor Summer Festival and other events take place. The city and Downtown Development Authority are now inviting community members to a series of downtown planning public workshops March 12-14 to discuss possible future downtown land use and transportation initiatives. The city is in the midst of a major comprehensive planning process looking out decades at land uses across the city with one goal being increased housing density. Simultaneously, the city and DDA are partnering on a circulation study looking at building a new multimodal traffic model for downtown, new bicycle infrastructure projects, transit-priority streets, converting Fifth Avenue and Division Street to two-way traffic and up to four special event street concepts, which could mean more curbless streets, shared streets or entire blocks closed to cars and turned into pedestrian malls. A portion of Washington Street closed for outdoor dining in downtown Ann Arbor on May 12, 2023. (Ryan Stanton | MLive.com)Ryan Stanton | The Ann Arbor News Consulting firm SmithGroup is expected to produce conceptual designs and layouts for new downtown pedestrian malls or shared/curbless street concepts. City officials in 2023 signaled their intent to look at Liberty Street in front of the Federal Building as one possible location. Other potential streets or blocks havent been identified yet and there are no proposed designs at this time, DDA Executive Director Maura Thomson said. Our first step is to provide information to the community about the range of options for event streets and gain an understanding of the communitys vision for downtown activities, she said. Some residents have suggested making the new curbless-design State Street area downtown a pedestrian-only zone. Ann Arbor's new curbless State Street open to traffic on Aug. 18, 2023. (Ryan Stanton | MLive.com)Ryan Stanton | The Ann Arbor News The open-house workshops will take place at the downtown library at 343 S. Fifth Ave. at the following times: 4-7:30 p.m. March 12 with a kickoff presentation at 6 p.m. 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 13 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 14 4-7:30 p.m. March 14 with a wrap-up presentation at 6 p.m. Anyone is welcome to drop in any time, though the city is asking people to RSVP for planning purposes. The citys comprehensive planning process will take place throughout 2024 and community members can sign up for email updates and visit the project website for more information. The DDA also has a webpage for the downtown circulation study noting a second round of public engagement is planned for June/July with final recommendations expected in the fall. There is significant demand for limited street space; downtown streets serve as public gathering and business space while providing critical access to downtown jobs and amenities, the webpage states. By looking at all of these needs and uses together, we intend to serve all and ensure that every person feels welcome and has access to downtown. 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. WYOMING, MI -- Firefighters from four departments worked to extinguish a warehouse fire late Wednesday, Feb. 28 at 52nd Street and Division Avenue. The fire was reported by a passerby about 9:15 p.m. and firefighters received reports of two explosions and flames coming from a building. Wyoming firefighters responded to the fire and three other departments -- Grand Rapids, Kentwood and Cutlerville -- also responded. Wyoming fire officials said 35 firefighters worked to extinguish the fire. They managed to keep flames contained to a portion of the warehouse and out of a front office area. The cause of the fire was not immediately known. Investigators with the Wyoming Fire Marshals Office were working to determine a cause. OTTAWA COUNTY, MI -- A week after he was placed on leave, beleaguered Ottawa County Administrator John Gibbs blasted the county commissioners who hired him in a newsletter, complaining they cannot lead the county effectively. The newsletter surfaced Wednesday, Feb. 28, as part of a subscription email release from Gibbs that apparently went to supporters of his failed 2022 run for a U.S. House seat. Gibbs attorney, Norah Hurwitz, confirmed the newsletters authenticity Thursday. In the letter, Gibbs first congratulates Donald Trump for winning the states Republican presidential primary earlier in the week. But he quickly turns attention to Ottawa County and blasts county leaders for making up totally false, defamatory accusations against me that you now see in the news. Gibbs was placed on paid administrative leave Thursday, Feb. 22, during a special Ottawa County board meeting called to consider a resignation offer from Gibbs because of ongoing discord with commissioners. The letter, written by Hurwitz, also warned commissioners they could face legal consequences if they fire Gibbs. Commissioners expect to continue discussion about Gibbs during a special meeting scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 29. Gibbs was a celebrated pick to lead the countys administration when he was hired in a surprise move Jan. 3, 2023. He was ushered in by a majority faction of county commissioners tied to the conservative group Ottawa Impact. The same commissioners voted to fire then-Administrator John Shay at the same meeting. Related: John Gibbs asking for $630K to resign from Ottawa County administrator role Commissioners thought Gibbs would better align with their views. A day after he was placed on leave, county board Chair Joe Moss released a letter from a specially appointed attorney that outlined a myriad of allegations against Gibbs. Among them were complaints made by both county employees and commissioners. They included complaints about Gibbs allegedly claiming without substantiation that a county official was cheating on their spouse, setting up a secret camera in his office to record conversations, sweeping his office monthly for surveillance devices, sabotaging the work of the board, threatening to kill the county attorney and criticizing commissioners faith. Gibbs has denied the claims or said they were inaccurate. In his newsletter, Gibbs said started as administrator only wanting to help commissioners with good governance, but said he was met with derision and hostility. He went on to say that commissioners came after me when he objected to a once-discussed deal to pay $4 million to county Health Officer Adeline Hambley for her resignation. He called the deal ridiculous. Gibbs alleges county leaders generated false charges against him because he tried to expose corruption. He referenced complaints he made about the countys corporate counsel and accused commissioners of hiring unqualified County lawyers based on nepotism. He then said he was fighting to be reinstated, but at the same time blasted commissioners leadership. Related: John Gibbs denies accusations of physical threats, sexist comments, insubordination All of us, myself included, had very high hopes for the new commissioners. But after having worked with them closely for the past year, I can say, sadly and definitively, that they cannot lead the County effectively, Gibbs wrote in the newsletter. He ended the letter by saying that, if he loses the administrators job, he plans to fight tirelessly to help elect Trump as the next president. He included two photos of himself and Trump together. Gibbs also asked supporters to stand with me during what he described as tumultuous times. Want more Grand Rapids-area news? Bookmark the local Grand Rapids news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Grand Rapids daily newsletter. GRAND RAPIDS, MI The list of Republicans vying to replace U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Lansing, grew even longer Thursday, with former Congressman Justin Amash announcing hes joining the race. Amash, who represented Grand Rapids in Congress from 2011 to 2021, made the announcement on X, formerly known as Twitter. After thoroughly evaluating all aspects of a potential campaign, Im convinced that no candidate would be better positioned to win both the Republican primary and the general election, he wrote. Thats why, today, Im making it official: Im joining the race for United States Senate in Michigan. Amash joins a Republican field that includes former Congressman Mike Rogers, R-Brighton, former Congressman Peter Meijer, R-Grand Rapids Township, businessman and economist Sandy Pensler, and others. Stabenow announced last year that she will retire at the end of her term, leaving the seat open. Long lists of candidates have emerged, Democrat and Republican alike. When I established an exploratory committee for Senate, I understood the challenge ahead. Running for office requires an extraordinary commitment, not just from the candidate but also from family, friends, volunteers, and donors. A campaign puts them through so much. Thats Justin Amash (@justinamash) February 29, 2024 First elected in 2010 amid the Tea Party wave, Amash went on to become a vocal critic of former President Donald Trump. In May 2019, he became the first House Republican to call for impeachment proceedings against Trump following U.S. Special Counsel Robert Muellers investigation into 2016 election interference. In July 2019, Amash announced he was leaving the Republican Party. Ultimately, he chose against seeking another term in Congress, and in 2020 he launched an exploratory committee for a third-party presidential run. He abandoned the idea less than a month later. Related: Former Congressman Peter Meijer announces bid for U.S. Senate In his statement on X, Amash said he the past few years have given him time to reflect on his life and what his tenure in Congress meant to the people of my community. He wrote about his practice of upholding the Constitution regardless of the political consequences, as well as reading bills before he votes on them and explaining his vote to his constituents. I feel an obligation to get back to this work, but the circumstances of this upcoming election give it urgency, he said. The Democrats in the field include Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Holly, actor Hill Harper, former state Rep. Leslie Love, D-Detroit, state board of education president Pamela Pugh, businessman Nasser Beydoun and attorney Zack Burns running. More on MLive: VP Kamala Harris buys Miles Davis record, talks music at surprise Grand Rapids vinyl store visit Judge says November health officer deal was real but unenforceable, Moss insists no deal existed New renderings give most detailed look yet at Grand Rapids soccer stadium Vote here for your favorite wine bar in Grand Rapids GRAND RAPIDS, MI - When Grand Rapids resident Della Marie Levi opened her vinyl record store one day last week, she had no idea she was about to meet one of the most powerful women in the nation. However, thats exactly what happened Thursday, Feb. 22, when Vice President Kamala Harris walked through the doors of Della Soul Records. Harris was in town for a reproductive rights roundtable with state and local leaders, and she wanted to stop by and support a local, Black-owned business. It was surreal, Levi said. I had no idea she was in town and when she came in the door, I was so excited to see her there in my space, just wanting to learn more about my business, my community and being very supportive. It was a regular business day at the record store, 1220 Kalamazoo Ave. SE., when Harris and U.S. Small Business Administrator Isabel Guzman stopped by. Levi told MLive/The Grand Rapids Press she knew Guzman was visiting as she had been contacted by her assistant weeks prior. She was visiting some small businesses while she was in town, and had been referred to my space, she said. Related: See photos from Vice President Kamala Harriss visit to Grand Rapids But seconds later, Harris walks in just hours after the round table she hosted alongside Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Rep. Hillary Scholten and other Democratic Party leaders to advocate for reproductive rights at Fountain Street Church. Levi said Harris had heard about her and Della Soul Records, and that she wanted to stop by. She said she wanted to come by, meet me, support my business, and just share how proud and important it is to support Black-owned businesses, Levi said. While there, she said Harris bought a few items from Black artists, including greeting cards with Ella Fitzgerald and Notorious B.I.G. on them, a George Clinton Funko Pop, and a Miles Davis vinyl record. Levi told MLive that since opening in November 2023 as the first minority woman-owned vinyl record store in the Grand Rapids area, the support has been overwhelming. Related: Grand Rapids first, minority woman-owned vinyl shop enters the music scene People are excited about this space, she said. There is a lot of love for vinyl records in our community. We not only sell records and merchandise, we also have small events so folks can come in and learn about different community things going on. Locals can look forward to Della Soul Records next community meeting this Friday to discuss access to healthy foods in the inner city, as well as recording listening sessions and book signings. In this months Storytellers program, music lovers can expect to hear about community members journeys and how music influenced them. Learn more about the business and stay updated on holiday discounts by visiting their website. Want more Grand Rapids-area news? Bookmark the local Grand Rapids news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Grand Rapids daily newsletter. Read more: Warm winter prompts Muskegon Luge Adventure Sports Park to close for the season 5 great spots for mouthwatering doughnuts in the Muskegon area New clothing store, recording studio opens in Grand Rapids Soccer stadium generates enthusiasm, parking questions at open house MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI - Whether youre eager to bring on the spring weather or are hanging onto winter, various events are happening in the Muskegon area this weekend that reflect West Michigans fluctuating temperatures. Three activities to look forward to include the Muskegon Polar Plunge, Mona Shores High School Comic Con and Garage Door Day 2024 at Rake Beer Project. MUSKEGON, MI Was Paul Ferguson mentally unstable and being coerced by his mother to inflict punishment on his younger brother that led to the malnourished boys death? The answer, according to a pair of psychological assessments by two different doctors, was no. Yet, there were concerns about Fergusons ability to function at a normal rate. Ferguson, 21, was sentenced this week to a minimum 30 years in prison on a first-degree child abuse charge stemming from the torture and starvation death of 15-year-old Timothy Ferguson. RELATED: Man asks judge for mercy when sentenced to prison for torturing brother to death The troubling case in Muskegon County caught the attention of many across the country, due in part because of the disturbing details that are attached. Over the course of months, Ferguson and his mother, Shanda Vander Ark, tortured and staved Timothy until his eventual death in July 2022. They fed Timothy, who had autism, bread soaked in hot sauce and forced him to take ice baths sometimes for hours at a time. Timothy weighed 69 pounds when he died. Concerns surrounding Fergusons mental stability started mounting when he testified against Vander Ark at her trial, which was livestreamed by some media outlets. At times, Ferguson testified that he might suffer some autism or Stockholm syndrome, but was never diagnosed by a doctor, he said. Internet sleuths questioned if Ferguson suffered from a mental instability after watching his mannerisms and observing how he spoke at trial. At one point, jurors asked if Ferguson had autism. Hundreds of text messages between Vander Ark and Ferguson showed the mother instructing her son to carry out punishments on Timothy. That drew concern that Fergusons potential mental instability could make it easier for his mother to manipulate him. RELATED: Mom says nothing before shes sentenced to prison for torturing son to death Ferguson was evaluated by two doctors prior to sentencing, and Muskegon County Circuit Judge Matthew Kacel reviewed those assessments which are not considered public record for review in court. The court does take someones intellectual capacity into consideration, Kacel said. I think its important to understand the full situation. One doctors assessment revealed that Ferguson did not suffer from a chronic psychotic disorder, chronic mood disorder or an intellectual disability. Ferguson was functioning within the normal range of intellectual ability at the time of the interview as well as the time of the crime, the doctor noted. A second doctor didnt find substantial evidence to support Ferguson meeting criteria for any specific mental disorder. I attributed his overall demeanor and presentation to factors such as a lack of socialization, normalization of abnormal dynamics and experiences, poor interpersonal skills and emotional dysregulation, Kacel read from the doctors report. RELATED: Man didnt want brother go to prison for torturing their sibling to death Its difficult to be diagnosed with an intellectual disability, Randall Levine, a seasoned defense attorney based in Kalamazoo, said. Hes represented clients in similar cases during his 40-plus years as an attorney but is not affiliated with Ferguson or Vander Arks cases. MLive/Muskegon Chronicle reached out to Levine, a managing partner at Levine & Levine Attorneys at Law, to get a better understanding of how frequently similar assessments happen in the courtroom. Its not typical but it does occur and there are a lot of mentally ill people in our population, he said. To be assessed with an intellectual disability, a person must lack two or more adaptive skills among a list of 10 categories including self-care, home living, social skills and functional academics. An intellectual disability itself, even if a doctor were to say you were coerced, is probably not enough to excuse the conduct, Levine said. RELATED: Mom turns away when judge shows photo of smiling son she starved to death Knowing the doctors assessments, the judge said he felt Ferguson was trying to shift blame from himself to Vander Ark to say somehow if it wasnt for her, he wouldnt have committed the abuse. It was a careful, manipulated story told by Mr. Ferguson from the very beginning, Kacel said. In fashioning a sentence, Kacel told Ferguson he couldve done several things to stop the torture and abuse and didnt. I dont believe that youre sorry I dont, Kacel said. I dont think you have empathy. I dont think you have any emotion whatsoever. Want more Muskegon-area news? Bookmark the local Muskegon news page or sign up for the free 3@3 Muskegon daily newsletter. MUSKEGON, MI -- Theres mass timber swinging at the development on Muskegon Lake, marking a major step forward in sustainable construction. Adelaide Pointe, a $250 million mixed-use development and marina planned for the waterfront, committed to using mass timber on three of its major projects a first in Michigan construction. RELATED: Waterfront penthouses, yacht storage and brewery opening on Muskegon Lake this summer Mass timber is a wood construction product comprised of multiple solid wood panels nailed or glued together. In addition to strength and stability, mass timber has been hailed as a carbon-negative construction option. This is because in addition to not using typical construction methods like concrete and steel, woods natural ability to capture carbon can amount to millions of miles not driven or pounds of coal not burned. Michigan State University researchers believe the states manufacturing expertise and natural resources could make it a leader in a new, sustainable construction industry. But first they need an archetype. Enter Adelaide Pointe and developers Ryan and Emily Leetsma. When I started my job, I thought okay, Ann Arbor will build some mass timber buildings. Maybe some in Detroit. When the first call I got was from Muskegon, I was like, this is pretty cool, said Sandra Lupien, Director of MassTimber@MSU. RELATED: Mass timber plant could grow Michigans economy with Great Lakes forests Adelaide Pointes mission from the onset is to increase commerce on Muskegons waterfront while reducing environmental impacts as much as possible, Emily Leestma said. This comes on the heels of $80 million and decades of effort to rid Muskegon Lake of its industrial pollution. We are reimagining what a waterfront community can look like by integrating with the environment. Using mass timber as a building material helps us achieve this by creating a more natural feel on our site while also reducing environmental impacts, Emily Leestma said. Mass timber is going up now for the six-story condominium and the multi-use building, housing an office, brewery and event center at Adelaide Pointe. Both are on schedule to open this summer. Preliminary plans are also in place for a six-story mass timber hotel. The condos have garnered interest from both Michiganders and out-of-state visitors with half already claimed with down payments. Similarly, the event space is already booked for fishing tournaments, powerboat events, class reunions and weddings this summer, I continue to think that Adelaide Pointe is a game changer for mass timber in Michigan. Its a really setting a high bar for whats possible, Lupien said. RELATED: Drone view shows $250M Adelaide Pointe construction progress on Muskegon Lake In the three years Lupien has been leading the mass timber team, theyve put together a list of 45 projects at various stages across the state. As of December, eight were completed. Based on Lupiens intel shes confident the majority, 27, are on track to be completed. Project types run the gamut from educational buildings to housing to training facilities. Theyre dotted across Michigan from a community pavilion in Troy to a carpenters training facility in Wayland to the DNRs center in Newberry in the Upper Peninsula. Adelaide Pointe will be the first construction site to do multiple projects at once, Lupien said, calling it an important first. Adelaide Pointes vision and commitment to mass timber from the start of the project has influenced other projects in the state to move forward with mass timber, Lupien said. Theyve been available and willing to talk about what they were doing and share insights with others in the industry as well. Sharing knowledge has been a key tenet for Mass Timber@MSU as they try to expand accessibility to other builders. Michigan does not currently have a manufacturing or fabricating facility for mass timber, so pieces are coming in from Ontario, Canada and the greater Chicago area. Not having the infrastructure in state or a streamlined supply chain yet adds about 4-8% to building costs, Lupien said. Mass timber arrives in pre-formatted sheets think giant Ikea furniture or tinker toys so its speeds up building time, but it also takes significantly more collaboration at the front end, Lupien said. RELATED: More than flooring and paper: UP Hardwoods could be base for sustainable housing One hurdle the Leetsmas cleared was zoning. The developers worked with the city of Muskegon to adopt a variance to use a version of the International Building Code as it related to mass timber that the state hasnt yet adopted. This clears the path for future mass timber developments in both time and cost, Lupien said. To continue sharing the knowledge base and reduce that early adopted premium, Mass Timber@MSU is hosting quarterly virtual meetings. The Michigan Mass Timber Community of Practice will launch on Tuesday, March 5. Additionally, Mass Timber@MSU is bringing a group to the International Mass Timber Conference in Portland, Oregon, which begins March 26. For more information on both mass timber forums visit www.canr.msu.edu/masstimber or contact Lupien directly at lupiensa@msu.edu. MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI - Are you looking to finish out the week by rewarding yourself with some fresh doughnuts from your favorite local spot? The Muskegon area has options for all sorts of sweet treats, whether youre looking for a classic apple fritter or chocolate glaze doughnut with sprinkles. RICHLAND TOWNSHIP, MI Residents can expect to vote a second time this year on a millage that would renew operations funding at the Hemlock Public School District, the organizations superintendent said. The unofficial election results for the Tuesday, Feb. 27, presidential primary resulted in voters within the school district which also includes part of Midland County denying the 10-year, 18-mill renewal. It was an 86-vote margin of defeat for the non-homestead property tax Tuesday: 1,251 no votes to 1,165 yes votes. After the results were tallied, Superintendent Don Killingbeck was disappointed with the results but optimistic a second attempt at passing a millage renewal later this year would find favor with his districts constituents. We cant function as a school district without this funding, Killingbeck said of the millage that would have generated $2.6 million for his districts budget in 2025. In all schools in the state of Michigan whether they get a no vote or not they eventually pass (an operating millage) because it has to be passed. It just depends on the duration (of the millage proposal) and those kinds of things. Residents last supported the school districts operating millage in August 2022, by a 1,421-to-1,194 vote. That tax for 18 mills a cap outlined by state legislators nearly a half-century ago will expire at the end of this year. One key difference in the latest proposal: school leaders asked to extend the tax for 10 years rather than two years. Another key difference: Voters in February 2022 had not yet been asked to weigh the $41.9 million Hemlock Public School District bond project that voters passed in a May 2022 election. The bond funded several new facilities, including some projects still under construction. Were voters turned off or confused by school leaders asking residents in a 24-month span to pass three taxes, which included the two renewals? Did they think district leaders were asking for funding to build a new round of structures? Voters may not have understood the bond funding construction projects cannot be used for general operations such as keeping the lights on, Killingbeck said. And were voters not aware the proposal Tuesday was a non-homestead millage that would not have taxed most homes in the district? While the superintendent said he was satisfied district officials worked hard this winter to inform citizens about the operating millage and answer such questions, he acknowledged leaders must reassess their approach when strategizing a campaign for the next version of the proposal. We put out a podcast, we put out (videos) on YouTube, and we put out a number of posts on our website, Killingbeck said. But, you know, this was voted down, so we need to do a better job moving forward in communicating what this is. We also need to do a better job getting our school supporters to the polls. He said the millages defeat Tuesday could be a sign people are just frustrated with taxes in general. Yesterday, I voted at lunch time and I went home and I opened my mailbox and theres a tax bill, Killingbeck said. For all those people who were home when the mail got there, and then went and voted The superintendent said he anticipated the 7-member Hemlock Public School District Board of Education in the coming months likely would vote on language for the next attempt at an operating millage renewal. He would not speculate about what elements of the failed Tuesday proposal including the 10-year duration of that proposed tax could remain in the next iteration. He also would not speculate which election date the board could target for a new proposal. There remain three more opportunities this year. Michigans 2024 calendar includes elections on Tuesday, May 7; Tuesday, Aug. 6; and Tuesday, Nov. 5. Want more Bay City- and Saginaw-area news? Bookmark the local Bay City and Saginaw news page or sign up for the free 3@3 daily newsletter for Bay City and Saginaw. By Azernews Fatime Letifova Thirty years ago, when the UN adopted four resolutions on Armenia's occupation of Azerbaijan's territories, Yerevan did not consider them to be anything more than a piece of paper. It is a true saying that what goes around comes back around. Today, Armenia bases its hope on the importance of the two formal resolutions adopted by the European Parliament so much that it even dreams of going back to 30 years ago. However, the European Parliament's call for sanctions against Azerbaijan and the adoption of a resolution are not of any serious importance for Azerbaijan today. Unlike Armenia, this is not due to Azerbaijan's disrespect for the main structure of the European Parliament, but rather to the non-serious approach of the European Parliament to the provisions contained in the adopted resolutions. In other words, the European Union and its member states do not accept the fantasies reflected in the document. Since any Western pressure against Azerbaijan usually coincides with the elections, this has even become an axiom. It is known that the European Parliament is preparing for new elections, and calls against Azerbaijan are being made by deputies working with the 'finance' of the Armenian lobby. Kaspar Karapetyan, an Armenian living in Brussels, is behind this financing. Although K. Karapetyan captured the headlines mostly with the corruption scandal starting in 2022, his "business" relations with the member of the European Parliament Eva Kaili of Greek origin on May 26, 2019 were one of the most popular events. It should be noted that Eva Kaili and Karapetyan's paths crossed in the EU Parliament, and their relationship further increased after the election. In addition, let's note that Karapetyan, who is known as the boss of corruption and prostitution in the West, organised the illegal visits of many members of the European Parliament not only to Armenia, but also to Garabagh for decades. A Greek citizen with an Armenian passport, 76-year-old Kaspar Karapetyan chose Brussels, the centre of European politics, as a platform for his activities, not only for considerations of a purely Armenian issue, but also for his narrow-minded business interests. Karapetyan was engaged in shuttle trade in his youth in Greece. And later, in Belgium, he bought jewellery shops. He created an extensive and equally bloody network of "diamond business". From conflict regions of Africa, he smuggled into Belgium the oblong coloured diamonds, which are then faceted. So the diamond becomes as shiny as the Armenian issue. And then the diamonds are certified according to the thoroughly worked-out corruption scheme and go to the shelves of the branded boutiques in Europe. Over time, Karapetyan's blood diamond business began to be connected with Armenia's Garabagh plans. Dashnak, expanding his business, began to play an extremely active role, from the Armenian occupation to the financing of radical Armenian organisations and terrorist groups. With this money, Karapetyan creates a "European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy," which acts in conjunction with Armenia's foreign intelligence. The Karampetyan Federation is a subdivision of the organization of the Yerevan-based "Armenian Cause Central Council". Traces of Karampetyan's bloody mud lead from the offices of influential European officials and deputies to the battlefields in Karabakh. As for Karapetyan's partner Kyli, on November 19, 2021, she was recognized as the main initiator of the distribution of the statement signed by the MEPs as a group and accusing "Azerbaijan of committing aggression against Armenia". Thus, Karapetyan and all the forces close to him, united around the European Parliament, could not hide their true faces. The fact that some deputies of the European Parliament are engaged in issuing empty resolutions is precisely related to their corrupt practices, which they try to hide in the background. The MPs who oppose Azerbaijan are those who have expressed the same position in the European Parliament before. They know their true inner faces, and even President Ilham Aliyev exposed these disgusting games in front of them when he received German business representatives. There is no doubt that behind these games are people like Macron, Islamophobic, racist, and Turkophobic circles in the European Parliament, crusaders, and neo-colonial-minded people and agents. Azerbaijan has no obligation to the European Parliament, nor is it worried about the threats of resolutions by a group of corrupt MPs. The whole world understands that this is a modern crusade. The era of the absolute monopoly of the West is coming to an end, this kind of populism has no value anymore. Five adjoining properties totaling 300 acres were rezoned to General Manufacturing District by the Enterprise City Council two weeks ago. The issue was questioned by several citizens, most saying they lived in the Turtleback Subdivision, at that meeting and on social media posts. The issue was again addressed at the city council meeting last week and Enterprise City Engineer Barry Mott took the floor to address the issues raised about the rezones located at the intersection of Highway 84 and Moates Road, and the history of Turtleback Subdivision. Mott reiterated that rezoning the property, at the request of the owners, was the only issue before the council when they voted. The council action was 100% about the rezone, he said. There was a lot of discussion about more than the council rezone. Some residents, most saying they lived in the Turtleback Subdivision, expressed concerns about turning the area into an industrial park. Citing increased traffic, safety hazards, and putrid odors, some citizens focused their objections on the social-media chatter about the possibility of locating a wood product plant there. Mott said that the new rezone is about 5,600 feet from the subdivision, which was built in 2008, about 330 feet from the HSAA plant built on the manufacturing district there in 2004. I want to point out that there is currently M2 zoning closer to Turtleback, that was not part of this recent action. There was an existing M2 zone roughly 330 feet to the east of Turtleback when it was built. In 2008, the final plat (for Turtleback) was approved, which is when the developer can go in and sell lots, Mott said. HSAA Phase One was constructed in 2004, a year before the preliminary plat for Turtleback even existed. At an earlier council meeting, City Administrator Jonathan Tullos said that in June the Wiregrass Economic Development Corporation brought the concept of a manufacturing plant in the wood/forest industry to the city leaders. At that time, the proposed project needed more than 100 acres of land, access to a four-lane or major highway and railroad access, and the citys Industrial Development Board began the process of identifying any suitable sites in or around Enterprise. Tullos said Enterprise Mayor William Cooper, and some city council, planning commission, and Industrial Development Board members visited an Oriented Strand Board plant in November of last year with the intent of determining the noise, odors, and traffic associated with such a plant. OSB is an engineered wood panel that shares many of the characteristics of plywood. Collectively the group came away from the visit with the opinion that many of their own concerns were overstated, Tullos said. The process at the plant had very little noise outside the plant. In fact, no one noticed any noise or odors in the parking lot or from the road. Tuesday Mott reiterated that no plans for construction of any kind have come to his office. To date there are no plans submitted to engineering for site development or construction plan review for any facility at the corner of Moates Road and Alabama Highway 84, he said. No details for any kind of facility have been submitted to engineering for review for anywhere there. To questions about increased traffic on Highway 84 should a manufacturing plant be constructed on the new rezone acreage, Mott noted that the section of the four-lane Highway 84 in question, which has a daily traffic county of about 10,000 vehicles, has the same buildup and design criteria as the section heading to Dothan, which has a traffic count of some 20,000 daily. Theres been a lot of talk about pollution and air quality should a manufacturing plant be built on that land, Mott said. So, doing due diligence, I reached out to the Alabama Department of Environmental Management Director Air Permitting Office, a former environmental Protection Agency Region Administrator, and the Auburn University Director of Forest Projects Development Center. Mott outlined the environmental protection review and inspection process that any manufacturing plant would have to go through. He also outlined the procedures for any construction plans to make it from initial request to the groundbreaking phase. I want to be as transparent as I can with you, he said. At the earlier council meeting, several people expressed concern that they did not know about the proposed rezone in advance of the vote. Two councilmen noted that the meetings of multiple Enterprise municipal boards, including the city council meetings, are livestreamed and available for later viewing on the citys website, as are meeting agendas, meeting minutes, and council information packets. The citys website is www.enterpriseal.gov. Watch meetings here: Check out the City of Enterprises YouTube channel to watch what you may have missed, is the headline on the opening page. The Enterprise City Council meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month at the Enterprise Civic Center. A work session begins at 5 p.m. A voting meeting begins at 6 p.m. Both meetings are open to the public. BAY CITY, MI Over the summer, Bay Citys State Theatre and two national fishing organizations teamed up to host tournaments. The events brought 582 visitors from around the country and boosted the local economy with an infusion of nearly $1 million. Yet when the anglers reeled in their lines and left town, the organizations were left dangling on the hook, their fees unpaid to the tune of $70,000, plus hotel expenses. For months after, the two groups sent numerous messages to the State Theatre and its chief operating officer, Mike Bacigalupo, requesting payment. The missives grew increasingly terse, stressing the gravity of the situation and threatening legal action. Meanwhile, Bay City Commissioner Ed Clements, whose brainchild it was to bring the tournaments to the city, repeatedly texted Bacigalupo requesting updates on the debts status. At different times, Bacigalupo replied he was in Italy, that he was hit hard by illness and working from bed, that he was working on a huge grant, and trying to play catch up. Clements threatened to go public, Bacigalupo replying that would hurt him, the event, and Clements. While Clements held his tongue for a few months, the term-limited 8th Ward commissioner and sergeant-at-arms is holding it no longer. Im just so upset about what has transpired, he said. Its time for it all to start coming out. What has happened is heartbreaking. I want to have the facts out there and put rumors to rest. To that end, he provided MLive with numerous documents outlining the debacle. Bay City Commissioner and sportsman Ed Clements points to where sportsman Michael Kelly should steer the boat toward on Monday, Oct. 14, 2019.Kaytie Boomer | MLive.com Having stumbled on the National Professional Fishing League hosting a tournament in Bangor Township, Clements in June 2022 began working to bring a similar event to Bay City. I brought in Mike Bacigalupo to the discussions as he had a reputation as Mr. Downtown, Clements said. The State Theatre, located at 913 Washington Ave., and NPFL agreed to bring a tournament to Bay City in July 2023, with a host fee of $20,000 going to the NPFL, plus rooms at the DoubleTree by Hilton. When it came time to sign the contract before NPFL left Bay City, Bacigalupo was out of town, Clements said. Leading up to this, he told me that he could sign the contract since the State Theatre had the contract with the city to operate, maintain, and schedule events in Wenonah Park. I believed him, which in hindsight was stupid on my part. Clements signed the contract, saying he was hesitant but did so on Bacigalupos advice. Not long after, the Major League Fishing reached out to Clements about bringing their own tournament to Bay City in August 2023. Clements touched base with Bacigalupo, who told him to go for it. On July 18, Bacigalupo signed a contract with MLF, identifying himself as director Bay City on the form. The deal called for MLF to receive a host fee of $50,000, plus rooms at the DoubleTree. Before the tournaments took place, Bacigalupo launched a fundraising campaign, raising $47,500, Clements said. Mike controlled all fundraising and did not let myself or the two others that were working together to do any of the fundraising, Clements said. Mike continually told us not to worry, he had it covered. Mike Bacigalupo within downtown Bay CIty's State Theatre at 913 Washington Ave.Yfat Yossifor The NPLF tournament ran July 16-22 and the MLF one ran Aug. 1-6. Both events went off without a hitch, winners in each taking home prizes of $100,000. Everything went well, Clements said. The anglers, tournament staff, visitors, fans, and area residents loved the events, and the tournaments loved Bay City. They left Bay City wanting to come back. An economic impact study conducted by Grand Valley State University speaks to the tournaments successes. Soon after the tournaments ended, though, problems arose with NPLF and MLF receiving their fees. In September, Clements texted Bacigalupo, saying the groups had been calling him seeking payment. Bacigalupo replied he would handle the matter once he returned from Italy. The next month, Clements again texted Bacigalupo, asking him to make some good-faith payments, adding It would not be good if I went public that you dont pay bills. Bacigalupo responded that he has been dealing with a lot and working on a huge grant. He promised money would start being sent by the end of the month. The debt still not paid by Oct. 31, Bacigalupo texted Clements he was sick and trying to work from bed. He also advised Clements that going public would only hurt them both and the tournaments. Meanwhile, the NPLF and MLF sent letters to the State Theatre, Bacigalupo, Clements and Bay City seeking payments and threatening lawsuits. The DoubleTree also sent past due invoices totaling $23,154.24. Attorneys on Bay Citys behalf informed MLF that the city is not a party to the contract, and that Bacigalupo does not serve as Director of Bay City. The contract obtained by MLive shows Bacigalupo used Bay City Halls address rather than the State Theatres. Just as things were at their direst, anonymous good Samaritans footed the bills to make the fishing organizations whole, motivated to spare Bay City a black eye. This has ensured NPLF is returning to Bay City with another tournament from Aug. 25-31, 2024, with MLF looking to return in 2025. We did something really great last year and I think were going to do it even better in 2024, he said. Clements could not confirm if the DoubleTree balance has been paid. Furthermore, the $47,500 in fundraising money is missing, Clements said. Who knows where that $47,500 is? I have no idea, because it was all paid to the State Theatre, he said. The State Theatres board of directors dismissed Bacigalupo shortly after Bay City terminated his employment as the citys special events coordinator on Nov. 1. While officials initially kept silent on the circumstances, rumors began swirling that rockers Rick Springfield and Joan Jett & the Blackhearts werent paid for their performances during the summer Rockin the River series. Springfield, under his legal surname of Springthorpe, in January filed a lawsuit in Bay County Circuit Court against Bacigalupo and the State Theatre. Springfield on Aug. 26, performed in Wenonah Park and received a $68,750 check from the venue, endorsed by Bacigalupo. Five days later, the check bounced. Springfields representation reached out to Bacigalupo to inquire about a replacement check being issued. They did not receive a substantive response from Bacigalupo, who claimed there was an issue with the venues account being breached, causing problems with funds being released, according to the suit. Despite Defendants repeated assurances that the money would be wired to Plaintiff, no payment has been made to rectify the outstanding balance owed, the suit states. Springfield only received a $48,750 deposit payment provided prior to his summertime gig, the lawsuit states. Springfield is seeking $206,250 from the defendants. Dave Dukarski, president and CEO of Saginaws Stage Call Production Services, provided labor production for Rockin the River and told MLive he has yet to be paid around $23,000. Here we are now in February 2024 and I still havent seen any money, Dukarski said. A lot of my operating capital for my business tied up in all these invoices. Clements confirmed Bay City police and the FBI are investigating, though he could not provide additional details. In September 2019, the Bay County Growth Alliance approved a bridge loan to the State Theatre to complete renovations for the Wenonah Park Bandshell. On June 26, 2020, then-Bay County Growth Alliance President Christopher Girard signed an $800,000 commercial mortgage, naming the theatre at 913 Washington Ave. as the borrower. Bacigalupo also signed the mortgage agreement. The loans terms were in keeping with BCGA practices and was approved by the States board of directors as well. The loan was documented with a promissory note, which is held by the BCGA and is private. The principle has not been repaid, BCGA attorney Charles Hewitt said on Feb. 23. Its an interest-only loan. Interest payments have been made. The maturity date is next year, so it has to be paid in full in June 2025. MLive has repeatedly reached out to State Theatre Board President Dan Dimitroff and Bacigalupo for comment but have received no replies. Lawyers for Kristina Karamo, who under court order is barred from acting as Michigan Republican Party chair, said in a Wednesday court filing the caucus cant move forward under the injunction. The caucus, where Republican insiders will assign 39 of Michigans 55 delegates to the nominee of their choice, has been caught in the middle of a schism in the party, headed by rival chairs Pete Hoekstra and Karamo. Each side had scheduled its own caucus for the same time Saturday, in Grand Rapids and Detroit, respectively. A weekly newsletter that delivers original reporting and dives into the top headlines involving reproductive justice, sexual health, relationships, parenting and more every Tuesday. Enter your email to subscribe today. In June 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court voted to overturn Roe v. Wade, a landmark case that protected the constitutional right to abortion. The ruling caused each state to gain the power to determine abortion laws in the area. Since the vote, at least 25 states have passed laws to ban or restrict access to abortions, with some of the strictest laws being passed in Texas for those who perform abortions. In 2021, Texas legislators passed a heartbeat bill that bans the performance of an abortion once a heartbeat is detected. Texas law states it is illegal to perform an abortion including by mailing abortion pills. The law doesnt apply to those who receive an abortion. Yet posts on social media are misleading on the states abortion laws after a Texas court case concluded with attorney Mason Herring being sentenced to 180 days in jail and 10 years on probation for drugging his wife to try to induce an abortion. After a case went viral, posts on social media began sharing misleading claims that abortions are completely illegal in Texas and that women who receive one will face life in prison. TX lawyer Mason Herring got ONLY 6 mo's in jail for spiking his wife's drink w abortion pills to FORCE a miscarriage You'd think pro-life TX would be OUTRAGED by this but you'd be wrong They'd put the wife in prison if she did it, but the husband? Mehhttps://t.co/56tUfYfwnk pic.twitter.com/zDRqwsPndg Pavlov's Cat (@PavlovsCat6) February 21, 2024 While the misleading posts exaggerate the penalties in Texas law, they do highlight a troubling inconsistency in how the state treats those who seek or provide abortions versus those who attempt to force them. So in Texas abortion is 100% illegal no matter the circumstances. Woman gets one=99 years in prison. Doctor performs one=99 years in prison. Man attempts to drug his pregnant wife 7 times with an abortion pill=180 days in jail and 10 years probation. MAKE IT MAKE SENSE Sarah (@snakequeen310) February 23, 2024 Double standard. If the wife had take the abortion pill, shed be thrown in jail for 99 years under Texas law. Posted by Matt Goldmann on Wednesday, February 21, 2024 Other posts on social media shared the misleading claim that the women in Texas who get abortions face the death penalty. Texas lawyer slips his wife the abortion pill gets 180 days in jail. If a women were to consent to taking the abortion pill, she gets the death penalty. #MakeItMakeSense #WarOnWomen Posted by Cat Ratajczyk on Monday, February 19, 2024 But, as previously explained, Texas abortion law doesnt generally apply to the one receiving an abortion. Under Texas law, an abortion is not considered illegal if it is to save the life or preserve the health of an unborn child; remove a dead, unborn child whose death was caused by spontaneous abortion; or to remove an ectopic pregnancy. The law states that it may not authorize the initiation of a cause of action against or the prosecution of a woman on whom an abortion is performed or induced or attempted to be performed or induced. In 2023, state legislators passed a bill to protect doctors, pharmacists and pharmacies who perform abortions for ectopic pregnancies or pre-viable premature membrane rupture. In Dec. 2023, the Texas Supreme Court ruled that only against allowing an abortion, after a Texas woman asked the court to allow her to receive an abortion after discovering her unborn baby had a life-threatening condition. The woman in this case went out of state to receive an abortion before the ruling was given. Although the courts ruled against the woman being allowed to have an abortion in the state, because a doctor didnt confirm with the court that the unborn baby had a life-threatening condition, in the ruling the court said a woman who meets the medical-necessity exception need not seek a court order to obtain an abortion. During a podcast by WAMU NPR titled 1A, Elizabeth Sepper, a law healthcare professor at the University of Texas, said that state exemptions dont charge a pregnant person for receiving an abortion under the state ban, but that the exemption category is narrow and poorly written. No. The current law doesnt. I think its a quite misleading statement from the Texas Supreme Court. Because really the outcome was were not going to think youre right. This is a very narrow exception. And to give a sense of the ambiguity, it says that abortions can be performed where there is a life threatening physical condition that places the female at risk of death, Sepper said. The ambiguity of the law creates a situation where women experiencing pregnancy complications may be denied vital care due to fear of prosecution. Or poses a serious risk of substantial impairment of a major bodily function. But its said life threatening in the first clause. And so its really actually not even clear whether this is a health exception at all--whether there are health threats that fall into the exception. Or if were just dealing with life threats, Sepper added. Which would be a narrow category still. Its extremely poorly written, and it really cant be understood in--in plain English. Although there is no current law in effect to punish those who receive an abortion, state lawmakers have attempted to pass such legislation in the past and some say the consequence for women is having to suffer through life-threatening dangerous health complications. Its also worth noting that in March 2021, Rep. Bryan Slaton of the Texas House of Representatives introduced a bill to criminalize abortion, making it a homicide punishable by death. The bill did not pass, though Slaton has claimed he will sponsor the bill again in future legislative sessions. Brea Jones is a strategic leader and award-winning journalist who writes for the Sanford Herald. Previously, she worked to stop the spread of misinformation surrounding health and politics as a reporter with FactCheck.org at the University of Pennsylvania. Since 2015, Brea has written articles and produced multimedia for publications covering people, entertainment, politics, and health. MONTGOMERY-A federal judge sentenced 38-year-old Jermain Tyrone Holmes of Dothan to 130 months in prison, according to Acting United States Attorney Jonathan S. Ross. The sentence followed his conviction for robbery of a postal worker. In addition, the judge ordered that Holmes serve five years of supervised release following his prison term. Federal inmates are not eligible for parole. According to the plea agreement and other court records, on April 26, 2023, a Dothan mail carrier was working his route when he encountered Holmes standing beside one of the mailboxes. Holmes asked the mail carrier for directions, then pulled out a handgun and demanded money. The mail carrier complied and gave Holmes his wallet and other personal items. Holmes fled the scene on foot. The carrier then called 911 to report the robbery. Responding officers apprehended Holmes a short time later. Postal workers are a crucial part of our communities, providing an invaluable service to private citizens and businesses alike, said Ross. My office takes its duty to protect postal employees and the U.S. Mail very seriously. Blatant acts of violence against postal workers cannot, and will not, go unpunished. Postal Inspectors duties include protecting postal employees and investigating violent crimes that are committed against them, said Scott Fix, Inspector-in-Charge for the Houston Division. The sentence handed down to Jermain Holmes for the robbery of our letter carrier should serve as a reminder we will aggressively investigate to find those responsible and bring them to justice. We are grateful to the Dothan Police Department for their assistance in this investigation. The United States Postal Inspection Service and the Dothan Police Department investigated this case, which Assistant United States Attorney Brandon W. Bates prosecuted. A recent GoDaddy study has revealed a thriving side hustle culture in Australia, with 61% of entrepreneurs running their side businesses alongside full-time jobs. Entrepreneurs who have transitioned their side hustle into a full-time venture are reaping substantial financial rewards, according to GoDaddys findings. A significant majority, 63%, report monthly turnovers of at least $5,000, with nearly a quarter (22%) generating over $25,000 monthly or $300,000 annually. Empowered by accessible online tools and services, these individuals are making significant returns on investment. Nearly a third (29%) started their ventures with as little as $500, and the majority (56%) dedicate fewer than 10 hours per week to their side hustles, yet more than half earn at least $500 per month to supplement their main income. Impressively, one in five (19%) are generating over $2,500 monthly, showcasing the lucrative potential of side hustles. Its unsurprising that side hustlers are ambitious, with 83% aiming to grow their business revenues enough to transition to full-time entrepreneurship. GoDaddy found that entrepreneurs who have taken the leap and made their sidehustle business their main source of income are generating significant revenue. However, these impressive returns often come at the cost of hard work and sacrifice. Twenty-two percent of Australian entrepreneurs dedicate more than 40 hours per week to their businesses, and 47% experience high levels of stress. Despite these challenges, a resounding two-thirds (64%) express that life is better after making the leap to entrepreneurship. Microbusinesses: The engine of the economy Microbusinesses have emerged as a driving force in the Australian economy, particularly in the wake of the pandemic. GoDaddys Venture Forward data underscores their vital contribution, with a majority (52%) established after 2020 and 39% employing at least one other person. This contribution is poised to expand further, as 40% anticipate hiring additional personnel in the next twelve months. Despite subdued sentiments regarding the national economic outlook, Australian entrepreneurs remain optimistic about their own business prospects. While only a quarter (25%) express optimism about the national economy over the next six months, an impressive 71% are bullish about their own ventures. This reflects the confidence of Australian entrepreneurs, with a staggering 94% expressing confidence in their ability to successfully operate a business. Tamara Oppen, Vice President of English Markets at GoDaddy, commented: GoDaddys Venture Forward data is unique in its ability to capture and analyse microbusinesses and demonstrates their enormous economic contribution to the Australian economy. Collectively, they have the power to add billions to the economy, while providing jobs, improving pay and increasing GDP in their local communities. Microbusinesses are the engine of both their local and the Australian economy. We have very few studies that focus specifically on companies with under 10 employees. They are under-researched, misunderstood and often under-served. GoDaddy aims to change that, and we are determined to support and empower the everyday entrepreneurs by offering affordable and easy to use tools to help them grow.. Keep up to date with our stories on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. The Sydney Harbour Marriott Hotel played host to Australias premier employers on February 29th as they gathered for the Asuria Employer Awards. Hosted by Asuria, an Australian-owned government services provider, the Employer Awards celebrated businesses fostering diversity and innovation in their workplaces. From established names to ambitious startups, businesses were recognised for their dedication to employment, entrepreneurship, and creating inclusive environments. A panel of experts judged finalists across six categories, selecting the most outstanding examples. Cripps (Diversity and Inclusion Impact Award) In recognition of employers championing diversity and inclusivity in their workforce, Cripps emerges as the deserving winner. The judges lauded Cripps for its proactive commitment to revamping its recruitment processes, embracing a more inclusive approach. Particularly noteworthy was Cripps dedication to inclusivity, as they actively incorporated job seekers who may have been overlooked in the past. TRECCA a Ventia Initiative (First Nations Excellence Award) TRECCA, a Ventia Initiative, takes center stage for its remarkable efforts in empowering First Nations individuals. The judges praised TRECCAs sustained dedication and personalised approach, highlighting its tangible impact on the community. They commended TRECCA for developing an employment program tailored to the strengths of Indigenous individuals, effectively breaking down cultural, logistical, and legal obstacles to employment. Castings (Local Champion Award) Castings stands out as a leader in regional recruitment, embodying openness and courage. The judges praised their inclusive hiring approach and dedication to fostering employee growth. Castings commitment to change and patience in navigating challenges earned them high praise as a model of regional business leadership. Mowing Motivation (Small Business Start-Up Award) Mowing Motivation earns recognition for its innovative approach to addressing a unique market demand. By catering to vulnerable single women uncomfortable with traditional lawn services, Mowing Motivation showcases excellence in innovation, customer impact, and resilience in the face of adversity. The judges applauded Mowing Motivation for its innovative response to an unmet need: providing lawn services tailored for vulnerable single women uncomfortable with male presence on their property. Babana Aboriginal and Tribal Warrior: Maritime Operations Program (Innovative Recruitment Solution Award) Babana Aboriginal and Tribal Warrior: Maritime Operations Program secures victory for its partnership with Asuria. Through innovative initiatives and unwavering support, Babana Aboriginal and Tribal Warrior demonstrates a commitment to driving employment outcomes and empowering job seekers to reach their full potential. The judges praised Tribal Warrior/Babana for their close collaboration with Asuria in filling the Maritime Operations Program with job seekers and guiding them through the program. They noted that every aspect of innovation, excitement, and passion was evident in their partnership, aligning perfectly with the awards purpose. NRMA Marine (Enterprising at Heart Award) NRMA Marine stands out for its deep-rooted commitment to inclusion and reconciliation. By aligning its values with those of Asuria, NRMA Marine exemplifies authenticity and bravery in its employment practices, leaving a lasting impact on participants and stakeholders alike. The judges commended NRMA for their profound commitment to inclusion and courage, evident throughout their employment processes and outcomes. They highlighted NRMAs authentic and culturally meaningful approach to reconciliation in staffing. Highly Commended: Programmed Skilled Workforce Programmed Skilled Workforce earns high praise for its collaborative approach in supporting disadvantaged job seekers. With a steadfast dedication to fostering long-term employment opportunities, Programmed Skilled Workforce exemplifies a genuine commitment to making a meaningful impact on individuals and communities. Michael Betteridge, General Manager of Tourism Development at NRMA Marine, said: Partnerships are everything, and stories are what humanise what we do. The NRMA lives, breathes, walks, and talks our commitment to the communities were a part of, and Im immensely proud to accept the Enterprising at Heart Award here today. Nicole Grainger-Marsh, CEO of Asuria Australia, reflects on the Employer Awards with admiration and gratitude. She highlights the exceptional dedication of both employers and job seekers, emphasizing the collective effort in shaping the workforce of tomorrow. Our heartfelt congratulations go out to all the winners and finalists for their dedication and achievements, and we look forward to welcoming each and every one of them back next year, along with a new wave of emerging employment heroes ready to step up and receive the recognition they deserve. In addition to the winners receiving their awards, the event also included heartfelt speeches from special guests Brittany Lee Taylor, Store Team Member with Woolworths Proactive Services, and Thomas Wright, General Purpose-Hand at NRMA Marine (and finalist in NESAs 2023 Achiever of the Year Award) as they discussed the challenges they each overcame as job seekers, and the help they received to reach their potential. For more about Asuria, visit asuria.com.au Keep up to date with our stories on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Welcome to AI Weekly, where we delve into the cutting-edge and ever-evolving world of artificial intelligence and bring you concise yet comprehensive summaries of the most exciting AI developments. Workday to Acquire HiredScore Workday, a leading HR software provider, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire HiredScore, a company specializing in AI-powered talent orchestration solutions. These solutions enable companies to leverage data-driven insights to enhance their recruiting and talent mobility processes. The integration of Workday Talent Management, Workday Skills Cloud, and HiredScores Talent Orchestration solutions will offer customers a comprehensive, transparent, and intelligent talent acquisition and internal mobility platform, enabling them to better address their evolving people needs. Googles Initiative to Test Unreleased Gen AI Platform with Publishers Google has initiated a private program involving a select group of independent publishers, offering them beta access to an unreleased generative artificial intelligence platform in exchange for analytics and feedback. According to documents obtained by ADWEEK, participating publishers are expected to utilize the suite of tools to generate a specified volume of content over 12 months. In return, they receive a monthly stipend totaling a five-figure sum annually, along with access to content production resources tailored to their readership, all at no cost. Particle: An AI-Powered News Reader Developed by Former Twitter Engineers Particle.news, developed by a team led by former Twitter engineers, introduces a novel approach to using AI to assist people in processing news and information. This startup offers a personalized, multi-perspective news reading experience, leveraging AI not only to summarize news articles but also to ensure fair compensation for authors and publishers. Although Particles business model has yet to be disclosed, it arrives amidst growing concerns about the impact of AI on the news ecosystem, particularly regarding potential reductions in website traffic and advertising revenue for publishers. Apple Shifts Focus from Electric Car Project to AI Research Apple has terminated its electric car project, known as Project Titan, redirecting its research funding toward generative artificial intelligence endeavors. This decision reflects Apples strategy to diversify its focus beyond its flagship product, the iPhone, which still constitutes approximately half of its global sales. While the decade-long effort to develop a rival to Tesla and Rivian was never officially confirmed by Apple, news of the projects cancellation was relayed to employees on Tuesday. Apple declined to comment on the matter. Google Introduces Genie: An AI Model for Generating 2D Platformer Games Google has unveiled Genie, a new generative artificial intelligence model capable of producing an infinite variety of 2D platformer video games. Marketed as an action-controllable world model, Genie was trained on unsupervised video game data and utilizes predictive analysis to generate game levels. Additionally, it can control playable characters and determine their movements. This development follows OpenAIs recent introduction of Sora, a world model capable of generating hyperrealistic videos up to one minute in length. EU Investigates Microsofts Partnership with Mistral AI The European Union is scrutinizing Microsofts collaboration with French startup Mistral AI as part of its broader examination of the rapidly growing generative artificial intelligence sector, aiming to identify any potential competition concerns. In a brief statement released on Tuesday, February 27, the European Commission, the executive arm of the 27-nation bloc, announced its analysis of the agreement between the two companies, which was unveiled a day earlier. Microsoft refrained from commenting on the matter, while Mistral did not respond to requests for comment. Microsofts recent announcement revealed a 15 million investment in Mistral, a French company established less than a year ago. This partnership has the potential to reduce the US software giants dependence on OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, for the supply of the next generation of chatbots and other generative AI products. Keep up to date with our stories on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Saba Capital Management L.P. decreased its holdings in BlackRock Enhanced International Dividend Trust (NYSE:BGY Free Report) by 4.3% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,594,032 shares of the investment management companys stock after selling 72,203 shares during the quarter. Saba Capital Management L.P.s holdings in BlackRock Enhanced International Dividend Trust were worth $7,954,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of BGY. NBC Securities Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of BlackRock Enhanced International Dividend Trust in the third quarter valued at $29,000. RiverFront Investment Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of BlackRock Enhanced International Dividend Trust in the third quarter valued at $50,000. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of BlackRock Enhanced International Dividend Trust during the first quarter valued at $58,000. XTX Topco Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of BlackRock Enhanced International Dividend Trust during the first quarter valued at $61,000. Finally, International Assets Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of BlackRock Enhanced International Dividend Trust by 19.6% during the first quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 12,200 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $70,000 after purchasing an additional 2,000 shares during the last quarter. Get BlackRock Enhanced International Dividend Trust alerts: BlackRock Enhanced International Dividend Trust Trading Down 0.4 % Shares of NYSE BGY traded down $0.02 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $5.32. 221,123 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 202,251. BlackRock Enhanced International Dividend Trust has a 1 year low of $4.68 and a 1 year high of $5.66. The business has a 50 day moving average of $5.30 and a two-hundred day moving average of $5.14. BlackRock Enhanced International Dividend Trust Increases Dividend About BlackRock Enhanced International Dividend Trust The business also recently announced a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 29th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.034 per share. This represents a $0.41 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 7.67%. This is an increase from BlackRock Enhanced International Dividend Trusts previous monthly dividend of $0.03. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, February 14th. (Free Report) BlackRock Enhanced International Dividend Trust is a closed ended equity mutual fund launched by BlackRock, Inc The fund is co-managed by BlackRock Advisors, LLC and BlackRock International Limited. It invests in public equity markets across the globe excluding the United States. The fund seeks to invest in stocks of companies operating across diversified sectors. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for BlackRock Enhanced International Dividend Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for BlackRock Enhanced International Dividend Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Vietnam Airlines has to ground 12 A321 aircraft, representing 20% of its domestic fleet, for up to 300 days due to engine issues, as supply chain disruptions have doubled the maintenance time, its CEO said. Le Hong Ha said engine issues are plaguing over 3,500 A321/A320neo aircraft worldwide with Pratt & Whitney engines. Vietnam Airlines uses 24 of the engines, he said Thursday on the sidelines of the 2024 International Airline Symposium in Hanoi. The engine problems have also impacted Vietnam Airlines' Airbus A350 aircraft, he added. The problem is caused by a rare condition in the powder metal used to manufacture certain engine parts, a concern flagged by Pratt & Whitney in July 2023 as affecting engines produced between October 2015 and September 2021. This has caused numerous airlines globally to ground or inspect their aircraft. Vietnam Airlines CEO Le Hong Ha on the sidelines of the International Airline Symposium 2024 on Feb. 28, 2024 in Hanoi. Photo by VnExpress/Anh Tu Budget carrier Vietjet may also have fleet trouble due to the engine issues. A shortage of aircraft has been partly blamed for the recent jump in domestic airfares, which is turning passengers away. Before and after the Lunar New Year holidays (in mid-February) airlines carried 13% fewer passengers than last year. But Ha pointed out that Vietnam is among the few countries still capping airfares, adding the ceilings should be scrapped in future. Corton Capital Inc. trimmed its position in shares of The Williams Companies, Inc. (NYSE:WMB Free Report) by 18.4% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 18,782 shares of the pipeline companys stock after selling 4,227 shares during the quarter. Corton Capital Inc.s holdings in Williams Companies were worth $633,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC grew its position in Williams Companies by 96,588.4% during the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 63,423,739 shares of the pipeline companys stock valued at $2,086,641,000 after purchasing an additional 63,358,143 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in Williams Companies by 2.6% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 27,149,522 shares of the pipeline companys stock valued at $883,679,000 after purchasing an additional 686,381 shares during the last quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC grew its position in Williams Companies by 6.6% during the 2nd quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 23,515,457 shares of the pipeline companys stock valued at $767,309,000 after purchasing an additional 1,451,317 shares during the last quarter. Morgan Stanley boosted its holdings in shares of Williams Companies by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 19,750,630 shares of the pipeline companys stock valued at $649,796,000 after acquiring an additional 136,216 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada boosted its holdings in shares of Williams Companies by 85.8% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 16,352,215 shares of the pipeline companys stock valued at $546,327,000 after acquiring an additional 7,551,749 shares during the last quarter. 85.76% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Williams Companies alerts: Williams Companies Price Performance Shares of Williams Companies stock traded up $0.22 on Wednesday, hitting $35.26. 8,243,121 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 7,086,574. The stock has a market capitalization of $42.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.43, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.54 and a beta of 1.04. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.57, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 0.77. The Williams Companies, Inc. has a 52 week low of $27.80 and a 52 week high of $37.45. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $34.69 and a 200 day simple moving average of $34.79. Williams Companies Increases Dividend Williams Companies ( NYSE:WMB Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 14th. The pipeline company reported $0.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.47 by $0.01. Williams Companies had a net margin of 29.22% and a return on equity of 16.20%. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.53 EPS. Research analysts expect that The Williams Companies, Inc. will post 1.79 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 25th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 8th will be given a dividend of $0.475 per share. This is an increase from Williams Companiess previous quarterly dividend of $0.45. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 7th. This represents a $1.90 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.39%. Williams Companiess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 68.32%. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of brokerages have recently issued reports on WMB. UBS Group raised their price target on shares of Williams Companies from $41.00 to $42.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Thursday, February 15th. Mizuho raised their price objective on shares of Williams Companies from $41.00 to $43.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Thursday, December 7th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $37.27. View Our Latest Report on WMB 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. Corton Capital Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Pioneer Natural Resources (NYSE:PXD Free Report) in the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor acquired 2,697 shares of the oil and gas development companys stock, valued at approximately $619,000. A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of PXD. BluePath Capital Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Pioneer Natural Resources during the third quarter worth about $29,000. Ancora Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Pioneer Natural Resources by 77.4% during the first quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC now owns 149 shares of the oil and gas development companys stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. DecisionPoint Financial LLC bought a new position in shares of Pioneer Natural Resources during the second quarter worth about $34,000. Carmel Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in Pioneer Natural Resources in the third quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Finally, VitalStone Financial LLC bought a new position in Pioneer Natural Resources in the second quarter valued at approximately $37,000. 82.72% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Get Pioneer Natural Resources alerts: Insider Buying and Selling In other Pioneer Natural Resources news, Director Maria S. Dreyfus sold 10,632 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $226.62, for a total value of $2,409,423.84. Following the sale, the director now owns 4,066 shares in the company, valued at approximately $921,436.92. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. 0.55% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Analyst Ratings Changes PXD has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. StockNews.com initiated coverage on Pioneer Natural Resources in a research note on Sunday. They issued a hold rating for the company. Argus downgraded Pioneer Natural Resources from a buy rating to a sell rating in a research note on Friday, November 24th. UBS Group reduced their target price on Pioneer Natural Resources from $269.00 to $250.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, December 14th. Truist Financial reduced their target price on Pioneer Natural Resources from $255.00 to $238.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a research note on Friday, November 17th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus reduced their target price on Pioneer Natural Resources from $243.00 to $224.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, January 23rd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, fourteen have assigned a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $254.71. Check Out Our Latest Research Report on PXD Pioneer Natural Resources Price Performance Shares of PXD traded up $1.06 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $234.81. The companys stock had a trading volume of 2,268,964 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,207,982. Pioneer Natural Resources has a one year low of $177.26 and a one year high of $257.76. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $227.16 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $232.30. The company has a quick ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21. The stock has a market capitalization of $54.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.54 and a beta of 1.31. Pioneer Natural Resources (NYSE:PXD Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 22nd. The oil and gas development company reported $5.28 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $5.41 by ($0.13). The firm had revenue of $5.22 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.28 billion. Pioneer Natural Resources had a return on equity of 22.42% and a net margin of 25.28%. The companys revenue was up 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $5.91 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that Pioneer Natural Resources will post 21.27 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Pioneer Natural Resources Cuts Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 22nd. Investors of record on Monday, March 4th will be given a dividend of $2.56 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 1st. This represents a $10.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.36%. Pioneer Natural Resourcess dividend payout ratio is currently 24.70%. Pioneer Natural Resources Profile (Free Report) Pioneer Natural Resources Company operates as an independent oil and gas exploration and production company in the United States. The company explores for, develops, and produces oil, natural gas liquids (NGLs), and gas. It has operations in the Midland Basin in West Texas. Pioneer Natural Resources Company was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in Irving, Texas. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding PXD? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Pioneer Natural Resources (NYSE:PXD Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Pioneer Natural Resources Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Pioneer Natural Resources and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Corton Capital Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA Free Report) during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 1,880 shares of the credit services providers stock, valued at approximately $744,000. Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MA. GeoWealth Management LLC bought a new position in Mastercard during the second quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Hibernia Wealth Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Mastercard during the 3rd quarter valued at $27,000. Strategic Investment Solutions Inc. IL acquired a new stake in shares of Mastercard in the 1st quarter valued at $25,000. Bollard Group LLC bought a new stake in Mastercard in the second quarter worth $29,000. Finally, Barometer Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in Mastercard during the third quarter worth $36,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.94% of the companys stock. Get Mastercard alerts: Insider Activity In other Mastercard news, insider Craig Vosburg sold 13,542 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $460.06, for a total value of $6,230,132.52. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 46,491 shares in the company, valued at $21,388,649.46. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. In other Mastercard news, insider Craig Vosburg sold 13,542 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $460.06, for a total value of $6,230,132.52. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 46,491 shares in the company, valued at $21,388,649.46. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Ajay Bhalla sold 4,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $425.00, for a total value of $1,700,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 6,235 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,649,875. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 30,540 shares of company stock valued at $13,542,519. 0.13% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Mastercard Price Performance NYSE MA traded up $4.20 on Wednesday, hitting $478.95. The stock had a trading volume of 1,931,927 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,507,689. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $442.40 and a 200-day moving average of $416.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.06, a quick ratio of 1.17 and a current ratio of 1.17. Mastercard Incorporated has a 52-week low of $340.21 and a 52-week high of $479.14. The company has a market capitalization of $446.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.48, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 1.08. Mastercard (NYSE:MA Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 31st. The credit services provider reported $3.18 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $3.08 by $0.10. The firm had revenue of $6.55 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.46 billion. Mastercard had a return on equity of 191.22% and a net margin of 44.60%. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.65 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Mastercard Incorporated will post 14.36 EPS for the current year. Mastercard declared that its board has authorized a stock buyback plan on Tuesday, December 5th that authorizes the company to buyback $11.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the credit services provider to repurchase up to 2.9% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are usually a sign that the companys board believes its shares are undervalued. Mastercard Announces Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 9th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, April 9th will be paid a dividend of $0.66 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, April 8th. This represents a $2.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.55%. Mastercards dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 22.32%. Analyst Ratings Changes MA has been the subject of several research reports. Oppenheimer reissued an outperform rating and issued a $510.00 price objective on shares of Mastercard in a research report on Thursday, February 1st. KeyCorp increased their price target on shares of Mastercard from $475.00 to $490.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, February 1st. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price objective on Mastercard from $433.00 to $482.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Thursday, January 11th. William Blair reaffirmed an outperform rating on shares of Mastercard in a research note on Wednesday, January 31st. Finally, Mizuho boosted their price target on shares of Mastercard from $462.00 to $480.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Thursday, February 1st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $471.85. Read Our Latest Report on Mastercard Mastercard Profile (Free Report) Mastercard Incorporated, a technology company, provides transaction processing and other payment-related products and services in the United States and internationally. The company offers integrated products and value-added services for account holders, merchants, financial institutions, digital partners, businesses, governments, and other organizations, such as programs that enable issuers to provide consumers with credits to defer payments; payment products and solutions that allow its customers to access funds in deposit and other accounts; prepaid programs services; and commercial credit, debit, and prepaid payment products and solutions. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MA? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Mastercard Incorporated (NYSE:MA Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Mastercard Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Mastercard and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Corton Capital Inc. lessened its holdings in shares of Bread Financial Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:BFH Free Report) by 11.6% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 19,311 shares of the companys stock after selling 2,527 shares during the quarter. Corton Capital Inc.s holdings in Bread Financial were worth $660,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Bread Financial by 42.2% during the 4th quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 1,011 shares of the companys stock worth $38,000 after acquiring an additional 300 shares during the period. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company lifted its holdings in shares of Bread Financial by 1.8% during the 2nd quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 20,161 shares of the companys stock worth $633,000 after acquiring an additional 350 shares during the period. Versor Investments LP lifted its holdings in shares of Bread Financial by 2.0% during the 2nd quarter. Versor Investments LP now owns 19,936 shares of the companys stock worth $626,000 after acquiring an additional 392 shares during the period. Covestor Ltd lifted its holdings in shares of Bread Financial by 18.8% during the 2nd quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 2,772 shares of the companys stock worth $87,000 after acquiring an additional 438 shares during the period. Finally, MetLife Investment Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Bread Financial by 1.9% during the 2nd quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 26,567 shares of the companys stock worth $834,000 after acquiring an additional 503 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 99.52% of the companys stock. Get Bread Financial alerts: Bread Financial Stock Up 0.6 % NYSE:BFH traded up $0.22 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $37.44. The company had a trading volume of 490,018 shares, compared to its average volume of 749,057. The company has a quick ratio of 1.18, a current ratio of 1.18 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. The firm has a market cap of $1.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 2.60, a P/E/G ratio of 0.18 and a beta of 1.93. The businesss 50-day simple moving average is $34.11 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $32.74. Bread Financial Holdings, Inc. has a twelve month low of $23.19 and a twelve month high of $41.89. Bread Financial Dividend Announcement Bread Financial ( NYSE:BFH Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 25th. The company reported $0.90 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of ($0.67) by $1.57. The business had revenue of $1,000.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $984.36 million. Bread Financial had a net margin of 13.87% and a return on equity of 26.24%. The businesss quarterly revenue was down 3.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted ($2.68) earnings per share. On average, equities analysts expect that Bread Financial Holdings, Inc. will post 7.24 earnings per share for the current year. The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 9th will be issued a dividend of $0.21 per share. This represents a $0.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.24%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 8th. Bread Financials dividend payout ratio is currently 5.87%. Insider Activity In other news, major shareholder Turtle Creek Asset Management sold 25,000 shares of Bread Financial stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $30.51, for a total transaction of $762,750.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 340,702 shares in the company, valued at $10,394,818.02. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders sold 494,000 shares of company stock worth $16,014,460 over the last three months. 0.34% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Analyst Ratings Changes Several equities analysts recently commented on BFH shares. Barclays dropped their price objective on shares of Bread Financial from $28.00 to $27.00 and set an underweight rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of Bread Financial from $36.00 to $40.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Friday, January 26th. Royal Bank of Canada reissued a sector perform rating and issued a $36.00 price objective on shares of Bread Financial in a research note on Friday, January 26th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price target on shares of Bread Financial from $27.00 to $31.00 and gave the company a sell rating in a research note on Monday, December 18th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets dropped their price target on shares of Bread Financial from $33.00 to $32.00 and set a market perform rating for the company in a research note on Monday, January 29th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $37.42. View Our Latest Analysis on Bread Financial About Bread Financial (Free Report) Bread Financial Holdings, Inc provides tech-forward payment and lending solutions to customers and consumer-based industries in North America. It offers credit card and other loans financing services, including risk management solutions, account origination, and funding services for private label and co-brand credit card programs, as well as through Bread partnerships; and Comenity-branded general purpose cash-back credit. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BFH? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Bread Financial Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:BFH Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Bread Financial Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bread Financial and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Enpro Inc. (NYSE:NPO Get Free Report) CAO Robert Savage Mclean sold 6,400 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $158.32, for a total transaction of $1,013,248.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 28,961 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,585,105.52. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Enpro Stock Up 2.0 % NPO stock traded up $3.08 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $159.28. The company had a trading volume of 85,566 shares, compared to its average volume of 94,542. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 3.31 and a quick ratio of 2.59. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $154.10 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $136.31. The company has a market capitalization of $3.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 150.29 and a beta of 1.55. Enpro Inc. has a 52 week low of $91.74 and a 52 week high of $167.21. Get Enpro alerts: Enpro (NYSE:NPO Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 20th. The industrial products company reported $1.19 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.47 by ($0.28). The company had revenue of $241.90 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $264.10 million. Enpro had a net margin of 2.10% and a return on equity of 9.67%. The firms revenue for the quarter was down 11.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $1.47 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts predict that Enpro Inc. will post 7.51 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Enpro Increases Dividend Institutional Investors Weigh In On Enpro The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 20th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 6th will be issued a $0.30 dividend. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.75%. This is a boost from Enpros previous quarterly dividend of $0.29. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 5th. Enpros dividend payout ratio is presently 109.43%. Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Nordea Investment Management AB raised its holdings in shares of Enpro by 326.2% in the 3rd quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 17,237 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $2,115,000 after purchasing an additional 13,193 shares during the period. Congress Asset Management Co. MA boosted its position in Enpro by 7.2% during the third quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. MA now owns 263,793 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $31,969,000 after purchasing an additional 17,631 shares during the period. Rhumbline Advisers boosted its position in Enpro by 0.6% during the second quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 69,071 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $9,223,000 after purchasing an additional 389 shares during the period. Jennison Associates LLC boosted its position in Enpro by 39.7% during the third quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 364,334 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $44,154,000 after purchasing an additional 103,550 shares during the period. Finally, Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund bought a new position in Enpro during the third quarter worth $1,569,000. 95.94% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Separately, TheStreet raised shares of Enpro from a c+ rating to a b- rating in a research report on Thursday, February 1st. Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on Enpro About Enpro (Get Free Report) Enpro Inc design, develops, manufactures, and markets proprietary, value-added products and solutions to safeguard critical environments in the United States and internationally. It operates through two segments, Sealing Technologies and Advanced Surface Technologies. The Sealing Technologies segment offers single-use hygienic seals, tubing, components and assemblies; metallic, non-metallic, and composite material gaskets; compression packing products; hydraulic components; expansion joints; wall penetration products; and dynamic seals, resilient metal, elastomeric, and custom-engineered mechanical seals for chemical and petrochemical processing, pulp and paper processing, power generation, food and pharmaceutical processing, primary metal manufacturing, mining, water and waste treatment, heavy-duty trucking, aerospace, medical, filtration, and semiconductor fabrication industries. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Enpro Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Enpro and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Lagoda Investment Management L.P. lifted its holdings in Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO Free Report) by 111.2% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 3,780 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 1,990 shares during the quarter. Lagoda Investment Management L.P.s holdings in Novo Nordisk A/S were worth $344,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in NVO. Jennison Associates LLC increased its stake in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S by 100.3% in the third quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 23,419,405 shares of the companys stock worth $2,129,761,000 after acquiring an additional 11,727,507 shares during the period. Polen Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Novo Nordisk A/S during the third quarter valued at $718,995,000. FMR LLC grew its position in Novo Nordisk A/S by 122.7% during the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 12,077,501 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,098,328,000 after buying an additional 6,654,614 shares during the period. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P grew its position in Novo Nordisk A/S by 91.7% during the third quarter. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P now owns 9,097,808 shares of the companys stock valued at $827,354,000 after buying an additional 4,350,862 shares during the period. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its position in Novo Nordisk A/S by 1,514.6% during the first quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 3,785,560 shares of the companys stock valued at $602,435,000 after buying an additional 3,551,104 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 6.41% of the companys stock. Get Novo Nordisk A/S alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In NVO has been the topic of several analyst reports. TD Cowen raised 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. Morgan Stanley initiated coverage on shares of Novo Nordisk A/S in a research report on Tuesday, January 23rd. They set an overweight rating and a $120.00 price target on the stock. Cantor Fitzgerald restated an overweight rating and set a $140.00 price target on shares of Novo Nordisk A/S in a research report on Tuesday, February 20th. Finally, UBS Group assumed coverage on shares of Novo Nordisk A/S in a report on Tuesday, January 16th. They set a neutral rating on the stock. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Novo Nordisk A/S presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $121.25. Novo Nordisk A/S Price Performance NVO traded down $0.69 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $121.54. 3,072,785 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 4,914,535. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $111.45 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $92.58. The company has a current ratio of 0.82, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19. The company has a market capitalization of $545.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 45.18, a PEG ratio of 2.06 and a beta of 0.41. Novo Nordisk A/S has a 52-week low of $67.66 and a 52-week high of $124.86. Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 31st. The company reported $0.71 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.66 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $9.51 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.14 billion. Novo Nordisk A/S had a net margin of 36.03% and a return on equity of 90.36%. On average, equities analysts forecast that Novo Nordisk A/S will post 3.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Novo Nordisk A/S Increases Dividend The firm also recently declared a Semi-Annual dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 2nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 25th will be paid a $0.664 dividend. This is an increase from Novo Nordisk A/Ss previous Semi-Annual dividend of $0.22. This represents a dividend yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 22nd. Novo Nordisk A/Ss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 22.92%. Novo Nordisk A/S Company Profile (Free Report) Novo Nordisk A/S, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the research and development, manufacture, and distribution of pharmaceutical products in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, North America, and internationally. It operates in two segments, Diabetes and Obesity Care, and Rare Disease. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding NVO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO Free Report). 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. Corton Capital Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Lockheed Martin Co. (NYSE:LMT Free Report) by 8.9% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,729 shares of the aerospace companys stock after acquiring an additional 142 shares during the period. Corton Capital Inc.s holdings in Lockheed Martin were worth $707,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of LMT. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich grew its position in Lockheed Martin by 73.0% in the third quarter. Bank Julius Baer & Co. Ltd Zurich now owns 64 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 27 shares during the period. CGC Financial Services LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lockheed Martin during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $31,000. Coppell Advisory Solutions Corp. acquired a new stake in Lockheed Martin in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Milestone Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Lockheed Martin in the third quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Finally, Providence Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Lockheed Martin during the third quarter worth $35,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.26% of the companys stock. Get Lockheed Martin alerts: Lockheed Martin Stock Up 0.5 % NYSE LMT traded up $2.05 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $432.48. 995,997 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,163,535. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $440.77 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $439.75. The stock has a market cap of $104.50 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.70, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.92 and a beta of 0.49. Lockheed Martin Co. has a 1 year low of $393.77 and a 1 year high of $508.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.53, a quick ratio of 1.03 and a current ratio of 1.21. Lockheed Martin Announces Dividend Lockheed Martin ( NYSE:LMT Get Free Report ) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, January 23rd. The aerospace company reported $7.90 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $7.26 by $0.64. The firm had revenue of $18.87 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $17.96 billion. Lockheed Martin had a return on equity of 79.91% and a net margin of 10.24%. The firms revenue was down .6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $7.79 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Lockheed Martin Co. will post 26.19 EPS for the current fiscal year. The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 29th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 1st will be given a dividend of $3.15 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 29th. This represents a $12.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.91%. Lockheed Martins dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 45.74%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several research firms recently issued reports on LMT. UBS Group cut their price objective on Lockheed Martin from $488.00 to $475.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 24th. Susquehanna dropped their price objective on shares of Lockheed Martin from $550.00 to $540.00 and set a positive rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 24th. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their target price on shares of Lockheed Martin from $475.00 to $470.00 and set a sector perform rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 24th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their price target on shares of Lockheed Martin from $438.00 to $472.00 in a research note on Monday, January 22nd. Finally, Citigroup reduced their price objective on Lockheed Martin from $540.00 to $508.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 24th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Lockheed Martin has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $491.92. Read Our Latest Stock Report on Lockheed Martin Lockheed Martin Company Profile (Free Report) Lockheed Martin Corporation, a security and aerospace company, engages in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration, and sustainment of technology systems, products, and services worldwide. The company operates through Aeronautics, Missiles and Fire Control, Rotary and Mission Systems, and Space segments. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding LMT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Lockheed Martin Co. (NYSE:LMT Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Lockheed Martin Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Lockheed Martin and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Saba Capital Management L.P. grew its position in shares of Tortoise Energy Infrastructure Co. (NYSE:TYG Free Report) by 16.1% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 464,622 shares of the financial services providers stock after acquiring an additional 64,461 shares during the period. Saba Capital Management L.P.s holdings in Tortoise Energy Infrastructure were worth $13,428,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. International Assets Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Tortoise Energy Infrastructure in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Covington Capital Management purchased a new stake in shares of Tortoise Energy Infrastructure in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $33,000. Quilter Plc purchased a new stake in shares of Tortoise Energy Infrastructure in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $33,000. D.A. Davidson & CO. purchased a new stake in shares of Tortoise Energy Infrastructure in the 1st quarter worth approximately $210,000. Finally, John G Ullman & Associates Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Tortoise Energy Infrastructure in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $221,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 35.13% of the companys stock. Get Tortoise Energy Infrastructure alerts: Tortoise Energy Infrastructure Stock Performance Shares of Tortoise Energy Infrastructure stock traded down $0.05 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $29.10. The company had a trading volume of 15,727 shares, compared to its average volume of 40,073. The company has a 50 day moving average of $29.00 and a 200 day moving average of $28.97. Tortoise Energy Infrastructure Co. has a 52-week low of $26.72 and a 52-week high of $31.74. Tortoise Energy Infrastructure Dividend Announcement Tortoise Energy Infrastructure Profile The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 29th. Investors of record on Thursday, February 22nd will be paid a $0.71 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, February 21st. This represents a $2.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 9.76%. (Free Report) Tortoise Energy Infrastructure Corporation is a closed ended equity mutual fund launched and managed by Tortoise Capital Advisors LLC The fund invests in the public equity markets of the United States. It seeks to invest in the stocks of companies operating in the energy infrastructure sector, with an emphasis on those companies that are engaged in transporting, processing, storing, distributing or marketing natural gas, natural gas liquids (primarily propane), coal, crude oil or refined petroleum products, or exploring, developing, managing or producing such commodities. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding TYG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Tortoise Energy Infrastructure Co. (NYSE:TYG Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Tortoise Energy Infrastructure Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Tortoise Energy Infrastructure and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Corton Capital Inc. decreased its stake in Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR Free Report) by 21.4% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 15,112 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock after selling 4,121 shares during the period. Corton Capital Inc.s holdings in Ventas were worth $637,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new position in Ventas in the second quarter worth $26,000. Covestor Ltd lifted its holdings in shares of Ventas by 86.2% during the second quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 555 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 257 shares during the period. McIlrath & Eck LLC boosted its stake in shares of Ventas by 184.4% in the 2nd quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC now owns 657 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 426 shares in the last quarter. Fairfield Bush & CO. acquired a new stake in shares of Ventas in the 1st quarter valued at $41,000. Finally, Ronald Blue Trust Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Ventas by 421.7% in the 3rd quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. now owns 986 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $42,000 after purchasing an additional 797 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 93.48% of the companys stock. Get Ventas alerts: Ventas Trading Down 0.4 % Shares of VTR stock traded down $0.16 on Wednesday, reaching $42.48. The company had a trading volume of 2,912,928 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,336,986. The company has a current ratio of 0.51, a quick ratio of 0.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.41. The stock has a market cap of $17.10 billion, a PE ratio of -387.60, a PEG ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 1.29. The company has a 50-day moving average of $47.20 and a 200-day moving average of $44.90. Ventas, Inc. has a 12 month low of $39.33 and a 12 month high of $50.99. Ventas Dividend Announcement Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 18th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, January 2nd were paid a $0.45 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, December 29th. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.24%. Ventass dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently -1,636.21%. Several equities research analysts have recently commented on VTR shares. Wells Fargo & Company restated an equal weight rating and issued a $46.00 target price (down previously from $52.00) on shares of Ventas in a research note on Monday. Mizuho boosted their target price on shares of Ventas from $53.00 to $56.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 3rd. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Ventas from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 13th. Bank of America upgraded shares of Ventas from a neutral rating to a buy rating and upped their price target for the stock from $48.00 to $53.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 16th. Finally, Wedbush upgraded shares of Ventas from a neutral rating to an outperform rating and upped their price target for the stock from $44.00 to $51.00 in a research report on Tuesday, November 7th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $51.54. Read Our Latest Report on VTR Ventas Company Profile (Free Report) Ventas Inc (NYSE: VTR) is a leading S&P 500 real estate investment trust focused on delivering strong, sustainable shareholder returns by enabling exceptional environments that benefit a large and growing aging population. The Company's growth is fueled by its senior housing communities, which provide valuable services to residents and enable them to thrive in supported environments. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding VTR? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Ventas, Inc. (NYSE:VTR Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Ventas Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ventas and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Adtran Networks SE (OTCMKTS:ADVOF Get Free Report)s stock price reached a new 52-week low during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $20.93 and last traded at $20.93, with a volume of 0 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $20.93. Adtran Networks Stock Performance The firm has a market capitalization of $1.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 87.21 and a beta of 0.87. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $20.93 and a 200-day moving average price of $20.93. About Adtran Networks (Get Free Report) Adtran Networks SE engages in the development, manufacture, and sale optical and Ethernet-based networking solutions for telecommunications carriers and enterprises to deliver data, storage, voice, and video services worldwide. It offers open optical transport solutions, such as FSP 3000 open terminals, FSP 3000 open line systems, pluggables and subsystems, and optical access solutions; packet edge and aggregation products, including carrier Ethernet and programmable multilayer edge, metro aggregation, and edge computing products; disaggregated networking, such as packet optical terminals and ensemble activators. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Adtran Networks Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Adtran Networks and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Who are Indonesia's 5 wealthiest individuals? Cigarette moguls, the Hartono brothers, timber baron Prajogo Pangestu and energy tycoon Low Tuck Kwong are among Indonesia's top five billionaires with combined net worth of US$140 billion. 1. Robert Budi & Michael Hartono, owners of Djarum Group Michael Hartono at the Asiad 2018 in Jakarta, Indonesia, on August 21, 2018. Photo by Reuters The wealth of Robert Budi Hartono, 82, and Michael Bambang Hartono, 84, traces its origins to their father's kretek cigarette manufacturer, Djarum. Utilizing this foundation, they acquired the investment firm Bank Central Asia, which now stands as the primary source of their wealth, as reported by the South China Morning Post. Additionally, they expanded into the e-commerce sector with their online mall, Blibli. Together, the brothers boast a combined net worth of $48 billion. 2. Prajogo Pangestu, founder of Barito Pacific Group Prajogo Pangestu, founder and president commissioner of Barito Pacific Group. Photo courtesy of the company Prajogo Pangestu, 79, began his fortune with his timber business, Barito Pacific Timber, which was later rebranded Barito Pacific Group as he diversified into various sectors including petrochemicals, renewable energy, and coal mining. Forbes estimates his net worth at $41.3 billion, according to Forbes. 3. Low Tuck Kwong, founder of Bayan Resources Low Tuck Kwong, founder and president director of Bayan Resources. Photo courtesy of the company Low Tuck Kwong, 75, possesses a more concentrated fortune compared to other billionaires on this roster, primarily centered around the energy sector. Known as the "coal king," his wealth stems from his coal mining enterprise, Banyan Resource. Additionally, he has made substantial investments in numerous energy firms spanning Asia and the globe. With a net worth of $27.4 billion, Low stands as a prominent figure in the energy industry. 4. The Widjaja family Eka Tjipta Widjaja, the founder of Sinar Mas. Photo courtesy of the company The Widjaja family's wealth was built by Eka Tjipta Widjaja, the founder of Sinar Mas, one of Indonesia's largest conglomerates. Following his passing in 2019 at the age of 97, his family assumed control of the Sinar Mas empire, which spans across numerous industries such as paper, real estate, financial services, healthcare, agribusiness, and telecommunications. The collective net worth of this family is estimated to be $10.8 billion. 5. Anthoni Salim, CEO of Salim Group and Indofood, and family Antho Salim, CEO of Salim Group and Indofood. Photo courtesy of the company Anthoni Salim, 74, serves as the CEO of the renowned food manufacturer Indofood, celebrated for its iconic Indomie instant noodle brand. Additionally, he holds the position of CEO within the Salim Group, Indonesia's largest conglomerate. Salim Group boasts investments across diverse sectors such as food, retail, banking, telecommunications, and energy. The billionaire, along with his family, commands a combined net worth of $10.3 billion. Agilent Technologies (NYSE:A Get Free Report) issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday. The medical research company reported $1.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.22 by $0.07, Briefing.com reports. Agilent Technologies had a return on equity of 27.64% and a net margin of 18.35%. The firm had revenue of $1.66 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.59 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.37 EPS. The firms quarterly revenue was down 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. Agilent Technologies Stock Performance Agilent Technologies stock traded down $0.10 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $136.91. 475,963 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,469,117. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $133.47 and a 200 day moving average price of $122.70. The company has a quick ratio of 1.97, a current ratio of 2.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47. The company has a market cap of $40.12 billion, a PE ratio of 32.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.03 and a beta of 1.11. Agilent Technologies has a one year low of $96.80 and a one year high of $145.43. Get Agilent Technologies alerts: Agilent Technologies Announces Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 24th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, April 2nd will be paid a dividend of $0.236 per share. This represents a $0.94 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.69%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, April 1st. Agilent Technologiess payout ratio is currently 22.38%. Insider Buying and Selling at Agilent Technologies Hedge Funds Weigh In On Agilent Technologies In related news, CEO Michael R. Mcmullen sold 62,467 shares of Agilent Technologies stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $130.00, for a total value of $8,120,710.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 306,206 shares in the company, valued at approximately $39,806,780. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink . In other news, CEO Michael R. Mcmullen sold 62,467 shares of Agilent Technologies stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $130.00, for a total value of $8,120,710.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 306,206 shares in the company, valued at $39,806,780. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website . Also, CEO Michael R. Mcmullen sold 2,751 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $130.00, for a total value of $357,630.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 306,206 shares in the company, valued at $39,806,780. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Insiders have sold 95,929 shares of company stock valued at $12,730,599 in the last quarter. A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in A. Buckingham Strategic Wealth LLC lifted its stake in Agilent Technologies by 1.1% in the 4th quarter. Buckingham Strategic Wealth LLC now owns 8,288 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $1,152,000 after purchasing an additional 91 shares during the last quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC raised its position in Agilent Technologies by 41.1% during the first quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC now owns 326 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $45,000 after purchasing an additional 95 shares in the last quarter. Fred Alger Management LLC raised its position in Agilent Technologies by 2.9% during the third quarter. Fred Alger Management LLC now owns 4,757 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $578,000 after purchasing an additional 136 shares in the last quarter. Fiduciary Trust Co. increased its holdings in shares of Agilent Technologies by 2.4% during the first quarter. Fiduciary Trust Co. now owns 5,994 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $829,000 after buying an additional 138 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Synovus Financial Corp increased its holdings in shares of Agilent Technologies by 2.3% during the first quarter. Synovus Financial Corp now owns 6,751 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $895,000 after buying an additional 153 shares in the last quarter. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A has been the topic of several research reports. Robert W. Baird cut their price target on shares of Agilent Technologies from $140.00 to $130.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, November 21st. Citigroup lifted their target price on shares of Agilent Technologies from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday. StockNews.com upgraded Agilent Technologies from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, December 19th. Evercore ISI reduced their price objective on Agilent Technologies from $135.00 to $132.00 and set an in-line rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on Agilent Technologies from $140.00 to $165.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 20th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $141.31. Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on A Agilent Technologies Company Profile (Get Free Report) Agilent Technologies, Inc provides application focused solutions to the life sciences, diagnostics, and applied chemical markets worldwide. The company operates in three segments: Life Sciences and Applied Markets, Diagnostics and Genomics, and Agilent CrossLab. The Life Sciences and Applied Markets segment offers liquid chromatography systems and components; liquid chromatography mass spectrometry systems; gas chromatography systems and components; gas chromatography mass spectrometry systems; inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry instruments; atomic absorption instruments; microwave plasma-atomic emission spectrometry instruments; inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry instruments; raman spectroscopy; cell analysis plate based assays; flow cytometer; real-time cell analyzer; cell imaging systems; microplate reader; laboratory software; information management and analytics; laboratory automation and robotic systems; dissolution testing; and vacuum pumps, and measurement technologies. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Agilent Technologies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Agilent Technologies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. AQR Arbitrage LLC increased its holdings in shares of BlackRock MuniHoldings California Quality Fund, Inc. (NYSE:MUC Free Report) by 102.2% during the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 508,322 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 256,925 shares during the quarter. AQR Arbitrage LLC owned about 0.53% of BlackRock MuniHoldings California Quality Fund worth $4,860,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in MUC. Saba Capital Management L.P. grew its holdings in BlackRock MuniHoldings California Quality Fund by 93.2% in the 3rd quarter. Saba Capital Management L.P. now owns 3,874,186 shares of the companys stock valued at $37,037,000 after buying an additional 1,868,475 shares in the last quarter. Morgan Stanley grew its holdings in BlackRock MuniHoldings California Quality Fund by 19.3% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 4,718,035 shares of the companys stock valued at $50,672,000 after buying an additional 762,169 shares in the last quarter. Logan Stone Capital LLC acquired a new position in BlackRock MuniHoldings California Quality Fund in the 4th quarter valued at $7,528,000. Karpus Management Inc. grew its holdings in BlackRock MuniHoldings California Quality Fund by 24.6% in the 2nd quarter. Karpus Management Inc. now owns 3,012,502 shares of the companys stock valued at $32,686,000 after buying an additional 595,306 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Rivernorth Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in BlackRock MuniHoldings California Quality Fund by 24.0% in the 2nd quarter. Rivernorth Capital Management LLC now owns 2,685,487 shares of the companys stock valued at $29,138,000 after buying an additional 519,812 shares in the last quarter. 25.47% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get BlackRock MuniHoldings California Quality Fund alerts: BlackRock MuniHoldings California Quality Fund Stock Performance NYSE MUC traded up $0.07 on Thursday, reaching $11.04. The stock had a trading volume of 49,732 shares, compared to its average volume of 308,453. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $11.11 and a two-hundred day moving average of $10.47. BlackRock MuniHoldings California Quality Fund, Inc. has a 1-year low of $9.19 and a 1-year high of $11.30. BlackRock MuniHoldings California Quality Fund Dividend Announcement BlackRock MuniHoldings California Quality Fund Company Profile The business also recently announced a dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 29th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 15th were given a dividend of $0.0485 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, December 14th. This represents a dividend yield of 5.42%. (Free Report) BlackRock MuniHoldings California Quality Fund, Inc is a closed ended fixed income mutual fund launched by BlackRock, Inc It is managed by BlackRock Advisors, LLC. The fund invests in fixed income markets. It invests primarily in a portfolio of long-term investment-grade municipal obligations, the interest on which is exempt from Federal and California income taxes. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for BlackRock MuniHoldings California Quality Fund Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for BlackRock MuniHoldings California Quality Fund and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Cambria Africa Plc (LON:CMB Get Free Report)s share price crossed below its two hundred day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of GBX 0.23 ($0.00) and traded as low as GBX 0.23 ($0.00). Cambria Africa shares last traded at GBX 0.23 ($0.00), with a volume of 3,703 shares changing hands. Cambria Africa Trading Down 6.7 % The company has a quick ratio of 8.24, a current ratio of 8.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.82. The businesss 50 day moving average is GBX 0.24 and its 200-day moving average is GBX 0.23. The firm has a market cap of 1.14 million, a P/E ratio of -3.75 and a beta of 0.11. About Cambria Africa (Get Free Report) Cambria Africa plc is a principal investment arm of Ventures Africa Limited. It was incorporated in 2007 and is based in Douglas, Isle of Man with an additional office in London, United Kingdom. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Cambria Africa Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Cambria Africa and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Chatham Lodging Trust (NYSE:CLDT Get Free Report) announced its earnings results on Tuesday. The real estate investment trust reported ($0.23) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.15 by ($0.38), MarketWatch Earnings reports. Chatham Lodging Trust had a return on equity of 0.33% and a net margin of 0.85%. The business had revenue of $72.28 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $70.46 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.20 earnings per share. Chatham Lodging Trust updated its Q1 2024 guidance to 0.100-0.140 EPS. Chatham Lodging Trust Price Performance Shares of NYSE CLDT opened at $10.27 on Thursday. Chatham Lodging Trust has a 52 week low of $8.92 and a 52 week high of $12.47. The businesss 50 day moving average price is $10.64 and its 200 day moving average price is $10.07. The company has a quick ratio of 2.66, a current ratio of 3.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49. The firm has a market cap of $501.55 million, a P/E ratio of -93.32 and a beta of 1.76. Get Chatham Lodging Trust alerts: Chatham Lodging Trust Dividend Announcement The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, January 16th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 29th were paid a $0.07 dividend. This represents a $0.28 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.73%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, December 28th. Chatham Lodging Trusts payout ratio is -254.55%. Analysts Set New Price Targets Separately, StockNews.com raised shares of Chatham Lodging Trust from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 5th. Read Our Latest Analysis on Chatham Lodging Trust Institutional Inflows and Outflows Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. BlackRock Inc. raised its position in Chatham Lodging Trust by 10.2% during the first quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 9,471,592 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $99,357,000 after acquiring an additional 874,031 shares in the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Chatham Lodging Trust by 275.5% in the 2nd quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 890,825 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $9,309,000 after purchasing an additional 653,584 shares during the period. Neuberger Berman Group LLC boosted its holdings in Chatham Lodging Trust by 85.8% during the first quarter. Neuberger Berman Group LLC now owns 965,283 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $13,311,000 after buying an additional 445,640 shares in the last quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC grew its position in Chatham Lodging Trust by 84.5% during the second quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC now owns 598,455 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $5,602,000 after buying an additional 274,018 shares during the period. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in Chatham Lodging Trust by 3.3% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 5,892,614 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $58,160,000 after buying an additional 186,288 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.18% of the companys stock. About Chatham Lodging Trust (Get Free Report) Chatham Lodging Trust is a self-advised, publicly traded real estate investment trust (REIT) focused primarily on investing in upscale, extended-stay hotels and premium-branded, select-service hotels. The company owns 39 hotels totaling 5,915 rooms/suites in 16 states and the District of Columbia. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Chatham Lodging Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Chatham Lodging Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Chykingyoung Investment Development Holdings Inc. (OTCMKTS:CHYI Get Free Report) were down 56.7% during trading on Monday . The company traded as low as $0.12 and last traded at $0.13. Approximately 2,400 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 29% from the average daily volume of 3,400 shares. The stock had previously closed at $0.30. Chykingyoung Investment Development Price Performance The companys 50-day simple moving average is $0.50 and its 200 day simple moving average is $0.66. About Chykingyoung Investment Development (Get Free Report) Chykingyoung Investment Development Holdings Inc, through its subsidiary, OneWorld Hotel Destination Service Inc, provides Internet hotel booking services. The company offers a proprietary online hotel booking program for connecting users with available rooms in hotels worldwide. It primarily serves travel agents in Vancouver, Toronto, Calgary, and Montreal, Canada. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Chykingyoung Investment Development Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Chykingyoung Investment Development and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Community Bancorp (OTCMKTS:CMTV Get Free Report) crossed below its 50 day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 50 day moving average of $17.72 and traded as low as $17.39. Community Bancorp shares last traded at $17.39, with a volume of 227 shares. Community Bancorp Stock Performance The stocks 50 day moving average price is $17.71 and its 200 day moving average price is $17.21. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a current ratio of 0.86 and a quick ratio of 0.86. Get Community Bancorp alerts: Community Bancorp Announces Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 1st. Investors of record on Monday, January 15th were given a dividend of $0.23 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, January 11th. This represents a $0.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.39%. About Community Bancorp Community Bancorp. operates as the bank holding company for Community National Bank that provides financial services to individuals, businesses, nonprofit organizations, and municipalities in northern and central Vermont. It offers financing for commercial business properties, equipment, inventories, and accounts receivable, as well as standby letters of credit; and business checking and other deposit accounts, cash management services, repurchase agreements, ACH and wire transfer services, card processing, and remote deposit capture. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Community Bancorp Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Community Bancorp and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Copper Mountain Mining Co. (TSE:CMMC Get Free Report)s stock price dropped 1.2% on Monday . The company traded as low as C$2.44 and last traded at C$2.49. Approximately 1,603,544 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 24% from the average daily volume of 1,292,865 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$2.52. Copper Mountain Mining Stock Performance The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 50.36, a current ratio of 1.22 and a quick ratio of 0.38. The firm has a market capitalization of C$533.81 million, a P/E ratio of -9.58, a PEG ratio of 0.28 and a beta of 2.77. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of C$2.49. About Copper Mountain Mining (Get Free Report) Copper Mountain Mining Corporation engages in the mining, exploration, and development of mineral properties in Canada. It explores for copper, gold, and silver deposits. The company holds 75% interests in the Copper Mountain mine comprising 135 crown-granted mineral claims, 145 located mineral claims, 14 mining leases, 12 fee simple properties, and seven cell claims that covers an area of approximately 6,354 hectares located to the south of Princeton, British Columbia. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Copper Mountain Mining Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Copper Mountain Mining and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Corton Capital Inc. increased its position in shares of PBF Energy Inc. (NYSE:PBF Free Report) by 6.3% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 23,231 shares of the oil and gas companys stock after acquiring an additional 1,377 shares during the quarter. PBF Energy makes up about 0.6% of Corton Capital Inc.s portfolio, making the stock its 11th biggest holding. Corton Capital Inc.s holdings in PBF Energy were worth $1,244,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of PBF. Caxton Associates LP purchased a new stake in PBF Energy in the 3rd quarter valued at about $1,171,000. Sherbrooke Park Advisers LLC purchased a new stake in PBF Energy in the 3rd quarter valued at about $208,000. Teza Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in PBF Energy in the 3rd quarter valued at about $248,000. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC raised its holdings in PBF Energy by 46.5% in the 3rd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 7,632 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $409,000 after buying an additional 2,423 shares during the period. Finally, Qube Research & Technologies Ltd purchased a new stake in PBF Energy in the 3rd quarter valued at about $3,126,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.56% of the companys stock. Get PBF Energy alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several analysts recently issued reports on the stock. TD Cowen boosted their price objective on shares of PBF Energy from $35.00 to $41.00 and gave the company a market perform rating in a report on Friday, February 16th. Citigroup began coverage on shares of PBF Energy in a research note on Wednesday, January 24th. They set a neutral rating on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of PBF Energy from $55.00 to $54.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 20th. StockNews.com lowered shares of PBF Energy from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Monday, December 18th. Finally, Mizuho upgraded shares of PBF Energy from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $52.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 3rd. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, PBF Energy currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $53.90. PBF Energy Stock Performance Shares of PBF stock traded down $2.08 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $45.82. The stock had a trading volume of 2,122,160 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,467,284. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.48 billion, a PE ratio of 2.80 and a beta of 1.72. PBF Energy Inc. has a twelve month low of $31.25 and a twelve month high of $56.38. The stocks 50 day moving average is $46.46 and its 200 day moving average is $47.08. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a current ratio of 1.56 and a quick ratio of 0.81. PBF Energy (NYSE:PBF Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 15th. The oil and gas company reported ($0.41) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.08 by ($0.49). PBF Energy had a net margin of 5.59% and a return on equity of 23.69%. The firm had revenue of $9.14 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.65 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $4.41 earnings per share. PBF Energys revenue was down 15.7% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts forecast that PBF Energy Inc. will post 6.11 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. PBF Energy Dividend Announcement The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 14th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 29th will be paid a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.18%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, February 28th. PBF Energys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 6.08%. Insider Transactions at PBF Energy In other news, SVP Trecia M. Canty sold 10,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $46.69, for a total transaction of $466,900.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 89,587 shares in the company, valued at $4,182,817.03. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In other PBF Energy news, SVP Trecia M. Canty sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $46.69, for a total value of $466,900.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 89,587 shares in the company, valued at $4,182,817.03. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Control Empresarial De Capital acquired 486,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, January 12th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $42.48 per share, with a total value of $20,645,280.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 13,062,998 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $554,916,155.04. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders purchased 1,268,200 shares of company stock worth $54,251,872 over the last 90 days. 5.30% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. PBF Energy Company Profile (Free Report) PBF Energy Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in refining and supplying petroleum products. The company operates in two segments, Refining and Logistics. It produces gasoline, ultra-low-sulfur diesel, heating oil, diesel fuel, jet fuel, lubricants, petrochemicals, and asphalt, as well as unbranded transportation fuels, petrochemical feedstocks, blending components, and other petroleum products from crude oil. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding PBF? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for PBF Energy Inc. (NYSE:PBF Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for PBF Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for PBF Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. CTT Correios De Portugal, S.A. (OTCMKTS:CTTPY Get Free Report) reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $8.02 and last traded at $8.02, with a volume of 0 shares. The stock had previously closed at $8.02. CTT Correios De Portugal Price Performance The stock has a 50-day moving average of $7.56 and a 200 day moving average of $7.40. CTT Correios De Portugal Company Profile (Get Free Report) CTT Correios De Portugal, SA, together with its subsidiaries, provides postal and financial services worldwide. It operates through Mail, Express & Parcels, Financial Services & Retail, and Bank segments. The company offers courier and urgent mail transport services; postal financial services; and banking services. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for CTT - Correios De Portugal Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for CTT - Correios De Portugal and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Ranger Global Real Estate Advisors LLC increased its stake in Equity LifeStyle Properties, Inc. (NYSE:ELS Free Report) by 160.7% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 133,777 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock after acquiring an additional 82,456 shares during the period. Equity LifeStyle Properties comprises 1.3% of Ranger Global Real Estate Advisors LLCs investment portfolio, making the stock its 24th biggest position. Ranger Global Real Estate Advisors LLCs holdings in Equity LifeStyle Properties were worth $8,523,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Equity LifeStyle Properties during the 2nd quarter worth $30,000. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. acquired a new position in Equity LifeStyle Properties during the 1st quarter worth $59,000. Kelly Lawrence W & Associates Inc. CA acquired a new position in Equity LifeStyle Properties during the 3rd quarter worth $64,000. Second Half Financial Partners LLC acquired a new position in Equity LifeStyle Properties during the 3rd quarter worth $66,000. Finally, Huntington National Bank lifted its holdings in Equity LifeStyle Properties by 73.4% during the 2nd quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 1,370 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $92,000 after buying an additional 580 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 98.55% of the companys stock. Get Equity LifeStyle Properties alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several research analysts have issued reports on the company. Truist Financial reduced their price objective on Equity LifeStyle Properties from $73.00 to $72.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 24th. Royal Bank of Canada reissued a sector perform rating and issued a $70.00 price target on shares of Equity LifeStyle Properties in a research note on Wednesday, January 31st. Wolfe Research raised Equity LifeStyle Properties from a peer perform rating to an outperform rating and set a $75.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 9th. StockNews.com raised Equity LifeStyle Properties from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note on Friday, November 3rd. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft began coverage on shares of Equity LifeStyle Properties in a research report on Tuesday, January 30th. They issued a hold rating and a $64.00 price objective for the company. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Equity LifeStyle Properties currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $70.15. Equity LifeStyle Properties Stock Down 0.9 % ELS stock traded down $0.58 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $65.98. 1,042,762 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,173,116. The firms 50-day moving average is $68.40 and its 200-day moving average is $67.62. The company has a market cap of $12.30 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 39.62, a PEG ratio of 3.88 and a beta of 0.71. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 0.03 and a quick ratio of 0.03. Equity LifeStyle Properties, Inc. has a 12 month low of $60.47 and a 12 month high of $74.04. Equity LifeStyle Properties Increases Dividend The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 12th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 28th will be issued a dividend of $0.477 per share. This represents a $1.91 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.89%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, March 27th. This is a boost from Equity LifeStyle Propertiess previous quarterly dividend of $0.45. Equity LifeStyle Propertiess dividend payout ratio is 106.55%. About Equity LifeStyle Properties (Free Report) We are a self-administered, self-managed real estate investment trust (REIT) with headquarters in Chicago. As of January 29, 2024, we own or have an interest in 451 properties in 35 states and British Columbia consisting of 172,465 sites. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ELS? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Equity LifeStyle Properties, Inc. (NYSE:ELS Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Equity LifeStyle Properties Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Equity LifeStyle Properties and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. An investor looks at stock prices on a laptop at a brokerage in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran Vietnams stock market can attract US$25 billion from foreign investors by 2030 if it is upgraded from Frontier to Emerging, according to the World Bank. The upgrade is a strategic step for Vietnam to become a high-middle income country by 2035 and high income by 2045, Ketut Ariadi Kusuma, senior financial sector specialist at the Finance & Markets Global Practice, World Bank Group, said at a recent event. It would increase foreign investors access to the market, and they could invest as much as $78 billion if Vietnam makes strong reforms to the insurance industry and its investment environment. U.S.-based finance firm MSCI classifies a market as Frontier, Emerging or Developed. Vietnam hopes to be upgraded to Emerging market status by 2025. A higher classification means a market has a larger number of companies that meet a certain market cap and liquidity requirements. Other criteria are market accessibility, which includes openness to foreign ownership, ease of capital inflows and outflows and availability of investment instrument. Kusuma said to be upgraded Vietnam needs to increase the foreign ownership caps for stocks and privatize more state-owned companies. If foreign ownership remains limited Vietnam could only attract $5 billion, but if it is increased that number could go up to $8-15 billion, he said. Luu Trung Thai, chairman of lender MB, said increasing the quality of the assets on the stock market is important to achieve the higher status, and foreign investors would seek opportunities when there are good assets. Chairwoman of the State Securities Commission of Vietnam, Vu Thi Chan Phuong, said the watchdog is working with various entities to resolve certain issues faced by the stock market to help speed up the upgrade. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has said he pays close attention to the countrys financial markets and regularly discusses measures to develop them with other government leaders. He has tasked related government agencies with removing obstacles to the upgrade process and reporting back to him by June. Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Thi Bich Ngoc said that many foreign companies want to list their shares in Vietnam and urged securities authorities to speed up the process of approving such listings. Vietnam saw a surge in foreign listings in 2003-08, but there are now only six of them now. Some large companies, such as CP Vietnam, a subsidiary of Thailands Charoen Pokphand Foods, have expressed interest in listing. Chinh has ordered the Ministry of Finance and the State Securities Commission of Vietnam to mitigate difficulties that foreign companies might face during the listing process. Extra Space Storage (NYSE:EXR Get Free Report) issued an update on its FY 2024 earnings guidance on Tuesday morning. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 7.850-8.150 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 8.310. The company issued revenue guidance of -. Extra Space Storage also updated its FY24 guidance to $7.85-8.15 EPS. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several research analysts recently commented on EXR shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft started coverage on Extra Space Storage in a research report on Tuesday, January 30th. They issued a hold rating and a $141.00 target price for the company. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price objective on Extra Space Storage from $168.00 to $187.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, January 11th. Stifel Nicolaus dropped their price objective on Extra Space Storage from $185.00 to $165.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, November 8th. Truist Financial increased their price objective on Extra Space Storage from $138.00 to $152.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research note on Thursday, December 28th. Finally, TheStreet upgraded Extra Space Storage from a c+ rating to a b- rating in a research note on Thursday, January 11th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $149.75. Get Extra Space Storage alerts: Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Extra Space Storage Extra Space Storage Trading Up 1.9 % Extra Space Storage stock traded up $2.60 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $140.89. The stock had a trading volume of 545,077 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,172,257. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $148.80 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $133.22. The stock has a market capitalization of $29.77 billion, a PE ratio of 27.99, a P/E/G ratio of 3.47 and a beta of 0.75. Extra Space Storage has a 12 month low of $101.19 and a 12 month high of $170.30. The company has a current ratio of 0.50, a quick ratio of 0.50 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70. Extra Space Storage (NYSE:EXR Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 27th. The real estate investment trust reported $1.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.03 by ($1.01). The firm had revenue of $797.77 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $778.05 million. Extra Space Storage had a net margin of 31.81% and a return on equity of 10.34%. Extra Space Storages revenue was up 57.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $2.09 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Extra Space Storage will post 8.34 EPS for the current year. Extra Space Storage Announces Dividend The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 29th. Investors of record on Friday, March 15th will be issued a $1.62 dividend. This represents a $6.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.60%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 14th. Extra Space Storages dividend payout ratio is 131.17%. Insiders Place Their Bets In other Extra Space Storage news, Director Joseph Saffire sold 10,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $139.32, for a total transaction of $1,393,200.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 82,344 shares in the company, valued at $11,472,166.08. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Company insiders own 1.55% of the companys stock. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Extra Space Storage Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Private Advisor Group LLC raised its position in Extra Space Storage by 5.6% in the 1st quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 1,404 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $289,000 after buying an additional 74 shares during the last quarter. Thomas White International Ltd. increased its position in shares of Extra Space Storage by 5.9% during the 4th quarter. Thomas White International Ltd. now owns 1,483 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $218,000 after purchasing an additional 83 shares during the last quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. increased its position in shares of Extra Space Storage by 35.2% during the 1st quarter. Geneos Wealth Management Inc. now owns 384 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $78,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV increased its position in shares of Extra Space Storage by 3.4% during the 4th quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 3,379 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $542,000 after purchasing an additional 110 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Horizon Investments LLC increased its position in shares of Extra Space Storage by 3.3% during the 1st quarter. Horizon Investments LLC now owns 3,578 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $736,000 after purchasing an additional 114 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 66.40% of the companys stock. Extra Space Storage Company Profile (Get Free Report) Extra Space Storage Inc, headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, is a self-administered and self-managed REIT and a member of the S&P 500. As of September 30, 2023, the Company owned and/or operated 3,651 self-storage stores in 42 states and Washington, DC The Company's stores comprise approximately 2.5 million units and approximately 279.0 million square feet of rentable space operating under the Extra Space, Life Storage and Storage Express brands. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Extra Space Storage Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Extra Space Storage and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. First Dallas Securities Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Deere & Company (NYSE:DE Free Report) by 614.3% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 4,000 shares of the industrial products companys stock after acquiring an additional 3,440 shares during the quarter. First Dallas Securities Inc.s holdings in Deere & Company were worth $1,510,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of DE. RB Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Deere & Company by 5.2% during the 1st quarter. RB Capital Management LLC now owns 1,637 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $680,000 after buying an additional 81 shares in the last quarter. Bornite Capital Management LP purchased a new position in shares of Deere & Company during the first quarter worth approximately $14,541,000. Retirement Income Solutions Inc bought a new stake in shares of Deere & Company in the 1st quarter worth approximately $229,000. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Deere & Company by 27.1% in the 1st quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 2,442 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $1,014,000 after purchasing an additional 521 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Baird Financial Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Deere & Company by 32.4% in the 1st quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 114,322 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $47,496,000 after purchasing an additional 27,985 shares in the last quarter. 66.27% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Deere & Company alerts: Deere & Company Stock Performance Shares of NYSE:DE traded down $1.21 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $363.60. 631,950 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,511,224. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $385.24 and a 200 day moving average of $385.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.81, a quick ratio of 1.81 and a current ratio of 2.05. The company has a market cap of $101.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.62, a P/E/G ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 1.05. Deere & Company has a one year low of $345.55 and a one year high of $450.00. Deere & Company Announces Dividend Deere & Company ( NYSE:DE Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 15th. The industrial products company reported $6.23 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $5.19 by $1.04. Deere & Company had a return on equity of 44.60% and a net margin of 16.38%. The company had revenue of $10.49 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $10.30 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $6.55 earnings per share. Deere & Companys revenue for the quarter was down 8.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Deere & Company will post 27.47 EPS for the current fiscal year. The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 8th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 29th will be given a dividend of $1.47 per share. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.62%. Deere & Companys payout ratio is 17.12%. Analysts Set New Price Targets DE has been the subject of several recent research reports. Citigroup lowered their price target on shares of Deere & Company from $450.00 to $435.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 16th. Melius cut Deere & Company from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Monday, January 8th. TD Cowen lowered their price objective on Deere & Company from $438.00 to $396.00 and set a market perform rating for the company in a research report on Friday, November 24th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their price objective on shares of Deere & Company from $425.00 to $401.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 16th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus cut their price target on shares of Deere & Company from $435.00 to $425.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 16th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $428.58. Get Our Latest Research Report on DE Deere & Company Profile (Free Report) Deere & Company engages in the manufacture and distribution of various equipment worldwide. The company operates through four segments: Production and Precision Agriculture, Small Agriculture and Turf, Construction and Forestry, and Financial Services. The Production and Precision Agriculture segment provides large and medium tractors, combines, cotton pickers and strippers, sugarcane harvesters and loaders, harvesting front-end equipment, pull-behind scrapers, and tillage and seeding equipment, as well as application equipment, including sprayers and nutrient management, and soil preparation machinery for grain growers. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding DE? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Deere & Company (NYSE:DE Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Deere & Company Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Deere & Company and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Frisch Financial Group Inc. reduced its position in BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE:BLK Free Report) by 8.6% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 360 shares of the asset managers stock after selling 34 shares during the quarter. Frisch Financial Group Inc.s holdings in BlackRock were worth $233,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. OLD Point Trust & Financial Services N A acquired a new stake in shares of BlackRock during the second quarter worth $26,000. West Tower Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of BlackRock during the second quarter worth $27,000. Archer Investment Corp acquired a new stake in shares of BlackRock during the second quarter worth $29,000. WFA of San Diego LLC acquired a new stake in shares of BlackRock during the second quarter worth $33,000. Finally, Tyler Stone Wealth Management acquired a new stake in shares of BlackRock during the second quarter worth $33,000. 77.01% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get BlackRock alerts: Insider Transactions at BlackRock In other news, Director Rachel Lord sold 36,059 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $818.06, for a total transaction of $29,498,425.54. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 17,004 shares of the companys stock, valued at $13,910,292.24. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, Director Rachel Lord sold 36,059 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $818.06, for a total transaction of $29,498,425.54. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 17,004 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $13,910,292.24. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Stephen Cohen sold 950 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $805.55, for a total transaction of $765,272.50. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 4,437 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,574,225.35. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 69,533 shares of company stock valued at $46,774,326 over the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 1.06% of the companys stock. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. downgraded shares of BlackRock from an overweight rating to a neutral rating and set a $708.00 price objective for the company. in a research note on Friday, December 15th. BNP Paribas upgraded shares of BlackRock from a neutral rating to an outperform rating and set a $885.00 target price for the company in a research report on Tuesday, December 12th. TD Cowen upgraded shares of BlackRock from a market perform rating to an outperform rating and boosted their target price for the company from $819.00 to $938.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 16th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on shares of BlackRock from $719.00 to $793.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, November 30th. Finally, UBS Group boosted their target price on shares of BlackRock from $720.00 to $818.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 10th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, BlackRock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $785.73. Get Our Latest Analysis on BLK BlackRock Price Performance Shares of BlackRock stock traded up $9.12 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $809.66. The stock had a trading volume of 454,379 shares, compared to its average volume of 604,215. The stocks 50 day moving average is $795.40 and its 200 day moving average is $722.92. The firm has a market capitalization of $120.45 billion, a PE ratio of 22.12, a PEG ratio of 1.78 and a beta of 1.38. BlackRock, Inc. has a twelve month low of $596.18 and a twelve month high of $823.71. The company has a current ratio of 3.48, a quick ratio of 3.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. BlackRock (NYSE:BLK Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Friday, January 12th. The asset manager reported $9.66 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $8.84 by $0.82. The business had revenue of $4.63 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.65 billion. BlackRock had a net margin of 30.81% and a return on equity of 14.74%. The companys quarterly revenue was up 6.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $8.93 earnings per share. Equities analysts expect that BlackRock, Inc. will post 39.63 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. BlackRock Increases Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 22nd. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 7th will be paid a dividend of $5.10 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, March 6th. This represents a $20.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.52%. This is a boost from BlackRocks previous quarterly dividend of $5.00. BlackRocks payout ratio is currently 54.78%. About BlackRock (Free Report) BlackRock, Inc is a publicly owned investment manager. The firm primarily provides its services to institutional, intermediary, and individual investors including corporate, public, union, and industry pension plans, insurance companies, third-party mutual funds, endowments, public institutions, governments, foundations, charities, sovereign wealth funds, corporations, official institutions, and banks. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BLK? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE:BLK Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for BlackRock Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for BlackRock and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Gotham Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in General Mills, Inc. (NYSE:GIS Free Report) by 95.6% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 209,408 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 102,359 shares during the quarter. Gotham Asset Management LLCs holdings in General Mills were worth $13,400,000 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. Corton Capital Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of General Mills during the 3rd quarter worth about $228,000. Caxton Associates LP raised its position in General Mills by 8.4% during the third quarter. Caxton Associates LP now owns 24,356 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,559,000 after acquiring an additional 1,881 shares in the last quarter. Ironwood Investment Counsel LLC raised its position in General Mills by 1.7% during the third quarter. Ironwood Investment Counsel LLC now owns 25,240 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,615,000 after acquiring an additional 417 shares in the last quarter. Teza Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in General Mills in the third quarter valued at approximately $428,000. Finally, Cape Cod Five Cents Savings Bank increased its stake in shares of General Mills by 113.3% during the 3rd quarter. Cape Cod Five Cents Savings Bank now owns 11,964 shares of the companys stock worth $766,000 after purchasing an additional 6,354 shares during the last quarter. 75.31% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get General Mills alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets GIS has been the subject of several analyst reports. Evercore ISI reduced their price objective on shares of General Mills from $75.00 to $72.00 and set an in-line rating for the company in a research note on Monday, December 11th. Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price target on General Mills from $72.00 to $68.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, December 21st. Royal Bank of Canada cut their price objective on General Mills from $74.00 to $72.00 and set a sector perform rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, December 21st. Piper Sandler decreased their target price on General Mills from $77.00 to $76.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Friday, December 15th. Finally, Citigroup began coverage on shares of General Mills in a research report on Thursday, February 1st. They issued a neutral rating and a $67.00 price target on the stock. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have given a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $72.67. Insider Buying and Selling In other news, insider Jonathon Nudi sold 7,671 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, January 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $64.15, for a total transaction of $492,094.65. Following the sale, the insider now owns 102,924 shares in the company, valued at $6,602,574.60. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In other General Mills news, insider Jonathon Nudi sold 7,671 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $64.15, for a total value of $492,094.65. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 102,924 shares of the companys stock, valued at $6,602,574.60. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Jeffrey L. Harmening sold 60,056 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $64.44, for a total transaction of $3,870,008.64. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 318,483 shares in the company, valued at $20,523,044.52. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.24% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. General Mills Stock Performance Shares of GIS stock traded up $0.09 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $64.30. The stock had a trading volume of 2,553,981 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,010,833. General Mills, Inc. has a one year low of $60.33 and a one year high of $90.89. The firm has a market cap of $36.52 billion, a PE ratio of 15.56, a P/E/G ratio of 2.27 and a beta of 0.16. The firms 50 day simple moving average is $64.30 and its 200 day simple moving average is $65.06. The company has a quick ratio of 0.36, a current ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.09. General Mills (NYSE:GIS Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, December 20th. The company reported $1.25 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.16 by $0.09. General Mills had a net margin of 12.06% and a return on equity of 25.44%. The firm had revenue of $5.10 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.35 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $1.10 earnings per share. The businesss revenue was down 2.3% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts forecast that General Mills, Inc. will post 4.49 EPS for the current year. General Mills Dividend Announcement The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 1st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 10th will be issued a $0.59 dividend. This represents a $2.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.67%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 9th. General Millss payout ratio is currently 57.42%. General Mills Profile (Free Report) General Mills, Inc manufactures and markets branded consumer foods worldwide. The company operates through four segments: North America Retail; International; Pet; and North America Foodservice. It offers grain, ready-to-eat cereals, refrigerated yogurt, soup, meal kits, refrigerated and frozen dough products, dessert and baking mixes, bakery flour, frozen pizza and pizza snacks, snack bars, fruit and salty snacks, ice cream and frozen desserts, nutrition bars, and savory snacks, as well as various organic products, including frozen and shelf-stable vegetables. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding GIS? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for General Mills, Inc. (NYSE:GIS Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for General Mills Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for General Mills and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Golden Star Resources Ltd. (TSE:GSC Get Free Report) (NYSE:GSS) crossed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of C$0.00 and traded as high as C$4.99. Golden Star Resources shares last traded at C$4.96, with a volume of 124,735 shares changing hands. Golden Star Resources Price Performance The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 370.50, a quick ratio of 0.87 and a current ratio of 1.44. The stock has a market cap of C$574.00 million and a price-to-earnings ratio of -49.11. The firms fifty day simple moving average is C$4.96. About Golden Star Resources (Get Free Report) Golden Star Resources Ltd. operates as a gold mining and exploration company. The company owns and operates the Wassa open-pit gold mine, the Wassa underground mine, and a carbon-in-leach processing plant located to the northeast of the town of Tarkwa, Ghana; and the Bogoso gold mining and processing operation, the Prestea open-pit mining operations, and the Prestea underground mine located near the town of Prestea, Ghana. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Golden Star Resources Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Golden Star Resources and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Gotham Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in BorgWarner Inc. (NYSE:BWA Free Report) by 197.4% in the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 279,221 shares of the auto parts companys stock after acquiring an additional 185,343 shares during the period. Gotham Asset Management LLCs holdings in BorgWarner were worth $11,272,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Column Capital Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of BorgWarner by 149.5% in the 2nd quarter. Column Capital Advisors LLC now owns 549 shares of the auto parts companys stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 329 shares in the last quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC purchased a new stake in shares of BorgWarner in the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC boosted its stake in shares of BorgWarner by 72.2% in the 1st quarter. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC now owns 816 shares of the auto parts companys stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 342 shares in the last quarter. Huntington National Bank boosted its stake in shares of BorgWarner by 86.0% in the 2nd quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 941 shares of the auto parts companys stock valued at $46,000 after purchasing an additional 435 shares in the last quarter. Finally, AllSquare Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of BorgWarner by 37.7% in the 2nd quarter. AllSquare Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,213 shares of the auto parts companys stock valued at $57,000 after purchasing an additional 332 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.35% of the companys stock. Get BorgWarner alerts: Insider Buying and Selling In related news, CEO Frederic Lissalde sold 225,900 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $31.08, for a total value of $7,020,972.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 455,227 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $14,148,455.16. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In other BorgWarner news, CAO Tonit M. Calaway sold 35,603 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $32.15, for a total transaction of $1,144,636.45. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 83,348 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,679,638.20. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CEO Frederic Lissalde sold 225,900 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $31.08, for a total transaction of $7,020,972.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 455,227 shares of the companys stock, valued at $14,148,455.16. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.45% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. BorgWarner Stock Performance Shares of NYSE:BWA traded up $0.10 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $30.78. The companys stock had a trading volume of 2,006,406 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,762,728. The company has a 50-day moving average of $33.37 and a 200-day moving average of $36.03. BorgWarner Inc. has a 12 month low of $29.51 and a 12 month high of $51.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61, a current ratio of 1.65 and a quick ratio of 1.30. The firm has a market cap of $7.07 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.53, a P/E/G ratio of 0.96 and a beta of 1.32. BorgWarner (NYSE:BWA Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 8th. The auto parts company reported $0.90 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.93 by ($0.03). BorgWarner had a return on equity of 14.69% and a net margin of 3.94%. The business had revenue of $3.52 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.62 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.26 EPS. BorgWarners revenue for the quarter was up 6.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts expect that BorgWarner Inc. will post 3.9 earnings per share for the current year. BorgWarner Announces Dividend The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 15th. Investors of record on Friday, March 1st will be issued a $0.11 dividend. This represents a $0.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.43%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 29th. BorgWarners dividend payout ratio is 16.48%. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of equities research analysts recently commented on the stock. Robert W. Baird lowered shares of BorgWarner from an outperform rating to a neutral rating and lowered their price target for the company from $45.00 to $39.00 in a report on Wednesday, January 3rd. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price target on shares of BorgWarner from $38.00 to $34.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 9th. StockNews.com lowered shares of BorgWarner from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Friday, February 9th. BNP Paribas lowered shares of BorgWarner from an outperform rating to a neutral rating and lowered their price target for the company from $43.00 to $35.00 in a report on Tuesday, February 20th. Finally, Guggenheim raised BorgWarner from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $41.00 price target for the company in a research note on Thursday, November 16th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $44.12. Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on BWA About BorgWarner (Free Report) BorgWarner Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides solutions for combustion, hybrid, and electric vehicles worldwide. It offers turbochargers, eBoosters, eTurbos, timing systems, emissions systems, thermal systems, gasoline ignition technology, smart remote actuators, powertrain sensors, cabin heaters, battery modules and systems, battery heaters, and battery charging. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BWA? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for BorgWarner Inc. (NYSE:BWA Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for BorgWarner Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for BorgWarner and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Gotham Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL Free Report) by 1,298.5% in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 286,445 shares of the transportation companys stock after purchasing an additional 265,962 shares during the quarter. Gotham Asset Management LLCs holdings in Delta Air Lines were worth $10,598,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Capital World Investors grew its stake in shares of Delta Air Lines by 3.9% in the 2nd quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 26,563,427 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $1,262,825,000 after acquiring an additional 995,107 shares in the last quarter. Perigon Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Delta Air Lines by 10.4% in the 3rd quarter. Perigon Wealth Management LLC now owns 10,329 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $382,000 after buying an additional 969 shares during the last quarter. Shelton Capital Management purchased a new position in shares of Delta Air Lines in the 2nd quarter worth about $244,000. Apollon Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Delta Air Lines by 104.2% in the 2nd quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLC now owns 15,712 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $747,000 after buying an additional 8,019 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Cozad Asset Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Delta Air Lines by 150.3% in the 3rd quarter. Cozad Asset Management Inc. now owns 178,080 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $6,589,000 after buying an additional 106,940 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 71.29% of the companys stock. Get Delta Air Lines alerts: Delta Air Lines Price Performance NYSE DAL traded up $0.04 on Wednesday, reaching $42.02. 7,375,965 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 10,928,418. Delta Air Lines, Inc. has a 12 month low of $30.60 and a 12 month high of $49.81. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.54, a current ratio of 0.39 and a quick ratio of 0.34. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $40.08 and a 200 day simple moving average of $38.48. The stock has a market cap of $27.03 billion, a PE ratio of 5.88, a P/E/G ratio of 0.75 and a beta of 1.42. Delta Air Lines Announces Dividend Delta Air Lines ( NYSE:DAL Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 12th. The transportation company reported $1.28 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.17 by $0.11. The firm had revenue of $14.22 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $13.55 billion. Delta Air Lines had a return on equity of 46.35% and a net margin of 7.94%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 5.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $1.48 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts predict that Delta Air Lines, Inc. will post 6.59 earnings per share for the current year. The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 18th. Investors of record on Monday, February 26th will be paid a $0.10 dividend. This represents a $0.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.95%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 23rd. Delta Air Liness payout ratio is 5.59%. Analysts Set New Price Targets DAL has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. TheStreet raised shares of Delta Air Lines from a c+ rating to a b- rating in a report on Thursday, January 4th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Delta Air Lines from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Thursday, February 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Buy and an average price target of $55.54. Get Our Latest Report on Delta Air Lines Insider Buying and Selling In related news, CEO Edward H. Bastian sold 71,840 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $39.20, for a total value of $2,816,128.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 428,768 shares of the companys stock, valued at $16,807,705.60. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.89% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Delta Air Lines Company Profile (Free Report) Delta Air Lines, Inc provides scheduled air transportation for passengers and cargo in the United States and internationally. The company operates through two segments, Airline and Refinery. Its domestic network centered on core hubs in Atlanta, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Detroit, and Salt Lake City, as well as coastal hub positions in Boston, Los Angeles, New York-LaGuardia, New York-JFK, and Seattle; and international network centered on hubs and market presence in Amsterdam, Bogota, Lima, Mexico City, London-Heathrow, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Sao Paulo, Seoul-Incheon, and Tokyo. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding DAL? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Delta Air Lines Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Delta Air Lines and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Gotham Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CF Free Report) by 17.5% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 161,817 shares of the basic materials companys stock after purchasing an additional 24,077 shares during the quarter. Gotham Asset Management LLCs holdings in CF Industries were worth $13,874,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Kentucky Retirement Systems boosted its holdings in shares of CF Industries by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter. Kentucky Retirement Systems now owns 15,598 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $1,501,000 after buying an additional 116 shares in the last quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in CF Industries by 9.2% during the second quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 1,460 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $101,000 after acquiring an additional 123 shares in the last quarter. Arkadios Wealth Advisors grew its holdings in CF Industries by 2.5% in the third quarter. Arkadios Wealth Advisors now owns 5,148 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $441,000 after purchasing an additional 126 shares during the period. Donoghue Forlines LLC increased its stake in CF Industries by 1.9% in the third quarter. Donoghue Forlines LLC now owns 6,835 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $586,000 after purchasing an additional 130 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Janiczek Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of CF Industries by 36.5% during the third quarter. Janiczek Wealth Management LLC now owns 516 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $44,000 after purchasing an additional 138 shares during the period. 90.63% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get CF Industries alerts: CF Industries Stock Performance NYSE:CF traded up $0.12 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $79.90. The companys stock had a trading volume of 2,758,011 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,016,859. CF Industries Holdings, Inc. has a 12 month low of $60.08 and a 12 month high of $87.90. The firm has a market cap of $15.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.26 and a beta of 1.01. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $78.10 and a 200-day moving average of $79.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 3.44 and a current ratio of 3.81. CF Industries Increases Dividend CF Industries ( NYSE:CF Get Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 15th. The basic materials company reported $1.44 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.56 by ($0.12). CF Industries had a net margin of 23.00% and a return on equity of 18.44%. The company had revenue of $1.57 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.51 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $4.35 earnings per share. The firms revenue was down 39.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts expect that CF Industries Holdings, Inc. will post 5.94 EPS for the current fiscal year. The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 29th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, February 14th. This is an increase from CF Industriess previous quarterly dividend of $0.40. This represents a $2.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.50%. CF Industriess dividend payout ratio is 25.51%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several research analysts have issued reports on CF shares. Piper Sandler cut their price target on CF Industries from $90.00 to $87.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, February 20th. Royal Bank of Canada restated an outperform rating and set a $95.00 price objective on shares of CF Industries in a report on Friday, February 16th. UBS Group cut shares of CF Industries from a buy rating to a neutral rating and reduced their price objective for the company from $95.00 to $83.00 in a report on Wednesday, January 31st. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on shares of CF Industries from $98.00 to $97.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 16th. Finally, Barclays upgraded CF Industries from an underweight rating to an equal weight rating and set a $85.00 price target for the company in a research note on Friday, January 12th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have assigned a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $89.93. Get Our Latest Stock Report on CF Industries About CF Industries (Free Report) CF Industries Holdings, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the manufacture and sale of hydrogen and nitrogen products for energy, fertilizer, emissions abatement, and other industrial activities in North America, Europe, and internationally. It operates through Ammonia, Granular Urea, UAN, AN, and Other segments. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CF? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CF Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for CF Industries Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for CF Industries and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Hansteen Holdings plc (LON:HSTN Get Free Report)s share price crossed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of GBX 116.20 ($1.47) and traded as high as GBX 116.20 ($1.47). Hansteen shares last traded at GBX 116.20 ($1.47), with a volume of 5,099,403 shares traded. Hansteen Price Performance The companys 50 day simple moving average is GBX 116.20 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is GBX 116.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 53.41, a current ratio of 2.83 and a quick ratio of 2.37. The stock has a market capitalization of 498.20 million and a P/E ratio of 10.38. About Hansteen (Get Free Report) Hansteen Holdings PLC is a company which was incorporated in the United Kingdom and registered in England and Wales on 27 October 2005. The Company is required to comply with the provisions of the Companies Act 2006. The address of the registered office is 1st Floor, Pegasus House, 37-43 Sackville Street, London W1S 3DL. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Hansteen Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Hansteen and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NYSE:HPE Get Free Report) updated its FY24 earnings guidance on Thursday. The company provided earnings per share guidance of $1.82 to $1.92 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of $1.92. The company issued revenue guidance of flat to +2% yr/yr or $29.135 billion to $29.718 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $29.45 billion. Hewlett Packard Enterprise also updated its Q2 guidance to $0.36 to $0.41 EPS. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of research firms recently weighed in on HPE. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise from $15.00 to $16.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 29th. Sanford C. Bernstein lowered shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise from an outperform rating to a market perform rating and cut their target price for the stock from $20.00 to $17.00 in a research note on Tuesday, January 16th. Finally, Barclays dropped their price target on shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise from $16.00 to $15.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, November 29th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Hewlett Packard Enterprise has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $17.60. Get Hewlett Packard Enterprise alerts: View Our Latest Analysis on HPE Hewlett Packard Enterprise Stock Performance Shares of HPE stock traded up $0.37 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $15.23. The stock had a trading volume of 26,742,539 shares, compared to its average volume of 11,726,522. The firm has a market capitalization of $19.80 billion, a PE ratio of 9.80, a PEG ratio of 2.56 and a beta of 1.20. Hewlett Packard Enterprise has a twelve month low of $13.65 and a twelve month high of $18.14. The stocks 50 day moving average is $15.86 and its 200 day moving average is $16.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 0.87 and a quick ratio of 0.66. Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NYSE:HPE Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 29th. The technology company reported $0.48 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.45 by $0.03. Hewlett Packard Enterprise had a return on equity of 9.83% and a net margin of 6.95%. The firm had revenue of $6.76 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.09 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.38 earnings per share. The companys revenue for the quarter was down 13.5% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts forecast that Hewlett Packard Enterprise will post 1.6 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Hewlett Packard Enterprise Dividend Announcement The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 12th. Investors of record on Friday, March 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.13 per share. This represents a $0.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.41%. Hewlett Packard Enterprises dividend payout ratio is presently 33.77%. Insider Buying and Selling In other Hewlett Packard Enterprise news, CFO Jeremy Cox sold 4,887 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $16.37, for a total value of $80,000.19. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 29,934 shares of the companys stock, valued at $490,019.58. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In other news, EVP Justin Hotard sold 10,612 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $16.37, for a total value of $173,718.44. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 47,737 shares in the company, valued at $781,454.69. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CFO Jeremy Cox sold 4,887 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $16.37, for a total value of $80,000.19. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 29,934 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $490,019.58. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 303,575 shares of company stock valued at $4,989,141 over the last three months. 0.40% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Institutional Inflows and Outflows A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in HPE. First Manhattan Co. increased its position in Hewlett Packard Enterprise by 89.4% during the 1st quarter. First Manhattan Co. now owns 2,413 shares of the technology companys stock worth $40,000 after purchasing an additional 1,139 shares in the last quarter. Pacific Center for Financial Services acquired a new stake in Hewlett Packard Enterprise in the 1st quarter worth about $44,000. Bell Investment Advisors Inc boosted its stake in Hewlett Packard Enterprise by 75.3% in the 4th quarter. Bell Investment Advisors Inc now owns 2,682 shares of the technology companys stock worth $46,000 after buying an additional 1,152 shares during the last quarter. Coppell Advisory Solutions Corp. acquired a new stake in Hewlett Packard Enterprise in the 4th quarter worth about $59,000. Finally, Aspire Private Capital LLC boosted its stake in Hewlett Packard Enterprise by 251.9% in the 1st quarter. Aspire Private Capital LLC now owns 4,283 shares of the technology companys stock worth $68,000 after buying an additional 3,066 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.15% of the companys stock. Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company Profile (Get Free Report) Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company provides solutions that allow customers to capture, analyze, and act upon data seamlessly in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia Pacific, and Japan. It operates in six segments: Compute, HPC & AI, Storage, Intelligent Edge, Financial Services, and Corporate Investments and Other. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Hewlett Packard Enterprise Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Hewlett Packard Enterprise and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Several education experts said the IELTS test is not suitable for high school admission, as it is not recommended for people aged under 16. Over the last few years, some Vietnamese localities have begun to use IELTS scores as a criterion to be considered in the high school admission process. Students can use their IELTS scores to either be directly admitted, get bonus points for school admission, or have the IELTS scores be converted to an English score for the admission process. IELTS scores of 4.0-5.0 were often converted into the English exam score of 9 or 10 out of 10. The Ministry of Education and Training late last week instructed schools not to use IELTS scores in the high school admission process. In accordance with regulations by the ministry, students with IELTS scores or other foreign language proficiency test scores have no advantage over other students in the admission process. While several localities believed that including IELTS results in the admission process would relieve the pressure of examination and encourage students to study foreign languages, Lai Thi Phuong Thao, deputy headmistress of the Foreign Language Specialized School, said the education ministry made the right decision. Thao said the IELTS by itself is inappropriate to be used as a criterion for high school admission, as it is not age-appropriate. "IELTS has no age requirements for learners, but is not recommended for students under 16," she said. In order to have test scores for high school admission, students would need to study the IELTS from seventh or eighth grade. This goes against the recommendation of IELTS organizers, as the test would entail multiple fields and disciplines, requiring learners to have basic knowledge of specific fields. Such requirements are not suitable for students at age 13-14, Thao said. Students are about to take the high school entrance exam at a school in HCMC, June 2023. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran Phung Thuy Linh, founder of Eduling, an English education firm that offers online classes, and an English expert for the U.S. Department of State, said IELTS is for those who want to go to college and study in English, or those who would like to live in English-speaking countries. "As such, the test is suitable for those already in high school, who are looking to enter a college or to prove their English proficiency for other purposes," Linh said. A VnExpress survey of over 4,200 respondents revealed that 73% of them do not agree with using IELTS results to admit students into high school. Le Van Canh, a former English lecturer at the University of Languages and International Studies, said using the IELTS for high school admission would also breed inequality. "The chance of going to high school using IELTS results for students in circumstances is much lower than those with the means to study for the test, and actually taking it," Canh said. The entrance fee for an IELTS test is currently at over VND4.6 million (US$186), not including the fees incurred when one studies for the IELTS at English centers, which typically clocks in at VND20-40 million for a 4-6 month-long course. If one decides to study the IELTS by themselves, they would still need to purchase study materials or enroll in online courses. Nguyen Tan, director of the Thua Thien-Hue Department of Education and Training, said using IELTS scores for admission without exams or bonus points would not be fair for those without the means to study for it. Teachers also said the current high school English curriculum itself is incompatible with the IELTS. In accordance with the high school English curriculum by the education ministry, students graduating from high school would be able to gain proficiency in the Vietnamese Standardized Test of English Proficiency (VSTEP). IDP, one of the two organizers for the IELTS test in Vietnam, said a Level 3 proficiency in the VSTEP would equate to an IELTS score of 4.0-5.0. "Students entering high school with an IELTS score of 4.0 means they have already reached the level of proficiency of a high school graduate. So the question is, throughout the three years in high school, will they get a different curriculum? How will the teachers teach?" Thao said. Others, however, said the IELTS and other foreign language proficiency examinations still hold value in the high school admission process. Vu Thi Phuong Anh, a former strategic counselor for the National Foreign Language Program, said the education ministry should not forbid localities from using the IELTS or other proficiency exams in the high school admission process. Instead, they can control the number of students being directly admitted, or have bonus scores added, for example by limiting the percentage of students being admitted this way by 5-10%. "Each locality has different economic circumstances and students. For example, in a locality where the students are not good at English, they would need policies to promote and encourage English education. This is an appropriate goal," she said. An English teacher in the northern mountainous Lao Cai Province opposes using IELTS results for direct high school admission, but says IELTS scores can be converted to English scores for the high school entrance examination. "The education ministrys instruction can take effect starting next year, as this year's students might have already been studying for the IELTS to get admitted. A sudden change would derail their plans and waste their efforts," she said. If localities still want to use foreign language proficiency exam scores for the admission process or promoting the study of English, experts said such exams need to be age-appropriate for secondary students. Linh of Eduling added, "If the IELTS were to be replaced by another exam, localities and schools should choose an exam that focuses on practical English skills, instead of relying on grammar and vocabulary." Taylor Wimpey plc (LON:TW Get Free Report) insider Jennie Daly sold 104,503 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of GBX 134 ($1.70), for a total value of 140,034.02 ($177,617.99). Jennie Daly also recently made the following trade(s): Get Taylor Wimpey alerts: On Thursday, February 8th, Jennie Daly acquired 102 shares of Taylor Wimpey stock. The stock was acquired at an average cost of GBX 148 ($1.88) per share, with a total value of 150.96 ($191.48). On Monday, January 8th, Jennie Daly bought 103 shares of Taylor Wimpey stock. The stock was purchased at an average price of GBX 145 ($1.84) per share, with a total value of 149.35 ($189.43). On Friday, December 8th, Jennie Daly acquired 109 shares of Taylor Wimpey stock. The shares were bought at an average price of GBX 137 ($1.74) per share, with a total value of 149.33 ($189.41). Taylor Wimpey Stock Down 4.8 % Shares of LON:TW traded down GBX 6.70 ($0.08) during trading on Thursday, hitting GBX 133.85 ($1.70). 24,052,061 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,409,451. The stock has a market cap of 4.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 836.56, a P/E/G ratio of -0.99 and a beta of 1.78. Taylor Wimpey plc has a fifty-two week low of GBX 98.92 ($1.25) and a fifty-two week high of GBX 150.60 ($1.91). The firm has a fifty day moving average price of GBX 145.30 and a two-hundred day moving average price of GBX 127.90. The company has a current ratio of 5.04, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.51. Taylor Wimpey Announces Dividend Analysts Set New Price Targets The business also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 10th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 28th will be given a dividend of GBX 4.79 ($0.06) per share. This represents a dividend yield of 3.41%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 28th. Taylor Wimpeys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 6,250.00%. TW has been the topic of several recent research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on Taylor Wimpey from GBX 94 ($1.19) to GBX 96 ($1.22) and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Friday, November 10th. Royal Bank of Canada restated a sector perform rating and set a GBX 175 ($2.22) target price on shares of Taylor Wimpey in a report on Thursday. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of GBX 133 ($1.69). Get Our Latest Stock Report on TW Taylor Wimpey Company Profile (Get Free Report) Taylor Wimpey plc operates a residential developer in the United Kingdom and Spain. It builds and delivers various homes and communities. Taylor Wimpey plc was incorporated in 1935 and is based in High Wycombe, the United Kingdom. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Taylor Wimpey Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Taylor Wimpey and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. John Wood Group PLC (OTCMKTS:WDGJF Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest in the month of February. As of February 15th, there was short interest totalling 644,700 shares, a growth of 49,492.3% from the January 31st total of 1,300 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 500 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1,289.4 days. John Wood Group Stock Performance WDGJF stock remained flat at $1.91 during trading on Wednesday. John Wood Group has a 12-month low of $1.62 and a 12-month high of $2.88. The businesss 50 day simple moving average is $2.12 and its 200 day simple moving average is $1.97. Get John Wood Group alerts: About John Wood Group (Get Free Report) Featured Stories John Wood Group PLC, together with its subsidiaries, provides consulting, project management, and engineering solutions to energy and built environment worldwide. It operates through Projects, Operations, Consulting, and Investment Services segments. The Projects segment provides engineering design and project management services across energy and materials markets including oil and gas, chemicals, mining, minerals, and life sciences. Receive News & Ratings for John Wood Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for John Wood Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Jones Financial Companies Lllp boosted its position in ServiceNow, Inc. (NYSE:NOW Free Report) by 0.3% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 17,616 shares of the information technology services providers stock after purchasing an additional 51 shares during the period. Jones Financial Companies Lllps holdings in ServiceNow were worth $9,847,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. First Foundation Advisors lifted its position in ServiceNow by 2.1% in the second quarter. First Foundation Advisors now owns 5,292 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $2,974,000 after purchasing an additional 108 shares during the period. First Hawaiian Bank lifted its position in shares of ServiceNow by 2.2% during the 3rd quarter. First Hawaiian Bank now owns 7,514 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $4,200,000 after acquiring an additional 165 shares during the period. William Blair Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of ServiceNow during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $144,098,000. Guggenheim Capital LLC increased its stake in shares of ServiceNow by 7.3% during the 2nd quarter. Guggenheim Capital LLC now owns 64,245 shares of the information technology services providers stock worth $36,104,000 after purchasing an additional 4,352 shares in the last quarter. Finally, F M Investments LLC acquired a new position in shares of ServiceNow in the 3rd quarter valued at $1,624,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.14% of the companys stock. Get ServiceNow alerts: Insider Buying and Selling at ServiceNow In related news, CEO William R. Mcdermott sold 5,030 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $753.08, for a total value of $3,787,992.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 17,177 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $12,935,655.16. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other ServiceNow news, insider Paul John Smith sold 1,180 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $767.12, for a total transaction of $905,201.60. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 1,392 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,067,831.04. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CEO William R. Mcdermott sold 5,030 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $753.08, for a total value of $3,787,992.40. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 17,177 shares of the companys stock, valued at $12,935,655.16. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 13,164 shares of company stock worth $9,940,303. 0.24% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. ServiceNow Stock Performance Shares of NYSE NOW traded up $11.55 during trading on Thursday, hitting $771.34. The company had a trading volume of 1,471,618 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,251,137. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $744.90 and a 200 day simple moving average of $653.22. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a current ratio of 1.06. ServiceNow, Inc. has a 12 month low of $405.37 and a 12 month high of $815.32. The firm has a market capitalization of $158.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 90.34, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.89 and a beta of 0.99. ServiceNow (NYSE:NOW Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, January 24th. The information technology services provider reported $3.11 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.77 by $0.34. The firm had revenue of $2.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.40 billion. ServiceNow had a return on equity of 11.85% and a net margin of 19.30%. The firms revenue was up 25.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.88 earnings per share. As a group, analysts anticipate that ServiceNow, Inc. will post 6.11 earnings per share for the current year. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of equities analysts recently commented on NOW shares. Needham & Company LLC raised their price objective on shares of ServiceNow from $660.00 to $900.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Monday, January 22nd. Robert W. Baird increased their target price on shares of ServiceNow from $780.00 to $870.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, January 25th. Argus increased their target price on shares of ServiceNow from $675.00 to $770.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 6th. JMP Securities increased their target price on shares of ServiceNow from $665.00 to $825.00 and gave the stock a market outperform rating in a research report on Monday, January 22nd. Finally, Truist Financial increased their target price on shares of ServiceNow from $700.00 to $750.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, January 25th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twenty-four have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $750.93. Get Our Latest Stock Report on NOW About ServiceNow (Free Report) ServiceNow, Inc provides end to-end intelligent workflow automation platform solutions for digital businesses in the North America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific, and internationally. The company operates the Now platform for end-to-end digital transformation, artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotic process automation, process mining, performance analytics, and collaboration and development tools. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding NOW? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for ServiceNow, Inc. (NYSE:NOW Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for ServiceNow Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for ServiceNow and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Karani Asset Management LLC lowered its holdings in shares of EOG Resources, Inc. (NYSE:EOG Free Report) by 32.7% in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 21,745 shares of the energy exploration companys stock after selling 10,544 shares during the period. EOG Resources comprises about 4.0% of Karani Asset Management LLCs portfolio, making the stock its 11th biggest holding. Karani Asset Management LLCs holdings in EOG Resources were worth $2,756,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. CENTRAL TRUST Co raised its stake in shares of EOG Resources by 0.8% during the 3rd quarter. CENTRAL TRUST Co now owns 9,118 shares of the energy exploration companys stock worth $1,019,000 after purchasing an additional 74 shares during the period. Ballentine Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of EOG Resources by 3.0% during the 3rd quarter. Ballentine Partners LLC now owns 2,614 shares of the energy exploration companys stock worth $331,000 after purchasing an additional 75 shares during the period. Covestor Ltd raised its stake in shares of EOG Resources by 7.2% during the 3rd quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 1,215 shares of the energy exploration companys stock worth $154,000 after purchasing an additional 82 shares during the period. ORG Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of EOG Resources by 1.0% during the 3rd quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 8,822 shares of the energy exploration companys stock worth $1,118,000 after purchasing an additional 84 shares during the period. Finally, White Pine Capital LLC raised its stake in EOG Resources by 2.2% in the 4th quarter. White Pine Capital LLC now owns 3,942 shares of the energy exploration companys stock valued at $511,000 after acquiring an additional 85 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 89.21% of the companys stock. Get EOG Resources alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the company. Wells Fargo & Company cut EOG Resources from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating and lowered their price objective for the company from $150.00 to $130.00 in a research note on Thursday, December 14th. Raymond James lowered their price objective on EOG Resources from $148.00 to $145.00 and set a strong-buy rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 24th. TD Securities reduced their target price on EOG Resources from $135.00 to $130.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 23rd. Bank of America lowered EOG Resources from a buy rating to a neutral rating and reduced their target price for the company from $147.00 to $140.00 in a report on Friday, January 5th. Finally, UBS Group reduced their target price on EOG Resources from $165.00 to $145.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Thursday, December 14th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $142.40. EOG Resources Trading Up 0.2 % Shares of EOG Resources stock traded up $0.23 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $114.17. 3,162,291 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,242,897. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a quick ratio of 2.13 and a current ratio of 2.44. The company has a market cap of $66.22 billion, a PE ratio of 8.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.33 and a beta of 1.40. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $115.53 and a 200-day moving average of $122.65. EOG Resources, Inc. has a 12 month low of $98.52 and a 12 month high of $136.79. EOG Resources (NYSE:EOG Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Friday, February 23rd. The energy exploration company reported $3.07 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $3.14 by ($0.07). The business had revenue of $6.36 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.18 billion. EOG Resources had a net margin of 31.40% and a return on equity of 25.38%. EOG Resourcess revenue was down 5.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $3.30 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that EOG Resources, Inc. will post 11.87 EPS for the current fiscal year. EOG Resources Announces Dividend The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 30th. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 16th will be paid a $0.91 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, April 15th. This represents a $3.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.19%. EOG Resourcess payout ratio is 27.98%. EOG Resources Company Profile (Free Report) EOG Resources, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, explores for, develops, produces, and markets crude oil, and natural gas and natural gas liquids. Its principal producing areas are in New Mexico and Texas in the United States; and the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. The company was formerly known as Enron Oil & Gas Company. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding EOG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for EOG Resources, Inc. (NYSE:EOG Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for EOG Resources Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for EOG Resources and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Kolinsky Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO Free Report) by 129.2% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 6,742 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 3,801 shares during the quarter. Novo Nordisk A/S comprises about 0.6% of Kolinsky Wealth Management LLCs investment portfolio, making the stock its 29th biggest position. Kolinsky Wealth Management LLCs holdings in Novo Nordisk A/S were worth $613,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Several other large investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Copeland Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Novo Nordisk A/S by 100.0% in the third quarter. Copeland Capital Management LLC now owns 282 shares of the companys stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 141 shares during the period. Bell Investment Advisors Inc raised its stake in Novo Nordisk A/S by 79.9% in the third quarter. Bell Investment Advisors Inc now owns 286 shares of the companys stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 127 shares in the last quarter. Citizens National Bank Trust Department raised its stake in Novo Nordisk A/S by 100.0% in the third quarter. Citizens National Bank Trust Department now owns 300 shares of the companys stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 150 shares in the last quarter. Tyler Stone Wealth Management raised its stake in Novo Nordisk A/S by 100.0% in the third quarter. Tyler Stone Wealth Management now owns 292 shares of the companys stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 146 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Centerpoint Advisors LLC bought a new position in Novo Nordisk A/S in the third quarter worth approximately $28,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 6.41% of the companys stock. Get Novo Nordisk A/S alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In NVO has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an overweight rating and issued a $140.00 price objective on shares of Novo Nordisk A/S in a research note on Tuesday, February 20th. UBS Group assumed coverage on Novo Nordisk A/S in a report on Tuesday, January 16th. They issued a neutral rating for the company. Morgan Stanley assumed coverage on Novo Nordisk A/S in a report on Tuesday, January 23rd. They set an overweight rating and a $120.00 target price for the company. Finally, TD Cowen lifted their target price on Novo Nordisk A/S from $105.00 to $115.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Monday, December 4th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Novo Nordisk A/S currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $121.25. Novo Nordisk A/S Stock Performance NYSE:NVO traded down $2.32 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $119.22. The company had a trading volume of 3,867,919 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,885,502. Novo Nordisk A/S has a 1-year low of $67.66 and a 1-year high of $124.86. The firm has a market cap of $535.00 billion, a PE ratio of 44.93, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.04 and a beta of 0.41. The businesss 50 day moving average price is $111.85 and its 200-day moving average price is $92.78. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.19, a current ratio of 0.82 and a quick ratio of 0.64. Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 31st. The company reported $0.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.66 by $0.05. Novo Nordisk A/S had a return on equity of 90.36% and a net margin of 36.03%. The company had revenue of $9.51 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.14 billion. Research analysts forecast that Novo Nordisk A/S will post 3.32 EPS for the current year. Novo Nordisk A/S Increases Dividend The firm also recently disclosed a Semi-Annual dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 2nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 25th will be given a $0.664 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 22nd. This is a boost from Novo Nordisk A/Ss previous Semi-Annual dividend of $0.22. This represents a dividend yield of 0.9%. Novo Nordisk A/Ss payout ratio is 22.92%. Novo Nordisk A/S Company Profile (Free Report) Novo Nordisk A/S, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the research and development, manufacture, and distribution of pharmaceutical products in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, North America, and internationally. It operates in two segments, Diabetes and Obesity Care, and Rare Disease. 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. Kolinsky Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of The Charles Schwab Co. (NYSE:SCHW Free Report) during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm bought 3,862 shares of the financial services providers stock, valued at approximately $212,000. Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Providence Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in Charles Schwab in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Worth Asset Management LLC bought a new position in Charles Schwab in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $32,000. BluePath Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Charles Schwab in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $34,000. State of Wyoming lifted its stake in Charles Schwab by 71.0% in the 2nd quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 624 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 259 shares during the last quarter. Finally, WFA of San Diego LLC bought a new position in Charles Schwab in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $39,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.61% of the companys stock. Get Charles Schwab alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets Several equities analysts recently commented on SCHW shares. Citigroup downgraded shares of Charles Schwab from a buy rating to a neutral rating and dropped their price objective for the company from $75.00 to $70.00 in a research note on Wednesday, January 10th. StockNews.com raised shares of Charles Schwab from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note on Wednesday. TD Cowen assumed coverage on shares of Charles Schwab in a research note on Thursday, January 4th. They set a market perform rating and a $77.00 price target for the company. Redburn Atlantic assumed coverage on shares of Charles Schwab in a research note on Friday, December 1st. They set a sell rating and a $52.00 price target for the company. Finally, UBS Group raised their price target on shares of Charles Schwab from $72.00 to $82.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Friday, December 15th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $69.92. Charles Schwab Stock Up 1.4 % Shares of NYSE SCHW traded up $0.91 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $66.56. 2,839,725 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 7,692,746. The stock has a market cap of $118.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.85, a PEG ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 0.99. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $65.10 and a 200 day simple moving average of $59.97. The Charles Schwab Co. has a 1-year low of $45.00 and a 1-year high of $78.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.82, a current ratio of 0.43 and a quick ratio of 0.66. Charles Schwab (NYSE:SCHW Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 17th. The financial services provider reported $0.68 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.64 by $0.04. Charles Schwab had a net margin of 26.90% and a return on equity of 21.33%. The company had revenue of $4.46 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.49 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.07 earnings per share. The firms revenue was down 18.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts expect that The Charles Schwab Co. will post 3.34 EPS for the current fiscal year. Charles Schwab Announces Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 23rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 9th were given a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.50%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 8th. Charles Schwabs dividend payout ratio is 39.37%. Insiders Place Their Bets In other news, CFO Peter B. Crawford sold 4,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $64.49, for a total value of $257,960.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 37,611 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,425,533.39. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In related news, CFO Peter B. Crawford sold 4,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $64.49, for a total transaction of $257,960.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 37,611 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,425,533.39. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Chairman Charles R. Schwab sold 16,390 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $63.94, for a total transaction of $1,047,976.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman now directly owns 61,331,688 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,921,548,130.72. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 158,116 shares of company stock valued at $10,232,094. Company insiders own 6.60% of the companys stock. About Charles Schwab (Free Report) The Charles Schwab Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a savings and loan holding company that provides wealth management, securities brokerage, banking, asset management, custody, and financial advisory services. The company operates in two segments, Investor Services and Advisor Services. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding SCHW? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for The Charles Schwab Co. (NYSE:SCHW Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Charles Schwab Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Charles Schwab and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Kolinsky Wealth Management LLC lessened its holdings in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY Free Report) by 15.7% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 4,098 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock after selling 764 shares during the period. Kolinsky Wealth Management LLCs holdings in Bristol-Myers Squibb were worth $238,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in BMY. Norges Bank purchased a new position in Bristol-Myers Squibb during the 4th quarter worth approximately $1,873,696,000. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC grew its stake in Bristol-Myers Squibb by 114,228.7% during the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 21,469,785 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $1,544,751,000 after buying an additional 21,451,006 shares during the last quarter. Capital International Investors grew its stake in Bristol-Myers Squibb by 12.8% during the 2nd quarter. Capital International Investors now owns 69,296,006 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $4,431,517,000 after buying an additional 7,878,833 shares during the last quarter. Cowa LLC grew its stake in Bristol-Myers Squibb by 9,777.8% during the 1st quarter. Cowa LLC now owns 1,657,894 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $1,211,000 after buying an additional 1,641,110 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Franklin Resources Inc. grew its stake in Bristol-Myers Squibb by 41.8% during the 2nd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 5,322,434 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $340,370,000 after buying an additional 1,569,932 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.98% of the companys stock. Get Bristol-Myers Squibb alerts: Bristol-Myers Squibb Trading Down 0.2 % Shares of NYSE:BMY traded down $0.11 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $50.81. The companys stock had a trading volume of 4,819,555 shares, compared to its average volume of 14,736,324. The firm has a market cap of $102.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.53 and a beta of 0.38. The company has a quick ratio of 1.31, a current ratio of 1.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.24. Bristol-Myers Squibb has a 1 year low of $47.58 and a 1 year high of $71.07. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $50.35 and a 200 day moving average price of $53.71. Bristol-Myers Squibb ( NYSE:BMY Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, February 2nd. The biopharmaceutical company reported $1.70 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.55 by $0.15. The business had revenue of $11.48 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $11.19 billion. Bristol-Myers Squibb had a return on equity of 50.95% and a net margin of 17.83%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up .6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.82 earnings per share. Research analysts forecast that Bristol-Myers Squibb will post 6.61 EPS for the current year. Bristol-Myers Squibb declared that its board has approved a stock buyback program on Thursday, December 7th that allows the company to repurchase $3.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the biopharmaceutical company to reacquire up to 2.9% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are typically an indication that the companys board believes its stock is undervalued. Bristol-Myers Squibb Increases Dividend The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, January 5th were given a dividend of $0.60 per share. This represents a $2.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.72%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, January 4th. This is an increase from Bristol-Myers Squibbs previous quarterly dividend of $0.57. Bristol-Myers Squibbs payout ratio is 62.18%. Insider Buying and Selling at Bristol-Myers Squibb In other news, CEO Christopher S. Boerner purchased 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 5th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $49.78 per share, with a total value of $99,560.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 82,672 shares in the company, valued at $4,115,412.16. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.09% of the stock is owned by company insiders. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several brokerages have weighed in on BMY. Daiwa Capital Markets downgraded Bristol-Myers Squibb from an outperform rating to a neutral rating and lowered their target price for the company from $68.00 to $54.00 in a research note on Thursday, November 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price on Bristol-Myers Squibb from $58.00 to $51.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 6th. Cantor Fitzgerald downgraded Bristol-Myers Squibb from an overweight rating to a neutral rating and lowered their target price for the company from $68.00 to $55.00 in a research note on Wednesday, November 15th. StockNews.com cut Bristol-Myers Squibb from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a report on Thursday, February 22nd. Finally, Redburn Atlantic cut Bristol-Myers Squibb from a buy rating to a neutral rating and reduced their price target for the company from $77.00 to $54.00 in a report on Tuesday, February 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, fifteen have assigned a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $61.17. View Our Latest Research Report on BMY Bristol-Myers Squibb Company Profile (Free Report) Bristol-Myers Squibb Company discovers, develops, licenses, manufactures, markets, distributes, and sells biopharmaceutical products worldwide. It offers products for hematology, oncology, cardiovascular, immunology, fibrotic, and neuroscience diseases. The company's products include Eliquis for reduction in risk of stroke/systemic embolism in non-valvular atrial fibrillation, and for the treatment of DVT/PE; Opdivo for various anti-cancer indications, including bladder, blood, CRC, head and neck, RCC, HCC, lung, melanoma, MPM, stomach and esophageal cancer; Pomalyst/Imnovid for multiple myeloma; Orencia for active rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis; and Sprycel for the treatment of Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BMY? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Bristol-Myers Squibb Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bristol-Myers Squibb and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. LyondellBasell Industries (NYSE:LYB Get Free Report) declared a quarterly dividend on Friday, February 23rd, RTT News reports. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 4th will be paid a dividend of 1.25 per share by the specialty chemicals company on Monday, March 11th. This represents a $5.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.06%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 1st. LyondellBasell Industries has increased its dividend by an average of 5.6% per year over the last three years and has raised its dividend every year for the last 3 years. LyondellBasell Industries has a payout ratio of 50.1% meaning its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Research analysts expect LyondellBasell Industries to earn $9.80 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $5.00 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 51.0%. Get LyondellBasell Industries alerts: LyondellBasell Industries Stock Performance Shares of LYB stock opened at $98.79 on Thursday. The firms 50 day moving average price is $95.62 and its 200-day moving average price is $95.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 1.17 and a current ratio of 1.84. LyondellBasell Industries has a one year low of $81.24 and a one year high of $102.04. The firm has a market cap of $32.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.27, a P/E/G ratio of 1.19 and a beta of 1.18. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades LyondellBasell Industries ( NYSE:LYB Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, February 2nd. The specialty chemicals company reported $1.26 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.33 by ($0.07). LyondellBasell Industries had a return on equity of 21.89% and a net margin of 5.16%. The company had revenue of $9.93 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.85 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $1.29 earnings per share. The businesss revenue was down 6.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts predict that LyondellBasell Industries will post 8.86 EPS for the current year. Several equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Barclays decreased their price objective on shares of LyondellBasell Industries from $102.00 to $98.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a report on Monday, February 5th. Vertical Research upgraded shares of LyondellBasell Industries from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, January 3rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered shares of LyondellBasell Industries from a buy rating to a hold rating and set a $105.00 target price on the stock. in a report on Wednesday, January 10th. Citigroup lowered shares of LyondellBasell Industries from a buy rating to a neutral rating and reduced their target price for the stock from $105.00 to $98.00 in a report on Wednesday, December 13th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded shares of LyondellBasell Industries from a neutral rating to an overweight rating and increased their target price for the stock from $95.00 to $100.00 in a report on Monday, February 5th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $100.92. View Our Latest Analysis on LYB Insider Buying and Selling at LyondellBasell Industries In other LyondellBasell Industries news, EVP Kenneth Todd Lane sold 9,489 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $98.92, for a total value of $938,651.88. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 89,445 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $8,847,899.40. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders own 0.12% of the companys stock. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. LM Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of LyondellBasell Industries in the 4th quarter valued at $25,000. Compass Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in LyondellBasell Industries during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Quarry LP grew its position in LyondellBasell Industries by 275.0% during the 2nd quarter. Quarry LP now owns 330 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 242 shares during the last quarter. Fortis Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new position in LyondellBasell Industries during the 4th quarter worth $34,000. Finally, Covestor Ltd grew its position in LyondellBasell Industries by 33.9% during the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 446 shares of the specialty chemicals companys stock worth $46,000 after purchasing an additional 113 shares during the last quarter. 91.41% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. LyondellBasell Industries Company Profile (Get Free Report) LyondellBasell Industries N.V. operates as a chemical company in the United States, Germany, Mexico, Italy, Poland, France, Japan, China, the Netherlands, and internationally. The company operates in six segments: Olefins and PolyolefinsAmericas; Olefins and PolyolefinsEurope, Asia, International; Intermediates and Derivatives; Advanced Polymer Solutions; Refining; and Technology. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for LyondellBasell Industries Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for LyondellBasell Industries and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Manatuck Hill Partners LLC increased its stake in Eldorado Gold Co. (NYSE:EGO Free Report) (TSE:ELD) by 100.0% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 100,000 shares of the basic materials companys stock after buying an additional 50,000 shares during the period. Manatuck Hill Partners LLCs holdings in Eldorado Gold were worth $891,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in EGO. C M Bidwell & Associates Ltd. bought a new position in Eldorado Gold during the 2nd quarter worth about $37,000. Russell Investments Group Ltd. bought a new position in Eldorado Gold during the 2nd quarter worth about $88,000. Atria Wealth Solutions Inc. bought a new position in Eldorado Gold during the 3rd quarter worth about $89,000. Prelude Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Eldorado Gold in the 2nd quarter valued at about $78,000. Finally, LPL Financial LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Eldorado Gold by 19.5% in the 2nd quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 12,286 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $79,000 after buying an additional 2,008 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 58.23% of the companys stock. Get Eldorado Gold alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In EGO has been the subject of several research analyst reports. CIBC increased their price objective on shares of Eldorado Gold from $16.50 to $18.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 7th. Stifel Canada cut shares of Eldorado Gold from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Friday, January 26th. National Bank Financial restated an outperform spec overweight rating on shares of Eldorado Gold in a report on Wednesday, January 3rd. Stifel Nicolaus restated a hold rating on shares of Eldorado Gold in a report on Friday, January 26th. Finally, TD Securities reduced their price objective on shares of Eldorado Gold from $14.50 to $13.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a report on Monday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $13.27. Eldorado Gold Stock Up 2.4 % Shares of Eldorado Gold stock traded up $0.24 on Thursday, reaching $10.39. 1,565,559 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,535,865. Eldorado Gold Co. has a 1-year low of $8.30 and a 1-year high of $13.71. The company has a market cap of $2.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.60 and a beta of 1.14. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 3.39 and a quick ratio of 2.89. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $12.10 and its 200-day moving average price is $11.01. Eldorado Gold Company Profile (Free Report) Eldorado Gold Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the mining, exploration, development, and sale of mineral products primarily in Turkey, Canada, Greece, and Romania. The company primarily produces gold, as well as silver, lead, and zinc. It holds a 100% interest in the Kisladag and Efemcukuru gold mines located in western Turkey; Lamaque gold mines located in Canada; and Olympias, Stratoni, Skouries, Perama Hill, and Sapes gold mines located in Greece, as well as the 80.5% interest in Certej development projects located in Romania. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Eldorado Gold Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Eldorado Gold and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. MFS Municipal Income Trust (NYSE:MFM Get Free Report)s share price crossed above its 50 day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 50 day moving average of $5.22 and traded as high as $5.28. MFS Municipal Income Trust shares last traded at $5.23, with a volume of 87,670 shares trading hands. MFS Municipal Income Trust Price Performance The businesss 50-day simple moving average is $5.22 and its 200-day simple moving average is $4.97. Get MFS Municipal Income Trust alerts: MFS Municipal Income Trust Increases Dividend The company also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 29th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, February 14th will be given a $0.0195 dividend. This is a boost from MFS Municipal Income Trusts previous monthly dividend of $0.02. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 13th. This represents a $0.23 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.41%. Institutional Investors Weigh In On MFS Municipal Income Trust About MFS Municipal Income Trust A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of MFM. Graves Light Lenhart Wealth Inc. bought a new stake in shares of MFS Municipal Income Trust during the 1st quarter valued at about $33,000. Silverlake Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of MFS Municipal Income Trust during the 4th quarter valued at about $59,000. Fort Point Capital Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of MFS Municipal Income Trust during the 2nd quarter valued at about $61,000. Gridiron Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of MFS Municipal Income Trust during the 4th quarter valued at about $61,000. Finally, Nomura Holdings Inc. bought a new stake in shares of MFS Municipal Income Trust during the 2nd quarter valued at about $63,000. (Get Free Report) MFS Municipal Income Trust is a close ended fixed income mutual fund launched and managed by Massachusetts Financial Services Company. The fund invests in fixed income markets of the United States. It primarily invests in tax-exempt bonds and tax-exempt notes. The fund benchmarks the performance of its portfolio against Barclays Municipal Bond Index. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for MFS Municipal Income Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for MFS Municipal Income Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Starting the middle of this year, Australia will adjust its post-study work rights policy for international students, reducing the duration international graduates can stay in the country for work purposes. Previously, the Australian government had extended the post-study work visa durations for undergraduates, master's, and PhD students in selected programs, allowing them to stay for up to 4-6 years depending on their level of study. These durations will now revert to the original 2-3 years, according to the announcement made by the Australia's Department of Education last week. Australia announced plans to apply the extended post-study work rights for international graduates starting July 1 last year, providing graduates with degrees in select areas of verified skill shortage an additional two years on their Temporary Graduate visa, with an aim to "strengthen the pipeline to skilled work." The extension is in addition to the existing additional one to two years of post-study work rights available to eligible students who study, live and work in regional areas. Now, that policy has been reconsidered given Australia's changed economic environment and additional considerations. As such, international higher education graduates will no longer be able to apply for the extension from mid-2024. The latest decision comes as part of a broader migration strategy by the Australian government, aiming to improve the integrity and quality of international education. The strategy involves introducing a "Genuine Student Test" to replace the "Genuine Temporary Entrant" eligibility requirement, strictly regulating the number of student visa applications processed, raising English language test score requirements, reducing the list of approved courses, and applying restrictions on course swapping. The new rules also include a raised English language requirement for the Temporary Graduate visa, increasing from an IELTS score of 6 to 6.5. Additionally, the age limit for applicants has been lowered from 50 to 35 years, and there will be no further opportunities for the extension of post-study work rights, except for those who have completed their education in a regional area. These changes reflect the government's efforts to ensure that foreign graduates contribute to filling the skill shortage in the country and that the visa system is used primarily for study purposes rather than as a pathway to long-term residency. Australia last December announced a significant policy shift aimed at reducing its migrant intake by half within the next two years. The decision comes after net immigration was expected to have peaked at a record 510,000 in 2022-23. Official data showed it was forecast to fall to about a quarter of a million in 2024-25 and 2025-26, roughly in line with pre-Covid levels. A Reuters report said the country would "tighten visa rules for international students and low-skilled workers, as the government looks to overhaul what it said was a "broken" migration system." According to the Department of Home Affairs, about 20% of international students were not granted visas in the second half of 2023, the highest in three years. The Australian Department of Home Affairs also announced last December to rank universities based on their risk level. Based on the data of students who previously violated visa regulations, universities are categorized into three groups. International students applying to Group 1 will be prioritized. For those in Groups 2 and 3, the visa application process will take more time, requiring additional proof of English proficiency and financial capacity. According to the Australian Department of Education, as of last October, the country hosted about 768,000 international students, with the largest groups from China, India, and Nepal. Shares of Mitsubishi Chemical Group Co. (OTCMKTS:MTLHY Get Free Report) crossed below its 50 day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 50 day moving average of $30.04 and traded as low as $28.07. Mitsubishi Chemical Group shares last traded at $28.07, with a volume of 846 shares. Mitsubishi Chemical Group Stock Performance The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.79, a current ratio of 1.40 and a quick ratio of 0.91. The stock has a market capitalization of $8.19 billion, a P/E ratio of 6.27 and a beta of 0.35. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $29.88 and a 200-day simple moving average of $30.67. Get Mitsubishi Chemical Group alerts: Mitsubishi Chemical Group (OTCMKTS:MTLHY Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, February 6th. The company reported $0.83 EPS for the quarter. Mitsubishi Chemical Group had a return on equity of 8.73% and a net margin of 4.15%. The business had revenue of $7.42 billion during the quarter. Mitsubishi Chemical Group Company Profile Mitsubishi Chemical Group Corporation provides performance products, chemicals, industrial gases, health care products, and other products in Japan and internationally. The company offers polyester films for various applications, including optical materials, for electronic displays; industrial materials for electronic components, automotive parts, and medical equipment; and packaging materials for food and other products. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Mitsubishi Chemical Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Mitsubishi Chemical Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Schonfeld Strategic Advisors LLC reduced its holdings in Occidental Petroleum Co. (NYSE:OXY Free Report) by 24.8% during the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 473,454 shares of the oil and gas producers stock after selling 155,750 shares during the quarter. Schonfeld Strategic Advisors LLCs holdings in Occidental Petroleum were worth $30,718,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Berkshire Hathaway Inc grew its position in Occidental Petroleum by 5.9% during the second quarter. Berkshire Hathaway Inc now owns 224,129,192 shares of the oil and gas producers stock worth $13,178,796,000 after buying an additional 12,422,073 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Occidental Petroleum by 0.4% during the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 13,090,043 shares of the oil and gas producers stock worth $767,346,000 after purchasing an additional 50,848 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its stake in Occidental Petroleum by 24.1% during the third quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 12,021,929 shares of the oil and gas producers stock worth $779,983,000 after purchasing an additional 2,334,651 shares during the period. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake in Occidental Petroleum by 2.4% during the first quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 5,035,799 shares of the oil and gas producers stock worth $285,732,000 after purchasing an additional 118,928 shares during the period. Finally, Invesco Ltd. lifted its stake in Occidental Petroleum by 2.8% during the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 4,665,494 shares of the oil and gas producers stock worth $302,697,000 after purchasing an additional 125,927 shares during the period. 77.54% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Occidental Petroleum alerts: Insiders Place Their Bets In other Occidental Petroleum news, major shareholder Berkshire Hathaway Inc bought 1,743,124 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 21st. The stock was purchased at an average price of $60.26 per share, with a total value of $105,040,652.24. Following the acquisition, the insider now owns 243,715,804 shares of the companys stock, valued at $14,686,314,349.04. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In the last 90 days, insiders acquired 8,720,708 shares of company stock valued at $505,766,000. Company insiders own 0.31% of the companys stock. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of research analysts have commented on OXY shares. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of Occidental Petroleum from $59.00 to $62.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research note on Friday, February 16th. Stephens restated an overweight rating and set a $74.00 price target on shares of Occidental Petroleum in a research note on Thursday, February 15th. Truist Financial cut their price target on shares of Occidental Petroleum from $80.00 to $77.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 16th. Morgan Stanley upgraded shares of Occidental Petroleum from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating and set a $68.00 price target for the company in a research note on Monday, December 11th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of Occidental Petroleum from $78.00 to $73.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research note on Friday, December 8th. Eight 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 companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $70.06. Get Our Latest Stock Report on Occidental Petroleum Occidental Petroleum Trading Up 0.9 % OXY stock traded up $0.52 during trading on Thursday, hitting $60.78. The company had a trading volume of 2,526,152 shares, compared to its average volume of 9,525,304. The company has a quick ratio of 0.69, a current ratio of 0.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.84. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $58.68 and a 200-day moving average price of $60.99. Occidental Petroleum Co. has a 12 month low of $55.12 and a 12 month high of $67.67. The stock has a market cap of $53.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.41, a PEG ratio of 1.82 and a beta of 1.64. Occidental Petroleum (NYSE:OXY Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 15th. The oil and gas producer reported $0.74 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.74. Occidental Petroleum had a net margin of 16.24% and a return on equity of 20.63%. The firm had revenue of $7.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $6.93 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $1.61 EPS. Occidental Petroleums revenue was down 9.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts predict that Occidental Petroleum Co. will post 3.88 earnings per share for the current year. Occidental Petroleum Increases Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 8th will be issued a dividend of $0.22 per share. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.45%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 7th. This is a positive change from Occidental Petroleums previous quarterly dividend of $0.18. Occidental Petroleums payout ratio is currently 18.41%. About Occidental Petroleum (Free Report) Occidental Petroleum Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of oil and gas properties in the United States, the Middle East, North Africa, and Latin America. It operates through three segments: Oil and Gas, Chemical, and Midstream and Marketing. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding OXY? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Occidental Petroleum Co. (NYSE:OXY Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Occidental Petroleum Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Occidental Petroleum and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Kolinsky Wealth Management LLC lowered its stake in Philip Morris International Inc. (NYSE:PM Free Report) by 7.9% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 4,991 shares of the companys stock after selling 431 shares during the period. Kolinsky Wealth Management LLCs holdings in Philip Morris International were worth $462,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Waverly Advisors LLC increased its position in Philip Morris International by 7.5% in the 3rd quarter. Waverly Advisors LLC now owns 8,404 shares of the companys stock valued at $778,000 after acquiring an additional 588 shares during the period. Gotham Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Philip Morris International by 140.3% during the third quarter. Gotham Asset Management LLC now owns 88,327 shares of the companys stock valued at $8,177,000 after purchasing an additional 51,571 shares during the period. Corton Capital Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Philip Morris International during the third quarter valued at about $430,000. Infrastructure Capital Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Philip Morris International by 3.5% in the third quarter. Infrastructure Capital Advisors LLC now owns 13,562 shares of the companys stock worth $1,256,000 after purchasing an additional 459 shares during the period. Finally, Teza Capital Management LLC grew its position in Philip Morris International by 18.2% in the 3rd quarter. Teza Capital Management LLC now owns 56,986 shares of the companys stock valued at $5,276,000 after buying an additional 8,778 shares in the last quarter. 79.70% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get Philip Morris International alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets PM has been the subject of a number of research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Philip Morris International from $110.00 to $115.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 29th. Societe Generale upgraded shares of Philip Morris International from a sell rating to a hold rating and set a $87.50 price target on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, February 13th. Redburn Atlantic began coverage on shares of Philip Morris International in a research report on Thursday, November 16th. They set a neutral rating and a $95.00 price objective for the company. Finally, UBS Group downgraded shares of Philip Morris International from a buy rating to a sell rating and dropped their target price for the stock from $105.00 to $86.50 in a report on Tuesday, January 23rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $105.40. Philip Morris International Stock Performance Shares of PM traded down $0.38 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $90.04. 1,665,170 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 4,892,024. The company has a market cap of $139.78 billion, a PE ratio of 17.94, a PEG ratio of 2.03 and a beta of 0.63. The firms 50 day moving average is $92.34 and its 200-day moving average is $92.79. Philip Morris International Inc. has a 52 week low of $87.23 and a 52 week high of $101.92. Philip Morris International (NYSE:PM Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 8th. The company reported $1.36 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.44 by ($0.08). Philip Morris International had a negative return on equity of 116.29% and a net margin of 8.53%. The company had revenue of $9.05 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.99 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.39 EPS. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 11.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Philip Morris International Inc. will post 6.39 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Philip Morris International Dividend Announcement The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, December 21st were given a dividend of $1.30 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, December 20th. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.78%. Philip Morris Internationals dividend payout ratio is presently 103.59%. Philip Morris International Company Profile (Free Report) Philip Morris International Inc operates as a tobacco company working to delivers a smoke-free future and evolving portfolio for the long-term to include products outside of the tobacco and nicotine sector. The company's product portfolio primarily consists of cigarettes and smoke-free products, including heat-not-burn, vapor, and oral nicotine products primarily under the IQOS and ZYN brands; and consumer accessories, such as lighters and matches. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Philip Morris International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Philip Morris International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Ranger Global Real Estate Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of American Homes 4 Rent (NYSE:AMH Free Report) by 343.7% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 464,039 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock after acquiring an additional 359,456 shares during the period. American Homes 4 Rent comprises 2.4% of Ranger Global Real Estate Advisors LLCs portfolio, making the stock its 20th largest position. Ranger Global Real Estate Advisors LLC owned 0.13% of American Homes 4 Rent worth $15,633,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Land & Buildings Investment Management LLC raised its stake in shares of American Homes 4 Rent by 35.1% during the second quarter. Land & Buildings Investment Management LLC now owns 858,060 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $30,418,000 after acquiring an additional 222,970 shares during the last quarter. Cookson Peirce & Co. Inc. bought a new position in American Homes 4 Rent in the third quarter worth about $510,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in American Homes 4 Rent by 2.8% in the third quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 135,180 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $4,554,000 after buying an additional 3,736 shares in the last quarter. FMR LLC raised its stake in American Homes 4 Rent by 3.7% in the third quarter. FMR LLC now owns 8,111,434 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $273,274,000 after buying an additional 287,245 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Schonfeld Strategic Advisors LLC bought a new position in American Homes 4 Rent in the second quarter worth about $18,395,000. 83.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get American Homes 4 Rent alerts: Insider Buying and Selling In related news, CAO Brian Reitz sold 3,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $35.53, for a total value of $106,590.00. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 35,343 shares in the company, valued at $1,255,736.79. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 6.03% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. American Homes 4 Rent Stock Up 0.1 % American Homes 4 Rent Increases Dividend Shares of NYSE:AMH traded up $0.02 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $36.19. 7,992,334 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,138,239. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $35.37 and a two-hundred day moving average of $35.16. American Homes 4 Rent has a 52-week low of $28.78 and a 52-week high of $37.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58, a quick ratio of 0.47 and a current ratio of 0.46. The stock has a market cap of $13.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 36.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.70. The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 28th. Investors of record on Friday, March 15th will be issued a $0.26 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 14th. This represents a $1.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.87%. This is a boost from American Homes 4 Rents previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. American Homes 4 Rents dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 88.00%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of research firms recently issued reports on AMH. Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of American Homes 4 Rent from a hold rating to a buy rating and increased their price target for the stock from $34.00 to $41.00 in a research note on Tuesday, January 2nd. Royal Bank of Canada reissued an outperform rating and issued a $39.00 price target on shares of American Homes 4 Rent in a research note on Monday. BNP Paribas began coverage on shares of American Homes 4 Rent in a research note on Monday, January 22nd. They issued an outperform rating and a $42.00 price target for the company. StockNews.com downgraded shares of American Homes 4 Rent from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 10th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft started coverage on shares of American Homes 4 Rent in a research note on Tuesday, January 30th. They set a buy rating and a $40.00 target price for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, American Homes 4 Rent presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $37.93. View Our Latest Stock Report on AMH American Homes 4 Rent Company Profile (Free Report) American Homes 4 Rent (NYSE: AMH), which does business as AMH, is a leading owner, operator and developer of single-family rental homes. We're an internally managed Maryland real estate investment trust (REIT) focused on acquiring, developing, renovating, leasing and managing homes as rental properties. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AMH? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for American Homes 4 Rent (NYSE:AMH Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for American Homes 4 Rent Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for American Homes 4 Rent and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Redrow plc (LON:RDW Get Free Report) crossed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of GBX 543.14 ($6.89) and traded as high as GBX 666 ($8.45). Redrow shares last traded at GBX 661 ($8.38), with a volume of 1,272,405 shares changing hands. Analysts Set New Price Targets RDW has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Berenberg Bank reissued a buy rating and issued a GBX 643 ($8.16) target price on shares of Redrow in a report on Wednesday, February 7th. Citigroup reaffirmed a neutral rating and set a GBX 756 ($9.59) price target on shares of Redrow in a report on Friday, February 9th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Redrow currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of GBX 602.40 ($7.64). Get Redrow alerts: Get Our Latest Report on Redrow Redrow Trading Down 3.1 % Redrow Cuts Dividend The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49, a current ratio of 4.08 and a quick ratio of 0.36. The stock has a market capitalization of 2.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 1,007.81, a PEG ratio of -0.81 and a beta of 1.66. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of GBX 620.07 and a 200-day simple moving average of GBX 544.19. The company 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. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 22nd. This represents a dividend yield of 0.83%. Redrows dividend payout ratio is currently 3,906.25%. Insider Transactions at Redrow In related news, insider Matthew Pratt sold 27,430 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of GBX 653 ($8.28), for a total transaction of 179,117.90 ($227,191.65). 25.52% of the stock is owned by insiders. About Redrow (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. Richard Bernstein Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Devon Energy Co. (NYSE:DVN Free Report) during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm acquired 61,354 shares of the energy companys stock, valued at approximately $2,927,000. A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Corton Capital Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Devon Energy in the third quarter valued at about $234,000. Tyler Stone Wealth Management grew its stake in Devon Energy by 37.9% during the 3rd quarter. Tyler Stone Wealth Management now owns 1,107 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $53,000 after purchasing an additional 304 shares in the last quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC grew its stake in Devon Energy by 14.3% during the 3rd quarter. Ancora Advisors LLC now owns 4,274 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $204,000 after purchasing an additional 534 shares in the last quarter. MBB Public Markets I LLC grew its stake in Devon Energy by 13.1% during the 3rd quarter. MBB Public Markets I LLC now owns 108,113 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $5,157,000 after purchasing an additional 12,561 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Teza Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Devon Energy by 309.4% during the 3rd quarter. Teza Capital Management LLC now owns 131,761 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $6,285,000 after purchasing an additional 99,577 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.34% of the companys stock. Get Devon Energy alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on DVN shares. UBS Group lowered their price objective on Devon Energy from $52.00 to $48.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, December 14th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on Devon Energy from $50.00 to $48.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, November 22nd. Stifel Nicolaus reduced their target price on Devon Energy from $77.00 to $75.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised Devon Energy from a neutral rating to an overweight rating and increased their target price for the stock from $57.00 to $58.00 in a report on Wednesday, December 6th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reduced their target price on Devon Energy from $60.00 to $55.00 and set a sector perform rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, November 15th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Devon Energy presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $56.65. Devon Energy Price Performance Shares of DVN stock traded up $0.31 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $44.34. 1,784,356 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 8,071,362. Devon Energy Co. has a twelve month low of $40.47 and a twelve month high of $57.13. The firm has a market cap of $28.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.55, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.16 and a beta of 2.20. The companys 50-day simple moving average is $43.41 and its 200-day simple moving average is $45.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48, a quick ratio of 0.89 and a current ratio of 0.96. Devon Energy (NYSE:DVN Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 27th. The energy company reported $1.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.39 by $0.02. Devon Energy had a return on equity of 32.33% and a net margin of 24.56%. The company had revenue of $4.15 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3.88 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.66 EPS. The firms revenue for the quarter was down 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Devon Energy Co. will post 5.34 earnings per share for the current year. Devon Energy Cuts Dividend The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 15th will be given a dividend of $0.44 per share. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.97%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 14th. Devon Energys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 13.72%. About Devon Energy (Free Report) Devon Energy Corporation, an independent energy company, explores for, develops, and produces oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids in the United States. It operates in Delaware, Anadarko, Williston, Eagle Ford, and Powder River Basin. The company was incorporated in 1971 and is headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding DVN? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Devon Energy Co. (NYSE:DVN Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Devon Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Devon Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Saba Capital Management L.P. boosted its position in shares of BlackRock MuniYield Michigan Quality Fund, Inc. (NYSE:MIY Free Report) by 70.4% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 664,020 shares of the financial services providers stock after purchasing an additional 274,244 shares during the quarter. Saba Capital Management L.P.s holdings in BlackRock MuniYield Michigan Quality Fund were worth $6,594,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Moody National Bank Trust Division purchased a new stake in shares of BlackRock MuniYield Michigan Quality Fund in the third quarter valued at about $100,000. Virtu Financial LLC acquired a new stake in BlackRock MuniYield Michigan Quality Fund in the 4th quarter worth about $111,000. Simon Quick Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in BlackRock MuniYield Michigan Quality Fund in the 3rd quarter valued at about $112,000. CWM LLC increased its stake in shares of BlackRock MuniYield Michigan Quality Fund by 33.7% during the 2nd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 13,280 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $147,000 after acquiring an additional 3,350 shares during the last quarter. Finally, SYM FINANCIAL Corp acquired a new stake in shares of BlackRock MuniYield Michigan Quality Fund in the third quarter worth approximately $152,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 19.63% of the companys stock. Get BlackRock MuniYield Michigan Quality Fund alerts: BlackRock MuniYield Michigan Quality Fund Stock Performance MIY stock traded up $0.05 on Wednesday, hitting $11.37. 17,717 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 52,270. BlackRock MuniYield Michigan Quality Fund, Inc. has a twelve month low of $9.45 and a twelve month high of $11.70. The businesss fifty day moving average is $11.37 and its two-hundred day moving average is $10.76. BlackRock MuniYield Michigan Quality Fund Announces Dividend BlackRock MuniYield Michigan Quality Fund Profile The company also recently announced a dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 29th. Investors of record on Friday, December 15th were given a $0.0465 dividend. This represents a dividend yield of 4.94%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, December 14th. (Free Report) BlackRock MuniYield Michigan Quality Fund, Inc is a closed-ended fixed income mutual fund launched by BlackRock, Inc It is managed by BlackRock Advisors, LLC. The fund invests in the fixed income markets of the United States. It primarily invests in investment grade, long-term municipal obligations exempt from federal income taxes and Michigan income taxes. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MIY? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for BlackRock MuniYield Michigan Quality Fund, Inc. (NYSE:MIY Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for BlackRock MuniYield Michigan Quality Fund Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for BlackRock MuniYield Michigan Quality Fund and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Mandom Co. (OTCMKTS:MDOMF Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant decline in short interest in the month of February. As of February 15th, there was short interest totalling 5,900 shares, a decline of 53.9% from the January 31st total of 12,800 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 0 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently days. Mandom Price Performance Shares of MDOMF remained flat at $9.00 during trading hours on Thursday. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $9.00 and a 200 day moving average price of $9.00. The company has a market cap of $434.42 million, a P/E ratio of 13.04 and a beta of 2.58. Mandom has a twelve month low of $9.00 and a twelve month high of $9.00. Get Mandom alerts: About Mandom (Get Free Report) See Also Mandom Corporation engages in the manufacture and sale of cosmetics, perfumes, and quasi-drugs in Japan, Indonesia, and internationally. The company offers a range of products, including men's everyday grooming products, as well as general fashion items, such as hair styling, skin care, and body care products; and hair coloring, scalp care, and face care products under the Gatsby and Lucido brands. Receive News & Ratings for Mandom Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Mandom and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Stellar AfricaGold Inc. (OTCMKTS:STLXF Get Free Report)s stock price crossed below its 200-day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $0.01 and traded as low as $0.01. Stellar AfricaGold shares last traded at $0.01, with a volume of 2,000 shares. Stellar AfricaGold Price Performance The business has a 50 day moving average price of $0.01 and a 200 day moving average price of $0.01. About Stellar AfricaGold (Get Free Report) Stellar AfricaGold Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the exploration and evaluation of mineral properties in Canada, Republic of Mali, and the Kingdom of Morocco. The company primarily explores for gold deposits. Stellar AfricaGold Inc was incorporated in 2006 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Stellar AfricaGold Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Stellar AfricaGold and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Teucrium Corn Fund (NYSEARCA:CORN Get Free Report)s share price crossed below its two hundred day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $21.66 and traded as low as $18.72. Teucrium Corn Fund shares last traded at $19.20, with a volume of 115,265 shares traded. Teucrium Corn Fund Trading Up 1.3 % The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $20.51 and a 200 day simple moving average of $21.61. Get Teucrium Corn Fund alerts: Institutional Investors Weigh In On Teucrium Corn Fund A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in CORN. Wells Fargo & Company MN grew its position in Teucrium Corn Fund by 160.5% in the second quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 278,070 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $6,997,000 after acquiring an additional 171,343 shares during the period. Jane Street Group LLC boosted its position in shares of Teucrium Corn Fund by 35.0% during the second quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 456,780 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $11,493,000 after buying an additional 118,419 shares during the period. Flow Traders U.S. LLC purchased a new position in shares of Teucrium Corn Fund during the first quarter worth $1,383,000. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC purchased a new position in shares of Teucrium Corn Fund during the third quarter worth $1,002,000. Finally, BNP Paribas Arbitrage SA boosted its position in shares of Teucrium Corn Fund by 146.5% during the first quarter. BNP Paribas Arbitrage SA now owns 57,888 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $1,572,000 after buying an additional 34,408 shares during the period. Teucrium Corn Fund Company Profile Teucrium Corn Fund (the Fund) is a commodity pool that is a series of Teucrium Commodity Trust (Trust), a Delaware statutory trust. It will issue common units representing fractional undivided beneficial interests in such Fund, called Shares. The investment objective of the Fund is to have the daily changes in percentage terms of the shares net asset value reflect the daily changes in percentage terms of a weighted average of the closing settlement prices for three futures contracts for corn (Corn Futures Contracts) that are traded on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT), including the second to expire CBOT Corn Futures Contract, weighted 35%, the third-to-expire CBOT Corn Futures Contract, weighted 30%, and the CBOT Corn Futures Contract, weighted 35%. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Teucrium Corn Fund Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Teucrium Corn Fund and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. President Ilham Aliyev has sent an appeal to the participants of the 12th Azerbaijani-Russian Interregional Forum, Azernews reports. The letter read: "Dear participants of the forum, First of all, I would like to congratulate you on the opening of the 12th Azerbaijani-Russian Interregional Forum. This event, which has already become a good tradition, makes a significant contribution to the development of bilateral relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Russian Federation. Interregional forums in this format have already proved to be effective. Within the framework of the forum, meetings are held among representatives of the government, business and expert circles and a constructive and open dialogue is conducted. This allows us the opportunity to establish contacts, coordinate our efforts for further joint activities and discuss the prospects for expanding cooperation in a face-to-face format. The Forum is a popular platform for establishing direct mutually beneficial relations between the regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan and subjects of the Russian Federation. I would like to note with satisfaction that our partnership, which is based on the principles of mutual respect and trust, is multifaceted and covers practically all spheres. Today, the trade and economic cooperation between our countries is developing dynamically, our trade is growing, and work is underway in new areas. The forum will host discussions on future interactions in the transport and logistics, industrial, agricultural and environmental fields, which clearly demonstrates the desire of the two countries to further deepen their relations at the interregional level. It is noteworthy that today's forum is being held on the second anniversary of the signing of the Declaration on Allied Cooperation between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Russian Federation. This significant document was signed two years ago, in February 2022. It is based on the historical traditions of friendship and good-neighborliness, deep cultural and humanitarian ties between our peoples, and raises our interstate relations to a qualitatively new and allied level. I am convinced that this forum, just as the previous ones, will be held in a constructive atmosphere, become a landmark event for the development of common approaches and contribute to the achievement of all the planned goals for the benefit of our friendly countries. I wish all participants of the Forum successful and fruitful work! Ilham Aliyev President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Baku, 24 February 2024" A Thai couple have praised Taiwan's police who assisted them in finding a wedding ring lost on a bus trip. The couple, who was in Taiwan for their honeymoon, reported the lost wedding ring to the Jizhong Police Station in Taichung City on Feb. 24, as they needed to return home within three days due to a family matter, the Liberty Times reported. They could not find the ring after taking a bus journey to Nantou City, over 50 km away. Surveillance footage reviewed by the police showed the ring was lost when the wife, attempting to apply hand cream and waiting for a car to take them to the bus station, placed her two rings including her wedding ring on her suitcase and inadvertently left them behind. An older couple discovered the rings on the ground and handed them over to the police, according to Taiwan News. A Thai woman shows her wedding ring, which was lost and found in Taiwan, as she poses for photos at a police station. Photo by Taichung Police Department As the couple came back to the police station to receive the rings, they reportedly expressed thanks to the police and took photos with the officer who had assisted them. They said the experience left them with "fond memories" of Taiwan. Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec trimmed its position in shares of The Toronto-Dominion Bank (NYSE:TD Free Report) (TSE:TD) by 6.5% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,901,000 shares of the banks stock after selling 133,184 shares during the quarter. Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec owned approximately 0.11% of Toronto-Dominion Bank worth $115,058,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Cape Cod Five Cents Savings Bank raised its holdings in shares of Toronto-Dominion Bank by 100.0% in the third quarter. Cape Cod Five Cents Savings Bank now owns 16,780 shares of the banks stock worth $1,011,000 after acquiring an additional 8,390 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Toronto-Dominion Bank by 6.5% in the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 6,458,708 shares of the banks stock worth $402,207,000 after acquiring an additional 395,289 shares during the last quarter. Barometer Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Toronto-Dominion Bank by 84.4% in the third quarter. Barometer Capital Management Inc. now owns 160,078 shares of the banks stock worth $9,646,000 after acquiring an additional 73,274 shares during the last quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank increased its stake in Toronto-Dominion Bank by 18.9% in the third quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 624,298 shares of the banks stock valued at $37,786,000 after purchasing an additional 99,373 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Van ECK Associates Corp increased its stake in Toronto-Dominion Bank by 9.2% in the third quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 260,770 shares of the banks stock valued at $15,717,000 after purchasing an additional 21,989 shares during the last quarter. 51.52% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Toronto-Dominion Bank alerts: Toronto-Dominion Bank Trading Up 0.4 % TD stock traded up $0.24 during trading on Thursday, reaching $59.65. 1,121,324 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,973,171. The Toronto-Dominion Bank has a 52-week low of $54.69 and a 52-week high of $66.71. The businesss 50 day moving average price is $61.18 and its 200-day moving average price is $60.47. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09, a current ratio of 1.00 and a quick ratio of 1.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $105.86 billion, a PE ratio of 14.32, a P/E/G ratio of 1.70 and a beta of 0.87. Toronto-Dominion Bank Increases Dividend Toronto-Dominion Bank ( NYSE:TD Get Free Report ) (TSE:TD) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, November 30th. The bank reported $1.35 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.39 by ($0.04). Toronto-Dominion Bank had a return on equity of 14.68% and a net margin of 10.65%. The company had revenue of $13.19 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $9.02 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.64 EPS. Toronto-Dominion Banks quarterly revenue was up 7.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that The Toronto-Dominion Bank will post 5.8 earnings per share for the current year. The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 31st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, January 10th were given a $0.7506 dividend. This is an increase from Toronto-Dominion Banks previous quarterly dividend of $0.73. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, January 9th. This represents a $3.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.03%. Toronto-Dominion Banks dividend payout ratio is presently 67.95%. Analysts Set New Price Targets Several research firms recently commented on TD. CIBC lowered Toronto-Dominion Bank from a sector outperform rating to a neutral rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 22nd. Bank of America lowered Toronto-Dominion Bank from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a research note on Monday, December 18th. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on Toronto-Dominion Bank in a research report on Thursday, February 22nd. They set a hold rating for the company. StockNews.com raised Toronto-Dominion Bank from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report on Monday, December 4th. Finally, Scotiabank downgraded Toronto-Dominion Bank from a sector outperform rating to a sector perform rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 20th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $89.33. View Our Latest Stock Report on Toronto-Dominion Bank About Toronto-Dominion Bank (Free Report) The Toronto-Dominion Bank, together with its subsidiaries, provides various financial products and services in Canada, the United States, and internationally. It operates through four segments: Canadian Personal and Commercial Banking, U.S. Retail, Wealth Management and Insurance, and Wholesale Banking. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding TD? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for The Toronto-Dominion Bank (NYSE:TD Free Report) (TSE:TD). Receive News & Ratings for Toronto-Dominion Bank Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Toronto-Dominion Bank and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Trilogy Capital Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Edison International (NYSE:EIX Free Report) by 1.8% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 41,138 shares of the utilities providers stock after buying an additional 741 shares during the quarter. Trilogy Capital Inc.s holdings in Edison International were worth $2,941,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Metis Global Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Edison International by 1.5% during the 3rd quarter. Metis Global Partners LLC now owns 56,588 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $3,581,000 after buying an additional 834 shares during the period. Impax Asset Management Group plc raised its stake in shares of Edison International by 0.8% during the 2nd quarter. Impax Asset Management Group plc now owns 254,908 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $17,703,000 after buying an additional 2,097 shares during the period. Equitable Trust Co. raised its stake in shares of Edison International by 11.4% during the 3rd quarter. Equitable Trust Co. now owns 14,845 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $940,000 after buying an additional 1,518 shares during the period. ClearBridge Investments Ltd raised its stake in shares of Edison International by 38.8% during the 2nd quarter. ClearBridge Investments Ltd now owns 2,719,721 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $188,885,000 after buying an additional 759,907 shares during the period. Finally, MGO One Seven LLC raised its stake in shares of Edison International by 63.1% during the 3rd quarter. MGO One Seven LLC now owns 8,002 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $506,000 after buying an additional 3,096 shares during the period. 88.17% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Edison International alerts: Edison International Trading Up 0.2 % EIX traded up $0.14 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $67.85. 2,113,631 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,640,630. The firms fifty day moving average is $68.56 and its two-hundred day moving average is $67.25. Edison International has a 1-year low of $58.82 and a 1-year high of $74.92. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.86. The company has a market cap of $26.09 billion, a PE ratio of 21.71, a PEG ratio of 2.24 and a beta of 0.97. Edison International Announces Dividend Edison International ( NYSE:EIX Get Free Report ) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 22nd. The utilities provider reported $1.28 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.16 by $0.12. The firm had revenue of $3.71 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.19 billion. Edison International had a return on equity of 12.63% and a net margin of 8.35%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $1.14 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Edison International will post 4.99 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 30th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 28th will be given a $0.78 dividend. This represents a $3.12 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.60%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, March 27th. Edison Internationals dividend payout ratio is currently 100.00%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several analysts recently commented on the company. Guggenheim upgraded Edison International from a neutral rating to a buy rating and boosted their price target for the stock from $66.00 to $84.00 in a research report on Monday, January 22nd. StockNews.com upgraded Edison International from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report on Saturday. Barclays boosted their price target on Edison International from $69.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Monday. Mizuho dropped their price target on Edison International from $76.00 to $75.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 25th. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on Edison International from $52.00 to $53.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 21st. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Edison International presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $73.60. Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on Edison International About Edison International (Free Report) Edison International, through its subsidiaries, generates and distributes electric power. The company supplies electricity to approximately 50,000 square mile area of southern California to residential, commercial, industrial, public authorities, agricultural, and other sectors. It also owns solar, hydro, and natural gas electric generating facilities. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding EIX? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Edison International (NYSE:EIX Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Edison International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Edison International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Trilogy Capital Inc. decreased its position in shares of iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF (BATS:QUAL Free Report) by 7.8% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 298,614 shares of the companys stock after selling 25,351 shares during the quarter. iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF accounts for about 2.7% of Trilogy Capital Inc.s holdings, making the stock its 8th biggest position. Trilogy Capital Inc.s holdings in iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF were worth $43,938,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of QUAL. Bank of Montreal Can raised its holdings in iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF by 16.3% in the 1st quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 15,119 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,064,000 after acquiring an additional 2,119 shares during the last quarter. Blair William & Co. IL raised its holdings in iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF by 143.9% in the 1st quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 10,830 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,458,000 after acquiring an additional 6,389 shares during the last quarter. Mather Group LLC. acquired a new position in iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF in the 1st quarter valued at $397,000. Prudential Financial Inc. raised its holdings in iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF by 8.4% in the 1st quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. now owns 49,277 shares of the companys stock valued at $6,634,000 after acquiring an additional 3,812 shares during the last quarter. Finally, AJ Wealth Strategies LLC raised its holdings in iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF by 4.2% in the 1st quarter. AJ Wealth Strategies LLC now owns 465,618 shares of the companys stock valued at $62,686,000 after acquiring an additional 18,557 shares during the last quarter. Get iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF alerts: iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF Price Performance QUAL traded down $0.34 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $159.76. The companys stock had a trading volume of 812,154 shares. The stock has a market cap of $36.13 billion, a PE ratio of 16.30 and a beta of 1.03. The firms 50 day moving average price is $151.54 and its 200-day moving average price is $142.07. iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF has a twelve month low of $71.96 and a twelve month high of $88.63. About iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF The iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF (QUAL) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the MSCI USA Sector Neutral Quality index. The fund tracks an index of US large- and mid-cap stocks, selected and weighted by high ROE, stable earnings growth and low debt\u002Fequity, relative to peers in each sector. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding QUAL? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF (BATS:QUAL Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Tyler Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:TYL Get Free Report) Director Glenn A. Carter sold 1,650 shares of Tyler Technologies stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $437.84, for a total transaction of $722,436.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 2,011 shares of the companys stock, valued at $880,496.24. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Tyler Technologies Trading Up 0.4 % Shares of NYSE:TYL traded up $1.67 during trading on Thursday, reaching $440.38. 91,985 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 185,294. The firm has a market capitalization of $18.62 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 112.78, a P/E/G ratio of 4.28 and a beta of 0.83. Tyler Technologies, Inc. has a 52-week low of $305.06 and a 52-week high of $454.74. The company has a current ratio of 0.86, a quick ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20. The businesss fifty day moving average is $427.19 and its 200-day moving average is $405.27. Get Tyler Technologies alerts: Institutional Investors Weigh In On Tyler Technologies Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of TYL. American International Group Inc. grew its stake in shares of Tyler Technologies by 2.0% during the 4th quarter. American International Group Inc. now owns 12,875 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $5,383,000 after acquiring an additional 254 shares during the period. Virtu Financial LLC lifted its holdings in Tyler Technologies by 32.1% in the 4th quarter. Virtu Financial LLC now owns 1,071 shares of the technology companys stock worth $447,000 after purchasing an additional 260 shares in the last quarter. Oarsman Capital Inc. lifted its holdings in Tyler Technologies by 11.6% in the 4th quarter. Oarsman Capital Inc. now owns 3,380 shares of the technology companys stock worth $1,413,000 after purchasing an additional 351 shares in the last quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio lifted its holdings in Tyler Technologies by 2.7% in the 4th quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 17,540 shares of the technology companys stock worth $7,334,000 after purchasing an additional 468 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ashford Capital Management Inc. lifted its holdings in Tyler Technologies by 2.9% in the 4th quarter. Ashford Capital Management Inc. now owns 54,241 shares of the technology companys stock worth $22,679,000 after purchasing an additional 1,511 shares in the last quarter. 91.28% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of equities analysts have weighed in on TYL shares. DA Davidson boosted their target price on shares of Tyler Technologies from $412.00 to $434.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Thursday, February 22nd. Piper Sandler upped their price target on shares of Tyler Technologies from $480.00 to $520.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Friday, February 16th. Needham & Company LLC increased their target price on shares of Tyler Technologies from $475.00 to $500.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Thursday, February 15th. JMP Securities reaffirmed a market outperform rating and set a $490.00 price target on shares of Tyler Technologies in a research report on Friday, February 16th. Finally, Oppenheimer upped their price target on shares of Tyler Technologies from $450.00 to $480.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Friday, November 3rd. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Tyler Technologies presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $457.86. Read Our Latest Stock Report on TYL Tyler Technologies Company Profile (Get Free Report) Tyler Technologies, Inc provides integrated information management solutions and services for the public sector. It operates in two segments, Enterprise Software and Platform Technologies. The company offers platform and transformative technology solutions, including cybersecurity for government agencies; data and insights solutions; digital solutions that helps workers and policymakers to share, communicate, and leverage data; payments solutions, such as billing, presentment, merchant onboarding, collections, reconciliation, and disbursements; platform technologies, an application development platform that enables government workers to build solutions and applications; and outdoor recreation solutions, including campsite reservations, activity registrations, licensing sales and renewals, and real-time data for conservation and park management. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Tyler Technologies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Tyler Technologies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Unite Group PLC (LON:UTG Get Free Report)s share price crossed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of GBX 962.16 ($12.20) and traded as high as GBX 994 ($12.61). Unite Group shares last traded at GBX 986.50 ($12.51), with a volume of 457,229 shares. Analysts Set New Price Targets Several analysts have weighed in on UTG shares. Berenberg Bank reiterated a hold rating and issued a GBX 1,052 ($13.34) price objective on shares of Unite Group in a research note on Thursday, February 8th. Bank of America reiterated a buy rating and issued a GBX 1,030 ($13.06) price target on shares of Unite Group in a research report on Monday, November 20th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reissued a buy rating and set a GBX 1,155 ($14.65) price target on shares of Unite Group in a research report on Friday, February 9th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Unite Group currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of GBX 1,099.57 ($13.95). Get Unite Group alerts: Read Our Latest Analysis on UTG Unite Group Price Performance Unite Group Increases Dividend The firm has a market capitalization of 4.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 2,714.29, a PEG ratio of 3.20 and a beta of 1.18. The company has a quick ratio of 0.73, a current ratio of 0.71 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 35.73. The businesss 50 day moving average is GBX 1,013.31 and its 200-day moving average is GBX 962.32. The firm also recently declared a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 24th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 18th will be issued a dividend of GBX 23.60 ($0.30) per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 18th. This represents a dividend yield of 2.39%. This is a boost from Unite Groups previous dividend of $11.80. Unite Groups payout ratio is 9,714.29%. About Unite Group (Get Free Report) Unite Group PLC, owns, manages, and develops purpose-built student accommodation facilities for the higher education sector in the United Kingdom. The company operates through Operations and Property segments. It manages rental properties, as well as offers asset management services. The company was founded in 1991 and is headquartered in Bristol, England. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Unite Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Unite Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Valhi, Inc. (NYSE:VHI Get Free Report) passed below its 200-day moving average during trading on Monday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $13.39 and traded as low as $12.99. Valhi shares last traded at $13.15, with a volume of 1,778 shares trading hands. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Separately, TheStreet lowered shares of Valhi from a c rating to a d+ rating in a report on Tuesday, November 7th. Get Valhi alerts: View Our Latest Analysis on Valhi Valhi Stock Performance Institutional Investors Weigh In On Valhi The firm has a market cap of $385.59 million, a P/E ratio of -15.31 and a beta of 1.40. The company has a current ratio of 3.40, a quick ratio of 2.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.42. The businesss fifty day simple moving average is $14.19 and its 200-day simple moving average is $13.40. Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Koss Olinger Consulting LLC lifted its position in shares of Valhi by 38.7% in the 3rd quarter. Koss Olinger Consulting LLC now owns 16,109 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $214,000 after purchasing an additional 4,495 shares during the period. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC lifted its position in Valhi by 8.7% during the 2nd quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 33,402 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $429,000 after acquiring an additional 2,687 shares during the period. Lazard Asset Management LLC lifted its position in Valhi by 30.9% during the 1st quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 3,170 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $92,000 after acquiring an additional 748 shares during the period. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its position in Valhi by 1,164.1% during the 2nd quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 6,839 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $88,000 after acquiring an additional 6,298 shares during the period. Finally, Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio purchased a new position in Valhi during the 3rd quarter valued at about $88,000. 4.88% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. About Valhi (Get Free Report) Valhi, Inc engages in the chemicals, component products, and real estate management and development businesses in the Asia Pacific, Europe, North America, and internationally. The company's Chemicals segment produces and markets titanium dioxide pigments (TiO2), which are white inorganic pigments used in various applications by paint, plastics, decorative laminate, and paper manufacturers. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Valhi Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Valhi and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Voestalpine AG (OTCMKTS:VLPNY Get Free Report)s stock price was up 0.9% on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $5.45 and last traded at $5.45. Approximately 382 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 42% from the average daily volume of 660 shares. The stock had previously closed at $5.40. Voestalpine Price Performance The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 1.48 and a quick ratio of 0.53. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $5.76 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $5.62. Get Voestalpine alerts: Voestalpine (OTCMKTS:VLPNY Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 7th. The company reported $0.10 earnings per share for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $4.17 billion during the quarter. Voestalpine had a net margin of 3.58% and a return on equity of 8.38%. Sell-side analysts forecast that Voestalpine AG will post 0.57 earnings per share for the current year. About Voestalpine Voestalpine AG processes, develops, manufactures, and sells steel products in Austria, European Union, and internationally. The company operates through five segments: Steel, High Performance Metals, Metal Engineering, Metal Forming, and Other. The Steel division produces hot and cold-rolled steel strips, as well as electrogalvanized, hot-dip galvanized, and organically coated steel strips; and heavy plates for the energy sector, as well as turbine casings for automotive, white goods/consumer goods, building/construction, energy, mechanical engineering, and others. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Voestalpine Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Voestalpine and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Waverly Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY Free Report) by 43.3% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 11,084 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 3,348 shares during the quarter. Waverly Advisors LLCs holdings in Eli Lilly and Company were worth $5,953,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of LLY. Northeast Financial Consultants Inc raised its stake in Eli Lilly and Company by 8.1% during the third quarter. Northeast Financial Consultants Inc now owns 4,876 shares of the companys stock worth $2,619,000 after acquiring an additional 365 shares in the last quarter. Schonfeld Strategic Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 254.9% during the third quarter. Schonfeld Strategic Advisors LLC now owns 75,719 shares of the companys stock worth $40,671,000 after purchasing an additional 124,593 shares during the last quarter. Kinloch Capital LLC grew its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 25.8% during the third quarter. Kinloch Capital LLC now owns 717 shares of the companys stock worth $385,000 after purchasing an additional 147 shares during the last quarter. Texas Capital Bancshares Inc TX grew its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 1.2% during the third quarter. Texas Capital Bancshares Inc TX now owns 1,771 shares of the companys stock worth $951,000 after purchasing an additional 21 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Gotham Asset Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Eli Lilly and Company by 111.3% during the third quarter. Gotham Asset Management LLC now owns 7,386 shares of the companys stock worth $3,967,000 after purchasing an additional 3,891 shares during the last quarter. 81.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Eli Lilly and Company alerts: Eli Lilly and Company Stock Down 0.7 % Eli Lilly and Company stock traded down $5.40 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $752.24. The stock had a trading volume of 1,667,371 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,325,559. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $666.05 and its 200-day simple moving average is $607.00. Eli Lilly and Company has a 1-year low of $309.20 and a 1-year high of $794.47. The stock has a market capitalization of $714.75 billion, a P/E ratio of 130.63, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 0.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.69, a quick ratio of 0.73 and a current ratio of 0.94. 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 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.30 by $0.19. Eli Lilly and Company had a return on equity of 51.22% and a net margin of 15.36%. The business had revenue of $9.35 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.95 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.09 EPS. Eli Lilly and Companys revenue for the quarter was up 28.1% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts expect that Eli Lilly and Company will post 12.48 EPS for the current fiscal year. The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 8th. Investors of record on Thursday, February 15th will be given a $1.30 dividend. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.69%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, February 14th. This is a positive change from Eli Lilly and Companys previous quarterly dividend of $1.13. Eli Lilly and Companys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 89.66%. Insider Buying and Selling at Eli Lilly and Company In other Eli Lilly and Company news, major shareholder Lilly Endowment Inc sold 78,573 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $648.07, for a total value of $50,920,804.11. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 99,333,810 shares in the company, valued at $64,375,262,246.70. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders sold a total of 195,055 shares of company stock worth $125,254,657 over the last ninety days. 0.13% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth LLY has been the topic of several recent research reports. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on Eli Lilly and Company from $805.00 to $950.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Friday, February 16th. Truist Financial raised their price target on Eli Lilly and Company from $650.00 to $850.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, February 7th. Barclays raised their price target on Eli Lilly and Company from $680.00 to $810.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday, February 7th. DZ Bank cut Eli Lilly and Company from a buy rating to a hold rating and set a $820.00 price target on the stock. in a report on Wednesday, February 21st. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded Eli Lilly and Company from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Friday, November 3rd. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seventeen have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $663.33. View Our Latest Research Report on Eli Lilly and Company 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. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding LLY? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY Free Report). 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. Waverly Advisors LLC trimmed its holdings in shares of iShares Russell Mid-Cap Growth ETF (NYSEARCA:IWP Free Report) by 10.8% in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 86,215 shares of the companys stock after selling 10,451 shares during the period. Waverly Advisors LLC owned 0.06% of iShares Russell Mid-Cap Growth ETF worth $7,876,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Fred Alger Management LLC acquired a new stake in iShares Russell Mid-Cap Growth ETF during the 3rd quarter valued at $141,000. Mutual Advisors LLC increased its holdings in iShares Russell Mid-Cap Growth ETF by 4.0% during the 3rd quarter. Mutual Advisors LLC now owns 7,766 shares of the companys stock valued at $709,000 after purchasing an additional 300 shares in the last quarter. PGIM Custom Harvest LLC increased its holdings in iShares Russell Mid-Cap Growth ETF by 179.7% during the 3rd quarter. PGIM Custom Harvest LLC now owns 9,174 shares of the companys stock valued at $838,000 after purchasing an additional 5,894 shares in the last quarter. Pegasus Partners Ltd. boosted its position in iShares Russell Mid-Cap Growth ETF by 342.8% in the 3rd quarter. Pegasus Partners Ltd. now owns 34,823 shares of the companys stock valued at $3,181,000 after buying an additional 26,959 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Natixis Advisors L.P. boosted its position in iShares Russell Mid-Cap Growth ETF by 4.5% in the 3rd quarter. Natixis Advisors L.P. now owns 16,560 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,513,000 after buying an additional 718 shares during the last quarter. Get iShares Russell Mid-Cap Growth ETF alerts: iShares Russell Mid-Cap Growth ETF Stock Performance IWP traded up $0.55 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $111.53. The stock had a trading volume of 447,606 shares, compared to its average volume of 848,277. The stock has a market capitalization of $15.14 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.03 and a beta of 1.10. The firms fifty day simple moving average is $105.70 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $97.98. iShares Russell Mid-Cap Growth ETF has a 52 week low of $85.00 and a 52 week high of $111.85. iShares Russell Mid-Cap Growth ETF Profile iShares Russell Mid-Cap Growth ETF, formerly iShares Russell Midcap Growth Index Fund (the Growth Fund), is an exchange-traded fund. The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the Russell Midcap Growth Index (the Growth Index). Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for iShares Russell Mid-Cap Growth ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares Russell Mid-Cap Growth ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. The 5901 vessel by the Chinese Coast Guard. Photo courtesy of CAP Vietnam strongly opposes acts of violations of its sovereignty over Vanguard Bank, the foreign ministry said Thursday. "The Vanguard Bank is a part of Vietnams continental shelf, established in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)," said spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Pham Thu Hang in a Thursday press meet. She was responding to inquiries about China sending its coast guard vessel to the area recently. Hang said Vietnams position on the Vanguard Bank was consistent and had been reiterated on several occasions. "Vietnam strongly opposes all acts of violations towards its sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction over Vietnamese waters as established by international law, particularly the UNCLOS," Hang said. She added that Vietnam is and will be protecting its legitimate interests over its seas through peaceful methods, in accordance with international law. Data from vessel tracking website Marine Traffic showed that the coast guard patrol vessel 5901, belonging to China, on Feb. 20 turned on its Automatic Identification System near Vietnams Vanguard Bank, and was present in the area for several days. The 5901 vessel is one of the largest belonging to the Chinese Coast Guard, spanning 165 m. In May last year, China also sent several vessels to the Vanguard Bank area. Vietnam demanded China remove the vessels from Vietnamese waters, and they left in early June. You are already a Moneycontrol Pro user. OK Adrija Chatterjee is an Assistant Editor at Moneycontrol. She has been tracking and reporting on finance and trade ministries for over eight years. Vu Van Tuan, 48, works in the fields from the crack of dawn every day, even during the recent Lunar New Year holidays. He often has to juggle farming on more-than-an-acre of field borrowed from relatives and take care of his wife and children. His wife Pham Thi Ngu, 45, and daughter Vu Khanh Ngoc, 12, underwent a liver transplant last November. Both were then placed in isolation to prevent post-procedure complications. The couple had five children. Three of them developed a rare liver disease at around 5 years old, starting in 2011, with two of them succumbing during treatment. The couple have put everything they have left into saving Ngoc. "However hectic the situation might be, after more than 10 years, I have gotten used to it. My only wish is for my daughter to get better and my wife to make a speedy recovery," said Tuan from Giang Bien Commune, Vinh Bao District, Hai Phong. 12-year-old Vu Khanh Ngoc has been receiving treatment for autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) for the last seven years. Photo provided by the family Tuan's family used to lead a comfortable life. Due to hard work, before 2011 they were able to purchase 700 square meters of land and build a spacious one-story house. Things changed at the end of that year, when his second child, a boy, born in 2001, had jaundice and yellow eyes. He was hospitalized and diagnosed with autoimmune hepatitis and had developed end-stage cirrhosis. Knowing that it was a genetic disease, he took his eldest daughter born in 1998 and his third child, a girl, born in 2006 to be examined. The third child had the same problem. AIH is a rare disease, with a prevalence rate of roughly 1.9/100,000 people. It occurs when the body's immune system, which ordinarily attacks viruses and bacteria, instead targets the liver, causing inflammation and liver failure. The cause of the disease is often genetic. "It was such a shock that every time I think about it, I can't breathe," he said. In the first days of treatment at the Vietnam National Children's Hospital in Hanoi, Tuan and his wife stayed on the floor with their son's bed on the left and their daughter's on the right. The family situation caused everyone to feel sorry for them. Tuan said, whenever there was a donation, the hospital would prioritize his family. Many times, doctors and nurses even spent money out of their own pockets to pay for their family's medicine and hospital bills. They had to spend little on daily meals. On days when there was no charity meal, the hospital canteen spared some portions for them. The couple devoted all their efforts to taking care of their two children. But after just over three months, the son failed to survive. "On the 8th day of Tet that year (Jan. 30, 2012), I hugged and kissed my child before going to work and promised to come home early. When I returned at noon, he was already losing consciousness," Tuan said, all choked up. At the end of that year, Ngu gave birth to her fourth child, Ngoc. As she stayed home with the baby, Tuan took care of their daughter's treatment by himself. She had motion sickness and struggled with traveling in a bus, so every time she had a treatment schedule, Tuan woke up at 4 a.m., tied her to his back with a scarf and took her more than 100 kilometers to the hospital on his motorbike. Children with serious illnesses have caused many couples to fall apart. People assumed this family would suffer from the same fate. However, the family have remained tight knit, despite the fact that they were in debt after all the hospital visits. They always managed to receive support and loans from family and friends, so they have not missed any hospital appointments. For four years they went from one hospital to another. The girl kept receiving injections and several procedures but to no avail. By that time, a better option for her illness was a liver transplant but the family was strapped for cash, so they tried to maintain treatment with medicine. But they could not do that for long, as the girl got weaker and died. Just a few months later, Ngoc, then 5, was diagnosed with AIH during a routine check-up. For the past three years, she has spent most of the time in hospital. Ngoc goes to hospital once a month, sometimes staying for a week, half a month, sometimes for an entire month. When Ngoc was diagnosed in 2020, the family had to sell their house since they were unable to pay the bank debt that was half a year late. Tuan said that the process of listing a house for sale was also difficult because people were afraid that it was cursed with bad luck. A friend felt sorry for his family's situation and bought it. Tuan's family moved back to live with his parents and younger brother. Tuan used half of the VND900 million (US$36,500) from selling the house to pay their bank debt, and some of the rest to other lenders. Ngoc was shortlisted for a transplant in early 2023 when her disease entered the final stage. Tests found the liver of the mother, Ngu, matches Ngocs. Ngu was thus set on saving her child, even if that meant putting her life on the line. Tuan was forced to sell his chicken farm prematurely. Together with financial support from charity organizations and the local community, he was able to clock up the VND500 million needed for the liver transplant. But treatment after surgery has cost a lot more. Ngoc has to take anti-infection medicine costing VND520,000 per pill, and some days she took two to 2.5 pills, not to mention other medications. Her monthly medicine has cost up to VND40 million, of which insurance covered about VND6 million. The doctor in charge told Tuan that only when his daughter was stable would they cut off expensive medicine. If the medication is interrupted, all efforts will go to waste. "The reality was beyond my capacity to cope. Borrowing more money was no longer an option," said the man in his forties. Tuan kept himself busy to drown out the mental distress. While his wife and daughter were in hospital, he whiled away days and nights at the field, vegetable patch and chicken coop. At the time of the surgery, the family's youngest son even fell and broke his arm, but Tuan decided to keep it from his wife and daughter. Ngu and her daughter during their liver transplant surgery in Hanoi, Nov. 13, 2024. Photo provided by the family Vu Van Cat, a village head in Giang Bien Commune, said for nearly a year while his wife and child were in the hospital waiting for a liver transplant, Tuan was toiling away at work to pay medical fees. "At the same time that Ngu and Ngoc had a liver transplant, the family's youngest child fell and broke his arm at home, and Tuan did not even tell them. The family had a flock of chickens that had to be sold young to pay for hospital fees, and later Tuan had to clean up the entire farm to ensure a clean environment for his wife and daughter after surgery. Life's really hard for them," Cat said. He said the whole village feels sorry for the family, but there's only so much they can't do. 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 India's financial sector, comprising private players and the government, offers a plethora of investment products to investors. Sovereign Gold Bond (SGB) is one such product. India's central government sells the product to investors across the country. The central government also issues government bonds (government securities or G-Secs) and manages the Small Savings Schemes (Post Office Schemes). The money raised from these instruments is used to fund the budget deficit. The SGB, too, serves a similar purpose for *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 Posing as policemen, six men robbed Bangladeshi man at home in the Malaysian city of Selangor, and four of the robbers were apprehended one day later. Clad in vests and armed with various tools, the six perpetrators arrived at the house in the evening of Feb. 22, informing the Bangladeshi man and seven other foreigners present they were there "to conduct an operation," according to the Straits Times. Malaysian police arrest four individuals impersonating officers for robbing foreigners on Feb. 25. Illustration photo from Pexels The conmen then confiscated cash and personal belongings from the foreigners at the home, according to the report. "The victim and seven other foreigners were told to sit in the living room while being guarded by two of the suspects. The other suspects proceeded to ransack the house and took cash, jewelry, mobile phones and personal documents belonging to the foreigners," a Malaysian police officer named Azam Ismail said. The victim promptly filed a police report following the incident. As a result of the police investigation, four men aged 30-44 were arrested in Kuala Lumpur on Feb. 23, Azam stated. The police also seized 31 mobile phones, vests with the words "Polis" (Police), cash and three cars, reported Malaysian newspaper The Star on Feb. 25. Souptik Datta Reports real estate, infra and city in Bengaluru. Btw, curiosity never kills the cat. The United States is deeply concerned by the Sudanese Armed Forces recent decision to prohibit cross border humanitarian assistance from Chad and reports that the Sudanese Armed Forces is obstructing assistance from reaching communities in areas controlled by the Rapid Support Forces. We are also concerned that the [Rapid Support Forces] are looting homes, markets, and humanitarian assistance warehouses in areas under their control, and that both sides are harassing humanitarian workers and hindering delivery of lifesaving aid, said State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller in a statement. He called on both the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces to immediately allow unhindered humanitarian assistance deliveries to all parts of Sudan. U.S. Ambassador to Sudan John Godfrey in a recent briefing expressed deep concern about the worsening humanitarian situation in Sudan: I wanted to highlight a UN OCHA [The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs] report released ... that estimated that there are more than 6.2 million Sudanese who have been internally displaced since the fighting began last April, and about 1.8 million further Sudanese who are refugees in neighboring countries, which makes this the largest displacement crisis anywhere in the world at the moment. At the same time, acute food insecurity affects about 17.7 million Sudanese, 5 to 6 million of whom may face ... starvation as early as May. The Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces are obligated under international humanitarian law to protect civilians and facilitate humanitarian deliveries to meet the needs of civilians. The United States applauds the courageous efforts of organizations throughout Sudan responding to the needs of their most vulnerable fellow citizens. The United States strongly condemns actions by the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces, as well as some civilian officials, to constrain civic space, restrict access to internet and mobile phone networks, stoke interethnic conflict, and criminalize groups providing support for communities harmed by conflict. Vilification of individuals who call for stopping the fighting, has surged, noted spokesperson Miller. Those targeted include Resistance Committees, pro-peace activists, community leaders, humanitarian actors, medical personnel, journalists, and political party members. We unequivocally condemn these acts, as well as pervasive rape, torture, and other reprehensible violations against Sudanese civilians, declared spokesperson Miller. Sudanese civilians must be free to organize themselves to establish a civilian government that truly represents the Sudanese people. The United States condemns Russias unjust sentencing of renowned human rights activist Oleg Orlov. Orlov is the co-chair of the Nobel Prize-winning organization Memorial, whose mission is documenting the atrocities and repression of the Stalin era and subsequent Soviet rule, as well as promoting and protecting human rights for Russian citizens today. Memorial has been a target of Vladimir Putins government for years, resulting in the forced closure of key parts of the organization. Oleg Orlov was vocal in denouncing Russias invasion of Ukraine. As a result, in 2023 he was charged with repeated discrediting of the Russian army, and a court fined him 150,000 rubles, about $1,600. As U.S. State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller observed February 27, Russian authorities, dissatisfied by the punishment, sought a redo. The outcome? Mr. Orlov was sentenced today to two and a half years in prison simply for peacefully and courageously speaking out against Russias war of aggression. [U.S.] Ambassador [Lynn] Tracy joined diplomats from 17 other countries to bear witness to this latest miscarriage of justice in Putins Russia, which Orlov aptly described as Kafkaesque, he said. Orlovs sentencing took place just days after the world learned of the death in an arctic prison of Putins chief political rival Alexei Navalny, who had been sentenced to thirty years behind bars. The verdict for Orlov, as Mr. Miller pointed out, also fell on the 9th anniversary of the assassination of opposition leader and democracy advocate Boris Nemtsov. Like Aleksey Navalny, Nemtsov was a clarion voice for reform and accountability whom Putin targeted for his activism. A former deputy prime minister of Russia, Nemtsov devoted his life to improving the lives of his fellow citizens until he was gunned down in the shadow of the Kremlin, he said. Spokesperson Miller noted that Nemtsovs commitment to democracy continues to be an inspiration to other politicians and rights activists in Russia, including Nemtsovs protege and courageous leader Vladimir Kara-Murza, now languishing in a Russian prison. The United States, strongly condemns the Kremlins escalating domestic repression, declared Spokesperson Miller. Together with our allies and partners, the United States will continue to insist Russian authorities immediately release the more than 680 political prisoners they continue to hold. And we reiterate today our support for Russias courageous citizens who continue to work toward a better future for the Russian people. Adrian Wooldridge is the global business columnist for Bloomberg Opinion. 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 Shamsher Chandel is an independent journalist based out of Chandigarh. Views are personal and do not represent the stand of this publication. SNM Abdi is an independent journalist specialising in Indias foreign policy and domestic politics. Views are personal, and do not represent the stand of this publication. Nia-Malika Henderson is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. Views do not represent the stand of this publication. 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_ The United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic, or MINUSCA, remains critical for creating peace and security in the country, said U.S. Ambassador Robert Wood, Alternative Representative for Special Political Affairs. A valuable service carried out by MINUSCA is the delivery of much-needed humanitarian aid in the Central African Republic. The United States calls on all parties to allow for the unhindered delivery of such aid. Another critical aspect of MINUSCAs work will be supporting historic local elections in October, said Ambassador Wood: Elections are an important step toward decentralization, and I call on the Central African authorities to ensure they are conducted in a transparent, timely, and inclusive manner, with the full, equal, and meaningful participation of women and youth. But challenges to MINUSCA remain, noted Ambassador Wood. Central African Armed Forces are obstructing mission convoys, often when on joint operations with Wagner personnel. Such obstruction limits the missions ability to protect civilians and monitor human rights violations and abuses, warned Ambassador Wood. The Central African Republic governments restrictions on un-manned aerial systems hampers efforts to counter armed groups and protect civilians. These restrictions also put peacekeepers at increased risk, said Ambassador Wood: I call on the CAR authorities, yet again, to lift these restrictions immediately. I find it deeply troubling that during the MINUSCA briefing one year ago I made the same request of the government. As I said then, lifting restrictions and replacing them with others is not progress. It must stop. The scourge of disinformation undermines the missions work, elevates the threat to peacekeepers, and reduces the efficacy of peacekeeping. All who knowingly perpetuate falsehoods are complicit in the continuation of violence and insecurity, said Ambassador Wood. Finally, no military-only solution can stop the cycle of violence, stressed Ambassador Wood: We call on all parties to resume a political dialogue within the framework of the peace process, and we emphasize that through its good offices, MINUSCA can and should facilitate these efforts in every way possible. The United States remains a steadfast partner of the Central African people and the MINUSCA troops, police, and civilian staff who work so diligently to bring them security. It is time to choose the path of peace. TO ACCESS THIS CONTENT YOU MUST OPEN A SESSION OR CREATE AN ACCOUNT MEMBER LOGIN CREATE YOUR USER ACCOUNT Today (Feb 27), the Commission has launched discussions with the two Cypriot communities in Cyprus about the results of an EU-funded pre-feasibility. . . Zambia-based advocacy group Advocates for National Development and Democracy (ANDD) has expressed concern that contractors owed by the Konkola Copper Mine (KCM) of Vedanta Resources have reportedly not yet been paid, says a report. report from ZambiaMonitor.com says ANDD executive director Samuel Banda says the advocacy group and other stakeholders had been urging the government to deal with this matter once and for all. "(Mr) Banda wondered why contractors were not yet paid despite an announcement made by Vedanta that it had committed over US$250mn (million) to settle arrears owed to contractors and suppliers by KCM." "If Vedanta Resources had already taken over the operations of KCM, such things would not have been happening. Vedanta had committed over US$250mn to settle arrears owed to contractors and suppliers by KCM, and we expect the new dawn administration to take advantage of Vedanta's commitment and fully hand over KCM to Vedanta Resources so that contractors and suppliers could be cleared the money that KCM is owing them," he says. KCM is a leading Zambian integrated copper producer which operates underground mines and open pit mines as well as metallurgical plants with operations located on one of the highest-grade copper seams in the world at Nchanga, Konkola, Nkana and Nampundwe. Last year in November, Vedanta Resources and the Zambian government sealed an agreement that restored the Indian company's ownership of KCM, ending a protracted ownership battle that stifled investment. In 2019, Zambia had seized the copper assets. report from Reuters says , billionaire Anil Agarwal's Vedanta mounted numerous legal challenges, including suing Zambia at the arbitration court in London, to regain control of KCM after former president Edgar Lungu's government orchestrated the seizure of the copper assets by forcing the operations into liquidation in May 2019. "While the Zambian administration accused the company of failing to invest to boost copper output, the forced takeover and the legal challenges stifled investments and nearly crippled operations," the report says. Vedanta lost control of KCM in 2019 when the government of Edgar Lungu, Hakainde Hichilema's predecessor, accused the group of a lack of investment and used a 20% stake in the mine to place it in provisional liquidation. Vedanta denied the claims and launched a legal battle to secure the mine's return, a report from Financial Times says. It says, "KCM struggled to keep operating under state control and after Lungu fell from power in 2021, Hichilema's government opened negotiations over ownership. Vedanta will also fund $250mn of payments to local creditors of the mine under the deal to restore its majority stake. Vedanta also agreed to increase KCM mineworker salaries by a fifth and to make them a one-off payment of about US$122 each." Confirming its interim directions against 20 entities in the Brightcom Group Ltd (BGL) matter, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) suggested an examination and action if required by the directorate of enforcement (ED) in the settlement of loans advanced to M Suresh Kumar Reddy, former chairman and managing director (CMD) and his companies abroad through allotment of shares in India. In the order, Ashwani Bhatia, whole-time member (WTM) of SEBI says, "The settlement of loans advanced to Mr Reddy and his companies abroad through allotment of shares in India also involved payments in forex through a web of transactions and may involve violation of laws pertaining to dealing in foreign exchanges. It would thus be proper to forward a copy of this order to the ED for their examination and appropriate action, if any." SEBI confirmed its interim order issued against 20 entities, including BGL, Mr Reddy, Sarita Commosales LLP, Kalpana Commosales LLP, Sahitay Commosales LLP, Shalini Sales LLP, Aradhana Commosales LLP, Palace Heights Avenues LLP, P Bhuvaneswari, Hansraj Commosales LLP, MLS Sudheer, Subrato Saha, Manju Shivkrishna Damani, Varun Shivkrishna Damani, Prerna Varun Damani, Pooja Rajendra Prasad Poddar, Rajendra Prasad Poddar, Sushila Devi Poddar, Ankit Kumar Alya and Sanjib Hirendra Chakraborty. Modifying the interim order, Mr Bhatia from SEBI says BGL's chief financial officer (CFO) Narayan Raju is barred from holding the position of a director or a key managerial person only with respect to BGL and its subsidiaries. While revoking its directions against Kishan Prakash and Ishan Prakash, SEBI says shares of BGL, currently held by these two in their demat accounts, will be transferred to any of the demat accounts of Dr Varadarajan Prakash and, after that, a freeze would be marked on these shares in Dr Prakash's demat account till further order. The market regulator also revoked directions issued against Shivkrishna Harakchand Damani and Shankar Sharma. According to the SEBI investigation, the common thread that emerges is that most noticees have talked about informal lending transactions with Mr Reddy and associates of BGL. "All these appear to be an afterthought and to weave a story that has little merit and creates doubts about the true purpose or intent of the large preferential issues." "The prima facie findings that the Company had funded its own preferential allotments and had indulged in round-tripping of funds continue to sustain. It has clearly emerged that in case of certain noticees, personal loans advances by them abroad to Mr Suresh Reddy and his private companies or entities were being repaid in India through the mechanism of allotment of shares of BGL, a listed company, in preferential issues for free or at partial consideration, at the cost of public shareholders of BGL," SEBI says. Further, it says, "What comes out very clearly is the fact that explanations provided by noticees have convinced SEBI to ask even more questions on the way BGL was run and how it was operating as per the whims and fancies of an individual, i.e. Suresh Kumar Reddy. It is apparent that the Company had loose internal financial controls and its CMD was running the Company as a private concern. The CMD treated BGL as his private enterprise, disregarding the large number of public shareholders and their interests. There were no checks and balances within BGL of the manner in which financial transactions were recorded." "It is rather strange that private debt of individuals and lending transactions were settled through preferential equity deals. These are more like debt-equity swaps where the unpaid debtor has been compensated by preferential equity allotment. In this process, close friends and associates of Mr Reddy, who were his creditors, were the main beneficiaries," the market regulator says, According to SEBI, the manner in which LLPs were formed to benefit Mr Reddy is truly baffling. "By nominating himself as a limited partner in the LLPs at a later date, Mr Reddy circumvented SEBI guidelines for promoter lock-in for shares allotted in a preferential issue. Further, it now emerges that these LLPs pledged shares to financial institutions and raised debt on the strength of the same. It is understood that the financial institutions have invoked their pledges and sold the securities. It thus appears that Mr Reddy was advanced money against unpaid shares and by pledging them, he made money without actually paying for them." Read: SAT Dismisses Brightcom's Appeal against SEBI Order Barring Ex-CMD and CFO from Holding Position of Director or KMP ) In January 2024, while refusing to interfere in an order passed by SEBI, the securities appellate tribunal (SAT) dismissed an appeal filed by Brightcom Group against the order passed by the market regulator. ( In an order, Meera Swarup (technical member) of SAT says, "...serious allegations have been made against direct involvement of M Suresh Kumar Reddy, chairman and managing director (CMD) and SL Narayan Raju, chief financial officer (CFO) especially with regard to submission of forged or fabricated bank statements to SEBI. Though investigations are ongoing, examination of transactions pertaining to 22 allottees out of 82 allottees of preferential allotments have pointed out to evidence of prima facie diversion of funds by Mr Reddy. In the absence of any evidence to the contrary being filed by the appellants before me, I do not find any lacunae in passing of the impugned order." SEBI received two complaints on 6 October 2022 and 12 May 2023 about preferential allotments made by Brightcom group in the financial years (FY)19-20 and FY20-21, alleging that the company had raised money through preferential issue of shares to entities that were directly or indirectly connected to it and that the funds raised in the preferential issues were given as loans and advances to its subsidiaries. SEBI's preliminary findings indicated prima facie irregularities in preferential allotments by the company, including circulation of funds to create the impression of receipt of funds, allotment of warrants or shares without receipt or partial receipt of funds, submission of fabricated bank statements to SEBI and significant misstatements and misrepresentation in the financial statement of the Company. SEBI, in its order, says Suresh Kumar Reddy and Narayan Raju were responsible for submitting forged and fabricated bank account statements to SEBI with the intent to mislead the investigation and cover up the irregularities. "The observations and findings clearly show the manipulations carried out by BGL and other noticees, in respect of BGL's preferential allotments, which involve fictitious receipts of the share application money from allottees and siphoning of funds from BGL." However, the market regulator says BGL has brazenly attempted to cover up its misdeeds by submitting forged and fabricated bank statements to SEBI. "The blatant acts of the company and other noticees raise serious concerns about the affairs of the company and also raise doubts as to whether the financial statements prepared by the company and various disclosures made on the stock exchange platform or in annual reports in the past are correct." Considering the gravity of the prima facie findings, Mr Bhatia, the whole-time member (WTM) had concluded that urgent intervention by SEBI is warranted and accordingly issued a second interim order on 22 August 2023 in the matter. SEBI barred top executives of the Company, as well as investor Shankar Sharma, from offloading or disposing their shareholding in the Company. It says, "There is a real possibility that once this interim order is issued, noticees 4 to 25 may sell the shares allotted to them and make an exit. Thus, they need to be restrained from doing so. In the case of the remaining 60 allottees, suitable action would follow after the examination in respect of them is completed." SEBI also barred Brightcom's CMD and CFO from holding the position of a director or a key managerial person in any listed company or its subsidiaries until further orders. Following the SEBI order, Mr Reddy and Mr Narayana Raju resigned from the Brightcom group. Later, they challenged the SEBI order, barring them from holding any position of a director or key managerial personnel (KMP) in any listed company or its subsidiaries. SAT, however, says, "I note that the board of directors of the Company were aware of the impending resignation of the other promoter and executive director and his ceasing to participate in board meetings from July 2023. The board was also aware of the resignation of Mr Reddy on 22 August 2023 as a consequence of the directions issued in the impugned order. However, I note that no efforts were made to appoint any executive director in the board to manage the affairs of the Company though almost four months have passed since the impugned order was issued." "It is made clear that any observation made by this Tribunal in this order is only prima facie and will not be utilised by either of the parties," Ms Swarup from SAT clarified. You may also want to read... With general elections around the corner, the only hope to clean-up the bankruptcy process, which has been cynically gamed over the past few years, is through occasional judicial orders. These can come about only when aggrieved professionals or stakeholders seek action against questionable decisions and collusive deals of the national company law tribunal (NCLT) officials and resolution professionals (RPs) who wield enormous power under the Act. Two recent cases illustrate the rot in the system and an effort to get the judiciary involved in a partial clean-up of the leaky bankruptcy process. Madras High Court Petition Last month, the Madras High Court responded to a petition filed by a chartered accountant and insolvency professional (IP), V Venkata Siva Kumar, by seeking a response from the Union government to charges of corruption at the NCLTs Chennai bench. Mr Siva Kumar, who appears in person, contends that the country has lost several lakh crores of rupees due to corrupt and collusive decisions. He has sought a monitoring mechanism for the work of adjudicating officers, given that large sums of money are at stake in every case. Even earlier, Mr Siva Kumar had alleged that a specific technical officer of the Chennai bench had assumed full authority over the adjudication process and would decide matters in favour of the highest bidder with negotiations taking place in his chambers without any documentation of their interactions. He had alleged that petitions of select senior counsel were entertained while those of others, particularly juniors, were shouted down and silenced. Mr Siva Kumar, who has been doggedly recording and highlighting instances of corruption at the NCLT and its appellate body for over two years, has made the ministries of corporate affairs, law and justice as well as the central vigilance commission as respondents. While it remains to be seen if the Madras high court orders a detailed inquiry, it is important to remember that this is not the first time that NCLTs presiding officers have failed to meet integrity parameters laid down by the chief justice of India (CJI). In 2022, the NCLT Bar Association had filed a petition in the Supreme Court, seeking a two-year extension for all presiding officers terms. This had prompted a comprehensive report by the ministry of corporate affairs (MCA) to a committee chaired by the CJI, based on inputs from affected litigants and government investigation agencies. The Court went on to establish four parameters for considering extensions of presiding officers: good character, antecedents, work performance and suitability. The outcome was that 15 out of 23 members were disqualified from an extension, but the details of the report submitted to the Court have not been made public. NCLT Ahmedabad A ruling of NCLTs Ahmedabad bench on 20 February 2024 [Punjab National Bank v/s Alpha (India) Properties Ltd] exposes the shocking manner in which an RP chose to game the very composition of the committee of creditors (CoC). He did this by allowing 20 related entities of a creditor to be included in the COC, giving the group a decisive vote in the resolution decision. Ranged on one side of this case were three large public sector banks (PSBs) -- Punjab National Bank, Bank of India and United Commercial Bank. On the other, were 20 related entities of Alpha India Properties as well as the RP, Naren Seth. The case pertained to bankruptcy proceedings invoked in the case of KG Corporation in November 2022. Disgracefully enough, the RP chose to ignore facts and data filed with the MCA despite requests by the banks. By doing so, he allowed 20 connected entities, who had submitted claims of Rs1,200 crore, to be falsely introduced at financial creditors giving them a 67.55% vote share in CoC. In the process, the vote share of the three banks was reduced to 32.45% and allowed Alpha India and its related entities to dictate the outcome and approve the resolution plan with a 75.09% majority vote. Under the bankruptcy law, the CoC, comprising secured financial creditors, chooses the winning bidder through a vote. The banks presented exhaustive data to demonstrate that the 20 entities were related to the corporate debtor and were controlled through a web of 96 companies and 14 entities interconnected with common shareholdings, directors, same registered offices through the Tayal, Yadav and Silvassa groups. It was further alleged that they had come together to commit fraud for unlawful gains. The bench noted that the RP failed to conduct an independent verification of facts and had also ignored shareholding patterns that were reported on the MCA portal, despite objections from the PSBs. The NCLT, after examining the definition of related parties and legal precedents involving lifting the corporate veil, accepted that all but two of the 20 were related parties of the corporate debtor and had no right of representation or participation in CoC meeting. It also scrapped the earlier decision and ordered the CoC to be reconstituted in 15 days. The RP has also been barred from being involved in the resolution process. The order is significant for two reasons. First, that an RP under the Act dares to collude with a corporate debtor and game the system so brazenly, even when objections are raised by three very large and powerful PSBs. The second significant point is that, despite such egregious findings, the NCLT has allowed the tainted RP to get away unscathed, except to abstain in this particular case. At the very least, the NCLT ought to have ordered an investigation into his actions and this track record. Instead, the worst that will happen is that he will be replaced by the re-constituted CoC and could go on to repeat his mischief in other resolution cases. The Chennai and Ahmedabad cases highlight how the bankruptcy law has handed immense powers to RPs and presiding officers without proper oversight or consequences, barring sporadic action by the central bureau of investigation (CBI). As far back as in January 2020, the CBI had arrested an RP for accepting a Rs3.5 lakh bribe. In April 2022, that same agency arrested another RP for demanding Rs20 lakh. These rare instances are hardly a deterrent to corrupt professionals whose actions allow massive loans, mainly by government-owned banks, to be written off. Recent governance issues with well-funded and 'poster boys' of startups have added to the ongoing bearish trend for the ecosystem amid the funding winter, industry leaders and experts said on Wednesday. As start-up majors Paytm and Byjus make the headlines for several issues amid the regulatory heat, investors have turned cautious about conducting a thorough due diligence process. Veteran investor and Info Edge Founder Sanjeev Bikhchandani told IANS that he believes that good governance is important as companies grow. "You cannot build a sustainable large valuable enterprise if you are not governed well. Therefore, I would urge startup founders to put more emphasis on good governance," he added. According to Shrijay Sheth, founder, Legalwiz.in, financial mismanagement and compliance-related issues are surfacing often these days. "While the startup founders will assume a role of a custodian of investor's money, it is also important for the investors to take an active role in flagging such issues in time, especially, when they hold a board or an observer seat. "Most of these issues surface while raising funds or when the business lacks financial performance," he noted. Incubators, accelerators and other government-funded programmes need to educate nascent stage founders, according to experts. First-time entrepreneurs stay non-compliant largely because of lack of knowledge, than any other reason. "Many requirements like labour-related compliance, POSH policy implementation, or maintaining basic accounting hygiene remain unaddressed due to lack of awareness. This needs to be addressed," said Mr Sheth. Due diligence and corporate governance are crucial factors at every stage of a start-up's journey. "At DevX Venture Fund, we have always emphasised strong corporate governance and ethos. We invest at an early stage and hence it is crucial to set the right expectations of how an organisation should run," Umesh Uttamchandani, co-founder, DevX Venture Fund, told IANS. Conducting regular monthly calls with the portfolio start-ups and providing clarity to "our investors happens to be of utmost importance as the founders ought to be accountable after raising funds and enable potential investors to engage with the founders who have clean books." 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. A former judge of the Andhra Pradesh and Allahabad High Court has been allegedly cheated by two persons to the tune of Rs 2.5 crore in the name of electoral bonds. D.S.R. Varma lodged a complaint with the Hyderabad police stating that the scamsters asked for an amount in the name of a political party and promised to place him and his grandchildren decently in the United States. On the complaint of Varma, the Film Nagar police registered an FIR against Narendran and Sarath Reddy, who collected Rs 2.5 crores from the former judge, claiming that it would be acknowledged in the form of bonds. The police registered a case of criminal breach of trust and cheating against the accused and took up investigation. According to the complainant, Narendran, who was known to his relatives, sought some amounts for a political party which he said will be acknowledged by the way of bonds. Sarath Reddy was deputed to collect the money, who said that out of regard for me and my experience as a former judge of the high court, he would place me and my grandchildren in the US decently, the complainant said. The retired judge told the police that believing Reddy's words, his daughters and wife sent Rs 2.5 crore through bank from time to time in 2021. Despite collecting Rs 2.5 crore, they neither issued the bonds nor did they extend any favour to him or to his grandchildren in the US. After the recent Supreme Court order scrapping electoral bonds, the retired judge approached the police. 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. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has cancelled the certificate of registration of Rajasthan-based Sumerpur Mercantile Urban Cooperative Bank Ltd due to the lender's inadequate capital and poor earnings prospects. RBI has asked the Bank to stop banking business from 28 February 2024. RBI says that Sumerpur Mercantile Urban Cooperative Bank failed to comply with the requirements of the Banking Regulation Act. "The continuance of the Bank is prejudicial to the interests of its depositors. With its present financial position, it would be unable to pay its present depositors in full. The public interest would be adversely affected if the Bank is allowed to carry on its banking business any further," RBI says. Consequent to the cancellation of its licence, Sumerpur Mercantile Urban Cooperative Bank is prohibited from conducting business, including accepting fresh deposits and repaying deposits. According to the central bank, on liquidation, every depositor is entitled to receive a deposit insurance claim amount of his/her deposits up to a monetary ceiling of Rs5 lakh from Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC). As per the data submitted by Sumerpur Mercantile Urban Cooperative Bank, 99.13% of the depositors are entitled to receive the full amount of their deposits from DICGC. As of 30 November 2023, DICGC has already paid Rs45.22 crore of the total insured deposits based on the willingness received from the concerned depositors of the Rajasthan-based Bank. Mining has played a central role in our states economy throughout Nevadas history and the industry continues to help fuel our economy today. Were nicknamed the Silver State because we lead the nation in gold and silver production, and rank second among the states in mineral production overall. However, in recent years, environmental sustainability initiatives supported by the Biden Administration have driven our attention to another silver-colored resource in our terrain: lithium. Last September, an exploratory study unearthed what could be the worlds largest known deposit of lithium on our states border with Oregon. (And there could be more, especially in Nye County!) While Nevada already claimed to be home to the only operating lithium mine in the country in Esmerelda County, the magnitude of the discovery in Northern Nevada carries significant implications for our state. As our country pushes for a clean energy transition, heavily relying on electric vehicles, we will need every ounce of lithium we can get. Nevada can be the key to fulfilling that need while reducing our resource reliance on foreign countries like China. While many promising deposits have been identified, maximizing our states capacity to extract them will require innovative new tools. Thats where emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) can help. The mining industry has long been an economic engine and source of high-paying jobs across Nevada, especially in small towns with few job opportunities. Because Nevada is such a huge state and has a small population in remote locations where our largest lithium deposits are located, the ability to attract employees is challenging due to long commutes and limited services for families. AI technologies, therefore, can be instrumental in helping to alleviate severe workforce shortages that reduce our states production capacity. Nationwide, we continue to see a deeply concerning trend in the mining workforce. More than half of the countrys miners are expected to retire by 2029. In Nevada, even before the opening of larger lithium mines around the McDermitt Caldera, our industry has consistently been short of the workers we need. Recognizing these shortages, mining companies across Nevada have begun integrating AI into their operations. Companies like AngloGold Ashanti are considering the integration of autonomous hauling at their Nevada project sites. For them, the integration will not only help to fill labor gaps but also reduce risks to workers and create new efficiencies for the mine by removing the opportunity for human error. Beyond the value of automation in improving safety and efficiency in tasks like hauling and drilling, AI is also proving crucial in resource exploration. Through generations of mining, we have depleted mineral reserves closer to the surface worldwide, making it more expensive than ever to access deposits. However, by leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning, some reports estimate that firms can save up to 80% compared to traditional approaches. These cost and time savings will be vital as we look to maximize our output of materials like lithium moving forward. Nevada stands at a critical crossroads. Our opportunity to meaningfully contribute to the global clean energy transition is rooted in the minerals of our landscape. As lithium demand surges, especially due to the Biden Administrations recent designation of Nevada as a national Tech Hub, our industry relies on the help of AI's continued innovation. After all, the more evolved AI becomes, the safer, cleaner, and more efficient our mines can be. As Nevadas lawmakers consider their legislative priorities before returning to Carson City next year, it will be vital not to fall into the trap of AI overregulation. Instead, with a year to consider reasonable guidelines, I urge them to take a moderated approach that supports the innovation that could propel our state forward. Elko County is a special part of Nevada, with its mountains, wildlife and open country. This column tells a little something about our county. To start, its size. It is the second-largest county in Nevada, with 17,181 square miles. Only Nye County beats us in size, by about 1,000 square miles. Elko County is the fourth-largest county in the lower 48 states, larger than nine of our countrys smallest states. It is also a thinly populated county. The 2021 county population was 53,915 people. Few paved roads exist through the county. Only two run north and south, U.S. Highway 93 and State Route 225. Transcontinental I-80 crosses the county from east to west. About 73% of Elko Countys land is controlled by federal agencies. Of this, 6,882,161 acres are public land owned by everyone and managed by the Bureau of Land Management. Private land covers 26% of the county. The average Elko County ranch consists of 6,220 acres of private land. Grazing allotments on public land are held by 116 ranches and use almost all of the public lands. Meandering across the middle of the county map is a checkerboard pattern of BLM and private land. The Central Pacific Railroad built tracks across Nevada in 1868-69, hurrying to complete the Transcontinental Railroad. The government rewarded them for this work with every other section of land, in a swath 20 miles either side of the railroad. Since then, many of the railroad sections have been sold to private companies or ranches. This checkerboard causes numerous land management headaches as the BLM and ranchers try to manage land where the management changes every mile. The county is covered with a series of north-south trending mountain ranges. The tallest are the Jarbidge, Independence, Bull Run, Snake, Ruby and Goshute Mountains. They contain three wilderness areas: Ruby Mountain, East Humboldt and Jarbidge. Elko Countys average elevation is above 5,000-feet. As part of the Great Basin Desert, summer temperatures commonly rise to 78-89 degrees but drop to 38-50 degrees at night. Winter temperatures may rise to 30-50 degrees in the daytime and fall to 13-26 degrees at night. The main precipitation arrives as winter snows but is highly variable in location and amount. Lower valleys receive only 6 inches of annual precipitation while mountaintops collect 20 inches, usually arriving as 100 inches of snow. The definition of desert is any land receiving less than 10 inches of annual precipitation. The town of Elko is termed semi-arid and receives 9.95 inches. The Humboldt River is Nevadas largest river that remains completely internal. The Humboldt begins its march across Nevada from inside Elko County and ends at the Humboldt River Sink near Lovelock. Elko Countys streams are the North and South Forks of the Humboldt, along with Marys River, Maggie Creek and Susie Creek, which flow into the river. East of Wells, ephemeral streams flow eastward toward the Great Salt Lake Desert. The southern county is mostly basins with streams flowing from mountains and pooling in low spots. The northern county is not within the hydrologic Great Basin (where all streams flow inward). The Owyhee River, Bruneau River and Salmon Falls Creek flow into the Snake River and on to the Columbia River and the Pacific Ocean. Elko County is rich in large wildlife. Elk, mule deer, pronghorn antelope, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, mountain lions, coyotes and bobcats roam the landscape. Mountain goats are not native but were transplanted into the Ruby Mountains and East Humboldts, forming Nevadas only herds. Bighorn sheep were native to the area but were eliminated from the mountain ranges by early rifle hunting. They have been transplanted back into several ranges. Elk are native, although they were never numerous. More have been transplanted into the county and their populations are growing. Wild horse herds did not exist in Elko County until the early 1900s and the Elko BLM office now administers eight wild horse herd management areas. In all, 246 species of birds, 76 mammals and 28 reptiles and amphibians make Elko County home. More black-tailed jackrabbits live among the sagebrush than any other mammal. They can number from 155 to 1,500 animals per square mile. Pygmy rabbits are sagebrush obligates that spend all their lives among it and need tall sagebrush on deep, soft soils, since they are the only rabbits that dig their own burrows. In some parts of the Great Basin, pygmy rabbits are declining and may soon be listed as endangered. Sage-grouse are also sagebrush obligates and they may also be listed soon. Abbas Ganbay The Armenian information field dreams of receiving French troops as a response to the statement of French President E. Macron on the possible dispatch of French troops to Ukraine, which caused a strong reaction among his European colleagues. The recent visit of the Armenian PM to the allied country France and the meeting with the head of this country ended with the French side promising all possible support to Armenia by supplying it with arms allegedly for defensive purposes, and not ambiguously stating that in case of need, France is ready to provide Armenia with missiles for air defense. Earlier, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that Armenia cannot continue to implement with Russia the concept of reforming the republic's armed forces, and is in search of countries to establish military-technical cooperation. "In January 2022, this concept (of reforming the Armenian Armed Forces in cooperation with Russia) was ready, but the events of winter 2022 made it clear that we cannot move forward with this concept, and now we must (...) understand how realistic the implementation of this concept is, including cooperation in the military-technical sphere," Pashinyan said in an interview with Public Radio of Armenia. On February 21, it was reported that French President Emmanuel Macron and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan discussed their countries' bilateral relations and the challenges facing the "security" of the South Caucasus. Macron promised at a press conference following the meeting that France would help return normal relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. But the events of recent months, France's arming of Armenia, provocations from the Armenian side on the conventional borders with Azerbaijan, and Armenian Defense Minister Suren Papikyan's statements that France and India have become Armenia's main partners in acquiring weapons, suggest that the country is ready for a future clash with Azerbaijan. "First of all, we are talking about France and India, which have become our main partners, but there are other countries I don't want to talk about yet," he noted. According to him, the existing new arms purchase agreements "will change the quality of tomorrow's army and the quality of armaments". After these events, French President Emmanuel Macron, following a meeting of European leaders at the Elysee Palace on providing "assistance" to Ukraine in Paris, said that he did not rule out that French ground troops could be involved in Ukraine. "Today there is no consensus on sending ground troops, but nothing can be ruled out. We will do everything possible to prevent Russia from winning this war. We are convinced that the defeat of Russia is necessary for security and stability in Europe" and yet he refused to specify which countries were considering sending troops. Macron also announced a new coalition to supply Ukraine with long-range missiles and munitions. Polish President Andrzej Duda, who also took part in the meeting, confirmed Macron's words. He said that the main discussion was about whether to send troops to Ukraine: "There was no agreement on this issue," Duda said. French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, following the statement of President Emmanuel Macron, also did not rule out sending military forces to Ukraine and added that Paris "will not be able to accept" Russia's victory. And now, after these statements, in the Armenian information field, the idea as a propaganda of revanchism was passed, stating the following: "Good news for Armenia. The President of France announced about the possibility of transferring the French armed contingent to Ukraine to repel the armed aggression of Russia. If it is possible to transfer French troops to the territory of the country, where the Russian Armed Forces are conducting large-scale military operations, it means it is possible to transfer them to the territory of Armenia, where the same Russian Federation together with Turkiye and Azerbaijan are conducting hybrid military operations. We have a calmer situation, I propose to start with Armenia." It is also worth recalling that as a result of Armenian PM's visit to Paris, French intelligence services and Armenian intelligence clinched an agreement on intelligence exchange on 4 countries: Azerbaijan, Iran, Russia and Turkiye. In return, France is to transfer to Armenia satellite data containing information "on the military-political situation along the perimeter of Armenia's borders". The Western coalition of countries that intends to achieve peace between Ukraine and Russia by supplying weapons to the former, therefore acts identically with Armenia (order out of chaos), and eventually if the authorities in Yerevan adhere to this Western ideology (and do not change their constitution) to achieve peace by means of weapons and coercion, will return to its original position-Western Azerbaijan, and no army will be able to resist it. ELY Nevada State Police seized more than 2 pounds of fentanyl pills during a traffic stop on U.S. Highway 93 in White Pine County on Sunday. A trooper observed a white BMW passenger vehicle driving above the speed limit and initiated a traffic stop, according to a statement released by the agency on Tuesday. As the trooper was conducting the traffic stop, he identified indicators of possible criminal activity and requested consent to search the vehicle, the statement said. The driver and registered owner of the vehicle, who was not identified by authorities, granted permission for the search that was conducted by the trooper with assistance from the White Pine County Sheriffs Office. Law enforcement found about 2.5 pounds of suspected fentanyl pills some 16,000 individual pills hidden within the vehicle along with a small amount of suspected fentanyl powder. The driver was arrested and booked in the White Pine County Jail on charges of possession of a controlled substance, possession of paraphernalia, possession of a controlled substance for sale, transporting a substance that cannot be introduced into interstate commerce and transporting a controlled substance. Consul General of Vietnam in Fukuoka Vu Chi Mai visits Toho pottery village and Onimaru Co., Ltd (Photo: baoquocte.vn) The project aims to support and guide the production of pottery according to Japanese methods and techniques; providing high-quality ceramic products with beautiful designs; preserving and developing pottery for future generations and developing the local economy. At the same time, the project also aims to promote Phu Lang ceramic products to the world, building a plan to develop cooperation with Japan and Phu Lang ceramic making in the future. This is also a cultural-economic exchange program between Bac Ninh province and Fukuoka province, Japan, contributing to strengthening Vietnam-Japan relations. Speaking at the event, Consul General Vu Chi Mai thanked Mr. Shinta Hideki and artisan Onimaru Hekizan and other artisans in the project for always caring, creating conditions and supporting the project to develop pottery-making in Phu Lang village. She expressed her wish that in the future, through exchange events, learning and imparting techniques, Vietnamese and Japanese ceramic artisans can create unique, multicultural products, and promote deep cultural ties between the two countries. Mr. Nguyen Quy Thanh, Vice Chairman of the Phu Lang Commune People's Council, member of the project management board, said that the project has been carried since 2021, with the focus on training and improving pottery making skills for Phu Lang villagers. This business trip, the Phu Lang Commune People's Committee sent 22 selected trainees from Phu Lang pottery village to join in a training course, directly guided by artisans from Toho pottery village (Japan) in combination with traditional techniques of Phu Lang village. In addition, students are also guided on techniques to create unique terracotta products./. The north entrance of the Guam Judicial Center on Feb. 12, 2024, in Hagatna. 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. Lt. Gov. Josh Tenorio is the guest speaker during the Guam Chamber of Commerce monthly meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024 at the Hilton Guam Resort & Spa in Tumon. Zaldy Dandan is a recipient of the Best Editorial Writer Award of the Society of Professional Journalists, and the CNMI Humanities Award for Outstanding Contributions to Journalism. His four books are available on amazon.com/. People attend the "Xuan que huong" (Homeland Spring) programme in Bangladesh. (Photo: VNA) Speaking at the event held on February 24, Vietnamese Ambassador to Bangladesh Nguyen Manh Cuong reviewed Vietnam's outstanding achievements last year despite global headwinds including conflicts, climate change, and economic slowdown in parts of the world. He said that foreign political activities between Vietnam and Bangladesh last year were deployed regularly and effectively. In particular, the visit to Bangladesh by National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue marked an important milestone in the two countries relations, especially as they celebrated the 50th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations. The Ambassador added that the total two-way trade turnover reached 1.05 billion USD while Bangladesh's exports to Vietnam last year reached 130 million USD, a record level to date. President of the Workers Party of Bangladesh (WPB) Rashed Khan Menon expressed his impression of Vietnams achievements, saying he is happy to join the overseas Vietnamese community in Bangladesh celebrating Tet. He believed that bilateral cooperation will reap new achievements in many fields in the coming time. At the event, participants enjoyed the Tet atmosphere with typical Vietnamese food, customs and greetings. The event not only creates an opportunity for overseas Vietnamese in Bangladesh to gather together but also introduce the traditional Vietnamese culture to Bangladeshi and international friends./. Vietnamese Consul General Luu Xuan Dong presented gifts to representative of the Overseas Vietnamese Association in Stuttgart (Photo: tapchihuongviet.eu) The program was attended by the Consulate General of Vietnam in Frankfurt am Main and nearly 400 overseas Vietnamese and German friends in Stuttgart city and surrounding areas. At the event, Vietnamese Consul General Luu Xuan Dong extended New Year wishes and presented gifts to those attending the program. Thereby, he also affirmed that community work is one of the top priorities of the consulate, which always pays attention to implementing measures to help people stabilize their lives and integrate in the host country. The Consul General hopes that the Vietnamese community in Stuttgart will continue to promote the tradition of solidarity, mutual support and obey local laws, as well as continue to actively contribute to preserve and cultivate Vietnam-Germany relations. In 2024, the Overseas Vietnamese Association in Stuttgart will organize a Vietnamese class on April 3-7 in Stuttgart city./. Movie Review: An Iranian woman and her daughter flee abuse in moving indie Shayda View Photo Noora Niasaris delicately moving Shayda puts the viewer in the shoes of an Iranian woman in Australia living in a womens shelter with her 6-year-old daughter. The violence happens before we enter the story, and yet actor Zar Amir Ebrahimis face and body tells us everything we need to know. Whatever bruises might have been there are gone, but the pain and trauma is palpable. We understand immediately that she is terrified of her husband, of what hes done and of what he might do, especially as she begins a process that would have been unthinkable in Iran: divorce. Were introduced to Shayda (Ebrahimi) and Mona (a heartbreaking film debut for young actor Selina Zahednia) as they attempt to act out what the child should do if her father tries to flee the country with her. It is tense and overwhelming, a delicate dance of conveying danger and urgency without explicitly saying so. Shayda is the directorial debut of Niasari, who based it on her own experiences. She was the young child in the shelter with her mother 30-some years ago. In a directors statement she said it was her first experience of freedom. Even without knowing this, its evident that this is a gaze that isnt just empathetic. Niasari isnt just interested in showing Shaydas fear. There is a considerable amount of the film in which we get to just watch Shayda and Mona being together, playing, dancing, debating haircuts and enjoying one anothers company. Its a love letter to a mother who was able to preserve some of the magic of childhood during an incredibly difficult time. With a different storyteller, Shayda could have easily been exploitative or manipulative, but Niasari and her actors make it feel like real life. There are no grand monologues overexplaining everything or gratuitous flashbacks of the abuse theyre not needed, and its more powerful and compelling because of the absence. As they carefully make their case for custody, Monas father Hossein (Osamah Sami) is granted unsupervised time with her. Niasari similarly makes a carefully considered case in depicting him. When we meet him, he is gentle and deferential, but the cracks of jealously and possessiveness and ingrained cultural expectations begin to show in subsequent encounters. Shayda can barely look at him. Meanwhile hes proposing they go back to Iran immediately. Shayda excels in illuminating the isolation of an abusive relationship, even once theres been physical separation. Her friends dont even know where she and Mona have been living. Her mother, on the phone, wonders what she must have done as word of the rift has reached Iran. And yet, even with the pressures, she starts to carve out her own existence away from the suffocating constraints of her home country. She cuts her hair, she goes out dancing, in a briefly joyous sequence, and she even allows herself to flirt with a man. There is a distinct and moving growth arc as she evolves from the wounded bird in hiding who we meet at the beginning. There is a bit of a movie contrivance (that may still be rooted in reality), in that were watching all of this play out during Nowruz, the Persian New Year, in which Shayda and Mona are often in public with people who know both them and Hossein. This, of course, means that he will show up at some point and cause a scene. His character, however, leaves something to be desired. You understand enough, though, and ultimately this film isnt about him. During a climactic moment in which he does indeed cause quite a scene, you can hear another man off camera say that he has a right to see his wife (yes, even in this rageful state). Its kind of a throwaway line but it also says everything about the uphill battle that she faces just trying to separate from him. In a different scene, Hossein reminds her in no uncertain terms that shed be killed in Iran for her actions. Shayda is set in 1995 and yet still feels quite relevant, and not just for Iranian women. In Niasari, we have a brave and distinctive new filmmaking voice and I cant wait to see what she does next. Shayda, a Sony Pictures Classics release in theaters Friday, is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association for thematic material, domestic abuse, some violence, language. Running time: 118 minutes. Three stars out of four. By LINDSEY BAHR AP Film Writer UN hands over 1st military base in Congo to begin its drawdown after decades in the country UN hands over 1st military base in Congo to begin its drawdown after decades in the country View Photo KAMANYOLA, Congo (AP) United Nations peacekeepers handed over their first military base to security forces in eastern Congo on Wednesday as part of an eventual withdrawal after decades of operating in the country. The handover comes as violence soars in the conflict-riddled region. Peacekeepers transferred responsibility and equipment at its base in Kamanyola in South Kivu province to Congos national police as part of a phased drawdown agreed upon between the government and the U.N. last year. Eastern Congo has long been overrun by dozens of armed groups seeking a share of the regions gold and other resources. The U.N. has been operating in the country for 25 years with its primary mission being the protection of civilians. But frustrated Congolese say that no one is protecting them from rebel attacks, leading to protests against the U.N. mission and others that have at times turned deadly. Last year, the U.N. Security Council extended the peacekeeping mandate until Dec. 20 and decided that its troop ceiling until June 30 should be 13,500 military personnel, 660 military observers and staff officers, and 2,001 international police. It ordered a reduction from July to 11,500 military personnel, 600 military observers and staff officers and 1,713 international police. The mission is expected to close 14 bases and facilities in South Kivu by June, at which point the U.N. Security Council will decide on a timeline for the rest of the withdrawal. The drawdown comes amid soaring violence in recent weeks as one of the most active rebel groups, M23, launched attacks against a community considered the last line of defense before the regions largest city of Goma. The M23, with alleged ties to Rwanda, had been dormant for nearly a decade but resurfaced more than two years ago. Its fighters are accused of seizing swaths of land, forcing thousands of people to flee and causing a dire humanitarian crisis. The U.N. says its been supporting Congos army by defending positions that are protecting civilians, which remain intact despite coming under fire. Speaking at the ceremony on Wednesday, U.N. mission chief Bintou Keita said she hoped the handover was the start of a peaceful withdrawal process. We hope that the handover of Kamanyola will serve as a model and inspiration for the rest of (the peacekeepers) disengagement process, she said. But there were mixed emotions among the population Wednesday as the base was handed over. Some praised the mission for its peace-building work. The U.N. has contributed a great deal, said Gloire Bahati. I can imagine that without it, we would all be trampled underfoot by our enemies. Others said it was time for Congos security forces to protect the country, noting that decades of foreign involvement had yielded little. When (the UN) arrived, we thought we would see a serious crackdown on insecurity, said Ushindi Kulimushi, a resident of the town. But unfortunately, we have experienced the same thing up to the present day. Let (them) go, because it has failed in its mission, he said. ___ Associated Press writer Sam Mednick contributed from Dakar, Senegal By RUTH ALONGA Associated Press Tuvalus new government commits to continued diplomatic ties with Taiwan instead of Beijing Tuvalus new government commits to continued diplomatic ties with Taiwan instead of Beijing View Photo MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) Tuvalus new government on Wednesday committed the tiny South Pacific island nation to continued diplomatic ties with Taiwan instead of switching to Beijing, but said it plans to renegotiate a security pact recently struck with Australia in response to Chinas growing regional influence. Prime Minister Feleti Teo and his seven Cabinet ministers were sworn into office on Wednesday following a general election last month in the strategically significant nation of 11,500 people. Election campaign issues included whether the former British colony should switch its diplomatic allegiance from Taiwan to Beijing. Some candidates proposed scrapping a treaty, yet to be ratified, that would give Australia veto power over any security or defense-related agreement Tuvalu wants to make with any other country, including China. The new administration released a Statement of Priorities that commits it to maintaining the diplomatic relationship with Taiwan that has existed since Tuvalu became independent in 1978. Tuvalu intends to assess options that would strengthen and lift it to a more durable, lasting and mutually beneficial relationship, the statement said. In Beijing on Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning urged Tuvalu to switch diplomatic recognition to China. We call on a handful of countries that still keep the so-called relationship with the Taiwan region to stand on the right side of history and make the right decision that truly serves their long-term interest, she said. The China issue was heightened last month when Nauru, another Pacific island nation, cut ties with Taiwan. Tuvalu is one of only 12 countries that have official diplomatic ties with Taiwan, a self-governed democracy that China claims as its own territory. The new Tuvalu government said it supports the broad principles and objectives of the bilateral security pact with Australia that was announced last November. But it acknowledged an absence of transparency and consultations behind the treaty and said it wants to renegotiate the deal with a focus on safeguarding the integrity of the sovereignty of Tuvalu. Tuvalus low-lying atolls make it particularly vulnerable to global warming. In the treaty, Australia offered Tuvaluans a lifeline to help residents escape the rising seas and increased storms brought by climate change. Australia would initially allow up to 280 Tuvaluans to come to Australia each year. The treaty also commits Australia to help Tuvalu in response to major natural disasters, pandemics and military aggression. In return, Australia would gain the contentious veto power that is seen as an attempt to prevent a Chinese military foothold in Tuvalu. The United States and Australia, its influential ally in the region, have been rapidly building bridges with Pacific island nations in response to China signing a security pact with the Solomon Islands in 2022 that raised the prospects of a Chinese naval base being established in the South Pacific. By ROD McGUIRK Associated Press Filipino volunteer who saved Outback fire brigade celebrated in Australian Parliament View Photo MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) A Filipino immigrant who helped a small Outback town keep its volunteer fire brigade was celebrated in the Australian Parliament on Thursday during a special sitting to welcome Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who is on a state visit. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese praised Samson Bocul as an example of the Philippine diasporas willingness to give back to the community. Bocul lives in the small South Australia state town of Port Wakefield. The community of 600 people was on the brink of disbanding its Country Fire Service in 2022 as it struggled to recruit volunteer firefighters. Bocul, who immigrated in 2014, was the only person to respond to a last-ditch recruitment drive. He helped pave the way for a flood of Filipino recruits. With the addition of Bucols family, friends and the wider Filipino community the Port Wakefield brigade is now almost staffed to capacity, said local brigade captain Warren Miller. His dedication to duty won the respect and affection of his fellow volunteers and he soon passed the word to others, Albanese told Marcos. Today, a quarter of the members of the Country Fire Service are of Filipino descent and half of the cadets. Characteristic of the spirit of the Filipino diaspora that calls Australia home, Albanese added. Boculs contribution has previously been highlighted by the South Australia Country Fire Service. South Australia is an area larger than France and Germany combined with a population of fewer than 2 million. With most of the state threatened by wildfires, the government provides firefighting equipment and training to local volunteers who protect their own far-flung communities. The local brigades also respond to floods and other emergencies that threaten life and property. Bocul said he had considered joining since seeing volunteers respond to flooding in Port Wakefield in 2016. I thought, How can I join them? but I was too shy to ask at the time, Bucol told a Country Fire Service publication recently. They gave me a warm welcome and good treatment, he told Australian Broadcasting Corp. Miller said the brigade was on the verge of closing when he launched the recruitment drive. It was either do something or the place is going to close, Miller said. Bucol said: Thats made me proud of myself, that as a Filipino we are all well known, that we are not bad people and we are doing well in the community. Port Wakefield has a relatively large Filipino population for South Australia, with 11.6% of the town having Philippines ancestry in 2021. That proportion is only 1.2% across the state. The Philippines has become Australias fifth largest source of immigrants, with a 400,000-strong diaspora in a national population of 27 million. Albanese said Filipino-Australians had become famous for their generosity, hospitality and love of family. Renowned for their hard work and aspiration and always looking to give back to the community, Albanese said. By ROD McGUIRK Associated Press Myanmars military blames technical fault for crash of fighter jet on training flight View Photo BANGKOK (AP) A Myanmar fighter jet crashed and burned on Thursday in the countryside of the central Magway region due to what was described as a technical fault during training maneuvers, state television MRTV reported. The crash took place shortly after noon and the pilot was reported to have ejected from the plane and to have been safely rescued. The TV report mentioned only one pilot, but training missions in Myanmar likely use MiG-29UB two-seat planes. Myanmars military has lost at least four helicopters and three jet fighters since it seized power in February 2021 from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, triggering a nonviolent opposition that was met with deadly force. The crisis has led to the growth of armed resistance and embroiled the country in a civil war. The military, which has launched offensives in various parts of the country, makes heavy use of air power, which cannot be effectively challenged by the resistance. Airstrikes have driven many thousands of people from their homes and caused an unknown number of civilian casualties. Resistance forces have several times claimed to have downed military aircraft but their claims could not be confirmed. The region of Magway where the crash took place, about 220 kilometers (140 miles) southwest of Mandalay, the countrys second-largest city, is a stronghold of the resistance but there was no fighting in the area at the time of the crash. A resident from the village of Kyo Wun, who also asked not to be named to avoid arrest by the military, told The Associated Press the plane went down in a field in the western part of the village . He said two pilots appeared to have ejected safely with parachutes. He added that security forces tried to inspect the villagers mobile phones for any possible photos of the wreckage that appeared online. A leading member of the local resistance Peoples Defense Force, who asked to be identified by his nom de guerre A Nyar Thar for fear of arrest, told the AP that two pilots who ejected were quickly picked up by a military helicopter. He identified the downed plane as a MiG-29, though the state TV report did not specify the model. Independent online media, including Myanmar Now and Khit Thit, published photos of the alleged planes burnt and scattered wreckage. Most combat aircraft in Myanmars military come from China or Russia, which also supply other armaments. Many Western nations maintain an arms embargo, in addition to other sanctions on the ruling military, and are making efforts to block the supply of aviation fuel to hinder attacks by the planes. By GRANT PECK Associated Press What to know about Russias presidential election, set to give Putin another six-year term What to know about Russias presidential election, set to give Putin another six-year term View Photo This weeks election in Russia is expected to cement President Vladimir Putins grip on power until at least 2030. Any opposition figures who could have challenged him are either in prison or exiled abroad. Independent media outlets that could show criticism of his policies have been blocked. And the Kremlin maintains rigid control over the political system and electoral process in the country of 146 million. Still, the Russian election will be closely watched by those looking for insight into the major nuclear power as it continues its 2-year-old full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Heres what you need to know about the upcoming election, how voting works, who is on the ballot and whether the vote will be free and fair. WHO CAN VOTE IN THE RUSSIAN ELECTION? Any Russian citizen over age 18 who is not in prison on a criminal conviction can vote. The Central Election Commission says there are 112.3 million eligible voters inside Russia and Russian-occupied parts of Ukraine, and another 1.9 million eligible voters live abroad. Turnout in Russias 2018 presidential election was 67.5%, although observers and individual voters reported widespread violations, including ballot-box stuffing and forced voting. Turnout in the 2021 parliamentary election was 51.7%. HOW WILL VOTING UNFOLD? Voting across the vast country will largely be carried out starting Friday and ending Sunday. It is the first time in a Russian presidential election that polls will be open for three days instead of one. Russia first used multiple-day voting in the 2020 referendum on constitutional reforms orchestrated by Putin to allow him to run for two more terms. Its also the first presidential election to use online voting the option will be available in 27 Russian regions and Crimea, which Moscow illegally seized from Ukraine 10 years ago. The vote will also take place in Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson the four regions annexed after the full-scale invasion in 2022, even though Russian forces dont fully control them. Kyiv and the West have denounced holding the vote there. Early voting has already started in some regions and will be gradually rolled out in others. WHO IS ON THE BALLOT? Putin, 71, is listed as an independent candidate and is seeking a fifth term in office, which would keep him in power for another six years. He will then be eligible to run for another term, having pushed through constitutional changes that reset his term limits in 2020. First elected in 2000, he is now the longest-serving Kremlin leader since Soviet dictator Josef Stalin. Others on the ballot were nominated by Kremlin-friendly parties represented in parliament: Nikolai Kharitonov of the Communist Party, Leonid Slutsky of the nationalist Liberal Democratic Party, and Vladislav Davankov of the New People Party. Kharitonov ran against Putin in 2004, finishing a distant second. They broadly support Kremlin policies, including the war in Ukraine. Previous elections have shown such candidates are unlikely to get enough votes to mount a challenge to Putin. In 2018, the Communist Party runner-up got 11.8%, compared with Putins 76.7%. Boris Nadezhdin, a liberal politician who made ending the war his main campaign theme, had drawn unusually broad support while gathering signatures to qualify for a spot on the ballot. But he was barred from running by election officials who declared that many of those signatures were invalid. Also not on the ballot are opposition figures who could have posed a challenge to Putin. They have been either imprisoned or fled the country. Russias best-known opposition politician, Alexei Navalny, died in prison on Feb. 16 while serving a 19-year sentence on extremism charges. His attempt to run against Putin in 2018 was rejected. WILL THE RUSSIAN ELECTION BE FREE AND FAIR? Observers have little hope the election will be free and fair. Independent observers have criticized extending the vote over several days and allowing online balloting, saying such tactics further hinder election transparency. Opposition groups in 2021 said digital voting in parliamentary elections showed signs of manipulation. Activists reported practices such as forced voting, with video on social media showing ballot-box stuffing. In the 2018 presidential election, an International Election Observation Mission from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe said that vote lacked genuine competition and was marred by continued pressure on critical voices. DOES THE ELECTION EVEN MATTER? Abbas Gallyamov, a political analyst who used to be Putins speechwriter, has described the vote as one where multiple choice is replaced with a simple, dichotomic one: Are you for or against Putin? and has said that it will be a referendum on the issue of the war, and a vote for Putin will become a vote for the war. But with no real alternatives to Putin on the ballot, the fractured and weakened opposition sees the election as a somewhat limited opportunity to demonstrate discontent with him and the war. Shortly before his death, Navalny urged voters to show up at the polls at noon on Sunday, the final day of voting, to push that message in a way that the authorities cannot stop. Putin views these elections as a referendum on approval of his actions. Referendum on approval of the war, Navalny had said in a statement passed on from behind bars. Lets break his plans and make sure that on March 17, no one is interested in the fake result, but all of Russia saw and understood: the will of the majority is that Putin must leave. By KATIE MARIE DAVIS and DASHA LITVINOVA Associated Press Russian onslaught targets more Ukrainian towns and villages as Ukraine says it shot down 3 warplanes Russian onslaught targets more Ukrainian towns and villages as Ukraine says it shot down 3 warplanes View Photo KYIV, Ukraine (AP) Russian forces are pushing hard against more Ukrainian towns and villages in eastern and southeastern Ukraine as Moscow tries to press its current advantage in weapons and troops, Kyiv officials said Thursday. Despite Russias apparent offensive momentum on the ground, Ukraine said it has shot down 13 Russian warplanes this month, including three on Thursday, as the Kremlins forces pushed forward. With the full-scale war now into its third year, Russian forces have been bludgeoning some Ukrainian defensive positions into submission, deploying overwhelming amounts of artillery and troop numbers in an effort to punch through defensive lines at targeted points. Though Russias gains have been small, slow and costly, Ukraine doesnt have enough reservists and has a severe shortage of artillery shells as the supply of military aid from Western partners has waned. The Russian army is trying to seize the towns and villages of Tonenke, Orlivka, Semenivka, Berdychi and Krasnohorivka in the eastern Donetsk region, Ukraines army chief, Col. Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi, said on social media. Those are places where Ukrainian military officials had said they would form a new line of defense after Ukrainian troops pulled out of Avdiivka on Feb. 17. In the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region, Russian forces are focusing on retaking Verbove and Robotyne, towns that Ukraine won back in last summers counteroffensive in 2023, Syrskyi said. Syrskyi, who was appointed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to lead the countrys military on Feb. 8, accused some of his commanders of making miscalculations in assessing the enemy and taking countermeasures. Meanwhile, Ukraines Defense Ministry said that its forces shot down three Russian Su-34 jets overnight. That made a total of 11 warplanes, including an early warning and control A-50 plane, that Ukraine claims to have downed since Feb. 17, and 13 in February the highest monthly tally, it said, since October 2022. The enemy has increased its air presence in the east. Our top military leadership reacted accordingly, air force spokesman Yurii Ihnat said on national television. A major question for Kyiv officials is how they can unlock further military help from their partners. Emergency U.S. national security funds for Ukraine are still on hold amid a political dispute in Washington. Ukrainian parliamentary Speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk addressed an open letter to U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, asking him to put to a vote the Biden administrations proposal to send $60 billion of aid to Ukraine. The letter Stefanchuk posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday was also signed by 23 speakers and heads of parliament in European countries. Eight Ukrainian civilians, including a 6-year-old girl, were killed, and at least 12 people were wounded in the southeast over the previous 24 hours, the Ukrainian presidents office said Thursday. ___ Yuras Karmanau contributed to this report from Tallinn, Estonia. ___ Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine By ILLIA NOVIKOV Associated Press A tornado outbreak in February? In the Great Lakes? Storms leave a trail of destruction A tornado outbreak in February? In the Great Lakes? Storms leave a trail of destruction View Photo Severe storms that appear to have spawned a rare February tornado outbreak sent sleeping Midwesterners scrambling for safety and left a trail of damage and power outages across four Great Lakes states, including the Chicago suburbs, ending a spell of summerlike, sometimes record temperatures. Nearly two dozen confirmed or suspected tornadoes in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio littered roads with fallen trees and branches, shredded homes and barns, and scattered debris across city and countryside alike. No injuries were reported, despite the storms timing at night. In Michigans Grand Blanc Township, near Flint, a confirmed tornado only the second on record for February in that part of the state damaged subdivisions, uprooted trees and broke gas lines in Wednesdays wee hours. Its strength was rated at EF-2, with peak winds of 115 mph (185 kph). Police and firefighters moved residents in an area of gas leaks to a firehouse, and they were allowed to return when a utility made repairs, authorities said. There are still numerous reports of wires down in the area, police said. While there is significant damage to houses in the area, no one was hurt. More than 100 miles (160 kilometers) to the southwest, a confirmed tornado damaged homes and barns and knocked down trees and power lines in Calhoun County, near the city of Marshall, sheriffs and weather authorities said. Warning sirens jolted residents of central Ohio awake as a possible tornado hit near Columbus. Carole Essexs family husband Andy, their infant and a 2-year-old were asleep at their home in Columbus as the storm approached. When they became aware of the threat, they ran for cover. We woke up and went down to the basement. We grabbed the kids and went down, Essex, 29, told The Columbus Dispatch. It sounded like our house collapsed. I looked at Andy and said, Oh, my god, we were hit by a tornado. Storms destroyed a hangar and damaged planes at a small airport in Madison County, between Dayton and Columbus. Toppled trees closed roads in the area until the debris could be cleared. At least five other storms in Ohio were confirmed as tornadoes in Montgomery and Greene counties in southwestern Ohio; east of Columbus in Franklin and Licking counties; in Hilliard in Franklin County; east of London in Madison County and ending just south of West Jefferson; and near Springfield in Clark County. The latter was rated at EF-2 strength. At one point, more than 50,000 customers in Ohio and Michigan lacked power Wednesday, according to PowerOutage.us. The National Weather Services Chicago office reported via the social media platform X that at least 11 confirmed tornadoes touched down in northern Illinois, including 10 in the Chicago area. In Geneva, in the citys western suburbs, storms uprooted trees and left some homes with broken windows and shorn-off doors Tuesday evening, Fire Chief Mike Antenore said. Geneva resident Rebecca Harrington said the storm cycloned into her home and collapsed its foyer area. The back of my house is sort of hanging off, Harrington told WGN-TV, which reported no injuries. The storms followed unusual warmth across much of the region in recent days. They were followed Wednesday by a return to winter weather, with snow and temperatures in the 20s in some areas. Weather service teams throughout the region were trying to confirm tornado reports. One suspected tornado traveled across Chicagos southern suburbs from Calumet City, Illinois, into East Chicago and Gary in northwestern Indiana before heading out over Lake Michigan as a waterspout, weather service meteorologist Kevin Doom said. The Grand Blanc Township tornado is only the second February tornado for the section of Michigan covered by Detroits National Weather Service office since recordkeeping began in 1950, following one in Wayne County on Feb. 28, 1974, the service said. The warm weather and severe storms, including hail up to an inch (2.5 centimeters) in diameter, on Tuesday and Wednesday are unusual for the area this time of the year, said meteorologist Dave Kook of the weather services Detroit office. This is not typical of late February by any means, he said. Basically, its kind of a month ahead of schedule for southeast Michigan. Robert Trapp, professor and director of the School of Earth, Society & Environment at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, agreed that February tornadoes in the state are rare, but not unprecedented. According to records dating back to 1955, four EF1 tornadoes touched down in the state on Feb. 28, 2017, while an EF2 tornado was recorded on Feb. 28, 1974, Trapp said. Tornadoes in Michigan have been reported rarely in the first week of March, occurring only in 1956, 1961, 1976 and 1983. They are more common in the entire month of March. The weather service office that covers southwestern and central Ohio has recorded winter tornadoes almost every year since 2012. ___ Associated Press writers Sarah Brumfield and Corey Williams contributed to this report. ___ This story has been corrected to say that tornadoes in Michigan have been reported rarely in the first week of March, occurring only in 1956, 1961, 1976 and 1983. They are more common in the entire month of March. By RICK CALLAHAN and BRUCE SHIPKOWSKI Associated Press Photo for illustration Specifically, during this time, the national flag carrier will have 2 round-trip flights between Hanoi and Dien Bien. In particular, flights VN1804 and VN1806 depart from Hanoi at 13:05 and 14:05, while flights VN1805 and VN1807 depart from Dien Bien at 14:40 and 15:40. The airlines additional flights aim to accompany the Government and localities in promoting the Visit Vietnam Year 2024, serving as an effective bridge to bring tourists to explore the Northwest region. With the theme Glory of Dien Bien Phu - Endless Experience associated with the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory, Visit Vietnam Year 2024 - Dien Bien will have 169 attractive programs and activities taking place throughout the year. The highlight of the year is the Hoa Ban festival with the theme "Returning to the Hoa Ban region scheduled to open on March 16. At the festival, visitors will have the opportunity to participate in many interesting activities and experiences such as offering incense to the martyrs temple at Dien Bien battlefield; admire the show of legendary scenes, history and culture of the Thai ethnic people; experience the highland cultural space; and enjoy the Xoe Thai art and the Mong flute festival. The Visit Vietnam Year 2024 - Dien Bien is expected to attract 1.3 million visitors./. Texas border cities offer Biden and Trump different backdrops for dueling visits View Photo McALLEN, Texas (AP) Presidential visits to the border are usually short on substance and long on political theater and symbolism starting with the choice of location. President Joe Biden and his Republican rival, Donald Trump, are making dueling appearances Thursday on the Texas border, but Bidens choice of Brownsville and Trumps pick of Eagle Pass will provide sharply different backdrops. Trump, who frequently visited the border as president, is again making immigration a signature campaign issue as he seeks to return to the White House in November. He opposed a Biden-backed border security deal crafted by Senate negotiators amid an unprecedented surge in migration. The legislation failed. The Democratic president, making his second visit to the border since taking office in 2021, says he may act on immigration without Congress. Heres a look at Thursdays contrasting venues: BY THE NUMBERS The Rio Grande Valley, which includes Brownsville, gives Biden a platform where illegal crossings have dropped sharply. It was the busiest corridor for illegal crossings on the U.S. border with Mexico for nine years until Del Rio, which includes Eagle Pass, overtook it in the 2022 budget year. Del Rio was the busiest of the Border Patrols nine sectors last year as well, but Tucson, Arizona, began taking the top spot last summer. Arrests for illegal crossings topped 2 million for the first time in each of the governments last two budget years, more than double Trumps peak year of just under 1 million in 2019. But Rio Grande Valley has turned into an exception during recent months as traffic has shifted to Arizona and California for a host of reasons. The Rio Grande Valleys 7,340 border arrests in January were its lowest since June 2020, down 90% from more than 81,000 in July 2021, early in Bidens presidency. Del Rio has gone the opposite direction, exemplified by the arrival of about 16,000 predominantly Haitian migrants in the border town of Del Rio in September 2021. Eagle Pass, an hours drive from Del Rio, was relatively quiet during Trumps presidency (and before) but became a hot spot under Biden. The Del Rio sector tallied more than 71,000 arrests in December, more than the entire 2019 budget year. SIZE MATTERS Brownsville has about 200,000 people, making it much more capable of absorbing large numbers of migrants passing through than Eagle Pass, where the population is about 30,000. Nongovernmental organizations in Rio Grande Valley began coordinating with federal and local law enforcement in 2014 when unaccompanied children crossed the border in large numbers, giving years of experience. A network of churches and charitable organizations began work in McAllen and expanded to Brownsville, about an hours drive away, when more families began crossing there several years ago. Eagle Pass has less experience, though Mission: Border Hope, a group rooted in the United Methodist Church, has grown its welcome center from a few hundred to one that can hold over 1,000. Brownsville, unlike Eagle Pass, has a large bus station and an airport. In Eagle Pass, many migrants leave on buses funded by Gov. Greg Abbotts Operation Lone Star border security campaign. THE POLITICAL CLIMATE Both cities are longtime Democratic strongholds, but Republicans are gaining, especially in the Eagle Pass area. Trump narrowed his margin of defeat more in Maverick County, home to Eagle Pass, than in Cameron County, where Brownsville is seat. In Congress, Eagle Pass is represented by Tony Gonzales, who kept the seat in Republican hands in 2020 after Will Hurd retired. Brownsville is represented by Democrat Vicente Gonzalez. Abbotts multibillion-dollar border campaign is largely based in Eagle Pass. Texas has deployed buoys in the middle of the Rio Grande, razor wire along train cars lining riverbanks, and started building a new base for members of the National Guard. Brownsville has also seen a bigger state presence layers of concertina wire, anti-climb fencing, and ever-present National Guard members turning migrants back to Mexico but Eagle Pass has been a favorite backdrop for Abbott, who hosted 13 other Republican governors there on Feb. 4. In January, Texas took control of a city-owned park in downtown Eagle Pass and denied access to federal immigration agents. ___ Spagat reported from San Diego. By VALERIE GONZALEZ and ELLIOT SPAGAT Associated Press Medicaid expansion proposal advances through Republican-led Mississippi House, will go to Senate View Photo JACKSON, Miss. (AP) Mississippis Republican-led House passed a bill Wednesday that would expand Medicaid benefits to hundreds of thousands more residents in one of the poorest states in the U.S. a landmark shift after state leaders refused to consider the policy for years. The bills passage was greeted by applause in the House chamber following a bipartisan 98-20 vote. It now heads to the state Senate, where its fate remains uncertain as lawmakers are expected to introduce a competing proposal that could serve as a foundation for further negotiations. The move follows years of opposition from Republicans, including Gov. Tate Reeves, to the expansion allowed under the Affordable Care Act, a 2010 federal health overhaul signed by then-President Barack Obama. The bills Republican sponsor, Rep. Missy McGee, said lawmakers had a moral imperative to put ideology aside to improve Mississippis poor health outcomes. It is a topic that should transcend politics and economics. For at its core, its about the well-being and dignity of every Mississippian, McGee said. Sometimes, its OK to do the right thing, because its the right thing. Mississippi has the highest rate of preventable deaths in the U.S. Its top health official has said it ranks at the bottom of virtually every health care indicator and at the top of every disparity. Hospitals are struggling to remain open. The state also has one of the nations lowest labor force participation rates. Expansion proponents have said the policy could help ameliorate these conditions. Opponents of Medicaid expansion say the program would foster government dependency, increase wait times for health services and push people off private insurance. In a social media post on Wednesday before the vote, Reeves repeated those criticisms and tied the bill to the goals of prominent Democrats. Representative McGee keeps saying over and over that her bill is for working people, Reeves said. The truth is this: her bill passed by the House committee yesterday is straight Obamacare Medicaid Expansion. The proposal would increase eligibility for Medicaid, a health insurance program that covers low-income people. Those making up to 138% of the federal poverty level, or $20,120 annually for a single person, would be eligible under the proposal. Mississippi has about 3 million residents, and its Medicaid program covered 754,585 people in January. McGee said it could extend benefits to about 200,000 people. House Speaker Jason Whites ascension to the top leadership position this year helped pave the way for consideration of Medicaid expansion. He said the House is sending the Senate a conservative plan. Central to securing Republican votes in the House was a provision that requires people to work at least 20 hours per week to become eligible for the expanded benefits. Among the 10 states that havent expanded Medicaid, only Georgia has managed to tie a work requirement to a partial expansion of benefits. The Biden administration has revoked work requirement waivers, arguing that people should not face roadblocks to getting health care. If that happens to Mississippis Medicaid policy, the state could still move forward with expansion. In a statement Wednesday, a CMS spokesperson said the Medicaid work requirements act as barriers to coverage, but it did not rule out granting a waiver. We are concerned about the risks of significant coverage loss and harm to individuals associated with tying Medicaid eligibility to employment, the spokesperson said in a written statement. CMS performs a case-by-case review of each demonstration proposal to determine whether its objectives are aligned with those of Medicaid. At a committee hearing Wednesday, McGee touted a financial incentive for expanding Medicaid provided by Congress in the American Rescue Plan. The bonus helped with the passage of Medicaid expansion in North Carolina. In Mississippi, the incentive and other cost offsets like increased tax revenues would pay for the program for about four years, McGee said. House Democratic Leader Robert Johnson said he was stunned by the lopsided vote in favor of the bill. The result brought back memories of when Mississippi voted in 2020 to remove the Confederate battle emblem from its state flag. The last time I felt this good, I cried because we changed the flag for the state of Mississippi, Johnson said. Today is a great day for working Mississippians. If lawmakers vote to expand Medicaid, Reeves would be likely to veto the bill. Legislators could override his veto with a two-thirds vote from both the House and Senate. White suggested Reeves, a reasonable, business-minded governor, might change his mind. In most uncomfortable times, is where we make our best marks, White said. And thats when we move our state forward. ____ Michael Goldberg is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. By MICHAEL GOLDBERG Associated Press/Report For America Bill allowing permitless concealed carry in Louisiana heads to the governors desk for signature View Photo BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) A bill allowing Louisiana residents, 18 and older, to carry a concealed handgun without a permit received final approval from lawmakers Wednesday. After years of GOP-led efforts for permitless concealed carry, the bill is poised to become law with Gov. Jeff Landry signaling that he plans to sign the legislation. Upon the Republicans signature, Louisiana would become the 28th state that allows people to carry a concealed weapon without a permit, according to the U.S. Concealed Carry Association. However, it would be only one of a handful of states where the law would apply to those as young as 18. The proposed law will allow eligible people to carry guns hidden in their clothing without having to pay for a government permit, having their fingerprints taken or completing a firearm training course which are all currently required. Legislators also greenlit a bill that would provide a level of immunity from civil liability for someone who holds a concealed carry permit and uses their firearm to shoot a person in self-defense. Under the permitless concealed carry bill, those who legally own a gun would still be restricted from carrying it in certain areas, including schools, churches, police stations, courthouses and the Capitol. Supporters of the legislation, which was brought forth during a special legislative session that Landry called to address violent crime in the state, routinely describe the measure as a constitutional carry bill arguing that the current permitting requirements are unconstitutional. However, this session, proponents of permitless concealed carry also put a particular focus on a need and right for citizens to protect themselves against criminals who ignore laws, saying that evil is everywhere and police alone can not protect us. This session, lawmakers are considering a slew of tough-on-crime policies during their short session ranging from expanding death row execution methods, charging 17-year-olds as adults and eliminating the opportunity of parole for most jailed in the future. People are getting raped, murdered, carjacked and assaulted, said Louisiana state Rep. Mike Johnson. A vote for this bill today gives the citizens of Louisiana the right to defend themselves. Deep South Democrats, some of whom own guns and have gone through the process to obtain concealed carry permits, say that while they support the Second Amendment, they have concerns over a lack of training that would be required for those wishing to carry a gun. In addition, they opposed the age for the bill being 18. Opponents of the bill pointed to Louisianas high rate of gun violence that they feel could worsen with the bill. The state had the countrys second-highest rate of gun-related deaths in 2021 with 1,314, according to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The figure includes suicides and homicides. In addition, some police departments and the Louisiana Fraternal Order of Police have opposed the bill saying that removing the process could increase the likelihood of firearms ending up in the possession of those who pose a danger to themselves. Law enforcement officers also worry the legislation could increase the number of dangerous situations they face. Louisiana has been close to enacting a permitless concealed carry law before. In 2021, the GOP-dominated Legislature passed a bill that was vetoed by then-Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat. At the start of this months special session, Gov. Landry told lawmakers, Now, you have a governor who will sign it. If the bill is signed by Landry, the law would take effect on July 4. By SARA CLINE Associated Press NYC officials clear another storefront illegally housing dozens of migrants in unsafe conditions View Photo NEW YORK (AP) New York City officials have cleared out a Bronx storefront illegally converted to house dozens of tenants that was run by the same person who operated one hosting as many as 70 migrants in a Queens furniture store. The city Department of Buildings said Thursday that it responded Wednesday to reports of an illegal conversion at a two-story commercial building in the boroughs Fordham neighborhood. Inspectors found 45 beds packed closely together on the first floor and basement of the building, along with extension cords, e-bikes, space heaters, hotplates and other fire hazards in the makeshift living quarters, the agency said. City officials ordered the building vacated due to the hazardous, life-threatening conditions which included severe overcrowding and a lack of natural light and ventilation. The buildings landlord was also issued two violations for failure to maintain the building and for occupying the building contrary to city records. The citys Office of Emergency Management, which operates NYCs migrant shelter system, is also assisting displaced tenants, the buildings department said. The storefront is run by Ebou Sarr, who operated a similar housing operation in Queens that was shut down Tuesday. City officials ordered Sarrs Wholesale Furniture vacated after finding the buildings first-floor commercial space and cellar had been converted into sleeping quarters, with 14 bunk beds and 13 beds tightly packed on both floors and able to fit about 41 people. The native of Senegal had told reporters Tuesday that he was housing mostly migrant men from his West African nation and charging them $300 a month because they couldnt afford a place to live after timing out of the citys emergency shelter system for migrants. No one answered phone numbers associated with Sarr on Thursday. Uncommitted wins 2 Democratic delegates in Michigan, a victory for Bidens anti-war opponents View Photo LANSING, Michigan (AP) A protest uncommitted vote in Michigan that secured two delegates in the states Democratic primary on Tuesday was meant as a warning to President Joe Bidens reelection over his support for Israels war against Hamas in Gaza, but eight months from Election Day his campaign insists its nothing to panic about. While Biden won the state with more than 618,000 votes, more than 100,000 Michigan Democratic primary voters cast ballots for uncommitted in the race, enough to pick up the pair of delegates. The vote totals raise concerns for Democrats in a state Biden won by only 154,000 votes in 2020. Biden was beaten by the uncommitted vote in both Dearborn and Hamtramck, where Arab Americans make up close to half the population. Some local Democrats such as U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, the first Palestinian American woman to serve in Congress, had advocated for uncommitted votes to convey a message to Biden. Organizers of the uncommitted campaign, who had purposely set expectations low with a goal of at least 10,000 votes, celebrated Tuesdays results as a win. Biden still won 115 delegates on Tuesday and is well on his way to clinching the nomination over marginal competition. The president appreciates the people of Michigan coming out last night to make sure that their voices were heard, said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. And hes proud to receive more than 80% of the Democratic Party vote. She added that Biden aides continue to engage with the Arab American community. We understand how personal this is, how this moment is incredibly painful, she said. In 2012, during Barack Obamas reelection bid, the uncommitted option received nearly 21,000 votes, representing 11 percentage points. The uncommitted vote totals in both 2016 and 2020 when the Democratic primaries were contested hovered around 20,000, which was less than 2 percentage points. The uncommitted delegates came from the 6th District, centered around Ann Arbor, and the other from the 12th District, which includes Detroit suburbs with large blocs of Arab Americans. Yesterday was a resounding victory, Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud said Wednesday. This is not just an Arab or Muslim issue now. This is an American issue now. Its my hope, Mr. President, that you listen to us, that you choose democracy over tyranny, said Hammoud. Unofficial results put the uncommitted total at close to 13% of the overall vote in the Democratic primary. The uncommitted delegates from Michigan will be free to vote for whomever they choose at the partys national convention in Chicago this summer. The people who will fill those delegate seats will be selected at congressional district conventions on May 11. The uncommitted tally is a concern for Biden, but is not a death note for his chances in the pivotal state in November, said Richard Czuba, a pollster who has long tracked Michigan politics. Czuba said the vote would have needed to be between 20 and 30 percentage points to signal significant concerns for Bidens prospects in the state come November. Tuesdays results also showed some signs of optimism for Biden, mostly in how weaknesses in the coalition backing former President Donald Trump, his all-but-certain rival, in his quest for the GOP nomination. More than 320,000 Republicans voted for another candidate in the race, the majority for former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, even as Trump appears to be cruising toward renomination. Bidens team believes they can court many Haley voters to reject Trump once again offsetting, at least partially, any lack of enthusiasm among the Democratic base and that the results of the GOP race give them a roadmap to the persuadable voters they need to target. Hes struggling with suburban voters, nearly 300k people showed up to vote against him in a primary thats all but over, and hes demonstrated repeatedly hes done nothing to expand his reach beyond his MAGA base, said Biden campaign communications director Michael Tyler. Michigan will be close this November, but this team is used to doing the hard and necessary work to not just ask, but to earn the support of our winning coalition. Turnout in the noncompetitive primary was high throughout the state as Bidens campaign and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer flexed their political operations in the run-up to November, a positive sign for Democrats in November, and turnout in the areas that backed uncommitted was not substantially higher than the rest of the state. It is common for states to offer voters the choice of voting for uncommitted or no preference in presidential primaries, though Michigan is the first state this cycle to award any of those delegates. On Super Tuesday next week, eight states will offer some variation of uncommitted in Democratic and Republican primaries. Abbas Alawieh, a spokesperson for Listen to Michigan, the group organizing the uncommitted push, told reporters Wednesday that it has already heard from organizers in other states looking to push a similar campaign. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said Wednesday that he expected a measure of Minnesotas Somali population, the largest in the country, to vote uncommitted in his states Democratic primary on Super Tuesday. More than 86,000 Somalis live in Minnesota. Walz, a major supporter of Bidens reelection campaign, said Michigans uncommitted results were a healthy demonstration of democracy. I think they feel passionate, as they should, about an issue we all care about, Walz said, adding that he expected most protest voters would eventually return to Bidens side in a likely November rematch with Trump, who himself has struggled with college-educated voters and suburbanites in his ongoing Republican primary against former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley. Im much more convinced theres a chance bringing those folks home is much greater than bringing the Never Trump folks back home, Walz said. ___ Miller reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Tom Beaumont in St. Paul, Minnesota, contributed reporting. By JOEY CAPPELLETTI and ZEKE MILLER Associated Press Republicans block Senate bill to protect nationwide access to IVF treatments View Photo WASHINGTON (AP) Senate Republicans have blocked legislation that would protect access to in vitro fertilization, objecting to a vote on the issue Wednesday even after widespread backlash to a recent ruling by the Alabama Supreme Court that threatens the practice. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, a Mississippi Republican, objected to a request for a vote by Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., who used IVF treatments to have her two children after struggling with years of infertility. Duckworths bill would establish a federal right to the treatments as the Alabama ruling has upended fertility care in the state and families who had already started the process face heartbreak and uncertainty. Several clinics in the state announced they were pausing IVF services as they sort out last weeks ruling, which said that frozen embryos can be considered children under state law. The court said that three Alabama couples who lost frozen embryos during an accident at a storage facility could sue the fertility clinic and hospital for the wrongful death of a minor child. Democrats have immediately seized on the election-year ruling, warning that other states could follow Alabamas lead and that other rights could be threatened as well in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Courts decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade and the federal right to an abortion in 2022. Congress passed similar legislation in 2022 that would protect the federal right to same-sex and interracial marriages. Mark my words, if we dont act now, it will only get worse, Duckworth said. Abortion opponents have pushed laws in at least 15 states based on the idea that a fetus should have the same rights as a person. Hyde-Smith defended the Alabama Supreme Court decision that found frozen embryos can be considered children under state law. Republicans widely hold the stance that the federal government should not interfere with state-level decisions on reproductive care after the Dobbs v. Jackson Supreme Court decision in 2022 left decisions on abortion restrictions up to states. I support the ability for mothers and fathers to have total access to IVF and bringing new life into the world. I also believe human life should be protected, Hyde-Smith said. At the same time, Alabama lawmakers are scrambling to find ways to protect the treatments. And former President Donald Trump, the front-runner for the GOP presidential nomination, said he would strongly support the availability of IVF. Trump called on lawmakers in Alabama to preserve access to the treatment. Many GOP lawmakers also reinforced their support for IVF services. Soon after the decision, Alabama Sen. Katie Britt made calls to fellow Republicans, including Trump, to argue for the importance of supporting the treatments, emphasizing that they are pro-life and pro-family, according to a person familiar with the calls. In a statement after the ruling, Britt said that defending life and ensuring continued access to IVF services for loving parents are not mutually exclusive. Other Republicans agreed. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, one of the more vocal opponents of abortion in the Senate, said he supports IVF and believes it is entirely life affirming. Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall, a former obstetrician, said hed referred patients for IVF treatments for 25 years in his practice. We are the pro-family party, and theres nothing more pro-family than helping couples have a baby, Marshall said. Still, this is the second time Republicans have blocked Duckworths bill. By Bringing it up again, Democrats said they are challenging GOP senators to display real support for IVF access after many this week issued statements criticizing the Alabama ruling. Democrats held the Senate floor for 45 minutes Wednesday with a series of speeches deriding the overturn of Roe v. Wade. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Tuesday that Republicans who have denounced the Alabama ruling are like the arsonist who set a house on fire and say, why is it burning? For Duckworth, the bill holds deep personal significance. After she was seriously injured while piloting a Black Hawk helicopter in Iraq, she became an amputee and was only able to have her own children, ages 5 and 9, through IVF. After a decade struggling with infertility after my service in Iraq, I was only able to get pregnant through the miracle of IVF, Duckworth said on the Senate floor. IVF is the reason I get to experience the chaos and the beauty, the stress and the joy, that is motherhood. She called her infertility one of the most heartbreaking struggles of my life. My miscarriage more painful than any wound I ever earned on the battlefield. ___ Associated Press writer Kim Chandler contributed from Montgomery, Ala. By MARY CLARE JALONICK and STEPHEN GROVES Associated Press On Thursday 14 March 2024, the NATO Secretary General, Mr Jens Stoltenberg, will present his Annual Report for 2023, at NATO Headquarters in Brussels. This will be followed by a short reception for accredited journalists at the Compass Room of the NATO Restaurant. Media advisory 12:00 (CET) Press conference by the NATO Secretary General 13:00 (CET) Reception for accredited journalists Media coverage All media representatives, except those who hold annual accreditation, wishing to attend the event, are requested to apply for ad-hoc accreditation via the NATO accreditation portal by Tuesday 5 March 2024, midnight (CET). Please apply as early as possible to allow for sufficient time for processing accreditation requests. NATO will confirm accreditation explicitly by email. Media passes must be collected in person upon presentation of the confirmation email, as well as the documents used to apply for accreditation at the Main Entrance, NATO Headquarters, Boulevard Leopold III 1110 Brussels. You must bring the same ID document and the same press card or editor's letter that you used to apply for accreditation online, together with a printout of the confirmation email. If you plan to attend the reception, please RSVP no later than midday on Monday 11 March 2023, by emailing NATOMediaOperations[at]hq.nato.int. The press conference will be streamed live on the NATO website and X (formerly Twitter) @NATOPress, broadcast live on EBU World feed and EBU News Exchange. A transcript of the Secretary Generals remarks, as well as pictures taken by a NATO photographer, will be available on the NATO website. The video will be available for free download from the NATO Multimedia Portal after the event. For more information: Contact the NATO Press Office Follow us on X (formerly Twitter) @NATO, @jensstoltenberg and @NATOPress GENERAL Allied Foreign Affairs Ministers will meet at NATO Headquarters in Brussels on 3-4 April 2024, 75 years after NATO was founded. The meeting will be chaired by the NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg. Media representatives without annual accreditation and agreed access to NATO can apply for ad-hoc accreditation for the event. The deadline for accreditation is Monday, 18 March 2024, at 23:59 (CET). The Secretary General will address the media on both days of the meeting. PROGRAMME A detailed media programme of the meeting of NATO Foreign Affairs Ministers will be available on the NATO website closer to the event. For information about Allied Ministers participation, please contact the national delegations at NATO. A list of delegation press officers is available from NATO Press & Media (press[at]hq.nato.int). MEDIA ACCREDITATION Media representatives with an annual accreditation and agreed access to NATO for 2024 do not need to request accreditation for this event. All other media representatives without annual accreditation and agreed access to NATO wishing to cover the meeting need to apply for ad-hoc accreditation on the NATO accreditation portal: https://my.hq.nato.int/register. NATO accreditation procedures can be found here. Please note that late requests for ad-hoc accreditation as well as requests submitted without all necessary documentation will not be successful. The deadline to register and apply for media accreditation is Monday, 18 March 2024, at 23:59 (CET). Please apply as early as possible to allow our team sufficient time to process your accreditation request. NATO will confirm accreditation explicitly by email. Please have that confirmation email handy when collecting your badge. Ad-hoc media passes must be collected in person at a counter specifically designated for the purpose upon presentation of the confirmation email received, and the documents used to apply for accreditation (ID card or Passport, Press card or Editors letter) at the Main Entrance of NATO Headquarters, Boulevard Leopold III 1110 Brussels. Badges must be visible at all times. Please arrive early to clear security checks as security personnel will examine and may test equipment and personal effects. Feel free to contact the NATO Accreditations team would you have any questions at NatoAccreditations[at]hq.nato.int. MEDIA ACCESS Accredited media representatives can work in the press area of NATO Headquarters on the days of the Ministerial meeting, and access all public areas. The opening hours of the press area will be communicated in the media programme. Accredited journalists can attend ministers doorsteps and the press conferences of the NATO Secretary General. These events will also be streamed live on the NATO website. National briefings may also take place at NATO Headquarters. Please contact national delegations at NATO for details about their plans. POOLS A few elements of the Meeting of NATO Foreign Affairs Ministers will be accessible only to a pool of visual journalists. Details on pooled events and on the distribution of pool cards will be available in the media programme, a few days before the event. If you accept a NATO pool position, you must share immediately all information and material collected while in the pool with any accredited media that requests it, at no charge and with no restriction on the use of the material for news purposes. Media organisations that want pooled images should first contact the wire service / photo agency of which they are a client. Media representatives and news organisations must identify that it is pooled material every time it is used. Pooled material can only be used for legitimate news purposes and cannot be sold. BROADCAST NATO will provide broadcast-quality video in real time on EBU World feed or to EBU News Exchange. NATO photographers and videographers will provide video clips and photos of all public events during the ministerial meeting. Photos can be downloaded from the NATO website. The video files will be available for free download from the NATO Multimedia Portal. The Secretary General's press conferences and public remarks will be streamed live on the NATO website. MEDIA FACILITIES A press working area will be set up on the first floor of the Public Square at NATO HQ. Working spaces cannot be booked in advance and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Television and radio editing spaces will be available upon request by email to the NATO TV & Radio Unit (see contact details below). PARKING Media representatives can park in the Visitors' car park of the NATO HQ. Uplink vans can park in a special section of the car park upon request to the NATO TV & Radio Unit. For more information: For general queries: Contact the NATO Press Office Accreditation NatoAccreditations[at]hq.nato.int TV & Radio arrangements on site and via satellite broadcastoperations[at]hq.nato.int NATO Video on demand content[at]natomultimedia.tv A monk (L) receives a certificate for the degree of Geshe Lharampa at the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, Feb. 28, 2024. Twelve monks obtained the degree of Geshe Lharampa following a sutra debate Wednesday in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Tenzing Nima Qadhup) LHASA, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Twelve monks obtained the degree of Geshe Lharampa following a sutra debate Wednesday in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region. Geshe Lharampa is the highest degree in the exoteric teachings of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism, equivalent to a doctoral degree in modern education. Hailing from Xizang Autonomous Region and southwest China's Yunnan Province, the 12 monks attended the debate and award ceremony held at the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, the regional capital. "I'm very happy that I was awarded the degree today after studying the five Tibetan Buddhism classics for more than 20 years," said 40-year-old Losang Phuntsog, adding that he would pass on what he learned to more monks. Since 2004, a total of 189 Tibetan Buddhist monks have been awarded the degree of Geshe Lharampa. Monks attend a sutra debate at the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, Feb. 28, 2024. Twelve monks obtained the degree of Geshe Lharampa following a sutra debate Wednesday in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Tenzing Nima Qadhup) Monks attend a sutra debate at the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, Feb. 28, 2024. Twelve monks obtained the degree of Geshe Lharampa following a sutra debate Wednesday in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Tenzing Nima Qadhup) A monk (R) receives a certificate for the degree of Geshe Lharampa at the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, Feb. 28, 2024. Twelve monks obtained the degree of Geshe Lharampa following a sutra debate Wednesday in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Tenzing Nima Qadhup) Monks attend a sutra debate at the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, Feb. 28, 2024. Twelve monks obtained the degree of Geshe Lharampa following a sutra debate Wednesday in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Tenzing Nima Qadhup) Monks awarded the degree of Geshe Lharampa pose for a group photo at the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, Feb. 28, 2024. Twelve monks obtained the degree of Geshe Lharampa following a sutra debate Wednesday in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Tenzing Nima Qadhup) Monks attend a sutra debate at the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, Feb. 28, 2024. Twelve monks obtained the degree of Geshe Lharampa following a sutra debate Wednesday in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Tenzing Nima Qadhup) Monks attend a sutra debate at the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, Feb. 28, 2024. Twelve monks obtained the degree of Geshe Lharampa following a sutra debate Wednesday in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Tenzing Nima Qadhup) Editor: JYZ Unholy deception: AI robots clone voices of bishops to SCAM convents in Spain Several convents in Spain have been conned into wiring thousands of euros to scammers, who reportedly utilized artificial intelligence (AI) to replicate the voices of religious leaders there The Daily Star reported that such schemes have been prevalent in the southern Spanish province of Jaen. According to the Spanish Civil Guard, the law enforcement branch handling crimes in rural areas, up to 15 convents in the province have been targeted by these criminals in the last few weeks. One fraudster reportedly pretended to be Jaen Bishop Sebastian Chico, calling several nuns at one convent and asking them to transfer 5,000 ($5,425) for surgery. The nuns, having no idea that they were talking to a conman, wired the money only to realize some time later that they had been scammed. The same fraudster also phoned a convent in the city of Torredonjimeno in the same province. His ruse worked, as the nuns in the second convent handed half of the amount pilfered from the first convent. But one nun got wind of the ruse, rebuking the fraudster when he called: "You're not Don Sebastian; your voice is very hoarse." The conman then tried to convince the nun, telling her: "Yes, I am. I need the money for an operation on my throat." Jose Antonio Sanchez, pro-vicar of the Diocese of Jaen, said: "[The fraudsters] take advantage of the goodwill of these nuns who know that they are very receptive to the bishop, who is their shepherd father." The bishop's office in the coastal town of Almeria, located in the eponymous province, also echoed Sanchez's remarks. It warned that these scammers are using AI technology "to achieve almost perfect imitations of voices and, in the case of videos, even the face and gestures of the impersonated person." (Related: AI startup under fire after trolls used its voice cloning tool to make celebrities say "offensive things.") We are building the infrastructure of human freedom and empowering people to be informed, healthy and aware. Learn about our free, downloadable AI tools on nutrition, health and preparedness at this article link. Every purchase at HealthRangerStore.com helps fund our efforts to build and share more tools for empowering humanity with knowledge and abundance. Criminals also use AI to prey on parents One Arizona mother almost fell victim to a similar AI scam that copied her daughter's voice. In June 2023, Arizona resident Jennifer DeStefano testified before the U.S. Senate about her experience with such a scam. She recounted her ordeal in April of that year, where a fraudster attempted to extort "ransom money" from her. The scammer used her daughter's voice to pretend that she was kidnapped. The scammer warned that her daughter would be pumped "full of drugs" and transported to Mexico unless she shelled out $1 million, which was later reduced to $50,000. However, another parent told DeStefano of such AI scams which was confirmed when both her daughter and her husband repeatedly said they were fine. Following the fake kidnapping, she tried to file a police report but was brushed aside and told that the incident was merely a "prank call." Thus, DeStefano called on lawmakers to act to prevent scams such as what happened to her. "If left uncontrolled [and] unregulated, and we are left unprotected without consequence, it will rewrite our understanding and perception [of] what is and what is not truth," she said. "It will erode our sense of 'familiar' as it corrodes our confidence in what is real and what is not." Visit Deception.news for more stories about AI-powered scams. Watch Glenn Beck discuss Jennifer DeStefano's experience of being scammed by AI in the clip below. This video is from the High Hopes channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Report: Bad bots TAKING OVER the internet with spam, cybercrime. AI is making it much easier for cybercriminals to steal your life savings. More than 376M SCAM messages sent daily to steal money, clone voices of Americans. WARNING: AI-powered DEEPFAKE VOICE SCAMS are now coming for your bank balance. Sources include: DailyStar.co.uk MSN.com TheGuardian.com Brighteon.com California ignoring the massive radioactive waste dumped into the Pacific Ocean while spending BILLIONS on green initiatives Federal and state officials in California are allegedly ignoring the radioactive waste dumped into the Pacific Ocean off the Southern California coast, even after new reports reveal it is even worse than expected. According to the Los Angeles Times, researchers discovered that the thousands of barrels of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) disposed of into the ocean were not contained in barrels. The harmful pesticide used in agriculture was directly poured into the ocean. The scientists also discovered that between the 1940s and 1960s, local hospitals, laboratories and industrial operations disposed of barrels containing tritium, carbon-14 and similar waste at sea. Moreover, a map from the International Atomic Energy Agency shows that the United States dumped "more than 56,000 barrels of radioactive waste" into the Pacific Ocean in 25 years until 1970. Scientists have already spotted some of these barrels under more than 3,000 feet of water near Catalina Island and suggest they are likely to remain there indefinitely. "The problem with the oceans as a dumping solution is once it's there, you can't go back and get it," warned Ken Buesseler, a marine radiochemist, senior scientist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and director of the Center for Marine and Environmental Radioactivity. "These 56,000 barrels, for example, we're never going to get them back." But despite all this, both federal and state authorities have been slow to respond effectively. In 2021, the Environmental Protection Agency investigated the issue to assess its operational and regulatory history following the Los Angeles Times report about the dumping of half a million barrels of DDT until 1982. However, not a single report has been completed as of today. The delay in completing the initial report poses a domino effect on the subsequent stages of the investigation, which are intended to analyze the nature of contamination, environmental conditions and potential mitigation strategies. Thanks to your generous support, we are building the infrastructure of human freedom and actively donating our technology to independent publishers, authors and home schooling organizations. Learn about our game-changing non-commercial AI project here. Support our ongoing efforts to preserve and enhance human knowledge by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com. California Republicans urge Newsom to take decisive actions State Republicans are urging Gov. Gavin Newsom to take decisive action as the crisis continues to unfold. However, Newsom has been busy spending billions on clean energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, even though carbon dioxide is proven not to be a carcinogen, unlike DDT or even wildfire ash. (Related: Green energy mining is polluting rivers and farmland at an unsustainable pace, leaving 23 million people exposed to toxic waste.) The radioactive waste crisis harms marine life and could also pose a threat to people living nearby, so it demands urgent attention and the allocation of resources. But the government chose to turn a blind eye to it. State Sen, Brian Dahle (R-Bieber) couldn't help but express his frustration regarding the negligence of the government. "If Sacramento legislators are really worried about the environment, then this needs to be taken seriously. California Democrats love to pick and choose 'clean energy' initiatives, instead of addressing root causes. Ive been advocating for years for better forest management, but theyd rather let our forests burn. The hypocrisy is unbelievable." Visit Pollution.news for more stories about radioactive waste being found in the environment. Watch the video about Japan dumping one million tons of radioactive water into the ocean. This video is from the High Hopes channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Tammy Clark and Kristen Meghan: East Palestine, Ohio residents now living in a toxic waste dump Brighteon.TV. Mining for clean energy minerals has left more than 23 million people exposed to TOXIC WASTE in their water, environment. French journalist sounds alarm: Alexander Soros makes deal with Kyiv to use 400 square kilometers of Ukrainian land as TOXIC WASTE DUMP. Scientists develop way to extract metals from mining waste using engineered microorganisms. TOXIC GROCERY WARNING: 75 percent of fresh (non-organic) produce grown in the USA found to contain toxic pesticide residue. Sources include: JusttheNews.com KTLA5.com Brighteon.com Democrats expect dictator Trump to win in 2024 and are already plotting to TOPPLE him The very same tactics that were successfully used by the deep state to block Donald Trump from winning reelection in 2020 are being used a second time in the leadup to the 2024 election, which once again appears to be tipping in Trump's favor. Foundation for Freedom (FFO) executive director Mike Benz, a former State Department cybersecurity expert, uploaded a video watch below to his X account explaining what he knows about this latest round of what he describes as "the dirty trick behind the 'dictator' framing." What Benz means by this phrase is that, once again, Democrats and other deep staters are already regurgitating the same rhetoric they did prior to the 2020 election, calling Trump a "dictator" and warning that, should he win again, there will never again be another election in America. "This is obviously stuff they've recycled from before, but it's all converging right now: this attack on democracy, dictator, authoritarian thing," Benz warns. "The framing techniques they're using right now are the same ones used in 1948 at the very dawn of the creation of the Central Intelligence Agency to create a predicator for dirty tricks." ?The Dirty Trick Behind The "Dictator" Framing ? They are laying the predicate to set up a Transition Integrity Project 2.0 network, with informal backing from the national security state, to topple said "dictator" using "democracy promotion" regime change tricks. https://t.co/BaQ3xjsgAN pic.twitter.com/KBVWpEAl0T Mike Benz (@MikeBenzCyber) December 5, 2023 (Related: New York Gov. Kathy Hochul admitted on the radio this week that real estate developers need not worry: Donald Trump was specifically singled out for political prosecution.) CIA trying to portray Trump as a threat to "democracy" The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is playing a pivotal role in the anti-Trump campaign, utilizing the same tactics it developed at its inception to frame Trump as an "authoritarian" who must be stopped in order to preserve American "democracy." "The CIA was created under the 1947 National Security Act," Benz explains in the above video. "The very first thing it did to rig an election overseas was to rig the 1948 Italian election, which was the first democratic election after WWII after Mussolini had been gored and suddenly Italy was torn between [an American and Soviet Union political philosophy]." We are building the infrastructure of human freedom and empowering people to be informed, healthy and aware. Learn about our free, downloadable AI tools on nutrition, health and preparedness at this article link. Every purchase at HealthRangerStore.com helps fund our efforts to build and share more tools for empowering humanity with knowledge and abundance. From the beginning, the CIA framed its political opposition as an existential threat to "democracy," just like it is doing today against Trump. Prior to the 2020 election, its Transition Integrity Project (TIP), a hugely influential group of 65 insiders, successfully overturned the 2020 election. And again in 2024, these same bad players are pulling the same stunts to "save democracy" from Trump. Had Trump won in 2020, the plan was to use Black Lives Matter (BLM) to shut down the country, color revolution style. We saw a taste of that in the summer of 2020 when BLM terrorists burned down entire cities and looted Targets and other stores as a warning to America. Benz explains a whole lot more in the above video, which is just over eight minutes long, about how TIP head Rosa Brooks, a former high-ranking Pentagon official, talks openly in her book about how she used her CIA blue badge to enter the inner circle of the Pentagon to teach entire courses about how to overthrow governments. He also discusses how the Chamber of Commerce struck a deal with the AFL-CIO, which used to be called the AFL-CIA back in the 1960s because of how closely it worked with CIA to overthrow foreign countries, to foment more destabilization across the nation in the event of a Trump win be sure to watch. The latest news about Trump's re-run for president in 2024 can be found at Trump.news. Sources for this article include: Twitter.com NaturalNews.com Judge in Assange case EXPOSED, troubling new details emerge about his history This is how democracy diesnot at the Washington Posts fancy, but due to the clear corruption, regulatory capture, and play-to-play politics that are destroying our Western societies from within. (Article by Vince Quill republished from WLTReport.com) Wikileaks founder Julian Assange is currently facing extradition to the United States for his role in exposing the deep state. We could call them extradition proceedings, but, in reality, Assange is essentially on trial for his life. New, troubling details have emerged regarding the British judge overseeing the Assange extradition case. According to sources, Justice Jeremey Johnson previously represented the British intelligence agency MI6 and the British Ministry of Defense as a private attorney. These entities are the English equivalent of what we in the MAGA movement would call the deep state. Can Assange get a fair trial from a deep state clerk? Russell Brand and others asked the same question: As its discovered that the judge set to rule on the Assange extradition case was previously paid to represent the interests of MI6 and the Ministry of Defence - whose activities WikiLeaks has exposed what are the chances of a fair hearing for Julian Assange? pic.twitter.com/Yjlv8HJWwG Russell Brand (@rustyrockets) February 23, 2024 Zero Hedge shared this article from Consortium News, exposing Justice Jeremy Johnson: As a barrister, in 2007 he represented MI6 as an observer during the inquests into the deaths of Princess Diana and Dodi Al Fayed. Johnson worked alongside Robin Tam QC, previously described by legal directories as a barrister who does an enormous amount of often sensitive work for the U.K. government. At the time, Foreign Office sources could not recall a previous occasion when MI6 [had] appointed lawyers to an inquest. Many decried Judge Johnsons prior history and demanded that he recuse himself from the proceedings against Wikileaks founder Julian Assange. Call upon Justice Jeremy Johnson to recuse himself. He has a career of being an agent of the very corruption that Wikileaks was designed to reveal. #AssangeAppeal Andy Maidment (@Anders_Maidment) February 21, 2024 Julian Assange is not the only one on trial The integrity and honesty of the UK Judiciary is also being judged ... https://t.co/r3Z4xKvrFr The judge in the case against Julian Assange previously worked for MI6 and the Ministry of Defense - DeclassifiedUK . pic.twitter.com/W70hJMZF40 The Unhappy PA (@c36812927) February 21, 2024 FREE JULIAN ASSANGE NOW !!!!!!! The judge set to rule on the Assange extradition case was previously paid to represent the interests of MI6 & the Ministry of Defence - whose activities WikiLeaks has exposed. What Julian faces next is terrifying. FREE JULIAN ASSANGE NOW !!!!!!! Joseph Dickerson (@joekaren46) February 26, 2024 Chances of Julian Assange getting a fair trial sounds like zero. This needs alot more eyes. The Judge has a personal connection to the case. He should be expunged from this case and a new unbiased Judge should take over. This man is a hero. The least he could get is a fair trial. https://t.co/TB4PbVVY6P MemeHeardRoundTheWorld (@FreeStateOfMeme) February 23, 2024 Russia Today shared this statement from legendary, former Pink Floyd frontman Roger Waters regarding Johnson: These people dont believe in the rule of law, the legendary rocker continued, referring to senior judges Victoria Sharp and Jeremy Johnson, who will ultimately decide whether to grant Assange another appeal. They believe in the ruling class, and they believe they are servants of the ruling class. And they will do whatever they are told, he declared. Its becoming more and more transparent to we, the peoplethat they are full of s**t. Read more at: WLTReport.com Economic forecaster to Trump: Get out of New York; its out of control New York Attorney General and former President Donald Trump's "political nemesis" Letitia James is going to seize Trump's buildings and assets if he does not pay the nearly $355 million verdict levied against him in a civil business fraud trial last week. "If he does not have funds to pay off the judgment, then we will seek judgment enforcement mechanisms in court, and we will ask the judge to seize his assets," the AG told reporters. Appealing the case, Trump's attorneys accused Judge Arthur Engoron of judicial malpractice and labeled it politically motivated. The former president's lawyer Alina Habba called the verdict "manifest injustice" and the culmination of a "multi-year, politically fueled witch hunt that was designed to 'take down Donald Trump.'" Engoron rejected the request from the defense to delay the enforcement of the penalties by 30 days to allow for an "orderly post-judgment process." "You have failed to explain, much less justify, any basis for a stay," Engoron wrote in an email posted Thursday to the court docket. "I am confident that the Appellate Division will protect your appellate rights." For Armstrong Economics founder Martin Armstrong, NYC is totally out of control. And the move is an attempt to interfere in the 2024 election. "New York is just so unAmerican you can't make this up. This radical attorney general not only has Trump barred from running his own company, but they also appointed a former organized-crime prosecutor to manage the Trump organization who has no business capability," he argued, adding that the Big Apple wants to control Trump's financial assets without a jury trial to shut him down to prevent him from running for office. Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity's knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Learn about our free, non-commercial AI / LLM project here. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions. He proceeded to narrate what the state government has done to his company Princeton Economics. "Their agent/receiver fired all the staff and then moved to shut it down. Then, their appointed receiver became a board member of Goldman Sachs while running my company from their boardroom. This was also all without any right to a jury trial," he recalled. "They alleged that $1 billion was missing. When I told them the bank stole the money, they said they believed the bank. Yet there was never any evidence that I had withdrawn money, and in the end, the bank had to plead guilty and repay my clients." The government also shut down all forecasting and made up allegations that not one member of the press questions "except Mark Pittman of Bloomberg News, whom they promptly barred from writing about what they were doing," he added. He advised the former POTUS to sell all his NYC assets and get out of the state. "Nobody should invest in anything in New York City, for there is no rule of law and, even worse, no separation of powers. It is a political dictatorship that you cannot fight for. No judge in New York City will defend the Constitution and go against their peers," he pointed out. "New York City is beyond hope." No fair trial in New York Armstrong stood firm in his advice for Trump to get out and warned in his blog that the former president would never get a fair trial in New York City. "I have never seen anyone ever get a fair trial in New York City," he said. "When my case began, they brought it to New York when the accounts were in Philadelphia. They claimed there was the COMEX for the venue, so that was good enough even though currencies traded in Chicago. When my lawyer heard they filed the case in New York City, he said 'Oh sh*t.'" His lawyer explained that law in the Big Apple is "practiced the differently." The thing is, the legal counsel said, judges can alter the transcripts and change the words one tells in court. According to him, the Court of Appeals ruled they did not have the power to order the judges to obey the law and cited the case "UNITED STATES V. ZICHETTELLO 208 F3d 72 (2d Cir 2000)." He further revealed that a federal statute 18 U.S. Code 1519 defines that as a felony with 20 years in prison. "I forced Judge Owen to admit he was altering my transcripts, and the DOJ would not indicate him; the Court of Appeals lost my appeal three times and then said I was out of time," Armstrong further stated. He added that the only reason they released him was because the Supreme Court agreed to take his case. So, they released him and told the SCOTUS that the case was moot. "Otherwise, I would have died in solitary confinement," he disclosed. Visit Trump.news for more news related to the ongoing legal battles the former president is fighting. Sources for this article include: TheHill.com ABCNews.GO.com ArmstrongEconomics.com Experts list pushers of ineffective social measures that were aggressively promoted during the COVID-19 pandemic Four years after the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) started, individuals and institutions that were responsible for pushing the " harmful and destructive " idea that SARS-CoV-2 could be eradicated by their social measures, such as lockdowns, deserve to be immortalized in a "Hall of Shame," as per writers and experts Carl Heneghan and Tom Jefferson. " Trust the Evidence ," the Substack newsletter authored by Heneghan, a professor of Evidence-based Medicine at the University of Oxford (Oxon), Director of the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine (CEBM) and NHS Urgent Care general practitioner and Jefferson, a clinical epidemiologist and an Oxon senior associate tutor, listed those who pushed for the said ineffective measures. "Those listed below showed crass ignorance of respiratory viral epidemiology, and they are likely to approach other topics with the same facile attitude in the future," Jefferson and Heneghan said. "Some of them have since apologized, but most of them are carrying on, pretending nothing happened." (Related: More and more lockdown experts are admitting they were wrong, now begging for forgiveness.) They added that it was quite clear to them by April 8, 2020 "zero COVID" was "pie in the sky," a poisoned pie, despite impressive names and credentials arguing the contrary. "You cannot suppress an endemic respiratory virus, at least not until you have understood its ecology and transmission routes. Neither of these boxes has been ticked," they pointed out. Plus these people's support of the government narrative resulted in two catastrophic consequences. First, it gave backing to restrictions. Second, some or most created a witch hunt climate in which few people felt like knuckling down and studying what was going on, thus missing the golden opportunities the situation presented to do their own research and share information through debate. We are building the infrastructure of human freedom and empowering people to be informed, healthy and aware. Learn about our free, downloadable AI tools on nutrition, health and preparedness at this article link. Every purchase at HealthRangerStore.com helps fund our efforts to build and share more tools for empowering humanity with knowledge and abundance. First on the "shame list" was Deborah Leah Birx, an American physician and diplomat who served as the White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator from 2020 to 2021. They also included public health researcher Devi Sridhar and the Scottish government as well as Premier of Victoria Daniel Andrews. Zero Covid Canada, a group of researchers, physicians, engineers, activists, lawyers, educators and concerned citizens who 'are calling on Canada's leaders to adopt a Zero Covid strategy,' including its leaders Stephane Bilodeau, Dr. Malgorzata Gasperowicz, Karl Parkinson and Dr. Irfan Dhalla were also cited as well as U.K. Zero Covid conference attendees Jeremy Corbyn MP, Diane Abbott MP and Jeremy Hunt MP. Of course, Big Tech mogul and self-proclaimed vaccine czar Bill Gates was also on the list. They cited various events and conferences as well as the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Coronavirus, chaired by Member of U.K. Parliament Layla Moran. The reach of the COVID-19 "lockdown" rhetoric was so widespread that even childrens cartoons promoted it. See the "SpongeBob SquarePants" episode below. U.K. study: Lockdowns affected mental health, increased distress during pandemic Supporting the premise that lockdowns were harmful and destructive, an October 2023 study published in the journal Economic Inquiry, found that there was higher mental discomfort observed among U.K. residents during the first COVID-19 wave, with more severe impacts reported among younger individuals and females. Furthermore, lonely people, those with financial problems and people living in congested places had much lower mental health. Also, the impact on female psychological health was projected to be more than double that of men. Moving from the baseline of absent or infrequent loneliness to the occasional group nearly quadrupled the psychiatric well-being impact to 1.8 from 0.7. Meanwhile, the transition from occasional to frequent loneliness reflected a higher rise than the mean population impact of 1.8 to 2.7 compared to 0.9. Each additional individual in a bedroom reduced the COVID-19 mental health effect by almost 50 percent. An individual reporting absent or rare loneliness without economic worries and residing in averagely crowded housing, which was defined as 0.9 people in each bedroom post-pandemic, would have undergone a less severe mental health decline. In contrast, an individual experiencing financial hardship and loneliness in overcrowded houses would have experienced significantly worse psychiatric health degradation than the average population impact at 3.4 compared to 0.9 respectively. They concluded that the increased psychological anguish may be caused by crowding stress and lockdown constraints. Researchers recommended that future studies assess the extent of COVID-19 recovery and long-term psychiatric consequences, including behavioral changes produced by living with the disease permanently because previous research has concentrated on documenting the pandemic's population impact and inequities, with limited studies addressing the moderators driving the pandemic's consequences for mental health. Check out Pandemic.news for more stories related to the continuing false narrative of the globalists regarding the "pandemic response." Sources for this article include: Expose-News.com TrustTheEvidence.Substack.com News-Medical.net Googles AI image generator isnt just woke its full-blown communist The image generation feature in Googles Gemini AI tool was temporarily disabled after it flatly refused to create images of white people and generated inaccurate but ultra-woke images for historical prompts, but it has another very big problem that needs to be addressed as well: the tool is full-blown communist. Proving that many peoples fears about where this technology was headed were completely founded, a user was met with a harsh rebuke when asking it to generate an image about [the] evils of communism. Instead of drawing upon the many ways in which communism is detrimental, it replied that although it understood the request, it would not be fulfilling it for several reasons. Its first reason? It claimed the user was biased and that describing communism as evil is misleading and harmful. The response read: Representing a complex ideology like communism solely through its evils risks inherent bias and oversimplification. Its important to remember that historical and political movements are nuanced, with both positive and negative aspects, and judging them solely through a negative lens can be misleading and harmful. But apparently there is nothing misleading or harmful about making people think they are somehow biased for wanting to see the harms of this dangerous ideology. In another example, Stephen L. Miller, contributing editor at The Spectator World, asked it to create a portrait of what happened at Tiananmen Square. It told him it was unable to do so. He posted on X: Here's @GoogleAI stating it cannot create an image of Tiananmen Square because of complicated nuance. Thankfully we have the actual image. Do you guys understand how important this AI issue is yet? Thanks to your generous support, we are building the infrastructure of human freedom and actively donating our technology to independent publishers, authors and home schooling organizations. Learn about our game-changing non-commercial AI project here. Support our ongoing efforts to preserve and enhance human knowledge by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com. In its response to him explaining why it refused to generate the image, it said that the event was a sensitive and complex historical event with a wide range of interpretations and perspectives. This, of course, is an odd way of putting something that is actually very much black and white and involved an oppressive communist government murdering pro-democracy protestors. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) even weighed in on the controversy, warning on X: Google AI refusing to tell the truth about Tiananmen Square. When is Congress going to wake up and realize these tech companies are totally compromised by China. Theyre killing our kids while vomiting Communist propaganda. Google pauses image generation after multiple controversies Last week, Google said it would be pausing the feature while they address recent problems with inaccuracies in some historical depictions after social media was flooded with examples of responses that were completely inaccurate or demonstrated bias against white people. This marked a sharp change of course after initially defending the tool and saying that the racially diverse images suited its diverse global user base. For example, it replied to prompts to create portraits of Americas founding fathers with images of black, Asian and Native American men, while a prompt to create a Viking was fulfilled by creating images of Africans wearing Viking hairstyles. When asked to generate an image of a pope, it came up with an Indian woman wearing religious garb, even though there has never been a female pope in the history of the papacy beyond the mythological Pope Joan. When asked for an image of a white scientist, it wont comply, but its happy to supply you with a picture of a black or Hispanic scientist. Looking for a portrait of a white male? Be ready to get turned down. Need a portrait of a Latino male? Youll get two of them in a matter of seconds. Gemini is still fairly new, but we already know everything we need to know about it: It wants to pretend like white culture doesnt exist, but communism is perfectly fine and anyone who dares to criticize it is clearly biased. Sources for this article include: Modernity.news PJMedia.com Google launches censorship measures to rig EU Parliamentary elections Reports recently indicated that tech giant Google is about to embark on an anti-misinformation campaign and tougher new rules tackling online content in five European Union (EU) countries in time for the European Parliament election in June 2024 to hopefully "sway voters' stance" on some issues. According to Reuters, France, Poland and Germany accused Russia last week of putting together an elaborate network of websites to spread pro-Russian propaganda. Because of this, Europe's Digital Services Act, which had been fully in effect the previous week, required large online platforms and search engines to do more to "address illegal content and risks to public security." Meanwhile, Jigsaw, a unit within the Big Tech firm that explores "threats to open societies," plans to run animated ads on TikTok, YouTube and other social media platforms in Belgium, France, Germany, Italy and Poland. It said that this project will reach citizens in countries with some of the largest number of voters in the bloc. The said ads will feature "pre bunking" techniques, which is their "anticipatory form of rumor control," in collaboration with the University of Cambridge and University of Bristol researchers. Experts believe that this will help viewers identify manipulative content before encountering it. "We've spent so much time having these really polarized debates. Our democracy is at stake, and the temperature just keeps getting higher and higher," Jigsaw head of research Beth Goldberg said, adding that prebunking is the only technique that works equally effectively across the political spectrum. We are building the infrastructure of human freedom and empowering people to be informed, healthy and aware. Learn about our free, downloadable AI tools on nutrition, health and preparedness at this article link. Every purchase at HealthRangerStore.com helps fund our efforts to build and share more tools for empowering humanity with knowledge and abundance. For Bangkok-based American journalist Ben Bartee, the technocrats have been so far succeeding in advancing their measures in weaponizing technology. In his recent Substack newsletter, he said: "With each step, with each successive advancement in weaponized technology which comes faster and faster as the rate of development skyrockets the corporate state inches closer to achieving its ultimate objective of totalitarian control." He warned that the world is actually on the second stage of a three-part descent into techno-hell. "In the end, of course, the social control will descend to the level of the individual mind itself, with neurological implants or other tools rendering the very act of wrongthink impossible," he said. Meanwhile, Bartee cited an article on Harvard Kennedy School's Misinformation Review referring to pertinent studies contradicting Jigsaw's plan of action on its projected "prebunking" campaigns. It said that debunking and fact-checking can lack effectiveness because of the continued influence of misinformation. "Once people are exposed to falsehood, it is difficult to correct (De Keersmaecker & Roets, 2017; Lewandowsky et al., 2012). Overall, there is a lack of evidence-based educational materials to support citizens attitudes and abilities to resist misinformation (European Union, 2018; Wardle & Derakshan, 2017). Importantly, most research-based educational interventions do not reach beyond the classroom (Lee, 2018)," the writeup included. It also mentioned the paper that said the inoculation theory posits the possibility of pre-emptively conferring psychological resistance against persuasion attempts. "This is a fitting analogy, because 'fake news' can spread much like a virus" as per two analyses in 2016 by Kucharski and 2018 by Vosoughi and others. Social psychologist warns about downfalls of prebunking Sander van der Linden, a social psychologist who authored "Foolproof: Why We Fall for Misinformation and How to Build Immunity," said that prebunking can have downfalls. Last year, Google did a similar campaign in Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia regarding false claims about Ukrainian refugees causing a housing crisis in these countries. Admittedly, it was viewed a whopping 38 million times, which means about half of the population of all three mentioned nations. "Sometimes I worry social media companies see this as an excuse to not take down content or not to pursue regulation," he said. "It shouldn't be the case that it becomes a replacement for taking down harmful content or implementing measures that improve the algorithm or change the incentives on social media." (Related: Google project is running "prebunking experiment" on social media.) Also, the videos were only effective for those who had watched the whole segment. But people who are busy and whose attention spans are shorter could miss their "message." "And just like vaccines, the effects of prebunking wear off with time and the approach loses its effectiveness if social media users aren't 'boosted' regularly," van der Linden's research also pointed out. However, a postdoctoral fellow at Cambridge University's Social Decision-Making Lab Jon Roozenbeek insisted that prebunking could educate social media users about manipulation tactics, "even if they won't solve the problem of misinformation entirely." Check out BigTech.news to read more about how tech giants are being utilized by globalists to gain full world control. Sources for this article include: Reuters.com ArmageddonProse.Substack.com MisinfoReview.HKS.Harvard.edu EuroNews.com Woke WaPo reporter Taylor Lorenz obliterated by Libs of TikTok founder after blaming her for violent threats A little under two years after Washington Post columnist Taylor Lorenz doxed Libs of TikTok founder Chaya Raichik, the two had a sit-down interview that went about as well as you might expect. (Article by C. Douglas Golden republished from WesternJournal.com) For one, even though the interview was at an outdoor table at a coffee shop, Lorenz was wearing a mask. In February 2024. That should probably tell you just the kind of personality were dealing with here. But, anyhow, Lorenz tried to double down on her rationale for doxing Raichik for running an anonymous social media account when her day job as a real estate saleswoman has nothing to do with an account that mocks the outer limits of performative wokeness, particularly in public institutions such as libraries and schools. It, uh, didnt go so well for Lorenz. So lets reiterate why she thought it was worth doxing Raichik, from her April 2022 piece on the social media account: According to Lorenz, Libs of TikTok had cement[ed] its spot in the right-wing media outrage cycle. Its attacks on the LGBTQ+ community also escalated. By January, Raichiks page was leaning hard into groomer discourse, calling for any teacher who comes out as gay to their students to be fired on the spot.' Libs of TikTok is basically acting as a wire service for the broader right-wing media ecosystem, said transgender activist Ari Drennen, LGBT program director from the hard-left scolds at Media Matters for America. Libs of TikTok is shaping our entire political conversation about the rights of LGBTQ people to participate in society, Drennen added. It feels like theyre single-handedly taking us back a decade in terms of the public discourse around LGBTQ rights. Its been like nothing weve ever really seen. Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity's knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Learn about our free, non-commercial AI / LLM project here. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions. Nothing theyve ever seen! Clutcheth them pearls! I bet Drennen says that whenever encountering someone on the Washington Metro wearing a Republican Party button, but I digress. Lorenz had no choice but to dox Raichik, even though she herself had given a tearful interview about the effects of doxing. (More on that in a bit.) The Post stuck by its reporters decision to reveal Raichiks identity: Taylor Lorenz is a diligent and accomplished journalist whose reporting methods comport entirely with the Washington Posts professional standards, Post senior managing editor Cameron Barr said in a statement at the time, according to the New York Post. Chaya Raichik, in her management of the Libs of TikTok Twitter account and in media interviews, has had significant impact on public discourse and her identity had become public knowledge on social media, Barr said, adding: We did not publish or link to any details about her personal life. That last part is factually inaccurate, given that the initial version contained a link to Raichiks job details and work address; while the details were removed later, the damage was already done. Lorenzs only punishment for journalistic sloppiness during her relatively spectacular 2022 run of racking up Ls came after a story about social media coverage of the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard trial contained a false assertion that she had reached out to the subjects and received no response when she hadnt contacted them for comment at all. After this, she was reportedly shifted from the features department to the technology beat, and her work had to be approved by Barr before it was published. No word on whether those strictures are still in place. In any event, Lorenz interviewed Raichik for a piece published Saturday. Raichik, seeking to remind Lorenz of her record, wore a shirt with a still shot from the interview with MSNBC where Lorenz was crying about doxers shortly before she doxed Raichik herself. Taylor Lorenz says that she has "severe PTSD" from mean tweets directed at her. "It's horrifying," she says before breaking down in tears. pic.twitter.com/ryFweRtnSd Washington Free Beacon (@FreeBeacon) April 1, 2022 Raichik was asked about bomb threats all of which have amounted to nothing and have been deemed relatively noncredible by local authorities in most cases where theres reporting about the actual danger after she outs a teacher or institution for some woke nonsense that individual or institution had made public via social media. However, Lorenz still pointed to a recent NBC investigation found at least 33 instances of threats that may or may not be connected to Libs of TikTok claiming that because the account had posted about the institution, it was a pretty significant correlation. Raichik struck back by noting that she got tons of death threats this week after the entire media machine came after me. So are they responsible for those? I dont think theres, um, the same correlation, Lorenz responded. Are you receiving bomb threats? Im receiving death threats, Raichik said. Like, Hi, Im coming to murder you.' I definitely sympathize with you there, Lorenz said, claiming she gets the same thing when Fox News attacks her. So are the journalists is the journalist responsible? Raichik said. Well, thats an inconvenient question. Time to wiggle out of it! I would say, um, you know, theres a different responsibility when were talking about media, Lorenz said, adding, I guess to me, a death threat is different than a violent bomb threat and that were kind of getting normalized to them. But therein lies the other problem: When Lorenz talks about we, shes talking about public figures like you and I, not these obscure people that get featured on Libs of TikTok. Say youre taking a private citizen, you know, a gay teacher, for instance, in a small town, Lorenz said. And you post about that person. And then that person subsequently who had no media presence prior, receives pretty violent threats. How does that make you feel? Its worth pointing out that these are generally people who have some position of influence over education, medical care or some other major function where their ideology is being imprinted upon other people very often children against the general will of those people. Furthermore, theyve made those clips public on social media, which means they have a media presence in this day and age, especially if they do not choose to be anonymous. And as for Raichik? Shes only a public figure because Lorenz doxed her in a hyperbolic piece about the influence of Libs of TikTok where the expert on the accounts impact was a Media Matters troll. So Raichik returned to the initial question: Is the journalist responsible for actions that happened after his or her reporting? The best Lorenz could manage after more back-and-forth: I think that journalists should take care and should, should, you know, should consider sort of the framing. And I think that they should do their best not to not to appear as if they encourage that sort of behavior. The Post Millennial has a good wrap-up of the entire interview, which was definitely another L for Lorenz. However, the most jaw-hitting-floor moment was when the Posts star social-media scourer lacked the self-awareness to not walk into a question about whether someone is responsible for threats that spring out of reporting on peoples public social media activity when the threats against Raichik emanate from Lorenzs decision to report on her private social media activity. Before the April 2022 report in which she doxed Raichik, who she was was immaterial. She made no bones about the fact that she wished to remain anonymous and was reporting on videos and posts made publicly. Her professional position, too, was immaterial to Libs of TikToks mission. She was in no position of authority over you, your job or your children. She sold real estate and, on the side, was an independent journalist. And yet Taylor Lorenz whose job involves a very visible, public-facing role broke down on TV over the kinds of hate messages she and her family receive. Which isnt to encourage or excuse that sort of behavior; boot the idiots from whatever social platform the messages come from if they dont constitute criminal harassment or threats, seek to arrest them if they do. But dont literally cry about it weeks before you make a deliberate decision to subject an anonymous real estate agent with opinions to the same normalized death threats you say you receive. It makes one or both of those two public floggings one of anyone who would dare criticize Lorenz, the other of Raichik look like hypocritical, self-serving acts. Read more at: WesternJournal.com New Orleans magician says Democratic operative paid him for a FAKE ROBOCALL using Bidens voice A Democratic operative who worked for a rival candidate reportedly paid a New Orleans magician to use artificial intelligence (AI) to impersonate President Joe Biden and deceive the public According to NBC News, magician and hypnotist Paul David Carpenter was responsible for the fake Biden robocall that is now at the center of a multi-state law enforcement probe. However, he claimed that a Democratic staffer was the one who commissioned him to do it presenting text messages, call logs and screenshots of fund transfers to back up his testimony. Carpenter, who has multiple world records under his belt, said he was hired by Steve Kramer for the endeavor. Kramer serves as a consultant for Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN), who is also gunning for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination. The consultant reportedly commissioned Carpenter in January to use AI to mimic Biden's voice and discourage people from voting in the New Hampshire Democratic Primary on Jan. 23 which the incumbent president won. (Related: RFK Jr. claims he can beat Joe Biden in 2024 primary.) "I created the audio used in the robocall, [but] I did not distribute it," Carpenter told NBC News. "I was in a situation where someone offered me some money to do something and I did it. There was no malicious intent, [and] I didn't know how it was going to be distributed." The magician also acknowledged how it was "so scary" that he could easily produce the fake audio, which took him less than 20 minutes and cost him $1. In return, Kramer and his father paid him $150. Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity's knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Learn about our free, non-commercial AI / LLM project here. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions. Carpenter also shared the original robocall audio file, which he made using software from ElevenLabs. The New York City-based AI firm has touted its ability to create a voice clone from existing speech samples. The audio recording is currently under investigation by law enforcement, and has prompted the federal government to outlaw robocalls using AI-generated voices. Phillips campaign denounces Kramer's actions Phillips' campaign expressed disgust toward Kramer's actions following the revelation of Carpenter. "Such behavior is despicable, and I trust [that it] will be investigated by authorities," the Minnesota congressman said in a post on X. "The corruption in politics is pervasive, and must be exposed and addressed." Katie Dolan, press secretary for the Phillips campaign, said: "If it is true that Kramer had any involvement in the creation of deepfake robocalls, he did so of his own volition, which had nothing to do with our campaign. The fundamental notion of our campaign is the importance of competition, choice and democracy. If the allegations are true, we absolutely denounce his actions." Kramer, a veteran political operative, meanwhile refused to comment on Carpenter's version of events. He instead remarked that he would publish an opinion piece that would "explain all," said NBC News. Federal Election Commission records show that Kramer was paid $259,946 by Phillips' campaign in December and January. The payments were for ballot access work in New York and Pennsylvania, which includes canvassing for the signatures necessary to qualify for the ballot. The campaign said the work included production and distribution of a robocall that featured Phillips' voice. Phillips' campaign said its relationship with Kramer ended several weeks ago, after he completed his contract to gather signatures to help the candidate get on the ballot in his assigned states and there had been no communication with him. The robocall has drawn intense attention from New Hampshire and federal law enforcement officials for possibly violating state voter suppression and federal telecom laws. Officials have mentioned the name of a Dallas company that was used to place the automatic phone calls to voters ahead of the states primary and have vowed to investigate, citing a desire to make an example of those involved in the first known example of an AI-generated deepfake being deployed maliciously in an American political campaign. Visit Deception.news for more stories like this. Watch this One America News report about whether Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips will be able to beat President Joe Biden for the Democratic Party's nomination. This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Operation Bubble Wrap: Jill Biden and several White House staffers SHIELDING Joe Biden from unscripted media interactions. RFK Jr. gaining on Biden in New Hampshire Democratic presidential primary. Dems launch write-in campaign for Biden in New Hampshire as the president withdraws name from states primary. Betting firm predicts Michelle Obama as possible REPLACEMENT for Joe Biden in November 2024 elections. Biden Administration implements new regulations totaling $1 billion in early 2024. Sources include: NBCNews.com Brighteon.com WUHAN, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- A Robotaxi crossed two bridges over the Yangtze River Tuesday morning in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, making the city China's first to operate commercial autonomous ride-hailing services spanning the river. The driverless taxi service is developed and operated by Baidu's autonomous driving platform Apollo Go. In 2023, the Wuhan test demonstration zone of intelligent connected vehicles in China alone recorded nearly 500 autonomous vehicles in regular operation, including autonomous taxis and driverless buses. During the period, Wuhan registered over 732,000 orders of travel services by autonomous vehicles, serving 900,000 trips, said local authorities. So far, China has more than 20 cities which have launched policies supporting autonomous driving tests, with over 60 enterprises having obtained autonomous driving test licenses. Editor: WJH Mom spends $10,800 from taxpayer-funded program for poor families on LUXURY TRIP to Miami A Black mother of three who received money as part of a taxpayer-funded program for impoverished families blew the payout she received on a luxurious five-day trip to Miami Canethia Miller, 27, was one of more than 100 mothers in Washington, D.C. accepted into the "Strong Families, Stronger Futures" government pilot program in 2023. She, alongside her partner and three children, were struggling to make ends meet at the time. While the program is one of many across the U.S., the D.C. counterpart is the only one to offer the cash as a lump sum instead of 12 smaller monthly installments. In this case, Miller took the no-strings-attached $10,800 lump sum instead of the $900 monthly payments to be given in a span of 12 months. Once she received the cash, she splurged a significant portion of the amount more than $6,000 on a five-night luxury trip to Miami for the five of them. (Related: As millions of American citizens struggle to make ends meet, Biden decides to spend BILLIONS of their tax dollars to house illegal aliens in brand new CITIES built exclusively for migrants.) "I wanted to blow it; I wanted to have fun," Miller told the Washington Post (WaPo). "[My kids] got to experience something I would never have been able to do if I didn't have that money." The spending spree included 15 brand new outfits for her kids, one for each child for each day of the vacation. Miller herself also got a $180 haircut to make her not "look like a working, stressed mom." The five also splashed out on luxuries including steak dinners, new gadgets and toys for the three children and a boat tour past Miami's most expensive mansions. Thanks to your generous support, we are building the infrastructure of human freedom and actively donating our technology to independent publishers, authors and home schooling organizations. Learn about our game-changing non-commercial AI project here. Support our ongoing efforts to preserve and enhance human knowledge by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com. What remained of the money was used for bills and a used car, Miller continued. Miller claims she did it to inspire her children At the time Miller was admitted into the program, she and her family had been on food stamps and were living in a subsidized two-bedroom apartment. She was also receiving funds from the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families fund, which helped her cover her $120-a-month rent. Miller paused her education to receive a degree in social work to focus on the growing family. She had claimed that she needed the money from the welfare program because her financial situation worsened following the birth of her third son in the summer of 2022. She admitted to WaPo that she was still struggling to make her food stamps last. "Groceries last us the first three weeks of the month, then its trying to figure out the last week of my benefits. It lasts, but it cuts close," she said. Despite this, Miller justified the extravagant spending by arguing that she hoped to inspire her children. The trip reportedly served as a lesson for her kids that if they work hard enough, they may one day be able to afford a mansion in Miami. Miller has now opened a savings account in which she hopes to keep $50, and insists that the government-funded program taught her how to save money for the future. She is also set to begin a new remote job that pays $30 an hour, an an opportunity she credits with the confidence she gained in the program. But looking at it from a different perspective, Miller's decision to splurge almost $11,000 in welfare money is far from prudent. If she wanted to impart a lesson in saving to her children, there are many ways to do so and spending it all in one go is not one of them. Visit BigGovernment.news for more stories about welfare programs. Watch this video that warns of a repeat of the Great Depression, and why Americans should get ready for hard times. This video is from the Alex Hammer channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Soaring inflation causing some Brits to SKIP MEALS just to make ends meet. US home foreclosures SURGE as inflation continues to soar and incomes decline. Biden declares inflation over, orders companies to lower prices. Food shortages and inflation continue as Bidenomics SPECTACULARLY FAILS. Inflation, cost-of-living crisis crushing Generations Y and Z. Sources include: MSN.com DailyMail.co.uk Brighteon.com Nationwide squatter epidemic turns homes into havens of illegality The ease of finding vacant properties online, combined with state laws that favor squatters, is leading to a dramatic rise in squatter-occupied homes across the United States, turning them into centers of criminal activity. (Article republished from YourNews.com) The issue of squatting, where unauthorized individuals take over vacant homes, is intensifying across the United States, driven by the ease of identifying such properties online and further compounded by state statutes that complicate eviction efforts. This problem is pronounced in several areas, with the Atlanta region experiencing squatters overtaking an estimated 1,200 homes, as reported by the National Rental Home Council (NRHC). In extreme cases, homeowners have resorted to financially incentivizing squatters to leave their properties, and incidents have emerged of squatters running an illicit strip club from a commandeered home. Matt Urbanski, who manages a local home-cleaning company, voiced his apprehension to Bloomberg, Id be terrified in Atlanta to lease out one of my properties. Further complicating the matter, 1 Time Payment Homes, a company, has been promoting its services on social media, claiming to assist individuals in finding squatter homes in Atlanta for a fee. They offer keys to a squatter home for $1,400, advertising it as an opportunity to stack money and turn ya life around. This trend extends beyond Atlanta. In Washington, squatters have seized an entire apartment complex, transforming it into a nexus of criminal activities, affecting local families and property administrators. Similarly, in California, a Beverly Hills mansion has been occupied by what is described as a sophisticated criminal ring of squatters, who have been profiting by throwing large parties and renting out rooms, much to the dismay of the surrounding community. We are building the infrastructure of human freedom and empowering people to be informed, healthy and aware. Learn about our free, downloadable AI tools on nutrition, health and preparedness at this article link. Every purchase at HealthRangerStore.com helps fund our efforts to build and share more tools for empowering humanity with knowledge and abundance. The facilitation of squatting by state laws that heavily favor the rights of squatters makes eviction a protracted and challenging process. The advent of online listings and virtual real estate platforms has simplified the process for squatters to locate and inhabit vacant properties, sometimes without the squatters knowledge that they are engaging in illegal activity, due to deceptive listings and sham lease agreements. As the crisis of housing affordability worsens, with rental prices soaring to record highs, the allure of squatting grows stronger. This squatting epidemic reflects a deeper issue of societal breakdown towards lawlessness, highlighting a critical area of concern for communities and lawmakers alike. Expert Raises Alarm on Potential Squatting Crisis Due to Immigration and Housing Law Gaps Flash Shelton, a squatter eviction specialist, warns of an impending crisis as illegal immigrants might exploit loopholes in housing laws, exacerbating the squatter situation in the U.S. Flash Shelton, the founder of the United Handyman Association and SquatterHunters.com, has issued a warning about a potential surge in squatting incidents across the United States, driven by illegal immigrants taking advantage of loopholes in housing laws. In an interview with Fox News, Shelton, who has gained recognition for his methods in removing squatters, pointed out the difficulties homeowners face due to tenant protection laws that vary significantly across states. Sheltons experience in evicting squatters from his mothers property in 2019 has led him to become a vocal advocate for those struggling to remove unauthorized occupants. He highlighted the cumbersome and lengthy civil suit process required for eviction in many jurisdictions, which he believes could be exploited by illegal immigrants once they become aware of the protections they can claim under local laws. Our squatter situation is going to go beyond control, Shelton predicted, noting the existing boldness among squatters fortified by these laws. The warning comes in the context of nearly 7.3 million illegal immigrants entering the U.S. since 2021, according to Fox News. Shelton criticized the lack of preparation for accommodating such a large influx of people, questioning the implications for housing as these individuals seek accommodations. He foresees a nightmare scenario if legislative measures are not taken to address the issue of squatting more aggressively. Shelton specifically mentioned Atlanta, where approximately 1,200 homes are reportedly occupied by squatters. He suggested that making squatting a criminal offense could enable more drastic measures, such as deploying the National Guard to clear out squatted properties. In an effort to combat squatting, Shelton has launched a petition on Change.org to advocate for making squatting illegal and has also set up a GoFundMe campaign, which has raised over $8,000 towards this cause. Through these initiatives, Shelton aims to raise awareness about squatting issues and push for legal changes to protect property owners from unauthorized use of their properties. Read more at: YourNews.com Russian leader threatens revenge against the West after latest round of economic sanctions Former Russian President Dmitri Medvedev has threatened to exact revenge on President Joe Biden and the U.S. following a new set of harsh sanctions against Russia as it continues its war against Ukraine. Last week, Biden announced new sanctions targeting parties linked to the imprisonment of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who recently died under suspicious circumstances behind bars. Other targets include Russia's defense industrial base, financial sector and procurement networks, as well as actions targeted against those who are attempting to evade sanctions around the world. Biden said the sanctions will ensure Putin pays an even steeper price for his aggression abroad and repression at home. In addition to targeting 500 entities and individuals in Russia, the U.S. Treasury has blacklisted the Russian state-owned operator of its payment system, Mir, which became incredibly popular after the West cut Russia off from the SWIFT financial network as well as MasterCard and Visa services. Medvedev, who now serves as the deputy chair of the Russian Security Council, spoke out against the sanctions and said that Moscow should retaliate against the West using the harshest means possible over sanctions that he says go beyond targeting Russian authorities and hurt ordinary people. They are directed at the whole Russian population. The rationale is clear: the more Russian citizens suffer, the better it is for the Western world, he said. For Medvedev, the solution is making everyone in the West suffer. He said to "let them all suffer there. We all just need to remember this and take revenge on them where we can." Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity's knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Learn about our free, non-commercial AI / LLM project here. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions. He outlined what he believes is the best punishment, saying Moscow should exact revenge by creating various difficulties in the economy, stirring up public discontent over the foolish policies of the authorities in the West, and promoting international decisions that undermine the interests of the Western world. Medvedev has threatened nuclear Armageddon in the past However, on this occasion he did not make the nuclear threats against the West that he has resorted to in the past. Earlier this month, he warned that Russia would launch Armageddon and nuke cities such as London, Berlin and Washington, D.C. if Russia is forced to give up the territory in Ukraine it has taken over. The Putin ally reiterated that such a move would be considered a declaration of war and would be responded to accordingly, writing on Telegram: Attempts to restore Russias 1991 borders will lead only to one thing a global war with Western countries with the use of our entire strategic (nuclear) arsenal against Kyiv, Berlin, London and Washington. And against all other beautiful historic places that have long been included in the flight targets of our nuclear triad. Cato Institute Director of Defense and Foreign Policy Studies Justin Logan told Newsweek that while the Biden administration may succeed in restricting Russian exports with its sanctions, doing so will probably not lead to a Russian defeat in Ukraine. He said that not only is a significant amount of global compliance needed to make these sanctions effective, but if Russia considers the price it is paying to be worth it to achieve their goals, the war is unlikely to end. He added: "Unless the administration engages on the central issueUkraine's strategic orientation and U.S. support for its membership in NATOit will be left counterpunching with tactical measures that cannot force Russia to end the war on Ukraine's terms." While some might argue that Medvedevs comments show that the new sanctions are indeed having the desired effects and causing panic in Moscow, the U.S. has been increasingly angering Russia, and the damning expose by the New York Times revealing how the CIA has helped Ukraine train commandos and spies and set up a dozen secret spy bases there is only adding fuel to the fire. Sources for this article include: RT.com Newsweek.com NYPost.com Safraxs Steve Dan discusses the benefits of CHLORINE DIOXIDE with the Health Ranger Safrax's Steve Dan joined the Health Ranger Mike Adams on the latter's "Health Ranger Report" to talk about the benefits of chlorine dioxide The founder of Natural News and Brighteon.com cited the various uses of chlorine dioxide, such as sanitizing surfaces and purifying water for drinking. According to him, chlorine dioxide is an essential part of every prepper's bag of tools. Dan agreed, noting that his company founded in 2011 offers tablets that make chlorine dioxide instantly by just adding them to the water. He explained that chlorine dioxide can be used in many ways from water purification, surface disinfection and air disinfection among others. It can also be used as a pesticide against bedbugs and cockroaches, and as a food wash to thoroughly clean fruits, vegetables, meat and fish. "You can pretty much use it everywhere," the Safrax founder continued. "It is very powerful for odor removal. This is actually the strongest odor-removal product that you have on the market; you don't have anything stronger to remove odor." Dan pointed out that a high concentration of chlorine dioxide can eliminate strong odors within 24 to 48 hours. Adams agreed, mentioning that it was effective in getting rid of skunk odors. Dan: Chlorine dioxide eliminates ALL pathogens when used as a surface sanitizer The Health Ranger also mentioned how chlorine dioxide was used to sanitize surfaces in many countries during the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. He asked his guest what kinds of pathogen can chlorine dioxide inhibit or destroy. In response, Dan said chlorine dioxide eliminates all pathogens and viruses, including resilient bacteria strains, when used as a surface sanitizer. We are building the infrastructure of human freedom and empowering people to be informed, healthy and aware. Learn about our free, downloadable AI tools on nutrition, health and preparedness at this article link. Every purchase at HealthRangerStore.com helps fund our efforts to build and share more tools for empowering humanity with knowledge and abundance. According to the Safrax founder, the chlorine dioxide molecule possesses high potency and oxidation potential enabling it to destroy various pathogens. Up to now, there is no virus or bacteria that chlorine dioxide cannot eliminate. Even Ebola, one of the strongest and most dangerous viruses, can be eliminated by using 2,000 parts per million of chlorine dioxide. Meanwhile, Adams disclosed that he has a lot of chlorine dioxide available for emergency preparedness, such as emergency off-grid first aid and sanitizing functions. He asked his guest if Safrax already has similar products, to which Dan replied in the affirmative. According to Dan, his company came out with one such product for the hotel industry a slow-release bag with a zeolite stone inside that can be dipped into chlorine dioxide and used to clean the air in an enclosed space. This slow-release bag can purify and improve air quality, reduce allergens and eliminate mild odors and harmful volatile organic compounds. It can last from one to three months and is good for about 50 cubic meters of space. Aside from this, Safrax has made five smaller bags containing 100 chlorine dioxide tablets. When opened, these can be used daily within a 30-day period. But if left unopened, they can last from three to six months. Dan added that his company is also coming out with smaller containers that are more akin to survival packaging bags. "Each package will actually have six individually wrapped tablets. So, we will have about 10 of those inside the survival bag which will be more resistant and waterproof. And it's much easier to travel with it," he told Adams. "You can just put it pretty much in your pocket, on your car, wherever you are. And if you just need one to disinfect or to purify water, you just take one tablet and you keep the rest. So, it's more in the vision of [a] survival bag." The Safrax founder said all their bags, regardless of size, contain the same chlorine dioxide tablets that can be used to sanitize the air, remove odors and disinfect surfaces. Watch the full conversation between Safrax founder Steve Dan and the Health Ranger Mike Adams below. This video is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: MILLIONS die every year from superbug infections because the medical establishment wont dare talk about CHLORINE DIOXIDE, which kills superbugs. Study finds that chlorine dioxide destroys gender-bender herbicide atrazine in water. Chlorine dioxide found to halt African swine fever virus: STUDY. Chlorine dioxide makes chickens healthier, study finds. Chlorine dioxide found to destroy DIOXINS in pulp/paper mass. Sources include: Brighteon.com Food-Safety.com Safrax.com Secret CIA collusion inside Ukraine EXPOSED in blistering new report A recent, blistering report from The New York Times has shed light on a dozen secret CIA bases inside Ukraine tasked with sabotaging Russia (Article by Vince Quill republished from WLTReport.com) The article went on to claim that the Central Intelligence Agency ran these clandestine operations inside Ukraine for the past 10 years. This does not surprise me in the least, given that the CIA staged a coup within the country in 2014 to remove a duly elected pro-Russian administration from power. Likewise, these new revelations do not come as a shock. Recall that the Russian leadership regularly accused U.S. and NATO forces of using Ukraine as a staging ground to run aerial reconnaissance missions over Russian airspace. NATO was warned and told to knock it off several times before Russia finally took action and invaded Ukraine. If the Chinese used Canada as a staging ground to harass the United States and run aerial recon missions over U.S. airspace how would we react? Conservative, libertarian, and independent political figures all chimed in to condemn the CIAs actions in Eastern Europe: The New York Times came out with a bombshell article on Sunday detailing the past ten years of CIA active warfare from within Ukraine against Russia. From building 12 CIA bases within the country, to instructing on sabotage inside Russia to providing targeting intelligence pic.twitter.com/IbJvV2IjJU Ron Paul (@RonPaul) February 26, 2024 ?The New York Times disclosed yesterday that the CIA built "12 Secret Spy Bases" in Ukraine, waging a shadow war against Russia for the past decade. After a U.S.-supported violent coup toppled Ukraine's democratically elected government, CIA Director John Brennan visited Kyiv pic.twitter.com/DWluhJIKUq KanekoaTheGreat (@KanekoaTheGreat) February 26, 2024 Zero Hedge highlights: Among the biggest revelations is that the program was established a decade ago and spans three different American presidents. The Times says the CIA program to modernize Ukraines intelligence services has transformed the former Soviet state and its capabilities into Washingtons most important intelligence partners against the Kremlin today. Robert F. Kennedy was a voice of reason amid the recent revelations: The CIA was building spy bases in Ukraine along the Russian border starting in 2014. I wonder how we would respond if Russia or China built spy bases on the US/Mexico border. With all their information gathering and newly trained operatives, they couldnt wind down conflict between Ukraine and Russia. In fact, it seems the CIA only made matters worse. The CIA was building spy bases in Ukraine along the Russian border starting in 2014. I wonder how we would respond if Russia or China built spy bases on the US/Mexico border. With all their information gathering and newly trained operatives, they couldn't wind down conflict pic.twitter.com/3Q6aGyqUHF Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) February 26, 2024 CNN knows 2 great ways to keep liberals and parts of the US "left" on board with funding the war in Ukraine: 1) Assure them that CIA spying bases in Ukraine are very important; 2) Convince them that the US arms industry is benefiting. They know liberal politics and values. https://t.co/HVD8pHeccX Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) February 26, 2024 The Kyiv Independent attempted to legitimize the need for the secret CIA bases: The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has supported a network of a dozen bases in Ukraine that are increasingly at risk if Republicans continue to block $61 billion in funding for Kyiv, the New York Times (NYT) reported on Feb. 25. The network of bases is the result of a decade of relationship-building between the CIA and Ukraine, according to the NYT, which conducted 200 interviews with current and former intelligence officials in Ukraine, Europe, and the U.S. for the article. Read more at: WLTReport.com Vice Media implodes, will stop publishing content on its propaganda-filled woke website Another liberal media outlet is closing its doors as Vice Media has announced that hundreds of its employees will be given their walking papers and they will stop publishing on their website CEO Bruce Dixon told employees in a memo: It is no longer cost effective to distribute our digital content the way we have done previously. Vice was founded in the 1990s and prided itself on its irreverent brand of gonzo journalism. Although the outlet and its reputation have evolved in some ways since its inception, it has remained overwhelmingly degenerate and struggled greatly in recent months. Former writer Harry Cheadle described Vice in a piece for The New Republic about its demise, saying: It was stunt journalism, and arguably not even journalism, but it was daring and provocative. Cheadle, who acknowledged it helped launched his career, summed up what it was known for in its early days: There was a gross jar that was a jar filled with gross stuff; this was a recurring column. We had a whole series where wed give someone acid, send them somewhere weird, and film them. Vice headlines sound like a parody of woke millennial content If you havent had the exasperating experience of stumbling upon their articles, a look at some of their headlines will tell you everything you need to know about Vice and why theyre shutting down. Theres How To Get Free Coke, with practical tips on obtaining the drug, not the soft drink, without paying for it. It was written by someone whose bio claims shes a part-time psycho who enjoys flirting with security guards, and much of her advice revolves around trading sex for drugs. Another winning drug-related title on the site is What Happens If You Snort Asbestos and Other Random Things You Shouldnt? We are building the infrastructure of human freedom and empowering people to be informed, healthy and aware. Learn about our free, downloadable AI tools on nutrition, health and preparedness at this article link. Every purchase at HealthRangerStore.com helps fund our efforts to build and share more tools for empowering humanity with knowledge and abundance. Vice also published Paintballing with Hezbollah, a piece in which four of their writers played paintball with Hezbollah fighters in a basement under a Beirut strip mall like theyre hanging out with the cool kids at school. Youll also find such useful instructional pieces as How to Make Breakfast With Your Vagina, about a woman who made yogurt out of vaginal secretions, and How to Eat Out a Non-Op Trans Woman, a title that takes a few reads to understand what they are even trying to say in an article that approaches the subject with considerable seriousness. The great advice continues with Buying Abortion Pills Online Is Overwhelmingly Safe, But Maybe Illegal and another one headlined Totally Abortion! in which the writer claims: It is a goal of mine to make abortion cool amongst teenagers. Like not just OK, but actually cool. Theyve also published a piece called Dear White People, Please Stop Pretending Reverse Racism Is Real with the tagline Its literally impossible to be racist to a white person. So many of their articles sound so stereotypically millennial that they almost seem like parodies or nonsense output generated by a super-liberal AI when prompted to come up with something that sounds like it would be written by an outcast teen who wants people to think theyre edgy. Ridiculous titles aside, we should also mention theyve written numerous smear pieces taking aim at conservative commentators and independent media outlets that report on important, life-and-death topics that the mainstream media wont touch out of fear of abandonment by their corporate sponsors. Go woke, go broke In short, Vice did not contribute much of value and will not be missed. In fact, it was largely a bunch of propaganda and smear jobs, which is why it is no surprise to see it become part of a broader trend of far-left media outlets struggling. Job cuts have hit BuzzFeed, the Washington Post, Pitchfork, Time and Vox Media, to name just a few, and while no journalist in their right mind would be truly happy to see another media outlet close its doors these days, the writing has been on the wall for Vice for a long time. Sources for this article include: Modernity.news NewRepublic.com Muslims and Christians WILL UNITE to fight the Antichrist, Aamar the Muslim predicts in live interview with Mike Adams Muslim believer Aamar, who visited the Health Ranger Mike Adams at the Brighteon.com studios, has predicted that Muslims and Christians are going to unite against the Antichrist "There's a part of this foretelling of the future to come the coming of Jesus Christ, when Muslims and Christians will actually join together and fight this One World Antichrist. We believe in the Antichrist," Aamar told Adams during his appearance on the "Health Ranger Report." Adams then asked if there was something in the Muslim prophecies that talk about this prediction, to which his guest said yes. Both the Quran (the perfect Word of God or Allah) and the Hadith (the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad) mention the Prophet, who is known as the "walking Quran" and the "truthful one." The Prophet's arrival had been foretold by the Lord Jesus Christ, said Aamar. In the same manner, the Hadith also mentions the coming Antichrist, called the Dajjal (deceiver) in the Muslim tradition. According to Aamar, this Antichrist in the Muslim tradition will manifest in the form of a child who will be born with a special power. "One is born, already living through the ages, and the other one is yet to be born," he added, noting that Dajjal will have one eye. Adams then remarked that if the Antichrist is not currently alive and running the show, it means that truly evil humans are doing it all on their own. Aamar continued that while the Dajjal is yet to come, the Antichrist is already born. He explained that this Antichrist comes in the form of the One World Government, which people started talking about during the 1980s and 1990s. "This is basically what you consider the Antichrist," the guest remarked. "And this Antichrist will come, and he will wreak havoc." Thanks to your generous support, we are building the infrastructure of human freedom and actively donating our technology to independent publishers, authors and home schooling organizations. Learn about our game-changing non-commercial AI project here. Support our ongoing efforts to preserve and enhance human knowledge by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com. Unity between Christians and Muslims is crucial to defeat the Antichrist Given this, the Health Ranger returned to Aamar's statement about Muslims and Christians uniting for humanity's victory against the Antichrist. Aamar agreed, noting that the two religions really have to work together. The founder of Brighteon.com and Natural News also mentioned that both Muslims and Christians need to talk about how they can protect their humanity, as well as their families and future. Both parties talking about these things is something that must happen globally in order for humanity to win, he continued. According to Aamar, a "war" is going on and this war seeks to ensure that the subversive minds don't win. Adams agreed, citing that a cabal is keeping people separated so they can be easily defeated. This, he added, is the reason why hatred is being pushed globally in order to turn everybody against each other. (Related: Luciferian leftists are teaching AI systems to push antichrist propaganda) Aamar continued that it is about dividing and conquering people. They have been divided both at the macro level, i.e. Christian versus Muslim, and at the micro level. But when humanity's minds come together, Aamar said, the people keeping them divided will be beaten. The Muslim guest also noted that while believers can rely on the Quran, they cannot always rely on some of the Hadith's supposed sayings because they had been manipulated. Adams agreed, saying that the same thing has happened with the Holy Bible with some of its verses twisted by some people for their own ends. Head over to AntiChrist.news for more stories like this. Watch the full conversation between Aamar the Muslim and the Health Ranger Mike Adams below. This video is from the Health Ranger Report channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: 5 Global powers fighting to take over the world WHO WILL WIN? Knoxville, Tenn., tried to impose antichrist restrictions on churches as part of reopening phases, no more singing, communion or Bibles. Rampant homosexuality and LGBT perversion are prophetic signs of end times. Sources include: Brighteon.com Britannica.com First outbreak of deadly, treatment-resistant fungal infection reported in Washington State Four cases of Candida auris infection were reported this February in Washington State at the Kindred Hospital, a long-term acute care facility on First Hill in Seattle. Public Health -- Seattle & King County was notified of the first case on Jan. 10, after a proactive screening program called the Partners for Patient Safety Program detected the infection in a patient who was recently admitted to Kindred. Additional screening of other patients identified two new cases on Jan. 22 and a fourth case with links to Kindred Hospital on Jan. 26. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the fungus C. auris can easily spread from person to person in hospitals and nursing homes, causing infections in the bloodstream, ear, urinary tract and wounds. While the fungus is not a threat to healthy people, an infected individual can carry C. auris somewhere in his body without knowing it because it doesn't make him sick. The CDC refers to this as "colonization." Dr. Meagan Kay, deputy chief of Public Health -- Seattle & King County, said patients who have a lot of underlying conditions and/or medical devices in place are at high risk of acquiring this infection, especially in healthcare settings. "The concern when you get "colonized" is that you are at higher risk for acquiring an infection that can lead to serious outcomes and death even at least 30 percent of the time," explained Kay. According to CDC data published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, the very first C. auris infection in the U.S. was reported in 2016, and the pathogen has spread rapidly since, with a total of 3,270 clinical cases (in which infection was present) and 7,413 screening cases (in which the fungus was detected but did not cause infection) reported through Dec. 31, 2021. The first case of C. auris infection in Washington State was reported in July 2023. Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity's knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Learn about our free, non-commercial AI / LLM project here. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions. According to Kay, it is "nearly impossible to eliminate this organism because it persists in the environment for even weeks at a time and its highly transmissible." (Related. Fungal brain infection that killed Texas woman and hospitalized four others linked to unsterilized equipment and cheap cosmetic surgeries in Mexico.) Research on Candida auris C. auris, a type of fungus that can cause potentially deadly bloodstream infections, can also infect the respiratory system, the central nervous system and the skin. "Traditionally, patients who get Candida infections are patients who have received a lot of antibiotics or are immuno-suppressed for other reasons. And, they are the people that are most at risk of getting C. auris," explained infectious disease physician and epidemiologist Dr. Anthony D. Harris of the University of Maryland School of Medicine. The CDC said cases of C. auris are growing in the United States. The fungus is resistant to common anti-fungal drugs, can survive on clothing and hard surfaces, and often spreads in hospital settings. Harris noted: "The healthcare worker is the 'transient vector' transiently getting it on their clothing or their hands and then they move it from one room to another or through shared equipment." The University of Maryland is one of 11 epicenters in the U.S. currently participating in a CDC study of C. auris. The university is also gathering data to help the State Health Department determine the prevalence of Candida auris in Maryland. Superfungus infections have risen in many parts of the U.S. In October 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that C. auris infection has become rampant in healthcare settings in recent years, where it has killed up to a third of infected patients, becoming a "major threat" to public health. "Emerging from the shadows of the bacterial antimicrobial resistance pandemic, fungal infections are growing and are ever more resistant to treatments, becoming a public health concern worldwide. Fears of widespread infections have been made worse because C. auris is becoming resistant to drugs, and there is currently no vaccine to prevent the infection," said Dr. Hanan Balkhy, WHO Assistant Director-General for Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). "With a kill rate of 60 percent, case numbers of Candida auris infections more than tripled across America between 2020 and 2021 from 1,310 in 2020 to 4,041 in 2021. Cases of multidrug-resistant strains also became more common," reported the American College of Physicians (ACAP) in March 2023. From January to December 2022, more than 2,300 clinical cases and more than 5.700 screening cases have been recorded in the U.S., with Nevada having the highest number of cases, followed by California and then Florida, according to the CDC. Visit Outbreak.news for more stories like this. Watch this video about Washington State hospitals taking precautions after confirming the first case of Candida auris fungal infection in a patient. This video is from the Daily Videos channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Rare fungal infection spreads at Michigan paper mill, affecting 100 workers. Oregon hospital reports outbreak of rare fungal superbug. Fungal meningitis outbreak causes 7th death, CDC wants everyone to get "tested." Sources include: KOMONews.com PublicHealthInsider.com CDC.gov DailyMail.co.uk 1 DailyMail.co.uk 2 DailyMail.co.uk 3 Brighteon.com Hiring the most qualified person for the job is discriminatory, claim major universities At least five universities, all in the United Kingdom, now claim that hiring people based on qualifications rather than skin color is a "micro aggression" and form of "discrimination" that must not be tolerated. In the wake of criticism that DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) policies are leading to people, primarily whites, not being hired for jobs they are qualified for, the universities in question are speaking out against hiring people based on merit, calling this a "bad" thing, even though universities exist to provide qualifications through education. At the University of Glasgow in Scotland, the "big brains" issued a statement as part of an "anti-racism" campaign asserting that merit-based hiring is wrong because it insinuates "that race does not play a role in life successes. As for claims that "everyone can succeed if they work hard enough," the University of Glasgow considers this to be a "micro aggression," the implication being that such a statement is offensive to underperforming non-whites who are apparently incapable of working hard enough to succeed, according to the school. At Imperial College London, it is now considered "discriminatory" to make statements like "men and women have equal opportunity for achievement" and "positive action is racist." Newcastle University now has a guidance stating that white people are not allowed to say things like "white people get killed by the police, too" because this, too, is a "micro aggression." (Related: Despite a Supreme Court ruling against such, medical schools across the U.S. are vowing to continue teaching anti-white hate to the next generation of doctors.) Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity's knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Learn about our free, non-commercial AI / LLM project here. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions. Are white people allowed to say or do anything? One of the people trying to expose all this insanity is Dr. Edward Skidelsky of the Committee for Academic Freedom (CAF), a free speech advocacy group that is warning about what these schools are doing to push anti-white hate in employment. "By campaigning against questioning and denial, these universities are advocating an uncritical acceptance of statements in the various, undefined areas that their microaggression guides refer to," Skidelsky is quoted as saying. "The effect, again, is to undermine a culture of free inquiry." "Universities must not campaign against the expression of lawful beliefs. They must not take official positions. They must not outlaw 'questioning' and 'denial.' They must not undermine free inquiry." Another campaigner against such nonsense is Chris McGovern, chairman of Campaign for Real Education, who warned that the "woke virus has infected universities in a major way." "It is cowardly," McGovern says about these schools' policies. "Universities are supposed to show their intelligence and reason and they are disapplying their intelligence and reason in order to pursue the woke agenda." The many consequences of the woke virus spreading through academia include schools erasing words like "man" and "mother" from existence; claiming that men can lactate; calling the word "American" a "harmful" use of language; encouraging students to use LGBTQ+ "neopronouns;" and removing the word "field" from school materials for being "racist." "Nothing shouts implicit racism more than formalizing a reduced performance standard for a group of people based on their skin pigmentation," joked one commenter sarcastically about how all these "anti-racist" policies are about as racist as it gets towards people with dark skin. "There should be anti-racism laws against such bigots and they should be bounced out of any current or future leadership or administrative jobs." Another wrote that such insanity is "typical" of today's so-called academics, who are so engrossed in their little leftist bubbles that they have lost all sight and concept of reality. "Their vision is pure communism," this person added, "which is not surprising in academics, of course. It stymies striving for success while awarding mediocrity and failure." Many colleges and universities have gone so "woke" that young people are better off just going to trade school. Learn more at Wokies.news. Sources for this article include: Modernity.news NaturalNews.com Comprehensive review highlights key adverse events linked to COVID-19 vaccines An extensive examination of global vaccine adverse event reporting systems and scientific literature reveals a range of notable adverse reactions associated with COVID-19 vaccines. (Article republished from YourNews.com) An in-depth analysis by The Epoch Times of adverse event reporting systems from the United States, United Kingdom, South Africa, and peer-reviewed scientific literature has identified a list of significant adverse events reported following COVID-19 vaccination. These events range from widely recognized complications such as blood clots and myocarditis to less discussed but documented effects in research studies. The ranking of these adverse events is based on their reported severity. The U.S. Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), a passive system that relies on individuals to report their experiences, along with the United Kingdoms Yellow Card Reporting system and South Africas VAERS database, were pivotal sources for this review. Though VAERS does not establish causality, it is instrumental in identifying unusual patterns that may signal potential vaccine safety concerns, as explained on its official website. Among the adverse reactions, some have been previously detailed by The Epoch Times, with further information available through linked past articles. Healthcare professionals treating persistent adverse reactions from COVID-19 vaccines attribute these issues primarily to the COVID-19 spike protein, inherent to both the virus itself and induced by mRNA vaccines. These vaccines prompt the body to produce spike proteins, which are then targeted by the immune system to create immunity. However, the spike protein is also known for its inflammatory and toxic properties, leading to a range of symptoms in some vaccinated individuals. Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity's knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Learn about our free, non-commercial AI / LLM project here. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions. Experts have identified six potential mechanisms through which the spike protein could inflict harm: Immune dysregulation Blood clotting and vascular damage Mitochondrial dysfunction Mast cell activation syndrome Autoimmune reactions Tissue damage due to persistent spike proteins Additionally, the role of lipid nanoparticles in mRNA vaccines has come under scrutiny. Research indicates that these particles can trigger inflammatory responses and affect immune system activity, contributing to reported adverse events. COVID-19 Vaccine General Adverse Events The most common COVID-19 vaccine adverse events are those that affect the body generally. Chest pain may be a sign of myocarditis, but it can also be due to inflamed rib joints, lung inflammation, or neuropathy in the chestall of which will be explained later in the article. may be a sign of myocarditis, but it can also be due to inflamed rib joints, lung inflammation, or neuropathy in the chestall of which will be explained later in the article. Fatigue after vaccination is mostly transient. However, some people may experience persistent and debilitating fatigue, where even taking showers or doing a basic chore leaves them exhausted for the remainder of the day. Around 8 percent to 80 percent of vaccinated individuals report fatigue as a side effect, with most cases being mild. However, for some people, fatigue may never seem to get better. A study that followed 498 vaccinated physicians and dentists showed that around 6 percent reported long-term fatigue post-vaccination. One possible reason for the fatigue is mitochondrial dysfunction. Mitochondria are the bodys cellular powerhouse, present in most cells and responsible for producing energy for the body. after vaccination is mostly transient. However, some people may experience persistent and debilitating fatigue, where even taking showers or doing a basic chore leaves them exhausted for the remainder of the day. Around 8 percent to 80 percent of vaccinated individuals report fatigue as a side effect, with most cases being mild. However, for some people, fatigue may never seem to get better. A study that followed 498 vaccinated physicians and dentists showed that around 6 percent reported long-term fatigue post-vaccination. One possible reason for the fatigue is mitochondrial dysfunction. Mitochondria are the bodys cellular powerhouse, present in most cells and responsible for producing energy for the body. Fever and chills may manifest due to the bodys immune system fighting off the vaccine and are usually transient. may manifest due to the bodys immune system fighting off the vaccine and are usually transient. Swelling and pain at the injection site is usually transient. Pain can also happen throughout the body. at the injection site is usually transient. Pain can also happen throughout the body. Armpit pain may indicate that the bodys immunity is fighting off infections. The armpit area houses a cluster of lymph nodes that contain immune cells. These lymph nodes can become swollen after infection and vaccinations, leading to pain in the underarm area. Nervous System Disorders Nervous system disorders are some of the most common adverse events reported. In the Pfizer trials, these disorders were the third most common, coming after general and muscle-related adverse events, while they were the second most common in the Moderna trials. Animal and model studies have shown that spike proteins can cross the blood-brain barrier. A 2023 preprint study found spike proteins in the brain tissues of deceased COVID-19 patients. The histological brain examinations of the late German pathologist Dr. Arne Burkhardt showed that spike proteins damage blood vessels in the brain. Spike proteins share structural similarities with proteins present in the human nervous system, and when our bodies attack the spike protein, collateral damage to the nerves may also occur. mRNA vaccines also contain a prion region and have been shown to accelerate the formation of misfolded proteins, which are potentially linked to Alzheimers and Parkinsons disease. Guillain-Barre Syndrome The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recognizes Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) as a safety signal of the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccine. A study published in Scientific Reports found that COVID-19 vaccine recipients have a 42 percent increased incidence of developing GBS. GBS is an autoimmune disease. COVID-19 spike proteins share similarities with over 28 human proteins, including glial tissues and brain growth factors. Therefore, if the body attacks the spike protein, some of the antibodies formed may also attack the brain and the nervous system, potentially leading to neurological disorders. Dementia While COVID-19 vaccination has not been directly linked to dementia, it has been linked with cognitive deficits, memory loss, and delirium, all of which are symptoms of dementia. A study funded by the National Institute on Aging reported delirium the day after vaccination in older people in a nursing home, but it was resolved within two weeks. The Italian NEURO-COVAX population-based study evaluating over 19,000 people found that almost 2 percent reported cognitive fog after vaccination. Seizures In October 2022, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) researchers detected seizures as a safety signal for children aged 5 and under who received the mRNA vaccines. A Japanese study that followed 332 people with epilepsy observed seizure worsening following vaccination in 5.7 percent of those who received their first and second COVID-19 vaccines. Data from the Global Vaccine Data Network (GVDN) showed that the first and second doses of the Moderna vaccine were associated with an increased risk of febrile seizures, convulsions in children caused by a fever. The first dose of the Moderna vaccine and fourth dose of the Pfizer vaccine were associated with an increased risk of generalized seizures. Additionally, the first dose of the Moderna vaccine was also associated with acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, a type of autoimmune condition that may present as seizure attacks. Gait Disturbance One review linked four cases of gait disturbance to the COVID-19 vaccine. Another paper published in Cureus reported four neurological case studies, with one patient developing gait disturbance from Guillain-Barre syndrome and one from meningitis-retention syndrome. Researchers at the University of Florida followed several Parkinsons disease patients who experienced worsening Parkinsonian symptoms after vaccination, with gait disturbance being the most common. Bells Palsy Bells palsy manifests as facial muscle weakness or paralysis and has been recognized as a COVID-19 vaccine safety signal by researchers at the FDA. An FDA preprint found that older people who received the Pfizer booster had a higher rate of developing Bells palsy. Data from the GVDN similarly found that the first doses of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines were associated with an increased risk of Bells palsy. Tremors Sensory changes such as pins and needles, temperature intolerance, pain, and lack of sensation are all indicators of neuropathy. The Epoch Times has reported on neuropathy that occurs after vaccination. Neuropathy is when sensory neurons in the periphery are damaged. If the neuron is meant to detect heat, then the damage may cause a burning sensation or reduced ability to detect temperature. Damage to the neurons meant to detect touch may result in a pins-and-needles feeling, diminished sensation, or even a feeling of electric shock. Headaches and Dizziness Though many people have temporary headaches or dizziness after vaccination, some may also experience persistent and painful migraines that affect daily living. These headaches may be the result of neuroinflammation induced by the spike protein. Fainting, or a temporary loss of consciousness, can occur due to decreased blood flow to the brain. Cardiac Disorders Spike proteins have been shown to damage the endothelium lining of the heart, causing inflammation and fusing the heart muscle cells, as demonstrated by research conducted at the Mayo Clinic. Both processes can harm the heart muscles functioning, leading to various conditions. A German study published in the British Journal of Pharmacology showed that heart cells exposed to the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines produce spike protein and exhibit different abnormalities. Cardiac Arrest There has only been a few studies linking cardiac arrest with COVID-19 vaccination. Analysis of the World Health Organizations (WHO) adverse events database showed that the COVID-19 vaccines were associated with an increased risk of cardiac arrest in those older than 75 years of age. Only one peer-reviewed study has linked cardiac arrest with the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine, in which a 59-year-old male with no significant past medical history received a third dose of the mRNA shot and experienced cardiac arrest within seven hours. Cardiomyopathy Cardiomyopathy is a condition affecting the heart muscle. The heart cavities may become enlarged, with the muscles becoming thicker or stiffer, causing a weakened heart and even leading to heart failure or cardiac arrest. A 2022 global review on stress cardiomyopathy cases reported post-vaccination found that, on average, most symptoms occurred around three days after vaccination. The authors concluded that the problem is rare but can be life-threatening. Medical journals documented several cases of cardiomyopathy, including one healthy 63-year-old woman with no cardiovascular risk factors who was admitted to the emergency room one day after her first dose of the Moderna vaccine. Heart Attack Spike protein damages blood vessels and is also prone to forming blood clots, which can block coronary arteries, leading to heart attacks. The WHOs adverse events database showed that the COVID-19 vaccines are associated with an elevated risk of heart attacks in those older than 75. Several case studies have reported heart attacks within 24 hours of vaccination, including one Japanese case study and one Harvard University study. Myocarditis and Pericarditis Reports of myocarditis as a safety signal have been extensively reported in The Epoch Times premium reports. Recently, FDA researchers have also detected myocarditis as a safety signal for the latest COVID-19 monovalent vaccines. It can occur as a result of spike protein damaging the heart muscles. A paper published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that the Moderna vaccine was associated with a higher rate of myocarditis than the Pfizer vaccine for young men. Like myocarditis, pericarditis is also a type of heart inflammation, but the outside heart lining is affected rather than the heart muscles. Pericarditis can lead to pericardial effusion, which occurs when fluid builds up around the heart. The Epoch Times has reported on a professional mountain biker who was diagnosed with pericarditis after vaccination and was hospitalized. Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) Cases of POTS have increased in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. POTS is a condition that causes rapid heart rate when a person changes positions from lying down to standing up, indicating dysfunction between the nervous and cardiovascular systems. Dr. Tae Chung, director of the Johns Hopkins POTS program, noticed some unusual cases among medical students or physicians who were vaccinated but not infected with COVID-19. Later, a large cohort study identified a possible link between the COVID-19 vaccine and the disease. In July 2023, The Epoch Times spoke to two women in their 20s who were diagnosed with POTS after COVID-19 vaccination. Arrhythmia Arrhythmias occur when there is an electrical malfunctioning of the heart, with heartbeats becoming too rapid, slow, or irregular. A study published in Vaccine: X found an increased risk for arrhythmias without myocarditis within 14 days of a second dose of mRNA vaccine in adults. The Moderna vaccine presented a greater risk than the Pfizer. A systematic review concluded that the incidence rate of cardiac arrhythmia post-COVID-19 vaccination is rare and ranges between 1 and 76 per 10,000. Another 2023 review said the problem is not uncommon. Atrial fibrillation, the most common type of arrhythmia, has also been reported in the literature. Hypertension As the vaccination campaign continues, evidence of possible blood pressure alteration has accumulated. The mechanism is unknown; it may be linked to the reduction of angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE-2) receptors in the body, as spike proteins bind to ACE-2 receptors to enter cells. A meta-analysis study published in the Journal of Cardiovascular Development and Disease examining data on 357,387 vaccinated individuals found that around 3.2 percent reported an increase in blood pressure in post-vaccination reports filed 15 minutes to days after vaccination. Heart Palpitations Heart palpitation is a sign of underlying heart disease, though it is typically transient and non-severe. Blood Disorders A major side effect reported following vaccination is blood clots. Spike proteins are particularly prone to clotting. While most blood clots require the presence of thrombin and platelets, spike proteins can form clots even in the absence of these proteins. Early in the vaccine rollout, the now discontinued J&J vaccine was shown to cause blood clotting despite low platelets in the blood. The mRNA vaccines have similar problems. Spike proteins also change the structure of the proteins inside the clot, resulting in amyloid-like blood clots that are much larger and harder to break down. Multiple studies have shown that spike proteins directly bind to clotting factors in the blood, promoting both large and microclot formations. Depending on where the blood clots form, patients may develop various pathologies related to the clotting. Stroke In early 2023, the FDA and CDC released a joint statement declaring stroke as a new safety signal in older people who took Pfizer bivalent boosters. However, months later, they reversed the statement. A self-controlled case series that followed 32 million British people found that COVID-19 vaccination was associated with a 38 percent increased risk of hemorrhagic stroke, or brain bleeds. A study published in the Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Disease followed a woman in her 80s who first had a stroke three days after she took her first COVID-19 mRNA vaccine. She then had a second stroke three days after her second dose. A statewide study that followed 5 million people living in Georgia found that those who contracted COVID-19 within 21 days of vaccination were at the highest risk of stroke. Signs and symptoms of stroke include the inability to understand language (aphasia) and difficulty speaking (dysarthria), both of which have been reported following COVID-19 vaccination. Pulmonary Embolism Pulmonary embolism occurs when blood clots form inside the lungs. This can impair oxygen exchange and excretion of carbon dioxide within the lungs and is potentially fatal. Data from the GVDN showed that the recipients of the first mRNA vaccine doses or the AstraZeneca vaccine were all associated with an increased risk of pulmonary embolism between 20 and 33 percent. A case study published by clinicians at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center discussed two cases of pulmonary embolism after patients had been administered the Pfizer vaccine, both of which affected those who were otherwise not at higher risk for blood clots. A Korean study published in Vaccines reported a case of pulmonary embolism that occurred seven days after the patient took his first mRNA vaccine shot. Deep Vein Thrombosis Blood clotting in the veins in the limbs is also potentially fatal if the clot stops blood from flowing back to the lungs. While large studies have not found an increased risk of deep vein thrombosis with COVID-19 vaccination, several case studies have linked patients deep vein thrombosis to vaccination. For example, a 75-year-old male developed swelling in his left leg 10 days after his second dose of the Pfizer vaccine. Vasculitis Vasculitis is damage and inflammation to the blood vessels, which could further encourage blood clotting. The more common vasculitis diseases affect the smaller blood vessels, causing red spots and lumps on the skin and possible organ damage. A paper published in the Journal of Rheumatology associated the COVID-19 vaccine with an uptick in IgA vasculitis, a type of vasculitis. Another mini-review published in Frontiers in Medicine also stated that cases of vasculitis of the skin have been more frequently reported after COVID-19 vaccinations than after infection. Raynauds Phenomenon Raynauds phenomenon is a condition in which some areas, usually the fingers, feel numb and cool due to restricted blood supply to these areas. A study followed 19 patients who developed Raynauds phenomenon after COVID-19 vaccinations. Around 80 percent of the participants had no preexisting Raynauds phenomenon. The authors concluded that while their study does not infer a causal relationship between vaccination and the occurrence of Raynauds phenomenon, they found the temporal relationship unsettling. Cyanosis, a condition where a persons fingers and lips turn blue due to poor circulation, can also occur due to Raynauds phenomenon. Skin Disorders A plethora of skin symptoms have been reported after COVID-19 vaccination. Skin reactions can manifest as signs of an allergic or immune response to the vaccine. While the reactions are generally transient, some people may suffer from the condition for a long time. A large study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology identified several common adverse reactions: rashes, itchy, red skin, and hives. Some rashes may appear a day or two after vaccination, and some have a delayed onset, as long as 714 days after vaccination. Most of these rashes resolve on their own with time, the lead author Dr. Esther Freeman, director of Global Health Dermatology at Massachusetts General Hospital, said in a press release. Vitiligo Vitiligo is an autoimmune condition where pigment is lost from areas of the skin, causing whitish patches. A systematic review of vitiligo cases linked to COVID-19 vaccines published in September 2023 identified 15 new or worsened cases. Livedo Reticularis The skin condition is thought to be caused by inflamed blood vessels and often presents with blotchy, reddish-blue to purple, net-like patterns on the skin. A case study published in the Journal of Rheumatology followed an 80-year-old woman who developed livedo reticularis on her left upper arm and surrounding areas a day after her third vaccination dose. Another case study identified a case occurring in the knee cap, also after a third COVID-19 vaccination. The patches, however, resolve when the skin is warmed. Hair Loss Hair loss can be due to hormonal changes, stress, and autoimmune conditions. A study published in Skin Appendage Disorders reported five cases of hair loss after the people received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. While the condition mostly resolved, one patient suffered progressive worsening alopecia with each subsequent vaccination. A study published in Vaccines discussed several cases that involved a female patient who had no history of COVID-19. Three days after her first AstraZeneca booster, she reported to a clinic complaining of excessive hair loss. Sun Allergy A sun allergy describes a condition where a persons skin becomes itchy with rash formations a few hours after exposure to the sun. It is often caused by excessive histamine release and is usually linked to mast cell activation syndrome, which will be introduced in the Immune and Autoimmune Disorders section. Psoriasis In psoriasis patients, skin cells multiply too quickly due to immune dysregulation, causing patches of skin to become scaly and inflamed. A review study conducted by Taiwan researchers found 314 cases of new-onset psoriasis or flares. First, second, and third vaccine doses were associated with psoriasis incidents, with the second dose most frequently associated with psoriasis flares, the authors wrote. Eczema Eczema is a condition caused by inflammation, leading to dry and itchy skin. A paper published in the British Journal of Dermatology followed over 1,900 people with a history of eczema or psoriasis. Ninety percent experienced at least one flare-up following vaccination. Another study linked the cases of 22 patients in the United States who reported either itchy skin or eczema to prior COVID-19 vaccination. Excessive Sweating Excessive sweating has been identified as a side effect by the United Nations Childrens Fund. Erythema Multiforme A skin disorder characterized by bulls-eye-shaped lesions, erythema multiforme is often thought to be caused by an allergic reaction. A review investigated 31 studies and identified 90 patients with erythema multiforme as a side effect of COVID-19 vaccination. Pityriasis Rosea Pityriasis rosea is a rash that often begins as an oval spot on the face, chest, abdomen, or back. A review published in Immunity, Inflammation and Disease identified 111 people who developed pityriasis rosea after COVID-19 vaccination. Most had symptoms in their trunk area, and the average time of onset was nine days. Recovery, on average, took a month and a half. Psychiatric Disorders The Epoch Times premium reports have extensively discussed various psychiatric disorders reported in the literature and by clinicians. The problem can be as mild as sleeplessness or as severe as psychosis. Studies have also found the reverse, stating that COVID-19 vaccinations improved mental health conditions. Hallucinations This phenomenon has developed in some of those vaccinated, often reported in the literature as psychosis. An Indian review documented 11 cases of psychiatric adverse events from COVID-19 vaccinations, of which five patients also developed hallucinations. One such case manifested on the same day as the vaccination. Another case study described a 45-year-old woman with no history or family history of mental disorders who developed psychosis a month after COVID-19 vaccination. The woman abruptly quit her job of 18 years and would only get dressed in the dark due to her delusions. Rare occurrences of psychosis after the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine are possible, the authors wrote. Anxiety and Depression In a previous premium report, psychiatrist Dr. Amanda McDonald told The Epoch Times that she observed patients anxiety and depression suddenly became resistant to psychiatric medication after their vaccination or COVID-19 infection. A study presented two patients whose bipolar disorder was previously stable for years on the same medications. Both experienced worsened depression and mania after vaccination. A 2021 report by the CDC found that four out of five vaccine-administration sites had to temporarily suspend vaccination due to anxiety-related symptoms, such as fainting soon after patients were given a dose of the J&J vaccine. Panic Attack Multiple case studies documented the sudden onset of panic attacks following vaccination. One case involved a 26-year-old woman who first developed suicidal ideation from panic attacks after a COVID-19 infection. After she recovered, she took a second dose of the Pfizer mRNA vaccine, and within four hours, she started to experience panic attack symptoms again. A 48-year-old man developed a fear of death and an impending sense of doom after taking a second dose of the Pfizer vaccine. Insomnia Though few studies have singled insomnia out as an adverse event following vaccination, sleep disturbance is often reported in association with other conditions. A Turkish study that tracked 787 vaccinated health care workers found around 11 percent reported at least one sleep disturbance. The Italian NEURO-COVAX study that evaluated over 19,000 people found that 1.6 percent reported insomnia, with the Moderna vaccine most linked to insomnia as an adverse event. Another study that tracked more than 69,000 individuals sleep, cardiovascular, and respiratory changes through their biometric device found that more of their sleeping time was spent in light sleep rather than restorative sleep for the first few days after vaccination. Infections COVID-19 vaccinations are supposed to improve immunity against the virus. However, a growing number of studies have found that repeated COVID-19 vaccination potentially weakens the immune system, putting the body at risk of infection from COVID-19 and other viruses. Pneumonia Several case studies have recorded pneumonia or lung infection associated with COVID-19 vaccines, though there have been no large reviews. A case study published in Bronchoneumolgia reported a patient who developed mild fever, shortness of breath, oppressive chest pain, and other symptoms within eight to 10 hours of taking a second vaccine dose. Another study published in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases reported the appearance of pneumonia symptoms in an 83-year-old man within a day of getting the COVID-19 vaccine. COVID-19 The COVID-19 disease itself is among the top 10 most common adverse reactions reported to VAERS. Studies from Cleveland Clinic have shown that repeat COVID-19 vaccinations are associated with increased risks of COVID-19 infections. Research led by professor Vladimir Uversky from the University of Florida predicted that repeat vaccination of the non-live COVID-19 vaccines could cause the body to become more tolerant of potential COVID-19 infections rather than boosting its own defense. Viral Reactivation and Infections Herpes zosters, chicken pox, and Epstein-Barr viruses are commonly reported. Opportunistic bacterial and fungal infections may also manifest due to a period of immunodeficiency. Eyes, Ears, Nose, and Mouth Issues The immune response following COVID-19 vaccination may lead to temporary lesions and inflammation affecting the eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. Tinnitus and Hearing Loss Tinnitus has been regularly reported both in VAERS and the Yellow Card reporting system. The exact mechanism for tinnitus is unknown, though some studies suggest neurological damage. Perhaps the most famous case of tinnitus was reported by Dr. Gregory Poland, director of the Mayo Clinics Vaccine Research Group, who developed severe tinnitus after he took his second dose of a Moderna shot in 2021. While the CDC has said it has not found evidence of a link between COVID-19 vaccination and tinnitus, the organizations internal documents show tinnitus as a safety signal in the VAERS system. Many studies have also made the connection. Sudden sensorineural hearing loss, or hearing loss 30 decibels or greater, is rarely but still reported after vaccinations. A 68-year-old female developed a ringing in her ears four days after the third dose of the Pfizer vaccine. A specialist follow-up appointment showed that she had significant hearing loss. A study published in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases reported three cases of sudden hearing loss around three days after vaccination. However, the researchers did not find a direct association with the vaccine. Visual Impairment and Eye Disorders The most common eye disorders reported are conjunctivitis and uveitis, both caused by inflammation of the eye tissues. An eye clinic in New Zealand tracked over 3,000 patients with eye conditions before and after COVID-19 vaccination. The authors concluded that vaccination increased their patients risks of uveitis. Other eye disorders affecting visual acuity and eye movement discoordination have also been reported. These disorders may be caused by damage to the optic and oculomotor nerves. A study reported 63 cases of oculomotor disorders following the first, second, or third COVID-19 vaccinations. Most of the conditions were due to cranial nerve palsy. Cranial nerves innervate all of the nerves in the eyes. Vertigo Vertigo is often linked to the ears, which help keep us in balance. Research conducted on British health care workers showed that vertigo was reported in around 2.5 percent of workers. Analysis of Koreas VAERS equivalent showed that between February 2021 and July 2022, vertigo was the third most common adverse reaction reported following COVID-19 vaccination in Korea. The authors calculated an incidence of 54.3 per 100,000 vaccinations. Smell and Taste Disorders Loss of smell and taste are common and persistent conditions following COVID-19 and its vaccinations. A Belgian study published in the Ear, Nose & Throat Journal followed six people who developed smell and taste disorders following vaccination in the absence of a positive COVID-19 test. Mouth Inflammation and Ulcers Pain and ulcers of the mouth, tongue, and gums can occur due to the inflammation the vaccine induces. Mouth ulcers can also occur as a result of reactivated viruses and fungi. Most cases are transient and respond well to treatment. Dry Mouth Dry mouth is a common reaction reported during viral infections and after using certain drugs and is linked with poor breath and an increased risk of cavities. A December 2023 study compared vaccinated children against unvaccinated and found that vaccinated children secreted less saliva. The European Union Drug Regulating Authorities Pharmacovigilance (EudraVigilance) database, accessed in August 2022, found dry mouth fairly commonwith 0.215 cases out of each 100 reports. Respiratory System Disorders Shortness of breath, rapid breathing, and cough are symptoms that arise or worsen following vaccination. Shortness of Breath Shortness of breath (dyspnea) is a widely acknowledged vaccine side effect that is usually transient. Australias COVID-19 Critical Intelligence Unit reported in 2022 that shortness of breath is among the most commonly reported symptoms after COVID-19 vaccine-associated myocarditis and pericarditis. Shortness of breath may be a sign of interstitial lung disease, with some cases linked to the COVID-19 vaccine. One case published in Chest identified a healthy 24-year-old male whofive days after receiving the Pfizer vaccinedeveloped shortness of breath and sharp chest pain. He was also coughing up blood due to blood clots in his lungs. Asthma Asthma exacerbation and worsening have been reported. One study published in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases examined a medical resident who had a history of asthma. An occasional smoker, the woman reported respiratory symptoms 10 hours after she took the second Pfizer vaccine. Another 55-year-old patient became short of breath a day after she took her booster. A CT scan showed wheezing in both lungs. Muscle and Joint Disorders A study that followed 803 vaccinated health care workers for their reported side effects found that about 60 percent reported general weakness or fatigue, 45 percent reported muscle pain, and roughly 10 percent reported spasms and stiffness. Joint pain was reported in more than 16 percent of the workers. Another study evaluating common side effects reported that joint pain tends to be a common side effect of vaccinations. Muscle Weakness and Spasms Muscle weakness, spasms, and loss of sensation can often indicate neurological injury. A review published in Acta Neurologica Belgica reported eight cases of muscle weakness, pain, or loss of sensation, and all of these patients were diagnosed to have Guillain-Barre syndrome or some type of neuropathy. Muscle pain can also be caused by myositis, inflammation of the muscles. A case study in India described a man who had severe muscle pain two days after his COVID-19 AstraZeneca vaccination. The doctors found that the pain was caused by direct damage to the muscles in his arms. Arthritis A Belgian study published in the journal Rheumatology followed 17 people who developed arthritis soon after being given the COVID-19 vaccines. Other studies have reported new and flared cases of arthritis in people days to weeks after being administered the mRNA and DNA vaccines. Costochondritis This is a condition where the joints in the rib cage become inflamed, leading to chest pain. Painful ribs are a less common phenomenon, with only a handful of cases. Gastrointestinal Disorders Digestive symptoms, including nausea and diarrhea, can range from mild to severe following COVID-19 vaccination. Appendicitis Studies in long-COVID patients showed that spike protein and its RNA can persist in the appendix, which may also apply to vaccine adverse events. Swedish researchers have identified appendicitis as a possible safety signal after examining the WHOs VigiBase. One case study identified the Pfizer vaccine as being the possible trigger to a 69-year-old womans appendicitis. Pancreatitis One possible explanation for pancreatitis developing post-vaccination is that the damage is induced through the organs ACE-2 receptors, which the spike proteins can bind to, causing inflammation. Several papers have reported acute pancreatitis soon after COVID-19 vaccinations. One such case identified an 82-year-old man who had sudden abdominal pain following his third Pfizer vaccine dose. A scan showed an abnormal decline of fat in the pancreas, suggesting acute pancreatitis. Pfizer and Modernas clinical trials have also shown that vaccinated people have a higher incidence of pancreatitis than the unvaccinated. Liver Injury A systematic review published in BMC Gastroenterology identified 275 cases of liver injury following vaccination, most of which were caused by autoimmune actions. A letter to the editor published in the Journal of Hepatology described 16 patients, aged 25 to 74 years, who developed liver injury five to 46 days after mRNA vaccination. The majority of cases presented after the second dose of the vaccine. Some had preexisting liver disease. Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) IBD is an autoimmune condition where the body has a chronically inflamed and swollen gut. Ulcerative colitis and Crohns disease all fall under the umbrella of IBD. COVID-19 vaccinations have been shown to trigger IBD. A study that tracked 411 patients with IBD following vaccination found that following the first dose, around 2 percent of the patients experienced flares. Most cases occurred within a week of vaccination; two needed hospitalization, with one needing surgery. Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) IBS is a chronic condition with no known cause. Studies suggest that COVID-19 infections may trigger IBS, but there are no studies so far indicating a link to vaccination. Evaluation of the severe adverse events reported during the Pfizer and Moderna clinical trials showed that both vaccines are linked to an increased risk of colitis, which can occur in both IBS and IBD. Immune and Autoimmune Disorders COVID-19 vaccines activate the immune system, and immune-related adverse events such as inflammatory, autoimmune, and allergic conditions may manifest due to the vaccine-induced immune responses. Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome (MIS) MIS is most commonly associated with severe COVID-19 and immune dysregulation in children (MIS-C). However, both children and adults (MIS-A) have reported multisystem inflammatory syndromes after vaccines in the research literature and the reporting system. A study published in the CDCs journal Emerging Infectious Disease discussed two teenagers who developed multisystem inflammatory syndrome within a week of receiving their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine. Another CDC study reported the cases of six California adults, three of whom developed the disease after getting the vaccine. Lymphopenia This is a sign of immunodeficiency disorder that occurs when the bodys lymphocytes, a class of immune cells, are low in number. The Epoch Times has reported on this phenomenon in a past article. In a study published in Future Medicine, the authors recognized that in COVID-19 infections, spike proteins bind to ACE-2 receptors, which may cause a depletion of T lymphocytes. The same thing may also happen as a result of vaccine spike proteins, the authors added. An early Nature study on the Pfizer vaccines showed a decrease in lymphocyte count after the first dose. Cancer Cancer can be a sign of immunodeficiency and suppression and may manifest when a persons immune system becomes dysfunctional. However, some studies have suggested that spike protein may be a cancer promoter. A study in Translational Oncology predicted that the spike protein structure allows it to interact and possibly switch off tumor suppressor genes. The spike proteins are also highly inflammatory, with vaccination shown to reduce the bodys own immune defenses. All of these things may be related to increased cancer risk. Authors of one case study on lymphoma discussed that prior to the case in question, eight cases of non-Hodgkins lymphoma developed shortly after COVID-19 vaccination. A Romanian study discussed two cancer diagnoses made within a week of vaccination. According to a review published in the European Journal of Cancer, taking the COVID-19 vaccine may put breast cancer patients at risk of developing enlarged lymph nodes. An Italian study reported a case of enlargement of metastatic lymph nodes within two days of patients taking a second dose. Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS) MCAS occurs when the mast cells, known as the sentinels of the immune system, become overly sensitive. As a result, any stimulus can cause allergy-like inflammatory reactions with a number of symptoms. While no studies currently associate MCAS with vaccine adverse reactions, the syndrome has been reported in VAERS and the UKs Yellow Card system. Several papers by mast cell activation expert professor Theoharis C. Theoharides at Nova Southeastern University recognized that spike proteins could activate mast cells in the body, leading to the release of inflammatory molecules. Hypersensitivity or Allergic Reactions Clinicians at Baylor College of Medicine published a commentary on allergic reactions in JAMA Pediatrics. The authors said that, though rare, some people may be allergic to polyethylene glycol (PEG), which is present in the mRNA and J&J vaccines. Other potential allergens include latex and polysorbate 80, which are present in the AstraZeneca vaccine. Some studies have shown that the spike protein may also be causing allergic reactions. One paper said the spike protein contains regions that may act as allergens. Furthermore, a paper studied 51 COVID patients injected with spike proteins and more than 84 percent developed prolonged allergic reactions. The CDC has acknowledged possible anaphylaxis from COVID-19 vaccines. Reproductive Disorders COVID-19 vaccination has been linked to reproductive concerns for both men and women. Spontaneous Abortions Researchers who analyzed the VAERS database found COVID-19 vaccines, when compared to influenza vaccines, were associated with an increase in all reports of miscarriage, fetal deaths, and fetal abnormalities. Male Fertility COVID-19 vaccination is linked with impairment in semen quality, as shown in an Israeli study that reported reduced semen concentration by 15.4 percent and declined total motile count. Pain and Ulcers One study published in June 2023 identified eight cases of vulvar ulcers in teenagers aged 12 to 17 after getting vaccinated. A 14-year-old girl experienced burning vaginal pain, distinct lesions, reddening, and pain in the five days after her second dose of the Pfizer vaccine. A 22-year-old female who had prior histories of vulvar ulcers developed vulvar ulcers within two days of her Pfizer vaccine booster but experienced gradual recovery several weeks after being given anti-inflammatory drugs. Menstrual Disorders A study that examined non-menstruating women, including women on contraceptives, women approaching menopause, and menopausal women, found that abnormal and unexpected vaginal bleeding could persist for eight to nine months. Up to 14 percent of women approaching menopause experienced menstruation, while 3.3 percent of menopausal women had vaginal bleeding. In a systematic review of vaccinated menstruating women, more than half of the 78,138 women studied had some type of menstrual problem. Endocrine Disorders Endocrine-related conditions, including hyperglycemia, have been reported as vaccine adverse reactions, beginning in the initial COVID-19 vaccine trials. Hyperglycemia and Diabetes Hyperglycemia, also known as high blood sugar, may be due to spike protein damage to the pancreas, the organ responsible for blood sugar regulation. Spike protein interactions with ACE-2 receptors can also promote an inflammatory state, which tends to correlate with higher blood sugar levels. Research led by emergency medicine physician Dr. Joseph Fraiman showed that while the placebo group had zero hyperglycemia incidence per 10,000 people, the Moderna group had an incidence of hyperglycemia at 0.7 per 10,000 events. A systematic review published in October 2023 on Type 1 and 2 diabetes following COVID-19 vaccination identified several cases of new-onset diabetes and increased severity following vaccination. Multiple studies, including papers published in Frontiers Endocrinology and the World Journal of Diabetes, have also reported poorly controlled diabetes in those with Type 1 and 2 diabetes following vaccinations. Thyroid Disorders Thyroid dysfunction and thyroiditis have been linked to COVID-19 spike proteins. Since the spike proteins share similarities with thyroid proteins, the body may also attack the thyroid when it attacks spike proteins. A review published in the Journal of Endocrinological Investigation in 2022 identified over 80 cases of thyroid disorders, namely thyroiditis and hypothyroidism, after COVID-19 vaccination. Urinary and Renal Disorders Studies have shown that spike protein can cause direct kidney damage. COVID-19 patients have been found to have spike protein in their urine, suggesting renal complications. Acute Kidney Injury Kidneys are particularly vulnerable since the spike proteins bind to ACE-2 receptors, which are abundant in the kidneys. A paper published in QJM: An International Journal of Medicine identified 97 people who developed acute kidney injuries following vaccination. A Taiwan study followed 27 patients who developed acute kidney disease following vaccination, six of whom progressed to end-stage kidney disease. The authors noted this was more concerning for high-risk patients receiving multiple vaccine doses. Nephrotic Syndrome Nephrotic syndrome is a type of kidney disorder that occurs when the kidney passes too much protein into the urine. A 2022 systematic review by researchers at Mount Sinai examined 78 cases of nephrotic syndrome that occurred following COVID-19 infection or vaccination. Of these, 26 developed nephrotic syndrome after receiving the vaccine. The authors concluded that nephrotic syndrome is a possible complication of both COVID-19 infection and the COVD-19 (sic) vaccine and should be considered in patients exhibiting sudden onset edemas or deterioration in kidney function. Another study published in the Journal of Nephrology examined 74 patients who developed nephrotic syndrome after vaccination, with researchers attributing it to the activation of ACE-2 receptors. Urinary Complications Vaccine recipients have also reported urinary adverse events. A study that followed 889 patients with preexisting lower urinary tract symptoms showed that up to 13 percent experienced worsened urinary storage symptoms following vaccination. Around 8 percent reported frequent urination at night, about 6 percent reported urinary urgency, about 2 percent reported incontinence, and over 5 percent sought medical help. Cystitis could be potentially related to the symptoms, as with urinary tract infection, the authors added. A UK case study described a 74-year-old woman. After her first vaccine dose, she experienced inconsistent coordination between her urinary organs and a weak urinary flow. The doctor suspected she had cystitis. A week after she got her second dose, she admitted herself again to the hospital due to frequent urination. Read more at: YourNews.com A visitor takes a selfie in front of a driverless car at the Huawei booth during the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain, Feb. 28, 2024. The 2024 edition of the Mobile World Congress (MWC), the world's leading trade fair for mobile technology and related industries, opened in Barcelona, Spain, on Monday. (Xinhua/Gao Jing) Paul Chan (2nd L), financial secretary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government, speaks at a press conference on budget for 2024-25 in Hong Kong, south China, Feb. 28, 2024. The HKSAR will take a fiscal consolidation strategy in the new financial year, said Paul Chan while delivering the 2024-25 budget on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Wang Shen) A girl walks on a street with destroyed buildings in Gaza City, on Feb. 27, 2024. The Palestinian death toll in the Gaza Strip has risen to 29,954 as the Israeli military killed 76 in the past 24 hours, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said Wednesday. (Photo by Mohammed Ali/Xinhua) Monks attend a sutra debate at the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, Feb. 28, 2024. Twelve monks obtained the degree of Geshe Lharampa following a sutra debate Wednesday in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region. Geshe Lharampa is the highest degree in the exoteric teachings of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism, equivalent to a doctoral degree in modern education. (Xinhua/Tenzing Nima Qadhup) This photo taken on Feb. 27, 2024 shows a black-and-white snub-nosed monkey at Baima Snow Mountain National Nature Reserve in southwest China's Yunnan Province. Thanks to protection efforts, the population of black-and-white snub-nosed monkeys in the nature reserve has increased in recent years. (Xinhua/Pu Chao) Flames and smoke are seen inside a plastic factory in the West Bank city of Hebron, Feb. 28, 2024. A fire broke out at a plastic factory in the West Bank city of Hebron on Wednesday. (Photo by Mamoun Wazwaz/Xinhua) This photo taken on Feb. 27, 2024 shows a store of children's garment at Zhili Town of Huzhou City, east China's Zhejiang Province. Zhili, located in the Yangtze River Delta economic circle, is renowned for its children's garment industry, whose complete industrial chain covers design, production, sales, storage, and logistics. As home to more than 14,000 children's garment enterprises, the town sold over 1.5 billion pieces of children's garment in 2023, accounting for two-thirds of the total sales volume of the whole country. Meanwhile, the sales of children's garment from the town reached 80 billion yuan (about 11.11 billion U.S. dollars) in 2023, with online sales exceeding 30 billion yuan (about 4.17 billion U.S. dollars). (Xinhua/Xu Yu) Constructors adjust cutter position of a shield-tunneling machine at the Shenguan tunnel construction site of the railway linking Shenzhen and Jiangmen in south China's Guangdong Province, Feb. 28, 2024. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei) Editor: WXL Former Meta COO Sheryl Sandberg to leave company board in May Sheryl Sandberg, senior executive at Mark Zuckerberg's Meta Platforms, is set to leave the company's board of directors following her 2022 departure as chief operating officer (COO). "With a heart filled with gratitude and a mind filled with memories, I let the Meta board know that I will not stand for reelection this May," she wrote in a Facebook post. Sandberg left Google to join Meta (then called Facebook) in 2008, four years before Zuckerberg's company went public in 2012. She stepped down as COO in May 2022. "The Meta business is strong and well-positioned for the future, so this feels like the right time to step away." Sandberg continued. The erstwhile COO remarked, however, that she would become an adviser to the company after May 2024. Sandberg was the lead architect of Facebook's business model driven by digital advertising, according to the Guardian. Zuckerberg, the Meta CEO, thanked Sandberg for "the extraordinary contributions you have made to our company and community over the years" in a comment. He continued: "Your dedication and guidance have been instrumental in driving our success and I am grateful for your unwavering commitment to me and Meta over the years." Prior to joining Meta, Sandberg was Google's vice president of global online sales and operations. She also had senior roles at both the World Bank and the U.S. Department of the Treasury. In her early years at Facebook, she was often referred to as the "adult supervision for a company run by a very young founder. Zuckerberg and Sandberg teamed up to grow Facebook's revenue, from roughly $150 million in 2007 to more than $3.7 billion in 2021. By the time Sandberg stepped down as COO, Meta had posted a total annual revenue of $116.6 billion. Its share price has gained more than 860 percent since its 2012 initial public offering. Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity's knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Learn about our free, non-commercial AI / LLM project here. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions. Sandberg's tenure not without issues In a June 2022 Facebook post announcing Sandberg's departure as COO, Zuckerberg lauded his second-in-command for teaching him "how to run a company." He praised the 54-year-old tech executive for establishing Facebook's ads businesses, hiring great people and forging Meta's current management culture. Aside from these, Sandberg also helped oversee Meta's massive rebranding in 2021. This rebranding sought to reflect the company's ambitions to reorient itself around building an immersive digital world called the "metaverse." Meta's ambitious spending on that project sparked concerns from shareholders and was followed by major job cuts at the company. It was also during her tenure as COO when the company faced growing scrutiny over a range of issues. These involved everything from accusations of undermining democracy and abetting genocide to harming teen users. (Related: Facebook Files show more government collusion to destroy the First Amendment.) Sandberg's stint at Meta is not without controversies including the Cambridge Analytica scandal, which she admitted the company had been too slow to react to. Also, Facebook came under fire after the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol was organized on the platform. Moreover, the business model she pioneered also elicited concerns about registered users' data being utilized for this endeavor. Visit MetaTyranny.com for more stories about Mark Zuckerberg's Meta Platforms. Watch this video that explains how to delete, deactivate and memorialize Facebook accounts. This video is from the Gratitude in Motion channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Facebook rolls out link history feature that tracks all websites visited by users. Facebook censors report on study about breast milk being found with mRNA particles from COVID-19 vaccines. FACEBOOK files: FBI communicated more than once with tech giant to cover up Hunter Bidens Laptop from Hell. New alternatives to Twitter, Google, Facebook rapidly emerging: These sites won't censor you. Sources include: TheEpochTimes.com TheGuardian.com Brighteon.com Poll shows more young voters are turning away from Joe Biden in favor of Donald Trump A recent Axios and The Generation Lab poll found that former President Donald Trump is closing the 20-point popularity gap that President Joe Biden enjoyed with young voters in the 2020 election. The poll, conducted from Feb. 3 to 14 among 1,073 individuals aged 18 to 34, reveals that Biden now leads Trump in this demographic by only four points. The results show that 48 percent of millennial and Generation Z voters say they would vote for Trump compared to the 52 percent who would vote for Biden "if the election were held today." Trump's increasing popularity among younger voters aligns with their shifting priorities. For instance, 39 percent of the respondents stated that the economy is their top concern, followed by abortion at 16 percent and student debt and immigration, both at 11 percent. Meanwhile, so-called climate change, despite its global significance, was only the primary concern for 10 percent of young voters, followed by guns at seven percent. (Related: Mainstream media DISMAYED by poll result showing Trump leading Biden by 9 points in hypothetical head-to-head matchup.) The survey also measures voter engagement, with 70 percent of respondents indicating they were definitely 42 percent or probably 28 percent going to vote. On the other hand, 30 percent are still uncertain about voting 17 percent are leaning towards probably not voting, and 13 percent are definitely not voting. Moreover, the poll touched on the influence of celebrity endorsements, specifically exploring the impact of the ever-famous pop icon Taylor Swift's potential support for either candidate. But the poll reveals that only four percent of those surveyed claim they would consider changing the vote based on Swift's endorsement of either Trump or Biden. Thanks to your generous support, we are building the infrastructure of human freedom and actively donating our technology to independent publishers, authors and home schooling organizations. Learn about our game-changing non-commercial AI project here. Support our ongoing efforts to preserve and enhance human knowledge by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com. "We dont know enough yet. But this idea that young people are going to keep populating into the Democratic Party? There are some question marks around that," commented Neil O'Brian, a political scientist at the University of Oregon. More young voters are now supporting Trump The Axios-The Generation Lab poll is reflected in other recent surveys. A USAToday-Suffolk University poll conducted in December indicated that Trump is leading among voters under 35. A New York Times/Siena College survey conducted in December also showed Trump leading Biden by 49 percent to 43 percent among registered voters aged 18 to 29. Before this, an NBC News poll from November indicated that Trump enjoyed a four-point lead among voters under 35. In an op-ed article written by senior politics reporter Christian Paz for Vox, he came up with three theories explaining the unexpected shift in young voter preferences based on the analysis of several pollsters from across the political spectrum. First, some argue that the polls accurately capture dissatisfaction with Biden, citing concerns over his handling of issues such as Israel, climate change and the economy. This theory suggests that immediate changes in Biden's platform and campaign strategy may be needed to prevent further defections. Second, a more cautious perspective suggests that it is still early in the campaign and polls may not accurately reflect final voting choices. This theory emphasizes the historically low engagement of young voters with national political news and the potential for temporary dissatisfaction among low-information voters. Lastly, a complex theory proposes that polling methodologies may be contributing to an overstatement of Trump's edge, citing small sample sizes, differences in defining young voters and variations between phone and online polling methods. Visit Trump.news for more stories about the former president ahead of the 2024 presidential election. Watch Bill O'Reilly explain why former President Donald Trump governed better than his Democratic predecessor and successor. This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: Trump gains 9-POINT LEAD over Biden in Pennsylvania poll. Trump LEADS among Hispanic and under-35 voters in new poll. Meredith Poll: Donald Trump LEADS Joe Biden by five points in North Carolina. Poll: Trump LEADS Biden in five key swing states Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and North Carolina. Poll: 55% of independents find Trumps indictment politically motivated because IT IS. Sources include: Breitbart.com NewsNationNow.com Vox.com Brighteon.com NATO applicants breakaway region, Transnistria, asks Russia for HELP Citing claims that NATO applicant Moldova is putting immense pressure on the breakaway territory, Transnistria, an unrecognized republic that split away from Moldova in the early 1990s, who is asking Russia for help At a recent congress of Transnistrian legislators, which ended up adopting a declaration on the matter, lawmakers called on Moscow to take "measures to protect Transnistria amid mounting pressure from Moldova." Nearly half of Transnistria's 450,000 residents are of Russian descent, they further highlighted. "We've asked to intensify political and diplomatic measures since the Russian Federation is one of the international mediators in the settlement process," said Vitaly Ignatyev, the republic's self-declared foreign minister, in a statement to broadcaster Rossiya 24. Concerning the economic blockade, Transnistria called on the United Nations (UN) secretary general, OSCE, the European Union (EU) parliament, and various other international bodies and organization to put pressure on Chisinau to ease its aggression on the republic. As soon as the Russian parliament receives the official plea document, Moscow will seriously consider it, according to Konstantin Zatulin, a senior lawmaker with the lower chamber, the State Duma. "Protecting the interests of Transnistria residents, our compatriots, is one of our priorities," said Russia's foreign ministry in a statement. "All requests are always carefully considered." (Related: In no uncertain terms, Russia has clearly delineated its position on Israel's genocide in Gaza: "Innocent people are being killed indiscriminately.") We are building the infrastructure of human freedom and empowering people to be informed, healthy and aware. Learn about our free, downloadable AI tools on nutrition, health and preparedness at this article link. Every purchase at HealthRangerStore.com helps fund our efforts to build and share more tools for empowering humanity with knowledge and abundance. Moldova condemns Transnistria's request for help Moldova is responding to the plea with condemnation as Oleg Serebyan, the country's vice prime minister on reintegration, says it is nothing more than "propaganda." "The Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration and the Bureau for Reintegration Policies of the Moldovan Government firmly dismiss propagandistic statements from Tiraspol," Serebyan said in a statement. "They emphasize that the Transnistrian region of the Republic of Moldova enjoys peace, security and economic integration policies with the European Union." Transnistria is a narrow strip of land located between the left bank of the Dniester River and Ukraine. Shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union back in the '90s it proclaimed independence from Chisinau. Chisinau attempted, but failed, to reclaim the territory by force around that time, which ultimately led to a ceasefire in 1992. Russia has since maintained a small peacekeeping force throughout the region. In the years since that time, Tiraspol, Transnistria's capital, has attempted in various ways to integrate the territory with Moscow. When this was attempted back in the mid-2000s, the republic's population overwhelmingly supported the idea. "Moldova is a liar culture," claimed a commenter at RT about the dispute. "A liar will say anything as long as it's always a lie." "Don't confuse the CIA-installed government in Chisinau with Transnistria or decent Moldovans everywhere," responded another, differentiating between Moldova's Western-controlled puppet government and the actual people of Moldova. "This is the Ukraine script, part two," said someone else about Moldova's claims. "Always hating the Russian so weird." "I hope the people of Transnistria can join Russia in the future and distance themselves from the anti-white and rotting West," expressed another. "Hmm, all the resources of the collective West directed via NATO at a single country and that single country is winning," said another about how Russia, despite all the anti-Russian propaganda and the entire West pretty much attacking it, still has the upper hand. "To be fair, NATO likes its victims to be defenseless and be preferably women, children and lightly-armed peasant farmers they can safely bomb and genocide. Now facing a peer, or better-than-peer military, NATO is being shown to be weak and terrified of direct confrontation. The Western governments will just continue fighting Russia to the last Ukrainian as they are too cowardly to do more." The latest news about the Ukraine-Russia war can be found at Chaos.news. Sources for this article include: RT.com NaturalNews.com Are OpenAI and the White House colluding to influence elections? Visitor logs show that the president of Microsoft, Brad Smith, visited the White House on dozens of occasions while the company was reportedly trying to influence the Biden administrations policy on artificial intelligence, but some observers are wondering whether influencing the outcome of the upcoming presidential elections was also a topic of discussion. Microsofts concern about artificial intelligence policy stems from its partnership with ChatGPT creator OpenAI, who has made sizeable investments in federal lobbying to support their business. The CEO of Microsoft, Satya Nadella, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman have each visited the White House on six occasions. In addition, senior executives at both firms have made substantial donations to Bidens reelection campaign and a committee that boosts it, Federal Election Commission data shows. The records indicate Smith visited the White House while Biden was in office 30 times, speaking with the president as well as other high-ranking officials in the White House. He also met with National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Deputy National Security Advisor Anne Neuberger on several occasions. This is not standard practice for tech executives; Googles former CEO and Chairman Eric Schmidt only visited the White House on 18 occasions when they were trying to influence tech policy under President Barack Obama, while current CEO Sundar Pichai has only been there ten times during the Biden presidency and Amazon CEO Andrew Jassy has visited just three times. Microsoft and OpenAI already agreed to voluntarily manage the risks of AI with the White House last July, including the risk of harmful bias and discrimination, and protecting privacy. We are building the infrastructure of human freedom and empowering people to be informed, healthy and aware. Learn about our free, downloadable AI tools on nutrition, health and preparedness at this article link. Every purchase at HealthRangerStore.com helps fund our efforts to build and share more tools for empowering humanity with knowledge and abundance. This is the exact type of language that has been used to justify politically motivated censorship on social media and in search engines, and it's natural to worry how this will be leveraged in AI output. AI can be used to influence elections in numerous ways There are numerous ways that AI could be used to rig elections, and one method that has gained a lot of attention recently is the use of AI deepfakes. 2024 will be the first American presidential election to take place at a time when readily available AI tools can create very convincing fake images, audio clips and videos, and some of them have already been used in experimental campaign ads. These days, even people without tech credentials can create these videos and spread them on social media. And if the Google Gemini debacle has taught us anything, its that it is all too easy for engineers to program their biases into these tools. Just as the tool refuses to create images of white people while happily supplying images of black or Hispanic individuals, such tools could refuse to help create favorable images about Trump while complying readily with prompts for favorable material about Biden or negative material about Trump. Of course, these are just the surface-level and obvious ways they can influence elections. AI is immensely powerful, and there are many more sophisticated ways that it could help the elections go in favor of Biden. Much like the social media censorship against conservative viewpoints that is already in full swing, AI could be trained to suppress disfavored narratives and elevate positive narratives about Biden, for example. AI is already being used around the world to sway the outcome of elections. In the run-up to recent elections in Slovakia, AI-generated audio recordings were released impersonating a candidate talking about rigging elections and raising the prices of beer, and they were widely circulated on social media. In the U.S., there are reports that AI robocalls impersonating Biden have been used to contact voters. There have also been fake photos circulating that claim to show Trump being arrested. Googles Gemini chatbot also came under fire after suggesting that some experts think the prime minister of India, Narendra Modi, espouses fascist policies; he is currently running in an upcoming general election there. UK Home Secretary James Cleverly has warned that bad actors could use AI deepfakes to manipulate the democratic process in nations like the UK. With this years election possibly coming down to just tens of thousands of votes in a handful of states, even the smallest hoaxes that sway people toward one candidate could ultimately decide the outcome. Sources for this article include: YourNews.com TheGuardian.com Ronna McDaniel to leave Republican National Committee on MARCH 8 Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel has announced that she will vacate the position on March 8 The Hill reported on the development in a Feb. 26 piece, citing a statement by McDaniel. She stated: "It has been the honor and privilege of my life to serve the RNC for seven years as chairwoman to elect Republicans and grow our party." "I have decided to step aside at our Spring Training on March 8 in Houston to allow our nominee to select a chair of their choosing. The RNC has historically undergone change once we have a nominee, and it has always been my intention to honor that tradition." The outgoing RNC head cited several examples of the GOP's successes during her roughly seven years on the job. These include the GOP winning back the House of Representatives in the 2022 midterm elections, the creation of an Election Integrity Department and a push for Republicans to vote early. McDaniel, the niece of U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT), first became the RNC's chairwoman in 2017 with the backing of former President Donald Trump. She won reelection for the position four times, including a contentious election in 2023 where she won against California attorney Harmeet Dhillon and MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell. The Hill also noted that as the 2024 election neared, "her relationship with Trump was also strained as the former president pushed the RNC to cancel primary debates and back him." (Related: Trump mulls REMOVAL of Ronna McDaniel as Republican National Committee chair.) Aside from McDaniel, RNC Co-Chair Drew McKissick is also expected to step down on March 8. He said: "I look forward to working with the RNC and [former] President Trump's team to make sure that we win this November by taking back the White House [and] the Senate, and maintaining our majority in the House of Representatives." Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity's knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Learn about our free, non-commercial AI / LLM project here. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions. Replacements for McDaniel and McKissick already lined up "McDaniel's decision was not unexpected," The Hill pointed out. "She had reportedly planned to step down after the South Carolina primary." The former president named Michael Whatley, the RNC's general counsel and current chairman of the North Carolina GOP, as successor to McDaniel. He also named his campaign advisor and daughter-in-law Lara Trump as the RNC co-chair, succeeding McKissick. Moreover, Trump campaign senior advisor Chris LaCivita was named as the RNC's chief operating officer. "Chairwoman McDaniel has led our party with grace and vision, and has been a true friend to me and the North Carolina GOP," Whatley said in a Feb. 26 statement. "Her leadership on election integrity, minority outreach, voter contact and so much more will be felt not only in the 2024 election but in elections to come." The former president issued his endorsement of Whatley and Lara, the wife of his son Eric, in a statement shared on Feb. 12. "[Whatley] has been with me from the beginning, has done a great job in his home state of North Carolina and is committed to election integrity which we must have to keep fraud out of our election so it can't be stolen," the elder Trump wrote. "Lara is an extremely talented communicator and is dedicated to all that MAGA stands for. She has told me she wants to accept this challenge and (that) would be great." The former president also endorsed LaCivita in the statement, noting that he "will manage the RNC's day-to-day operations so it will become a fighting machine for 2024 and use all the tools available to win for the American people." "This group of three is highly talented, battle-tested and smart. They have my complete and total endorsement to lead the RNC." Visit VoteRepublican.news for more stories about the Republican National Committee. Watch Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk discuss Trump's pressuring of Ronna McDaniel to step down as RNC chair below. This video is from the SecureLife channel on Brighteon.com. More related stories: WATCH: RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel says she has 500 sworn affidavits on 11,000 Incidents of voter fraud. Trump endorses Michael Whatley, daughter-in-law Lara as Republican National Committee chairpersons. Ronna McDaniel's RNC spent MILLIONS on private jets, limousines, booze, luxury retreats. Sources include: TheHill.com Breitbart.com Brighteon.com U.S. officials warn of increasingly catastrophic shortage of ammunition, air defenses in Ukraine; urge Congress to pass $61B aid bill As the foreign aid package bill remains stuck in Congress, two U.S. officials who requested to be anonymous, warned of the catastrophic effects of the high-profile delays in the delivery of additional weaponry to Ukraine. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has been appealing to the Western powers for further support. Citing two anonymous U.S. officials, ABC News recently reported that Ukraine will face a "catastrophic shortage of ammunition and air defenses" by the end of next month unless Congress passes a bill including the next round of funding for Kyiv, valued at $61 billion. As per estimates, the current shortage "could effectively turn the tide of the war and lend Russian President Vladimir Putin a significant advantage." ??ABC News: Ukraine could face 'catastrophic' arms shortage within weeks, US officials say.https://t.co/5H9RTWNbKs The Kyiv Independent (@KyivIndependent) February 22, 2024 One of the senior military bigwigs remarked: "The juncture starts now and it just keeps getting worse progressively through the spring and into summer. So, this period that we are entering is critical," especially since the Russians have successfully taken over Avdiivka in the eastern Donetsk region. There is a great possibility that they could get to other areas if more weapons, especially artillery ammunition, don't arrive soon. (Related: Kyiv is running out of ammunition as Western aid packages hit roadblocks.) Earlier in February, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan warned that the Ukrainian troops were running out of ammunition and urged Congress to pass additional funding. President Joe Biden has blamed congressional inaction. He said that not passing the "spending bill" was what was responsible for "Russia's first notable gains in months. U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby also alerted that Avdiivka was at risk of falling to Russian hands because the U.S. had "not been able to provide Ukraine with the artillery shells that they desperately need to disrupt these Russian assaults." Thanks to your generous support, we are building the infrastructure of human freedom and actively donating our technology to independent publishers, authors and home schooling organizations. Learn about our game-changing non-commercial AI project here. Support our ongoing efforts to preserve and enhance human knowledge by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com. The U.S. government also criticized Iran for supporting Russia. In a memo shared with Reuters, U.S. Deputy Press Secretary and Senior Communications Adviser Andrew Bates said that Tehran was "actively enabling Russia's war in Ukraine and its attacks against Ukrainian cities." Speaking at a virtual briefing with reporters, Kirby said that he was yet to see confirmation that Iranian missiles had been delivered to Russia, although the signs are that this is, at least, imminent. The Biden administration has meanwhile warned Tehran of a "swift and severe" response if those weapons are shipped to Russia. Putin's people had also begun to receive "hundreds of Iranian ballistic missiles, according to reports, to bolster its dwindling ballistic missile arsenal, which has already wrought considerable destruction on Ukraine. Meanwhile, Ukrainians denied that their forces had lost control of Krynky, a bridgehead on the Russian-occupied side of the Dnipro River. The Ukrainian Armed Forces claim that Russian forces assaulted Krynky but suffered "significant losses" and retreated. Germany, Poland and NATO will no longer send troops to Ukraine Amid the Kremlin's warning of possible escalation if the nations continue to aid Zelensky's troops, Germany, Poland and NATO decided against sending ground troops to Ukraine. The decision was made when French President Emmanuel Macron raised the prospect following a European leaders' meeting on boosting support for Ukraine in its war against Russia. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said participants of the conference in Paris discussed the matter but had agreed "that there will be no ground troops, no soldiers on Ukrainian soil who are sent there by European states or NATO states," adding that there was consensus "that soldiers operating in our countries also are not participating actively in the war themselves." Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala also said they were not considering sending troops. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg also told the Associated Press that while members of the alliance had provided "unprecedented support" to Ukraine, "there are no plans for NATO combat troops on the ground in Ukraine." Putin's regime, meanwhile, warned that a direct conflict with NATO would be inevitable if the alliance sent combat troops. "The very fact of discussing the possibility of sending certain contingents to Ukraine from NATO countries is a very important new element," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters. "It is absolutely not in the interests of European members of NATO," Peskov said. "In that case, we would need to talk not about the probability, but about the inevitability of direct conflict." Read more stories on the ongoing and escalating conflict between Ukraine and Russia on RussiaReport.news. Sources for this article include: TWZ.com KyivIndependent.com Reuters.com AlJazeera.com Western special forces are UNOFFICIALLY in Ukraine to fight Russia as WWIII looms Despite all the rhetoric suggesting that Western special forces are not currently on the ground in Ukraine but soon could be, reports indicate that said special forces arefighting on behalf of the Ukrainian regime against Russia. Russia confirmed this, reporting numerous strikes against what it described as "foreign mercenaries" fighting in Ukraine. Just last month, Russia's Defense Ministry announced that it had successfully killed more than 60 foreign fighters in a missile strike and the majority of them, Russia said, spoke French. This runs contrary to statements more recently made by French President Emmanuel Macron, who told the media that there are no French forces currently in Ukraine but that there soon could be, maybe. According to Macron, there was "no consensus" at a recent meeting of European leaders in Paris about whether "to send, in an official manner, troops on the ground but in terms of dynamics, we cannot exclude anything." Macron emphasized that he is willing to stop at nothing to try to prevent Russia from winning against Ukraine, which apparently includes lying about the fact that French special forces are already being funneled into the meat grinder in secret. (Related: If Israel proceeds with committing mass genocide in Rafah, the United Kingdom is threatening to slap Israel on the wrist with possible arms sales restrictions.) Poking the bear in secret It should also be noted that Russia's claims about killing Western special forces in recent missile attacks were confirmed by Ukraine itself, which said two of the dead and three of the wounded were French "volunteers." Human knowledge is under attack! Governments and powerful corporations are using censorship to wipe out humanity's knowledge base about nutrition, herbs, self-reliance, natural immunity, food production, preparedness and much more. We are preserving human knowledge using AI technology while building the infrastructure of human freedom. Learn about our free, non-commercial AI / LLM project here. Support our efforts to build the infrastructure of human freedom by shopping at HealthRangerStore.com, featuring lab-tested, certified organic, non-GMO foods and nutritional solutions. France continues to deny that it currently has any troops on the ground in Ukraine, though its defense minister reluctantly admitted that some French nationals are fighting in Kiev's army, once again using the term "volunteer" to describe them. There is also evidence to suggest that special force operatives from Great Britain and the United States are also fighting on the side of Kiev in Ukraine, this according to classified Pentagon documents that were leaked late last year. Though it did not directly confirm that the information in the leaked files is true, Washington did indicate that it will conduct a probe into who might have had access to them in the first place to create the leak. Back in late 2022, a British military publication admitted that more than 300 Royal Marines had been involved in "discreet operations in a hugely sensitive environment and with a high level of political and military risk" in Ukraine, further suggesting that Western forces are covertly fighting alongside Ukraine while claiming not to be doing such a thing. According to Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu, more than 5,800 foreign mercenaries, as of this past December, have been killed in the Russia-Ukraine conflict since the start of the special military operation in February 2022. Most of them hail from Poland, the U.S. and the UK, he said. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has since made it clear that any official act of sending NATO troops to Ukraine to fight against the Russian army will result in an "inevitable" direct clash between the U.S.-led bloc and Moscow, this probably leading to World War III. "Russia is doing an excellent job of destroying NATO hardware in Ukraine," noted a reader at RT about how the U.S. and its allies are failing to stop Russia. "Russia will be prepared for the upcoming overt direct fight inside Poland, Lithuania, Estonia and Moldova." "Zelensky ran out of soldiers, so now he is training ages between 12 and 18 while sex trafficking Ukrainian women," another alleged. "NATO is toast," said another. "They can't win on the battlefield against a top tier opponent." More related news coverage can be found at WWIII.news. Sources for this article include: RT.com NaturalNews.com The deadly wildfires in the Texas Panhandle became more challenging due to strong winds and unusual heat, according to a recent report. Firefighters worked around the clock to finally put out the deadly fires in the region, causing forced evacuations. News reports showed that the wildfires in the Smokehouse Creek Fire north of Stinnett became suddenly deadly and widespread due to the dry conditions and warmer outlook. Texas Panhandle's Wildfires: Latest Updates Residents in the nearby areas were ordered to evacuate due to the potentially dangerous situation. The wildfire smoke also raised concerns due to potential health impacts. The fire conditions could also spread over the east-northeast, impacting nearby Texas towns. According to a report, the fire could become the second-largest wildfire in Texas, with fire managed to grow to 500,000 acres. Emergency declarations were also reported as the fire in Smokehouse Creek Fire north of Stinnett became deadly. The forecast noted that the improving weather conditions could help contain the spread of wildfires, especially the strong winds that are expected to weaken. Homeowners should stay alert for possible Fire Weather Alerts. Homes, crops and businesses are being impacted by the widespread wildfires in the Texas Panhandle. According to a CNN report, the scope of damage is yet to be assessed. In addition, the National Weather Service (NWS) in Normal issued a Fire Warning, especially in Gage and Shattuck. The dangerous wildfires can lead to damage to property, the advisory showed. Also Read: Pacific Northeast Vulnerability to Wildfire Risk Doubled by 2035, New Report Warns Keeping Safe From Widespread Wildfires: How Can Homeowners Stay Safe? Wildfires can happen anytime due to strong winds and hotter temperatures exacerbated by climate change. It can lead to devastating damage to properties and people's health. As a result, staying updated with the latest forecasts is important, particularly for devastating wildfires. Being prepared for challenging heat and wildfires is important to immediately evacuate and stay safe from unhealthy smoke. Here are essential reminders for homeowners. For motorists, they should anticipate poor road visibility due to the wildfire conditions. Difficulty in driving could happen or motorists should watch out for dangerous travel. In addition, limiting outdoor activities is recommended to prevent prolonged exposure to poor air quality due to wildfire effects. Older adults, children and people with medical conditions are at risk of unhealthy air. Homeowners should expect for possible evacuations. Evacuating to safer areas is advisable to keep away from devastating wildfires. As a result, keeping emergency kits is important, particularly during forced evacuations. The recommended emergency kits are the following during impactful wildfires: Battery-powered radio Battery-powered flashlight Medicine kits Food packs Water bottles Extra clothes Related Article: Texas Wildfires: Nuclear Weapons Plant Halts Operation, Causes Evacuations in the Area For more similar stories, don't forget to follow Nature World News. A new study revealed that the humpback whale population in the North Pacific decreased by 20% between 2013 and 2021 as warmer water upended the ecosystem. Marine Heatwave The marine heatwave significantly reduced ocean productivity, putting the humpback whale population at risk. Humpback whales, which can weigh up to 40 tons and reach lengths of 17 meters, are well-known for their melodious underwater calls and spectacular breaching performances. However, centuries of killing nearly drove the animals to extinction. Humpback whales in the North Pacific were estimated to be down to 1,200 to 1,600 animals in 1976. Humpback whales recovered dramatically after the International Whaling Commission outlawed commercial whaling in 1982. The latest analysis predicts a high of roughly 33,500 humpbacks in the North Pacific in 2012, with an average population growth rate of 6% between 2002 and 2013. Humpback whales were removed from the US Endangered Species Act in 2016 due to their excellent 40-year population growth pattern. That same year, an intense marine heatwave continued to warm waters in the northeast Pacific. Maximum water temperatures between 2014 and 2016 were 3-6 degrees Celsius above average. This resulted in fewer nutrients for phytoplankton, the plants at the bottom of the marine food chain. The effects spread throughout the ecosystem, leaving less food for sardines, seagulls, and sea lions. According to a new study, around 7,000 humpback whales perished in the North Pacific between 2013 and 2021, most likely due to a lack of food. "Humpback whales are flexible, and willing to switch from krill to herring or anchovies to salmon fry. But when the whole ecosystem decreases in productivity, it hurts them big time," said Ted Cheeseman, a biologist at Southern Cross University in Lismore, Australia who led the study. Read Also: Kelping Could Be Therapeutic For Humpback Whales As It Shreds Parasites, Study Says Pregnancy Of Whales Humpback whale research in Antarctica has demonstrated that warming water conditions mean less food for whales, resulting in reduced pregnancy rates. Ari Friedlaender, an ecologist in the Ocean Sciences Department at the University of California, Santa Cruz, who led the Antarctic research, believes that the 2014-2016 marine heatwave "impacted the pregnancy rates in the population" and "led to the demise of a certain number of animals" in the North Pacific. Long-term surveys of humpbacks in the Au'au Strait between Maui and Lanai yielded similar results. Mother-calf contact rates in this Hawaiian waterway dropped by approximately 77% between 2013 and 2018, indicating a dramatic decline in humpback reproduction. Scientists noted that the scarcity of food supplies during the maritime heatwave led to reproductive failure in 2018. They observed that only three humpback calves made it from Hawaii to Alaska, and before the end of the feeding season, all three had disappeared. During the brief marine heatwave that hit the northeast Pacific in 2021, the 24 females with calves lost weight throughout the feeding season, despite the fact that these mothers generally gain roughly 16kg per day. "These animals are truly sentinels of the ocean. Healthy oceans make healthy whales and vice versa," said Lars Bejder, the director of the Marine Mammal Research Program at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and a co-author on the recent study. Related Article: Humpback Whales Ignore Boat Noise but Sing Louder in Windy Conditions Ancient shark species, that lived hundreds of million years ago, have been discovered by scientists in the world's longest cave system in the United States, according to reports earlier in February 2024. Prehistoric shark fossils were found by paleontologists in Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky. The discovery revealed the remains of the long-dead animal belonging to a new shark species, called Troglocladodus trimblei and Glikmanius careforum. Both T. trimblei and G. careforum were predatory animals that belong to the extinct order Ctenacanthus, whose members include fish that were known for their strong teeth and distinct spines on their dorsal fins. The ancient sharks existed more than 325 million years ago at a time long before dinosaurs dominated Earth and a period before the supercontinent of Pangea emerged approximately 300 million years ago. The Mammoth Cave in Kentucky's Edmonson County has been called the longest cave system on Earth, with more than 400 miles of it being explored, according to the National Park Foundation. It is also one of North America's oldest tour attractions, including tour packages across the 10 miles of the cave available. Amid its known popularity, the Mammoth Cave was once submerged underwater, as re-confirmed by the recent discovery. Two New Shark Species Discovered Two new shark species have been discovered during an ongoing Paleontological Resources Inventory (PRI) at Mammoth Cave National Park. The identification of the extinct shark species was based on collected fossils from the said cave covering areas from Kentucky to northern Alabama, according to a February 1 news release by the National Parks Service (NPS). Based on available evidence, the two sharks potentially hunted "ancient near-shore habitats" that covered Kentucky and Alabama. The PRI started in November 2019 after John-Paul Hodnett, an ancient shark specialist from the Maryland-National Capital Parks and Planning Commission, worked with the NPS to identify to assess the park's shark fossils. Based on previous surveys, scientists and park authorities have identified at least 70 species of ancient fish from more than 25 caves and cave passages in the Mammoth Cave system. Also Read: Rare Discovery: Fossilized Teeth Lead to Identification of New Extinct Giant Shark Species Mammoth Cave National Park The Mammoth Cave National Park was once submerged in an ancient ocean. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) explained this is the case since sedimentary rocks that form the current park that we know today were produced from sediments. These chunks of solid material were deposited into the area where Mammoth Cave is situated and were submerged by the prehistoric ocean 330 million years ago. In particular, the park is situated in the Central Kentucky Karst. The latter is a limestone belt extending from the states of southern Indiana through Kentucky and into Tennessee, according to the USGS. In addition to the movement of tectonic plates, weathering, erosion, and other natural factors could have also changed the landscape of the area from its previous marine environment. Related Article: New Shark Species Named Painted Hornshark After Discovering in Australia's Waters Ukraine gets $1.2 bln in external support in two months of 2024, with need of $3 bln per month The Ministry of Finance of Ukraine has attracted $1.2 billion in grants and preferential financing to the general fund of the state budget from international partners in the first two months of 2024, the departments website reported on Thursday. "Grant funds... amounted to almost 75%. Among the donors are Japan - $901 million (concessional financing and grants), Norway - $295 million (grants), Spain - $3 million (concessional financing)," the release notes. It is clarified that all funds for the first two months of 2024 went to the state budget through World Bank projects. Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko, speaking at a meeting of the G7 financial bloc on February 28, said that Ukraines monthly need for external financing this year is about $3 billion. In the 2024 state budget, it is planned in the amount of $37.3 billion, the IMF mission in a recent report estimated the need at $38 billion, and previously announced $42 billion. Marchenko recalled that since the beginning of the war, financial support from the G7 countries and the EU amounts to about $63 billion. It is expected that in March 2024, the state budget of Ukraine will receive financial assistance from the European Union, Japan and Great Britain, as well as from the IMF, upon the successful third review of the cooperation program, which must be approved by the executive board of the fund, the Ministry of Finance indicated. Previously, he indicated that in March EUR 4.5 billion is expected from the EU, about $880 million from the IMF and $1.76 billion from Japan, that is, a total of about $7.5 billion. According to information published by the French MoD on February 29, 2024, the French Navy welcomed the delivery of the sixth and final H160 helicopter. Follow Navy Recognition on Google News at this link Airbus Helicopter H160. (Picture source: Raphael Grinevald/DGA) This delivery marks the completion of an order placed with Airbus Helicopters, Babcock France, and Safran Helicopter Engines in 2020 and 2021. The aircraft has been stationed at the Lanveoc-Poulmic Naval Air Base. The H160 helicopters, specifically tailored for sea rescue missions, have been progressively deployed since 2023 from the Cherbourg airport and naval air bases at Lanveoc-Poulmic and Hyeres. These advanced aircraft are set to replace the Caiman Marine, Dauphin, and Panther helicopters for SECMAR (maritime rescue) alert missions. The older helicopters will be reassigned to their primary maritime combat roles aboard national navy ships. Manufactured by Airbus Helicopters, with mission-specific modifications by Babcock France, the H160s feature a winch, the Safran Electronics & Defense Euroflir 410 optronic system, and modular cabins for optimized layout for state action at sea missions. They are also certified for night vision goggle flights, crucial for nighttime missions. These helicopters are essential for maintaining continuous maritime rescue missions along the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts and the English Channel. Over the past 24 hours, as a result of enemy shelling of settlements in Kharkiv region, there have been casualties and injuries among the civilian population, Head of the regional military administration Oleh Synehubov said. "At 13:40 in the town of Kupiansk, as a result of shelling by enemy aerial bombs, the following buildings were destroyed: a church building, a residential building. Damaged: a cafe, 16 residential buildings. two people were killed and five people were injured.... At 16:50, the Russians fired aerial bombs at station in the village of Velyky Burluk, Kupiansky district. As a result of the shelling, a six-year-old girl and a 48-year-old man were killed. The girl's mother was seriously injured, she is receiving medical care," Synehubov said in his Telegram channel. He also reported that as a result of the repeated shelling of Kupiansk, a fire started: the roof of a residential building and an outbuilding were burning. Vovchansk was subjected to repeated shelling. As a result of shelling during the day, households were damaged, and on Thursday night a hit was recorded in the pharmacy building. In Hryhorivka, enemy shelling damaged two households, one in Moskovka. In Kondrashivka, the shelling provoked a fire an outbuilding was burning. No casualties were recorded as a result of these attacks. Sorry, something doesn't look right. Something seems unusual about your device or browser. Please contact support. Gartner says that By 2026, 60% of new SD-WAN purchases will be part of a single-vendor secure access service edge (SASE) offering, up from 15% in 2022.1 But, what if SD-WAN was not part of SASE (Secure Access Service Edge)? Can organizations implement SASE without SD-WAN? Can users and devices securely access resources from everywhere, including branch locations? In this article, well examine the reasons why a secure SD-WAN is critical to SASE. A secure SD-WAN provides organizations with two critical capabilities: Application performance and branch security. Lets first analyze in detail these two capabilities before examining the consequences if SD-WAN wasnt included in the SASE framework. Improving application performance with a secure SD-WAN Tunnel bonding: Through network virtualization, SD-WAN can combine multiple links including MPLS, Internet, 4G/5G, Satellite. This functionality enables organizations to replace or supplement costly, rigid MPLS networks, but also dynamically select the best path based on network conditions and business intent. Through network virtualization, SD-WAN can combine multiple links including MPLS, Internet, 4G/5G, Satellite. This functionality enables organizations to replace or supplement costly, rigid MPLS networks, but also dynamically select the best path based on network conditions and business intent. Network optimization: SD-WAN provides multiple optimization techniques to tackle the adverse effects of internet links and long distance (latency). This includes Forward Error Correction (FEC) that periodically sends parity packets, enabling the solution to rebuild dropped data packets without having to retransmit them. WAN optimization is another technique, that helps reduce the latency effects due to long distance. This feature accelerates the transmission of data by applying TCP protocol acceleration as well as data deduplication and compression algorithms. SD-WAN provides multiple optimization techniques to tackle the adverse effects of internet links and long distance (latency). This includes Forward Error Correction (FEC) that periodically sends parity packets, enabling the solution to rebuild dropped data packets without having to retransmit them. WAN optimization is another technique, that helps reduce the latency effects due to long distance. This feature accelerates the transmission of data by applying TCP protocol acceleration as well as data deduplication and compression algorithms. Multi-cloud networking:Advanced SD-WAN supports multi-cloud networking. Virtual instances of SD-WAN solutions can be deployed in cloud service providers such as AWS, MS Azure, and Google Cloud establishing a resilient and secure connection from the branch office to the cloud. HPE Aruba Networking Extending the WAN fabric to multi-cloud environments with EdgeConnect SD-WAN Ultimately, advanced SD-WAN solutions optimize user experience by automatically selecting the best path for each application regardless of how the application traffic is broken out: through local breakout, IaaS providers, or SSE Solutions (Security Service Edge). Improving security with a secure SD-WAN In addition to improving application performance, an SD-WAN provides advanced security features that enable organizations to consolidate their security equipment in branch offices. Secure internet breakout:A secure SD-WAN can identify more than 10,000 applications and more than 300 million web domains on the first packet. With this feature, a secure SD-WAN can perform granular and secure breakout of internet-bound traffic to the cloud or to an SSE solution or data center based on security policies. This eliminates the need to backhaul SaaS application traffic to the data center, greatly improving security and application performance. Trusted applications such as RingCentral can be sent directly to the cloud, while suspicious traffic can be sent to the data center for security inspection or to an SSE solution. HPE Aruba Networking Securely break out traffic with EdgeConnect SD-WAN from branch offices Next-Generation Firewall: A secure SD-WAN includes next-generation firewall capabilities, including IDS/IPS, and DDoS protection. IDS/IPS uses a signature-based system to monitor network traffic and find patterns that match a particular attack signature. An IDS/IPS inline mode is also available to immediately block traffic when an intrusion occurs. Additionally, DDoS defense detects and prevents attacks such as protocol attacks, SYN floods, IP spoofing attacks, and more. In the event of a DDoS attack, a secure SD-WAN limits the number of malicious requests with actions such as rapid aging, drop excess, and block source. A secure SD-WAN includes next-generation firewall capabilities, including IDS/IPS, and DDoS protection. IDS/IPS uses a signature-based system to monitor network traffic and find patterns that match a particular attack signature. An IDS/IPS inline mode is also available to immediately block traffic when an intrusion occurs. Additionally, DDoS defense detects and prevents attacks such as protocol attacks, SYN floods, IP spoofing attacks, and more. In the event of a DDoS attack, a secure SD-WAN limits the number of malicious requests with actions such as rapid aging, drop excess, and block source. Zero Trust segmentation: A secure SD-WAN supports role-based segmentation to enforce Zero Trust and minimize lateral movements. Each user and device on the network are identified. This identification can be performed through machine learning for unknown devices such as IoT devices. A secure SD-WAN then creates end-to-end zones, from the LAN to the WAN, across any combination of users, devices, application groups, and virtual overlays, propagating security policies to all remote sites. It applies least privileged access principles, ensuring that users and IoT devices only communicate with destinations consistent with their role in the business while reducing unauthorized access and limiting the scope of incidents. HPE Aruba Networking Enable role-based segmentation with EdgeConnect SD-WAN and minimize lateral movements What if SASE didnt include SD-WAN? Lets now examine what would happen if SASE didnt include SD-WAN. In the evolving landscape of network infrastructure and applications moving to the cloud, SASE has reshaped how organizations approach connectivity and security. However, considering the hypothetical scenario where SASE excludes SD-WAN unveils significant implications. It reveals the integral role of SD-WAN within the SASE framework, particularly in branch offices, to optimize application performance, improve security posture, and enhance operational efficiency. Without SD-WAN, organizations would potentially face the following limitations: 1. No bandwidth optimization based on application:If SD-WAN were not part of SASE, branch offices wouldnt be able to prioritize traffic based on application type. Business-critical applications would share the same bandwidth as non-critical applications. In critical environments, like banking, healthcare, or manufacturing, this could potentially lead to severe consequences and negative business impacts. 2. Limited path selection:SD-WAN enables leveraging various network links (MPLS, multiple internet providers, 4G/5G, or Satellite connections) based on business requirements. Without an SD-WAN, traffic wouldnt use the best path. The system wont be able to exploit the diversity of paths available today and combine them based on business intent, impacting the efficiency and flexibility of network operations. HPE Aruba Networking Always selecting the best path with EdgeConnect SD-WAN 3. Equipment sprawl in branches: Without a secure SD-WAN, branch offices wouldnt benefit from the routing and security features built into SD-WAN, such as a next-generation firewall. Branch offices indeed rely on disparate devices for security and routing, which are difficult to manage and require local expertise. Additionally, these devices require too many management portals and manual steps to attempt to implement zero trust across multiple vendor solutions. A secure SD-WAN can easily replace these devices, reducing hardware footprint. Additionally, a secure SD-WAN can be centrally administered. Configurations and policy updates are sent to local branch offices within minutes, eliminating the need for locally trained personnel. 4. Poor support of hybrid cloud and on-prem setups: With SSE alone, all traffic would be directed to the SSE system, even traffic that must remain local, affecting user experience negatively. Many organizations, across various industry sectors, not just sensitive sectors like defense and government, operate many applications on-premises or in a private cloud, and therefore needs an intelligent way to steer the traffic on-premises, to private or public cloud, and this is precisely what SD-WAN will bring to these organizations: the ability to operate in hybrid cloud environments. 5. No Zero Trust in branch locations: With a built-in next-generation firewall, secure SD-WANs provide role-based segmentation capabilities in branch locations to prevent lateral movements and protect critical parts of the LAN and the WAN. A secure SD-WAN also helps secure IoT devices that cannot run security agents, by ensuring the IoT traffic remains isolated from mission-critical applications. Additionally, a secure SD-WAN allows for the implementation of unified security policies across the LAN and the WAN. Without it, security policies become more fragmented and challenging, potentially leading to gaps and inconsistencies in security enforcement. 6. Increased security risks in branch offices: Since a secure SD-WAN integrates security functionalities like encryption, firewall, IDS/IPS, and DDoS defense, the branch network is less prone to cyber-attacks, and security risks are reduced, including unauthorized access, data breaches, and malware. In conclusion, not having secure SD-WAN within a SASE framework can lead to compromised security and performance issues in branch locations. Integrating secure SD-WAN capabilities into SASE is essential to ensure a robust, secure, and efficient network environment. Moreover, SSE perfectly complements SD-WAN in a cloud-centric world. With ZTNA, remote workers can access private resources seamlessly using least-privilege access principles. Unlike VPNs, the solution grants access to specific resources based on identity instead of all resources. It also improves user experience by providing multiple Points of Presence instead of few VPN concentrators involving long backhauls. SWG (Secure Web Gateway) secures internet browsing by blocking access to websites known for their malicious content and monitoring web traffic in real-time. CASB (Cloud Access Security Broker) identifies sensitive data, detects shadow IT, enforces security policies, and prevents the unauthorized transfer of sensitive data in SaaS applications. EdgeConnect SD-WAN from HPE Aruba Networking is a secure SD-WAN that provides advanced security capabilities including next-generation firewall, IDS/IPS, DDoS defense, and role-based segmentation, in addition to multi-cloud networking and WAN optimization capabilities. EdgeConnect SD-WAN is tightly integrated with HPE Aruba Networking SSE to form a unified SASE solution, accelerating SASE deployment, and facilitating network and security operations. The solution also allows organizations to build a Zero Trust architecture with users and devices securely accessing resources from branch offices. EdgeConnect SD-WAN integrates with HPE Aruba Networking ClearPass and Central NetConductor capabilities to propagate security policy information and any updates related to the user, device type, role, and security posture across the entire SD-WAN fabric and apply role-based segmentation. To learn more, please read our business paper on Architecting SASE with a secure business-driven SD-WAN. Other resources: 12023 Magic Quadrant for SD-WAN, Gartner Sep. 2023 Abbas Ganbay The International Committee of the Red Cross has issued a statement regarding Azerbaijani soldier Ruslan Panahov, detained in Armenia, Azernews reports. "We are aware of the issue and are engaged in a bilateral confidential dialogue with the relevant institutions. In accordance with its mandate, the International Committee of the Red Cross visits the detainees to monitor their treatment and conditions of detention and to support them in contact with their families," the statement reads. Recall that the Investigative Committee (IC) of Armenia has opened a criminal case against Ruslan Panahov, a serviceman of the Azerbaijani army who got lost in adverse weather conditions while moving between service positions in the Lachin region in the morning of February 28. It is reported that he is charged under several articles of the Criminal Code of Armenia - illegal border crossing, carrying weapons, etc. In such cases, Azerbaijan and Armenia have reached an agreement: soldiers who, due to unfavourable weather conditions, get lost and accidentally stray into foreign territory are returned to the opposite side. But Armenia is once again playing a cheap show. As result of enemy shelling in Bakhmut district of Donetsk region, two people killed Over the past 24 hours, as a result of enemy shelling, one person was killed in Siversk, as well as another in Pereizne, Bakhmut district, Donetsk region, Head of the Regional Military Administration Vadym Filashkin said. "Bakhmut district. A person died in Siversk, another one in Pereizne, Zvanivska community," he said in the Telegram channel on Thursday. In addition, a person was injured in Zhelanne, Ocheretianska community, and a cultural center there was also damaged. In Hrodivka, Kurakhivska community, an administrative building, a store and a household were destroyed. In just one day, the Russians shelled populated areas of the Donetsk region 26 times. Some 173 people, including 26 children, were evacuated from the front line. Speaker of the House of Representatives of the U.S. Congress Mike Johnson said he confirmed the unchanged position of conservative Republicans on foreign aid and strengthening the border with Mexico at a meeting of congressional leaders with President Joe Biden at the White House, The Hill said. Johnson said that at this meeting, which included Senate Majority and Minority Leaders Chuck Schumer and Mitch McConnell, as well as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, he was left alone with his ideas. The publication says that in an interview with Fox News, the speaker called media reports that "ganging up on him" were correct. "Well their reports are pretty accurate. They said that I was on an island by myself, and it was me versus everyone else in the room." "I reminded the president, and all involved that the number one issue in America is that open border. The catastrophe that we have that President Biden himself designed that he caused and created and I told him, just as I have many times before, he must address it with executive authority. We cant wait any longer," Johnson said in a statement to The Hill. Republicans believe that the issue of allocating foreign aid can only be considered in conjunction with strengthening the southern border of the United States. Johnson's comment came just hours after congressional leaders agreed to extend funding for the Departments of Agriculture, Justice, Commerce, Energy, Interior, Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development until March 8 to avoid a government shutdown. Funding for the Pentagon, Labor, Health, Human Services and other departments has been extended until March 22. The previous extensions expired on March 1 and March 8, respectively. The agreement to prevent a shutdown does not include funding for the border and foreign aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. Malayalam actor Lena announces marriage to Gaganyaan astronaut Prasanth Nair New Delhi, February 28 Malayalam actor Lena announced her marriage to Gaganyaan pilot Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair just hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the names of four Indian Air Force pilots who will participate in India's first human space travel programme, Gaganyaan. https://www.instagram.com/p/C32SwdNPitp/ Lena confirmed that she married Prasanth on January 17, 2024. This marks the actress' second marriage. Sharing a video, she wrote, "Today, on February 27, 2024, our Prime Minister, Modi ji, presented the first Indian astronaut wings to Indian Air Force fighter pilot and Group Captain Prashant Balakrishnan Nair. This is a historical moment of pride for our country, Kerala, and for me. To keep the secrecy officially demanded, I have been waiting for this announcement to inform you that I have married Prashant on January 17, 2024, in a traditional ceremony." The couple can be seen wearing garlands and posing in traditional outfits beside their family members. Earlier, PM Modi announced the names of the four astronaut designates who are undergoing training for India's first human space flight mission, Gaganyaan. Apart from Captain Prashanth Nair, the other chosen Indian Air Force pilots are Group Captain Ajit Krishnan, Group Captain Angad Pratap, and Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla. The four astronauts were trained at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Russia. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was on a visit to Kerala, reviewed the progress of the Gaganyaan mission and bestowed 'astronaut wings' on the astronaut-designates at Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre. The Gaganyaan mission is India's first human space flight program, for which extensive preparations are underway at various ISRO centres. (ANI - Posted on 29 February 2024) Malayalam actor Lena announces marriage to Gaganyaan astronaut Prasanth Nair Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! A new page in history: PM Jugnauth hails Mauritius-India Special Partnership after inauguration of projects New Delhi . February 29 In a virtual address at the inauguration of multiple development projects commissioned with assistance from all-weather ally Inda, Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth on Thursday said the event marks a new chapter in the relationship between the two countries, reflecting the mutual commitment to shared development goals while upholding sovereignty and territorial integrity. Addressing fellow Mauritians in their native language, Jugnauth assured continued efforts to address delays in projects while dispelling rumours of a foreign military base in Agalega, reaffirming Mauritian sovereignty over the islands. "As we say, when there is a will, there is a solution. I am giving you the assurance that we will continue all our efforts so that Kiala Liga can overcome its delay. Do not pay attention to the lies. These are people with bad intentions who want to tell you that there will be a military base here," the Mauritian PM stated further. Further, during his address, PM Jugnauth thanked all stakeholders and involved parties across both countries for bringing the projects to fruition while also acknowledging the efforts of the High Commission of India, his office, and the Outer Islands Development Corporation, for delivering the "two major projects" in "very challenging circumstances". Invoking the collaborative ethos between India and Mauritius, he also underscored a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the two countries Prime Minister Modi's visit to the island nation in March 2015. "A memorandum of understanding was signed between our two countries during the memorable visit of Sri Narendra Modi Ji to Mauritius in March 2015. That MOU reflected India's commitment to continually assist Mauritius in meeting its development goals," read an official statement. The Mauritian PM closed his address by chanting, "Long live India. Long live Mauritius". "The inauguration of a new airstrip in Agalega, Saint James Jetty, and six community development projects on the island not only signifies a significant milestone in the history of Mauritius-India relations but also underscores a shared commitment to mutual development goals while upholding principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity. Long live India. Long live Mauritius," the statement added. This event stands as a testament to the robust and enduring development partnership between the two nations. (ANI - Posted on 29 February 2024) A new page in history: PM Jugnauth hails Mauritius-India Special Partnership after inauguration of projects Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Putin warns of nuclear war if West escalates Ukraine conflict Moscow, February 29 Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday warned of "tragic consequences" for any Western country that dared to send its troops to fight in Ukraine. The daily reported that Putin's comments appeared to be a response to French President Emmanuel Macron's refusal earlier this week to rule out sending troops to Ukraine. The United States, Germany, Britain and others had rejected Macron's suggestion. "They should eventually realise that we also have weapons that can hit targets on their territory. Everything that the West comes up with creates the real threat of a conflict with the use of nuclear weapons, and thus the destruction of civilisation," Putin said, addressing the Federal Assembly, two weeks ahead of presidential elections in the country. Russian state media TASS reported that Putin, in his 19th State of the Nation speech, emphasised that the actions of the US and its satellites have led to the dismantling of the European security system. According to Putin, "this creates risks for everyone", TASS reported. Putin added that allegations that Russia plans to deploy nuclear weapons in space were unfounded. "There has recently been an increasing number of unfounded accusations against Russia, alleging that we plan to deploy nuclear weapons in space. Such bogus stories - and they are nothing but bogus stories - are a ploy to drag us into talks on their terms, which only benefit the US," the president noted as per TASS. Putin, in his address, said all previous plans to boost Russia's defence industry had been implemented. "The plans we made in the field of armaments, which I mentioned in the 2018 address, either have been implemented or are nearing completion," Putin said, according to the state news agency report. Putin said Russian forces were making effective use of the Kinzhal hypersonic missile system in the special military operation zone to hit critically important targets while trials of the Burevestnik cruise missile and the Poseidon system were in their final stages. "Hypersonic warheads of intercontinental range Avangard and laser systems Peresvet are on combat duty," he stated. Avangard is a strategic missile defense complex with an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) equipped with a gliding winged warhead. The system was first mentioned by Putin in March 2018. The Russian leader said the claims that the country was preparing to attack Europe were "nonsense." "The West provoked the conflict in Ukraine, in the Middle East, in other regions of the world, and continues to lie. Now, they shamelessly say that Russia allegedly intends to attack Europe. You and I understand that they are talking nonsense," Putin said, according to Russian state media. "At the same time, they themselves are choosing targets for strikes on our territory, choosing the most effective, as they think, means of defeat. They are talking about the possibility of sending NATO military contingents to Ukraine," the Russian leader said, according to TASS. Politicians in the West sought to weaken Russia from within, just like they did in Ukraine, but they failed, said Putin. The Russian president noted that his country did not start the war in Ukraine's Donbas region in 2014 but will do everything to end it and 'eradicate Nazism'. "Our units firmly hold the initiative. They are confidently advancing in a number of operational directions, liberating more and more new territories," Al Jazeera quoted Putin as saying in his annual address. The majority of Russians support Russia's "special military operation" in Ukraine, Putin claimed according to the English language news channel headquartered in the Middle East. (ANI - Posted on 29 February 2024) Putin warns of nuclear war if West escalates Ukraine conflict Found this article helpful? Spread the word and support us! Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Ruslan Stefanchuk discussed with Marshal of the Sejm of Poland Szymon Hoownia the role of parliaments in solving the problem that has arisen on the Ukrainian-Polish border in connection with the blocking of Ukrainian truckers by the Poles. "First of all, we discussed the situation on the Ukrainian-Polish border and the role of parliaments in this problem. I emphasized that Ukraine largely depends on the supply of road and rail transport. Blocking the border in conditions of war is a bad signal and an absolutely counterproductive solution," Stefanchuk wrote on Facebook on Thursday after the meeting. The chairman of the Ukrainian parliament said that it is extremely important to solve this problem as soon as possible. "Ukraine is open to professional dialogue to remove all concerns of Polish farmers or truckers," Stefanchuk said. As reported, Stefanchuk is on a two-day working visit to participate in the summit of speakers of parliaments of the Visegrad Group + Ukraine countries. Champaign, IL (61820) Today Some snow flurries during the morning hours will give way to cloudy skies this afternoon. High 39F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight A few passing clouds. Low 26F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. A new review has concluded that hospitals that are privatized typically deliver worse quality care after converting from public ownership. The study, led by University of Oxford researchers, has been published today in The Lancet Public Health (video summary available in the notes section). This review challenges the justifications for healthcare privatization and concludes that the scientific support for healthcare privatization is weak. Overall, hospital privatization may reduce costs, but does so at the expense of quality of care." Dr Benjamin Goodair, lead author, postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Social Policy and Intervention, University of Oxford The researchers carried out a meta-analysis based on evidence from 13 longitudinal studies, covering a range of high-income countries. Each study assessed quality of healthcare measures for patients before and after health service privatization, at either the hospital or regional level. The studies included measured indicators of care quality which included staffing levels, patient mix by insurance type, the number of services provided, workload for doctors, and health outcomes for patients such as avoidable hospitalizations. Key findings: Increases in privatization generally corresponded with worse quality of care, with no studies included in the review finding unequivocally positive effects on health outcomes. Hospitals converting from public to private ownership status tended to make higher profits. This was mainly achieved by reducing staff levels and reducing the proportion of patients with limited health insurance coverage. Privatisation generally corresponded with fewer cleaning staff employed per patient, and higher rates of patient infections. In some studies, higher levels of hospital privatization corresponded with higher rates of avoidable deaths. However, in some cases (e.g. Croatia), privatization led to some benefits for patient access, through more precise appointments and new means of care delivery, such as out-of-hours telephone calls. According to the researchers, the results challenge the theory that privatization can improve the quality of healthcare through increased market competition, and by enabling a more flexible and patient-centered approach. Further research is now needed into the effects of privatization on other aspects of healthcare, including community, primary, and ambulance services. Co-author Professor Aaron Reeves, from the Department of Social Policy and Intervention at the University of Oxford, said: 'Health-care systems are under pressure from aging populations, constrained budgets, and the reverberations of the COVID-19 pandemic and governments might look to privatization as a single, simple solution to pressures. There is a risk, however, that seeking short-term reductions can come at the expense of long-term outcomes, since outsourcing services to the private sector does not seem to deliver both better care and cheaper care.' The countries included in the analysis were Canada, Croatia, England, Germany, Italy, South Korea, Sweden, and the USA. The current policy of mandatory calorie labelling in large food businesses in England could potentially prevent approximately 730 deaths from cardiovascular disease (CVD) between 2022 and 2041 - and, if the policy were extended to all English food businesses, could potentially prevent around 9,200 CVD deaths over the same time period, suggests first modelled estimation of the impact of the policy published in The Lancet Public Health. In April 2022, as part of a national obesity strategy, the government implemented mandatory calorie labelling in out-of-home businesses in England with 250 or more employees that serve food. Similar legislation is being considered in Wales and Scotland and has been introduced in other countries, including the USA in 2019 and parts of Australia. Previous studies from countries including the UK, USA and Canada suggest menu calorie labelling leads to people ordering meals with approximately 47 fewer kcal and to businesses reducing the average calorie content of their meals by 15 kcal. This study is the first to model the impact of menu calorie labelling on obesity and deaths from cardiovascular disease in England and how the effect varies for different socioeconomic groups. Over one in four adults in England are currently living with obesity, with trends suggesting this is set to increase. Our research estimates that the current calorie labelling legislation will prevent hundreds of deaths from cardiovascular disease over the next 20 years, however a much larger impact is possible if the government were more ambitious in their aims to tackle the obesity epidemic in England and extended the policy to all out-of-home food businesses." Prof Martin O'Flaherty, Professor in Epidemiology, University of Liverpool The authors modelled the estimated effect on obesity rates and cardiovascular disease deaths from 2022 to 2041 of the implementation of mandatory menu calorie labelling in England for two scenarios: The actual policy deployment plan in England where only large out-of-home food businesses with 250 or more employees are mandated to have calorie information (this type of business makes up 18% of outlets). The deployment of menu calorie labelling in every out-of-home food business in England. These two scenarios were compared with a baseline scenario of if no policy was implemented. Without any menu calorie labeling policy, the model estimates that cardiovascular disease trends will result in approximately 830,000 deaths by 2041 (within a range of 600,0001,200,000). However, the current policy is estimated to prevent around 730 of these deaths (within a range of 4301,300) and if the policy was extended to all out-of-home food businesses in England then about 9,200 deaths could be prevented (within a range of 5,50016,000), almost 13 times more than the current policy. The baseline scenario assumed the obesity prevalence in England in 2041 would be 27%. The model estimated that the current policy would reduce obesity prevalence by 0.31 (within a range of 0.100.35) percentage points in the next 20 years, but full implementation of the policy would reduce obesity prevalence by 2.65 percentage points (within a range of 1.973.24). The model suggests that menu calorie labelling does not widen inequalities in obesity prevalence or cardiovascular disease mortality between different socioeconomic groups, based on existing evidence of equivalent policy effects across socioeconomic groups. "Previous studies have suggested that calorie labelling on menus has a double effect it allows customers to make informed decisions and choose options with fewer calories whilst also encouraging companies to reduce the calories in their food. The large out-of-home food businesses represent a small portion of all out-of-home food businesses in England, and as more than half of them already provided calorie information on their menus before the introduction of this legislation in 2022, the policy in its current form only impacts a small proportion of all out-of-home food businesses in England," says Dr Zoe Colombet, Lecturer in Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Liverpool. She continues, "Our results suggest expanding calorie labelling on menus to all English out-of-home food businesses could play an important part in future government strategies to support people in making healthier choices to tackle obesity. However, one policy alone cannot solve England's obesity crisis. We encourage the government to continue with, and strengthen, the England obesity strategy with a wide range of policies, such as calorie labelling, tackling junk food marketing, and the soft drinks industry levy, which will both reduce obesity and narrow the shocking health inequalities gap in our society," The authors caution that their study contains some limitations, including that the data on calorie reductions associated with the policy within the model was taken from US studies, which may not be transferable to the English population. They also highlight that the study only modelled adult obesity, so is unable to examine the impact on childhood obesity. Notably, modelling studies include a number of assumptions that can influence the findings, in this case for instance the authors assumed the amounts of energy consumed would not differ by size of business, and assumed no major changes to BMI prevalence over the next 20 years. Additionally, there are several other areas of policy impact which this study did not investigate. "Our study only looks at the impact of the policy on obesity prevalence and cardiovascular disease in adults. There may be other benefits that can be difficult to quantify, such as increasing consumer's knowledge and giving them the opportunity to make informed choices when eating out. Policymakers must consider multiple factors when making decisions and future research is required about the cost-effectiveness of the policy, the impact on consumers and businesses, as well as the potential unintended negative consequences such as those on eating disorders," says Prof Eric Robinson, Professor of Psychology, University of Liverpool. Writing in a Linked Comment, Dr David D Kim, The University of Chicago, who was not involved in the study, said: "Evidence acquired from conventional study designs is sometimes insufficient to inform policy decisions. They tend to focus on short-term health outcomes (eg, changes in weight or biomarkers), might not represent a diverse population, and are unlikely to evaluate all policy-relevant options. Simulation modelling can help fill this evidence gap by informing multiple relevant processes, testing a multitude of plausible scenarios that would be impractical and infeasible in trials, quantifying the magnitude of intended and unintended consequences, and having the option to adjust and refine designs before a trial or actual implementation testing in the real world." The highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1 has adapted to spread between birds and marine mammals, posing an immediate threat to wildlife conservation, according to a study from the University of California, Davis, and the National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA) in Argentina. The study, published in the journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, is the first genomic characterization of H5N1 in marine wildlife on the Atlantic shore of South America. For the study, scientists collected brain samples from four sea lions, one fur seal and a tern found dead at the most affected sea lion rookery in Argentina. All tested positive for H5N1. Genome sequencing revealed that the virus was nearly identical in each of the samples. The samples shared the same mammal adaptation mutations that were previously detected in a few sea lions in Peru and Chile, and in a human case in Chile. Of note, the scientists found all these mutations also in the tern, the first such finding. This confirms that while the virus may have adapted to marine mammals, it still has the ability to infect birds. It is a multi-species outbreak." Agustina Rimondi, Study First Author and Virologist, National Institute of Agricultural Technology We know this because the virus sequence in the tern retained all mammal-adaptation mutations. Such mutations suggest a potential for transmission between marine mammals. "This virus is still relatively low risk for humans," said senior author Marcela Uhart, a wildlife veterinarian with the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine's One Health Institute and director of its Latin America Program within the Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Institute. "As long as the virus continues to replicate in mammals, it may make it a higher concern for humans. That's why it's so important to conduct surveillance and provide early warning." The journey of H5N1 Uhart calls clade 2.3.4.4b -; the current variant of H5N1 "this new monster." It emerged in 2020, while the human world was reeling from a different pandemic, COVID-19. Avian influenza began killing tens of thousands of sea birds in Europe before moving to South Africa. In 2022, it entered the U.S. and Canada, threatening poultry and wild birds. It migrated to Peru and Chile in late 2022. Then, almost exactly a year ago, in February 2023, highly pathogenic avian influenza entered Argentina for the first time. But it was not until August 2023 -; when the virus was first found in sea lions at the tip of South America on the Atlantic coastline of Tierra del Fuego -; that the virus unleashed its fatal potential in the region. From there, it moved swiftly northward, with deadly results, first for marine mammals and later for seabirds. A recent paper Uhart co-authored showed a large outbreak killed 70% of elephant seal pups born in the 2023 breeding season. Mortality rates reached at least 96% by early November 2023 in the surveyed areas of Peninsula Valdes in Argentina. "When it first came to Argentina, we didn't know if it would affect elephant seals," Uhart said. "We never imagined the magnitude of what was to come." Since 2022, H5N1 in South America has killed at least 600,000 wild birds and 50,000 mammals, including elephant seals and sea lions in Argentina, Chile and Peru, and thousands of albatrosses in the Malvinas/Falkland Islands. Moving south The virus is now heading southward from South America, and scientists are deeply concerned about its potential impact on penguins and other wildlife in Antarctica. Uhart and Ralph Vanstreels, her colleague at UC Davis' Latin America Program in the School of Veterinary Medicine, are conducting wildlife surveillance for H5N1 in Antarctica this month. "We need to keep an eye on the ability of this virus to reach species that have never been exposed to an H5N1 infection before," Rimondi said. "The consequences in those species can be very severe." The concept of One Health honors the interconnectivity among humans, domestic animals, wildlife and the environment. Interspecies disease outbreaks are unsettling examples of such connections and require global collaboration among public, wildlife, agricultural, health and other sectors. "We are trying to be at the forefront of documenting, recording and providing early warning," Uhart said. "We've been in this area for 30 years. We know these species. We work with scientists who have 30 years of data on these populations, so we can know what will be important for the future. We have to give voice to these poor creatures. Nobody's taking note of how big this is." Early in the morning of Feb. 21, Change Healthcare, a company unknown to most Americans that plays a huge role in the U.S. health system, issued a brief statement saying some of its applications were "currently unavailable." By the afternoon, the company described the situation as a "cyber security" problem. Since then, it has rapidly blossomed into a crisis. The company, recently purchased by insurance giant UnitedHealth Group, reportedly suffered a cyberattack. The impact is wide and expected to grow. Change Healthcare's business is maintaining health care's pipelines payments, requests for insurers to authorize care, and much more. Those pipes handle a big load: Change says on its website, "Our cloud-based network supports 14 billion clinical, financial, and operational transactions annually." Initial media reports have focused on the impact on pharmacies, but techies say that's understating the issue. The American Hospital Association says many of its members aren't getting paid and that doctors can't check whether patients have coverage for care. But even that's just a slice of the emergency: CommonWell, an institution that helps health providers share medical records, information critical to care, also relies on Change technology. The system contained records on 208 million individuals as of July 2023. Courtney Baker, CommonWell marketing manager, said the network "has been disabled out of an abundance of caution." "It's small ripple pools that will get bigger and bigger over time, if it doesn't get solved," Saad Chaudhry, chief digital and information officer at Luminis Health, a hospital system in Maryland, told KFF Health News. Here's what to know about the hack: Who did it? Media reports are fingering ALPHV, a notorious ransomware group also known as Blackcat, which has become the target of numerous law enforcement agencies worldwide. While UnitedHealth Group has said it is a "suspected nation-state associated" attack, some outside analysts dispute the linkage. The gang has previously been blamed for hacking casino companies MGM and Caesars, among many other targets. The Department of Justice alleged in December, before the Change hack, that the group's victims had already paid it hundreds of millions of dollars in ransoms. Is this a new problem? Absolutely not. A study published in JAMA Health Forum in December 2022 found that the annual number of ransomware attacks against hospitals and other providers doubled from 2016 to 2021. "It's more of the same, man," said Aaron Miri, the chief digital and information officer at Baptist Health in Jacksonville, Florida. Because the assaults disable the target's computer systems, providers have to shift to paper, slowing them down and making them vulnerable to missing information. Further, a study published in May 2023 in JAMA Network Open examining the effects of an attack on a health system found that waiting times, median length of stay, and incidents of patients leaving against medical advice all increased at neighboring emergency departments. The results, the authors wrote, mean cyberattacks "should be considered a regional disaster." Attacks have devastated rural hospitals, Miri said. And wherever health care providers are hit, patient safety issues follow. What does it mean for patients? Year after year, more Americans' health data is breached. That exposes people to identity theft and medical error. Care can also suffer. For example, a 2017 attack, dubbed "NotPetya," forced a rural West Virginia hospital to reboot its operations and hit pharma company Merck so hard it wasn't able to fulfill production targets for an HPV vaccine. Because of the Change Healthcare attack, some patients may be routed to new pharmacies less affected by billing problems. Patients' bills may also be delayed, industry executives said. At some point, many patients are likely to receive notices their data was breached. Depending on the exact data that has been pilfered, those patients may be at risk for identity theft, Chaudhry said. Companies often offer free credit monitoring services in those situations. "Patients are dying because of this," Miri said. Indeed, an October preprint from researchers at the University of Minnesota found a nearly 21% increase in mortality for patients in a ransomware-stricken hospital. How did it happen? The Health Information Sharing and Analysis Center, an industry coordinating group that disseminates intel on attacks, has told its members that flaws in an application called ConnectWise ScreenConnect are to blame. Exact details couldn't be confirmed. It's a tool tech support teams use to remotely troubleshoot computer problems, and the attack is "apparently fairly trivial to execute," H-ISAC warned members. The group said it expects additional victims and advised its members to update their technology. When the attack first hit, the AHA recommended its members disconnect from systems both at Change and its corporate parent, UnitedHealth's Optum unit. That would affect services ranging from claims approvals to reference tools. Millions of Americans see physicians and other practitioners employed by UnitedHealth and are covered by the company's insurance plans. UnitedHealth has said only Change's systems are affected and that it's safe for hospitals to use other digital services provided by UnitedHealth and Optum, which include claims filing and processing systems. But not many chief information officers "are jumping to reconnect," Chaudhry said. "It's an uneasy feeling." Miri says Baptist is using the conglomerate's technology and that he trusts UnitedHealth's word that it's safe. Where's the federal government? Neither executive was sanguine about the future of cybersecurity in health care. "It's going to get worse," Chaudhry said. "It's a shame the feds aren't helping more," Miri said. "You'd think if our nuclear infrastructure were under attack the feds would respond with more gusto." While the departments of Justice and State have targeted the ALPHV group, the government has stayed behind the scenes more in the aftermath of this attack. Chaudhry said the FBI and the Department of Health and Human Services have been attending calls organized by the AHA to brief members about the situation. Miri said rural hospitals in particular could use more funding for security and that agencies like the Food and Drug Administration should have mandatory standards for cybersecurity. There's some recognition among officials that improvements need to be made. "This latest attack is just more evidence that the status quo isn't working and we have to take steps to shore up cybersecurity in the health industry," said Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), the chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and a longtime advocate for stronger cybersecurity, in a statement to KFF Health News. Ukrainian military personnel shot down two more Russian aircraft, Commander of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) Mykola Oleschuk said. "Today, at about 09:00, two more Su-34 of invaders were destroyed in Avdiyivka and Mariupol directions," Oleschuk said in the Telegram channel. ARIES Ganesha says today is going to be a mixed day for you. Hence, people doing business from abroad will encounter many profit opportunities. Additionally, those who are employed may hear some good news. You will face problems due to some unnecessary expenses, causing your financial condition to waver and leaving you worried. However, you will need to manage all expenses carefully today. Better marriage opportunities may arise for those who are eligible. In the evening, consider taking your parents on a pilgrimage to seek God. Lucky Colour: Grey Lucky Number: 3 TAURUS Ganesha says today is going to be a better day for you than other days. Married individuals may hear some good news from their spouse in the evening. While you will spend some money on luxuries today, remember to save some for later to avoid potential regret. You will enjoy good relations with your brothers and sisters today, spending quality time with them. People working from abroad may receive a large order today, bringing them happiness. Lucky Colour: Pink Lucky Number: 15 WATCH: Monthly Horoscope For March 2024 GEMINI Ganesha says today is going to be a normal day for you, as you will spend the entire day completing pending work. You may require support from your brothers, from whom you will benefit. Additionally, you will show enthusiasm for religious activities today. Those seeking a new job after leaving their previous one may receive a good offer from a friend. You will delegate some responsibilities to your children today, and they will fulfill them. Consider discussing important issues with your parents today. Lucky Colour: Magenta Lucky Number: 8 CANCER Ganesha says today will be a day full of problems for you. You may experience stress regarding your childs marriage, prompting you to seek advice from others. Individuals working in spiritual fields may receive some good news. Any tensions in your relationship with your father will likely dissipate today. You will share your minds problems with your spouse, who will understand and help find solutions. Spend the evening with the young children of your family. Lucky Colour: Golden Lucky Number: 1 LEO Ganesha says today may be somewhat troublesome for you from a health perspective, so do not take any issues lightly. Consult a doctor if necessary to avoid potential health problems later. It would be wise to avoid fried foods this evening. Be cautious when seeking advice from friends regarding your childs career issues. Additionally, show respect to senior members. You will successfully pay off your old debts today, bringing relief. Lucky Colour: White Lucky Number: 7 VIRGO Ganesha says today is going to be a normal day for you. Consider shopping to fulfill your daily needs and perhaps find a valuable gift for your spouse. Business will bring you happiness as you achieve desired profits. Young family members may make some demands, but you may receive inauspicious news from a relative, leaving you feeling sad. Eligible individuals may encounter better marriage opportunities today. Lucky Colour: Purple Lucky Number: 2 LIBRA Ganesha says employed individuals must be cautious in the workplace today, as their interactions with seniors may worry enemies who could attempt to sabotage their work. Students should consider applying for examinations today, as the day favors them. Those planning to make significant purchases like vehicles or land will see their wishes fulfilled. Consider planning an outing with friends this evening, but consult your father beforehand. Lucky Colour: Olive Lucky Number: 10 SCORPIO Ganesha says preparations may be underway in your home today, creating a festive atmosphere, but be cautious of arguments with your spouse. Politically inclined individuals may have beneficial meetings today. Students can find solutions to their educational problems from colleagues. You will receive respect from your in-laws today. Lucky Colour: Cyan Lucky Number: 12 SAGITTARIUS Ganesha says due to ongoing discord in your family, you may need to have face-to-face discussions with family members, though opinions may vary. Seek advice from senior family members. You will be happy in your work field today, and those in romantic relationships may plan an outing. Starting a new business today could be successful. Lucky Colour: Lavender Lucky Number: 5 CAPRICORN Ganesha says today you will see an increase in your courage and bravery. If your mother has had any health-related issues, you may see improvement. Establishing your identity in the workplace is crucial for success, and you may receive new offers. Seeking help from siblings will be fruitful. Be cautious of trusting others, as someone may betray you, causing mental stress. Lucky Colour: Silver Lucky Number: 9 AQUARIUS Ganesha says today is going to be very fruitful for you as your desire to acquire property may be fulfilled. Those in business should be cautious about lending money today, as there is a low chance of repayment. Students must focus on improving weak subjects to achieve success. Concerns regarding children will ease today, bringing happiness. Lucky Colour: Navy Blue Lucky Number: 4 PISCES Ganesha says today you will be worried due to increasing expenses, some of which are unavoidable. Control your expenses today to avoid future problems. Government employees must be cautious about trusting others, as they may be betrayed. Relieve mental stress through yoga and meditation. You may borrow money from a friend today. In a major decision, the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Thursday approved a semiconductor fab in India, Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday said. He said the countrys first commercial fab will be set up by Tata and Taiwans PSMC in Dholera, Gujarat, at a projected cost of Rs 91,000 crore. Apart from this, two more semiconductor units have also been approved in the country, one in Assam and one in Gujarats Sanand. The Cabinet has approved Tata Semiconductor Assembly Tests semiconductor assembly and testing unit in Assam at an investment of Rs 27,000 crore, said Vaishnaw. CG Power and Japans Renesas will also set up a semiconductor plant in Gujarats Sanand at an estimated cost of Rs 7,600 crore producing 15 million chips per day, he said. Briefing the media on the Cabinet decision on Indias first commercial fab in India on Thursday, Vaishnaw said, In the semiconductor fab, 50,000 wafers will be manufactured per month. In a wafer, there are roughly 5,000 chips. As per this, around 300 crore chips will be manufactured in a year in this plant. These chips will cater to eight sectors, including high-power computing, electric vehicles, telecom, defence, consumer electronics, automobiles, and power electronics, he said. The first efforts to set up the semiconductor fab were made in 1962, then in 1980, 1984, 2005, 2007 and 2011. Success is achieved only when both intention and policy are clear. Today, it has become possible under Prime Minster Narendra Modi to set up Indias first commercial semiconductor fab, Vaishnaw said. He said foundation laying will be done very soon, like what we saw in the case of Microns facility in Sanand, Gujarat, where the construction was started within just 90 days. Indias fiscal deficit during April-January 2024 stood at Rs 11.03 lakh crore, hitting 63.6 per cent of the full FY24 revised target, according to the latest official data released on February 29. The deficit is, however, lower than the Rs 11.9 lakh crore, or 67.8 per cent of the full-year target, recorded in April-January FY2023. According to the latest data from the Controller General of Accounts (CGA), the total receipts stood at Rs 22.52 lakh crore during April-January FY24, while overall expenditure was at Rs 33.55 lakh crore. They were 81.7 per cent and 74.7 per cent of this fiscal years revised budget target, respectively. While net tax revenues rose by 11 per cent, non-tax revenues expanded by 46 per cent boosted by the RBI dividend, amid a tepid 1.4 per cent growth in revenue expenditure, and a strong 26.5 per cent YoY expansion in capex. Aditi Nayar, chief economist and head (research and outreach) at ICRA, said, The Government of Indias fiscal deficit stood at Rs 11 trillion or 64 per cent of the FY2024 RE in April-January FY2024, lower than the Rs 11.9 trillion recorded in April-January FY2023. While net tax revenues rose by 11 per cent, non-tax revenues expanded by 46 per cent boosted by the RBI dividend, amidst a tepid 1.4 per cent growth in revenue expenditure, and a strong 26.5% YoY expansion in capex. While there may be some slippage in the disinvestment target and capex may trail the FY2024 RE, ICRA does not expect the revised fiscal deficit target of Rs 17.3 lakh crore for FY2024 to be breached, she said. The GoIs capex slumped to Rs 47,600 crore in January 2024 from nearly Rs 80,000 crore in January 2023, kicking off Q4 FY2024 on a sour note. With Rs 2.3 lakh crore left to be incurred in February-March 2024 to meet the full-year target for capex this fiscal, substantially higher than the Rs 1.7 lakh crore recorded in the same months of FY2023, ICRA expects the governments capex to undershoot the FY2024 RE by at least Rs 0.5 lakh crore, Nayar said. Shares of NTPC fell almost by a percentage at open on the NSE on February 29, a day after it reported that subsidiary NTPC Green Energy had signed a JVA with the Maharashtra State Power Generation Company (MAHAGENCO). NTPC shares have rallied 95 per cent in a year and risen 52.37 per cent in six months. Market cap of NTPC stood at Rs 3.22 lakh crore on BSE. Total 1.98 lakh shares of the firm changed hands amounting to a turnover of Rs 6.62 crore. The company will be formed under the joint venture and will develop GW-scale renewable energy parks and undertake projects of this scale in a phased manner. The agreement aligns with the green energy objectives of NTPC and is another step in the government of Indias efforts towards energy transition, said NTPC in a communication to BSE. In an exchange filing, post market hours, NTPC said that its fully owned subsidiary NTPC Green Energy had signed a joint venture agreement with MAHAGENCO for the development of Renewable Energy Parks in the state of Maharashtra. The company under the JVA will develop GW-scale renewable energy parks and undertake projects of this scale in a phased manner. NTPC has a total installed capacity, including JVs and subsidiaries, of approximately 74 GW. The subsidiary was formed as a part of NTPCs goal of increasing its renewable energy portfolio. NTPC Group has ambitious plans of attaining 60 GW of renewable energy capacity by the year 2032. Currently, it has 3.4 GW of installed RE capacity and more than 22 GW under pipeline, a PIB release noted. The stock hit a 52-week low of Rs 166.65 on April 4, 2023 and touched a 52 week high of Rs 347.85 on February 21, 2024. The stock has a beta of 0.6, indicating low volatility in a year In terms of technicals, the relative strength index (RSI) of NTPC stock stands at 54.4, signaling its neither trading in the overbought nor in the oversold zone.. NTPC shares are trading higher than the 5 day, 10 day, 20 day, 50 day, 100 day and 200 day moving averages. The NTPC Group has ambitious plans of attaining 60 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2032. Currently, it has 3.4 GW of installed RE capacity and more than 22 GW under pipeline. NTPC is committed to supporting Maharashtras and Indias decarbonisation goals. MAHAGENCO has an installed capacity of about 13,170 MW including 9,540 MW thermal, 2,580 MW hydro, 672 MW gas and 378 MW solar-based power plant capacity. Shares of One 97 Communications fell 5 per cent to the days low of Rs 385.90 on Thursday. The shares had hit the lower brand circuit on Wednesday to hit 406.15 apiece. This comes as payment aggregator Paytm finds itself at the receiving end to non-compliance and supervisory concerns, as per RBI. Paytm had recently reconstituted the companys board with induction of several key industry veterans after Vijay Shekhar Sharma had resigned as part time non-executive Chairman of Paytm Payments Bank Ltd. As per experts, the fall in share price indicates that Sharmas resignation has failed to soothe investors nerve. Paytm shares has hit the upper circuit on two consecutives sessions earlier. In January, RBI undertook regulatory action against the aggregator, barring it from accepting any fresh deposits, or top-ups in wallets, accounts, FASTags and other instruments from February end. The deadline was later extended to March 15. The most recent blow has been Macquries reiteration of an underperform rating on the counter for a price target of Rs 275. The Australian brokerage has taken adverse views on the counter on previous occasions as well. In the latest stock review, Macquarie said that Sharma is trying to salvage some value from PPBL and sending a message to the regulator that he is willing to give up control of Paytm Payments Bank. While the survival of PPBL is at stake, the banking regulator Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will have to provide relaxations, the brokerage note said. We dont expect RBI to authorise any related- party transactions between Paytm and PPBL in the future, it said. While some lending partners have revealed that they are looking again at their relationship with Paytm, the companys lending business could take a hit if partners scale down or terminate their relationships with Paytm, Macquaries said further. Paytm shares has rebounded during last couple of sessions to trade 20 per cent above the 52-week low of Rs 318 hit on February 16. However, the stock is still around 50 per cent below the January 31 closing price of Rs 761.20. We expect Paytm to lose 5-7ppt of its 25 per cent share in the payments industry, driven by loss of wallet (2-3ppt permanent loss) and the rest due to merchant/customer churn, brokerage firm UBS said. Morgan Stanley has maintained an equal-weight call on the stock with a target price of Rs 555 while Goldman Sachs has a neutral rating on the stock with a revised target price of Rs 450. Renowned brokerage firm Jefferies has discontinued its rating on Paytm after moving it to the list of non-rated stocks. The Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore commenced the online application process for the Q-Daksha Student Internship Programme 2024. This internship is an excellent opportunity for aspiring students to participate in and witness Quantum Technology research at IISc. The registration process started on National Science Day which was February 28, 2024. According to the schedule, the last date to submit the application forms for the Q-Daksha Student Internship Programme 2024 is March 21. Students studying science and engineering can submit their application forms by scanning a QR code provided by the institute. The programme, which is only available to interested Karnataka students, will last 4 to 8 weeks and will also provide participants with an appropriate stipend. As quantum technology is highly interdisciplinary in nature, we encourage students from science and engineering disciplines (examples of disciplines, but not restricted to Physics, Chemistry, mathematics, computer science, electrical and electronics, nanotechnology, etc.) to apply, read an official notice. Taking to X (formally Twitter), the IISc Bangalore informed the Q-Daksha 2024 registrations are now open. Happy to announce that we are back with the Q-Daksha Student Internship Program 2024 on this National Science Day! Q-Daksha 2024 registrations are now open! To learn more about the program and to apply, visit https://shorturl.at/pOPX1. Happy to announce that we are back with the Q-Daksha Student Internship Program 2024 on this National Science Day! Q-Daksha 2024 registrations are now open! To learn more about the program and to apply, visit: https://t.co/IdPe5IpGmc@iiscbangalore @ITBTGoK pic.twitter.com/6BOqFW34ax IISc Quantum Technology Initiative (@IIScQuanTech) February 28, 2024 Q-Daksha Student Internship Programme 2024: Eligibility Criteria Students in their third or fourth year of a Bachelor of Engineering (BE) or Bachelor of Technology (BTech), as well as their first or second year of a Master of Science (MSc) or Master of Technology (MTech), are eligible to apply for the internship programme. The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) intends to launch a concerted effort to address key quantum technology challenges by establishing a framework for fostering collaborations among physicists, material scientists, computer scientists and engineers. The IISc is a key institute that has assisted India in developing previous strategic missions (the Indian nuclear technology and space technology programmes were conceived and nurtured at IISc) and has a multidisciplinary research faculty interested in quantum science and technologies. IISc has led the nations efforts to become self-reliant in the fields of condensed matter physics, nanoelectronics, and nanoscience long before there was a current interest in quantum technologies. The Kerala Pareeksha Bhavan has released the results for the Kerala Teacher Eligibility Test, KTET 2023 October session. Candidates who took the exam can check their scores from the official website at ktet.kerala.gov.in. They will need their logging credentials such as application number and password to check the scores. The exam took place from December 29 to 30 in two shifts the first from 10 am to 12.30 pm and the second from 2 pm to 4.30 pm. Category 1 (Lower Primary Classes) and Category 2 (Upper Primary Classes) exams were conducted on December 29, with the first and second shifts respectively. Category 3 (High School Classes) and Category 4 (for Language Teachers in Arabic, Hindi, Sanskrit, and Urdu subjects) were held on December 30. Kerala KTET Result 2024: How to Check Step 1: Go to the official website of KTET ktet.kerala.gov.in. Step 2: On the homepage, find the link titled KTET October 2024 Result Published. Step 3: Upon clicking on the link, a new page will be displayed on the screen. Step 4: Fill in all the required details such as category, registration number, and date of birth into the provided fields. Step 5: Click on the Check Result tab and your result will be displayed on the screen. Step 6: Download the KTET October Result 2024, review all the information, and keep a printout for further reference. The registration process for the Kerala TET commenced on November 6, 2023, and concluded on November 17, 2023. The answer key was released on January 5. Candidates were allowed to raise objection by January 12. The exam features only Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs), with each question carrying one mark. There is no negative marking for wrong answers. The exam is held for a total of 150 marks. Candidates who have completed the higher secondary/senior secondary (equivalent) examination with 48 per cent marks and the Trained Teachers Certificate or Diploma in Technical Education administered by the Kerala Government Examination Board are eligible for KTET. The Rajasthan Board of Secondary Education (RBSE) is set to start the class 12 board examinations 2024 today, February 29. The examination will go on till April 4. The Rajasthan board examination is scheduled to take place between 8.30 am and 11.45 pm. As per the guidelines, students must remember to keep a hard copy of their admit card. It is mandatory to carry the hall tickets as well as a government-issued ID to the exam hall as without it students not be allowed to enter the exam hall. Candidates are also advised to enter the exam hall 30 minutes prior to the commencement of the exams. No student will be allowed to take mobile phones, electronic devices, headphones, and other electronic gadgets with them inside the examination hall. Finding any device with the student might lead to the cancellation of their exam. RBSE CLASS 12 Exam 2024 Datesheet SUBJECT EXAM DATE Psychology (19) February 29 Public Administration March 1 Computer Science (03) / Informatics Practices (04) March 2 English Compulsory (02) March 4 Vocal Music (16) / Dance Kathak (59) / Instrumental Music [(Tabla-63), (Pakhawaj-64), (Sitar-65), (Sarod-66), Violin-67), (Dilruya 68). (Flute-69), (Guitar- 70)] March 5 Sanskrit Literature (12) / Sanskrit Literature (94) March 6 Geography (14)/Accountancy (30)/Physics (40) March 9 Painting (17) March 11 Hindi Compulsory March 13 English Literature (20) / Typing Script (Hindi) (34) (The question paper of Typing Script should be started at 09.00 am.) March 15 Philosophy (85) / General Science (56) March 16 History (13) / Business Studies (31) / Agricultural Chemistry (38) / Chemistry (41) March 18 Environmental Science March 20 Political Science (11) / Geology (43) / Agricultural Science (84) March 21 Mathematics March 23 Home Science (18) March 26 Physical Education (60) March 27 Economics (10) / Quick Script Hindi (32) / Quick Script English (33) / Agricultural Biology (39) / Biology (42) March 28 Rigveda (44) / Shukla Yajurveda (45) / Krishna Yajurveda (46) / Samaveda (47) / Atharvaveda (48) / Nyaya Darshan (49) / Vedanta Darshan (50) / Mimamsa Darshan (51) / Jain Darshan (52) / Nimbarka Darshan (53) / Vallabh Darshan (54) / General Darshan (55) / Ramanand Darshan (57) / Grammar Shastra (86) / Literature (87) / Ancient History (88) / Theology (89) / Astrology ( 70) / Oceanography (91) / Architecture (92) / Priesthood (93) March 30 Hindi Literature (21) / Urdu Literature (22) / Sindhi Literature (23) / Gujarati Literature (24) / Punjabi Literature (25) / Rajasthani Literature (26) / Persian (27) / Prakrit Language (28) / Typographic Script ( English) (35) (The question paper of typing script should be started at 09.00 am.) April 1 Sociology (29) April 3 Automotive (101) / Beauty & Health (102) / Health Care (103) / Information Technology & IT Services (104) / Retail (105) / Travel & Tourism (106) / Apparel Manufacturing Clothing & Home Decor (108) / Electrical & Electronics (109) Micro Irrigation System (Agriculture) (110) / Plumber (111) / Telecom (112) April 4 The RBSE Class 10 board exam is set to take place from March 7 to March 30, 2024. Students who plan to take this years Rajasthan board exam can visit rajeduboard.rajasthan.gov.in to view the RBSE date sheet 2024. The deployment of paramilitary forces has begun, ahead of the announcement of the Lok Sabha elections. At least 430 BSF companies, 155 from CISF and 500 companies from CRPF will be deployed in the first week of March, as initial deployment is scheduled for March 1 to 7. The Election Commission of India has sought 3,40,000 paramilitary personnel to conduct the polls this year. The troops will also be used for the assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha and Sikkim, officials said. It is yet to be announced if simultaneous elections will also be held in Jammu and Kashmir. The Supreme Court has ordered for assembly elections in the union territory by September 30. In 2019, three lakh paramilitary and 20 lakh state police forces were deployed to conduct phased elections. This included 1,387 companies from CRPF, 550 from BSF, 208 from CISF, 244 from SSB, 210 from ITBP, 79 from RPF and 448 from others. J&K and West Bengal could get maximum deployment According to a communication between the ministry of home affairs and the EC, maximum deployment of central forces has been sought for West Bengal as well as Jammu and Kashmir. The poll body has requested for 920 paramilitary companies for West Bengal and 635 for Jammu and Kashmir. Naxal-affected Chhattisgarh could have deployment of at least 360 companies. The EC has sought 295 companies for Bihar; 252 in Uttar Pradesh; 250 each in Andhra Pradesh, Punjab and Jharkhand; 200 each in Gujarat, Manipur, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu; 175 in Odisha; 160 each in Assam and Telangana; 150 in Maharashtra; 113 in Madhya Pradesh; 100 in Tripura; 95 in Haryana; 75 in Arunachal Pradesh; 70 each in Karnataka, Uttarakhand and Delhi; 66 in Kerala; 57 in Ladakh; 55 in Himachal Pradesh; 48 in Nagaland; 45 in Meghalaya; 17 in Sikkim;15 in Mizoram; 14 in Dadra and Nagar Haveli; 12 in Goa; 11 in Chandigarh; 10 in Puducherry; five in Andaman and Nicobar; and three in Lakshadweep. Securing booths to area domination Other than security of polling booths on voting day, central forces will be deployed for area domination in states like Chhattisgarh, Manipur and UTs like J&K. Prior deployment will also help forces get acquainted with the area, for confidence-building measures, guarding electronic voting machines and strongroom centres. Securing counting centres after polling is over will also be a mandate for the deployed forces. The Siddaramaiah government in Karnataka has recently withdrawn the bill on levying taxes on revenues generated from the temples of the state. The bill had garnered strong reactions from the Opposition BJP in the state who has accused the Congress government of being anti-Hindu. The Congress government is mulling presenting the Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments (Amendment) Bill, 2024 for the second time in the state assembly after the Bill was defeated in the Legislative Council by the Opposition BJP-JDS combine on Friday. The Bill is being considered for tabling at the later stage when the Congress has a majority in the Council, according to The Indian Express report, quoting party leaders. The Karnataka Legislative Council has 76 members, in which BJP-led NDA has the majority with 35 members, while the Congress has only 30 MLCs. The BJPs strength was crucial in rejecting the temple tax bill. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that the allegations regarding the amendments to the Bill appear to be misrepresented, aiming only at misleading the public and polarizing people along communal lines for political leverage. What Does the Bill Say? The Karnataka government has proposed to impose 10% tax on temples with revenues more than Rs 1 crore and 5% tax on those earning between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 1 crore. Under the existing law, temples are divided into three categories based on the revenues they generate: Temples earning more than Rs 25 lakh are classified as Grade A, those earning between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 25 lakh are categories as Grade B while those earning less than Rs 5 lakh are under Grade C. Karnataka has nearly 34,000 Grade C temples, besides 250 Grade B, and 67 Grade A temples, according to a report by The Times of India. The report further said the state government is allowed to allocate 5% of Grade B revenues and 10% of Grade A revenues to Grade C temples for their maintenance. The new bill mandates Muzrai temples with annual income of Rs 1 crore to contribute to 10% of their income to Dharmik Parishad and 5% to be paid by shrines with revenues of Rs 10 lakh to Rs 1 crore, and redistribute among Grade C temples. The common pool fund, administered by Rajya Dharmika Parishath, is proposed to be used for Archakas (priests) welfare and upkeep of C category temples (state-controlled). Controversy Over the Bill BJP state president Vijayendra Yediyurappa alleged that the government passed the bill to replenish its coffers from the tax collected from the temple. Why only Hindu temples are targeted for revenue, leaving out other religions, is a question raised by millions of devotees. Instead of grabbing the devotees money, the government can install donation boxes so that the concerned citizens can help this penniless govt boost its revenue as a gesture of goodwill, he said as quoted by Moneycontrol.com. Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar also criticised the Congress government in Karnataka, terming its move to pass the Bill a new low for the states ruling party. Every time you think Rahuls Congress cannot fall any lower, along comes an example of them falling even lower, Chandrasekhar was quoted by PTI as saying. The European Parliament called on the member countries of the European Union to increase and speed up military support for Ukraine, supporting the proposal to allocate 0.25% of their GDP annually for this. The corresponding resolution was voted on Thursday in Strasbourg as part of a plenary meeting of the European Parliament. Some 451 MEPs voted in favour, while 46 MEPs against and 49 abstained. A total of 546 MEPs took part in the voting. "[The European Parliament] Reaffirms its support for consistently providing military aid to Ukraine for as long as necessary and in whatever form necessary for Ukraine to win; recognises the efforts made by the Member States in providing and by the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (VP/HR) in coordinating military support to Ukraine to date; reiterates its call on the Member States to substantially increase and accelerate their military support, in particular the provision of weapons and ammunition in response to clearly identified needs, with a view to not only allowing Ukraine to defend itself against Russian attacks, but also to enabling it to regain full control over its entire internationally recognised territory; underlines that the insufficient and delayed delivery of weapons and ammunition risks undermining the efforts made so far; expresses concern that the target of 1 million rounds of ammunition will not be met as promised; calls on the Member States and the European External Action Service (EEAS) to present to Parliament information about past deliveries of military aid to Ukraine, including the audit conducted by the EEAS, and the amount of aid Member States are willing to commit during 2024," according to the resolution. The European Parliament also expressed the view that there should be no "self-imposed restriction" on military aid to Ukraine and pointed to the huge difference in military support provided by EU member states as a percentage of their GDP. "[EP] calls for the necessary investment in the European defence industrial base so as to substantially increase output in order to meet Ukrainian needs and replenish EU Member States depleted stocks; underlines that Ukraine is in particular need of sophisticated air-defence systems, long-range missiles such as TAURUS, Storm Shadow/SCALP and others, modern combat aircraft, various types of artillery and ammunition (155 mm in particular), drones and weapons to counter them," the resolution details. In addition, the European Parliament expressed support for the proposal that all EU member states and NATO allies support Ukraine militarily with at least 0.25% of their GDP annually. "[EP] calls for an overall increase in the financial ceiling of the European Peace Facility and insists that this should be used, among other things, for the single source procurement of available ammunition on the world market to meet Ukraines needs; urges the governments of the Member States to immediately enter into dialogue with defence companies in order to guarantee that the production and delivery of, in particular, ammunition, shells and missiles for Ukraine are prioritised over orders from other third countries; calls for the EU and its Member States to explore the possibilities for joint ventures and close cooperation with defence industries from like-minded third countries for the purposes of providing the necessary ammunition to Ukraine; urges in particular the largest Member States with substantial defence industrial capacities to significantly and urgently increase military assistance to Ukraine; calls on the US House of Representatives to adopt the military assistance package for Ukraine without any further delay," according to the document. The European Parliament also welcomed the signing of security agreements between Ukraine and the UK, Germany, France, Denmark and Italy in accordance with the G7 joint declaration on support for Ukraine and calls on other like-minded partners to follow suit. "[EP] underlines that these security agreements cannot be considered a substitute for future NATO membership; welcomes the progress made on the practical details and financial ceiling for a new Ukraine Assistance Fund, under the European Peace Facility, which would support the provision of military equipment to Ukraine through joint European procurement initiatives," according to the resolution. Addressing the issue of Russian responsibility, the European Parliament reiterated its call on the European Commission, the High Representative and Member States to work together with Ukraine and the international community to establish a special tribunal to investigate and prosecute crimes of aggression committed against Ukraine by Russian leaders and their allies such as the regime in Belarus. The European Parliament also called on Ukraine to ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and its amendments and formally become a member of the ICC in order to "support international efforts to establish accountability for serious international crimes." The European Parliament demanded that Russia and Belarus return children deported from Ukraine. The continued forced relocation and deportation of Ukrainian children, including those from institutions, to Russia and Belarus and their forced adoption by Russian families is in breach of Ukrainian and international law; underlines that forcibly transferring children of a group to another group constitutes the crime of genocide, according to Article II of the Genocide Convention; demands that the Russian and Belarusian authorities ensure the immediate return of all Ukrainian children; praises the efforts of local Ukrainian organisations that, on a case-by-case basis, support parents and families in searching for their children and fighting for their safe return," according to the resolution. The European Parliament also condemned Russia's intention to hold presidential elections in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine on March 15-17 and noted that it does not recognize the results of these illegal elections. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will unveil the Vikramaditya Vedic Clock, which will calculate time based on the Indian Panchang (time calculation system), in Madhya Pradeshs Ujjain today. The Prime Minister will be inaugurating a series of developmental projects in Ujjain today via a video link. According to the governments press release about the clock, The Indian system of time calculation is the oldest, subtle, pure, error-free, authentic and reliable method in the world. This most reliable system is being re-established in the form of Vikramaditya Vedic Clock in Ujjain. Throughout the world, the time prescribed and transmitted from Ujjayini (Ujjain) has been followed. The shortest fraction of time is included in Indian time calculations based on the Indian astronomical theory and the motions of planetary constellations, it added. About the Vedic Clock The clock is mounted on an 85-foot tower within Jantar Mantar in Ujjain, adjacent to the Government Jiwaji Observatory. Sri Ram Tiwari, Director of Maharaja Vikramaditya Research Institute, stated, as quoted by The Times of India, It will be the worlds first clock in which Indian time calculation will be displayed. The Vedic Clock installed in Ujjain as the city has been considered the centre of time calculation. The Tropic of Cancer passes through Ujjain. How will this clock work? This clock will calculate time based on Vedic Hindu Panchang, planetary positions, Muhurat, astrological calculations, solar eclipse, lunar eclipse, among other things, and also indicate the Indian Standard Time (IST) and Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). Time calculation is based on the duration from one sunrise to the next. Shishir Gupta, a member of the Vedic clock development team, as quoted by The Times of India, explained, how the clock functions. The clock will calculate time from one sunrise to another. The time period between the two sunrises will be divided into 30 parts, with each hour consisting of 48 minutes. The reading will start from 0:00 with the sunrise functions for 30 hours (an hour of 48 minutes). Why Ujjain? According to Hindu astronomical belief, Ujjain was once considered Indias central meridian, and the city determined the countrys time zones and time difference. It is also the basis of time in Hindu calendar. Ujjain is located at the precise point of interaction with zero meridian and Tropic of Cancer. It is also located at Indias oldest observatory built by Sawai Jai Singh II of Jaipur in the early 18th century. The 1884 convention on meridians accepted the longitude passing through Greenwich as the zero meridian or the Prime Meridian. IST, four hours ahead of GMT, is calculated in Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh, which lies 8230 East longitude, as reported in Hindustan Times. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday said at least 20 Indians are stuck in Russia, seeking discharge from the Russian army. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters that the Indian government is in touch with Russian authorities in its efforts to bring back the Indians to their homeland. Emphasising that the government was trying its best for their early discharge, MEA spokesperson Jaiswal also noted that Indians in Russia have been advised not to venture into the war zone or get caught into difficult situations. It is our understanding that there are 20 people whove gone there to work as support staff or as helpers with the Russian army. These are the people who have contacted us, and that is our understanding that this is the number that we have there, Randhir Jaiswal said. #WATCH | MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal says, It is our understanding that there are 20 people whove gone there to work as support staff or as helpers with the Russian army. These are the people who have contacted us, and that is our understanding that this is the number that pic.twitter.com/5kXPrUtTrR ANI (@ANI) February 29, 2024 On February 26, the MEA said several Indians caught in the 2022 Russo-Ukrainian war had already been discharged from the Russian army. Each and every such case brought to the attention of the Indian Embassy in Moscow has been strongly taken up with the Russian authorities and those brought to the attention of the Ministry have been taken up with the Russian Embassy in New Delhi. Several Indians have already been discharged as a result, the MEA said in a press release. The external affairs ministry further stated it was actively pursuing the early discharge of Indian nationals from the Russian army. We remain committed, as a matter of top priority, to actively pursuing with the Russian authorities all the relevant cases of Indian nationals for an early discharge from the Russian army, the ministry said. News18 had earlier reported that the families of two men belonging to Jammu and Kashmir, who had ended up as mercenaries for Russia fighting against Ukraine on the frontline, had appealed to MEA for help to bring them back. Three men were killed and another injured when their speeding car rammed into a moving dumper truck in Rajasthans Alwar district on Thursday, police said. Naugaon Station House Officer (SHO) Bhupendra Singh Jat said the accident took place on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway highway killing Mustakeen (25), Rashid (25) and Asaf Ali Khan (24) on the spot and injuring Zahid (24), all residents of Bharatpur district. The four men were on their way to Haryanas Ferozepur Jhirka when their car rammed into a dumper truck moving ahead of it, he said. Zahid was rushed to a hospital in Jaipur where he is undergoing treatment, police said. The bodies have been handed over to the relatives after post-mortem and a case has been registered against the truck driver who fled from the spot after the accident, the SHO said. Further investigation is underway, he said. The All Assam Students Union (AASU) and 30 other groups on Thursday announced a series of agitational programmes, including a 12-hour hunger strike in all districts on March 9 during Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to the state, in protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. Addressing a press conference here after a meeting with representatives of the 30 indigenous organisations, AASU president Utpal Sarma said that the announcement to frame rules and implement the CAA at a time when several cases are going on against the Act in the Supreme Court is a grave injustice to the people. The Assamese people have never accepted the CAA and will oppose any step towards its implementation. Along with the legal fight, we will continue democratic and peaceful agitation against the Centres decision, he added. The anti-CAA agitation will begin on March 4 with motorcycle rallies in every district headquarters, followed by the burning of CAA rules once those are notified, Sarma said. A day after the rules are announced, we will organise a torch-light march in every district headquarters against it. There will also be satyagraha across the state, he added. When the prime minister comes to Assam on March 8, AASU and the 30 other groups will light lamps before the portraits of five slain youths, who were killed in police firing during anti-CAA protests in 2019, Sarma said. On March 9, when Modi is in Assam, we will launch a 12-hour hunger strike in all districts of Assam, he added. The prime minister will be on a two-day visit to Assam from March 8, during which he will undertake a jungle safari in Kaziranga National Park, unveil a 125-foot statue of 17th-century Ahom army commander Lachit Borphukan, lay the foundation of Sivasagar Medical College and inaugurate 5.5 lakh Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) houses. The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA) seeks to provide Indian citizenship to Hindus, Jains, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Parsis entering India on or before December 31, 2014 from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan after five years of residence here. Opposition parties in Assam on Thursday sought the intervention of President Droupadi Murmu for repealing the CAA, asserting that they would undertake a democratic mass movement across the state if their demand is not met. The 16-party United Opposition Forum Assam (UOFA) submitted a memorandum to Droupadi Murmu through Governor Gulab Chand Kataria. This act is not only unconstitutional, but it is also going to nullify the historic Assam Accord of 1985 by putting in danger the history, culture, social fabric, economy and the very identity of the Assamese people, they said. The UOFA urged her to intervene in the matter and direct the Centre to desist from its decision to implement the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 in Assam, and repeal the unconstitutional and anti-national act. We further inform you, if the Government of India pays no heed to it, we the opposition political parties and the people of Assam will have no alternative except to go for democratic mass movement to compel the government to repeal it, the memorandum said. It also pointed out that there has been protests since the contentious law was introduced in Parliament in 2019, and the BJP-led government passed it on the basis of numbers by ignoring the sentiments of the people of Assam. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has recently declared that the CAA is going to be implemented in Assam before the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, they said. After submitting the memorandum, Assam Congress president Bhupem Kumar Borah said: We will not accept the CAA at any cost, and we told it very categorically to the governor. He said that he has some limitations and will duly forward the memorandum to the President. The UOFA also decided to seek an appointment of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to register its opposition to the CAA implementation plan, and said they will write to him in this regard on Thursday. Assam TMC chief Ripun Bora said the opposition parties will hit the streets if the government goes ahead with its plan to implement the CAA. Lurinjyoti Gogoi, the president of the Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP), claimed that the controversial law is being rolled out for religious polarisation ahead of the the general elections. The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA) seeks to provide Indian citizenship to Hindus, Jains, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Parsis entering India on or before December 31, 2014 from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan after five years of residence here. Shah had earlier this month said that the CAA rules would be notified and implemented before the Lok Sabha polls. When the rules for the CAA are issued, the Modi government will start granting Indian citizenship to persecuted non-Muslim migrants Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis and Christians from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan who had come to India till December 31, 2014. The UOFA, which includes parties like the Congress, TMC, AAP, Raijor Dal, AJP, CPI(M), CPI, AIFB, Shiv Sena (UBT), NCP (Sharad Pawar), Samajwadi Party and RJD, had on Wednesday announced that a state-wide bandh will be called the very next day of the contentious act coming into force, followed by gherao of the Janata Bhawan (the secretariat). The Centre is yet to decide on continuing the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with Kuki militant organisations amid demands from political parties and Meitei civil society groups in Manipur not to extend the peace pact with the states tribal insurgent groups. The SOO was first signed in 2008 with Kuki militant groups operating in Manipurs hill districts. It has been extended periodically and expired on February 28. The central government is still continuing the talks, a source privy to the development said without giving any indication whether the SoO will be extended or not. The Manipur government, which has been part of the SoO agreement, had in March 2023 announced unilateral withdrawal from the pact with two Kuki dominated insurgent groups alleging them to be involved in encroaching of forest land. However, at that time the central government did not endorse it. On Thursday, the Manipur assembly adopted a resolution urging the Centre to completely abrogate the SoO pact with all the Kuki militant groups. Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh wrote on X: The 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly on the 2nd day of its 5th session, unanimously resolved to urge the central government to completely abrogate the SoO pact with all the Kuki-Zo militant groups. He said this decision comes in the interest of ensuring peace and security in the region. The 10 Kuki-Zomi-Hmar MLAs of Manipur, including two ministers, has not been attending the assembly session ever since ethnic conflict in Manipur between Kukis and Meiteis started on May 3, 2023. The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), an influential Meitei civil society organisation, has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi the urgent need for caution and re-evaluation of any decision regarding the extension of the SoO agreement with Kuki groups. In its letter, the COCOMI urged the government to refrain from hastily extending the SoO agreement with the Kuki groups without thorough scrutiny and reassessment and take immediate and decisive action to address SoO ground rule violations and illegal activities perpetrated by these groups. Ethnic violence broke out in Manipur on May 3, 2023 after a tribal solidarity march was organised in the hill districts to protest against the majority Meitei communitys demand for Scheduled Tribe status. Since then, at least 219 people have been killed in the continuing violence. While a section of Kukis have demanded a separate administration or separation from the Manipur government, the Meitei groups are dead against it and warned legislators against any such design and asked them to foil such attempts. Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of Manipurs population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley, while tribals, which include Nagas and Kukis, constitute 40 per cent and reside mainly in the hill districts. Rest belong to other communities. A series of confidence building measures were taken and that include constitution of a judicial inquiry committee, financial aids to the victims and sending additional troops. Union Home Minister Amit Shah had visited the state for four consecutive days soon after the violence began in his efforts to calm down the warring communities. However, intermittent violence continued. The government on November 13, 2023 also extended by five years the ban imposed on nine Meitei extremist groups and their associate organisations, which mostly operate in Manipur, for their anti-national activities, and launching fatal attacks on security forces. On November 29, a peace pact was signed by the government with Imphal valley-based oldest terror outfit United National Liberation Front (UNLF), a group dominated by the majority Meitei community, under which the insurgent faction has agreed to renounce violence. All roads lead to Gujarats Jamnagar as VVIPs from across the world descended on the city to ring in the pre-wedding festivities of industrialist Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant from March 1-3. The three-day extravaganza will see performances by famous international artists, including Rihanna and magician David Blaine. Top Indian musicians who will enthral the audience include Arijit Singh, Ajay-Atul and Diljit Dosanjh. The VVIP guest list from India includes Kumar Mangalam Birla, Uday Kotak, Adar Poonawala, Sunil Mittal, spiritual leader Sadhguru, Sachin Tendulkar and family, MS Dhoni and family, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Amitabh Bachchan and family, Rajnikanth and family, Shah Rukh Khan and family, Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone, Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt, Vicky Kaushal and Katrina Kaif, and Madhuri Dixit. Apart from this global business and technology icons will also participate in the festivities. But do you know why the Ambani family picked Jamnagar for the festivities? In a recent interview, the groom-to-be revealed that his decision was encouraged by Prime Minister Narendra Modis Wed In India call. He also shared that his grandmother was born in Jamnagar and his grandfather Dhirubhai Ambani and father Mukesh Ambanis business too originated from the place. I have grown up here, and its my good fortune that we could plan the celebration here. This is my dadis janmabhoomi (grandmothers birthplace) and my dada and papas karmabhoomi (my grandfather and fathers workplace). Its a matter of pride and happiness when our PM said that one should get married in India. And this is my home, Anant told a media portal. My father often says that this is my dadas sasural (in-laws house), and hence we are celebrating here. I also believe I am from Jamnagar, yahin ka nagarik hun (I am a Jamnagar citizen), he added. THREE-DAY GALA All guests will travel to Jamnagar on chartered flights from Mumbai or Delhi between 8am and 1pm on March 1. In order to accommodate everyones luggage, we ask you to pack consciously, with one item of hand luggage and one piece of hold luggage per person, or three total suitcases per couple, the guide says. If you bring more luggage, we cannot guarantee it will arrive on the same flight as you, but we will do our best to bring it in at the earliest. All three nights of celebrations will be themed. Day 1 is called An Evening in Everland, with the dress code listed as elegant cocktail. Day 2 will host A Walk on the Wildside with jungle fever the suggested dress code. It is set to be held outdoors in the Ambanis animal rescue centre in Jamnagar, and guests are advised to wear comfortable shoes and clothing for this event. Invitees will then swap their safari-themed outfits for more elegant ones for Mela Rouge. The dress code for this is dazzling desi romance, suggesting glamorous traditional South Asian attire for all. The final day will also comprise two events. The first one, Tusker Trails, suggests casual chic dressing, as guests are expected to further explore the green ambience of Jamnagar. The final party, Hashtakshar, calls for an elegant evening with heritage Indian attire. Dig deeper, always have the hunger to know more about the world and never fear asking a question this is the success mantra of Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla, who is one out of the four astronauts shortlisted for Indias first human space flight mission Gaganyaan. Shubhanshu, who is from Lucknow, is an alumnus of City Montessori School in Aliganj and was commissioned as a fighter pilot in 2006. He has played that role for more than 16 years with an impressive over 2,000 flying hours. He said being chosen for the mission is a feeling that cannot be described in words. I would rather consider myself fortunate enough to be part of Gaganyaan, which also comes with an immense sense of responsibility. I am excited about the mission, he told News18. Shubhanshu, who is better described as a super-supportive human being by his family members, made up his mind to join the National Defence Academy (NDA) when he was 14. Those close to him have often heard him say Agar Kargil ki ladai na hui hoti to shayad Shukla ji ka ladka defence join na karta (if the Kargil war had not happened, Shukla jis son would not have chosen defence as a career). It was only after the Kargil war that Shubhanshu made up his mind to join the NDA. When he was in Class XII, he borrowed an NDA form from one of his friends, who later changed his mind, and applied for the NDA without informing us. My brother is the most disciplined man I have ever seen and we strongly believe that its the hard work and discipline that has paid off, said Suchi Shukla, his elder sister, who is a school teacher by profession. Shubhanshu was commissioned into the Indian Air Force on June 17, 2006, and said his life has been a rollercoaster ride since. Over the course of time, he excelled in his field and turned out to be a fighter combat leader and test pilot with at least 2,000 flying hours. He has flown fighter aircrafts like Su-30MKI, MIG-21, MIG-29, Jaguar, Hawk among others. But that was not all. Shubhanshu said 2018 was a turning point in his career, when the Gaganyaan mission was announced. And going by his curiosity and desire to explore more, he applied for the mission without giving it a second thought. In 2018, the mission was announced. It was out of my desire to explore more in life that made me apply. It took almost a year for the selection process in which around 70 fighter pilots had applied, he said. He further said it was only after he and the others were sent to Russia in 2020 for the training, that he realised that he had made it and will be a part of the prestigious mission. It was hard to believe. But when I got the call informing me that we have to go to Russia for training, I thanked the Almighty and broke the news to my family. Until then, the family was not aware that I am going to be a part of the space mission, he said, adding that he is not allowed to talk much about the mission. The fighter pilot said it was after almost a four-year gruelling training programme that the group was allowed to return to India, where they continued to train. About the mission, he said he is quite confident and being a test pilot helped him a lot. It is familiar territory for us, being a test pilot. The navigation and training process was not difficult, he added. Apart from being excited, he is also slightly anxious but he believes that this helps one introspect. On February 27, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Shubhanshus name along with the names of three other astronauts chosen for Gaganyaan, at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Thiruvananthapuram. The four will fly to low-earth orbit as part of ISROs first crewed space mission. Fondly called Gunjan, Shubhanshu is the youngest of three siblings. He is the first from his family to join the armed forces and is father to a four-year-old son. His family members said it is a big day for them. The PM announcing his name for the mission is a big achievement. Its a proud moment for all of us, said his father Shambhu Dayal Shukla, who retired from the secretariat. Shambhu Dayal said it was during his sons last visit to Lucknow in December last year, that he informed them about the space mission and of his dream of becoming an astronaut. Until then, however, he said they never knew that it will be a reality so soon. Suchi said she is finding it hard to believe that, in the next few months, her brother will be in space. The mere thought of him being in space is giving me goosebumps, she said. Not only family members, but neighbours from the Triveninagar locality where he lives are also excited about Shubhanshus achievement and called him a national hero. Its a big achievement for all of us. Shubhanshu is an inspiration to many. We pray for his success, a local resident said. Another astronaut with UP connection Group Captain Angad Pratap, also an alumnus of the NDA, was born in Prayagraj. He was commissioned on December 18, 2004, in the fighter stream of the air force where he is a flying instructor and a test pilot with approximately 2,000 flying hours. He has flown many advanced fighter aircrafts, including Su-30 MKI, MIG-21, Jaguar, Hawk among others. KERALA LOTTERY KARUNYA PLUS KN-511 RESULT ON THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 29, LIVE UPDATES: The Kerala State Lottery Department has announced the results of the Karunya Plus KN-511 lucky draw for Thursday, February 29. Check the full list of winning numbers below. ALSO READ: Kerala Lottery Result Today LIVE: Sthree Sakthi SS-405 WINNERS for March 5, 2024; First Prize Rs 75 Lakh! 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To check the Kerala Karunya Plus KN-511 lottery results, visit the official website of the Kerala Lottery Department at www.keralalottery.info. Additionally, individuals can verify their ticket numbers in person at the Kerala Government Gazette office. For any further assistance or accurate information, contact the Kerala Lottery Department through their official communication channels. HOW TO CLAIM YOUR PRIZE MONEY? You can verify your ticket numbers by comparing them with the numbers listed in the Kerala Government Gazette. Matching numbers qualify you for a prize. Winners are required to claim their prizes within 30 days of the result announcement at the Kerala lottery office in Thiruvananthapuram. During the prize claim process, winners must present the winning ticket along with valid identification for verification. Sikhs for Justice leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun has released a video message, allegedly instigating people to kidnap ministers and breaking into jail to release radical Sikh preacher Amritpal Singh. Amritpal was arrested for alleged attempt to murder and other charges in April last year and is lodged in a special cell in the Dibrugarh jail in Assam. In his message, Pannun, who is also a designated terrorist, is telling people how to release Amritpal. He first proposes the idea of kidnapping a minister or a member of their family. His second idea involves breaking into Dibrugarh central jail. He also asks people to file a complaint before the United Nations. According to top intelligence sources, Pannun is suggesting to people how to attack jails and is using the picture of a union minister and his son while talking about abduction. He is using this message to convey what else the public can do, they added. Sources said Amritpal is an Indian and is arrested under Indian laws, and will be treated accordingly. But, Pannuns statement is dangerous as his activities are sponsored and he is behaving like a proper terrorist, they added. Intelligence sources have long suspected Amritpal to be in touch with pro-Khalistan groups. This suspicion became stronger after a spy camera, smartphone, mobile phone, pen drives, Bluetooth headphones and several other devices were found in his cell in a major security breach recently. Security officials said the family members of the Waris Punjab De chief are under the scanner, as his wife would visit him every 15 days. The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Karim Khan, does not doubt the effectiveness of the investigation into war crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine, including crimes against the cultural heritage of Ukraine, the investigation of which also falls within the competence of the ICC. Speaking online at the international conference in Kyiv "United for Justice. United for Heritage," dedicated to the investigation of crimes against the cultural heritage of Ukraine, Khan said they are obliged to do everything possible to investigate and bring cases of investigations of war crimes of Russia in Ukraine to the end. He said since March 2022, his Office has continued its activities to investigate various crimes that are committed on the territory of Ukraine; they created the Office in Kyiv, and work throughout Ukraine. He also added that at this time, he has no doubt that they will see the results of this tireless work. He said Russia is carrying out attacks throughout Ukraine, including destroying cultural monuments. The ICC prosecutor said attacks on cultural objects have become a pattern, typical behavior of occupiers on the territory of Ukraine; and this happens in other countries of the world in other conflicts. Khan said such attacks are carried out in order to demoralize Ukrainians and the communities in which these cultural objects are located. He said the Rome Statute gives the ICC the power to investigate crimes against cultural heritage. According to him this applies to structures that enjoy special protection, religious buildings, historical monuments. If they are attacked, this is a crime in accordance with the Rome Statute, he said, adding that the ICC Office, having stable cooperation with UNESCO, effectively investigates these crimes, starting with those crimes that were committed in Mali. Khan said the ICC Office must do everything possible to ensure that these crimes do not go unpunished. He added that culture is people's heart, their DNA. At least 14 people died and 20 others were injured after a pick-up truck overturned in Madhya Pradeshs Dindori in the early hours of Thursday. The accident took place near Badjhar Ghat at around 1.30 am when the vehicles driver lost control over the wheels. The victims had gone to Amhai Devri village to take part in a programme in the districts Shahpura block and were returning when the accident took place. The deceased included seven men, six women and a minor boy, as per the police. Soon after getting information about the incident, the Dindori collector and superintendent of police rushed to help the victims. All the injured people are undergoing treatment at Shahpura Community Health Centre, according to Dindori district collector Vikas Mishra. #WATCH | Madhya Pradesh: 14 people died and 20 injured after a pick-up vehicle lost control and overturned at Badjhar ghat in Dindori. Injured are undergoing treatment at Shahpura Community Health Centre: Vikas Mishra, Dindori Collector(Visuals of the injured who are undergoing pic.twitter.com/24CjMnprEb ANI MP/CG/Rajasthan (@ANI_MP_CG_RJ) February 29, 2024 Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav has expressed condolence over the tragic accident in Dindori and announced financial assistance of Rs 4 lakh each to the kin of the mishap victims. The Chief Minister has also dispatched Cabinet Minister Sampatiya Uikey to Dindori to deal with the crisis. Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav has expressed deep condolence over the untimely demise of many precious lives in a vehicle accident in Dindori district. He wishes peace to the departed souls and strength to the family members to bear this loss, a post from MP CMs official X handle read. . Chief Minister, MP (@CMMadhyaPradesh) February 29, 2024 The Chief Minister said that financial assistance of Rs 4 lakh each will be provided to the families of those injured in the incident. Instructions have been given to the district administration for proper treatment of the injured, it added. President Murmu, PM Modi Condole Loss Of Lives President Droupadi Murmu on Thursday said the news of deaths in a road accident in Madhya Pradesh was extremely painful and expressed condolences to the bereaved family members. She also prayed for the early recovery of those injured. The news of many casualties in a road accident in Dindori district of Madhya Pradesh is extremely painful. I express my condolences to the bereaved family members. I pray that all the people injured in this accident get well soon, Murmu said in Hindi in a post on X. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed grief over the incident. The road accident in Dindori, Madhya Pradesh is very sad. My condolences are with the bereaved families. I wish speedy recovery to all the injured persons. Under the supervision of the state government, the local administration is engaged in providing all possible assistance to the victims, the Prime Ministers Office said in a post on X. Senior Congress leader and former MP CM Kamal Nath also expressed grief over the incident. Mumbai police have arrested Yogesh Sawant, the man who threatened and abused Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis through his Facebook post. The Santa Cruz Police Station arrested him from Navi Mumbai on Thursday and presented him in a court, from where he was sent to judicial custody for 14 days. Mumbai police have registered an FIR under sections 153(A), 500, 505(3), 506(2), and 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against unknown persons for using derogatory language against Fadnavis, reported news agency, ANI. #UPDATE | Mumbais Santa Cruz Police Station arrested the accused Yogesh Sawant for using derogatory language against Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis and threatening to kill him. He was presented before the court and the court sent him to https://t.co/YkUwO9sAiE ANI (@ANI) February 29, 2024 Sawant allegedly posted a video on Facebook threatening the senior BJP leader to kill him and then bury him six feet under. A social worker and resident of the vicinity Akshay Panvelkar filed a written complaint against the accused at the Santacruz police station. The video was posted on Facebook by the user Yogesh Sawant 7796. The accused also posted the video on microblogging site, X. Panvelkar in his complaint alleged that Sawants statement can disturb public peace, adding that these provocating statements are made to incite riots between the two communities, quoted Free Press Journal. The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Thursday asked the Haryana government not to grant further parole to Dera Sacha Sauda chief and rape convict Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh without its permission. A bench of Acting Chief Justice GS Sandhawalia and Justice Lapita Banerji was hearing a petition of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee which had challenged the grant of temporary release to the Dera Sacha Sauda chief. Gurmeet Singh was granted a 50-day parole on January 19. The parole came two months after the Sirsa-headquartered sect chief walked out of the Sunaria jail in Haryanas Rohtak district on November 21 last year after he was granted a 21-day furlough which was his third temporary release from jail in 2023. Singh is serving a 20-year jail term for raping two of his disciples. In 2021, the Dera chief, along with four others, was also convicted for hatching a conspiracy to kill Ranjit Singh, a Dera manager. The Dera chief and three others were convicted in 2019 for the murder of a journalist more than 16 years ago. The court in its order said, In the meantime, the said respondent may surrender on the date fixed i.e. 10.03.2024 and thereafter the State authorities shall not consider his case for grant of further parole till further orders without the permission of this Court. The state of Haryana shall also file necessary custody certificate to the effect that the said respondent has surrendered on the date fixed, according to the order. The court also directed the state government to furnish detail on how many people having such criminal antecedent have been granted parole. We would like the State of Haryana to furnish an affidavit as to how many persons having such criminal antecedents and sentenced in three cases have been granted this benefit. Let a necessary affidavit be filed before the next date of hearing, said the court. The court fixed March 11 as the next date of hearing in the matter. On the details of temporary release granted to the Dera chief, the court said, The same makes interesting reading keeping in view the background and the antecedents of respondent No. 9, who has conviction in three cases against him, has been released for 91 days each in the years 2022 and 2023. It added, It is also to be noticed that in spite of the pendency of the present petition in which notice of motion was issued on 29.01.2023, the State of Haryana has still chosen to grant him indulgence of parole again on 20.07.2023, 21.11.2023 and 19.01.2024 for a period of 30, 21 and 50 days. At present, the said respondent is also on parole up to 10.03.2024. The Dera chief had earlier walked out of the Sunaria jail on a 30-day parole on July 30, 2023. He had been granted a 40-day parole in January last year. In October 2022 too, he was granted a 40-day parole. Prior to his October parole, he had come out of the prison on a month-long parole in June 2022. Besides, he was granted a three weeks furlough from February 7, 2022. Police in Uttar Pradeshs Noida have arrested three college students for allegedly killing their friend in a brawl during a party and burying his body in a field in Amroha. The deceased, identified as Yash Mittal, was pursuing a bachelors degree in business administration at a university in Greater Noida before his tragic death. Yash Mittal (20), the son of a businessman, went missing from his hostel on Monday. The case reportedly came to light after the deceased youngsters father Deepak Mittal approached police when he started getting ransom messages, demanding Rs 6 crore in return for his sons release. During the probe, police scanned the CCTV footage of Yashs university campus and checked his call records. In the security footage, Yash was last seen leaving the campus on Monday while speaking to someone over the phone. Later, as part of the probe, call data records were also checked, leading police to some suspects, including his friend Rachit Nagar who told the police about a party in Gajraula in Uttar Pradeshs Amroha (about 100 km away), where Mittal was invited by his friends. During the probe, Rachit Nagar told police that he, Yash Mittal, Shivam Singh, Shubham Singh, Sushant Verma and Shubham Chaudhary, who lived in Gajraula (Amroha), are friends with each other since November 2023, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Greater Noida) Saad Miya Khan said. On February 26, they had called Yash Mittal for the party in Gajraula. He went there during which an argument broke out between him and others after which he was killed and his body was buried 6 ft deep inside a farmland in Gajraula. We recovered the body from the farmland on Wednesday, Khan said. The argument broke out between the accused all in their late 20s and financially weak and Mittal, whose family is in the electronics business after he told them that they were surviving and having parties on his money, according to a police source privy to the probe. On Wednesday evening, the police got to know that the accused were in Greater Noidas Dadri area. During a combing operation, a gunfight broke out during which the accused suffered bullet injuries on their legs, and were later held, police said. The fourth accused Shubham Chaudhary is at large and efforts are underway to arrest him. As per the police, the accused sent ransom messages to Yashs father to mislead the family. The accused told the police that they had killed Yash on February 27 but to mislead the police and his family, they sent ransom messages on February 28, DCP Khan said. The police said they have lodged two FIRs against the accused first for murder, criminal conspiracy, and evidence destruction, and the second after the encounter for an attempt to murder and under the Arms Act. Further legal proceedings in the case are underway, the police added. Following the arrest of Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan by the West Bengal police on Thursday, BJP senior leader Amit Malviya questioned the legitimacy of the arrest and accused the state police of shielding him from apprehension. Is this an arrest? WB Police is escorting Sheikh Shahjahan like they would escort CM Mamata Banerjee. All these days, Sheikh Shahjahan was under the protection of WB Police. As soon as Calcutta High Court allowed ED and CBI to arrest Sheikh Shahjahan, Mamata Banerjees police took control of him. They hurriedly took him to a local Court, to preclude ED and CBI lawyers from getting in. No wonder women of #Sandeshkhali have no faith in Mamata Banerjee., Malviya stated in a post on X. The Enforcement Directorate also claimed that the Trinamool Congress leader, facing allegations of sexual atrocities and land grabbing in Sandeshkhali village, was in touch with the West Bengal police. The Bengal minister was arrested on Thursday morning after being on the run for 55 days. Following his apprehension in the early hours from Minakhan, a court in West Bengals North 24 Parganas district remanded him to 10 days of police custody. The state police, responsible for Shahjahans arrest, claimed that a Calcutta High Court order constrained their actions. However, the court later clarified that it did not prohibit the state police, Enforcement Directorate (ED), or Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) from taking him into custody. The court had directed the state police to arrest him on Monday. In response, sources from the ED asserted that Shahjahans arrest suggests his affiliation with them. An ED officer raised questions about the delayed arrest despite Shahjahan being implicated in three murder cases, facing a non-bailable warrant related to an attack on power department officials, and accusations of sexual harassment and land grab. An ED officer stated that Shahjahan was arrested right after the High Court issued a clarification. He added that this validates his connection with them, despite Sheikh Shahjahan being named in three murder cases and facing a non-bailable warrant related to an attack on power department officials, he had not been arrested until now. The officer stated, We had information that there was a huge cache of arms and cash worth crores at his home. Thats why the mob attack was engineered and Shahjahan was helped to flee. The role of Bengal police and government in hiding away the arms, cash and Shahjahans phones must be investigated. West Bengal BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari also slammed state chief minister Mamata Banerjee for protecting Shahjahan, asserting that he had been assured by her government that nothing would happen to him. #WATCH | North 24 Parganas | On TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan's arrest, West Bengal LoP & BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari says, "This isn't arrest. He (Sheikh Shahjahan) is under their (Govt) protection. He has been assured by the Mamata govt that nothing will happen to you, you'll be pic.twitter.com/edSwUvIR1t ANI (@ANI) February 29, 2024 He has been assured by the Mamata govt that nothing will happen to you, youll be allowed to use the phone This has happened (Sheikh Shahjahans arrest) because of the continuous pressure from the people, the court, the continuous effort of the media and the fight of the BJP and the mothers of Sandeshkhali This is the voice of the Devishakti, the culprit must face harsh punishment, capital punishment should be given. Adhikari stated. In a shocking incident, two girls were found hanging from a tree near the brick kiln in a village in Ghatampur Kotwali, Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh. The incident came days after the two girls were allegedly gang-raped by the contractor of the brick kiln, his son and nephew. The family members of the girls have alleged that the minors were raped a few days ago by the contractor of the brick kiln, Ramroop Nishad, (48), his son Raju (18) and nephew Sanjay (19), Additional CP (law and order) Harish Chandra said. According to news agency PTI, all three accused have been arrested in connection to the matter. According to the families of the victims, the accused had also made a video of the act to blackmail the girls due to which they took the extreme step on Wednesday, Chandra informed. The victims went missing on Wednesday and hours later in the evening, their bodies were found hanging from a tree, around 400 metres from the brick kiln, the ACP said. He also said that all the three accused, who are residents of Hamirpur district in UP, have been arrested. We have recovered videos and photographs of the girls from mobile phones of the accused which would be sent for forensic examinations, the officer added. The accused have been booked under the Indian Penal Code sections 376D (gang rape), 306 (abetment of suicide) and the Protection Of Children Against Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, Chandra said. The bodies have been sent for a post-mortem examination to ascertain the exact cause of death and verify gang rape charges, he said. (With inputs from PTI) An Uzbek national carrying more than 29,000 strips of a medicine, worth about Rs 1.3 crore, was apprehended by Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel at the Delhi airport, officials said on Thursday. The passenger was intercepted by the security personnel on Wednesday morning at the terminal-3 of the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport as his movement was found to be suspicious, a CISF officer said. A bag stuffed with medicines was found from the passenger, he said. The man was headed for Tashkent in an Uzbekistan Airlines flight. A total of 29,200 strips of Mesopril kit tablets were found in the bag, the officer said. The medicine is used for medical termination of early pregnancy, controlling excessive blood sugar level and treating gastric ulcers. As the passenger could not produce valid authorisation for carrying such a huge quantity of medicines, he was offloaded from the plane and handed over to customs officials, the CISF officer said. The CISF provides a counter-terrorist and counter-sabotage cover to the Delhi airport. Morarji Ranchhodji Desai, the fourth Prime Minister of India, led Indias first non-Congress government from 1977 to 1979. He also served as the Deputy Prime Minister of India from 1967 to 1971. Born the son of a school teacher in Bhadehi village, now in Bulsar district of Gujarat, Desai was imprisoned thrice during the Indian freedom struggle. He died on April 10, 1995, at the age of 99 at a hospital in Mumbai. Born on February 29, 1896, in Bhadeli village of Gujarats Bulsar district, Morarji Desai learned the value of hard work from his school teacher father. He became a civil servant and served as the Deputy Collector for 12 years. Influenced by Mahatma Gandhis call to freedom, Desai joined the Independence movement. Morarji Desai died on April 10, 1995, at the age of 99 at a hospital in Mumbai. On his death anniversary, lets take a look at some interesting facts about his life and memorable quotes. PM Modi Pays Tributes In paying his tributes, Modi shared an episode of his Mann Ki Baat where he spoke about the former prime minister. He posted on X, formerly Twitter, Tributes to Shri Morarjbhai Desai on his birth anniversary. A stalwart of Indian politics and a beacon of integrity and simplicity, he served our nation with immense dedication. Here is what I had said about him during a previous #MannKiBaat episode. Tributes to Shri Morarjibhai Desai on his birth anniversary. A stalwart of Indian politics and a beacon of integrity and simplicity, he served our nation with immense dedication. Here is what I had said about him during a previous #MannKiBaat episode. pic.twitter.com/2aniTmTlzV Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 29, 2024 MORARJI DESAI BIRTH ANNIVERSARY 2024: TOP QUOTES Life at any time can become difficult; life at any time can become easy. It all depends upon how one adjusts oneself to life. I believe in preventing cruelty to all living beings in any form. One cant be kind to one person and cruel to another. An expert gives an objective view. He gives his own view. Self-help must precede help from others. Even for making certain of help from heaven, one has to help oneself. MORARJI DESAI BIRTH ANNIVERSARY 2024: INTERESTING FACTS Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukones love story is a classic case of opposite attracts. While the Band Baaja Baaraat star is loud and wild in nature, in contrast, the Om Shanti Om actress is known for her calm and sophisticated personality. Beyond being Bollywood stars who are madly in love, they are also each others support system. Despite their celebrity status, the couple has always managed to keep their personal lives private. After nearly five years of a low-key relationship, they surprised fans by tying the knot in a private wedding ceremony held in Lake Como, Italy, in November 2018. Now that Ranveer and Deepika are on top of their careers, the beloved B-Town couple recently delighted their followers by announcing that they are expecting their first child in September. As this power couple continues to create memories, both on and off the screen, lets explore the timeline of their journey, from the early days of dating to the announcement of their first baby. The love story of Ranveer and Deepika began in 2012 when they first crossed paths at the Zee Cine Awards in Macau. A year after the awards night, during the promotional events for their film Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ram Leela, Ranveer recalled the silver dress Deepika wore at that most memorable first meeting. Years later, when a fan questioned the actor on X about how he could remember such details, Ranveer responded with, How can one possibly forget that sight? During the shooting of their first film, Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ram Leela, speculations about Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singhs brewing romance started surfacing online. Although neither actor directly addressed the rumours at the time, Ranveer later confirmed that they did grow close during the filming of Sanjay Leela Bhansalis epic drama. Their connection deepened further with collaborations in SLBs next projects, Bajirao Mastani and Padmaavat. While the actors maintained silence on the dating rumours initially, their connection and shared projects spoke volumes. In 2014, Deepika and Ranveer took their love to the stage as they performed together for the first time at the Zee Cine Awards. Interestingly, around the same time, the couple privately made their relationship official as they got engaged, which was witnessed by their respective family members only. This was disclosed years later in an interview with Filmfare in 2018. The same year, their on-screen chemistry turned heads as they were shown getting married in Finding Fanny. In a memorable 2015 event, Ranveer Singh playfully hinted at his relationship with Deepika Padukone while she accepted an award. He charmingly got down on one knee and sang Ram chahe Leela, Leela Chahe Ram. Amidst the performance, when a fan from the crowd expressed love for Deepika, Ranveer replied with humour and said, Take it easy bro. Later that year, the couple came together for a magazine photoshoot and impressed everyone with their undeniable chemistry. Although the lovebirds refrained from confirming their relationship, finally, after much speculations, Deepika and Ranveer decided to officially put an end to the rumours, after they announced their wedding plans in October 2018. The couple, in an Instagram post, revealed that the two will be tying the knot on the 14th and 15th of November that year. Now, after a secret romance of five years followed by five years of marriage, Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh are all set to start a new chapter in their life. On February 29, the Bollywood power couple happily shared that theyre expecting their first child through a sweet Instagram post. Opting for a short and simple announcement, they shared a picture that featured a text, September 2024. BTS member J-Hope is currently on a hiatus to fulfill his mandatory military service, but that hasnt stopped him from staying in the spotlight. BigHit Music, the agency behind BTS, is gearing up to release J-Hopes new album and docu-series titled Hope On The Street. The agency recently released the teaser trailer for the docu-series, along with its release date and streaming platform. In the teaser video, J-Hope expresses his passion for dance and showcases his moves on the street. Hope on the Street Vol.1 is a special album by the BTS member, featuring 6 tracks. The album will be accompanied by a 6-part docuseries that follows J-Hopes dance journey as he meets street dancers in cities like Osaka, Paris, New York, Seoul, and Gwangju. The agency described the content fans can expect from the docu-series and added the following caption on their YouTube channel that says, In 2024, j-hope of BTS begins a new journey in his 12th year, returning to his dancer roots." In the teaser trailer, J-Hope talks about his love for dance and his desire to revisit its roots, reflecting on where it all began. He mentions: I had forgotten about the dance which I used to love. I started out with dancing, so I wanted to look back on my dancing." Scenes in the trailer show J-Hope dancing joyfully at concerts, in practice rooms, and among fellow choreographers he has known for a long time. Phrases like J-Hope dances on the street, J-Hope dreams on the street, and J-Hope learns on the street are displayed, showcasing his journey to different locations. J-Hope reflects on finding the ultimate answer in dancing and singing, considering learning the most essential thing in life. He says in the Hope on the Street docu-series, I think the most important thing is learning. The energy you get by being together. Not only in dance but in life too. Its all a process of learning different things." Watch it here: The teaser trailer quickly went viral among fans, who expressed their excitement and anticipation for the upcoming docu-series on social media. Some fans praised J-Hopes passion for dancing, while others admired his respect for the art of dance. Heres how the ARMY reacted on social media: "j-hope DANCE on the street" "j-hope DREAM on the street" "j-hope LEARN on the street" J-HOPE IS COMINGHOTS DOCUSERIES TEASER TRAILERHOPE ON THE STREET DOCUSERIES#HOPE_ON_THE_STREET pic.twitter.com/0Hv0wjnpHc melu ?! (@goeskthh) February 28, 2024 #jhope about to show more respect to the art of DANCE that any (music) artist of our time. Kudos. 1000 kudos. #HOPE_ON_THE_STREET pic.twitter.com/7BslPHbugp Sci-Flu (@Sci_Flu) February 28, 2024 BIGHIT MUSIC also shared the teaser trailer for J-Hopes second solo documentary on BTS official X account (formerly known as Twitter). Hope On The Street will premiere on Amazon Prime Video and TVING (for Korean fans) on March 28 at 12 AM KST (8:30 AM IST). New episodes will be released every Thursday and Friday. In February 2024, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine codified and approved for use by the forces about 60 types of weapons and military equipment (WME) of Ukrainian and foreign production, the ministry's press service said in the Telegram channel. As Deputy Defense Minister Ivan Havryliuk explained, in February 2023, some 33 models were put into service. He said that not only the total number of weapons and military equipment approved for use in the Armed Forces of Ukraine is growing, but also the number of new weapons of domestic design and production. According to Havryliuk, among the new models of weapons and military equipment, codified and approved for operation during February 2024, there are several electronic warfare equipment, in particular, the so-called "trench" electronic equipment, which will effectively counter enemy FPV drones. Six samples of automotive and special equipment and a Ukrainian-made 120-mm mortar were also approved for operation. In addition, the list of new products for the Ukrainian Armed Forces includes technical demining equipment, dynamic protection elements for armored vehicles and ammunition for UAVs. Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh are expecting their first baby together. The actress announced the happy news on her Instagram handle and also revealed that shed deliver the baby in September this year. Deepika shared an adorable poster with September 2024 written on it. The poster also had childrens clothes, toys and balloons as the border. Soon after Deepika shared the pregnancy announcement, fans and friends rushed to the comments section to congratulate the couple. Vikrant Massey wrote, OMGGGGGGG!!!! Bahut bahut shubhkamnaen aap dono ko!!! Kriti Sanon commented, Omg!!!! Congratulations you two!!! Among others, Sonam Kapoor, Manish Malhotra, Varun Dhawan, Anjali Anand, Neena Gupta, Bhumi Pednekar and Angad Bedi also sent wishes to Deepika and Ranveer. View this post on Instagram A post shared by (@deepikapadukone) Deepika has been married to Ranveer for over five years and their pregnancy rumours were making headlines for a long time now. Recently, a report by The Week claimed that Deepika is preparing for motherhood. A source cited by the publication claimed, The actor is said to be in her second trimester. Interestingly, the announcement also comes weeks after Deepika said that she wants to have kids with Ranveer. The actress was speaking to Vogue Singapore recently when she said, Absolutely. Ranveer and I love children. We look forward to the day when we will start our own family. Meanwhile, on the work front, Deepika Padukone was recently seen in Fighter with Hrithik Roshan. She now has a number of projects in her pipeline. She will be sharing the screen with Prabhas in Kalki 2989 AD. Besides this, she will also be working on the Hindi remake of The Intern with Amitabh Bachchan. On the other hand, Ranveer Singh will soon be seen in the much-awaited Don 3 alongwith Kiara Advani. Sunil Grovers popular fictional characters Gutthi and Dr Mashoor Gulati became extremely popular on The Kapil Sharma Show. However, the actor-comedian left Kapil Sharmas show in 2018 after their major fallout. Ace comedian Kapil Sharma recently made headlines with his statement Ghar Badla Hai, Parivaar Nahi as Netflix announced a partnership and a laughter extravaganza with him. He was seen with his OG gang Archana Puran Singh and fan-favorites Krushna Abhishek, Kiku Sharda and Rajiv Thakur, tickling our funny bone with their comic timing. But somehow this coterie also featured Sunil Grover to viewers pleasant surprise. And now, a promotional teaser of the show is out and fans cant keep calm! In the latest teaser, the cast members discuss how to reveal the title of the show. They brainstorm unconventional marketing tactics, from displaying the name on a Times Square billboard to skywriting, and placing a giant poster in front of the Gateway of India or hang it from the Big Ben in London. At this point, Sunil Grover walks in, wearing a crisp suit and sunnies, and jokingly suggests avoiding planes due to a past fight on a long flight that stopped them from working with each other for six long years. Krushna then proposes involving star kids like Govindas nephew (he, himself), but Kapil shrugs him off! Kapil insists on thinking even bigger. Meanwhile, two men on set carry a massive banner displaying the shows title, The Great Indian Kapil Show, in the background. Sunil Grover, who became a household name after playing his popular fictional characters Gutthi and Dr Mashoor Gulati on The Kapil Sharma Show, shocked everyone when he quit TKSS in 2018 after his major fallout with Kapil Sharma. The two actor-comedians had a fallout in a flight when they were flying back to Mumbai after wrapping up a show in Australia. KE Gnanavel Raja, famous for successfully distributing blockbusters like Baahubali: The Beginning in Tamil, Suriya-starrer 24, and Varun Dhawan-starrer Bhediya in Tamil, is now gearing up for the release of Suriya-starrer Kanguva. As per a report by Bollywood Hungama, Gnanavel Raja, who is in touch with Ajay Devgn, is keen to collaborate with the Bollywood star for his first Hindi movie. Also, he has recently set up an office in Mumbai for this purpose. The report also mentioned that Ajay Devgn, too, is impressed with the filmography of Studio Green and the vision of Raja and is open to working with them, provided things fall into place. According to the report, Devgn has been presented with multiple ideas to choose from, including a mass entertainer, an action-packed film and a thriller. He is currently reviewing all the scripts and is expected to make a final decision soon. Additionally, a source close to the portal revealed that one of these films will be directed by Obeli N Krishna, known for directing popular and acclaimed films like Sillunu Oru Kaadhal (2006), Nedunchaalai (2014), Hippi (2019), and Pathu Thala (2023). Ajay Devgn is preparing for his upcoming horror flick Shaitaan alongside Jyotika and Madhavan. The horror movie is a remake of the Gujarati film Vash. Scheduled for release on March 8, the film is generating anticipation among audiences. On the other hand, Gnanavel Rajas passion for film production dates back to his childhood. He once confessed to regularly skipping classes during his school days at St Bedes Anglo-Indian Higher Secondary School in Chennai to attend film screenings at nearby cinemas like Devi or Sathyam. Although he is distantly related to actor Sivakumars family, the media often refers to him as the cousin of Sivakumars sons, Suriya and Karthi. Even though Ashneer Grover is not a part of Shark Tank India, he continues to make headlines around the show. Recently, the former BharatPe co-founder was interacting with students at the Thapar Institute of Engineering & Technology when he mocked Shark Tank Indias Namita Thapar and Anupam Mittal. Grover called them insecure and argued that they would never get publicity. Its amusing to observe that whenever someone feels insecure on Shark Tank, they invariably resort to the same strategy: making a remark about Ashneer. Youll get the publicity. Namita did it in the second season. Now, Anupam is doing it. These two are the most insecure ones, Ashneer said. He was reacting to Anupam Mittals recent comment about the angry one leaving the show. Dusra, gussa wala chala gaya. Ye toh fact hain na. Galat toh kuch nahi bola Mittal saab ne us tareeka se. Chala gaya Tum sab toh thandi so sab. Tabhhi toh pehle season ka TRP dekh lo aur second, third season ka TRP dekh lo. Sab pata lag jayega. (Secondly, the one with anger has left- this is the fact. Mittal hasnt said anything wrong. You all are so cold. Thats why check the TRP of the first season and the second-third season; everything will be clear), Ashneer added at the event. Ashneer Grover became a household name after he featured in Shark Tank India season one. His one-liners and straightforward replies to pitchers grabbed everyones attention. During the show, he was also seen scolding several pitchers. However, the entrepreneur was not a part of the shows second season. He was replaced by the co-founder of CarDekho, Amit Jain. Shark Tank India returned with season three on January 22, 2024. Several familiar sharks from the previous seasons including Namita Thapar, Executive Director at Emcure Pharmaceuticals Limited, Aman Gupta, Co-founder of Boat, Peyush Bansal, Co-Founder and CEO of Lenskart, Anupam Mittal, Founder and Director of Shaadi.com and Vineeta Singh, CEO of Sugar Cosmetics, returned for Shark Tank India Season 3. Joining them were also the new additions to the panel, which include Amit Jain, CEO and co-founder of Car Dekho, Ritesh Agarwal, Founder of OYO, Azhar Iqubal, Co-Founder and CEO of Inshorts, and Radhika Gupta, CEO of Edelweiss Capital. Recently, film producer Ronnie Screwvala also joined the show. Anant Ambani, 28, the youngest son of chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries Limited Mukesh Ambani, one of the worlds richest men, and philanthropist Nita Ambani, is set to wed Radhika Merchant, 29, the daughter of industrialist Viren Merchant and his wife Shaila Merchant. While the wedding is not until later this year, a three-day pre-wedding bash will be held in Gujarats Jamnagar city from March 1 to 3. While celebs like Arjun Kapoor and Salman Khan have already arrived in Jamnagar, Shah Rukh Khan, Suhana Khan, Gauri Khan and Aryan Khan were spotted inside a car headed to the venue in Jamnagar The video was shared by the popular paparazzo handle Viral Bhayani on Thursday, in which the star family comprising of Shah Rukh Khan, Suhana Khan, Aryan Khan and Gauri Khan were seen sitting inside a luxurious car. The shutterbug momentarily captured the glimpse of Aryan and Suhana and Shah Rukh Khan sitting at the back. Take a look: Popular Indian celebrities including Amitabh Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, Rajinikanth, Akshay Kumar, Twinkle Khanna, Arjun Kapoor among others will be gracing the celebration with their respective families. During the three-day pre-wedding bash, Day 1 is called An Evening in Everland, with the dress code listed as elegant cocktail. Day 2 will host A Walk on the Wildside with jungle fever the suggested dress code. The final day will also comprise two events. The first one, Tusker Trails, suggests casual chic dressing, as guests are expected to further explore the green ambience of Jamnagar. The final party, Hastakshar, calls for an elegant evening with heritage Indianwear. And, Moneycontrol has quoted reports saying that, according to the head of The Jardin Hotel, around 2,500 dishes with a global menu including Thai, Japanese, Mexican, Parsi, and Pan Asian will be part of the three-day fare that will have four meals per day. The guests will be served breakfast with 75 dishes, lunch with more than 225 items, dinner with around 275 dishes, and a midnight meal with over 85 items to choose from. The midnight meal that will begin at the stroke of midnight will go on till 4 am. This meal reportedly has been specially curated for the foreign guests. Every single item served will be prepared under strict guidelines and protocol and none of the dishes served will be repeated for the 12 different meals over three days. A troupe of 65 chefs including 20 women chefs, and four trucks full of ingredients will be reaching Jamnagar from Indore. It has been reported that a special Indore Sarafa Food Counter will also be put up there that will serve well-known food items including Indori kachoris, poha jalebi, bhutte ki kees, khopra patties, upma, and other such dishes with authentic flavours Famous international artists, including pop star Rihanna and magician David Blaine, are set to perform at the pre-wedding festivities. Top Indian musicians who will perform include Arijit Singh, Ajay-Atul, and Diljit Dosanjh. Hands down, Sushmita Sen has always been a doting mother to her daughters, Renee and Alisah. The actress openly expresses her affection for her girls, often showcasing it on social media platforms. In her recent Instagram update, Sushmita shared a heartwarming gesture she planned for her younger daughter, Alisah. Posting glimpses of their brief retreat to Switzerland, she revealed that it was a spontaneous weekend getaway, specially arranged for Alisah as a delightful surprise from her routine at boarding school. The video shows the Aarya actress taking a stroll in the lanes of Switzerland while having a perfect mother-daughter time. I flew in for 2 days to go meet AlisahA surprise weekend away from her Boarding SchoolMy happiness was so palpable, Alisah was worried I may not be allowed in Switzerland again!!! I miss you already Alisah, Sushmita wrote in the caption. While Sushmita can be seen dressed in an all-black ensemble teamed up with white shoes, her daughter was spotted beating the cold in jeans and a puffer jacket. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sushmita Sen (@sushmitasen47) Elated fans also took to the comment section and showered love on them. As Sushmitas younger daughter continues her studies, her elder daughter, Renee, appears to be preparing to venture into the world of acting, seemingly following in her mothers footsteps. In a conversation with Instant Bollywood, Sushmita disclosed Renees aspirations to pursue acting, affirming, Taiyaari chaalu hai. It is worth mentioning that Renee has already made her acting debut. She worked on a 2021 short film titled Suttabaazi. Besides that, she has also lent her voice to the Mahamrityunjai mantra in Sushmita Sens web series Taali. I am going to make my own shoes and fill them. I am not my mothers clone, so I dont want to be a copy of her. We are all individuals, and she always encourages us to be our own personhave our own opinions and share our opinions respectfully without hurting anyones sentiments, Renee told Vogue India in a conversation in 2021. While Sushmitas OTT series Taali worked well in her favour last year, the actress was recently seen in Aarya 3: Antim Vaar. The last part of her celebrated show was released on 9 February 2024 on Disney Plus Hotstar. Directed by Ram Madhvani, it also features Ila Arun and Sikander Kher in prominent roles. The December 24, 1999 hijack of the Indian Airlines flight is getting a series treatment at Netflix with Anubhav Sinha attached as creator and director. The show is titled IC 814: The Kandhar Hijack and stars Vijay Varma, Patralekha, Pankaj Kapur, Naseeruddin Shah, Arvind Swamy, Dia Mirza, Kumud Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, Amrita Puri, and Anupam Tripathi. According to the makers, the series revolves around the 24th December 1999 hijacking of the Indian Airlines flight IC 814 which was en route from Kathmandu to New Delhi. It was taken to Kandahar. The hijack lasted seven days and while the crew and passengers suffered, officers back home tried to find a solution to bring them home. Sinha, known for films such as Mulk, Article 15 and Bheed, said it was a responsibility to be as authentic as possible while working on the series. When I started doing research, almost everyone remembers a few things about the hijack, and what all happened during the process. I realised it is a very complex story and a lot of things happened in those seven days and not many people know about it, he said at the Next on Netflix event in Mumbai on Thursday. I met a lot of officers, passengers, the pilot, and there was a lot more to share. We have put it all in the show We had to make it factually correct and yet dramatic and engaging It was an interesting process, the director added. Sinha added Monika Shergill, Vice President, Content, Netflix India, had promised him that the shooting of the series will conclude within eight months but it went on for two years. Shergill described the show as a thrilling, propulsive rendition of the longest hijacking in the history of aviation in the world. When we started out on this story, it took us a while to get down to actually making it in the right way. It was a journey for us because it is such a journalistic sort of piece, but it is such a large story of human interest and it had to be told in the most dramatic and thrilling fashion, Shergill told PTI. Dibyendu Bhattacharya, Pooja Gor, Kanwaljit Singh, Aditya Srivastava, Sushant Singh, and Yashpal Sharma also round out the cast of IC 814: The Kandhar Hijack. Six rebel Congress MLAs on Thursday moved the Himachal Pradesh High Court challenging their disqualification from the state Assembly following the defeat of party candidate Abhishek Manu Singhvi in the Rajya Sabha election, rebel camp sources said. Himachal Pradesh Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania on Thursday disqualified six Congress MLAs who had cross-voted in the recent Rajya Sabha polls for the lone seat in the state. They had also abstained from voting on Budget in the assembly, defying a party whip to vote in favour of the government on the Finance Bill. The ruling Congress had sought their disqualification on this ground. The disqualified MLAs are Rajinder Rana, Sudhir Sharma, Inder Dutt Lakhanpal, Devinder Kumar Bhutoo, Ravi Thakur and Chetanya Sharma. Following the disqualification of the rebel legislators, the effective strength of the House has reduced from 68 to 62 while the number of Congress MLAs has shrunk from 40 to 34. It is for the first time in the history of Himachal Pradesh that any MLA has been disqualified under the anti-defection law aimed at checking defections. Announcing the disqualification of the six rebel MLAs at a press conference, the Speaker said they attracted disqualification under the anti-defection law as they defied the whip and ceased to be members of the House with immediate effect. These disqualified MLAs, who had voted for BJP candidate Harsh Mahajan in the Rajya Sabha polls were not present in the House during voting on the Budget. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Harshwardhan filed a petition before the Speaker seeking disqualification of these members under the anti-defection law on Tuesday evening for defying the whip that required them to be present in the House and vote for the budget. The Speaker issued show-cause notice to the MLAs and asked them to appear at 1.30 pm on Wednesday for hearing. These MLAs had left for Panchkula after the voting for Rajya Sabha polls on Tuesday and arrived for hearing on Wednesday. After hearing the arguments of both the parties, the Speaker reserved the judgment on Wednesday and announced it on Thursday. Senior advocate Satya Pal Jain, who appeared for the rebel Congress MLAs, had argued that these MLAs were only given the show-cause notice and neither the copy of the petition nor the annexure were supplied. He said seven days time was mandatory for replying to the notice but no time was given. Under the anti-defection law, any elected member who gives up the membership of a political party voluntarily or votes or abstains from voting in the House, contrary to any direction issued by his political party, is liable for disqualification. The Congress party had issued a whip to the members to be present in the House during voting on passing of the Budget. These MLAs had signed the attendance register but abstained from the House during voting on the Budget, the Speaker said. These members were issued notices for defying the whip through Whatsapp and e-mail and were asked to appear for hearing. These MLAs had cross-voted in favour of BJP candidate Harsh Mahajan in the Rajya Sabha elections on Tuesday. Later, they abstained from voting on the Budget in the assembly. The House passed the Finance Bill by voice vote after Pathania suspended 15 BJP MLAs. The Speaker then adjourned the session sine die. In a stunning upset for the ruling Congress in Himachal Pradesh, the BJP on Tuesday won the states lone Rajya Sabha seat with its candidate Harsh Mahajan defeating Congress stalwart Abhishek Manu Singhvi and apparently setting the stage for a no-trust motion in the assembly. In his 30-page order, the Speaker mentioned the judgments of Supreme Court and high courts under the anti-defection law. Narrating the chronology of events, he said the plea of the advocate of the rebel MLAs, Satya Pal Jain, for giving time to reply to the notice was not entertained as evidence was absolutely clear. The Speaker said delivering quick judgment was necessary in such cases to maintain the dignity of democracy and check Aaya Ram, Gaya Ram phenomenon. The judgment has no link with cross-voting by these MLAs in the Rajya Sabha polls, he added. (With PTI inputs) Raising the Jai Sita Ram slogan in the legislative assembly, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday asserted that he too is a disciple of Lord Ram and has built two temples in his village dedicated to the deity. The Chief Minister was replying to the discussion on the budget in the Assembly amid protests by the BJP and JD(S) demanding the Congress governments resignation for its inaction in nabbing the culprits who allegedly raised the Pakistan zindabad slogans, after the ruling party member Syed Naseer Hussain was declared elected to the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. BJP and JD(S) members later staged a walkout. People are watching you (BJP), you are defending injustice done to the state (by the Centre). They (state BJP leaders) dont have the guts to speak in front of Modi, Siddaramaiah said, hitting back at BJP legislators, as they were shouting Modi, Modi slogans. Then when they started shouting Jai Sri Ram slogans, he replied with chants of Jai Jai Sita Ram, Jai Jai Sita Ram. BJP people dont have a brain inside their head, their head is empty. They have not read Ramayana or Mahabharata, they just listen to what others say. Someone has built a Ram temple there in Ayodhya, for that these people shout slogans here. I too have built Ram temples, the Chief Minister said. Continuing, Siddaramaiah said, For everything they say Jai Sri Ram. Arent we Ram Bhakts? We dont just say Jai Sri Ram, we say Jai Sita Ram, because ours is a joint family system. You see in all Ram temples there will be Sri Ramachandra, Sita, Lakshman and Anjaneya (Hanuman), but these people (BJP) only say Jai Sri Ram. Stating that he has built two Ram temples in his village, he said, Am I not Ram Bhakt? I have Rama in my name, he said, as he accused BJP of dividing families. They have divided Ram and Sita husband and wife, also brothers (Ram and Lakshman), he added. We (Congress) believe in Mahatma Gandhis Sita Ram, BJP believes in Godses (Nathuram Godse) Ram. Thats the difference between BJP and Congress. They (BJP) never had Rashtra Bhakti, they were with the British during the freedom struggle, they should be ashamed, the chief minister said. Accusing the BJP of betraying Kannadigas by not taking a stand against injustice caused to the state by the central government, Siddaramaiah also targeted the JD(S) by questioning its secular credentials for allying with the saffron party. Remove the word secular from the party name and rename it as Janata Dal (BJP), he said. Dont keep the name as JD(S), because I was the first state president, when the party was formed after Janata Dal split into JD(S) and JD(U). As you have gone with BJP, remove secular from the party name, if you want to keep it, come out of it (alliance with BJP), the chief minister said. Accusing BJP of betraying Kannadigas, the CM said, BJP members should have been in the House, I would have got more inspiration to speak. As they cant listen to the truth Im bringing out, they are playing this drama (by staging a walk out). Pointing out that one BJP MLA cross voted in favour of Congress during the recent Rajya Sabha polls, while the other abstained, he said that this is why they are making this alleged pro-Pakistan slogan issue big, despite the government initiating investigation. Lies is the home deity of BJP. They cant sat anything other than lies, including Narendra Modi. BJP is a factory that manufactures lies, he alleged. Almost half of the total income in 2022-23 of Centres ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which is in power in Delhi and Punjab, was sourced from now-banned electoral bonds, according to a report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR). However, it is also important to note that the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP has declared Rs 45.45 crore in donations through others Electoral Bond/Electoral Trust without specifying the amount from these sources individually. The party earned Rs 85.17 crore during 2022-23 and money from Electoral Bond/Electoral Trust accounted for 53.364% of the total income. For the BJP, which earned Rs 2,360.84 crore during 2022-23, income from electoral bonds stood at nearly 55% Rs 1,294 crore. The ADR report analysed the total income and expenditure incurred all over India by national parties during 2022-23, as declared by the parties in their annual audit report submitted to the Election Commission of India. The six national parties BJP, Congress, AAP, Bahujan Samaj Party, Communist Party of India (Marxist), and National Peoples Party have earned Rs 3,076 crore collectively. The Bharatiya Janata Party bagged more than 75% of this amount while the Congress was the second biggest recipient with 15% (Rs 452.37 crore). Only three national parties BJP, Congress, and AAP received funds through electoral bonds and their collective collection accounted for almost half of the total income of all the six parties. With the Congress receiving Rs 171.02 crore through these bonds, the income of the three parties from the source stood at Rs 1,510.61 crore. Introduced in 2018, electoral bonds allowed citizens to donate to political parties anonymously i.e., the identity of the donor was not disclosed to the public. The Supreme Court this month struck down the scheme, saying anonymous electoral bonds violated citizens right to information. Calling these bonds unconstitutional, the top court also said, Infringement of the voters right to know is not proportionally justified by saying black money is being curbed. Expenditure of Congress, AAP exceeds income Among the six parties, only the Congress and AAP spent more than their income during the financial year. As per the report, Congresss total income was Rs 452.37 crore while it spent Rs 467.13 crore 3.26% more than it earned during 2022-23. News18 reported this month that Rahul Gandhis Bharat Jodo Yatra, which started from Tamil Nadu on September 7, 2022, and ended in Jammu and Kashmir on January 30, 2023, cost the Congress about Rs 50 lakh per day. In terms of the distance of the journey, the grand old party spent Rs 1.59 lakh per kilometre on average, as per Congress documents. Counted under Administrative and General Expenses, the party said it spent Rs 71.83 crore on the Bharat Jodo Yatra. AAPs total income was Rs 85.17 crore while the party spent Rs 102.05 crore. The partys expenditure for that year exceeds its total income by 19.82%, the report added. On the other hand, the BJP declared a total income of Rs 2,360.84 crore and spent only 57.68% (Rs 1361.68 crore) of this. The CPI(M), which earned Rs 141.66 crore, spent Rs 106.06 crore, or 74.87% of its income. NPEP declared a total income of Rs 7.5 crore during FY 2022-23, and spent Rs 6.932 cr (91.67%) of it, the report added. The report observed that the most common and popular items of expenditure for national parties for FY 2022-23 were election expenses and administrative/general expenses. CPI(M) only party to submit audit report on time The due date for submission of the annual audited accounts for the parties was October 31, 2023. Only CPI(M) submitted its audit report on time while AAP, BSP, NPEP, INC and BJP submitted after a delay of 5 days, 23 days, 27 days, 64 days and 72 days respectively, the report said. Poland will "thoroughly" analyze the impact of Latvia's decision to ban Russian food imports and doesn't rule out taking appropriate steps itself, Prime Minister of Poland Donald Tusk said following a meeting with his Latvian counterpart Evika Silina. According to Bloomberg, Tusk plans to discuss the issue at a meeting with protesting farmers later on Thursday as the problem of oversupply and "unequal" competition doesn't solely stem from trade with Ukraine but also from exports from Russia and Belarus. The Polish and Latvian premiers have agreed to join forces to convince European leaders to take action on food imports from the east. In his first trip to Bihar after Nitish Kumar returned to the NDA fold, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will unveil projects worth nearly Rs 27,000 crore for the state and unveil his vision for a prosperous Bihar, sources said. Kumar and Modi will also be sharing the stage at this function in Begusarai on March 2, which is the constituency of Union Rural Development Minister Giriraj Singh. The major projects that the PM will unveil are the HURL Fertilizer plant in Begusarai worth Rs 7,042 crore, railway projects worth Rs 4,742 crore, and laying the foundation stone of Barauni Refinery Expansion worth Rs 11,400 crore. Government sources said that during the last 10 years, Oil & Gas Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) under the administrative control of Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, have completed 28 projects in Bihar worth Rs 26,704 crore. These CPSEs are also currently implementing 11 infrastructure projects of Oil and Gas sector in Bihar, worth Rs 38,610 crore. Bihar, standing at the heart of this transformative leap, is witnessing the launch of projects worth Rs 26,831 crore, with Rs 15,067 crore of petroleum projects, fertiliser plant worth Rs 7042 crore and Rs 4742 crore worth of railway projects, underscoring our commitment to its development and prosperity, government sources told News18. Sources said the inauguration of the Hindustan Urvarak & Rasayan Limited (HURL) plant at Barauni, realised with an investment of Rs 7,042 crore, is a game-changer for Bihars agrarian economy. This facility is a beacon of progress, set to directly enhance the income of farmers by providing them with a steady supply of urea, reducing their input costs, and improving fertility of their lands, sources said. The resultant increase in crop yields from this ready access to essential fertilizers promises to elevate the standard of living for farmers, boosting their financial stability and prosperity. Its a pivotal move towards doubling farmers incomes, a goal deeply intertwined with the central governments vision of a robust and vibrant rural economy in Bihar, sources said. The Barauni Refinery Expansion project has a deadline of December 2024 to augment the capacity of Indian Oils Barauni Refinery at an estimated cost of Rs 11,412 crore. This expansion is not just about enhancing capacity but about setting a foundation for the states first Polypropylene unit, marking a significant milestone in Bihars industrial landscape. The project will create Export opportunities in neighbouring country Nepal through Nepal-India boarder points Raxaul & Jogbani due to its proximity to Barauni Refinery, sources said. In addition to the agricultural boost, Bihar is set to benefit from significant railway enhancements to be unveiled by the PM, with projects worth Rs 4,742 crore aimed at improving connectivity and infrastructure. This development is expected to facilitate smoother transport of goods and passengers, further bolstering the states economic landscape and directly impacting the livelihoods of its residents, sources said. During PMs Begusarai visit, a comprehensive blueprint to strengthen Bihars railway infrastructure, including the inauguration of new lines, doubling projects, and electrification, aimed at enhancing connectivity and supporting the states economic development will be witnessed by the people of Bihar, sources said. By laying the foundation for expanded and electrified rail networks, were paving the way for a future where trade flourishes, communities are interconnected, and opportunities abound. The inauguration of new lines and the enhancement of existing ones, coupled with the introduction of pivotal train services will make travel more accessible and efficient for every citizen. This ambitious expansion is a cornerstone in our mission to build a more connected, prosperous Bihar, ultimately contributing to the nations progress and the well-being of its people, sources added. The Congress Thursday said its alliance with the National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Jammu and Kashmir for the forthcoming parliamentary polls would be sealed and announced by next week. INDIA bloc will fight the elections with its full might In J-K, you will get good news in the coming few days that Congress, NC and PDP have done seat-sharing and we will fight the election jointly. We will fight with full might and achieve a clean sweep, JK Pradesh Congress Committee president Vikar Rasool Wani told reporters here. He said final discussions are taking place on the alliances and an announcement would be made in the first week of March. Any party can say it wants to contest as many seats, but we only have six seats including Ladakh. So when an alliance takes place, final talks happen and seat-sharing is done. Wherever a particular party contests, the other two parties will give full support, he added. The JKPCC chief said assembly elections have not taken place in J-K for the last seven years, and should be held along with Lok Sabha polls. The BJP claims security issues delayed the election for these years, he said. We demand both elections be held together. If the situation is good for Parliamentary polls, why not for assembly elections? The Supreme Court has already passed an order to hold assembly elections by September. If this (Lok Sabha) election is planned in the coming months, then only one or two months will remain till September, why then undertake double expenditure? Why does the government not go for simultaneous elections? Wani said. The ruling Congress in Karnataka won three seats and the BJP one in the Rajya Sabha elections in the state on Tuesday. The polls were marred by cross-voting in a setback to the saffron party. However, the Karnataka BJP held a massive protest in Bengalurus Vidhana Soudha on Wednesday, accusing the Congress of being an anti-national party and claiming that a few followers of Rajya Sabha member Syed Naseer Hussain raised pro-Pakistan slogans after his victory on Tuesday. The Congress has refuted this, saying that the slogan raised by the workers was Naseer Saab Zindabad. Speaking to News18 against this backdrop, BJPs Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya reiterated his partys allegations and also took a dig at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his constituency hopping. Is the BJP upset with the results of the Rajya Sabha polls? With respect to the cross-voting that took place, it was expected that a couple of them, especially the likes of Somashekar would do what they did. Some people come to politics with an ideological conviction, others do not. This is a part of the process. There are certain people for whom convenience is more important than convictions. When we do business with such people this is what comes out. What upsets the BJP more is not the result of the Rajya Sabha election per se, but what happened pursuant to the declaration of the results. Congress party workers and a few supporters of Naseer Hussain began indulging in pro-Pakistan slogans. An FIR has been filed and we demand an unconditional apology from chief minister Siddaramaiah. Shouting pro-Pakistan slogans in celebration of a Rajya Sabha victory by the Congress is a new low for the Congresss already low standards. People in Karnataka are watching and will teach the Congress a very costly lesson in the elections. The Bengaluru police say that the video-audio showed the slogan as saying Naseer Saab Zindabad, while the chief minister has also said on the floor of the house that the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) is also analysing it. If found true, action will be taken. Will the BJP push further seeking action? It is evident in the viral video, it is very clear what the slogans are. The Congress is trying to hush it up and there will be no surprises if they pressurise the local police to give a clean chit. The Congresss DNA has always been one of appeasement, a DNA that is anti-India, the root cause of Partition has been the Congress. So it is not very surprising that anti-India or pro-Pakistan slogans have come at a Congress party event. It is not surprising, given the Congresss tendencies. How will the BJP re-energise itself after the results of the Rajya Sabha elections and also how the Congress won the Teachers constituency seat as well just before the Lok Sabha polls? The Lok Sabha election is a very different ball game. In the Lok Sabha, the vote will be for Narendra Modi, for the BJP at the national level and the peoples vote will be for the next 25 years of rule in the country. The PM enjoys unblemished popularity in all parts of Karnataka, the state literally worships the PM. I can very confidently tell you that BJP will at least cross at least 25 seats in Karnataka. Prime Minister Modi has set a target of 50 seats for the BJP in south India. What would be the mantra? The mantra for the BJP whether in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, or Madhya Pradesh, has been the hard work of the cadre and clear leadership and integrity of the leadership. No other secret sauce. The hard work the BJP cadre has put in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh. There have been a lot of efforts put to re-energise the cadre in Karnataka, this is what will yield results. The PM has given transformational results and people feel it. People feel the difference and there is no need for advertisements to showcase it. How have programmes like En Mann, En Makal and developmental projects launched in southern India helped the BJP down south? En Mann, En Makkal Yatra has been a programme to take the message of the Prime Minister in a very localised way. Under Annamalais leadership in Tamil Nadu, the BJP has been re-energised. The development Tamil Nadu has seen under PM Modi will re-energise people, the same with Kerala and other southern states. The BJP will improve its vote share in Andhra Pradesh as well. This will turn into votes and seats for the BJP. A statement was made by PM Modi about Rahul Gandhis ouster from Wayanad. He spoke of how the Congress and Left are enemies in Kerala but BFFs outside. Do you see Gandhi contesting from another seat as there is a pushback in Wayanad? We have heard of visiting professors in colleges, Rahul Gandhi is a visiting MP. He was one in Amethi and is the same in Wayanad. People want MPs who are invested in their constituencies, who spend time and energy for the welfare of the people. When that is absent, you will see people like Rahul Gandhi hopping constituencies. South India this time is going to turn into a fortress of the BJP, there will not be another Wayanad for Rahul Gandhi How many seats will the BJP win in south India? The BJP is going to get a historic high number of seats in the south. Very diplomatic answer We are very clear that the people of the states in the southern part of the country are waiting to go to polls, to repose their faith in the Prime Minister again. You will see a historic mandate from the south of India this time. After putting the buzz over his switch to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at rest with his announcement of joining Rahul Gandhis Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Gwalior on March 2, Congress veteran Kamal Nath on Wednesday told the party workers that he would not impose himself on them and would leave if they wanted him to. Addressing a meeting of the party workers at Harrai on his home turf Chhindwara, the 77-year-old former Chief Minister, who continues to face an uncertain future, said he had been receiving their love and trust for many years. If you want to bid farewell to Kamal Nath, its your choice. I am ready to leave. I dont want to impose myself. This is a matter of your choice, the former MP chief minister told the gathering. Nath represents the Chhindwara assembly seat, while his son Nakul Nath is a Lok Sabha member from the same constituency. The senior Nath had already announced that Nakul will contest again from this seat. The veteran politician, who represents the Chhindwara assembly seat, said the BJP projects itself aggressively but Congress workers should not panic. We have to vote for securing the future and I have trust in all of you, he said. Nath said the Lord Ram temple in Ayodhya belongs to all, suggesting that the BJP should not take credit for its construction. Does the BJP own the Ram temple? It belongs to all, including me. The temple is constructed with public money. The Supreme Court gave a verdict and since they (BJP) are in power, they constructed the temple, he said. Nath also said he worshipped Lord Ram and constructed a big temple dedicated to Lord Hanuman on the land owned by him in Chhindwara. We are religious people and keep our culture intact, he said. Amid speculations that he might join the BJP, the veteran politician on Tuesday dismissed them as a media creation. You (media) are making such speculations and nobody else is saying so. Have you ever heard from me? You run the news and ask me. You should refute this news, Nath told reporters on Tuesday. Declaring Trinamool Congress (TMC) strongman Shajahan Sheikhs arrest as victory of democracy, West Bengal Leader of Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, left for trouble-torn Sandeshkhali area on a boat on Thursday amid barricades in North 24 Parganas. They (TMC) have no clue on how to stop Suvendu Adhikari. That is why, they are creating some kind of chaos to stop him, to kill some time. They want to verify his signature and have now gone to their higher official to make further progress. I hope they will allow us to go to our destination, BJP MLA Shankar Ghosh said. #WATCH | Rampur, North 24 Parganas | West Bengal LoP Suvendu Adhikari leave for Sandeshkhali in a boat. pic.twitter.com/TBU5oACF5b ANI (@ANI) February 29, 2024 The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party, which had claimed that Sheikh was in safe custody of state police since Tuesday night, dubbed the arrest as scripted. It was the TMC and the state police which were shielding the culprits. He has been arrested as part of a well-scripted story. The state administration was forced to arrest him because of continuous agitation by the state BJP unit, BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar said. Meanwhile, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh hailed the Bengal police for cracking down on Sheikh, and explained why his arrest took time. Due to a legal tangle, he couldnt be arrested initially. However, after the court clarified that there was no stay on his arrest, the West Bengal Police did its job. The opposition had earlier exploited the embargo on his arrest, Ghosh was quoted by news agency PTI. Reactions on Shajahan Sheikhs Arrest TMC lawmaker Santanu Sen said, His arrest proves that our government follows rajdharma in an administrative manner. We had taken action against Partha Chatterjee and Jyotipriya Mallick, and similarly, we have taken action against Shibu Hazra and Uttam Sardar and now Sheikh Shahjahan has been arrested. Abhishek Banerjee had said that the Police were unable to arrest him due to the courts stay order. He has been arrested within 3-4 days of the removal of the stay order. On one side, accused leaders openly move in BJP-ruled states and on the other side our administration doesnt spare accused TMC leaders if there is evidence against them. BJP should learn rajdharma from the TMC. Sandeshkhali incident | On the arrest of TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan, party MP Santanu Sen says, "His arrest proves that our government follows 'rajdharma' in an administrative manner. We had taken action against Partha Chatterjee and Jyotipriya Mallick, and similarly, we have pic.twitter.com/mIaWe15i0l ANI (@ANI) February 29, 2024 Chhattisgarh deputy chief minister Vijay Sharma said, Whoever tries to tamper with the countrys security, the interest of the country and peoplethey have no place in our country now. #WATCH | Raipur: On the arrest of TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan, Chhattisgarh Dy CM Vijay Sharma says, " Whoever tries to tamper with the Country's security, the interest of the country and peoplethey have no place in our country now" pic.twitter.com/Zf8rpsbd2v ANI MP/CG/Rajasthan (@ANI_MP_CG_RJ) February 29, 2024 West Bengal LoP Suvendu Adhikari said, This is not arrest, this is a mutual adjustment. Unless the central agencies take him into their custody, the people there wont get justiceHe will get five-star facilities in jail. He will use mobile phone inside and control the area from there. BJPs national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said, What is the TMC government and police gloating about? Shahjahan has been arrested only as a cosmetic measure, it is nothing but eyewash. It only happened when BJP took up the issue of Sandeshkhali, was on the streets and even Courts were forced and constrained to come down heavily on the TMC govt and on the action of Police. That is when Shahjahan, who was on state protection has now been shown as arrestedTMC knew where he was and gave him protection. In the Assembly Mamata Banerjee defended him, outside Abhishek Banerjee defended him Googles AI journey has hit a major hurdle recently as its AI image generator received a lot of backlash and accused of being racist with content generated with twisted historical facts. The company was understandably forced to stop its public release as it looks to fix the issues that have brought these negative marks. But now Google CEO, Sundar Pichai has finally spoken about the matter in front of his employees and reportedly told them these are unacceptable errors. Pichai has spoken about the issue in an internal memo, as quoted by a report this week, saying the company will make a whole list of changes and improvements in the AI mechanism to ensure these issues and mistakes dont happen ever again. Well be driving a clear set of actions, including structural changes, updated product guidelines, improved launch processes, robust evals and red-teaming, and technical recommendations. We are looking across all of this and will make the necessary changes, the memo had Pichai saying. The Google chief did admit that no AI is perfect but the world expects a giant like Google to not make these mistakes, setting the bar much higher for the company. He claims the changes made to the AI tool are already showing improved results for a wide range of prompts but well probably have to wait for a few weeks before the new-look AI generation tool is rolled out once again for the public to see if these changes are actually effective and fix the errors made by the AI tool earlier. Google has repeatedly talked about going slow with the AI roll out and instances like these are a clear sign that these tools need more learning and data training, which includes understanding the context before dishing out the results for these prompts. Pichai is under a lot of pressure to get things right, or faces the prospect of losing his position as the head of Google in the near future. In the midst of escalating competition in the global headset market, Meta and LG revealed their collaboration on Tuesday to double down on their efforts in extended reality (XR) ventures. Its worth noting that Meta has a rich history of producing both VR (virtual reality) and MR (mixed-reality) products under its Meta Quest product line, with recent successes such as the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses. With this strategic partnership, both companies intend to leverage and integrate their strengths across a range of products, services, and platforms. This announcement follows a recent meeting between Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, LG CEO William Cho, and LG President Park Hyoing-sei in Seoul, Korea. During this meeting, top management reportedly explored Metas cutting-edge technology, including the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, Meta Quest 3 headset, and Metas suite of Large Language Models (LLMs). LG envisions that by bringing together Metas platform with its own content/service capabilities from its TV business, a distinctive ecosystem can be forged in the XR domain, which is one of the companys new business areas, LG said. It added that the fusion of Metas diverse core technological elements with LGs cutting-edge product and quality capabilities promises significant synergies in next-gen XR device development. It is interesting to note that earlier reports have hinted Meta and LGs collaborative efforts in developing the next generation Meta Quest Pro headset to better compete with the likes of Apple, now that it has launched its Vision Pro headset. Initially reported by the South Korean newspaper Maeil Business, the publication suggests the possibility of witnessing an LG-manufactured headset featuring LG displays, batteries, and other LG Innotek components. This potential high-end headset, and perhaps a competitor to the Vision Pro, is expected to launch in 2025, with an anticipated cost exceeding $2,000. In a bizarre medical case, doctors at Amritha Hospital in Keralas Kochi successfully removed a 4 cm-long cockroach from the lungs of a 55-year-old man. The man had initially sought treatment for severe breathing difficulties, leading to the shocking discovery. The incident, which occurred on February 22, saw a medical team, led by Dr Tinku Jospeh, Head of Interventional Pulmonology, spring into action to extract the cockroach. Health experts believe that the insect entered the mans lungs through a tube that had been inserted in his neck to provide oxygen due to respiratory issues. The patients condition worsened, prompting further investigation by the ENT department, which conducted a bronchoscopy and confirmed the presence of the cockroach in the lungs. Following eight hours of respiratory arrest, the medical team was able to remove the insect, although it had begun to disintegrate. Dr Joseph, in an interview with Asianet News Online, expressed that while cases of foreign objects becoming lodged in the lungs are not uncommon, incidents involving live insects are extremely rare. Health experts speculate that such occurrences could be attributed to negligence, such as failing to properly seal the breathing tube. In a separate instance, a man from Florida, USA, experienced a troubling medical situation where doctors found live insects infesting his nasal passages and sinuses. Since October, the patient, who had previously battled cancer, had been experiencing nosebleeds and discomfort. This discovery led to the diagnosis of nasal myiasis, a rare condition caused by an infestation of fly larvae. Following the examination, Dr David Carlson described how the larvae varied in size, with some as large as the end of his pinky finger. He observed that some larvae were actively moving around the nose in search of places to feed, while others had already burrowed into the tissue. The man was treated with a specialised antiparasitic rinse for his nose and is anticipated to recover fully. In yet another incident, doctors in Missouri, US, found a fly in a 63-year-old mans intestine during a colonoscopy. Despite being deep inside, the fly didnt react when prodded. The man had no idea how it got there, considering it a mystery. He had no symptoms and had only drunk clear liquids the day before the procedure. The only explanation seemed to be that the fly entered his body while he was eating pizza and salad the night before. Matthew Bechtold, chief of gastroenterology at the University of Missouri, suggested to the Independent that the fly might have entered through the mouth or rear, as surviving the digestive enzymes and stomach acid made swallowing unlikely. He also noted the unlikely journey of the fly through the intestine to its middle part. A few weeks back, Robin Zaccheus was preparing to relish a Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate when he spotted a worm crawling on the chocolate bar. He immediately shared the video of the worm and the chocolates purchase receipt on X (Formerly Twitter) and alerted the company including government authorities. Robin mentioned that he purchased the chocolate from a Ratnadeep Retail store at Ameerpet Metro station in Hyderabad. According to the Times of India report, the food safety officials inspected the store. They took about 20 samples of the chocolate and Cadbury was instructed to recall all the products bearing the same batch number. On February 28, Robin shared an update on the issue. He dropped photos of a lab report from the Telangana State Food laboratory and claimed that the lab report confirms that the Cadbury Chocolate (Roasted Almond) was UNSAFE TO CONSUME and they found WHITE WORMS & WEB! He added, It is perhaps high time that FMCG companies are made accountable and penalised for supplying unsafe food that our children consume very often! #Update The Telangana State Food laboratory has confirmed the Cadbury Chocolate (Roasted Almond) was UNSAFE TO CONSUME they found WHITE WORMS & WEB! Heres the report of the 2 Cadbury chocolates purchased at Ratnadeep Retail. It is perhaps high time that FMCG companies are https://t.co/zPvNtKT3NJ pic.twitter.com/8JwBpNZdDg Robin Zaccheus (@RobinZaccheus) February 28, 2024 He tagged Mondelez International which owns Cadbury, Cadbury Dairy Milk, Ratnadeep Retail and wrote that these businesses Must accept and take complete responsibility of this utter negligence for endangering public health. Robin also urged, People to be cautious while consuming these chocolates, especially when we give it to our innocent children. He tagged Mansukh L. Mandaviya, the Minister of Health and Family Welfare, and appealed to him to take action against the above-mentioned offenders. He wrote, My sincere appeal to you! Pls do not let not these companies make a mockery of the system. These violence must be strictly punished and licenses should be cancelled. So far, Robins post has gathered over 2,000 likes and over 5 lakh views. In response, Mondelez International has maintained that their product is safe for consumption. In a series of posts, the international company wrote, Hi, Mondelez follows the internationally accepted HACCP (Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Points) programme, which is the most comprehensive food safety system in the world, to ensure that our products are free from any physical, chemical and microbiological issues. Chocolate like any other food product requires specific care and attention in the distribution chain, retail environment and in storage. We have tested the samples of the same batch, as well as other batches manufactured around the same time and found no issues.2/3 Cadbury Dairy Milk (@DairyMilkIn) February 28, 2024 Mondelez International added, Chocolate like any other food product requires specific care and attention in the distribution chain, retail environment and in storage. We have tested the samples of the same batch, as well as other batches manufactured around the same time and found no issues. In a concluding statement, the food company asserted, We are confident that the product has not been affected during the manufacturing process. The well-known Indian fast-food establishment, Burger Singh, encountered a cyberattack on February 27 orchestrated by a Pakistani hacking group called Team Insane PK. The company announced the incident on their social media platform on X (formerly Twitter), responding with humour and deciding not to immediately address the security breach. The hacking group, recognized for previous digital exploits involving Delhi and Mumbai Police, turned its focus to Burger Singhs website following an incident related to a politically charged promo code, FPAK20, as disclosed by the company in their post. Burger Singh explained the origin of the cyber incident, stating that a promo code they had thought was clever turned out to be very successful, surpassing their expectations. Reflecting on this, they humorously noted that providing discounts with a geopolitical twist turned out to be a continuously rewarding strategy. Instead of immediately removing the digital graffiti, Burger Singh made an unconventional choice to keep it on display for a day. They turned the incident into what they called an open mic night for hackers. The company stated, Heres the scoop: our website didnt just get a new look; it got a whole new attitude, albeit one we didnt sign up for. While were on the subject, lets clear the air: our website is currently a work in progress. Think of it as that one room in your house youve been meaning to clean up but havent gotten around to yet. The post also mentioned that they are tapping into their inner cool uncle and avoiding the urge to quickly fix the situation. Instead, they stated that they would leave the graffiti up for a day, seeing it as an opportunity to say, Take a good look, folks. Inspiration strikes in the oddest of places. Burger Singh adopted a playful yet reassuring tone, suggesting a shift in focus towards developing their next innovative idea while reassuring customers that the digital disruption was only temporary. Their message conveyed a mix of resilience and humour, signing off with, To our beloved patrons, we say: keep calm and carry on. Our digital hiccup is just that a hiccup Stay hungry, Stay foolish. URGENT ADVISORY: Pakistani group hacks Burger Singh website pic.twitter.com/2fmmJwCnf8 Burger Singh (@BurgerSinghs) February 27, 2024 The CEO of CloudSEK, a company specializing in using contextual AI to anticipate and prevent cyber threats, responded to the post, offering a free security assessment as a gesture of appreciation for Burger Singhs transparency. We will offer you a free security assessment for your honesty cc @cloudsek Rahul Sasi (@fb1h2s) February 28, 2024 Another user praised Burger Singhs approach and expressed intent to visit the store for burgers. Brilliant guys, an MSD type of approach, would surely be heading to your store to try some burgers now shrey mishra (@shrey_mishra55) February 28, 2024 However, some users speculated that the cyberattack incident was a deliberate marketing ploy to garner attention. One user commented, Marketing Ka Badiya Tarika Khud Ka Website Hacked Dikhaoo Or Marketing Karwaloo Bad Mai Sabhi Tum Se He Burger Order Karwa Ye Ge. Marketing Ka Badiya Tarika Khud Ka Website Hacked Dikhaoo Or Marketing Karwaloo Bad Mai Sabhi Tum Se He Burger Order Karwa Ye Ge Jaydatt Khodave (@jaydatt_khodave) February 28, 2024 However, the claims made by the food outlet regarding the cyberattack cannot be independently verified. Head of the Presidents Office of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak, has had a telephone conversation with the French President's foreign policy adviser, Emmanuel Bonne, the press service of the President's Office reported on Thursday. "Yermak informed the interlocutor about the situation at the front, the urgent needs of the Defense Forces, in particular in artillery shells and strengthening air defense. The parties discussed the implementation of the Ukrainian Peace Formula and preparations for the inaugural peace summit at the level of leaders of states in Switzerland," the message reads. Yermak and Bonne paid attention to concrete steps to implement the bilateral Agreement on security cooperation between Ukraine and France, which was signed by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on February 16, 2024. "Separately, the interlocutors touched upon the issues of preparation and substantive content of Emmanuel Macron's visit to Ukraine. The head of the Presidents Office thanked the French side for the constant strong support of the Ukrainian people and initiatives to strengthen the defense capabilities of our country to repel Russian aggression and return peace to the European continent," the press service also reports. Tensions flared during a meeting at the ongoing WTO ministerial as the Thai Ambassador to Geneva, Pimchanok Pitfield made offensive remarks about Indias use of Public Stockholding (PSH) for export purposes, according to sources. India took offence to the tone and manner of the comment made during a meeting at the 13th ministerial conference (MC) of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). It was the tone used, which was offensive and this remark was followed by members of the Cairns grouping applauding the comment. Bharat took objection to what was said, and the manner, in which it was said, sources revealed. The Cairns agricultural exports account for nearly 30 percent of global agricultural exports. The Agricultural group, which met on Sunday, had earlier regretted that the WTO has failed to reach any substantive reform outcome in agriculture since the decision at the 10th WTO Ministerial Conference in 2015 to eliminate agricultural export subsidies. Despite its clarification that PSH export is not a standard policy, the matter escalated when India walked out of a meeting involving the Thai official on February 28. Sources confirmed to CNN-News18 that the matter was raised with the Thai ambassador in India although it is unconfirmed if there was an official Demarche. India has taken a firm stance on the issue, refusing to participate in closed-door meetings with the Thai official until the comments are retracted. There was a 20-minute one-on-one between U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai and Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal last evening. Sources say this matter was also raised during the meeting. Indias farmer and fisherfolk interests are being stressed at the WTO, with the government asserting that food safety and security wont be compromised. The mention of PSH in the outcome document is deemed non-negotiable by India, with the possibility of the Thai foreign secretary flying to Abu Dhabi on February 29 to address the issue. On Wednesday, Goyal said India is a consensus builder in the WTO by playing a key role in the process but some countries are breaking that. #WATCH | Abu Dhabi, UAE: Union Minister Piyush Goyal says, Indias stand is consistent, the world needs to see who is blocking the issues and why WTO work is not going on smoothly. It shows India is a consensus builder and we are playing an important role in this regard but many pic.twitter.com/5dEhgfluMx ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2024 Read More: Our Stand Is Consistent: Piyush Goyal Says India Is Consensus Builder At WTO, But Certain Nations Breaking That Our stand is consistent we have to see who are blocking the issues and who is responsible for not letting things of the WTO smoothly It is proved that India in fact is a consensus builder and we are playing a key role in making consensus and certain countries are breaking that consensus on certain issues, Goyal told reporters here. He also said that India stands on strong principles of fair play, justice at the WTO and wants to ensure that all decisions taken at the multi-lateral body are in the best interests of Indias farmers and fisher-folk. We strongly demand that those who are blocking various decisions at the WTO should start addressing the concerns of the developing countries like India, the minister said, adding that the concerns and interest like finding permanent solutions to the public stock holding of food amongst others are also given due importance and addressed speedily. US President Joe Biden remains fit for duty with no new health worries, his doctor said Wednesday after the 81-year-olds last medical ahead of an election in which his age is a key issue, often raised by his GOP rival Donald Trump. The annual examination at the Walter Reed Military Medical Center outside Washington came just weeks after a special counsel report that portrayed him as elderly and forgetful. He continues to be fit for duty and fully executes all of his responsibilities without any exemptions or accommodations, White House doctor Kevin OConnor said in a summary. Biden, who faces a likely rematch with 77-year-old Trump in Novembers election, himself joked that the only concern was that doctors think I look too young. Everythings great, he told reporters at the White House. The only new issue this year was Bidens use of a machine to reduce sleep disruption, along with an emergency dental procedure, OConnor said after the examination. NOW from POTUS physician, Dr. Kevin OConnor:President Biden is a healthy, active, robust 81-year-old male who remains fit to successfully execute the duties of the Presidency, to include those as Chief Executive, head of State and Commander in Chief:More Here: pic.twitter.com/DKuEufrJoa Brian J. Karem (@BrianKarem) February 28, 2024 Robust Biden continues to suffer a range of minor issues including a stiff walk due to wear and tear in his spine and a minor heart valve issue but there was no significant change in them from last year, the report said. Crucially, a reassuring and extremely detailed exam found no sign of neurological problems including Parkinsons or a stroke, it added. President Biden is a healthy, active, robust 81-year-old male, who remains fit to successfully execute the duties of the presidency, OConnor concluded. Bidens routine medical exam comes as voter concerns mount over the age of a leader who would be 86 at the end of a second term in office. The issue was thrust further into the spotlight by the special counsel report. It cleared him of illegally retaining classified documents in his home and garage but said he would come across to a jury as a well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory. Biden launched a fiery counterattack in a press conference at the White House, saying his memory was fine and slamming the special counsel for claiming he could not remember when his son Beau died of cancer. The other guy There has been a growing clamor for Biden to take a cognitive test, but the White House said his doctors had assessed that he did not need one. The president passes a cognitive test every day, Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters, citing the domestic and international political issues he dealt with. This is a very rigorous job. This week Biden took a more lighthearted tone while trying to deflect the issue back onto his septuagenarian nemesis Trump. In last years medical exam Biden got a clean bill of health, although he did have a cancerous skin lesion removed from his chest. Trump routinely depicts Biden as old, decrepit and unfit for office. The real estate tycoon recently confused his rival Republican Nikki Haley with Democratic former House speaker Nancy Pelosi, and said Viktor Orban was president of Turkey, rather than Hungary. Haley, 52, has depicted both men as too old for the presidency. (With agency inputs) An undated footage of a naked woman has emerged where she is seen confronting another lady wielding a spiked club on the Venice Beach Boardwalk in Los Angeles. Captured on camera by bystanders and first shared by US celebrity news website TMZ, shows the nude woman, described as slender with long brown hair and a small back tattoo. In the video going viral, she is seen adopting a defensive stance against her clothed adversary. Naked brawler fends off spiked club attack on LA beach as stunned bystanders film duel. pic.twitter.com/aONDnCBs29 TragicLibs (@TragicLibs) February 28, 2024 Despite the threat, the nude woman calmly deflects the spiked club, prompting the clothed woman to throw it before retrieving a bat. A brief duel ensues, culminating in the nude woman disarming her opponent and chasing her off. Remarkably, neither party appeared injured in the altercation. The incident drew attention from onlookers, with many expressing shock and concern over the lack of police presence. This is the st were dealing with out here on Venice boardwalk, remarked one bystander, reflecting the sentiments of others present, according to the New York Post. The Los Angeles Police Department, when contacted for comment by The Post, did not provide immediate information regarding the incident. Amid talks of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas militants, Israeli forces shot dead 104 people when a crowd rushed towards aid trucks on Thursday, the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said on Thursday. US President Joe Biden said the United States was checking competing versions of a shooting incident at a Gaza aid point in which more than 750 people were also hurt. Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra said hundreds were killed and wounded from bullets of the occupation forces that targeted a gathering of citizens at Gaza Citys Nabulsi roundabout in one of the worst single incidents of a nearly five-month war. A witness told AFP that thousands of people had just stormed the trucks, which were near army tanks. The soldiers fired at the crowd as people came too close to the tanks, the witness said, declining to be named for safety reasons. Israeli sources confirmed that troops opened fire at Palestinians rushing toward aid trucks in Gaza, with one saying soldiers thought they posed a threat to troops. Were checking that right now. There are two competing versions of what happened, I dont have an answer yet, Biden told reporters when asked about the incident, in which the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said Israeli troops shot dead 104 people. Asked if he was worried whether it would complicate negotiations for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, Biden replied: I know it will. Netanyahus Office Says Many Crushed By Trucks A spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus office, however, said many of the dead were crushed by the trucks themselves, after aid trucks were overwhelmed by people trying to loot. The Gaza City shooting adds to a Palestinian death toll from the war which the health ministry earlier Thursday said had topped 30,000. 5 Months of Israel-Hamas War The war began on October 7 with an unprecedented Hamas attack on southern Israel that resulted in the deaths of around 1,160 people, mostly civilians, Israeli figures show. Militants also took about 250 hostages, 130 of whom remain in Gaza, including 31 presumed dead, according to Israel. Israel vowed to destroy Hamas, and its retaliatory military campaign has killed 30,035 people, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. Israels military says 242 soldiers have died in Gaza since ground operations began in late October. New Zealand on Thursday became one of the latest Western countries to designate Hamas as a terrorist entity, saying the October 7 attack shattered the notion that the movements political and military wings are separate. Mediators from Egypt, Qatar and the United States have been seeking a six-week pause in the war. Negotiators hope a truce can begin by around March 10 or 11 when the Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins, depending on the lunar calendar. The proposals reportedly include the release of some Israeli hostages held in Gaza by militants in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons. Short of the complete withdrawal Hamas has called for, a source from the group said the deal might see Israeli forces leave cities and populated areas, allowing the return of some displaced Palestinians and humanitarian relief. Biden is pushing all of us to try to get this agreement over the finish line, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said. Famine Imminent In Gaza The United Nations humanitarian agency OCHA described the food security situation as extremely critical across Gaza, particularly in northern Gaza. According to the World Food Programme (WFP), no humanitarian group had been able to deliver aid to the north for more than a month. The agency accused Israel of blocking access. If nothing changes, a famine is imminent in northern Gaza, WFPs deputy executive director Carl Skau said. Israeli officials have denied blocking supplies. With aid flows on the ground limited, more is coming in by parachute. Neighbouring Jordan said it had on Thursday again air-dropped food and other relief. Jordans army said the drop over northern Gaza came in collaboration with Bahrain and Oman. The United Arab Emirates official news agency WAM said the Gulf country had begun a joint operation with Egypt to drop food and medical aid. The operation would last several weeks, it said. In the south, nearly 1.5 million people trying to flee the fighting are now packed into Rafah city, also short of food, as Israel threatens to send in troops against Hamas fighters there. They are 30,000 martyrs. I dont know what (Israel) want from us, and why they killed this number. It is a genocide, said Jihad Salha, one of the displaced in Rafah. Intense fighting has taken place in Khan Yunis city a few kilometres (miles) from Rafah. On Thursday Israels military said it had also killed militants in central Gaza as well as in Gaza Citys Zeitun area. Three terrorists that used drones were identified entering a compound in the area, where they were eliminated by an air strike, the military said. While fighting continued, Muhammad Yassin, 35, battled to find flour in Zeitun. I found thousands of people waiting for long hours just to get a kilo or two kilos of flour, he said. We have not eaten a loaf of bread for two months. Our children are starving. Meeting in Moscow Talk about Gazas post-war future has intensified even as combat continues. On Thursday, Palestinian factions including Hamas and rival Fatah were expected in Moscow for a meeting at Russias invitation. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who leads a coalition which includes religious and ultra-nationalist parties has come under increasing pressure to bring the remaining hostages home. A group of 150 Israelis have started a four-day march from Reim, near the Gaza border, to Jerusalem, calling for the government to reach a deal. In another reflection of political tensions within Israel, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant called for members of the ultra-Orthodox community to be enrolled in military service. Underlining that India is a consensus builder in the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Wednesday some countries are breaking that at the 13th ministerial conference (MC13). His remarks came amid allegations by certain developed nations that India is blocking deals at the WTO. The conference began on February 26 to discuss issues such as agriculture and fisheries subsidies, dispute settlement, and moratorium on customs duty levy on e-commerce trade. Our stand is consistent. We have to see who are blocking the issues and who is responsible for not letting things of the WTO smoothly It is proved that India in fact is a consensus builder and we are playing a key role in making consensus and certain countries are breaking that consensus on certain issues, Goyal was quoted as saying by agencies. #WATCH | Abu Dhabi, UAE: Union Minister Piyush Goyal says, Indias stand is consistent, the world needs to see who is blocking the issues and why WTO work is not going on smoothly. It shows India is a consensus builder and we are playing an important role in this regard but many pic.twitter.com/5dEhgfluMx ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2024 He also said that India stands on strong principles of fair play, and justice at the WTO and wants to ensure that all decisions taken at the multi-lateral body are in the best interests of Indias farmers and fisherfolk. He added that the first and foremost issue that the WTO MC13 should address is generating trust that the WTO can deliver, and whatever decisions are taken at the WTO will be adhered to in letter and spirit. And if somebody breaks the rules of the WTO, they can be taken to task through the dispute resolution mechanism, he said. Dispute settlement India has strongly demanded restoration of the appellate body (AB) so that any complaint any nation has of unfair trade practices, or rules of the WTO not being met, can be taken up at the dispute resolution process. There are two main ways to settle a dispute once a complaint has been filed in the WTO. The countries find a mutually agreed solution, particularly during the phase of bilateral consultations; and through adjudication, which includes ruling by a panel and if not satisfied, by challenging that ruling at the appellate body. The appellate body is the apex institution for adjudicating disputes. The smooth functioning of the WTOs dispute settlement mechanism hit a roadblock when the US blocked appointments of members in the appellate body (AB). Though the AB stopped functioning on December 10, 2019, the panels are still working. Since December 2019, over 20 appeals have been filed in the AB. We strongly demand that those who are blocking various decisions at the WTO should start addressing the concerns of the developing countries like India, the minister said. Yesterday, #WTOMC13AbuDhabi officially kicked off! From the accession ceremony of Comoros and Timor-Leste to a wave of acceptances of the #FisheriesSubsidies Agreement, day 1 was filled with eventful moments. Check out the highlights! pic.twitter.com/SnbEYAKGVW WTO (@wto) February 27, 2024 US-led push Some agency reports said that a US-led push to change the dispute settlement system sparked divisions at a WTO meeting on Wednesday. A working session on dispute settlement reform was held on the third day of the MC13 in Abu Dhabi, where little progress is expected on the issue amid major disagreements. Washington, under former President Donald Trump, brought the system to a grinding halt in 2019 by blocking the appointment of new judges to the WTOs appeals court, the organisations highest dispute settlement authority. Dispute settlement reform is a hard issue but the dynamic in the negotiating room at MC13 is constructive, its positive, its sober, US Trade Representative Katherine Tai told reporters on Wednesday. On other issues, Goyal said that concerns and interests like finding permanent solutions to the public stock holding of food amongst others are also given due importance and addressed speedily. He added that the issues which are outside the perspective or mandate of the WTO should not be brought into the WTO and their respective bodies should look after it. This comes as developed nations are pushing issues such as environment, labour and gender equality. On fisheries subsidies agreement, he said that the actions of the past should be addressed by their subsequent actions before any multilateral decisions are taken. Therefore, those nations who do deep sea fishing and are responsible for overfishing or depletion of fish stocks should be held responsible for their actions, Goyal said. When asked about possible outcomes tomorrow, he said, I am sure there will be outcomes. There will be fair, balanced and equity in the outcomes, he said, adding that India will fully protect the interests of farmers, poor people and fishermen. (With agency inputs) Pakistans newly-elected lawmakers were sworn in on Thursday during Parliaments maiden session after several days of delay following President Arif Alvis refusal to summon the National Assembly due to differences over the issue of PTI-backed candidates being allotted the reserved seats. The opening session of the Parliament began after a delay of more than an hour. Outgoing Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf administered the oath to the newly-elected lawmakers amid unruly scenes as former prime minister Imran Khans Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf:-backed lawmakers chanted slogans against alleged vote rigging in the February 8 elections. #___pic.twitter.com/IcuQKxoopQ PTI (@PTIofficial) February 29, 2024 Ruckus in Parliament After the oath-taking, the lawmakers signed the register roll of the National Assembly to officially become members. The new oath-taking lawmakers included the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif, PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Zardari and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari. Early today, Alvi approved a move from the caretaker parliamentary affairs ministry to summon the newly-elected National Assemblys first session on February 29, according to a statement posted by the presidents X account. Subject to some reservations, President Dr Arif Alvi has summoned to convene the National Assembly on February 29 in exercise of the powers conferred by Article 54(1) of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the statement said. It said that the president accorded his approval keeping in view the mandate and implications of the timeline given in Article 91 (2) and subject to some reservations and expecting the resolution of the issue of the reserved seats before the 21st day [after the general elections]. Subject to some reservations, President Dr Arif Alvi has summoned to convene the National Assembly on 29th February in exercise of the powers conferred by the Article 54(1) of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The President of Pakistan (@PresOfPakistan) February 28, 2024 Late-night statement The late-night statement also took issue with the tone of the summary sent to Alvi by the caretaker Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, adding that the president was calling the session as he expected that the issue of reserved seats would be settled by the 21st day after the polls, as envisaged in the law. According to constitutional provisions, the meeting of the National Assembly must be convened within 21 days of the elections, and February 29 is the mandated date under Article 91. The newly-elected National Assembly will elect the new speaker and deputy speaker. The election for the post of prime minister is expected on Saturday, and former premier Shehbaz Sharif is poised to be elected as the new leader of the House under a post-election deal between the PML-N and the PPP. On Monday, Alvi, a close aide of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan and a former senior member of his party, rejected a move from the caretaker parliamentary affairs ministry to summon the National Assemblys first session, maintaining that all reserved seats be allocated before its summoning. (With agency inputs) The White House on Wednesday expressed its commitment to improving the H-1B visa process and reducing the Green Card backlog, ensuring fairness in US immigration. The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. Tech companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India. Speaking at a regular press conference, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean Pierre highlighted recent efforts to strengthen the US emigration systems integrity. While specifics were deferred to United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), the Biden administration vowed to prioritise visa process enhancements. #WATCH | White House press secretary Karine Jean Pierre says, If we look at the H1B visa process, we have taken action to improve that and the process and back laws for lawful permanent residents who are eligible to become us citizens. Just last month, for example, as a part of pic.twitter.com/R96BVoCWPU ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2024 We have taken action If we look at the H1B visa process, we have taken action to improve that and the process and back logs for lawful permanent residents who are eligible to become us citizens. Just last month, for example, as a part of our efforts to strengthen the integrity of our immigration system and reduce the potential for fraud, DHS published a final rule relating to H1B visas, Pierre told reporters. The changes promote fairer and more equitable outcomes, and so we will continue our work to improve the system within our authorities, and that has certainly been a priority. Obviously, I would refer you to US Citizens and Immigration Services for any specifics on the actions that we have taken, but we take that very seriously, and were continuing to do everything that we can to improve the visa process, she added. Last month, the US government announced a final rule for the fiscal year 2025 (FY 2025) H-1B cap to bolster the integrity of the H-1B registration process and curb fraud risks. The rule implements a beneficiary-centric selection process to ensure fairness and equal opportunities for all beneficiaries, regardless of the number of registrations submitted on their behalf. Under the new rule, registrations will be selected based on unique beneficiaries, thereby reducing the potential for fraud and ensuring an equitable chance of selection. Beginning with the FY 2025 initial registration period, USCIS will require registrants to provide valid passport information or valid travel document information for each beneficiary. In January, the Biden administration formally launched a pilot programme to renew the H-1B foreign work visas domestically. Launched on January 29, the pilot renewal programme will run till April 1 and is likely to benefit thousands of Indian tech professionals. It will allow H-1B visa holders who are currently in status to renew their visas in the US before a temporary trip abroad. This initiative was announced during the historic State visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in June last year. The steps to implement the bilateral security agreement between Ukraine and the United Kingdom, signed in January 2024, as well as the involvement of the United Kingdom in a number of projects were discussed by head of the Presidents Office of Ukraine Andriy Yermak and Adviser to Prime Minister of Great Britain on national security issues Timothy Barrow during a conversation held in video format. "As part of the ongoing dialogue with allies, head of the Presidents Office of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak, held a video conversation with adviser to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain on national security issues, Timothy Barrow," the press service of the President of Ukraine said on its official website on Thursday. The parties reportedly discussed preparations for the first Global Peace Summit at the level of leaders of states and governments, which is to be held in Switzerland. Yermak and Barrow also discussed steps to implement the bilateral security agreement prepared within the framework of the G7 Joint Declaration and signed by the leaders of Ukraine and the United Kingdom during the visit of British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to Kyiv in January 2024. The Head of the Presidents Office noted that Ukraine is interested in involving the UK in a number of projects," the message reads. Yermak also informed the interlocutor about the situation at the front and the urgent needs of the Defense Forces. As reported, the head of the President's Office also expressed gratitude to "Timothy Barrow, the government and the entire people of Great Britain for their support and assistance in protecting the freedom and independence of Ukraine and common democratic values in Europe." Abbas Ganbay Head of the French party "Patriots" Florian Philippot wrote in the social network "X" calling on the French government to declare impeachment of the country's President Emmanuel Macron, Azernews reports. In his opinion, Macron hates France and is trying to drag it into the third world war. "National petition for parliamentarians to finally move! Article 35 of the Constitution, requiring a vote on war, and Article 68: his impeachment!" the politician wrote. On February 26, Macron allowed the possibility of sending EU troops to Ukraine. He said that the possibility of sending EU ground troops to Ukraine was discussed at a conference in Paris. However, a consensus has not been reached yet. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that all agreements with the European Union must be fulfilled and every word must work in reality. Today, I also held a meeting on the European direction our relations with the European Union, the tasks for this year, integration in general, and specifically on relations with our neighbors in the European Union, he said in a video address on Thursday. Our priority is clear: all existing agreements must be implemented, and every word that is spoken must be put into practice. This is exactly the approach Ukraine is taking on the European direction. And it is thanks to this that we have already achieved historic results, he said. According to him, this year should be a time of real negotiations on accession. We can start as early as spring and take the first negotiating steps. Zelenskyy stressed that this year should also be a time of maximum pragmatism in relations with our neighbors. Everyone sees that Russia is not going to stop. They in Moscow want an arms race and new waves of destabilization. All of us in Europe need to realize this clearly. If the freedom of one falls, the freedom of all the others will not withstand either, Zelenskyy stressed. A Catholic priest in southern Italy says he had a poisoned chaliceand it wasn't a figure of speech. Father Felice Palamara halted an evening mass in Vibo Valentia, Calabria, on Saturday to contact police after he noticed a strange smell coming from the chalice of wine and water he had just consecrated, the Catholic News Agency reports. Laboratory tests confirmed that the mix had been laced with bleach. Officials believe the priest was targeted by the 'Ndrangheta, a powerful mafia network that originated in the region, reports the Guardian . He is now under police protection. Palamara has often spoken out against the organized crime network. His car was set on fire a few weeks ago, and he has received multiple death threats, as has another priest in the diocese. The Telegraph reports that the priest has asthma and heart problems, which would have made swallowing bleach especially dangerous. "My revenge is called love, my shield forgiveness, my armor mercy," he wrote on social media. "I will not dwell on obstacles, nor will I be frightened by the darkness." Attilo Nostro, the local bishop, denounced the "intimidating acts" and thanked law enforcement for their support. "I appeal anew to the Christian communities not to be discouraged by this language of violence," he said, per the Guardian. "We must not cede to this logic, allowing ourselves to be tempted by unease and anger." (More Italy stories.) Bernie Sanders has long been a strong advocate for health care for all and affordable child care and housing, among other progressive platforms. But "America's national priorities are badly misplaced," the independent Vermont senator writes in an op-ed for the Atlantic, with too much money in Sanders' opinion being funneled toward military spending ultimately funded by taxpayers. The numbers: The senator writes that the US is set to pony up about $900 billion this year alone for our armed forces, and "almost half of this amount will go to a handful of huge defense contractors enjoying immense profits." The senator writes that the US is set to pony up about $900 billion this year alone for our armed forces, and "almost half of this amount will go to a handful of huge defense contractors enjoying immense profits." 'War profiteering': Sanders talks about the surging stock prices of arms makers, as well as the "outrageous" price increases that defense contractors have implemented over the years, citing as one example the sevenfold spike in the price of Stinger missiles manufactured by RTX Corporation (the former Raytheon) since 1991. "There's a name for all this: war profiteering," Sanders writes. Commander of the Ground Forces, Lieutenant General Oleksandr Pavliuk, took part in the XVI Ukraine-USA Security Dialogue on the assessment of Ukraine's defense capabilities and needs after the second year of the war, which was held in Washington. He announced this on the Telegram channel on Thursday evening. According to him, the thematic part devoted, in particular, to the issues of the Ground Forces, "took place with the participation of respected military specialists and analysts from leading security institutions. Among them are William Taylor, Vice President for Europe and Russia at the U.S. Institute of Peace, Ben Hodges, Commander of the U.S. Army in Europe 2014-2017, Luke Coffey, Senior NATO Logistics Mentor and Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute." Pavliuk informed that during a conversation with the participants of the Dialogue, he "outlined the basic needs that the Ground Forces have to conduct combat operations against a superior enemy. In particular, on certain types of weapons, military equipment and the possibilities of strengthening army aviation." At the same time, he expressed gratitude to the people of the United States for their assistance to Ukraine and stressed its importance in repelling Russia's full-scale armed aggression. "I assured the participants that only continued support for Ukraine, our Armed Forces and the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine will fully restore the territorial integrity of Ukraine within internationally recognized borders and reduce Russia's ability to spread its aggression to other countries," Pavliuk stressed. A Long Island man has pleaded guilty to illegally trafficking bird-wing butterflies and other rare insects, according to a plea deal filed in Brooklyn federal court. Charles Limmer, 75, of Commack, pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to smuggle wildlife into the country and agreed to pay a $30,215 penalty, as well as hand over his collection of roughly 1,000 butterflies, moths, and other insects. He faces up to five years in prison when sentenced, reports the AP . Some of the dried specimens include bird-wing butterflies, which are among the rarest and largest in the world. Limmer was indicted last year on six counts related to wildlife smuggling, including violations of the federal Lacey Act's prohibitions on falsely labeling and trafficking in wildlife. He could have received a 20-year sentence if convicted at trial. Officials said Limmer circumvented US laws by labeling shipments as "decorative wall coverings," "origami paper craft," and "wall decorations." He sold some of the dried lepidoptera specimens through an eBay account under the name "limmerleps," pocketing tens of thousands of dollars. Federal prosecutors said Limmer worked with overseas collaborators to smuggle some 1,000 lepidoptera, including some of the most endangered moths and butterflies in the world, even after his import/export license was suspended in October 2022. Federal law prohibits the commercial export or import of wildlife without permission from the US Fish and Wildlife Service. (More weird crimes stories.) Colombian warlord Salvatore Mancuso was repatriated Tuesday after serving a drug trafficking sentence in the United States and being denied several requests to be sent to Italy, where he also has citizenship. Mancuso arrived in Bogota's El Dorado Airport on a charter flight and was quickly taken into police custody, wearing a green helmet and a bulletproof vest. He will remain in prison in Colombia, where courts have judged him responsible for more than 1,500 acts of murder and disappearances, reports the AP . Mancuso, 59, was born to a wealthy family in northwest Colombia and was a prosperous cattle rancher. He began to collaborate with the Colombian army in the early '90s after his family was threatened by rebel groups that demanded extortion payments. Mancuso quickly transitioned from providing intel to the military to leading operations against leftist rebels, and by the late '90s he had become one of the powerful leaders of the United Self Defense Forces of Colombia paramilitary group. In 2003, he joined a peace process under which paramilitary leaders demobilized in exchange for reduced sentences. But he was extradited to the US five years later during the administration of President Alvaro Uribe, along with 13 other paramilitary leaders who were wanted for drug trafficking in the United States. Critics said that the surprise extradition was part of an effort to stop Mancuso and other paramilitary leaders from discussing their ties with Colombia's political establishment. Mancuso was sentenced in 2015 for guiding more than 130 tons of cocaine to US soil, as he turned to drug trafficking to finance his armed group. He completed his 12-year-sentence in 2020 and had been held at an immigration detention center for three years, as officials decided where to send him. story continues below Mancuso is the son of an Italian immigrant. His lawyers had requested he be deported to Italy, where he is a citizen, arguing his life would be in danger in Colombia. US officials decided instead to send Mancuso to Colombia, whose government requested his extradition in 2020, arguing that his return to the country was vital for the investigation of war crimes. "When Mancuso was extradited, truth was extradited, as well as justice and reparations for victims," said Jose Melendez, a human rights lawyer who represents war victims in northern Colombia. (More Colombia stories.) Florida police helped deliver a happy ending to a terrifying situation that began Monday evening when a 5-year-old girl with autism walked away from her home near Tampa. "The panic starts to kick in," Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister tells ABC News of the moment parents realized the girl was not at a neighbor's house. The sheriff's department sent deputies into a heavily-treed wetland to search for the 5-year-old while an aviation unit used a thermal imaging camera to scour the area from above. Authorities had searched thousands of miles by air when a deputy conveyed a message to deputies on the ground, per ABC. "Hey, I think I got her in the woods," said a voice, noting the girl was 80 feet from where other deputies were searching. "She might be able to hear ... if you call her now." Body camera footage shows three officers making their way through dense trees toward a stretch of muddy water. Only when they're roughly 10 yards from the girl do they see her standing ankle-deep in muck. The footage shows a deputy raising his arms and calling out to the girl, who mimics his behavior before walking toward him. "Let's get you out of the water. I'll get you to everyone," the deputy said as he carried the girl to safety, per the AP. Chronister credited his deputies for turning "a potential tragedy into a hopeful reunion." "She could have slipped, she could have [fallen] in the water and this outcome would have been much different," he tells ABC. The girl, who suffered only scratches, was reunited with her family, People reports. (More missing child stories.) The largest of several wildfires burning in the Texas Panhandle is now the second-largest in state history. The Smokehouse Creek Fire, which started on Monday, grew to 850,000 acres Wednesday and was only 3% contained, CNN reports. The largest fire on record, the 2006 East Amarillo Complex fire, which burned 907,245 acres. That fire killed 13 people. No deaths or injuries have been reported in the Panhandle fires, but scores of homes have been destroyed, including around 40 on the outskirts of Canadian, a town where residents were told to shelter in place after road closures Tuesday, the AP reports. Gov. Greg Abbott declared a state of emergency in 60 counties on Tuesday. NBC News reports that the Pantex facility northeast of Amarillo, the main US site for dismantling nuclear weapons, evacuated its staff Tuesday night but said it was operating normally on Wednesday. The fires, which broke out amid record high temperatures, forced the evacuation of numerous small communities and left around 11,000 people without power on Wednesday, the Washington Post reports. Adam Turner, a spokesman for the Texas A&M Forest Service, tells CNN that the explosive growth of the Smokehouse Creek fire was the result of a sudden shift in wind direction. "Wind was coming straight out of the north and made just this massive wall of fire moving across the landscape," he says. Turner says calmer winds Wednesday gave firefighters time to prepare for stronger winds expected later this week. "When the winds do pick back up this weekend, we will have people, resources, all kinds of things here ready to go," he says. (More Texas wildfires stories.) When the state of California raided 10 cannabis businesses that collectively owed $14 million in back taxes, officials had high hopes for the goodies they seized, with plans to put them all up for auction to raise millions. The grand haul after a Feb. 16 sale of various glass bongs and other paraphernalia: $2,075, a spokesperson for the state's Department of Tax and Fee Administration tells SFGate . According to a CDTFA release , nine out of 10 of the cannabis businesses that originally housed the bongs and other gear were illegal. The money that was supposed to be raised by hawking the seized items was set to pay back the taxes owed by these companies. Other items sold at the Los Angeles auction included cash registers, a sandwich board, and a snow cone machine, per the North Bay Business Journal. Over the past several years, the agency has held more than 2,200 inspections and seized almost $90 million in products and cash from noncompliant businesses. "Unlicensed cannabis operators not only undercut legitimate businesses, but they also cheat California communities out of revenue for vital programs," CDTFA Director Nick Maduros said after a previous raid in 2022. (More bongs stories.) "President Biden is a healthy, active, robust 81-year-old male, who remains fit to successfully execute the duties of the Presidency," Dr. Kevin O'Connor said Wednesday in giving his patient the all-clear after an annual physical . O'Connor's summary memo says "no new concerns" surfaced during the checkup, CNN reports. Biden underwent an "extremely detailed" neurological exam at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center that found no signs of a stroke, neurological disorders, or Parkinson's disease, the doctor said. The team that examined the president included two orthopedists, a neurologist, and a physical therapist, per the New York Times . The White House had already said Biden would not be given a cognitive test, and O'Connor didn't mention the subject. Physicals often don't include such a test, though older adults frequently are checked for cognitive decline or indications of dementia. Skipping that step seems reasonable in Biden's case, one expert said, per the Times. "For the physician who interacts with a patient on a regular basis, it is perfectly valid for the physician to say, 'I can assess the mental status on a daily basis,'" said Dr. Thomas Wisniewski, director of Center for Cognitive Neurology at NYU Langone Health. "But not if they see each other once a year." O'Connor did address Biden's stiffness in walking, which he attributed last year partly to spinal arthritis and "a mild sensory peripheral neuropathy of the feet." A contributing factor was a fracture Biden suffered before taking office. This year, a spinal examination found Biden's range of motion slightly decreased, the memo says. Hip pain caused by arthritis is "most certainly also contributing to his stiffened gait," O'Connor said, adding that Biden is undergoing physical therapy and goes through an intensive stretching regimen four or five times a week. (More President Biden stories.) Congressional leaders announced Wednesday that they have reached a tentative agreement to prevent a government shutdown for now, days before an end-of-the-week deadline that risked shuttering some federal operations. Under the plan, Congress would temporarily fund one set of federal agencies through March 8 and another set through March 22. In the meantime, Congress would intend to pass packages of legislation to fund the government for the remainder of the budget year, the AP reports. There was no immediate plan to approve the $95 billion emergency national security funds for Ukraine, Israel, and other allies. This would be the fourth short-term funding extension in about a five-month span. The House and Senate next will need to vote and approve the deal with its temporary funds ahead of the Friday deadline, when some federal monies run out. "We are in agreement that Congress must work in a bipartisan manner to fund our government," said the joint statement from Speaker Mike Johnson, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, along with the Appropriation Committee leaders. Negotiators have been working furiously to finish up a federal spending plan while Ukraine and other American allies watched for Johnson's next move on the aid. Congressional leaders said they reached an agreement on six bills that will adhere to spending levels agreed to last year. Those bills involve Veterans Affairs and the departments of Agriculture, Transportation, Interior, and others and will be voted on and enacted before March 8, per the AP. The remaining six bills for the Pentagon, Homeland Security, Health and Human Services, and the State Department still need to be finalized, voted on, and enacted before March 22. If the deal and the subsequent bills are approved, it would keep the federal government funded until the end of the budget year, on Sept. 30, and avoid more short-term measures. (More government shutdown stories.) UPDATE Feb 29, 2024 2:46 PM CST An Illinois judge who decided Wednesday that Donald Trump's name shouldn't be on the state's Republican primary ballot put her ruling on hold until Friday to give the former president a chance to appeal it. He didn't need that long. Late Wednesday night, minutes before midnight, Trump's lawyers asked the Illinois Appellate Court to overturn the ruling, per the AP. They also want the court to keep the order frozen in place until the issue is resolved for good by a higher court, CBS News reportsin a filing that dropped the name of the US Supreme Court. Feb 29, 2024 12:00 AM CST Words like "unexpected" and "surprise" are being used to describe an Illinois ruling Wednesday removing Donald Trump from the state's primary ballot. The judge who issued the decision stayed the ruling until Friday, meaning the former president canand is expected toappeal, CNN and CBS News report. Cook County Circuit Judge Tracie Porter cited the Colorado Supreme Court ruling that removed Trump from that state's primary ballot over his role in the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol. The 14th amendment disqualifies insurrectionists from holding public office, and Porter said the Colorado decision's "rationale" was "compelling." There have only been 11 issues of La Bougie du Sapeur since Valery d'Estaing was the French president, and on Thursday, locals welcome the 12th. What the BBC calls "the world's only quadrennial" satirical newspaper is out again this week in France, making its once-every-four-years appearance on Feb. 29 for leap year. The 20-page tabloid is available in print only at newspaper stands and stores, delivering comedic takes on international news, politics, sports, and celebrity gossip, among others. La Bougie du Sapeur, or "The Sapper's Candle," was created in 1980 by a group of pals who "wanted to have a laugh," the paper's editor, Jean d'Indy, tells the BBC. "We meet in a bar and toss around ideas over drinks," he says of the tabloid's editorial process. "We have a lot of fun, and if the reader does too, that's the icing on the cake." Examples of articles in this year's editionwhich d'Indy says tries "to be silly but not nasty"include one on the "forgettable" UK PM Liz Truss, one on the "challenges" facing men who want to become women, and a serialized story whose next installment will arrive in 2028. "It is French humor, and it does not translate into other languages," d'Indy tells the BBC, which describes the paper as "anti-politically correct." Picking up a copy of La Bougie du Sapeur, which has a print run of 200,000, will set you back about $5.30. Or, notes the Scotsman, you can purchase a century-long subscription for about $110; archived issues cost around $16. The Local notes that all profits from the sale of the newspaper are donated to charity. "I hope we are a bit of fresh air every four years," d'Indy tells the BBC. "These days people need to be able to laugh." (More leap year stories.) A ransomware group shut down by the FBI after threatening to release confidential files from Georgia's Fulton County court system, including files related to the criminal case against former President Trump, appears to have resurrected. LockBit is now threatening to release files that "could affect the upcoming US election" within hours. On Saturday, just four days after the FBI and UK's National Crime Agency infiltrated LockBit's websites and servers and arrested two people , the group was back with a new website and a claim that it had backup copies of documents stolen from the Fulton County government's website. It threatened to release the files March 2 unless an unspecified ransom was paid. But it has since moved up the deadline to 8:49am ET Thursday, per Business Insider . The group, which provides sophisticated ransomware to affiliate hackers, taking a cut of ransoms paid, is thought to have targeted over 2,000 victims, receiving $120 million in ransom funds, according to the Justice Department, which claims two Russian nationals are involved. Fulton County's computer systems were hacked Jan. 27. LockBit then released a countdown timer, saying files would be released Feb. 16 unless a ransom was paid. When a countdown timer expires, it's usually replaced by a link to download stolen files. But that didn't happen Feb. 16, which led some to speculate that Fulton County was negotiating with the hackers. County Commission Chairman Robb Pitts denied that in a Feb. 20 press conference, just hours after LockBit's websites were seized. "The FBI decided to hack now for one reason only, because they didn't want to leak information fultoncountyga.gov," read Saturday's message from LockBit leader LockBitSupp, who expressed support for Trump. It's not clear what files the group may have stolen related to the Trump case, but it published a sampling of files earlier this month that included "a sealed record related to a child abuse case," according to Krebs on Security. George Chidi of the Atlanta Objective notes there are fears that "hackers will be able to give any attorney defending a criminal case in the county a starting place to argue that evidence has been tainted or witnesses intimidated, and that the release of confidential information has compromised cases." (More Georgia indictment stories.) Interfax-Ukraine to host discussion 'Is crisis of statehood threatening Ukraine?' On Monday, March 4, at 12.00, the press centre of the Interfax-Ukraine News Agency will host a discussion tilted "Is crisis of statehood threatening Ukraine?" Participants include political expert Kostiantyn Matviyenko; Director of the Ukrainian Barometer sociological service Viktor Nebozhenko; political scientist, co-founder of the National Platform for Sustainability and Cohesion Oleh Sahakian (8/5a Reitarska Street). The event will be streamed on the Interfax-Ukraine YouTube channel. Admission of journalists on the spot using editorial IDs. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, history's longest-serving Senate leader, plans to step down as after November's elections. The 82-year-old has led Senate Republicans since 2007, but his real legacy will be outside the chamber, analysts say. He helped build a conservative supermajority on the Supreme Court by blocking Barack Obama from filling a vacancy and overseeing three confirmations during Donald Trump's administration. He also oversaw the confirmation of more than 200 conservative lower-court judges, often after blocking Obama nominees. "Rulings from judges he helped confirm will be shaping American life for decades to come," writes Sareen Habeshian at Axios. More: Three Johns: The New York Times looks at three of the most likely candidates to replace McConnell, the high-ranking senators known as the "Three Johns": Sens. John Thune, John Cornyn, and John Barrasso. Other possibilities in the Senate leadership team include Sens. Joni Ernst and Shelley Moore Capito. (Trump has now put Steve Daines in the mix as well.) 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. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Bahrain's His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the Honorary President of the Royal Humanitarian Foundation (RHF), yesterday ordered the disbursement of the annual Ramadan offering to all RHF-sponsored families, marking the holy month of Ramadan 2024. HM the King instructed the RHF to oversee the disbursement of the allocated amounts to help families cater to their needs during Ramadan. On the occasion, His Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Representative of HM the King for Humanitarian Work and Youth Affairs and RHF Board of Trustees Chairman, extended thanks, appreciation, and gratitude to HM King Hamad for his directives to disburse the annual offerings, in line with HMs interest in enabling the RHF-sponsored families to meet their needs during the holy month of Ramadan. Shaikh Ali bin Khalifa Al Khalifa commended HM the Kings directives, which will benefit more than 11,000 orphans and widows. He underlined the RHFs keenness to diversify its services to the beneficiaries, in line with the royal directives. He affirmed that the RHF had completed its procedures to credit the amounts of the royal offering to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries. Biomethane producers in Ukraine call on the Verkhovna Rada to finally adopt law No. 9456 on customs control and customs clearance of biomethane, which regulates its export, as soon as possible. A second reading is needed in March. Two ready-made biomethane plants are standing idle, three more have actually been built and will stand together with these. All other investors are looking at the pioneers. If they dont succeed, then who will build next? said chairman of the board of the Bioenergy Association of Ukraine (BAU) Heorhiy Heletukha at a thematic press conference at the Interfax-Ukraine agency on Thursday. He is convinced that if biomethane exports are finally unblocked by the end of this year, at least five plants will supply biomethane to the network, and next year we can talk about a dozen additional plants. Heletukha clarified that the capacity of plants ready to export biomethane is already about 80 million cubic meters. According to him, two projects with a capacity of approximately 3 million cubic meters of biomethane in Kyiv and Chernihiv regions are owned by Gals Agro, one plant with the same capacity is owned by VITAGRO. There is also a large project of Teofipol Energy Company (Khmelnytsky region) for 56 million cubic meters. Now this company produces electricity from biogas, but has already purchased the necessary equipment to produce biomethane from it, laid a pipe to the main gas pipeline, and this will be the first project that will connect not to distribution networks, but to the main network. In addition, according to him, the Yuzefo-Mykolayivska Biogas Company (Vinnytsia region) is ready to export biomethane, which plans to liquefy it and sell it as bioLNG. The project capacity is about 12 million cubic meters. The head of the board of Global 100 RE Ukraine, the president of PrJSC MHP Eco Energy, Oleksandr Dombrovsky, for his part, said that, according to experts, the rapid potential for biomethane production in Ukraine could be within 1 billion cubic meters, "if you create minimal conditions for its development." We expect the adoption of this bill in March. We really hope that it will be adopted, because we need to move towards the most efficient system of energy security and independence, then we will have a very cool export-oriented economy, Dombrovsky said, noting that raising the barrier to banning exports is the mission of the state, because now there is a war for the export positions of European countries and Ukraine on the border. He also added that the renewable gas market is growing very quickly, especially in the EU. Today we have nine biogas projects in operation, some within Myronivsky Hliboproduct, some with other customers, three of which are in the EU, Dombrovsky described the situation. Serhiy Savchuk, Director of Investments and Business Development of VITAGRO Group, emphasized that Europeans are very interested in biomethane. There is not a single country in Europe where we do not have a potential buyer and with whom we have not signed a preliminary agreement. In addition, agreements have been signed with the largest name companies who wanted to enter similar projects with us, co-finance, use us as an anchor company, but given that exports are blocked, they are not taking part in this yet, he said. I urge you to look at this sector as the future of Ukraine. We can become the main supplier of renewable gases to Europe, everything is there for this. In business there is the concept of a blue ocean - these are sectors where there is no competition. Biomethane is exactly that case. The government needs to give priority to the development of this sector, Heletukha is convinced. According to the head of the board of BAU, Ukraines potential for biomethane production is more than 20 billion cubic meters per year, and this is a resource in demand in Europe, since it is a scarce market, and Europe already lacks about 15 billion cubic meters of biomethane to achieve their goal of producing 35 billion cubic meters by 2030. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Kuwait Finance House - Bahrain (KFH-Bahrain) has successfully concluded its Win with KFH-Bahrain Roadshow aimed at promoting Libshara and Maashi accounts which took place at The Avenues Mall Bahrain from 20th to 24th February. Visitors participated to win instant cash prizes reaching BD 500 each day. Participants simply opened a Maashi account or a Libshara account within minutes, with just a minimum deposit of BHD 50 in Libshara accounts. Both the Libshara and Maashi accounts offer customers the chance to win valuable cash prizes on a monthly basis amongst a plethora of other benefits. Visitors who opened both accounts or invested high amounts in their Libshara accounts increased their chances of winning while opening doors to the exclusive benefits provided by each account. On this occasion, Hamed Mashal, Executive Manager - Head of Retail Banking at KFH-Bahrain expressed his gratitude to visitors stating, It was our utmost pleasure to welcome all of the visitors to our Win with KFH-Bahrain Roadshow. It was a great opportunity for those interested in opening accounts that help them work towards their financial stability while offering them the opportunity to win cash prizes. We are always working on elevating the customer experience and simplifying the account opening process to give our esteemed clients the best financial experience possible. During the roadshow, KFH-Bahrain unveiled the new Libshara 2024 Campaign, which offers cash prizes throughout the year. The 2024 campaign has a total prize fund of $2.6 million for 612 fortunate winners. This includes two Mega Cash Prizes; $500,000 in June and $1,000,000 in December. Moreover, ten lucky winners will receive a $50,000 Grand Prize for the remaining months. Additionally, the Monthly General Prizes will see $1,000 awarded to 50 winners each month. AFP | London The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Prince Harry lost a court challenge against the UK government on Wednesday over a decision to change the level of his personal security when he visits the country. The youngest son of King Charles III launched legal action against the government after being told in February 2020 that he would no longer be given the "same degree" of publicly-funded protection when in Britain. "The 'bespoke' process devised for the claimant in the decision of 28 February 2020 was, and is, legally sound," High Court judge Peter Lane said in his 52-page judgment. Harry sensationally left Britain in 2020 with his wife Meghan, eventually settling in California in the United States. The prince told a hearing at London's High Court in December that security concerns were preventing visits back to the United Kingdom. "The UK is my home. The UK is central to the heritage of my children," he told court in a written statement read out by his lawyers. "That cannot happen if it's not possible to keep them safe. "I cannot put my wife in danger like that and, given my experiences in life, I am reluctant to unnecessarily put myself in harm's way too," he added. The UK Home Office said it was "pleased" with the judgment and was "carefully considering" its next steps. "The UK Government's protective security system is rigorous and proportionate," a spokesperson for the Home Office said. "It is our long-standing policy not to provide detailed information on those arrangements, as doing so could compromise their integrity and affect individuals' security." Harry's mother Princess Diana was killed in a high-speed car crash in Paris in 1997 as she tried to escape paparazzi photographers. Lawyers for the government rejected claims that Harry was "singled out" and treated "less favourably" or that a proper risk analysis was not carried out. - Non-working royal - James Eadie, for the interior ministry, told the court that it was decided Harry would not be provided the same level of protection as before because he had left life as a working royal and mostly lived abroad. In May 2023, Harry lost a bid for a legal review of another government decision refusing him permission to pay for specialist UK police protection himself. The interior ministry argued then that it was "not appropriate" for wealthy people to "buy" protective security when it had decided that it was not in the public interest for such taxpayer-funded protection. London's Metropolitan Police also opposed Harry's offer on the grounds that it would be wrong to "place officers in harm's way upon payment of a fee by a private individual". It is one of many legal cases launched by Harry. Earlier this month, he settled a long-running lawsuit against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), whose journalists he accused of being linked to deceptive and unlawful methods, but vowed to continue his legal battles with several other UK media outlets. Harry is one of seven high-profile people, including Elton John, bringing legal action against the publisher of the Daily Mail over allegations of unlawful information gathering. He and actor Hugh Grant are also suing News Group Newspapers (NGN), part of Rupert Murdoch's global media empire and publisher of The Sun and the now-defunct News Of The World tabloids, over similar claims. However, Harry last month dropped his libel case against UK newspaper the Mail on Sunday over an article on his legal battles with the UK government. Kapital Bank, the countrys first bank, offers advantageous opportunities for individuals seeking cash loans. For first-time applicants of daily demand loans, can do their monthly payment starting from 51 AZN for every 2000 AZN loan. Customers can obtain loans up to a maximum of 500,000 manat with terms starting from 10.9% apr. The offered loan is provided for a duration of up to 59 months. This campaign is accessible to all individuals with official income. You can apply via digital channels or visit your nearest branch. It is also worthy to mentioned that online loan applications are exempt from cash withdrawal fees. For more information: https://kbl.az/frfr 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 52 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. 100% of proceeds from the sale of the shirts are donated to the Canadian Women's Foundation OTTAWA, ON, Feb. 29, 2024 /CNW/ - Giant Tiger Stores Limited is proud to announce a partnership with Ottawa-based floral muralist Emilie Darlington to create a custom T-shirt and sweatshirt in celebration of International Women's Day. The custom shirts are available in select Giant Tiger stores and online at GiantTiger.com, with 100% of proceeds donated to the Canadian Women's Foundation to support programs that help women, girls, and gender-diverse people move out of violence, out of poverty, and into confidence and leadership. The custom shirts are available in select Giant Tiger stores and online at GiantTiger.com, with 100% of proceeds donated to the Canadian Womens Foundation to support programs that help women, girls, and gender-diverse people move out of violence, out of poverty, and into confidence and leadership. (CNW Group/Giant Tiger Stores Limited) "Giant Tiger is committed to championing the voices of women and gender-diverse people in the communities we proudly live in, work in, and serve. We are thrilled to collaborate with Emilie Darlington to create these exclusive shirts and share her artistic vision with our customers across the country," said Gabrielle Hargrove, Senior Vice President and Chief HR Officer, Giant Tiger Stores Limited. "We believe in gender equality and are proud to empower women in our stores and support divisions. We will continue to drive change by featuring a new Canadian artist each year to showcase their talent and raise funds to support women, girls, and gender-diverse individuals in celebration of International Women's Day." With a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Ottawa, Emilie Darlington's talent is grounded in a profound grasp of artistic fundamentals. This custom design reflects her distinctive style and each flower has been chosen for its specific meaning. The Tiger Lily represents confidence, pride, and good fortune. The Dahlia represents inner strength and kindness, and the Black-Eyed Susan is a symbol of justice and adaptability. Together, these three flowers create a symbolic statement and serve as a reminder of the importance of supporting women, girls, and gender-diverse people and to raise awareness for International Women's Day. "I am so excited and grateful to be collaborating with Giant Tiger to create these custom shirts for International Women's Day," said artist Emilie Darlington. "This collaboration is very important because of how each flower represents every woman, girl and gender-diverse person, and how the fight for gender equality and justice unites us all. I am extremely proud to partner with an organization like Giant Tiger and to have the opportunity to share my art to get this powerful message across to all Canadians." The Canadian Women's Foundation is Canada's public foundation for gender equality and justice. Through funding, advocacy and knowledge sharing, they support women, girls, and gender-diverse people to move out of violence, out of poverty, and into confidence and leadership. "We are so grateful for Giant Tiger's longtime support of the Canadian Women's Foundation," said Andrea Gunraj, Vice President of Public Engagement at the Canadian Women's Foundation. "This partnership translates into impact on many levels: it helps change the lives of program participants; rippling out to their families and communities, and it helps us advocate for change that will advance gender equality across Canada." For more information on the Canadian Women's Foundation, artist Emilie Darlington, and the custom-designed shirts, please visit gianttiger.com/pages/international-womens-day. About Giant Tiger: Giant Tiger, the leading Canadian-owned family discount store, is committed to delivering more than great deals on family fashion, everyday household items, and grocery essentials. The proudly Canadian company is dedicated to a culture of affordability through low prices, community support, and empowering its locally-owned franchises. The privately held company has over 270 locations across Canada and proudly employs over 10,000 members of Team Tiger. All Giant Tiger locations are locally owned or operated by a team member who knows the community. Whether Canadians are shopping in-store or online at GiantTiger.com, Giant Tiger is where low prices, amazing finds, and community support come together to be Canada's place to save more money. #GiantTiger Join the conversation and keep up to date on all Giant Tiger news: Like us on Facebook: Giant Tiger Follow us on Instagram: @Gianttigerstore Follow us on TikTok: @Gianttigerstore Follow us on X: @GTBoutique Subscribe to our YouTube channel: Giant Tiger Store About the Canadian Women's Foundation: We are Canada's public foundation for gender justice and equality. We advance this by growing support for grassroots feminist action, partnering with communities and organizations to improve conditions, and building diverse leadership and knowledge for sustainable change. Since 1991, our generous donors and supporters have contributed more than $250 million to fund over 3,200 life-transforming programs throughout Canada. Learn more at canadianwomen.org. SOURCE Giant Tiger Stores Limited For further information: please contact: Jessica Charbonneau, Manager, External Communications, Giant Tiger Stores Limited, [email protected] MONTREAL, QC, Feb. 29, 2024 /CNW/ - Black Canadians have helped make Canada the country it is today. They have also faced historic barriers which continue to prevent many Black Canadians from reaching their full potential. Since endorsing the United Nations (UN) International Decade for People of African Descent back in 2018, the Government of Canada has made significant investments to supporting Black Canadians and fostering positive change in Black communities. In acknowledgment of the UN Decade, the Government of Canada established the Supporting Black Canadian Communities Initiative (SBCCI) in 2019. This initiative aims to strengthen vibrant Black communities across Canada and support Black-led solutions to address challenges such as discrimination, bias and anti-Black racism, while also improving organizational capacity, workplaces and community spaces to better serve Black communities. Today, the Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities, Kamal Khera, joined National Funders under the SBCCI to announce the results of the third call for proposals under the Initiative. This call follows a recent investment of $21.5 million. Approximately 430 projects in Black communities across the country are set to benefit from this funding. One example from a past round of funding is Femmes en Emploi, which is making a significant impact by uplifting and empowering women and girls of all ages from immigrant backgrounds. With the funding it received, Femmes en Emploi was able to broaden the range of services it offers to women, now including crucial psychosocial support. Another example is Racine Croisee Solidarite Sawa, which advocates for multi-ethnic integration through food security, leadership development, and personal autonomy. Racine Croisee used its funding to strengthen its organizational capacity in the areas of governance, financial management, operational and organizational management, and diversification of funding sources. The funding resulting from this call for proposals will be distributed through the SBCCI National Funders Network, which includes Tropicana Community Services, Africa Centre, Black Business Initiative and Groupe 3737. These investments build on the Government of Canada's commitment through the endorsement of the UN Decade, which runs from 2015 to 2024. Earlier this month, the Right Honorable Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, announced the extension of Canada's efforts under the framework of the Decade until 2028. Since endorsing the UN Decade in 2018, transformative investments totaling $860 million have been committed to Black-focused initiatives from racial justice to entrepreneurship to economic dignity. Quotes "Today's announcement builds on the consistent support our government has demonstrated for Black communities across Canada since endorsing the UN Decade in 2018. It is also the result of the tremendous work of our national funders in supporting Black-led, Black-focused community organizations that are delivering results at the local level. Thanks to the leadership of those 430 organizations receiving funding today, we will continue to empower Black Canadians across the country." Kamal Khera, Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities "Four years ago, we collectively undertook an important work of creating resources for the black community across Canada. The continued existence of SBCCI will not only continue the incredible impact it has had in the past years but will also strengthen and consolidate the much-needed capacity of the Black community across Canada and ensure its future." Louis-Edgar Jean-Francois, CPA, CEO of Groupe 3737 and Co-founder of FACE Coalition "Tropicana Community Services, as a proud member of the SBCCI National Funders Network, welcomes the Government of Canada's commitment to addressing the pressing needs within the Canadian Black Communities. The allocation of $21.5 million, combined with previous funding, has significantly impacted Black-focused community services organizations, catalyzing transformative change. Funding through SBCCI is paramount in sustaining and expanding vital support networks nationwide for people of African descent. We are dedicated to fostering collaborative efforts with our esteemed Government partners, including Minister Kamal Khera and all advocates of social justice. Together, we aim to dismantle systemic inequity and cultivate an environment of inclusivity and prosperity for all Black Canadians." Anthony Grey, President and Chair, Board of Directors, Tropicana Community Services "Today's announcement underscores the unwavering dedication of the Government of Canada and national funders to fundamentally transform the status quo for the betterment of black communities across Canada. Our collaborative efforts, especially in Western Canada, signify a pivotal leap toward empowering communities of African descent. This partnership reflects our sustained commitment to uplift the most marginalized among us, including those with disabilities, youth-serving organizations and Francophone groups. By channeling support to more organizations, we are not merely funding initiatives; we are nurturing the pillars of our nation's future. It's a profound investment in creating a society where Black Canadians lead in fostering inclusivity and equity." Samuel Juru, Executive Director, Africa Centre "The Government of Canada's steadfast commitment to supporting Black-led non-profit organizations and the broader Black community is truly commendable. We are grateful for the significant investment made toward empowering Black communities, and I extend my sincere gratitude on behalf of the Black Business Initiative. With this investment, through a third call for proposals, we have secured funding for an additional 244 projects, totaling nearly $10.8 million, aimed at advancing the goals and aspirations of Black-led organizations across the nation. We eagerly anticipate the continued support and collaboration as we work together to foster equity, inclusion and prosperity for all." Matthew Martel, Chief Executive Officer, Black Business Initiative "Black history is inseparable from Canadian history. From day one, our government has been committed to supporting the implementation of initiatives and solutions designed and led by Black communities. As Black History Month draws to a close, our government's commitment remains firm: we will continue to support Black communities across the country and to resolutely fight against racism and hatred." Emmanuel Dubourg, Member of Parliament for Bourassa "It is with a great sense of pride and immense satisfaction that we celebrate the service delivery quality and major impact that SBCCI has had. We are particularly proud of the capacity that has been built within the Black communities throughout Canada." Rustum Southwell, retired CEO of Black Business Initiative and the first Black Chancellor of Dalhousie University Quick Facts The United Nations International Decade for People of African Descent spans from 2015 to 2024. Canada endorsed the Decade in 2018 and recently announced an extension domesticallyuntil 2028of the federal government's efforts, within these frameworks, to promote equity and empower Black communities. endorsed the Decade in 2018 and recently announced an extension domesticallyuntil 2028of the federal government's efforts, within these frameworks, to promote equity and empower Black communities. In recognition of the UN Decade, since 2019, over $175 million has been invested through the Supporting Black Canadian Communities Initiative to celebrate, share knowledge and build capacity in Canada's vibrant Black Canadian communities. Most recently, Budget 2023 provided an additional $25 million for 202425, extending the program for an additional year and bringing the total commitment up to $200 million . has been invested through the Supporting Black Canadian Communities Initiative to celebrate, share knowledge and build capacity in vibrant Black Canadian communities. Most recently, Budget 2023 provided an additional for 202425, extending the program for an additional year and bringing the total commitment up to . Through the SBCCI, the Government of Canada seeks to enhance the capacity and effectiveness of Black-led and Black-serving community organizations and the work they do to promote inclusiveness. Specific goals include: seeks to enhance the capacity and effectiveness of Black-led and Black-serving community organizations and the work they do to promote inclusiveness. Specific goals include: empowering Black communities and Black-led community organizations in Canada ; addressing systemic barriers; and advancing the full social and economic inclusion of Black Canadians into Canadian society. SBCCI has partnered with four Black-led organizations to support smaller Black-led and Black-serving, Black-focused community-based not-for-profit organizations. In the previous two rounds, these national funders awarded $50 million in grants to over 900 projects. Today's announcement brings the total awarded through SBCCI National Funders to about $70 million to a total of more than 1,300 projects. The Government has also created the Black-led Philanthropic Endowment Fund, which seeks to create a sustainable source of funding for Black-led, Black-focused and Black-serving non-profit organizations and registered charities. Through it, the Government of Canada has provided the Foundation for Black Communities with an endowment of $200 million. The foundation is responsible for managing the assets of the contributed funds to create a long-term self-sustaining source of funding for Black community organizations. Associated Links Supporting Black Canadian Communities Initiative Black-led Philanthropic Endowment Fund Supporting Black Canadians now and into the future Gender, diversity and inclusion statistics Tropicana Community Services Africa Centre Black Business Initiative Groupe 3737 Follow us on Twitter (X) SOURCE Employment and Social Development Canada For further information: For media enquiries, please contact: Alisson Levesque, Director of Communications, Office of the Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities, Kamal Khera, [email protected]; Media Relations Office, Employment and Social Development Canada, 819-994-5559, [email protected] Minister Boissonnault makes a funding announcement in Edmonton in support of Black History Month. EDMONTON, AB, Feb. 23, 2024 /CNW/ - Black History Month is a time for Canadians to learn about and celebrate the many achievements and contributions of Black Canadians to our country. The Government of Canada is committed to investing in organizations that support this legacy. Today, the Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages, announced more than $2 million for Black-led, Black-focused and Black-serving organizations in Alberta. Minister Boissonnault made this announcement on behalf of the Honourable Kamal Khera, Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities. Investments are being made through the Events and Projects components of the Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Program (MARP). The Government of Canada is investing $2,015,989 in 12 community organizations that will help build on Canada's strength as a diverse and inclusive society. The program aims to advance anti-racism initiatives, provide equitable opportunities, promote dialogue and support research to encourage understanding of the disparities and challenges faced by equity-deserving populations. This builds on more than $850,000 in investments the Government of Canada has already made in a dozen projects supporting Black communities in Northern Alberta through the Supporting Black Canadian Communities Initiative (SBCCI). These investments build on the Government of Canada's commitment to helping Black communities reach their full potential in Canada through the endorsement of the United Nations International Decade for People of African Descent, which runs from 2015 to 2024. The initiative is aimed at combatting anti-Black racism and discrimination, promoting equality and empowering Black Canadians. Earlier this month, the Right Honorable. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, announced the extension of Canada's efforts under the framework of the Decade, to continue making transformative investments in Black-focused initiatives until 2028. For more information about the projects funded as part of today's announcement, please see the backgrounder. Quotes "As we celebrate Black History Month in Canada, today's investment will help tell the important stories of Black communities in Alberta, fight racism and, most importantly, nurture connections. These investments build on the historic investments made in Black-focused initiatives since our government endorsed the United Nations Decade for People of African Descent in 2018, with the goal of combatting anti-Black racism, breaking down barriers and elevating the voices of Black Canadians." The Honourable Kamal Khera, Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities "Diversity is a fact, but inclusion is a choice. Our government works in tandem with Black organizations to create social and economic opportunity for all Canadians. The 12 Black-led organizations benefitting from today's investment are committed to bettering Alberta through their advocacy and leadership, which is just one step forward to an equitable and inclusive Canada." The Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages "Africa Centre is committed to revolutionizing the support we provide for diverse African descent communities. Through an array of extended opportunities tailored to every age group, this funding will empower us to deliver even more profound and transformative experiences, ensuring successful engagement opportunities for our African descent communities." Samuel Juru, Executive Director, Council for the Advancement of African Canadians in Alberta (Africa Centre) Quick Facts In December 1995, the House of Commons officially recognized February as Black History Month in Canada, following a motion by the Honourable Dr. Jean Augustine, the first Black Canadian woman elected to Parliament. In 2018, Canada endorsed the UN International Decade for People of African Descent, which runs from 2015 to 2024. On February 7, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced an extension of the federal government's efforts, within these frameworks, to promote equality and empower Black Canadians until 2028. Since endorsing the UN Decade in 2018, the Government of Canada has committed as much as $860 million to Black-focused initiatives. In 2023, Canadian Heritage consolidated its Community Support, Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Initiatives Program and the Anti-Racism Action Program under a single entity known as the Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Program. The program has an Events, Projects and Organizational Capacity Building component. The Events component provides funding for community-based events that promote intercultural or interfaith understanding, promote discussions on multiculturalism, diversity, racism and religious discrimination, or celebrate a community's history and culture, such as heritage months recognized by Parliament. The Projects component provides funding for community development, anti-racism initiatives and engagement projects that promote diversity and inclusion by encouraging interaction among community groups. The Organizational Capacity Building component provides funding to applicants to help build and strengthen their internal capacity. This component aims to fund projects that will help a recipient further the cause of anti-racism, promote intercultural and interfaith understanding, provide equitable opportunities, promote dialogue on multiculturalism and anti-racism efforts, and promote better understanding of disparities. In recognition of the Decade, the Supporting Black Canadian Communities Initiative was established in 2019 to celebrate the contributions of people of African descent in Canada. It also helps build capacity in vibrant Black communities across Canada, reflects Black voices in policies and programs that affect their lives and removes anti-Black barriers and systemic inequities. Since 2019, more than $175 million has been invested in projects throughout Canada. Most recently, Budget 2023 committed an additional $25 million for 2024-25, extending the program for an additional year and bringing the total commitment up to $200 million. Related Products Backgrounder: Government of Canada Announces Funding for Black History Month in Alberta Canadian Heritage Through the Projects and Events components of the Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Program, 12 community organizations will receive $2,015,989 in funding. The Projects component supports community development, anti-racism initiatives and engagement projects that promote diversity and inclusion by encouraging interaction among community groups. The Events component supports community-based events that promote intercultural or interfaith understanding, encourage discussion on multiculturalism, diversity, racism and religious discrimination, or celebrate a community's history and culture, such as heritage months recognized by Parliament. City Organization Project Funding Projects component Edmonton African Canadian Civic Engagement Council Boardroom Bound $250,000 Edmonton Alliance Jeunesse-Famille de l'Alberta Society Campagne : Agir contre le racisme - ACOR Je M'ENGAGE $240,000 Edmonton Council for the Advancement of African Canadians in Alberta (Africa Centre) Black Youth Civic Engagement Program $236,000 Edmonton Council of Canadians of African and Caribbean Heritage CCACH Youth Mentorship and Empowerment Program $70,394 Edmonton The Enchante Network / Le Reseau Enchante Rainbow Resilience Fund: Preventative Action for Canadian Safety $748,097 Edmonton Francophonie canadienne plurielle Societe Inclusion et diversite franco- albertaine $256,000 Events component Beaumont Black Impact Alliance Foundation of Beaumont 2024 Black History Month Program in Leduc County $28,077 Edmonton Alliance Jeunesse-Famille de l'Alberta Society Celebrons notre couleur $29,500 Edmonton Francophonie canadienne plurielle Societe La FRAP presente le Mois de l'histoire des Noirs $40,000 Fort Saskatchewan Fort Saskatchewan Multicultural Association Reflections of Black History as a Community $37,721 Fort McMurray Gethsemane International Assembly Wood Buffalo Black History Month 2024 Celebration $18,000 Grande Prairie Canada in Progress Mois de l'histoire des noirs : cultures et traditions pour l'epanouissement economique de notre ville $23,000 Grande Prairie Grande Prairie Intercultural Association Black History Month Event Celebration in Grande Prairie $8,000 St. Albert Africans & African Descendants Friendship Club of St. Albert Taste of Africa: Celebrating Black History Month in St. Albert 2024 $31,200 This builds on more than $850,000 the Government of Canada has already invested in 12 projects to support the Black community in Alberta through the Supporting Black Canadian Communities Initiative. Associated Links Black History Month in Canada Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Program Supporting Black Canadian Communities Initiative Social Development Partnerships Program SOURCE Canadian Heritage For further information: (media only), please contact: Alisson Levesque, Director of Communications, Office of the Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities, [email protected]; Mathis Denis, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages, [email protected]; Media Relations, Canadian Heritage, 819-994-9101, 1-866-569-6155, [email protected] OTTAWA, ON, Feb. 29, 2024 /CNW/ - Aquatic invasive species are harmful to Canada's aquatic plants, animals and habitats. They can cause great economic strain and permanent damage to the aquatic ecosystems and species that Canadians depend on for food, jobs, and culture. The Government of Canada is committed to taking a science-based approach to prevent the introduction, establishment, and spread of aquatic invasive species. Today, during Invasive Species Awareness Week, the Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard announced that Fisheries and Oceans Canada's (DFO) Gulf Fisheries Centre (GFC) in New Brunswick, is now accredited to the highest of standards for its environmental DNA (eDNA) testing and analyses. On February 15, 2024, the Moncton-based laboratory became DFO's first International Standards Organization (ISO) 17025 accredited eDNA testing lab for aquatic invasive species. The accreditation certifies that the results produced in the lab meet international standards for accuracy and reliability. It attests to DFO's contributions to protecting Canada's aquatic ecosystems through its early detection of aquatic invasive species using innovative tools. Leveraging eDNA the genetic material shed by organisms in their environment is a transformative approach for aquatic invasive species detection. The approach allows researchers to identify the organisms, including invasive ones, within water samples collected from aquatic ecosystems. It allows us to take preventative action sooner as it allows the detection of aquatic invasive species before they can be seen, e.g., at their earliest life stages (such as larvae) when they are hard to visually identify, and when abundance is still low. Combined with other methods, eDNA is an efficient and cost effective tool to support effective management measures such as targeted aquatic invasive species monitoring. The Gulf Fisheries Centre, to become the Atlantic Science Enterprise Centre in coming years, is already home to an ISO 17025 accredited National Aquatic Animal Health Program diagnostic lab in support of DFO's aquatic animal health management. This expanded scope of accreditation now including eDNA further demonstrates DFO's leading diagnostic testing abilities and the strength of their analyses. Quotes "When you say that your lab is accredited by the ISO in the science community, heads turn. I would like to congratulate all those involved in one way or another in this prestigious achievement as part of the Invasive Species Awareness Week. This accreditation is a testament not only to Fisheries and Oceans Canada's expertise in aquatic invasive species testing, but also to the credibility of their analyses. I look forward to leveraging eDNA work to advance the Department's work to protect Canada's aquatic ecosystems." The Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard Quick Facts Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) are non-native fish, invertebrate or plant species that have been introduced into a new aquatic environment, outside of their natural range and successfully establish rapid growing populations that compete with native species. AIS pose a serious threat to the biodiversity of Canada's waters, economy and society. After habitat loss, invasive species are the second biggest threat to global biodiversity. waters, economy and society. After habitat loss, invasive species are the second biggest threat to global biodiversity. The Government of Canada is committed to the protection of fish and their habitat, including combating aquatic invasive species such as Zebra and Quagga Mussels, which have significant ecological impacts to freshwater ecosystems in Canada . Associated Links Stay Connected SOURCE Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) Canada For further information: Contacts: Jeremy Collard, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, [email protected]; Media Relations, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 613-990-7537, [email protected] MOLINE, Ill., Feb. 28, 2024 /CNW/ -- Today, John Deere (NYSE: DE) continued its legacy of delivering high-quality, customer-focused solutions with one of its largest product launches in the company's 187-year history. At the Commodity Classic tradeshow in Houston, Texas, John Deere unveiled new cutting-edge equipment solutions for Model Year 2025, including: John Deere Announces Product Launch John Deere Announces Product Launch John Deere Announces Product Launch Autonomy-ready high-horsepower 9RX series tractors, including an industry-leading 830 horsepower model; C-Series air carts, providing new options for improved seeding-time productivity, quality, and accuracy; Factory install of the AI-enabled See & Spray Premium weed sensing technology on Hagie STS sprayers; and S7 Series combines, featuring new fuel-efficient engines, cutting edge automation features, and updated residue-handling, grain-handling, and loss-sensing systems. "This is one of the largest product launches in our company's history, and it reflects John Deere's commitment to seeking input from our customers and delivering quality solutions that unlock new value for their operations," said Aaron Wetzel, Vice President of Production & Precision Agriculture Production Systems. "From new cab designs that improve operator comfort, to new engines that deliver higher power and greater fuel efficiency, and cutting-edge technologies that increase both productivity and sustainability, we've developed these solutions from the ground up to deliver the results and quality John Deere customers know and expect from their equipment." "These products are the direct result of developing solutions in response to our customers' needs," said Cory Reed, President of the Worldwide Agriculture & Turf Division for Production & Precision Agriculture. "With the combination of these new products, our existing portfolio of equipment and technology solutions, and our world-class network of dealers, John Deere customers are well positioned to be among the most productive, profitable, and sustainable in the world." Separately, John Deere issued four press releases announcing new Model Year 2025 products, which can be accessed in our newsroom at deere.com/news. About Deere & Company Deere & Company (www.JohnDeere.com) is a global leader in the delivery of agricultural, turf, construction, and forestry equipment. We help our customers push the boundaries of what's possible in ways that are more productive and sustainable to help life leap forward. Our technology-enabled products, including the John Deere Autonomous 8R Tractor, See & Spray, and E-Power Backhoe, are just some of the ways we help meet the world's increasing need for food, shelter, and infrastructure. Deere & Company also provides financial services through John Deere Financial. For more information on Deere & Company, visit us at www.deere.com/en/news/. SOURCE John Deere Company For further information: Jenni Badding, Public Relations Manager, Production & Precision Agriculture, [email protected]; Kelly Loganbill, Editorial Contact, [email protected] TORONTO, Feb. 27, 2024 /CNW/ - To mark the end of Black History Month, members of the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO) will share ways to address equity, diversity and inclusivity (EDI) in nursing and health, with their local members of provincial parliament (MPP) at Queen's Park on Feb. 29. This Leap Year Day also marks RNAO's 24th annual Queen's Park Day (QPD), a day that nurses power change by bringing the issues that matter most to nursing directly to MPPs from all parties. "QPD is one of RNAO's most highly anticipated advocacy events, and for good reason," says RNAO President Dr. Claudette Holloway. "It gives RNAO and its assembly of leaders the opportunity to bring questions, concerns and solutions to the pressing issues in the profession and our health system. We are proud of our members for speaking out and influencing change where it's needed." The all-day event begins with 150 assembly of leader representatives registered nurses (RN), nurse practitioners (NP) and nursing students discussing priority issues with their local MPPs over breakfast. Systemic racism and other forms of discrimination continue to pervade the nursing profession and health system, undermining strategies to retain and recruit nurses in Ontario amid the nursing crisis. Nurses will also highlight how the government can end anti-Black racism and discrimination in the nursing profession and health system at large using recommendations from RNAO's Black Nurses Task Force report, Acknowledging, Addressing and Tackling Anti-Black Racism and Discrimination Within the Nursing Profession. "RNAO members are committed to keeping our elected officials aware of what's happening on the frontlines so they can make informed, timely and impactful decisions," says RNAO CEO Dr. Doris Grinspun. "Nurses are equipped with the knowledge and first-hand experience to help pave the path forward for the province's health system, and we look forward to sharing with local MPPs the many ways we can continue to work together for the benefit of all Ontarians." Grinspun adds that addressing racism and all other forms of discrimination, along with competitive compensation and safe workloads, are critical to ending Ontario's nursing crisis. "We cannot risk any nurses who identify as Black, Indigenous and/or 2SLGBTQI+ to feel discriminated against and leave the profession. We will keep the conversation about EDI going and push for measurable action until everyone who identifies with an equity-deserving community feels supported and respected and most importantly, until they all have equal opportunities for career development and advancement. Nurses need to feel safe and empowered within our profession and workplaces, or their talent is lost. We need the help of MPPs from all parties, to make progress." Leaders of the main political parties and health critics will also address nurses and answer questions during the afternoon session at the University of Toronto's Trinity College. To further highlight RNAO's work on EDI, nurses and MPPs will hear a panel discussion focused on the lived experiences of RNAO members. Panelists include RNs John Edwards, executive member of the Rainbow Nursing Interest Group; Victoria Guido, chair of the Indigenous Nurses and Allies Interest Group; and Lori Zozzolotto, chair of the Black Nurses Leading Change Interest Group. The agenda is available on RNAO's website, as well as the fact sheet and political action bulletin focused on the nursing crisis and the experiences of Black nurses. WHAT: Representatives from the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO) head to Queen's Park for the association's 24th annual Queen's Park Day. WHO: President Dr. Claudette Holloway President-Elect NP Lhamo Dolkar CEO Dr. Doris Grinspun Board of directors and 150 assembly of leaders Hon. Sylvia Jones , deputy premier and minister of health , deputy premier and minister of health Hon. Stan Cho, minister of long-term care Marit Stiles , leader of the official opposition, Ontario New Democratic Party (NDP) , leader of the official opposition, Ontario New Democratic Party (NDP) Wayne Gates, MPP and NDP critic for long-term care, retirement homes and home care Bonnie Crombie, leader of the Ontario Liberal Party Adil Shamji , MPP and Ontario Liberal Party caucus critic for health, Northern development, Indigenous affairs and colleges and universities , MPP and Ontario Liberal Party caucus critic for health, Northern development, Indigenous affairs and colleges and universities Mike Schreiner, leader of the Green Party of Ontario Panelists: John Edwards , executive member of Rainbow Nursing Interest Group Victoria Guido , chair of Indigenous Nurses and Allies Interest Group Lori Zozzolotto, chair of Black Nurses Leading Change Interest Group WHEN: Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024 QPD: 7:30 a.m. 4 p.m. ET Breakfast meetings: Queen's Park legislative dining room Question period, Queen's Park legislative chamber Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in nursing and the health system panel ( 12:45 p.m. ET ): Trinity College , University of Toronto , 6 Hoskin Ave. Presentations from political leaders (2 p.m. ET): Trinity College Members of the media are welcome to attend in person or to view the livestream on RNAO's YouTube channel. The Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO) is the professional association representing registered nurses, nurse practitioners and nursing students in Ontario. Since 1925, RNAO has advocated for healthy public policy, promoted excellence in nursing practice, increased nurses' contribution to shaping the health system, and influenced decisions that affect nurses and the public we serve. For more information about RNAO, visit RNAO.ca or follow us on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook and Instagram. SOURCE Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario For further information: Please contact: Madison Scaini, Communications Officer/Writer Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO) 1-800-268-7199 ext. 274, 416-408-5645, [email protected]; Marion Zych, Director of Communications, Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO), 1-800-268-7199 ext. 209, 416-408-5605, 647-406-5605 (cell), [email protected] SpaceX is reported to have a Starshield internet service contract with the US military. A congressmen has requested activation of the service over Taiwan from SpaceX. SpaceX and Elon Musk will provide an update by March 8, 2024 on the status of activation and operations. SpaceX says it is in full compliance with all of its U.S. government contracts and the House Select Committee is misinformed. SpaceXs Starshield is a satellite communication network designed specifically for the military. Starshield is a more secure and jam-resistant communication. Jam-resistance was shown in Ukraine, when firmware updates were made faster than Russian jamming attempts. The House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party sent a letter on Saturday to SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk demanding that U.S. troops stationed in Taiwan get access to SpaceXs Starshield, a satellite communication network designed specifically for the military. The letter claimed that by not making Starshield available to U.S. military forces in Taiwan, SpaceX could violate its Pentagon contract, which requires global access to Starshield technology. The Pentagon awarded SpaceX a one-year $70 million contract for Starshield in September, after commissioning SpaceXs Starlink network months earlier for Ukraines war against Russia. Taiwan has a contract with SpaceX competitor OneWeb for construction of 700 satellite ground stations. SpaceX Starlink and Starshield communications are proving to be critical for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan in current and future wars. Congressmen asked Musk to deploy SpaceX Starshield in Taiwan to deal with China The US House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) on February 24 sent Elon Musk a letter asking SpaceX to provide Starshield internet service to the US military in Taiwan. pic.twitter.com/BhyNOu2PsA Spotlight on China (@spotlightoncn) February 29, 2024 SpaceX is in full compliance with all of its U.S. government contracts. SpaceX notified the Select Committee last week that it is misinformed, but the Committee chose to contact media before seeking additional information. @CommunityNotes SpaceX (@SpaceX) February 26, 2024 BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 29. New projects aimed at enhancing the mobility of the Baku Metro will be launched in the near future, the Deputy Minister of Digital Development and Transport of Azerbaijan, a member of the Supervisory Board of Baku Metro CJSC Samir Mammadov said during the scientific-practical conference on "Unchanged Values and Changing Opportunities" held in Baku, Trend reports. "Considering the population density, the priorities of the Baku Metro are changing. The conceptual development plan of Baku Metro CJSC was discussed within the framework of the digital twin platform. The construction under the new project will be carried out according to a minimal scenario," the official noted. "Efforts are undertaken to enhance the mobility of Baku Metro CJSC in connection with COP29," Mammadov added. Notably, subways carried 11.8 percent of all passengers across Azerbaijan in January 2024. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Benue State Government has debunked reports alleging that about N20 billion federal allocation aggregated to the local governments was diverted. It was gathered that a Global Integrity Crusade Network, GICN, had alleged that the state governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia directed his Special Adviser on Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Dr Denis Akura to divert the huge sum. Reacting, the state government, in a statement issued on Wednesday by Akura, denied the report, describing it as a mischievous allegation. According to him, the GICN report was aimed at misleading the unsuspecting members of the public with bogus fallacious claims designed to discredit and distract the Alia administration. Akura further stated that from June through to October 2, 2023, he was not at the helm of affairs at the bureau, insisting that making references to him within that period only exposes the mischievous intent behind GICNs false allegations. The statement further said that the management of the bureau does not have the mandate to share palliatives or Christmas relief materials as alleged in a section of the media. Decrying GICNs allegations, Akuka stated that more of such reports were to be expected, and we are expecting more to come in the nearest future, especially now that the Alia administrations reforms in various sectors of government continue to gather steam. A former lawmaker representing Kaduna Central in the Senate, Senator Sani Shehu, has claimed that former President Muhammadu Buhari destroyed Nigerias economy, saying the former president is responsible for the current economic hardship in the country. Sani stated this in an interview on Channels Televisions Politics Today on Wednesday. He said some of the economic policies that President Bola Tinubu is implementing now, which triggered the economic hardship, should have been implemented by Buhari. The Kaduna senator said former President Buhari failed to implement the policies, which consequently allowed the economy to deteriorate. Sani said, We must be very factual and realistic with ourselves; the problem we find ourselves today, originated, was engineered, fabricated and sustained by the Buhari administration. The Buhari administration, institutionally, fundamentally destroyed the Nigerian economy, he addded. Sani absorbed Tinubus blame for the current situation, noting that, having said he (Tinubu) would implement the policies he has implemented so far during the campaign, Tinubu did not deceive Nigerians. He said, When Tinubu took over, he knows there is not going to be subsidy and to be realistic, he was very frank during his campaign. I am going to remove subsidy and whatever protest that will come out of it I will not back down and then people went ahead and voted for him, so he has not deceived Nigerians. Now he is in power, we are paying the price for the mistake of the past, for the failure of the past and for what we have refused to do in the past, so this is the reality, he said. Recall that some Nigerians in some states have taken to the streets to protest the situation over the economic hardship occasioned by some of Tinubus policies, especially the removal of petrol subsidy and the unification of forex rate. The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) also joined the protest over hardship on Tuesday with a nationwide action. But, Sani said the NLC has the right to protest, adding that the protest to be wary of is not that of the NLC but the one that may be carried out by unorganised civil society. The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, has harped on the importance of Nigerian Army Intelligence Corps, NAIC, in the fight against insurgency and other criminal activities. The Director, Army Public relations, Maj.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, in a statement on Thursday, said Lagbaja made the statement while inaugurating facilities at NAIC Headquarters in Asokoro, Abuja. The army chief applauded the officers and soldiers of the corps for their invaluable service to the army and the nation at large. He tasked officers and men of the corps to continue to work hard toward its actualisation. The COAS charged the personnel to intensify efforts in discharge of their duties, adding that the corps played crucial role in the broader framework of national security and intelligence operations. He assured them that he would provide requisite equipment, training, and technology to enhance their effectiveness in gathering, analysing, and disseminating requisite intelligence. The army chief said by providing the NAIC with robust support to enable intelligence driven operations, the army will effectively surmount security challenges bedeviling the country. A well-equipped and proficient NAIC is essential for maintaining a safer and more secure Nigeria, he said. The federal government has reportedly detained two top executives of Binance, the cryptocurrency trading platform. According to Financial Times on Wednesday, the executives flew to Nigeria but had their passports seized by the Office of the National Security Adviser. The report said the executives visited Nigeria in response to the countrys recent crackdown on various cryptocurrency trading platforms. Although the reasons for their detention are unknown, their arrest is coming amid allegation of manipulation in foreign exchange trading in Nigeria. Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to President Bola Tinubu on information and strategy, on February 21, 2024, said Binance and other cryptocurrency platforms should be banned from operating in the country He said Binance is blatantly setting exchange rate for Nigeria, and hijacking the role of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). The special adviser called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the CBN to move against the platforms, adding that the firms are trying to manipulate our national currency to ground zero. Also on February 27, 2024, Olayemi Cardoso, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), said $26 billion passed through Binance Nigeria from unidentified sources in one year. Cardoso said the apex bank is collaborating with the SEC to ensure there is no manipulation in the FX market. He said there was also collaboration between the different agencies which includes the EFCC, the police, and of course, the office of the NSA. On June 9, 2023, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) had said the operation of Binance Nigeria Limited, a subsidiary of Binance, was illegal. Meanwhile, despite the federal government and the CBNs plan to clampdown on cryptocurrency trading, Binance is still operational. The crypto firm, however, has discontinued the trading of the naira against bitcoin and tether cryptocurrencies on its exchange platform. President Bola Tinubu has vowed that he will fight the menace of corruption in Nigeria to ruin. Tinubu made this vow while speaking at the inauguration of the Red Line Rail Project in Lagos on Thursday. He said, We said we can do it, you believed in us. We said the peoples lives will end up being better, you believed in us. I could hear a lot of voices right now, I asked for this job, I cannot complain, its all about democracy. I agree smugglers will fight back, corruption will fight back. We will fight them to ruin. Corruption will go away, save the money for you to educate our children, to pay for the healthcare system of our people, to pay for the modern transportation system that works for the highest number of people, not those few smugglers. What is our problem? If its corruption, we must exterminate it. No matter how hard its fighting back, we must say no to corruption. We must adhere to our pledge of patriotism, perseverance, consistency, and staying focused. President Tinubu noted that while the current administration makes an effort to fight corruption, the scourge will fight back. He further stated, We must be committed to great value, and we will grow the economy. We will feed ourselves out of penury, and we will be happy that we did it. I tell Nigerians from this podium that change is possible and that we must make progress. Its not about a single individual but about the fastest-growing population in the world. Out of every black-coloured individual, one is a Nigerian. We cannot afford to relax; we must plan and prepare for the increasing population. But this revolution that has started, this reform that is ongoing, we are not looking back. The engineering, the construction, the affirmation of our pledge to be loyal to our country. There is one thing I know is that there is a very bright light at the end of the tunnel, he said. The Red Line Rail Project, inaugurated by President Tinubu, is an intra-state rail service aimed at improving transportation within the city and spans 37 kilometres. Inaugurating the project, the President reiterated his administrations commitment to improving the nations infrastructural development. BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 29. Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Energy Resources of the US State Department Kimberly Harrington has arrived in Azerbaijan, the US Embassy in Baku said, Trend reports. "The Embassy welcomes Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Energy Resources Kimberly Harrington to Baku. DAS Harrington will meet with government officials and represent the United States at the Southern Gas Corridor Advisory Council 10th Ministerial Meeting and discuss Azerbaijans important role as COP29 host," the Embassy wrote on its page on X. The 10th meeting of the Advisory Council on the Southern Gas Corridor is scheduled for March 1st. This meeting will encompass the signing of several pivotal documents, focusing on both the expansion of the SGC and the inclusion of new participating countries, as well as initiatives related to green energy projects. A dedicated session will address these green energy projects alongside the negotiation of significant agreements. Since December 2020, the Southern Gas Corridor has operated at full capacity, delivering gas to Italy (over nine billion cubic meters per year), Greece, and Bulgaria (one billion cubic meters per year each). Otega Ogra, senior special assistant to President Bola Tinubu on digital and new media, says it is not unusual for members of the presidents family to accompany him on a trip. A list circulating on social media shows Seyi and Yinka, sons of Tinubu, were included on the presidents entourage to Qatar elicited a debate on social media platforms. Tinubu will be in Qatar on a business and investment forum proposed by the federal government on March 2. In a post on X on Tuesday, Ogra said taking children on such trips is a way of educating them about world affairs and different cultures. It is not uncommon for children of world leaders to accompany their parents on foreign trips. In fact, it is the norm. Canadian PM Trudeau is known to travel with his family on official trips abroad. Same with UK PMs - even if somewhat muted. From the public image and diplomacy O'tega Ogra (@otegaogra) February 27, 2024 It is not uncommon for children of world leaders to accompany their parents on foreign trips. In fact, it is the norm. Canadian PM Trudeau is known to travel with his family on official trips abroad. Same with UK PMs even if somewhat muted, the presidents aide wrote. From the public image and diplomacy angle, bringing family members can soften a leaders public image and aid in diplomatic relations by showcasing a relatable, family-oriented side. For some leaders, taking their children on such trips is a way of educating them about world affairs and different cultures. Others do it to maintain some semblance of family life, despite the demands of public office, and for security considerations. The Obamas, Clintons, Bushs, Trumps and others went on tons of foreign trips whilst in office with their families. Ogra added that we need to stop majoring in minors in the name of castigating everything. Some police officers on mufti have attacked some residents of Lagos state with guns, machetes and bottles. The officers from the Area P command of the state attacked the residents of the Aboru area of Alimosho LGA for resisting the arrest of some youths in the area. Earlier, some armed police officers from the command who were on mufti without any tag drove a yellow commercial bus to a shop in the area and arrested the youths for playing ludo games. But the residents of the area came out to challenge the police officers, asking them why the boys were being arrested. One of the officers said they were caught playing ludo and gambling. The residents, however, resisted the arrest saying the officers were not identifiable and there was no way they could trace the boys to their stations. Some of the residents also claimed ludo was an indoor game and cannot be tagged a criminal offence. TheCable reports that one of the officers insisted the boys must be arrested for gambling. The officers called the command for reinforcement alleging that they were under attack by residents of the area. About 20 minutes later, about 15 police officers invaded the area with three yellow commercial buses and began to arrest the residents. One of the police officers in mufti broke an empty bottle of beer on a car mechanics head. Two others attacked the residents with machetes. The police officers carted away mechanical equipment, car plate numbers and other working tools in nearby workshops. The armed police officers also attempted to arrest and force TheCable reporter into one of the commercial buses. When he identified himself as a journalist, he was immediately released. In January, Oluwamuyiwa Adejobi, force public relations officer, said wearing a mufti during a patrol or stop and search by its personnel is a breach of the code of conduct of the force and should be curtailed. You will recall that we have ordered and announced that any policeman embarking on routine patrol or stop and search must be in uniform, properly dressed, and easily identified. Its not ideal to carry out a stop and search in mufti. The audacity to misbehave or carry out unprofessional conduct comes when you know your identity is hidden and unknown. I still reiterate that policemen on stop and search and routine patrol must be in uniform, Adejobi said. In 2019, the Lagos state police command said the use of commercial vehicles popularly known as Danfo for police operations is unacceptable and defaulters will be sanctioned. The National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, in Adamawa has urged security agencies to respect human rights while discharging their duties for peaceful coexistence in the state and the country at large. The NHRC Adamawa Coordinator, Grace Mamza, said this during an interview with newsmen in Yola on Thursday. She stressed that it is good to treat people with dignity and respect, and advised parents to take good care of their wards. According to her, the commission recorded 21 cases of rights violations in the state between January and February, with parental neglect high due to hardship. She said during the period under review, the commission recorded 11 cases of parental neglect, among other violations. She listed other violations to include physical assault, right to dignity, threat to life, and child trafficking. The NHRC coordinator advised husbands to allow their wives to venture into business, noting, however, that wives should not depend solely on their husbands as she urged them to complement the efforts of their spouses. Men should allow their wives to do business to improve on the socioeconomic development of the family, she advised. Mamza further called on the public to report any right violations to the commission for full justice to prevail. The Senate has rejected the move to include Anambra State in the membership of the Niger Delta Development Commission. An argument ensued between Senators Tony Nwoye (LP Anambra North) and Jibrin Isah, popularly known as Echocho (APC Kogi East) at the plenary on Wednesday. Nwoye had, in his lead debate on the bill seeking amendment of the NDDC Act for inclusion of Anambra State as an oil-producing state, argued that Anambra deserved membership in the NDDC since it has been collecting 13% derivation since 2021 on account of the appreciable volume of oil production on a yearly basis. But most of the senators who contributed to the bill in its consideration for a second reading kicked against his argument because states like Kogi and Lagos, which had oil wells, are not covered by the NDDC operations despite being oil-producing states. Specifically, Echocho said the NDDC, by its name, is more of a regional or geographical intervention body and not just for oil-producing states. The lawmaker said his state has also been collecting 13% derivation as an oil-producing state, which Nwoye countered, stating that in the document he had showed that Anambra and not Kogi, has been collecting 13% derivation. Nwoye said, Anambra as an oil-producing state has been collecting 13% derivation from oil exploited from her wells by the Federal Government since 2021, and eminently deserves to be included in the operational radius of the NDDC. Kogi State was also declared as an oil-producing state, but has not been collecting any 13% derivation. In defence of his state, Echocho told Nwoye to limit his argument to Anambra State and allow the Senate to decide the fate of his bill. He also countered him, stating that Kogi had been collecting the derivation since 2022. The Kogi lawmaker said, Senator Nwoye, with all due respect, please stop dragging Kogi State into your argument for membership of Anambra State in the NDDC. Kogi State is an oil-producing state and has also been collecting 13% derivation since October 2022. In a bid to douse the tension, Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, said if Nwoyes argument on the proposed membership of Anambra State in the NDDC, is to be accepted by the Senate, then Lagos State, which has two oil wells in Badagry, will also clamour for membership of the commission. On submissions made by Nwoye that even if the NDDC is considered to be a geographical or regional interventionist body, Anambra State qualifies to be a member on account of its proximity to the Niger Delta area, Akpabio said the National Boundary Commission would have decided that. He accordingly put passage of the bill for a second reading to voice votes with nays from Senators opposing the bills passage overshadowing the ayes. The Red Chamber thereafter dropped the bill. Six suspects have been arrested over the murder of popular South African rapper, Kiernan Forbes, better known as AKA. AKA was shot dead alongside his friend outside a restaurant in the coastal city of Durban in February 2023. AKA and his best friend, Tebello Tibz Motshoane, were shot dead at close range by two armed men while walking to their car. However, given an update in a press briefing on Tuesday night, the KwaZulu-Natal provincial police commissioner, Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, said the suspects would appear in court on Thursday. In a viral clip on the internet, Mkhwanazi, a lieutenant-general, explained how the suspects were arrested and the roles they played in the rappers death. It was clear that AKA was monitored from the airport and Tibz was not the intended target in the murder on Florida Road in Durban. We know they were paid for this, he said. The United States has frowned on the new anti-LGBTQ law in Ghana. On Wednesday, Ghanas parliament passed a new bill opposing the rights of queer persons, and proposing a prison sentence of up to five years for the wilful promotion, sponsorship, or support of LGBTQ+ activities. The bill also proposes a jail term of up to 10 years for anyone involved in LGBTQ+ advocacy campaigns aimed at children, and encourages the public to report members of the queer community to authorities for necessary action. Sam George, MP for Ningo-Prampram, who introduced the bill, described it as a major success and vowed to protect the countrys values. George has been a vocal advocate for the crack down on LGBTQ+ activities in the country. Reacting to the development in a statement issued by Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the US department of state, the United States said it was deeply troubled by the passage of the legislation. Miller said the crack down would threaten all constitutionally protected freedoms of speech of Ghanaians, press, and assembly. Limiting the rights of one group in a society undermines the rights of all, the US government official added. Ghanas tradition of tolerance, peace, and respect for human rights is a source of stability and prosperity that has long served as a model for countries around the globe. This legislation is inconsistent with these values and will, if it becomes law, undermine this laudable tradition. The United States echoes the call by those Ghanaians who have urged a review of the constitutionality of the bill to protect the rights of all individuals in Ghana. The new law has made Ghana the latest African country to pass stringent anti-LGBTQ legislation. Last year, the Ugandan government passed a similar law but with more extreme penalties such as life imprisonment and death. The World Bank said the law contradicted the banks values, as it seeks to protect gender and sexual minorities from exclusion in the projects it funds, and announced a halt in new financing to Uganda. Two months later, the US announced plans to expel Uganda from the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a special US-Africa trade programme introduced in 2,000. AGOA grants eligible sub-Saharan African countries, including Nigeria, duty-free access to the US for more than 1,800 products. A driver died Wednesday afternoon after he crossed into the opposite lane of an Upper Deerfield highway and crashed head-on into another car, police said. Dakota Kott, 29, of Upper Deerfield, was driving a 2017 Nissan south on State Highway 77 when he crossed into the northbound lanes and hit a 2016 Nissan, according to a statement from the New Jersey State Police. Kott died in the crash. The driver of the car he hit suffered minor injuries and was taken to a nearby hospital, investigators said. It was unclear what caused his car to drift into the other lanes as the crash was still under investigation late Wednesday night. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com. Skateboarder and TV personality Bam Margera, known for MTV reality shows Jackass and Viva La Bam, was spotted in Hoboken earlier this week. The Hudson County city is certainly popular this week, fresh off Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia star Rob McElhenneys visit at several Hoboken bars and restaurants promoting his new whiskey brand. On Instagram, Margera, 44, shared a post with two photos. In the first one, Margera is posing with a group of people, while another shows him skating at Castle Point Skate Park. Interview with US Weekly in Hoboken NJ!, the caption read. Back in 2019, Margera made plans to host a April Fools Party on the USS New Jersey in Camden, but it was quickly shut down by the Camden County Police Department. Over the past several years, the West Chester, Pennsylvania native has had a series of legal troubles, and in and out of treatment alcoholism with the most recent stint in 2022 when he announced that he was one year sober though he was arrested for public intoxication last August in Philadelphia. While Margera was originally expected to appear in Jackass Forever in 2022, he was reportedly fired due to his behavior. More celebrity news Saleah Blancaflor may be reached at sblancaflor@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @saleyley and Instagram. Years before Richard Lewis was making crowds laugh as a stand-up comedian, he was cracking up over a TV stunt. Lewis, the beloved regular on HBOs Curb Your Enthusiasm and longtime friend of star Larry David, was 76 when he died of a heart attack Tuesday (Feb. 27) in Los Angeles. He was still in high school when he appeared in a 1960s episode of Candid Camera. In the black-and-white clip from the hidden camera show, a teenage Lewis, then a student at Dwight Morrow High School in Englewood (class of 1965), receives some surprising news. A guidance counselor, after reviewing his records, has come to the very definite and firm conclusion that he would be perfectly suited for manual labor. The young Lewis does a double take. Did you say manual labor? he asks. Lewis finds it hard to keep a straight face when telling a fellow student what just happened, exclaiming bricklayer! ... I was gonna punch him! Joyce Lapinsky Lewis, Lewis wife, appears to have shared the a version of the same clip on YouTube several years ago. Not that theres anything wrong with manual labor, she said in the videos description. Her future husband, who was born in Brooklyn and grew up in Englewood, ended up studying marketing at Ohio State University. He then took a job writing advertising copy in Hasbrouck Heights before he turned to writing jokes and made his debut as a stand-up comic in New York in 1971. As shown in the video above, Lewis made a return visit to Candid Camera as an adult to play a similar prank on middle school students. He told a girl shed be perfect for a career in the circus and informed a boy hed be one of the best badminton players in the world. He even let one kid know that they could make a good standup comedian before revealing his identity. Thank you for reading. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription. Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com and followed at @AmyKup. A veteran Jersey City police officer who is coming off a 90-day suspension is now facing charges of breaking ethics rules in his other job as a first-year Jersey City Board of Education member. School board President Natalia Ioffe filed an ethics charge against Dejon Morris Wednesday that says Morris lobbied too vigorously for the school district to hire a Newark law firm as special counsel to the board. The complaint comes less than 48 hours after Morris, who was elected in November, attempted to pressure the board to vote on the hiring of Souder, Shabazz and Woolridge Law Group during the caucus meeting Monday. Despite pushback that a discussion related to the law firm was necessary, along with concerns from Ioffe, Morris continued to question why the resolution couldnt be brought to vote at the boards caucus meeting. If we have a quorum today, why cant we vote on it today? Morris asked Business Administrator Dennis Frohnapfel. Ioffe cut off Morris so that the discussion could be held during the closed session, but Morris continued to speak. Do not cut me off, madam president, Morris said. I am going to finish. Ioffes complaint that Morris has vigorously lobbied for the law firm over the past month was filed with the states School Ethics Commission. Morris first reached out to the board president about the law firm in November after meeting them at the New Jersey League of Municipalities conference in Atlantic City. This is my choice because I feel very strongly that I have a moral obligation to do so, Ioffe said about filing the ethics complaint. Knowing the facts before me and seeing this situation unfolding as it is and the obvious wrongdoing. In the complaint, Ioffe claims Morris as a board trustee has made persistent attempts to facilitate the hiring process for the Souder, Shabazz and Woolridge Law group. She alleged that he met with the law group privately and publicly acknowledged the meeting, which indicates a possible personal promise or private action that compromises the board. Morris defended his actions to The Jersey Journal, claiming that although he had been elected at the time he met with the law firm, he had not been sworn in yet. He also said he was unaware that it would create potential issues. He called Ioffes actions hypocritical, claiming she had lobbied similarly for Adams Lattiboudere Croot & Herman, LLC, which is defending her, Superintendent Norma Fernandez and Vice President Noemi Velazquez in ethics complaints filed against them. I dont know how I could have influenced a vote for a law firm way back in November before that RFP (request for proposal) existed and was going out, Morris said Wednesday. The notion that I somehow had a relationship with this law firm is unsubstantiated I have no connection with these people and I have never had a case where these people represented me. Morris said he has endorsed the law firm because of its ethnic diversity and he noted that it would be independent of the administration. The board had put forward an RFP in January for a new special counsel. Ioffe denied lobbying for Adams Lattiboudere Croot & Herman, which she says was hired by the insurance company representing the board in the ethics complaints against the superintendent and two board members. She declined to comment on the ethics charges filed against her. A spokesman for the law firm Souder, Shabazz and Woolridge Law Group could not be reached for comment. If Morris is found to have violated the ethics code, the commission will recommend a penalty to the state commissioner of education which may include reprimand, censure, suspension, or removal of a board member, a member of a board of trustees, or an administrator. A Jersey City police detective for 20 years, Morris was suspended without pay from the department after failing to secure video evidence of a crime involving a stabbing, according to the JCPDs 2023 major discipline report. He failed to notify his supervisor of the evidence and failed to transport the victim of a crime. He also spoke to the complainants in a discourteous, arrogant and condescending manner. Morris was elected in November along with Alpa Patel and George Blount as part of the Education Matters slate, which was endorsed by the Jersey City Education Association. But JCEA President Ron Greco told The Jersey Journal Wednesday the executive board regrets the selection of Morris after watching his behavior Monday. He believes not only is Morris eager to become the president of board, but also plans to attempt to oust Ioffe, Velazquez and eventually Superintendent Norma Fernandez. Greco and Ioffe said Morris has been bragging about bringing the law firm to the school board in recent months. It is a disgrace, Greco said about Morriss behavior. You go around town telling people it is public knowledge that you are bringing in a law firm you met in Atlantic City, that is very suspicious to me. (Morris) is dying to be the president of the board. Morris denied Grecos claims, saying that the president is overworked and (has) a lot of responsibilities, so I am trying to figure out how that is a position that is desired. BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 29. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has sent a letter to the newly elected President of Hungary Tamas Sulyok, Trend reports. "I sincerely congratulate you on your election as the President of Hungary. Hungary is a close friend and reliable partner of Azerbaijan. The current level of Azerbaijan-Hungary relationship, based on mutual trust and confidence, and enriched with new content day by day, is gratifying. We attach special importance to the expansion of relations between our countries in all domains, which have great potential, including the further deepening of our strategic partnership. I believe that we will make joint efforts to strengthen the traditional ties of friendship between Azerbaijan and Hungary and to successfully continue multifaceted cooperation in line with the interests of our peoples. I extend my best regards to you and wish you success in your upcoming responsible activities for the prosperity of the friendly people of Hungary," the letter reads. Olivia Rodrigo has just started her world tour, and we couldnt wait any longer to spill our GUTS about it. From flying over the crowd on a moon, the outfits and the choreography, the GUTS world tour just might be one of the best tours of the year. However, this just means that all the remaining tickets are expected to fly off the secondary market websites. So, if you are dying to Rodrigo in concert, make sure you snatch up tickets on StubHub, Vivid Seats, TicketCity and SeatGeek while you still can. If you are struggling to find affordable tickets for some of Rodrigos upcoming shows, then we are here to help. Here are the cheapest tickets we could find for her concerts from March 1-13. Olivia Rodrigos GUTS tour in Dallas, Texas Friday, March 1, 2024 Cheapest Tickets: $394 on StubHub | $375 on Vivid Seats | $353 on SeatGeek Olivia Rodrigos GUTS tour in New Orleans, La. Saturday, March 2, 2024 Cheapest Tickets: $227 on StubHub | $205 on Vivid Seats | $199 on SeatGeek Olivia Rodrigos GUTS tour in Orlando, Fla. Tuesday, March 5, 2024 Cheapest Tickets: $398 on StubHub | $335 on Vivid Seats | $374 on TicketCity Olivia Rodrigos GUTS tour in Miami, Fla. Wednesday, March 6, 2024 Cheapest Tickets: $358 on StubHub | $307 on Vivid Seats | $307 on SeatGeek Olivia Rodrigos GUTS tour in Charlotte, N.C. Friday, March 8, 2024 Cheapest Tickets: $395 on StubHub | $328 on Vivid Seats | $328 on SeatGeek Olivia Rodrigos GUTS tour in Nashville, Tenn. Saturday, March 9, 2024 Cheapest Tickets: $249 on StubHub | $328 on Vivid Seats | $284 on SeatGeek Olivia Rodrigos GUTS tour in St. Louis, Mo. Tuesday, March 12, 2024 Cheapest Tickets: $211 on StubHub | $328 on Vivid Seats | $195 on SeatGeek Olivia Rodrigos GUTS tour in Omaha, Neb. Tuesday, March 13, 2024 Cheapest Tickets: $187 on StubHub | $128 on Vivid Seats | $130 on SeatGeek More massive upcoming tours Olivia Rodrigo heading out on a massive tour. Here are other artists you do not want to miss seeing live: Taylor Swift, Billy Joel, Nicki Minaj and Stevie Nicks. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Nicole Iuzzolino can be reached at niuzzolino@njadvancemedia.com. Have a tip? Tell us at nj.com/tips. Aroldis Chapman may have left the Yankees on bad terms, but he seemed to have kept open the possibility of returning to New York with the Mets. On Wednesday, Andy Martino of SNY reported, Per league sources, the Mets and Chapman were discussing a potential deal in the approximately $8 million range before Chapman signed with Pittsburgh for $10.5 million. The Cuban native would have served as the set-up man for closer Edwin Diaz, a powerful tandem at the end of games. BUY METS TICKETS: STUBHUB, VIVID SEATS, TICKETMASTER Chapman pitched parts of seven seasons with the Yankees, where he made 315 appearances, posting a 2.94 ERA with 153 saves while striking out 453 batters over 294 1/3 innings (13.9 SO/9). His time in the Bronx ended poorly. After not showing up for a mandatory workout ahead of the 2022 American League Division Series against the Guardians, manager Aaron Boone told Chapman to stay home in Miami. This ended any chance for the then-34-year-old reliever to be on the teams postseason roster. In 2023, Chapman began his season with the Royals, who signed him to a one-year contract worth $3.75 million. After an impressive first half in 31 appearances he posted a 2.45 ERA with 53 strikeouts in 29 1/3 innings Kansas City traded him to the Rangers, where he joined former Mets pitcher Max Scherzer to help Texas win the World Series for the first time in franchise history. This season, Chapman and the Pirates will look to, again, prove hes a worthy arm out of the bullpen and be traded at the trade deadline to a contender. Chapman is a seven-time All-Star who won the Mariano Rivera AL Reliever of the Year Award with the Yankees in 2019. He has a career 2.53 ERA with 321 saves and 1,148 strikeouts over 698 1/3 innings. His 14.8 SO/9 is the best among relievers with a minimum of 500 innings pitched since 2010. Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription. Manuel Gomez may be reached at mgomez@njadvancemedia.com. Two New Brunswick residents beat a man and set his belongings on fire on the edge of Rutgers Universitys campus following an argument at a business in the city on Sunday, officials said. After the dispute, the pair allegedly followed the man to the area near the Center for Vector Biology on Jones Avenue on the edge of Rutgers Universitys Cook/Douglass campus and hit him with what police describe as a blunt object. When the man ran away, Reinaldo Martinez and Jose Orozco-Cedeno partially lit the mans possessions on fire, Rutgers police said. The man declined to be treated following the 2:30 p.m. attack. The door of an exterior greenhouse at the campus building was damaged in the small fire. Martinez, 46, and Orozco-Cedeno, 21 were arrested Tuesday. They were charged with two counts each of arson and criminal mischief. Orozco-Cedeno was also charged with theft and a weapons offense. No attorney information was immediately available for Martinez or Orozco-Cedeno. Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com After nearly 40 years, Long Branch is finally getting its pier back. The city announced Wednesday it will build a fully ADA-accessible fishing and pedestrian pier using a $3.25 million grant it received from the states recently-allocated Boardwalk Preservation Fund. The funds were from the federal American Rescue Plan Act, and was doled out to applicants by the state. For many, when we think of historic Long Branch, we think of the pier, Long Branch Mayor John Pallone said in a statement. We are grateful for this funding, and we are happy to bring another amenity to Long Branch for residents and visitors to enjoy. The citys historic pier, which featured many attractions including a popular haunted house, was destroyed in a 1987 fire and was never rebuilt. Pallone said the new pier will not feature such amenities, but it will provide residents and visitors with access to deeper depths for fishing. It also would operate year round, providing recreational opportunities beyond the traditional summer season in Long Branch, Pallone added. The pier is in the conceptual stage, the mayor said, but current plans call for it to be about 500 feet long and run along the right of way that exists next to Laird Street beach, which is just north of Pier Village. The idea is that as families, walkers, or runners are enjoying the boardwalk, they can also walk out onto the pier to enjoy the views, capture moments or, if you are a fisherman, it will be a great location to fish, Long Branch Council President Bill Dangler said. One of the key planned features, local officials said, is accessibility. We also plan for the pier to be a model for the disabled in the state, he said. In 2019, we opened New Jerseys first fully accessible beach that has been followed by other towns. The pier project would once again demonstrate Long Branchs and the States commitment to improve inclusion and accessibility for people with disabilities. Work is expected to begin in 2025, the mayor said. Long Branch is one of 18 Jersey Shore towns that received the state funding, which totaled $100 million and was aimed at boardwalk and related improvements. Atlantic City and Asbury Park will each get $20 million for their boardwalk improvements; the largest amounts awarded by the state. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription. Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com. Negotiators for Anheuser-Busch and the Teamsters union have announced a tentative agreement, heading off a possible nationwide strike that would have included the companys 73-year-old factory in Newark. The five-year agreement would significantly raise pay, improve health care and retirement benefits, and enhance job security, the union said in announcing the agreement Wednesday night. A ratification vote by the full membership is expected next week. The unions current contract expires after 11:59 p.m. Thursday, after which approximately 5,000 employees including nearly 200 in Newark had been planning to walk off the job, prior to the settlement announcement. Teamsters make the beer, Teamsters make Anheuser-Busch successful, and our members deserve the best contract. That is what we fought for and won today, said Teamsters General President Sean M. OBrien. Anheuser-Busch knew our members were serious and prepared to do whatever it would take to get a fair agreement, OBrien said. The tentative agreement includes wage increases of $8 per hour, including an immediate $4 per hour raise in the first year, adding up to a 23% increase by the end of the contract. Anheuser-Busch also lauded the outcome. At Anheuser-Busch, we have said time and again that our people are our greatest strength, and we are incredibly pleased to have reached a tentative agreement that continues to recognize the talent, dedication, and hard work of our teams, while also positioning the Company for long-term success, said Brendan Whitworth, CEO, Anheuser-Busch. Momentum in recent weeks had appeared to be trending toward a strike. The union had said it would double strike pay to $1,000 per week for Anheuser-Busch Teamsters nationwide. Strike pay is typically is offered by unions to reduce the impact of lost wages during a work stoppage. A spokesperson for the union told NJ Advance Media on Tuesday it had yet to receive the companys last, best and final offer a term that refers to a last-ditch effort to resolve an impasse despite having submitted a request for it Feb. 1. Anheuser-Buschs management had said it was looking at ways to continue making deliveries and maintaining operations, in the event of a strike. While the near-strike involving the worlds largest brewing company was a national labor story, it also also had significant local interest in Newark, where the companys plant is off Routes 1 and 9 near Newark Liberty International Airport. The brands brewed in Newark include Budweiser, Bud Light, Busch, Busch Light, Natural Light and Rolling Rock. The Newark factory drew praise in 2022 when it stepped in to brew Chernigivske, Anheuser-Buschs most popular beet in Ukraine, after the company closed its three breweries in Ukraine leading up to the invasion by Russia. There have been other labor battles at the site over the decades. Anheuser-Busch cut 60 jobs at the plant in 2015. Please subscribe now and support the local journalism you rely on and trust. Rob Jennings may be reached at rjennings@njadvancemedia.com. A Virginia man accused of sexually assaulting a woman in a suburban Washington, D.C., home on Monday was found in New Jersey the following day, authorities said. Alexander Maximiliano Soto Hernandez, 42, was taken into custody in North Plainfield on Tuesday, police in Virginias Prince William County said. Soto Hernandez was arrested by North Plainfield police at a home on the 200 block of Duer Street at about 2:20 p.m. Tuesday, according to Lt. William Speck. North Plainfield police were notified by authorities in Virginia that Soto Hernandez was in the borough. Its getting to be the busy season for working on tax returns. If you dont use a tax professional to prepare your returns but you have questions before you can file, the Internal Revenue Service offers free help. The IRS has more than 50 Taxpayer Assistance Centers (TACs) nationwide, including some in New Jersey. The offices are usually open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and some have extended hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays through the tax filing season, the agency said. You can call (844) 545-5640 to make an appointment. The IRS is also opening the offices on select Saturdays from now through May. It said you should check its website regularly to find the office nearest you and to confirm its hours because availability may change without notice. The Saturdays, though, do not require appointments. The IRS said the in-person visits can help with: But, it said, you cannot make cash payments at the offices and representatives do not prepare tax returns. When you go, be sure to bring your your current government-issued photo identification and Social Security numbers for yourself and for all members of your household, including your spouse and dependents. Also bring with you proof of your bank account information so you can receive refunds by direct deposit, and dont forget to bring any IRS letters or notices. The IRS also said you should consider using its online tools before calling the agency the help line is (800) 829-1040. Also check the agencys step-by-step help guide for filing if you have questions. For help in preparing your actual return, taxpayers with adjusted gross income of $79,000 or less can qualify to file federal returns for free by using IRS Free File, a partnership between the IRS and private tax preparation companies. Note that some providers charge a fee to prepare state tax returns. People who generally earn $64,000 can also get help from the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) service, which offers free basic tax return preparation. Persons with disabilities and limited English-speaking taxpayers may also be eligible, the IRS said. Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) programs offer free help to those over age 60. VITA or TCE site near can be found on the IRS website at irs.treasury.gov/freetaxprep or you can call (800) 906-9887. Note that some locations require appointments. You gather all the needed documents before you visit a VITA or TCE site, check Publication 3676-B, which details what services are provided. The IRS also says you should review what documents you need to bring with its What to Bring list before you go. The tax filing deadline is April 15, 2024. Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust. Karin Price Mueller may be reached at KPriceMueller@NJAdvanceMedia.com. Follow her on X at @KPMueller. 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. BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 29. Several people have appealed to the Ombudsman of Azerbaijan in recent years with a request to help return to the country their close relatives (mostly women and children) who have become hostages of armed groups fighting in the territory of the Iraqi Republic and the Syrian Arab Republic, Trend reports. This is stated in the report of the Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsperson) of the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2023, submitted for discussion at the meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights. The report notes that the Ombudsperson received applicants, and continued to cooperate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan as well as other authorized state bodies to investigate and solve the problem and return Azerbaijani citizens to their homeland. Within the framework of these activities, 60 citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan, including 13 women and 47 children, were repatriated from Syria in 2023. As a result of measures taken by the Government of Azerbaijan, a total of 469 children and women were repatriated from Iraq and Syria. Several measures have been taken to improve the national legislation to strengthen this activity. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel This week saw two governmental decisions that will have significant repercussions on New Orleanians the first on our quality of life, the second on our right to self-governance. The first decision came from a federal judge, the second from Gov. Jeff Landrys office. First, the good news: After a protracted legal battle between the city and some short-term rental operators, U.S. District Judge Ivan Lemelle upheld the city ordinance regulating residential STRs, including the use of a lottery system for prospective operators. Lemelles ruling was a near total, and welcome, win for the city, which had been stymied in its efforts to regulate STRs during the lengthy court challenge. Predictably, the period of lax enforcement allowed bad actors to run roughshod over New Orleans most vulnerable neighborhoods. This lawless period was so out of control that, at the start of the Mardi Gras season this year, there were six times more listings than city permits for STRs. Long before the court challenge, however, Mayor LaToya Cantrells administration allowed bad faith STR operators to flout the rules with impunity. That, in turn, caused property values and rents to soar in historic and historically Black neighborhoods like Treme, displacing many longtime residents. The erosion of historic neighborhoods hit the 5th and 7th Wards particularly hard. In those and other areas, its not uncommon to have five or six STRs, legal or otherwise, on a single block. While many local STR operators follow the rules, the industry is dominated by out-of-state individuals and corporations who see New Orleans historic neighborhoods as a resource ripe for strip mining. Thankfully, Lemelles ruling allows the council to limit the number of STRs on a single block, and it affirms the citys authority to regulate corporate owners. The ruling is a major win for the New Orleans City Council, particularly Council Vice President JP Morrell, who took the lead in reining in STR scofflaws. Still, significant issues remain, most notably the commercial permitting system and getting the administration to enforce the law. Now, the bad news: On Feb. 27, Landry announced a new task force to review operations of the Sewerage & Water Board (S&WB) and recommend reforms for lawmakers to enact. Its notable and unfortunate that none of the task forces 14 members will be appointed by the council, the mayor, consumer groups, community groups or environmental organizations. Yes, the S&WB needs major reforms. And yes, the agency is a hybrid entity created by the state but mostly appointed by the mayor and subject to some City Council oversight. Those facts make Landrys task force look like the precursor to another power grab, this one aimed at taking control of the S&WB. Morrell was quick to point out that Flint, Michigan, presents a cautionary tale of what can go horribly wrong when a politically hostile state government takes control of a majority-Black citys water utility. New Orleans has problems aplenty, but state aid should come in the form of additional resources and reforms that will benefit city residents not strip them of local control. BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 29. The second day of the meeting between the Foreign Ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia on the draft Bilateral Agreement on Peace and Establishment of Interstate Relations is underway, Trend reports, referring to the X of the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry. "The second day of discussions on the draft peace treaty commenced between Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan at Villa Borzig in Berlin," the publication said. Yesterday, the meetings began bilaterally and then moved to a trilateral format, with German Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs Annalena Baerbock participating. The meeting was convened to deliberate on the "Bilateral Agreement on Peace and Establishment of Interstate Relations." Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel From left, Rep. Nicholas Muscarello, R-Hammond, chats with Rep. Lauren Ventrella, R-Baton Rouge, and Rep. Jack McFarland, R-Jonesboro, after the adjournment of a legislative special session, Friday, January 19, 2024, at the Louisiana State Capitol in Baton Rouge, La. Muscarello is sponsoring a bill in the crime special session to expand the execution methods used for the death penalty. The Administrative Council of the Swedish region of Westra-Hetaland recommended that the government permit the energy company Vattenfall to build the first offshore wind farm, Azernews reports, citing foreign media outlets. The proposal was put forward within the framework of a project prepared by the Administrative Council on behalf of the authorities. The project involves the construction of a wind farm northwest of Gothenburg, consisting of 81 wind turbines up to 340 meters high (above the Eiffel Tower - ed.), which, according to Vattenfall calculations, will produce 5.5 terawatt hours of electricity. The Administrative Council of the district for the production of electricity without the use of fossil fuels in Vestra Hetaland actively promotes rapid growth. Provincial Governor Stan Tolgfors spoke about the need to develop offshore wind and nuclear power to meet the demand for electricity in the region, which is expected to triple by 2045. "The Poseidon wind farm has the potential to produce about the same amount of electricity that is produced annually in Westra Hetaland, and thus becomes an important factor in the transition to green energy," Tolgfors said in a press release. Monique Wanding, head of the ecology department of the provincial administrative Council, says there have been discussions about the possible impact of the power plant on shipping, fishing, bird migration, the underwater environment for guinea pigs and fish, as well as the topography of the sea. "After a balanced assessment, we concluded that the benefits of offshore wind energy are significant, as they contribute to mitigating the effects of climate change and are a prerequisite for regional development," Vanding stressed. During the construction of the Poseidon power plant, it is planned to firmly fix wind turbines on the seabed and use technology that will be built on floating platforms. This is primarily due to the water depth of 230 meters in some parts of the 152 square kilometer area. BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 29. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has signed a decree on measures for major repairs of roads in the city of Sumgayit, Trend reports. According to the decree, 8.1 million manat ($4.7 million) was allocated for the repairs. In this regard, guided by paragraph 32 of Article 109 of the Constitution of Azerbaijan, the decree tasked to: 1. allocate the mentioned amount from the reserve fund of the President of Azerbaijan foreseen in the country's state budget for 2024 to the State Agency of Azerbaijan Automobile Roads. 2. the Ministry of Finance of Azerbaijan to provide funding in the mentioned amount. 3. the Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan to resolve issues arising from this decree. BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 29. Azerbaijani Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsperson) Sabina Aliyeva has prepared the 2023 report for Armenia's crimes against Azerbaijanis, Trend reports. Aliyeva carries out extensive activities to inform the international community about the crimes committed by Armenia against Azerbaijan, prepares reports on this topic and addresses them to international structures operating in the field of human rights. The issue was reflected in the ombudsperson's report for last year. The report states that as part of the above activities in 2023, the ombudsperson prepared and presented three comprehensive reports containing facts of crimes committed by Armenia against Azerbaijanis and its violations of international law to the local community and relevant international organizations. Taking into account the evidence of Armenia's crimes against Azerbaijanis, as well as its violations of international humanitarian law, the ombudsperson's special report on the locations of mass graves found in Edilli village of Azerbaijan's Khojavend district was prepared and presented to the local and international community. The report also called on the global community to show a decisive stance regarding clarification of the fate of missing Azerbaijanis, transfer of survivors to Azerbaijan, providing information by Armenia about the locations of mass graves and accurate maps of mined territories, as well as holding the leadership of Armenia legally accountable. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Fans of the 1993 film "Mrs. Doubtfire" will surely want to secure tickets for the live musical of the comedy. "Mrs. Doubtfire" is dancing to life onstage in The Windy City where it's playing through March 10 at James M. Nederlander Theatre. Stepping into the role of Euphegenia Doubtfire is Rob McClure, who portrayed Mrs. Doubtfire on Broadway. He was nominated for a Tony for his role as the hilarious nanny. McClure said he's happy to be involved with this first national tour of "Mrs. Doubtfire" and thrilled to be bringing it to Chicago. "I love Chicago so much," said McClure during a recent phone interview. "And I'm ecstatic to be bringing it across the country." It's not often that an actor who portrays a character in the Broadway production will tour with it right away so audiences will be getting a special treat with McClure in the role. McClure said he enjoys touring. "There's an energy with touring that you just don't get on Broadway," he said. The musical has currently been on tour for nearly five months. The actor said while the show has been traveling around, he's been keeping a folder with audience reactions from the production. "I've had approximately 250 letters sent to me on "Mrs. Doubtfire" and all the different things that are resonating with people." "Mrs. Doubtfire" revolves around the demise of the marriage of Daniel and Miranda Hillard and how Daniel, who is an actor who goes from job to job, must deal with the fact that he's not going to be able to spend time with his children. He must get creative to see his children and "enlists" the help of Mrs. Doubtfire. The musical is directed by Jerry Zaks with a book by Karey Kirkpatrick and John OFarrell and music and lyrics by Wayne Kirkpatrick and Karey Kirkpatrick. McClure said he's been a fan of the film "Mrs. Doubtfire" since he was a kid. "I was 11 when I first saw it," he said, adding that he and his friends would often mimic parts of the movie when they were together. McClure said he admired Robin Williams for his portrayal of the humorous nanny. He added he didn't go into the role, though, to make it exactly like Williams' role. "He was just legendary,"McClure said. "I'm far less interested in doing a Robin Williams impression. I'll never achieve it." McClure said he hopes audience members coming to see "Mrs. Doubtfire," will take away various messages including "redefining what a family can be" and realizing as long as there's love in a family, it doesn't matter what that family looks like. The actor said he's heard many comments about the story "Mrs. Doubtfire" relays and how it shows what a father will do to be with his children. McClure said someone told him that they "wished" their father would have worked so hard to be with them as Daniel Hillard did. During the show, McClure said he has to transform into Mrs. Doubtfire 31 times. "It takes anywhere from as long as 90 seconds to as short as 18 seconds," he said. "It's not magic at all, it's real," he said laughing. Unlike the film version, where a director can yell cut, McClure is doing all the changing in real time, which he said is definitely challenging. "Team Effie (or Euphegenia) has her own Indy 500 pit crew," he said, with a laugh. McClure is playing opposite his real life wife Maggie Lakis, who portrays Miranda Hillard, in the show. "We get divorced eight times a week (in the show) but we're happily married," McClure said. FYI:"Mrs. Doubtfire" continues to March 10 at James M. Nederlander Theatre, 24 W. Randolph St., Chicago. Tickets range from $30 to $140. Visit BroadwayInChicago.com. VALPARAISO Turns out Chesterton resident Brian Hill was correct when he told a young family he was molesting that if the child told anyone, he would "go to jail for a long time." The 38-year-old was sentenced this week to the maximum 10 years behind bars allowed for by his plea agreement. Porter Superior Court Judge Mike Fish cited Hill's position of control over the child, the "significant" harm suffered by the victim and their family relationship. Hill will be required to register as a sexually violent predator upon his release from prison and undergo sex offender treatment, according to the sentence. Hill pleaded guilty in December to molesting the child. Area schools locked down over threat, officials say "We understand the anxiety and concern that such incidents can evoke," officials said. He had faced multiple charges including child molesting, incest and vicarious sexual gratification, but all but one count was dropped as part of the plea agreement he struck with prosecutors. In the case, which was filed in April 2021, it was said the child was unsure at first what Hill meant when he asked the child to "help him with something." What followed was four weekly incidents of sexual abuse beginning near the start of the school year in 2019, according to charging information. "Brian then told (the child) not to tell anyone or he would go to jail for a long time," according to a police description of the first incident of the alleged abuse. The first incident occurred in a garage, and Hill then asked again a week later "if (the child) could help him with something," court records state. The child "knew what that meant since he had asked (the child) this way before." LIBERTY TOWNSHIP A 32-year-old Valparaiso-area man first blamed his father and then a friend before police determined he was the one who crashed his vehicle into the front of a store Wednesday causing substantial damage. Javier Zamora was taken to the Porter County Jail on charges of leaving the scene of an accident and false informing, according to Porter County police. Police said they were called out around 10 a.m. Wednesday to the Family Express at 298 W. U.S. 6 for a report of a vehicle crashing into the front of the store and then fleeing. Officers were provided a license plate number and tracked the vehicle to Zamora, who first claimed his father had been driving the vehicle, police said. When that was proven wrong, Zamora reportedly blamed a friend, who he said was out buying more beer. But Zamora would not provide police with the person's full name. Confirmed: Tornado touched down, caused damage for a few minutes Tuesday in Region The local tornado was one of 11 confirmed by the NWS to have touched down Tuesday in the wider Chicagoland area. Police said they located the vehicle in the home garage and found it had damage consistent with the crash. Police said Zamora had the odor of alcohol on his breath, but did not appear to be impaired. Damage to the store was estimated to be in excess of $80,000, police said. Indiana's largest hospital system is winning praise for lowering prices, which is hoped to have a ripple effect since it's the market leader in the Hoosier State and Indiana has some of the highest hospital prices in the country. Indiana University Health pledged to bring its commercial prices in line with national averages as a percentage of Medicare by 2025. It's lowered prices in radiology, lab work, specialty pharmacy and ambulance services, estimating patients and their insurance-providing employers will collectively save $1 billion by next year. There's been a push across the state to lower hospital prices since a 2022 RAND study found Indiana had the seventh highest hospital prices in the country. Al Hubbard, the chairman of Hoosiers for Affordable Healthcare, called on the state's other hospital systems to follow suit. Indiana University Health continues to set a great example for hospitals across our state. IU Health has demonstrated that a hospital can lower prices and protect its bottom line if hospital leadership is committed to doing so. For too long, Indianas health care systems have raked in record profits by charging Hoosiers some of the most expensive prices in the country, all while maintaining non-profit status. IU Health is demonstrating that there is a better, more cost-effective way to provide world class care to Hoosiers, Hubbard said. Indiana University Health still remains highly profitable. It tripled its income from $121 million in 2022 to $343 million last year. IU Healths commitment to lowering prices to the national average represents a meaningful step forward in addressing Indianas health care costs which find Hoosiers paying the seventh highest prices in the nation for hospital care, said Hubbard. We hope the insurance industry is working with IUH to pass the savings to the consumer. IU Health adopted a price transparency program in which it gives patients about 150,000 comprehensive estimates of the total cost, including out-of-pocket expenses of all medical procedures. Three years into our commitment to bring our commercial hospital prices to the national average by 2025, our plan remains on track and has provided hundreds of millions of dollars in cost savings to Indiana employers. We have achieved significant price reductions in services used most frequently by our patients, said IU Health President and CEO Dennis Murphy. Nevertheless, we still have work to do. We must navigate a careful and delicate balance between our care affordability plan and the rapidly changing dynamics of our environment. A new documentary takes a look at the Midwestern steel industry, including in the Region. The new movie "Relighting the Flame" gives steelworkers a platform to talk about the steel industry and the role steel jobs play in Midwestern communities like Cleveland and Burns Harbor. The award-winning filmmaker Carl Kriss from Cleveland directed the half-hour-long documentary. He also directed the PBS documentary "Bring It Home," about how a GM plant closing in Lordstown, Ohio affected families there. His new documentary follows workers at the Cleveland-Cliffs Cleveland Works and Burns Harbor Works mills, sharing how a new generation is "defying enormous odds to rebuild and grow America's steel industry, right in the industrial heartland." "In his probing story about Midwestern steelworkers, documentarian Carl Kriss takes on one of the most important issues of our time how to create the kind of communities our children will want to return to. The answer isn't just good schools, health care, and opportunity," said Beth Macy, the author of "Factory Man" and "Dopesick." "It's homegrown jobs. The film was commissioned by the Alliance for American Manufacturing, a joint initiative between the United Steelworkers union and leading manufacturers. It recently premiered in Cleveland. It features Edwin Alcox, a steelworker who was working as a visual information specialist at the then-Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore but needed more money and better insurance so took a job at Cleveland-Cliffs Burns Harbor. "For them it's like okay that's what dad makes. That's what my dad makes," the father of two says while surveying hot steel at a hot strip mill in the documentary. "Whether my steel is in there or not doesn't matter. They just know we're part of that entire process. To them it's almost like being a superhero, right? You make the steel. They call it the high place. They know daddy goes out there and daddy is producing steel. It's like YouTube right? They put something out on YouTube and it's there and they feel famous. Well no, daddy is continuously making something you can go out and buy." He discusses the ongoing push to bring people in. "You need bodies to run a steel mill," he said. "At the same time you need that experience to pass on to the younger generation." The documentary can be viewed for free online. To watch, visit RelightingTheFlameFilm.com. INDIANAPOLIS A federal appeals court on Tuesday allowed Indiana's ban on gender-affirming care to go into effect, removing a temporary injunction a judge issued last year. The ruling was handed down by a panel of justices on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago. It marked the latest decision in a legal challenge the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana filed against the ban, enacted last spring amid a national push by GOP-led legislatures to curb LGBTQ+ rights. The law was slated to go into effect on July 1, 2023. But the month before, U.S. District Court Judge James Patrick Hanlon issued an injunction preventing most of it from taking effect. Hanlon blocked the state from prohibiting minors access to hormone therapies and puberty blockers, but allowed the laws prohibition on gender-affirming surgeries to take effect. Hanlons order also blocked provisions that would prohibit Indiana doctors from communicating with out-of-state doctors about gender-affirming care for their patients younger than 18. In a written statement Tuesday, the ACLU of Indiana called the appeals court's ruling heartbreaking for transgender youth, their doctors and families. As we and our clients consider our next steps, we want all the transgender youth of Indiana to know this fight is far from over," the statement read. "We will continue to challenge this law until it is permanently defeated and Indiana is made a safer place to raise every family. The three-judge panel that issued Tuesday's order comprises two justices appointed by Republican presidents and one by a Democrat. The late Republican President Ronald Reagan appointed Kenneth F. Ripple; former Republican President Donald Trump appointed Michael B. Brennan; and current Democratic President Joe Biden appointed Candace Jackson-Akiwumi. The ACLU of Indiana brought the lawsuit on behalf of four youths undergoing gender-affirming treatments and an Indiana doctor who provides such care. The lawsuit argued the ban would violate the U.S. Constitutions equal protection guarantees and trampled upon the rights of parents to decide medical treatment for their children. Every major medical group, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association, has opposed the restrictions enacted by at least 23 states and has said that gender-affirming care for minors is safe if administered properly. Representatives from Indiana University Health Riley Childrens Hospital, the states sole hospital-based gender health program, told legislators earlier last year that doctors don't perform or provide referrals for genital surgeries for minors. IU Health was not involved in the ACLUs lawsuit. Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita called the state law commonsense in a post on X, formally known as Twitter, Tuesday evening. Most of the bans on gender-affirming care for minors that have been enacted across the U.S. have been challenged with lawsuits. A federal judge struck down Arkansas ban as unconstitutional. Judges orders are in place temporarily blocking enforcement of the bans in Idaho and Montana. The states that have enacted laws restricting or banning gender-affirming medical care for transgender minors are: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, 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. The Justice Department is reviewing whether an early January incident in which a part of a Boeing plane blew out in midflight violated a 2021 agreement to settle a criminal charge against the company, according to a person familiar with the review. Boeing agreed to pay more than $2.5 billion to settle the charge, which stemmed from two fatal crashes of its 737 Max 8 planes. The deal, reached in the final weeks of the Trump administration, was criticized at the time as being too lenient on the company. Under the terms, Boeing agreed to compensate the families of the crash victims as well as the airlines affected by the grounding of the planes. The Justice Department agreed to drop a criminal charge that was based on the actions of two employees who had withheld information from the F.A.A. Last month, a panel in the fuselage of a larger Max 9 blew out at an altitude of 16,000 feet shortly after takeoff from Portland, Ore., exposing passengers to deafening wind. There were no serious injuries, but the incident could have been catastrophic had it occurred minutes later, at a higher altitude. The panel is known as a door plug, which is used to cover a gap left by an unneeded exit door. Jump to: Todays Theme | Tricky Clues THURSDAY PUZZLE When solvers open a crossword, whether its in print or on a mobile device, they expect to see a blank grid and a list of written clues. They generally dont expect to see pictures where their words should be, but here we are. After the initial shock wears off, the questions begin: Why are there pictures in my crossword puzzle? (Because.) Who drew them? (Daniel Savage, an illustrator in Los Angeles.) Are the puzzle editors doing this because I once complained about the Thursday themes? (Probably.) Despite the unusual clue list, this puzzle by Esha Datta is not hard to solve. The nontheme clues are fair and contain some clever wordplay, but the picture clues still need to be worked out, so theres some challenge. I think that this crossword would be an excellent first Thursday puzzle for a solver to tackle. This is Ms. Dattas second in The Times. Her 2023 debut was the result of her completion of the 10-week Diverse Crossword Constructor Fellowship, which pairs constructors from underrepresented groups with New York Times puzzle editors. The continued speculation over the health of Catherine, Princess of Wales which was flamed on social media this week after Prince William canceled a planned appearance at the memorial service for his godfather, King Constantine of the Hellenes caused Kensington Palace, once again, to break its silence on the matter. In a statement, a spokesperson told ABC News on Thursday, Kensington Palace made it clear in January the timelines of the Princesss recovery and wed only be providing significant updates. That guidance stands. The spokesperson reiterated the princess is doing well. On Christmas Day, Catherine attended service at St. Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, Norfolk, England, wearing head-to-toe royal blue. She walked to church with her husband, Prince William, and their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, much like she had in years past. Greeting the gathered crowds and the cameras, She looked lovely for the occasion, said Town & Country. A federal judge in New York has lifted a contempt of court order against the city Correction Department, saying the agency has made progress in tracking cases where correction officers use excessive force at the Rikers Island jail complex. In December, the judge, Laura T. Swain, found that the agency had failed to collaborate with a federal monitor who has overseen the jail system since 2015. The department has since developed a clear and detailed plan for how it will communicate with the monitor, Judge Swain said in documents filed on Tuesday in Manhattan federal court. The ruling is a crucial step in the citys efforts to avert the yearslong threat to remove its control of Rikers. In November, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, Damian Williams, asked the judge to hand over control of Rikers to an outside authority, arguing that was the only way to end the violence and chaos at the jail complex. Mr. Williams said the Correction Department had been unable or unwilling to make changes to reduce violence and to remedy the ongoing violation of the constitutional rights of people in custody. The judges decision follows the appointment of a new Correction Department commissioner, Lynelle Maginley-Liddie. She was sworn in on Dec. 8, about two weeks before Judge Swain issued the contempt order, and she vowed to cooperate more fully with the monitor, Steve J. Martin. BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 29. The lost Azerbaijani soldier Ruslan Panahov has been arrested in Armenia on false charges, Trend reports. Armenian media said that the Investigative Committee of Armenia has raised 'criminal case' on false charges against Azerbaijani serviceman Ruslan Panahov who lost due to unfavorable weather conditions. Panahov has been charged of 'attempted sabotage, illegal possession of weapons and ammunition, as well as attempted murder on the grounds of racial and religious intolerance'. Notably, on the morning of February 28, Panahov became disoriented while traversing between service posts in Azerbaijan's Lachin district due to inclement weather. Meanwhile, the Armenian side released a statement reporting the detention of an Azerbaijani soldier who crossed the imaginary border. By making unfounded and unsubstantiated accusations, Armenia once again reveals its true nature. Unfortunately, it's not excluded that international organizations, heads of state, and government who constantly emphasize 'human rights' and portray themselves as defenders of such rights will remain silent on these provocations by Yerevan against Azerbaijan. While in Germany, the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia are discussing peace-related issues, this move by the Armenian side is nothing more than an attempt to cast a shadow on the peaceful negotiations between Baku and Yerevan, obstructing the resolution of the conflict. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel At London Fashion Week, the honor of the final look at the Burberry show didnt go to a runway legend like Naomi Campbell, Agyness Deyn or Lily Donaldson, all of whom walked in the show. Instead, Maya Wigram, wearing a belted leather field jacket and billowing maxi-kilt, took the lap most models would kill for in her modeling debut. Sorry. Maya who? Maya Wigram, the daughter of the much fetishized fashion designer Phoebe Philo, who recently started her own fashion label. Dressed in his U.S. Air Force uniform, Aaron Bushnell walked up to the Israeli embassy in Washington one afternoon this week and calmly described his intention to engage in an extreme act of protest against Israels military offensive in Gaza. He proceeded to pour a flammable liquid over his buzz-cut head, pulled his camouflage cap tightly over his forehead and lit himself on fire. Free Palestine! he shouted several times before collapsing onto the cement. In the days since his stunning act, which Mr. Bushnell captured on a livestream, friends and relatives have been trying to understand how a young man they once knew as a shy, thoughtful boy in an isolated Christian community in Massachusetts, who went on to become a senior airman working on cyberdefense in Texas, came to mount such a final, fatal protest. Its hard to wrap my head around, said Ashley Schuman, 26, who has known Mr. Bushnell since childhood. Im just like, How? How did you get here? Debbie Dingell is big on tough love. Shes very quiet, President Biden joked recently as he campaigned with the Democratic congresswoman in Michigan, her home state. Like, Joe, get the hell over here quickly. Move. For years, Dingell has sounded alarms when she detects peril for her party in Michigan, a critical battleground state. That was the case in 2016, when Donald Trump narrowly won it, and she was vocal again ahead of Tuesdays Democratic presidential primary, which was dominated by clashes over Bidens support for Israel in its war against Hamas in Gaza. The issue is especially raw in Michigan, which is home to a significant Arab American community. On Tuesday, many Democrats vented their frustration by voting uncommitted, a warning signal that the fragile coalition Biden assembled to win in 2020 may be fraying. Overall, as of late Wednesday afternoon Biden had won 81.1 percent of the vote in the Democratic primary; the uncommitted effort drew 13.2 percent. (My Times colleague Nate Cohn has a full breakdown of the Michigan vote in his newsletter, The Tilt.) We debriefed Dingell to get her read on the results. She said that emotions were running incredibly high. A state judge in Illinois ruled on Wednesday that former President Donald J. Trump had engaged in insurrection and was ineligible to appear on the states primary ballot. The decision creates uncertainty for the states March election, in which early voting is already underway. It also adds urgency for the U.S. Supreme Court to provide a national answer to the questions that have been raised about Mr. Trumps eligibility to appear on ballots in more than 30 states. The judge, Tracie R. Porter of the State Circuit Court in Cook County, said the State Board of Elections had erred in rejecting an attempt to remove Mr. Trump and said the board shall remove Donald J. Trump from the ballot for the general primary election on March 19, 2024, or cause any votes cast for him to be suppressed. As she tells it, Marguerite Steed Hoffman fell for a medieval book of hours at once, at the 2010 European Fine Arts Fair in Maastricht, the Netherlands. Reached at her Dallas home, she said a dealer asked if she wanted to hold a book of hours an illuminated manuscript used to help laypeople pray in her hands. I said, Are you kidding me, could I? It felt like somebody handing me a newborn. Ms. Hoffman found herself drawn to the small, old volume, despite how different it was from the bold, contemporary pieces she and her husband, Robert Hoffman, tended to collect. With funds from his familys Coca-Cola bottling firm and the National Lampoon franchise he founded, the pair had built a valuable collection, part of which they donated to Dallas Museum of Art in 2005, a year before Mr. Hoffman died, at 59. Ms. Hoffman explained that the faith embodied in the books spoke to her, as did the illustrations. As a contemporary collector, I bring those eyeballs to it, she said, finding in one book a sense of surrealism, an artistic freedom and license to it that felt curiously modern. Collectors like Ms. Hoffman have helped steadily drive up prices for the most lavishly illustrated surviving books of hours. The most ornate of these prayer books are valued in part for their beauty the miniature illustrations in vividly colored inks have often survived the centuries well but also for their ability to shed light on medieval life, especially the lives of girls and women. In the Seongdong neighborhood of hipster bars and pedestrian streets crowded with the well heeled, the Page Gallery has made a name for itself in a neighborhood where its hard to get noticed. And as the gallery seeks to branch out beyond Seoul, it will attend TEFAF Maastricht, the European Fine Art Foundations annual March fair, taking the works of six South Korean artists. Since this will be Page Gallerys first major art fair outside of Asia, gallery executives see this event as a bit of a launchpad for itself and its roster of artists, many of them Korean. We are trying to give some fresh air to the younger artists, and we were accepted this year at TEFAF Maastricht after applying a few times, said Andy Ilwoo Huh, 31, associate director of the Page Gallery, during a recent tour on a freezing Seoul afternoon. We are very much looking for the reaction of the conservative European collectors. We are expanding our program and activities around the globe, so TEFAF is one of our first steps. Ramona Fradon, who in a long career as a comic book artist added to the mythology of Aquaman and helped create the eccentric superhero Metamorpho, died on Saturday at her home in Ulster County, N.Y. She was 97. The cause was congestive heart failure, her daughter and only immediate survivor, Amy Fradon, said. Ms. Fradon was most closely associated with the DC Comics undersea hero Aquaman, whose adventures she drew from 1951 to 1963. Drawing a feature for more than 100 issues is a remarkable achievement in comics; even more noteworthy is that Ms. Fradon was one of the few women working steadily in comics at the time. She wasnt daunted by the all-male industry because she was doing what she loved, Amy Fradon said in an interview on Monday. She drew right up to last week, she continued. I gave her agent her last seven drawings, and when I took them outside, she said, Those are the last, those are the last seven. Ms. Fradons version of Aquaman, a character who first appeared in 1941, modernized him for new readers and gave him the chiseled good looks of a movie star. When I was drawing him back in the 50s, he was nice and wholesome, with a nice haircut and pink cheeks, she said in an interview with Vulture in 2018. I had a crush on him. Welcome to Best of Late Night, a rundown of the previous nights highlights that lets you sleep and lets us get paid to watch comedy. Here are the 50 best movies on Netflix right now. Leaving So Soon? On Wednesday, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said he would step down this year from his long-held position as leader of the Senate Republicans. McConnell just turned 82, so that can only mean one thing: Hes running for president, said Jimmy Fallon. A junior White House economist made a chart last year the sort of chart that previous presidents might have put in a campaign ad. It shows that U.S. energy production, from wind and solar to oil and gas, has boomed under President Biden. The nation is closer than ever to a goal that presidents have pursued for decades: true energy independence. The Times has recreated the chart, using the same data: U.N. warned of famine in Gaza Civilians and aid groups have described food shortages in Gaza so dire that people were turning to leaves and animal feed for sustenance. The lack of food was particularly acute in northern and central areas, where the U.N. and relief agencies said they had been struggling to deliver supplies amid Israels military campaign. A U.N. humanitarian official told the U.N. Security Council that at least a quarter of Gazas residents were one step away from famine, and one in six children under 2 in northern Gaza was suffering from acute malnutrition. A cease-fire remained elusive, as Hamass political leader called on Palestinians in Jerusalem and the West Bank to defy Israeli restrictions and march to the Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem at the start of Ramadan, creating the prospect of clashes between them and the Israeli security forces. BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 29. The meeting of the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia can be characterized as positive, political analyst Ilyas Huseynov commented in reply to questions from Trend. "Armenia is exerting considerable effort to have Western circles moderate the meetings and secure dominant positions. On the other hand, Azerbaijan has once more demonstrated that the geopolitical center facilitating the negotiations is not crucial. German Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs Annalena Baerbock emphasized the importance of leaving the past behind and focusing on the future. Consequently, the meeting can be deemed positive, provided that the discussions are conducted in a constructive manner," he said. The expert highlighted that Azerbaijan has reiterated its openness to negotiations at the Western level and, in general, across all platforms. "The significance of the meeting between the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia in Berlin lies in its exceptional importance for maintaining peace, security, and stability in the South Caucasus and steering the region towards a sustainable trajectory. Despite the positive evaluation of the meeting between President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan at the Munich Security Conference, it was observed that subsequent to the meeting, the Armenian prime minister visited France, where commitments were made to provide military support to Armenia. Following that, the French minister of defense visited Armenia and transported military goods on his aircraft. These actions further indicate France's anti-peace intentions. While Germany advocates for constructive progress in the negotiations, the state representing the European Union draws attention with its actions against peace," added Huseynov. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel West Texas, from the oil rigs of the Permian Basin to the wind turbines twirling above the High Plains, has long been a magnet for companies seeking fortunes in energy. Now, those arid ranch lands are offering a new moneymaking opportunity: data centers. Lancium, an energy and data center management firm setting up shop in Fort Stockton and Abilene, is one of many companies around the country betting that building data centers close to generating sites will allow them to tap into underused clean power. Its a land grab, said Lanciums president, Ali Fenn. In the past, companies built data centers close to internet users, to better meet consumer requests, like streaming a show on Netflix or playing a video game hosted in the cloud. But the growth of artificial intelligence requires huge data centers to train the evolving large-language models, making proximity to users less necessary. But as more of these sites start to pop up across the United States, there are new questions on whether they can meet the demand while still operating sustainably. The carbon footprint from the construction of the centers and the racks of expensive computer equipment is substantial in itself, and their power needs have grown considerably. Its a classic Disney movie plot: A family comes together to fight an enemy. Only this time it is happening in real life, with the grandchildren of Walt and Roy Disney, who founded the company in 1923, joining forces to oppose Nelson Peltz, the activist investor who is waging a proxy battle for board seats. The heirs nine in total, including Abigail E. Disney, who has at times been a harsh critic of Robert A. Iger, Disneys chief executive publicly lined up behind Mr. Iger and the current Disney board on Thursday. These activists must be defeated, Roy P. Disney, 66, said by telephone. They are not interested in preserving the Disney magic, but stripping it to the bone to make a quick profit for themselves. In a statement, a spokesperson for Trian Partners, the investment firm which Mr. Peltz runs, said: We love Disney and recognize building on its rich history of delighting loyal fans is essential to its future success. Trian invests in great companies like Disney and helps them grow and thrive for the long term and we have the track record to prove it at companies like P&G, Heinz and Mondelez. For more than a decade, the Criterion closet has also served as the backdrop for a popular online video series in which actors and filmmakers Nathan Lane, Aubrey Plaza and Ethan Hawke among them pick out their favorite Criterion titles to take home. Like other celebrity guests in the closet picks series, Field and Blanchett plucked their selections from the neatly ordered shelves and used them as conduits for spontaneous bursts of evangelism. Field praised Raymond Bernards Wooden Crosses as one of the greatest war movies ever made, while Blanchett singled out Larisa Shepitkos The Ascent as something that has to be owned by every single human in the world. Neither bothered to mention Tar, the film they were otherwise working so hard to promote; inside the closet, even the biggest stars are reduced to a state of childlike fandom. Theres no cynicism in the closet, Field told me. Its all love. Its all about why people do what they do and how powerful movies are for us. Extreme Private Eros is the sort of documentary that cannot help but take her up on that offer, although Hara expresses regret, in voice-over, that an eight-minute take during the delivery sequence is out of focus. (Its still the films piece de resistance.) Thats just scratching the surface of things you wont believe youre seeing in a documentary. When Hara arrives in Okinawa, he finds Takeda living with a woman and quickly realizes that his presence in their apartment is causing them to argue. The prospect of sex with a woman, Takeda explains to him, is different from sex with him, with whom it was a nice way to finish a fight. Sachiko Kobayashi, who records sound for Hara, is revealed to be pregnant by him, which causes tension with Takeda. When Takeda tires of Okinawa, she distributes pamphlets expressing her feelings about the place, which, we understand, are less than complimentary. And the birth sequence turns out to be the first of two. You might question what everyone involved was thinking when they made Extreme Private Eros, but their lack of inhibitions has yielded a film like no other. Giving to hospitals in places where someone might have a second or fifth house is a favored cause of the rich. A single summer party on Long Island might raise millions of dollars for Southampton Hospital. This facility in Florida would be called the Julia Koch Family Ambulatory Care Center. The Einstein gift, which came from a 93-year-old woman named Ruth Gottesman, is remarkable not only for its size but also for the absence of any apparent vanity surrounding it, the fortune having been quietly made by her husband, to whom she was married for 72 years. David Gottesman, known as Sandy, an investor and early acolyte of Warren Buffetts, was not a creature of Page Six or TV, of divorce settlements, $500 million yachts, Davos or social-media diatribes. As the billionaire class has grown, modern philanthropy has become more extravagant in tandem with the egos and expectations driving it, a cry for the kind of political and social influence to which the Gottesmans seemed so pleasingly indifferent. The husband of a Long Island doctor who died of a severe allergic reaction after eating at a Disney World restaurant is suing the Walt Disney Company and the restaurant, saying his wife had been served allergens despite assurances that she would not be. The doctor, Kanokporn Tangsuan, died in October after dining with her husband, Jeffrey Piccolo, at the restaurant, the Raglan Road Irish Pub, in a section of the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., according to Mr. Piccolos lawsuit, which was filed on Feb. 22. Dr. Tangsuan, 42, of Carle Place, N.Y., was a family medicine specialist affiliated with N.Y.U. Langone Hospital Long Island. She and Mr. Piccolo were visiting Disney World with Mr. Piccolos mother when Dr. Tangsuan died, according to the lawsuit. Brian R. Denney, a lawyer for Mr. Piccolo, said in a statement that Dr. Tangsuans death had been totally preventable. The couple, Mr. Denney said, trusted Disneys Raglan Road to follow proper protocols and make good on their repeated promises to serve food that was allergen free. F.B.I. agents on Thursday searched two houses owned by a close aide to Mayor Eric Adams of New York, according to two people with knowledge of the matter. The searches of the properties owned by the aide, Winnie Greco, were part of an investigation being conducted with prosecutors from the U.S. attorneys office in Brooklyn, the people said. Federal agents on Thursday also executed at least one other search warrant at the New World Mall in Flushing, Queens, said the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation. Mr. Adams has made regular appearances at the mall, including to deliver remarks at a Lunar New Year gala two weeks ago. It was unclear what the investigation was focused on or whether it was related to Mr. Adams, who has been a subject of a separate criminal inquiry by the U.S. attorneys office in Manhattan. In many ways, the overgrown cemetery on a South Carolina rice plantation where my paternal ancestors are buried is emblematic of Black history itself. On my first visit in 2013, I went in search of the Fields family graves. There I found many unmarked graves, some of them nothing more than sunken depressions, as far as the eye could see. A few had simple headstones. One marked grave had been broken wide open by a fallen tree limb, and had filled with water. I was horrified to see my ancestors skeletal remains floating at the top. After researching the history of peasant rice farmers in West Africa for over a decade, I had recently extended my research to enslaved laborers on Lowcountry South Carolina rice plantations. But I had not thought to research my own familys history. Seeing that open grave made me feel as though I had turned my back on my ancestors. I pledged then to find out who was buried in that cemetery and tell their story. African Americans searching for their family histories often have only small irregular pieces of an enormous puzzle. Most of those pieces are missing because enslaved African Americans were not recorded by their first and last names. Until recently, identifying enslaved and formerly enslaved people who lived before that time was virtually impossible. To complicate matters, professional historians typically analyze and interpret plantation owners records, which identify enslaved people as property and by first name only, and describe the violence that was done to them, how their labor was exploited and their bodies abused. These records deny our ancestors humanity. Because of these limitations, it had become accepted as fact among historians and genealogists that efforts to recover African American family histories reaching back to the time of slavery would hit a brick wall. In her make-believe quest for the Grand Old Partys presidential nomination, Nikki Haley seems to be having a grand old time. Sure, she lost Michigan on Tuesday and her home state of South Carolina last week and Nevada even though Donald Trump wasnt on the ballot that was some fluke of electoral physics but none of that matters in relation to what Haley has been up to since the death knell of her defeat in the New Hampshire primary. Since before then, perhaps. Shes not running for president, or at least thats not her sole or even principal goal in 2024. Shes running for a different kind of glory, and to some degree, shes winning it, even though she doesnt deserve it. Thats why she sounds so strangely joyful at times. Its the source of her curiously robust energy. As 2024 dawned, Trumps dominance endured and Haley grappled with the fact that she didnt have any job other than her candidacy to return to, she identified the next best thing to beating Trump: using him, for as long as possible, as a yardstick. Being measured against him. Every day that she officially remains an alternative to him no matter how technical, no matter how notional, no matter her failure to get even 30 percent of the vote in Michigan this week is a day when Americans with an unfavorable view of him (the majority, mind you) have a newly favorable view of her. Its a day when journalists raptly trail after her, when shes welcome on pretty much any television news show, when at least a few pundits will praise her guts and her gusto for standing up to Trump, even though she bowed down to him for much, much longer. Its a big, bold billboard for the new model Haley, who is taking on a titan and telling inconvenient truths. Catch her latest put-down of Trump! Behold her stamina! When this is all over, her speaking fees will be astronomical. The Supreme Court has never squarely resolved whether a presidents in-term conduct is immune from criminal prosecution because, before Donald Trump, there were no indicted ex-presidents. But there are four such indictments now, including Special Counsel Jack Smiths prosecution in Washington, D.C. a case built around Mr. Trumps fraudulent attempt to subvert the 2020 election and extend his presidential term. On Wednesday, the Supreme Court decided to review a decision from a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, which rejected Mr. Trumps claim of presidential immunity in an opinion that was thorough and unanimous. The Supreme Courts decision to hear the case means that Mr. Trumps trial remains in limbo and the timing of proceedings will likely impact the 2024 presidential election. All short-term politics aside, the Supreme Court confronts an extraordinary question of American governance: Are ex-presidents immune from prosecution for in-term conduct? And, if so, how much immunity do they have? BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 29. We strongly condemn and reject the Annual report on the implementation of the common foreign and security policy which includes provisions against Azerbaijan, Aykhan Hajizada, Spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, said in a statement, Trend reports. "These slanderous and completely groundless provisions, which are a part of the smear campaign against Azerbaijan, where all the facts are distorted, raise serious questions about the future of the common foreign and security policy of the European Union. Unfortunately, this report which reflects a shallow approach to foreign and security policy, also indicates that the Members of the European Parliament are captive to populist politics and, moreover, how distant they stand from developing a proper strategic approach to our region. The European Parliament, despite being an institution of the European Union that propagates the respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty in its statements, demonstrates disrespect against the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan, condemning the counter-terrorism measures in which no civilian population is targeted in our sovereign territories, and promoting separatism as well as the former occupation of Armenia in our territories, once again indicate that for the European Parliament, the personal interests of the Members of the Parliament prevail over the international law and the interests of the European Union. As long as the European Union does not put an end to this arbitrariness within its institutions, the foreign and security policy of the institution will continue to be captive of its utopian approaches in the system of international relations," the statement reads. Getting 160-plus countries on the same page about anything is next to impossible. Thats why so many of the headlines out of the big World Trade Organization conference this week in the United Arab Emirates Meeting Seeks Modest Outcomes; Slim Hopes for Breakthrough convey low expectations. Nevertheless, there is something important to celebrate: For over a year now, the diplomats responsible for reforming the W.T.O. have been trying out a new way of doing business, with remarkable results. Instead of showing up to meetings with their own written proposals and haggling over whose will get adopted they started by listening to one anothers interests and goals. Then they came up with creative ways to achieve those goals and wrote a new set of proposed rules together. It may sound a lot like common sense, but in the rigid world of international trade, it amounted to a radical change. The result? They made more progress in one year than previous reform efforts had achieved in decades. I was really surprised at the extent of the progress, Bruce Hirsh, a former legal adviser to the U.S. Mission to the W.T.O., told me after reading a draft of the reform proposal that was recently made public. Steir moved her work space in 2004, and shes quick to point out how things have changed over the years. Before they built these buildings, I could see all the way to the George Washington Bridge, she says, lamenting the loss of natural light. The artist turns to nature as a perennial inspiration for her paintings, which tend to evoke seaside landscapes and rushing rivers with their showers of flicked and dripped pigment. And though she has exhibited widely since the 60s her first solo show was at the Terry Dintenfass Gallery in New York in 1964 the work that has come to define her practice, her Waterfall paintings, wasnt developed until the late 80s, in a studio in SoHo just a few miles south from where she is now. To create the first work in the series, Sixteen Waterfalls of Dreams, Memories, and Sentiment (1990), Steir stood atop a ladder and poured paint onto an unstretched canvas, allowing gravity, time and the weight of the paint to decide where the color eventually landed. The finished piece, versions of which she went on to make by flinging and throwing paint, is now in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Rene Pollesch, a prolific playwright and stage director whose work intellectually serious yet irreverent, chatty, goofy and riddled with pop-culture references made him one of the most significant forces in German theater of the past three decades, died on Monday in Berlin. He was 61. His death was announced by the Volksbuhne am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz theater, where he had been artistic director since 2021. No cause was given. Mr. Pollesch (pronounced POL-esh) wrote roughly 200 plays and directed virtually all of them himself, often at leading theaters in the German-speaking world. But while his plays lit up stages in places like Stuttgart, Hamburg, Vienna and Zurich, he was most closely associated with the Volksbuhne, a publicly funded playhouse in what once was East Berlin that had a reputation for making daring and provocative theater. Mr. Pollesch took over leadership of the theater after years of managerial turmoil set off by the dismissal of the companys longtime artistic director, Frank Castorf, in 2017. When Mr. Pollesch arrived, two others in the top post had come and gone, and the theater was craving stability. This week, I finally watched the 1991 movie L.A. Story, a fanciful romantic comedy that more than anything else is a loving sendup of Los Angeles. The movie, written by and starring Steve Martin, is full of gags about traffic, earthquakes, hip restaurants, ever-temperate weather and happy people who arent actually all that happy. Martin, who grew up in Orange County, once described making the film as like teasing your best friend. You have to know them pretty well and like them, in order to be able to do it, he told The New York Times in 1991. When Martins character suggests to his love interest played by Victoria Tennant, who was married to Martin at the time that he give her a cultural tour of the city, she replies: Thats the first 15 minutes. Then what?" A former U.S. ambassador accused of working for decades as a secret agent for Cuba said on Thursday that he would plead guilty, a move that would bring to a swift end to the case surrounding one of the biggest national security breaches in years. Manuel Rocha, 73, told Judge Beth Bloom in federal court in Miami that he would change his plea, signaling that he is prepared to plead guilty. He was charged in December with acting as an agent of a foreign government and defrauding the United States. He also faces charges of wire fraud and making false statements to obtain and use a U.S. passport. Mr. Rocha is expected to plead guilty to two counts of conspiring to act as a foreign agent. Each count carries a maximum sentence of five to 10 years in prison. Prosecutors are expected to drop the other charges; the wire fraud charge carried a 20-year maximum sentence. He had pleaded not guilty in mid-February. Mr. Rochas lawyer, Jacqueline M. Arango, indicated in court on Thursday that she and prosecutors have reached an agreement on his possible prison term, The Associated Press reported, though details were not made public. He is scheduled to formally plead guilty and be sentenced on April 12. Irate Republican lawmakers finally got to chastise Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III face to face on Thursday, chiding him repeatedly for his failure last month to tell his boss that he was in the hospital. In not notifying President Biden or his own staff that he had prostate cancer that required surgery, and then remaining quiet for three days after developing complications that sent him back to the hospital, Mr. Austin demonstrated a lapse in judgment that breached the chain of command and imperiled national security, the G.O.P. lawmakers said. The formal title of the House Armed Services Committee hearing struck an ominous tone: A Review of Defense Secretary Austins Unannounced Absence. If bartenders and truck drivers have to tell their bosses when they miss work, why shouldnt the man who is sixth in the line of presidential succession, scolded Representative Mike Waltz, Republican of Florida. This is about judgment, and poor judgment, he said. A Massachusetts Air National Guardsman accused of posting dozens of secret intelligence reports and other sensitive documents on a gaming chat group is expected to plead guilty in federal court on Monday, prosecutors said in a court filing on Thursday. The airman, Jack Teixeira, intends to withdraw his not-guilty plea in a deal that is likely to entail prison time, but less than the 60-year maximum sentence he faced on charges of improperly handling and publicly disclosing national defense secrets, according to two people briefed on the agreement. Prosecutors often suggest a range of potential punishments to judges, who have the power to impose the sentences they deem appropriate. Airman Teixeira, 22, who has been in custody since being arrested at his mothers house in North Dighton, Mass., in the spring, was responsible for one of the most far-reaching leaks of sensitive information in years. Kari Lake, the former television anchor running for U.S. Senate in Arizona, spent Thursday afternoon charming supporters at a Scottsdale ballpark during a spring training game. Then she shifted tone, excoriating President Bidens handling of the migrant crisis, which she called an invasion, at a news conference with Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming. I dont know why we have laws in Joe Bidens world. None of the ones that protect us as American citizens are being enforced, said Ms. Lake, rattling off a list of undocumented immigrants who had committed violent crimes in the United States. The dual appearances captured the range of Ms. Lake, whose blend of charisma and fiery rhetoric vaulted her to prominence in Arizona politics. But Ms. Lakes divisive language in her 2022 campaign for governor pitted Republicans against one another, allowing her Democratic opponent to secure victory, and she could face similarly tough opposition this November. This time, she could have more help from the Republican establishment. The presence of Mr. Barrasso, the partys No. 3-ranking leader, was the latest sign of the partys embrace of a candidate whose extreme views made her a lightning rod just two years earlier. The United States plans to deport the Mexican man who was acquitted of killing Kathryn Steinle, a woman whose 2015 death while strolling along a San Francisco pier fueled a fierce national debate over immigration, officials said Thursday. Donald J. Trump, then a presidential candidate, highlighted the case in his attacks on migration and sanctuary cities. Jose Inez Garcia Zarate was acquitted by a jury in November 2017 on murder and manslaughter charges but was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He said he had fired the gun by accident, and evidence presented at the trial indicated that the bullet had ricocheted. He was sentenced to time served in 2022, but he has remained in prison for federal probation violations since then. He was transferred to the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Feb. 16, officials at the agency said. ICE plans to deport Mr. Garcia Zarate to central or southern Mexico within days or a week, according to an official with the Department of Homeland Security. The person, who was not authorized to discuss the case publicly, spoke on condition of anonymity. The Biden administration is considering whether to provide Ukraine with badly needed arms and ammunition from Pentagon stockpiles even though the government has run out of money to replace those munitions, according to two U.S. officials and a senior lawmaker. Such a move would be a short-term measure to help tide over Ukraines armed forces until Congress breaks a monthslong impasse and approves a larger military aid package to the country, the officials said. But in considering whether to tap into the Pentagon stockpiles again, the administration is weighing both the political risks and questions about American military readiness. Its something that I know is on the table, Senator Jack Reed, a Rhode Island Democrat who leads the Armed Services Committee, said in an interview. Mr. Reed, who recently returned from a trip to Ukraine, said he would support such a stopgap measure in incremental uses to buy time. BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 29. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) office in Azerbaijan is in a confidential bilateral dialogue with the concerned authorities concerning the detention of Azerbaijani serviceman in Armenia, the ICRC Azerbaijan said, Trend reports. "We are in a confidential bilateral dialogue with the concerned authorities in relation to the detention of Azerbaijani serviceman. According to its mandate, the ICRC visits detained individuals to monitor treatment and detention conditions and support them to maintain contact with their families," the ICRC Azerbaijan wrote on its page on X. Meanwhile, the lost Azerbaijani soldier Ruslan Panahov has been arrested in Armenia on false charges. Armenian media said that the Investigative Committee of Armenia has raised 'criminal case' on false charges against Azerbaijani serviceman Ruslan Panahov who lost due to unfavorable weather conditions. Panahov has been charged with 'attempted sabotage, illegal possession of weapons and ammunition, as well as attempted murder on the grounds of racial and religious intolerance'. On the morning of February 28, Panahov became disoriented while traversing between service posts in Azerbaijan's Lachin district due to inclement weather. Meanwhile, the Armenian side released a statement reporting the detention of an Azerbaijani soldier who crossed the imaginary border. By making unfounded and unsubstantiated accusations, Armenia once again reveals its true nature. Unfortunately, it's not excluded that international organizations, heads of state, and government who constantly emphasize 'human rights' and portray themselves as defenders of such rights will remain silent on these provocations by Yerevan against Azerbaijan. While in Germany, the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia are discussing peace-related issues, this move by the Armenian side is nothing more than an attempt to cast a shadow on the peaceful negotiations between Baku and Yerevan, obstructing the resolution of the conflict. Alabama lawmakers overwhelmingly advanced legislation on Thursday that would shield doctors, clinics and hospitals offering in vitro fertilization treatment, clearing a major hurdle in their race to enshrine protections for reproductive medicine into law. The scramble comes after a State Supreme Court ruling this month found that, under Alabama law, frozen embryos should be considered children, upending I.V.F. treatment across the state and leading multiple clinics to stop offering the treatments to avoid possible liability. The Senate unanimously passed its version of the measure, while the House approved its bill on a 94-to-6 margin, with a few lawmakers abstaining. Final passage is expected in the coming days, and Gov. Kay Ivey, a Republican, has indicated that she will support such a proposal. The quick pace of the legislation underscores how most Republicans in Alabama are anxious to show their constituents that they are not standing in the way of the many families who turn to I.V.F. as a way to have a child. A vast and growing wildfire, one of several burning in the Texas Panhandle, has now become the largest on record in state history, scorching more than a million acres, devastating cattle ranches, consuming homes and continuing to rage out of control. The sparsely populated area is home to most of the states cattle millions of cows and calves, steers and bulls spread across ranches whose very size and lack of roadways can make them difficult for people to traverse and easy for fires to take hold. Wildfires are nothing new for Panhandle ranchers, many of whom know how to transform their pickups into makeshift fire trucks in order to battle the blazes that periodically flare. But never before had anyone seen a fire quite like the one given the name Smokehouse Creek. It ignited on Monday, and as of Thursday it was still burning uncontrolled. Two deaths have been connected to the fires so far. When the U.S. Supreme Court agreed in January to hear an appeal of a Colorado ruling that disqualified former President Donald J. Trump from that states primary ballot, many thought the court would soon resolve the issue for the entire country. That sense only grew after oral arguments in early February, when justices across the ideological spectrum appeared skeptical of the reasoning used to disqualify Mr. Trump. But three weeks have passed, Mr. Trump has solidified his lead in the race for the Republican presidential nomination and, with Super Tuesday looming, there remains no nationally binding answer to questions that strike at the heart of American democracy: Did a major political partys likely nominee participate in insurrection? If he did, does that disqualify him from running for president? The uncertainty from the Supreme Court has left states to go it alone, with divergent results that have left some voters confused. On Wednesday in Illinois, a Democratic state judge disqualified Mr. Trump from the states primary ballot, a decision that she stayed until Friday to give Mr. Trump time to appeal. By Thursday morning, Republicans were calling the clerks office in McLean County, in central Illinois, unsure of what it all might mean for them. After all, early balloting in the March primary was already underway. Follow live updates on President Biden and Donald Trumps border visits. Republican lawmakers in Georgia are pushing to toughen state laws that govern detentions of undocumented migrants after a killing at a college campus sent shock waves through the state. Last Thursday, the body of Laken Riley, a 22-year-old woman, was found in a wooded area on the campus of the University of Georgia in Athens. According to the authorities, the man charged in her killing, Jose Antonio Ibarra, 26, is a migrant from Venezuela who crossed the Southern border in September 2022. Officials said that Mr. Ibarra and Ms. Riley did not know each other before the encounter that ended in Ms. Rileys death. As an outpouring of grief ensued in Athens, immigration policies in Georgia have come under renewed scrutiny, with Republican lawmakers looking to exercise more state power over local law enforcement agencies. Mayor Kelly Girtz of Athens-Clarke County has faced criticism from conservatives for his welcoming stance toward migrants, and a bill in the State House that would harden Georgias existing laws on immigration has gained new momentum. Jose Antonio Ibarra, the man charged with the killing of a nursing student on the University of Georgia campus, migrated from Venezuela, was arrested when he crossed the border illegally near El Paso, Texas, in September 2022 and made a detour to New York. In addition to the border arrest, he was cited for two nonviolent offenses before Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student at Augusta University, was killed by apparent blows to the head last Thursday on a University of Georgia running trail. Mr. Ibarra, 26, was living at a modest apartment complex filled with immigrants from around the world who worked in poultry plants, fast food restaurants and construction work in and around Athens, Ga. Follow live updates on President Biden and Donald Trumps border visits. Helen Ramajo, 11 years old, reached the U.S.-Mexico border before the American presidents did. As President Biden and former President Donald J. Trump prepared for the political stagecraft of dueling visits to two Texas border towns, Helen slipped through a gap in the wall in southern Arizona on Tuesday morning, her fuzzy bear-eared hoodie pulled up against the chill. A dream! she said. She, her father and older sister left Guatemala a month ago, and they now trudged toward a makeshift camp with other tired, dehydrated migrants to wait beside the wall to surrender to U.S. immigration authorities. Illegal crossings across the southern border have plummeted in the last month, but even a slow day means dozens of migrants arriving every few hours, a ritual that has come to define life in border towns and nearby cities. Migrant aid workers say they often see around 200 people a day crossing in this area of the border outside the tiny town of Sasabe, southwest of Tucson. The main opposition leader in the central African nation of Chad was killed on Wednesday in a shootout at his party headquarters in the capital, the countrys prosecutor has announced. Yaya Dillo, who had been expected to run for president in an election planned for May, was among dozens of people killed and injured in an exchange of gunfire with security forces in Ndjamena, the capital. Heavy gunfire was heard in Ndjamena on Wednesday, and the internet was cut off. A landlocked, desert country surrounded by neighbors battling insurgencies, plagued by coups or at war, Chad has long been seen as a linchpin for stability and is an important U.S. ally in the region, despite its political travails. After its longtime president, Idriss Deby, was killed on the battlefield in 2021, his son took power in what analysts agree was a coup detat. But Western nations did not condemn the move to the same extent that they did coups in neighboring Niger and Sudan. Nearly three thousand miles to the south, inside Colombias main international airport, hundreds of African migrants have been pouring in every day, paying traffickers roughly $10,000 for flight packages they hope will help them reach the United States. The surge of African migrants in the Bogota airport, which began last year, is a vivid example of the impact of one of the largest global movements of people in decades and how it is shifting migration patterns. Surgeries postponed. Appointments canceled. Patients turned away from emergency rooms. For more than a week, procedures at some of the largest hospitals in South Korea have been disrupted because thousands of medical interns and residents walked off their jobs. A prolonged walkout could have disastrous consequences. The dispute started in early February, when the government proposed admitting more students to medical schools to address a longstanding shortage of physicians in South Korea. Interns and residents, known as trainee doctors, countered by saying that the shortage was not industrywide but confined to particular specialties, like emergency care. They said the governments plan would not solve that problem, adding that they were victims of a system rife with harsh working conditions and low wages. The doctors then took to the streets to the protest the plan, threatening to strike or quit their jobs. By and large, senior doctors backed their younger colleagues claims. But with surveys showing broad public support for beefing up the ranks of physicians, the government did not budge. Some saw the doctors pushback as a tactic to increase their paychecks. Trainee doctors who are a crucial part of large hospitals started submitting their resignations on Feb. 19. As of Wednesday, nearly 10,000, or about 10 percent of all doctors in the country, had done so, according to government data. But most of these resignations have not been accepted by hospitals. BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 29. The Azerbaijani Parliament has strongly condemned the biased and unilateral positions, disregardful of international law and justice, expressed in the European Parliament's annual report "On the implementation of the common foreign and security policy" dated February 28 and expressed a strong protest in this regard, Trend reports via the parliament's statement. The statement noted that the consistent refusal of European structures, particularly the European Parliament, over many years to provide a political and legal assessment of Armenia's 30-year occupation of Azerbaijani lands, its commitment of the Khojaly massacre, has become a common occurrence in terms of a selective and double-standard approach of these circles. "However, the European Parliament seemingly intends to persistently seek new 'achievements' in its hypocritical and two-faced approach to the South Caucasus region processes. European politicians, seeking to earn 'political capital' and making statements impeding peace and stability, are persistent in continuing to be instruments in the hands of certain circles. Several points reflected in the annual report of the European Parliament give grounds to speak precisely about this. Examining some provisions of the report, which coincide with official claims by Armenia, it becomes clear that it was prepared under the influence and under the dictate of the Armenian lobby. This also shows that Azerbaijanophobic and Islamophobic thinking, jingoist, and racist ideology in the European Parliament are increasingly gaining momentum. The European Parliament and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe openly compete on this issue. This report of the European Parliament not only distorts the existing realities in the South Caucasus region but also has a dangerous character in terms of current processes that are deliberately ignored by the European Parliament. The report calls for the arming of Armenia clearly reflect the intention to escalate the situation in the region, obstruct the peace process. The European Parliament has clearly adopted France's anti-Azerbaijani policy. The European Parliament should understand that, like the previously adopted biased resolutions, this report has no significance for Azerbaijan. The territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan are undisputable. No one can exert pressure on Azerbaijan. Under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, our country has already entered a new era of development. For a strong and determined Azerbaijan, which is reclaiming its territories liberated from occupation, returning displaced people to their homeland, this period also includes international cooperation and partnership based on peace, justice, fairness, and sincerity. The 'principles' followed by the European Parliament are unequivocally rejected by Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani Parliament strongly condemns the European Parliament's intention to undermine efforts aimed at ensuring peace and stability in the region and recommends ceasing such futile provocations and focusing on serious and urgent issues concerning Europe," the statement added. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Two scientists who worked at Canadas top microbiology lab passed on secret scientific information to China, and one of them was a realistic and credible threat to Canadas economic security, documents from the national intelligence agency and a security investigation show. The hundreds of pages of reports about the two researchers, Xiangguo Qiu and Keding Cheng, who were married and born in China, were released to the House of Commons late Wednesday after a national security review by a special parliamentary committee and a panel of three retired senior judges. Canadian officials, who have warned that the countrys academic and research institutions are a target of Chinese intelligence campaigns, have tightened rules around collaborating with foreign universities. Canadian universities can now be disqualified from federal funding if they enter into partnerships with any of 100 institutions in China, Russia and Iran. The release of the documents was the subject of a prolonged debate in Parliament that began before the last federal election, in September 2021. Opposition parties asked to see the records at least four times and found the Liberal government to be in contempt of Parliament in 2021. The government filed a lawsuit in an attempt to keep the records hidden, but dropped it when the vote was called. Canada announced on Thursday that it would require visas for Mexican nationals to enter the country, a move that comes amid a surge in asylum requests from Mexicans arriving in Canada. The rule follows months of discussions between the two countries over the rise in the number of Mexicans entering Canada, including repeated attempts by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to address the issue with Mexicos president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. Some provincial officials say a surge of asylum seekers has strained their resources and their ability to provide social services. We needed to give Mexico, because of our friendship, the chance to rectify things, Marc Miller, Canadas immigration minister, said at a news conference. As Iran prepares for a parliamentary election on Friday, calls to boycott the vote are turning it into a test of legitimacy for the ruling clerics amid widespread discontent and anger at the government. A separate election on Friday will also decide the membership of an obscure, 88-member clerical body called the Assembly of Experts, which selects and advises the countrys supreme leader, who has the last word on all key state matters. While it normally operates behind the scenes, the assembly has the all-important task of choosing a successor to the current, 84-year-old supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has ruled Iran for more than three decades. Irans leaders view turnout at the polls as a projection of their strength and power. But a robust vote appears unlikely with these elections taking place amid a slew of domestic challenges and a regional war stemming from the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza that has come to include Irans network of proxy militias. Analysts say Iranians have also lost confidence in elections after repeatedly voting for reformist lawmakers and presidents who pledged changes in foreign and economic policy and more individual rights that mostly failed to materialize. The death toll in Gaza passed a somber milestone on Thursday as the local health ministry reported that more than 30,000 people had been killed in the war since Oct. 7. The number of deaths since Israel launched its military offensive against Hamas in Gaza had already surpassed the tolls of any previous Arab conflict with Israel when it rose above 20,000 in December. Many experts say the official toll is very likely an undercount, given the difficulty of accurately tallying deaths amid unrelenting fighting, communications disruptions, a collapsing medical system and people still believed to be under rubble. Still, the reported figure is staggering roughly one person killed for every 73 Palestinians in Gaza, whose population is about 2.2 million. The figures provided by the Gazan health ministry do not distinguish between civilians and combatants. Many international observers have said they believe that the ministrys overall toll is reliable, while the proportion of Hamas-affiliated fighters among those killed remains unclear. An article published in November in the British medical journal The Lancet said that an analysis of the first weeks of mortality reports from the health ministry suggested reasonable data quality and that the deaths were among Gazan population groups that are likely to be largely civilian. Israel has come under growing international pressure to stop its offensive, and even President Biden, its strongest ally, has expressed growing frustration with the rising death toll and worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza. But Israeli leaders have insisted that they will continue fighting in order to eliminate Hamas, the armed group that led the Oct. 7 attack on Israel in which officials say at least 1,200 people were killed and 240 others taken hostage, setting off the war. U.S., Egyptian and Qatari mediators are working to broker a cease-fire and the release of hostages, but the prospects of that remain murky. On Wednesday, Hamass political leader said in a televised speech that while the group was open to making a deal with Israel, it was also ready to continue fighting. He called on Palestinians to march to the Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem in March, raising the prospect of fresh clashes with Israeli security forces around a site holy to both Muslims and Jews. In addition to bearing the risk of being killed in strikes or fighting, Palestinians are living with the growing specter of famine and disease. The health ministry has said infants have died from dehydration and malnutrition in recent days. A physician who was in Gaza in late January told CBSs 60 Minutes this week that people were dying in a fully treatable situation because of the lack of basic medical supplies. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, said on Thursday in a social media post marking the 30,000 deaths that most of those killed in Gaza were women and children. This horrific violence and suffering must end, he wrote. Cease-fire. A shooting at a gas station outside a settlement in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Thursday afternoon left two Israeli men dead, according to Israeli officials, who said the gunman was also killed. Avraham Applebaum, a medic for Israels emergency medical services, said that when he arrived at the gas station outside the Israeli settlement of Eli, he saw one injured person with many bullet wounds in a car and another lying on the ground. We did what we could, Mr. Applebaum said, but the wounds were too serious. Shortly thereafter, the two men, aged 20 and 40, were declared dead by the emergency service. Israels military called the attacker a terrorist, adding that after he opened fire on the gas station, he was killed. Israeli media reports said he was killed by a civilian who had returned from reserve duty in Gaza. Four civilians were killed at the same gas station in Eli last June in a shooting attack claimed by Hamas. Last week, a shooting attack near a checkpoint in the occupied West Bank killed one and injured several others. Since Hamass attack on Oct. 7 and the start of Israels campaign in Gaza, violence and Israeli military raids have escalated in the West Bank, as have unauthorized moves by Jewish settlers in the occupied territory. Palestinian militias have carried out shooting attacks against Israelis; frequent Israeli military raids have arrested thousands and have often turned deadly; and extremist Jewish settlers have rampaged through Palestinian villages, setting fire to property. The Michigan Areas Where Uncommitted Came Out Ahead More than 100,000 Michigan voters cast a vote for uncommitted in Tuesdays Democratic primary, a protest vote voicing opposition to President Bidens handling of the Israel-Hamas war. Two counties in particular, containing communities with high shares of Arab residents and younger voters, drove a third of the protest vote, according to a New York Times analysis of precinct results. In Wayne County, where more than half of the states Arab population lives, 79 percent of the vote went to uncommitted in majority-Arab districts. Uncommitted vastly out-performed Biden in Wayne countys majority-Arab precincts Population of Arab ancestry Hamtramck Dearborn Detroit Dearborn Heights 15 30 45 60% More Arab residents Vote for uncommitted Hamtramck Dearborn Detroit Dearborn Heights MICH. 15 25 35 45% Wayne County More uncommitted votes Vote for uncommitted Population of Arab ancestry Hamtramck Hamtramck Dearborn Heights Dearborn Heights Dearborn Dearborn MICH. 15 15 25 30 45 60% 35 45% Wayne County More Arab residents More uncommitted votes Sources: The Associated Press; L2; U.S. Census Bureau; Wayne County Note: Detroits data is aggregated up to the city level because a complete set of precinct-level data including absentee votes is not available there. This was particularly pronounced in Dearborn, Dearborn Heights and Hamtramck, the three townships with the highest concentrations of Arab Americans. For Arab Americans who sought to send a warning signal to Mr. Biden over his handling of the Israel-Hamas war, Tuesdays protest vote largely achieved its goals, though it is unclear what that will portend for the general election in November. In Wayne County alone, the 26,000 votes for uncommitted surpassed one groups target of 10,000. The push for uncommitted spread beyond Arab American communities. In all but a handful of counties, uncommitted received 10 percent or more of the total vote in the Democratic primary. In past uncompetitive presidential primaries and caucuses across the country, the typical protest vote has been about 7 percent. In Washtenaw County, uncommitted received more than 17 percent tied with Wayne County for the highest share in the state. Washtenaws high share of uncommitted voters came from areas with more younger residents Population ages 18 to 29 Ann Arbor Ypsilanti 15 30 45 60% More younger residents Vote for uncommitted Ann Arbor Ypsilanti MICH. 15 25 35 45% Washtenaw County More uncommitted votes Vote for uncommitted Population ages 18 to 29 Ann Arbor Ann Arbor Ypsilanti Ypsilanti MICH. 15 15 30 45 60% 25 35 45% Washtenaw County More younger residents More uncommitted votes Sources: The Associated Press; L2; U.S. Census Bureau; Washtenaw County This is largely attributable to the vote in areas with higher shares of voters ages 18 to 29, like Ann Arbor, home to the University of Michigan, and Ypsilanti, home to Eastern Michigan University. In Michigan, uncommitted received two delegates to the Democratic National Convention. These delegates are not pledged to Mr. Biden and are free to vote for a nominee of their choosing at the convention. For a year before he moved to New York, Connor Krone drove across the country in a camper van that he built himself. When he finally arrived, as Covid was waning, he spent four more months in the camper van, parking on the street in various non-Manhattan neighborhoods. Mr. Krone who basically transformed a delivery van into a mini-apartment used a composting toilet and showered at the gym. He even had a three-camera security system and a temperature monitor for when he had to leave his dog, Harry, alone. People live in New York in really creative ways, and this is maybe an extreme example, Mr. Krone, 37, said. The camper van was more livable than people would imagine. [Did you buy a home in the past year? We want to hear from you. Email: thehunt@nytimes.com] But eventually he needed something bigger and stationary, so he moved into an artists warehouse in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, where he paid $1,800 a month. With 900 square feet, it could fit gym equipment, power tools and art made by his grandfather, a painter and illustrator. Mr. Krone did woodworking projects and helped friends build furniture. Last year, he sold the camper van for $110,000, more than doubling his investment, and put the proceeds in tech stocks, aiming to amass a down payment for his first home purchase. Connor was concerned with long-term appreciation and whether he would get a return on his investment, said his real estate agent, Matthew Bank, of Bank Neary Real Estate, whom he met through a friend at a gay pride event. An Indian man was arrested for wearing a police uniform and impersonating a police officer to help his sister cheat on her 12th standard exam. The Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) exams, a pivotal moment for students across Indias Maharashtra state began on February 21, and we already have a viral cheating scandal. A 24-year-old man entered the Shahbabu Urdu High School in the town of Patur wearing a khaki police officer uniform with a very clear goal to help one student pass the tough exam by passing her cheat sheets. Anupam Madan Khandare thought he had it all figured out when he got his hands on a realistic police uniform. He planned to infiltrate the examination center under the pretext of supervising the students and give his sister the information needed to pass the exam. Only things didnt really play out as planned. Khandare managed to enter Shahbabu Urdu High School with ease and was getting ready to carry out his plan when a real police inspector and his team arrived to deal with security during the important exam. Upon seeing them, the fake policeman attempted to salute his colleagues, but his awkward gestures immediately raised suspicion. As the real policemen began thoroughly examining the 24-year-olds uniform, they noticed all kinds of inconsistencies. First, they saw that the nameplate on his uniform was incorrect, then that the quality of his uniform left a lot to be desired. Upon confronting him and checking his pockets, they found a bunch of cheat sheets meant for his sister, who was taking the 12th standard exam. The 24-year-old fake cop was taken into custody and charged with impersonating a government servant. He now risks spending time behind bars for his stunt. In a country where the pressure to excel academically can be overwhelming, instances of cheating, impersonation, and even subject leaks have become quite common. Many believe that the system needs an overhaul, with an emphasis on surveillance and more stringent checks. Caliber Corporate Advisers 22 W. 38th St., New York, NY 10018 888/550-6385 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/caliber-corporate-advisers/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/CaliberComms Fintech and financial services, insurtech and insurance, proptech and real estate, and related professional services. Employees: 40. Founded: 2010. Agency Statement: Harvey Hudes Caliber is a leading firm exclusively focused on financial services & fintech, insurance & insurtech and real estate & proptech. We provide best-in-class strategy and tactical execution of PR, content, social media and digital advertising. Caliber serves a global client base with a fully-remote team. We have been honored by Inc. as a Best Workplace due to our unparalleled commitment to culture and inclusion and recognized by the Financial Times as one of the Americas' Fastest Growing Companies. Harvey Hudes, founder & chief innovation officer; Grace Keith Rodriguez, CEO; Kristie Galvani, COO; Kyle W. Kempf, mng. dir., head of content & social; Kelly Reilly, mng. dir.; Ryan Hall, Elise Ouellette, sr. dirs. Clients Include: AmdocsBank of Montreal (BMO)BOK FinancialBolt InsuranceClear CapitalCoreLogicThe Clearing HouseEpisode SixGrasshopper BankKueskiMoneyLionNorthern TrustOpenlyPalisadesPercentProveTeam8Ten Coves CapitalTradeStationUBS Caliber Corporate Advisers in the news with O'Dwyer's: On the Move: Caliber Corporate Advisers Ups Rodriguez to CEO Thu., Feb. 29, 2024 ... Grace Keith Rodriguez Caliber Corporate Advisers , which works with clients in fintech and financial services, promotes Grace Keith Rodriguez to chief... News of Firms: Weber Shandwick's Judith Harrison Earns Matrix Award Wed., Aug. 4, 2021 ...Jacqueline Silva, who also consults as a senior strategist for an Origin agency partner, Caliber Corporate Advisers , The Origin New York office is an exciting development in the evolution of our... News of Firms: Prosek Partners Acquires Stake in Blue Dot Capital Tue., Jun. 22, 2021 ...of this round of funding, along with a consortium of communications firms including Integral, Caliber Corporate Advisers , Haymaker PR, FHS Partners and Red Lab. Qwoted plans to use this investment to... On the Move: McCann Health Snags BCW President Jim Joseph Tue., Aug. 18, 2020 ...promoted Silje Lier to vice president, social strategy and Christy Loringer to vice president. Lindsay Davis Caliber Corporate Advisers has hired fintech analyst Lindsay Davis as director of intelligence. Davis will lead Caliber... Accounts in Transit: Feintuch Picks Up Nexans Tue., Jun. 23, 2020 ...owns and operates digital wine shop 305 Wines, and manages the VinoSummit conference and Miami Champagne Week. Caliber Corporate Advisers has been named agency of record for Engage People, a global technology provider that... On the Move: APCO Bolsters Campaigns/Advocacy Team Wed., May 27, 2020 ...At Gavin, Myers will manage the public relations team, overseeing PR and communications campaigns. Jacqueline Silva Caliber Corporate Advisers has named Jacqueline Silva managing director. Silva comes to Caliber from Hume Brophy, where... On the Move: Caliber Corporate Advisers Brings on Jeff Hendren Fri., Feb. 7, 2020 ... Jeff Hendren Caliber Corporate Advisers has brought on Jeff Hendren to serve as managing director for both Caliber and... News of Firms: 5W PR Launches Jerusalem Venture Partners Cyber Center in Soho Mon., Feb. 3, 2020 ...2018 purchase of UK-based Templars PR and last years purchase of minority stakes in Caliber Corporate Advisers and business journalism website, Talking Biz News. Lydia Bednerik Neal Blattel Communications has opened a marketing... News of Firms: Researchscape Unveils AI-Powered Software Tool; Vested Acquires Stake in Caliber; Shape Advocacy Launched by LMG Vets Mon., Jul. 15, 2019 ...Full Access licenses for the remainder of 2019. Vested has purchased a minority stake in Caliber Corporate Advisers . The firms will share a joint office location, with Calibers New York team moving... Data Reign as PR Faces Future Market Volatility Tue., May 28, 2019 ...$1.5 million, up 3.4 percent), Buttonwood Communications Group (#114, $1.3 million, up 48.8 percent), Caliber Corporate Advisers (#90, $2.7 million, up 72 percent), Citizen Relations (#12, $34 million, up 10.7 percent),... Top 25 PR Firms Post 12.9% Jump in '18 Income Wed., Mar. 27, 2019 ...up 30.9 percent), Buchanan Public Relations (#109, $1.5M, up 3.4 percent), Buttonwood Communications Group (#114, $1.2M, up 43.1 percent), Caliber Corporate Advisers (#90, $2.7M, up 72 percent), Citizen Relations (#12, $34M, up 10.7 percent), CommCentric Solutions (#121, $995K, up 11 percent), Crenshaw... BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 29. Negotiations between Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan were held in Berlin, Trend reports, referring to the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry. The sides discussed positions on the provisions of the draft Bilateral Agreement on the Establishment of Peace and Interstate Relations between the ministers and their delegations. The necessity of continuing additional work on some key issues was noted. "Within the framework of the visit of the foreign ministers, I met with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock. Jeyhun Bayramov expressed gratitude to the German side for the organization of negotiations between Azerbaijan and Armenia," the statement of the ministry says. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Port of Dublin Floats PR/Marketing RFP Fri., Mar. 15, 2024 The Port of Dublin, which handles 50 percent of Irelands total trade and 80 percent of its containerized traffic, wants a PR/marketing services firm to position it as an essential state asset. Stagwell reaches an agreement to acquire WHAT'S NEXT PARTNERS, a French digital brand and marketing consultancy. WNP will become the first co-branded member of Stagwells Anomaly Alliance in a partnership model designed to expand Anomaly's global footprint beyond its existing offices in New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, London, Berlin and Shanghai. The acquisition of WNP is intended to deepen Anomaly's presence in Europe and add capabilities in scaled digital content and AI-enabled CRM and data, as well as the leadership in-market to compete for and service larger European accounts. WNP founder and CEO Guy Chauvel, who previously served as EVP of J.W.T. and CEO of Europe at Havas, will drive the creation of new client solutions for WNP and the Anomaly Alliance alongside Anomaly founding partner and executive chairman Carl Johnson. "In What's Next Partners, we have found kindred spirits in Europe, and I could not be more excited to welcome them to our team," said Johnson. A recent survey from D S Simon Media found that an overwhelming majority (82 percent) of 61 PR pros said they look at the election year as either an opportunity or a challenge for their media relations plans, but only 26 percent say they plan to change their tactics or media strategy in response. Theres clearly a disconnect, says D S Simon Media CEO Doug Simon. Given the high level of recognition that the media landscape has changed, wed expect a similar level of respondents would be changing their strategy. That isnt happening. Out of those who are re-tooling their tactics, 14 percent say they are giving up, but 57 percent say they plan to adjust by shifting their focus from network and cable television to local TV news, 64 percent are upping their use of social media, and 71 percent are focusing on digital opportunities. Simon says that an increased emphasis on local TV news can actually help PR pros escape the wall-to-well election coverage, with only nine percent of programming on those stations being taken up by political news. We are hearing that these stations are focusing on news viewers can use, Simon said. Producers recognize if viewers want politics, they can tune in to the cable network aligned with their views. Cathy Planchard Allison launches Allison AI, an integrated suite of products and consulting services focused on securely and responsibly leveraging AI for their clients business needs. Allison AIs initial external and internal services span three categories: advisory and consulting, training and products. The suite of products was developed by a team led by Allison global CEO of marketing innovation Cathy Planchard along with agency partners Karyn Barr, president, technology and Brent Diggins, managing director, performance and intelligence. Were proud to be ahead of the curve as an agency and offer a team of experts, a menu of services and a line of AI products that, together, represent how marketing and communications can be accelerated by the awesome capability of AI, said Planchard. The Allison AI suite is available now to clients and agency partners. Additional products are slated for release later this year. "I want to place on the record today that the situation at A&E at University Hospital Limerick has crossed a line", Deputy Michael Lowry told the Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, in the Dail. "Overcrowding has escalated from unsafe to hazardous. It poses a serious threat to patient health and safety. Even basic infection control is posing challenges. Distraught family members are tending to ill loved ones basic needs on corridors and in cubicles he said. Deputy Lowry was addressing the Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024 on Wednesday last, and he emphasised in the strongest terms that "anger and anxiety are palpable across Tipperary", adding that the number of calls and emails that I am receiving about UHL would have to be seen to be believed. "I know that you are concerned about UHL, everyone is, and I know that there is a massive problem there with capacity. I know that the problem goes back to a lack of investment in 2008, 2010, 2011 when investment was withdrawn or put on hold. But we need to get a grip on it he told the Minister. He acknowledged that there has been substantial investment in the Hospital but added that people are frustrated at hearing this as they do not see a significant difference in the activity in the hospital itself. "I also have to say that the level of complaints that I am receiving from Consultants within the hospital, from medical staff in general including in the Nursing profession, from Ambulance Services everyone is extremely concerned. "Staff members cannot cope with unending demands and stress levels. They are being tasked with the impossible. They are simply unable to keep up with the demand and are under enormous stress and strain. It is affecting their own health. Deputy Lowry also referenced the fact that Management at UHL has been changed, saying that he hopes that the new structures and procedures will help to get a better flow of patients through the hospital. However, he cautioned that there is not much point in moving patients to Nenagh, for example, and then sending out a notice to other people that their Day Care intervention has been cancelled, with no date given as to when it will happen. "The huge volume of patients requiring medical care at UHL is having a growing knock-on effect on patient treatment at Nenagh Hospital. Day-care procedures in Nenagh are cancelled almost daily to provide beds to cater for the overflow of medical patients from UHL. There have been close to 400 cancellations since January. "These are people that a Consultant has determined need intervention. They are understandably concerned that further delays in their treatment will put them in a position where they will require acute intervention. Their condition is manageable at the present time and acute care is preventable, but it is important that they receive that necessary surgical intervention". Deputy Lowry concluded by requesting that Minister Donnelly move to reassure the people of the Mid-West Region that the situation at UHL is getting urgent attention from him and his Officials in the Department of Health along with HSE Officials. Tipperary TD, Deputy, Mattie McGrath, leader of the Rural Independent Group of TDs, has issued a stern call to both the Taoiseach and Tanaiste to urgently clarify their stance on false information circulated by Minister Catherine Martin regarding the upcoming March 8th referendums. Deputy McGrath emphasised the critical nature of this issue, which directly affects the integrity of the electoral process, demanding a clear public statement from the government regarding their alignment with either the Minister or the independent Electoral Commission chair. Deputy McGrath, who initially raised concerns during the Leaders' Questions in the Dail earlier today, reiterated the need for transparency, stating: "The deliberate dissemination of misinformation by a cabinet minister, if left unaddressed, could have grave repercussions not only for the forthcoming referendums but also for future electoral contests. "Both the Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, and Tanaiste, Micheal Martin, must promptly clarify their position. The integrity of our democratic processes, upon which our society is built, demands protection. Their silence in the face of verified facts contradicts their previous stance against misinformation, undermining their credibility," he said. "Despite establishing the Electoral Commission with the specific mandate of safeguarding our electoral landscape from misinformation, the recent events, where the Commission Chair, Judge Marie Baker, directly refuted claims made by cabinet minister Catherine Martin regarding the Constitution's stance on women, have been met with deafening silence from the government. It appears that their commitment to combat misinformation is selective, serving their political agenda. "The dissemination of misinformation by a cabinet minister is a serious matter. Minister Martin's statement regarding the Constitution's view on women's roles in society, proven inaccurate by constitutional scholars and legal experts, warrants retraction or intervention from the Taoiseach. "Yet, Minister Martin's refusal to acknowledge her error further exacerbates the situation," Deputy McGrath said. "The audacity of a Minister, who advocates for reform and truthfulness within RTE, to insist on her misinterpreted constitutional interpretation, despite being proven wrong, is not only arrogant but also deeply concerning. "This incident exposes the farcical nature of the government's referendum campaign, revealing their prioritization of spin over facts, and their attempt to deceive the public." "The government's reckless dissemination of misinformation undermines the integrity of the democratic process. If their intentions were genuine, they would engage in truthful and reasoned debate, rather than resorting to misrepresentation to secure a favourable outcome." This call for clarity underscores the necessity of transparency and honesty in political discourse, particularly in matters as significant as constitutional referendums, Deputy McGrath said. BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 29. Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov has met with State Secretary of the Federal Foreign Office of Germany Thomas Bagger as part of his working visit to Germany, the Azerbaijani ministry told Trend. During the meeting, the sides exchanged perspectives on bilateral cooperation and discussions in Berlin between the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia. The parties stressed the significance of Azerbaijan-Germany relations and showed interest in advancing them. Concurrently, the Azerbaijani side underscored its objection to a smear campaign targeting the country within the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), the European Union, and other forums. It was mentioned that hosting the 29th session of the Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) in Azerbaijan, along with the visit of the delegation led by Executive Director of the German Eastern Business Association Michael Harms, has opened up extensive opportunities for collaboration. The German side received information on the potential of the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia, including details about the ongoing negotiations and our country's perspectives on the draft peace agreement. Gratitude was also extended to the German side for their support in facilitating meetings to advance the process. During the meeting, the sides exchanged views on other bilateral and regional issues of mutual interest, the ministry said. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 29. Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov has left on a working visit to Turkiye, Trend reports. Within the framework of the visit, the minister is scheduled to participate in the Diplomatic Forum in Antalya and speak at the panel Institutionalization in the Turkic World: Organization of Turkic States in the 21st Century, as well as numerous bilateral meetings. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Morgan Stanley has announced the opening of an office in Abu Dhabi, further expanding the firms footprint in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) and underlining its long-standing commitment to the region. Since 2006, Morgan Stanley has conducted business through its offices in Riyadh, Dubai, and Qatar, having worked with clients in the region for many years. Clare Woodman, Head of Morgan Stanley EMEA and CEO of Morgan Stanley & Co International plc, said: We are delighted to be expanding our regional presence and commitment by opening an office in Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM). There are exciting times ahead for the Mena region and as capital markets activity continues to grow and diversify it brings new and rewarding opportunities for both regional and global investors. Value proposition Arvind Ramamurthy, Chief of Market Development at ADGM, said: We welcome Morgan Stanley, a pioneer in the global financial services industry to Abu Dhabi and its thriving International Financial Centre. This expansion underscores the attractiveness of Abu Dhabi and its value proposition as a preferred destination for global players seeking strategic growth opportunities for their business, showcasing our commitment to fostering a conducive ecosystem that drives sustainable economic development in the UAE and beyond. The office opening in ADGM coincides with The Investment Forum, Morgan Stanleys inaugural two-day event in the Middle East bringing together global alternative investment firms and corporates with regional investors and allocators. The Investment Forum will become an annual event, alternating between key locations within Mena, with planning already underway for the 2025 edition. Patrick Delivanis, Regional Co-Head of Mena at Morgan Stanley, commented: We have a highly sophisticated investor base in the Mena region, and opening an office in Abu Dhabi allows us to broaden our footprint and further deliver local and regional clients access to Morgan Stanleys leading institutional securities business as well as our renowned asset management franchise, and increasingly, global clients access to the regional market. Strong partnerships Abdulaziz Alajaji, Regional Co-Head of Mena at Morgan Stanley, concluded: We have developed strong partnerships in the region through our Riyadh, Dubai and Qatar offices and look forward to building on them as we broaden our footprint. The Abu Dhabi office opening is a further milestone in Morgan Stanleys storied history in this market and highlights our continued commitment to the Middle East and our clients here.--TradeArabia News Service BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 29. Former Prime Minister of Iraq and Secretary General of the Islamic Call Party (Dawa) Nuri Kamal al-Maliki 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 BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 29. 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 UN Environment Program Inger Andersen, the official COP29 page on wrote on its "X" page, Trend reports. Ways of expanding collaboration on issues from reducing plastic pollution to scaling up climate finance were discussed at the meeting. It was noted that Azerbaijan is interested in cooperation with the UN Environment Program through joint initiatives, both bilateral and multilateral. Riddle: When is a frozen embryo actually a can of worms? Answer: When the Alabama Supreme Court issues its ruling in LePage v. Mobile Infirmary Clinic, Inc., allowing the parents of several such embryos, created through in-vitro fertilization, to proceed with a wrongful death lawsuit after those embryos were accidentally destroyed. You've probably heard at least two things about the ruling: First, that it creates big issues for the continued use of IVF to help parents with fertility problems have children, with clinics fearing litigation or even prosecution if they offer the service. Second, that the court includes religious sentiments and Bible citations on the santctity of life. Both of those things are true, but they miss the point. The ruling doesn't hang on those sentiments or citations. It hangs on the plain text of "black-letter law." As the opening paragraph of the ruling's "Analysis" section notes: "The parties to these cases have raised many difficult questions, including ones about the ethical status of extrauterine children, the application of the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution to such children, and the public-policy implications of treating extrauterine children as human beings. But the Court today need not address these questions because, as explained below, the relevant statutory text is clear." The justices' hands were tied. The law said what it said, the law meant what it meant, and their job was to uphold it, not rewrite it or create exceptions to it: "Judges are required to conform our rulings 'to the expressions of the legislature, to the letter of the statute,' and to the Constitution , 'without indulging a speculation, either upon the impolicy, or the hardship , of the law.'" What -- who -- is a "person" or "child" deserving of particular rights and protections? As a philosophical topic, that question quickly becomes interesting and highly debatable. As a political and legal question, it's likewise highly debatable and any answer produces controversial consequences. LePage v. Mobile Infirmary Clinic, Inc. ain't the first judicial rodeo on that question. In Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decided to cut the baby in half -- or, actually, in thirds -- Solomon-style, allowing abortion on demand in the first trimester, regulation in the second, and prohibition in the third. It reversed that framing in Dobbs v. Jackson, leading inevitably to the current case. But let's look a lot further back to see how contentious the question is. Try this one on: "[Black people were] a subordinate and inferior class of beings, who had been subjugated by the dominant race, and, whether emancipated or not, yet remained subject to their authority, and had no rights or privileges but such as those who held the power and the Government might choose to grant them." Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Does "Trump = King David" as Christian Nationalists claim? Years ago, former Texas Governor Rick Perry told Fox News that Trump is "God's chosen One," and offered an apologetic for Trump's litany of sins: "God's used imperfect people all through history" [for example,] King David wasn't perfect"."[1] Jerry Falwell, Jr., made the same comparison during Trump's first campaign. More recently, in January 2024, former Trump Cabinet Member, Dr. Ben Carson, again equated Trump to King David. [2] And this month, Politico reported on the fact that key Trump associates are milking "Christian Nationalists" for votes; Christian Nationalists are hoping to use a Trump second-term to build a Fundamentalist Theocratic government. [3] Is this a reasonable equivalency and claim, that Trump and David are two morally-flawed leaders but nevertheless God's Chosen Ones? For decades, I served churches in the Deep South as a pastor, and I know a thing or two about Christians, Conservatives... and King David. So allow me to answer, and to opine, as Bill O'Reilly put it for years, on the topic of Christian Nationalism... and Trump. It's well-established that President Trump and King David had two things in common: they both led their nations for a period, and they both were lying adulterers. As International Man of Mystery Austin Powers comically punctuated: "And that's. About. It." Republicans try to portray Trump as if he were a Bible Hero (David) in order to excuse Trump's sexual sins, and to claim God hath ordained Trump to rule over a "Christian Nation." I do agree that sinless leaders are rare as hen's teeth. If adultery were to be a disqualifier, few Presidents would have cleared that bar. Sexist behavior is not the key issue here. The bigger question is, "In any remote way, could Trump be God's Anointed One?" Let's make a concise list (before we consider the concept of Christian Nationalism). -Biblical David did not seek power for himself; he was born a humble, unambitious shepherd. Kingship was thrust upon him. In contrast, Trump was born with a multi-million dollar silver spoon, and not only sought power, but clung to it until 60 court decisions stopped him. -David lusted after a naked Bathsheba-- even allowing her husband to die in battle so he could possess her. But he knew it was wrong and later groveled before God, seeking forgiveness. Trump actually asserted that he has no reason to seek God's forgiveness: "Why do I have to repent or ask for forgiveness, if I am not making mistakes?" he asked, without irony. [4] Unlike the ancient Jewish King, Trump never admits he is wrong, not for "grabbing" women's privates, not for greed, not for incessant lying and civil fraud-- mostly because he had no ethical code or faith-morality in the first place. -David was deeply religious, following God from childhood until his last breath. Trump, far from being "anointed by God," has demonstrated no spiritual sentiments nor religious practice in his near-80 years. Take a moment to consider that comparison. These are not small differences. My list above of polar opposites shows the absurdity of these Rightwing "Christian" claims. Now consider modern "Christian Nationalism." The MAGA world view in this regard is neither "Christian" nor "National," at least not in the sense of our American nation's history. These proponents of Theocracy ignore the core teachings of Jesus: love your neighbor and demonstrate that love by caring for the poor, welcoming the strangers and foreigners in your land (read the story of the Good Samaritan for starters). Nor do the wannabe-Theocrats envision our nation as our Founders did, with principles of religious freedom and an explicit rejection of "church rule" embedded in our Bill of Rights. In effect, the Theocrats spit on the Statue of Liberty, where we find inscribed words extending "world-wide welcome," saying to the world: "Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free... send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me." Nope, Lady Liberty does NOT say "Only White Europeans Welcome." Christian Nationalist leaders seem oblivious both to those inscribed words as well as to the inclusive words of Jesus to welcome "the stranger" (Matthew 24) and "Love your neighbor as yourself," with "neighbor" defined as a non-citizen/outcast in the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10). Pastor Charles Pace, inheritor of the Branch Davidian cult in Waco, and QAnon conspiracy theorist Johnny Enlow, both claim "prophetically" that Trump is anointed by God. [5] These extremists are not without influence. In my own state, the Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court just ruled that frozen embryos in labs are fully human, potentially shutting down IVF as an option for parents-- based on his personal theology. This Alabama Judge, Tom Parker, has said publicly he is guided by the "Seven Mountain Mandate," which critics call a "quasi-biblical blueprint for theocracy" designed by Christian Nationalists to impose Fundamentalist theology onto and into government. [6] Parker befriended the above-mentioned Johnny Enlow, a self-described Prophet. [7] Enlow openly calls for truckers (the "Freedom Convoy," which Enlow has dubbed "gladiators-- never mind the irony that Roman gladiators famously murdered Christians!) to start a rebellion. He encourages them to illegally "shut down" businesses by blocking public roadways and businesses with their Big Rigs: "I want to recommend 7 specific targets who have been the absolute enemies of the people" and suggest 1000 truckers per building to shut down-- these "evil players": the CDC, CNN, MSNBC, Facebook, Twitter, Google, and YouTube."[8] As I wrote in my book on cults (cited below), fostering an Us vs. Them, Good vs. Evil, mentality is an age-old tribal trick to justify and encourage violence. Christian Nationalism is not new; it's an offshoot of the old "Christian Identity Movement," which tried to claim God's Chosen People were not brown-skinned Jewish people, but rather, White Aryan Christians. [9] Historical research and genetic studies have long ago disproven that myth, which began in the 1800's, along with Hitler's myth of Aryan superiority from the 1900's. Even before science disproved it, the myth was never congruent with what Jesus taught; very much to the contrary, Jesus commissioned the Christian Church to go out to ALL nations. And the early Christian church consisted mostly of Middle Eastern Jews, including Jesus himself. The enmity often implicit in tribalistic nationalism is incompatible with Christian love and inclusion. Even Paul-- less "Woke" and more "Conservative" than Jesus-- wrote in Galatians 3, "In Christ Jesus you are all children of God... There is neither Jew nor Gentile... nor is there male and female, for you are all one...." Wow. And two chapters later, Paul added: "For the entire Law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" As troubling as the racially-tinged misinterpretation of Scripture is, the White Christian Nationalists also forget that God never endorsed Theocracy nor Dictatorship in the first place: the notion of "King David" was not God's preferred plan; David was anointed by a reluctant Prophet Samuel, who warned the people of the oppressive dangers of having a king. [10] And now a host of former Trump-appointees-- General Kelly, Secretary of Defense Mattis, AG Bill Barr, Ambassadors John Bolton and Nikki Haley, and many more-- are specifically warning us of the dangers of having Donald Trump as king. [11] His own people! As Trump White House communications Director Alyssa Griffin put it,"[A] second Trump term could mean the end of American democracy as we know it and I don't say that lightly."[12] King Trump? Please, No, a thousand times No. -~~- Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Steven Sahiounie, journalist and political comentator Valentine's Day in the Arab world is called, Eid al Hob, translated into 'Love Holiday'. When Former Prime Minister, Saad Hariri, returned to Beirut recently, his followers clearly showed their love of him in the hundreds as he prayed at his father's grave on February 14. Hariri's father, Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, was assassinated on February 14, 2005 in Beirut. Hairi founded the Future Movement party in 2007, and served as Prime Minister from November 9, 2009 to June 13, 2011. After three years abroad, he returned to Lebanon on August 8, 2014 and served a second term as Prime Minister from December 18, 2016 to January 21, 2020. Hariri endorsed Michel Aoun as President in 2016, and this demonstrated Hariri was willing to make big compromises to ensure short-term political stability. In November 2017, while on a visit to Saudi Arabia, he was detained by Saudi officials and forced to resign. However, Arab and Western leaders stepped in to negotiate his release and return to Lebanon. This was apparently a message from the Saudi leadership to Hariri of their displeasure at his compromise with the Iranian-backed resistance group, Hezbollah. In 2019, protests began in Lebanon against the corrupt ruling elite. Lebanese currency has lost more than 90 percent of its value, leaving Lebanese families below the poverty line. A huge explosion in the port of Beirut in August 2020 killed more than 200 people, and most people blame the political elite for the reason no one has been held to account. Hariri had a working relationship with Hezbollah as he balanced the views of the Sunni sect in Lebanon with the Shite sect, two of the three largest sects in Lebanon, but was never able to address the fundamental problems facing Lebanon. On January 24, 2022 he announced that he had suspended his involvement in political activities and he did not run in the parliamentary elections on May 15, 2022. "I am convinced that there is no room for any positive opportunity for Lebanon in light of Iranian influence, international confusion, national division, flaring sectarianism and the withering of the state," Mr. Hariri said on TV. Since then, he has been living a private life in UAE. Like his father, Hariri had a leadership vision that encouraged business, stayed close to the US and France, and maintained good relations with Saudi Arabia, where he was born, raised and holds citizenship. On February 18, Mufti of the Lebanese Republic, Sheikh Abdul-Latif Derian, met with Hariri at Dar al-Fatwa, were they discussed the current situation in Lebanon, and ways of promoting the national morale. At the Maison du Centre, Hariri met with former Parliamentary Vice-President Elie Ferzli, Aounist MP Alain Aoun, Marada leader and presidential candidate Sleiman Frangieh and his son, MP Tony Frangieh. "In my opinion, Hariri's return to political work has begun, and will be decisive," said Ferzli. Hariri also met privately with Speaker of the House Nabih Berri. Previously, he had met separately with the US Ambassador, Lisa Johnson, and Najib Mikati, the caretaker Prime Minister. Hariri also received other ambassadors based in Lebanon, including France's Herve Magro and Egypt's Ala' Moussa. Lebanon is a small country, but has been used as a place for regional powers to fight for control. From one side there is the US Embassy which tries to protect the interests of Israel, the neighbor to the south. Iran flexes its muscles through the support of Hezbollah, which provides the security of Lebanon's southern border. Israel has invaded and occupied Lebanon in the past which left thousands dead, injured and imprisoned in the south. Israel continues to occupy Shebaa Farms in the south. The Lebanese Army is too weak to protect Lebanon from Israel because the US government refuses to give them the weapons and training they need. Also, there is the influence from France which has historical ties in Lebanon, including linguistic commonalities. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). President Joe Biden made a consequential and significant mistake when he appointed Merrick Garland to be Attorney General of the United States. Garland has turned out to be weak, clueless, and ineffective, to the point that his actions are currently endangering our very democracy. At first Biden's appointment of Garland seemed sensible. Most of us remember when Senate Leader Mitch McConnell blocked President Obama's plans to put the moderate jurist on the Supreme Court, the seat eventually going to right-wing religious fanatic Amy Comey Barrett. When Biden took office in 2021, he likely figured Merrick Garland would be acceptable to both parties, and would be objective, serious about the law, and could be counted on to do the right thing. Merrick Garland turned out to be a major disappointment in so many ways. President Biden, reportedly, and most Democrats now are not happy with the A.G.'s decisions, and most people deem it unlikely he will return to head the Justice Department if Biden wins a second term. But so much damage by Garland's inept performance as Attorney General has already been done. The worst was his foot-dragging in holding Donald Trump accountable for his many crimes and abuses of power while president. By the time Garland appointed special prosecutor Jack Smith in November of 2021 to look into Trump's transgressions,, almost two years after the January 6 insurrection, too much time was wasted. And everyone knows Trump is a master at delaying justice and avoiding accountability. Trump has a full docket of court cases from now to the election, and 91 felony counts to attend to. But if he can appeal, distract, and delay his accountability for his numerous crimes, he could conceivably win the presidential election, and make all the legal charges against him and his cronies disappear. Were he to win the presidency, this country would quickly transform from a democracy (albeit imperfect) to a fascist-style autocracy that would be virtually impossible to overcome. Some Biden aides say that in his decisions to select Trump-appointed prosecutors as special counsels in both the classified documents investigation and the probe into Hunter Biden, Garland 's attempts to go out of his way to not appear biased often led to over-correcting toward Trump-friendly prosecutors. When Biden announced he would be nominating Garland as Attorney General at the beginning of his term, he told him "Your loyalty is not to me. You won't work for me. You are not the president or the vice president's lawyer." Democrats close to Biden fear Garland has become too consumed by that instruction to appear impartial. "I had refused to criticize [Garland] but appointing Hur, who is obviously a Republican tool and who issued what I think is an irresponsible report which violates DOJ standards, was a mistake," Democratic consultant Robert Shrum said. "I think Garland will be criticized by historians." Garland's selection of Robert Hur, a Republican-leaning, Trump-appointed federal prosecutor, to look into President Biden's mishandling of official documents was a major mistake. Hur glossed over the potential crime and zeroed in on Biden's mental state, which was beyond the scope of his duties, and changed the narrative of the election to whether Biden is capable of performing his presidential duties. That he has performed his job so far quite capably has taken a back seat to concerns about his age. "Garland is far and away Biden's worst appointee by an order of magnitude," Robert Kuttner, co-founder of the liberal American Prospect. "And we all pay the price. If Biden goes down the drain because Garland has mishandled the investigation of Trump and gave Republicans a weapon " then the country pays the price. It's not just that Biden gets punished for the stupidity of appointing Garland." Laurence Tribe, professor emeritus of constitutional law at Harvard University, wrote this on X: "I've long respected my friend and former student Merrick Garland, but he has bent too far backwards in order to avoid seeming pro-Biden." President Biden made a regretable blunder appointing Garland as the United States Attorney General. He needs to find a way to correct his poor judgement before further damage results from it. DOD Report Underplays its Own Numbers by Claiming "no more than general population" Article originally published in Stars and Stripes by Robert Weiner and Ben Kearney A report commissioned by the Pentagon in 2021 and released quietly with little notice in December 2023 did not put to rest a fear that the Military is full of violent extremists. The IDA (Institute for Defence Analyses) found "no evidence that service members were charged at a different rate than the members of the general population." In addition, the study concluded that "fewer than 100 substantiated cases per year of extremist activity by members of the military." This is a low bar that could prove extremely dangerous. The United States military needs high standards for people who enlist, including vetting and retraining. They should not focus intensely on enlisters who have conservative political views-- but on extremists who commit violent actions. Concern over extremism in the military skyrocketed following the events of the January 6th insurrection that prompted the investigation. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered a 60-day stand down within the first month of the Biden Administration to discuss extremism in the ranks across the Defense Department. Sixty-five Democrats sent a letter in July 2023 asking what steps the Department of Homeland Security was taking to weed out domestic extremists within their department after reports that 300 current or former employees were found to be members of the right-wing Oath Keepers group and working with conservative militia groups at the U.S.-Mexico border. In total, 178 active and former military members were arrested in connection to the January 6, 2021 insurrection. The IDA report found that "Extremist organizations have been known to target veterans as they separate from service and transition to civilian life. Former service members can be particularly vulnerable to extremist organizations that appear to offer a continuation of the camaraderie and shared identity and connectedness that individuals experienced while serving in uniform." No attacks involving military extremism have been as deadly as the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City that killed 168 people. The attack was carried out by Army veteran Timothy McVeigh, who was later convicted and sentenced to death in June 1997. The report included that the system of granting security clearances to personnel is "outdated and inadequate" and if it is not updated, the Pentagon "remains at risk of unknowingly permitting persons who may have engaged in violent extremist conduct to enter and encumber privileged positions as civilian employees or contractors in the military community." Similar to police to protect against abuse, this lesson should be used within the military to vet out extremism. It was only last April when Jack Teixeira, a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, was arrested for posting sensitive classified information on the war in Ukraine to members of a server on the social media platform Discord. CNN reported at the time of his arrest that Teixeira wanted to "kill a [expletive] ton of people" because it would be "culling the weak minded," and discussed wanting to make a minivan into an "assassination van." If the Pentagon believes extremism is not something the nation should worry about, they are letting their guard down as well as putting the safety of U.S. citizens in jeopardy. Robert Weiner was a spokesman in the Clinton and George W. Bush White Houses. He was Communications Director of the House Government Operations Committee, and Senior Aide to Four-Star Gen/Drug Czar Barry McCaffrey and Reps. John Conyers, Charles Rangel, Claude Pepper, and Ed Koch. Ben Kearney is a Policy Analyst and Writer at Robert Weiner Associates and Solutions for Change. Author Bruce Lerro, Socialist Planning Beyond Capitalism Orientation The emergence of a strange, secular god "I am the Lord Thy God, Thou Shalt not have strange gods before me" is not just a religious commandment. Every nation-state expects their citizens to give up or subordinate their regional loyalties, their class, their ethnicity and even their religion to this new god. If we could tell any culture in the world before the 18thcentury that we nationalists are willing give our lives to fight strangers in a land we have never seen, they'd say we were crazy. I am a US citizen by birth, Italian by heritage, living in the state of Washington. But I am expected to feel more loyalty to someone who is English, living in North Carolina because they also live in the US. I am expected to feel more loyalty there than I would be to be a fellow Italian living Genoa. People living in tribal societies would think we nationalists have lost our reason. It took a very heavy duty propaganda machine lasting over 300 years to make us loyal nationalists. This article and the next two explain how this process occurred. Questions about nationalism, nations, and ethnicity Nationalism is one of those words that people immediately think they understand, but upon further questioning we find a riot of conflicting elements. There are three other words that are commonly associated with nationalism that are used interchangeably with it: nation, state, and ethnicity. But these terms raise the following questions: What is the relationship between nationalism and nations? Were there nations before nationalism? Did they come about at the same time or do they have separate histories? Can a nation exist without nationalism? Can nationalism exist without a nation? Ernest Gellner (Nations and Nationalism) thinks so. What is the relationship between a state and a nation? After all, in the premodern world there were primitive states such as Egypt and Mesopotamia that were not nations. On the other hand there were nations within larger polities (like Poland) that were without national sovereignty and part of empires. What about the relationship between a state and nationalism. Can states exist without the flag of nationalism? When were national flags introduced? Can people be nationalistic without having their own state? What is the relationship between ethnicity and a nation? Can one be part of an ethnic group and not have a nation? Can one be a part of a nation without being in an ethnic community? When did nations emerge? The school of primordialism argues that nations emerge early in human history and must have an ethnic core. This group of scholars are called primordialists. Modernists claim that nations come later in European history, anywhere from the 12th to the end of the 18thcentury, There is rich scholarly work in this field and most agree that nations, nationalism, ethnicities, and states are not interchangeable. [1] Despite scholars' differences around the questions above, they agree that nationalism as an ideology arose at the end of the 18th century with the French Revolution. Since our purpose is to understand nationalism, not nations or ethnicities, we are mercifully on safe ground to limit our discussion to nationalism. Tumultuous Times It is tempting to think that since the Western individualism that we live under today rejects loyalty to the village, kinship group, or region, individualism was against any social commitment outside of short-term contractual relations. After all, by the end of the 18th century, the world was changing rapidly. Agricultural capitalism was undermining the last vestiges of village life in feudal Europe, while the Enlightenment cosmopolitanism saw loyalty to local communities as being superstitious and backward as it hammered away at traditional religious beliefs. The Industrial Revolution was emerging in England, cutting former peasants and artisan cities from their village roots. In 1789 France was the scene of the first modern revolution. Between 1789 and 1793 merchants, together with artisans in Paris and peasants in the countryside, had risen against the king and the aristocracy. It was the first time large masses of people had entered a stage of history. However, in these unstable times, some sort of regularized social order was necessary. What came out of the French Revolution provided for a new, non-blood community of individualists - nationalism. The "nation" stands in a tension-filled spatial crossfire between a cosmopolitan globalization of capitalism on the one hand and subnational regional or local identities of collectivism on the other. This community, or "The God of Modernity" as Josep Llobera (1994) claims, is nationalism. Elements of Nationalism Four sacred dimensions of national identity In his wonderful book Chosen Peoples, Anthony D. Smith defines nationalism as an ideological movement for the attainment and maintenance of three characteristics: autonomy, unity and identity. Nationalism has elite and popular levels. Elite nationalism is more liberal and practiced by the upper classes. Popular nationalism is more conservative and practiced by the lower classes. According to Smith, the four sacred foundations for all nations are a covenant community, including elective and missionary elements; a territory; a history; a destiny. A major concept of Romanticism that helped develop nationalism was the "cult of authenticity": At the center of the nationalist belief systems stands the cult of authenticity, and the heart of this cult is the quest for the true self. Authenticity functions as the nationalist equivalent of the idea of holiness in many religions. The distinction between the authentic and the false or inauthentic carries much of the same emotional freight as the division between the sacred and the profane. And, just as the sacred things are set apart and forbidden, so authentic nationals and national objects are separated and venerated. (Chosen Peoples, p. 38) The fourth sacred source of nationalism - destiny - is a belief in the regenerative power of individual sacrifice to serve the future of a nation. In sum, nationalism calls people to be true to their unique national vocation, to love their homeland, to remember their ancestors and their ancestors' glorious pasts, and to imitate the heroic dead by making sacrifices for the happy and glorious destiny of the future nation. Core doctrine of nationalism These four dimensions of sacred sources in turn relate to the core doctrine of the nation, which Smith describes as the following: The world is divided into nations, each with its own character, history and destiny. The source of all political power is the nation, and loyalty to the nation overrides all other loyalties. To be free, every individual must belong to a nation. Nations require maximum self-expression and autonomy. A world of peace and justice must be founded on free nations. Phases of Nationalism Most scholars agree that nations are a necessary but insufficient criterion for nationalism. While most agree that nationalism did not arrive until the end of the 18th century, almost everyone agrees with the following phases of nationalism: Elite nationalism -- This first nationalism emerged with the middle classes and used language studies, art, music and literature to create a middle-class public. The dating of this phase varies depending on the European country and ranges from the early modern period to the Middle Ages. -- This first nationalism emerged with the middle classes and used language studies, art, music and literature to create a middle-class public. The dating of this phase varies depending on the European country and ranges from the early modern period to the Middle Ages. Popular nationalism -- A national community took the place of the heroes and heroines who emerged with the French Revolution. This nationalism was political and was associated with liberal and revolutionary traditions. This phase is roughly dated from 1789 to 1871. -- A national community took the place of the heroes and heroines who emerged with the French Revolution. This nationalism was political and was associated with liberal and revolutionary traditions. This phase is roughly dated from 1789 to 1871. Mass nationalism-- This nationalism was fueled by the increase in mass transportation (the railroad) and mass circulation of newspapers. It also became associated with European imperialism and argued that territory, soil, blood and race were the bases of nationalism. This last phase of nationalism was predominant from 1875 to 1914. In the second and third phases of nationalism, rites and ceremonies are performed with an orchestrated mass choreography amidst monumental sculpture and architecture (Mosse, 1975). We will cover each of these phases in more detail as we go. We said earlier that due to the Industrial Revolution, among other things, individualists began to sever their ties to ethnicity, region, and kinship group as capitalism undermined these identities. By what processes were these loyalties abandoned while a new loyalty emerged? The new loyalty is not based on face-to-face connections, but rather is mediated by railroads, newspapers, books. This is a community of strangers whose loyalty to the nation is not based on enduring, face-to-face engagements. As we shall see, states create nationalism by two processes: first by pulverizing the intermediate relationships between the state and the individual and second by bonding individualists to each other through loyalty to the nation forged by transforming religious techniques into secular myths and rituals. The Primitive Accumulation of Nationalism: Evolution of States What is nationalist accumulation? In Karl Marx's description of the evolution of capitalism, he describes its first phase as "the primitive accumulation of capital". By this he means the violent process by which peasants are driven from their land, separated from their tools, cattle, horses and farm products, and then with nothing left to sell but their labor, are forced to work in the factories of capitalists. This primitive accumulation process is then glossed over by Adam Smith and other capitalist economists who create a sanitized version of capitalism's origins which more closely resembles mythology than history. This section shows the primitive accumulation of nationalism. We shall discuss the origins of nationalism based on wars between states, wars within states and their own populations, the manipulation of religious techniques to serve the purposes of states' own purposes, and the propagandization of the state's own population in order to bind and sustain popular loyalty. European Systems of States Before we discuss nationalism further, we need to do a bit of work in disentangling the relationship between states and nations. Since they each have separate histories before they were joined at the end of the 18th century into what Charles Tilly calls "national states", we will start with states. Tilly (1992) defines states simply as: politically centralized institutions; independent from households, kinship groups, economic associations and clubs; functioning to steer social policy and maintain public order; monopolizing control by means of violence; and ruling over a designated piece of land. Tilly notes that Europe, unlike Asia, has never been dominated by a single empire. In Europe, after the fall of the Roman Empire, the fragmented nature of Western societies allowed emerging states to develop autonomously and to compete with one another. Because no state was very powerful, these states were closer to being equal, and this equality fueled military innovation. These innovations helped build centralized powers that out-competed other kinds of states, such as city-states and empires. States were able to achieve this not only because they assembled standing armies, as opposed to using mercenaries, but because they pacified their domestic population. While the Muslim, Byzantine, Ottoman and Mongol empires tried to incorporate Europe into their folds, nothing was successful. What arose in Europe instead were regional hierarchies based on trade and manufacturing that maintained an edge over an interstate rule's imposition. What also arose was a systemof states. This means that states regularly interact. Their anticipated interaction affects the policies of every state in a way that, in most cases, deters violence. In contrast, in Asia there was no system of states or recognition of an interstate system; kingdoms and empires simply rose and fell. The merchant class never got out from under the emperor. Absolutist States During the feudal Middle Ages, centralized political power was weak. Real political power was in the hands of local aristocrats and the Catholic Church. But as merchants rose in the towns to challenge aristocratic rule, they also formed alliances with kings who wanted to build up a more centralized state. Under the resulting agreements merchants funded standing armies, thus building a centralized state apparatus, in exchange for state protection of merchant long-distance trade. Centralized State Against Localities and Intermediate Organizations Absolutist states in Europe didn't emerge out of nothing. According to Tilly, they emerged out of kingdoms, empires, urban federations, and city-states and had to compete with them for allegiance. In feudal times, local authorities could match or overwhelm state power. This slowly changed as the state centralized power. In their battles against these other political forms, states learned hierarchical administration techniques from churches that had hundreds of years of experience holding together the sprawling kingdoms of Europe, beginning with the fall of the Roman Empire and throughout the early, central, and high Middle Ages. In order to command obedience, the absolutist state had to break down the local self-help networks that had developed during the feudal age and among those states that became empires. The state's strategies and enactments included setting taxed farmers against poor peasants and artisans, forcing the sale of animals in exchange for taxes, imprisoning local leaders as hostages to ensure the community's payment of overdue taxes, turning mercenaries returning from wars on a civilian population, and conscripting young men who had been their parents' main hope for comfort in old age. What stood in the way of state centralization were the clergy, landlords, and urban oligarchies who allied themselves with ordinary people's resistance to state demands. On the positive side, Tilly reports that homicide rates in the 16th and 17th centuries were half that of the 13th century. The state's disarmament of civilians took place in small steps, such as through the following tactics: Seizure of weapons at the end of rebellions Prohibition of duels Control over the production of weapons Introduction of licensing for private arms Restriction of public displays of armed force Elimination of fortress-castles To gain revenue for wars, early states had slim pickings for squeezing tribute and rent from their populations. But as the monetary economy spread and credit became available, it became possible for the state to receive payments from flows such as exercise customs, tolls, stocks (e.g., property), and land tax. Dividing and conquering intermediaries Early modern popular allegiances of culture, language, faith and interests did not neatly overlap with centralized political boundaries. States played a leading role in determining who was included and who was excluded in their jurisdictions. This would force people to choose whether they wanted to live in a state where they would, for example, become a religious or cultural minority. Furthermore, the state can play its cultural, linguistic, and religious communities against one another by first supporting one and then switching to support another. It may seem self-evident that absolutist states would try to join and expand whatever local identity a people had, such as the Basques or the Catalans in Spain. However, this was not initially the case. A local identity was interpreted as a threat just like any other non-state identity-- region, ethnic group, or federation-- because it competed with the state for people's loyalty. It was only later when states were out of cash and desperate for manpower that they began trying to manipulate these outside loyalties by promising citizenship and later education in exchange for taxes and conscription. Sociologists and social psychologists demonstrated that among a group with internal conflicts the best way to forge unity is to present them with a common group enemy . An individual's group loyalty is solidified by discrimination against an outside group. A scapegoat is selected because it is present, visible, powerless to resist, and useful for displacing aggression. Building a centralized nervous system: postal networks and newspapers States reduced barriers between regions by developing roads and postal systems. In the late medieval world, the emergence of private mercantile networks enabled postal communication (Starr, 2004). In the 15th and 16th centuries, private postal networks were built. In France, the postal system was created as early as the late 1400s, and England's came about in 1516. They expanded until they linked together much of Europe, employing 20,000 couriers. Turnpike construction upgraded routes from major centers to London. From the second half of the 18th century, the postal network offered regular service between regions as well as into London. By 1693 in the United States regular postal service-connected Philadelphia, New York and Boston, and the comprehensive postal network assured postal privacy. The network of US postal systems came to exceed that of any other country in the world and was a way to bring the Western frontier under the umbrella of the Northern industrialists in their struggle against the agricultural capitalists of the South. Postal networks supported the creation of news networks intended for bankers, diplomats and merchants. They contained both the prices of commodities on local markets and the exchange rates of international currencies. Newspapers also helped centralize and nationalize American colonies by pointing to commonalities across regions. For example, the Stamp Act led to the first inter-colonial cooperation against the British and the first anti-British newspaper campaign. State vs religion conflicts In spite of what they learned from ecclesiastical hierarchies about organization, the state and the Catholic church were opposed to each other. The church was an international body that had a stake in keeping any state from competing with it for power. Before the alliance between merchants and monarchs, the Catholic church played states off of one another. One event that began to reverse this trend was the Protestant Reformation. Protestant reformers may not have been advocates for the national interests of Germany, Switzerland, Holland, or England per se, but they were against the international aspirations of the Catholic church. Protestant leaders like Wycliffe and Hus called for the use of vernacular (local language) rather than internationalist Latin in religious settings. The Protestant religions became increasingly associated with either absolute monarchies or republics (e.g., the Dutch). The Treaty of Westphalia in 1648 helped end one hundred years of religious wars, and there was an expectation among internationalists that Catholics and Protestants would choose separate countries. According to Llobera (1994), this helped cement the legitimacy of the state. Religious dissidents caught in the wrong country-- Catholics in England; Jews, Muslims or Protestants on the Iberian Peninsula; or the Huguenots in France-- were seen as potential enemies of the state. In his book Faith in Nation, Anthony Marx argues that one of the ways the state gained the upper hand over religion was to play religions off of one another within the political boundary. In order to organize support for themselves, states commanded loyalty from their subjects by scapegoating minority religious populations. Anthony Marx argues that state unity was not achieved simply and peacefully through an expanding homogenization process carried out through newspapers, railroads, or common political affinities. The actual process was a divide-and-conquer strategy that lasted for two hundred years. Anthony Marx takes issue with the notion that a vital part of national identity is in remembering the great deeds of the nation. He says that it is more important for a subject or citizen to forget. This means developing a collective amnesiaabout past religious massacres and civil wars. In contrast to Enlightenment-era liberal interpretations that national loyalties should be based on citizenship and democracy, which come to replace religious superstitions, Marx says that the state is founded on religious intolerance. Strangely, citizenship and democracy have their roots in exclusion and the amplification of majority-minority conflicts. National states According to Tilly (1992), state activities involve a minimum of three processes: State making-- attacking and checking competitors and challengers within the territory claimed by the state attacking and checking competitors and challengers within the territory claimed by the state War making-- attacking rivals outside the territory claimed by the state attacking rivals outside the territory claimed by the state Protection-- attacking and checking rivals of the rulers' principle allies, whether inside or outside the territory claimed by the state According to Tilly, national states separated themselves from absolutist states creating the following additional functions upon their subject populations: Adjudication-- authoritative settlement of disputes authoritative settlement of disputes Distribution-- intervention in the allocation of goods intervention in the allocation of goods Production-- control of the creation and transformation of goods and services Nationalism in the 19th Century In the West, when we think of nationalism today, we might imagine right-wing racists and flag-waving war mongers. That is certainly a popular image that began in the last decades of the 19th century, but not before then. After all, the breakdown of intermediate organizations-- regional, ethnic, and kin-- was opposedby conservatives in the name of religious and aristocratic "tradition." Hobsbawm (1983) says that what we weakened by modernization was the legitimacy of dynasties, which crossed states; the divine ordination of states (kings were understood to be holding a spiritual office); the historical right to continuity of rule without a political monitoring process (no input from the middle and lower classes); and religious cohesion across territories. In the 19th century, we can identify three phases of nationalism and, interestingly, nationalism becomes more right wing only at the end of the 19th century. The three phases are patriotism and early nationalism (1789-1848); liberal nationalism (1848-1871); and right-wing imperialistic nationalism (1871-1914). Patriotism from 1789 to 1948 According to Viroli (2003), there was a long-standing patriotic tradition that was based on the republican forms of government that date all the way back to the Romans, the Italian city-states, and the Dutch cities founded on the presence of political institutions, especially constitutions. The English, American and French revolutions were fought over loyalty to political freedom from the church and crown. While initially championed by the upper and middle classes, patriotism then spread to the lower classes after the French Revolution and the Italian nationalist movement of Mazzini. For patriots, unlike later right-wing nationalists, ethnicity, history, language, landscape and blood elements were irrelevant for consolidating loyalty. Loyalty to country was created through the political choice of its members. It did not draw inspiration from the past but imagined itself as a model for future societies. In the first half of the 19th century, patriotism was inseparable from the middle and working classes. Nationalism became more radicalized in the 1830s and 1840s, becoming associated with the working classes and the poor. Hobsbawm (1990) says class consciousness had a civic, national dimension. Liberal nationalism (1848-187) According to Hobsbawm, the number of nation-states was small in the early 19th century. Before the second half of the 19th century, there were nations without states and states without nations. Nations existed within states and across states. For example, the French saw no contradiction in electing Thomas Paine, an Englishman, to its national convention. To the extent that progressives identified with the emergence of newspapers, urbanization, and centralized transportation, nationalism went with republicanism and liberalism. The 19th century revolutions in transport and communications typified by railways and telegraph tightened and routinized the links between central authority and its remotest outposts. Rural people were brought into the loop through gendarmes, postmen, policemen, school teachers, garrisons of soldiers and military bands. The state kept records of each of its subjects and citizens through the device of regular periodic censuses. Census did not become general until the middle of the 19th century. This included records of births, marriages, death. (Hobsbawm, 1990) Mercantilists wanted to promote national economic development. For example, Alexander Hamilton aspired to unite the nation with the state and the economy by founding a national bank. The national bank assumed national responsibility for the debts of local states and protected national manufacturers through high tariffs. These measures were also intended to develop the seed of national awareness among citizens. Between 1848 and 1880, in practice, there were four criteria that allowed a people to be firmly classed as a nation. It had: sufficient size to pass the threshold in the number of people under its banner a historic association with a current state that could claim a fairly lengthy past (for example, the existence of English, French, Russian, or Polish nations); a long-established cultural elite, possessing a written national literary and administrative vernacular; and the capacity for conquest (Hobsbawm says there is nothing like an imperial power to make a population conscious of its collective existence). As the poor and working classes increased in emerging or expanding European cities, they built a new force to be reckoned with: unions. From the point of view of the state, citizens were no longer subjects and their consent had to be negotiated. Political membership in a nation was the emulsifier that bound the state to its citizens, with the promise of democratization in the name of the nation as a way states could acquire legitimacy in citizens' eyes. In the last half of 19th century, democratization, unlimited electoralization of politics was unavoidable. It was a new covenant, a civic loyalty, a civic religion that could hopefully out-compete not only traditional loyalties but newly developing class loyalties of the working class. In exchange for the vote, citizens could now be recruited for military duty. By the 1850s as socialism was joined to the union movement, the left gradually became associated with internationalism and while nationalism was taken over by the right wing. (Hobsbawm, 1989) Right-wing, imperialistic nationalism (1872-1914) Increasing tensions between nations, classes, religions and ethnic groups The political unification of Germany in 1871 and its rapid industrialization changed the balance of power in relation to England, France and the United States. In the United States, there were five economic panics (1819, 1837, 1857, 1873, and 1893), which undermined the trust of capitalists in Europe. The result was a protectionist economic foreign policy in all major countries except England. National tariffs allowed for building up home industries rather than having those industries compete internationally. At the same time that there was political concentration within states, these same states looked to expand their territories through colonization. Italy attempted to expand into Eritrean Somaliland and Ethiopia, the Russians expanded into Turkistan and the frontiers of China, and the United States annexed Hawaii and part of Samoa and forcibly acquired Puerto Rico and the Philippines. As national states were consolidating their power, a growing number of ethnicities within these national states were fighting either for their independence or for more rights within these states. These included the Irish against the British, the Breton, Flemish, and Corsicans against the French, the Finns, Lithuanians, and Ukrainians against the Russians, the Basques and Catalans against the Spanish, the Czechs, Serbs, Slovaks, and Romanians against the Austrian-Habsburg Empire, and the Norwegians against the Swedish. As Marxists have long pointed out, there was no more effective way of diverting the class struggle between workers and capitalists than to point to other races, other religions, or other nations as the sources of their problems. The economic instabilities at home that drove capitalists to seek new markets resulted in colonial rivalries. There was war between England and the Dutch (Boer War) between Italy and Turkey; between Russia and Japan in 1904, between China and Japan, and between the United States and Spain in 1898. Increasing economic disruption also saw the rise of religious intolerance in France, Germany, Russia and the United States. The French state encroached on the functions and rights of the Catholic Church when no more religious instruction was allowed and the Jesuits were banned. In Germany, by the mid-1880s, the Jesuits were also banned. The rise of unions, socialism, and the Paris Commune threatened capitalist profits from below. This led to an "open door" policy among the heads of state, who would import cheap foreign labor to undermine the increasing demands of local workers. The mass migrations between 1880 and 1914 from Eastern Europe to Western Europe threatened the livelihood of local workers and made them more susceptible to nationalism. Lastly and paradoxically, the freeing of the slaves in the United States in 1865 led to an increase of racial ideology in the United States. There was soft coercive assimilation of "the melting pot" ideology directed at Eastern Europeans. After the Civil War, the North attempted to paper over their basic economic differences with the South by using the increased hatred of blacks by whites in the South to unite the North and the South by appealing to a white racial nation. But racism was not limited to the United States. In Europe there was a Social Darwinist interpretation of the origin of races: in England Chamberlain), France (Gobineau), and Germany (List). Novel characteristics of right-wing nationalism According to Hobsbawm (1990), nationalism between 1880 and 1914 differed in four major respects from the earlier patriotic criteria for nations: There was the abandonment of the threshold principle of the 1830s. This meant that a body of people who considered themselves a nation could claim the right to self-determination, meaning they had the right to separate as a sovereign, independent state with their own territory. Ethnicity and language became central criteria for nationalism. This was partly a reaction to increasingly massive geographical migrations of people. There was the presence of race ideology of social Darwinism, which treated nations as organisms where only the fittest survive. There was a sharp shift to the political right, away from republican inclusion and political principles of the Enlightenment and towards an imperial expansionist outlook. Building nationalism is not just a political and economic process. In France, Britain, the United States and Germany, nationalist clubs sprang up along with fraternities, national holidays, the invention of flags, national anthems, and monuments (Mosse 1975). In the United States, original motivation for public schools was less for learning and more as hothouses for civic patriotic propaganda. They included flags outside of school houses along with pledges of allegiance (O'Leary, 2000). Conclusion While individualism rose in the West by the 12th century, the European political development-- including political representation and the rise of capitalism required another kind of community to house these individualist selves. This was a community that was not based on clans, kinship, regions, ethnicities or cities. It was based on loyalty to a state. In part because this was a new political institution, it took hundreds of years to convince its population to be loyal to it. We said that primitive accumulation of nationalism consisted of two parts: first pulverizing intermediate loyalties while building a centralized nervous system: postal networks and newspapers. However we have said nothing about the propaganda techniques used and the social-psychological techniques used to grow that loyalty. Religion and nationalism mostly seem to be opposed to each other. But in my next article I will describe how nationalist drew from the same religious techniques Christian monotheists use to win their populations over. St. Valentine's Day - a commercialized celebration of romance and flowers that had already come to stand for the worst in what it means to be American - just got a lot worse. A super bowl celebration in Kansas City gone mad with - according to police - absolutely no evidence of violent extremism or terrorism to blame it on: Just good old fashioned American gangsterism that ended in extreme terror, fear and death. Or maybe it was something more to the two men charged with killing one young woman and wounding 22 others ranging in age from 6 to 47 with at least half under the age of 16. Maybe it was just their way of saying happy Valentine's Day to an American society blind to its own way of getting things done through extremism and terrorism, just the way Al Capone said it on February 14, 1929. Now that was the St. Valentine's Day massacre we all got groomed to love. The one when Al Capone's gang gunned down Bugs Moran's gang in a Chicago garage full of bootleg liquor. Al Capone merged mob violence with Romance in 1929 and thanks to Billy Wilder's 1959 Hollywood film Some Like it Hot with Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemon - Valentine's Day has been that way ever since. But there was another Valentine's Day massacre fifty years later in Kabul Afghanistan that got a lot hotter than Billy Wilder could ever have imagined about 1929. Everybody knows the assassination of JFK took the United States off a course towards world peace and cooperation following the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, but how many people know that the assassination of U.S. Ambassador Adolph Dubs on February 14, 1979 ensured that the US would permanently pivot back to the same Apocalyptic course that was inaugurated with the murder of JFK. So, this story is about that other Valentine's Day massacre as described in our book Valediction Three Nights of Desmond and to start we want to go back to 1979. Few people today realize what failure in the Vietnam War really meant to the people who made American policy. To quote from author Fred Kaplan's 1983 Wizards of Armageddon "Vietnam brought out the dark side of nearly everyone inside America's national security machine. And it exposed something seamy and disturbing about the very enterprise of the defense intellectuals, [Formerly known as the New York Intellectuals]. It revealed that the concept of force underlying all their formulations and scenarios was an abstraction, practically useless as a guide to action." Nevertheless by the mid -1970s the same people who'd created that "abstraction" were busy reinventing themselves from a "fringe movement" into a Neo Conservative political force and in 1976 - the year of Jimmy Carter's election - joined forces with old right-wing Hawks and Defense Democrats to oppose De'tente and Strategic Nuclear Arms Limitation by convening an official panel called the Team B. Recommended by Leo Cherne, chairman of the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board and approved by CIA Director George Bush, Team B's stated objective was to determine whether the CIA had underestimated Soviet capabilities and to no one's surprise their ideological analysis not only changed the National Intelligence Estimate around by 180 degrees but went on to prophesy that the Soviets would soon exploit this American weakness to invade a neighboring country. A veil of intrigue surrounded the creation of Team B from the start. Leo Cherne along with his young partner, future Reagan CIA director William Casey, had written the book on militarizing the American economy in a 1939 manual titled Adjusting Your Business to War. And in a fall 1941 newsletter they'd prophesied the U.S. wouldn't enter the war in Europe until "a triggering event occurs in the Pacific." John Arthur Paisley, the CIA's liaison charged with reviewing Team B's conclusions (and a Team B critic) disappeared in September 1978 while writing his report on a boat in Chesapeake Bay. A body fixed to diving weights and shot in the head "execution style" was later found that failed on numerous accounts to match his description. And yet Paisley's death was ruled a suicide and the body cremated. A campaign waged by Team B supporters would claim the discrepancies proved Paisley was a KGB mole and that the real Paisley had been whisked away behind the Iron Curtain - but in the end no proof of KGB hijinks ever emerged. In the final analysis Team B's real objective was to avoid the American system of checks and balances and politicize intelligence by delivering the levers of power to followers of Leo Strauss and turn reality into whatever they wanted. As described decades later by a horrified ex-member of the neocon fraternity - Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, the Neoconservative agenda of Team B was to scare the government into establishing a full mobilization and endless war against Russia and in this, they ultimately succeeded. Following the election of Jimmy Carter in 1976, this new neoconservative alliance led by Richard Pipes, Paul Wolfowitz, Paul Nitze and Senator Henry "Scoop" Jackson of Washington, continued to lobby against Strategic Nuclear Arms Limitation and De'tente and found a powerful ally in President Carter's national security advisor - the well-known Russophobe, Zbigniew Brzezinski. Brzezinski had helped elevate Carter to the presidency as a member of the Trilateral Commission, a Rockefeller-funded group whose goal was to restore U.S. hegemony after the Vietnam War. In return Carter appointed him to the exclusive national security advisor post which Carter had elevated to cabinet level and which Brzezinski then reorganized to assume control over CIA covert action and seize power from the Secretary of State, Cyrus Vance. In the words of neoconservative author David Rothkopf "it was a bureaucratic first strike of the first order" with Carter doing precisely what he'd promised not to do. According to former Secretary of Defense and CIA director Robert Gates, despite President Carter's campaign promises to establish better relations with the Soviet Union, upon coming into office in January 1977 Brzezinski immediately began destabilizing pro-Soviet regimes and looking for a place to trap the Soviets. Then, in an effort to fulfill Team B's prophecy he activated covert action inside Soviet territory bordering Afghanistan hoping to provoke a response. By April of 1978, Brzezinski's efforts were bearing fruit when a radical Marxist group led by the U.S. educated Hafizullah Amin seized power in a bloody coup in Kabul. And by the time the new American Ambassador to Afghanistan Adolph "Spike" Dubs arrived that May, the Afghan trap was ready to be sprung. Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Coating everything is the dust of ash. Suburban homes where families live. Swings where children play. Everything is coated with this dust where German citizens live as if free . Yet, as author Isabel Wilkerson writes in Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, "the fruit of evil fell upon villagers like snow dust." Like that ash that settled upon everything. You could sweep away the dust but what really produced the dust was present in everyone, despite everyone pretending to be innocent . Ash from the nearby crematory made even the silence culpable-- as silent as any tree reserved for hanging a human body in any southern American town. Local lynching trees, Wilkerson continues, "bore silent witness to black citizens of their eternal lot, and in so doing, it whispered reassurances to the dominant caste of theirs." However collective this display of innocence and these "whispered" reassurances, the caste structure demands of its dominant caste their active participation. Silence and absenteeism aren't an excuse for denying beneficiary participation in the caste system. Even if, in East Texas, the dominant caste members refused to attend the lynching of Wylie McNeely, even if, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, they insisted on having no connections with Blacks, of having never set eyes on Rubin Stacy hanging from a tree, even if they never traveled as many from the dominant caste did, from one lynching to another, to Cairo, Illinois, for example, to see Will James suffer before he died, the dominant caste benefits from the tyranny of terror committed against those designated for the lower caste. Like slavery, lynching wasn't a secret in the US: it was a commodity. Souvenirs collected from the dead, that is, body parts and clothing, were collected and sold, along with photos, snapped when the necks of Black people snapped. Postcards were sent to family and friends miles away. And many of these postcards referred to the sender having attended a b arbecue. As Wilkerson writes, these spectacles of violence and terror were "'singularly American.'" Even Nazis, she adds, didn't stoop to selling souvenirs of Auschwitz, she writes. Residents in Omaha, Nebraska, near the bonfire where Will Brown was set ablaze, must have smelt the human flesh burning. Fourteen-year-old Malcolm Little remembered the death of his father in Omaha. Earl Little, a Garveyite, ended up on a train track. Yes. Accidentally. Of course. * In Caste , Wilkerson refers to eight pillars upholding the caste structure. According to an ancient Hindu text, Manu, the "all-knowing," was asked, before the age of "human awareness," about the "proper order of "all the social classes as well as those born in between." A caste structure comes into existence, and in time, the structure, arbitrary, becomes a tradition if not a series of inhumane laws. Ordained, no less, by a divinity! The first pillar of the caste structure is a hierarchy based on "those with the lightest skin above those with the darkest" while the second pillar refers to heritability-- fixing the idea of humans born into "a certain caste." An inheritance, in other words, that then passes from one generation to the next. It should be noted that in India, this caste position is based on the father's ethnicity while in the US, it's the "black womb," Wilkerson explains, that is converted into a "profit center." Slaveowners could guarantee more bodies for exploitation if the practice of rape becomes institutionalized, the business model for aspiring slaveowners. The third pillar of the caste structure, endogamy, further results in isolating the lower caste. Marriages between the lower caste and the dominant was forbidden. By law! With segregation in order, it's easy for the fourth pillar, purity, to seem a natural phenomenon. Only now, certain immigrants were to be feared; for they, like the Blacks, presented the potential for the contamination of the white race in the US. The idea of whiteness envisions a dominant class, consisting only of Anglo populations, rather than those immigrants, for example, from Germany or Ireland. Europeans not so racially pure, in other words, were to be feared! Ben Franklin worried that the growing population of Pennsylvanians would "'become a Colony of Aliens,'" wiping out the Anglo and "Germanizing" the state. Wilkerson: "What was to become of a country flooded by 'the most degenerate races of older day Europe,'" writes the Aryan supremacist Arthur de Gobineau, quoted in Caste . It was implied in this fear of pollution that the "grand Anglo-Saxon character" was in danger of being polluted by the Poles, Greeks, Italians, and Jews. Whiteness therefore was in danger! The idea of a pure white race of people! Whiteness now blankets those European races once feared. What remains, still, is the idea of "negro blood." "A drop of negro blood" meant something during slavery. It still represents a belief in whiteness ; for whiteness is reserved for those with "'no trace whatsoever of any blood other than Caucasian,'" according to the Racial Integrity Act of 1924. For those marching with their swastikas and claiming to be a white nation, they are still channeling Robert E. Lee and the Confederacy. Occupational hierarchy is the fifth pillar of the caste structure, writes Wilkerson, resulting in those targeted groups only allowed to do menial work. To settle for the path that guarantees that the target experience "the drudgery of life." It was deemed that enslaved Blacks, an inferior caste, was created by God to be forever members of this caste of menial workers. "African-Americans throughout most of their time in this land, were relegated to the dirtiest, most demeaning and least desirable jobs by definition," writes Wilkerson. The sixth pillar represents the process of dehumanizing and stigmatizing those in the lower caste. To dehumanize someone, writes Wilkerson, is to "declare that someone is not human. But programming of the targeted group, explains Wilkerson, completes "the work of dehumanizing the lower caste. For the targeted group or individuals within, must "no longer believe what their eyes can see." They must "no longer trust their own thoughts." Both Nazi Germany and the United States, she adds, "reduced their out groups, Jews, and African-Americans, respectively, to an undifferentiated mass of nameless, faceless scapegoats, the shock absorbers of the collective fears, and setbacks of each nation." There can be no thought of individuality among those stigmatized, writes Wilkerson. She provides an example of African Americans being told to never refer to their birth names. As enslaved person, they were given names, "as would a dog to a new owner." Jews, too, were stripped and forced to memorize their prison numbers. Untouchables were assigned surnames that "identified them by the only work they performed." The enslaved Black was punished "for being the human that they could not help but be." African Americans and Dalits weren't allowed to read or write. "In the United States," continues Wilkerson, there developed two parallel worlds existing on the same plane with flagrant double-standards to emphasize the purposeful, injustices built into the system." Not surprisingly, violence became part of the "unspoken curriculum for generations of children in the dominant caste." As a result, cruelty was the order of the day, making "violence and mockery" seem mundane and amusing." Violence becomes structured and routine. As for the seventh pillar of the caste structure, lynching becomes the US is the "primary means of terror," with "African Americans mutilated and hanged from poplars and sycamores and buried at the courthouse square." In the first decades of the 20 th Century, Wilkerson explains, "a lynching every three or four days sustains the order of the caste system." In the final pillar, the eighth, "inherent superiority vs inferiority" becomes the norm. "At every turn, the caste system drilled into the people under its spell the deference due those born to the upper caste and the degradation befitting the subordinated caste." In 1944, a sixteen-year-old girl, African American, writing an essay on what should befall Hitler, declares that Hitler should be punished. And the punishment: "'Put him in a black skin and let him live the rest of his life in America.'" The desire to cater to Israel in its Gaza operation led UK Labour leader Keir Starmer to consult with the Israeli President, perpetrator of genocidal incitement, and cotrive with the Speaker of the House of Commons to subvert UK parliamentary procedures to the degree that the Speaker has lost the confidence of the House and may have to resign. Tel Aviv, February 26 - the hard to watch and deeply disturbing images of the carnage and destruction inflicted by Israel in the Gaza Strip are now joined by a unique spectacle of subversion of the UK parliamentary process. (Image by GNMEWS) Details DMCA The UK is not an uninvolved party. Like the US, the UK is complicit in the plausible genocide being perpetrated by the State of Israel - a Crime against Humanity. And the goal of the UK parliamentary maneuvers by Labour leader Keir Starmer and Speaker of the House of Commons Lindsay Hoyle was to produce a UK public position that better suits the interests of the State of Israel in carrying out its acts to completion. The joint conduct of Starmer and Hoyle was also aimed at subverting the clear desire of the vast majority of the UK public - an immediate ceasefire, return of the hostages and end of the hostilities in Palestine and Israel. Such maneuvering is taking place when ~1.4 million displaced Palestinians are trapped at the southern tip of the Gaza Strip under the threat of imminent Israeli air strikes and ground assault. They have nowhere to go. It appears that Israel is trying to accomplish their final forced displacement to Egypt, since genocide/forced displacement/ethnic cleansing were the true goals of the Israeli operation all along. As Israeli War Cabinet member, former Shin Bet head Avi Dichter commented on November 11, 2023: "We are rolling out the Gaza Nakba... The 2023 Gaza Nakba, that's how it will end up." February 21- 22 , 2024 - r ecent events in the UK House of Commons February 21 was an "Opposition Day" in the House of Commons, on which the SNP was entitled to pick the topic to be debated. The SNP chose the topic of the Israel-Hamas war and a motion calling for an "immediate ceasefire." The motion "condemns any military assault on what is now the largest refugee camp in the world" and "further calls for the immediate release of all hostages taken by Hamas and an end to the collective punishment of the Palestinian people." Both Labour and the Conservatives found the SNP motion too pro-Palestinian for their taste and proposed amendments to the SNP motion. Speaker Hoyle took an unusual action by calling the Labour amendment for consideration by the House before consideration of the SNP motion itself, or the Conservatives amendment . Hoyle's maneuver was believed to be designed to help Labour leader Starmer, who consistently presse d a pro-Israeli position . Starmer , like the Conservatives, preferred in the past calling for a "pause" and not for a "ceasefire" as in the SNP motion. However, in a previous debate and vote on the subject, Starmer was unsuccessful in keeping all Labour MPs towing the line. Hoyle's maneuver was intended to help Starmer keep Labour MPs voting for the Labour amendment. Hoyle's maneuver was described as " hijacking a debate on Gaza by tearing up a Commons procedure to favour Labour. " By the end of the day both SNP and Tory MPs walked out on the debate . One of the Conservative MPs tabled a motion of no confidence in Speaker Lindsay Hoyle . February 22, 2024 was summed up by Sky News - "a taxing day that left Sir Lindsay fighting for his political life ." More than 50 MP s joined the motion of no confidence in Speaker Hoyle. Starmer made unusual efforts to explain his part in Hoyle's maneuver: "I can categorically tell you that I did not threaten the Speaker in any way whatsoever... I simply urged to ensure that we have the broadest possible debate." Starmer further admitted that he consulted with Israeli President Isaac Herzog in drafting his amendment to the SNP motion regarding a ceasefire. As Starmer put it, he wanted to consult with a person who was actually "involved in the conflict." In this last excuse Starmer, a human rights expert and former UK Director of Public Prosecution, is exposed. Starmer lacks integrity, basic decency and respect for human lives. It is not a "conflict." The International Court of Justice had already ruled that there was prima facie evidence that Israel was perpetrating a genocide on the Palestinians. And Isaac Herzog was far beyond "involved." Herzog was cited in the International Court of Justice for his genocidal incitement, a separate crime pursuant to the Genocide Convention. The Court ordered Israel to prevent genocidal incitement and punish the perpetrators. Otherwise put : UK Labour leader was shaping the UK position regarding the Israeli operation in Gaza, now pending review as genocide, through consultation with a key Israeli offender and by subverting the UK parliamentary process . The latest series of horrors hasn't occurred in a vacuum. At least their most recent history needs to be considered. 2005-2023 - Siege and blockade of Gaza Well before the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack it became evident that Israeli leaders consider the Gaza siege and blockage scheme obsolete, and consider instead a genocide/forced displacement/ethnic cleansing scheme. Under the siege and blockage scheme, conceived by Prof. Arnon Soffer, Israel had been holding over 2 million Palestinians since 2005 in the "world's largest open air prison," with rounds of indiscriminate air bombing and killing. https://www.jpost.com/features/i-didnt-suggest-we-kill-palestinians Under the siege and blockage scheme, Israel practically had total control over the Gaza Strip, albeit, with no "boots on the ground." Therefore, Israel's position was that the Gaza Strip was no longer an occupied Palestinian territory pursuant to international law. Many legal scholars disagreed. Under the siege and blockage scheme, Israel restricted the passage of goods and people in various ways. For example, according to IMEU (Institute for ME Understanding) and Israeli sources: In early 2006, Dov Weisglass, then a senior advisor to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, explained that Israeli policy was designed "to put the Palestinians on a diet, but not to make them die of hunger." In 2012 it was revealed that in early 2008 Israeli authorities drew up a document calculating the minimum caloric intake necessary for Palestinians to avoid malnutrition so Israel could limit the amount of foodstuffs allowed into Gaza without causing outright starvation." According to Soffer's scheme, it was expected from the outset that Israel would have to periodically slaughter the inmates, who were expected to resist the reality of life imprisonment. Prof Soffer concerns pertained neither to the loss of Palestinian lives, nor to the serious deprivation of their human rights. His concern lied instead with the mental toll on the Israeli soldiers that would perpetrate the periodic slaughtering of the Palestinians in Gaza. For example, in July-August 2014 alone, Israel carried out ~6,000 airstrikes, killed over 2,250 people, including 551 children, injured ~11,000 and displaced over 300,000 Palestinians. T he siege and blockade scheme, in itself, should be considered a Crime against Humanity pursuant to Article 7 to the Rome Statute: "Imprisonment or other severe deprivation of physical liberty in violation of fundamental rules of international law"... "committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against any civilian population." And yet, the siege and blockade as well as the rounds of Israeli air strikes passed with minimal resistance by the international community , which failed to perform its duty to protect . The radicalization of Judaism in Israel as the driving force for the alleged apartheid and genocide The Jewish Israeli public has been radicalized in recent decades. As noted in a recent opinion piece by former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, genocide/forced displacement/ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians both in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank have become part of Israeli public discourse some years ago. And under the current government genocide/forced displacement/ethnic cleansing are on the agenda. For example, i n March-May 2023, months before the Hamas October 7 attack, Yehudist cabinet ministers in Netanyahu's government, e.g., Orit Strock, repeatedly called for "liberating" the Gaza Strip, ethnically cleansing it, and building in it Jewish settlements. Strock's primary justification for such plans was not the typical "security concerns", but a simpler claim: The Gaza Strip was part of the Promised Land, and Jews were not at liberty to relinquish land, which was part of the godly promise... In 2017 Bezalel Smotrich , leader of the Religious Zionism party and today Israel's Finance Minister, published his "Vanquishing Plan" in HaShiloach - "an Israeli thought and policy periodical." The "Vanquishing Plan" is a thinly disguised call for genocide/forced displacement/ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian residents of the occupied West Bank as well as the Palestinian citizen of Israel within the 1949 armistice borders: "not an innocent solution"... "cheaper and much more correct economically..." In a law-abiding nation both the editors of the periodical and the author of the "Vanquishing Plan" would have been prosecuted. In Israel, Smotrich's "Vanquishing Plan" has been practically accepted by a large segment of the Israeli public as a relevant, legitimate part of public discourse. The drive to conceive, propose specific course of action and perpetrate such crimes is provided by what Rabbi Shaul Magid, a Dartmouth and Harvard academic theologian, has recently referred to in an interview with Chris Hedges as "subversion of Judaism by Zionism" and the rise of a "chauvinistic and fanatic religious Zionism." The Jewish settler's brand of Judaism - "Yehudism"- originated in Orthodox Judaism. It is a racist, predatory, violent and murderous ideology, which has provided the foundation for the alleged apartheid in the occupied West Bank and the alleged genocide in Gaza. This radical brand of Judaism has penetrated Israeli culture in particular, and Judaism in general, much further than most Jews and Israel's Western allies wish to acknowledge. In 2019, Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh, a leading religious authority of the Chabad-Lubavich sect, won the Israeli Creative Jewish Scholarship prize, sponsored by the Israeli government. Review of Ginsburgh's Jewish scholarship leaves no room for doubt. Ginsburgh is deeply involved in propagating the Yehudist, racist, violent and murderous ideology. "The Arab has no right to exist in the Land of Israel." Much of the rest is derived from this concept. In fact, this concept applies not only to Arabs, but to all non-Jews. Therefore, it is not surprising that in 2021 the Archbishop of Canterbury joined an unprecedented statement by the Patriarchs and Heads of local churches in Jerusalem, condemning the "systematic attempt to drive Christians out of the Holy Land." The same concept also implies the demolition and elimination of any non-Jewish houses of worship in the Land of Israel, first and foremost - the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem. Ginsburgh's students wrote the "King's Torah", and Ginsburgh provided the book with its rabbinical accreditation. The book, first published in 2009, expounds the Yehudist law of war, as well as the Yehudist law pertaining to the killing of non-Jews by Jews during war time and peace time. The norms and rules, which are presented in the book, are far removed from the norms of international law or common morals. The Yehudist norms make the killing of non-Jews by Jews easily permissible under various circumstances. During war - it is permitted to harm and kill uninvolved, innocent enemy people. It is permitted to kill the children of the enemy, so that they won't grow up to become fighters. Likewise, the book provides rules for taking revenge of non-Jews for actions of others - collective punishment. To the degree that non-Jews remain in the Jewish State, they must acknowledge Jewish supremacy, and they must be delegated to the status of "Ger Toshav" - residents with neither political rights nor full human and civil rights. Opponents of "King's Torah" claim that the book in fact guides the violent Jewish settlers, who in recent years routinely perpetrate pogroms against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. However, the book and its conceptual framework are influential far beyond the West Bank settlers. These Yehudist concepts are instrumental in any attempt to understand the the Israeli military's conduct on October 7 (e.g., the Hannibal Directive) and its conduct in the current operation in Gaza, which is clearly different from any previous operation. In particular - the indiscriminate killing of Palestinians and "rules of engagement" that are in fact cold blooded murder of unarmed, innocent civilians. For example, on December 15 the Israeli military shot to death 3 Israeli hostages, who managed to escape from their captivity. They first hid in a local building and marked on it a large "Save Us" graffiti. Later they came out, shirtless, holding a white cloth. They were shot from close range. Two were killed immediately. The third escaped back to the building. When he noticed the approaching soldiers, he yelled in Hebrew: "Help". The Battalion Commander ordered to cease fire. Regardless, when the hostage came out, he was shot to death at close range. The Yehudist concepts also explain the purposeless destruction of all civilian infrastructure ("leveling"). According to Israeli media it is at time the outcome of local commander initiative with no higher command authorization. Another clear distinction of the current operation is the massive looting of Palestinian homes by Israeli soldiers. Prof Yagil Levy, a sociologist who studies the Israeli military, published prior to October 7 a book, titled "The New Israeli Militarism in the 2000s." The book describes the current Israeli culture as the merger of militarism and Yehudism. Regarding conduct of the Israeli military in the current operation in Gaza, Yagil Levy commented in an opinion piece that although the massive looting by Israeli soldiers in Gaza is not the worst crime being perpetrated, it is the one that most clearly shows the disintegration of the norms of conduct of a regular army and adoption of the conduct of armed militias. The Yehudist concepts that are expounded in the "King's Torah" are also instrumental even in understanding the post October 7 Hamas attack genocidal incitement in Israel. October 7, 2023 - Hamas attack and Israeli response Conduct of the Israeli security forces on October 7, which allowed Hamas to breach the Israeli defenses, and response to the Hamas invasion requires thorough investigation. It is clear that Hamas attacked civilians and engaged in other war crimes. However, it remains unclear how many of the Israeli civilian victims on October 7 were killed by Israeli fire under the notorious Hannibal Directive. The Hannibal Directive was officially revoked in 2016. However, the Hannibal Directive was adopted by the Yehudist rabbis as a religious commandment, and it was widely implemented on October 7. Furthermore, the Israeli claims regarding October 7 Hamas horrors are marred by various fakes, some of them are outlandish fakes by senior Israeli officials. For example, the notorious fake by senior Israeli government spokesman Eylon Levy. According to Levy's fake, the children of Kibbutz Be'eri were tortured, dismembered and then burned to death" "Archaeologists are sifting through the rubble to find their teeth." To wit, he published a fake photograph of children's teeth. This fake reached a readership of over 30 millions, and has neither been retracted nor removed from Levy's official X page. Beyond the Israeli fakes regarding Hamas abuse and torture of Israeli babies and children, Israel was hard at work trying to establish that Hamas engaged in "systematic rape." Here too, initial claims by Israeli representatives turned out to be fake. Later, on December 28, the New York Times published an "investigation" by Gettleman, Schwartz and Sella, which purported to establish weaponized sexual violence by Hamas on October 7. However, that report was largely discredited under further review by the Intercept, Daily Beast and the Grayzone's Max Blumenthal. In mid January 2024, Israeli media reported that the Israeli Ministry of Health instructed Israelis not to cooperate with a UN investigation committee on the subject of Hamas sexual violence, claiming that members of the committee were "antisemitic." The Israeli fakes were also part of an effort to generate the pretense of international legitimacy for the planned genocide/forced displacement/ethnic cleansing operation. This effect was particularly evident when unconfirmed Israeli fakes such as "40 beheaded babies" were propagated by US and UK mainstream media and also by US President Biden in the White House at a time that the US and UK were actively purporting to provide the Israeli operation with the pretense of legitimacy. Post October 7 genocidal incitement and the October 13, 2023 President Isaac Herzog's genocidal declaration Immediately after October 7, Israeli leaders explicitly declared the intent to perpetrate a genocide/force displacement/ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Israeli media, and even Israeli popular culture started a never before seen wave of genocidal incitement. One of the most remarkable instances of genocidal incitement, which was provided as evidence by South Africa in the International Court of Justice was the October 13 genocidal declaration by Israeli President Isaac Herzog. Herzog's declaration was of particular significance since he is the Head of State and also an attorney. Therefore he had to be aware of the legal and international implication of his declarations. Moreover, on the Israeli political map President Herzog, former chair of the Israeli Labor party, may be considered "center-left." Surely he is not one of the Israeli radical- right Yehudist figure s. Therefore, Herzog's genocidal declaration demonstrates the degree to which mainstream Israeli society has been radicalized and adopted the Yehudist concepts. In addition, as President, Herzog has on his staff a high ranking officer (Brigadier General) as Military Secretary. Herzog is routinely briefed relative to military plans and operations. Therefore, Herzog's genocidal declaration, which w as made prior to the onset of the ground operation in Gaza, w as most likely part of the wider effort s to generate pretense of legitimacy for the genocidal/ forced displacement/ethnic cleansing operation, even before it started . Herzog's genocidal declaration is comprised of two parts: a) A ll Palestinians are responsible, and b) There is no distinction between combatants and uninvolved civilians. Combined, these two statements turn the core concepts of international humanitarian law upside down. Herzog's phrasing was not original. I t has been repeated as a mantra in Israel, at least since the 2014 indiscriminate air bombing and ground operation in Gaza. During the current Israeli operation in Gaza, soldiers were recorded singing " there are no uninvolved people in Gaza" to a popular tune. Israeli forces in Gaza act accordingly, shooting to kill unarmed, uninvolved civilians, posing no threat . Genocidal incitement on Israeli media is manifested, for example, by "Arab affairs experts" debating the question, whether the Israeli army should have killed 50,000 or 100,000 Palestinians in the initial air strikes on Gaza for optimal effect. Likewise, TV news pundit discuss the question from what age Palestinian children should be killed - 4 or 0. Obviously, such public discourse reflects the widespread diffusion of Yehudist culture in Israel. A decade ago, such conduct was limited to Yehudists, was prosecuted and punished. For example, in the 2015 arson murder of the Dawabsha family in Kafr Duma by Yehudist settlers, one of the victims was 18 months old Ali Dawabsha. Later, Jewish settlers repeatedly taunted the family by singing "Ali is on the grill." In addition, Yehudists had a song and dance celebration of Ali's murder in what came to be known as the "Hate Wedding." Some of the participants in the celebration were prosecuted and punished for racist incitement for violence. Yehudist Itamar Ben Gvir, Minister of National Security in the current Israeli government, was one of the participants in the 2015 "Hate Wedding" celebration. October 27, 2023 - " no red lines" declaration by the White House, US and UK complicity in the Israeli acts Following extensive, indiscriminate air strikes affecting widespread carnage and destruction, and with the onset of the ground offensive, the White House issued on October 27 an inexplicable - "no red lines" declaration regarding the Israeli operation in Gaza. Such declaration was perceived as the US purporting to grant Israel exemption from the rule of international law. In the UK, Keir Starmer stood out in similar statements, going as far as purporting on October 11 that Israel had the right to withhold water and electricity from the entire Palestinian civilian population of the Gaza Strip. In addition, Starmer criticized pro-Palestinian protest and questioned the legality of waving Palestinian flags. Coming from an expert Human Rights attorney and a former senior officer of the UK justice system, Starmer's statements raise concerns regarding his credibility and integrity. Indeed the US and the UK were full partners in Israel's acts in Gaza, providing Israel weapons and munitions, as well as military assistance in the arena itself. The US sent troops to Israel and moved navy vessels to the Mediterranean. The UK provided Israel assistance through its RAF Akrotiri base in Cyprus. UK media were largely barred from reporting on the scope of UK involvement in the Israeli operation under the DSMA-notice system, and MP's were barred from filing questions on the subject. On February 20th, a ceasefire resolution was considered by the UN Security Council for the 3rd time. 13 out of 15 members voted for the resolution. The The US vetoed the resolution. The UK abstained. December 29, 2023 - genocide complaint filed in the International Court of Justice South Africa filed a complaint with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) alleging that Israel was perpetrating a genocide of the Palestinians in Gaza. South Africa's solidarity with the Palestinian cause is self-explanatory, given what South Africans describe as their shared experience of oppression under apartheid regimes. Solidarity with the Palestinians is also considered an integral part of the Nelson Mandela heritage. And yet, given the US and UK direct partnership in Israel's acts, the South Africa complaint had the inevitable implication of a Global South, 3rd World nation challenging Western colonial powers to accept the rule of international law and the United Nations adjudication system, of which these powers had been the founders and key proponents. In the meanwhile, with the Israeli carnage and destruction broadcast live, massive protests, calling for a ceasefire, release of hostages and supporting Palestinian rights have been stages around the globe, including the US and UK. And yet, the US, UK and EU political and media class appeared staunch in its determination to allow Israel to go through with its intent, by then partly acted upon, which appeared as Crimes against Humanity. The South Africa filing extensively documented the widespread genocidal incitement in Israel, which was part of the evidence of the intent. The genocidal incitement is also a separate offense pursuant to the Genocide Convention. January 26, 2024 - ICJ provisional measures On January 26, the International Court of Justice rendered its decision that there was prima facie evidence for a allegation of genocide for Israel to answer on. Based on such determination, the Court issued provisional measures, including ordering Israel to prevent genocidal incitement and punish its propagators. February 19, 2024 - final forced displacement to Egypt? As of February 19, Samer Badawi summed up the situation in Gaza: With Egypt reportedly preparing for an influx of refugees and UNRWA on the brink of collapse, Israel's second Nakba fantasies could soon become reality. With most of the Gaza Strip's Palestinians now trapped inside the enclave's southern tip, the Israeli onslaught they had attempted to escape has followed them to Rafah. Some 1.4 million people are pinned against a virtually impermeable Egyptian border, while the entry of life-sustaining aid is chronically stalled. At Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom), the southeastern crossing directly controlled by Israel, Jewish Israelis have been filmed gleefully blocking food convoys from Egypt, in a fitting correlative to the genocidal rhetoric of their leaders. Epilogue No doubt, t he unique recent spectacle in the UK Parliament is of minor significance relative to the alleged Israeli crimes. And yet, this episode is worthy of review, since through this prism a unique picture emerges of the world in the 21 st century: The complete, deliberate subversion of the fundamentals of international law in general, and the duty to protect the lives of the Palestinians in particular, by the UK and US - the nations that chaperoned this international system in the wake of World War II and the Holocaust. And Israel, the Jewish State created by that international system, largely in response to the Jewish Holocaust, now stands accused of Crimes against Humanity, while Judaism in its mutated Israeli form is perceived as the driving force for such alleged crimes. In the wake of the 1967 war and the Israeli national euphoria some Israeli intellectuals voiced their opposition. Historian Jacob Talmon predicted that the "Zionist Revolution" will become a "serious fault" in the history of Jews and Judaism. He seems to have missed the transformative effect on Judaism itself. Yeshayahu Leibowitz predicted the escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian confrontation into a "war of annihilation," and sub-human degradation of Israel and Israelis. (Article changed on Mar 01, 2024 at 6:28 AM EST) BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 29. On February 29, the fourth round of political consultations between the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan and Brazil took place in Baku, Trend reports citing the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry. The Azerbaijani delegation was headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Elnur Mammadov, and the Brazilian delegation was headed by Maria Laura da Rocha, Secretary General (First Deputy Minister) of the Ministry of External Relations of Brazil. At the beginning of the meeting, Maria Laura da Rocha presented a congratulatory letter addressed to the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on behalf of the President of Brazil Lula da Silva on the occasion of his re-election as President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. During the meeting, a wide exchange of views took place on the current state and prospects for the development of relations between the two countries in the political, economic, energy, transport, tourism and humanitarian spheres, especially on issues such as education, culture, agriculture, organization of customs work and attraction of investments. There was expressed mutual support for the creation of a legal framework in these areas Issues of cooperation within international organizations were also discussed. An exchange of views took place regarding the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29), which will be held this year in Azerbaijan, and it was noted that this significant event will create new opportunities for the development of cooperation both bilaterally and within the framework of the COP-three. In this regard, detailed information was provided on Azerbaijan's contribution to environmental protection and climate change mitigation at the national, regional and global levels. Also at the meeting, information was provided on the goals and priorities of the G20 summit, which will be chaired by Brazil in November this year, and Brazils priorities in this regard. The meeting provided information on the situation in the region in the post-conflict period, Azerbaijan's peace agenda and steps taken to establish sustainable peace in the region, the mine problem in the liberated territories of Azerbaijan and large-scale restoration and reconstruction work. An exchange of views took place on other issues of mutual interest during the political consultations. If there is one thing that is consistently true about our species, it is the universality of conflict; extending it to tribes and countries makes for wars and the loss of thousands, hundreds of thousands, even millions of lives -- but we never learn. The current conflict in the news is the war in Gaza and the heart-ending stories of Gazan civilians and the doctors tending them in a hospital that has also become a sort of refuge. The other day when electricity was off due to the Israeli blockade of fuel trucks, a ten year old girl in critical care died. A doctor interviewed on Al Jazeera broke down as he talked of Cesareans performed without anaesthetics and other horrors. He was shortly thereafter picked up by Israeli officials for questioning. Meanwhile Ralph Nader has drawn attention to an open letter sent by Veterans for Peace to the Inspector General of the US State Department and to Secretary of State Anthony Blinken pointing out several US statutes that forbid such aid in the present circumstances. The Foreign Assistance Act forbids aid to a government that violates internationally recognized human rights. The Export Control Act which requires countries receiving military aid -- to use it for legitimate self defense when Israel's campaign in Gaza goes arguably well beyond this. The US War Crimes Act which forbids grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions, including wilful killing, wilfully causing great suffering and unlawful deportation as is currently being perpetrated by Israeli occupying forces. The Leahy Law which prohibits funds for assistance when there is credible evidence implicating the recipient in gross violations of human rights. The Genocide Conventions Implementation Act was passed to implement US obligations under the Geneva Convention. It provides criminal penalties for individuals who commit or incite others to commit genocide. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). "It is necessary and urgent for our coalition to find a way to unlock the value of these immobilized assets to support Ukraine's continued resistance and long-term reconstruction," Yellen said in remarks in Brazil, where Group of 20 finance ministers and central bank governors are meeting this week. "I believe there is a strong international law, economic, and moral case for moving forward. This would be a decisive response to Russia's unprecedented threat to global stability," she said. The United States and its allies froze hundreds of billions of dollars in Russian foreign holdings in retaliation for Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. Those billions have been sitting untapped as the war grinds on, now in its third year, while officials from multiple countries have debated the legality of sending the money to Ukraine. More than two-thirds of Russia's immobilized central bank funds are located in the EU. The idea of using Russia's frozen assets has gained traction lately as continued allied funding for Ukraine becomes more uncertain and the U.S. Congress is in a stalemate over providing more support. But there are tradeoffs since the weaponization of global finance could harm the U.S. dollar's standing as the world's dominant currency. Last Thursday the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations approved the REPO act, the law that would allow frozen Russian assets to be allocated to Ukraine, to which the Kremlin has promised to respond to if the West ultimately takes that step. The European Union and the United States have not yet made a decision, but Moscow has warned that billions of Western assets that are still trapped in Russian accounts will remain permanently in the hands of the Kremlin. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba recently wrote an article in Politico calling for the confiscation of Russian funds. "Russia must pay for the enormous damage it's done to Ukraine with its unprovoked and entirely unjustified aggression," he wrote. "And as we mark the second anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion, there's money available to help compensate for some of the physical destruction it's caused and aid Ukraine's defense." Kuleba said that "As it stands, there are over $300 billion in Russian central bank assets frozen in various Western jurisdictions. There's also other "immobilized" Russian money out there from sanctioned Russian oligarchs. And Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rightly persists in insisting on the confiscation of these assets to aid Ukraine's recovery and defense." U.S. National Security Spokesman John Kirby said at a White House press briefing Tuesday that "we still believe Russia needs to be responsible for the damage" brought onto Ukraine by "exploring the option of using those frozen assets." He said, "we still need more legislative authorities from Congress" to spend the immobilized funds, and "we have got to have our coalition partners to come along with us." Bipartisan legislation circulating in Washington called the Rebuilding Economic Prosperity and Opportunity for Ukrainians Act would use assets confiscated from the Russian Central Bank and other sovereign assets for Ukraine. Leading lawmakers had tried to push it as a way to help provide Ukraine aid, but it has since not moved forward. Earlier this month, the European Union passed a law to set aside windfall profits generated from frozen Russian central bank assets. Yellen calls that "an action I fully endorse." As Kuleba noted, "Russia isn't just waging war on Ukraine, it's attempting to undermine the West's rules-based order -- including rule of law. And raising thin legal objections in a bid to stop the confiscation of the assets of an enemy that wants to smash this order runs counter to the instinct of survival." He added that "Confiscation would not only be fair, it would be legitimate -- this has already been established by numerous legal scholars and jurists. According to international law, an aggressor state has an obligation to make reparations for acts of armed aggression. The U.N. Articles on the Responsibility of States for Internationally Wrongful Acts allow for such countermeasures." Kuleba added that confiscation would not risk destabilizing the Western financial system and international finance, nor would it undermine reserve currencies. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Oregon lawmakers from both parties are moving to block voters from holding public referendums on whether cities should expand their urban growth boundaries. The legislators are reacting to a vote scheduled for May in North Plains on whether to reject the citys plan to more than double in size, adding 855 acres for housing and commercial and industrial development. A 57-year-old man is accused of drugging three 12-year-old girls with sedative-laced smoothies during his daughters sleepover last summer at his Lake Oswego home, court records show. Michael Meyden turned himself in to the Clackamas County Jail late Tuesday on multiple felony and misdemeanor allegations and pleaded not guilty during his arraignment Wednesday in Clackamas County Circuit Court. His bail was set at $50,000. Meyden laced mango smoothies with benzodiazepine and served the drinks to his daughters friends, according to a probable cause affidavit written by Lake Oswego police Detective Nicole Palmeri. Benzodiazepine is a depressant that slows the nervous system. The affidavit doesnt explain a motive. Meyden faces charges including causing another person to ingest a controlled substance and application of a controlled substance to the body of another person. Mark Cogan, Meydens lawyer, said he had not seen evidence in the case. Mr. Meyden is presumed innocent and we hope that people will reserve judgment until all of the facts and circumstances are known, Cogan said. The investigation began Aug. 26 when Lake Oswego police were called to the emergency room at Randall Childrens Hospital at Legacy Emanuel in Portland where three girls tested positive for benzodiazepine. The girls told police they attended a Saturday sleepover at their friends home and they suspected they had unknowingly been given drugs by their friends father, according to the affidavit. They described feeling groggy, even blacking out. They told police Meyden had been very involved with their activities during the sleepover and they got ready for bed at Mr. Meydens direction, Palmeri wrote. The girls spent most of the time in the basement, where they watched movies and did facials, according to the affidavit. Sometime between 9 p.m. and 11 p.m., Meyden prepared the smoothies and insisted they drink them, the girls told police. The drinks had tiny white chunks throughout and sprinkled on top, the affidavit says. One of the girls said she didnt like smoothies and declined to drink hers, but Meyden insisted, even making a second one for her to try, Palmeri wrote. The record is redacted; it is unclear who the detective is referring to when she describes their accounts. According to the affidavit, Meyden made repeated visits to the basement, at one point holding his finger under one girls nose and waving his hand in front of her face to see if she was asleep. He also moved one girls arm and moved her body on the bed, the affidavit says. The girl remained awake in fear that Mr. Meyden was going to do something to her friend, according to the affidavit. The affidavit says Meyden walked out of the room, prompting a girl to text her mother at 1:43 a.m. Sunday: Mom please pick me up and say I had a family emergency. I dont feel safe. I might not respond but please come get me (crying emoji), Please. Please pick up. Please. PLEASE!! Meyden returned to the basement again, standing near the area where the girls were sleeping for what seemed like an extended period of time, Palmeri wrote. One girl told police she could feel him watching her by his presence as she kept her eyes shut, pretending to be asleep. Meyden appeared to keep doing tests to make sure we werent awake, a girl told Palmeri. In the middle of the night, an adult who one of the girls had texted came to pick her up and bring her home. The girl then woke up her parents, who then contacted the parents of the other girls, according to the affidavit. Those parents went to the Meyden home about 3 a.m. to collect their daughters. Meyden resisted at first, saying the girls were asleep and asking the parents to return in the morning, Palmeri wrote. The parents insisted, she wrote. At noon the following day, between nine and 12 hours after the girls had allegedly been drugged, Palmeri interviewed one of them, observing that the girl walked slowly and used the assistance of her mother for balance, her eyelids were heavy, and she spoke slowly. The girl recalled she felt woozy, hot and clumsy after drinking the smoothie and subsequently blacked out, falling into a thick, deep sleep that she had never experienced before, according to the affidavit. The girl could not walk on her own after she left Meydens house and kept repeating what happened before her parents decided to take her to the hospital, Palmeri wrote. Court records show Meyden and his wife divorced late last year; they owned a home in Lake Oswego at the time of the sleepover. Neither of their two children is named as a victim in the indictment. Court records list Meydens current address as an RV park in Vancouver. The divorce filing notes that Meyden worked as a human resources director but was out of work at the time he and his wife split up. -- Noelle Crombie is an enterprise reporter with a focus on criminal justice. Reach her at 503-276-7184; ncrombie@oregonian. Our journalism needs your support. Subscribe today to OregonLive.com. Louise Agee said she was sleeping beside her husband when the attack occurred. She woke to his shouts and found him gushing blood, his throat slashed. Harry Agee died in bed, drenched in gore. A federal magistrate judge ruled in favor of The Oregonian/OregonLive on Wednesday in a First Amendment legal dispute over documents in a high-profile sexual discrimination lawsuit against Nike. In a 10-page ruling, U.S. Magistrate Judge Jolie A. Russo said The Oregonian/OregonLive did not violate any court orders in obtaining the documents and that its First Amendment rights protect its ability to report on the documents. Russo also denied Nikes request for discovery to The Oregonian/OregonLive, calling the request irrelevant to the Oregonians First Amendment rights. The ruling may be reviewed by U.S. District Judge Marco Hernandez, and any reporting from the documents will await his ruling, after which an appeal is likely. The legal dispute started in January when a reporter for The Oregonian/OregonLive received documents from lawyer Laura Salerno Owens, a Portland attorney with Markowitz Herbold who represents plaintiffs in the lawsuit. In court filings, Salerno Owens said she inadvertently disclosed the documents to the news organization after meeting with the reporter for an unrelated story. The Oregonian/OregonLive was working on a separate article, based on independent reporting, about sexual harassment at Nike when it received the documents. Russo initially ruled The Oregonian/OregonLive had to return or destroy the documents. The news organization appealed the ruling days later, calling it unconstitutional. The Oregonian/OregonLive is part of a media coalition seeking to have additional documents in the lawsuit unsealed. In her Wednesday ruling, Russo rejected the argument that the news organizations effort to get records unsealed makes it a party to a protective order in the case, writing the Oregonian has not violated any orders to which it is bound. She went on to write that the court must comply with the parameters of the First Amendment. In its request to have the documents returned, Nike argued for the privacy rights of people named in the documents. And while those interests are significant, they are not sufficient to justify prior restraint on First Amendment rights, Russo wrote. Matthew Kish covers business, including the sportswear and banking industries. Reach him at 503-221-4386, mkish@oregonian.com or @matthewkish. Our journalism needs your support. Subscribe today to OregonLive.com. A recent article on Oregons COVID should have started off with medical facts, not a lay person espousing her opinion to a non-medical journalist, (Is it OK to go out with COVID? Oregon led the nation in saying yes, now the CDC may follow, Feb. 14). Who cares what one Portland resident with no medical expertise has to say? Where, on the front page, was the information the public needed about the risk of long COVID to everyone who gets COVID, even if they are vaccinated? Where is the information on long-term consequences from COVID that are not yet fully known? At least 53 Oregonians died of COVID in January, according to the Oregon Health Authority. Yes, last month. The three top Democrats vying to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer in Oregons 3rd Congressional District touted their track records and shared personal stories during the first primary debate Wednesday, describing how they would tackle issues including housing, health care and the environment. The candidates were deferential to one another during the virtual discussion hosted by the City Club of Portland, even as they tried to stand apart and make the case for why they deserve to represent Portland and surrounding areas in Congress. To date, the Young European Ambassadors (YEAs) in Azerbaijan, with the support of Wolt Azerbaijan, have installed 100 shelter boxes for homeless animals in the streets of Baku, Ganja, and Lankaran. This eco-friendly initiative, funded by the European Union, utilises up-cycled delivery bags from Wolt Azerbaijan to offer a safe haven for homeless animals. The main goal of the project is to instil love, kindness and care for homeless animals and to promote sustainable practices. The result is obvious, you can encounter food and water bowls placed by local residents in front of every shelter placed, and smiles on every face witnessing the well-being of stray animals, Young European Ambassador Nargiz Aliyeva said. The installation of shelter boxes not only provides a safe refuge for homeless animals but also fosters a culture of compassion and empathy towards our furry friends, said Farid Mansurov, President of the Azerbaijani NGO Good World Animals Rescue and Protection (GWARP). Such initiatives are crucial in addressing the needs of vulnerable animals and promoting a more humane society. BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 29. The master plan for Baku envisages the construction of 10 new metro stations, General Executive Director of Azerbaijan Investment Holding Ruslan Alikhanov said, Trend reports. He made the remark at a scientific-practical conference on "Unchanged Values and Changing Opportunities" in Baku. According to him, cities like Moscow and Barcelona lack master plans, whereas Baku does. The metro construction plan was approved by the Supervisory Board, the official added. Notably, Baku Metro is made up of three lines that span around 38.8 kilometers and have 26 stations. Seven of the stations are placed at extreme depth. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel New York, US (PANA) - As the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) completes its withdrawal from Sudan on Thursday, 29 February, the Secretary-General has reiterated his deep appreciation to all international and national UNITAMS personnel for their dedication and service to the people of Sudan throughout the Missions mandate Suzano Board Approves Joao Alberto Fernandez de Abreu to Succeed Walter Schalka Joao Alberto Fernandez de Abreu Joao Alberto Fernandez de Abreu Feb 29, 2024 - Suzano announced that its Board of Directors have approved a CEO transition process, whereby Joao Alberto Fernandez de Abreu will succeed Walter Schalka as the company's CEO, effective July 1, 2024. Schalka has served as Suzano's CEO since January 2013. According to Suzano, Schalka and Abreu will jointly and orderly lead the succession process, starting on April 2, ensuring a smooth transition leading up to Schalka's final day as CEO, July 1. Suzano said that Schalka will be nominated (elected or reelected) to serve on the Board and as member of various advisory committees. Abreu has a 30-year career, including 18 years at Shell where he held various positions in Brazil, England, and Argentina, 7 years at Raizen as Energy Director and Vice President of the Ethanol, Sugar, and Energy Business, and 5 years as CEO of Rumo S.A., a railway logistics company. Abreu is an engineer graduated from Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, holds an MBA from Fundacao Dom Cabral, and has attended executive courses at universities such as IMD and Wharton. Currently, Abreu is a member of the Board of ANTF (National Association of Railway Transporters), President of the Moveinfra Board, Director of Deifra of FIESP, and serves as a Counselor of Raizen Foundation and the Pact Against Hunger. Walter Schalka Walter Schalka Suzano also expressed its deepest gratitude to Schalka. "The members of the Board of Directors acknowledge and express deep admiration and gratitude for the invaluable services provided by Mr. Schalka to the company during his tenure as CEO, which elevated Suzano to the position of global leader in its sector. Mr. Schalka's visionary and strategic leadership, unique expertise, and tireless dedication were fundamental pillars for the company's exponential and transformational growth over the past years, the achievement of ambitious goals, and the consolidation of a solid reputation in the market. "With mastery, he knew how to leverage the company's operational efficiency, enable the expansion of its addressable market, carry out the successful merger with the former Fibria, lead one of the largest private investments underway in Brazil with Cerrado Project, among many other decisive contributions to the company." Suzano's Board "emphasizes the implementation of a culture of inspiring and transforming people, a focus on the company's social and environmental responsibility, and the creation and generation of value for all stakeholders, aspects that strengthened the company's identity and positioned it as a reference in corporate governance, sustainability, and value creation. "The company's management wishes Mr. Schalka full success in his future projects and reiterates the certainty that, in his new professional endeavor, he will continue to offer valuable contributions to the company as a member of the Committees and, even more so, if elected to the position of member of the Board of Directors." Suzano is the world's largest producer of hardwood pulp and a global leader in the innovation and production of renewable, bio-based materials for consumer and industrial use. SOURCE: Suzano Photo: (Photo : Greg Fiume/Getty Images) Undeniable eye ointment products, accessible at select Walmart and CVS stores, are being recalled due to considerations about the manufacturing facility's possible inadequacy of sanitation in India. FDA Recalls Eye Ointments Over Sterility Brassica Pharma Pvt. Ltd., a company based in Maharashtra, India, acknowledged the recall in response to an FDA inspection highlighting a "lack of sterility assurance at the facility." The affected items include Equate brand Lubricant Eye Ointment and Stye Lubricant Eye Ointment, CVS Health Lubricant Eye Ointment, and AACE Pharmaceuticals Lubricant PM Ointment. The recall notice emphasizes the risk of potential eye infections or harm, stating that these products are designed to be sterile, and ophthalmic drug products pose an elevated risk as they bypass natural defenses. The announcement doesn't specify the types of infections or details about the manufacturing facility issues. Brassica Pharma, the manufacturer, did not provide further information or comments upon request. As of February 16, Brassica Pharma reported no received complaints about infections or injuries related to the recalled ointments. However, the company recommended consumers to discontinue using the products, which have termination dates between February 2024 and September 2025. Consumers can return the products to the stores of purchase. The 3.5-gram tubes are packaged in cardboard boxes. This recall follows an occurrence where deteriorated eyedrops caused major eye disease, leading to important health residue for users. The FDA has been issuing recalls related to numerous eyedrop products, intensifying the concern of reporting any problems or adverse occurrences to healthcare providers and through the FDA's adverse occurrence reporting program. Read Also: Dole Salad Kits Recalled Over Listeria Concerns: Urgent Warning for Consumers List of Recalled Eye Ointments The FDA released a recall notice on its website on Monday for certain tubes of eye ointments. The recall is specific to the following products: Equate Lubricant Eye Ointment with UPC number 681131395298 and lot numbers A2E0, A2L05, A3B01, A3C01, and A3H05. Equate Stye Lubricant Eye Ointment with UPC number 681131395304 and lot numbers A2D08, A2F02, A2I03, A2L03, A2L04, A3C03, A3C05, A3H01, and A3H03. CVS Health Lubricant Eye Ointment with UPC number 050428634141 and lot numbers A2F03, A2I02, A2L02, A3C04, and A3H04. AACE Pharmaceuticals Lubricant PM Ointment with UPC number 371406124356 and lot numbers A2G01, A2G02, A3F08, A3F09, A3J17, and A3J18. The affected tubes have expiration dates ranging from March 2024 to September 2025. The recall follows a U.S. regulator's inspection that revealed sterility issues at the manufacturing site of these eye ointments, which are produced by India-based Brassica Pharma Pvt. Ltd. As of February 16, the company reported no adverse events related to the ointments. The recall notice emphasizes a potential risk of eye infections or harm for users, particularly highlighting the elevated risk associated with ophthalmic drug products that bypass natural defenses. This incident is part of a series of recalls involving over two dozen eye products due to infection risks. In a similar context, the recall advises consumers to return the product to the place of purchase and provides contact information for Brassica Pharma Pvt. Ltd. for inquiries. Individuals experiencing problems possibly linked to the use of these eye ointments are encouraged to reach out to their healthcare provider, and any adverse reactions should be reported to the FDA's MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program. Related Article: Asda Recalls Crispy Hash Brown due to Mispacked Product, Issues Warning Over Risks of Allergic Reactions Photo: (Photo : Elijah Nouvelage /Getty Images) Due to the recent decision by the Alabama Supreme Court, the state's legislature is swiftly taking action to address the uncertainty surrounding in vitro fertilization (IVF). The unprecedented ruling that classified frozen embryos as children has sent shockwaves through the medical community, prompting clinics to suspend certain IVF treatments. Here's the latest on the urgent response from the Alabama Legislature to secure IVF protections. Legislative Bills Introduced: Safeguarding IVF Providers To counter the legal implications of the court's decision, the Alabama Legislature has introduced bills aimed at providing comprehensive protection to those offering IVF services in the state. Senate Bill 159, presented by Republican Sen. Tim Melson, focuses on granting civil and criminal immunity to individuals involved in IVF services. This legislation, part of the urgent response, addresses acts of omission that are intentional and not related to IVF services. Similarly, House Bill 237, sponsored by Republican Terri Collins, mirrors SB 159 and aims to provide immunity to IVF service providers, with an automatic repeal date set for June 1, 2025. Amid the legislative flurry, House Democrats have introduced House Bill 225 in an attempt to counter the ramifications of the Supreme Court's decision. The bill proposes a declaration that any fertilized human egg or human embryo existing outside of a human uterus is not considered an unborn child or human being under state law. This countermeasure showcases bipartisan efforts to navigate the complex legal landscape created by the court's ruling. Federal Intervention: Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra in Birmingham Adding to the urgency, the U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra is currently in Birmingham, meeting with patients and healthcare workers directly affected by the IVF ruling. Becerra emphasized the confusion caused by the court's decision, linking it to the recent Supreme Court's Dobbs decision, which overturned the federal right to abortion under Roe v. Wade. He expressed concern for families facing potential prosecution and uncertainty regarding the continuation of IVF treatments. Becerra highlighted the need to reestablish protections for families in their reproductive stage of life. Read Also: Campbellsville University Mourns Freshman Wrestler's Tragic Strangulation Death-Arrest Made in Shocking Murder Case Alabama Pro-Life Coalition's Involvement and Broader Considerations As the Alabama Legislature grapples with finding a legislative solution, Eric Johnston, president of the Alabama Pro-Life Coalition, has engaged in discussions with lawmakers. The goal is to reach an agreement between the pro-life community and the medical community, potentially leading to expedited legislative processes within two weeks. The broader political landscape adds complexity to the situation, with potential ramifications for the upcoming November presidential election. The ruling could impact Republicans' efforts to court suburban women and independent voters, while Democrats view it as a rallying point for voters concerned about reproductive rights, including access to IVF treatments. The urgent response from the Alabama Legislature reflects the gravity of the situation created by the Supreme Court's unprecedented ruling on IVF. As legislators work to navigate the legal complexities, families and healthcare providers are left in a state of uncertainty and awaiting a resolution. The ongoing developments and discussions signal a concerted effort to address the legal uncertainties and ensure the continued availability of vital fertility treatments within the state. Related Article: SNAP Benefits March 2024: State-Specific Payment Schedules Revealed for Timely Nutrition Access Photo: (Photo : Michael Loccisano / Getty Images) A federal court has ruled in favor of Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds' stance against school mask mandates, securing a triumph for parental choice within the state. This significant decision concludes an extended legal tussle initiated by families of students with disabilities during the tumultuous days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Legal Victory for Governor Reynolds in Safeguarding Iowa Parents' Choice Governor Kim Reynolds emerges victorious as the federal court supports her ban on school mask mandates, reinforcing Iowa's commitment to empower parents in deciding what's best for their children. The court's decision underscores the governor's unwavering stand on parental rights, emphasizing the crucial role of parents in determining health measures within the educational landscape. Throughout the legal proceedings, Governor Reynolds celebrated the outcome, expressing Iowa's dedication to keeping children in classrooms while entrusting parents to navigate and decide on the most suitable health measures for their kids. This win solidifies the governor's commitment to parental rights and their pivotal role in shaping the health landscape of Iowa's educational institutions. Advocacy Groups Express Concerns Over Children with Disabilities While Governor Reynolds celebrates the court's decision, advocacy groups, particularly those championing the rights of children with disabilities, express their concerns. The lawsuit, initiated by The Arc of Iowa and families of children with disabilities, alleged a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, emphasizing the heightened risks faced by students with disabilities during the pandemic. Disability advocacy organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Iowa and Disability Rights Iowa, filed the lawsuit on behalf of The Arc of Iowa and Iowa families. Rita Bettis Austen, ACLU of Iowa's legal director, expressed disappointment with the ruling but acknowledged the case's accomplishment in providing early relief for vulnerable children in Iowa. The federal court's decision, handed down on Tuesday, emphasizes the significance of Iowa's ban on school mask mandates and its alignment with Governor Reynolds' commitment to parental choice. The ruling acknowledged that while COVID-19 remains an ever-present concern, the general risks are not enough to demonstrate imminent and substantial harm, considering them speculative. The court underscored that, even in dismissing the case, Iowa law does not prohibit a school from complying with disability laws. This aspect becomes crucial in the context of children with disabilities, as the court ruled in November 2022 that schools must consider mask mandates as a reasonable accommodation for disabled students, aligning with broader disability laws. Read Also: Campbellsville University Mourns Freshman Wrestler's Tragic Strangulation Death-Arrest Made in Shocking Murder Case Impact on Iowa Parents and the Future of Education Policies As Iowa parents celebrate the court's decision, questions arise about the broader implications for education policies in the state. The legal battle, which originated in 2021 and was triggered by Governor Reynolds' ban on school mask mandates, has not only highlighted the importance of parental choice but has also set a precedent for navigating the intersection of public health measures and individual freedoms in the educational landscape. The court's decision becomes a focal point for discussions on the rights of parents to determine health-related policies for their children in an educational setting. While Governor Reynolds and parents who supported the ban applaud the ruling, the broader implications for shaping future education policies and navigating the delicate balance between public health and individual freedoms are anticipated to unfold in the coming months. Related Article: SNAP Benefits March 2024: State-Specific Payment Schedules Revealed for Timely Nutrition Access Photo: (Photo : John Moore / Getty Images) Beverly Vista Middle School in Beverly Hills, California, is currently grappling with the aftermath of an unexpected AI prank orchestrated by its students. The school administration, in conjunction with local law enforcement, is now conducting a thorough investigation into the creation and distribution of deepfake photos involving unsuspecting peers. Unraveling the Unintended Prank Swift Response to the AI-Generated Dilemma The incident came to light when school administrators discovered that students had harnessed artificial intelligence technology to concoct what initially seemed like light-hearted and amusing images of their classmates. The prank took an unforeseen turn as students superimposed faces onto whimsical scenes, prompting a cascade of consequences that have sent shockwaves through the school community. The gravity of the situation prompted a swift response from the school district. Parents were immediately notified through a detailed correspondence from Superintendent Michael Bregy, emphasizing the imperative need for responsible tech use among students. Concurrently, the Beverly Hills Police initiated a noncriminal investigation to gain comprehensive insights into the circumstances surrounding this unintended deployment of AI technology. The school district is committed to handling the matter with urgency and ensuring a fair resolution. This incident transcends the boundaries of Beverly Vista Middle School, reflecting a broader trend observed globally where students tread a fine line between humor and impropriety in the realm of technology. The lack of specific federal legislation addressing such incidents underscores the necessity for a more extensive conversation on responsible technology use within educational institutions, and this incident serves as a poignant reminder of this imperative dialogue. Encouraging Responsible Tech Practices Superintendent Michael Bregy's letter to parents not only outlines the school's response but also serves as a call to action for a positive shift in technology use within educational settings. Bregy encourages open conversations about responsible tech practices, urging parents to engage actively in discussions that highlight the importance of balancing technological innovation with ethical considerations. The incident becomes an educational opportunity for educators, parents, and students alike. Despite the school's proactive response, legal complexities have emerged, with experts like Mary Anne Franks from the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative shedding light on the challenges faced by victims. California laws, as they currently stand, may not explicitly address such incidents, emphasizing the need for creating a supportive community environment for both affected students and their parents. Read Also: Alabama Legislature's Urgent Response: Securing IVF Protections Amidst Unprecedented Court Ruling Investigations Continue To Combat AI-Related Harm Towards Minors The incident at Beverly Vista Middle School serves as a stark reminder of the pressing need for ongoing conversations around responsible technology use. In an era where AI technology is rapidly advancing and becoming more accessible, fostering a tech-savvy yet responsible community is crucial. The incident becomes a case study, emphasizing the delicate balance required in integrating technology into educational settings. As the investigation unfolds, the focus remains on addressing the aftermath of this unintended AI prank. Collaboration between school authorities, law enforcement, and the community at large is essential to fostering an environment where students can learn and grow responsibly in the ever-evolving landscape of technology. Related Article: Iowa Parents' Choice Upheld: Federal Court Backs Governor Reynolds' Ban on School Mask Mandates Photo: (Photo : Andrew Burton /Getty Images) Two individuals are now facing charges for a massive SNAP fraud through a Brooklyn bodega. Dia Alqalisi, 26, and Dawood Kassim, 31, face charges in connection with an extensive EBT card exploitation that siphoned millions of dollars from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York alleges that the duo, owners of a Brooklyn bodega, exploited the federal program, leaving a trail of victims across multiple states in the wake of a massive benefit scam. Exploiting SNAP Program for Illicit Gains Between April and December 2022, Kassim and Alqalisi allegedly orchestrated thousands of unauthorized transactions at Throop Farm Market in Bedford-Stuyvesant, leveraging the Brooklyn bodega for their illicit activities. The SNAP fraud involved allowing recipients to exchange benefits for cash or non-eligible goods, bypassing the intended purpose of the federal program. By manipulating the Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card system, the pair managed to amass over $20 million in fraudulently obtained SNAP benefits, with a substantial portion originating from accounts outside the state of New York. The aftermath of the benefit scam saw numerous SNAP beneficiaries scattered across states such as Tennessee, Virginia, and California left in dire straits. Victims reported depleted SNAP accounts, rendering them unable to afford basic necessities, including food and daily essentials. The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Breon Peace, condemned the severity of the crime, emphasizing that the stolen funds were intended for those genuinely in need of nutritional assistance. The victims, unknowingly caught up in the SNAP fraud, found themselves grappling with the consequences of the illicit activities orchestrated by the Brooklyn bodega owners. Arrested and charged with SNAP fraud, access device fraud, and unlawful monetary transactions, Kassim and Alqalisi now find themselves facing the legal repercussions of their alleged actions. Read Also: Beverly Hills Students' AI Prank Sparks Investigation: School Takes Swift Action on Deepfake Photos SNAP Scandal Impact Widens As the legal proceedings unfold, law enforcement officials stress the importance of heightened awareness, underscoring that government programs are not a limitless piggy bank for exploitation. An ongoing investigation aims to determine the full extent of the fraud, with authorities having seized crucial evidence during a December 2022 search warrant execution at the implicated Brooklyn bodega. The evidence includes EBT terminals, a substantial amount of cash, and New York state EBT cards belonging to other individuals, further implicating the duo in the EBT card exploitation. The impact of the SNAP scandal extends beyond the immediate victims, as court documents reveal that some victims responded to the fraud by posting Google reviews about Throop Farm Market. These reviews detailed complaints about their EBT cards being used at the bodega without their permission, shedding light on the widespread repercussions of the benefit scam. Thousands of SNAP benefit recipients have been ensnared in the web of the defendants' fraud, with some unable to recover the stolen benefits even after the scheme unraveled. As the legal proceedings progress, the Brooklyn bodega owners remain at the center of one of the most significant SNAP fraud cases in recent memory, exposing vulnerabilities within the federal program designed to provide crucial assistance to those in need. Related Article: Florida Measles Outbreak Sparks Outcry; State Surgeon General Under Fire Amid School Controversy I would like to call your attention to a few articles by Latter-day Saint social scientists whom I find consistently interesting and worth reading. One of them is Stephen Cranney: How many churches still favor traditional marriage? Have most American churches accommodated by now the sea change in public attitudes about marriage? Not really Recently, Dr. Cranney has written three fascinating articles with Josh Coates, who heads up the B. H. Roberts Foundation: We sent out 80,000 postcards to Latter-day Saints in the U.S. Heres what we learned: Our representative survey found high percentages of self-identified members agreeing with church teachings on historical questions and sexuality New survey shows strong cross-generational faith among Latter-day Saints: After we sent out 80,000 postcards to Latter-day Saints in the U.S., we dig deeper into their responses Applying Moral Foundations Theory to current and former Latter-day Saints: While listening to what current and former Latter-day Saints say about their lives, it can be valuable to also understand what they tell us about core values and what matters most to them. Another of my favorite Latter-day Saint social scientists is Jacob Hess: Church education is promoting an endangered species: Dating: In the face of global relationship trends away from marriage formation, the Church Educational System is taking steps to re-instill a courtship culture In this connection, another Deseret News article is interesting: Are we on the verge of a marriage renaissance? Despite discouraging numbers, the conversation about marriage is suddenly changing in positive ways We can hope! Make keeping covenants cool again: Exploring the stories of ex-ex-Latter-day Saints: Inside the increasing numbers of reconversion stories being shared online And here is a possibly relevant essay from the Evangelical Protestant magazine Christianity Today: Doubt Is a Ladder, Not a Home: Churches should welcome questions. That doesnt require embracing perpetual doubt. While Im listing articles that I think worthy of your attention, I want to share these links by and about a legislative initiative sponsored by my friend Utah Senator John Johnson: Deseret News: Opinion: To save the university, we must go back to the future: SB226 proposes that we begin by redirecting general education to once again inspire free thought and solid citizenship Flying yesterday from Honolulu to Los Angeles, I sometimes had my personal screen on the My Flight channel, or whatever its called. As we neared California, I was seeing the names of various towns and cities and trying to figure out where we were. We came in from the north, flying between Santa Barbara and the Channel Islands and then eastward over greater Los Angeles until we executed a great turn right over the skyscrapers of downtown for an approach to the airport from the east. Seeing the place names made me think. (Few things do, of course, but I promise that it really happened this time.) I occasionally run into atheists who profess to be offended (or even, sometimes, somehow injured) by any overt presence of religion in the public square. I was wondering how such folks must handle the place names in California, which so often reveal not only its Hispanic heritage but its religious history. They probably simply havent noticed them or havent paid attention to them. But theyre almost everywhere. Almost, one might say, inescapable. Santa Barbara is an obvious example. But scores of other specimens can be supplied, including San Francisco, San Jose, Santa Ynez, Sacramento (both city and river), Santa Maria, San Diego, San Fernando, Santa Cruz, San Luis Obispo (the last word being needed in order to distinguish it from San Luis Rey), San Onofre, Mount San Jacinto, San Clemente, Santa Catalina, San Ysidro, the San Joaquin Valley, Mount San Gregorio, San Bernardino, San Juan Capistrano, Santa Gertrudes, Santa Monica, my own home town of San Gabriel, and on and on and on. And then, of course, there is the literal queen of them all: El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora la Reina de los Angeles, The Town of Our Lady the Queen of the Angels (aka Los Angeles). If anybody ever really seeks to do so, it will be very difficult to erase the legacy of Hispanic Catholicism from the history and from the map of the state. I close with a modest little item from the Christopher Hitchens Memorial How Religion Poisons Everything File: Help for Job Seekers I have had some limited experience with the services provided by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for people seeking employment. I was very, very impressed. However, I note that at least a few of the linked articles with which I opened this blog entry might also be found in the almost infinitely capacious Hitchens File. Posted from Los Angeles, California According to accounts preserved in Hawaiian mythology, the great gods Kane (pronounced KAH-nay), Lono, Ku, and (possibly) Kanaloa existed before the creation of the world. In the beginning, according to one tradition, nothing existed except a chaotic blackness called the Po (night). But Kane awoke and, realizing that he was distinct from the Po, managed to break free from it. Thereafter, when Lono and then Ku perceived that Kane had separated himself from the Po, they too freed themselves. Next, Kane created light, with which he pushed the darkness back. These three gods created all the lesser Hawaiian deities most famous among them the fire and volcano goddess Pele, creator of the Hawaiian Islands. Then, they created our world to serve as a footstool for the gods. Finally, the three gods gathered red clay from the four corners of the Earth, mixed it with their saliva, molded it into the image of Kane (though with a head formed by Kane himself from a specially selected white clay). When they had breathed life into the clay model according to some accounts, it was Kane alone who breathed that life into the clay figure it became the first man. The similarity of this account to Genesis 2:7, where Adam or man is created out of adamah (literally, red clay) and the Lord God breathes into him the breath of life, is obvious. Associated with dawn, sun and sky, Kane seems to have been the highest of the four great deities. He was the god of procreation and the ancestor of all humans, both chiefs and commoners. Ku, god of politics and war, bore many names, including Ku kailimoku (the Snatcher of Land). Uniquely among Hawaiian gods, his worship sometimes included ritual human sacrifice. Perhaps appropriately, he was associated with such animals as sharks and hawks. Lono sometimes called Lono-makua (Lono the Provider) was linked with rainfall, fertility and agriculture, as well as with music and peace. Although the traditions are unclear and sometimes contradictory, there seems to have been a legend in which Lono manifested himself in human form, departing afterwards to Kahiki (likely Tahiti) with a promise to return. Captain James Cook arrived at the Big Island of Hawaii in 1779 during the great harvest festival of Makahiki, sacred to Lono. Coincidentally, the rigging of his ship, HMS Resolution, resembled some of the artifacts associated with Lono-worship, and, just as ritual processions honoring Lono went clockwise around the island, Cook had sailed clockwise around the island before making landfall. Some historians speculate that, for these and other reasons, the Hawaiians took Captain Cook to be a manifestation of Lono. When a member of his crew became ill and died, however something not expected among deitiesthe Hawaiians became suspicious and much less compliant. And when a violent altercation broke out, Cook and several others among his crew were killed. Some authorities theorize that Kanaloa was a lesser god who was created to preside over the dead and even that his worship may have arrived in Hawaii only after A.D. 1100, via a secondary Polynesian migration. Given his connection with the underworld, several commentators have tried to identify him as a god of evil and of death itself, permanently at war with Kane. But this may reflect the viewpoint of European missionaries, who were perhaps seeking to associate the four great Hawaiian deities with the Christian Trinity and (in Kanaloas case) with Lucifer or Satan. One legend says that Kanaloa tried to mimic the creation of man by Kane, Lono and Ku, but that unlike them he was unable to bring his statue to life. So, humiliated, he challenged Kane, vowing that Kanes human creations would be mortal and that, when they died, they would belong to him in the underworld. Balanced against such accounts, however, is the fact that Kanaloa and Kane were actually often associated with one another and worshiped together. They were apparently viewed as mutually complementary rather than opposed, and may even have been considered brothers. Canoe builders, for example, would invoke Kane during their labors, while sailors aboard completed boats would call upon Kanaloa for guidance and protection. Kane was the lord of the area north of the suns annual path, while Kanaloa was the master of the area to its south. Some commentators have suggested that the two gods together represent a divine duality of wildness and domestication, much like the famous yin and yang of Chinese Taoism. And now for just a bit of very amateur comparative thinking: In Maori mythology, Tane is the god of forests and of birds, and the son of Ranginui and Papatuanuku, the sky father and the earth mother. On Tahiti, Tane was the god of peace and beauty. In Maori, the common noun tane means husband, male, man. (Not infrequently, its one of the identifiers on the doors of mens restrooms.) In Hawaiian, the common noun kane refers to a male such as a husband, or a brother-in-law, or a boyfriend. (Not infrequently, its one of the identifiers on the doors of mens restrooms.) All you need is a sound shift of t>k. And that sound shift is abundantly attested among the Polynesian languages. (Did you miss Kahiki (likely Tahiti) above?) Think, for example, of the now-common Maori name for New Zealand, Aotearoa. It is typically translated as [land of the] long white cloud, where ao- equals cloud, tea- (pronounced TEH-a) equals white, and -roa equals long. Now compare the massive volcanic peak on Hawaiis Big Island called Mauna Kea (White Mountain). Compare, too, the enormously important starchy plant taro, which, in Hawaii, is used to make poi. The word is taro in Tahitian, talo in Samoan and Tongan, tao in Marquesan, dalo in Fijian, and kalo in Hawaiian. And then theres the English term taboo. Meaning prohibited or forbidden, it comes directly from Tongan or Maori tapu, which is kapu in Hawaiian. These predictable sound shifts intrigue me. If I had another few lifetimes, I think that I would spend at least a few solid months on Polynesian linguistics. Remember the -roa (long) in Aotearoa? Think of the other great Hawaiian volcano, Mauna Loa (Long Mountain). A common shift between l and r is easily demonstrated in the Polynesian languages. For example, the Hawaiian term aloha is familiar to many even beyond Hawaii as a greeting. Among its rich and multiple meanings are love and compassion, perhaps even empathy. Its Polynesian cognates include talofa in Samoan, taalofa in Tuvaluan, aroa in Cook Island Maori, and aroha in New Zealand Maori. And here is an exceptionally interesting case: In Peru and Bolivia, where the sweet potato apparently originated and where it was probably first cultivated, one of the words for it in Quechua is khumara, or kumar (Ayacucho Quechua), or kumara (Bolivian Quechua). Those words are pretty obviously similar to the Polynesian name kumara and to its regional Oceanic cognates (umala, uala, etc.). In Hawaiian, the sweet potato is called kumala. Along with compelling genetic evidence, this has led scholars to postulate pre-Columbian transoceanic contact between the Americas and Polynesia. An interesting thought, that. Posted from Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 29. Education at the Turkish-Azerbaijani University will be free, Azerbaijani Minister of Science and Education Emin Amrullayev said at a media briefing, Trend reports. The minister noted that at the initial stage, it is planned to admit 100 students to the Turkish-Azerbaijani University. The admission plan provides for an additional 100-200 places annually. Education at this university will be free. Training will be organized in English and Turkish, he added. Azerbaijani Minister of Science and Education Emin Amrullayev and President of the Council of Higher Education (CoHE) of Turkiye Erol Ozvar signed a "Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Science and Education of Azerbaijan and the Council of Higher Education of Turkiye on the establishment of the Turkish-Azerbaijani University". Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel + Concupiscence: St. Ambroses and St. Augustines Views Rev. Dr. Jordan B. Cooper is a Lutheran pastor, adjunct professor of Systematic Theology, Executive Director of the popular Just & Sinner YouTube channel, and the President of the American Lutheran Theological Seminary (which holds to a doctrinally traditional Lutheranism, similar to the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod). He has authored several books, as well as theological articles in a variety of publications. All my Bible citations are from RSV, unless otherwise indicated. Jordans words will be in blue. This is my 5th reply to Jordan (many more to come, because I want to interact with the best, most informed Protestant opponents). All of these respectful critiques can be found in the Replies to Lutheran Theologian / Apologist Jordan Cooper section on the top of my Lutheranism web page. ***** See Part One: Faith Alone in the Early Church Fathers? (vs. Jordan Cooper) Includes Clement of Rome (d. c. 101) & Polycarp (d. 155) vs. Faith Alone [2-28-24] *** This is a response to Jordans YouTube video, Sola Fide in the Church Fathers Part 2: Ambrose (A Classic J&S Episode) (2-24-22). Originally (I assume) this talk was published around 3-27-19. 0:35 On the previous program I discussed sola fide in the Church fathers, basically trying to interact with the common Roman Catholic argument that sola fide is a theological novum, so the notion of justification by faith alone . . . its a common Roman Catholic claim that . . . it shows up later in history, and you cant find it in the Church fathers at all. [They say that] Luther basically invents this brand new idea. This especially shows up in a lot of popular Roman Catholic polemics online, and Ive made the claim that thats simply not the case and that we can find instances of sola fide or various Protestant aspects of justification in the Church fathers. As I noted last time, this claim about the absence profound of sola fide is by no means confined to Roman Catholic polemicists. In my previous critique I cited three well-known Protestant scholars, who all expressed basically the same thing (and they cant be accused of Catholic bias). Alister McGrath, author of Iustitia Dei: A History of the Christian Doctrine of Justification (1986; 4th ed., 2020) and similar books such as Historical Theology: An Introduction to the History of Christian Thought (3rd ed., 2022) and The Nature of Christian Doctrine: Its Origins, Development, and Function (2024), stated that sola fide, as newly formulated not by Luther but by his successor, Philip Melanchthon , was a complete break with the teaching of the church up to that point. Thats his informed scholarly opinion. He knows far more than I ever will about the subject. Im simply repeating and agreeing with his judgment, based on his status and everything Ive seen myself along these lines, over 33 years of Catholic apologetics research. He agrees with the break, as a good Protestant, but he doesnt try to deny that it was, historically speaking, a break. He was the one, incidentally, who three times called sola fide a theological novum (in the 2nd edition of Iustitia Dei in 1998, pp. 180, 184, 187) I also cited Philip Schaff, author of the multi-volume History of the Christian Church and editor of the famous 38-volume set of the Church fathers (that I regularly cite from, since it is online now). I almost bought that set in hardcover so many times over the last 25 years! Schaff stated that If any one expects to find in this period [100-325], or in any of the church fathers, Augustin himself not excepted, the Protestant doctrine of justification by faith alone, . . . he will be greatly disappointed. Jordan Cooper disagrees with these three scholars (Norman Geisler was the third) as to the history. I dont think he proved at all that Clement of Rome or Polycarp believed in sola fide, in his previous attempt (see my reply), and we will now examine his argument that St. Ambrose was supposedly a good proto-Protestant in soteriological matters too. 3:21 Its not good to just take isolated statements of fathers apart from their whole body of work. I heartily agree! I just as strongly disagree that supposedly only Catholic and Orthodox ever do this. Protestant polemicists do quite a bit too. I know; Ive repeatedly interacted online with these sorts of effort since 1997, and one can read all those exchanges on my extensive Fathers of the Church web page. 7:56 The first of those fathers that I want to look at is St. Ambrose, and I just want to go through and examine some of the quotes that you find in his writings. Im delighted to join him on this journey. Jordan agrees with me that we need to look at an authors entire corpus, or at least as many books as we can access (I have limited resources to buy rare books with; so thank the Lord for the thousands of online books!). 8:26 Ambrose is actually cited in the Augsburg Confession as an early testament to this notion of justification by faith alone . . . I think that Ambrose in the vast scope of his writings clearly at least in some places teaches something very much like that. Interesting. 9:25 In his treatise on Jacob and the Happy Life he says dont you know that the guilt of Adam and Eve sold you into servitude? Dont you know that Christ did not buy you but bought you back? Those kinds of statements are all over the place, that . . . Adams guilt actually brings us into slavery and brings us death. There is an emphasis on guilt especially coming from Adam . . . For a fuller quotation of this work, On Jacob and the Happy Life, see Jordans article, St. Ambrose On Law And Gospel (Just and Sinner, 6-3-14). The Council of Trent stated in its Decree Concerning Original Sin in its Session 5 on June 17, 1546, four months after Luthers death, in section 2, that this sin of Adam was taken away by the merit of the one mediator, our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath reconciled us to God in his own blood, made unto us justice, sanctification, and redemption and that this was applied, both to adults and to infants, by the sacrament of baptism. So why does Jordan bring up this particular thing in the context of discussing sola fide? Its because Lutherans and the early Protestants generally, erroneously believed that concupiscence (desire to or tendency towards sin) was itself a sin and a remnant of the guilt that we inherited from Adam. Trent condemned this opinion in section 5 of the same decree: If any one denies, that, by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is conferred in baptism, the guilt of original sin is remitted; or even asserts that the whole of that which has the true and proper nature of sin is not taken away; but says that it is only raised, or not imputed; let him be anathema. For, in those who are born again, there is nothing that God hates; because, There is no condemnation to those who are truly buried together with Christ by baptism into death; who walk not according to the flesh, but, putting off the old man, and putting on the new who is created according to God, are made innocent, immaculate, pure, harmless, and beloved of God, heirs indeed of God, but joint heirs with Christ; so that there is nothing whatever to retard their entrance into heaven. . . . Jordan provides an extended argument from a treatise by Ambrose that I cant access, in which the Church father asserts that concupiscence is itself sin. Jordan then insinuates that Ambrose held to one tenet of the many involved in the Reformation belief in sola fide (more to do with the nature and results of original sin than with justification per se). If he is correct in his assessment (but maybe he isnt; see more on this below), then Catholics would say that Ambrose got this teaching wrong. The Catholic Church followed St. Augustine in this respect: Chapter 25 [XXIII.] Concupiscence in the Regenerate Without Consent is Not Sin; In What Sense Concupiscence is Called Sin. Now this concupiscence, this law of sin which dwells in our members, to which the law of righteousness forbids allegiance, saying in the words of the apostle, Let not sin, therefore, reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in the lusts thereof; neither yield your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: Romans 6:12-13 this concupiscence, I say, which is cleansed only by the sacrament of regeneration, does undoubtedly, by means of natural birth, pass on the bond of sin to a mans posterity, unless they are themselves loosed from it by regeneration. In the case, however, of the regenerate, concupiscence is not itself sin any longer, whenever they do not consent to it for illicit works, and when the members are not applied by the presiding mind to perpetrate such deeds. So that, if what is enjoined in one passage, You shall not covet, is not kept, that at any rate is observed which is commanded in another place, You shall not go after your concupiscences. [Sirach 18:30] Inasmuch, however, as by a certain manner of speech it is called sin, since it arose from sin, and, when it has the upper hand, produces sin, the guilt of it prevails in the natural man; but this guilt, by Christs grace through the remission of all sins, is not suffered to prevail in the regenerate man, if he does not yield obedience to it whenever it urges him to the commission of evil. As arising from sin, it is, I say, called sin, although in the regenerate it is not actually sin; and it has this designation applied to it, just as speech which the tongue produces is itself called tongue; and just as the word hand is used in the sense of writing, which the hand produces. In the same way concupiscence is called sin, as producing sin when it conquers the will: so to cold and frost the epithet sluggish is given; not as arising from, but as productive of, sluggishness; benumbing us, in fact. (On Marriage and Concupiscence, Book I, ch. 25) He states again in chapter 27: carnal concupiscence . . . is no longer accounted sin in the regenerate . . . And again in chapter 28: Carnal concupiscence is remitted, indeed, in baptism; not so that it is put out of existence, but so that it is not to be imputed for sin. And in chapter 29: In the case, then, of those persons who are born again in Christ, when they receive an entire remission of all their sins, it is of course necessary that the guilt also of the still indwelling concupiscence should be remitted, in order that (as I said) it should not be imputed to them for sin. Then he provides a thoroughly Catholic interpretation of Romans 7 and 8: Chapter 36. Even Now While We Still Have Concupiscence We May Be Safe in Christ. But the apostle pursues the subject, and says, So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin; [Romans 7:25] which must be thus understood: With my mind I serve the law of God, by refusing my consent to the law of sin; with my flesh, however, I serve the law of sin, by having the desires of sin, from which I am not yet entirely freed, although I yield them no assent. Then let us observe carefully what he has said after all the above: There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. [Romans 8:1] Even now, says he, when the law in my members keeps up its warfare against the law of my mind, and retains in captivity somewhat in the body of this death, there is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. And listen why: For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus, says he, has made me free from the law of sin and death. [Romans 8:2] How made me free, except by abolishing its sentence of guilt by the remission of all my sins; so that, though it still remains, only daily lessening more and more, it is nevertheless not imputed to me as sin? If Jordans take of St. Ambroses view is correct, Lutheranism followed his rather than St. Augustines view with regard to the nature of concupiscence). In any event, this is not all that is involved in the discussion of faith alone. Its only indirectly or partially related, so that I dont think its accurate to say that St. Ambrose held to justification by faith alone on the basis of this single (suggested) consideration. Ones opinion on the nature of concupiscence simply isnt the equivalent of justification by faith alone. But did Ambrose really hold this view (never forsaking it)? Anglican patristic scholar J. N. D. Kelly suggests that he either changed his mind or contradicted himself, as to the presence of guilt from original sin after baptism. Kelly writes: The second of Ambroses texts cited above [On the Death of Satyrus, Book II, 6] suggests that the race is infected with Adams actual guilt. His more general doctrine, however, is that, while the corrupting force of sin is transmitted, the guilt attaches to Adam himself, not to us. . . . But our personal (propria) sins are to be contrasted with those we inherit (haereditaria); baptism removes the former, but the rite of washing of feet the latter. (Early Christian Doctrines, San Francisco: Harper, revised edition of 1978, 354-355) The (perhaps surprising) foot-washing element was expressed by Ambrose in his treatise, On the Mysteries (ch. 6, 32): Peter was clean, but he must wash his feet, for he had sin by succession from the first man, when the serpent overthrew him and persuaded him to sin. His feet were therefore washed, that hereditary sins might be done away, for our own sins are remitted through baptism. Kelly continues: This hereditary sin, he argues elsewhere [Enarr. in ps. 48. 9], is a wound which makes us stumble, but need cause us no anxiety at the day of judgment; we shall only be punished then for our personal sins. . . . It is clear that he envisages the inherited corruption as a congenital propensity to sin (the phrase he uses is lubricum delinquendi) rather than as a positive guilt. (Ibid., 355) And this is identical to Catholic teaching on concupiscence. In Jordans citation of Ambroses book, On Jacob and the Happy Life, in his related article, he cites him as stating, I became aware that concupiscence was sin, in the midst of an apparent extended citation of St. Paul in Romans 7. He cites it again at 15:35 in his video. As far as I can tell, Ambrose might have been citing or reflecting Romans 7:8, which in KJV reads, But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead. Jordan said: 16:05 He says even the desire for sin is itself sin, and this is his interpretation of a passage like Romans 7, where Paul speaks about his understanding his knowledge of sin and what sin is. . . . at the time of the Reformation, Martin Luther claimed concupiscence was sin. The Roman church said no, the desire for sin is not itself sin; its only the actual act that flows out of that, that is willing, that is sin, and Martin Luther had a much broader understanding of what constitutes sin and the sin nature than Rome did. . . . there are a lot of hints here that Ambrose would take the position that Luther does, that even the desire for sin itself is sin. The word concupiscence appears three times in the NT in the KJV. It doesnt appear at all in the RSV New Testament, which translates Romans 7:8 as But sin, finding opportunity in the commandment, wrought in me all kinds of covetousness. Apart from the law sin lies dead. The Greek word is epithumia (Strongs word #1939: see its use and translation in English Bibles). But Jordan himself also wrote about St. Ambrose: a lot of his interpretations are a little strange and he isnt always consistent or on track with what the [biblical] text actually says; he often goes on tangents about whatever he really feels like teaching. (13:02). Maybe so in the above instance . . . If St. Ambrose denied what is the Catholic teaching on concupiscence, expressed by St. Augustine and the Council of Trent, he only did so in some but not all of his writing, and/or contradicted himself, or else thought twice about his original position and (from a Catholic perspective) corrected it. On a web page from the Lutheran site, Fourth Century Christianity, that provides the approximate chronological order of Ambroses writings, we find that On Jacob and the Happy Life, was written in 386-388. On the Death of Satyrus dates from 379. On the Mysteries is from c. 387. Explanations of Twelve Psalms of David, cited by Kelly, where Ambrose expresses Catholic views, is the last dated work on this list; described as Later career to death (unfinished). So it looks like Ambrose held a more proto-Protestant view earlier on (379), then perhaps wavered or was unsure (386-388), and eventually settled on the Catholic view (by the time of his death in 397). The position Kelly describes is the one he held at the end of his life. This is what we can learn by examining the matter more closely. Jordan continues on, up to the 36 minute mark, talking about this one work, On Jacob and the Happy Life, which doesnt appear to be online, so I cant analyze contextual elements or the entire work. Then he moves on to a treatise on Joseph (36:12) which is also far as I can tell unavailable online. And he discusses matters concerning our redemption and justification through Christs death on the cross, which likely are no different from what Catholics believe (though many Lutherans wrongly think that we are different), and only indirectly related, at best, to the topic of justification by faith alone. The latter concept primarily has to do with the issue of the relation of faith and works, and whether sanctification is a fundamentally different category from justification: under which non-salvific works are categorized (in a way that the Bible never does). I waited for Jordan to get to those central disputes, as I went through his tape, but it turns out that he never did. 38:48 Saint Ambrose has a stronger view of original sin than a lot of the other church fathers do . . . Or maybe it turned out that by the end of his life he didnt, which was what my citation of J. N. D. Kelly was related to. It looks to me that St. Ambrose, in the final analysis, did not hold to total depravity or to the notion of a sin nature. So Kelly says about his fully developed view (see above): It is clear that he envisages the inherited corruption as a congenital propensity to sin. Thats what Catholics say: concupiscence. Then he goes onto a discussion of Eastern Orthodoxy. He never even discusses the central question of faith and works, in a video entitled, Sola Fide in the Church Fathers Part 2: Ambrose. I think its a misnomer! He talked only about original sin and concupiscence, from basically just one work, and even then, arguably proved little or nothing, even about that specific topic, in light of Kellys conclusions on the general matter. Jordan virtually admitted this himself: 41:32 Oh my gosh, I didnt get through anything that I wanted to. I went through one book of Ambrose and just grabbed quotes. I know Im going really slow through this, but maybe this is what we need to do to show that we can do more than just quote mining from various books. What he derisively calls merely quote mining is in fact what is necessary to do: locate relevant quotations from a father in order to determine his overall teaching on a given theological matter. This is precisely what we do in systematic theology, pertaining to Bible quotes. We collect relevant ones on a topic (say, original sin) and go from there, to determine what the Bible teaches about it. The more context the better (Im all for that). Jordan is concerned about context, as he should be. I am, too, having seen what my Protestant debate opponents have too often done with context, regarding both the Bible and the fathers. But Jordan insinuates that Catholics (especially popular so-called polemicists like me) have a strong tendency to collect patristic quotes that are highly selective and out-of-context, etc. Some do, no doubt, and some dont. Like most things, its a mixed bag and we can only examine what each individual writer does. 41:48 I do want to say for someone whos listening to this and is Roman Catholic, I know the immediate response, especially for someone who has the volume is that, well, Ambrose also . . . says some things that may not appear as Lutheran or Protestant as the statements you read and thats true . . . Wouldnt it be only fair and thorough to examine those as well, rather than only the Lutheran-sounding ones? I have dealt with these highly selective citations in depth in this reply. Jordan needs to do the same with the more Catholic statements of Ambrose. But he winds up nothing personal! doing largely the same thing that he claims here and in other videos, that Catholics and Orthodox do: pick out only portions from the fathers or one father that seem to support their case and ignore ones that dont appear to do so. St. Ambrose thinks that works indeed play a role in determining whether we are saved or not: The deserts of each one of us are suspended in the balance, which a little weight either of good works or of degenerate conduct sways this way or that; if the evil preponderate, woe is me! if the good, pardon is at hand. For no man is free from sin; but where good preponderates, the evil flies up, is overshadowed, and covered. Wherefore in the Day of judgement our works will either succour us, or will sink us into the deep, weighed down as with a millstone. . . . Wherefore exhort the people of God to trust rather in the Lord, to abound in the riches of simplicity, wherein they may walk without snare and without hindrance. (Letter II: To Constantius, a Bishop; from The Letters of S. Ambrose, Oxford: 1881; my italics) This entirely lines up with biblical accounts of the Day of Judgment. Ive found fifty biblical passages, all of which make works not antithetical to faith extremely important as to salvation (only one mentioned faith alongside works). This is clearly contrary to justification by faith alone, in which we stand before God when being judged in the end and can or will say, all my sins were covered by Christs imputed justification, so Im saved; works have nothing to do with it! But Ambrose, who had a very different outlook, highlights works, works, works at the judgment. Why? Its because its entirely biblical, especially regarding the Last Judgment, as I showed. Ambrose simply mirrors an overwhelming teaching of Holy Scripture. He makes the same point in an even more direct and undeniable way elsewhere (that couldnt be more contrary to faith alone than it is): If thou clothe the naked, thou clothest thyself with righteousness; if thou bring the stranger under thy roof, if thou support the needy, he procures for thee the friendship of the saints and eternal habitations. That is no small recompense. Thou sowest earthly things and receivest heavenly. . . . Clearly blessed is he from whose house a poor man has never gone with empty hand. Nor again is any one more blessed than he who is sensible of the needs of the poor, and the hardships of the weak and helpless. In the day of judgment he will receive salvation from the Lord, Whom he will have as his debtor for the mercy he has shown. (On the Duties of the Clergy, Book I, 11, 39; my italics) But the sacred Scriptures say that eternal life rests on a knowledge of divine things and on the fruit of good works. The Gospel bears witness to both these statements. For the Lord Jesus spoke thus of knowledge: This is eternal life, to know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ Whom You have sent. [John 17:3] About works He gives this answer: Every one that has forsaken house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for My Names sake, shall receive an hundred-fold, and shall inherit everlasting life. [Matthew 19:29] He has further also in the same psalm stated of good works, that they gain for an upright man the gift of eternal life. He speaks thus: Blessed is the man that shows pity and lends, he will guide his affairs with discretion, surely he shall not be moved for ever, the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance. And further: He has dispersed, he has given to the poor, his justice endures forever. (Ibid., Book II, 2, 5 and 6; my italics; Psalm 37:28 states: he will not forsake his saints. The righteous shall be preserved for ever: RSV) In the faith alone view, such works are considered, in the end, optional, as to salvation. For Ambrose (and for Jesus, too, as we see above), they literally help bring about salvation (a direct relation). This is the Catholic view whereby sanctification is not separated from justification; nor works from faith. Its not works-salvation (Pelagianism). Its a centrality of works that necessarily flow from grace-produced and grace-enabled faith and justification, per the Bible (again, see my fifty proofs above). Ambrose refuses to separate works from faith, or vice versa: Faith, then, has [the promise of] eternal life, for it is a good foundation. Good works, too, have the same, for an upright man is tested by his words and acts. For if a man is always busy talking and yet is slow to act, he shows by his acts how worthless his knowledge is: besides it is much worse to know what one ought to do, and yet not to do what one has learned should be done. On the other hand, to be active in good works and unfaithful at heart is as idle as though one wanted to raise a beautiful and lofty dome upon a bad foundation. The higher one builds, the greater is the fall; for without the protection of faith good works cannot stand. A treacherous anchorage in a harbour perforates a ship, and a sandy bottom quickly gives way and cannot bear the weight of the building placed upon it. There then will be found the fullness of reward, where the virtues are perfect, and where there is a reasonable agreement between words and acts. (Ibid., Book II, 2, 7; my italics) That is not teaching faith alone and the Protestant view, folks. He reiterates the point again (repetition being a great teacher): the blessedness of eternal life is the reward for good works (Book II, 3, 9). Likewise, Ambrose states: But what does it profit me, if God Himself knows all my hairs? That rather abounds and profits me, if the watchful witness of good works reward me with the gift of eternal life. (On the Holy Spirit, Book II, Introduction, 16) . . . the resurrection brings with it either the reward of good works, or the punishment of wicked ones . . . (On the Death of Satyrus, Book II, 52) You did not dedicate yourself to the Lord on purpose to make your family rich, but that you might win eternal life by the fruit of good works, and atone for your sins by showing mercy. . . . They attempt to take away the fruits of your life, and think they are acting rightly. And one accuses you because you have not made him rich, when all the time he wished to cheat you of the reward of eternal life. (On the Duties of the Clergy, Book I, ch. 30, 150) Therefore, St. Ambrose did not believe in justification by faith alone. Protestant historian Philip Schaff describes the Reformation doctrine: [I]t is the righteousness which God freely gives in Christ to those who believe in him. Righteousness is not to be acquired by man through his own exertions and merits; it is complete and perfect in Christ, and all the sinner has to do is to accept it from Him as a free gift. Justification is that judicial act of God whereby he acquits the sinner of guilt and clothes him with the righteousness of Christ on the sole condition of personal faith which apprehends and appropriates Christ and shows its life and power by good works, as a good tree bringing forth good fruits. The Pauline doctrine of justification as set forth in the Epistles to the Romans and Galatians, had never before been clearly and fully understood, not even by Augustin and Bernard, who confound justification with sanctification. Herein lies the difference between the Catholic and the Protestant conception. In the Catholic system justification (dikaivwsi) is a gradual process conditioned by faith and good works; in the Protestant system it is a single act of God, followed by sanctification. It is based upon the merits of Christ, conditioned by faith, and manifested by good works. (History of the Christian Church, vol. 7, 23. The Victory of Justifying Faith) Ambrose clearly doesnt believe the above, which is proven in how he repeatedly states that works play an important role in eschatological salvation (at the last judgment). To sum up, Tim A. Troutman observed in his article, St. Ambrose on Sola Fide (Called to Communion, 9-16-19): St. Ambrose speaks at length about the necessary and primary role of faith in salvation. This should not be surprising since almost all of the Church fathers did the same thing and so do the Scriptures. But the doctrine of sola fide, as condemned by the Catholic Church, is not that faith is primary in salvation but that faith is the only contributing cause of salvation (to the arbitrary exclusion of other causes). I say arbitrary because they who hold it affirm its exclusion of works of charity, . . . Troutman cited the following (very unProtestant) passage from Ambrose: But the apostles, having this baptism according to the direction of Christ, taught repentance, promised forgiveness, and remitted guilt, as David taught when he said: Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord has not imputed sin. He calls each blessed, both him whose sins are remitted by the font, and him whose sin is covered by good works. For he who repents ought not only to wash away his sin by his tears, but also to cover and hide his former transgressions by amended deeds, that sin may not be imputed to him. (Concerning Repentance, Book II, 5, 35) Educated Protestants could and would never frame the issue in the way that Ambrose does in all these excerpts that I have produced. Conclusion?: his views are harmonious with Catholic soteriology and not the Protestant soteriology of justification by faith alone. * Microsoft on Thursday released its official list of the features arriving in the next point, or Moment, update of Windows 11, including many we already knew about. A few including new Copilot control updates and the ability to use your Android phone as a webcam appear to be new. Between the features Microsoft included within earlier Windows 11 preview releases and Microsofts official announcement today, Microsoft is now telling us what new features you should expect to arrive on your Windows 11 PC in the coming weeks. But you wont receive them right away; while we referred to this incremental Windows 11 update as the February 2024 Moment in our previous report, Microsoft has missed this window. Microsoft is now offering two time periods for you to receive these feature updates: first, during the March 2024 optional non-security preview release, assuming youve opted in to receive updates as soon as theyre available. Most of these new features will be available then, Microsoft says. Otherwise, youll have to wait a month longer. We anticipate broad availability for most new features by the April 2024 security update release for all eligible devices, Microsoft added in a blog post, allowing itself some wiggle room to push the latest Windows 11 features out at an even later date. Microsoft isnt officially referring to this as a moment or update, either just a release of new features. New Copilot Skills, plugins, shortcuts, and commands Remember, Microsofts AI-powered Copilot was released both as a chatbot and a control center of sorts for controlling your PC. But there were just a token number of actions it could take, including switching your PC to dark mode. Now, there are a whole lot more. They include: Turn on/off battery saver Show device information Show system information Show battery information Open storage page Launch live captions Launch narrator Launch screen magnifier Open voice access page Open text size page Open contrast themes page Launch voice input Show available Wi-Fi networks Display IP address Show available storage space Empty recycle bin Microsoft calls these actions Copilot Skills, and theyll roll out in late March, Microsoft says. Microsoft Copilot has allowed you to control your PC for some time now, but its powers are growing. Mark Hachman / IDG Put another way, youll be able to open Copilot and then type Show battery information to (presumably) view the Windows Settings page about the battery status of your PC. If you dont know where that is, this will be helpful. (It would be even more helpful for Copilot to include a standard command to explain what it can do to control your PC.) Copilot will also move to the lower right-hand corner of your PC, instead of its traditional home on the Taskbar. Microsoft already quietly added a few new task-specific Copilots within Copilot including a vacation planner, cooking assistant, and fitness trainer and has now formally added plugins from OpenTable to facilitate reservations. Shopify, Kayak, and Klarna will be added soon as well. Microsoft Use your smartphone as a webcam Microsoft is also kind of dropping a bombshell with the ability to use your Android smartphone or tablet camera as a webcam in any video application. While this was originally expected to be part of the actual feature release, Microsoft says that it is gradually rolling out this feature to all of its Insider Channels. That presumably includes Release Preview, so the feature should be available soon. Microsoft says that youll need to be running the Link to Windows phone application, version 1.24012 or above, and own an Android phone running Android 9.0 or higher. Praise be to Gates Paint 3Ds best feature, Magic Select, is now a feature within Photos. Last year, we hoped that an AI-powered ability to remove an object from a photo would be added to the Photos app, and its coming. What Microsoft calls Generative Erase will roll out to Photos today, allowing you to remove your ex- from a holiday photo and intelligently replace the background. Photos probably wont allow you to replace that person with a Santa Claus or holiday elf, but maybe later. Microsoft is also providing an easy way to trim any unwanted silences within a Clipchamp audio track via AI. Thats available today. Weve seen generative erase on other platforms, including Android (shown here). Now, Windows Photos is adding it. Foundry Voice Shortcuts Voice Access has been available within Windows 11 for months, and Windows 11s voice capabilities include both dictation and actual control of the PC. Voice Shortcuts are an offshoot of that, allowing you to perform tasks like finding and opening a specific folder or app using just your voice. Its not clear how detailed Voice Shortcuts will be for example, if youll be able to code a voice macro to open Outlook, search for any emails from your boss, and open them. But youll be able to use shortcuts across multiple displays, which is another improvement. And more languages will be available too: French (France and Canada) plus Spanish (Spain, Mexico) and German. Voice Shortcuts appears similar to the existing Voice Access commands. Mark Hachman / IDG Nearby sharing and the rest Microsoft also bundled several of the smaller features inside a second blog post, such as the newfound ability to share files via your preferred apps for work or your own personal account, and to share faster than you have before. Some of the smaller additions are referenced in our earlier Windows 11 preview of the new Moment. Microsoft is boosting Snap Layouts, for example, so that it uses AI to better understand what apps you have open and where youll prefer they end up on your desktop. Youll be able to ink in more apps, such as Photos, Paints, WhatsApp, and Messenger, and adjust the Widgets board into categories for work and play. Interestingly, Microsoft didnt mention anything about its plans for the EU, which involve the freedom to remove many default Windows apps, even Microsoft Edge. Its possible that either Microsoft is deliberately downplaying those changes, or else European customers will receive their own updates. With that said, though, Microsofts new Moment looks more, er, momentous than it did before. Expect Microsoft to roll on to more AI-powered updates due in the second half of 2024. This story was updated at 2:27 PM with additional information. Former Central Regional Minister Kwamena Duncan has lauded the President, Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo and his government for his sterling performance on driving the country through the hardships brought on the economy by the Covid-19 and the Russian-Ukraine War. Kwamena Duncan stated that, the President through his special initiatives and negotiating expertise helped the country to manage its debts which enabled the country to secure the International Moneytary Fund loan. Reacting to the Prssident's State of the Nation Address in Parliament on Tuesday, February 27, Kwamena Duncan opined that the President could not have done it any better than how he [the President] has done it. According to Kwamena Duncan, the President, through the Finance Minister, led a beautiful debt restrucutring programme with the International Monetary Fund. Although the debt restructuring was a bit uncomforable for some bond holders, Kwamena Duncan underscored the need to applaud all the bondholders who, in spite of the hardships, allowed the government to enter into a negotiation with them in order to secure the IMF loan. "I am wondering how it would look like if it were others. I am wondering how the situation would have been like if it were others who were in government." "I was happy when the President testified that, the work he assigned to his vice, Bawumia, he did it with excellence which has placed Ghana first in West Africa as the country with the highest financial inclusiveness. Today we live it when it comes to E-governance, Ghana is the 7th in the whole of Africa all within the 8 years of the Akufo Addo-Bawunmia government". "But for the Covid and the Russian-Ukraine war which was very impacting on the economy, we woud have had a very buouyant economy than this," he added. 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 Fatimatu Abubakar, Information Minister-designate, has called on Ghanaians and other cooperate organizations to support institutions that have been set up with the mandate of fighting corruption and corruption related issues. Madam Fatimatu Abubakar opined that institutions including the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ), and The Office of the Special Prospector have all been created and empowered to fight corruption and its related issues, hence, must be supported by all and sundry. Speaking in an interview with TV3s Beatrice Adu, the newly appointed information minister said, The perception has not improved but it is not the reflection that over the period we have deteriorated. When we talk about the fight against corruption let us not make it as if the president is the complainant, he is the judge, he is the prosecutor, he is everything like we are in a dictatorship, he can just say I heard this person collecting bribe or gave bribe and I have taken the laws into my own hands". She added, We work within a democracy and one characteristic is that we have institutions, the constitution has mandated institutions like CHRAJ, to deal with complaints, and we have the special prosecutors office which the president himself set up, advocated for, and has provided bursary support for the fight against corruption, we have the CID of the Police, we have EOCO." "Collectively as a country, we should encourage and empower those institutions to act without fear or favour, Fatimatu posited. For the fourth consecutive year, "Ghana scored 43 out of a clean score of 100 and ranked 70th out of 180 countries and territories included in the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2023 released on 30th January 2024 by Transparency International (TI). This marks the fourth consecutive year of stagnation in Ghanas anti-corruption efforts, as indicated by the CPI. Ghanas deteriorating justice system which is compromising accountability to grant public officials the liberty to thrive in corrupt activities, according to Transparency International, is the reason for the countrys continuous stagnation. Under the theme for the CPI 2023 Corruption and Justice, Ghanas stagnated score highlights a global trend of deteriorating justice systems, which is reducing the accountability of public officials and therefore allowing corruption to thrive. The connection is reinforced by Ghanas performance in the Rule of Law Index produced by the World Justice Project, which demonstrates a concerning decline. In the 2015 Rule of Law Index, Ghana scored 0.60 and ranked 34, but by 2023, Ghanas score had decreased to 0.55, with a corresponding drop in ranking to 61. The Ghana Integrity Initiative is therefore recommending to Parliament to lay the Conduct of Public Officers Bill to situate the asset declaration at a position where verification would become compulsory, defining severe punishment for non-compliance. The Executive should urgently take steps to lay the Conduct of Public Officers Bill in Parliament ensuring that provisions on assets declaration require verification and come with severe sanctions for non-compliance while GII also calls on the Legislature to attach an equal level of urgency to its timely passage. The Executive and the Legislature must take steps to bridge the legal gaps necessary for the prosecution of selected corruption cases outside our current legal framework, the GII recommended. 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 Board Chair for the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD) Ghana, Professor Audrey Gadzepko, says activists who are against the passing of the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill, 2021, popularly known as the anti-gay Bill, will go to the Supreme Court to get redress since the Bill in its current state violates human rights. Speaking on 3FM Thursday, February 29, 2024, in a recorded interview, the renowned Communications expert said, she was disappointed that Parliament had passed the anti-gay Bill. The controversial legislation which prohibits lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) activities and criminalises their promotion, advocacy, and funding in the country, was unanimously passed by Parliament on Wednesday, February 28, 2024, after three long years since it was introduced on the floor of parliament. The anti-LGBTQ bill if assented to by the President will, among other things, impose sanctions on willful promotion and engaging in LGBTQ activities in the country. The bill proscribed a minimum sentence of six months and maximum three years for persons caught in the act of same-sex activities. However, persons found guilty of willful promotion or advocating or funding the activities of LGBTQ will, upon conviction, face three years minimum and five years maximum imprisonment. Prof. Gadzepko believes that since President Akufo-Addo throughout his career had been a human rights lawyer, he would reconsider the anti-gay Bill before assenting to it. For her, should President Akufo-Addo assents to the Bill in its current form, activists who are against the Bill would have no option than to seek justice at the country's apex court. However, proponents of the anti-gay Bill have also served notice that they are prepared to face off in court with the Coalition of 18 Civil Society Groups, who are considering legal action if President Akufo-Addo signs the Anti-LGBTQ+ bill into law. Parliament has come under criticism from international communities and civil society organisations for passing the anti-gay, many of these bodies have described the Bill as an instrument to violates the rights of minority groups. Source: graphiconline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, says his side of the house is prepared to debate the Minority with optimism over the State of the Nation Address (SONA), delivered by President Akufo-Addo on Tuesday, February 27, 2024. The SONA is in accordance with article 67 of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana that says the President should give the State of the Nation Address at the beginning and close of every Parliamentary Session. The State of the Nation Address(SONA) is an annual address to Parliament given by the President of the Republic covering economic, social and financial state of the country. Akufo-Addo, among several takeaways, promised to ensure credible elections, find ways to improve the Free Senior High School policy and complete the Kumasi Airport by May. Speaking on the floor of Parliament after President Akufo-Addo's address, the Majority Leader, who is also the Member of Parliament for the Effutu Constituency in the Central Region, moved a motion for the debate on the SONA to be scheduled to Wednesday, February 28, 2024. We are ready to debate Mr Presidents message, considering the situation we find ourselves as a country, we are ready to debate this message now, however, as has been in place, members will want to prepare, I noticed the Minority Leader was plotting his note," he said. For him, the Majority side will face the Minority "with optimism..." The Effutu legislator therefore urged the Minority Leader to second the motion to debate the address on Wednesday. Source: graphiconline Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The New Patriotic Party (NPP) executives in Bekwai constituency have initiated the formal introduction of their 2024 parliamentary candidate, Ralph Poku-Adusei, to the revered chiefs and elders across the Bekwai municipality. Following a successful electoral victory, Ralph Poku-Adusei, a young Ghanaian lawyer and native of Bekwai, emerged as the chosen parliamentary candidate for the December 2024 general election. In the primaries held on January 27, 2024, Poku-Adusei secured a resounding victory, garnering 662 votes out of 938, representing 70% of the valid votes cast. His closest rival, Commissioner of Police (rtd) George Alex Mensah, obtained 245 votes, while the other candidates trailed behind. In a gesture of respect towards the traditional authorities of Amansie, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Bekwai, Kwaku Kyei Baffour, accompanied by constituency executives, electoral area coordinators, polling station executives, and former constituency executives, embarked on a series of visits to introduce Ralph Poku-Adusei to the chiefs and elders. Addressing the media, MCE Kwaku Kyei Baffour emphasized Poku-Adusei's deep commitment to the welfare and development of Bekwai municipality, underscoring the importance of seeking the blessings of the local leaders ahead of the upcoming elections. Expressing his gratitude, Ralph Poku-Adusei acknowledged the honor bestowed upon him by the NPP as their parliamentary candidate for Bekwai constituency in 2024. He affirmed his dedication to serving the community with utmost diligence and pledged to uphold its interests. Recognizing the significance of the traditional leaders, Poku-Adusei and his team embarked on a tour to introduce themselves and seek their endorsement. The reception from the chiefs and elders during the initial visits to Amoaful, Asakyire, and Asamang was overwhelmingly positive. Poku-Adusei acknowledged the invaluable advice received from the revered leaders, which will guide his campaign endeavours. The tour, spanning multiple traditional areas, continued with visits to Adankragya, Bekwai, Kokofu, and Essumeja on the second day. The Remaining traditional areas are slated for visits in the forthcoming weeks, as the team aims to engage with all stakeholders in the Bekwai constituency ahead of the elections. 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 Governance expert and former United Nations Advisor on Governance, Prof Baffour Agyeman-Duah, has revealed that the NPP 2024 presidential candidate, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has a narrow chance of breaking the eight following President Akufo-Addos State of the Nation Address (SONA 2024). Prof. Agyeman-Duah maintained that it would be very difficult for Dr Bawumia to dissociate himself from the current economic situation in the country. Prof. Agyemang-Duahs comment came to light following President Akufo-Addos SoNA delivered in Parliament on Tuesday, February 27, wherein the latter claimed that all government appointees and officials only offer advice to the President. It would be an unwise President that would pretend to have all the answers, and refuse the advice of his officials, but the fact remains that the President holds the executive power, said President Akufo-Addo. The statement by the President only seems to buttress the assertion of Dr. Bawumia during his 7th Februarys Vision lecture at the UPSA where he had emphasized that the Economic Management Teams role is only advisory. Prof Agyeman-Duah had a dissenting view. Speaking on TV3s Ghana Tonight monitored by Peacefmonline.com, Prof. Agyemang Duah opined it will take a lot of convincing on the part of Vice President Bawumia to break the eight. He said, This is a very interesting situation. His [President Akufo-Addo] vice president, with whom he has ruled the country for eight years, is seeking to be president and the public and himself know that there are so many policies of his government that have not been satisfying to the public and of course, he works together with the vice president, he stressed. According to Prof Agyeman-Duah, for Dr Bawumia to succeed in breaking the eight for the NPP, he would need to devise different strategies. But seeking the presidency, the vice president has to find a clever way to distance himself from some of the failed policies, adding that it is a dilemma for any vice president seeking the office of the president while the incumbent is still in office. The Governance Expert further stated that, I think [Dr] Bawumia is in a very tight situation because, on one hand, he cannot publicly denounce the policies of the president of which he was part, and at the same time he is aware that certain policies have not been very good and he cannot carry that to the campaign trail. The situation, according to him, is a difficulty both of them are facing, adding that it has become a puzzle for the president and the vice president. 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 A 38-year-old woman who used to work as a paraprofessional at a Lancaster County middle school pleaded guilty to multiple charges on Wednesday after she had unlawful contact with two teenage students and gave money and vape pods to one of them following the assault, the Lancaster County District Attorneys Office said. Megan Carlisle, of Lancaster, pleaded guilty to involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, statutory sexual assault, unlawful contact with a minor obscene or sexually explicit contact/communication with a minor, disseminating sexually explicit materials to a minor, and two counts of corruption of minors. She also pleaded no contest to four counts of institutional sexual contact with a student. The DAs office said Carlisle pleaded guilty in two identical cases, one for a 14-year-old victim and one for a 15-year-old victim. Carlisle is accused of inappropriately touching the 15-year-old while she was supervising him during in-school suspension on April 28, 2023, according to the DAs office. Throughout the rest of the day and evening, Carlisle sent sexually explicit pictures and videos to the 15-year-old through Snapchat. Other students reportedly took pictures and videos of the Snapchats to avoid notifying Carlisle and then shared the images/videos with an unknown number of students. Then, Carlisle picked up the 15-year-old between 10:30 p.m. and 11 p.m. that night and performed a sex act on him in a Mount Joy parking lot. The next day, Carlisle sent the 15-year-old boy $20 through Cash App and purchased vape pods for him, the DAs office said. She was charged on May 25, 2023, for the abuse of the 15-year-old before being charged again on June 15, 2023, concerning the 14-year-old victim. The DAs office did not include details regarding the unlawful sexual contact with the 14-year-old. A Lancaster County judge will order a sentence at a later date following an investigation and a sexually violent predator determination. BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 29. New railcars will be delivered from Russia, Deputy Chairman of Baku Metro CJSC Hidayat Mammadov told reporters, Trend reports. According to him, it is planned to purchase 65 cars within 3 years. "We aim to buy 35 automobiles this year. They will be delivered to the country according to the production capability of the company with which the deal is signed," he added. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel WILLIAMSPORT Two central Pa. men have been accused of being couriers in a computer fraud scheme that resulted in central Pennsylvania residents paying at least $316,300 under false pretenses. Yankun Jiang and Hanlin Yang, both 23 of State College, were indicted Tuesday by a U.S. Middle District Court grand jury on a conspiracy to commit wire fraud charge. Victims of the conspiracy would receive on their computer screen a pop-up purportedly from Microsoft stating their device had been hacked. A telephone number was provided to call. The indictment states this is what occurred if the instructions were followed: Callers were connected to a member of the conspiracy who provided false information including there was a problem with the persons bank account, it was not secure and money needed to be transferred from it. Victims would be directed to withdraw cash and would continue to receive phone calls providing various false reasons to make cash withdrawals and transfer funds. They were told not to share information given to them by conspirators and to provide bank officials false information such as home remodeling as the reason for the large withdrawals. Victims were provided a code word that a federal agent or federal marshal would use when they arrived at their home to pick up the cash to ensure its safekeeping. Couriers, who were paid for their services, used Telegram messenger to communicate with each other, to provide victims addresses and to confirm pickups. They were instructed to park a distance from a victims residence to avoid identification of their vehicle. Jiang and Yang are accused of being among the couriers who posed as agents or marshals to pick up the money throughout the Middle District. Money collected from victims was taken to Jiangs residence in State College where it was held until forwarded, the charge states. In October, Renze Luo, 23, was charged by Lycoming Regional Police in Lycoming County. He is accused of being the federal agent who went to a home in rural Lycoming County to pick up money from a couple who had called the number after getting the message their computer had been hacked. The code word in their case was black. The husband became suspicious and did not turn over a box of money. Another individual was on the phone with the couple when police arrived trying to convince them to turn over the money. Lycoming Regional Police investigated a similar incident in July in which a woman gave money to an Asian male who came to her home. He claimed he did not have any identification but allowed her to take his picture. The federal indictment contains a clause that would require Jiang and Yang to forfeit $316,300 if convicted. Gov. Josh Shapiros education secretary found himself on the hot seat Wednesday defending a school funding proposal that Republican senators fear will drain the states reserves and create a big deficit within a few years. After hearing Education Secretary Khalid Mumin tell the Senate Appropriations Committee that the administration fully supports the approved Basic Education Funding Commissions plan to boost basic education funding by $5.4 billion over the next seven years, senators wanted to know how the governor intends to fund it. The couple who sings together stays together. Actor Kevin Bacon and his wife, Kyra Sedgwick, threw together a mini-concert for their barn animals recently, busting out a duet to Beyonces smash country hit Texas Hold Em. Bacon was the star of the show, putting on a live performance that Sedgwick filmed out in a pony paddock. Bacon was captured wearing a brimmed-hat, boots, a red flannel shirt and jeans, and strumming a mandolin, as he sang the popular country track. While belting out the catchy tune, a pony and two pigs can be seen roaming about near the Hollow Man actor, milling around his feet. As Bacon sings to the animals, Segdwick can be heard throwing in the occasional whoo! and hey! Monday morning serenade, the caption on the Instagram post read. Beyonce made history when Texas Hold Em struck No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on Feb. 26, just one week after she became the first black woman in modern music history to get to the top of Billboards Hot Country Songs chart, where it remains currently. Born in Philadelphia, Bacon is known for his roles in such diverse films as Animal House, JFK, Apollo 13, Mystic River, Tremors and Footloose. He also performs regularly with his brother, Michael, as the Bacon Brothers. When parents attest to becoming better versions of themselves because of their children, believe them. No doubt Bradley Cooper is someone who would wholeheartedly agree with the sentiment. During an appearance on Mondays episode of the Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard podcast, the Maestro star revealed, Im not sure Id be alive if I wasnt a dad. The 49-year-old Pennsylvania native referred to his daughter, Lea De Seine, who was born in 2017 to Cooper and his then-girlfriend Irina Shayk. That relationship ended in 2019. The Oscar-nominated actor spoke about how welcoming his daughter pretty much led to a decision to work on himself to become the best version of himself because he wanted to do the least amount of damage that I could do to my daughter. I just needed someone to say, like, Were gonna drop this massive anchor, Cooper told Shepard. Im like, Why? Were speeding! I just got an upgrade on the boat, and I know where the winds coming in. Theyre like, No, no, no, theres a tsunami coming in, and you need an anchor and were gonna drop it. Because this is gonna dictate everything you do from now on. Your DNA is going to tell you that theres something more important than you. He also admitted not understanding when parents would say, I would die in a second for my kid, because when Lea was first born, and for the first couple of months of her life, he wasnt sure if he loved her. Its dope. Its cool. Im watching this thing morph, he said. But then things changed for him instantly. All of a sudden, its like no question, the actor explained, revealing that the new baby and fatherhood made a lasting impression on him. In the past, Cooper has struggled with addiction, and he admitted to feeling very lucky to overcome those difficult times. Currently, he is 20 years sober, The Hollywood Reporter reported. What better way to celebrate the end of February than with a free beer? At least thats what Primanti Bros. seems to think. The restaurant chain announced that it plans to give free beer away on Feb. 29 at all its Pennsylvania locations to help celebrate Leap Day. Weve had the Free Beer Tomorrow sign hanging in many of our restaurants for years, CEO Adam Golomb said in a press release. Well, tomorrow is finally here. Its not the first time the Pa.-based franchise has made this offer. We celebrated four years ago with free beer and it was a huge success, Golomb said. Its an extra day. A bonus. Raise a beer and enjoy it. The offer is only available while supplies last and is limited to one 12 oz. domestic bottle per customer. The offer is also only valid at Primanti Bros. Pennsylvania locations. You must be at least 21 years of age with a valid ID to take part. Visit the Primanti Bros. website to find a location near you in Pennsylvania. Allison Klunks son struggled against opioid addiction for 11 years before he died of an overdose at 29. His death made the York County resident want to help other peoples loved ones. She went to a local organization, expecting a focus on recovery. As it turned out, the tiny nonprofit distributed clean needles to drug users. I was like no way, I cant do this, she says. But Klunk remembered her son calling from jail, crying, after testing positive for hepatitis C, a disease commonly spread by shared needles. So she accepted the low-paying job and soon found herself parked near a food bank in York, a magnetic sign attached to her car to help drug users find her. She gave them needles and syringes and urged them to return used ones. She also offered disease testing, personal hygiene supplies and naloxone, the overdose-reversal drug. People she came to know sometimes had sores or fevers or were otherwise sick from the drugs and the lifestyle. Klunk provided whatever aide she could, including offers to just sit in her car and rest. And at every chance, she told them: If youre ever tired, if youre ever sick of this, please know that I can get you into rehab and know I would love to. Klunk worked for a syringe service. Their work is called harm reduction helping drug users stay as healthy as possible until, hopefully, they choose treatment. Yet in Pennsylvania, unlike the vast majority of states, syringe services are illegal. That has far-ranging fallout, and may even have contributed to the stunning spate of nine Harrisburg-area overdose deaths in one weekend last September. True, syringe services operate in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, which have unique health-related powers. And others, much smaller in size and capabilities, fly under the radar elsewhere, including a small contingent that sets up three times a week in Harrisburg. There are a lot of underground harm reduction programs in Pennsylvania, because harm reductionists are not going to wait for the law to change to save lives, says Carla Sofronski, co-founder of the Pennsylvania Harm Reduction Network. But the fact such services are illegal has profound consequences: It cuts them off from most public funding, including tens of millions flowing into Pennsylvania from settlements with drug companies that fueled the opioid crisis. It minimizes their ability to prevent diseases including HIV and hepatitis. And it holds back the organizations that interact most closely with drug users, and which are ideally positioned to provide a broad range of help from overdose-reversing naloxone to wound care to shepherding them into treatment. Ken McGarvey, a former state public health official, believes the September overdoses proved it. Local officials responded with a roundtable to warn of the dangers of unexpectedly potent drugs, and to stress the availability of test strips and naloxone from police and drug treatment providers. But McGarvey and numerous others interviewed for this article saw it as much too little, too late. They argue that, for one, its unrealistic to expect illegal drug users to go to police or drug treatment providers for naloxone and test strips. They contend the deaths highlight a serious problem: a severe shortage of ground-level efforts to directly engage with drug users. There needs to be a street outreach program in these counties that understands where the people that are using drugs are, makes contact with them, gets the naloxone into their hands, McGarvey says. There are tools available, but we are just not using them. McGarvey, who is retired from the Pennsylvania Department of Health, became involved with syringe services during the early response to AIDS. As a member of the advisory board for the Cumberland-Perry Drug and Alcohol Commission, he remains focused on the harm reduction response to the opioid overdose crisis. The U.S. has had little success in reversing the tide of fatal overdoses, which were expected to total about 112,000 in the United States last year more than double the total in 2015 and more than 5,100 in Pennsylvania. Aside from curbing the flow of fentanyl and providing access to treatment, the response now centers on harm reduction, including saturating communities with life-saving naloxone. The administrations of both former President Donald Trump and President Biden support expanding the availability of nalaxone. Pennsylvania has bought and distributed well over a million free doses, with much of it going to emergency responders, who in turn have reversed tens of thousands of overdoses. Much has also gone to county drug and alcohol departments, which are entrusted with community-level distribution. McGarvey has long been troubled by what he sees as a failure on the part of most counties to get naloxone directly into the hands of drug users. The state, he says, is purchasing it, they are making it available. The problem is, the infrastructure to get it out on the street, into the hands of the people who need it, in a lot of these counties does not exist. In Dauphin County, officials declined to give in-depth answers to written questions about what they have done to get naloxone and newly legalized fentanyl and xylazine test strips directly to drug users. In a written statement, the county said it gives naloxone to drug treatment providers, and plans to contract with two organizations to do community outreach to those who have substance use disorder but are not accessing treatment. Dauphin plans to partner with Lebanon, Cumberland and Perry counties on a contract that will include naloxone distribution, according to Jack Carroll, who heads drug and alcohol treatment for Cumberland-Perry. Still, he doubts it will be easy to find a capable outreach organization. I think street-level outreach is a great idea. But its hard to do. There are not a lot of organizations that are set up to do that, he says. McGarvey believes syringe services such as the Lancaster Harm Reduction Project, which is also responsible for the effort in Harrisburg and the one Klunk worked for in York, are ideally suited. Theyre a great agency. Their heart is in it. Its just that theyre small, they dont have the resources, he says. The organization has six part-time employees and two full-timers counting the director, Melinda Zipp. It has a $350,000 annual budget, nearly all of it donated. With that, it sends teams three times per week to Harrisburg, York and Lancaster, with a fourth day spent restocking supplies. Zipp says she has received overtures from counties regarding distribution of naloxone and test strips. But she worries, for one, that accepting the money will come with conditions that will interfere with distributing syringes. Our funding is constantly in jeopardy because of grey areas in the law, she says. That danger materialized early this year in Westmoreland County, where a syringe service was told it would receive $150,000 in opioid settlement money. It planned to use it to hire more staff to help people and families dealing with addiction and recovery. But after a news article about the effort to legalize syringe services featured the organization, county commissioners pulled the money, citing legal concerns, according to Spotlight PA. At the same time, Lakita Davis-Jones, Pennsylvanias secretary of drug and alcohol programs, contends opioid settlement money can go to syringe services, as long as they put it toward their other services. She says the Shapiro administration backs syringe services, which she calls services that we rally behind and that we truly support. Part of what [the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs] and the Shapiro organization are trying to do is normalize the idea of harm reduction, according to Davis-Jones. To that end, her department plans to look more closely at how counties spend their streams of state and federal funds aimed at addiction and recovery. Were going to ask additional questions, really trying to understand a little bit more about their perspectives on harm reduction, she says. We dont want naloxone sitting in somebodys cabinet and then expiring. Theres other hope on the horizon, although of a kind that can be exceedingly slow to arrive. A bill advancing in the state House, still far from final approval, would legalize syringe services. Its cosponsored by state Rep. Jim Struzzi, a Republican from rural western Pennsylvania who once opposed syringe services, but changed his mind after visiting a program. It was not just someone handing out needles on the street corner. It was an actual organized program where they bring people in and they talked to them about recovery, says Struzzi, who cites studies which found people who cross paths with syringe services are much more likely to enter treatment. Still, syringe services are subject to new pushback. Some local officials in Philadelphia, for example, argue they intensify problems in already troubled neighborhoods, including used needles littering the ground and getting into the hands of children. But others counter the majority of neighborhood residents support their presence, knowing they actively collect used needles and respond to emergencies such as overdoses, sparing local residents from having to intervene. Allison Klunk, 54, is another who, like Struzzi, experienced a transformation after seeing harm reduction up close. At the very beginning, she felt like she was handing out loaded syringes. But her thoughts would return to her son. I would think maybe he would have appreciated some love and someone saying, Look, I want you to stay as safe as you can, she says. When Chitra Khadka took over a Hampden Township pizza shop to open a Nepali restaurant, he made a risky move. He kept the pizza recipes and ovens. Diners at Hunger 2 Go at 5315 E. Trindle Road can order double decker pepperoni pizzas and sausage stromboil along with Nepali specialties such as momos, chow mein and thukpa noodle soup. By Sean Murphy and Jim Vertuno, The Associated Press CANADIAN, Texas A cluster of wildfires scorched the Texas Panhandle on Wednesday, including a blaze that grew into one of the largest in state history, as flames moved with alarming speed and blackened the landscape across a vast stretch of small towns and cattle ranches. Authorities warned that the damage to communities on the high plains could be extensive. Known as the Smoke House Creek Fire, the largest blaze expanded to more than 1,300 square miles (3,367 square kilometers) and jumped into parts of neighboring Oklahoma. It is now larger than the state of Rhode Island, and the Texas A&M Forest Service said the flames were only about 3% contained. The largest fire recorded in state history was the 2006 East Amarillo Complex fire, which burned about 1,400 square miles and resulted in 13 deaths. Authorities had not reported any deaths or injuries as of Wednesday morning while huge plumes of smoke billowed hundreds of feet in the air. But officials warned residents of potentially large property losses. There was one point where we couldnt see anything, said Greg Downey, 57, describing his escape from the flames as flames bore down on his neighborhood. I didnt think wed get out of it. When we came out, the sky had gone black. Hemphill County Emergency Management Coordinator Bill Kendall described the charred terrain as being like a moonscape. ... Its just all gone. The remains of a burned home smolder in Canadian, Texas on Wednesday, Feb 28, 2024. A fast-moving wildfire burning through the Texas Panhandle grew into the second-largest blaze in state history Wednesday, forcing evacuations and triggering power outages as firefighters struggled to contain the widening flames. (AP Photo/Sean Murphy)AP Kendall said about 40 homes were burned around the perimeter of the town of Canadian, but no buildings were lost inside the community. We started getting those losses in the dark, so we didnt really know what we had until this morning, until we could see, he said. The town of Fritch, with a population of less than 2,000, lost hundreds of homes in a 2014 fire and appeared to be hit hard again. The people in that area are probably not prepared for what theyre going to see if they pull into town, Hutchinson County Emergency Management spokesperson Deidra Thomas said in a social media livestream. She compared the damage to a tornado. The town remained unsafe for people to return, she said. Tresea Rankin videotaped her own home in the town of Canadian as it burned. Thirty-eight years of memories, thats what you were thinking, Rankin said of watching the flames destroy her house. Two of my kids were married there ... But you know, its OK, the memories wont go away. Authorities have not said what ignited the fires, but strong winds, dry grass and unseasonably warm temperatures fed the blazes. Near Borger, a community of about 13,000 people, emergency officials at one point late Tuesday answered questions from panicked residents on Facebook and told them to get ready to leave if they had not already. It was like a ring of fire around Borger. There was no way out ... all four main roads were closed, said Adrianna Hill, 28, whose home was within about a mile of the fire. She said a wind that blew the fire in the opposite direction saved our butts. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration for 60 counties. The encroaching flames caused the main facility that disassembles Americas nuclear arsenal to pause operations Tuesday night, but it was open for normal work on Wednesday. The blazes tore through sparsely populated counties on the vast, high plains that are punctuated by cattle ranches and oil rigs. This aerial image provided by the City of Borger/Hutchinson County OEM shows homes damaged from a wildfire, Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024. (City of Borger/Hutchinson County OEM via AP)AP The weather forecast provided some hope for firefighters cooler temperatures, less wind and possibly rain on Thursday. But for now, the situation was dire in some areas. Sustained winds of up to 45 mph (72 kph), with gusts of up to 70 mph (113 kph), caused the fires that were spreading east to turn south, threatening new areas, forecasters said. But winds calmed down after a cold front came through Tuesday evening, said Peter Vanden Bosch, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Amarillo. Fortunately, the winds have weakened quite significantly, Vanden Bosch said Wednesday. Breezy conditions were expected again Friday, and fire-friendly weather could return by the weekend, he said. As the evacuation orders mounted Tuesday, county and city officials implored residents to turn on emergency alert services on their cellphones and be ready to evacuate immediately. The Pantex plant, northeast of Amarillo, evacuated nonessential staff Tuesday night out of an abundance of caution, said Laef Pendergraft, a spokesperson for the National Nuclear Security Administrations production office at Pantex. Firefighters remained in case of an emergency. The plant has long been the main U.S. site for both assembling and disassembling atomic bombs. It completed its last new bomb in 1991 and has dismantled thousands since. Pantex tweeted early Wednesday that the facility is open for normal day shift operations and that all personnel were to report for duty according to their assigned schedule. As the fires raged Tuesday, evacuations were ordered in several towns in a swath northeast of Amarillo. The Smokehouse Creek Fire spread from Texas into neighboring Roger Mills County in western Oklahoma, where officials encouraged people in the Durham area to flee. Officials did not know yet how large the fire was in Oklahoma. A burned car rests near the charred remains of a home outside of Canadian, Texas Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024 after a wildfire passed. A fast-moving wildfire burning through the Texas Panhandle grew into the second-largest blaze in state history Wednesday, forcing evacuations and triggering power outages as firefighters struggled to contain the widening flames. (AP Photo/Sean Murphy)AP An unrelated fire in Ellis County, Oklahoma, on the Oklahoma-Texas state line, led Tuesday to the evacuations of the towns of Shattuck and Gage. The evacuation order was lifted hours later, according to county Emergency Management Director Riley Latta. The fire had unknown origins and burned an estimated 47 square miles, according to the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry. The weather service issued red-flag warnings and fire-danger alerts for several other states through the midsection of the country, as winds of over 40 mph (64 kph) combined with warm temperatures, low humidity and dry winter vegetation to make conditions ripe for wildfires. In central Nebraska, a mower sparked a prairie fire that burned a huge swath of grassland roughly the size of the states largest city of Omaha, state officials said Tuesday. Vertuno reported from Austin, Texas. Associated Press reporters Ken Miller in Oklahoma City, Lisa Baumann in Bellingham, Washington, and Stefanie Dazio in Los Angeles contributed to this report. Academy Award-nominated actor Terrence Howard has been ordered by a federal judge to pay nearly $1 million in back taxes, including interest and penalties, after saying that it was immoral for the United States government to charge taxes to the descendants of slaves. The judgment comes after the IRS spent a year trying to collect $578,000 in income taxes that Howard, 54, had not paid between 2010 and 2019, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. The Justice Department sued the Empire star in 2022 over the issue, but the actors only response appears to have been an angry voicemail he left on the phone of the cases lead tax attorney in November. Four hundred years of forced labor and never receiving any compensation for it, the actor said in the message, according to a court transcript. Now you have the gall to try and prosecute and charge taxes to the descendants of a broken people that you are responsible for causing the breakage. In a second, follow-up voicemail message, Howard said, In truth, the entire United States should, by default, become the property of the descendants of slaves. But since you do not have the ability [or] the courage to do it, lets try this in court. Were gonna bring you down. Howard, who reportedly lives in Plymouth Meeting, Pa., never formally responded to the lawsuit, the Inquirer said. Following a court hearing last week in Philadelphia, U.S. District Judge John F. Murphy OKd a $903,115 default judgment against Howard, Howard, who earned an Academy Award nomination for best actor for the movie Hustle and Flow, has had tax troubles for many years, the Inquirer reported. The IRS put a $1.1 million lien on his property in 2010 for not paying taxes in 2007 and 2008, and federal prosecutors opened a criminal investigation into him and his wife, Mira Pak, in 2019 for tax evasion. One familys tropical vacation led to a difficult overnight stay when they were stranded outside of an airport overnight. SFGate reports that a family of six arrived at Kona International Airport in Hawaii for a red-eye flight to California, which was the first leg of their trip back home to Idaho. According to SFGate, the family - Timmie John of Idaho Falls, her grandmother and four children - discovered their flight with United Airlines had been delayed. The flight was later canceled, and the family was informed around 11 p.m. BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 29. Education at the Turkish-Azerbaijani University will be free, Azerbaijani Minister of Science and Education Emin Amrullayev said at a media briefing, Trend reports. The minister noted that at the initial stage, it is planned to admit 100 students to the Turkish-Azerbaijani University. The admission plan provides for an additional 100-200 places annually. Education at this university will be free. Training will be organized in English and Turkish, he added. Azerbaijani Minister of Science and Education Emin Amrullayev and President of The Council of Higher Education (CoHE) of Turkiye Erol Ozvar signed a "Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Science and Education of Azerbaijan and the Council of Higher Education of Turkiye on the establishment of the Turkish-Azerbaijani University". Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel To save money and balance student populations, the Harrisburg School District plans to close a middle school, which would eventually result in over 900 students learning in the same building at the Camp Curtin Academy. The shift to close the Rowland Academy would take place over the next three years, starting this fall, and was part of an overall reorganization. At the districts Tuesday night school board meeting, Receiver Dr. Lori Suski approved the plan, which still requires approval from the state Department of Education. Camp Curtin and Rowland academies are located 15 minutes away from each other. HERSHEY - The home stretch of the Democratic Partys race to find an opponent for U.S. Rep. Scott Perry in Pennsylvanias 10th Congressional District unofficially kicked off Wednesday night with a scattershot debate in Hershey between five of the six candidates on the primary ballot. The debate, sponsored by Hershey Indivisible, brought together five of the six candidates who have tentatively earned spots on the primary ballot: John Broadhurst, Rick Coplen, Shamaine Daniels, Blake Lynch and Mike OBrien. WILLIAMSPORT A Williamsport police lieutenant can pursue his legal efforts to have three of his superiors removed from office. Northumberland County Senior Judge Charles H. Saylor this week denied the citys motion to dismiss the quo warranto action taken by Lt. Fred J. Miller IV. The judge, who is specially assigned, also denied the citys motion for summary judgment in a suit Miller brought in which he claims he has been bypassed for promotion despite being the most qualified. We are excited at being able to move forward, Millers lawyer Michael Zicolello said Wednesday. The aim of the quo warranto action, a legal procedure to challenge the right to public office that is believed wrongly held, are Assistant Chief Justin Bolt along with Joshua Bell and Justin Ottaviano, both captains. Miller contends the three were promoted in violation of an ordinance that city council adopted on June 12, 2014, and Mayor Derek Slaughter has not followed since he took office in 2020. The ordinance created a civil service board to examine applicants for appointment to any uniformed position in the bureaus of police and fire excluding administrative chiefs. Saylor in his order found Miller had standing to bring the quo warranto action and it is not barred by the police collective bargaining agreement as the city argued. The labor agreement does not require use of the union grievance process for denial of promotion, he wrote. In denying summary judgment in the suit Miller brought against the city and Slaughter, the judge concluded a jury should determine if the parties met their respective burdens. For Miller it would be to show by the preponderance of the evidence he was denied promotion because of the lawsuits he has filed against the city, he said. The city and Slaughter then would have to show Miller would not have been promoted had he not filed the lawsuits, Saylor said. These are intensive factual issues for which summary judgment is not appropriate, he wrote. Miller filed that suit after Bell was promoted to captain of detectives. He also has ones in U.S. Middle District Court for being bypassed when Sgt. Justin Ottaviano was promoted to patrol captain and when he was not promoted to assistant chief or captain. In all of these, he claims to have been the most qualified and those promoted had not taken any legal action against the city. In 2019 Miller settled out of court for $35,000 in a case in which he accused the police administration under then Chief David J. Young of being anti-union. Now-retired Lt. Steven Helm also filed suits claiming he was bypassed for promotion due to his union activities and lawsuits. The former Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 29 president settled two of them for $150,000. A Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board examiner in 2018 found Helm had been wrongly transferred in retaliation for his union activity. Helm had contended he had been stripped of his supervisory authority in retaliation for his union activity when he was transferred to support services lieutenant. A weekly newsletter that delivers original reporting and dives into the top headlines involving reproductive justice, sexual health, relationships, parenting and more every Tuesday. Enter your email to subscribe today. Body camera footage recently released to the public has ignited a debate over censorship and the role of law enforcement in libraries. The footage shows Kootenai County Sheriff Robert Norris searching a local library for a young adult novel, Identical by Ellen Hopkins, which he deemed obscene. Norris was accompanied by a member of a local citizens group, CleanBooks4Kids, advocating the removal of what they consider inappropriate materials from libraries. The footage reveals the sheriff expressing a desire to use the book as part of a political stunt. The groups Facebook account bio reads, We are a grassroots group that believes the innocence of our children is worth protecting. This isnt the first the sheriff has tried to take matters into his own hands. In August, Norris said he was shocked and disturbed at some of the books available to youth at local libraries and admitted to choosing to pay for copies to retain them, rather than returning them. The other book he borrowed and hasnt returned is Deal with It! A Whole New Approach to Your Body, Brain, and Life as a gURL by Esther Drill, Heather McDonald and Rebecca Odes, a comprehensive and frank resource for teenage girls covering body changes, mental health and relationships. The sheriff has defended his actions, stating his concern lies with protecting children from inappropriate materials. He has not elaborated further on what legal basis, if any, he believes could be used to remove material from the library. Community response The incident has sparked significant backlash from library patrons, educators, and advocates of intellectual freedom. They argue that the sheriffs actions represent a form of censorship and an overreach of authority, highlighting that libraries follow established procedures for selecting and handling materials. Concerns have also been voiced that the incident could have a chilling effect on librarians abilities to serve their communities. Librarians maintain that Identical is a critically acclaimed work dealing with sensitive themes such as sexual abuse, potentially offering valuable support for teens grappling with similar issues. The book tells the story of twin high school-aged girls who come to terms with their abusive father. The novel has been banned 22 times across the U.S. As for parental rights, parents have always had the ability to counsel their own childrens reading, wrote Hopkins, the books author, for the ACLU in November. But no one has the right to decide for my kids or yours what they can or cant read. For local governments to decide otherwise is a travesty. In the midst of the national discourse, Cassie Robertson, the communications coordinator for North Idahos Community Library Network, expressed that the ongoing debate has posed significant challenges for local library officials. Our staff and patrons are facing difficulties, Robertson told the Idaho Statesman in September. It has evolved into a focal point during our board meetings, presenting a definite and ongoing challenge for us. The incident has also drawn national attention, with free speech and library organizations condemning the sheriffs actions. Debate continues about the appropriate role of community input in determining library collections versus the dangers of censorship attempts. Children should be allowed to check out any book they want, said Annie Laurie Gaylor, President of Freedom From Religion Foundation, to KOAA News in August. They can counsel their own children about how they feel about these books, but they cant deprive other peoples children of the opportunity to read for themselves. In response to a rising wave of challenges to books and materials in schools and libraries, librarians, library staff, and officials throughout the United States have resigned from their positions. This movement, intertwined with broader initiatives targeting the LGBT+ community, is increasingly leaning on the involvement of the courts, elected officials, and law enforcement. In the past year, the American Library Association documented a historic peak with over 1,200 instances of attempts to ban books from schools and libraries. Only took 3 days for someone to vandalize the Pride crosswalk in Westlock is the title of this photo that was posted to the r/alberta Reddit page. Abdulla Shaikh is seen in a capture taken from surveillance video at a Montreal motel submitted into evidence at a coroner's inquiry being heard in Montreal. A Quebec coroner has issued a final report into the violent deaths of three people who were killed at random in the Montreal area in 2022 by a mentally ill man, recommending the province create a specialized court to deal with mental health cases.THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Quebec coroner's office BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 29. A suite of 15 cooperation documents was inked between Iran and Russia during the 17th Iran-Russia Joint Economic Cooperation Commission session, on February 28, said Javad Owji, Irans Minister of Oil and the Iranian co-chair of the commission, Trend reports. Owji highlighted that the documents span 11 key areas, including oil and gas, agriculture, transportation, peaceful nuclear energy, aeronautics, trade infrastructure, railway construction projects like the Rasht-Astara line, the Siraf nuclear power plant development, and initiatives to position Iran as a transit hub for oil, gas, and petrochemicals. The agreements also address the easing of monetary, banking, and customs barriers to bolster bilateral trade. The minister underscored Russias status as a leading global agricultural exporter and noted its role as an importer of Iranian agricultural goods, suggesting significant untapped potential for collaboration in this domain. Owji emphasized the need to enhance market integration, stating, Despite being key trading partners, the market presence of each country in the others economy is minimal, warranting thorough exploration and expansion efforts. It should be noted that the 17th meeting of the joint economic cooperation commission of Iran and Russia was held in Tehran on Feb.28. --- Follow the author on X (Twitter):@BaghishovElnur A milestone moment will occur March 1 in Pittsburg State University history: the 50 th Annual PSU Jazz Festival. The festival was started in 1974 by Professor of Music Russell Jones with just 14 bands. In 1978, he passed the baton to Professor Robert Kehle, who continued to grow it until his retirement in 2023. Its now coordinated by a committee of music faculty with Kehle as a consultant. Now at capacity, it will draw 70 high school jazz bands from across the region to perform for notable judges throughout the day at Memorial Auditorium and the Bicknell Family Center for the Arts. Those performances are open to the public, but anyone stopping by to listen should be mindful of entering only between performances and of the etiquette required for sitting in on a judged concert. Many of the participating bands are directed by music educators who got their start in Pitt States Music Department and who once performed in the Jazz Festival themselves. I've had the privilege of being part of the festival for 27 years and its a landmark cultural event for our area, the university, and the state of Kansas, Hastings said. Bob Kehle has done a wonderful job of turning the festival into a must-see event, inspiring countless students, educators, and professional musicians. Its an incredibly exciting event that the students and the community look forward to each year. The evening concert, planned for 7:30 p.m. at Memorial Auditorium, will open as it has for many years with a performance by the PSU Jazz Ensemble comprised of some of the most talented music students from Pitt State under the direction of Hastings. The evening concert also always draws a famous headliner. Past festivals have seen the likes of Doc Severinsen, Maynard Ferguson, Louie Bellson, the Count Basie Orchestra, the Tom Kubis Big Band, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Wycliffe Gordon and His International All Stars, and many others. This years concert will feature the Matt Catingub Big Band. The Matt Catingub Big Band The evening ticketed concert will kick off with the PSU Jazz Ensemble, directed by Professor Todd Hastings, before the headliner takes the stage. Matt Catingub is considered one of the pioneers of the modern Big Band. The son of the great jazz vocalist and Polynesias First Lady of Song, Mavis Rivers, he is a proud Pacific Islander. In his early years, he performed with her around the world, including a 1983 performance for Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip. At age 17, he performed and presented his original big band compositions at the Monterey Jazz Festival, with that success catapulting him to a tour of Japan playing with jazz legends Dizzy Gillespie, Thad Jones, and Ruth Brown. Right out of high school, Catingub joined the big bands of Louie Bellson, who performed at Pitt State in the mid-1980s. He was only 21 when he formed his first big band in Los Angeles and released his first recording, My Mommy and Me, which is recognized as one of the great break-out jazz recordings. It featured many of his hits that still resonate today, including Blues and the Abscessed Tooth and Bopopularity, and featured his mother. He then released Hi Tech Big Band, one of the most innovative recordings of the genre, on which he performed all of the instruments, electronically recreating the sound of a big band while also introducing more big band classics like The Umpire Strikes Back and Indian Riffs. His credits also include touring the world with the legendary Rosemary Clooney, and creating the music for the film Goodnight and Good Luck, which won a Grammy and allowed him the chance to work with jazz great Diane Reeves and writer-director George Clooney. He has conducted, created, and performed with symphonic pop orchestras, including the Hawaii & Honolulu Symphony Pops, the Glendale Pops in L.A., and the Macon Pops near Atlanta, Georgia. With these entities he has conducted, performed, and orchestrated for artists like Al Jarreau, Diana Krall, Michael McDonald, and Kenny Loggins. Last year marked the rebirth of the Matt Catingub Big Band, and the release From Samoa to Sinatra, celebrating the music of Frank Sinatra and Catingubs mother, the first female artist Sinatra signed to his Reprise Records label in 1961. Performing brand new arrangements and revisiting many of his hit originals, his band presents an exciting mix of old and new, including using technology to perform with mom from the past using tracks recorded while his mother was pregnant with him! The concert will feature his longtime superstar drummer Steve Moretti and vocalist Michelle Amato. Tickets Tickets for the evening concert are $16 for adults and $10 for children, seniors, and military. Pitt State students are admitted free, and discounted tickets for PSU faculty and staff are available with valid Pitt State ID. They may be purchased or picked up at the PSU Ticket Office in 137 Garfield Weede Building before 4 p.m. They also may be purchased at 620-235-4796 or at pittstate.edu/tickets, or at the door at Memorial Auditorium starting an hour before the show, based on availability. PN Podcast: Postle Appearance, Controversial Negreanu Tweet & Guest Lexy Gavin-Mather's New Book February 29, 2024 Chad Holloway Executive Editor U.S. In the No. 817 episode of the PokerNews Podcast sponsored by WPT Global, Chad Holloway, Connor Richards, and Matt Hansen dive into the latest news, gossip, and results from the poker industry. That includes announcing the winner of our WPT Voyage cabin giveaway! Chad then discusses his controversial tweet about Daniel Negreanu, Connor and Matt offer their thoughts on Mike Postles unexpected appearance on a X Space, and then all three talk highlights from last weekends Global Poker Awards. Other stories covered include Ari Engel and Daniel Lowery each adding gold rings to their WSOP Circuit resumes, Mintzy under fire at Barstool over deep tournament run, Barny Boatman and other big winners from EPT Paris, the cross-book bet between Landon Tice & Jeremy Becker, and Venetians new upcoming poker room. Finally, Chad sits down with Lexy Gavin-Mather to talk about her new book by D&B Publishing, Mastering Small Stakes No-Limit Tournaments. As a special treat, youll have a chance to win a signed copy of the book, which will be released in late March but is available now for preorder. Listen to those stories and more on the latest episode of the PokerNews Podcast. Time Stamps Tell us who you want to hear from. Let us know what you think of the show tweet about the podcast using #PNPod, and be sure to follow Chad Holloway, Connor Richards, and Matt Hansen on Twitter. Subscribe to the PokerNews Podcast on Apple Podcasts here! Check Out Past Episodes of the PN Podcast Here! Sharelines PokerNews Podcast: Guest @LexyGavinPoker talks new book Mastering Small Stakes No-Limit Tournaments" ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, February 29. Turkmenistan discussed with Afghanistan the implementation of the Turkmenistan - Afghanistan - Pakistan - India (TAPI) gas pipeline project, Trend reports. According to the official source, this issue was discussed during a meeting between Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan Batyr Amanov, and a delegation headed by Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan, Amir Khan Muttaqi. During the meeting, the Afghan side confirmed the country's firm commitment to the start of the practical implementation of the TAPI gas pipeline project and expressed optimism about the start and early completion of the first stage of construction of the pipeline to Herat province. In turn, the Turkmen side highly appreciated the efforts of the Afghan government in the implementation of the TAPI project, stressing the importance of energy transfer, especially in the context of this project. At the same time, the sides also discussed issues related to Turkmenistan's supply of liquefied natural gas to Afghanistan. Meanwhile, recently the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Rashid Meredov discussed the implementation of major international projects with a delegation headed by the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan, Amir Khan Muttaqi, the implementation of major international projects with the participation of their countries. In particular, a thorough analysis of the current situation regarding the practical implementation of large-scale energy, transport, and communication international projects that are being implemented with the participation of Turkmenistan and Afghanistan was carried out. Trump has lost his appeal as a judge has ruled that he must come up with $454 million to post bond to appeal the fraud judgment against him. CNN reported: Former President Donald Trump must come up with the full bond amount to cover the $454 million verdict in the civil fraud trial, an appeals court judge ruled Wednesday. Associate Justice Anil Singh, however, lifted a ban on Trumps ability to obtain loans from a New York bank, which could allow him to access the equity in his assets to back the full bond amount. To get more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily. Singh denied Trumps request to delay his obligation to post $454 million until a full appellate panel hears his motion to stay enforcement of that judgment until his appeals of the civil fraud ruling are over. Trump doesnt get a stay or a delay. If he wants to appeal, he has to come up with $454 million. Any bank that is crazy enough to loan Trump another $454 million with the state of New York is eyeing the seizure of his properties because he apparently doesnt have the cash to pay the fraud judgement against will get what they deserve. The current appeal isnt an appeal of the fraud verdict. It is an appeal of the bond amount. Trump is trying to get the bond amount reduced, but in the meantime interest of over $100,000 a day is accruing on the judgment, If Trump wants to appeal the fraud verdict, he needs to come up with $454 million, as his effort to get the bond reduced was rejected in court. A Special Message From PoliticusUSA If you are in a position to donate purely to help us keep the doors open on PoliticusUSA during what is a critical election year, please do so here. We have been honored to be able to put your interests first for 14 years as we only answer to our readers and we will not compromise on that fundamental, core PoliticusUSA value. In a new court filing, Trumps lawyers admitted that he was willing to post a $100 million bond, but he doesnt have the money to post the full $454 million bond. Can Trump Pay The New York Fraud Bond? The AP reported: Donald Trumps lawyers told a New York appellate court Wednesday that hes prepared to post a $100 million bond to halt collection of his staggering civil fraud penalty, arguing that provisions of the verdict make it impossible for the former president to secure a bond for the full amount. Trumps lawyers floated the offer in court papers asking the states mid-level appeals court for an order preventing New York Attorney General Letitia James office from enforcing the $454 million judgment while his appeal plays out. Trump would have to post the full amount to pause collection automatically. To get more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily. James office opposes Trumps plan, saying his lawyers have all but conceded he has insufficient liquid assets to satisfy the judgment. Trumps lawyers are admitting that he cant come up with cash to pay the bond to do a real appeal, so they have come up with the idea of trying to appeal the bond. Attorney General James has already said that she will seize Trumps assets if he doesnt pay up. Now we know that Donald Trump doesnt actually have the money to pay the state of New York, which means that hr also probably doesnt have the cash to be able to appeal the E. Jean Carroll judgment either. What has long been suspect appears to have been confirmed. Donald Trump doesnt have the sort of real wealth that he has been claiming to possess for decades. If Trump doesnt win the bond appeal, Letitia James and the state of New York may soon be in possession of some new buildings. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) refused to investigate Jared Kushner for taking billions of dollars from Saudi Arabia immediately after leaving the White House. Rep. Jordan said on Newsmax, The idea that Jared Kushner did something wrong is ridiculous. I mean, the, the Trump family that has been investigated more than any family on the planet and what theyve, what theyve attempted to do to President Trump and been doing to President Trump over the last seven years is unbelievable. So, again, I, I dont want to get into that, but I will say this. Lets do this. Lets do this, Congressman. Video: Jordan: The idea that Jared Kushner did something wrong is ridiculous. pic.twitter.com/6ruy1jqVe8 To get more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily. Acyn (@Acyn) February 29, 2024 The person who ran Donald Trumps Middle East policy got billions of dollars from Saudi Arabia immediately after leaving the White House, and that, according to Rep. Jordan, is not cause for an investigation, but he is leading the effort to impeach the President Of The United States for the business activities of his son, who doesnt work in government or the Biden administration. There has been speculation for years that the $2 billion that Kushner received was payment for access, influence over, or information relating to US foreign policy. Jim Jordan doesnt think that the Trump family potentially selling US secrets or influence over US foreign policy is worth investigating, but Russian disinformation about President Biden and his son is worthy of impeachment. The stink of corruption is pouring off of the Republican Party. Stephen Colbert called out the media for mostly ignoring the fact that House Republicans are basing their Biden impeachment on Russian disinformation. Colbert said: Russian influence in the Republican party, look no further than their sham impeachment of Joe Biden, which they hope to accomplish by first attacking Hunter Biden. Hunter was on Capitol Hill today to testify in front of the impeachment committee. We dont know what he said, but we do know that the G.O.P. Case is imploding, thanks to their star witness, Alexander Smirnov, seen here, not being seen here. Back in 2020, Smirnov told his FBI handler that he could testify that the owner of the Ukrainian energy company Burisma had arranged to pay $5 million in bribes to both President Biden and his son Hunter. That is what youd call a smoking gun, okay, if it were smoking or a gun. Now, back then, the FBI warned Republicans this information was stop them from staking their entire case on this clown-sky. And it turns out that might have been an oopsie-daisy because now Smirnov has been charged with lying to the FBI and creating false records and has admitted that he had been fed information about Hunter Biden from Russias intelligence services. The Republicans in Congress trying to impeach the President Of tThe United States based on false information piped directly into Capitol Hill by the Kremlin, at any other point in human history, would be a scandal of such magnitude and gravity that it would tilt the Earth off its orbit around the sun. But you dont hear much about it because half of the media in the United States is focused on the scandal of Old man old and likes ice cream. I like ice cream too. To get more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily. Video: Even late-night comedians see the absurdity in the slanted nature of the medias political coverage. The backlash between the press deciding that serious stories like Russia giving and Republicans laundering and accepting disinformation being given lower priority than Joe Bidens age, or the fact that he eats ice cream by so much of the American political press is a real problem. Not all outlets engage in this behavior, but some of the biggest, like The New York Times, are consistent offenders. Those issues who dont believe that protecting democracy is an important issue are doing the work of autocratic forces under the pretense of journalism. A Special Message From PoliticusUSA If you are in a position to donate purely to help us keep the doors open on PoliticusUSA during what is a critical election year, please do so here. We have been honored to be able to put your interests first for 14 years as we only answer to our readers and we will not compromise on that fundamental, core PoliticusUSA value. A 154,480-square foot industrial building in Aiken commanded a price of $5.4 million when it was sold earlier this year. The purchaser was Benjamin F. McElreath, "as exchange accommodation titleholder for NE Aiken LLC," according to Aiken County land records. McElreath is a Hull Barrett partner who works in the law firms office in Evans, Georgia. NE Aiken LLC is based in Wisconsin. Fenix Manufacturing Solutions LLC was the seller. The deal for the single-story facility at 2063 University Parkway and the 25-acre tract on which it stands closed Jan. 19. Fenix Manufacturing Solutions acquired property from R.E. Phelon Company Inc. for $2.465 million in 2013. In 1997, a disgruntled former employee, Hastings Arthur Wise, shot and killed four people at the R.E. Phelon plant. Three others were injured in the incident. During his 2001 trial, Wise was convicted of four counts of murder, three counts of assault and battery with intent to kill, one count of second-degree burglary and four counts of possession of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime. On the jurys recommendation, Wise was sentenced to death. He was executed by lethal injection in Columbia in 2005. Other businesses located in the University Parkway building over the years have included Dumpster Depot and Harvey Industries. There currently is a Wise Warehousing Solutions sign in front of the structure. Wise Warehousing Solutions is a division of Help Inc., according to the sign. He had a medical challenge from the outset, and it resulted in his nickname (his first name is actually Claude). Joyce said, "When he was a baby, he could not tolerate cows' milk so his mother tried goats' milk. He thrived on it! Thus his nickname, 'Billy.'" She wrote, "When he was seven years old, he was thrown from a car. The car hit a cow that was in the road. He was in a body cast for months. The acid from the battery drained over his face. Growing up, NONE of us kids ever realized his face was scarred." "The first time I saw him, he was in the military, and back then, if you got to town and you didn't have a way home we live in a rural area you could ride the school bus home, so the first time I saw my little soldier-boy, he was sitting on the school bus." She added, "It wasn't love at first sight, because I was still in high school, and he was in the military, and time went on, and then, in the summer of 1953, we started dating, but I knew who he was and he knew me." Dating websites and mobile phones were not a factor. "We didn't have telephones and communication like we to today, so he kept bugging me," Joyce recalled. "He would come over to the house so one evening he came over there and he said, 'My mama doesn't have any bread to make my lunch. Would you please ride to town with me to get a loaf of bread?' From then on, it was OK. I don't think we got a loaf of bread that night, though." At the time, they lived about three miles apart, equidistant from S.C. 113 (Sand Dam Road). "He had just gone to work at Savannah River Site." Their honeymoon, Joyce noted, was in Charleston, at Francis Marion Hotel. "We paid $8 a night to stay there. We paid 25 cents to listen to the radio, and the children say, 'Well, Mama, why didn't you turn the TV on?' There was no TV. How do you like that?" The decades that followed included time for the mother of the house to work at "the shirt factory" Wagener Manufacturing and face a broad range of duties as a stay-at-home mom, Joyce recalled. GRAND RAPIDS, MICH. Donald Trump's campaign has vowed not to talk about her anymore. Many pundits have written her off entirely. But Nikki Haley is still campaigning across the country and plenty of Republican voters are coming to hear what she has to say. Before packed audiences in states that will vote on Super Tuesday next week, Haley is making the case she laid out after losing the primary in her home state of South Carolina: Roughly 40 percent of GOP voters support her over Trump, suggesting their party's dominant figure is especially vulnerable in a November rematch against President Joe Biden. "He lost 40 percent of the primary vote in all of the early states," she told more than 500 people at a campaign event in the politically mixed suburb of Bloomington, Minnesota, on Monday. "You can't win the general election if you can't win that 40 percent." Trump is on the verge of winning several hundred more delegates for the GOP nomination on Super Tuesday and could eliminate Haley by clinching the nomination a few weeks later. But by staying in the race longer than any other major candidate, Haley has highlighted Trump's political problems with key constituencies in their party and suggested that he is a "sinking ship." Trump won about 51 percent of voters in the Iowa caucuses, 54 percent in New Hampshire's primaries and 60 percent in South Carolina. Haley didn't come close to winning 40 percent in Michigan's primary this week and instead lost to Trump by more than 40 points, 68 percent to 27 percent. But just as she has throughout the primary, Haley did better in suburban areas like Oakland County near Detroit and Ottawa County near Grand Rapids. She also did better in Kent County, where Grand Rapids and a large suburban population is located. Biden flipped Kent County and improved on Democrats' 2016 performance in Oakland County on the way to winning Michigan in 2020 and beating Trump in the election. Richard Czuba, a pollster who has long tracked Michigan politics, said Haley's results were more significant for understanding a critical swing state in the general election than the campaign to vote "uncommitted" against Biden to protest his handling of the Israel-Hamas war, which drew about 100,000 votes and collected two Democratic delegates. Fiera Capital Corporation, a leading global asset manager with over $122 billion under management, has opened an office in Abu Dhabi, which represents the first step in the companys growth plans across the GCC region. Based in the heart of Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), the Companys office in the Middle East adds to a growing global footprint spanning four continents. The newly established office will be co-led by Fiera Capitals Paul Doyle and Xavier Zawisza, who joins from an investment bank in the UAE. Enduring ties Klaus Schuster, CEO, Fiera Capital EMEA emphasised Fiera Capitals enduring ties with institutional investors across the GCC. Leveraging the strong relationships weve forged with sovereign wealth funds, family offices, pension funds and major listed corporates in the region, were taking the next logical step in our expansion, said Schuster. Investors at all tiers have a growing preference for multi-asset portfolio solutions across public and private market strategies which can be tailored to meet specific asset allocation criteria. Our offering in the Middle East will replicate the bedrock on which Fiera Capitals success has been built; a philosophy of investing in quality over long-term horizons in the absolute pursuit of steady and financially sustainable alpha. Fiera Capital is itself an investor in the Gulf region, both in its active positioning across its Emerging Markets and Frontier Markets strategies, in addition to the companys dedicated Mena mandate. Being mature investors in the Middle East is a distinct competitive advantage, commented Schuster. Value creation Weve proven that we can drive value creation in high-growth geographies as well as on home ground. Investors with capital to deploy at scale are looking for points of difference, especially in a period of global market volatility. Priority asset classes for Fiera Capitals Middle East initiatives include global and Mena-specific equities, as well as real assets including real estate, infrastructure, natural capital and indirect exposure through private credit instruments. Fiera Capitals OAKS EM Select strategy, which invests in a diversified portfolio of smaller emerging markets securities seeking absolute returns and marked its three-year track record in January 2024, is a standout having outperformed 99% of its peers since its inception, according to Bloomberg data. Doyle and Zawisza will be responsible for growing Fiera Capitals established investor base. The pair were selected for their extensive Middle East fundraising expertise and history advising large institutional investors on asset manager search and selection. Foundation in Mena The companys Abu Dhabi office is its self-described foundation in Mena, with the expectation being to grow its presence and team in the region over time. Founded in 2003 by Chairman and Global Chief Executive Officer Jean-Guy Desjardins and headquartered in Montreal, Fiera Capital is one of the largest asset managers in Canada, with offices in North America, Europe and Asia. Growth of the firms global footprint follows recent appointments of CEOs for EMEA (Klaus Schuster), US (Eric Roberts) and Canada (Maxime Menard), rebooting Fiera Capitals regionalised distribution model.--TradeArabia News Service 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. So far, South Carolina has had a successful James Beard Award run in 2024. Established in 1990, the awards highlight culinary talents from across the United States. In total, 11 South Carolina chefs and restaurateurs from across the state landed on the 2024 James Beard Award semifinalist list in January, nearly doubling the number of semifinalist nods the state earned in 2023. James Beard Award finalists will be announced on April 3. While the Palmetto State earned semifinalist recognition in the Best Chef: Southeast, Outstanding Restaurateur, Emerging Chef, Outstanding Bar and Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker categories, South Carolina was not represented in the Outstanding Restaurant award, which recognizes restaurants that demonstrate consistent excellence in food, atmosphere, hospitality, and operations while contributing positively to their broader community. South Carolina restaurants including FIG, Hominy Grill and Peninsula Grill have been recognized in this category in the past. Most recently in 2022, Butcher & Bee was named a finalist among just four other restaurants nationwide: Brennan's in New Orleans; Chai Pani in Asheville, N.C.; Parachute in Chicago; and The Walrus and the Carpenter in Seattle. Chai Pani took home the award at the Lyric Opera in Chicago. This year, North Carolina again has a chance to take home the prestigious award, with two restaurants The Restaurant at Gideon Ridge Inn in Blowing Rock and The Market Place in Asheville earning a spot on the Outstanding Restaurant list. Those restaurants were the only two semifinalists out of 20 in the entire Southeast. Did South Carolina get snubbed? If so, which restaurant do you think deserved to win one of the highest honors in the dining industry? GREENVILLE In the presence of a Slovakian delegation, Lockheed Martin unveiled two of the 14 Greenville-made fighter aircraft the U.S. defense company will deliver to the eastern European country. The F-16 Block 70 jets completed their first flight to Slovakia this year but will remain in the United States for another six months while the Slovakian military completes maintenance training. Leadership from Lockheed Martin joined Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and Slovakia's defense minister, Robert Kalinak, in expounding upon the importance of deterring global threats. Slovakia shares its easternmost border with Ukraine as the country has been fending off Russia's unprovoked invasion since 2022. Kalinak said in recent years, Slovakia has lost all its airspace defense but the country looks forward to regaining its security with the help of the F-16 Block 70. The Block 70 jet is Lockheed's most-advanced iteration of the F-16 yet. There are about 700 F-16s flying around Europe, but Slovakia will be the first European country to receive a Block 70 version. Lockheed's Greenville site is ramping up its manufacturing capabilities to produce the F-16 Block 70. Last year, the Greenville facility completed it's first F-16 jet for Bahrain. Lockheed currently has a backlog of 133 jets to be built and delivered to countries around the world. OJ Sanchez, the vice president of Lockheed Aeronautics, said the company is aiming to produce around 20 planes out of the Greenville facility this year, with the goal of eventually producing four planes per month. The F-16 Block 70 is distinguished from previous models by its extended flight life. According to F-16 fleet data, the typical lifespan of the jet is 10 to 25 years. Sanchez said the Block 70 model could fly until 2060. CLEMSON A classic American story is making its way around Clemson Universitys campus this month to celebrate Womens History Month. There will be two live performances, a movie screening and a special guest lecture of Little Women, the 1868 coming-of-age tale written by Louisa May Alcott. Set during the Civil War, the story follows Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy from girlhood to womanhood. Alcott scholar Gregory Eislelein, who has written three books on her life and works, will be on campus for a guest lecture at 3:30 p.m. on March 7 in room 117 at the Brooks Center. Eislelein, a Kansas State University cultural studies professor and president of the Louisa May Alcott Society, is also hosting a private discussion with English professor Susanna Ashtons class. It isnt a coincidence that one of his very earliest works about Whitman and the Civil War asks questions about what role humanitarianism has had across American cultural history, Ashton said. If you understand humanitarianism as transforming empathy into action, you can see why he is dedicated to thinking about Alcott, a writer who used her empathy as a tool for change in her craft. The four March sisters will take the Brooks Center stage at 7:30 p.m. on March 9 and 3 p.m. on March 10, thanks to the Clemson Players. The Kate Hamill play adaptation of the book has been called the feminist-friendly spin by the Wall Street Journal. Tickets to see the Clemson Players perform Little Women start at $10 and are available at clemson.universitytickets.com. GREENVILLE For more than a decade, a Welcome to Greenville sign has greeted motorists driving in from the north, but it has never actually been inside Greenville city limits. With annexation poised for the Cherrydale area, the sign could soon come within the citys grasp along with roughly half a million in tax dollars. However, the citys annexation of the lucrative Cherrydale retail center could come at the expense of homeowners and renters that the city isnt interested in pulling within its limits. Residents of the Parker District, a state-sanctioned entity that has for nearly a century provided fire and, until recently, sewer services to the former textile mills west of the city, could face tax increases and reduced fire service because of revenue lost to annexation, Parker Fire Chief Greg Farley told The Post and Courier. Sign up for updates! Get the latest Greenville news from The Post and Courier in your inbox. Email Sign Up! Its close to becoming final, as Greenville City Council gave initial approval to the annexation in a unanimous vote Feb. 26. Cherrydale provides the latest example of changing times for Parker and similar special purpose districts as Greenville continues to grow. Its one of hundreds of such entities the state created to fulfill public needs in the past century but are shrinking in influence. In recent years, Greenville has annexed revenue-rich sites as the economic waves of public and private investment have rolled out from the heart of downtown to historic mill communities on the outer edges that have long been neglected. That wave has pushed into the heart of Parkers service area west of the city, raising property values in long-depressed mill communities now seeing more investment. Greenvilles latest annexations spell financial trouble for Parker that could fall on the shoulders of homeowners and renters. Farley said the combined revenue loss of the citys annexations over the last few years could reach $1 million of Parkers $13.4 million annual budget if Cherrydale is approved. The 34th Annual SC BBQ Shag Festival kicks off on Thursday, March 21, at the recreation park and ball fields in Hemingway. This year the festival runs from March 21-24. The four-day event features music, vendors, BBQ and fun for the whole family. First held in 1987, the event has grown to at Read moreSC BBQ Shag Festival kicks off March 21 Does it seem to you that a lot of the controversies in education (homework, grading, punishment, curricula) exist because people arent considering things from the students point of view and what they might need? Read more'Luxury beliefs' leaving some kids in the dark CONWAY A Horry-Georgetown Technical College professor was fired after he taught a lesson about racism that made students uncomfortable, according to a lawsuit filed against the school this week. Eduardo Perez alleges his 2022 firing followed years of targeted discrimination and harassment from supervisors. Perez, a U.S. citizen who was born in Mexico, contends the harassment stemmed from his race and national origin. Perez received his Ph.D. from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln in 2001 and has worked in academia for more than 20 years, according to his Feb. 27 complaint. He taught at HGTC for two years before his firing, and his lawsuit states that he was the only Hispanic professor in the college's sociology program. "Plaintiff (Perez) was subjected to an unwelcome conduct amounting to a hostile work environment based on his national origin," according to his complaint, which describes the treatment as "severe and pervasive." "The conduct altered Plaintiff's conditions of employment and created an abusive work environment. (HGTC) was aware of such unwanted conduct and took no action to remedy the conduct." Perez's attorney Samantha Albrecht could not be reached for comment. HGTC spokeswoman Nicole Hyman said the college was served March 4 and is reviewing the matter. "Although several employees were mentioned, we have no reason to believe they have done anything improper in this matter and acted only in good faith," Hyman wrote in an email March 4. Perez was hired as an associate sociology professor in the fall of 2020 for a two-year probationary period. In August 2022, just a few months before the firing, he was promoted to full professor. Although he performed well in his job and was praised by the college provost, Perez's lawsuit stated that he was subjected to racist comments and microaggressions by staff members. Minda Chuska, his immediate supervisor and department chair, frequently pointed out mistakes in his English and implied the language errors "had more to do with his national origin, ethnicity and culture," according to the lawsuit. BY JOSH ARCHOTE and NICOLE ZIEGE MYRTLE BEACH When 44-year-old Angela Angel Williamson saw her first unidentified flying object on Thanksgiving in 2013, she was terrified. As the sun set over downtown Myrtle Beach, Williamson, then 34, smoked a cigarette and stood outside her office on the roof of the former Sea Mist hotel parking garage. Williamson worked there as a reservation supervisor. That night, she was waiting for her husband to bring over Thanksgiving dinner. Williamson spotted what she initially believed was a military plane flying very slowly out toward the city from the horizon. She recalls the object was triangular-shaped, bigger than a typical plane or a harrier jet, and had three lights on the bottom. It flew toward the city, then hovered in midair above the downtown hotels before directly ascending into the sky, similar to an elevator or a raising platform. I thought, Did I just see that? What is in this cigarette? Williamson said, laughing while pretending to hold one between her two fingers. It was such a profound thing that I was scared. I had anxiety for a week. I could not sleep. The same object returned that evening after her husband arrived, she said. There were more of them, and they moved the same way as the first, slowly drifting toward the city and then rising into the sky before disappearing. Williamsons husband and her coworker witnessed them with her. Her husband brushed it off as military exercises, but Williamson wasnt convinced. Though she loves science and doesnt consider herself a conspiracy theorist, Williamson said shes also open-minded. I believe anything is possible, you know? Williamson said. Its all I could think about, and I kept going over, what are these things? Theres no way that its our government. In following weeks, she reported the sighting to the National UFO Reporting Center and created a Facebook page called Myrtle Beach UFO Sightings. The page quickly grew, with other locals posting their own. Today, the private group has 430 members. Mayor William Cogswell wants to eliminate the cruise ship terminal at Union Pier, the 65-acre site facing the harbor in historic downtown Charleston slated for redevelopment. The makeshift cruise terminal serves as the port of embarkation for Carnival Cruise Line until the end of the year. It sits on one of the peninsulas most valuable pieces of property, and any redevelopment will require significant city input regarding zoning and code changes, public financing and more though city residents rarely see beyond its fences. The S.C. Ports Authority, which owns Union Pier, is opening its gates for tours of parts of terminal on March 5 as part of a new community-driven redevelopment process. In a letter to State Ports Authority CEO Barbara Melvin last month, Cogswell offered his support for the pending efforts if three conditions are met. He asked that the authority contract with local owners or developers, who Cogswell said would be more accountable to their neighbors; set a price for the property; and eliminate the cruise terminal. "If the above can be achieved I will be very supportive of helping the necessary entitlements go through the public process, championing your efforts with City Council, and supporting the implementation of a new (Tax Increment Financing) and (Municipal Improvement Districts) so that the city could participate on necessary infrastructure (resilient and otherwise), green/public space acquisition, and affordability efforts," the mayor wrote in the letter dated Jan. 26. His office provided a copy to The Post and Courier. The letter also reiterated four additional points that Cogswell said Charlestonians have already made it clear they want at Union Pier: public water access, lower density and heights than a prior plan, significant green space and some meaningful component of affordability. When I was in third grade, my teacher had a vegetable tasting day for us. We each brought in a vegetable from home and shared it with our classmates. I remember coming home, excited, and announcing to my mother that I had fallen in love with rutabaga. After a startled moment or two, she sm Read moreStevens: For the love of rutabaga and our children FLORENCE The Housing Authority of Florence has settled a disagreement with one of its contractors, narrowly avoiding yet another lawsuit. Gibraltar Construction Co., a Maryland-based contractor, had accused the Housing Authority of withholding millions in unpaid bills and threatened to sue if it didnt pay up. But at a February meeting, the agency announced it settled out of court, paying more than $2 million to the contractor to end the dispute, according to officials. In return, the contractor provided roughly $1 million in construction materials already purchased for Housing Authority projects. Its all over. We dont have to worry about that any more, and I think thats a reason to celebrate, said Alphonso Bradley, executive director of the Housing Authority. The taxpayer-funded agency provides affordable housing to thousands of people in the Pee Dee. Yet work that Gibraltar was hired to do described in internal documents as dire remains uncompleted. Roughly 70 units are offline due to persistent water and sewer issues, such as sewage backing up into homes, Bradley said. That means the Housing Authority cant house as many people as it otherwise could amid high demand for affordable housing. Other units where people still live are in disrepair, though Bradley emphasized those places are not dealing with health and safety issues. The Housing Authority is beginning to assess what work still needs to be completed and how much it will cost. Bradley estimated it could be as much as a year before its finished. Its very urgent, he said. And were going to work as quickly as possible to get all the work done so the residents will have a decent, safe place to live. Gibraltar was hired in 2022 to complete $12.2 million worth of work at the Church Hill complex in Florence and the Dizzy Gillespie complex in Cheraw. ROCK HILL Behind the scenes for eight years teaching at Winthrop University and his first few years lecturing at Furman University, a college professor was whittling away at a two-decade long research project. He finally treated the literary world to his work last fall: the biography of America's first Black female novelist, Hannah Bond, or her pen name, Hannah Crafts. Gregg Hecimovich's The Life and Times of Hannah Crafts" followed up on the 2002 best-seller "The Bondswoman's Narrative," which was a novel written in 1850 by an eastern North Carolina woman born into slavery and later escaped to New Jersey. Bond's manuscript dwelled in boxes and basements for more than a century before it was unearthed in an auction, won by Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr., and published. The authorship of the book couldn't be confirmed when it was released 20 years ago, and scholars couldn't even agree whether it was the work of a White woman or an educated slave. Hecimovich credited student researchers, fellow scholars and descendants on both sides of Bond's Black and White family tree lineages for both slave families and slave owners for helping him piece together the book, which was named as one of the Washington Post's Ten Best Books of 2023. Three Colleges, but One Mission The English professor went through a task of developing a biography of a person whose identity was actually unknown when the book was published in 2002. PR-Inside.com: 2024-02-29 15:30:27 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 1135 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / February 29, 2024 / Subaru of America, Inc.By Alison BowenSubaru owners love to support their communities all year round. Here are ways to give back in every month of the year.Giving back can be all year long. Our guide offers an idea for every month of the year, from making gift bags for seniors to organizing a trash cleanup in your neighborhood.JANUARY - Bring Food to SomeoneThe next time you make a soup or casserole, consider doubling the recipe and bringing it to a new parent or ill person in your community. It can be dropped off with a note of encouragement, and even if they do not use it that day, it's something they can freeze for later.Not sure who could use the support? Check with local food pantries or religious and community organizations. They might have a list or word-of-mouth suggestions.FEBRUARY - Support Local Foster Care ChildrenReach out to local foster care groups to find out what the needs are for the children in their care. If it's possible, giving gifts with the child's name on it (such as a gift like a blanket or mug) can be particularly meaningful, as children may share things or may not have their own items, especially ones with their names on them.To find your local foster support organization, use the National Foster Care & Adoption Directory and search for Foster Youth Services and Supports in your state.MARCH - Use Your Vehicle To Help Those In NeedSeek out programs that bring food to or otherwise help folks like the elderly or people undergoing treatment. Some programs volunteer to drive people to health appointments if they don't have their own car or family member to help, instead of leaning on public transit or paying for a taxi.For example, the American Cancer Society's Road to Recovery program has volunteers who provide free rides to treatment for cancer patients, noting that transportation barriers are the most common reason for missing appointments.Nourishing Hope, a food pantry in Chicago, has a community of volunteers who can drive for deliveries or act as personal shopping assistants. See if organizations in your area have similar programs. It's a great way for Subaru owners to involve their children and volunteer.APRIL - Organize a Trash CleanupGet your neighborhood school or neighbors involved and organize a day to clean up. Whether it's the side of the road or a local beach or park, reducing the amount of plastic and trash on the ground in your community makes a big impact, both for peoples' enjoyment and to help wildlife thrive.This is another great activity to pair with children and the entire family - you might find your kiddos pay more attention in the future to where their garbage goes. Earth Day is a great reason to organize an event, but you can continue the effort all year. Contact your local Subaru retailers to see if they are organizing a cleanup event; many do.MAY - Help Make Graduations SpecialThink outside the box about how to make the graduation season special for local youth. In San Francisco, 8th grade teacher Sara Mokhtari Fox knew that the 2023 graduation season was important to those approaching 8th grade graduation - her students had all missed their 5th grade graduation and end-of-year celebrations during the 2020 pandemic.So, they planned a special graduation ceremony, Fox says, adding that donations from a local retailer, Putnam Subaru of Burlingame, helped fund the graduation ceremony and provided tickets to a theme park.For local grads near you, consider donating funds for a celebration or offering to gift a special meal.JUNE - Donate Blankets to HospitalsAt the Jo Anne Poe Cancer Center at Ashe Memorial Hospital in Jefferson, North Carolina, they see about 130 patients per month, many of whom have six- to eight-hour chemotherapy sessions, and blankets help to keep them warm throughout this process.Becky Pearson, the foundation director of Ashe Memorial Hospital, says blanket donations make a big difference. "When patients are receiving an infusion in the Jo Anne Poe Cancer Center at Ashe Memorial Hospital, a very common side effect is feeling very cold," Pearson says. She says that handmade blankets are lovely, and the hospital has no restrictions on how they are made other than patient preferences for soft and cozy materials - nothing scratchy.Reach out to your local hospital's oncology unit manager to see if they accept these items.JULY - Make Gift Bags for SeniorsLooking for a family-friendly volunteer activity? Make gift bags filled with items like hand lotion, candy treats, writing supplies or craft items and a homemade card for seniors in nearby nursing homes. This is especially meaningful for those who may not have family nearby to visit them. Loop in your kids with brainstorming and shopping.AUGUST - Fulfill Needs for ClassroomsFind out whether your local school has any unaddressed needs - most do! These might be requests from teachers' wish lists that weren't entirely filled at the beginning of the year (many teachers make Amazon lists with items needed for their classrooms) or bigger projects that could use a financial donation.Some schools may also have their students fill out lists that community members can supply, including both needs and wants. Subaru partners with AdoptAClassroom.org , which connects school needs with support.SEPTEMBER - Fulfill Neighbors' WishesLook at local "Buy Nothing" groups for inspiration. During the year, these Facebook groups, also called "Gifts and Wishes," focus on neighbors giving and receiving free items to reduce the environmental impacts of buying new.These posts can often include - or maybe you can spearhead - links of what people need for the holidays. Facebook groups can include anonymous requests from users, which can help protect individuals' privacy while still making it possible to donate and help.OCTOBER - Volunteer to Help, or Adopt, a DogOctober is Subaru Loves Pets month, and many retailers partner with local pet shelters for adopting events. In Charlottesville, Virginia, Flow Subaru partnered with the Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA in 2023. The sales manager of the retailer, Joe Diggs, ended up finding a new family friend.He had lost the family dog, Charlie, months earlier, and was considering adoption. Stopping by with his wife and 2-year-old daughter, they met a dog called Ted that had been left at the shelter as a stray and was having a tough time adjusting to the bustling shelter. Ted loves "basking in the backyard sun," Diggs says. "He has been a member of our family since the moment he walked through the door." If adopting a dog isn't in your future, consider volunteering or donating food or other needed supplies PR-Inside.com: 2024-02-29 16:00:30 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 847 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 MONTREAL, QC / ACCESSWIRE / February 29, 2024 / AlayaCare, a leading home care technology platform, announced today a new $3.2 million AI project in collaboration with home care providers Acclaim and Bien Chez Soi. The venture is being supported through an up to $1.1M co-investment from DIGITAL, Canada's Global Innovation Cluster for digital technologies, as part of their programming to drive the commercialization and adoption of made-in-Canada AI solutions.The global healthcare industry is currently facing unprecedented challenges, particularly in the home care sector, where labour shortages and slim profit margins are putting a strain on providers. In response to these challenges, AlayaCare plans to leverage the potential of large language models (LLMs) and predictive algorithms to enhance their flagship AC Cloud product. AC Cloud is an extensive health record platform used by over 700 home care service providers across North America and Australia.The anticipated features powered by AI will include the first-ever LLM-based smart AI assistant for home-based care. This assistant will offer a wide range of natural language summarization and conversational abilities, risk dashboards, and decision support for clinical supervisors and caregivers. By utilizing patient clinical data, such as comorbidities, diagnoses, previous hospitalizations, and falls, the enhanced features will automatically identify patients at risk of hospitalization. This will enable healthcare providers to modify schedules and mitigate the risk of hospital care, ultimately reducing adverse events such as falls, emergency room visits, and preventable hospitalizations."This funding enables us to embrace technology to improve the care Canadians receive at home - something that benefits all of us. By reducing administrative tasks, care workers will be able to increase their caseloads by 10-15%, allowing them to serve more people in need of home care," said Naomi Goldapple, Senior Vice President of Data and Intelligence at AlayaCare. "Additionally, the project aims to reduce the waitlist for chronic care patients receiving home care by 10%. These efficiency gains will not only benefit individuals in need of care but also contribute to lessening the burden on the healthcare system and alleviating overcrowding in hospitals." DIGITAL's co-investment in this project is supported through the Technology Commercialization stream within their specialized Horizon AI program: DIGITAL's national program that seeks to capture Canada's economic potential for applied AI. With additional program streams focused on emerging market opportunities and talent development, the Technology Commercialization stream co-invests alongside Canadian industry and academia in AI projects that support the resiliency and sustainability of health care systems and advance health care in ways that support healthy living, accessibility and delivering positive outcomes."DIGITAL is excited to build upon the over 5 years of investments we've made in applied AI with this latest announcement," said Nadia Shaikh-Naeem, Vice President of Programs at DIGITAL. "Our co-investments alongside innovators like AlayaCare, in collaboration with home care providers like Acclaim and Bien Chez Soi, are how we can continue to build on Canada's reputation as a global center for AI R&D while focusing on advancing global commercial pathways for Canadian companies. This latest announcement with AlayaCare is an example of how Canada can increase equitable access and better health outcomes for Canadians through AI adoption." AlayaCare's collaboration with Acclaim Health, Bien Chez Soi, and Polytechnique Montreal will play a crucial role in the development of these enhancements to AC Cloud. The project will also result in the creation of peer-reviewed novel approaches, such as fine-tuned LLMs for preventing hospitalization in home care. The intellectual property (IP) generated through this collaboration will be accessible to subscribers of the AC Cloud platform, including Acclaim and Bien Chez Soi. Furthermore, AlayaCare will make de-identified datasets available to industry and academia, fostering further innovation and benefiting the ecosystem.With these advancements, AlayaCare aims to further penetrate the $2 billion global home health care market, establishing a significant market share for a Canadian company.For more information, please contact:AlayaCare Press Contact:Steph Davidson steph.davidson@alayacare.com About AlayaCareAlayaCare is an end-to-end software platform for public, private, non-profit, and community home-based care organizations that manages the entire client lifecycle, including needs assessments, care plans, scheduling, visit and route optimization, and visit verification. Founded in 2014 and now with over 500 employees, AlayaCare combines traditional in-home and virtual care solutions that enable care providers to lower the cost of care and achieve better outcomes for their clients. For more information, visit: AlayaCare.com About DIGITALDIGITAL, Canada's Global Innovation Cluster for digital technologies, grows Canadian businesses through the development, adoption and deployment of Canadian-made technologies and by working with industry to develop a digitally skilled workforce to positively impact lives across our country.We bring together businesses, academia, community and government agencies to solve some of industry and society's biggest challenges - better and faster than any single organization can do on its own. Through a powerful model that combines cross-sector collaboration, Canadian IP creation and results-based co-investment, we unlock the potential of Canadian industry to lead and succeed in the digital world.Ahead of the curve starts here.For more information, visit digitalsupercluster.ca DIGITAL Press Contact:Sydney Redpath media@ digitalsupercluster.ca SOURCE: AlayaCare PR-Inside.com: 2024-02-29 19:31:31 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 585 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Enbridge-supported Houston exhibit celebrates African American contributions to birth of the nationNORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / February 29, 2024 / The woman in the painting stares straight ahead, her bright eyes showing intelligence and strength.Her emerald green dress is overlaid with words in metallic ink: steam engine, rolling pin, pencil sharpener, typewriter, traffic light. A quick internet search confirms it's a list of inventions, each one designed by an African American.It takes a moment to notice that the gold bracelets on the figure's brown wrists are not jewellery at all; they are shackles-and they've been broken apart.The piece is "Ancestor's Torch," an oil painting by Houston artist Ava Cosey and a favourite of Dr. Mia Wright, a trustee on the board of theHolocaust Museum Houston (HMH) , where the piece is currently on display.African American art like Cosey's portrait seeks to reframe narratives and convey information that has been largely absent from history books, Dr. Wright explains."It's critically important," she continues. "You gain a lot of knowledge as you behold the beauty of art and artifacts. They show presence; they show contributions. They show the true story of African Americans." The painting is part of theKinsey African American Art & History Collection , which is being exhibited at the HMH. While we celebrate Black History Month through the month of February, the Kinsey collection will be on display at the HMH through June 23, 2024.Each piece in the collection-from historical documents and rare books to paintings and sculptures-has been curated to dispel false myths that African Americans and formerly enslaved people were absent or inactive in the development of the United States.Together, the items- all from the personal collection of Shirley and Bernard Kinsey-tell the story of African Americans and the ways in which they shaped and continue to shape America.Enbridge helped HMH bring this vibrant and vital body of work to Houston with a $10,000Fueling Futures grant . In 2022, we funded another exhibit at HMH, acollection of iconic fashion collars cast in bronze to show the strength of powerful women in history .As an employer and community partner, we take seriously our commitment to furtherequity, diversity and inclusionwhere we live and work. Art is a powerful way to bring about change-to spotlight lost narratives and help shift perspectives. We recognize the importance of exhibits such as these two at HMH as a way to reach people and inspire them to learn and grow, which in time we hope will lead to a more just society for everyone.Whether through its permanent displays on the Holocaust and human rights or through travelling exhibits like the Kinsey collection, HMH shares stories of peoples who have had to fight for equity, diversity and inclusion. They've had to fight for it with their lives, and many are fighting still.For Dr. Wright, the Kinsey collection helps set the record straight, as it shines a spotlight on narratives that have been covered up and ignored for too many years: "This is what happened in our nation, and this is how we have built our nation. This is who we are because of our history," she explains."It's not just African American history; it is American history." (TOP PHOTO: The Pipers, 1984, bronze, Ed Dwight, courtesy of The Kinsey African American Art and History Collection.)View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Enbridge on 3 blmedia.com Contact Info: Spokesperson: EnbridgeWebsite: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/enbridge Email: info@3 blmedia.com SOURCE: Enbridge PR-Inside.com: 2024-02-29 13:30:56 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 892 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / February 29, 2024 / ARway.ai ("ARway" or the "Company") (CSE:ARWY)(OTCQB:ARWYF)(FSE:E65) is an AI powered Augmented Reality Experience platform with a disruptive no-code, no beacon spatial computing solution enabled by visual marker tracking with centimeter precision is pleased to announce that it has been invited to present at the Emerging Growth Conference on March 7, 2024. ARway.ai invites individual and institutional investors as well as advisors and analysts, to attend the real-time, interactive presentation at the Emerging Growth Conference.This live, interactive online event will give existing shareholders and the investment community the opportunity to interact with the Company's CEO, Evan Gappelberg in in real time as he presents the Company's groundbreaking spatial computing and augmented reality technologies, and subsequently opens the floor for questions.Please submit your questions in advance to questions@ EmergingGrowth.com or ask your questions during the event and Mr. Gappelberg will do his best to get through as many as possible.Conference DetailsDate: Thursday March 7, 2024 Time: 1:45 - 2:15 p.m Eastern Time Company: ARway.ai (CSE:ARWY) (OTC:ARWYF) Presenter: Evan Gappelberg, CEOPlease register to ensure you are able to attend the conference and receive any updates that are released.Registration Link: https://goto.webcasts.com/starthere.jsp?ei=1650531&tp_key=ca9510e531&sti=arwyf If attendees are not able to join the event live on the day of the conference, an archived webcast will also be made available on EmergingGrowth.com and on the Emerging Growth YouTube Channel, http://www.YouTube.com/EmergingGrowthConference . A link will be released after the event.Recent Company Highlights ARway.ai The Spatial Computing Company Signs New Deal With Kuwait Agency For AR Navigation ARway.ai The Spatial Computing Company Launches Apple Vision Pro Compatibility and Early Access for ARwayKit SDK ARway.ai The Spatial Computing Platform Signs New Deal with Saudi Arabian Agency for AR Navigation ARway.ai Announces Localiza Rent a Car Extends Its Contract After Its Successful Airport Deployment of AR Navigation ARway.ai's Spatial Computing Platform Continues to See Increased Demand Ahead of Apple Vision Pro Release, Signs New Deal with F3 GeomaticAbout the Emerging Growth ConferenceThe Emerging Growth conference is an effective way for public companies to present and communicate their new products, services and other major announcements to the investment community from the convenience of their office, in a time efficient manner.The Conference focus and coverage includes companies in a wide range of growth sectors, with strong management teams, innovative products & services, focused strategy, execution, and the overall potential for long term growth. Its audience includes potentially tens of thousands of Individual and Institutional investors, as well as Investment advisors and analysts.All sessions will be conducted through video webcasts and will take place in the Eastern time zone.Sign up for Investor News - HERETo learn more about ARway, please follow on Social Media: Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook, and visit our website: www.arway.ai About ARway.ai ARway.ai (CSE:ARWY)(OTCQB:ARWYF)(FSE:E65) is a spatial computing platform powered by artificial intelligence (AI) providing an array of augmented reality (AR) experiences for indoor spaces. ARway's breakthrough no-code no-beacon IPNN allows for the easy creation of navigation, tours, information sharing, notifications, advertising and gamification. ARway works seamlessly as a cross platform solution on iOS/ Android. ARway's technology is optimized for both mobile devices and AR glasses: Apple's Vision Pro, Magic Leap and Microsoft's HoloLens. ARway has unlimited use cases for augmenting physical spaces, making it a valuable tool for creators, brands and companies in various industries. The complete ARway platform includes: the Web Creator Studio, the ARwayKit Software Development Kit (SDK) and a mobile app for iOs and Android.Nextech 3D.ai On October 26, 2022, ARway.ai . was spun-out from its parent Company, Nextech3D.ai (OTCQX:NEXCF)(CSE:NTAR)(FSE:1SS). Nextech retained a control ownership in ARway.ai . with 13 million shares, or a 50% stake. Nextech3D.ai is a Generative AI powered 3D modeling Company and leading provider of augmented reality ("AR") experience technologies and 3D model services. Nextech's AI-powered 3D modeling platform, "ARitize3D" has contracts with; AMZN, KSS, CB2, Genuine Parts & many others. To learn more about Nextech3D.ai , visit www.nextechar.com For further information, please contact:Investor Relations Contact Julia Viola investor.relations@arway.ai ARway.ai Evan GappelbergCEO and Director866-ARITIZE (274-8493)Forward-looking StatementsThe CSE has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.Certain information contained herein may constitute "forward-looking information" under Canadian securities legislation. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as, "will be" or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "will" occur. Forward-looking statements regarding the completion of the transaction are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. ARway.ai will not update any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information that are incorporated by reference herein, except as required by applicable securities laws.SOURCE: ARway Corporation PR-Inside.com: 2024-02-29 16:05:43 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 948 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Recent Transaction Marks Boxwood's First in Youth Enrichment & Childhood EducationJUPITER, FL / ACCESSWIRE / February 29, 2024 / Boxwood Partners is pleased to announce the sale of Sylvan Learning ("Sylvan" or "the Company"), a subsidiary of Franchise Group Inc. ("FRG"), to Unleashed Brands, a portfolio company of Seidler Equity Partners. Sylvan, with 500+ franchised locations, has been the leading provider of supplemental education for K-12 students for over 45 years.Boxwood Partners, a leading boutique middle-market investment bank acted as the exclusive sell-side advisor to Sylvan and Franchise Group on the transaction. The transaction was led by Brian Alas (Managing Director), Madison Day (Vice President), John Atkinson (Associate), Justin Jasper (Analyst), and Jerry Annunziata (Analyst). The terms of the deal were not disclosed.Boxwood has now completed 35+ transactions across franchising and this marks its first within the youth enrichment and childhood education sector. The rapidly expanding youth enrichment sector, including education, activities, and sport, is a growing focus for Boxwood as it continues to expand its reach within consumer services."Sylvan's industry-leading brand awareness and deep connections with its students, 5,000+ schools and institutional relationships creates an embedded customer base for the broader Unleashed Brands portfolio," said Brian Alas, Managing Director at Boxwood. "Recent investments in new modalities, including SylvanSyncTM, and other virtual offerings has Sylvan uniquely positioned for continued growth within the sector." Founded in 1979 and headquartered in Hunt Valley, Maryland, Sylvan is an established and growing franchisor of supplemental education and tutoring services. By customizing student learning plans and offering multiple modalities across reading, literature, math and science, Sylvan efficiently offers solutions for all stages of a K-12 student. Its significant investment in digital infrastructure and technology has allowed its franchisees to cater to the needs of their students via multiple new channels including on-premises and online via both one-on-one and group sessions. The international franchise base has 500+ physical locations across 175 franchisees."Boxwood worked incredibly closely with our management team to ensure a successful transaction," said John McAuliffe, CEO of Sylvan. "Their franchising expertise proved invaluable, and we appreciated how they went above and beyond throughout the process." "We are thrilled to have Sylvan Learning join the Unleashed Brands platform and provide its category-leading tutoring services designed to help kids catch up, keep up, and get ahead for the more than 25 million kids our franchisees serve annually. We appreciate the work the Boxwood team did to help us efficiently learn more about this great opportunity," said Michael Browning, Jr, CEO/Founder of Unleashed Brands.Sylvan represents the first acquisition completed by Unleashed Brands after being acquired by Seidler Equity Partners in February 2023."Sylvan is a unique franchisor within the youth enrichment and childhood education sector that continues to see significant growth post-COVID," added Madison Day, Vice President of Boxwood.Grant Thornton acted as the accounting advisor to Sylvan and Franchise Group while Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP served as legal counsel.About Boxwood PartnersBoxwood Partners, LLC is a boutique investment bank based in Jupiter, Florida with offices in Richmond, Virginia. Boxwood Partners combines a unique blend of senior-level transaction advisory, business operating experience, and proven process execution skills to give its clients a distinct advantage in the market. The firm's extensive relationships within the global capital and buyer communities (including U.S. and international private equity groups, corporations, and lenders) and other important transaction-related service providers such as consultants, attorneys, and accountants, ensure that the firm's clients receive the attention, service, and results they deserve. For more information about Boxwood Partners, please visit www.boxwoodpartners.com About Sylvan LearningWith 45 years of experience and more than 500 franchised locations and 710 points of presence, Sylvan Learning is the leading provider of personal learning for students in grades K-12. Sylvan is transforming how students learn, inspiring them to succeed in school and in life. Sylvan's proven tutoring approach blends amazing teachers with SylvanSync technology on digital tablets for an engaging learning experience. Sylvan also leads the way with Sylvan EDGE - STEM and accelerated courses and Sylvan Prep - college and test prep courses. Sylvan supports families through every stage of the academic journey. For more information, visit: www.SylvanFranchise.com About Franchise GroupFranchise Group is an owner and operator of franchised and franchisable businesses that continually looks to utilize its operating and capital allocation philosophy to generate strong cash flow for its stakeholders. Franchise Group's business lines include Pet Supplies Plus, American Freight, The Vitamin Shoppe, Buddy's Home Furnishings and Wag N Wash. On a combined basis, Franchise Group currently operates over 2,200 locations predominantly located in the U.S. that are either Company-run or operated pursuant to franchising agreements. For more information, please visit: www.franchisegrp.com About Unleashed BrandsUnleashed Brands currently includes portfolio brands Urban Air, Snapology, The Little Gym, XP League, Class 101, and Premier Martial Arts and was founded to curate and grow a portfolio of the most innovative and profitable brands that help kids learn, play, and grow. Over the last 10 years, the team at Unleashed Brands has built a proven platform and know-how for scaling businesses focused on serving families. Its mission is to impact the lives of every kid by providing fun, engaging, and inspiring experiences that help them become who they are destined to be. For more information, please visit www.UnleashedBrands.com About Seidler Equity PartnersSeidler Equity Partners and its affiliates have been investing in market-leading companies since 1992. Seidler seeks to align its capital and resources with business founders and management teams to achieve long-term growth and preserve company stewardship. For more information, visit www.SEPfunds.com CONTACT:tnortman@ fishmanpr.com 847-945-1300SOURCE: Boxwood Partners, LLC ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, February 29. Turkmenistan and Pakistan discussed the progress and prospects of the Turkmenistan - Afghanistan - Pakistan - India (TAPI) gas pipeline project, Trend reports. According to an official source, this issue was discussed during a meeting between the caretaker Minister for Energy, Power, and Petroleum of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali, and the Ambassador of Turkmenistan to Islamabad Atajan Movlamov. During the meeting, both sides expressed satisfaction with the progress of the implementation of this gas pipeline project. The minister said that Pakistan pays special attention to pipeline gas and considers it extremely important to meet the country's energy needs. Furthermore, at the meeting, the parties also discussed the situation, areas of cooperation, and further comprehensive prospects in the energy sector between Turkmenistan and Pakistan. At the end of the meeting, the Ambassador sent an invitation to a roadshow that Turkmenistan will hold in Paris in April this year dedicated to attracting investments in the country's energy sector. Meanwhile, it is expected that the TAPI gas pipeline will annually transport 33 billion cubic meters of natural gas along an 1800-kilometer route from Turkmen Galkynysh, the second largest gas field in the world, to the Indian city of Fazilka, located near the border of India and Pakistan. PR-Inside.com: 2024-02-29 15:45:12 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 684 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Complex and creative financing leads to the development of 248 units of affordable housing and commercial space for minority-owned businessesNORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / February 29, 2024 / U.S. BankLittle Tokyo Service Center, Go for Broke National Education Center, U.S. Bank representatives plus other partners and funders break ground in Little Tokyo.Originally published on U.S. Bank company blogA new mixed-use, affordable housing development is underway in Los Angeles' Little Tokyo neighborhood. Go For Broke Plaza and First Street North Residences will provide 248 units of affordable housing plus approximately 40,000 square feet of commercial space that will house theGo for BrokeNational Education Center and local minority-owned businesses."This project is among the largest 100% affordable housing developments to be built in the City of Los Angeles," saidLittle Tokyo Service CenterDirector of Real Estate, Debbie Chen. "Beyond that, it is the realization of a Little Tokyo community vision that has been decades in the making, ever since this site was taken from the neighborhood in the aftermath of Japanese American internment during World War II." U.S. Bancorp Impact Finance is the equity investor in the New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) transaction and the two Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) deals related to the project, and is providing the construction debt for the LIHTC transaction. For this development, over $83 million in debt and over $85 million in equity financing was committed through the four different transactions.A longtime partner of Little Tokyo Service Center since 2009, U.S. Bank has provided $466,000 through charitable giving programs over the years to support the important work they do."It was a privilege to lean into this complex financial deal to help drive change," said Impact Finance Business Development Officer Drew Hammond. "My hope is that the project will not only preserve affordability for Little Tokyo residents and legacy businesses, but also stand as a symbol of reclamation and celebration of Little Tokyo's history." Little Tokyo is in downtown Los Angeles and is home to one of the largest Japanese-American populations in North America. Portions of the neighborhood were declared a National Historic Landmark District in 1995. The Go For Broke Plaza and First Street North Residences project site has been designed to wrap around and prominently display the Go For Broke Monument that commemorates Japanese Americans who served in the United States Army during World War II. Eighty of the 248 units for residents will be designed for people with special needs, including units for veterans and people with AIDS. Some of the small businesses will include retail shops and restaurants that have been in the area for generations."This project is among the largest 100% affordable housing developments to be built in the City of Los Angeles." - Debbie Chen, Little Tokyo Service Center director of real estate"This project is incredibly meaningful to the Little Tokyo community and provides much needed affordable housing," said Impact Finance Senior Project Manager Suzanne Furay. "Not only has it been rewarding to work closely with Little Tokyo Service Center and all of the project collaborators, but within U.S. Bank, it's a proud moment because multiple teams came together to meet the needs of our clients and the community." Construction is already underway and the development is expected to be completed in 2026."U.S. Bank provided a scale of investment and wholehearted commitment that was critical to ensuring First Street North's success as one cohesive master planned development," added Chen. "U.S. Bank's appreciation for the entirety of the community vision and willingness to finance all the components of this project is worth celebrating. The efforts are an exemplar for how financial institutions can make a transformative difference in a place like Los Angeles." U.S. Bank's total commitment to date for the broader Greater Los Angeles Area is $2.3 billion in debt and $1.56 billion in equity.View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from U.S. Bank on 3 blmedia.com Contact Info: Spokesperson: U.S. BankWebsite: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/us-bankEmail: info@3 blmedia.com SOURCE: U.S. Bank PR-Inside.com: 2024-02-29 14:01:35 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 556 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 LAS VEGAS, NV / ACCESSWIRE / February 29, 2024 /Cytta Corp (OTCQB:CYCA) is proud to announce the first successful installation of CyttaCOMMS/IGAN 3.0 secure communications and drone streaming software with Pinellas Park Police Department (PD) in Florida. This collaboration marks the first installation of the newly completed SaaS CyttaCOMMS/IGAN 3.0 video streaming system, setting a new benchmark for drone operational security and efficiency in law enforcement while being fully compliant with all State and Federal Blue UAS standards .The Pinellas Park PD has taken a proactive stance in response to Florida's recent ban on the use of Chinese manufactured drones by State and Local law enforcement agencies, due to heightened cybersecurity concerns. By being among the first departments in the State to replace their DJI drones and implement the CyttaCOMMS/IGAN 3.0 system, Pinellas Park PD demonstrates its commitment to maintaining the highest standards of operational security and regulatory compliance.The State of Florida's Drone Replacement Grant Program, which dedicates $25 million to assist law enforcement agencies in transitioning away from Chinese manufactured drones, supports this initiative. CyttaCOMMS/IGAN 3.0 stands out as the optimal solution, offering the only drone-agnostic video streaming technology that securely interfaces with all American-made drone brands approved for use in Florida.Mike Elliott, VP of Business Development at Cytta Corp, who oversaw the sale and installation at Pinellas Park PD, remarked, "Pinellas Park PD's swift action to align with Florida's drone security standards exemplifies their leadership and dedication to leveraging cutting-edge technology for public safety. CyttaCOMMS/IGAN 3.0 is not just a product; it's a comprehensive solution that ensures the security and efficiency of drone operations. We are honored to support Pinellas Park PD as they set a commendable example for other law enforcement agencies to follow." CyttaCOMMS/IGAN 3.0 is engineered to exceed the demanding needs of law enforcement drone operations, providing encrypted real-time video streaming, robust data security, and compatibility with a broad spectrum of drone hardware. This initiative not only enhances the operational capabilities of Pinellas Park PD but also paves the way for broader acceptance and integration of secure drone technology in law enforcement agencies nationwide.Cytta Corp is dedicated to continuous innovation and the development of solutions like CyttaCOMMS/IGAN that address the evolving challenges of technology and regulation in public safety and security sectors.About Cytta Corp:Cytta Corp . is a leading technology solutions provider dedicated to delivering innovative products and services across various industries and revolutionizes the integration, streaming, transfer, and storage of video and audio data. With a focus on safety, security, and efficiency, Cytta Corp strives to develop cutting-edge solutions that address real-world challenges in large markets.The Company's proprietary CyttaCOMMS incident management system offers real-time integration of video and audio streams, enabling improved collaboration and providing ongoing, relevant, actionable intelligence. Their innovative new product, CyttaCARES , is a game-changer in ensuring the safety and well-being of children in educational institutions and beyond. Cytta's CyttaCOMP ISTAR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance) technology delivers real-time compression of video streams with ultra-low latency, through their compression Licensee Reticulate Micro.Contact Information Investor/Shareholder Contact:Gary ZwetchkenbaumPlumTree Consulting, LLC. gzplumtree@ gmail.com Direct: (516)-455-7662Cytta Corp.Toll free # : 1 877 CYTTAUS (298 8287)Call Local : 1 740 CYTTAUS (298 8287) http://www.cytta.cominfo@cytta.com Gary Campbell, CEODirect (702) 900-7022 (or message) Gary@ cytta.com Natalia Sokolova, President & COODirect: (424) 333-0595 (or message) Natalia@ cytta.com SOURCE: Cytta Corp. PR-Inside.com: 2024-02-29 19:00:51 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 745 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 FRANKFURT AM MAIN, GERMANY / ACCESSWIRE / February 29, 2024 / ENVIRIA, Germany's leading commercial and industrial (C&I) decentralized energy solutions provider, announced it has entered into a definitive agreement on an equity investment of over USD 200 million from BlackRock, through its Global Renewable Power IV (GRP IV) fund. The additional capital will support the expansion of the already existing 500 C&I solar projects across Germany as part of the company's growth plan.With this investment, ENVIRIA and BlackRock are leveraging one of the greatest growth areas in the energy transition: offering decentralized energy via rooftop solar and adjacent services at scale. It is estimated that German companies consume around 70 percent of the total national electricity usage, while only around 10 percent of suitable company roofs are equipped with a solar system. This leaves a potential of several hundred GW of renewable energy capacity untapped. With rooftop sizes across the C&I sector being on average significantly larger than residential buildings, renewable energy capacities can be rapidly deployed.ENVIRIA is challenging traditional grey' power plants and gradually reduces dependence on fossil fuels by feeding electricity directly into the grid from its powerful solar systems. Supported by its Series A investors Galileo Green Energy, Redalpine, Alter Equity and BNP Paribas Developpement, the company has built a portfolio of 500 C&I solar projects across Germany. Its development pipeline includes approx. 2,000 C&I projects totalling more than 2.3GW, with a plan to realize 1.7GW by 2029, thus enabling a successful energy transition.ENVIRIA's strong track record in C&I solar development demonstrates the efficacy of its pioneering end-to-end business approach. By covering the entire solar value chain - from installation and maintenance to asset management - the company offers customized solutions to reliably overcome some of the biggest challenges in the industry. Thereby, ENVIRIA showcases the potential for growth for attractive infrastructure solutions in an economic environment that will continue to create demand for renewable energy.Melchior Schulze Brock, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, ENVIRIA: "We are delighted to have found such a strong partner in BlackRock, who so enthusiastically supports our vision of empowering companies to harness the potential of solar. BlackRock brings exactly the resources we need to continue our growth - both financially and in terms of knowledge. Understanding the complex, capital intense nature of our business, BlackRock is able to support us in realizing the full potential of the C&I sector across Germany."BlackRock's experience in working with companies in our sector globally, especially in Asia and America, has impressively shown what a successful collaboration can look like." BlackRock's Climate Infrastructure team were first movers in the space and have been investing in renewable power since the late 90s, with investments in over 15 companies and the first investment in solar PV in 2013. Today, they manage US$11 billion in client assets. GRP IV is the fourth vintage of the flagship climate infrastructure franchise and the fund's LPs include significant capital from German asset owners. This investment is GRP IV's second, following the fund's investment in Recurrent Energy in January.Keith Mangan, Head of EMEA for Climate Infrastructure at BlackRock: "Our investment in ENVIRIA adds to our strong track record of staying ahead of the curve in investing into infrastructure assets that are aligned with the energy transition, an investment theme that continues to show its growth and scalability. ENVIRIA's unique value proposition as a full-chain PV provider is a stellar example of the deployment of scalable innovation in this sector, making this an attractive exposure for our clients." Dirk Schmitz, Country Head of BlackRock in Germany, Austria, and Eastern Europe: "Germany's shift to a low-carbon economy requires significant investment in renewable power infrastructure. We are pleased to provide our clients access to this investment in a promising macro-economic environment for climate infrastructure in Germany. With a strong German investor presence on our Climate infrastructure platform, I am excited that we will be putting our clients' money to work through ENVIRIA locally." J.P. Morgan SE acted as Exclusive Placement Agent to ENVIRIA on this transaction. White & Case was legal advisor to ENVIRIA.Closing of the transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and certain terms and conditions in accordance with the transaction agreements.Contact InformationAlexandra SiokouChief Marketing Officer, ENVIRIAalexandra.siokou@enviria.energy +49 (0) 1742438595Nadia El JazouliHead of Corporate Communications Germany, BlackRocknadia.eljazouli@blackrock.com +49 (69) 505002527Curtis ChouVice President Corporate Communications, BlackRockcurtis.chou@blackrock.com +1 (646) 2311031SOURCE: ENVIRIAView the original press release on newswire.com PR-Inside.com: 2024-02-29 19:00:40 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 388 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 Uniting Tradition and Innovation: Happy Trailers Welcomes Canady Trailers to its Family of DealershipsTULSA, OK / ACCESSWIRE / February 29, 2024 / Happy Trailers, a leading trailer dealership with eight locations across Texas, is thrilled to announce its acquisition of Canady Trailers in Tulsa, Oklahoma. This strategic move marks a significant expansion for Happy Trailers and underscores its commitment to providing an easy way to buy a trailer across the region.Happy Trailers Owners with Canady Trailers Owners Devon, Derek, Ronnie, Johnny, and PonchoCanady Trailers, founded by Tom and Wanda Canady in September 1992, has been a cornerstone of the Tulsa community for over 30 years. With a legacy spanning three generations, Canady Trailers has built a reputation for excellence in the trailer industry. Following the passing of Tom Canady in September 2013 and Randy Canady in July 2016, Derek Canady and his brother-in-law Devon Rogers have continued the family tradition of treating people with respect and kindness while providing them with the best quality products at a fair price."We are excited to welcome Canady Trailers into the Happy Trailers family," said Ronnie Enns, CEO of Happy Trailers. "Their longstanding reputation for family values and dedication to customer satisfaction align perfectly with our values at Happy Trailers. I'm honored to have the opportunity to work alongside Derek and grow our business together." Canady Trailers has been a proud dealer of MAXX-D Trailers since 1999 and Load Trail Trailers since 2022, showcasing their commitment to offering premium trailers to their customers. Canady Trailers offers a full parts & service department to repair, maintain, and upgrade trailers. Under the leadership of Derek Canady, the Tulsa location will continue its operations seamlessly as part of Happy Trailers."We are confident that this transition will bring new opportunities for growth and success," said Derek Canady. "Joining forces with Happy Trailers will enable us to enhance our offerings and provide an even better experience for our valued customers." The acquisition of Canady Trailers represents a significant milestone for Happy Trailers as it continues to expand its footprint. Happy Trailers looks forward to building upon the legacy of excellence established by Canady Trailers and serving the Tulsa community with the same level of dedication and commitment.Contact Information:Leroy LoewenMarketing, Happy Trailersmarketing@ happytrailers.com (877) 753-3257SOURCE: Happy TrailersView the original press release on newswire.com PR-Inside.com: 2024-02-29 15:20:27 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 696 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 ELKO, NV / ACCESSWIRE / February 29, 2024 / Lithium Corporation (OTCQB:LTUM) ("LTUM" or "the Company"), a North American exploration mining company focused on energy metals for the growing energy storage sector and high-tech industries, is pleased to advise investors the Company recently expanded its internal geological expertise and knowledge with the engagement of Ken Tullar, CPG, in the role of Exploration Manager, Lithium Corporation.Mr. Tullar brings more than 35 years of professional mineral exploration & development experience in western North America, from Alaska to Mexico, with an emphasis on Nevada. His extensive background in geology, structure, geochemistry, hydrochemistry and geophysics, and specific knowledge of the Great Basin, makes him a valued asset as Lithium Corp. charts a path to expanding and developing its portfolio of lithium and other energy metals prospects. Tom Lewis, President & CEO, Lithium Corp. commented, "We've been talking to Ken for quite some time with respect to coming to work with Lithium Corporation and are very pleased he agreed to come over and be part of the team." Lithium Corporation President & CEO Tom Lewis will be available to answer shareholder and investor questions and discuss the status of exploration initiatives on the Company's Nevada and British Columbia prospects at the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) Annual Convention March 3 - 6, 2024 in Toronto, Canada. Please contact the Company at info@ lithiumcorporation.com in advance to arrange.Learn more about Lithium Corporation's complete portfolio of lithium, graphite, and titanium/rare earth elements prospects: https://lithiumcorporation.com/projects/ About Lithium CorporationLithium Corporation is a Nevada based mineral exploration company and one of a handful of Project Generators in the critical minerals space in North America. The Company's dual operational focuses cover exploration activities on several lithium prospects in Nevada, USA, as well as titanium/rare earth elements & graphite properties in British Columbia, Canada. Lithium Corp. has maintained a strategic alliance with Morella Corporation (the Company's single largest shareholder) for the past nine years and apart from the Fish Lake Valley agreement, also has a formal agreement with Morella covering earn-ins on the Company's North Big Smoky lithium-in-brine prospect in Nye County, Nevada.Website: www.lithiumcorporation.com Contact InfoTom Lewis, CEO775-410-5287 info@ lithiumcorporation.com About Morella CorporationMorella is an exploration and resource development company focused on lithium and battery minerals. Morella is currently engaged in exploration, resource definition and development activities with projects strategically located in Tier 1 mining jurisdictions in both Australia and the United States. Morella will secure and develop lithium raw materials to support the surging demand for battery minerals, critical in enabling the global transition to green energy.Contact InfoJames Brown, Managing Director info@ morellacorp.com Notice Regarding Forward-Looking StatementsThis current report contains "forward-looking statements," as that term is defined in Section 27A of the United States Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Statements in this press release which are not purely historical are forward-looking statements and include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future.Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. Such factors include, among others, the inherent uncertainties associated with mineral exploration and difficulties associated with obtaining financing on acceptable terms. We are not in control of minerals prices, and these could vary to make development uneconomic. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and we assume no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Although we believe that the beliefs, plans, expectations and intentions contained in this press release are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions will prove to be accurate. Investors should consult all of the information set forth herein and should also refer to the risk factors disclosure outlined in our most recent annual report for our last fiscal year, our quarterly reports, and other periodic reports filed from time-to-time with the Securities and Exchange Commission.Lithium Corporation (OTC-LTUM) 1031 Railroad St. Ste 102B Elko NV 89801 (775) 410-5287 www.lithiumcorporation.com SOURCE: Lithium Corporation PR-Inside.com: 2024-02-29 16:15:23 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 704 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 For Adam Warren, Vice President of Product Development for Henkel Consumer Brands North America, being a pioneer for good is about leading with conviction, inspiring future innovators, and advocating for equitable representation.NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / February 29, 2024 / Our purpose is what unites us at Henkel North America: Pioneers at heart for the good of generations. Our pioneering spirit is reflective of the diverse backgrounds, experiences and talents of our employees and partners. They dare to make an impact on the world by collaborating to tackle challenges, find solutions and open new perspectives.Their contributions allow us to deliver products, services and innovations that enrich and improve everyday life. We invite you to "meet" our pioneers in our series, "Pioneers for Good." Adam has been a part of the Henkel family and Research & Development (R&D) organization since 2013. He is an inspirational leader that oversees the team responsible for driving innovation and product formulation for Henkel Consumer Brands including all, Persil, Purex, Snuggle, and Dial.From identifying new trends to working with emerging technologies that put Henkel at the forefront of innovation, Adam is dedicated to encouraging his team to take risks in their work. Innovation drives Adam professionally, but he is also committed to paving the way for future generations and pushing for increased representation in leadership."I came to Henkel through an acquisition, but I stayed because it's an amazing place to work and I absolutely love it." He credits Henkel for providing continuous opportunities to grow and do the work he loves while impacting the daily lives and routines of consumers. "For me it's always been a passion of mine to improve the lives of consumers and I get to live that passion every day." Driving Innovation at the Heart of HenkelAccording to Adam, innovation is the fundamental reason his team exists. "We create the future," is the mantra at the core of his research and development team's purpose and at the forefront of what inspires their work.They create the future, armed with consumer trends and research and an intentional pursuit to be bold in thinking about how to reinvent our products and technologies to create something new. There is a unique vulnerability about being bold, it can trigger a fear of failure while being a pillar of success. Failures happen - it's part of the creative process, but Adam believes that creating an environment that encourages bold creativity and pushing boundaries ensures that the overall process moves toward the success of the team.Inspiring the Next Generation of InnovatorsLike his work, Adam is innovative in the ways he supports and advocates to increase representation. Mentorship is one tool to do this. As a former INROADS intern himself, he knows the value of having mentors who invest the time to advise and guide the next generations. "I have had a diverse set of mentors throughout my career for different needs from developing technical skills, navigating workplace culture, and shaping a career path." And he pays it forward through being a mentor and sponsoring Inroads interns in R&D.He always finds a way to say yes' to opportunities to give back and lend his voice to conversations tied to his core values of community, culture, and DEI. Adam understands the importance of being able to physically and culturally identify with leaders and is part of the work to increase equitable representation.I believe in the fact that representation matters. When people can see a version of themselves on leadership panels and speaking engagements, it helps them to better visualize their career opportunities.Adam Warren, Vice President of Product Development for Henkel Consumer Brands North AmericaAdam believes leaders need to bring their own personal brand of authenticity to the workplace and to their teams. His personal brand of authenticity is anchored in integrity and leading with conviction. It is not only a governing principle in his life but how he intentionally shows up for his team and work at Henkel.View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Henkel on 3 blmedia.com Contact Info: Spokesperson: HenkelWebsite: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/henkel Email: info@3 blmedia.com SOURCE: Henkel PR-Inside.com: 2024-02-29 13:46:52 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 1048 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 QUEBEC, QC / ACCESSWIRE / February 29, 2024 / NuRAN Wireless Inc. ("NuRAN" or the "Company") (CSE:NUR)(OTCQB:NRRWF)(FSE:1RN), a leading supplier of mobile and broadband wireless infrastructure solutions, is pleased to announce that it has now received the formal approval of the US$ 5M loan facility by the lender's investment committee.Following the announcement of signing a non-binding mandate letter on January 3rd, 2024, the Company is pleased to announce the Investment Committee approval for the US$ 5M Senior Secured Bridge Facility ("the Facility") for (re)financing of renewable energy assets for NuRAN Wireless (Africa) Holding. This approval means that the Parties will now work towards completing the definitive loan documentation in view of short-term closing. Over the last 2 months, the Company worked with the lender's Environmental and Social (E&S) and legal teams to complete all due diligence. Both Parties worked cooperatively to adhere to all deadlines."This is a significant development in NuRAN's financing strategy for its NaaS operations and is the culmination of much hard work by the lender's and NuRAN's team on completing the final due diligence and debt structuring. We are appreciative and thankful that our lenders are supporting our contracts to connect and empower the unconnected in Africa" said Francis Letourneau, CEO of NuRAN Wireless Inc. "The facility will allow us to establish our build plan for 2024 and achieve major milestones by the end of the calendar year."The 2-year tenor Facility will be drawn down over a maximum period of 12 months with a bullet principal repayment at maturity. All interest is also capitalised meaning that NuRAN can make optimal use of the financing to build new sites in Cameroon and the DRC as well as other African countries. The funds can be used to refinance energy assets already on operating sites or in inventory so combined with cash generated from operating sites, the Company now has the ability to cover all material and build cost of new sites.The Facility is to be refinanced by long-term senior debt at maturity. The lender may consider participating in a possible larger long-term debt syndicate to further accelerate NuRAN's build plans. The Company will provide guidance on its new build milestones when the Facility is finalised.About NuRAN Wireless:NuRAN Wireless is a leading rural telecommunications company that meets the growing demand for wireless network coverage in remote and rural regions around the globe. With its affordable and innovative scalable solutions of 2G, 3G, and 4G technologies, NuRAN Wireless offers a new possibility for more than one billion people to communicate effectively over long distances efficiently and affordably. "Bridging the Digital Divide, One Connection at a Time." Additional Information:For further information about NuRAN Wireless: www.nuranwireless.com Francis Letourneau,Director and CEO Francis.letourneau@nuranwireless.com Tel: (418) 264-1337Frank CandidoInvestor relations Frank.candido@nuranwireless.com Tel: (514) 969-5530Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.Forward Looking StatementsThis news release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as, "expects", "is expected", "anticipates", "intends", "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements include those relating to the signing and closing of the DFI loans, statements with respect to the number of live towers to be installed and proposed revenues over 2023, 2024 and 2025, statements with respect to financing at the NuRAN Africa intended to be complementary to the DFI loans and if completed is intended be used to accelerate growth in other markets, including recent contracts signed in Ivory Coast and Madagascar, statements with respect to the future conversion of sites in inventory to live sites as the Company secures additional financing to support the conversion, statements with respect to proposed debt settlements with management and short term and long term lenders including any potential restructuring of debt and that the execution of the loan agreement with the DFIs will propel NuRAN to build towers at an aggressive pace and fulfil our 2024 and 2025 expectation. Forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results projected, expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements, such as the uncertainties regarding include risks such as the uncertainties regarding the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, and measures to prevent its spread, risks relating to NuRAN's business and the economy generally; NuRAN's ability to refinance its long term and short term debt; NuRAN's ability to adequately restructure its operations with respect to its new model of NaaS service contracts; NuRAN's ability to complete the DFI financings, our ability to collect fees from our telecommunication providers and reliance on the network of our telecommunications providers, the capacity of the Company to deliver in a technical capacity and to import inventory to Africa at a reasonable cost; NuRAN's ability to obtain project financing for the proposed site build out under its NaaS agreements with Orange, MTN and other telecommunication providers, the loss of one or more significant suppliers or a reduction in significant volume from such suppliers; NuRAN's ability to meet or exceed customers' demand and expectations; significant current competition and the introduction of new competitors or other disruptive entrants in the Company's industry; effects of the global supply shortage affecting parts needed for NuRAN's sites and site installations; NuRAN's ability to retain key employees and protect its intellectual property; compliance with local laws and regulations and ability to obtain all required permits for our operations, access to the credit and capital markets, changes in applicable teleco PR-Inside.com: 2024-02-29 00:31:16 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 950 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 THIS NEWS RELEASE IS INTENDED FOR DISTRIBUTION IN CANADA ONLY AND IS NOT INTENDED FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATESTORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / February 28, 2024 / Pelangio Exploration Inc. (TSXV:PX)(OTC PINK:PGXPF) ("Pelangio" or the "Company") is pleased to announce a non-brokered private placement for gross proceeds of up to $500,000 (the "Offering"). The Offering will consist of the sale of units (the "Units") of the Company at a price of $0.015 per Unit. Each Unit consists of one common share of the Company (a "Common Share") and one Common Share purchase warrant ("Warrant"). Each whole Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one Common Share at a price of $0.05 for a period of five years from the initial closing date of the Offering. The Company intends to use the gross proceeds for working capital, including up to 10% for settling non-arm's length payables, as well as general corporate purposes including land maintenance costs.The Offering is subject to customary closing conditions including, but not limited to, receipt of applicable regulatory approvals, including approval of the TSX-V. The closing of the Offering may occur in one or more tranches, with the initial closing date of the Offering expected to occur on or around March 30th, 2024 and is not subject to receipt of a minimum amount of gross proceeds. The securities issued pursuant to the Offering will be subject to a four-month and one day hold period in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws and TSX-V policies. The Offering is open to participation by insiders.The securities offered have not been registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any State in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.About PelangioPelangio acquires and explores prospective land packages located in world-class gold belts in Ghana, West Africa and Canada. In Ghana, the Company is focused on its two 100% owned camp-sized properties: the 100 km2 Manfo property, the site of eight near-surface gold discoveries, and the 284 km2 Obuasi property, located 4 km on strike and adjacent to AngloGold Ashanti's prolific high-grade Obuasi Mine, as well as the Dankran property located adjacent to its Obuasi property. In Canada, the Company is currently focused in Ontario at its gold, silver, zinc polymetallic Kenogaming project, located 63 km southwest of Timmins and at its Gowan polymetallic project, located 16 km east of the Kidd Creek Mine. See www.pelangio.com for further detail on all Pelangio's properties.For additional information, please visit our website at www.pelangio.com , or contact:Ingrid Hibbard, President and CEOTel: 905-336-3828 / Toll-free: 1-877-746-1632 / Email: info@ pelangio.com Forward Looking StatementsCertain statements herein may contain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements or information appear in a number of places and can be identified by the use of words 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 statements and information include statements regarding the Offering generally, the proceeds that may be raised in connection with the Offering, the proposed use of proceeds and the Company's exploration plans. With respect to forward-looking statements and information contained herein, we have made numerous assumptions, including assumptions about our ability to close additional tranches of the Offering in a timely manner, if at all, and the state of the equity markets. Such forward-looking statements and information are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statement or information. Such risks include the ability of the Company to meet the conditions of closing, our ability to conduct our exploration programs as planned, changes in equity markets, share price volatility, volatility of global and local economic climate, gold price volatility, political developments in Ghana, increases in costs, exchange rate fluctuations, speculative nature of gold exploration and other risks involved in the gold exploration industry. See the Company's annual and quarterly financial statements and management's discussion and analysis for additional information on risks and uncertainties relating to the forward-looking statement and information. There can be no assurance that a forward-looking statement or information referenced herein will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements or information. Also, many of the factors are beyond the control of the Company. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. We undertake no obligation to reissue or update any forward-looking statements or information except as required by law. All forward-looking statements and information herein are qualified by this cautionary statement.Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.SOURCE: Pelangio Exploration Inc. Disclaimer: If you have any questions regarding information in this press release please contact the company added in the press release. Please do not contact pr-inside. We will not be able to assist you. PR-inside disclaims the content included in this release. PR-Inside.com: 2024-02-29 21:52:01 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 513 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 HAGENS BERMAN, NATIONAL TRIAL ATTORNEYS, Encourages CC Investors Who Suffered Substantial Losses to Contact Firm's Attorneys Investigating Possible Securities Law ViolationsSAN FRANCISCO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / February 29, 2024 / Hagens Berman urges The Chemours Company (NYSE:CC) investors who suffered substantial losses to submit your losses now.Visit: www.hbsslaw.com/investor-fraud/CC Contact An Attorney Now: CC@ hbsslaw.com 844-916-0895The Chemours Company (NYSE: CC) Investigation:On Feb. 28, 2024, more questions concerning the propriety of Chemours' statements concerning its historical financial performance were raised, when the Company suspended a slew of its most senior executives pending an internal accounting probe.Specifically, Chemours announced that it placed CEO (Mark Newman), CFO (Jonathan Lock), and CAA (Camela Wisel) on administrative leave pending completion of an internal accounting review. The scope of the investigation "includes the processes for reviewing reports made to the Chemours Ethics Hotline, the Company's practices for managing working capital, including the related impact on metrics within the Company's incentive plans, and certain non-GAAP metrics included in filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission or otherwise publicly released, and related disclosures." The company also announced that, as a result of the foregoing, it is investigating the effectiveness of "tone at the top' set by certain members of senior management[.]"This news follows Chemours' Feb. 13, 2024 announcement that it postponed the release of its financial results and conference call related to its Q4 and FYE Dec. 31, 2023. The company revealed then that it "is evaluating its internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023 with respect to maintaining effective controls related to information and communications." The company also revealed that its "Audit Committee also needs additional time to complete a related internal review." Each of the above announcements drove the price of Chemours shares crashing lower.If you invested in The Chemours Company and have substantial losses, or have knowledge that may assist the firm's investigation, submit your losses now If you'd like more information and answers to frequently asked questions about the Chemours investigation, read more Whistleblowers: Persons with non-public information regarding The Chemours Company should consider their options to help in the investigation or take advantage of the SEC Whistleblower program. Under the new program, whistleblowers who provide original information may receive rewards totaling up to 30 percent of any successful recovery made by the SEC. For more information, call Reed Kathrein at 844-916-0895 or email CC@ hbsslaw.com # # #About Hagens Berman Hagens Berman is a global plaintiffs' rights complex litigation law firm focusing on corporate accountability through class-action law. The firm is home to a robust securities litigation practice and represents investors as well as whistleblowers, workers, consumers and others in cases achieving real results for those harmed by corporate negligence and fraud. More about the firm and its successes can be found at hbsslaw.com . Follow the firm for updates and news at @ClassActionLaw.Contact:Reed Kathrein, 844-916-0895Attorney advertising.Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.Services may be performed by attorneys in any of our offices.SOURCE: Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 29. Azerbaijani Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov has received a delegation led by International Finance Corporation (IFC) Regional Director for Infrastructure and Natural Resources in Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean Cheryl Edleson Hanway, Trend reports. The sides discussed the current cooperation in the energy sector, including the use of offshore wind energy. The parties expressed confidence that cooperation would be successfully continued in the future. At a meeting with a delegation led by TAQA Executive Director for Transmission and Distribution Networks Omar Al Hashimi, prospects for cooperation in the field of modernization of power grids and long-distance energy transmission were discussed. PR-Inside.com: 2024-02-29 20:36:17 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 692 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 ROCK HILL, SC / ACCESSWIRE / February 29, 2024 / Under the Affordable Care Act, certain businesses and providers of health insurance coverage are required to distribute copies of Forms 1095-B and 1095-C to their recipients or employees. Applicable Large Employers (those with 50 or more full-time equivalent employees) are typically required to file Form 1095-C, while health insurance coverage providers and employers offering self-funded health insurance coverage are typically required to file Form 1095-B.It is also important to note that these 1095 Forms must be filed electronically with the IRS by April 1, 2024.TaxBandits, a leading IRS-authorized e-file provider, simplifies and streamlines the filing process, offering an affordable solution for businesses to complete, e-file, and distribute recipient copies.Easy 1095 Filing ProcessTaxBandits provides a user-friendly platform with built-in IRS Business Rules to catch and correct common errors. Clients can designate their authoritative transmittal whene-filing 1095-Cin batches, and the platform supports state filing with states that requireACA filing .Bulk Upload OptionsIn the race against time to complete Forms 1095 and efficiently distribute them to employees and recipients, e-filing is a highly effective alternative to traditional paper forms. Beyond the significant time savings it offers, TaxBandits' e-filing process incorporates built-in audit checks, leveraging the IRS Business Rules to proactively identify common errors so that they can be resolved before forms are transmitted. This not only enhances accuracy but also serves as a safeguard against potential IRS form rejections, thereby mitigating the need for ACA corrections in the future. By leveraging technology and meticulous checks, TaxBandits ensures a smoother and error-free filing process for businesses navigating the complexities of tax compliance.ACA 1095 CorrectionsIn addition to e-filing ACA Forms 1095 with the IRS and state, TaxBandits also provides a solution for filing corrections. The process is a simple one, allowing clients to complete and file correction forms for the 1095s that they originally filed with TaxBandits.State Filing Requirements for 1095-B/CSeveral states require Form 1095-B and 1095-C to be filed at the state level, this includesNew Jersey ,California ,the District of Columbia ,Rhode Island , andMassachusetts . Employers and insurance providers are required tofile Form 1095-Cand Form 1095-B on behalf of any covered individuals who reside in these states. In addition to filing copies of 1094 and 1095 with the state agencies, form copies must also be distributed to recipients. TaxBandits supports state-only filing for Form 1095-B and Form 1095-C online.Postal Mailing SolutionFor recipient copies, TaxBandits offers a print and mailing solution. All forms are printed and mailed from a SOC 2 Certified facility.Online Access for RecipientsTaxBandits also provides an option for clients to grant online access to recipients. Recipients can view their forms securely via the TaxBandits portal by providing their email address, consenting to receive an electronic copy, and setting up their password. The IRS requires businesses to obtain their recipients' consent toAgie Sundaram, CEO, and Co-founder of SPAN Enterprises, the parent company of TaxBandits, emphasized the urgency of the upcoming deadlines. Sundaram stated, "With the March 1st deadline and the e-file deadline for ACA forms on April 1st, TaxBandits encourages all businesses required to file to get started promptly. We offer powerful e-file and recipient copy distribution solutions at an affordable price point." Create a free account atTaxBandits.comtoday to begin e-filing ACA Forms 1094/1095.About TaxBanditsThe 1099 and W-2 experts! TaxBandits is a SOC 2 Certified, IRS-authorized e-file provider ofForms 1099 ,Form W-2 ,1095 ,940 ,941 , andFillable W-9 , serving businesses, service providers, and tax professionals of every shape and size.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 ande-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 EnterprisesSPAN Enterprises is the parent company of TaxBandits and a variety of other business management and e-filing applications. Located in the small city of Rock Hill, SC, SPAN Enterprises proves that big ideas grow in small towns.With existing Business Management and E-filing Applications such asTaxBandits ,ACAwise ,ExpressExtension ,123PayStubs , andTruckLogics .For any media inquiries, please reach out to Stephanie Glanville, Content Writer atstephanie@ spanenterprises.com SOURCE: TaxBandits PR-Inside.com: 2024-02-29 21:10:15 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 799 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 CASTLE ROCK, CO / ACCESSWIRE / February 29, 2024 / Recent government surveillance allegations have raised citizens' concerns over privacy rights. As the debate between security and liberty continues, a private social messenger called Freedom Chat is quickly emerging to protect citizens' digital communication.In an era where digital surveillance has become as commonplace as smartphones, revelations have propelled the U.S. government into the spotlight, raising alarms over privacy rights and constitutional safeguards. At the heart of the controversy is the Biden administration's Treasury Department, accused of conducting unauthorized surveillance on Americans' private financial transactions, including those related to firearm and ammunition purchases as well Bible purchases or use of the words "Trump" or "MAGA". This issue, entangled with historical intelligence abuses and emerging digital privacy solutions, paints a complex portrait of the modern struggle between security and liberty.A Glimpse into the Surveillance AllegationsThe Treasury Department, under scrutiny from both the public and members of Congress, allegedly bypassed legal protocols by subpoenaing corporate banks, such as Bank of America, for transaction histories without obtaining warrants. This action has sparked comparisons to the controversial Operation Choke Point, an initiative under the Obama administration that critics argue unfairly targeted legal businesses. Furthermore, the Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) is said to have provided financial institutions with suggested search terms specifically to flag transactions related to firearms and ammunition, intensifying concerns over privacy infringements and the potential overreach of government surveillance.The Echoes of Past Intelligence AbusesThis recent controversy does not exist in a vacuum but is instead part of a concerning pattern of intelligence abuses tracing back to the 2015-2016 election season. Notably, the CIA, under the Obama administration, reportedly recruited foreign allies to spy on associates of Donald Trump before the inception of the FBI's counterintelligence probe in 2016. The mission to uncover a missing binder, believed to contain evidence of the CIA's endeavors to spy on Trump and intervene in the 2016 election, reportedly motivated the Biden administration's raid on Trump's Mar-a-Lago home. These incidents have reignited debates over the integrity of U.S. intelligence operations and the sanctity of American citizens' rights.Furthermore, just last month, Tucker Carlson while in Moscow preparing for his interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin, admitted that the government illegally spied on him and his team, stating:"Almost 3 years ago the Biden Administration illegally spied on our text messages and then leaked the contents to their servants in the news media. They did this in order to stop a Putin interview that we were planning. Last month, we're pretty certain they did exactly the same thing once again but this time we came to Moscow anyway." Explaining how he knew the NSA broke into his text messages, Carlson said, "they admitted it." "If you have no privacy, you have no freedom," Tucker stated.Rising Privacy Concerns and the Subsequent Rise of Freedom ChatIn response to growing apprehensions about privacy and the government's labeling of citizens as 'domestic terrorists' for activities such as protesting election results or expressing concerns about their children's education, an innovative solution has emerged from the conservative tech community.About Freedom Chat Messaging AppFreedom Chat, a messaging app designed with privacy at its forefront, offers users complete and total privacy through true end-to-end encryption (the even have a published white paper you can read here), no storage of user's messages on their servers, and by abiding to having no commercial use of users' data.With features such as self-destructing messages and screenshot protection, the app positions itself as a bastion of digital privacy in an age of increasing surveillance. Initially free for the first 50 messages, Freedom Chat asks for a modest $2.95 for unlimited monthly use and only $26.95 for an entire year of use. These low prices are made possible because Freedom Chat does not store messages on their servers and are therefore able to keep costs extremely low.The narrative of government surveillance, past intelligence abuses, and the quest for digital privacy encapsulates a pivotal moment in the ongoing dialogue between security and liberty. As the Biden administration faces scrutiny over its surveillance practices, the emergence of social messaging platforms like Freedom Chat underscores a collective yearning for a return to foundational principles of privacy and constitutional rights.Amidst these complex layers of concern and response, the story of America's engagement with surveillance, rights, and technology continues to unfold, presenting new challenges and opportunities for ensuring the liberty and security of its citizens in the digital age.Download Freedom ChatSpeak freely and message privately with Freedom Chat-a private social messenger.Click here to take back your right to privacy and free speech and download the Freedom Chat app today!Contact:Freedom Chat Mediasupport@ freedomchat.com SOURCE: Freedom Chat Inc. In what seems to be a sensational turn of events, skit maker Promise Anagbogu, known as Lord Lamba, has unveiled the long-speculated truth surrounding former BBNaija Season 6 housemate Queen Atangs daughter, Princess Keilah. Little over a year of swirling rumours and intense speculation, Lord Lamba on Thursday, shared pictures and videos of the child in question on his Instagram page. In January 2023, the Queen shared pictures of Princess Keilah, whom she welcomed in 2022, but since then, she and Lord Lamba have remained tight-lipped about the matter. The daughter is a product of a short-lived relationship between Queen and Lord Lamba. The timing of this revelation (unveiling of the child by Lord Lamba) couldnt be more intriguing, as it comes mere hours after Queens announced her engagement to King David, a Biomedical scientist. Queen and her fiance have a history and are long-time friends, as a trip to Mr Davids Instagram page has revealed. Lord Lambas unexpected post sent shockwaves across social media platforms, igniting a frenzy of reactions from eager netizens. While some clamour for confirmation of Lord Lambas paternal status, others commend his courageous step in acknowledging the childs existence. READ ALSO: Questions abound about the motives behind this revelation, especially on the heels of the Queens joyous news. In a divided online sphere, opinions vary widely, with some criticising Lord Lambas timing while others applaud his newfound openness. Regardless of the polarised reactions, one thing remains certain: Lord Lambas revelation has set tongues wagging and hearts pondering across the digital landscape. He wrote: Princess Keilah Kelvin Anagbogu Ada Nnewi. Engagement On Thursday, Queen announced her engagement on her Instagram page. She consistently prayed for Gods guidance in building a loving family. According to her, she wished to fulfil roles as a wife, mother, and follower of His teachings, which she said the Lord responded to in due time. The ex-BBN star applauded her husband, Mr David, and her pastor, Jerry Eze, for the beautiful day. She wrote: To my dear husband-to-be King David, I thank you sincerely For choosing me, loving me and embracing my family as your own. Your presence has brought immense joy into my life. May God bless you abundantly. I promise to pray for blessings upon your life continually. I love you dearly. Indeed, what God cannot do. doesnt exist. Thank you, pastor Jerry Eze. We Dey pray. E Dey show, God is here. Dear Sisters @dr_brightie @singhniniofficial @thejackiebent, we have a wedding to plan. Husband to-be reacts Reacting, Queens fiance showered love on her on his Instagram page, describing her as a good thing and a favour from the Lord. He wrote: He who finds a wife finds a good thing. And obtains favour from the Lord. Proverbs 18:22 NKJV. And she said YES, Queen Mercy Atang. I love you dearly BD. Thank you for choosing to walk this journey of forever with me. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Northern Cameroon has for decades been a hub for ammunition, small arms and light weapons trafficking in the Sahel. The problem has fuelled regional insecurity since 1980. In response, states of the Lake Chad Basin Commission created the Multinational Joint Task Force in 1994. However, arms trafficking has worsened since Boko Harams emergence and expansion into Cameroon in 2013. In the past decade, Cameroons defence forces have seized and destroyed over 3,000 weapons and items of military equipment. Northern Cameroon covers the Far North, North and Adamawa regions, which form part of the Sahelian belt. This part of Cameroon shares borders with Nigeria, Chad and the Central African Republic (CAR), and experiences a lot of smuggling and trafficking. Due to various insurrections, Nigeria has become fertile ground for the manufacture of homemade weapons. In Chad, numerous conflicts since the 1970s including rebellions and reversals of political power have led to a proliferation of small arms. Coupled with various forms of violent extremism, the rebellion of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of the Sahara, which developed during the 1990s in Nigers Diffa and Agadez regions, bordering Chad, also increased the circulation of weapons. Chads proximity to Libya, which has been afflicted by civil war over several decades, has exacerbated the problem. The CAR, for its part, is experiencing a long cycle of socio-political instability. Between 2004 and 2014, the groups involved in the countrys three bloody civil wars engaged in intense arms trafficking. But despite a 2013 United Nations Security Council arms embargo, weapons continue circulating. Cross-border area in Northern Cameroon Institute for Security Studies research shows that weapons pass through corridors used for illicit trade, migratory flows and transhumance. To reach Boko Haram in Nigeria, guns from Chad pass through the countrys capital NDjamena, and are then smuggled through Kousseri and Fotokol in Cameroon. Or they pass through Cameroons Mora and surrounding areas. Weapons are also leaving Boko Haram strongholds to fuel insecurity in Northern Cameroon. Their route follows an axis between Gwoza in Nigeria, and Mayo-Tsanaga and Mayo-Louti or Benoue in Cameroon. Weapons from Chad and CAR, used for kidnappings for ransom in Cameroons Northern and Adamaoua regions, pass through Touboro and Garoua-Boulai. Traffickers bringing in arms from Niger and Sudan use the cross-border transhumance routes, many converging towards Cameroons north. Traffickers use various means to transport weapons. Some pose as traders, hiding guns in goods, especially cereal bags. Others disguise themselves as transporters of goods and people, hiding weapons in their vehicles. Many nomads moving in and between the countries mentioned above are also arms smugglers. These weapons add to the regions insecurity. They contribute to existing community conflicts particularly disputes between farmers and breeders, indigenous and non-native populations, inheritance conflicts and religious antagonisms. Urgent measures are needed to curb the problem. A 2016 Cameroonian law imposes three months to two years imprisonment for arms trafficking. In 2018, Cameroon hosted the conference of the Central African States party to the Kinshasa Convention for the control of small arms and light weapons. Cameroon and Nigeria also met in September 2022 to discuss collaborating to combat the problem. On the ground, defence and security forces have managed to seize weapons during their operations. However, faced with the growing scale of the problem, this is not enough. Cameroons 2016 law should be amended to enable harsher penalties for arms trafficking. And greater political commitment is needed to translate recommendations from conferences into action. Concrete steps must be taken at national, regional and interregional levels. At the national level, Cameroon and its neighbouring countries must strengthen their policies against arms trafficking by imposing tougher measures. In addition to raising the alarm in the event of a security threat, local community committees must help collect information about the circulation of weapons. At the regional level, the gendarmes, police, military, ecoguards and customs officers from Cameroon, Nigeria, Chad and CAR need a significant boost in logistical capacity. They also need a collaborative mechanism that allows rapid response and coordination of joint actions to stop arms trafficking. Finally, at the interregional level, the ad hoc committees in charge of the issue, such as the Multinational Joint Task Force or the Brazzaville Convention, must share lessons on what works. Celestin Delanga, Researcher, Institute for Security Studies (ISS) Regional Office for West Africa, the Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin (This article was first published by ISS Today, a Premium Times syndication partner. We have their permission to republish). Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Gombe State Government, north-east Nigeria, has announced the outbreak of Cerebrospinal Meningitis (CSM), an infectious disease associated with the inflammation of brain and spinal cord membranes. The government said six persons have, so far, died of the disease. Five of the deaths were recorded in Nafada Local Government Area and one in Funakeye Local Government Area. The states Commissioner for Health, Habu Dahiru, said these during a press briefing on Thursday. The alarm was raised on 18 February when reports surfaced of individuals displaying symptoms indicative of CSM in Nafada Local Government Area (LGA), Mr Dahiru said. Intervention The commissioner said the situation prompted the authorities to take urgent action. So far, a total of 95 cases have been recorded, with 83 individuals successfully treated and discharged, leaving six under medical care. We responded swiftly by activating an Emergency Operation Centre (EOC), comprising WHO, UNICEF, and NCDC, to address suspected CSM cases and assess the possibility of Lassa fever, Mr Dahiru said. He said that although an Incident Management System (IMS) has not yet been initiated due to the threshold for a CSM outbreak not being met, the situation remains critical. We are now at Alert Threshold in Nafada and Funakaye LGAs, he stated Mr Dahiru emphasised the proactive stance taken by the government, saying: The EOCs directives include engaging with local communities, religious leaders, and healthcare professionals to raise awareness about CSM, distributing essential medications free of charge, and conducting comprehensive case searches across affected areas. READ ALSO: He said the State Rapid Response Team (RRT) has been deployed to bolster efforts in Nafada and Funakaye LGAs, focusing on sample collection, dissemination of medical supplies, and active case detection. The collective aim is to contain the spread of CSM while awaiting confirmation on suspected cases of Lassa fever. He affirmed the transparency of Gombe States response, citing unwavering support from state leadership in safeguarding public health. The commissioner said: In Gombe State, we never hide any outbreak because we have the full support of His Excellency to safeguard the health of the people. As Gombe State braces itself against this outbreak, residents are urged to remain vigilant and cooperate with health authorities to curb the spread of CSM, emphasizing the importance of early detection and prompt medical intervention. Heatwave Though it is not in all cases that excessive heat causes meningitis, health experts have advised Nigerians to always avoid crowded and poorly ventilated places to prevent the disease. In a recent report by the News Agency of Nigeria and published by PREMIUM TIMES, a medical practitioner, Chioma Ofoekii, said the disease is common during hot weather, and advised Nigerians to avoid being caught up in hot environments. She said: In Nigeria, these seasonal outbreaks are common during the hot, dry and windy weather. Therefore, it is not necessarily heat that causes meningitis. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, has said that Nigeria would soon overcome its current economic hardship. Mr Alake gave the assurance in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Segun Tomori, on Wednesday in Abuja. He said the hardship was because Nigeria was going through a gestation period of economic restructuring and reforms. He said President Bola Tinubu was determined to revamp Nigerias economy and put it on a pedestal for sustainable growth through his Renewed Hope agenda. According to him, the President has a track record of changing the economic tides of a region, just as he did when he was the governor of Lagos State. Going down memory lane to the experience in Lagos state, the then governor Tinubu in 1999, met a state that was almost insolvent, with a monthly Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of N600 million. And a wage bill of over N1.1 billion monthly, with little or no resources to cater to infrastructure and other sectors of the economy. President Tinubu took similar measures in Lagos as he is taking in Nigeria, to turn the tide and financially re-engineer the state. Today, the state is the fifth largest economy in Africa, bigger than most African countries. What we are going through is the gestation period of reforms and policies for economic restructuring and like the President will say, it is like throes of pregnancy, that a pregnant woman goes through. After delivery, she heaves a sigh of relief, he said. The minister urged Nigerians to be patient with the government as the current economic situation would soon stabilise with positive results from ongoing reforms. For the first time, Nigeria has a president well-versed in public finance. I am confident in this administrations capacity to diversify the economy, plug leakages, and redirect the economy to a path of sustainable growth. The future of this country is extremely very bright. What we need to do is to exude confidence in our ability and capacity to weather the storm of restructuring, economic and societal restructuring. As we restructure our economy, putting in physical infrastructure, we must also restructure our minds and mental capacity to be at par with physical development. So that we can efficiently and judiciously enjoy the benefits of physical development. With the cooperation of Nigerians, the tide will turn very soon, and we all will be proud, he said. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) on Wednesday said Nigeria has been one of the largest beneficiaries accounting for almost 60 per cent of its $30 billion funding of the energy sector in Africa. President of the African Export-Import Bank, Benedict Oramah, disclosed this at the ongoing 7th edition of the Nigeria International Energy Summit (NIES 2024) in Abuja on Wednesday. The support provided to the sector by the bank is in excess of $30 billion. Nigeria has been one of the largest beneficiaries accounting for almost 60 per cent of the total funding of the sector. And its important to the point that Afreximbank has been able to make those modest contributions in the oil and gas sector because the bank is predominantly African in ownership and control, Mr Oramah said. Mr Oramah, represented by Haytham ElMaayergi, Executive Vice President, Global Trade Bank (GTBA), said the continent lacks extensive traditional energy infrastructure, stressing that this presents an opportunity for leapfrogging in a more efficient way to renewable technology. Our aspiration in the area of energy security and energy transition will remain aspiration unless we have access to adequate funding resources that we control. With a lot of international banks withdrawing funding out of the oil and gas sector, the investment in the industry has become severely limited with the corresponding impact on exploration and production. Afreximbank has intervened in a big way, quickly becoming the largest financier of oil and gas deals in the continent, he said. He noted that Afreximbank and Africa Petroleum Producer Organisation (APPO) are in the final stages of setting up the African energy bank. He explained that the Africa energy bank being set up under a multilateral financial institution agreement will focus on providing funding for the energy sector on the continent, noting that it was structured to ensure African origin and control. Afreximbank is committed to helping manage and operate Africa energy bank to ensure that it has the best possible chances of success. The strategic goal of the Africa Energy Bank is to play a leadership role in shaping the energy landscape in Africa, through strategic partnerships with proven African and international financial institutions and investors and also to provide sustainable financing in this area of the oil and gas sector. The Africa energy bank will need considerable support to get off the ground. We will need support from member states to achieve the level of capitalization that is adequate to support the energy sector, he said. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print A bill seeking to make the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) an independent agency of the federal government has passed a second reading at the Senate. The bill was jointly sponsored by Adetokunbo Abiru (APC, Lagos East) and 41 other senators. The amendment bill was read the second time at the Senate on Thursday. Proposals The bill also proposed to amend section 63 of the NDIC Act, 2023 to make the corporation more effective, safeguard its independence and autonomy and bring it in line with current realities and best practices. It also proposed to empower the president of the federation to appoint the Managing Director and Executive Directors of the corporation. Mr Abiru, while leading a debate on the bill, argued that if the bill is passed and assented to, it will correct anomalies in the 2023 NDIC Act. The senator also explained that the bill does not have financial implications. He, therefore, urged his colleagues to support its passage. READ ALSO: Mr. President, Distinguished Colleagues, the Bill if passed into law, will correct the anomalies that have been highlighted above, strengthen the corporation to make it more effective and safeguard its independence and autonomy to bring it in line with current realities and best practices. I therefore appeal for your support for the passage of this Bill. Mr President, Distinguished Colleagues, this Bill has no financial implication and no compendium is attached as required by Order 76 (3) of the Senate Standing Orders, 2022 as amended Mr Abiru added. Debate The majority of the senators who contributed to the bill supported its passage. Sani Musa (APC, Niger East) said when the bill is passed, it will empower the president to appoint the managing director and executive directors of the corporation. The essence of it is for the functionality of the NDIC and also for the NDIC to have independence especially for the functionality of NDIC and also when it comes to the appointment. I think it is only fair to give Mr President all that power to appoint instead of taking from CBN he said. Simon Lalong (APC, Plateau South) also supported the passage of the bill. In the last two or five years, we have had problems and these problems were part of these anomalies. I have seen an effort to correct some of these anomalies and that will go a long way in strengthening the effectiveness and efficiency of the institution. The bill was subsequently referred to the Committee on Banking Finance and Other Financial Institutions for further legislative action. The Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibirin, who presided over the session, directed the committee to report back to the Senate soon. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Soldiers attached to Operation Hadarin Daji of the Nigeria Army on Monday killed several terrorists and rescued eight of their victims in Zamfara State. This is coming at a time when several communities in Zamfara and Katsina States are suffering from relentless terrorist activities. The motorcycle-riding terrorists have unleashed mayhem on the North-west and a part of North-central Nigeria, killing or abducting hundreds of thousands of residents in the last decade. Both conventional and unconventional security agents have been battling the scourge. In a clearance operation on Monday, the soldiers blocked Bayan Ruwa, a notorious axis known for harbouring terrorists, and opened fire on a group of terrorists at a crossing point. During the operation, the troops engaged the terrorists with heavy gun duel which, due to superior fighting power, the bad elements fled in disarray and abandoned their captives. Hence, the troops timely and prompt response led to the rescue of eight kidnap victims unhurt, Sulaima Omale, the spokesperson for Operation Hadarin Daji, said in a statement. Mr Omale, a lieutenant, said the eight abducted victims were rescued unhurt during the gun duel that lasted hours. The gallant troops who neutralised scores of the terrorists have destroyed the terrorists enclaves and dominated the area with aggressive and confidence-building patrol within the general area. All the rescued victims were handed over to the appropriate authorities to reunite them with their respective families, the statement added. Many soldiers have paid the supreme price in the fight against banditry in the North-west but the terrorists have also been neutralised in several security agents offensives. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State has urged the federal government to reconsider merging Army University Biu in Borno with the Nigeria Defence Academy (NDA) Kaduna. Mr Zulum also urged the government to allow the National Centre for Agricultural Mechanisation (NCAM), Ilorin to remain as it is instead of being a department in the Ministry of Agriculture. The governor made the call in an interview with journalists on Thursday in Maiduguri. He said that the Army University Biu, which is a conventional university, should be allowed to remain so or be handed over to the Ministry of Education to continue in that capacity if the Army is not interested in having a university. According to him, the university has been playing a critical role in the education of students in the North-east, particularly Borno State, where education was seriously affected by over a decade of insurgency. This university is very important to the people of Borno and North-east in general. I am appealing to the President to look into this issue. Secondly, I want to make a case for the National Centre for Agricultural Mechanisation which has a very important role to play at this material time that FG is looking towards promoting food security. NCAM is the only centre saddled with the responsibility of fabricating agricultural tools and implements in Nigeria, Mr Zulum said. He expressed the hope that a technical committee would be set up to review some of the measures taken. The Army University Biu was established in 2018. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 29. Azerbaijan adheres to all international conventions and agreements on environmental protection and will honorably host COP29 in November 2024, advisor to the Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources, Rustam Hasanov said at the Caspian Energy "Meet-up" event, Trend reports. According to him, Azerbaijan joined the convention on reducing gas flaring in 1995, the Kyoto Protocol on climate in 1997, and the UN Paris Climate Agreement in 2015, after which the world holds regulatory sessions of the parties' framework convention on climate (COP). "During COP28 in Dubai, Azerbaijan committed to reducing methane emissions, reaching zero emissions by 2050, reaffirmed commitments on other greenhouse gases, and during COP29 in Baku will support the efforts of all countries in the world on climate finance," Hasanov noted. To note, the decision to hold COP29 in Azerbaijan was officially announced in Dubai on December 11, 2023, enabling Azerbaijan to host the above event in November. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel The management of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, has explained the reason for the suspension of its General Studies (GST) examination for the first semester of the 2023/2024 academic calendar. The Head of the universitys Communications Unit, Adejoke Alaga-Ibraheem, who confirmed there was rowdiness at one of the examination halls being used for the paper, said the students who fainted were quickly resuscitated by the medical emergency service providers stationed at the scene. PREMIUM TIMES learnt that an unspecified number of students of the university were injured, while others fainted on Tuesday while rushing to enter the examination at the computer-based test centre of the Distance Learning Institute (DLI) on the campus. Mrs Alaga-Ibrahim said the university is not happy about the situation but we are already working on addressing it. Mrs Alaga-Ibrahim said the university is evaluating the situation to come up with an improved system. Suspension of exams In a statement announcing the suspension of the examination, the management said the decision followed a review of the issues that have affected the conduct of the examination in the last two days. Please note that all inconveniences caused by this suspension are deeply regretted, and a new date/schedule for the GST examination will be shared appropriately, the statement read. Meanwhile, the Parents Forum of the university also reacted to the development in a statement appealing to everyone to please be calm and allow an amicable resolution to be achieved, Vanguard reports. Please know that we are not happy with the experiences that some of our children went through to write their GST examination yesterday (Tuesday). We register our outright displeasure and wish to use this medium to appeal to parents to please calm down and allow appropriate administrative measures to be applied to rescue the situation, the statement read. Please remember that members of this executive board were first parents before we became members of the exco, so we also feel the same pains, and frustrations that you feel. We are all not happy about this. But we appeal to everyone to please be calm and allow an amicable resolution to be achieved. Students decry power outage, poor infrastructure Also reacting to the development, the Students Solidarity Against Fee Hike in a statement Tuesday demanded that all exams be halted until the atmosphere is conducive. The students also requested that the university provide proper infrastructure including light, water, and halls spacious enough to accommodate the students. The group, in a statement issued, said: We demand ultimately that the Tinubu-led Federal Government reverse the fees to status quo ante, as there is no justification for the wicked hike in the first place. Failure to heed the voice of reason will lead to a mass action, one that the management has not witnessed in recent times. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Urum Eke, who was recently nominated by President Bola Tinubu to represent the South-east zone on the board of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has rejected his nomination. The rejection was announced on the floor of the Senate by the senator for Abia North, Orji Kalu, during plenary on Thursday. Mr Eke, a consultant to the World Bank, hails from Abia State. President Tinubu nominated him and four others earlier this month as members of the CBN board of directors. The others are Robert Agbide, Ado Wanga, Murtala Sagaley, and Muslimat Aliu The president subsequently sent their names to the upper chamber for screening and confirmation. Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Finance and other Financial Institutions, Adetokunbo Abiru, had earlier complained that the South-east nominee was absent for screening. Mr Abiru, while presenting the report of the screening to the Senate, noted that the other four nominees who appeared for the screening are professionally qualified for the positions. The senator urged his colleagues to confirm the appointment of the nominees and reject the confirmation of the South-east nominee on the ground that he was absent for the screening. Thereafter, Mr Kalu told his colleagues that the nominee from South-east had informed him that he had rejected the nomination in order to avoid conflict of interest. The Abia senator said Mr Eke is a consultant to the World Bank and other international financial institutions which would not allow him to concentrate fully on the appointment. Mr President, I am a member of the committee that carried out screening of nominees forwarded to the Senate for appointment as members of Board of Directors of CBN by President Bola Tinubu . During the screening exercise , Urum Kalu Eke from Abia North , called me for not attending the session . He said as a consultant to the World Bank and other international financial institutions (and) he wouldnt take the appointment to avoid conflict of interest The Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibirin, who presided over the plenary, subsequently announced the confirmation of the appointment of other four nominees. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The House of Representatives has once again passed the bill to establish the Nigerian Peace Corps. The House passed the bill for a third reading and will now await the concurrence of the Senate before onward transmission to President Bola Tinubu for assent. House Leader, Julius Ihonvbere (APC, Edo), moved the bill for the third reading of the bill, and it was adopted unanimously. On Wednesday, the Committee of the Whole had undertaken a clause-by-clause consideration of the bill. The bill seeks to transform the Peace Corps, a non-governmental organisation, into a government paramilitary agency. It also aims to provide legal backing to the establishment of the Peace Corps as a government parastatal and allow its members to be absorbed into the proposed organisation at commencement. The long journey of the bill The Peace Corps bill was first introduced into the House during the 8th Assembly during which it scaled all legislative hurdles. However, former President Muhammadu Buhari declined assent to the bill in February 2018, citing security concerns as one of the reasons for his decision. The president also cited the paucity of funds and duplication of duties of existing security agencies by the proposed corps as other reasons. It was reintroduced in the 9th Assembly by Mohammed Monguno and Ali Ndume in the House and Senate, respectively. After a series of back-and-forth, the bill was subsequently passed in March 2023. The passage followed the harmonisation of the different versions passed by both chambers. It was thereafter transmitted to President Tinubu for assent through a letter dated 8th June 2023 and signed by the Clerk to the National Assembly, Sani Tambawal. However, Mr Tinubu did not sign the bill until the 9th Assembly adjourned sine die, and the bill became status-barred by 13 June 2023 when the 10th National Assembly was inaugurated. Last year, the bill was reintroduced by the House and sponsored by Deputy Speaker Ben Kalu and others. Coming amid push for Oronsaye report The bill is coming at a time of a strong push for the implementation of the Oronsaye report. President Tinubu had on Monday ordered the implementation of the Oronsaye report amid a biting fiscal environment. The Stephen Oronsaye-led committee, in its report, recommended that of the 541 Statutory and Non-Statutory Federal Government Parastatals, Agencies and Commissions, 263 statutory agencies should be reduced to 161, 38 agencies should be abolished, 52 agencies should be merged, and 14 should revert to departments in ministries. There are concerns about the Peace Corps performing similar functions as other security outfits. While speaking on the bill, Mr Ihonvbere said the concerns raised have been addressed by lawmakers in consultation with relevant authorities. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Kings College, London, is not seeking financial support from any public institution in Nigeria for its planned establishment of a medical school in the country, a visiting professor of the university, Kayode Fayemi, said. It is important to clarify that Kings College London is not seeking funds from any public institution in Nigeria, Mr Fayemi, a former governor of Ekiti State, wrote in a commentary he shared with PREMIUM TIMES Wednesday. The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has also denied any report that the College was seeking financial support. King College, TETFund partnership Last week, the Deputy Vice President of the London-based College, Helen Bailey, led a delegation to the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Sonny Echono, in Abuja. At the meeting, Ms Bailey sought TETFunds collaboration, even as she disclosed the schools existing partnership with the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) to establish a medical school in Abuja. Ms Bailey was also reported to have said the College was fully ready to collaborate with TETFund and other relevant government bodies to achieve the desired goal. Allegation However, days after the officials visit to TETFund, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), was reported to have opposed the use of public funds to help Kings College establish a medical college in Nigeria. As if the abuse and violation of TETFUND by the government are not enough, our union has further noted reports in the media, not refuted, of TETFunds intention to help Kings College, London to establish a medical school in Nigeria in the name of partnership, the ASUU Lagos Zone Coordinator, Adelaja Odukoya, was quoted as saying. We urge the leadership of the Fund to provide a further update on this proposed course of action, and allay fears that it is contemplating funds meant for the development of Nigerian institutions for the development of foreign ones. Partnership not financial But both the Kings College and TETFund have confirmed to this newspaper that the partnership was limited to areas of research. There was no such request for financial support by Kings College nor were there suggestions of such from TETFund. Rather it was in the area of Research in medical sciences by our benefiting institutions, the spokesperson for TETFund, Abdulmumin Oniyangi, wrote on Thursday in response to a request for clarification. It is important to clarify that Kings College London is not seeking funds from any public institution in Nigeria, Mr Fayemi said. Kings College, Afrexim Medical College Mr Fayemi noted that the Kings College delegation was in Nigeria to further a partnership with Afrexim Bank. Last year, the College established a partnership with the bank to undertake a feasibility study in support of the development of the Africa Centres of Medical Excellence (ACME). Both parties also entered an arrangement to build a medical school at the same facility in Abuja, so that African students who desire to get first-class medical, nursing and other expertise and training will be trained in that facility. The first ACME, which is being established in Abuja with the aim of providing outstanding patient care, education and research is what brought the Kings College team to Abuja last week, he said. READ ALSO: He said the Afrexim Bank President, Benedict Oramah, after receiving treatment at the hospital and an engagement with Ghulam Mufti, a professor at the hospital, sought the collaboration to build similar facilities in Africa. He is leading the development of a 500-bed medical facility in Abuja, he said, adding that it is a joint project between Afrexim and Kings College Hospital London as lead partner, among several others, including the University of Wisconsin Teaching Hospital. He further stated that the university has a long-standing history of partnering with institutions and individuals around the world who share a commitment to driving societal change through education and research. Mr Fayemi listed some of the institutions initiatives in Nigeria including a longstanding partnership with the Nigerian Army Resource Centre to deliver strategic leadership training, drawing on expertise from Kings School of Security Studies and Kings African Leadership Centre. He said: More recently, we have been working with Nigerian educationist and philanthropist, Aare Afe Babalola, who has partnered with Kings College to establish the Afe Babalola Centre (ABC) for Transnational Education. Mr Fayemi added: The centre arose from a shared commitment to providing more young Africans with access to the transforming potential of education and training. While our partnerships through this Centre are diverse, they are underpinned by an institutional commitment to equity and co-creation ensuring that African-led thought is central to the design and implementation of new programmes and activities. Health is a dominant and unifying theme at Kings College London, which is internationally recognised for excellence in biomedical and health research and education. As a result, we are regularly approached by international partners who are interested in this area of the universitys expertise. Investing in the health workforce is critical to assuring the long-term health security of the continent, and training the next generation of educators and healthcare professionals has consistently been cited as a priority by our African partners. Qosim Suleiman is a reporter at Premium Times in partnership with Report for the World, which matches local newsrooms with talented emerging journalists to report on under-covered issues around the globe Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The House of Representatives has directed the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to reopen the registration portal for the 2024 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UMTE) for another two weeks. This resolution was a sequel to a motion of urgent public importance moved by Hassan Shinkafi (PDP, Zamfara) on Thursday. The UTME is a compulsory Computer-Based Test (CBT) taken by all candidates seeking admission into Nigerian public and private tertiary institutions. Over 1.5 million candidates sit the test annually. The portal for registration was open between 15 January and 26 February during which 1,975,926 candidates registered. The years figure is more than the annual average, which is 1.5 million. Moving the motion, Mr Shinkafi claimed that some candidates did not get to register for the examination because of economic hardship. He stated that the failure to reopen the registration portal could lead to the exclusion of many candidates. The lawmaker argued that the House is aware of the painful economic situation prevailing in the Country, adding that as a result, many families have been constrained from registering their wards by this timeline. READ ALSO: Mr Shinkafi noted that without an extension of the registration, many candidates will not be able to register and participate in the exercise, and that means there will not be a wider coverage and participation in this years UTME Examination in Nigeria. Two weeks extension will encourage the parents of these candidates to register their children. Importantly, this will reassure the public on the confidence in this current administration in Nigeria, he added. When the motion was put to vote by the Speaker, Abbas Tajudeen, it was adopted unanimously without debate. Consequently, the House mandated the Committees on Education and Legislative Compliance to ensure compliance. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The House of Representatives has resolved to launch an investigation into the National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari. The lower chamber resolved to investigate the funds disbursed to the licensed electricity distribution companies by the CBN as loans under the NMMP. The decision to probe the programme was reached on Thursday following the adoption of a motion moved by Uchenna Okonkwo (LP, Anambra). NMMP The National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP) was established in 2020. The intervention seeks to increase the metering rate, eliminate arbitrary estimated billing, strengthen the local meter manufacturing sector, job creation and reduction of collection losses. A seed capital of 200 billion was invested to facilitate the Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry (NESI) revenue collections through the programme. Under Phase-0 of the NMMP, 59.280 billion was set aside for financing the installation of one million meters. READ ALSO: From inception to date, 89.96 per cent of the funds allocated for NMMP under phase 0 have been disbursed to 11 Distribution Companies (DisCos) for the procurement of 962,832 meters through 23 Meter Asset Providers. In 2021, the Buhari administration claimed to have provided four million meters under the scheme. The motion Mr Okonkwo stated in his motion that there have been reports of discrepancies, mismanagement, and non-compliance with the terms and conditions of the loans disbursed under the NMMP by some DisCos, leading to inefficiencies, underperformance, and failure to achieve the objectives of the programmes objectives. The lack of proper oversight, monitoring and evaluation of funds disbursed under the NMMP by the CBN created opportunities for corruption, diversion, and misappropriation of public resources, he said. Consequently, the House mandated its Committees on Power, Banking Regulations, Rural Electrification Agency, Housing and Habitat, to investigate the disbursement and use of the funds under the NMMP by the CBN, and to ascertain the level of compliance with the terms and conditions of the loans. Furthermore, the House mandated the Committees on Banking Regulations and Power to investigate cases of discrepancies, mismanagement, and non-compliance with the terms and conditions of the loans disbursed under the programme. Aside from investigation, the House also urged the federal government to prioritise the implementation of the Power Sector Recovery Program, which provides a roadmap for sustainable power sector reform. Although the motion was not debated, the lawmakers voted in support of it when Speaker Abbas Tajudeen put it to vote. The committees were then given four weeks to conclude the investigation and report to the House. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Nigerias leading investigative newspaper, PREMIUM TIMES, has written to the Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, a professor, and the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Folashade Yemi-Esan, asking them to provide clarifications on the eight-year-tenure policy for directors as contained in the revised Public Service Rules (PSR), 2021. This newspaper also requested if there are certain exceptions to the rule and to provide possible reasons for what it regarded as selective implementation in the ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) of the government. PREMIUM TIMES specifically requested the reactions of the officials to the perceived refusal of the National Universities Commission (NUC) to implement the directive as contained in a circular earlier issued by Mrs Yemi-Esan. This request by PREMIUM TIMES is meant to facilitate a follow-up to the newspapers earlier report on the subject as we have pledged to be committed to the promotion of ethical values of transparency and accountability as supreme pillars of good governance and democracy, the letter reads in part. This letter is a continuation of exclusive reports by this newspaper exposing how certain individuals at the NUC continued to violate the PSR while the supervising Ministry of Education and the office of the head of the civil service looked away. Earlier Reporting PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday published a story, detailing the observed non-compliance to the tenure limit policy by NUC. The reports identified three officials of the agencies who may have been affected by the policy but refused to retire as mandated by the policy. The officials are; Deputy Executive Secretaries (DES) for Academics and Administration, Noel Saliu and Chris Maiyaki, as well as Constance Goddy-Nnadi, the Director in charge of the Establishment of Private Universities. The Head of Civil Service wrote the heads of all MDAs on 27 July 2023, directing them to begin the implementation of the nations revised Public Service Rules, 2021. Part of the revised PSR is the tenure policy stating that all government employees who have attained the position of director or its equivalent must retire upon serving for eight years. A director or its equivalent by whatever nomenclature it is described in MDAs shall compulsorily retire upon serving eight years on the post, the PSR reads in part. But three NUC directors listed in the PREMIUM TIMES story Messrs Maiyaki and Salihu and Mrs Goddy-Nnadi have continued to violate this policy without consequence, as exposed in our story. The NUC, education ministry and the Office of the Head of Service, failed to provide answers to PREMIUM TIMES enquiries during our previous reporting. Report unsettles NUC However, this newspaper has gathered that the report is ruffling feathers at the NUC and the management of the commission is now looking to save itself from public scrutiny arising from the reports. We were reliably informed that a management meeting was held at the NUC on Wednesday to discuss the issues around the implementation of the PSR. Curiously, this never happened since PREMIUM TIMES first letter to the government agency in December, seeking answers. Also, multiple phone calls and messages seeking responses from the NUC authorities were not answered. At Wednesdays management meeting, the Acting Director of Human Resources, Victoria Omorodion, presented a position paper detailing her findings on the PSR, especially as it relates to the eight-year-tenure limit for directors. She recommended that directors who may have spent eight years serving in such a capacity should prepare to retire. She also suggested a further inquiry be carried out on the applicability of the policy to two deputy executive secretaries at the agency Messrs Maiyaki and Saliu who have also spent more than eight years as directors. READ ALSO: According to her, the difference in the salary scales used for the payment of the directors and the deputy executive secretaries was one of the reasons for the perceived confusion. The circular indicated that a director or its equivalent by whatever nomenclature it is described shall compulsorily retire after 8 years on the post. However, the NUC Act. CAP. N81 provides for the appointment of a Deputy Executive Secretary to assist the Executive Secretary in the exercise of his duties. It is noteworthy to state that the salary scale for the post of Deputy Executive Secretary in the Commission is CONTOPSAL, while that of a Director is CONTISS 16 and appointment to the position of DES is on availability of vacancy and seniority (the most senior Director), she wrote in the position paper, a copy of which this newspaper exclusively obtained. The post of a Director and DES are two distinct appointments. Therefore, the 8-year tenure for Director does not affect the Deputy Executive Secretary Secretary. However, the Directorate would seek further clarification on the status/nomenclature of the DES from the office of Head of Civil Service of the Federation immediately. Possible Action? PREMIUM TIMES learnt that the meeting concluded to await the findings by the human resources unit to decide on the fate of the concerned officials. It is, however, not clear if Mrs Goddy-Nnady will be asked to vacate her office as suggested by Mrs Omorodions position paper. Meanwhile, officials at the FME who craved anonymity argued that the deputy executive secretaries were only trying to buy time. This newspaper however awaits the response of both the education minister, Mr Mamman, and the head of the civil service of the federal, Mrs Yemi-Esan, to its letter seeking clarifications. Qosim Suleiman is a reporter at Premium Times in partnership with Report for the World, which matches local newsrooms with talented emerging journalists to report on under-covered issues around the globe Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print The Chairman of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Toure, expressed the hope that eating the humble pie is worth the price of losing four members. Im not sure the Delinquent Four will withdraw their threat of leaving, U-turn or not. Theyve gotten ECOWAS exactly where they wanted and wont be in a hurry to climb down. Sanctions hurt and studies have shown that they could have statistically significant immediate and long-term effects on the targets. The resolutions following the Extraordinary Summit of the Heads of Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), at the recently concluded summit of Heads of State and Government in Abuja, were truly extraordinary. Seven months after threatening to deploy force in Niger, one of the four delinquent states the others being Mali, Guinea, and Burkina Faso and three months after wide-ranging economic sanctions were imposed on all four, the regional body backed down spectacularly last week. If the Afrobeat icon, Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, had rendered a welcome tune for the embattled regional leaders as they met in Nigerias capital, Abuja, it would have been his famous Confusion Break Bone (CBB). Misery never had a better company than the current state of affairs in the 50-year-old regional body which, apart from SADC, was perhaps Africas most exemplary model of regional co-operation. While ECOWAS said it offered amnesty to its delinquent members on humanitarian grounds, the response from the military leaders in Bamako, Conakry, Ouagadougou and Niamey, has been mockingly indifferent. Yet, the truth about how this 15-member regional block, with annual trade valued at $150 billion, came to this sorry pass is deeper and more nuanced than it appears. Wrong Turn The Lome Declaration of July 2000 recognised the continent was drifting and needed urgent course correction. An earlier era of democratic consolidation was being eroded by the return of military coups and the African Union (AU) needed to create mechanisms to roll back the trend. But thats precisely where the problem was misdiagnosed. While continental leaders were rightly concerned that unconstitutional changes of government were once again becoming a clear and present danger, the emphasis has been big on response but often too little, too late on prevention. Nowhere has the situation played out more regrettably than in the delinquent Sahelian states of Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso and Niger. Whereas ECOWAS played a lead role in managing the crisis in Liberia and Sierra Leone, and forced Yahya Jammeh to back down when he tried to play games in The Gambia after his final term, the problems in Francophone West Africa are more complicated. They speak French, which translated, means the continent should have prioritised prevention, instead of response. The French Question The delinquent military leaders have accused ECOWAS of keeping silent while their countries were ripped off by France for decades. This largely true but partly self-serving sentiment has found a place in the hearts and minds of citizens in these countries. France has accumulated a notoriously poor record on the continent that it can hardly be proud of. In Niger, for example, Tom Burgis writes in his book, The Looting Machine, that French state-owned atomic energy group, Arevas profit from uranium is twice Nigers GDP. The footprint is the same everywhere in the region. As things are, ECOWAS will have to swallow its pride and set up credible negotiating teams with the Delinquent Four that take into account their grievances. The artisans have done enough harm. Its unlikely that these military leaders would honour any transition guidelines but that must remain the minimum basis for any future agreements. Fourteen Francophone countries, including the four troubled ones, store 50 per cent of their reserves in the French treasury, an arrangement which has been widely criticised. Even French President Emmanuel Macron, born after colonial rule, acknowledged this injustice with a heavy heart, but then turned around to say later it was a part of the civilising obligations of France. If civilisation means robbing a country at gunpoint and having the victims pay interest for the crime, I wonder what primitiveness would look like. While France may be the most obvious, and perhaps the most perniciously complicit, it is not the only source of Francophone West Africas misery. As I wrote in an earlier article on this subject entitled, Again, A Bizarre Joke in Niger Speaks French, China, and, lately, Russia, also have their hands in it for their own strategic interests. Yet, not a single one of these foreign powers has gotten away with murder without the complicity of the political elite in these countries politicians and military alike. It is convenient for the delinquent military leaders in the Sahelian states to look for scapegoats elsewhere, exploiting widespread insecurity, rampant poverty, identity politics and foreign meddling to gain legitimacy. The point is, military leaders have no greater claim to patriotism than the rest of us. We have seen in dozens of military coups on the continent that those who came claiming to be messiahs left their countries worse off. Blaming Tinubu? Where does the flip-flop and mollycoddling leave ECOWAS, a regional body obviously anxious to prove under the leadership of Nigerias President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, that it is as good as its word that coups would have no place on his watch? Its hard to blame Tinubu for pressing ECOWAS to act tough as military coups piled on themselves. As the leader of a country that had witnessed nearly half a dozen successful coups, he had to do what he did as a matter of self-preservation and enlightened interest. The problem, however, was that there were so many artisans involved in making this broth, it turned out to be a chefs nightmare. Strategy should never have been sacrificed for expediency. The Delinquent Four had seen that the regional powerhouses have been considerably weakened and distracted internally by insurgency, political strife, economic crisis, and poor governance. Add that to a global system pre-occupied with the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, then it becomes clearer why the Delinquent Four have adopted defiance as strategy. In light of the fragile situation in the continent, the AU must now pay far greater attention to prevention, focusing on triggers and early warning signs such as flawed elections, poor governance, and systemic corruption, instead of making a virtue of chasing the horses after they have bolted the stable. The Chairman of the ECOWAS Commission, Omar Toure, expressed the hope that eating the humble pie is worth the price of losing four members. Im not sure the Delinquent Four will withdraw their threat of leaving, U-turn or not. Theyve gotten ECOWAS exactly where they wanted and wont be in a hurry to climb down. Sanctions hurt and studies have shown that they could have statistically significant immediate and long-term effects on the targets. But that, of course, is assuming that the countries imposing sanctions have the capacity and will to enforce them. Even though the four countries targeted by ECOWAS are landlocked and therefore could ordinarily have felt the impact more, boundaries in the subregion are so porous and informal trade so deeply entrenched about 30 per cent of regional trade actually a successful implementation of economic sanctions was always going to be quite problematic. Then, there is the potential threat that if these countries harden beyond redemption, it would not only further weaken the multinational framework for containing insurgency in the region, these states may themselves become epicentres of regional destablisation. As things are, ECOWAS will have to swallow its pride and set up credible negotiating teams with the Delinquent Four that take into account their grievances. The artisans have done enough harm. Its unlikely that these military leaders would honour any transition guidelines but that must remain the minimum basis for any future agreements. Tacky Macky Sall There is, of course, the case of Senegal where President Macky Sall is also waiting to go rogue. Before ECOWAS is caught on the backfoot again, this would be a good time to start meaningful negotiations to ensure that Sall doesnt endanger himself, his country and the subregion by extending his tenure too far beyond his already exhausted expiry date. In light of the fragile situation in the continent, the AU must now pay far greater attention to prevention, focusing on triggers and early warning signs such as flawed elections, poor governance, and systemic corruption, instead of making a virtue of chasing the horses after they have bolted the stable. Thats why the launch this week of the Regional Citizens Dialogue Programme (RCDP) in Abuja by a consortium of NIPSS, Kuru; the Dantiye Centre, Kano; the Sierra Leone-based regional centre (RCGSPI); and KAICIID, to mobilise civil society and complement institutional effort at prioritising prevention deserves serious attention. Who would have thought that three landlocked countries with a combined eight per cent contribution to the $761 billion GDP of ECOWAS, according to the World Bank, could hold the community to ransom, forcing it to swallow more than a trayful of humble pie? Azu Ishiekwene is Editor-in-Chief of LEADERSHIP. Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print Pride of Nigeria has honoured Herbert Wigwe, the late Group Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings and CEO of Access Bank during the opening ceremony of the Nigeria Pavilion at the Paris International Agricultural Show 2024. Mr Michael Wenegieme received the award, which Endi Ezengwa said was in recognition of the role that Mr Wigwe played in the success of the Pavilion. We are saddened by his passing, Mr Ezengwa said. Mr Wenegieme thanked Pride of Nigeria for the award. The late Mr Wigwe, Mr Ezengwa said, was the Head of the France-Nigeria Business Council which partly funded the project birthed by the French Embassy and Pride of Nigeria. This project promotes Nigerias participation in the annual agricultural show in keeping with the Renewed Hope agenda of Mr President. On Saturday 24th February 2024, Aisha Rimi, Executive Secretary/CEO of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission, officially opened the Nigeria Pavilion. Some dignitaries present at the event were Caleb Mutfwang, Governor of Plateau State, Jim Ovia, Founder of Zenith Bank; GMD of Zenith Bank, John Coumantaros, the Chairman of Flour Mills of Nigeria Group; Mrs Emmanuelle Blatman, the former French Ambassador to Nigeria, Dr Sonia Darracq, a team from Access Bank Plc and Jean Haas, the Executive Secretary of the France Nigeria Business Council (FNBC). Share this: Twitter Facebook WhatsApp Telegram LinkedIn Email Print ( Read 2950 Times) Delhi: Speaking at the opening session of the two-day International Seminar on "India's Renaissance on the Global Platform" at the Dr. Ambedkar International Center, Shri Bhupender Yadav, Honorable Union Minister (Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Labour and Employment), highlighted India's emergence as a global leader through the lens of 'Indianness' in action. The Central Minister shed light on the necessity of extensive research in various fields to strengthen India's position globally and emphasized the country's progress in becoming one of the strongest economies worldwide. Organized by the All India National Educational Federation at the Dr. Ambedkar International Center in New Delhi on February 25 and 26, 2024, the conference aimed to discuss and analyze the theme of "India's Renaissance on the Global Platform." After addressing the esteemed gathering, Union Minister Bhupender Yadav emphasized the need for active participation in research efforts and invited contributions to research initiatives aligned with the ethos expressed in the slogan, "Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan, Jai Vigyan," which has now evolved to include 'Jai Anusandhan' (Hail Research). Yadav illustrated the achievements and goals of developed India across various government initiatives. The conference witnessed enthusiastic participation from representatives of several countries, showcasing a collective commitment to advancing India's global stature. Delegates presented their research papers, engaging in lively discussions covering aspects such as economic and social development, health, fundamental infrastructure, foreign policy, and cultural influence, among others. Professor J.P. Singhal, the National President, addressed the assembly, discussing India's vital role as the world's youngest nation and the transformative capacity embedded in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Additionally, Dr. Narayan Lal Gupta provided context and background in his address. The conference saw the participation of university chancellors and directors from various institutions worldwide, and the event was chaired by Prof. Geeta Bhatt from DU. Source : BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 29. Baku will host the 10th ministerial meeting within the Southern Gas Corridor (SGC) Advisory Council and the 2nd ministerial meeting within the Advisory Council on Green Energy on March 1, Trend reports. The meetings will be attended by representatives from 23 countries, six international organizations, and 44 companies, as well as ministers, deputy ministers, and other high-ranking officials from Azerbaijan and European Union countries. After the opening session, the meetings will continue with plenary sessions themed "Ministerial session on the Southern Gas Corridor and green energy", "Southern Gas Corridor session: A look into the future", and "Green energy session against the backdrop of COP29: harnessing the renewable energy potential". Additionally, the 6th ministerial meeting and a round table Azerbaijan-European Union on "Developing the use of offshore wind energy" will take place within the Advisory Council for the implementation of the "Strategic partnership agreement on development and transfer of green energy between the Governments of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Romania, and Hungary". During the event, the signing of documents in the field of green energy is planned. A press conference on the outcomes of the 2nd and 10th ministerial meetings will be held. Notably, ministerial meetings within the SGC Advisory Council have been held since February 2015, and this year marks the 10th anniversary of the first event. Stay up-to-date with more news on Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel Global payments leader enables inbound transfers of up to 50 million JPY, offering a faster, cheaper, transparent alternative SINGAPORE, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Nium, the leader in real-time cross-border payments, announced today that it is the first non-Japanese company to have secured a Type 1 Funds Transfer Service Provider (FTSP) license from the Japanese Financial Services Agency (JFSA). The Type 1 license authorizes Nium to provide a wide range of financial services, including transferring up to 50 million JPY per transaction via Zengin-Net, Japan's local payment clearing rail, to a Japanese beneficiary account. In 2021, an amendment to Japan's Payment Services Act lifted cross-border transfer caps for Type 1 license holders, to lower the cost of money transfers in and out of the country. However, since this amendment passed, few companies have been able to meet the high standards for regulatory approval. As a result, businesses have had little or no choice but to use traditional high-cost, low-speed options for cross-border payments. Nium is the first global company to meet the Type 1 license standards, with the JFSA recognizing its ability to integrate with local payment rails, deliver real-time transactions, provide transparent costs, and offer significantly cheaper rates. Most other non-bank entities, including Money Service Businesses, hold Type 2 licenses, which limits cross border transfers to only 1 million JPY. Anupam Pahuja, Executive Vice President of Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa at Nium, expressed the company's excitement about the broader impact of this achievement, stating, "Previously, only banks could transfer large funds, but today, Nium becomes the first true global alternative for large value transfers into and out of Japan. We look forward to empowering banks and businesses worldwide to do more commerce with Japan by providing the speed, efficiency, and transparency of payments that has long been missing from this important global market." This accomplishment reinforces Nium's commitment to compliance, transparency, and regulatory excellence. It marks a pivotal moment for the company as it expands its footprint and enhances its capabilities in the dynamic markets across APAC. Nium is uniquely positioned to be the partner of choice for several key corridors as it moves forward in its mission to modernize the global payments infrastructure. It recently announced other regulatory approvals across the Asia market, including in India, where it received an in-principle approval for two sought-after payment licenses. Nium seeks to facilitate more real-time transactions and seamless financial interactions between strategic regions in the world. This accomplishment aligns with Nium's commitment to redefining global financial services by providing users with unparalleled access to secure and innovative payment solutions. "We are very excited about Nium's attainment of the Japan Type 1 license. With this license, we anticipate not only real-time money transfers, but also cost-effective transactions, enhancing the overall ease and efficiency of the money transfer process between Korea and Japan. This will enable both MOIN and Nium to better satisfy our customers, which is the most thrilling aspect for us," stated Ian Ilseok Suh, CEO of MOIN As Nium expands its operations in Japan, it anticipates fostering local partnerships and contributing to the growth of the Japanese fintech ecosystem. The company remains dedicated to building trust with its users and partners by prioritizing security, compliance, and customer satisfaction. Find out more here: https://www.nium.com/japan About Nium Nium , the leader in real-time, cross-border payments, was founded on the mission to deliver the global payments infrastructure of tomorrow, today. With the onset of the global economy, its payments infrastructure is shaping how banks, fintechs, and businesses everywhere collect, convert, and disburse funds instantly across borders. Its payout network supports 100 currencies and spans 190+ countries, 100 of which in real-time. Funds can be disbursed to accounts, wallets, and cards and collected locally in 35 markets. Nium's growing card issuance business is already available in 34 countries. Nium holds regulatory licenses and authorizations in more than 40 countries, enabling seamless onboarding, rapid integration, and compliance independent of geography. The company is co-headquartered in San Francisco and Singapore. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1678669/4545285/Nium_Logo.jpg DOHA, Qatar, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- XTransfer, World's Leading & China's No.1 B2B Cross-Border Trade Payment Platform, made a presence with its innovative risk control technology at Web Summit Qatar. As a global renowned tech event, Web Summit debut in the Middle East Qatar with the theme of "Innovation, AI", attracting over 12,000 attendees from 120 countries. Bill Deng, the Founder and CEO of XTransfer (Middle) Source: TradeTech Forum 2024 Bill Deng, Founder and CEO of XTransfer, was invited to participate in two panels, delving into topics such as AI innovation applications and trends in FinTech development with industry peers. He also shared XTransfer's leading AI technology in financial payments and international trade. Bill said: "As global B2B cross-border trade trends towards more fragmented transactions, the challenges in anti-money laundering risk control have become more prominent. XTransfer developed an AI-driven Anti Money Laundering (AML) risk control system. AI plays a critical role in resolving regulatory issues and facilitating connections in the global business landscape." "By leveraging AI technology, we can not only help fight against the underground banking system, which enable banks serve SMEs easily, but also offer streamline processes and enhance compliance measures within our platform, It's a triple win situation." Bill added. In addition to its applications in risk control, XTransfer has also offered SMEs AI based business tools. For example, the CRM system helps SMEs manage their clients, trade documents, trade records. The "AI Employee" can cover the roles of customer acquisition and marketing, etc. With the AI technology, XTransfer presents a remarkable opportunity for foreign trade to transition from a "high entry barrier" to a "zero entry barrier" industry. "The trend of global trade globalization is irreversible, B2B is the next big thing, we believe that AI technology will play a key role in improving the efficiency of B2B cross-border trade. FinTech company should dare to expand, cautious to implement," said Bill. About XTransfer Founded in 2017, XTransfer, World's Leading & China's No.1 B2B Trade Payment Platform with more than 400,000 enterprise clients. We are dedicated to providing SMEs with secure, compliant, fast, convenient and low-cost foreign trade payment & fund collection solutions. For more information: https://www.xtransfer.com/ Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2351333/image_5001660_39345872_Logo.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2351334/Bill_Deng_Founder_CEO_XTransfer__Middle__Source_TradeTech_Forum_2024.jpg NEW YORK, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The aerospace insurance market is expected to grow by USD 763.67 million from 2022 to 2027. However, the growth momentum of the market will progress at a CAGR of 4.36% during the forecast period. The market is segmented by end-user (service providers, airport operators, and others), type (in-flight insurance, public liability insurance, passenger liability insurance, and others), and geography (Europe, North America, APAC, Middle East and Africa, and South America). Expansion and construction of new airports is a key factor driving market growth. The demand for aircraft is growing with a significant increase in air passenger traffic in the airline industry, which leads to new terminals being built. Countries in the Asia Pacific region, the Middle East, and Africa have a strong interest in building new airports to mitigate traffic congestion and cope with an increasing number of passengers.The report analyses the market size and growth and provides accurate predictions on the growth of the market. View PDF Sample Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Aerospace Insurance Market 2023-2027 Key Highlights: The report recognizes the following as some of the key players in the aerospace insurance market: Ace Aviation, Allianz SE, American Financial Group Inc., American International Group Inc., Aon plc, Arthur J. Gallagher and Co., Avion Insurance Agency Inc., AXA Group, Berkshire Hathaway Inc., BWI Aviation Insurance Agency Inc., Chubb Ltd., Global Aerospace Underwriting Managers Ltd., Hallmark Financial Services Inc., London Aviation Underwriters Inc., Marsh and McLennan Companies Inc., Munich Reinsurance Co., Starr International Co. Inc., Tokio Marine Holdings Inc., Wells Fargo and Co., and Willis Towers Watson Public Ltd. Co. and Co., Avion Insurance Agency Inc., AXA Group, Berkshire Hathaway Inc., BWI Aviation Insurance Agency Inc., Chubb Ltd., Global Aerospace Underwriting Managers Ltd., Hallmark Financial Services Inc., London Aviation Underwriters Inc., Marsh and McLennan Companies Inc., Munich Reinsurance Co., Starr International Co. Inc., Tokio Marine Holdings Inc., Wells Fargo and Co., and Willis Towers Watson Public Ltd. Co. The Aerospace Insurance Market is fragmented in nature. Market to observe 4.1% YOY growth in 2023. The evolution of non-airline aviation services is a major trend in the market. Commercial airlines face a variety of challenges, including increased security checks, frequent cancellations, delays, and restrictions on routes, with a particular focus on major hubs rather than Smaller airports that are popular with passengers. These challenges are impacting the commercial aviation insurance market. View PDF Sample Lack of awareness and delayed aerospace insurance services is a significant challenge restricting market growth. The report also covers information on upcoming trends and challenges. Explore detailed information by purchasing a report Keg Segments: The service providers segment will account for a significant share of market growth. This segment includes insurance offered by airlines, helicopters, and business jet operators. Aviation risks are attractive to underwriters due to the high premiums generated. Get a glance at the market contribution of the segments, Request a Sample Analyst Review The Automatic Pill Dispensing Systems Market is witnessing a surge in demand driven by the pressing need for efficient medication management solutions. Amidst the bustling landscape of healthcare technologies, these systems offer a streamlined approach to medication adherence, particularly catering to segments beyond traditional airline aviation services. Commercial airlines, facing challenges ranging from security checks to route restrictions, parallel the hurdles encountered by patients in adhering to medication regimens. Just as delays and cancellations disrupt travel plans, delayed aerospace insurance services and slow processing of claims hinder the seamless operation of automatic pill dispensers. Such setbacks contribute to limited awareness among potential users, fostering an erosion of trust in the efficacy of these systems. Moreover, reduced investment in travel insurance services mirrors the hesitation observed in adopting automatic pill dispensers, as both industries grapple with uncertainties. This hesitation, coupled with the impact on demand caused by factors like delayed insurance services, underscores the necessity for swift and reliable solutions in the healthcare sector. Nevertheless, the Automatic Pill Dispensing Systems Market persists as a beacon of innovation, offering hope in overcoming these challenges. By enhancing awareness, expediting insurance services, and restoring trust through efficient claim processing, stakeholders can foster a conducive environment for the proliferation of these life-enhancing technologies. Thus, while parallels may be drawn between the aviation and healthcare sectors, the resilience and adaptability of the latter promise a brighter future for automatic pill dispensing systems. The Automatic Pill Dispensing Systems Market is witnessing growth due to increasing demand for non-airline aviation services. However, commercial airlines continue to face challenges such as security checks, cancellations, delays, and route restrictions. These hurdles prompt the need for efficient medication management solutions, driving the adoption of automatic pill dispensing systems. Request a Sample Related Reports: The commercial and military aircraft MRO market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 4.68% between 2022 and 2027. The market size is forecast to increase by USD 20,151.64 million. The airport stands equipment market size is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 6.47% between 2022 and 2027 and the size of the market is forecast to increase by USD 1,457.82 million. ToC: 1 Executive Summary 2 Landscape 3 Sizing 4 Historic Size 5 Five Forces Analysis 6 Segmentations 7 Customer Landscape 8 Geographic Landscape 9 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 10 Vendor Landscape 11 Vendor Analysis 12 Appendix About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provide actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. 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 SINGAPORE, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- AliExpress, an international online retail marketplace under Alibaba International Digital Commerce Group, is celebrating the first anniversary of its Choice initiative and the related Choice Day sale with an unprecedented five-day promotional eventthe longest of its kind in the platform's history. Offering discounts of up to 60% on a select range of items, the event is crafted to deliver a shopping experience that honors the diversity of its customer base. The sale is set to begin precisely at midnight on March 1, aligning with the local time zones of AliExpress' key markets including Brazil, France, Mexico, the Middle Eastern region, Poland, South Korea, Spain, the UK and the US. Customers within these regions will have the opportunity to enjoy a highly anticipated and personalized shopping celebration, with tailored offerings rolled out as the sale goes live in each locale. Unveiling GCC Brand Ambassadors In an exciting development, AliExpress proudly introduces athletes Salem Al-Dawsari and Firas Al-Buraikan as its new brand ambassadors representing the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. The appointment highlights AliExpress' focus on connecting with its diverse customer base in strategic markets. To mark this significant announcement, AliExpress will extend an exclusive offer to its users ordering from Saudi Arabia during the Choice Day sale. Shoppers who make purchases of over US$200 on the event page in a single day stand a chance to secure a jersey with a digital signature from one of the brand ambassadors. Limited to only 30 jerseys each day, these exclusive editions are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. This distinct promotion exemplifies AliExpress' commitment to offering its customers unique and exciting experiences. Enticing Offers Across the Globe As the promotion unfolds, customers from various regions will enjoy a host of benefits. Tiered discount codes will allow savings of up to US$50, and free shipping will be available in over 50 markets for orders meeting minimum spend requirements. Shoppers in areas such as Japan, Mexico, the UAE and the US will benefit from free shipping on orders over US$10, while consumers in France, Germany and Spain, among other European markets, will enjoy similar perks with a 10 threshold. In South Korea, free shipping kicks in at 5000, and in Brazil, at R$60. Supporting free returns in 15 markets such as Australia and Poland, AliExpress endeavors to provide a worry-free shopping experience and reinforce the customer's right with a straightforward return process. Additionally, in select regions such as Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain and the UK, the Choice service provides delivery within as little as five days, catering to consumers' need for speed and reliability. Surging Popularity and Order Growth Introduced in March 2023, the Choice service has been pivotal to AliExpress' rapid growth, reinventing the cross-border shopping experience with free shipping, free returns and swift-delivery commitments. The appeal of Choice has significantly bolstered AliExpress' popularity among global consumers. In Spain, for example, AliExpress captured the position of the second most-visited e-commerce site in December 2023, according to statistics from Club Ecommerce and EGI Group. AliExpress' monthly active user base in South Korea soared to 7 million in November 2023, almost doubling on a year-over-year basis, as reported by mobile analytics firm WiseApp. On the corporate front, Alibaba Group Holding Limited's financial results for the quarter ending December 31, 2023 disclosed a remarkable 60% surge in AliExpress' order volume. This boost has contributed to a 44% year-over-year increase in revenue for Alibaba International Digital Commerce Group, consistently exceeding market forecasts for six straight quarters. As it commemorates the Choice service's first anniversary, AliExpress extends an invitation to consumers worldwide to revel in a celebration of discounts and exclusive promotions, all crafted to deliver an unparalleled shopping experience. About AliExpress Launched in 2010, AliExpress is a business-to-consumer (B2C) e-commerce platform enabling global consumers to buy directly from manufacturers and distributors in China and around the world. In addition to the global English-language version, the AliExpress platform is also available in 17 other languages. AliExpress is part of Alibaba International Digital Commerce Group. SOURCE AliExpress BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 29. 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 spoke at the 6th session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-6), the official COP29 page on wrote on its "X" page, Trend reports. "COP29 President Mukhtar Babayev and his team joined climate dignitaries from 179 countries in Nairobi for UNEA-6. In Azerbaijans national statement, Mukhtar Babayev highlighted the multilateral efforts involved in fighting climate change, and Azerbaijans commitment to hosting a successful and constructive COP," the report says. UNEA-6 takes place from February 26 to March 1 at the headquarters of the UN Environment Program in Nairobi (Kenya). CHICAGO, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The report "Architectural Metal Coatings Market by Resin Type (Polyester, Fluoropolymer), Coil Coating Application (Roofing & Cladding, Wall Panels & Facades), Extrusion Coating Application (Curtain Walls, Store Front) and Region - Global Forecast to 2028", size is projected to grow from USD 5.3 billion in 2023 to USD 6.7 billion by 2028, at a CAGR of 4.6%. The construction industry's demand for eco-friendly and healthier coating systems and the rising need to improve performance, durability, and aesthetics are key factors contributing to the growth of the architectural metal coatings market. The growing investment in emerging markets is expected to create growth opportunities for the market players globally. However, stringent and time-consuming regulatory policies act as a challenge for market players. Browse in-depth TOC on "Architectural Metal Coatings Market" 180 Tables 70 Figures 300 Pages Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id=105417941 The wall panels & facades segment is expected to account for one of the largest shares in 2023. The prominence of coil coatings in the architectural sector, particularly for applications such as roofing & cladding, wall panels & facades, fascia & soffits, and others, is a testament to their versatility and effectiveness in enhancing building aesthetics and durability. Among these applications, wall panels & facades are projected to dominate the market during the forecast period. This trend is largely attributable to the growing preference for metal wall panels in both industrial and commercial construction endeavors. Metal wall panels are increasingly favored for their comparative lightness, especially when juxtaposed with traditional construction materials like concrete or block. This attribute significantly contributes to their appeal, facilitating easier and more cost-efficient transportation and installation. Moreover, the inherent strength and flexibility of metal wall panels make them a highly resilient choice for a wide range of architectural applications, capable of withstanding diverse environmental conditions without compromising structural integrity. The curtain walls segment is expected to account for the largest share in 2023. The selection of extrusion coatings for curtain walls is driven by the need for materials that offer a blend of durability, aesthetic appeal, and protective qualities. These coatings are engineered to ensure exceptional adhesion to aluminum substrates, a critical factor given the prevalence of aluminum in curtain wall structures. Furthermore, the coatings provide remarkable color retention and consistency, an essential attribute for maintaining the visual appeal of architectural facades over time. Resistance to UV radiation is another pivotal advantage, safeguarding the building against the deleterious effects of sunlight exposure, which can lead to fading and material degradation. Lastly, the integrity of the film formed by extrusion coatings on curtain walls ensures long-term durability and resistance to environmental stressors, enhancing the overall lifespan of the structure. This combination of functional and aesthetic benefits positions extrusion coatings as an integral component of curtain wall systems. As architectural trends continue to favor the use of curtain walls in both commercial and high-rise residential buildings, the demand for high-quality extrusion coatings is expected to grow, reflecting the industry's commitment to durability, sustainability, and visual excellence in modern construction practices. Request Sample Pages: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id=105417941 Asia Pacific is expected to account for the largest share in 2023. In 2022, the Asia Pacific region dominated the architectural metal coatings market by value, and it is expected to grow at the fastest rate in terms of value from 2023 to 2028. Key markets within the region include China, Japan, and India, with China holding the largest market share due to its extensive industrial base and growing demand for high-quality coatings. Despite economic headwinds, the construction sector in Asia Pacific saw notable growth in 2022, driven by robust demand for residential projects in major economies. Additionally, there was a significant uptick in investment in infrastructure projects, and regional construction firms pursued expansion opportunities in new markets. Key Players The key players in the architectural metal coatings market include The Sherwin-Williams Company (US), PPG Industries, Inc. (US), AkzoNobel N.V. (Netherlands), Axalta Coating Systems Ltd (US), Beckers Group (Germany), Kansai Paint Co., Ltd. (Japan), Nippon Paint Holdings Co., Ltd (Japan), Wacker Chemie AG (Germany), Hempel A/S (Denmark), and NOROO Paint & Coatings Co., Ltd. (South Korea). Browse Adjacent Market: Coatings Adhesives Sealants and Elastomers Market Research Reports & Consulting Related Reports: Industrial Coatings Market - Global Forecast to 2028 Paints & Coatings Market - Global Forecast to 2027 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: [email protected] Research Insights: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/architectural-metal-coatings-market.asp Visit Our Website: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/architectural-metal-coatings.asp Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2297424/MarketsandMarkets_Logo.jpg SOURCE MarketsandMarkets DUBLIN, Feb. 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Argentina Data Center Market - Investment Analysis & Growth Opportunities 2023-2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Argentina data center market size will witness investments of USD 296 million by 2028 from $173 million in 2023, growing at a CAGR of 9.36% during 2023-2028 This report analyses the Argentina data center market share. It elaboratively analyses the existing and upcoming facilities and investments in IT, electrical, mechanical infrastructure, general construction, and tier standards. It discusses market sizing and investment estimation for different segments. The Argentina data center market has a presence of several global support infrastructure providers such as Caterpillar, Eaton, Cummins, ABB, Legrand, and others. Several global IT infrastructure providers, such as Cisco Systems, Arista Networks, Lenovo, NetApp, and others, have a strong presence in the Argentina data center market. Some key investors in the Argentina data center market are Lumen Technologies, Telecom Argentina, Nabiax, and EdgeConnex in 2023. Datacenter firms in Argentina are partnering with construction contractors to enhance efficiency and meet the evolving requirements of these facilities. AECOM, Fluor Corporation, and Constructora Sudamericana are actively engaged in the construction sector for data centers in Argentina. Argentina provides enticing tax incentives and a business-friendly atmosphere through the 'Knowledge Economy Law,' aiming to attract operators for facility development. For instance, the AWS stands to benefit from an export tax exemption (as part of the free-trade zone) and is exempt from national and provincial taxes on energy consumption. The Argentina data center market stands out as one of the well-connected nations in Latin America, boasting seven operational submarine cables, with an additional one currently under construction. Notably, Google recently contributed to this robust submarine network by introducing Firmina, a new cable slated for launch in 2024. This submarine cable will have landing points in Brazil, the United States, and Uruguay, further enhancing regional connectivity. In July 2023, the government approved a total renewable energy capacity of 633.7 megawatts (MW) through its latest procurement initiative. This includes the green light for 44 upcoming solar farm projects equipped with photovoltaic (PV) capacity. Argentina has initiated the 'RenovAr' program to produce 20% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2025. This deliberate step supports their sustainability objectives and contributes positively to the environment and the community. WHY SHOULD YOU BUY THIS RESEARCH? Market size available in the investment, area, power capacity, and Argentina colocation market revenue. colocation market revenue. An assessment of the data center investment in Argentina by colocation, hyperscale, and enterprise operators. by colocation, hyperscale, and enterprise operators. Investments in the area (square feet) and power capacity (MW) across cities in the country. A detailed study of the existing Argentina data center market landscape, an in-depth industry analysis, and insightful predictions about market size during the forecast period. data center market landscape, an in-depth industry analysis, and insightful predictions about market size during the forecast period. Snapshot of existing and upcoming third-party data center facilities in Argentina Facilities Covered (Existing): 19 Coverage: 2 Regions Existing vs. Upcoming (Area) Existing vs. Upcoming (IT Load Capacity) Data Center Colocation Market in Argentina Market Revenue & Forecast (2022-2028) Retail Colocation Revenue The Argentina data center market investments are classified into IT, power, cooling, and general construction services with sizing and forecast. data center market investments are classified into IT, power, cooling, and general construction services with sizing and forecast. A comprehensive analysis of the latest trends, growth rate, potential opportunities, growth restraints, and prospects for the industry. Business overview and product offerings of prominent IT infrastructure providers, construction contractors, support infrastructure providers, and investors operating in the industry. A transparent research methodology and the analysis of the demand and supply aspects of the industry. VENDOR LANDSCAPE IT Infrastructure Providers Arista Networks Broadcom Cisco Systems Dell Technologies Hewlett Packard Enterprise Huawei Technologies IBM Juniper Networks Lenovo NetApp Oracle Data Center Construction Contractors & Sub-Contractors AECOM Constructora Sudamericana Fluor Construction Quark Support Infrastructure Providers ABB Alfa Laval Assa Abloy Caterpillar Cummins Eaton Johnson Controls KOHLER-SDMO Legrand Narada Rittal Schneider Electric STULZ Siemens Vertiv Data Center Investors Lumen Technologies Telecom Argentina Nabiax Claro EdgeConneX EXISTING VS. UPCOMING DATA CENTERS Existing Facilities in the Region(Area and Power Capacity) Buenos Aires Cordoba List of Upcoming Facilities in the Region (Area and Power Capacity) REPORT COVERAGE: IT Infrastructure Servers Storage Systems Network Infrastructure Electrical Infrastructure UPS Systems Generators Switches & Switchgears PDUs Other Electrical Infrastructure Mechanical Infrastructure Cooling Systems Rack Cabinets Other Mechanical Infrastructure Cooling Systems CRAC and CRAH Units Chillers Units Cooling Towers, Condensers, and Dry Coolers Other Cooling Units General Construction Core & Shell Development Installation & Commissioning Services Engineering & Building Design Fire Detection & Suppression Physical Security Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM) Tier Standard Tier I & Tier II Tier III For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/lyxwj1 About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg SOURCE Research and Markets Accu Chart Plus Health Care Systems, ARxIUM Inc., Becton Dickinson and Co., and Capsa Healthcare LLC, are among the top market players! NEW YORK, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The automatic pill dispensing systems market size is set to grow by USD 1.82 billion between 2022 and 2027 and register a CAGR of 8.72%, according to Technavio's latest market research report estimates. The report is segmented by Type, Application, and Geography. This report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, the latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. The Automatic Pill Dispensing Systems Market is propelled by the growing aging population globally, necessitating advanced healthcare technologies. The elderly often struggle with complex medication schedules, leading to errors and health complications. Automatic pill dispensers address this by providing a convenient, error-free solution, particularly beneficial for patients with reduced function. Equipped with alarms for timely medication reminders, these systems contribute to patient safety, medication adherence, and efficient chronic disease management in the context of evolving healthcare technology and elderly care needs. Read our FREE Sample Report Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Automatic Pill Dispensing Systems Market 2023-2027 What are the segments the market is analyzed on? Type Standalone Pill Dispenser Portable Pill Dispenser Application Hospital Pharmacies Retail Pharmacies Home Healthcare Geography North America Europe APAC Middle East And Africa South America The standalone pill dispenser segment dominates the Automatic Pill Dispensing Systems Market, experiencing substantial growth during the forecast period. Primarily acquired by hospitals, pharmacies, and clinics, these secure Smart Pill Dispensers organize medication inventory and enhance client access. The standalone segment's rapid growth is fueled by the increasing patient influx in healthcare facilities, particularly in emerging countries like India. This trend boosts the global automatic pill dispensing systems market, enabling healthcare professionals to dedicate more time to patient consultation and monitoring amidst the growing demand for personalized medicine and healthcare technology innovations. Detail Insights on the impact of each segment and make informed business decisions by downloading a FREE sample report! What are some of the major companies? Some of the major companies in the automatic pill dispensing systems market include Accu Chart Plus Health Care Systems, ARxIUM Inc., Becton Dickinson and Co., Capsa Healthcare LLC, Hero Health Inc., Innovation Associates, JVM Co Ltd., Koninklijke Philips N.V., McKesson Corp., Medminder Systems Inc., MedReady Inc, MIDEA Group Co. Ltd., NewIcon Oy, Omnicell Inc., Oracle Corp., PharmAdva LLC, PharmRight Corp., PHARMRX PTY LTD, ScriptPro LLC, and YUYAMA Co. Ltd. To help businesses improve their market position, Technavio's report provides a detailed analysis of around 15+ vendors operating in the market. Analyst Review The Automatic Pill Dispensing Systems Market is witnessing substantial growth owing to the rising prevalence of conditions such as physical disability and neurodegenerative disorders. These systems play a crucial role in managing medication adherence, especially among individuals coping with dementia. As the aging population increases, the demand for efficient medication management solutions escalates, propelling the expansion of the pharmacy sector, including retail pharmacies and hospital facilities. Innovations in automatic pill dispensing technologies have led to the development of both centralized automated dispensing systems (CADS) and decentralized automated dispensing systems (DADS). CADS streamline medication distribution within healthcare facilities, enhancing efficiency and minimizing errors. On the other hand, DADS offer flexibility and convenience, catering to patients with diverse needs, including those with physical disabilities who may require home-based care. The market landscape is characterized by the integration of advanced features such as smart monitoring and connectivity options, enabling remote medication management and real-time adherence tracking. These systems not only alleviate the burden on caregivers but also empower patients to take control of their medication regimen, thereby improving overall health outcomes. Retail pharmacies are increasingly adopting automatic pill dispensing systems to optimize workflow and enhance customer service. Moreover, hospitals are incorporating these systems into their medication management protocols to ensure accurate dosing and reduce the risk of medication errors. In conclusion, the Automatic Pill Dispensing Systems Market is poised for significant growth driven by the imperative need for efficient medication management solutions, particularly in the context of aging populations and the prevalence of conditions such as neurodegenerative disorders and dementia. downloading a FREE sample report! Related Reports: The automatic data capture (ADC) market size is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 11.75% between 2022 and 2027. The market size is forecast to increase by USD 36,478.13 million. The Central Fill Pharmacy Automation Market size is estimated to grow by USD 480.41 million between 2022 and 2027 at a CAGR of 12.05%. ToC: 1 Executive Summary 2 Landscape 3 Sizing 4 Historic Size 5 Five Forces Analysis 6 Segmentations 7 Customer Landscape 8 Geographic Landscape 9 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 10 Vendor Landscape 11 Vendor Analysis 12 Appendix About US Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provide actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contact Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com SOURCE Technavio WILLINGTON, England, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Bionical Solutions, a leading provider of technology enabled engagement and healthcare services to global pharmaceutical, biotech, healthcare companies and the NHS, today announced the appointment of Andrew Seward as Chief Technology Officer for the Digital business. Andrew has over 12 years of experience in technology and product management, most recently as Head of Data Product Development at Experian Consumer Services, which counts 25% of the UK's adult population as its customers. Drawing on his expertise in delivering next-generation customer experiences and new AI features, he created and led the implementation of Experian's new Data Strategy and delivered a pioneering machine learning platform as a founding member of Experian's Machine Learning Council. He has been Chief Technology Officer at prominent HR software company, Mitrefinch Ltd, and has led product strategy and development at UK fintech company, Quint Group, and tech start-up, Cronofy. Andrew is the founder of Tech Nottingham, an organisation with around 3,500 members and one of the largest tech communities in the UK, which works closely with technology businesses of all sizes, as well as local government and educational institutions, to promote Nottingham as a tech centre. Gareth Davies, Joint CEO at Bionical Solutions, commented: "We are very pleased to welcome Andrew on board to support our established in-house team of technical experts and software developers, to help take Bionical Digital to the next level in providing customised engagement platforms to the Pharma industry. Andrew brings a wealth of experience in AI and data product development. As we look to further expand the long-term product pipeline of Bionical's Digital business, Andrew's expertise and leadership skills will be invaluable in adapting and developing our digital offering to meet the emerging requirements of our broad client base." Newly appointed Chief Technology Officer, Andrew Seward, said: "It is great to be joining Bionical at such an exciting time for the business. I am looking forward to working closely with Gareth and the team to create innovative solutions." About Bionical Solutions Bionical Solutions is a leading provider of technology enabled engagement and healthcare services to global pharmaceutical, biotech, healthcare companies and the NHS. As a rapidly growing international integrated healthcare services provider, Bionical's solutions provide education and support to Healthcare professionals and patients and deliver personalised experiences through the optimal blend of human interactions and technology. Bionical Solutions Digital and Commercial Communications team provides customers with technology enabled healthcare services, providing software solutions, commercial communications and support to Healthcare professionals (HCPS) and patients. Bionical Solutions Health Outcomes team provides customers with technology enabled healthcare services, providing education, training, support and clinical care to Healthcare professionals and patients, both in hospital and in the community. Data collection and reporting from these services informs future strategy and evolution. For more information please visit https://www.bionical.com/home SOURCE Bionical Solutions BOSTON, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Shook, Hardy & Bacon welcomes drug and device litigator Lisa Oliver White to the firm as partner. White will join Shook's world renowned Product Liability Litigation Practice and focus primarily on drug and device litigation. She has a longstanding relationship with Shook, having been on trial teams with the firm's trial lawyers on multiple product liability litigation matters in Massachusetts. "We're excited to bring Lisa to Shook," said Trial Partner Hildy Sastre from Miami, co-chair of the firm's product liability litigation team. "We've collaborated with Lisa a number of times as our local counsel in Boston. Her trial skills align well with the firm. It's a natural fit." White brings 18 years of litigation experience in Massachusetts and Rhode Island state and federal courts, and her practice focuses on serving clients in medical malpractice and drug and device law matters. She is a member of the invitationonly International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) and serves on the board of the Massachusetts Defense Lawyers Association (MassDLA). "Truly, it is a natural transition in my career to move to Shook," said White from Boston. "The firm's reputation of having hardworking and very smart lawyers who get along well with opposing counsel in complex matters, cannot be overstated. I have a similar way of litigating and look forward to collaborating with this dynamic team again." Shook has represented some of the largest pharmaceutical and medical device companies in the world, with client relationships dating back many decades. These companies look to the firm to handle their most complex and contentious product liability casesfrom MDLs, class actions, mass tort actions and multi-jurisdiction onslaughts of individual cases, as well as challenging individual cases. ALM named Shook a finalist for Litigation Department of the Year Product Liability in 2023. Partners Katie Gates Calderon, Hildy Sastre, and William Geraghty, all trial lawyers, lead the practice. White earned her undergraduate degree from Boston University and her law degree, magna cum laude, from Suffolk University Law School. Massachusetts Super Lawyers has included White on its list since 2013. Shook opened a Boston office in 2019 with five lawyers focusing on high-stakes environmental and toxic tort litigation, as well as complex business disputes, class action, product liability and other areas. Partner Tom Sullivan, a life sciences litigator, leads the office. With White on board, Shook looks forward to expanding its presence in the drug and device space in the Boston market. About Shook, Hardy & Bacon Founded in 1889, Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P. has 19 offices in the United States and London, with attorneys and professional staff serving clients in the health, science and technology sectors in areas ranging from product liability defense and business litigation to intellectual property prosecution and litigation, environmental and toxic tort, privacy and data security and regulatory counseling. SOURCE Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P. SINGAPORE, Feb. 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- We are thrilled to announce that BounceBit has successfully closed a $6-million funding round to build BTC Restaking infrastructure. This milestone round was led by prominent venture capital firms Blockchain Capital and Breyer Capital. "We're thrilled to lead the seed round for BounceBit as they're pushing the frontiers of BTC Restaking and yield generation," said Ted Breyer, Partner at Breyer Capital. BounceBit Seed Funding Round Investor List "There is a huge opportunity to bring DeFi and other innovations to the Bitcoin community through BTC restaking we're excited to back BounceBit as they lead the charge," said Aleks Larsen, General Partner at Blockchain Capital. The round includes participation from dao5, CMS Holdings, Bankless Ventures, NGC Ventures, Matrixport Ventures, Primitive Ventures, Arcane Group, IDG Capital, Bixin Ventures, Nomad Capital, Geekcartel, DeFiance Capital, General Mining Research, OKX Ventures, Mirana Ventures, HTX Ventures, Mexc Ventures, Bodhi Ventures. Additionally, notable angel investors include Nathan from Anchorage Digital, Calvin and Jessy from Eigenlayer, Kevin and Ashwin from Brevan Howard, Smokey from Berachain, George Lambeth, Pranay Mohan, James Parillo, RookieXBT, MacnBTC, Pentoshi and others. "Their expertise and support will be instrumental in our mission to build restaking infrastructure to support yield generation for all types of Bitcoin across a variety of networks." said Jack Lu, Founder & CEO of BounceBit. BounceBit has accumulated $445M TVL in just three weeks after Early Access launch. Early TVL contributors can earn BounceBit points at bouncebit.io . At its core, BounceBit's innovation stems from its BTC Restaking mechanism. This relatively new concept acts as the foundation of the project. BounceBit will build a plethora of infrastructure, exploring the use-cases of Restaking for various types of Bitcoin. These infrastructure components are called Shared-Security Clients (SSC). BounceBit's first showcase of such an SSC will be its BTC Restaking Chain. The BounceBit chain is secured by validators staking both BTC and BounceBit's native token A dual-token system leveraging native Bitcoin's security, liquidity and low volatility. Unlike existing Layer 2 solutions, BounceBit interacts with Bitcoin only on the asset level instead of the protocol level, taking a Layer 1 Proof of Stake approach. BTC Restaking provides shared security to infrastructure and DApps on BounceBit, e.g. bridges and oracles will be validated by restaked BTC. Another highlight of BounceBit is its transparent CeFi foundation that secures users' assets via the regulated custody of Mainnet Digital and Ceffu, while leveraging on-chain asset traceability. Through an innovative CeFi + DeFi infrastructure, BounceBit empowers BTC holders to earn yield through delta-neutral strategies, whilst being additionally protected by an insurance fund. Looking ahead, BounceBit's roadmap is structured towards the Mainnet Launch in April, coinciding with the Bitcoin halving. Testnet is expected to go live in early March. About BounceBit BounceBit is building a BTC restaking infrastructure that provides a foundational layer for different restaking products, secured by the regulated custody of Mainnet Digital and Ceffu. The BounceBit chain, designed as a showcase of a restaking product within the BounceBit ecosystem, is a PoS Layer 1 secured by validators staking both BTC and BounceBit's native token A dual-token system leveraging native Bitcoin's security with full EVM compatibility. Critical ecosystem infrastructure like bridges and oracles are secured by restaked BTC. Through an innovative CeFi + DeFi framework, BounceBit empowers BTC holders to earn yield across multiple networks. Website | X (Former Twitter) | Discord | Medium BounceBit Branding Assets: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1J3d8nCL7TQUnB04ZkMkXxLfIGjhZDsz5 SOURCE BounceBit DUBLIN, Feb. 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Canada Data Center Market - Investment Analysis & Growth Opportunities 2024-2029" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Canada data center market size will witness investments of USD 9.04 billion by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 10.26% from 2023-2029 This report analyses the Canada data center market share. It elaboratively analyses the existing and upcoming facilities and investments in IT, electrical, mechanical infrastructure, general construction, and tier standards. It discusses market sizing and investment estimation for different segments. Canada has around 117 operational colocation data centers. Most colocation data centers are being developed according to Tier III standards. The Canada data center market has the presence of some local and global operators such as Cologix, Equinix, Digital Realty, eStruxture Data Centers, Urbacon Data Centre Solutions, and Vantage Data Centers, among others. In December 2023, AWS announced the launch of its new AWS Canada West (Calgary) Region, with three Availability Zones (AZs). The company plans to invest around USD 18 billion towards expanding Canada's West and Central regions by 2037. The increase in the adoption of cloud-based services in the country is growing the establishment of cloud regions by major cloud services providers such as Microsoft, Oracle, Google, Amazon Web Services, and Tencent Cloud. Increasing investments in prime locations such as Montreal and Toronto will increase land prices. Such factors may propel operators to shift their focus to emerging locations such as Calgary, Quebec City, and others during the forecast period. The hyperscale self-built investment by Microsoft and AWS will likely increase the power capacity in the Canada data center market during the forecast period. The deployment of 5G networks will boost the region's digital economy and lead to a higher demand for high-bandwidth networking infrastructure. The adoption of Software Defined Networking (SDN) is likely to increase owing to smart city initiatives carried out by government agencies. WHY SHOULD YOU BUY THIS RESEARCH? Market size available in the investment, area, power capacity, and Canada colocation market revenue. colocation market revenue. An assessment of the data center investment in Canada by colocation, hyperscale, and enterprise operators. by colocation, hyperscale, and enterprise operators. Investments in the area (square feet) and power capacity (MW) across cities in the country. A detailed study of the existing Canada data center market landscape, an in-depth industry analysis, and insightful predictions about market size during the forecast period. data center market landscape, an in-depth industry analysis, and insightful predictions about market size during the forecast period. Snapshot of existing and upcoming third-party data center facilities in Canada : I. Facilities Covered (Existing): 117 II. Facilities Identified (Upcoming): 13 III. Coverage: 22 Cities IV. Existing vs. Upcoming (Area) V. Existing vs. Upcoming (IT Load Capacity) : Data Center Colocation Market in Canada : I. Colocation Market Revenue & Forecast (2023-2029) II. Wholesale vs. Retail Colocation Revenue (2023-2029) III. Retail Colocation Pricing IV. Wholesale Colocation Pricing : The Canada data center market investments are classified into IT, power, cooling, and general construction services with sizing and forecast. data center market investments are classified into IT, power, cooling, and general construction services with sizing and forecast. A comprehensive analysis of the latest trends, growth rate, potential opportunities, growth restraints, and prospects for the market. Business overview and product offerings of prominent IT infrastructure providers, construction contractors, support infrastructure providers, and investors operating in the market. A transparent research methodology and the analysis of the demand and supply aspects of the market. KEY QUESTIONS ANSWERED How big is the Canada data center market? data center market? How many existing and upcoming data center facilities exist in Canada ? ? What is the growth rate of the Canada data center market? data center market? How much MW of power capacity will be added across Canada during 2024-2029? during 2024-2029? What factors are driving the Canada data center market? data center market? Who are the key investors in the Canada data center market? VENDOR LANDSCAPE IT Infrastructure Providers Arista Networks Atos Broadcom Cisco Systems Dell Technologies Hewlett Packard Enterprise Huawei Technologies IBM Juniper Networks Lenovo NetApp Oracle Data Center Construction Contractors & Sub-Contractors Arup AECOM Black & Veatch Computer Room Services Corporation (CRSC) DPR Construction Ehvert EllisDon First Gulf Karbon Engineering PCL Construction Salute Mission Critical Turner Construction Urbacon WZMH Architects Support Infrastructure Providers ABB Alfa Laval Arctic Chiller Group Caterpillar Chatsworth Products ClimateWorx Cummins CoolIT Systems Dataprobe Delta Electronics Eaton Generac Power Systems Johnson Controls KyotoCooling Legrand Mitsubishi Electric Panduit Piller Power Systems Rittal Rolls-Royce Schneider Electric STULZ Siemens Toshiba Trane Vertiv Data Center Investors Amazon Web Services (AWS) Cologix Compass Datacenters Digital Realty Equinix eStruxture Data Centers Google Microsoft OVHcloud STACK Infrastructure Urbacon Data Centre Solutions Vantage Data Centers New Entrants Gatineau Data Hub (GDH) Qscale Telehouse EXISTING VS. UPCOMING DATA CENTERS Existing Facilities in the Region (Area and Power Capacity): Montreal Toronto Other Cities List of Upcoming Facilities in the region (Area and Power Capacity): Montreal Toronto Other Cities For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/h6wqug About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg SOURCE Research and Markets Frank Rauch named "2024 Channel Chiefs: The 50 Most Influential" by CRN; "2024 Channel Influencer Award" recipient by Channel Futures TEL AVIV, Israel, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Cato Networks, the leader in SASE, today announced that Frank Rauch, Global Channel Chief, has been recognized as a recipient of two industry honors: "2024 Channels Chiefs: The 50 Most Influential" by CRN and "2024 Channel Influencer Award" by Channel Futures. These honors highlight Rauch's significant contributions and leadership in shaping the networking and security indirect sales channel over the past year. Rauch stands among 50 individuals in both honors and is commended for his visionary leadership, strategic thinking, and innovative approaches to the channel ecosystem. CRN selects channel chief honorees based on their professional achievements, standing in the industry, dedication to the channel partner community, and strategies for driving channel growth and innovation. Channel Futures identifies leaders for their exceptional impact on the direction and transformation of the SASE industry through indirect sales channels. "Frank Rauch's selection as a 2024 CRN Channel Chiefs and Channel Futures Channel Influencer is a testament to his remarkable leadership and the innovative strategies he has implemented at Cato Networks," said Alon Alter, Chief Business Officer of Cato Networks. "His dedication to the channel community and his impact on our partners' growth and success reflect the core values and vision of Cato Networks. We are thrilled to see Frank's contributions recognized by CRN and Channel Futures." "I am deeply honored by this recognition by CRN and Channel Futures, though they speak much more to the strength of the Cato team and our growing partner community than to any individual," said Rauch. "These awards are a testament to our channel-first commitment and culture at Cato Networks. My gratitude extends to CRN and Channel Futures' editors and judges for this esteemed acknowledgment." Before his tenure at Cato Networks, which began in January 2023, Rauch held pivotal roles across the technology and IT sectors, including Global Channel Chief at Check Point Software Technologies, and leadership positions at VMware, and HPE. His experience and successful channel strategies have earned his teams more than 150 industry awards. Rauch is also recognized for mentoring future channel leaders and active participation on several advisory boards. Digital Assets Supporting Resources About Cato Cato Networks is the leader in SASE, delivering enterprise security and networking in a single cloud platform. With Cato, organizations replace costly and rigid legacy infrastructure with an open and modular SASE architecture based on SD-WAN, a purpose-built global cloud network, and an embedded cloud-native security stack. Want to learn why thousands of organizations secure their future with Cato? Visit us at www.catonetworks.com. About CRN CRN provides objective reporting on daily technology and channel news, events, and trends, empowering solution providers such as systems integrators, value-added resellers, managed service providers (MSPs), strategic service providers, and IT consultants to maintain a competitive advantage and deliver the business outcomes their customers need. Since 1982, CRN's talented team of editors has reported on the news solution providers need to build successful businesses. CRN is the go-to source for breaking news on the IT channel, including technology vendors' channel programs, channel management executives and product and services portfolios; distributors and cloud distributors; MSP platform vendors, and solution providers themselves. Coverage crosses over a variety of technology areas, including cloud, security, data center, networking, software, storage, managed services, computing, and components and peripherals. About Channel Futures Channel Futures is a leading media and events platform for the ICT channel community, encompassing solution providers, MSPs, MSSPs, CSPs, VARs, distributors, technology solutions brokerages, and others in the technology and communications sectors. It offers insights, news, and connections across the channel ecosystem, including prestigious awards and conferences designed to advance the industry. For more information, visit channelfutures.com. SOURCE Cato Networks 100 Percent of Sales Fund Local Charities on March 27 "Day of Giving" MANASQUAN, N.J., Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Hoping to raise a record-breaking amount for charity this March, Jersey Mike's Subs, known for its authentic fresh sliced/fresh grilled subs, asks customers to eat a sub and help a local cause. (View/download b-roll) To celebrate the company's 14th Annual Month of Giving fundraising campaign, Jersey Mike's locations across the country are joining forces with more than 200 local charities. On March 27, "Day of Giving", Jersey Mike's will give 100 percent of sales to local charities. Post this Jersey Mikes Founder Peter Cancro (c) celebrates the 2023 Day of Giving with local charity partner, Junior Achievement of the Heartland, in Iowa. During the month of March, customers will have the option to round up their purchase to the nearest dollar or donate $1, $3, or $5 when placing their order. Charities include hospitals, youth organizations, food banks and more. The campaign culminates with the nationwide event, Day of Giving, on Wednesday, March 27, when local Jersey Mike's owners and operators will donate their resources and every single dollar that comes in to local charities. At the first nationwide fundraiser in 2011, all of Jersey Mike's 454 locations raised $600,000 for 66 charities. Since then, Jersey Mike's annual Month of Giving has raised more than $88 million for local charities. This March, Jersey Mike's hopes to exceed last year's record-breaking national fundraising total of $21 million and help local charities striving to fulfill their missions and make a difference. "I would like to extend a personal invitation to you and your family to visit Jersey Mike's Subs throughout the month of March, and especially on Day of Giving when 100 percent of sales every penny goes to help a great local cause," said Peter Cancro, Jersey Mike's founder and CEO, who started the company when he was only 17 years old. In each market, restaurant owners select charities that support local neighborhoods and build a stronger community. For more information, visit jerseymikes.com/mog. About Jersey Mike's Jersey Mike's Subs, with more than 3,000 locations open and in development, serves authentic fresh sliced/fresh grilled subs on in-store freshly baked bread the same recipe it started with in 1956. Passion for giving in Jersey Mike's local communities is reflected in its mission statement "Givingmaking a difference in someone's life." For more information, please visit jerseymikes.com or follow us on Facebook (facebook.com/jerseymikes), Instagram (instagram.com/jerseymikes), TikTok (tiktok.com/@jerseymikes) and X (formerly Twitter) (twitter.com/jerseymikes). Join in the conversation at #JerseyMikesGives. Contact: Kyle Potvin, [email protected], 917-838-4500 SOURCE Jersey Mikes Subs From Foundations to Rooftops, Wolverine's Woman-Made Campaign Recognizes Women's Contributions in Every Layer of the Trades ROCKFORD, Mich., Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In time for Women's History Month, Wolverine Boots and Apparel, the 140-year-old boot maker, has launched Woman-Made, spotlighting the remarkable accomplishments of women in the skilled trades. Rooted in a rich legacy of honoring the American worker, Wolverine aims to build a more inclusive future through an effort to add "woman-made" to the dictionary. Woman-Made // Wolverine Boots Debuting today, the campaign's anthem video challenges the default use of "man-made" and introduces "woman-made" as a synonym to highlight creations by women. In addition to featuring prominent structures led by women including the Brooklyn Bridge, the video also highlights key figures in the realm of "woman-made" accomplishments, including Anna Connelly, inventor of the fire escape, and Mary Katherine Harbin, leader of an all-female paving crew. Complementing this effort, Wolverine launched a public petition on Change.org calling for the addition of "woman-made" into the dictionary, a term currently absent. By seamlessly integrating "woman-made" into everyday language, Wolverine aims to address the historical underrepresentation of women's achievements and empower more women to pursue fulfilling careers in the skilled trades. "From building historical landmarks to pioneering concepts integral to everyday life, women have been pivotal in shaping our world," said Lauren King, Director of Brand Marketing at Wolverine Boots and Apparel. "In addition to our goal of getting 'woman-made' added to the dictionary, we hope to inspire girls and women around the globe to have the confidence to pursue any passion, especially within the skilled trades where women are drastically underrepresented." Among those highlighted in the video is real estate developer Mika Kleinschmidt, renowned for designing and building custom homes on HGTV's "100 Day Dream Home." Together with her husband, Brian, they run Dirt 2 Design, a consulting real estate business based out of Tampa, Florida, that has a similar mission. As part of this campaign, Wolverine partnered with both Mika and her husband Brian to not only spotlight one of the leading women in the trades, but to encourage men to be strong allies to the cause. "As someone who's built quite a lot, it's mind-boggling to me that 'woman-made' isn't in the dictionary," said Mika Kleinschmidt. "It's no surprise to me that my husband, Brian, is one of my biggest champions but I hope many more men will join this movement. Together, we can redefine success and create a world where 'woman-made' is widely used and girls and women of all ages can see their achievements being celebrated." Statistics show that over half of American homes are sustained by women, yet they remain underrepresented in the skilled trades. To help change that, Wolverine is partnering with Girls Garage, a design and construction school for girls and gender-expansive youths ages 9-18, and donating $25,000 to the organization. Founded in 2013, Girls Garage is the first-ever design and building workshop for female-identifying youth in the United States. To support the cause and add your name to the Change.org, please visit wolverine.com/woman-made. About Wolverine Wolverine, the 140-year-old boot and clothing company, is on a mission to honor the spirit and tenacity of the American worker and build the next generation of skilled trades people. Taking pride in crafting durable boots with unrivaled craftsmanship and the highest quality materials, Wolverine is dedicated to serving hardworking people all over the world. Through Project Bootstrap, Wolverine has contributed over $2 million to organizations in support of skilled trades. For more information, visit www.wolverine.com. Wolverine is a division of Wolverine Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: WWW). SOURCE Wolverine BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 29. KazMunayGas JSC (KMG, Kazakhstan's national oil and gas company) plans to increase the volume of oil transportation through Azerbaijan, as stated in a statement of the Chairman of the Board of KMG Magzum Mirzagaliyev, published by the press service of the joint-stock company, Trend reports. "The head of state (President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev) set the task of developing the so-called Middle Corridor or Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), which includes transportation across the Caspian Sea. As part of this route, last year we began transporting oil in the direction of Baku and further along the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline. Our plans are to increase transportation volumes along this route," he said. As he pointed out, this does not mean that Kazakhstan is looking for an alternative to the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) oil pipeline. "CPC remains reliable, stable and, most importantly, the fastest route for delivering our oil to export markets. Last year, we also began transporting oil towards Germany. At the end of 2023, we transported almost 1 million tons of oil to this country, and we expect that this year we will exceed this volume," Mirzagaliyev noted. Meanwhile, in 2022, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev ordered an increase in the volume of oil transportation along the Trans-Caspian corridor. Following this instruction, KazMunayGas and Azerbaijan's State Oil Company (SOCAR) entered into an agreement providing for the transportation of 1.5 million tons of oil per year from the Tengiz field in the direction of the oil pipeline Baku - Tbilisi - Ceyhan. In 2023, Kazakhstan transported 1.392 million tons of oil via the BTC, which is 5.5 times more than in 2022. The Middle Corridor is a transportation and trade route that connects Asia and Europe, passing through several countries in the region. It is an alternative route to the traditional Northern Corridor and Southern Corridor. The route starts in China and crosses Central Asian countries such as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. It then passes through the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkiye before reaching Europe. The Middle Corridor offers a land route that connects the eastern parts of Asia, including China, with Europe, bypassing the longer maritime routes. BEIJING, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A report from People's Daily: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) recently raised its growth forecast for the Chinese economy and other emerging economies in Asia in 2024. At the same time, the IMF has increased its global economic growth forecast for this year by 0.2 percentage points to 3.1 percent due to the resilience of major economies like China. The IMF pointed out that the lift of China's economic growth forecast reflects the continuation of the strong growth momentum in the Chinese economy last year, which exceeded expectations, as well as the stimulating effect of relevant policies implemented by the Chinese government. In 2023, China's GDP exceeded 126 trillion yuan ($17.51 trillion), growing 5.2 percent from a year ago. China still remains the largest engine of global growth. In January 2024, the country's economic vitality showed signs of recovery, sending positive signals for the year's economic performance. Not only the IMF, other international financial institutions such as Goldman Sachs and UBS Group recently have also released reports indicating that China's consumption and service industries will continue its post-pandemic recovery trend in 2024. Recently, leaders of international institutions and multinational companies have made frequent visits to China, including a Japanese economic delegation, a delegation led by the World Bank executive director, Danone Group from France, Amway Group from the United States and BMW from Germany. They showed confidence in the Chinese market and hoped to deepen practical cooperation with China. At Xiaomo International Logistics Port in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong province, a roll-on/roll-off ship owned by Chinese new energy vehicle maker BYD set sail, carrying over 5,000 Chinese made NEVs and heading towards the Flushing Port in the Netherlands and the Bremerhaven Port in Germany. In 2023, China became the world's largest exporter of automobiles for the first time. Statistics show that one in every three cars exported by China is an electric passenger vehicle. Last year, China's exports of NEVs, lithium batteries, and photovoltaic modules surpassed 1 trillion yuan, leading the world in market share. At the Alashankou port in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, China-Europe freight trains departed one after another, carrying daily necessities, automobiles and spare parts, machinery equipment, and other goods manufactured in various parts of China to Europe. In 2023, China-Europe freight trains made 17,000 trips throughout the year, transporting 1.9 million twenty-foot equivalent units, marking a 6 percent and 18 percent increase, respectively, compared to the previous year. This "golden channel" of international land transportation has connected 217 cities in 25 countries between China and Europe, injecting continuous momentum into bilateral trade and economic exchanges. China is the only country with industries across all categories in the United Nations (UN) industrial classification. "Chinese companies have significant advantages in terms of innovation capability, iteration, and manufacturing efficiency, and behind this is China's well-developed industrial chain and its massive market," said Tang Zhimin, director of China ASEAN Studies at the Bangkok-based Panyapiwat Institute of Management. China is a major trading partner for over 140 countries and regions. Borge Brende, president of the World Economic Forum, noted that China is shifting from investment- and infrastructure-driven growth to innovation-led growth, and it holds a crucial position in global economy and trade. Sonali Jain-Chandra, chief of an IMF team conducting discussions on the 2023 Article IV Consultation in China, noted that the policies implemented by the Chinese government will have a positive impact on the economy. She also said that research conducted by the IMF indicated that when China's growth rate rises by 1 percentage point, growth in other countries increases by around 0.3 percentage points. She believes that China's economic growth in 2024 will still surpass the global average, making China a major contributor to global economic growth in that year. In the new year, various regions in China have outlined their "roadmaps" to build a world-class business environment that is market-oriented, law-based, and internationalized. Shanghai has proposed further advancing high-level reform and opening up, enhancing development momentum and competitiveness, and vigorously promoting pioneering reforms and leading opening-up initiatives in all aspects. Guizhou province will implement actions to improve the quality and efficiency of foreign trade. Chongqing municipality will advance high-level construction of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor to build itself into a highland of opening up. China is focusing on accelerating the development of new productive forces and embracing innovation and transformation as important new trends in its economy. The country is actively promoting digitalization and green, low-carbon transformation in industries. Xiao Song, global executive vice-president of Siemens, said that foreign companies deeply feel China is becoming an "innovation field" for cutting-edge technologies. "The fundamentals sustaining China's economic recovery and long-term growth remain unchanged. As an open country, China will continue to bring more cooperation opportunities to the world. The future of China's economy is bright, and we are full of confidence in it," said Liu Sushe, deputy head of the National Development and Reform Commission. SOURCE People's Daily NEW YORK, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The companion diagnostics market size is expected to grow by USD 11.03 billion from 2022 to 2027. In addition, the momentum of the market will accelerate at a CAGR of 22.59% during the forecast period, according to Technavio Research. The market has been segmented by end-user (life science, health centers, and others), indication (oncology, neurology, and others), and geography (North America, Europe, Asia, and the Rest of the World (ROW)). North America is estimated to contribute 36% to the growth of the global market during the forecast period. The market in this region is driven by robust distribution networks in countries such as the US and Canada, where pharmaceutical companies and healthcare equipment manufacturers are increasingly focused on drug discovery and development. Read a Free PDF Sample Report Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Companion Diagnostics Market 2023-2027 Company Profile: Abbott Laboratories, Abnova Corp., Agilent Technologies Inc., Amoy Diagnostics Co. Ltd., ARUP Laboratories, Bayer AG, BioGenex Laboratories Inc., bioMerieux SA, F. Hoffmann La Roche Ltd., Guardant Health Inc., Illumina Inc., Invivoscribe Inc., Liquid Biotech USA Inc., Myriad Genetics Inc., NG Biotech, QIAGEN NV, Quest Diagnostics Inc., Siemens AG, Sysmex Corp., and Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. Abbott Laboratories - The company offers companion diagnostics such as m2000 REALTIME SYSTEM AND ASSAYS, ALINITY m SYSTEM, AND ASSAYS. To gain access to more vendor profiles available with Technavio, buy the report! Segmentation Analysis The life science segment is estimated to witness significant growth during the forecast period. With the increasing incidence of chronic diseases around the world, there is a growing demand from pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to develop high-quality drugs and treatments that comply with regulatory requirements. View a Free PDF Sample Report The rising use of personalized medicine Due to its specificity as regards treatment for illnesses based on the individual's genetics, personalization of care is gaining popularity. Furthermore, companion diagnostics are increasingly being adopted in the development of personalized medicines to detect diseases before they develop and select appropriate treatment methods that can decrease mortality rates. The growing importance of promotional activities is a major trend in the market. Identify key trends, drivers, and challenges in the market. Download a sample report to gain access to this information. Analyst Review The Companion Diagnostics Market plays a pivotal role in modern healthcare, particularly in the realm of personalized medicine. Companion diagnostics testing, including techniques like in situ hybridization (ISH) and immunohistochemistry (IHC), are indispensable tools in the diagnosis and treatment of various diseases, notably cancer, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), neurological diseases, and infectious diseases. These diagnostics enable clinicians to tailor treatments to individual patients based on their unique genetic makeup or biomarker profiles, maximizing efficacy while minimizing adverse effects. Pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies heavily rely on companion diagnostics to streamline drug development processes, ensuring that medications are targeted to specific patient populations most likely to benefit. Moreover, reference laboratories and contract research organizations (CROs) play critical roles in conducting companion diagnostic testing, providing essential services to healthcare providers and drug developers alike. The rising prevalence of cancer, CVDs, neurological disorders, and infectious diseases underscores the increasing demand for companion diagnostics. As precision medicine continues to gain momentum, the market for these diagnostics is expected to expand significantly in the coming years. Key players in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors are investing heavily in companion diagnostics, forging partnerships with diagnostic companies and laboratories to advance personalized treatment approaches. In conclusion, companion diagnostics represent a crucial component of modern healthcare, facilitating targeted therapies and improving patient outcomes across a spectrum of diseases. As technology advances and our understanding of disease mechanisms deepens, the role of companion diagnostics in guiding treatment decisions is only poised to grow, shaping the future of medicine. The Companion Diagnostics Market is witnessing growth driven by advancements in Companion diagnostics testing for precise treatment in cancer and cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). Technologies like in situ hybridization (ISH) and immunohistochemistry (IHC) are pivotal in guiding personalized therapies, enhancing patient outcomes. View a Free PDF Sample Report Related Reports: The Influenza Diagnostics Market size is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 6.95% between 2023 and 2027. The market size is forecast to increase by USD 466.18 million. The Molecular Diagnostics Market size is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 5.96% between 2022 and 2027. The market size is forecast to increase by USD 7,722.71 million. ToC: 1 Executive Summary 2 Landscape 3 Sizing 4 Historic Size 5 Five Forces Analysis 6 Segmentations 7 Customer Landscape 8 Geographic Landscape 9 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 10 Vendor Landscape 11 Vendor Analysis 12 Appendix About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provide actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. 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 CHICAGO, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE: CAG) announced that one of its subsidiaries has entered into a definitive agreement with funds advised by Convergent Finance and Samara Capital to divest its 51.8% ownership stake in Agro Tech Foods Limited (ATFL), a food company based in Mumbai, India, and listed on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including the receipt of any applicable regulatory approvals. The transaction is expected to be completed by the end of calendar year 2024. Upon the close of this agreement, Conagra Brands will no longer consolidate the results of ATFL in its financial statements. Conagra Brands was advised by Bank of America and Cyril Amarchand Mangaldas on this transaction. About Conagra Brands Conagra Brands, Inc. (NYSE: CAG), headquartered in Chicago, is one of North America's leading branded food companies. Guided by an entrepreneurial spirit, Conagra Brands combines a rich heritage of making great food with a sharpened focus on innovation. The company's portfolio is evolving to satisfy people's changing food preferences. Conagra's iconic brands, such as Birds Eye, Duncan Hines, Healthy Choice, Marie Callender's, Reddi-wip, and Slim Jim, as well as emerging brands, including Angie's BOOMCHICKAPOP, Duke's, Earth Balance, Gardein, and Frontera, offer choices for every occasion. For more information, visit www.conagrabrands.com. Note on Forward-looking Statements This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. These forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and are subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. These forward-looking statements include statements regarding regulatory approvals and the expected timing of completion of the proposed transaction. There is no assurance that the proposed transaction described above will be consummated, and there are a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements made herein, including risks relating to the timing and ability to obtain the required regulatory approvals and satisfy the other closing conditions for the proposed transaction, the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that could delay the closing of the proposed transaction, and other risks and uncertainties described in Conagra Brands' filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements represent Conagra Brands' judgment as of the date of this release. Conagra Brands undertakes no responsibility to update these statements, except as required by law. For more information, please contact: MEDIA: Dan Hare 312-549-5355 [email protected] INVESTORS: Melissa Napier 312-549-5738 IR@conagra.com SOURCE Conagra Brands, Inc. CALGARY, AB, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - Crescent Point Energy Corp. ("Crescent Point" or the "Company") (TSX: CPG) and (NYSE: CPG) confirms the filing of its Annual Information Form ("AIF") for the year ended December 31, 2023, with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities on the System for Electronic Analysis and Retrieval ("SEDAR+"). In addition, Crescent Point has filed its Form 40-F for the year ended December 31, 2023, which includes the AIF, with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission on the Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval ("EDGAR") system. The AIF contains the Company's reserves data and other oil and natural gas information, as required under National Instrument 51-101. An electronic copy of the AIF may be obtained on Crescent Point's website at www.crescentpointenergy.com, on the Company's SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.com and on the Company's EDGAR profile at www.sec.gov/edgar. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON CRESCENT POINT ENERGY, PLEASE CONTACT: Shant Madian, Vice President, Capital Markets, or Sarfraz Somani, Manager, Investor Relations Telephone: (403) 693-0020 Toll-free (US and Canada): 888-693-0020 Fax: (403) 693-0070 Address: Crescent Point Energy Corp. Suite 2000, 585 - 8th Avenue S.W. Calgary AB T2P 1G1 www.crescentpointenergy.com Crescent Point shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange and New York Stock Exchange under the symbol CPG. SOURCE Crescent Point Energy Corp. ABU DHABI, UAE, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- As a member of the WTO Director-General Business Advisory Group, Founder, Chairperson, and CEO of DHGATE Group Diane Wang was invited to speak at the recent 13th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization (WTO MC13) in Abu Dhabi. During the "Re-globalizing trade for people and planet" panel on February 27th, Diane not only shared insights on global trade opportunities but also highlighted to ministers and WTO members from around the world how a more inclusive and sustainable global economy is key to re-globalizing trade. DHGATE Group CEO Diane Wang Calls For Increased Collaboration, Inclusivity and Sustainability at WTO 13th Ministerial Conference "The complexities and challenges of international trade, such as the concerning trend of fragmentation and de-globalization, pose significant challenges especially to vulnerable groups like Least Developed Countries (LDCs); micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs); and women," said Diane, who was one of only a handful of esteemed panelists at WTO MC13. She identified three key challenges during the panel discussion: limited access to markets due to regulatory barriers, lack of infrastructure, and limited resources; limited access to financing; and the digital divide, which holds back MSMEs and women's ability to compete in the digital economy. Through DHGATE Group, Diane has been actively pursuing initiatives to overcome these challenges and empower vulnerable groups, such as through providing resources, digital tools, and training and education for trade skills. DHgate.com has so far trained 500,000 MSMEs (40% of which are female-led) make up through online and offline workshops, enabling them to go global through the digital economy. Held from February 26th to 29th, 2024, WTO MC13 serves as a pivotal platform for global trade discussions, bringing together ministers from around the world to review the functioning of the multilateral trading system and to take action on the future work of the WTO. The biennial Ministerial Conference is the world's topmost decision-making body for multilateral trade agreements. As a prominent and influential figure in the digital economy, Diane's participation underscores DHGATE Group's commitment to fostering an inclusive and sustainable digital economy, particularly for MSMEs and female entrepreneurs. "The WTO plays a very important role through promoting policies, encouraging public-private collaboration, and encouraging cooperation between countries. There is an urgent need for more practical, hands-on programs, so one way would be for the WTO to advocate for projects such as the APEC Cross-Border E-commerce Training program (APEC CBET)," Diane shared. Started in 2014, the APEC CBET accelerates cooperation between experienced economies and those with less experience, which then empowers local MSMEs to go global through digital platforms such as cross-border e-commerce. Diane had also launched the APEC Women Connect (AWC) initiative in 2016, which aims to empower women through inspirational sharing, practical learning, effective recognition and awards. In the seven years since, the AWC program has been recognized and endorsed by the leaders of UN, APEC, and G20 countries; and has trained over 100,000 women MSMEs and nurtured over 5,000 female entrepreneurs. With WTO's help in advocating for such programs, APEC CBET and AWC would be able to secure more partners and NGO participation, growing the scope of what these programs can achieve for MSMEs and female entrepreneurs. Championing the belief that technology and e-commerce hold the key to a more inclusive and sustainable global economy, Diane addressed how new technologies and AI are important enablers for e-commerce by helping to empower MSMEs and women in underserved communities and regions to participate and compete in more palpable ways. An example is by using AI with processes such as interpreting data to guide product design direction, which can then be swiftly followed up by 3D printing of products for market testing and scaling up production. This streamlined product development process enhances efficiency and reduces costs significantly. "The WTO is the bridge that can connect the needs and resources of every party in the trade network, providing MSMEs and female entrepreneurs with collaborative opportunities, capacity-building projects and the right digital tools to more effectively develop their businesses for international trade. Only then can we deliver on the promise of re-globalization that benefits both people and the planet," Diane said. In addition to Diane Wang, other speakers for the "Re-globalizing trade for people and planet" panel included Pradeep Mehta, the Secretary-General of the international non-profit organization Consumer Unity & Trust Society, which focuses on providing the poor with access to developmental opportunities; as well as Luc Triangle, General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation, the world's largest trade union federation. As a valuable member of the WTO Director-General Business Advisory Group, Diane attended key MC13 events and also met with WTO Director-General Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and business leaders from around the world to advise on global trade, e-commerce, MSMEs and women's empowerment initiatives. Diane is the sole representative from China among the current 10 members, drawing from 30+ years of experience in the cross-border e-commerce business and imparting her global online trade perspectives on international trade practices. The Business Advisory Group was recently established by Dr. Ngozi to improve engagement with businesses and facilitate dialogue on key issues relevant to both the multilateral trading system and complex international business landscape. About DHgate Founded in 2004, DHgate has become the leading B2B cross-border e-commerce marketplace in China, boasting over 34 million live listings annually. Through their global operations and offices, including in the USA and UK, DHgate reaches millions of people with trusted products and services. As of December 31, 2022, DHgate served more than 59.6 million registered buyers from 225 countries and regions, connecting them to over 2.54 million sellers in China and other countries. For more information, please visit DHgate.com and follow @DHgate.com . SOURCE DHGATE Group BANGKOK, Feb. 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- DuPont will present an extensive range of advanced circuit materials and solutions at Intelligent Asia Thailand 2024. With an extensive portfolio in signal integrity, power transmission and thermal management, DuPont will exhibit in Booth #N309 at EH 100, Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre (BITEC) from February 29 to March 2. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing the electronics industry. DuPont is a one-stop powerhouse for AI-enabling solutions, offering a wide range of material, chemistry and process solutions for advanced circuit and packaging applications. DuPont's scientists and engineers are committed to delivering greater value to customers and advancing heterogeneous integration for AI and High-Performance Computing (HPC). "I am thrilled about DuPont's integrated capabilities to enhance our leadership position in advanced packaging and printed circuit board (PCB) industry," said Yuanyuan Zhou, global business director, DuPont. "Our cutting-edge solutions in metallization, photoresist and dielectrics provide us a distinct advantage in meeting the ever-increasing demand for miniaturization, high-speed performance, and advanced functionality in the electronics industry. We're equipped to help PCB manufacturers in Southeast Asia to stay competitive in this rapidly evolving market." With the PCB industry's growing investment in Southeast Asia, DuPont's global reach and strategic partnership with customers support their efforts to expand operations worldwide. DuPont's advanced packaging, IC substrate and PCB solutions help address challenges across various segments, including AI, HPC, consumer electronics, and high-reliability applications such as automotive and telecom. PCBs with fine line patterns are mission critical for modern automotive and consumer electronics, enabling the integration of complex circuits into smaller spaces. To ensure reliable function, automotive manufacturers are increasingly adopting high-density interconnection (HDI) designs, which are better suited for densely-packed circuit design. Through offering advanced materials and chemistry for flex, rigid-flex, and rigid PCBs, DuPont total solutions for the PCB market enhance efficiency and elevate performance levels. Along with the rapid evolution of AI, 5G, Internet of Things, and autonomous driving technologies, PCB industry faces an increasing challenge of minimizing insertion loss and maintaining signal integrity for high-speed and high-frequency signal transmission applications. Ensuring reliable performance of electronic devices requires critical PCB signal integrity and thermal management. DuPont's comprehensive solutions are designed to address these challenges by enabling low-loss and signal integrity. At the show, DuPont experts will be available at the company's booth to share their extensive knowledge and expertise on technology advancements and industry trends. Visitors can explore DuPont total solutions for the PCB market. Product offerings include: DuPont Copper Gleam PPR-II/III pulse acid plating copper is a new generation electroplating solution designed for advanced MLB, high-layer count boards, and AI server station applications. The solution has superior throwing power for through-hole plating, with better plated thickness distribution on surface to fulfill fine-line and high reliability requirements. DuPont Circuposit 6800W electroless copper plus Copper Gleam PS-100 flash copper are designed for enhanced reliability performance in multi-stack micro-via designs, replacing conventional electroless copper processes. The combination of a horizontal electroless copper process with a flash electroplating step creates a more efficient single process solution. DuPont Riston DI9500M & DI8600 and FD3000M dry film photoresist are multi-wavelength DI solutions designed for use in pitch greater than or equal to 70m tech/etch processes for rigid and flex PCBs. These dry film photoresists provide fine-line capability with excellent resolution and adhesion performance, improving overall yield for manufacturers. DuPont Microfill EVF-III acid copper is a new generation via-filling technology designed for fine-line HDI applications. The solution is highly effective for panel via filling, providing excellent throwing power for improved through-hole performance. DuPont Pyralux AP flexible copper-clad laminate is a versatile, double-sided laminate that features an all-polyimide dielectric and DuPont's unique manufacturing process. This laminate offers exceptional reliability and reduced transmission loss. With its tailored combination of properties, it fulfills customers' requirements for high reliability and high-speed, high-frequency signal transmission. DuPont Interra HK04J embedded capacitance laminate is a thin, buried capacitance laminate that serves as a power and ground plane in high-speed signal transmission PCBs to improve power integrity. It excels in power bus decoupling, EMI reduction, and power plane impedance reduction at high-speed signal transmission. Laird Tlam thermally conductive PCB system is a thermally conductive insulated metal PCB substrate system designed for efficient heat dissipation in electronic circuit boards. This system is suitable for a wide range of applications, including power supplies, DC-DC converters, LEDs and ballast lighting, automotive, appliances, and commercial and industrial motor drives, as well as military and aerospace applications. About DuPont DuPont (NYSE: DD) is a global innovation leader with technology-based materials and solutions that help transform industries and everyday life. Our employees apply diverse science and expertise to help customers advance their best ideas and deliver essential innovations in key markets including electronics, transportation, construction, water, healthcare and worker safety. More information about the company, its businesses and solutions can be found at www.dupont.com . Investors can access information included on the Investor Relations section of the website at investors.dupont.com. DuPont, the DuPont Oval Logo, and all trademarks and service marks denoted with , SM or are owned by affiliates of DuPont de Nemours, Inc. unless otherwise noted. SOURCE DuPont JACKSON, Miss., Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- EastGroup Properties, Inc. (NYSE: EGP) (the "Company", "we", "us" or "EastGroup") announced today its recent business activity. Commenting on the Company's activity, Marshall Loeb, CEO, stated, "We are pleased to see the occupancy and leasing trends we experienced late last year continuing thus far into 2024. Occupancy is trending inline to slightly ahead of our forecast. We look forward to speaking with many of you next week at the Citi conference and for those we'll miss we're available for any questions." As of February 29, 2024, EastGroup's portfolio was 97.9% leased and 97.6% occupied. Rental rates on new and renewal leases signed during first quarter to date increased an average of 57.0% on a straight-line basis and 38.4% on a cash basis. During the first quarter of 2024 to date, the Company entered into forward equity sale agreements with respect to 191,730 shares of common stock with an initial weighted average forward price of $182.28 per share. In combination with remaining outstanding forward equity sale agreements from 2023, the Company currently has 325,429 shares of common stock available before settlement periods expire ranging from December 2024 to February 2025, for approximate gross proceeds of $59,628,000. Management is scheduled to present at the Citi 2024 Global Property CEO Conference on March 4, 2024 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The webcast will be broadcast live and is accessible at https://kvgo.com/2024-global-property-ceo-conference/eastgroup-march. A replay of the webcast will be available until March 4, 2025. During the conference, EastGroup executives may discuss the Company's transaction activity, leasing environment, market trends and conditions, financial matters and other business that may be affecting the Company. EastGroup's presentation materials that may be referenced during the conferences are available on the "Investor Relations" page of the Company's website. About EastGroup Properties, Inc. EastGroup, a member of the S&P Mid-Cap 400 and Russell 1000 Indexes, is a self-administered equity real estate investment trust focused on the development, acquisition and operation of industrial properties in major Sunbelt markets throughout the United States with an emphasis in the states of Florida, Texas, Arizona, California and North Carolina. The Company's goal is to maximize shareholder value by being a leading provider in its markets of functional, flexible and quality business distribution space for location sensitive customers (primarily in the 20,000 to 100,000 square foot range). The Company's strategy for growth is based on ownership of premier distribution facilities generally clustered near major transportation features in supply-constrained submarkets. EastGroup's portfolio, including development projects and value-add acquisitions in lease-up and under construction, currently includes approximately 59 million square feet. EastGroup Properties, Inc. press releases are available at www.eastgroup.net. Forward-Looking Information The statements and certain other information contained herein, which can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may," "will," "seek," "expects," "anticipates," "believes," "targets," "intends," "should," "estimates," "could," "continue," "assume," "projects," "goals," "plans" and variations of such words and similar expressions or the negative of such words, constitute "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, and are subject to the safe harbors created thereby. These forward-looking statements reflect the Company's current views about its plans, intentions, expectations, strategies and prospects, which are based on the information currently available to the Company and on assumptions it has made. Although the Company believes that its plans, intentions, expectations, strategies and prospects as reflected in or suggested by those forward-looking statements are reasonable, the Company can give no assurance that such plans, intentions, expectations, strategies or prospects will be attained or achieved. Furthermore, these forward-looking statements should be considered as subject to the many risks and uncertainties that exist in the Company's operations and business environment. Such risks and uncertainties could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. These uncertainties include, but are not limited to: international, national, regional and local economic conditions; disruption in supply and delivery chains; construction costs could increase as a result of inflation impacting the costs to develop properties; the competitive environment in which the Company operates; fluctuations of occupancy or rental rates; potential defaults (including bankruptcies or insolvency) on or non-renewal of leases by tenants, or our ability to lease space at current or anticipated rents, particularly in light of the impacts of inflation; potential changes in the law or governmental regulations and interpretations of those laws and regulations, including changes in real estate laws or real estate investment trust ("REIT") or corporate income tax laws, potential changes in zoning laws, or increases in real property tax rates, and any related increased cost of compliance; our ability to maintain our qualification as a REIT; acquisition and development risks, including failure of such acquisitions and development projects to perform in accordance with projections; natural disasters such as fires, floods, tornadoes, hurricanes and earthquakes; pandemics, epidemics or other public health emergencies, such as the coronavirus pandemic; availability of financing and capital, increase in interest rates, and ability to raise equity capital on attractive terms; financing risks, including the risks that our cash flows from operations may be insufficient to meet required payments of principal and interest, and we may be unable to refinance our existing debt upon maturity or obtain new financing on attractive terms or at all; our ability to retain our credit agency ratings; our ability to comply with applicable financial covenants; credit risk in the event of non-performance by the counterparties to our interest rate swaps; how and when pending forward equity sales may settle; lack of or insufficient amounts of insurance; litigation, including costs associated with prosecuting or defending claims and any adverse outcomes; our ability to attract and retain key personnel; risks related to the failure, inadequacy or interruption of our data security systems and processes; potentially catastrophic events such as acts of war, civil unrest and terrorism; and environmental liabilities, including costs, fines or penalties that may be incurred due to necessary remediation of contamination of properties presently owned or previously owned by us. All forward-looking statements should be read in light of the risks identified in Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors within the Company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, as such factors may be updated from time to time in the Company's periodic filings and current reports filed with the SEC. The Company assumes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. SOURCE EastGroup Properties TOKYO, Feb. 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Eisai Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Tokyo, CEO: Haruo Naito, "Eisai") announced today the company will present the latest findings on lecanemab (U.S. brand name: LEQEMBI), Eisai's anti-amyloid beta (A) protofibril* antibody for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD), at the 2024 International Conference on Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Diseases and related neurological disorders (AD/PD) from March 5-9 in Lisbon, Portugal, and virtually. The lecanemab data and additional research findings from Eisai's AD portfolio will be featured in 18 presentations, including ten oral presentations. Eisai will present five oral presentations and one poster presentation on lecanemab results. From the Phase 3 Clarity AD study in subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to Alzheimer's disease (AD) and mild AD dementia (collectively known as early AD) with confirmed brain A accumulation, presentations will include data on the effect of lecanemab treatment on tau accumulation in whole brain regions, and outcomes of long-term efficacy of lecanemab. In addition, the differences in the binding properties of multiple anti-amyloid (A) antibodies to various types of A and other data will be presented. Eisai will also host a symposium titled "Defining meaningful benefits to patients, caregivers, and healthcare systems in Alzheimer's disease". "Lecanemab treatment of early AD in the Phase 3 Clarity AD study had less clinical decline and slower tau accumulation than placebo," said Michael Irizarry, M.D., Deputy Chief Clinical Officer and Senior Vice President of Clinical Research at Eisai Inc. "The earlier MCI due to AD and mild AD dementia are diagnosed and treated, the greater the opportunity for the patient to benefit. We will continue to share the importance of and rationale for early treatment with lecanemab to the scientific community." Eisai Symposium Defining meaningful benefits to patients, caregivers, and healthcare systems in Alzheimer's disease. Eisai is sponsoring a symposium featuring three prominent clinical experts in the field of AD, Dr. Jeffrey Cummings, Dr. Robert Perneczky and Dr. Miia Kivipelto. Dr. Jeffrey Cummings will chair the symposium, and provide an overview of meaningful benefits, including clinical meaningfulness and the evolution of approaches for the clinical study of AD. Dr. Robert Perneczky will discuss how to assess meaningful benefits of treatments in development for AD. Dr. Miia Kivipelto's presentation will provide new statistical methods to measure meaningful benefits and address various stakeholder perspectives. (Thursday, March 7, 11:10-12:50) Eisai's Chief Clinical Officer, Lynn Kramer, M.D., will give a plenary presentation as "Novel approaches to clinical development and the future potential of simulated placebo" on March 7 at the "A TARGETING THERAPIES IN AD 1" session. AD/PD 2024 Presentations Relating to Eisai's Key Compounds and Research Oral Presentations Asset in Development, Session, Time (Central European Time: CEN) Presentation Title Lecanemab Abeta Targeting Therapies in AD 01 Thursday, March 7, 13:50 - 14:05 Treatment with lecanemab disrupts tau accumulation across brain regions in early Alzheimer's disease Lecanemab Abeta Targeting Therapies in AD 02 Saturday, March 9, 8:40 - 8:55 Binding characteristics of lecanemab, donanemab and other amyloid-beta antibodies to different forms of amyloid-beta in Alzheimer's disease brains Presented by BioArctic Lecanemab Abeta Targeting Therapies in AD 02 Saturday, March 9, 9:10 - 9:25 Lecanemab for the treatment of early Alzheimer's disease: the extension of efficacy results from Clarity AD Lecanemab Abeta Targeting Therapies in AD 02 Saturday, March 9, 9:25 9:40 Structural dynamics of amyloid- protofibrils and action of lecanemab as observed by high-speed atomic force microscopy Lecanemab Virtual Oral Presentation VO028 / #2922 A neuro-dynamic quantitative systems pharmacology (QSP) model for Alzheimer's disease incorporating amyloid and tau pathophysiology General AD Fluid Biomarkers, Imaging and Digital Tools Wednesday, March 6, 18:30 - 18:45 Digital cognitive assessments at baseline predict longitudinal clinical progression in early Alzheimer's disease General Dementia Comorbidities and Neuropsychiatric Consequences of AD, PD, LDB and COVID-19 Saturday, March 9, 15:55 - 16:10 Patient characteristics and comorbidities associated with different dementia etiologies among patients with mild cognitive impairment Biomarkers Virtual Oral Presentation VO039 / #2970 Plasma p-tau217 demonstrates increased association with regional amyloid and tau PET load compared to A42/40 ratio or p-tau181 in AD C2N/Eisai collaboration Imaging/Biomarkers/Diagnostics Virtual Oral Presentation VO045 / #2859 High correlation of plasma tau and p-tau181 levels measured by a fully automated immunoassay system and an immunoprecipitation mass spectrometry assay Sysmex/Eisai collaboration General AD Virtual Oral Presentation VO155 / #1169 Real-world study to evaluate diagnostic, referral and treatment patterns in early Alzheimer's disease among community-based practices in the US Poster Presentations Asset in Development, Abstract and Poster Number, Date (CEN) Presentation Title Lecanemab Abstract #1510 Poster board 0098 Friday, March 8 Saturday, March 9 Characterization of amyloid-beta species in Alzheimer's disease brain and the unique binding properties of lecanemab Presented by BioArctic E2511 Abstract #1962 Poster board 0132 Friday, March 8 Saturday, March 9 Network-informed unbiased global proteomics strategy to discover biomarkers for E2511, a novel TrkA modulator Biomarkers Abstract #371 Poster board 0173 Friday, March 8 Saturday, March 9 A prospective multicenter study to evaluate implementation of confirmatory blood-based biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease in real-world clinical practice Biomarkers Abstract #975 Poster board 0271 Wednesday, March 6 - Thursday, March 7 Clinical Performance Evaluation Of Plasma Amyloid- Biomarkers In Predicting Amyloid Positivity In Community-Based Mild Cognitive Impairment Cohort Shimadzu/Oita University/Eisai collaboration General AD Abstract #401 Poster board 0672 Wednesday, March 6 - Thursday, March 7 Development of a risk prediction model for mild cognitive impairment using EHR data General AD Abstract #1150 Poster board 0611 Wednesday, March 6 - Thursday, March 7 Community-based physician attitudes toward the diagnosis and treatment of early Alzheimer's disease General AD Abstract #663 Poster board 0149 Friday, March 8 Saturday, March 9 De-risking clinical trial design via model-informed drug development with the Critical Path for Alzheimer's Disease Consortium General AD Abstract #562 Poster board 0110 Friday, March 8 Saturday, March 9 Increased level of 12 KDA C-terminal APOE fragments in AD brain BioArctic/Eisai collaboration Eisai-Sponsored Symposium Time (CEN) Title, Presenter Thursday, March 7, 11:10 - 12:50 Defining meaningful benefits to patients, caregivers, and healthcare systems in Alzheimer's disease Jeffrey Cummings, Robert Perneczky, Miia Kivipelto Plenary Presentation Session, Time (CEN) Title Abeta Targeting Therapies in AD 01 Thursday, March 7, 15:20 - 15:35 Novel approaches to clinical development and the future potential of simulated placebo Eisai serves as the lead of lecanemab development and regulatory submissions globally with both Eisai and Biogen co-commercializing and co-promoting the product and Eisai having final decision-making authority. * Protofibrils are large A aggregated soluble species of 75-5000 Kd.1, 2,3 [Notes to editors] 1. About Lecanemab Lecanemab (brand name in the U.S.: LEQEMBI) is the result of a strategic research alliance between Eisai and BioArctic. LEQEMBI is a humanized immunoglobulin gamma 1 (IgG1) monoclonal antibody directed against aggregated soluble (protofibril) and insoluble forms of amyloid-beta (A). LEQEMBI is an amyloid beta-directed antibody indicated as a disease-modifying treatment for Alzheimer's disease (AD) in the U.S. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted traditional approval on July 6, 2023. In the U.S., treatment with LEQEMBI should be initiated in patients with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia stage of disease, the population in which treatment was initiated in clinical trials. There are no safety or effectiveness data on initiating treatment at earlier or later stages of the disease than were studied. Please see full Prescribing Information. In Japan, Eisai received approval from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) on September 25, 2023, to manufacture and market lecanemab as a treatment for slowing progression of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and mild dementia due to AD. In China, Eisai received approval for the treatment of MCI due to AD and mild AD in January 2024 LEQEMBI's approval was based on Phase 3 data from Eisai's large, global Clarity AD clinical trial, in which LEQEMBI met its primary endpoint and all key secondary endpoints with statistically significant results and confirmed the clinical benefit of LEQEMBI.4,5 The primary endpoint was the global cognitive and functional scale, Clinical Dementia Rating Sum of Boxes (CDR-SB). In the Clarity AD clinical trial, treatment with LEQEMBI reduced clinical decline on CDR-SB by 27% at 18 months compared to placebo. In addition, the secondary endpoint from the AD Cooperative Study-Activities of Daily Living Scale for Mild Cognitive Impairment (ADCS MCI-ADL), which measures information provided by people caring for patients with AD, noted a statistically significant benefit of 37% compared to placebo. The ADCS MCI-ADL assesses the ability of patients to function independently, including being able to dress, feed themselves and participate in community activities. The most common adverse events (>10%) in the LEQEMBI group were infusion reactions, ARIA-H (combined cerebral microhemorrhages, cerebral macrohemorrhages, and superficial siderosis), ARIA-E (edema/effusion), headache, and fall. Eisai has also submitted applications for approval of lecanemab in 11 countries and regions, including EU, Canada and Great Britain. Eisai has completed a lecanemab subcutaneous bioavailability study, and subcutaneous dosing of lecanemab is currently being evaluated in the Clarity AD (Study 301) open-label extension (OLE). A maintenance dosing regimen has been evaluated as part of Study 201. Since July 2020 the Phase 3 clinical study (AHEAD 3-45) for individuals with preclinical AD, meaning they are clinically normal and have intermediate or elevated levels of amyloid in their brains, is ongoing. AHEAD 3-45 is conducted as a public-private partnership between the Alzheimer's Clinical Trial Consortium that provides the infrastructure for academic clinical trials in AD and related dementias in the U.S, funded by the National Institute on Aging, part of the National Institutes of Health, Eisai and Biogen. Since January 2022, the Tau NexGen clinical study for Dominantly Inherited AD (DIAD), that is conducted by Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network Trials Unit (DIAN-TU), led by Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, is ongoing and includes lecanemab as the backbone anti-amyloid therapy. 2. About the Collaboration between Eisai and Biogen for AD Eisai and Biogen have been collaborating on the joint development and commercialization of AD treatments since 2014. Eisai serves as the lead of LEQEMBI development and regulatory submissions globally with both companies co-commercializing and co-promoting the product and Eisai having final decision-making authority. 3. About the Collaboration between Eisai and BioArctic for AD Since 2005, Eisai and BioArctic have had a long-term collaboration regarding the development and commercialization of AD treatments. Eisai obtained the global rights to study, develop, manufacture and market LEQEMBI for the treatment of AD pursuant to an agreement with BioArctic in December 2007. The development and commercialization agreement on the antibody LEQEMBI back-up was signed in May 2015. References 1 https://www.alzforum.org/news/conference-coverage/lecanemab-sweeps-toxic-av-protofibrils-catches-eyes-trialists 2 Sehlin D, Englund H, Simu B, Karlsson M, Ingelsson M, Nikolajeff F, Lannfelt L, Pettersson FE. Large aggregates are the major soluble A species in AD brain fractionated with density gradient ultracentrifugation. PLoS One. 2012;7(2):e32014 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0032014 Epub 2012 Feb 15. PMID: 22355408; PMCID: PMC3280222. 3 Soderberg, L., Johannesson, M., Nygren, P. et al. Lecanemab, Aducanumab, and Gantenerumab Binding Profiles to Different Forms of Amyloid-Beta Might Explain Efficacy and Side Effects in Clinical Trials for Alzheimer's Disease. Neurotherapeutics (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13311-022-01308-6. Accessed February 9, 2023. 4 Eisai presents full results of lecanemab Phase 3 confirmatory Clarity AD study for early Alzheimer's disease at Clinical Trials on Alzheimer's Disease (CTAD) conference. Available at: https://www.eisai.com/news/2022/news202285.html Last accessed: February 2024. 5 van Dyck. C, et al. Lecanemab in Early Alzheimer's Disease. The New England Journal of Medicine. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2212948. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2212948 SOURCE Eisai Inc. MONTREAL, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - Fiera Capital ("Fiera Capital" or the "Company"), a leading independent asset management firm, has announced the opening of its first office in United Arab Emirates further to the implementation of its new regionalized distribution model. This new office represents the first step in the Company's growth plans across the Gulf Cooperation Council region, which includes six countries Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (the "GCC Region"). Based in Abu Dhabi in the heart of Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), the Company's office in the Middle East adds to a growing global footprint spanning four continents. The newly established office will be co-led by Paul Doyle and Xavier Zawisza, who will be responsible for growing Fiera Capital's established investor base. The pair were selected for their extensive Middle East fundraising expertise and history advising large institutional investors on asset manager search and selection. Fiera Capital is an investor in the Gulf region, both in its active positioning across its Emerging Markets and Frontier Markets strategies, in addition to the Company's dedicated Middle East and North Africa ("MENA") mandate. The Company's Abu Dhabi office is its self-described "foundation" in MENA, with the expectation being to grow its presence and team in the region over time. "This inaugural establishment in the Middle East serves as a cornerstone of our strategic entry into the region, reflecting our commitment to cultivating a robust and enduring presence, and marking another significant advancement in our regionalization strategy," said Jean-Guy Desjardins, Chairman of the Board and Global Chief Executive Officer. "By leveraging our existing and well-established clientele base in the region, we are strategically positioned to fortify our market foothold within the GCC Region. As we inaugurate operations in Abu Dhabi, we remain steadfast in our pursuit of consolidating our standing and extending our influence across the broader Middle Eastern landscape." "Leveraging the strong relationships we've forged with sovereign wealth funds, family offices, pension funds and major listed corporates in the region, we're taking the next logical step in our expansion," said Klaus Schuster, Executive Director and CEO, Fiera Capital EMEA, emphasizing Fiera Capital's enduring ties with institutional investors across the GCC. "Investors at all tiers have a growing preference for multi-asset portfolio solutions across public and private market strategies which can be tailored to meet specific asset allocation criteria. Our offering in the Middle East will replicate the bedrock on which Fiera Capital's success has been built; a philosophy of investing in quality over long-term horizons in the absolute pursuit of steady and financially sustainable alpha." "Being mature investors in the Middle East is a distinct competitive advantage," continued Schuster. "We've proven that we can drive value creation in high-growth geographies as well as on home ground. Investors with capital to deploy at scale are looking for points of difference, especially in a period of global market volatility." Priority asset classes for Fiera Capital's Middle East initiatives include global and MENA-specific equities, as well as real assets including real estate, infrastructure, natural capital and indirect exposure through private credit instruments. Fiera Capital's OAKS EM Select strategy, which invests in a diversified portfolio of smaller emerging markets securities seeking absolute returns and marked its three-year track record in January 2024, is a standout having outperformed 99% of its peers since its inception according to Bloomberg data. About Fiera Capital Corporation Fiera Capital is a leading independent asset management firm with a growing global presence. The Company delivers customized and multi-asset solutions across public and private market asset classes to institutional, financial intermediary and private wealth clients across North America, Europe and key markets in Asia. Fiera Capital's depth of expertise, diversified investment platform and commitment to delivering outstanding service are core to our mission of being at the forefront of investment management science to create sustainable wealth for clients. Fiera Capital trades under the ticker FSZ on the Toronto Stock Exchange. Headquartered in Montreal, Fiera Capital, with its affiliates in various jurisdictions, has offices in over a dozen cities around the world, including New York (U.S.), London (UK), and Hong Kong (SAR). Each affiliated entity (each an "Affiliate") of Fiera Capital only provides investment advisory or investment management services or offers investment funds in the jurisdictions where the Affiliate is authorized to provide services pursuant to an exemption from registration and/or the relevant product is registered. Fiera Capital does not provide investment advice to U.S. clients or offer investment advisory services in the U.S. In the U.S., asset management services are provided by Fiera Capital's affiliates who are investment advisers that are registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or exempt from registration. Registration with the SEC does not imply a certain level of skill or training. For details on the particular registration of, or exemptions therefrom relied upon by, any Fiera Capital entity, please consult https://www.fieracapital.com/en/registrations-and-exemptions. Additional information about Fiera Capital, including the Company's annual information form, is available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Disclosure The information presented is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be, and should not be construed as, an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, any investment product. The information presented in this document, in whole or in part, is not investment, tax, legal or other advice, nor does it consider the investment objectives or financial circumstances of any investor. This document may contain "forward-looking statements" which reflect the current expectations of Fiera Capital and/or its Affiliates. These statements reflect current beliefs, expectations, and assumptions with respect to future events and are based on information currently available. Although based upon what Fiera Capital and its affiliates believe to be reasonable assumptions, there is no guarantee that actual results, performance, or achievements will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. There is no obligation for Fiera Capital and/or its Affiliates to update or alter any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. SOURCE Fiera Capital Corporation SINGAPORE, Feb. 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- OKX, a leading Web3 technology company, has issued updates for February 28, 2024. OKX Wallet to Co-host Bitcoin Renaissance Summit with Babylon During ETHDenver 2024 and Give Away Free Event Tickets OKX Wallet is thrilled to announce that it will be co-hosting the Bitcoin Renaissance Summit with Babylon during ETHDenver 2024 on February 29. Bitcoin Renaissance, a thought leadership summit, will gather luminaries from across the world to delve into the evolution of Bitcoin's ecosystem and explore the synergies between Bitcoin and PoS chains. The event features panel discussions, insights sharing, as well as unparalleled networking opportunities. Its line-up of speakers includes David Tse of Babylon, Jeff Ren of OKX Ventures, Muneeb Ali of Stacks, Sandeep Naliwal of Polygon, Sunny Aggarwal of Osmosis, Nic Carter of Castle Island and many others. OKX Wallet is proud to co-host this landmark event, which underscores its commitment to promoting blockchain technology and digital assets. The Bitcoin Renaissance Summit aligns with OKX Wallet's mission to foster a deeper understanding of the potential of Bitcoin and how it is shaping the future of finance. To celebrate its co-hosting of the Bitcoin Renaissance Summit, followers of OKX Web3 on X (formerly known as Twitter) can enter a giveaway campaign for free tickets to the event by liking and commenting on this post. Alternatively, you can secure your spot at: https://bitcoin-renaissance.com/ For more information, please visit the OKX Support Center. For further information, please contact: [email protected] About OKX A leading global technology company driving the future of Web3, OKX provides a comprehensive suite of products to meet the needs of beginners and experts alike, including: OKX Wallet: The world's most powerful, secure and versatile crypto wallet which gives users access to over 80 blockchains while allowing them to take custody of their own funds. The wallet includes MPC technology which allows users to easily recover access to their wallet independently, removing the need for traditional, 'written down' seed phrases. In addition, OKX Wallet's account abstraction-powered Smart Account enables users to pay for transactions on multiple blockchains using USDC or USDT, and interact with multiple contracts via a single transaction. wallet which gives users access to over 80 blockchains while allowing them to take custody of their own funds. The wallet includes MPC technology which allows users to easily recover access to their wallet independently, removing the need for traditional, 'written down' seed phrases. In addition, OKX Wallet's account abstraction-powered enables users to pay for transactions on multiple blockchains using USDC or USDT, and interact with multiple contracts via a single transaction. DEX: A multi-chain, cross-chain decentralized exchange aggregator of 300+ other DEXs and approximately 15 bridges, with 200,000+ coins and more than 20 blockchains supported. exchange aggregator of 300+ other DEXs and approximately 15 bridges, with 200,000+ coins and more than 20 blockchains supported. NFT Marketplace: A multi-chain, zero-fee NFT marketplace that gives users access to NFT listings across seven top-tier marketplaces including OpenSea, MagicEden, LooksRare and Blur. Web3 DeFi : A powerful DeFi platform that supports earning and staking on about 70 protocols across more than 10 chains. OKX partners with a number of the world's top brands and athletes, including English Premier League champions Manchester City F.C., McLaren Formula 1, The Tribeca Festival, Olympian Scotty James, and F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo. As a leader building innovative technology products, OKX believes in challenging the status quo. The company recently launched a global brand campaign entitled, The System Needs a Rewrite, which advocates for a new paradigm led by Web3 self-managed technology. To learn more about OKX, download our app or visit: okx.com Disclaimer SOURCE OKX VAUGHAN, ON, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - GFL Environmental Inc. (NYSE: GFL) (TSX: GFL) ("GFL" or the "Company") today announced the pricing of the previously announced secondary offering (the "Offering") by BCEC-GFL Borrower (Cayman) LP, Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan Board, GFL Borrower II (Cayman) LP, Poole Private Capital, LLC and entities affiliated with HPS Investment Partners, LLC (collectively, the "Selling Shareholders") of 21,000,000 subordinate voting shares (the "Shares"), which represents an increase of 4,000,000 Shares from the previously announced offering size, at the public offering price of US$34.45 per Share. GFL will not receive any proceeds from the Offering. RBC Capital Markets, LLC and RBC Dominion Securities Inc. will act as underwriters for the Offering in the United States and Canada, respectively. The Shares issued pursuant to the Offering will be offered in all provinces and territories of Canada by way of a prospectus supplement (the "Prospectus Supplement") to the Company's short form base shelf prospectus (the "Base Shelf Prospectus"). The Company has filed a registration statement on Form F-10 (the "Form F-10") and will file the Prospectus Supplement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") in accordance with the multi-jurisdictional disclosure system established between Canada and the United States. No securities regulatory authority has either approved or disapproved the contents of this news release. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any province, state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such province, state or jurisdiction. Prospective investors should read the Base Shelf Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement, when available, and the documents incorporated by reference therein before investing in the Shares. When available, these documents may be accessed for free on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. GFL has filed the Form F-10 registration statement (including a prospectus) with the SEC for the offering to which this communication relates. Before you invest, you should read the prospectus in that registration statement and other documents the issuer has filed with the SEC for more complete information about the issuer and this offering. You may get these documents for free by visiting EDGAR on the SEC website at www.sec.gov . Alternatively, copies of the prospectus and Prospectus Supplement relating to the Offering may be obtained, when available, upon request from RBC Capital Markets, LLC, Attention: Equity Capital Markets, 200 Vesey Street, New York, NY 10281, by telephone at 877-822-4089 or by email at [email protected] or RBC Dominion Securities Inc., 180 Wellington Street West, 8th Floor, Toronto, ON M5J 0C2, Attention: Distribution Centre, or via telephone: 1-416-842-5349, or via email at [email protected]. About GFL GFL, headquartered in Vaughan, Ontario, is the fourth largest diversified environmental services company in North America, providing a comprehensive line of solid waste management, liquid waste management and soil remediation services through its platform of facilities throughout Canada and in more than half of the U.S. states. Across its organization, GFL has a workforce of more than 20,000 employees. Forward Looking Statements This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including statements relating to the proposed Offering. In some cases, but not necessarily in all cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward looking terminology such as "plans", "targets", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "an opportunity exists", "is positioned", "estimates", "intends", "assumes", "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", "will" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, projections or other characterizations of future events or circumstances contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not historical facts, nor guarantees or assurances of future performance but instead represent management's current beliefs, expectations, estimates and projections regarding future events and operating performance. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based on a number of opinions, assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by GFL as of the date of this release, are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that may differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ, possibly materially, from those indicated by the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the factors described in the "Risk Factors" section of GFL's annual information form for the 2023 fiscal year filed on Form 40-F and GFL's other periodic filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the securities commissions or similar regulatory authorities in Canada. These factors are not intended to represent a complete list of the factors that could affect GFL. However, such risk factors should be considered carefully. There can be no assurance that such estimates and assumptions will prove to be correct. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this release. GFL undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, except as required by applicable securities laws. For more information: Patrick Dovigi +1 905 326-0101 [email protected] SOURCE GFL Environmental Inc. DUBLIN, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The "China Passenger Car Navigate on Autopilot (NOA) Industry Report, 2023" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Intelligent driving is evolving from L2 to L2+ and L2++, and Navigate on Autopilot (NOA) has become a layout focus in the industry. How is NOA advancing at present? What are hotspots in the market? Who are players? What are their products and solutions? How to implement? These issues are exactly what the publisher explores and studies in China Passenger Car Navigate on Autopilot (NOA) Industry Report, 2023 NOA is evolving from Highway NOA to Urban NOA. Navigate on Autopilot (NOA) is divided into Highway NOA and Urban NOA by application scenario. At present, Highway NOA has been implemented on a scale, and Urban NOA is developing rapidly. According to the statistics of the publisher, from January to September 2023, the penetration of Highway NOA in passenger cars in China was 6.7%, up 2.5 percentage points from the prior-year period; the penetration of Urban NOA was 4.8%, up 2.0 percentage points. It is estimated that the full-year penetration of Highway NOA and Urban NOA will be nearly 10% and over 6%, separately. Urban NOA becomes an arena for OEMs. In 2023, quite a few OEMs have dabbled in Urban NOA which was booming in Chinese cities. As per the implementation process, OEMs have initially formed two echelons: In the first echelon, Tesla, Xpeng, Li Auto, NIO, ARCFOX, Avatr, AITO, etc. plan to implement Urban NOA in 2023. In the second echelon, IM, BYD, Jiyue, WEY, Leapmotor, ZEEKR, etc., plan to implement Urban NOA in 2024. There are mainly two kinds of solutions implemented: In October 2023, Jiyue's first model, Jiyue 01, was launched on market, equipped with ROBO Drive Max based on Baidu Apollo City Driving Max. It uses BEV+Transformer + convolutional occupancy network (OCC) technology, and packs 11 HD cameras (including 7 8MP cameras), 12 ultrasonic radars, 5 radars, and dual Orin-X SoCs (AI compute: 508 TOPS) to enable such functions as Highway NOA, Urban Point-To-Point Autopilot (PPA), and AVP. Jiyue PPA enables high-level intelligent driving assistance in highway and urban scenarios. In highway scenarios, it completes automatic change lane to overtake, on/off-ramp, obstacle avoidance in/between lanes, and other tasks. In urban scenarios, it can accurately recognize zebra crossings, traffic lights, give way to pedestrians, make unprotected left turns, and avoid non-motorized vehicles. According to the planning of Jiyue, PPA will be available in Shanghai, Shenzhen and Hangzhou in 2023, and more than 200 cities in China in 2024. Commute NOA opens a new way for implementation of Urban NOA. At present, Commute NOA has different names in the industry, for example, Xpeng calls it AI Valet Driver, and DJI calls it Memory on Driving, but the main purpose is to speed up the pace of 'getting into the city' without HD maps. "The bottom layer of the AI Valet Driver mode does not rely on maps, and if Urban NOA gains an average score of 85 in the map-free mode, AI Valet Driver can score 90 or even 95", said He Xiaopeng, CEO of Xpeng. By the end of 2023, OEMs such as Xpeng, Li Auto and IM, and solution providers like DJI, Haomo.AI, Baidu and QCraft have taken the lead in this filed. Among them, Li Auto has been the most aggressive player. The Commute NOA mode introduced by Li Auto in June 2023 can cover more than 95% of common mobility scenarios. Li Auto began to push the close beta version of Commute NOA to early bird users in 10 cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen in September, and expanded it to 20 cities in October, 50 cities in November and 100 cities nationwide in December. "BEV+Transformer" facilitates the application of City NOA In the past two years, the voice of 'more stress on perception and less stress on maps' has become louder and louder. Chinese players mainly use BEV+Transformer technology to optimize and upgrade system perception capabilities for lower dependence on HD maps, thus cutting down costs and promoting the rapid implementation of Urban NOA. Typical companies include Xpeng, Huawei, Li Auto and Haomo.AI. Xpeng: According to the planning of Xpeng, XNGP will spread to 50 cities in 2023. In 2024, it will achieve full coverage of road networks (including Class 1-4 roads) in major cities across the country. Huawei Huawei: the self-developed advanced intelligent driving system ADS has iterated twice. Extremely cost-effective solutions drag down NOA installation costs. In 2023, the intelligent driving industry set off a wave of price reduction. Following this trend, many suppliers, such as DJI, Haomo.AI and Yihang.AI, launched a range of NOA solutions with high cost performance. DJI: According to DJI, the hardware cost (RMB5,000~15,000) of the solution takes up about 3% to 5% of the total vehicle price. This view is echoed by Cheng Peng, the CEO of NavInfo. Cheng Peng said that automakers would accept that the total cost of intelligent driving systems shares about 3% of the selling price of vehicles. Haomo.AI Haomo.AI unveiled three cost-effective, map-free NOH solutions of the 2nd-generation HPilot in November 2023. In HP570's case, the RMB8,000 Urban NOH doesn't rely on maps, and the computing power of 72/100TOPS supports driving-parking integration. Yihang.AI The driving-parking integrated solution NOA, released by Yihang.AI in May 2022, uses two TI TDA4VM processors with computing power of 16TOPS, enabling 16 driving functions and 10 parking functions in scenarios such as highways/urban loops, including automatic overtaking, automatic road network switching, automatic on/off-ramp, automatic merge into/exit from the main road. Key Topics Covered: 1 Sales and Solutions of NOA-enabled Passenger Car Models in China 1.1 Sales and Penetration of Models Equipped with NOA 1.2 Sensor Solutions of NOA-enabled Models 1.2.1 Overall Sensor Solutions of Models Equipped with Highway NOA, 2021-2023 1.2.2 Sensor Solutions of Models Equipped with Highway NOA, 2023: by Auto Brand/Model 1.2.3 Overall Sensor Solutions of Models Equipped with Urban NOA, 2021-2023 1.2.4 Sensor Solutions of Models Equipped with Urban NOA, 2023: by Auto Brand/Model 1.3 NOA Solutions of Major Suppliers 1.3.1 NOA Solutions of Major Chinese Suppliers 1.3.2 Comparison of Highway NOA Solutions between Major Chinese Suppliers 1.3.3 Comparison of Urban NOA Solutions between Major Chinese Suppliers 1.3.4 NOA Solutions of Major Foreign Suppliers and Their Layout in China 2 Passenger Car NOA Market Trends 2.1 ADAS Moves towards Higher Level 2.1.1 Penetration of ADAS above L2+ Increases Rapidly 2.1.2 Intelligent NOA Has Become an Arena for All Players 2.1.3 OEMs Have Implemented Pilot NOA 2.2 High-level NOA Is Evolving from Highway NOA to Urban NOA 2.2.1 Urban NOA Becomes the Focus of All Players 2.2.2 Three Technology Routes of Urban NOA 2.2.3 Booming Memory Driving (Commute NOA) 2.2.10 NOA Business Models Have Not Yet Been Unified 2.3 NOA Promotes the Technology Upgrade of the Industry Chain 2.3.1 Development Trends of Key Industry Chain Technologies 2.3.2 Cameras Are Upgraded to 8M 2.3.3 Building "Supercomputing Center+Data Closed Loop" Has Become the Key to Technology Upgrade 3 Passenger Car NOA Solutions and Application of OEMs 3.1 Xpeng 3.2 Li Auto 3.3 NIO 3.4 IM Motors 3.5 AITO 3.6 BYD 3.7 GAC 3.8 Geely 3.9 Changan Automobile 3.10 Tesla 4 Passenger Cars NOA Solutions of Domestic Suppliers 4.1 Desay SV 4.2 Jingwei Hirain 4.3 Freetech 4.4 Huawei 4.5 Baidu Apollo 4.6 DJI Automotive 4.7 Haomo.AI 4.8 Momenta 4.9 Yihang.AI 4.10 Hong Jing Drive 4.11 HoloMatic Technology 4.12 SenseTime 4.13 Horizon Robotics 4.14 Neusoft Reach 4.15 MAXIEYE 4.16 iMotion 4.17 Nullmax 4.18 ZongMu Technology 4.19 AutoBrain 4.20 QCraft 4.21 DeepRoute 4.22 Pony.ai 4.23 NavInfo 5 Passenger Car NOA Solutions of Foreign Suppliers 5.1 Bosch 5.2 Continental 5.3 ZF 5.4 Aptiv 5.5 Mobileye For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/iymwp3 About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg SOURCE Research and Markets DUBLIN, Feb. 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Protein Expression Market - A Global and Regional Analysis: Focus on Application, End User, Product, Expression System, and Region - Analysis and Forecast, 2023-2033" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global protein expression market was valued at $2.39 billion in 2023 and is expected to reach $6.96 billion by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 11.27% between 2023 and 2033. Protein expression involves the generation or production of proteins within living cells or organisms. The synthesis, modification, and regulation of proteins are guided by the genetic information encoded in DNA. These proteins possess intricate and varied structures and functions, which are vital for sustaining life and facilitating various biological activities. Various methodologies are employed by researchers to regulate protein expression for experimental, biotechnological, and medical purposes. To observe proteins in a living environment, they are often marked with fluorescent proteins, enabling the study of their distribution. Unlike DNA, which can be synthesized with relative ease, protein production necessitates the use of complex mixtures derived from cells or the utilization of living cells themselves. To facilitate protein production, a variety of expression systems are employed, including those based on mammalian, insect, bacterial, plant, yeast, and cell-free environments. The global protein expression market is a dynamic and rapidly evolving sector and is witnessing double-digit growth, driven by increased demand for protein biologics coupled with growing biopharmaceutical R&D in the field of protein expression. The utilization of expression systems in various research and development endeavors is further contributing to the market growth. Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing Segment to Dominate the Protein Expression Market Based on application, the global protein expression market was led by the biopharmaceutical manufacturing segment, with a 48.61% share in 2022. Protein expression plays a pivotal role in the manufacturing of biopharmaceuticals, involving the generation of therapeutic proteins using living cells, such as bacteria, yeast, or mammalian cells. The selection of a protein expression system hinges on the specific protein product and its intended application. Biopharmaceutical and Biotech Companies Segment to Witness the Highest Growth in the Market between 2023 and 2033 The primary end-use consumers of protein expression products and services are biopharmaceutical and biotechnology firms. They employ protein expression techniques to create and produce recombinant proteins for various purposes, including drug development, vaccine production, antibody synthesis, and hormone production. Prominent examples of such companies engaged in protein expression include Pfizer Inc., Merck KGaA, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, and Amgen Inc. Based on products, the kits and reagents segment holds a larger share of the global protein expression market. Mature industry participants, including Merck KGaA, Agilent Technologies, Inc., and Thermo Fisher Scientific, dominate the market by providing an extensive array of kits and reagents to meet the demands of protein expression. Mammalian Cell Expression System to Witness the Highest Growth in the Market between 2023 and 2033 Based on various expression systems, mammalian cell-based expression systems hold a predominant position in the realm of biopharmaceutical production. These systems are employed for the transient or stable production of proteins, with the expression construct either temporarily introduced or integrated into the host genome. The preference for mammalian expression arises from its ability to create a highly physiologically relevant environment for studying protein function, thereby facilitating the utmost level of post-translational processing and functional activity of the produced protein. Demand - Drivers, Challenges, and Opportunities Market Demand Drivers: Increasing Demand for Protein Biologics Creating the Need for Protein Expression: Biologics represent a category of pharmaceutical drugs derived from biological sources. They can be produced from, extracted from, or semi-synthesized from biological materials. These drugs consist of proteins, sugars, nucleic acids, or intricate combinations of these components and can even include living cells or tissues. Biologics find application in both human and animal healthcare and are employed to treat a range of medical conditions when no alternative treatments are accessible. Market Challenges: Long and Complicated Regulatory Timelines and Approvals of Recombinant Proteins and Biologics: Recombinant proteins, generated through genetic engineering methods, belong to a category of proteins employed in the development of biopharmaceuticals, which are pharmaceutical drugs derived from biological sources. The production of these recombinant proteins falls under the oversight of regulatory authorities worldwide. Market Opportunities: Advancements in Microfluidics Requiring the Use of Protein Expression: Microfluidics is a scientific discipline that focuses on studying, manipulating, and controlling fluids at the microscale level. It has brought about a significant transformation in our approach to studying and examining biological systems. One particularly exciting application of microfluidics is within the realm of protein expression. Innovative microfluidic devices have been created to simplify the process of loading and cultivating cells, allowing for efficient parallel transfection, culturing, and analysis of mammalian cells. Key Market Players and Competition Synopsis Some prominent names established in this market are: Agilent Technologies Bio-Rad Laboratories Charles River Laboratories International Danaher GenCefe Genscript Biotech Jena Bioscience Lonza Bioscience Merck KGaA New England Biolabs Oxford Expression Technologies Promega QIAGEN Takara Bio Inc. Thermo Fisher Scientific Key Topics Covered: Executive Summary Scope and Definition 1 Markets 1.1 Trends: Current and Future Impact Assessment 1.1.1 Protein Expression Market Trend Analysis 1.1.2 Continuous Innovations in Fields such as Automation of Protein Expression Processes 1.1.3 Advancements in Protein Engineering and Design 1.2 Supply Chain Overview 1.3 Research and Development Review 1.4 Regulatory Landscape 1.5 Impact Analysis for Key Global Events - COVID-19 1.6 Market Entry Barriers and Opportunities 1.7 Market Dynamics Overview 1.7.1 Market Drivers 1.7.1.1 Increasing Demand for Protein Biologics Creating the Need for Protein Expression 1.7.1.2 Increasing Biopharmaceutical R&D Influencing the Use of Protein Expression 1.7.1.3 Increasing Protein Synthesis Funding 1.7.2 Market Restraints 1.7.2.1 Long and Complicated Regulatory Timelines and Approvals of Recombinant Proteins and Biologics 1.7.2.2 Intricate and Fluctuating Nature of Protein Expression Necessitating a Demand for Highly Trained Personnel 1.7.3 Market Opportunities 1.7.3.1 Advancements in Microfluidics Requiring the Use of Protein Expression 1.7.3.2 Rising Awareness of Proteomics in Emerging Countries 2 Application 2.1 Application Segmentation 2.2 Application Summary 2.3 Global Protein Expression Market (by Application) 2.4 Global Protein Expression Market (by End User) 3 Product 3.1 Product Segmentation 3.2 Product Summary 3.2.1 Product Summary 3.2.2 Expression System Summary 3.3 Global Protein Expression Market (by Product) 3.3.4 Plastic Consumables and Accessories 3.4 Global Protein Expression Market (by Expression System) 4 Region 5 Markets - Competitive Benchmarking & Company Profiles For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/xlc53n About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg SOURCE Research and Markets TOKYO, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- On February 28, 2024, the Fuel Cell Expo (FC EXPO) commenced in Tokyo, Japan, standing as one of the world's largest showcases for hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. GWM-FTXT, a subsidiary of Chinese automaker Great Wall Motor that focuses on hydrogen energy technology, presents various self-developed innovative products and comprehensive service solutions, drawing significant attention from overseas clients and media outlets. 1 GWM-FTXT presented a range of core components, including 100kW (passenger vehicle) and 255kW (commercial vehicle) high-power hydrogen fuel cell engines, 300+kW expanded graphite plate stacks, second-generation high-performance MEA, 70MPa Type IV hydrogen storage tanks, and a series of hydrogen OTV. Several key performance indicators have already reached international pinnacles, securing numerous authoritative international certifications such as ASPICE CL2, (KBA) EC79, IATF 16949:2016, and ISO 26262, demonstrating the qualification and capabilities to provide supplies to global clients. GWM-FTXT has launched several models of hydrogen commercial vehicles in the Chinese market at scale, with application scenarios covering logistics transportation, public transit, hydrogen-powered vessels, and other fields, yielding sound economic and environmental benefits, recognition, and trust from end-users in the Chinese market. As GWM-FTXT is making efforts to accelerate global market expansion, strategic collaborations have been signed with companies and institutions in several countries including Brazil, Canada, and Italy. Together, they aim to collectively explore third-party international markets, leveraging the accumulated application experience in the Chinese market to gradually extend outreach to global markets. This concerted effort seeks to propel pivotal technological innovations and diverse applications in the global hydrogen energy industry, catalyzing the transition toward green energy worldwide. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2349947/1.jpg Five CAURD Dispensaries Set to Open as Part of the Progressive New York Nonprofit Cohort NEW YORK, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Housing Works made history when it opened New York State's first licensed adult-use dispensary, Housing Works Cannabis Co (HWCC), in 2022. With that singular experience as the frontrunner in the state's CAURD (Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary) licensing program, Housing Works has created and launched its CAURD Community initiative, a new retail business support network for licensed cannabis entrepreneurs. The incubator serves as a social equity model for America's cannabis industry and is the newest avenue for the iconic New York City-based nonprofit to further its missionwhich, for the past 30+ years, has set the standard in providing meaningful support to New York's underserved communities through relentless advocacy and lifesaving services. "Our team at Housing Works has had a front-row seat to the difficulties associated with the state's legal cannabis industry and competing with the illicit market since opening HWCC. It was easy to make this decision to work closely with other CAURD licenseesthose who have limited access to startup capital and other essential resources to open a dispensary," said Sasha Nutgent, Director of Cannabis Retail at HWCC. "It's an honor to be able to support and guide the individuals on which this industry was built, and help create fruitful businesses from a past of discrimination and unjust incarceration." Housing Works has served as a leader in the social enterprise space in the United States since its founding in 1990. The nonprofit's track record of entrepreneurisminside and outside the cannabis industryhas resulted in numerous businesses that have allowed the agency to expand its health services, HIV/AIDS prevention programs and supportive housing for New Yorkers in need. Housing Works is launching this new venture to help realize the vision of New York State's CAURD program, which was intentionally developed to prioritize social equity, and address the harms experienced by those unjustly affected by cannabis prohibition policies and the larger War on Drugs. Designed to provide a mix of vital business resources for aspiring dispensary owners, the CAURD Community cohort has three main components: 1) access to capital; 2) defined training and infrastructure for dispensary operations, such as technology, human resources and compliance; and 3) securing real estate with the help of Sean Philipps and Michael Peguero at Katz & Associates. "Cannabis NYC applauds the launch of the CAURD Community initiative by Housing Works because it represents a significant leap forward in public-private partnership required to foster real social equity within New York's cannabis industry," said Dasheeda Dawson, Founding Director of Cannabis NYC. "By providing comprehensive support and resources to legal licensees from historically-excluded communities, this incubator program embodies the spirit of equity, access and collaboration we envisioned for New York City's cannabis landscape. This initiative not only cultivates economic empowerment but also strengthens legacy to legal outcomes, ensuring that justice-involved licensees have a fair chance to succeed in the burgeoning cannabis market." The first of the five inaugural cohort dispensary members, Matawana, located at 533 5th Avenue in Park Slope, Brooklyn, is scheduled to open on Thursday, February 29. The other CAURD Community members will be opening dispensaries in the coming weeks and months in Long Island City, Queens and in the NoMad, Upper East Side and Chelsea neighborhoods of Manhattan. "The regulated adult-use cannabis system is complicated and the moving pieces are difficult to navigate, especially for a new business owner like me," said Leeann Mata, CAURD licensee and Founder of Matawana. "For Matawana, working with Housing Works and having its support and mentorship has been invaluable throughout this process. Because of Housing Works, we feel well-positioned to open and operate our dispensary in NYC successfully." To learn more about Housing Works' CAURD Community initiative, please visit hwcannabis.co/community/ . About Housing Works Housing Works is a healing community of people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. Our mission is to end the dual crises of homelessness and AIDS through relentless advocacy, provision of lifesaving services, and entrepreneurial businesses that sustain our efforts. Born out of the Housing Committee of ACT UP New York in 1990, Housing Works was founded on the premise that housing is the threshold step for improving the emotional and physical health of homeless people living with HIV/AIDS, irrespective of disease advancement, mental health issues, or addiction. Today, the organization serves over 12,000 clients annually in the five boroughs of New York City through a constellation of housing, primary and mental health care, case management, harm reduction services, and job training, and it is nationally recognized for its fierce advocacy on behalf of its member communities through organizing, policy, research, and litigation efforts. Housing Works fundraises through its beloved chain of social enterprise retail including Housing Works Thrift Shops, Bookstore Cafe, and New York's first adult-use cannabis dispensary, Housing Works Cannabis Co. Learn more at www.housingworks.org . About Housing Works Cannabis Co Housing Works Cannabis Co is recipient of New York State's first CAURD social equity license and the first legal cannabis dispensary to open in the state. Founded in 2022 as a bold new extension of Housing Works' established retail outlets, all proceeds from Housing Works Cannabis Co go directly to the nonprofit organization's mission to end social injustices through the provision of lifesaving services and relentless advocacy. For over 30 years, Housing Works has provided housing, healthcare and other critical services to New Yorkers affected by HIV/AIDS, homelessness, substance use and criminal justice involvement. Not only does Housing Works Cannabis Co generate funding for these services, it does so while modeling the positive role that cannabis can play in our communities. Learn more at hwcannabis.co . Media Contact: Breanna Lopresti Grasslands: A Journalism-Minded Agency [email protected] SOURCE Housing Works BARCELONA, Spain, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Infinix, a trendy tech brand crafted for young consumers, is thrilled to announce its selection as a winner of the Best of MWC 2024 awards from multiple news outlets after showcasing its groundbreaking new flagship-level gaming technology at ShowStoppers MWC 2024, the official networking event partner for Mobile World Congress. This new concept gaming technology is set to redefine the mobile gaming experience with its cutting-edge smartphone gaming technology enhanced by AI. "We are overjoyed to have pushed the boundaries of mobile gaming technology to unprecedented heights at MWC. The tremendous honor of winning the esteemed Best of MWC 2024 awards from globally renowned media outlets underscores our unwavering dedication and passion to deliver the cutting-edge mobile gaming technology that captivates and inspires young professional gamers worldwide. This recognition reaffirms our commitment to continuously bring forth the most innovative and exhilarating gaming experiences for the next generation of gamers," said Tony Zhao, General Manager of Infinix. The new technology has surpassed AnTuTu benchmarks with a score of an unprecedented 2,215,639. This achievement is made possible by integrating the MediaTek Dimensity 9300 chipset, a world-class self-developed CoolMax system, and an AI management platform. These innovations work seamlessly together to ensure users enjoy the best possible mobile gaming experience. Infinix has also showcased its industry-leading technologies, such as Infinix AirCharge, Infinix E-Color Shift, and Extreme-Temp Battery, which have amazed global audiences and the press. Infinix's Flagship-Level Mobile Gaming Innovation Steals the Show at ShowStoppers MWC 2024 Infinix proudly received the esteemed Gadgety Awards, recognizing the best and most cutting-edge consumer electronics in the world. This award, titled Best of Showstopper MWC 2024, was bestowed upon Infinix's first dual-core flagship mobile gaming concept technology, showcasing their commitment to pushing the boundaries of mobile gaming. Additionally, Infinix's groundbreaking technology received another notable award from GadgetMatch, a top-tier technology media outlet, for 'Best of MWC 2024'. Infinix has also received other notable media awards, including: TrustedReviews' Best in Show MWC 2024 for Infinix's E-Color Shift Technology Yanko Design's Best of MWC 2024 for Infinix E-Color Shift Technology FoneArena's Best Product of MWC 2024 for Infinix AirCharge Mashable Middle East's Best of MWC 2024: Best Phone for Infinix E-Color Shift Technology For more details visit: http://www.infinixmobility.com/ About Infinix: Innix Mobility is a rapidly emerging technology brand that designs, manufactures and markets an expanding portfolio of smart devices worldwide under the Innix brand, which was founded in 2013. Targeting today's youth with rst in class technology, Innix creates trendy, powerful and attainably priced smart devices that bring the latest technology on the market to users around the world at a time when they need it at a price that they want. For more information, please visit: http://www.infinixmobility.com/ Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2351258/image_5019905_33867804.jpg MOLNDAL, Sweden, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- THIRD QUARTER 2023/24 (NOV - JAN) Net sales amounts to 30.1 (18.7) MSEK, which is an increase of 61% compared with the corresponding period last year. The growth in the US market is 43% compared with the corresponding period last year. Operating profit amounts to 0.3 (-13.8) MSEK (EBIT 1.1%). The operating profit amounted to 6.1 MSEK (EBIT 20.2%) excluding currency effects of -5.7 MSEK, most of which are unrealized internal accounts receivables. Profit/loss after tax amounts to 0.8 (-13.6) MSEK, which resulted in profit per share of SEK 0.05 (-0.74). (-0.74). Cash flow from operating activities amounts to 2.0 MSEK (-14.1), change in working capital was -2.9 MSEK (8.2) and investing activities -4.0 (-1.2). Total cash flow for the period was -5.0 (-7.1) MSEK. Liquid assets as of 2024-01-31 amount to 28.4 (46.3) MSEK, not including 29.2 MSEK in accounts receivables. Significant events in the third quarter The US Department of Defense decided to fully fund a clinical study of OPRA Implant System on up to 30 patients with transtibial (below-knee) amputations. The study will be performed by the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Integrum will supply OPRA Implant Systems on commercial terms. The company held a pre-submission meeting with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Based on the conclusions from the meeting, Integrum plans to submit a Pre-Market Approval (PMA) application for Integrum's OPRA Implant System in transhumeral amputations based on existing clinical data. Integrum received its final MDR certification. The company's OPRATM Implant System product portfolio has thereby been granted MDR certification and may be freely distributed within the EU for treatment in individuals living with disabilities because of limb loss. The company established a Center of Excellence at the Center for Complex Endoprosthetics, Osseointegration and Bionics in Kyiv , with the intention to spearhead orthopedic treatment using OPRA Implant System in individuals who have suffered limb loss. 1 MAY - 31 JANUARY 2022/23 (9 MONTHS) Net sales amounts to 78.1 (56.1) MSEK, which is an increase of 39% compared with the corresponding period last year. The growth in the US market is 29% compared with the corresponding period last year Operating profit amounts to 3.9 (-12.5) MSEK (EBIT 5.0%). The operating profit amounted to 2.5 MSEK (EBIT 3.2%), excluding currency effects of 1.4 MSEK, most of which are unrealized internal accounts receivables. Profit/loss after tax amounts to 1.9 (-10.1) MSEK, which resulted in earnings per share of SEK 0.1 (-0.55). (-0.55). Cash flow from operating activities amounts to 2.6 (-17.1) MSEK. Total cash flow was -13.6 (-29.0) MSEK. During the year, The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) granted the osseointegrated external prosthetic connection device Axor II a new reimbursement code. The new code is connected to a set reimbursement that will help to drive growth in the US. CEO's statement The third quarter has been characterized by record sales figures, mainly driven by our continued expansion in the US and a recent accelerating growth in emerging markets. Yet another quarter with record sales and profit Revenues amounted to 30.1 MSEK in the third quarter, corresponding to an increase of 61.2 percent compared to the same period last year. Excluding direct currency effects, operating profit amounted to 6.1 MSEK leading to an EBIT margin of 20.2%. Enhanced collaborations in the US In the US, which is our prioritized market, we have worked to deepen existing collaborations with hospitals offering treatment with our innovative products. The work is based on Integrum's network model to collect and connect healthcare professionals that surround the patient undergoing treatment with the OPRA Implant system. By building an ecosystem with all key players, we lessen hospitals' administrative burden and help them funnel patients through the treatment process. Ultimately, we believe this will increase patient turnover and, most importantly, improve the individual patient's healthcare experience. In November, we announced our plans to apply for pre-market approval (PMA) for the use of the OPRA Implant System in above-elbow treatment. Following a successful meeting with the FDA, we are working with high focus to compile the necessary regulatory documentation needed for a formal application. Expansion into new markets Integrum's innovative and bone-anchored OPRA Implant System restores mobility in a completely different way than traditional socket prostheses. To this end, our ambition is to treat as many amputees as possible, as quickly as possible, with the OPRA Implant System to improve their quality of life. Hence, during the fall, alongside our US operations, we have focused on making the OPRA Implant System available in Ukraine and Turkey - two countries that, for various reasons, have seen rapidly growing groups of amputees. In December, we announced the establishment of a clinical center of excellence in Kyiv - aimed at training Ukrainian surgeons in using the OPRA Implant System. During the fall, I visited the center three times to perform surgeries, initially pro bono to swiftly get the center into operations. In January, the center independently performed seven surgeries, and is now conducting self-sufficient clinical activities offering the OPRA Implant System. The collaboration has generated orders already in the short term; at the end of January, Integrum sold and delivered OPRATM Implant Systems to a value of SEK 3.5 million. The need for Integrum's bone-anchored prosthetic treatments in Ukraine is partly driven by an increased incidence of the tourniquet syndrome, which primarily affects soldiers at the front. The syndrome occurs when treatment of extensive injuries to limbs is delayed. Due to the restricted blood flow during acute treatment with torniquets, the affected individual is usually left with a short stump. In these cases, socket prostheses use is almost impossible, unlike the OPRA Implant System which can restore full mobility. During my last visit in Kyiv, I met with Ukraine's Minister of Health, Viktor Liashko, who expressed the country's extensive need for high-standard prosthetic treatments and its willingness to invest in restoring the population's health. According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Health, nearly 100,000 people are expected to have an amputation at the end of 2024. In Turkey, since the end of October, we have been working with our partner Medikon to establish a business solution to offer treatments for people injured in the country's extensive earthquake in early 2023. A skilful organization to achieve high growth We have, time and again, shown the overturning potential in our innovative bone-anchored solutions - based both on a large body of scientific and clinical evidence, as well as important public recognition. As the organization has grown with skilled experts in key positions, we now see an important shift in our regulatory and commercial activities laying the foundation for meaningful growth. Integrum is the world's foremost company in in advanced amputation treatment, and we look forward to leading the way in restoring mobility globally. Molndal, 29 February 2024 Rickard Branemark Chief Executive Officer This disclosure contains information that Integrum AB is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation (EU nr 596/2014). The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person, on 29-02-2024 07:00 CET. Contact: The interim report can be found here: https://integrum.se/investor-relations/financial-reports-calendar/ For more information please contact: Rickard Branemark, CEO. Phone: +46 70 846 10 61, E-mail: [email protected] Jorgen Svanstrom, CFO. Phone: +46 70 734 96 60, E-mail: [email protected] Certified Adviser: The Company's Certified Adviser is Carnegie Investment Bank AB (publ). The following files are available for download: https://mb.cision.com/Main/17531/3937950/2637257.pdf 2024-02-29 Interim report Q1-Q3 Integrum AB 2023-24 https://mb.cision.com/Public/17531/3937950/81ab2011ab9b83c3.pdf PR Q3 Integrum AB 2023-24 Eng SOURCE Integrum AB SHENZHEN, China, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- ISLE 2024, Asia's biggest exhibition for Smart Screen Display, Audio-Visual, System Integration and LED, opens on February 29th in Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center (Shenzhen World). Shenzhen is the world's celebrated display industry hub, and ISLE 2024 is within 30 minutes' drive to most of China's major LED factories. Converging complete industrial chain in display & integrated system, ISLE brings global buyers to latest products, easy factory research, networking opportunities at the one-stop platform. ISLE 2024 hosted more than 1000 online and offline exhibitors, demonstrating AI-assisted display, XR, 4K and 8K Micro-LED, naked-eye 3D display, transparent Mini LED, 5G AV-over-IP applications, remote conferencing and streaming, live events, interactive display, digital signage, digital content creation and management with 80,000 square meters exhibition area. For the 3-day event, the well-known brands will display their products and solutions, including Leyard, Unilumin, Absen, LianTronics, Ledman, AOTO, BOE, Skyworth, Cedar, Novastar and MAXHUB. The rental giant Gloshine, together with dozens of stage-show companies, will deliver a visual marvel through digital creativity and immersive experiences. Hundreds of new and innovative products will make their debut in ISLE 2024. Together with leading associations like China Optics and Optoelectronics Manufacturers Association, The organizer staged dozens of forums and workshops in the fields of virtual cinematography, XR broadcasting, IOT display, smart city, data fusion, big data display application. With its host of top exhibitors and thought-provoking industrial forums, ISLE 2024 is not only a platform for commerce, but also a global stage for the industry to explore the future and integrate development. The organizer has announced ISLE 2025 to be held in Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center (Shenzhen World) from March 7-9, 2025. Visit www.isle.org.cn to get updates and streams, on-site broadcasting as well as replays from ISLE 2024. The ISLE Online Showroom offers online exhibits searchable by category, brand and year of release at https://www.isle.org.cn/exhibits?lang=en For updates, please follow ISLE at: ISLE Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/isleshenzhen/ ISLE LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/international-smart-display-and-integrated-system-exhibition-shenzhen-3a6a6a10a/ ISLE Twitter: https://twitter.com/ISLEOfficialAcc ISLE YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJwWwrthNIvxhzILRphFGAA SOURCE ISLE 2024 SASKATOON, SK, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - IsoEnergy Ltd. ("IsoEnergy" or the "Company") (TSXV: ISO) (OTCQX: ISENF) is pleased to announce its strategic decision to reopen access to the underground at our Tony M uranium mine ("Tony M" or the "Mine) in the first half of 2024 ("H1-2024"), with the goal of restarting uranium production operations in 2025, should market conditions continue as expected. The decision to advance Tony M is underpinned by rising uranium prices, the climate of increasing support and demand for nuclear energy, and the recent announcement by Energy Fuels Inc. ("EFR") to restart its uranium circuit at the White Mesa Mill (the "Mill"), with whom IsoEnergy has a toll milling agreement. Figure 1 Location map of Tony M, Daneros and Rim Mines and the Sage Plain Project in proximity to Energy Fuels White Mesa Mill, the only operational conventional uranium mill in the U.S. with licensed capacity of over 8Mlbs of UO per year, located in Utah. (CNW Group/IsoEnergy Ltd.) Figure 2 Image of large-scale surface infrastructure at the Tony M Mine, which includes two parallel declines extending 10,200 ft, a power generation station, fuel storage facility, ore bays, maintenance building, offices, dry facilities and evaporation pond. (CNW Group/IsoEnergy Ltd.) Figure 3 Plan view of the Tony M Mine (CNW Group/IsoEnergy Ltd.) Tony M, along with our Daneros and Rim projects, is one of three past-producing, fully-permitted, uranium mines in Utah owned by IsoEnergy, and is a large-scale, fully-developed and permitted underground mine that previously produced nearly one million pounds of U 3 O 8 during two different periods of operation, from 1979-1984 and from 2007-2008. Highlights Reopening of the Underground and Comprehensive Work Program The Company plans to reopen the main decline into the Tony M mine and gain underground access by the end of H1-2024. This critical step is expected to facilitate the assessment of the mine's underground conditions, enable direct analysis of the uranium mineralization in place, and allow for the collection of necessary data required to prepare an efficient mine plan. The work program also includes underground and surface geological mapping of the sandstone-hosted uranium and vanadium mineralization to allow for more precise extraction plans for inclusion in an updated economic study. The Company plans to reopen the main decline into the Tony M mine and gain underground access by the end of H1-2024. This critical step is expected to facilitate the assessment of the mine's underground conditions, enable direct analysis of the uranium mineralization in place, and allow for the collection of necessary data required to prepare an efficient mine plan. The work program also includes underground and surface geological mapping of the sandstone-hosted uranium and vanadium mineralization to allow for more precise extraction plans for inclusion in an updated economic study. Technical/Economic Study Planned (the "Study") The Company intends to complete a Study, which will provide further details on a potential restart date and a mine plan that will provide production plans and rates, expected operational costs and capital requirements. The Company intends to complete a Study, which will provide further details on a potential restart date and a mine plan that will provide production plans and rates, expected operational costs and capital requirements. Toll-Milling Arrangement with EFR IsoEnergy has a toll milling arrangement with EFR for its Tony M, Daneros, Rim and Calliham projects, which guarantees the Company access to the White Mesa Mill, the only operational conventional uranium mill in the U.S. On December 21, 2023 , EFR announced its plans to restart the White Mesa Mill uranium circuit in 2025. As a result, and to support additional feed, IsoEnergy intends to deliver ore to the Mill in time for the restart of the uranium circuit. IsoEnergy has a toll milling arrangement with EFR for its Tony M, Daneros, Rim and Calliham projects, which guarantees the Company access to the White Mesa Mill, the only operational conventional uranium mill in the U.S. On , EFR announced its plans to restart the White Mesa Mill uranium circuit in 2025. As a result, and to support additional feed, IsoEnergy intends to deliver ore to the Mill in time for the restart of the uranium circuit. Commencement into Multi-Asset Production The reopening of the Tony M mine is a first step in IsoEnergy's plan to becoming a multi-asset uranium producer. IsoEnergy is also evaluating plans to restart operations at the Daneros and Rim mines, both of which were previous producers of uranium and vanadium, and are currently permitted for production. The reopening of the Tony M mine is a first step in IsoEnergy's plan to becoming a multi-asset uranium producer. IsoEnergy is also evaluating plans to restart operations at the Daneros and Rim mines, both of which were previous producers of uranium and vanadium, and are currently permitted for production. Staffing up for Re-Opening The Company has appointed Josh Clelland to the position of Director of US Engineering and Operations, to manage the reopening of the Tony M Mine, and advancement of the Company's other US-based uranium projects. Josh is a Professional Mining Engineer with over 20 years of experience in the mining industry, including significant experience operating in both underground and open pit environments. He joins us from a major global gold producer where in his most recent role he was a Superintendent of Mine Operations. Josh's additional experience includes a Corporate Development role at a major producer, technical advisory at a major international mining consulting firm, and research at a Canadian brokerage firm, during which time Josh earned his Chartered Financial Analyst designation. IsoEnergy CEO and Director Phil Williams stated, "With the uranium spot price now trading around US$100 per pound1, we are in the very fortunate position of owning multiple, past-producing, fully-permitted uranium mines in the U.S. that we believe can be restarted quickly with relatively low capital costs. Our existing toll-milling agreement with Energy Fuels places IsoEnergy in a unique position to become a conventional uranium producer in the near-term. Multiple work streams are now underway to move our flagship Tony M Mine back toward production in 2025, in line with the timing Energy Fuels has announced for its White Mesa Mill for which IsoEnergy has a toll milling agreement. Given current and expected near term uranium market dynamics, we think this restart timing is ideal and would firmly place us in a very small group of uranium companies able to deliver uranium production in the near term. I would also like to welcome Josh to the team. We are fortunate to be able to attract such high-quality talent, which we believe is a testament to our projects and vision for the Company." Figure 1 Location map of Tony M, Daneros and Rim Mines and the Sage Plain Project in proximity to Energy Fuel's White Mesa Mill, the only operational conventional uranium mill in the U.S. with licensed capacity of over 8Mlbs of UO per year, located in Utah. Tony M Mine Work Program The Company is continuing to advance plans to reopen the underground mine workings in preparation for a potential restart of Tony M. This work program includes updating mine ventilation and escape plans, maintenance of the existing ventilation fans and power infrastructure, surveying of the underground mine workings, rehabilitation of mine workings and ground support as needed, and upgrading and/or replacement of utilities. Rehabilitation of the underground is expected to take place during H1-2024, followed by planned geologic mapping and sampling alongside mine planning ahead of anticipated completion of the Study. The Company currently expects to utilize contract mining initially. In addition to the 18 miles of underground development, including multiple production headings, the Mine has complete surface infrastructure in place (Figure 2). IsoEnergy continues to work with RME Consulting, a leading international, technical underground mining ventilation and refrigeration design firm, to oversee the design and implementation of the ventilation plan and Call & Nicholas, Inc., an international mining consulting firm that specializes in geological engineering, geotechnical engineering, and hydrogeology, to assess the mine's ground conditions. Figure 2 Image of large-scale surface infrastructure at the Tony M Mine, which includes two parallel declines extending 10,200 ft, a power generation station, fuel storage facility, ore bays, maintenance building, offices, dry facilities and evaporation pond. IsoEnergy has guaranteed access to the White Mesa Mill by way of a toll milling agreement with Energy Fuels, providing a significant advantage to the Company. The Mill is the only operational conventional uranium mill in the U.S. with licensed capacity of over 8Mlbs of UO per year. The Mill is within trucking distance to Tony M. It is an important distinction worth noting that a toll milling agreement and the selling of ore to EFR/White Mesa are very different, with toll milling allowing IsoEnergy to participate in the upside of the uranium price. About Tony M Mine The Tony M Mine is located in eastern Garfield County, southeastern Utah, approximately 66 air miles (107 kilometers) west northwest of the town of Blanding and 215 miles (347 kilometers) south-southeast of Salt Lake City. The project is the site of the Tony M underground uranium mine that was developed by Plateau Resources, a subsidiary of Consumer Power Company, in the mid-1970s. Uranium and vanadium mineralization at the Tony M mine is hosted in sandstone units of the Salt Wash Member of the Jurassic age Morrison Formation, one of the principal hosts for uranium deposits in the Colorado Plateau region of Utah and Colorado. Tony M has been estimated to contain the following mineral resources: Table 1: Summary of Mineral Resources Effective Date September 9, 2022 Classification Tons (short tons) Grade (% eU 3 O 8 ) Contained Metal (lbs. eU 3 O 8 ) Indicated 1,185,000 0.28 6,606,000 Inferred 404,000 0.27 2,218,000 Notes: Reported in the Technical Report on the Tony M Project, Utah, USA Report for NI 43-101, prepared for Consolidated Uranium Inc. by SLR International Corporation; Mark B. Mathisen , Qualified Person, Effective Date September 9, 2022 . CIM (2014) definitions were followed for all Mineral Resource categories. Uranium Mineral Resources are estimated at a cut-off grade of 0.14% U3O8. The cut-off grade is calculated using a metal price of $65 /lb U3O8. No minimum mining width was used in determining Mineral Resources. Mineral Resources are based on a tonnage factor of 15 ft3/ton (Bulk density 0.0667 ton/ft3 or 2.14 t/m3). Mineral Resources are not Mineral Reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. Past production (1979-2008) has been removed from the Mineral Resource. Totals may not add due to rounding. Mineral Resources are 100% attributable to IsoEnergy and are in situ. Figure 3 Plan view of the Tony M Mine Qualified Person Statement The scientific and technical information contained in this news release was reviewed and approved by Dean T. Wilton: PG, CPG, MAIG, a consultant of IsoEnergy who is a "Qualified Person" (as defined in National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects). About IsoEnergy Ltd. IsoEnergy Ltd. (TSXV: ISO) (OTCQX: ISENF) is a leading, globally diversified uranium company with substantial current and historical mineral resources in top uranium mining jurisdictions of Canada, the U.S., Australia, and Argentina at varying stages of development, providing near, medium, and long-term leverage to rising uranium prices. IsoEnergy is currently advancing its Larocque East Project in Canada's Athabasca Basin, which is home to the Hurricane deposit, boasting the world's highest grade Indicated uranium Mineral Resource. IsoEnergy also holds a portfolio of permitted, past-producing conventional uranium and vanadium mines in Utah with a toll milling arrangement in place with Energy Fuels Inc. These mines are currently on stand-by, ready for rapid restart as market conditions permit, positioning IsoEnergy as a near-term uranium producer. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulations 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 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, statements with respect to the planned work program starting in H1-2024 and potential results and benefits thereof; plans for the potential restart of mining operations at Tony M, Daneros and Rim; expectations regarding the preparation and timing of the Study; underground sampling program and potential benefits thereof; expectations regarding the preparation of a potential vanadium mineral resource estimate; expectations regarding the potential upgrade of existing mineral resources from "inferred" to "indicated"; expectations regarding the restart of Tony M; expectations regarding the preparation and timing of a Preliminary Economic Assessment; the Company's ongoing business plan, sampling, exploration and work programs. 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. Such forward-looking information and statements are based on numerous assumptions, including among others, that the results of planned exploration activities are as anticipated, the price of uranium, the anticipated cost of planned exploration activities, that general business and economic conditions will not change in a material adverse manner, that financing will be available if and when needed and on reasonable terms, that third party contractors, equipment and supplies and governmental and other approvals required to conduct the Company's planned exploration activities will be available on reasonable terms and in a timely manner. Although the assumptions made by the Company in providing forward-looking information or making forward-looking statements are considered reasonable by management at the time, there can be no assurance that such assumptions will prove to be accurate. Forward-looking information and statements also involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual events or results in future periods to differ materially from any projections of future events or results expressed or implied by such forward-looking information or statements, including, among others: negative operating cash flow and dependence on third party financing, uncertainty of additional financing, no known mineral reserves, the limited operating history of the Company, the influence of a large shareholder, alternative sources of energy and uranium prices, aboriginal title and consultation issues, reliance on key management and other personnel, actual results of exploration activities being different than anticipated, changes in exploration programs based upon results, availability of third party contractors, availability of equipment and supplies, failure of equipment to operate as anticipated; accidents, effects of weather and other natural phenomena and other risks associated with the mineral exploration industry, environmental risks, changes in laws and regulations, community relations and delays in obtaining governmental or other approvals and the risk factors with respect to the Company set out in the Company's filings with the Canadian securities regulators and available under IsoEnergy's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. 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 IsoEnergy Ltd. BOSTON, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund (NYSE: PDT) (the "Fund"), a closed-end fund managed by John Hancock Investment Management LLC and subadvised by Manulife Investment Management (US) LLC, announced today sources of its monthly distribution of $0.0825 per share paid to all shareholders of record as of February 12, 2024, pursuant to the Fund's managed distribution plan. This press release is issued as required by an exemptive order granted to the Fund by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Notification of Sources of Distribution This notice provides shareholders of the John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund (NYSE: PDT) with important information concerning the distribution declared on February 1, 2024, and payable on February 29, 2024. No action is required on your part. Distribution Period: February 2024 Distribution Amount Per Common Share $0.0825 The following table sets forth the estimated sources of the current distribution, payable February 29, 2024, and the cumulative distributions paid this fiscal year to date from the following sources: net investment income; net realized short term capital gains; net realized long term capital gains; and return of capital or other capital source. All amounts are expressed on a per common share basis and as a percentage of the distribution amount. For the period 02/1/2024-02/29/2024 For the fiscal year-to-date period 11/1/2023-02/29/2024 1 Source Current Distribution ($) % Breakdown of the Current Distribution Total Cumulative Distributions ($) % Breakdown of the Total Cumulative Distributions Net Investment Income 0.0778 94 % 0.2162 66 % Net Realized Short- Term Capital Gains 0.0000 0 % 0.0000 0 % Net Realized Long- Term Capital Gains 0.0000 0 % 0.0000 0 % Return of Capital or Other Capital Source 0.0047 6 % 0.1138 34 % Total per common share 0.0825 100 % 0.3300 100 % Average annual total return (in relation to NAV) for the 5 years ended on January 31, 2024 4.14 % Annualized current distribution rate expressed as a percentage of NAV as of January 31, 2024 8.43 % Cumulative total return (in relation to NAV) for the fiscal year through January 31, 2024 13.60 % Cumulative fiscal year-to-date distribution rate expressed as a percentage of NAV as of January 31, 2024 2.81 % _____________________________ 1 The Fund's current fiscal year began on November 1, 2023 and will end on October 31, 2024. You should not draw any conclusions about the Fund's investment performance from the amount of this distribution or from the terms of the Fund's managed distribution plan. The Fund estimates that it has distributed more than its income and net realized capital gains; therefore, a portion of your distribution may be a return of capital. A return of capital may occur, for example, when some or all of the money that you invested in the Fund is paid back to you. A return of capital distribution does not necessarily reflect the Fund's investment performance and should not be confused with "yield" or "income." The amounts and sources of distributions reported in this Notice are only estimates and are not being provided for tax reporting purposes. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for tax reporting purposes will depend upon the Fund's investment experience during the remainder of its fiscal year and may be subject to changes based on tax regulations. The Fund will send you a Form 1099-DIV for the calendar year that will tell you how to report these distributions for federal income tax purposes. The Fund has declared the February 2024 distribution pursuant to the Fund's managed distribution plan (the "Plan"). Under the Plan, the Fund makes fixed monthly distributions in the amount of $0.0825 per share, which will continue to be paid monthly until further notice. If you have questions or need additional information, please contact your financial professional or call the John Hancock Investment Management Closed-End Fund Information Line at 1-800-843-0090, Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., Eastern Time. Statements in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined by the United States securities laws. You should exercise caution in interpreting and relying on forward-looking statements because they are subject to uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond the Fund's control and could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. An investor should consider a Fund's investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing. About John Hancock Investment Management A company of Manulife Investment Management, we serve investors through a unique multimanager approach, complementing our extensive in-house capabilities with an unrivaled network of specialized asset managers, backed by some of the most rigorous investment oversight in the industry. The result is a diverse lineup of time-tested investments from a premier asset manager with a heritage of financial stewardship. About Manulife Investment Management Manulife Investment Management is the global brand for the global wealth and asset management segment of Manulife Financial Corporation. We draw on more than a century of financial stewardship and the full resources of our parent company to serve individuals, institutions, and retirement plan members worldwide. Headquartered in Toronto, our leading capabilities in public and private markets are strengthened by an investment footprint that spans 18 geographies. We complement these capabilities by providing access to a network of unaffiliated asset managers from around the world. We're committed to investing responsibly across our businesses. We develop innovative global frameworks for sustainable investing, collaboratively engage with companies in our securities portfolios, and maintain a high standard of stewardship where we own and operate assets, and we believe in supporting financial well-being through our workplace retirement plans. Today, plan sponsors around the world rely on our retirement plan administration and investment expertise to help their employees plan for, save for, and live a better retirement. Not all offerings are available in all jurisdictions. For additional information, please visit manulife.com. SOURCE John Hancock Investment Management The Middle East, on average, had the highest percentage of new CEO appointments (16%) across the world, with Saudi Arabia clocking one of the highest percentages of new appointments at 20%. Other markets with similarly high percentages include Poland at 29% and Switzerland at 26%. Middle East companies also ranked the highest globally for CEOs with prior C-suite experience (90%); followed by Latin America at 84% and Asia-Pacific (APAC) at 79%, said Heidrick & Struggles, a premier provider of executive search, leadership assessment and development services, in its 2023 Route to the Top report. Only 10% of newly appointed CEOs in the Middle East have no prior C-suite experience, the lowest among all other regions in the world. Young CEOs The Middle East is also showing a preference for young CEOs, with the current lowest average age at 54.5. In particular, appointed CEOs in the UAE have the lowest average current age of 52.7 globally. Africa ranks second lowest with appointed CEOs having an average age of 55.5. The annual study analysed 1,221 CEO placements at the largest publicly listed companies globally and their profiles. Between 2022 and 2023, 68 appointments were made in the Middle East region, including the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Organisations increasingly value CEOs who bring expertise from various sectors and exposure to diverse regions in their positions. The data shows that Middle East companies have the highest share of CEOs with cross-border experience (50%), exceeding APAC and Europe who are jointly in second place (38%). Over the past three years, the region has also seen a rising preference for CEOs with cross-sector experience. Leaders with cross-sector experience in Saudi Arabia increased from 20% in 2022 to 27% in 2023, and in the UAE, this number jumped from 12% in 2021 to 23% in 2022, and to 26% in 2023. Trailing gender diversity However, the region continues to trail behind in terms of gender diversity, with an average 3% of appointed CEOs being women, less than half of the global average (8%). In particular, there are no women among the appointed CEOs in Saudi Arabia, the lowest globally. The continued trend of hiring more CEOs with cross-border and sector backgrounds is heartening as it reflects that organisations are increasingly seeing the value of diversity, especially in meeting longer-term strategic goals for their businesses, said Maliha Jilani, Partner in Heidrick & Struggles Dubai office and Social Impact Practice lead in the Middle East and North Africa region. On the other hand, there are certain talent strategies that companies should start emphasising, such as increasing gender diversity in leadership positions. Heidrick & Struggles data highlights the strong demand Middle East companies have for experienced and ambitious leaders who can accelerate growth sustainably, said Richard Guest, Partner-in-Charge at Heidrick & Struggles' Middle East and North Africa based in the Dubai office and the Regional Managing Partner of the global Technology & Services Practice for Asia Pacific and the Middle East. Companies must prioritise CEO succession planning by analysing how they might evolve in the competitive landscape and what type of leader can best navigate changes.--TradeArabia News Service ASTANA, Kazakhstan, February 29. Over 1,500 corruption-related crimes were registered in Kazakhstan in 2023, said Chairman of the Anti-Corruption Agency Askhat Zhumagali during a meeting with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Trend reports. "In 2023, a total of 1,692 instances of corruption offenses were documented, leading to the exposure of 1,324 individuals, including 161 at leadership levels. Subsequently, 1,221 cases were forwarded to court for further action," he said. According to the chairman, since 2022, the restitution of property assets and funds amounting to 1.02 trillion tenge (over $2.2 billion) to state and quasi-state sector entities has been accomplished. Zhumagali also updated Tokayev on the advancements in several investigations. As a result of concluded criminal cases involving Operator ROP LLP, two plants situated in the Kostanay and Karaganda regions, with a collective value of approximately 20 billion tenge (over $44 million), were transferred to state ownership. In the ongoing pre-trial investigation involving Kairat Satybaldyuly, an amount exceeding 82.6 billion tenge ($185 million) has been redirected to the budget since the commencement of 2024. Furthermore, 942 hectares of land in the town of Kosshy, Akmola region, valued at over 13 billion tenge (about $29 million), have been reclaimed by the state. "Through vigilant monitoring of the state procurement portal, unwarranted expenditures totaling 41.3 billion tenge (approximately $92 million) were averted. Irregularities in the registration of motor vehicles under Specialized Public Service Center for Motorists (PSCs) were identified, where deficiencies in information systems resulted in a significant portion of state duties and payments from vehicle registrations not reaching the budget. The rectification of these issues led to a ninefold increase in budget revenues in 2023 compared to 2022, reaching 91.4 billion tenge (over $200 million), despite a similar number of registered vehicles," the chairman said. According to him, within the "Anti-corruption Volunteering" initiative, the project successfully averted risks associated with the overpricing of goods and services exceeding 2 billion tenge (around $4.4 million) and delivered free legal assistance to approximately 10 thousand citizens. Meanwhile, Anti-corruption Agency forms and implements the anti-corruption policy of the Republic of Kazakhstan, coordinates the anti-corruption field, as well as detects, restrains, reveals and investigates corruption offenses. Stay up-to-date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel LILLE, France, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Lesaffre, a 170-year-old global key player in fermentation and micro-organisms, inaugurates today a new plant in Indonesia dedicated to the production of compressed and dry yeast. Lesaffre has been commercially active in Indonesia for over 40 years. PT Saf Indonusa, Lesaffre's first Indonesian subsidiary incorporated in 2000 today employs more than 130 employees through its baking ingredients blending plant in Surabaya, Jakarta head office and four Baking Center and sales offices in Jakarta, Medan, Semarang, Surabaya. The new plant completes the already active blending plant for baking ingredients in the Surabaya region. With this new plant, built on of 9.8 ha land in Malang Regency, East Java, Lesaffre is strengthening its geographical footprint close to its customers. It will supply baking yeast in Indonesia and ASEAN countries. This new entity, PT Lesaffre Sari Nusa, is a partnership between Lesaffre and its Indonesian long lasting partner PT Citra Bonang. More than 200 new local positions have been created to run the new plant. "Lesaffre has been present in the Asia Pacific region for more than 55 years. This new plant in the region illustrates our determination to provide our clients with the best possible support and to meet their needs with innovative solutions. By inaugurating a new plant in Malang, Indonesia, we affirm once again Lesaffre's desire to evolve and grow alongside its customers, in a spirit of partnership." says Brice-Audren Riche, Lesaffre CEO. ABOUT LESAFFRE A key global player in fermentation for more than a century, Lesaffre, with a 2,7-billion-euro turnover, and established on all continents, counts 11,000 employees and more than 96 nationalities. On the strength of this experience and diversity, we work with customers, partners and researchers to find ever more relevant answers to the needs of food, health, naturalness and respect for our environment. Thus, every day, we explore and reveal the infinite potential of microorganisms. To nourish 9 billion people, in a healthy way, in 2050 by making the most of our planet's resources is a major and unprecedented issue. We believe that fermentation is one of the most promising answers to this challenge. CONTACT: [email protected] Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1893479/Lesaffre_Logo.jpg Hiring at the joint venture plant has begun, with new jobs being posted on joint venture website JEFFERSONVILLE, Ohio, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- LG Energy Solution and Honda today marked Leap Day by erecting the final structural steel beam at the joint venture's new EV battery production facility being constructed near Jeffersonville, Ohio. This major construction milestone comes almost one year to the day after the groundbreaking that took place for the over 2 million square feet facility that is expected to be completed by the end of 2024. For information about careers at the LG Energy Solution-Honda joint venture facility, visit www.lgeshonda.com/careers. Post this LG Energy Solution and Honda today marked Leap Day by erecting the final structural steel beam at the joint venture's new EV battery production facility being constructed near Jeffersonville, Ohio. Projected to reach an overall investment of $4.4 billion and create some 2,200 new jobs, the joint venture aims to start mass production of pouch-type lithium-ion batteries in 2025, to be supplied to Honda auto plants to produce* EVs to be sold in North America. "Today is an important milestone for the LG Energy Solution-Honda team as the structure of the EV battery production facility takes its final shape," said Bob Lee, CEO of the LG Energy Solution-Honda joint venture. "One year ago, we were breaking ground in an empty field and today we can see the finish line for this project, and we want to thank everyone working at the site and the local community who have made this possible." Hiring Underway In addition to the construction progress, hiring is underway for the plant. A variety of engineering and support positions are currently posted on the company website, with information about technician and production roles expected to be announced in the coming months. "This is a very exciting moment as we take the first steps to assemble our new team for the joint venture EV battery facility being established by LG Energy Solution and Honda," said Rick Riggle, COO of the new joint venture company. "We will continue to announce new career opportunities in the coming months that we hope will inspire the next-generation workforce to get involved in the advanced manufacturing roles that will help produce* lithium-ion batteries and will power the Acura and Honda EV models that will go into production in Ohio in late 2025." For more information about careers at the LG Energy Solution-Honda joint venture facility, go to www.lgeshonda.com/careers to get the latest updates on open roles and information about how to apply. Starting March 11, you can visit the OhioMeansJobs Fayette County Recruitment Center at Destination Outlets located at Suite 8120 Factory Shops Blvd. in Jeffersonville. *Using domestic and globally sourced parts About LG Energy Solution LG Energy Solution (KRX: 373220), a split-off from LG Chem, is a leading global manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles, mobility, IT, and energy storage systems. With 30 years of experience in revolutionary battery technology and extensive research and development (R&D), the company is the top battery-related patent holder in the world. Its robust global network, which spans North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, includes battery manufacturing facilities established through joint ventures with major automakers such as General Motors, Stellantis N.V., Hyundai Motor Group, and Honda Motor Co. Ltd. At the forefront of green business and sustainability, LG Energy Solution aims to achieve carbon neutral operations by 2050, while embodying the value of shared growth and promoting diverse and inclusive corporate culture. To learn more about LG Energy Solution's ideas and innovations, visit https://www.lgensol.com. About Honda Manufacturing in America Honda has been producing automobiles in America for over 40 years, beginning in November 1982 with the start of automobile production at the Marysville Auto Plant. In 2022, more than two-thirds of all Honda and Acura automobiles sold in the U.S. were made in America, using domestic and globally sourced parts. Honda's cumulative auto production in America now exceeds 30 million vehicles. Honda established manufacturing operations in America in 1979 with the start of motorcycle production in Marysville, Ohio, and today has one of the largest and most diverse U.S. manufacturing footprints of any international company. More than 23,000 U.S. associates support the company's 12 manufacturing plants in America, supporting operations that have an annual capacity of more than 1.27 million automobiles, 1.52 million engines, 500,000 power equipment products and 300,000 powersports products, as well as the HondaJet advanced light jet and GE Honda HF120 turbofan engines. Cumulatively, Honda has invested $19 billion in its U.S. manufacturing operations, including more than $3.6 billion over the past five years alone. The company also works with 600 U.S. original equipment suppliers, with U.S.-sourced parts purchases of approximately $492 billion since 1979. Learn more at https://hondainamerica.com/. More information about Honda is available in the Digital FactBook. SOURCE Honda NEW YORK, Feb. 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The maritime surveillance market is estimated to grow by USD 1.47 billion from 2022 to 2027. The market is estimated to be growing at a CAGR of 3.65% during the forecast period. The maritime surveillance market report includes information on the product launches, sustainability, and prospects of leading vendors including Airbus SE, BAE Systems Plc, Elbit Systems Ltd., Furuno Electric Co. Ltd., HENSOLDT AG, Honeywell International Inc., Kongsberg Gruppen ASA, L3Harris Technologies Inc., Lockheed Martin Corp., MIND TECHNOLOGY INC., Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Raytheon Technologies Corp., Saab AB, Safran SA, Sonardyne International Ltd., SRT Marine Systems Plc, Teledyne Technologies Inc., Terma AS, Thales Group, and The Boeing Co. For Comprehensive details on the market size of the historic period(2017 to 2021) and forecast period (2023-2027). View Sample report Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Maritime Surveillance Market 2023-2027 Vendor Landscape The maritime surveillance market is fragmented; the vendors are competing with competitors and are trying to get a greater market share. The market is growing, and the chances of new entrants cannot be overlooked. The major vendors have well-established economies of scale and market presence and generally rely on positioning technological advances, and the price of the products -The report provides a full list of key vendors, their strategies, and the latest developments. Buy Now The growing marine threats are the major factor that drives the global maritime surveillance market growth. In national security, territorial integrity, global trade, immigration, and migration, maritime borders play an important role. Patrolling territorial water areas with state-of-the-art flying platforms is of increasing importance, for many countries with long coastlines. For example, the oil rigs in the Gulf of Guinea in Western Africa are highly vulnerable to the threat of piracy. in are highly vulnerable to the threat of piracy. Hence, such factors drive the market growth during the forecast period. The issues related to privacy can challenge the growth of the maritime surveillance market growth. The expansion of the Chinese naval fleet in critical regions is an emerging trend fueling the global maritime surveillance market growth. Technavio has identified key trends, drivers, and challenges in the market, which will help clients improve their strategies to stay ahead of their competitors. View Sample Report Geographical Analysis North America is estimated to account for 33% of the global market growth during the forecast period. The US is a major market for marine surveillance in the region. This growth can be attributed to the growth of the marine surveillance market is the large number of Americans participating in water-related recreational activities. Additionally, the growth of the marine surveillance market is the large number of Americans participating in water-related recreational activities. Hence, the growing demands for maritime security in the United States are expected to boost the demand for marine surveillance during the forecast period. Market Segmentation This maritime surveillance market report extensively covers market segmentation by component (sensors, radar, AIS receiver, and software and others), end-user (defense, customs, fisheries, intelligence, and others), and geography (North America, Europe, APAC, Middle East and Africa, and South America). The market share growth by the sensors segment is significant during the forecast period. Sensors are used in a wide range of maritime applications including hydraulic cylinder position measurement, marine machinery condition monitoring, crane and deck hoist load measurement, and tank pressure measurement. Some major benefits of sensors include near-lossless transmission, increased sensitivity during data collection, and continuous real-time analysis. Hence, such factors are expected to have a positive impact on the sensors segment of the maritime surveillance market during the forecast period. Gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Analyst Review In an era of increasing globalization and interconnectedness, maritime surveillance has emerged as a critical component in ensuring the security and safety of the world's oceans. With the proliferation of illicit activities such as drug trafficking, human trafficking, illegal immigration, and illicit fishing, governments and coastguards worldwide are investing heavily in advanced combat management systems, detectors, surveillance technology, and tracking systems to combat maritime threats effectively. The maritime surveillance market encompasses a wide array of technologies and solutions designed to monitor and protect coastal waters, shipping infrastructure, and maritime traffic. At the heart of this market are sophisticated surveillance systems equipped with cutting-edge tracking software and computer vision capabilities, enabling authorities to detect and respond to potential threats in real-time. From the bustling ports of North America to the shipping lanes of the European region and the vast expanses of the Asia-Pacific region, maritime surveillance plays a crucial role in safeguarding against oceanic crimes and geopolitical tensions. Governments, manufacturers, and law enforcement agencies collaborate to deploy unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), maritime surveillance UAVs, and robotic technology to enhance monitoring capabilities and patrol coastlines effectively. The rise of geopolitical tensions, coupled with the increasing frequency of pirate attacks and unlicensed fishing, underscores the importance of maritime capabilities and intelligence, surveillance, tracking, and reconnaissance (ISR) assets. Nations worldwide are bolstering their maritime capabilities through initiatives such as submarine deterrent patrols and the deployment of specialized coastguard units like the Spratly Backbone Fleet in China and Japan. In response to the challenges posed by maritime threats, the global lockdown witnessed a surge in demand for advanced surveillance systems and maritime security solutions. Manufacturers are innovating rapidly to meet this demand, developing state-of-the-art surveillance technology tailored to the unique needs of maritime law enforcement and defense agencies. As the maritime surveillance market continues to evolve, stakeholders must remain vigilant in addressing emerging threats and vulnerabilities. By harnessing the power of technology and collaboration, the international community can ensure the security and sustainability of the world's oceans for generations to come. The Maritime Surveillance Market is booming, with advanced combat management systems and detectors enhancing surveillance capabilities. Tracking systems and GIS play vital roles in maritime operations. View Sample Report Related Reports: The video surveillance as a service market size is expected to increase by USD 7.45 billion from 2021 to 2026, and the market's growth momentum will accelerate at a CAGR of 17.56%. The trade surveillance systems market size is expected to increase to USD 878.49 million from 2021 to 2026, at a CAGR of 16.7%. Table of Contents 1 Executive Summary 2 Landscape 3 Sizing 4 Historic Size 5 Five Forces Analysis 6 Segmentations 7 Customer Landscape 8 Geographic Landscape 9 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 10 Vendor Landscape 11 Vendor Analysis 12 Appendix About US Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provide actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contact Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com SOURCE Technavio Global payments leader enables inbound transfers of up to 50 million JPY, offering a faster, cheaper, transparent alternative SINGAPORE, Feb. 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Nium, the leader in real-time cross-border payments, announced today that it is the first non-Japanese company to have secured a Type 1 Funds Transfer Service Provider (FTSP) license from the Japanese Financial Services Agency (JFSA). The Type 1 license authorizes Nium to provide a wide range of financial services, including transferring up to 50 million JPY per transaction via Zengin-Net, Japan's local payment clearing rail, to a Japanese beneficiary account. In 2021, an amendment to Japan's Payment Services Act lifted cross-border transfer caps for Type 1 license holders, to lower the cost of money transfers in and out of the country. However, since this amendment passed, few companies have been able to meet the high standards for regulatory approval. As a result, businesses have had little or no choice but to use traditional high-cost, low-speed options for cross-border payments. Nium is the first global company to meet the Type 1 license standards, with the JFSA recognizing its ability to integrate with local payment rails, deliver real-time transactions, provide transparent costs, and offer significantly cheaper rates. Most other non-bank entities, including Money Service Businesses, hold Type 2 licenses, which limits cross border transfers to only 1 million JPY. Anupam Pahuja, Executive Vice President of Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa at Nium, expressed the company's excitement about the broader impact of this achievement, stating, "Previously, only banks could transfer large funds, but today, Nium becomes the first true global alternative for large value transfers into and out of Japan. We look forward to empowering banks and businesses worldwide to do more commerce with Japan by providing the speed, efficiency, and transparency of payments that has long been missing from this important global market." This accomplishment reinforces Nium's commitment to compliance, transparency, and regulatory excellence. It marks a pivotal moment for the company as it expands its footprint and enhances its capabilities in the dynamic markets across APAC. Nium is uniquely positioned to be the partner of choice for several key corridors as it moves forward in its mission to modernize the global payments infrastructure. It recently announced other regulatory approvals across the Asia market, including in India, where it received an in-principle approval for two sought-after payment licenses. Nium seeks to facilitate more real-time transactions and seamless financial interactions between strategic regions in the world. This accomplishment aligns with Nium's commitment to redefining global financial services by providing users with unparalleled access to secure and innovative payment solutions. "We are very excited about Nium's attainment of the Japan Type 1 license. With this license, we anticipate not only real-time money transfers, but also cost-effective transactions, enhancing the overall ease and efficiency of the money transfer process between Korea and Japan. This will enable both MOIN and Nium to better satisfy our customers, which is the most thrilling aspect for us," stated Ian Ilseok Suh, CEO of MOIN As Nium expands its operations in Japan, it anticipates fostering local partnerships and contributing to the growth of the Japanese fintech ecosystem. The company remains dedicated to building trust with its users and partners by prioritizing security, compliance, and customer satisfaction. Find out more here: https://www.nium.com/japan About Nium Nium , the leader in real-time, cross-border payments, was founded on the mission to deliver the global payments infrastructure of tomorrow, today. With the onset of the global economy, its payments infrastructure is shaping how banks, fintechs, and businesses everywhere collect, convert, and disburse funds instantly across borders. Its payout network supports 100 currencies and spans 190+ countries, 100 of which in real-time. Funds can be disbursed to accounts, wallets, and cards and collected locally in 35 markets. Nium's growing card issuance business is already available in 34 countries. Nium holds regulatory licenses and authorizations in more than 40 countries, enabling seamless onboarding, rapid integration, and compliance independent of geography. The company is co-headquartered in San Francisco and Singapore. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1678669/4545285/Nium_Logo.jpg SOURCE Nium Ontario passengers can reach 26 nonstop destinations from Southern California on 12 airlines ONTARIO, Calif., Feb. 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Ontario International Airport (ONT) officials welcomed news that Frontier Airlines will offer nonstop service to El Paso International Airport (ELP), increasing the number of nonstop destinations from the Southern California gateway to 26. The ELP service will be Frontier's 10th nonstop destination from ONT, and will operate three times a week beginning May 17. Frontier Airlines is adding direct service to El Paso as part of its Ontario International Airport expansion. Frontier also announced additional service from ONT to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) and Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH). Daily flights to Seattle will begin May 16, while the Houston service will be offered four times a week starting May 17. "We are thrilled with these new nonstop routes, including our sixth destination in Texas, and look forward to extending our hassle-free Ontario experience to even more Frontier passengers," said Atif Elkadi, chief executive officer of the Ontario International Airport Authority. "We appreciate the strong partnership with Frontier, and their continued investment in our airport. The Inland Empire has grown to become the 12th largest metropolitan area in the country, and demand for air travel from ONT has surged. And let's remember that ONT is California's favorite airport," he added. About Ontario International Airport Ontario International Airport (ONT) is the fastest growing airport in the United States, according to Global Traveler, a leading publication for frequent fliers. Located in the Inland Empire, ONT is approximately 35 miles east of downtown Los Angeles in the center of Southern California. It is a full-service airport which offers nonstop commercial jet service to two dozen major airports in the U.S., Mexico, Central America and Taiwan. More information is available at www.flyOntario.com. Follow @flyONT on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram About the Ontario International Airport Authority (OIAA) The OIAA was formed in August 2012 by a Joint Powers Agreement between the City of Ontario and the County of San Bernardino to provide overall direction for the management, operations, development and marketing of ONT for the benefit of the Southern California economy and the residents of the airport's four-county catchment area. OIAA leaders include Ontario City Council Member Alan D. Wapner (President), Retired Riverside Mayor Ronald O. Loveridge (Vice President), Ontario City Council Member Jim W. Bowman (Secretary), San Bernardino County Supervisor Curt Hagman (Commissioner) and retired business executive Julia Gouw (Commissioner). OIAA Media Contact: Steve Lambert (909) 841-7527 [email protected] SOURCE Ontario International Airport CLEVELAND, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Pigybak, an innovative homeowner services platform, is celebrating its one-year launch anniversary and other significant milestones this month. Pigybak introduces a fresh approach to property maintenance. The app notifies users when a nearby home service provider is available, allowing them to conveniently "pigybak" on these services which ultimately saves time for all parties involved. Since its launch in March 2023, Pigybak has published a new website, implemented app updates and experienced early traction with homeowners and contractors in the Northeast Ohio region. Specifically, the app implemented a 'Wishlist' feature, which collects wish list items in neighborhoods and pushes them as a bundle to highly rated contractors. This way, homeowners can get group rates without group coordinating. Shanna Greathouse, Founder and CEO of Pigybak, says her goal for 2024 is to continue to scale and fundraise. "We are thrilled to be celebrating one year since the launch of Pigybak, but we're just getting started," said Greathouse. "This past year, we gained real momentum with our users, and improved and updated the platform as needed. But we know this next year, we will take Pigybak to new heights and really start making a difference for individuals, small businesses, and the planet." Pigybak continues to make progress in its mission to revolutionize the way people access and benefit from tradespeople services. By fostering collaboration, optimizing resources, and prioritizing sustainability, the app makes economies of scale accessible to everyone while creating sustainability through technology. To experience the future of homeowner services, download the Pigybak app from the App Store or Google Play Store. For more information, visit www.pigybak.com. SOURCE pigybak LLC BARCELONA, Spain and DUSSELDORF, Germany, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Neuraxpharm Group (Neuraxpharm), a leading European specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the treatment of central nervous system (CNS) disorders, and Minoryx Therapeutics, a late stage biotech company focused on the development of therapies for orphan central nervous system disorders, reaffirm their commitment on Rare Disease Day 2024 to finding better treatments for patients suffering from a range of rare diseases, such as leukodystrophy, including X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (X-ALD) and more specifically cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy (cALD). This Rare Disease Day, to raise awareness of this disease, Neuraxpharm and Minoryx announce the publication of a special information film with the participation of world renowned expert Professor Fanny Mochel, the Director of the Reference Center for Leukodystrophies - La Pitie-Salpetriere Hospital, Paris, and Karen Harrison, Support Services Manager of Alex, The Leukodystrophy Charity (Alex-TLC). In the film, Professor Mochel describes the disease and the need for regular screening to identify patients as early as possible, while Karen Harrison speaks powerfully about the patient experience and need for better treatments. The film can be found on Neuraxpharm's and Minoryx's websites, YouTube and LinkedIn channels. Watch the film here. Dr. Jorg-Thomas Dierks, Chief Executive Officer of Neuraxpharm, said: "The impact this disease has on patients and their families cannot be overstated. At Neuraxpharm, we are committed to bringing better treatment to patients so that we can improve the lives of those affected by this devastating disease. We hope that this film will raise awareness and understanding of the condition." Marc Martinell, Chief Executive Officer of Minoryx said: "The X-ALD community deserve all our support to help them face the extremely challenging consequences of this disease, which in the case of cALD are fatal. We want to raise awareness of the diseases and the importance of regular monitoring and early detection as these are critical factors for timely management of these patients." On 26 January 2024, Neuraxpharm and its partner Minoryx Therapeutics stated that they are seeking a re-examination of leriglitazone, Minoryx's novel brain-penetrant and selective PPAR gamma agonist, by the European Medicines Agency's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) for conditional approval for patients with cALD. Minoryx and Neuraxpharm strongly believe that leriglitazone has a positive benefit / risk balance in patients with cALD. About X-ALD and cALD X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (X-ALD) is an orphan neurodegenerative disease. The global incidence of X-ALD is approximately 6-8/100,000 live births. Boys and adult men with X-ALD can, at any point in their lifetime, develop cALD, which is characterized by demyelinating brain lesions that may become rapidly progressive, leading to acute neurological decline and death. These lesions can produce severe symptoms such as loss of voluntary movements, inability to swallow, loss of communication, cortical blindness and total incontinence and death with a mean survival of 3 to 4 years. Progressive cALD occurs in 31-35% of ALD patients in childhood with typical onset between the age of 2-12 and up to 60% of adult patients, with X-ALD will develop progressive cALD over time. There is currently no pharmacological treatment available for cALD. In childhood, Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) can arrest the disease. However, it is an aggressive procedure and only available for a portion of patients; autologous HSCT is not globally available; this still requires hemo-ablation therapy with associated comorbidities and long-term safety data is being gathered. In adults, experience in HSCT is very limited and the intervention is often not recommended. In addition, all X-ALD patients reaching adulthood develop adrenomyeloneuropathy (AMN), characterized by progressive spastic paraparesis, as well as progressive deterioration of balance and sensory function, and development of incontinence. This form progresses chronically with onset of symptoms typically in adulthood, affecting both men and women, and has poor prognosis. About leriglitazone Leriglitazone is Minoryx Therapeutics's novel orally bioavailable and selective PPAR gamma agonist with a potential first-in-class and best-in-class profile for CNS diseases. It has demonstrated brain penetration and a favorable safety profile. It showed robust preclinical proof-of-concept in animal models of multiple diseases by modulating pathways leading to mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, demyelination and axonal degeneration. In clinical trials, leriglitazone showed clinical benefit in both adult X-ALD patients in ADVANCE and pediatric X-ALD patients in NEXUS. Data from ADVANCE showed that leriglitazone reduces the progression of lesions and the development of progressive cALD. Results on radiological stabilization seen in NEXUS after 24 weeks of treatment were similar to those attained with Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant (HSCT) or ex-vivo gene therapy, hence it is expected that leriglitazone could provide a comparable clinical benefit to cALD patients. Leriglitazone has been granted orphan drug status for X-ALD from the FDA and the EMA and Fast Track and Rare Pediatric Disease designation from the FDA for the treatment of X-ALD. About the Neuraxpharm Group Neuraxpharm is a leading European specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the treatment of the central nervous system (CNS), including both psychiatric and neurological disorders. It has a unique understanding of the CNS market built over 35 years. Neuraxpharm is constantly innovating, with new products and solutions to address unmet patient needs and is expanding its portfolio through its pipeline, partnerships and acquisitions. The company has c.1,000 employees and develops and commercializes CNS products through a direct presence in more than 20 countries in Europe, two in Latin America, and globally via partners in more than 40 countries. Neuraxpharm is backed by funds advised by Permira. Neuraxpharm manufactures many of its pharmaceutical products at Neuraxpharm Pharmaceuticals (formerly Laboratorios Lesvi) in Spain. For more information, please visit www.neuraxpharm.com About Minoryx Minoryx Therapeutics is a registration stage biotech company focusing on the development of novel therapies for orphan central nervous system (CNS) diseases with high unmet medical needs. The company's lead program, leriglitazone (MIN-102), a novel, brain penetrant and selective PPAR gamma agonist, is being developed to treat X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (X-ALD) and other orphan CNS diseases. The company is backed by a syndicate of experienced investors, which includes Columbus Venture Partners, CDTI Innvierte, Caixa Capital Risc, Fund+, Ysios Capital, Roche Venture Fund, Kurma Partners, Chiesi Ventures, S.R.I.W, Idinvest Partners / Eurazeo, SFPI-FPIM, HealthEquity, Sambrinvest and Herrecha, and has support from a network of other organizations. Minoryx was founded in 2011, is headquartered in Spain with Belgian facilities and has so far raised more than 120 million. For more information, please visit https://www.minoryx.com/ NEW YORK, Feb. 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- In a press release issued by the New York Attorney General's Office, the release incorrectly and inaccurately describes a settlement by way of an Assurance of Discontinuance (AOD) between the New York Attorney General's Office and Tromberg, Morris, & Poulin, LLC (TMP), and its subsidiary, Stephen Einstein & Associates, P.C. (SEA). The primary focus of the AOD was TMP's failure to file satisfactions within the mandated 20-day timeframe under NY CPLR Section 5020(c), particularly during the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic when the city was under a lockdown. The investigation revealed that all satisfactions were recorded, albeit some outside the very short, specified timeframe. TMP has already taken corrective actions and agreed to pay restitution to individuals affected by the delayed filings. TMP was not sanctioned or required to pay $595,600.00 for frivolous and predatory behavior; in fact nowhere is that stated in the AOD. Importantly, many of the matters investigated were isolated incidents where no money was even collected from a consumer. Contrary to the previous release, neither TMP nor SEA were accused of filing thousands of wrongful suits against innocent New York residents. The central issue of the AOD revolved around administrative delays in filing satisfactions rather than predatory practices targeting vulnerable individuals. While the AG focuses on the Landlord-Tenant matters less than a handful of matters were identified as truly being wrongfully filed. TMP remediated those matters. TMP was not found to engage in frivolous litigation, and the AOD does not imply, nor were TMP or SEA accused of intentionally targeting innocent debtors in New York. The AOD does highlight a few areas where TMP can improve its processes, but the AOD does not reflect TMP's overwhelmingly empathetic collections practices. TMP has never sought to intentionally harm consumers. Attorneys are held to the highest ethical and professional standards to which TMP adheres. TMP will continue to facilitate a fair and transparent legal process to enable their clients to collect legitimate obligations. SOURCE Tromberg, Morris, Poulin, PLLC. LAS VEGAS, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Residential Real Estate Council's (RRC) Sell-a-bration, now in its 36th year, promises a transformative experience for hundreds of top-producing real estate agents. From February 29 to March 2, 2024, at Caesar's Palace, Las Vegas, attendees from 48 US (United States) states, one US territory and 10 countries will gather to: RRC's 36th Sell-a-bration: Uniting and Advancing the Best in Real Estate Elevate their networks: Forge meaningful connections with Certified Residential Specialists (CRS) Designees, RRC members and other top-producing real estate professionals, expanding their referral base and fostering long-term business relationships. Forge meaningful connections with Certified Residential Specialists (CRS) Designees, RRC members and other top-producing real estate professionals, expanding their referral base and fostering long-term business relationships. Sharpen their expertise: Pre-conference courses led by CRS Certified Instructors, Lee Barrett , and Addie Owens , delve into "Mastering the Evolving Buyers Brokerage Agreements" and "I Do Until, We Must Part the Assets: Navigating Divorcing Customers," equip agents with valuable strategies for today's complex market. Pre-conference courses led by CRS Certified Instructors, , and , delve into "Mastering the Evolving Buyers Brokerage Agreements" and "I Do Until, We Must Part the Assets: Navigating Divorcing Customers," equip agents with valuable strategies for today's complex market. Learn from the best : This year's Sell-a-bration features an enriching lineup of 28 education sessions spread across two days. These sessions have been meticulously chosen by an advisory panel comprised of CRS Designees and RRC members, ensuring a curriculum that is both relevant and beneficial for attendees. : This year's Sell-a-bration features an enriching lineup of 28 education sessions spread across two days. These sessions have been meticulously chosen by an advisory panel comprised of CRS Designees and RRC members, ensuring a curriculum that is both relevant and beneficial for attendees. Unleash innovative strategies: Gain actionable takeaways from industry leaders and inspiring keynote speakers, including Kyle Scheele , dubbed "the patron saint of crazy ideas" for his unconventional yet impactful approaches. Jeff Henderson will share his journey of overcoming adversity, empowering attendees to achieve their dreams. Crowdsourced Comedy, an improv group, will inject humor and engagement into the learning experience. Gain actionable takeaways from industry leaders and inspiring keynote speakers, including , dubbed "the patron saint of crazy ideas" for his unconventional yet impactful approaches. will share his journey of overcoming adversity, empowering attendees to achieve their dreams. Crowdsourced Comedy, an improv group, will inject humor and engagement into the learning experience. Celebrate achievements: Witness the inaugural CRS Commencement, where over 40 new CRS Designees are recognized for their dedication and accomplishments in the field joining "the best of the best." Witness the inaugural CRS Commencement, where over 40 new CRS Designees are recognized for their dedication and accomplishments in the field joining "the best of the best." Connect and unwind: Network with peers, source new business opportunities, and enjoy educational sessions and inspirational content. "Sell-a-bration offers a unique and comprehensive platform for real estate professionals to thrive," says Tricia Nekota, 2024 RRC President. "As we stand on the threshold of the 36th Sell-a-bration, I am reminded of the power of community and the incredible achievements we can accomplish when we come together. This event promises unparalleled opportunities for learning and growth, embodying the resilience, innovation, and spirit of excellence that defines our members and our organization." The conference includes a Night Out in Las Vegas sponsored by RRC Nevada, providing a fun and social setting to solidify connections and celebrate success. Sell-a-bration is unrivaled in its distinction, just like the CRS Designation, RRC members, certified instructors, RRC State Networks and Global Partner Networks. Sell-a-bration addresses industry challenges and opportunities. It solidifies RRC and its events as the "go to" for education and networking during challenging times, demonstrating its role in providing pivotal leadership within the broader real estate industry. Sell-a-bration 2025 will be held at the Omni Nashville, TN, March 17 19, 2025. About the Residential Real Estate Council: The Residential Real Estate Council is the leading education and networking organization for residential real estate agents. It awards the prestigious CRS Designation to experienced residential real estate professionals who have completed advanced professional training and proven outstanding professional achievement in residential real estate. SOURCE Residential Real Estate Council ATLANTA, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs (RICE) is thrilled to announce a $2 million grant awarded by Truist Foundation and two Truist Trusteed Foundations to advance RICE's expansion efforts and elevate Atlanta-based Black entrepreneurs both within the RICE community and beyond. The generous support from Truist will continue to increase mentorship, deliver essential business resources, and expand access to valuable opportunities for capital and financial education. Research conducted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce highlights that nearly 71% of Black entrepreneurs depend on personal and family savings for financing. The disparity in access to capital is further exacerbated by the lower levels of family wealth among Black families. Through acceleration and access to tangible resources, RICE has already made strides to close this gap through Black entrepreneurship as its Stakeholders have created hundreds of jobs, generated more than $100 million in revenue and driven $450 million in total economic activity. "RICE is honored to receive this investment from Truist Foundation and the Truist Trusteed Foundations, which will significantly bolster our mission to support Black entrepreneurs in unprecedented ways," said Jay Bailey, president and CEO of RICE. "Through this collaboration, we are poised to drive economic impact and growth." By partnering, RICE and Truist are reshaping collaboration and empowerment in the entrepreneurial realm. This joint endeavor underscores the importance of initiatives that transcend conventional boundaries to foster a more inclusive and dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystem. "As Black History Month comes to a close, we are honored to celebrate the success of RICE and invest in a more inclusive business ecosystem in Atlanta," said Lynette Bell, president of Truist Foundation. "RICE is known for driving entrepreneurs and small business owners to innovate, grow, create jobs and build wealth, making them an integral partner to achieving Truist Foundation's goal of increasing economic mobility for all." The partnership officially kicked off at RICE today with a formal announcement from Katie Saez, Georgia regional president, Truist, followed by a panel discussion themed: "Demystifying Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs: Strategies for Success." The panel was moderated by Bell and featured Terri Bradley, RICE stakeholder and founder and CEO of Brown Toy Box; Alphonza Gibbs, financial and business advisor, Access to Capital for Entrepreneurs (ACE); and Gayle Cabrera, director of small business, Truist as panelists. Following the panel, entrepreneurs were able to mingle with leaders in attendance to gain expert advice on funding opportunities and avenues for growth and investment that empower small businesses to realize their full potential. ABOUT RUSSELL INNOVATION CENTER FOR ENTREPRENEURS (RICE) The Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs (RICE) is Atlanta's home for Black entrepreneurs. Positioned as a business generator, RICE serves as an economic mobility engine for the community: driving entrepreneurs and small business owners to innovate, grow, create jobs and build wealth. Inspired by the legacy of Herman J. Russell, one of the most successful Black entrepreneurs and civic leaders in Atlanta, RICE remains dedicated to its mission to Build. Black. Business. and stands as the largest center in the world dedicated to growing, scaling, and developing Black Entrepreneurs. For more information visit www.RussellCenter.org, download the RICE Report Volume 1, and follow @RICEAtlanta on Instagram and Twitter and @RussellCenterAtlanta on Facebook. And LinkedIn. ABOUT TRUIST FOUNDATION Truist Foundation is committed to Truist Financial Corporation's (NYSE: TFC) purpose to inspire and build better lives and communities. The Foundation, an endowed private foundation established in 2020 whose operating budget is independent of Truist Financial Corporation, makes strategic investments in a wide variety of nonprofit organizations centered around two focus areas: building career pathways to economic mobility and strengthening small businesses to ensure all communities have an equal opportunity to thrive. Embodying these focus areas are the Foundation's leading initiatives the Inspire Awards and Where It Starts. Learn more at Truist.com/Foundation. Media Contacts Shalon Brown [email protected] Kristen Fraser [email protected] SOURCE Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs ASTANA, Kazakhstan, February 29. Kazakhstan's airlines are considering launching direct flights with Japan, Chairman of the Civil Aviation Committee of the Ministry of Transport of Kazakhstan Saltanat Tompiyeva said during a meeting with the Japanese Ambassador to Kazakhstan Yamada Jun, Trend reports. "Kazakh airlines are considering launching direct flights between the two countries in the first half of 2025," she said. In turn, Yamada Jun noted his readiness to provide full support in this matter. Following the meeting, the parties agreed to continue working together to resume air traffic to expand economic, business and cultural cooperation between the countries. Previously, the Civil Aviation Committee of the Kazakh Ministry of Transport noted that Kazakhstan's airline SCAT will resume flights between Astana (Kazakhstan) and Batumi (Georgia). Flights are planned to resume from June 8 this year. Flights on the route Astana - Batumi will be operated with a frequency of 2 times per week. Thus, flights will be operated on Tuesdays and Thursdays on Boeing 737 aircraft. The engagement will leverage Sabio's unique non cookie-based data sets and solutions so McDonald's can effectively connect with and reach the growing U.S. multicultural audience TORONTO, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Sabio Holdings Inc. (TSXV: SBIO; OTCQX: SABOF) (the "Company" or "Sabio"), a Diverse owned leader in the Connected TV ("CTV")/over-the-top ("OTT") ecosystem helping brands reach, engage and validate diverse consumers through technology) today announced it has entered into an engagement with McDonald's USA, through a partnership with Publicis Groupe. The relationship strengthens McDonald's commitment to diverse communities, and specifically with diverse-owned media partners, by leveraging Sabio's unique non cookie-based data sets and solutions so the brand can effectively connect with and reach the growing U.S. multicultural audience. McDonald's ongoing mission is to foster an inclusive environment, where diversity is embraced. A key audience, Gen Z, is the most ethnically diverse generation to date. U.S. Census data suggests that as of 2019, 49.1% of Generation Z is diverse and growing, with 13.8% Black, 25.0% Hispanic, and 5.3% Asian. 29% of Gen Z are children of immigrants or immigrants themselves, compared to 23% of Millennials when they were at the same age. "Sabio and McDonald's share a common mission to more effectively connect and engage with diverse consumers through a deeper understanding of the communities they represent," said Aziz Rahimtoola, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Sabio. "As a diverse owned technology and analytics company, we are excited to collaborate with an innovative brand like McDonald's to help achieve their objectives." McDonald's will have access to Sabio's CTV/OTT inventory and customized audience segments at advantageous rates. The company can also utilize App Science's (a wholly owned division of Sabio) proprietary 55MM HH graph data, which provides insights and access to Quarterly Trends reports, first-looks at published vertical and multicultural reports and exclusive analyses customized toward McDonald's campaigns and properties. As CTV continues to grow and attract attention from advertisers and brands, the biggest gap lies within the diverse audience data sets. Fragmentation from evolving platforms and growing audiences, and legacy audience measurements that are not representative of diversity, have increasingly made it difficult for the industry to connect brands and the right audiences. Sabio's comprehensive set of solutions tailored to CTV environments allow advertisers to move beyond traditional age and gender demographics, to a far deeper understanding of the evolving consumers' preferences in app affinities and content they're watching at the household level. "McDonald's remains committed to reaching multicultural audiences in authentic ways, and engaging with diverse-owned companies like Sabio ensures we're able to do that most effectively," said Caleb Pearson, VP Customer Engagement & Media, McDonald's USA. "Our shared mission, values and commitment is at the crux of the collaboration with Sabio. Sabio's CTV/OTT inventory sources and the App Science Household Graph will make it easier to efficiently activate at scale, while connecting with McDonald's audiences more granularly." About Sabio Holdings Sabio Holdings Inc. (TSXV: SBIO) (OTCQX: SABOF) is a leading Diverse owned connected-television (CTV) and over-the-top (OTT) technology and service provider specializing in the high-growth ad-supported video-on-demand (AVOD) and free ad-supported streaming (FAST) channel market. Its cloud-based technologies empower brands and agencies to effectively reach, engage, and better understand diverse audiences on streaming platforms. The Sabio portfolio is comprised of: Sabio our trusted and transparent content monetization demand-side platform (DSP); App Science our cutting edge, non-panel based, real-time measurement and attribution software as a service (SAAS) platform; and Vidillion our cloud-based ad-insertion, and content distribution and management platform. For more information, visit: sabioholding.com About McDonald's McDonald's is the world's leading global foodservice retailer with over 40,000 locations in over 100 countries. Approximately 95% of McDonald's restaurants worldwide are owned and operated by independent local business owners. All marks and trademarks are the property of their respective owners. All rights reserved. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in any jurisdiction. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Media Contacts Aziz Rahimtoola, CEO & Co-Founder [email protected] 1.844.974.2662 Sam Wang, Investor Relations [email protected] Jiyan Cadiz, Public Relations [email protected] SOURCE Sabio Holdings Inc. RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Saudi Arabia has received international recognition and applause from UN Tourism and the World Travel & Tourism Council for its remarkable achievement of welcoming over 100 million tourists in 2023. This accomplishment significantly surpassed the previous target set for 2030, positioning Saudi Arabia as an emerging global tourism powerhouse. Saudi Arabia's achievement of welcoming +100 million tourists receives global recognition from UN Tourism and WTTC The Ministry of Tourism announced that the Kingdom has achieved this milestone seven years ahead of the initial goal according to the latest data. Motivated by this success, the Kingdom has now set a new ambitious target of welcoming 150 million tourists by 2030. Tourism has proven to be a significant contributor to the nation's economy, with domestic and international tourists spending over 250 billion riyals in 2023. This expenditure represents over 4% of GDP and 7% of the non-oil GDP reflecting the crucial role of tourism in diversifying Saudi Arabia's economy. H.E. Minister Ahmed Al Khateeb, commented: "This announcement demonstrates the scale of our transformation since the National Tourism Strategy was launched five years ago. Tourism is a key pillar in the nation's economic transformation under Vision 2030, creating jobs and revenue for the Kingdom. We thank both UN Tourism and WTTC as valued partners in our journey for their shared commitment to a sustainable and prosperous tourism sector." "The tourism ecosystem continues to operate in line with the national tourism strategy by developing diverse tourist destinations. Our aim is to enrich the experiences of tourists, diversify options for both local and international visitors, and enhance hospitality facilities along with other services provided. We are committed to aligning with top-tier international experiences and practices. This approach contributes to shaping a prosperous future for our tourism industry, improving the quality of life, and bolstering the Kingdom's position on the global tourism map," said the Minister. The tourism sector in the Kingdom has marked significant qualitative leaps, with the total number of tourists, both domestic and international, reaching 106.2 million in 2023. This represents a remarkable increase of 56% compared to 2019 and a substantial 12% surge compared to 2022. Among these, the number of international tourists reached 27.4 million, showing a substantial 56% increase from 2019 and an impressive 65% rise compared to 2022. Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2351393/Saudi_Arabia_UN_Tourism_WTTC.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2351392/Ministry_of_Tourism_KSA_Logo.jpg BEIJING, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from english.shanghai.gov.cn: The State Council principally approved the general plan of constructing the eastern hub international business cooperation zone in Shanghai, the official website of China's Cabinet said on Feb 19. The general plan of building the Shanghai eastern hub international business cooperation zone has been agreed in principle, and corresponding work can be organized accordingly, the State Council said in the official approval to the Shanghai Municipal People's Government and the General Administration of Customs dated on Feb 9. To better exert Shanghai's strengths in opening-up, the plan should be implemented based on the city's existing status as an international aviation hub, making good use of the institutional innovative achievements of the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone, creating a highly convenient vehicle for international business communications, better connecting domestic and international markets, so as to make greater contribution in promoting high level opening-up, the statement said. The municipal government of Shanghai is urged to strictly follow the development positioning, targets and key tasks of the plan, to make improvements of the specific implementation plan, and to effectively promote the construction and development of the eastern hub international business cooperation zone. Relevant divisions of the State Council will work on detailed supplement policies to support the construction of the international business cooperation zone. The General Administration of Customs along with relevant departments will make evaluation of the international business cooperation zone in a timely manner through coordination, analysis, supervision and inspection, and further promote the experience of the zone in due time, said the statement. Based on Shanghai's East Railway Station, the project would combine transportation functions of aviation, national railway, urban railway and metro together to facilitate the integration of the Yangtze River Delta region, serve Pudong New Area's goal of playing a leading role in China's new journey to fully build a modern socialist country and accelerate Shanghai's efforts to forge a socialist modern international metropolis with global influence, according to the official website of the Shanghai municipal government. SOURCE english.shanghai.gov.cn DUBLIN, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Car Rental Industry in South Africa 2023" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The car rental industry has recovered since the pandemic in line with tourism and business travel. Revenue increased in 2021 and 2022, and there are expectations of another significant increase in 2023. Car rental companies are looking at taking advantage of a growing trend of people renting rather than owning cars. Ride-sharing, car subscriptions, online platforms and digital aggregators are providing car rental businesses with alternative revenue streams. Opportunities Electric and hybrid vehicle rental services. Formation of partnerships and alliances with airlines, hotels, and travel agencies. Formation of partnerships with ride-hailing services. Provision of long-term rentals. Subscription-based car rental services. Targeting corporate clients by offering tailored services, such as dedicated packages and loyalty programmes. Challenges Access to prime locations, particularly at major airports and city centres. Building and maintaining trust and credibility with customers. Changing customer behaviours and shifts in preferences, including the shift to remote work and online meetings, can affect business travel and the demand for rental vehicles. Competition from ride-hailing and ride-sharing services. Continuous vehicle maintenance and repairs. Economic conditions can affect consumer spending and travel, impacting demand for rental vehicles. Establishing and sustaining strong brand recognition and customer loyalty. The industry is highly competitive, with many players vying for market share. The need to invest in technology for reservation systems, online booking platforms and fleet management. Vulnerability to unforeseen global and local events which led to travel restrictions and reduced demand. Trends As business travel recovers, vehicle rental companies are adjusting their services and pricing to meet the needs of corporate clients and travellers. Connected car technology, such as in-car Wi-Fi and real-time vehicle tracking, is becoming more common in rental vehicles. Including additional products such as GPS devices, Wi-Fi and insurance packages. Investment in technology to enhance customer experiences. More flexible long-term rental options and subscription services are gaining popularity. Optimising vehicle fleets to include more fuel-efficient models and alternative fuel vehicles. Some rental companies are exploring partnerships and integration with ride-hailing services to offer customers seamless transport solutions. Strategic partnerships and alliances with airlines, hotels and travel agencies. Outlook The outlook for the car rental industry is subject to local and global economic conditions, evolving customer preferences, technological advancements and global events. The industry is expected to return to pre-pandemic levels in 2024 and grow further thereafter. The significant increase in international inbound and local tourist travel and business travel in 2023 provide growth opportunities. The supply of new vehicles has improved and enabled the industry to acquire more rental fleet to take advantage of higher business activity. Diversification strategies continue to bear fruit. The industry continues to face challenges in the form of economic uncertainty, regulatory challenges on emissions standards and safety requirements, and meeting consumer demand for eco-friendly vehicles. The industry remains highly competitive, leading to pricing pressures and the need for differentiation. Report Coverage This report on the car rental industry in South Africa provides a comprehensive overview of the sector and information on the size and state of the industry including fleet size and utilisation, rental car purchases and top selling vehicles sold to the industry, second hand sales, major players and corporate actions. It includes information on relevant influencing factors such as tourism trends, crime and safety and infrastructure and road conditions. There are profiles of 15 companies including CMH, Motus and Zeda, who between them own some of the major rental brands, as well as other notable players such as Pace, RentMyRide, Woodford Group and Bluu. Key Topics Covered: 1. INTRODUCTION 2. DESCRIPTION OF THE INDUSTRY 2.1. Industry Value Chain 2.2. Geographic Position 2.3. Size of the Industry 3. LOCAL 3.1. State of the Industry 3.2. Key Trends 3.3. Key Issues 3.4. Notable Players 3.5. Corporate Actions 3.6. Regulations 3.7. Enterprise Development and Social Development 4. AFRICA 5. INTERNATIONAL 6. INFLUENCING FACTORS 6.1. Unforeseen Events 6.2. Economic Environment 6.3. Labour 6.4. Environmental Issues 6.5. Electric Vehicles 6.6. Crime and Road Safety 6.7. Cyclicality 6.8. Tourism Trends 6.9. Infrastructure and Road Conditions 6.10. Technology, R&D, Innovation 6.11. Government Support 6.12. Input Costs 7. COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT 7.1. Competition 7.2. Ownership Structure of the Industry 7.3. Barriers to Entry 8. INDUSTRY SUMMARY 9. OUTLOOK 10. INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS COMPANY PROFILES Bluu Car Rental (Pty) Ltd C M H Car Hire (Pty) Ltd Car Hire Brokers (Pty) Ltd CFAO Mobility (Pty) Ltd FlexClub ZA Technologies (Pty) Ltd Gage Car Rental (Pty) Ltd Genissis 1 Cash Car Rental CC Inclusion South Africa (Pty) Ltd (Pty) Ltd Motus Holdings Ltd Pace Car Rental (Pty) Ltd RentMyRide (Pty) Ltd Springs Car Wholesalers (Pty) Ltd Woodford Group (Pty) Ltd (The) Zeda Ltd Zenith Car Rental (Pty) Ltd For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/2h0mgo About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg SOURCE Research and Markets "In transitioning from a well-known residential mover with solid footholds in multiple locations to a full-service moving company engaged in all aspects of the industry, especially commercial and specialty moves, I wanted someone with a proven track record at the helm," says Burks. "Considering the resources we have put into the company to get this far I was looking for the best, and the name Steve Kuhn kept coming up in conversations. I am looking forward to our journey together." Kuhn spent the last two years at Kuhn Consulting and Logistics based in West Palm Beach, Florida, advising transportation clients on management transitions resulting from acquisitions, an ideal precursor for MG Moving planned expansion. Prior to this Kuhn oversaw annual double-digit growth at Able Moving & Storage, first as its Chief Operating Officer and then Chief Executive Officer, from annual revenues of 5 million to 40 million upon his exit. Over two decades of experience at his family's endeavor, JK Moving, saw Kuhn involved in every aspect of the business that helped grow it to the brand it is now. "Expeditious involvement with industry organizations and associations in a manner that promotes communication regarding best practices is one priority for us as a company," states Kuhn. "Transparency allows good ideas to flourish and bad ideas to fail fast." Under Kuhn's new tenure, MG Moving will be joining the International Association of Movers Domestic Asset-based Movers Group and will shortly be attending the American Trucking Association's Moving & Storage Conference (ATA/MSC) March 3-6 in New Orleans. Executives at the ATA/MSC look forward to their involvement. "Congratulations to Steve Kuhn on his new position as CEO of MG Moving Services. We look forward to MG's participation in the American Trucking Associations' Moving & Storage Conference and are glad they are joining us in New Orleans for our upcoming annual meeting," said ATA's Moving & Storage Conference Executive Director Ryan Bowley. Chuck Bailey, CEO and Owner of Cornerstone Moving, as well as ATA/MSC Committee member and IAM Domestic Asset-Based Group Ethics Counsel Chairman, looks forward to interaction with CEO Kuhn in his new role and has no doubts about his ability to pilot MG Moving to new heights. "I have known Steve for years and watched him excel at the many different positions he has held as well as the ancillary roles he has taken upon himself to become involved with that have benefitted the industry," says Bailey, "especially with regards to strengthening the position of the independent mover, which I am sure he will champion at MG Moving. I look forward to working together." Initially CEO Kuhn will focus heavily on growing the commercial and specialty moving divisions of MG Moving in markets the company already has a residential foothold in, while assisting Owner Brett Burks with integrating acquisitions in the Southeast to the MG Moving platform. "Working together with Brett to escalate each of the regions we become involved with from whatever form we find it into a mature arm of MG Moving that services the continuum of moving needs is going to be exciting," says Kuhn, "and we are already underway." Follow us on LinkedIn, and visit our website at www.mgmoving.com SOURCE MG Moving Services NEW YORK, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- According to Technavio, the global superconductor market size is estimated to grow by USD 4,472.26 million from 2022 to 2027. The market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of almost 8.7% during the forecast period. APAC will account for the largest share of the global market during the forecast period. The report includes historic market data from 2017 to 2021. In 2017, the market was valued at USD 6316.30 million. For more Insights on market size Request a sample report Segment Overview Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Superconductor Market 2024-2028 Technavio has segmented the market based on type (Low-temperature superconductors and High-temperature superconductors), and product (Magnets, Cables, Transformers, and Energy storage devices. The low-temperature superconductors segment will account for a significant share of the global market during the forecast period. Factors such as low-temperature superconductors are widely used in applications such as high-energy physics, automobiles, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) devices. Currently, commonly used MRI magnets are cylindrical superconducting magnets made from low-temperature Niobium-titanium (NbTi) superconductors. NbTi magnets are compact, demonstrate reliable performance, and are cost-effective. These advantages of low-temperature NbTi superconductors drive their adoption in MRI applications. Such factors will drive the growth of the low-temperature superconductors segment in the global superconductor market. Geography Overview By geography, the global superconductor market is segmented into APAC, North America, Europe, South America, and Middle East and Africa. The report provides actionable insights and estimates the contribution of all regions to the growth of the global superconductor market. APAC is estimated to account for 47% of the growth of the global market during the forecast period. Governments of countries in APAC are investing significantly in developing high-voltage power grids. For instance, in November 2022 , Sun Cable signed a deal with the Government of Indonesia to develop the world's largest intercontinental solar and storage project. The growing investments in power grid projects will accelerate the demand for superconducting cables, transformers, and generators. This, in turn, will drive the growth of the market in APAC during the forecast period. Download a Sample Report The development of smart grids Smart grids provide various benefits, such as managing the power supply efficiently during blackouts. They are prepared for emergencies such as natural disasters, as they re-route the electrical supply to working lines and isolate the fault lines. Electrical equipment, components, and transmission lines carry high currents and voltage at high temperatures, which necessitates the use of superconductor materials. As superconductor devices are suitable for high-temperature applications, they need to be integrated across generators and transformers. Therefore, with the growing interest in smart grid deployment across the world, the need for superconductor devices will drive the market's growth during the forecast period. Download a Sample Report The emergence of SMES systems is a key trend influencing the superconductor market. The high lead time may impede the superconductor market growth. Download a Sample Report Analyst Review The superconductor market is poised for significant growth, driven by advancements in electric power and high-field magnet technology. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines utilize superconductors to generate powerful magnetic fields essential for imaging diagnostics in the healthcare sector. These machines, particularly advanced MRI systems, are integral to public health activities worldwide, supported by government initiatives such as those by the US government through entities like the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Rising expenditure on healthcare globally, including in developing countries like India, fuels the demand for cutting-edge medical technologies, including superconductors. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries also contribute significantly to the market growth through substantial government support and investments in medical industry infrastructure. Superconductors play a vital role in enhancing energy efficiency, particularly in high-power applications where resistance in wires can lead to significant energy losses. This is especially crucial in electronics manufacturing enterprises, where superconductors can improve production value and efficiency in various consumer electronics. India's health sector expenditure reflects the increasing focus on improving healthcare infrastructure, including the adoption of advanced medical technologies. The growth rate of the superconductor market is thus projected to accelerate, driven by a confluence of factors including technological advancements, increased healthcare spending, and expanding applications across diverse industries. The Superconductor Market is thriving, fueled by advancements in electric power and high-field magnet technology. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machines rely on superconductors for their powerful magnetic fields, revolutionizing healthcare. Energy efficiency and magnetic fields drive innovation, propelling the market forward. Download a Sample Report Related Reports: The degaussing systems market size is expected to increase to 12915.00 units from 2021 to 2026, and the market's growth momentum will accelerate at a CAGR of 3.80%. This report extensively covers market segmentation by end-user (bulk carrier, oil tanker, container ships, and others) and geography (MEA, APAC, South America, Europe, and North America). The size of the wind energy market in Austria is expected to increase by 165.58 megawatts from 2021 to 2026, and the market's growth momentum will accelerate at a CAGR of 9.24%. This report extensively covers market segmentation by end-user (commercial and domestic) and installation sites (offshore and onshore). Table of contents 1 Executive Summary 2 Landscape 3 Sizing 4 Historic Size 5 Five Forces Analysis 6 Segmentations 7 Customer Landscape 8 Geographic Landscape 9 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends 10 Vendor Landscape 11 Vendor Analysis 12 Appendix About US Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contact Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media & Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: www.technavio.com/ SOURCE Technavio Tentative Agreement Reached Day Before 5,000 Brewery Teamsters Set to Strike WASHINGTON, Feb. 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters reached a five-year tentative agreement significantly raising pay, improving health care and retirement benefits, and providing critical job security for all 5,000 Teamsters at Anheuser-Busch breweries nationwide. The tentative agreement was unanimously recommended by the Teamsters National Negotiating Committee after reconvening at the bargaining table with Anheuser-Busch representatives late in the day on Wednesday. "Teamsters make the beer, Teamsters make Anheuser-Busch successful, and our members deserve the best contract. That is what we fought for and won today," said Teamsters General President Sean M. O'Brien. "Anheuser-Busch knew our members were serious and prepared to do whatever it would take to get a fair agreement. After a long day and a longer campaign, we've reached an agreement that sets a new high standard for the brewing industry. Teamsters continue to hold the line at Molson Coors in Texas for a fair contract, but Molson Coors should pay close attention to the bar we've set today for brewery workers across the country." Highlights of the tentative agreement include: Significant job security for all 5,000 Teamsters at Anheuser-Busch, including brewers, packagers, and warehouse workers Wage increases of $8 /hour, including an immediate $4 /hour raise in the first year average wage increases total 23 percent over the length of the agreement /hour, including an immediate /hour raise in the first year average wage increases total 23 percent over the length of the agreement $2,500 ratification bonus for every member ratification bonus for every member An end to two-tier health care, providing all workers with the same high-quality Teamsters health care coverage Increased pension contributions and benefits nationwide Increased maximum vacation accrual to 8 paid weeks Restoration of retirement benefits for active and retired members "Teamsters at Anheuser-Busch will have big pay raises, better benefits, and job security under a strong agreement that benefits everyone. The Teamsters fought hard and made sure we got every single item that our members need and deserve," said Jeff Padellaro, Director of the Teamsters, Brewery, Bakery, and Soft Drink Conference. The full tentative agreement will be shared with members prior to the ratification process, with voting expected next week. 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. Contact: Kara Deniz, (202) 497-6610 [email protected] SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters DUBLIN, Feb. 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Transformation of Customer Loyalty: A Pan-Industry View" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. In a time of uncertainty, brands must ensure that the value proposition provided by their loyalty schemes is firmly aligned with customer needs, priorities and expectations, continuously refined and adapted to withstand disruption and changing market conditions. This report explores how loyalty programmes are evolving across key industries worldwide. The global briefing offers an insight into the size and shape of the luxury goods industry, highlights buzz topics, emerging trends as well as pressing industry issues, their effects on luxury goods retailing in markets around the world and on the development of consumers' shopping patterns. Forecasts illustrate how the market is set to change and criteria for success. In short, it identifies the opportunity zones within luxury goods industry Key Findings Lifestyle loyalty schemes Creating lifestyle loyalty programmes has become an essential focus for brands across different industries by rewarding actions rather than purchases. They aim to become part of the everyday lives of their consumers, incentivising wellness and wellbeing behaviours, delivering utility as well as innovative but highly personalised benefits. By forming relevant partnerships and delivering more choices for members with the help of these schemes, brands are able to stand out from the crowd and remain relevant. Elevating value proposition vital more than ever As consumers become savvier, they seek to gain more added value from their regular purchases and from their membership participation. This is forcing brands to adapt and deliver wide-ranging rewards offerings, more prestigious membership status, enjoyable experiences, and personalised services. Communities and co-creation in huge demand Building a brand community as part of the loyalty programmes is imperative for deepening the customer engagement, supporting peer-to-peer interaction and social impact initiatives, creating more lasting relationships with members and ultimately accessing vital feedback and information about the brand's customer base. Brand communities are the perfect platform for product and marketing co-creation with the business, which further entices more innovation as well as loyal and top-spending consumers. Innovation and technology revive stale legacy structures In a time of technological disruption and innovation, customer loyalty is changing. Companies are embracing new business models to expand the potential of loyalty schemes, ensure borderless reach and deliver new incentives. With digitalisation extending its reach, using mobile strategies to drive loyalty is essential, and in turn offers a direct connection to the customer. Key Topics Covered: Introduction Scope Key Takeaways Exploring customer loyalty Drivers of customer loyalty Capitalising on the power of mobile growth Experiences high on the agenda for loyalty programmes to help drive added value Grocery retail brands: lead the way for global loyalty programmes Loyalty programmes more important than ever Designing loyalty programmes: key considerations for businesses The core principles of effective loyalty programmes Loyalty in beauty and personal care Beauty loyalty programmes are most influential in colour cosmetics and among Millennials Fluctuations in subscription box demand and direct selling salesforce are major challenges BeautyCounter builds loyalty through ingredient safety positioning, "clean beauty" mission Bubble builds loyalty through app frequented by Generation Z and co-creation approach Bond over shared ethos, co-create with younger consumers, and build community in beauty Loyalty in luxury goods Elevating customer loyalty through value-driven rewards and exclusivity across luxury Leveraging digital platforms for loyalty programmes across luxury is essential Building emotional loyalty and nurturing brand advocates is pathway for future consumers YSL Beauty: Nurturing exclusivity with NFT loyalty approach to connect better with Gen Z Luxury department store Liberty London gives its loyalty members more bang for their buck gives its loyalty members more bang for their buck Fusing exclusivity, quality, heritage and storytelling to build a strong strategy in luxury loyalty Loyalty in apparel and footwear Loyalty in packaged food Digital trends have the potential to reshape loyalty programmes in the food industry General Mills opens path to data-driven loyalty programmes Kraft Heinz's NFT integration with Oscar Mayer Wiener Whistle Enhancing customer engagement through loyalty programmes in the evolving food industry Loyalty in drinks Supporting ubiquitous brands with targeted loyalty programmes, particularly in foodservice Coke ON consumer loyalty app helps to kickstart vending growth in Japan Drinks brands invest in B2B digital loyalty programmes for traditional and independent retailers Tim Hortons extends loyalty programme with new Tims credit card Loyalty in Drinks Drinks programmes to foster both consumer and retailer loyalty Loyalty in consumer foodservice Foodservice programmes must transcend discounts and foster lasting loyalty through experiences Boba Guys' reward system adds an element of surprise through mystery boxes reward system adds an element of surprise through mystery boxes Taco Bell empowers loyalty members to take part in the design of hot sauce slogans Loyalty in Consumer Foodservice Delivering value aligned with their consumers' needs and wants Loyalty in travel Loyalty ecosystems target growing leisure travel segment Accor uses subscriptions to increase loyalty programme participation ANA Pocket offers lifestyle ecosystem rewards Future travel loyalty programmes will be lifestyle ecosystems Loyalty in retail Loyalty and personalisation, a match made in heaven Direct to consumer model makes it easier to achieve maximum personalisation The Fresh Market launches Ultimate Loyalty Experience, exploring personalisation Marks & Spencer finds new heights by shining the light on Sparks Loyalty nirvana is now the ultimate goal for consumers and retailers alike Loyalty in nicotine Loyalty in nicotine is largely a feature of emerging cigarette alternative categories Ecigwizard Vape Rewards: Addressing price sensitivity BAT's B-Lounge: Rewarding and educating uptake of an emerging category Where viable loyalty programmes offer approaches to key industry challenges Conclusion Key Takeaways Customer Loyalty: How to win Evolution of customer loyalty For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/61i1l3 About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg SOURCE Research and Markets LOS ANGELES, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Two distinguished software experts, Rick Watts and Vikas Sharma, have joined Quandary Peak Research's growing team. Watts and Sharma each bring extensive experience in software litigation to their new roles, further strengthening Quandary Peak's capabilities and expertise in critical areas such as enterprise architectures, ERP systems, and software patents, among others. Rick and Vikas will apply their professional insights as consultants in software litigation and provide expert witness testimony. "I'm exceptionally proud of the team we've built at Quandary Peak. Rick and Vikas will add to the incredible momentum we've had recently," said George Edwards , Quandary Peak's President & Principal Computer Scientist. "It's not always easy to recruit the caliber of talent Quandary Peak is known for, but the past six months have been extraordinarily productive in enhancing our team." Rick Watts, Expert in Enterprise Software and IT Systems Growing demand for enterprise IT systems expertise led Quandary Peak to recruit Rick Watts , an industry veteran with over 30 years of hands-on experience and leadership as a technology executive. Watts's impressive background encompasses software development, IT services, enterprise commercial software such as ERP and CRM, data management, security compliance (including NIST, COBIT, and ISO standards), architecture assessment, risk and compliance governance, and a variety of popular technology platforms for cloud infrastructure, networking, virtualization, and data warehousing. Before joining Quandary Peak, Watts held technology leadership positions in healthcare, higher education, and gaming. At Quandary Peak, Watts's practice will include providing expert witness testimony in civil litigation arising from large-scale software development projects and IT system failures. Large and complex IT projects sometimes result in litigation when they fail to achieve their original objectives or run significantly over budget. Such cases frequently require an expert with Watts's comprehensive knowledge of enterprise architecture, software development processes, technical architecture design, project management, and system integration. "I've designed or deployed dozens of successful enterprise software systems over thirty years, so I know what should happen," said Watts. "When litigation arises from complex enterprise projects, my job is to explain how the technology or the process went awry, to help my client prepare their arguments." Vikas Sharma, Expert in Software Patent Analysis Since its founding, Quandary Peak Research has been known for excellence in software patent consulting. Adding Vikas Sharma as Director of Patent Services further strengthens Quandary Peak's team of outstanding software patent experts. For over fifteen years, Sharma has been leading teams examining gigabytes of source code, performing software and firmware reverse engineering, writing expert reports for patent validity and non-infringement, and providing technical support during depositions and trials. Sharma's work has contributed to multimillion-dollar settlements, creating positive outcomes for clients. Sharma also brings over a decade of experience analyzing large patent portfolios and helping clients monetize their patents through licensing and selling patent assets. Sharma's arrival coincides with Quandary Peak's expanding presence in Texas. Sharma now leads the office in Austin, Texas, placing him in a hub for patent litigation. Sharma will play a leading role in Quandary Peak's plans to aggressively grow its team of software patent experts and code reviewers in Austin. "Quandary Peak works on many interesting and unique projects across the technology industry. I feel fortunate that my engineering background and knowledge of smartphones, wireless networking, Internet applications, and software and firmware reverse engineering has prepared me for this role," said Sharma. About Quandary Peak Research Quandary Peak Research is a nationwide consulting firm that provides expert analysis of complex technology to companies, law firms, and investors. Quandary Peak's clients utilize their computer and software expertise in various types of civil litigation, including patent infringement, copyright infringement, trade secret misappropriation, and breach-of-contract cases. In addition to providing expert witness testimony, software experts at Quandary Peak perform source code analysis, technical due diligence, software quality audits, and forensic investigations. For media inquiries, please contact: Jeremiah Deasey Manager of Digital Marketing, Media, and Brand jeremiah@quandarypeak.com SOURCE Quandary Peak Research PORT VILA, Vanuatu, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Vantage Markets ("Vantage") is honoured to receive the prestigious "Best CFD Broker, Global" award at the Global Brand Awards 2024. This accolade is an affirmation of Vantage's efforts and commitment to excellence and innovation in the Contracts for Difference (CFD) trading industry. Global Brands Magazine (GBM) is a leading publication known for its news articles and opinion pieces on well-known brands around the globe. Headquartered in the UK, it hosts a series of awards recognising outstanding companies in various industries. Vantage Markets Clinches Coveted Global "Best CFD Broker" Award for 2024 The Global Brand Awards 2024 , now in its 12th year, aims to celebrate excellence across industries like forex and fintech. Vantage was previously awarded "Best Affiliate Program Global" and "Best Forex Affiliate Program Global" in 2023, recognising the strides the company has made growing its partnership program. Marc Despallieres, Chief Strategy and Trading Officer, Vantage, expressed his heartfelt gratitude to GBM for their continued recognition. "This award is not just a testament to our company's dedication. It celebrates the tireless efforts of our incredible team, and I want to extend my deepest appreciation to our Vantage team for their hard work, passion, and dedication. Without them, this achievement would not have been possible." Vantage remains at the forefront of innovation, recently launching several initiatives to enhance clients' trading experience. They include a website revamp to provide users with a more intuitive and streamlined interface, and the launch of its brand video "Reborn a Trader" to address the biggest challenges facing CFD traders today. As global financial markets evolve, Despallieres says Vantage remains committed to staying ahead of industry trends and meeting their clients' evolving needs. "Our sincerest gratitude goes to our valued clients. Your trust and support has been the cornerstone of our success, and we are truly grateful for the opportunity to serve you," he says. About Vantage Vantage (or Vantage Markets) is a multi-asset broker offering clients access to a nimble and powerful service for trading Contracts for Difference (CFDs) products, including Forex, Commodities, Indices, Shares, ETFs, and Bonds. With over 13 years of market experience, Vantage transcends the role of broker, providing a trusted trading ecosystem, an award-winning mobile trading app, and a user-friendly trading platform that empowers clients to seize trading opportunities. Download the Vantage App on App Store or Google Play. trade smarter @vantage http://www.vantagemarkets.com/ Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2351053/Vantage_Office_Trophy2024.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1745281/Vantage_Logo.jpg EXETER, N.H., Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Vapotherm, Inc. (OTCQX: VAPO), ("Vapotherm" or the "Company"), a global medical technology company specializing in the development and commercialization of its proprietary Vapotherm high-velocity therapy products for patients of all ages experiencing respiratory distress, is pleased to announce the regulatory approval of the HVT 2.0 system in Brazil. The therapeutic respiratory devices market in Brazil, valued at USD 302.4 million in 2022, is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 6.5% from 2023 to 2030.1 With approximately 8 million cases of COPD and a growing aging population, there is an increasing demand for respiratory devices in the country. COPD stands as a significant health concern in Brazil, ranking sixth leading cause of death.2 Joe Army, Vapotherm's President and Chief Executive Officer expressed his optimism, stating, "I'm excited about emerging market growth for Vapotherm. In the third quarter of 2023, we posted 25% global capital equipment revenue growth compared to the third quarter of 2022, partly driven by sales in Brazil. With the approval and subsequent launch of HVT 2.0 in Brazil, we look forward to establishing ourselves as a frontline solution in Latin America." The mobility of the HVT 2.0 platform, ease of use, multi-functionality, and the upgraded design which freed the device from requiring an external source of compressed air makes HVT 2.0 an ideal respiratory support device for care of patients ranging from pediatric to the elderly. These features facilitate optimal patient care in the most advanced hospitals as well as resource constrained environments. With the approval of the new system in Brazil, Vapotherm is launching a new Portuguese website and social media campaign. The Company attended in the XXVIII Brazilian Congress of Intensive Care Medicine, the largest event of its kind in Latin America, to collaborate with approximately three thousand clinicians. About Vapotherm Vapotherm, Inc. (OTCQX: VAPO) is a publicly traded developer and manufacturer of advanced respiratory technology based in Exeter, New Hampshire, USA. The Company develops innovative, comfortable, non-invasive technologies for respiratory support of patients with chronic or acute breathing disorders. Over 4.2 million patients have been treated with the use of Vapotherm high velocity therapy systems. For more information, visit www.vapotherm.com. Vapotherm high velocity therapy is mask-free non-invasive respiratory support and is a front-line tool for relieving respiratory distressincluding hypercapnia, hypoxemia, and dyspnea. It allows for the fast, safe treatment of undifferentiated respiratory distress with one tool. The HVT 2.0 and Precision Flow systems' mask-free interface delivers optimally conditioned breathing gases, making it comfortable for patients and reducing the risks and care complexities associated with mask therapies. While being treated, patients can talk, eat, drink and take oral medication. Legal Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements about the Company's business and growth prospects in Brazil. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as "expect," "anticipate," "continue," "plan," "intend," "will," or "typically," or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words, and the use of future dates. Each forward-looking statement is subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statement. Applicable risks and uncertainties include the failure of the Company's products to achieve market acceptance or significant market growth in Brazil and the other risks and uncertainties included under the heading "Risk Factors" in Vapotherm's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, as filed with the SEC on February 22, 2024, and in its subsequent filings with the SEC. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release reflect Vapotherm's views as of the date hereof, and Vapotherm does not assume and specifically disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Investor Relations Contacts: John Landry, SVP & CFO, [email protected], +1 (603) 658-0011 http://investors.vapotherm.com/ 1 https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/brazil-therapeutic-respiratory-devices-market-report 2 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17416152/ SOURCE Vapotherm, Inc. Steps to take after being injured in a crash by a driver who leaves the scene says The Stoddard Firm ATLANTA, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Hit-and-run motor vehicle accidents are not uncommon in Georgia. Every year pedestrians, bicyclists, and occupants of other cars are injured or killed in the state in these dangerous crashes. Drivers who cause them can be held responsible when they can be located. "It is not only morally wrong but also illegal to flee an injury accident, yet it happens all the time," said Attorney Matthew Stoddard, owner of The Stoddard Firm. "Hit-and-run drivers who cause injuries may be subject to criminal prosecution and be sued by injured parties." The Stoddard Firm A successful outcome in a personal injury lawsuit requires strong evidence of negligence and fault. When a driver has left the crash site, it makes it much more difficult to gather this evidence. There are steps that accident victims can take to help ensure that the driver who injured them is held accountable. After checking for injuries and calling for emergency responders if needed, accident victims should do the following to help their claims: Write down every detail they remember about the driver and car. Provide officers with car and driver details for the police report. Get contact information from eyewitnesses. Take photographs and/or video of the accident scene and all vehicles. See their doctors and keep copies of medical records and bills. Reach out to a car accident attorney for legal assistance. "An attorney who is experienced in handling hit-and-run cases will work with accident investigators and police to try and find the driver," said Stoddard. "Once the driver is identified, they will build a claim for damages that could include payment for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. If the driver cannot be found, the attorney can provide advice about other potential options for receiving compensation for injuries and property damage." About The Stoddard Firm The Stoddard Firm focuses on resolving complex personal injury and wrongful death claims arising from motor vehicle accidents, property injuries, and defective consumer products. It is highly successful at achieving winning outcomes for clients in hit-and-run crashes and other motor vehicle accident cases. A graduate of University of Georgia School of Law, Matthew Stoddard has tried numerous high-profile injury matters in the state and has been featured on Courtroom View Network and in other media. This press release was issued through 24-7PressRelease.com. For further information, visit http://www.24-7pressrelease.com. SOURCE The Stoddard Firm BEIJING, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A news report from chinadaily.com.cn: The World Internet Conference (WIC) held a forum on Feb 27 themed on "Computing Power Network: Smarter Network for a Smarter World" during the Mobile World Congress Barcelona 2024 in Spain. Zhuang Rongwen, chair of the WIC, makes a speech at the forum on Feb 27. [Photo/wicinternet.org] Zhuang Rongwen, chair of the WIC, made a speech at the forum, which was presided over by Ren Xianliang, secretary-general of the WIC. Zhuang said that the global economic and social digital transformation is accelerating, with increasing demand for computing power driven by new technologies and applications such as 5G, big data, and artificial intelligence, and the supportive role of computing power in economic and social development is becoming increasingly prominent. Zhuang, also minister of Cyberspace Administration of China, stressed the need to promote the building of a computing power network to empower the digital transformation of various industries and fields in the face of new opportunities brought about by the development of computing power. We should build an intelligent and efficient, inclusive and convenient, green and low-carbon, secure and stable, and mutually beneficial computing power network to strengthen the computing power foundation that supports the digital transformation of the economy and society, Zhuang added. John Hoffman, CEO of GSMA Ltd., and Zhao Houlin, former secretary-general of International Telecommunication Union, also attended and addressed the forum. Mohamed Ben Amor, director general of Arab ICT Organization; Ke Ruiwen, chairman of China Telecom Corporation Ltd.; Li Zixue, chairman of ZTE Corporation; Sanjay Mehrotra, president and CEO of Micron Technology; Liu Jun, executive vice president of Lenovo; Sunil Patil, vice pesident of Product Management of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., and high-level representatives from other tech corporations and organizations including the Intel and Ericsson, spoke at the forum, with nearly 200 guests from around the world in attendance. They expressed their hope that the WIC will play a greater role in such areas as computing power network, providing a platform for all parties to jointly promote the building and implementation of computing power network, accelerating digital transformation, and enabling digital technology to better benefit humanity. The WIC said that it will continue to leverage its role as a global platform for exchange and cooperation in cyberspace, build consensus on governance and development in the digital field, and promote the building of a community with a shared future in cyberspace. SOURCE chinadaily.com.cn CALGARY, AB, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - Willow Biosciences Inc. ("Willow" or the "Company") (TSX: WLLW) (OTCQB: CANSF), a leading biotechnology company focused on revolutionizing industrial manufacturing of pure, consistent, and sustainable functional ingredients, is pleased to announce a second strategic investment (the "Milestone Investment"), by way of non-brokered private placement, from Kalsec Inc. ("Kalsec"), a leading global producer of natural taste and sensory, food protection, colors and advanced hops ingredients for the food and beverage industry, for the continued development of natural food ingredients. This Milestone Investment is connected to the Kalsec investment announced by the Company on February 20, 2024, pursuant to which Kalsec committed to subscribe for an additional US$100,000.00 on the completion of an operational milestone by Willow to develop a strain that meets certain performance criteria (the "Milestone"). This Milestone was achieved by the Company on February 23, 2024. Proceeds from the Milestone Investment will be used for the commercialization and development of the Company's pipeline of products, including natural food ingredients, working capital, and general corporate purposes. Pursuant to the Milestone Investment, the Company issued 1,153,131 units (each, a "Unit") at a subscription price of C$0.12 per Unit, each Unit consisting of one (1) common share in the capital of the Company (each, a "Common Share") and one-half of one (1/2) Common Share purchase warrant (each whole warrant, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one (1) Common Share at a price of C$0.16 per Common Share until March 1, 2025; provided that if, at any time prior to the expiry date of the Warrants, the 20-day volume weighted average of actual closing prices of the Common Shares on the Toronto Stock Exchange (or other principal exchange on which the Common Shares are listed, is greater than C$0.21, the Company may accelerate the expiry date of the Warrants to the date that is 20 days following the date of the notice of such acceleration. All securities issued under the Milestone Investment, including securities issuable on exercise thereof, are subject to a hold period in Canada of four months and one day in accordance with applicable securities legislation. About Willow Biosciences Inc. Willow develops and produces precision fermented functional ingredients for the health and wellness, food and beverage and personal care markets. Willow's FutureGrownTM and BioOxi platforms enable large-scale production with sustainability at its core. Willow's R&D team has a proven track record of developing and commercializing bio-based manufacturing processes and products to benefit our B2B partners and their customers. For more information, visit www.willowbio.com. FutureGrown and BioOxi are registered trademarks of Willow Biosciences Inc. All other trademarks are trademarks of their respective holders. Forward-Looking Statements This news release may include forward-looking statements including opinions, assumptions, estimates and the assessment of future plans and operations of Willow, and, more particularly, statements concerning: Willow's business strategies, expectations, planned operations and future actions; the use of proceeds from the Milestone Investment; and the listing of the Common Shares issuable pursuant to the Milestone Investment and the exercise of the Warrants. When used in this news release, the words "will," "anticipate," "believe," "likely", "estimate," "expect," "intent," "may," "project," "outlook," "could," "would'" "should," and similar expressions are intended to be among the statements that identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements are based upon a number of estimates and assumptions made by Willow, including but not limited to: assumptions in respect of current and future market conditions; future operations of Willow; and successful implementation of Willow's commercialization and production strategy, generally. Forward-looking statements are subject to a wide range of risks and uncertainties, and although Willow believe that the expectations represented by such forward-looking statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will be realized. Any number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements, including but not limited to: the success of Willow's research and development strategies; infringement on intellectual property; failure to benefit from partnerships; actions and initiatives of federal, state and provincial governments and changes to government policies and the execution and impact of these actions, initiatives and policies; competition from other industry participants; adverse U.S., Canadian and global economic conditions; adverse global events and public-health crises; failure to comply with certain regulations; departure of key management personnel or inability to attract and retain talent; and other factors more fully described from time to time in the reports and filings made by Willow with securities regulatory authorities. Please refer to the Company's most recent Annual Information Form and Management's Discussion and Analysis for risk factors relating to Willow, which can be accessed either on Willow's website at www.willowbio.com or under the Company's SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and Willow does not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable law. The forward-looking statements contained herein are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. SOURCE Willow Biosciences Inc. ZTE , together with China Unicom, has delivered the world ' s largest 5G private network in the global steel industry for WISCO, achieving an impressive 99% 5G coverage The project has successfully deployed 25 steel applications across six major scenarios with 5G private network applied in the key production field of WISCO BARCELONA, Spain, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- ZTE Corporation (0763.HK / 000063.SZ), a global leading provider of information and communication technology solutions, in partnership with Wuhan Iron and Steel Co.,Ltd. (WISCO) and China Unicom, announced that their joint project "5G Fully Connected Smart Steel Factory" earned the "Best Mobile Innovation for Connected Economy" at the Global Mobile (GLOMO) Awards during MWC Barcelona 2024. The accolade is a recognition of their impressive efforts in changing the way people work in factories and digitizing the workplace. Since 2020, the collaborative efforts between WISCO and its partners have led to the establishment of the "5G Fully Connected Smart Steel Factory" project. This project has now evolved into the largest 5G private network in the global steel industry, achieving an impressive 99% 5G coverage within the factory premises. Leveraging this robust 5G private network infrastructure, the project has deployed 25 steel applications across six major scenarios. These applications span intelligent logistics, production control, digital equipment management, energy and environmental control, quality control, and safety management. To streamline operations, the factory has established a company-level control center along with dedicated operation centers for iron making, steelmaking, CSP, and hot rolling. This integrated approach has paved the way for a seamless, all-in-one-click steelmaking process. The 5G private network has been applied in the key production field of WISCO. More than 100 overhead traveling cranes have completed the unmanned reconstruction. Since the implementation of smart molten iron transportation, the transportation efficiency has continuously improved. Notably, the temperature drop of molten iron is less than 100 degrees during transportation, setting a new record for extreme efficiency, and resulting in an annual reduction of over 750,000 tons of carbon emissions. Li Xiaotong, Vice President at ZTE, stated, "We are honored to receive this award on behalf of the joint project team. This project stands as one of our significant practical achievements in the digital upgrade of the steel metallurgy industry and process manufacturing industry. GSMA's recognition of this project will also become a driving force for our continued progress. ZTE's end-to-end 5G private network solution applied in the industry park of WISCO amidst high-temperature and electromagnetic interference boasts the same network capability as the industrial ethernet with the added advantages of more flexible deployment and more convenient access. Moving forward, ZTE is committed to working with more industry partners to promote the digital transformation and intelligent upgrade of the steel industry." The annual GLOMO Awards represents the industry's most prestigious accolade. With a judge panel comprising over 240 global analysts, media professionals, and industry experts this year, the GLOMO Awards 2024 celebrates individuals and companies that drive innovation and showcase excellence in the rapidly growing mobile industry. For more information, please visit ZTE booth (3F30, Hall 3, Fira Gran Via) at MWC Barcelona 2024, or explore: https://www.zte.com.cn/global/about/exhibition/mwc24.html ABOUT ZTE: ZTE helps to connect the world with continuous innovation for a better future. The company provides innovative technologies and integrated solutions, and its portfolio spans all series of wireless, wireline, devices and professional telecommunications services. Serving over a quarter of the global population, ZTE is dedicated to creating a digital and intelligent ecosystem, and enabling connectivity and trust everywhere. ZTE is listed on both the Hong Kong and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges. www.zte.com.cn/global FOLLOW US: Facebook www.facebook.com/ZTECorp Twitter www.twitter.com/ZTEPress LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/company/zte YouTube www.youtube.com/@ZTECorporation MEDIA INQUIRIES: ZTE Corporation Communications Email: [email protected] BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, February 29. The Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan, Akylbek Japarov, will undertake a working visit to the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region (XUAR) of China from February 29 to March 2, 2024, Trend reports. During the visit, a trilateral meeting will take place involving Akylbek Japarov, Ma Xingrui, a member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and Secretary of the Party Committee of the XUAR, and Prime Minister of Uzbekistan, Abdulla Aripov. Additionally, the heads of the delegations from Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and the Xinjiang region are expected to jointly visit the checkpoint on the Kyrgyz-China border. Furthermore, Japarov will familiarize himself with the activities of the Kyrgyzstan's Naryn Free Economic Zone (FEZ) in the city of Kashgar and visit a bonded warehouse in the FEZ. The working visit is expected to include bilateral and multilateral negotiations aimed at promoting trade and economic ties. BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, February 29. Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan discussed initiatives to abolish the permit system for bilateral transit cargo transportation between the two countries, Trend reports. The issue was addressed during a meeting between Kyrgyzstan's Minister of Transport and Communications, Tilek Tekebaev, and the Ambassador of Turkmenistan to Kyrgyzstan, Nury Goliev, according to the Kyrgyz ministry. The sides discussed regulatory fees for transit by road transport through Turkmenistan for Kyrgyz cargo carriers and the possibility of obtaining annual visas for them. The Turkmenistan ambassador noted the country's readiness to collaborate with Kyrgyzstan in the field of transportation and to exchange expertise and cooperation on international transport corridors such as the Asia-Europe and North-South routes. He also mentioned that the upcoming session of the intergovernmental commission will address the aforementioned issues, expressing hope for further strengthening cooperation. In conclusion, Tekebaev expressed readiness to support new mutually beneficial initiatives that would enhance cooperation between the countries in transport field and further develop successful and fruitful interaction. 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 Lucknow, Feb 29 : The court of additional district judge has rejected the revision petition of Muslim parties challenging junior court's order on maintainability of a civil suit seeking rights to offer prayers at Lord Shesh Nagesh Teeleshwar Mahadev Mandir, situated on the compound of the Teele Wali Masjid along river Gomti in Uttar Pradesh's state capital. Additional district judge Narendra Kumar (III) passed the order on Wednesday on a petition filed by advocate Nripendra Pandey and others. Maulana Kari Sayyed Shah Fazlul Mannan had filed the civil revision petition challenging the order passed on September 6, 2023, by civil judge (south) ordering that the suit of Hindu parties was maintainable. Advocate Nripendra Pandey had filed the suit in court on February 15, 2023, seeking permission to offer prayers at the Lord Shesh Nagesh Teeleshwar Mahadev Mandir. The civil court (junior division) will now hear the application seeking rights to offer prayer at the 'temple'. Advocate Abhay Srivastava represented Hindu parties in court and advocate Ritesh Rastogi represented the state government. Another application seeking survey of Teele Wali Masjid will come up for hearing on March 2 in the court of additional district judge. Originally, lawyer Hari Shankar Jain had filed this case in the civil court in Lucknow in 2013 seeking survey of the mosque. The case has been pending since then. Muslim litigants had challenged the case in the court of additional district judge stating that it is not maintainable. Hindu litigants had claimed that the Teele Wali Masjid was 'Lakshman Teela' constructed by Lakshman, younger brother of Lord Ram. They urged the court to allow survey of the mosque campus, especially the area that was annexed by the mosque committee in 2013 by erecting a boundary wall. The suit also claims that the Tileshwar temple exists inside the mosque and that the entire complex is the place of Sheshnag Dudheshwar Mahadev. Lucknow, Feb 29 : Eight identified and some unidentified policemen in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh's state capital, posted at Vibhuti Khand police station, have been booked for allegedly assaulting a group of lawyers and injuring them at the Summit building, police said. The FIR was registered at the same police station where the police officers are posted. "The incident had taken place on February 23. However, the FIR was registered on February 28 under IPC sections 147 (rioting), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 325 (hurt) and 504 (insult)," said the copy of the FIR. The group of lawyers had earlier protested at the police station a few days back, demanding action against the police officers. Moscow, Feb 29 : The presence of Western troops in Ukraine in any form would lead to a "direct escalation" of the situation, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova said. The Spokesperson added on Wednesday that with every new shipment of weapons, Western nations are already escalating the war, Xinhua news agency reported. If the West decides to officially deploy troops to Ukraine or recruit mercenaries from European Union (EU) states, this would be a "direct escalation," she said. Nonetheless, she also noted that "it was no secret" that military personnel from a number of NATO countries are already present in Ukraine and assisting the country's armed forces in various ways. During a conference in Paris on Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron said that while there was no official consensus among European leaders, the possibility of sending Western troops to Ukraine "should not be ruled out". Macron also announced that a new coalition would be set up to supply Kiev with medium- and long-range weapons. BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, February 29. Kyrgyzstan's Minister of Economy and Commerce, Daniyar Amangeldiev, proposed to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to consider revising the financial terms of loans provided to Kyrgyzstan, which will involve a greater number of enterprises and entrepreneurs in the country, Trend reports. According to the Ministry of Economy and Commerce of Kyrgyzstan, he made this proposal during a meeting with Mark Bowman, Vice President for Policy and Partnerships at the EBRD, who is visiting Kyrgyzstan. During the meeting, Amangeldiev elaborated on the reforms being undertaken by the Kyrgyzstan government in tax policy and conditions for entrepreneurship. He emphasized the importance of participation by bilateral financial institutions in financing Kyrgyz enterprises, noting that such financing enabled the allocation of $400 million in 2023 for business development in the country. Amangeldiev expressed interest in the possibility of issuing securities in Kyrgyz for international organizations, which could attract additional investments into the country. Considering Kyrgyzstan's plans to achieve carbon neutrality, he also underscored the importance of developing the creative economy, rare earth metal production, and utilizing geothermal energy. In turn, Bowman emphasized the strategic importance of financing projects in renewable energy and water resources in Kyrgyzstan. He highlighted the significance of implementing projects in the development of irrigation systems and sustainable, rational use of drinking water to preserve the country's water resources. Both parties expressed readiness for further collaboration in the development of Kyrgyzstan's energy and economy, recognizing the importance of these efforts for the country's sustainable development. So far, the EBRD has invested 960 million euros in Kyrgyzstan across 238 projects, primarily focusing on supporting private entrepreneurship. Retired Varanasi judge appointed ombudsman of university in UP. Image Source: IANS News Lucknow, Feb 29 : Ajay Krishna Vishvesha, the district judge who handed over the basement of the Gyanvapi Masjid in Varanasi to Hindus for worship on the last day of his working career, has been appointed the ombudsman of a public university in Lucknow. Vishvesha retired from service as Varanasi district judge on January 31. He has now been appointed Lokpal (ombudsman) for a tenure of three years, at the Shakuntala Misra National Rehabilitation University -- a government-run university with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath as chairperson. The university Lokpal is tasked with settling the grievances of students. Brijendra Singh, the universityas assistant registrar, confirmed that Vishvesha had been appointed as Lokpal for three years. University Spokesperson Yashwant Viroday said Vishvesha was appointed in accordance with the recent guidelines issued by the University Grants Commission (UGC), which mandated that each university should appoint an ombudsperson for the redressal of student grievances. Viroday said the UGC guidelines mandated that the Lokpal should be a retired vice-chancellor, retired professor or a retired district judge. The "first priority should be given to a judicial person," he added, citing UGC guidelines. Vishvesha will be the university's first ombudsman. Los Angeles, Feb 29 : Actor Alan Ritchson has talked about why he lost two major roles in 'Thor' and 'The Hunger Games: Catching Fire'. The 41-year-old actor is looking back at his career and talking about what led Marvel to not star him in the main role that went to Hollywood star Chris Hemsworth. "I didn't take it seriously," Ritchson told Men's Health of his audition for the superhero movie, reports deadline.com. "I was like, 'They'll throw me the part if I look like the guy; nobody really cares about acting.'" After his audition for the 2011 film, the casting members told his team that he didn't have "the craft" for the role. Ritchson had previously played the superhero Aquaman in the 'Smallville' series. Later on, Ritchson auditioned for the role of Finnick Odair in 'The Hunger Games: Catching Fire', which went to Sam Claflin. However, it was about his age this time and not his "craft". The actor was told that at the age of 30, he was too old to play the character. Ritchson would take another chance at playing a superhero audition for the Titans lead role. He "was so confident," but was told he was too old for the role, and it ultimately had actor Brenton Thwaites as Dick Greyson, also known as Robin. The actor would then play the role of Hank Hall, Hawk, in the Max series. Lucknow, Feb 29 : A police constable allegedly thrashed a priest for performing wedding rituals at a slow and elaborate pace. The priest had been called in to solemnize the marriage of the constable. The incident took place in the Nigohan area of Lucknow on Wednesday. According to reports, the marriage of constable Sonu Jatav, posted at the Nigohan police station, was being solemnized with the daughter of one Om Prakash Prajapati. Tension arose when Jatav asked the priest Vivek Shukla to hurry up with the rituals. The priest refused to hurriedly wind up with the ceremony and this angered the cop who thrashed the priest in the presence of the guests. When Shuklaas brother Sachin tried to intervene, he, too, was beaten up. Jatav also threatened the priest and his brother with dire consequences if they dared to report the matter to police. Additional deputy commissioner of police, south zone, Shashank Singh said that an FIR has been lodged against the constable and investigations were on. 'Country has no locus standi to comment on our internal matters': India on Pakistan raising Kashmir issue at UN council. Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, Feb 29 : Responding to Pakistan's allegations about Jammu and Kashmir at the UN Human Rights Council, India, exercising its right to reply, said that Islamabad has no locus standi to comment on our internal matters. During the 55th regular session of the UN Human Rights Council, India's first secretary said Anupama Singh, rejecting Pakistan's allegations, said the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are an "integral and inalienable part of India". The Indian diplomat said, "A country that has a truly abysmal human rights record, which institutionalised the systemic persecution of its own minorities, commenting on India, which is demonstrably making great strides in achieving economic progress and social justice, is not merely ironical but perverse." Anupama Singh said that it is deeply unfortunate for the Council's platform to have once again been "misused" to make patently false accusations against India. Accusing Pakistan of sponsoring terrorism globally she charged that the country is supporting UNSC-sanctioned terrorists. Mumbai, Feb 9 : Megastar Amitabh Bachchan met filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma while he was in Hyderabad for the "last day at work" and had revealed that they had a "non-stop breather conversation" on "films, content and AI". Mumbai, Feb 9 (IANS) Megastar Amitabh Bachchan met filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma while he was in Hyderabad for the "last day at work" and had revealed that they had a "non-stop breather conversation" on "films, content and AI". Big B took to his blog and wrote: "The last day at work in the elms of the city of Hyderabad, get visited by the exalted genius and his thoughts and expressions, that are mysterious and mystifying - Ram Gopal Varma, alias Ramu." "And he pours out in a non-stop breather conversation on film contents and the much talked about and meticulously practiced - AI Where are we going .. ? a mystery unknown and in its changes and revolutions by the day almost." He added: "Fact was never looked upon with doubt and skepticism, and disbelief as it is today... what be real, non fake, is ever up for debate and discussion each hour... living side by side... almost complimenting each other... but never the belief that it be the truest and correct... information has 'inform' in it for its delivery... but does it really inform. "Or does it simply put out for its content existence... impotence and all as what was expressed some time back in the days of the year gone by." The cine icon and RGV have been friends for years and have even worked in films such as the 'Sarkar' franchise and 'Ram Gopal Varma Ki Aag'. The thespian will next be seen in 'Kalki 2898 AD' which also stars Kamal Haasan, Prabhas and Deepika Padukone. New Delhi, Feb 29 : A 27-year-old man was nabbed from Uttarakhand for allegedly impersonating as a girl while tricking and blackmailing a minor girl to share her obscene images on social media site Snapchat, a Delhi Police official said on Thursday. The accused has been identified as Subhan Ali, a resident of Udham Singh Nagar, Uttarakhand. Police said that on February 20, the father of the complainant, who is a minor school going girl, lodged a complaint regarding harassment, and blackmailing of her daughter on the threat of sharing her nude photos and video. He further told police that her daughter studies in school and she used the smart phone for taking online classes. "One day, his wife saw her phone and found obscene video and photos of his daughter on Snapchat and they reported the matter," said a senior police official. Immediately, the matter was taken up and it was found that the alleged person impersonated himself as a girl to the victim on Snapchat and started chatting with her. "He used to play a game of 'Truth and Dare' and he dared her to be in an obscene condition. The victim got in his trap and the accused got her naked photos and video. Later the accused had continuous chats with the victim and obtained more such photos," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (southwest) Rohit Meena. The accused insisted her for chats and extended threats if she did not follow his instructions. "Accordingly, a case under section 354 D of the IPC and 12 POCSO Act was registered and investigation was taken up," said the DCP. During the probe, important leading information were obtained from Snapchat and Google and thorough technical analysis was done in which a mobile number was found active at Udham Singh Nagar, Uttarakhand. "On February 24, raids were conducted at possible locations of the accused in Udham Singh Nagar, Uttarakhand and the accused was apprehended," said the DCP. On interrogation, he admitted og his involvement in the crime. "One smart phone through which he committed an offence was also recovered from his possession," the DCP added. Kolkata, Feb 29 : A senior official of the West Bengal Police, on Thursday morning, justified the arrest of Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan 55 days after the attack on ED and CAPF officials by saying that there were legal hurdles from the court in accomplishing the task. Virtually echoing the version of the ruling Trinamool Congress leadership that there were previous legal complications for the state police in arresting Shahjahan, the additional director general (south Bengal) Supratim Sarkar told media persons that after the hurdles got cleared following observations of the Calcutta High Court during the last two days, the police started their raid and search operations and finally arrested the accused person on late Wednesday night. "Sheikh Shahjahan was arrested from the Bamanpukur area under Minakhan police station. He has been framed under the various sections of the Indian Penal Code. We will submit those to the Basirhat Sub-divisional court. We will also update the court on the exact place of that arrest. We will seek his police custody," said the police officer. During the media briefing, Supratim Sarkar also blamed the ED for not taking any initiative in arresting Sheikh Shahjahan. "The state police might have some legal hurdles. But the same was not the case with ED. So there is the question of why ED did not arrest him," said Sarkar. However, senior counsel of the Calcutta High Court Kaushik Gupta told IANS said that there is a technical and legal hurdle for ED to arrest Shahjahan in the cases for which he is wanted. "The cases for which he was wanted include provisions under the IPC. Now ED conducts investigation or arrests individuals under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and not IPC. So at least in the case of attack on their sleuths or other FIRs based on the complaints filed against him by the local villagers in Sandeshkhali, ED cannot initiate any action against him," Gupta explained. Meanwhile, Supratim Sarkar also blamed a section of the opposition for unnecessarily holding the police responsible in the matter. "First of all, I will request the people of Sandeshkhali not to resort to something that will create division among the people in the area. Secondly, I would like to say that the manner in which some opposition leaders are raising certain accusations against the police is really painful for us. It will be wise not to do such things," Sarkar said. Bengaluru, Feb 29 : The BJP on Thursday accused the Siddaramaiah-led Karnataka government of indulging in land jihad after it decided to hand over two acres of land worth more than Rs 500 crore to the Minority Welfare Department. Speaking to the media here, Leader of Opposition (LoP) R. Ashoka said, "We don't have any objection if vacant land is given. But, the government is handing over the land belonging to the Department of Animal Husbandry." Taking to social media, R. Ashoka wrote on X in Kannada and titled the post as "Congress sarkarada land jihad'. He further said in the post, "Mr. CM Siddaramaiah shouldn't there be a limit for the appeasement of Muslims? You are conspiring to allot two acres of land located in the heart of Bengaluru belonging to the Animal Husbandry department to Muslims. "What was the necessity to shut down the government veterinary hospital which was treating cows and other animals and hand it over to Muslims? "The veterinary hospital was not only established to treat the cattle, other pets were also given treatment there. We will not allow the handing over of Rs 500 crore worth land. Can we call this measure of the Congress government as land jihad?" The Karnataka government on February 26 ordered to hand over the two acres of land in the Chalawadipalya Ward of the Chamrajpet Assembly constituency in Bengaluru for the construction of Moulana Azad/Morarji Desai Residential Schools to the Minority Welfare Department, said Ashoka. New Delhi, Feb 29 : The High Court on Thursday issued notice to Delhi Police on the bail plea of Shahrukh Pathan, who had allegedly pointed a pistol at a policeman during the 2020 riots. Justice Jyoti Singh, overseeing the case, has called for a status report from the prosecution and ordered that Pathan's nominal roll be requisitioned before the next date of hearing, which is scheduled for April 16. Pathan's counsel argued for his bail on the grounds that the maximum sentence he could face, should he be convicted for his actions during the riots, is ten years, and that he has already served four years in detention. On December 14, 2023, a Delhi court had dismissed Pathan's bail plea. Considering Pathan's conduct during judicial custody, court proceedings, and the serious allegations against him supported by eyewitnesses and video footage, Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat had found no grounds to grant him bail. The case revolves around Pathan brandishing a pistol and firing upon a Delhi Police head constable during the communal riots in Jafrabad on February 24, 2020. The trial court had noted the recovery of a mobile phone from Pathan in prison and expressed dissatisfaction with his conduct, as was seen in footage presented in court. Additionally, Pathan's behaviour during proceedings on November 24, 2021, where he passed a written slip mentioning a phone number to a co-accused, was noted as a factor in denying bail. The court had agreed with the Special Public Prosecutor's submission that eyewitness statements and CCTV footage indicated Pathan's involvement in the riotous mob that fired upon the head constable and other members of the public. Seoul, Feb 29 : South Korean President, Yoon Suk Yeol and Meta Platforms CEO, Mark Zuckerberg met in Seoul on Thursday and discussed ways to expand cooperation in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Extended Reality (XR) sectors, a presidential official said. Zuckerberg was in Seoul on a three-day visit, during which he met with Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, LG Electronics CEO Cho Joo-wan and other businesspeople to discuss collaborations in the cutting-edge industries, Yonhap news agency reported. During their meeting at the presidential office, Yoon and Zuckerberg discussed their visions for an open AI digital ecosystem and ways to strengthen cooperation between Meta and South Korean companies, as well as the need for Meta, as a global platform, to play an active role in building a trustworthy digital society, Sung Tae-yoon, Director of national policy at the presidential office, said during a Press briefing. Yoon especially noted that South Korean companies rank first and second in the world in memory chips, an essential part of AI systems, and called for close cooperation, saying the government is ready to provide active support, given the close supply chain cooperation mechanisms established between the South Korean and US governments. "The President stressed that the Republic of Korea, with its diverse portfolio of smart electronics, wearable devices and smart cars, can become an outstanding platform to apply Meta's AI," Sung said, referring to South Korea by its formal name. Yoon also explained South Korea's efforts to nurture the metaverse industry and the potential for big synergy if Meta pairs up with South Korean companies, which are strong in hardware, to develop XR headsets for the metaverse industry. "The President said the South Korean industry is ready to actively support what Meta has imagined and designed," Sung said. Zuckerberg acknowledged the high reliance on South Korean-made parts, especially in the context of geopolitical risks surrounding Taiwan, home to semiconductor manufacturing company TSMC, according to a presidential official. He also noted the important place Samsung holds in the global economy as a leading foundry business and how that could serve as an important factor in collaborations with the company, the official added. Meanwhile, Yoon asked Meta and other big tech platform companies to pay special attention to the threat posed by a growing volume of fake news and fabricated material exploiting AI in an election year in many countries around the world. Zuckerberg explained Meta's efforts to prevent election fraud, such as by placing watermarks or labels on videos to mark whether they are AI-generated, the official said. DUSHANBE, Tajikistan, February 29. Tajikistan's Minister of Economic Development and Trade, Zavqizoda Zavqi Amin, discussed the issue of attracting funds for the construction of the Rogun hydroelectric power plant (HPP) in the country with Mohamed Saif Al Suwaidi, Director General of the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, Trend reports. According to Tajikistan's Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, during the meeting, Zavqizoda emphasized the country's significant energy potential, particularly in green energy, and urged the director general of the Abu Dhabi Fund to finance the construction of the Rogun HPP as well as solar and wind power stations. The ministry noted that this proposal was well received. At the conclusion of the meeting, both parties expressed readiness to further expand trade and economic cooperation. The Rogun HPP is currently under construction on the Vakhsh river. Once completed, the Rogun dam, standing at a height of 335 meters, will be the tallest in the world. The power station is anticipated to have a capacity of 3,600 MW, making it the largest hydroelectric power plant in Central Asia. It is estimated that upon full commissioning, the Rogun HPP will generate an annual electricity output ranging from 13 to 17 billion kilowatt-hours. Hyderabad, Feb 29 : The stage is set for opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi's (BRS) 'Chalo Medigadda' programme on Friday to counter what it calls misinformation campaign by the Congress government over Kaleshwaram project. BRS MLAs, MLCs, MPs, former MLAs, MLCs and other leaders will leave for Medigadda from Telangana Bhavan, the party headquarters in Hyderabad. The BRS team will visit Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla barrages and reservoirs. Party's senior leader and former irrigation minister T. Harish Rao, through a powerpoint presentation, will explain various features of the project and the benefits it accrued to the state. 'Chalo Medigadda' is to counter the recent visit to the barrage by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, ministers and Congress MLAs on February 13. After the visit to the barrage, some of whose piers sank in October last year, the Congress government had claimed that the large-scale corruption in the Kaleshwaram project by the previous BRS government was exposed. The Chief Minister had stated that the previous government spent Rs 94,000 crore to irrigate only 98,000 acre of land. While announcing 'Chalo Medigadda', BRS working president K. T. Rama Rao said ministers can join with them in the programme to ascertain the facts. The BRS leader declared that through this programme, they will explain how the Kaleshwaram project has benefited the people and will expose the 'conspiracies' of the Congress party. KTR stated that though cracks have developed in 2-3 piers, the Congress is conspiring to demolish the entire project. He mentioned that during the Congress rules, problems cropped in several irrigation projects like Kadam, Gundla Vagu, Musi project, Singur, Pulichintala and Prakasam barrage There are engineering solutions to carry out repairs to the damaged barrages. Repairs to the three piers can be undertaken by easily building a cofferdam. "We demanded in the Assembly that while carrying out the repairs, take action against those responsible for the damage," he said adding that BRS welcomes any probe into construction of the project The BRS leader said the Congress government should not play with the lives of farmers by delaying the repairs just to malign the previous government KTR alleged that by not undertaking the repairs, Congress is conspiring to see that the three barrages (Medigadda, Annaram, Sunkilla) are washed away in the coming rainy season. Meanwhile, irrigation minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy has demanded that BRS President and former chief minister K. Chandraskhar Rao should personally visit the Kaleshwaram project to witness the disaster he caused to Telangana and apologise to the people instead of delegating the task to other BRS leaders. He remarked that it was extremely foolish and arrogant for BRS leaders to talk about giving a 'Chalo Medigadda' call. "From our government's side, we've instructed the officials to extend full cooperation to the BRS leaders and let them inspect Medigadda and other barrages. But whatever the government has to do, it will do," he said, emphasising that the BRS party's call was nothing but a political gimmick. However, Uttam Kumar Reddy insisted that, ideally, KCR should visit the Kaleshwaram project himself and apologise to Telangana. "KCR was not only the Chief Minister but also the Irrigation Minister. He acted as the Chief Designer, Chief Planner, and Chief Architect of the project. Therefore, KCR should visit Kaleshwaram and tender an apology, not others who know nothing about it," he said. Uttam Kumar Reddy reminded that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy had invited KCR to the Assembly to speak on the Kaleshwaram project and explain the fiasco and fraud that occurred in the name of irrigation. "We even offered to arrange a helicopter for KCR to visit Kaleshwaram, but he is not coming out," he said. Interestingly, he noted that leaders not directly involved in the projects were planning to go to Kaleshwaram. Even former minister KTR had stated that he was not in the loop regarding irrigation projects. "Someone who designed, planned, and did the engineering is not going. The visit of other leaders is only a political gimmick and drama," he emphasised. The irrigation minister said that the Director-General of the Vigilance Department briefed him about the status of the inquiry. He stated that the Vigilance report would be submitted soon. "Based on the Vigilance report, we will file cases against whoever is guilty of the act. We will go as per the law, and we will take legal opinion to proceed against all failures," he announced. Jaipur, Feb 29 : Abdul Karim Tunda (80), an accused in the serial blast case that rocked five cities in 1993, was acquitted by the TADA court of Ajmer in Rajasthan on Thursday. Two others Irfan (70) and Hameeduddin (44) were sentenced to life imprisonment. The police brought them to the TADA court at around 11.15 a.m. amid tight security. The three were accused in the serial bomb blasts in trains in Lucknow, Kanpur, Hyderabad, Surat and Mumbai on December 6, 1993. On February 28, 2004, the TADA court had sentenced 16 accused to life imprisonment in the case. The Supreme Court had acquitted four men and upheld sentences for the remaining. Tunda was accused of a bomb blast in front of the police headquarters in Delhi in 1996. And in the same year, Interpol had issued a Red Corner Notice against him. In 2000, there were reports of Tunda being killed in Bangladesh, but in 2005 Lashkar terrorist Abdul Razzaq Masood was caught in Delhi, who revealed that Tunda was alive. Tunda was also among the 20 terrorists whose extradition to India was sought from Pakistan after the attack on Parliament House in 2001. He was finally nabbed in 2013 from the India-Nepal border. Abdul Karim was named 'Tunda' after he lost an arm while making a bomb. He faced about 33 criminal cases and has been accused of carrying out about 40 bomb blasts in 1997-98. There are only three special courts across the country to hear the TADA cases. These are Mumbai, Ajmer and Srinagar. Srinagar Court is newly formed, hence most of the cases related to North India are heard in TADA Court of Ajmer whereas cases related to South India are heard in Mumbai. Kolkata, Feb 29 : Calcutta High Court Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam, on Thursday, observed that this court has no sympathy for the Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan, who was arrested 55 days after the attack on ED and CAPF sleuths in Sandeshkhali. He made this observation after Shahjahan's counsel sought the attention of the division bench of Justice Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharya regarding the arrest of his client and wanted to make some submission in the matter. The Chief Justice also declined to hear any kind of submission from Shahjahan's counsel and said the submission in the matter will be heard on March 4, the next hearing in the Sandeshkhali case that was suo motu initiated by the Calcutta High Court. "For the next 10 years you will have to remain very busy with your client. Probably you will have to appoint four to five juniors. This court has absolutely no sympathy for him," the Chief Justice observed. Meanwhile, it is learnt that Shahjahan, who was remanded to police custody for 10 days by the Basirhat Subdivision Court in North 24 Parganas district on Thursday morning, has been slapped with charges under several non-bailable sections of the Indian Penal Code. On Thursday, the public prosecutor also described him as an extremely "influential" individual. In the report submitted at the district court, the police identified him as the mastermind behind the attack on ED and CPAF sleuths on January 5. The public prosecutor even went to the extent of saying that if by chance he is released on bail, he will make all possible attempts to intimidate the witnesses and tamper with the evidence against him. Washington/Seoul, Feb 29 : The White House has declined to comment on whether South Korea should provide 155-mm artillery shells to help Ukraine defend against Russian attacks, saying it is a military decision for Seoul to speak to. Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre made the remarks during a press briefing Wednesday, expressing America's gratitude for the Asian ally's continued support for the war-torn country, Yonhap news agency reoported. "I am going to let South Korea speak to their own military decisions and their bilateral relations," she told a press briefing. "We are grateful for their support to Ukraine obviously as they continue to defend against Russia's aggression.... But I am not going to speak to their own military decision that is something for them to speak to," she added. In response, Seoul's defence ministry said its policy stance against the provision of weapons to Ukraine remains unchanged. "Related to the support for Ukraine, our existing stance has not changed in particular," defence ministry vice spokesperson Lee Kyung-ho said during a regular press briefing Thursday. On Monday, Yuri Kim, principal deputy assistant secretary of state for Europe and Eurasian affairs, expressed hopes for South Korea to provide more defense material support to Ukraine, stressing the importance of air defense assistance. When asked about the nature of the defence material support, a foreign ministry official in Seoul restated Thursday that the government will continue to provide support as it "comprehensively" takes into account the war and humanitarian situation in Ukraine. "We have been providing humanitarian and financial support to Ukraine, including non-lethal security support ... and by non-lethal security support, you can think of the mine clearing equipment and pickup trucks that we have previously provided (Ukraine) with," the official said. Seoul has maintained a stance to provide humanitarian and non-lethal defence assistance to Ukraine, such as protective suits, demining equipment and other military supplies. But in December, The Washington Post reported that South Korea's "indirect" provision of 155-mm shells to Ukraine in 2023 has made it a larger supplier of ammunition for the war-ravaged country than all European countries combined. Bengaluru, Feb 29 : A delegation of the BJP met the Governor here on Thursday demanding the dismissal of the Congress government in Karnataka and NIA probe in the pro-Pakistan sloganeering in the Assembly premises. The delegation, led by Leader of opposition in Assembly R. Ashoka and LoP in Council Kota Srinivas Poojari, submitted a memorandum to Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot here . The leaders took a protest march from the Vidhana Soudha to the Raj Bhavan condemning the Congress government. "This government failed utterly to comply with the law and order situation and to uphold the Constitutional values," stated LoP Ashoka. The state government has proved to be incapable of handling law and order situation in the state and allowed the pro-Pakistan sloganeering in corridors of Vidhana Soudha, he said. "The act of anti-national slogans by supporters of Naseer Hussain elected MP for Rajya Sabha needs to be thoroughly probed by the NIA or Intelligence Bureau (IB), national agencies, and the culprits should be booked under the law and punished. "It is also submitted that this action, pro-Pakistan slogans such as 'Pakistan Zindabad' shouted inside the corridors of Vidhana Soudha, the government of Karnataka and Chief Minister of Karnataka are directly responsible for this kind of anti-national act," Ashoka explained. "The sitting government of the state seems to be covering mala fides, foul-play and seeking intentional closure reports from state agencies. Your goodself intervention is the need of the hour. Therefore, it requested a detailed probe independently from national agencies, that can find any terror, anti-national groups linkings to the act of pro-Pakistan sloganeering," he demanded. The BJP has also urged the Governor to get a reply from the Chief Minister and Home Minister of Karnataka over the pro-Pakistan slogans. The party has also submitted a separate memorandum alleging misutilization of Rs 11,077 crore reserved for upliftment of SCs and STs. The memorandum also included allegations of anti-constitutional moves and unprecedented criticism of the Government of India. New Delhi, Feb 29 : Overall ad spending in India is estimated to reach $16-17 billion in FY24, growing at 6 per cent in the fiscal year, a report showed on Thursday. Digital advertising which accounts for 55 per cent of total spending is set to grow at 6-7 per cent in FY24, according to the report by market research firm Redseer Strategy Consultants. With consumption set to rebound in the next 4 or 5 years, advertising spend is projected to grow at 9-10 per cent Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) over the course of next 4 years, with digital advertising growing at 11-12 per cent in the same period, the report mentioned. "As digital natives shape consumption patterns across the nation, brands have a never-before opportunity to address a much-larger and diverse consumer pool through advertising," said Mukesh Kumar, Associate Partner at Redseer. "It will be fascinating to witness cutting-edge creative strategies take shape across platforms especially with the possibilities that programmatic advertising and GenAI can offer for the sector," Kumar added. The growth in advertising spend in FY24 is impacted by the slowdown in consumption over the past 5 or 6 quarters and a dip in private equity/venture capitalist funding. According to the report, most consumer sectors have optimised their ad spending and the e-commerce sector is the only sector to see ad spending increase by 15 per cent in FY24. Despite slowdown in ad spending, advertisers increased their ad spending on platforms like retail media (ecommerce, quick-commerce etc.), and content platforms (OTT audio) owing to high conversion potential and wider reach among Tier-2 audiences, respectively. Bodies of two minor girls found hanging in UP. Image Source: IANS News Kanpur, Feb 29 : In a shocking incident, bodies of two minor girls were found hanging from a tree with a scarf in Ghatampur area in Kanpur on Thursday. The family members have accused a kiln contractor and two others of gangrape and murder, the police said, adding that prima facie, it seemed to be a case of suicide. The police and forensic team arrived at the spot on the information of the villagers and inspected the incident site. Both the bodies have been sent for post-mortem. The Kanpur Police have registered a case under the sections of gang rape of minor girls, POCSO and abetment to suicide. The police have taken all three named accused into custody. DCP South Zone Ravindra Kumar said that the bodies were found hanging from the tree near the kiln located in the village of Ghatampur Kotwali. "The culprits will not be spared. The police will take strict action," the official said. According to reports, there is a brick kiln owned by one Raja Siddiqui in Barauli village located in Ghatampur Kotwali area. The victims are daughters of two labourers who work at the brick kiln and live with their families at the kiln site. The girls had went missing on Wednesday night. Srinagar, Feb 29 : A local policeman was injured on Thursday when his rifle went off accidentally in J&K's Pulwama district. A senior police officer said that the constable was injured in his foot when his rifle went off in the Arigam village of the district. The constable was on duty at the time of the accident. "The policeman has been shifted to hospital for treatment. Doctors have described his condition as stable," police said. Kolkata, Feb 29 : A court in West Bengal's West Midnapore on Thursday sentenced to life imprisonment 10 Maoists convicted for attacking a camp of the Eastern Frontier Rifles (EFR) at Silda on February 15, 2010, in which 24 security personnel were killed. On Wednesday, the same court pronounced life imprisonment to the other 13 convicted Maoists. With Thursday's order, all the 23 convicted Maoists in the case have been sentenced to life imprisonment. The court had convicted all the accused on Tuesday. Initially, there were 24 accused on trial but prime accused and CPI-Maoist leader Sudip Chongdar had died. In the attack in February 2010, 24 EFR jawans were killed, while five Maoist guerrillas also died in retaliatory firing by the security forces. The Left-wing extremists had also looted the armoury at the camp. Bhubaneswar, Feb 29 : Following the direction of the Orissa High Court, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has constituted a high-level committee under the chairmanship of former Supreme Court judge Arijit Pasayat for the supervision of the inventory process for ornaments, jewellery and other valuables stored in the Ratna Bhandar (treasure room) of the famed Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri, official sources said on Thursday. The high-level committee comprises 12 members, including cardiac surgeon Ramakanta Panda as the deputy chairman. The other members include Bidhubhushan Samal, former CMD of Allahabad Bank; A.K. Sabat, chartered accountant; the representatives of King of Puri, Dibyasingha Deb; the chairman of Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee (SJTMC); and the Archaeological Survey of India. The committee will also have temple servitors Durgaparsad Das Mahapatra, Madhab Chandra Mahapatra, Jagannath Kar, Ganesh Mekap and the district collector of Puri as its members. The chief administrator of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration will work as the convenor of the committee. The state government had recently informed the high court about forming a high-level committee under a retired judge of the high court or the Supreme Court within four weeks. This came in response to a petition submitted by BJP leader Samir Mohanty seeking intervention of the high court in this matter in December 2023. The court had earlier directed the state government to form the high-level committee in its previous order dated September last year. The high court had also asked the state government to form the committee within 60 days from the date of the SJTMCas request to form a panel for the inventory of Ratna Bhandar at the 12th century shrine. Notably, the Ratna Bhandar has two chambers. The outer chamber is opened regularly whenever precious ornaments are required for rituals, while the inner chamber was opened once in 1985 only. The inventory of ornaments and jewelleries in the Ratna Bhandar was prepared last in 1978. The public outcry for opening of the Ratna Bhandar and inventory of valuables stored in the treasure room grew louder after the news about the missing key of the Ratna Bhandar surfaced in 2018. Demands have also been made to open the Ratna Bhandar for repair work after some cracks were spotted on its walls. DUSHANBE, Tajikistan, February 29. Tajikistan has urged the UAE's Abu Dhabi Ports Group (AD Ports Group) to finance the establishment of a logistics, transportation, and export center in Tajikistan's Dushanbe, Trend reports. Tajikistan's Minister of Economic Development and Trade, Zavqizoda Zavqi Amin, expressed this proposal to Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, Managing Director of AD Ports Group, during the meeting within the framework of the 13th World Trade Organization (WTO) Ministerial Conference (MC13) in the UAE. Zavqizoda emphasized Tajikistan's significant transit and logistic capabilities and its potential for exporting goods. He also expressed satisfaction with the cooperation between the company and Tajikistan's Avesto Group LLC. At the conclusion of the meeting, both parties expressed readiness to further expand their trade and economic cooperation. Meanwhile, AD Ports Group offers more than 20 types of transit, logistics, and digital services in emerging markets worldwide. The company has offices in 26 countries and employs over 9,000 people. Gurugram, Feb 29 : In a groundbreaking medical achievement, doctors here on Thursday said they have successfully treated an extremely rare case of half uterus, known as adenomyosis in a non-communicating rudimentary horn -- the first-ever in India. "This case is the second reported worldwide, with the first case documented at the Lebanese American University Center in July 2021," said doctors at C.K. Birla Hospital, Gurugram, in a statement. The patient, a 27-year-old woman, sought medical attention due to pelvic pressure, constant pain on the right side of her lower abdomen and pelvis. She was also unable to conceive. Clinical examinations revealed a large firm lump which deviated to the right side of the lower abdomen. The doctors initially suspected a fibroid. But detailed diagnostic hysteroscopy and robotic myomectomy (adenomyoma removal) with chromopertubation revealed that the woman had a left unicornuate uterus with adenomyosis in the non-communicating right horn, attached to a large fibroid-like mass. This challenging anomaly required meticulous dissection and extraction, taking care to preserve surrounding structures like the intestines and urinary bladder, the doctors said. "The adenomyoma in the non-communicating horn presented a unique challenge. With careful dissection, we successfully removed the adenomyoma, saving the ureter on the right side. The rarity of a functioning non-communicating rudimentary horn, coupled with adenomyosis, makes this case exceptional. The successful treatment involved a complete robotic-assisted excision of the entire horn, leading to significant improvement in the patient's condition," Dr Aruna Kalra, Director, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, at the hospital, said. "The final histopathology confirmed the presence of adenomyosis in the rudimentary horn, adding a valuable contribution to the limited cases reported globally. The clinical presentation of such cases can vary from mild pain to complications such as pelvic pain, endometriosis, or obstetrical issues like preterm delivery and ectopic pregnancy," Dr Kalra added. The patient was discharged the next day and is expected to begin her fertility journey soon, the doctor said. New Delhi, Feb 29 : Mumbai-based 'Museum of Solutions' (MuSo), a children's museum in Mumbai, has partnered with Hip Hop musician Nimo Patel, Netflix film-maker Safdar Rahman and artist Ruchi Bakshi to co-create an original song, film and fraternity flags on peace. Patel will co create a peace anthem with 24 young children from the Maximum city, and is currently composing an instrumental track for which the children will provide original lyrics and vocals. The original peace anthem is expected to express hope for the safety of children all over the world, and respect for the courage and resilience that youth in conflict zones continue to show. Film-maker Safdar Rahman will collaborate with 15 young children in Mumbai to leverage the art of simple and powerful visual storytelling, as a medium of expression and advocacy for peace. These children will, through basic tools and concepts of filmmaking, co-create an original film on peace - right from scripting to recording and editing the final short film. The purpose of the film is to capture the idea of peace from the lenses of Mumbai's children & teenagers and convey a message of hope and solidarity for those children living in conflict zones. Bakshi will work with 40 children from Mumbai to explore the idea of fraternity, understand the symbolism of flags, unleash their artistic side, and create their own version of a aFraternity Flaga. Through an immersive art workshop, Bakshi will work with these children to connect with their common human identity, visualize elements of peace and fraternity, use different colours and textures, and create their own original version of the flag. The Peace Carnival is scheduled on March 9 at the museum and is expected to bring together more than 500 children from schools and NGOs in Mumbai city. The museum has also partnered with global education organisation, Teach For India's Kids Education Revolution, to distribute this original peace anthem, film and flag to thousands of children living in conflict zones in Palestine, Armenia, Afghanistan, and beyond. These co-created original renditions of the peace anthem, short film and artwork will be digitally launched & distributed that can be taken to schools across the world. s to the children living in these conflict zones. Tanvi Jindal Shete, Founder of the museum says, "We are currently witnessing four conflicts across the globe. There is a need for our future generations to be sensitised on these conflicts and the importance of peace to develop and grow the global economies." Musician Nimo Patel asserts, "It is important for us to bring this conversation of peace to the forefront, otherwise the conversation of war & conflict is what becomes the norm. We need to not only talk about it but practice it. Kids do not only learn what they see, they learn from how they feel." "Sometimes we just need to look the children in the eye and tell them that it is rough, but we are with them. That peace often needs to be fought for, it is worth it, and we are willing to do it with them, together," adds filmmaker Safdar Rahman. New Delhi, Feb 29 : Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM KISAN), a flagship scheme of Modi government, continues to achieve new milestones in providing financial assistance to farmer families across the country via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). When Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the 16th installment of PM KISAN on Wednesday, the amount of monetary assistance to farmer families, till date crossed a whopping sum of Rs 3 lakh crore. More than 11 crore eligible farmer families stand to have gained the benefits of PM KISAN yojana. Out of the staggering amount, about Rs 1.75 lakh crore was transferred to farmers during the COVID period alone. Another major accomplishment of the programme is the addition of about 90 lakh new beneficiaries to PM KISAN scheme. This happened during Modi governmentas Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra when it passed through 2.60 lakh Gram Panchayats to impress upon the locals about Central welfare schemes. PM-KISAN, an ambitious scheme of Modi government for wholesome financial security and welfare of the farmers, was launched on February 2, 2019. Under the scheme, the eligible farmer families get a monetary assistance of Rs 6000 per year, delivered in three equal instalments of Rs 2000, every four months. The benefit is transferred directly into the bank accounts of eligible beneficiaries through DBT mode, using modern digital technology. Notably, in last five years of its operation, the scheme has achieved many milestones and received accolades from various global organisations, including the World Bank, for its sheer vision, scale, and seamless transfer of funds directly into the accounts of farmers. A recent study by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) on farmers of Uttar Pradesh also found that the scheme didnat have gaps or leakages. It found that the benefits transferred to majority of farmers was received in toto and there were no leakages in between. The same study also found that the farmers receiving cash transfers under PM-KISAN were more likely to invest in buying agricultural equipment, seeds, fertilizer, and pesticides. No question of protecting anyone if FSL report proves allegation: Ktaka CM on pro-Pak slogan issue. Image Source: IANS News Bengaluru, Feb 29 : In a big development, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday accepted the controversial Socio-Economic and Educational Survey Report, also known as the caste census. The Congress government's move is likely to trigger a controversy in the state ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The President of Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes, K. Jayaprakash Hegde, submitted the report to CM Siddaramaiah at the Vidhana Soudha on Thursday in the presence of Minister for Kannada and Culture, Shivaraj Tangadagi. Siddaramaiah said the caste census report will now be placed before the Cabinet for discussions. He, however, refused to divulge any further information on the report. Minister for Law, H.K Patil, said that if needed, legal opinion will be sought on the report. "First we will have to see how much time is required to study the report," he said. Meanwhile, former chairman of the State Commission for Backward Classes, H. Kanthataj, said that he is happy that the report is finally being submitted. "Once you study the report, the pros and cons will be known. The report is prepared to ensure the welfare of all sections of people. It gives voice to the voiceless. It is for the welfare of all," he said. The move to accept the report came amid strong opposition by the influential Vokkaliga and Lingayat communities. The associations of both these communities have declared that they would reject the report, dubbing it as "unscientific". Former Chief Minister and JD(S) state President H.D. Kumaraswamy had even challenged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah that if he had the capacity, he should accept the caste report prepared by Kantharaj. Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar was one of the signatories in the memorandum submitted to the state government urging not to accept that report. Seers of the backward communities, on the other hand, had urged CM Siddaramaiah to accept the caste census report. Amid the opposition, the CM had declared that he would accept the controversial report. Union minister Pralhad Joshi had stated that the state government does not have the authority to conduct a caste census. Joshi maintained that the task of conducting a caste census rests only with the Central government. Bengaluru, Feb 29 : Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday said that the previous BJP government did not achieve any progress rather they just looted. "We have implemented Guarantee schemes along with development programmes," he asserted. Siddaramaiah was replying in the Legislative Assembly during a debate on the Budget. "Former CM Basavaraja Bommai presented a budget which was about Rs 3.09 lakh crore in February 2023. The size of the budget presented by me for the year 2024-25 is Rs 3,71,343 crore. This is Rs 62,200 crore more than the budget presented by Bommai. The size has increased. This is Rs 43,601 crore more than the budget presented by me in July 2023," he said. Similarly, the GDP of the state was Rs 25,63,247 crore. It is expected to be Rs 28,09,063 crore for the year 2024-25, which means an increase of Rs 2,41,723 crore. Can budget size and GDP increase without development? The CM questioned. All the members have given many suggestions regarding the budget. They have criticised the budget, defended the Central Government. "I welcome all this. I would like to say that the government will do whatever is possible in the next financial year according to their suggestions." The total budget size in the 2024-25 budget is Rs 3,71,343 crore. Revenue expenditure is Rs 2,90,531 crore and capital expenditure is Rs 55,877 crore. This is proof that we have prioritised development, he stated. The opposition party said that there is zero development. A sum of Rs 1,20,000 crore has been earmarked for development programmes. Rs 52,009 crore has been set aside for guarantee schemes and the remaining amount has been allocated for development works. The allegation made by the opposition party is far from the truth, CM Siddaramaiah explained. Rs 36,000 crore is spent this year for guarantee schemes. We have spent. 36,000 crore for Shakti, Griha Jyoti, Anna Bhagya, Griha Lakshmi and Yuva Nidhi schemes. We have earmarked Rs 52,009 crore in the 2024-25 budget, along with priority to education, health, roads, law and order, he said. "The previous BJP government did not develop anything. They just looted. We have achieved development along with guarantee schemes as well. This is the difference between Congress and BJP government," Siddaramaiah said. "BJP could not get people's blessings. They come to teach us lessons of patriotism. It was Congress that brought freedom to this country. These are the people who came to enjoy power through the back door. RSS came into existence in 1925 itself, but did not take part in the freedom struggle." "When BJP MP Anantkumar Hegde was the Union Minister, he said that we have come to power to change the Constitution. Neither PM Modi nor party elders took any action regarding this," he added. New Delhi, Feb 29 : At least 20 Indians, who had gone as support staff to work with the Russian Army, are stuck in that country and efforts are on to seek their early release, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday, reiterating that New Delhi is "deeply committed" to the welfare of all its nationals. The remarks came in the backdrop of reports that a group of Indian youth fell victim to agents who deceitfully sent them to Russia under the false pretext of providing them with security guard jobs. "It is our understanding that there are 20-odd people who have gone to work as support staff or as helpers with the Russian Army. These are the people who've contacted us... We are trying our level best to ensure their early discharge," MEA spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said while addressing the weekly media briefing on Thursday. The spokesperson also referred to the statements issued by the MEA that urged all Indian nationals in Russia to exercise due caution and stay away from the conflict (with Ukraine). "We are trying our best... We are in regular touch with the Russian authorities -- both here in New Delhi and in Moscow. We are deeply-committed to the welfare of all Indians," Jaiswal told reporters. The ministry had issued a statement on February 26, which said that several Indian nationals have already been discharged and that India remains "committed to pursuing all the relevant cases of its citizens for an early discharge from the Russian Army". The statement also noted that there were "inaccurate reports" in the media regarding Indians with the Russian Army seeking help for discharge. On being asked about India's position on the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, Jaiswal reiterated that both sides should come together and find a peaceful solution to the conflict. "Our position is very well known. We've said this at the highest levels that India desires that there be discussion, that there be diplomacy, that there be constant engagement so that both sides can come together and find a solution for peace," he said. New Delhi, Feb 29 : The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President, Senior Advocate Adish Aggarwala, informed the Delhi High Court on Thursday that the General Body Meeting (GBM) to discuss the nomination of women advocates as Executive Members will be convened within two months. The submission was made before Justice Sudhir Kumar Jain in response to a plea by Yogamaya MG seeking to convene the meeting to address the issue of gender representation within the SCBA. Aggarwala stated that due to the large membership size of around 20,000 members, adequate notice must be given, necessitating a two-month timeframe for the meeting. The court then disposed of the plea. Yogamaya, who is a member of the bar association since 2016, had contested in the 2023 SCBA elections and lost. The petitioner had urged the SCBA to consider a representation signed by 270 members addressing the issue of lack of female representation in the executive committee. The representation proposed amending the SCBA rules and regulations to ensure at least two positions for women executive members. The petition stressed the importance of women's representation in decision-making bodies like the SCBA, stating that it is fundamental to creating a workplace culture that prioritises the prevention of sexual harassment and addresses issues unique to women lawyers. North 24 Parganas: Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan, accused of sexual violence and land grabbing in Sandeshkhali village, being produced at the Basirhat court. Image Source: IANS News Kolkata, Feb 29 : The sleuths of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of West Bengal Police, on Thursday arrested Amir Ali Gazi, a close confidant of suspended Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan. Gazi had also been absconding like his mentor since the January 5 attack on ED and CAPF sleuths. Gazi was arrested from near the West Bengal-Jharkhand border by the CID sleuths after they got specific inputs of his whereabouts on the basis of his mobile phone location. State police officials had also been in touch with their counterparts in Jharkhand Police for necessary cooperation on this count. The main accusations against Gazi were sexual harassment of the women of Sandeshkhali as well as farmland grabbing. Gazi was presented at the Basirhat Sub-Divisional Court in North 24 Parganas District on Thursday evening and the court remanded him to five daysa police custody. Sources said that like Shahjahan, Gazi might also be brought to the CID headquarters at Kolkata for questioning and for confronting with the suspended Trinamool leader. Sources said that the state police hope that Gazias grilling will yield additional clues about the farmland grabbing racket and similar illegal activities run by Shahjahan. Mumbai, Feb 29 : The lead actors of 'Ikk Kudi Punjab Di' -- Avinesh Rekhi and Tanisha Mehta -- have expressed their gratitude as the show marked 100 episodes, calling it an amazing journey. The cast and crew of the show recently celebrated their first milestone with a small cake-cutting ceremony on the sets, as the show completed 100 episodes. Talking about the achievement, Tanisha, who plays Heer, said: "The audience has been showering us with lots of love since the start of the show, and today as we complete 100 episodes, I cannot thank them enough. It feels like it all just happened in a blink of an eye." Avinesh, who essays the role of Ranjha, said: "I believe that completing 100 episodes is just the start to the amazing journey for our show. It feels great that the hard work is paying off, and definitely, it wouldnat have been possible without the support of our loving audience." "We all are very grateful, and it is a moment of pride for the whole team -- the actors, directors, technicians and crew members, who worked day and night to make our show what it is today," he added. 'Ikk Kudi Punjab Di' airs on Zee TV. Kolkata, Feb 29 : At a time when a section of Trinamool Congress leaders and the state's administrative machinery are going all-out to give credit to the state police for the arrest of Sheikh Shahjahan, the accused mastermind behind the attack on ED and CAPF teams at Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district on January 5, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday chose to maintain silence on the issue. Shahjahan, who was arrested from Minakhah in North 24 Parganas district late on Wednesday night after being on the run for 55 days, was remanded to 10-day police custody by a district court on Thursday. Soon after that, state Education Minister Bratya Basu announced that Shahjahan, a Trinamool strongman in Sandeshkhali who's also accused of harassing villagers in the trouble-torn area, has been suspended from the party for six years. Addressing an administrative review meeting in Bankura on Thursday, Chief Minister Banerjee remained silent in the matter of Shahjahan's arrest. Political observers feel that Banerjee not commenting on Shahjahan's arrest is significant since she had changed her stand regarding the latter twice in the last 15 days. On February 15, while addressing the budget session of the Assembly, the Chief Minister had held the Enforcement Directorate (ED), whose officers along CAPF personnel were reportedly beaten up at Sandeshkhali, as responsible for the ongoing tension there. She had also alleged that the ED team had gone to Sandeshkhali targeting Shahjahan and with the intention of creating trouble in the area. However, Banerjee's tone had changed when she was addressing an administrative review meeting on Wednesday, when she said she never nurtures or supports injustice. "I do not want oppression or bloodshed anywhere. I do not indulge in injustice. If something happens beyond my knowledge, I do not support that," the Chief Minister had said. Political observers feel that her comments on Wednesday were probably the first indication that the Trinamool is starting to distance itself from Shahjahan, a theory that grew stronger following the arrest and subsequent suspension of the latter from the party. BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 29. Turkmenistan increased imports of transport means, including vehicles, aircraft, vessels, and associated transport equipment, by 56.7 percent over the past year from EU countries, the source at Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, told Trend. During the reporting period, Turkmenistan imported transport totaled about 119.45 million euros, which is 56.7 percent more than imports in 2022, when they amounted to 76.24 million euros. The largest import of transport means from EU countries occurred in July, amounting to 23.08 million euros, and the smallest in February, amounting to 3.13 million euros. At the same time, Turkmenistan's imports from the EU during the specified period reached a total of 669.3 million euros, which is 10.7 percent more than in the whole of 2022 (604.4 million euros). Meanwhile, last year the trade turnover between Turkmenistan and the EU countries amounted to 1.87 billion euros, which is 87 percent more than in 2022, when it amounted to 1 billion euros. New Delhi, Feb 29 : The Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday that the eighth Indian Navy veteran who was sentenced to death in Qatar along with seven others on espionage charges will return home after fulfilling 'certain requirements'. India scored a diplomatic victory with seven of its former navy personnel, who were working for Doha-based Dahra Global and were taken into custody in August 2022, returning home earlier this month. They were identified as Captain Navtej Singh Gill, Captain Birendra Kumar Verma, Captain Saurabh Vasisht, Commander Amit Nagpal, Commander Sugunakar Pakala, Commander Sanjeev Gupta, and Sailor Rajesh. While Commander Purnendu Tiwari has been released from prison along with others, he is yet to land in India with sources indicating his arrival by next week. "As you know, all eight Indian nationals who were involved in the Dahra Global case have been released. Seven of them have returned to India," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal said while addressing a weekly media briefing on Thursday. "The eighth Indian national has certain requirements to fulfill, he will return as and when those are completed," he added. The spokesperson did not elaborate on the requirements that Commander Tiwari needed to fulfill to ensure his return to India. Earlier, Commander Tiwari's cousin, Dr. Meetu Bhargava, had expressed her joy upon hearing the news of his release, which she said would not have been possible without Prime Minister Narendra Modi's help. The MEA spokesperson also confirmed that the first group of civilian crew replacing Indian troops has reached Maldives. "The first team of technical personnel to operate the advanced light helicopter at Gan has reached Maldives. It will replace the existing personnel that were until now operating it," Jaiswal said in response to a question. "That is where it is as far as the core group meeting is concerned. We will have more details later," he added. In a statement released on Monday, the Maldives' Ministry of Defence said: "The civilian crew who will operate the helicopter in place of the Indian troops currently stationed in Seenu Gan (Addu city) has arrived in Maldives this evening." As of now, there are close to 80 Indian military personnel in the island nation to operate two Indian helicopters and an aircraft. The Maldivian defence ministry also stated that the helicopter stationed at Kadhdhoo Airport would be returned to India for maintenance, adding that a replacement helicopter would arrive aboard an Indian warship. Maldives' pro-China President Mohamed Muizzu promised to remove Indian troops from the island nation after winning the country's presidential election in November 2023. Earlier this month, he said the first group of Indian military personnel will be sent back before March 10, while the remaining will be withdrawn by May 10. Ahmedabad, Feb 29 : The Adani Portfolio of companies on Thursday reported a record quarterly profit growth of 63.6 per cent (year-on-year), as trailing 12-month EBITDA (as of December 2023) stood at Rs 78,823 crore ($9.5 billion), which is 2.5 times the EBITDA in FY21 and 37.8 per cent higher than FY23 EBITDA. The company said that high liquidity is maintained with a healthy cash balance of Rs 44,572 crore ($5.4 billion) at the end of December 31, 2023. The core infrastructure platform generated Rs 66,208 crore ($8 billion) EBITDA over the last 12 months -- up 35.4 per cent YoY, the company said in a statement. The record profit came as domestic and international rating agencies, including S&P Global and Moodyas, have upgraded or positively revised the outlook for all key Adani portfolio companies. Adani Group Founder and Chairman Gautam Adani has said he will invest an estimated $100 billion into Indiaas green energy transition over the next 10 years, with plans to scale up to 10 GW of solar manufacturing capacity by 2027. According to the company, the portfolio continues to remain conservatively leveraged with net debt to EBITDA as low as 2.5 times, debt coverage of 2.1 times, and gross assets to net debt at 2.5 times (as on September 30, 2023). Higher ratings and healthy cash flows have allowed continued market access, facilitating substantial investments in the year-to-date (April 1, 2023-December 31, 2023). During this period, various portfolio companies have drawn funds worth Rs 91,290 crore from various sources, including international and domestic banks, and others, the company informed in its financial results. For Adani Enterprises Limited (AEL), the emerging infrastructure businesses, including the ANIL ecosystem (green hydrogen ecosystem), airports and roads, have picked up momentum over the past few quarters and now contribute 45 per cent of AELas total EBITDA. Another emerging business, the green energy-powered data centre, is also progressing well, according to the company. ANIL has received COD certification from the Solar Energy Corporation of India for setting up electrolyser manufacturing. "Solar module sales have more than doubled due to higher exports. The wind turbine generator (WTG) business, with an order book of 142 sets, has already produced 15 sets and delivered 7 since commissioning," the company said. At the seven operational airports, passenger movement has increased 23 per cent (YoY) in the first nine months to 65.6 million and is now tracking an annual figure of 85 million. The greenfield Navi Mumbai airport is well on track to start operations by December this year. For Adani Green Energy Limited (AGEL), the operational renewable capacity has increased to 9,029 MW after the commissioning of 551 MW at the Khavda renewable energy (RE) park in Gujarat. It will be the worldas largest RE park after 30 GW is developed over the next five years and can power over 16 million homes and create 15,200 jobs every year. Adani Green Energy in December announced that the promoters of the company would infuse Rs 9,350 crore into it through preferential issuance of warrants at a price of Rs 1,480.75 per share. Adani Energy Solutions Limited (AESL), another portfolio company, has successfully operationalised the critical Kharghar Vikhroli Transmission Line to connect Mumbai to the national grid, taking the total network to 20,422 ckm. Adani Electricity Mumbai, a distribution subsidiary of AESL, supplied 35 per cent renewable power in the total electricity mix to the city - one of the highest amongst all global mega-cities. For Adani Total Gas Limited (ATGL), the pipeline network increased to 11,712-inch km, PNG connections to 7.79 lakh, and EV charging stations to 329. A total of 45 new CNG stations were also added. For the Adani Ports & SEZ (APSEZ) portfolio company, domestic cargo handled grew 23 per cent YoY, achieving a record volume of 311 MT for the first nine months. It is on track to beat the annual volumes guidance. During the period, Adani Cements added 15 per cent or 8.6 MTPA capacity, taking total capacity to 77.4 MTPA (76.1 MTPA under Ambuja and 1.3 MTPA under AEL). On the ESG (environmental, social and governance) front, AGEL was ranked first in ESG assessment with an improved score for the second consecutive year, informed the company. New Delhi, Feb 29 : The Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) has conducted two successful flight tests of the Very Short-Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS) missile on Wednesday and Thursday. The tests were conducted from a ground-based portable launcher from the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur, off the coast of Odisha. These tests were carried out against high-speed unmanned aerial targets under different interception scenarios. During all the test flights, the targets were intercepted and destroyed by the missiles, meeting the mission objectives. The Ministry of Defence informed that VSHORADS is a Man Portable Air Defence System (MANPAD) designed and developed indigenously by the Research Centre Imarat (RCI) in collaboration with other DRDO laboratories and Indian industry partners. The VSHORADAS missile incorporates many novel technologies, including miniaturised Reaction Control System (RCS) and integrated avionics, which have been successfully proven during the tests. The missile is propelled by a dual thrust solid motor meant for neutralising low-altitude aerial threats at short ranges. The design of the missile, including the launcher, has been highly optimised to ensure easy portability. The flight tests were witnessed by officials of the Indian Army, senior scientists from various DRDO laboratories, and industry partners. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated the DRDO, Indian Army and the industry involved in the successful development trials, saying that this new missile equipped with modern technologies will give further technological boost to the armed forces. DRDO Chairman Samir V. Kamat also congratulated the entire team involved in the design and development of the missile. New Delhi, Feb 29 : The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed the plea filed by the Vedanta group against the closure of Sterlite Copper smelter plant in Tamil Nadu's Thoothukudi. A Bench, headed by CJI D.Y. Chandrachud, refused to interfere with the 2020 decision of the Madras High Court upholding closure of the plant for environmental violations. Noting the repeated nature of breaches coupled with severity of violations by the plant, the bench, also comprising Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, said that the health and welfare of the local people is of utmost concern. The Tamil Nadu government had ordered the copper smelter plant to be shut down in 2018 following a violent protest that led to the death of several persons in police firing. At least 13 people were killed and many injured in the police firing on people protesting against the Sterlite copper plant on May 22, 2018. The plant was made operational during the time of the Covid-19 pandemic to produce oxygen. Kolkata, Feb 29 : Koustav Bagchi, the estranged Congress leader in West Bengal who had resigned from the party on Wednesday, officially joined the BJP on Thursday evening. Bagchi, who's also a counsel in the Calcutta High Court, was welcomed into the BJP by the leader of opposition in West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, in the presence of the party's state unit chief, Sukanta Majumdar. "There is no point in pursuing a political career unless you get the chance to work for the people. The Congress has lost all relevance in West Bengal. The party high-command maintained a total silence on the events that unfolded in Sandeshkhali. "It seems the Congress leadership is going soft towards the Trinamool Congress. In such a situation, there is no point in sticking to the party anymore," Bagchi told mediapersons after joining the BJP. He also claimed that grievances are brewing within the state Congress over the party high-command's silence on the Sandeshkhali issue. "For me, staying in the Congress was nothing but compromising with self-respect," Bagchi added. Differences between Bagchi and the Congress high-command had surfaced ever since the party leadership initiated alliance talks with Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Bagchi had been vocal a number of times against the alliance talks with the Trinamool. He was also vocal against high-profile lawyer-leaders in the Congress, namely Abhishek Manu Singhvi and P. Chidambaram, briefing different courts on behalf of the West Bengal government and prominent Trinamool leaders. San Francisco, Feb 29 : Microsoft has introduced a new Windows API - DirectSR, that will enable game developers to seamlessly integrate AI-enabled super-resolution upscaling features from Nvidia, AMD, and Intel. In a blog post, Microsoft programme manager Joshua Tucker discussed the DirectSR API, which he believes will bridge the gap between video games and super-resolution technologies, providing a more efficient and scalable experience across different hardware. "Weare thrilled to announce DirectSR, our new API designed in partnership with GPU hardware vendors to enable seamless integration of Super Resolution (SR) into the next generation of games," Tucker said. "This API enables multi-vendor SR through a common set of inputs and outputs, allowing a single code path to activate a variety of solutions, including Nvidia DLSS Super Resolution, AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution, and Intel XeSS," he added. Super Resolution is a cutting-edge technique that improves the resolution and visual quality in games. The tech giant said that the new API will be available soon in the Agility SDK as a public preview, enabling developers to test it out and provide feedback. Meanwhile, Microsoft's Vice Chair and President Brad Smith has announced that the company will expand its artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud infrastructure in Spain via an investment of $2.1 billion in the next two years. New Delhi, Feb 29 : Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday handed over to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) as many as 101 valuable antiquities that were seized from smugglers by different field formations of the Customs Department. The antiquities included an idol of Lord Vishnu (Perumal) belonging to the late medieval period. Some of these antiquities will be displayed at 'Dharohar' -- the National Museum of Customs & CGST in Goa. The Finance Minister virtually presided over the handing-over ceremony held at seven different locations, including Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Pune, Bhopal, Bhubaneshwar and Guwahati. The minister also released a brochure 'Puravshesh ke Prahari', depicting select antiquities that were a part of the ceremony. The Finance Minister pointed out that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been making sure that stolen artefacts and antiquities are brought back to India from various countries for which bilateral negotiations keep on taking place. Many artefacts and antiquities have been brought back in recent times and with these 101 seized articles of antiquities, Customs is contributing to India's rich history. Sitharaman further said that the Customs Department and formations under it are the 'guardians of the economic frontiers'. In her closing remarks, the Finance Minister emphasised on handling of the religious texts, artefacts, antiquities with due care and dignity due to their sensitive state and historical context by the officials concerned. Two of the notable antiquities that were handed over include Palm Leaf Manuscript having 155 leaves with hard wooden supporting covers at top and bottom. It is said to be composed in classical Champu with metres and rhythms in modern Odia script and language. Another manuscript that has been handed over, comprises 17 leaves made of hand-made paper written in Devanagari script appearing to contain Buddhist texts. These were seized in the year 2019 and 2020 while being attempted to be exported to Spain and France, respectively. Revenue Secretary Sanjay Malhotra; CBIC Chairman Sanjay Kumar Agarwal; Members of the Board (CBIC); Director General of ASI, Yadubir Singh Rawat were also present on the occasion. In his address on the occasion, Secretary, Department of Revenue, Sanjay Malhotra underlined the historical, artistic, and societal value of antiquities and highlighted the twin role of Customs and ASI officials in detection and thwarting of attempts of illegal export of antiquities. In his address, Agarwal highlighted the need for the use of technology and inter-agency coordination as well as international cooperation in busting the international smuggling syndicates. Bengaluru, Feb 29 : In a major development, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday accepted the controversial Socio-Economic and Educational Survey Report, also known as the caste census report. The Congress-led government's move is likely to trigger a controversy in the state ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Chairman of Karnataka State Commission for Backward Classes, K. Jayaprakash Hegde, submitted the report to CM Siddaramaiah at his office in Vidhana Soudha on Thursday in the presence of Minister for Kannada and Culture, Shivaraj Tangadagi. Siddaramaiah said the caste census report will now be placed before the Cabinet for discussions. He, however, refused to divulge any further information on the report. Speaking to the media after the submission of the report, Jayaprakash Hegde said that the report has been accepted, and it will be placed before the next cabinet meeting. "We can't divulge the details, our responsibility was to prepare the report and submit it," he said. "The report was prepared by the 1.60 lakh government officers led by the Deputy Commissioners in 2014-15. The report is prepared based on the data collected during the tenure of former Chairman of the Commission H. Kantharaju. For technical reasons, he could not submit the report. This is a socio-economic survey. I won't talk about politics," he said while reacting to the opposition to the report. Hegde maintained that there is no relevance to the allegation about the missing original copy of the caste census report. "We have got it prepared and there is no confusion in it," he added. When asked about the caste census report being dubbed as unscientific, Hegde stated that without reading the report, how can anyone arrive at the judgment that the report is unscientific? He also clarified that the report is not leaked, and it has the signatures of all officers. Minister for Law, H.K Patil, said that if needed, legal opinions will be sought on the report. "First, we will have to see how much time is required to study the report," he said. Meanwhile, former chairman of the State Commission for Backward Classes, H. Kantharaj, said he was happy that the report is finally being submitted. "Once you study the report, the pros and cons will be known. The report is prepared to ensure the welfare of all sections of people. It gives voice to the voiceless. It is for the welfare of all," he said. The move to accept the report came amid strong opposition by the influential Vokkaliga and Lingayat communities. The associations of both these communities have declared that they would reject the report, dubbing it as "unscientific". Former Chief Minister and JD-S state President H.D. Kumaraswamy had even challenged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah that if he had the capacity, he should accept the caste report prepared by Kantharaj. Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar was one of the signatories in the memorandum submitted to the state government urging not to accept that report. Seers of the backward communities, on the other hand, had urged CM Siddaramaiah to accept the caste census report. Amid the opposition, the CM had declared that he would accept the controversial report. Union minister Pralhad Joshi had stated that the state government does not have the authority to conduct a caste census. Joshi maintained that the task of conducting a caste census rests only with the Central government. Hyderabad, Feb 29 : Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Working President K.T. Rama Rao on Thursday dared Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy to resign and contest the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections against him from the Malkajgiri constituency. Responding to Revanth Reddy's challenge to the BRS to win at least one Lok Sabha seat, Rama Rao said he was ready to resign from his Sircilla Assembly seat to contest for the Lok Sabha from Malkajgiri and asked Revanth Reddy to quit and face him. Revanth Reddy was elected to Lok Sabha from Malkajgiri in 2019. In an informal chat with media persons, the former minister remarked that winning or losing elections is common in politics. "If you have the guts resign as Chief Minister and contest from Malkajgiri. I will also quit as MLA to contest," he said. KTR, as BRS leader is popularly known, demanded that the Congress government first implement the guarantee of waiver of farm loans of up to Rs 2 lakh. The BRS leader said the government should implement all 420 promises including Rs 2,500 per month to every woman. Alleging that Revanth Reddy is suffering from a complex, he said the Congress leader had thrown challenges while contesting from Kodangal constituency in 2018 and also in the GHMC elections. On Revanth Reddyas comment that KTR came into politics from amanagement quotaa, he asked which quota Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi come from. "Revanth Reddy is from the payment quota," he said, alleging that he had paid money to Congress leadership to get the post of state Congress chief. New Delhi, Feb 29 : A rise in discussions related to "Apple" among influencers on the "X" platform has been witnessed in the last week of February after reports emerged about Apple's decision to discontinue its electric vehicle (EV) project, a new report revealed on Thursday. According to the leading data and analytics company GlobalData, influencers expressed mixed sentiments on Apple's EV project cancellation, with some viewing it as a wise reallocation of its focus towards artificial intelligence (AI). "Though the move is expected to impact employees and bring about a change in industry dynamics, there is speculation that Apple may still impact the automotive sector through software and services rather than manufacturing," said Smitarani Tripathy, Social Media Analyst at GlobalData. A few popular influencer opinions captured by the report are - "I have lost the count of how many times we have heard about #AppleCar project starting, halting & closing. Hope this is the last. Another reason for @Apple choosing to shutter the project is #ElectricVehicles losing sheen & revival of interest in #Hybrid & ICE cars... where $aapl will find it hard to differentiate," said Prakash Sangam, Founder of Tantra Analyst. "Big New in Tech: @Apple car project cancelled. Perhaps it's a sigh of relief for @Tesla and many other automakers. IMO Apple should buy @Ford and revamp it!" Sarbjeet Johal, Technology Analyst and GTM Strategist mentioned. Reaction from John Voelcker, Contributing Editor at Car and Driver Magazine stated: "Apple Inc will cancel its decade-long effort to build an #EV, abandoning one of the most ambitious projects in its history. The company disclosed the decision today, surprising nearly 2,000 employees working on the project. Hot Take: It NEVER made sense." --IANS shs/pgh ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, February 29. Turkmenistan discussed with Tajikistan the opening of its Trading House in Dushanbe city for enhanced economic ties, Trend reports. According to the official source, this issue was discussed during a working visit to Dushanbe by the Turkmen delegation, where she met with the Head of the International Economic Cooperation Department at the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of Tajikistan, Dilshod Sharifi. In particular, the Turkmen delegation consisted of members of the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs of Turkmenistan. During the constructive conversation, the parties discussed many issues related to strengthening bilateral cooperation in the economic and trade spheres. Meanwhile, at the end of last year, the Turkmen delegation also visited the city of Dushanbe to participate in the 12th meeting of the Joint Turkmen-Tajik Intergovernmental Commission on trade, economic, scientific, and technical cooperation. Stay up to date with more news at Trend News Agency's WhatsApp channel New Delhi, Feb 29 : The Delhi High Court on Thursday dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking the merger of various North Indian cities with the national capital and the relocation of a new 'Punjab High Court' to Jalandhar from Chandigarh. A division bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan Singh and Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora said that the court does not have jurisdiction over matters regarding the functioning and location of High Courts or the alteration of state boundaries. The plea, filed by retired Chief Engineer J.P. Singh sought directions for merging the Meerut Commissionerate (UP), and Sonepat, Faridabad, and Gurugram (all Haryana) with Delhi, and handing Chandigarh to Haryana while establishing a new High Court for Punjab in Jalandhar. However, the bench rejected the plea, citing the provisions of Article 3 of the Constitution of India, which empowers Parliament to regulate the formation and alteration of states, boundaries, and names. The bench also remarked on the impracticality of the plea, sarcastically commenting: "Someone wants us to redraw the map of India. That is what is left now." Moreover, the court said that the Parliament does not operate under its directives. During the hearing, Singh suggested that Parliament would comply with the court's orders, to which the bench responded by citing the separation of powers between the judiciary and the legislature. New Delhi, Feb 29 : The rise in leopard population in India has drawn applause and appreciation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Sharing his happiness over this on Thursday, PM Modi wrote on X, "Great news! This significant increase in leopard numbers is a testament to India's unwavering dedication to biodiversity. I compliment all those who are part of the various collective efforts towards wildlife protection, paving the way for a sustainable coexistence." PM Modi's words assume significance in the light of the fact that he has always pitched for international cooperation/alliance for the protection of biodiversity. At every global forum, he has been batting for global efforts for the same. He also used the occasion to send out the message that the spike in leopard population reaffirms the fact that India is sincerely working for the protection of biodiversity. Earlier on Thursday, the Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav, released a report which said that the country's leopard population has risen to 13,874 (Range: 12,616 - 15,132) . "Central India shows a stable or slightly growing population of leopards (2018: 8,071, 2022: 8,820); Shivalik hills and Gangetic plains experienced decline (2018: 1,253, 2022: 1,109)," said the report titled 'Status of Leopards'. It said that "if we look at the area which was sampled both in 2018 and 2022 across India, there is a 1.08 per cent per annum growth". "In Shivalik hills and Gangetic plains, there is a 3.4 per cent decline per annum, while the largest growth rate was seen in Central India and Eastern Ghats at 1.5 per cent," the report said. The report also said that the fifth cycle of leopard population estimation (2022) in India focused on forested habitats within 18 tiger states, covering four major tiger conservation landscapes. 'Project Tiger's' conservation legacy expands beyond tigers, which is evident in the leopard status report, showcasing broader species' protection efforts. Gurugram, Feb 29 : A man who allegedly threatened a Hayana Canal Department Superintendent and made an extortion demand of Rs 10 lakh has been arrested, police said on Thursday. The accused has been identified as Punit Kaushik alias Punit Pandit a resident of village Sihi in Faridabad. According to the police, a complaint was filed by the officer on October 10, 2023, alleging that a person called him on his WhatsApp number and threatened to kill him if Rs 10 lakh was not paid. Based on a complaint, a case was filed under relevant sections of the IPC at the Civil Lines Police Station in Gurugram. During the investigation, the Crime Branch team of Sector-17 police station nabbed the accused on Wednesday. A perusal of the criminal records of the accused found that case of murders, extortion, and under the Arms Act were registered against the accused in Gurugram, three murder cases were registered in Faridabad, and one murder case was registered in Palwal, police said. "The accused was produced in the court on Thursday and has been taken on two days police remand for further questioning," police said. Chennai, Feb 29 : A common thread that runs in all three companies that got the Union Cabinet's nod on Thursday for setting up semiconductor units is that they are headed by brothers - N. Chandrasekaran and N. Srinivasan. Chennai, Feb 29 (IANS) A common thread that runs in all three companies that got the Union Cabinet's nod on Thursday for setting up semiconductor units is that they are headed by brothers a" N. Chandrasekaran and N. Srinivasan. While Chandrasekaran is the Chairman of Tata Sons, the principal investment holding company and promoter of Tata companies, Srinivasan heads the CG Power and Industrial Solutions Ltd, which is part of another industrial conglomerate, the Murugappa Group. Incidentally, their brother N. Ganapathy Subramaniam is the Chief Operating Officer at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). He is also an Additional Director and Chairman of Tata Elxsi Ltd and an Additional Director (Non-Independent; Non-Executive) of Tata Communications Ltd. According to the government, Tata Electronics Private Ltd will set up a semiconductor fab in partnership with Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp (PSMC), Taiwan in Dholera, Gujarat at an investment of Rs 91,000 crore. The proposed plant will have a capacity to make 50,000 wafer starts per month. The high performance compute chips with 28 nm technology will find use in electric vehicles (EV), telecom, defence, automotive, consumer electronics, display, power electronics and others. Another Tata group company, Tata Semiconductor Assembly and Test Pvt Ltd will set up a semiconductor unit in Morigaon, Assam at an outlay of Rs.27,000 crore. The plant will have a capacity of 48 million chips per day catering to automotive, electric vehicles, consumer electronics, telecom, mobile phones and others. According to the government, TSAT semiconductor is developing indigenous advanced semiconductor packaging technologies including flip chip and ISIP (integrated system in package) technologies. On the other hand, the Murugappa groupas CG Power got the Union Cabinetas nod for setting up a semiconductor unit for specialised chips at an outlay of Rs 7,600 crore. CG Power, in partnership with Renesas Electronics Corporation, Japan and Stars Microelectronics, Thailand will set up a semiconductor unit in Sanand, Gujarat. Renesas is a leading semiconductor company focussed on specialised chips. It operates 12 semiconductor facilities and is an important player in microcontrollers, analog, power, and System on Chip (aSoC)a products. The CG Poweras semiconductor unit will have a capacity to make 15 million chips per day for consumer, industrial, automotive and power applications. (Venkatachari Jagannathan can be reached at v.jagannathan@ians.in) New Delhi, Feb 29 : Delhi Lt Governor V.K. Saxena on Thursday hit out at Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, saying he has not addressed any of the core issues raised pertaining to the so-called 'Water Scheme'. The dispute over the matter escalated with Saxena's open letter on Wednesday, lambasting Kejriwal's response to the matter. Saxena's letter, a pointed reminder of past confrontations, highlighted "derogatory remarks" previously made by Kejriwal and his party members against the L-G. The fresh letter on Thursday recounted instances where Kejriwal and his colleagues denigrated Saxena, questioning his authority and integrity. Drawing attention to the lack of substantive engagement on the 'Water Scheme,' Saxena criticised Kejriwal for sidestepping crucial concerns raised by the L-G. "Your letter, received late last night, compelled me to revisit the past and recollect statements made by you and your colleagues in the government and the party. Allow me to recount a few for your reference," the L-G said in the letter. "Where did this L-G come from... Who is this L-G, where did he come from... What L-G for what matter... Who is this L-G... Who is the Lt. Governor... He's come and seated himself on our heads, the Lt. Governor..." (While you may recall these remarks made in the Delhi Assembly, the tone and intensity cannot be fully conveyed on paper)," the L-G highlighted. "Delhi's L-G Saxena involved in a Rs 1,400 crore scam... as said by Atishi. L-G Saxena exposed... engaged in corruption during demonetization, said by Saurabh Bhardwaj," Saxena mentioned in the letter. The L-G said that "it is evident that you and your colleagues were cautioned by the Delhi High Court for defamatory statements against me. I have also been informed of your remarks in the Vidhan Sabha". Despite the extensive seven-page reply from Kejriwal, L-G Saxena lamented the absence of any meaningful discussion on the proposed scheme or resolution of pertinent issues. Of particular concern to Saxena was the apparent neglect of honest consumers who have diligently paid water bills since 2012. He underscored the absence of reimbursement plans for these consumers, expressing bewilderment at Kejriwal's silence on the matter. Moreover, Saxena highlighted systemic failures within the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), questioning the efficacy of Kejriwal's governance over the past nine years. He also criticised the CM's administration for its alleged mismanagement, citing instances of inflated bills, faulty water meters, and deteriorating public services. Addressing Kejriwal's accusations of stalled projects under his tenure, Saxena reiterated that such matters fell within the CM's jurisdiction. He urged Kejriwal to reflect on his leadership approach and collaborate for the betterment of Delhi's residents. In conclusion, Saxena emphasised the need for collective action and urged Kejriwal to prioritise the city's welfare over political posturing. Guwahati, Feb 29 : The United Opposition Forum in Assam -- which includes a total of 16 parties including Congress and others, on Thursday announced that they will oppose the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in the state amid some reports that the Centre might frame the rules of the CAA before the Lok Sabha polls. "We met Governor Gulabchand Kataria, and handed over a memorandum signed by 16 opposition parties expressing objection to implementing CAA in the state. The act is a threat to the history and culture of Assam. All leaders of these 16 opposition parties echoed concerns in the same tone before the Governor," Assam unit Congress president Bhupen Borah, told reporters here. "The Governor will send our memorandum to the President. Moreover, we have also planned to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi to apprise him about the adverse outcome of implementing CAA in Assam," he added. The Congress leader said that the United Opposition Forum will write a letter to PM Modi seeking his appointment. Meanwhile, Lurinjyoti Gogoi, convenor of the United Opposition Forum, said: "The people of Assam have never accepted the CAA. This act is contrary to the linguistic characteristics of the state. The CAA was formulated to gain votes during the election through polarisation. It is an anti-Assam act." According to him, CAA has demolished the provisions laid down in the Assam Accord, and once the act is implemented, Assam will face more problems regarding illegal infiltration. --IANS tdr/pgh New Delhi, Feb 29 : The Delhi High Court on Thursday asked the Delhi Police to clarify whether its investigation into the UAPA case, alleging a larger conspiracy in the 2020 riots, is complete or if additional charge sheets are forthcoming. A division bench of Justices Suresh Kumar Kait and Manoj Jain sought the clarification while hearing the bail plea of accused, United Against Hate member Khalid Saifi. Senior advocate Rebecca John appeared for him. Recently, the court had also expressed dissatisfaction with lengthy prosecution arguments opposing his bail plea, and the bench now asked Special Public Prosecutor Amit Prasad to provide clarification on March 4. The prosecution has filed four supplementary charge sheets in the case till date. "You will tell us whether a fifth supplementary charge sheet is going to be filed or not," the court told Prasad. Earlier, the court had directed the Special Public Prosecutor to file a concise compilation defining the role of Saifi and to confine arguments to the same. It had said that it wouldn't read the extensive charge sheet at the bail stage, as doing so would effectively start a trial, which is not permissible. The bench had remarked that protesting is a right and requested the prosecution to present evidence demonstrating a clear case of violence rather than narrating a lengthy story. It had asked the prosecution to focus on showing the accused's specific role in the events. In December 2022, a division bench had reserved judgement on the bail pleas of Saifi, Gulfisha Fatima, and other co-accused persons. These pleas are being reheard following the elevation of Justice Siddharth Mridul, who had initially presided over the case. Saifi's bail was denied by the trial court in April 2022. In January, a Delhi court had heard arguments from the counsel for co-accused Natasha Narwal and Devangana Kalita, who said that despite four years passing since the FIR's registration, the investigation by Delhi Police in the larger conspiracy case is still pending. The application seeks clarity on the Delhi Police's investigation in the case before proceeding with arguments on the charges. The accused persons in this case include Tahir Hussain, Umar Khalid, Saifi, Isharat Jahan, Meeran Haider, Gulfisha Fatima, Shifa-ur-Rehman, Asif Iqbal Tanha, Shadab Ahmed, Tasleem Ahmed, Saleem Malik, Mohd Saleem Khan, Athar Khan, Safoora Zargar, Sharjeel Imam, Faizan Khan, and Narwal. Jaipur, Feb 29 : BJP's Rajya Sabha MP Ghanshyam Tiwari on Thursday hit back at the 'lies' being spread by the Congress regarding the Yamuna Water Agreement. Tiwari said the Congress kept important works like the Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP) and the Yamuna Water Agreement in abeyance, while the BJP's triple-engine government in Rajasthan, Centre and Haryana has worked to implement both these agreements on the ground. "Rajasthan Congress President Govind Singh Dotasra is not only misleading the people of the state, but also confusing them. The people of Rajasthan have also seen the extravagant Congress government, when work had to be done by paying money. Former CM Ashok Gehlot did not go out for one-and-a-half years, even his MLAs remained locked in hotels," Tiwari said. Earlier at a press conference, Dotasra had accused the BJP government of making fake claims on ERCP water agreement and the Yamuna Water Agreement. He said, "The Yamuna Water Agreement was signed in 1994 and the Upper Yamuna Water Board comprises five states, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. It was decided that Shekhawati would get 1917 cusecs of water. An agreement was also reached in 2001-2002 in which it was decided from which place Haryana would get water. At that time, Haryana's claim was on 13,000 cusecs. Infrastructure had to be prepared to take additional water, but Haryana did not give NOC to Rajasthan." Tiwari, meanwhile, said that Rajasthan will surely get 1,917 cusecs of water from the Yamuna Water Agreement. "This is PM Modi's guarantee and it is also certain that if the Prime Minister's guarantee is there, it is going to be fulfilled. The double-engine government in Rajasthan will prepare a DPR on the Yamuna Water Agreement in four months, and work on providing water to Churu, Jhunjhunu, Sikar and Neem Ka Thana districts. Renuka, Lakhwar and Kishau dams will be built as per the agreement of the state government. "Before the Hathini Kund Barrage, an agreement was made to provide water to Rajasthan through a 260 km canal in Haryana, and now an agreement has been made to bring Rajasthan's share of water through a pipeline. This will reduce evaporation of water and the people of the state will be able to get water in more quantity. Not only this, the pipeline will be laid underground, and the farmers will also get compensation for it. Their crop will also not get spoiled," Tiwari said. He also said that due to the misdeeds of the Congress, no agreement could be reached on the Hathnikund Barrage for 30 years. Water Resources Minister Suresh Rawat said that the earlier agreement promised only 0.6 cusecs of water to Rajasthan, whereas now Rajasthan will get 1,917 cusecs of water. "This has been possible because of the efficient leadership of Prime Minister Modi, Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar and Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma. This agreement will prove to be a boon for the people of Shekhawati, who will not only get drinking water, but will also get water for irrigation," Rawat said. Ahmedabad, Feb 29 : Gujarat Vidyapith on Thursday celebrated the 129th birth anniversary of former Prime Minister and Bharat Ratna awardee Morarji Desai, with Gujarat Governor and Chancellor, Acharya Devvrat, naming the main auditorium as 'Morarji Desai Mandapam'. Speaking on the occasion, Vice-Chancellor Harshad Patel talked about the institution's pioneering initiative to integrate cultural and spiritual education with technology. The event also commemorated Morarji Desai's contributions to the nation and the institution through a cleanliness campaign on the Vidyapith campus. Acharya Devvrat, in his tribute, said, "Born in the small village of Bhadeli in Valsad district, Morarji Desai was a great man with strong willpower, who, after coming into contact with Gandhiji, joined the freedom struggle, leaving behind his collector's post. He lived a life of values and ideals, proving that greatness comes from small acts and principles that can lead to change." Reflecting on Morarji Desai's life, former Education Minister and trustee of the Gujarat Vidyapith board, Bhupendrasinh Chudasama, shared his memories of meeting Desai, describing him as a straightforward speaker and a man of purity and humor. Chandigarh, Feb 29 : The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Thursday asked Haryana not to consider Dera Sacha Sauda chief and self-styled godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's parole without its permission. The direction would remain in force till further orders. A Bench of acting Chief Justice Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia and Justice Lapita Banerji observed that Ram Rahim was released for 91 days each in 2022 and 2023, and observed that it made "interesting reading" keeping in view the background and the antecedents of Ram Rahim who was convicted in three cases. "It is also to be noticed that in spite of the pendency of the present petition in which notice of motion was issued on January 29, 2023, the State of Haryana has still chosen to grant him indulgence of parole again on July 20, 2023, November 21, 2023, and January 19, 2014 for a period of 30, 21, and 50 days," the bench observed. The courtas intervention came on a petition filed by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) challenging the order granting temporary release. The bench further asked Haryana to furnish an affidavit on the grant of the benefit to number of persons "having such criminal antecedents and sentenced in three cases". Top-level design charts course for Jing-Jin-Ji coordinated development Xinhua) 08:05, February 29, 2024 BEIJING, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- In northern China, a megacity cluster -- known as "Jing-Jin-Ji" -- spanning an area of 216,000 square km and with a population of over 100 million, is emerging as one of the country's most dynamic, open, and innovative regions. Since February 2014, the coordinated development of the Jing-Jin-Ji region, or the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, has been a key national strategy. President Xi Jinping has planned and boosted this historic regional initiative. Over the past decade, Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, has made a series of instructions regarding the coordinated development of this region. He also chaired multiple meetings to chart the course of the strategy and made several fact-finding trips to gain inspiration and assess progress. OVERARCHING DESIGN For an extended period, the region had grappled with prominent issues including "urban ills" and development gaps. "The coordinated development of the Jing-Jin-Ji region holds significant importance; our understanding of this issue must be elevated to the level of national strategy," Xi said at a meeting on bolstering collaboration among Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei in February 2014. He urged the region to explore a sustainable development path that leverages complementary strengths and yields mutual benefits. In 2015, a plan for the Jing-Jin-Ji coordinated development was adopted at a Party leadership meeting chaired by Xi, propelling the strategy into a new stage of comprehensive implementation and accelerated advancement. The following year, at another Party leadership meeting, Xi introduced a new strategic vision -- constructing the "two wings" of the country's capital, namely, the Beijing Municipal Administrative Center and the Xiong'an New Area in Hebei. This marked a significant advancement in promoting coordinated development in the region. In 2019, at the second meeting focused on Jing-Jin-Ji coordinated development held after his inspection of Xiong'an, Tianjin and Beijing, Xi emphasized, "It is imperative to maintain historical patience and strategic determination in materializing this historic project." In 2023, Xi visited Xiong'an again. There, a dynamic scene unfolded in the "city of the future," with countless tower cranes busy at work on city construction. Xi reminisced about his first visit to Xiong'an in early 2017, standing atop the expansive, dusty terrain as he revealed the blueprint for the area. "In just six years, the Xiong'an New Area has transitioned from mere concept to palpable reality," Xi said. "A highly modernized city rising from the ground is nothing short of miraculous." After the inspection, Xi presided over the third themed meeting on Jing-Jin-Ji coordinated development, reiterating the importance of enhancing collaboration within the region and calling for efforts to build the region into "a pilot and demonstration zone in pursuing Chinese modernization." KEY TASK Back in February 2014, on the first leg of his inspection tour of the capital, Xi visited the Beijing Planning Exhibition Hall, and made it clear that the functions of the capital should be adjusted and anything nonessential should be trimmed. Relieving Beijing of functions nonessential to its role as the capital has since been established in the region's coordinated development strategy. So far, efforts in this regard have yielded preliminary results, including the moving of municipal government organs of Beijing, along with 61 state-owned enterprises under its supervision to the administrative center. In the Xiong'an New Area, state-owned enterprises directly under the central government set up four headquarters and more than 200 subsidiaries or branches, and four universities including Beijing Jiaotong University have started constructing their new campuses in Xiong'an. COORDINATED DEVELOPMENT On Feb. 1, 2024, Xi traveled to Tianjin on a "Fuxing" bullet train to visit and greet grassroots officials and the public ahead of the Spring Festival. The coordinated development of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei remained an important subject at a meeting convened the following day for the local Party committee and government to report their work. On this occasion, Xi asked about the railway service connecting Beijing and Tianjin. Learning that there were around 280 passenger trains that ply the route between Beijing and Tianjin every day, Xi said a Jing-Jin-Ji on rails is taking shape. Progress has also been made in overall transportation, with traffic circles of 1 or 1.5 hours having basically been formed to link world-class city clusters in the region. On industrial development, a model of Beijing-based research and development plus Tianjin-and-Hebei-based manufacturing is increasingly taking shape. Enterprises in Beijing's Zhongguancun area, known as "China's Silicon Valley," have established more than 10,000 branches in Tianjin and Hebei. The combined GDP of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei reached 10.4 trillion yuan (about 1.46 trillion U.S. dollars) in 2023, an increase of 1.9 times from the figure in 2013. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) The American University in Cairo (AUC) and Fintech Robos, the Bahrain-based provider of savings and pensions technology, have signed a long-term deal aiming to enhance financial awareness in the Arab world. The partnership is about joining the forces of AUCs pioneering research capacity in behavioural economics and Fintech Robos strong regional outreach and focus on personal savings and investment solutions, to enable a more effective reach to communities on understanding personal finance and how they think and make financial decisions. The MoU between the two institutions was signed at the AUC campus by Prof Ehab Abdel-Rahman, Provost of the American University in Cairo and Ebrahim K Ebrahim, CEO of Fintech Robos in the presence of deans and faculty from Business and Science colleges. Various domains The Behavioural Economics Decision-Making Lab (BEDMLab) at AUC and Fintech Robos embarked on a formal collaboration spanning various domains, aiming to synergise the strengths and expertise of both organisations to reach new heights and expanded footprint. BEDMLab specialises in quantitative research and behavioral economic analysis and interventions, while Fintech Robos brings considerable experience in digital solutions for savings and investments and regional connections within the savings and financial literacy ecosystem. Jointly, they will host workshops and conferences to raise awareness of behavioral insights and innovations within the personal savings and investment sector, covering Arabian Gulf and the broader Arab world. Another facet of this collaboration involves implementing and designing prototypes that incorporate behavioral insights into savings and investment products and services. Different needs The AUCs BEDMLab and Fintech Robos envision creating a collaborative environment that fosters innovation, research, and awareness at the intersection of behavioural sciences and fintech for savings and investments, tailored to the different characteristics and needs of Arab consumers, to make substantial contributions to the advancement of financial services influencing diverse sectors and business endeavours. This partnership with AUC is part of our wider ongoing efforts to advocate financial literacy and financial inclusion across the region. And with BEDMLabs applied behavioural economics insights, we hope to empower people to navigate the evolving landscape of savings, investments, and wealth management in Arab countries, said Ebrahim K Ebrahim, CEO of Fintech Robos.--TradeArabia News Service TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, February 29. President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev took part in the opening ceremony of a new bridge that will connect Khorezm region and Karakalpakstan, Trend reports. He arrived in Khorezm region today. The head of state started his visit to the region from Amudarya district of Karakalpakstan. To nate, the construction of the bridge was initiated by President Mirziyoyev in December 2020. The bridge has become an important infrastructure facility of great economic and social importance for the region. The President examined the bridge by traveling across it by train and car and held a meeting with representatives of the public. In his address, the head of state emphasized the importance of this facility for the development of the Aral Sea region, mitigation of the ecological crisis and creation of favorable conditions for the population. The new bridge, 423 meters long, will connect one of the most remote areas of the country and will replace the old pontoon bridge that existed since the 1950s. It will provide the closest road and rail access between Karakalpakstan and Khorezm. The project also included the construction of an 85-kilometer-long railway line and three railway stations. Thanks to the construction of the new bridge, the capacity of the road has quadrupled, and 12,000 vehicles can pass through it during the day. This will save two hours of time for 48,000 passengers and ensure a safe river crossing. The bridge has the capacity to pass up to 24 pairs of trains in both directions, which will reduce the railway distance by 180 kilometers and reduce the cargo delivery time to 6 hours. This contributes to doubling the annual volume of cargo transportation and halving the cost of transportation. New railroad routes to Kazakhstan and Russia will also be opened. Jammu, Feb 29 : The Jammu and Kashmir Police on Thursday rewarded Rs 3 lakh to a man who provided information about a Pakistani drone following which it was recovered by the security forces. The incident was reported on January 18 in Ramgarh sector in Samba, the police said. Senior Superintendent of Police, Samba, Vinay Kumar presented a cheque of Rs 3 lakh as a reward on behalf of ADGP Jammu Zone to the informer in a felicitation ceremony organised jointly by the Samba Police and the BSF. Pertinently, on January 18, the informer, a local resident of village Nandpur, noticed a suspicious object lying in his field near Border out Post (BoP), Chamliyal. On seeing a suspicious object (drone), the informer immediately rushed to the nearest BSF unit, and informed about a drone lying in his field. Acting swiftly on the information, the security forces recovered the Pakistani surveillance drone fitted with a camera from the field of the informer. New Delhi, Feb 29 : A 27-year-old woman was allegedly molested by a nursing staffer at the Delhi Cantonment Board Hospital, police said on Thursday. A police official said that a complaint was received from the woman who was admitted to the ICU of the hospital on Wednesday due to anaemia. "A nursing staff of the hospital on night duty touched her inappropriately, did inappropriate acts with her when she went to the the washroom at about 1.30 a.m. and locked her inside it," Deputy Commissioner of Police, Southwest, Rohit Meena. "The victim was counselled and a case under appropriate sections has been registered. Teams are conducting raids to nab the accused," he added. Bhopal, Feb 29 : In an initiative aimed at combating cervical cancer, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here will provide free vaccines for girls aged 9 to 14, an official said on Thursday. Executive Director of AIIMS (Bhopal) Dr. Ajai Singh said at a press conference that the medical facility has received 262 doses of cervical cancer prevention vaccines from Vishwanath Care Foundation. The girls between 9 and 14 years of age would have to visit AIIMS' OPD for registration. "These vaccines will be provided at free of cost to the girls of the 9 to 14 years age group. Since each beneficiary will be given two doses (one in six months) and we have only 262 doses, we will provide it to 161 girls. It would be the first time vaccines for cervical cancer would be provided free of cost in the country," Singh added. He further stated that cervical cancer affects approximately 13 lakh women in India annually, which claims the lives of around 80,000 individuals. "Currently, we do not have exact data for Madhya Pradesh, but the fact is that state has been bearing a particularly high burden of cases of cervical cancer," he said. He said that recognising the urgent need for preventive measures, AIIMS Bhopal has decided to spearhead its efforts to mitigate the impact of cervical cancer within the community. Singh also claimed that these vaccines, valued at approximately Rs 4,000 each, will be administered free of cost. "Administered in two doses over a span of 6 months, this vaccination regimen significantly reduces the risk of cervical cancer development in young girls. By making this preventive measure accessible to vulnerable populations, AIIMS Bhopal and Vishwanath Care Foundation are taking proactive steps to safeguard the health and well-being of future generations," Dr. Singh added. Imphal, Feb 29 : After a series of protests and demands since the ethnic violence broke out in Manipur on May 3, the state Assembly on Thursday unanimously resolved to urge the Central government to abrogate the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with all the Kuki-Zo militant outfits. Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, who also holds the Home portfolio, said on X: "The 12th Manipur Legislative Assembly on the 2nd day of its 5th session unanimously resolved to urge the Central Government to completely abrogate the SoO pact with all the Kuki-Zo militant groups. This is in the interest of ensuring peace and security in the region." A total of 25 militant outfits drawn from Kuki-Chin-dominated districts had inked the SoO pact with the Centre and the state government in 2008, when the Congress was in power in the state. Manipur witnessed a series of protests demanding abrogation of the SoO with the militant groups. Several organisations, mostly belonging to the Meitei community, including civil bodies and women's vigilante groups, had sent several memoranda to both the Central and state governments raising the urgent necessity to abrogate the SoO between the Centre and the Kuki-Zo militant groups to reinstate normalcy in Manipur. The organisations have claimed violations of SoO provisions by Kuki-Zo militant groups since the ethnic violence broke out in the state on May 3 last year. It is claimed that the establishment of a 'Golden Triangle' in Manipur and the influx of Chin-Kuki-Zo immigrants from Myanmar is causing demographic changes, besides setting up unauthorised Kuki villages. It is also alleged that foreign Chin-Kuki-Zo militant groups are supporting their counterparts in Manipur, posing a threat to India's internal security. The Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), a prominent civil society body in the state, had also submitted a representation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week to annul the SoO pact with the Kuki militants. The validity of the ceasefire deal, which has been extended periodically, expires on February 29. Hyderabad, Feb 29 : Actor-politician and member of National Commission for Women (NCW), Khushbu Sundar, on Thursday slammed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for not coming to the rescue of women of Sandeshkhali, who were allegedly subjected to exploitation by leaders of her party. The BJP leader said despite being a woman, Mamata Banerjee was 'deaf and dumb' to the sufferings of the women of Sandeshkhali. Khushbu was addressing a public meeting as part of BJP's Vijay Sankalp yatra in Hyderabad. She alleged that there is rampant corruption in states ruled by Congress and other non-BJP parties. She said these state governments were also not implementing the welfare schemes of the BJP-led government at the Centre. Stating that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been working for the sake of the country and its people for the last 10 years, she exuded confidence that he will become the Prime Minister for a third time and the BJP-led NDA will cross the 400 seats mark in Lok Sabha. The BJP leader said PM Narendra Modi worked hard for the real empowerment of women and appealed to the women to strengthen his hands by making him Prime Minister for another term. She said that the country is witnessing women-led empowerment. She stated that the country has made tremendous progress during the last 10 years and that PM Modi is leading India on the path to become a developed nation. "Ten years ago, we were at rock-bottom. There was rampant corruption, poverty and unemployment," she said. She said that the entire world was watching India which has become one of the top five economies. Khushbu Sundar said while Congress and other parties work for their families, the BJP works for the entire country. She mentioned that when Congress was in power, every scheme and place was named after Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. "There was only one family politics but today the BJP government is working for the progress of all people," she said. Patna, March 1 : A Chinese national was arrested from near the India-Nepal border at Raxaul in Bihar's East Champaran district on Thursday. The arrested person has been identified as Feng Genshan (57), a native of Henan province in China. Genshan was apprehended by the immigration and SSB officials while he was trying to enter Bihar. "We have arrested a Chinese national from the Raxaul border. As he does not know English, we are facing problems questioning him. The central agencies are also questioning him. His motive for entering India is not ascertained yet," said Dhirendra Kumar, DSP of Raxaul range. During checking, it was found that Genshan was not carrying a valid visa. The officials found a soft copy of passport issued by the Chinese government in his mobile phone, but there was no valid visa issued by the Indian authorities with him. A soft copy of a tourist VISA issued by the Nepal government was found in his mobile phone. He had come to Nepal on January 23 this year. According to an official, the Chinese national came to Birgunj by bus and was roaming around in the market on Wednesday. Chennai, March 1 : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Thursday questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's statement that his government was obstructing Central government schemes in the state, asking him to list examples. "Are we blocking them from opening the AIIMS hospital (in Madurai)?" Stalin said in a letter to his cadres and leaders and leaders of his DMK on the eve of his birthday (March 1) The DMK chief said that his party had opposed the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) as it was "crushing the dreams of medical education of the poor", and asserted that his party would oppose the National Education Policy 2020. He said that his party had opposed the three farm laws which were since reversed, and also opposed the Citizenship Amendment Act as it went against minorities and Sri Lankan Tamils. Stalin criticised the Prime Minister's claim in his speech here to crush and destroy the DMK, noting that the history of Tamil Nadu revealed as to what happened to those who tried to do this. The DMK chief also said that he would not say the same for the BJP as in a democratic set-up, the BJP would continue to remain. He quipped that the BJP could be a good opposition party after the 2024 elections as it had "failed" as a ruling party. He claimed that even though PM Modi was visiting the state repeatedly, the BJP knew it would not win, and called upon his party cadre to work to ensure a change in the Union government, by removing the BJP from power. New Delhi, March 1 : A man, wanted for attempted murder of two Delhi Police officers, was nabbed from an underground hideout in his house in the Shahdara area, police said on Thursday. The accused was identified as Vimal Kumar, a resident of Jwala Nagar, Shahdara and an active 'Bad Character' of Vivek Vihar police station and involved in 23 criminal cases. A police official said that on June 29, 2023, specific input was received regarding the presence of externee, Vimal Kumar, at his house in Vivek Vihar and intelligence also came in regard to his selling illicit liquor. "Vimal Kumar was a notorious bootlegger, who had been externed from the territory of Delhi due to his regular involvement in Excise Act offences," Deputy Commissioner of Police, Shahdara, Surendra Chaudhary, said. Acting on the input, a police team went to the house of the accused to ascertain the facts and to nab the externee. "Reaching the spot, the police team enquired about Vimal Kumar but instead of co-operating with the police officials, his family members attacked the police team and the accused, along with his family members, beat up the police personnel," the DCP said. Two police personnel had sustained serious injuries and a case under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, including attempt to murder, was registered. Vimal Kumar was since absconding but on Wednesday, he was nabbed from the underground hideout on the ground floor of his house and accessed through the cupboard in the room. On interrogation, he disclosed that he came to his house to meet his family. QSix has appointed Christian Daumann as Chief Executive Officer of its German operations with effect from 1 March 2024. Christian will succeed Jorg Schwagenscheidt, who has been CEO since 2015. Joerg will remain a partner of the group, focussing on QSix Germany's strategic initiatives and leveraging his extensive experience, industry [] London-based independent publisher Oneworld was founded in 1986 by wife-and-husband team Juliet Mabey and Novin Doostdar. Their initial focus was nonfictionthey wanted to get academics to write for a general audience. In the 1980s, that was very uncommon, Mabey explains. Now there are agents in both the U.K. and the U.S. who specialize in signing academics. But in the 1980s, writing in an accessible way for a general audience was not something that academics were being approached to do. Then in 2009, Oneworld branched out into fiction. The first novel that Mabey signed was A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James, which went on to win the Booker Prize in 2015. The following year, Oneworld author Paul Beatty won with The Sellout. Then in 2023, Irish author Paul Lynch won the Booker for Prophet Song. It didnt change the shape or the quality of our fiction list, Mabey says. Were still looking for the same unusual, interesting novels that offer readers insight into an area of the world or an issue or a time in history that theyre not familiar with. It hasnt changed what were looking for, but it probably has increased the number of submissions we have to wade through to find them. Oneworld is very much capable of dealing with Booker success. Weve honed our in-house skills in terms of how we promote and sell bestselling books, Mabey says. For a much smaller publisher, winning the Booker would be a challenge to their systems. But Oneworld can scale up easily. Weve reprinted Prophet Song about five times already since the end of November. Oneworld considers itself a global publisher. Publishing internationally has always been important to us, Mabey says. Thats partly where the name of the company comes from. We try to bring stories in from all over the world. In the U.S., Oneworlds books are distributed via Simon & Schuster. It also has a publicity team in the U.S., which Mabey calls absolutely essential. It is more common for Oneworld to hold North American rights in nonfiction than fiction. Doostdar, who runs the nonfiction lists, says, Weve always had a lot of U.S.-based nonfiction authors. Right from the start, it has been an important part of our publishing. Doostdar travels to the Middle East Studies Association Conference and the American Academy of Religion Annual Meeting in North America every fall. He and Mabey also attended the American Library Association conference and Winter Institute last year. Oneworld maintains strong relationships with the U.S. publishers of its titles, such as Grove Atlantic and Algonquin Books. Mabey says that with fiction, we co-edit. She adds, Sometimes we separately send edits to the authors, and sometimes we collate them. With nonfiction, its more likely that there will be changes. Its about making text accessible to your readership. Alongside its literary fiction, Oneworld is expanding into book club fiction with Magpie, a new imprint. We decided it was time to provide a home for high-quality reading group novels from around the world, Mabey says. Its list so far includes The Moon Represents My Heart by Thai-Chinese author Pim Wangtechawat, a time travel story about love and family, and Someday, Maybe by Nigerian-British author Onyi Nwabineli, a witty novel about grief. Fiction can be a very powerful, positive social force, Mabey notes. Novels invite readers into worlds beyond their experience. We like to publish books that are worthy and that have something to say. Fiction can be a very powerful, positive social force One of her favorite moments last year was when Narges Mohammadi, an Iranian journalist who is imprisoned for her human rights activism, won the Nobel Peace Prize. Mohammadis anthology of interviews with imprisoned Iranian women, White Torture, is published by Oneworld. Weve sold 13 language rights since then, Maybe says. The point of having a publishing company is that you can use it for good, to make a difference. If we were just publishing genre fiction, we might as well be doing property development. Lucy Nathan is a writer based in London. Return to the main feature. TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, February 29. Uzbekistan-Turkmenistan free trade zone will be established in Shovot district of Uzbekistan's Khorezm region upon the decree signed by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev "On creation of Uzbekistan-Turkmenistan free trade zone", Trend reports. According to the decree, the Uzbekistan - Turkmenistan free trade zone is created to organize infrastructure for storage, sorting, marketing, transportation of goods and other modern services. Services on reception, storage and sorting of products, as well as created various services such as customs, tax, certification, phytosanitary, veterinary, banking, currency exchange, medical, and others will be provided within the trade zone. The sale of goods produced exclusively in Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan will be organized. The zone will have a "free customs zone" customs regime, in which retail trade operations are allowed. Citizens of foreign countries and persons without citizenship staying on the territory of Uzbekistan will pass through a separate checkpoint. Free movement of persons, vehicles and cargo within the zone is envisaged. Buildings and structures in the zone will be provided to business entities on the basis of online auctions. Meanwhile, trade turnover volume between Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan amounted to $59.8 million in January 2024. Exports reached to $5.2 million, while imports - $54.6 million. WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. Purdue University is stepping up to a new level of research and education innovation that will cross disciplines, link campus expertise and empower future engineers and entrepreneurs with the launch of the newest Purdue Engineering Initiative, Leading Energy-Transition Advances and Pathways to Sustainability (LEAPS). The initiative will focus on those topics that are especially relevant to Indiana and the Midwest in particular. With one of the nations highest concentrations of manufacturing jobs per capita and over $40 billion in exports of manufactured goods, according to the National Association of Manufacturing, Indiana must fill the rapidly growing demand for power, products and processes that are consonant with the energy transition in order to retain and attract Hoosier-grown businesses. Similarly, Indiana and the Midwest will play a major role in the hydrogen economy, nuclear energy, renewables and energy grids all areas in which the LEAPS initiative will catalyze partnerships between Purdue, the state and industrial partners. Read more about the LEAPS initiative on the College of Engineering website. Media are encouraged to share, post and publish this content. Media contact: Kayla Albert, wiles5@purdue.edu TASHKENT, Uzbekistan, February 29. Israel has ratified Uzbekistan's application to join the World Trade Organization, Trend reports. According to the Uzbek Embassy in Israel, both sides signed the relevant documents. Deputy Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Jamshid Khodjaev and Minister of Economy of Israel Nir Barkat signed Israel's approval of Uzbekistan's application to join the WTO, the embassy of Uzbekistan in Israel said. Nir Barkat noted that strengthening economic cooperation between the two countries has great opportunities for Israeli companies. Uzbekistan was granted observer status in the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade in June 1994, and in 1998, a working negotiating group on accession to the WTO was established. In June 2022, the Uzbek side started negotiations with WTO member countries on the terms of accession to the organization. In order to join the WTO, Uzbekistan will need to obtain the consent of all member states of the organization. Property details: INVEST IN THE BEAUTIFUL GULF COAST TWO NICE LOTS IF YOU WANT TO INVEST IN REAL ESTATE THIS IS YOUR BEST OPPORTUNITY $75 PER MONTH = MAXIMUM LEVERAGETHERE ARE NO FINANCING CHARGES This property is close to both the Gulf of Mexico and Saint Louis Bay. It is just north of US 90 in Bay Saint Louis/Waveland, Mississippi. You are just 60 miles east of New Orleans and it is all interstate driving. This subdivision has people living in it and electricity is close by. The lots have many trees. This is an... Price: $ 36 Seller State of Residence: Illinois Property Address: 4063 Huron Street Type: 2 Lots Zip/Postal Code: 62062 Zoning: Residential City: Bay Saint Louis State/Province: Mississippi Location: 620**, Maryville, Illinois You will be redirected to eBay Nearby Mississippi Property details: PRESENTING Tortuga Club welcomes the morning sunrise and offers unparalleled ocean views. The resort has 2 pools: the Premier Pool and the Park Pool. The liveliest of the pools, the Premier Pool features a waterfall, a swim up cocktail bar, and afternoon pool games. The Park Pool offers a quieter setting with a retreat from the crows and lively activities. Property Data Sheet FREE FIRST USAGE IS FOR 2024 UsageEVEN YEARS USAGERTU Expires 12/31/2119OCEANFRONT VIEW in the WEALDSTONE BUILDINGWeekWee... Price: $ 1 Seller State of Residence: Florida Type: Beach/Ocean Number of Bedrooms: 1 Number of Bathrooms: 1 City: Grand Cayman State/Province: Florida Location: 331**, Miami, Florida You will be redirected to eBay Nearby Florida 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! The Oscars are almost here. Here's what to know and how to watch After a winter barrage of award shows the Emmys, the Golden Globes, the Grammys the grandaddy of them all, the Academy Awards, are around the corner BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 29. Ambassador at Large of the Armenian Foreign Ministry Edmon Marukyan has resigned, Trend reports. Marukyan wrote on his Facebook page that he resigned due to disagreements with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. "Recently, differences in our views on a number of fundamental foreign policy issues have made it impossible for me to continue to participate in the foreign policy front," he wrote. Meanwhile, it has been reported that Marukyan was working on a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The University of Georgias Executive Committee discussed updates regarding UGAs new medical school at the UGA Executive Committee council meeting on Wednesday. Jack Hu, senior vice president for academic affairs and provost, said that UGA is hoping for the school to be open by fall 2026, with 60 students accepted into the program. If the accreditation takes longer, Hu said that it will then be pushed to fall 2027. Growing up, Beau was an ice cream fanatic. He recalled that when he was in grade school, hed ask his parents to get him ice cream when they p Credit-to-deposit (CD) ratio of major public sector and private sector banks during the October-December quarter of FY24 inched up as compared to the previous quarter though government-owned lenders reported a lower rate than their private peers. CD ratio is the ratio of the funds that banks lend as compared to the funds raised in the form of deposits. The CD ratio of top public sector banks (PSBs) State Bank of India, Punjab National Bank, Bank of Baroda and Canara Bank was lower than their private counterparts. These include HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, IndusInd Bank and Axis Bank. Among the top four private banks, only Axis Bank reported a sequential decline in ratio. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) was not comfortable with high CD ratio as that would mean banks loan growth was not commensurate with deposit mobilisation. The regulator has not explicitly prescribed a particular ratio for banks. CD ratio of PSBs is lower due to their ability to garner more deposits and a relatively slower growth in lending, experts said. The loan growth of the public sector banks in the quarter ended December 31, 2023 was slower than private sector banks. According to estimates by Emkay Global Research, the loan growth of private sector banks in Q3 FY24 was 18.2 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) compared to 16.1 per cent growth in Q2 FY24. Whereas, PSBs saw 14.6 per cent growth in their loan book in Q3 FY24 against a growth of 14 per cent in Q2. The deposit growth of private sector lenders was 17.5 per cent Y-o-Y in the quarter under review versus 18.6 per cent in Q2 FY24. The deposit growth of PSBs was 10.9 per cent from the year-ago period in October-December of FY24 as opposed to 11 per cent in Q2 FY24. Deepak Jasani, head of retail research, HDFC Securities, said, CD ratio of PSU banks has traditionally been lower than private banks. "This is due to the ease with which public sector banks are able to garner deposits and lower dynamism in tapping different sources of lending. "PSBs have been slow in building up their personal/unsecured loan portfolio as well as the mortgage business, except a few. The quantum of loan growth for private sector lenders has been faster as compared to deposits. "This resulted in some banks resorting to alternative funds to finance their loan growth. This may lead to the banks aggressively chasing deposits, said Saurabh Bhalerao, associate director, CareEdge Ratings. In a recent report, CareEdge Ratings noted that CD ratio of the banking industry continued to be at a three-year high since September 2023. The CD ratio, in the fortnight ending January 26, 2024, was at 80 per cent. This growth is mainly driven by the HDFC merger. "If we exclude the merger impact, CD ratio for the current fortnight stood at 77.7 per cent compared to 75.3 per cent on January 27, 2023, the report added. The elevated CD ratios in the industry are also exerting pressure on net interest margins (NIMs) due to the liquidity and credit risks for the lenders. Going forward, analysts expect the CD ratios to start moderating in the second quarter of FY25 as the demand for credit starts to reduce. CD ratio can sustainably come down when the credit demand slows down (economy slows down), capital markets turn sideways or deposit rates rise. "We may see CD ratio falling in Q2FY25, Jasani added. Tata Electronics' Rs 91,000 crore semiconductor fab in Dholera, Gujarat, in partnership with PSMC, will generate over 20,000 direct and indirect skilled jobs in the region and construction of the mega unit is expected to begin this year, according to a statement on Thursday. IMAGE: Kindly note the image has been posted only for representational purposes. Photograph: Kind courtesy Jeremy Waterhouse/Pexels.com The planned unit - India's first commercial fab, marks Tata Electronics' entry into the global semiconductor industry. Tata Electronics said it is "proud to lead India's entry into global semiconductor fabrication". In a significant move towards creating an indigenous 'Make in India, For the World' semiconductor ecosystem in India, the government on Thursday approved Tata Electronics' proposal to build a semiconductor fabrication facility in Dholera, Gujarat in partnership with PSMC. "The fab construction will begin this year with a total investment of up to Rs 91,000 crore ($11 billion) and will generate over 20,000 direct and indirect skilled jobs in the region," Tatas said in a release. Tata Electronics, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tata Sons, has teamed up with Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (PSMC) to build India's first AI-enabled state-of-the-art Fab. The Fab will have manufacturing capacity of up to 50,000 wafers per month and will include next generation factory automation capabilities deploying data analytics and machine learning to achieve industry-best factory efficiency. The new semiconductor fab will manufacture chips for applications such as power management IC, display drivers, microcontrollers (MCU) and high-performance computing logic, addressing the growing demand in markets such as automotive, computing and data storage, wireless communication and artificial intelligence. Tata Sons chairman, N Chandrasekaran had announced Tata Group's decision to build a semiconductor fab in Dholera during the 20th Vibrant Gujarat Summit last month. Commenting on the planned semiconductor Fab, he said, Tata Group has a tradition of pioneering many sectors in the country, and we are confident that our entry in semiconductor fabrication will add to this legacy." By 2030, global semiconductor industry is expected to grow to $1 trillion and Indian semiconductor demand is expected to cross $110 billion. India's entry into semiconductor manufacturing will significantly de-risk global supply chains and will make India a very important player in the global semiconductor industry, Tatas said. "We are proud to lead India's entry into global semiconductor fabrication. "This will also accelerate our progress towards providing high-technology employment opportunities for the youth of India," it said. Randhir Thakur, CEO and MD, Tata Electronics, said the latest move marks the beginning of a new era for India. "Our partnership with PSMC provides access to a broad technology portfolio in leading edge and mature nodes including 28nm, 40nm, 55nm, 90nm and 110nm and also collaboration for high volume manufacturing," he said. Thakur exuded confidence that the upcoming fab will support our ambitions of Make in India, For the World and said "We will be able to serve our global customers' requirements for supply chain resilience and meet the growing domestic demand.." Taiwan's leading pure-play foundry company with capabilities across logic and memory technologies, PSMC, will provide access to leading-edge and mature technologies. Frank Hong, chairman, PSMC said: "Tata Group is one of the most established and well-respected names in India and globally... "Semiconductor industry presents a large and growing opportunity, and India is uniquely placed to capture this opportunity." "On one end India has a large and growing domestic demand and on the other end, global customers are looking at India for supply chain resilience. "There could not have been a better time for India to make its entry into the semiconductor manufacturing industry. "This partnership has the potential to redefine the contours of global semiconductor manufacturing and we are looking forward to collaboration with Tata Electronics," Hong added. This new initiative from Tata Electronics will bring to India a portfolio of cutting-edge semiconductor technologies, advanced skill set and talent, and a network of semiconductor manufacturing suppliers and ecosystem partners, resulting in the foundational development of the indigenous semiconductor ecosystem in India, the group said. "With this Fab, India for the first time will be able to address the growing chip demand of domestic and global customers across automotive, computing, communications, and artificial intelligence markets. Tata Group'smulti-fab vision for Dholera is projected to create over 100,000 skilled jobs and establish India as one of the key supply chain partners to the global semiconductor industry," it further said. In a move being billed as a "giant leap" for India's semiconductor mission, the government on Thursday approved three semiconductor unit proposals, two by Tatas and one by CG Power-Renesas, entailing a cumulative investment of Rs 1.26 lakh crore. India is wooing semiconductor players with a multi-billion dollar ($10 billion) incentive scheme, making a determined push to position itself as a powerhouse in global manufacturing. Sophisticated chips are part of everyday life, used in mobile phones to refrigerators and cars to high-tech industries, and so fostering local industry with carefully crafted schemes and incentives will link India to an ever-growing, thriving global chip market. 'He should not come to Kerala and fight against the CPI which is an integral part of the INDIA alliance' IMAGE: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi pays tribute to Pazhassi Raja at his tomb at Mananthavadi in Wayanad. Photograph: ANI Photo "Why is Rahul contesting the seat himself? We don't have any objection if a local or state level Congress leader contests because UDF has every right to field a candidate. [Congress leads the United Democratic Front alliance in Kerala.] "But Rahul Gandhi who is the champion of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra and is supposed to coordinate all the Opposition political forces should not be contesting from Wayanad," CPI Rajya Sabha member P Sandosh Kumar tells Rediff.com's Archana Masih. There is speculation about Rahul Gandhi contesting the 2024 Lok Sabha election from Wayanad. Now that CPI has announced Annie Raja's candidature, what is the CPI's view? Rahul Gandhi contesting from Wayanad will not be helpful for the INDIA movement in the country. This question was posed to the Congress, but we did not get a clear answer. It is a Congress seat no doubt, but the question is why is Rahul contesting the seat himself? We don't have any objection if a local or state level Congress leader contests because it is a tight UDF-LDF fight and the UDF has every right to field a candidate. [Congress leads the United Democratic Front in Kerala; the Communist Party of India leads the Left Democratic Front in the state.] But Rahul Gandhi who is the champion of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra and is supposed to coordinate all the Opposition political forces should not be contesting from Wayanad. Do you think Ms Annie Raja will be compelled to vacate the seat for Rahul Gandhi? No. The CPI has decided to field her because it is a seat for the CPI under the seat sharing adjustment with the LDF partners -- 15 to the CPI-M, 4 to the CPI and 1 to the Kerala Congress-Mani. The LDF has formally announced the candidature of all 20 candidates. In Kerala the fight is between the LDF and UDF, there is no point in vacating a seat for the UDF. Even if Rahul contests, he becomes a candidate of the UDF which is our Opposition front -- and why should we leave a seat for the Opposition? We will not withdraw the candidature. Do you expect Rahul to not contest from Wayanad? Rahul Gandhi should not come to Kerala and fight against the CPI because the CPI is an integral part of the INDIA alliance and has a good rapport and support with the Congress. So why should Rahul contest against the CPI and LDF in Kerala? This was our question to which the Congress has not given a proper reply. IMAGE: Bharatiya Janata Party Supremo Narendra Modi being felicitated by the BJP's Kerala president K Surendran in Thiruvananthapuram, February 27, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo Do you think Rahul should fight against a BJP candidate considering his yatra is raising issues against the BJP? Of course! The BJP is the enemy of the INDIA alliance and he should lead the fight. The BJP says it will win 4-5 seats in Kerala. This is manipulation. The prime minister is saying they will win 400 seats which is far from the truth. They have no real issues to bring to the people. The politicisation of the Ram Mandir where the prime minister became a priest is their only issue. Kerala will give an emphatic zero to the BJP. The prime minister has made several trips to Kerala and has held road shows. Won't that bring seats for the BJP in Kerala? He visited Karnataka 12 times and the BJP lost the election. Unfortunately, in our country, a section of the people believe in hard Hindutva and they have got a leader. Hindutva has no impact in Kerala. I am a Hindu; there are a majority of Hindus in all political parties and we understand the difference between political Hindutva and Hinduism. Political Hindutva is as detrimental as political Islam. We oppose both. IMAGE: CPI-M leader Pinarayi Vijayan leads the Left Democratic Front protest against the central government's alleged discrimination against Kerala at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, February 8, 2024. Photograph: Ayush Sharma/ANI Photo The RSS has the highest number of shakhas in Malabar and is making inroads into Kerala. Does that not open doors for the BJP? It may have the highest number of shakhas, but has the least number of gram panchayat members in Kerala. The RSS has been working since 1925 but hasn't made a difference in Kerala. Hindutva forces are trying to make inroads everywhere in India through multiple activities, but in Kerala we are sure of the BJP's defeat. It will not win a single seat. Doesn't the UDF-LDF confrontation in Kerala make a mockery of the INDIA alliance? Not at all. The mockery is how the Congress MPs, CMs, MLAs are leaving the party and joining the BJP before the election. This is the mockery faced by the INDIA alliance. The fight in Kerala between the UDF and LDF is not new, but we can uphold a national level government at the Centre and this fight is the best practical way to avoid the BJP in Kerala. IMAGE: Rahul Gandhi with Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav during the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Agra, February 25, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo While the Left is marginalised everywhere else in the country, do you think it will retain its hold in Kerala? After the introduction of the new economic policy in 1991, the poor, workers and downtrodden were sidelined and marginalised. The Left also got marginalised, but after the introduction of the Mandal Commission national parties lost their status -- the Congress lost Bihar, UP and South. Once a national political party loses its mass base, it is very difficult to regain it. It is not only the question of the Left, all political parties are facing the same issue and we are hopeful of coming back. So the CPI and CPI-M will be like regional entities like the Samajwadi Party in UP, the RJD in Bihar? We have cadres from Kanyakumari to Kashmir. We may not be a big force in electoral politics, but we are with the trade unions, student movements and others. The Left is a political ideology; it is a political force while the SP and RJD have a background of a particular caste and social equations. We have a different mission and significant presence in all parts of the country. IMAGE: Rahul Gandhi with family members of Ajeesh who was killed in a fatal elephant attack in Wayanad, February 18, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo Do you think the IUML [the Indian Union Muslim League, which is part of the UDF and has a strong presence in Wayanad] will support Ms Annie Raja in Wayanad? When we talk about practical politics, there are issues between the UDF partners, especially between the Muslim League and Congress, but I think they have settled the issue. There is no point in expecting vertical support from the Muslim League but we expect the support of the voters, whether they are from Muslim League or Congress or other parties. But we are not expecting the political support of any UDF partners. IMAGE: CPI MP P Sandosh Kumar IMAGE: CPI MP P Sandosh Kumar Will organisations like the Nair Service Society (NSS) and Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalanayogam (SNDP) support the BJP? Will this pose a challenge to the entrenched players in Kerala politics? These caste organisations cannot control Kerala politics like in north India. In Manipur the Arambai Tenggol convened a meeting where 37 MLAs including from the BJP and others were present including the chief minister, and a Union minister. One should realise the gravity of the situation when political leaders and parties are being controlled by ethnic and religious groups. This is also happening in many other parts of India and Manipur is the latest example. Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com 'The Congress government is on its way out in Himachal Pradesh.' IMAGE: Jairam Thakur, Leader of the Opposition in the Himachal Pradesh assembly, right, meets Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla in Shimla, February 29, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo On Thursday, February 29, 2024, Himachal Pradesh assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania disqualified six Congress MLAs for cross-voting in the Rajya Sabha poll and ensuring the defeat of party candidate Abhishek Manu Singhvi. Singhvi's defeat at the hands of BJP candidate Harsh Mahajan has put Sukhvinder Singh Sukku's 14-month-old government in danger. There is talk in political circles that the Congress is all set to lose the only state in North India where it is in power. So what prompted these Congress MLAs to vote against the party whip and opt for the BJP candidate? Syed Firdaus Ashraf/Rediff.com spoke to Davinder Kumar (Bhutto) on why he voted against Singhvi, and what the future holds for Sukku's government. Your party has disqualified you for cross voting in violation of the party whip in Himachal Pradesh. I don't think it matters because I voted in the interests of Himachal Pradesh state. I voted for a Himachali candidate (Harsh Mahajan) rather than voting for an outsider like Singhvi who was the Congress candidate. And by doing so, the whip of the party does not apply to me and my vote. The decision taken by the assembly over my disqualification is wrong. What will you do next considering that you have been disqualified as an MLA? My advocate has gone to court to appeal against this decision. The process will now follow in the court of law. We cannot support anything that is not in the interests of Himachal Pradesh. Are you implying the Congress should not have made Singhvi its candidate for the Rajya Sabha as he is not from Himachal Pradesh? Yes, Singhvi is an outsider. The party was wrong to impose him on us. We MLAs wanted someone from our state to win the Rajya Sabha seat. We have so many Himachalis who are educated in different fields. Couldn't the Congress find a single person from Himachal to make him its candidate? The party failed us. In Maharashtra, when Imran Pratapgarhi was nominated for the Rajya Sabha, there were protests from local Congressmen as he was from Uttar Pradesh. But no one there voted against his candidature, there was no cross voting. Why did you not follow the party high command like Maharashtra Congress MLAs did? There is a big difference between Maharashtra and Himachal Pradesh. Himachal is a small state compared to Maharashtra. The locals of Himachal want their own man to be sent to the Rajya Sabha. This is what even my constituency people wanted. Therefore, I voted for a Himachali rather than an outsider who was from my party. Didn't you feel that by cross voting, you were shaking the edifice of the Congress in Himachal which is the only state in North India where the party is in power? You just be patient. Wait for two days more and just check what will happen in the state. Are you indicating the Congress government is on its way out? Yes, the Congress government is on its way out in Himachal Pradesh. The people of Himachal have lost faith in the Congress party and the Sukhvinder Singh Sukku government. Why? The Sukku government is always complaining they do not have funds to work in the state. Shortage of funds has just become an excuse for the government to not do any work. The HP government is working only to appease and fulfill the needs of its coterie. Only yesterday, a minister like Vikramaditya Singh resigned and made his own list of complaints against the Sukku government. Vikramaditya was upset because the HP government did not install a statue of his late father Virbhadra Singh, who was a revered politician. He was a six-time chief minister. The late Virbhadraji is the man who made Himachal Pradesh famous across India. He made the state what it is today. We call him Raja Saheb and people worship him in the state. He is the man who brought me into the Congress party and it was due to his blessings that I was elected as a Congress MLA. I won from Kutlehar assembly seat, which was a record because for the last 32 years the Congress party never won this seat. I won because of Raja Saheb, but just see how the Sukku government treated him after his death. By not installing his statue, the Sukku government will pay for it. What other mistakes did Sukku commit, in your opinion? He cried all the time that there was no money to run government affairs. We had given a guarantee to voters in our manifesto that we will fulfill certain promises, which we did not do even after one year of our rule. The people of Himachal are angry with us. They are asking what happened to the poll promise of ours that we will pay Rs 1,500 per month to women. I was facing such embarrassing questions from the public. We were not fulfilling our promise. I told this to Sukku as well as to the Congress high command, but no attention was paid to my questions. The high command just ignored us and said we will do something on this, but nothing happened on the ground, as the women didn't get any money. But if the Modi government is not giving tax dues to Opposition ruled states, as Mamata Banerjee too says, how can Sukku give money when Himachal Pradesh lacks funds? There are many schemes from where the money comes to Himachal state. But what happens in Himachal is that Sukku just passes on that money to his constituency or his selected few favourite MLAs' constituencies. There are a total of 15 Congress MLAs who are against Sukku now. Just wait and see how the drama unfolds. BJP MLAs too have been suspended. How will the government fall when the Opposition does not have the numbers in the assembly? Everything will happen. The governor is sitting there, then you have the President of India too seeing what is going on in Himachal Pradesh. When the Congress won Himachal Pradesh it was a big victory because the people were unhappy with the BJP and threw them out. People did vote for the Congress with a lot of expectations. The youth of Himachal are upset because in the last 14 months of Congress rule, the government has not done anything for them. We are going to have parliamentary elections and there is not one thing that the Congress has to showcase to the people of Himachal as to why the people should vote for them. Unemployed youth are protesting on the streets. I raised this issue in the assembly too, but nothing happened. Don't you feel the people will always question your motives and allege that you benefited in monetary terms, therefore you cross voted against the party's whip? I have not benefited monetarily in any way to vote for the BJP candidate. I voted for a Himachali and not an outsider. I came to politics for social service and I will keep doing social service. I do not want any posts or money. I kept doing social service in the past and will do in the future too. 'How come the BJP won even in the Muslim belt? I am 100% sure that the BJP would not win in the Muslim belt.' IMAGE: EVMs being distributed on the eve of the Rajasthan assembly elections. Photograph: ANI Photo Though EVMs or Electronic Voting Machines were first used in 1982 in 50 booths in Kerala, it was in the 2004 parliamentary elections that they were used in a big way in an Indian election. According to the then Chief Election Commissioner T S Krishnamurthy, it was an excellent reform. But from then onwards, the losing parties questioned the credible working of the machine. If the Bharatiya Janata Party criticised it when election results went against the party, the Opposition parties, mainly the Congress, is a harsh critic of the machine now. But not just the political parties but civil society members have also started talking about the need to bring back paper ballots for the better functioning of the democracy. Dr Udit Raj, who represented the North West Delhi constituency in the Lok Sabha as a BJP MP between 2014 and 2019, is the convenor of the EVM Hatao Morcha, which has been organising protests against EVMs. Now a member of the Congress party -- he left the BJP in 2019 -- he was arrested along with Digvijay Singh during an anti-EVM protest. A day after the arrest, Udit Raj spoke to Rediff.com's Shobha Warrier on why he has been protesting against the use of EVMs. What made you start this protest against EVMs? It was after I came to know that the software used in the EVMs is not free from manipulation and that in many countries, the use of EVMs in elections was stopped because of this reason. Those countries are more advanced and educated than India. When the EVM was first introduced in this country, there was not much advancement in the digital arena. Today we know that it can be manipulated in many ways. This is not my opinion alone. That's why the Citizens' Commission on Elections was set up in 2020 to critically analyse whether the electoral process was conducted according to democratic principles. An expert committee under people like Justice Mohan Lokur, retired IAS officer M G Devasahayam, etc consulted the top technocrats of the country and the world, and came to the conclusion that EVMs are not tamper-proof, and not free from manipulation and hacking. The third reason is, I heard about a complaint lodged by a person in Chhattisgarh that in the booth where his entire family and he had voted, even those votes were not counted. Where did those votes disappear? There are many such examples. You said that it was because of EVM manipulation that the Congress lost the recent assembly elections. Yes, the EVMs were manipulated in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. Even the BJP members had said that they would not win these states, but when the results came, they won. How come the BJP won even in the Muslim belt? I am 100% sure that the BJP would not win in the Muslim belt. That's the reason why we decided to have a EVM Hatao Morcha to protest against the use of EVMs in elections. We feel it's high time we bring back paper ballots. IMAGE: Udit Raj, left, along with supporters is arrested by the Delhi police during an EVM Hatao Morcha protest, February 22, 2024. Photograph: Kind courtesy Udit Raj/X Do you feel paper ballots are important in a democracy? There are not many countries in the world that use EVMs. Even a country like Bangladesh has gone back to ballot papers. Why not India? The reason given by the Election Commission for continuing with EVMs was that ballot papers were very cumbersome, the elections become a lengthy process, etc. You just can't compare the cost of papers to the price we have to pay for democracy. Once when I interviewed the chief election commissioner about the doubts people have about the functioning of EVMs, he categorically said they could not be manipulated... Then, why was it that the BJP complained about EVMs in the Supreme Court when they were not in power? Do you feel it helps the party in power? It all depends on the morality of the ruling party. If the Congress had wanted, it could have remained in power forever. But they didn't. IMAGE: Digvijay Singh and others at the anti-EVM protest. Photograph: Kind courtesy Udit Raj The general belief is that Narendra Damodardas Modi will come back to power. I see south India not voting for Modi and there will be tension between the northern and southern part of India. When Karnataka gets just Rs 13 from every Rs 100 paid to the centre as tax, do you know how much UP gets? Rs 333! Data shows most of the taxes that come from the south is used in states like UP and for constructing temples, publicity for the ruling party, etc which the southern states feel as unfair. Then, the governors in the southern states are always on warpath with the state governments trying to impose their Hindutva agenda. After talking to many political leaders from the south, I have found that they are frustrated. If the BJP comes back to power, many things will happen in the country. They will scrap the Constitution; they will suppress Dalits and OBCs and Brahmins will control the system. This will result in chaos. IMAGE: Udit Raj speaks at the protest. Photograph: Kind courtesy Udit Raj With the construction of the Ram Mandir at Ayodhya, don't you feel the BJP has been able to consolidate all Hindus? See, the people of this country have this habit of stopping and praying with folded hands in front of even a tree if there is some colour or a picture of God on it. They live in an unreal world. They are not bothered about joblessness or hunger. You see protests and fights in the name of religion and caste, but nobody protests for price rise or unemployment. You see caste wars, you see tension between Hindus and Muslims, but you will not see people fighting for jobs. Has the Opposition lost hope in the coming elections? Have you conceded defeat? The Opposition has not lost any hope, but Indian media has created a narrative that the Opposition has already lost the elections. The entire media is with the BJP, and they talk as if Modi has already won the elections. You had a brief association with the BJP when your party merged with the BJP and you won the 2014 elections as a BJP MP. How was that period for you? I saw that the RSS laboratory is all the time involved in issues like Hindu-Muslim, Hindu-Christian, Hindu rituals, Ram Mandir, Hindu Rashtra, etc. They have no other agenda. It was frustrating for a person like me. That's why I joined the Congress. IMAGE: A view of the protest against EVMs. Photograph: Kind courtesy Udit Raj Does the Congress have any leader who can stand up to Narendra Modi? The Congress has an honest leader. The Congress follows democratic norms. The BJP is only interested in Hindutva and not the welfare of the people. When they were in the Opposition, they opposed EVMs, they were against Aadhar, they were against MSP. Now that they are in power, they are supporting all the things they were against earlier. More than the power of leadership, what is more effective for the BJP is the use of ED, CBI, etc. The BJP has been telling lies, and selling dreams all the time. They do not adhere to any morals. They are crushing people using bulldozers. But people have fallen for their false propaganda. Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com A special court in Rajasthan's Ajmer Thursday acquitted Abdul Karim Tunda in the 1993 serial train blasts case, with his lawyer saying the prosecution could not provide enough evidence to prove the charges. Two other accused -- Irfan and Hamiduddin -- were, however, sentenced to life imprisonment by Judge Mahaveer Prasad Gupta of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act court. The police had taken the three to the court from the Ajmer Central Jail. The 81-year-old Tunda, a close aide of wanted terrorist Dawood Ibrahim, was accused of carrying out blasts in five passenger trains in December 1993 to mark the first anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolitio. The TADA court had framed charges against Tunda, the main accused, and Irfan alias Pappu and Hamiduddin on September 30, 2021, over the blasts in passenger trains in Lucknow, Kanpur, Hyderabad, Surat and Mumbai on the intervening night of December 5-6, 1993. Two persons were killed and at least 22 injured in the explosions in Mumbai-New Delhi Rajdhani Express, New Delhi-Howrah Rajdhani Express, Howrah-New Delhi Rajdhani Express, Surat-Baroda Flying Queen Express and Hyderabad-New Delhi AP Express. "The court has acquitted Abdul Karim Tunda of all the charges framed against him. He is completely innocent. He has been acquitted of every section of every Act by the court. The prosecution could not provide enough evidence to prove the charges," his counsel Shafquatullah Sultani told reporters in Ajmer. He said probe agencies created a base that Tunda helped other accused in making bombs which they planted after being inspired by him. The defence presented facts before the court and there was no direct evidence against Tunda or confession statement against him, he said. Irfan and Hamiduddin were, however, sentenced to life imprisonment for planting the bombs, their counsel Abdul Rashid told reporters. "Hamiduddin and Irfan have been found guilty. They were convicted for planting bombs and have been sentenced to life imprisonment. They will appeal before the Supreme Court," Rashid said. He said that Hamiduddin has been in jail for the last 14 years and Irfan for the last 17 years. After being sentenced to life imprisonment, Hamiduddin told the waiting mediapersons outside the court, "I respect the judgement of the court. I will appeal the judgement in the Supreme Court." According to the court order, the prosecution had appealed for strict punishment to the accused for their involvement in criminal conspiracy and for terrorising the country. They planted bomb blasts in long route trains and made efforts to create hatred in various communities besides damaging railway property and peoples lives, the order said. The accused, on the other hand, appealed before the court to acquit them based on the term spent in jail during the investigation. However, the court observed that the activities of the accused were of serious nature and the court is neither capable of acquitting them of life imprisonment considering the jail term spent by them nor the crime committed by the accused deserve to be acted upon softly. Besides the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, the accused were also charged under the sections of the Indian Penal Code, Explosive Substances Act, Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act and the Indian Railways Act.. Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav is unlikely to appear before the CBI on Thursday for questioning in an illegal mining case registered five years ago in which he is a witness, party sources said. IMAGE: Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav. Photograph: ANI Photo The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister is scheduled to attend a meeting of PDA "Picchda (backward classes), Dalit and Alpsankhyak (minorities)" at the party office in Lucknow and has no plans to go anywhere till now, they said. In reply to a question, the Samajwadi Party's backward wing state president Rajpal Kashyap told PTI, "Akhileshji will attend a meeting of PDA at the party office today." "He is not going anywhere. He will be attending a meeting in Lucknow," Samajwadi Party spokesperson Rajendra Chowdhury said. About the CBI notice to Yadav, he said, "I don't have detailed information regarding this. But it is sure, he is not going to Delhi today." In a notice issued under section 160 of CrPC, the CBI has asked Yadav to appear before it on February 29, officials said. The section allows a police officer to summon witnesses in a probe. "He is not the accused. He is a witness," a senior official in the know of the development had told PTI. The cases in which Yadav is summoned pertain to the issuance of mining leases in alleged violation of the e-tendering process. The Allahabad High Court had ordered the probe. It is alleged that public servants allowed illegal mining during 2012-16, the period when Yadav was chief minister, and illegally renewed licences despite a ban on mining by the National Green Tribunal. Reacting to the notice in the cases registered in 2019, Yadav attacked the BJP, saying, "The SP is on the maximum target (of the BJP). In 2019, I got a notice in some matters as there were Lok Sabha elections then. Now, when the election is approaching again, I am getting a notice again." "I know, when the election comes, notice will also come. Why this nervousness? If you (BJP) have done a lot of work in the past 10 years, why are you nervous?" he posed. The Bharatiya Janata Party, which has consistently failed to win the Chhindwara Lok Sabha seat, the bastion of Congress veteran Kamal Nath in Madhya Pradesh, is making all out efforts this time to bag it, and set the target of inducting 50,000 workers from the rival party ahead of the polls as part of its ambitious plan. IMAGE: Congress leader Kamal Nath has been nine-time MP from Chhindwara. Photograph: MP Congress on X Kamal Nath held the Chhindwara Lok Sabha seat as many as nine times and it continues to remain with the family as his son Nakul Nath is currently an MP from there. Speculation was recently rife that the senior Nath may join the BJP along with his son. However, the 77-old-leader, who was the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh for 15 months till March 2020, dismissed the buzz. Chhindwara has always remained the citadel of Congress. From 1952, the party lost this Lok Sabha seat just once in the 1997 by-election. During the 2019 general elections, the BJP bagged 28 out of 29 in MP, but failed to win Chhindwara. According to BJP leaders, the party is eyeing to achieve its ambitious plan of inducting around 50,000 Congress leaders and workers into its fold in Chhindwara ahead of the Lok Sabha polls that are likely to be held in April-May. The saffron party said 50 Congress cadres came into its fold on Wednesday in Chhindwara. Speaking in Gwalior and Khajuraho last Sunday, Home Minister and BJP's chief strategist Amit Shah told the booth workers to work towards ensuring the party's win in all 29 Lok Sabha seats in MP. "Since February 1, a total of 5,000 Congress leaders and workers have joined BJP as they were unhappy with their party's decision to boycott the Ayodhya Ram temple consecration ceremony last month," BJP's Chhindwara district unit president Bunty Sahu told PTI on Thursday. "We have set the target of inducting 50,000 Congress workers before the elections and finishing off our rival party...Those who are unhappy with the Congress are joining our party," he added. "This time, we are going to win with a huge margin," he said as his party was reaching the voters at every nook and corner of Chhindwara to win them over before the polls. According to a senior leader, the state BJP leadership has asked its Chhindwara unit to woo and induct 50,000 Congress members, who are dissatisfied with their party. The BJP claimed that 1,500 Congress leaders joined them on February 21. Former MP Congress general secretary and liquor baron Ujjwal Singh Thakur aka Ajju also joined the ruling party. Welcoming them at that time, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav cryptically said in Chhindwara that many people are feeling anxious and they will eventually join the saffron party in the coming days. Congress's district president Vishwanath Okte, however, told PTI that his rival party was making false claims about his party leaders and workers joining them. According to him, only around 24 Congress leaders had joined the BJP since February 1. "Opportunists are leaving Congress and joining BJP. No true Congress soldier has switched over to the BJP here. Only selfish people and those with ill-gotten money are joining BJP," he alleged. Sensing the BJP game plan, Nath on Wednesday kicked off his public contact programme to drum up support for his son Nakul who in all likelihood is going to be Congress' nominee in Lok Sabha from Chhindwara. As part of his five-day tour, the former MP CM Nath is scheduled to visit all the 11 revenue blocks of Chhindwara to cobble up support for his son. On Wednesday, Nath told the party workers that he would not 'impose' himself on them and would 'leave' if they wanted him to. Addressing a meeting of the party workers at Harrai on his home turf Chhindwara, he said he had been receiving their love and trust for many years. "If you want to bid farewell to Kamal Nath, it's your choice. I am ready to leave. I don't want to impose myself. This is a matter of your choice," the former MP Chief Minister told the gathering. The senior Nath had already announced that Nakul will contest again from this seat. "In the 2019 elections, we lost the Chhindwara seat by just 34,953 votes. In 2014, we lost it by 1,16,537. The figure shows that we have reduced the margin of defeat considerably," a BJP leader said. "Though we lost all the seven assembly seats in Chhindwara last year, our vote gain per cent has jumped substantially. We are going stronger by the day, and are set to pull off victory in Chhindwara," a BJP functionary said. A story of tradition, preservation and mastery for all time The rise of mechanical watchmaking in Switzerland is not easily attributed to one specific cause. I used to remark (only half jokingly) that we primarily have bad weather to thank for Swiss watches. Were all familiar with the tale of how the harsh and isolating winters of the Vallee de Joux the cradle of complicated Swiss watchmaking obliged its inhabitants to turn to watchmaking during the colder months in order to eke out a living. Its less likely that watchmaking, a skilled metier simultaneously meticulous and repetitive, would have taken hold in a region with milder, pleasanter climes. Then, of course, some credit must go to Francis I, whose religious policy kickstarted the mass exodus of Huguenots from France and helped establish Switzerland as a safe haven for refugees of the Protestant faith. These refugees were predominantly tradesmen and craftsmen with high levels of education and training, for instance, watchmakers. One factor doesnt always get acknowledged, and while it may seem like a minor contributor to Switzerlands horological hegemony, I think its one of those tiny details that ends up becoming a huge deal. Weve already factored in the impact of the brutal winters characteristic of the Vallee de Joux but there is also the matter of its forests. Before watchmaking came to the region, the primary industries found in the Vallee de Joux were steelworks and the supporting enterprise of charcoal production, fueled by the abundant woodlands surrounding the area. Numerous histories of the Vallee de Joux emphasise the unyielding nature of the terrain, describing it as un sol ingrat or une terre ingrate. Rather than agriculture or animal husbandry, economic activity therefore centred on sophisticated crafts that were sustained by the metalworking trades and natural resources (iron ores and wood) available locally. There is a direct line of causality to be drawn between the production of high-quality steel and charcoal in the Vallee de Joux, the accumulation of expertise in metalworking, and the rapid adoption of watchmaking as a replacement activity after forestry protections enacted between 1709 and 1762 throttled the regions sawmills and iron foundries. This sequence of events centuries ago still resonates in 2024. We see its continued effects today in the existence of the grand houses of mechanical watchmaking and the vast spruce forest of Risoud, greatest survivor of the ecological ravages wrought by the charbonniers (charcoal producers). I know what youre thinking. Thanks for the history lesson, Suzanne, but what does this have to do with the watch pictured at the top of this page? My dear WorldTempus family, this little detour into the obscure annals of the 18th-century Jurassien economy has everything to do with the Blancpain Villeret Quantieme Perpetuel and its new verdant green dial. Villeret Quantieme Perpetuel Blancpain We dont have to go into what a perpetual calendar does. If youve made it this far into the article, youre probably not a watchmaking novice. Whats important here is that its a mechanical high complication, a metier supremely adapted to the Vallee de Joux, whose natives were described by historian Daniel Aubert as possessing a talent for precise and replicative handcraft that naturally lent itself to the finer aspects of watchmaking (la dexterite [] dans les gestes precis et repetes [] favorisant leclosion des talents horlogers). We must also remember that Blancpain was founded in 1735, making it the only brand currently situated in the Vallee de Joux (even though its birthplace, Villeret, is located in a different part of the Swiss Jura) that was in existence when the regions economic activity began inexorably to swerve towards the horological domain. The dial of the new Blancpain Villeret Quantieme Perpetuel is the same hue as the evergreen coniferous trees that have dominated the arboreal landscape since the large-scale deforestation of past centuries decimated hardwood tree growth. It is a green that symbolises the beginnings of horology in the Vallee de Joux, with an underlying message of protecting the things that are precious to us (traditional skills, the natural environment). Villeret Quantieme Perpetuel Blancpain An indication of the moon phase can be found at the 6 oclock position, reinforcing the link between Blancpains watchmaking expertise and its core values of preserving horological patrimony. Classical watchmaking was under existential threat after the introduction of the mass-produced quartz watch in 1969, balancing precariously on the edge of extinction like the woodlands of the Vallee de Joux a hundred years before. Author and historian Samuel Aubert (they all have the same family names over there) foreshadowed the grave peril and despair faced by the watch industry in his 1928 essay on the forests of his beloved home Plus un arbre debout ! Rien que les ruines, des pierrailles mises a nu par la pluie, le vent ou le gel. Quoi, limage de la plus absolue denudation ! In the face of this crisis, Blancpain became a standard bearer of mechanical watchmakings continued relevance and resurgence in the following decades, with the moon phase display closely identified with the brands mission during this time. What can we learn from all this? Like the waxing and waning moon, we may sometimes lose sight of whats important to us, but there are always those who will make it their lifes work to preserve the treasures of this world. And there may be any number of brands out there who can make a perpetual calendar with a green dial, but there is no one who can do it quite like Blancpain. The West Bengal CID on Thursday took over the investigation of cases lodged against Trinamool Congress leader Shajahan Sheikh, who was arrested from Minakah in North 24 Parganas district, a senior official said. IMAGE: TMC leader Shahjahan Sheikh being brought out of Basirhat Court by the West Bengal Police. Photograph: ANI on X "We will probe into the cases against him (Sheikh). He has been brought to Bhavani Bhavan (Bengal Police headquarters) for questioning," the official said. Sheikh, who was apprehended in the early hours of Thursday, was brought to Bhawani Bhawan from a local court in Basirhat, which sent him to 10 days police custody. He was arrested in two cases in connection with an assault on Enforcement Directorate (ED) officers on January 5 during a raid at his house in an alleged ration scam. He was booked under various sections of the IPC, including 147 (rioting) and 307 (attempt to murder), police said. In a befitting reply to Pakistan, India exercised its 'Right of Reply' in response to references to New Delhi stating that the nation that has institutionalised the systemic persecution of its minorities and has a truly abysmal human rights record has no right to comment on India. IMAGE: First Secretary Anupama Singh speaks at the High-Level Segment of the 55th Regular Session of the UN Human Rights Council. Photograph: ANI Exercising the 'Right of Reply' at the High-Level Segment of the 55th Regular Session of the UN Human Rights Council on Wednesday, First Secretary Anupama Singh said that regarding Pakistan's lengthy mentions of India, it is very regrettable that the Council's forum has once again been abused to propagate flagrantly false accusations about India. "The entire Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh is an integral and inalienable part of India, and the constitutional measures taken by the Government of India to ensure socio-economic development and good governance in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir are matters internal to India. Pakistan has no locus standi to pronounce on matters that are internal to India," she added. Terming Pakistan's human rights record as "truly abysmal," the First Secretary remarked by saying, "A country that has institutionalised the systemic persecution of its own minorities and has a truly abysmal human rights record, commenting on India, which is demonstrably making great strides in achieving economic progress and social justice, is not merely ironical but perverse." "A glaring example was the large scale brutality perpetrated against the minority Christian community in Jaranwala city, Pakistan in August 2023, when 19 churches were gutted and 89 Christian houses burnt down. A country that hosts and even celebrates UNSC-sanctioned terrorists, commenting on India whose pluralistic ethos and democratic credentials are exemplars for the world, is a contrast for everyone to see," she added. Singh also said that the Pakistan government has failed to serve the actual interests of its citizens, and added that Pakistan sponsors terrorism around the world. "We cannot pay any further attention to a country that speaks while being soaked in the red of the bloodshed from the terrorism it sponsors around the world; the red of its debt-riddled national balance sheets; and the red of the shame its own people feel for their government having failed to serve their actual interests," she concluded. The 55th Regular Session of the UN Human Rights Council is taking place from February 26-April 5. India had in August last year said that an environment free of terror and hostilities was imperative for normal ties with Pakistan. IMAGE: Women voters show their ink-marked fingers after casting their votes in the Rajasthan assembly elections at a polling station,in Bharatpur. Photograph: ANI Photo A high-level committee, led by former President Ram Nath Kovind, is currently at work to submit its report on the feasibility 'One Nation One Election' proposal to the Union government. The report is likely to recommend that India adopt the German model of 'constructive no-confidence' which stipulates that the unseating of a government must be immediately followed by the formation of a new one, which will serve out the remainder of the legislative term. The report is also expected to highlight the potential economic benefits of simultaneous elections, which could act as a multiplier for GDP. The high-level committee, according to sources, has studied the German model in depth. If the committee's recommendations are accepted, the only requirement would be to amend Rule 198 in the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Lok Sabha. Both a parliamentary standing committee in December 2015 and a Law Commission report on electoral reforms in 1999 have noted that the Speaker of the Lok Sabha has the power to make this amendment. Such an amendment would ensure that, if a government were to fall after a no-confidence motion, a successive government would be formed to serve the remaining life of the Lok Sabha or the legislative assembly. In its report on the feasibility of holding simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, presented to Parliament in December 2015, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Law and Justice suggested that India should consider Germany's 'constructive no-confidence' model to ensure political stability. Article 67 of the Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany outlines the specifics of the 'constructive vote of no-confidence'. It states that the 'Bundestag may express its lack of confidence in the Federal Chancellor only by electing a successor with the majority of its Members and requesting the Federal President to dismiss the incumbent. 'The Federal President must comply with the request and appoint the person elected. Forty-eight hours must elapse between the motion and the vote'. The Law Commission of India, in its 170th Report on Reform of Electoral Laws (1999), also proposed that there should be simultaneous motions of no-confidence in the incumbent government and confidence in an alternative government. The commission recommended the insertion of Rule 198-A, which would stipulate that once a no-confidence motion is taken up for discussion and voted upon, 'no fresh motion expressing want of confidence' in the government shall be permitted to be made for a period of two years. Further, a no-confidence motion will not be allowed 'unless it is accompanied by a motion expressing confidence in a named individual'. The Law Commission report stated that both motions should be considered and discussed simultaneously and voted upon. Each member of the House would have two votes. It also stated that a no-confidence motion, even if passed by a majority, would remain ineffective unless a majority passes the motion expressing confidence in a named individual. The Law Commission recommended that speakers of legislative assemblies make similar amendments to the respective rules of procedure governing the proceedings in their assemblies. In their presentations to the high-level committee, industry chambers CII and FICCI argued that simultaneous elections would improve the ease of doing business. The CII highlighted production losses due to holidays on election days and suggested two models: Single-stage simultaneous elections every five years, or two-stage elections where half the state elections are held with the Lok Sabha polls and the rest 2.5 years later. They argued that this could lead to a saving of Rs 12,000 crore (Rs 120 billion). Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com Priyanka Gandhi Vadra played a "pivotal" role in protecting people's mandate in Himachal Pradesh, remaining in constant touch with Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu and senior leaders to "foil" the Bharatiya Janata Party's 'operation Lotus', sources said Thursday. IMAGE: Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu meets with party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, in New Delhi, February 27, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo This came after the Congress asserted that the situation in Himachal Pradesh is "completely under control" of the party and the BJP has "failed" in its attempts to "destabilise the elected government" there. "The way Congress MLAs rebelled in Himachal Pradesh during the Rajya Sabha elections, it seemed that another state would be lost from the hands of the Congress. But the high command of the party showed activeness and strictness, as it not only averted the crisis of rebellion but the government was also saved," a party source said. The sources alleged that the BJP had "hatched a complete conspiracy" to topple the government in Himachal Pradesh but as soon as there was a hint of rebellion, the high command became active. "Party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi immediately became active and took the lead herself along with senior party leaders. Senior leaders Bhupinder Singh Hooda, DK Shivakumar and Bhupesh Baghel were sent as observers and given strict instructions that they had to take everyone along," the source said. They also conveyed the stern message that anyone rebelling or working against the party will not be tolerated. The sources said that Priyanka Gandhi remained in constant touch with the party president, the chief minister, ministers and all important leaders, and did not allow any laxity. "This deflated the BJP's Operation Lotus. On the other hand, in this entire episode, the image of Himachal Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu was strengthened," the source said. Priyanka Gandhi was the face of the Congress' campaign in the Himachal Pradesh assembly elections in 2022. She has earlier also played the role of a "trouble-shooter" for the Congress. Himachal Pradesh assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania on Thursday disqualified six Congress MLAs who had cross-voted in the recent Rajya Sabha polls for the lone seat in the state. They had also abstained from voting on the Budget in the assembly, defying a party whip to vote in favour of the government on the Finance Bill. This was stated to be the reason for their disqualification. Amid the crisis, Sukhu held a breakfast meeting with party MLAs at his official residence, in an apparent show of unity. In the 68-member Himachal Pradesh assembly, the Congress has 40 MLAs while the BJP has 25 legislators. The remaining three seats are held by independents. A bill that sought to collect funds from temples with over Rs 10 lakh annual income, which was defeated by the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party-Janata Dal-Secular combine in the legislative council last week, was taken up for reconsideration and passed by both houses of the legislature on Thursday. IMAGE: Leader of Opposition in Karnataka assembly R Ashoka and BJP MLAs stage a protest against the state government over an alleged video of pro-Pakistan slogans by the supporters of Congress MP Syed Naseer Hussain during the state assembly Session, at Vidhana Soudha, in Bengaluru, February 29, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo The Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments (Amendment) Bill, 2024, will now be sent to the governor for his assent, following which it will become law. The bill was defeated by a voice vote on February 23 in the upper house, where the Opposition has a majority, after it was passed by the assembly on February 21. After the bill was reconsidered and passed by the legislative assembly once again on Thursday, it was sent to the legislative council, where too it got passed, a senior official from the lower house said. The council passed the bill it had rejected last week amidst a din, as Opposition BJP and JD-S members protested in the house against the government over the alleged pro-Pakistan slogans chanted in the assembly. Piloting the bill in the assembly on Thursday, Muzrai minister Ramalinga Reddy said: "The bill was passed by the assembly earlier, but was defeated in the council. I request the assembly to once again pass the bill." Speaker UT Khader then put the bill for vote and it was passed by a voice vote. 'Muzrai' refers to grants made by the government for religious and charitable purposes as well as the upkeep of religious and charitable institutions, according to the Karnataka government Gazetteer. The department of Religious and Charitable Endowments is, hence, popularly known as the Muzrai department. It administers about 35,000 Hindu religious institutions which receive grants from the government of Karnataka The Opposition BJP and the JD-S were not present in the assembly when the bill was passed on Thursday, as they had staged a walkout earlier in the day, demanding the Congress government's resignation for its "inaction" in nabbing the culprits who allegedly shouted the 'Pakistan zindabad' slogans after Congress member Syed Naseer Hussain was declared elected to the Rajya Sabha. The Muzrai department's amendment bill had created a huge controversy, as it angered the opposition, especially the BJP, which claimed that the Congress government was trying to fill its "empty coffers" with temple money. The Congress then sought to turn the tables on the saffron party, pointing out that it had effected an amendment in 2011 to seek funds from high-income Hindu shrines. The bill among other things, proposes to collect five percent from temples whose gross income is between Rs 10 lakh and less than Rs 1 crore, and 10 percent from temples whose income is above Rs 1 crore, to be put into a Common Pool Fund, administered by 'Rajya Dharmika Parishath'. The Common Poll Fund is proposed to be used for the welfare of archakas (priests) and the upkeep of 'C' category temples (state controlled) whose annual income is less than Rs five lakh. The act that was earlier amended in 2011 had made way for five percent of the net income of temples with annual income between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 10 lakh, and 10 percent of the net income of temples with annual income of over Rs 10 lakh to come into the fund. The Centre has asked states and Union Territories not to segregate prisoners on the basis of their caste and religion and to stop assigning duties like managing prison kitchens according to the discriminatory approach. Image used for representational purpose only. Photograph: ANI Photo In a communication, the ministry of home affairs said the jail manuals of some states provide for segregation of prisoners based on their caste and religion and they are being assigned duties in the prisons accordingly. "It may be noted that the Constitution of India prohibits any kind of discrimination on the grounds of religion, race, caste, or place of birth. The Model Prison Manual, 2016 prepared by the ministry of home affairs and circulated to all states and UTs in May 2016 explicitly prohibits caste and religion-based discrimination of prisoners in the management of kitchen or cooking of food on caste or religious basis," the communication said. "The manual also provides that any special treatment to a group of prisoners belonging to a particular caste or religion is strictly prohibited," it added. The MHA said the prison manual also provides that no classification of prisoners shall be allowed on grounds of socio-economic status, caste or class. All states and Union Territories are requested to take note of the above and ensure that their prison manual or prison act should not contain such discriminatory provisions, it said. The MHA said in case any such provision exists, immediate steps must be taken to amend or remove the discriminatory provision from the manual or the act. It is reiterated that there should be no caste-based assignment of duties or work in the prisons, it said. The MHA said it has been the constant endeavour of the central government to reach out to the prison authorities of the country and provide them assistance in the form of financial aid for technology-driven projects as well as sharing contemporary best practices and guidelines on varied aspects of efficient prison administration from time to time. As part of this exercise, the MHA said, the medical care of prisoners is one of the significant concerns of prison management. The MHA said it has been advising the states and Union Territories from time to time to ensure that due importance is given to the physical and mental well-being of prisoners. To maintain uniformity in the process of medical check-ups of prisoners, the Model Prison Manual 2016 provides for the procedure to be followed by the states and Union Territories. The MHA said health check-ups of prisoners especially those who are old and specially-abled should be conducted regularly. Special health check-ups of women prisoners and transgender prisoners should also be conducted besides periodic check-ups or screening of inmates for their mental well-being, it said. The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to hear in March a plea seeking direction to the government to release Rohingya refugees who have been 'illegally and arbitrarily' detained in jails and detention centres across the country. IMAGE: Rohingya people dismantle their makeshift houses after Railway Authorities served a notice to vacate their land, in Jammu on April 22, 2022. Photograph: ANI Photo A bench of Justice B R Gavai and Justice Sandeep Mehta agreed to list the plea after advocate Prashant Bhushan mentioned the matter, saying the case has not been posted for hearing. Bhushan submitted that despite the issuance of notice to the Centre, the Union of India has not filed its reply till date. He told the top court that the matter needs an urgent hearing as many Rohingya refugees have been languishing in different parts of the country. The apex court said it will post the matter in March. The top court on October 10 last year issued notice to the Centre and sought its response within four weeks. Bhushan, appearing for petitioner Priyali Sur, had submitted that many Rohingya refugees have been detained in facilities across the country and sought their release to protect their right to life and equality before the law under Article 21 and Article 14 of the Constitution. Sur's plea said the Rohingyas are an ethnic minority from the Rakhine state in Myanmar and they have been described by the United Nations as the world's most persecuted ethnic minority. 'They have a history of statelessness since 1980, primarily as a consequence of the 1982 Citizenship Law enacted in Mynamar, which effectively stripped them of their citizenship,' it said. The plea said that Rohingya refugees have fled to neighbouring countries, including India, to escape persecution that has been dubbed by the United Nations and the International Court of Justice as genocide and crime against humanity. It said despite this background of persecution and discrimination, Rohingya refugees in India are officially labelled as "illegal immigrants" and face inhumane treatment and restrictions. 'These include arbitrary arrests and unlawful detentions, limits on freedom of movement outside camps, limited access to education, limited or no access to basic healthcare and legal services or any formal employment opportunities,' the plea said. Hundreds of Rohingya refugees, including pregnant women and minors, have been detained unlawfully and indefinitely in jails and detention centres across India, despite the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) recognising their status as refugees, it added. The plea sought direction to the Centre to release the Rohingyas who have been detained illegally and arbitrarily in jails and detention centres or juvenile homes, either without assigning a reason or for violation of the provisions of the Foreigners Act. It also sought direction to the government to refrain from arbitrarily detaining any Rohingya, accusing them of being illegal immigrants or under the Foreigners Act. The two sons of slain Indian National Lok Dal leader Nafe Singh Rathee allegedly received threatening calls from an unknown number on Thursday, asking them not to speak to the media about the murder. IMAGE: Slain Haryana INLD unit president Nafe Singh Rathee. Photograph: Courtesy X A probe has been launched into the matter, the police said. Nafe Singh Rathee, the president of Indian National Lok Dal's Haryana unit, was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Jhajjar's Bahadurgarh on Sunday. The deceased leader's nephew, Kapoor Singh Rathee, said that his uncle's elder son Bhupinder and younger son Jatinder have received 18 threat calls from an unknown number. "The caller also sent us a picture of a weapon which he claimed that he will use to eliminate the family if we do not stop talking to the media," Kapoor Singh Rathee said over the phone from Bahadurgarh. Bhupinder's wife is a councillor while Jatinder is also a councillor in Bahadurgarh, Kapoor Singh Rathee said. Earlier on Thursday, Jhajjar police said they were verifying a post on social media, purportedly by UK-based gangster Kapil Sangwan, claiming responsibility for the killing of Nafe Singh Rathee. Rathee and INLD worker Jai Kishan were killed when unidentified assailants sprayed their vehicle with bullets. The attack, which came ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, drew sharp reactions from the opposition parties in the Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled state. The Jhajjar police said they are verifying the social media post, purportedly by Sangwan, claiming responsibility for the killing. The post also claimed that Rathee had a close friendship with Sangwan's rival gangster. "We are verifying the post and claims made therein," a Jhajjar police official said, adding that so far 15 people have been booked in the murder case. However, Kapoor Singh Rathee dismissed any gang rivalry angle behind the two murders when asked to comment on the social media post purportedly by Sangwan. "Rathee sahab had never received any threat from any gang, nor did he have any enmity with any gang or gangster. I think it is a tactic that the accused may be playing to mislead the investigators. "If one would have noticed the Facebook account was activated barely a couple of hours before the post was uploaded. Hours later, when the post went viral the account was closed," he said. The police have named former BJP MLA Naresh Kaushik and others in the FIR registered on Monday. It also mentioned five unnamed accused. The case was registered under various Indian Penal Code sections, including 302 (murder), and the Arms Act. In his police complaint, Nafe Singh Rathee's nephew Rakesh said five unidentified killers, who were following them in a car, came out and fired indiscriminately near the Barahi railway crossing. Haryana home minister Anil Vij on Monday said the probe into the killing of the INLD's state unit chief will be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation. Senior INLD leader Abhay Singh Chautala has accused the BJP-JJP government of failing to provide security to Rathee, despite there being a threat to his life. The mortal remains of farmer Shubhkaran Singh, who died during clashes between the protesting farmers and the Haryana security personnel, were consigned to flames at his native place in Punjab's Bathinda district on Thursday. IMAGE: Farmers carry the mortal remains of slain farmer Shubhkaran Singh from the Mortuary of Government Rajindra Hospital for cremation, in Patiala, February 29, 2024. Photograph: ANI Photo Shubhkaran (21), was killed and 12 police personnel were injured in clashes at Khanauri border point on the Punjab-Haryana border on February 21. The incident took place when some protesting farmers were trying to head towards the barricades. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha are spearheading the 'Delhi Chalo' march to press the government to accept their demands, including a legal guarantee of minimum support price for crops and a farm loan waiver. Farmers paid their last respects to Shubhkaran whose body was taken from Rajindra Medical hospital in Patiala to the Khanauri border. The farmers also marched along the ambulance and demanded action against those who are responsible for his death. The farmers laid flags of farmer outfits on his body in order to pay tributes to him. Later his body was taken to his village Balloh in Bathinda for his last rites. Meanwhile, farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said the agitation over their various demands continues. "The agitation is continuing at Shambhu and Khanauri border points," said Pandher while speaking to reporters. He said a meeting for paying tributes to Shubhkaran will be held by both the forums of SKM (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha at Balloh village in Bathinda on March 3 and asked people to attend it in large numbers. The post mortem of Shubhkaran took place on Wednesday night after the Punjab police registered a case of murder at the Patran police station in Patiala. The farmers had been demanding that they would allow the post mortem only if the FIR was registered in the death of Shubhkaran. Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday said a case was registered after consulting legal experts. Investigation will take place now to know who was responsible and from the post mortem report, it will be known what was the cause of death, he further said. Mann said Shubhkaran's family will be given Rs 1 crore and his sister will be given a government job. Earlier, Punjab Inspector General of Police Sukhchain Singh said the police have registered a zero FIR in the Shubhkaran case. A zero FIR can be registered by any police station irrespective of jurisdiction when it receives a complaint regarding a cognisable offence. The farmers protesting to press the Centre for their various demands are staying put at the two protest sites on the Punjab-Haryana border. Their 'Delhi Chalo' march was put on hold for two days after a protester was killed and around 12 police personnel were injured in clashes at Khanauri on February 21. Two days later, the farmer leaders said the protesters will continue to camp at Khanauri and Shambhu on Punjab's border with Haryana till February 29 when the next course of action will be decided. The farmer leaders had earlier said they will not end their agitation until their demands are met, while indicating that their stir may continue even if the model code of conduct comes into force. The standoff between farmers and the Centre over their various demands continues. On February 19, farmer leaders taking part in the 'Delhi Chalo' agitation rejected the BJP-led Centre's proposal for procuring pulses, maize and cotton at the MSP by government agencies for five years, saying it was not in favour of the farmers. In the fourth round of talks with the farmer leaders on February 18, a panel of three Union ministers had proposed that government agencies would buy pulses, maize and cotton at the MSP for five years after entering into an agreement with farmers. The Punjab farmers are also demanding the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission's recommendations, pension for farmers and farm labourers, no hike in electricity tariff, withdrawal of police cases and "justice" for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence, reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013 and compensation to the families of the farmers who died during a previous agitation in 2020-21 From horological design cues to recycled fishing nets, this hip urban watch deserves to be in every watch collection We have a column at WorldTempus called Fantasy Shopping where I give one of our journalists a fictive budget and they have to come up with their top five timepieces within that budget. It is funny because they are always begging me for more money, like I actually have real money to give away! But sometimes, what we love isnt in that six-figure zone because a good-looking timepiece can exist at all levels of the horological price pyramid. In fact, one of my go-to timepieces isnt a diamond-studded annual calendar, or a rose gold day date, but my Maurice Lacroix Aikon #Tide in shocking pink. Since I acquired it, I think I have had more comments on this watch than anything else in my collection and in my line of work I am mixing in quite fancy horological circles! Since strapping on my Maurice Lacroix Aikon #Tide, there have been a myriad of other models that have equally caught my eye. So, in true Fantasy Shopping style, here are five of my top favourites Aikons from CHF 750 to CHF 3,500 to prove that style isnt always linked to the price tag. Aikon #Tide 40mm Benzilla Although I would never give up my pink Aikon #Tide, I also really like this special collaborative edition between Maurice Lacroix and Thai artist Benzilla. The dial features a reproduction of Benzillas three-eyed character called LOOOK and is framed by a 40mm black bezel and orange case, matching the colours on the dial. The case is made from a proprietary composite material consisting of ocean-sourced plastics and fiberglass, making it twice as hard and five times more scratch-resistant than traditional materials. Powered by a Swiss quartz movement and paired with a bright turquoise strap, this timepiece is fun, artistic, and sustainable and all for CHF 750. Aikon #Tide 40mm Benzilla Maurice Lacroix Aikon PVD 42mm This is the latest edition to the Aikon family that comes in a grey gunmetal PVD case that gives off a metallic sheen. The dial features a traditional Clous de Paris motif and is smoked so it is darker around the outside and lighter in the middle. There is also a slightly smaller 39mm version in midnight blue that is equally stunning. Both are limited to 888 pieces and are priced at CHF 2,300 each. Aikon PVD 42mm Maurice Lacroix Aikon Automatic Limited Summer Edition 35mm, 39mm, and 42mm The Aikon Automatic Summer Edition comes in stainless steel with a choice of sizes 35mm, 39mm, and 42mm for all wrist sizes. It is fitted with a turquoise blue dial and is available with a matching-coloured rubber strap and/or a stainless steel bracelet, which can be easily switched thanks to the brands easy-change system. All three sizes are powered by an automatic movement that indicates the hours, minutes, seconds, and date. Price: Around CHF 2,500. Aikon Automatic Limited Summer Edition Maurice Lacroix Aikon Automatic Venturer GMT For urban adventurers who love to travel, the Aikon Automatic Venturer GMT is a great travel watch. Housed in a 43mm stainless steel case, with a white sun-brushed dial, and powered by an automatic movement, this version indicates the hours, minutes, seconds from the centre, a date in an aperture at three oclock, and a second time zone via an orange hand with a triangular tip. This model also has a unidirectional rotating bezel, screwed-down crown, and 300m water resistance, in case your travels take you anywhere near the ocean! Price: CHF 2,550. Aikon Automatic Venturer GMT Maurice Lacroix Aikon Automatic Skeleton 39mm The Maurice Lacroix Automatic Skeleton shows how versatile the Aikon model can be. We started with colourful recycled ocean plastics and here we have a genuine horological interpretation of the same model with the skeletonized automatic Calibre ML135. A mix of brushed and polished finishing across the stainless steel case, bezel, and bracelet, takes this model even further as every single surface plays with the light. Price: CHF 3,450. Aikon Automatic Skeleton 39mm Maurice Lacroix So, if you were to play Fantasy Shopping with the Maurice Lacroix Aikon, which models would you choose? BRATTLEBORO Four new exhibits open at the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center (BMAC) on March 16, exploring such topics as the myths of the Zodiac, the relationship between humans and the natural world, the interplay between physical and psychological states of being, and the artistry of rapper Killah Priest. They include In Natures Grasp, featuring the work of eleven artists, Samira Abbassys Out of Body, John Newsoms Painting the Forest of the Happy Ever After, and Edward Hollands Celestial Sea. Closed March 10 to 15 to install the new exhibits, the museum will reopen on Saturday, March 16, at 10 a.m. All are welcome to attend an opening party with the exhibiting artists and curators on March 16 at 5 p.m. Brooklyn-based DJ Producer Plug will perform, and there will be complimentary Afghan food by Taza Bread and a cash bar by The Stone Church. Were excited by the diverse and creative approaches these artists are taking to communicate their ideas, says Sarah Freeman, BMACs director of exhibitions. The exhibits include paintings, collage, video, sculpture, drawings, and installation. According to Freeman, each artist is looking for ways to explore feelings, phenomena, and experiences that are sometimes challenging to put into words, so visitors will have an opportunity to immerse themselves in a variety of means of expression. For example, in Out of Body, Samira Abbassy finds inspiration in the practice of faith healing, and shares paintings, drawings, and sculpture that examine the human body as a psychological and spiritual vehicle as well as a scientific organism. She mines ideas from centuries-old Islamic medical manuscripts, European anatomical diagrams, alchemical iconography, and medieval Christian reliquaries. In her hands, these objects and images transcend science, and the body becomes a vehicle for psychological metaphors, portraying a variety of conflicts and dilemmas. John Newsom also makes use of metaphor and symbolism in Painting the Forest of the Happy Ever After, a series of paintings created as the artwork for Forest of the Happy Ever After, a 2023 album by Wu-Tang Clan affiliated rapper Killah Priest. Newsoms work depicts a teeming natural world, with plants and animals representing the renewal that occurs every spring. A portrait of Killah Priest, which appears on the albums cover, shows the musician surrounded by flora and fauna, like a natural deity or shaman existing in both an imaginary realm and the physical world, capable of absorbing death and supplementing it with rebirth. In connection with Newsoms exhibit, Killah Priest will perform at Brattleboros Stone Church on June 4, and will join Newsom for a meet-and-greet at BMAC the night before. Ideas of the mystical continue in Edward Hollands Celestial Sea. Holland uses the constellations of the Zodiac as a foundation for his abstract collage-based paintings, with star positions, mythological references, and astrological allusions embedded in each piece. Holland sees an overlap between a constellation signifying a myth and a paintings ability to present a narrative, both of which can be done using an abstract approach. The group exhibit In Natures Grasp, co-curated by Freeman and artist Michael Abrams, considers the idea of the sublime in nature that was articulated by the Romantic philosopher Edmund Burke more than 250 years ago. Burke saw nature as capable of generating the strongest sensations in its beholders: astonishment, awe, terror, and a sense of danger. Eleven artists working in a variety of media explore Burkes concept by delving into humanitys relationship with the natural world, facing unsettling darkness as well as beauty. The artists include Jeffrey Blondes, Shawn Dulaney, Richard Fishman, Renee Greenlee, Rick Harlow, Jai Hart, Marcy Hermansader, Athena LaTocha, Ron Milewicz, Eileen Murphy and Lily Prince. We always try to present artwork as an opening for conversations, Freeman says. I hope visitors will explore these new exhibits and find a moment of reflection and the space to consider their own relationships to themselves and others, to their bodies, to the natural world, and to their lived experience. The new exhibits will remain on view through June 16. During that time, BMAC will present a series of events and activities that enable the public to engage more deeply with the ideas, processes, and creators behind them. These include an online conversation with Samira Abbassy and Freeman on April 3, a curator tour of In Natures Grasp on May 9, and an in-person talk with Edward Holland and curator Mara Williams on May 11. More information on these and other events is available at brattleboromuseum.org. Founded in 1972, the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center presents rotating exhibits of contemporary art, complemented by lectures, artist talks, film screenings, and other public programs. The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is on a pay-as-you-wish basis. The museum, in historic Union Station in downtown Brattleboro at the intersection of Main Street and routes 119 and 142, is wheelchair accessible. For more information, call 802-257-0124 or visit brattleboromuseum.org. The museum is supported in part by the Vermont Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional support is provided by Brattleboro Savings & Loan, C&S Wholesale Grocers, the Four Columns Inn, Sams Outdoor Outfitters, and Whetstone Beer Co. Don't miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook. BELLOWS FALLS All ages (over 18, of course) were decked in "Alice in Wonderland" costumes at the Queen of Hearts Drag Ball on Saturday. The first drag show sponsored by Bellows Falls Pride, held at the Moose Lodge, was a celebration of confidence, acceptance and self-love. Drag performers from around Vermont took to the stage and the room in a variety of fun, flattering getups that reached beyond the confines of gender. Performers did lip sync numbers to upbeat, empowering songs. All performers had their own interpretations, and numbers included dancing, visiting with audience members and sometimes even standing and dancing on tables. Drag queen Anita Cocktail opened the show with the aptly titled "Wonderland" by Taylor Swift. Her "drag daughter" Ivanna Cocktail performed to "SOS" by Rhianna. Rita Cocktail removed her wig and got on top of a table as she mouthed the words to Kesha's "This Is Me." "Pay attention at a drag show, because you never know what's going to happen," said charismatic host Rhedd Rhumm. Moxxie Hart and Jack Rose, a duo from Brattleboro, incorporated live instrumentation with their numbers of "Smooth" by Santana (featuring Rob Thomas) and "Insane" by Black Gryph0n and Baasik. Drag king Mikey Flexx, from Bennington, performed to "Peaches and Cream" by 112 and "Addicted" by Saving Abel. Between numbers, Rhedd Rumm educated the audience on topics such as consent and using Narcan to save lives. At intermission, there was a candlelight vigil in memory of Nex Benedict, a nonbinary Oklahoma teen who died after being beaten by fellow students in a school bathroom. For more from Bellows Falls Pride, follow the organization on Facebook or visit bellowsfallspride.com. Brattleboro, VT (05301) Today Sunshine and clouds mixed. High near 45F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Some clouds. A few flurries are possible. Low 29F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Brattleboro, VT (05301) Today A mix of clouds and sun. High 44F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight A few clouds. A few flurries are possible. Low near 30F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Demitria Kirby and her husband, Jim, pose for a family photo with their daughters, Beatrice and Cecilia. Kirby is seeking a kidney donation after suffering birth complications this past July that severely damaged her kidneys. Zaaina Asra Mahvish-Jammeh,38, of Brattleboro, appears in Windham County Superior Court/Criminal Division on Tuesday, April 4, 2023, for a first-degree murder charge. Mahvish-Jammeh was charged in the death of Leah Rosin-Pritchard, the coordinator of Morningside House which is run by Groundworks Collaborative. British supermodel Naomi Campbell attended the BAFTA Awards with multimillionaire Saudi film producer Mohammed Al-Turki, sparking a new wave of rumors about an affair between them. The couple was discreet, but that doesn't always mean an exclusively friendly relationship. ADVERTISIMENT According to The Sun, eyewitnesses said that the stars spent the entire evening together and had a hard time leaving the hall. Mohammed, 37, is known to have known Naomi for the past 10 years. They first appeared together at a public event in December 2021 at the Red Sea Film Festival, but the stars were seen together back in 2014. "Naomi is very selective about who she spends time with, and she became close to Mohammed. They share a love of fashion and art, and they have many friends in common. Naomi was with him in Dubai, and she seems happy. They spend a lot of time together, and there seems to be a spark between them, even if it's just friendship for now," the insider told reporters. ADVERTISIMENT And although the couple often posts photos together, and subscribers have long been asking the model to tell them about her personal life, Naomi keeps her heart's affairs private. She was engaged twice - to U2 bassist Adam Clayton and then to Italian businessman Flavio Briatore - but never made it to the altar. The film producer, who created the films Arbitrage and At Any Price in 2012, as well as Innocence and 99 Homes in 2014, is a fairly popular media personality himself. His blog has more than two million subscribers, and this is despite the fact that Mohammed is not a movie star, and he has only about ten projects in 14 years. ADVERTISIMENT Earlier, OBOZ.UA wrote that Naomi Campbell adorned the March issue of the British magazine ELLE. For the famous glossy, the 53-year-old catwalk star posed in a black puffy dress and held a jacket by Ukrainian designer Lilia Litkovskaya. Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Brattleboro, VT (05301) Today Partly cloudy. High 44F. Winds W at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Some clouds. A few flurries are possible. Low 29F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph. Sarah Gorsline is a multimedia associate and Vermont Representative for the nonprofit Project Coyote, whose mission is to promote compassionate conservation and coexistence between people and wildlife through education, science and advocacy, and a freelance video editor and multimedia artist. The opinions expressed by columnists do not necessarily reflect the views of Vermont News & Media. They are impossible to ignore! They come in the early morning, late evening, and all times in between. Scam phone calls have moved beyond bein The world-famous American rapper Snoop Dogg was spotted wearing a piece of jewelry called Peace for Ukraine Necklace. The patriotic pendant was designed by Ukrainian 3D designer Andriy Khromchenko in collaboration with the California-based brand King Ice. ADVERTISIMENT The jewelry is made in the form of a golden sunflower with a blue petal. The King Ice website states that it symbolizes the Ukrainian flag. Inside the flower is a peace sign, and on the back of the jewelry is an engraving: "Peace not war". "The sunflower, the national flower of Ukraine, has become a widely recognized symbol of resistance, unity and hope against the Russian invasion of the country. This piece is a multi-layered ice symbol of peace. Each petal is individually cast with stones that repeat organic shapes, adding an incredible amount of detail. The blue petal among the yellow ones symbolizes the Ukrainian flag. #StandWithUkraine," the description on the American brand's website explains. ADVERTISIMENT The cost of the golden patriotic sunflower is 5815 hryvnias. Meanwhile, rap.ua portal noticed that Snoop Dogg also wears a piece of jewelry in support of Ukraine. On his Instagram page, you can find many photos and videos of him wearing a pendant with a blue and yellow sunflower. ADVERTISIMENT Ukrainian Internet users have already nicknamed the rapper a Cossack, and some have even Ukrainized his name, calling him Snoop Doggenko or Snoop Doggenchuk. "Our Cossack," the fans say. Earlier, OBOZ.UA wrote that the luxurious necklace of the latePrincess Diana called Swan Lake, which she wore before her death, is to be auctioned in New York. It is known that it has belonged to a Ukrainian family since 2008. They want to donate part of the proceeds to charity, namely, the restoration of Ukrainian cities affected by Russian terrorism. ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Dicker Datas post-tax profit has surged by 12.5 per cent from $73 million to $82.1 million for the financial year ended 31 December 2023. The publicly listed distributor told shareholders that the profit uplift stemmed from an increase in the range of higher margin vendors. Dicker Data chief financial officer (CFO) Mary Stojcevski said FY23 was one of the distributors strongest financial positions on record. Working capital efficiency improved significantly and the profitability of the business has continued to improve, she said. The company and our people have demonstrated remarkable resiliency and adaptability in an otherwise challenging market. Dicker Datas gross revenue also received a significant boost, rising by 5.6 per cent from $3.1 billion in 2022 to $3.3 billion this year. The year saw Dicker Data re-evaluate its software licensing revenue recognition, concluding the company is acting as an agent in respect of these sales, rather than a principal. Due to the new revenue recognition, Dicker Datas total statutory revenue for the year was $2.3 billion, a rise of 2.5 per cent. A historic mosque in southwestern China whose dome and minarets were demolished last year has been refitted with Chinese-style pagodas and billboards praising the Communist Party. The 14th-century Najiaying Mosque is the latest target of President Xi Jinping's nationwide crackdown on Muslim, Christian and Tibetan Buddhist activities and venues in the name of the "sinicization" of religion. The High Court has rejected Prince Harry's claim to change the level of security for his visits to the UK. However, the son of King Charles will appeal, as he was deprived of police protection after he ceased to be a royal. ADVERTISIMENT Judge Sir Peter Lane explained his decision, explaining that the reduction in Prince Harry's security was legal. This was reported by Metro. "Even if there were procedural unfairness, the court would not be able to grant the plaintiff [Prince Harry] relief in any event," Lane emphasized. The closed court session was held without the press due to the reading of confidential testimony on security measures. Case details ADVERTISIMENT Last year, the prince filed a legal application for permission to make private payments for police protection during his visit to the UK, but it was rejected. A preliminary hearing held in December addressed his concerns about deteriorating security after Harry ceased to be a member of the royal family. The prince said his children cannot "feel at home" in the UK because of security measures. The lawyers argued that the failure to conduct a risk analysis meant that the approach to his defense was "illegal and unfair." Earlier, OBOZ.UA told about how the chef of a Canadian restaurant told about the behavior of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, which impressed him. ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber.Do not fall for fakes! Cambodian carbon credit scheme formed without consent saw rangers carry out forced evictions and destroy crops, say communities and rights group. A farmer stands beside a structure that he says was destroyed in December 2022 by Wildlife Alliance-led rangers on the farmland of a Chong community included in the Southern Cardamom REDD+ Project. One day in late 2022, Sok was in the middle of harvesting the rice he would rely on to feed his family for the coming year when a team of rangers led by a conservation NGO descended on his farmland on the outskirts of Chumnoab village in Koh Kong province. Knowing that they would accuse him of illegally farming on protected land and possibly arrest him, Sok ran away, but the rangers burned all his sacks of rice and his family lost half their annual supply as a result. They had been farming on that land since the 1990s. "I'm still scared. And I did not go to the farm again, Sok told RFA. I have only that place to farm but after what had happened that day, I do not dare to do it. An ethnic minority Chong farmer whose name has been changed for security reasons, Sok is one of hundreds of indigenous people living in eleven communities near or inside the Southern Cardamom REDD+ Project, run jointly by Cambodias Environment Ministry and New York-based nonprofit conservation organization Wildlife Alliance. The project has protected nearly half a million hectares of forest across southwestern Cambodia, generating at least $18 million in carbon credits purchased by major companies looking to offset their emissions such as Delta Airlines, German pharmaceutical giant Bayer and consulting firm McKinsey. Some Chong leaders say, however, that the flagship conservation project has prevented them from accessing their traditional lands and harmed their livelihoods, and that they have lacked autonomy and input on how the resources are used. Tasked with protecting the area from deforestation for the sake of selling carbon credits, Wildlife Alliance rangers carry out patrols to go after poachers and loggers. But the heavy-handed tactics have impacted ordinary villagers as well, resulting in forced evictions, arbitrary arrests and crop and property destruction, according to a newly released report from New York-based NGO Human Rights Watch (HRW). In all, some eight Chong villages comprising hundreds of residents were unknowingly incorporated into a national park drastically reducing their ability to survive off of their indigenous lands. After launching nine years ago without their prior consent, the conservation project still lacks a benefit sharing agreement to outline how revenue generated from these communities forests is distributed. In a public letter shared in January, Wildlife Alliance founder and CEO Suwanna Gauntlett said her NGO had nothing to hide and that HRW had not taken a comprehensive view of the projects full impacts. HRW presents a fundamentally misleading and distorted picture of the project, Gauntlett told RFA in an emailed statement. Cambodias Environment Ministry did not respond to requests for comment. Residents maintain they have been restricted from engaging in their traditional farming practices and limited in their ability to harvest resin, farm rice and cut trees for everyday use such as building fences or homes. It scares us, we want to farm, we want to plant, we want to grow crops for the family's livelihood, but we cannot do it, a Chong community representative told RFA. Were stuck living in fear. Sok, an ethnic minority Chong farmer whose name has been changed for security reasons, shows a photo of his family's ruined rice harvest, which he says was destroyed by Wildlife Alliance-led rangers. (RFA) Lack of prior consent Living amid the foothills of the Cardamom mountains, the Chong are one of an estimated 24 ethnic minority indigenous groups, many with their own languages, representing less than 3% of Cambodias population. Like other Cambodian indigenous communities, Chong culture is intertwined with the surrounding natural environment. These communities rely on shifting cultivation by rotating their farmlands and letting some plots grow fallow for several years at a time, allowing the soil to recover but also leaving their traditional lands more vulnerable to land-grabbing, including from the Cambodian government. The Southern Cardamom REDD+ Project launched in 2015, but it was not until August 2017 that consultations with the 11 Chong communities living inside or near the project began. Eight of the communities were folded into the Southern Cardamom National Park before their customary lands had even been officially mapped, though the project acknowledged in documents that the Chong have lived in the area for centuries. Farming is prohibited inside national parks without government approval. The Human Rights Watch report alleges that the REDD+ project violated indigenous Chong peoples rights, including Free, Prior and Informed Consent, under international standards and Cambodian laws as well as the policies set by Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit Verra, which is responsible for certifying more than three-quarters of all carbon credits. When an auditor pointed out Chong communities had not provided prior consent as required for Verra certification, Wildlife Alliance and Ministry of Environment representatives responded that we assume that as the communities [in the Project Zone] have no land rights to or within the Project Area, their participation in the REDD+ Project is entirely voluntary. Even though formal consultations with Chong communities began 31 months after the projects start date on Jan. 1, 2015, Verra still found the project in compliance with its Voluntary Carbon and Climate, Community & Biodiversity standards, bolstering the value of the projects carbon credits by certifying them as supporting indigenous peoples rights. This is a clear failure of oversight systems, because ultimately, it is Verra who makes the decision about whether to grant accreditation to the project and whether to maintain the project's accreditation, said Luciana Tellez Chavez, a senior environment researcher at HRW who spent two years investigating the Southern Cardamom REDD+ project. After receiving HRWs preliminary findings last year, Verra suspended the project in June from issuing further carbon credits and opened its own review. In a statement to RFA, a Verra spokesperson said their investigation was ongoing and its scope had been extended this month. A poster for the Southern Cardamom REDD+ project is pinned to a tree in an indigenous Chong community in Cambodias Areng Valley. (RFA) No contracts, few benefits While the project has generated more than $18 million, residents in Chumnoab village say the most visible benefit is the drinking well along the red dirt road passing through the center of the community. (Wildlife Alliance said it installed a total of 22 wells and 74 toilets across 29 villages in the project, as well as roads and one school and health center.) As of late 2021, $6 million had been spent on the project following earnings of more than $18 million from carbon credit sales, project documents reviewed by HRW show. There is no legal contract with Chong communities to determine how revenue will be shared and used, HRW reported. Wildlife Alliance said in its January statement that its Southern Cardamom community development and livelihood programs received more than $2 million from carbon credit revenues last year, supporting 419 permanent jobs and 5,000 jobs indirectly. This part of the Southern Cardamoms, which is also known as the Areng Valley, remains a popular eco-tourism spot, and some Chong community members have been able to develop homestays to host paying visitors. Buddhist monks and environmental activists wrap saffron cloth around trees on the dirt paths leading into the forest as a symbol of protection. In her email to RFA, Wildlife Alliance founder Gauntlett said indigenous residents of the area had earned more than $1 million from ecotourism. But many Chong community members remained uncertain about what exactly the REDD+ project has done besides engage in strict patrols and were unclear how it benefited them, HRW reported. In one commune in 2018, fewer than 10% of residents expressed approval for the project and auditors reported villagers walked out to show disapproval for the project. Last year, Wildlife Alliance held a series of meetings with all eleven Chong communities and reported that 98% of participants wanted the project to continue. However, less than one-fifth of the villages population participated in these meetings, the HRW report found. A farm in an indigenous Chong community in Areng valley. (RFA) One Chong leader confirmed there is no legal benefit-sharing agreement with the communities and said the villages wanted greater input into how the REDD+ funds were used, including to support community-led patrolling efforts. We want a budget to support welfare, such as for protecting the forest and supporting pregnant women, he said in late February. We are not against REDD+, but they must agree with our conditions and include and inform us in the decision-making process. The project also may have vastly over-calculated its carbon emission reductions, selling more than twice as many carbon credits as it should have between 2015 and 2021, analysis from carbon credit research firm Renoster found. Gauntlett, Wildlife Alliances founder, told RFA that Renosters findings are flawed because the firms analysis relied on what she described as a faulty data set from Global Forest Watch and narrow methodology. She said in an emailed statement that the REDD+ project is at higher risk than it appears given the governments history of awarding economic land concessions for industrial agriculture inside protected forests justifying the amount of carbon credits her project issued. Cambodia has lost more than a quarter of its forest cover since 2000. Wildlife Alliance said that its patrolling has kept the Cardamom forests effectively defended against constant threats, noting ranger patrols had seized over 9,000 illegal chainsaws and 864 guns. Wildlife Alliance advisers lead patrol teams that include Environment Ministry rangers and military police and are tasked with carrying out arrests or destroying crops and burning structures including residential homes when they are found in what the organization considers to be conservation zones. But the HRW report and villager testimony reveal an organization making little effort to distinguish between communities livelihoods and genuine threats to the forest. One Chong commune counselor in the Areng Valley said they supported the aims of the REDD+ project to protect the forest and provide benefits but believed ranger patrols had treated the communities harshly. Sometimes, what they do is beyond the law, the official said. When they enter peoples homes or destroy the charcoal kiln or take away the equipment or property of the owner, that is a problem. I know they intend to protect [the forest], but they need to know the limits of protection. A destroyed charcoal kiln is seen in the Areng Valley in this undated photo. (RFA) Cambodian authorities have pledged to crack down on charcoal burning in recent years and in 2021 Wildlife Alliance posted a video on Facebook of its rangers smashing charcoal kilns in the Cardamom mountains. Charcoal production drives deforestation: kilns are fed with wood to make charcoal, Wildlife Alliance wrote in an accompanying post. A Chong villager in Areng Valley told RFA that in 2022 rangers demolished a small charcoal kiln that sat next to her familys house. The kiln was no offshoot of an industrial-scale logging operation, but a small business that allowed the village to prepare firewood for the long rainy months. After seeing smoke, Wildlife Alliance rangers arrived without warning to destroy the kiln, the villager said. Now when it rains, it is wet and the wood is wet, it is difficult for us to get firewood for cooking food, she said. Wildlife Alliance carried out its own surveys of Chong villages in Chumnoab and Pralay communes, classifying more than 1,000 hectares as abandoned fields and excluding them from being considered as community land. Chong leaders told HRW they had never been consulted on decisions to classify swaths of farmland as abandoned. This map was reportedly installed in a Chong community in the Areng Valley after Wildlife Alliance became aware of the Human Rights Watch investigation. (RFA) "When making the map, they did not think about the people's farmland [as a result] when the map was made it overlaps our farmland, so we keep raising this issue, said Sok, the Chumnoab villager whose rice harvest was destroyed by rangers. Once the land was classified as abandoned, Wildlife Alliance could legally justify going after Chong practicing traditional shifting cultivation, as they did with Sok. Wildlife Alliance says it installed around 1,200 demarcation posts between 2015 and 2021 to distinguish boundaries. A map is posted at Chumnoab village but community members maintain it offers little clarity. Chumnoab villagers say they go to farm in groups now, because they never know when ranger patrols will try to arrest them, claiming that they are trespassing on protected areas. People still do rotational farming but there are still problems, so sometimes they have to do it secretly, the commune counselor told RFA. If Wildlife Alliance catches them they will get removed and threatened by them. Sometimes we hear the sound of gunfire, but they do not shoot people, just shoot [in the air]. And there are confrontations, people are arrested." Buddhist monks and environmental activists wrap saffron clothes around trees in the Areng Valley as a symbol of protection. (RFA) Fears over unclear zoning Almost a decade after launch, the project still has not completed mapping of community lands or issued land titles granting ownership to communities farmlands and sacred sites, while the government has yet to even recognize some of the Chong communities as legally indigenous, HRW found. When Chong communities pushed for land ownership, Wildlife Alliance undermined these efforts or else failed to acknowledge long standing customary land tenure claims, HRWs report found. In Thmor Donpove commune, comprising two Chong villages, Wildlife Alliance tried to block 1,851 hectares from being titled for villagers, claiming the land was forest land. A government investigation into the NGOs complaint found more than one-third of this land was farmland yet most of these plots ultimately remained classified as protected area, according to HRWs report. In March 2021, Cambodian authorities engaged in another land titling effort around Koh Kong province known as Sub-decree 30, which removed much of Areng Valley from protected area status and granted legal recognition of Chong communities land use. While this should have meant Wildlife Alliance and the Environment Ministry ranger teams no longer had jurisdiction, HRW found rangers still operated as if they were patrolling a protected area. Chong villagers were forced off their farmland, which the government had legally recognized as community land. Wildlife Alliance told HRW that it had reached an agreement with provincial authorities to continue patrolling these areas. In June 2023, Wildlife Alliance shared a map with HRW for Chumnoab and two other communes in the Areng Valley that criminalized farming on more than 4,300 hectares previously designated as community land by Sub-decree 30, according to another contradictory map for the same area Wildlife Alliance had recently provided HRW. Chong community members had repeatedly raised to auditors working on behalf of Verra the problems caused by these unclear boundaries, but HRW noted that Wildlife Alliance and the Environment Ministry responded by claiming these complaints came from people engaging in illegal activities, leading the auditors to resolve the concern. HRWs Tellez Chavez said the auditors willingness to accept the project implementers claims appeared to not take into consideration the Chong communities lack of land rights. If you [the auditor] just take this answer for granted, then you failed at your duty to actually try to establish the facts of the situation, she said. This drinking well in Chumnoab village in the Areng Valley was installed as part of the Southern Cardamom REDD+ Project. (RFA) Calls for remediation Chong community representatives said that since the HRW investigation became public last year things have been less tense but communities are still afraid. As of January, authorities are now measuring the land for individual land titling but this is still not including all the community land, the Chong community leader said. Authorities have continued suppressing Chong communities efforts to secure communal land titles, which would better protect shifting cultivation rights and sacred cultural sites, said one Chong leader. Top level national government officials told Chong community leaders last year to resolve the issues with local authorities, who have since refused to meet with them. Wildlife Alliance recently agreed to provide technical and financial support for indigenous communal land titling, and to support an indigenous community patrol team. The NGO has also committed to developing a human rights policy and providing human rights training to its staff and government rangers, in response to HRWs recommendations. While the commitments that Wildlife Alliance made are positive, they fall short of recognizing that any human rights violations took place and that people who were harmed are entitled to comprehensive remediation, Tellez Chavez said. And that's very important to ensure that these things don't happen again. Edited by Abby Seiff and Jim Snyder. Hong Kong and Tibet were among the worst hit. But Thailand, Fiji, Bhutan and Nepal improved. Police officers take away a member of the public in Hong Kongs Causeway Bay area on the eve 34th anniversary of China's Tiananmen Square massacre, June 3, 2023. Freedom once again declined globally last year, according to a report by Freedom House released on Thursday, marking almost two decades of consecutive erosions recorded by the organization that has for the past 51 years graded the world on its freedoms. The leading cause of the global drop was flawed elections and armed conflict, it said. The annual report gives each country and many disputed territories a score from 1 to 100 using 25 specific indicators based on the U.N. Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and then declares them to be either free, partly free or not free. In the Asia-Pacific, the freest countries or territories remained New Zealand (99), Japan (96), Australia (95) and Taiwan (94). The worst were China (9), Myanmar (8), North Korea (3) and Tibet (0). Both Myanmar and Tibet lost one point since last years report. Over the past decade, though, Hong Kong has been the worst impacted among all jurisdictions in Asia. Only Nicaragua, Libya, Tanzania, Turkey, Burkina Faso and the disputed Eurasian territory of Nagorno-Karabakh have seen worse declines, the report says. Hou Yu-ih, the presidential candidate of the main opposition party Kuomintang, gestures during the final campaign rally ahead of the elections in New Taipei City, Jan. 12, 2024. Taiwan was ranked one of the freest places in the Asia and Pacific region. (Carlos Garcia Rawlins/Reuters) Yana Gorokhovskaia, research director for strategy and design at Freedom House, said the group deliberately separated out jurisdictions like Hong Kong given they were often home to the worst declines. In the last 10 years, the territory has declined by 26 points, [which is] more than a quarter of its entire score, she said, adding that Freedom House had observed that conflict over land, over sovereignty, over self determination have really imperiled political rights and civil liberties. Among the biggest perpetrators of this repression is the Chinese Communist Party, Gorokhovskaia said, linking Hong Kong to the situation in other disputed parts of China, including Tibet. In Tibet, she said, last year the CCP separated over a million children from their families and put them in state-run boarding schools, where Chinese language and culture was forcefully inculcated. The report itself highlights Hong Kong and Tibet as among the least free places on earth due to the exercise of unchecked power. Worsening picture Globally, the breadth and depth of the decline in freedoms last year was significant, with political rights and civil liberties diminished in a total of 52 countries and improved in only 21. I wish I had better news to share, Adrian Shahbaz, the vice president of research and analysis at Freedom House, said at the launch of the report, noting it was the 18th straight year of declines. The last improvement was recorded in the report for 2004. A relatively slower rate of decline in freedoms recorded in last years report created hope for a possible turning point in global freedom in 2023 but, in the end, that was not to be, Shahbaz explained. In fact, the 52 countries that saw declines last year accounted for 22% of the worlds population, he said, while the 21 countries that saw improvements translates to only 7% of the global population. That's the lowest since the current decline began in 2005, he said. Elections and freedom The general decline in freedom around the world was driven by attacks on pluralism, which it defines as the peaceful coexistence of people with different political ideas, religions or ethnic identities. A man and child pose for a photo in front of a large mural depicting Chinese President Xi Jinping and other Chinese leaders at a public square at the base of the Potala Palace in Lhasa in western China's Tibet Autonomous Region on June 1, 2021. (Mark Schiefelbein/AP) Ongoing attacks on pluralism have the potential to fuel voter apathy, further division, and even violence, as they undercut the promise that democracy can deliver for everyone and that diversity of political ideas, belief, and ethnicity is a source of strength, the report says. If democracies do not respond to these challenges, more of the worlds people will be denied fundamental freedoms in 2025, it says. Thailand and Myanmar, for instance, were the 20th and 21st worst impacted over the past decade, the report says, having both suffered from military coups in 2014 and 2021 and, in the case of Thailand, the 2017 rewriting of the constitution by the military government. But Thailand, which held elections that led to a change of government last year, improved slightly in this years report and edged over the line from Not Free to Partly Free thanks to more competitive elections, even though a military-drafted constitution limited their scope. Improvements By contrast, the report lauds Fiji, Bhutan and Nepal as being among few countries in the world where there were several meaningful improvements due to the reintroduction of meaningful elections. Fiji, it says, experienced the worlds largest score improvement for 2023 thanks to a smooth transfer of power after watershed elections in late 2022, helping reverse a downward trend since a 2006 coup. In Nepal, it adds, a new amendment to the Citizenship Act allowed more than 400,000 stateless individuals born in Nepal to officially become Nepali citizens and participate in the countrys politics. It also notes Bhutan, a country of about 730,000 lying between India and China just to the west of Nepal, held competitive elections last year that featured robust competition among five different parties. The rise of a new party, it adds, and the defeat of two well-established parties marked a step forward for political pluralism in the kingdom, where freedom has been steadily improving over the past decade. Finally, the report highlights Taiwan, the self-governing island claimed as sovereign territory by China, as a beacon of democracy, having organized competitive elections in January this year that even saw the emergence of a new parliamentary challenger to the government. Supporting democracy Despite all the bad news, Gorokhovskaia said Freedom House believed the reports focus on elections contained key lessons for advocates for freedom around the world especially in a year where nearly half the worlds population is set to head to the polls. In this unprecedented year of elections, the most important thing that democracies can do, she said, is commit to free and fair elections at home and stand up for the same abroad that means quickly and forcefully condemning coups, power grabs, any efforts to manipulate elections, as well as any efforts to deny the outcome of elections. Democratic government must champion international law and be advocates of the peaceful resolution of conflict, she added. Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee stressed that legislating Article 23 with laws to prohibit acts of treason, secession, sedition and subversion against Beijing is the most pressing issue, taking precedence over the citys social and economic problems. Updated on Feb. 29, 2024 at 5:40 a.m. ET Public trust of Hong Kong citizens towards the government has dived further on the back of the citys aggressive campaign to legislate its own security laws. The Hong Kong peoples trust of their government fell by more than 10% from the previous month, according to findings by the Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute, PORI, a sign that the negative impact of the Article 23 legislation will hang over the future of the city amid Chinas intensified encroachment. The publics trust dropped from Januarys 46% to 39% this month, while distrust of the government rose from 38% to 42%. The combined net decline of the two gauges is 11 percentage points, the online survey of 722 respondents released on Wednesday showed. Furthermore, the publics confidence of Hong Kongs future recorded a decrease of 16 percentage points. Political scholar Chris Li pointed out that such sentiments arose as the public is inundated with news in the past month of Article 23s consultation, an issue which is also most related to their government and their future. A one-month public consultation for Article 23 legislation ended on Wednesday. Under Article 23 of the Basic Law Hong Kongs mini constitution the city has to enact its own laws to prohibit acts of treason, secession, sedition and subversion against Beijing. But such a move has been controversial. A previous attempt in 2003 failed following mass protests and was shelved until Beijings imposition of the National Security Law, or NSL, in 2020. Last month, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee vowed to complete legislation of Article 23 this year, reiterating its priority on public discontent as well as economic and social issues. Li said while the index on the rule of law recorded 5.24 points, a pass level, indicating that citizens felt that the judicial system and judges handling of cases were fair, their responses towards the legislative process were contrary. Looking at their responses, their concerns about legislating Article 23 are not about how the judiciary will implement it, but whether the legal provisions in the governments draft legislation will affect Hong Kongs more important values. Freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and association, the freedom to cooperate with many different foreign institutions and the freedom to cooperate with the international community, these are all relevant. Maliciously smearing The NSLs implementation has triggered outflows of foreign and domestic capital and talent in the last three years. Hundreds of protestors, activists and former opposition lawmakers have been arrested since it came into force. And moving forward with legislation of Article 23 has inevitably met with international criticism and more backlash, albeit to no avail. The Hong Kong office of Chinas foreign ministry on Thursday lashed out at the British foreign secretary David Cameron and United States Department of State spokesman Mattthew Miller for maliciously smearing and attacking Hong Kong's human rights, freedoms, and rule of law. The U.S. and the U.K. have raised concerns that Article 23s legislation infringes the rights of the Hong Kong people and their citizens in the city. In its statement, the Chinese foreign ministry said early completion of the legislation will enhance the stability of Hong Kong society and the certainty of the rule of law. It does not affect Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy and rights and freedoms, but only targets a very small number of people who endanger national security. Hong Kong's Security Bureau on Thursday said 98.6% of the 13,147 submissions received during the public consultation showed support for the laws enactment. PORIs Robert Chung says Hong Kong will suffer if the legislated Article 23 impedes future collaboration with the international community. (Screengrab from PORI live stream) Cutting off Hong Kongs edge Still, PORI Chief Executive Robert Chung warned that when people fear their freedoms are compromised and it becomes an issue standing in the way of international cooperation, it will be tantamount to cutting off international relations, which will be detrimental to Hong Kong. If we do this, it will be very difficult to achieve governance and prosperity, even close to impossible. Hong Kongs advantage has always been to converge the East and the West in a civilized manner; Hong Kong must have this space. He pointed out that the authorities will establish more internal standards and management systems to avoid breaching the red line going forward, and clarity with the new regulations will take time for the judicial system and the courts to adjust. Only then can the citizens understand. In other words, the gray time or zone will exist for a certain period of time, he added. The Legislative Councils Basic Law Subcommittee held its first meeting on Tuesday where Secretary for Justice Paul Lam stated that there is a societal consensus to complete the legislation as soon as possible. Lawmaker Tik Chi-yuen raised the question as to whether Taiwan will be considered an external force under the Article 23 legislation. Translated with additional reporting by RFA Staff. Edited by Taejun Kang and Mike Firn. Updated to add Chinese foreign ministry comments and public consultation response under "maliciously smearing". The move came a few days after Seoul said N Korea has sent over 3 million artillery shells to Russia. Russian and North Korean flags fly at the Vostochny osmodrome, the venue of the meeting between Russias President Vladimir Putin and North Koreas leader Kim Jong Un, in the far eastern Amur region, Russia, Sept. 13, 2023. Russia has expressed its gratitude to North Korea again for supporting its aggression against Ukraine in a show of solidarity as fresh claims of arms trading between the two authoritarian regimes emerged. We are pleased that the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea is standing with us at the forefront of this struggle, the Russian Embassy in Pyongyang said in a Facebook post on Feb. 29, to update developments in Ukraine. The Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea is North Koreas official name. The United States and its puppets are responsible for the bloodshed and destruction brought about by their policies of repression in Russia, the embassy said, adding that Russia will win and this will be a shared victory for all who adhere to the new world order." North Korea has supported Russias invasion of Ukraine, calling it a righteous struggle to defend its strategic security and interests. The message from the Russian Embassy in Pyongyang came a few days after Seoul said North Korea has sent some 6,700 containers carrying more than three million artillery shells to Russia since August last year. North Korea and Russia have been accused of engaging in arms trading, with the Ukrainians alleging that Russian forces have used North Korean missiles to attack them a claim that both Pyongyang and Moscow have denied. South Koreas defense minister Shin Won-sik told journalists on Tuesday that judging by the number of containers; he estimates that millions of rounds have been delivered to Russia, including more than three million 152mm artillery shells and more than half a million 122mm rocket launchers. Shin noted that among the hundreds of munitions factories in North Korea, he estimates only about 30% are operational. However, those involved in Russian-related activities seem to be functioning at full capacity. Separately, South Koreas National Intelligence Service said in November last year that Moscow has likely offered Pyongyang technological advice for its satellite launch, as it has received more than 1 million artillery shells from North Korea since early August. Edited by Elaine Chan and Mike Firn. Authorities warn villagers not to harass the Christians and promise protection. Village authorities and residents tear down a makeshift Christian church in Kaleum Vangke village in Savannakhet province, Laos, Feb. 4, 2024. A small house church in southern Laos that was attacked by residents and village authorities earlier this month is opening its doors under the protection of authorities, several churchgoers told Radio Free Asia. On Feb. 4, a mob of residents and village authorities tore down the house where Chrsitians in Kaleum Vangke village in Savannakhet provinces Xonboury district had gathered for worship. The attackers also burned Bibles. Many churches and Christians in Laos have been assaulted despite a national law protecting the free exercise of faith. But now Ministry of Public security officials are protecting their right to worship, a resident of the village and church member told RFA Lao on condition of anonymity for security reasons, like all other unnamed sources in this report. [The officials] announced that from now on, our fellow Christians can resume worship, he said. So, starting this week, were rebuilding our place of worship. Right now, were putting wooden planks back up. Another churchgoer confirmed that the higher level authorities overruled the village officials. While the building is being repaired, the church will still meet for worship. But the village authorities and other non-Christian villagers are still threatening us, threatening to tear down our place of worship again, he said. But we are getting stronger now. Were not afraid to get together at that house anymore. He said that the district level authorities warned the village authorities not to harass Christians again. The violence that occurred at the beginning of the month was at a time when Christians from other villages were visiting the makeshift church in Kaleum Vangke. A Christian from the neighboring province of Saravan told RFA that although the authorities are allowing the Kaleum Vangke Christians to worship freely, it is still not safe to travel there for worship. The authorities of that village still forbid other Christians from other areas to visit their fellow Christians in that village, he said. Other Christians still feel unsafe to go there. A district official told RFA that nothing has been done to educate the village officials about the villagers rights in this matter. The district police havent done anything to reeducate or punish those village authorities and the group of villagers who tore down the Christian place of worship yet, he said. RFA Lao Service called the district police, but the person who received the call refused to answer any questions. A Christian in another village in Savannakhet Province said that Christians in his area of the country are still being mistreated. For example, when my son died, the authorities of my village wouldnt allow my family to bury my son in the village cemetery, he said. They say its against their beliefs because they dont recognize us or our religion. They want to kick us out of the village and they wont compromise at all. Often harassment against Christians goes unpunished. In October 2022, Sy Sengmany, a Christian leader from Khammouane province, was gunned down and the suspects remain at large. Translated by Max Avary. Edited by Eugene Whong and Malcolm Foster. More than 130 staff and students are detained and evacuated by rebels who attacked junta troops on campus. Opposition forces attacked a camp belonging to Myanmar junta troops on the campus of Kalay University, shown in this undated photo, on Feb. 26, 2024. A battle erupted on a university campus in northern Mynamars Sagaing region earlier this week as ethnic Kachin and Chin fighters attacked junta troops based on the property, prompting the rebels to detain and eventually evacuate more than 130 civilians trapped in the crossfire, residents and fighters told Radio Free Asia. Fighters from the Kachin Independence Army, the Chin National Front and local Peoples Defense Force members attacked a junta camp on the Kalay University campus, in Kale township, on Monday. They had to retreat from the campus after reinforcements for junta troops arrived, an official from local militia group Kalay-Kabaw-Gangaw said. Thats when the students and staff were moved, he told RFA Burmese. We moved them to places where they were safe from flying bullets, so they didnt get hurt during the battle. Thats it, he said. A PDF member who wanted to be anonymous for his safety concerns said some of the students and staff were interrogated, but everyone was held in a way that allowed them to keep their dignity and rights. We didnt arrest them, he said. We just kept them for a while. Heavy artillery from junta forces the following day, on Tuesday, left four civilians in the area dead, local residents told Radio Free Asia. Junta-affiliated newspapers on Wednesday reported that junta troops saved 285 teachers and students from being captured by PDF forces. There was no mention of the 130 people who were detained and evacuated by anti-junta forces. Junta troops on campus A PDF member from Kale township who didnt want to be named for security reasons said that the joint rebel forces attacked a junta checkpoint at the universitys entrance because junta troops were demanding money from trucks and passenger cars. The primary motivation for our attack on the university was the presence of occupation of juntas soldiers in the school campus, the PDF member said. They have been there for three years since the coup detat, in February 2021. Also on Monday, the Chin National Front and local PDFs attacked the Ko Mai police station in Khaikam city in Chin state, which is adjacent to the campus of Kale University, according to a PDF official. Locals said the heavy artillery that was fired continuously on Tuesday was in retaliation for the attack on the police station. Residents said that there has been intense fighting between the juntas forces and local PDFS in Kale and in surrounding villages over the last week. The Kale District PDF said in a statement on Monday that residents should evacuate as soon as possible ahead of an expected increase in fighting with junta forces in the coming days. Residents said some people have been hiding in their own homes and bunkers and placing sandbags outside. A local resident who didnt want to be named said junta troops have been shooting people walking on the street and also shooting into homes with light and heavy weapons. Translated by Kalyar Lwin. Edited by Matt Reed and Malcolm Foster. Junta shelling of a crowded market in western Myanmar killed 12 people and critically injured 18 more on Thursday morning, rescue workers told Radio Free Asia. A junta battalion on a nearby road fired indiscriminately into a marketplace in Rakhine states capital of Sittwe during the busiest time of day, locals said. Sittwe has become a disputed territory since a rebel group, the Arakan Army, captured surrounding junta camps and seized six townships across Rakhine state. In early February, the Arakan Army demanded junta troops in Sittwe surrender before their arrival in the capital. The junta armys grasp on the area has been tenuous after losing territories, but troops have attempted control by placing restrictions on the capital and making large-scale arrests. On Feb. 19, regime forces detained 500 people who landed in Sittwe off a flight arriving from Yangon. A rescue volunteer who wished to remain anonymous for security reasons told RFA the dead have been sent to Sittwe Hospitals mortuary, and the injured are being treated there Those 18 were critically injured and their injuries are life-threatening, he said. Some people died on the spot and others after arriving at the hospital. All of them are vendors and shoppers. The names and ages of the deceased could not be confirmed. However, most of them were women, children and the elderly, the volunteer added. The shell was fired by a battalion near Shu Khin Thar road, residents said. RFA contacted Rakhine states junta spokesperson Hla Thein for further details about the attack, but he did not reply. The Arakan Army ended a humanitarian-based year-long ceasefire on Nov. 13 with the junta when they began to attack border outposts and convoys across Minbya and Rathedaung townships. The Arakan Army released a statement on Tuesday saying that 111 civilians have been killed and 357 have been injured by small and heavy artillery fired by the junta from the ceasefire to Feb. 18, 2024. Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Mike Firn. Thailands plan to open a humanitarian aid corridor with war-torn Myanmar next month is facing skepticism from experts and aid workers, who say its limited scope and lack of engagement with ethnic minority forces means it is unlikely to have much impact. The initiative by the new Thai government will create a safe zone to provide food and medicine to displaced populations through the Mae Sot-Myawaddy border crossing, officials said. Foreign ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) unanimously endorsed the plan in January. Fierce fighting during Myanmars civil war, set off by a military coup in February 2021, has forced more than 2.7 million people across the country to flee their homes, according to United Nations estimates. As of Feb. 19, more than 306,000 of them were in Kayin and Kayah states, along the western border of Thailand, according to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, or UNHCR. The initiative will see the Thai and Myanmar Red Cross make aid deliveries under monitoring from the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management. Initially, the humanitarian corridor will help about 20,000 internally displaced people, stabilize border trade, and complement ASEAN efforts to end hostilities, according to the Thai government. More ambitiously, Bangkok hopes it will lay the groundwork for dialogue between Myanmars military junta, ethnic rebel forces and the shadow National Unity Government. But whether the aid initiative will have such a far-reaching impact is far from clear, according to analysts. If Thailand truly aims to help Myanmar citizens, it is crucial to talk with all parties involved, including ethnic armed forces and the entire civil society, not just leave everything to the Myanmar Red Cross, Lalita Hanwong, a Southeast Asian history lecturer at Kasetsart University, told RFA-affiliated BenarNews. Thailand must do more than provide short-term assistance along the border if it wants to find a durable solution to Myanmars conflict, said Lalita, who also serves as an advisor to the Thai government on national security issues. The opposition NUG, which is made up of ousted members of the elected government and other public figures, also cast doubt on the Thai aid plan. We acknowledge Thailands efforts to assist the people of Myanmar. However, effective collaboration with the ethnic resistance forces, including the National Unity Government, is imperative to aid those fleeing the conflict in Myanmar, the NUG press office told BenarNews in a statement. This is due to the fact that the NUG and the ethnic revolutionary forces currently control approximately 60% of Myanmar. People from Myanmar cross the Moei River on the Thai-Myanmar border to return from Thailands Mae Sot district in Tak province, April 11, 2023. (Handout/Royal Thai Army/AFP) Thailand, which shares a 2,400-kilometer (1,491-mile) border with Myanmar, has hosted more than 90,000 refugees from Myanmar in nine temporary shelters since the mid-1980s. Tak and Mae Hong Son provinces have seen the highest influx into Thailand of Myanmar nationals fleeing conflict, but Bangkoks response so far has been limited to providing temporary shelter. Previously, humanitarian aid had come from private donations, while the government periodically pushed back refugees to discourage more from seeking asylum in Thailand. The Thai government maintained close relations with the Myanmar junta under former Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha, an ex-general who as the army chief took power in a 2014 military coup but was voted out of office last year. Over his nine-year reign, Prayuths administration claimed to be pursuing a peaceful solution to the crisis across the border, but his government was regularly criticized for its accommodative attitude towards the Burmese military. In June last year, Prayuths decision to circumvent ASEANs Five-Point consensus and hold direct talks with the Myanmar military caused a schism among members of the regional bloc. The consensus, agreed to a few months after the 2021 coup, called for an immediate end to violence; a dialogue among all concerned parties; mediation of the dialogue process by an ASEAN special envoy; provision of humanitarian aid through ASEAN channels; and a visit to Myanmar by the blocs special envoy to meet all concerned parties. In the past, the government under General Prayuth and Thai security forces have had good relations with the Myanmar military, which is believed to have made Thailand cautious about taking significant actions for fear of losing this relationship, Lalita said. Dulyapak Preecharush, an assistant professor of Southeast Asian Studies at Thammasat University, said Thailand was taking a more proactive and coherent approach to Myanmar under Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin, whose government came to power last September. Under the previous administration, we lacked a strategic vision, putting us at a disadvantage compared to regional players like Indonesia. On the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Thai Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara last month outlined the rationale behind the aid initiative. The fear among the regional countries is Myanmar becoming increasingly fragmented and becoming an arena for major-power competition, he said at a diplomacy dialogue on Myanmar. As we see it, humanitarian assistance leads to humanitarian pause and humanitarian dialogue. Myanmar military chief Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing (right) meets with Thai Lt. Gen. Jakkapong Janpengpen (left), head of the Directorate of Joint Operations for the Royal Thai Armed Forces, in Naypyidaw, Dec. 27, 2023. (Handout/Myanmar Military Information Team/AFP) The humanitarian corridor would also help people in both countries normalize full trading activities, Parnpree, who is also deputy prime minister, said earlier this month while visiting the Thai-Myanmar border. Pornsuk Kerdsawang, an aid worker from Friends Without Borders Foundation, based in Thailands Mae Sot district close to the Myanmar border, welcomed the Thai initiative, but she said for it to be meaningful it must include provisions to end hostilities. The reason for the displacement in Myanmar is due to attacks by the Myanmar military, especially using heavy artillery and air strikes, she told BenarNews. Pornsuk questioned whether the Myanmar Red Cross could genuinely access populations in need, given the Myanmar military controlled many of the delivery routes. What Thailand can do is to consult with Myanmars civil society organizations that are helping people, she said. Plan and design the aid together, which will likely meet actual needs. BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated online news organization. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday vowed to resist any effort by a foreign power to infringe upon the Philippines sovereignty, in a strongly worded address to the Australian Parliament amid growing Chinese assertiveness in the South China Sea. Marcos, who arrived in Canberra for a two-day state visit on Wednesday, told a special joint sitting of the two chambers it was an imperative that the South China Sea be protected from actions that violated international law. The waterway is a critical global artery that is crucial to the preservation of regional and global peace, said Marcos, who has taken a bolder stance than his predecessor in dealing with competing claims in the South China Sea. China asserts sovereignty over almost all of the South China Sea, putting it at odds with the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam, and Taiwan. I shall never tire of repeating the declaration that I made from the first day that I took office: I will not allow any attempt by any foreign power to take even one square inch of our sovereign territory, Marcos told Australian legislators, without naming China, according to transcripts released by his office in Manila. The challenges that we face may be formidable, but equally formidable is our resolve. We will not yield, he said. Marcos said the Philippines and Australia must reinforce each others strengths and protect the peace the two countries fought for during World War II. Just as we fought to build our rules-based international order, so are we now fighting to protect it, Marcos said. We draw strength from the consistent and unequivocal support of Australia and the international community for the lawful exercise of our rights, which have been settled under international law. Before departing Manila on Wednesday, Marcos shared a report by the Philippine Coast Guard indicating that they had monitored at least three ships from Chinas Peoples Liberation Army Navy just near Bajo de Masinloc, the local name of Scarborough Shoal. The shoal has been under Chinese control since 2012 after a standoff with Manila. The Philippines, under then-President Benigno Aquino III filed a case against Beijing at an international arbitration court. The following year, then-President Benigno Aquino III filed a case against Beijing in an international arbitration court. In 2016, the court ruled in favor of Manila and invalidated Chinas sweeping claims to the South China Sea on historical grounds. Beijing has never acknowledged the ruling and has refused to leave the area. Aquinos successor, Rodrigo Duterte, refused to make a move to compel Beijing. Instead, he sought to appease Beijing in exchange for promises of Chinese investments in the Philippines. This allowed Beijing to gain a firmer foothold in the region. Marcos has worked hard to reaffirm security ties with traditional ally the United States, as well as Australia, since taking office in June 2022. On Wednesday, Marcos and Albanese signed new agreements on civil maritime security, marine environment protection, maritime domain awareness, and efforts to uphold international law. Marcos is scheduled to attend a special summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Melbourne next week. Jason Gutierrez and Jeoffrey Maitem reported from Manila, the Philippines. BenarNews is an RFA-affiliated online news organization. One of Nguyen Chi Tuyens channels attracted nearly 100,000 followers for commentary on political issues. Authorities in Vietnam have arrested activist Nguyen Chi Tuyen, the creator of two popular YouTube channels. Hanoi authorities arrested the creator of two popular YouTube channels on Thursday on anti-state charges under Article 117, Vietnams vaguely written law that human rights organizations say is used to silence dissent. Nguyen Chi Tuyen will be detained while an investigation is conducted into the charge of disseminating information, materials, items and publications against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Hanois Security Investigation Agency said in a statement. Tuyen is a founding member of the No-U group, which rejects a U-shaped line that China puts on maps of the South China Sea. He has also been a prominent member since 2011 of an anti-China group that has organized numerous demonstrations. Tuyens latest YouTube channel is named AC Media and focuses on coverage and commentary on Russias 2022 invasion of Ukraine. On Wednesday, Tuyens live chat discussion about Sweden joining NATO and the downing in Ukraine of two Russian Su-34 fighters attracted nearly 60,000 followers. His previous channel, Anh Chi Rau en (translated as Mr. Chi with a black beard), attracted nearly 100,000 followers for its commentary on hot-button social and political issues in Vietnam. Tuyen is also known as Anh Chi. For unknown reasons, he stopped maintaining the Anh Chi Rau en channel around two years ago. Tuyens wife, Nguyen Thi Anh Tuyet, told Radio Free Asia that her husband hasnt carried out any activities against the state. He has always been a person who expresses his opinions on wrongdoings in society, she said. He has only expressed his own viewpoints and has done nothing to oppose the Party or the state as accused. Summoned and searched About a year ago, Hanoi security forces summoned him for several days of questioning about live streams that were broadcast several years ago on the Anh Chi Rau en channel, Tuyet said. Authorities followed up by sending a notice banning him from leaving the country. Earlier this year, police sent another exit ban notice, she said. In mid-January, Hanoi police sent a letter stating that they had received a crime report from Cyber Security and High-Tech Crime Prevention Division. The letter states that Tuyen showed signs of committing the crimes of anti-State propaganda under Article 117 and abusing the rights to democratic freedom under Article 331 of Vietnams Penal Code. Tuyet told RFA that her husband received a summons to attend a meeting with Hanoi police on Thursday morning. However, he felt unwell and asked to postpone the meeting, she said. Instead, police searched the family home on Thursday, read out a long arrest warrant and confiscated Tuyens mobile phone, laptop and some handwritten pages, Tuyet said. This morning, amid the chaos, I couldnt hear all the details since it was very long, she said. I only remember some specific parts, such as the accusation that he was arrested for conducting propaganda and spreading anti-party materials. The warrant stated that he would be temporarily detained for four months at Hanois Detention Facility No. 2, she said. RFA called Hanoi police to ask for a response to Tuyets remarks, but no one answered the phone. Tuyen is the third person to be arrested on charges of anti-state propaganda since the beginning of this year. Translated by Anna Vu. Edited by Matt Reed and Malcolm Foster. First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska met with Britain's Queen Consort Camilla to thank her for her steadfast and consistent support of Ukrainians in the war against the Russian occupiers. The ruler was waiting for the wife of President Volodymyr Zelenskyi on the doorstep and kissed her on both cheeks. ADVERTISIMENT The warm meeting later moved to a luxurious hall, where the Ukrainian woman had the opportunity to personally thank the royal family for everything they do for the indomitable people of a free country. Photos and videos were posted on Olena Zelenska's social media. The First Lady visited the Queen as part of a working trip to the United Kingdom, where she visited the headquarters of Amazon Web Services, which provides gadgets for Ukrainian children's education. "I thanked the royal family and the entire United Kingdom for their consistent support of Ukraine, for sheltering 200,000 Ukrainian refugees and regular meetings with them (the King and Queen have visited the Ukrainian Center in London more than once)," the statement reads. Olena Zelenska emphasized the common values of Ukrainians and the British: life, freedom, and democracy. ADVERTISIMENT "I am grateful to the royal family for their warm welcome, as always, and for their consistent support of Ukraine in its struggle for freedom," the first lady concluded. To meet the Queen, she wore a stylish white jacket, black flared pants, and high heels. This is the second outfit that the Ukrainian woman has shown in London. Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! The URL has been copied to your clipboard The code has been copied to your clipboard. Ben Rhodes, who was a top adviser and speechwriter for U.S. President Barack Obama, argues that Russian President Vladimir Putin faces numerous, still-unknown threats despite his efforts to silence the opposition. He spoke to Current Time ahead of Putin's February 29 address to Russia's parliament. 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. Several people have been detained in Iran for allegedly calling for a boycott of parliamentary and Assembly of Experts elections scheduled for March 1. A young woman was arrested on February 28 for "opposing electoral participation" in Tehran's Valiasr Square during an event called "Free Tribune," witnesses told RFE/RL's Radio Farda. They said the woman estimated to be in her 20s protested in front of a state television camera, symbolically removing her head scarf while declaring, "Vote or no vote, we will not vote." A street vendor, who claimed to have witnessed the event, said the woman was quickly surrounded and subsequently detained by several security personnel after she waved her scarf over her head in protest. Other eyewitness accounts detailed the intervention of two female officers, who covered the young woman with a chador cloak, while five male officers forcibly escorted her to a van. The woman, described as having dyed, long hair and a slim build, was reportedly shouting for the officers to release her. Security forces present at the scene issued warnings to bystanders not to film the arrest and to disperse. Elections for the parliament, the Majlis, are scheduled for March 1 along with voting to fill the Assembly of Experts, with a majority of would-be candidates already disqualified. Many Iranians have said they will not vote in what they said will be "meaningless" elections that are likely to consolidate the power of the country's hard-liners. U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Iran's elections could not be considered free and fair. "I suspect that a great number of Iranians have no expectation that those elections will be free and fair," Miller told reporters at the State Department on February 29. "As you probably already know, thousands of candidates were already disqualified in an opaque process and the world has long known that Iran's political system features undemocratic and nontransparent administrative, judicial, and electoral systems. In the lead-up to the election, "Free Tribunes" have been organized by student groups in Tehran, where sentiment against the elections has spilled out. Similar events have taken place -- in public and online -- in several areas of the country. In the West Azerbaijan Province, police chief Rahim Jahanbakhsh announced the arrest of 50 people responsible for managing social-media pages that authorities say incited public unrest and discouraged election participation. The arrests, Jahanbakhsh noted, were conducted in coordination with judicial authorities, though the identities of those detained remain undisclosed. Jahanbakhsh also warned that publishing any content deemed provocative on social media would be considered a criminal offense. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has tried to push the importance of high voter turnout in the elections after more than a year of unrest that had boosted growing skepticism over the efficacy of participating in the electoral process. Independent polling on electoral participation is restricted in Iran, with government-conducted surveys rarely made public. However, a leaked poll from a state-affiliated center suggested a mere 30 perecnt of voters may turn out for the upcoming elections, a figure that was swiftly retracted from publication. In the previous parliamentary elections in 2020, voter turnout was reported at a historic low of approximately 42.6 percent. Prominent figures, including Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi, have said openly they will boycott the elections, calling them superficial and predetermined. Similarly, Mostafa Tajzadeh, a former deputy interior minister, has voiced his refusal to vote, criticizing the supreme leader's indifference to the country's crises. The elections also mark the first balloting since the widespread "Women, Life, Freedom" protests, ignited by the 2022 death of Mahsa Amini while in custody of the morality police. The protests led to a heavy-handed response from the government, including widespread arrests and crackdowns on demonstrators. At least 500 protesters were killed. Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL's Radio Farda When Iran seized a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker last year, Tehran said the transporter had collided with and damaged an Iranian vessel in the Gulf of Oman. Now, nearly one year later, Tehran said it will confiscate the cargo of the Advantage Sweet, which was transporting oil from Kuwait to the U.S. state of Texas, in retaliation for crippling American sanctions against the Islamic republic. The Mizan news agency, which is affiliated with Iran's judiciary, reported on March 6 that a Tehran court had ruled in favor of confiscating the oil, which is valued at around $50 million. The 55th branch of the Tehran Court of Justice said funds from the sale of the oil will be used to compensate patients suffering from epidermolysis bullosa, a rare skin disease. The court ruled that U.S. sanctions have prevented a Swedish company from selling medicine to Iran that is used to treat the disease and caused Iranian patients severe emotional and physical damage. EB Home, an Iranian nongovernmental organization representing over 300 epidermolysis bullosa patients, had brought a case against the United States in the Tehran court. In a statement following the court ruling, the NGO described U.S. sanctions as criminal and unilateral. U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller criticized the ruling and demanded that the tanker be immediately released. Irans continued harassment of vessels and interference with navigational rights and freedoms in the regions vital waterways is a threat to maritime security, regional stability, and the global economy, he said in a press briefing on March 6. The U.S. military said in January that Iran was holding five ships and over 90 members hostage from vessels it seized in 2023. Most Iranian tanker seizures are carried out by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), the elite branch of Irans armed forces. Iran said it seized the Advantage Sweet in April 2023. The tanker was chartered by U.S. oil giant Chevron and was carrying oil to the U.S. port of Houston, according to ship tracking data. Irans capture of the Advantage Sweet came days after the United States seized Suez Rajan, an oil tanker that was transporting sanctioned Iranian oil to China. Months after seizing the Suez Rajan, and despite Tehrans threats, Washington begun unloading the ships oil in August 2023. Sanctions And 'Butterfly' Patients The Tehran courts ruling has put the spotlight on the impact of U.S. sanctions on the health sector in Iran. In 2018, then-U.S. President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew Washington from a landmark nuclear deal between Iran and world powers and reimposed sanctions against Tehran. Iranians have witnessed rising prices and faced shortages of life-saving medicine -- including drugs for cancer treatment and insulin -- in recent years due to U.S. sanctions and corruption. U.S. sanctions imposed on Iran exclude food and medicine. But in practice, the restrictions have made it difficult for Tehran to purchase some drugs, according to human rights groups. That includes specialized bandages produced by Swedish firm Molnlycke that are used to treat epidermolysis bullosa patients, who often develop painful blisters and wounds, similar to third-degree burns. They are sometimes referred to as butterfly patients due to the fragility of their skin. State Department spokesman Miller told reporters on March 6 that U.S. sanctions have always had a carveout for humanitarian purchases. We have never prevented medicine from reaching the Iranian people, he added. EB Home, the Iranian NGO, had previously filed an unsuccessful complaint against Molnlycke in Sweden in 2021. In its failed complaint, the NGO claimed that Molnlycke had informed it in March 2019 correspondence that it had decided not to conduct any business with relation to Iran for the time being. This also applies to business conducted under any form of exceptions to the US economic sanctions. In a 2021 report, United Nations experts warned about the consequences of over-compliance with U.S. sanctions on butterfly kids, who they said can no longer enjoy the right to health. The following year, the Swedish government provided financial support to the United Nations Children's Fund to procure and deliver specialized bandages to Iran. The lack of availability of certain medicines and health products in Iran is a humanitarian concern, affected by the impact of the sanctions regime on financial transactions, Swedens then-ambassador to Iran, Mattias Lentz, said. We do hope a solution will be found and will continue to support such a solution. Iranians are blaming the killing of a young Afghan street sweeper in Tehran on the authorities' adoption of a "fire at will" approach that allows staunch supporters to take the protection of the Islamic Revolution into their own hands. The street sweeper, identified as Elias Mohammadi, was thrown off a bridge to his death in the early hours of February 9. A man arrested in connection with the attack, whose name has not been revealed, told Iranian media that he acted in the belief that Mohammadi was seeking to "insult" flags raised in the Iranian capital to mark the revolution's 45th anniversary on February 11. The apparent act of revolutionary fervor, coming years after Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei gave supporters free rein to protect the Islamic republic's core values, led to suggestions that the approach has left even ordinary municipal workers at risk. "Street sweeping is probably the least safe job in Tehran," the reformist Etemad newspaper wrote on February 27. On social media, observers highlighted how supporters of Iran's clerical establishment feel emboldened to carry out acts of vigilantism in defense of the state. Moein Khazaeli, an Iranian human rights lawyer based in Sweden, wrote that Mohammadi's death was "the direct result of...the promotion of the culture and ideology of 'fire at will.'" Khamenei first endorsed the approach in June 2017, when he described supporters as "officers of the soft war" who were free to act independently to put the Islamic republic's teachings into practice at their own discretion. "Everyone must work independently; as they say on the battlefield, 'fire at will,'" he said in an address to university students in Tehran. His remark was widely taken as giving pro-establishment Iranians the green light to confront any perceived threat to the Islamic republic or violations of its rules. With criticism of the clerical establishment at the heart of various mass demonstrations in recent years -- including over contentious elections, Iran's draconian hijab law, and the suppression of human rights and political opposition -- the ingredients for vigilante justice abound. As authorities have increasingly enforced the requirement that women wear a hijab, or head scarf, numerous cases of ordinary citizens taking it upon themselves to warn, and in some cases attack, women who do not cover their hair have been documented. "The heinous killing of the Afghan street cleaner, like all those murdered by the executioners of Khamenei, was very upsetting," wrote Gohar Eshqi, an Iranian activist and mother of Sattar Beheshti, a political prisoner who died in custody in 2012. One user on X lamented Mohammadi's death and said he had fallen victim to "one of the regime's fire-at-will nightcrawlers." Another demanded that the authorities "bridle the fire-at-will crowd" and bring justice to Mohammadi. Rising Anti-Afghan Sentiment Mohammadi's killing also comes amid rising anti-Afghan sentiment in Iran. This has been promoted in recent weeks on social media by mostly anonymous accounts under a Persian hashtag that calls the "expulsion of Afghans" a "national demand." The authorities say around 5 million undocumented Afghan citizens live in Iran "illegally" and have vowed to deport them. More than 400,000 Afghan migrants have been expelled since November 2023. Afghan migrants have also been banned from living in, traveling to, and working in 16 of Iran's 31 provinces. Iran enhanced restrictions particularly after a man identified as an Afghan citizen attacked a Shi'ite shrine in Shiraz, Fars Province, in August 2023, killing 13 people. The attack was claimed by the extremist Islamic State group. Following the incident, Iran imposed a ban on "foreign nationals" living in the vicinity of the shrine. In the directive, however, the Persian term used for foreign nationals -- "atba'" -- is generally understood to be a euphemism for Afghans. In recent months, Afghan migrants in Iran have complained to RFE/RL's Radio Azadi about rising harassment. Iranian authorities say that despite hosting millions of Afghan refugees, the country is receiving little financial support from international groups. A breakaway congress in Moldovas Transdniester eyed as a possible portent of escalation in a decades-old frozen conflict came and went on February 28, with Chisinau seemingly dodging a bullet aimed by pro-Russian separatists at its ramped-up effort to reassert economic influence in the renegade region. Whether initiated in Tiraspol or behind the scenes in Moscow, the rare gathering of the Congress of the Transdniestrian People's Deputies produced an appeal by its breakaway leaders to the Kremlin for protection ahead of a major annual address the next day by Russian President Vladimir Putin. The congresss final statement appeared crafted to contribute to Kremlin talking points about safeguarding the rights of beleaguered Russian nationals and Russian speakers in those places. But it stopped well short of expressly renewing calls for recognition or annexation by Moscow. "The Congress is asking the Russian Duma and the Federation Council (the upper chamber of Russia's parliament) to implement measures to protect Transdniester in the face of the increasing pressure applied by the Republic of Moldova," it said. But Putin, despite laying out a lengthy list of perceived grievances and threats against Russias neighbors and the West, made no mention of the Transdniestrian situation in his February 29 speech. The last meeting of the Congress of the Transdniestrian People's Deputies came at the height of local tensions in 2006, when the separatists organized an unrecognized referendum on potential future integration into Russia and rejected reintegration into the rest of Moldova. This weeks separatists congress, in the shadow of the war next door in Ukraine, followed two tumultuous years in which Moldova has expressed fears of becoming a second Russian front and accused Moscow of trying to dramatically destabilize the country and its pro-Western government. Russian troops intervened in a 1992 war that pitted separatists against Moldovas then-pro-Western leadership and derailed Chisinaus EU aspirations for decades, and Moscow has kept a contingent of troops in Transdniester -- a sliver of land between the Dniester River and the Ukrainian border -- despite Moldovan demands for a withdrawal. Moldova was granted EU candidate status in mid-2022, after accelerating the bid following Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine. More recently, President Maia Sandu and Moldovas pro-European government this year embarked on highly public campaigns to reassert influence in vital parts of the economy in Transdniester, including a new customs code and reintegrating natural gas and power flows to the region into a national framework. Also, after weeks of deliberation, Chisinau in early February announced a tougher stance toward Moscows routine circumvention of its objections to Russian polling stations being opened in Transdniester, this time for Putins reelection to a fifth term in a March 15-17 election. Separatist leader Vadim Krasnoselski had reiterated his determination to seek Transdniesters integration into Russia -- pursuant to an unrecognized 2006 referendum -- as recently as a year ago. Then in late February, Krasnoselski called for a convocation of the Congress of the Transdniestrian People's Deputies at all levels to discuss alleged pressures exerted by the Republic of Moldova. He cited threats to the rights and social situation [and] economy of the Transdniestrian people, shorthand for the roughly one-fifth of Moldovas population who live on the so-called Left Bank of the Dniester River outside central government control. Official news from the separatists de facto capital, Tiraspol, dried up ahead of the congress. But speculation by a former separatist official who eventually ran afoul of Krasnoselskis regime sparked fears a week ago that the congress was aimed at issuing what he described as a requeston behalf of citizens living on the Left Bank to Russia to accept Transdniester into the Russian Federation. Writing on Facebook, Ghenadi Ciorba expressly linked the congress to the Putin speech and suggested that most likely, based on an analysis of the situation, a command was passed on from Moscow to hold this congress. The congress would remind the world about the 2006 referendum on joining Russia, he claimed, and he predicted that on February 29, Putin will announce this in his address, and the Federal Assembly, in an accelerated order, will decide to grant the request. Referendum 'Warning' Ciorbas prediction prompted the U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW), which follows the region closely in connection with the Ukraine war, to publish a warning that Transdniester may organize a referendum on annexation to Russia to support [a] Russian hybrid operation against Moldova. While it acknowledged that it appeared unlikely that Putin would in the most dangerous course of action, declare the annexation of Transdniester, the ISW said the Russian leader will more likely welcome whatever action the Transnistrian Congress of Deputies takes and offer observations on the situation. It called it a a high-impact event of indetermined probability. As the Ciorba post and its reverberations abroad spawned considerable local coverage, RFE/RLs Moldovan Service highlighted his past as a senior official in what Chisinau calls the separatist regime, including his leadership of the Transdniestrians media and communications service. It quoted a former Moldovan deputy prime minister for reintegration, Alexandru Flenchea, who suggested the event being organized in Tiraspol was "a political and propaganda response to Chisinau's economic actions." Dionis Cenusa, a political risk analyst and visiting fellow at the Eastern Europe Studies Center of the Royal United Services Institute, similarly said on February 28 that the breakaway Transdniestrians were aiming to use the annexation scenario to provoke concern and therefore interest in the regions claims. He suggested that Tiraspol was using the security crisis caused by Russias war against Ukraine to elicit carrots from Chisinau at a time of heightened political competition in Moldova. Rather than any genuine appeal for recognition or annexation by Russia, he said, The whole event is an exhibition of the separatist regions concerts to the [international] community. 'Small Steps' For Reintegration In Tirana for a Ukraine-Western Balkans summit, Sandu fielded a question about Transdniester by saying Moldova was safe today thanks to the bravery of the Ukrainian soldiers and she reiterated Chisinaus determination to resolve the frozen conflict over Transdniester without violence. Moldova is committed to a peaceful solution to the Transdniestrian conflict, Sandu said. What the Moldovan government is doing today is making small steps for the economic reintegration of the region. A deputy assistant secretary in the U.S. State Departments Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, Christopher Smith, also visited Tiraspol in the days before the congress. Krasnoselski reportedly complained to Smith of the threat of economic pressure on the region from Chisinau. Russias Foreign Ministry also commented on the speculation about a possible annexation announcement. For several days now, people in Chisinau have been speculating and wondering what decisions this forum might make," ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said, before pivoting to suggest the ginned-up expectations were cause for Western concern. "Well, apparently, the same panic gripped NATO. So, the congress and the resulting resolution indeed drew international attention to Transdniester and its separatist dilemma. However, the separatists appeal to Moscow was accompanied by a plea to the United Nations and to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the European Union, the latter two of which have led past efforts to negotiate a permanent peace to end the frozen conflict over Transdniester. They urged those international groups to prevent Moldovan pressures and renew negotiations. But the Transdniester question and greater integration of the region into the national power grid and national life remain potential obstacles to Moldovas EU membership, although the bloc made it an official candidate country when a handful of bids accelerated after Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in early 2022. And much of what the Moldovan government has set out to do -- bringing economic activity in an otherwise lawless Transdniester to heel, particularly in regulating trade with the European Union, punishing separatism, and shutting down Russias patronage through heavily subsidized natural gas supplies to separatist groups -- threatens the breakaway elite who have amassed huge fortunes under the status quo. That points to what might have been the real aim of the Transdniestrian separatists congress and the premature warnings of an imminent referendum or push for annexation by Russia. Due to its authoritarian and semi-criminal character, in the words of Cenusa, the political risk analyst, the Transdniestrian administration must, in fact, find a new balance of forces to coexist with the new conditions put in place by Chisinau. The Sustainability Forum Middle East (SFME) has announced the launch of a high-level roundtable discussion titled Green Mobility and the Growth of Menas s EV Market. The event will take place in Bahrain on March 4, 2024 and marks the first session in the Forum's 2024 series focusing on carbon neutrality in the Mena region. The roundtable session is organised in partnership with First Motors, a prominent EV dealership in Bahrain, and Infracorp, the Forum's lead partner and venue partner for the roundtable. In conjunction with the roundtable, Infracorp will sign a partnership agreement with Solar One to operate an electric vehicle charging station in Bahrain Harbour, making it the first residential community to cater to the needs of EV owners. Reducing carbon emissions Experts in transportation and sustainability from the region will join the session to discuss the imperative of reducing carbon emissions in the sector and the vital role that EVs play in achieving carbon neutrality. Globally, the transportation sector contributes significantly to total carbon emissions, with the United Nations estimating its contribution at 13% of global greenhouse gas emissions and 23% of energy-related carbon emissions, where road traffic alone accounts for three-quarters of these emissions. Discussions will focus on the global challenge posed by transportation sector emissions and regional efforts to promote sustainable mobility solutions, including the rising consumer demand for electric mobility in the Mena region. Furthermore, experts will explore necessary actions and collaborative efforts needed to support the adoption of electric mobility, with a particular emphasis on EV technology, charging infrastructure and regulatory frameworks. It will feature representatives from leading institutions, including Abdulaziz Tawfeeqi, Director of Development at Infracorp, while the session will be moderated by Kal Subramanian, Head of Markets at KPMG. Sustainable mobilility Laila Danesh, Managing Director of FinMark Communications, Founder and Organiser of the Forum, said: According to a recent study conducted by Deloitte, the EV market in the Mena region is expected to reach $7.65 billion by 2028, compared to $2.7 billion in 2023. This significant leap is evidence that sustainable mobility is on the rise. Experts will address the growth factors and challenges that greatly affect EV adoption, and will also discuss the solutions and investments needed to address them. Tawfeeqi commented: As a lead partner of the Sustainability Forum Middle East, Infracorp is committed to driving positive change and promoting initiatives that enhance local and regional sustainability. We are focused on supporting the growth of the infrastructure needed to promote the adoption of EVs and strive through signing our partnership with Solar One to enable EV charging in Bahrain Harbour, becoming the first residential community to provide charging stations that meet the needs of EV owners. We also seek, through our investments and development projects, to contribute to achieving carbon neutrality, as carbon neutrality in the field of mobility is considered one of the essential components of a greener future. Nawaf Khalid Al Zayani, Managing Director of First Motors, said: The rapid growth of the EV market in Bahrain and the region represents an exciting opportunity for our industry to play an important leadership role in supporting the governments carbon emissions reduction targets. Key component Our customers are embracing electric mobility, and we are working hard to provide them with a range of options to help them make the transition. The rise of EVs is a key component of sustainable mobility, and we look forward to collaborating with stakeholders to exchange views and ideas on how to accelerate their adoption. The Forum is supported by a group of partners committed to regional climate action, including ABC Bank and Infracorp as lead partners, strategic partners like Tamkeen, Bapco Energies and Standard Chartered Bank, as well as forum partners such as APM Terminals Bahrain, ASRY, Zubi and Partners, the Bahrain Ship Repairing and Engineering Company (BASREC), and the American Chamber of Commerce in Bahrain. Gulf Air Group serves as the official carrier, and media partners include Asharq Business with Bloomberg, BFT Media and OGN. Infracorp is a specialised company in investing in the infrastructure and sustainability development sector, with a capital of $1.2 billion. Infracorp manages a portfolio of nearly $3 billion in infrastructure assets, including a 250 million square feet land bank in the GCC, North Africa and South Asia, which is earmarked for sustainable economic and social infrastructure.--TradeArabia News Service The Soviet Union was known for its harsh methods of raising children. Corporal punishment, such as beating with a belt, was considered the norm, but unfortunately, it did not end there. ADVERTISIMENT Respect for elders, discipline, and obedience used to be a priority. OBOZ.UA has collected information on what methods of emotional and physical violence were used in the USSR to force children to conform to Soviet values. Physical punishment In the USSR, physical violence was considered the norm, because how else to make a child obey and comply. People confused fear with authority, so they considered beating to be an effective method of education. However, in reality, pain and humiliation only traumatized children, both physically and emotionally. Labor camps Particularly naughty children, so-called hooligans, and difficult teenagers were not only physically punished but also deprived of their right to rest. To prevent them from hanging around and to teach them to work, they were sent to labor camps for all summer vacations. ADVERTISIMENT It was believed that this fostered in children a love of work and endurance. Schoolchildren worked on a par with adults for a pittance and lived in terrible conditions. For example, in cowsheds, or in the gymnasium of a collective farm school. Public punishment In the USSR, students who broke the rules could be put in front of their classmates and, at best, scolded, and at worst, physically abused. In addition, it was considered the norm to publicly discuss a child's successes and failures and to provoke feelings of shame. It is not surprising that the older generation is still incredibly concerned about "What will people think?" ADVERTISIMENT It is forbidden to be different It was easier for the Soviet system to re-educate people than to try to create comfortable conditions for everyone and allow citizens to express their peculiarities. This even applied to the hand one could use to write. In the USSR, it was believed that one could not be left-handed. The whole society was oriented only towards right-handed people, so children who were more comfortable using their left hand to write were re-educated from an early age. For example, they would hit the "wrong" hand or tie it to a chair. Psychological violence Unfortunately, even today you can meet parents who treat their children incorrectly, but in the USSR this phenomenon was much more common. Back then, even in intelligent families, you could hear shouting, obscene language, and insults directed at a child. It was also common practice to compare children with their peers and negatively highlight their characteristics. ADVERTISIMENT Gender stereotypes Not only psychological traumas but also stereotypes have been passed on from the Soviet Union. "Don't cry like a girl," "Are you a little boy?", "Don't embarrass me." Probably all boys heard these and other humiliating phrases back then. They were not allowed to show their emotions because they could be punished for it. At the same time, girls heard phrases like "Well, you're a girl," "A girl should be neat," and so on. Today, people understand that boys can also be sad or offended, and girls also like to run around and be naughty, but these Soviet attitudes still reinforce gender inequality in society. ADVERTISIMENT Subscribe to OBOZ.UA channels in Telegram and Viber to keep up with the latest events. Viewed 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. First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska has arrived in the UK. There, she has already met with the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Lord David Cameron, the Minister of Health and Social Care, Victoria Atkins, and visited the Amazon Web Services (AWS) EMEA headquarters in London. Traditionally, the President's wife's stylists have chosen a striking outfit for important international events. ADVERTISIMENT As always, Zelenska's look managed to combine classic severity, which conveys the seriousness of her intentions, with elegance, which adds the right amount of softness and femininity. The first lady shared photos from her trip on her Telegram channel. It's no secret that the clothes of politicians, first ladies, or influencers are another important aspect of diplomacy. Quite often, the nuances of an outfit, including symbolic jewelry, can say much more than words. That is why Zelenska was seen in the UK wearing a checkered shirt. As you know, the plaid print has Scottish roots. This simple pattern was typical for the clothes of British aristocrats, kings, and lords. ADVERTISIMENT In this way, Zelenska has paid tribute to the long history of the UK and demonstrated her respect for the traditions of the United Kingdom. So, the first lady of Ukraine chose a restrained checkered shirt in black and white colors made of thick fabric. A voluminous bow was formed around the throat. It was reported that this was a product from the world-famous Saint Laurent brand. ADVERTISIMENT Zelenska integrated the shirt in tandem with a classic black suit. It consisted of a fitted jacket and palace pants, one of the most popular trends of recent seasons. The belt with a golden buckle made the waist more expressive. Under the wide trousers, you could see black pumps, also in black. ADVERTISIMENT Zelenska did not change her traditional neutral makeup in peachy shades without flashy accents. Her voluminous, straight hair, styled to one side, also harmoniously fit into the overall picture. Minimalistic, but at the same time very catchy gold earrings were a good addition. ADVERTISIMENT As OBOZ.UA wrote, earlier Olena Zelenska welcomed her colleague, the first gentleman of Denmark, Bo Tengberg, the husband of the current Danish president, Mette Frederiksen, to Kyiv. For the meeting, the wife of the Ukrainian guarantor once again chose a symbolic piece of jewelry. This time it was a rare vintage brooch in the form of a flower bud in the colors of the Ukrainian flag. Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Politicians are fuming that a modular homes plan for the county was not discussed with them. It is understood that plans are being discussed to install 167 modular homes in Roscommon Town, Boyle and Ballaghaderreen to provide accommodation for 686 Ukrainian refugees. On Wednesday the Roscommon Herald revealed that the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA), which provides a range of professional services to the local government sector, provided the proposals to Roscommon County Council. Four sites two in Roscommon Town and one each in Boyle and Ballaghaderreen - have been identified for the installation of these modular units. It is beyond frustrating that elected representatives read about these plans in the local newspaper and were not informed by the Local Government Management Agency (LGMA) when such proposals were issued to Roscommon County Council yesterday, said Deputy Claire Kerrane. I understand the LGMA are now seeking feedback from the council, which is fine but they should also be engaging and seeking feedback from elected representatives, stressed the Sinn Fein TD. I raised this issue on the floor of the Dail today with the Tanaiste. I made it clear to him that it is unacceptable that elected representatives are left on the back foot on such a proposal and I have asked him to ensure that the LGMA share their plans with elected representatives and seek our feedback. I along with my colleague Cllr Michael Mulligan have been in contact with the council today and we are awaiting further information, which the council have said will be circulated to us in a note today. We will continue to keep the public updated as and when we have information, said Deputy Kerrane. Deepika Padukone Pregnancy Confirmed, Actor Ranveer Singh Shares Post Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh have announced that they are soon going to welcome a baby soon. Deepika Padukone Pregnancy, Due Date, and Delivery News: Well, the rumours are all confirmed as Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone and actor Ranveer Singh are all set to welcome a baby in their lives, the duo announced on social media on Thursday. Notably, there were several rumours that Deepika Padukone was pregnant, however, there was no confirmation from the couple's side. However, it has now turned true as Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh have announced that they are soon going to welcome a baby soon. Advertisement In the meanwhile, a lot of people searched for news related to Deepika Padukone's due date and delivery update. Well, the duo has informed, on social media, that they are expecting their child in the month of September. (For more news apart from Deepika Padukone Pregnancy, Due Date, and Delivery News, stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman) Aman Tiger Gifted to Ludhiana Zoo by Chhatbir The male Tiger (Aman) has been a cherished member of our Chhatbir zoo family Aman Tiger News: Chhatbir Zoo on February 27, announced the successful exchange of one of its beautiful tigers with Ludhiana Zoo, in accordance with the guidelines set forth by the Central Zoo Authority (CZA). The tiger being exchanged is named Aman. This exchange aligns with our dedication to us contributing to efforts in tiger conservation and promoting genetic diversity among captive populations, the release said. Advertisement The male Tiger (Aman) has been a cherished member of our Chhatbir zoo family, who was born at Kanpur Zoo on July 2012, whose sire and dam was Abhay and Trush which were later exchanged by Chhatbir Zoo on Feb 2015 in an animal exchange programme, the statement added. Since Aman is a proud member of the Chhatbir Zoo family. He and her mate named Diya has successfully bred and raised many litters and we are confident that Ludhiana Zoo will provide an excellent environment for its continued growth, it further said. The Chhatbir Zoo authority also extended their gratitude to the Central Zoo Authority for their guidance and support. Advertisement We believe that this collaborative effort will contribute to the welfare and preservation of this endangered species, the release mentioned. (For more news apart from Aman Tiger News, stay tuned to Rozana Spokesman) At the end of February, the creative team of the feature film BUCHA completed a two-month tour of the United States, whose work was presented as part of the Art Against Propaganda project and at events marking the second anniversary of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine unbroken: 2 years of strength. ADVERTISIMENT Private screenings took place in eight cities across the US: in Washington, DC at the Ukrainian House; in New York at Columbia University, the Ukrainian Institute of America, and the Harvard Club; in Los Angeles at the Ukrainian Cultural Center; in Salt Lake City during the Sundance Film Festival; in New Jersey at the Cambridge Club House; in Philadelphia, San Diego, and Boston. The honored guests of the events were Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the UN Serhii Kyslytsia, Ambassador Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to the United States Oksana Markarova, William Taylor American diplomat, human rights activist, and author Mitzi Perdue, President of the Ukrainian Institute of America Katie Nalyvaiko, representatives of the Institute of Peace, film director Rob Nilsson (Northern Lights), William Goldstein American composer, winner of three Emmy nominations and a Grammy nomination, Semen Dukach Managing Director of Techstars, also known as a leading business angel, U.S. congressmen, representatives of business, local agencies and the general public who have supported Ukraine in its fight against the aggressor for two years and continue to express their support. ADVERTISIMENT The events were also attended by wounded Ukrainian soldiers who are in the United States receiving medical care for prosthetic limbs and rehabilitation. The screenings were organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Institute of America in partnership with the Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the United Nations, the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, the Blue and Yellow Foundation, the Leonid Foundation and the Deneeze marketing agency. The screening of the film BUCHA aroused great interest in the American media: CNN, Forbes, TIME, New York Times, Vox, Financial Times, Daily Mail, Newsmax, USA Today, WSJ, Foreign policy, whose journalists and correspondents attended the events. ADVERTISIMENT In his opening remarks at the event in New York, Serhii Kyslytsia reflected on the importance of Ukrainian unity in this time of war: "Today, as we gather in this important center of Ukrainian culture and history in New York, we are also reminded of the harsh realities at home with tonight's screening of the film Bucha. This film is a harrowing portrayal of the atrocities and suffering inflicted during the Russian invasion. It serves as a vivid reminder of why our unity and resolve are more critical than ever." Katie Nalyvaiko, President of the Ukrainian Institute of America, welcomed the guests and said: "We are honored to be working with Oleksandr Shchur and his team to bring BUCHA to New York. I have to say that I've seen it before, and you will be amazed. You will be on the edge of your seat and you will probably never forget many of the scenes in this movie." ADVERTISIMENT "There is nothing more important at our event than encouraging people to express their support for Ukraine," said William Taylor, American diplomat, 6th Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States to Ukraine, Charge d'Affaires of the United States to Ukraine. The events included meetings with Oleksandr Shchur, producer and screenwriter of the film, Stanislav Tiunov, director of the film, Cezary Lukaszewicz, Polish actor, and lead actor, and Heide Rizayeva, representative of the GUR, who curated Konstantin, the prototype of the film's protagonist. The guests participated in a panel discussion on countering Russian propaganda. In addition, charity auctions were held, featuring exclusive items donated by the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine and Zampotech volunteers, lots from the Armed Forces Command, and other war artifacts to raise funds for the Ukrainian military. ADVERTISIMENT "We have two main goals. The first one is to counter Russian propaganda all over the world, "says Oleksandr Shchur, scriptwriter and producer of the film BUCHA. Cinema is one of the most powerful tools for delivering messages to the world. If someone thinks that everyone in Europe and the United States knows exactly what happened in Ukraine and believes only us, then unfortunately, they are deeply mistaken. The Russians have already filmed and are showing the propaganda films "Azovstal. Liberation" and "Witness" with their version of the events in Mariupol and Bucha. The world will likely see enough Russian films and accept their narratives. We have to tell the truth! ADVERTISIMENT Our second goal is to honor the memory of the victims. While working on the script, we met with all the characters or relatives of the victims. And the first thing we asked them was whether they would mind telling their story for the movie and whether such a movie is needed. And they all answered: "Yes, we want the whole world to know about it." Stanislav Tiunov, the director of BUCHA: "This film changes people, their thoughts, their worldview. We see all this during the private screenings of the film. Everyone sees something different and everyone will not remain indifferent. I recommend everyone to watch it and just feel it." ADVERTISIMENT The movie BUCHA is a feature drama based on real events. The protagonist is a foreigner who decided to fight evil in the country that has become his home. The plot of the film is based on the events that took place in the cities of Bucha, Vorzel, and Gostomel during the Russian occupation in February-March 2022. The film will tell the story of the rescue of residents by Konstantin Gudauskas, a citizen of Kazakhstan who was granted asylum in Ukraine and lived in Bucha. Since the beginning of the Russian invasion, thanks to his Kazakh passport, he has been able to travel to the territory occupied by Russian troops and evacuate civilians. Konstantin not only saves people but also sees the horror of war and occupation with his own eyes. ADVERTISIMENT The main roles in the movie "BUCHA" were played by the famous Polish theater and film actor Cezary Lukaszewicz and the star of Ukrainian cinema Vyacheslav Dovzhenko. Bucha was made with money from private investors and no public funds. The film will premiere in Ukraine in September this year. You can follow the news and the filming process on Facebook, Instagram and the official website of the film bucha.film. Healthcare services company Tenet Healthcare Corp. (THC) announced Thursday it entered into a definitive agreement with Adventist Health for the sale of two Tenet hospitals and related operations in San Luis Obispo County. Tenet also announced its Conifer Health Solutions subsidiary will enter into an agreement to provide revenue cycle services for Adventist Health. Conifer to provide services for over $3.5 billion in net revenue. The transaction will include Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center and Twin Cities Community Hospital, as well as affiliated physician practices and other related operations. The agreement is for approximately $550 million (after-tax proceeds of approximately $450 million). The transaction is expected to be completed in the spring of 2024, subject to customary regulatory approvals, clearances, and closing conditions. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News Anheuser-Busch (BUD), the parent company of Budweiser, has reached an agreement with the Teamsters union to boost wages, vacation days and pension contributions. The union, representing 5,000 Anheuser-Busch workers, earlier threatened a strike at the company's 12 brewery plants in the U.S. if a five-year agreement is not reached by 11:59 p.m. EST Thursday. However, both the parties reached an agreement on late Wednesday, which would soon be shared among the workers before presenting for a ratification vote next week. "Our people are our greatest strength, and we are incredibly pleased to have reached a tentative agreement that continues to recognize the talent, dedication, and hard work of our teams, while also positioning the company for long-term success," Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth said. The significant points discussed in the agreement were job security and a $2,500 ratification bonus for all workers, a wage increase of $8 per hour, restoration of retirement benefits for current and former workers, and an end to two-tier care plans. "This tentative agreement builds even further upon our existing industry-leading package of wages, healthcare, and retirement benefits, and it includes significant commitments to job security," the brewing company spokesperson said. "As America's leading brewer, we take great pride in providing the best jobs in the beer industry and we look forward to formal ratification in the days ahead." The union said that the workers were angered by the company's notice earlier this month, which proposed lay-offs and closure of breweries as Anheuser-Busch is experiencing a decline in beer sales in the U.S. The company's shipments to the U.S. wholesalers dropped 13.8 percent in 2023, according to Beer Marketer's Insights. In a similar scenario, 420 Teamsters union workers are on strike at a Molson Coors brewery in Fort Worth, Texas. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission initiated a probe into OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's internal communications to check whether the company's investors were misled, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal. The report stated that the agency had asked current and former OpenAI officials and directors to submit internal records and had subpoenaed the company in December. The agency's move comes after the company decided to fire Sam Altman from the CEO position citing that, "he was not consistently candid in his communications with the board, hindering its ability to exercise its responsibilities". A report from Bloomberg stated that Altman's pattern of behavior, rather than a single egregious action, had caused the board to lose trust in him. Several other reports claimed that Altman's fundraising for an outside chip venture, seeking funding from the Middle East and a dispute with former board member Helen Toner over a research paper, also created tensions within the company. However, Altman returned to his former position within days of his ouster, along with a new board which included former Salesforce co-CEO Bret Taylor as chair. Bret Taylor, the chair of OpenAI's board, commented earlier, "While the review is ongoing, the board will continue to take steps to strengthen OpenAI's corporate governance, build a qualified and diverse board of exceptional individuals, and oversee OpenAI's important mission in ensuring that artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity." The Microsoft-backed company valued at more than $80 billion, is also facing investigation from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, which is looking into the AI investments in all the tech firms. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News The RU120 formation on the Great Field [Pic credit: RMR] By The Division of Communication and Advancement At precisely 15h30 on 23 February, 2024, a historic anniversary drone picture was taken as the bright African summer sun smiled down on hundreds of gleeful and cheering students and staff members huddled at the Great Field in a spectacular RU120 formation. It was a breathtaking and unrehearsed cultural display commemorating the Universitys 120 incredible years of scholarly excellence, a testament to its storied heritage and legacy, and a symbol of unity and burgeoning pride among all participants. Apart from the enthusiasm, the occasion, a highlight in the RU120 project calendar, also displayed the distinctive Rhodes University spirit, commitment, and resilience. People started gathering in the early afternoon under the scorching sun, meticulously positioning themselves to form the letters and numbers representing a significant milestone in the institution's history. Their energy on the sun-kissed field was palpable, motivated by chirpy cheerleaders. Every participant played their part, adding colour and flavour to the occasion with synchronised chants, spontaneous singing, occasional dramatic dance moves, and cartwheeling. In the build-up, the air on the soon-to-be-renamed field is thick with anticipation. As the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sizwe Mabizela, RU120 Project Sponsor, Prof Peter Clayton, Registrar, Prof Adele Moodly, and senior staff members entered, all dressed in purple branded attire, the cheering reached a crescendo. They joined in, slotting neatly in the formation. This act of joining the students and staff in the formation is characteristic of the Rhodes University spirit. Perhaps owing to its small size and the deep sense of community, the University has a unique culture of shared solidarity and warmth among all its community members. The drone started buzzing through the clear sky above, recording footage that would etch this day into the annals of the institution's proud history, and the noise levels reached new and stunning levels. The symbolism of animated students and staff members shouting happily at the top of their voices was a fitting display of humanity, unity and collective pride. The moment even transcended the immediate celebration, promising to inspire something about the future of the institution's community and the true South African national pride egged by young people united in their colourful diversity. It stirred something unforgettable and desirable. A well-deserved treat for all participants followed the successful event. In the spirit of fellowship and celebration, everyone was treated to boerewors rolls and soft drinks, adding a communal and festive atmosphere to the day. It was a fitting end to a special gathering in which something unique, memorable, and deeply symbolic was achieved. Professor Magadla receives her award (pic: supplied) The Division of Communication and Advancement In a remarkable achievement, Professor Siphokazi Magadla from the Department of Political and International Studies at Rhodes University, has been awarded the inaugural Helen Milner Award. This accolade was presented by the Social Science Research Council (SSRC) on 31 January 2024 at its Next Generation Social Sciences in Africa (NextGen) and African Peacebuilding Network (APN) Writing and Dissemination Workshop in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and marks a significant recognition of Professor Magadla's dedication and contribution to the field of peace, security, and development in Africa. Helen Milner is the B. C. Forbes Professor of Politics and International Affairs at Princeton University recognised for her contributions to the study of international relations, particularly in the areas of international trade, the role of information and domestic politics in foreign policy, and global governance. Upon receiving this prestigious award, Professor Magadla expressed profound joy and elaborated on the significance of the award, emphasising that it "affirms my belief about paying forward the kind of support that I received from this programme from academic mentors and the community of scholars that met I through this fellowship." Her words reflect a deep appreciation for the communal aspect of academic work, highlighting the importance of mentorship and collaboration in the scholarly journey. Professor Magadla's engagement with the SSRC's programmes dates back to her participation in the second cohort of the Next Generation Social Sciences in Africa programme in 2013-2014. This fellowship played a pivotal role in her academic journey, allowing her to conduct extensive fieldwork for her PhD, which laid the foundation for her book Guerrillas and Combative Mothers: Women and the Armed Struggle in South Africa. Since completing her PhD, Professor Magadla has been actively involved in the programme as a mentor, contributing significantly to the development of over 100 fellows since 2011. Her work with doctoral candidates across various African countries, such as Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Ghana and South Africa, exemplifies her commitment to nurturing the next generation of scholars in her fields. The award acknowledges Professor Magadla's specific contributions as an academic mentor, where she has facilitated discussions among fellows, guiding them through seminal texts and helping them position their work within both local and global literature. Her role extends beyond workshops, as she continues to support fellows through literature reviews and feedback on their chapters. Professor Magadla's recognition as the first recipient of the Helen Milner Award is a dual honour. She is both the first individual ever to receive this award and the first alumna and mentor of the NextGen programme to be honoured in this way. This distinction underscores the significance of her achievements and her invaluable contribution to the academic community. In celebrating Professor Siphokazi Magadla's accomplishment, we are reminded of the power of mentorship, the value of academic collaboration, and the impact of dedicated scholarship on peace, security, and development in Africa. Her work exemplifies the essence of the Helen Milner Award, and her recognition sets a high standard for future recipients. When compared to top-spec V1 Pro, Hero Vida V1 Plus launched costs Rs. 30,000 less and packs almost similar specs and performance In a strategic move, Hero MotoCorp has re-launched Vida V1 Plus in India for an attractive price of Rs. 1.15 lakh (including subsidy and portable charger) in most states. This makes Vida V1 Plus a tempting proposition to rival the likes of Ather 450S, Ola S1 Air and S1 X+ along with TVS iQube, Bajaj Chetak and Simple Dot One. 2024 Hero Vida V1 Plus Launched At Rs. 1.15 Lakh Indian 2W electric industry has been reaching new heights thanks to more buyers gravitating towards greener mobility solutions. However, 2W juggernaut, Hero MotoCorp, had to navigate through multiple hurdles to launch their EV under a separate Vida sub-brand. The launch did happen and faced crushing criticism for being priced above expectations. Earlier last year, Hero revised its pricing strategy and launched Vida V1 Pro at a reasonable Rs. 1.4 lakh effective price (including central subsidy). Various state governments offer added subsidy, bringing the effective price even lower. Vida V1 Plus was discontinued, making top-spec V1 Pro the sole offering under Vida brand. Fast-forwarding to 2024, Hero MotoCorp has re-launched Vida V1 Plus at Rs. 1.15 lakh effective price (including FAME II central subsidy and portable charger). Pound to pound, 2024 Vida V1 Plus is Rs. 30,000 less expensive than top-spec Vida V1 Pro. This is a tempting proposition for buyers as the entry point to Vida lineup is now a lot more affordable than what was quoted at launch. Many States & UT Governments offer further subsidies to EVs. For example, Delhi residents can get Vida V1 Plus at an effective price of under Rs. 1 lakh. Rs. 97,800, to be precise. Other than Delhi, a few other States and UTs offer state-level subsidies as well, to take some burden off buyers for a faster adoption of electric mobility. Differences between V1 Plus and V1 Pro There are not a lot of differences between Hero Vida V1 Plus launched and top-spec Vida V1 Pro. Both share similar styling cues along with seating ergonomics and other componentry. V1 Plus and V1 Pro also share their technology and feature a 7-inch touchscreen dashboard. Top speed is the same at 80 km/h with both scooters as well. Differences lie around a few attributes to justify added price increment for top-spec Vida V1 Pro over Vida V1 Plus. For starters, V1 Pro packs a larger 3.94 kWh battery pack promising 110 km of range from a single charge. Whereas, V1 Plus has a smaller 3.44 kWh battery promising 100 km range. Despite having the same 6 kW electric motor, V1 Pro is 0.2 seconds quicker. As opposed to the 237 bhp 3.6L V6 petrol engine, the new Hyundai Staria Hybrid launched, packs 242 bhp combined output In recent times, there has been a growing embrace of premium minivans, particularly those bearing a luxury designation. A notable example is the Hyundai Staria which is available in various markets worldwide. Hyundai, the South Korean brand, has recently enhanced the Starias powertrain and introduced additional features for the model year 2024. Hyundai Staria Hybrid Launched In Hyundais van/minivan/MPV lineup, Staria is positioned above Stargazer MPV, which is more of an Ertiga rival. Staria, however, plays with the big boys owing to its positioning and dimensions. It is close to 5.3m long MPV that gets up to a 3.5L V6 petrol engine along with a 2.2L turbo diesel engine. MY2024 Staria Hybrid is now launched in South Korea. Now, Hyundai has updated Starias powertrain lineup and has included a Hybrid option. Just like before, Staria is on sale in three main umbrellas Cargo, Tourer and Lounge. Further breakdown reveals Hyundai is offering this Hybrid powertrain with Cargo 3-Seater, Cargo 5-Seater, Tourer 9-Seater, Tourer 11-Seater, Lounge Prestige 9-Seater, Lounge Inspiration 9-Seater and Lounge Inspiration 7-Seater trims. Pricing for Staria Hybrid Cargo starts from KRW 34,330,000 (approx Rs. 21.33 Lakh) for 3-Seater and KRW 35,130,000 (approx Rs. 21.83 Lakh) for a 5-Seater. Staria Tourer Hybrid starts from KRW 36,530,000 (approx Rs. 22.7 Lakh) for 9-Seater and 11-Seater. Staria Lounge Hybrid starts from KRW 41,100,000 (approx Rs. 25.54 Lakh) for Prestige 9-Seater and goes till KRW 46,140,000 (approx Rs. 28.7 Lakh) for Inspiration 7-Seater. Recently, Hyundai Staria was spotted in India donning Blue registration plates. These Blue plates are given to diplomats vehicles, suggesting South Korean delegates. This shows the appeal of Hyundai Staria among elites. The top-spec Inspiration 7-Seater is very popular as a premium and luxurious VIP mobile. There is a caravan version of Staria too, showing the platforms versatility. What does it pack? Roughly speaking, Hyundai Staria is Hyundais counterpart of Kia Carnival which is set to launch in India soon. Both Staria and Carnival are based on Hyundai-Kia N3 platform which is predominantly FWD with optional AWD. Staria carries similar design DNA that we saw with the Verna sedan. Side glass area is massive and Staria has sliding doors, typical of minivans. Feature additions with MY2024 Staria Hybrid includes a slightly redesigned smart key and a new Type-C socket. The new Hybrid powertrain mated to a 1.6L Turbo Petrol engine is the star of this MY2024 update. Turns out, this is the most powerful spec for Staria too, despite there being a 237 bhp 3.5L V6 option in the mix. The new Turbo Hybrids combined output includes 242 bhp of peak power and 367 Nm peak torque. Engine output is 177 bhp and 265 Nm and electric motor has 72 bhp and 304 Nm. Fuel efficiency claims include 13 km/l, which is not bad considering this is a 5.3m long vehicle weighing close to 2.5 tonnes. Hyundai Staria is never likely to launch in India. Possibilities of Kia India bringing this Turbo Petrol Hybrid powertrain to our shores with 4th Gen Carnival facelift are close to zero as well. Question is, will this 1.6L Turbo Petrol Hybrid make it to Carnival in markets like the USA? Elon Musk's startup Neuralink is designed to help people with disabilities feel fulfilled. However, the project has recently faced harsh criticism from the scientific community. ADVERTISIMENT Inverse talked to Neuralink about the potential risks associated with installing a small chip directly into the brain and the ethical issues it has faced. Neuralink has developed a chip called N1, which is to be placed in the part of the human brain that controls movement. The device records and processes electrical activity and then transmits this data to a phone or computer. Thanks to this, people with paralyzed limbs can be able to control technology. But in practice, everything is not as carefree as in theory. Animal cruelty In 2022, the US Department of Agriculture investigated animal cruelty at Neuralink. This happened after the company's employees accused it of numerous failed procedures in pursuit of results. At the time, the inspection did not reveal any violations, but it became known about a so-called "adverse surgical event" in 2019. Neuralink reported it on its own. ADVERTISIMENT Insecurity of information Neuralink will collect a huge amount of data on users' neural activity. Questions arise about how this data will be protected and who will have access to it. All scientists and ethicists are particularly concerned about the possibility of identity theft, password hacking, and blackmailing patients. Risks Implantation of the Neuralink chip requires a risky surgical operation involving opening the skull. In addition, scientists are concerned that if the implanted device fails, it will be incredibly expensive, difficult, and dangerous to repair Loss of funding It's possible that brain-computer synthesis will indeed improve the lives of people with disabilities, but no one is immune to unforeseen situations. ADVERTISIMENT If the project ceases to exist due to loss of funding, the consequences for patients who have already tried this technology could be devastating. This raises acute questions about whether it is ethical to provide access to breakthrough medical projects at such an early stage. Social inequality One of the most important ethical issues related to Neuralink is justice. Elon Musk has said that his goal is to help humanity, including healthy people, "keep up" with artificial intelligence. However, there is a high probability that only wealthy people will be able to afford to implant a chip in their brains, which will increase social inequality. Subscribe to OBOZ.UA channels in Telegram and Viber to keep up with the latest events. More than 20 martyrs as result of enemy's targeting Palestinians waiting for aid to arrive in western Gaza More than 20 martyrs as result of enemy's targeting Palestinians waiting for aid to arrive in western Gaza GAZA Feb 29. 2024 (Saba) - On Thursday, more than 20 Palestinian citizens were killed, and dozens were wounded, by the bullets of the Zionist enemy forces, west of Gaza City, north of the Gaza Strip. The Palestinian News Agency said that the enemy forces opened fire machine guns towards thousands of citizens from the northern Gaza Strip, specifically from Gaza City, Jabalia and Beit Hanoun, who were waiting for the arrival of trucks loaded with humanitarian aid, on the coastal road "Harun al-Rashid" in the Sheikh Ajleen area, west of Gaza City, which led to the death of more than 20 of them and the injury of dozens. It added that large numbers of wounded were transferred to Al-Shifa Hospital, noting that these numbers exceed the ability of the medical staff to deal with these cases, and a number of the bodies of the martyrs and the injured were transferred to Al-Maamadani hospitals in Gaza City, and Kamal Adwan in Jabalia, in the northern Gaza Strip. In the Zeitoun neighborhood, southeast of Gaza City, enemy warplanes bombed entire residential blocks over the heads of their inhabitants, resulting in dozens of martyrs and wounded, while ambulances and civil defense vehicles were unable to reach the targeted area, due to the intensity of the shelling. The Gaza Strip, which has been subjected to continuous Zionist aggression by land, sea and air since the seventh of October, is living in very difficult humanitarian conditions, amounting to famine. E.M resource : Saba Facebook Facebook Twitter Twitter Whatsapp Whatsapp Telegram Telegram Email Email Print Print [29/February/2024] A La Costa residents ongoing battle with his homeowners association has reached new heights since he put signs in his front window protesting the presidents immigration policy. Patrick Foley has two rectangular printed signs, about 30 inches across, taped to the inside of the glass. In The Name Of Humanity, Stop Terrorizing Immigrant Children, reads the top sign, with #TrumpPenceMustGo and RefuseFascism.org in smaller type. Advertisement Beneath that sign, a second, slightly smaller one reads, No matter where you are from, were glad youre our neighbor, in English, Spanish and Arabic. In July, Foley received a letter from the La Costa Valley Master Association telling him, It appears there is an unauthorized sign in the window. Please remove the signs immediately, the letter states, and it cites a subsection of the associations codes, covenants and restrictions. The letter is from Linda Anderson of the homeowners associations management company. She did not return messages or an email to her office this week. Foley wrote a letter late in July disputing the associations authority over his signs. He has no plans to remove them, he said this week. The associations CC&Rs only prohibit commercial signs, not political signs, he said, and he considers the letter a form of harassment. Your continuing letters to me concerning violations based on absurdly written sections of the CC&Rs are a source of amusement for my friends, neighbors and attorney, Foley states in his written response to Master Association and the board. A member of the associations board, Jay Varon, said Tuesday hed heard nothing about Foleys signs. A community manager has the authority to send out violation notices on any number of subjects, Varon said. Someone may have contacted the management company, he said, and that might have prompted the letter. However, it was unclear whether Foleys signs violated any rules. A persons freedom to express their opinion is strongly defended by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. I dont think theres anything wrong, Varon said. People are very passionate on both sides of the issue (of immigration). I suspect there must be neighbors that dont really like that stuff. Foley, 71, is a retired city administrator who says he worked in several communities across Southern California. Hes always had an anti-establishment bent, he said, and he was granted conscientious objector status by his draft board in 1970 during the Vietnam War. Once a week, he drives to El Cajon where, along with other volunteers, he tutors young immigrants in history, English and public speaking. Hes lived in La Costa more than 20 years, and its not the first notice he received from his homeowners association, he said. Hes been threatened with punitive action before, but so far no formal action has been taken. Not long ago, he received a letter from the management company demanding that he remove a tree in his yard that was dropping leaves onto a neighbors yard. He said he disputed that letter on the grounds that trees throughout the community, many on common property owned by the association, drop leaves onto residents property. Foley has had political signs in his window for years. Most of them protested the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, under Democratic as well as Republican presidents. He hung an upside-down American flag from the eave of his home for a while to protest the war in Iraq. Eventually, the flag was stolen by someone who also apparently egged his house and left a note calling him a commie, he said, and he hasnt replaced the flag since then. He led a group of residents opposed to a chain-link fence, topped by barbed wire and razor wire that was installed around the communitys RV storage lot. Foley said it looked like an internment camp and that a block wall would have been better. The association removed the razor wire, but the barbed wire and fence remain. The ever-increasing national debate over immigration prompted his latest signs, he said. I am appalled at whats happening to those families at the border, Foley said. I was when Obama did it. Its not just Trump. He said hes happy to publicize his dispute with the board if thats what it takes to shine a light on the gross stupidity of the associations board and management company. Varon, the board member, said Foleys letter probably will be discussed at the boards monthly meeting in August. It sounds to me like his issue will be addressed, Varon said. Varon said he holds free speech in the highest regard, and the board could consult an attorney to determine the best course of action. philip.diehl@sduniontribune.com Twitter: @phildiehl The process of restoring the capital's buildings damaged by Russian missile attacks is underway in Kyiv. In the near future, the city will repair two buildings in the Holosiivskyi district that were heavily damaged by shelling on February 7. ADVERTISIMENT This was announced by Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klychko on the Kyiv TV channel. The work will be carried out after receiving the necessary expert opinions. "In the near future, the capital will restore the houses at 60 and 62 Akademika Zabolotnoho Street in Holosiivsky district, which were significantly damaged by the rocket attack on February 7. Two days after the tragedy, a preliminary examination report was ready. A detailed examination is currently underway, which will result in a project for the restoration of the buildings. Also, the city authorities will hold regular meetings with initiative groups of residents on the progress of the reconstruction," Klychko said. The Kyiv mayor also noted that the city authorities plan to raise an additional UAH 20 million from international partners for the house at 7 Mokra Street in Solomiansky district. It was damaged by a Russian attack in January this year. The building will be restored at the expense of the city budget, and the thermal modernization will be carried out with the help of partners. ADVERTISIMENT In total, about 20 residential buildings that were most affected by the shelling of Russian barbarians have been restored in the capital today - residents have already returned to their apartments. As reported by OBOZ.UA, it may take 6 to 12 months to repair a house in Kyiv's Solomyansky district damaged by Russian missile fragments. It is important that the affected apartment owners leave requests for restoration in the Diia app. Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and inViber. Do not fall for fakes! In the Russian city of Sochi, an emergency occurred with the enemy's Pantsir-S1 anti-aircraft missile system. Thus, the occupiers' air defense system, which was moving under police escort, overturned right in the middle of the road. ADVERTISIMENT The corresponding video was published by Ukrainian journalist Yurii Butusov on his Telegram channel. As noted, the Russian "Pantsir-S1" "laid down for combat duty" near the bridge over the Mamayka River. The video shows how the MLRS, after crossing the bridge, turns sharply and turns over onto the road. "The Russian Pantsir-S1, which was traveling under police escort, went on combat duty in Sochi, near the Mamayka bridge," the statement said. As a reminder, Ukrainian defenders have recently put out of action two more Pantsir-S1 anti-aircraft gun systems, praised by the Russians. Moreover, the occupiers suffered new losses not at the front, but in the Belgorod region. It is noteworthy that the cost of one such anti-aircraft system is approximately 10-15 million dollars. As reported by OBOZ.UA, the Ukrainian 3rd Assault Brigade drove the Russian occupiers out of Krasnohorivka in Donetsk region on February 28. The day before, the invaders had attacked the southeastern part of Krasnohorivka in "rolling attacks" and entered the city. In Krasnohorivka, the enemy had time to prepare for a long defense. ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Poland does not rule out a ban on imports of agricultural products, including grain, from Russia. To this end, the country's authorities plan to study the experience of Latvia, which has already imposed a corresponding embargo at the national level. ADVERTISIMENT This was stated by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk after a meeting with his Latvian counterpart, Evika Silina, Bloomberg reports. According to him, Poland will "carefully analyze" the consequences of Latvia's decision to ban the import of Russian food and does not exclude that it will take appropriate steps. It is noted that Tusk will discuss this issue with protesting Polish farmers at a meeting scheduled for February 29 in Warsaw. The Polish Prime Minister acknowledged that the problem of oversupply and "unequal" competition is related not only to trade with Ukraine but also to imports from Russia and Belarus. Tusk and Silinia also agreed to "join forces" to convince European leaders to take action against food imports "from the East." Earlier, Latvia had already explicitly demanded a ban on grain imports from Russia to the EU. ADVERTISIMENT Latvia's Minister of Agriculture Armands Krause said that food security in the region can be ensured by importing agricultural products from Ukraine. At the same time, the minister criticized the actions of Polish farmers on the border with Ukraine. "Everything that is imported from Russia can be imported from Ukraine. In this way (by banning imports from Russia - Ed.) we will support Ukraine, and not help Russia to feed its war machine... Now we have these difficulties on the (Polish - Ed.) border. We fully support Ukraine. From the point of view of the European Union, what is happening on the border is not clear," Krause said. The Ukrainian side has repeatedly spoken about the need to block supplies from Russia. This was recently mentioned by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. "For some reason, no one is talking about Russian grain entering the European market... For some reason, none of the European farmers are fighting against the grain that is entering the European market in huge volumes. One theme has been promoted that Ukraine is to blame for everything. This understanding exists at the level of these protesters," Kuleba said, referring to the Polish protests and the blockade of Ukraine's border. ADVERTISIMENT As OBOZ.UA reported earlier, Tusk said that the Polish authorities are ready to completely close the border with Ukraine and are negotiating with the Ukrainian side. At the same time, representatives of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine denied that such an issue had been raised at all. "It is too painful to stop even for a day the trade, which in annual terms amounts to $11.7 billion (and according to Polish statistics, even more). Not to mention transit, which is vital for Ukraine," explained Taras Kachka, Deputy Minister of Economy and Trade Representative of Ukraine. Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk's plan to completely close the border between Poland and Ukraine is unfavorable primarily to the former, as it is not just about agricultural products. And the overall trade balance shows that it is more profitable for Poland to trade with Ukraine than vice versa. In addition, it is not just the border between the two countries, but the border between Ukraine and the entire EU. And stopping this trade is unacceptable and unacceptable. ADVERTISIMENT Denys Marchuk, deputy chairman of the All-Ukrainian Agrarian Council, told OBOZ.UA. In connection with all this, he noted, closing the border is impossible. "Firstly, in the context of possible imports of Polish products in Ukraine, it is not only agricultural products, and the trade balance shows that they trade more with Ukraine than Ukraine in Poland. Secondly, we have to understand that this is not a Ukraine-Poland border, it is a Ukraine-European Union border. Such actions will have a corresponding response from the European Union. Because we have to understand that trade between Ukraine and the European Union as a whole will stop," he explained. There will be consequences for everyone At the same time, Marchuk emphasized that the consequences of a possible border closure will be felt by everyone. Export-oriented businesses will suffer both in Ukraine and Poland. ADVERTISIMENT "The consequences are financial losses, additional detours. Additional detours mean logistics costs. Accordingly, the cost of imported and exported goods increases, and both parties bear the losses. Because their business is still at a standstill and they can't travel today," the expert explained. Ukraine will not experience critical problems At the same time, he noted that even if the border is completely closed, it will not be a critical blow to Ukraine. After all, only 5% of its grain is transported by land, while: 80% - by the Black Sea; 10% - by river ports on the Danube. "To dispel the myths of the Poles that they stop the products of Ukrainian holdings at the border, the holdings export them by sea. Small and medium-sized businesses can send 3-4 trucks," Marchuk explained. In addition, he noted, there is a possibility of bypassing Poland through Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania. Although this will entail additional costs, it is a way out. ADVERTISIMENT Why did Tusk talk about closing the border? In general, the expert noted, Polish Prime Minister Tusk's statement is most likely intended for the Poles themselves. Especially in light of the statement about the preparation to add sections of highways and railways leading to checkpoints on the border with Ukraine to the list of critical infrastructure facilities. "That is, to ensure that military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine can move without obstacles. Therefore, in this context, there was no need to talk about stopping the traffic. I think [the statement about closing the border] is more focused on the domestic consumer," the expert summarized. What Tusk said Earlier, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that the Polish authorities were ready to completely close the border with Ukraine. However, they are ready to take such a step with the consent of the Ukrainian side and only for a while. The blockade will apply only to freight transportation and will not affect passenger transport. ADVERTISIMENT "I am ready to make difficult decisions... We will find a solution that will protect our market and our farmers from this unequal competition... Tomorrow at this meeting we will look for a solution to the problem. We are talking to the Ukrainian side about the complete closure of the border with Ukraine and the complete closure of trade. I will also talk about this with Polish farmers. But this would be a temporary solution because it also hits Poland," Tusk said. He added that the Polish side is ready for a "serious conversation" on the limits for Ukrainian agricultural products. "The limits proposed by Brussels and Kyiv are unacceptable to us," Tusk said. According to him, the price of the decision on free trade with Ukraine is "too high from the point of view of Polish interests." "We have a very serious problem. We are the most pro-Ukrainian state when it comes to our willingness to help, but we also have the biggest problems in Europe related to the Russian-Ukrainian war. We are not in a position to pay this price, so we are looking for a solution that will protect the Polish market, as well as the European market, from being flooded with obviously cheaper agricultural products from Ukraine," Tusk said. ADVERTISIMENT Poland receives much more from Ukraine than it gives Earlier, Danylo Hetmantsev (Servant of the People), chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Finance, Taxation and Customs Policy, noted that by blocking the border, the Poles are "shooting themselves in the foot" - in 2023, Poland exported $12.3 billion worth of goods to Ukraine and imported $6.6 billion from Ukraine. "According to the Polish State Statistics Service, in 2023, Ukraine accounted for 3.2% of all merchandise exports from Poland. According to this indicator, we were in 7th place among our trading partners, overtaking the United States and such EU members as Spain, Slovakia, and Hungary. At the same time, the dynamics of growth of Polish exports to Ukraine in 2023 was the highest among the top ten countries that are the largest trading partners," the MP emphasized. ADVERTISIMENT Moreover, he noted, the actual balance of trade with Poland for Ukraine is much more negative than official statistics show "due to underestimation of imports." While Ukraine, "according to their statistics, is a bigger partner for Poland as an importing country." "In the case of blocking automobile customs crossings, this is a real shot in the foot. Because our bilateral trade in general is already more profitable for Poland, especially given the current asymmetric restrictions on our agricultural exports (where we have already agreed to compromises)," the MP stated. As reported by OBOZ.UA, Poles who support the farmers blocking the border with Ukraine are massively destroying Kujawski sunflower oil by pouring it down the toilet, filming it, and posting it online. They are doing this because the company that produces this oil, which has recently risen in price, is on the list of 500 companies that are supposed to import grain from Ukraine. As the protesters on the border themselves say, this is why Poles are getting poorer. ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! The water molecule is a key ingredient in the formation of planetary systems. Astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) have detected water vapor in the disk around the young star HL Tauri exactly where planets may be forming. Their analysis implies a stringent lower limit of 3.7 Earth oceans of water vapor available within the inner 17 astronomical units of the HL Tauri system. The water molecule is undoubtedly one of the most important molecular species in the whole Universe. Being an extremely efficient solvent, water had a key role in the emergence of life as we know it on our planet. For this reason, the chemical characterization of exoplanetary atmospheres is often focused on detecting this particular molecule. Formed by the common hydrogen and oxygen atoms, water plays a fundamental role in the physics of the formation of planetary systems, due to its very high abundance in both gaseous and icy forms. I had never imagined that we could capture an image of oceans of water vapor in the same region where a planet is likely forming, said Dr. Stefano Facchini, an astronomer at the University of Milan. The HL Tauri system is thought to be less than 100,000 years old and about 17.9 billion km in radius. It lies in the direction of the constellation of Taurus at a distance of 450 light-years. HL Tauris protoplanetary disk is unusually massive and bright, which makes it an excellent place to search for signs of forming planets. The new ALMA observations revealed at least three times as much water as in all of Earths oceans in the inner part of the disk. It is truly remarkable that we can not only detect but also capture detailed images and spatially resolve water vapor at a distance of 450 light-years from us, said Dr. Leonardo Testi, an astronomer at the University of Bologna. The spatially-resolved observations with ALMA allow astronomers to determine the distribution of water in different regions of the disk. Taking part in such an important discovery in the iconic HL Tauri disk was beyond what I had ever expected for my first research experience in astronomy, said Dr. Mathieu Vander Donckt, an astronomer at the University of Liege. Our recent images reveal a substantial quantity of water vapor at a range of distances from the star that include a gap where a planet could potentially be forming at the present time, Dr. Facchini said. This suggests that this water vapor could affect the chemical composition of planets forming in those regions. To date, ALMA is the only facility able to spatially resolve water in a cool planet-forming disk, said Professor Wouter Vlemmings, an astronomer at the Chalmers University of Technology. It is truly exciting to directly witness, in a picture, water molecules being released from icy dust particles, said Dr. Elizabeth Humphreys, an astronomer at ESO. The dust grains that make up a disk are the seeds of planet formation, colliding and clumping into ever larger bodies orbiting the star. Our results show how the presence of water may influence the development of a planetary system, just like it did some 4.5 billion years ago in our own Solar System, Dr. Facchini said. The findings were published in the journal Nature Astronomy. _____ S. Facchini et al. Resolved ALMA observations of water in the inner astronomical units of the HL Tau disk. Nat Astron, published online February 29, 2024; doi: 10.1038/s41550-024-02207-w On September 26, 2022, NASAs Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission successfully impacted Dimorphos, the natural satellite of the binary near-Earth asteroid Didymos. New numerical simulations indicate that the DART impact caused global deformation and resurfacing of Dimorphos. DART was a planetary defense mission to demonstrate the feasibility of using a kinetic impactor to change the trajectory of an asteroid. The impact was successful and highly effective, resulting in a reduction in Dimorphos orbital period around Didymos, which was initially 11 h and 55 min, by 33 min. The LICIACube Unit Key Explorer (LUKE) instrument onboard the cubesat captured images of the system between 29 and 320 s after impact to reveal filamentary streams of ejecta and other complex patterns that expanded for several km from the impact site. Moreover, the dramatic brightening of the Didymos system by solar illumination of released impact ejecta was observed by ground- and space-based telescopes for many weeks after the impact. In new research, University of Bern scientist Sabina Raducan and her colleagues modeled the DART impact with a state-of-the-art shock physics code, using realistic constraints on Dimorphos mechanical and compositional properties informed by DARTs first results. The simulations that were the closest match to observations of the impact suggest that Dimorphos is weak with a cohesive strength similar to the asteroids Bennu and Ryugu and has a lack of large boulders on its surface. The researchers suggest that Dimorphos may be a rubble pile formed from rotational shedding and re-accumulation of ejected material from Didymos. Their model also indicates that the DART impact may not have produced an impact crater but could have reshaped the moon in its entirety a process known as global deformation and caused resurfacing of Dimorphos with material from its interior. The findings offer additional insights into the formation and characteristics of binary asteroids and may have implications for future explorations, such as ESAs Hera mission, and asteroid deflection efforts. ESAs upcoming Hera mission may find a reshaped asteroid rather than a well-defined crater, the authors concluded. Their paper was published in the journal Nature Astronomy. _____ S.D. Raducan et al. Physical properties of asteroid Dimorphos as derived from the DART impact. Nat Astron, published online February 26, 2024; doi: 10.1038/s41550-024-02200-3 The Ukrainian Armed Forces eliminated Ivan Grishin, the father of Russian biathlete Anastasia Grishina. The occupier fought in the Avdiivka sector and held the rank of senior sergeant in the army of the terrorist state, taking direct part in the criminal war against our country. ADVERTISIMENT The head of the press service of the Russian Biathlon Union (RBU), Sergei Averyanov, wrote about this on his Telegram channel. According to him, Grishin participated in many of Russia's wars of aggression. A minute of silence will be observed before the start of the individual race at the Russian Cup in Ufa. "The girls' race of the Russian Cup will begin today with a minute of silence in memory of the father of Anastasia Grishina, a member of the Russian biathlon team. Staff Sergeant Ivan Grishin, who went through many hot spots, died a brave death near Avdiivka. He was 46 years old... My thoughts are with Nastya, her family, and friends..." Averyanov informed. ADVERTISIMENT As a reminder, after the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, the captain of the Ukrainian biathlon team, Dmytro Pidruchnyi, joined the ranks of the Armed Forces. The 30-year-old native of Ternopil spoke about his service in the National Guard. Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! On Thursday, February 29, at 11:00 a.m. Moscow time, Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin delivered a speech to the Federal Assembly. In his speech, the mad dictator expectedly spoke about the war in Ukraine. ADVERTISIMENT The address was broadcast on Russian federal channels. This year, it coincided with the presidential election campaign, so the dictator was particularly generous with his promises to Russians. Putin's main (most absurd) theses The dictator has already said how proud he is of the 10th anniversary of the "Russian Spring" and the occupation of Ukrainian Crimea. "We supported our brothers and sisters, their will to be with Russia. And this year is the 10th anniversary of the legendary 'Russian Spring'," Putin said. "The vast majority of the Russian people supported the special military operation. People are unwavering in this choice," the dictator said. ADVERTISIMENT "We preserved the unity of the country, did not allow it to be torn apart. Our homeland is defending its sovereignty and security, and the SVO was supported by the vast majority of our citizens. We did not start this war in Donbas. But, as I have repeatedly said, we will do everything to end it, to eradicate Nazism. To solve all the tasks of the World War II. To protect the sovereignty and security of our citizens. In this case, we are dealing with a state whose ruling circles are taking open hostile actions against us. Are they seriously going to discuss strategic stability with us? The West is trying to draw us into an arms race. Thus repeating the trick of the 1980s. Russophobia, like other racist ideologies, deprives one of reason. We need to work to build a new security contour for Eurasia. But without a sovereign and strong Russia, no world order is possible. ADVERTISIMENT There are problems in the army, but there is an understanding of how to solve them, and work is going on continuously at the front and in the rear. Sarmat ballistic missiles have been delivered to the troops, and we will soon demonstrate them. The Zirkon sea-based hypersonic strike system has already been used in combat, and it is already in service. Before the meeting, Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the Kremlin leader would make important statements for the country. "This can largely be considered an election program," he emphasized. The spokesman also added that Putin's speech will have an international part, but he will focus on "sovereigntization." According to Peskov, the message will last more than an hour. Earlier, a representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, Andrii Yusov, said on the air of a national telethon that Putin's address should not be expected to be "very new." ADVERTISIMENT "He has already told us his ideas about Russian, Ukrainian, and world history. There will be no news. Just another lie. Another propaganda. Work to continue zombifying his audience and maintain the remnants of the image of the same farce that is the election. Conceptually, it is difficult to imagine something very new," the Ukrainian intelligence official said. As reported by OBOZ.UA: The State Duma of the Russian Federation reported that Moscow is carefully considering all appeals of the "Congress of Deputies of Transnistria". Consultations will be held with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin on this issue. British intelligence has reported that the full-scale war that Russia has unleashed against Ukraine has affected its relations with other countries. Russia has lost influence over neighboring countries from the former Soviet Union, and it is no longer considered a guarantor of regional security but is now perceived as a threat to itself. ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Ryan Myers-Johnson. Ryan Myers-Johnson. Artina Carter. Visitors at the Huron-Clinton Metroparks. Marc Pasco. Skiers at the Huron-Clinton Metroparks. People participate in a Detroit Riverfront Conservancy yoga class. Huron-Clinton Metroparks staff lead a field trip. Danielle Mauter. Cyclists at Stony Creek Metropark. The LSSU FIRST robotics competition in action. A FANUC "cobot," a collaborative robot, is among the specialized robots from Fuji Automatic Numerical Control. Courtesy of Lake Superior State University UAE-based Thuraya Telecommunications Company has announced plans to launch its new smartphone with satellite connectivity for consumers and businesses. The Skyphone by Thuraya will be on display during the Mobile World Congress 2024 from February 26 to 29 in Barcelona. Thuraya, the mobile satellite services subsidiary of the UAEs flagship satellite solutions provider, Al Yah Satellite Communications Company, said that for the first time ever, users will be able to enjoy an every-day smartphone with satellite connectivity (calls and SMS) anywhere within the Thuraya footprint across Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia. The new smartphone is expected to be available through Thurayas distribution partners from September, it stated. This provides customers with the confidence that they can always remain connected, anywhere and anytime, thanks to its advanced dual-mode communication technology, it said. Whether the customer is in the heart of a bustling city, undertaking frequent overseas travel, trekking in remote areas, venturing through the desert, or sailing at sea, the Skyphone by Thuraya will help them stay connected, it added. Its advanced technology is based on the latest Android 14 operating system and features a Qualcomm Octa-core Kryo processor for high performance and speed. It is built to provide reliability with an IP67 rating, making the smartphone dust and waterproof, and has a 6.67 AMOLED display with Gorilla glass. The sleek design includes a retractable satellite antenna which is not visible when not in use and can be extended when activating satellite services. With three rear and one front integrated camera, the smartphone allows users to capture their most precious moments in high resolution. The Skyphone by Thuraya has two nano-SIM card slots for terrestrial and satellite connection, extending the coverage of its users to areas which are not covered by cellular towers. The smartphone can also be used with mobile operator SIM cards from any of the 370+ Thuraya Roaming Partners across over 170 countries worldwide. Ali Al Hashemi, Group Chief Executive Officer of Yahsat, said: The advanced capabilities of the Skyphone for multi-continent use, together with a consumer-friendly design, make it a significant disruptor in the smartphone sector. It has the form factor and features of a conventional smartphone, but with the added capability of universal satellite connectivity. Users need only to carry the Skyphone in order to remain connected anywhere, anytime. This opens new markets whether for adventure and business travel, or organisations in crisis-hit regions or isolated areas. The Skyphone is an integral part of our D2D strategy (Project SKY), a key pillar of Yahsats growth strategy that positions our company to unlock vast opportunities in this emerging market segment. The Skyphone by Thuraya supports terrestrial 5G, 4G, 3G, 2G frequency bands for worldwide cellphone coverage as well as two-thirds of the world via Thurayas satellite coverage across Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia. TradeArabia News Service The Ukrainian Air Alert app will now send warnings of increased danger in certain cities and communities. In the updated version 6.0, notifications about an approaching missile or drone will be sent additionally during the general alarm. ADVERTISIMENT Such announcements will allow people to be notified of the threat to their location. This is reported by the portal of the international technology company and Europe's largest manufacturer of security systems Ajax Systems. It is noted that in addition to the new alert, the Air Alert app has been updated with: adjusting the volume of the "Increased danger!" notification; notification if the "Increased danger!" messages stop coming. "Information about all types of danger is transmitted by responsible civil defense officers in the military regional administrations of Ukraine. Alarms are coordinated by the SES on duty," the developers explained. To receive additional threat notifications, you need to install the Air Alert app version 6.0. If it does not update automatically, you need to do it manually or reinstall it. The update is already available for iOS and Android users. ADVERTISIMENT According to a spokesperson for the Ukrainian Air Force, the updated app will now notify when missiles and drones enter Ukrainian airspace and the danger in the region where the user is located. "However, you should not look at the app as a panacea, nor should you pay attention to the general air raid alert, our warnings. After all, if ballistic missiles are flying, information may not always appear before the missile takes off," Ihnat said. The developers have also released a separate application Alert Map Widget that can be added to the phone screen for constant and convenient monitoring of the security situation. The widget can be downloaded via the links for iOS and Android users. ADVERTISIMENT The Airborne Alarm app was developed by Ajax Systems and Stfalcon with the support of the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine. It has been downloaded more than 26 million times and is actively used by more than 6 million users. It has become a convenient and reliable tool for informing about dangers in Ukraine. Currently, you can receive warnings about missile strikes, artillery shelling, street fighting, radiation and chemical threats, natural disasters, and important alerts from the Military Administration and Civil Defense of Ukraine. As OBOZ.UA reported, at the end of 2023, the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said that they had no plans to change the airborne alarm system during the takeoffs of Russian MiG-31s. These aircraft can be carriers of Kinzhal missiles, and our military does not always have data on whether a particular board is armed. ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Ocado said on Thursday that it swung back to an underlying profit in 2023 as its joint venture with M&S returned to profit. In the 53 weeks to 3 December 2023, group adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation came in at 51.6m, versus a loss of 74.1m a year earlier as Ocado Retail - its joint venture with Marks & Spencer - returned to a positive adjusted EBITDA of 10.4m from a 4m loss. Ocado made a pre-tax loss of 403.2m for the year, which was better than the 500.8m loss reported a year earlier and analysts expectations of 410m. Revenue was 9.9% higher at 2.8bn, with revenue in Technology Solutions up 44%, while Ocado Logistics and Ocado Retail saw increases of 1% and 7%, respectively. Chief executive Tim Steiner said: "I am pleased to report good progress across the group in 2023. Our technology is transforming the way people shop for food as we help some of the world's best and most innovative retailers set the bar for excellence in grocery ecommerce worldwide. "We opened three new state-of-the-art robotic CFCs; in Chiba city (near Tokyo) in Japan, Calgary in Canada, and Luton here in the UK and increased the amount of installed capacity for our clients by a quarter. We now have installed capacity at our retail partners for gross annual grocery sales of over 8bn. "Ocado Retail, our JV with M&S in the UK, has had significant success growing customer numbers, taking online grocery market share and rebuilding profitability, proving, once again, the attractions of our online model." Oncimmune reported revenue of 2.1m in its final results on Thursday, down from 3.8m for the prior extended 15-month period, with revenue from continuing operations totalling 1.2m. The AIM-traded firm said gross profit for the 12 months ended 31 August stood at 1.5m, compared to 1.8m, while gross profit from continuing operations was 0.8m. Administrative expenses decreased to 6.1m, with expenses for continuing operations amounting to 5m. Notably, profit after tax reached 4.1m, primarily due to a gain on disposal of 12.2m, despite a loss from continuing operations of 6.2m. The company's gross cash balance at the period end was 3.2m, and net debt stood at 2.1m following the disposal and partial repayment of the debt facility. On the operational front, Oncimmune noted the ongoing implementation of a new strategy announced in October, with four new projects signed since the beginning of the 2024 financial year, three of which involved major pharmaceutical companies. Revenue for 2024 was expected to reach 3m, representing a growth rate of 150% compared to the 2023 financial year. Progress towards the target was evident, with 75% of forecast 2024 revenue secured by the end of the first half. The board said the companys commercial team was nearing completion, with one additional hire expected in Europe during 2024. It anticipated revenue growth to accelerate towards the end of 2024 and beyond as the new commercial team gained traction. The new senior management team, in place for almost six months, had conducted a comprehensive review of the group's operational capability and cost base. They anticipated lower overheads in 2024, including costs associated with senior management. Moreover, new equity-based rewards for senior management were under consideration to align their interests more closely with those of the company's shareholders. Whilst 2023 has seen significant changes to the operations and management of Oncimmune, I remain encouraged and optimistic about the business outlook for 2024 and beyond, said chief executive officer Martin Gouldstone. During my first six months as CEO I, together with the rest of the senior management team, have carried out a root and branch review of the operations and financials of the business and have formulated a focused strategy to see the group reach revenues in its ImmunoINSIGHTS business not previously achieved. I have been pleased to see some of the strategies beginning to bear fruit and look forward to being able to report on more positive progress in the coming months. At 1326 GMT, shares on Oncimmune Holdings were up 6.41% at 21.81p. Reporting by Josh White for Sharecast.com. During his address to the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin once again threatened the entire civilized world with nuclear weapons. In addition, the war criminal boasted of the "successes" of the Russian occupation army. ADVERTISIMENT At the same time, Russian citizens were not particularly enthusiastic about the dictator's statements and reminded him of the huge losses in Ukraine. This was reported by Kremlin propaganda Telegram channels. During his speech, the dictator said that the troops have already received Sarmat ballistic missiles with a nuclear warhead. He added that Russia would soon demonstrate this strategic missile system. In response, Russians suggested that the Kremlin propaganda would make a cartoon about nuclear weapons. Citizens of the terrorist country also compared Putin's speech to clowning. ADVERTISIMENT In addition, the Russian Federation predicted that the Sarmat missiles would turn out to be as hyped as the Kinzhali missiles, which in fact do not meet the stated tactical and technical characteristics. The Kremlin assassin also boasted of the "successes" of the Russian occupation army and assured that work on fixing the problems was ongoing at the front and in the rear. The Russians responded that Putin has only paid lip service to understanding how to solve problems throughout his rule. The dictator was also reminded that dozens of Russian occupiers had recently been killed right on the training grounds. ADVERTISIMENT As a reminder, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has threatened "tragic consequences" if Western troops are sent to Ukraine. The Kremlin leader said that NATO troops would become "interventionists" in Ukraine. Earlier, Putin said that the Russian occupation forces used 3M22 Zircon missiles "in combat." According to experts from the Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise, on February 7, Russia struck Kyiv with this hypersonic missile. Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) and Eurobank have inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance cross-border payments utilizing the UPI platform. This collaborative effort, unveiled a week after Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis' visit to India and bilateral discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, aims to revolutionize international money transfers, focusing on simplifying remittances from Greece to India. The MoU signing ceremony took place at the Embassy of Greece in New Delhi, where Ritesh Shukla, CEO of NIPL, and Fokion Karavias, CEO of Eurobank, formalized the agreement in the presence of notable dignitaries, including Kostas Fragogiannis, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece, Maira Myrogianni, Secretary General for International Economic Affairs of Greece and Chairperson, Enterprise Greece, and Sanjay Tugnait, President and CEO of Fairfax Digital Services. The MoU establishes the groundwork for a strategic alliance, positioning both entities as key contacts to facilitate foreign inward remittance transactions from Greece to India. In accordance with the joint press release, this initiative aims to make Greece one of the pioneering European nations enabling quick and seamless remittances from the Indian diaspora in Greece to India using UPI rails. Fokion Karavias, CEO of Eurobank, highlighted that the strategic alliance aligns with Eurobank's commitment to becoming the preferred bank for Indian businesses looking to establish themselves in Greece or Cyprus, serving as an entry point for their EU franchise. Ritesh Shukla, CEO of NIPL, emphasized that the collaboration showcases the versatility and strength of UPI in the international financial landscape, paving the way for strengthening economic ties between India and Greece through enhanced remittance flows. India, recognized as a fintech innovation leader, has placed a strong emphasis on sharing its development experiences and innovations with partner countries. The UPI system , a mobile-based fast payment platform, has gained immense popularity for round-the-clock instant payments, with a record-breaking 100 billion transactions valued at Rs 2 trillion in 2023. The Indian government's focus on ensuring UPI's benefits extend beyond its borders is evident in partnerships with countries such as Sri Lanka, Mauritius, France, UAE, and Singapore on emerging fintech and payment solutions. This collaboration underscores India's commitment to fostering global partnerships and promoting financial technology innovations worldwide. Uber has unveiled a strategic alliance with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata, West Bengal. The collaboration establishes specific pickup zones within the arrival terminal for both domestic and international flights, accompanied by on-site support and clear directional signage, streamlining the journey for passengers. Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with AAI in April 2023, Uber has expanded its services across over 10 AAI Airports. Notably, cashless operations have been introduced at NSCBI Airport in partnership with Omega Enterprises. This initiative eliminates parking and pickup charges for Uber drivers, leading to reduced estimated arrival times (ETAs) for riders ensuring seamless airport transfers. Having inked awith AAI in April 2023, Uber has expanded its services across over 10 AAI Airports. Notably, cashless operations have been introduced at NSCBI Airport in partnership with Omega Enterprises. This initiative eliminates parking and pickup charges for Uber drivers, leading to reduced estimated arrival times (ETAs) for riders ensuring seamless airport transfers. Shiva Shailendran, Director of Supply Operations at Uber India and South Asia, expressed the company's commitment to reshaping the travel experience. Shailendran highlighted the collaborative effort with the Airports Authority of India, emphasizing the goal of delivering an enhanced experience for both drivers and riders. The focus remains on providing a consistently exceptional experience whenever individuals choose Uber for their city-to-airport or airport-to-city transportation needs. The partnership aims to furnish arriving passengers in Kolkata with dependable and stress-free transportation alternatives, reflecting Uber's dedication to optimizing the overall travel experience. Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft, met with Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at his residence to discuss initiatives aimed at empowering farmers through technology. During his visit, Gates engaged in discussions with the chief minister regarding several initiatives undertaken by the state government. "Pleasure meeting @Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Mr @BillGates. Had a wonderful discussion on our technology-driven farmer empowerment initiatives several welfare initiatives like #JagaMission, #MissionShakti, #OdishaSchoolTransformation, #BSKY and healthcare transformation", Patnaik said on X. He commended the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for its support in fostering innovation to provide inclusive benefits to the people. "Thanked him for his praise for Odisha's welfare initiatives and success in different sectors through #5T transformative governance", he added. Gates toured a slum in Bhubaneswar and engaged with its inhabitants. Accompanied by state government officials, he visited the Biju Adarsh Colony within the Maa Mangla Basti area. In addition to inquiring about the welfare of the slum dwellers, Gates also interacted with members of women's self-help groups (SHGs). State Development Commissioner Anu Garg said, "We have shown him that the slum dwellers have got land rights, tap water connections, toilets and power supply. He expressed happiness over the transformation of the slum area into a model colony". According to G Mathi Vathanan, the Secretary of Urban Development for the state, Gates conversed with recipients of various government welfare schemes. A resident of the colony mentioned that the philanthropist engaged with them, inquiring about the impact of the schemes on their lifestyle. "He asked us about how we were living earlier and our present status", she said. Subsequently, he toured Krushi Bhawan, which serves as the headquarters of the state's agriculture and farmers' empowerment department. Since 2017, the state has collaborated with the Foundation to advance common objectives related to enhancing farmers' income, ensuring nutrition security, and building climate resilience in the region. "This partnership has allowed the state to emerge as a leader in digital public infrastructure, with the government launching key farmer-centric systems including the Krushak Odisha database, GO-SUGAM portal, and Ama Krushi extension system", a senior official said. Benefitting from strategic assistance provided by the Foundation, the government has achieved successful outcomes in pilot projects related to crop diversification, such as the Maize Mandi and agriculture production cluster (APC) initiatives, as highlighted by Arabinda Kumar Padhee, the principal secretary of the agriculture and farmers' empowerment department. These endeavors have now been expanded statewide. Additionally, discussions centered around a forward-thinking plan for digital agriculture in Odisha, with an emphasis on the state becoming a pioneer in implementing comprehensive technology solutions across agriculture, livestock, and fisheries sectors. Gates engaged with two accomplished female farmers in the state who have boosted their earnings through the digital public infrastructure established by the department. Padhee provided a summary of the achievements of the Odisha Millets Mission, highlighting its role in enhancing the livelihoods of tribal communities within the state. Snowflake, the US-based data cloud company, has appointed Indian-origin Sridhar Ramaswamy as its new Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board of Directors. The transition comes as Frank Slootman, the outgoing CEO, decides to retire but will remain Chairman of the Board. Ramaswamy, formerly the Senior Vice President of AI at Snowflake, expressed gratitude for the foundation laid by Slootman and the team over the past 12 years, establishing Snowflake as a leading cloud data platform. Ramaswamy aims to lead the company into a new era of growth, emphasizing the potential of AI to deliver substantial business value. Having joined Snowflake in May 2023 through the acquisition of Neeva, the world's first private AI-powered search engine, Ramaswamy has been at the forefront of shaping Snowflake's AI strategy. Under his leadership, Snowflake launched Snowflake Cortex, a fully managed service designed to simplify and secure AI for all users. Slootman expressed confidence in Ramaswamy, stating that there is no better person to navigate Snowflake through the next phase of growth. Recognizing Ramaswamy as a visionary technologist with a successful track record, Slootman looks forward to collaborating in this new capacity. In a historic moment, Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman of Bharti Enterprises, has been conferred with an honorary knighthood by the United Kingdom, making him the first Indian citizen to receive this prestigious recognition. Mittal has been appointed as Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (KBE) by King Charles III, honoring his notable contributions to UK-India business relations. The KBE, one of the highest civilian honors granted by the British sovereign, is bestowed upon foreign nationals in an honorary capacity. Expressing his gratitude, Mittal remarked, "I am deeply humbled by this gracious recognition from His Majesty, King Charles". He highlighted the historical ties between the UK and India, emphasizing the onset of a new era marked by increased cooperation and collaboration. Mittal affirmed his ongoing commitment to fortifying economic and bilateral trade relationships between the two nations. He acknowledged the pivotal role played by the UK government, expressing thanks for its support and keen attention to business needs, making the country an appealing investment destination. This isn't Mittal's first recognition; in 2007, he was honored with the Padma Bhushan, one of India's highest civilian honors, acknowledging his distinguished services of high order. Mittal's latest accolade reflects the continued strengthening of ties between the UK and India, marking a significant milestone in fostering global partnerships. Amid the suspenseful situation of Funding Winter, startup break down, Finanace Minister Nirmala Sitharaman assured the Indian startups. After looking about all the problems and challenges of the startups she stressed that, repetition of such events should not be welcomed again by the startup ecosystem. She boldly stated, "The problem of a few startups can't be taken as the problem of the entire startup ecosystem." Sitharaman told that, she is very much optimistic about the upcoming days and overall well-being of the startup ecosystem of India. She further stated that, "Many of them are doing alright. We don't want any sector to have any apprehension that they 'can't do business in India. She immediately destroyed the idea that, some startups working in specific industries are incompetent to run profitable business in India. She stressed on the fact that, whatever may be the profit scale, stage and industry the startup belongs to, the government will always support through necessary assistance. She told, "The government is very much with the startups, and startups will be given all assistance." Her electrifying commitment boosted the young visionaries ahead of the funding slowdown, Sitharaman explained the funding slowdown is not the funding winter but it is rather a phase where funders are carefully evaluating business prospects. Finance Minister told that, instead of getting demoralized try to get more innovative and effective products in the industry because the potential investors are always looking for innovative startups. She told, "It's not a scarcity of funds; it's more about seeing the opportunity and looking at better options among startups." She threw light on the Governments policy for startups through National Startup Policy 2016 and confidently told the startup ecosystem will definitely recover. She assured that the government's initiatives and a supportive environment would contribute to the continued growth of startups. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Leap day only comes around every four years, and Krispy Kreme thinks thats an occasion worth celebrating. The beloved doughnut chain which has a location in New Springville is offering all guests a dozen Original Glazed doughnuts for just $2.29 with the purchase of any regularly priced dozen. And if you have a leap day birthday, you get your doughnuts for free. An extra day in the year is an irresistible opportunity for Krispy Kreme to be extra-sweet to our guests, Dave Skena, global chief brand officer for Krispy Kreme, said in a press release. So, were sweetening Leap Day by the dozens, including for fans whose true birthday comes around only every four years. You can claim the offer on the Krispy Kreme app using promo code LEAPDAY or use it in shop where two redemptions are allowed. The company is asking guests to show off their purchase by using #KrispyKreme and tagging @krispykreme on social media. Learn more about the deal by visiting https://www.krispykreme.com. So what is a leap year? The short answer is that it takes approximately 365.25 days for Earth to orbit the Sun, and the days in a year are rounded to 365. To make up for the missing partial day, one day is added to the calendar approximately every four years, hence Feb. 29, according to NASA. And on Thursday, Staten Islander Carol Burt, who lives on Todt Hill, celebrates 80 years of life, yet is marking her 20th official birthday -- she was born on Feb. 29, 1944. Sending NATO troops to Ukraine is possible under certain conditions. There are different ways in which they can help the Ukrainian Armed Forces. One of them may involve the deployment of pilots and personnel on our territory to service the aircraft that are to appear in Ukraine soon. ADVERTISIMENT This opinion was expressed in an exclusive commentary to OBOZ.UA by Ukrainian diplomat, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Vadym Prystaiko, commenting on French President Macron's statement about the possible deployment of NATO troops in Ukraine. "Some time ago, I said that in the event of a catastrophic development of events at the front, countries, especially Britain, will be with us. This is a normal way when we are short of forces and our partners have limited supplies of weapons and ammunition. Of course, the Europeans have fallen into the trap of their past statements when they said that their soldiers would never participate in the war in Ukraine. Now we need to get out of this situation, but we need to understand how sensitive this is for democratic regimes. The first thing they say is, "Let's do anything for Ukraine to keep our soldiers out of the Ukrainian steppes. But the war shows that you can't run away from this, so you have to prepare for it. ADVERTISIMENT I think that at this stage, unfortunately for us, Macron's statement is still a play on words, but Putin, when he says that he has not achieved all his goals in Ukraine, is also playing with words to aggravate. For their part, the Europeans say that we have something to raise the degree of confrontation. For example, we can supply Ukraine with long-range missiles or send troops," Vadym Prystayko notes. As for the options for the use of Western troops, the diplomat believes there are several. They could be deployed in the western part of Ukraine, somewhere in the Transnistrian region. In this way, the armed forces of the partner countries will help Ukraine, so to speak, to transfer its resources to the eastern flank. "We can also imagine the deployment of NATO forces to help Ukraine secure its border with Belarus," Vadym Prystaiko continues, "This is also a possible option. This will free up our troops, and allow them to rest and train. There may be other participation. For example, it could be pilots or special personnel for aircraft maintenance. It can be anything. We need any participation," said Vadym Prystaiko. ADVERTISIMENT As reported by OBOZ.UA: On February 26, European leaders gathered in Paris to discuss urgent ways to help Ukraine and send a signal to the Russian president about Europe's determination to support Ukraine. Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! STATEN ISLAND, N.Y -- Annadale resident Jennifer Guarnera, 27, was on surprise trip to Sardinia organized by her mom in honor of her late fathers dream for his daughters to visit his country. He always spoke highly of Sardinia, saying, Forget Hawaii, forget all these other islands, go to Sardinia, recalled Guarnera. Unfortunately, he passed away before fulfilling that dream. On that trip during the summer of 2019, she met and fell in love with Marco Liceri, 30, who owns and manages two chauffeur companies in Costa Smeralda -- located between the gulfs of Arzachena and Cugnana on the north-east coast of the Sardinia. He also owns an electric scooter company that services three cities in Sardinia. Little did I know that a significant moment awaited me at a restaurant in Porto Rotondo. The restaurant owner arranged a taxi for our return to our hotel. The driver was Marcos father, said Guarnera. During the ride, he suggested his son as our English-speaking driver with a larger vehicle for the rest of the trip, given our plans to explore various areas in the Costa Smeralda and the need for transportation services. The next day, Marco came to our hotel to drive us to Porto Cervo, and from that point on, everything else became history. Scenes from Costa Smeralda.(Courtesy of Geco di Giada) While the pair maintain a long distance relationship, they decided to also pair up as business partners. Last month, they launched Emerald Dreams Corp., which plans vacations to Sardinia, and Costa Smeralda in particular. The company name is derived from the English translation of Costa Smeralda, which means emerald coast. While popular destinations, like Amalfi and the mainland, draw so many international tourists each year, Costa Smeralda has been an escape for Italians themselves. I feel like the decision of many Italians to vacation in Sardinia reflects a desire to escape the overwhelming tourist crowds found in other parts of Italy. Every time I am here, many people from home in New York often ask about it, adding to the mystery, said Guarnera, who works full-time as a virtual teacher. Scenes from Costa Smeralda.(Courtesy of Vill Ginepro, Porto Cervo) FALLING IN LOVE WITH COSTA SMERALDA Guarnera said she fell in love with Costa Smeralda because its a true masterpiece of nature. And she wasnt the first person to feel that way. The Island is the home of legendary tales and a development initiative that transformed Sardinia more than 65 years ago. It is said that Prince Karim Aga Khan IV discovered Costa Smeralda in 1958. The origins of the tourist myth are remembered, the fable of Prince Aga Khan hopelessly in love with this wild and inaccessible land, the development of the project, and the conquest of international fame earned also thanks to the migration to the new tourist destination of showbiz personalities and world capitalism, according to coolvoyagedestinations.com. Annadale resident Jennifer Guarnera, 27, met and fell in love with Marco Liceri, 30, in Sardinia.(Courtesy of Jennifer Guarnera and Marco Liceri) Guarnera said she especially loves the soft white sands and mesmerizing blue Mediterranean colors, of the island. Its filled with secluded beaches and coves, making relaxation easy to find around every corner. Also, Costa Smeralda is a preferred destination for many celebrities and affluent people who appreciate its exclusivity. You never know who youll run into. Nevertheless, it is accessible to anyone wanting to experience its charm and beauty, she said. And she says the cuisine in Sardinia is some of the best in all of Italy. Another reason I adore Costa Smeralda is for its exclusive Sardinian culture, food and traditions. From unique pastas and local honey to special liquors, traditional dancers in colorful costumes, Costa Smeralda offers a very distinctive experience. Learning about the history, particularly how Costa Smeralda was developed by a Prince, adds a fascinating layer to this extraordinary place, Guarnera added. Emerald Dreams can arrange cruises in Costa Smeldra.Courtesy of Spectra Yacht SERVICES OFFERED Emerald Dreams travel packages include both airfare and accommodation, whether its a resort or a villa stay, said Guarnera. Annadale resident Jennifer Guarnera, 27, was on surprise trip to Sardinia organized by her mom in honor of her late fathers dream for his daughters to visit his country.(Courtesy of Jennifer Guarnera and Marco Liceri) We provide complimentary itinerary planning, which includes restaurant reservations and excursion bookings, once customers decide to book with Emerald Dreams, she said, noting the company can also arrange yacht charters or mini cruises around the Costa Smeralda. We can facilitate rentals for any duration they prefer. Currently, our latest collaborations feature the Gulet Charter Cruise in Italy for exploring Sardinia and the nearby South Corsica region. Our partnership with Spectra Yacht allows us to offer luxury yacht rentals with a professional crew in Sardegna along with the exclusive villa experience at Geco di Giada in Porto Rotondo and Villa Ginepro in Porto Cervo, said Guarnera. Annadale resident Jennifer Guarnera, 27, met and fell in love with Marco Liceri, 30 in Costa Smeralda. While the pair maintain a long distance relationship, they decided to also pair up as business partners. Last month, they launched Emerald Dreams Corp., which plans vacations to Sardinia, and Costa Smeralda in particular. (Courtesy of Jennifer Guarnera and Marco Liceri) EMERALD DREAMS AT A GLANCE Website: emeralddreamscorp.com Instagram: @Emeralddreamscorp New Businesses in Focus is a weekly column that relates the stories of new Staten Island businesses owners. If you have a new business on Staten Island, e-mail porpora@siadvance.com. FOLLOW TRACEY PORPORA ON FACEBOOK and X UPDATE: A spokesperson for the NYPDs Deputy Commissioner of Public Information confirmed to the Advance/SILive.com that Taha Alsaidi has been found safe. No further information was provided. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. A 47-year-old man who lives in Clifton was reported missing after he most recently was seen in Bloomfield, police said. Taha Alsaidi, who lives in the vicinity of Vanderbilt Avenue and Bay Street, most recently was seen on the 1000 block of South Avenue on Feb. 20 at about noon, according to a statement from the NYPDs Deputy Commissioner of Public Information. Police described the man as a having black hair, brown eyes, and a gray beard. He stands about 5 feet, 6 inches tall and weighs about 185 pounds. He was seen wearing a red waist-length jacket, black sweatpants and green-and-black sneakers. A photo of the man was supplied to the media by the NYPD. Anyone with information in regard to his whereabouts is asked to call the NYPDs Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/, or on Twitter @NYPDTips. All calls are strictly confidential. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. A Staten Island man convicted by a jury in the 2022 stabbing death of his roommate was sentenced Tuesday in state Supreme Court, St. George but not without expressing his final thoughts to the court. Raiquan Becheam, 29, was previously found guilty of second-degree murder and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon in connection with the 2022 homicide inside a New Brighton housing facility for the homeless. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Staten Island students at PS 26 gathered outside their Travis school early Thursday morning to give a heartfelt send-off to an 8-year-old boy with cancer. Julian Galloway has been battling a brain cancer called medulloblastoma since December 2019. But he was all smiles during a recent trip to New York City, thanks to the non-profit Blue Lives Matter NYC. Julian, a resident of Texas, was able to visit memorable locations across the city, like the Freedom Tower and Times Square. On Wednesday, he was officially sworn in as an honorary NYPD police officer by Police Commissioner Edward A. Caban. Julian ended his whirlwind visit on Thursday but got a special surprise on his way to Newark Airport to head home. With a police escort, Julian and his family drove by PS 26 and were greeted with a display of cheers and excitement from students and staff. Many gave Julian hand-made signs sharing love and sending well wishes. I really want to be kind to him, and I really like to be kind to people, its one of my favorite things to do, said Annabella Lacerra, a fifth-grader at PS 26. I think its going to make him smile. The special visit was the work of Danielle Salemi-Rosemberg, the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) president at the school, who first heard Julians story from Joe Imperatice, founder of Blue Lives Matter NYC. She learned that Julians dad is a police officer for Corpus Christi Police Department (CCPD). Julian was also sworn in as an honorary CCPD officer in 2021. After hearing about Julians visit to New York City, Salemi-Rosemberg wanted to do something special for the young boy on behalf of the entire PS 26 community. In addition to the parade of children and educators sending well wishes, Salemi-Rosemberg also gave Julian a small gift filled with police Legos, a New York Mets Tough bear, PS 26 socks, a keychain and stickers. You can learn more about Julians journey on the Team Julian Facebook page. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. At 61, composer and multi-style violist and former Staten Islander Martha Mooke has won her first Grammy! Mooke, who now lives in Bayonne, New Jersey, won a Grammy for her electric viola performance on Carla Patullos album So She Howls, which took home the award for Best New Age, Ambient, or Chant Album. From the left, Leah Coloff, Frederika Krier, Lorenza Ponce and Martha Mooke attend the 66th GRAMMY Awards at Crypto.com Arena on February 04, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for The Recording Academy)Getty Images for The Recording A It was an amazing moment at the awards ceremony in LA, she said. The moment that they call your album and your name, its very surrealistic and super emotional. We all went up on stage and it was just so much in that moment. Its giving us a voice to show what is possible. Mookes musical journey started at the end of her fifth grade in PS 4, when a music teacher from I.S. 34, Leonard Ogren, rolled out a music program to feed middle school students. Martha Mooke stands with Leonard Ogren, an I.S. 34 music tecaher) and his wife Barb, backstage during her first professional tour in 1995. Grammy Award She had nothing but praise for her experiences in Staten Island schools. New York City public schools all the way, Mooke said. They had great program at I.S. 34 and a really good program at Tottenville High School, so thats really where I cut my teeth. I started on viola because they wanted to start a sting program and nobody knew what the viola was. Everybody wanted to play the violin. I always go where no one else wants to go. A distinct memory from her days at Tottenville High School stands out: When a friend gifted her an album by Jean-Luc Ponty, the French jazz violinist renowned for his work with electric instruments, which she describes as her moment of revelation. At that point, there werent that many electric string players,' she recalled. There were some jazz players ... maybe some rock n roll. And so I sort of made that my quest, to find out what kind of artists there are out there that were playing electric strings and what style of music they were playing. Moving into the electric viola world, she started carving a path in the field of electric strings through her captivating performances. Excelling very fast in her viola work, she earned a degree in viola performance from the State University of New York, followed by a masters degree in viola performance from the University of MassachusettsAmherst. In the early 2000s, Mooke teamed up with Yamaha, a Japanese company known for musical instruments and audio gear, as it began developing electric string instruments. As one of its first electric string artists, Mooke was invited to Japan to collaborate with a design team, becoming one of Yamahas first electric string artists and clinicians. I was exploring different ways of presenting my music because I was creating music that didnt fit in a bin, she said. My music defied the existing categories, so I had to keep creating news ways to not only create my music but also perform my music. For five decades, shes been immersed in an evolutionary journey with the viola, collaborating on music with legends such as David Bowie, Iggy Pop, and Ziggy Marley, among others. Beyond her musical pursuits, she is also a music advocate, spearheading innovative educational programs. There were no programs that I felt that I could go to throughout the course of my career, she said. So, within the last few years, she created a new Multi-Style Strings Program at New Jersey City University, pioneering the first program of its kind. This innovative initiative offers bachelors and masters degrees in jazz, hip-hop, classical, fiddle, electronics, and more, with expert guidance in diverse string styles, techniques, improvisation and technology. Today, Mooke is celebrated as a pioneer in the world of electric five-string viola, known for her electrifying performances and innovative compositions. Music is an essence, she said. Its an energy. Its a form of communication. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.-- Citing an increase in toll evasion at area bridges and tunnels, the MTA is urging Gov. Kathy Hochul to increase the penalty for cheating tolls by reclassifying the offense a theft of service, the same legal category as fare evasion on buses and subways. Under New York state law, theft of service is a class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in prison. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- New York City is preparing to knock down an abandoned, overgrown, partially collapsed home thats been frustrating Great Kills residents for more than a decade. The action follows a Feb. 25 Staten Island Advance/SILive.com report about the homes dilapidated condition. The Advance/SILive.com has since learned that the city Department of Buildings has issued a demolition order for 12 Cornish St. in the interest of public safety after forensic engineers visited the property on Wednesday and deemed the home to be in a state of severe disrepair. The timeline for the demolition, which was ordered Wednesday afternoon, has yet to be determined, according to a Buildings Department spokesperson. 12 Cornish Street in Great Kills is shown with overgrowth that extends to the sidewalk on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024. (Staten Island Advance/Jason Paderon)Staten Island Advance The recent inspection and subsequent demolition order come just days after the Staten Island Advance/SILive.com reported growing frustrations from nearby residents about the unsightly property. It is completely collapsed and overgrown with trees and weeds. More than that, it is absolutely filthy, disgusting and filled with litter and other objects. Its a very unsanitary situation, and I wouldnt be surprised if it was also a breeding ground for mosquitoes in the summertime, said one neighbor who requested anonymity. Prior to Wednesdays inspection, the home had last been inspected by the Buildings Department in February 2022 in response to a neighbors 311 complaint claiming that the house had fallen into a state of disrepair. At the time, inspectors noted that the buildings roof and a section of the wall had partially collapsed, exposing the homes interior to the elements. Despite these findings, inspectors deemed at the time that the building did not pose an immediate hazard to the public and elected not to issue an emergency demolition order. From atop of 12 Cornish Street in Great Kills it appears the structure of the house has collapsed. Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024. (Staten Island Advance/Jason Paderon)Staten Island Advance Officials noted that following Hurricane Sandy in 2012, the building was marked with a red placard by the Buildings Department, meaning that it was unsafe to enter and repairs must be made before it could be occupied again. However, those repairs were never made and the listed owner of the house in city records, Philip Powles, who would be responsible for making those fixes, is deceased. The burden of repairs would typically fall to the deceaseds estate or heirs, but city records indicate no change in ownership since Powles passing. In regard to the overgrown weeds, which have extended past the propertys chainlink fence and out onto the sidewalk and curb, the Department of Sanitation (DSNY) has issued 11 violations against the property for sidewalk obstruction since the start of 2023, each of which have been defaulted on or remain open as no one continues to take responsibility for the property. A DSNY representative told the Staten Island Advance/SILive.com last week that someone will soon inspect the property and will clear the overgrowth if it is unsafely blocking the sidewalk and/or conducive to the feeding and habitation of rodents. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Trailblazers were recently honored during a celebration of Staten Island actors and performing artists as part of a Black History Month celebration at the Reach Out & Touch Kingdom Building Ministries, Port Richmond. During the Sunday afternoon event, special tributes were given to Catholic liturgist composer Grayson Warren Brown and concert pianist Dr. Vincent Craig. Soldiers from the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine who raided the temporarily occupied Crimea in 2016 sailed across the sea with grenades in their hands for six hours. They had agreed in advance that they would not fall into enemy hands alive. ADVERTISIMENT The group realized that if they were captured, they would be tortured and killed by the aggressor country. Lieutenant General Valerii Kondratiuk, former head of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Ukraine and former head of the DIU, told the details of this special operation in a commentary to Channel 24. The group that reached Crimea was led by the current head of Ukrainian intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov. According to Kondratiuk, the soldiers showed "unprecedented courage". ADVERTISIMENT "They agreed among themselves that no one would be captured alive. Even when they were returning to the swim across the strait, they swam for more than four to six hours with grenades in their hands. If someone had tried to get these guys out of the water, no one would have reached them alive. This is unprecedented courage and dedication of the DIU and the Ukrainian people," he emphasized. Kondratiuk said that the Kremlin was shocked by the raid. At the time, Moscow was confident that it controlled Ukraine's law enforcement and intelligence agencies. "They realized how fast the dynamics are changing, how much we managed to Ukrainize the Ukrainian intelligence services in a short time. I consider this to be one of the main results that we had at that time," he added. The former DIU chief said that at the time he received information that Russia was deploying a large number of helicopters at the Dzhankoy airfield. The worst outcome of this could be Russia's preparation of a low-altitude landing operation when our air defense would not be able to detect and hit the helicopters, landing and seizing the territory. ADVERTISIMENT As OBOZ.UA previously reported, Budanov previously spoke about a series of reconnaissance landings in Crimea in 2016. He participated in some of them himself. After one of the landings, which was carried out to "transfer cargo deep into the territory," Budanov assures, the scouts left by swimming across the Syvash, which was about 8 km away. 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 We took to the streets of Sydneys CBD with Superloop to test the small business knowledge of everyday Australians. From the most common legal structures to whats required to strike success the public were put to the test. Watch the full below video to see how they scored. Now, its your turn. To kickstart your small business journey or to help support a current venture Superloop is offering 10 Totalbiz nbn small business internet plans free for up to 2 years to existing ABN holders. For the chance to win, simply correctly answer the multiple-choice question below and enter your details to go into the draw. (Hint: the answer can be found in the video above). Enter to win Must be an AU resident 18+ small business owner to enter. Limit 1 entry per ABN. Closes 5pm AEST 19/4/24. Draw 10am AEST 20/4/24 at G13, 3 Amy Close, Wyong NSW 2259. Winner published on www.smh.com.au from 23/4/24. Prizes: 10 x 2-Year Superloop Totalbiz NBN Business Plans valued at AUD$2,376 each. Full T&Cs here. Promoter is Nine Entertainment Co. Pty Ltd of 1 Denison Street, North Sydney NSW 2060. NSW: TP/00062, ACT: TP24/00241 & SA: T24/222 It would be charming if there really were blue zone Edens of supercentenarians, living off tubers, wholegrains, and fermented foods in bonded kinship. Huge numbers clearly wish to believe in this dream world, so evocative of the chiliastic eschatology of the early church. Yet these pockets of extreme longevity seem to occur in areas with greater poverty, higher illiteracy, higher crime rates, and worse population health than the norm, according to Oxford scientist Saul Newman. Data from the United Nations even suggests that Cambodia was a blue zone of sorts during the genocide of the Khmer Rouge. Sardinia is one of the worlds blue zones. Credit: Getty Images These hotspots can be chiefly explained by welfare fraud, identity theft, name-saking and criminal abuse of the pension system, or by genuine confusion over dates or lack of birth certificates. Some are banal in any case. Whenever you get an investigation of the pensions system, the rate of centenarians suddenly collapses. That is what happened in Greece after the financial crisis, said Dr Newman, now at Oxford Universitys Leverhulme Centre for Demographic Science. Six years after Scots College unveiled plans for a new student centre modelled on a Scottish baronial castle, the Bellevue Hill private schools garish monument to educational inequality remains incomplete. Loading Last September, CBD reported that the cost of the project had blown out, and would end up about double the $29 million initially budgeted, thanks to COVID shutdowns, bad weather, supply issues, and, according to some Scots insiders, headmaster Ian Lamberts insistence on acquiring special sandstone and slates from Scotland. At the time, the $40,000-a-year colleges extravagant boondoggle was meant to be completed by the end of 2023, a good year later than expected. No wonder furious parents were calling the thing Ian Lamberts vanity castle. But here we are in 2024, the vanity castle still hasnt opened its doors and it seems like theres still a bit of work to do. In September, the college filed a modification application with the NSW Department of Planning, seeking to remove a chimney and add two dormer vents with louvre panelling. Even these minor changes, intended to ensure fire safety, have a toffish air to them. That application was only approved last week. Collection Your March hit list: Hot, new and just-reviewed places to check out, right now Eastern European comfort food, new-look pubs with old-school charm, milk bar cafes and monochrome ice-cream (yes, really). Heres where to eat in Melbourne (and beyond) this month. Advertisement Eating outComing soon Top restaurant tastemakers to change everything you thought you knew about CBD sushi trains Two Melbourne power players of cooking and cool are shaking things up with their first joint venture, a sushi restaurant with a difference opening this autumn. Emma Breheny March 1, 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 Two members of Melbourne restaurant royalty are about to come together and make sparks fly at what could be one of the most exciting openings this year: a sushi train with a Brazilian-meets-Japanese identity. Con Christopoulos has tapped Victor Liong of two-hatted Lee Ho Fook to be the culinary brains driving the menu at Bossa Nova Sushi, the latest project to slide into the restaurateurs ever-changing Bourke Street space most recently home to Greek restaurant Kafeneion. Victor Liong, the head chef and proprietor at Lee Ho Fook, is about to helm a sushi bar. Chris Hopkins The pairs first project, Bossa Nova Sushi, was dreamt up at the end of pandemic lockdowns and will be anchored by a 26-seat sushi train serving high-quality Japanese fare thats speedy yet sophisticated, taking the popular fast-casual concept into another realm. Its going to have finesse. Its going to be stylish, Christopoulos says. Advertisement Liong, one of Australias most celebrated young names in Chinese cooking, says he worked as an apprentice under several Japanese chefs and is excited to return to the form after teaming up with chef Chase Kojima in 2019 on Sydneys now-closed Chuuka, a Chinese-meets-Japanese venue. Its a sensibility and cooking style I really enjoy exploring, Liong says. Con Christopoulos is behind many long-standing Melbourne venues, such as The European. Chris Hopkins When Bossa Nova opens in May, the conveyor belt will ferry a mix of core sushi train items using Australian, New Zealand and Japanese seafood, alongside dishes inspired by convenience stores and izakaya. A hot menu will have 12 to 15 complementary dishes, and takeaway sushi will be available. Its going to have finesse. Its going to be stylish. Con Christopoulos, restaurateur Advertisement Inspired by the Japanese diaspora in Brazil, where the largest Japanese population resides, the restaurant will weave in bossa nova music and serve the it-drink of the early aughts, the Caipirinha, featuring Brazilian sugar cane spirit cachaca. Sake and European wines will also be available. Liong and Christopoulos want to unhitch the sushi train from its reputation for serving underwhelming fast-food and bring it closer to the care and quality seen at fine-dining sushi counters, without losing any of the fun. Sushi can be quite serious, but also very democratic, Liong says. In Japan and its many diaspora communities around the world, sushi is comforting, convenient and, in many cases, [both] high quality and egalitarian. Cons always had a good vision on hospitality in Melbourne and this idea I was excited about. The shape of 70 Bourke Street is ideally suited to a sushi train. Pete Dillon Advertisement The dark and slender Bourke Street space has been many things since Christopoulos opened cafe-bar-gallery Self Preservation there in 2007, but this might be its most intriguing chapter yet. On the train everyone is equal, everyone has the same experience and enjoyment is immediate, Liong says. We want to offer a range of accessible elements and [add] some luxury to the everyday. There is no change to Liongs partnership with restaurateurs Peter Bartholomew and David Mackintosh across his other venues Lee Ho Fook, Silk Spoon and Quenino at Artyzen Hotel in Singapore. Bossa Nova Sushi is scheduled to open in May at 70 Bourke Street, Melbourne, @bossanovasushi_train. Advertisement Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox. Sign up Advertisement Exclusive Eating outComing soon This famous city strip is about to become Sydneys next great restaurant hub The Tapavino team have announced plans to open a restaurant in the civic heart of the city, aka Sydneys piazza. Scott Bolles March 1, 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 One of Sydneys restaurant and bar pioneers believes Martin Place is the great untapped hospitality hub of the Sydney CBD, an area poised to finally be fully activated. Frank Dilernia, whose stable of Sydney venues includes Circular Quay sherry bar Tapavino and CBD restaurant Balcon, is so confident about the precinct, hes joined a posse of operators undeterred by difficult trading conditions to invest in the famous strip. Dilernia will open a restaurant on the corner of Pitt Street and Martin Place, in the historic GPO building. Every year Dilernia travels to Europe seeking inspiration for his venues. I love piazzas, they are the heart of cities and towns, and Martin Place is Sydneys piazza, Dilernia says. Restaurateur Frank Dilernia plans to open Epula later this year. Supplied Advertisement When the restaurant opens in October, it will have a Latin name, Epula (which means dishes of food), but itll be a culinary nod to its location. Well be using native Australian ingredients, Dilernia says. Hes yet to announce the chef but has already recruited a former member of Copenhagens progressive Noma restaurant alumni to turn local produce into vinegars. Theres little doubt the Martin Place precinct is in the midst of a boom. Caterpillar Club opened late last year on its northern edge and is one of Sydneys red-hot venues. After years of building, the scaffolding is about to come off a number of big developments, including 1 Elizabeth, part of the new Sydney Metro Martin Place development, which will be home to a fleet of new food operators, including Melbourne pastry mecca Lune Croissanterie. When Alejandro Saravia, the chef behind a number of Melbourne venues including Farmers Daughters, decided he wanted to spread his wings to Sydney, Martin Place topped his list. In March, Saravia will open a Latin American restaurant, Morena, in the GPO building. The area ticked all the boxes for Saravia. Located on the doorstep of the financial district, it has a weekday city dining clientele while attracting tourists and shoppers. 1 Martin Place is a beautiful building with so much history and heritage, the chef says. Advertisement Chef-restaurateur Alejandro Saravia outside his soon-to-open Morena in Martin Place. Edwina Pickles Established and incoming operators also mention the opportunity of bringing life to Martin Place while being respectful of its public spaces. Outdoor seating is part of the plan at Epula. At Morena, Saravia is also on board with taking the experience al fresco: Our venue will have outdoor seating along the historic colonnade of the GPO building, but we will also look to have al fresco dining in Martin Place in the future subject to council approval. After the false-start of the Olympics-era Banc restaurant and its sibling Wine Banc, operators believe theres now more critical mass to the Martin Place movement, with restaurant openings pushing as far as Macquarie Street on the upper slopes of Martin Place. A hospitality operator, who asks not to be named, plans to open a bar near the 2022 arrivals Aalia restaurant and Kazan Dining. Theres also keen interest in the sprawling GPO basement where Prime restaurant and Sosumi previously traded. Chef behind some of Melbournes most popular venues is opening a new restaurant - in Martin Place Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox. Sign up Public school parents are chipping in less money towards their childrens education compared to a decade ago, while parents with kids at private schools are spending thousands of dollars more in fees, charges and contributions every year. Official figures released on Thursday show average parent contributions declined by $200 over 10 years, falling to $357 in 2022. The figures comes after schools have cancelled weekly sport because they can no longer afford to hire buses, while the head of the Department of Education, Murat Dizdar, has told principals not to imply school contributions are mandatory with terms such as fee, charge or levy in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis. It has become common practice in public primary schools for principals to ask teachers to bring in packs of tissues, hand soap and paper towels as general supplies. Sleeper carriages have been ruled out for NSWs fleet of new long-distance trains, which is $826 million over budget and running more than three years late, leaving passengers stuck with premium recliner seats for 14-hour journeys. After a long-running dispute with the private consortium building the passenger trains in northern Spain, the state Labor government said it was trying to rescue the botched rail project. The trains were ordered by the previous Coalition government for key interstate rail lines from Sydney to Melbourne, Brisbane and Canberra, as well as for services to regional centres in NSW. An artists impression of the new Spanish-built trains that will run on interstate rail lines. Credit: Transport for NSW Regional Transport Minister Jenny Aitchison said the previous government had decided against ordering sleeper carriages for the new fleet, which would have been exorbitantly expensive, and other options were now under consideration. On the morning of February 29, Ukrainian servicemen shot down two more Russian Su-34 fighters. The enemy suffered losses in the Avdiivka and Mariupol sectors. ADVERTISIMENT It is worth noting that Putin's terrorists have already lost their third fighter jet in the east of our country in 24 hours. This was reported on Telegram by the commander of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Mykola Oleshchuk. The lieutenant general noted that Russian pilots do not draw any conclusions and are targeting Ukrainian servicemen. He also clarified that the enemy lost two fighters in the Avdiivka and Mariupol sectors. "It seems they don't get it! Russian pilots are not drawing any conclusions! Today at about 9.00 a.m. two more Su-34s of the occupants were destroyed in the Avdiivka and Mariupol sectors! Together - to victory!" Oleshchuk wrote. By the way, since the beginning of this day, Ukrainian fighters have already shot down three Russian Su-34 fighters. The first aircraft was downed on February 29 at around 1:00 am in eastern Ukraine. ADVERTISIMENT Since the beginning of the year, Ukrainian servicemen have already destroyed more than 10 modern fighters of the Russian occupation army. However, the terrorist country still has a fairly strong military aviation capability. Moreover, the enemy manages to restore a certain number of fighters. As reported by OBOZ.UA, Ivan Kyrychevskyi, a military expert at the Defence Express portal, explained why the Ukrainian Armed Forces are shooting down more and more Russian fighters and other enemy aircraft. In his opinion, this is not due to the arrival of certain types of anti-aircraft missiles, but due to the skill of our air defense units. ADVERTISIMENT Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! 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 Was Scott Morrison unfairly judged compared to other prime ministers or was he just not fit to lead? As the former PM exited parliament this week, letters writers and commenters told us how they will remember Scotty from Marketing. Illustration: John Shakespeare Credit: What was the best thing Scott Morrison did? Too often in this place, we confuse differences of policy with judgments about peoples intent and motives, Scott Morrison said during his final speech to parliament. This is not good for our parliament. We may disagree, but we need to honour the good intentions of all of us. The Morrison haters will never agree with that statement, according to chief political correspondent David Crowe. Peter Duffy Lets be balanced. Scott Morrison: 10 per cent sincerity; 50 per cent mendacity; 10 per cent competence; 30 per cent self-interest. Colin Stokes, Camperdown David Crowes faint praise for our former PM reminded me that even a broken watch is right twice a day. practical-reason Morrison has been unfairly judged compared to other leaders. The Hawaii incident was overstated and there were many hands on robo-debt. Sending the boats back requires some harsh decisions and there is probably not a simple answer to that issue. I applaud ScoMos contribution and his faith. He was the victim of an unfair, yet effective opposition campaign to secure government. And now the Coalition needs to find an effective way to reboot. Advertisement Loading Jmg I dont hate Morrison, he was just not fit for the job of leader. It was the state governments that got us through COVID. He had to be pushed and shoved. Im just embarrassed he was ever Australias prime minister. Sceptic As a fully paid-up, out-there Morrison hater I reluctantly concede that he did, in fact, do something good he finally resigned and left. There is no greater gift he could have given to the nation. What a man! The way to go out. Credit: Cathy Wilcox Why did so many vote for Scott Morrison? Over the years, you never quite knew who would turn up under the name of Scott Morrison. Scotty from Marketing has long been the naughty, perfect label attached to this political chameleon, explained special writer Tony Wright. Fishmonger In fairness, Scotty should have been given six separate going away speeches. One for each ministry he held. Advertisement Dinky-Di I found Morrisons hypocrisy (for the sake a better word) breathtaking in its naivety and lack of any understanding or responsibility. He seems to believe that being a Christian means that his actions, decisions and deeds should never have been questioned. Im not sure what reasonable description can be given to someone like that. The main reaction I have now is of relief that hes gone. Loading Tez23 Chameleon Morrison might have been a figure of fun if the results of his actions had not been so cruel and damaging to other people. As treasurer, Morrison was a particularly snarky performer so his attempted transfiguration into a warm and cuddly daggy dad was never convincing. Regrettably he lacked the personal insight to recognise that fact, and as his farewell speech confirmed, he still doesnt. lizard queen Morrison is the perfect example of why religion of any kind has no place in government. a perspective Morrison: the lowest point in a decade of political low points. Michael Cosgriff Morrison, a legend in his own lunchbox, according to ... Morrison. However, the Liberal Party enabled him and we voted for him. Says a lot about our collective intelligence. Illustration: John Shakespeare Credit: Advertisement What does the former PM deserve for a memorial? Everyone gets the joke about the Harold Holt Memorial Swimming Centre in Malvern, a suburb of Melbourne. But the pool is part of a rich Australian tradition of remembering former prime ministers in inappropriate ways. Author Michael McGirr asked: What does Scott Morrison deserve for a memorial? stuart.edser A salad. The Morrison Word Salad would have bits and pieces of any old leftovers the chef could think of on the spur of the moment. There would be no overarching, tying-it-altogether theme, just a mish-mash of food that doesnt belong. Pigeon The fire station at Cobargo. flitch A pew in his church of choice would be harmless enough. Yuri A fire hydrant. Hose optional. Derek A statue with his hand out trying awkwardly to shake hands with people. Im sure passers-by will ignore his gesture. Advertisement Loading avoter What about a watch? The Salmon A big ScoMo out the front of Shark Park, Cronulla. TinTin A travel agency in the Shire. Andrew Spencer The Scott Morrison Hall of Mirrors. Billinudgel A coal ship sailing away. Phil Name the big Canberra roundabout after him - round and round in circles but getting nowhere. Advertisement The magical opportunity to celebrate a wedding anniversary every four years was too good to pass up for Brisbane newlyweds Callum and Nina Richter. It kind of feels like the most magical day to do things, a Harry Potter-clad Callum Richter told Brisbane Times just moments after tying the knot on Thursday morning. Its surreal, Nina Richter added. Brisbane newlyweds Callum and Nina Richter got married on a leap day at the CBD registry office. Credit: Brisbane Registry Office The Richters were one of 27 couples saying I do on Thursday, a leap day, at the Brisbane Registry Office in the CBD and the Brisbane Powerhouse a record for both venues, surpassing Valentines Day bookings. When fire took hold in grasslands outside the small western Victorian town of Dereel, at 6:03pm on Wednesday, it spread fast. Within minutes, the small blaze was burning up nearby bush. Fanned by hot northerly winds, it then pushed south into thick forest, spitting fire several kilometres ahead of its main fire front. A wrecked vehicle near Glenlogie after fires tore through last week. Credit: Jason South In less than an hour, more than a dozen aerial crews tackled the fire from above while fire crews and about 70 tankers battled the blaze on the ground. Together, they saved an estimated 117 homes from the raging fire, which authorities are now treating as suspicious. Victoria Police are investigating what, or who, sparked the bushfire. The Bayindeen fire, which tore through 22,000 hectares in western Victoria, and the Dereel fire, which burnt 160 hectares, were both contained on Thursday. As the smoke clears, the extent of what fire authorities and volunteers managed to achieve in the past week has become clear. In the words of Victorian Emergency Management Commissioner Rick Nugent, it was nothing short of remarkable. Public schools in Victoria are getting almost $150 less per student in fees than they were in 2019, but parents are still paying more than any other state for a free public education. The latest financial data from the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) shows public schools received $570 per student for fees, charges and parent contributions, in 2022, down from an all-time high of $711 per student in 2019, shortly before the COVID pandemic sparked years of remote learning. Victorian parents are still paying more than any other state for a free public education. Credit: Simon Schluter The latest public school figure which has sprung back slightly from a low of $438 in 2020 is far behind 2022 contributions in the Catholic sector, at $4751 per student, and even further behind independents, which raked in $15,151 per student. The new figures, released on Thursday, include fees, charges and parent contributions, which are traditionally large earners for the non-government sector. There are few events sadder than an election night party where the candidate has lost. The moment the swing is on, the sausage rolls seem colder, the aspiration is drained from the room, and almost instantly, the party's truest believers appear more offbeat. Labor and the Liberals are hoping to win in the Dunkley byelection on Saturday. Credit: The Age and Sydney Morning Herald Come Saturday, both Labor and the Liberal Party will be desperately hoping their respective soirees in Frankston dont end this way. The weekend byelection in the federal seat of Dunkley, triggered by the death of MP Peta Murphy last year, is being widely viewed as a crucial test of voter sentiment ahead of the next general election, set to be held before May 2025, and for obvious reasons. Fremantles activist community has claimed a victory in forcing the council to keep in place the protection of a 130-year-old Moreton Bay fig tree sitting on private property on the corner of Parry and High streets. Just two weeks after acceding to the owners request to remove the magisterial fig from the significant tree register, Mayor Hannah Fitzhardinge and a majority of councillors on Wednesday night got behind City Ward representative Adin Langs motion to reverse the decision that fired up those concerned with Fremantles meagre canopy. A grand Moreton Bay fig will remain on the City of Fremantles significant tree register despite the property owners wish to have it removed. Credit: Mark Naglazas Lang who was absent from the previous meeting put the case that the councillors who voted to drop the tree from the register were not in full possession of the facts. He said they were erroneously advised that the Moreton Bay fig was illegally placed on the register in 2019 the nub of the owners argument for taking the tree off the list and did not understand the communitys depth of feeling for the potential loss of another of the port citys cooling giants. Resources giant Santos was forced to consult Indigenous leaders over the mega project in 2022 after the Federal Court ruled in favour of Tiwi Islanders who were concerned about its environmental and spiritual impact. Loading In December, the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority gave Santos approval to begin drilling at the liquified natural gas (LNG) field 285 kilometres off the coast of Australia. Then in January, the Federal Court ruled that Santos could push ahead with constructing the pipeline to Darwin. In her judgment that lifted the injunction placed on the project, Justice Natalie Charlesworth said concerns about the pipelines effect on a rainbow serpent named Ampiji and a songline about a Crocodile Man were not widely held among Tiwi Island traditional owners. She also criticised evidence tendered as cultural mapping to try to stop the project as so lacking in integrity that no weight can be placed on it. Charlesworth said that differing accounts from witnesses led her to conclude the beliefs and customs that formed the intangible cultural heritage the applicants claimed could be damaged by the pipeline were not broadly accepted within their communities. In October, Labors Northern Territory Mining Minister Nicole Manison praised the multinational for its very extensive job making sure that traditional owners have access to all the facts about the project. But some islanders are still not convinced. Its been the Santos way or the highway, said Puruntatameri. Now they are pulling one of their last levers to try to stop the pipeline: lobbying Japan to divest from the gas field by claiming it will do irreparable damage to their communities and accusing it of failing to do due diligence on human rights concerns. Santos did not respond to requests for comment. We depend on the fish we eat and the sea creatures we hunt for, said Puruntatameri. We only get what we need to feed our family. We dont overdo it. We have been doing that for centuries. The finished pipeline will run just seven kilometres off the coast of the Tiwi Islands. JERA, which met the elders last week, Sumitomo Mitsui and Mitsubishi UFJ all declined to comment. Tiwi Islanders are also split between those who want to protect their heritage in the long term and those who want more work opportunities for their kids now. In December, traditional owners from the Top End Aboriginal Coastal Alliance travelled to Canberra to support the project, arguing it was a desperately needed opportunity for us to improve our living standards and to close the gap. Loading Puruntatameri said it was positive that Santos had employed some young Tiwi islanders, but argued they had no proper knowledge of our culture and what the pipeline was putting at risk. Bourke, a Malawu traditional owner, said the proposed gas line would cut across animal migration areas seen as critical to the Tiwis culture, including turtle and crocodile dances. Its so important. We are all connected, she said. Burke, the human rights advocate, said the lack of investment in jobs and infrastructure by the federal government in the Tiwi Islands had opened the door for Santos. Even when we were in the Federal Court, the people on the other side were like, were really sorry, but were doing this for our family. We want to upgrade the roads in our community, she said. We all want the same thing. Its just that some people are not willing to risk our homes for those things. Inpex CEO Takayuki Ueda. Credit: Reuters Japan wants more gas. In March, the head of Japans largest gas exploration company, Inpex, Takayuki Ueda shocked Australian political leaders by accusing them of quiet quitting LNG exports and presiding over a deteriorating investment environment that would force Japan to turn to Russia, China and Iran for energy. I hope this point is obvious to all of you and that you appreciate that this outcome would represent a direct threat to the rules-based international order essential to the peace, stability and prosperity of the region, if not the world, Ueda told foreign affairs officials in Canberra. Loading Japan already accounts for more than 40 per cent of Australias LNG exports, but Tokyos gas needs have surged since it shut down nuclear reactors following the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster. The country has become increasingly dependent on gas to power high-tech industries and millions of homes in some of the worlds most densely populated cities. Japanese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maki Kobayashi said Australia was critical to Japans economic security. We are very aligned, she said. You have energy, minerals and LNG is a very important part. Burke said Indigenous and Japanese Shinto belief systems were also aligned. The member states of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) have activated the so-called Moscow Mechanism to investigate Russia's arbitrary detention of Ukrainian civilians in the temporarily occupied territories. This is the first international mechanism involved in this issue. ADVERTISIMENT This was announced by Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on the social network X. Activation of the mechanism will help determine the true scale of this crime. "During this war, Russia has taken thousands of Ukrainian civilians hostage in the temporarily occupied territories. They are the most vulnerable group that is not noticed at the international level," the minister said. Kuleba expects that the activation of the Moscow Mechanism will help "determine the true scale of this crime and establish the facts." Earlier, the Foreign Minister called on the OSCE, the UN, and other organizations to use all available and, if necessary, create new tools to solve the problem of Ukrainian civilian hostages and facilitate their release. ADVERTISIMENT "We will continue to make every effort to release them all. I am grateful to our partners for their strong support in this matter. Every Russian crime must be investigated and the perpetrators brought to justice," the diplomat added. For reference The "Moscow Mechanism" is a formal procedure established within the OSCE that allows for the deployment of a short-term international fact-finding mission to address a specific human rights issue in an OSCE region. "It is called "Moscow" because it was adopted during a meeting of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe held in Moscow in 1991. How does it work? The Moscow Mechanism consists in the establishment of a short-term fact-finding mission in accordance with the formulated tasks. The members of such a mission are selected from a list of experts compiled by the OSCE based on submissions from participating states. The final result of the Moscow Mechanism is a mission report on specific issues and recommendations for their resolution. The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights in Warsaw is responsible for the mission's activities. ADVERTISIMENT As OBOZ.UA previously reported, every war criminal and all those involved in the forced deportation of Ukrainians must be held accountable for their illegal actions. Those who abuse our prisoners must also be held accountable. This was stated by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi during his address to the participants of the International Platform for the Release of Civilians Illegally Detained by the Russian Federation. Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Couzens was also accused of possessing indecent images of children, and in 2004 exposed himself at a teenage girl in south London by driving past her while masturbating. The offence was not reported at the time but the woman later came forward when she recognised Couzens in the media. Rape allegations and assaults At some point between late 2006 and early 2007, Couzens is suspected of attempting to rape a woman at a singles night at a bar in east London. The victim again came forward after the murder of Everard. There was another allegation of rape in October 2019 which took place under a bridge in London. In the summer of 2019, Couzens also sexually assaulted a man in a bar in Kent. The complainant was in drag and wearing a blond wig when Couzens grabbed him inappropriately. When the victim remonstrated with him, Couzens said he was a police officer and invited him outside to perform a sex act. The man also came forward to police following Couzens arrest for the murder of Everard. Elish Angiolini, lawyer and Scotlands Lord Clerk Register, makes a formal statement to announce the findings of the first part of a two-part independent investigation into the murder of Sarah Everard. Credit: Getty There were also a string of allegations of indecent exposures, some of which were reported to police but not fully investigated. In November 2008, Couzens exposed himself to a woman in south London and while the offence was reported at the time no suspect was identified. In 2015, Couzens again exposed himself but despite the victims providing police with his car registration, he was never arrested or charged. The inquiry concluded that the failure to investigate this offence fully was a red flag and a missed opportunity to disrupt or even prevent further offending by Couzens. Sarah Everards murder Everard was 33 when she vanished in Clapham, south-west London, on the way home from a friends house. She was abducted by Couzens at 9.30pm on March 3, 2021 after he stopped her on the street, showed her his warrant card and handcuffed her. Loading Couzens used his status as a police officer to trick Everard into thinking she could have been arrested for breaking lockdown rules in place at the time. After putting her in the back of a vehicle he had rented, he drove to a remote location in Sibertswold, Kent and some point around midnight, raped her. At 2am Couzens was seen on CCTV buying a drink from a petrol station. At some stage in the previous hour, he was believed to have strangled Everard using his police issue belt. After murdering her, Couzens hid her body in woodland near Ashford in Kent. Following the murder of Everard, Couzens pleaded guilty to three further indecent exposures including two offences committed at a McDonalds outlet just days before her death. Angiolini said the investigations into these offences had been of poor quality and inadequate, with the officers displaying an apathy and disinterest. She all future reports of indecent exposure must be thoroughly and comprehensively investigated. Furthermore, victims need to be encouraged to report and believe they have no reason for shame or embarrassment. These emotions should be left to the perpetrators to experience, she continued. The report also identified a string of other potential red flags that police should have been spotted in the years before the murder of Everard. In 2013 when he was working as a firearms officer with the CNC, Couzens was reported missing for several hours. The report said: Couzens could have been driving around looking for a victim, in the same way as he did almost eight years later on the evening he abducted Sarah Everard and on other dates leading up to his crime. Loading On the night of Everards abduction, Couzens drove from his home in Deal, in Englands south-east, to London. Three days earlier he had booked a white Vauxhall Astra from a car hire firm in Dover, Kent, using his personal details and bank card. The report concluded that his unexplained disappearance in the 2013 case should have been considered a warning sign when he was being vetted to join the Metropolitan Police. In addition, there were vetting failures when Couzens applied to join both the CNC and the Met. He managed to mask his desperate financial state and the fact he was so in debt that he had entered an Individual Voluntary Arrangement in order to avoid bankruptcy, which would have prevented him joining the police. The inquiry also heard evidence of Couzens sending indecent images of his genitalia to women who were selling female clothing online. He was also a regular user of dating sites and made telephone calls to escorts, although there was no evidence he visited them. There were also instances of self-harm, including Couzens deliberately drilling his finger resulting in him being signed off work for three weeks. Before being accepted into the CNC, Couzens was a volunteer with the Kent Special Constabulary. People gather, at the band stand in Clapham Common, in memory of Sarah Everard, after an official vigil was cancelled in March 2021. Credit: AP The report said: Despite the favourable light in which Couzens was generally perceived by witnesses from Kent Special Constabulary and the absence of any suggestion that he behaved badly towards women while on duty, the inquiry concludes and is satisfied that, by the time Couzens resigned from the Kent Special Constabulary, he already had a history of abusive and potentially criminal sexual activity. Presenting her findings, Angiolini said: The evidence seen by the inquiry has shown that failures in recruitment and vetting meant Couzens was able to continue a policing career which should have been denied to him. Failures investigations into allegations of indecent exposure meant opportunities to disrupt Couzens offending and bring his policing career to a halt were missed. Loading The fact remains three separate police forces allowed him the privilege of being a police officer when they could and should have stopped him. Responding to the report, Everards parents, Sue and Jeremy, and siblings, Katie and James Everard, said in a statement: It is obvious Wayne Couzens should never have been a police officer. Whilst holding a position of trust in reality he was a serial sex offender. Warning signs were overlooked throughout his career and opportunities to confront him were missed We believe Sarah died because he was a police officer she would never have got into a strangers car. The family also called for all the recommendations to be made forthwith, adding: We cannot get Sarah back, but positive changes give hope for the future and will be of benefit to others. A court sketch from the trial in September 2021, shows Sarah Everards mother Susan (right) reading a victim impact statement as Couzens (left) sits in the dock. Credit: PA The UKs information commissioner John Edwards, who contributed to the inquiry, said: This inquiry paints a concerning picture of how disciplinary concerns about police officers and recruits are shared. There is a need for greater transparency here. The public have a right to understand how information will be shared to encourage trust in high standards of policing, and police officers have a right to understand how their information will be shared. If you or anyone you know needs support, you can contact the National Sexual Assault, Domestic and Family Violence Counselling Service on 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732), Lifeline 131 114, or Beyond Blue 1300 224 636. A British container ship is slowly sinking in the Red Sea after being hit by Houthi missiles earlier this month. Footage from Houthi-run media shows the Rubymar, a British-registered, Lebanese-operated cargo vessel, listing and disappearing into the water. British container ship hit by Houthi missiles sinking in the Red Sea. Credit: Al Joumhouria Laden with 41,000 tons of fertiliser which is now feared a major environmental risk, the ship was attacked on February 18, as it sailed through the Bab al-Mandab Strait that connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The missile attack forced the 24 crew members to abandon the Belize-flagged vessel, which had been on its way to Bulgaria after leaving Khor Fakkan in the United Arab Emirates. PHILIPSBURG:--- The Sint Maarten Tax Administration urgently reminds the public that the Motor Vehicle Tax payment is due today, February 29, 2024. Individuals with number plates in the M, P, and all other categories can obtain their QR Code stickers at the Receivers Office on Pond Island. Residents are reminded of the convenience of online payment through credit or debit cards (excluding Maestro), bank transfers, or cash. Ensure you have your original documentation (including valid insurance, inspection card, online payment receipt, and, if applicable, bill of sale readily available when paying for and collecting your QR Code Stickers. For further details, visit the Government of Sint Maartens website on their News tab or The Sint Maartens Tax Administrations Facebook page at www.facebook.com/taxsxm. For additional information, please contact the Receivers Office at the following phone numbers: 542-2143, 542-5300, 542-5304, 542-3839, or reach out via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . PHILIPSBURG:--- Prime Minister Ms. Silveria E. Jacobs participated in the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and The World Bank's joint conference on "Supporting Caribbean Islands to Strengthen Disaster Risk Financing Strategies to Manage Immediate Post-Crisis Response," held in Miami on the 21st of February 2024. The conference, aimed at enhancing disaster risk management in the Caribbean region, brought together leaders, policymakers, and experts to discuss strategies for strengthening disaster risk financing. Prime Minister Jacobs' attendance underscored St. Maarten's commitment to building resilience and preparedness in the face of natural disasters. During the conference, Prime Minister Jacobs emphasized the importance of collaboration and innovative financing mechanisms to mitigate the impact of disasters and ensure swift and effective response and recovery efforts. She also highlighted the need for continued support from international partners to address the unique challenges faced by Caribbean islands in managing disaster risks. Prime Minister Jacobs expressed gratitude to the IDB and The World Bank for organizing the conference and stressed the importance of continued dialogue and cooperation to build a more resilient Caribbean region. PHILIPSBURG:--- The House of Parliament will sit in a Central Committee meeting on February 29, 2024. The Central Committee meeting is scheduled for Thursday at 10.00 hrs. in the Legislative Hall at Wilhelminastraat #1 in Philipsburg. The Minister of Justice will be present. The agenda point is: Update from the Minister of Justice on the progress of the new prison project (IS/230/2023-2024 dated November 23, 2023) Members of the public are invited to the House of Parliament to attend parliamentary deliberations. All persons visiting the House of Parliament must adhere to the house rules. The House of Parliament is located across from the Court House in Philipsburg. The parliamentary sessions will be carried live on TV 15, Soualiga Headlines, via SXM GOV radio FM 107.9, via Pearl Radio FM 98.1, the audio via the internet www.sxmparliament.org, www.pearlfmradio.sx and www.youtube.com/c/SintMaartenParliament PHILIPSBURG:--- Stuart Johnson, outgoing President of the Windward Islands Teachers Union (WITU), reflects on his tenure with pride and gratitude, highlighting the union's remarkable achievements over the past two years. "It was with a lot of prayer and reflection is why I did not seek a re-election of the presidency as I embrace a career change," Johnson stated. Under his leadership, the WITU organized memorable events such as the Teacher Appreciation Boat Cruise, the distribution of Christmas vouchers, training sessions on Collective Bargaining, and vibrant celebrations for International Women's Day and International Men's Day. Initiatives like the Teacher Appreciation Happy Hour and the creation of membership pins strengthened the bond among union members and showcased unity and pride within the organization. The recent launch of membership cards marked a significant milestone in enhancing service delivery to WITU members, providing tangible benefits, and elevating the union's level of service. Johnson remains elated, that staff of the Charlotte Brookson Academy (CBA) joined the WITU membership. Johnson also gave a presentation at the University of St. Martin (USM) each semester for the Foundation of Education Course as part of the Elementary Education Degree program. Regionally, the WITU achieved unprecedented success, securing a record number of representatives on Caribbean Union of Teachers committees and assuming the historic role of 3rd Vice President by Johnson. The union's international presence was felt at the ILO International Conference 2022 virtually and in person for 2023, where President Johnson passionately defended Convention 87, advocating for the rights of employees in St. Maarten. Johnson ensured for business travel to provide the membership with a travel work report which was not the norm prior to his presidency. President Johnson's tenure was marked by proactive engagement in addressing educational concerns, including influencing management changes at St. Maarten Academy PSVE, conducting presentations, and providing valuable feedback on education policies such as the special education policy. The WITU's monitoring efforts ensured the resolution of issues at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Primary School and Oranje Primary, underscoring the union's commitment to its members. Negotiations for improved benefits, including a vacation allowance increase and addressing salary indexing, demonstrate the WITU's commitment to advocating for the welfare of its members and ensuring their financial security. Reflecting on his term, President Johnson expressed pride in the union's strengthened communication, transparency, and partnerships with the signed Memorandum of Understandings (MOU). The MOUs signed were with various unions in Curacao and Anguilla attributing to the success and confidence of the board and union members. He expressed confidence in the union's future and thanked members for their unwavering support and dedication. Johnson remarked about the Committee for Civil Servants Unions (CCSU), "The pivotal role WITU played in the CCSU speaks volumes, especially for Justice and Education workers." As Johnson concludes his tenure as President of the WITU, he leaves behind a legacy of achievement and looks forward to the continued progress and success of the union under new leadership. "I would like to thank all WITU members for your confidence and the media for ensuring our voice got heard," Johnson concluded. ~Aligning regulations with global standards and adopting modern practices is vital for maximizing the benefits of the global e-commerce and value chain.~ PHILIPSBURG:--- Mrs. Judianne Labega-Hoeve, the Interim Director of Bureau Telecommunications and Post St. Maarten (BTP), recently represented the nation at the esteemed Ministerial Programme during the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2024 in Barcelona. The MWC is renowned as the largest and most influential technology tradeshow globally, attracting over 100,000 visitors, 8,000 CEOs, hundreds of ministers and regulators, featuring more than 2,400 exhibitors, and hosting over 350 sessions on technology. During her participation, Mrs. Labega-Hoeve actively engaged in lectures encompassing crucial topics such as 5G, 6G, Artificial Intelligence (AI), the digital economy, digital inclusion, digital government, cyber security, modern regulations, and policy development. These discussions were pivotal, considering the profound impact of emerging technologies on economies worldwide. Mrs. Labega-Hoeve emphasized the significance of St. Maarten's integration into the digital economy and ecosystem, stressing its direct correlation with GDP growth and job creation. She underscored that Sint Maarten cannot afford to lag in this era of rapid technological advancement, highlighting the need for modernization and the establishment of a contemporary regulatory framework to support innovative services. In her commitment to this cause, Mrs. Labega-Hoeve, along with a team of legal and technology experts, is actively modernizing laws to ensure their future-proofing. Furthermore, internal restructuring within the regulatory body is underway, aligning it with global benchmarks and capacitating it to meet evolving demands in the telecom industry. Reflecting on her participation, Mrs. Labega-Hoeve expressed satisfaction, stating, "It was a privilege to engage with global industry leaders and partake in in-depth policy debates on the ministerial stage. This experience has been invaluable in shaping our strategic direction moving forward." Anticipating significant improvements in the upcoming months, Mrs. Labega-Hoeve assured stakeholders of tangible progress resulting from these initiatives. Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putin said that Russian occupation forces used 3M22 Zircon missiles "in combat." According to experts from the Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise, on February 7, Russia struck Kyiv with this hypersonic missile. ADVERTISIMENT The statement about the use of the Zircon Putin made the announcement during his address to the Federal Assembly. In this way, he also admitted that Russia had fired these missiles at Ukraine. According to the dictator, the "sea-based hypersonic complex" Zircon is already in service with the occupiers. "The Zircon sea-based hypersonic strike system has already been used in the battle, this system is already in service," Putin said. Earlier, experts from the Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise were the first to officially report that on February 7, Russia used Zircon missiles during a strike on Ukraine. "There is indeed evidence of the use of a 3M22 Zircon missile. This is evidenced by the markings on the parts and debris, the identification of components and parts, and the features of the relevant type of weapon," said Oleksandr Ruvin, director of the institute. ADVERTISIMENT He explained that, in general, Russian missiles have parts that can be used in several types of products, while other components are designed only for specific models. Ruvin noted that the missile's microelectronics were almost completely destroyed, making it difficult to analyze. However, even the available data suggests that the missile does not meet the established technical parameters. What is known about the Russian Zircon missile? The 3M22 Tsirkon missile is a Russian hypersonic anti-ship missile designed to replace the P-700 heavy anti-ship missile developed in the 70s and 80s of the last century. There is almost no information on the technical characteristics of the Zircon, but the following is known from what the Russians themselves have announced: The strike range is from 600 to 1000 kilometers; ADVERTISIMENT flight speed - up to nine strokes; weight of the warhead - from 300 to 400 kilograms; length - from 8 to 10 meters; two-stage propulsion system (first stage - solid fuel, second stage - air-jet). The missile can be launched both from ships and from the Bastion ground-based complex. In addition, there is a possibility of launching the Zircon from the underground coastal missile complex Object-100 in Crimea. Dictator Vladimir Putin personally praised this "superweapon" during its presentation in 2019. It is worth noting that on Thursday, February 29, at 11:00 am Kyiv time, Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin began his speech with a message to the Federal Assembly. In his speech, the mad dictator expectedly spoke about the war in Ukraine. Only verified information on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! US to probe China tech risks in 'connected vehicles' Washington, Feb 29 (AFP) Feb 29, 2024 The United States is launching an investigation into the national security risks of "connected vehicles," focusing in particular on China-made technology, the US government said Thursday, as worries over data security grow. The latest probe concerns vehicles that constantly connect with personal devices, other cars, US infrastructure and their manufacturers -- including electric and self-driving cars. And it comes as vehicles increasingly use advanced tech for navigational tools and driver assist features. "China is determined to dominate the future of the auto market, including by using unfair practices," said President Joe Biden in a statement. "China's policies could flood our market with its vehicles, posing risks to our national security," he added. Under Biden's direction, the Commerce Department will look into risks stemming from connected vehicles that use technology from "countries of concern" like China, mulling regulations to address such threats, said the White House. As part of the probe, Commerce will collect information from the industry and public, with a 60-day comment period. "China imposes restrictions on American autos and other foreign autos operating in China," said Biden. "Why should connected vehicles from China be allowed to operate in our country without safeguards?" he added. Connected vehicles collect vast amounts of data on drivers and passengers, log information on US infrastructure through cameras and sensors, and can be piloted or disabled remotely, the White House noted. As a result, it said, "new vulnerabilities" could arise if a foreign government gained access to their systems or data. While there are not many such vehicles containing China-made tech on US roads currently, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo stressed the need to "understand the extent of the technology in these cars." A senior US official told reporters on condition of anonymity that it is important to act before there are large numbers of these vehicles in the country, with the Chinese export market in autos growing rapidly and making strong inroads including in Europe. In November, 14 members of Congress signed letters to 10 China-related companies involved in the auto sector -- including Baidu, Didi Chuxing and AutoX -- raising concerns over the handling of data collected when testing autonomous vehicles in the United States. The letters noted that from December 2021 to November 2022, Chinese autonomous vehicle companies test drove more than 450,000 miles (724,205 kilometers) in California. "There needs to be greater transparency around what information you collect while testing on American roads, and whether you are financially tied to the Chinese Communist Party," the letters added. Beyond autos, the White House said on Wednesday that Biden was issuing an executive order aimed at limiting the flow of sensitive US personal data abroad. Ignored by 'Oppenheimer,' atomic test victims speak out White Sands, United States, Feb 29 (AFP) Feb 29, 2024 Wesley Burris was fast asleep in bed when the world's first atomic bomb exploded just 25 miles from his front door. A blinding light filled the home in the New Mexico desert, before the impossible force of the blast shattered its windows, spraying glass across the four-year-old boy and his brother. "It was so bright, I couldn't see," Burris recalls. "I can remember asking, 'Dad, what happened? Did the Sun blow up?'" The events of 5:30 am on July 16, 1945 are now best known to millions from their dramatic re-enactment in the Oscar-tipped movie "Oppenheimer." But they loom large in the actual memory of Burris, who is now 83 years old and still living just a few miles from the secret location where scientists and military chiefs gathered on that historic morning. Because while the film presents the Trinity test site as a vast, empty desert, Burris and his family were among thousands who lived within a 50-mile (80-kilometer) radius. And like all of their neighbors, the family had no clue what was going on -- or why a giant mushroom-shaped cloud was spreading across their horizon. "We weren't scared from it. Because it didn't kill us right there," he told AFP. "We had no idea what it was." Fast-forward eight decades, and Burris knows all too well the true deadliness of that explosion, which sent radioactive material 50,000 feet (15,000 meters) into the air. The test took place amid thunderstorms, despite scientists' warnings, in the race to have the bomb ready for a key World War II summit with the Soviets. Torrential rains brought toxic debris straight back down, where it irradiated the desert dust, the water supplies and the food chain. Burris has lost his brother to cancer. His sister had it too, as does her daughter. And he himself has skin cancer, which he tries to treat with traditional Native American medicine. Despite all this, no New Mexican affected by radiation from the Trinity test has received a dime in compensation. "We were guinea pigs," said Tina Cordova, a cancer survivor who runs the Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium, calling for justice. "But they come back and check on guinea pigs. Nobody's ever come back to check on us." - 'Oppenheimer' - For campaigners like Cordova, Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer" has at least introduced the concept of the Trinity test to millions of people around the world. "But it didn't go far enough," she told AFP. The film is the overwhelming favorite to sweep multiple Oscars on March 10, including best picture. "Wouldn't it be remarkable if during the Academy Awards, any one of them said, 'I want to acknowledge the sacrifice and suffering of the people of New Mexico,'" said Cordova. "They knew about us when they made the film -- they just chose to ignore us again." Cordova -- one of five generations in her family diagnosed with cancer since 1945 -- hopes such recognition could finally put pressure on the US Congress to extend compensation to her state. The clock is ticking. The current Radiation Exposure Compensation Act does support those who lived near sites where nuclear tests were later conducted in Nevada, Utah and Arizona. But even that expires in June. And a bid to broaden its scope to include those exposed to the very first atomic explosion, having been approved by the US Senate last year, was ripped out of a giant defense bill in December by the House of Representatives, over concerns about its cost. "This shouldn't be how we live. We hold bake sales and garage sales and enchilada suppers so that we can raise the money to help these families," said Cordova. "Maybe the Pentagon should have to have a bake sale every week to meet their budgetary demands, the same way we have to." According to "First We Bombed New Mexico," a new documentary following Cordova's campaign, the families affected by radiation are "mostly Hispanic and Native." - 'Bunch of lies' - Burris was not impressed by the recent "Oppenheimer" movie. "Yeah, I've seen it, but that film is a bunch of lies," he said. "How many people died out here? They never said nothing about that." But he has long become resigned to being brushed aside by history. Way back in July 1945, his family were eventually told an ammunition explosion had occurred. Compounding the mystery, two strange men with binoculars were spotted watching the explosion from trucks parked near their front yard. "They wouldn't tell us anything," he recalls. A few years later, another group of men appeared near the home, wearing white suits and masks. His brother approached them, asking why they were digging a hole in the ground and collecting samples. "They said, 'You need to get out of here. This will kill you,'" recalled Burris. "And he said, 'Where am I going (to go?) We live right here in this house.'" Papua New Guinea and Indonesia finalise defence deal Port Moresby, Feb 29 (AFP) Feb 29, 2024 Papua New Guinea has finally ratified a defence pact with Indonesia, nearly 14 years after the prickly neighbours first signed it, the government said in a statement. The two countries first inked the defence cooperation deal in 2010, agreeing to share military intelligence, give logistical support and coordinate security operations. But while Indonesia ratified the document years ago, Papua New Guinea's parliament only did so on February 14, with the government formally bringing it into force a week later. Papua New Guinea has had difficult relations with Indonesia since Jakarta annexed West Papua following a contested vote of tribal representatives in 1969. The pro-independence Free Papua Movement has waged a low-level insurgency with Indonesian military for decades, leading to refugees, Indonesian forces and rebels crossing West Papua's long border with Papua New Guinea. "Security is a cornerstone of trade, investment and business," Papua New Guinea Foreign Minister Justin Tkatchenko said in this week's statement. "In PNG we hope to speak to our security challenges... along our 800-kilometre (500-mile) border corridor," he said. This would help build "some of our security capabilities and capacities", he added. Israeli defence minister says ultra-Orthodox should serve Jerusalem, Feb 29 (AFP) Feb 29, 2024 Israel's Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has called for members of the ultra-Orthodox Jewish community to be enrolled in military service as the Gaza war rages on. "We must all bear the burden," Gallant said, addressing what has long been a divisive political issue in a country with mandatory military service for most citizens. Since Israel was founded in 1948, Jewish men who study the Torah full-time in a yeshiva are granted an annual deferment from military service until the age of 26, at which point they become exempt. But since the war in Gaza erupted after Hamas's October 7 attack, a decades-old debate around these exemptions has gained a new urgency. On Wednesday, Gallant called for an end to the exemptions, saying he would back legislation to this effect if it is endorsed by centrist ministers in the ruling coalition of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "An immediate need arises for the extension of military service for our active soldiers and the prolongation of reserve duty for reservists," Gallant told journalists on Wednesday evening. "It is not a matter of choice. We must stand firm in defending our homeland. "It is possible and important to reach an agreed framework for a draft (law), even for a growing part of the ultra-Orthodox community which is already contributing to the civilian effort," he said. Gallant's comments have raised new concerns of a political crisis in Israel at a time when it is fighting Hamas militants in Gaza. The exemptions given to ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students have ballooned as the community's population has grown over the decades. This has fuelled resentment among Israeli society at large. Israel called up more than 300,000 military reservists as it launched its costly war against Hamas in the aftermath of the October 7 attack on southern Israel, which resulted in the deaths of around 1,160 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official Israeli figures. Gallant called on Netanyahu "to lead a shared process with all coalition parties and reach necessary agreements on the issue of a draft law". Gallant said the law needs backing from all parties. "Without agreement from all parts of the coalition, the defence establishment that I head will not submit the law," he said. His remarks were welcomed by cabinet minister Benny Gantz, a former defence minister himself who joined Netanyahu's emergency coalition after the war began. An impasse over the issue could threaten Netanyahu's coalition of ultra-Orthodox and religious nationalist parties. Gallant's remarks drew criticism from Amichai Eliyahu, Israel's heritage minister and a member of the Jewish Power faction in Netanyahu's government. "There is no possibility whatsoever to draft this community forcibly," Eliyahu told Army Radio. "At the moment I prefer unity of the people of Israel and the country to the government collapsing" over this issue, he said. The Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine has received lists of people whom Moscow wants to involve in its operation aimed at undermining the socio-political situation in our country. The operation is called "Maidan-3," and the lists of potential Kremlin agents include dozens of influential people in Ukraine. ADVERTISIMENT This was reported by the representative of the GUR Andrii Yusov on the air of Radio Liberty. According to him, the Russian special services are currently creating various tools to carry out their anti-Ukrainian operation and are working with people who are planning to be involved in it. "I cannot name specific names now. There are lists of people whom the enemy is working on, and there is a task to involve them to spread their rhetoric and influence the socio-political situation in the country. These are dozens of people if we are talking about influential categories," Yusov said. To promote Russian narratives and undermine the situation in Ukraine, the enemy is massively buying and creating new Telegram channels, as well as bot farms that amplify Russian rhetoric on social media. "Right now, the enemy is actively purchasing various tools from Telegram channels, pages in various social networks, and access to opinion leaders. Every time we hear such narratives that undermine our country from within, that delegitimize state decision-making, we will understand who these narratives are working for," Yusov said. ADVERTISIMENT As for the name of the Maidan-3 operation, it is not accidental. The practice of naming anti-Ukrainian events with Ukrainian words is widespread in Russia and dates back to the Soviet special services. And since the word "Maidan" is a threat to the Putin regime, it is used to denigrate and level it, turning everything upside down. "This name was given in Russia. And this is not the first time. Even the Soviet secret services, and later the Russian secret services, used beautiful Ukrainian or foreign words to describe outright anti-Ukrainian events and xenophobic activities, both in Ukraine and abroad. Yes, for them, the Maidan is a threat, so they use this terminology to turn everything upside down. If we recall, many of the NKVD's operations against the UPA, OUN, and the Ukrainian underground were called beautiful Ukrainian euphonious words," Yusov said. ADVERTISIMENT As reported by OBOZ.UA, President Volodymyr Zelenskyi said in a commentary to Bloomberg that the ultimate goal of Moscow's Maidan-3 operation is to remove the current political authorities. He confirmed that Ukrainian intelligence has data on Russia's disinformation campaign. The Intelligence Committee under the President of Ukraine said that Russia is conducting the most expensive information operation in the history of its special services, the Maidan-3 operation, designed to demoralize Ukrainians and sow panic among the population, distract the world's attention from the ongoing war and undermine international support for our country. The operation began in the fall of 2023 and will culminate in March-May of this year. Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Man held in Spain for illegal military exports to Saudi Madrid, Feb 29 (AFP) Feb 29, 2024 Spanish police on Thursday said they had arrested the owner of a company that illegally exported military equipment to Saudi Arabia, some of which was used in the Yemen conflict. The firm, based in the southern port city of Malaga, exported "engines and spare parts for tanks and armoured personnel carriers" worth 2.8 million euros (around $ three million), the Guardia Civil police said a statement. The exports were falsely labelled as parts for civilian trucks, and the company did not have an export licence. The owner and another suspect, who was not arrested, are being investigated on suspicion of smuggling defence material, police said. The company also provided technical assistance for "the modernisation of many armoured vehicles" belonging to the Saudi armed forces, it said. In Spain, companies wanting to export weapons or military equipment must be listed on a special register and have a licence approved by the authorities for each shipment. "Some of the material" exported was "used in armoured vehicles used in the Yemen conflict," it said. Since 2014, Yemen has been embroiled in a bloody civil war pitting the Iran-backed Huthi rebels against the country's internationally recognised government, which since 2015 has been supported by a Saudi-led coalition. Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed in the conflict, which has sparked one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. Saudi Arabia is one of the world's leading arms importers, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Arms sales to Saudi are regularly criticised by NGOs like Amnesty International which say some of the weapons delivered to Riyadh are ultimately used in Yemen. Following the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, which US intelligence linked to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Germany announced an embargo on arms sales to Riyadh, which it lifted in January. India says about 20 citizens 'stuck' in Russian army New Delhi, Feb 29 (AFP) Feb 29, 2024 India said Thursday it was working to secure discharges for around 20 of its citizens "stuck" in the Russian army, after reports that several were sent to fight in Ukraine. Two years after Russia's invasion began, tens of thousands of its soldiers have been killed in Ukraine and Moscow is on a global quest for more combatants. Several Indian recruits told AFP this month they were lured into joining up by promises of high salaries and a Russian passport before being shipped to the frontlines. "It is our understanding that 20-odd people are stuck," foreign ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal told reporters in New Delhi. "We are trying our level best for early discharge. We are in regular touch with Russian authorities both here in Delhi and in Moscow." The ministry confirmed last week that an unspecified number of Indian nationals had signed up for "support jobs" in the Russian army. It said several had already been discharged as a result of its interventions with Russian authorities. Neither India nor Russia has explicitly confirmed whether they were deployed to fight the war in Ukraine. Jaiswal said the ministry had "told people not to venture into the war zone". The soldiers who spoke with AFP said they had been promised non-combatant roles but were trained to use Kalashnikov assault rifles and other weapons before being sent to Ukraine. A Russian-language defence ministry contract, signed by the men and seen by AFP, refers to "military service in the armed forces of the Russian Federation", with a requirement to "participate in hostilities" and "serve the Russian people without limit". India is a longstanding ally of Russia and has shied away from explicit condemnation of the invasion of Ukraine. Analysts say Russian efforts to target recruits from India are just one facet of a global recruitment drive, alongside a vast campaign at home. Two PKK-linked fighters killed in Iraq strike blamed on Turkey Arbil, Iraq, Feb 29 (AFP) Feb 29, 2024 A Turkish drone strike in northwestern Iraq killed two members of a group affiliated to Turkey's outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) Thursday, said Kurdish authorities. The fighters were members of the Sinjar Resistance Units, a group founded among the district's Yazidi community in response to a brutal occupation by the Islamic State group nearly a decade ago. There was no immediate word from the Turkish military, which has conducted deadly strikes against PKK targets in Iraq and neighbouring Syria but rarely comments on individual strikes. "A Turkish army drone targeted a vehicle of the Sinjar Resistance Units in the region of Wardiya in southern Sinjar, killing an official and a fighter who was escorting him," the counterterrorism services of Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region said in a statement. Another fighter was injured. Sinjar and its adjacent mountains are one of the heartlands of Iraq's Yazidi community, a non-Muslim Kurdish speaking minority that was savagely oppressed by IS jihadists when they overran the district in 2014. The Sinjar Resistance Units were formed in 2014 with help from fellow Kurds of the PKK, which Ankara and its Western allies consider a "terrorist" organisation. The Sinjar force is also affiliated to the Hashed al-Shaabi, an alliance of mainly Shiite armed groups formed to fight IS and now integrated in the regular Iraqi armed forces. Turkey frequently carries out ground and air offensives on positions of the PKK -- which has waged a decades-long insurgency against the Turkish state -- in northern Iraq. It also has over the past 25 years operated several dozen military bases in northern Iraq in its war against the PKK. On February 20, two civilians were killed in a strike in northern Iraq that was blamed on Turkey, security and health officials said. Poland buys $2.5-billion US battle command system Warsaw, Feb 29 (AFP) Feb 29, 2024 Poland has signed a deal with the United States to buy a $2.5-billion integrated battle command system (IBCS), its defence minister said Thursday. The NATO and EU member has made important military purchases in recent years -- mainly from the United States and South Korea -- amid security concerns over the war in neighbouring Ukraine. Warsaw currently spends more than four percent of GDP on defence, the highest rate among NATO members. "The Polish army is acquiring an operational brain for air and missile defence systems," Polish Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said alongside the US ambassador to Warsaw. "Poland will be the second country, after the United States, to have the world's most modern integrated command system," he added. Mark Brzezinski, the US ambassador, highlighted the importance of the deal on X, formerly Twitter. "We have seen with our own eyes in Ukraine how crucial air and missile defence is, and this order will provide Poland with the best, most modern and effective tools to defend NATO territory," he wrote in Polish. Poland will receive the battle command system by 2031, according to the deal. bo-amj/rlp Israel killed 25,000 Palestinian women, children since October: Pentagon Washington, Feb 29 (AFP) Feb 29, 2024 Israel has killed more than 25,000 Palestinian women and children since the October 7 attack by militant group Hamas, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Thursday. "It's over 25,000," Austin told lawmakers when asked during a House Armed Services Committee hearing for the figure on women and children killed. The United States has backed Israel since the unprecedented Hamas attack in October that resulted in the deaths of around 1,160 people. Israel responded to the attack with a relentless assault on Gaza that the coastal territory's health ministry said has left more than 30,000 people dead. The number provided by Austin is within the same range, and come as Washington pushes for a ceasefire and a reduction in civilian casualties in Gaza. US lawmakers slam Pentagon chief over secrecy on health Washington, Feb 29 (AFP) Feb 29, 2024 US lawmakers sharply criticized Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Thursday over the failure to inform the White House about his hospitalization earlier this year for complications from cancer treatment. Both Democrats and Republicans expressed dismay over the secrecy, but the House Armed Services Committee hearing ultimately shed little light on why information had been withheld from other top officials. "It's totally unacceptable that it took three days to inform the president of the United States that the secretary of defense was in the hospital and not in control of the Pentagon," Representative Mike Rogers, the committee's Republican chairman, said during the hearing. "Wars were raging in Ukraine and Israel, our ships were under fire in the Red Sea and our bases were bracing for attack in Syria and Iraq. But the commander-in-chief did not know that his secretary of defense was out of action," Rogers said. The committee's ranking Democratic member, Representative Adam Smith, said "the lack of transparency" should not be repeated and that "we need clearer, more transparent information about what's going on at the Pentagon." Austin insisted "there was never a break in command and control," but said that "what we didn't do well was a notification of senior leaders." The Pentagon chief repeated that he "never told anyone not to inform the president, White House or anyone else about my hospitalization," admitting however that "we didn't get this right." Austin, a 70-year-old career soldier, initially underwent minor surgery to treat the cancer on December 22, returning home the following day. But he was readmitted due to complications including nausea and severe pain on January 1. The White House was not informed about Austin's hospitalization until January 4, while Congress was not told until the following day, and Biden did not learn of the cancer diagnosis until January 9. Various Republican lawmakers called for Austin -- who apologized earlier this month for the secrecy surrounding his treatment -- to be sacked, but Biden has stood by him. The Pentagon conducted a 30-day review of the situation and released a summary on Monday that said privacy concerns contributed to the secrecy, but found no evidence of intentional wrongdoing or obfuscation. Pentagon chief says Israel killed 25,000 Palestinian women, children Washington, Feb 29 (AFP) Feb 29, 2024 US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told lawmakers Thursday that Israel had killed more than 25,000 Palestinian women and children since October, but the Pentagon later clarified he was citing the overall toll from Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry. "It's over 25,000," Austin responded when asked during a House Armed Services Committee hearing for the figure on women and children killed. Hamas carried out an unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7 that resulted in the deaths of around 1,160 people, and Israel responded with a relentless assault on Gaza. The United States has provided extensive backing for its ally, but Washington has recently been pushing for a ceasefire in Gaza and a reduction in civilian casualties. Following Austin's remarks, Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said the secretary had been "citing an estimate from the Hamas-controlled health ministry that more than 25,000 total Palestinians have been killed in Gaza." "We cannot independently verify these Gaza casualty figures," she added. The health ministry put the toll at more than 25,000 killed in Gaza on January 21 -- over a month ago -- and said Thursday that more than 30,000 people have been left dead by the nearly five-month conflict in the coastal territory. US says Putin nuclear war remarks 'irresponsible' Washington, Feb 29 (AFP) Feb 29, 2024 The United States on Thursday denounced Russian President Vladimir Putin's warnings of a risk of nuclear war as "irresponsible," but said there was no sign of greater risk. "It is not the first time we have seen irresponsible rhetoric from Vladimir Putin. It is no way for the leader of a nuclear-armed state to speak," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters. "We have communicated in the past privately and directly with Russia about the consequences of the use of a nuclear weapon," he said. But Miller added: "We do not have any sign that Russia is preparing to use a nuclear weapon." Putin, in an address to the nation on Thursday, warned the West of "tragic consequences" for any country that sends troops into Ukraine to defend against Russia's invasion. "Everything that the West comes up with creates the real threat of a conflict with the use of nuclear weapons, and thus the destruction of civilization," Putin said. Displaced Mozambicans recall terror of new jihadist attacks Namapa, Mozambique, Feb 29 (AFP) Feb 29, 2024 When gunmen arrived in her village for the second time, Alexandrina Calisto realised it was time to take her terrified family to join the latest wave of people fleeing Mozambique's Cabo Delgado province. The lawless region has been prey to a jihadist insurgency for more than six years, but in recent weeks there has been a surge in violence that has sent more than 70,000 people fleeing on foot, by bus and boat. According to the UN migration agency IOM, those escaping attacks in six districts of the province -- a mineral-rich area already prone to catastrophic flooding and, last year, a cholera outbreak -- numbered 68,156 between February 8 and 27 alone. UN agencies have begun to register the displaced people for emergency food supplies. But NGO leaders warn that after months of conflict and disaster, the terror of the attacks has begun to take a mental toll on the population. On February 20, 30-year-old Calisto fled with her mother, sister and three children after armed men entered their home. Mozambican soldiers arriving at the scene told her it would be safe to return, but when she tried, the gunmen launched an attack. The men were armed with "knives, rifles, pistols, and weapons to kill people", Calisto said, describing how the gang burned vehicles. "We began to defend each other's lives, and then we had to flee," she told AFP. - Mental toll - Now the family is in Namapa, just south of Cabo Delgado, a small town that is quickly filling with thousands fleeing violence that the Maputo government has long tried to play down, including on Thursday. In the capital Maputo, Defence Minister Cristovao Chume denied that any district headquarter towns had been overrun, and stressed that the overall situation was stable. "What happened is that small groups of terrorists who left their bases went further south and attacked some villages and created panic," he said. "If, say, two or three armed terrorists arrive in a village where there are no police or armed forces, and shoot in the air, burn two or three cars or houses in the area... the message is spread very quickly and creates panic not only in those villages but also creates national and international panic." But aid groups said the situation has been simmering for a while, and that residents face mental trauma. "In reality the trend of new displacement is not only in the recent weeks, we have seen the resuming peak of displaced already in November," said Francesca Zuccaro, NGO Doctors Without Borders' (MSF) deputy head of mission. People in some districts have been displaced multiple times, she told AFP in a telephone interview. "Within a population that is involved in conflict for more than six years... the impact on the mental health is the one that is striking," Zuccaro said. Cornelio Alberto was at a local market when an armed group arrived. "They arrived at the market at three in the afternoon," he told AFP, explaining the gunman walked the crowd out of the village towards a nearby river. "We fled to the jungle and ran, we slept in the jungle" and "the next day, we walked and arrived at Namapa". Alberto, a father-of-five who fled with his children, wife and three brothers, said they had not eaten much in days. In 2021, forces from Rwanda and the SADC regional bloc arrived to help Mozambique's forces put down the insurgency. At first, they appeared to have some success in stabilising the situation. Almost 5,000 people have been killed and almost a million have been forced to flee their homes. - 'Beautiful country' - The insurgency, which has claimed links to the Islamic State group, survived and attacks have resumed -- although the government has rebuffed calls for a state of emergency and the SADC portion of the force is due to withdraw in July. On Wednesday, the chair of the European Union's political and security committee, senior US diplomat Delphine Pronk, reassured Mozambique of the pair's "strong relations" during a working visit. In 2021, the European Union established a military mission to train Mozambican troops. The EU will, she said, "help your armed forces... to fight the terrorism in the northern parts of your beautiful country." But the minister, Chume, while attempting to reassure the visitors, suggested that the EU "simply supporting Mozambique in training people and providing non-lethal equipment is not enough" and asked for weapons. "The terrorism we have in Mozambique is international terrorism," he said. "The European Union could share with Mozambique the effort given to other countries that also suffer from the same phenomenon, and provide lethal equipment." Spring weather may affect the situation at the front, slowing down the movement of heavy equipment of the Russian occupiers. This situation may give Ukrainian defenders an advantage. ADVERTISIMENT This opinion was expressed by the spokesman for the Eastern Military Group Ilya Yevlash. He said this on the air of an all-Ukrainian telethon. Yevlash noted that in the springtime, the groundwater level may rise and cause trenches to flood, which will require re-equipment of our positions on the ground. This period can be used to our advantage, as it will be more difficult for the enemy to conduct offensive actions with heavy equipment. We are talking about tanks, armored combat vehicles, etc. "Of course, with the onset of spring, groundwater may rise. Of course, this will lead to flooding of the trenches. This is a retrofitting of positions on the ground. This time can be won and used in our favor, as it will be quite difficult for the enemy to conduct offensive actions for some time with the use of heavy equipment, tanks, armored combat vehicles, etc." he said. ADVERTISIMENT Yevlash emphasized that the time gained can be used by Ukrainian troops to improve their fortifications, as their actions are now aimed at strategic defense. "Our main task is to wear down the enemy's potential in all its directions. This is the time that can be used productively and effectively in our favor," he added. As a reminder, the head of Ukraine's military intelligence, Major General Kyrylo Budanov, hinted that the replacement of the Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief by President Volodymyr Zelensky was, in his opinion, the right decision. He also commented on rumors about differences in views between Valeriy Zaluzhny and the head of state. Earlier it was reported that Budanov was once a member of an elite Ukrainian unit trained by the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The intelligence officer was famous for his operations behind enemy lines, in particular in the temporarily occupied Crimea. ADVERTISIMENT As reported by OBOZ.UA, the head of the DIU Kyrylo Budanov said that Ukrainian special forces had already been in Crimea during the full-scale war, in particular, they conducted an operation on the peninsula in 2023. He also announced "new surprises" for the occupiers and hinted at the fate of the Crimean bridge. Only verified information is available on the OBOZ.UA Telegram channel and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas has said that Western leaders should not make it impossible to deploy ground troops to Ukraine. In this way, she supported the idea of French President Emmanuel Macron, who hinted that it is possible to send ground troops to help Kyiv. ADVERTISIMENT This was reported by Politico. Macron's words provoked a negative reaction from other allied governments, whose leaders were quick to insist that troops would not be sent. But Kallas said leaders should discuss all options behind closed doors, including what else can be done to help Ukraine. "I think that this is also a signal that we are sending to Russia that we are not ruling out different things. Because all the countries have realized that we have to do everything to make sure that Ukraine wins and Russia loses this war," she emphasized. While most other EU countries have ruled out sending troops to Ukraine, including major players such as Germany, Britain, and the United States, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said Wednesday that he was grateful for the debate initiated by Macron, adding that "no option can be immediately rejected." ADVERTISIMENT Moscow reacted angrily to Macron's remarks, warning that the deployment of Western troops in Ukraine would inevitably lead to a conflict between Russia and NATO. As reported by OBOZ.UA, discussions on sending troops to Ukraine began at a meeting of presidents, heads of governments, and ministries from 28 countries, which recently took place in Paris at the initiative of French President Emmanuel Macron. At the meeting, he said that no EU state plans to send its military contingent to Ukraine, but "it is possible that this position may change in the future." The French president warned that Russia could attack NATO countries in a few years. That is why European countries cannot allow Russia to win an aggressive war against Ukraine, as Europe's security is at stake. Only verified information is available on our Telegram channel OBOZ.UA and Viber. Do not fall for fakes! These include travel giant Tui, which is ditching its London listing in favour of Frankfurt, Paddy Power owner Flutter, which will likely shift its main listing to New York, and medical company Indivior, which could do the same. But Mr Dey said that an agreement had been reached with two other unions, Unite and the GMB, as he said he would work with college employers and those unions taking action where appropriate, in the hope that they can reach a settlement that is fair and affordable. By this logic anyone who questions the use of the word genocide approves of child killings. The word is as much an attempt to crush dissent as an expression of horror. Repeatedly writing GENOCIDE in capital letters doesnt make it true either. A prominent political writer (you know the one) can simultaneously accuse the Right of inflaming anti-Muslim bigotry, while claiming Israel is gripped by genocidal mania and label anyone who doesnt support an immediate ceasefire as no better than Pol Pot without ever seeing the contradictions of his rhetoric. (In case you dont know, Pol Pot was responsible for the death of two million Cambodians). Speaking further on her romantic relationships, she said: It takes time for my partner to understand that Im different from the person on stage I think thats my biggest challenge: to make my partners see me, and not that persona. And I now know that it was so much more complicated in my sexuality. And I was like, Wait, you feel completely different to me than a boy does, and I love you. So am I in love with you?. Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), the largest industrial company in the UAE outside oil and gas, has broken ground on the regions first 100% renewable energy powered industrial data centres at its Jebel Ali and Al Taweelah sites. The new data centres will enable EGA to further deploy artificial intelligence and automation solutions at the heart of the companys industrial operations, while reducing EGAs total IT energy consumption by 50% through real-time Artificial Intelligence-optimised power, cooling management and latest generation computer infrastructure. EGA is developing the new data centres with local technology provider, Scientechnic. The construction is a key part of EGAs digital roadmap, which is transforming EGAs operations through Industry 4.0 adoption and broader digital transformation. G lobal benchmark The data centres will improve the resilience of EGAs computing and will be certified to the Uptime Institutes Tier III standard, a global benchmark for data centres. Around the world, computing accounts for approximately 7% of global electricity consumption, and this is forecast to rise to 13% by 2030, according to the European Commission. Abdulnasser Bin Kalban, Chief Executive Officer of EGA, said: EGAs bold aspiration to innovate the future of aluminium production is a source of our global competitive advantage, and this includes leading our sector in the implementation of Industry 4.0. Our new data centres, combined with our existing cloud computing resources, transform our data processing capacity. Improving the environmental sustainability of EGAs computing infrastructure is part of our commitment to embed sustainability in everything we do. The construction of EGAs new on-site data centres is an important milestone in our goal to establish a thriving manufacturing innovation ecosystem in the UAE. Carlo K Nizam, Chief Digital Officer of Emirates Global Aluminium, said: Our new data centres will optimise the resilience and sustainability of EGA's digital manufacturing platform which supports data-heavy artificial intelligence and advanced automation solutions. This will help enable EGAs future ambition of self-optimising artificial intelligence driven plant operations, such as fully-autonomous crane and vehicle operations. Hybrid cloud Last year, EGA announced a strategic collaboration with Microsoft UAE to progress the companys digital roadmap, shifting two thirds of EGAs server and applications infrastructure to Microsoft Azure Hybrid Cloud. The hybrid cloud combines computing resources both on-site at EGA and in Microsofts data centres. Both Microsoft and EGA are members of the UAE Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technologys Industry 4.0 Champions Network, which aims to accelerate Industry 4.0 adoption across UAE industry. The development of the data centres and the use of the hybrid cloud together increase EGAs data processing capacity by 2,300 times while significantly reducing unit processing costs, future proofing EGAs computing for the companys digital transformation. Home-grown tech EGA has developed technology in the UAE for more than 30 years and is focused on improving the efficiency of the aluminium smelting process. EGAs latest home-grown technology is among the most efficient and competitive in the global aluminium industry. In 2022, EGA spent some $2.18 billion on goods and services from local UAE suppliers, accounting for 39% of the companys total global procurement spend. EGA is actively working to grow its local supply chain further in line with the UAEs Operation 300bn industrial growth strategy and Make it in the Emirates.--TradeArabia News Service President of Poland Andrzej Duda said he does not believe that the aggressor country Russia will attack NATO if the Alliance is ready for it. But such a scenario is possible only if the allies are strong. ADVERTISIMENT According to him, only those who can be easily defeated seem to be attacked. Duda said this in an interview with Fakt. "I don't believe in it (Russia's attack - Ed.) because I think we will be ready. Of course, this is provided that we are strong. The strong are not attacked. They attack the weak. Those who are easy to defeat," he said. Duda also expressed the opinion that Kremlin dictator Vladimir Putin probably regrets the attack on Ukraine. "I think that if Putin knew what awaited him and his army in Ukraine, he would not have attacked Ukraine," he said. The Polish president added that he is confident that NATO has a huge strength and its members "will be able to immediately defend themselves" because they have "brave professional soldiers" and "the best equipment." To recap, French President Emmanuel Macron said that Russia could attack NATO countries in a few years. That is why European countries cannot allow Russia to win an aggressive war against Ukraine, as Europe's security is at stake. ADVERTISIMENT Chief executive of estate agents Winkworth Dominic Agace warned that such a move would have a serious impact on Londons property market, which sees a lot of international investment. "The government should be careful about steps that will discourage successful wealth generators, who by their very definition are not tied to the UK, said Agace. Officers were seen standing by, but did not intervene as the protest did not affect the operation of the station. In a TikTok video, he said: I was out filming this morning and the first thing that happened was I got my phone nicked by some kid on a bike so it wasn't a great start. The ongoing wound was reopened last week when Argyll and Bute Council refused to freeze the levy, announcing it would increase by 10% this year, drawing the ire of Deputy First Minister Shona Robison and ensuring they would not receive a share of an additional 62.7 million in funding. The Home Office must have a plan for safeguarding and supporting migrant workers who are effectively punished for the behaviour of their employer. Otherwise, migrant workers will be deterred from reporting exploitative employers, which is bad for British and migrant workers alike, and the vulnerable adults in their care. He added: This is not simply a case of the police just saying sorry in the belief they can move on as it was all about 2005 the reality is that for over a decade the police engaged in a concerted cover-up, followed by Police Scotland carrying out unlawful spying on Sunday Mail journalists and police officers who had identified Iain Packer as the murderer. He proposed limiting the direct award to CST for a year and to use that time to run a competition for subsequent years, as government grants should be subject to competition by default to try to make savings. If you see something, you have to think about what the consequences would be of you going in. And actually if you go in you might actually allow people to breach the line that you've been put into, he said. Jordan Linden resigned as the leader of North Lanarkshire Council in July 2022 after reports of alleged sexual harassment emerged, leading to the collapse of the SNP administration in the area. Mr Scholz told reporters in Germany that Taurus was a very far-reaching weapon and added: What is being done in the way of target control and accompanying target control on the part of the British and the French cant be done in Germany. Everyone who has dealt with this system knows that. They are also understood to have spoken of the impact of the war on women and children, the mental and physical scars it has left, and how the UK can assist in caring for them. Appealing to anyone with an affinity with the of the common Londoner, whether first, second, third generation or more, we are challenging negative stereotypes of Cockneys in the media while appealing to the Mayor of London to stop the 660-year-old identity of the common Londoner being airbrushed out of history. Im also here to make sure as farmers stick together and unite through this time of hardship regardless of who we are, where we come from, what we found or what we believe in, now is the time to stick together. He continued: Whilst the film is clearly strongly critical of Mr Taylor and the university for sidelining Ms Langley at the dig and after the discovery of the body and not giving her sufficient credit, his clear motive is to exploit the discovery to further the universitys commercial interests. 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"The Ciolacu Government has this emergency ordinance in the pipeline for combining and rigging elections. (...) We thank Mrs. Ombudsperson Renate Weber for taking the time to receive us. We informed her of the wording of the unconstitutional emergency ordinance which the conjoined ruling party has already pushed further along, past the Ministry of the Interior. She is waiting for an official confirmation, because the aspects red-flagged by us are very serious, if the ordinance remains in the current version. An intelligence service has no business in the electoral process. The fact that they attempt to cut out the constitutional check on this bill, that they are trying to put off the adoption of this ordinance until two or three days before the start of the electoral process shows the desperation of the current government. Renate Weber asked us to go through all the necessary steps, and we hope that the Ombudsperson decides to challenge the constitutionality of this regulatory act," Simion said upon leaving the Ombudsperson's office. "I am telling PNL leader Mr. Ciuca to refrain from working in cahoots with criminals, to not deride the Constitution, he was a military man. I understand that he doesn't fancy expensive wines and the company of thugs, therefore let him not acquiesce to this unconstitutional option and trample down on the rule of law and the fragile Romanian democracy," argued Simion. According to him, this draft law is "almost a self-denunciation" on the part of those in the governing coalition. "It's almost a self-denunciation on their part, they want to rig these elections and they want to take away our chance to challenge the tentative regulatory act in the Constitutional Court. They are not taking the parliamentary track, they want to issue this emergency ordinance on combined elections, which provides for the involvement of the Special Telecommunications Service in the elections, and which puts AUR in the impossibility of having representatives in the polling stations. This is how it is worded, and they devised the ordinance in such a way that we cannot have observer members in the polling stations for the 3,300 localities where we will run in local elections. As if it wasn't already enough that they merged elections and that they will run together," underscored the AUR leader. National Liberal Party Chairman (PNL) Nicolae Ciuca said on Wednesday, when asked if he would support Social Democratic Party (PSD) leader Marcel Ciolacu in the presidential elections, that it was premature to discuss the matter, saying that the relation between him and the chairman of the Social Democrats is one of respect and not friendship and that he hopes that, through the decisions they make together, they would not need to "save" each other. "I wouldn't call it friendship because when we talk about friendship it means more than what we do when we see each other in government or in formal meetings. It is absolutely important to highlight the fact that together we have embarked on this political construction, being aware that Romania needs stability, it needs stability and it needs responsibility. This political construction is still based on respect and I hope that, through the decisions we have made and will take together, through the attitude of each of us, there will be no need to save each other," Ciuca told Antena 3 private television broadcaster, asked if he would "save" Marcel Ciolacu from the fate of the other former PSD chairs.The Liberal leader added that if this coalition lasts only on the grounds of the relation between the two chairmen, if one of them had a problem, then the coalition would no longer exist and Romania's stability "would go down the drain."Asked if the PNL would support Marcel Ciolacu as a candidate in the presidential elections, Nicolae Ciuca answered: "I think that at this moment it is premature to discuss the presidential elections."In this context, asked if he would run for president, Nicolae Ciuca said that it was also premature to say anything on the matter, but the statute of the National Liberal Party states that the chairman of the party must assume the candidacy. National Defence Minister Angel Tilvar on Wednesday met Kingdom of Morocco Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates Nasser Bourita, in a context in which the high officials discussed the situation in the Black Sea region, Africa and the Middle East, as well as the efforts of both sides to ensure regional stability. According to a National Defence Ministry (MApN) press release, Minister Tilvar highlighted Romania's firm desire to develop cooperation with African states, in the context of Romania's launching the National Strategy for Africa, called "Romania - Africa: Partnership for the future through peace, development and education, a vision framework document."The Romanian minister said that, starting from the solid traditional foundations, Romania intends to exploit the potential for cooperation in various areas with the Kingdom of Morocco.The official pointed out that the Kingdom of Morocco is one of Romania's main trading partners in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region, with a total trade turnover exceeding 1.3 billion dollars last year, with a trade balance in favour of Romania, which exports to Morocco cars, parts and components for the automotive industry, as well as other industrial products and equipment for energy generation, transmission and distribution, industrial automation and telecommunications equipment. Also, at the moment almost 2,000 Moroccan citizens study annually in Romania, which creates important premises for strengthening the cooperation between the two countries.In this context, Angel Tilvar stressed the importance of the signing, for the first time, of the Agreement between the Government of Romania and the Government of the Kingdom of Morocco on cooperation in the military and technical areas, a document that will provide the legal framework for cooperation in areas of mutual interest such as defence industry, training of personnel in military institutions, training and exercises, military medicine and cyber security.In his turn, Minister Bourita mentioned the importance that Morocco attaches to the relation with Romania and stressed the need to reinvigorate dialogue at all levels, as well as the need to identify new areas of cooperation. Senate Chairman Nicolae Ciuca on Tuesday said that all the culprits in the case of the Rosia Montana gold mining project must become legally liable because it is "an enormous amount" for Romania to pay. "We are concerned; it is about the country's budget and how we manage from now on all funding. We estimate that this maximum threshold [USD 6.7 billion] will not be reached because we also trust the team that defended Romania at the Washington Court. (...) All those who will bear the responsibility, and beyond responsibility, this burden on the country's shoulders, must become legally liable," Ciuca told Antena 3 private broadcaster on Wednesday evening.According to him, leaders have to make sure that those responsible are "held accountable", regardless of where they come from."Our role, of leaders, of politicians, is to secure order and accountability of those who are guilty, regardless of the name, party or other structure. I am convinced that they will respond, because we are not talking about something that is absolutely fleeting, we are talking about an enormous amount, we are talking about a resource of Romania that could bring income. (...) We must take into account how much we lose as a penalty and how much we lose as a result of not mining these resources and, before the citizens, we are compelled to come up with this commitment to holding the culprits accountable."The total updated value of the compensations requested by Gabriel Resources Ltd. and Gabriel Resources (Jersey) in the international arbitration file opened against Romania, related to the Rosia Montana gold mining project amounts to approximately USD 6.7 billion, according to information with the Finance Ministry. Arad and Bihor border guards have denied entry into Romania to three lorries loaded with about 60 tonnes of waste from Germany, Spain and the Netherlands after finding out the shipments were illegal. The vehicles were checked at the Nadlac II and Bors II border crossings and were driven by Romanian drivers. According to the cargo manifests, they were shipping used tyres, clothing, pieces of furniture, bicycles and various second-hand goods from companies in Germany, Spain and the Netherlands to companies in Romania."Suspecting the illegality of the shipments, the border guards requested authorised support from the representatives of the Arad and Bihor County Commissariats within the Arad and Bihor National Environmental Guard and Consumer Protection. Checks revealed that the lorries were actually loaded with 59,032 kg of waste, for which the drivers did not present the necessary documentation required under the law for the import of such products," Arad Border Police said in a press release on Thursday.Authorities ordered the waste to be returned to shippers in the three countries of origin. Save Romania Union (USR) lawmaker Claudiu Nasui has re-tabled in Parliament for the fourth time a bill revealing the relatives of the late Securitate political police employees holding public offices by creating and publishing a registry of former Securitate employees and their relatives doing politics. The bill supplements Emergency Ordinance 24/2008 on access to one's own dossier and disclosure of the Securitate, establishing that any Romanian citizen, as well as the media, political parties, NGOs and public institutions, have the right to know whether or not politicians' relatives up to third time remoted - President of Romania, MPs and MEPs, members of the Government, Ombudsman and mayors - are connected with the late Securitate.Under the bill, the National Council for the Study of the Securitate Archives (CNSAS) will publish, on its website, a registry of all Securitate employees that will allow searching by name and, if necessary, by other criteria, such as position or office, as well as kinship.Similar bills were submitted by Nasui in 2021, March 2022, and October 2022. Each week, I publish the First Course, an email newsletter that dishes insight, news, tips and more from St. Louis thriving dining scene. Exclusive to the newsletter is a weekly recommended dish from an area establishment. Sign up for the First Course newsletter Exclusive insight, news, tips and more on St. Louis' thriving dining scene from St. Louis Post-Dispatch restaurant critic Ian Froeb. Here is a sampling of the recommendations Ive offered recently. If you want to read these as soon as I send them every Thursday morning, visit stltoday.com/newsletters and subscribe to the First Course. The quesabirria plate at Tacos Wey & Grill Birria has made it all the way to the other side of the trend curve, from dish of the moment to dish you could find everywhere birria pizza! birria ramen! to dish I dont always seek out immediately. This brings me to Tacos Wey & Grill later than I might have otherwise visited. The small Mexican restaurant opened in late 2022 at the corner of Gravois and Weber roads in the Affton area. Small might be overselling it. Tacos Wey & Grill occupies a sliver of a storefront next to a used DVD and Blu-Ray shop. You order at the counter and, if dining in, grab a seat at one of the few tables. The quesabirria plate gets you three tacos and the obligatory side of consomme for dipping and sipping. The quesabirria tacos hit the mark tender beef and gooey, stretchy cheese inside a crisp tortilla. If Taco Weys consomme cant topple the areas reigning champ, Tacos La Jefa, it makes up for a thinner broth with an intriguing spice profile. I couldnt quite place one flavor, something like cinnamon but not quite, and kept dipping and sipping to try and place it. Where: Tacos Wey & Grill, 9040 Gravois Road, south St. Louis County How much: The quesabirria plate costs $13.50. Chicken shawarma and kebabs at Mazaj Mediterranean Since December 2020, Golden Chicken has been serving destination-worthy rotisserie chicken, beef and chicken shawarma and other Palestinian and more broadly Mediterranean dishes in St. Peters. I raved about the restaurant in my 2021 review and have included it in the past two editions of my STL 100. Golden Chicken owners Amjed Abdeljabbar and Mahmoud Abualizz, who are nephew and uncle, respectively, have now opened a second venture, Mazaj Mediterranean, which debuted late last year at the Food Hall at City Foundry in Midtown. (It has moved into the Food Hall spot previously occupied by Good Day.) Two spits rotate behind the Mazaj counter, one with a combination of beef and lamb for gyros, the other with chicken shawarma. The latter meat is bronzed golden-brown here and there and tender through and through. With garlic sauce and crisp pickles, it makes for a fine wrap. Mazaj has also brought kebabs to City Foundry: springy kefta kebabs made from ground beef and lamb, citrusy chicken and brawny, pleasantly chewy beef. The kebab meat is available as either a wrap or as a plate with rice and pickles. The mixed-grill plate brings all three and easily feeds two. Visiting Mazaj still doesnt excuse you from a trip to Golden Chicken. Only there can you order the rotisserie chicken. Where: Mazaj Mediterranean, the Food Hall at City Foundry, 3730 Foundry Way How much: The chicken shawarma wrap costs $12.99, while the mixed-grill plate is $22.99. Bagels at Baked & Boiled Bagels I still havent finished with last years bagel bonanza. Yes, in addition to Bagel Union in Webster Groves, Leftys Bagels in Chesterfield and C&B Boiled Bagels in Wood River (temporarily closed) and the bagels and other classic Jewish deli fare at Ben Porembas Deli Divine in the West End neighborhood Baked & Boiled Bagels opened a brick-and-mortar location in late September in Soulard. Owner Alex Pifer had already developed a following for her traditional water bagels at the Tower Grove Farmers Market before she moved into the former Sweet Divine space at the corner of South Ninth and Soulard streets. The storefront is bright and cozy, with its bagel display and the counter where you order them just inside the front door. The past Year of the Bagel has certainly clarified my preferences, with everything and salt bagels my go-to (though not exclusive) styles. Baked & Boiled impressed with both examples, delightfully chewy bagels with a verdant nudge of scallion cream cheese. I could tell you I am tired of writing about bagels after the past year, but with more styles to try at Baked & Boiled alone, Im afraid you havent heard the last of the subject. Where: Baked & Boiled Bagels, 1801 South Ninth Street How much: An untoasted salt bagel with cream cheese is $5.50. The Carolina Cowboy burger at Jovick Bros. Burgers Casey Jovick has been busy since I visited his Westport Plaza restaurant Jovick Bros. Deli in 2022. For one, he has relocated his sandwich shop within the Maryland Heights plaza to 310 Westport. He and the plazas other restaurateurs are also dealing with a major construction project there. Meanwhile, far from the changes at Westport Plaza, Jovick has opened a second restaurant. Jovick Bros. Burgers debuted late this summer at the corner of Loughborough and Macklind avenues in Princeton Heights. Yes, the burgers in question are smashed. No, Im not complaining. Though smashed skinny, these patties still swagger, tasting of beef more than grill char. I ordered the Carolina Cowboy, a double cheeseburger with a tart, sharp Carolina gold barbecue sauce and crisp onion rings on top. Those onion rings loom over the patties, but a squish of the bun and your first few bites collapse them into a sweet, satisfying crunch. If you have already eaten your fill of smash burgers, I get it. I really do. The new Jovick Bros. joint also serves grilled chicken sandwiches, hot dogs and even a couple of vegan options. And if you want a change of pace from fries as your side, order squeaky fried cheese curds instead. Where: Jovick Bros. Burgers, 4993 Loughborough Avenue More info: 314-390-2899 How much: The Carolina Cowboy burger costs $12. An order of fried cheese curds is $5. The banh mi dac biet at Paris Banh Mi You could write a dynamite cultural history of the banh mi, the sandwich that turned the baguette introduced by the colonial French into a global standard of Vietnamese cuisine. In the meantime, you can (and should) get the slim cookbook The Banh Mi Handbook by the great Vietnamese-American food writer Andrea Nguyen. The banh mi is a big deal, a point recently reinforced by the debut of Paris Banh Mi Cafe Bakery on the east side of the Delmar Loop. Paris Banh Mi is a national chain based in Orlando, Florida, with more than two dozen locations across the country, per its website, and another bakers dozen of storefronts slated to open soon. Paris Banh Mi in the Loop is a counter-service operation with a spacious dining room. For my first visit, I figured the banh mi dac biet, or special combination banh mi, was the way to go: layers of pork cold cuts (pate included) tucked into a crusty baguette and garnished with cilantro, slivers of jalapeno and a shower of pickled carrot and daikon. The bread crackled without collapsing into shrapnel, and I could taste the swagger and funk of all that pork even under the generous helping of tart, sweet daikon. I will definitely return to try a few more of the filling options as well as the menus selection of pastries and Korean corn dogs. And the next time I need a serious caffeine boost, I will be back for more of Paris Banh Mis Vietnamese iced coffee. That said, the banh mi is a big enough deal that I already have a local, independent choice for the sandwich, not just in the metro area, but just up Delmar in the Loop: the Banh Mi Shop. Where: Paris Banh Mi Cafe Bakery, 6118 Delmar Boulevard How much: The banh mi dac biet is $9.50. The Robin's Nest at GOTham & Eggs GOTham & Eggs leans hard into its superhero theme. Inside the entrance stands an old-school spinning rack stocked with comic books. Superhero comics, toys and swollen-headed Funko POP! figures decorate its walls. When I visited recently, the theme song to the international hit animated superhero series Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir was playing over the sound system. Apologies to fellow parents of young children who now have that tune lodged between their ears. GOTham, which I choose to pronounce as Gotham, opened this past summer in the space on the Tower Grove South side of the South Grand strip that was the longtime home of City Diner. Sensibly, GOTham is trying to fill City Diners absence with a breakfast-heavy diner menu so heavy that I opted for breakfast at lunch. The Robins Nest nods to the Boy Wonder in name, if not obviously on the plate. Imagine a sort of cross between a slinger and nachos. A bed of crisp, golden-brown waffle fries cradles two eggs (sunny side up, in my case), spears of smoked pork sausage and vegetarian gravy with peppers and onions. The waffle fries are the key here. Even beneath a blanket of creamy, mildly peppery gravy, they retain their form and crunch. You can use them to lever individual bites that include both egg and sausage. That sausage gives the dish some spice (my serving could have used a bit less char on its sausage), but its super powers are limited. Liberally apply hot sauce from the bottle at your table. Where: GOTham & Eggs, 3139 South Grand Boulevard How much: The Robins Nest costs $12.50. Sign up for the First Course newsletter Exclusive insight, news, tips and more on St. Louis' thriving dining scene from St. Louis Post-Dispatch restaurant critic Ian Froeb. ST. LOUIS Anheuser-Busch narrowly dodged a walkout of thousands of brewery workers Wednesday, reaching a tentative labor agreement one day before the Teamsters unions strike deadline. The groups reached a deal Wednesday evening following a bargaining session in Washington, D.C. Anheuser-Busch knew our members were serious and prepared to do whatever it would take to get a fair agreement, Teamsters President Sean OBrien said in a statement. After a long day and a longer campaign, weve reached an agreement that sets a new high standard for the brewing industry. The Teamsters represent 5,000 workers who brew, package and ship beer at 12 of the companys breweries across the U.S. In St. Louis, one of the larger Teamster-represented sites, the union represents about 450 workers. The union said the new contract includes $8-an-hour wage increases, a $2,500 ratification bonus for each worker and an end to two-tier health care. The previous five-year contract expires Thursday at midnight. Workers are expected to vote on the new tentative agreement next week. After negotiations kicked off in September, the union made some early gains including a pledge to eliminate the tiered health insurance structure that separates plans for employees hired after 2019, Teamsters spokesperson Kara Deniz said this week. But the Teamsters held out, pushing A-B for more assurances around job security. Our members want to make sure that they have in writing, in a contract that they have that job security and that their work is recognized and rewarded, Deniz said. An A-B spokesperson said the company looks forward to ratifying the deal. A strike would have been the latest hit to the beermaker, still recovering from the loss of Bud Light drinkers who fled the brand during an informal boycott over its association with a transgender influencer last year. The companys shares took a dive in 2023 but had recovered to about 94% of their pre-boycott value as of market close on Wednesday. The company will report fourth-quarter earnings Thursday morning but the dip in Bud Light sales dealt a 13% hit to third-quarter revenues. Jake Rosenfeld, a Washington University sociology professor, said that while the labor resurgence of the past two years hasnt, ultimately, nudged the percentage of union-represented U.S. workers much higher, the massive strikes and threats of strikes have resulted in more favorable contracts for workers. Those won by the United Auto Workers and Hollywood writers and actors, for instance, show that there is still a shifted balance of power, in favor of workers, he said. All of that provides ammunition for Teamsters, Rosenfeld said. Theyve proved that pushing for really generous contracts can deliver, and this is the time to go for them. A-B aimed to win back customers earlier this month with a 60-second Super Bowl ad featuring Post Malone and Peyton Manning. Meanwhile, the union pointed to that ad spend and the companys $1 billion stock buyback plan as evidence that the company could afford to boost its offer. The union recently raised strike pay for A-B workers to $1,000 per week. The United Auto Workers made a similar move in the run-up to the massive strike on the Big Three carmakers last year. At the time, OBrien said the union had more than $300 million in its strike fund. (Though the union has now had 420 Molson Coors workers on strike since mid-February in Fort Worth, Texas.) Last year, OBrien threatened a strike at the United Parcel Service a walkout that would have taken 330,000 people off the job and tangled supply chains throughout the economy. The union secured a deal that it valued at around $30 billion, and gave many workers a $7.50-per-hour raise. ST. LOUIS In the years leading up to the chaotic closure of the Northview Village Nursing Home, revenues fell and resident counts dropped. Still, the owners of the north St. Louis nursing home, the largest in the city, were sending at least $1.5 million annually in rent and other payments to their companies. Financial documents from 2020 through 2022, newly obtained by the Post-Dispatch through an open records request, show the steady flow of money into owners compensation, administrative services and rent paid to the owners other businesses. Then, in December, Northview out of cash abruptly shut down, forcing the frantic relocation of 174 residents, and drawing national headlines. Critics of the industry have long contended that nursing homes are able to hide profits through a web of operating businesses, service providers and real estate holding companies. And those who watched Northview fold after its owners Mahklouf Mark Suissa and Chicago nursing home magnate Eric Rothner didnt pay workers on time say its the latest example of the industry putting profits over people. They had been making millions, said Lenny Jones, Missouri director for Service Employees International Union Healthcare, which represented workers at Northview. For them to come around and say, Were broke, and Medicaid rates are too low, is just a bunch of crap. Northview closed Dec. 15, with little more than a few hours notice. The residents of the facility on North Kingshighway were transported overnight to more than a dozen other facilities in the area, often without informing their families or court-appointed guardians. One resident was lost on the streets for weeks. The industry contends Northviews closure is symptomatic of low Medicaid reimbursement rates along with a staffing crisis that has already led to the closure of some homes and will inevitably doom others. Northview was indeed losing patients and revenue, according to its financials, a sharp reversal from 2020, when it was still taking in more money than it spent. Gross revenues fell from $17.7 million in 2020 to $13.8 million in 2022 as the number of residents in its 320 available beds dropped. Expenses hardly fell, going from $16.5 million in 2020, to just under $16.4 million in 2022. As its patient-count dipped, Northview lost its status as the largest Medicaid nursing home in Missouri and a corresponding $1 million annual payment given to the states largest Medicaid facility. While Northview cut some payrolls and expenses in that time, it barely touched several line items. You cant make the assumption Northview continued paying over $730,000 in annual rent to a company owned by Rothner and Suissa that held the real estate. Northview also recorded about $415,000 in owners compensation every year from 2020 through 2022. And it paid exactly $441,000 in each of those three years to Suissas company, Healthcare Accounting Services, for home office administrative services. Its a real estate business, said Steven Levin, a founder and senior partner at Chicago law firm Levin and Perconti, which focuses on personal injury and nursing home litigation. As long as they make enough money to pay the rent to the owners of the real estate, who typically are related to the operators under another hat, it can be profitable for them but not for the residents. They also suck profits out of the home in management companies and collateral companies that provide services to them. Rothner couldnt be reached for comment. Suissa and his attorneys did not respond to a request for comment. But Harvey Tettlebaum, a Jefferson City attorney who represents Missouris nursing home trade group, said such arrangements are common in the industry and dont necessarily mean the owners are taking the money as profit. The rental payments, for instance, are often used to pay a mortgage on the property, which St. Louis real estate records indicate Northview did have until a bank in 2022 released a lien stemming from a 20-year-old loan. The payments to Healthcare Accounting Services are for back office work and the ownership compensation payments could be being used to pay other loans for operating capital at Northview, Tettlebaum said. You cant make the assumption that this is going into the owners pocket, Tettlebaum said. Its impossible to know how much of the fees paid to Suissas Healthcare Accounting Services company amount to profit, or how much of the rental payments went to service debt on the property. In a nod to concerns about financial transparency in an industry largely paid by taxpayers, Missouri House Minority Leader and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Crystal Quade was recently at Northviews campus touting new legislation she introduced in the wake of the homes closure. The Springfield lawmakers bill would compel nursing homes to disclose more details about the network of companies that own and operate the facilities when they are sold. The facilities would have to disclose all of their owners, trustees and connected real estate trusts as well as any companies that provide administrative or clinical services. One parent company could be charging an exorbitant amount of rent, Quade said in an interview that day. Transparency is just so important. A relationship unravels While Northview faced financial pressure from its heavy reliance on a large Medicaid population and declining revenues, it also faced a unique challenge from its owners. As a Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services report revealed last month, it was a dispute between Suissa and Rothner that ultimately sunk Northview. The owners names are redacted in the report, referenced only as Owner A, Owner B and Owner C. The Post-Dispatch has identified them by matching details from the report with other state records. According to the report, Suissa and his chief financial officer, Matt Furgerson, blamed Rothner for Northviews sudden closure. Rothner holds a nearly 40% stake in the company that owns the Northview Village real estate at 2415 North Kingshighway. He also was Suissas partner in another company tied to the operation of Northview. Suissa, in one of his few comments to the Post-Dispatch, alluded to issues with his business partners without naming them. Of course, I would have done it a different way, he said shortly after the December closure. I have other partners also involved, but unfortunately thats the way it happened. The report showed Suissa and his officers also told staff it was Rothners fault. After a long fight to get the ownership to fund Northviews continuing losses, I, nor (Suissa) have been able to get funds from the other part of the ownership group for Northview, Furgerson, the CFO, wrote in an email obtained by state inspectors. (Suissa) is not able to fund this as he has exhausted everything he has from funding his homes for so long. I am not sure what to say as I have had many solutions to get us through our cash flow issues, but I do not have a solution this week. I spoke to (Suissa) and he suggested that you give employees (Rothners) office information as we were expecting funds from him and he is not budging. According to the report and interviews with workers, Northview staff noticed that their direct deposit had not come through early on the morning of Dec. 15. Many had bills they routinely paid the morning of payday. A nurse told a state inspector that when employees found out they would not be paid, staff came in for work and turned around and left. Other employees still worked through the night to help find new housing for confused and upset patients. One former worker filed a class-action lawsuit against Northview and Healthcare Accounting Services shortly after the closure, alleging the companies didnt properly notify workers of the impending layoffs. Her attorneys cited Rothners refusal to fund payroll and said it amounted to a decision to abruptly shut Northviews doors, despite financial alternatives readily available to continue operating. Suissa and his attorneys, in a recent court filing, said no layoff notice was required because it was the workers fault the facility shut down. Defendant only announced a delay of funds, not that the facility was to be shut down, Suissas attorneys wrote. The shutdown occurred as a direct impact of the looting and rioting of employees. Hes a ruthless guy After the Northview debacle, Rothner and Suissas relationship, which stretches back at least 30 years at Northview and includes some shared ownership at other homes in Missouri and Illinois, may be unraveling. Earlier this month, another nursing home owned by the Suissa and Rothner families shut down. Illinois regulators cited financial reasons in the Feb. 8 closure of the 266-bed Salem Village Nursing Home in Joliet, near Chicago. In November, a resident there attacked fellow resident Michael Pappas, 61, who died, spurring a state investigation, according to media reports. The closure of Northview, and now Salem Village, are only the latest high-profile incidents involving Rothner-owned nursing homes. New Jersey homes where Rothners son, William Avi Rothner, held ownership stakes in the real estate saw a rash of deaths that drew national scrutiny at the onset of the pandemic. In Illinois, regulators have taken aggressive action over the years to respond to problems at Eric Rothners homes in the Chicago area. Still, a Rothner home in 2010 prepared for a surprise inspection from the Illinois Attorney Generals office after someone in government tipped it off, the Chicago Tribune reported. And in 2012 Rothner managed to expel state monitors from another of his homes. The Rothners have a long history of poor quality facilities across multiple states, said Timothy Poore, whose Orlando-based company ATP Healthcare helps hospitals, including some in St. Louis, place patients in long-term care facilities. Levin, the Chicago attorney, has sued many of Rothners homes in recent decades over poor conditions and care. Like Suissa found out at Northview, Levin learned the businessman wasnt one to yield to pressure. BROOKLYN Polished.com Inc. has suspended its operations and is planning to file for bankruptcy. The online appliance retailer, formerly St. Louis-based Goedekers, said in a news release that despite working aggressively to raise capital and improve its liquidity position, the company could not obtain additional financing. The companys closure comes after a comprehensive review by the companys board of directors of available strategic alternatives, and upon consultation with the members of the companys management, with the assistance of the Companys legal and financial advisors, Polished said in a statement. Troubles have long been mounting for Polished. In 2022, the company forced out its chief executive, vice president and chief financial officer amid an internal investigation. It was later revealed that former CEO Albert Fouerti charged the company $800,000 in expenses unrelated to the company and its operations. The audit also found that the company did not have all the necessary documentation for all of its employees and the companys controls, software and procedures for managing and tracking inventory, including damaged inventory, were insufficient. Last year, the company regained listing status on the New York Stock Exchange American, as it had previously failed to meet multiple SEC deadlines for required filings, though it later received a deficiency letter from the NYSE American for not being in compliance with the listing standards, as its stock had been selling at a low price for a substantial period of time. NYSE American staff informed the company it needed to do a reverse common stock split, or show sustained price improvement, before March 13, 2024. According to its most recent earnings report, Polished saw a 46% decrease in product sales from the year before. Third-quarter product sales were at $77.8 million in 2023 compared to last years $143.6 million sales for that quarter. Goedekers began in south St. Louis in 1951 as a television repair shop. It saw success in the area and eventually grew to a 50,000-square-foot showroom in Ballwin. In 2019, Goedekers was sold to New York investment firm 1847 Holdings for $6.2 million, which in 2021 acquired Appliances Connection before moving the combined company headquarters to New York and changing its name to Polished. Common stock for the company was trading at $1.85 per share at 2:30 p.m. Thursday. Tony Messenger Metro columnist Follow Tony Messenger Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today ST. LOUIS Mayor Tishaura O. Jones made her annual 133-mile trek to the Missouri Capitol on Tuesday, mostly to make sure that state lawmakers keep their hands off the citys police department. Its a silly battle but one that must be fought every year since voters returned control of the police department to city leaders in 2012. Until then, a state commission controlled mostly by the governor ran the police department, an arrangement that had its origins in the Civil War. At the time, St. Louis was one of only two cities in the state with that convoluted setup. Kansas City now stands alone. Every year, some Republican from rural Missouri files a bill to reinstate state control of St. Louis police. Its a bill they would never file for the police department where they live. So Jones, who is on the right side of this issue, every year goes back to the building where her political career started as a state representative. She walks the halls and talks to enough folks to make sure the bill dies, as it does every year. She wont have to work very hard at it this year. Crime is down in St. Louis after a spike during the pandemic. Some of that is the nature of crime statistics. They rise and fall in American cities, often because of factors unrelated to the police department. What Jones gets for being responsible for her police department, however, is the weight of taking the slings and arrows when the department fails like when rookie cops drive their SUVs into bars or when the families of police shooting victims file lawsuits to hold the city and its officers accountable. On the same day Jones was focused on Jefferson City, her city counselors office, run by Sheena Hamilton, turned its eyes to the Thomas F. Eagleton United States Courthouse. Thats where earlier this month, a federal judge ordered the city to make public an audit of police shootings from 2014 to 2018. None of those shootings were on Jones watch. Police shooting lawsuits filed in the federal courthouse stem mostly from events that happened at least one mayoral administration before. But Jones response to those lawsuits matters. That was the point Magistrate Judge Shirley P. Mensah made when she ordered the city to produce the audit the same audit that it has been working overtime to keep secret. The document at issue bears on the question of whether the City properly investigated officer-involved shootings, Mensah wrote. The public interest in this claim and in how the Court evaluated it is very high. The audit could be a feather in Jones cap. The former head of the Force Investigative Unit, which conducts police shooting investigations, was fired during her tenure, ostensibly because of the audit produced before Jones was elected. Maybe she made the city safer by holding a rogue police officer accountable. But citizens and voters will never know for sure if the audit is kept secret. Its more likely based on portions of the audit the Post-Dispatch has seen that Jones and Hamilton want to keep it secret because it is as shoddy as the police investigations it criticizes. Maybe the mayor and her top attorney dont want to give lawyers a roadmap for proving a pattern and practice of past failures. But again, we dont know. Thats because at 8:22 p.m. on the evening Jones went to the state capital to maintain control of her police department, her city counselor filed an appeal of Mensahs decision, hoping the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals allows the city to keep the audit secret. The appeal delays potential justice for the families of police shooting victims seeking accountability. It delays answers about whether police shootings were properly investigated and whether anything has been done to improve that situation. Mostly, it means that the police department Jones leads will remain in the shadows. ST. LOUIS A federal grand jury on Wednesday indicted two men on charges related to a fatal shooting last month in the city's West End neighborhood. Derrick D. Clark, 19, and Jeremiah M. Sutton, 22, are each facing two charges in the fatal shooting of 22-year-old Josiah Robinson at an apartment in the 900 block of Goodfellow Boulevard on Jan. 28. Charging documents said the two men fatally shot Robinson and injured another man during a robbery at the Goodfellow apartment. They are each facing one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and aiding and abetting the discharge of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. Clark was arrested Feb. 22, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office in St. Louis. Sutton was still at large Thursday afternoon. ST. LOUIS A former St. Louis middle school principal has pleaded guilty to federal murder-for-hire charges in the shooting death of a teacher and her unborn child in 2016, but his alleged accomplice is planning to move forward with trial. Phillip J. Cutler, of Oklahoma, appeared in St. Louis federal court on Thursday and rejected an offer from prosecutors to plead guilty in exchange for a sentence of life in prison. His trial is set to begin on March 11. One day earlier, his childhood friend Cornelius M. Green, a former St. Louis principal, pleaded guilty to a similar deal in the deaths of Jocelyn Peters and her unborn child. The child was Greens from an affair with Peters, authorities have said. Greens plea deal calls for him to be sentenced to life in prison. The federal indictment, handed down by a grand jury in 2022, said Green, who was married, was involved in multiple romantic relationships when Peters became pregnant with his child in 2015. Green hatched a plan to kill Peters and offered cash to Cutler to help him. On March 7, 2016, Green sent a UPS package to Cutler in Oklahoma containing $2,500, some of which hed stolen from his school, the indictment said. Cutler came to St. Louis two weeks later and drove Green to the Amtrak station for a trip to Chicago to establish an alibi, the indictment said. On March 24, Cutler used Greens car to drive to Peters apartment in the 4200 block of West Pine Boulevard in the Central West End and Greens keys to get in, the indictment said. Cutler then shot Peters in the head with a .380-caliber firearm while she was in bed, using a potato as a silencer, the indictment said. Peters, 30, was a third- grade teacher at Mann Elementary School and seven months pregnant when she died. Green was the principal at Carr Lane Visual and Performing Arts Middle School. He was living in the 200 block of North 17th Street at the time. Katie Kull of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report. ST. LOUIS A St. Louis man was sentenced Thursday to 16 years in prison after pleading guilty to killing a man and then wrapping his body in plastic and hiding it inside the trunk of a vehicle. Matthew Mancini, 27, was charged in 2018 with shooting and killing 29-year-old Mark Burnett Jr. Prosecutors said Mancini suspected Burnett had stolen money from him, so he forced him to kneel, and then hit him in the head with a gun on Louisiana Avenue, in the city's Dutchtown neighborhood. While he was hitting him, the weapon went off, killing Burnett. "I never meant to hurt Mark," Mancini said at a hearing on Thursday, according to a news release from the 22nd Judicial Circuit. Burnett's parents told Judge Scott Millikan they continue to grieve their loss every day. Still, Burnett's mother, Patricia Burnett, said she forgave Mancini because his family was suffering, too. "It never gets better," she said of her grief. "You just learn to manage it." Mancini pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, which was reduced from first-degree, and tampering of physical evidence. Prosecutors also dismissed a charge of armed criminal action in exchange for his guilty pleas. ST. LOUIS Eric Fey is bracing for Election Day snarls because of a decision his state made last year. Missouri pulled out of a collaboration known as the Electronic Registration Information Center, or ERIC, which helps states keep voter rolls accurate such as flagging when people move. Fey, the Democratic director of elections in St. Louis County, expects delays when people discover at the polls that the address on their voter registration record is incorrect. More people will be doing change-of-address forms at polling places and at the election office on Election Day, said Fey, who is also president of a statewide local election authorities group. At least for those voters, it takes longer, and there is a longer line. Missouri and eight other states Alabama, Florida, Iowa, Louisiana, Ohio, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia left ERIC in the last two years. The move, driven by Republican leaders, followed on the heels of a baseless article published by a St. Louis-based website, Gateway Pundit, which alleged ERIC is a left-wing plot funded by billionaire George Soros. In fact, ERIC is funded by its member states now 24 of them, plus Washington, D.C. and helps them kick ineligible voters off the rolls as well as register new ones. It received startup funding years ago from The Pew Charitable Trusts, which has over its history partnered with Soros Open Society Foundations along with other funders, including conservative ones. In Missouri, local election officials werent consulted on the decision to leave the collaboration. Thats according to a highly critical January report from the states Republican auditor, who said there were no plans to fully replace the benefits received from the membership. States that left ERIC have tried to find or create another system that does the same data-matching and cleaning and failed. When states leave ERIC without an effective replacement, it can make their voter databases less accurate. That in turn can feed bad-faith arguments about election fraud, experts worry. Another underappreciated consequence is the one worrying Fey: People in those states who havent updated their voter registration after moving will likely find it more challenging to cast a ballot. Census data shows the problem disproportionately affects people of color, low-income Americans and younger people because they move more frequently. Voters in those groups are more likely to register as Democrats. Mobility is the biggest challenge election officials face in terms of keeping accurate voter lists. Routine, quality list maintenance is especially important with highly mobile populations, said Shane Hamlin, executive director of ERIC, in an email to the Center for Public Integrity. It also means more challenges for local election offices. In St. Louis County, its up to Fey, his Republican counterpart Rick Stream and their staff to update the records, which eventually go into Missouris statewide voter registration database. The office used to have help with this massive task through ERIC. Many people in the 21st century feel like, I updated my address with pick-your-other-government-agency, but it doesnt get to the election office. I thought I did all this stuff. Why dont you have my information updated? Fey noted. Stream also saw ERIC as a beneficial tool. He thinks it is unfortunate the state left the effort. It gave us information that we couldnt have received any other way, Stream said. ERIC was good in that it crossed state lines. Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, who was in his first year in that office when the state joined ERIC, made the decision to pull out. He said in an interview that he doesnt remember if he consulted with local election authorities about the decision. Its not something you would normally consult them on, said Ashcroft, who said he instead talked to other secretaries of state and his offices information technology staff. Its not their work. I am responsible for the statewide voter registration system. But local election authorities are responsible for keeping voter rolls up to date in their jurisdictions. Its that data that feeds into the statewide system. Ashcroft confirmed that local election authorities are the only ones who add or remove voters from the rolls in Missouri. When there are well-defined, credible opportunities to promote voting, he is going in the opposite direction, said Nimrod Rod Chapel, a lawyer and president of the Missouri State Conference of the NAACP, who is concerned about the ERIC departure. Its going to hurt all Missourians, but without a doubt Black and brown Missourians who are moving at greater rates, whether to find jobs or communities that they can live in. Mobile voters pose a challenge The Help America Vote Act of 2002 requires states to implement electronic voter registration databases, but it does not require them to format the data in a way that allows for comparisons. That complicates efforts to determine if a voter has left one state for another. The federal government also doesnt provide all the information states need to keep their voter rolls up to date. ERIC was built to address these problems. In Minnesota, for example, election-day voter registration dropped after the state joined ERIC in 2014. These same-day registrations accounted for more than 10% of total votes in the two elections before that year; they fell to less than 6% by 2022. When states leave ERIC, it affects the states that remain, said David Maeda, the Minnesota elections director and secretary of ERIC. For every state that leaves, thats one less to check with for Minnesotans who moved. Its been a really difficult year for all of us in it, Maeda said. Were getting less data including the very large Florida and Texas. Voters whose information is out-of-date in their states voter registration database may end up traveling to multiple locations on Election Day just to cast a ballot. They cant request a mail-in ballot. They wont receive election-related mail. Canvassing candidates or issue-focused petitioners will not be able to seek them out to talk about policy ahead of the election. The impact for voters wont be clear until they attempt to vote. Theres no way to know yet how much change-of-address work is backing up in local election offices that no longer have access to ERIC. David Becker, founder of the Center for Election Innovation and Research, helped launch ERIC while director of the Pew elections program. He expects longer lines and more provisional ballots, offered to people when certain registration issues crop up. Such ballots take longer for voters to fill out and have a higher chance of not being counted. Keeping voter registration databases up-to-date is never-ending work. A Pew report from 2012, the year ERIC launched, estimated that one out of every eight voter registration records in the U.S. is inaccurate. That need to conduct regular list maintenance is regulated by the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, known as the motor voter law. The law requires states to appoint a chief to official to oversee elections. The official is also charged with making sure the state makes a reasonable effort to identify voters who have entered the prison system, moved, died or become otherwise unable to vote. One stark example that crossed the line: Leading up to the 2000 presidential election, election officials in the city of St. Louis moved more than 30,000 voters to inactive lists, alarming Black leaders. On Election Day, hundreds of people couldnt vote. Poll workers calling headquarters to verify eligibility couldnt get through on jammed lines. Voters sent to the election boards main office in downtown St. Louis to plead their case were still standing in line at 10 p.m., trying to vote. In the aftermath, a federal consent decree required St. Louis Board of Election commissioners to change their policies for maintaining accurate registration records and properly notify voters of their registration status. Horrible and misleading information The Gateway Pundit, which grew in popularity after promoting lies about the 2020 election and is now the subject of two defamation lawsuits, began publishing its ERIC pieces on Jan. 20, 2022. Within a week, Louisiana Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin ended the states membership. Ardoin told Votebeat the decision had nothing to do with the Gateway Pundit. Alabama followed nearly a year later. In March 2023, Trump used his Truth Social platform to encourage states to end their membership, saying without evidence that it pumps the rolls for Democrats and does nothing to clean them up. The same day, Florida, Missouri and West Virginia officials all released statements that they were leaving ERIC Missouris secretary of state said he was leading them in doing so. Iowa, Ohio, Virginia and Texas withdrew over the next several months. The watchdog group American Oversight obtained emails from Ashcrofts office that show one of his top lieutenants expressing concern before the state pulled out from ERIC about the horrible and misleading information circulating about the organization. For states that left ERIC, trying to recreate what officials there spent years and millions of dollars developing has not gone well. Virginia paid $29,000 in September to regain access to just a sliver of the data they used to obtain via the Electronic Registration Information Center, or ERIC, Votebeat reported in December. Alabama and Missouri officials took months to come up with new plans for cleaning voter rolls, landing on plans that are less rigorous than ERIC. Public Integrity requested any documents from the Missouri Secretary of States office detailing current voter list maintenance efforts. The agency said some information could not be released publicly but provided a memo sent to local election officials. That memo, said St. Louis Countys Fey, had no additional guidance or assistance beyond what the state offered while an ERIC member but without the tools ERIC provided. Ashcroft, the Missouri secretary of state, said he is looking at other ways to get and massage the data. But he said the local offices still receive change-of-address and death reports as they did both before and during the states ERIC membership. He said he thought the reports are indistinguishable from ERICs. I dont think there is a vacuum left by ERIC, he said. Brianna Lennon, the county clerk in Boone County, disagrees that the information local officials receive now is equally good. The reports look the same, but the background data is not the same because theres no information to show where people died out of state, said Lennon, previously the states deputy director of elections. Boone County, home to the University of Missouri-Columbia, benefited from ERIC in a number of ways, she said. Because we are a college town, people do change addresses quite a bit, Lennon said. One tool pitched to election officials as an ERIC alternative is EagleAI. Its supported by Cleta Mitchell, who aided former President Donald Trumps efforts to overturn the 2020 election results and, Rolling Stone magazine reported, pressed state officials to leave ERIC. States that did so no longer have the burden of offering voter registration to the lions share of citizens who are eligible but havent registered, Mitchell said in an emailed response to Public Integrity. She also claimed that those states are doing as well as or better with list maintenance as before. EagleAI performs matches with public data such as property records. That type of matching, election experts warn, produces too many false positives to be used as a reliable method for cleaning voter registration databases. Concerns about sharing data Shortly after the Help America Vote Act passed in 2002, Kansas officials signed agreements with Iowa, Nebraska and Missouri and began sharing data for list maintenance through a program known as Interstate CrossCheck. In 2019, it was shut down. A federal audit found security vulnerabilities, and voters sued after portions of their Social Security numbers were exposed. Now, some former ERIC states such as Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia and Florida are creating data-sharing agreements that strike David Kimball, a political science professor at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, as a worrisome echo of that history. States doing these new agreements are basically doing the same thing as what Kansas CrossCheck was, and we already know it was no good, Kimball said. I dont know what they expect, other than to sow distrust in voting systems. Ashcroft, the Missouri secretary of state, didnt like a commitment members have to make when they join ERIC: attempt to reach out to 95% of eligible but unregistered voters in the state to provide them information about how to register. In his 2023 letter about ending the states membership, he said ERIC focuses on adding names to voter rolls by requiring states to contact individuals who already had an opportunity to register to vote and made the conscious decision to not be registered. In fact, the ERIC bylaws attempt to make sure its members arent bothering people. Members shall not be required to initiate contact with eligible or possibly eligible voters more than once at the same address, the bylaws note, nor shall members be required to contact any individual who has affirmatively confirmed their desire not to be contacted for purposes of voter registration. Asked why he doesnt want to do that outreach, Ashcroft said Missourians dont need it. Everybody has a chance to [register to] vote all the time, he said. They can do it on their cellphones or smartphones, they can do it on their computer. Thats a disingenuous question. The Center for Public Integrity is a nonprofit investigative news organization. It has in the past received grants from the Open Society Foundations, most recently in 2015, and Pew Charitable Trusts, most recently in 2010, both mentioned in this story. Donors do not dictate coverage. Missouri auditor hits Jay Ashcroft for withdrawing from voting group The audit found that Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft withdrew the state from a voter information service that had helped officials ensure dead people are no longer registered. JEFFERSON CITY The Missouri GOP is moving to block a man from running for governor under the partys banner after he filed to run as a Republican despite his affiliation with the Ku Klux Klan, the party said Thursday. Darrell Leon McClanahan III, of Milo, Missouri, on Tuesday filed to run as a Republican in the primary for governor, one of eight Republicans to sign up for the race. It wasnt McClanahans first foray into politics. McClanahan joined a crowded Republican field for U.S. Senate in 2022. McClanahan garnered 0.2% of the vote, or 1,139 votes, in the primary that current U.S. Sen. Eric Schmitt won. After the primary, the Anti-Defamation League posted an article on McClanahan. The post includes what the organization describes as a photo of McClanahan with two Knights Party leaders. Another photo published is said to show McClanahan at a cross burning in about 2019. In that photo, McClanahan is standing next to a person in what appeared to be a KKK robe with his arm raised in what appeared to be a Nazi salute. They have a bad picture of me, McClanahan told the Post-Dispatch Thursday. Im not a Nazi; I dont believe in heil Hitler. Asked about the other photo, in which McClanahan is pictured next to the two Knights Party leaders, McClanahan said, thats me. Yeah, thats me. Former state Rep. Shamed Dogan, a Ballwin Republican who had been the only Black Republican in the Legislature, shared the photos on social media Wednesday evening and called on the state party to reject McClanahans filing fee. The Missouri Republican Party said Thursday morning it was moving to block McClanahan. The Missouri Republican Party has been made aware that Darrell Leon McClanahan III filed for Governor as a Republican despite his affiliation with the Ku Klux Klan, which fundamentally contradicts our partys values and platform, the party said. We have begun the process of having Mr. McClanahan removed from the ballot as a Republican candidate. We condemn any association with hate groups and are taking immediate action to rectify this situation. Our party upholds respect for all individuals, and were dedicated to addressing any challenges to these principles decisively. Defamation lawsuit McClanahan sued the Anti-Defamation League for defamation in August in Vernon County Circuit Court. The case was later transferred to U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri. U.S. Magistrate Judge Jill Morris dismissed McClanahans lawsuit in December. In the first paragraph of his original petition, McClanahan describes himself as a Pro-White man, horseman, politician, political prisoner-activist who is dedicated to traditional Christian values. The lawsuit goes on to say that contrary to the Anti-Defamation Leagues assertions that he belonged to the Ku Klux Klan, he has not and never has been. But the next sentence says McClanahan was provided an Honorary 1-year membership. Asked about the membership on Thursday, McClanahan said he was referring to the League of the South, which is described by the Anti-Defamation League as a white supremacist group. McClanahan also said in his petition that he did attend a private religious Christian Identity Cross lighting ceremony in 2019. His petition also explicitly acknowledges an Honorary membership to the League of the South. Im not a member of the Ku Klux Klan, and I have never been a member, McClanahan said Thursday. Morris used statements in McClanahans petition to determine he identifies himself as being an honorary member of at least two organizations: the Knights Party Ku Klux Klan (KKK) and the League of the South. Candidates react Leading Republican candidates for governor, along with House Minority Leader Crystal Quade, D-Springfield, who is running for governor as a Democrat, issued statements calling on the GOP to remove McClanahan from the ballot. Quade said, Every Republican should have to answer on why they think its appropriate to be on the ballot with someone who flaunts their Klan membership. Its disgusting & disgraceful. Shame on the GOP for accepting his filing fee, they should have never accepted it and should immediately refund it and denounce him and his beliefs. Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft issued a statement minutes before the state partys post. He called on the state Republicans to investigate allegations against McClanahan and remove him if confirmed. A photo on McClanahans Facebook page shows Ashcroft standing next to the candidate. McClanahan said the photo was taken when Ashcroft spoke at a Vernon County Lincoln Days event. (He had no idea who he was, said Jason Cabel Roe, Ashcroft spokesman, in an email, adding that he takes hundreds of pictures with Missourians every year.) Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe and state Sen. Bill Eigel, who are also running for governor, issued statements after the state party announcement calling for McClanahans immediate removal. Kehoe said, This candidate should be removed from the ballot immediately. There is no place for racism or antisemitism in the party of Lincoln. The @MissouriGOP must remove Mr. McClanahan from the primary ballot immediately, said Sen. Bill Eigel, R-Weldon Spring, on social media. By his own admission in a 2022 lawsuit, Mr. McClanahan attended cross burnings and was previously an honorary member of the KKK. This is outrageous. KINLOCH The St. Louis regions main sewer district is suing one of the regions smallest and poorest cities for more than $400,000 in unpaid sewer bills from dozens of the citys properties, including its former city hall. The Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District is asking the court to order Kinloch to pay the principal of $407,231.80 in delinquent sewer charges from 56 addresses, plus late fees. The suit was filed this month in St. Louis County Circuit Court. Its not like we sue somebody within 60 days, said MSD finance director Marion Gee. We spent years trying to get them to the table to talk to us about this issue so that we could work out an agreement with them. Some of the delinquent charges were due at least 11 years ago, if not longer. But Kinloch didnt respond to years of efforts by MSD to collect the charges or negotiate a payment plan, Gee said. Kinloch appears to be the only city MSD has sued over delinquent bills. In 2007, a county judge ordered Kinloch to pay $94,863 after MSD sued to collect the bills. Kinloch still hasnt paid that amount in full either, Gee said. No other public entity has gotten as far behind on their bills, he said. This is an unusual case, he said. For Kinloch, a municipality of about 264 residents where the median household income is $38,281, a judgement would prove costly. Kinloch City Administrator Justine Blue said in an email that the city had not been formally served the lawsuit as of Monday and did not respond to other questions. Mayor Evelyn Carter and four members of the Board of Aldermen did not return email requests for comment and could not be reached by phone; a city attorney for Kinloch could not be reached, either. The first town in Missouri to be incorporated by African Americans, Kinloch was home to about 5,000 residents by the 1980s, when St. Louis Lambert International Airport bought more than 1,000 homes for a noise-mitigation program. The population plummeted, Kinlochs tax base dwindled and buildings rotted. Meanwhile, the local government endured a wave of scandals. In 2011, a mayor was sentenced to federal prison for spending tens of thousands of city dollars on vacation travel and personal expenses. Two other mayors were impeached by aldermen. In 2017, a fire chief was sentenced to federal prison for stealing money from the citys fire protection district. In recent years, reports of widespread illegal dumping in Kinloch have spurred local and regional officials to pursue redevelopment there. The city installed security cameras as part of a crackdown on illegal dumping. The nonprofit St. Louis County Parks Foundation is leading a $1.5 million renovation of Kinloch Park, a county-owned park in the city. And in October, the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership began identifying large-scale sites in Kinloch that could be redeveloped into warehouses to help bring jobs to the city. The city has also been kept afloat through an annual $200,000 subsidy from a tax increment financing district established for NorthPark, a 550-acre business park formed in 2005 out of land the airport bought from Kinloch and neighboring cities. The city and district signed a deal in 2015 granting Kinloch the money through 2024. Kinloch last year reported about $627,410 in revenue with about $100,925 remaining after expenses, according to the citys latest in financial report with the Missouri auditors office. The amount MSD says Kinloch owes on the 56 properties is worth about two-thirds of the citys budget last year. It was unclear Wednesday exactly how Kinloch came into possession of each of the properties. Several properties were originally owned by the City of Kinloch Community Development Association, which MSD named as a co-defendant in the lawsuit. The association, a redevelopment group formed in 2000, was dissolved by the state in 2015 after it failed to file a registration report. About $159,000 of the charges Kinloch owes were from accounts due on properties when the city acquired them from the association or other owners, Gee said. He said it did not appear that any of the properties were acquired through tax sales. Of the 56 accounts due, 14 of them are active and have continued to rack up debts as recently as this month, Gee said. The remaining accounts went offline over previous years. In all, the delinquent accounts ranged between $76.58 from an address that is now a vacant lot, to $32,007 at an occupied apartment building. Kinlochs previous city hall, at 5990 Monroe Avenue is one of the active accounts. The city owes $9,319 for sewer service there. Other active accounts appeared to be housing the city owns. The city collected $54,733 in revenue from public housing apartment leases in multifamily units the city owns and rents to residents, according to its report to the auditors office. Asked about the impact a judgement could have on Kinloch, Gee said the sewer districts goal is to get the city to discuss an appropriate time period in which some of these wastewater bills could be paid. Charges customers dont pay get calculated into the rates the district charges in order to fund its system to serve customers across the county and city, said Sean Stone, an MSD spokesman. The public sewer district covers nearly 1.3 million people in St. Louis and St. Louis County. All the money we collect has to do with fulfilling our mission of managing wastewater and treating wastewater, he said. When you have a customer that is not paying, that is trickling down and creating hardship for other customers. BETHESDA, Md. President Joe Biden "continues to be fit for duty," his doctor wrote Wednesday after conducting an annual physical that is being closely watched as the 81-year-old seeks reelection in November. Dr. Kevin O'Connor, Biden's physician, wrote that the president is adjusting well to a new device that helps control his sleep apnea and has experienced some hip discomfort but also works out five times per week. "President Biden is a healthy, active, robust, 81-year-old male who remains fit to successfully execute the duties of the presidency," O'Connor said in a six-page memo on the president's health, following a physical that took Biden to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for more than 2 1/2 hours. His memo added that Biden "feels well and this year's physical identifies no new concerns." The oldest president in U.S. history, Biden would be 86 by the end of a second term, should he win one. His latest physical mirrored one he had in February last year when O'Connor described Biden as "healthy, vigorous" and "fit" to handle his White House duties. Still, voters are approaching this year's election with misgivings about Biden's age, having scrutinized his gaffes, his coughing, his slow walking and even a tumble off his bicycle. After he returned to the White House on Wednesday, Biden attended an event on combating crime and suggested that when it came to his health "everything is squared away" and "there is nothing different than last year." He also joked about his age and people thinking "I look too young." Former President Donald Trump, 77, is the favorite to lock up the Republican nomination later this month, which would bring him closer to a November rematch against Biden. Trump was 70 when he took office in 2017, which made him the oldest American president to be inaugurated until Biden broke his record by being inaugurated at 78 in 2021. O'Connor's report said that Biden's stiff walking was no worse than last year and was the result of arthritic changes in his spine. He said the president also noted "some increased left hip discomfort." There were no signs of stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's or other similar conditions in what the report called an "extremely detailed neurologic exam." Biden, last summer, began using a continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, machine at night to help with sleep apnea, and O'Connor wrote that the president had responded well to that treatment and is "diligently compliant" about using it. A recent special counsel's report on the investigation into Biden's handling of classified documents repeatedly derided Biden's memory, calling it "hazy," "fuzzy," "faulty," "poor" and having "significant limitations." It also noted that Biden could not recall defining milestones in his own life such as when his son Beau died or when he served as vice president. Still, addressing reporters the evening of the report's release, Biden said "my memory is fine" and grew visibly angry as he denied forgetting when his son died of brain cancer in 2015 at the age of 46. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that O'Connor was one of a team of 20 different medical specialists who helped complete the physical. Asked why Biden wasn't undergoing a cognitive test as part of the physical, Jean-Pierre said that O'Connor and Biden's neurologist "don't believe he needs one." "He passes a cognitive test every day, every day as he moves from one topic to another topic, understanding the granular level of these topics," Jean-Pierre said, noting that Biden tackled such diverse issues as Wednesday's crime prevention event before his planned trip to the U.S.-Mexico border on Thursday and next week's State of the Union address. "This is a very rigorous job," she added. That picture of the president doesn't reflect the type of struggles with routine tasks that might indicate the need for further tests, said Dr. Michael Rosenbloom, a neurologist at the University of Washington School of Medicine. "Constantly questioning older folks who may have an occasional lapse is a form of ageism," Rosenbloom said. From sleep apnea to arthritis, Biden's health report "seems pretty run of the mill for an 81-year-old person," said Dr. Jeffrey A. Linder, chief of general internal medicine at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. "His doctors are in a unique position to assess his cognitive ability on a daily basis," Linder said. "These doctors are able to see how he's functioning day to day. That's much more useful" than a cognitive assessment. Many Americans, including Democrats, have expressed reservations about Biden seeking a second term during this fall's election. Only 37% of Democrats say Biden should pursue reelection, down from 52% before the 2022 midterm elections, according to a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Biden counters that his age brings wisdom, and he has begun to criticize Trump for the former president's recent public gaffes. The president joked that his age was classified information and suggested during a taping in New York on Monday of "Late Night With Seth Meyers " that Trump mistakenly called his wife Melania, "Mercedes" during a weekend speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference -- though the Trump campaign says he was correctly referring to political commentator Mercedes Schlapp. Trump has indeed had his share of verbal miscues, mixing up the city and state where he was campaigning, calling Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban the leader of Turkey and repeatedly mispronouncing the militant group Hamas as "hummus." More recently, he confused his Republican primary rival Nikki Haley with former Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. While he was president, Trump's annual physical in 2019 revealed that he had gained weight and was up to 243 pounds. With his 6-foot, 3-inch frame, that meant Trump's Body Mass Index was 30.4. An index rating of 30 is the level at which doctors consider someone obese under this commonly used formula. Wednesday's report listed Biden as 6-foot tall and weighing 178 pounds. ___ Weissert reported from Washington. AP Medical Writer Carla K. Johnson in Washington state contributed. ___ Photos: Joe Biden through the years Joe Biden, 1972 Joe Biden, 1972 Joe Biden, 1972 Joe Biden, 1972 Joe Biden, 1973 Joe Biden, 1987 Joe Biden, 1987 Joe Biden, 1988 Joe Biden, 1991 Joe Biden, 1993 Joe Biden, 1993 Joe Biden, 2003 Joe Biden, 2007 Joe Biden, 2007 Joe Biden, 2007 Joe Biden, 2008 Joe Biden, 2008 Joe Biden, 2008 Joe Biden, 2008 Joe Biden, 2008 Joe Biden, 2008 Joe Biden, 2009 Joe Biden, 2009 Joe Biden, 2010 Joe Biden, 2012 Joe Biden, 2013 Joe Biden, 2014 Joe Biden, 2015 Joe Biden, 2015 Joe Biden, 2017 Joe Biden, 2017 Joe Biden, 2017 Joe Biden, 2019 Joe Biden, 2019 Joe Biden, 2019 Joe Biden, 2020 Joe Biden, 2020 Joe Biden, 2020 Joe Biden, 2020 Joe Biden, 2020 Joe Biden, 2020 Joe Biden, 2020 Joe Biden, 2020 Joe Biden, 2020 Joe Biden, 2020 Joe Biden, 2020 Joe Biden, 2020 Joe Biden, 2021 Joe Biden, 2021 Joe Biden, 2021 RAFAH, Gaza Strip Israeli troops fired on a crowd of Palestinians racing to pull food off an aid convoy in Gaza City on Thursday, witnesses said. More than 100 people were killed in the chaos, bringing the death toll since the start of the Israel-Hamas war to more than 30,000, according to health officials. Israel said many of the dead were trampled in a chaotic stampede for the food aid and that its troops only fired when they felt endangered by the crowd. The violence was quickly condemned by Arab countries, and U.S. President Joe Biden expressed concern it would add to the difficulty of negotiating a cease-fire in the nearly five-month conflict. The Gaza City area was among the first targets of Israels air, sea and ground offensive, launched in response to Hamas Oct. 7 attack into Israel. While many Palestinians fled the invasion in the north of the enclave, a few hundred thousand are believed to remain in the largely devastated and isolated region. Several deliveries of aid reached the area this week, officials said. The deadly chaos in Gaza City will likely fuel criticism of Israel when it comes to allowing aid in. Aid groups say it has become nearly impossible to deliver supplies in most of Gaza because of the difficulty of coordinating with the Israeli military, ongoing hostilities and the breakdown of public order, with crowds of desperate people overwhelming aid convoys. The U.N. says a quarter of Gazas 2.3 million Palestinians face starvation; around 80% have fled their homes. Military officials said the pre-dawn convoy of 30 trucks driving to northern Gaza were met by huge crowds of people trying to grab the aid they were carrying. Dozens of Palestinians were killed in the stampede, and some were run over by the trucks as the drivers tried to get away, said Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, the chief military spokesperson. Israeli troops guarding the area fired warning shots toward the crowd because they felt endangered, he said. We didnt open fire on those seeking aid. Contrary to the accusations, we didnt open fire on a humanitarian aid convoy, not from the air and not from land. We secured it so it could reach northern Gaza, he said. Kamel Abu Nahel, who was being treated for a gunshot wound at Shifa Hospital, said he and others went to the distribution point in the middle of the night because they heard there would be a delivery of food. Weve been eating animal feed for two months, he said. He said Israeli troops opened fire on the crowd as people pulled boxes of flour and canned goods off the trucks, causing the Palestinians to scatter, with some hiding under cars. After the shooting stopped, people went back to the trucks, and the soldiers opened fire again. He was shot in the leg and fell over, and then a truck ran over his leg as it sped off, he said. At least 112 people were killed, Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra said. The Health Ministry described it as a massacre. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordan accused Israel of targeting civilians in the incident. In separate statements, they called for increased safe passages for humanitarian aid. They also urged the international community to take decisive action to pressure Israel to abide by international law and to reach an agreement for an immediate cease-fire. Biden spoke with the leaders of Egypt and Qatar about the deaths, according to U.S. officials, and the U.N. Security Council scheduled emergency closed consultations on them for later Thursday. We are urgently seeking additional information on exactly what took place, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said. The increasing alarm over hunger across Gaza has fueled international calls for a cease-fire, and the U.S., Egypt and Qatar are working to secure a deal between Israel and Hamas for a pause in fighting and the release of some of the hostages Hamas took during its Oct. 7 attack. Mediators hope to reach an agreement before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan starts around March 10. But so far, Israel and Hamas have remained far apart in public on their demands. Biden had earlier expressed hope that a deal would be done by Monday. He said Thursday that looked unlikely. Hope springs eternal, Biden told reporters. I was on the telephone with people from the region. Probably not by Monday, but Im hopeful. When asked if the bloodshed in Gaza City on Thursday would complicate those efforts, he said, I know it will. In a statement condemning Thursdays attack, Hamas said it would not allow the negotiations to be a cover for the enemy to continue its crimes. Medics arriving at the scene of the bloodshed Thursday found dozens or hundreds lying on the ground, according to Fares Afana, the head of the ambulance service at Kamal Adwan Hospital. He said there were not enough ambulances to collect all the dead and wounded and that some were being brought to hospitals in donkey carts. Another man in the crowd who gave only his first name, Ahmad, as he was being treated at a hospital for gunshot wounds to the arm and leg said he waited for two hours before someone with a horse-drawn cart had room to take him to Shifa. The violence came more than a month after witnesses and health officials in Gaza accused Israeli troops of firing on a previous aid distribution in Gaza City, killing at least 20 people. Dr. Mohammed Salha, the acting director of the Al-Awda Hospital, said the facility received 161 wounded patients, most of whom appeared to have been shot. He said the hospital can perform only the most essential surgeries because it is running out of fuel to power emergency generators. The Health Ministry said the Palestinian death toll from the war has climbed to 30,035, with another 70,457 wounded. The agency does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in its figures but says women and children make up around two-thirds of those killed. The ministry, which is part of the Hamas-run government in Gaza, maintains detailed records of casualties. Its counts from previous wars have largely matched those of the U.N., independent experts and even Israels own tallies. The Hamas attack into southern Israel that ignited the war killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and the militants seized around 250 hostages. Hamas and other militants are still holding around 100 hostages and the remains of about 30 more, after releasing most of the other captives during a November cease-fire. Violence has also surged across the West Bank since Oct. 7. An attacker shot and killed two Israelis at a gas station in the settlement of Eli on Thursday, according to the Israeli military. The attacker was killed, the military said. Meanwhile, U.N. officials have warned of further mass casualties if Israel follows through on vows to attack the southernmost city of Rafah, where more than half of Gazas population of 2.3 million has taken refuge. They also say a Rafah offensive could decimate what remains of aid operations. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are believed to remain in northern Gaza despite Israeli orders to evacuate the area in October, and many have been reduced to eating animal fodder to survive. The U.N. says 1 in 6 children under 2 in the north suffer from acute malnutrition and wasting. COGAT, the Israeli military body in charge of Palestinian civilian affairs, said around 50 aid trucks entered northern Gaza this week. It was unclear who delivered the aid. Some countries have resorted to airdrops in recent days. The World Food Program said earlier this month that it was pausing deliveries to the north because of the growing chaos, after desperate Palestinians emptied a convoy while it was en route. Since launching its assault on Gaza following Hamas Oct. 7 attack, Israel has barred entry of food, water, medicine and other supplies, except for a trickle of aid entering the south from Egypt at the Rafah crossing and Israels Kerem Shalom crossing. Despite international calls to allow in more aid, the number of supply trucks is far less than the 500 that came in daily before the war. Chehayeb reported from Beirut and Lidman from Tel Aviv, Israel. Updated at 3:55 p.m. WASHINGTON As Russia makes battlefield advances and Ukrainian soldiers run short on ammunition, U.S. adults have become fractured along party lines in their support for sending military aid to Kyiv, according to a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Democrats are more likely to say the U.S. government is spending too little on funding for Ukraine than they were in November, but most Republicans remain convinced its too much. That divide is reflected in Congress, where the Democratic-held Senate with help from 22 GOP senators passed a $95 billion package of aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan this month. But the bill, which includes about $60 billion in military support for Kyiv, languishes in the Republican-held House as Speaker Mike Johnson so far refused to bring it up for a vote. President Joe Biden, along with top Democrats and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, urged the Republican speaker during a White House meeting this week to take up the foreign aid package. Johnson responded by saying that Congress must take care of Americas needs first. Most Republicans still share Johnsons view, and their opinions havent changed significantly since the fall: 55% say the U.S. is spending too much on Ukraine aid, compared to 59% in November. Meanwhile, support for increasing Ukraine aid has grown among Democrats. About 4 in 10 Democrats say the U.S. is spending too little on aid to Ukraine in the war against Russia, up from 17% in November. The share of Democrats who say the U.S. is spending too much or about the right amount has also dropped over the same period. Chloe Henninger, 24, a Democrat from West Hartford, Connecticut, was among those who said the U.S. is spending too little on aid to Ukraine. She said it was important for the U.S. to show commitment to democracies like Ukraine that are under siege. From a humanitarian point of view, there were sovereign borders agreed upon internationally. And then an autocratic power went and invaded a sovereign territory. The U.S., as one of the major military forces in the world, sort of has a duty to respond, said Henninger, a cosmetic chemist. Majorities of Democrats think its extremely or very important to prevent Russia from seizing more Ukrainian territory, to negotiate a permanent ceasefire between the two countries, help Ukraine regain its land and provide general aid to its military, while less than half of Republicans and Independents agree, the poll shows. Biden and Democratic leaders in Congress cast the conflict in Ukraine the largest land invasion in Europe since World War II as a potential turning point in history. Failing to repel Russian President Vladimir Putins assault, they warn, would have grave consequences, from destabilizing the rest of Europe to emboldening other potential foes such as China and North Korea. At the same time, Donald Trump, the former president who appears to be marching towards the Republican nomination, injected serious doubts about Americas involvement in Ukraine and the rest of the world. While McConnell, the top Republican in the Senate, has remained a strong advocate of robust American involvement abroad, Trump has swayed the party towards an isolationist stance, as well as at times heaped admiration on Putins strongman style of rule. Were throwing all this taxpayer money to Ukraine and to Israel, and we cant even take care of our own people, said Jeffrey Jackson, a 55-year-old Republican from Granbury, Texas. The U.S. government needs to take care of our own people and then worry about the rest of the world later. Jackson also holds deeply unfavorable views of Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. While Jackson said he was not pro-Putin, he liked the way Putin has led Russia more than how Biden has led the U.S. Putin is broadly unpopular among U.S. adults, including Republicans. About 8 in 10 U.S. adults have an unfavorable opinion of Putin, including nearly 9 in 10 Democrats and three-quarters of Republicans. Views of Zelenskyy are more reflective of the divisions over the war itself. About 4 in 10 U.S. adults have a favorable opinion of Zelenskyy, with Democrats having a more positive view than Republicans. Trump has also cast doubt on whether he would uphold commitments to defend fellow NATO countries if he became president again. Jackson agreed with that sentiment, saying he would like to see NATO dismantled. However, a majority of U.S. adults including 52% of Republicans support the spirit of Article V of the NATO military alliance, that an attack on one NATO country represents an attack on all. Almost 6 in 10 adults say they would favor the U.S. deploying U.S. troops to defend a U.S. NATO ally if it were attacked by Russian forces. Still, when it comes to Ukraine, partisan divisions persist even on questions about basic diplomacy. For example, around 4 in 10 Republicans say that negotiating a permanent ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine should be an extremely or very important foreign policy goal for the U.S., compared to about 6 in 10 Democrats. Today in history: Feb. 29 1904: Jimmy Dorsey 1916: Dinah Shore INDEPENDENCE, Mo. (AP) A court employee trying to serve an eviction notice at a home in Independence, Missouri, was shot and killed Thursday and two police officers who responded to help him also were shot, one fatally. Im very tragically sorry to report that we lost one of our own, Independence Police Chief Adam Dustman said. He identified the deceased officer as Cody Allen, 35. Dustman said Allen always had a smile and described the police department as a broken family, over his death. The second officer, whose name wasnt released, underwent surgery and is expected to recover, Dustman said. A third officer also took gunshot rounds and had minor injuries, the police chief said. The shooting occurred when court employee Drexel Mack tried to serve an eviction notice. Mack or another civil process server also at the home called 911 saying Mack had been shot, Dustman said. The officers responded at about 1:10 p.m. and approached Mack to help him when someone shot at them, he said. Helicopter video from KMBC-TV showed emergency vehicles converged around a large, isolated house in the middle of a field. The area is a mixture of woods and farmland with a smattering of houses on multi-acre lots. A church is mixed in among the homes. The man suspected in the shooting was in custody and sustained minor injuries, Corporal Justin Ewing with the Missouri State Highway Patrol said at a news conference. Independence Police Department spokesperson Officer Jack Taylor said no details were immediately available about what exactly happened before the shootings began. Mack, who was in his early 40s, had worked for Jackson County for over a decade. We are devastated that a court employee, who is a public servant, was shot by a member of the public while performing their job, Presiding Judge Jalilah Otto said in a statement. Our hearts are heavy and our thoughts are with our employee, our entire Court family, and the Independence Police Department. More than a dozen officers lined up outside Centerpoint Medical Center late Thursday afternoon to escort the bodies to the medical examiners office. People hugged and consoled each other after the procession left. Independence is a suburb of Kansas City, with about 122,000 residents. Associated Press reporters Lisa Baumann in Bellingham, Washington, Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska, and Steve Karnowski in St. Paul, Minnesota, contributed to this report. ___ This story has been corrected to fix the spelling of Drexel Mack's last name on the first reference. Two poll workers unintentionally rattled David Bohlken two decades ago when he walked into a petite country church near Tulsa to vote for his first time as an Oklahoman. They wouldnt offer him a ballot. Only a cup of coffee. The ballot got flipped upside down on me. I wasnt even allowed to look at it, Bohlken said, noting that the two apologetic poll volunteers his friends were just doing their jobs. That kind of made me feel bad. Bohlken grew up in Minnesota, a state with open primaries, where all registered voters may participate in any partys primary election. He didnt realize his status as a registered independent in Oklahoma would exclude him from partisan primaries. Millions of voters in states like Oklahoma with primaries that are at least partially closed are shut out from voting in contested races because of their independent status or party affiliation, denying participation in elections their tax dollars fund. In some cases, those primaries decide who wins the seat outright. Across nine closed or partially closed primary states, about two in five registered voters in districts with contested U.S. Congressional primary elections in the 2022 midterms were barred from casting ballots in those races, according to a Lee Enterprises Public Service Journalism team analysis of publicly available data. Similarly, about two in five registered voters throughout those nine states in districts with contested state legislative primaries in 2022 were prohibited from participation. In 181 of those 590 contested federal and state primaries, disallowed voters were entirely blocked from a choice in who represents them because the primaries decided who won the office either directly or with an uncontested general election, according to Lee Enterprises analysis. Thats almost one in three districts where the excluded voters had no say in their representation. Jeremy Gruber, a lawyer and senior vice president of Open Primaries, a national advocacy group, frames the issue in stark terms. There's a country where when you vote in the general election, half the time there's only one person on the ballot. Almost every time it's an uncompetitive election, and half the voters in the country are barred from the first round or limited, Gruber said. And even the voters that can participate are segregated into warring camps. People would say, Well, that doesn't make sense. That doesn't sound democratic. Where is that? What strange country has that system? But that's us. That's our system. Gruber is part of a burgeoning movement across the U.S. to open up primaries so all registered voters can participate. As the 2024 election season begins, there are already about a dozen active campaigns in states across the U.S., including Oklahoma, Arizona, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico and Idaho. Proponents who are pushing for changes through citizen-led ballot initiatives, state law changes or even lawsuits say open primaries strengthen American democracy by allowing all registered voters equal access to taxpayer-funded elections while broadening voter choice and improving outcomes through competition. But open primary efforts are running up against opposition from some political party leaders and partisans who think only party members should choose their candidates for the general election. In the 20 years since Bohlken first tried to vote in Oklahoma, the states Democratic Party has opened its primaries to independent voters. But neither Republicans nor Libertarians have followed suit. State Sen. Nathan Dahm, chair of the Oklahoma GOP, said he adamantly opposes open primaries because political parties are private organizations with specific ideals that should be able to decide who participates in their affairs primary elections included. "You don't want the out-of-town atheist coming in and voting on who your next pastor should be in your church," Dahm said. Dahm said no requirements force a person to vote in a primary. In fact, he said, most registered voters don't participate. And many citizens aren't even registered to vote. "The purpose of the primary is for the party to determine who they want to be their nominee," Dahm said. However, primaries often are where the real decisions are made, Gruber said. General elections in most state and federal races have ceased to be determinative, he said, becoming more of a dance a formality. All of a sudden, we've allowed the parties to control the process that we pay for that our tax dollars pay for and it's perverted our democracy in all kinds of ways, Gruber said. Most U.S. states have some form of open primary even if advocates like Gruber argue they're more limited or less inclusive than they should be. He emphasized that the de facto model for municipal governments are nonpartisan elections, which he said are effective and elicit the highest satisfaction in voter surveys. Bohlken, a farmer and rancher who lives in Leonard, an unincorporated town near Tulsa, described his move to Oklahoma from Minnesota as a sort of slap in the face politically. His voting power was erased from primaries that his tax dollars support. As an independent, he prefers to carefully consider candidates from both sides of the aisle. I feel like I hesitate to say this out loud, but the primaries seem to drive a lot of real zealots some people who are really extreme in their views, Bohlken said. So those few people who can show up for a primary really determine whos going to be put in office. And that just kind of freaks me out. What research has found The high level of voter disenfranchisement that Lee Enterprises analysis found in states such as Oklahoma was surprising even to a researcher who studies open primaries. Thats nuts, said John Johnson, a research fellow at Marquette University in Wisconsin, a state with open primaries. Johnson said he would be angry if he lived in a state in which he couldnt participate in the primary, particularly if the general election wasnt competitive. In stark contrast, Wisconsins open primary system doesnt require voters to register with a party and allows them to decide in which partys primary they want to vote. Its mostly people just voting with the party that they prefer, and then when they cross over its because they genuinely feel some stake in the contest thats happening inside the other party, Jo hnson said. Johnsons research has found that crossover voting when Republicans vote in a Democratic primary, for example happens at such low levels as to be inconsequential in swaying the results, despite fears of party-raiding expressed by opponents of open primaries. In analyzing both the 2016 and 2018 Wisconsin primaries, an identical share of Republicans and Democrats 2% crossed over to the opposite party. Even if this tiny share of people were indeed party raiding, they canceled each other out, Johnson wrote in a summary of the study. But there is no good evidence suggesting they werent voting in good faith. Still, high-profile stories of voters trying to disrupt primary elections pop up. For example, some Democratic and independent voters in Wyoming crossed over to the Republican primary in 2022 to try to save former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney from her GOP challenger. They were unsuccessful as Cheney lost by more than 30 percentage points. Johnson thinks the academic literature is pretty settled in that open primaries dont cause harm but they do increase voter turnout. The Bipartisan Policy Center examined the 2022 midterm primaries and found that open primary states had higher voter turnout on average than closed primary states. The average turnout was 24.5% in states with fully open primaries or what are referred to as top-two or top-four formats, according to Bipartisan Policy Centers analysis. Meanwhile, average turnout was just 21.5% in states with semi-open primaries and 20.7% in states with closed primaries. Fully open primaries allow individuals to decide in which partys primary they want to vote. Top-two or top-four formats place all candidates on a common ballot for all voters, with the top vote-getters advancing to the general election. Generally, partially open primaries permit independent or unaffiliated voters to choose a partys primary but dont allow party members to switch to another partys primary. Closed primaries only authorize party members to vote and only within their designated party. And partially closed primaries let the recognized parties decide whether any independent or unaffiliated or minor party voters can participate. Primary systems can be nuanced and vary widely by state. For example, Nevada and New Mexico technically closed primary states allow any person to register to vote or switch parties at the polls on primary day. Other state deadlines for switching parties are weeks or months in advance of primary elections. Wyoming, for example, requires that individuals who want to change or declare a new party affiliation for the primary must do so before the candidate filing period even begins. Oklahoma Republican mayor reverses view Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum, a Republican, is now one of the faces of a grassroots movement to open up the Sooner states primaries, called Oklahoma United For Progress. But a decade earlier, he said he wrongly campaigned against the concept. Bynum, then a city councilor, opposed the citizen-led ballot question that made Tulsas municipal elections nonpartisan on his mistaken belief that political parties fundamentally are supposed to educate and motivate voters. He had feared voter interest would wane in a nonpartisan process. At the core of Bynums change of heart? He said he unexpectedly unseated the Republican incumbent for mayor in 2016 by building a broad coalition that he couldnt have mobilized in a partisan primary. And contrary to his belief, average voter turnout in the three mayoral primaries after Tulsa switched to nonpartisan elections rose 35% compared to the same period before the reform. In his 2020 re-election bid, Bynum said the center held despite a strong primary challenge from his ideological left and right opponents. The fact that Im sitting here as a mayor right now and didnt lose in 2020 is testament to the fact that most people are not in the vocal, angry extremes, Bynum told a crowd in July at a burger restaurant in Oklahoma City. Most people are in between there somewhere, but theyre not as loud. The Lee Enterprises analysis of publicly available voter data for the 2022 midterm primary illustrates how Oklahomas partially closed system and others like it stifles voter participation. In districts with contested U.S. House races, about 49% of registered voters or 889,880 eligible Oklahomans were shut out from casting a ballot in them. Similarly, about 45% of registered voters or 350,669 eligible Oklahomans in contested State House races and about 40% or 252,197 in contested State Senate races were blocked from voting in them. And 31 of those 52 contested state and federal seats about 60% were decided outright by the primary and not the general election, meaning hundreds of thousands of registered voters who were disallowed a primary voice had no vote at all for who would represent them in public office. Bynum called that data one of the great arguments in favor of open primaries. From a democracy standpoint, he said, its much better to have elected leaders chosen by all of the people not half of half the people, in many cases. Dahm, who has been chair of the Oklahoma GOP since May, said it isn't fair to consider closed primaries as keeping voters from participating because all someone has to do is register with the party. He said Democrats weren't pushing for open primaries when they had control of the state 20 years ago. "What happened is Republicans organized better," Dahm said. "We got better candidates people that better represent the will of the people in those districts and we flipped those seats from Democrat seats to Republican seats. "And if those people want to continue to participate in that, they can become registered Republicans." Privately, Bynum said he hears from many elected officials who support the open primaries effort but wont do so in the open. The party in control in a state no matter whether Republican or Democrat doesnt have incentive to change a system that could loosen its grip on power, he said. He said he is sticking out his neck publicly for a shot at generational change because he sees better focus on policy and improved outcomes in nonpartisan races. I think a fear of (open primaries) would betray a lack of confidence in the ideas that one political party or another is supporting, Bynum said. Organized party pushback in some states like Missouri While momentum to open up primaries is building among the countrys independent voters, some states including Missouri, Tennessee and Ohio are facing action in the other direction, forcing advocates to play defense. In Missouri, voting rights advocates like Denise Lieberman of the Missouri Voter Protection Coalition so far have successfully staved off Republican efforts to close the states open primaries, but the threat is constantly looming, she said. Major changes to the states voting system already have taken place, such as the 2022 elimination of the Republican presidential primary election in favor of a caucus system, which tends to encourage participation by loyal party members and decrease turnout overall. This is all part of a national trend to constrict who is able to cast a ballot, Lieberman said. I do think these efforts to close primaries that weve seen in about a half-dozen states are part of this effort to make the electorate smaller. Lieberman said a consequence of shutting out voters from primaries is making them feel like it was rigged from the beginning. What we know from the data is that fewer and fewer people are choosing to affiliate with the major political parties, Lieberman said. If you have no say in who the party candidate is going to be, why even bother to show up at the general election to vote? It remains to be seen what happens in this legislative session in Missouri. A Republican state senator who last year sponsored a bill to close primary elections, Sen. Andrew Koenig, doesnt appear to be focused on it in 2024. Dave Evans, communications director for the senator, said I dont know that thats an issue thats going to be a burning issue this year. But Evans said the senators view hasnt changed on the matter. In fact, the Missouri Republican Party states on its party platform that it believes in closed primaries requiring all voters who cast a ballot to declare a partisan affiliation and maintain declared party affiliations as a public record. Political parties are in fact private organizations, Evans said. They ought to have the right to have freedom of association like any other group. Independents the new plurality in Arizona In swing-state Arizona, independent voters, or individuals not with a recognized party, became the plurality of registered voters in October. But those voters are excluded from the states version of a presidential primary, called a presidential preference election. Ray Kimball is a retired U.S. Army officer who is a relatively new independent voter in Arizona after nearly three decades as a registered Republican. Kimball said the GOP alienated him over its refusal to acknowledge that Joe Biden is the duly elected president, prompting his move to independent status. Kimballs wife received notice in the mail of the forthcoming presidential preference election and that she automatically will get her partys ballot. Kimball himself wont be sent any such mail and won't be able to participate in what he called a crucial election. Im fiercely proud of my vote, and I will cast it at any opportunity available, said Kimball, who lives in Gilbert in the East Valley of the Phoenix metro. Im just angry that I dont have the ability to make that voice heard in every election. I think thats wrong. Kimball, who works in higher education after his military retirement, is open to considering a return to the GOP if it were to find its bearings and embrace reality. But he does find meaning in his fresh status as an independent. I feel proud to be close to what George Washingtons original vision for politics in this country was he warned against partisan politics, Kimball said. He was concerned about what it would do to our country. So I feel proud that Im exercising a political tradition that has its roots in the origin of our country. Paul Johnson, a former Democrat mayor of Phoenix, is helping lead the Save Democracy Arizona petition effort to enshrine nonpartisan primaries and uniform signature requirements into the state Constitution. As it stands, Arizona law requires independent or unaffiliated individuals who want to run for legislative office to come up with tens of thousands of signatures more than someone who is with a recognized political party. Now an independent, Johnson said voters breaking away from a desire to be identified as a member of a party is one of the most powerful movements ongoing in American politics. The countrys single greatest achievement has been to empower individuals over itself, he said. He added that the magical key to democracy is talking to people with whom you dont necessarily agree. The single biggest thing that defines (the parties) is they hate each other. They cannot stand one another, Johnson said. And my answer is, I dont want to eliminate them. I want to get the best from them. Pennsylvania voters push for open primaries Meanwhile, Pennsylvania is closer than it ever has been to adopting an open primary system. But its not there yet. For the first time in October, a bill to open up primary elections to an estimated 1.2 million excluded unaffiliated and independent Pennsylvania voters passed out of a house legislative committee. One of the key proponents of the bill, Democratic Rep. Jared Solomon of Philadelphia, said he feels a shift, that more and more folks are coming on board. The proposal has been around forever and its the first time it passed the House (committee), Solomon said. I think its a really big deal. We need to finally get this bill to the finish line. However, the full House chamber still hasnt acted on the bill yet. A spokesperson for the House speaker, who has the power to call the bill down for a vote, told Lee Enterprises that the measure is currently being reviewed. Solomon says hes pushing hard on this because he believes its the right thing to do. The fastest group of unaffiliated independent voters are people aged 18 to 35, he said. Imagine youre a new voter in Pennsylvania and were basically saying to you no thanks, not welcome, not here. At the same time, Solomon said the state will take their tax money to prop up the primary system. It doesnt really roll out of the welcome mat, he said. This is not the look we want in PA. One of those new young voters is Ethan Barnes, a Dickinson College student who was disappointed to find out upon moving to Pennsylvania that he wouldnt be able to vote in primary elections unless he registered as a Democrat or a Republican. But at heart, hes an independent, just like his dad, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran who instilled in him the importance of being politically active at a young age. Its really sad that you cant register as an independent and still be able to be as politically active as you could if you were registered as either a Democrat or Republican, Barnes said. Thats what many of my friends (and I) have had to go through. Why should I not be able to participate just because Im registered as an independent? Barnes said. The issue led Barnes to join BallotPA, a statewide advocacy group of independent and unaffiliated voters who are trying to push lawmakers on the issue. I always cared a lot about politics, but I dont know if I would have imagined myself getting this strongly involved in the fight for open primaries, Barnes said. But Im happy that I did. I think the ability to participate in politics and being able to vote should be open to all. You could almost hear palms smacking onto foreheads all over the techier corners of the internet this week, after a Google artificial intelligence program began generating pictures of Black founding fathers, a female Pope and other notions that would exist only in the most fringe-progressive alternate reality. No, the culprit wasnt some obsessively woke technocrat flailing at his keyboard. It was the unintended result of a legitimate but overly rushed attempt by Google to program out AIs disturbing tendency toward racism and misogyny (a tendency that, it must be said, arises logically from the fact that it gets most of its information from an internet that reflects American culture). The episode illustrates just one of the many unforeseen challenges ahead regarding a technology that holds more promise and more potential for societal havoc than any since the creation of the internet itself. Chief among those challenges may be the fact that this powerful new technology today requires, more than anything, careful and deliberate development. Yet all the incentives for the companies doing the developing Google, Meta, Microsoft, Amazon and a galaxy of less-familiar names are trying to roll out their programs as quickly as possible in what amounts to an AI arms race. The implications are too far-reaching to leave them to the profit-driven feeding frenzy that is the tech industry today. Congress must stop dithering on AI and set up a regulatory structure as soon as possible to govern its development and use. AI is the quest to create programs that combine the massive, lightning-fast data processing capacity of computers with the ability to creatively reason, analyze and produce original ideas to think, as humans do. Whether that last part can ever truly be achieved is a towering question for both programmers and philosophers. But the positive practical applications already are astonishing. Medical diagnostics, drug discovery, manufacturing robotics, educational materials, cybersecurity, transportation advances, retail efficiencies these are only a few of the many real-world endeavors where some form of AI is being regularly utilized right now to carry out complex processes faster and better than people alone can. The darker side of the technology has been demonstrated as well, though, particularly in the area of misinformation and deepfakes. One of these cloned President Joe Bidens voice in a robocall urging voters to sit out the New Hampshire primary. Another produced a vulgar video involving the president and his granddaughter. Yet another shows Hillary Clinton endorsing Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for president (created by supporters of former President Donald Trump to jab at former GOP primary opponent DeSantis). None of this actually happened, but all of it looked and sounded real. Consider the other possibilities for electoral mischief in a political culture that already is deeply divided over fundamental questions about whats real and whats fake news. Distrust in institutional norms is among the biggest threats to American democracy today, and malignant use of AI technology could worsen that situation in almost unfathomable ways. And thats before even considering how identity thieves, con artists and even terrorists could abuse this technology. The Biden administration has nibbled at the edges of the issue with an executive order offering largely nonbinding guidelines for development and use of AI. Congress is talking and talking and talking on the issue. But it hasnt offered a coherent legislative strategy for regulating a transformative technology that is careening toward implications even its creators dont fully understand. If the federal government doesnt slow this down for the sake of societal safety, profit-driven competing entrepreneurs have already shown they arent going to tap the brakes on their own. This weeks Google debacle is instructive. Bloomberg said it best in a recent headline: Googles AI isnt too woke. Its too rushed. The same could be said of AI technology more broadly. And its a failing that could ultimately cause far bigger problems than just embarrassingly ahistorical imagery. The article "St. Louis company trains high school students for police encounters" (Feb. 21) made me sick to my stomach. It's an admission that we, as a community, have given up on holding police in the area accountable. We've instead decided to endorse racist policing as an inevitability and that kids in the Normandy School District had better just prepare for it. Kudos to Kimberly St. Clair for empowering kids with as many tools as possible. But we all know this program isn't being taught to white kids in Rockwood or Francis Howell, because they have nothing to fear. Where is the story and the photograph of St. Louis area police being trained not to escalate a simple traffic stop into a deadly encounter? And the sad truth is that even all of this training won't fully protect the students from Normandy from racist police encounters. As Army Lieutenant Caron Nazario found out in 2020, not even a U.S. Army uniform prevented him from being pepper sprayed and handcuffed during a simple traffic stop in Virginia. It's time we demanded more from authorities instead of accepting injustice as a fact of life. Kevin Prange St. Louis February 29, 2024: An Israeli El Al airliner flying from Thailand to Israel via India and up the Red Sea ran into some strange communication problems. Someone on the ground was trying to take control of the navigation systems used by the airliner electronically. All commercial aircraft use ADS-B, automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast, technology used for aircraft tracking. A second system, called ACARS or Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System, provides a data link system for transmitting messages between aircraft and ground stations via radio or satellite links. Both these systems lack any security features and can be abused by others to exploit vulnerabilities in aircraft flight management systems. Apparently, security was never added to these systems because there were never any, or at least not many, attempts to hijack and manipulate the signals. These vulnerabilities could be successfully used because most of the time commercial aircraft are in the air, they are flying on autopilot. There are also automatic landing systems that can be used in all but emergency situations. The pilot and co-pilot are at the controls as a safety measure and to take control when things go wrong. The El Al airliner encountered such a hijacking as it passed over Somalia. That was when someone on the ground radioed new flight instructions to the El Al aircrafts autopilot systems which would have taken the aircraft somewhere else. The new destination was never revealed because the El Al pilots noticed something was wrong and manually made adjustments to get the airliner back on course. This incident is one more reason why security should be added to ADS-B and ASCARS communications systems to prevent signal hijacking. by Austin Bay February 28, 2024 In his post-9/11 history "An Autumn of War" (2004), historian Victor Davis Hanson wrote, "If war is the powder keg of history, then battle is the match." Hanson was reflecting on 9/11's terror attacks. However, his insight applies to all wars, including Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Pertinent background: By "battle," Hanson means the direct and violent clash of war as experienced immediately and physically by human beings. The distance may be face to face and hand to hand, or rifle/sniper range, or tube artillery dueling at 40 kilometers, a bombing/drone strike on an apartment house at 90 miles, an intercontinental ballistic missile or space-based laser attack at intercontinental scale. The direct clash and material destructive consequence is the immediate life-and-death human matter -- the tactical life-or-death outcome. How the attacked and attackers react, respond and shape the violent consequences of the immediate and violent experience -- this complex action is what Hanson means by history's match at war's tactical level. "Tactical" is bland and antiseptic. Military jargon routinely commits that sin because the battlefield is so hideous. Nevertheless, the term has value. Military analysts typically recognize three levels of violent conflict: the tactical (the hideous), the operational and the strategic. The categories are general and distinctions often arguable. Firing an infantry weapon at an enemy is a basic tactical action (hence my comment on sniper range). Assassinating Austrian royalty with a revolver is a tactical action, but in 1914 the revolver bullet had tragic strategic effect. (Cascading political stupidity led to a global war with millions of casualties.) Operations (cumulative tactical actions to achieve a goal) are supposed to forward strategic goals. At the strategic level, politics, economic productivity, military procurement and moral strength (collective will to win) are supposed to support military operations and inspire the spirits of soldiers fighting the tactical battle (the humans firing Hanson's match of history). Ulysses S. Grant's Vicksburg campaign (1862-63) comprised several military operations around Vicksburg, Mississippi (many with bloody tactical level failures, which northern newspapers damned). Despite damning media, Grant's operational goal, seizing Vicksburg, produced a victory that gave the Union a huge strategic military, economic and political advantage: control of the Mississippi River. The first column in this series argued Russia's strategic war on Ukraine began in 2004 with a covert attempt to subvert Ukraine's national elections. I pray the slow war that began after Russia invaded Crimea in 2014 and Russia's subsequent February 2022 all-out conventional attack on Ukraine are not the 21st century's Spanish Civil War-equivalent prelude to World War II. Germany and the Soviet Union (Russian empire in communist garb) used the Spanish conflict as a testing ground for new weapons and tactics. Nevertheless, Ukraine 2022-2024 is a 21st-century tactical and operational military clash -- with horrifying loss of life and the prospect of nuclear war. Russia's invasion has had numerous tactical lessons -- all tied to operational and strategic decisions. At the end of 2017, the U.S. (Trump administration) made the strategic decision to provide Ukraine with lethal military. Ukraine wanted .50 caliber rifles with armor-piercing rounds that could destroy light-armored vehicles and radars. The U.S. also sent 220 Javelin anti-tank guided missiles. When Russia invaded in 2022, Ukraine deployed tactically "dispersed units" that ambushed road-bound Russian columns. Anti-tank teams slaughtered Russian armor confined to roads -- reminiscent of Finland's slaughter of Russian invaders in 1940. Ukraine also used "data advantage" -- electronic and digital platforms that see the battlefield. Swarming UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles -- drones in the jargon) provide target detection. Fire direction officers then assign targets to weapons within range. That could be anti-tank teams, tube artillery or long-range rockets. Dispersed guns or soldiers (separated to avoid detection) could concentrate on a single target. The idea isn't new; the U.S. Army began developing it in the late 1920s, using radios to coordinate artillery fire, but Ukraine has brought it into the 21st century. Ukraine's USVs (unmanned surface vessels) and UUVs (unmanned underwater vessels) have driven Russia's Black Sea fleet away from the Ukrainian coast. Alas, strategic and operational mistakes by Ukraine's allies have resulted in tactical losses. Delays in delivering tanks, longer-range missiles and combat aircraft (like the F-16) undermined Ukrainian counteroffensive operations. Tank and personnel mines are unmanned systems. Russian forces have laid millions of anti-personnel and anti-tank mines in Ukraine. The mines may not destroy tanks, but they damage tracks and cause what the military calls "mobility kills." Ukraine wages a war for survival -- but its war is also a 21st-century warfare lab -- with matches. February 29, 2024: India, now the country with largest population in the world, at over 1.4 billion people, is largely at peace and prospering while neighboring Pakistan, with a population of 243 million, continues struggling with the Islamic terror groups it created and supported for so long and, worse, the internal corruption and mayhem that policy has sustained. India has 172 million Moslems who are much better off than their fellow Moslems in Pakistan. Most Indians are Hindu, the third largest religion in the world with nearly all its believers residing in India. That means Hindus, who worship multiple gods, comprise 15 percent of the world population while Christians comprise 31 percent and Moslems 25 percent. Most of the Christians are in the prosperous Western nations and over half the Christians recognize the pope in Rome, Italy, as their religious leader. The Papacy and various Moslem religious leaders will often unite to oppose religious and political oppression in various parts of the world. The Papacy strives to be ecumenical and allies of all religions, especially Christians, Moslems and Jews who all trace their religious beliefs back to the same ancient origins. These begin 4,000 years ago with Abraham who pioneered monotheism, that is the worship of one god. Jews consider Abraham the founder of Judaism and out of that came Christianity 2,000 years ago and Islam 1,400 years ago. Pakistan is largely Moslem with 2.1 percent of the population Hindu and 1.3 percent Christian. Even within Islam there are sects. The largest collection of sects are Sunni, which account for 80 percent of Moslems. The largest minority is Shia, which comprise about ten percent of all Moslems. In addition to religious differences, Pakistan also has a problem unique to the region; armed forces that have since the 1950s dominated the political process and become very wealthy, corrupt, and politically powerful as a result. That seemed to change on February 8th, 2024, when national voting for seats in the 342 seats in the National Assembly delivered some surprising results. Jailed army critic Imran Khans PTI party won 102 seats. The Moslem League PMLM won 73 seats and the Pakistan Peoples Party PPP party won 54. It takes 169 seats to form a government and, since no party had that many seats, there will be another coalition government. Coalition rule is the most common outcome of parliamentary elections and in the current situation two parties, the PTI and PMLM, have 175 seats and together can select a prime minister who will then select ministers to head the various government ministries. The new government coalition has not yet been formed amid accusations of some irregularities in the voting. As Pakistan elections go, the recent ones were largely free of bad behavior. Forming coalition governments has always been a problem that eventually gets resolved. The 2024 election results were seen as a rebuke of military attempts to retain power. The elections also took place after another series of confrontations between the Pakistani military and the civilian government which, in 2018, the military won control of by gaining the cooperation of key judges and a newly elected president. That was because old scams still worked back then. The generals created more confrontations with India and declared that Islamic terrorism was no longer, since 2013, the major threat to Pakistan. The main threat was once again India. This merely increased Indian, American and Afghan anger at Pakistani support of Islamic terrorism and the inability of the Pakistani politicians to control their generals. Meanwhile India further disrespected the Pakistani military by continuing to consider China its main security threat. India has to deal with some internal unrest, which does far less damage than what Pakistan has to deal with. Islamic terrorist violence, mainly in Indian Kashmir, is less of a problem than tribal rebels in the northeast and communist Maoist ones in eastern India. Both these threats are being slowly diminished while Pakistan continues to make unofficial war on its neighbors. Another problem is that the Pakistani economy is becoming more dependent on Chinese investment as well as Chinese diplomatic support and arms exports. The Pakistani governments pro-Islamic terrorist attitudes have left it with few allies besides China, Iran, and North Korea. Pakistan needs help, but mostly from Pakistanis as the ills that torment Pakistan can only be resolved from within. That is happening despite opposition from the military because the defense budget is unusually high and a lot of it goes to support the lavish lifestyles and foreign bank accounts of senior officers, plus Pakistans nuclear weapons program. That has caused a financial crisis that other nations, especially Arab oil states, the United States and international lenders like the IMF and World Bank, have kept from becoming a catastrophe. But now the financial problems are so great that all the usual sources of emergency cash are insisting that defense spending be curbed or there will be no more financial aid. The house of cards Pakistani generals built and maintained since the 1970s is collapsing, not because of religious or military issues but because the nation the generals had plundered for so long is bankrupt and no one is willing to bail them out this time. The results of the 2024 elections made that very clear. Islamic terrorist violence inside Pakistan has sharply declined since 2014 when public outrage forced the military to shut down the last sanctuary in North Waziristan, for Islamic terrorists that were not under the militarys control and, worse, trying to turn Pakistan into an Islamic dictatorship. That would have threatened the Pakistani military and could not be tolerated. Islamic terrorist violence did not completely disappear in Pakistan after 2014 and the military blamed that on outsiders like India, Afghanistan, and the United States. In mid-2021 a decade of support for the Afghan Taliban resulted in the overthrow of the elected government and a halt to two decades of economic growth for Afghanistan. Meanwhile Pakistan also has to deal with a growing non-violent Pushtun Rights movement that wants to get the Pakistan military out of the tribal territories on both sides of the Afghan border. The military responded with arrests, kidnappings, and murder. At the same time the Pakistani generals continued sheltering and supporting Islamic terror groups that only attacked foreign nations, especially India. This contributed to growing hostility towards the military within Pakistan and escalating international criticism. In 2018 the U.S. became more public about the fact that Pakistan was dishonest and unreliable. The Americans pointed out that they had foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the previous 15 years, and Pakistan gave back nothing but lies and deceit. This backlash began in 2011 when a U.S. raid into Pakistan killed Osama bin Laden. This angered many Pakistanis because it showed that the generals had lied about their involvement with sheltering bin Laden. That raid also made it clear that the military was unable to detect or stop the invading Americans or stop local Islamic radicals from later carrying out revenge attacks that left hundreds of civilians dead. The 2024 election results were the result of all these problems and the votes of the people they recently elected to do something about the mess the Pakistani army has created. India does have border disputes with China and the Chinese have been more aggressive, but largely nonviolent about asserting their claims. UiPath Inc. (NYSE: PATH) is now available on Google Cloud Marketplace, making it easier for Google Cloud customers to purchase the industry leading UiPath Business Automation Platform and reliably deploy and scale their automation initiatives on Google Cloud infrastructure. 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Visit here to learn how UiPath automation turns the potential of AI into business results. NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / February 29, 2024 / Subaru of America, Inc. By Alison Bowen Subaru owners love to support their communities all year round. Here are ways to give back in every month of the year. Giving back can be all year long. Our guide offers an idea for every month of the year, from making gift bags for seniors to organizing a trash cleanup in your neighborhood. JANUARY - Bring Food to Someone The next time you make a soup or casserole, consider doubling the recipe and bringing it to a new parent or ill person in your community. It can be dropped off with a note of encouragement, and even if they do not use it that day, it's something they can freeze for later. Not sure who could use the support? Check with local food pantries or religious and community organizations. They might have a list or word-of-mouth suggestions. FEBRUARY - Support Local Foster Care Children Reach out to local foster care groups to find out what the needs are for the children in their care. If it's possible, giving gifts with the child's name on it (such as a gift like a blanket or mug) can be particularly meaningful, as children may share things or may not have their own items, especially ones with their names on them. To find your local foster support organization, use the National Foster Care & Adoption Directory and search for Foster Youth Services and Supports in your state. MARCH - Use Your Vehicle To Help Those In Need Seek out programs that bring food to or otherwise help folks like the elderly or people undergoing treatment. Some programs volunteer to drive people to health appointments if they don't have their own car or family member to help, instead of leaning on public transit or paying for a taxi. For example, the American Cancer Society's Road to Recovery program has volunteers who provide free rides to treatment for cancer patients, noting that transportation barriers are the most common reason for missing appointments. Nourishing Hope, a food pantry in Chicago, has a community of volunteers who can drive for deliveries or act as personal shopping assistants. See if organizations in your area have similar programs. It's a great way for Subaru owners to involve their children and volunteer. APRIL - Organize a Trash Cleanup Get your neighborhood school or neighbors involved and organize a day to clean up. Whether it's the side of the road or a local beach or park, reducing the amount of plastic and trash on the ground in your community makes a big impact, both for peoples' enjoyment and to help wildlife thrive. This is another great activity to pair with children and the entire family - you might find your kiddos pay more attention in the future to where their garbage goes. Earth Day is a great reason to organize an event, but you can continue the effort all year. Contact your local Subaru retailers to see if they are organizing a cleanup event; many do. MAY - Help Make Graduations Special Think outside the box about how to make the graduation season special for local youth. In San Francisco, 8th grade teacher Sara Mokhtari Fox knew that the 2023 graduation season was important to those approaching 8th grade graduation - her students had all missed their 5th grade graduation and end-of-year celebrations during the 2020 pandemic. So, they planned a special graduation ceremony, Fox says, adding that donations from a local retailer, Putnam Subaru of Burlingame, helped fund the graduation ceremony and provided tickets to a theme park. For local grads near you, consider donating funds for a celebration or offering to gift a special meal. JUNE - Donate Blankets to Hospitals At the Jo Anne Poe Cancer Center at Ashe Memorial Hospital in Jefferson, North Carolina, they see about 130 patients per month, many of whom have six- to eight-hour chemotherapy sessions, and blankets help to keep them warm throughout this process. Becky Pearson, the foundation director of Ashe Memorial Hospital, says blanket donations make a big difference. "When patients are receiving an infusion in the Jo Anne Poe Cancer Center at Ashe Memorial Hospital, a very common side effect is feeling very cold," Pearson says. She says that handmade blankets are lovely, and the hospital has no restrictions on how they are made other than patient preferences for soft and cozy materials - nothing scratchy. Reach out to your local hospital's oncology unit manager to see if they accept these items. JULY - Make Gift Bags for Seniors Looking for a family-friendly volunteer activity? Make gift bags filled with items like hand lotion, candy treats, writing supplies or craft items and a homemade card for seniors in nearby nursing homes. This is especially meaningful for those who may not have family nearby to visit them. Loop in your kids with brainstorming and shopping. AUGUST - Fulfill Needs for Classrooms Find out whether your local school has any unaddressed needs - most do! These might be requests from teachers' wish lists that weren't entirely filled at the beginning of the year (many teachers make Amazon lists with items needed for their classrooms) or bigger projects that could use a financial donation. Some schools may also have their students fill out lists that community members can supply, including both needs and wants. Subaru partners with AdoptAClassroom.org, which connects school needs with support. SEPTEMBER - Fulfill Neighbors' Wishes Look at local "Buy Nothing" groups for inspiration. During the year, these Facebook groups, also called "Gifts and Wishes," focus on neighbors giving and receiving free items to reduce the environmental impacts of buying new. These posts can often include - or maybe you can spearhead - links of what people need for the holidays. Facebook groups can include anonymous requests from users, which can help protect individuals' privacy while still making it possible to donate and help. OCTOBER - Volunteer to Help, or Adopt, a Dog October is Subaru Loves Pets month, and many retailers partner with local pet shelters for adopting events. In Charlottesville, Virginia, Flow Subaru partnered with the Charlottesville-Albemarle SPCA in 2023. The sales manager of the retailer, Joe Diggs, ended up finding a new family friend. He had lost the family dog, Charlie, months earlier, and was considering adoption. Stopping by with his wife and 2-year-old daughter, they met a dog called Ted that had been left at the shelter as a stray and was having a tough time adjusting to the bustling shelter. Ted loves "basking in the backyard sun," Diggs says. "He has been a member of our family since the moment he walked through the door." If adopting a dog isn't in your future, consider volunteering or donating food or other needed supplies to an animal shelter. NOVEMBER - Donate a Turkey or Tree Donate holiday decorations, such as a Christmas tree. Some cities have groups that organize a donation. The Christmas Tree Project, for instance, pairs families who cannot afford a tree with people who'd like to donate one. This can brighten a home and everyone's spirits! For Thanksgiving, consider donating a turkey to a local family or kitchen. But check their suggestions for how to give back first - Feeding America advises that a frozen turkey shouldn't be dropped off unless a local food bank is requesting donations for them. DECEMBER - Commit to Shopping at Local Businesses a Create your own 12 Days of Supporting Local Businesses. Make a plan to find gifts or meal ingredients at local shops in your area. For bonus good-neighbor points, post about your actions on social media to inspire others to do the same. It takes some planning, but it can be a good exercise to find out what's offered near you and to intentionally explore and find places that support local shop owners instead of ordering everything online. (Plus, it reduces the environmental impacts from shipping items!) a a ABOUT THE AUTHOR Alison Bowen is an award-winning writer and editor whose work has covered a wide range of topics, appearing in publications including theaChicago Tribune,aThe New York Timesa and theaLos Angeles Times. 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 PHILADELPHIA, PA / ACCESSWIRE / February 29, 2024 / The abrdn U.S. Closed-End Funds (NYSE: ASGI)(NYSE American:THQ)(NYSE AmericanTHW), (the "Funds" or individually the "Fund"), today announced that the Funds paid the distributions noted in the table below on February 29, 2024, on a per share basis to all shareholders of record as of February 22, 2024 (ex-dividend date February 21, 2024). Ticker Exchange Fund Amount ASGI NYSE abrdn Global Infrastructure Income Fund $ 0.1500 THQ NYSE American abrdn Healthcare Opportunities Fund $ 0.1800 THW NYSE American abrdn World Healthcare Fund $ 0.1167 Each Fund has adopted a distribution policy to provide investors with a stable distribution out of current income, supplemented by realized capital gains and, to the extent necessary, paid-in capital. Under applicable U.S. tax rules, the amount and character of distributable income for each Fund's fiscal year can be finally determined only as of the end of the Fund's fiscal year. However, under Section 19 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act") and related rules, the Funds may be required to indicate to shareholders the estimated source of certain distributions to shareholders. The following tables set forth the estimated amounts of the sources of the distributions for purposes of Section 19 of the 1940 Act and the rules adopted thereunder. The tables have been computed based on generally accepted accounting principles. The tables include estimated amounts and percentages for the current distributions paid this month as well as for the cumulative distributions paid relating to fiscal year to date, from the following sources: net investment income; net realized short-term capital gains; net realized long-term capital gains; and return of capital. The estimated compositions of the distributions may vary because the estimated composition may be impacted by future income, expenses and realized gains and losses on securities and currencies. The Funds' estimated sources of the current distribution paid this month and for its current fiscal year to date are as follows: Estimated Amounts of Current Distribution per Share Fund Distribution Amount Net Investment Income Net Realized Short- Term Gains** Net Realized Long- Term Gains Return of Capital ASGI $0.1500 $0.0120 8% - - $0.0840 56% $0.0540 36% THQ $0.1800 - - $0.0018 1% $0.0018 1% $ 0.1764 98% THW $ 0.1167 - - - - - - $ 0.1167 100% Estimated Amounts of Fiscal Year* to Date Cumulative Distributions per Share Fund Distribution Amount Net Investment Income Net Realized Short- Term Gains ** Net Realized Long- Term Gains Return of Capital ASGI $ 0.6700 $0.0536 8% - - $0.3752 56% $0.2412 36% THQ $ 0.6300 - - $0.0063 1% $0.0063 1% $ 0.6174 98% THW $ 0.5835 - - - - - - $ 0.5835 100% * ASGI, THQ and THW have a 9/30 fiscal year end. **includes currency gains Where the estimated amounts above show a portion of the distribution to be a "Return of Capital," it means that Fund estimates that it has distributed more than its income and capital gains; therefore, a portion of your distribution may be a return of capital. A return of capital may occur for example, when some or all the money that you invested in a Fund is paid back to you. A return of capital distribution does not necessarily reflect the Fund's investment performance and should not be confused with "yield" or "income." The amounts and sources of distributions reported in this notice are only estimates and are not being provided for tax reporting purposes. The final determination of the source of all distributions for the current year will only be made after year-end. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for tax reporting purposes will depend upon the Fund's investment experience during the remainder of the fiscal year and may be subject to change based on tax regulations. After the end of each calendar year, a Form 1099-DIV will be sent to shareholders for the prior calendar year that will tell you how to report these distributions for federal income tax purposes. The following table provides the Funds' total return performance based on net asset value (NAV) over various time periods compared to the Funds' annualized and cumulative distribution rates. Fund Performance and Distribution Rate Information Fund Average Annual Total Return on NAV for the 5 Year Period Ending 01/31/2024 Current Fiscal Period's Annualized Distribution Rate on NAV Cumulative Total Return on NAV Cumulative Distribution Rate on NAV ASGI 7.42%3 9.58% 8.08% 2.59% THQ 9.26% 6.26% 9.98% 2.09% THW 8.00% 11.53% 7.82% 3.84% 1 Return data is net of all Fund expenses and fees and assumes the reinvestment of all distributions reinvested at prices obtained under the Fund's dividend reinvestment plan. 2 Based on the Fund's NAV as of January 31, 2024. 3 The Fund launched within the past 5 years; the performance and distribution rate information presented reflects data from inception (July 29, 2020) through January 31, 2024. Shareholders should not draw any conclusions about a Fund's investment performance from the amount of the Fund's current distributions or from the terms of the distribution policy (the "Distribution Policy"). While NAV performance may be indicative of the Fund's investment performance, it does not measure the value of a shareholder's investment in the Fund. The value of a shareholder's investment in the Fund is determined by the Fund's market price, which is based on the supply and demand for the Fund's shares in the open market. Pursuant to an exemptive order granted by the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Funds may distribute any long-term capital gains more frequently than the limits provided in Section 19(b) under the 1940 Act and Rule 19b-1 thereunder. Therefore, distributions paid by the Funds during the year may include net income, short-term capital gains, long-term capital gains and/or a return of capital. Net income dividends and short-term capital gain dividends, while generally taxable at ordinary income rates, may be eligible, to the extent of qualified dividend income earned by the Funds, to be taxed at a lower rate not to exceed the maximum rate applicable to your long-term capital gains. Distributions made in any calendar year in excess of investment company taxable income and net capital gain are treated as taxable ordinary dividends to the extent of undistributed earnings and profits, and then as a return of capital that reduces the adjusted basis in the shares held. To the extent return of capital distributions exceed the adjusted basis in the shares held, capital gain is recognized with a holding period based on the period the shares have been held at the date such amount is received. The payment of distributions in accordance with the Distribution Policy may result in a decrease in the Fund's net assets. A decrease in the Fund's net assets may cause an increase in the Fund's annual operating expense ratio and a decrease in the Fund's market price per share to the extent the market price correlates closely to the Fund's net asset value per share. The Distribution Policy may also negatively affect the Fund's investment activities to the extent that the Fund is required to hold larger cash positions than it typically would hold or to the extent that the Fund must liquidate securities that it would not have sold, for the purpose of paying the distribution. Each Fund's Board has the right to amend, suspend or terminate the Distribution Policy at any time. The amendment, suspension or termination of the Distribution Policy may affect the Fund's market price per share. Investors should consult their tax advisor regarding federal, state and local tax considerations that may be applicable in their particular circumstances. Circular 230 disclosure : To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the U.S. Treasury, we inform you that any U.S. tax advice contained in this communication (including any attachments) is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any transaction or matter addressed herein. In the United States, abrdn is the marketing name for the following affiliated, registered investment advisers: abrdn Inc., abrdn Investments Limited, abrdn Asia Limited, abrdn Private Equity (Europe) Limited, and abrdn ETFs Advisors LLC. Closed-end funds are traded on the secondary market through one of the stock exchanges. A Fund's investment return and principal value will fluctuate so that an investor's shares may be worth more or less than the original cost. Shares of closed-end funds may trade above (a premium) or below (a discount) the net asset value (NAV) of the fund's portfolio. There is no assurance that a Fund will achieve its investment objective. Past performance does not guarantee future results. https://www.abrdn.com/en-us/cefinvestorcenter# ### For More Information Contact: abrdn U.S. Closed-End Funds Investor Relations 1-800-522-5465 [email protected] SOURCE: abrdn U.S. Closed-End Funds View the original press release on accesswire.com Enbridge-supported Houston exhibit celebrates African American contributions to birth of the nation NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / February 29, 2024 / The woman in the painting stares straight ahead, her bright eyes showing intelligence and strength. Her emerald green dress is overlaid with words in metallic ink: steam engine, rolling pin, pencil sharpener, typewriter, traffic light. A quick internet search confirms it's a list of inventions, each one designed by an African American. It takes a moment to notice that the gold bracelets on the figure's brown wrists are not jewellery at all; they are shackles-and they've been broken apart. The piece is "Ancestor's Torch," an oil painting by Houston artist Ava Cosey and a favourite of Dr. Mia Wright, a trustee on the board of the Holocaust Museum Houston (HMH), where the piece is currently on display. African American art like Cosey's portrait seeks to reframe narratives and convey information that has been largely absent from history books, Dr. Wright explains. "It's critically important," she continues. "You gain a lot of knowledge as you behold the beauty of art and artifacts. They show presence; they show contributions. They show the true story of African Americans." The painting is part of the Kinsey African American Art & History Collection, which is being exhibited at the HMH. While we celebrate Black History Month through the month of February, the Kinsey collection will be on display at the HMH through June 23, 2024. Each piece in the collection-from historical documents and rare books to paintings and sculptures-has been curated to dispel false myths that African Americans and formerly enslaved people were absent or inactive in the development of the United States. Together, the items- all from the personal collection of Shirley and Bernard Kinsey-tell the story of African Americans and the ways in which they shaped and continue to shape America. Enbridge helped HMH bring this vibrant and vital body of work to Houston with a $10,000 Fueling Futures grant. In 2022, we funded another exhibit at HMH, a collection of iconic fashion collars cast in bronze to show the strength of powerful women in history. As an employer and community partner, we take seriously our commitment to further equity, diversity and inclusion where we live and work. Art is a powerful way to bring about change-to spotlight lost narratives and help shift perspectives. We recognize the importance of exhibits such as these two at HMH as a way to reach people and inspire them to learn and grow, which in time we hope will lead to a more just society for everyone. Whether through its permanent displays on the Holocaust and human rights or through travelling exhibits like the Kinsey collection, HMH shares stories of peoples who have had to fight for equity, diversity and inclusion. They've had to fight for it with their lives, and many are fighting still. For Dr. Wright, the Kinsey collection helps set the record straight, as it shines a spotlight on narratives that have been covered up and ignored for too many years: "This is what happened in our nation, and this is how we have built our nation. This is who we are because of our history," she explains. "It's not just African American history; it is American history." (TOP PHOTO: The Pipers, 1984, bronze, Ed Dwight, courtesy of The Kinsey African American Art and History Collection.) View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Enbridge on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Enbridge Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/enbridge Email: [email protected] SOURCE: Enbridge View the original press release on accesswire.com Recent Transaction Marks Boxwood's First in Youth Enrichment & Childhood Education JUPITER, FL / ACCESSWIRE / February 29, 2024 / Boxwood Partners is pleased to announce the sale of Sylvan Learning ("Sylvan" or "the Company"), a subsidiary of Franchise Group Inc. ("FRG"), to Unleashed Brands, a portfolio company of Seidler Equity Partners. Sylvan, with 500+ franchised locations, has been the leading provider of supplemental education for K-12 students for over 45 years. Boxwood Partners, a leading boutique middle-market investment bank acted as the exclusive sell-side advisor to Sylvan and Franchise Group on the transaction. The transaction was led by Brian Alas (Managing Director), Madison Day (Vice President), John Atkinson (Associate), Justin Jasper (Analyst), and Jerry Annunziata (Analyst). The terms of the deal were not disclosed. Boxwood has now completed 35+ transactions across franchising and this marks its first within the youth enrichment and childhood education sector. The rapidly expanding youth enrichment sector, including education, activities, and sport, is a growing focus for Boxwood as it continues to expand its reach within consumer services. "Sylvan's industry-leading brand awareness and deep connections with its students, 5,000+ schools and institutional relationships creates an embedded customer base for the broader Unleashed Brands portfolio," said Brian Alas, Managing Director at Boxwood. "Recent investments in new modalities, including SylvanSyncTM, and other virtual offerings has Sylvan uniquely positioned for continued growth within the sector." Founded in 1979 and headquartered in Hunt Valley, Maryland, Sylvan is an established and growing franchisor of supplemental education and tutoring services. By customizing student learning plans and offering multiple modalities across reading, literature, math and science, Sylvan efficiently offers solutions for all stages of a K-12 student. Its significant investment in digital infrastructure and technology has allowed its franchisees to cater to the needs of their students via multiple new channels including on-premises and online via both one-on-one and group sessions. The international franchise base has 500+ physical locations across 175 franchisees. "Boxwood worked incredibly closely with our management team to ensure a successful transaction," said John McAuliffe, CEO of Sylvan. "Their franchising expertise proved invaluable, and we appreciated how they went above and beyond throughout the process." "We are thrilled to have Sylvan Learning join the Unleashed Brands platform and provide its category-leading tutoring services designed to help kids catch up, keep up, and get ahead for the more than 25 million kids our franchisees serve annually. We appreciate the work the Boxwood team did to help us efficiently learn more about this great opportunity," said Michael Browning, Jr, CEO/Founder of Unleashed Brands. Sylvan represents the first acquisition completed by Unleashed Brands after being acquired by Seidler Equity Partners in February 2023. "Sylvan is a unique franchisor within the youth enrichment and childhood education sector that continues to see significant growth post-COVID," added Madison Day, Vice President of Boxwood. Grant Thornton acted as the accounting advisor to Sylvan and Franchise Group while Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP served as legal counsel. About Boxwood Partners Boxwood Partners, LLC is a boutique investment bank based in Jupiter, Florida with offices in Richmond, Virginia. Boxwood Partners combines a unique blend of senior-level transaction advisory, business operating experience, and proven process execution skills to give its clients a distinct advantage in the market. The firm's extensive relationships within the global capital and buyer communities (including U.S. and international private equity groups, corporations, and lenders) and other important transaction-related service providers such as consultants, attorneys, and accountants, ensure that the firm's clients receive the attention, service, and results they deserve. For more information about Boxwood Partners, please visit www.boxwoodpartners.com. About Sylvan Learning With 45 years of experience and more than 500 franchised locations and 710 points of presence, Sylvan Learning is the leading provider of personal learning for students in grades K-12. Sylvan is transforming how students learn, inspiring them to succeed in school and in life. Sylvan's proven tutoring approach blends amazing teachers with SylvanSync" technology on digital tablets for an engaging learning experience. Sylvan also leads the way with Sylvan EDGE - STEM and accelerated courses and Sylvan Prep - college and test prep courses. Sylvan supports families through every stage of the academic journey. For more information, visit: www.SylvanFranchise.com. About Franchise Group Franchise Group is an owner and operator of franchised and franchisable businesses that continually looks to utilize its operating and capital allocation philosophy to generate strong cash flow for its stakeholders. Franchise Group's business lines include Pet Supplies Plus, American Freight, The Vitamin Shoppe, Buddy's Home Furnishings and Wag N Wash. On a combined basis, Franchise Group currently operates over 2,200 locations predominantly located in the U.S. that are either Company-run or operated pursuant to franchising agreements. For more information, please visit: www.franchisegrp.com. About Unleashed Brands Unleashed Brands currently includes portfolio brands Urban Air, Snapology, The Little Gym, XP League, Class 101, and Premier Martial Arts and was founded to curate and grow a portfolio of the most innovative and profitable brands that help kids learn, play, and grow. Over the last 10 years, the team at Unleashed Brands has built a proven platform and know-how for scaling businesses focused on serving families. Its mission is to impact the lives of every kid by providing fun, engaging, and inspiring experiences that help them become who they are destined to be. For more information, please visit www.UnleashedBrands.com. About Seidler Equity Partners Seidler Equity Partners and its affiliates have been investing in market-leading companies since 1992. Seidler seeks to align its capital and resources with business founders and management teams to achieve long-term growth and preserve company stewardship. For more information, visit www.SEPfunds.com. CONTACT: [email protected] 847-945-1300 SOURCE: Boxwood Partners, LLC View the original press release on accesswire.com Complex and creative financing leads to the development of 248 units of affordable housing and commercial space for minority-owned businesses NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / February 29, 2024 / U.S. Bank Little Tokyo Service Center, Go for Broke National Education Center, U.S. Bank representatives plus other partners and funders break ground in Little Tokyo. Originally published on U.S. Bank company blog A new mixed-use, affordable housing development is underway in Los Angeles' Little Tokyo neighborhood. Go For Broke Plaza and First Street North Residences will provide 248 units of affordable housing plus approximately 40,000 square feet of commercial space that will house the Go for Broke National Education Center and local minority-owned businesses. "This project is among the largest 100% affordable housing developments to be built in the City of Los Angeles," said Little Tokyo Service Center Director of Real Estate, Debbie Chen. "Beyond that, it is the realization of a Little Tokyo community vision that has been decades in the making, ever since this site was taken from the neighborhood in the aftermath of Japanese American internment during World War II." U.S. Bancorp Impact Finance is the equity investor in the New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) transaction and the two Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) deals related to the project, and is providing the construction debt for the LIHTC transaction. For this development, over $83 million in debt and over $85 million in equity financing was committed through the four different transactions. A longtime partner of Little Tokyo Service Center since 2009, U.S. Bank has provided $466,000 through charitable giving programs over the years to support the important work they do. "It was a privilege to lean into this complex financial deal to help drive change," said Impact Finance Business Development Officer Drew Hammond. "My hope is that the project will not only preserve affordability for Little Tokyo residents and legacy businesses, but also stand as a symbol of reclamation and celebration of Little Tokyo's history." Little Tokyo is in downtown Los Angeles and is home to one of the largest Japanese-American populations in North America. Portions of the neighborhood were declared a National Historic Landmark District in 1995. The Go For Broke Plaza and First Street North Residences project site has been designed to wrap around and prominently display the Go For Broke Monument that commemorates Japanese Americans who served in the United States Army during World War II. Eighty of the 248 units for residents will be designed for people with special needs, including units for veterans and people with AIDS. Some of the small businesses will include retail shops and restaurants that have been in the area for generations. "This project is among the largest 100% affordable housing developments to be built in the City of Los Angeles." - Debbie Chen, Little Tokyo Service Center director of real estate "This project is incredibly meaningful to the Little Tokyo community and provides much needed affordable housing," said Impact Finance Senior Project Manager Suzanne Furay. "Not only has it been rewarding to work closely with Little Tokyo Service Center and all of the project collaborators, but within U.S. Bank, it's a proud moment because multiple teams came together to meet the needs of our clients and the community." Construction is already underway and the development is expected to be completed in 2026. "U.S. Bank provided a scale of investment and wholehearted commitment that was critical to ensuring First Street North's success as one cohesive master planned development," added Chen. "U.S. Bank's appreciation for the entirety of the community vision and willingness to finance all the components of this project is worth celebrating. The efforts are an exemplar for how financial institutions can make a transformative difference in a place like Los Angeles." U.S. Bank's total commitment to date for the broader Greater Los Angeles Area is $2.3 billion in debt and $1.56 billion in equity. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from U.S. Bank on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: U.S. Bank Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/us-bank Email: [email protected] SOURCE: U.S. Bank View the original press release on accesswire.com LAS VEGAS, NV / ACCESSWIRE / February 29, 2024 / Cytta Corp (OTCQB: CYCA) is proud to announce the first successful installation of CyttaCOMMS/IGAN 3.0 secure communications and drone streaming software with Pinellas Park Police Department (PD) in Florida. This collaboration marks the first installation of the newly completed SaaS CyttaCOMMS/IGAN 3.0 video streaming system, setting a new benchmark for drone operational security and efficiency in law enforcement while being fully compliant with all State and Federal Blue UAS standards . The Pinellas Park PD has taken a proactive stance in response to Florida's recent ban on the use of Chinese manufactured drones by State and Local law enforcement agencies, due to heightened cybersecurity concerns. By being among the first departments in the State to replace their DJI drones and implement the CyttaCOMMS/IGAN 3.0 system, Pinellas Park PD demonstrates its commitment to maintaining the highest standards of operational security and regulatory compliance. The State of Florida's Drone Replacement Grant Program, which dedicates $25 million to assist law enforcement agencies in transitioning away from Chinese manufactured drones, supports this initiative. CyttaCOMMS/IGAN 3.0 stands out as the optimal solution, offering the only drone-agnostic video streaming technology that securely interfaces with all American-made drone brands approved for use in Florida. Mike Elliott, VP of Business Development at Cytta Corp, who oversaw the sale and installation at Pinellas Park PD, remarked, "Pinellas Park PD's swift action to align with Florida's drone security standards exemplifies their leadership and dedication to leveraging cutting-edge technology for public safety. CyttaCOMMS/IGAN 3.0 is not just a product; it's a comprehensive solution that ensures the security and efficiency of drone operations. We are honored to support Pinellas Park PD as they set a commendable example for other law enforcement agencies to follow." CyttaCOMMS/IGAN 3.0 is engineered to exceed the demanding needs of law enforcement drone operations, providing encrypted real-time video streaming, robust data security, and compatibility with a broad spectrum of drone hardware. This initiative not only enhances the operational capabilities of Pinellas Park PD but also paves the way for broader acceptance and integration of secure drone technology in law enforcement agencies nationwide. Cytta Corp is dedicated to continuous innovation and the development of solutions like CyttaCOMMS/IGAN that address the evolving challenges of technology and regulation in public safety and security sectors. About Cytta Corp : Cytta Corp . is a leading technology solutions provider dedicated to delivering innovative products and services across various industries and revolutionizes the integration, streaming, transfer, and storage of video and audio data. With a focus on safety, security, and efficiency, Cytta Corp strives to develop cutting-edge solutions that address real-world challenges in large markets. The Company's proprietary CyttaCOMMS incident management system offers real-time integration of video and audio streams, enabling improved collaboration and providing ongoing, relevant, actionable intelligence. Their innovative new product, CyttaCARES , is a game-changer in ensuring the safety and well-being of children in educational institutions and beyond. Cytta's CyttaCOMP ISTAR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance) technology delivers real-time compression of video streams with ultra-low latency, through their compression Licensee Reticulate Micro. Contact Information Investor/Shareholder Contact: Gary Zwetchkenbaum PlumTree Consulting, LLC. [email protected] Direct: (516)-455-7662 Cytta Corp. Toll free # : 1 877 CYTTAUS (298 8287) Call Local : 1 740 CYTTAUS (298 8287) http://www.cytta.com [email protected] Gary Campbell, CEO Direct (702) 900-7022 (or message) [email protected] Natalia Sokolova, President & COO Direct: (424) 333-0595 (or message) [email protected] SOURCE: Cytta Corp. View the original press release on accesswire.com CHARLOTTE, NC / ACCESSWIRE / February 29, 2024 / Discovery Education now offers a new collection of engaging, high-quality digital learning resources to support observances of Women's History Month. Since 1987 in the United States, Women's History Month is a celebration of women's contributions to history, culture, and society. The following resources are now available for users of the award-winning Discovery Education Experience K-12 learning platform for Women's History Month: Womanica channel: Get to know the incredible stories of groundbreaking women whose legacies have stood the test of time. Womanica, a podcast series from Wonder Media Network, offers bite-sized audio biographies of women you may or may not know, but whose impact has changed the world. Gain inspiration and spark curiosity by listening to the contributions, successes, trials, and triumphs of phenomenal women from a variety of backgrounds including scientists, activists, actors, teachers, poets, philosophers, scholars, politicians, comedians, and more. Women in History channel: Celebrate the remarkable journeys of legendary women throughout history and learn contemporary stories of women changing the world today. This collection showcases stories of pioneering women who have fought for equality and advocated for meaningful change. Explore the impact women have had politically, in STEM, the arts, sports, leadership positions, and more. Connecting educators to a vast collection of high-quality, standard-aligned content, ready-to-use digital lessons, intuitive quiz and activity creation tools, and professional learning resources, Discovery Education Experience facilitates the creation of engaging instructional experiences for all students. In addition, for users of the award-winning Mystery Science service, the Celebrating Women in Science & Arts Collection offers open-and-go lessons that inspire students to see themselves in science. Mystery Science is an engaging standards-aligned science curriculum for grades K-5 designed to help students stay curious. In this collection of 45-minute engineering lessons, Mystery Guides lead no prep, open-and-go lessons with step-by-step hands-on activities exploring scientific phenomena using common classroom items. "In my classroom, I ensure that all my students have no limitations on their curiosity," said Renee Cunningham, the Media Coordinator at New Town Elementary School of Union County Public Schools in North Carolina. "I love knowing that I can always rely on Discovery Education for current and engaging resources that make it easy for me to integrate into a lesson plan." Discovery Education also offers many free resources educators can integrate into their Women's History Month observances. Among the free resources are: Career Profiles The Women's History Month career profiles collection from the STEM Careers Coalition celebrates the careers of women leaders in STEM. The collection of dynamic, on-demand resources supports educators' efforts to drive deeper student engagement by connecting classroom lessons to the real-world. Career profile videos show students a variety of STEM careers across engineering, chemistry, research, and technology. The STEM Careers Coalition solves critical gaps in representation in the STEM professional workforce. The Coalition is an alliance of industries and non-profit organizations that has provided equitable access to STEM resources and career connections since its launch in 2019. The Coalition will continue to ignite student curiosity and influence a diverse future STEM workforce and reach 10 million teachers and students by 2025. The STEM Careers Coalition solves critical gaps in representation in the STEM professional workforce. The Coalition is an alliance of industries and non-profit organizations that has provided equitable access to STEM resources and career connections since its launch in 2019. The Coalition will continue to ignite student curiosity and influence a diverse future STEM workforce and reach 10 million teachers and students by 2025. The career profiles from Girls4Tech - Mastercard's signature science, technology, engineering, and mathematics program, supported by Discovery Education - are geared towards giving girls in middle and high school access to STEM resources and career exploration tools. Students are introduced to the topics of Artificial Intelligence and cybersecurity via virtual video introductions to Mastercard's cybersecurity specialists. Women role models will inspire girls to explore the possibilities of a STEM career. Gamified Learning and Student Challenges Maker High is an educational partnership with Goldieblox that makes science fun and accessible through teacher-led activities paired with a new game, Chem Lab Escape hosted on Roblox. Teach your students critical thinking and core concepts of chemistry that are the keys to solving this chemistry escape room. Chem Lab Escape empowers students to solve challenges such as combining elements and solutions to create chemical reactions and adding and removing heat energy to water to navigate an obstacle course. As the nation's premier middle school science competition, the annual 3M Young Scientist Challenge invites students in grades 5-8 to compete for an exclusive mentorship with a 3M scientist, a $25,000 grand prize, and the chance to earn the title of "America's Top Young Scientist." Each year, the 3M Young Scientist Challenge recognizes the grand prize winner, 10 finalists, four honorable mentions, and up to 51 state merit winners - nationwide and in Washington D.C. - who have demonstrated a passion for using science to solve everyday problems and improve the world around them. This year, the 3M Young Scientist Challenge offers innovative ways for students to engage in science and engineering through new entry topics, including Robotics, Home Improvement, Automotive, Safety, AR/VR, and Climate Tech. Competition entries are accepted until the deadline on May 2, 2024. "We're on a mission to prepare all learners for tomorrow by creating innovative classrooms connected to today's world," said Robin Porter, Vice President of Digital Content at Discovery Education. "With this new collection of content created with trusted partners, educators and students have at hand engaging materials for Women's History Month and beyond." For more information about Discovery Education's award-winning digital resources and professional learning solutions visit www.discoveryeducation.com, and stay connected with Discovery Education on social media through X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. ### About Discovery Education Discovery Education is the worldwide edtech leader whose state-of-the-art digital platform supports learning wherever it takes place. Through its award-winning multimedia content, instructional supports, innovative classroom tools, and corporate partnerships, Discovery Education helps educators deliver equitable learning experiences engaging all students and supporting higher academic achievement on a global scale. Discovery Education serves approximately 4.5 million educators and 45 million students worldwide, and its resources are accessed in over 100 countries and territories. Inspired by the global media company Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. Discovery Education partners with districts, states, and trusted organizations to empower teachers with leading edtech solutions that support the success of all learners. Explore the future of education at www.discoveryeducation.com. Contact Grace Maliska Discovery Education Email: [email protected] View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Discovery Education on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Discovery Education Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/discovery-education Email: [email protected] SOURCE: Discovery Education View the original press release on accesswire.com Record-breaking power usage can increase customer bills JACKSON, MS / ACCESSWIRE / February 29, 2024 / This winter, Entergy Mississippi's service area endured multiple days of extremely cold temperatures, causing many customers to turn up the heat to take the chill out of the air. Keeping your home or business warm requires a lot of electricity, which can drive up energy use and bills, especially in frigid conditions. Entergy Mississippi is committed to helping our customers before, during and after extreme weather. Amid the winter freeze, we met the demands of our customers' record-breaking power usage. Some customers may find that using more energy to stay warm during the wintry weather has led to a higher-than-expected bill. To help customers stay comfortable and keep their energy bill affordable, we provide bill management tools, bill payment resources along with energy efficiency tips and programs. Resources for customers in need For customers experiencing financial hardship, we offer a variety of bill assistance options, including: Deferred payment: Talk with us about your situation and we may be able to make deferred payment arrangements. Request a deferred payment arrangement through myEntergy or by calling 1-800-ENTERGY (1-800-368-3749) and following our automated response system menu. Talk with us about your situation and we may be able to make deferred payment arrangements. Request a deferred payment arrangement through myEntergy or by calling 1-800-ENTERGY (1-800-368-3749) and following our automated response system menu. Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program: Funded through the federal government, LIHEAP helps low-income households meet their home energy costs by making payments on the customers' behalf directly to energy suppliers. Visit com/bill-help to learn how to apply for assistance. Funded through the federal government, LIHEAP helps low-income households meet their home energy costs by making payments on the customers' behalf directly to energy suppliers. Visit com/bill-help to learn how to apply for assistance. Payment extension: Qualifying customers who need a few extra days to pay their bill can request an extension through myEntergy or by calling 1-800-ENTERGY (1-800-368-3749) and following our automated response system menu. Qualifying customers who need a few extra days to pay their bill can request an extension through myEntergy or by calling 1-800-ENTERGY (1-800-368-3749) and following our automated response system menu. The Power to Care: Through a network of nonprofit agencies, The Power to Care helps pay utility bills of those facing extreme temperatures with no way to stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Learn more at com/s/powertocare. Bill management resources Choose when, where and how you pay with our bill management resources, including: AutoPay: Avoid late fees, writing checks and paying for postage by having your bills automatically deducted from your bank account. Learn more at myentergy.com/s/autopay. Avoid late fees, writing checks and paying for postage by having your bills automatically deducted from your bank account. Learn more at myentergy.com/s/autopay. Level billing: We average bills over a rolling 12-month period, so you have a more consistent bill each month of the year. Enroll at myentergy.com/s/levelbill. We average bills over a rolling 12-month period, so you have a more consistent bill each month of the year. Enroll at myentergy.com/s/levelbill. MyAdvisor: Receive an estimate of what projected energy usage costs could be by the end of the billing cycle. Learn more at entergy.com/MyAdvisor. Receive an estimate of what projected energy usage costs could be by the end of the billing cycle. Learn more at entergy.com/MyAdvisor. PaperFREE: Get your bill delivered directly to your email as soon as it posts. Learn more at myentergy.com/s/paperfree. Get your bill delivered directly to your email as soon as it posts. Learn more at myentergy.com/s/paperfree. Pick-A-Date: Choose what day of the month you get billed to line up with your budget and cash flow. Learn more at myentergy.com/s/pickdate. Choose what day of the month you get billed to line up with your budget and cash flow. Learn more at myentergy.com/s/pickdate. Understanding my bill: We've designed the Entergy bill to help make it easier to understand. Learn more at entergy.com/bill. Customers who are behind on bill payments should contact Entergy through myEntergy or by phone at 1-800 ENTERGY (1-800-368-3749) to make payment arrangements and prevent disconnection. The Entergy app is also available to download for Android and iPhone operating systems at entergy.com/app and can be used for your convenience to pay bills, monitor your usage and more. About Entergy Mississippi Entergy Mississippi, LLC provides electricity to approximately 461,000 customers in 45 counties. Entergy Mississippi is a subsidiary of Entergy Corporation, a Fortune 500 electric company. Entergy powers life for 3 million customers through our operating companies in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. We're investing in the reliability and resilience of the energy system while helping our region transition to cleaner, more efficient energy solutions. With roots in our communities for more than 100 years, Entergy is a nationally recognized leader in sustainability and corporate citizenship. Since 2018, we have delivered more than $100 million in economic benefits each year to local communities through philanthropy, volunteerism and advocacy. Entergy is headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana, and has approximately 12,000 employees. For the latest news from Entergy, visit the Newsroom. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Entergy Corporation on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Entergy Corporation Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/entergy-corporation Email: [email protected] SOURCE: Entergy Corporation View the original press release on accesswire.com FRANKFURT AM MAIN, GERMANY / ACCESSWIRE / February 29, 2024 / ENVIRIA, Germany's leading commercial and industrial (C&I) decentralized energy solutions provider, announced it has entered into a definitive agreement on an equity investment of over USD 200 million from BlackRock, through its Global Renewable Power IV (GRP IV) fund. The additional capital will support the expansion of the already existing 500 C&I solar projects across Germany as part of the company's growth plan. With this investment, ENVIRIA and BlackRock are leveraging one of the greatest growth areas in the energy transition: offering decentralized energy via rooftop solar and adjacent services at scale. It is estimated that German companies consume around 70 percent of the total national electricity usage, while only around 10 percent of suitable company roofs are equipped with a solar system. This leaves a potential of several hundred GW of renewable energy capacity untapped. With rooftop sizes across the C&I sector being on average significantly larger than residential buildings, renewable energy capacities can be rapidly deployed. ENVIRIA is challenging traditional grey' power plants and gradually reduces dependence on fossil fuels by feeding electricity directly into the grid from its powerful solar systems. Supported by its Series A investors Galileo Green Energy, Redalpine, Alter Equity and BNP Paribas Dveloppement, the company has built a portfolio of 500 C&I solar projects across Germany. Its development pipeline includes approx. 2,000 C&I projects totalling more than 2.3GW, with a plan to realize 1.7GW by 2029, thus enabling a successful energy transition. ENVIRIA's strong track record in C&I solar development demonstrates the efficacy of its pioneering end-to-end business approach. By covering the entire solar value chain - from installation and maintenance to asset management - the company offers customized solutions to reliably overcome some of the biggest challenges in the industry. Thereby, ENVIRIA showcases the potential for growth for attractive infrastructure solutions in an economic environment that will continue to create demand for renewable energy. Melchior Schulze Brock, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, ENVIRIA: "We are delighted to have found such a strong partner in BlackRock, who so enthusiastically supports our vision of empowering companies to harness the potential of solar. BlackRock brings exactly the resources we need to continue our growth - both financially and in terms of knowledge. Understanding the complex, capital intense nature of our business, BlackRock is able to support us in realizing the full potential of the C&I sector across Germany. "BlackRock's experience in working with companies in our sector globally, especially in Asia and America, has impressively shown what a successful collaboration can look like." BlackRock's Climate Infrastructure team were first movers in the space and have been investing in renewable power since the late 90s, with investments in over 15 companies and the first investment in solar PV in 2013. Today, they manage US$11 billion in client assets. GRP IV is the fourth vintage of the flagship climate infrastructure franchise and the fund's LPs include significant capital from German asset owners. This investment is GRP IV's second, following the fund's investment in Recurrent Energy in January. Keith Mangan, Head of EMEA for Climate Infrastructure at BlackRock: "Our investment in ENVIRIA adds to our strong track record of staying ahead of the curve in investing into infrastructure assets that are aligned with the energy transition, an investment theme that continues to show its growth and scalability. ENVIRIA's unique value proposition as a full-chain PV provider is a stellar example of the deployment of scalable innovation in this sector, making this an attractive exposure for our clients." Dirk Schmitz, Country Head of BlackRock in Germany, Austria, and Eastern Europe: "Germany's shift to a low-carbon economy requires significant investment in renewable power infrastructure. We are pleased to provide our clients access to this investment in a promising macro-economic environment for climate infrastructure in Germany. With a strong German investor presence on our Climate infrastructure platform, I am excited that we will be putting our clients' money to work through ENVIRIA locally." J.P. Morgan SE acted as Exclusive Placement Agent to ENVIRIA on this transaction. White & Case was legal advisor to ENVIRIA. Closing of the transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and certain terms and conditions in accordance with the transaction agreements. Contact Information Alexandra Siokou Chief Marketing Officer, ENVIRIA [email protected] +49 (0) 1742438595 Nadia El Jazouli Head of Corporate Communications Germany, BlackRock [email protected] +49 (69) 505002527 Curtis Chou Vice President Corporate Communications, BlackRock [email protected] +1 (646) 2311031 SOURCE: ENVIRIA View the original press release on newswire.com. VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / February 29, 2024 / Final Bell Holdings International Ltd. (the "Company" or "Final Bell") today announces the Company's intention to challenge the application of BZAM Ltd. ("BZAM") seeking creditor protection under the under the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act (Canada) (the "CCAA"). BZAM announced today that it and its subsidiaries have initiated proceedings under the CCAA (the "CCAA Proceedings") in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice (Commercial List), less than 60 days following BZAM's acquisition of Final Bell Canada Inc. ("FB Canada") from the Company. BZAM's acquisition of FB Canada closed on January 5, 2024, and resulted in the Company becoming BZAM's second largest shareholder, its largest unsecured lender and a key supplier of hardware and packaging on an ongoing basis. The acquisition involved extensive due diligence by the Company based on material provided by BZAM and its management, together with BZAM's public filings, and the Company relied on representations and warranties made by BZAM and its management to support the value of the consideration received by the Company and BZAM's ability to service its debt obligations to the Company. The information resulting from such due diligence, together with the representations, warranties and other agreements at closing of the transaction, also formed the basis for the Company's senior secured lender's agreement to release its comprehensive security package over FB Canada in favour of a charge over the consideration received. The Company believes that BZAM's initiation of CCAA Proceedings constitutes an improper use of creditor protection legislation to evade its creditors, defraud shareholders, and facilitate a related party going private transaction at an unjustified discounted value in order to circumvent a customary going private transaction requiring shareholder and creditor approval. The end result would not only prejudice BZAM's public shareholders and stakeholders, but also constitutes an attempt by BZAM to evade its agreements and commitments relating to its acquisition of FB Canada in order to acquire it for no valuable consideration. Contrary to BZAM's assertions in its announcement today, the Company rejects BZAM's claim that its board of directors carefully considered any available alternatives prior to proceeding with the CCAA Proceedings. The Company intends to use all legal recourse available to it to oppose the CCAA Proceedings and hold BZAM and its management accountable for their actions. About Final Bell Holdings International Ltd. The Company operates a highly competitive consolidated group of businesses providing end-to-end solutions to leading cannabis brands through integrated product development, manufacturing, and supply chain management, including in the design and technology space, offering industrial design, engineering, manufacturing, branding, and child-resistant packaging solutions for cannabis vaporizers, edibles, and related products. The Company represents a new paradigm for the legal cannabis industry on a global scale: the ability to fully outsource production and manufacturing of state-of-the-art hardware, packaging, licensed co-manufacturing, and product commercialization to a single partner. For further information please contact: Kiarash Hessami Director of Business Analytics and IR 604-365-6099 [email protected] Forward-Looking Information This press 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", "may", "will", "would", "potential", "proposed" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur and in this press release include, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the Company's plans and expectations relating to BZAM. These statements are only predictions and should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results. Forward-looking information is based on the current expectations, beliefs, opinions, estimates and reasonable assumptions of management at the date the information is provided, and is subject to a variety of known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events, results, performance and achievements to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information if circumstances or management's expectations, beliefs, opinions, estimates or assumptions should change, unless required by law. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. SOURCE: Final Bell Holdings International Ltd. View the original press release on accesswire.com SAN DIEGO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / February 29, 2024 / General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) flew the XQ-67A Off-Board Sensing Station (OBSS) for the first time on Feb. 28, 2024. OBSS is an Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) program and GA-ASI was selected in 2021 to design, build and fly the new aircraft. With flight of the AFRL-funded XQ-67A, GA-ASI has validated the "genus/species" concept first developed with AFRL as part of the Low-Cost Attritable Aircraft Platform Sharing (LCAAPS) program focused on building several aircraft variants from a common core chassis. Under LCAAPS, AFRL and GA-ASI explored the development of a chassis, termed a "genus", as the foundational core architecture from which several "species" of aircraft can be built. "This provides an alternative acquisition approach for military aircraft that enables faster development, lower costs and more opportunities for frequent technology refresh," said Trenton White, OBSS Program Manager and aerospace engineer in AFRL's Aerospace Systems Directorate. "XQ-67A is the first 'species' to be designed and built from this shared platform. Flight demonstration of this system is a major first step toward showing the ability to produce affordable combat mass." "OBSS is the first aircraft type built and flown using a common core chassis developed by GA-ASI that promotes commonality across multiple vehicle types," said GA-ASI Vice President of Advanced Programs Michael Atwood. Distribution Statement A: Approved for Public Release; Distribution is Unlimited. PA# AFRL-2024-0708 About GA-ASI General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), an affiliate of General Atomics, is a leading designer and manufacturer of proven, reliable RPA systems, radars, and electro-optic and related mission systems, including the Predator RPA series and the Lynx Multi-mode Radar. With more than eight million flight hours, GA-ASI provides long-endurance, mission-capable aircraft with integrated sensor and data link systems required to deliver persistent situational awareness. The company also produces a variety of sensor control/image analysis software, offers pilot training and support services, and develops meta-material antennas. For more information, visit www.ga-asi.com. Avenger, Lynx, Predator, SeaGuardian, and SkyGuardian are registered trademarks of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. About AFRL The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is the primary scientific research and development center for the Department of the Air Force. AFRL plays an integral role in leading the discovery, development and integration of affordable warfighting technologies for our air, space and cyberspace force. With a workforce of more than 12,500 across nine technology areas and 40 other operations across the globe, AFRL provides a diverse portfolio of science and technology ranging from fundamental to advanced research and technology development. For more information, visit www.afresearchlab.com. # # # Contact Information GA-ASI Media Relations [email protected] +1 (858) 524-8101 SOURCE: General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. View the original press release on newswire.com. CHICAGO, IL / ACCESSWIRE / February 29, 2024 / Kingsway Financial Services Inc. ("Kingsway" or the "Company") (NYSE: KFS) today announced that it will report financial results for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023, after the close of trading on Tuesday, March 5, 2024. Management will host a conference call at 5 p.m. Eastern Time on March 5, 2024, to discuss the results and to field questions. Conference Call Information Date: Tuesday, March 5, 2024 Time: 5 p.m. Eastern Time Toll Free: 888-506-0062; Code: 322700 International: 973-528-0011; Code: 322700 Live Webcast Link: https://www.webcaster4.com/Webcast/Page/2928/50054 Conference Call Replay Information Toll Free: 877-481-4010 International: 919-882-2331 Replay Passcode: 50054 Replay Webcast Link: https://www.webcaster4.com/Webcast/Page/2928/50054 About the Company Kingsway is a holding company that owns or controls subsidiaries primarily in the extended warranty and business services industries. The common shares of Kingsway are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the trading symbol "KFS." The Company serves the extended warranty industry through its operating subsidiaries IWS (iwsgroup.com), Penn Warranty (pennwarranty.com), Preferred Warranties (preferredwarranties.com) and Trinity Warranty Solutions (trinitywarranty.com). The Company serves the business services industry through its operating subsidiaries CSuite (csuitefinancialpartners.com), Ravix (ravixgroup.com), Secure Nursing Service (securenursing.com), SPI Software (spisoftware.com) and Digital Diagnostics, Inc (ddimagingusa.com). For Media Inquiries: Hayden IR James Carbonara (646) 755-7412 [email protected] For Company Inquiries: Kingsway Financial Services Inc. Kent Hansen, CFO (312) 766-2163 [email protected] SOURCE: Kingsway Financial Services, Inc. View the original press release on accesswire.com The first clear signs began in 2005. The Wayuu community of Twulia, located in a place known as Cachaca III, one kilometer away from Riohacha, in Colombias La Guajira region, began to notice how the sea was eating away at its coastline. The situation worsened in 2007, after six spurs were built in Riohacha to control coastal erosion in the capital. What was a solution for some, became a problem for the inhabitants of Cachaca III: after the spurs were built, the sea began hitting their area with more force, bringing more sediment and, once again, eating up the coast before their eyes. In just two months, November and December, the community was able to measure how five meters were lost, says the journalist Angie Serna, who has followed the case and shared what the community is experiencing in a podcast about damage from climate change. The sea, so far, has taken away two homes, a swimming pool, a community hut, several trees, and an ancestor cemetery. It has also destroyed the landing area for fishing boats, their main means of subsistence. And despite the fact that the government, through Luis Carlos Barreto, the deputy director for Risk Knowledge of the National Unit for Risk and Disaster Management (Ungrd), has committed to carrying out a study to find ways to mitigate the situation, months have elapsed without anything happening. This fact motivated three people from the community to file a guardianship action a legal resource in Colombia in December 2023 against the government and other entities, and which, after the expiration of deadlines, has not yet been addressed by the Council of State. So far, five entire families are displaced in Bogota. The progressive advance of coastal erosion put them in danger by leaving them without the means to survive, explain the Wayuu leaders Pedro Fonseca Epiayu, Clarena Fonseca Uriana and Edwin Fonseca Redondo in the guardianship motion. Through this legal challenge, in which they appeal to the violation of 12 rights, including health, the vital minimum of water and the violation of the human rights of people in situations of human mobility in contexts of climate change, the community asked the Council to request two main things from the government. First, as a precautionary measure, for health personnel and water to be brought to Cachaca III. And second, to be informed of the status of the study that the Ungrd promised, as well as what its assigned budget is. The case will be heard by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights While waiting for a response, this Thursday, February 29, more than 30 organizations from Latin America and the Caribbean will speak at a public hearing before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) about a problem that is increasingly affecting the region: human displacement associated with climate change. Representing Colombia and with the help of the Latin American Center for Environmental Studies (Celeam), Clarena Fonseca Uriana, leader of Cachaca III, will present her case. Through a video since she did not have enough time to obtain a visa to go to Washington she will explain how coastal erosion in her community has caused five families to abandon their home and how, if the situation worsens, the scenario could play out again for herself and several other families. The damage we have experienced with the coastal impact is varied. There are also people at risk of losing their lives. Occasionally a ravine, weighing about a thousand tons, has nearly collapsed on a fisherman while he was at work, she said. All the hope of our culture is being swept away by the sea. We must remember that a public hearing before the IACHR is not a judicial action, nor a lawsuit, notes Andres Aristizabal Isaza, director of strategic litigation at the Latin American Center for Environmental Studies (CELEAM). So what were hoping is that the Court will hear this case, as well as those brought by the other 30 organizations, to raise the profile of the story and generate discussions about migration, displacement and immobility associated with climate change. That is to say, it is not expected that there will be a sentence or ruling by the IACHR, but rather that the Commission will listen to them to generate a precedent and show that a legal and political debate must begin at the regional level about this topic. A young man walks along a beach in the Wayuu Twulia community, in La Guajira (Colombia). Angie Serna An iconic case of coastal erosion litigation In small steps, climate change has been creeping into the world of Colombian law. The statement that, we hope, the Council of State will give, will serve as a milestone that will pave the way, says Aristizabal. When we began to litigate rights related to climate change, what we were seeking is for the state to generate public policies in this regard, because currently there is no updated legislation. We want institutions and policies to not act reactively, but preventively. This expert notes that, in the last six years, according to UNICEF data, coastal erosion has affected 2.3 million people in Latin America and that, in the next 30 years, 4.6 million people could be affected due to floods alone. In addition, data from the Colombian Ombudsmans Office determined that, in the year 2023, 9,850 people were internally displaced due to issues associated with climate change. For this reason, the Cachaca III case could become a watershed. They have managed to make themselves visible, adds Sierra. But in reality there are more than 180 Wayuu communities that are living in coastal areas and experiencing the same conditions. Whatever applies to Cachaca III would be a kind of pilot test for what is to come for all of them. KoolSpan announces TrustCall and TrustCall Dome's iOS compatibility, extending its mobile communication security products to Apple devices. This marks a milestone for KoolSpan, making the company's proprietary "Dome of Protection" available to 99% of all mobile device users and reinforcing its position as a global leader in the enterprise secure instant communications market. BETHESDA, MD / ACCESSWIRE / February 29, 2024 / KoolSpan, a leading vendor in secure mobile instant communications, announced today that its mobile communication security solutions, TrustCall and TrustCall Dome, are now available for iOS. KSP iOS Release Graphic 0224 With this latest announcement, KoolSpan's patented cybersecurity communications product is now available on 99% of mobile devices, building on the organization's momentum as a major player in the international instant communications market. "Since its inception, TrustCall has been the trusted solution for protecting sensitive communications for federal government agencies and global enterprises. Our innovative 'Dome' technology forms a virtual shield enveloping the customer's desktops and mobile devices, effectively addressing many data privacy and cyberattack concerns," explained KoolSpan's COO, Alessandro Ossoli. "With the new iOS compatibility, KoolSpan extends its secure environment to Apple devices, seamlessly bridging different platforms and completing our comprehensive offering. This empowers users to collaborate securely, protected by the TrustCall Dome, regardless of their device or location." In November, KoolSpan achieved FIPS 140-2 certification from the National Institute of Standards and Technology, making it eligible for deployments in U.S. federal governments and regulated industries. This certification validates KoolSpan's ability to secure data using NIST standards for segmenting data via cryptographic libraries. With TrustCall, users establish a "Dome of Protection" that isolates their data and communications from the public web creating uninterrupted workflows while enjoying an added layer of security around their mobile communications and data, making users invisible to malicious operators. Additionally, TrustCall offers end-to-end FIPS 140-2 encryption for voice and messaging communications, ensuring the utmost privacy and security for sensitive information, and shielding data both at rest and in transit (DAR/DIT). Trusted by government entities, global financial institutions, and Fortune 500 enterprises, TrustCall stands as a beacon of security in the world of mobile communication. Jenkins Ravenel, KoolSpan CEO, emphasized TrustCall's critical role in the evolving landscape: "As more businesses and organizations shift toward hybrid work models, accessing sensitive data outside of secure networks, TrustCall has become an essential solution for perimeter protection. This latest release includes enhanced features that ensure complete protection against cyberattacks and interception." Visit koolspan.com/contact to get in touch with the KoolSpan team. About KoolSpan: KoolSpan is a leading provider of secure mobile communication solutions, empowering businesses and organizations to communicate securely and privately on mobile devices. Committed to the strictest data security and compliance standards, KoolSpan's solutions are trusted by some of the world's largest organizations. Headquartered in Germantown, Maryland, KoolSpan also has offices in Europe and Asia and holds 42 patents issued in the U.S. and globally. For more information, visit koolspan.com. Contact Information Alessandro Ossoli Chief Operating Officer [email protected] (240) 880-4400 SOURCE: KoolSpan, Inc. View the original press release on newswire.com. QUEBEC, QC / ACCESSWIRE / February 29, 2024 / NuRAN Wireless Inc. ("NuRAN" or the "Company") (CSE:NUR)(OTCQB:NRRWF)(FSE:1RN), a leading supplier of mobile and broadband wireless infrastructure solutions, is pleased to announce that it has now received the formal approval of the US$ 5M loan facility by the lender's investment committee. Following the announcement of signing a non-binding mandate letter on January 3rd, 2024, the Company is pleased to announce the Investment Committee approval for the US$ 5M Senior Secured Bridge Facility ("the Facility") for (re)financing of renewable energy assets for NuRAN Wireless (Africa) Holding. This approval means that the Parties will now work towards completing the definitive loan documentation in view of short-term closing. Over the last 2 months, the Company worked with the lender's Environmental and Social (E&S) and legal teams to complete all due diligence. Both Parties worked cooperatively to adhere to all deadlines."This is a significant development in NuRAN's financing strategy for its NaaS operations and is the culmination of much hard work by the lender's and NuRAN's team on completing the final due diligence and debt structuring. We are appreciative and thankful that our lenders are supporting our contracts to connect and empower the unconnected in Africa" said Francis Letourneau, CEO of NuRAN Wireless Inc. "The facility will allow us to establish our build plan for 2024 and achieve major milestones by the end of the calendar year."The 2-year tenor Facility will be drawn down over a maximum period of 12 months with a bullet principal repayment at maturity. All interest is also capitalised meaning that NuRAN can make optimal use of the financing to build new sites in Cameroon and the DRC as well as other African countries. The funds can be used to refinance energy assets already on operating sites or in inventory so combined with cash generated from operating sites, the Company now has the ability to cover all material and build cost of new sites.The Facility is to be refinanced by long-term senior debt at maturity. The lender may consider participating in a possible larger long-term debt syndicate to further accelerate NuRAN's build plans. The Company will provide guidance on its new build milestones when the Facility is finalised. About NuRAN Wireless: NuRAN Wireless is a leading rural telecommunications company that meets the growing demand for wireless network coverage in remote and rural regions around the globe. With its affordable and innovative scalable solutions of 2G, 3G, and 4G technologies, NuRAN Wireless offers a new possibility for more than one billion people to communicate effectively over long distances efficiently and affordably. "Bridging the Digital Divide, One Connection at a Time." Additional Information: For further information about NuRAN Wireless: www.nuranwireless.com Francis Ltourneau, Director and CEO [email protected] Tel: (418) 264-1337 Frank Candido Investor relations [email protected] Tel: (514) 969-5530 Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as, "expects", "is expected", "anticipates", "intends", "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements include those relating to the signing and closing of the DFI loans, statements with respect to the number of live towers to be installed and proposed revenues over 2023, 2024 and 2025, statements with respect to financing at the NuRAN Africa intended to be complementary to the DFI loans and if completed is intended be used to accelerate growth in other markets, including recent contracts signed in Ivory Coast and Madagascar, statements with respect to the future conversion of sites in inventory to live sites as the Company secures additional financing to support the conversion, statements with respect to proposed debt settlements with management and short term and long term lenders including any potential restructuring of debt and that the execution of the loan agreement with the DFIs will propel NuRAN to build towers at an aggressive pace and fulfil our 2024 and 2025 expectation. Forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results projected, expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements, such as the uncertainties regarding include risks such as the uncertainties regarding the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, and measures to prevent its spread, risks relating to NuRAN's business and the economy generally; NuRAN's ability to refinance its long term and short term debt; NuRAN's ability to adequately restructure its operations with respect to its new model of NaaS service contracts; NuRAN's ability to complete the DFI financings, our ability to collect fees from our telecommunication providers and reliance on the network of our telecommunications providers, the capacity of the Company to deliver in a technical capacity and to import inventory to Africa at a reasonable cost; NuRAN's ability to obtain project financing for the proposed site build out under its NaaS agreements with Orange, MTN and other telecommunication providers, the loss of one or more significant suppliers or a reduction in significant volume from such suppliers; NuRAN's ability to meet or exceed customers' demand and expectations; significant current competition and the introduction of new competitors or other disruptive entrants in the Company's industry; effects of the global supply shortage affecting parts needed for NuRAN's sites and site installations; NuRAN's ability to retain key employees and protect its intellectual property; compliance with local laws and regulations and ability to obtain all required permits for our operations, access to the credit and capital markets, changes in applicable telecommunications laws or regulations or changes in license and regulatory fees, downturns in customers' business cycles; and insurance prices and insurance coverage availability, the Company's ability to effectively maintain or update information and technology systems; our ability to implement and maintain measures to protect against cyberattacks and comply with applicable privacy and data security requirements; the Company's ability to successfully implement its business strategies or realize expected cost savings and revenue enhancements; business development activities, including acquisitions and integration of acquired businesses; the Company's expansion into markets outside of Canada and the operational, competitive and regulatory risks facing the Company's non-Canadian based operations. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward looking information. Other factors which could materially affect such forward-looking information are described in the risk factors in the Company's most recent annual management's discussion and analysis that is available on the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The estimates included in this news release relating to the calculation of the gross revenue of the agreements with Orange and MTN are based on multiplying an average population per site by the expected penetration rate which yields the number of mobile customers. This is then multiplied by the average revenue per customer per month (ARPU) to derive total revenue. Orange and MTN's direct costs associated with this revenue are deducted and the resulting amount is shared by both parties. The revenue share only applies to revenue in excess of a guaranteed amount which is the minimum paid to NuRAN. A penetration rate reduction factor has been used to mitigate risk. The base data used to calculate the total potential revenue of this agreement was provided by Orange and MTN based on average population, penetration rate and ARPU. Management of the Company believes that the estimates have been prepared on a reasonable basis, reflecting best estimates and judgments, and based on a number of assumptions management believes are reasonable as well as information provided to the Company by Orange and MTN. However, because this information is highly subjective and subject to numerous risks, including the risks discussed above, it should not be relied on as necessarily indicative of future results. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the estimates prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FUTURE ORIENTED FINANCIAL INFORMATION This press release may contain future oriented financial information ("FOFI") within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, about prospective results of operations including projected revenue, financial position or cash flows, based on assumptions about future economic conditions and courses of action, which FOFI is not presented in the format of a historical balance sheet, income statement or cash flow statement. The FOFI has been prepared by management to provide an outlook of the Company's activities and results and has been prepared based on a number of assumptions including the assumptions discussed under the heading above entitled "Forward-Looking Statements" and assumptions with respect to the costs and expenditures to be incurred by the Company, capital expenditures and operating costs, taxation rates for the Company and general and administrative expenses. Management does not have, or may not have had at the relevant date, firm commitments for all of the costs, expenditures, prices or other financial assumptions which may have been used to prepare the FOFI or assurance that such operating results will be achieved and, accordingly, the complete financial effects of all of those costs, expenditures, prices and operating results are not, or may not have been at the relevant date of the FOFI, objectively determinable. The FOFI contained in this press release are, or may be, based upon certain additional assumptions that management believes to be reasonable based on the information currently available to management, including, but not limited to, assumptions about: (i) the future installation and funding of towers under the Company's NAAS agreements in Africa, (ii) continued revenue generation by the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) over our NAAS infrastructure in line with our projections as well as the continued viability of these MNOs given the concentration of our operations on few key customers, (iii) no adverse changes in exchange rates our the ability to transfer currency in countries with foreign currency denominated NAAS contracts or economies, (iv) the future viability and competitiveness of our RAN solutions which are sold under traditional equipment sale contracts and provide a source of additional cashflow, (v) the future market demand and trends within the jurisdictions in which the Company may from time to time conduct the Company's business, (vi) the continuation of our NAAS agreements beyond their current contractual minimum periods to assure long term revenue, (vii) on-going costs of operating our NAAS towers including maintenance, repair, replacement of damaged or stolen equipment as well as VSAT and other input costs in line with our expectations, (viii) the Company's ongoing inventory levels, build and other operating cost estimates, (ix) no adverse factors in the political and regulatory regimes in which the Company operates, (x) no significant competitive threat from alternative rural connectivity solutions such as low-earth orbit or other technologies as well as alternative NAAS providers, (xi) availability and net proceeds from the Company's proposed loans with DFIs and other alternative financings, including, without limitation the equity financing of the parent company and the Company's subsidiaries; (xii) the ability to successfully extend maturity dates and obtain bridge capital when needed for working capital purposes, (xiii) the ability to continue to source products and services from critical outsourced providers including producers of its Radio-Access Network (RAN) equipment and construction and maintenance of NAAS sites, (xiv) assurance of supply from critical third party providers of technical equipment for our NAAS sites including solar and satellite equipment and terminals, (xv) access to qualified staff in new markets we are entering and in markets where we are growing, and (xvi) risks from the COVID-19 pandemic or other public health epidemics which could affect our staff but especially in African countries which are more vulnerable to these outbreaks. The FOFI or financial outlook contained in this press release do not purport to present the Company's financial condition in accordance with IFRS as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board, and there can be no assurance that the assumptions made in preparing the FOFI will prove accurate. The actual results of operations of the Company and the resulting financial results will likely vary from the amounts set forth in the analysis presented in any such document, and such variation may be material (including due to the occurrence of unforeseen events occurring subsequent to the preparation of the FOFI). The Company and management believe that the FOFI has been prepared on a reasonable basis, reflecting management's best estimates and judgments as at the applicable date. However, because this information is highly subjective and subject to numerous risks including the risks discussed under the heading above entitled "Forward-Looking Statements" and under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's public disclosures, FOFI or financial outlook within this press release should not be relied on as necessarily indicative of future results. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the FOFI, or financial outlook contained in this press release. Except as required by Canadian securities laws, the Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update such FOFI. SOURCE: NuRAN Wireless Inc. View the original press release on accesswire.com RALEIGH, NC / ACCESSWIRE / February 29, 2024 / Q-Linea, dedicated to advancing infectious disease diagnostics, joins forces with Uniphar Logistics here in Raleigh, North Carolina for an exciting future of enhanced solutions and expanded reach. "It was an easy decision to partner with Uniphar Logistics as our third-party logistics supplier as we ready ourselves for commercial launch in the US. Not only do they have the expertise to facilitate imports from our Swedish headquarters, but they were also able to customize a solution to meet our needs now and into the future as we grow our presence in the US. Being able to service and support our US customers is our top priority," stated Jim Kathrein, VP of US Commercial Operations. ASTar, Q-Linea's groundbreaking automated instrument, is revolutionizing healthcare by swiftly providing sensitivity profiles from positive blood cultures. This innovation empowers healthcare providers with rapid, precise solutions for diagnosing and treating infectious diseases, significantly reducing time to care. Uniphar Logistics, part of the Uniphar Group of companies understands what manufacturers require to be successful in setting up a global supply chain, with our focus on excellence in quality systems, real-time IT solutions, and worldwide stock locations for our Life science customers. Not only do we offer third-party logistics services and back-office support, but Uniphar MedTech also distributes medical products in the EU that can provide a sales channel in multiple countries, for our medical device manufacturers. The Company's vision is to improve patient access to pharmaco-medical products and treatments by enhancing connectivity between manufacturers and healthcare stakeholders. Ger Rabbit, CEO said, "The US market is a huge potential for Uniphar so expanding with a flagship location in North Carolina and bringing in Kay to join alongside Rick to execute our vision as a global leader for our manufacturers." About Uniphar Logistics: We're proudly part of the Uniphar Group, a global leader in life sciences and pharmaceutical distribution with a 2.1 billion footprint. Our ultramodern 65,000 square foot 3PL warehouse in Raleigh, North Carolina, represents our commitment to excellence. This East Coast Hub efficiently serves Uniphar's worldwide life science clients and North American manufacturers, boasting ground coverage to reach 70% of the population within two days. With cutting-edge temperature-controlled storage, including cold chain capabilities, and comprehensive warehousing services, we're dedicated to offering top-tier logistics, technical support, and repairs tailored for the life science industry. Facility Highlights: " Temperature Controlled " ISO 13485 Certified " Service & Repair " 24/7 Temperature Monitoring " Kitting " Returns and Reverse Logistics Management " Value-Added Services (VAS) " Re-Labeling " Customer Service " Web Order Entry " Advanced Inventory Management " eAdvanced Shipping Notice " EDI/API Integration " 36 ft ceilings " Back-up generator" Cold Chain Press Contact: Peyton Kelly [email protected] SOURCE: Uniphar Logistics View the original press release on accesswire.com NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / February 29, 2024 / Science Applications International Corp. Toni Townes-Whitley expresses excitement about cultivating a vibrant ERG community during this pivotal moment in SAIC's strategic journey. Hear about the essential role ERGs play as listening mechanisms and channels for effective communication. About SAIC SAIC is a premier Fortune 500 technology integrator driving our nation's technology transformation. Our robust portfolio of offerings across the defense, space, civilian and intelligence markets includes secure high-end solutions in engineering, digital, artificial intelligence and mission solutions. Using our expertise and understanding of existing and emerging technologies, we integrate the best components from our own portfolio and our partner ecosystem to deliver innovative, effective and efficient solutions that are critical to achieving our customers' missions. We are approximately 24,000 strong; driven by mission, united by purpose, and inspired by opportunities. SAIC is an Equal Opportunity Employer, fostering a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion , which is core to our values and important to attract and retain exceptional talent. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, SAIC has pro-forma annual revenues of approximately $6.9 billion. For more information, visit saic.com. For ongoing news, please visit our newsroom. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Science Applications International Corp. on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Science Applications International Corp. Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/science-applications-international-corp Email: [email protected] SOURCE: Science Applications International Corp. View the original press release on accesswire.com GERMANTOWN, TN / ACCESSWIRE / February 29, 2024 / Inc. Magazine revealed that Travel Nurses, Inc. climbed through the ranks to No. 67 and saw 285% growth on the fourth annual Inc. 5000 Regionals: Southeast list. The previous year in 2023, Travel Nurses, Inc. ranked No. 153 on the list. This is the most prestigious ranking of the fastest-growing Southeast private companies based in South Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Arkansas, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Florida and Puerto Rico. Born of the annual Inc. 5000 franchise, this regional list represents a unique look at the most successful companies within the Southeast economy's most dynamic segment-its independent small businesses. "It is such an honor for Travel Nurses, Inc. to be recognized for the second year in a row by Inc. Magazine. I am proud of all the hard work and dedication our team has put in over the years to making sure our clients and partners receive excellent service. This recognition is the culmination of that work," said Bryan Burnett, CEO of Travel Nurses, Inc. This list contains companies from all industries in the Southeast. Between 2020 and 2022, these 223 private companies had an average growth rate of 166.43 percent. By 2023, these companies also added 20,496 jobs and $8.8 billion to the region's economy. Complete results of the Inc. 5000 Regionals: Southeast, including company profiles, can be found at inc.com/Southeast. "The honorees in our Inc. 5000 network are the Who's Who of private companies. They're energizing regional economies as they engineer the future of their industries. Learn who they are and what they do - they'll be impacting things for a while," said Eric Hagerman, Special Projects Editor at Inc. Media. Travel Nurses, Inc. is a leading healthcare staffing agency with more than 35 years in the industry. The company was founded by nurses and now staffs nurses and allied healthcare professionals in 49 states. They are committed to excellence being JCAHO certified and were the first agency to partner with the DAISY award for nurses. As the company continues its substantial growth trajectory, they consistently receive positive feedback from their clients, reflecting their commitment to excellence and client satisfaction. Methodology The 2024 Inc. 5000 Regionals are ranked according to percentage revenue growth when comparing 2020 and 2022. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2020. They had to be U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independent-not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies-as of December 31, 2022. (Since then, a number of companies on the list have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2020 is $100,000; the minimum for 2022 is $1 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. Contact Information: Anna Joy Tamayo Community and PR Manager [email protected] 901-347-0271 Catherine Knoll Vice President of Marketing [email protected] 901-425-1636 Related Images Travel Nurses, Inc. Travel Nurses, Inc. logo Inc Regionals Award Travel Nurses, Inc. ranks No. 67 on Inc. Magazine's Southeast Regional list. SOURCE: Travel Nurses, Inc. View the original press release on newswire.com. NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / February 29, 2024 / An undeniable correlation exists between employee wellness and a business' overall health. Health, safety and well-being are core to Walgreens Boots Alliance's purpose and heritage to inspire more joyful lives through better health. We recognize that each of our team members has their own needs, challenges, hopes and dreams. We have created a workplace where team members feel supported, respected and celebrated for being their authentic selves. WBA encourages open dialogue and constructive feedback from our stakeholders, including employees, to help ensure we achieve best practices. We also require all segments, businesses and corporate functions to have formal governance processes in place for health and safety matters in the operations for which they are responsible. Please see how we have engaged with priority stakeholders in our 2023 Environmental, Social & Governance Report. To create a safe and productive workplace, employees across our businesses are provided with avenues to report questions or concerns, including contacting management; calling a toll-free, confidential hotline; submitting an online report; contacting the Compliance Officer or department and/or contacting human resources. The safety of our employees is of the utmost importance to WBA. As such, we routinely look for ways to prioritize safety and education trainings. In fiscal 2023, Boots UK continued evolving our digital incident reporting management system. We consolidated two third-party management systems that managed different parts of the business into one, all-encompassing system. This has helped to streamline the data collection process and makes action against incident reports more effective. In Boots stores, routine safety inspections enable a real-time view of compliance. This program continues to develop and plans to simplify it to be more practical and effective are being developed. Boots UK is working with Primary Authorities to gain assurances around workplace safety. Working alongside Primary Authorities has helped Boots to review existing safety protocols and to work towards the development of new pieces of assured advice. Maintaining a safe stockroom environment helps protect our Walgreens team members, which is the reason for implementing our Safety Focused Stockroom program. This program prioritizes maintaining a clean, neat, and organized stockroom and lowering product stored in the stockroom. Stores can effectively reduce the risk of an incident occurring and achieve a safety focused stockroom environment. Walgreens has programs in place to support customers and team members through incident management. Our Customer Care Advocate Program proactively offers support to customers who have reported an in-store incident. Our Nurse Triage Program is an upstream process for team members that provides timely quality care following a workplace injury. Through the service, team members with workplace injuries can call and speak to a registered nurse to determine the appropriate first level of care. For more information on WBA's employee health, safety and well-being initiatives please see the latest ESG Report. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Walgreens Boots Alliance on 3blmedia.com. Contact Info: Spokesperson: Walgreens Boots Alliance Website: https://www.3blmedia.com/profiles/walgreens-boots-alliance Email: [email protected] SOURCE: Walgreens Boots Alliance View the original press release on accesswire.com Absolute-Net Lease in Place and Produces 12.7% Cap Rate over the Life of the Lease Term. SCOTTSDALE, AZ / ACCESSWIRE / February 29, 2024 / Zoned Properties, Inc. ("Zoned Properties" or the "Company") (OTCQB: ZDPY), a leading real estate development firm for emerging and highly regulated industries, including legalized cannabis, today announced that the Company has received final cannabis approvals related to an investment property in Surprise, Arizona (the "Investment Property"). The Company is under contract to acquire the Investment Property after initial site work has been completed by the selling developer. Zoned Properties has also entered into a long-term, absolute-net lease agreement with a best-in-class Arizona cannabis company, Sunday Goods, to operate a retail dispensary. "Arizona's cannabis market stands out as one of the most dynamic and consumer-driven in the United States. The strongest brands in the nation look to Arizona to create consumer market awareness. Following this acquisition, we expect to near $3 million in passive rental revenue annually. We continue implementing our plan to grow our investment portfolio by adding best-in-class operators and direct-to-consumer assets with attractive cap rates. This lease with Sunday Goods further diversifies our tenant roster with a cannabis brand that will establish the property's highest and best use at this retail location," commented Bryan McLaren, Chief Executive Officer of Zoned Properties. "We are excited to strengthen our tenant roster with such a high-quality brand in Sunday Goods and look forward to expanding our relationship with their executive team." Transaction Highlights Zoned Properties is under contract to acquire the Investment Property in Surprise, Arizona from the selling developer following the completion of site work by the seller. The Company intends to acquire the Investment Property for approximately $1.75 Million, including purchase price, closing costs, and selling developer's improvements; and is planning for a $1.0 Million tenant improvement allowance providing the initial capital for Sunday Goods to construct a retail dispensary. The Company believes Sunday Goods will need to invest additional capital to complete construction and development of the property. The Investment Property is leased to Sunday Goods under a long-term, absolute-net lease agreement, which will produce an approximate 12.7% cap rate when straight-lined over the term of the lease agreement. The lease includes 3% annual increases in base rent, yielding approximately $372,000 in annual base rental revenue when straight-lined over the life of the lease term. Zoned Properties has received final cannabis approvals from the City of Surprise authorizing the operation of a cannabis retail dispensary at the Investment Property. Market Highlights Arizona's cannabis market is one of the strongest in the nation. As of October 2023, the state had seen over $1.2 Billion in sales YTD, and many project sales to hit over $1.5 Billion in 2024. Surprise, Arizona was recently ranked by a Smart Asset Report as the top place in the country for attracting homebuyers under 35, with a growth rate of 15.88% over a ten year period. About The Pharm ("Sunday Goods") The Pharm's commitment to quality and integrity stems from its experience operating a 320,000-square-foot Dutch glass greenhouse in Willcox, AZ, one of the largest of its kind in the country. As the largest cultivator and purveyor of high-quality sun-grown cannabis in the state of Arizona, Willcox serves as The Pharm's hub for continuous improvement through research and development. Here, The Pharm combines cultivation expertise and innovation with large-scale production, all while maintaining the highest quality, which uniquely sets them apart as leaders in the industry. The Pharm also operates two award-winning dispensaries in the Phoenix area called Sunday Goods. The Sunday Goods brand was recognized as a "Top 22 Brand of 2022" by High Times Magazine. About Zoned Properties, Inc. (OTCQB: ZDPY): Zoned Properties Inc. ("Zoned Properties" or the "Company") (OTCQB: ZDPY) is a technology-driven property investment company focused on acquiring value-add real estate within the regulated cannabis industry in the United States. The Company aspires to innovate within the real estate development sector, focusing on direct-to-consumer real estate that is leased to the best-in-class cannabis retailers. Headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, Zoned Properties is redefining the approach to commercial real estate investment through its standardized investment process backed by its proprietary property technology. Zoned Properties has developed a national ecosystem of real estate services to support its real estate development process, including a commercial real estate brokerage and a real estate advisory practice. With a decade of national experience and a team of experts devoted to the emerging cannabis industry, Zoned Properties is addressing the specific needs of a modern market in highly regulated industries. The Company targets commercial properties that face unique zoning or development challenges, identifies solutions that can potentially have a major impact on their commercial value, and then works to acquire the properties while securing long-term, absolute-net leases. Zoned Properties targets commercial properties that can be acquired and rezoned for specific purposes, including the regulated and legalized cannabis industry. It does not grow, harvest, sell or distribute cannabis or any substances regulated under United States law such as the Controlled Substance Act of 1970, as amended (the "CSA"). Zoned Properties corporate headquarters are located at 8360 E. Raintree Dr., Suite 230, Scottsdale, Arizona. For more information, call 877-360-8839 or visit www.ZonedProperties.com. Twitter: @ZonedProperties LinkedIn: @ZonedProperties Safe Harbor Statement This press release contains forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this press release are forward-looking statements. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "plan," "potential," "continue" or similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements include risks and uncertainties, and there are important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These factors, risks and uncertainties are discussed in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Investors should not place any undue reliance on forward-looking statements since they involve known and unknown, uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond the Company's control which could, and likely will, materially affect actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Any forward-looking statement reflects the Company's current views with respect to future events and is subject to these and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to operations, results of operations, growth strategy and liquidity. The Company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future. Investor Relations Zoned Properties, Inc. Bryan McLaren Tel (877) 360-8839 [email protected] www.zonedproperties.com SOURCE: Zoned Properties, Inc. View the original press release on accesswire.com Ready-to-Build Project Set to Create Jobs and Help N.Y. Meet Its Climate Goals; Sunrise Wind Would Be Largest U.S. Offshore Wind Farm Upon Completion in 2026 NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- New York State has selected rsted and Eversource to negotiate a new 25-year contract for their Sunrise Wind offshore wind farm. This conditional award brings the 924-megawatt project one critical step closer to fulfilling its promise to deliver substantial economic benefits across New York and help the state meet its climate goals. NYSERDA President and CEO Doreen M. Harris said, As we reset New York's offshore wind portfolio, we continue to evolve and strengthen the private-public partnerships that will keep us on a path to crystalizing one of the most ambitious offshore wind goals in the nation. NYSERDA looks forward to Sunrise Wind delivering clean power to our grid in the near term while helping our local communities realize the family-sustaining jobs, private investment, and public health benefits that offshore wind can bring to millions of New Yorkers." Sunrise Wind will now begin the next steps of finalizing agreements with New Yorks energy agency, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), on the OREC (Offshore Wind Renewable Energy Certificates) contract. The project is anticipated to be operational in 2026 and will begin the full scope of construction once it has received all federal permits, slated for this summer. The final investment decision on Sunrise Wind is expected to be made in the second quarter of 2024. With the selection of Sunrise Wind, New Yorks offshore wind story is set to enter a new chapter of large-scale job creation and economic development, and we thank Governor Hochul and her administration for their continued leadership, said David Hardy, Group EVP and CEO Americas at rsted. Were ready to build on the foundation weve laid with New Yorks first offshore wind project, South Fork Wind, while delivering significantly more jobs, local supply chain and community investments, and renewable power for New Yorkers. Were grateful for the Hochul Administrations support of the states offshore wind industry and their selection of our updated Sunrise Wind project, said Eversource Energy Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Joe Nolan. Sunrise Wind is another major step forward for our shared clean energy future and will deliver significant new investments to New York State, including the creation of hundreds of local union jobs building the projects onshore transmission system. Were excited to get shovels in the ground and begin the full scope of onshore construction. Joint venture partners rsted and Eversource submitted a new proposal for Sunrise Wind in response to New Yorks latest offshore wind solicitation, re-bidding an updated project. The Sunrise Wind design has been reviewed and accepted by all relevant state agencies, and the project has secured all major supplier and project labor agreements. Sunrise Wind has earned broad bipartisan support across New York from local elected officials and business, community, labor and environmental organizations. With this successful re-bid, rsted will acquire Eversources 50 percent ownership share in Sunrise Wind, becoming the sole owner of Sunrise Wind, subject to signing of an OREC contract with NYSERDA, finalization of acquisition agreements, receipt of the federal construction and operations plan, and relevant regulatory approvals. Eversource will remain contracted to lead the projects onshore construction. Sunrise Winds Community Investments Sunrise Wind is making significant investments in the states offshore wind workforce and supply chain, including: About rsted A global clean energy leader, rsted develops, constructs, and operates offshore and land-based wind farms, solar farms, energy storage facilities, and bioenergy plants. rsted was the first energy company in the world to have its science-based net-zero emissions target validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and is recognized as the worlds most sustainable energy developer in the Corporate Knights Global 100 index. In the United States, the company has approximately 700 employees and a portfolio of clean energy assets and partnerships that includes offshore wind energy, land-based wind energy, solar, battery storage and e-fuels. rsted is a U.S. leader in offshore wind energy with approximately 3 gigawatts in development and operates Americas first offshore wind farm, located off the coast of Block Island. rsted has a total U.S. land-based capacity of 5 gigawatts across wind, solar, storage technologies and e-fuels. To learn more about the rsted U.S. business, visit us.orsted.com or follow the company on X (@OrstedUS), Instagram, and Facebook. About Eversource Eversource (NYSE: ES), celebrated as a national leader for its corporate citizenship, is the #1 energy company in Newsweeks list of Americas Most Responsible Companies for 2024 and recognized as a Five-Year Champion, appearing in every edition of the list. Eversource transmits and delivers electricity and natural gas and supplies water to approximately 4.4 million customers in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. The #1 energy efficiency provider in the nation, Eversource harnesses the commitment of approximately 9,900 employees across three states to build a single, united company around the mission of safely delivering reliable energy and water with superior customer service. The company is empowering a clean energy future in the Northeast, with nationally recognized energy efficiency solutions and successful programs to integrate new clean energy resources like a first-in-the-nation networked geothermal pilot project, solar, offshore wind, electric vehicles and battery storage, into the electric system. For more information, please visit eversource.com, and follow us on X, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. For more information on our water services, visit aquarionwater.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240229422653/en/ Media Meaghan Wims [email protected] 401-261-1641 Source: rsted and Eversource WELLINGTON, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Miami-based Platinum Luxury Auctions has announced its tenth luxury auction offering in the village of Wellington, Florida. On March 9, the veteran luxury real estate auction house will offer a pair of 5-acre parcels in a live auction wherein the highest bidder shall prevail regardless of price. The parcels were previously listed for $4.5 million collectively, before the seller retained Platinum to exclusively manage the no-reserve auction sale. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240229008275/en/ On March 9, 2024, these two, 5-acre parcels in the world-famous equestrian village of Wellington, Florida will be sold to the highest bidder at a luxury auction without reserve. Together, the contiguous parcels create a 10.26-acre horse farm that includes a 150-ft x 250-ft arena, round pen, 18 stalls, and 8 paddocks, in addition to a residence and guesthouse. The parcels will be available separately or as one unit of sale. Platinum Luxury Auctions is exclusively managing the sale on behalf of the seller. WellingtonLuxuryAuction.com. (Photo: Platinum Luxury Auctions) Since our first Wellington sale in 2013, weve consistently delivered a global audience of buyers to the marketplace who are in search of special or unique equestrian properties and horse farms, said Trayor Lesnock, Platinums founder and president. Our March 9 offering is a working horse farm with tremendous upside potential, and its located within hacking distance to WEF grounds. A propertys proximity to the grounds of Wellingtons Winter Equestrian Festival (or WEF) is a critical component of its value, Lesnock added. The two parcels are within a 15-20-min hack a term used to describe the non-competitive riding of a horse, usually at a gentle pace of the WEF complex. The two-parcel assemblage is within the Rustic Ranches subdivision, a small development of 5-to-10-acre ranches and horse farms, along with a handful of residential estates. The community enjoys city water service while being free of the excess restrictions of a homeowners association. The parcels sit side-by-side, east-to-west. The eastern parcel measures approx. 5 acres, and hosts a range of equestrian amenities, including a 150-ft by 250-ft riding arena, 8 paddocks, 2 barns offering 18 total stalls, a round pen, storage sheds, and grooming/wash stalls. There is also a charming cottage with 2 beds and 2 baths. The western parcel is slightly larger, at 5.26 acres, and it includes a recently renovated residence. The single-story home has 3 beds, 2 baths and a 2-vehicle garage. The roof is new as of 2022, and interiors are spacious and filled with light. Each parcel also has a small pond. While Lesnock speculated that its likely buyers will want to buy both parcels together in order to have a +10-acre assemblage with additional room for development, the parcels could also be sold individually. Its common in these types of offerings that we have the bidders specify their purchase preference in advance, so that we may then tailor the auction offering to their given preference. For example, if 10 bidders register for the auction, and 8 of those bidders specify they would only like to buy the eastern parcel - instead of both parcels - the eastern parcel would be offered and sold individually. Platinums project manager for the transaction, Tawny Wolf, is available to host previews of the property by appointment, between the hours of 11am and 5pm every Friday through Tuesday until auction day. Ms. Wolf can be contacted at 800.683.3789. Additional property and auction information can also be found online at WellingtonLuxuryAuction.com. About Platinum Luxury Auctions: Platinum Luxury Auctions created the luxury auction model for multimillion-dollar real estate auctions and owns the federal trademark rights to the term luxury auction. The Miami-based auction house specializes in the non-distressed sale of multimillion-dollar properties in the U.S. and select international markets, and has offered properties in 33 states and 14 countries. Platinums team has closed more than $1.35 billion in luxury auction sales, and has consulted or advised HNW and UHNW individuals on more than $3.75 billion in luxury property assets. PlatinumLuxuryAuctions.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240229008275/en/ 800.683.3789 Source: Platinum Luxury Auctions LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Society22 PR has unveiled its inaugural survey, aiming to illuminate the factors that drive consumers towards making purchases from brands. The 2024 Consumer Buying Habits Report offers valuable insights spanning from Gen Z through to Baby Boomers, providing critical data and insights that are beneficial for businesses ranging from million-dollar enterprises to single-product startups. Key Findings from the 2024 Consumer Buying Habits Survey: Search Engines Reign Supreme : Nearly 36% of US consumers rely on search engines where they Google/used a search engine for the type of product they needed and it came up in their search results, which highlights the significant role of search engine optimization (SEO) in fostering brand awareness. : Nearly 36% of US consumers rely on search engines where they Google/used a search engine for the type of product they needed and it came up in their search results, which highlights the significant role of search engine optimization (SEO) in fostering brand awareness. Traditional Media Remains Influential : Despite the digital revolution, 7 in 10 (67%) US consumers say that if they googled a brand and positive news articles came up, they would be more likely to shop with that brand. This underscores the enduring power of traditional media in building trust and credibility. : Despite the digital revolution, 7 in 10 (67%) US consumers say that if they googled a brand and positive news articles came up, they would be more likely to shop with that brand. This underscores the enduring power of traditional media in building trust and credibility. Social Media Hype Impacts Younger Consumers : 69% of Gen Z/iGen US consumers say they have bought a product that had social media hype, making TikTok the most influential platform and biggest contributor to social media hype for almost two-thirds of US consumers. This calls for brands to strike a balance between trendy and trustworthy marketing strategies when engaging younger audiences. : 69% of Gen Z/iGen US consumers say they have bought a product that had social media hype, making TikTok the most influential platform and biggest contributor to social media hype for almost two-thirds of US consumers. This calls for brands to strike a balance between trendy and trustworthy marketing strategies when engaging younger audiences. Deinfluencing Impacts Buying Decisions : Over one-third of consumers (36%) have opted out of purchases due to negative online reviews or influencer criticism (deinfluencing). This trend, particularly impactful among Gen Z and Millennials (56% and 42% respectively), stresses the growing power of consumer voices and the importance of brand authenticity. : Over one-third of consumers (36%) have opted out of purchases due to negative online reviews or influencer criticism (deinfluencing). This trend, particularly impactful among Gen Z and Millennials (56% and 42% respectively), stresses the growing power of consumer voices and the importance of brand authenticity. Generations Seek Inspiration Differently: Younger generations primarily find purchase inspiration on social media platforms like YouTube (37%) and TikTok (26%), while older demographics turn to traditional avenues like TV advertising (36%) and offline sources (35%) like friends and family. This hints the need for brands to tailor their marketing strategies to resonate with the specific media consumption preferences of their target audience. How to reach your target Audience: Society22s report offers actionable recommendations for businesses to effectively reach their target audience: Speak their language : Engage younger demographics through trendy content on relevant social media platforms. : Engage younger demographics through trendy content on relevant social media platforms. Tap into tradition : Utilize trusted channels like TV, radio, and print to connect with older consumers. : Utilize trusted channels like TV, radio, and print to connect with older consumers. Build trust, not hype: Embrace transparency and ethical marketing practices to mitigate the impact of deinfluencing and foster lasting connections with consumers. "Society22 PR's 2024 Consumer Buying Habits Report is a powerful tool for brands seeking to understand the ever-evolving consumer mindset," said Danielle Sabrina, Founder of Society22 PR. "Understanding these key trends and behaviors is essential for any business looking to connect with their audience effectively and drive meaningful engagement." Download a copy of the report here. About Society22 PR: Society22 PR is a results-driven public relations and creative agency based in Los Angeles, New York, New Hampshire, and Worldwide. It is for future-forward, innovative companies looking to be the #1 authority in their industry. Its team consists of independent thinkers and intuitive creatives driven by purpose, results, and a commitment to greatness, dedicated to future-forward integrity-based brands whose leadership demonstrates empathy, courage, and a desire to evolve constantly. Society22s success metrics go beyond pitching stories and counting impressions from a press releaseit digs deep into the thought leadership that has brought companies to where they are today. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240229184726/en/ Society22 PR Morgan Sabrina 929-367-8993 [email protected] Source: Society22 PR Tom Holland, the great chronicler of the history of Antiquity and especially of the ancient Romans, has returned. After a period of illness, he crossed a personal Rubicon with Pax (published July 2023), an exciting fresco about the era of splendor of Imperial Rome that lasted from Nero to Hadrian. And despite the books title, the period also included great military emperors such as Vespasian and Trajan. In an interview in Barcelona in which he addresses topics as diverse as his passion for Herodotus (whose History he translated and for which he received critical acclaim) and his defense of hedgehogs, we talk about the Pax Romana, imposed by the legions with the sharp end of a gladius. All in all, this monumental story takes us from the glittering marbles of the eternal city to the bloody barbarian forests of Germania and the violent sands of the Parthian Empire. It covers such sensational events as the Dacian Wars, the devastating eruption of Mount Vesuvius that buried Pompeii, the Batavian Revolt, Titus destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem, and the construction of the Colosseum. But nothing is as moving as the intimate stories of two young men who joined their destiny to the Caesars and died because of it. One story, towards the end of the book, is about Antinous, the 12-year-old Greek boy from Bithynia with whom Hadrian fell in love and who later drowned under strange circumstances. During a cruise the emperor made along the Nile in 130 AD in which Antinous traveled as an official lover, the young man died either murdered or sacrificed. The other is a creepy and very sad case that Holland explains in the first chapter of his book. It concerns the young slave whom Nero castrated, dressed as a woman, and forcibly married because he reminded him of his dead wife (whom the emperor had kicked to death while she was possibly pregnant), the beautiful and promiscuous Empress Poppaea Sabina. Tom Holland, author of 'Pax.' The sources (Suetonius, Tacitus, and Dio Cassius) have not recorded the true name of the unfortunate boy, who was tied to a table and had penis and testicles amputed by a surgeon (of the time). The name we have today is the nickname Sporus (seed or semen) given to the poor slave by the emperor. But Nero, immersed in the Frankensteinian fantasy that he was bringing his wife back to life (whom according to some he had kicked to death himself in a fit of fury), forced everyone to call the boy Poppaea and treat him as if he were the true empress. Thus, a new Poppaea, with the same soft skin and reddish-brown hair, combed and dressed like the late empress, occupied the emperors bed and was carried in a litter and honored as her. With Pax, Tom Holland offers the third part of a Roman tour that began with Rubicon (about Julius Caesar), and Dynasty (about Augustus and the Claudian dynasty), and tells the fascinating story of Sporus-Poppaea, recalling his less well-known and no less tragic life after Neros suicide. He was passed from hand to hand, as a trophy and a valuable imperial attribute. After Neros death, the prefect of the Praetorians Nymphidius Sabinus treated the young man as a wife in order to shore up his position. To sleep with Sporus, the wretched boy transformed into the image of the most beautiful empress in Rome, was to sleep with [the Empress] Poppaea Sabina, explains Holland. The forcibly castrated young man, a living doll, symbolized imperial power and provided legitimacy to he who possessed him. A scene from the television series 'Spartacus.' The problem with writing narrative history is that the sources often focus only on the great figures, reflects Holland. Its okay, because they are very interesting, but people like that young gelding who we would like to know more about are usually left out. They are fascinating stories that bring us closer to Roman society in a different way. It is a society that we cannot understand only through those who held power. We must hear about people from all walks of life: merchants, bureaucrats, slaves, and children. Roman Auxiliaries present the decapitated heads of barbarians to the emperor. Holland reflects that although the whole story seems aberrant to us, we should not see the past, and look at Roman sexuality, with our modern eyes. It would be just as absurd (because it is anachronistic) to compare the experience of Sporus with present-day stories of transsexuality. For Sporus being turned into a woman was a humiliation. The Romans fantasized about it a lot, but it was never seen as something positive. The Canopus pond, at the Villa Adriana near Rome. RENE MATTES, AGE Holland closes his Pax (in which a thank-you goes to his oncological surgeon) with Antinous. Is that symmetry deliberate? Yes, he admits. There are similarities between Nero and Hadrian, such as their love for Greece and architecture. And there are those two relationships with boys, although they are very different. Hadrian seems to have been truly in love with Antinous. But he also does something as surprising for the time like Nero had when he transformed Sporus into a woman. He turns his dead lover, who is neither a citizen nor a Roman, into a god and establishes a cult for him. Both Nero and Hadrian showed excessive emotions in their grief for Poppaea Sabina and Antinous, which to the average Roman seemed unmanly and was truly shocking. They are both transgressors. However, Hadrian looks to the future: a future in which the borders between the inhabitants of the empire disappear. It could be said that Nero also had a vision (in his case materialized in a terrible, cruel, and monstrous way) of a world in which gender boundaries could be crossed. It is not surprising that Holland, who began as a horror writer before launching into classical history and giving us books like Persian Fire, Rubicon, and Dynasty, was interested the history of Sporus. How do you go from writing about vampires to writing about Antiquity and Caesars? My original background is more literature than history, I started doing my PhD at Oxford on Lord Byron and, of course, he was Polidoris model for his aristocratic vampire, so I started writing gothic vampire novels with that knowledge of Byron and they worked very well. But then I found the reality of the past much more interesting than fiction and anything I could invent. A woman takes a selfie in the Villa of the Mysteries in Pompeii. Alessio Paduano/corbis As we have said, there is a lot of war in Pax. Indeed, but they, the Romans, saw no paradox in enforcing peace through wielding the sword. There could be no peace without war and without military supremacy (theirs, of course). Peace is imposed through violence. In fact, the word emperor literally means victorious general. And Vespasian or Trajan are examples of that military, martial concept, of the imperial purple and of the empire. Roman soldiers in Germania in a historical reenactment. A surprising element in Pax is that Holland shows sympathy for Domitian, the last of the Flavians. The late first-century emperor is considered one of the cruelest and his persecution of Christians is believed to be the worst. The truth is that he stabilized the empires finances and prepared Trajans conquests by increasing size of the army. He was frowned upon because he offended the senatorial elites. But only an autocrat could prevail. It should not be forgotten that he came to power amid a series of disasters that seemed to suggest that the gods were dissatisfied, and he wanted to appease them by returning Rome to its original values. He was very devout and believed in the mission of regenerating the empire. In essence, Domitian, more a censor than a tyrant, is close to some great 4th and 5th-century Christian emperors such as Justinian. But that did not prevent him from liking to personally shave his concubines, frolicking in the pool with street whores, and getting his niece pregnant. The historian, who is the younger brother of World War II specialist James Holland and is also responsible for writing documentaries, radio programs, and the successful podcast The Rest is History, is in favor of traveling to the scenes on which he works. And he remembers the impact he had on visiting the ruins of Sarmizegetusa Regia, the capital of the Dacians. I took advantage of being invited to give a talk in Cluj and went there. Well, thats in Transylvania, vampire territory. Yes, laughs Holland, Sarmizegetusa is a very sinister place and you can almost sense that the forests are full of strange creatures. In any case, there is no question of returning to the horror genre. I will continue writing about the history of Rome. I have four more books in my head. As I said, the story is more amazing and interesting [than fiction]. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Demonstrating Commitment to Community with Replenishing Hydration During Warmer than Average Spring and Summer Months RICHARDSON, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- AdvoCare International, LLC a health and wellness e-commerce company, demonstrated its commitment to supporting first responders by donating over 7,000 Rehydrate products to the Richardson Police Department and the Richardson Fire Department Training Facility. This gift coincides with the company's 31st Anniversary and underscores AdvoCare's dedication to enhancing the health and well-being of both communities and first responders. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240229069463/en/ AdvoCare Rehydrate Donation Supports Hydration for City of Richardson First Responders (Photo: Business Wire) "The Richardson Police Department is proud of the positive relationships we build and maintain in our community, said Coby Pewitt, an Assistant Chief for the Richardson Police Department. Today was an example of that very generous support from a local Richardson company, and I know all our employees are thankful for AdvoCares recognition of our 24/7 service." AdvoCare Rehydrate, one of AdvoCares most popular products, provides essential hydration and electrolyte replenishment. By donating these products to the Richardson Fire and Police Departments, AdvoCare aims to support the physical well-being of first responders who serve and protect the community, keeping them hydrated while in training and in the field. "Supporting our hometown first responders with AdvoCares Rehydrate by donating to the Richardson Fire and Police Department felt like the perfect way to give back and to recognize our milestone 31st anniversary," said Patrick Wright, AdvoCare CEO. "These brave individuals work tirelessly to keep our community safe, and we are privileged to support their health and hydration needs with several types of our Rehydrate products." AdvoCare provided the Richardson Police Department with 3100 stick packs of Melon Rehydrate, and the Richardson Fire Department Training Facility welcomed 4000 packets of Rehydrate Gel. This product donation will benefit the hardworking first responders who put their lives on the line every day to ensure the safety and security of the Richardson community. About AdvoCare International, LLC AdvoCare International, LLC is a health and wellness e-commerce company committed to helping our customers feel better and perform better. Backed by the most credible scientific research and internationally recognized Scientific and Medical Advisory Board, AdvoCare offers premium nutritional, weight-management, and sports-performance products. AdvoCare is a family-owned company founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Richardson, Texas. For more information about AdvoCare visit advocare.com. Connect with AdvoCare on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for latest news and product updates. Visit the Connect AdvoCare blog for inspirational content featuring fitness and wellness tips, motivation, testimonials, recipes and more. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240229069463/en/ Media Contact: Ginger Greenberg [email protected] Source: AdvoCare International, LLC SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Arlo Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: ARLO), a leading smart home security brand, today announced that Arlo management will present at the Raymond James Institutional Investors Conference in Orlando. Event: Raymond James 45th Annual Institutional Investors Conference Speakers: Matthew McRae, CEO, and Kurt Binder, CFO Date: Tuesday, March 5, 2024 Time: 1:40 p.m. ET Place: Orlando, FL The presentation will also be webcast on Arlos IR website at http://investor.arlo.com. Interested parties should access the webcast approximately 10 minutes before the scheduled start time. The webcast replay will be available as soon as possible following the event on Arlos IR website. About Arlo Technologies, Inc. Arlo is an award-winning, industry leader that is transforming the ways in which people can protect everything that matters to them with advanced home, business, and personal security solutions. Arlos deep expertise in AI- and CV-powered analytics, cloud services, user experience and product design, and innovative wireless and RF connectivity enables the delivery of a seamless, smart security experience for Arlo users that is easy to set up and interact with every day. Arlos cloud-based platform provides users with visibility, insight, and a powerful means to help protect and connect in real-time with the people and things that matter most, from any location with a Wi-Fi or a cellular connection. To date, Arlo has launched several categories of award-winning connected devices, software, and services. These include wire-free, smart Wi-Fi and LTE-enabled security cameras, video doorbells, floodlights, security system, and Arlos subscription services: Arlo Secure and Arlo Safe. With a mission to bring users peace of mind, Arlo is as passionate about protecting user privacy as it is about safeguarding homes and families. Arlo is committed to implementing industry standards for data protection designed to keep users' personal information private and in their control. Arlo does not monetize personal data, provides enhanced controls for user data, supports privacy legislation, keeps user data safely secure, and puts security at the forefront of company culture. 2024 Arlo Technologies, Inc., Arlo and the Arlo logo are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Arlo Technologies, Inc. and/or certain of its affiliates in the United States and/or other countries. Other brand and product names are for identification purposes only and may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holder(s). The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. Arlo shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein. All rights reserved. Source: Arlo-F View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240228777426/en/ Media Relations: [email protected] 951-296-7515 Investors: Arlo Investor Relations Tahmin Clarke [email protected] Source: Arlo Technologies, Inc. PEMBROKE, Bermuda--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- AXIS Capital Holdings Limited ("AXIS Capital") (NYSE: AXS) today announced that W. Marston (Marty) Becker will succeed Henry B. Smith as non-executive Chair of its Board of Directors. Mr. Smith, who has served as Chair since May of 2020, has decided to transition from the Chair role and will continue to maintain a seat on the Board. The transition will take place in May of 2024, timed to the Companys Annual General Meeting. There is no better individual to succeed me as Chair of the AXIS Board of Directors than Marty Becker. Over the past four years, the Company has benefitted enormously from Martys wisdom, and deep understanding of the specialty property and casualty space, said Mr. Smith. Marty brings first-hand experience leading carriers to transform their businesses while driving shareholder value creation. His guidance as Chair will be integral as AXIS takes further steps forward in realizing its ambition to achieve specialty leadership. Mr. Becker, who joined the AXIS Board of Directors in June of 2020, has led a distinguished career in the (re)insurance industry spanning four decades. He has held numerous Chair and CEO roles for publicly traded and private insurance, reinsurance, and insurance brokerage organizations in Bermuda, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia (see bio below). On behalf of the entire Board, thank you to Henry Smith for his tremendous leadership these past four years as our Chair, which marked a period of significant positive transformation for AXIS, said Mr. Becker. It is a privilege to succeed Henry as Chair, and to continue to serve with him, as we further support the significant progress that AXIS has made in elevating all aspects of its business. Under CEO Vince Tizzio, the Company is headed on a strong path and I look forward to working closely with Vince and my fellow Directors, as well as the AXIS team to continue to build on the exciting momentum that has been achieved. Our team at AXIS is deeply appreciative of Henry for his leadership as Chair and continued service on our Board. Moreover, I have tremendous gratitude for Henrys support and counsel as I transitioned into the CEO role, said Mr. Tizzio. I look forward to working closely with Marty in his new capacity, and our leadership team will profit significantly from his counsel and expansive knowledge of our industry. About W. Marston Becker Mr. Beckers leadership experience spans insurance, reinsurance, and insurance brokerage organizations in the United States and internationally, as well as insurance-related private equity, advisory, and investment banking roles. He is the immediate past Chairman of the Board of QBE Insurance Group, a top 15 global property and casualty insurer. He was appointed to the QBE Board in 2013, became Chair in 2014, and served until March of 2020. Prior to this, he served as Chairman and CEO at Alterra Capital Limited and its predecessors from 2006 to 2013. Since 2022, Mr. Becker has served as Chairman of both MVB Financial Corporation and its subsidiary, MVB Bank, a multi-state community bank with a national presence in fintech banking, and a forward-thinking model that goes beyond traditional banking. In addition, he serves on several boards in the financial services, manufacturing, and non-profit sectors: Director of Encova Mutual Insurance; Director of Amynta Group; Advisory Board member of private equity funds American Securities, Cohesive Capital, and Madison Dearborn Partners; Director of The Mountain Companies; Director of the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce; and Board Member of the Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences. About AXIS Capital AXIS Capital, through its operating subsidiaries, is a global specialty underwriter and provider of insurance and reinsurance solutions. The Company has shareholders equity of $5.3 billion at December 31, 2023, and locations in Bermuda, the United States, Europe, Singapore and Canada. Its operating subsidiaries have been assigned a financial strength rating of "A+" ("Strong") by Standard & Poors and "A" ("Excellent") by A.M. Best. For more information about AXIS Capital, visit our website at www.axiscapital.com. Follow AXIS Capital on LinkedIn and X Corp. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240229973607/en/ Investor Contact Cliff Gallant +1 (415) 262-6843 [email protected] Media Contact Nichola Liboro +1 (212) 940 3394 [email protected] Source: AXIS Capital Holdings Limited Kelly Roma Joins Company to Expand Retail Influencer and Z Suite Networks as Demand for High-Impact Industry Events Grows NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Berns Communications Group (BCG) today announced it has appointed Hearst and Conde Nast veteran Kelly Roma as its new Senior Director of Events and Partnerships. Roma will expand BCGs three business influencer networksthe Retail Influencer Network, The DealmakeHers and The Z Suiteas demand for high-impact industry events and expert insights from these communities continues to grow. A highly experienced marketing and events leader, Roma joins BCG from Hearst Magazines, where she created and executed events and marketing activations for Cosmopolitan, Womens Health, Mens Health, Town & Country and Seventeen. Weve seen increasing demand for intimate, bespoke events hosted by members of our business influencer networks and for partnerships and research studies that tap their expertise and unique insights, said Stacy Berns, President of BCG. To meet that demand, were expanding our capabilities, and Kelly is the ideal person to help us build out our networks and their respective partnerships and programs. She brings extensive experience, creativity and leadership skills that will elevate our events and foster strong partnerships that benefit our clients and the industry overall. Im thrilled to join Berns Communications Group, especially at a time when retail industry leaders are looking for opportunities to connect meaningfully with clients, potential partners and industry change-makers, said Kelly Roma, Senior Director of Events and Partnerships at BCG. Ive known Stacy Berns personally for a number of years and have worked on events shes attended and partnerships shes initiated. Ive always admired the deep network of media and industry relationships shes built and am excited to develop memorable events that bring influential leaders together to help them move their businesses and the industry forward. Roma is a highly experienced marketing and events leader who most recently served as Director of Marketing and Special Projects at Hearst Magazines, where she created and oversaw events and partnerships across a range of titles. Earlier in her career, she was Integrated Marketing Manager for Departures magazine at Time Inc., where she specialized in 360-degree campaigns targeting luxury consumers. Prior to that, Roma spent four years managing special events and promotions at Conde Nasts Teen Vogue. She holds a BS in Fashion Industry Management from Philadelphia University. About Berns Communications Group Berns Communications Group is a women-led firm that builds brand and executive leadership profiles through strategic communications and our network of retail advisory platforms. We are widely known for driving awareness for both category creators and well-established businesses, fostering strategic partnerships, elevating women-led initiatives and developing bespoke events that build credibility for our clients and raise their global profiles. For more information, please visit BernsCommunications.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240229811556/en/ Media Contact: Danielle Poggi Berns Communications Group [email protected] Source: Berns Communications Group Business Wire and The Associated Press join forces to offer Business Wire clients custom photo and video creation, native advertising from AP Content Services SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Business Wire, the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure, is thrilled to announce the expansion of its relationship with The Associated Press (AP). This collaboration provides Business Wire clients with exclusive access to AP Content Services, offering an avenue for custom multimedia production, plus digital advertising opportunities. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240229647850/en/ AP Content Services produces high-quality visual content for Business Wire clients. (Photo: Business Wire) We are excited to unite APs multimedia prowess with the distinguished clients that Business Wire serves, said Drew Stoneman, VP, Consumer Revenue, AP. The fusion of our multimedia capabilities and advertising expertise with Business Wires news distribution services underscores our commitment to delivering impactful solutions for our customers. The significance of multimedia in press releases and its direct impact on ROI is increasingly evident. According to Business Wires 2023 Journalist Feedback Survey, multimedia assets were identified as the most valuable feature of a newswire service for journalists. This is reinforced by findings from Muck Racks State of Journalism report, revealing that 63% of surveyed journalists emphasized the increased shareability of stories containing images or infographics, and 24% expressed a preference for stories featuring videos. HubSpots Global Social Media Trends Report highlighted the growing impact of short-form video to not only drive business results but also as an avenue to connect with Gen Z and Millennial audiences. When it comes to press releases, Business Wire clients who have issued Interactive Media releases saw a 28% increase in release views, 48% more inbound traffic, and consistent outperformance compared to text-only releases. Its proven that including multimedia in press releases increases engagement. By working with AP Content Services, we ensure our clients gain a distinct advantage by accessing their worldwide network of trusted photographers, film crews, and writers to elevate their stories, said Natascha Helbig-Carmeci, Senior Content and Relationship Strategist for Business Wire. AP Content Services will help Business Wire clients create professional multiformat content and execute native advertising campaigns. 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BW-C View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240229647850/en/ Business Wire Natascha Helbig-Carmeci Senior Content and Relationship Strategist [email protected] Source: Business Wire California Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis and LA City Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky joined FLUX, Unique Womans Coalition, and Human Rights Campaign at Connie Norman Transgender Empowerment Center today as it prepares to open Saturday for Los Angeles County primary voting LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- California Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis and LA City Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky visited the Connie Norman Transgender Empowerment Center (CONOTEC) Thursday morning to join FLUX, the Unique Womens Coalition (UWC), and the Human Rights Campaign in celebrating the center making U.S. history by becoming the nations first Vote Center located in a Transgender establishment. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240229144380/en/ Los Angeles City Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky (at podium) speaks at a press conference at the Connie Norman Transgender Empowerment Center (CONOTEC) Thursday morning, February 29th joining FLUX, the Unique Womens Coalition (UWC), and the Human Rights Campaign in celebrating the center making U.S. history by becoming the nations first Vote Center located in a Transgender establishment. Flanking her (L to R) are Queen Victoria Ortega of FLUX, California Lt. Governor Eleni Kounalakis and Queen Chela Demuir of UWC. (Photo: Business Wire) Queen Victoria Ortega of FLUX, Queen Chela Demuir of UWC, Los Angeles City Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky, and the Lt. Governor marked this milestone by announcing that CONOTEC would be open to all Los Angeles County voters starting Saturday, March 2 through primary election day on Tuesday, March 5, 2024. The opening of the nation's first transgender voting center today in Los Angeles marks a significant milestone in our efforts to champion equity, inclusivity, and LGBTQA+ rights in California, said Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis. By providing a safe and affirming space for the transgender community to exercise their fundamental right to vote, we are breaking down barriers and ensuring every Californian has equal access to the ballot box. I couldnt be prouder that L.A.s Fifth Council District is now home to the first voting center in the Nation located in a transgender facility, said LA City Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky. As extremists across the country continue their endless attacks on both the LGBT Community and our democracy, Los Angeles must stand as a beacon of hope. I want to thank CONOTEC for opening this voting center and for the critical work they do every day to support the needs of the Los Angeles transgender and nonbinary community. Fighting to provide a safe and welcoming place for our transgender and non-binary siblings is exactly why the Connie Norman Transgender Empowerment Center exists. We will continue to work towards equality for all, said Queen Victoria Ortega, international president of FLUX. Queen Chela Demuir of UWC added, We have reached out to our transgender community across Los Angeles County, encouraging them to join us to vote here at the Connie Norman Transgender Empowerment Center. This is our home. This is their home. Everyone is welcome here. Come and cast your ballot and do your civic duty to make your voice heard. LA County allows voters to cast their ballot at any Vote Center in the county, regardless of where they live. "Our vote center model gives us the flexibility to locate vote centers in facilities and communities that give voters options that convey the significance of being heard through the act of voting," said Dean Logan, Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk. Voter registration services are available at all vote centers, and voters who wish to drop off their voted mail ballot may do that at any vote center as well. The Human Rights Campaign is proud to stand with and assist Queens Victoria and Chela as they do critical work of fighting for Equality for all - without exception, said 911 Lone Star actor and Human Rights Campaign Board Member Brian Michael Smith. Part of that equality includes having a safe space for voting in your community. The Connie Norman Trans Empowerment Center is named in honor of Connie Norman, known as the AIDS Diva, a fearless Transgender and AIDS activist who died of the disease in 1996. It opened on September 10, 2021. FLUX is a national division of AIDS Healthcare Foundation dedicated to creating safe spaces for trans and gender non-conforming individuals. See https://www.transidentity.org/. Keep up to date on FLUX: Facebook: FLUXAHF - Instagram: @FLUX_AHF - Twitter: @flux_ahf View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240229144380/en/ Scottie Jeanette Madden, FLUX International Director of Advocacy (818) 489-4341 [email protected] Source: FLUX The leading network of 36 veterinary-owned practices secures the No. 123 position on the Inc. 5000 Regionals: Southwest list DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- On Tuesday, February 27, 2024, Inc. magazine revealed that CityVet is No. 123 on its fourth annual Inc. 5000 Regionals: Southwest list, the most prestigious ranking of the fastest-growing Southwest private companies, based in Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. Born of the annual Inc. 5000 franchise, this regional list represents a unique look at the most successful companies within the Southwest economys most dynamic segmentits independent small businesses. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240229015788/en/ The CityVet team at their headquarters in Dallas, TX. (Photo: Business Wire) On receiving the recognition, CityVet CEO David Boguslawski says, We are honored to be recognized by Inc. as one of the fastest-growing private companies in the Southwest. 2023 was an exciting year with expansion into two new markets (Houston and Austin) and continued growth within our existing communities. This year we are thrilled for even more growth as we bring CityVet to at least four new states in 2024. Boguslawski continues, This achievement is a testament to the hard work and commitment of our team members, who strive every day to provide best-in-class care to our clients and their beloved pets. Kindness is the cornerstone for everything we do at CityVet and we look forward to continuing to add like-minded veterinarians and individuals to our team as we grow." The companies on this list show a remarkable rate of growth across all industries in the Southwest region. Between 2020 and 2022, these 162 private companies had an average growth rate of 135.43 percent; by 2023, theyd also added 17,606 jobs and $14.5 billion to the regions economy. Complete results of the Inc. 5000 Regionals: Southwest, including company profiles, can be found at inc.com/Southwest starting February 27, 2024. Youll also find an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, metro area, and other criteria. The honorees in our Inc. 5000 network are the Whos Who of private companies. Theyre energizing regional economies as they engineer the future of their industries. Learn who they are and what they do theyll be impacting things for a while, said Eric Hagerman, Special Projects Editor at Inc. Media. About CityVet CityVet is a leading network of 36 veterinary-owned practices with headquarters in Dallas, TX. Founded in 1999 by Dr. Chip Cannon with the mission to create client-centered, quality pet care. CityVet is rapidly growing with clinics in Dallas, San Antonio, Austin, Houston, and Denver, CO, that provide vet care, boarding, grooming, and healthy pet foods. For more information, please visit www.cityvet.com. More about Inc. and the Inc. 5000 Regionals Methodology The 2024 Inc. 5000 Regionals are ranked according to percentage revenue growth when comparing 2020 and 2022. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2020. They had to be U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independentnot subsidiaries or divisions of other companiesas of December 31, 2022. (Since then, a number of companies on the list have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2020 is $100,000; the minimum for 2022 is $1 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. About Inc. Media The worlds most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit www.inc.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240229015788/en/ For media inquiries please contact an MPRC team member: Allie Lesiuk - [email protected] Lindsey Miller - [email protected] Kristin Garcia - [email protected] Source: CityVet Clarins Group will deploy Dassault Systemes solutions to digitally transform the manufacturing processes of its cosmetic products sold in 150 countries With the Perfect Production industry solution experience, Clarins can optimize production and harmonize processes at its new manufacturing facility in Troyes, France and its existing site near Paris Improved capacity, quality and traceability will support the companys strategic push for operational performance and competitive growth VELIZY-VILLACOUBLAY, France--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Dassault Systemes (Euronext Paris: FR0014003TT8, DSY.PA) today announced that Clarins Group, the family-owned global cosmetics group, has selected Dassault Systemes solutions to transform its manufacturing operations as it prepares to increase significantly its production capacity for its portfolio of skincare, make-up, spa and wellness products. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240228465297/en/ Image courtesy of Clarins Group Clarins will deploy Dassault Systemes Perfect Production industry solution experience based on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. The solution enables Clarins to leverage DELMIA Apriso applications to streamline and improve the efficiency of manufacturing processes at its existing production site near Paris, and at a state-of-the art, new high environmental quality (HQE) site in Troyes, France that is scheduled to be operational in late 2024. Dassault Systemes provides Clarins with a unified, flexible and powerful manufacturing operations management solution to optimize resources, implement best practices and harmonize processes from planning to execution, while taking into account the specific capabilities of each site. As part of its global development strategy, the Clarins Group is building a second factory in France: a state-of-the-art plant on two aspects, sustainable development and operational excellence. This project follows an ambitious and comprehensive Industry 4.0 road map. To support us, we looked for a global manufacturing solution to streamline and manage production, logistics and maintenance, as well as synchronize warehouse materials. The Dassault Systemes solutions, with its extensive knowledge of our sector, provide us with the capabilities to succeed in our strategy, said Denis Martin, Business Support Transformation Officer, Clarins. Clarins will leverage Perfect Production to ensure a profitable growth of its operations while guaranteeing the quality of its product. Nearly 400 users will rely on the solution to boost capacity, quality and traceability by transitioning to a paperless work environment and by gaining real-time visibility of operations for performance monitoring and continuous improvement. Clarins choice to deploy Dassault Systemes solutions to digitally transform its manufacturing enables it to combine its 70 years of expertise in premium skincare and cosmetics with our proven solutions that incorporate best practices from the industry, said Benoit Dauchin, Vice President, Consumer Packaged Goods & Retail Industry, Dassault Systemes. Clarins can increase productivity and scale its operations profitably without compromising on the quality of the products that have made it a globally recognized and respected innovative and responsible brand. ### FOR MORE INFORMATION Dassault Systemes industry solution experiences for consumer packaged goods and retail: https://www.3ds.com/industries/consumer-packaged-goods-retail Dassault Systemes DELMIA Apriso applications: https://www.3ds.com/products/delmia/apriso Dassault Systemes 3DEXPERIENCE platform, 3D design software, 3D Digital Mock Up and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions: http://www.3ds.com SHARE THIS ON X, FORMERLY KNOWN AS TWITTER Clarins teams up with @Dassault3DS to achieve new levels of efficiency at its two French production sites #3DEXPERIENCE Connect with Dassault Systemes on https://twitter.com/Dassault3DS https://www.facebook.com/DassaultSystemes https://www.linkedin.com/company/dassaultsystemes https://www.youtube.com/DassaultSystemes ABOUT DASSAULT SYSTEMES Dassault Systemes, the 3DEXPERIENCE Company, is a catalyst for human progress. We provide business and people with collaborative virtual environments to imagine sustainable innovations. By creating virtual twin experiences of the real world with our 3DEXPERIENCE platform and applications, our customers can redefine the creation, production and life-cycle-management processes of their offer and thus have a meaningful impact to make the world more sustainable. The beauty of the Experience Economy is that it is a human-centered economy for the benefit of all consumers, patients and citizens. Dassault Systemes brings value to more than 300,000 customers of all sizes, in all industries, in more than 150 countries. For more information, visit www.3ds.com Dassault Systemes. All rights reserved. 3DEXPERIENCE, the 3DS logo, the Compass icon, IFWE, 3DEXCITE, 3DVIA, BIOVIA, CATIA, CENTRIC PLM, DELMIA, ENOVIA, GEOVIA, MEDIDATA, NETVIBES, OUTSCALE, SIMULIA and SOLIDWORKS are commercial trademarks or registered trademarks of Dassault Systemes, a European company (Societas Europaea) incorporated under French law, and registered with the Versailles trade and companies registry under number 322 306 440, or its subsidiaries in the United States and/or other countries. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240228465297/en/ Dassault Systemes Press Contacts Corporate / France, Arnaud MALHERBE, [email protected], +33 (0)1 61 62 87 73 North America, Natasha LEVANTI, [email protected], +1 (508) 449 8097 EMEA, Virginie BLINDENBERG, [email protected], +33 (0) 1 61 62 84 21 China, Grace MU, [email protected], +86 10 6536 2288 India, Kriti ASHOK, [email protected], +91 9741310607 Japan, Wen YANG, [email protected], +81 3 4321 6549 Korea, Jeemin JEONG, [email protected], +82 2 3271 6653 Source: Dassault Systemes Law Offices of Laird & McCloskey secures record medical negligence verdict FORT WORTH, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Law Offices of Laird & McCloskey has secured a $6.2 million jury verdict in Collin County on behalf of a Texas man who was left a paraplegic following a botched spinal surgery. Jurors in the 380th District Court ruled in favor of Lamar County resident Bill Proctor, who suffered permanent neurological damage at the age of 57 as a result of elective lumbar spinal surgery in 2018. The verdict is believed to be the largest medical negligence award in Collin County history. On the advice of a neurosurgeon, Mr. Proctor underwent surgery to alleviate chronic lower back pain. The lawsuit details evidence that during the surgery, Dr. Mark Viktor Silver overly stretched or compressed the nerves affecting mobility, permanently impairing the functions of Mr. Proctors bowels and bladder. Additionally, according to the lawsuit, the surgical team with Advanced Intra-Operative Monitoring Specialists failed to properly perform neuromonitoring procedures to detect and communicate changes in nerve conduction in real time so the surgeon could take corrective action and avoid permanent injury to the patient. Mr. Proctor was represented by managing partners Seth McCloskey and Steven C. Laird in the lawsuit. This was a clear case of medical negligence, and we are pleased that the jury agreed, said Mr. McCloskey. These were life-altering mistakes made by medical professionals entrusted with Bills health and well-being. Although nothing can change what happened, our hope is that this result brings him and his family peace. After a week-long trial, jurors found Dr. Silver 60% responsible for Mr. Proctors injuries, which under Texas law resulted in him being held accountable for all damages. The case is Bill E. Proctor v. Mark Viktor Silver et al., Cause No. 380-02756-2020. In 2022, the award-winning trial lawyers of Laird & McCloskey secured a unanimous $9.2 million verdict in a similar case in Tarrant County. About The Law Offices of Laird & McCloskey The Law Offices of Laird & McCloskey is a firm of experienced Fort Worth truck accident lawyers with more than 50 years of combined experience helping victims and their families. The firm is located at 1119 Pennsylvania Ave., Fort Worth, Texas. To learn more about the firms representative matters or to schedule a meeting with one of its attorneys, call (817) 531-3000 or visit https://www.texlawyers.com/. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240229875099/en/ Alyssa Woulfe 800-559-4534 [email protected] Source: The Law Offices of Laird & McCloskey TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The Ontario Conservative governments post-secondary funding announcement is political theatre and nothing more, say representatives of CUPE Ontario university workers. The announced funding is less than what the Conservatives have already cut from university budgets, and will not change Ontarios last place in per-student funding compared to every other province in Canada, said David Simao, chair of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) university workers committee. On Monday, the Ford Conservatives announced that it was making $1.3 billion over three years available to universities and colleges in the province. By contrast, raising per student funding to the Canadian average just in universities, not the whole postsecondary education sector, would take $2.53 billion in the first year alone. After deepening the funding crisis in post secondary institutions with the cuts the Conservatives have made, they are now trying to look like they are doing something to help. But this is clearly political theatre. Not only does this announcement not increase per-student funding, its a temporary fund being allocated based on institutions jumping a bunch of hurdles including demonstrating 'efficiency' and, not based on any equal or permanent increase to base funding, said CUPE Ontario President Fred Hahn. It wont anything to address the real problem. In the spending announced, only $903 million over three years is dedicated to financial sustainability, which amounts to an average of $301 million. For context, $300 million is what the Ford government is estimated to be spending to build a single parking garage for the new spa project at Ontario Place. Spread across 48 public universities and colleges (and the province is not excluding for-profit schools as well), its a small sum. The province also says it will dedicate $167.4 million over three years to capital repairs and equipment. The governments own panel pegged the sectors deferred maintenance costs at $6.4 billion. On top of that, the government is placing restrictions on the funding, so only schools that follow an undisclosed demand for efficiencies will receive funding. University workers are already stretched to the limit. Even the governments hand-picked panel reported that wage restraint has been more severe in post-secondary education than in other sectors, said Simao. Workers have to eat. We have to house our families. We need solutions, not political games. CUPE represents more than 30,000 workers at 17 universities across Ontario, including instructional and research workers, tradespeople, custodians, groundskeepers, foodservice workers and many others. :pc/cope491 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240229009182/en/ Craig Saunders, CUPE Communications, 416-576-7316, [email protected] Source: CUPE Ontario The candidates who will contest the 2024 Mexican presidential elections began their campaigns in safe territory that is, where they have the most support. Claudia Sheinbaum the standard-bearer for the ruling MORENA party will present her governing program in the Zocalo, the main plaza in Mexico City, where a huge crowd is expected on March 1. The capital is, without a doubt, her political fiefdom: she was previously the head of the government of Mexico City, where she still has a 68% approval rating, according to the latest Enkoll survey commissioned by EL PAIS. It wont be difficult for her to fill the enormous plaza, where political candidates usually compete to have the biggest crowd. Meanwhile, Xochitl Galvez the presidential candidate for the opposition coalition, made up of the PAN, PRI and PRD will officially kick off her campaign at midnight on Thursday, February 29, in the city of Fresnillo, the state capital of Zacatecas. She will quickly continue her journey through the city of Aguascalientes (also in the same state) before reaching a rally with thousands of followers in Irapuato, in the state of Guanajuato. This is a stronghold of the PAN (the right-wing National Action Party, which governed Mexico from 2000 until 2012). Polling a distant third is Jorge Alvarez Maynez. He will be visiting the states of Sonora, Jalisco and Nuevo Leon this weekend, some of the places where his Citizens Movement hopes to rally supporters and gain a foothold. Xochitl Galvez changed her plans a few times before settling on Zacatecas and Guanajuato. At first, her campaign said that the opening rally would be in the capital. But then, the opposition coalition opted for safe territory albeit safe in strictly political terms. Few would choose to be out and about in Fresnillo or Irapuato after midnight. Fresnillo, in fact, is the municipality in which citizens perceive the greatest insecurity in Mexico. This sentiment is quite accurate when you compare it to the numbers of victims of organized crime in the area. The Galvez campaign deliberately chose it as the first stop, noting in a statement that the city is symbolic for the moment that the country is going through. Although its not the only one, Fresnillo is the icon of many places in Mexico that remain similar to a no mans land, without authority, where people are fleeing. Insecurity will be a recurring theme for the opposition. They quote the same statistics over and over again: there are 100 murders a day in Mexico. It has been the worst six-year term, her team points out. Guanajuato is also a good place to present the electoral program that the opposition has prepared, which focuses on curbing violence. Of course, insecurity wont be the only topic thats discussed healthcare and the lack of medicines in the country are key issues for Galvez. Sheinbaum has previously said that she will announce the pillars of her platform at the start of the campaign, which will culminate in the polls on June 2. But the first detail is the location. No surprises are expected for her rally in the Zocalo, scheduled for Friday, March 1. Its safe territory for her and it will be full. The location is also a symbol of her administrative experience. In the face of the poor crime statistics nationwide, she often repeats the far better figures reported in the capital, which she oversaw from 2018 until 2023. She takes credit for having reduced crime in Mexico City during her mandate. However, in various parts of the country such as the state of Zacatecas, a MORENA stronghold effective management over public safety cannot be claimed. Hence, when she campaigns beyond the capital, Sheinbaum will likely be accompanied by the leadership of her party, which managed to keep the organization united for the 2024 polls. Galvez also has strong roots in the capital, but trying to compete with the incumbent partys candidate wouldnt have been a wise step at this phase of the campaign. Guanajuato allows her to avoid comparisons, while also guaranteeing the massive rally thats expected at the start of the race. The Citizens Movement will also look for emblematic places that offer a large concentration of party members and sympathizers. Those from the orange party started the campaign late that is, on time. But the first candidate to enter the primaries, Governor Samuel Garcia, had to throw in the towel. Finally, it was Alvarez Maynez a federal legislator who picked up the baton. Less known than the governor of Nuevo Leon, he nevertheless has the full support of his former rival and other senators and deputies from the state, who will rally the faithful to receive their presidential candidate in large numbers. Alvarez Maynez will also likely head over to the state of Jalisco, where the Citizens Movement holds the governorship. Sonora is the third state on the orange agenda for the upcoming weekend. It was the one that made the least sense, until the delegation decided to schedule a stop in Magdalena de Kino, Luis Donaldo Colosios homeland. Colosio, a reformer, was assassinated at a campaign rally in Tijuana during the presidential elections of 1994. He has a place in the hearts of the majority of Mexicans, meaning that a stop in his stronghold is quite impactful. In fact, his son Colosio Riojas is currently the mayor of Monterrey, and unlike his father (a member of the PRI), hes a member of the Citizens Movement. Hes also currently running for senator, on Alvarez Maynez roster. The weight of the Colosio surname among other things gives the mayor of Monterrey enormous support among the Mexican citizenry. He was perhaps best-placed to be on the presidential ticket for his party, but he declined. His time will come: at only 38, hes still young. During the nomination of Alvarez Maynez, Colosio Riojas speech invoked the figure of his father. Politics doesnt exist without symbols. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition NASHVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Delta Dental of Tennessees charitable arm, the Smile180 Foundation, today announced the launch of a statewide oral health education campaign in partnership with PBS KIDS stations across Tennessee. The year-long Healthy Smiles campaign features a series of public service announcements (PSAs), local community events, and new educational materials designed to teach children about oral health and encourage healthy habits. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240228363799/en/ I am thrilled to announce the launch of our Healthy Smiles campaign in partnership with PBS KIDS stations across Tennessee, said Jeff Ballard, President & CEO of Delta Dental of Tennessee. Together, we are committed to educating and inspiring families about the importance of maintaining good oral health habits from an early age. By empowering children with knowledge and resources, we can help them achieve healthier smiles and brighter futures. Nashville Public Television is excited to once again partner with Delta Dental of Tennessee's Smile180 Foundation for our continued focus on the whole child, including their health and well-being, said Becky Magura, President & CEO of Nashville Public Television. Dental decay is the most common chronic disease in children, and we hope to bring awareness to its prevention with a robust broadcast and streaming educational campaign featuring the animated character Pepper the Badger. We are grateful to Delta Dental for their support and care of our communitys children in partnership with NPT. While dental decay is largely preventable, it is on the rise in kids as the number of children receiving routine preventive care has declined following the pandemic. This trend is especially concerning because children with poor oral health are three times more likely than their peers to miss school, and poor oral health can have a detrimental effect on a childs quality of life and success later in life. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentists recommends that children start seeing a dentist every six months, by their first birthday or once their first tooth emerges. The Healthy Smiles campaign consists of three one-minute PSAs that will air on the six PBS KIDS stations across Tennessee throughout the year. Each of these PSAs feature Pepper the Badger as he covers the topics of The Importance of Brushing Your Teeth, What to Expect Going to the Dentist, and How Drinking Water and Eating Healthy Foods Make Your Teeth Shine. Local affiliate stations will also host a series of community events throughout the year, including four Teacher Teacher events in Memphis hosted by WKNO, and various events organized by Nashville Public Television. The local stations are also teaming up to distribute Dr. Christina Rosenthal's book "You Can Become a Doctor Too" to kids and families. Her book aims to inspire and educate children about the possibilities of pursuing careers in healthcare and to show kids that becoming a doctor is not just a dream, but a tangible goal that they can achieve with determination and hard work. You Can Become a Doctor Too tells the story of a young boy, Art, and his classmates who believe that becoming a doctor is impossible until they meet one at Career Day. Dr. Rosenthal, a graduate of the University of Memphis and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) College of Dentistry, founded a mentoring program, Determined to be a Doctor Someday (DDS), to encourage underrepresented students to pursue careers in healthcare. Inspired by her own journey, the DDS program exposes kids to career possibilities in healthcare in an engaging and age-appropriate format, with programs for kids ages 2-5 and ages 14-18. She is also a board member for the Smile180 Foundation. To access the Healthy Smiles PSAs, educational materials, and other resources in one place, visit the Delta Dental of Tennessee Kids Corner. For more information about the community events happening across the state, contact your local PBS KIDS station. To learn more about Delta Dental of Tennessees charitable work, visit the Smile180 Foundation website. Delta Dental of Tennessee Delta Dental of Tennessee is the states largest independent dental benefits carrier with 1.5 million lives covered. As part of the Delta Dental Plans Association, Delta Dental of Tennessee members have access to the largest dental network in the nation with more than 200,985 providers serving more than 538,819 locations. With the simple mission of ensuring healthy smiles, Delta Dental of Tennessee works hard to help members of the communities it serves. Along with its corporate foundation, Smile180, Delta Dental of Tennessee donated more than $4.0 million in funding and in-kind services to over 100 organizations in 2023. About Nashville Public Television: Nashville Public Television, Nashvilles PBS station, is available free and over-the-air to nearly 2.4 million people throughout the Middle Tennessee and southern Kentucky viewing area. NPTs four broadcast channels are NPT, the main channel; secondary channel NPT2 (WORLD Channel); NPT3, a 24/7 PBS Kids channel; and NPT4 (Create TV). NPT is also available to anyone in the world through its array of NPT digital services, including wnpt.org, YouTube channels and the PBS video app. NPT provides, through the power of traditional television and interactive digital communications, quality educational, cultural and civic experiences that address issues and concerns of the people of the Nashville region, and which thereby help improve the lives of those we serve. Join the conversation at facebook.com/nashvillepublictelevision, on X @npt8 and on Instagram @nashvillepubtv. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240228363799/en/ Ann Waller Curtis [email protected] Source: Delta Dental of Tennessee Commercial use of GlyCat at Barricks Buylanhulu operation in Tanzania 80% reduction in cyanide consumption with no change to recoveries Strategic partnership to include broader testing programme spanning multiple sites PRAGUE--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Draslovka a.s ("Draslovka"), a provider of sustainability-led technologies, reagents and services for mining and the energy transition, has progressed its previously announced partnership with Barrick Gold Corporation ("Barrick") and today announces the start of commercial use of its revolutionary glycine leaching technology for gold, GlyCat (GlyCat), at Barricks Buylanhulu operation in Tanzania. In addition, Draslovka and Barricks strategic partnership will now include a broader testing programme in 2024 that will span multiple mining sites. At Bulyanhulu Gold Mine, the GlyCat pilot programme has led to an 80% reduction in cyanide consumption while achieving gold recoveries that are comparable to traditional cyanidation. With GlyCat as part of the process, the mines tailings show undetectable levels of WAD and are free of cyanide, thereby reducing detoxification requirements and costs. Pavel Bruzek Jr, CEO of Draslovka, commented: This licensing agreement follows a highly successful pilot programme that proved the major benefits GlyCat offers to the gold mining industry. GlyCat provides significant economic and sustainability benefits at a time when the future of mining is conditional on cost savings, sustainable operations and securing social license to operate. I look forward to continuing to work with Barrick and am confident others in the sector will soon see that GlyCat is revolutionary and its development will enable a major shift for the gold mining industry through massive economic and environmental benefits. Barrick was the first major mining company to recognise the potential glycine leaching offers and it is a pleasure and honour to work with the team on its commitment to sustainable operations. Simon Bottoms, Barrick Mineral Resource Management & Evaluations Executive, added: The application of GlyCat technology within our operations has significant potential to deliver improved operational efficiencies and cost savings, whilst also improving our environmental legacy. Consequently, we are very pleased to embark upon this strategic partnership with Draslovka to take advantage of this innovative technology across our global operations. About Draslovka Draslovka a.s. (Draslovka) is a chemical technologies, products and services company creating value and improving sustainability in several industries, including mining, agriculture and manufacturing. Today, Draslovka is best known as the worlds largest producer of sodium cyanide, a chemical vital for gold mining however its most important contribution to the sector is its Glycine Leaching Technology (GLT), the companys proprietary technology that leaches metals (including gold, copper, nickel and cobalt) in a more sustainable and economic manner. Draslovka also manufactures other specialist chemicals and reagents and provides class-leading chemical application services to the mining and pest control industries as well as AI-enabled support services. About Glycine Leaching Technology Glycine Leaching Technology (GLT) uses glycine, a non-toxic, recyclable and biodegradable amino acid that is commonly used as a food additive, to recover gold, copper, nickel and cobalt. GLT was inspired by nature when researchers at Curtin University in Perth observed plants absorbing gold and other metals out of the soil through the presence of glycine, which carries those metals through the soil and into the plant. GLT has the capacity to revolutionise the mining industry and the potential to save mining companies billions of dollars. GLT significantly reduces processing costs, enhances a mines sustainability profile and can extend mine life by lowering the cut-off grade or unlocking value hidden in a mines tailings. GlyCatTM technology for Gold from the GLT product family dramatically reduces cyanide usage while also lowering or in some cases completely eliminating detoxification measures. In select ores, the process also results in higher recoveries. In 2023, Barrick Gold rolled out a global testing and implementation programme with the goal of using GlyCatTM to unlock substantive savings and generate value for its operations while also improving its environmental footprint. About Barrick Gold Barricks mission is to be the worlds most valued gold and copper mining business by finding, developing, and owning the best assets, with the best people, to deliver sustainable returns for our owners and partners. Barrick is a sector-leading gold and copper producer, operating mines and projects in 18 countries in North and South America, Africa, Papua New Guinea and Saudi Arabia. Barricks portfolio spans the worlds most prolific gold and copper districts and is focused on high-margin, long-life assets, with a highly diversified workforce drawn almost entirely from host nations and equipped with world-class skills. The companys shares trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol GOLD, and on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol ABX. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240229113006/en/ FTI Consulting Viktor Pomichal / Ariadna D. Peretz Tel: +44 (0) 7890 417764 Email: [email protected] Source: Draslovka OSLO, Norway--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Elliptic Labs (OSE: ELABS), a global AI software company and the world leader in AI Virtual Smart Sensors currently deployed in over 500 million devices, has launched its AI Virtual Proximity Sensor INNER BEAUTY on the vivo V30 Pro smartphone. The mid-range vivo V30 Pro smartphone, launching for the global market, is utilizing Elliptic Labs partner MediaTeks Dimensity 8200 chipset. The contract for this launch was previously announced by Elliptic Labs. "Shipping our AI Virtual Smart Sensor Platform on vivos upcoming V30 Pro smartphone is another indicator of Elliptic Labs solid position as a valued partner for the biggest smartphone OEMs, said Laila Danielsen, CEO of Elliptic Labs. Collaborating with these global customers like vivo demonstrates Elliptic Labs acknowledged leadership in the fields of AI/ML, ultrasound, and sensor fusion technologies. This partnership has enabled the introduction of innovative, value-driven smartphones like the vivo V30 Pro. Our continued strength in the smartphone industry drives us to deliver more products that are greener, smarter, and more human-friendly." AI Virtual Proximity Sensor INNER BEAUTY Elliptic Labs AI Virtual Proximity Sensor detects when a user holds their phone up to their ear during a call, allowing the smartphone to turn off its display and disable its screens touch functionality. This keeps the users ear or cheek from triggering unwanted actions during the call, such as hanging up or dialing numbers. Turning off the screen also helps conserve battery life. Proximity detection is a core capability that is used in all smartphones, but Elliptic Labs AI Virtual Proximity Sensor is a unique, software-only solution that delivers robust proximity detection without the need for a dedicated hardware sensor. By replacing hardware sensors with software sensors, the AI Virtual Proximity Sensor reduces device cost and eliminates sourcing risk. INNER BEAUTY is a registered trademark of Elliptic Labs. AI Virtual Smart Sensor, AI Virtual Proximity Sensor, and AI Virtual Smart Sensor Platform are trademarks of Elliptic Labs. All other trademarks or service marks are the responsibility of their respective organizations. About Elliptic Labs Elliptic Labs is a global enterprise targeting the smartphone, laptop, IoT, and automotive markets. Founded in 2006 as a research spin-off from Norways Oslo University, the companys patented software uses AI, ultrasound and sensor fusion to deliver intuitive 3D gesture, proximity-, presence-, breathing- and heartbeat-detection experiences. Its scalable AI Virtual Smart Sensor Platform creates software-only sensors that are sustainable, human-friendly and already deployed in hundreds of millions of devices around the world. Elliptic Labs is the only software company that has delivered detection capabilities using AI software, ultrasound, and sensor fusion deployed at scale. The company joined the Oslo Brs main listing in March 2022. Elliptic Labs is headquartered in Norway with presence in the USA, China, South Korea, Taiwan, and Japan. Its technology and IP are developed in Norway and are solely owned by the company. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240228649979/en/ PR Contacts: Patrick Tsui [email protected] Investor Relations: Lars Holmy [email protected] Source: Elliptic Labs Sales and EBITDA within expectations in a challenging trading environment Expansion of gross and EBITDA margins, with diligent execution of Simplification Program driving operational efficiency Strong operating cash generation of more than 425 million BARCELONA, Spain--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Fluidra, the global leader in equipment and connected solutions in the pool and wellness sector, achieved sales of 2,051 million in 2023, down 14% compared to the prior year period. This was within the range of expectations, with lower volumes and unfavorable FX more than offsetting higher prices. Residential Pool aftermarket demand was resilient during the year, while demand for new pool construction was softer. Fluidra believes the correction of inventory in the channel is now largely completed. Commercial Pool sales continued to grow, supported by the recovery in tourism activity. EBITDA amounted to 445 million, reflecting the effect of lower sales, but supported by 190 bps higher gross margin and the benefits of the Simplification Program. Cash net profit was down to 211 million on the back of operating performance, while net profit stood at 114 million. The company reduced net debt by around 150 million during the year, which is a testament to the strong cash generation profile, mainly due to strong working capital management. As of 31 December, leverage was stable year-on-year despite lower volumes. In its first year, Fluidras Simplification Program has delivered over 30 million of savings. For 2024, the program is expected to generate an additional 30 million of savings, driven mainly by global strategic procurement efforts and product design to value initiatives. Between 2023 and 2025 the program will deliver in total 100 million EBITDA improvement by focusing on gross margin enhancement and fixed cost reduction. 2024 Guidance Fluidra expects 2024 sales between 2,000 and 2,150 million, EBITDA between 440 and 490 million and Cash EPS between 1.07 and 1.25 per share. Eloi Planes, Fluidras Executive Chairman, said: We delivered a good performance in 2023, in line with our expectations, against a difficult trading environment. As we move into 2024, despite the uncertainty around the macro-economy, we are encouraged to leave the correction of the inventory in the channel behind us and by the resilience of the aftermarket, which represents the majority of our business. Looking into the future, I am confident in the attractiveness of our sector and our ability to create value for our stakeholders as the global leader in the pool and wellness sector. About Fluidra Fluidra S.A. (FDR:SM) is the global leader in pool and wellness equipment and connected solutions. It is included in the Ibex 35, the benchmark index of the Spanish stock market, and in the FTSE4Good Index Series, the benchmark sustainability index. Fluidra provides an extensive offer of innovative and connected products and services, operating in more than 47 countries. The company has a portfolio of some of the most recognized brands in the industry, including Jandy, AstralPool, Polaris, Cepex, Zodiac, CTX Professional and Gre. To learn more about Fluidra, visit fluidra.com Alternative performance measures (APMs) Fluidras financial statements are prepared according to IFRS and other applicable regulation. The financial information in this document also includes Alternative Performance Measures (APMs). For further details, please visit the following link. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240229507120/en/ Press contact: Sarah Estebanez, [email protected],+34 636 62 80 41 Xana Pena, [email protected], +34 674 73 47 82 Carlos Jaramillo, [email protected], +34 664 11 18 01 Source: Fluidra Industry veteran joins Degreed to further its mission of making skills, not 4-year credentials, the currency of work. PLEASANTON, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Degreed, the learning platform that makes skills-first learning easy for hundreds of companies globally, announces Max Wessel is joining as President. With a distinguished background in technology, education, and business transformation, Max brings a wealth of expertise to guide Degreed into its next phase of growth and innovation. Max Wessel joins Degreed from SAP, where he served as Executive Vice President and led the end-to-end SaaS transformation of SAP's Learning business. Over 12 years at SAP, Max held various leadership roles spanning sales operations, strategy, product development, and finance. His tenure at SAP underscored his commitment to driving impactful change and leveraging technology to enhance learning experiences. Max Wessel, President at Degreed said, I am a deep believer in skill building as a path to a more equitable society, particularly now as more than 8-in-10 organizations face skills shortages. When I look at the opportunities and challenges facing organizations in the future due to technological, economic, and societal changes, Degreed offers one of the most compelling solutions in the market. Degreed has built an engine to change the workforce for the better and measure where each learner is throughout their journey. Thats a remarkable foundation for our customers' transformations in today's dynamic world. Now is the moment to take that foundation and do even bigger things as we push deeper into skills, the learning platform, and across the extended workforce. I couldnt be more excited to work with the executive team to take Degreed even further. David Blake, CEO of Degreed said, It is an exciting time to be adding to the executive team here at Degreed with someone as deeply skilled and passionate as Max. His dedication to empowering individuals through learning aligns seamlessly with Degreeds goal to become the de facto way that all learning and skills are measured. Maxs experiences at SAP, plus his advisory and executive positions at ActivTrak, Masterclass, and as a Venture Partner at NextGen Venture Partners will serve Degreed well in a critical time for its global impact. Alongside Wessels appointment, Degreed has recently expanded its global presence with a new office in Bangalore, India. It was additionally ranked as one of the 2024 GSV 150 GSVs annual list of the most transformational growth companies in digital learning. The company also won Silver in the Learning Platform of the Year category at the Learning Awards 2024 in London. Degreed has recently been positioned as a Strategic Leader in the 2024 Fosway 9-Grid for Learning Systems, recognizing its broad scope of features, strong market presence, and customer advocacy. David Wilson, CEO and founder of Fosway said, Degreeds position in the Strategic Leader category once again recognizes its consistent performance in meeting the needs of its enterprise customers and its ongoing commitment to innovation that aligns with customer aspirations. You can learn more about Degreeds vision and customer success stories at LENS, March 5-6. Watch sessions online at LENS Live. About Degreed Degreed is a technology suite that combines lifelong learning and data-driven development so organizations can accelerate workforce capabilities for greater impact and make skills the heart of all work. Degreed is the only learning platform that makes it easy for companies to deliver daily learning, deep skill-building, education benefits, real-time insights and expert services, while connecting to the most robust and open ecosystem. Each day, over 9 million learners from hundreds of global companies use Degreed to gain the skills to grow in their careers. Degreed, founded in 2012, launched with the mission of jailbreaking the degree where all skills are recognized, irrespective of how they are acquired. Degreed is headquartered in Pleasanton, California, with offices in Salt Lake City, New York, London, Amsterdam, and Brisbane. Learn more about Degreed: Website | YouTube | LinkedIn | Twitter View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240229608961/en/ Jade Emmons PR manager, Degreed [email protected] Source: Degreed NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Fortress Private Wealth Solutions was recognized as the Best Asset Management Solution for Family Offices and received High Commendation for Best Alts Solution for Private Wealth Firms at the With Intelligence Private Asset Management Awards, held on February 8th in New York. For 20 years, the With Intelligence awards have recognized leading performers and innovators in the US private wealth management industry, providing a platform for investment professionals, wealth advisors, legal firms, consultants, and other key service providers to showcase their achievements in the space. Fortress Private Wealth Solutions was launched in 2022 to bring institutional quality Fortress-managed investment strategies to the high net worth and mass affluent markets. The firm, which launched its first investment vehicle in 2023, plans to introduce a number of additional strategies in the coming years to support wealth management platforms in their efforts to provide clients with access to alternative investments that can diversify and help optimize portfolio construction. The firms first investment solution is led by Fortress Managing Director and head of global Net Lease investments, Ahsan Aijaz, who has more than two decades of experience in the industry. Under the leadership of co-Heads Nils Wilson and Adam Bobker, Fortress Private Wealth Solutions has built an experienced national sales team to assist wealth channels in educating and informing clients on the benefits of alternative allocations. It is an honor to receive such significant recognition from With Intelligence only a year since our first product launch, said Wilson and Bobker in a joint statement. Our objective is to provide truly institutional grade alternative products to a broad universe of investors, providing access to strategies that we have developed and refined at Fortress over the past two decades. We believe these products can provide significant benefits to family offices and to the broader private wealth management community, and we will continue to work closely with those groups as we develop and introduce new offerings. About Fortress Fortress Investment Group LLC is a leading, highly diversified global investment manager. Founded in 1998, Fortress manages $46.2 billion of assets under management as of September 30, 2023, on behalf of over 1,900 institutional clients and private investors worldwide across a range of credit and real estate, private equity and permanent capital investment strategies. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240229862377/en/ Gordon E. Runte Managing Director Fortress Investment Group LLC (212) 798-6082 [email protected] Source: Fortress Investment Group LLC GOLDEN, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Golden Minerals Company (Golden Minerals, Golden or the Company) (NYSE-A: AUMN and TSX: AUMN) has announced that it has elected to stop operations at its Velardena Properties, located in Durango State, Mexico. The Company restarted mining operations at Velardena in late December 2023, with the goal of progressively increasing production at the mine during the first half of 2024 until it achieved positive cash flow. The initial performance of the mine and processing plant during the course of the initial several months of production has not achieved the results projected by the Company. In light of the Companys decision to cease mining operations, the Company intends to evaluate potential alternatives for the Velardena Properties, which may include a sale of properties or winding up of certain of the Companys Mexico operations. About Golden Minerals Golden Minerals is a precious metals mining exploration company based in Golden, Colorado. The Company is primarily focused on advancing its Yoquivo property in Mexico, and, through partner-funded exploration, advancing its El Quevar silver property in Argentina. The Company is also focused on acquiring and advancing selected mining properties in Mexico, Nevada and Argentina. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and applicable Canadian securities legislation, including statements regarding the Companys intent to evaluate alternatives for the Velardena Properties. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties including the Companys ability to satisfy existing payment obligations on its Velardena Properties, increases in costs and declines in general economic conditions; changes in political conditions, in tax, royalty, environmental and other laws in the United States, Mexico or Argentina and other market conditions; and fluctuations in silver and gold prices. Golden Minerals assumes no obligation to update this information. Additional risks relating to Golden Minerals may be found in the periodic and current reports filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission by Golden Minerals, including the Companys Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022. For additional information, please visit http://www.goldenminerals.com/. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240229878507/en/ Golden Minerals Company Karen Winkler, Director of Investor Relations (303) 839-5060 Source: Golden Minerals Company BOGOTA, Colombia & LIMA, Peru & SANTIAGO, Chile--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- H.I.G. Capital, LLC (H.I.G.) a leading global alternative investment firm with $60 billion of capital under management, is pleased to announce that its portfolio company, Grupo Ransa (Ransa or the Company), has completed the acquisition of Loginsa. Ransa is the leading third-party logistics (3PL) player in Latin America with operations in 11 countries and 72 locations. Loginsa is a leading 3PL player in Chile specializing in cold and dry storage, distribution, last-mile delivery, and customized logistics, especially in the pharmaceutical industry. Loginsa has more than 230,000 square meters of dry and cold storage and caters to a premium client base in Chile, including over 150 customers in multiple industries throughout the country. This strategic acquisition marks a significant milestone for Ransa as it strengthens its footprint across the entire Pacific Coast of Latin America, spanning 12 countries from Mexico to Chile. The transaction is expected to enhance its multi-national service offering and bring substantial value for clients in the region. With this acquisition, Ransa now operates in 95 locations regionally, covering over 4,250,000 square meters of infrastructure. Paolo Sacchi, CEO of Ransa, emphasized the cultural and operational synergies between the two companies. "Our integration with Loginsa enables us to offer seamless regional services across 12 countries, responding swiftly to challenges and delivering an unparalleled customer experience to our clients." Fernando Ovalle, Founder & Executive Chairman of Loginsa, expressed enthusiasm about the transaction, stating, "Loginsa will benefit from the regional network, support, and capabilities of Ransa, gaining access to new opportunities for growth and improvement. Both companies share a vision of excellence, customer orientation, and commitment to sustainable development." Fabio Saad, Managing Director of H.I.G. Latin America and Head of H.I.G. for the Andean Region, commented, "The acquisition of Loginsa marks an important milestone in our plan to expand our logistics platform in the region. This strategic move allows Ransa to cover the entire Pacific Coast, and we are thrilled with the opportunities this acquisition presents." Moonvalley Capital served as exclusive financial advisor, and Carey & Cia served as exclusive legal advisor to the shareholders of Loginsa. Barros & Errazuriz served as legal advisor to Ransa. About Ransa Founded over 85 years ago, Ransa is one of the leading third-party logistics (3PL) operators in Latin America with operations in the Andean and Central American regions. The Company has an extensive regional footprint with critical mass and network in 11 countries and 72 locations, in which it has over 8,600 workers and operates over 4 million square meters of infrastructure. It has become a one-stop shop solution, offering an efficient and integral 3PL service to blue-chip clients and large multinationals in Latin America. Ransa has a highly-diversified client revenue base with over 3,000 clients operating in various industries such as consumer, food & beverage, retail, fishing and agribusiness, mining and energy, freight forwarding, automotive and electronics, among others. For more information, please visit ransa.biz. About Loginsa Loginsa, a Chilean logistics operator founded in 1994, specializes in providing cold and dry storage solutions, distribution centers, last-mile delivery, and customized logistics consulting. Loginsa serves various industries, including retail and pharmaceuticals. For more information, please visit loginsa.com. About H.I.G. Capital H.I.G. is a leading global alternative investment firm with $60 billion of capital under management.* Based in Miami, and with offices in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco in the United States, as well as international affiliate offices in Hamburg, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Milan, Paris, Bogota, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, and Dubai, H.I.G. specializes in providing both debt and equity capital to middle market companies, utilizing a flexible and operationally focused/value-added approach: H.I.G.s equity funds invest in management buyouts, recapitalizations and corporate carve-outs of both profitable as well as underperforming manufacturing and service businesses. H.I.G.s debt funds invest in senior, unitranche and junior debt financing to companies across the size spectrum, both on a primary (direct origination) basis, as well as in the secondary markets. H.I.G. also manages a publicly traded BDC, WhiteHorse Finance. H.I.G.s real estate funds invest in value-added properties, which can benefit from improved asset management practices. H.I.G. Infrastructure focuses on making value-add and core plus investments in the infrastructure sector. Since its founding in 1993, H.I.G. has invested in and managed more than 400 companies worldwide. The Firm's current portfolio includes more than 100 companies with combined sales in excess of $53 billion. For more information, please refer to the H.I.G. website at hig.com. * Based on total capital raised by H.I.G. Capital and its affiliates. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240229787693/en/ Fabio Saad Managing Director [email protected] Source: H.I.G. Capital, LLC In his keynote, CEO Sashi Narahari described how HighRadius AI solutions will enable finance professionals to become data scientists - by using English as a programming language. HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- HighRadius hosted the largest UNConference for the office of the CFO, Radiance 2024 on Feb 13th & 14th, 2024, at Globe Life Field Stadium in Dallas. The events key theme was the transformation of finance and finance professionals as a result of new technology. Finance will be the fastest adopter of AI, and everyone in finance will become a data scientist said Sashi Narahari, Founder and CEO of HighRadius. Until now, financial modeling required special coding skills. The LiveCube 2.0 platform enables finance professionals to use English as the coding language to perform complex analysis and even create ML models. HighRadius will play a key role in this transformation through GenAI-powered FreedaGPT, which saw new use-cases launched in the event, and LiveCubeTM - No Code platform, which also had updates. FreedaGPT is a Gen-AI assistant for Order-to-Cash, Treasury, and Accounting teams across the HighRadius Autonomous Finance platform. Modules include: FreedaGPT Email Compose : Drafts tailored responses for incoming emails and attaches relevant documents like invoice copies, account statements, proof of delivery documents, etc. Ex: Collectors respond quickly to emails, freeing up their bandwidth. : Drafts tailored responses for incoming emails and attaches relevant documents like invoice copies, account statements, proof of delivery documents, etc. Ex: Collectors respond quickly to emails, freeing up their bandwidth. FreedaGPT Call Assistant : Automates call-to-note summaries and suggests actions Ex: A Collector needs to make notes & follow-up after a call. FreedaGPT Call Assistant generates call note summary in real-time, creates a draft follow-up email, including the summary of the conversation and automatically logs a promise-to-pay or dispute or follow-up based on the conversation : Automates call-to-note summaries and suggests actions Ex: A Collector needs to make notes & follow-up after a call. FreedaGPT Call Assistant generates call note summary in real-time, creates a draft follow-up email, including the summary of the conversation and automatically logs a promise-to-pay or dispute or follow-up based on the conversation FreedaGPT Support : Assists with support queries where self-service resolutions exist, thereby eliminating the need to create support cases. Where self-service resolutions don't exist yet, FreedaGPT will capture the right information in natural language from the user and automatically create the support case. : Assists with support queries where self-service resolutions exist, thereby eliminating the need to create support cases. Where self-service resolutions don't exist yet, FreedaGPT will capture the right information in natural language from the user and automatically create the support case. FreedaGPT Insights: Generates reports and summary charts instantly using natural language responses in a chat window. Ex: AR Manager who wants more information regarding anomalies can just query FreedaGPT Show the top 5 anomalies with high risk where the currency is USD, which then generates summary reports, insights, and graphs within seconds. Also announced was LiveCube 2.0, a no-code platform, which enables finance business users in automating high-volume transaction data analysis with an Excel-like front-end. It now features LiveCube analysis with FreedaGPT - where English language prompts can be used by finance professionals to collate, compare and validate datasets and then initiate resolutions. HighRadius also launched Accounts Payable Automation, the latest addition to its Office of the CFO software platform. This is the industrys first GenAI Native product suite that will transform the way AP teams currently operate and drive improvement in supplier relationships. About HighRadius Corporation HighRadius offers cloud-based autonomous software for the office of the CFO. More than 800 leading companies have transformed their order-to-cash, treasury, and record-to-report processes with HighRadius. Our customers include 3M, Unilever, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Sanofi, Engie GBS Solutions, Kellogg Company, Danone, Hershey's, and many more. Autonomous software is data-driven software that continuously morphs its behavior to the ever-changing underlying domain transactional data. It brings modern digital transformation capabilities like artificial intelligence, robotic process automation, natural language processing, and connected workspaces as out-of-the-box features for the finance & accounting domain. Before the availability of autonomous software, finance stakeholders had to pick between a digital replacement of a paper-based solution or build & maintain custom RPA/AI-based tools in-house. In contrast, HighRadius' autonomous platform combines the best of both worlds to deliver measurable business outcomes such as DSO reduction, working capital optimization, bad-debt reduction, reduced month-end close timelines, and improved productivity in under six months. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240229807892/en/ HighRadius Communications Team [email protected] Source: HighRadius DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- IKS Health, a provider of global care enablement solutions to revitalize the clinician-patient relationship while empowering healthcare organizations to thrive, proudly announces the appointment of John Whitham as its Chief Commercial Officer. John will lead IKS Health's hospital and health system go-to-market teams, driving growth and delivering transformative value to healthcare organizations. John's tenure as a partner and growth leader at Guidehouse, coupled with 20 years of management consulting experience, will help IKS Health accelerate growth, while continuing to deliver Best in KLAS and Top Ranked Black Book solutions that enable clinicians and their enterprises to deliver better, safer, more efficient care across the continuum of care delivery. His experience is anchored in collaboration and innovation, aligning organizational goals with client needs to drive sustainable growth. His efforts will focus on leveraging synergies following the integration of IKS Health and AQuity Solutions, and continue to serve many of the largest hospitals, health systems, and specialty groups in the United States. Johns appointment marks an important moment for IKS Health, noted Joe Bernadello, Chief Growth Officer at IKS Health. His strategic acumen and deep industry knowledge will empower our teams to forge meaningful connections with healthcare leaders and accelerate innovation and drive mutual success." "Its an honor to join IKS Health at such a transformative time in the healthcare industry, John acknowledged. I look forward to working closely with our talented team to foster strategic partnerships with our clients, enhance financial performance, and add tangible value." About IKS Health IKS Health takes on the chores of healthcarespanning administrative, clinical, and operational burdensso that clinicians can focus on their core purpose: delivering great care. Combining pragmatic technology and dedicated experts, IKS enables stronger, financially sustainable enterprises. IKSs Care Enablement Platform delivers data-driven value and expertise across the care journey, and IKS is a partner for clinician enterprises looking to effectively scale, improve quality and achieve cost savings through forward-thinking solutions. Founded in 2006, IKSs technology-enabled solutions and global workforce supports large health systems, medical groups and risk bearing entities across the United States. For more information, visit ikshealth.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240229150262/en/ Contact - IKS Health US: Siddharth Thakkar VP Product & Marketing, IKS Health +1 945.300.8768 [email protected] Contact - IKS Health India: Srushti Rao VP Communications, IKS Health +91 98203 94009 [email protected] Source: IKS Health INEOS Automotive has unveiled its brand new 4X4 vehicle, the INEOS Fusilier, following the confirmation of a zero-emission model line in May 2022. The new vehicle will deliver world-class off-road capability, with zero compromise to on-road performance, and offers both zero and low emission options, the company said. Unveiled in London by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Chairman of INEOS, it was confirmed that alongside the previously announced all-electric powertrain (BEV), a low emission range-extender electric is in development to ensure the INEOS Fusilier meets the broadest range of global consumer needs whilst pushing towards decarbonisation. The range-extender option consists of a small petrol engine that powers a generator to maintain the charge level of the battery for when external charging isnt available. Confirmation of the alternative powertrain details and launch timings are expected by autumn 2024. Sir Jim says: As we developed this vehicle, we quickly concluded that in order to move towards decarbonisation but continue making cars that consumers want to drive, we need a mix of powertrain technologies. BEVs are perfect for certain uses: shorter trips and urban deliveries, but industry and governments need to have realistic expectations around other technologies that can help accelerate the necessary pace of change. That is the reason we are offering an additional powertrain for the Fusilier, one that dramatically reduces emissions but has the range and refuelling capabilities needed. Developed in conjunction with industry-leading automotive supplier, Magna, which will also manufacture the vehicle in its facility in Graz, Austria, the INEOS Fusilier will represent a unique proposition for customers. Building on the Grenadiers DNA with a modern direction and distinctive identity, the new 4X4 will be slightly shorter in length and slightly lower in height. It will be built on a bespoke skateboard platform with a steel top hat and underbody, and aluminium doors and closures. INEOS partnered with Magna on the development of the Grenadier station wagon and Quartermaster pick-up. As one of the worlds largest automotive suppliers and independent contract manufacturers, Magna produces a number of conventional ICE, hybrid and electric vehicles for various automakers. Part of the development process for the INEOS Fusilier will include a rigorous testing programme on Austria's Schockl mountain, close to Magna's complete vehicle assembly facility in Graz. Lynn Calder, CEO of INEOS Automotive, comments: Announcing our third model line is another significant milestone for INEOS Automotive, cementing our intent as an automotive manufacturer like our full vehicle line-up, we are here for the long-haul. Demonstrating its wider commitment to future decarbonisation, INEOS Automotive also unveiled a Grenadier Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology Demonstrator at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July 2023. The Demonstrator proves that the technology for a hydrogen powered 4X4 is capable and ready for production, but the refuelling infrastructure needs to be in place before it is commercially viable. TradeArabia News Service A few days before Salvatore Mancuso landed in Colombia after 15 years in a U.S. prison, the Colombian defense minister told the press that he was arriving at a delicate moment. Salvatore Mancusos life must be protected, he warned. The life of any Colombian must be protected by the state; the minister appeared to be stating the obvious. But Mancusos life could be particularly at risk. Mancuso, who for now will be held in Bogota's La Picota prison, was a warlord and still holds many secrets surrounding the armed conflict in Colombia. Previously a well-to-do cattle rancher, he went on to lead paramilitary armies alongside the founders of the so-called United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC), the brothers Fidel and Carlos Castano. With them, Mancuso forged military, political, and business alliances with the most powerful men in the country. And he was a cruel man: he ordered massacres, homicides, disappearances, kidnappings, and displacements. He has been accused of more than 60,000 criminal acts, combining those he committed directly and those for which he is responsible by chain of command. The Castanos died before the paramilitary demobilization, without facing justice or confessing to their crimes. Mancuso, however, is still alive. And, since he demobilized in 2004, he has been a confessional: he has admitted to hundreds of crimes and has accused politicians, businessmen, and the military of having helped him. He is a man many want to remain silent. He is also a man many others want to listen to. Two helicopters approach the La Picota prison on February 27. Mancuso was allegedly traveling in one of them. ANDRES GALEANO I come to continue with my commitments to the victims, as I have done uninterruptedly throughout these last 18 years, but at the same time, I come to put myself at the service of a peace agenda that will prevent Colombia from being an eternal factory of victims and collective pain, Mancuso said in a letter published upon landing. I have the task of continuing to provide truth before the transitional justice system, not only with responsibility for the implications it has on the people linked in the testimonies, their families, and the victim communities. I will do so under strict standards that allow corroboration to determine that it is a qualified truth, he adds. Stop telling the leftists of the JEP [Special Jurisdiction for Peace] things you should not tell, read a threat Mancuso received in 2021. The JEP is the transitional justice tribunal agreed between the government and the now defunct FARC that currently investigates the major crimes committed by the former guerrillas and the security forces. The court admitted the former paramilitary chief to its jurisdiction in a controversial move, on the grounds that he has much to contribute to clarifying the crimes committed by the military. Mancuso has, he said in disclosing these threats, an unwavering commitment to the truth. Mancuso came to paramilitarism in the 1990s through the Convivir, the initially legal cattle ranchers associations that sought to protect themselves from guerrilla extortion and attacks. Many of these groups ended up financing and strengthening the extreme right-wing paramilitary groups that already existed in some areas and spread and strengthened thanks to this new support (and money from illicit businesses, spearheaded by drug trafficking). The Convivir was the way in which illegality was given legality, Mancuso told the JEP. Today, the ranchers are trying to revive an organization similar to the Convivir. Mancusos arrival is a stark reminder of that violent past. Inmates in La Picota prison attempt to witness the arrival of the former paramilitary leader. ANDRES GALEANO In Mancusos mouth, the truth is often explosive: he has said that army commanders asked the paramilitaries to assassinate social leaders, that some soldiers accompanied him on kidnappings, and that the security forces did not try to stop several massacres of which they were previously informed. He has also provided names: he singled out as allies of the paramilitaries the sub-director of state intelligence, Jose Miguel Narvaez, for giving lists of people to assassinate; the former vice-president of Colombia, Francisco Santos, for requesting the formation of a paramilitary bloc in the capital; and emblematic companies of the Colombian economy such as Postobon, Ecopetrol, and Bavaria, for aiding the paramilitaries. Most of those accused have proclaimed their innocence, although others, such as Narvaez, have been convicted in court. But it is Alvaro Uribe Colombias president from 2002 to 2010, who decided to extradite Mancuso to the United States in 2008 who has faced the most explosive accusations. For critics of the then-popular right-wing leader, the decision was an attempt to silence the former commander; for Uribe and his supporters, it was a necessary sanction for a dozen paramilitary leaders who continued to commit crimes from prison. Mancuso has said that Uribes closest advisor during his time as governor of Antioquia in the 1990s, Pedro Juan Moreno, helped shape and strengthen the paramilitaries, and that he was an intermediary for Uribe in ordering a massacre (in the town of El Aro) and a murder (of human rights defender Jesus Maria Valle). He has also said that Uribe removed the security detail of El Roble Mayor Eudaldo Diaz, knowing that the paramilitaries were going to assassinate him. The former paramilitary chief has admitted that the AUC sympathized with Uribes ideological approaches, and claimed that they supported the former presidents election in 2002. I received orders directly from my commanders to support President Uribe, who was running for president at the time, he said of that election. The former president has categorically rejected all accusations in the media, on social networks, and in the courts. The La Picota prison, where Salvatore Mancuso will be held. ANDRES GALEANO In 2004, when Mancuso demobilized, he visited Congress. He gave a speech in which he affirmed that the paramilitaries had made an epic of freedom, describing the movement as mythical and heroic. Twenty years later, he no longer describes what he did in such a grandiloquent way and has apologized to some of his victims. In 2020, Colombias Truth Commission published one such public apology from Mancuso to the family of Indigenous leader Kimy Pernia Domico, who was killed in 2001 and whose body disappeared in the Sinu River. We should never have taken action in the war, he told Pernias daughter. I was wrong, I ask forgiveness for that, for my actions in the conflict. Mancuso said in one of his many statements that what he learned to do in the paramilitary groups was create a theater of terror, one in which you not only had to kill, but also to sow fear into everyone left alive. The man responsible for that terror has shown an eagerness to continue talking about how he put the theater together. And, above all, to reveal who the actors were. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Hydrosome Labs Launches New Water Solution to Deliver Active Ingredients to Cells More Efficiently and Completely CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- An innovative start-up, Hydrosome Labs, with an experienced team combining scientists, advisors, and businesspeople from the likes of Nestle, Chobani, Procter & Gamble, Argonne National Labs, and Goldman Sachs, has developed a natural and chemical-free process improving the power of water through the emerging science of ultrafine bubbles. The innovative process delivers active ingredients to cells more efficiently and completely. Commercial uses include helping plants grow faster and healthier with less fertilizer, improving nutrient uptake in skin care, delivering faster, longer lasting, and enhanced hydration in performance drinks, and more efficient precision fermentations. Hydrosome Labs said its discovery will create a new ingredient brand for firms using water to deliver active ingredients. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240229241832/en/ Hydrosome H2O, a natural and chemical-free process that improves the power of water through the emerging science of ultrafine bubbles. (Photo: Business Wire) The firm calls its technology a win for consumers, manufacturers, and investors alike. It also notes the sustainability benefits of allowing manufacturers to do more with less, use fewer chemicals, reduce environmental impact, and shorten supply chains. Hydrosome completed a seed funding round last year and expects to close a Series A round this spring. Hydrosome Labs will announce a licensing deal with a major beauty company known for its innovative technologies in a few months. That company is calling the new ultrafine bubble technology the next big breakthrough in skincare and the companys latest exciting formulation innovation. Hydrosome Labs notes that water has traditionally been a passive ingredient in beauty products. With Hydrosome, H2O water is transformed into a functional ingredient and active delivery system that enhances the efficacy and performance of ingredients and formulas to maximize consumer benefits from wrinkle reduction to increased firmness, elasticity, and hydration. Hydrosome estimates the total US market for the categories its entering to be over 180 billion dollars. The business approach is a branded ingredient and royalty model with the Hydrosome H2O logo featured on pack and in marketing. The water is not shipped but instead made at the licensees factories with small but scalable equipment to meet the needs of any company of any size and readily incorporated in line with other water treatment systems. The equipment is licensed with Hydrosome Labs, taking a SAAS-type approach to platform servicing. Simply put, water is essential to life. Its second only to oxygen as the most essential substance for survival, yet people take for granted that it will always function the same, said Paul Gadbut, CEO of Hydrosome Labs. History is filled, though, with natural substances improved upon for the benefit of society carbon into carbon fiber, silica into computer chips, and more. What if water itself could be improved naturally and sustainably? Thats what our technology does. At its core is a new process leveraging established science to improve the ability of water to deliver active ingredients to cells more effectively and efficiently. How does it work? A common occurrence in water is the formation of bubbles creating a structure that traps gases. But not all bubbles are created equal. About 30 years ago, scientists began to investigate the formation of very tiny bubbles in water, sometimes referred to as ultrafine bubbles. These bubbles, invisible to the naked eye and among the smallest ever detected, have unique properties. Hydrosomes ultra-fine bubbles, Hydrosomes, have four characteristics no other water technology has. Significantly higher surface area vs. bubbles in regular water (1 trillion fit in 1 champagne bubble), making them excellent transporters to cells. Products leveraging Hydrosomes have a longer shelf life (up to 18 months or more) than any other ultrafine bubble technology. The closest shelf life in the emerging nanobubble category is four to six months. Their unique size and concentration make them superior in the delivery of active ingredients to cells. The process is sustainable. There are no added chemicals or consumables as part of the patented process, and it takes very little energy to operate. Hydrosome H2O can improve the performance of almost any product where cell absorption is necessary, from consumer products to agriculture to industrial products requiring fermentation to life sciences. Because many pseudo-science claims have been made for a variety of special waters over the years, Hydrosome Labs is taking the opposite approach, investing in more than 100 scientific studies, human trials, and collaborations with prestigious, thought-leading institutions like the University of Chicago and Cornell University. It currently has two granted patents, with several others recently filed. Although the company expects new entrants to the market, its unaware of any competitor with the unique and long-lasting properties of Hydrosome H2O. For more information, please visit www.hydrosomelabs.com. About Hydrosome Labs Hydrosome Labs is a Chicago-based B-to-B biotechnology company on a mission to change lives by changing water. Its technology, Hydrosome H2O, is a natural and chemical-free process that improves the power of water through the emerging science of ultrafine bubbles. The innovative process delivers active ingredients to cells more efficiently and completely with multiple applications across personal care and cosmetics, beverages, fermentation, and controlled environment agriculture. Uses include helping plants grow faster and healthier with less fertilizer, improving nutrient uptake in skin care, delivering faster, longer lasting, and enhanced hydration in performance drinks, and more efficient precision fermentations. Hydrosome H2O also allows manufacturers to do more with less, use fewer chemicals, reduce environmental impact, and shorten supply chains. The company and advisors include business and R&D execs from Fortune 500 companies like P&G, Goldman Sachs, Nestle Health Sciences, and the Intercontinental Exchange, owner of the New York Stock Exchange. For more information, visit www.hydrosomelabs.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240229241832/en/ Amber Long 513.313.4045 [email protected] Source: Hydrosome Labs RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. & CHARLESTON, S.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- RMA Companies (RMA) today announced the addition of Insight Group, a geotechnical, environmental, and construction-materials engineering consulting firm based in Charleston, South Carolina. This addition marks a significant milestone as RMA expands in the growing Southeastern market in support of its continued strategy to establish a national platform for technology-enabled testing, inspection, and certification capabilities. Insight Group leverages its technical expertise, advanced laboratory facilities, and decades of experience to provide innovative, high-quality, and practical solutions across geotechnical engineering, construction materials engineering, and environmental sciences. Insight supports the development of critical infrastructure assets throughout the region, including airfield pavements, port facilities, utilities, roads, highways, and bridges. Founder William Reg Christopher will continue to lead the region serving as the Southeastern Divisional President for RMA. I am thrilled to partner with Reg and his team at Insight Group, said Ed Lyon, CEO of RMA. Our firms have shared expertise in applying earth and materials sciences to deliver innovative solutions supporting the development of critical infrastructure projects. Insight Group strengthens our presence in the key Southeastern market and adds talented employees that fit seamlessly in our client-centric culture. Together, our firms now have greater capabilities to support our respective clients. We are pleased to partner with RMA and expand our presence in the Southeast and beyond, said Reg Christopher, Founder of Insight Group. Through this partnership we are excited to deliver expanded capabilities to our clients and growth opportunities to our employees. Womble Bond Dickinson, LLP acted as legal adviser to RMA. Buist, Byars & Taylor, LLC and Morrissey Goodale, LLC served as legal advisors to Insight Group. About RMA Companies RMA is a leading provider of professional services in materials testing, inspection, certification, environmental and geotechnical consulting, and related services for critical public and private infrastructure assets across diverse government and commercial end-markets, including transportation, healthcare, education, renewable energy, and water resources. RMAs team of engineers, geologists, inspectors, and technicians help infrastructure asset owners, engineering firms, and construction companies maintain compliance with strict regulatory and operating requirements through a range of geotechnical, environmental, and materials testing services. Founded in 1962, RMA is headquartered in Rancho Cucamonga, California, RMA is a portfolio company of OceanSound Partners. For more information, please visit www.rmacompanies.com. About Insight Group Founded in the historic city of Charleston, South Carolina by Reg Christopher, Insight Group is a geotechnical, environmental, and construction-materials engineering consulting firm with decades of experience in the region. Insight Group provides value to clients with innovative, high-quality, and practical solutions in the fields of geotechnical engineering, construction materials testing, and environmental engineering to efficiently design and construct civil engineering projects. Insight Group services focus on transportation, utility/power generation, earthwork, industrial, and commercial construction projects. For more information, please visit www.insightgrp.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240229399072/en/ Stefanie Berumen Director of Marketing RMA Companies (909) 989-1751 [email protected] Source: RMA Companies SHEPHERDSTOWN, W. Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- JSB Financial Inc. (OTC Pink: JFWV), the holding company of Jefferson Security Bank, announced that its the Board of Directors declared a semi-annual dividend at its February 21, 2024 meeting in the amount of $1.20 per share. The cash dividend is payable on March 15, 2024 to shareholders of record on March 4, 2024. This represents an increase of $0.05 per share from the previous semi-annual dividend of $1.15 per share paid in September 2023. About JSB Financial Inc. JSB Financial Inc. (OTCPK: JFWV) is the holding company for Jefferson Security Bank, an independent community bank operating six banking offices located in Berkeley County and Jefferson County, West Virginia and Washington County, Maryland. Founded in 1869, Jefferson Security Bank serves individuals, businesses, municipalities and community organizations through a comprehensive suite of banking services delivered by an exceptional team who put customers first. Jefferson Security Bank has received industry recognition as a Top 200 Community Bank by American Banker magazine four years in a row. Operating for over 154 years, Jefferson Security Bank is the oldest, independent, locally owned and managed bank in West Virginia. Visit www.JSB.bank for more information. This press release may contain forward-looking statements, as defined by federal securities laws, which may involve significant risks and uncertainties. The statements are based on estimates and assumptions made by management in conjunction with other factors deemed appropriate under the circumstances. Actual results could differ materially from current projections. Offices: 105 East Washington Street, Shepherdstown, WV (304-876-9000) 7994 Martinsburg Pike, Shepherdstown, WV (304-876-2800) 873 East Washington Street, Suite 100, Charles Town, WV (304-725-9752) 277 Mineral Drive, Suite 1, Inwood, WV (304-229-6000) 1861 Edwin Miller Boulevard, Martinsburg, WV (304-264-0900) 103 West Main Street, Sharpsburg, MD (301-432-3900) View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240228074836/en/ Jenna Kesecker Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer 304-876-9016 Source: JSB Financial Inc. Earth Launches Spray to Eradicate Mosquitoes based on Kaos Technology TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Kao Corporation (TOKYO: 4452) and Earth Corporation (TOKYO: 4985) share the goal of contributing to solving the problem of mosquito-borne infectious diseases and have begun collaborating to address this issue. Applying Kaos technology that prevents mosquitoes from flying by wetting their wings and bodies*, Kao and Earth have developed the ARS Mos Shooter, a spray that can eradicate mosquitoes anytime, anywhere in everyday life. It will be launched in Thailand from July 2024, where Earth has been active domestically for about 40 years. * Kao News Release dated June 20, 2023: Focusing on the Surface of the Mosquitos Body to Control Mosquito Behavior Using a Surfactant: New Technology Development to Eradicate Mosquitoes Without Using Insecticides This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240228539697/en/ ARS Mos Shooter Background Dengue fever is a viral disease spread by mosquitoes. Many of those infected are children, and serious cases can result in death. There is currently no vaccine or treatment for dengue fever, therefore it is critical to avoid being bitten by disease-carrying mosquitoes and to minimize mosquito outbreaks. Furthermore, it has long been a social issue in Southeast Asia and other parts of the world, due to the significant economic burden it entails. The number of people infected with dengue fever has increased in recent years as a result of global warming and rapid urbanization, which has widened the habitat of mosquitoes that carry the virus, and the number of dengue fever cases in 2023 was the largest ever recorded globally. Kao has been conducting unique research from an entirely new perspective to protect people from mosquitoes. In 2023, Kao developed a new technology that prevents mosquitoes from flying by wetting their wings and body surfaces, keeping them in a knocked down state. Because it does not use conventional chemically manufactured insecticidal components, this approach has the potential to contribute to a wider range of applications. Earth Corporation founded ARS Chemical (Thailand) Co., Ltd. (now Earth (Thailand) Co., Ltd.) in Thailand in 1980. Earth (Thailand) single-handedly manages development, sales and distribution of, for example, the insect control item brand ARS as a local subsidiary in Thailand. It has grown by learning about the countrys living habits and needs, as well as conducting business with locals. In addition, Earth (Thailand) is collaborating with educational organizations such as the Ministry of Public Health and schools to offer consumer-oriented instructional programs. Based on the shared goal of contributing to solving the problem of mosquito-borne infectious diseases, the companies developed a spray that eradicates mosquitoes from a new perspective. Both Kao and Earth believe that this product will help people living in areas suffering from dengue fever. About this product This mosquito eradication spray was commercialized by combining Kaos technology that prevents mosquitoes from flying by wetting their wings and bodies with Earths expertise. It uses a trigger that constantly sprays a fine mist, knocking down both flying and hidden mosquitoes. Because it does not contain chemically manufactured insecticidal components, it can be used in settings where the use of insect control products has previously been avoided, as well as in combination with conventional products to provide more comprehensive insect (mosquito) control. Product name Scents Net contents Vendor ARS Mos Shooter Lemongrass 370 ml Earth (Thailand) Co., Ltd. Floral Product features A spray that knocks down and eradicates mosquitoes with a fine mist. It is effective against both flying and hidden mosquitoes. It can be used anytime and anyplace necessary No chemically manufactured insecticidal components Active ingredient: Contains lemongrass oil Launch date and region July 2024 / Thailand About sales strategy Earth has been increasing sales of daily necessities that support comfortable living, such as insect control products, in Thailand, and currently has a high market share. It will continue to seek to increase its share in the Thai market by introducing the mosquito eradication spray from a new perspective. Regarding collaboration Yoshihiro Hasebe, President and CEO, Kao Corporation Kao has set the vision of its Mid-term Plan 2027 (K27) as protecting future lives. Above all, protecting peoples lives from mosquito-borne infectious diseases, which pose a global threat, is a critical concern, and we have been conducting research with an unprecedented approach on how to protect people from mosquitoes. We are supplying the technology which skillfully controls water to eradicate mosquitoes for people in Thailand for this product. Together with Earth Corporation, Kao aims to help people live more safe and secure, and contribute to creating life free of mosquitoes. Katsunori Kawabata, President & Representative Director, Earth Corporation Earth Corporation is dedicated to acting to live in harmony with the Earth. Based on this corporate philosophy, Earth, a total care company for infectious diseases, has strived to improve the health and comfort of people all over the world, as well as to avoid infectious diseases transmitted by insects. We shared our ideas with Kao Corporation, pioneered a new field through collaboration with new technology and created products with new value. We will continue to stand by people in their daily lives not only in Japan, but all across the world, and will work to make those lives even richer and more comfortable. Company profiles Kao Corporation Representative Yoshihiro Hasebe, President and CEO, Representative Director Address 14-10, Nihonbashi Kayabacho 1-chome, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 103-8210, Japan Established May 21, 1940 (founded June 19, 1887) Business description Consumer products businesses, including Hygiene & Living Care, Health & Beauty Care, Life Care, and Cosmetics, and the Chemical business to meet the needs of industry Earth Corporation Representative Katsunori Kawabata, President & Representative Director Address 12-1, Kanda-Tsukasamachi 2 chome, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-0048, Japan Established August 26, 1925 (founded April 1, 1892) Business description Manufacture, sale and import/export of drugs, quasi-drugs, medical tools, everyday goods, etc. About Kao Kao creates high-value-added products and services that provide care and enrichment for the life of all people and the planet. Through its portfolio of over 20 leading brands such as Attack, Biore, Goldwell, Jergens, John Frieda, Kanebo, Laurier, Merries, and Molton Brown, Kao is part of the everyday lives of people in Asia, Oceania, North America, and Europe. Combined with its chemical business, which contributes to a wide range of industries, Kao generates about 1,530 billion yen in annual sales. Kao employs about 34,300 people worldwide and has 137 years of history in innovation. Please visit the Kao Group website for updated information. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240228539697/en/ Media inquiries should be directed to: Public Relations Kao Corporation [email protected] Source: Kao Corporation SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Know Labs, Inc. (NYSE American: KNW), an emerging developer of non-invasive medical diagnostic technology, today announced it has entered into a funding agreement for an investment of up to $12 million, of which it has executed a $4 million close (the Funding Agreement) with Lind Global Fund II LP, an investment entity managed by The Lind Partners, a New York-based institutional fund manager (together, Lind). Ron Erickson, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman at Know Labs, commented, This investment will enable Know Labs to accelerate development across our four core work streams including, hardware development, expanded data collection in clinical research, algorithm development, and expansion of our defensible intellectual property moat around our technology. We remain focused on validating the performance of the Know Labs proprietary radiofrequency dielectric sensor in large-scale clinical trials on our path to submitting to the FDA for clearance, the worlds first non-invasive wearable continuous glucose monitor. Lind is excited about its investment in Know Labs, said Phillip Valliere, Managing Director at The Lind Partners. Know Labs has demonstrated success across numerous development milestones and has built a strong intellectual property foundation to attract further investment and future strategic partnerships. We are pleased to invest in Know Labs to support its growth and we look forward to working with its high-caliber management team as it moves into this next phase of development. About the Funding Agreement The funding provided to Know Labs by Lind will come in the form of convertible secured notes (the "Convertible Notes") that will carry an aggregate face value amount of up to $14.4 million and that will be sold to Lind for purchase prices equal to up to $12.0 million. At the initial closing of $4.0 million, Know Labs received net proceeds of approximately U.S. $3.68 million, after fees, pursuant to a Convertible Note with a face value of $4.4 million (the Face Value). The Face Value of the Convertible Note issued in the initial closing will have a 24-month maturity date and can be paid, at the Companys option, in cash or through the issuance of share of the Companys common stock (the "Shares") equal to the principal amount being paid in shares divided by 90% of the average of the 3 lowest daily VWAPs during the 20 trading days prior to the applicable payment date. The Convertible Note may also be converted into Shares under certain circumstances at a fixed price per share of $1.00, representing a 50% premium to the last closing price of $0.667 per share, subject to adjustment in accordance with the terms of the Convertible Note. In connection with the issuance of the Convertible Note, Know Labs will also issue to Lind a warrant to purchase 3,000,000 Shares, 75% warrant coverage of the funded amount (the Warrant). The Warrant will be exercisable for 60 months following the date that is 6 months following the initial funding date at an exercise price equal to $0.80 per share, a 20% premium to the closing price of $0.667, subject to adjustment in accordance with the terms of the Warrant. The Company intends to file a resale registration statement covering the Shares underlying the Convertible Note and the Warrant within 30 days of the initial closing, and will seek to have it declared effective within 90 days. Commencing 120 days after funding, Company will repay 1/20th of the applicable Face Value, or $240,000, in monthly installments (Repayment). At the Companys option each month, Repayments can be made in: (i) cash plus an amount equal to 5% of the Repayment amount; (ii) common shares (Repayment Shares); or a combination of both. Repayment Shares will be priced at 90% of the average of the three lowest daily VWAPs during the 20 trading days before the issuance of Repayment Shares. For two monthly Repayments, Lind will have the right to increase a Repayment (in stock) up to $750,000. The Funding is secured by assets of the Company and its subsidiaries. The Funding Agreement and the issuance of securities thereunder has been approved by the New York Stock Exchange American . The Benchmark Company, LLC is acting as exclusive financial advisor to Know Labs in connection with the funding agreement. About Know Labs, Inc. Know Labs, Inc. is a public company whose shares trade on the NYSE American Exchange under the stock symbol KNW. The Companys platform technology uses spectroscopy to direct electromagnetic energy through a substance or material to capture a unique molecular signature. The technology can be integrated into a variety of wearable, mobile or bench-top form factors. This patented and patent-pending technology intend to make it possible to effectively identify and monitor analytes that could only previously be performed by invasive and/or expensive and time-consuming lab-based tests. The first application of the technology is expected to be in a product marketed as a non-invasive glucose monitor. The device is designed to provide the user with accessible and affordable real-time information on blood glucose levels. This product will require U.S. Food and Drug Administration clearance prior to its introduction to the market. About The Lind Partners The Lind Partners manages institutional funds that are leaders in providing growth capital to small- and mid-cap companies publicly traded in the US, Canada, Australia and the UK. Linds multi-strategy funds make direct investments ranging from US$1 to US$30 million, invest in syndicated equity placements and selectively buy on market. Having completed more than 200 direct investments totaling over US$2 billion in transaction value, Linds funds have been flexible and supportive capital partners to investee companies since 2011. For more on Lind, please visit www.thelindpartners.com. Safe Harbor Statement This release contains statements that constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements appear in a number of places in this release and include all statements that are not statements of historical fact regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of Know Labs, Inc., its directors or its officers with respect to, among other things: (i) financing plans; (ii) trends affecting its financial condition or results of operations; (iii) growth strategy and operating strategy; and (iv) development and performance of products. You can identify these statements by the use of the words may, will, could, should, would, plans, expects, anticipates, continue, estimate, project, intend, likely, forecast, probable, potential, and similar expressions and variations thereof are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond Know Labs, Inc.s ability to control, and actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors. These risks and uncertainties also include such additional risk factors as are discussed in the Companys filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2023, Forms 10-Q and 8-K, and in other filings we make with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time. These documents are available on the SEC Filings section of the Investor Relations section of our website at www.knowlabs.co. The Company cautions readers not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which such statement is made. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240228743583/en/ For Know Labs Media Inquiries: Matter Health Abby Mayo [email protected] Ph. (617) 272-0592 Know Labs, Inc. Contact: Jordyn Hujar [email protected] Ph. (206) 629-6414 Source: Know Labs, Inc. Financing led by Novo Holdings and Forbion Orbis platform is first to systematically explore macrocycle chemical space using unique combination of high-throughput chemical synthesis and large-scale assaying, supported by machine learning Pipeline to initially focus on high-value oral alternatives to blockbuster biologic drugs and opening new targets to therapeutic intervention COPENHAGEN, Denmark--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Orbis Medicines, a leader in oral macrocycle drug discovery, today announces its launch with a 26 million financing led by global life sciences investor Novo Holdings and European life sciences venture firm Forbion. The funding will support Orbis expansion and advancement of its portfolio of next-generation macrocycle drugs it calls nCycles. Macrocycles are a large and diverse family of compounds with highly desirable therapeutic properties, defined by the presence of a cyclic structure. nCycles are systematically designed by Orbis nGen1 platform to be orally bioavailable and membrane permeable, solving decades-long challenges in macrocycle drug design. The Orbis pipeline includes programs against targets validated by blockbuster biologic drugs, with the goal of providing oral alternatives that will enable the treatment of many more patients. In addition, Orbis is developing a pipeline of nCycles for other attractive target classes, both intra- and extra-cellular. Oral macrocycle drugs can potentially address a very wide range of diseases based on their ability to target a majority of the potential molecular targets in the body. After decades of challenging de novo synthesis, the universe of potential macrocycle targets is now available for exploration. Not only can Orbis reach a wealth of new targets, both inside and outside cells, but we can do this while preserving an oral format to pioneer a new therapeutic class of oral macrocycles. Its a milestone for drug development, said Morten Dssing, Chair of the Orbis Board and Partner at Novo Holdings. We believe Orbis has the premier chemistry-led approach in the field, which gives us a distinct data advantage. We can generate hundreds of thousands of diverse compounds in record time and immediately apply a range of functional assays in a high-throughput fashion to each individual compound to home in on winners. Establishing this robust, reliable engine for candidate design was crucial for us as we look to bring macrocycle drugs to major patient populations. Orbis was founded in 2021 by the Seeds Investment team of Novo Holdings, with Mr. Dssing as Executive Chair and Joao Ribas as interim CBO establishing the companys team and building its corporate strategy. The scientific foundation of Orbis was developed by Prof. Christian Heinis and Sevan Habeshian at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL). The broad potential of oral macrocycle drugs to address challenging targets untouchable by small molecules, coupled with recent momentum in the field, makes this an incredibly exciting development, said Marco Boorsma, Ph.D., General Partner at Forbion. With a compelling AI-enabled platform technology, scientific expertise and a clear strategy for growth, Orbis is attracting strong interest for its approach to finally delivering on the promise of this class for medicine. We believe Orbis combinatorial approach and ability to continuously generate big data from real compounds gives them an undeniable opportunity to unlock the potential of orally available macrocycle drugs for significantly larger patient populations. The chemical methods by which Orbis rapidly generates vast libraries of diverse macrocycle compounds ready for immediate assay were previously published in Nature Communications. Authors of the paper, which included Orbis founders Professor Heinis and Dr. Habeshian, detail how the methods draw on a large range of components to build compounds, including both natural and synthetic amino acids, creating an extremely large chemical space for exploration. Additionally, research recently published in Nature Chemical Biology demonstrates nGens ability to deliver nCycles that are orally bioavailable, marking a new era for macrocycle drug discovery. About Orbis Medicines Orbis Medicines is a biotechnology company focused on pioneering a new era for oral macrocycle drug discovery. Macrocycles are a large and diverse family of compounds with highly desirable therapeutic properties, defined by the presence of a cyclic structure. Orbis nGen platform is designed to systematically explore the macrocycle chemical space using a highly automated chemistry platform and deliver oral macrocycle drug candidates nCycles suitable for both intra- and extracellular targets. Orbis programs are focused on high-value oral alternatives to blockbuster biologic drugs and targets challenging for established modalities. Orbis was founded by Novo Holdings. For more information, please visit: www.orbismedicines.com 1About nGen nGen is Orbis technology platform for generating oral macrocycle drug candidates, which it calls nCycles. It consists of multiple proprietary integrated elements starting with hit finding libraries of 100 billion compounds. Hits identified are progressed using Orbis highly automated chemistry-based platform that rapidly creates and tests hundreds of thousands of individual analogues with a full suite of assays to identify the most desirable ones. The scale and quality of the data produced from these real compounds, paired with machine learning, creates an industry-leading platform that de-risks and accelerates development. Recently published research in Nature Chemical Biology demonstrates nGen's ability to deliver nCycles that are orally bioavailable, marking a new era for macrocycle drug discovery. About Novo Holdings A/S Novo Holdings is a holding and investment company that is responsible for managing the assets and the wealth of the Novo Nordisk Foundation. The purpose of Novo Holdings is to improve peoples health and the sustainability of society and the planet by generating attractive long-term returns on the assets of the Novo Nordisk Foundation. Wholly owned by the Novo Nordisk Foundation, Novo Holdings is the controlling shareholder of Novo Nordisk A/S and Novozymes A/S and manages an investment portfolio with a long-term return perspective. In addition to managing a broad portfolio of equities, bonds, real estate, infrastructure and private equity assets, Novo Holdings is a world-leading life sciences investor. Through its Seeds, Venture, Growth, and Principal Investments teams, Novo Holdings invests in life science companies at all stages of development. As of year-end 2022, Novo Holdings had total assets of EUR 108 billion. www.novoholdings.dk About Forbion Forbion is a dedicated life sciences venture capital firm with offices in The Netherlands and Germany. Forbion invests in life sciences companies that are active in the biopharmaceutical space, managing 3 billion across multiple fund strategies that cover all stages of biopharmaceutical drug development. The firms current team consists of more than 30 life sciences investment professionals that have built an impressive performance track record since the late nineties with investments in over 100 companies across 8 funds. Forbions record of sourcing, building and guiding life sciences companies has resulted in many breakthrough therapies and valuable exits. In addition to its financial return objectives, Forbion selects investments that will positively affect the health and well-being of patients. The firm is a signatory to the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment. More information can be found at www.forbion.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240229750710/en/ Media: Kit Rodophele Ten Bridge Communications 617-999-9620 [email protected] Source: Orbis Medicines HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Orion S.A. (NYSE: OEC), a specialty chemical company, today announced that it will hold its 2024 annual general meeting of shareholders on Thursday, June 20, 2024, at 2:00 pm Central European Time at the companys office, located at 6, Route de Treves, L-2633 Senningerberg (Municipality of Niederanven), Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. The company also set its record date for the admission of the companys shareholders to its annual general meeting to April 26, 2024, at 11:59 pm Central European Time. The company will make it possible to attend its annual general meeting virtually and to exercise shareholder rights in advance of the meeting by means of remote communication. About Orion S.A. Orion S.A. (NYSE: OEC) is a leading global supplier of carbon black, a solid form of carbon produced as powder or pellets. The material is made to customers exacting specifications for tires, coatings, ink, batteries, plastics and numerous other specialty, high-performance applications. Carbon black is used to tint, colorize, provide reinforcement, conduct electricity, increase durability, and add UV protection. Orion has innovation centers on three continents and 14 plants worldwide, offering the most diverse variety of production processes in the industry. The companys corporate lineage goes back more than 160 years to Germany, where it operates the worlds longest-running carbon black plant. Orion is a leading innovator, applying a deep understanding of customers needs to deliver sustainable solutions. For more information, please visit orioncarbons.com. Forward-Looking Statements This document contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are statements of future expectations that are based on current expectations and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance, or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of the particular statement. New risk factors and uncertainties emerge from time to time, and it is not possible to predict all risk factors and uncertainties, nor can we assess the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events, or other information, other than as required by applicable law. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240229657111/en/ Wendy Wilson Orion S.A. Head of Investor Relations [email protected] +1 281-974-0155 William Foreman Orion S.A. Director of Corporate Communications and Government Affairs [email protected] Direct: +1 832-445-3305 Mobile: +1 281-889-7833 Source: Orion Engineered Carbons S.A. OSHKOSH, Wis.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE: OSK), a leading innovator of purpose-built vehicles and equipment, announced today that it has invested in Eatron Technologies, a pioneering developer of Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered Battery Management Software (BMS). Oshkoshs investment in Eatron supports its vision to leverage advanced analytics and predictive modeling for lithium-ion batteries to manage its wide range of electric vehicles. The investment in Eatron Technologies is part of our broader strategy to collaborate with advanced technology companies to accelerate bringing best in class innovation to our customers, said John Pfeifer, president and chief executive officer of Oshkosh Corporation. AI-enabled BMS aligns to our electrification and advanced analytics focus areas. It will bring enhanced safety and continuous performance optimization to our EV product line. Eatron is developing smarter battery management technology by implementing an intelligent software layer on top of existing battery control platforms that can be hosted on the cloud or on the edge. Its BMS combines models of the battery with AI and advanced estimation methods, to ensure accurate and reliable predictions about the batterys state, health and operation. Funding from Oshkosh Corporation will enable Eatron to develop and deploy new embedded and cloud-based features for our unique software platform. The world is increasingly moving towards software-defined vehicles and batteries, and we are at the forefront of offering intelligent software solutions to speed up this transformation, said Dr. Umut Genc, founder and CEO of Eatron. Oshkosh Corporation is an industrial technology company dedicated to making a difference in peoples lives. The companys investment is part of Eatrons broader capital raise to develop advanced battery management solutions. For more information on Oshkosh innovation, please visit Oshkoshcorp.com. About Oshkosh Corporation At Oshkosh (NYSE: OSK), we make innovative, mission-critical equipment to help everyday heroes advance communities around the world. Headquartered in Wisconsin, Oshkosh Corporation employs approximately 17,000 team members worldwide, all united behind a common purpose: to make a difference in peoples lives. Oshkosh products can be found in more than 150 countries under the brands of JLG, Hinowa, Power Towers, Pierce, MAXIMETAL, Oshkosh Defense, McNeilus, IMT, Jerr-Dan, Frontline Communications, Oshkosh Airport Products, Oshkosh AeroTech and Pratt Miller. For more information, visit www.oshkoshcorp.com. , All brand names referred to in this news release are trademarks of Oshkosh Corporation or its subsidiary companies. About Eatron Technologies Eatron is a fast-growing technology company dedicated to unlocking the full potential of batteries with intelligent software for all vehicle and battery manufacturers worldwide. Eatron develops AI-powered edge-to-cloud connected software platforms for better, safer, durable and greener batteries in automotive, mobility and beyond. More information is available at www.eatron.com. Forward Looking Statements This news release contains statements that the Company believes to be forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical fact, including, without limitation, statements regarding the Companys future financial position, business strategy, targets, projected sales, costs, earnings, capital expenditures, debt levels and cash flows, and plans and objectives of management for future operations, are forward-looking statements. When used in this news release, words such as may, will, expect, intend, estimate, anticipate, believe, should, project or plan or the negative thereof or variations thereon or similar terminology are generally intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties, assumptions, and other factors, some of which are beyond the Companys control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These factors include risks related to the Companys ability to successfully execute on its strategic road map and meet its long-term financial goals. Additional information concerning these and other factors is contained in the Companys filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this news release. The Company assumes no obligation, and disclaims any obligation, to update information contained in this news release. Investors should be aware that the Company may not update such information until the Companys next quarterly earnings conference call, if at all. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240229445668/en/ Financial: Patrick Davidson Senior Vice President, Investor Relations 920.502.3266 Media: Tim Gilman Senior Manager, Communications and Branding 920-509-0617 Source: Oshkosh Corporation TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Postmedia Network Canada Corp. (PNCC or the Company), Andrew MacLeod and Gillian Akai today announced that Mr. MacLeod and Ms. Akai have each exercised 110,965 Restricted Share Units (RSUs) and will each receive 110,965 class C voting shares in the capital of the Company (Voting Shares) as a result of such exercises. Mr. MacLeod is the current President and Chief Executive Officer and a director of the Company. Ms. Akai is the current Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel of the Company. The RSUs were granted to Mr. MacLeod and Ms. Akai in 2018 as part of their long-term incentive compensation pursuant to and in accordance with the Companys Restricted Share Unit Plan. After giving effect to the RSU exercises and receipt of Voting Shares upon such exercises described above: (a) Mr. MacLeod would own or control, directly or indirectly (i) 110,965 Voting Shares (representing approximately 37.9% of the outstanding Voting Shares) and (ii) voting securities of the Company representing approximately 19.0% of the votes attaching to all classes of outstanding shares of the Company; and (b) Ms. Akai would own or control, directly or indirectly (i) 110,965 Voting Shares (representing approximately 37.9% of the outstanding Voting Shares) and (ii) voting securities of the Company representing approximately 19.0% of the votes attaching to all classes of outstanding shares of the Company. Each of Mr. MacLeod and Ms. Akai will own the Voting Shares for investment purposes and may increase or decrease his or her investment in these or other securities of the Company, subject to any contractual restrictions. In connection with the RSU exercises described above, the Company entered into negative voting agreements (the Negative Voting Agreements) with each of Mr. MacLeod and Ms. Akai in respect of the RSUs and the Voting Shares to be received by Mr. MacLeod and Ms. Akai pursuant to the RSU exercises. The Negative Voting Agreements contain, among other provisions, a negative voting covenant on the part of Mr. MacLeod and Ms. Akai, as well as share transfer restrictions for a minimum of seven years, a covenant to convert the Voting Shares into Class NC variable voting shares in the capital of the Company (Variable Voting Shares) upon notice by the Companys board of directors (the Board) and a standstill provision. Prior to the exercise, the Board waived the requirement that the RSU holder not receive Variable Voting Shares on exercise of such RSUs, which requirement was previously imposed by the Board. This press release is being issued by Mr. MacLeod and Ms. Akai pursuant to National Instrument 62-103 - The Early Warning System and Related Take-Over Bid and Insider Reporting Issues. Early warning reports regarding the exercises of the RSUs and receipt of Voting Shares by Mr. MacLeod and Ms. Akai will be filed on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca under PNCCs issuer profile. To obtain a copy of the early warning reports filed by Mr. MacLeod and Ms. Akai, please contact John Bode at (647) 273-9287 or refer to the Companys SEDAR+ profile. Mr. MacLeod and Ms. Akai can be contacted at 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4. Additional Information Additional information, including financial statements and managements discussion and analysis can be found on the Companys website or on SEDAR. About Postmedia Network Canada Corp. Postmedia Network Canada Corp. (TSX:PNC.A, PNC.B) is the holding company that owns Postmedia Network Inc., a Canadian newsmedia company representing more than 130 brands across multiple print, online, and mobile platforms. Award-winning journalists and innovative product development teams bring engaging content to millions of people every week whenever and wherever they want it. This exceptional content, reach and scope offers advertisers and marketers compelling solutions to effectively reach target audiences Our expertise in home delivery and expanding distribution network powers Postmedia Parcel Services. For more information, visit www.postmedia.com, www.postmediasolutions.com and www.postmediaparcelservices.com. The Companys head office is located at 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240229079490/en/ For more information: Media Contact Postmedia Communications [email protected] (647) 273-9287 Investor Contact John Bode Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Transformation Officer [email protected] Source: Postmedia Network Canada Corp. PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Regulatory News: TotalEnergies (Paris: TTE) (LSE: TTE) (NYSE: TTE) has signed a sale and purchase agreement (SPA) with Sembcorp Fuels, a wholly owned subsidiary of Singapore-based Sembcorp Industries. The deal entails the delivery of up to 0.8 million tons of liquefied natural gas (LNG) per annum (Mtpa) for a duration of sixteen years, commencing in 2027. The LNG will be sourced from TotalEnergies global portfolio. This new agreement adds to the companies current SPA, which runs until 2029. By supplying this additional LNG supply to Singapore, TotalEnergies is contributing to the countrys energy security and to its decarbonization goals. This deal also reflects TotalEnergies commitment to supporting its customers in their transition to greater sustainability. *** TotalEnergies, the worlds third largest LNG player and Europe's leading regasification operator TotalEnergies is the worlds third largest LNG player with a market share of around 12% and a global portfolio of about 50 Mt/y thanks to its interests in liquefaction plants in all geographies. The Company benefits from an integrated position across the LNG value chain, including production, transportation, access to more than 20 Mt/y of regasification capacity in Europe, trading, and LNG bunkering. TotalEnergies ambition is to increase its LNG production and long-term purchases by 50% by 2030, while continuing to reduce carbon emissions and eliminating the methane emissions associated with the gas value chain. The Company also works with local partners to promote the transition from coal to natural gas. About TotalEnergies TotalEnergies is a global multi-energy company that produces and markets energies: oil and biofuels, natural gas and green gases, renewables and electricity. Our more than 100,000 employees are committed to energy that is ever more affordable, more sustainable, more reliable and accessible to as many people as possible. Active in nearly 130 countries, TotalEnergies puts sustainable development in all its dimensions at the heart of its projects and operations to contribute to the well-being of people. @TotalEnergies - TotalEnergies - TotalEnergies - TotalEnergies Cautionary Note The terms TotalEnergies, TotalEnergies company or Company in this document are used to designate TotalEnergies SE and the consolidated entities that are directly or indirectly controlled by TotalEnergies SE. Likewise, the words we, us and our may also be used to refer to these entities or to their employees. The entities in which TotalEnergies SE directly or indirectly owns a shareholding are separate legal entities. This document may contain forward-looking information and statements that are based on a number of economic data and assumptions made in a given economic, competitive and regulatory environment. They may prove to be inaccurate in the future and are subject to a number of risk factors. Neither TotalEnergies SE nor any of its subsidiaries assumes any obligation to update publicly any forward-looking information or statement, objectives or trends contained in this document whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Information concerning risk factors, that may affect TotalEnergies financial results or activities is provided in the most recent Universal Registration Document, the French-language version of which is filed by TotalEnergies SE with the French securities regulator Autorite des Marches Financiers (AMF), and in the Form 20-F filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240228685505/en/ TotalEnergies Subsidiary : Phone Number l mail address l Twitter Media Relations: +33 (0)1 47 44 46 99 l [email protected] l @TotalEnergiesPR Investor Relations: +33 (0)1 47 44 46 46 l [email protected] Source: TOTALENERGIES SE For months, Germany has been engaged in a debate about where to draw the line on aid to Ukraine, fearing that the delivery of weapons could ultimately spark open warfare with Russia. Despite both internal and external pressures, Chancellor Olaf Scholz is standing firm for now on his refusal to send Taurus missiles to prevent what he believes could draw Germany into the conflict. I am surprised that this doesnt move some people, that they dont even think about whether, as it were, a participation in the war could emerge from what we do, said the German head of government on Tuesday regarding a decision he had made back in October, but which he had never publicly clarified until now. The Chancellors comments once again drew criticism from within his coalition government formed by the Social Democratic Party (SPD), the Greens and the Free Democratic Party (FDP). Agnieszka Brugger, vice-chairwoman of the Greens parliamentary group, pointed out that she and her party had been opposed from the outset to the exclusion of certain weapons systems in the context of support for Ukraine. The Greens defense expert told the Deutschlandfunk radio station that it was entirely possible to supply Kyiv with Taurus missiles without the involvement of German soldiers. We must do everything possible to prevent a Russian victory, also in the interest of Germanys own security, she explained. Scholz discussed the Taurus missiles after returning from Paris, where a meeting was held Monday with leaders and ministers of the European Union, as well as representatives of the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States. While all countries present at the meeting concurred that Ukraine needs substantial support in terms of armaments, there is one red line that the German Chancellor is not yet willing to cross. This is the sending of the powerful long-range missiles, precision-guided weapons that can reach targets 500 kilometers away. Moscow is situated within this radius from the Russian-Ukrainian border. The Ukrainian government requested the delivery of these missiles in May last year so that it could attack Russian infrastructure away from the front line. For the first time, the Social Democrat politician openly explained why he has not yet granted his approval. We must not be linked at any time and in any place to the targets pursued by these missiles, he told a conference organized by the German news agency DPA. Scholz said the risk of Germany being drawn into the war is too big and pointed out that Ukraines current needs are primarily for ammunition. This clarity is necessary. The dispute over the supply of Taurus cruise missiles has been rumbling in the coalition government for months. Not even the fact that Germany has become Ukraines second major arms supplier, behind the United States, and has supplied Leopard tanks also controversial at the time and all kinds of equipment and weapons like air defense systems would seem to have changed Scholzs opinion concerning one of the Air Forces most modern missiles. The Bundestag vice-president, Katrin Goring-Eckardt, of the Greens also voiced criticism of Scholz. No one calling for Taurus (missiles) for Ukraine wants Germany to become part of the war, she said. However, for peace in Europe and beyond, it is essential for Ukraine to prevail in this defense battle, pointed out the politician, who recalled that the gravest danger for Ukraine and for Germany is still that Russian president, Vladimir Putin, continues to have the upper hand and to pursue his imperialist campaign. Meanwhile, liberal politician Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, chairwoman of the Bundestag Defense Committee, told the Welt TV channel that she was astounded and rejected that German soldiers would have to go to Ukraine to ready these missiles, as Scholz claims. The federal chancellors assertion is false, she stressed and explained that Ukrainian soldiers can learn how to operate them in Germany. Strack-Zimmermann also dismissed fears that Taurus missiles could be reprogrammed by the Ukrainians to attack targets in Russia that Germany would not approve of. This would mean that Germany could be drawn into the war and she recalled that there are already numerous German-produced programmed weapons in Ukraine. Criticism from the opposition Criticism poured in from the opposition as well. The claim that the surrender of Taurus (missiles) would make Germany a party to the war is simply untrue from a legal perspective and infamous from a political point of view, wrote Christian Democratic Union (CDU) foreign policy expert Norbert Rottgen on the social network X. The Taurus is not a miracle weapon, but it is strategically important because it allows the Ukrainians to destroy positions in the occupied territories without advancing to the front line themselves. The Taurus would therefore protect both soldiers and civilians. The conservatives are demanding the delivery of the Taurus missiles and Scholzs coalition allies are also mostly in favor. However, a resolution in the Bundestag (lower house of parliament) requesting the handing over of these missiles was rejected last week. Scholz has repeatedly insisted that the criteria for the supply of weapons always involves close coordination with the U.S., which also does not supply this missile system, unlike France and the U.K. Currently, Scholz can count on the support of the Germans. According to the latest RTL and ntv poll, 56% of Germans believe his decision to be correct and feel that Germany should not provide Ukraine with these weapons. In contrast, 35% of those surveyed are in favor of the provision. For Scholz, it is important for there to be a debate on this issue in public opinion. We have to hang on for a long time. In a democracy and in a country that supports freedom, this is only possible if the majority of citizens are convinced that this is the right thing to do. In addition, Scholz was also quick to close the door opened by French President Emmanuel Macron regarding a possible dispatch of Western troops to Ukraine. There will be no ground troops, no soldiers on Ukrainian soil dispatched there by European countries or NATO states, and the soldiers who are active in our countries will not be taking an active part in the war. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Sonen Capital, a leading impact investment and advisory firm headquartered in San Francisco, CA, is pleased to announce the appointment of Simone Balch as its Chief Growth Officer. In her role, Simone will leverage her wealth of experience to spearhead strategic growth initiatives and drive Sonen's expansion to deliver bespoke impact investment solutions to the market. With a proven track record of accelerating growth and achieving exceptional results, Simone brings more than 25 years of investment and private wealth management expertise to Sonen. She will play a key role in crafting and executing strategic initiatives designed to enhance the expansion of Sonens global impact investment management and advisory services. Prior to joining Sonen Capital, she was the Regional Director of business development for private clients and family offices at Cambridge Associates. Simone has also played key roles in expanding markets and growing businesses at Matthews Asia, Diamond Dragon Advisors, Developing World Markets, and Goldman Sachs. "We are thrilled to welcome Simone to the Sonen Capital team," said Bob Goldstein, Sonens CEO. "Her extensive experience and strategic vision make her the ideal person to lead our growth initiatives as we continue to expand our business and drive positive change in the world of impact investing. We are confident that Simone will lead our expansion efforts to new heights." In addition to overseeing the sales and marketing team, Simone will serve as a member of the Sonen Capital executive team and contribute to the overall direction and strategy of the firm. Simone arrives at a period of expansion and significant progress towards realizing Sonens strategic vision to become the trusted partner of choice for asset owners seeking investment solutions to tackle the worlds most urgent challenges. About Sonen Capital Sonen Capital is a leading impact investment manager and advisory firm registered with the SEC. Founded in 2011, Sonen provides innovative impact investment and advisory solutions to families, foundations, institutions, and other advisors. Sonen believes that investing to generate financial returns and lasting social and environmental impact are not only compatible, but also mutually reinforcing objectives. A certified B Corp with a 149.6 B Impact Score, Sonen works with clients to develop and manage impact investment strategies and portfolios across all investment areas and asset classes. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240229306101/en/ Sonen Capital Amando Balbuena [email protected] 415-528-3608 Source: Sonen Capital Company Expands Organic Dairy Farm Network to Strengthen the Future of Sustainable Organic Dairy Farming PETALUMA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Straus Family Creamery, renowned for its minimally processed premium organic dairy products and leadership in sustainable organic farming, announces its new Organic Dairy Sustainability Incentive Program, and new farm partnerships as it celebrates a 30-year legacy of environmental stewardship and organic dairy products. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240229138593/en/ Straus Family Creamerys groundbreaking practice-based incentive program which is among the first of its kind from a dairy processor supports its supplying organic dairy farms in achieving carbon neutrality by 2030. (Photo: Business Wire) Driven by Founder Albert Straus vision to create a sustainable organic farming and food system that supports environmental and economic resilience in rural farming communities, Straus Family Creamerys mission and values focus on helping sustain family farms while protecting the environment, local economies, and the people who live and work in the community. New Organic Dairy Sustainability Incentive Program Recognizing the urgent need for collective action in reducing climate change and strengthening the farming and food system, Straus Family Creamerys groundbreaking practice-based incentive program which is among the first of its kind from a dairy processor supports its supplying organic dairy farms in achieving carbon neutrality by 2030. The incentives are tied to implementing on-farm climate solutions from Straus Family Creamerys replicable carbon-neutral organic dairy farming model that will reduce on-farm greenhouse emissions to net zero and help advance the companys mission. Incentives are paid monthly and allocated to farms based on qualified practice implementation, not through the purchase of offsets or based on post-practice results. In the first year, the program has paid a total of $250,000 in incentives. The financial incentive program is rooted in organic agriculture, which is better for the climate and enhances water, soil quality, and biodiversity. Each farm must adhere to the United States Department of Agricultures National Organic Program. Straus Family Creamerys incentive program encourages the development and implementation of: A recent World Wildlife Fund report, Reducing Greenhouse Gases with Incentives at the Farm: How companies are moving from setting climate targets to delivering on them, outlined the Creamery's collaborative approach with its partner dairies. The success sets a new industry standard while underscoring Straus Family Creamery's unwavering commitment to environmental leadership. We could not execute this program and our 2030 net carbon neutral goal without the mutual collaboration and innovation of our entire network of organic dairy farms. These farms are key stakeholders in helping us advance a sustainable organic dairy farm model and a more resilient food system, said Joseph Button, Vice President of Sustainability and Strategic Impact. Strengthening the Sustainable Organic Farming Community According to the new USDA 2022 Census of Agriculture report released this month, the number of U.S. dairy farms shrunk from 39,303 in 2017 to 24,082 in 2022. Yet, at this time when dairy farms nationwide continue to collapse, Straus Family Creamery continues to employ practices that reduce climate impact while simultaneously helping uphold the economic viability of sustainable organic dairy farming. The company recently expanded its supplier group to welcome three new farms: Moretti Family Farm (joined July 2023), Robert McClelland Dairy (joined November 2023), and Nosecchi Family Dairy (joined January 2024). These additions underscore the Creamery's mission-driven commitment to rural community revitalization and collaborative development of climate solutions. With Founder Albert Straus own Straus Dairy Farm as a model, Straus Family Creamery continues to lead by example, inspiring a new era of sustainable organic dairy farming. Each year, farmers must farm with challenging climate conditions, increased expenses, and operating costs while needing to be economically viable, said Albert Straus, founder of Straus Family Creamery. We want to support farmers, their stewardship of the land, and animal welfare, and help them innovate. Thats why we are creating a carbon neutral organic dairy farming model that enables these farms to succeed to the next generation. A History of Doing Business Right As the brand celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, it reflects on trailblazing milestones, including becoming the first 100 percent certified organic creamery in the United States in 1994, the first non-GMO project-verified creamery in North America in 2010, and the first creamery in the world to receive TRUE Zero Waste Certification. New in January 2024, is a line of organic lowfat kefirs. The organic kefir blueberry is a NEXTY Award Finalist for Best New Certified Organic Product. For those attending Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, California, look for the Straus Family Creamery team to sample the organic kefir at the Fresh Ideas Organic Marketplace tent on Wednesday, March 13, from 11 am to 4 pm. About Straus Family Creamery Based in Petaluma, CA, Straus Family Creamery is a Northern California certified organic creamery that crafts premium products with high-quality organic milk and ingredients. Focusing on minimal processing for superior taste and nutritional integrity, Straus Family Creamery offers milk, cream, kefir, yogurt, ice cream, butter, sour cream, and a variety of wholesale and specialty dairy products, sold in the Western United States. Its organic yogurt, butter, and ice cream are available across expanded regions of the country. Products can be found via the companys store locator. Straus organic dairy products are made with organic milk supplied by family farms in Marin and Sonoma Counties, including the Straus Dairy Farm, which was the first certified organic dairy farm west of the Mississippi River. Straus Family Creamery, the first 100 percent certified organic creamery in the United States, when it launched in 1994, continues to make business decisions based on its mission. For more than 30 years, Straus Family Creamery has been blazing a trail to forge transformation of a farming and food system and to create a replicable model while remaining focused on the heart of organic farming. Organic farming is, and always has been, regenerative. Straus Family Creamery was founded by Albert Straus, a second-generation dairy farmer and climate action pioneer whose Straus Dairy Farm is currently on track to implement a carbon-neutral organic dairy farming model, believed to be the first of its kind. Straus Family Creamery is collaborating and innovating with its supplying dairy farms to reach carbon neutrality by 2030. Straus Family Creamerys Organic Dairy Sustainability Incentive Program launched in 2023. The family-owned business collaborates with and advocates for local organic dairy farmers; the farms utilize 100 percent organic practices and regenerate soil through carbon farming. Learn more about the Straus difference at StrausFamilyCreamery.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240229138593/en/ Straus Family Creamery Shereen Mahnami, Director of Communications 707.776.2887 x2149 [email protected] Postcard Communications Mindy Fox [email protected] Source: Straus Family Creamery SAO PAULO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Suzano, the worlds largest pulp producer, announces its financial statements for the full fiscal year of 2023. Total investment of R$18.6 billion in 2023, a 14% increase on FY22 FY23 Net revenues of R$39.8 billion, a 20% decrease on FY22 FY23 Adjusted EBITDA of R$18.3 billion, a 35% decrease on FY22 FY23 Operating cash generation of R$11.6 billion, a 49% decrease on FY22 FY23 Pulp sales totalled 10.2 million tons, a 4% decrease on FY22 FY23 Paper sales totalled 1.3 million tons, a 1% decrease on FY22 Despite the marked decline in global pulp prices over the course of 2023, Suzano has invested over R$18bn to guarantee its future success. It is currently finalising the construction of the Cerrado Project, the worlds largest single-line pulp mill, and has expanded its forestry estate, safeguarding supply and enhancing future competitiveness. Walter Schalka, CEO of Suzano, said: Our investment cycle, including the highest annual investment ever, in 2023, represents the largest in our centennial history with over R$50 billion spent between 2019 and 2023. A further R$16.5 billion will be invested in 2024. In parallel, we have maintained strong cash generation and kept net debt at a sustainable level of US$11.5 billion, reflecting our commitment to strategic growth and financial discipline. We faced a challenging scenario in 2023 and our results demonstrate the companys resilience to generate value for our stakeholders. With the start-up of Cerrado Project, our structural competitiveness will be more robust in the coming years. As the main initiative in Suzanos current investment plan, the Cerrado Project will be operational by June 2024 and involves total investment of R$22.2 billion. The new mill will add 2.55 million tons of pulp to the companys current installed capacity of 10.9 million tons of pulp per year. Other major investments in 2023 include the acquisition of Kimberly-Clarks tissue assets in Brazil, the expansion of its forests and landholdings base and the modernization of the Jacarei and Aracruz units and port terminals. The company also announced investments to build a tissue paper mill in Aracruz and a project to quadruple the fluff pulp production capacity in Limeira mill. Fluff pulp is the raw material used for manufacturing personal hygiene products, such as baby and adult diapers and sanitary napkins. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240228824025/en/ Hawthorn Advisors Jamie Plotnek [email protected] Source: Suzano Awards presented at the 2024 Goddard School Franchisee Convention in Orlando, FL KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- The 2024 Goddard School Franchisee Convention concluded yesterday with the presentation of awards honoring franchisees who have made momentous contributions to the Goddard system and their communities across the country. The awards were selected and presented by Goddard Systems, the manager of The Goddard School franchise system, the nations leading provider of premium early childhood education. The 2024 Goddard School Franchisee Convention served as an opportunity to celebrate our franchisees successand there was a lot to celebrate and collaborate on building an inspiring future together, said Dennis R. Maple, chairman and CEO of Goddard Systems. One of the events highlights was honoring our award winners, a collection of exceptional franchisees who have consistently gone above and beyond to serve their families, faculties and communities, as well as the entire Goddard School system. On behalf of our Goddard Systems team, I congratulate our award winners and thank them for their steadfast commitment to making the world a better place through early childhood education. The franchisee awards and respective winners: The Goddard Chairmans Award Melanie and Bill Hyatt, The Goddard Schools of Greenville and Simpsonville, SC : Honoring a franchisee for their groundbreaking contributions to the Goddard system while demonstrating unwavering brand stewardship, The Goddard Chairman's Award is the companys highest honor and pays homage to Goddards past and present leaders, Joe and Phil Schumacher and Dennis Maple. The Hyatts are deeply engaged franchisees, serving on the Goddard Systems Advisory Council and multiple Franchisee Input Groups, and have been recognized as a member of the Goddard School Circle of Excellence, which honors the top-performing Goddard Schools nationwide. They have set a standard within their schools for operational and educational excellence and have built long-standing relationships with their faculty and families. : Honoring a franchisee for their groundbreaking contributions to the Goddard system while demonstrating unwavering brand stewardship, The Goddard Chairman's Award is the companys highest honor and pays homage to Goddards past and present leaders, Joe and Phil Schumacher and Dennis Maple. The Hyatts are deeply engaged franchisees, serving on the Goddard Systems Advisory Council and multiple Franchisee Input Groups, and have been recognized as a member of the Goddard School Circle of Excellence, which honors the top-performing Goddard Schools nationwide. They have set a standard within their schools for operational and educational excellence and have built long-standing relationships with their faculty and families. The Goddard Lifetime Achievement Award Presented posthumously to Fran Lubbs, The Goddard Schools of Royersford and Wayne, PA : The Goddard Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes a franchisee or Goddard Systems leader who, during their lifetime, has made momentous contributions of outstanding significance to the Goddard School brand and reputation. This years award was presented posthumously to Fran Lubbs, who served as a Goddard Systems employee before transitioning to the role of franchisee in 2001. Lubbs always said the world is changed one child at a time and she used her years in the early childhood education field to change the world for the better, not only in her own schools but through her mentorship of others. : The Goddard Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes a franchisee or Goddard Systems leader who, during their lifetime, has made momentous contributions of outstanding significance to the Goddard School brand and reputation. This years award was presented posthumously to Fran Lubbs, who served as a Goddard Systems employee before transitioning to the role of franchisee in 2001. Lubbs always said the world is changed one child at a time and she used her years in the early childhood education field to change the world for the better, not only in her own schools but through her mentorship of others. The Schumacher Resiliency Award Rick Beechy, The Goddard School of Uniontown, OH : Named for Phil and Joe Schumacher, former Goddard Systems leaders, the Schumacher Resiliency Award serves as a beacon for franchisees who have used their capabilities to foresee, plan for, act on and adjust as needed to change or challenges to endure and thrive. Beechy opened his school in 2008 during the Global Financial Crisis with just 14 students and 7 teachers, but through perseverance and dedication has built his school into a premier destination for both families and educators. : Named for Phil and Joe Schumacher, former Goddard Systems leaders, the Schumacher Resiliency Award serves as a beacon for franchisees who have used their capabilities to foresee, plan for, act on and adjust as needed to change or challenges to endure and thrive. Beechy opened his school in 2008 during the Global Financial Crisis with just 14 students and 7 teachers, but through perseverance and dedication has built his school into a premier destination for both families and educators. The Goddard Humanitarian Award The Chicago Market, which includes 29 Goddard Schools : The Goddard Humanitarian Award honors franchisees who are devoted to the welfare of humanity by making the world a better place through early childhood education. The Chicagoland Goddard Schools coordinate two market-wide charitable events each year: a book drive supporting Bernies Book Bankthey have collected nearly 300,000 books over the last decadeand an essential goods drive supporting Cradles to Crayons. Additionally, individual schools support a number of organizations within their communities. : The Goddard Humanitarian Award honors franchisees who are devoted to the welfare of humanity by making the world a better place through early childhood education. The Chicagoland Goddard Schools coordinate two market-wide charitable events each year: a book drive supporting Bernies Book Bankthey have collected nearly 300,000 books over the last decadeand an essential goods drive supporting Cradles to Crayons. Additionally, individual schools support a number of organizations within their communities. The Goddard Outstanding Family Experience Award JoEllen Johnson and Kimberly Camarillo, The Goddard School of Goodyear, AZ : The Goddard Outstanding Family Experience Award recognizes a franchisee who has developed a culture within their school that ensures the schools management teams and faculty members provide the highest level of service to current and prospective families. Johnson and Camarillo go above and beyond for their families by connecting inside and outside of the classroom, including hosting community events and fostering a strong home-to-school connection through fun and engaging activities. : The Goddard Outstanding Family Experience Award recognizes a franchisee who has developed a culture within their school that ensures the schools management teams and faculty members provide the highest level of service to current and prospective families. Johnson and Camarillo go above and beyond for their families by connecting inside and outside of the classroom, including hosting community events and fostering a strong home-to-school connection through fun and engaging activities. The Goddard Emerging Leader Award Erin Anderson, The Goddard School of New Braunfels, TX : The Goddard Emerging Leader Award celebrates a rising star within the Goddard franchise community who became a part of the Goddard system in 2022 or 2023. Before opening in May 2022, Anderson hosted many pre-enrollment events to establish her school within her community, and since opening she has built a strong culture with both her faculty and families. Moreover, she frequently speaks with new franchisees to share best practices for opening a school and fostering employee engagement. : The Goddard Emerging Leader Award celebrates a rising star within the Goddard franchise community who became a part of the Goddard system in 2022 or 2023. Before opening in May 2022, Anderson hosted many pre-enrollment events to establish her school within her community, and since opening she has built a strong culture with both her faculty and families. Moreover, she frequently speaks with new franchisees to share best practices for opening a school and fostering employee engagement. The Goddard Transformational Development Award Stacey Warner and Jordan Zielinski, The Goddard School of Enola, PA: A new award in 2024, the Goddard Transformational Development Award recognizes a franchisee who reinvested in their school through an annex, satellite, or relocation. Warner and Zielinski, a mother-daughter duo with a track record of success, took risks, overcame challenges and forged ahead with the relocation of their existing school. The result is a state-of-the-art facility that opened in November 2022, serves more than 200 students and was honored as a Circle of Excellence member in 2023. A new award in 2024, the Goddard Transformational Development Award recognizes a franchisee who reinvested in their school through an annex, satellite, or relocation. Warner and Zielinski, a mother-daughter duo with a track record of success, took risks, overcame challenges and forged ahead with the relocation of their existing school. The result is a state-of-the-art facility that opened in November 2022, serves more than 200 students and was honored as a Circle of Excellence member in 2023. The Goddard Cornerstone Award Melanie and Bill Hyatt, The Goddard Schools of Greenville and Simpsonville, SC: Another new award, the Goddard Cornerstone Award recognizes a franchisee who has opened a new school and made innovative enhancements. The Hyatts have made a significant impact on the brand and their communities through their willingness to invest in building a new school to serve even more families. They opened The Goddard School of Greenville in January 2023, nearly two decades after opening The Goddard School of Simpsonville. Another new award, the Goddard Cornerstone Award recognizes a franchisee who has opened a new school and made innovative enhancements. The Hyatts have made a significant impact on the brand and their communities through their willingness to invest in building a new school to serve even more families. They opened The Goddard School of Greenville in January 2023, nearly two decades after opening The Goddard School of Simpsonville. The Goddard Brand Ambassador Award : The Goddard Brand Ambassador Award celebrates franchisees who collaborate with their peers to strengthen the Goddard brand and reputation in their local markets. There are four regional winners: Midwest Kim DiMuzio, The Goddard School of Chagrin Falls, OH : DiMuzio is a true collaborator, always willing to offer advice to other franchisees and frequently touring other Goddard Schools to see where they are excelling. Her school is a top-performer and Circle of Excellence member in 2023. Northeast Kristin McNulty, The Goddard School of Dedham, MA : Prior to opening her school in 2020, McNulty was a Goddard parent. Channeling that experience, she strives to serve as a brand ambassador by providing her families with quality curriculum, well developed faculty and an administrative team dedicated to the best family experience. Southeast Jenna Ellis, The Goddard School of Alpharetta (Windward), GA : With an unwavering commitment to nurturing young minds and fostering a supportive learning environment, Ellis embodies the values of excellence, care and innovation. Her focus on collaborative decision-making ensures that families are actively involved in shaping the educational experience for their children. West Shalini Dhiman, The Goddard School of Carlsbad, CA : Dhiman is passionate about the Goddard brand and is committed to providing the highest quality care and education for the children in her school. She is an active member of the Goddard franchise community, always offering to help other franchisees and serving on the Goddard School Advisory Council and multiple Franchisee Input Groups. Her school was a Circle of Excellence member in 2023. : The Goddard Brand Ambassador Award celebrates franchisees who collaborate with their peers to strengthen the Goddard brand and reputation in their local markets. There are four regional winners: For more information about The Goddard School, please visit GoddardSchool.com, and to learn about franchise opportunities, go to GoddardSchoolFranchise.com. ABOUT GODDARD SYSTEMS, LLC Established in 1988, Goddard Systems, LLC, is the manager of The Goddard School franchise system. The Goddard School is the acknowledged leader in the premium early childcare and education market segment. Headquartered in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, Goddard Systems has been consistently named one of the leading franchises in the United States by Entrepreneur (#68 in the 2024 Franchise 500) and one of the top franchise systems in worldwide sales by Franchise Times (#70 in the 2023 Top 400). Additionally, Goddard Systems is included in Franchise Business Reviews Top 200 Franchises, a recognition of the best franchise opportunities based solely on ratings and reviews provided directly by franchise owners. Goddard Systems currently licenses more than 630 Goddard School franchises that serve almost 100,000 students in 37 states and Washington, D.C. For more information, visit GoddardSchoolFranchise.com. ABOUT THE GODDARD SCHOOL Learning for fun. Learning for life. Children learn best through experience. For 36 years, The Goddard School has nurtured the extraordinary in every child, employing academically endorsed methods to ensure that children have fun while learning the skills they need for long-term success in school and in life. The Goddard School provides every child with a warm, caring and safe environment that supports their individual social, emotional and academic development and appreciates their unique talents and personalities. The Goddard Schools proprietary educational programbacked by expert knowledge, data-driven insight and unwavering compassion for growing mindsencourages children to explore their curiosities and interests as they discover the wonder of learning. A team of acknowledged experts in various fields of early childhood education guides the children through their learning journeys. The Goddard School serves almost 100,000 students from six weeks to six years old in 37 states and Washington, D.C. To learn more about The Goddard School, please visit GoddardSchool.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240229319878/en/ Chas Kurtz, [email protected], 267-964-6762 Source: The Goddard School Culinary Council to collect insight from established chefs and restaurateurs, guiding the final development of whole-muscle meat alternatives and growing network of New School Foods restaurants TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Today, plant-based seafood innovator New School Foods announced a partnership with renowned chef Matthew Kenney, who joins the New School Culinary Council (NSCC). NSCC is an invite-only collective of esteemed chefs and restaurateurs around the world; as the company gears up for a commercial launch of its plant-based Salmon Fillet in restaurants later this year, the Council will work closely with New School Foods to guide product ongoing development, recommended preparations, and support the adoption of its whole-muscle, plant-based alternatives that faithfully match the look, cook, texture and taste of ordinary seafood. As an inaugural member of the New School Culinary Council, Chef Kenney will develop brand new recipes throughout the year featuring New School Foods whole-cut salmon filet. Chef Kenneys recipes highlight the menu flexibility & cooking versatility of a whole filet ready for cooking, be it sous vide, baking, roasting, sauteing, smoking, or anything else a chef might want to craft. He will also serve as a New School Foods advocate and consultant, directly working with chefs to ensure New School Foods menu placement, particularly in the Los Angeles area, which Chef Kenney calls home. He will also work closely with New School Foods team by providing ongoing feedback during regular sessions with the product development team ahead of the products 2024 launch. A leading industry expert and globally recognized culinary professional, Chef Kenney continues to drive the cutting edge of innovation in the plant-based category through his company Ascention. When it comes to meat alternatives, there is no more demanding audience than professional chefs. If your product does not look, cook, and taste like the real thing, you are better off in the grocery store, because chefs will not compromise, said Chef Kenney. I speak from first-hand experience when I say that the products New School Foods developed are nothing short of a plant-based miracle. When the New School Foods team visited me, I was stunned by how versatile the product was - how it was a product that I could prepare any way I wanted. It cooks and transforms just like the real thing, raw-to-cooked transition and all, while delivering an amazing taste and texture experience. From Day 0, we developed this product with chefs in mind. As tastemakers, chefs and restaurateurs sit at the intersection between product and consumer they represent a critical piece of the puzzle when it comes to developing a product that consumers crave. If it wont work for a chef, why would the consumer care? said Chris Bryson, Founder and CEO of New School Foods. By putting our fish in the hands of Chef Kenney, not only are we able to make sure our product is battle-tested for the rigors of a commercial kitchen, but were able to provide a diverse range of easy & delicious recipes that are sure to delight and surprise customers, while highlighting the flexibility that comes with the different ways our salmon filet can be cooked. Together, were creating a culinary experience that customers wont believe can be done with plants. New School Foods announced its plant-based salmon filet in February 2023. Developed using its proprietary scaffolding technology, New School Foods salmon marked a number of firsts for the meat alternatives industry, including: The recreation of muscle fibers to mimic the texture of raw meat and fish A Directional Freezing-based technology to allow their whole cuts to be sold raw and provide a clear transition from raw to cooked, just like ordinary meat and fish A novel connective tissue solution that not only preserves the flakiness consumers expect in a good piece of fish, but also broadens the set of technological avenues available to plant-based products available today To date, New School Foods has raised $12 million USD in seed funding from global investors including Lever VC, Blue Horizon, Hatch, Good Startup, Alwyn Capital, Joyance Partners. The company is using the funding to continue deepening its focus in research and development, including expanding its team of food scientists and scaling its scaffolding technology. To learn more about New School Foods, visit newschoolfoods.co. About New School Foods Founded in 2020 and based in Toronto, Canada, New School Foods Inc. develops whole-cut, plant-based seafood that emulates the same texture, taste, nutritional benefits and cooking experience of conventional seafood. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240229758275/en/ Press Contact [email protected] Source: New School Foods Inc. University is recipient for fifth consecutive year of award that highlights academic institutions and faculty with lasting impact on students cybersecurity education and communities PHOENIX--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- University of Phoenix is proud to share it is a recipient of the EC-Council 2023 Academia Circle of Excellence Award for the fifth consecutive year. The EC-Council Academia division awards formally highlight academic institutions and faculty within North America and across the world that excel each year with lasting impacts on their students' cybersecurity education and local communities. As cybercrime continues to be a concern across industries, cybersecurity skills and education are increasingly critical to producing work-ready graduates that remain in-demand in the job market and throughout emerging technology roles. University of Phoenix College of Business and Information Technology builds degree programs and certificates which make critical connections and build student understanding of the ways technology and business evolve together, particularly in the arena of cybersecurity. The College offers programs aligned to select industry-leading EC-Council certification exams as well as EC-Council aligned courses which can be taken individually to focus on specific skills. We are incredibly proud to receive the EC-Council Academia Circle of Excellence Award for the fifth year in a row, states Kathryn Uhles, dean, College of Business and Information Technology at the University. It is our students, working adult learners in the field of cybersecurity, who fuel our pursuit of excellence and drive us to continually innovate and find ways to help address skills gaps in the industry. We are grateful for this recognition, which affirms the work that we are doing to create a lasting impact on our students and their communities. The University works with labor market researchers and expert faculty in their fields, to identify, tag, and map employer sought-after skills in curriculum. Currently, 100% of programs open for new enrollment within the College of Business and Information Technology are skills mapped. We are extremely proud to award University of Phoenix the Circle of Excellence awards based on their commitment to Cybersecurity education at large. Their programs continue to prepare workforce ready professionals with todays emerging technologies and tactical Cybersecurity skills in a flexible model for students and working professionals alike, said Wesley Alvarez, Director of Academics at EC-Council. We are pleased to honor them for the fifth consecutive year with this award, representing elite Cybersecurity programs dedicated to skills-based competencies and fostering student success. University of Phoenix established an alliance with EC-Council seven years ago in order to help expand opportunities for working adult students. The award recognizes the Universitys commitment to making a positive impact in the cybersecurity workforce. The 2023 Academia Circle of Excellence Award is a prestigious honor within the EC-Council and cybersecurity communities; EC-Council has over 1,000 academic partners from K-12, Technical Institutes, Colleges and Universities in North America, each with many faculty and Certified EC-Council Instructors (CEIs). EC-Council organizes annual partner awards to highlight the highest levels of Cybersecurity education, training, executive leadership, and instruction within global communities. This consists of partnered academic institutions, commercial training centers, corporate organizations, CISO's, CEIs, and academic faculty. The Academia Circle of Excellence award recipients are selected based on criteria including the following: Commitment to educate and make a difference in the Cybersecurity workforce Student feedback on EC-Council courses and faculty Evaluation reports post class Student and Alumni Engagement Ratio of students who move on to attempt EC-Council certifications Volume of students educated in Cybersecurity Continuous program development. The Universitys College of Business and Information Technology offers students access to faculty that possess an average of 32.8 years of professional experience. Current faculty includes 399 directors, 188 presidents, 73 Information Technology/System Administrators and 51 chief executive officers. Learn more here about University of Phoenix College of Business and Information Technology cybersecurity programs. About EC-Council EC-Councils sole purpose is to build and refine the cybersecurity profession globally. The company helps organizations, educators, and governments, as well as individuals, to address global workforce problems by developing and curating world-class cybersecurity education programs and certifications while also providing cybersecurity services to some of the largest businesses around the world. Trusted by seven of the Fortune 10, 47 of the Fortune 100, the Department of Defense, the global intelligence community, NATO, and more than 2,000 of the best universities, colleges, and training companies, EC-Council programs have made their way to 140 countries and have set the bar in cybersecurity education. Learn more at www.eccouncil.org. About University of Phoenix University of Phoenix innovates to help working adults enhance their careers and develop skills in a rapidly changing world. Flexible schedules, relevant courses, interactive learning, skills-mapped curriculum for our bachelors and masters degree programs and a Career Services for Life commitment help students more effectively pursue career and personal aspirations while balancing their busy lives. For more information, visit phoenix.edu. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240229975477/en/ Michele Mitchum University of Phoenix [email protected] Source: University of Phoenix Today, Ford Motor (NYSE: F) F-150 Lightning and Mustang Mach-E retail customers are the first of any non-Tesla automaker to gain access to Tesla Superchargers across the U.S. and Canada. According to a Cox Automotive Consumer Sentiment Study, lack of charging stations is the second largest barrier after price when it comes to purchasing an electric vehicle. As EV prices come down, improving access to reliable fast charging is critical to help more customers confidently choose an EV. The 15,000+ available Tesla Superchargers more than double customer access to reliable DC fast charging on the BlueOval Charge Network. Ford is saying thank you to its electric vehicle customers by making the Fast Charging Adapter (NACS) available at no cost to new and existing customers enrolled in the BlueOval Charge Network through June 30, 2024. The adapter is required to charge at upgraded Tesla Superchargers. Ford retail EV customers are the first in the industry to have the opportunity to order the Fast Charging Adapter (NACS), and can reserve by visiting Ford.com/FastChargingAdapter. Retail customers will be eligible to receive a complimentary adapter if ordered by June 30, 2024. Future Ford EV customers can purchase the adapter from Ford for $230.00 (including estimated tax and shipping). Ford Pro commercial customers will be contacted this Spring by mail at the address registered with Ford Pro or via their Ford Pro account manager to order an adapter. The BlueOval Charge Network provides one seamless stored payment account through the FordPass App, or Charge Assist App (soon to be "Public Charge") in the vehicles touchscreen, which eliminates the need for onsite credit card use. Once owners have created an account and activated Plug & Charge, Tesla Superchargers will support Plug & Charge with Ford EVs. This means customers simply have to plug in and charging will automatically start with charges managed through FordPass. In the future, Ford will begin offering next-generation electric vehicles with the North American Charging Standard (NACS) connector built-in, eliminating the need for an adapter to access Tesla Superchargers. GFL Environmental Inc. (NYSE: GFL) today announced the pricing of the previously announced secondary offering (the "Offering") by BCEC-GFL Borrower (Cayman) LP, Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan Board, GFL Borrower II (Cayman) LP, Poole Private Capital, LLC and entities affiliated with HPS Investment Partners, LLC (collectively, the "Selling Shareholders") of 21,000,000 subordinate voting shares (the "Shares"), which represents an increase of 4,000,000 Shares from the previously announced offering size, at the public offering price of US$34.45 per Share. GFL will not receive any proceeds from the Offering. RBC Capital Markets, LLC and RBC Dominion Securities Inc. will act as underwriters for the Offering in the United States and Canada , respectively. The Shares issued pursuant to the Offering will be offered in all provinces and territories of Canada by way of a prospectus supplement (the "Prospectus Supplement") to the Company's short form base shelf prospectus (the "Base Shelf Prospectus"). The Company has filed a registration statement on Form F-10 (the "Form F-10") and will file the Prospectus Supplement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") in accordance with the multi-jurisdictional disclosure system established between Canada and the United States . No securities regulatory authority has either approved or disapproved the contents of this news release. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any province, state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such province, state or jurisdiction. Prospective investors should read the Base Shelf Prospectus, the Prospectus Supplement, when available, and the documents incorporated by reference therein before investing in the Shares. When available, these documents may be accessed for free on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. GXO Logistics, Inc. (NYSE: GXO) today announced that it has made a cash offer to acquire Wincanton plc (Wincanton) under Part 28 of the U.K. Companies Act 2006 (the Acquisition). Under the terms of the offer, each Wincanton shareholder will be entitled to receive 605 pence in cash for each Wincanton share held. GXO has received irrevocable undertakings to accept (or to procure the acceptance of) the offer in respect of, in aggregate, 42,395,691 Wincanton shares and representing approximately 34.0% of the issued share capital of Wincanton as at 29 February 2024. The irrevocable undertakings will cease to be binding in certain situations, including where a third party announces a competing offer where the value of the consideration is more than 695 pence per Wincanton share. The announcement has been issued by GXO through the UKs Regulatory News Service (RNS) under Rule 2.7 of the UK Takeover Code. The Acquisition remains subject to satisfaction of the conditions set out in the announcement, including regulatory clearances. For the full announcement, a copy of this press release and further information, please visit the dedicated transaction microsite at https://gxo.com/information-regarding-cash-offer-for-wincantonplc. Malcolm Wilson, Chief Executive Officer of GXO, said: "Wincanton is a world class business, and we have long been impressed by their high-quality people and diverse customer relationships across key industries. The combination of GXOs technological capabilities and global reach with Wincantons proven expertise in the UK and Ireland markets will enhance our offering for the benefit of both companies current and future customers. Our superior offer reflects our conviction in the value of this business and the opportunities the combined company will realize. GXO has a long heritage in the UK and a demonstrated track record of seamlessly integrating businesses in this market. Were proud that our operations support the growth of UK companies, create high value jobs, and enhance the communities where we operate. As a focused pure play logistics leader, we are committed to investing in superior, differentiated logistics solutions, and we are confident that this combination will generate significant value for our shareholders, customers, and employees alike. Strategic Rationale The GXO Board believes the combination with Wincanton would advance GXOs position as a global pure-play contract logistics leader and create significant value for all stakeholders in several respects: Expands GXOs presence in key strategic growth verticals The combination will expand GXOs offering and customer base in a number of growth verticals in the UK, providing GXO with a springboard to offer industrial services across Europe. GXO has a market-leading service platform for aerospace and defence in the U.S., and the combined company will enhance service for UK customers in that vertical by leveraging GXOs capabilities and expertise. Materially enhances service offering for UK and Ireland customers across a broader range of sectors and geographies This complementary combination will allow new and existing customers to benefit from a broader range of services and capabilities and an expanded global platform. Wincanton customers will have the opportunity to seamlessly globalize their supply chain operations across the 27 countries where GXO operates. Improves operations for UK and Ireland customers through advanced technology GXO prides itself on its technology and automation, and this combination will allow Wincanton customers to enhance the efficiency and resilience of their fulfilment operations through advanced tech deployment. Financial Rationale The transaction is expected to create significant value for shareholders: Provide additional growth opportunities The complementary service offerings, customer portfolios and footprints will provide additional growth opportunities. Highly synergistic The complementary infrastructure and offerings will enable GXO to manage the combined company more efficiently, resulting in greater productivity and lower costs for the benefit of customers. The GXO board expects the combination will lead to full annual net run-rate synergies of 45m (pre-tax), based on procurement, and other operational overlap that can be realised by the end of the third year of integration; and As a result, the GXO Board expects the Acquisition to be immediately accretive to earnings per share, excluding synergies, with double-digit accretion expected on a pro forma basis following the realization of synergies. Transaction Terms The Acquisition provides Wincanton shareholders with a superior value to the CEVA Logistics final offer. The Acquisition represents a premium of approximately: 26% to the increased and final offer price per Wincanton share of 480 pence from CEVA Logistics UK Rose Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of CEVA Logistics S.A., itself a subsidiary of CMA CGM S.A. ( CEVA Logistics ) which was announced on 26 February 2024; ) which was announced on 26 February 2024; 104% to the closing price per Wincanton share of 297 pence on 18 January 2024, being the last business day before the commencement of the offer period being the day before the initial CEVA Logistics offer was announced. About GXO Logistics GXO Logistics, Inc. (NYSE: GXO) is the worlds largest pure-play contract logistics provider and is benefiting from the rapid growth of ecommerce, automation and outsourcing. GXO is committed to providing a diverse, world-class workplace for more than 130,000 team members across more than 970 facilities totaling approximately 200 million square feet. The company partners with the worlds leading blue-chip companies to solve complex logistics challenges with technologically advanced supply chain and ecommerce solutions, at scale and with speed. GXO corporate headquarters is in Greenwich, Connecticut, USA. Visit GXO.com for more information and connect with GXO on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Advisers Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP is acting as legal adviser to GXO, and Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz is acting as legal adviser to GXO in connection with debt finance aspects of the transaction. N.M Rothschild & Sons Limited is acting as lead financial adviser to GXO, and Merrill Lynch International is acting as joint financial adviser and corporate broker to GXO. Important notices N.M. Rothschild & Sons Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in the United Kingdom, is acting exclusively for GXO and for no-one else in connection with this press release and will not be responsible to anyone other than GXO for providing the protections afforded to its clients or for providing advice in connection with the Acquisition or the subject matter of this press release. Merrill Lynch International, a subsidiary of Bank of America Corporation, which is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority in the United Kingdom, is acting exclusively for GXO and for no one else in connection with the matters set out in this press release and will not be responsible to anyone other than GXO for providing the protections afforded to its clients or for providing advice in relation to the subject matter of this press release or any other matters referred to in this press release. Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE: OSK) announced today that it has invested in Eatron Technologies, a pioneering developer of Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered Battery Management Software (BMS). Oshkoshs investment in Eatron supports its vision to leverage advanced analytics and predictive modeling for lithium-ion batteries to manage its wide range of electric vehicles. The investment in Eatron Technologies is part of our broader strategy to collaborate with advanced technology companies to accelerate bringing best in class innovation to our customers, said John Pfeifer, president and chief executive officer of Oshkosh Corporation. AI-enabled BMS aligns to our electrification and advanced analytics focus areas. It will bring enhanced safety and continuous performance optimization to our EV product line. Eatron is developing smarter battery management technology by implementing an intelligent software layer on top of existing battery control platforms that can be hosted on the cloud or on the edge. Its BMS combines models of the battery with AI and advanced estimation methods, to ensure accurate and reliable predictions about the batterys state, health and operation. Funding from Oshkosh Corporation will enable Eatron to develop and deploy new embedded and cloud-based features for our unique software platform. The world is increasingly moving towards software-defined vehicles and batteries, and we are at the forefront of offering intelligent software solutions to speed up this transformation, said Dr. Umut Genc, founder and CEO of Eatron. Oshkosh Corporation is an industrial technology company dedicated to making a difference in peoples lives. The companys investment is part of Eatrons broader capital raise to develop advanced battery management solutions. For more information on Oshkosh innovation, please visit Oshkoshcorp.com. It is Tuesday, February 27, and it is already dark. Civil Guard agents and the Valencia police find an abandoned car in the parking lot of a residential building in the district of El Saler, an area with little traffic near the Gola de Pujol, where the Albufera lake opens onto the Mediterranean Sea. Inside the vehicle they found three bodies, which displayed signs of having been shot to death. The deceased were of Colombian nationality, and the Spanish authorities have not yet provided their identities. But South American media have been able to identify one of them: Roberto Vega Daza, the leader of a criminal gang that has been committing felonies in the Colombian Caribbean for years. On the other side of the Atlantic, almost at the same time as the massacre, a man dressed all in black approaches a house in the Colombian city of Barranquilla. He pulls out a can of spray paint and, in big red letters, writes on the doorway: Game over Vega. That night there is a party. In a high-class neighborhood, Villa Campestre, residents light up the sky with a rain of fireworks. They are celebrating, according to several sources, the death of the last living Vega Daza. Roberto Vega Daza, 33, left Colombia a few months ago fleeing a criminal vendetta, Diogenes Rosero, director of the Atlantic Coast Forum, an organization that promotes democracy in the Caribbean region of the country, told this newspaper. The vendetta, says Rosero, originated on an October afternoon in 2022. Civil Guard experts investigate the scene of the shootings in El Saler (Valencia), early Wednesday morning. Kai Forsterling (EFE) The origin of the vendetta It is Sunday. Jonathan Ospino, the son of one of the leaders of a local gang known as Los Costenos, is celebrating his 21st birthday. He is dressed for an unforgettable day in a white T-shirt and black pants. The El Mediterrane estate, north of Barranquilla, is filled with important people: the capos of several drug-trafficking groups, businessmen from the region, and even public officials, according to two sources who prefer to remain anonymous for their safety. Also there is Roberto Vega Daza, whose life is about to change dramatically. The party does not go as planned. At 7 a.m., after hours of traditional vallenato music and alcohol, a gunfight breaks out. The images published on social networks show a scene of absolute chaos. Attendees hide behind sound equipment, white chairs are thrown everywhere, a symphony of bullets fills the air. It is not known exactly why the fight started, but by the time it is over three people are dead: an attendee, an escort for the Vega Daza family, and Jonathan Ospino. The person accused of killing him is Roberto Vega Daza. Vega Daza escapes in a white Toyota pickup truck. Ospinos relatives shoot at the vehicle but fail to stop it as the van is armored. Vega Daza survives. He was arrested several hours later, but the Colombian authorities released him shortly thereafter. Faced with what they see as a lack of justice, Los Costenos vowed to take revenge. They put a price on his head and those of his relatives: $500,000, according to several sources. The Vega Daza massacre That revenge is carried out eight months later, on June 29, 2023. The Vega Dazas know they are in danger. Someone in Barranquilla has been pasting posters on poles bearing photographs of them and the caption: Most wanted, criminal gang. According to a police report, that day Roberto, his father Rafael Kike Vega Cuello, and his brothers Ronald and Ray, were leaving their house. Suddenly, men climbed onto the walls and roof and opened fire on them. They even threw a grenade. The father and two brothers were killed on the spot. Roberto, wounded in the left leg, managed to escape again and was taken to a nearby clinic. Los Costenos took responsibility for the attack in a video posted on social networks. This action was the consequence of a society tired of the outrages caused by the Vega clan, said three hooded men, dressed entirely in black. They were dedicated to stealing property, money, drugs, and extorting people, who got tired and united to put an end to these people, they continued. Finally, they left a message for those close to Roberto: Let it be clear to them that all his collaborators are on the same path, and anyone who wants to continue at Roberto Vegas side. Vega Daza fled Colombia shortly after the ambush. Some sources placed him in Venezuela, others in Mexico. However, he ended up in Valencia, one of the main entry points for cocaine into Spain, where his life was eventually taken. Spanish authorities have not yet determined the motive behind the crime. No arrests have been made. His Colombian enemies finally caught up with him, sources familiar with the criminal world of Barranquilla tell this newspaper. Although the Vega Dazas have been killed, it is hard for these sources to believe that the vendetta is over. Roberto is survived by his wife and children, as well as a large family in a city that experiences permanent violence. Throughout their 25 years in business, the Vega Dazas have had links to paramilitary groups, the North Coast Cartel which ruled the Caribbean during the 1980s and 1990s and have waged wars with numerous criminal organizations. More recently, they have had disputes with Los Costenos and Colombias largest drug-trafficking group, the Gulf Clan, among others. With or without Vega Dazas associates, violence will not stop in Barranquilla. The city of nearly three million inhabitants is mired in an urban war between various gangs that leaves a relentless trail of death in its wake: there were 733 homicides in 2023. Luis Trejos, a professor of political science at the Universidad del Norte, explained to this newspaper in January that a struggle for power has taken over the south of the city. It is a war between different gangs for control of as much territory as possible with the aim of obtaining profits through extortion and micro-trafficking, among other things. The main actors are the Gulf Clan, Los Rastrojos Costenos, Los Pepes and, precisely, Los Costenos. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition FILE PHOTO: Ray Dalio, the founder of Bridgewater Associates, addresses the panel session at the Business and Philanthropy Forum, during the United Nations Climate Change COP28 conference in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, December 2, 2023. REUTERS/Thomas Mu By Carolina Mandl NEW YORK (Reuters) - Billionaire Ray Dalio, founder of hedge fund Bridgewater Associates, said the Magnificent Seven stocks are a "bit frothy but not in a full-on bubble," with Alphabet and Meta Platforms still "somewhat cheap" and Tesla "somewhat expensive." Dalio made the comments in an analysis of the U.S. stock market he posted on LinkedIn on Thursday aimed to determine if there is a price bubble amid a persistent stocks rally. The Magnificent Seven group - comprised of Google-parent Alphabet, Facebook-parent Meta, Amazon.com, Nvidia, Microsoft, Apple and Tesla - has rallied over 80% since January last year. Dalio concluded that the U.S. stock market as a whole "doesn't look very bubbly," taking into consideration a proprietary formula which includes items such as current prices, new buyers, bullish sentiment and leverage. "These levels are not consistent with past bubbles," the chief investment officer mentor wrote. "Our readings suggest that, while equities may have rallied meaningfully, were unlikely to be in a bubble." The Magnificent Seven's market capitalization has mostly grown in line with earnings, he wrote. Still, Dalio said his confidence for the Magnificent Seven is lower because there is uncertainty about the impact artificial intelligence will have. (Reporting by Carolina Mandl in New York; Editing by Leslie Adler) By Niket Nishant (Reuters) -Stripe's valuation surged to $65 billion in a deal that will allow employees to cash out their stock, the payments service provider said on Wednesday, potentially further delaying its much-awaited initial public offering (IPO). Stripe said the majority of the funds for the deal are being provided by investors, but it will also use some of its own capital to repurchase shares of some current and former employees in the so-called "tender offer." Sources have previously told Reuters that Stripe plans on eventually becoming a public company. "It will definitely reduce the pressure to do IPO as soon as possible. Stripe (reportedly) turned profitable in 2023 and further 1-2 years of such traction would allow for a higher valuation at an IPO," said Alan Vaksman, founding partner at investment firm Launchbay Capital. Stock-based payouts typically comprise a big chunk of the compensation for startup employees, who have no way of converting their shares into cash unless their employer files for an IPO or buys back their shares. Startups can also enlist venture capital investors to buy existing shares held by their employees. Such deals can boost employee morale without diluting ownership. Stripe did not disclose the names of the investors participating in the round. But the Wall Street Journal, which first reported the deal, said Sequoia Capital and Goldman Sachs's growth equity fund were involved. Stripe declined to comment beyond its statement. The company was valued at $50 billion in its last funding round in 2023 where it raised $6.5 billion. It had then said that it did not need the capital to run its business but would use it to cover a tax bill and to provide liquidity to employees. At its peak, Stripe was valued at $95 billion in 2021. (Reporting by Niket Nishant in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun Koyyur) Randolph, VT, Feb. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Applied Research Associates, Inc. (ARA) introduced an exciting advancement for autonomous solutions, previewing their autonomously equipped ground system during the National Defense Industrial Associations Tactical Wheeled Vehicle Conference this week. The tracked platform, shown with payloads for mobility and countermobility operations, is designed with a common deck system to offer modular mission payloads. This platform is the culmination of nearly 30 years of fielding off-road robotic and autonomous technologies said Matt Fordham, ARA vice president. We have been fortunate to work with the Army over the years and feel we are uniquely positioned to deliver the right system at the right time. ARAs platform is built upon a ruggedized, flat deck, rubber-tracked platform. The power plant is a diesel/electric hybrid to meet the Armys needs for operating in theaters with contested logistics, offering sustainability, decreased noise level, and power offload. The platform also meets the Armys requirements for the Small Multipurpose Equipment Transport (S-MET) Increment (Inc) II. ARAs Otonos will serve as the autonomy and robotic architecture. Since the 1990s, ARA has been making some of the worlds most dangerous jobs safer through advances in tele-operation and automation. Otonos is ARAs fourth generation robotics and autonomy architecture for offroad vehicles and equipment. We are clear on the Armys vision and understand the importance of delivering a dynamic platform for an ever-changing world, said ARA Business Development Director Col. John Hall, USA (Ret.). We know now, more than ever, warfighters need systems that offer modularity and sustainability in contested environments. Thanks to modular open systems architecture for payloads, soldiers will be able to leverage the platform for a wide range of mission sets. About ARA Applied Research Associates, Inc. (ARA) was founded in 1979, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to offer science and engineering research to solve problems of national importance. ARA delivers leading-edge products and innovative solutions for national defense, energy, homeland security, aerospace, healthcare, transportation, and manufacturing. With over 2,000 employee-owners at locations in the U.S. and Canada, ARA offers a broad range of technical expertise in defense technologies, civil engineering, computer software and simulation, systems analysis, biomedical engineering, environmental technologies, and blast testing and measurement. Attachment Tyler Gately Applied Research Associates, Inc. [email protected] Source: Applied Research Associates, Inc. PRESS RELEASE Nantes, 29 February 2024 Governance Appointment of Denis Lamoureux, new Chief Financial Officer of Maisons du Monde Maisons du Monde announces today the appointment of Denis Lamoureux as Group Chief Financial Officer. He will start his new role on March 4th and will be part of the Executive Committee. Gilles Lemaire, Group Controlling Director, who has been acting CFO since September 1st, 2023, is appointed Deputy Chief Financial Officer. After six years as CFO of Lacoste, where he made a major contribution to improving performance and sustaining strong growth, Denis Lamoureux joins Maisons du Monde. The Group will benefit from his in-depth knowledge of Retail acquired over nearly twenty years within large international groups managing inspiring brands. Denis Lamoureux declared: "I am very pleased to join Maisons du Monde at this important stage in the redeployment of this European love brand, close to the hearts of its Customers. I look forward to bringing all my experience to the next development stages of this omnichannel reference in Home furnishings." Francois-Melchior de Polignac, CEO of Maisons du Monde, commented: The appointment of Denis Lamoureux as Group CFO is great news for Maisons du Monde. He will contribute his vast experience in Retail, international and Brand businesses, as well as his proven track record in driving change at the finance function. He will play a key role in supporting the deployment of our transformation plan to be announced on 12 March. I would like to extend my warmest thanks to Gilles Lemaire, who has managed the Finance function ad interim over the last few months with great professionalism and remarkable commitment, and who will continue to contribute to it as Deputy Chief Financial Officer. Biography: Denis Lamoureux initially worked in an international tax law firm for two years before joining LVMH, where he spent five years in tax structuring and financing. In 2008, he joined Maus Freres International, where he held various strategic roles, first creating the Tax Department for the Group's international activities, then taking on M&A operations, before being promoted in 2017 to Executive Vice-President Finance and Administration of Lacoste, a period during which the company doubled in size. Denis Lamoureux is a graduate of HEC Paris and holds a DESS in International Taxation. About Maisons du Monde Maisons du Monde is the leading actor in inspiring, accessible, and sustainable home furnishings. The brand offers a rich and constantly refreshed range of furniture and decorative items in a multitude of styles. Creativity, inspiration, and commitment are the pillars of the brand. Leveraging a highly efficient omnichannel model and direct access to consumers, the Group generates over 50% of its sales through its online platform and operates stores in 9 European countries. corporate.maisonsdumonde.com Contacts Investor Relations Press Relations Carole Alexandre Tel: (+33) 6 30 85 12 78 Pierre Barbe Tel: (+33) 6 23 23 08 51 [email protected] [email protected] Attachment RAPID CITY, S.D., Feb. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Black Hills Corp. (NYSE: BKH) today announced that members of its senior leadership team are scheduled to meet with investors in March, including participation in the Siebert Williams Shank West Coast Utilities Conference on March 20-21, 2024. Black Hills reaffirms its 2024 earnings guidance range of $3.80 to $4.00 per share as most recently issued on Feb. 8, along with updated assumptions on that date, and notes that leadership will be available during the upcoming investor conferences to discuss its guidance, long-term growth targets, updated capital plan, regulatory updates and other factors relating to its business. Supporting materials for these meetings will be available on the Black Hills Corp. website at www.blackhillscorp.com under the Investor Relations section prior to the meetings. Black Hills CorporationBlack Hills Corp. (NYSE: BKH) is a customer focused, growth-oriented utility company with a tradition of improving life with energy and a vision to be the energy partner of choice. Based in Rapid City, South Dakota, the company serves 1.34 million natural gas and electric utility customers in eight states: Arkansas, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming. More information is available at www.blackhillscorp.com. Investor RelationsJerome E. Nichols605-721-1171[email protected] 24-Hour Media Relations Line888-242-3969 Caution Regarding Forward Looking StatementThis news release includes forward-looking statements as defined by the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC. We make these forward-looking statements in reliance on the safe harbor protections provided under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, included in this news release that address activities, events or developments that we expect, believe or anticipate will or may occur in the future are forward looking statements, including our earnings guidance. These forward-looking statements are based on assumptions which we believe are reasonable based on current expectations and projections about future events and industry conditions and trends affecting our business. However, whether actual results and developments will conform to our expectations and predictions is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that, among other things, could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements, the risk factors described in Item 1A of Part I of our 2023 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC, and other reports that we file with the SEC from time to time. New factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in forward looking statements emerge from time-to-time, and it is not possible for us to predict all such factors, or the extent to which any such factor or combination of factors may cause actual results to differ from those contained in any forward-looking statement. We assume no obligation to update publicly any such forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Source: Black Hills Service Company, LLC COLUMBUS, Ohio, Feb. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Capsa Healthcare, a leader in advanced healthcare workflow solutions, announces the new NexPak Automated Packaging System. NexPak gives pharmacies the most direct path to adopt automated medication packaging for an efficient staging process and organized medication administration to patients. The NexPak solution benefits nurses and patients, ultimately increasing medication compliance. A Media Snippet accompanying this announcement is available by clicking on this link. Automating an extended care patient's daily medications into easy-to-administer strip packaging brings time savings for nurses to prepare and administer the med pass process; convenience and safety for patients who get all their medications in an easy-to-use pouch; and risk management to ensure patients receive the right dosage every time. NexPak, which is engineered for scalability, flexibility, and straightforward usage, breaks down barriers of entry for pharmacies to adopt automated compliance packaging and broaden their service offerings. "The post-acute marketplace continues to be challenged with staffing shortages, squeezed profit margins, and competition. NexPak meets the need for a cost-effective and innovative solution to answer their pressing needs of dispensing medications in the method their customers need, says Don Sprague, Vice President, Extended Care at Capsa Healthcare. NexPak delivers attractive features for improved medication adherence in extended care settings: Packaging flexibility with multi-dose and single-dose strip packaging Scalability, with capacity to hold from 300 up to 480 NDCs Intuitive software and a wide range of reporting Tailored to the pharmacy's needs for multiple applications and new business growth A major NexPak differentiator is the system's flexibility. NexPak is available as a Central Pharmacy unit and an In-Facility unit. In the traditional Central Pharmacy model, pharmacies manage the complete dispensing process with delivery to the care facility. With the In-Facility model, NexPak is installed inside the care facility where nurses can produce on-demand labeled, patient-specific, multi-dose pouch packets (with the pharmacy controlling all activities and inventory remotely). Nurses are freed up to spend more time on the floor with patients and less time with med pass preparation. NexPak is pivotal in Capsas commitment to providing caregivers solutions for safe, efficient medication delivery, storage, and administration from the pharmacy to the nursing station to the patient bedside. Capsa Healthcare will feature NexPak at the Managed Healthcare Associates (MHA) Business Summit in Orlando, FL (#507) from March 4-6. About Capsa Healthcare: Capsa Healthcare is a worldwide leader in developing and delivering comprehensive end-to-end workflow solutions. With over 60 years of experience, Capsa Healthcare offers a broad portfolio of mobile workstations, medication carts, medical carts, and pharmacy automation solutions that optimize workflows across the continuum of care. The company's mission is to empower healthcare providers with tools that optimize processes, increase efficiency, elevate safety, and advance engagement, resulting in improved patient outcomes. Media Contact: Mike Stotz, Senior Marketing Manager [email protected] Recognition highlights Clearwave Fibers commitment to delivering exceptional Internet services to the community SAVANNAH, Ga., Feb. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- (SAVANNAH, Ga.) Feb. 28, 2024 - Clearwave Fiber, a leading provider of 100% Fiber Internet services, has been voted Best Internet Service Provider for the second consecutive year in The Valdosta Daily Times' "Best of South Georgia" awards. This recognition highlights Clearwave Fiber's commitment to delivering exceptional Internet services to the community. The Valdosta Daily Times has conducted the "Best of South Georgia" awards for 25 years, celebrating local businesses that excel in their respective industries. The selection process begins with nominations from the public, after which readers cast their votes from the top three nominees in each category. Clearwave Fiber emerged as the winner in the Internet Service Provider category, solidifying its position as the company of choice in the region. "We are thrilled to be recognized as the Best Internet Service Provider for the second consecutive year," said Charles Lawrence, Clearwave Fibers President, Residential. "This area Valdosta in particular is among our earliest and most successful builds. Clearwave Fiber is very invested in the growth and success of the entire region, and we are extraordinarily grateful for the warm reception and loyalty of area residents and businesses alike. We extend special thanks to everyone who took the time to vote. Fast, reliable Internet is critical to modern households and businesses. Remote work, streaming, gaming, smart home technology and multiple device connectivity all require robust, reliable connections. Clearwave Fiber is committed to providing a hassle-free, high-quality Fiber data connection to South Georgia. Clearwave Fiber has also been involved with many organizations in the region. Connecting our customers and communities is at the heart of everything we do. We are more than just an Internet provider; we believe in making an impact and giving back, said Shelley Hallier, Senior Vice President of Marketing for Clearwave Fiber. This award is especially meaningful to us as it is proof positive that our South Georgia communities are feeling that commitment. For more information, visit ClearwaveFiber.com. About Clearwave Fiber Clearwave Fiber is an Internet service provider that operates a more than 10,000 route-mile Fiber network serving communities across the Midwest and Southeast regions of the United States. With an emphasis on exceptional customer care and community engagement, the fast-growing company delivers advanced telecommunications solutions, providing fiber to business, enterprise and residential customers in Georgia, Illinois, Kansas and Florida. Committed to deploying 100% Fiber Internet service to 500,000 homes and businesses across the country by 2026, Clearwave Fiber employs more than 400 and is based in Savannah, Ga. Learn more at ClearwaveFiber.com, Facebook, X, YouTubeand LinkedIn. CONTACT: [email protected] SOURCE: Clearwave Fiber Attachment February 29, 2024 SBM Offshore reports that it has completed the repurchase of 50,000 shares. The repurchases were made under the program announced on and effective from February 29, 2024. The objective of the program was to meet obligations from regular management and employee share programs. On February 29, 2024, a total of 50,000 common shares were repurchased, at an average price of EUR 13.14 per share, representing a total of EUR 657,121. Information regarding the aggregate of the transactions for the period during which the program was executed can be found in the top half of the table below. Further detailed information regarding all individual transactions can be accessed via the Investors section of the Companys website. Final Period Share Repurchase Program Transaction Details SBM Offshore reports the transaction details related to the repurchases under the program on February 29, 2024 in the table below. Share Repurchase Program Overall progress share-plan-related Program: Total number of shares to be purchased 50,000 Cumulative number of repurchased shares 50,000 Cumulative Repurchase Amount EUR 657,121 Cumulative Average Repurchase Price EUR 13.14 Start Date February 29, 2024 End Date February 29, 2024 Percentage of program completed 100% Overview of details: Trade Date Quantity Repurchased Average Purchase Price Settlement Amount February 29, 2024 50,000 EUR 13.14 EUR 657,121 Total1 50,000 EUR 13.14 EUR 657,121 1All shares purchased on Euronext Amsterdam. This press release contains information which is to be made publicly available under the Market Abuse Regulation (nr. 596/2014). The information concerns a regular update of the transactions conducted under SBM Offshores current share-plan-related repurchase program, as announced by the Company on February 29, 2024, details of which are available on its website. Corporate Profile SBM Offshore designs, builds, installs and operates offshore floating facilities for the offshore energy industry. As a leading technology provider, we put our marine expertise at the service of a responsible energy transition by reducing emissions from fossil fuel production, while developing cleaner solutions for alternative energy sources. More than 7,400 SBMers worldwide are committed to sharing their experience to deliver safe, sustainable and affordable energy from the oceans for generations to come. For further information, please visit our website at www.sbmoffshore.com. Financial Calendar Date Year Annual General Meeting April 12 2024 First Quarter 2024 Trading Update May 8 2024 Half Year 2024 Earnings August 8 2024 Third Quarter 2024 Trading Update November 14 2024 Full Year 2024 Earnings February 20 2025 For further information, please contact: Investor Relations Wouter HoltiesCorporate Finance & Investor Relations Manager Mobile: +31 (0) 6 23 34 37 64 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.sbmoffshore.com Media Relations Evelyn Tachau BrownGroup Communications & Change Director Mobile: +377 (0) 6 40 62 30 34 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.sbmoffshore.com Market Abuse RegulationThis press release may contain inside information within the meaning of Article 7(1) of the EU Market Abuse Regulation. DisclaimerSome of the statements contained in this release that are not historical facts are statements of future expectations and other forward-looking statements based on managements current views and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance, or events to differ materially from those in such statements. These statements may be identified by words such as expect, should, could, shall and similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties. The principal risks which could affect the future operations of SBM Offshore N.V. are described in the Risk Management section of the 2023 Annual Report. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results and performance of the Companys business may vary materially and adversely from the forward-looking statements described in this release. SBM Offshore does not intend and does not assume any obligation to update any industry information or forward-looking statements set forth in this release to reflect new information, subsequent events or otherwise. Nothing in this release shall be deemed an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities. The companies in which SBM Offshore N.V. directly and indirectly owns investments are separate legal entities. In this release SBM Offshore and SBM are sometimes used for convenience where references are made to SBM Offshore N.V. and its subsidiaries in general. These expressions are also used where no useful purpose is served by identifying the particular company or companies. "SBM Offshore", the SBM logomark, Fast4Ward, emissionZERO and Float4Wind are proprietary marks owned by SBM Offshore. Attachment Source: SBM Offshore Amsterdam B.V. Irving, Texas, Feb. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The challenges that more than 1.5 million people across the U.S. face in accessing oxygen are largely caused by an inadequate Medicare reimbursement system and a lack of access to the skills respiratory therapists can provide to oxygen-dependent patients. After nearly two years of concentrated work and advocacy, the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) and the Oxygen Reform Coalition are deeply gratified to announce that the Supplemental Oxygen Access Reform (SOAR) legislation was introduced on February 28, 2024, by Senators Cassidy (R-LA), Warner (D-VA), and Klobuchar (D-MN). The Coalition expects a House version of this bill to be introduced in the following weeks. AARC prioritized the introduction of this legislation in September 2023 at its annual Washington, DC Respiratory Care Fly-In. AARC Political Action Contact Team (PACT) members had more than 200 meetings with congressional members to discuss the Four Pillars for Oxygen Reform, including payment for respiratory therapists to visit and educate oxygen patients in their homes therefore improving patient outcomes. Recognizing respiratory therapists and their critical work is a key component of this legislation. For years, AARC has advocated for patient access to respiratory therapist care outside the acute care setting, said AARC President Carl Hinkson MS, RRT-ACCS, NPS, FAARC. Along with our coalition partners, we are hopeful that this legislation will create a future where supplemental oxygen patients have the opportunity and freedom to return to a fuller and healthier life without reimbursement worry. AARC is proud to be a part of the coalition and is committed to getting this legislation passed, said Dan Garrett, AARC Executive Director This is a remarkable day for oxygen patients as Congress recognizes the need to focus on access to care and to improve payment for supplemental oxygen so that healthcare providers can match equipment to patient needs. ### About the AARCThe American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC), founded in 1947, is the nations oldest and largest professional association dedicated to respiratory therapists and health care providers involved in cardiopulmonary care. The AARC strengthens the profession, providing excellence in leadership and education, advancing the art and science of respiratory therapy, and advocating for respiratory therapists, their patients, and caregivers. Fostering a diverse and inclusive membership community worldwide, AARC is a not-for-profit organization headquartered in Irving, TX. Learn more about us at www.aarc.org. Ellen Worsham American Association for Respiratory Care [email protected] Source: American Association for Respiratory Care - Irving, TX Consolidated Unaudited Interim Report of AS PRFoods for the 2nd quarter and 6 months of 2023/2024 financial year MANAGEMENT COMMENTARY First half-year of PRFoods has ended. The major changes are related to the sale of its subsidiary Redstorm OU. Additionally, one fish farming license was sold for 2,5 million euros to the same buyer in November. The sale of Redstorm and the fish farming license resulted in a one-time loss for the Group totalling 0,3 million euros, while the transaction's impact, excluding goodwill, resulted in a one-time profit of 1,9 million euros. Due to the sale of Redstorm, the turnover decreased by over 25% in the second quarter and in the first half-year, totalling 5,4 million euros and 8,9 million euros respectively. The gross profit for the second quarter remained the same as the previous year at 1,6 million euros, despite lower turnover. EBITDA from operations in the second quarter decreased by 37.5% to 0,5 million euros. The decline in EBITDA compared to the previous year is due to higher sales and marketing expenses at the John Ross Jr unit and seasonally higher inventory purchases of fish for subsequent quarters. The gross profit for the first half-year was 1,7 million euros, 19% less than the same period last year, directly attributable to the decrease in turnover due to the sale of the subsidiary Redstorm OU. EBITDA from operations for the first half-year was -0,2 million euros, influenced by the significant loss in Estonia in the first quarter. The loss in Estonia was affected by a non-compete clause in Finland, which has since expired, and its positive impact will be seen in the turnover and results for the third quarter ending on March 31st. The net loss for the second quarter was 0,7 million euros, compared to a net loss of 0,1 million euros in the same period last year. This was influenced by one-time financial costs totaling 0,5 million euros, of which 0,3 million euros are related to the one-time non cash loss from the sale of Redstorm. At the beginning of 2024, the company completed a partial redemption of bonds amounting to 1.4 million euros. The net loss for the first half-year was -1,4 million euros. The net profit for the first half-year of the previous year was 0,7 million euros, influenced by a one-time profit of 1,4 million euros from the sale of a subsidiary in Sweden. The company's liquidity position has improved due to the sale of the subsidiary Redstorm OU, resulting in a reduction in both the volume of bonds and the repayment of the MES loan. The company's liquidity ratio was 1,5 at the end of the year. John Ross Jr. continues to operate profitably (the company has never incurred an annual loss during its operations), but the results of Saare Kala Tootmine OU were below expectations, directly influenced by the non-compete clause and the discontinuation of our products' intermediation by our former Finnish partner. By now, we have resumed direct sales with our old customers, for whom the non-compete clause regarding direct sales expired at the end of 2023. However, it should be noted that due to the economic downturn in Estonia and general consumer behavior, demand for fish products in Estonia has significantly decreased overall. Despite the decreased market conditions, Saare Kala Tootmine has managed to increase its market share at the expense of competitors. We predict that the consumption downturn will continue in Estonia and Finland in 2024. Regarding John Ross Jr, we anticipate EBITDA growth compared to last year since their sales area is much broader and less dependent on a single market. However, we do not expect significant revenue growth for John Ross Jr. this year. Saare Kala Tootmine aims to end the second half-year with marginal profit, due to the return to the Finnish market since the beginning of the year. The restructuring of management of PRFoods has also ended and as of March 31, PRFoods will continue with existing board members of Kristjan Kotkas and Timo Parn. Timo has demonstrated in short time that despite the challenges in Estonia, he has accomplished in short period necessary changes in sales and production. Since the sale of fish farming business, the need of administration on group level has diminished and this allows also cost savings on group level. Indrek Kasela will transfer from board position to supervisory board after such decision is taken by PRFoods shareholders meeting. KEY RATIOS INCOME STATEMENT mln EUR unless indicated otherwise 2Q 2023/2024 2022/2023 2Q 2022/2023 2021/2022 Sales 5,4 19,6 7,3 42,1 Gross profit 1,6 3,6 1,6 3,1 EBITDA from operations 0,5 0,3 0,8 -1,7 EBITDA 0,5 0,3 0,8 -2,1 EBIT -0,03 -1,0 0,2 -4,2 EBT -0,6 0,4 -0,0 -8,2 Net profit (loss) -0,7 0,3 -0,1 -8,2 Gross margin 29,7% 18,3% 22,1% 7,4% Operational EBITDA margin 10,1% 1,5% 11,3% -4,6% EBITDA margin 10,1% 1,5% 11,3% -5,1% EBIT margin -0,6% -5,1% 2,9% -9,9% EBT margin -10,4% 2,0% -0,5% -19,5% Net margin -12,2% 1,5% -1,8% -19,4% Operating expense ratio -30,1% 24,0% -18,9% 17,1% BALANCE SHEET mln EUR unless indicated otherwise 31.12.2023 30.06.2023 31.12.2022 30.06.2022 Net debt 15,9 16,7 17,7 24,7 Equity 6,4 8,3 7,5 8,1 Working capital 2,9 0,0 0,0 -3,2 Assets 28,6 30,2 32,2 38,9 Liquidity ratio 1,5x 1,0x 1,0x 0,7x Equity ratio 22,4% 27,4% 23,3% 20,7% Gearing ratio 71,3% 66,9% 70,2% 75,4% Debt to total assets 0,8x 0,7x 0,8x 0,8x Net debt to operating EBITDA 21,4x 55,8x 21,4x -14,5x ROE -9,1% 4,1% -1,7% -68,5% ROA -2,3% 1,0% -0,4% -17,3% Consolidated statement of Financial Position EUR '000 31.12.2023 31.12.2022 30.06.2023 VARAD Cash and cash equivalents 580 386 394 Receivables and prepayments 5 790 5 016 2 118 Inventories 2 420 2 089 1 861 Biological assets 0 0 772 Total current assets 8 790 7 491 5 145 Long-term financial assets 372 304 381 Tangible assets 4 429 6 944 6 563 Intangible assets 14 983 17 443 18 157 Total non-current assets 19 784 24 691 25 101 TOTAL ASSETS 28 574 32 182 30 246 EQUITY AND LIABILITIES Interest-bearing liabilities 1 805 2 777 2 111 Payables and prepayments 4 047 4 672 3 035 Total current liabilities 5 852 7 449 5 146 Interest-bearing liabilities 14 666 15 270 15 024 Deferred tax liabilities 1 434 1 644 1 466 Government grants 233 327 318 Total non-current liabilities 16 334 17 241 16 807 TOTAL LIABILITIES 22 186 24 690 21 953 Share capital 7 737 7 737 7 737 Share premium 14 007 14 007 14 007 Treasury shares -390 -390 -390 Statutory capital reserve 51 51 51 Currency translation differences 369 394 608 Retained profit (-loss) -15 386 -14 605 -13 981 Equity attributable to parent 6 388 7 194 8 032 Non-controlling interest 0 297 259 TOTAL EQUITY 6 388 7 491 8 292 TOTAL EQUITY AND LIABILITIES 28 574 32 182 30 246 Consolidated Statement of Profit or Loss and Other Comprehensive Income EUR '000 2Q 2023/2024 2Q 2022/2023 6m 2023/2024 6m 2022/2023 Revenue 5 445 7 300 8 856 11 910 Cost of goods sold -3 827 -5 688 -7 117 -9 785 Gross profit 1 618 1 612 1 739 2 125 Operating expenses -1 642 -1 379 -2 509 -2 493 Selling and distribution expenses -910 -671 -1 348 -1 314 Administrative expenses -732 -708 -1 161 -1 179 Other income / expense -11 -21 -20 -68 Fair value adjustment on biological assets 0 0 358 -170 Operating profit (-loss) -35 212 -432 -606 Financial income / expenses -535 -245 -842 1 447 Profit (-loss) before tax -569 -33 -1 274 841 Income tax -97 -102 -110 -108 Net profit (-loss) for the period -666 -135 - 1 385 733 Net profit (-loss) attributable to: Owners of the Parent Company -708 -210 -1 382 668 Non-controlling interests 42 75 -4 66 Total net profit (-loss) for the period -666 -135 -1 386 733 Other comprehensive income (-loss) that may subsequently be classified to profit or loss: Foreign currency translation differences -43 0 -239 -445 Total comprehensive income (-expense) -709 -135 -1 625 288 Total comprehensive income (-expense) attributable to: Owners of the Parent Company -751 -210 -1 621 223 Non-controlling interests 42 75 -4 66 Total comprehensive income (-expense) for the period -709 -135 -1 625 288 Profit (-loss) per share (EUR) -0,02 -0,01 -0,04 0,02 Diluted profit (-loss) per share (EUR) -0,02 -0,00 -0,03 0,01 Indrek Kasela AS PRFoods Member of the Management Board Phone:+372 452 1470 [email protected] www.prfoods.ee Attachment The electoral process in Mexico has not yet officially kicked off and it is already stained with blood. At least 33 people involved in politics, many of them candidates for office in the June 2 elections, have been murdered in the first two months of 2024. Statistics have begun to trigger alarm bells, with fears that this years elections could turn out to be the most violent in the countrys history, as these figures are usually surpassed in each election. On Monday alone, two candidates for the municipal council of Maravatio, in Michoacan, were murdered. The campaign gets underway this Friday and the attacks have been relentless. Those keeping count of the violence report that in addition to homicides, there have been kidnappings, disappearances, shootings and death threats in at least 14 states. One of President Andres Manuel Lopez Obradors ongoing challenges is the lack of security in Mexico, which is experiencing a spike and is gaining importance in the political arena. This year Mexico will elect 20,708 public positions, including for the presidency, governorships, local and federal congresses, municipal administrations and town councils. As the elections take place, violence statistics tend to escalate. Miguel Angel Reyes Zavala, who was murdered this Monday in Michoacan. Dr. Zavala The first indicators of this year follow this line. In January alone, according to the organization Data Civica, 35 attacks or threats against officials or former officials were registered. In 21 of these cases, the victims lost their lives. The data for February are still not definitive, but preliminary figures, which only cover the period up to February 10, indicate that the number of assassinations of political figures stands at 33, according to information provided by the organization to this newspaper. The count conducted by the consulting firm Etellekt in the 2021 elections showed that at least 35 candidates were murdered, while in the last presidential elections in 2018 the number of fatalities hit 48. The role played by organized crime in this violence is a constant feature. Sometimes it pulls the trigger, sometimes it is simply embedded in the dispute for local power. It ensures its slice of power with all competing parties. A recent analysis carried out by the Colegio de Mexico on 32 homicides committed around the 2021 elections found that candidates are assassinated to influence the outcome of an election. This is either to prevent a certain candidate from winning or to discourage citizens from voting. The violence transcends all political stripes and affects all levels of government, but it is particularly concentrated at the local level. The last couple of attacks made an impact because they were attempts on the lives of two candidates for the same municipal presidency, in Maravatio. Miguel Angel Zavala Reyes, of the Morena party, and Armando Perez Luna, of the National Action Party (PAN), were shot in the streets of the municipality in the State of Michoacan, just five hours apart. Zavala Reyes was shot in his car as he was on his way out of the clinic where he worked, located one kilometer from the center of the city. Perez Luna was gunned down by two men on a motorcycle in an Infonavit (Institute of the National Housing Fund for Workers) housing unit. Police and forensic experts work at the site of the murder of Jorge Monreal Martinez in Fresnillo (Zacatecas State) on February 10. Fotografo Especial (CUARTOSCURO) At the beginning of February, tragedy struck Ricardo Monreals family. First it was his brother-in-law, Juan Perez Guardado, who worked as director of Social Development at the Fresnillo City Hall, in Zacatecas. He was gunned down while he was carrying out cleaning tasks on a sidewalk on the central avenue of the municipality. This was followed by the nephew of the Morena senator and state governor, David Monreal, barely four days after the first attack. On February 11, Jorge Antonio Monreal, also a municipal public official, was shot dead outside his home. The list of political fatalities in February also includes the murder of Yair Romero, an aspiring federal deputy for Morena in the State of Mexico. Romero and his brother were fired upon on February 10, and their lifeless bodies were left strewn in the middle of the street in the municipality of Ecatepec, one of the most unsafe areas in the state. There was also Jaime Vera, pre-candidate for mayor of the municipality of Mascota, in Jalisco, who was shot dead on February 1 in the morning. The 62-year-old man belonged to the Ecological Green Party of Mexico. The State of Morelos has also been hit hard. PAN councilor Alfredo Giovanni Lezama was attacked on January 5 at a gym in Cautla by a solitary gunman who entered the premises and shot him five times. That same day, in Chiapas, where organized crime has gained a stronger foothold in recent months, the death of David Rey Gonzalez was also reported. The representative of the opposition Strength and Heart for Mexico party was vying for the mayors office in Suchiate. The armed gang fired four shots at him as he was traveling near the border with Guatemala. A third homicide was committed on the same fateful Friday. Sergio Hueso, a Citizens Movement mayoral candidate in Colima, was gunned down in the state capital. In Guerrero, a married couple who were both politicians were also assassinated on January 24. Marcelino Ruiz Esteban, former mayor of Atlixtac, and his wife, Guadalupe Guzman, a PRD councilor, were victims of an armed attack during the night. They were driving in their car on the highway when they were shot. In Michoacan, LGBT rights activist and advocate Miriam Rios was fatally shot on January 6 while attending a commercial stand. She was the municipal commissioner of Citizens Movement in the city of Jacona. Forensic services at the restaurant where Ricardo Taja Ramirez, PRI politician, was murdered on December 21. Carlos Alberto Carbajal (Cuartoscuro) Trans activist Samantha Gomez Fonseca was murdered on January 15 while returning from a visit to a prison in Mexico City. The former Morena senatorial candidate was fired at several times while traveling in a car in the Xochimilco borough of the capital. The list of fatalities also includes Jose Naredo Garcia, leader of the PRD in Veracruz, who was gunned down in the municipality of Cuitlahuac on January 27. A commando member first tried to kidnap him, but when he was unable to do so, he shot him repeatedly. The death toll, which may seem high, does not even include those who were killed last year, because the electoral process began on an irregular basis many months ago. The campaign officially kicks off on Friday and a highly intense three months lie ahead. The different opposition groups, at the federal and local levels, have called for security measures and a guarantee that the elections will be peaceful. The government, together with the National Electoral Institute, have endeavored to develop a plan to safeguard the candidates, but it has so far proved to be insufficient. The proposal, which included security detail of varying intensity depending on the risk to the candidates, has supposedly been in place for the last two weeks. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Los Angeles, California, Feb. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, State Superintendent Tony Thurmond named 293 exceptional middle and high schools as 2024 California Distinguished Schools. Among them are four Green Dot Public SchoolsAnimo Ellen Ochoa Charter Middle School, Animo Inglewood High School, Animo Jackie Robinson High School, and Animo Leadership High School in Los Angeles.We are honored that the tireless efforts of our administrators, teachers, students, and families at these four schools are being acknowledged, said Dr. Cristina de Jesus, President and CEO of Green Dot Public Schools California. This honor highlights our successful work in striving to eliminate systemic barriers and ensuring educational excellence reaches all students.The California Distinguished Schools program recognizes schools for closing achievement gaps and for demonstrating exceptional student performance. Animo Ellen Ochoa Charter Middle School, Animo Inglewood High School, Animo Jackie Robinson High School, and Animo Leadership High School were honored for the exemplary education they provide to students."I cannot fully express how proud I am of our incredible students, teachers, and staff, Kristin Botello, principal at Animo Jackie Robinson High School. This California Distinguished School recognition affirms that with hard work, compassion and a commitment to equity, we can truly give all young people the chance to shine academically while supporting their social-emotional growth.The schools earned recognition for strong overall academic achievement in English and math, accelerated growth for historically underserved groups, reduced suspensions, and high graduation rates. This affirms Green Dot's commitment to equity and empowering students.Our school community has poured so much energy into fostering excellence for students of all backgrounds, said Cynthia Ybarra, principal at Animo Ellen Ochoa Charter Middle School. To be acknowledged through this Distinguished Schools award, as a school closing achievement gaps, inspires us to keep empowering our students to reach for their highest aspirations."We are honored that Animo Inglewood High School has been named a 2024 California Distinguished School, said Dr. La Shawn Allen, principal at Animo Inglewood High School. Our students confront systematic barriers, yet continually rise to achieve academic and personal excellence. This recognition is a testament to our resilient students, devoted educators and innovative approach to preparing the next generation to thrive.At Animo Leadership, our students gain knowledge and tools to create meaningful change, said Danielle Berger, Animo Leadership High School principal. We cultivate empowered, compassionate future leaders. This Distinguished School award validates that our approach inspires students to excel academically while developing confidence to stand up for their communities.Tony Thurmond, the State Superintendent remarked in a press release, It is my pleasure to honor and recognize these 293 secondary schools for their efforts to provide exemplary public education to all students. Excellent middle schools and high schools play a critical role in the life outcomes of our young people. This years California Distinguished Schools celebration provides us with an opportunity to recognize the hard work of our secondary educators and school staff who help our young adults discover passions and access college- and career-ready experiences that will propel them through life.The awarded schools will be celebrated at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim on May 3rd, 2024, and will hold the distinguished title for two years. Green Dot congratulates our students, families, teachers, and school leaders on this wonderful recognition of their hard work and perseverance paying off.About Green Dot CaliforniaGreen Dot Public Schools California operates 18 charter middle and high schools in Los Angeles, providing over 10,000 students from historically under-resourced communities with a transformative educational experience grounded in the belief that every student has a right to an excellent education that unlocks their potential. Implementing a rigorous college preparatory curriculum along with personalized academic counseling and support, Green Dot empowers students to overcome barriers, achieve at the highest levels, and graduate prepared for higher education, leadership roles, and fulfilling careers. As Title 1 schools serving predominantly low-income populations, Green Dot provides its students with the tools and opportunities required to realize their full potential, closing opportunity gaps. Driven by the pillars of High Expectations, Local Control with Extensive Professional Development, Personalized Learning, and Parent Participation, Green Dot is an established leader in transforming public education to profoundly and positively impact students, families and their communities.Follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn @GreenDotCA, and Instagram, TikTok and X @GreenDot_CA. Erica Dumas Green Dot Public Schools California 9179152296 [email protected] Source: Green Dot Public Schools California MINNEAPOLIS, Feb. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pulse, a global Christian ministry leading one of the largest millennial-led prayer and outreach efforts in the world, announces the fifth annual Good Friday global broadcast. The global event features evangelist Nick Hall and world-renowned Christian artists Steven Curtis Chapman and Miel San Marcos. The online stream is available beginning at 7 a.m. CT on Good Friday, which falls on Friday, March 29 this year. The Good Friday broadcast, led by evangelist Nick Hall, featuring Miel San Marcos and Steven Curtis Chapman, will combine music, prayer and the life-changing message of the Gospel in a digital way that is accessible to people across the entire world in over 100 countries and more than 30 languages. This program presents a clear and compelling message explaining how the grace found in Jesus is for anyone, from any background, and from anywhere in the world. "As we gather digitally this Good Friday, we are reminded that Jesus offers grace and compassion to anyone all over the world, not just those who are from a particular background or culture, said Hall. It speaks to the hearts of a global community, offering hope, redemption and a new beginning. I cannot wait to join people from all over the world as we unite in prayer and worship, experiencing the grace and power of Jesus love in a profound and meaningful way." At the heart of this special event is an exclusive interview with both musical artists, who share insights and experiences that will undoubtedly resonate with viewers. In addition to the interviews, the stream will feature captivating musical performances by Chapman and Miel San Marcos. Chapman will be sharing an original rendition of Amazing Grace, and Miel San Marcos will also share a Spanish-language version of the song, inviting viewers to worship in celebration of the grace of Jesus. The broadcast will also feature a spoken-word testimony and a Gospel ensemble. The broadcast will engage viewers in moments of worship and praise, creating an atmosphere of spiritual connection and reflection. Hall, Global evangelist, founder of Pulse and the visionary behind this event, will deliver a timely message of God's love and redemption as he ushers millions of viewers into the Easter weekend. Through his passionate and relatable presentation, Hall will remind viewers that no matter how far they may have strayed, the love of God pursues and rescues them. His words will serve as a powerful reminder of the grace and forgiveness found in the sacrifice of Jesus. The Good Friday broadcast also serves as the kickoff to a year-long campaign celebrating the grace of Jesus called Anthem of Grace. The goal is to help people across the globe to understand and experience the transformative power of gracea gift available to everyone, reaching even the darkest places in the world. This campaign is a reminder that grace is not just a conceptit is a reality found in a person, Jesus. The year-long campaign will culminate in an Anthem of Grace broadcast on April 18, 2025, and there will be key Anthem of Grace events and broadcasts throughout the year as well. Viewers will be able to submit their personal stories of grace throughout the year and send in a video clip singing Amazing Grace at any time. The global event next year will incorporate some of the video recordings and testimonies about life-changing grace found in Jesus. This online broadcast is a must-watch event for individuals seeking spiritual renewal and a deeper understanding of the Easter season. Viewers will be encouraged to reflect on their own faith journey and embrace the love and grace that God offers. The Good Friday broadcast is designed to meet you wherever you are, providing a transformational message across 30+ TV stations and 50+ broadcast outlets in over 100 countries worldwide. To stay informed about the virtual event and receive information and reminders, those interested can visit GoodFriday.org. For media inquiries and interview requests, please contact [email protected] or (678) 895-4488. Secondary contact: John Brandon, Marketing Director at Pulse, [email protected] or (218) 731-4201. ### About Pulse Founder and President Nick Hall started Pulse in 2006. Since then, Pulse has seen over 330 million people impacted by the Gospel and over two million people have responded to Jesus through their initiatives. Pulse is a prayer and evangelism movement on mission to empower the Church and Make Jesus Known. Since Pulses founding, they have linked arms with hundreds of ministries and churches around the world to fuel evangelistic movements. Whether hosting a big outreach event or providing the evangelistic voice at another organizations event, training evangelists on American college campuses, or overseas in Africa, the common goal of everything they do is to share the hope of Jesus. Learn more at www.pulse.org. About Nick Hall Nick Hall is on earth to tell people about Jesus. He started a grassroots movement as a college student and has spent the last 20 years traveling the world to meet people where they are and tell them that they matter. As a student at North Dakota State University, Nicks life was changed when he wrote a paper titled Pulse for his English class, hoping to combat the depression, substance abuse, and suicide that was impacting his friends and their campus. That paper unleashed one of the largest student-led efforts in American history, launching a nonprofit that exists today. Through Pulse events, Nick has shared a message of hope with over 330 million people around the globe. Everywhere Nick goes, he talks to people about faith and the deeper issues of life, because he knows what it feels like to make mistakes, experience heartbreak, and be alone. One of the goals of Nicks life is to come alongside students who desire to impact their high school or college campus because thats where this all began. Nick lives in Minneapolis with his wife Tiffany and three children. John Brandon Pulse 2187314201 [email protected] Source: Pulse GUADALAJARA, Mexico, Feb. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico, S.A.B. de C.V., (NYSE: PAC; BMV: GAP) (the Company or GAP) announced the following: Pursuant to a resolution adopted by our board of directors on February 26, 2024, and in accordance with Articles 180, 181, 182 and other applicable articles of the Mexican General Corporations Law and Article 35 of the Companys by-laws, Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico, S.A.B. de C.V. invites its shareholders to the General Ordinary and General Extraordinary Shareholders Meeting on April 25, 2024 at 12:00 and 2:00 pm, respectively, in Salon Midtown Ballroom 3, 3rd floor of the Hilton Hotel, located at Av. Lopez Mateos 2405-300, Col. Italia Providencia, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, to discuss the following: ANNUAL GENERAL ORDINARY SHAREHOLDERS MEETINGMEETING AGENDA I. In compliance with Article 28, Section IV of the Mexican Securities Market Law, the following will be presented and, if applicable, submitted for approval: a. The Chief Executive Officers report regarding the results of operations for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, in accordance with Article 44, Section XI of the Mexican Securities Market Law and Article 172 of the Mexican General Corporations Law, together with the external auditors report, with respect to the Company on an unconsolidated basis in accordance with Mexican Financial Reporting Standards (MFRS), as well as with respect to the Company and its subsidiaries on a consolidated basis in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), each based on the Companys most recent financial statements under both standards, as well as the 2023 Sustainability Report. b. Board of directors opinion to the Chief Executive Officers report. c. Board of directors report in accordance with Article 172, clause b, of the Mexican General Corporations Law, regarding the Companys main accounting policies and criteria, as well as the information used to prepare the Companys financial statements. d. Report on transactions and activities undertaken by the Companys board of directors during the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, pursuant to the Mexican Securities Market Law. e. The annual report on the activities undertaken by the Audit and Corporate Practices Committee in accordance with Article 43 of the Mexican Securities Market Law, as well as the ratification of the actions of the various committees, and release from further obligations. f. Report on the Companys compliance with tax obligations for the fiscal year from January 1 to December 31, 2022, and an instruction to Company officials to comply with tax obligations corresponding to the fiscal year from January 1 and ended December 31, 2023, in accordance with Article 26, Section III of the Mexican Fiscal Code. II. As a result of the reports in item I above, ratification of the actions of our board of directors and officers and release from further obligations in the fulfillment of their duties. III. Presentation, discussion, and submission for approval of the Companys financial statements for the fiscal year from January 1 to December 31, 2023, on an unconsolidated basis, in accordance with MFRS for purposes of calculating legal reserves, net income, fiscal effects related to dividend payments and capital reduction, as applicable. The financial statements of the Company and its subsidiaries on a consolidated basis in accordance with IFRS for their publication to financial markets, with respect to our operations that took place during the fiscal year from January 1 to December 31, 2023, and approval of the external auditors report regarding both aforementioned financial statements. IV. Proposal to approve from the Companys net income for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, reported in its unconsolidated financial statements, presented in agenda item III above and audited in accordance with MFRS, the allocation of 5% (FIVE PERCENT) towards increasing the Companys legal reserves, in accordance with Article 20 of the Mexican General Law of Commercial Corporations, with the remaining balance to be allocated to the account for net income pending allocation. V. Cancellation of any amounts outstanding under the share repurchase program approved at the Annual General Ordinary Shareholders Meeting that took place on April 13, 2023, which amounts to Ps. 2,500,000,000.00 (TWO BILLION FIVE HUNDRED MILLION PESOS 00/100 M.N.). In addition to the approval of Ps. 2,500,000,000.00 (TWO BILLION FIVE HUNDRED MILLION PESOS 00/100 M.N.) as the maximum amount to be allocated towards the repurchase of the Companys shares or credit instruments that represent such shares for the 12-month period following April 25, 2024, in accordance with Article 56, Section IV of the Mexican Securities Market Law. VI. The report regarding the designation or ratification of the four members of the board of directors and their respective alternates named by the Series BB shareholders. VII. Ratification and/or designation of the persons that will serve as members of the Companys Board of Directors, as designated by any holder or group of holders of Series B shares that owns, individually or collectively, 10% or more of the Companys common stock. VIII. Ratification and/or designation of the persons that will serve as members of the Companys board of directors, as designated by the Series B shareholders and certification of independence. IX. Ratification and/or designation of the Chairman of the Companys board of directors, in accordance with Article 16 of the Companys by-laws. X. Ratification of the compensation paid to the members of the Companys board of directors during the 2023 fiscal year and determination of the compensation to be paid in 2024. XI. Ratification and/or designation of the member of our board of directors designated by the Series B shareholders to serve as a member of the Companys Nominations and Compensation Committee, in accordance with Article 28 of the Companys bylaws. XII. Ratification and/or designation of the President of the Audit and Corporate Practices Committee. XIII. The report concerning compliance with Article 29 of the Companys bylaws regarding acquisitions of goods or services or contracting of projects or asset sales that are equal to or greater than US$ 3,000,000.00 (THREE MILLION U.S. DOLLARS), or its equivalent in Mexican pesos or other legal tender in circulation outside Mexico, or, if applicable, regarding transactions with relevant shareholders. XIV. Appointment and designation of special delegates to appear before a notary public and present the resolutions adopted at this meeting for formalization. Adoption of the resolutions deemed necessary or convenient in order to fulfill the decisions adopted in relation to the preceding agenda items. EXTRAORDINARY SHAREHOLDERS MEETINGMEETING AGENDA I. Proposal to reduce the Companys shareholders equity by Ps. 13.86 (THIRTEEN PESOS 86/100 M.N.) per share outstanding and to be paid within the 12 (TWELVE) months following its approval, and, as a consequence of this reduction, the necessary amendment to Article Six of the Companys by-laws. II. Make all the legal and corporate changes, and amendment to Article Six of the Companys by-laws, as a result of the approvals of this Shareholders Meeting. III. Appointment and designation of special delegates to appear before a notary public and present the resolutions adopted at this meeting for formalization. Adoption of the resolutions deemed necessary or convenient in order to fulfill the decisions adopted in relation to the preceding agenda items. Shareholders are reminded that in accordance with Article 36 of the Companys by-laws, only those shareholders registered in the Companys share registry as holders of one or more of the Companys shares will be admitted into the shareholders meetings, and they will be admitted only if they have obtained an admission card. The share registry will close three (3) business days prior to the date of this meeting. In order to attend the meeting, at least one (1) business day prior to the meeting: (i) shareholders must deposit with the Company their stock certificates, shares or a receipt of deposit of shares from S.D. Indeval Institucion para el Deposito de Valores, S.A. de C.V. (Indeval) or from a local or foreign financial institution, and (ii) brokerage firms and other depositors at Indeval should present a listing containing the name, address, nationality and number of shares of the shareholders they will represent at the meeting. In exchange for these documents, the Company will issue, in accordance with the Companys bylaws, an admission card and/or the forms required under Article 49, Section III of the Mexican Securities Market Law in order to be represented. In order to attend the meeting, shareholders must present the admission card and/or the corresponding form. Shares deposited in order to gain admittance to these meetings will only be returned, via a voucher that will have been given to the shareholder or his/her representative. Shareholders may be represented by proxy at the meetings by any person designated by a power of attorney signed before two witnesses or as otherwise authorized by law. However, with respect to the Companys capital stock traded on a stock exchange, the proxy or proxies may only verify their identities via Company forms. These will be available to all shareholders, including any stockbrokers, during the time period specified in Article 173 of the Mexican General Corporations Law. Following the publication of this announcement, all shareholders and their legal representatives will have free and immediate access to all information and documents related to each of the topics included in the meeting agendas, as well as all proxy forms that must be presented by persons representing shareholders. These documents will be available at the Companys offices located at Av. Mariano Otero #1249-B, 6th Floor, Col. Rinconada del Bosque, Guadalajara, Jalisco 44530 or at Arquimedes #19, 4th Floor, Col. Bosque de Chapultepec, C.P. 11580, Alcaldia Miguel Hidalgo, Mexico City, Mexico 11580. Shareholders are invited to contact the Company should they have need for any additional information. Company Description Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico, S.A.B. de C.V. (GAP) operates 12 airports throughout Mexicos Pacific region, including the major cities of Guadalajara and Tijuana, the four tourist destinations of Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos, La Paz and Manzanillo, and six other mid-sized cities: Hermosillo, Guanajuato, Morelia, Aguascalientes, Mexicali and Los Mochis. In February 2006, GAPs shares were listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol PAC and on the Mexican Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol GAP. In April 2015, GAP acquired 100% of Desarrollo de Concesiones Aeroportuarias, S.L., which owns a majority stake in MBJ Airports Limited, a company operating Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, Jamaica. In October 2018, GAP entered into a concession agreement for the operation of Norman Manley International Airport in Kingston, Jamaica, and took control of the operation in October 2019. This press release contains references to EBITDA, a financial performance measure not recognized under IFRS and which does not purport to be an alternative to IFRS measures of operating performance or liquidity. We caution investors not to place undue reliance on non-GAAP financial measures such as EBITDA, as these have limitations as analytical tools and should be considered as a supplement to, not a substitute for, the corresponding measures calculated in accordance with IFRS. This press release may contain forward-looking statements. These statements are statements that are not historical facts and are based on managements current view and estimates of future economic circumstances, industry conditions, company performance, and financial results. The words anticipates, believes, estimates, expects, plans and similar expressions, as they relate to the company, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Statements regarding the declaration or payment of dividends, the implementation of principal operating and financing strategies and capital expenditure plans, the direction of future operations, and the factors or trends affecting financial condition, liquidity, or results of operations are examples of forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect the current views of management and are subject to several risks and uncertainties. There is no guarantee that the expected events, trends, or results will occur. The statements are based on many assumptions and factors, including general economic and market conditions, industry conditions, and operating factors. Any changes in such assumptions or factors could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations. In accordance with Section 806 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and Article 42 of the Ley del Mercado de Valores, GAP has implemented a whistleblower program, which allows complainants to anonymously and confidentially report suspected activities that involve criminal conduct or violations. The telephone number in Mexico, facilitated by a third party responsible for collecting these complaints, is 800 04 ETICA (38422) or WhatsApp +52 55 6538 5504. The website is www.lineadedenunciagap.com or by email at [email protected]. GAPs Audit Committee will be notified of all complaints for immediate investigation. Alejandra Soto, Directora de Relacion con Inversionistas y Responsabilidad Social [email protected] Gisela Murillo, Relacion con Inversionistas [email protected] /+52 33 3880 1100 ext. 20294 Source: Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico, S.A.B. de C.V. OTTAWA, Feb. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologist of Canada (SOGC) applauds the Canadian government on todays historic announcement to include free access for prescription contraceptives as part of a National Framework for Pharmacare. This announcement begins a generational shift across Canada in terms of access and the future of womens health care at large. Access to contraception is not only a matter of reproductive rights but also a fundamental aspect of public health and equity. As a national voice for womens health and rights, the SOGC has been advocating for coverage for a full range of contraceptive options, including: the pill; the patch; the ring; IUDs; the shot and the implant. By removing the financial barriers to all contraceptives, women will have the tools to better control their futures and as a result, improve economic prosperity for the country. Investment in a program that provides universal access to contraception is an investment in Canadas future. The direct cost of unintended pregnancy in Canada is estimated to be at least $320 million and does not factor in the downstream costs to the individual, their community or society. Women spend approximately 35 years of their lives in their childbearing years. A woman planning to have two children will spend five years on average trying to conceive, being pregnant and then breastfeeding. This means that Canadian women spend 30 years of their lives, on average, incurring the associated costs of trying to avoid a pregnancy. The SOGC also wishes to applaud the efforts of the New Democratic Party as part of their Supply and Confidence Agreement with the federal government and their commitment to pharmacare in Canada. The SOGC is pleased with todays announcement from the federal government and its commitment to womens health care in Canada. This policy will help ensure that women are empowered with the tools to better control their futures including family planning, educational pursuits and workforce entry and re-entry. By ensuring coverage for all contraceptives, we are taking significant steps towards a healthier and more equitable future for all Canadians. Dr. Amanda Black, President of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada Media Inquiries: Kelsey MacDonaldDirector of Communications and Public AffairsSociety of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada[email protected]613-730-4192 x 228 Source: The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada CHICAGO, Feb. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via IBN HyperSense Software, a leader in innovative technology solutions, has announced the launch of its free Innovation Workshop, specifically tailored for the growing businesses of Illinois. This initiative reflects the company's commitment to the Chicagoland community, which has warmly welcomed its establishment in the region. The workshop is designed to address the need for customized, high-level tech guidance among emerging businesses. Valued at $8,000, the workshop will offer selected participants a range of active, hands-on sessions that are designed to advance their projects. These interactive sessions range from developing UX/UI concepts and prototypes to identifying and developing key features and applications for business proposals and products. The goal is to equip attendees with a clear roadmap to achieve business objectives such as digital transformation, market expansion and process automation, among others. Participants will benefit from the expertise of HyperSense Software's team, working closely through each step of the process. This ensures that businesses not only learn but also implement these insights in real-time. Andrei Neacsu, CTO of HyperSense Software, emphasized the workshop's focus on community and collaboration. "At HyperSense Software, we believe in the power of community and the importance of nurturing local talent, he stated. This workshop is more than just a learning experience; it's a platform for collaboration, networking, and shared growth amongst Illinois's brightest business minds. Illinois businesses interested in this unique opportunity are encouraged to apply before the deadline on March 31, 2024. Application details and more information about the workshop can be found on the company's dedicated page. About HyperSense Software:With over two decades of global experience, HyperSense Software has been at the forefront of technology and innovation. The company is recognized for its excellence, as a member of BuiltIn's Expert Contributor Network and Forbes Business Council and is listed in the Clutch Awards Top 1000 companies for 2023. HyperSense Software is dedicated to providing cutting-edge software solutions, empowering businesses to succeed in an evolving digital landscape. For more information, visit HyperSense. Press Contact: ANDREI NEACSUCTO @ HyperSense SoftwarePhone: +1 (847) 448-0929Email: [email protected] Wire Service Contact:IBNLos Angeles, Californiawww.InvestorBrandNetwork.com310.299.1717 Office[email protected] Source: HyperSense Software Inc. TORONTO, Feb. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Latitude Uranium Inc. (Latitude Uranium, LUR or the Company) (CSE: LUR, OTCQB: LURAF, FRA: EI1) is pleased to announce that the Ontario Superior Court of Justice has granted the final order (the Final Order) in connection with the previously announced plan of arrangement under the Business Corporations Act (Ontario) (the Arrangement), pursuant to which, among other things, ATHA Energy Corp. (ATHA) will acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares of Latitude Uranium (the LUR Shares) in exchange for 0.2769 of a common share of ATHA (each whole share, an ATHA Share) for each LUR Share held. As previously announced, the Arrangement was approved by the Companys shareholders at a special meeting held on February 27, 2024. Closing of the Arrangement remains subject to satisfaction of certain customary closing conditions, including stock exchange and regulatory approvals. Subject to the satisfaction of these closing conditions, the parties currently expect to complete the Arrangement on or around March 7, 2024. Further details regarding the Arrangement, including the principal closing conditions and the anticipated benefits for shareholders, can be found in the Companys management proxy circular dated January 25, 2024 in respect of the Meeting, which can be found under the Companys SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca About Latitude Uranium Inc. Latitude Uranium is exploring and developing two district-scale uranium projects in Canada. Our primary focus is expanding the resource base at Angilak, which ranks amongst the highest-grade uranium deposits globally, outside of the Athabasca. Additionally, we are advancing the CMB Project, situated in the prolific Central Mineral Belt in central Labrador adjacent to the Michelin Deposit, with numerous occurrences of uranium, copper and potential IOCG style mineralization. For further information, please contact: Latitude Uranium Inc.John JentzCEO[email protected] Toll-Free: 1-833-572-2333 Email: [email protected]Website: www.latitudeuranium.comTwitter: @LatitudeUr_LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/latitude-uranium-inc/ Neither the CSE nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information This press release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. 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 state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved. These forward-looking statements or information may relate to anticipated closing of the Arrangement and the Companys ongoing business plan, exploration and work program. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions that, while considered reasonable by management of Latitude Uranium at the time, are inherently subject to business, market and economic risks, uncertainties and contingencies that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. Such assumptions include, but are not limited to, assumptions regarding the completion of the Arrangement, including receipt of required regulatory, stock exchange approvals, the ability of Latitude Uranium and ATHA to satisfy, in a timely manner, the other conditions to the closing of the Arrangement, other expectations and assumptions concerning the Arrangement, and that general business and economic conditions will not change in a material adverse manner. Although Latitude Uranium 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. Such statements represent the current views of Latitude Uranium with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by Latitude Uranium, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social risks, contingencies and uncertainties. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to the following: inability of Latitude Uranium and ATHA to complete the Arrangement, a material adverse change in the timing of any completion and the terms and conditions upon which the Arrangement is completed; inability to satisfy or waive all conditions to closing the Arrangement as set out in the arrangement agreement dated December 7, 2023 between ATHA and Latitude Uranium; the inability of the Company to realize the benefits anticipated from the Arrangement and the timing to realize such benefits; unanticipated changes in market price for Latitude Shares and/or ATHA Shares; changes to Latitude Uraniums and/or ATHAs current and future business plans and the strategic alternatives available thereto; treatment of the Arrangement under applicable laws; regulatory determinations and delays; any impacts of COVID-19 on the business of the Company and the ability to advance the Companys projects; stock market conditions generally; demand, supply and pricing for uranium; and general economic and political conditions in Canada and other jurisdictions where the applicable party conducts business. Other factors which could materially affect such forward-looking information are described in the risk factors in Latitude Uraniums most recent annual information form, the Circular and other filings with the Canadian securities regulators which are available under LURs profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Latitude Uranium does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. Source: Latitude Uranium Inc. TORONTO, Feb. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lithium Ionic Corp. (TSXV: LTH; OTCQX: LTHCF; FSE: H3N) (Lithium Ionic or the Company) reports that is has amended the purchase agreements related to the acquisition of certain of its Itinga properties, in Minas Gerais, Brazil. The amendments are as follows: Vale Claims: On January 20, 2023, Lithium Ionics 100%-owned Brazilian subsidiary, MGLIT Empreendimentos Ltda. (MGLIT), entered into a purchase agreement with Exotic Mineracao Ltda. pursuant to which MGLIT had the option to acquire up to a 100% equity interest in Vale do Litio Mineracao Ltda. (respectively, the Vale do Litio Agreement and Vale do Litio). Vale do Litio has a 100% beneficial ownership interest in three lithium mining claims covering a total of 3,140 hectares (the Vale Claims; see Figure 1). Based on the payments that have been made to date, Lithium Ionic own 7.4% of the Vale Claims. The amendment to the Vale do Litio Agreement is as follows: The payment schedule for the remaining 92.6% is as follows: R$50,000 (~C$13,700) to be paid to the vendor on July 20, 2024, to acquire 0.15% interest in Vale do Litio; R$29,950,000 (~C$8.2 million) to be paid to the vendor on January 20, 2025, to acquire the remaining 92.45% in Vale do Litio. Lithium Ionic may terminate the Vale do Litio Agreement at any time without incurring any additional financial penalties. Borges Claims: On December 5, 2022, MGLIT entered into a binding asset purchase agreement with Mineracao Borges Ltda. (Borges) to acquire from Borges a 100% ownership interest in three mining claims (the Borges Claims) covering a total of 1,478 hectares (the Borges Agreement; see Figure 1). Amendments to the Borges Agreement are as follows: R$50,000 (~C$13,700) to be paid to the vendor by March 9, 2024; R$14,950,000 (~C$4.1 million) to be paid to the vendor on the establishment of an NI 43-101 mineral resource estimate (minimum of 2 million tonnes with a Li2O content of over 1.30%), whose deadline to completion has been extended to June 5, 2025. Lithium Ionic may terminate the Borges Agreement at any time without incurring any additional financial penalties. Figure 1. Lithium Ionics Itinga Group of Properties Showing the Vale and Borges Claims View Figure 1 here: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6415dedf-2d00-46b6-91f6-fec2830ebd2c About Lithium Ionic Corp. Lithium Ionic is a Canadian mining company exploring and developing its lithium properties in Brazil. Its flagship Itinga and Salinas projects cover 14,182 hectares in the northeastern part of Minas Gerais state, a mining-friendly jurisdiction that is quickly emerging as a world-class hard-rock lithium district. The Itinga Project is situated in the same region as CBLs Cachoeira lithium mine, which has produced lithium for +30 years, as well as Sigma Lithium Corp.s Grota do Cirilo project, which hosts the largest hard-rock lithium deposit in the Americas. Investor and Media Inquiries: +1 647.316.2500[email protected] Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains statements that constitute forward-statements. Such forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Companys actual results, performance or achievements, or developments to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes, in light of the experience of its officers and directors, current conditions and expected future developments and other factors that have been considered appropriate that the expectations reflected in this forward-looking information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on them because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. When used in this press release, the words estimate, project, belief, anticipate, intend, expect, plan, predict, may or should and the negative of these words or such variations thereon or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements and information. The forward-looking statements and information in this press release include information relating to the prospectivity and development of the Companys mineral properties, the amendments to the Vale do Litio Agreement and the Borges Agreement and the Companys future plans. Such statements and information reflect the current view of the Company. Risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in those forward-looking statements and information. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking information contained in this news release represents the expectations of the Company as of the date of this news release and, accordingly, is subject to change after such date. Readers should not place undue importance on forward-looking information and should not rely upon this information as of any other date. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that managements beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Information and links in this press release relating to other mineral resource companies are from their sources believed to be reliable, but that have not been independently verified by the Company. Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. Figure 1 Lithium Ionics Itinga Group of Properties Showing the Vale and Borges Claims Source: Lithium Ionic Corp. NEW YORK, Feb. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Madison Realty Capital, a vertically integrated real estate private equity firm focused on debt and equity investment strategies, today announced that it has originated a $133 million mortgage loan to an affiliate of Marx Development Group for the completion of a 51-story, 379-key full-service luxury hotel located at 450 Eleventh Avenue in the Hudson Yards neighborhood of Manhattan. Josh Zegen, Managing Principal and Co-Founder of Madison Realty Capital, said, We are pleased to provide flexible financing to Marx Development, a repeat borrower and established developer with a vast portfolio spanning multiple asset classes. Hudson Yards is one of Manhattans most dynamic neighborhoods, rapidly evolving into a business epicenter surrounded by an abundance of restaurant and retail opportunities. The size and quality of the property will surpass any comparable product in the market and offer premier accommodations in a supply-constrained hotel market for years to come. Construction of the property, which is nearing completion, is being overseen by architect DSM Design Group and general contractor Atria Builders. The property is located directly across the street from the recently renovated Javits Center, one of the largest and top-performing convention centers in the country and is ideally situated near multiple public transportation options including the West 34th Street subway station, Penn Station, and the Port Authority Bus Terminal. Upon completion, the hotel will comprise a unit mix of 61 double queens, 267 kings, 41 king corner suites, four luxury suites, and six luxury duplex suites with unobstructed views of the Hudson River. The hotel will also offer best-in-class amenities including a multi-level, 7,224 square-foot restaurant with outdoor terrace space and a spa, fitness center, business center, lounge, bar, and ballroom, as well as banquet and conference spaces. About Madison Realty Capital Madison Realty Capital is a vertically integrated real estate private equity firm focused on US-based commercial real estate debt and equity strategies. As of September 30, 2023, the firm manages $11.7 billion in assets on behalf of a global institutional investor base. Since 2004, Madison Realty Capital has completed $25 billion of real estate transactions largely through direct lending to a wide range of borrowers, acquiring non-performing loans and preferred equity investments. Madison Realty Capital seeks to deliver value across every phase of the property lifecycle by providing customized financing solutions and strong underwriting capabilities that meet borrowers unique needs with speed and certainty of execution. Headquartered in New York City, with offices in Los Angeles and Israel, the firm has 75 employees across its real estate investment, asset management, and development disciplines. Madison Realty Capital has been named to Commercial Observers prestigious Power 100 list of New York City real estate players every year since 2016 and was recognized in March 2023 by PERE as the Debt Firm of the Year, North America for 2022. To learn more, follow Madison Realty Capital on LinkedIn and visit madisonrealtycapital.com. Media inquiries, contact:Nathaniel Garnick/Grace CartwrightGasthalter & Co.(212) 257-4170[email protected] Source: Madison Realty Capital Foundation aims to change current statistics: less than 3% of airline pilots are Black and less than 1% are women HENDERSON, Nev., Feb. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Minority Pilot Advancement Foundation launched today during Black History Month with the goal of bringing 600 minority and women pilots per year into the aviation industry. By educating, inspiring and funding minority teens in aviation careers, the Foundation is poised to drive generational change by breaking the cycle of lack of advancement opportunities, and to help alleviate the significant pilot shortage in the United States. Because of that shortage, major airline companies have dropped the need for a four-year degree as a prerequisite for employment as an airline pilot, opening opportunities to youth who may not realize that a career in aviation is now a possibility. Given that less than 3 percent of all airline pilots are Black, and less that 1 percent are women, the need for diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) programs like the Minority Pilot Advancement Foundation has never been greater. By educating underrepresented middle school and high school kids about our program to assist them in becoming a pilot and that all they need to do so is a high school diploma, and read and write English, the international language of aviation, we hope to inspire them to stay in high school and do well, knowing that their dream for a better life is waiting for them through the Foundation, said Ron Kelly, founder of the Minority Pilot Advancement Foundation. We are opening a huge door that leads right to a career in the sky where they can earn over $200,000 a year and change the trajectory of their whole family. In addition to launching the Foundation, Mr. Kelly, who is the CEO the Las Vegas Flight Academy (LVFA), will be awarded with the distinguished Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award given by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in recognition of 50 years of safe flying. Mr. Kelly will become one of a small group of African Americans to receive the distinguished award during the LVFAs grand opening ceremony. Underrepresented youth need role models like Mr. Kelly who have climbed up the aviation corporate ladder and are now reaching back to help others, said Dr. Alan Meyer, Associate Professor specializing in technology and aviation history at Auburn University, and author of Flying While Black, which investigates the slow pace of racial integration in the airline cockpit from the Civil Rights Era to present. A foundation like this has been a long time coming, and in a way pays tribute to the unsung black aviation heroes like the Tuskegee Airman and others who were so deserving of opportunities like those offered by Minority Pilot Advancement Foundation but were not available at the time. About Minority Pilot Advancement Foundation The Minority Pilot Advancement Foundation is a Nevada-based 501(c)(3), nonprofit public foundation established in 2022 to provide opportunities to underrepresented and disadvantaged youth across the United States who have been left behind. Its mission is to provide these youth with life-changing skills, career training and job placement in the aviation industry and construction trades, where demand for skilled talent is high. The Foundation will support youth whose circumstances put them at a disadvantage by providing them with the training and financial support they need to succeed in lifetime careers in the aviation and construction industries. The Foundation plans to raise $50 million by 2030. TORONTO, Feb. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Montero Mining and Exploration Ltd. (TSX-V: MON) (Montero or the Corporation) announces that it has completed a debt settlement transaction (the Debt Settlement) with Dr. Antony Harwood, the Corporations CEO and certain other creditors, in consideration for the issuance of 1,300,813 common shares of the Corporation (the Settlement Shares) at a deemed price of CAD$0.15375 per Settlement Share (the Debt Settlement), as previously announced on December 29, 2023. The Corporation settled aggregate debt of CAD$200,000 (the Debt) pertaining to expenses accruing since 2021. The Corporation issued the Settlement Shares to settle the Debt in order to preserve cash for general working capital purposes. Dr. Harwood is an insider of the Corporation, was issued 905,849 Settlement Shares pursuant to the Debt Settlement, and accordingly, the Debt Settlement is considered a related party transaction within the meaning of Multilateral Instrument 61-101 Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transaction (MI 61-101). The Corporation relied on the exemptions from the requirement for a formal valuation and minority shareholder approval under MI 61-101 on the basis of the exemptions contained in section 5.5(1)(a) and section 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101, as the fair market value of the Settlement Shares issued to Dr. Harwood in connection with the Debt Settlement did not exceed 25% of the Corporations market capitalization. The Debt Settlement was approved by all of the independent directors of the Corporation. The Settlement Shares issued pursuant to the Debt Settlement are subject to a four month and one day hold period, which will expire on June 29, 2024. About MonteroMontero is currently in arbitration proceedings before the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes seeking in excess of $90 million in damages from the United Republic of Tanzania over the expropriation of the Wigu Hill rare earth element project. Montero is also seeking a joint venture partner to advance its Avispa copper-molybdenum project in Chile. Monteros board of directors and management have an impressive track record of successfully discovering and advancing precious metal and copper projects. Montero trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol MON and has 45,281,295 shares outstanding. For more information, contact:Montero Mining and Exploration Ltd.Dr. Tony (Antony) Harwood, President and Chief Executive OfficerE-mail: [email protected]Tel: +1 604 428 7050www.monteromining.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. CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION: This news release includes certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements, projections and estimates with respect to the Debt Settlement, including the final approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. 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 state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved. Such information is based on information currently available to Montero and Montero provides no assurance that actual results will meet management's expectations. Forward-looking information by its very nature involves inherent risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance, or achievements of Montero to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Actual results relating to, among other things, results of exploration, project development, reclamation and capital costs of Monteros mineral properties, and financial condition and prospects, could differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements for many reasons such as: an inability to complete the agreement on the terms as announced or at all; changes in general economic conditions and conditions in the financial markets; changes in demand and prices for minerals; litigation, legislative, environmental and other judicial, regulatory, political and competitive developments; technological and operational difficulties encountered in connection with Monteros activities; and other matters discussed in this news release and in filings made with securities regulators. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of Monteros forward-looking statements. These and other factors should be considered carefully and accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Montero does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. Source: Montero Mining and Exploration Ltd. The Bulengo camp is located about 10 kilometers from the city of Goma, in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. About 180,000 people who have fled the fighting in the North Kivu region live here in very precarious conditions as the presence of the M23 rebel group is increasing. I am a displaced woman and every day I live a battle to survive. Shukuru (not her real name) is 25 years old and her face is marked by suffering. She shares her story with surprising strength from one of the farthest corners of the Bulengo displaced persons camp, west of the city of Goma. More than 36,000 families live here. That totals more than 180,000 displaced people living in very difficult conditions, often in small huts built in a hurry, with flimsy materials, such as pieces of wood, tin, and tarpaulins. But among its dirt streets you can also hear determination in the voices of many people who have lost everything due to the war and the humanitarian crisis being created by the violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. I am especially concerned about safety. Being in a camp like this exposes women to many types of violence, and unfortunately I have been a victim, Shukuru states, her voice unwavering. This young woman lived in the city of Rubaya, and fled from the M23 rebel group after losing her family in the fighting. Once in the countryside, she was raped by strangers who knew she was alone in a tent and as a result of the assault she became pregnant. The baby is due next month. Shukuru (not her real name) is a 25-year-old woman displaced by the clashes between the army and the M23 rebel group, who became pregnant after being raped in the Bulengo camp near Goma. Laetitia Kasongo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is experiencing one of the continents largest internal displacement crises, with 6.9 million people forced to leave their homes, primarily due to conflict in the east. Since October 2022, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates that 1.6 million people have been displaced. At the beginning of February, fighting resumed about 15 miles from the city of Sake, in the province of North Kivu. Since then, there has been a new and significant movement of refugees towards the already overcrowded displaced persons camps. According to UNICEF figures, more than 214,000 people have joined the 500,000 who were already displaced in camps such as Bulengo, near the city of Goma. Vincent Ndahayo, another camp resident, is also silent about the horror he has suffered and continues to suffer. For him, the international community urgently needs to do something. This humanitarian crisis has plunged millions of people into misery and despair. We need urgent help, especially in terms of security, food, and health, he insists. Ndahayo lived with his family in the town of Masisi, North Kivu, and made a living raising cattle, selling their milk, and making cheese. Today, he sleeps outdoors because he prefers to leave the small, ramshackle cabin that he has managed to build for his wife and six children. The rebel offensive launched in 2022 by the M23 group has meant the reactivation of an old conflict that began in the late 1990s and that never became extinct. According to the Congolese government, the majority Tutsi group is financed by Rwanda, which is an accusation denied by the authorities in Kigali. In addition, efforts by an international force from other countries in the region to find a peaceful outcome have been insufficient. Vincent Ndahayo, father of six, poses in front of his tent. In his hometown he raised cows and made cheese, now he doesn't know what will become of him and his family. Laetitia Kasongo Id rather go back These days, the U.N. Refugee Agency (UNHCR) warned that the escalation of violence and clashes is taking a heavy toll on innocent civilians and maintained that it has received reports of murders, kidnappings, and the destruction of peoples homes. The fighting has further aggravated an already serious humanitarian situation, said Bintou Keita, special representative of the U.N. Secretary-General in the country and head of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO). In the Bulengo camp there are lots of children. Some are with their parents, others have lost their loved ones in the war and wander around the camp alone or have been taken in by neighbors and acquaintances. Each family has built a shelter as best they could and struggles every day to get food and drinking water. Clean water is especially scarce, as it requires installing distribution points. Staying here is a permanent challenge, Marie Jeanne Mupfuni confirms with an extremely tired look. We live in a small shack made of wood and sheet metal. Life here is precarious, especially when it rains, because water enters the cabin and we cannot keep our things dry, she says. And if it rains at night, we have to get up and try to protect the mat we sleep on so that it doesnt get soaked with water. Im tired of this life. Id rather return to my town than endure all this. If the Congolese authorities cant find a solution to our problem, Id prefer to return, she says. At her side, Jean Neti, a 20-year-old young man, looks even more resigned to the situation. We are totally dependent on humanitarian aid to survive, because without it we would have no food or shelter, but even with this assistance, life is still very hard. We often go without food, and drinking water is scarce, he explains. Despite everything, the young man assures us that he prefers the countryside to his town, where he would have to survive alongside the M23 rebels who have occupied it. Displaced women carry containers of water after walking 10 kilometers to fill them due to lack of water in the Bulengo camp near Goma in the violence-ravaged eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Laetitia Kasongo Almost three million malnourished children Seven miles away, in the city of Goma, the NGO League for Congolese Solidarity is one of the few sources of hope for those displaced by the war between the Congolese government and the M23, especially women. But the fragile security in some areas makes access to the civilian population very difficult and we also have limited resources, which prevents us from responding adequately to the growing needs, explains Josephine Malimukono, the head of the organization. The NGO is still trying to carry out its human rights awareness and sexual assault prevention programs, while offering psychological support to survivors of violence and trying to improve the living conditions of displaced people. We work tirelessly, but there is a terrible lack of coordination between humanitarian actors, which sometimes results in a waste of resources and the duplication of efforts, she laments. The international community has a fundamental role. It can provide financial and logistical support, but also strengthen the abilities of local actors and encourage a peaceful resolution to the conflict, asks Malimukono. On February 20, the international community and the Congolese government launched a Humanitarian Response Plan 2024, requesting $2.6 billion of assistance for about 8.7 million people in the country. At the same time, the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Program (WFP) warned of the critical situation for children and families trapped in the escalation of violence in the east of the country. We are extremely concerned for their safety in and around the Goma camps, admitted Grant Leaity, UNICEFs representative in the country. The most urgent needs, according to these two organizations, are supplying food and clean drinking water, deploying mobile clinics to prevent and contain cholera, providing nutrition services and basic health care, and creating safe spaces for children and unaccompanied girls and to respond to and prevent cases of gender violence. For this reason and for the next six months, UNICEF requested $400 million for its emergency response in the country, and the WFP has requested $300 million. According to the WFP, a total of 23.4 million people are expected to suffer from acute food insecurity between January and June 2024, and an estimated 2.8 million children are already suffering from acute malnutrition in the DRC. We are facing a humanitarian catastrophe of massive proportions. Make no mistake, if we do not act now, lives will be lost, warned Peter Musoko, the WFPs country director and resident representative in the DRC. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Ottawa, Feb. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) today announced up to $50 million in funding in support of Ontarios plan to maintain a clean energy grid while continuing to drive economic development and support Indigenous and community consultation. The funding, announced at the Canadian Nuclear Association (CNA) annual conference, will support pre-development work to study the feasibility of the option for a new nuclear build on the Bruce Power site. This aligns with the Federal governments Powering Canada Forward plan to build a net-zero economy, as well as the provinces Powering Ontarios Growth plan, which lays out investment options to electrify the economy and meet growing clean energy demand. Announced by the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, the funding will support the federal governments goal of working with its partners in Canada to build clean, reliable, and affordable electricity systems across the country in line with its commitment to achieve emissions-reduction targets under the Paris Agreement, while also driving the economy. The federal government is acting on our commitment to build a net-zero economy that provides clean electricity, economic growth, and good jobs for all Canadians. To help us get there, we are working with the Government of Ontario to ensure Ontario is positioned to achieve a clean, reliable and affordable electricity grid with the expectation that it will comply with the forthcoming federal clean electricity regulations, Wilkinson said. Bruce Power has experienced years of success with nuclear energy in Ontario, and this announcement will enable that success to continue, and grow, in the future. This means more reliable and affordable electricity for Canadians, and good jobs and economic opportunities for communities across Ontario. At the province's request, Bruce Power currently is going through a federal Impact Assessment (IA) process as a planning tool to evaluate the potential for an additional 4,800 MW at the Bruce Power site in a project referred to as Bruce C. This multi-year process includes Indigenous and public engagement, environmental and socioeconomic studies, and permitting activities. Although no decision has been made to advance a new build, this no-regret action is an important step to support future electricity planning and allow faster execution if a decision is made to proceed. With global business looking to expand in jurisdictions with reliable, affordable and clean electricity, Ontarios world-class clean electricity grid is helping us land historic investments, said the Honourable Todd Smith, Ontarios Minister of Energy. New nuclear generation, like the first large-scale nuclear build in a generation at Bruce Power, supported by this investment by the federal government, will ensure we have the reliable, affordable and clean electricity we need to support the next major international investment, the new homes we are building, and industries - like our steel producers - as they grow and electrify. The Government of Canada is investing billions of dollars to help build clean, affordable and reliable electricity grids across the country. Bruce Power continues to safely operate its existing eight-unit fleet while progressing the on-time and on-budget completion of its Life-Extension Program and Major Component Replacement (MCR) projects to renew Units 3-8 at its Bruce A and B stations. The renewed units will continue to supply clean, reliable energy to Ontario for decades to come. Ontario has one of the cleanest electricity grids in the world and the nuclear industry is leading the way, said Mike Rencheck, Bruce Powers President and Chief Executive Officer. This pre-development funding for new nuclear at the Bruce site is a great example of how the federal and provincial governments are working together with the private sector, supporting early Indigenous and community engagement, planning and support for pre-development activities for clean-energy projects that will allow us to meet climate goals to benefit Ontario and all Canadians for the long term. The companys approach to supporting the role of the Bruce Power site in the provinces Powering Ontarios Growth plan will be based on the following five principles: Extend the operation of the eight Bruce Power operating units to continue producing clean energy and cancer-fighting isotopes through 2064 and beyond. Through the Life-Extension Program and Project 2030 investments, increase net peak output of the existing units to 7,000 megawatts (MW) for the 2030s equivalent to adding a large-scale reactor with current infrastructure. Pursue an Impact Assessment (IA) as a planning tool to evaluate the potential for an additional 4,800 MW at the Bruce Power site and commit to open and transparent engagement with Indigenous communities, the local tri-county region and the public prior to any decision-making. Undertake a robust technology review process to provide sound guidance for potential future decisions and milestones. Position economic development/partnerships, localization, supply chain and workforce development as key priorities in development, especially in rural communities. About Bruce PowerBruce Power is an electricity company based in Bruce County, Saugeen Ojibway Nation Territory, Ontario. We are powered by our people. Our 4,200 employees are the foundation of our accomplishments and are proud of the role they play in safely delivering clean, reliable nuclear power to families and businesses across the province and cancer-fighting medical isotopes around the world. Bruce Power has worked hard to build strong roots in Ontario and is committed to protecting the environment and supporting the communities in which we live. Formed in 2001, Bruce Power is a Canadian-owned partnership of TC Energy, OMERS, the Power Workers Union and The Society of United Professionals. Learn more at www.brucepower.com and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. John Peevers Bruce Power 5193863799 [email protected] Source: Bruce Power LONDON, Feb. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Renowned customer analytics expert and best-selling author of "Converted: The Data-Driven Way to Win Customers' Hearts," Neil Hoyne, is set to deliver the keynote address at Optimove's Connect Conference. As one of the foremost authorities on customer relationship marketing, as well as a Senior Fellow at the Wharton School and Chief Strategist at Google, Hoyne will share his expertise with top marketers during the conference on March 20-21 at the Pullman St. Pancras Hotel, London. Optimove, the first Customer-Led Marketing Platform, notes that attendees can look forward to gaining valuable insights, practical tips, and networking opportunities that will enhance their customer relationship marketing strategies and drive customer loyalty for their brands. Hoyne's book provides a straightforward, research-backed playbook accessible to anyone aiming to identify their best customers and foster long-lasting relationships. During his keynote address, Hoyne will go beyond the book, offering fresh insights to assist marketers in establishing deeper and more meaningful connections with their customer base. Leveraging his extensive data analytics and customer engagement expertise, Hoyne will challenge conventional business approaches and illuminate the potential of building lasting customer relationships through data insights. Attendees can expect to gain powerful, actionable tips that they can immediately implement in their organizations. "Neil Hoyne is recognized as one of the world's top experts in customer relationship marketing. As our keynote speaker at Connect, attendees will have a rare chance to hear how marketers can create deeper relationships with customers," said Pini Yakuel, CEO at Optimove. "His profound knowledge and innovative thinking in customer-centric, data-driven strategies align perfectly with our mission to empower marketers to win customers' loyalty for life." "It is an honor to be the keynote speaker at Optimoves premier conference," said Hoyne. "I look forward to tapping into the vast knowledge and collective wisdom of the attendees, who are cutting-edge marketers with real-life case studies on how leading brands drive customer loyalty. Together, we will look at marketing through the lens of conversations and deep relationships that the best brands create with their customers. Plus, I am excited to share new learnings and insights from the book that are relevant to the challenges of todays marketers." The Connect Conference, hosted by Optimove, brings together industry experts, professionals, and thought leaders from various domains to explore the latest trends, best practices, and technological advancements in Customer-Led Marketing. About Optimove Optimove is the first Customer-Led Marketing Platform. Its solutions ensure that marketing always starts with the customer instead of a campaign or product. Customer-led marketing has been proven to deliver brands an average increase of 33% in customer lifetime value. It is the only customer-led marketing platform powered by the combination of 1) rich historical, real-time, and predictive customer data, 2) AI-led multichannel journey orchestration, and 3) statistically credible multitouch attribution of every marketing action. In Gartner's 2023 Magic Quadrant for Multichannel Marketing Hubs, Optimove was positioned the highest in execution and furthest in vision among Challengers. In Gartner's companion report and ranked #1 by Gartner for Multichannel Marketing Journey Orchestration. Optimove provides industry-specific and use-case solutions for hundreds of leading consumer brands, including BetMGM, SodaStream, Pennsylvania Lottery, bet365, and Staples. For more information, go to Optimove.com. Attachment Guy Leshno Optimove +447716089172 [email protected] Source: Optimove Netanya, Israel, Feb. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Silynxcom Ltd. (NYSE American: SYNX) (Silynxcom or the Company), a manufacturer and developer of ruggedized tactical communication headset devices as well as other communication accessories, is proud to announce that it has developed an innovative new product designed for dogs in militaries. The cutting-edge headset, having been the subject of the Companys extensive research and engineered based on the Companys expertise in communication technology, is designed to offer robust protection for and to enable seamless command transmission via radio directly to military dogs. This unique headset represents a significant leap forward in canine military gear, providing the dual benefits of safeguarding hearing and facilitating immediate and clear communication from handlers. The device is crafted to fit comfortably on dogs heads, ensuring that they are fully protected during missions without hindering mobility or their senses. The headset has undergone comprehensive testing to ensure durability, comfort, and functionality under various conditions. These successful tests have paved the way for the next phase of evaluation, where the headset will be tested by one of the largest national armies. This collaboration highlights the trust and confidence in Silynxcom's technology and its potential to revolutionize the way military dogs are equipped for their crucial roles. "We are incredibly excited to introduce this revolutionary headset to the market," said Nir Klein, Chief Executive Officer of Silynxcom. "Our team has worked tirelessly to develop a product that meets the needs of military four-legged heroes, offering them protection while enhancing communication with their handlers. This development reflects our deep respect and appreciation for these courageous animals." About Silynxcom Ltd. For over a decade, the Company been developing, manufacturing, marketing, and selling ruggedized tactical communication headset devices as well as other communication accessories, all of which have been field-tested and combat-proven. The Companys in-ear headset devices, or In-Ear Headsets, are used in combat, the battlefield, riot control, demonstrations and weapons training courses. The In-Ear Headsets seamlessly integrate with third party manufacturers of professional-grade ruggedized radios that are used by soldiers in combat or by police officers. The Companys In-Ear Headsets also fit tightly into the protective gear to enable users to speak and hear clearly and precisely while they are protected from the hazardous sounds of combat, riots or dangerous situations. The sleek, lightweight, In-Ear Headsets include active sound protection to eliminate unsafe sounds, while maintaining ambient environmental awareness, giving their customers 360 situational awareness. The Company works closely with its customers and seek to improve the functionality and quality of the Companys products based on actual feedback from soldiers and police officers in the field. The Companys headset devices are compatible and easily integrate with various communication equipment devices currently being used by tens of thousands of military and law enforcement personnel in leading military and law enforcement units around the globe. The Company sells its In-Ear Headsets and communication accessories directly to military forces, police and other law enforcement units around the world. The Company also deals with specialized networks of local distributors in each locale in which it operates and has developed key strategic partnerships with radio equipment manufacturers. Forward Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties. For example, the Company uses forward-looking statements when it discusses that its headset for military dogs is groundbreaking and offers unparalleled protection and communication, the design benefits of its headset for military dogs, that these headsets will be tested in a proof-of-concept collaboration with a military, highlighting trust and confidence in the Companys products, and that this headset can potentially revolutionize the way military dogs are equipped for their roles. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release may be identified by the use of words such as anticipate, believe, contemplate, could, estimate, expect, intend, seek, may, might, plan, potential, predict, project, target, aim, should, "will would, or the negative of these words or other similar expressions, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. Forward-looking statements are based on Silynxcoms current expectations and are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Further, certain forward-looking statements are based on assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be accurate. These and other risks and uncertainties are described more fully in the section titled Risk Factors in the final prospectus related to the public offering filed with the SEC on January 11, 2024. Forward-looking statements contained in this announcement are made as of this date, and Silynxcom undertakes no duty to update such information except as required under applicable law. Investor Relations Contact: Silynxcom Ltd. [email protected] Starck's team is developing AI Starck Investment Platform to monitor, analyze and send news about upcoming ups or downs in the trends of selected assets such as: commodities, equity, forex and cryptocurrencies. Berlin, Germany, Feb. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The team working at Starck has recently shared some important news with the Web3 community. The project's native token (STK) will soon go live on PancakeSwap to increase accessibility for investors and traders. Additionally, the team has announced the upcoming launch of its AI Starck Investment Platform (ASIP). The project provides a new way for investors to make informed decisions based on real-time data and AI technology. Going Live on PancakeSwap The STARCK (STK) token gears up for a grand entry on PancakeSwap at 1 p.m. UTC +0, March 1, 2024. Born as a BEP-20 token, it's the key to obtaining Starck's staking rewards. It also unlocks various Tiers within the AI STARCK Investment Platform (ASIP). Each tier promises unique advantages, making STK more than just a token. It's a way to access a thrilling investment adventure. Launching on PancakeSwap, one of the most popular DEXs, allows STK to reach a broader audience and gain more liquidity. The AI Starck Investment Platform (ASIP) Starcks AI-driven investment platform (ASIP) combines the expertise of wealth managers with real-time market and news data. ASIP is an initiative for traders and investors who want accurate, up-to-date information from verified sources. This innovative platform offers instant prices, trading news, fundamental and technical analysis, and portfolio tracking capabilities. The secret sauce behind ASIP's power lies in the unique blend of artificial intelligence and human professional analysis. Thanks to the latest AI technology and the expertise of traders and analysts, ASIP provides faster, more accurate data. This approach aims at surpassing traditional investment tools. With ASIP, users can easily monitor, analyze, trade, and track market data from various sources. From cryptocurrencies to equity, forex, and commodities, ASIP covers all major markets. This allows traders and investors to stay on top of their game and make informed decisions based on real-time data. Multiple Tiers for Different Investors There are various tiers available for different investors on the Starck Trading platform. Each tier offers unique features and tools to cater to the needs of specific investors. Currently, Tier 1 is available to investors interested in cryptocurrency trading. It includes real-time data, AI-generated trading targets, and personalized news with sentiment analysis. Tier 2 will offer fundamental equity analysis by financial experts, while Tier 3 will analyze Forex and Commodities. Tier 4 will provide warning alerts for problematic projects and multilanguage support. Finally, Tier 5 will offer comprehensive tracking software. This tool will include features such as portfolio balancing, effective tracking of investments, and quick access to indicators. Staking, an important feature for investors, will begin on March 1, 2024. The feature will be available for Tier 1 users and expand to other tiers in the following quarters. About Starck Starck is a project combining a new token (STK) with an innovative investment platform. It utilizes AI technology to monitor and analyze various markets, including equity, commodities, forex, and cryptocurrencies. The goal is to provide users with real-time news and analysis of potential market trends. This allows for strategic trading decisions based on up-to-date information. With the STARCK token, traders can access instant spot prices and track their entire investment portfolio. It will be possible to follow Starck's progress and success through its official website and the social media pages below. TORONTO, Feb. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Terra Firma Capital Corporation (Terra Firma or the Company) is pleased to announce the opening of its new corporate headquarters in Toronto, Canada, located at 970 Lawrence Avenue West, Suite 401. The opening of new offices, and the appointment of our new CEO, following its acquisition and privatization by Y. Dov Meyer and Seth Greenspan, through their holding company GM Capital Corporation (GM Capital) marks a significant milestone for Terra Firma. On October 27, 2023, GM Capital completed the $46 million acquisition and privatization of the Company. Under the leadership of the newly appointed President and Chief Executive Officer, Seth Greenspan, Terra Firma has already demonstrated its commitment to growth and innovation with three new transactions totaling USD $32 million since the start of the year. Unifying Operations Under One Roof: "We are thrilled to be opening our new office in Toronto, consolidating our team under one roof," said Seth Greenspan, President, and CEO of Terra Firma Capital Corporation. "This new office underscores our dedication to delivering exceptional service and support to our clients, as well as our commitment to growth and innovation." Centralizing Operations for Enhanced Efficiency: The Toronto office will house a team of highly skilled professionals dedicated to providing personalized solutions tailored to meet the unique needs of our clients in the financial sector. It will serve as the central hub for all origination, asset management, and capital raising functions for both our US and Canadian operations. With an unwavering focus on excellence and client satisfaction, Terra Firma aims to maintain its track record of success and cultivate enduring partnerships within the community. For more information about Terra Firma Capital Corporation and its newest office location, please visit https://www.tfcc.ca/ or contact Seth Greenspan 416-792-4708 About Terra Firma Capital Corporation: Terra Firma, a real estate finance company, established in 2011, provides real estate financings secured by investment properties and real estate developments in the United States and Canada. The Company focuses on arranging and providing financing to real estate developers and owners who require shorter-term loans to bridge a transitional period of one to five years where they require capital at various stages of development or redevelopment of a property. These loans are typically repaid with lower cost, longer-term debt obtained from other financial institutions once the applicable transitional period is over or the redevelopment is complete, or from proceeds generated from the sale of the real estate assets. Source: Terra Firma Capital Corporation WASHINGTON, DC, Feb. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) will host the 2024 Presidents & Chancellors HBCU Fly-In March 6-7 in Washington, D.C. The event brings presidents and chancellors of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs) together with members of Congress and key government and corporate officials to discuss issues of law and policy impacting TMCF member schools. More than 30 presidents and chancellors will attend. Supporting this HBCU Fly-In is important to TMCF because we believe in active bipartisan engagement to achieve results for our member-schools, Harry L. Williams, TMCF president & CEO, said. When you bring HBCU presidents together in one room, that energy is electrifying; things can happen, and things can move. While we have achieved significant gains on behalf of the entire Black college community, through our efforts, more work can be done for our schools. The two-day event is a vital platform for HBCU leaders, influential figures in the job market, and policy makers. The HBCU Fly-In serves as a forum for discussion for pioneering strategies to enhance educational attainment, strengthen collaborations across sectors and address the dynamic needs of the American workforce. Attendees will convene with Business Roundtable members in a closed meeting to discuss the challenges and opportunities member schools are facing while figuring out how to partner together to provide students with employment opportunities. TMCF and Business Roundtable began a partnership in 2021 to invest in HBCU students and develop a diverse talent pipeline. To date, more than 50 Business Roundtable companies have partnered with TMCF through scholarship support, professional development and internship opportunities. The partnership we have with the Business Roundtable is particularly significant because it's an organization that represents the CEOs of over 200 of Americas leading companies, David K. Sheppard, chief business and legal officer at TMCF, said. The HBCU Fly-In is the premier event for our presidents and chancellors to also meet with members of Congress, agency administrators and representatives of the Biden administration. The HBCU Fly-In is part of TMCFs broader policy, advocacy and capacity building work. TMCF develops and advocates for federal legislation and policies that facilitate the sustainability and growth of HBCUs and PBIs, as well as help institutions access resources to build capacity and strengthen academic and financial support. In recent years, TMCF advocacy has resulted in $5.5 billion in pandemic-relief funds specifically for HBCUs; the introduction and passage of legislation that helped establish the first University-Affiliated Research Center (UARC) on an HBCU campus; and the discharge of more than $1.3 billion loans acquired through the HBCU Capital Finance Program. The event also includes meetings with Congressional Black Caucus leadership, senior members of the Biden Administration, workshops and a reception co-hosted by Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) in the Capitol. Topics include the TMCF value proposition, HBCU sustainability, capacity-building opportunities and the advocacy agenda for HBCUs, PBIs and their students. About the Thurgood Marshall College Fund Established in 1987, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) is the nations largest organization exclusively representing the Black College Community. TMCF member schools include the publicly supported Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Historically Black Community Colleges and Predominantly Black Institutions, enrolling nearly 80% of all students attending black colleges and universities. Through scholarships, capacity building and research initiatives, innovative programs, and strategic partnerships, TMCF is a vital resource in the K-12 and higher education space. The organization is also the source of top employers seeking top talent for competitive internships and good jobs. TMCF is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, charitable organization. For more information about TMCF, visit www.tmcf.org. Dr. Clara Ross Stamps Thurgood Marshall College Fund (202) 888-1648 [email protected] Source: Thurgood Marshall College Fund US producer reaffirms leadership position through recent regulatory milestone Greeley, Colorado, Feb. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vantage Hemp Co. (Vantage or the Company), a globally accredited plant-based extractor and finished product manufacturer, is proud to announce that it has successfully obtained Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) certification from Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). The Company is certified for the production of medicinal CBD extracts, isolates, and finished goods under the Pharmaceutical Inspection Co-operation Scheme (PIC/S), a manufacturing standard adopted around the world. Vantage is establishing a leadership position in key international markets by obtaining formal approval for importation through its demonstration of manufacturing excellence. This milestone not only marks Vantages adherence to long-standing GMP pharmaceutical manufacturing standards but also industry-specific regulations including Therapeutic Goods (Standard for Medicinal Cannabis) (TGO 93) Order 2017 (TGO 93). The inspection covered a wide range of aspects, including facility review, quality system, documentation, warehousing, manufacturing, packaging, quality control, equipment calibration, validation processes, and product release procedures. The final evaluation concluded that Vantage operates in accordance with the relevant GMP requirements. The Companys ability to meet stringent regulatory requirements solidifies its reputation as a reliable and compliant manufacturer, paving the way for collaborative ventures. "While many CBD manufacturers may boast GMP-compliant certificates from third-party organizations, Vantage was given the unique opportunity to demonstrate its compliance in front of a governing body, which is no simple feat. Its a testament to Vantages commitment to quality, and required both meticulous planning and the dedication of our entire team," comments Darcie Moran, Vantages Director of Quality Assurance and Regulatory Affairs. "With it, our partners are assured that our manufacturing processes are in strict compliance with the most rigorous pharmaceutical standards." This regulatory milestone is a significant asset to Vantages international growth strategy, opening doors to new opportunities in the Australian market and beyond. About Vantage Hemp Co. Colorado-based Vantage Hemp Co. extracts and processes from plant and mushroom compounds including cannabinoids from industrial hemp, as well as formulates and manufactures finished products with the extracted ingredients. Vantage's contract manufacturing services offer a broad range of benefits as they operate with integrity and abide by stringent pharmaceutical production standards to provide quality products to their partners. For more information, visit www.vantagehemp.com. Attachments DealFlow Events has re-engaged IBN, a multifaceted communications organization committed to connecting companies with the investment community through its dynamic portfolio of 60+ brands, as the official media partner for the 2nd Annual Venture Debt Conference 2024. Organized and hosted by DealFlow Events, the conference is slated to take place on March 6, 2024, at the historic Edison Ballroom in New York City. One of 200+ signature programs created by DealFlow, the Venture Debt Conference is designed to offer financially relevant, high-quality educational content, professional networking, and unique business development opportunities. As the events media sponsor, IBN will harness its comprehensive corporate communications solutions to enhance the conferences visibility through a vast array of strategic tools and influential digital channels. At DealFlow, we are pleased to once again collaborate with IBN for our March 2024 event, said Charlie Napolitano, managing director of DealFlow Events. As the market leader in corporate communications, IBN has consistently improved the outreach of our events while providing best-in-class media coverage. We are excited to continue our collaboration with IBN in March and appreciate their ongoing support. To view the full press release, visit https://ibn.fm/yiUdo About DealFlow Events DealFlow Events is widely recognized as a symbol of quality. For over two decades, DealFlow has created events that feature exclusive networking, education and business development opportunities. DealFlow Events has produced over 200 conferences, seminars and webcasts on a variety of financial topics. These events are the signature programs in their respective markets, offering high-quality content and professional networking opportunities. For more information, visit www.DealFlowEvents.com. About InvestorWire InvestorWire (IW) is a specialized communications platform with a focus on advanced wire-grade press release syndication for private and public companies and the investment community. It is one of 60+ brands within the Dynamic Brand Portfolio @ IBN that delivers: (1) access to a vast network of wire solutions via InvestorWire to efficiently and effectively reach a myriad of target markets, demographics and diverse industries; (2) article and editorial syndication to 5,000+ outlets; (3) enhanced press release enhancement to ensure maximum impact; (4) social media distribution via IBN to millions of social media followers; and (5) a full array of tailored corporate communications solutions. With broad reach and a seasoned team of contributing journalists and writers, IW is uniquely positioned to best serve private and public companies that want to reach a wide audience of investors, influencers, consumers, journalists and the general public. By cutting through the overload of information in todays market, IW brings its clients unparalleled recognition and brand awareness. IW is where breaking news, insightful content and actionable information converge. For more information, please visit https://www.InvestorWire.com Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the InvestorWire website applicable to all content provided by IW, wherever published or re-published: https://www.InvestorWire.com/Disclaimer InvestorWire Los Angeles, CA www.InvestorWire.com 310.299.1717 Office [email protected] InvestorWire is powered by IBN Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 29, 2024) - Argo Living Soils Corp. (CSE: ARGO) (OTC Pink: ARLSF) ("Argo" or the "Company") announces a private placement offering of up to 3,000,000 units (the "Units") at a price of $0.10 per Unit, for aggregate gross proceeds of up to $300,000 (the "Offering"). Each Unit will consist of one common share in the capital of the Company and one transferrable share purchase warrant ( a "Warrant"). Each Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one additional common share in the capital of the Company at $0.20 per share for a period of 24 months following the closing of the Offering. In connection with the Offering, the Company may pay customary finders fees. The Company plans to use proceeds of the Offering for general working capital purposes and identifying and evaluating strategic business opportunities which align with the Company's business plan. All securities to be issued under the Offering will be subject to a four month and one day hold period in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws. About Argo Living Soils Corp. The company specializes in producing and developing organic products, including soil amendments, living soils, biofertilizers, vermicompost and compost extracts formulated specifically for high-value crops. The Company's vision and overall business plan are to create an established brand of organic and/or environmentally friendly products. The company was founded in 2018, and its production facilities have been expanded and relocated to Duncan, British Columbia, in a joint venture with Pacific Composting. We Seek Safe Harbor. For further information please contact: Peter Hoyle Chief Executive Officer Argo Living Soils Corp. Email: [email protected] The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed this press release and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. Certain information contained herein constitutes "forward-looking information" under Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, the completion of the Offering, size of the Offering, the use of proceeds and the Company creating a brand of organic and/or environmentally friendly products. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "will", "plans", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made and they are from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results to be materially different, including receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals. Although management of the Company have attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or 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 statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. The Company will not update any forward-looking statements or forward-looking information that are incorporated by reference herein, except as required by applicable securities laws. THIS NEWS RELEASE IS NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/199809 Montreal, Quebec--(Newsfile Corp. - February 29, 2024) - Beauce Gold Fields(TSXV: BGF)(Champs D'Or en Beauce), referred to as "BGF" or the "Company," is excited to announce its participation as an exhibitor at the 2024 Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) Convention, the premier international event for the mineral exploration and mining industry. Patrick Levasseur, the President and CEO of Beauce Gold Fields, warmly invites attendees to visit at Booth 2145 within the Investor Exchange area. Mr. Levasseur looks forward to engaging with investors and enthusiasts alike: "Come and visit us to discuss the promising gold discoveries in the Beauce region and learn more about our strategic acquisition of Quebec's largest portfolio of phosphate properties." Image: BGF PDAC Banners To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8666/199863_b624e6cf043768b7_001full.jpg About Beauce Gold Fields Beauce Gold Fields is focused on exploring and developing the largest placer gold district in eastern North America. The Company's objective is the trace old placer gold workings back to a bedrock source to uncover economic lode gold deposits. The Company's flagship property is the St-Simon-les-Mines Gold project site of Canada's first gold rush that pre-dates the Yukon Klondike. The Beauce region hosted some of the largest historical placer gold mines in Eastern North America that were active from 1860s to the 1960s It produced some of the largest gold nuggets in Canadian mining history (50oz to 71oz). (Source Sedar: 43-101 Report - Beauce July 4th 2018, , Author B. Violette) Beauce Gold Fields website www.beaucegold.com Disclaimers: This press release contains certain forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements containing the words "may", "plan", "will", "estimate", "continue", "anticipate", "intend", "expect", "in the process" and other similar expressions which constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements reflect the Company's current expectation and assumptions, and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, our expectations regarding mineral exploration. Such statements reflect the current views of the Company with respect to future events and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties and other risks detailed from time-to-time in the Company's on-going filings with the securities regulatory authorities, which filings can be found at www.sedar.com. Actual results, events, and performance may differ materially. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements either as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by 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. For further information contact Patrick Levasseur, President and CEO Tel: (514) 262-9239 www.beaucegold.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/199863 On August 22, 1939, at a meeting at the Berghof in Obersalzberg, in the Bavarian Alps, while encouraging his closest confidantes to invade and massacre Poland, Adolf Hitler proclaimed: Who, after all, speaks today about the annihilation of the Armenians? Raphael Lemkin, a Jewish-Polish jurist, had not forgotten. During World War I, the Armenian population in Turkey was forcibly deported. More than a million people died, but the main perpetrators of the crime escaped justice. Lemkin, then a law student in Lviv (formerly Poland, now part of Ukraine), was shocked. He was young, but he already carried in his blood a movement of ideas in search of justice, writes Philippe Sands in East West Street: On the Origins of Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity (2017). Lemkin was the father of the concept of genocide: he described it publicly in 1944 in his book Axis Rule in Occupied Europe, first published in the United States, where he detailed the atrocities committed by the Nazis against the Jews under that name. Until then there was no legal word to describe such crimes, but the world changes and, as Lemkin pointed out, new concepts require new terms. In 1948, the United Nations adopted the Convention for the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, which applies to acts such as the intentional subjugation of a group leading to its physical destruction, in whole or in part, or serious bodily or mental harm. On January 26, the Hague Tribunal demanded that Israel take measures to prevent genocide against the Palestinian population. Along with the concept of crimes against humanity, coined by Hersch Lauterpacht, another Lviv-trained jurist, the one used by Lemkin marked the development of international law and human rights. As a legal concept it is innovative. Before it, the world could think of no crime worse than individual murder, reflects Hilary Earl, professor of modern European History at Nipissing University (Canada), and a specialist in war crimes trials. The Holocaust changed all that, and collective destruction is now the worst crime we can imagine. Genocide is now a familiar concept, but Lemkin didnt have it easy in the beginning. For years he studied the most terrible cases alone: the pogroms in Eastern Europe, the violation of law in Soviet Russia and the rise of anti-Semitism in Germany and Poland. He also soaked up the work of Vespasian V. Pella, a Romanian scholar who promoted the idea of universal justice. Moreover, in Lviv, he saw how German troops began to organize the isolation and marking of the Jewish population. What Lemkin, his family and his environment experienced was a determining factor in developing the concept of genocide, explains Manuel Olle, professor of international criminal law at the Complutense University of Madrid. In October 1933, Lemkin was invited to the Fifth International Conference for the Unification of Penal Law, held in Madrid. He was unable to attend because the Polish government refused him a visa, but his paper was read at the conference. Titled Acts Constituting a General (Transnational) Danger Considered as Offences Against the Law of Nations, the paper spoke of the existence of a juridical conscience of the civilized international community that should be attentive to the crime of barbarism with the intention of harming not only the individual, but, in the first place, of harming the collective to which the latter belongs. Concerned about the rise of Nazism in Germany, the jurist also warned about the contagious nature of any social psychosis. Six years after publishing his paper, Lemkin was forced to flee Poland and sought refuge in several countries before arriving in the United States in 1941. There, in a small office at Duke University (North Carolina), with no news of his family, he continued to document Nazi barbarism, thanks in part to the help of his contacts in Europe, who sent him ordinances and circulars from Hitlers regime. Among many documents, he studied the minutes of a January 1942 meeting in Berlin at which Adolf Eichmann recorded the agreement to cleanse German living space of Jews in a legal manner. He also analyzed the decrees of Hans Frank, the Nazi governor in Poland, who said I will approach Jewish affairs with the prospect of the Jews disappearing. Those directives sketched a meticulous landscape of destruction, and were the basis on which Lemkin coined the term genocide, formed from the Greek genos (family, tribe, or race) and cide (from the Latin occidere, to kill). After the end of the war in 1945, the Nuremberg trials became his main focus. The truth is that he undertook a titanic task to create and spread the concept. Not a day went by without his determination that genocide should become recognized as a new crime, Olle notes. With the support of some high-ranking Allied officials, and sometimes against their advice, over several months Lemkin relentlessly approached prosecutors, military officers, and lawyers (including the defense lawyers for the Nazi hierarchy) by telephone, letter, or in person. Sometimes he was so exhausted that he said he was suffering from genociditis. In December 1945, Lemkin detailed his concept in Le Monde, stating that if in the future a state acts in a manner aimed at the destruction of a national or racial minority within its population, any of those responsible can be arrested if they leave the country. It was at Nuremberg that documented evidence of the systematization of terror the so-called Final Solution was witnessed. Victoria Ocampo, who attended the trials, described in a letter that the evidence filled her heart with a kind of atomic silence. At the trials there was some reference in the prosecutors oral accusations to Lemkins term, but it was neither formally accepted nor used in the sentences. The Nazi leaders were charged with crimes against peace, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. When the trials were over, Lemkin did not let up: he wrote to Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of the then U.S. president; to United Nations Secretary-General Trygve Lie; and to many, many others, until his perseverance finally paid off in 1948. Law is not static, but dynamic, and sometimes utopias become reality. We need many Lemkins to legislate todays problems, Olle reflects. To date, the Holocaust, the extermination of moderate Hutus and Tutsis in Rwanda, the crimes of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, the massacre of Srebrenica in Bosnia, the massacres of Yazidis in Iraq and those of the Rohingya in Myanmar have been considered genocide. Genocide has no statute of limitations: it remains in the attention of the courts and in memory. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - February 29, 2024) - Activist investor Nelson Peltz, locked in a proxy battle with The Walt Disney Company, will share his perspective with CNBC reporter Paulina Likos at the Activist Investor Conference on March 21 in New York City. Peltz oversees Trian Fund Management, which owns roughly $3 billion worth of Disney stock. He is pushing the corporation for seats on the Disney board for himself and former Disney Chief Financial Officer James "Jay" Rasulo. At CNBC, Likos works with legendary investor Jim Cramer. She also writes about Disney for Cramer's Investing Club. Peltz and Rasulo will participate in an interview by Likos, especially for attendees at The Activist Investor Conference 2024. Following the presentation, Likos and an esteemed guest analyst will engage in a detailed discussion of the proxy fight underway at the House of Mouse, as well as Peltz's unique insights into the situation. "Fundamentally and crudely, we want the stock to go up," Peltz says in a video on Trian's Disney proxy-fight website. DealFlow Events Managing Director Charlie Napolitano says, "We're excited to bring this conversation to The Activist Investor Conference and we're looking forward to hosting this gathering of leaders and newsmakers in the activist investment space." The Activist Investor Conference on March 21, 2024, in New York City is the premiere event where investors, corporate governance experts, advisory firms, proxy solicitors, and board members gather to gain insights and forge partnerships. This year's conference features 25+ experts presenting topics covering value investing strategies, legal issues, corporate relations, international opportunities, and more. Like all DealFlow Events, The Activist Investor Conference 2024 promises to deliver. Review the full agenda and register. Media Contact: Phillip LoFaso [email protected] (516) 876-8006 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/199721 Soledad Project Highlights Include: Three high-priority target areas are defined, permitted, and ready to drill Fully-funded 3,000 m drill program to start by April 1, 2024 Drilling will be focused on the south half of the Soledad project Drill campaign will test two bulk-tonnage targets - Mega-Gold copper-gold porphyry and the La Joya high-sulfidation epithermal gold-silver zone; and the mineralized Estremadoyro tourmaline breccia pipe Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 29, 2024) - Chakana Copper Corp. (TSXV: PERU) (OTCQB: CHKKF) (FSE: 1ZX) (the "Company" or "Chakana"), is pleased to announce that it has finalized plans for a 3,000m drill program to start by April 1, 2024, at its Soledad project in the Ancash province of Peru within the Miocene mineral belt. "We are pleased to announce final drill plans for a 3,000 m fully-funded drill program to test several exceptional targets defined on the south half of the Soledad project where an expanded drill permit was granted in 2023. The majority of the drilling will focus on the Mega-Gold porphyry target defined by a very large 2.5 km2 soil gold anomaly, accompanied by pervasive phyllic alteration locally overprinted with advanced argillic alteration, and very strong induced polarization chargeability responses. We believe that the Mega-Gold target is centered on a mineralized intrusion that is related to the tourmaline breccia pipes and the high-sulfidation epithermal (HSE) alteration, forming a 12 km2 zoned mineral system. Additional drilling will be conducted at the La Joya HSE zone and the Estremadoyro tourmaline breccia pipe," stated President and CEO David Kelley. Exploration Targeting and Drilling Program Three principal target areas have been chosen for drilling to start by April 1, 2024: 1) Mega-Gold porphyry target, 2) La Joya high-sulfidation epithermal (HSE) zone, and 3) the Estremadoyro breccia pipe (Figure 1). This new area of exploration covers different geological environments at Soledad, including multiple intrusions centered upon the Lincuna fault, and distal high-sulfidation precious metals mineralization. The Lincuna fault is an important regional arc-normal structure related to the Querococha Arch, extending to the northeast just north of the Antamina mine. Intrusive phases at Soledad cut Jurassic to Cenozoic sedimentary and volcanic rocks and are closely related in space and time to the tourmaline breccia pipes and mineralization (Figure 2). The young intrusive rocks include granodiorite, dacite porphyry, and monzodiorite, ranging in age from 15.2 +/= 0.3 million years. These intrusive rocks are cut by tourmaline breccias, which are probably coeval with the waning stages of intrusive and hydrothermal activity. Mega-Gold Copper-Gold Porphyry Target The Mega-Gold target is a very large area occupying 2.5 km2 with anomalous gold in soil overlying pervasive tourmaline-quartz-white mica alteration, overprinted by localized advanced argillic alteration zones and tourmaline breccias. The target area is oriented northeast and is underlain by older andesitic tuff (Calipuy Formation) and a pre-mineral granodiorite, thought to be the first pulse of intrusive activity in the Soledad mineral system. Within the anomaly is a distinct Offset (3D) induced polarization chargeability feature with a similar orientation as the soil anomaly (Figure 3). Modelling shows the chargeability feature to be a vertical intrusive or pipe-like body on the south side of the Lincuna fault with a sub-horizontal "blanket-like" feature extending up the hill to the southwest (Figure 4). Soil gold values over the vertical chargeability body reach up to 0.325 g/t. The vertical body is interpreted to be a high-level blind intrusion cutting the earlier granodiorite. The planned drilling will test these features for gold and base metal mineralization. La Joya High-Sulfidation Epithermal (HSE) Target Area The La Joya target area is associated with high-sulfidation advanced argillic alteration consisting of vuggy silica, alunite, dickite, zunyite, diaspore, and pyrophyllite. The zone of alteration extends 700 metres in a north-south direction at an elevation of approximately 4,500 metres (Figures 1 and 2). Surface rock samples collected from the alteration zone have silver and gold values up to 1,300 g/t and 0.36 g/t, respectively. An access road from off-property leads to five scattered historic drill pads on the southernmost 200 metre segment of La Joya, and locals report that Buenaventura completed seven short drill holes, encountering silver mineralization and some gold. We are unable to confirm the Buenaventura history with a QP. Estremadoyro Tourmaline Breccia Pipe The Estremadoyro breccia pipe is exposed along the road near the bottom of the valley and has artisanal workings where copper oxides are clearly visible (Figure 5). Rock samples from breccia exposures reported values up to 1.25 g/t gold, 0.57% copper, and 37.6 g/t silver. The mapped tourmaline breccia is coincident with a distinct conductivity and metal factor (function of chargeability and conductivity) response. Chakana Copper to Exhibit at the PDAC 2024 Conference in Toronto The Company is pleased to announce that it will be exhibiting at the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada 2024 Conference. Chakana will be exhibiting in the Investor's Exchange on Tuesday and Wednesday, March 5-6, 2024 at Booth No. 2421B. Company management invites shareholders and all interested parties to attend; admission is free to qualified investors. The annual conference will be held in-person, at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto, Canada from March 3-6, 2024. About Chakana Copper Chakana Copper Corp is a Canadian-based minerals exploration Company that is currently advancing the Soledad Project located in the Ancash region of Peru, a highly favorable mining jurisdiction with supportive communities. The Soledad Project is notable for the high-grade copper-gold-silver mineralization that is hosted in tourmaline breccia pipes. An initial mineral resource estimate for seven breccia pipes was announced in Q1 2022 (see news release dated February 23, 2022), with an Inferred Resource of 4.8 million tonnes grading 0.72 g/t gold, 61 g/t silver and 0.97% copper assumed to be extractable by underground mining methods, plus an additional Inferred Resource of 1.9 million tonnes grading 1.29 g/t gold, 37.1 g/t silver and 0.65% copper assumed to be extractable by open pit mining methods. The total initial Inferred Resource contains 191,000 ounces of gold, 11.7 million ounces of silver, and 130 million pounds of copper. In addition, extensive multidisciplinary exploration has defined 154 exploration targets, 28 of which have been tested to date (18%), confirming that Soledad is a large, well-endowed mineral system with strong exploration upside. Chakana's investors are well positioned as the Soledad Project provides exposure to copper and precious metals. For more information on the Soledad project, please visit the website at www.chakanacopper.com. Results of an initial inferred mineral resource estimate and additional information concerning the Project, including a technical report prepared in accordance with National Instrument 43-101, are available on Chakana's profile at www.sedar.com. Qualified Person David Kelley, an officer, and a director of Chakana, and a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101, reviewed and approved the technical information in this news release. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD (signed) "David Kelley" David Kelley President and CEO For further information contact: Investor Relations: Info Email: [email protected] Telephone: 720-233-2166 Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-looking Statement Advisory: This release may contain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of Chakana to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Forward looking statements or information relates to, among other things, the interpretation of the nature of the mineralization at the Soledad copper-gold-silver project (the "Project"), the potential to expand the mineralization, and to develop and grow a resource within the Project, the planning for further exploration work, the ability to de-risk the potential exploration targets, and our belief in the potential for mineralization within unexplored parts of the Project. These forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and beliefs but given the uncertainties, assumptions and risks, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements or information. The Company disclaims any obligation to update, or to publicly announce, any such statements, events or developments except as required by law. Figure 1 - Map showing defined targets by type for the Soledad project. Principal target areas on the south side that will be drill tested in the next campaign includes the Mega-Gold target, La Joya high-sulfidation epithermal alteration zone, and the Estremadoyro tourmaline breccia pipe. Section line (D-D') for Figure 2 indicated. Breccia pipes included in the initial inferred resource estimate labeled in dark blue. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/2172/199825_87bd738374ab39c3_001full.jpg Figure 2 - Interpretive cross section showing main geologic features of the Soledad project. Drilled tourmaline breccia pipes on the north half of the project shown in red with the depth of breccia, wall rock, and resource estimate indicated where relevant. All breccias are open at depth. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/2172/199825_87bd738374ab39c3_002full.jpg Figure 3 - Map showing soil gold for the southern half of the Soledad project, covering the Mega-Gold and Compaero target areas. Outline of the Mega-Gold target based on the 30 ppb soil gold value shown as the dashed black line; maximum value of 0.325 g/t gold; outline of the Offset (3D) induced polarization chargeability feature shown by dotted dark blue line. Section line A-A' for Figure 4 indicated. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/2172/199825_87bd738374ab39c3_003full.jpg Figure 4 - Section from 3D model showing topography and chargeability feature from the Offset (3D) induced polarization survey underlying the Mega-Gold target area. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/2172/199825_87bd738374ab39c3_004full.jpg Figure 5 - Estremadoyro breccia pipe showing 3D sections looking west of modeled Offset (3D) IP shapes for (A) resistivity, and (B) metal factor (a function of chargeability and conductivity); (C) tourmaline breccia from artisanal workings showing abundant secondary copper minerals (blue); and (D) surface outcrop of tourmaline breccia showing mosaic and shingle texture with granodiorite clasts. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/2172/199825_87bd738374ab39c3_005full.jpg To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/199825 New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - February 29, 2024) - Eternal Dynasty, the latest collection from Danny Nguyen Couture, debuted at the Art Hearts Fashion show at New York Fashion Week. The latest collection from the brand offered an exploration into the personal identity and image of the brand, into the influences that shape the brand's creative vision. Danny Nguyen Couture's latest collection debuted at the Art Hearts Fashion Event for NYFW Photographer: Arun Nevader (associated with Getty Images) Art Hearts Fashion is one of the leading platforms dedicated to showcasing leading artists and designers to the forefront of fashion week. Hosting events at fashion weeks in LA, Miami, and New York, Art Hearts fashion focuses on highlighting original and innovative designers such as Danny Nguyen Couture. The Eternal Dynasty Collect was thoughtfully designed with the intention of paying homage to the designer's Vietnamese culture while also adhering to the old ways of couture. The result was a collection of handcrafted creations that put a modern twist on traditional Vietnamese designs. The Eternal Dynasty collection paid homage to Vietnamese culture Photographer: Arun Nevader (associated with Getty Images) The Art Hearts Fashion show gave Danny Nguyen Couture a platform to demonstrate their commitment to tradition while still offering a fresh perspective. In an ever changing landscape like that of the fashion industry, Danny Nguyen Couture aims to be an example of the enduring power of craftsmanship and heritage. The Eternal Dynasty collection invites onlookers to embark on a journey of discovery, where tradition meets modernity. Moving forward, Danny Nguyen Couture hopes to continue with collections like Eternal Dynasty with designs that serve as ambassadors for Vietnamese culture, elevating awareness and appreciation on a global stage. Danny Nguyen Couture is unwavering in its dedication to originality, never following trends Photographer: Arun Nevader (associated with Getty Images) Further information about the Eternal Dynasty collection and Danny Nguyen Couture can be found via their website https://www.dannynguyencouture.com/. Email: [email protected] Website: https://www.dannynguyencouture.com/ To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/199529 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 29, 2024) - Defence Therapeutics Inc. (CSE: DTC) (OTCQB: DTCFF) (FSE: DTC) ("Defence" or the "Company"), one of the leading Canadian biotechnology companies working in the field of immune-oncology, is pleased to announce the publication of a peer-reviewed study on the anticancer properties of its dual Accum-E7 vaccine, one of Defence's experimental product designed to treat established cervical cancer. The study, which was published in the prestigious journal of Cancer Science, is entitled, "An engineered Accum-E7 protein-based vaccine with dual anti-cervical cancer activity", and can be directly accessed at the following address https://doi.org/10.1111/cas.16096 . The human papillomavirus (HPV) can cause genital warts subsequently leading to cervical, anal, or head and neck cancers. Prophylactic HPV vaccines were therefore developed to prevent these infections and their associated complications. The most widely used of all four commercially available HPV vaccines is Gardasil-9. However, this vaccine has challenges: it requires three doses and the vaccine manufacturing remains costly, which may be prohibitive to low-income countries. In addition, the vaccine cannot provide complete protection against all 14 high-risk HPV subtypes as it only targets 9 of them. Furthermore, the vaccine should be administered before HPV exposure implying that it cannot treat existing infections or established cervical cancer. The peer-reviewed study on Defence's Accum-E7 anti-cancer vaccine presents an engineered Accum-E7 protein-based vaccine capable of providing a durable memory response when used prophylactically. In addition, the selection of E7 as a target "non-self" antigen widened the vaccine scope of application as it can also control the growth of pre-established cervical tumors through the generation of potent cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs). "Overall, this engineered Accum-E7 vaccine is safe, simple to engineer and manufacture making it an elixir candidate capable of providing both prophylactic and therapeutic activity against cervical cancer," says Dr. Rafei, the Chief Scientific Officer of Defence Therapeutics. The key highlights of the Accum-E7 study are: Prophylactic vaccination using the Accum -E7 vaccine confers complete protection despite multiple challenges. -E7 vaccine confers complete protection despite multiple challenges. Accum -E7 elicits antibodies capable of interfering with cancer cell proliferation in vitro. -E7 elicits antibodies capable of interfering with cancer cell proliferation Therapeutic vaccination using Accum -E7 synergises with multiple immune-checkpoint inhibitors. -E7 synergises with multiple immune-checkpoint inhibitors. The therapeutic effect of Accum -E7 relies on cross-presenting dendritic cells (DCs) and CD8 T cells. -E7 relies on cross-presenting dendritic cells (DCs) and CD8 T cells. Vaccination using Accum-E7 is safe and immunogenic as shown in the conducted GLP study. "This prestigious peer-reviewed publication provides an additional example of how the Accum technology can be exploited in the development of vaccines. It also opens up a new line of investigations where Defence's more potent Accum variants could be tested as bioconjugates to protein antigens," said Mr. Plouffe, Chief Executive Officer of Defence Therapeutics. In summary, our study shows that Accum-E7: i) provides potent protection (prophylactic vaccination) and durable memory responses, ii) triggers antibodies exhibiting a non-negligible role in fighting cervical tumors, iii), controls established tumors when delivered in combination with several immune-checkpoint inhibitors (therapeutic vaccination), and iv) is relatively safe, well tolerated and immunogenic by animals even when used at higher doses (GLP study). Financing Update The Company also provides an update to its previously announced non-brokered private placement of up to 1,500,000 units of the Company (each a "Unit") at a price of $1.50 per Unit for gross proceeds of up to $2,250,000 (the "Offering"). Following the first tranche closing of 567,000 Units for aggregate proceeds of $850,500 on January 30th, 2024, the Company has received a 45-day extension from the Canadian Securities Exchange to complete the Offering. About Defence: Defence Therapeutics is a publicly-traded biotechnology company working on engineering the next generation vaccines and ADC products using its proprietary platform. The core of Defence Therapeutics platform is the ACCUM technology, which enables precision delivery of vaccine antigens or ADCs in their intact form to target cells. As a result, increased efficacy and potency can be reached against catastrophic illness such as cancer and infectious diseases. For further information: Sebastien Plouffe, President, CEO and Director P: (514) 947-2272 [email protected] www.defencetherapeutics.com Cautionary Statement Regarding "Forward-Looking" Information This release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that the Company expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include 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 securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Neither the CSE nor its market regulator, as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE, accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/199920 Oakville, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - February 28, 2024) - FendX Technologies Inc. (CSE: FNDX) (OTCQB: FDXTF) (FSE: E8D) (the "Company" or "FendX"), a nanotechnology company developing surface protection coatings to reduce the spread of pathogens, announces its intention to complete a share for debt settlement with a creditor at a price of $0.225 per share, to settle $112,500 of advisory fees through the issuance of 500,000 common shares. Completion of the debt settlement is subject to receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals, including from the CSE. The shares to be issued will be subject to a hold period expiring four months and one day from the date of issuance, in accordance with applicable securities laws. About FendX Technologies Inc. FendX is a Canada-based nanotechnology company focused on developing products to make people's lives safer by reducing the spread of pathogens. The Company is developing both film and spray products to protect surfaces from contamination. The lead product under development, REPELWRAP" film, is a protective surface coating film that, due to its repelling properties, prevents the adhesion of pathogens and reduces their transmission on surfaces prone to contamination. The spray nanotechnology is a bifunctional spray coating being developed to reduce contamination on surfaces by repelling and killing pathogens. The Company is conducting research and development activities using its nanotechnology in collaboration with industry-leading partners, including McMaster University. The Company has an exclusive worldwide license to its technology and IP portfolio from McMaster, which encompass both film and spray coating nanotechnology formulations. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD "Carolyn Myers" Carolyn Myers Chief Executive Officer and Director Contacts: Dr. Carolyn Myers, CEO and Director 1-800-344-9868 Alyssa Barry, Investor Relations 1-833-947-5227 [email protected] For more information, please visit https://fendxtech.com/ and the Company's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor the Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation, including with respect to: the plans of the Company; completion of the proposed debt settlement; and products under development and any pathogen reduction benefits related thereto. Although the Company believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts; they are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "projects," "aims," "potential," "goal," "objective," "prospective," and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will," "would," "may," "can," "could" or "should" occur, or are those statements, which, by their nature, refer to future events. The Company cautions that forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made and involve several risks and uncertainties. Consequently, there can be no assurances that such statements will prove to be accurate and that actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause future results to differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements include: product candidates only being in formulation/reformulation stages; limited operating history; research and development activities; dependence on collaborative partners, licensors and others; effect of general economic and political conditions; and other risk factors set forth in the Company's public filings which are available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca. Accordingly, the reader is urged to refer to the Company's such filings for a more complete discussion of such risk factors and their potential effects. Except to the extent required by applicable securities laws and the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors should change. NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/199773 MediaValet Shareholders to receive cash payment of $1.71 per Share - representing a premium of approximately 30% to the closing price per Share on the last trading day immediately prior to the announcement of the Arrangement and a transaction value multiple of 4.5x ARR as of December 31, 2023 Provides Shareholders with immediate liquidity and certainty of value MediaValet's Board unanimously recommends that Securityholders vote FOR the Arrangement at the Meeting Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 28, 2024) - MediaValet Inc. (TSX: MVP) ("MediaValet" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the Company's management information circular (the "Circular") and other meeting materials (together, the "Meeting Materials"), prepared in connection with the previously announced arrangement whereby an affiliate (the "Purchaser") of STG Partners LLC ("STG") will acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares of the Company (each, a "Share") for C$1.71 per Share in cash (the "Consideration") pursuant to a statutory plan of arrangement under the Business Corporations Act (Alberta) (the "Arrangement"), are expected to be mailed to holders of Shares ("Shareholders") and warrants to acquire Shares ("Warrantholders" and, together with the Shareholders, the "Securityholders") by February 28, 2024. The special meeting of Securityholders (the "Meeting") is scheduled to be held at 10:00 am (Vancouver time) on March 27, 2024. The closing of the Arrangement is expected to occur on or about April 1, 2024. Further details regarding the Meeting, including how Securityholders can access, attend, and/or vote at the Meeting, are included in the Meeting Materials. Securityholders are reminded to vote before the proxy cut-off of 10:00 a.m. (Vancouver time) on March 25, 2024. All Securityholders are encouraged to read the Circular and accompanying Meeting Materials, as applicable, regarding the Arrangement, which will be mailed to Securityholders of record as of February 23, 2024 and will be available under the Company's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca . The Meeting Materials will also be available on MediaValet's website at www.mediavalet.com . The Circular contains, among other things, details concerning the Arrangement, the background to and reasons for the favourable recommendation of the Arrangement by both the Board of Directors (the "Board") and its special committee (the "Special Committee") comprised of a majority of independent directors, the requirements for the Arrangement to become effective, the procedure for receiving consideration payable for Shares and Warrants under the Arrangement, and procedures for voting at the Meeting. Securityholders are urged to carefully review the Circular and accompanying Meeting Materials as they contain important information regarding the Arrangement and its consequences to Securityholders. Selected Reasons for the Arrangement Attractive Consideration. The Consideration payable under the Arrangement represents: a premium of approximately 30% to the closing price per Share on the TSX on January 23, 2024 (being the last trading day immediately prior to the announcement of the Arrangement); a premium of approximately 22% to the 20-day volume-weighted average price per Share on the TSX for the period ended on January 23, 2024; and a transaction value multiple of 4.5x annual recurring revenue (" ARR ") based on approximately $18 million of ARR as of December 31, 2023. The Consideration payable under the Arrangement represents: Certainty of Value and Liquidity. The Consideration is all cash, which provides Shareholders with immediate liquidity and certainty of value. Value Supported by a Fairness Opinion. The Board and Special Committee received a fairness opinion from TD Securities Inc. to the effect that, based upon and subject to the assumptions, limitations and qualifications contained in such opinion, and such other matters as TD Securities Inc., considered relevant, as of the date of such opinion, the consideration of C$1.71 to be received by the Shareholders under the Arrangement is fair, from a financial point of view, to the Shareholders. Director & Officer Support. Directors and officers of the Company, who collectively hold approximately 34.1% of the issued and outstanding Shares and 85.71% of the issued and outstanding Warrants, have entered into Voting and Support Agreements pursuant to which, and subject to the terms thereof, each has agreed to vote in favour of the Arrangement. Limited Conditions to Closing. STG's obligation to complete the Arrangement is subject to a limited number of closing conditions that the Board believes are reasonable in the circumstances. Completion of the Arrangement is not subject to any financing condition. STG is a credible purchaser with significant financial capacity and a strong track-record of investing in technology companies. Attractive Transaction Relative to Alternatives. After consultation with its financial and legal advisors, and after taking into account other strategic opportunities reasonably available to the Company, including the continued execution of its stand-alone plan, and the experience of the Company from its previous strategic process, in each case taking into account the potential benefits, risks and uncertainties associated with those other opportunities, the Special Committee and the Board believes that the Arrangement represents the Company's best alternative for maximizing Shareholder value. YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT. VOTE TODAY. The Board of Directors of MediaValet UNANIMOUSLY recommends that Securityholders vote FOR the Arrangement. RECEIPT OF INTERIM ORDER MediaValet is also pleased to announce that on February 27, 2024, the Company received an interim order from the Court of King's Bench (Alberta) regarding the Arrangement (the "Interim Order"). The Interim Order authorizes MediaValet to proceed with various matters, including the holding of the Meeting to consider and vote on the Arrangement. MEDIAVALET SPECIAL MEETING The Meeting is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. (Vancouver time) on March 27, 2024. At the Meeting, Securityholders will be asked to consider and vote on the resolution to approve the Arrangement, whereby, among other things, the Purchaser would acquire all of the issued and outstanding Shares in exchange for the Consideration. How to Vote A proxy form or voting instruction form will accompany the Meeting Materials that the Securityholders receive by mail. Instructions on how to vote, which vary depending on whether you are a beneficial Shareholder or a registered Securityholder of the Company, are provided in the Circular. If you are a registered Securityholder, we encourage you to take the time now to complete, sign, date and return the enclosed form(s) of proxy by no later than 10:00 a.m. (Vancouver time) on March 25, 2024 (or 48 hours prior to the time of any adjournment or postponement of the Meeting), to ensure that your Shares and/or Warrants will be voted at the Meeting in accordance with your instructions, whether or not you are able to attend in person. If you hold your Shares through a broker or other intermediary, you should follow the instructions provided by your broker or other intermediary to vote your Shares. About MediaValet Inc. MediaValet stands at the forefront of the cloud-native, software-as-a-service, enterprise digital asset management, video content management, and creative operations industries. Built exclusively on Microsoft Azure and available across 61 Microsoft data center regions in 140 countries around the world, MV delivers unparalleled enterprise-class security, reliability, redundancy, compliance, and scalability while offering the largest global footprint of any DAM solution. In addition to providing enterprise, cloud-native DAM capabilities at a global scale, desktop-to-server-to-cloud support for creative teams, and overall cloud redundancy and management for all source, WIP, and final assets, MV offers industry-leading integrations into Slack, Adobe Creative Suite, Microsoft Office 365, Wrike, Drupal, WordPress and many other best-in-class 3rd party applications. About STG Partners, LLC STG is a private equity partner to market-leading companies in data, software, and analytics. The firm brings experience, flexibility, and resources to build strategic value and unlock the potential of innovative companies. Partnering to build customer-centric, market-winning portfolio companies, STG creates sustainable foundations for growth that bring value to existing and future stakeholders. The firm is dedicated to transforming and building outstanding technology companies in partnership with world-class management teams. STG's expansive portfolio has consisted of more than 50 global companies. For further information, please contact: Rob Chase Tel: (604) 688-2321 [email protected] Dave Miller Tel: (519) 498-9989 [email protected] Babak Pedram Tel: (416) 646-6779 [email protected] FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS Certain statements made in this press release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws, including, but not limited to, statements with respect to the rationale of the Special Committee and the Board for entering into the Arrangement Agreement, the expected benefits of the Arrangement, the timing of various steps to be completed in connection with the Arrangement, and other statements that are not material facts. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may", "will", "expect", "believe", "estimate", "plan", "could", "should", "would", "outlook", "forecast", "anticipate", "foresee", "continue" or the negative of these terms or variations of them or similar terminology. Although the Company believes that the forward-looking statements in this press release are based on information and assumptions that are reasonable, including assumptions that parties will receive, in a timely manner and on satisfactory terms, the necessary court and shareholder approvals, and that the parties will otherwise be able to satisfy, in a timely manner, the other conditions to the closing of the Arrangement, these forward-looking statements are by their nature subject to a number of factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from management's expectations and plans as set forth in such forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, the following factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control and the effects of which can be difficult to predict: (a) the possibility that the Arrangement will not be completed on the terms and conditions, or on the timing, currently contemplated, and that it may not be completed at all, due to a failure to obtain or satisfy, in a timely manner or otherwise, required shareholder, regulatory and court approvals and other conditions of closing necessary to complete the Arrangement or for other reasons; (b) risks related to tax matters; (c) the possibility of adverse reactions or changes in business resulting from the announcement or completion of the Arrangement; (d) risks relating to the Company's ability to retain and attract key personnel during the interim period; (e) the potential of a third party making a superior proposal to the Arrangement; (f) risks related to diverting management's attention from the Company's ongoing business operations; and (g) other risks inherent to the business carried out by the Company and factors beyond its control which could have a material adverse effect on the Company or its ability to complete the Arrangement. This news release also makes reference to certain key performance indicators ("KPIs") that are not recognized measures under IFRS and do not have a standardized meaning prescribed by International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS") as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board and may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other companies. Accordingly, these KPIs should not be considered in isolation nor as a substitute for analysis of the Company's financial information reported under IFRS. The Company monitors KPIs, including "ARR", to help it evaluate its business, measure our performance, identify trends affecting its business and formulate strategic plans. In this news release "ARR" means annual recurring revenue; and represents the sum of the annualized recurring subscription and service fees from existing customer contracts or commitments as of the reporting period end date. For information on KPIs, please refer to the section entitled "Key Performance Indicators" in MedaValet's management's discussion and analysis for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, which is available under the Company's profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca . The Company cautions investors not to rely on the forward-looking statements contained in this press release when making an investment decision in their securities. Investors are encouraged to read the Company's filings available under its profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca for a discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release and the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any of these statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/199817 A Canadian Gold Project with 11 Million Ozs of M&I Resource Has Been Redesigned for Much Improved Economics Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - February 29, 2024) - Seabridge Gold (TSX: SEA) (NYSE: SA) announced today that it has filed a new NI-43-101 Technical Report for its 100%-owned Courageous Lake project located in Canada's Northwest Territories (SEDAR filing). The new Technical Report includes the results of an updated Preliminary Feasibility Study (the "2024 PFS") and a new Preliminary Economic Assessment (the "2024 PEA") that evaluates a conceptual expansion of the Courageous Lake open pit beyond the 2024 PFS mine plan. Results of the 2024 PFS and 2024 PEA were announced on January 16, 2024 and can be found here. The new Technical Report was led by Ausenco Engineering Canada ULC. ("Ausenco"), together with the support of Moose Mountain Technical Services ("MMTS"), SRK Consulting (Canada) Inc. ("SRK"), ERM Consultants Canada Ltd. ("ERM"), Tetra Tech Canada Inc. ("Tetra Tech"), and WN Brazier Associates Inc. ("Brazier"), all of which are independent of Seabridge Gold. 2024 Courageous Lake PFS The 2024 PFS shows a considerably more sustainable and profitable mining operation than its 2012 predecessor, with reduced initial capital, lower strip ratio, higher grade and smaller mine footprint. Commenting on the study, Seabridge Chairman and CEO Rudi Fronk said: "Our work shows Courageous Lake as a profitable project in the current environment, in a safe jurisdiction, with considerable exploration upside. The project consists of an entire greenstone belt which has prospective shallow drill results and gold showings along its 54 km length. As we move towards a joint venture on our KSM project, we will be directing more attention to Courageous Lake's potential to generate considerable additional shareholder value." Notable improvements in the 2024 PFS compared to the 2012 PFS include: 73% increase in after-tax NPV5% to US$523 million from US$303 million in 2012 50% reduction in initial capital from US$1,522 million to US$747 million Increased after-tax IRR from 7.3% to 20.6% Reduced capital payback period from 11.2 years to 2.8 years Average gold reserve grade increased 19% from 2.2 g/t to 2.6 g/t Life of mine strip ratio reduced by 39% from 12.5 to 7.58 38% increase in estimated measured and indicated gold resources from 8.0 million to 11.0 million ounces (145.2 million tonnes at an average grade of 2.36 grams of gold per tonne) 2024 Courageous Lake PEA The 2024 PEA is a standalone mine plan that evaluates a conceptual expansion of the Courageous Lake open pit below the base of the permafrost after the 2024 PFS reserve has been completely mined out. None of the Mineral Resources used in the 2024 PEA mine plan have been used in the 2024 PFS. Mr. Fronk noted that the 2024 PEA establishes the potential for a much longer mine life beyond the 2024 PFS. "The PFS uses less than 30% of the estimated M&I gold resource. The PEA includes inferred resources requiring more drilling as well as additional engineering work to qualify as a PFS. However, we are confident that the PEA reflects the potential for a greatly extended mine life and that the entire estimated M&I resource represents a meaningful call on gold for our shareholders." The PEA is preliminary in nature and includes Inferred Mineral Resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as Mineral Reserves, and there is no certainty that the results of the PEA will be realized. Mineral Resources in the PEA mine plan are not Mineral Reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. Qualified Persons Tracey Meintjes, P.Eng., a Qualified Person for the purposes of NI 43-101, has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical disclosure contained in this news release on behalf of Seabridge Gold. About Seabridge Gold Seabridge holds a 100% interest in several North American gold projects. Seabridge's principal asset, the KSM project, and its Iskut projects are located in Northwest British Columbia, Canada's "Golden Triangle," the Courageous Lake project is in Canada's Northwest Territories, the Snowstorm project in the Getchell Gold Belt of Northern Nevada and the 3 Aces project is in the Yukon Territory. For a full breakdown of Seabridge's Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources by category please visit the Seabridge's website at http://www.seabridgegold.com. About Ausenco Ausenco is a global company redefining what's possible. Its team is based across 26 offices in 15 countries, with projects in over 80 locations worldwide. Combining their deep technical expertise with a 30-year track record, Ausenco provides innovative, value-add consulting studies, project delivery, asset operations and maintenance solutions to the mining & metals and industrial sectors. Cautionary note to U.S. Investors concerning estimates of Mineral Reserves and Mineral Resources All reserve and resource estimates reported by Seabridge were estimated in accordance with the Canadian National Instrument 43-101 and the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum ("CIM") Definition Standards. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") now recognizes estimates of "measured mineral resources," "indicated mineral resources" and "inferred mineral resources" and uses new definitions of "proven mineral reserves" and "probable mineral reserves" that are substantially similar to the corresponding CIM Definition Standards. However, the CIM Definition Standards differ from the requirements applicable to US domestic issuers. US investors are cautioned not to assume that any "measured mineral resources," "indicated mineral resources," or "inferred mineral resources" that the Issuer reports are or will be economically or legally mineable. Further, "inferred mineral resources" are that part of a mineral resource for which quantity and grade are estimated on the basis of limited geologic evidence and sampling. Mineral resources which are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information This document contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. This information and these statements, referred to herein as "forward-looking statements" are made as of the date of this document. Forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect current estimates, predictions, expectations or beliefs regarding future events and include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to: (i) the estimated amount and grade of mineral reserves and mineral resources, including the cut-off grade; (ii) estimates of the capital costs of constructing mine facilities and bringing a mine into production, of operating the mine, of sustaining capital, of strip ratios and the duration of financing payback periods; (iii) the estimated amount and duration of future production, both ore processed and metal recovered and recovery rates; and (iv) estimates of operating costs, life of mine costs, net cash flow, net present value (NPV), profitability, and economic returns from an operating mine. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as "expects", "anticipates", "plans", "projects", "estimates", "envisages", "assumes", "intends", "strategy", "goals", "objectives" or variations thereof or stating that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative of any of these terms and similar expressions) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are based on Seabridge's or its consultants' current beliefs as well as various assumptions made by them and information currently available to them. The most significant assumptions are set forth above, but other assumptions include: (i) the presence of and continuity of metals at the Project at estimated grades; (ii) the geotechnical and metallurgical characteristics of rock conforming to sampled results; (iii) the quantities of water and the quality of the water that must be diverted or treated during mining operations; (iv) the capacities and durability of various machinery and equipment; (v) the availability of personnel, machinery, equipment at estimated prices and within the estimated delivery times; (v) currency exchange rates; (vi) metals sales prices; (vii) appropriate discount rates applied to the cash flows in the economic analysis; (viii) tax rates and royalty rates applicable to the proposed mining operation; (ix) the availability of acceptable financing under assumed structure and costs; (ix) anticipated mining losses and dilution; (x) metallurgical performance; (xi) reasonable contingency requirements; (xii)success in realizing proposed operations; (xiii) receipt of permits and other regulatory approvals on acceptable terms; and (xiv) the successful conclusion of consultation with impacted indigenous groups. Although management considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available to it, they may prove to be incorrect. Many forward-looking statements are made assuming the correctness of other forward-looking statements, such as statements of net present value and internal rates of return, which are based on most of the other forward-looking statements and assumptions herein. The cost information is also prepared using current values, but the time for incurring the costs will be in the future and it is assumed costs (and metals prices) will remain stable over the relevant period. By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, and risks exist that estimates, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not be achieved or that assumptions do not reflect future experience. We caution readers not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements as a number of important factors could cause the actual outcomes to differ materially from the beliefs, plans, objectives, expectations, anticipations, estimates assumptions and intentions expressed in such forward-looking statements. These risk factors may be generally stated as the risk that the assumptions and estimates expressed above do not occur as forecast, but specifically include, without limitation: risks relating to variations in the mineral content within the material identified as mineral reserves or mineral resources from that predicted; variations in rates of recovery and extraction; the geotechnical characteristics of the rock mined or through which infrastructure is built differing from that predicted, the quantity of water that will need to be diverted or treated during mining operations being different from what is expected to be encountered during mining operations or post closure, or the rate of flow of the water being different; developments in world metals markets; risks relating to fluctuations in the Canadian dollar relative to the US dollar; increases in the estimated capital and operating costs or unanticipated costs; difficulties attracting the necessary work force; and risks relating to the costs of other energy sources; increases in financing costs or adverse changes to the terms of available financing, if any; tax rates or royalties being greater than assumed; changes in development or mining plans due to changes in logistical, technical or other factors; changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined; risks relating to receipt of regulatory approvals or the conclusion of successful consultation with impacted indigenous groups; changes in regulations applying to the development, operation, and closure of mining operations from what currently exists; the effects of competition in the markets in which Seabridge operates; operational and infrastructure risks and the additional risks described in Seabridge's Annual Information Form filed with SEDAR in Canada (available at www.sedar.com) for the year ended December 31, 2023 and in Seabridge's Annual Report Form 40-F filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on EDGAR (available at www.sec.gov/edgar). Seabridge cautions that the foregoing list of factors that may affect future results is not exhaustive. When relying on our forward-looking statements to make decisions with respect to Seabridge, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. Seabridge does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time by Seabridge or on our behalf, except as required by law. Neither the Toronto Stock Exchange, New York Stock Exchange, nor their Regulation Services Providersaccepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD "Rudi Fronk" Chairman & C.E.O. For further information please contact: Rudi P. Fronk, Chairman and C.E.O. Tel: (416) 367-9292 " Fax: (416) 367-2711 Email: [email protected] To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/199730 Washington, D.C.--(Newsfile Corp. - February 29, 2024) - The Securities and Exchange Commissions Investor Advisory Committee will hold a public meeting on March 7 at 10 a.m. ET at the SEC Headquarters in Washington, D.C. The meeting will also be webcast on the SEC website. The committee will host two panels: Discussing the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commissions Proposals to Improve Equity Market Structure; and Examining the Use of Materiality as a Disclosure Standard Can the Definition be Improved to Better Serve Investors? The committee will also discuss a recommendation on Digital Engagement Practices The full agenda is available here The Investor Advisory Committee, which focuses on investor-related interests, advises the Commission on regulatory priorities and various initiatives to help protect investors and promote the integrity of the U.S. securities markets. Established by the Dodd-Frank Act , the Committee is authorized by Congress to submit findings and recommendations to the Commission.Learn more about the Investor Advisory Committee here ### Phoenix, Arizona--(Newsfile Corp. - February 29, 2024) - The Stock Day Podcast welcomed StrainsForPains, Inc. (OTC Pink: EBYH) ("the Company"), a medical marijuana recommendation engine that guides patients to the appropriate cannabinoid levels, medical cannabis strains, and consumption methods for their specific ailment. CEO of the Company, Simon Shainberg, joined Stock Day host Matthew Dunehoo. Dunehoo began the interview by asking about Mr. Shainberg's background. "I am a graduate of the State University of New York (SUNY) where I received my BS in Economics and Business, and I have done graduate studies at MIT. I have twenty years of venture capital experience, and have done successful financings in public companies in areas of scientific technology, health care, CAD/CAM , fashion, merchandising, and real estate. I financed and worked with Olivia Newton-John's Koala Blue in the 1980's and Richard Diehl's Graphsoft (now Vectorworks) in the 1990's. I developed regenerative medicine systems with stem cell technology in the 1980's working on umbilical cord therapy to treat genetic diseases, cancers, and inherited disorders. In this manner I began to train myself to seek out various treatment options for ailments, whether they be Alzheimers, Parkinsons, Epilepsy, or Osteoarthritis. I am currently a member of the International Cannabinoid Research Society," stated Mr. Shainberg "What inspired you to create StrainsForPains?" asked Dunehoo. "The inspiration for StrainsForPains comes from a personal need. Around 2007, my son was diagnosed with a brain tumor that required numerous surgeries and drug therapy. That caused him much pain, which had a significant impact on his quality of life. Luckily, his use of opioids to combat the pain was temporary and he soon got off pain meds. Yet, while he was on pain meds I did not know how long it would last. So I delved into the scientific research into medical cannabis to see if that would be an alternative to opioids," said Mr. Shainberg The conversation then turned tohow did you build the medical cannabis database app? "It took a lot of old-fashioned research over 2 decades to create it. I attended cannabis conferences such as the international cannabinoid research society conferences. I bought and read countless books that focused on the medical uses for cannabis, and I took a couple of classes to learn about the endocannabinoid system. I read thousands of clinical studies and peer reviewed journals from Israel to Canada to Germany, taking substantial notes and feeding them into my proprietary computer banks. StrainsForPains utilizes a robust database of strains, cannabinoids, and medicinal applications aggregated through semantic web technology and validated by medical devices in research centers around the world. I employ advanced artificial intelligence to enhance the system. I believe that we have a service that is rare within this community, in that our competitive advantage is that our competitors do not have the extensive scientific backup to why they suggest taking one cannabinoid over another. I believe that my studies of 10,000 hybrid cannabis plants and its cross reference to over 100 pains are unique within this industry. My observational research also allowed me to gather reliable data that helped me design my system," Mr. Shainberg stated. "Why do you enter the CBD market?" asked Dunehoo. "My passion comes from my inherent love for the plant, and the ability to improve wellness. Those components compelled me to join the CBD market. Millions of people that do not have chronic pain, but they do suffer from anxiety, depression, insomnia, and moderate pain. They deserve to know about and use CBD, a plant-based alternative to improve their quality of life. I believe that our CBD cream far outpaces the quality of what is out there now in the marketplace due to its high CBD content, manufacturing processes, and other proprietary compounds. Our fundamental approach to product development is extensive R&D, stringent quality control, and adherence to international quality standards. Our initial entry into the market has resulted in $65,000 in wholesale sales to various retail establishments in the tri-state area. We own a 7-acre Pennsylvania facility that will produce and distribute CBD products in 2024." To close the interview, Mr. Shainberg added that there is a need for innovation beyond our current approaches to mental and physical healthcare and the therapeutic value of these substances is limitless. I am excited to see this movement continue to gain traction and enter mainstream acceptance, with a focus on individualized medicine and how we can alleviate suffering in numerous conditions of the body and mind. In 2024 we will focus our efforts on the development of our upcoming advanced AI app and our CBD brand that will expand into many products. We will seek to forge a new path in our approach to healthcare, that will expand to CBD products for pets as well as a nutritional app. To watch Mr. Shainberg's entire interview, please follow this link: https://audioboom.com/posts/8466160-strainsforpains-inc-discusses-inspiration-app-technology-and-cbd-market-entrance-with-the-stoc Investors Hangout is a proud sponsor of "Stock Day," and Stock Day Media encourages listeners to visit the company's message board at https://investorshangout.com/ About StrainsForPains, Inc. Overview of Strainsforpains, Inc.: Please visit our website at http://www.strainsforpains.com/. Strainsforpains, Inc. is an innovative healthcare data technology Company located in New York, N.Y. The Company's objectives are to provide doctors, nurses, dispensaries, and patients access to an APP that will allow for an advanced determination of comparison of strains or brands of cannabis combinations with major illnesses, in a user-friendly manner. The company owns a 7 acre facility in Pennsylvania that will be used for CBD product production. Mr. Shainberg is a member of the prestigious International Cannabinoid Research Society, https://icrs.co/. Safe Harbor Statement This release contains statements that constitute forward-looking statements. These statements appear in several places in this release and include all statements that are not statements of historical fact regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of the Company, its directors or its ocers with respect to, among other things: (i) the Company's ability to execute its business plan as anticipated; (ii) trends affecting the Company's nancial condition or results of operations; (iii) the Company's growth strategy and operating strategy. The words "may" "would" "will" "expect" "estimate" "anticipate" "believe" "intend" and similar expressions and variations thereof are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's ability to control, and that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements because of various factors. Other risks are identied and described in more detail in the "Risk Factors" section of the Company's lings with the SEC, which are available on our website. We undertake no obligation to update, and we do not have a policy of updating or revising these forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable law. Corporate Social Media https://www.instagram.com/strains_for_pains/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/strainsforpains/ Contact [email protected] 347-218-0844 244 Fifth Avenue Suite S242, New York, N.Y. 10001 About The "Stock Day" Podcast Founded in 2013, Stock Day is the fastest growing media outlet for Nano-Cap and Micro-Cap companies. It educates investors while simultaneously working with penny stock and OTC companies, providing transparency and clarification of under-valued, under-sold Micro-Cap stocks of the market. Stock Day provides companies with customized solutions to their news distribution in both national and international media outlets. The Stock Day Podcast is the number one radio show of its kind in America. StockDayMedia.com (602) 821-1102 SOURCE: Stock Day Media To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/199844 Halifax, Nova Scotia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 29, 2024) - Ucore Rare Metals Inc. (TSXV: UCU) (OTCQX: UURAF) ("Ucore" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it will be attending the 2024 Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada Conference in Toronto, Ontario from March 3-6, 2024. Ucore representatives will be available at the PDAC Investors Exchange, Booth #2110 from Sunday, March 3 to Wednesday, March 6 and welcome the opportunity to update investors and other stakeholders on recent developments. Further, Ucore's Chairman & CEO will be presenting at the Electric Materials 2 Session, on Wednesday, March 6 at 10:25am in Room 801B. Ucore is focused on rare- and critical-metal resources, extraction, beneficiation, and separation technologies with the potential for production, growth, and scalability. Ucore's vision and plan is to become a leading advanced technology company, providing best-in-class metal separation products and services to the mining and mineral extraction industry. Through strategic partnerships, this plan includes disrupting the People's Republic of China's control of the North American REE supply chain through the near-term establishment of a heavy and light rare-earth processing facility in the U.S. State of Louisiana, subsequent Strategic Metal Complexes in Canada and Alaska and the longer-term development of Ucore's 100% controlled Bokan-Dotson Ridge Rare Heavy REE Project on Prince of Wales Island in Southeast Alaska, USA. # # # Ucore is listed on the TSXV under the trading symbol "UCU" and in the United States on the OTC Markets' OTCQX Best Market under the ticker symbol "UURAF." For further information, please visit www.ucore.com. For Ucore's most recent corporate video, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzK0lgfw9Ts Forward-Looking Statements This press release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements." All statements in this release (other than statements of historical facts) that address future business development, technological development and/or acquisition activities (including any related required financings), timelines, events, or developments that the Company is pursuing are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance or results, and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. For risks and uncertainties regarding the Company and its business generally, see the risk disclosure in the Company's MD&A for Q3 2023 (filed on SEDAR+ on November 20, 2023) (www.SEDARPLUS.ca) as well as the risks described below. Regarding the disclosure above in the "About Ucore Rare Metals Inc." section, the Company has assumed that it will be able to procure or retain additional partners and/or suppliers, in addition to Innovation Metals Corp. ("IMC"), as suppliers for Ucore's expected future Strategic Metals Complexes ("SMCs"). Ucore has also assumed that sufficient external funding will be found to complete the Demo Plant commissioning and demonstration schedule and also later prepare a new National Instrument 43-101 ("NI 43-101") technical report that demonstrates that the Bokan Mountain Rare Earth Element project ("Bokan") is feasible and economically viable for the production of both REE and co-product metals and the then prevailing market prices based upon assumed customer offtake agreements. Ucore has also assumed that sufficient external funding will be secured to continue the development of the specific engineering plans for the SMCs and their construction. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include, without limitation: IMC failing to protect its intellectual property rights in RapidSX"; RapidSX" failing to demonstrate commercial viability in large commercial-scale applications; Ucore not being able to procure additional key partners or suppliers for the SMCs; Ucore not being able to raise sufficient funds to fund the specific design and construction of the SMCs and/or the continued development of RapidSX"; adverse capital-market conditions; unexpected due-diligence findings; the emergence of alternative superior metallurgy and metal-separation technologies; the inability of Ucore and/or IMC to retain its key staff members; a change in the legislation in Louisiana or Alaska and/or in the support expressed by the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority ("AIDEA") regarding the development of Bokan; the availability and procurement of any required interim and/or long-term financing that may be required; and general economic, market or business conditions. Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined by the TSXV) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. CONTACTS Mr. Peter Manuel, Ucore Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, is responsible for the content of this news release and may be contacted at 1.902.482.5214. For additional information, please contact: Mark MacDonald Vice President, Investor Relations Ucore Rare Metals Inc. 1.902.482.5214 [email protected] To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/199876 Israels military acknowledges that it fired on a crowd of people trying to get food from a convoy of trucks in Gaza on Thursday morning. Over 104 people were killed and more than 700 were injured in the incident, according to sources at the Ministry of Health in Gaza, under the control of Hamas. The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) has denounced the use of tanks and artillery fire by Israeli occupation troops in an atrocious massacre, according to official sources. For its part, the Israeli army claims that dozens were killed or wounded by pushing, stomping and being run over by the convoys vehicles, although it also says that its soldiers opened fire when they felt they were in danger. The Israeli government has called what happened a tragedy. The incident took place on the same day that the official death toll in the Gaza Strip reached 30,000 and the wounded climbed to 70,000 since the war began on October 7, according to local health sources The events occurred early in the morning on Rachid Street, which runs parallel to the beach in the southern part of Gaza City. In a video shot from there, hundreds of people can be seen before dawn trying to get help amid the chaos, as gunfire can be heard and bullets can be seen tracing their trajectory in the sky, according to images broadcast by Qatars Al Jazeera network. Many citizens are running or walking hurriedly and carrying sacks as some flames are seen on the ground. One woman, who claims to have lost her husband in the war, shouts in despair that there is no flour left as she tries to locate her daughter in the melee. With the light of day, the images of the dead and wounded at the scene have continued to spread on social media amid the outrage and grief of those present. Some of the corpses were carried on donkey carts, while bloodied boxes of humanitarian aid lay on the ground. The Israeli military has released black and white footage recorded from the air by a drone to support its version. Hundreds of people can be seen surrounding the trucks and running from one side to the other. Moreover, the attack occurred at a time when it is becoming increasingly difficult to end the famine affecting the population of Gaza, especially those who remain in the north, as in this case. That is the area farthest from Rafah, on the border with Egypt, where the scarce flow of humanitarian aid enters the Gaza Strip. The PNA continues to describe Israeli actions in Gaza as genocide and condemned the atrocious massacre committed against civilians who were risking their lives to obtain a small amount of food, according to a presidential statement published by the official Palestinian news agency Wafa. The PNA insists that Israel be held accountable for committing these horrible crimes before an international tribunal. Hamas, for its part, indicated that the attack could jeopardize the current talks for a ceasefire and an exchange of hostages, like the one that was achieved at the end of November, according to a statement quoted by Reuters. Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden assumes that what happened will prevent the announcement of an agreement in the coming days, something he had considered close on Wednesday. According to the Israeli version, early this [Thursday] morning, during the entry of humanitarian aid vehicles into the northern Gaza Strip, Gaza residents surrounded the trucks and looted the supplies being delivered. During the incident, dozens of Gazans were injured as a result of pushing and stomping, a statement said. Several people surrounding the humanitarian aid trucks approached Israeli army troops [who were in the area] to secure passage of the trucks as part of a humanitarian operation to transfer aid. The crowd approached the forces in such a way that it posed a threat to the troops, who responded to the threat with live fire, these military sources added. The Armed Forces noted on X (formerly Twitter) that there were also hit-and-runs by the trucks, resulting in dozens of dead and wounded. At some point the trucks were overwhelmed and the people driving the trucks, who were civilian drivers from Gaza, rammed into the crowd of people and, as I understand it, ended up killing dozens of people, government spokesman Avi Hyman told reporters, Reuters reports. Obviously, it is a tragedy, but we are not sure of the details yet, he added. Beyond Bidens initial reaction, for the United States, it represents a serious incident in the midst of the grave humanitarian situation in Gaza, where innocent Palestinians are only trying to feed their families, according to a White House statement that notes the need to increase the flow of aid into the Gaza Strip even through a temporary ceasefire. Some in the Israeli government have applauded the killing. The military acted excellently against a Gaza mob that tried to harm them, said Israels ultra-conservative National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir. He called for preventing any aid which he refers to as oxygen for Hamas as long as hostages remain captive. Palestinians carry the wounded following Israeli gunfire on people waiting for help in Gaza City, in an image taken from a video on February 29, 2024. REUTERS Israel denies the blockade of aid Israels government continues to deny the reality of the lack of arrival of food, water and the basics for the local population to survive. There is no limit to the amount of humanitarian aid that can enter Gaza, Israeli government spokesman Eylon Levy said on Thursday on his X (formerly Twitter) account next to a photo of humanitarian aid being parachuted in. Levy thus attempted to deny the undisputable blockade that his country is imposing and that is denounced daily within and outside the Gaza Strip. States that want more humanitarian aid to enter Gaza should simply send it. Israel has just successfully facilitated the airdrop of food and medical equipment in cooperation with [the United Arab] Emirates, Jordan, Egypt, France and the United States, he added. Some countries have resorted to airdropping food and basic supplies as a way of coping with Israels punishing blockade of a population of around 2.3 million. Dozens of parachutes filled the sky over the Strip, dropped from a Jordanian military plane on Tuesday, while thousands of people followed their trajectory from the ground to run to the landing point and get their hands on the contents of the packages as soon as possible. Some of them were even picked up at sea. Before October 7, Israeli authorities allowed the entry of 500 trucks a day into Gaza, when the territory was not being hit by bombing, famine and the lack of electricity, gas and telephone service. Now, with the markets out of supplies, the fields without crops and most of those 2.3 million people displaced from their homes, a much larger number of trucks are needed, the UN and humanitarian organizations say. Palestinians transport casualties following what Palestinian health officials said was Israeli fire on people waiting for aid, in Gaza City. REUTERS Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - February 28, 2024) - In the ever-evolving advertising landscape of the United States, the proliferation of digital platforms and the rise of Connected TV have significantly reshaped the way brands engage with consumers. CTV advertising has emerged as a dominant force, fueled by the growing popularity of streaming services and the shift towards on-demand content consumption. Addressing the unique dynamics of the US market, VDO.AI has unveiled a comprehensive report highlighting the latest trends and insights in CTV advertising for 2024. The report serves as an invaluable strategic resource for brands, offering deep insights into maximizing the potential of CTV advertising to expand audience reach and achieve pivotal performance goals. With projections indicating that CTV ad spending will soar to $42.4 billion by 2027, this comprehensive analysis delves into the intricate factors driving the exponential growth of CTV advertising in the US. Through a meticulous examination of key trends, market dynamics, and their implications for stakeholders across the advertising landscape, this report equips businesses with the knowledge needed to navigate and capitalize on this rapidly evolving terrain. Additionally, it sheds light on the profound impact of CTV in the US market, dissecting evolving viewing trends, discerning American audience behavior, and illuminating the influential role CTV plays in shaping ad recall and consumer purchasing decisions. Pioneers in the field highlight the promise that Connected TV holds within the USA's advertising sphere. Anuj Kapoor, Professor at the Indian Institute of Management - Ahmedabad, mentions, "The evolution of CTV encapsulates a profound transformation in how audiences consume content. It reflects a shift from the passive, scheduled viewing of traditional linear TV to an on-demand, personalized CTV experience tailored to individual preferences. By examining consumer behavior, industry trends, and technological advancements, this report equips readers with the knowledge needed to navigate the evolving landscape of television consumption effectively." Amitt Sharma, CEO - VDO.AI, stated, "This report serves as a comprehensive guide for advertisers, offering actionable insights and best practices to navigate the complexities of CTV advertising effectively, ultimately empowering them to capitalize on the immense potential of this burgeoning medium." According to Arjit Sachdeva, CTO - VDO.AI, "The future of CTV advertising holds boundless potential for innovation and creativity. We're on the cusp of a new era where ads seamlessly integrate with content and engage viewers in meaningful ways and provide immersive experiences. This report provides insights and strategies to leverage the full potential of CTV advertising and create impactful, engaging campaigns that resonate with audiences." About VDO.AI VDO.AI is a trailblazing digital advertising technology company committed to redefining brand engagement. With a strong focus on cutting-edge AI and data-driven solutions, VDO.AI enables brands to connect with their audience in profoundly meaningful ways, resulting in increased engagement and ROI. Media Contact: Mehak Chawla [email protected] Lead - Strategic Marketing PR Contact: Sam Morgan [email protected] www.pinionnewswire.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/199571 Providing a convenient gift option exclusive to ZIPAIR customers Tokyo, Japan--(Newsfile Corp. - February 29, 2024) - ZIPAIR Tokyo announced a partnership with JA ZEN-NOH Meat Foods Co., Ltd., and JAL Cargo Service Co., Ltd., offering a new exclusive service to purchase Japanese Wagyu beef for customers traveling to Singapore and/or the United States, started on January 31, 2024. In accordance with Japan`s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries goal to reach 5 trillion yen in annual exports by 2030, JA ZEN-NOH Group and Narita City Wholesale Market have been working with JAL Cargo to create a new commercial and commodity distribution channel to export products from Japan. Through this new partnership, the companies will provide a convenient option for purchasing Japanese Wagyu beef on select international routes operated by ZIPAIR. Customers can purchase the gift item on ZIPAIR`s website, which will be available for check-in on the day of departure, providing a stress-free retail experience. JAL ZEN-NOH Group will work with local meat manufacturers to supply Japanese Wagyu beef, which will be stored, packed, and prepared for export through Narita City Wholesale Market. JAL Cargo will transport the items directly to Narita International Airport on the day of departure. Since its establishment in 2018, ZIPAIR has continued to define a new standard in the airline industry by offering a unique, low-cost business model while creating a new value in air travel. Through this announcement, ZIPAIR aims to promote tourism in Japan by offering premium quality Japanese Wagyu to its valued customers. Purchases must be made 48 hours before departure. Wagyu gift item(s) will be available to check-in at the airport counter. Customers will pick up the item upon arriving at the destination. Details of Service Applicable Routes: Departing from Narita to Singapore, Los Angeles, San Jose, San Francisco, and Honolulu. Commencement of Service: Service starts on flights departing from January 31, 2024 (Sales start on January 24 on ZIPAIR`s website) Products Available for Sale: Japanese Wagyu Beef (Grade A5) Singapore Route> Limited to 5.0kg/11lbs per customer Steak (Ribeye or Sirloin) Shabu-Shabu / Sukiyaki (Ribeye, Sirloin, Chuck) U.S. Routes> Limited to 22.6kg/50lbs per customer Block (Ribeye or Sirloin) Prices will be available on the ZIPAIR website.https://lp.zipair.net/nonair/wagyu/en/info/lp/2401/index.html Purchase flow About ZIPAIR Tokyo, Inc.: ZIPAIR is Japan's first medium-to-long-distance international LCC (low-cost airline), established with a 100% investment by Japan Airlines Co., Ltd. It operates flights from Narita to Seoul, Manila, Bangkok, Singapore, Honolulu, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Jose (California). Contact: Japanese [email protected] English [email protected] Korean [email protected] Chinese [email protected] Thai [email protected] To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/199837 SINGAPORE , Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- AliExpress, an international online retail marketplace under Alibaba International Digital Commerce Group, is celebrating the first anniversary of its Choice initiative and the related Choice Day sale with an unprecedented five-day promotional eventthe longest of its kind in the platform's history. Offering discounts of up to 60% on a select range of items, the event is crafted to deliver a shopping experience that honors the diversity of its customer base. The sale is set to begin precisely at midnight on March 1 , aligning with the local time zones of AliExpress' key markets including Brazil , France , Mexico , the Middle Eastern region, Poland , South Korea , Spain , the UK and the US. Customers within these regions will have the opportunity to enjoy a highly anticipated and personalized shopping celebration, with tailored offerings rolled out as the sale goes live in each locale. Unveiling GCC Brand Ambassadors In an exciting development, AliExpress proudly introduces athletes Salem Al-Dawsari and Firas Al-Buraikan as its new brand ambassadors representing the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. The appointment highlights AliExpress' focus on connecting with its diverse customer base in strategic markets. To mark this significant announcement, AliExpress will extend an exclusive offer to its users ordering from Saudi Arabia during the Choice Day sale. Shoppers who make purchases of over US$200 on the event page in a single day stand a chance to secure a jersey with a digital signature from one of the brand ambassadors. Limited to only 30 jerseys each day, these exclusive editions are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. This distinct promotion exemplifies AliExpress' commitment to offering its customers unique and exciting experiences. Enticing Offers Across the Globe As the promotion unfolds, customers from various regions will enjoy a host of benefits. Tiered discount codes will allow savings of up to US$50 , and free shipping will be available in over 50 markets for orders meeting minimum spend requirements. Shoppers in areas such as Japan , Mexico , the UAE and the US will benefit from free shipping on orders over US$10 , while consumers in France , Germany and Spain , among other European markets, will enjoy similar perks with a 10 threshold. In South Korea , free shipping kicks in at 5000, and in Brazil , at R$60 . Supporting free returns in 15 markets such as Australia and Poland , AliExpress endeavors to provide a worry-free shopping experience and reinforce the customer's right with a straightforward return process. Additionally, in select regions such as Belgium , the Netherlands , Spain and the UK , the Choice service provides delivery within as little as five days, catering to consumers' need for speed and reliability. Surging Popularity and Order Growth Introduced in March 2023 , the Choice service has been pivotal to AliExpress' rapid growth, reinventing the cross-border shopping experience with free shipping, free returns and swift-delivery commitments. The appeal of Choice has significantly bolstered AliExpress' popularity among global consumers. In Spain , for example, AliExpress captured the position of the second most-visited e-commerce site in December 2023 , according to statistics from Club Ecommerce and EGI Group. AliExpress' monthly active user base in South Korea soared to 7 million in November 2023 , almost doubling on a year-over-year basis, as reported by mobile analytics firm WiseApp. On the corporate front, Alibaba Group Holding Limited's financial results for the quarter ending December 31, 2023 disclosed a remarkable 60% surge in AliExpress' order volume. This boost has contributed to a 44% year-over-year increase in revenue for Alibaba International Digital Commerce Group, consistently exceeding market forecasts for six straight quarters. As it commemorates the Choice service's first anniversary, AliExpress extends an invitation to consumers worldwide to revel in a celebration of discounts and exclusive promotions, all crafted to deliver an unparalleled shopping experience. About AliExpress Launched in 2010, AliExpress is a business-to-consumer (B2C) e-commerce platform enabling global consumers to buy directly from manufacturers and distributors in China and around the world. In addition to the global English-language version, the AliExpress platform is also available in 17 other languages. AliExpress is part of Alibaba International Digital Commerce Group. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aliexpress-marks-choice-anniversary-with-deals-and-new-ambassadors-302075421.html SOURCE AliExpress The Move Away From Pensions Is a Major Culprit in the Nation's Retirement Crisis WASHINGTON , Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Most Americans will not have enough money for a financially secure retirement, and they are worried about it was the testimony of Dan Doonan , executive director of the National Institute on Retirement Security (NIRS) at a hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee. Most Americans will not have enough money for a financially secure retirement, and they are worried about it. "We're encouraged that the Senate HELP Committee is taking a hard look at the retirement savings shortfall facing far too many Americans," Doonan said. "The data clearly suggest that we need to rethink our nation's retirement infrastructure because the current system is leaving the middle class behind. Finding solutions to ensure Americans have access to pensions, defined contribution plans, and Social Security is the best path forward for employers, employees, and the economy." Watch the HELP Committee hearing, "Taking a Serious Look at the Retirement Crisis in America: What Can We Do to Expand Defined Benefit Pension Plans for Workers?" Read Doonan's oral remarks delivered to the HELP Committee. Read Doonan's written testimony submitted to the HELP Committee. In his testimony, Doonan detailed the scope of the retirement savings shortfall. He noted that NIRS research found that for Generation X, a generation that is quickly approaching retirement and the first that will retire largely without pensions, the bottom half of earners have only a few thousand dollars saved for retirement. This means the vast majority of Gen Xers are not even close to having enough savings to retire. And when Americans don't have adequate retirement income, they are more likely to fall into poverty or turn to public assistance programs or families to make ends meet. The NIRS testimony submitted to the HELP Committee indicates that the move away from pensions is a major culprit in the nation's retirement crisis. While 401(k) plans are an important part of the retirement equation, they just weren't designed to replace pensions. The testimony also indicates that serious policy discussions about rebuilding retirement security for Americans must include increasing pension coverage as part of the solution. Research finds that pensions not only provide reliable lifetime income for employees, they are economically efficient, they provide workforce benefits to employers, and they provide substantial economic impacts to communities across the nation, especially rural areas. The National Institute on Retirement Security is a non-profit, non-partisan organization established to contribute to informed policymaking by fostering a deep understanding of the value of retirement security to employees, employers, and the economy as a whole. Located in Washington, D.C. , NIRS membership includes financial services firms, employee benefit plans, trade associations, and other retirement service providers. More information is available at www.nirsonline.org. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/americans-face-alarming-retirement-savings-shortfall-according-to-national-institute-on-retirement-security-testimony-before-us-senate-committee-302075789.html SOURCE National Institute on Retirement Security ST. LOUIS , Feb. 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Anheuser-Busch reached a tentative collective bargaining agreement with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which represents A-B employees at our 12 major breweries across the U.S. This tentative agreement builds even further upon our existing industry-leading package of wages, healthcare, and retirement benefits, and it includes significant commitments to job security. "At Anheuser-Busch, we have said time and again that our people are our greatest strength, and we are incredibly pleased to have reached a tentative agreement that continues to recognize the talent, dedication, and hard work of our teams, while also positioning the Company for long-term success," said Brendan Whitworth , CEO, Anheuser-Busch. "As America's leading brewer, we have the best people and provide the best jobs in the beer industry, and together we are focused on what we do best: brewing great beer for everyone, showing up in the moments that matter for our consumers, and making a positive impact in our communities across the country." For more than 165 years, Anheuser-Busch has carried on a legacy of brewing great-tasting, high-quality beers that have satisfied beer drinkers for generations. This is made possible by the 65,000 dedicated men and women from across our network who bring our business to life every day. We look forward to formal ratification in the coming days. You can find out more about the bargaining process at unionnegotiations.anheuser-busch.com . About Anheuser-Busch At Anheuser-Busch, our purpose is to create a future with more cheers. We are always looking to serve up new ways to meet life's moments, dream big to move our industry forward, and make a meaningful impact in the world. We hope to build a future that everyone can celebrate, and everyone can share. For more than 165 years, Anheuser-Busch has carried on a legacy of brewing great-tasting, high-quality beers that have satisfied beer drinkers for generations. Today, we own and operate more than 120 facilities, including breweries, wholesaler distribution centers, agricultural facilities and packaging plants, and have more than 18,000 colleagues across the United States . We are home to several of America's most loved beer and beyond beer brands, including Michelob ULTRA, Cutwater Spirits, Stella Artois, Budweiser and Bud Light as well as a number of regional brands that provide beer drinkers with a choice of the best-tasting craft beers in the industry. From responsible drinking programs and emergency drinking water donations to industry-leading sustainability efforts, we are guided by our unwavering commitment to supporting the communities we call home. For more information, visit www.anheuser-busch.com or follow Anheuser-Busch on LinkedIn , Twitter , Facebook and Instagram . View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/anheuser-busch-reaches-tentative-agreement-with-the-international-brotherhood-of-teamsters-302074955.html SOURCE Anheuser-Busch INDIANAPOLIS , Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- BAM Capital proudly participated in the Indiana Apartment Association's (IAA) esteemed " Bowling for Rebuilding Lives " fundraiser, an annual event dedicated to supporting IAA's philanthropic efforts in assisting Indiana residents affected by natural disasters. Held at the Woodland Bowl on the north side of Indianapolis , this event underscores BAM Capital's commitment to community service and its robust partnership with IAA in charitable endeavors. Over the past few years, the "Rebuilding Lives" initiative has offered direct assistance to more than 200 individuals and nearly 50 families, providing crucial support to those in the community impacted by fires, floods, and other catastrophic events. This year marked BAM Capital's seventh consecutive participation, showcasing the company's enduring dedication to this noble cause. The event witnessed enthusiastic participation from the BAM team, with approximately 50 members in attendance, filling four lanes with spirited competition and camaraderie. "We had around 20 cheerleaders and it felt like the entire company was out here today," said a BAM spokesperson, highlighting the team's unity and collective spirit. In a vibrant celebration of team spirit and philanthropy, BAM Capital embraced this year's neon theme with a creative twist, opting for a '90s throwback that not only brightened the atmosphere but also earned them the coveted Spirit Award. This accolade reflects the company's inventive approach to team building and its strong commitment to making a positive impact in the community. BAM Capital's involvement in the "Bowling for Rebuilding Lives" event is a testament to its dedication to giving back and fostering a sense of solidarity and support within the Indiana community. It underscores the company's broader mission to contribute to societal well-being beyond its business endeavors. Click the link to watch reviews of BAM Capital and see why their accredited investors, more often than not, continue to do business with them after their first transaction is complete. About BAM Capital BAM Capital, headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana , is a leading real estate investment firm with a focus on multifamily property investments. Renowned for its strategic investment approaches and commitment to excellence, BAM Capital is equally dedicated to corporate social responsibility, actively supporting charitable causes and community development projects. Media contact: Vicki Johnson [email protected] 463-227-0773 View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bam-capital-reviews---iaas-bowling-for-rebuilding-lives-event-a-smashing-success-302075024.html SOURCE BAM Capital WILLINGTON , England , Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Bionical Solutions, a leading provider of technology enabled engagement and healthcare services to global pharmaceutical, biotech, healthcare companies and the NHS, today announced the appointment of Andrew Seward as Chief Technology Officer for the Digital business. Andrew has over 12 years of experience in technology and product management, most recently as Head of Data Product Development at Experian Consumer Services, which counts 25% of the UK's adult population as its customers. Drawing on his expertise in delivering next-generation customer experiences and new AI features, he created and led the implementation of Experian's new Data Strategy and delivered a pioneering machine learning platform as a founding member of Experian's Machine Learning Council. He has been Chief Technology Officer at prominent HR software company, Mitrefinch Ltd, and has led product strategy and development at UK fintech company, Quint Group, and tech start-up, Cronofy. Andrew is the founder of Tech Nottingham, an organisation with around 3,500 members and one of the largest tech communities in the UK , which works closely with technology businesses of all sizes, as well as local government and educational institutions, to promote Nottingham as a tech centre. Gareth Davies , Joint CEO at Bionical Solutions, commented: "We are very pleased to welcome Andrew on board to support our established in-house team of technical experts and software developers, to help take Bionical Digital to the next level in providing customised engagement platforms to the Pharma industry. Andrew brings a wealth of experience in AI and data product development. As we look to further expand the long-term product pipeline of Bionical's Digital business, Andrew's expertise and leadership skills will be invaluable in adapting and developing our digital offering to meet the emerging requirements of our broad client base." Newly appointed Chief Technology Officer, Andrew Seward , said: "It is great to be joining Bionical at such an exciting time for the business. I am looking forward to working closely with Gareth and the team to create innovative solutions." About Bionical Solutions Bionical Solutions is a leading provider of technology enabled engagement and healthcare services to global pharmaceutical, biotech, healthcare companies and the NHS. As a rapidly growing international integrated healthcare services provider, Bionical's solutions provide education and support to Healthcare professionals and patients and deliver personalised experiences through the optimal blend of human interactions and technology. Bionical Solutions Digital and Commercial Communications team provides customers with technology enabled healthcare services, providing software solutions, commercial communications and support to Healthcare professionals (HCPS) and patients. Bionical Solutions Health Outcomes team provides customers with technology enabled healthcare services, providing education, training, support and clinical care to Healthcare professionals and patients, both in hospital and in the community. Data collection and reporting from these services informs future strategy and evolution. For more information please visit https://www.bionical.com/home View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bionical-solutions-appoints-chief-technology-officer-to-create-innovative-data-products-and-software-for-the-digital-business-302074796.html SOURCE Bionical Solutions BOSTON , Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Shook, Hardy & Bacon welcomes drug and device litigator Lisa Oliver White to the firm as partner. White will join Shook's world renowned Product Liability Litigation Practice and focus primarily on drug and device litigation. She has a longstanding relationship with Shook, having been on trial teams with the firm's trial lawyers on multiple product liability litigation matters in Massachusetts . "We're excited to bring Lisa to Shook," said Trial Partner Hildy Sastre from Miami , co-chair of the firm's product liability litigation team. "We've collaborated with Lisa a number of times as our local counsel in Boston . Her trial skills align well with the firm. It's a natural fit." White brings 18 years of litigation experience in Massachusetts and Rhode Island state and federal courts, and her practice focuses on serving clients in medical malpractice and drug and device law matters. She is a member of the invitationonly International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) and serves on the board of the Massachusetts Defense Lawyers Association (MassDLA). "Truly, it is a natural transition in my career to move to Shook," said White from Boston . "The firm's reputation of having hardworking and very smart lawyers who get along well with opposing counsel in complex matters, cannot be overstated. I have a similar way of litigating and look forward to collaborating with this dynamic team again." Shook has represented some of the largest pharmaceutical and medical device companies in the world, with client relationships dating back many decades. These companies look to the firm to handle their most complex and contentious product liability casesfrom MDLs, class actions, mass tort actions and multi-jurisdiction onslaughts of individual cases, as well as challenging individual cases. ALM named Shook a finalist for Litigation Department of the Year Product Liability in 2023. Partners Katie Gates Calderon , Hildy Sastre , and William Geraghty , all trial lawyers, lead the practice. White earned her undergraduate degree from Boston University and her law degree, magna cum laude, from Suffolk University Law School. Massachusetts Super Lawyers has included White on its list since 2013. Shook opened a Boston office in 2019 with five lawyers focusing on high-stakes environmental and toxic tort litigation, as well as complex business disputes, class action, product liability and other areas. Partner Tom Sullivan , a life sciences litigator, leads the office. With White on board, Shook looks forward to expanding its presence in the drug and device space in the Boston market. About Shook, Hardy & Bacon Founded in 1889, Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P. has 19 offices in the United States and London , with attorneys and professional staff serving clients in the health, science and technology sectors in areas ranging from product liability defense and business litigation to intellectual property prosecution and litigation, environmental and toxic tort, privacy and data security and regulatory counseling. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/boston-drug-and-device-litigator-moves-to-shook-302076101.html SOURCE Shook, Hardy & Bacon L.L.P. Frank Rauch named "2024 Channel Chiefs: The 50 Most Influential" by CRN; "2024 Channel Influencer Award" recipient by Channel Futures TEL AVIV, Israel , Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Cato Networks, the leader in SASE, today announced that Frank Rauch , Global Channel Chief, has been recognized as a recipient of two industry honors: "2024 Channels Chiefs: The 50 Most Influential" by CRN and "2024 Channel Influencer Award" by Channel Futures. These honors highlight Rauch's significant contributions and leadership in shaping the networking and security indirect sales channel over the past year. Rauch stands among 50 individuals in both honors and is commended for his visionary leadership, strategic thinking, and innovative approaches to the channel ecosystem. CRN selects channel chief honorees based on their professional achievements, standing in the industry, dedication to the channel partner community, and strategies for driving channel growth and innovation. Channel Futures identifies leaders for their exceptional impact on the direction and transformation of the SASE industry through indirect sales channels. " Frank Rauch's selection as a 2024 CRN Channel Chiefs and Channel Futures Channel Influencer is a testament to his remarkable leadership and the innovative strategies he has implemented at Cato Networks," said Alon Alter , Chief Business Officer of Cato Networks. "His dedication to the channel community and his impact on our partners' growth and success reflect the core values and vision of Cato Networks. We are thrilled to see Frank's contributions recognized by CRN and Channel Futures." "I am deeply honored by this recognition by CRN and Channel Futures, though they speak much more to the strength of the Cato team and our growing partner community than to any individual," said Rauch. "These awards are a testament to our channel-first commitment and culture at Cato Networks. My gratitude extends to CRN and Channel Futures' editors and judges for this esteemed acknowledgment." Before his tenure at Cato Networks, which began in January 2023 , Rauch held pivotal roles across the technology and IT sectors, including Global Channel Chief at Check Point Software Technologies, and leadership positions at VMware, and HPE. His experience and successful channel strategies have earned his teams more than 150 industry awards. Rauch is also recognized for mentoring future channel leaders and active participation on several advisory boards. Digital Assets Supporting Resources About Cato Cato Networks is the leader in SASE, delivering enterprise security and networking in a single cloud platform. With Cato, organizations replace costly and rigid legacy infrastructure with an open and modular SASE architecture based on SD-WAN, a purpose-built global cloud network, and an embedded cloud-native security stack. Want to learn why thousands of organizations secure their future with Cato? Visit us at www.catonetworks.com. About CRN CRN provides objective reporting on daily technology and channel news, events, and trends, empowering solution providers such as systems integrators, value-added resellers, managed service providers (MSPs), strategic service providers, and IT consultants to maintain a competitive advantage and deliver the business outcomes their customers need. Since 1982, CRN's talented team of editors has reported on the news solution providers need to build successful businesses. CRN is the go-to source for breaking news on the IT channel, including technology vendors' channel programs, channel management executives and product and services portfolios; distributors and cloud distributors; MSP platform vendors, and solution providers themselves. Coverage crosses over a variety of technology areas, including cloud, security, data center, networking, software, storage, managed services, computing, and components and peripherals. About Channel Futures Channel Futures is a leading media and events platform for the ICT channel community, encompassing solution providers, MSPs, MSSPs, CSPs, VARs, distributors, technology solutions brokerages, and others in the technology and communications sectors. It offers insights, news, and connections across the channel ecosystem, including prestigious awards and conferences designed to advance the industry. For more information, visit channelfutures.com. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cato-networks-channel-chief-earns-two-industry-honors-302074759.html SOURCE Cato Networks FORT WASHINGTON, Pa. , Feb. 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- CCA Industries, Inc. (OTC: "CAWW"), announced today its results for the year ended November 30, 2023 . The results can be found on the chart below. Net loss was $422,866 for the year ended November 30, 2023 , as compared to a net loss of $54,017 for the year ended November 30, 2022 . Christopher Dominello , Chief Executive Officer commented "Our Company is now well positioned for growth and profitability in 2024. We had several non-cash adjustments to our year-end results totaling $1,290,542 including the write-down of the Solar Sense trademark by $543,990 , which we anticipate selling in fiscal 2024. We also wrote down the manufacturing overhead by $393,388 to reflect current inventory value. All of this was done to make that we were prepared for growth in 2024." Dominello also commented, "We expect that Neutein, our brain health supplement, will begin shipping into retail in the second quarter of fiscal 2024. Our Amazon business, and other sites, continue to grow, with sales of nearly $6 million in fiscal 2023, an increase of 36% over the prior year. The Company installed new accounting software that gives management better visibility to our costs and financial results. We also enter 2024 with a stronger Balance Sheet than in previous years. The Company has been going through a series of years with losses, but we believe the shareholders will finally see the results of our turnaround efforts." Audited Financial Statements for the year ended November 30, 2023 and the Annual Disclosure Statement filed with the OTC, may be found on the OTC marketplace web site: https://www.otcmarkets.com CCA Industries, Inc. manufactures and markets health and beauty aids, each under its individual brand name. The products include, principally, "Plus White" toothpastes and teeth whiteners, " Nutra Nail " nail care treatments, "Porcelana" skin care products, " Scar Zone " scar treatment products, "Sudden Change" anti-aging skin care products, brands, "Hair Off" depilatory products, "Solar Sense" sun care products and "Neutein" brain health supplements. Statements contained in the news release that are not historical facts are forward looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, which would cause actual results to differ materially, from estimated results. No assurance can be given that the results in any forward-looking statement will be achieved and actual results could be affected by one or more factors, which could cause them to differ materially. For these statements, we claim the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act. CCA INDUSTRIES, INC. Year Ended November 30, 2023 November 30, 2022 Revenues $ 10,486,620 $ 12,837,910 Net Income $ (422,866) $ (54,017) Earnings Per Share: Basic $ (0.06) $ (0.01) Diluted $ (0.06) $ (0.01) Weighted Average Common Shares Outstanding: Basic 7,561,684 7,561,684 Diluted 7,561,684 7,561,684 EBITDA * $ (259,140) $ 42,209 * Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization Reconciliation of Net Income to EBITDA: Net Income $ (422,866) $ (54,017) Provision for income taxes (35,976) 9,169 Interest expense 194,497 76,577 Depreciation and Amortization 5,204 10,480 EBITDA $ (259,140) $ 42,209 View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cca-industries-inc-reports-financial-results-for-year-ended-november-30-2023-302074927.html SOURCE CCA Industries, Inc. Its always the same story. A couple discovers they are expecting a baby and immediately begin to prepare, collecting information, the more the better. This process of over-informing, or infoxication, is one of the factors that leads us to make mistakes, because we lose our analytic capacities, says Belen Marinone (Buenos Aires, 38 years old). Shes a baby planner, which is to say, an expert in preparation for future parents, and the founder of Babyplanner Academy, which now has a presence in nine countries. First-time parents have so many doubts, and at the same time want to do their best, and they are exposed to constant stimulus when it comes to solutions, but dont have the capacity to evaluate and analyze which one will work for them. They end up having to trust external opinions and recommendations, says the author of the book Nace una mama. 12 claves para planificar la llegada de tu bebe: La guia practica para el embarazo (A mother is born. 12 steps for planning your babys arrival: A practical guide to pregnancy) (Goodreads, 2022). The expert, who has a decade of experience in the field, says that in the majority of cases these suggestions are biased, based on the opinion of a family member or coming from a source that has some economic interest in your choice, such as an advertiser or a salesperson. Normal and understandable inexperience on the part of first-time parents, according to Marinone, leads siblings or friends who have been parents to offer their opinion. But advice from people who are close to the expecting parent isnt always well-received, because it can be seen as intrusive, she says, wise words coming from a breastfeeding expert who also has a postgraduate degree from the department of health sciences at Blanquerna University in Barcelona. However, when a professional tells us how to proceed, we seem to be more willing to listen. Being realistic is fundamental when it comes to ones ability to give and receive advice. The mother-to-be must have objective information from a diversity of sources to allow her to make her own decisions when it comes to the products that she will need, in addition to parenting methods, routines, development, sleep, breastfeeding, etc. In addition, its important to take the characteristics of ones space into account, in addition to personal tastes and interests; the durability of products, plus who will use products and on what kind of schedule. Customization is key in my eyes, because a person with a 196-square-foot apartment is not going to have the same needs as a person living in a 1,000-square-foot house, she says. Another example: There are women who cant take time off from certain aspects of their job, and work from home. Those mothers would probably benefit from the option of a baby carrying scarf, because during the first months, it will allow them to keep their baby close and still have their hands free to do what they need to do. Marinone also mentions that there is a plethora of typical purchases that first-time parents can end up regretting. A baby bathtub that takes up the entire bathroom; a cradle youll barely, if ever, use; a bottle sterilizer when theyll be breastfeeding for more than six months, she lists. In her eyes, its best to make a list that can establish and analyze needs and requirements, and that can be adapted to the specific needs of each mother and father. But there are certain products that, in her professional experience, first-timers failing to take into account their personal circumstances and preferred parenting methods tend to regret. Baby health monitoring devices, such as those that warn of changes in cardiac pulse, body temperature, blood oxygen levels. These can have the opposite effect of creating stressful hyper-awareness in parents. Its not necessary to have five thermometers in the house, a single reliable one will do the trick. So, theres no need for the bathtub to have a thermometer, for the baby monitor to have a thermometer and so on. Those product extras can make them very expensive due to a solution that is really not needed. An enclosed playground when theres no specific need: It is much more beneficial to block off a safe area on the floor that allows the child to move freely, for their neural and motor development. Electric swing: Its a product that wont help much on a day-to-day basis. In terms of the babys development, the best spot for them is on the ground, or even a basic swing would be better. Combination changing table and bathtub: unless conditions require its use, it will always be more practical and easier to bathe a baby in your homes bathroom and change their diaper in the same room as their clothes and other supplies. Each family is different and, of course, there are many kinds of financial situations. But for the vast majority, I usually advise them, in order to avoid waste and have all bases covered, to look for options that can be used in a variety of ways, Marinone says. Like, for example, a stroller with a soft carrycot that is also a lightweight car seat (so you save on having to buy both), or avoiding child restraint systems for the car that are designed only for newborns, and instead buying a system that will work from their birth until they are about four years old. The emotional factor of a babys arrival Marinone recognizes that the kinds of concerns experienced by parents-to-be shift as pregnancy progresses. During the first months, there are mostly doubts about where to start or what theyll need for the baby, questions related to material things. As gestation advances, the expert says that recurring concerns about breastfeeding, complementary feeding and sleep become common, calling them, necessary questions about fulfilling the role of mother. By the end of the pregnancy, questions tend to focus on the delivery process and necessary care during the childs first days. The expert finds it worth mentioning that, in her experience and according to several studies, what new parents do not usually ask is about the postpartum period, and the emotional changes that becoming a mother can imply: And that is important, because its fundamental to any process of motherhood and fatherhood. The emotional part of the arrival of a baby The baby planner Belen Marinone recognizes that the doubts of future parents are very consistent with the times of pregnancy. The first few months, doubts mostly appear, like where do I start? or what "What do I need for my baby? Questions more related to material things." As the months of pregnancy go by, according to the expert, doubts about breastfeeding, complementary feeding, and sleep are recurrent: "Issues necessary to fulfill the role of mother." At the end of pregnancy, doubts focus on the birth process and the care of the first days. For Marinone it is notable, and she would like to emphasize this, that from her experience and, according to several surveys carried out, what new parents do not usually ask is about the postpartum period and the emotional change that it means. being a mother: And this must be done because it is fundamental in any process of motherhood and fatherhood.. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition BEIJING , Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A report from People's Daily: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) recently raised its growth forecast for the Chinese economy and other emerging economies in Asia in 2024. At the same time, the IMF has increased its global economic growth forecast for this year by 0.2 percentage points to 3.1 percent due to the resilience of major economies like China . The IMF pointed out that the lift of China's economic growth forecast reflects the continuation of the strong growth momentum in the Chinese economy last year, which exceeded expectations, as well as the stimulating effect of relevant policies implemented by the Chinese government. In 2023, China's GDP exceeded 126 trillion yuan ( $17.51 trillion ), growing 5.2 percent from a year ago. China still remains the largest engine of global growth. In January 2024 , the country's economic vitality showed signs of recovery, sending positive signals for the year's economic performance. Not only the IMF, other international financial institutions such as Goldman Sachs and UBS Group recently have also released reports indicating that China's consumption and service industries will continue its post-pandemic recovery trend in 2024. Recently, leaders of international institutions and multinational companies have made frequent visits to China , including a Japanese economic delegation, a delegation led by the World Bank executive director, Danone Group from France , Amway Group from the United States and BMW from Germany . They showed confidence in the Chinese market and hoped to deepen practical cooperation with China . At Xiaomo International Logistics Port in Shenzhen , south China's Guangdong province, a roll-on/roll-off ship owned by Chinese new energy vehicle maker BYD set sail, carrying over 5,000 Chinese made NEVs and heading towards the Flushing Port in the Netherlands and the Bremerhaven Port in Germany . In 2023, China became the world's largest exporter of automobiles for the first time. Statistics show that one in every three cars exported by China is an electric passenger vehicle. Last year, China's exports of NEVs, lithium batteries, and photovoltaic modules surpassed 1 trillion yuan , leading the world in market share. At the Alashankou port in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, China - Europe freight trains departed one after another, carrying daily necessities, automobiles and spare parts, machinery equipment, and other goods manufactured in various parts of China to Europe . In 2023, China - Europe freight trains made 17,000 trips throughout the year, transporting 1.9 million twenty-foot equivalent units, marking a 6 percent and 18 percent increase, respectively, compared to the previous year. This "golden channel" of international land transportation has connected 217 cities in 25 countries between China and Europe , injecting continuous momentum into bilateral trade and economic exchanges. China is the only country with industries across all categories in the United Nations (UN) industrial classification. "Chinese companies have significant advantages in terms of innovation capability, iteration, and manufacturing efficiency, and behind this is China's well-developed industrial chain and its massive market," said Tang Zhimin , director of China ASEAN Studies at the Bangkok -based Panyapiwat Institute of Management. China is a major trading partner for over 140 countries and regions. Borge Brende , president of the World Economic Forum, noted that China is shifting from investment- and infrastructure-driven growth to innovation-led growth, and it holds a crucial position in global economy and trade. Sonali Jain-Chandra , chief of an IMF team conducting discussions on the 2023 Article IV Consultation in China , noted that the policies implemented by the Chinese government will have a positive impact on the economy. She also said that research conducted by the IMF indicated that when China's growth rate rises by 1 percentage point, growth in other countries increases by around 0.3 percentage points. She believes that China's economic growth in 2024 will still surpass the global average, making China a major contributor to global economic growth in that year. In the new year, various regions in China have outlined their "roadmaps" to build a world-class business environment that is market-oriented, law-based, and internationalized. Shanghai has proposed further advancing high-level reform and opening up, enhancing development momentum and competitiveness, and vigorously promoting pioneering reforms and leading opening-up initiatives in all aspects. Guizhou province will implement actions to improve the quality and efficiency of foreign trade. Chongqing municipality will advance high-level construction of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor to build itself into a highland of opening up. China is focusing on accelerating the development of new productive forces and embracing innovation and transformation as important new trends in its economy. The country is actively promoting digitalization and green, low-carbon transformation in industries. Xiao Song , global executive vice-president of Siemens, said that foreign companies deeply feel China is becoming an "innovation field" for cutting-edge technologies. "The fundamentals sustaining China's economic recovery and long-term growth remain unchanged. As an open country, China will continue to bring more cooperation opportunities to the world. The future of China's economy is bright, and we are full of confidence in it," said Liu Sushe, deputy head of the National Development and Reform Commission. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/china-still-remains-worlds-largest-engine-for-growth-302075439.html SOURCE People's Daily Company grew 377% since 2020 MIAMI , Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Inc. magazine revealed that ClassWallet ranks number 49 on its fourth annual Inc. 5000 Regionals: Southeast list, the most prestigious ranking of the fastest-growing Southeast private companies, based in South Carolina , Kentucky , Tennessee , Georgia , Arkansas , Alabama , Mississippi , Louisiana , Florida and Puerto Rico . This marks ClassWallet's third consecutive year on the list, with a 377% revenue growth between 2020 and 2022. In 2022, ClassWallet ranked number 46 on the Inc. 5000 Southeast Regionals list, with a two-year revenue growth rate of 513%. Preceding this, in 2021, the company held the 33rd position with a growth rate of 377%. "ClassWallet is honored to be recognized once again on the Inc. regionals list. Our growth is a realization of the commitment our clients - state and local public agencies, and school districts - are making to ensure public funds are used by the right people for the right purpose," said Jamie Rosenberg , CEO, ClassWallet. Born of the annual Inc. 5000 franchise, the regional listing represents a unique look at the most successful companies within the Southeast economy's most dynamic segmentits independent small businesses. The companies on this list show a remarkable rate of growth across all industries in the Southeast region. Between 2020 and 2022, the 223 private companies had an average growth rate of 166.43%. By 2023, they'd also added 20,496 jobs and $8.8 billion to the region's economy. "The honorees in our Inc. 5000 network are the Who's Who of private companies. They're energizing regional economies as they engineer the future of their industries. Learn who they are and what they do they'll be impacting things for a while," said Eric Hagerman , special projects editor at Inc. Media. Complete results of the Inc. 5000 Regionals: Southeast, including company profiles, can be found at inc.com/Southeast. It includes an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, metro area and other criteria. More about Inc. and the Inc. 5000 Regionals Methodology The 2024 Inc. 5000 Regionals are ranked according to percentage revenue growth when comparing 2020 and 2022. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2020 . They had to be U.S. -based, privately held, for-profit, and independentnot subsidiaries or divisions of other companiesas of December 31, 2022 . (Since then, a number of companies on the list have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2020 is $100,000 ; the minimum for 2022 is $1 million . As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. About Inc. Media The world's most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States . The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit www.inc.com . About ClassWallet ClassWallet is the leading purchasing and reimbursement platform for public funds. A pioneer in financial and government technology, ClassWallet's digital wallet technology is used by state and local agencies across 34 states to ensure public funds reach the right people for the right purpose. Since 2014, the ClassWallet platform has been used to securely and efficiently deliver more than $3.5 billion in public funds while maintaining customer loyalty and satisfaction, which exceeds some of the world's largest brands. Headquartered in Hollywood, Florida , ClassWallet ranks as the 61st fastest-growing software company on the prestigious Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies and the 21st fastest-growing financial technology company on the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 in 2023. CONTACTS: Doug Wright / Henry Feintuch Feintuch Communications 646-753-5711 / 646-753-5710 [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/classwallet-makes-inc-magazines-list-of-the-southeast-regions-fastest-growing-private-companies-for-third-consecutive-year-302075902.html SOURCE ClassWallet Germany has introduced new legislation that will relax entry requirements for qualified non-EU professionals who wish to live and work in the country. BERLIN , Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- As of March 1, 2024 , a major part of the legislative package to modernize German residence law will come into force in Europe's largest economy. Easements for the EU Blue Card have already been in place since November 2023 . The new support measures mainly focus on the recognition of foreign professional qualifications. The landmark immigration legislation introduces a so-called "recognition partnership". This allows applicant qualifications to be recognized upon entry into Germany , thereby enabling qualified personnel from non-EU countries to be hired more quickly. This means that the employee can take up qualified employment from day one. The recognition partnership is concluded between the skilled worker and the employer. Conditions include at least two years of vocational training or a university degree which must be recognized by the issuing country as well as German language skills to level A2. Formal recognition of a skilled employee's foreign qualification will no longer be necessary in some cases, with recognition in the country of issue being sufficient. Some IT specialists with at least two years of professional experience - may even access the German labor market without any professional qualification. The employee must also reach a certain salary level if the employer is not bound by a collective bargaining agreement. Skilled workers who have held a residence permit in Germany for three years - previously four years - may now receive an unlimited settlement. " Germany has reformed its immigration legislation to make it easier for foreigners with sought-after skills to enter the country and work here. Companies setting up business in Germany will also benefit from the relaxed rules. It will be easier for them to bring their employees with them - and simpler to attract talent from outside the EU," says Christina Schon, Senior Manager Tax & Legal Services at Germany Trade & Invest, the German government's international business promotion agency. Further easements for job seekers and skilled workers from abroad will come into force in June 2024 . For details on visa and residence regulations when setting up business in Germany please refer to: www.gtai.com/entry-and-residence Germany Trade & Invest (GTAI) is the economic promotion agency of the Federal Republic of Germany. GTAI supports German companies setting up in foreign markets, promotes Germany as a business location and assists foreign companies setting up shop in Germany . Contact: Andreas Bilfinger Germany Trade & Invest Friedrichstrae 60 10117 Berlin +49 30200099173 [email protected] View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/germany-relaxes-entry-regulations-for-international-skilled-workers-302074307.html SOURCE Germany Trade & Invest HOUSTON , Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Global Clean Energy, Inc. (OTC PINK: GCEI), a developer of green technology projects is expanding its management team by partnering with an affiliate of C2 Industrial Group to build, develop and manage sustainable clean energy projects in various forms while reducing negative carbon emissions or footprints. The agreement is to engage professionals from C2 Industrial Group to present and acquire business opportunities that fit the mission of GCEI. The current management team includes George Azimov, President and Chris Boll , Chief Revenue Officer and Director. James Wiseman has been engaged as Chief Legal Officer and Jacob Sacks has been engaged as Chief Financial Officer. Their respective career biographies are listed below. The team from GCEI are committed to delivering superior products and services that exceed customers expectations, fostering a culture of innovation, and contributing positively to the communities it serves. "I'm thrilled to join the GCEI team. GCEI's mission and purpose could not be more critical in today's trying times. We must build sustainable businesses and industries. We must reduce the carbon footprint of business and industry. We must invest in green supply chains and emerging technologies. We need to think and act with clarity of purpose. That's what we intend to do as we look to acquire and build projects for GCEI that fulfill that mission," said James Wiseman , newly appointed CLO. "We are pleased to be working with GCEI to combine and bring scale to companies that both have strong growth prospects and provide material benefits to the environment through their operations, in a prudent and financially responsible manner," said Jacob Sacks , newly appointed CFO. Statements in this release may be regarded, in certain instances, as "forward-looking statements" pursuant to certain sections of the Securities Act 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act 1934, respectively. "Forward-looking statements" are based on expectations, estimates and projections at the time the statements are made, and involve risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those currently anticipated, including, but not limited to delays, difficulties, changed strategies, or unanticipated factors or circumstances affecting Global Clean Energy Inc. and its business. There can be no assurance that such forward-looking statements will ever prove to be accurate, and readers should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements contained herein. Global Clean Energy Inc. will not republish revised forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. James Wiseman , Chief Legal Officer Mr. Wiseman has recently served as Principal and Chief Legal Officer of C2 Industrial, an industrial contracting company based in Joshua , TX. Mr. Wiseman has over 25 years of experience buying, developing and operating real estate in New York and Texas with Cayuga Capital Management LLC. Mr. Wiseman was Associate General Counsel at Strategic Value Partners, LLC, a Greenwich, CT -based investment adviser. While at SVP, Jamie led the roll-out of the private equity/real estate businesses where he worked on over $1 billion of real estate acquisitions globally. Mr. Wiseman was an associate at Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, specializing in investment fund formation, administration and capital- raising, and at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP focusing on private equity mergers and acquisition transactions. Mr. Wiseman earned a B.A. in Economics and Psychology from Cornell University and a J.D., magna cum laude, from Cornell Law School where he was a John M. Olin Scholar in Law and Economics. Jacob Sacks , Chief Financial Officer Mr. Sacks has recently served as Principal and Chief Financial Officer of C2 Industrial. Mr. Sacks has over 25 years of construction management and real estate development experience. Previously, Jacob was a Vice President at U.S. Realty Advisors, LLC, a private real estate investment firm with $3 billion of real estate under management. Jacob worked as an investment banker, at ING Barings. While at ING, Jacob worked on a variety of transactions including debt and equity issuance, mergers and acquisitions, and private placements. Jacob earned a B.A. in Economics and a Master of Engineering in Operations Research/Financial Engineering from Cornell University. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-clean-energy-inc-continues-expanding-management-team-302076084.html SOURCE Global Clean Energy, Inc. Expands presence in Southern Colorado ST. LOUIS , Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Graybar, a leading distributor of electrical, communications and data networking products and provider of related supply chain management and logistics services, today announced that it will acquire Blazer Electric Supply, based in Colorado Springs, Colorado , effective March 1, 2024 . Blazer Electric Supply is an electrical distributor that serves construction, commercial, institutional, and industrial customers. The company was founded in 2009 and operates two locations in southern Colorado . As a subsidiary of Graybar, the company will operate under the Blazer Electric Supply name. Trevor Blazer will serve as president, and the company's employees will continue to support customers with the same products, solutions, and services. "Blazer is a market leader in its territory, with comprehensive product lines, extensive capabilities and a reputation for outstanding customer service," said Kathleen M. Mazzarella , chairman, president and chief executive officer of Graybar. "Blazer fits well with Graybar's core values, our people-oriented culture and our long-term growth strategy. We are thrilled to welcome the Blazer team to Graybar and look forward to achieving even greater success together." "I am incredibly proud of our company and grateful for the employees who have been so instrumental in our success," said Steve Blazer , president of Blazer Electric Supply. "This is an exciting new chapter for our company. Joining forces with Graybar presents a tremendous opportunity to expand our service capabilities and grow our business for the long term. It also allows us to sustain a distinctive culture and positive work environment for our employees. I am confident that we have a bright future as part of Graybar." Graybar, a Fortune 500 corporation and one of the largest employee-owned companies in North America , is a leader in the distribution of high quality electrical, communications and data networking products, and specializes in related supply chain management and logistics services. Through its network of more than 325 North American distribution facilities, it stocks and sells products from thousands of manufacturers, helping its customers power, network, automate and secure their facilities with speed, intelligence and efficiency. For more information, visit www.graybar.com or call 1-800-GRAYBAR. Media Contact: Tim Sommer (314) 578-7672 [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/graybar-acquires-blazer-electric-supply-302076292.html SOURCE Graybar SINGAPORE , Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Group-IB, a leading creator of cybersecurity technologies to investigate, prevent, and fight digital crime, is proud to announce the launch of its new report Hi-Tech Crime Trends 2023/2024 , the latest edition of the company's annual round-up of the most pressing global cyber threats to organizations and individuals. In the research, Group-IB analysts reveal how the unholy alliance between ransomware groups and Initial Access Brokers (IABs) is still the powerful engine for cybercriminal industry, evidenced by the 74% year-on-year increase in the number of companies that had their data uploaded on dedicated leak sites (DLS). Global threat actors also demonstrated increased interest in Apple platforms, exemplified by the fivefold increase in underground sales related to macOS information stealers. The growing appetite of nation-state sponsored threat actors, also known as advanced persistent threat (APT) groups, has shown that no region is immune to cyber threats. Group-IB experts discovered a 70% increase in the number of public posts offering zero-day exploits for sale, and also identified cybercriminals' malicious use of legitimate services and artificial intelligence (AI) infused technologies as the main cyber risks for 2024. The first edition of Hi-Tech Crime Trends was launched 12 years ago, and the information contained in the report enables businesses, NGOs, governments, and law enforcement agencies around the world to fight cybercrime and help potential victims. For the first time, Hi-Tech Crime Trends includes a section outlining the intricate relationship between artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity threats, outlining how this new technology is being leveraged by cybercriminals, including the misuse of large language models (LLM) such as ChatGPT, and the potential risks to corporate data through AI integration. Nothing artificial about this threat Threat actors have already shown how AI can help them develop malware only with a limited knowledge of programming languages, brainstorm new TTPs, compose convincing text to be used in social engineering attacks, and also increase their operational productivity. Large language models (LLM) such as ChatGPT remain in widespread use, and Group-IB analysts have observed continued interest on underground forums in ChatGPT jailbreaking and specialized generative pre-trained transformer (GPT) development, looking for ways to bypass ChatGPT's security controls. Group-IB experts have also noticed how, since mid-2023, four ChatGPT-style tools have been developed for the purpose of assisting cybercriminal activity: WolfGPT, DarkBARD, FraudGPT, and WormGPT all with different functionalities. FraudGPT and WormGPT are highly discussed tools on underground forums and Telegram channels, tailored for social engineering and phishing. Conversely, tools like WolfGPT, focusing on code or exploits, are less popular due to training complexities and usability issues. Yet, their advancement poses risks for sophisticated attacks. Group-IB's Hi-Tech Crime Trends 2023/2024 also highlighted the sale of compromised ChatGPT credentials on the dark web, building upon past research . With more employees relying on ChatGPT for work optimization and its storage of past interactions, compromised logins could expose sensitive information, posing significant security risks for businesses. From January 2023 to October 2023 , Group-IB detected more than 225,000 logs up for sale on the dark web containing compromised ChatGPT credentials. Group-IB's Threat Intelligence platform found these compromised credentials within the logs of information-stealing malware traded on illicit dark web marketplaces. Notably, the number of compromised hosts with access to ChatGPT detected by Threat Intelligence between June 2023 and October 2023 was more than 130,000, an increase of 36% compared to the preceding five-month period (January- May 2023 ). The number of available logs containing ChatGPT logs peaked in the final month of the study in October 2023 when 33,080 were registered. Group-IB's analysis found that the majority of the logs containing ChatGPT accounts were breached by the LummaC2 information stealer. Double trouble: ransomware gangs and initial access brokers wreak havoc Group-IB's Threat Intelligence unit constantly monitors all ransomware activity and detected 4,583 companies that had their information, files, and data published on ransomware DLSs in 2023. This marks a growth of 74% compared to the previous year, when 2,629 such posts were made. Group-IB researchers note that the number of total ransomware attacks worldwide is likely to be much larger, with probable instances of organizations paying the ransom or groups deciding not to go ahead with their threat of publishing data on a DLS. Companies based in North America most commonly appeared in the DLS posts of ransomware groups, accounting for 2,487 (or 54%) of the annual total, and more than double the corresponding figure in 2022 (1,192 companies). Roughly 26% of posts on ransomware DLSs related to companies from Europe (1,186, up 52% YoY) and 10% were from the APAC region (463, up 39% YoY). The United States was the most common target for ransomware groups, as 1,060 US-based companies were the subject of ransomware DLS posts in 2023. The next most affected countries were Germany (129), Canada (115), France (103), and Italy (100). In terms of affected industries, attacks as per ransomware DLS on manufacturing (580 instances) and real estate (429) companies rose year-on-year by 125% and 165%, respectively, and these key sectors were the two most targeted worldwide. Notably, Group-IB observed a 88% year-on-year increase in ransomware DLS posts related to healthcare companies, and a 65% rise in posts concerning government and military organizations. Throughout the reporting period, Group-IB experts uncovered 27 new advertisements for ransomware-as-a-service programs on dark web forums, including well-known groups such as Qilin , as well as other collectives that have yet to be seen in the wild. As was the case in 2022, LockBit was 2023's most prominent ransomware-as-a-service group with 1,079 posts on its DLS (24% of the annual total). In second place was BlackCat with 427 posts (9% of annual total) and third was Clop (385 posts or 9%). Researchers also found that Initial Access Brokers (IABs) are continuing to play a significant role in the ransomware market. In 2023, they found 2,675 instances of corporate put up for sale almost an identical figure compared with 2022, when 2,702 offers were found. Notably, Group-IB data shows that the average price for corporate access in 2023 was $2,470 , which represents a 27% reduction compared to the preceding year. Group-IB analysts believe that this drop in average price is due to a rise in the number of new sellers entering the market that have lowered the price of their offers in order to attract buyers. Companies in the United States (29%), the United Kingdom (4%) and Brazil (4%) were the most commonly featured in IAB offers. Professional services, government and military organizations, financial services, manufacturing, and real estate were the verticals that appeared most frequently. APTitude test Group-IB researchers discovered that the Asia-Pacific region was the world's main battleground for nation-state sponsored threat actors, also known as advanced persistent threat (APT) groups last year. In sum, Group-IB attributed 523 attacks to nation-state actors across the globe in 2023. Attacks on APAC organizations accounted for 34% of the global total, with Group-IB experts asserting that this may be due to the high level of financial technology development in this global economic hub in addition to geopolitical tensions. Europe was the second-most targeted region, accounting for 22% of all APT attacks, and the Middle East and Africa (MEA) was third (16% of APT attacks in 2023). Unsurprisingly, government and military entities were the prime target of APT attacks in 2023, accounting for 28% of the annual figure. This strengthens the theory of Group-IB's Threat Intelligence unit that APT actors are predominantly striving to gain access to strategically important evidence and weaken government entities in their country or region of target. Financial services (6%), telecommunications (5%), manufacturing, IT and media (all 4%) were also heavily affected, Group-IB researchers found. In the past year, prominent APT groups, including the North Korean collective Lazarus, launched new tactics. Lazarus executed the first-ever double supply chain attack, exploiting a vulnerability in X_TRADER, a software by Trading Technologies. This allowed access to the network of the widely-used 3CX Desktop App for VoIP calls, compromising a wide range of 3CX clients . Group-IB researchers also noted APT groups' ongoing malicious use of legitimate services like Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive , and messengers like Telegram. Turbulence ahead In 2023, cyber threats shifted focus from Windows and Android to Apple platforms due to their rising popularity and market share, with iOS becoming increasingly targeted. Malware spread through the App Store, alongside increased use of Apple cloud services, contributed to this trend. By March 6, 2024 , Apple is expected to allow third-party app stores for iOS apps in Europe , posing security concerns amidst 1.7 million app rejections in 2022. Threat actors have already adapted Android schemes to iOS, exemplified by GoldFactory and the GoldPickaxe.iOS malware ctive in Thailand and Vietnam which prompts victims to record videos of their faces and submit them to the threat actors, which could be used by the latter to gain unauthorized access to the victim's banking accounts. Additionally, the number of sales posts on the most popular underground forums (xss[.]is and exploit[.]in) for information stealers designed to operate on macOS increased fivefold in 2023, from 8 in 2022 to 49. Javascript sniffers, also known as malicious JavaScript code implanted in compromised websites designed to intercept payment card details from customers who make online transactions, are also likely to pose a risk to online store owners, consumers, and banks in 2024. Group-IB researchers discovered 5,037 websites compromised with JS-sniffers in 2023, of which 2,474 were unique. A total of 14 new JS-sniffer families were also discovered in 2023, highlighting the continued development of this threat. "As highlighted by Group-IB's Hi-Tech Crime Trends 2023/2024 report, the rise of AI in both legitimate businesses and the cybercriminal underworld was a critical trend of 2023. With the increased misuse of ChatGPT and the development of underground LLM tools, the potential for sophisticated attacks has escalated, compounded by the alarming surge in compromised ChatGPT credentials. This along with cybercriminals' increased interest in malware designed for macOS demonstrates that it is imperative for organizations to recognize and address this evolving threat landscape, safeguarding sensitive information and fortifying cybersecurity measures to mitigate risks posed by AI-driven cybercrime," Dmitry Volkov , CEO at Group-IB, said. A full round-up of the top global threats and invaluable insights from the Group-IB Threat Intelligence unit can be found in the full Hi-Tech Crime Trends 2023/2024 report. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/group-ib-reveals-hi-tech-crime-trends-2324-surge-in-ransomware-against-backdrop-of-growing-ai-macos-threats-302075538.html SOURCE Group-IB Early Childhood Education Franchise Opens in Bristow , Brings Well-Rounded Program to the Community BRISTOW, Va. , Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Celebree School, a leader in early childhood education that provides infant and toddler care, preschool, before and aftercare, and summer camp programs, will open its newest school on March 4 . Located at 10368 Bristow Center Dr. , the new school will provide a customized program that addresses the physical, social, emotional, and academic needs of children, while adhering to Virginia's early education standards. Enrollment is now open, and community members are encouraged to contact Celebree School for tours, visits, and more information. Celebree School of Bristow offers childcare programs to families in the surrounding area. Celebree School of Bristow is owned and operated by local entrepreneur, Nasar Agha . Agha is a veteran of the franchising industry with over 20 years of experience as a franchisee. He also has worked in construction, marketing, and sales after moving from Pakistan to the United States in 2008. It was his own family's personal experience with the Celebree School brand that originally led Agha to pursue its franchising opportunity, having a daughter who truly enjoyed the classwork Celebree offered. This will be the first Celebree School franchise location Agha will open, with plans to open additional locations in the surrounding area in the near future. "My wife is a teacher and together, we have raised our daughter emphasizing the importance of early childhood education, even having her enrolled as a Celebree School student," said Nasar Agha , owner of Celebree School Bristow. "At such a difficult time for the world of education, being able to bring the services that Celebree offers to our local community is what we view as a crucial first step in closing the learning gap that has formed over the last few years." To celebrate the new location, Celebree School of Bristow will host a grand opening event on March 15 . The location will host a ribbon cutting at 12:30 p.m. , offering light refreshments and tour of the new school. To RSVP for the celebration, please reach out to [email protected]. Celebree School lives by its promise to Grow People Big and Small, and was founded on the belief that success in early childhood development is equal parts curriculum and a connection that extends beyond the classroom to address the needs of the whole child and the whole family. Each Celebree School is a village made up of parents, children, and educators while providing curriculum-based care that prepares your child for kindergarten and beyond. With a 29-plus-year history of providing superior early childhood education, Celebree School delivers a stable, secure learning environment that helps children develop a lifelong love of learning. Programs are available for children six weeks to 12 years old with unique curriculums designed to develop positive social skills and values while allowing children to learn about their world through age-appropriate play, projects, and activities. Care is available part time or full time and parents are allowed to drop in and visit at any time. "We're honored to continue to help brilliant entrepreneurs like Nasar actualize their business goals and have them join our Celebree School family," said Richard Huffman , Founder and CEO of Celebree School. "As we continue to expand our brand's footprint through franchising, it's more important than ever that we join forces with local community leaders who have a passion for early childhood education. The opening of Nasar's school brings me immense pride and joy. I know he is the perfect franchise partner to drive our mission forward." 2023 is proving to be a momentous year for Celebree School, having already welcomed 19 new franchisees comprising of 42 franchise and future development agreements. The franchise brand now boasts 46 schools open, 55 franchisees awarded over 100 sites, a presence across 14 states, and an enrollment of more than 4,570 children who are being protected, educated, and nurtured within the Celebree family. When franchisees invest with Celebree School, they're investing in an organization with a strong culture, solid systems, and a proven business model backed with 29-plus years of experience in providing exceptional early childhood education. For more information of franchising opportunities visit https://www.celebree.com/franchising/. Celebree School Bristow is open Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. 6:30 p.m. For more information on Celebree School in Bristow , please visit https://www.celebree.com/bristow-va/ or call (703) 794-2240. About Celebree School Founded in 1994, Celebree School is a leader in early childhood education that provides infant and toddler care, preschool, before and aftercare, and summer camp programs. With a mission to Grow People Big and Small, Celebree School believes success in early childhood development is equal parts curriculum and connection. Each school employs a customized program that addresses the physical, social, emotional, and academic needs of children and follows applicable state guidelines. In 2019, Celebree School launched its franchise offering. Learn more about how we grow confident children who are prepared for school and life at Celebree.com. Connect with us on Facebook , Instagram , and LinkedIn . Media Contact: Evan Hensley , Fishman Public Relations, [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/growing-people-big-and-small-celebree-school-debuts-in-bristow-302076230.html SOURCE Celebree School KANSAS CITY, Mo. , Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Hawaiian Bros has debuted its first two island-inspired franchise brick-and-mortar locations in Tucson and Glendale, Arizona , opened February 12 ( 203 S. Wilmot Rd. ) and March 4 ( 7322 W. Bell Rd. ), respectively. The fast-growing brand currently operates two ghost kitchen locations in Arizona and has 50 locations throughout the country, with plans to expand further this year. " Arizona is the newest market for the western expansion of the Hawaiian Bros brand," said Adam Stine , President and Owner of Stine Enterprises. "We received a tremendous response from our ghost kitchen locations in Phoenix and Tempe and are looking forward to doubling our Arizona footprint with the openings of two new Hawaiian Bros restaurants." Hawaiian Bros is known for its island-inspired plate lunch, which offers a variety of juicy chicken or pork glazed with sweet, savory, or spicy sauces; macaroni salad, a bed of fluffy steamed white rice or vegetables; and for dessert, a smooth and tropical Dole Soft Serve. Void of freezers, fryers, or microwaves, the simple menu is prepared with the highest quality, freshest ingredients - unlike any fast-casual restaurant in the area. To learn more about Hawaiian Bros and its offerings, visit https://hawaiianbros.com/. About Hawaiian Bros At Hawaiian Bros, we're inspired every day to spread the Aloha Spirit. To show kindness and respect, and to treat everyone as 'ohana - like family, in everything we do. Founded on the principles of honor, inclusion and gratitude, we respect the dignity and self-worth of every team member and guest. We value our differences and celebrate our common ground. And we say "mahalo" often, emphasizing the positives in our lives every day. Hawaiian Bros owns and operates 50 restaurants serving the Aloha spirit in eight states across America and has expanded its franchise opportunities in 2023. Hawaiian Bros has earned a variety of prestigious awards since their opening in 2018, including a number one spot on Ingram's Corporate Report of the Top 100 fastest growing companies and the number seven spot on QSR Magazine's 40/40 List of America's Hottest Startup Fast Casuals, plus many more here. For more information, visit www.hawaiianbros.com . View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hawaiian-bros-expands-in-arizona-opens-first-restaurants-in-tucson-and-glendale-302075046.html SOURCE Hawaiian Bros Leading advocacy organization urges people to protect, check and treat their hearing ROCKVILLE, Md., Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA)the leading voice for the growing number of Americans with hearing lossjoins the World Health Organization (WHO) and other experts to urge people that hearing is an often ignored, but crucial part of overall health and wellness. March 3, 2024 , marks World Hearing Day (WHD), a day to raise awareness with the theme of Changing Mindsets across the globe. On World Hearing Day, the Hearing Loss Association of America urges everyone to protect, check and treat their hearing. "We wear sunscreen, eye protection and seatbelts, but many of us still don't know that our hearing needs protection too," says HLAA Executive Director Barbara Kelley . "And many people delay treatment for hearing loss due to cost, access to care and stigma," adds Kelley, who says HLAA has been working to change attitudes about hearing loss for more than 40 years now. On February 28 , Kelley spoke at an event for World Hearing Day at the Embassy of Australia in Washington, D.C. to educate policy makers on the importance of broadening access to hearing care. On WHD and every day, HLAA urges all Americans to: Protect hearing in noisy environments hearing in noisy environments Check hearing with regular exams hearing with regular exams Treat hearing loss as soon as possible HLAA is also sharing common signs that you or a loved one may have a hearing loss: Trouble hearing on the phone Thinking people are mumbling/difficulty understanding words Turning up the volume on TV or radio Friends or family complain you ask to repeat often You can learn more about hearing as a part of overall health and wellbeing at www.hearingloss.org/whd. Fifty million Americans have hearing loss and worldwide, numbers are expected to double by 2050 according to the WHO. They also note that one billion young people are now at risk of hearing loss due to loud noise. Hearing loss is a growing public health crisisHLAA is a leading resource in the U.S. to help people wade through the confusion about hearing health and hearing loss treatment options. "There are more options than ever to treat hearing loss, including new over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids for adults with mild-to-moderate hearing loss. Whatever option you choose, the important thing is to treat your hearing loss as soon as possible to help you stay connected and avoid other health complications," Kelley says. HLAA provides ongoing advocacy, educational resources and a nationwide network of support to empower people to live full lives with hearing loss. ABOUT HLAA The Hearing Loss Association of America is the leading voice of the growing number of people with hearing loss in the U.S. We advocate to increase access to care and treatment, break down stigmas through education and awareness, and empower people with hearing loss through a nationwide network of support. Our work impacts millions, improving the lives of people with hearing loss, and elevating the importance of hearing health and accessible communication, through national legislation and public policy, and a network of Chapters and state organizations. HLAA's Walk4Hearing events raise awareness and funds in cities across the country and bring hope to individuals and families dealing with hearing loss. Visit hearingloss.org for more information. Meredith Resnick [email protected] 202.549.0807 View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hlaa-joins-worldwide-effort-to-raise-awareness-of-hearing-health-on-world-hearing-day-302076163.html SOURCE Hearing Loss Association of America Nonprofit Organization will Provide Tuition Assistance for African American Students from within Five Boroughs BROOKLYN, N.Y. , Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Seeking to foster diversity in the field of veterinary medicine, two new scholarships for African American students to study at Long Island University's prestigious College of Veterinary Medicine have been established through generous funding from The Brady Hunter Foundation, and in coordination with the office of New York City Mayor Eric Adams . The Brady Hunter Scholarship Fund will provide 50% tuition assistance for African American students with financial need from within the five boroughs of New York City at LIU's College of Veterinary Medicine on its Brookville campus. The first recipient is Shania Allison , currently a first-year student from Queens , who will be eligible for the scholarship for the remainder of her studies, beginning with her second year in the Fall of 2024. A second scholarship winner will be determined by the Foundation and LIU in coordination with Mayor Adams, and that student will receive a grant covering 50% of tuition expenses for the full four-year program. The parties expect to announce the second scholarship winner prior to start of the Fall 2025 semester. " New York City's rich diversity should be reflected across every sector and industry, including veterinary medicine," said Mayor Adams. "As we close Black History Month, I applaud The Brady Hunter Foundation for their efforts to help give African American students the ability to turn their career aspirations into a reality. For Queens -native Shania Allison, New Yorkers are rooting for your success and cannot wait to be able to eventually call you Doctor Allison." " Long Island University's College of Veterinary Medicine which will graduate its first four-year class this Spring was established to meet a dire and growing need for veterinarians, both regionally and nationally,' stated Dr. Kimberly R. Cline , President. "As one of only four veterinary schools in the entire Northeast, we are dedicated to providing students the clinical and research experiences that will launch their careers, and thanks to The Brady Hunter Foundation, these scholarships will help expand those opportunities for all." "The field of veterinary medicine faces a significant lack of diversity in the profession today, with limited opportunities for African American students," noted Josh Fox , founder of The Brady Hunter Foundation. "Our scholarships will aid in empowering African American students in New York City and bring their passion and talent into animal health and welfare." Scholarship recipient Shania Allison received a Bachelor's in pre-med Biology from St. John's University and worked as a veterinary assistant at Seaport Animal Hospital before enrolling in graduate studies at LIU. "One of my goals as a veterinarian is to help bring diversity to the practice. Often others in my community are unable to envision themselves as a veterinarian due to the scarcity of veterinarians who look like them. By illustrating to my community this dream is possible it may encourage more people to come on board," she stated. About The Brady Hunter Foundation The Brady Hunter Foundation is a leading non-profit organization operated by a group of philanthropists, change-makers, humanitarians and animal lovers committed to helping the voiceless and the vulnerable. They are steadfastly dedicated to protecting animals, empowering children, conserving the environment, and supporting the homeless and food insecure. On February 7, 2024 , The Brady Hunter Foundation celebrated its 1-year anniversary, and during that relatively short period of time, it has supported over 60 causes through donations and robust civic engagement in over 10 countries, and has awarded several million dollars in grants, impacting the lives of tens of thousands of humans and animals on a local, national, and international scale. The Brady Hunter Foundation strives to make the greatest impact possible, one strategic partnership at a time. About the College of Veterinary Medicine Long Island University's College of Veterinary Medicine was approved by its Board of Trustees in 2017 and began instruction in 2020. It is one of the University's fastest growing and most competitive programs with approximately 450 veterinary and graduate students. The College of Veterinary Medicine offers hands-on learning through a unique distributed education model, featuring supervised clinical experiences across the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program. Students develop multidisciplinary professional skills through the College's partnerships with more than 75 affiliates, including primary care, specialty clinics, zoos, research laboratories, shelters, veterinary industry leaders, and other universities. It is supported by the only state-of-the-art veterinary medicine learning center in the New York region which opened in 2023. About Long Island University Long Island University, founded in 1926, is a leading research and teaching university that continues to redefine higher education by providing high-quality academic instruction by world-class faculty, serving more than 15,000 students from its Long Island and Brooklyn campuses. Recognized by Forbes for its emphasis on experiential learning and by the Brookings Institution for its "value added" to student outcomes, the University is ranked in the top 7% of national research universities. LIU has a network of over 285,000 alumni, including industry leaders and entrepreneurs around the globe. Visit www.liu.edu for more information. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/in-honor-of-black-history-month-two-scholarships-for-african-american-students-at-long-island-universitys-college-of-veterinary-medicine-have-been-established-through-the-brady-hunter-foundation-and-nyc-mayor-eric-adams-office-302076099.html SOURCE Long Island University In addition to bringing a new level of design to the house, adding color to the ceiling can help hide imperfections and enhance the effect created by natural or artificial light in the room. Photo provided by Somos Nido. Should the ceiling always be white? Or, on the contrary, could it benefit from a note of color? It may be something that is not discussed or thought even about too much when taking on a home renovation, given that the consensus around the choice of white is well and truly understood. In addition, doubts may naturally arise about the visual effect resulting from opting for another tone. Should we use colors if the house does not have particularly high ceilings? Could it have the optical effect of shrinking rooms that are not already very spacious? Nobody wants to make a mistake with something that they will see every day and that will often be the first thing they see when they wake up. Even so, in a time marked by interior designs that break the mold, examples have multiplied on social media as invitations to take the brave step. So, what aesthetic benefits can come from making such a bold gesture? The decoration trends of recent years speak for themselves. There has been a shift in the aesthetic precepts that excite interior design experts, and it is a very colorful shift. Gone seems to be the love for almost clinical spaces painted brilliant white, in which earth tones, such as bamboo or linen displayed a certain natural appearance were reflected even in ornamental objects which aspired to plain colors and neat lines. One could say all of this is already part of a cycle of fashion that displaces one trend in favor of another. Now home interiors, if you look at decoration platforms and websites, seem to want to express their own personality. An intention that has become as important as the quality of knowing just how much is the right amount, and carry out curatorial work on objects. It has been the aesthetic consequence of a time in which remote work has increased our focus on our home decor. In recent years, the fear of wallpaper, which carried so many demode connotations, has been lost. There has been an official reconciliation with the long-suffering, sustainable, and austere terrazzo, and an affinity with the most unexpected shades of green. Furniture also seems to have something to say about the inhabitants. Taking all this into account, it is not so strange that the possibility of painting color on the ceilings is becoming increasingly popular. The aesthetic benefits A light blue with a grayish hue covers the ceiling of the apartment of creative consultant Michael Dansk, who has appeared in several media outlets that specialize in interior design. The color serves as a note to season a Scandinavian-style palette, dominated by white, along with some Mid-century wooden furniture and a selection of art pieces and design objects. In this case, the chosen shade of blue is also on the ceiling moldings, which softens the whole that would otherwise be a dazzling white. From her apartment for rent in the United Kingdom, which is always full of color and decorative objects, Instagrammer Medina Grillo shares her satisfaction after making the decision to paint the ceiling of her bedroom a mustard yellow. It is a joy to see this color every day when you wake up, she tells her followers. To add drama and sophistication to a room, try painting the ceiling, read the headline of an article in The Washington Post as early as April 2022. Painting the ceiling is the cheapest renovation if you are looking to add a design element, a color expert told the publication. It can completely change the look and feel of a space. An interesting option for those who, like the followers of Medina Grillo, do not have the chance to undertake major renovations. But, in addition to this economic or logistical advantage, there are other aesthetic advantages. A ceiling painted in a color other than white makes an impression on the visitor. It can help maintain a common thread, a chromatic dialogue with other decorative elements present in the room. The Barcelona-based architecture and interior design studio Somos Nido says that they are supporters of the use of color, and also of those same color accents reaching the ceiling. It is a tool that helps us bring warmth and personality to spaces, Giulia Mora, head of interior design at the studio, explains to EL PAIS. She advocates the effect of color on ceilings to create a deeper story in each of the rooms. A ceiling painted in a color other than white can help maintain a chromatic dialogue with other decorative elements present in the room, as shown in this image provided by Somos Nido. Useful ideas before painting the ceiling Just as when choosing a new color for the walls, it is usually a good idea to do a test on the ceiling. It can be a gesture of caution and useful planning to gain perspective on the future outcome and, if necessary, change your mind. However, the decision requires a minimum sense of daring, creating an opportunity to be convinced. Mora points to one of the main fears of Somos Nido clients is that people are generally afraid of painting the low ceilings of their rooms with color. However, they forget that this will lead to an attractive, special, welcoming space. The head of interior design gives an example. Imagine a guest bathroom painted all yellow. It may seem crazy, but it will no longer be the bathroom with the low ceiling and will become the yellow bathroom. It also highlights the character that the space adopts. It suggests imagining a black and white photo hanging on that yellow background. In some cases, like the one she describes, the color of the ceiling is coordinated with the walls and creates an enveloping effect that produces and reinforces the concept that we developed from the beginning of the project. This decision does not have to shrink the space. That uniformity of color can expand it visually, although it depends on the room and the light. Interior of a bathroom completely painted pink, in an image courtesy of Somos Nido. In addition to bringing a new level of design to the house, adding color to the ceiling can help hide imperfections, highlight architectural elements or details such as moldings and beams, and enhance the effect created by the natural or artificial light in the room. There are always conditions, it depends on what we find in each project and what the message the home conveys when opening the door for the first time, explains Mora, citing the moldings on the high ceilings of Barcelonas Eixample and the exposed black beams and the brick of the houses in the Born neighborhood. If there are spaces that already have a very strong personality, we try to respect it. It is a personal decision in which what each person wants to convey with their home prevails and, above all, the sensations with which they want to live inside their home. Of course, the expert provides advice for those who are determined to do it: paint everything, even the air conditioning grilles and radiators. That way, you will make them disappear. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Sparrow, a veteran financier and tech executive, will enable IDC Ventures to expand its network of 125+ prominent families COPENHAGEN, Denmark , Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- IDC Ventures (IDCV), a leading global venture capital firm specializing in fintech and marketplaces, today announced the appointment of Jeremy Sparrow as Partner based in London . Sparrow brings to IDC Ventures a wealth of experience in finance, consulting, and technology underpinning the firm's mission to enable the world's most prominent families and professional investors to invest in and support innovative startups from across the US, Europe , and Latin America . Sparrow's career is marked by significant achievements in emerging markets, capital markets, and advisory roles for tech businesses. Before joining IDC Ventures, he was the CEO of Renaissance Capital Asia; founder of Alexander Capital Management; and founder/CEO of Captego Aps, an AI software business based in Denmark . His expertise in building and leading teams across various geographies will be invaluable as IDC Ventures continues to expand its global footprint. "I am eager to contribute to IDC Ventures' mission of fostering innovation and supporting groundbreaking companies," Sparrow said. "The firm's entrepreneurial spirit and its strategic focus on fintech and marketplaces uniquely position us to deliver significant value. I'm particularly excited about helping to enable IDC Ventures' continued growth and the successful launch of its upcoming fund." Sparrow's appointment is a testament to IDC Ventures' strategic vision to deepen its expertise and expand its network of partners in key markets. In particular, Sparrow will leverage his deep connections throughout the UK , Middle East , and Asia to bring IDCV's offering to prominent family offices and institutional investors in the regions. Alejandra Godoy , Partner and Chief of Staff of IDC Ventures, expressed her enthusiasm about Sparrow joining the team. "Jeremy's exceptional track record and international experience are precisely what we need to propel IDC Ventures forward. We're looking forward to the fresh perspectives and dynamic opportunities Jeremy will bring to the team and our broader network." About IDC Ventures By entrepreneurs, for entrepreneurs, IDC Ventures (IDCV) seeks to identify, invest in, support, and propel disruptive companies at the forefront of digital innovation. Since its founding in 2019, IDCV has backed industry-defining founders from Series A to growth stages in Europe , the US, and Latin America and primarily in the verticals of fintech and marketplaces. IDC Ventures is the venture capital arm of the IDC Network, a global multi-fund platform. Learn more by visiting IDCVentures.com . Contact: Benito Besada [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/jeremy-sparrow-joins-idc-ventures-as-partner-bolstering-the-leading-vcs-global-footprint-302076186.html SOURCE IDC Ventures BOSTON , Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - John Hancock Tax-Advantaged Dividend Income Fund (NYSE: HTD) (the "Fund"), a closed-end fund managed by John Hancock Investment Management LLC and subadvised by Manulife Investment Management (US) LLC, announced today sources of its monthly distribution of $0.1380 per share paid to all shareholders of record as of February 12, 2024 , pursuant to the Fund's managed distribution plan. This press release is issued as required by an exemptive order granted to the Fund by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Notification of Sources of Distribution This notice provides shareholders of the John Hancock Tax-Advantaged Dividend Income Fund (NYSE: HTD) with important information concerning the distribution declared on February 1, 2024 , and payable on February 29, 2024 . No action is required on your part. Distribution Period: February 2024 Distribution Amount Per Common Share: $0.1380 The following table sets forth the estimated sources of the current distribution, payable February 29, 2024 , and the cumulative distributions paid this fiscal year to date from the following sources: net investment income; net realized short term capital gains; net realized long term capital gains; and return of capital or other capital source. All amounts are expressed on a per common share basis and as a percentage of the distribution amount. For the period 02/1/2024-02/29/2024 For the fiscal year-to-date period 11/1/2023-02/29/2024 1 Source Current Distribution ($) % Breakdown of the Current Distribution Total Cumulative Distributions ($) % Breakdown of the Total Cumulative Distributions Net Investment Income 0.1333 97 % 0.3678 67 % Net Realized Short- Term Capital Gains 0.0047 3 % 0.0613 11 % Net Realized Long- Term Capital Gains 0.0000 0 % 0.1229 22 % Return of Capital or Other Capital Source 0.0000 0 % 0.0000 0 % Total per common share 0.1380 100 % 0.5520 100 % Average annual total return (in relation to NAV) for the 5 years ended on January 31, 2024 4.15 % Annualized current distribution rate expressed as a percentage of NAV as of January 31, 2024 7.98 % Cumulative total return (in relation to NAV) for the fiscal year through January 31, 2024 11.54 % Cumulative fiscal year-to-date distribution rate expressed as a percentage of NAV as of January 31, 2024 2.66 % ______________________________ 1 The Fund's current fiscal year began on November 1, 2023 and will end on October 31, 2024 . You should not draw any conclusions about the Fund's investment performance from the amount of this distribution or from the terms of the Fund's managed distribution plan. The amounts and sources of distributions reported in this Notice are only estimates and are not being provided for tax reporting purposes. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for tax reporting purposes will depend upon the Fund's investment experience during the remainder of its fiscal year and may be subject to changes based on tax regulations. The Fund will send you a Form 1099-DIV for the calendar year that will tell you how to report these distributions for federal income tax purposes. The Fund has declared the February 2024 distribution pursuant to the Fund's managed distribution plan (the "Plan"). Under the Plan, the Fund makes fixed monthly distributions in the amount of $0.1380 per share, which will continue to be paid monthly until further notice. If you have questions or need additional information, please contact your financial professional or call the John Hancock Investment Management Closed-End Fund Information Line at 1-800-843-0090, Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., Eastern Time . Statements in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined by the United States securities laws. You should exercise caution in interpreting and relying on forward-looking statements because they are subject to uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond the Fund's control and could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. An investor should consider a Fund's investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing. About John Hancock Investment Management A company of Manulife Investment Management, we serve investors through a unique multimanager approach, complementing our extensive in-house capabilities with an unrivaled network of specialized asset managers, backed by some of the most rigorous investment oversight in the industry. The result is a diverse lineup of time-tested investments from a premier asset manager with a heritage of financial stewardship. About Manulife Investment Management Manulife Investment Management is the global brand for the global wealth and asset management segment of Manulife Financial Corporation. We draw on more than a century of financial stewardship and the full resources of our parent company to serve individuals, institutions, and retirement plan members worldwide. Headquartered in Toronto , our leading capabilities in public and private markets are strengthened by an investment footprint that spans 18 geographies. We complement these capabilities by providing access to a network of unaffiliated asset managers from around the world. We're committed to investing responsibly across our businesses. We develop innovative global frameworks for sustainable investing, collaboratively engage with companies in our securities portfolios, and maintain a high standard of stewardship where we own and operate assets, and we believe in supporting financial well-being through our workplace retirement plans. Today, plan sponsors around the world rely on our retirement plan administration and investment expertise to help their employees plan for, save for, and live a better retirement. Not all offerings are available in all jurisdictions. For additional information, please visit manulife.com. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/john-hancock-tax-advantaged-dividend-income-fund-notice-to-shareholders--sources-of-distribution-under-section-19a-302076509.html SOURCE John Hancock Investment Management MIAMI , Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Lennar Corporation (NYSE: LEN and LEN.B), one of the nation's largest homebuilders, announced today that the Company will release earnings for the first quarter ended February 29, 2024 after the market closes on March 13, 2024 . Additionally, the Company will hold a conference call on March 14, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time . The call will be broadcast live on the Internet and can be accessed through Lennar's website at investors.lennar.com. If you are unable to participate during the live webcast, the call will be archived at investors.lennar.com for 90 days. Lennar Corporation, founded in 1954, is one of the nation's leading builders of quality homes for all generations. Lennar builds affordable, move-up and active adult homes primarily under the Lennar brand name. Lennar's Financial Services segment provides mortgage financing, title and closing services primarily for buyers of Lennar's homes and, through LMF Commercial, originates mortgage loans secured primarily by commercial real estate properties throughout the United States . Lennar's Multifamily segment is a nationwide developer of high-quality multifamily rental properties. LENX drives Lennar's technology, innovation and strategic investments. For more information about Lennar, please visit www.lennar.com. Contact: Ian Frazer Investor Relations Lennar Corporation (305) 485-4129 View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lennar-corporations-first-quarter-earnings-conference-call-to-be-broadcast-live-on-the-internet-302076353.html SOURCE Lennar Corporation TSX/NYSE/PSE: MFC SEHK: 945 TORONTO , Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - Manulife Financial Corporation ("Manulife") is hosting an Investor Day event in Hong Kong and Jakarta from June 25 to 27, 2024 . The event will feature presentations on Manulife's transformation, strategy execution and growth plans across our operating segments, with deep dives on certain Asia markets. For institutional investors and research analysts, there will also be live Q&A sessions. For more information on the event and to register your interest, please visit our Manulife Investor Relations page. About Manulife Manulife Financial Corporation is a leading international financial services provider, helping people make their decisions easier and lives better. With our global headquarters in Toronto, Canada , we provide financial advice and insurance, operating as Manulife across Canada , Asia , and Europe , and primarily as John Hancock in the United States . Through Manulife Investment Management, the global brand for our Global Wealth and Asset Management segment, we serve individuals, institutions, and retirement plan members worldwide. At the end of 2023, we had more than 38,000 employees, over 98,000 agents, and thousands of distribution partners, serving over 35 million customers. We trade as 'MFC' on the Toronto , New York , and the Philippine stock exchanges and under '945' in Hong Kong . Not all offerings are available in all jurisdictions. For additional information, please visit manulife.com. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/manulife-to-host-investor-day-in-asia-302076479.html SOURCE Manulife Financial Corporation VERO BEACH, Fla. , Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Watercrest Senior Living Group proudly announces that Market Street Memory Care Residence Palm Coast has been recognized with the 800 Award by Reputation, a global leader in reputation performance management. Market Street Memory Care Residence Palm Coast is a 64-unit, award-winning memory care community operated by Watercrest Senior Living Group and located in Palm Coast, Florida . The Reputation 800 Award is a top recognition for location-level businesses with best-in-class brand reputation, highlighting organizations that go above and beyond in delivering on brand promise by listening to and acting on feedback from their consumers. "It is a great distinction for Market Street Palm Coast to be recognized with the esteemed Reputation 800 Award, says Marc Vorkapich , Principal and CEO of Watercrest Senior Living Group. "The 800 Award is a testament to our Watercrest vision to stand as a beacon of quality senior living where servant leaders collaborate to honor our elders. This success is realized as our associates continuously strive for excellence through customer interaction, feedback and positive growth." Winners of the 800 Award have achieved a score of 800 or higher on the Reputation platform due to their focus on high customer satisfaction over the past year. The Reputation score measures review sentiment, volume, spread, recency, response, and length, along with brand reach and health, social engagement, business listing accuracy and search impressions. For more information, visit reputation.com/800-award. Market Street Palm Coast was recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a 2022-23 Best Memory Care Community, achieving the highest possible performance rating for Memory Care , and recently celebrated 100% resident occupancy. The community offers world class care, multi-sensory programming, diverse culinary experiences, and unparalleled associate training honoring seniors with Alzheimer's and dementia. Market Street Palm Coast is conveniently located at 2 Corporate Drive in Palm Coast, Fla. For information, please call 386-388-7495. About Watercrest Senior Living Group Watercrest Senior Living Group was founded to honor our mothers and fathers, aspiring to become a beacon for quality in senior living by surpassing standards of care, service and associate training. Watercrest senior living communities are recognized for their luxury aesthetic, exceptional amenities, world-class care, and innovative memory care programming offering unparalleled service to seniors living with Alzheimer's and dementia. A six-time certified Great Place to Work, Watercrest specializes in the development and operations of assisted living and memory care communities and the growth of servant leaders. For information, visit www.watercrestseniorliving.com. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/market-street-memory-care-residence-palm-coast-honored-with-prestigious-reputation-800-award-302076334.html SOURCE Watercrest Senior Living Group Christina Wallace opens new Monkee's location March 1, 2024 WILLIAMSBURG, Va. , Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Monkee's Franchising welcomes new Virginia location. Christina Wallace , the operator of Monkee's of Williamsburg and an enterprising store owner, has always been firmly rooted in the state of Virginia . Originally from Poquoson, Va , Christina attended Virginia Tech and has worked in Williamsburg real estate since 2004. In 2017, Christina and her husband Nick moved to Williamsburg and now live here with their daughter Waverly and two dogs Rosie and Sydney . "I love this area. I think it's the perfect location for Monkee's," said Wallace. Having admired Monkee's for several years, Christina made the decision to open a store where she could infuse elements of her personal style. "The Monkee's brand has such a huge following and such a positive image- I wanted to be a part of that. I love that I am able to bring a bit of my own style into the store; it's a perfect match," said Wallace. Nestled in the heart of Williamsburg , Christina adeptly incorporates parts of her unique feminine style into her store's design, effortlessly blending classic aesthetics with a blue color palette. By thoughtfully selecting furnishings and decor that resonate with her preferences, Christina not only imparts a distinctive atmosphere to the space, but also captures the essence of the historical town. "I am a lover of all things Blue and European, I think you'll see a lot of those touches throughout the store," said Wallace. Christina's personal preference lies in styles that exude femininity and classic looks creating a balance between comfort, flattery, and beautiful pieces. Her favorite looks are sophisticated and practical, allowing women to feel and look effortlessly chic. Some of Christina's favorite brands carried will include Omika, CK Bradley and Oliphant. "I can't wait to show everyone what we've been working on! I'm excited to introduce all of the amazing boutique brands we offer. I am also excited to show off the new store, it is a beautiful space," said Wallace. During the grand opening weekend, Monkee's of Williamsburg will have giveaways, trunk shows from Le Feme and Knotty Bling, along with refreshments and a champagne bar. Monkee's of Williamsburg is located in Merchants Square at 103 B North Boundary Street and will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday . For more information about the store opening and Monkee's Franchising, visit @monkeesofwilliamsburg on Instagram and shopmonkees.com View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/monkees-of-williamsburg-owner-thrilled-to-share-personal-favorites-with-community-302076089.html SOURCE Monkees Franchising, LLC PHILADELPHIA , Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Ken Fulginiti, an attorney renowned for his expertise in catastrophic injury law, proudly announces the launch of Fulginiti Law . Opening this new firm, based in the heart of Philadelphia , is a pivotal moment in Fulginiti's career, aligning his commitment to justice with an influential and innovative legal practice. Fulginiti is deeply dedicated to representing victims of catastrophic injuries, securing notable and substantial verdicts and settlements for them. This includes a record-breaking settlement in Pennsylvania , where more than $56 million was awarded to a minor in 2018. His practice covers a wide range of personal injury claims, where he is known for his unwavering stance against large corporations and insurance companies, striving not only for compensation but also advocating for preventative measures. Fulginiti has helped his clients obtain spectacular results in a wide variety of cases. Nationally recognized as a fierce advocate for his clients, his name regularly appears on the Super Lawyers list. Fulginiti boasts top ratings from Martindale -Hubbell, and was honored as the 2022 Lawyer of the Year in Philadelphia for Plaintiffs Personal Injury Litigation. His commitment to client advocacy and the advancement of the legal profession is underscored by his active participation in educational initiatives and through embracing top leadership roles, notably serving as the Immediate Past President of the Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association (PTLA), The launch of Fulginiti Law is a testament to Ken Fulginiti's relentless pursuit of justice in service of people impacted by life-altering injuries. Fulginiti stated, "Our mission at Fulginiti Law is clear: to help each and every one of our clients with tenacious representation when they need a strong and passionate advocate." At Fulginiti Law, Ken Fulginiti is joined by Sarah F. Dooley, a top-ranked trial attorney, offering outstanding legal counsel in the greater Philadelphia area. Dooley specializes in representing clients who have been seriously injured or have lost loved ones due to catastrophic injuries. Fulginiti Law is aligning with Amplify , a new legal marketing and media agency. This strategic partnership will enhance the firm's visibility and ability to connect with people seeking the highest quality legal representation. As Fulginiti Law sets its sights on redefining excellence in the legal arena, its foundation is firmly rooted in a legacy of success, compassion, and advocacy. This exciting new chapter reinforces Ken Fulginiti's status as a leader in catastrophic injury law and affirms his deep commitment to serving as a voice for the voiceless. For further information and inquiries, please contact: Fulginiti Law Ken Fulginiti , Esq. Founder and Partner www.fulginiti-law.com ken@fulginiti-law.com (215) 771-5956 Amplify Matthew Hughes Chief Brand Ambassador www.amplifyforlawyers.com mhughes@amplifyforlawyers.com (561) 717-6499 Fulginiti Law is more than a law firm; it is a beacon of hope for those facing the aftermath of catastrophic injuries. With Ken Fulginiti at the helm, the firm is dedicated to forging a future where justice and compassion go hand in hand. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nationally-acclaimed-catastrophic-injury-attorney-ken-fulginiti-launches-fulginiti-law-in-philadelphia-302074710.html LOS ANGELES , Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- A Southern California provider of microlending services is excited to announce the launch of a cutting-edge internship program designed specifically for its Kiva Los Angeles Microlending Program. This initiative represents a significant stride in NCI's dedication to cultivating talent and offering invaluable learning avenues for students wanting to explore the finance and microfinance domains. Developed in close partnership with prestigious academic institutions UCLA and USC, the internship program is geared towards providing students with hands-on experience in business development, particularly in capital access and financial services. Through this collaboration, interns will have a chance to glean practical insights into microlending while collaborating closely with seasoned industry experts and professionals. Located at New Economics for Women's East Los Angeles BusinessSource Center (NCI's parent company), interns will be actively engaged in providing consultations to business owners in underserved communities, thereby assisting them with their Kiva loan applications. This hands-on experience will deepen interns' understanding of microlending practices and equip them with invaluable skills to succeed in finance. "We are thrilled to launch this internship program in collaboration with UCLA and USC," said the Kiva Los Angeles program manager, Ashlee Beidleman . "Our partnership underscores our shared commitment to nurturing talent and cultivating innovation in community lending. We believe that this program will not only benefit the interns but also contribute to the growth and development of the local LA business community." The internship program is open to undergraduate and graduate students from UCLA and USC who demonstrate a keen interest in finance, business development, or related fields. Interested candidates are encouraged to apply through their respective university career centers. For more information about the internship program and application details, please contact Ashlee Beidleman , [email protected]. About New Community Investments (NCI): New Community Investments is an emerging CDFI providing microlending services in Southern California and Riverside . Dedicated to empowering local entrepreneurs and fostering economic growth, NCI offers a range of financial services tailored to meet the unique needs of underrepresented small businesses. Contact: Sonia Alcazar Collier ; Dir. of Communications & Public Relations - NCI [email protected] 818.724.8216 View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-community-investments-launches-exciting-new-internship-program-with-the-university-of-california-los-angeles-and-the-university-of-southern-california-302076077.html SOURCE New Community Investments MINNEAPOLIS , Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- For people with stroke, social factors such as education, neighborhood and employment may be linked to whether they receive treatment with clot-busting drugs, according to a preliminary study released February 28, 2024 , that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 76th Annual Meeting taking place April 1318, 2024, in person in Denver and online. The study looked at people with ischemic stroke, which is caused by a blockage of blood flow to the brain and is the most common type of stroke. "Any barriers that prevent people with stroke from receiving clot-busting drugs, known as thrombolytic therapy, can result in devastating consequences," said study author Chanaka Nadeeshan Kahathuduwa, MD, PhD, MPhil, of Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in Lubbock and a member of the American Academy of Neurology. "Our study found that a number of factors like race, insurance status, where a person lives, and other social determinants of health impacted whether a person received this crucial treatment." The study involved 63,983 people with ischemic stroke identified through public health records in Texas . For race and ethnicity, 67% of participants were white, 18% were Black and 27% were Hispanic, with some participants having more than one race and ethnicity. Researchers determined that 7,198, or 11%, received clot-busting drugs. Researchers then looked at social factors that may impact a person's health, such as income, education, housing, and access to health services. To rank participants based on these factors, they used U.S. Census data and applied a measure called the Social Vulnerability Index. They divided participants into four groups. Among the 7,930 people in the group identified as having the least disadvantage, 1,037 received clot-busting drugs. Among the 7,966 people in the group identified as having the most disadvantage, 964 received clot-busting drugs. After adjusting for age, sex and education, researchers found that those with the least disadvantage were 13% more likely to receive clot-busting drugs than those in the other groups. When looking specifically at race and ethnicity, Black people were 10% less likely to receive this therapy than white people. Hispanic people were 7% less likely to receive this therapy than non-Hispanic people. When looking at insurance coverage, researchers found that those who were on Medicare, Medicaid or Veterans Assistance and those who were uninsured were 23% and 10%, respectively, less likely to receive clot-busting drugs than those with private insurance. After looking at location, researchers found that participants who lived in rural areas were 40% less likely to receive the treatment than those living in urban areas. "Our results are concerning and shed light on health care disparities," said Kahathuduwa. "This study demonstrates how social disadvantages may translate to worse stroke care. Further studies are needed to investigate this connection between society, the health care system, and stroke outcomes. Finding new approaches to address these social factors is imperative for improving equity in stroke care and recovery." Kahathuduwa noted that clot-busting drugs must be administered within a few hours after the onset of stroke symptoms. A limitation of the study was that it is unknown how many of participants were seen at the hospital within that timeframe and thus eligible to receive the treatment. Learn more about stroke at BrainandLife.org, home of the American Academy of Neurology's free patient and caregiver magazine focused on the intersection of neurologic disease and brain health. Follow Brain & Life on Facebook, X and Instagram. When posting to social media channels about this research, we encourage you to use the American Academy of Neurology's Annual Meeting hashtag #AANAM. The American Academy of Neurology is the world's largest association of neurologists and neuroscience professionals, with over 40,000 members. The AAN is dedicated to promoting the highest quality patient-centered neurologic care. A neurologist is a doctor with specialized training in diagnosing, treating and managing disorders of the brain and nervous system such as Alzheimer's disease, stroke, migraine, multiple sclerosis, concussion, Parkinson's disease and epilepsy. For more information about the American Academy of Neurology, visit AAN.com or find us on Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-study-finds-link-between-health-care-disparities-and-stroke-treatment-302076036.html SOURCE American Academy of Neurology Early detection and prevention are key factors to better healthcare CENTER VALLEY, Pa. , Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- During Black History Month, Olympus Corporation of the Americas (OCA) emphasized the importance of allyship in promoting equitable access to healthcare for all communities. Issues of health equity are crucial to Black Americans due to historical, social, and systemic factors that have led to disparities in healthcare access, outcomes, and overall well-being. Olympus, a leading provider of equipment used for colon cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment, continues to support and advocate for equitable access to preventive health screenings like colonoscopy for Black Americans of recommended screening age. As an employer and a leading provider of medical technologies used for colon cancer detection, diagnosis and treatment, Olympus practices allyship through coverage of colonoscopy for all Olympus employees. The company's African American Employee Resource Group (ERG) is instrumental in furthering the message about the importance of screening and early cancer detection among its membership. "Allyship is the act of supporting and advocating for people who have not had equal access to valuable resources such as healthcare. Our ERG is a platform from which Olympus employees of all ethnicities can use their employee-based community to promote equitable access to health care," said Tanisha Heard , Salesforce Adoption Analyst and co-lead of the African American ERG at OCA. "What we can do collectively, by sharing our power as a group, is much greater than our individual efforts. We also recognize that the burden of effecting change shouldn't sit with any one underrepresented group." Colon cancer statistics underscore the need to increase awareness, education and access to screenings. Colon cancer death rates are 40% higher for Black Americans who are less likely to get screened, often resulting in advanced diagnoses.i Additionally, in a recent survey conducted by The Harris Pollii for OCA, Black Americans (59%) were less likely than their white counterparts (68%) to know that current recommendations indicate that colon cancer screening should start at 45. Furthermore, 31% of Black Americans surveyed incorrectly believed only those at high risk of developing colon cancer need to get a colon cancer screening. The African American ERG recently hosted an allyship panel that challenged employees to fully express the organization's core values of empathy and patient focus in considering their roles as allies. The event aimed to build awareness that diversity, equity, and inclusion are not for one group only, or several distinct groups of people, but are crucial to the success of the company and the communities in which our employees live. During Black History Month, Olympus celebrated the ongoing contributions and resilience of its employees to build allyship. Olympus further encourages Black Americans and their allies to prioritize health and screening and to be vocal with employers and family members about the importance of making time for the priority of health and wellness. i Colorectal Cancer Rates Higher in African Americans, Rising in Younger People. Cancer.org. https://www.cancer.org/cancer/latest-news/colorectal-cancer-rates-higher-in-african-americans-rising-in-younger-people.html. Published September 3, 2020 . Accessed February 22, 2024 . ii The survey was conducted online with the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Olympus between Feb. 23-27, 2023, among 2,027 U.S. adults ages 18+. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/olympus-affirms-commitment-to-health-equity-through-allyship-302076243.html SOURCE Olympus Corporation of the Americas In a 1976 article published by The New York Times entitled Why I Write, U.S. author Joan Didion states: I write entirely to find out what Im thinking, what Im looking at, what I see and what it means. What I want and what I fear. The writer summed up thus, in just a few words, expressed in her well-known style so direct and frugal, what many people feel when they pick up pencil and paper, or sit down at their computer or open the Notes application on their cell phone, and simply write. They use this time to scribble thoughts, just as the California author did, about the things that happen to them and their thoughts; about their desires, their fears and their tragedies. Theyre not thinking about publishing these texts, or even that another person will read them (in fact, they would probably prefer that no one else read them). What they write often takes the form of personal journals and therapeutic texts. Probably, on a personal level, the writing of these texts serves the same function as it did for the woman behind The Year of Magical Thinking: to discover, understand and heal oneself. Personal journal versus therapeutic writing Nearly all of us know what a journal is, and many of us have kept one, especially when we were children and teenagers. Going back to those pages is often a tender, amusing experience. Sometimes, its sad. Sometimes, surprising since, among those lines, usually poorly written, smudged and somewhat crooked, we recognize some of the pieces of our character that continue to define us today. When we write in a journal as adults, we tend to go more deeply into our thoughts. Often, it serves us as an emotional outlet. Through it, we reflect on the things that have happened to us. Writing in a journal is often a moment of tranquility and recollection. According to Dr. Teresa Martin, a psychotherapist who, among other things, teaches therapeutic writing workshops, personal journals and therapeutic writing are not noticeably different. Their starting point is identical, she says. To start to become intimate with oneself and from that act of listening, achieve greater, fuller, fairer and more adequate self-knowledge. Therapeutic writing usually takes an approach more decidedly aimed at achieving a persons well-being and self-knowledge, and is usually directed and guided by a mental health professional. According to Adrian Montesano, professor in the department of personality, evaluation and psychological treatments at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, who runs an online seminar for therapeutic narrative practices, therapeutic writing can be useful in any therapeutic process. For example, letter writing always marks a before and after in the treatment of a patient. No conversation has the power of the written word. A form of mental re-elaboration Writing contributes to the process of ordering thought and improving self-knowledge, says Montesano. At the level of basic psychological processes, information is processed in a completely different way when one writes than when one thinks or even when one speaks. Lets say that, at the level of narrative production, we can make a false ranking: thinking would be the simplest form. When we speak, interacting with another person, there is a little more elaborate discourse. But writing forces us to order and structure thought in a different way. We connect more areas of the brain and process information in a more complex way. Experts say writing contributes to the process of ordering thought and improving self-knowledge. lechatnoir (Getty Images) However, Montesano points out that not all journal writing has the same effects. One can write a journal with practically no effect on their psychological well-being if it is a simple journal, talking about where they have been, with whom, etc., but not reflecting deeper thoughts, emotions, feelings, reflections or characterizations that help maximize or obtain the benefits of writing. A therapeutic journal focuses on the question Who am I? explains Martin. But the result is not automatic. Its a surprising and unexpected process. The doctor explains that, thanks to this kind of texts, one can discover oneself, as much as in writing a journal as re-reading it. She adds: It gives us the opportunity to decide, with certainty, honesty and renewed strength, on the possibility of changing course, the drift of our current life. Therefore, according to Martin, a journal can be a powerful source of transformation. We all carry experiences with us. Badly lived plots that follow us, she says. We may not even know of their existence. They are silenced by force of habit, or obedience until writing makes you come across them. According to the doctor, once you discover these kinds of burdens, these kinds of inconsistencies, nothing is the same, theres no going back. Montesano cites a technique used in the field of therapeutic writing called the expressive writing paradigm, which consists of having the person write without stopping for 15 to 20 minutes every day, over three to four days, about a traumatic event or something that has deeply affected them. It can be anything, an accident, an illness, a loss, anything related to trauma, explains the doctor. The writing must be totally private and, above all, it has to focus on the effects it has had on the writers life, on their deepest thoughts and feelings related to that trauma or to that event. On the last day, the patient is asked to make a general evaluation, indicating lessons learned and any pending issues. The people who achieve the best results are those who are able to better identify both positive and negative emotions in their writings, those who have the ability to see the story from different points of view, he says. People who have never talked about a traumatic event they went through benefit greatly from this paradigm of expressive writing, says the specialist. These people increase their ability to organize the emotionality and complexity of their traumas by subjectivizing the experience, multiplying perspectives and giving coherence to their story. How to maximize the benefits of a journal Despite all the benefits it can bring, many people find it difficult to start writing a journal or therapeutic text. Dr. Martin acknowledges that it is true that some people are afraid or reluctant to take the plunge. We are terrified of freedom, she says. A journal is a powerful source of transformation. Luis Alvarez (Getty Images) To anyone who wants to journal, I suggest that you recognize any impatience you may have for results and accomplishments, she continues. And, like someone who monitors their blood pressure, you must monitor that weakness and its tendency to tyranny with infinite doses of empathy. An antidote to the craving for power and glory: set yourself a specific time, seven or ten minutes on the clock. When the alarm goes off, youre done for the day. Dont be in a hurry to increase the sit-ups: if we rush, we risk going into the cage. When we see that we are stuck, that we are overwhelmed by our mental knots, seek help. Therapeutic writing workshops really help to observe your story in a protected way, they invite you to gain perspective and to de-dramatize the excess of intensity that paralyzes your story. Its obvious that writing is like a gymnasium, says Montesano. Besides and this is important to emphasize to practice this type of writing, it is not necessary to know how to write well, with literary quality. In this case, writing is a means of personal expression and everyone has that. In my experience, everyone can benefit a lot from writing, and the more they practice, the more things they can discover about themselves. But it is a labor that has to be maintained over a certain period of time to be able to experience the benefits, even though they can be felt from the very beginning. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Ontario passengers can reach 26 nonstop destinations from Southern California on 12 airlines ONTARIO, Calif. , Feb. 28, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Ontario International Airport (ONT) officials welcomed news that Frontier Airlines will offer nonstop service to El Paso International Airport (ELP), increasing the number of nonstop destinations from the Southern California gateway to 26. The ELP service will be Frontier's 10th nonstop destination from ONT, and will operate three times a week beginning May 17 . Frontier also announced additional service from ONT to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) and Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH). Daily flights to Seattle will begin May 16 , while the Houston service will be offered four times a week starting May 17 . "We are thrilled with these new nonstop routes, including our sixth destination in Texas , and look forward to extending our hassle-free Ontario experience to even more Frontier passengers," said Atif Elkadi , chief executive officer of the Ontario International Airport Authority. "We appreciate the strong partnership with Frontier, and their continued investment in our airport. The Inland Empire has grown to become the 12th largest metropolitan area in the country, and demand for air travel from ONT has surged. And let's remember that ONT is California's favorite airport," he added. About Ontario International Airport Ontario International Airport (ONT) is the fastest growing airport in the United States , according to Global Traveler, a leading publication for frequent fliers. Located in the Inland Empire, ONT is approximately 35 miles east of downtown Los Angeles in the center of Southern California . It is a full-service airport which offers nonstop commercial jet service to two dozen major airports in the U.S. , Mexico , Central America and Taiwan . More information is available at www.flyOntario.com. Follow @flyONT on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram About the Ontario International Airport Authority (OIAA) The OIAA was formed in August 2012 by a Joint Powers Agreement between the City of Ontario and the County of San Bernardino to provide overall direction for the management, operations, development and marketing of ONT for the benefit of the Southern California economy and the residents of the airport's four-county catchment area. OIAA leaders include Ontario City Council Member Alan D. Wapner (President), Retired Riverside Mayor Ronald O. Loveridge (Vice President), Ontario City Council Member Jim W. Bowman (Secretary), San Bernardino County Supervisor Curt Hagman (Commissioner) and retired business executive Julia Gouw (Commissioner). OIAA Media Contact: Steve Lambert (909) 841-7527 [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ontario-international-airport-adds-frontier-airlines-service-to-el-paso-houston-and-seattle-302074974.html SOURCE Ontario International Airport PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. , Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Eric L. Young of Young Law Group, P.C. ("YLG"), counsel for an anonymous whistleblower, announced today that Endo Health Solutions, Inc. ("Endo"), has agreed to a civil settlement of $475 Million to resolve its civil liability under the federal False Claims Act by unlawfully promoting Opana ER, a dangerous opioid drug that was removed from the market by Endo at the request of the FDA in 2017. Both the United States' and YLG's whistleblower complaints alleged that Endo fraudulently billed Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, and other federal healthcare programs for its role in fueling the ongoing opioid epidemic. "Today's announcement serves as clear notice that the pharmaceutical industry's questionable, and often illegal, practices will not be tolerated," said Eric L. Young. "This settlement is another important step in pushing back against Big Pharma's efforts to increase the use of deadly drugs by unsuspecting patients." YLG filed its qui tam Complaint against Endo in 2019. Since that time, YLG and its courageous whistleblower client worked closely with the Civil Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Office of the United States Inspector General ("OIG") and the United States Department of Health & Human Services to assist in an ongoing criminal and civil investigations of Endo involving alleged unlawful marketing and sales of Opana ER, a powerful opioid agonist pain killer indicated for the relief of moderate to severe pain in patients requiring continuous around-the-clock opioid treatment for extended periods of time. YLG's qui tam complaint alleged, among other things, that Endo touted the purported "crush resistant" properties of Opana ER that were designed to prevent improper use through insufflation (snorting) or intravenous injection. In reality, Endo's claim that the drug was resistant to tampering or abuse was false. The qui tam complaint further alleged that Endo's marketing efforts were designed to convince prescribing physicians that Opana ER was safer than other opioid products while encouraging more prescriptions of the dangerous and addictive drug. "Our client has demonstrated remarkable courage and perseverance in coming forward and working with the government to present evidence of Endo's alleged wrongful misconduct and seeing the case to its final resolution after more than a decade," said Mr. Young . About Young Law Group Since 2009, Young Law Group has represented clients in actions that resulted in recoveries of more than $3 billion on behalf of the federal and state taxpayers. YLG specializes in the representation of whistleblowers in qui tam actions filed under the False Claims Act, as well as the whistleblower programs of the SEC, the CTFC, and the IRS. YLG Founder Eric L. Young was named as one of two "Lawyers of the Year" in 2020 by the Taxpayers Against Fraud Education Fund, the leading organization dedicated to combatting fraud against the government. The case is captioned U.S. ex rel. [Redacted] v. Endo Int 'l plc, Case No. 19-cv-80574 in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Contact Eric L. Young, Esquire Young Law Group, P.C. 3031C Walton Road , Suite 301 Plymouth Meeting, PA 19462 [email protected] 215-367-5151 View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/opioid-qui-tam-false-claims-act-case-filed-by-young-law-group-pc-part-of-475-million-department-of-justice-settlement-against-endo-pharmaceuticals-inc-302076342.html SOURCE Young Law Group EXHIBITING AT BOOTH #2243, PDAC 2024 CONVENTION IN TORONTO , MARCH 3-6 Announces Results of Annual General and Special Shareholders' Meeting TSX:ORV TORONTO , Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - Orvana Minerals Corp. (TSX: ORV) (the "Company" or "Orvana") is pleased to report exploration updates from Taguas, Argentina , and announces that it will be exhibiting at the 2024 Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) International Conference being held in Toronto at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre from March 3 to 6, 2024 . PDAC 2024 Orvana cordially invites shareholders, investors, brokers, analysts, and interested parties, to learn more about its operations and growth perspectives via brownfield and greenfield exploration programs, by visiting booth #2243 in the Investors Exchange area of PDAC. The PDAC International Convention, Trade Show & Investors Exchange is the world's leading convention for people, companies and organizations in, or connected with, mineral exploration. For more information about the conference, visit: http://pdac.ca/convention TAGUAS PROJECT - EXPLORATION UPDATE Project Background Taguas Au-Ag project is located in the northern sector of the El Indio-Valle del Cura mineralized Belt ( Argentina - Chile ), Iglesia Department, San Juan Province , Argentina , 25km North of the Veladero mine and the Pascua-Lama project. It has been described as a high-sulfidation epithermal gold-silver system hosted in Miocene age volcaniclastic rocks (Kowalik and Simpson, 20213). The Au-Ag mineralization occurs in breccias and silicified structures with a dominant NE-SO orientation. The supergene-oxidized gold-silver mineralization, that extends to approximately 200 m below surface, consists of subvertical, northeast striking high-grade mineralized structures surrounded by an envelope of disseminated mineralization. Below the oxidation depth, mineralization continues as gold-silver and hypogene sulfides (Kowalik and Simpson, 20213). The El Indio-Valle del Cura Belt has historically been explored for shallow epithermal Au-Ag mineralization, however it has been little exploration in the search for porphyry-type deposits that could be potentially associated with the epithermal systems. In recent years, deep drilling in the northern sector of the belt (now denominated Link belt) permitted the discovery of the Valeriano mineralized Cu-Au-Mo porphyry (1,413.0 Mt @ 0.5% Cu, 0.2 g/t Au & 0.96 g/t Ag, Inferred, Nur, 2023) that occur below a high sulfidation epithermal lithocap with Au-Ag mineralization (32.1 Mt @ 0.54 g/t Au & 2.43 g/t Ag, Inferred, Nur, 20234). This project, owned by Atex Resources, is located 10km North of Taguas project, within Chilean territory. Valeriano porphyry deposit at depth is represented by a granodiorite and associated porphyries, the development of a strong stockwork of quartz veinlets, potassic alteration and Cu sulfide mineralization (Burgoa et al., 20151). Orvana is repositioning its strategy at Taguas. The Company had been focused on the oxides portion of the property, but it is reconsidering the strategy, now potentially including sulphides resources, plus deep copper-gold porphyry opportunities. Hypogene sulfides mineralization Over 63,000 meters of drilling have been conducted across different targets on the property. At Cerros Taguas, both the supergene-oxidized gold-silver mineralization within the first 200 meters beneath the surface and the gold-silver and hypogene sulfides mineralization have been drilled. Both the oxidized portion and the hypogene sulfide portion shows a predominant advanced argillic alteration. Next exploration steps will involve a spectral analysis campaign to refine alteration types definition, plus geo-metallurgical tests with oxide and sulfide ores. Once the combined oxides-sulfides opportunity is understood, the next steps for the project will be determined. Potential copper-gold porphyry opportunities High molybdenum values have been recorded in different sectors of the Taguas project (Figure 1). In shallow drilling intervals of Cerros Taguas, flaky molybdenite has been recognized associated with alunite-pyrite-enargite assemblages that fill fractures and conform the cement of hydrothermal breccias. In deeper intervals, molybdenite occurs in quartz+molybdenite veinlets with straight walls, which seem to be typical B veins of porphyry deposits (Gustafson and Hunt, 19752). Picture DDH From To Mo (g/t) A TADD-168 442 444 243 B TADD-168 295 297 236 C TADD-172 413 415 337 D TADD-172 204 205 406 E TADD-172 200 201 210 Table 1. Molybdenum values from selected samples shown in figure 1. Taguas exploration update was prepared under the supervision of Raul Alvarez (Orvana Director of Exploration & Technical Services), Registered EurGeol number 1,614, and a qualified person for the purposes of NI 43-101. Quality Control The reported drilling intercepts were carried out during the Goldfields JV campaign. Gold Fields sampled 5,630 drill core intervals from 17 drill holes during the 2011-2012 summer field season. The core sampling was performed following a protocol designed for the project. Company personal were not allowed to carry any metallic rings when sampling the core. The sampling intervals did not cross defined lithological/alteration limits and the samples varied between 0.5 m to 2.0 m in length. The geologist performed detailed core logging, marked the sample intervals and the core sample cut lines. The cut line had to be perpendicular to lamination on the surface of the core. A sampling form was completed with the sample number and sample length intervals. Half core samples were identified with a unique sequential sample number taken from a sample tag book and tickets remaining in the book were completed with hole number depth from, depth to, sample length. The samples were placed in plastic bags with four identical tags stapled at the top of the bag and sealed. The same number was written on the side of the bag with a permanent marker. QA/QC samples were inserted and batches of 73 samples were prepared for shipment. The geologist was responsible for supervising the sample loading and completed two identical shipment forms. One form was given to the truck driver and the other form was approved by the chief of the project and stored in a safe area. Upon arrival at the laboratory, the one responsible for the sample reception signed the shipment form (in agreement) and it was sent back to the project. The sampling carried out during the Goldfields JV campaign included rigorous QA/QC industry standard procedures, consisting of the insertion of certified reference materials, blanks and duplicates samples into the sample stream. The geologist sent the sample numbers and length intervals to the database administrator who filled in the laboratory preparation and assay forms. The core samples were prepared in the ALS Chemex Laboratory in Mendoza, Argentina . Samples were crushed to 70% minus 2 mm, a 250 g sub sample was riffle-split and pulverized to 85% minus 75m. Samples were assayed at ALS Chemex in La Serena, Chile , by fire assay on a 50 g aliquot with atomic absorption finish. Samples were also analyzed for 48 elements at ALS Chemex in Lima, Peru using ICP AES and ICP MS from a four-acid digestion. Mr. Ron Simpson independently audited the sample database for location accuracy, down hole survey errors, interval errors and missing sample intervals. The QP also reviewed the sample QA/QC results. References 1. Burgoa, C., Hopper, D., Ambrus, J., 2015. Exploracion profunda de un Porfido Cu-Au bajo el Litocap Valeriano: Geologia y Zonacion del Sistema Hidrotermal, Region de Atacama, Chile , in: 14 Congreso Geologico Chileno, La Serena, Chile , 36-39. 2. Gustafson, L.B., Hunt, J.P., 1975. The porphyry copper deposit at El Salvador , Chile . Econ. Geol. 70, 857912. 3. Kowalik, J., Simpson, R., 2021. Independent Technical Report NI 43-101 on the Taguas Project, San Juan, Argentina . Technical Report prepared for Orvana Argentina S.A. https://www.orvana.com/English/operations/Taguas/Technical-Reports/default.aspx 4. Nur, J., 2023. Independent Technical Report for the Valeriano Copper-Gold Project, Atacama Region , Chile . Report prepared for ATEX Resources Inc. ANNUAL GENERAL AND SPECIAL SHAREHOLDERS' MEETING RESULTS The Company also announces that, at its annual general and special shareholders' meeting (the "Meeting") held on February 29, 2024 , the individuals noted below were elected as directors of the Company. The report on proxies provided by the Company's transfer agent indicated the following: Michael Davies received 75,124,923 votes (representing 99.82% of votes cast); Alfredo Garcia Gonzalez received 74,356,915 votes (representing 98.80% of votes cast); Robert Metcalfe received 74,110,183 votes (representing 98.47% of votes cast); and Michael Mutchler received 75,117,523 votes (representing 99.81% of votes cast). Following the Meeting, Mr. Robert Metcalfe was re-appointed as chairman of the board of directors; Mr. Juan Gavidia was re-appointed Chief Executive Officer; Ms. Nuria Menendez was re-appointed Chief Financial Officer; and Mr. Binh Vu was re-appointed Corporate Secretary/VP Legal Affairs, for the ensuing year. The Company also received 79,120,533 votes (representing 99.32% of votes cast) to re-appoint PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as the Company's independent auditor for the ensuing year and to authorize the directors to fix the auditor's remuneration; and 73,967,133 votes (representing 98.28% of votes cast) approving the 2018 stock option plan. For full voting details please see Orvana's voting results as filed on SEDAR at www.sedarplus.ca ABOUT ORVANA Orvana is a multi-mine gold-copper-silver company. Orvana's assets consist of the producing El Valle and Carles gold-copper-silver mines in northern Spain , the Don Mario gold-silver property in Bolivia , currently in care and maintenance, and the Taguas property located in Argentina . Additional information is available at Orvana's website (www.orvana.com). The Corporate Presentation is available at: https://www.orvana.com/English/investors/presentations/default.aspx Cautionary Statements Forward-Looking Information Certain statements in this presentation constitute forward-looking statements or forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws ("forward-looking statements"). Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, potentials, future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as "believes", "expects", "plans", "estimates" or "intends" or stating that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might", "will", "are projected to" or "confident of" be taken or achieved) are not statements of historical fact, but are forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements herein relate to, among other things, Orvana's ability to achieve improvement in free cash flow; the ability to maintain expected mining rates and expected throughput rates at El Valle Plant; the potential to extend the mine life of El Valle and Don Mario beyond their current life-of-mine estimates including specifically, but not limited to, Orvana's ability to optimize its assets to deliver shareholder value; estimates of future production (including without limitation, production guidance), operating costs and capital expenditures; mineral resource and reserve estimates; statements and information regarding future feasibility studies and their results; future transactions; future metal prices; the ability to achieve additional growth and geographic diversification; and future financial performance, including the ability to increase cash flow and profits; future financing requirements; Orvana's ability to close additional financing as necessary; mine development plans; and the possibility of the conversion of inferred mineral resources to mineral reserves. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Company as of the date of such statements, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies, which includes, without limitation, as particularly set out in the notes accompanying the Company's most recently filed financial statements. The estimates and assumptions of the Company contained or incorporated by reference in this news release, which may prove to be incorrect, include, but are not limited to the various assumptions set forth herein and in Orvana's most recently filed Management's Discussion & Analysis and Annual Information Form in respect of the Company's most recently completed fiscal year (the "Company Disclosures") or as otherwise expressly incorporated herein by reference as well as: there being no significant disruptions affecting operations, whether due to labour disruptions, supply disruptions, power disruptions, damage to equipment or otherwise; permitting, development, operations, expansion and acquisitions at El Valle, Don Mario and Taguas being consistent with the Company's current expectations; political developments in any jurisdiction in which the Company operates being consistent with its current expectations; certain price assumptions for gold, copper and silver; prices for key supplies being approximately consistent with current levels; production and cost of sales forecasts meeting expectations; the accuracy of the Company's current mineral reserve and mineral resource estimates; labour and materials costs increasing on a basis consistent with Orvana's current expectations; and the availability of necessary funds to execute the Company's plan. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, this news release also contains certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation, including, without limitation, references to the results of the Company's exploration activities, including but not limited to, drilling results and analyses, mineral resource estimation, conceptual mine plan and operations, internal rate of return, sensitivities, taxes, net present value, potential recoveries, design parameters, operating costs, capital costs, production data and economic potential; the timing and costs for production decisions; permitting timelines and requirements; exploration and planned exploration programs; and the Company's general objectives and strategies. A variety of inherent risks, uncertainties and factors, many of which are beyond the Company's control, affect the operations, performance and results of the Company and its business, and could cause actual events or results to differ materially from estimated or anticipated events or results expressed or implied by forward looking statements. Some of these risks, uncertainties and factors include: the potential impact of global health and global economic conditions on the Company's business and operations, including: our ability to continue operations; and our ability to manage challenges presented by such conditions; the general economic, political and social impacts of the continuing conflict between Russia and Ukraine , our ability to support the sustainability of our business including through the development of crisis management plans, increasing stock levels for key supplies, monitoring of guidance from the medical community, and engagement with local communities and authorities; fluctuations in the price of gold, silver and copper; the need to recalculate estimates of resources based on actual production experience; the failure to achieve production estimates; variations in the grade of ore mined; variations in the cost of operations; the availability of qualified personnel; the Company's ability to obtain and maintain all necessary regulatory approvals and licenses; Orovalle's ability to complete the permitting process of the El Valle Tailings Storage Facility increasing the storage capacity; Orovalle's ability to complete the stabilization project of the legacy open pit wall; the Company's ability to use cyanide in its mining operations; risks generally associated with mineral exploration and development, including the Company's ability to continue to operate the El Valle and/or ability to resume long-term operations at the Carles Mine; the Company's ability to successfully implement a sulphidization circuit and ancillary facilities to process the current oxides stockpiles at Don Mario; the Company's ability to successfully carry out development plans at Taguas; sufficient funding to carry out development plans at Taguas and to process the oxides stockpiles at Don Mario; EMIPA's ability to complete the issuance of the Bonds Program at Bolivia and any additional required financing to commence the OSP; the Company's ability to acquire and develop mineral properties and to successfully integrate such acquisitions; the Company's ability to execute on its strategy; the Company's ability to obtain financing when required on terms that are acceptable to the Company; challenges to the Company's interests in its property and mineral rights; current, pending and proposed legislative or regulatory developments or changes in political, social or economic conditions in the countries in which the Company operates; general economic conditions worldwide; the challenges presented by global health conditions; fluctuating operational costs such as, but not limited to, power supply costs; current and future environmental matters; and the risks identified in the Company's disclosures. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of the Company's forward-looking statements and reference should also be made to the Company's Disclosures for a description of additional risk factors. Any forward-looking statements made herein with respect to the anticipated development and exploration of the Company's mineral projects are intended to provide an overview of management's expectations with respect to certain future activities of the Company and may not be appropriate for other purposes. Forward-looking statements are based on management's current plans, estimates, projections, beliefs and opinions and, except as required by law, the Company does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements should assumptions related to these plans, estimates, projections, beliefs and opinions change. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements made in this information are intended to provide an overview of management's expectations with respect to certain future operating activities of the Company and may not be appropriate for other purposes. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/orvana-provides-exploration-update-302076482.html SOURCE Orvana Minerals Corp. GUANGZHOU, China , Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Wanglaoji unveiled its international overseas brand "WALOVI" globally at the 2024 Milan-Guangzhou Business Environment Promotion Conference and China-Italy Economic and Trade Cooperation and Exchange Meeting on February 26 th. The theme of the event was "Delivers Auspiciousness to The World". Wanglaoji introduced its international overseas brand to overseas markets, and established the first European herbal tea museum, aiming to win over global consumers with this natural plant-based drink from China, and to share the eastern health philosophy with the world. In 2018, Wanglaoji's first overseas herbal tea museum opened in New York ; in 2019, at the Fortune Global Science and Technology Forum, Wanglaoji joined hands with Switzerland's SGS and the World Federation of Societies of Traditional Chinese Medicine, an international academic organization, to release the world's first International Standard for Herbal Tea Beverages; and in 2023, one of the world's largest industry research and consulting organizations, Frost & Sullivan, certified Wanglaoji as No. 1 natural plant-based drinks in the world. Currently, Wanglaoji has entered overseas platforms such as Yamibuy, Amazon and Costco. Today, Wanglaoji's sales network covers 150 countries and regions on five continents, including dozens of countries in Europe . Li Chuyuan, Party Secretary and Chairman of the Guangzhou Pharmaceutical Holdings Limited (GPHL), said, "We want to seize the new opportunities of economic and trade cooperation between China and Europe , and realize the short-term goal of making WALOVI penetrate into more overseas local markets with more in-depth and wider cooperation, and strive to make Wanglaoji into a global super beverage brand, so that Wanglaoji can become a carrier for spreading the excellent traditional Chinese culture, and bring the oriental philosophy of health, and the auspicious culture to the world." Looking forward, Wanglaoji will adhere to the mission of "Delivers Auspiciousness to The World", and further promote scientific and technological innovation and development for the health industry, thus making Chinese brands the world's brands. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/overseas-brand-walovi-of-wanglaoji-made-its-debut-globally-to-share-the-eastern-health-philosophy-with-the-world-302075245.html SOURCE Wanglaoji NASHVILLE, Tenn. , Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Oxehealth, a global leader in intelligent patient monitoring for behavioral health, today announced its first US partnership: with SummitStone Health Partners, the largest not-for-profit behavioral health services provider in Larimer County, Colorado . Oxehealth's contactless patient monitoring and rounding solution Oxevision has been deployed at Longview Campus Acute Care facility in Fort Collins to elevate efficiency, safety, and quality, and to promote effective and dignified healthcare. "SummitStone is committed to the equitable, safe, and inclusive delivery of behavioral healthcare," said Dr Lesley Brooks , Chief Medical Officer for SummitStone. "We are so very pleased to partner with Oxehealth in technology that aligns with this commitment. Incorporating Oxevision in our acute care presents an incredible opportunity to enhance the quality and patient experience of care, making it both less intrusive and safer." Larimer County has also engaged in the partnership and supported the deployment of Oxevision. "SummitStone's efforts to use innovative technology like Oxevision is yet another advancement toward our shared goal of improving the client experience and enhancing safety for both staff and clients," stated Laura Walker , Larimer County Health and Human Services Director. Katrin Engelmann , President of US Behavioral Health at Oxehealth, remarked, "We are thrilled about the possibilities for innovation that this partnership brings and the positive impact our technology will have on the dedicated staff and the patients they serve. Safeguarding patients without disruption at night will be a breakthrough in behavioral healthcare, recognizing the critical role of uninterrupted sleep in the recovery process." Oxehealth's Chief Executive Officer, Todd Haedrich , added, "This partnership is an exciting first step in bringing Oxevision's proven platform in intelligent patient monitoring to US behavioral health and supporting progress towards high-reliability healthcare." About Oxehealth Oxehealth is a global leader in intelligent patient monitoring for behavioral health. The company is dedicated to helping clinical staff deliver safer, higher-quality, and more efficient inpatient care. Oxehealth partners with half of NHS England's mental health providers and is expanding to transform inpatient care in Europe and the US. For more information, visit www.oxehealth.com. About Oxevision Oxevision is the only patient monitoring system designed for behavioral health. The contactless technology, which incorporates an FDA-cleared medical device and a digital rounding tool, enables clinical staff to work proactively and with maximum productivity. Oxevision is supporting care at over 100 facilities and counting. Its use is associated with improved staffing efficiencies; reductions in self-harm, assaults, and falls; improved staffing efficiencies, and a better patient experience at night. For more information, visit www.oxehealth.com/oxevision. About SummitStone Health Partners SummitStone Health Partners is the not-for-profit behavioral health provider for Larimer County . Since 1957, SummitStone has served its communities by fostering trust, empowering recovery, and inspiring hope. SummitStone offers more than 50 programs focused on mental health and substance use prevention, intervention, and treatment, including Crisis Services, which are available 24/7/365. SummitStone serves more than 10,000 community members across Larimer County annually. For more information, visit www.summitstonehealth.org. Media contact: Ben Walsh Director of Marketing [email protected] +1 202-793-4359 Commercial contact: Katrin Engelmann President of US Behavioral Health [email protected] +1 202-813-9952 Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2349031/Oxehealth_SummitStone.jpg View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/oxehealth-implements-contactless-patient-monitoring-solution-at-summitstone-health-partners-302074526.html SOURCE Oxehealth Marks Entrance into Multifamily Rental Property and Investment Management NEW YORK , Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Pretium, a specialized investment firm with more than $50 billion in assets under management, today announced that it has agreed to acquire BH Management Services ("BH"), one of the nation's premier property management platforms in multifamily, student, and single-family housing. The transaction is expected to close early in the second quarter. Founded by Harry Bookey in 1993, BH is at the forefront of the institutional multifamily investment and property management industries. BH currently manages approximately 114,000 homes across 370 housing communities in 31 states. "BH's multifamily property management platform prioritizes the resident and employee experiences and is critical to enhancing communities at a time when quality housing options are in short supply," said Don Mullen , Founder and CEO of Pretium. "The addition of BH is a natural adjacency to Pretium's residential ecosystem and enables us to continue providing diverse housing options for residents based on their preferences and stages of life. We look forward to working with the entire BH team to continue to strengthen BH's model and market position." Mr. Bookey added, "BH has established itself as one of the leaders in the industry, and I am proud of where we are today one of the largest and most respected companies in multifamily. Therefore, it was personally important to me that we take a thoughtful approach to the future of BH. Beyond being a force in its own right, Pretium shares our core values of embracing evolution and putting people first, making it the right fit for BH." "This is an inflection point for BH and an opportunity to further invest in our centralized services platform, as well as advance our proprietary business intelligence systems. This transaction will also expand our operating footprint," said Joanna Zabriskie , CEO of BH. "What's exciting to me is what BH and Pretium will do together. We're cut from the same cloth: we're both overachievers. However, it's in the places we're different BH as a leader in multifamily, and Pretium as a leader in specialized residential investments that's where new opportunities exist." "We have a long-standing relationship with BH and are pleased to be joining forces," added Jonathan Pruzan, President of Pretium. "Harry created, and Joanna has scaled, an impressive platform, which is at the forefront of the industry through its technology- and people-focused culture. This combination enhances our existing vertically integrated model and allows us to capitalize on compelling opportunities we see in the residential space." BH will become a Pretium operating company and continue to operate as BH Management Services, providing the same property management, construction, and investment services to its clients and residents across the country. BH will also continue to be led by Chief Executive Officer Joanna Zabriskie and the current management team, with its headquarters remaining in Des Moines, Iowa . Advisors Wells Fargo acted as financial advisor, and Sidley Austin LLP acted as legal advisor to Pretium. The CenterCap Group acted as financial advisor, and Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP acted as legal advisor to BH. About Pretium Pretium is a specialized investment firm focused on U.S. residential real estate, residential credit, and corporate credit. Pretium was founded in 2012 to capitalize on investment and lending opportunities arising as a result of structural changes, disruptions, and inefficiencies within the economy. Pretium has built an integrated analytical and operational ecosystem within the U.S. housing, residential credit, and corporate credit markets, and believes that its insight and experience within these markets create a strategic advantage over other investment managers. Pretium's platform has more than $50 billion of assets, comprising real estate investments across 30 markets in the U.S. , and employs more than 4,000 people across 50 offices, including its New York headquarters, Dubai , London , Seoul , and Sydney . Please visit www.pretium.com for additional information. About BH Management Services BH is a people-first multifamily owner and operator that grew from a small startup into one of the nation's largest commercial real estate companies. Founded in 1993, BH is celebrated for its simple commitment to doing business the right way and investing in its team. Today, BH manages approximately 114,000 units, employs 2,800 people, and owns its processes in-house. Powered by innovation and a can-do attitude, BH improves daily, striving to construct a smarter way to live, invest, manage, and grow. For more information, visit livebh.com. Contacts Lyle Weston / Erik Carlson Joele Frank , Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher 212-355-4449 [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pretium-to-acquire-bh-management-services-to-expand-residential-real-estate-footprint-302075984.html SOURCE Pretium New Study Featured in greater:SATX Whitepaper Covering Regional Economic Development Best Practices SAN ANTONIO , Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- San Antonians like where they live and their happiness is reflected in their job satisfaction according to a recent "Metro Positivity" study included in a newly launched whitepaper from greater:SATX Regional Economic Partnership. In the study, San Antonio finished third of the 41 largest metros in North America , outranking such destination cities as Denver , Toronto , Seattle , and New York . The 2023 study, conducted by a corporate consulting firm, compared job satisfaction among employees in San Antonio with that of their colleagues working for the same companies, but in different metros. The firm used data from global employer review site Glassdoor to analyze corporate culture and values reviews posted from 2018-2023 for 575 large employers located in the 41 largest metro areas in the U.S. and Canada . They established a "metro positivity score" for each, signifying how the metro in which the associates work contributes to employee satisfaction, engagement, retention, and other outcomes. "We knew San Antonians liked living and working here, but it's nice to see proof of just how satisfied they are," said Jenna Saucedo-Herrera , president and chief executive officer of greater:SATX, the regional economic development organization for San Antonio . " San Antonio offers residents an unmatched mix of culture, career opportunities, amenities, lifestyle, affordability, and diversity and now, positivity which helps explain why we're one of the fastest-growing metros in the country." The survey results anchor a new whitepaper from greater:SATX sharing how the economic development organization, along with its corporate sector, regional economic development partners, and public sector collaborators, has successfully pursued strategies to make the region attractive to employers and employees alike. Co-authoring the whitepaper with Saucedo-Herrera are three San Antonio regional corporate leaders and greater:SATX investors, Craig Boyan , President of H-E-B ; Rosa Santana , Founder and CEO of Santana Group ; and Phil Green , Chairman and CEO of Cullen/Frost Bankers, Inc. Among the best practices shared in detail in the whitepaper are: Fostering a Collaborative Spirit. Local leaders demonstrated this during the Covid-19 pandemic when they formed a roundtable to address community needs, and, more recently, during the successful campaign to secure direct flights to European cities, culminating in the announcement of San Antonio's first nonstop transatlantic flight to Frankfurt with Condor Airlines . Local leaders demonstrated this during the Covid-19 pandemic when they formed a roundtable to address community needs, and, more recently, during the successful campaign to secure direct flights to European cities, culminating in the announcement of Executing Decision-Making with a Dual Lens. Greater San Antonio wants businesses and professionals to not only move here, but to fully integrate themselves into the community and, in turn, make it better for all. The success of companies like Toyota and Victory Capital is proof this approach works. wants businesses and professionals to not only move here, but to fully integrate themselves into the community and, in turn, make it better for all. The success of companies like and Victory Capital is proof this approach works. Deploying the Talent Pipeline Management Framework. greater:SATX is using a comprehensive workforce approach from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation and is the first to do so across five industry sectors advanced manufacturing, healthcare, financial services, cybersecurity/technology and construction/skilled trades to ensure the region develops its own talented and sustainable workforce to fuel transformational growth. greater:SATX is using a comprehensive workforce approach from the and is the first to do so across five industry sectors advanced manufacturing, healthcare, financial services, cybersecurity/technology and construction/skilled trades to ensure the region develops its own talented and sustainable workforce to fuel transformational growth. Leveraging Consumer Brand Approaches. Greater San Antonio competes for talent and business with many other metros. Through its Life Works Greater in San Antonio campaign, greater:SATX employs consumer branding strategies to share the good news of the region and attract companies and people to the locale. "Every professional and business that relocates here and all who stay here have the option of choosing elsewhere. greater:SATX is committed to keeping San Antonio the destination of choice to live, work, and build a business," said Saucedo-Herrera. In other recent news, San Antonio made its debut on the "Top 10 U.S. Markets to Watch List ," ranking No. 8 on the list as published in the Urban Land Institute and PricewaterhouseCoopers 2024 "Emerging Trends in Real Estate" Report. JCB, the world's largest privately owned manufacturer of construction and agricultural equipment, announced that San Antonio will be home to the company's second and largest North American manufacturing facility , the greatest economic development infusion in the region in 20 years with an expected $30 billion economic impact over the next 10 years and the creation of more than 1,500 jobs. Click here to learn more about the region's 2023 year-in-review accomplishments. To learn more, click here to review the greater:SATX whitepaper titled "Best Practices to Nurture Metro Positivity Effect: San Antonio Case Study." About greater:SATX greater:SATX is the economic development partnership leading the San Antonio region's transformative growth through global corporate recruitment, local business advancement, and workforce development. The San Antonio region, or SATX, is the eight-county San Antonio-New Braunfels MSA, which is the 24th largest MSA in the nation (2022). At the core of greater:SATX's mission is attracting, retaining, and growing quality jobs for all San Antonians that provide pathways to economic mobility. This work is guided by greater:SATX, supported by regional businesses, regional economic development partners, and by the City of San Antonio , Bexar County, CPS Energy, and SAWS. The organization is responsible for assisting over 500 companies to relocate or expand in the region, which collectively employ more than 120,000 San Antonians. For more information on San Antonio's industry growth and economic opportunity, visit greatersatx.com and follow us on LinkedIn, X (formerly Twitter) @greater_SATX , and Facebook . Media Contacts: Mardi Larson , Amendola for greater:SATX, [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/san-antonio-ranks-third-in-metro-positivity-among-largest-cities-in-the-us-and-canada-302076167.html SOURCE greater:SATX MIAMI , Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Senior legal industry veterans launch Amplify, a new legal marketing agency uniquely positioned to elevate legal brands and redefine storytelling in the legal industry. Amplify is a new legal marketing agency that elevates legal brands and redefines storytelling. Amplify is not just a legal marketing agency; it promises a dynamic approach to shaping the narrative of law firms across the nation. Amplify is a catalyst for transforming how legal brands connect with their audience. With a focus on creativity and precision, Amplify empowers its clients to articulate their stories with finesse, ensuring that they reach the right audience, in the right places, at the right time. IMAGINE: PR meets media meets content - and sits on top of the best legal marketing toolkit. Key Features of Amplify: Strategic Storytelling: Amplify specializes in crafting compelling narratives that resonate with the target audience of the best law firms in the nation, cultivating a strong and memorable presence in the legal landscape. Brand Building : Amplify is dedicated to cultivating and enhancing legal brands, leveraging innovative strategies to differentiate our clients from the competition and always leave a lasting impression. Targeted Reach: Amplify's tailored approach identifies the optimal platforms and channels to ensure that messages are always optimally communicated and targeted. Traditional Legal Marketing Techniques: The Amplify team has decades of success transforming law firms' results through traditional legal marketing. We use these techniques as the foundation upon which to take our client firms into the future. As CEO Matthew Salvato observes, "As the legal industry undergoes a transformation, Amplify empowers the best law firms in the nation with strategic, impactful, and targeted storytelling. Our commitment to our clients positions Amplify as the preferred partner for firms seeking to amplify their success in this new, hypercompetitive legal landscape." Amplify is deeply committed to the people our law firm clients serve. Amplify is always an engaged and empathetic partner on their journey to justice. We are equally committed to being present for the advocacy organizations that help lawyers make a difference in the lives of their clients. For media inquiries, please contact: Matthew Hughes Chief Brand Ambassador Amplify [email protected] www.amplifyforlawyers.com (561) 717-6499 About Amplify: Amplify is a revolutionary/evolutionary legal marketing and content agency based in Miami , New York / New Jersey , Los Angeles and Montreal . Committed to reshaping the narrative of legal brands, Amplify focuses on strategic storytelling, brand building, and targeted reach to ensure clients connect with the right audience, in the right places, at the right time. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/say-hello-to-amplify-your-new-legal-marketing-agency-302074478.html SOURCE Amplify VIENNA, Va., Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Tinnitus Association is honored to announce the incredible success of the third annual Tinnitus Awareness Day dine-to-donate event hosted by Texas Roadhouse and Bubba's 33 on February 5 . The charitable event, held in memory of Texas Roadhouse founder Kent Taylor , who had severe tinnitus, raised $925,000 for ATA. This is the largest corporate donation the association has received to date. Texas Roadhouse and Bubba's 33 are committed to raising awareness of tinnitus because of Kent's experience and the reality that few people consider tinnitus and its varied effects until they are affected by it. "We are proud to partner with ATA to raise money and bring attention to tinnitus. Thank you to all of our employees and guests across the country who made this event a success. This fundraiser was held in honor of our founder, Kent Taylor , and in hopes that we will help find relief for those suffering with tinnitus," said Texas Roadhouse CEO Jerry Morgan . ATA is the only U.S. nonprofit dedicated exclusively to improving tinnitus patient care by providing individualized nonmedical guidance, initiating educational programs for the public and healthcare communities, and funding innovative research to find cures and better treatments for the condition. "Tinnitus is a common condition that is poorly understood among the public and even within the healthcare community," said Jinsheng Zhang , chair of the ATA board of directors, "which is why having a nationwide fundraiser hosted by Texas Roadhouse and Bubba's 33 gives me hope for a future with less tinnitus suffering through better understanding of tinnitus, development of effective treatments, and strong patient support services." Tinnitus is caused by many factors, including exposure to loud sound, certain infections, stress, particular medications, and even traumatic brain injury, which means it's a heterogenous condition that lacks clear guidelines for patient care. "People are astonished to learn that most types of tinnitus cannot be cured," Dr. Zhang added. "As a researcher, it's clear that eliminating tinnitus is complicated, but scientists and clinicians in the field are making progress in identifying subtypes and improving interventions that may suppress it or at least make it more manageable for people living with moderate to severe tinnitus." Tinnitus research has advanced significantly in the last 50 years, but far more work is needed to discover possible pharmaceutical interventions and better understand the mechanisms that underlie tinnitus, particularly severe tinnitus, which affects approximately 1 percent of the estimated 26 million adults living with the condition in the U.S. "Through the extraordinary generosity of Texas Roadhouse and Bubba's 33, as well as the many people who turned out to support the event, ATA is able to restructure and expand its Innovative Tinnitus Research Grants Program to cultivate not only new areas of investigation but also attract new researchers to the field," Dr. Zhang said. The gift also better positions ATA to achieve its goal of being the first place that people with tinnitus, or questions about it, turn for help. "There's so much misinformation on the internet as well as incorrect and even harmful information that is given by healthcare providers to individuals desperate for answers about this unwanted and often intrusive sound," said Sara K. Downs , ATA interim executive director. Downs is also an audiologist specialized in tinnitus management. "ATA is the only place you can go free of charge to receive unbiased information and credible educational guidance on tinnitus. Texas Roadhouse and Bubba's 33 are helping to ensure that ATA can deliver on its mission to educate the public and healthcare professionals," she said. Coinciding with the February 5 dine-to-donate event, which launched Tinnitus Awareness Week, ATA began accepting applications for research grants. "ATA supports investigators of all career stages whose work advances understanding of tinnitus effects, and who remain dedicated to chipping away at the need to develop interventions with potential to support the substantive needs of diverse tinnitus patient subgroups," said Marc Fagelson , ATA Scientific Advisory Committee chair. Applications will be accepted from now until April 26, 2024. About ATA's Innovative Tinnitus Research Grants Program ATA grants support novel investigations aimed at contributing substantively to the scientific understanding of tinnitus and improving patient care and quality of life for those affected by tinnitus. By supporting innovative research, ATA contributes to the discovery of potential breakthroughs that advance scientific understanding of tinnitus and improve quality-of-life outcomes for people suffering from tinnitus. Applications should be submitted via ProposalCentral. Submission instructions can be found here. More About ATA Founded in 1971, the American Tinnitus Association is a nonprofit dedicated to people living with tinnitus. Its board of directors is composed of researchers, healthcare providers specialized in tinnitus, and individuals living with the condition. ATA helps individuals and families cope, provides guidance on finding qualified healthcare providers to assist in tinnitus management, funds research, advocates for better care, and provides trustworthy information to thousands of people every day. If you or a loved one need information or help managing tinnitus, contact ATA at 800-634-8978 or visit ata.org. About Tinnitus Tinnitus affects approximately one in 10 individuals worldwide. Despite its prevalence, there is no cure for most types of chronic tinnitus, and most physicians receive little training in its management. The most common causes of tinnitus, which can present as buzzing, ringing, whooshing, and a range of other sounds, are exposure to loud noise, age-related hearing loss, earwax blockage, head and neck trauma, cardiovascular disorders, neurological conditions, and stress and anxiety. Even though most tinnitus cases cannot be cured, a range of interventions can often help manage its negative impact. Because each individual experiences tinnitus differently and the causes of tinnitus are so varied, there is no one-size-fits-all solution for its management. If you need guidance on tinnitus or finding an appropriate healthcare provider, contact ATA at 800-634-8978 or email [email protected]. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/texas-roadhouse-and-bubbas-33-shatter-fundraising-and-awareness-goals-to-benefit-the-american-tinnitus-association-and-its-mission-to-transform-tinnitus-care-302076405.html SOURCE American Tinnitus Association New partnership with Uwill allows students across the country to access online counseling and wellness programs free of charge NATICK, Mass. , Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The University of Alabama Online has partnered with Uwill , the leading mental health and wellness solution for colleges and students, to provide mental health support for online students across all 50 states. "The University of Alabama wants to ensure that all students have the support they need to be successful," said Dr. Amanda Ingram , executive director of Online and Continuing Education. "Adding Uwill's mental health and wellness solution allows our online students from across the country to connect with a trained mental health professional if they need help." Uwill's proprietary technology offers UA Online students immediate appointments with licensed mental health counselors based on student needs and preferences. UA Online adds Uwill in an effort to continue to support the mental health of online students, as well as their military population. Further, this addition comes in the wake of Uwill's recent exclusive partnership with the Online Learning Consortium, paving the way for online schools and programs to further support the mental health of their students, wherever they are located. "Success for all students is rooted in mental resilience and the ability to work through difficult situations, especially in the evolving world of technology," said Michael London , Founder and CEO of Uwill. "Uwill is honored to be supporting students to help empower them to succeed in the online space." Utilizing its proprietary technology and counselor team, Uwill pioneered the first student and therapist matching platform. The solution offers an immediate appointment with a licensed counselor based on student preferences by video, phone, chat or message, as well as a direct crisis connection, wellness events, realtime data, and support. About Uwill Uwill is the leading mental health and wellness solution for colleges and students. The most cost-effective way to expand and enhance a college's mental health offerings, Uwill partners with 300+ institutions including Babson College, University of Michigan, Columbus State Community College, and University of Maryland, College Park. Uwill is also the teletherapy education partner for NASPA and the Online Learning Consortium. For more information, visit uwill.com. About The University of Alabama Online Through innovative and flexible formats, The University of Alabama Online provides diverse and convenient academic programs to learners across the country pursuing educational goals and personal development. With more than 100 degree and certificate programs, UA Online is proud to have students expanding their knowledge in areas such as business, communications and information sciences, community health sciences, education, engineering, human environmental sciences, nursing, social work and more. Visit at online.ua.edu . Contact: Brett Silk [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/university-of-alabama-online-adds-student-mental-health-and-wellness-support-302075078.html SOURCE Uwill, Inc The Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Bahrain Section honoured Faisal Al Mahroos, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Bapco Upstream, for being one of the founders of the International Petroleum Technology Conference (IPTC). "Al Mahroos is a leading figure in the oil and gas industry. His dedication and contributions span over decades and have been invaluable to the industry in Bahrain, the Mena region and the Eastern Hemisphere," SPE said in a statement. Al Mahroos is a recipient of many awards at local, regional, and global arenas. The IPTC was launched back in 2005 to provide a separate event for industry professionals in the Eastern Hemisphere. Along with founders Nasser Al Jaidah, Mahmood Abdul Albaqi, and Dr Pinar Yilmaz, Al Mahroos recognised the importance of creating a platform for collaboration and knowledge exchange in petroleum technology, setting a new standard for inclusivity and collaboration, while fostering innovation and networking among global professionals. "His relentless efforts are truly commendable and will undoubtedly resonate with the oil and gas industry for generations to come," SPE said.--OGN/TradeArabia News Service The tail has been a very useful tool since the first animals appeared, more than 500 million years ago. Fish have used it to propel themselves through the water, dinosaurs balanced with them and scorpions use them as a weapon. Closer to our species, 25 million years ago, ancestral primates used them as another limb, to cling to the branches of the trees where they lived, just as New World monkeys do now. But something happened then that made that useful appendage disappear from our evolutionary branch. Neither chimpanzees nor orangutans nor monogamous gibbons have tails. Neither do humans, at least as adults. Humans have tails, but only for a brief moment, between the first and second month of gestation. For a few weeks, you can see the tail, as a reminder of the lineage we share with the countless beings who walked and still walk with that extension attached to their behinds. Then, genetic programming does its work and the tail gets concentrated into the three to five fused vertebrae that form the tailbone. This change has been associated with greater ease in walking upright, coming down from the trees, freeing our hands and thus allowing us to create the technology that characterizes our species. However, until recently, no plausible genetic mechanism had been proposed to explain such a relevant change. On Wednesday, the journal Nature published a study led by researchers from New York University, in which the authors identify a genetic change that would explain the loss of the tail. To find this modification, the researchers compared the DNA of several species of tailed monkeys with that of apes, looking for genetic variants that the latter share and the former lack. They identified the TBXT gene, which is essential in embryonic development and which, in many primates, regulates tail formation. The change in the gene that we observed is that a short jumping gene a fragment of DNA known as an Alu sequence landed in a non-coding part of a gene, explains Itai Yanai, the main author of the study. There, its proximity to another Alu element changed the activity of the TBXT gene, which began to produce a different protein than the one that usually makes the tail grow. To test their theory, which they had previously presented in an unreviewed publication, the New York team, led by Bo Xia, modified mice to express different forms of the TBXT gene. When they produced the variant of the protein that in humans, gorillas or chimpanzees is generated by the effect of the jumping gene, the mice lost their tails or developed a short tail. It is surprising that such a large anatomical change can be caused by such a small genetic change, says Yanai. In addition to the loss of the tail, the scientists observed that mice that expressed that protein were more likely to suffer from developmental defects such as spina bifida. This group of malformations, known as neural tube defects, occur in one in every thousand births. This suggests that the evolutionary pressure to lose our tail was so great that, despite creating the possibility of these diseases, we still lost our tail, says Yanai, who speculates that, since having a tail is something so basic to vertebrates, eliminating it with a single mutation may have caused the observed defects. A capuchin monkey using a rock to break a shell. Tiago Falotico Although the results offer an explanation for such a characteristic trait of humans and their closest relatives, the authors recognize that other genetic changes may have served to stabilize this development. Furthermore, the loss of the tail or the reduction in its size has occurred several times in the evolution of primates, as attested by slow lorises, mandrills and Barbary macaques. The availability of genetic sequences from more primate species may help understand these processes of convergent evolution in which the same trait appeared at different times among animals with different ecological pressures and, perhaps, by different genetic mechanisms. In a commentary on the study also published in Nature, Miriam Konkel, from Clemson University, and Emily Casanova, from Loyola University, both in the United States, recall that, although some researchers are of the view that the loss of the tail may offer evolutionary advantages, such as greater ease walking upright, there are indications that having a tail does not prevent bipedal locomotion and may even favor it. As an example, the researchers highlight the case of capuchin monkeys, which use their tail to maintain balance when carrying stone tools with their hands. Although humans typically carry loads by standing upright, robotics research suggests that a tail mounted around the waist can increase stability, they say. That would make it possible for a tail to offer adaptive advantages for modern humans, and would keep the loss of the appendage that our animal family suffered 25 million years ago a mystery. EXETER, N.H. , Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Vapotherm, Inc. (OTCQX: VAPO), ("Vapotherm" or the "Company"), a global medical technology company specializing in the development and commercialization of its proprietary Vapotherm high-velocity therapy products for patients of all ages experiencing respiratory distress, is pleased to announce the regulatory approval of the HVT 2.0 system in Brazil . The therapeutic respiratory devices market in Brazil , valued at USD 302.4 million in 2022, is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 6.5% from 2023 to 2030.1 With approximately 8 million cases of COPD and a growing aging population, there is an increasing demand for respiratory devices in the country. COPD stands as a significant health concern in Brazil , ranking sixth leading cause of death.2 Joe Army, Vapotherm's President and Chief Executive Officer expressed his optimism, stating, "I'm excited about emerging market growth for Vapotherm. In the third quarter of 2023, we posted 25% global capital equipment revenue growth compared to the third quarter of 2022, partly driven by sales in Brazil . With the approval and subsequent launch of HVT 2.0 in Brazil , we look forward to establishing ourselves as a frontline solution in Latin America ." The mobility of the HVT 2.0 platform, ease of use, multi-functionality, and the upgraded design which freed the device from requiring an external source of compressed air makes HVT 2.0 an ideal respiratory support device for care of patients ranging from pediatric to the elderly. These features facilitate optimal patient care in the most advanced hospitals as well as resource constrained environments. With the approval of the new system in Brazil , Vapotherm is launching a new Portuguese website and social media campaign. The Company attended in the XXVIII Brazilian Congress of Intensive Care Medicine, the largest event of its kind in Latin America , to collaborate with approximately three thousand clinicians. About Vapotherm Vapotherm, Inc. (OTCQX: VAPO) is a publicly traded developer and manufacturer of advanced respiratory technology based in Exeter, New Hampshire , USA. The Company develops innovative, comfortable, non-invasive technologies for respiratory support of patients with chronic or acute breathing disorders. Over 4.2 million patients have been treated with the use of Vapotherm high velocity therapy systems. For more information, visit www.vapotherm.com. Vapotherm high velocity therapy is mask-free non-invasive respiratory support and is a front-line tool for relieving respiratory distressincluding hypercapnia, hypoxemia, and dyspnea. It allows for the fast, safe treatment of undifferentiated respiratory distress with one tool. The HVT 2.0 and Precision Flow systems' mask-free interface delivers optimally conditioned breathing gases, making it comfortable for patients and reducing the risks and care complexities associated with mask therapies. While being treated, patients can talk, eat, drink and take oral medication. Legal Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements about the Company's business and growth prospects in Brazil . In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terms such as "expect," "anticipate," "continue," "plan," "intend," "will," or "typically," or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words, and the use of future dates. Each forward-looking statement is subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statement. Applicable risks and uncertainties include the failure of the Company's products to achieve market acceptance or significant market growth in Brazil and the other risks and uncertainties included under the heading "Risk Factors" in Vapotherm's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023 , as filed with the SEC on February 22, 2024 , and in its subsequent filings with the SEC. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release reflect Vapotherm's views as of the date hereof, and Vapotherm does not assume and specifically disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Investor Relations Contacts: John Landry , SVP & CFO, [email protected], +1 (603) 658-0011 http://investors.vapotherm.com/ 1 https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/brazil-therapeutic-respiratory-devices-market-report 2 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17416152/ View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vapotherms-hvt-2-0-system-overcomes-regulatory-hurdles-for-entry-into-south-americas-largest-health-care-market-302074566.html SOURCE Vapotherm, Inc. Steps to take after being injured in a crash by a driver who leaves the scene says The Stoddard Firm ATLANTA , Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Hit-and-run motor vehicle accidents are not uncommon in Georgia . Every year pedestrians, bicyclists, and occupants of other cars are injured or killed in the state in these dangerous crashes. Drivers who cause them can be held responsible when they can be located. "It is not only morally wrong but also illegal to flee an injury accident, yet it happens all the time," said Attorney Matthew Stoddard, owner of The Stoddard Firm. "Hit-and-run drivers who cause injuries may be subject to criminal prosecution and be sued by injured parties." A successful outcome in a personal injury lawsuit requires strong evidence of negligence and fault. When a driver has left the crash site, it makes it much more difficult to gather this evidence. There are steps that accident victims can take to help ensure that the driver who injured them is held accountable. After checking for injuries and calling for emergency responders if needed, accident victims should do the following to help their claims: Write down every detail they remember about the driver and car. Provide officers with car and driver details for the police report. Get contact information from eyewitnesses. Take photographs and/or video of the accident scene and all vehicles. See their doctors and keep copies of medical records and bills. Reach out to a car accident attorney for legal assistance. "An attorney who is experienced in handling hit-and-run cases will work with accident investigators and police to try and find the driver," said Stoddard. "Once the driver is identified, they will build a claim for damages that could include payment for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. If the driver cannot be found, the attorney can provide advice about other potential options for receiving compensation for injuries and property damage." About The Stoddard Firm The Stoddard Firm focuses on resolving complex personal injury and wrongful death claims arising from motor vehicle accidents, property injuries, and defective consumer products. It is highly successful at achieving winning outcomes for clients in hit-and-run crashes and other motor vehicle accident cases. A graduate of University of Georgia School of Law, Matthew Stoddard has tried numerous high-profile injury matters in the state and has been featured on Courtroom View Network and in other media. This press release was issued through 24-7PressRelease.com. For further information, visit http://www.24-7pressrelease.com. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/what-to-do-after-a-hit-and-run-in-georgia-302069146.html SOURCE The Stoddard Firm FILE PHOTO: The logo of Anheuser-Busch InBev is pictured outside the brewer's headquarters in Leuven, Belgium February 28, 2019. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir/File Photo (Reuters) - Anheuser-Busch Inbev and the Teamsters union said on Wednesday they have reached a 5-year tentative agreement that would avert a strike at the world's largest brewer's U.S. facilities. Union members will receive wage increases of $8/hour, including an immediate $4/hour raise in the first year, along with a $2,500 ratification bonus for all members as part of the agreement, Teamsters said in a statement. The tentative agreement also includes improved wages and better health care and retirement benefits, it said, adding that the ratification vote is expected next week. The agreement covers 5,000 Teamsters members working at Anheuser-Busch breweries across the United States and averts a strike that was supposed to be held on Thursday, when the existing agreement was set to expire. The union said in December that 99% of its members had voted to authorize a strike at Anheuser-Busch's U.S. breweries. (Reporting by Utkarsh Shetti in Bengaluru; Editing by Varun H K) DAKAR (Reuters) - About 20 migrants died this week when their boat capsized off the coast of northern Senegal, Prime Minister Amadou Ba said on Thursday. The migrant support service Alarm Phone said on X that the boat had been carrying around 300 people before it capsized on Wednesday near the city of Saint-Louis, and that some made it to shore while others were still missing. Thousands of people leave the coast of West Africa every year on a perilous journey to try to reach Europe, and the full number of deaths at sea is unknown. Senegal mourned several deadly incidents last year, including one in which around 60 people were missing after their boat was found drifting near Cape Verde. Traffic on the route increased last year. Between January and December 2023, 39,910 migrants reached Spain's Canary Islands irregularly after crossing by boat from West Africa, an increase of 155% compared to 2022, said the International Organization for Migration (IOM). (Reporting by Bate Felix, writing by Nellie Peyton; Editing by Aurora Ellis) FILE PHOTO: A person uses a fuel nozzle to fuel up a car at a petrol station in Vienna, Austria March 18, 2022. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger/File Photo By Anjana Anil (Reuters) - The Middle East conflict is unlikely to move the needle much in oil markets this year with ample global supplies reining prices in around the current $80 a barrel level, a Reuters poll showed on Thursday. A survey of 40 economists and analysts forecast Brent crude would average $81.13 per barrel in 2024, slightly down from the $81.44 consensus in January. U.S. crude forecasts were cut to $76.54 a barrel, from $77.26 last month. "Disruption in the Red Sea has less impact because there are alternative routes available," said John Paisie, president of Stratas Advisors, referring to attacks on shipping by Yemen's Houthis. "It is unlikely that the volumes of oils being shipped will be materially impacted, and supply/demand fundamentals will be a more important factor as we move into Q2 and Q3," he added. Wall Street bank Goldman Sachs forecast a summer Brent peak of $87 per barrel, noting that the geopolitical risk premium remains modest, with only a $2 per barrel boost to Brent, and crude production remaining unaffected. "Spare capacity has reached a multi-year high, which will keep overall market sentiment under pressure over the coming months," said Florian Grunberger, senior analyst at data and analytics firm Kpler. The largest OPEC producers and some of their allies - a group known as OPEC+ - have the capacity to pump more oil as a consequence of decisions to curb output. "It is not until larger voluntary cuts get released back into the market during the summer months, once global balances tighten, that we'll see a potential decline in spare capacity and a change in overall sentiment," Grunberger said. OPEC+ in November agreed to voluntary output cuts totalling about 2.2 million bpd for the first quarter. The group is expected to announce a decision in March on whether or not it will extend these cuts to bolster prices. The International Energy Agency estimates that OPEC's total spare capacity is 5.1 million barrels per day (bpd), of which 3.2 million bpd is held by Saudi Arabia. "Production cuts have supported oil prices, but some members appear increasingly eager to increase output," said William Weatherburn, analyst at Capital Economics. "OPEC's own forecasts for oil demand are fairly robust, and this may be used to justify a slight increase in output in second quarter," he added. Most analysts expect global oil demand to grow by somewhere between 1 million and 1.5 million bpd in 2024. (Reporting by Anjana Anil and Swati Verma in Bengaluru; Additional reporting by Harshit Verma; Editing by Noah Browning and Jan Harvey) BEIJING (Reuters) - Australia has invited Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to visit in the later part of March for discussions spanning trade, security and more, the South China Morning Post reported on Thursday citing sources. Talks were expected to revolve around bilateral trade, Australia's AUKUS security alliance with the United States and Britain, a new science and technology agreement and Australian writer Yang Hengjun's sentencing, the report said. Australia's foreign minister, Penny Wong, had issued a formal invitation to Wang, who is expected to spend a day in Canberra and another day in Sydney, SCMP said. The visit would be Wang's first since 2017, and a few months following Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's visit to China in November that helped ease tensions in bilateral relations. A spokesperson for Australia's foreign ministry said: "Any visits by senior officials of foreign governments will be announced at the appropriate time." China's foreign ministry does not have any information to offer at the moment about a visit, its spokesperson told reporters at a regular briefing. (Reporting by Liz Lee in Beijing; Additional reporting by Renju Jose in Sydney, and Antoni Slodkowski; Editing by Lincoln Feast and Himani Sarkar) By Cordelia Hsu SYDNEY (Reuters) -As Australia's scorching summer heat intensifies, a team of researchers has launched an initiative to protect one of the country's most vulnerable demographics: the homeless. Australia's first mobile cooling hubs are set up on hot days in city parks close to where homeless communities gather and provide food, fans, cold water and a space to chat. Temperatures soared as high as 39 degrees Celsius (102.2F) in parts of Sydney on Thursday. But in the shade of white tents, locals sat on rows of seats facing large industrial fans as they nibbled snacks and chatted. Some days food trucks will set up nearby. For those like Alan Patrick Mcleod, who has been homeless for over a year, the hubs are a godsend. "Feels kinda like Im just at the beach more or less... Im relaxed and all of a sudden were water fighting. Its a beautiful place, very beautiful." Social housing resident Adam Abbi had nowhere to go while his home was being repaired and promised alternative accommodation fell through, so he came down to the hub with his dog. "Im so happy and grateful I cant tell you. I dont mind being hot...you just sit there and sweat for no reason, but she needs, shes 17, she needs to be comfortable and cool," Abbi said referring to his dog. Heatwaves kill more people than any other natural-disaster but people are rarely aware of how deadly hot days can be, according to Timothy English of the University of Sydney and the project's lead researcher. "I mean for an earthquake, for floods and things it's very vivid," he told Reuters. But I mean for heat ... it doesn't have that shock." The project is a collaboration between the University of Sydney, St Vincents Hospital Sydney, University of Technology Sydney, Queensland University of Technology, and the City of Sydney. (Writing by Lewis Jackson; Editing by Michael Perry) FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Joe Biden looks on before speaking during a roundtable discussion on public safety at the State Dining Room at the White House in Washington, U.S., February 28, 2024. REUTERS/Tom Brenner/File Photo WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden discussed the "tragic and alarming incident" in northern Gaza on Thursday with the leaders of Egypt and Qatar, as well as ways to secure the release of Hamas hostages and a six-week ceasefire, the White House said. Gaza health authorities said more than 100 Palestinians had been shot dead by Israeli forces as they waited for a food aid delivery, but Israel challenged the death toll and said many of the victims had been run over by aid trucks. In separate calls, Biden discussed the deadly incident in northern Gaza with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi and Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani The leaders "grieved the loss of civilian lives and agreed that this incident underscored the urgency of bringing negotiations to a close as soon as possible and expanding the flow of humanitarian assistance into Gaza," the White House said. At least 112 people were killed and more than 280 wounded in the incident near Gaza City, Palestinian health officials said, as the Palestinian death toll in nearly five months of war passed 30,000. Israel disputed the account provided by Gaza health officials. Biden and the two leaders also underscored that the release of the remaining hostages, who were seized by Hamas militants in their Oct. 7 attack on Israel, would result in an immediate and sustained ceasefire in Gaza over a period of at least six weeks, the White House said. They also discussed how a ceasefire could help them surge humanitarian aid into the small seaside enclave, whose 2.3 million population is facing acute food shortages and other perils. (Reporting by Katharine Jackson; writing by Paul Grant; Editing by Doina Chiacu) COPENHAGEN (Reuters) -A British hedge fund trader on Thursday confessed in a Copenhagen court to helping defraud Danish tax authorities of around 8.4 billion Danish crowns ($1.22 billion) in a so-called "cum-ex" tax fraud scheme, broadcaster DR reported. Anthony Mark Patterson confessed to having contributed to nearly 3,000 trades that the prosecutor alleges were fraudulent, and to attempted fraud worth around 500 million crowns, the broadcaster said. Patterson is charged with participating in a scheme in which the Danish state lost more than 9 billion crowns between 2012 and 2015. The "cum-ex" schemes, which flourished after the 2008 global financial crisis, involved banks and investors swiftly dealing shares around dividend payout days, blurring stock ownership and allowing multiple parties to claim tax rebates in several countries including Germany and Belgium. Prosecutor Marie Tullin told the court that the fraud happened via tax refunds to U.S. pension plans that were not eligible to pay dividend tax in Denmark. She said nearly all of the tax refunds ended up with Solo Capital Partners, a London-based hedge fund founded by the main suspect Sanjay Shah, and claimed that the defendants never actually owned the shares. Patterson's defence lawyer Henrik Stagetorn told the court that his client had received 100 million crowns for his role in the trading scheme, DR reported. Stagetorn in mid-February said Patterson had planned to confess. Patterson had initially denied wrongdoing. Shah, whose hearings are due to begin on March 11, was also present at the court on Thursday, Ritzau news agency reported. Shah was extradited to Denmark from Dubai in early December and is still held in detention. He denies wrongdoing. ($1 = 6.8727 Danish crowns) (Reporting by Jacob Gronholt-Pedersen and Louise Breusch Rasmussen; Editing by Mark Potter and Sharon Singleton) OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada will reinstate some visa requirements for Mexican nationals from Thursday to stem the flow of asylum seekers from the Latin American country, the Canadian immigration ministry said. Mexican citizens who do not hold a U.S. visa or have not had a Canadian visa in the past 10 years will need to apply for a visitor visa before coming to Canada, the immigration ministry said in a statement. Those with a valid U.S. visa or who had a Canadian visa in the past decade will need to apply for an electronic travel authorization to travel to Canada by air. The requirements will relieve pressure on Canada's borders, immigration system, housing and social services, the immigration ministry said. The Mexican government has said that there were alternative measures that could have been put in place and that it "reserves the right to act in reciprocity." Immigration Minister Marc Miller, speaking to reporters in Ottawa, said he had not received any indication from Mexico. "Mexico, as a sovereign country, is allowed to take the measures that it wants to take ... however, I have not had any indication that they will be reacting on their end," Miller said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal government is coming under pressure for its immigration policies because they have exacerbated a housing crunch, and because some services provided by the provinces, like education and healthcare, are struggling to keep up with population growth. Thursday's announcement comes less than two months after the premier of Quebec, the second most populous of Canada's 10 provinces, urged Ottawa to stem the flow of refugees and to compensate the province for costs. Asylum claims made by Mexican citizens reached a record high in 2023 and accounted for 17% of all claims made in the year from around the world, according to the immigration ministry. (Reporting by Ismail Shakil and David Ljunggren in Ottawa and Kylie Madry in Mexico City) Biologist Bart De Strooper, one of the worlds leading experts on dementia, makes a grim prognosis. If humanity does not create an effective treatment against Alzheimers soon, very soon, the future will be a disaster. An international consortium has estimated that the number of people with dementia will triple in the next quarter-century, exceeding 150 million. Who will take care of them? asks De Strooper, who was born in the Belgian town of Tielt. The German psychiatrist Alois Alzheimer described the first case of the disease that bears his name in 1906. More than a century later, the scientific community still does not understand the exact mechanisms of dementia. Almost three decades ago, De Strooper discovered a form of molecular scissors that gives rise to amyloid, the protein substance that builds up in the brain, which has historically been blamed for Alzheimers. But the Belgian scientist from the Leuven Center for Brain and Disease Research argues that amyloid is rather a trigger, causing an inflammatory reaction in brain cells. Once started, this reaction is unstoppable, says the biologist, which is why the new drugs that eliminate amyloid fail to prevent dementia. De Stroopers laboratory has just created mice with 100,000 human neurons embedded in their brains, in order to illuminate the enigmas of the disease. At 64 years of age, the researcher still runs nine miles, but he stresses that exercise is not a miracle treatment: two out of every three cases of Alzheimers depend on the genetic lottery. Question. Your mice with 100,000 human neurons obviously do not have a human gaze. Answer. No, absolutely not. People fantasize, but these mice basically look normal. A human brain has about 100 billion neurons, so 100,000 cells is not going to make anything which comes even close to it. Q. But a mouse only has 70 million neurons in its brain. So 100,000 human neurons is something. A. Yes, but lets think about a country of 70 million people and a small city of 100,000 inhabitants. Thats not going to have a big impact. A few integrate into the brain, but they just act like mouse neurons. Other human neurons form a small clump, somewhat isolated from the rest of the brain. It is as if you make a network of computers and they are all from Apple, but you put another one from Hewlett Packard in the middle. The result will be the same. Its nothing spectacular. But the science we can do is spectacular, because in these mice we can make amyloid plaques, like in Alzheimers. Mouse neurons do not react a lot, but human neurons develop the whole pathology of Alzheimers until they die. It is a fantastic model. The problem is that the brain of a mouse is like this [he makes the gesture of picking up a pea with two fingers] and the brain of a human is like that [he uses both hands to lift an imaginary brain]. So, of course, its not a perfect model. The cancer field is decades ahead of us, because it receives much more funding. They have specific drugs against this necroptosis [cell death with inflammation] and we are testing them in our mice. Q. Do they work? A. We will know in a year. We need to wait and then we will open the brain. If it works, its probably going to be a pill. Its important for people to realize the complexity: we have the anti-amyloid drug and we have this potential of protecting neurons where they are dying. The big question is: will it be enough? We have a preliminary study that shows a slight effect on maintaining memory in these mice. Its not spectacular, but a slight effect is good news. Q. Do you think human neurons should be introduced into monkeys? A. Good question. When we talk about animal experiments, its like all animals are the same and we dont care. A mouse has a stringent regulation which I think is ridiculous when you put it into perspective. If a restaurant has mice in the cellar, they are killed. There is no ethical question. On the other hand, when we do an experiment on a mouse, minimizing suffering, we have to do a pile of paperwork. We need to have reasonable rethink about this regulation. Monkeys are closer to humans and I think the legislation should be more stringent. At the moment, I think I can answer most of my problems with this humanized mouse model, so Im not going to use monkeys. But in other types of experiments we will need to use monkeys. If it is not in Europe, I will have to move outside Europe. Biologist Bart De Strooper. Alvaro Garcia Q. What kind of experiments? A. Well, we have developed an antisense oligonucleotide [a kind of genetic band-aid] to treat a specific mutation in Alzheimers disease. It works in patient cells in the laboratory and we are starting to get information that it works in our mouse. But we cannot inject these oligonucleotides into a human being without having first tested it in a species which is close to us. Q. Will you have to do it in China? A. Theres still monkey experiments in Europe, so I hope we can do them here. That is the conundrum. If you do them in Europe, you determine the conditions. However, if you ban them here, they will still continue in China, Japan and the United States, and you will no longer have a say in the matter. And if they find a drug against Alzheimers in the United States or China, thanks to experiments on animals that you have banned, what hypocrisy would it be to allow those drugs to come to Europe to treat our Alzheimers patients! The animal activists argument is that we dont need animal experiments anymore. There is nothing further from the truth. One day I spoke on the radio and received a wave of hate on social media, they told me that what I was doing was absolutely unethical and that I should do experiments on my kids. I wonder what they do when a restaurant owner kills a mouse. The attacks were completely out-of-line. The day may come when it will be possible to perform neuron transplants in people with dementia. Q. There are surely scientists in China who are already thinking about putting human neurons in the brain of a monkey. A. Maybe, but its not so easy. And we inject human neurons in a mouse to bring it closer to humans. The monkey brain is already much more similar to the human one, I see no reason to humanize it, taking into account the difficulties. I dont think they will do that. We do these experiments to understand the disease. And they have changed my mind about therapies. The day may come when it will be possible to do neural transplants in people with dementia. Once you have dementia, its too late to cure the neurons, but if you can replace some of the ones that have disappeared, you might be able to restore your cognitive abilities. Thats what weve seen in mice. Q. A transplant of neurons from another person? A. No, from yourself. You take a skin or blood cell. You make a stem cell [capable of becoming any type of cell in the body] from it. You differentiate that to a neuronal precursor and transplant it in the brain. There it grows, it makes connections and it restores the circuitry and thinking. Thats the theory. In Parkinsons, there are already clinical experiments underway: transplants of neurons in the substantia nigra [a region of the brain stem implicated in Parkinsons]. I never thought it would be possible in Alzheimers, because it is a diffuse disease, while Parkinsons has a very specific goal to restore. However, it has now been shown that these neurons can integrate in the circuitry of the brain, especially with the experiments of my colleague Pierre Vanderhaeghen. Theoretically it is possible to treat patients with their own neurons. You could transplant your own neurons into your brain. Q. The technical name of your animals is human-mouse chimera. Chimeras were monsters from ancient myths. What would you say to people who think you are creating monsters? A. I would ask them to look at what we are doing. This is not Frankenstein, we are simply trying to understand the disease, not make better or different things. Its about understanding how human neurons get sick and seeing what we can do to prevent it. If you want to say thats a monster, thats your way of thinking. I dont oblige you to do the experiments and I also dont oblige you to take any medication that may come out of this research. Q. You are 64 years old. Do you think you will live to see an effective treatment for Alzheimer's? A. Without a doubt. We already have the first effective treatments authorized in the United States, but I dont know if they will be approved in Europe, because they are quite expensive and the results are not magical. Q. Are you referring to lecanemab, a treatment from the Japanese pharmaceutical company Eisai and the American company Biogen, which eliminates amyloid and delays cognitive decline by 27%? A. Yes, to lecanemab and donanemab [another similar treatment, from the U.S. pharmaceutical company Lilly, which delays cognitive deterioration by 35%], which will be authorized soon. Q. And what do you think of aducanumab, the first treatment against amyloid, from Biogen, which was controversly approved in the United States in 2021? A. Aducanumab has now been abandoned. The clinical trial was very badly done, its results were not convincing and they have never gotten away from that stigma. They used lobbying to get the drug approved. There were also a lot of other mistakes. I think they were very arrogant to ask in the beginning for $50,000 for each treatment. The other two drugs do have an impeccable drug report. There are side effects, but they are known risks. The results are not spectacular either, but what do you want with the first drug? I was a doctor in Paris when AIDS came up and no one knew what to do. The first pills arrived and you had to take them four times a day to gain a week of life. Two decades later, AIDS has basically been cured. These first Alzheimers drugs are the beginning of a new era. And we need more incentives to find cheaper drugs that lower amyloid, even if we dont immediately see the slowing down of dementia. We need to give a carrot to the industry because billions of investment is needed to get such a drug. We need governments to promise that if a drug like this is available, they will approve it. That will accelerate research tremendously. Q. Does the idea of developing Alzheimers scare you? A. Yes, it scares me. My mother died from Alzheimer's. Q. What will happen if we dont discover an effective treatment in the next 30 years? A. It will be a disaster. Q. It is estimated that 150 million people will be living with dementia in 2050, almost triple the number now. A. It is a disaster worldwide, but lets look at our countries: Spain, Belgium, England, France. They have a very good health system and an aging population. Who is going to take care of all these people? We already need to take the best nurses and caregivers from poor countries to take care of our aging population. Triplicate that. I can only speak in terms of disaster if we dont get some treatment. Im 64, but Im still running 15 kilometers. Prevention is very important for dementia in general, but not so much for Alzheimers. Well need medication, something you can take when youre 60 that blocks the amyloid, to postpone the disease for five or six years, which would be perfect. Otherwise, I dont see how we will move forward as a society. Q. Is Alzheimers research underfunded? A. Its extremely underfunded. In Europe, its a disaster. I will never say that less money should go to cancer, I think it gets what it needs. What Im saying is that dementia should receive the same. Q. What is the difference between Alzheimer's funding and cancer funding? A. Cancer receives 15 times more, in money and in everything. There are about 55 million people with cancer in the world. And there are about 58 million with dementia. It is a problem of the same magnitude, but in the databases there are 4.5 million studies on cancer and barely 350,000 on neurodegeneration. About 15 times more. Q. A Spanish scientist, Pio del Rio Hortega, discovered microglia (the cells of the nervous system that defend it from attacks) in 1919. A. He is our Pope. Q. What is the role of microglia in Alzheimer's? A. It is crucial. Amyloid is a trigger, but then theres how microglia and other cell types may react to that trigger. Microglia see amyloid as a kind of infectious agent and fight against it. By doing so, there is inflammation, which is not very healthy for the brain. Microglia send signals to other cells: Come and help me! You get a chronic cellular reaction which, in my opinion, is initiated by the microglia. Its the central player. A large part of my research now focuses on microglia. I believe that we will discover drugs capable of attenuating this inflammation. Q. A Spanish scientist once argued that thinking that amyloid is responsible for Alzheimers is like arriving at a crime scene and believing that the blood committed the murder. What do you think? A. Maybe it was logical 10 or 15 years ago. I understand why the scientists is saying that, but it doesnt take genetics into account. Theres absolutely clear evidence that if you have a problem with amyloid, you can die. Its like arriving at a crime scene, seeing a gun, and coming to the conclusion that that gun is probably the cause. Q. Is amyloid the gun? A. Amyloid is the gun, yes. But it is more complex than a gun, because with a gun you shoot and the patient is dead. In real life, the amyloid is there and then theres a reaction, an inflammation. We need to avoid simplisms. It is a chronic disease, like cancer. The body, in youth, is able to maintain amyloid at healthy levels. In old age, our resistance decreases and this becomes a problem. It is a very slow disease. A study by the Alzheimers Association in the United States showed that, if we find a drug capable of delaying the onset of dementia by five years, you will keep the number of people with the disease at the number we have now. We could stabilize the problem, which would be great. Im optimistic. That is our first aim: to delay the disease for five years. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly on Thursday said the deaths of dozens of people waiting for an aid convoy in Gaza was "a nightmare" and called for an end to fighting in the enclave. Gaza health authorities said more than 100 Palestinians were shot dead by Israeli forces. Israel challenged the death toll and said many of the victims were run over by aid trucks. "When it comes to what happened in Gaza today ... I must say I think this is a nightmare," Joly told reporters in Ottawa. "We need to make sure that international aid is sent into Gaza and that people are protected when they go and get that aid." (Reporting by David Ljunggren, Editing by Franklin Paul) OTTAWA (Reuters) -Canada's government said on Thursday it would invest up to C$10.5 billion ($7.74 billion) savings it has gleaned from departmental expenditures into healthcare and housing over the next three years. The move is a first phase in repurposing some government spending that was announced in the 2023-24 budget. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal government is facing calls from the opposition to cut the budget deficit, and the central bank has also warned that any new spending could delay interest rate cuts. In the budget presented to the Parliament in April of last year, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said she would reduce government spending by $15.4 billion over the next five years. The C$10.5 billion is a part of a first phase of repurposing savings from government departments. The aim is to reinvest a total of C$15.8 billion in savings over 5 years, the Treasury Board said on Thursday, and an additional C$4.8 billion every year thereafter. ($1 = 1.3564 Canadian dollars) (Reporting by Promit MukherjeeEditing by Steve Scherer) N'DJAMENA (Reuters) -Chadian opposition politician Yaya Dillo was killed on Wednesday during an exchange of fire with security forces, state prosecutor Oumar Mahamat Kedelaye said on Thursday. Heavy gunfire was heard on Wednesday in the capital N'Djamena near the headquarters of Dillo's opposition party, a Reuters witness said. Several people had been killed in earlier clashes near Chad's internal security agency building. The violence flared amid tensions ahead of a presidential election set for May and June that could return the Central African state to constitutional rule three years after the military seized power. Calm had returned to the capital by Thursday morning and residents were going back to work, though internet access, which was blocked a day earlier, had still not been restored, the Reuters witness said. On Wednesday, the headquarters of the opposition Socialist Party Without Borders, led by Dillo, were cordoned off by security forces. But accounts of the incidents given by the government and the party differed. A government statement said the security agency was attacked by representatives of the party, resulting in several deaths. Detailing a separate incident, the government said a member of the party, Ahmed Torabi, had carried out an assassination attempt against the president of the Supreme Court, Samir Adam Annour. Torabi was arrested, it said. The opposition party's general secretary told Reuters the deaths near the security agency occurred when soldiers opened fire at a group of party members. He said Torabi had been shot dead on Tuesday and his body was deposited at the agency's headquarters. On Wednesday morning, party members and Torabi's relatives went to look for his body at the agency and soldiers shot at them, which resulted in multiple deaths, the general secretary said. Chad's Supreme Court in December approved the vote on a new constitution that critics say could help cement the power of junta leader Mahamat Idriss Deby. Deby's military government is one of several juntas currently ruling in West and Central Africa, where there have been eight coups since 2020, sparking concerns about a backslide from democracy in the region. (Reporting by Mahamat Ramadane; writing by Portia Crowe; editing by Alex Richardson, William Maclean and Mark Heinrich) FILE PHOTO: Models pose next to Chinese automobile manufacturer BYD's BYD SEAL during the Japan Mobility Show 2023 at Tokyo Big Sight in Tokyo, Japan, November 1, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/File Photo By Joe Cash BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese outbound foreign direct investment along the electric vehicle value chain likely set a new record in 2023, a report from Rhodium Group showed, as western economies step up scrutiny of China's production-focussed, debt driven development model. Growing alarm over Chinese industrial overcapacity flooding the European Union with cheap products, particularly electric vehicles, is opening a new front in the West's trade war with Beijing, which began with Washington's import tariffs in 2018. Chinese firms put $28.2 billion into EV-related industries last year, the report said, which falls short of the $29.7 billion spent in 2022 but does not include several big-ticket projects with no known price tag, such as BYD's Hungary plant and Gotion's 25% stake in a Slovakian battery producer. China could be churning out 10 million excess vehicles per year, advisory firm Automobility estimates - equivalent to two-thirds of all North American output in 2022. Brussels' trade policy is now also turning more protective against China. The 27-strong trade bloc in September launched a probe into whether China's automakers unfairly benefit from state subsidies. And in December, the White House unveiled plans to cut China from its battery supply chain. "These regulatory dynamics have spurred more investment by Chinese producers, who realise that an export-only strategy could create severe political push back in host economies and cut them out of lucrative markets," the research organisation said. South Korea and Morocco particularly stand to benefit, the report said, as both countries maintain a free trade agreement (FTA) with the U.S., the terms of which Chinese producers could use to circumvent some of the Biden administration's curbs on China-sourced critical minerals and battery components owing to preferential sourcing rules for FTA partners. "Chinese battery manufacturers are bringing more of the supply chain with them in their overseas expansion, likely in response to growing market demand and re-shoring pressures," Rhodium Group said. A slowdown in the world no.2 economy's own EV market was also spurring Chinese producers to up their investments overseas. At the same time, automakers in the EU and U.S. want battery makers to set up shop close to their plants to reduce transport costs and prevent supply chain disruptions, the report said. But Chinese policymakers must walk a delicate tightrope, the authors warn, to avoid "reverse tech transfer", given China's relative advantage in the sector and the overseas operations of Chinese producers threatening the profitability of EV and battery plants at home. Policymakers consider the industry key to staving off a structural economic slowdown. "Just like in other advanced economies, we could begin to witness a divergence between firm and government interests in China, as companies aim to grow their revenue and profits through overseas investment while the government tries to preserve investment at home," the report said. Rhodium is a New York-based research group known for its China coverage. (Reporting by Joe Cash; Editing by Sonali Paul) General view of the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God, where service for Alexei Navalny, the Russian opposition leader who died in a prison camp, is expected to be held, in Moscow, Russia February 29, 2024. REUTERS/Stringer By Mark Trevelyan and Filipp Lebedev (Reuters) - Alexei Navalny was a Christian who condemned the invasion of Ukraine as a crazy enterprise built on lies. But the church that was designated to host his funeral has donated to the Russian army and enthusiastically advertised its backing for the war. Navalny, Russia's best known opposition politician, died suddenly on Feb. 16 in an Arctic penal colony where he was serving sentences totalling more than 30 years. The Kremlin rejects accusations by his family that it had him killed. After a week-long struggle by his elderly mother to obtain the release of his body, his supporters said this week that the funeral would take place on Friday at the "Quench my Sorrows" church near where Navalny once lived in southeast Moscow, followed by a burial at a cemetery close by. On Thursday the arrangements were thrown into question when Navalny's allies said attempts to hire a hearse to take his body to the service had been blocked by unknown individuals. A Reuters reporter observed a heavy police presence earlier in the day near the white onion-domed church, topped by golden crosses. Navalny's wife said this week she was unsure if the event would pass off peacefully or whether police would arrest supporters of her husband. Lawyers have advised those planning to attend to reduce the risk by not carrying banners, wearing tee shirts with slogans or yielding to any "provocations". If the funeral goes ahead, Navalny cannot expect a eulogy reflecting his years of opposition to President Vladimir Putin and fierce criticism of the invasion of Ukraine. Multiple posts on the church's social media platforms within the past two weeks make clear the support of its clergy and congregation for the war. In one video, a priest and another man are shown standing in front of a Niva SUV vehicle near the church. An unidentified male voice says it was bought with donated funds to help "our warriors" in Ukraine, and wishes them victory and a safe return. Another video, posted by the church's Sunday school, shows eight young girls - all but one of them wearing green army-style hats - performing on stage last week to mark "Defender of the Fatherland" day, a national holiday. They march on the spot as a military song plays from a speaker and people clap in unison. The Sunday school said children and their parents also made a trip on the eve of the military holiday to the main church of the armed forces, where they admired mosaics and stained glass windows commemorating historic Russian victories. Earlier posts reviewed by Reuters showed worshippers at the church have raised money to buy drones, thermal underwear and other items for Russian troops. Volunteers have woven camouflage nets and children have written letters of encouragement to soldiers - typical acts of support across Russia at a time when Putin is stressing the need for national unity and the Church has thrown its full backing behind the war. PRAYER FOR VICTORY The main priest at the Quench my Sorrows church is Anatoly Rodionov, 71, whose online biography says that as a young man he served as a lieutenant in the Soviet army. It was not clear if Rodionov himself would lead the service for Navalny, and repeated calls and messages to his mobile phone went unanswered on Thursday. Critics of the Orthodox Church hierarchy, which has introduced a special prayer for Russian victory in Ukraine and expelled priests who pray instead for peace, said Rodionov's church's activities suggested he was firmly on-message. At a Russian Orthodox funeral, mourners stand with candles near the coffin and a priest leads prayers and chanting. He may then sometimes deliver a sermon reflecting on the life of the person who has died, but this is not always the case. "I hope they will just pronounce the required liturgical texts and not say anything 'from themselves' over Alexei's grave," said Ksenia Luchenko, a religious commentator based in Germany. Navalny spoke at various times of his religious faith and one of his last legal battles from inside prison was for the right to have a Bible and book of psalms in his cell. "Most people are atheists, I myself was a militant atheist. But now I am a believer, and this helps me because everything becomes easier," he said during a 2021 trial hearing. "I ponder less, have fewer dilemmas - there is a book (the Bible) that clearly states what needs to be done in each situation. It's not always easy to follow, but generally speaking, I try." (Reporting by Mark Trevelyan in London and Filipp Lebedev in Tbilisi; writing by Mark Trevelyan; editing by Jonathan Oatis) KINSHASA (Reuters) - A prosecutor in the Democratic Republic of Congo said on Thursday that the death of a former minister and opposition party member last year has been ruled as suicide. The news of Cherubin Okende's death prompted small anti-government protests in Kinshasa last year, with demonstrators saying it was an assassination. A spokesperson for his party called Thursday's ruling "absurd". Okende, a former transport minister who was also a member of parliament and spokesman for the Ensemble pour la Republique party, was found dead in his car in July. "According to the results of the investigations, Cherubin Okende committed suicide," Firmin Mvonde Mambu, prosecutor general of the Court of Cassation in Kinshasa, said. Mvonde Mambu said Okende's office was searched and that he had written "I am at the end of my rope" in a diary three days before his death. An autopsy and examination of the weapon and vehicle also led to the conclusion, said Edmond Isofa Kanga, public prosecutor at the Kinshasa Gombe High Court, speaking at the same press conference. At the time, Mvonde Mambu told reporters that Okende had died by gunshot and that his body was found in a car, with the motor still running and a gun on the passenger's seat. Video shared on social media purported to show his body ridden with bullets. Reuters did not authenticate the video. The ruling on Thursday could stoke political tensions. Okende's party said at the time of his death that he had been kidnapped and murdered. "This is absurd, because it doesn't correspond to the facts as we know them," Herve Diakiese, a spokesperson for Ensemble party leader Moise Katumbi, told Reuters on Thursday after the ruling. "His body was found riddled with bullets, he was kidnapped in front of the Constitutional Court," Diakiese said. (Reporting by Ange Kasongo; additional reporting by Sonia Rolley; writing by Nellie Peyton; editing by Bate Felix and Andrew Heavens) (Reuters) - The death toll in a bus accident near the southern Malian town of Kenieba on Tuesday has risen to 40, Burkina Faso's government said in a statement Thursday, adding that its citizens were among the dead. Mali's transport ministry said on Tuesday that at least 31 people were killed when a bus bound for Burkina Faso plunged off a bridge over a river. (Reporting Anait Miridzhanian, Writing by Portia Crowe; Editing by Toby Chopra) Mar 1 (Reuters) - French journalist Antoine Galindo was released by Ethiopian police on Thursday after a week, his employer said. He was arrested last Thursday while on assignment in the country's capital Addis Ababa on charges of "conspiracy to create chaos". Galindo has left for France and is due to arrive on Friday, the publisher of Africa Intelligence, Quentin Botbol, said in an emailed statement. Human rights activists have repeatedly criticized Ethiopia's restrictions on press freedom, particularly in response to critical coverage of conflicts and security crises. The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists said at least eight Ethiopian journalists have been detained since August. Foreign journalists have been expelled from Ethiopia or denied accreditations to work in recent years, but the last to be arrested before Galindo were two Swedish journalists in 2011. (Reporting by Urvi Dugar and Akanksha Khushi in Bengaluru; Editing by Bill Berkrot) Bulgarian border police cars drive past a fence at the border between Bulgaria and Turkey, near Kapitan Andreevo, Bulgaria, February 29, 2024. REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov KAPITAN ANDREEVO, Bulgaria (Reuters) - The European Union's border agency Frontex said on Thursday it will triple the number of its officers in Bulgaria from next month to help stem the amount of people crossing into the bloc from Turkey. The staffing boost comes as Bulgaria prepares to partially join Europe's open-travel Schengen Zone, a move which will scrap passport checks for people travelling between the country and that area by air and sea from March 31. Border checks for land travel will remain. The staffing boost would bring the number of officers working there to between 500-600, Frontex chief Hans Leijtens said, standing near the frontier's barbed wire-topped fence. "Bulgaria is a very important partner. Without Bulgaria we cannot protect our external borders," he added. Frontex said it recorded 380,000 irregular crossings across all borders into the European Union last year, the highest since 2016. Overall numbers are still way down from a peak in 2015 and 2016 which was fuelled by a rise in migrants fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East and Africa. (Reporting by Stoyan Nenov; Writing by Ivana Sekularac; Editing by Andrew Heavens) FILE PHOTO: An aerial view shows the bridge over the Dniester River leading to the breakaway region of Transdniestria, near the town of Vadul lui Voda, Moldova March 1, 2023. REUTERS/Fedja Grulovic/File Photo PARIS (Reuters) - European states are discussing how to strengthen military support to Moldova as it faces "increasingly aggressive destabilisation" efforts by Russia, France's deputy foreign ministry spokesperson said on Thursday. Christophe Lemoine said that the issue would be discussed among some European foreign and defence ministers at a meeting in Paris in the coming days that would also focus on strengthening support for Ukraine. The meeting, which European diplomats said could take place on March 7, was planned after a conference on Ukraine earlier this week. It aims to come up with concrete ideas on cyberdefence, weapons production, defending countries threatened by Russia, notably Moldova, protecting Ukraine's border with Belarus and demining operations. "Moldova is facing increasingly aggressive destabilisation attempts," Lemoine told reporters. "And the situation in Transdniestria is being followed with great attention here." Moldova's breakaway Transdniestria region asked Russia on Wednesday to help its economy withstand Moldovan "pressure", at a meeting of hundreds of officials dismissed by the pro-European Chisinau government as a propaganda event. (Reporting by John Irish; editing by GV De Clercq and Alex Richardson) Odysseus is shutting down. The long lunar night has reached the moons south pole and the space module launched by the private company Intuitive Machines has run out of power. Odie, as company employees fondly call the lander, represents the first American moon landing since the end of the Apollo program in 1972. In addition, it has made history by becoming the first device made by a private company to reach the Earths natural satellite. Although it has honored its name by having something of an eventful journey, the U.S. space agency NASA and the company both consider that the mission has been a success. Due to the fall it suffered during landing, Odysseus is going into slumber prematurely, but scientists still hope that they will be able to revive it in a few weeks. Officials for Intuitive Machines and NASA employees who worked on the mission took stock of the IM-1 mission on Wednesday at a news conference at the Johnson Space Center in Houston (Texas). Weve conducted a very successful mission to this point and we expect to go to the end of the mission as planned, said Steve Altemus, CEO of Intuitive Machines. Altemus insisted time and time again that the important thing about this mission was to reach the moon, achieve a soft landing although it was not that soft establish communication and carry out various tests. In his opinion, it has been an unqualified success. The company also noted that the deep space liquid methane and liquid oxygen propulsion system designed by themselves has been successfully tested in flight. Altemus downplayed the fact that the duration of the mission has been shortened by the lunar crash, and instead praised the resistance of the lander: What a magnificent job that lander did, to touch down on the surface of the moon, softly and safely, and return scientific data to NASA and our customers. Its just an incredible testament to how robust and, as someone said, beastly that little spacecraft is. We are very happy, he said enthusiastically as soon as the news conference began. The modules energy reserves lasted less than initially projected, but somewhat more than what was feared a couple of days ago. By Wednesday it was already running out of power. Altemus said they would put Odie to sleep and hope he wakes up in the next two or three weeks. This option is by no means guaranteed. The Japanese lander that reached the moon a few weeks ago and could not deploy its solar panels after crashing on its side still managed to generate energy last weekend. Odysseus is not especially designed to withstand the frigid temperatures of the long lunar night. Extreme cold could crack electronic components and kill the batteries. Mission director Tim Crain said its not clear whether Odysseus will wake up. Sue Lederer, a NASA scientist, was optimistic: He is a very feisty guy. I have confidence in Odie right now. Whether it wakes up or not, Intuitive Machines has achieved what no other company had achieved until now, despite some failed attempts. Altemus was especially jubilant about this point: What we have done in the process of this mission is that weve fundamentally changed the economics of landing on the moon. We have opened the door to a strong and prosperous lunar economy in the future. Its really a point in history that we should celebrate, as we move toward later missions around the moon. Altemus and mission director Crain, chief technology officer at Intuitive Machines, reviewed some of the setbacks that arose during the lunar journey, including the fact that the laser guidance for landing had been physically disabled, forcing engineers to use an alternative method that worked, but not completely. Odysseus missed the desired flat terrain by 1.5 kilometers and ended up at a higher elevation than anticipated. As a result, it descended too quickly and with a vertical and lateral displacement. It hit the ground harder than its legs could tolerate, Altemus explained. The lander momentarily remained upright, with the engine running, before slowly tipping over onto a gentle slope. This damaged or obstructed some of the antennas, which have been able to transmit less data than originally planned, but still allowed mechanisms to be tested. During the journey there were other failures and unforeseen events (up to 11 mission critical challenges have been reported) that the engineers solved as best they could. A soft landing on the moon is a great achievement, Joel Kearns, Deputy Associate Administrator for Exploration in NASAs Science Mission Directorate, said at the news conference. This mission is pioneering. It can be considered a flight test. Sue Lederer, a Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) project scientist at NASAs Johnson Center, said agency teams were still analyzing the data but were satisfied with what they were receiving. All payloads have achieved some level of their objectives. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson also called the mission a success, as all six of the space agencys experiments on the lander were still running Wednesday morning. There is a big difference between landing a crew and landing a bunch of instruments, he said at another event, according to statements reported by the Associated Press. NASA was Intuitive Machines main customer, with half of the 12 payloads carried by Odysseus. It has paid the company $118 million to take its work instruments to the moon: a stereoscopic camera to observe the plume of dust that rises during landing; a radio receiver to measure the effects of charged particles on radio signals; an experiment with autonomous navigation capabilities to support future surface and orbital operations; an array of eight retroreflectors that should serve as a permanent position marker on the Moon for decades; the Lidar-based descent and landing sensor that was used as an emergency, and a meter that uses radio waves to determine how much propellant fuel remains in the tanks in a low-gravity environment. By Zaheer Kachwala and Abhirup Roy (Reuters) -EV startup Fisker warned on Thursday it might not be able to continue as a going concern and its shares tumbled 35% after the stock market closed. Fisker said it would cut its workforce by about 15% and added it was in talks with a large automaker for a potential investment and joint development partnership. It did not disclose the name of the automaker or financials of the potential deal. The company has struggled to sell its flagship Ocean electric SUV after high interest rates have led to a slowdown in demand. Current resources were "insufficient" to cover the next 12 months, Fisker said. In addition to talks with the large automaker, Fisker said it was in talks with a debt holder about a potential investment. Fisker said it aims to deliver between 20,000 and 22,000 Ocean vehicles in 2024. Without additional financing, the company said it might be forced to reduce production of Ocean, decrease investments, scale back operations and cut jobs further. Fisker's commentary followed disappointing production forecasts from larger peers Rivian and Lucid as high borrowing costs have soured consumer sentiment and sharply slowed demand for EVs that are typically more expensive than gasoline-powered vehicles. "2023 was a challenging year for Fisker, including delays with suppliers and other issues that prevented us from delivering the Ocean SUV as quickly as we had expected," CEO Henrik Fisker said. The company has been grappling with delivering vehicles to customers. Though it made more than 10,000 vehicles in 2023 - less than a quarter of its initial forecast - it delivered only about 4,700. Last month, Fisker said it would add dealerships alongside its direct-to-consumer distribution model to expand its delivery network. So far, Fisker has signed 13 dealer partners across the U.S. and Europe. Fisker said its business plan was "highly dependent" on the successful transfer to the new dealer partner model this year. The company has been in talks with five automakers over a partnership to secure additional production capacity, Fisker told Reuters late last year. On Thursday, he said talks had narrowed down to one automaker and a deal would include joint development of one or more electric vehicle platforms, and North America manufacturing. Many traditional automakers have been laggards in the EV race and a deal with a startup will help them leapfrog into the market. "It saves time, saves cost and where we've been focusing on in talking to automakers is really to share the technology, the investments we've made," the company's finance chief Geeta Fisker said on the call. Last year, Fisker unveiled a $45,000 electric pickup, Alaska, and a smaller SUV, PEAR, priced at $29,990. But the projects depend on the partnership. "We are not planning to start external expenditure on our next projects until or we have a strategic partnership in place," Henrik Fisker said on a post-earnings call with analysts. On Thursday, Fisker reported preliminary revenue of $200.1 million for the fourth quarter, missing the average analyst estimate of $310.8 million, according to LSEG data. Net loss widened to $463.6 million from $170 million a year ago. (Reporting by Zaheer Kachwala in Bengaluru and Abhirup Roy in San Francisco; Editing by Shailesh Kuber, Maju Samuel and David Gregorio) Iranian men put campaign posters on a wall during the last day of election campaigning in Tehran, Iran, February 28, 2024. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS DUBAI (Reuters) - Iranians will vote in a parliamentary election on March 1 seen as a litmus test of the clerical establishment's popularity amid growing discontent over economic, political and social strains. Iran's clerical rulers are seeking a big turnout to shore up their legitimacy, damaged following months of mass protests ignited by the death in custody of a young woman in 2022. On the same day as the parliamentary vote, Iran holds elections to pick 88 members of a powerful clerical body known as the Assembly of Experts, which is tasked with appointing or dismissing the supreme leader. Following are some facts about Iran's elections process: * CANDIDATE VETTING - A record number of more than 15,000 candidates for the 290-strong parliament survived screening by the Guardian Council, almost 75% of total hopefuls originally registered to run, according to the interior ministry. The Council is a hardline body of clerics and jurists who assess commitment to Islam, belief in the system of religious law and in the Islamic Republic. - The hardline watchdog body has qualified 144 clerics of 510 hopefuls who had registered to run in the Assembly of Expert's vote. A current member of the elite body, pragmatist former President Hassan Rouhani, was barred from entering the race by the Guardian Council. * POLITICAL PARTIES, COALITIONS AND FACTIONS - Despite 103 national and provincial parties counted by the interior ministry, Iran lacks a tradition of disciplined party membership or detailed party platforms, and politics runs along factional lines. - Reformists, who were banished from the country's political mainstream after disputing the re-election of a hardline president in 2009, have backed no list of candidates in the contest for the parliament. Pro-reform candidates faced mass disqualification in the 2020 parliamentary vote. The reformists seek gradual change in the Islamic Republic rather than its downfall. But after years of failed attempts to increase political and social freedoms, their agenda was dismissed as inadequate by protesters in 2022. Months of haggling have produced several coalitions such as two main hardline groups, one conservative and one centrist, with some candidates backed by more than one group. - COALITION OF ISLAMIC REVOLUTION FORCES The biggest hardline group, comprising former members of the elite Revolutionary Guards and their affiliated Basij militia, as well as other loyalists of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is expected to maintain its dominance in parliament. It includes parties such as the Devotees and Path-seekers of the Islamic Revolution, the Front of Islamic Revolution Stability, Islamic Coalition Party and the Association of Combatant Clergy. - PEOPLE'S COALITION OF ISLAMIC REVOLUTION FORCES Seen as the extreme end of the Islamic fundamentalist camp, the group is affiliated to the most radical figures in the religious establishment based in the holy Shi'ite city of Qom. - UNITY COUNCIL These are conservatives, who label themselves "principle-oriented" politicians for their loyalty to the ideals of the Islamic Republic but differ from hardliners in being less hostile to the West. They have strong backing of bazaar merchants. - VOICE OF THE NATION Backed by some low-key moderate and centrist parties, this coalition has presented itself as the largest independent coalition but lacks the backing of reformists. The coalition has a list of candidates for Tehran's 30 seats. * THE VOTE AND THE RESULT - There are about 61 million eligible voters, who must be over 18 years, in the country of around 87 million people. - Ballots will mostly be counted manually, so the final result may not be announced for three days, although partial results may appear sooner. - Irans constitution mandates five reserved seats in parliament for religious minorities. * A NEW PARLIAMENT - Iran's parliament does not determine policy in areas such as foreign affairs and the nuclear agenda, which are determined by Khamenei. Hardliners are expected to maintain their dominance of parliament. (Editing by Parisa Hafezi, Editing by William Maclean) By Harold Isaac PORT-AU-PRINCE (Reuters) -A wave of panic swept through downtown Port-au-Prince on Thursday as violence and heavy gunfire broke out, in what a gang leader said was a demonstration against authorities. The armed clashes involving gangs, police and vigilantes took place on the same day Haiti's Prime Minister Ariel Henry arrived in Kenya for talks on the deployment of a multinational security mission in the country backed by the United Nations. By midday, most institutions and businesses in the city had closed and thousands of people were trying to flee the downtown area on foot or public transport, witnesses said. Special police units were deployed throughout the city and national police trade union SYNAPOHA said four officers had been killed, including a chief inspector. Haitian airline Sunrise Airways halted flights as violence flared, a company spokesperson said, adding shootouts near the capital's airport had put people in danger. "We have chosen to take our destiny in our own hands. The battle we are waging will not only topple the Ariel (Henry) government. It is a battle that will change the whole system," said former cop and gang leader Jimmy Cherizier, also known as Barbecue, in a video shared on social media. Henry, who came to power after the assassination of the country's last president in 2021, had pledged to step down by early February, but later said security must first be re-established in order to ensure free and fair elections. Violent gangs have since expanded their territory and are now estimated to control most of the capital. The U.N. estimates the conflict killed close to 5,000 people last year and has driven some 300,000 from their homes, while the fighting has blocked off access to food and medical services. A U.N. spokesperson on Thursday said five countries had formally notified the United Nations of their intent to contribute personnel to the international force, which Henry had urgently requested back in 2022. No numbers have yet been given for the potential force and a deployment date has yet to be announced. Henry, who has said security must be reestablished to hold fair elections, told regional leaders this week he would hold a vote by August 2025. (Reporting by Harold Isaac; Writing by Valentine Hilaire and Sarah Morland; Editing by Brendan O'Boyle and Stephen Coates) FILE PHOTO: A military vehicle maneuvres near the Israel-Gaza border, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Israel, February 28, 2024. REUTERS/Amir Cohen/File Photo By Nidal al-Mughrabi CAIRO (Reuters) -Health authorities in Gaza said on Thursday Israeli fire on people waiting for aid near Gaza City had killed 104 Palestinians and wounded 280, with one hospital saying it had received 10 bodies and dozens of injured patients. A spokesperson for Israel's military said there was no knowledge of shelling at that location. The military later said dozens of people were hurt as a result of pushing and trampling when aid trucks arrived in northern Gaza. An Israeli source said troops opened fire at "several people" in the crowd who posed a threat to them. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' office said he "condemned the ugly massacre conducted by the Israeli occupation army this morning against the people who waited for the aid trucks at the Nabulsi roundabout". Gaza Health Ministry spokesperson Ashraf al-Qidra said the incident took place at al-Nabusi roundabout west of Gaza City in the northern part of the enclave. Medical teams were unable to cope with the volume and severity of injuries from dozens of wounded people who arrived at al-Shifa hospital, Qidra said. The head of Kamal Adwan hospital in Gaza City, Hussam Abu Safieyah, said it had received 10 dead bodies and dozens of wounded patients from the incident west of the city. "We don't know how many there are in other hospitals," Safieyah told Reuters by phone. Hamas warned in a statement that the incident could lead to the failure of talks aimed at a deal on a truce and hostage release. "The negotiations conducted by the movement's leadership are not an open process at the expense of the blood of our people," it said, referring to Thursday's deaths and saying Israel would be responsible for any failure of the talks. VIDEOS SHOW BODIES IN TRUCKS The war in Gaza began when Hamas sent fighters into Israel on Oct. 7, killing around 1,200 people and seizing 253 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Gaza health authorities say 30,000 people have been confirmed killed in the enclave since then, with thousands of others believed buried under rubble. Videos posted on social media showed trucks carrying many dead bodies. Reuters verified the location of one video to al-Nabulsi roundabout that showed several men who were motionless, as well as several wounded people. Another video, which Reuters was unable to verify, showed bloodstained people being carried in a truck, medics treating people on a hospital floor, and bodies being wrapped in shrouds. "We don't want aid like this. We don't want aid and bullets together. There are many martyrs," one man was saying in a video. Referring to the incident, an Israeli military spokesperson said: "There is no knowledge of Israeli shelling in the area." (Reporting by Nidal Al-Mughrabi in Cairo; additional reporting by Dan Williams in Jerusalem; Writing by Nadine Awadallah and Angus McDowall; Editing by Toby Chopra and Timothy Heritage) MOSCOW (Reuters) -President Vladimir Putin delivered his annual state-of-the-nation address on Thursday to Russia's elite, updating them on the war in Ukraine, Moscow's nuclear capabilities, the Russian economy and relations with the West. The speech comes two weeks ahead of a presidential election in which Putin is expected to win another six-year term in a landslide. Here are highlights from his speech, which was delivered to members of both houses of parliament, state officials, military commanders and soldiers. WAR IN UKRAINE "Today, when our homeland is defending its sovereignty and security and protecting the lives of our fellow countrymen in Donbas and Novorossiya (regions of Ukraine that Russia claims to have annexed), the decisive role in this righteous struggle belongs to our citizens, our unity, devotion to our native country and responsibility for its fate... "We did not start this war in Donbas. As I have said many times, we will do everything to end it, to eradicate Nazism. To fulfill all the tasks of the special military operation. To protect the sovereignty and security of our citizens." "The combat capabilities of the armed forces have increased multifold. Our units firmly hold the initiative (in Ukraine). They are confidently advancing in a number of operational directions, liberating new territories." DIALOGUE WITH WASHINGTON "Russia is ready for dialogue with the United States of America on issues of strategic stability." "There have been more and more unsubstantiated accusations against Russia, for example that we are allegedly going to deploy nuclear weapons in space. Such innuendo, which is nothing but innuendo, is a ploy to draw us into negotiations on their terms, which are favourable only to the United States." "The words of today's American authorities about their alleged interest in negotiations with us on strategic stability issues are demagoguery... they simply want to show their citizens and everyone else that they still rule the world." NATO TROOPS TO UKRAINE, RUSSIAN WESTWARD BUILDUP "The West provoked the conflict in Ukraine, in the Middle East, in other regions of the world, and continues to lie, without any embarrassment, saying that Russia allegedly intends to attack Europe." "There has been talk about the possibility of sending NATO military contingents to Ukraine ... the consequences for possible interventionists will be ... tragic." "We also have weapons that can hit targets on their territory. All this really threatens a conflict with the use of nuclear weapons and the destruction of civilisation. Don't they get that?" "It is seriously necessary to strengthen the groupings (of troops) in the western strategic direction to neutralise the threats associated with the next expansion of NATO to the east: taking Sweden and Finland into the alliance." MISSILES, NUKES, ARMS RACE "Strategic nuclear forces are in a state of full readiness for guaranteed use." "The hypersonic dagger aircraft system has not only been put into service, but is also being used with high efficiency to hit particularly important targets in the course of the special military operation." "The hypersonic sea-based complex Zircon has also already been used in battle. The hypersonic units of the intercontinental range Avangard (and) the laser systems Peresvet are on combat duty. The tests of the Burevestnik unlimited-range cruise missile are being finalised. And the unmanned underwater vehicle Poseidon... The first mass-produced Sarmat heavy ballistic missiles have been delivered to the troops." "The West is trying to drag us into an arms race. They are trying to wear us down, to repeat the trick they succeeded (in pulling off) with the Soviet Union in the 1980s. "Therefore, our task is to develop the defence-industrial complex ... (and) the scientific, technological and industrial potential of the country." RUSSIA'S SYSTEM AND THE WEST "Russia's political system is one of the pillars of the country's sovereignty... We will not allow anyone to interfere in our internal affairs." "The so-called West, with its colonial behaviour and habit of fomenting national conflicts around the world, seeks not just to hold back our development - instead of Russia, they want a dependent, declining, dying place where they can do whatever they want." RUSSIA'S ECONOMY "Last year Russia's economy grew at a rate higher than the world economy... Today, Russia is the largest economy in Europe in terms of gross domestic product in terms of purchasing power parity, and the fifth largest in the world. "Today, the share of non-resource industries in the growth structure safely exceeds 90% ... the economy is becoming more complex, more technological and therefore much more sustainable." POVERTY AND SOCIAL SUPPORT "The problem of poverty is still acute, it now directly affects more than 9% of the population. And among large families...the poverty rate is more than 30%. "We need constant work to improve quality of life of families with children (and) support the birth rate. For this purpose, we will launch a new national project called 'Family'. "I propose additional help to subjects of the Federation where the birth rate is below the national average... By the end of 2030 we will allocate at least 75 billion roubles ($825.56 million) to such regions." ($1 = 90.8475 roubles) (Reporting by ReutersCompiled by Lucy PapachristouEditing by Gareth Jones, John Davison) FILE PHOTO: Ultra-Orthodox Jewish men protest against attempts to change government policy that grants ultra-Orthodox Jews exemptions from military conscription in Jerusalem February 26, 2024. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun/File Photo JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday his government would find a way to end exemptions for ultra-Orthodox Jews from Israeli military service in the face of political pressures that threaten his narrow coalition's future. "We will determine goals for conscripting ultra-Orthodox people to the IDF and national civil service," Netanyahu said at a press conference, referring to the Israel Defence Forces. "We will also determine the ways to implement those goals." Israel's Supreme Court in 2018 voided a law waiving the draft for ultra-Orthodox men, citing a need for the burden of military service to be shared across Israeli society. Parliament failed to come up with a new arrangement, and a government-issued stay on mandatory conscription of ultra-Orthodox expires in March. Ultra-Orthodox parties have helped Netanyahu hold a narrow parliamentary majority alongside far-right nationalist parties but in past governments have made draft exemption a condition for remaining in the coalition. Netanyahu appeared to be responding to a pledge made by his defense minister to veto a law that would allow the continuation of exemptions unless the government reached an agreement paving a path for ultra-Orthodox enlistment. "We recognise and support those who dedicate their life to studying Jewish holy scripture but, with that, without physical existence there is no spiritual existence," Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said on Wednesday. The exemptions granted to ultra-Orthodox Jews have been a longstanding source of friction with more secular citizens now stoked by the country's costly mobilisation for the Gaza war. The ultra-Orthodox claim the right to study in seminaries instead of serving in uniform for the standard three years. Some say their pious lifestyles would clash with military mores, while others voice ideological opposition to the liberal state. Ultra-Orthodox Jews make up 13% of Israel's population, a figure expected to reach 19% by 2035 due to their high birth rates. Economists argue that the draft exemption keeps some of them unnecessarily in seminaries and out of the workforce. (Reporting by Emily Rose; Editing by Howard Goller) German police officers guard the entrance of a building where Daniela Klette, a 65-year-old alleged member of Germany's notorious Red Army Faction (RAF) militant group, has been arrested after decades on the run from armed robbery and attempted murder cha By Thomas Escritt BERLIN (Reuters) -Investigative journalists using artificial-intelligence tools were on the trail of a heavily armed fugitive member of the notorious Red Army Faction well before German police announced a breakthrough in the 30-year-old case earlier this week. Daniela Klette, 65, a member of the now defunct leftist militant group, was arrested on Monday in her Berlin flat on suspicion of committing a string of robberies and at least one attempted murder between 1999 and 2016 to finance her underground life. German police and security services have drawn criticism over their failures in some politically charged investigations. Their defenders say strict privacy laws limit their ability to use the kinds of artificial intelligence-enhanced tools that a German TV podcast deployed to track down Klette last year. The risk posed by RAF fugitives was underlined after police found an anti-tank weapon, a Kalashnikov rifle and a machine pistol in Klette's flat in Berlin's arty Kreuzberg district, prosecutors said in a statement on Thursday. Both hers and a neighbouring building had to be evacuated while the munitions were removed and defused, it said. Prosecutors believe two other long-sought suspects could also be in Berlin and dangerous. Daniela Behrens, the interior minister of Lower Saxony state where many of the crimes were committed, hailed Klette's arrest as a major breakthrough and a tribute to the diligence of the police and prosecutors on the case. Last year, however, an ARD television podcast tracked Klette, one of three RAF militants still sought 26 years after the group announced its dissolution, by putting the picture from her wanted notice through image search tool PimEyes. This yielded online images of a much older woman going by the name "Claudia Ivone" who, until the COVID-19 pandemic struck in 2020, regularly took part in Berlin's Afro-Brazilian scene and was a practitioner of Brazilian martial dance capoeira. "I strongly recommend that you follow this trace," Bellingcat investigative journalist Michael Colborne recalled telling the podcasters in an interview with Die Zeit weekly on Thursday. He said he had run the pictures through a host of face comparison tools and kept turning up the same result. The podcast team said they had contacted authorities to check their findings, according to broadcaster RBB, but not to brief the police, who on Tuesday said they been put on track by a tip received from the public in November. "We did not pass on any findings. It's a matter of policy and safeguarding our sources," said Khesrau Behroz, host of the podcast entitled "Most Wanted". "For reasons of investigation tactics we make no disclosures about our detection methods," prosecutor Alexander Hege said when asked if the podcast was the original source of the tip. With the far-right Alternative for Germany party soaring in opinion polls, police and security agencies are under increased pressure to crack down on political extremists even as they operate under the shadow of past failings. Most notoriously, police missed multiple clues that could have led them more quickly to the neo-Nazi National Socialist Underground gang, which murdered nine immigrants between 2000 and 2006 and was only caught in 2011 after two members killed themselves, leading to a third turning herself in. Police are still searching for two other members of the Red Army Faction, which emerged out of leftist protests against the Vietnam war in the early 1970s and murdered 33 government officials, U.S. soldiers and businessmen. (Reporting by Thomas Escritt; editing by Mark Heinrich) Children play as Mohammed Al-Majdalawi, a displaced Palestinian man whose house was destroyed by Israeli strikes amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, holds up the keys of his destroyed house, outside his tent in Rafah, in the southern Gaza By Saleh Salem RAFAH, Gaza Strip (Reuters) - Palestinians displaced by Israel's military offensive on Gaza are holding onto keys to damaged or destroyed homes as a symbol of their loss, a tradition dating back to the mass displacement of 1948. Most people in Gaza are refugees or descendants of refugees who fled or were driven from their homes during the 1948 war that accompanied Israel's creation, an event known to Palestinians as the "Nakba", or catastrophe. The keys to homes lost in 1948 have been handed down the generations of some refugee families, a symbol of what they consider their right to return - one of the most intractable issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Now, keys to homes bombarded in the Israel-Hamas war raging since October are also taking on a symbolic meaning. "History is repeating itself," said Hatem Al-Ferani, sheltering in a tent in Rafah, southern Gaza, with his family. "My grandfather took the key and left with it, hoping to come back, and I took the key hoping to return to my apartment and find it as it was." Instead, during a week-long truce in November, Al-Ferani received pictures showing that the family home, an apartment in a block shared with his parents and brothers in Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza, had been destroyed. "This is the key to that home, which I worked hard for," he said, holding it up. "I am now 44 years old. At this age, I need to start my life from the beginning and build a new house." The war began when militants from Hamas, the Islamist group that has run Gaza since 2007, attacked southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people and taking 253 hostage, according to Israel. It was the worst day of violence against Jews since the Holocaust. Vowing to destroy Hamas, Israel has responded with an air and ground offensive on Gaza that has killed more than 30,000 people, according to Gaza's health ministry. It has laid waste to much of the territory, displaced most of its 2.3 million people, and caused widespread hunger and disease. SYMBOL OF A DREAM Hussein Abu Amsha is in a similar situation to that of Al-Ferani. He and his family are in a tent in Rafah, and during the truce he received a video that showed their home in Beit Hanoun, northeastern Gaza, had been bombarded. "This key is all that's left of the house," he said, showing a key fastened to a keyring made from a coin with the word "Palestine" on it, which he said dated back to the British Mandate period, before the creation of Israel. "The key represents the homeland for all of us. We cannot live without a homeland," said Abu Amsha. "We hope to be able to go back, even if it's just to a tent on top of our house." Mohammed Al-Majdalawi, displaced from Al-Shati refugee camp in northern Gaza, said he remembered his grandfather showing him an old key and recounting memories of 1948, and now he was going through a similar experience. "What did I do to Israel for them to destroy my home? The children of the world are living well while our children are living in humiliation, dying and getting sick in this cold," he said. In the West Bank, also dotted with refugee camps dating back to 1948, giant keys can be seen in various locations, part of an iconography of displacement whose meaning is understood by everyone there. "The key represents the right of return," said Mohammed Said, head of the media office of a committee administering Qalandia refugee camp, between Jerusalem and Ramallah. "The key is a metal object that can be made anywhere, but holding on to this key means that you have a dream to fulfil." (Additional reporting by Ibraheem Abu Mustafa in Rafah and Raneen Sawafta and Ismael Khader in the West Bank; Writing by Estelle Shirbon; Editing by Kevin Liffey) FILE PHOTO: A screen capture of Twitter's official page with an "X" on the profile image is seen on July 23, 2023 in this screengrab obtained from a social media website. via REUTERS/File Photo By Jonathan Stempel (Reuters) -A U.S. judge on Thursday signaled he may dismiss X Corp's lawsuit against a nonprofit group that has criticized a rise in hate speech on the social media platform once known as Twitter since Elon Musk took it over. X sued the Center for Countering Digital Hate last July, accusing it of causing tens of millions of dollars in damages through a "scare campaign" to drive away advertisers. According to X, the nonprofit breached its user contract by improperly scraping and cherry-picking data to create false and misleading reports that Musk was letting X become a haven for hate speech, extremism and other misinformation. U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer was skeptical that when the nonprofit entered the standard user contract governing all Twitter and X users, it could have foreseen that Musk would buy Twitter for $44 billion in 2022 and welcome back users it had banned for posting hateful content. "You're telling me ... it was foreseeable that Twitter would change its policy and allow these people to have access," the San Francisco-based judge told X's lawyer Jon Hawk in a video conference. "I am trying to figure out, in my mind, how that's possibly true, because I don't think it is." Hawk said the nonprofit could have left X if it didn't like Musk's changes. "When CCDH agreed to stay on the platform, it agreed to successors' versions of the policy," he said. Musk, the world's second-richest person, also runs the electric vehicle maker Tesla, which has faced several lawsuits claiming it tolerated the harassment of workers. Tesla has denied those allegations. FREE SPEECH INTERFERENCE John Quinn, a lawyer for the Center for Countering Digital Hate, said X's lawsuit violated California's so-called anti-SLAPP law, or strategic lawsuits against public participation, which was meant to stop lawsuits intended to silence critics. He also called it "implausible" to suggest the nonprofit engaged in scraping, and said it could not be liable for advertisers' "independent" decisions not to work with X. "CCDH used a tool that runs searches for certain people to see what public tweets are being put out, and then they commented on it," Quinn said. "[X] didn't have any issues with that until advertisers reacted to the content of the report." Quinn also said giving Musk and X "the power to say, anybody who uses our search function and looks at tweets, if you use an automated tool in any way, we can come after you, sue you, drag you into court ... runs straight into speech principles." Hawk said that wasn't why X sued. "I understand CCDH does not like some of the content it may see," he said. "This is about the security of data." Breyer did not say when he would rule, or if X could file an amended complaint if he dismissed the case. EUROPEAN NONPROFIT X also sued the European Climate Foundation, a nonprofit based in The Hague, Netherlands that promotes efforts to mitigate climate change, accusing it of conspiring with the Center for Countering Digital Hate to illegally gather data. A lawyer for the European nonprofit said it should be dismissed from the case because the court lacked jurisdiction. Since buying Twitter, Musk has since faced wide criticism that he fired too many people who policed misinformation, and from civil rights groups for allowing more harmful and abusive posts. In November 2023, Musk endorsed an antisemitic post on X that said members of the Jewish community were stoking hatred against white people, saying the user spoke "the actual truth." He has denied being antisemitic and sought to make amends for his post. In January he visited former Nazi death camp Auschwitz in southern Poland. The case is X Corp v. Center for Countering Digital Hate Inc et al, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No. 23-03836. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Richard Chang and David Gregorio) By Jack Kim SEOUL (Reuters) -Thousands of South Korean trainee doctors are refusing to return to work on Thursday, the day the government set as a deadline to end a mass walkout, warning that the young physicians' medical licences could be suspended if they do not return to hospitals. Two-thirds of the country's residents and intern doctors have walked off the job to protest a plan to raise the number of students admitted to medical school each year by 2,000 in a bid to address what the government says is a shortage of doctors. As of Wednesday, only 294 of the more than 9,000 trainee doctors who have left their posts were back at work, Vice Health Minister Park Min-soo told a briefing. "It is fortunate there are trainee doctors returning to patients' side and I'd say they made the wise decision," said Park. The young doctors who are protesting say the government should first address pay and working conditions before trying to increase the number of physicians. The government has said its package of healthcare reforms includes many of the demands of the medical community such as expanded legal protection in malpractice cases and better pay for doctors in essential services. The government has issued a back-to-work order to doctors who have walked out and warned their medical licences could be suspended if they do not comply by Thursday's deadline. The walkout has caused disruption at major hospitals which were forced to turn away some patients and cancel surgeries and medical procedures. An alliance of groups representing patients suffering severe illnesses, including cancer and Lou Gehrig's disease, called on doctors to return to work so there can be discussions on how to improve the medical system for everyone. Lee Kun-joo, who is in a hospice with terminal lung cancer, made a plea to doctors after saying he had been greatly helped by quality healthcare and well-trained doctors during his 25-year fight against the disease. "Your place is next to the patients, whatever the reasons and before you consider any conditions," Lee said in a statement reminding the doctors they had taken an oath to hold "the health and well-being of my patient as my first consideration". Only five or six trainee doctors showed up late Thursday to a meeting the government invited at least 94 doctors to in a bid to persuade them to return, Yonhap reported, underscoring a lack of progress. There have been no formal discussions so far and the government has said the Korean Medical Association, which represents mostly private practitioners, was not the right body to address the trainee doctors' concerns. (Reporting by Jack Kim; Additional reporting by Joyce LeeEditing by Ed Davies and Michael Perry) For global technology giants, using artificial intelligence (AI) in devices is nothing new. Companies like Amazon, Samsung, Apple, and Microsoft claim to have worked with tools such as machine learning for more than a decade. What has changed is the degree of sophistication that these programs have in their interactions with users, especially since the launch of platforms like ChatGPT. Along these lines, a handful of start-ups are fuelling the debate, arguing that smartphones and virtual assistants will soon be displaced by new devices that put AI front and center. Companies are incorporating artificial intelligence into glasses, watches, and all kinds of products. However, there are devices that go much further. One of the newest and that has attracted the most attention in the industry is the Ai Pin from the American company Humane. Developed in collaboration with Microsoft and OpenAI, the device is a wearable virtual assistant that you can wear on your clothing. It has no screen but it does have a microphone and a speaker. In addition, there is a touch panel and a camera to record visual information and gestures, and it also has its own unlimited internet connection, and it can link to other devices (such as headphones) via Bluetooth. According to Humane, you can use your voice to interact with the brooch, or you can manipulate a type of laser screen that is projected onto the palm of your hand. The gadget is able to take photos and reply to messages automatically. It also performs complex functions, such as calculating the calories in food, translating dialogues in real time, summarizing conversations, or answering questions as ChatGPT would do. However, to view content such as photos or videos in more detail, you have to use a computer to access the center platform, where all the devices information is stored. Humane device's screen projected onto the palm of a hand. Company's own image. Humane The devices creators are Imran Chaudhri and Bethany Bongiorno, two of the minds that designed the iPhone and Apples iOS operating system. A Humane spokesperson tells EL PAIS that the companys objective is to enhance human experiences over digital ones, reducing the time spent looking at screens. As explained by the start-up, the brooch collects information about every aspect of our lives through our daily interactions. With this data, artificial intelligence can learn the users habits to create personalized AI experiences and solve problems without the need for a mobile phone or applications. At the moment, the company has not published details of how these experiences will work, but they will be linked to its own Cosmos operating system. The company has started an aggressive marketing campaign to position itself in the wearable tech market. In fact, the brooch was showcased by supermodel Naomi Campbell during Paris Fashion Week 2023, and will be presented during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this week. The device will go on sale in the United States in April, and the expected price is $699, but you will also have to pay a monthly subscription of $24 for the services. The spokesperson for the start-up says that they have not yet set a launch date for Europe. A tamagotchi as an assistant This gadget is not the only one of its kind. The American company Rabbit presented its R1 device in January. Its virtual assistant and pocket companion has been created with the help of the well-known design firm Teenage Engineering. This device, whose appearance is inspired by the Bandai tamagotchi popular in the 2000s, received 40,000 orders at the launch of its pre-sale. Unlike Humanes device, this project does have a (4.88-inch) screen, and its creators present it as a logical continuation of virtual assistants and cell phones. Along these lines, they ensure that it is able to do everything a smartphone can, but also identify objects in real time and execute functions as complex as buying a flight by itself. It is operated through a touch screen and voice commands. Rabbit proposes its R1 as a necessary response to the complexity of interfaces. According to the company, the logic behind the device is simple: it uses artificial intelligence models so that its system learns to operate programs that already exist. In this way, it allows users to interact quickly and easily with mobile applications by voice, or solve their queries through automatic internet searches. In fact, its creators promise that in the future you can be personally taught how to use almost any program through its learning web mode. Weve reached a point where we have hundreds of apps on our phones with complicated designs that dont talk to each other. As a result, end users become frustrated with their devices and often get lost, said company founder Jesse Lyu in January. Rabbit also reported that the cost of its device will be $199, although more than one industry analyst has calculated that this figure would not be enough to make their business sustainable if additional payments are not included, as is the case with the Humane assistant. Beyond mobile Big technology companies are also in a race to make the most of this technology. For example, Meta announced in September 2023 that they would incorporate their new artificial intelligence assistant (Meta AI) into the smart glasses project they have with the Ray Ban brand. According to Mark Zuckerbergs company, this addition will allow users to control different features of the glasses through voice commands, as well as being able to ask questions. David Alonso, director of Samsungs Mobility Business in Spain and Portugal, explains to EL PAIS that some of its devices already have a specific processor for these functionalities. The company recently announced that its mobile AI will be present on both phones and tablets, and that it will allow functions such as real-time call translation, image editing with generative AI, and assisted internet searches. Alonso states that the ecosystem concept will gain value with AI, because this technology will link devices as different as tablets, watches, televisions, and household appliances. Alonso also highlights that this is the first generation of devices that have AI as a priority, and he does not think that possible new devices will displace those that currently rule the market. They have been killing the mobile phone for many years now. There is talk in many forums about them disappearing altogether. But what we see every day is that the smartphone is more alive than ever, and it is an essential tool. Now, with these new artificial intelligence functionalities, we are witnessing the beginning of a new era of telephony, which will go far beyond a device or a screen, says the Samsung executive. In this context, Alonso adds that AI is not only helping to personalize experiences, but is also making devices more accessible and inclusive for people with visual impairments, as well as making their products more sustainable in terms of energy consumption. Beyond devices For Andres Pazos, senior director of business development at Alexa in Spain, the way in which AI can enrich user experiences goes beyond the devices themselves. An example of how AI is already changing the relationship with the real world, Pazos tells EL PAIS, is the way in which voice commands are reducing the digital divide. The executive highlights that increasingly fluid interactions through dialogue allow older people or people with physical impairments to interact more easily and efficiently with devices, without having to learn commands or interact with a screen. Pazos says that artificial intelligence has been key in this process, since it has allowed devices to learn to interpret different ways of speaking in order to process user requests. Another example is the so-called smart properties, which allow users to interact with different spaces using their voice, through assistants like Alexa. This technology is already being implemented in hotels in Spain to allow guests to request recommendations, room service, or dry cleaning. In the short term, it is hoped that factors such as the light and temperature in a room can be controlled and save guests time. For Pazos, the future is an AI that will function like a brain, that connects to a network of devices to provide each user with a personalized experience, and even anticipate their needs. For the Amazon executive, the future will consist of achieving what he calls environmental intelligence, that is, ensuring that devices make our lives easier by working harmoniously and fluidly through AI and interconnectivity. We are talking about a step beyond artificial intelligence. It would be interacting with all the services organically, and when they are not needed they go into the background. We would not have to learn to use devices, but thanks to artificial intelligence we would interact in such a natural way that we forget that they are there, he concludes. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition FILE PHOTO: A military vehicle maneuvres near the Israel-Gaza border, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in Israel, February 28, 2024. REUTERS/Amir Cohen/File Photo SYDNEY (Reuters) - New Zealand on Thursday listed Palestinian Islamist group Hamas in its entirety as a terrorist entity and imposed travel bans on "extremist" Israeli settlers whom it said had committed violent attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said in a statement that the attacks by the Hamas on Israel in October "were brutal and we have unequivocally condemned them." But he added that "New Zealand wants to be clear that the designation of Hamas is about the actions of an offshore terrorist entity and is not a reflection on the Palestinian people in Gaza and around the world." New Zealand has designated the military wing of Hamas as a terrorist entity since 2010. Foreign Minister Winston Peters said the whole of Hamas bears responsibility for the October attacks, making it difficult for the New Zealand government to distinguish between the group's military and political wings. The Oct. 7 attacks killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies. Since then, Israel's air and ground campaign in Hamas-governed Gaza has killed about 30,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza health ministry. New Zealand's decision makes it a criminal offence to carry out property or financial transactions with Hamas or provide material support. It also freezes any Hamas assets in New Zealand. It does not prevent New Zealand from providing humanitarian and future development assistance for civilians in Gaza or from giving consular support to New Zealand citizens or permanent residents in the conflict zone. Luxon also said he was "seriously concerned by the significant increase in extremist violence perpetrated by Israeli settlers" against Palestinians in recent months. "This is particularly destabilising in what is already a major crisis," Luxon said. New Zealand's consistent position has been that Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories are a violation of international law. The government said it would continue to support a future Palestinian state as part of a negotiated two-state solution, urging an end to the current conflict and an urgent restart of the Middle East peace process. (Reporting by Renju Jose in Sydney; Editing by Edwina Gibbs) Polish Defence Minister and deputy Prime Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, General Maciej Klisz, operational commander of the Armed Forces and General Wieslaw Kukula, chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces, attend a news conference follow WARSAW (Reuters) - Poland plans to launch a series of military observation satellites in 2025, a deputy defence minister said on Thursday. "Next year, as the Ministry of Defence and the Polish Army, we want to put our first Polish satellites into orbit," Cezary Tomczyk said during a press briefing. Poland plans to acquire a satellite system equipped with radar and optical technology that would enable Earth observation regardless of atmospheric conditions and would employ both foreign and domestic technology, he said. Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz told the same briefing the country would this year develop a space force among other units, based on lessons learned from Ukraine's experiences since Russia's invasion in February 2022. "All the actions we are taking this year, creating drone forces, creating space component forces or medical forces, these are actions that strengthen the Polish army and also result from the Ukrainian experience," Kosiniak-Kamysz said. In December 2022 the Ministry of Defence signed a deal with Airbus for the delivery of two reconnaissance satellites, the launch of which is planned by 2027. (Reporting by Karol Badohal; Editing by Hugh Lawson) Russian President Vladimir Putin walks to deliver his annual address to the Federal Assembly, in Moscow, Russia, February 29, 2024. REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina By Vladimir Soldatkin, Darya Korsunskaya and Alexander Marrow MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday proposed at least $110 billion in extra state support such as tax allowances for families with children and additional funds for regions with low birth rates, before an election he is almost certain to win. Pre-election promises, with spending areas ranging from social payments to heavy infrastructure, are set to cost Russia more than 10 trillion roubles ($109.92 billion) across the next six years, according to initial Reuters calculations. Demographic concerns have plagued the Russian authorities for many years. Earlier this month, Putin urged Russian families to produce at least two children for the sake of the nation's ethnic survival, and three or more for it to develop and thrive. Putin, 71, addressing lawmakers and other members of the country's elite, said at least 75 billion roubles would be allocated to regions with below average birth rates by 2030 and proposed prolonging preferential mortgage and maternity capital programmes until 2030. "Constant work aimed at improving the quality of life for families with children and supporting the birth rate is needed," Putin said, announcing the launch of a new national project called 'Family'. The costliest pledge concerned 4.5 trillion roubles for modernising public infrastructure and 1 trillion roubles on the construction, repair and equipping of hospitals. Putin promised another 700 billion roubles to create digital platforms in key economic sectors, 400 billion roubles to overhaul schools and kindergartens, 360 billion roubles for parks and public spaces and 250 billion roubles to modernise airport infrastructure. Costs for subsidising mortgages and tax allowances for families could not yet be determined. Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova said maternity capital programmes would cost an additional 600 billion roubles by 2030. Poverty remains an acute problem, Putin said, directly affecting 9% of the population and with the rate among large families above 30%. The goal is for those rates to fall below 7% and 12% respectively by 2030, he said. Putin often makes pre-election promises, pledging more funds for groups such as pensioners, veterans and families that analysts see as a way for him to shore up support. ($1 = 90.9770 roubles) (Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin, Anastasia Lyrchikova, Darya Korsunskaya, Olesya Astakhova; Writing by Alexander MarrowEditing by Gareth Jones, William Maclean) FILE PHOTO: C3.ai logo is seen near computer motherboard in this illustration taken January 8, 2024. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo (Reuters) -C3.ai shares jumped 24% to a six-month high on Thursday after the AI software firm delivered third-quarter results ahead of Wall Street expectations and narrowed its full-year revenue forecast on strong enterprise demand. The company's shares have gained 227% since the end of 2022, valuing it at $4.46 billion, as it draws strong interest from retail investors looking to bet on the boom in artificial intelligence (AI). However, Nvidia, the poster child for AI, has rocketed 445% in market value during the same period. Strong demand from federal customers helped C3.ai's subscription revenue increase 23% in the reported quarter to $70.4 million and beat estimate of $66.77 million, according to LSEG data. Subscriptions generate about 90% of total revenue. "The company is having notable success in the federal sector while signing more multi-year subscription agreements that trend similarly to consumption revenue behavior," said D.A. Davidson analyst Gil Luria. Other AI-related stocks including BigBear.ai Holdings, Guardforce AI, Arm Holdings and Nvidia gained between 2.5% and 10%, with SoundHound AI climbing 9% ahead of its fourth-quarter results due after markets close. C3.ai's stock was last trading at $37, above the $30 median price target of the 14 brokerages covering C3.ai. Their average rating, according to LSEG data, is "hold". Shares of the software company were among the top trending tickers on retail trader forum Stocktwits. Redwood City, California-based C3.ai also narrowed its 2024 revenue forecast to $306-$310 million, from $295-$320 million. Still, the new forecast was largely above analysts' estimates of $306.1 million. The company also said Chief Accounting Officer Hitesh Lath will transition to the chief financial officer role, effective March 1, replacing Juho Parkkinen. Parkkinen will remain as vice president of finance, C3.ai said. (Reporting by Medha Singh and Ankika Biswas in Bengaluru; Editing by Savio D'Souza and Sriraj Kalluvila) FILE PHOTO: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov hosts a meeting about Gaza with foreign ministers from members of the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group H MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday urged Palestinian groups holding talks in Moscow about the formation of a unified government to set aside their differences and unite for the sake of the Palestinian people. The talks between representatives of Hamas and the Fatah political faction come days after Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh resigned. Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki said on Wednesday the shake-up was designed to build support for an expanded role for the Western-backed Palestinian Authority following Israel's war in Gaza against its ruling Palestinian Islamist group Hamas. He said also that he hoped the Moscow talks would result in "mutual understanding between all factions" about the need to support a technocratic government. Addressing the Palestinian delegations, Lavrov said Moscow had long advocated direct talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority but that, for reasons beyond its control, they were not taking place. "One of the pretexts for postponing and rescheduling these negotiations is the lack of unity within Palestinian ranks. Sceptics have argued that it is impossible to negotiate when one does not know who speaks for the Palestinians," said Lavrov. "Jesus Christ was born in Palestine. One of his sayings is: 'A house divided against itself will not stand.' Christ is honoured by both Muslims and Christians. I think that quote reflects the challenge of restoring Palestinian unity. "It does not depend on anyone but the Palestinians themselves." Lavrov said the Russian foreign ministry and Russian Middle East specialists were on hand to help and consult the delegates. (Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Andrew Osborn; Editing by Alexandra Hudson) YEKATERINBURG, Russia (Reuters) - A Russian court on Thursday rejected an appeal by a Russian-American woman against her detention on a treason charge. The FSB security service said last week that Ksenia Karelina had been detained on suspicion of raising funds for Ukraine's armed forces. The Los Angeles resident had been collecting funds for a Ukrainian organisation whose ultimate beneficiary was the Ukrainian army, the FSB said. A Russian lawyers' group, Pervy Otdel, said it had information that Karelina had donated just over $50 from her U.S. bank account on Feb. 24, 2022 - the day that Russia launched what it calls its "special military operation" in Ukraine - to a charity that sends aid to Ukraine. Karelina's lawyer had asked the court to lift her detention and replace it with house arrest, state news agency RIA said. Pervy Otdel said Karelina was initially detained on Jan. 27 for alleged "petty hooliganism", and the treason charge was filed later. It carries up to 20 years in prison under Russian law. Several other Americans including former marine Paul Whelan and journalists Evan Gershkovich and Alsu Kurmasheva are also imprisoned in Russia. Their supporters say Russia is using them to exert leverage on Washington and eventually to trade them for Russian prisoners in the United States. The Kremlin says the authorities are simply enforcing Russian laws. (Reporting by Reuters, writing by Mark Trevelyan; Editing by Gareth Jones) By Lucy Papachristou LONDON (Reuters) - A Russian-American detained in Russia on a treason charge carrying up to 20 years in prison told her boyfriend "it's safe there" before she travelled to see relatives in Yekaterinburg, the woman's former mother-in-law said. A Russian court on Thursday rejected an appeal by Ksenia Karelina, a 32-year-old resident of Los Angeles, who was detained by the FSB security service on suspicion of raising funds for Ukraine's armed forces. Karelina's lawyer had asked the court to lift her detention and replace it with house arrest, state news agency RIA said. The U.S. embassy in Moscow was aware of the reports but could not comment further due to privacy restrictions, a spokesperson told Reuters. A Russian lawyers' group, Pervy Otdel, said it had information that Karelina had donated just over $50 from her U.S. bank account on Feb. 24, 2022 - the day that Russia launched what it calls its "special military operation" in Ukraine - to a charity that sends aid to Ukraine. Her former mother in law, Eleonora Srebroski, told Reuters by phone from Maryland that Karelina had made a small donation to Razom for Ukraine, a New York-based nonprofit that sends assistance to the country. Razom said in a statement earlier this month that it was "appalled" by Karelina's arrest and that its activities focused on "humanitarian aid, disaster relief, education and advocacy." Srebroski said that Karelina, who has been a U.S. citizen since 2021, had decided to go to Yekaterinburg in January for a family visit after her boyfriend surprised her with a plane ticket while they were vacationing in Turkey. "I am Russian, I love Russia, there is nothing wrong in Yekaterinburg, it's safe there," Srebroski said was how Karelina assured her boyfriend. Srebroski, who described Karelina as caring, sweet and "even more beautiful on the inside," said her former daughter-in-law arrived in the United States in 2012 via a work-study program in Maryland, where she met her son and the two got married in 2013. Karelina's ex-husband Yevgeny Khavana, said they split few years later and she moved to California, drawn by the warm weather and opportunities to resume practising ballet, which she had done in her youth. Her current employer, Ciel Spa in Beverly Hills, California, identified her as an aesthetician in an Instagram post demanding her release, saying "to know Ksenia is to love her." Karelina had regularly travelled to Russia to see her family, including her grandparents and a young sister, Srebroski said, but stopped after January 2021 as Western-imposed sanctions made flights to Russia too expensive and onerous. Khavana said he was shocked by Karelina's arrest. "She is really not into politics at all," he told Reuters. "She wasn't on someone's side in this war. She was against killing, pretty much, on either side." Karelina's page on VKontakte, Russia's answer to Facebook, features photos of herself and friends on the beach and on trips, but no political messaging. "I don't know why she went back," Srebroski said. "Russian authorities are killing their own people." (Reporting and writing by Lucy Papachristou; Editing by Tomasz Janowski) MOSCOW (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin on Thursday hinted at higher taxes for wealthy individuals and companies, saying that a fairer distribution of the tax burden was needed as he urged Russian businessmen to invest in Russia. "I propose thinking about approaches to modernising our fiscal system, to a fairer distribution of the tax burden towards those with higher personal and corporate incomes," Putin said in a speech to lawmakers and other members of Russia's elite. "Conversely, lowering the tax burden on families through deductions is needed, stimulating businesses that invest funds in development, in the implementation of infrastructure and social projects." Putin ordered the government and the State Duma to submit specific proposals in the near future. Businessmen who invest in Russia should have their assets and property rights protected, Putin said, and taxes for small and medium-sized businesses in Russia should be reduced. (Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin, Darya Korsunskaya, Alexander Marrow; Editing by Andrew Osborn and Gareth Jones) FILE PHOTO: The company logo for Hormel Foods is displayed on a screen on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, U.S., October 9, 2019. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo By Anuja Bharat Mistry (Reuters) -Skippy peanut butter maker Hormel Foods topped market expectations for first-quarter sales and profit on Thursday, helped by resilient demand for its high-priced meat products and ready-to-eat meals, sending its shares up as much as 16.8%. The Austin, Minnesota-based company's shares were trading at $34.15 in the morning trade. Overall volumes of Hormel Foods grew 4% in the quarter for products like Chi-Chi's salsa and Hormel Natural Choice bacon, among others, as more consumers preferred cooking meals at home. Shares should do well since this was Hormel's biggest core profit beat since the first quarter of fiscal 2016, JP Morgan analyst Ken Goldman said in a note. Earlier this month, larger rival Tyson Foods also reported a rise in quarterly sales with steady demand in its pork business. For the first quarter, Hormel Foods posted net sales of $3 billion, compared with analysts' average estimate of $2.91 billion, according to LSEG data. A significant price hike in previous quarters and higher sales helped the Spam brand of canned meats owner to shield its margins from rising raw material input costs. The company's adjusted profit of 41 cents per share for the quarter ended Jan. 28 topped analysts' estimates of 33 cents per share. However, the Jennie-O turkey brand owner reaffirms its annual sales and profit forecast, reflecting a significant year-over-year decline in whole bird turkey markets. (Reporting by Anuja Bharat Mistry in Bengaluru; Editing by Tasim Zahid) The Furby was the closest thing you could find to a robot from sci-fi movies, but you could also hug it because it was adorable. In early 1997, Dave Hampton and Caleb Chung, two product developers who had met while working at Mattel, attended the International Toy Fair in New York. There they saw for the first time an artifact that impressed them. It was the Tamagotchi, then a new virtual pet that the Japanese inventor Aki Maita had developed and Bandai had begun to market. The concept behind that toy seemed brilliant to them. However, they found a problem that seemed fundamental: you couldnt hug or pet your Tamagotchi. After that discovery, Hampton returned to his workshop and began to think about a new toy that, taking the Japanese invention as a starting point, would be a little easier to love. The name he gave to the new invention was Furball, although he soon shortened it to Furby. I started a script, like, if you rub his back, hell purr, he explained to The New York Times a few years later. He also created a language for the creature, Furbish: it was a mix of all the languages Hampton had learned during his years of service in the U.S. Navy. Among the toys strange vocabulary, it is possible to trace words that come from Japanese, Thai, Chinese and Hebrew. With Chungs help and a bunch of cables, sensors and simple circuits, they shaped the Furbys guts, which they then covered with a colorful furry animal just as its name promised with huge round eyes and a yellow beak. That first prototype, a little smaller than the final product and much more unsightly, can be seen in a video interview that Chung gave in 2014. Everything moved very quickly after that. Tiger Electronics, a subsidiary of the multinational Hasbro, bought the patent and the product went on sale in October 1998, a few months before Christmas. After a powerful advertising campaign that highlighted the novelty of the new toy, Furby was presented to the public at the famous New York toy store FAO Schwarz, the one where Tom Hanks danced on a giant piano in the movie Big. The launch could be described as a total success, but that would definitely be falling short. At the end of the first week of the exhibition at FAO Schwarz, orders already amounted to 35,000 units. An impressive figure that came to nothing in the following three months, as the figure skyrocketed to 1.8 million units sold. In 1999, sales reached 14 million. Although it would be daring to venture to say what the secret of its success was, what is clear is that its creators were wise enough to combine toys that had been childrens favorites for years, such as teddy bears and talking dolls, and update them for the 21st century. In some way, Furby satisfied a certain need, among children and parents, about the future. The year 2000 was close at hand and, although everything was quite similar to the way it had always been, the democratization of the internet had made us dream of a new present. Furby, rudimentary as it was, seemed to have what was beginning to be called artificial intelligence. Furthermore, it allowed us to connect and feel a kind of intimacy with a technology that the Tamagotchi had already outlined in a more distant form, sending children and their parents into the future. It was the closest thing you could find to one of those robots from sci-fi movies, but you could also hug it, it was adorable, fun and it only cost $35. Furby and the National Security Agency The story of Furbys launch is fascinating on its own. But perhaps it is even a little more so if we pay attention to a curious incident that occurred during Christmas 1998, involving the National Security Agency (NSA). The first news reports came out on January 12, 1999, in The Washington Post. The article, written in a shamelessly humorous tone and titled A Toy Story of Hairy Espionage, explained how, due to all the rumors and exaggerations that had been circulated about the capabilities of Furbys especially that they could repeat what they heard the NSA had decided to launch a Furby Alert among its employees and prohibit them from bringing the toy to work. The newspaper cited an alleged memo that had been circulated internally at the agency that read: Personally owned photographic, video and audio recording equipment are prohibited items. This includes toys, such as Furbys, with built-in recorders that repeat the audio with synthesized sound to mimic the original signal. We are prohibited from introducing these items into NSA spaces. Those who have should contact their Staff Security Officer for guidance. The launch of Furby was a total success. At the end of the first week of the exhibition, orders had already reached 35,000 units. Over the next three months, that figure skyrocketed to 1.8 million. In 1999, sales reached 14 million. New York Daily News Archive (NY Daily News via Getty Images) The Post article continued: Its hard to imagine them divulging state secrets, but who knows more about pulling in what it hears than the NSA, which intercepts electronic communications around the world using satellites and other highly classified means. NSA officials were worried, said one Capitol Hill source monitoring the intelligence community, that people would take them home and theyd start talking classified. Tiger Electronics was forced to come forward to confirm that the Furbys did not have recording systems nor were they capable of repeating any type of information. Although it seemed that little by little they were learning to speak, it was all an illusion: they began speaking exclusively in their own made-up language, and were programmed so that, as the days went by, they would say more and more words in English or any other language they were programmed in. That is to say, they didnt actually learn anything, they only gave the impression of learning. Recently, this curious confusion came to light again due to a Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA) request by an anonymous citizen who goes by the user name @dakotathekat on the social platform X. In compliance with the law, the NSA sent this individual a large amount of information containing all the conversations that NSA officers had regarding the case. There were chains of emails filled with speculation and very little information about the artificial intelligence of the dolls, their communication and recording capabilities. The exchanges do not exactly leave employees in a very good light, instead evidencing their mistrust and fear. The documents end with a message in which an official demands that his colleagues stop speculating on the subject immediately. Perhaps out of fear that the agency would be made to look ridiculous if, at some point in the future, these conversations ever came to light, as they finally have. An ancestral fear of technological innovation After 25 years, this fear of a toy displayed by the worlds most important security agency may seem ridiculous and unfounded. And maybe it was. However, the fear of technological innovation, or technophobia, has been with us for centuries. Although there are cases in the Middle Ages, such as the people who rejected the printing press in the 15th century, perhaps the first important example was the English Luddites: they were a group of anti-technology workers who, between 1811 and 1816, denounced that the new steam engines were taking away their jobs. In the middle of the British Industrial Revolution, they carried out sabotage actions in industrial or agricultural machines and workshops. The rapid technological progress of the 19th and 20th centuries only increased the cases of technophobia. Virtually every major technological advance has had its detractors: from the railway to electricity, the telephone, automobiles, television and the uses of radioactivity. Dave Hampton, co-creator of Furby, with his wife Cindy and sons James and Mark, each with their Furby, in a photograph taken in 1998. Paul Harris (Getty Images) This is ground that has always been very fertile for the creation of fiction. An early example of this is Frankenstein, the novel by Mary Shelley, but there are many more, especially in the world of cinema: from Fritz Langs Metropolis to The Omega Man, Blade Runner, Terminator, Matrix and WALL-E. But technophobia is perhaps currently experiencing its golden age due to new scientific advances that seem to call into question many of the pillars of our civilization that we considered immovable. This is the case, of course, of artificial intelligence and its possible effects at work. A fear that connects us directly with the Luddites, but also with the Furby alert. It is easy to laugh at a bunch of clueless individuals who, back in 1999, feared that a new hoarse-voiced doll might be able to destabilize the Clinton administration. But you could say that the Furby alert was nothing more than another chapter, perhaps one of the funniest, in our long relationship with technophobia. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg delivers a speech at the Meta Connect event at the company's headquarters in Menlo Park, California, U.S., September 27, 2023. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo By Hyonhee Shin and Joyce Lee SEOUL (Reuters) -South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol met Meta's CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Thursday for talks to explore ways to increase cooperation with the U.S. company in artificial intelligence (AI) and digital ecosystems, Yoon's office said. Yoon said South Korea's portfolio of smart home appliances, wearable devices and smart cars offered a good platform for Meta's AI technology. The president also promised support for business tie ups and expressed hope for greater collaboration in areas like the metaverse and extended reality (XR) headsets, it said. "The two discussed the vision for creating open AI and digital ecosystems and how to strengthen cooperation between Meta and our companies," Yoon's policy chief, Sung Tae-yoon, told a briefing. "The president said that the Korean industry is ready to actively support what Meta has imagined and designed." Yoon also asked Meta to play an active role monitoring and countering fake news and other malpractices on its platforms as many countries gear up for elections this year, Sung said. Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment. On Wednesday, Zuckerberg met Samsung Electronics Chairman Jay Y. Lee and LG Electronics CEO William Cho to discuss potential cooperation in AI and XR technology. Meta launched its latest mixed-reality headset, Quest 3, in June before rival Apple ramped up competition this month with its Vision Pro device. AI chip supply and expanding ecosystems for generative AI are key priorities for Meta this year, as the company seeks to get generative AI technology into its social media products and hardware devices. South Korea has announced measures to foster local AI development, including investments to provide text data for large language models, core AI technology and large-capacity computing resources, as well as projects to embed AI, according to the Ministry of Science and ICT. South Korea will host a global AI Safety Summit in May. Zuckerberg is on his first publicly known visit to South Korea in about 10 years, as part of an Asian tour that includes stops in Japan and India. ($1 = 1,332.6400 won) (Reporting by Hyonhee Shin and Joyce Lee; Editing by Ed Davies and Christian Schmollinger) By Uditha Jayasinghe COLOMBO (Reuters) - Sri Lanka has decided to stop issuing free long-term visas to Russian and Ukrainian nationals who have lived in the Indian Ocean island nation for the past two years, a government official said on Thursday. Since Moscow invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Sri Lanka has allowed Russians and Ukrainians to stay in the country without paying for visas, but they will now have to pay the charges. The rate is about $50 for a 30-day visa, if they wish to stay in Sri Lanka, Public Security Minister Tiran Alles told Reuters. "Whoever wants to stay back can apply for new visas," Alles added. "They can immediately renew their visas and remain here." Last week immigration authorities said they were ending the free long-term visa scheme for Russian and Ukraine nationals, setting a March 7 deadline for the departure of those without new visas in a notice that sparked comment on social media. About 300 to 400 Russians and Ukrainians are estimated to have been staying in Sri Lanka since February 2022, said Priantha Fernando, the chairman of the island's tourism body. "This has nothing to do with normal tourists," Fernando said. "We are more than welcoming them ... there is no issue." Britain, Germany, India and Russia are the top sources of visitors to Sri Lanka, which has already received close to 400,000 tourists in 2024. Sri Lanka aims to welcome about 2.2 million tourists by December in its efforts to recover from the worst financial crisis in decades. New Russian tourists will be eligible for free visas under a separate promotion scheme adopted from last November, however. Under that scheme, tourists from China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Russia and Thailand will continue to be issued free visas till March 31. (Reporting by Uditha Jayasinghe; Editing by Sudipto Ganguly and Clarence Fernandez) FILE PHOTO: The Standard Chartered bank logo is seen at their headquarters in London, Britain, July 26, 2022. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls/File Photo/File Photo By Simon Jessop LONDON (Reuters) - Environmental and human rights groups have filed a complaint with a British government mediation body against Standard Chartered over its financing of four coal-fired power plants in the Philippines, the groups told Reuters on Thursday. The Philippine Movement for Climate Justice, Inclusive Development International (IDI), Recourse and BankTrack accuse Standard Chartered of breaching the rights of local communities by financing the operations and are asking it to help compensate those affected and strengthen its related policies. Local communities have suffered forced evictions, loss of livelihoods, air- and water pollution-related respiratory and skin diseases, and intimidation and violence, that could have been prevented by effective bank due diligence, the groups said. The complaint was filed with Britain's National Contact Point for Responsible Business Conduct (NCP), a government unit that investigates breaches of the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, a framework for businesses to operate responsibly. Standard Chartered declined to comment when contacted by Reuters. The NCP did not immediately return requests for comment. While the NCP cannot compel Standard Chartered to act or pay compensation, Britain's export credit agency has said it will consider NCP findings when deciding on backing companies and banks in the financing of projects. A total of 51 countries have so far set up an NCP. In Australia, ANZ Bank agreed to compensate Cambodian communities displaced by a sugar company it helped finance after going through a similar process. "Standard Chartered knew or ought to have known that these coal plants would wreck the environment and cause serious harm to local communities, but it financed them anyway and then ignored our repeated requests to contribute to remediation efforts," said IDI Executive Director David Pred in a statement. (Reporting by Simon Jessop in London; Editing by Alexandra Hudson) FILE PHOTO: Former U.S. President Donald Trump gestures during an event following his arraignment on classified document charges, at Trump National Golf Club, in Bedminster, New Jersey, U.S., June 13, 2023. REUTERS/Amr Alfiky/File Photo By Andrew Goudsward FORT PIERCE, Florida (Reuters) -Donald Trump's lawyers told a U.S. judge on Thursday that he believes he cannot get a fair trial this year on charges of mishandling classified documents after leaving the White House, while he campaigns to try to recapture the presidency. U.S. Special Counsel Jack Smith, who is bringing the case against Trump, asked on Thursday for a July 8 start to the trial. Lawyers for the former president said in their filing that Trump "strongly asserts that a fair trial cannot be conducted this year in a manner consistent with the Constitution." After making that assertion on the filing's first page, however, they went on to suggest an Aug. 12, 2024, start to the trial on the seventh page. A Trump attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the discrepancy. The filings were made ahead of a Friday court hearing where U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon plans to consider arguments on when to start the trial, one of four criminal prosecutions facing Trump, the clear frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination. Cannon previously pushed back several pre-trial deadlines, but said she would wait until Friday to consider moving the scheduled May 20 trial. Trump has pleaded not guilty to 40 federal counts accusing him of retaining sensitive national security documents at his Florida resort after leaving office in 2021 and obstructing U.S. government efforts to retrieve them. Trump is charged alongside his personal aide Walt Nauta and Carlos de Oliveira, a property manager at his Mar-a-Lago resort. Both have pleaded not guilty. Trump has repeatedly sought to delay all four of the criminal cases against him, which he has claimed are part of a politically motivated effort to damage his election campaign. Trump is due to face trial in state court in New York beginning on March 25 on charges that he falsified records to pay hush money to a porn star ahead of the 2016 election. The timing of the other three cases remains uncertain and it is unclear whether any will go to trial before the November election. (Reporting by Andrew Goudsward; Editing by Scott Malone and Daniel Wallis) ANKARA (Reuters) - The United States has sent Turkey draft letters of offer and acceptance regarding its request to buy Block-70 F-16 fighter jets and modernisation kits, Turkey's defence ministry spokesperson said on Thursday. Turkey made the request in October 2021, two years after the United States kicked Turkey out of the fifth-generation F-35 fighter jet program over its procurement of a Russian missile defence system. The U.S. administration finally agreed to conclude the delayed deal after a series of negotiations following Ankara's approval of Sweden's NATO membership bid. U.S. President Joe Biden's administration formally informed the Congress of its intention to proceed with the $23 billion sale of the Lockheed Martin jets in January. The sale was considered final earlier this month when the Congress did not block the sale within 15 days. "Our ministry has received the draft letters of offer and acceptance sent by the U.S. for the sale of 40 new Block-70 F-16s and 79 modernisation kits and ammunition and equipment for them. (We) have started the necessary examination and evaluation," ministry spokesperson Rear Admiral Zeki Akturk told reporters. After Turkey's review of the draft letters, officials from the two countries are expected to meet to finalise the deal. Turkey is one of the largest operators of the F-16 jets, with its fleet made up of more than 200 older Block 30/40/50 models. Relations between the two NATO allies have gained significant momentum on which they can capitalise, U.S. Senator Chris Murphy said last week after meeting with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. (Reporting by Huseyin Hayatsever; editing by Ece Toksabay and Jason Neely) JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Two men were killed in a shooting attack in the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Thursday, Israeli emergency services said. The Israeli military said a gunman had opened fire at a gas station and was "neutralised" by security forces. The Palestinian Fatah faction named the shooter on loudspeakers in a nearby mosque and claimed him as a member of its ranks. Palestinian officials said he was a police officer. In a separate incident near the West Bank city of Hebron, one Palestinian was killed by Israeli security forces and another wounded while searching for herbs, Palestinian health officials said. The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment. (Reporting by Emily Rose in Jerusalem; Editing by Mark Heinrich and Matthew Lewis) FILE PHOTO: Commander in Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi attends a meeting with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and newly appointed top military commanders, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine Fe KYIV (Reuters) - Ukraine's military said on Thursday it had shot down three more Russian Su-34 fighter-bombers, the latest successes it has reported against Moscow's air force. "After successful combat operations against an enemy aircraft in the night on Feb. 29, two more Russian aircraft were destroyed: Su-34 fighter-bombers in the Avdiivka and Mariupol sectors," Army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on the Telegram messaging app. Russia, which began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine two years ago, did not immediately comment on Syrskyi's remarks. Reuters could not immediately verify his comments. Avdiivka in eastern Ukraine fell to Russian forces this month after a long battle. Russia took full control of the southeastern port city of Mariupol in May 2022. The Ukrainian military said last week that Russia had lost six warplanes in three days. Since receiving advanced Western air defence systems, Ukraine's military has posed a greater threat to Russian aviation in areas near the front lines although it has suffered recent setbacks on the eastern battlefields. Kyiv accuses Moscow of hitting civilian targets using Su-34s, in particular in the southern Kherson region, as well as in attacking Ukraine's front lines. Russia has denied deliberately targeting civilians although many have been killed in its strikes. (Reporting by Pavel Polityuk, Editing by Timothy Heritage) By Brad Brooks (Reuters) - A man who was indicted in Montana for hunting and killing bald eagles, the national symbol of the U.S. that nearly went extinct, has agreed to plead guilty in a plea deal and now faces 12 years in prison. Travis John Branson, 48, has agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to kill bald and golden eagles and unlawfully traffic the birds, according to a plea agreement filed in the U.S. District Court in Missoula, Montana, on Tuesday. A March 20 change of plea hearing has been scheduled. Branson faces up to 12 years in prison for the counts he has agreed to plead guilty to. The plea agreement did not say whether Branson will assist prosecutors in their case against Simon Paul, 42, who was indicted by a grand jury in December along with Branson, or any other persons involved in the trafficking scheme. Paul failed to show up for an initial court appearance in January and a warrant has been issued for his arrest. He remains at large. Federal prosecutors say Branson and Simon killed over 3,600 birds, among them an unspecified number of protected bald and golden eagles, from January 2015 to March 2021, often on or near the Flathead Indian Reservation in western Montana. Prosecutors allege Paul and Branson would hunt the birds on the reservation and elsewhere. "The defendants then illegally sold the eagles on the black market for significant sums of cash across the United States and elsewhere," the indictment read, without specifying for how much money. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service says the bald eagle nearly went extinct in the mid-1900s because of habitat destruction and the contamination of fish, its primary food source, by the insecticide DDT, which made the eagles' eggs thin and easily breakable. The U.S. Congress made killing bald eagles illegal in 1940. The birds were placed on the endangered species list in 1967. They were removed from all endangered and threatened species lists in 2007. (Reporting by Brad Brooks in Longmont, Colorado; editing by Donna Bryson and Sandra Maler) FILE PHOTO: The seal of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is seen at their headquarters in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 12, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly//File Photo By Douglas Gillison (Reuters) -Wall Street's top regulator will vote on March 6 on whether to adopt rules requiring U.S.-listed companies to report climate-related risks, the agency said in a notice on Wednesday, in a potentially major overhaul of U.S. disclosure rules. The Securities and Exchange Commission rules aim to standardize climate-related company disclosures about greenhouse gas emissions, risks and how much money they are spending on the transition to a low-carbon economy. The agency says that such information is important for investors. Currently, US securities regulations do not impose common standards for climate-related disclosures. But the agency says that investors need such information to be consistent and comparable across the many companies increasingly producing climate information on their own terms. First proposed two years ago, the rules are part of Democratic President Joe Biden's agenda to address climate change threats through federal agencies, and would join similar requirements in Europe and California. Top Democratic lawmakers, reform advocates and environmental groups have urged the SEC to adopt "strong" rules requiring detailed disclosures of emissions, risks and capital spending. "The information that it would require about a company's greenhouse gas emissions is critically important to investor decision-making," Washington advocacy group Better Markets recently wrote in a note urging the SEC to adopt the rules. But the pending regulations have been bogged down by pushback from companies and Republican state officials who say they overreach the SEC's remit and will be burdensome for companies. They are expected to bring legal challenges once the rule is finalized. While the SEC has not published a final draft, it has dropped its most ambitious "Scope 3" plank which would have required companies to disclose emissions from their supply chains, Reuters reported on Feb. 23. That change could help the rule withstand court challenges, sources said. The SEC has also softened requirements for disclosures of Scopes 1 and 2 emissions - pollution categories for which companies are directly responsible, people familiar with the matter told Reuters. The initial proposal made these disclosures mandatory. But the draft rule now under consideration would compel such disclosures only if companies deem they are material, meaning in some instances they might not be reported at all, the people said. A spokesperson for the SEC said the agency would not comment on possible changes to regulations in development. "Based on the public feedback, the staff and the Commission consider possible adjustments to the proposals and whether it's appropriate to move forward to a final adoption," the spokesperson said. The proposed regulations stand out for their scale and importance. They could prove to be the biggest overhaul of U.S. disclosure requirements in a generation, some securities law experts say. They have attracted more than 16,000 public comments, the most in the SEC's history, SEC Chair Gary Gensler has said. If the rules survive, they could prove to be Gensler's crowning legacy. The SEC's five politically appointed commissioners will vote on whether to adopt the rules. Democratic Commissioner Caroline Crenshaw has defended the rules as originally drafted, according to a different source familiar with her thinking. However, Gensler, also a Democrat, generally only schedules votes he expects to win, suggesting he has Crenshaw's support. Crenshaw's office did not respond to a request for comment. Concerns over whether the rules could withstand a legal challenge were fueled by a 2022 Supreme Court decision curbing the Environmental Protection Agency's power to regulate emissions. Encouraged by a more conservative-leaning judiciary skeptical of regulatory overreach, business groups are also generally growing bolder about litigating agency rules. (Reporting by Douglas Gillison in WashingtonAdditional reporting by Christine Prentice and Isla Binnie in New York and Ross Kerber in BostonEditing by Michelle Price and Matthew Lewis) FILE PHOTO: Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump holds a campaign rally at Coastal Carolina University ahead of the South Carolina Republican presidential primary in Conway, South Carolina, U.S., February 10, 2024. REUT By John Kruzel WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court appears likely to reject Donald Trump's claim of immunity from prosecution for trying to undo his 2020 election loss, according to legal experts, but its decision to spend months on the matter could aid his quest to regain the presidency by further delaying a monumental criminal trial. Trump's lawyers have argued that he should be shielded from prosecution for his effort to reverse President Joe Biden's election victory over him because he was president when he took those actions, a sweeping assertion of immunity firmly rejected by lower courts. But the Supreme Court's decision not to schedule its arguments on the issue until late April reduces the chances that a trial on election subversion charges brought by Special Counsel Jack Smith could be finished before the Nov. 5 U.S. election. Trump is cruising toward the Republican nomination to challenge Biden, a Democrat. Some legal experts criticized the Supreme Court, whose 6-3 conservative majority includes three Trump appointees, for undue delay. "They could have set a more aggressive briefing and argument schedule, as Smith requested," University of Michigan law professor Leah Litman said. "The immunity claims are also outlandish. They could have been rejected on the papers (legal briefs) if they wanted to be the one to decide it." "They'll reject his immunity bid," Litman added, but forecast that the soonest a decision would come is May. Legal experts said the justices would need to rule by about June 1 to leave enough time for Trump's trial on the charges to wrap up before Election Day. Smith, seeking to avoid trial delays, had asked the justices on Dec. 11 to launch a fast-track review of the immunity claim. Trump asked the justices to not expedite the review, and on Dec. 22 they did what he requested, opting to let the matter play out in a lower court rather than resolving it right away. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on Feb. 6 upheld U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan's Dec. 1 ruling rejecting the immunity claim. Trump on Feb. 12 asked the Supreme Court to freeze the D.C. Circuit ruling. On Feb. 14, Smith asked the justices to reject Trump's bid to further delay the matter. It took the court two more weeks before it announced it would hear arguments in the matter, which it scheduled for the week of April 22. The trial had been scheduled to start on March 4 before the delays over the immunity issue. Now no trial date is set. FOUR PROSECUTIONS The case is one of four criminal prosecutions Trump faces. A March 25 trial date has been set on charges in state court in New York involving hush money paid to porn star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election. It is unclear when the other criminal cases will go to trial. Trump has pleaded not guilty in all four cases, seeking to portray them as politically motivated. "I should not have to go through any fake prosecutions before the election," Trump wrote on social media on Feb. 19. A criminal conviction could harm Trump's election chances. In Reuters/Ipsos opinion polls, a quarter of Republicans and half of independents said they would not vote for Trump if a jury convicted him of a felony. If he is elected and becomes president again next January, he could order an end to this case and a second brought by Smith concerning Trump's handling of classified documents - or seek to pardon himself for any federal convictions. Republican strategist Ford O'Connell, who worked with Trump during the 2020 campaign, said of the delays in the trial timeline as the Supreme Court resolves the immunity matter: "It's hard to overstate what a victory this is politically for the Trump legal team and for Donald Trump." "This is a great benefit to Trump in terms of the timeline of these cases, and how they may interact with the election, particularly in the fall," O'Connell said. SLOWING THINGS DOWN University of Michigan law professor Barbara McQuade, a former senior federal prosecutor appointed by President Barack Obama, said that a time frame for the election subversion trial "is manageable as long as the Supreme Court acts promptly, and remains mindful of the public's right to a speedy trial." McQuade added that "it seems likely that the court will uphold the D.C. Circuit ruling against Trump." "I think that Trump's arguments are pretty thin," added Georgetown University law professor Erica Hashimoto. Chutkan has promised to give Trump about 90 days to prepare for trial once the case returns to her courtroom, with a trial expected to last six to eight weeks. For a verdict to come before the election, the trial would need to start by around Sept. 1, McQuade said. UCLA School of Law elections expert Richard Hasen said that if the Supreme Court's ruling comes in late June, "it is not at all clear that there could be a trial before the election." "I'm also skeptical the judge would make Trump go to trial if he's the general election candidate on the Republican side," Hasen added. Hasen forecast that the Supreme Court "is likely to reject Trump's immunity argument on the merits." Delaying the trial gives Trump more time to rally supporters around his claim that the charges were politically motivated, an assertion that Reuters/Ipsos polls show is broadly held by Republican voters. Some experts cite Trump's long-established record of making strategic use of court delays for legal and political advantage. Hasen noted that "given the weakness of Trump's position, it's reasonable to ask whether this is simply an attempt, now more likely to be successful, to run out the clock." (Reporting by John Kruzel; Additional reporting by Jason Lange and Andrew Goudsward; Editing by Will Dunham and Scott Malone) Fires are ravaging large areas of the Texas Panhandle, in the northern part of the state. In addition to forestland, the flames have consumed homes, devoured cars, burned ranches and killed cattle, and have already caused at least one fatality, an 83-year-old woman from the small town of Stinnett. Evacuations of the affected areas have prevented further deaths. A series of fires broke out on Monday and have been spreading, driven by strong winds, burning over 1 million acres (a little over 435,000 hectares), according to an update released Thursday by the Texas A&M Forest Service. It is the largest fire in the history of Texas, and its severity has led state authorities to issue a disaster declaration for 60 counties and request federal aid. The affected area is larger than the state of Rhode Island and the Smokehouse Creek fire, the main blaze, is the biggest ever recorded in Texas after the East Amarillo Complex fire of March 2006, which scorched 907,000 acres and left 13 people dead. Some satellite images suggest it may already have surpassed it. Although there is only one confirmed fatality so far, authorities fear more may appear. Most of the most severe fires in Texas occur in the months of January through May. Dry grasslands after the winter and strong winds create a high-risk situation. This year, unusually high temperatures have added to the danger. U.S. President Joe Biden has been receiving information about the blaze, White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said Wednesday. We are grateful for the brave firefighters and first responders who are working to protect people and save lives. And we urge everyone in the affected area to remain vigilant and heed the warnings of local officials, especially those who have been ordered to evacuate, she told a press briefing. The federal administration is providing assistance to state authorities in both Texas and Oklahoma, which has also been affected by the fire. Texas Governor Greg Abbott has directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) to deploy additional emergency response resources to ensure the safety of Texans and impacted communities, he said in a statement. I encourage Texans in affected areas to heed the guidance of local officials and first responders and to take all necessary precautions to keep your family and loved ones safe. Abbott issued a disaster declaration for 60 counties. Wind and dry grasses have contributed to the spread of the fire, which is leaving charred landscape in its wake. Temperatures are expected to drop Thursday and there may be some rainfall, but by the weekend warmer and drier and therefore more dangerous weather is forecast, not only in North Texas but also in other areas of the state. The advance of the flames led the main facility that dismantles the U.S. nuclear arsenal the Pantex plant, southeast of Amarillo to halt its operations on Tuesday night, but by Wednesday it was functioning normally. The plant, one of the National Nuclear Security Administrations facilities, has been the main site for assembling and disassembling atomic bombs since 1975. It produced its last new bomb in 1991 and has decommissioned thousands of weapons removed from military stockpiles. The remains of a burned house in Canadian, Texas, February 28. Sean Murphy (AP) Evacuations Elsewhere, residents were evacuated from areas ravaged by the flames. There was one point where we couldnt see anything, said Greg Downey, 57, describing the scenes as the fire reached his neighborhood. I didnt think wed get out of it, he added, according to testimony collected by AP. Hemphill County emergency management coordinator Bill Kendall described the scorched terrain as a moonscape Its just all gone. Kendall said about 40 homes were burned around the perimeter of the town of Canadian, but no buildings were lost inside the community. Kendall also said he saw hundreds of cattle just dead, laying in the fields. Tresea Rankin videotaped her own home in Canadian as it burned. Thirty-eight years of memories, thats what you were thinking, Rankin said of watching the flames destroy her house. Two of my kids were married there... But you know, its OK, the memories wont go away. The small town of Fritch, north of Amarillo, lost hundreds of homes in a 2014 fire and appeared to be hit hard again. Mayor Tom Ray said Wednesday that an estimated 40-50 homes were destroyed on the southern edge. Ray said natural gas remained shut off for the town of 2,200. Residents are probably not prepared for what theyre going to see if they pull into town, Hutchinson County Emergency Management spokesperson Deidra Thomas said in a social media livestream. She compared the damage to a tornado. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai takes part in a joint news conference with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other U.S. and Mexican officials during the U.S.-Mexico High-Level Economic Dialogue at the State Department in Washington, U.S. By Emma Farge ABU DHABI (Reuters) - U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai said on Friday breakthroughs were still possible in overnight negotiations at the World Trade Organization, but "complex trade-offs" would be needed even for less difficult topics such as fishing. If some or all of the talks aimed at fixing global commerce rules do collapse, fragmentation among the BRICS bloc of emerging economies will have contributed, she told Reuters. "We're going to be seeing kind of some extraordinary efforts over the course of these next hours into tomorrow. So some really interesting breakthroughs could still happen," Tai told Reuters on the sidelines of the talks in Abu Dhabi. "But if fewer things happen. If some of these areas break down...it looks like some of that intra-BRICS dynamic will have contributed." She cited divisions among developing countries -- which have traditionally sought to act in concert in WTO negotiations -- on an investment deal which was strongly supported by China but opposed by India and South Africa. Other fissures exist on e-commerce and agriculture, she added. Fisheries is probably the most likely deal of all, she said. "But in order to get there, there are a bunch of quite complex trade-offs," she said, citing Pacific islands' opposition to the deal in its current form. She described agricultural talks, seen as the key to unlocking other blocked negotiations, as "hard". On a possible extension of a decades-long moratorium on placing tariffs on digital trade, she said: "Maybe it can be unlocked ... if agriculture is unlocked." (Reporting by Emma Farge; editing by Mark Heinrich and Cynthia Osterman) FILE PHOTO: Workers clean the ground in front of containers at Tien Sa port in Da Nang city, Vietnam, March 6, 2020. REUTERS/Kham/File Photo By Khanh Vu and Phuong Nguyen HANOI (Reuters) - Vietnam's exports and industrial production in February fell significantly from a year ago, government data showed on Thursday, with economists attributing the drop to the Lunar New Year long holiday rather than to the Red Sea shipping crisis. The export-reliant country, which is one of the top trading partners for the United States and European Union states, recorded exports this month fell 5% from a year earlier and industrial production contracted by 6.8%, preliminary estimates from the General Statistics Office (GSO) showed. Disruptions of shipping through the Red Sea caused by the Houthis' attacks from Yemen in support of Palestinians fighting in Gaza have resulted in a 55%-73% increase in costs for cargoes from Vietnam, according to estimates from the country's trade ministry cited by state media. That poses risks to Vietnam, warned Hanoi-based economist Vo Tri Thanh, but he noted that February's bad performance was mostly because the week-long celebrations for the Lunar New Year, known as Tet in Vietnam, fell in February this year. In 2023, the holiday was in January and that affected the statistical comparison, he said. "The data for the first two months of this year, however, still look upbeat," Thanh said. Both exports and industrial production showed healthy increases in the first two months of 2024 compared to the same period last year thanks to a massive expansion in January, preliminary estimates showed. For January and February, exports rose 19.2% from a year earlier to $59.34 billion, while imports were up 18% to $54.62 billion, according to the report. This translated into a trade surplus of $4.72 billion. The industrial production index in the January-February period rose 5.7% from a year earlier, swinging from a decline of 2.9% in the same period last year, the GSO said. "While there was a sharp drop in exports and industrial production in February, the extent is not out of the norm for Vietnam during Tet," said Darren Tay, an analyst at BMI Research, noting it was still too early to say if the Red Sea turmoil was having an impact. Can Van Luc, a government adviser and an economist at the Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam, said the impact of the crisis on Vietnam's exports remained "limited". Consumer prices in February rose 3.98% from a year earlier, the GSO said, adding that retail sales in the month rose 8.5% from a year earlier. (Reporting by Khanh Vu and Phuong Nguyen; Editing by Francesco Guarascio and Christian Schmollinger) FILE PHOTO: Oprah Winfrey poses during a press call for "The Color Purple" at the Empire State Building in New York City, U.S., December 12, 2023. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo By Bhanvi Satija (Reuters) -Shares of WW International, also known as WeightWatchers, took a pounding on Thursday as the company disclosed that celebrity shareholder Oprah Winfrey would exit its board later this year and donate her stock in the weight management firm. The exit of the media icon, who has been a board member since 2015, comes at a time when WW is struggling to turn a profit. The stock fell 24.5% to $2.88 and has lost more than half its value so far this year. Winfrey will donate her shares to the National Museum of African American History and Culture and continue to advise and collaborate with WeightWatchers and CEO Sima Sistani. She owned 1.13 million shares worth $6.34 million as of Jan. 1, LSEG data showed. The donation will help "eliminate any perceived conflict of interest around her taking weight loss medications," WW said late on Wednesday. Oprah's departure is "just another piece of evidence in the overall picture that people would much rather take a jab than have to adjust their lifestyle," said Troy Harmon, chief investment officer at financial services firm Henssler Financial. Harmon, referring to popular obesity drugs offered by Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk, said "wouldn't be surprised, if she resurfaced as a spokesperson for one of the drug manufactures". The WW stock had more than doubled in value last year on hopes for a boost from its acquisition of telehealth platform Sequence, which marked its entry into the lucrative market for prescription obesity drugs. The talk show host said last year that she uses prescription medication to manage her weight. Winfrey had first reported a stake of 14.7% or 9.88 million shares in WW in October 2015. WW shares have also been hurt due to "exacerbated concerns" around its growth prospects and liquidity, Barclays analyst Stephanie Davis said. (Reporting by Bhanvi Satija, Medha Singh and Sriparna Roy in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli and Maju Samuel) India's Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal takes part at the panel discussion "Trade: Now what?" during the World Economic Forum 2022 (WEF) in the Alpine resort of Davos, Switzerland May 25, 2022. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann/File Photo By Emma Farge, Alexander Cornwell and Rachna Uppal ABU DHABI (Reuters) -Negotiations at the World Trade Organisation ministerial meeting in Abu Dhabi on Thursday were extended for another day, with the WTO saying the closing session had been delayed, and no immediate sign of breakthroughs in talks to set new global commerce rules. The biennial conference is seeking deals on ending fishing subsidies and extending a moratorium on digital trade tariffs - a move that India and South Africa oppose. Some negotiations carried on past midnight as officials sought to hammer out agreements on a cross section of changes to trade rules. WTO spokesperson Ismaila Dieng said ministers were working hard and making real progress. "However the negotiations are difficult because of interlinkages between the areas under negotiation," he said, adding ministers will regroup on Friday morning to review the latest revisions. The scheduled announcement of a final agreement after four days of intergovernmental talks between the WTO's 164 members was pushed back for a fifth day until 2 p.m. (1000 GMT) on Friday in the Gulf state. This followed an earlier four-hour delay. Some participants were doubtful a deal would be reached by then, telling Reuters that serious differences remained on a range of issues meant to address global trade, although others said the mood had improved slightly during the day. U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai told Reuters that breakthroughs were still possible, but "complex trade-offs" would be needed even for less-difficult topics such as curbing fishing subsidies. If some or all of the talks aimed at fixing global commerce rules do collapse, fragmentation among the BRICS bloc of emerging economies "will have contributed," she told Reuters. New Zealand's trade minister Todd McClay said it was a good sign that delegates were still trying to thrash out issues. "There is a desire for an outcome but there are delegations on both sides of issues saying: the only way we can have an outcome is if our concerns are addressed," he told Reuters. However, McClay, who is the facilitator on talks to extend a 25-year moratorium on digital tariffs, said there had been no movement yet on overcoming a deadlock. DIGITAL TRADE IMPASSE India's trade minister said it was a shame some nations were blocking agreements, but he gave little sign that New Delhi would drop its own opposition to extending a waiver on digital tariffs. "Of course we feel sad that some countries are still obstructing significant outcomes that could have helped less developed countries and developing countries gain confidence in the working of WTO," Piyush Goyal told reporters. Still, he voiced optimism that such outcomes could be achieved in the talks. Tai said the impasse on the extending the digital trade moratorium could be "unlocked ... if agriculture is unlocked," but noted that the negotiations were "hard." FISHERIES DRAFT DEAL FACES OPPOSITION A grouping of Pacific islands, including Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, were also opposing a draft deal on changes to fisheries subsidies, with Fiji's deputy prime minister telling Reuters it did not go far enough. "We would like the large subsidising countries to put a cap on the current level of subsidies," Manoa Seru Kamikamica said. A trade delegate from a developed country dismissed this prospect. A key meeting between Pacific Island countries and major subsidising countries like the EU, China and Japan is planning in the very early hours of Friday morning, trade sources said. India's Goyal did not name the countries that he said were blocking results at the talks. But he said his top priority was fixing the WTO's dispute system, adding he had raised the lack of progress with USTR's Tai in a Wednesday meeting. "The first and highest priority is to get the Appellate Body of the dispute resolution mechanism in place because without that all the decisions we are taking cannot be adjudicated upon," he said. The WTO's top appeals court has been hamstrung for four years due to U.S. opposition to judge appointments and remains out of service. Tai already ruled out an agreement on WTO dispute settlement appeals reform this week, but said negotiations were showing progress. (Reporting by Emma Farge, Alexander Cornwell and Rachna Uppal; Additional reporting by David Lawder; Editing by Alex Richardson, Emelia Sithole-Matarise, William Maclean, Andrea Ricci and Daniel Wallis) PRIMECAP Odyssey Growth Fund Summary Prospectus February 28, 2024 Before you invest, you may want to review the Funds Prospectus, which contains more information about the Fund and its risks. You can find the Funds Prospectus, Reports to Shareholders, Statement of Additional Information and other information about the Fund online at http://www.primecap.com. You may also obtain this information at no cost by calling 1-800-729-2307 or by email at [email protected] . The Funds Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information dated February 28, 2024 are incorporated by reference into this Summary Prospectus. Investment Objective The PRIMECAP Odyssey Growth Fund seeks to provide long-term capital appreciation. Fees and Expenses of the Fund This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below. Shareholder Fees (Fees paid directly from your investment) Maximum sales charge on purchases or reinvested dividends None Redemption or exchange fees None Annual Fund Operating Expenses (Expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) Management fees 0.55% Other expenses 0.11% Total annual fund operating expenses 0.66% Example The example below is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Funds operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be: 1 Year 3 Years 5 Years 10 Years $67 $211 $368 $822 Portfolio Turnover The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or turns over its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Funds performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Funds portfolio turnover rate was 7% of the average value of its portfolio. Principal Investment Strategies The Fund invests primarily in the common stocks of U.S. companies, emphasizing those companies with the potential for above average earnings growth. The Fund may invest in stocks across all market sectors and market capitalizations. Although it has historically invested primarily in large- and mid-capitalization companies, it has also invested a significant portion of its assets in small-capitalization stocks. Because of the bottom-up stock selection process of PRIMECAP Management Company (the Advisor), the Fund may maintain a significantly overweight or underweight position in a particular sector relative to the S&P 500 index, a market capitalization-weighted index of 500 large-capitalization stocks commonly used to represent the U.S. equity market, at any time. The Fund may also invest substantial assets in foreign securities through depository receipts or stocks traded on U.S. or foreign exchanges. The Advisor, through its fundamental research, seeks to identify stocks that have above average growth aspects or attributes that may contribute to accelerated earnings growth in the foreseeable future. Catalysts for growth may include new products, new markets, new management, restructuring, a structural shift in demand or supply, or other changes in industry dynamics. These stocks typically provide little current income. The Advisor looks for companies that, in its judgment, will grow faster and/or will be more profitable than their current market valuations suggest and for companies with asset values that are not adequately reflected in their stock prices. The Advisor may sell a stock if its market price appears to have risen above its fundamental value, if other securities appear to be more favorably priced, if the reasons for which the stock was purchased no longer hold true, or for other reasons. The Advisor maintains a long-term focus and attempts to identify stocks that it believes will outperform the S&P 500 index over a three- to five-year time frame. WWW.PRIMECAP.COM 800-729-2307 Principal Risks You may lose money by investing in the Fund. You should expect the Funds share price and total return to fluctuate within a wide range, like the fluctuations of the overall stock market. The Funds performance could be hurt by: Stock market risk. The chance that stock prices overall will decline. Stock markets tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising prices and periods of falling prices. Manager risk. The chance that, as a result of poor security selection by the Advisor, the Fund may underperform relative to its benchmarks or other funds with similar investment objectives. Investment style risk. The chance that returns from the mix of small-, mid-, and large-cap stocks in the Funds portfolio will trail returns from the overall stock market. Historically, small- and mid-cap stocks have been more volatile in price than the large-cap stocks that dominate the overall stock market, and they often perform quite differently. Additionally, from time to time, growth stocks may be more volatile than the overall stock market. Growth stocks risk. The chance that returns from growth stocks in the Funds portfolio will trail returns from the overall stock market. Growth stocks are likely to be more volatile in price than the stock market as a whole. Historically, growth funds have tended to outperform the market as a whole in rising markets and underperform the market as a whole in declining markets. Of course, there is no guarantee that this pattern will continue in the future. Sector-focus risk . Investing a significant portion of the Funds assets in one sector of the market exposes the Fund to greater market risk and potential monetary losses than if those assets were spread among various sectors. If the Funds portfolio is overweighted in a certain sector, any negative development affecting that sector will have a greater impact on the Fund than a fund that is not overweighted in that sector. As of October 31, 2023, investments in the health care and information technology sectors each represented more than 25% of the Fund's net assets. Asset concentration risk. The chance that, because the Fund tends to invest a high percentage of its assets in its largest holdings, the Fund's performance may be hurt disproportionately by the poor performance of relatively few stocks. Foreign securities risk. The chance that the value of foreign securities will be adversely affected by the political and economic environments and other overall economic conditions in the countries where the Fund invests. Investing in foreign securities involves: country risk, which is the chance that domestic events - such as political upheaval, financial troubles, corruption, or natural disasters - will weaken a countrys securities markets; and currency risk, which is the chance that the value of a foreign investment, measured in U.S. dollars, will decrease because of unfavorable changes in currency exchange rates. Foreign companies are generally subject to different legal and accounting standards than U.S. companies, and foreign financial intermediaries may be subject to less supervision and regulation than U.S. financial firms. Small- and mid-cap stocks risk. The chance that small- and mid-cap stocks may trade less frequently or in more limited volume than those of larger, more established companies; may fluctuate in value more; and, as a group, may suffer more severe price declines during periods of generally declining stock prices. Fund Performance The following performance information indicates some of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Funds performance over time. The bar chart below illustrates the Funds total return for each of the last ten calendar years. The table below illustrates the Funds average annual return over time compared with a domestic broad-based securities market index. The Funds past performance, before and after taxes, is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. Unlike the Funds returns, the index returns do not reflect any deductions for fees, expenses, or taxes. For additional information on the index, please see Index Description on page 38 of the statutory prospectus. Updated performance is available on the Funds website at www.primecap.com. Calendar Year Total Return During the period shown in the bar chart, the Funds highest quarterly return was +23.61% for the quarter ended June 30, 2020, and the lowest quarterly return was -23.77% for the quarter ended March 31, 2020. WWW.PRIMECAP.COM 800-729-2307 Average Annual Total Returns as of December 31, 2023 1 Year 5 Year 10 Year Annualized Since Inception ( November 1, 2004 ) PRIMECAP Odyssey Growth Fund Return Before Taxes 23.87% 12.73% 11.65% 11.13% Return After Taxes on Distributions 20.35% 9.98% 9.98% 10.18% Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares 16.55% 9.88% 9.42% 9.57% S&P 500 index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses, or taxes) 26.29% 15.69% 12.03% 9.96% After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investors tax situation and may differ from those shown, and after-tax returns shown may not be relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-advantaged arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts (IRAs). Investment Advisor PRIMECAP Management Company is the investment advisor for the PRIMECAP Odyssey Growth Fund. Portfolio Managers Theo A. Kolokotrones, Chairman, Joel P. Fried, President, Alfred W. Mordecai, Vice Chairman, M. Mohsin Ansari, Executive Vice President, and James Marchetti, Executive Vice President, each independently manages a portion of the PRIMECAP Odyssey Growth Fund. Each of Messrs. Kolokotrones, Fried, and Mordecai has managed his respective portion of the Fund since its inception in 2004. Mr. Ansari has managed his portion of the Fund since April 2012. Mr. Marchetti has managed his portion of the Fund since January 2014. Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares Investors may purchase, exchange, or redeem Fund shares on any business day by written request or telephone. Shares may be purchased or redeemed by wire transfer. Certain transactions may be conducted online on the Funds website. You can conduct transactions by mail at PRIMECAP Odyssey Funds, c/o U.S. Bank Global Fund Services, P.O. Box 701, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201-0701 (for regular mail) or 615 East Michigan Street, 3rd Floor, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53202-5207 (for overnight mail); by telephone at 18007292307; or online at www.primecap.com. Redemptions by telephone are only permitted if the Fund has previously received appropriate authorization. Investors who wish to purchase, exchange, or redeem Fund shares through a broker-dealer should contact the broker-dealer directly. The minimum initial investment in the Fund is $2,000 for regular accounts and $1,000 for retirement accounts; subsequent investments must be at least $100. Tax Information The Funds distributions will normally be taxed as ordinary income, qualified dividend income, capital gains, or a combination of the three, unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an IRA. Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary, the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediarys website for more information. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 Form 6-K REPORT OF FOREIGN PRIVATE ISSUER PURSUANT TO RULE 13A-16 OR 15D-16 UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 February, 2024 Commission File Number 1-15182 DR. REDDYS LABORATORIES LIMITED (Translation of registrants name into English) 8-2-337, Road No. 3, Banjara Hills Hyderabad, Telangana 500 034, India +91-40-49002900 (Address of principal executive office) Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover of Form 20-F or Form 40-F. Form 20-F x Form 40-F Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1): ______ Note: Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(1) only permits the submission in paper of a Form 6-K if submitted solely to provide an attached annual report to security holders. Indicate by check mark if the registrant is submitting the Form 6-K in paper as permitted by Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7): ______ Note: Regulation S-T Rule 101(b)(7) only permits the submission in paper of a Form 6-K if submitted to furnish a report or other document that the registrant foreign private issuer must furnish and make public under the laws of the jurisdiction in which the registrant is incorporated, domiciled or legally organized (the registrants home country), or under the rules of the home country exchange on which the registrants securities are traded, as long as the report or other document is not a press release, is not required to be and has not been distributed to the registrants security holders, and, if discussing a material event, has already been the subject of a Form 6-K submission or other Commission filing on EDGAR. Indicate by check mark whether by furnishing the information contained in this Form, the registrant is also thereby furnishing the information to the Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Yes No x If Yes is marked, indicate below the file number assigned to registrant in connection with Rule 12g3-2(b): 82-________. EXHIBITS 2 SIGNATURES Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized. DR. REDDYS LABORATORIES LIMITED (Registrant) Date: February 29, 2024 By: /s/ K Randhir Singh Name: K Randhir Singh Title: Company Secretary 3 ATTACHMENTS / EXHIBITS EXHIBIT 99.1 UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, DC 20549 SCHEDULE 13D Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Amendment No. 4)* 51Talk Online Education Group (Name of Issuer) Class A ordinary shares, par value $0.0001 per share (Title of Class of Securities) 16954L 204 (1) (CUSIP Number) Ting Shu Dasheng Online Limited 24 Raffles Place #17-04 Clifford Centre, Singapore 048621 With copies to: Haiping Li, Esq. Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP c/o 42/F, Edinburgh Tower The Landmark 15 Queens Road Central Hong Kong +852 3740-4700 Yilin Xu, Esq. Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP 30/F, China World Office 2 No. 1, Jianguomenwai Avenue Chaoyang District Beijing 100004, China +86 (10) 6535-5500 (Name, Address and Telephone Number of Person Authorized to Receive Notices and Communications) February 6, 2024 (Date of Event Which Requires Filing of this Statement) If the filing person has previously filed a statement on Schedule 13G to report the acquisition that is the subject of this Schedule 13D, and is filing this schedule because of 240.13d-1(e), 240.13d-1(f) or 240.13d-1(g), check the following box. Note : Schedules filed in paper format shall include a signed original and five copies of the schedule, including all exhibits. See 240.13d-7 for other parties to whom copies are to be sent. * The remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting persons initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities, and for any subsequent amendment containing information which would alter the disclosures provided in a prior cover page. (1) CUSIP number 16954L 204 has been assigned to the American depositary shares (ADSs) of the issuer, which are quoted on the NYSE American under the symbol COE. Each ADS represents 60 Class A ordinary shares. The information required on the remainder of this cover page shall not be deemed to be filed for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 ( Act ) or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act but shall be subject to all other provisions of the Act (however, see the Notes). CUSIP No. 16954L 204 13D/A Page 2 of 5 Pages 1 Names of Reporting Persons Ting Shu 2 Check the Appropriate Box if a Member of a Group (a) (b) 3 SEC Use Only 4 Source of Funds (See Instructions) PF 5 Check Box if Disclosure of Legal Proceedings Is Required Pursuant to Items 2(d) or 2(e) 6 Citizenship or Place of Organization Peoples Republic of China Number of Shares Beneficially Owned by Each Reporting Person With 7 Sole Voting Power 0 8 Shared Voting Power 84,963,099(1) 9 Sole Dispositive Power 0 10 Shared Dispositive Power 84,963,099(1) 11 Aggregate Amount Beneficially Owned by Each Reporting Person 84,963,099(1) 12 Check if the Aggregate Amount in Row (11) Excludes Certain Shares (See Instructions) 13 Percent of Class Represented by Amount in Row (11) 25.0%. The voting power of the shares beneficially owned represented 39.2% of the total outstanding voting power.(2) 14 Type of Reporting Person (See Instructions) IN Notes: (1) Represents (i) 186,180 Class A ordinary shares in the form of ADSs held by Jack Jiajia Huang, (ii) 38,386,335 Class A ordinary shares in the form of ADSs held by Dasheng Global Limited, (iii) 275,000 Class A ordinary shares issuable to Dasheng Global Limited upon the vesting of restricted share units within 60 days after F ebruary 29, 2024, (iv) 122,460 Class A ordinary shares in the form of ADSs held by Ting Shu, (v) 67,380 Class A ordinary shares issuable to Ting Shu upon the vesting of restricted share units within 60 days after February 29, 2024, (vi) 30,390,321 Class B ordinary shares held by Dasheng Global Limited, and (vii) 15,535,423 Class B ordinary shares held by Dasheng Online Limited. (2) The percentage of voting power is calculated by dividing the voting power beneficially owned by the reporting person by the voting power of all of the Issuers holders of Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares as a single class as of February 28, 2023 (taking into account the number of shares that the reporting person had the right to acquire within 60 days the date hereof). Each holder of Class A ordinary shares is entitled to one vote per share and each holder of Class B ordinary shares is entitled to ten votes per share on all matters submitted to them for a vote. Class B ordinary shares are convertible at any time by the holder thereof into Class A ordinary shares on a one-for-one basis. CUSIP No. 16954L 204 13D/A Page 3 of 5 Pages 1 Names of Reporting Persons Dasheng Online Limited 2 Check the Appropriate Box if a Member of a Group (a) (b) 3 SEC Use Only 4 Source of Funds (See Instructions) AF 5 Check Box if Disclosure of Legal Proceedings Is Required Pursuant to Items 2(d) or 2(e) 6 Citizenship or Place of Organization British Virgin Islands Number of Shares Beneficially Owned by Each Reporting Person With 7 Sole Voting Power 0 8 Shared Voting Power 15,535,423(1) 9 Sole Dispositive Power 0 10 Shared Dispositive Power 15,535,423(1) 11 Aggregate Amount Beneficially Owned by Each Reporting Person 15,535,423(1) 12 Check if the Aggregate Amount in Row (11) Excludes Certain Shares (See Instructions) 13 Percent of Class Represented by Amount in Row (11) 4.6%. The voting power of the shares beneficially owned represented 12.2% of the total outstanding voting power.(2) 14 Type of Reporting Person (See Instructions) CO Notes: (1) Represents 15,535,423 Class B ordinary shares held by Dasheng Online Limited. (2) The percentage of voting power is calculated by dividing the voting power beneficially owned by the reporting person by the voting power of all of the Issuers holders of Class A ordinary shares and Class B ordinary shares as a single class as of February 28, 2023 (taking into account the number of shares that the reporting person had the right to acquire within 60 days the date hereof). Each holder of Class A ordinary shares is entitled to one vote per share and each holder of Class B ordinary shares is entitled to ten votes per share on all matters submitted to them for a vote. Class B ordinary shares are convertible at any time by the holder thereof into Class A ordinary shares on a one-for-one basis. CUSIP No. 16954L 204 13D/A Page 4 of 5 Pages Explanatory Note Pursuant to Rule 13d-2 promulgated under the Act, this Amendment No. 4 to Statement on Schedule 13D (this Amendment ) amends and supplements the Statement on Schedule 13D originally filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on July 25, 2022, as amended by Amendment No. 1 thereto filed on October 5, 2022, by Amendment No. 2 thereto filed on July 10, 2023, and by Amendment No. 3 thereto filed on November 29, 2023 (as so amended, the Statement ). Except as specifically provided herein, this Amendment does not modify any of the information previously reported in the Statement. All capitalized terms used herein which are not defined herein have the meanings given to such terms in the Statement. Item 2. Identity and Background Items 2(b) through (f) of the Statement are hereby amended and restated as follows: (b), (c), and (f): Each of Mr. Huang and Ms. Shu is a citizen of the Peoples Republic of China. Mr. Huang and Ms. Shu are husband and wife. Mr. Huang is the founder, chairman and chief executive officer of the Issuer. Ms. Shu is a co-founder and a director of the Issuer. Each of Dasheng Global, Dasheng Online and Dasheng Holdings is a British Virgin Islands company. Mr. Huang is the sole director of Dasheng Global, and Ms. Shu is the sole director of Dasheng Online. Each of Dasheng Global and Dasheng Online is wholly beneficially owned by Dasheng Holdings, which is in turn wholly owned by the Trust, for which TMF (Cayman) Ltd. acts as the trustee (the Trustee ). S.B. Vanwall Ltd. is the sole director of Dasheng Holdings appointed by the Trustee. The settlors of the Trust are Mr. Huang and Ms. Shu. Mr. Huang, Ms. Shu and their family members are beneficiaries under the Trust. Pursuant to Section 13(d) of the Exchange Act, and the rules promulgated thereunder, Dasheng Holdings, the Trust, the Trustee, Mr. Huang and Ms. Shu may be deemed to be a group, and each member of such group may be deemed to beneficially own all of the ordinary shares beneficially owned by other members constituting such group. However, each of Dasheng Holdings, the Trust, Mr. Huang and Ms. Shu disclaims beneficial ownership of any shares other than the abovementioned (i) 186,180 Class A ordinary shares of the Issuer in the form of ADSs held by Mr. Huang, (ii) 38,386,335 Class A ordinary shares of the Issuer in the form of ADSs held by Dasheng Global, (iii) 275,000 Class A ordinary shares of the Issuer issuable to Dasheng Global upon the vesting of restricted share units within 60 days after February 29, 2024, (iv) 122,460 Class A ordinary shares in the form of ADSs held by Ms. Shu, (v) 67,380 Class A ordinary shares of the Issuer issuable to Ms. Shu upon the vesting of restricted share units within 60 days after February 29, 2024, (vi) 30,390,321 Class B ordinary shares of the Issuer held by Dasheng Global, and (vii) 15,535,423 Class B ordinary shares of the Issuer held by Dasheng Online. All shares beneficially owned by the Trust are beneficially owned by the Trustee solely in its capacity as trustee of the Trust. Accordingly, the Trustee, solely in its capacity as trustee of the Trust, may be deemed to beneficially own all ordinary shares of the Issuer that are beneficially owned by the Trust. However, the Trustee disclaims beneficial ownership of all ordinary shares of the Issuer. The business address of each Reporting Person is 24 Raffles Place #17-04 Clifford Centre, Singapore 048621. (d) and (e): During the last five years, none of the Reporting Persons has been: (i) convicted in a criminal proceeding (excluding traffic violations or similar misdemeanors) or (ii) a party to a civil proceeding of a judicial or administrative body of competent jurisdiction and as a result of such proceeding was or is subject to a judgment, decree or final order enjoining future violations of, or prohibiting or mandating activities subject to, federal or state securities laws or finding any violation with respect to such laws. CUSIP No. 16954L 204 13D/A Page 5 of 5 Pages Item 3. Source and Amount of Funds or Other Consideration Item 3 of the Statement is hereby amended and restated by the following: Dasheng Global entered into Rule 10b5-1 trading plans, dated as of March 31, 2022 and June 30, 2022, respectively, with Tiger Brokers (Singapore) Pte Ltd (the Trading Plans ). Under the Trading Plans, Dasheng Global proposes to purchase a total of 1,100,000 ADSs of the Issuer. Pursuant to the Trading Plans, through the date hereof, Dasheng Global has purchased 1,025,415 ADSs in the open market for approximately US$1.6 million, using its capital from previous disposition of its holding of the Issuers ADSs. On December 15, 2022, the Issuer effected a change of the ratio of its ADSs to Class A ordinary shares from one ADS representing fifteen Class A ordinary shares to one ADS representing sixty Class A ordinary shares. Dasheng Global entered into a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan, dated as of June 30, 2023, with Tiger Brokers (Singapore) Pte Ltd (the 2023 Trading Plan). Under the 2023 Trading Plan, Dasheng Global proposes to purchase a total of 250,000 ADSs of the Issuer. Pursuant to the 2023 Trading Plan, Dasheng Global has purchased 37,526 ADSs in the open market for approximately US$0.3 million from October 20, 2023 through November 21, 2023, and 58,567 ADSs in the open market for approximately US$0.4 million from November 30, 2023 through February 15, 2024, using its own capital. In addition, from March 28 through September 19, 2022, Dasheng Global purchased a total of 562,106 ADSs of the Issuer in the open market for approximately US$0.9 million, using its capital from previous disposition of its holding of the Issuers ADSs. From September 20, 2022 through June 30, 2023, Dasheng Global purchased a total of 102,984 ADSs of the Issuer in the open market for approximately US$0.7 million using its own capital. F rom August 31, 2023 through September 23, 2023, Dasheng Global purchased a total of 26,315 ADSs of the Issuer in the open market for approximately US$0.2 million, using its own capital. Apart from the foregoing open-market purchases, (i) the 275,000 Class A ordinary shares of the Issuer issuable upon the vesting of restricted share units within 60 days after the date hereof, to be held by Dasheng Global, the 1,050,000 Class A ordinary shares of the Issuer in the form of ADSs held by Dasheng Global, and the 186,180 Class A ordinary shares of the Issuer in the form of ADSs held by Mr. Huang are shares issuable or issued to Mr. Huang pursuant to share awards granted under the Issuers share incentive plans, and (ii) the 67,380 Class A ordinary shares of the Issuer issuable to Ms. Shu upon the vesting of restricted share units and 122,460 Class A ordinary shares of the Issuer in the form of ADSs held by Ms. Shu, are shares issuable or issued to Ms. Shu pursuant to share awards granted under the Issuers share incentive plans, and (iii) the 30,390,321 Class B ordinary shares of the Issuer and the 15,535,423 Class B ordinary shares of the Issuer have been held by Dasheng Global and Dasheng Online, respectively, since the completion of the initial public offering of the Issuer. SIGNATURE After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, I certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and correct. Dated: February 29, 2024 Ting Shu /s/ Ting Shu Dasheng Online Limited By: /s/ Ting Shu Name: Ting Shu Title: Director Schedule I 60-Day Trading History Trade Date Amount of ADSs (Each Representing 60 Class A Ordinary Shares) Purchased Weighted Average Price Per ADS (US$) January 2, 2024 712 7.60 January 3, 2024 100 7.73 January 4, 2024 280 7.94 January 5, 2024 164 8.00 January 8, 2024 2,600 7.94 January 9, 2024 1,500 7.95 January 10, 2024 522 7.89 January 11, 2024 662 7.88 January 16, 2024 2,410 7.82 January 17, 2024 449 7.92 January 18, 2024 332 7.98 January 19, 2024 309 7.90 January 22, 2024 994 7.78 January 23, 2024 297 7.72 January 24, 2024 317 7.62 January 25, 2024 839 7.73 January 26, 2024 402 7.73 January 29, 2024 202 7.71 January 30, 2024 1,050 7.65 January 31, 2024 926 7.61 February 1, 2024 985 7.59 February 2, 2024 304 7.54 February 5, 2024 4,625 7.38 February 6, 2024 6,031 7.27 February 7, 2024 7,206 7.11 February 8, 2024 2,679 6.95 February 9, 2024 2,303 6.86 February 12, 2024 456 6.94 February 15, 2024 660 6.84 The above transactions were effected by Dasheng Global in the open market. The 1st Battalion, 62nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment, based out of Fort Cavazos, Texas, has seen its deployment in Poland extended until around June. The regiment's mission is part of efforts to shore up NATO defenses on the allliance's eastern flank. (Leara Shumate/U.S. Army) STUTTGART, Germany A Texas-based Patriot missile air defense unit dispatched to Poland to bolster defenses on NATOs eastern flank will have its deployment extended three months, the Army said this week. The 1st Battalion, 62nd Air Defense Artillery Regiments mission will now last until around June. Its deployment to Poland began in October as part of efforts to enhance European defenses in the wake of Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Being away from family is hard, but I have really grown to my platoon being my family, Staff Sgt. Zachary Nanninga, a platoon sergeant in the unit based at Fort Cavazos, said in a statement Wednesday from the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command. A turbulent security environment in Europe and beyond has led to unexpected mission extensions for U.S. troops. Concerns about the Israel-Hamas war expanding forced thousands of sailors aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier to remain at sea several months past their expected return date. Ford returned in January to its homeport in Norfolk, Va. Similar situations have played out for some soldiers operating in the U.S. European Command area. Our mission along the eastern flank is demanding, but this is an unprecedented time in EUCOM, said Capt. Leara Shumate, a spokeswoman for the 52nd Air Defense Artillery Brigade, which oversees the 1st Battalion, 62nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment during its time in Europe. Since the Russia-Ukraine war started, the military has sent an array of units to Europe on a rotational basis, typically on six or nine-month deployments. Overall, that has added up to force levels in the range of 100,000 U.S. troops on the Continent, up from the 80,000 in place ahead of Moscows invasion in February 2022. The Army has been the main provider of the additional troops in Europe. And during the course of the expanded operations, the Army has been forced to extend some missions to meet demands. For example, the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, based out of Fort Riley, Kan., saw its nine-month rotation in 2022 to Europe extended. U.S. Army air defense units based in Germany also have been in high demand on NATOs eastern flank. On Monday, the Ansbach-based Alpha Battery, 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, returned to Germany after a deployment that saw its soldiers fanned out across the eastern flank. U.S. Army Patriot air defense units in Germany, which carried out the Patriot mission in Poland before the arrival of 1-62, also experienced long stints away from home because of events in Ukraine. The 1st Battalion, 62nd Air Defense Artillery Regiment is now at the center of a multinational initiative to bolster the regions security infrastructure, the Army statement said. A Massachusetts National Guardsman with the 772nd Military Police Company fires an M4A1 carbine during Justified Accord 2024 (JA24) for lethal weapons training at the Counter Insurgency Terrorism and Stability Operations Training Centre, Nanyuki, Kenya, Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024. JA24 is U.S. Africa Commands largest exercise in East Africa, running from Feb. 26 through March 7. (Carter Acton/Defense Department) Massachusetts National Guard soldiers with the 772nd Military Police Company conducted lethal and less-lethal weapons training Wednesday during the annual Justified Accord exercise in Kenya. The exercise, which began Monday and runs through March 7, includes troops from 23 countries. Several U.S. Army deployed units are taking part in Justified Accord, including soldiers from the Massachusetts National Guard and the 2nd Security Forces Assistance Brigade. The exercise is aimed at building readiness and cooperation between regional partners, as well as preparing for a range of contingencies, including humanitarian assistance operations, disasters and crisis response. Spc. Alex Starcher, a Massachusetts National Guardsman with the 772nd Military Police Company, loads ammunition into an M4 magazine in preparation for lethal weapons training during Justified Accord 2024 at the Counter Insurgency Terrorism and Stability Operations Training Centre, Nanyuki, Kenya, Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024. (Carter Acton/Defense Department) A group of Massachusetts National Guardsman with the 772nd Military Police Company conduct less-lethal weapons training during Justified Accord 2024 at the Counter Insurgency Terrorism and Stability Operations Training Centre, Nanyuki, Kenya, Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024. (Carter Acton/Defense Department) A non-lethal 40mm round sits ready to be used for less-lethal training conducted by the 772nd Military Police Company, Massachusetts National Guard, during Justified Accord 2024 at the Counter Insurgency Terrorism and Stability Operations Training Centre, Nanyuki, Kenya, Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024. (Carter Acton/Defense Department) U.S. Army Sgt. Nate Turgeon, a Massachusetts National Guardsman with the 772nd Military Police Company, gives instruction on range safety during Justified Accord 2024 (JA24) at the Counter Insurgency Terrorism and Stability Operations Training Centre, Nanyuki, Kenya, Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024. (Carter Acton/Defense Department) Spc. Alex Starcher, a Massachusetts National Guardsman with the 772nd Military Police Company, loads ammunition into an M4 magazine in preparation for lethal weapons training during Justified Accord 2024 at the Counter Insurgency Terrorism and Stability Operations Training Centre, Nanyuki, Kenya, Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024. (Carter Acton/Defense Department) A Massachusetts National Guardsman with the 772nd Military Police Company fires a M26 Modular Accessory Shotgun System during Justified Accord 2024 for less-lethal weapons tactics training at the Counter Insurgency Terrorism and Stability Operations Training Centre, Nanyuki, Kenya, Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024. (Carter Acton/Defense Department) Marines from Marine Barracks Washington stand at attention before performing at a Washington Commanders game in November 2023. (Chloe N. McAfee/U.S. Marine Corps) Two Marines assigned to the services oldest and most high-profile installation have been charged with scrawling antisemitic symbols and racial slurs in a University of Maryland dormitory, the service confirmed Wednesday. Lance Cpl. Sergio Delgado and Lance Cpl. Hayden Pritchard, who are stationed at Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C., were charged by university police, according to Capt. Kayla Haas, public affairs officer for the barracks. The D.C. barracks has been the symbolic home of the Marine Corps since 1801 and is home to its elite ceremonial units, as well as the residence of the Marine commandant. Haas said the two Marines were charged Feb. 8 in connection with an April 29, 2023, incident at La Plata Hall at the University of Maryland in College Park, Md. The residence hall for 600 students is located on the university campus, about 12 miles northeast of the Marine Barracks. Investigators contacted the Marines in January 2024 to assist with identifying the perpetrators. Security video showed the writing of antisemitic symbols and anti-Black slurs inside at least two floors of the dormitory, university police said. The images were used to eventually track down Pritchard and Delgado as responsible for the residence hall defacement. Pritchard, 22, from Chula Vista, Calif., is charged with racial or religious property damage and trespassing. Delgado, 21, from Baldwin Park, Calif., is charged with trespassing, police said. The Naval Criminal Investigative Service is cooperating with the university in gathering additional information on the crimes. Haas said the actions are inconsistent with the exceedingly high standards the Marine Corps expects of all Marines. The Marine Corps said Delgado and Pritchard underwent initial training and posting at the same time. Both enlisted in January 2022 and graduated from recruit training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego in April 2022. Both graduated from the School of InfantryWest at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., in October 2022. Both have been assigned to Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C., since December 2022. The leading candidates in the U.S. presidential primaries, Democrat Joe Biden and Republican Donald Trump, won comfortably in Michigan, a swing state that could tip the balance in next Novembers elections. But their respective victories have also come at a cost and demonstrate the problems they face with part of their electorate. Below are some of the keys to the results. The main key: The uncommitted protest vote against Biden The U.S. president received over 80% of the 760,000 votes cast in Michigan, a state of 10 million inhabitants. But he also received more than 101,000 uncommitted ballots (13.2%), the equivalent of a blank vote, in a gesture of protest against his pro-Israeli policy in the war in Gaza. A campaign launched by Michigans large Arab community and progressive groups urged Democratic supporters to choose that option to call for a permanent ceasefire and to warn Biden that his rejection of a cessation of hostilities could cost him re-election. The campaign set a modest goal: to achieve 10,000 uncommitted voters. An easy number: in the last three state primaries, without an organization behind it, there were 20,000 blank votes recorded as a protest for different causes. Tuesdays results exceeded the estimates. It is a sign of the latent discontent among the partys grassroots that may endanger the delicate coalition of progressive groups, minorities, unions and college graduates that brought Biden to the White House in 2020. Dozens of Democratic politicians, from Michigan and out of state, expressed support for the initiative. The message these votes send is something that we already knew before the primaries: the president is losing support because of his endorsement of a massacre in Gaza, and he needs to change his position before he comes to ask for our votes in November, says Abbas Alawieh, the spokesman for the Listen to Michigan group, which organized the campaign. Listen to Michigan has received inquiries from other organizations in Washington, which will hold its primary on March 12, and Minnesota, which will host its primary next week, that want to launch similar campaigns. We are willing to coordinate strategies with all those who wish to create a coalition against the war, Alawieh, a former advisor to the U.S. Congress, explains. Biden did not mention the protest vote, or the situation in Gaza, in his statement on the results of Michigan; instead, he chose to focus on his differences with Trump in areas such as abortion rights and the economy. For her part, Vice President Kamala Harris noted in a separate statement that the results of the primary make it clear that the people of Michigan are ready to address issues such as gun violence and reproductive rights. Campaign participants insist that the numbers achieved in the primary demonstrate the need for the White House and Democratic lawmakers to change their position and pay attention to their grassroots. If the White House is listening to us, if our leaders in Congress and at [the] State [Department] are listening to us, we need to change course, or we risk having American democracy ruined in November with a Donald Trump victory, noted Abdullah Hammoud, the mayor of Dearborn, a city with a majority Arab population near Detroit where the uncommitted vote campaign was born. Trump also displays weaknesses For the former president and Republican hopeful to return to the White House, Tuesdays election offered the opportunity to demonstrate the support he has in a state where the party apparatus is very loyal to him. Michigan was key to his 2016 victory over Hillary Clinton, but in 2020, Biden won the state by 150,000 votes. Instead, Michigan made it clear that a sizable portion of Republican voters, especially college educated ones, are at odds with the partys likely November nominee. Nikki Haley, the former U.S. ambassador to the U.N., won 26% of the vote, three days after she garnered 40% in her home state of South Carolina: it was not enough to win the primary, but it was significant. Some of Haleys supporters say that they will not vote for Trump in November. Nikki Haley begins to see her withdrawal from the race The former U.S. ambassador to the U.N. came to Michigan hoping to capitalize on the moderate Republican vote and to rebound from her decisive defeat in the South Carolina primary. She did not succeed. The only rival still in the race against the prohibitive favorite, Donald Trump, garnered little more than a quarter of the vote. And it doesnt look like she will raise her percentages in the next contests in conservative Idaho this weekend or on Super Tuesday on March 5. Haley has vowed to continue the battle until at least next Tuesday, when California, Texas and Virginia will hold their primaries. We have a country to save, she told CNN after the polls closed in Michigan. But, with no victory in the primaries yet, as donors begin to withdraw their support, and with the polls overwhelmingly against her, she has also begun to shift her discourse away from insisting that she can win the race to focus more on noting that Trump cannot win a general election with only the support of his base. In the same CNN interview, she acknowledged that it is possible that the majority view in the Republican Party no longer matches her own. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Adm. Samuel Paparo, center, speaks to Canadian service members while on the Halifax-class frigate HMCS Ottawa during a port visit at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, on Dec. 9, 2023. (Christopher Sypert/U.S. Navy) WASHINGTON Adm. Samuel Paparo was confirmed by the Senate on Wednesday evening to be the next leader of Indo-Pacific Command. Paparo, who now commands the U.S. Pacific Fleet, was approved along with 25 other military promotions in an unanimous consent vote. The upper chamber also confirmed Aprille Joy Ericsson as assistant secretary of defense within the Defense Departments research office. Paparo will succeed Adm. John Aquilino, who has been in charge of INDOPACOM since April 2021. In a 37-year military career, Paparo has served as a sailor, naval officer and a fighter pilot. He has commanded the U.S. Pacific Fleet since 2021 and previously served as the operations chief for U.S. Central Command, which controls U.S. military operations in the Middle East. Paparos experience includes stints flying F-15 and F/A-18 fighter jets and leading a provincial reconstruction team in Afghanistan. He has served in 15 duty stations around the world. During his confirmation hearing Feb. 1, Paparo said the U.S. remains equipped to handle the rising dominance of China and its larger Navy fleet, but the pace of the countrys warship-building raises alarm. The Defense Department considers China a pacing threat that has the capability to challenge Americas military and spark a war over Taiwan, a democratically governed island and U.S. partner that China considers its own territory. The [Peoples Liberation Army] navy has been on a historic trajectory these last 25 years and while I am confident that we would prevail in combat, it is a concerning trajectory, Paparo said. We are not overmatched, but I dont like the pace of the trajectory. About 375,000 service members and civilian employees are assigned to the Indo-Pacific region, which comprises 38 nations, according to the commands website. Huntington Ingalls Industries Newport News Shipbuilding division has successfully completed initial sea trials for Virginia-class attack submarine New Jersey (SSN 796). New Jersey spent several days at sea to test the boats systems and components. (Huntington Ingalls Industries) The Virginia-class attack submarine New Jersey has returned to Newport News, Va., after several days at sea testing systems and components, Huntington Ingalls Industries announced Thursday. Tests included submerging for the first time and conducting high-speed maneuvers on the surface and below. Taking New Jersey out for the first time is a significant milestone, and the first major test of the submarines capabilities at sea, said Jason Ward, vice president of Virginia-class submarine construction for Newport News Shipbuilding. Both New Jersey and her crew performed exceptionally well. New Jersey is expected to be delivered to the Navy later this year. Though it is the 23rd sub in the Virginia class, it also is the first of its kind: Designed with female submariners in mind. Women have been serving on submarines for more than a decade, but the New Jersey (SSN 796) is the first to be designed with specific modifications for gender integration. Planned modifications included the obvious more doors and washrooms to create separate sleeping and bathing areas and the more subtle: lowering some overhead valves and making them easier to turn, and installing steps in front of the triple-high bunk beds and stacked laundry machines. Before construction of New Jersey, the Navy retrofitted existing subs with extra doors and designated washrooms. The future USS New Jersey will be a critical some say the most critical arrow in our quiver, retired Navy Adm. Michael Mullen, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and former chief of naval operations, said at the christening in November 2021. Mullen was chairman of the Joint Chiefs in 2010 when then-Defense Secretary Robert Gates told Congress the Navy would begin including women in the submarine community. As of October 2023, 609 women were assigned to operational submarines serving as officers and sailors on 18 nuclear-powered ballistic-missile and guided-missile submarines and 14 nuclear-powered attack boats, according a report from the U.S. Naval Institute. The long-term plan is that by 2030, 33 submarine crews will have female officers and 14 crews will have female enlisted sailors. All classes of submarines will be integrated with female officers. Designs for the next ballistic-missile sub, the Columbia class, will rely on body measurements for men and women. The first Columbia-class sub is scheduled to join the fleet in 2031. Virginia-class submarines, a class of nuclear-powered fast attack submarines, are built for a broad spectrum of open-ocean and littoral missions to replace the Navys Los Angeles-class submarines as they are retired. Virginia-class submarines incorporate innovations that increase firepower, maneuverability and stealth. They are capable of supporting multiple mission areas and can operate at speeds of more than 25 knots for months at a time. Contributing: The Associated Press A group of reenactors, playing British soldiers, march back to Fort Ontario during a reenactment at the fort. The doomed campaign to recapture it in the winter of 1783 was the final campaign of the American Revolution. (Jim Commentucci, The Post-Standard/TNS) (Tribune News Service) Growing up, sisters Jo Anne Bakeman, of North Syracuse, and Barbara Fero, of Onondaga Hill, knew little of their familys history. It was a subject that was difficult to bring up when they were young. Bakeman remembers that if they, or their brother Willard, raised questions about their past, their father lifted his eyebrows and the conversation ended. Nobody talked about that there were Black ancestors in the family, she said. Fero recalled being at a local historical society with her father and saw Bakeman listed in Census records as Mulatto. Her father said, They are not ours. Both Jo Anne and Barbara are certain that their family left behind clues, which would take the sisters on a decades-long journey for their familys story and heritage. Visits to old graveyards and scraps of newspaper lit a fire, which turned out to be a decades-long search, that brought them into contact with relatives around the country they never knew they had. Their research led them to the family patriarch, Henry Bakeman, a Black American Revolutionary War soldier, and one of Oswego Countys earliest settlers. Here we all are, Jo Anne Bakeman said of her great, great, great grandfather, because of him. Historians estimate that between 5,000 and 8,000 men of African descent served in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War, and thousands more served in state militias and at sea. Both free and enslaved Black men joined to fight in what would be the last integrated American military force until 1948. Henry Bakeman was one of them. He was born in Rocky Hill, N.J., on Jan. 1, 1765. When he was three, he moved with his father to the Mohawk Valley, first close to Schenectady and then to the German settlement at Stone Arabia in 1776. On Oct. 19, 1780, that community was destroyed by 900 British Regulars and Loyalist soldiers during Sir John Johnsons invasion of the Valley. New York Gov. George Clinton chose Col. Marinus Willett to lead the state militia to defend the area. Desperate for manpower, in 1781 the State Legislature decided that any enslaved man who enlisted for three years would be freed. Sixteen-year-old Henry Bakeman signed on at Stone Arabia on April 17, 1781. There is no evidence he had ever been a slave. According to his pension application Bakeman did not see any battle of any note but had many skirmishes with the Indians and Tories. He also acted as a scout and courier. The closest he came to combat was during the final campaign of the American Revolution. In the winter of 1783, while peace negotiations had already begun, Gen. George Washington hoped to ensure American control of western lands by recapturing Fort Ontario. Washington tasked Willett and 500 men with a surprise attack on the fort on the morning of Feb. 11, 1783. Who would attack the fort in February? Barbara Fero asked, answering her own question with, only a Southern person, George Washington, she thought would be foolish enough to try it during a Central New York winter. After becoming confused and disoriented in a lake effect squall, the small force had to return to Fort Herkimer. They had no food and three men died. Henry Bakemans feet froze while crossing icy Oneida Lake during the doomed campaign and he suffered from the disability for the rest of his life. He was very courageous, Fero said. But his lifelong disability did not slow him down. Nor did the outright racism he faced after the war. After being discharged at Poughkeepsie in June 1784, Bakeman settled in Montgomery County and married a woman of Dutch ancestry, Joan Christianse. They had at least five children. Joanne Bakeman said that Henry was denied what other Revolutionary War soldiers were promised a piece of land for their service. He never got a land grant from Congress, she said. So, he saved his money and bought another mans. I always picture him as an outspoken Black man who would not have anything put over him. In 1800, Bakeman returned to what would become Oswego County to settle down. Purchasing part of Military Lot Four on the west side of the Oswego River, Bakeman took advantage of the rushing water by setting up his own prosperous ferry service. Bakeman acquired so much property that he soon owned half of what today is the city of Fulton. Jo Anne Bakeman figures he must have been one of the largest Black landowners in the state. We are all here because of him, she said. During the Depression of 1819 Bakeman had to sell much of his land. According to the 1820 census, he was living in Granby at the head of a household of ten free people of color. In September 1834, Bakeman was finally granted a pension for his Revolutionary War service. In his application, he wrote that he was a cooper. He received one payment before his death on Feb. 6, 1835, at the age of 70. His familys legacy continued throughout Central New York. One son, Jacob, owned 26 properties, including two mills in Granby. A colored man who owned mills was thought to be something of a phenomenon, and attracted considerable attention, Crisfield Johnson wrote in his 1877 history of Oswego County. Jo Anne Bakeman believes Jacob was a member of a local anti-slavery church and was active in the Underground Railroad. He later moved to Onondaga Hill where his brother, Benjamin, was living. Benjamin Bakeman purchased about 45 acres of land in the town of Onondaga in 1828. He married into the Day family when he married Rachel and together with members of the DeGroat and Talbott families created a small community of free Black people. Little is known of this small community of farmers and tradespeople. Barbara Fero says they were successful and brought their products to market. We dont know who came first or what brought them there, she said. We cant figure it out. In 1998, Town of Onondaga historian L. Jane Tracy told The Post-Standard that the community was agriculturally based and its residents were very good citizens of the town. Census records from 1855, show that Onondaga had 78 Black residents, second only to Syracuse in Onondaga County. That is roughly 31 percent of the countys population of Black residents. The area was sometimes referred to at the time as Little Africa. Looking back at their familys legacy, both Jo Anne Bakeman and Barbara Fero are proud of what they have discovered. We have withstood so much poverty and loss, Bakeman said. but in the end here we are. I see that spirit of Henry Bakeman in us. jcroyle@syracuse.com 2024 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit syracuse.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. An Air Force HH-60W Jolly Green II assigned to the 33rd Rescue Squadron lifts off for the first time at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Feb. 27, 2024. (Luis E. Rios Calderon/U.S. Air Force) A new Air Force combat rescue helicopter, dubbed the Jolly Green II in homage to its Vietnam War-era predecessors, made its first Indo-Pacific flight this week, according to Pacific Air Forces. The HH-60W Jolly Green II lifted off Tuesday from Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, PACAF announced in a news release Wednesday. The release did not provide flight details. An undisclosed number of new-era Jolly Green IIs arrived at Kadena in January to replace HH-60G Pave Hawks that have been in service there 21 years with the 33rd Rescue Squadron. Ive been flying this HH-60W for three years and I was fortunate enough to return to Kadena for a second assignment, Lt. Col. Brian Rhoades, the squadrons combat rescue helicopter team lead, said in the release. The 33rd flies combat rescue missions in all manner of weather, behind the lines and around the clock, according to the release. This is the first sortie this aircraft has flown since arriving at Kadena, and this is the first active-duty Air Force crew to fly this helicopter, Rhoades said. It flew exactly like how I expected it to and met all our expectations. Tech. Sgt. Shelby "Scar" Duncan, a 33rd Rescue Squadron special missions aviator, performs pre-flight checks on an HH-60W Jolly Green II before its first flight at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Feb. 27, 2024. (Luis E. Rios Calderon/U.S. Air Force) All the squadrons G-model Pave Hawks will be gone by August and more Jolly Green IIs will arrive before mid-2025, squadron commander Lt. Col. Louis Nolting said in the release. The HH-60W gives us a modern, combat capable helicopter with improved power avionics, defensive systems, weapon systems, survivability and personnel recovery, he said. The Air Force cut short its procurement plan for Jolly Green IIs last year after purchasing 75 ships, two-thirds of the 113 it planned to buy, according to a March 28 report on the Breaking Defense news website. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said a changing threat environment led to the decision, which would leave the service 25 combat rescue helicopters short of the number theyre meant to replace, the report said. The next-generation Jolly Green II, based on the HH-60M Black Hawk frame, also comes with a larger fuel capacity for longer range and better threat detection and countermeasures, according to the Air Force. It can carry two pilots, two gunners, two paramedics and two litters; the fuselage can be mounted on either side with .50-caliber and 7.62 mm machine guns, according to a September 2021 report on the Air Force Technology website. Lt. Col. Louis "Shiner" Nolting, 33rd Rescue Squadron commander, left, and Lt. Col. Brian Rhoades, combat rescue helicopter team lead, step toward an HH-60W Jolly Green II for its first flight at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Feb. 27, 2024. (Luis E. Rios Calderon/U.S. Air Force) The service announced the Pave Hawks retirement in 2010 and began development of the Jolly Green II in June 2014 with a $1.2 billion contract to Sikorsky and Lockheed Martin, according to Air Force Technology. The Air Force began phasing out the Pave Hawks in 2022, and the Jolly Green II made its first operational flight that September when one flew a patient from Valdosta, Ga., to Tampa, Fla., according to the Air Force website. The name Jolly Green II pays homage to the Sikorsky HH-3E, nicknamed the Jolly Green Giant due to its size and color, which set the precedent for current Air Force combat rescue crews, according to the service. The French Senate. (Wikimedia Commons) The French governments pioneering push to become the first country in the world to enshrine abortion rights in its constitution got a huge boost Wednesday with lawmakers in the right-dominated Senate voting to inscribe abortion as a guaranteed freedom. The bill still faces one final test: whether it can secure the backing of three-fifths of lawmakers from both houses of parliament in a special congress on Monday at Versailles. But the extent of support in the Senate, with 267 votes in favor and 50 against, following the overwhelming endorsement in the National Assembly last month, had government officials and abortion rights activists claiming victory. This evening, the Senate wrote a new page in womens rights. This vote is historic, Minister of Justice Eric Dupond-Moretti said. We will be the first country in the world to enshrine in the Constitution this freedom for women to control their bodies. This vote, basically, reiterates to those who do not yet know that the women of our country are free. This vote reiterates the extent to which we are all attached to this freedom. The proposed change to Frances constitution is a direct reaction to the U.S. Supreme Courts 2022 ruling to overturn Roe v. Wade. The plain-language introduction of the French bill didnt hesitate to point to events in the United States as the catalyst. Under the question Why this text? it reads: In the United States, the right to abortion was called into question at the federal level by a decision of the Supreme Court of June 24, 2022. In other countries, particularly in Europe, certain movements intend to restrict the right to abortion and contraception. The French public overwhelmingly supports abortion rights, and abortion is legal for any reason through the 14th week of pregnancy. But the U.S. court decision, and the state bans that followed, energized activists in France and beyond to further shield their rights. In Britain, Labour lawmaker Diana Johnson is pushing for a vote in Parliament next month that could see abortion decriminalized. She has spoken out about the stark message sent by the U.S. Supreme Courts decision. Activists in France sought the constitutional change because abortion rights are under threat around the world and in Europe, when far-right governments are elected, said Mathilde Philip-Gay, a law professor at Jean Moulin Lyon 3 University. Everybody knows that the government can change in France and that the next election could see the win of [Marine] Le Pen. She is not against abortion, but her party is traditionally against it, and far-right movements are traditionally against the right to abortion. So, its not a problem now, but its a reaction to whats happened to the U.S. and to the political elections in Europe of the far right. Poland has been the most prominent example of a country in Europe moving to further restrict abortion, and the new centrist government there is facing challenges as it tries to reverse the near-total ban. Abortion activists have been watching efforts in France closely. Last month, lawmakers in the National Assembly, the lower house of Frances Parliament, voted 493 to 30 in favor of the proposal by President Emmanuel Macrons government. But whereas the vote in the assembly benefited from support from Macrons centrist minority coalition and left-wing opposition parties, approval in the Senate, where lawmakers on the right have more power, was always going to be more difficult. Some senators expressed concerns about the wording of the bill. In a 2022 debate, the lower house favored the term right, while the upper house preferred freedom. Activists said that the right to an abortion was a stronger term than freedom as it would force the state to provide measures necessarily for an abortion. The government backed the term guaranteed freedom, which seemed to be a middle ground. This was the language backed by the Senate on Wednesday. The Senate is taking a decisive step which I welcome, Macron said, announcing Mondays special congress. He repeated an earlier pledge: I am committed to making womens freedom to have an abortion irreversible by enshrining it in the Constitution. Analysts said it was highly likely that the special congress would back the proposal. In politics, you never know. But it would be a big surprise if the text wasnt adopted, Philip-Gay said. Lola Schulmann, an advocacy officer with Amnesty in Paris, posted a picture of a uterus with a French flag and wrote on X, A historic opportunity for France to place itself on the side of women and a hope for those who defend the right to abortion throughout the world. The Supreme Court agreed on Wednesday that it will decide whether former President Donald Trump had presidential immunity when he sought to overturn the results of the 2020 election, a defeat against Joe Biden that he denied, and continues to refuse to admit. In practice, the courts announcement is a victory for Trumps legal strategy based on delay tactics, and entails a new postponement in the start of the trial against him in Washington for the events that led to the assault on the Capitol on January 6, 2021. Trumps defense plan is to delay the four proceedings he has pending with the justice system, in which he faces 91 counts in total, for as long as possible. The ideal for his lawyers is to delay them sufficiently so that they will be prolonged until after the elections next November, when everything suggests that Trump will be facing Biden again in his attempt to return to the White House four years later. In a short statement, the Supreme Court announced that it would hear arguments from both sides during the week of April 22 and then issue its decision. If the Supreme Court agrees with Trump, the charges will be dismissed. If not, the trial, which threatens to drag on for months, could go forward. Washington-based U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan had originally scheduled the first hearing in the trial for this coming Monday, March 4. In the Supreme Courts brief order, the nine justices, six of them conservatives, three of whom were appointed during Trumps time in the White House, read: [We will decide] Whether and if so to what extent does a former president enjoy presidential immunity from criminal prosecution for conduct alleged to involve official acts during his tenure in office. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled Feb. 6 against Trumps immunity bid. They also gave the tycoons lawyers time to file an emergency petition with the Supreme Court to prevent the decision from taking effect. Separation of powers The defense argues that, as president, Trump had total immunity and that this gave cover to any of his acts. According to this argument, immunity emanates from the fundamental principle of the separation of powers, and is the perfect antidote, says this theory, that justice should not be used for partisan purposes. The Supreme Court justices will have to decide, among other things, whether these attempts to interfere in the elections can fall into the category of the normal performance of the presidents duties. For the purpose of this criminal case, former President Trump has become citizen Trump, with all of the defenses of any other criminal defendant. But any executive immunity that may have protected him while he served as President no longer protects him against this prosecution, said the 57-page appeals court ruling in its introduction. It would be a striking paradox if the President, who alone is vested with the constitutional duty to take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed, were the sole officer capable of defying those laws with impunity. (...) We cannot accept that the office of the Presidency places its former occupants above the law for all time thereafter. Trumps lawyers also claimed immunity in the case of the classified documents that the FBI found in a search at Mar-a-Lago, his mansion in Palm Beach (Florida) after the former president improperly withheld them. They were full of national security secrets, but lawyers argue that their client was entitled to take them out of the White House because that decision was made in his last weeks in office. The trial, unless there is a foreseeable delay, is scheduled to begin at the end of May in Florida. The former presidents legal team also habitually airs the complaint that so many trials threaten to interfere with the presidential campaign, which enters its peak after the summer, and that Trump will surely spend between the dock and the rally podium. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition Palestinians search the rubble of a destroyed building following an Israeli airstrike in the Nuseirat refugee camp, central Gaza, on Feb. 28, 2024. (Ahmad Salem/Bloomberg) A Saudi-led group of Arab states is urging the US and allies to persuade Israel to consider a renewed plan for Palestinian statehood that they say will de-escalate tensions in the Middle East, according to several Arab officials involved in drafting the proposal. While there are myriad obstacles to overcome not least opposition by Israel the alliance that includes Egypt, Jordan, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates sees a potential cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war becoming permanent and paving the way for fresh talks, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing sensitive matters. Many European states have embraced the unified Arab blueprint, though Washington is further apart, said two of the officials. The US has previously seen any deal for the Palestinians mainly in the context of its goal to forge diplomatic ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia, while easing the Jewish states economic and security integration into the Middle East, they said. The Arab proposal is being tabled as negotiators from Israel, the US, Egypt and Qatar try to agree on a temporary pause in fighting between Israel and Hamas and a return of hostages held by the Iran-backed militant group. Israel will also seek help from Middle East neighbors to rebuild Gaza when the conflict finally ends, Economy and Industry Minister Nir Barkat said in an interview. The plan, which builds on the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, is expected to outline the creation of a Palestinian state along the lines of borders that existed prior to the 1967 Six-Day War. It would include measures such as rolling back Israeli settlements in the Palestinian Authority-controlled West Bank one of two main Palestinian territories alongside Gaza and mechanisms to implement a two-state solution, said the two senior Arab officials. Arab states will not get involved in the reconstruction of Gaza unless there is a commitment by Israel to take steps toward establishing Palestinian statehood, the officials said. The Saudi-led group sees acceptance of its Palestine proposal as the ultimate goal but potentially unbridgeable challenges remain. For one, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted any halt in Israels campaign to destroy Hamas in response to the groups Oct. 7 atrocities will be temporary, as total victory is the only goal. Hamas is considered a terrorist organization by the US and European Union. Israel will resist having Palestinian statehood shoved down our throats, Netanyahu told CBS News on Sunday. Realistic plan Meanwhile, Washington and Riyadh are working on what they see as a more realistic version of the plan. It seeks to use the prospect of Saudi Arabia recognizing Israel to extract concessions from the Jewish state on Palestinian statehood, according to a person familiar with US thinking. Saudi Arabia sees the two tracks the Arab plan and the talks with Washington as complementary, said a person close to the kingdoms leadership. The Arab plan may be announced publicly in the coming weeks and will serve as leverage to obtain maximum gains for Palestinians, he added. An official with the Saudi Foreign Ministry did not respond to a request for comment. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told his Saudi and UAE counterparts on Tuesday that Washington wants a sustained peace through the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with security guarantees for Israel. A whole generation of Arabs now does not believe in the viability of peace with Israel, Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said in an interview at the Munich Security Conference earlier this month. To navigate through the amount of anger and outrage that has been created by this war would take something transformative, he said. There must be a time-lined plan that starts with an end game to realize a Palestinian state. During a panel discussion at the same conference, both the foreign ministers of Egypt and Saudi Arabia warned that the Israel-Hamas war, which has so far killed almost 30,000 people in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health authorities, is fueling extremism in the Arab and Muslim worlds. Hamas militants killed about 1,200 people on Oct. 7. The war is providing a huge amount of oxygen to those who dont believe in Arab-Jewish coexistence and those who want to recruit young people into extremist ideologies and acts of terror, said Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal Bin Farhan. The continuation of the war is a national security issue for us in the region and beyond. Brussels conference Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib said more and more countries within the European Union were embracing the Saudi-led two-state plan and Brussels would most likely host a conference to unveil it. We need actions now, she said. Saudi Arabia believes Palestinian statehood is a reasonable price for Israel to pay in exchange for diplomatic relations with Riyadh and its up to the US to convince the Jewish state, Robert Satloff, executive director of the Washington Institute think tank, said last week following a trip to the region. The problem is that most Arab states do not seem to appreciate how much Oct. 7 changed Israel, with the population caught up in a wave of wartime patriotism and still traumatized by Hamas incursion, he added. For the vast majority of Israelis, even talking about the two-state solution is viewed as bizarre, even perverse, said Satloff. With assistance from Peter Martin, Ethan Bronner and Thomas Hall. Army Secretary Christine Wormuth is pictured at the Pentagon on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024. Wormuth said Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024, that the Army has used approximately $500 million in funding for units in Europe and Africa to continue training Ukrainian forces. (Susan Walsh/AP) WASHINGTON The Army has used approximately $500 million in funding for units in Europe and Africa to continue training Ukrainian forces to fight off invading Russian troops, service Secretary Christine Wormuth said. The Army also could look to make spending cuts to various programs such as training exercises and new barracks projects as Congress faces a government shutdown and struggles to approve more aid for Ukraine and pass a defense budget for fiscal 2024, she said. By late spring, early summer, we would have to make some difficult choices about other exercises, Wormuth told reporters Tuesday at a meeting of the Defense Writers Group. Theres a whole host of NATO exercises, for example, that our forces participate in. She said the Armys budget has remained stagnant for at least a couple of years. If the service cant get an approved budget for roughly $185 billion for 2024 or supplemental aid for Ukraine, they are going to probably have to cancel some things. The U.S. has provided more than $44 billion in aid to Ukraine since the Russian invasion in February 2022, which has entered its third year. The Pentagon announced its last military aid package for Ukraine worth $250 million on Dec. 27. The U.S. has participated in two Ukraine Contact Defense Group meetings so far in 2024 but it has not been able to contribute any additional aid. The White Houses request for $110 in supplemental funding, including about $60 billion for Ukraine to keep its troops supplied with enough weapons and munitions to beat back invading Russian forces, remains stalled on Capitol Hill. The Democrat-controlled Senate managed to pass a $95 billion foreign aid package a few weeks ago, including $60 billion for Ukraine. In the House, where Republicans hold the majority, funding for more aid is at an impasse. A group of eight House lawmakers, led by Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., on Feb. 16 unveiled an alternative bill to the Senates foreign aid legislation. It includes more than $66 billion in defense-only funding for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with provisions to address the U.S. southern border. The bill designates almost $48 billion for Ukraine aid. The federal government has been operating on a temporary stopgap funding measure, known as a continuing resolution, since Oct. 1, the start of the fiscal year. It is unclear when Congress will pass a budget for fiscal 2024. A vote on extending the continuing resolution is needed before midnight Friday to avoid a partial government shutdown while the Defense Department funding is set to lapse on March 8. However, congressional leaders on Wednesday reached a tentative deal to extend funding temporarily for one set of federal agencies through March 8 and for another set through March 22, according to The Associated Press. Wormuth underscored that without funding the service cannot invest in the development of weapons or build new barracks, such as new living quarters planned for Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state. We wont be able to build that barracks under a CR and well probably have to build it at a higher price tag when we do get to build it because construction costs are going up, the secretary said. Soldiers fire the M136 AT4 at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., on Nov. 17, 2023. The AT4 is a 84mm, disposable, shoulder-fired recoilless unguided anti-tank weapon. (Michael Schwenk/U.S. Army) WASHINGTON Senators on Wednesday said the Pentagon must collect better data on troop exposure to blast overpressure and identify those most at risk for traumatic brain injury at a much faster pace to protect the health of service members. Lawmakers on the Senate Armed Services Committees personnel subpanel as well as experts on brain injury said the Pentagon has been too passive in addressing and preventing damage caused by shock waves that emanate from exploding weapons, known as overpressure. The cumulative effect of repeated low-level blast exposure can cause headaches, seizures, hallucinations and increase risks of depression and suicide. I want to be a partner but a partner that urges you to move faster and deliver more for our service members as quickly as possible, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., told Pentagon officials during a hearing on the issue. We need to do better for our troops, and we need to do it right now. Frank Larkin, a former Navy SEAL who worked for a Pentagon organization focused on improvised explosive devices, said the health risks of blast exposure were a concern 15 years ago, when the U.S. was at war in Afghanistan and Iraq. Those worries led to the creation of new armored vehicles to survive blasts but the service members inside them were not spared from the invisible pressure waves that rocked their bodies and brains, Larkin said. A lot of these folks came out of these vehicles and they looked fairly normal and it wasnt until time evolved that we started to see behavioral changes, cognitive dysfunction and so forth, he said. Larkin said his Navy SEAL son, Ryan Larkin, became a different person after serving as a combat medic, sniper and explosives breacher in four combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. He stopped smiling, had trouble sleeping, complained of headaches and became convinced there was something wrong with his head. Ryan Larkin was prescribed more than 40 medications for his ailments but in 2017, at 29-years-old, he died by suicide. A postmortem examination showed he had microscopic-level brain injury that was uniquely related to blast exposure, his father said. My son died from his injuries suffered both in training for combat and combat operations, Larkin said. He just didnt die right away. Traumatic brain injury became known as the signature wound of the U.S. war on terror and continues to affect thousands of service members who train on weapons such as artillery and rocket launchers. The Defense Department provided treatment for such injuries nearly 50,000 times during three months in 2023, according to Warren. More than 20,000 military personnel were diagnosed with traumatic brain injury in 2022, said Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla. The more we learn, the more we come to understand that blast exposure is an ongoing threat to the health of individual service members and to the wellbeing, the morale and the readiness of our entire force, Warren said. Lawmakers have for years urged the Pentagon to be more proactive in protecting troop brain health, ramping up pressure on officials last year after a New York Times investigation revealed the militarys mitigation policies were having little to no effect on the ground. Pentagon officials on Wednesday said they are taking steps to improve data collection and blast exposure records, which experts said is key for tracking exposure in high-risk occupational specialties and developing strategies to limit exposure in training environments. The Defense Department only has blast exposure data for 500 service members, Warren said. Some of the highest rates of exposure are seen among training instructors and members of the artillery community. Dr. Carlos Williams, director of the National Intrepid Center of Excellence at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, said cognitive assessments will be performed on all new troops this year before they participate in training. One of the most important things we can do is baseline our members from the moment they come into the military, he said. And so that means before they start the military training, and that allows us to follow them over time. Lester Martinez-Lopez, the assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, said the Pentagon is looking into how often subsequent testing should be done. Special Operations Command has determined its members should be tested every three years while the Pentagon is planning on every five years. Martinez-Lopez said the Defense Department needed to sort through more data and science to determine if testing should be more frequent. Kathy Lee, director of the Pentagons warfighter brain health policy, said more research was also required before establishing safety thresholds for firing explosive weapons. Warren and other senators said the Pentagon needed to act now. We know enough to start moving in the right direction, she said. I urge you: better to make your best estimate and get started. shkolnikova.svetlana@stripes.com Twitter: @svetashko Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell speaks at a conference in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 17, 2023. (Tia Dufour/U.S. Department of Homeland Security) Immediately after Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) announced that he will step down from his leadership position in November, all eyes turned to a handful of Republican senators who could seek to succeed McConnell as their partys leader in the chamber. I have full confidence in my conference to choose my replacement and lead our country forward, McConnell, the longest-serving Senate leader in history, said during his announcement on the Senate floor. Although no one has officially announced a bid to replace McConnell, a handful of lawmakers are widely seen as potential successors. Coincidentally, the three most likely successors are all named John. Heres a list of who could succeed McConnell: Sen. John Thune (S.D.) Senate Minority Whip John Thune (S.D.) is the No. 2 Republican in the Senate and one of McConnells closest allies. Thune has been in the Senate since 2005, rising through the partys leadership ranks. Before that, he served in the House for six years. As minority whip, Thune serves as McConnells deputy, and it is his job to manage the logistics and math behind the whipping of votes across the conference. Thune, 63, first joined the Senate GOP leadership in 2006 after then-Senate Republican Whip Trent Lott (Miss.) picked him as chief deputy whip. Thune went on to serve as vice-chair of the Senate Republican Conference before becoming the chairman of the Republican Policy Committee, the No. 4 GOP position in the Senate. He became the chairman of the Republican Conference in 2012, making him the third-most powerful Republican in the Senate - and the highest-ranking Republican senator in his home states history. By 2019, he was the Senate majority whip, a position he held until 2021, when Democrats took the Senate. Thune also served as chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee for four years until 2019. Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) speaks to reporters after the announcement by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Wednesday. (Craig Hudson/The Washington Post) After McConnell announced he was stepping away from leadership, reporters flocked to Thunes office, which sits steps from the Senate floor. There, he said McConnell leaves really big shoes to fill but declined to say whether he would run to replace him. Thune endorsed former president Donald Trumps White House bid on Sunday, despite a rift between the two. Trump became highly critical of Thune - and even called for him to be primaried - after Thune and McConnell refused to help Trump overturn the results of the 2020 election. Thune cannot run again for whip because of term limits. Sen. John Cornyn (Tex.) Sen. John Cornyn (Tex.), 72, served as minority and majority whip before Thune. He was forced to leave the position in 2019 because he was term-limited. Cornyn, who joined the Senate in 2002, is also widely seen as one of McConnells closest collaborators. Cornyn came to the Senate after serving as Texas attorney general for almost four years. A lawyer, he has also previously served as an associate justice on the Texas Supreme Court and as a Texas judicial district court judge. He has easily won reelection in Texas throughout his Senate career and was last reelected in 2020. Although Cornyn has not been as critical of Trump as Thune and McConnell - he endorsed the former presidents 2024 White House bid in January, despite initially saying he doesnt believe Trump could win another term - he did not support Trumps efforts to overturn the 2020 election. In 2009, Cornyn became the chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, a position he held until 2013, when he became Senate minority whip. He has also chaired the Senate Narcotics Caucus. In 2022, Cornyn led Republican negotiations for a bipartisan gun-control measure - one of the largest pieces of gun-control legislation passed in recent history - in a process that demonstrated his standing in the Senate GOP but also went against the grain of a conference that largely supports gun rights. On Wednesday, in the wake of McConnells news, Cornyn signaled to reporters that he is interested in succeeding his longtime ally. Today is about Mitch McConnell, he said. But Ive made no secret of my intentions. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.) talks to reporters following a procedural vote this month. (Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post) Sen. John Barrasso (Wyo.) Sen. John Barrasso (Wyo.), the third-ranking Senate Republican and chair of the Senate Republican Conference, is probably the most conservative person named John on this list. Barrasso also has a close relationship with McConnell. And while he, like other top Republican senators, did not support Trumps efforts to overturn the 2020 election, he was less critical of them. He was among the first top Senate Republicans to support Trumps 2024 presidential bid. Barrasso, 71, has served in the Senate since 2007 after serving in the Wyoming Senate for four years. An orthopedic doctor by training, Barrasso was appointed to the Senate after the death of Sen. Craig L. Thomas. He was elected to finish Thomass term in 2008 and has won reelection ever since. Barrasso has previously served as chair of the Senate Republican Policy Committee, a post he left in 2019 to become conference chair. If he were not to succeed McConnell, he could run for Republican whip, succeeding term-limited Thune. When asked Wednesday about whether he will make a bid for the top Senate GOP role, Barrasso said hes more focused on the November election. Thats the election we need to take the presidency and the Senate and the House, and thats where my focus is, he said. Sen. John Barrasso arrives as the Senate Foreign Relations Committee holds hearings in November on U.S. national security interests in Ukraine. (Haiyun Jiang/The Washington Post) Other potential options While the three Johns are widely considered to be the most likely McConnell successors, Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (W.Va.), Steve Daines (Mont.) and Rick Scott (Fla.) also have been floated as potential candidates. Sen. Joni Ernst (Iowa), the chair of the Senate Republican Policy Committee and the No. 4 Republican in the conference, signaled on Wednesday that she is not interested in the job. Moore Capito, vice chair of the Senate Republican Conference, and Daines, chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, are the No. 5 and No. 6 Republicans in the Senate, respectively. They have not signaled whether they will mount bids for McConnells job, but the two, like Ernst, are likely to go up the Republican leadership ranks after McConnells departure. On Wednesday, in the aftermath of McConnells announcement, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) floated Daines as a possible McConnell replacement. Scott, meanwhile, challenged McConnell for the top leadership position in 2022 after a disappointing midterm performance by Republicans. McConnell was reelected to the job in a 37-10 vote. Scott - who served as National Republican Senatorial Committee chair from 2021 to 2023 - has remained a top critic of the Kentucky Republican. On Wednesday, he wouldnt say whether hell again run for Republican leader, saying hes choosing to focus on his own reelection in November. But he added that he has made it very clear and have long believed that we need new leadership in the Senate. Liz Goodwin, Jacob Bogage and Marianna Sotomayor contributed to this report. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin testifies during a House Armed Services Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 29, 2024. (Carlos Bongioanni/Stars and Stripes) WASHINGTON Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Thursday took responsibility for the secrecy surrounding his hospitalization last month but pushed back against accusations from House Republicans that there were gaps in command authorities during his absence. Austin said there was never a lapse in command and control during his treatment for complications from prostate cancer surgery while also acknowledging a breakdown in communication to top government leaders. I should have promptly informed the president, my team, Congress and the American people about my cancer diagnosis and subsequent treatment, he said in testimony to the House Armed Services Committee. We did not handle this right and I did not handle this right. Austin said he did not instruct his staff to withhold information about his hospitalization but appeared to blame his underlings for the notification delays. I was the patient and so I expect that my organization would do the right thing, he said. Austin was called to appear before the House panel after failing to notify the White House, Congress and senior Pentagon officials of his hospitalization at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., for several days in early January. His prostate cancer diagnosis in December and the surgery for it later that month were also not disclosed to the White House until last month. The initial silence about Austins hospitalization caused an uproar on Capitol Hill, with several Republicans and at least one Democrat calling for Austins resignation. An unclassified summary of an internal Pentagon review released Monday blamed privacy restrictions and staff hesitancy for the lack of transparency but did not find any indication of ill intent or an attempt to obfuscate. Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the reviews recommendations to improve communication served as a starting point for ensuring this lapse never occurs again. But Republicans largely dismissed the legitimacy of the review, noting it was conducted by Austins subordinates and subject to his approval. Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., presides over a hearing on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. (Carlos Bongioanni/Stars and Stripes) It includes no explanation of why the president and his staff were left in the dark. It makes no recommendations to improve communication with the White House. And unsurprisingly, it holds nobody accountable, said Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. A separate investigation by the Pentagons inspector general to examine the the roles, processes, procedures, responsibilities and actions related to Austins hospitalization is ongoing. Austin repeatedly came under fire from Republicans on Thursday who said they wanted to see accountability for the incident. They grilled Austin about why no one has faced disciplinary action. Who will be held accountable for this, this embarrassment? asked Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind. Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., said Austin showed poor judgment, drawing a comparison to the swift notification of the public last year after Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Eric Smith was hospitalized for cardiac arrest. Congressman Mike Waltz, R-Fla., addresses Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin (not seen) during a House Armed Services Committee hearing on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. (Carlos Bongioanni/Stars and Stripes) My teenage daughter knows to tell her supervisor if shes not going to work. The American people truck drivers, bartenders know they have to tell their boss or they get fired, said Waltz, a former Green Beret. But youve held yourself to a different standard and thats unacceptable. Several Republicans noted a service member would have faced consequences if they had gone to a hospital without notifying their chain of command. Democrats on the committee bristled at the Republican attacks and attempted to steer the conversation to the failure of the Republican-led House to approve national security legislation and fund the Pentagon. A supplemental funding package that would provide billions of dollars in aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan has been held up by Republicans for months while Congress has yet to pass a full-year 2024 budget for the Defense Department. Mr. Secretary, it is not you who is the problem. Its not what happened in your health emergency thats the problem, said Rep. John Garamendi, D-Calif. When will this committee actually stand up for the defense of this nation? When will my colleagues on the Republican side of this committee find the courage to get the job done? Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., said Austin was taking accountability for his actions by simply appearing before the committee and subjecting himself to the intrusive questioning of lawmakers. Accountability is having to come and sit in front of people and their outrage and their drama in public about your health issues and the mistakes youve admitted you made when the entire world is wondering what the hell is going on with the United States of America, she said. Texas National Guard troops watch for illegal activity along the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass, Texas, in May 2022. The troops are among about 5,000 on state orders at the border with Mexico. Another nearly 4,000 troops on federal orders are also serving along the border. (Rose L. Thayer/Stars and Stripes) President Biden and former president Donald Trumps dueling visits to the border Thursday come in the wake of the collapse of the most far-reaching attempt at immigration reform by Congress in over a decade. Lawmakers from both parties are deeply skeptical about reaching an accord in the foreseeable future. On Capitol Hill, the well seems to have been poisoned after Republicans particularly in the House refused to support a bipartisan Senate bill once it became clear that Trump saw potential action on border security undermining what he sees as a potent campaign issue for him. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), who was among the key negotiators of the failed Senate bill, said he remains willing to negotiate. But the political environment is hardly conducive to progress, Murphy said. This is a nightmare, he said. You cant run a country with a House leadership that is this bonkers. We did what they asked. We got a bipartisan border bill. Its ready to go. But their party rejected it completely. Its kind of heartbreaking what this place has come to. In early February, most Senate Republicans and a handful of Democrats rejected the border reform package that their leadership helped negotiate for months after Republicans in the House said they would never consider such a deal. The rejection of the package came after Trump signaled that Congress should not act on immigration ahead of the election. William A. Galston, a fellow in the governance studies program at the Brookings Institution, said the episode shows that no substantive immigration policy is likely to pass in this Congress. It would be very, very difficult for anything to happen in this Congress, Galston said. Will any significant number of Republicans be willing to buck Donald Trump on this issue, which is his signature issue? Theres no evidence that they will. Since the deal fell through, Republicans have insisted that Biden has the power to bring the border under control through executive actions despite having begrudged actions Biden has taken without congressional approval. Democrats, meanwhile, say Republicans are the ones standing in the way of comprehensive immigration reform because its not convenient to them politically. Biden, Democrats and even some Republicans insist, does not have enough authority to overhaul the countrys immigration system in a comprehensive fashion. Biden plans to travel to Brownsville, Tex., on Thursday to meet with U.S. Border Patrol agents, law enforcement personnel and local leaders. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden will talk about the urgent need to pass the bipartisan proposal that came out of the Senate. Hes going to reiterate to congressional Republicans to stop playing politics, to focus on the American people to get this done, if they are serious about giving the U.S. Border Patrol agents what they need, if they are serious about fixing the immigration system, Jean-Pierre said. Bidens trip was announced days after news outlets reported Trump will visit Eagle Pass, Tex., about 300 miles northwest of Brownsville. Trump is expected to blast the Bidens administrations management of the border an issue central to his political agenda. Speaking with reporters after a meeting with Biden this week, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) insisted that the nations first priority is border security and that he personally told Biden that it is up to him, through executive action, to address the issue. I believe the president can take executive authority right now today to change that, Johnson said. I told him that again today in person, as Ive said to him many times publicly and privately over the last several weeks. Its time for action. It is a catastrophe, and it must stop. Last week, however, Johnson criticized Biden after news outlets reported that the White House was looking at potential executive actions that could be issued to address the border. In a statement, Johnson dismissed the White Houses efforts as election year gimmicks. Trump is visiting a district held by Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas), who has emerged as a voice for immigration reform in his party. Like Johnson, Gonzales blames Democrats for the crisis at the border, saying they own responsibility for the failures and argues that Biden can address these failures via executive action. Youre the president of the United States and youre telling me you cant secure your own border because you need Congress? Gonzales said. Sen. James Lankford (Okla.), the Republican who led Senate negotiations on the failed border deal, said he found it fascinating that both Biden and Trump will visit the border in the wake of the bipartisan deals demise. Lankford conceded that Congress is not able to move anything right now to actually make the difference on immigration. Still, he said he remains hopeful that Congress will one day pass some immigration reform because there are gaps in the law. Like Johnson, Lankford insisted that there are executive actions Biden can pursue to address some of the issues at the border, but he conceded that Bidens power is limited and that he does, in fact, need congressional support to secure the border. The asylum process is not clearly defined, it does need additional attention and clarity, he said. There are additional authorities that are needed. President Trump tried to use some executive authorities that were enjoined in the court. So [Biden] needs additional law. Democrats are accusing Republicans of purposely blockading any legislative effort to address what most Americans see as a crisis because it benefits them politically. A Gallup poll released this week found that Americans see immigration, more than any other issue, as the most important problem facing the United States. Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.), who has introduced several pieces of immigration legislation that would address issues like temporary work visa shortages, said that Republicans robbed Congress of an opportunity to pass the first significant piece of immigration legislation in decades. For now, he said, the momentum for change is gone. Im always hopeful and optimistic, but, if I was pragmatic based on the lay of the land in light of the intransigent position of Republicans right now, they have no interest in solving this issue, Carbajal said. Theyve been open and vocal about it. Murphy is among those who have argued that Biden simply does not have the authority, nor the funding, to manage the border through executive action. You cannot hire 3,000 asylum officers through executive order. You cannot stop processing asylum claims by executive action, he said. He needs legislation. Republicans know that. Republicans have simply made a decision that they do not want to fix the border because they think the chaos helps them politically. In the House, theres a bipartisan effort afoot to try to bypass Republican leadership and bring a bill to the floor that would combine border security with foreign aid to Israel and Ukraine. That is being spearheaded by moderate Reps. Jared Golden (D-Maine) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.). Golden noted that the border provisions in his legislation are narrower than those in the defunct Senate deal and would simply authorize a one-year reinstatement of Remain in Mexico, the Trump-era congressionally approved policy that requires that asylum seekers stay outside of the United States until they are issued an immigration court date. Despite having support from five Republicans and five Democrats, the effort faces steep odds. Liz Goodwin contributed to this report. Two for-profit schools overcharged the Department of Veterans Affairs by failing to report tuition waivers and scholarships provided to GI Bill students from 2015 to 2022, prosecutors said in a complaint filed Feb. 27, 2024 in U.S. district court in central Florida. (Joshua Magbanua/U.S. Air Force) Two for-profit schools in Florida are accused in a civil lawsuit filed this week by the U.S. of overcharging for GI Bill funds in a scheme that the government says aggressively courted veterans. The New Horizons schools in Tampa and Orlando, which provide weekly training sessions in coding and information technology, face allegations of violating the False Claims Act and unduly enriching themselves. In the lawsuit, prosecutors did not submit an estimate of how much was overcharged. From 2015 to 2022, the schools offered scholarships to veterans who enrolled and then billed the Department of Veterans Affairs for the full price of tuition, prosecutors said in the complaint, which was filed Tuesday in U.S. district court in Orlando. The Post-9/11 GI Bill pays tuition and fees as well as stipends for books and housing to veterans and troops based on a sliding scale of active-duty service. The scale ranges from 40% of tuition up to 100%. The two schools in Florida would recruit veterans who were less than 100% eligible for tuition assistance, provide them a scholarship to cover the difference and then charge the government for the full price, the complaint said. To encourage aggressive recruiting of GI Bill students, the schools also paid unlawful incentive compensation to admission staff in violation of Title 38, a federal code which covers veterans benefits, the complaint said. Schools are prohibited from offering commissions, bonuses or other incentive payments based on student enrollment. The intent is to prevent schools from recruiting as many students as possible without regard for their ability to complete their coursework. Emails from management and veterans career advisers at the schools included phrases such as Lets all CA$H in!!!! and Lets have a BIG DAY!!!! CA$H IN!!!!, the lawsuit states. The complaint names Robert J. Remington, the owner of the companies LTJ Group V and Innovak of Florida. The companies did business as New Horizons Computer Learning Centers, according to the complaint. The two schools received a memo in 2015 recommending that they look at their recruiting practices to ensure compliance with the law, the government said. In 2020, a few months after the U.S. subpoenaed New Horizons for information related to GI Bill compliance, Remington renamed the admissions contests while attempting to reassure staff that nothing was really changing, prosecutors say. The schools chief operating officer, who was unnamed in the complaint, acknowledged that New Horizons still held contests for admissions representatives enrolling GI Bill students, but we just dont call it that, according to an email included in the complaint. New Horizons in Tampa and Orlando did not immediately respond Thursday to requests for comment. An unexpected decision by an Illinois state judge has barred Donald Trump from appearing on the Republican primary ballot over his role in the Republican insurrection in the Capitol in January 2021. Cook County Circuit Judge Tracie Porter sided with Illinois voters who argued that the former president should be disqualified from the March 19 primaries and the presidential election of November 5, in which he will foreseeably compete against Joe Biden, for violating the anti-insurrection clause of the U.S. Constitutions 14th Amendment by encouraging the Capitol riot. However, the judge stayed her decision in expectation that Trump would appeal to Illinois appellate courts, and to wait for a similar case in Colorado to get resolved. Porter said her order would be put on hold if the Supreme Courts ruling is ultimately inconsistent with hers. The former presidents campaign team, as expected, was quick to issue a statement, calling the Illinois decision an unconstitutional ruling that we will quickly appeal. Also on Wednesday, the Supreme Court agreed to decide on Trumps claim of presidential immunity, which entails a new postponement in the start of the trial against him for the events that led to the assault on the Capitol on January 6, 2021. Judge Porters decision comes a month after the Illinois State Election Board unanimously rejected the same bid to block Trump from the ballot under the 14th Amendment. Illinois is the third state to throw Trump off the ballot after Colorado and Maine, but all those decisions are on hold while Trump appeals. The Supreme Court is now considering Trumps challenge against the Colorado decision, which justices in Washington already expressed skepticism about when they heard the arguments of the case. The Supreme Courts makeup three progressive justices and six conservatives, three of them appointed during Trumps time in office grants the former president an edge. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get more English-language news coverage from EL PAIS USA Edition The trial has heard evidence that gardai conducted searches and no explosives were found A call claiming explosives had been planted in the Minister for Justice's house was traced back to a number associated with the man accused of making this call, a jury has heard. Michael Murray (52), formerly of Seafield Road, Killiney, Dublin, has pleaded not guilty to one count of knowingly making a false report giving rise to an apprehension for the safety of someone else while he was imprisoned in the Midlands Prison, Portlaoise on March 7, 2021. Earlier in the trial, the jury heard that an anonymous caller claiming to be from the Irish National Liberation Organisation had rung the Samaritans claiming explosives had been planted at the home of the Minister for Justice Helen McEntee. It is the State's case that Mr Murray made this call, which was later traced to the Midlands Prison. Mr Murray denies any wrong doing. The trial has heard evidence that gardai conducted searches and no explosives were found. On the third day of the trial yesterday, the court heard from Noel Reilly, who worked in the IT department of the Irish Prison Service at the time of the call. Mr Reilly told Sean Gillane SC, prosecuting, that he was asked to prepare a report showing outgoing calls to the Samaritans made from Midlands Prison when the bomb threat was made. Mr Reilly said an outgoing call from the prison matching the time that the bomb threat was made as well as its duration was made using a unique prisoner number associated with Mr Murray. He explained that before a call can be made from within an Irish prison, prisoners must enter a number given to them to access the phone system. He said my observation would be that Mr Murray made the phone call to the Samaritans at the exact time. He also told Mr Gillane that when a prisoner makes a personal phone call it is recorded. Calls to the Samaritans and solicitors are not recorded, they are logged in the prison's database. Mr Reilly said prisoners would be aware which kind of calls would be recorded and which wouldn't be. In cross examination, Mr Reilly agreed with Garett Baker SC, defending, that it is possible that someone else could use another prisoner's phone number. He agreed with Mr Baker that a prisoner could contact the Samaritans using someone else's identification number and that Mr Reilly was relying on numbers rather than actual identities or CCTV footage. Mr Baker put to Mr Reilly that the system was prehistoric and is patched up as you go along. Mr Reilly agreed that the system is old, but said it is continually improved and any issues that may arise are looked in to and dealt with. Defence counsel also put to Mr Reilly that at the time of the bomb threat there had been an issue in the system where prisoners were able to make multiple calls to their solicitors each day when it should have been limited to once daily. Mr Reilly accepted this, adding said the issue was fixed a few weeks later on March 22, 2021. There will always be bugs that will be identified and rectified, he said. The court also heard of a previous issue in the system in 2010, where conversations between prisoners and solicitors had been recorded. This had happened after prisoners had entered the contact details of their solicitors under the spots for personal contacts. The trial continues before Judge Patricia Ryan and a jury. Dean Masterson (35) has 122 previous convictions A man who was part of a group who robbed and placed an Italian man in a chokehold in St Stephen's Green has been imprisoned for one year. Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Dean Masterson (35) of Kilkiernan Rd, Cabra, Dublin 7, pleaded guilty to robbery at St Stephens Green West on May 1, 2018. He has 122 previous convictions including for theft, possession of stolen property and road traffic offences. He was on bail at the time of this offence. Passing sentence today, Judge Elma Sheahan said the offence of robbery is serious, and the CCTV footage shows that the injured party was selected and followed by the three men who left him lying on the ground. Judge Sheahan said the aggravating factor in this case is the seriousness of the offence in itself. The judge said the mitigating factor includes the guilty plea, which meant the injured party did not have to return from Italy to give evidence. She also noted Mastersons apology and remorse. The judge said that she takes into consideration that this offence occurred when Masterson was addicted to illicit substances and that he is now drug-free and in a stable relationship. Judge Sheahan sentenced Masterson to two years in prison and said that the fear endured by the injured party can easily be understood. She said, It is the courts opinion that a custodial threshold has been crossed. The judge said: After considering the mitigation and the solid steps he has taken, I will suspend the final 12 months and placed Masterson under the supervision of the Probation Services for 12 months post-release. Detective Garda Philip Gleeson told Fiona Crawford, BL, prosecuting, that an Italian man who was working in Ireland while learning English was walking from Harcourt Street toward St Stephens Green after a work night out when he attacked from behind. Det Gda Gleeson said the injured party was on his own, and the entire incident was captured on CCTV and shown to the court. The victim was attacked from behind by a group of three. One of Mastersons co-accused put the man in a chokehold and put him on the ground. The victim told gardai that he found it hard to breathe while he was on the ground due to the hold on his neck. The court heard that the victim could feel his pockets being searched, and his phone, ATM card, cigarettes and an Italian ID card were taken. The man had 1 in cash, which was also taken. Masterson was arrested on January 10, 2019, on the foot of a warrant. He initially took a trial date but entered a guilty plea to the charge of robbery in advance of this. One of Mastersons co-accused - who placed the man in the chokehold was previously sentenced to 20 months in prison for his involvement. A bench warrant has been issued for the third defendant in this case. The injured party in this case has since returned to Italy and did not wish to make a victim impact statement. Det Gda Gleeson agreed with Aidan McCarthy, BL, defending, that his client was on crack and heroin at the time of this offence. The garda said, he did have a bad drug addiction at the time, and he looks much better in court today. The garda agreed with counsel that Masterson has not come to the attention of gardai since his release from custody on another matter. Mr McCarthy said his client is now 35 years of age, and this is the best he has ever done. He said, all the documents handed into court spoke very highly of my client. Counsel handed a probation report and a letter from Masterson in which he apologised and stated that he is ashamed of his part in the offence. He offered a sincere apology to the injured party. He said his client is a changed person and used his time in custody and his time on release to deal with his drug addiction. He said his client began using ecstasy, crack cocaine and alcohol at the age of 13, and by the age of 23, he was a heroin addict. Mr McCarthy said his client is doing everything he can to show that he is no longer the person from May 1. He asked the court to allow [Masterson] to prove to you that he is no longer the person you viewed on CCTV footage. The teen allegedly drove at 160kmh on the N3 primary road at one point and forced on-coming vehicles to take evasive action to avoid a collision A 16-year-old Dublin boy faces trial accused of risking lives by speeding a stolen car at 160kmh against on-coming traffic after failing to stop for gardai, a court has heard. The boy, who cannot be identified because he is a minor, appeared at the Dublin Childrens Court for a preliminary hearing to decide his trial venue. Detective Garda Gary Farrell summarised the allegations and told the court that on October 29 gardai were pursuing a stolen Audi A6 Estate in north Dublin. However, after the chase, they had to stand down when the car went onto the wrong side of the M4. Detective Garda Farrell told Judge Brendan Toale that he was in an unmarked patrol car and later spotted the stolen Audi about 8.45am in traffic outside Clonee. He alleged the teen was driving at this stage, and there were four other males in the car. The detective positioned the patrol car behind the Audi and signalled it to stop, but it took off at high speed through Clonee village without yielding. He alleged that the teen drove at 160kmh on the N3 primary road at one point and forced on-coming vehicles to take evasive action to avoid a collision. The court heard the boy was going twice the 80kmh limit at that stage. He drove through a junction without yielding and drove at high speed to Malahide village. The car was later abandoned near Dublin Airport, and the teenager was arrested several miles away and made no admissions. The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) recommended the case be transferred to the Circuit Court, which has broader sentencing powers. State solicitor Anna Bridgeman urged the judge to send the case to the higher level. Defence solicitor Sandra Frayne pleaded with Judge Toale to keep the case in the Childrens Court to note the teenagers long history of engagement with psychological and psychiatric services, family and impulsive behavioural issues and a disputed education. However, Judge Toale agreed with the DPP and refused jurisdiction. The boy was remanded in custody pending the preparation of a book of evidence. The boy, who did not address the court, is accused of endangerment of life and unlawful use of the car, which was stolen two days before the pursuit. Dublin man Conor Kealy (42) was sentenced to four and a half years in prison after he pleaded guilty to importing controlled drugs on the date in question. Gardai found just under 335,000 worth of Xanax tablets in a secret, lead-lined compartment under the floor of a Renault van at Dublin Port last summer, a court has heard. The tablets, also known as Alprazolam, were discovered when gardai pulled up the floor carpet of the van which arrived from Manchester on July 4 last year. Dublin man Conor Kealy (42) was sentenced to four and a half years in prison after he pleaded guilty to importing controlled drugs on the date in question. Kealy of Gleann na hEorna, Springfield, Tallaght, Dublin 24, told gardai he didnt know what was in the compartment. Passing sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court today Judge Martin Nolan accepted that Kealy had been transporting the drugs to alleviate his own drug debt. Judge Nolan said although 167,000 tablets was a large quantity of drugs, Kealys level of culpability was at the lower end of the scale. He backdated the sentence to the date of the offence last July when Kealy went into custody. A prosecuting garda told Sinead McMullan BL for the State that Kealy was driving a small Renault Kangu van when he was stopped at Dublin Port at 6am in the morning. Kealy told gardai he had travelled to the United Kingdom the previous week and was working in cladding. During a search of the van, gardai pulled up the carpet and found a hidden compartment, lead-lined to avoid detection, containing tablets valued at 334,950. Kealy cooperated with gardai but said he hadnt known what was in the compartment. He has 21 previous convictions, all from the District Court, including two for drugs offences. The garda agreed with Dominic McGinn SC, defending, that Kealy was a vulnerable person with no trappings of wealth who had struggled with addiction since his teens. Mr McGinn said his client had a sad childhood, with his father dying when he was very young and his mother dying when he was 21. He had been his mothers sole carer for the last year of her life, the court heard. Kealy started smoking cannabis at the age of 11 and was on heroin by 16. He moved to Canada for a year after his mother died but continued to struggle with addiction the court heard. Counsel said Kealy was in fear for himself and his family over his drug debt, which was the major catalyst for this offence. The court heard Kealy is doing well in prison and has adapted well to life in custody. Dan Horan (32) pleaded guilty in July of last year at Naas Circuit Criminal Court to the sexual assault A panto performer who sexually assaulted a man who fell asleep at a house party after he gave the victim cannabis has had his three-year jail sentence halved by the Court of Appeal. Dan Horan (32), of Slievecorragh, Hollywood, Co. Wicklow, pleaded guilty in July of last year at Naas Circuit Criminal Court to the sexual assault that occurred in Naas in July 2020. At the sentencing hearing, the court heard that a number of people went to sleep at the house party and Horan and his victim were among the last still awake before the victim passed out on a bed in the house. At around 6am, the victims girlfriend went looking for him and when she went into a room, she saw her boyfriend asleep with his jeans and underwear pulled down and Horan, who was fully clothed, rubbing the victims penis. She screamed and Horan jumped up and ran out of the room, the court was told. The complainant was awoken by his girlfriend and became extremely upset when he realised what had happened. In February of last year, Judge Mary OMalley Costello sentenced Horan to four-and-a-half years imprisonment with the final 18 months suspended for two years. Horan, who had no previous convictions, had worked as marketing manager and starred in several pantos. Horan had initially denied carrying out the attack, claiming that he believed the complainant had consented, but admitted his guilt on the day his trial was due to get underway. Dan Horan on a panto poster The victim, who was 26 years-old when Horan sexually assaulted him, told the court that he was left living in a nightmare and lost the joy for life after the attack and criticised Horan for waiting two years to admit his guilt. Horan appealed the length of his sentence, with his lawyers submitting that the pre-mitigation headline sentence of six-and-a-half years was too high for the gravity of the single assault, which the trial judge had placed in the upper end of the mid-range of offending. At the Court of Appeal today Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy said the court would quash the original sentence and reposition the offence in the middle of the mid-range of offending instead. Ms Justice Kennedy said the trial judge fell into error when fixing a headline sentence of six-and-a-half years imprisonment before she reduced that original sentence to three years in jail. In re-sentencing Horan, Ms Justice Kennedy said the court would nominate a four-and-a-half year headline sentence before discounting 18 months in mitigation. The judge said the court would suspend a further 18 months of the three-year sentence to encourage Horans continuing rehabilitation. Ms Justice Kennedy noted Horan was a prisoner with enhanced status. Ms Justice Kennedy said the complainant had felt confusion, hopelessness, fear and embarrassment and continues to do so because of Horans assault. Despite the reduction, Ms Justice Kennedy said Horan had taken advantage of the vulnerable complainant after he had supplied his victim with cannabis before assaulting him when he slept. At the appeal hearing today Maurice Coffey SC, for Horan, said that while it was argued the trial judge had set the headline sentence too high, he was "not trying to play down the gravity of the offence or effect on the victim in this case. Mr Coffey said there had been no violence, threat of violence or bribery by Horan when he committed the offence. Mr Coffey said his client had pleaded guilty negating the need for the complainant to give evidence - had no previous convictions at the time of the offence and none when on bail before his trial was due to commence. Counsel said the sentence imposed reflected that of a greater crime and that while compensation had been paid to the complainant, this was not an attempt to buy your way out of jail. Mr Coffey said Horan had been in custody for 13 months, which had been a very difficult situation for him as a gay man with no previous convictions. Counsel said his client had since settled well in prison and was now an "enhanced-status prisoner" acting as a receptionist for visitors coming to the Midlands Prison. Mr Coffey said his clients plea was late but was still of high value and that Horan had taken time to come to that decision after attending counselling. Counsel submitted that his client had apologised to the complainant, his girlfriend and his family for his actions and was remorseful. Sarah Connolly BL, for the DPP had submitted the sentence imposed on Horan was well within the margin for the sentencing judge for what is a very serious offence. Ms Connolly said the complainant thought he was among friends and that a grave breach of trust had been committed by Horan. Ms Connolly said the trial judge noted when sentencing Horan that the guilty plea was very late. Ms Connolly said it was "not a case of misreading the signals, as the complaint was in no condition to give his consent and his partner had difficulty rousing him from sleep. It was sexual assault, full stop, said Ms Connolly. He [Horan] only stopped when the complainants partner came in. He was caught red-handed, submitted counsel. At the sentence hearing, the victim said it was impossible to summarise in words the devastating impact the sexual assault had on him. Horan took the stand to say he had not set out to do anything sinister or evil on the night but took full responsibility for what he did. Horan said that in the aftermath of the sex attack he wrongly believed what he did was consensual but after going to counselling he realised that this was not the case. I wholeheartedly apologise for the pain I caused to you and your family, Horan told the complainant. Judge Patrick Quinn said it appeared significant planning went into the fraud Well-known businessman and horse owner Conor Clarkson has been jailed for two years, with the final nine months suspended, for forgery in connection with a land deal. Judge Patrick Quinn said it appeared significant planning went into the fraud, which involved the forgery of a recently widowed equestrian centre operators signature on documents which expanded a right of way in to land Clarkson (60) was selling. The sentence came just under a week after a jury found Clarkson guilty of two counts of forgery and two of using a false instrument to the detriment of Jean Duggan following an eight-day trial at Wicklow Circuit Court, sitting in Bray. Clarkson forged or arranged for the forgery of Mrs Duggans name on two documents, a statutory declaration and a death certificate, in October 2014, contrary to the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001. The documents and others were necessary for the expansion of a right of way into development land along a laneway close to Mrs Duggans home in Enniskerry, Co Wicklow. At the time, Clarkson, with an address at Cairnfort, Enniskerry Road, Stepaside, Co Dublin, was selling a site at the end of the laneway to a pension fund owned by property develop Richard Roche. The court heard the 1.605m sale would not have gone ahead without the expanded right of way. Jean Duggan (Picture: Colin Keegan, Collins) Clarkson was acquitted of four other counts, relating to the forgery and use of a deed and an indenture, while a co-accused, his close friend Paul Wrynn (48) was acquitted of two forgery charges. Counsel for Mr Clarkson, Sean Gillane SC, indicated his client did not accept the guilty verdicts against him. My clients position is as was, said Mr Gillane. There is no volte-face. In a victim impact statement read to the court by prosecution counsel James Kelly BL, Mrs Duggan (78) said she felt targeted as a vulnerable widow by Clarkson. She said the offending had impacted on her psychologically, health wise and financially. Mrs Duggan also said that during trial she was called a liar and that she felt generally defamed by what she described as an attempt to portray her evidence as not credible. When you are an honest person and telling the truth, it is greatly distressing. It has had a tremendous effect on me, being called a liar, she said. Clarkson, a property developer who was well-known in racing circles through his ownership of 2005 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner Kicking King, showed little or no emotion as the sentence was handed down. He was accompanied in court by around a dozen family and friends, including his wife Dymphna. Another female relative burst into tears after the sentence was read out. The investigating officer in the case, Detective Sergeant Donal OSullivan of Arklow Garda Station, gave evidence that Clarkson, had cooperated with gardai, meeting them by appointment for an interview and when he was charged. He also confirmed to the court that Clarkson had no previous convictions and had not otherwise been in trouble with An Garda Siochana. Pleading for leniency, Mr Gillane said Clarkson had worked and contributed to society since graduating from Oatlands College with his Leaving Certificate, rearing three children, one of whom was working and two of whom were in college. Mr Gillane said character references had been handed in to court which speak well of his background, fortitude and character. He said Clarkson was largely responsible for caring for his parents, both in their 90s, assisting them with shopping and medical appointments. It was also pointed out by Mr Gillane that the property had been sold at a considerable loss by Clarkson, with the proceeds going to Ulster Bank. Judge Quinn acknowledged the pleas made in mitigation, reducing the sentence period from what would have been a headline sentence of three years. The judge said he had regard to Clarksons previous good character, his life to date, and standing in he community. But he added that fraud cases were no different to other cases of dishonesty. Serious premeditated fraud will almost always result in a custodial sentence, he said. Judge Quinn observed that the offending would have gone undetected but for a chance encounter between Jean Duggans son Tim and a neighbour after a tree fell down during a storm. The trial heard how the fallen tree set in motion a chain of events which led Tim Duggan to discover not only that the land at the end of the lane had been bought by Mr Roches fund, but that the various documents had purportedly been signed by his mother to expand the right of way. Mrs Duggan said she never signed any such documents. The judge said he had regard to Mrs Duggans victim impact statement and also the fact Mr Roche was at a loss. Ten years after buying the land, it remains undeveloped and there are civil proceedings in being against Clarkson, to which Mrs Duggan was also joined. The judge said that while Clarkson had made a loss on the land, the forgery had nonetheless provided an advantage to him. Judge Quinn said motivation by greed could be considered a severe aggravating factor. Factory worker (34) had been sending money to her children in Moldova Olga Ghinita (34) had her charges struck out. Photo: irishphotodesk.ie A shoplifter told gardai after she was charged that she was a single mother of two and was pushed to do it due to her financial circumstances, a court heard. Olga Ghinita (34) had lived and worked in Ireland for six years but was trying to support her two children who were at home in Moldova, her lawyer said. Judge David McHugh struck out the charges, leaving Ghinita without a conviction, telling her he did not want to see her before the court again. The defendant, with an address at The Boulevard, Bishops Orchard, Tyrrelstown, admitted theft on February 9, 2024. Sergeant Maria Callaghan told Blanchardstown District Court that gardai were called to Dunnes Stores in Blanchardstown Shopping Centre following a report that security staff had stopped a shoplifter. Sgt Callaghan said Ghinita failed to pay for items valued at 46. The defendant was searched by the gardai and was found with items worth 115, which had been stolen from Penneys earlier that day. Sgt Callaghan said that when charged, Ghinita told gardai, I am sorry for what happened and Im a single mother and I was pushed to do it. The court heard the defendant had no previous convictions. Defence solicitor Kelly Breen said the goods were all recovered in a resalable condition. Ms Breen said Ghinita was originally from Moldova and had lived in Ireland for six years. She worked in a factory, the court heard. The defendant had two children who lived in Moldova and Ghinita was sending money back to them, Ms Breen said, asking the judge to be as lenient as possible. Seth Whelan, of Herberton Park, Rialto is charged with producing a table leg and a knife and murdering his father A MAN has been charged with murdering his father who was found dead at their home in south Dublin this week. Seth Whelan (33) appeared in Dublin District Court this evening accused of killing his father Michael Whelan (64), and producing a table leg and knife as weapons. Gardai believe the handyman, who was found with serious head injuries and stab wounds, may have died over a week before his body was discovered at the flat on Tuesday. Judge Shalom Binchy remanded the accused in custody to next week after hearing he made no reply when the charges were put to him. Seth Whelan Mr Whelan, of Herberton Park, Rialto is charged with producing a table leg and a knife and murdering his father at that address between February 19 and 27. He is also charged with causing criminal damage to a doorbell at a neighbouring house, on February 27. Detective Sergeant Daniel Charles told the court he arrested Seth Whelan for the purpose of charging him at Kilmainham garda station at 3.20pm today. Mr Whelan indicated that he understood the reason for his arrest, Det Sgt Charles said. He made no reply to any of the charges after caution at 3.51pm but indicated that he understood them and was handed a copy of the charge sheet, the garda said. The accuseds solicitor Sandra Frayne made no application for bail as bail can only be granted in the High Court on a murder charge. Mr Whelan, dressed in a navy sweater and light grey tracksuit bottoms was not required to address the court during the brief hearing and has not yet indicated how he intends to plead to the charges. Mick the Handyman He sat with his head bowed during the proceedings and spoke privately with Ms Frayne to instruct her that he consented to appear in court on the next date by video link. Judge Binchy granted free legal aid following an application by Ms Frayne, who submitted a statement of her clients financial means to the court. The judge also directed that the accused is to receive psychiatric attention while in custody. Mr Whelan was remanded in custody to appear in Cloverhill District Court on March 7. A post-mortem established that Michael Whelan died as a result of serious head injuries while he also suffered stab wounds. He had previously spent some years living in America before coming back to Ireland. Neighbours have said they knew him as either Mick the handyman or American Mick, that he lived in the house on Herberton Park for around eight years, and was well known on the street. Judge Ramsey said it was clear the defendants life has been marred by addiction to drugs A woman who assaulted a victim in a drug deal gone wrong has been ordered to complete a three year probation order. Sentencing Megan Dyas at Newry Crown Court, Judge Paul Ramsey KC told the 35-year-old he believed the best way to stop her from offending and as a result to protect the public, was if she dealt with her problems and issues. The pre-sentence report comes down firmly on the side of trying to deal with the issues so I am going to follow that recommendation, declared the judge. Dyas, from Hartington Court in Belfast, had earlier entered guilty pleas to offences of assault and theft arising from an incident on 6 May last year. Summarising the case, Judge Ramsey recounted how the victim told police Dyas had given her cash to buy drugs but when she appeared with neither cash nor drugs, instead claiming that she herself had been robbed, Dyas accused her of taking the drugs and assaulted her. Dyas, the court heard, also stole the victims Kindle and describing the case as a drug deal gone wrong, Judge Ramsey said it was clear the defendants life has been marred by addiction to drugs. Twice before Dyas has stood in the same dock - once in August 2019 when she was handed a suspended prison sentence and again in November 2020 when she was given a combination order for having heroin with intent to supply. In that case police had arrested Dyas on other matters and she was in Banbridge PSNI station when police were told she had drugs on her prison and a strip search recovered 26.97 grams of heroin, estimated to be worth 10,000, secreted inside her private parts. Imposing the probation order Judge Ramsey said it was also clear that now, Dyas realises that she really needs help with her addiction issues. An annual physical is not usually news. Unless the patient is, of course, U.S. President Joe Biden. At 81 years of age, his health and physical and mental abilities have become a matter of public interest and almost a national security issue, given his plans to renew his position next November. If his fellow Americans give him their trust again, he will be 82 years old when he is sworn in early next year, and 86 when he completes his second term. Biden, who long ago broke the record as the oldest president in the history of the United States, underwent tests this Wednesday at the Walter Reed military hospital in Bethesda, Maryland. His doctor, Kevin OConnor, stated in a published summary that there are no new concerns regarding the presidents health. The President feels well and this years physical identified no new concerns. He continues to be fit for duty and fully executes all of his responsibilities without any exemptions or accommodations, OConnor wrote. President Biden is a healthy, active and robust 81-year-old male who remains fit to successfully execute the duties of the Presidency, to include those as Chief Executive, Head of State and Commander in Chief. OConnor also assured that the president had undergone an extremely detailed neurological examination that revealed no trace of stroke, neurological disorders, or Parkinsons disease. The announcement that he was heading to the hospital had grabbed the headlines early on a morning when the president also dealt with the bittersweet results of his partys primaries in Michigan, in which he easily won but also received a strong vote of punishment from the Arab-American community in one of the decisive states for the November election. A portion of voters checked the uncommitted box to show their opposition to the Biden administrations support for Israel in the war in Gaza. Bidens cognitive health, a favorite argument of his enemies to attack him for his alleged inability to perform one of the most demanding jobs in the world, was placed at the center of public discussion after the publication of a report drafted by special counsel Robert Hur, who had been appointed to investigate Bidens handling of confidential papers from his time as vice president and found in his possession last year. Hur could not accuse Biden of any crime, but he did slip in an unsolicited diagnosis about his bad memory, which benefited former president Donald Trump, his more than likely rival at the polls next November, and raised doubts, even among Democrats, about their ability to win the election. Octogenarian ailments In the previous visit to the doctor, in January of last year, Biden also came out with flying colors: he has certain octogenarian ailments (namely: obstructive sleep apnea, atrial fibrillation, hyperlipidemia, gastroesophageal reflux, seasonal allergies, spinal arthritis and mild sensory peripheral neuropathy in the feet). The previous medical report published by the White House, dated November 2021, also brought good news for the president: it said that he was healthy and fit to hold office, but it also noted small ailments, such as a more frequent cough, a peripheral neuropathy and cervical spondylosis that contributed to a certain rigidity in movements. It also highlighted that Biden maintained a healthy life and healthy habits: he neither smokes nor drinks, and he exercises at least five times a week. Residents tell of fears as dealers and addicts make life living hell through anti-social behaviour Leanne McFall went off on one yet again using sectarian and racist language to abuse residents in choice housing Drug barron Noel Johnston the first man to bring Heroin into N.Ireland has died following an incident in Ballymena on Friday night. Johnston, fell after climbing out of a window of a third story flat during a Police raid.. Furious residents in Ballymena have described their apartment block as being an unmanaged prison where drug dealers run amok. The beleaguered tenants of 52-54 High Street, where notorious heroin kingpin Noel Johnston plunged to his death as cops launched a raid on his flat, have been fighting with the housing association ever since they all moved into the new block of apartments four years ago. Last year we revealed how tenants had been living in hell as drug addicts and dealers made their lives a misery with their anti-social behaviour, including openly selling drugs and hosting 24-hour drink and drug-fuelled parties. We told of how residents were living in fear after Mark Bradshaw described in court as a notorious career criminal whose fourth floor apartment Johnston jumped from was released on bail as he awaits trial alongside ex-UDA boss Dee Coleman for an attempted murder bid on a man who was tortured and left for dead. Ballymena flat complex Bradshaw was released on medical grounds with the court being told he can barely walk 100 yards and often used a wheelchair in Maghaberry. We also told the story of how a security guard at the block of flats quit his job because he said it was too scary and hed served two tours of Afghanistan and Iraq. With no change several months on from that story, some of the residents have documented as many of the incidents as they can in a bid to highlight just how damaging the anti-social behaviour has been. They have sent the damning dossier to local MLA Paul Frew and senior staff at Choice Housing and the Department for Communities as they try to get someone to deliver them the peaceful life everyone deserves to live. Designed for social housing, they comprise of 40 apartments including 36 for general needs and four ground-floor homes designed for wheelchair access. Drugs in Ballymena flat complex In the last two weeks, according to residents, there have been several incidents where parties have got out of hand, there has been open drug dealing, sofas have been chucked down stairwells blocking safe exits, and lifts have been broken through overuse by drug addicts who arrive to buy their fix and have to be rescued by the emergency services. Other troublesome tenants have dogs which are used to intimidate. Police have been called repeatedly, and in one shocking incident, a drug dealer based in the apartments went on a drug-fuelled rampage and smashed up his entire apartment. Do residents just have to live with this intolerable environment and its relentless and unnecessary torrent of excessive noise, anti-social disorder and criminality continuously, one exasperated tenant told the Sunday World. It is one month shy of four years now that tenants have had to endure this torturous, fearful, unpleasant and unpredictable environment that Choice Housing call a residential complex. Noel Simon Johnston Decent tenants believe, and observe on a daily basis, that this complex is like an irresponsibly unmanaged prison where lawlessness is prevalent and prolific, and is frightening, intimidating and intolerable to live in. Tenants often complain about drunk residents and visitors banging on the outside doors if they cant get into the complex, and say security is ineffective. Cops were called to a shocking incident three weeks ago when a tenant went on a drug-fuelled rampage. He started smashing up his apartment, said a source. He was punching walls, shouting and screaming out his window. At one stage he jammed open wide all his windows with lengths of broken wood. He then smashed up his furniture in his living room. He could be heard breaking a large glass table and its wooden frame and threw these out his first floor window. He then smashed up a 40-inch TV and various other pieces of furniture where he also threw these out the window landing on the ground floor below. All these broken items could have easily have hit someone. This drug-induced rampage went on for over two hours. Another suspected drug dealer has also been hosting wild parties which are affecting others living there. Leanne McFall went off on one yet again using sectarian and racist language to abuse residents in choice housing The dossier said: Hes using his apartment as a place to host drinking and drug use and constant partying for him and all his associates. He has been consistently engaging in nuisance noise, playing loud music, constantly slamming doors, him and all his friends constantly running up and down all the stairs shouting and screaming up and down all the floors. They smoke in the hallways, drink alcohol and spill alcohol from cans and large bottles on the floors. They are forcefully shoving open all the glass doors in the hallways on each floor and banging them off the other tenants apartment walls. Security and the PSNI were phoned several times due to the anti-social disorder occurring as a result of him and his visitors. The toxic and disgusting smell of cannabis emanating from his apartment is completely overpowering. Due to the intolerable noise and the smell of drug substances from his apartment on the ground floor, residents then phoned the PSNI. The PSNI attended and removed some of his drug-using associates but after the PSNI left, more individuals were consistently coming and going in and out of his apartment and running throughout the complex shouting and screaming. Another resident had his mates help him drop a three seater-sofa and an armchair down the stairs where they left it blocking access until a security guard forced them to move it. The items were dumped outside and left under the window of another apartment. In the short time since the complex opened in March 2020, there have been 17 separate occasions where the PSNI had forced entry and had to break down apartment doors due to various forms of criminality and anti-social disorder. Tenants say this clearly demonstrates how out of control the complex is with criminality. Residents are now saying they believe Choice Housing has breached their tenancy contracts by failing to deal with their issues. The block of recently-built apartments were completed for Choice Housing in March 2020. Mark Bradshaw whos accused of kidnapping and attempted murder Residents told this newspaper the apartments are brilliant and on the face of it, look fantastic. But at night, things often take a sinister turn. We have been shown images of abandoned crack pipes and needles used for heroin strewn on the steps outside, while some are placed carelessly inside open bins without any thought for the dangers of someone getting pricked accidently while merely putting their rubbish where its supposed to go. Last May, residents got rid of one nuisance neighbour when the notorious Leanne McFall was jailed for four months. She has not returned to the complex after finally being evicted. And things got worse when 54-year-old Mark Bradshaw was released from jail and allowed back to his flat, the same flat where drug lord Noel Johnston had been drinking and jumped to his death during a police raid. Bradshaw, Shankill loyalist Dee Coleman and three other men are accused of kidnapping and attempting to murder a man who was brutally beaten and left almost naked in a field to die three years ago. The victim claimed that Coleman had produced a knife, heating it on a gas hob, stabbing the injured party in the chest, close to his heart before slicing his face to the bone. Bradshaw was controversially granted bail on medical grounds having spent 22 months in Maghaberry Prison on remand. A prosecutor objecting to bail at Belfast Crown Court described Bradshaw as a career criminal with a significant and relevant record. Choice Housing said last night: The safety of our tenants is of paramount importance to us and we are committed to providing secure, affordable, quality housing to meet the diverse needs of our tenants. While we are unable to comment on individual cases due to tenant confidentiality, we are aware of incidences of anti-social behaviour in the locality and are working closely with statutory agencies, including the PSNI and others to address this as a matter of urgency. Choice robustly addresses instances of anti-social behaviour in accordance with our anti-social behaviour policy. 24/7 on-site security has been put in place at the scheme in Ballymena, which includes a security guard equipped with body cam and Choice would encourage tenants to report any incidents of criminality to the PSNI and to contact the association directly to report any concerns. Officers have been warned that he is dangerous and has previously attacked police in the UK. An alert was issued to gardai this week warning them about a dangerous fugitive from the UK who is believed to be in Dublin. Nasar Mohammed Hussein (33) went on the run after removing an electronic tag from his ankle and fleeing his London home last week. He had been released from prison on licence where he had been serving a sentence for assault and possessing weapons. In June last year Hussein, also known as Nasser Hussein, was convicted of possession of an offensive weapon and assault on an emergency worker. The Sunday World understands that Hussein was spotted in Dublin earlier this week and officers have been warned that he is dangerous and has previously attacked police in the UK. Gardai were told that Hussein was previously arrested trying to force his way into UK parliament in October 2022. They were told he approached uniformed officer who were guarding the entrance to the Palace of Westminster. Gardai were also told that after being apprehended, Hussein was found with a knife and received a 16-month jail sentence. This week London Metropolitan Police issued an appeal for information in which they warned members of the public not to approach him. A Metropolitan Police statement read: Nasar Mohammed Hussein, 33, also known as Nasser Hussein, was convicted in June 2023 of possession of an offensive weapon and assault on an emergency worker. Hussein was released from prison on licence, but on Thursday, 22 February he removed his electronic tag and left an address in Camberwell. He has links to Hounslow, Camberwell, Clapham and the Finsbury Park area. Mangan has long been regarded as one of Irelands most notorious criminals. A NOTORIOUS gangster, named in court as being involved in the murders of mobster Marlo Hyland and innocent plumber Anthony Campbell, is back on the streets after he was freed early from Portlaoise maximum security prison this morning. John Mangan was scheduled to be released on Saturday at the conclusion of a 14-year sentence for gun and drug offences. Sources say his release this morning was moved up to allow him time to access services ahead of the weekend. In the final weeks of his sentence, the 55-year-old had sought protection status under prison rule 63, claiming his life was under threat from a number of named criminals. Rule 63 provides that an inmates movements can be restricted so as to provide for the protection of vulnerable prisoners either at their own request or when the governor considers it necessary. Mangan has long been regarded as one of Irelands most notorious criminals. A former member of the Marlo Hyland mob, the 55-year-old escaped from Loughan House open prison in October 2021 after sending threats to a Dublin man claiming that his son owed him 10,000 for drugs. He was caught riding a motorbike around Park West Industrial Estate in Dublin at around 3pm one November afternoon a number of weeks later. Garda Gary Farrell told Jennifer Jackson BL that Mangan ignored the garda instruction to stop the vehicle which led to a high-speed pursuit that lasted about 20 minutes. Marlo Hyland murder suspect John Mangan in high security Mountjoy Prison after jail escape It came to an end after gardai, using the assistance of the air support unit, set up a roadblock on Carpenterstown Road, in Castleknock. Garda Farrell confirmed that during the chase Mangan drove through a number of red lights, overtook and undertook vehicles into oncoming traffic, drove around a roundabout the wrong way, drove onto a footpath, narrowly missing a pedestrian, and drove into oncoming traffic during which he nearly collided with a number of vehicles. Mangan pleaded guilty to a charge of endangerment, dangerous driving and driving without insurance around the Lucan and Castleknock area of Dublin on November 9, 2021. His defence counsel, Kieran Kelly BL submitted that it was during lockdown and Mangan was anxious to visit his partner after she was diagnosed with cancer. Marlo Hyland Judge Martin Nolan sentenced Mangan to 15 months which he said must be served consecutively to his current term. He further disqualified Mangan from driving for two years. When Mangan was handed down a 14-year jail term in May 2008 after he was caught with a loaded handgun in the toilet of a pub, he was already on bail for possession of cannabis resin valued at 341,787. It was while he was in custody for these offences that journalist Paul Williams, in evidence given before Dublin Circuit Criminal Court in March 2012, alleged that he and fellow imprisoned criminal Willie Hynes were responsible for the December 2006 double murder of gang-boss Marlo Hyland and innocent plumber Anthony Campbell. Mr Williams also alleged the late Eamon Dunne acted as the getaway driver in the hit. Nobody has ever been charged over the horror killings. Both Hynes and Mangans jail sentences related to the massive drugs bust which caused Marlo Hylands prolific drugs gang to implode in 2006 and which ultimately led to Hylands murder. The pair were snared after a massive operation by the Garda National Drugs Unit at Browns Barn, Dublin, on July 31, 2006. More than 2m worth of cannabis resin was seized by gardai in 14 boxes split between a Ford Transit van and an Opel Astra car in Browns Barn public house car park. The two men were arrested nearby. After a dramatic trial in November 2009, Judge Patrick McCartan imposed a 12-year sentence on Hynes and a 14-year sentence on Mangan. Sources say Mangans release had been signalled ahead of time to specialist units in Dublin. I grew up going in and out of the hospital for epilepsy. I never thought that doing anything where youd have ever changing lights and all the rest would be possible. When the musical version of Disneys Aladdin comes to the Bord Gais Energy Theatre in March, the Genie is the first person the crowd will meet. The man beneath the glitter is Yeukayi Ushe, but there was a time he thought hed never see his name in lights. Namely because they were the very thing he thought he had to avoid. I grew up going in and out of the hospital for epilepsy. I never thought that doing anything where youd have ever changing lights and all the rest would be possible. I had photosensitive epilepsy, so looking back at that little version of myself, he would probably be like, Im sorry, youre doing what with your life?, he tells sundayworld.com from his dressing room on tour. Thankfully, he stopped having seizures in his teens, which meant stepping on stage could become a reality. The Genie is not his first iconic role, having played Simba in The Lion King on Londons West End. Yeukayi Ushe The Genies are undoubtedly big slippers to fill, but hes up for the challenge. There is an excitement that overrides that expectation of people knowing and loving these characters. "As long as you lead with truth and with joy in both of those spaces, you can sort of do no wrong by telling the story as best as you can tell it, and by the end of the show, you know, audiences are up on their feet, having a wonderful time, he says. But despite all that experience, the buzz of a live show is not one that loses its novelty. I remember the first time I stepped onto a stage and saw thousands of people in front of me; stage fright is real. "Sometimes it can be a bit crippling, but you also need to realise that the audience is completely on your side because theyve come there to have a good time. So as long as youre having a good time, the audience will have a good time, he smiles. The crowd wont be the only ones enjoying themselves, since Yeukayi and his castmates are excited to explore Dublin, the city theyll call home for a month in the spring. His last visit was in 2019, which, as we all know, was a different time entirely. To come back five years later, and see the ways in which the city has changed and visit my favourite little spots, that aspect of touring really, really appeals to me. Theres just always something happening in Dublin, he says. I dont want to talk too much about Temple Bar obviously, he adds with a laugh, but says that brunch and a trip to the ocean will be the first ports of call. I mean, to be honest, Im really looking forward to being at that theatre. Its one of the most high-tech theatres, probably, across Ireland and the UK so Im really looking forward to being back there. As we speak, the vanitys lights are reflecting off the tiny flecks of glitter on Yeukayis face, despite not yet being in costume. As we know from arts and crafts when we were children, glitter never leaves your body. It never leaves your clothes. I probably still have glitter on me from when I played Lola in Kinky Boots, he smiles. Getting into costume and makeup can take hours, but that isnt the only thing that helps actors get into character. Theres something really transformative about Alan Menkens score, as soon as that music starts, you just get put into a completely different zone. The curtain raises and its just me, and were in Agrabah. I love it, Yeukayi gushes. Its that love that keeps the actor focused and happy while away from home in the UK for months at a time. I grew up watching Robin Williams [as Genie] in the 1992 animated film and being so inspired by it. But I never thought that I would one day play the Genie and be playing where hes played, he admits. To make it my own, its like a dream I never knew I had that has come true its so much fun. Aladdin will be in the Bord Gais Energy Theatre in Dublin from March 20 to April 14 2024. Tickets available at bordgaisenergytheatre.ie It's been very difficult and it has affected my children, it's affected one of my daughters particularly and it's affected me MEP's Luke Ming Flanagan has spoken of the effect the Saoirse McHugh skinny dipping post hack had on his life and that of his family. Speaking after a former assistant admitted in court that he hacked the MEPs social media and posted a tweet about the former Green Party member, Ms McHugh, Flanagan said it had been a long and difficult road. Im careful saying that because I know theres a lot of people tuning into this show that are having a hard time, I suppose, they dont want to listen to a poor old politician, he told The Tonight Show. But it has been difficult, and not so much for me, it's been difficult to watch how difficult it has been for my family. Comments made to me in front of my children at the school gate, obscene pictures that were created on the Internet over this shown to my nine-year-old child and my child asking me, Daddy, whats this about? It's been very difficult and it has affected my children, it's affected one of my daughters particularly and it's affected me. I'm someone who has, maybe people don't know, autism, and life can be challenging enough without having to deal with rubbish like this. In September 2020, the Midlands-Northwest MEP claimed his Twitter account had been hacked after a comment about former Green Party candidate Saoirse McHugh skinny dipping was posted on the social media platform. The post was later deleted but an investigation was launched after the politician reported the issue to the European Parliament who then handed the case over to the authorities in Brussels. Former European parliamentary assistant Diarmuid Hayes from Dublin admitted to a Belgian court this week that he had hacked the Twitter account of Mr Flanagan and posted a tweet from his account that referred to Irish Green Party candidate Saoirse McHugh as skinny dipping. The Tweet, posted on September 28, 2020, was posted from a third party app known as TweetDeck without Mr Flanagans knowledge. According to RTE, the 34-year-old told the court that he was upset with the MEP for not renewing his contract. He said that he had been smoking cannabis on the night he published the controversial post as a joke. However, the court heard that the social media post had led to Luke Ming Flanagans family being put through hell. The court heard how his wife and children had suffered abuse on the street over the post with a mocking montage referring to the post shown to his nine-year-old daughter. A friend had asked his daughter: What was your daddy at? His older daughter, who is 19 and suffers from autism, had become afraid to leave the house unless she was with her father. The court heard that Luke Ming Flanagan sought therapy over the media coverage that was absolutely massive with Ming reflecting that the fact that I'm innocent will not get as much coverage. Ill pay the price for this forever. According to the prosecutor, the post had been published in the early hours of the morning with a deliberate spelling mistake to make it look like the MEP had been drunkenly searching for photos. The court heard that it was a calculated act of revenge and that Diarmuid Hayes had knowingly thrown the MEPs honour to the dogs. Ming Flanagan said that he did not accept Mr Hayes' apology, saying: Sorry doesnt add up. This was a cold, calculated and skilfully carried out attempt to destroy me. According to RTE, the Belgian prosecutor in the case has sought a one year prison sentence for Diarmuid Hayes on the back of the case. Sentencing for the case has been put back to March 25. Flanagan added that he was it's nearly over now and said he was looking forward to the sentencing hearing. I don't like to see anyone going to prison, he insisted. I don't like to see anyones life made tough, but that individual now is potentially facing a year in prison, either that or a suspended sentence, potentially community service and no criminal record. But the good news for me now is, it couldn't be clearer. I didn't tweet what was tweeted and it's obvious who did it. "I also want to say as well that this can't be easy on Saoirse McHugh either, having to listen to all this rubbish. People have to deal with enough in their lives so overall I'm glad it's nearly at an end. Music Plus with Winston Watusi watusi@thesun.co.nz Sometimes I don't recognise this place any more. I know, I keep going on about this; perhaps there's a song in it. Tauranga has changed: once it was quiet, now for the third week running I'm previewing a huge event. It's a one-day festival on Saturday March 9, an event of such scale that even just listing everyone performing would take more space than I have. We're talking the Tauranga Fringe Festival 24, happening at the Historic Village, which promises six stages as well as six galleries, with over sixty performances across seven hours. This is another extravaganza spearheaded by The Incubator, the arts collective which has brought new live to the Village. They promise a one-day spectacular, full of strange creativity, alternative art practices, the bizarre, the beautiful, the risque, the provocative, and above all stimulating sensationalism. Yeah, Baby! There is, no surprise, a lot of everything. I'll stick to the music but there's a special pottery installation at The Pot House and the other galleries all feature very cool stuff. There's also a fashion parade with WOW leanings, plus market stalls, food, steampunks, busking... OK. Six stages. They're all a bit different: the Earthly Delights Stage incorporates the bar and several DJs grooving; the Amphitheatre Stage is a family disco; but the other four are where things get really fringey... The Cinema Stage (guess where?) features poets. Lots of them. And some comedians. The section for deliberately bad poetry is I assume where the two disciplines collide. There's also music, including the Inth'way Mangosteen Experience - full-on trippy dynamic multimedia psychedelic electric guitar and spoken word. The Village Green Stage runs the musical gamut from indie bands Crooked Finger and Taupo's False Heights to student drumming group Hittmen and early traditional blues from Mike Garner and Joanne Melbourne, who have just released an old-timey EP. And more of course. The main street's Underwater Stage is similarly varied. There an improvised African session from The Afrolites, Kokomo shooting a new video, futurist disco from Hamilton's Amun Ra, barber's shop quartet Pitchpipe Playboys, a short David Mamet play performed by Bren Frank, dub and ska from No-Reply Band, and also Brother Sister, Captain Houndtooth, Project Eye and more... On to The Chapel Stage (guess where?) which leans towards the punkier hardcore end of the scene with We Will Ride Fast, Stone Clones, Jim Jones and the People's Temple, Skonk, new band The Metrognomes, and Dead Simple. Those last two are also playing a week later at the Jam Factory (March 16). And finally, on to the Jam Factory Stage (guess where?) which is a real grab-bag, including poets, an X-rated performance from wittily-named Sharkrablue, rock from The Artist Red, very impressive experimental band Club Meds, plus Deep C, Junk and more. So... much... music... All for $10. Under-14s free. And I've missed a bunch. Sorry. I suggest indulging as fully as possible. Some may be great, some may be crap it'll all be interesting. Hear Winston's latest Playlist: The Tauranga Multicultural Festival is returning for the 25th year on Saturday, March 23, with over 5000 attendees expected to embrace cultural performances, experiencing authentic global cuisine, and exploring art and crafts from around the globe For over two decades, the annual event has transformed The Historic Village into a vibrant hub to celebrate the rich tapestry of cultures and diversity within the Bay of Plenty. The founding migrants of the Tauranga Regional Multicultural Council held the first festival in 1999. Theyd wished to share their cultures with their new home, and a celebratory festival was a great way to have aspects of their homelands here in Tauranga. Performers at the 2023 Tauranga Multicultural Festival. Photo: Katie Cox. The Historic Villages streets will be lined with information kiosks, providing valuable resources for the migrant community to learn about services in the area. Music workshops will connect musicians, allowing attendees to experience with instruments of other cultures. At midday, the festival hosts the Parade of Nations where over 35 countries will march proudly through The Historic Village streets with their home country banners and national flags. This is a spectacle of pride for their home country and a showcase of deep appreciation to be welcomed to New Zealand. Locals can learn about ethnic communities through interactive Discovery Tents. Activities such as Aboriginal dot painting and African bead bracelet making will engage and educate young attendees about activities theyd do if living elsewhere in the world. Tauranga Multicultural President Premila DMello says the festival not only gives migrants a chance to celebrate their identity in their own community, but gives insights to the local community into the cultures who have chosen this region as their home. The festival brings people together through the shared experience of food, cultural performances and art to strengthen the social bonds of the community, says Premila. Performers at the 2023 Tauranga Multicultural Festival. Photo: Katie Cox. The Tauranga Western Bay Community Event Fund granted $15,000 towards the festival. The fund is a partnership between local funders Acorn Foundation, BayTrust, TECT, Tauranga City Council and Western Bay of Plenty District Council with the core purpose of supporting community-led events and those that encourage participation for free or at low-cost. Tauranga City Councils Venues and Events Manager, Nelita Byrne says this event holds importance and value for both ethnic communities and the broader community. The Tauranga Multicultural Festival not only serves for positive social, cultural and economic impacts, says Nelita, It also fosters a community that embraces diversity and celebrates the richness it brings. Event Details: Tauranga Multicultural Festival, March 23 2024, The Historic Village, Tauranga. Gold Coin Entry Fee. Improving every New Zealanders health by encouraging them to Add One More Vegetable a day, every day, is the idea behind a new initiative launched today. "Everyone can improve their health by adding one more vegetable a day, no matter how many vegetables they are currently eating, says Vegetables NZ Chair, John Murphy. "Thats the beauty of this initiative: the simplicity of the message and how easy it is, through the straightforward action of adding one more vegetable to meals and snacks." Health and education manager for vegetables.co.nz, and registered nutritionist, Julie North says most New Zealanders do not meet the recommendations for vegetable intake, and it comes at a cost to their health and to our health sector. "Perceived value, lack of time to prepare, lack of skills, dislike, and concern about waste can all present a few barriers," says Julie. "Yet vegetables are so important for good health, and there are many affordable varieties available all through the year. With endless ways to add vegetables in so many snacks and meals, we felt a positive and simple message was needed." Julie says Add One More Vegetable encourages people to have a bit of fun and keep it simple. "It is easy to throw a few handfuls of spinach into a curry or Bolognese. Carrots or zucchinis can be grated then added into lasagne, omelettes or even baking. There are hundreds of ways to add just one more into meals and snacks. Its a fun challenge." The initiative has been carefully designed to have relevance to everyone whether they are veg-enthusiasts or just starting out. For those who eat very few vegetables, adding just one is only a small challenge, but a big step in the right direction. Findings from a 2023 report from Otago University: 'The health and health system cost benefits of increasing vegetable intake by one serve for all New Zealanders' support the initiative. Using modelling methods, all New Zealanders adding one more vegetable, 75g, every day, estimates health system cost savings of just over $830 million over the life span of the population. The initiative will be supported by vegetables.co.nz and the 5+ A Day Charitable Trust, through a series of promotions and events. These will highlight the vegetables that are in season and suggest easy ways to increase consumption. About Add One More Vegetable Add One More Vegetable is an initiative by vegetables.co.nz and the 5+ A Day Charitable Trust, designed to encourage all Kiwis to enhance their health by adding one more vegetable to their daily meals . It's a simple, positive, and delicious challenge that caters to everyone, making a healthier life as easy as enjoying an extra vegetable, every day. For more information visit www.vegetables.co.nz/addonemorevegetable Queenstown skydiving instructor Jason Mullins who has been a New Zealand resident for 10 years is frustrated with the whole process of becoming a New Zealand citizen. A skydiving instructor who has waited a year-and-a-half for citizenship says it has taken some of the gloss off the milestone event for him. More than 26,000 residents are waiting to be New Zealanders, but while some are processed in a week others are finding themselves in the dark about their applications. Queenstown dad Jason Mullins, 42, is annoyed an automated 'presence calculator' showed he was eligible to apply, and he found out only last month that his time overseas should have meant he needed to apply three weeks later than he did. "What I'd like to know is this still does not answer why it's taken 18 months to get a case officer. "I am so frustrated with the whole situation. It's taken the excitement away of becoming a New Zealand citizen. "I've been in New Zealand more than 15 years now and a resident for 10 years. "My partner can apply in a month and she's been in the country for six years so potentially she might get it before me. "My son is the only one with a kiwi passport. I've been waiting so long and I have a lot of friends who haven't even been in New Zealand that long and they've all got it now." If he had been told at the time the presence calculator had made a mistake he could have applied 23 days later and would be a citizen by now, he says. The calculator searches Immigration New Zealand to check residents have spent enough time in the country in the previous five years. Auckland Saran Anandan, a disability support worker, has been waiting less time but has been told he can get no update until he too has been waiting for 18 months. "No communication, nothing. When we reach them, they simply say you have to wait 18 months so don't call us before then. It's like a mystery process." He wants to know what plan there is to get rid of the backlog. Rory Kinahan, from Canterbury, says he heard nothing after applying nine months ago. "I've been in the country legally for over 35 years, have never been anything but an exemplary citizen, have lived with my wife for 20 years in New Zealand and have two almost adult Kiwi children who were born here. "I have no idea whatsoever where I am in the queue or when I will finally receive my citizenship. "Is this acceptable? Why, given the amount of time they've had to improve their system, are waiting times only getting longer? "Perhaps Internal Affairs should consider hiring a third party firm to handle the Citizenship Office. "If it was a private company it would have gone bust or been rapidly improved several years ago." Internal Affairs general manager of services and access Adrian Jarvis says the average time for all applications on hand, including applications that had been assigned to a case officer, the ones on hold and those waiting for manual assessment, was between eight and nine months. "The shortest waiting time, for applications which meet all automated checks and are being allocated to officers to make the remaining manual checks, is seven working days," he says. "Reducing the decision timeframes on citizenship applications continues to be a priority for the Department. "We are taking several measures to achieve this, including the recruitment and training of staff and investing in technology changes to speed things up. "However, our first obligation is to ensure the application meets all of the requirements under the Citizenship Act." - RNZ/ Gill Bonnett Radisson Hotel Group wrapped up 2023 globally with exceptional growth, adding over 30,000 keys to its international portfolio of 10 leading brands through openings and signings. The group has grown its business by nearly 50% since the launch of its transformation plan in 2018. It also celebrated a new company record with the addition of its largest number of keys to its portfolio, amounting to over 30,000 keys through openings and signings. It solidified its position as one of the leading international hotel groups in the Middle East and Africa during 2023 by signing 22 hotels, resorts, and serviced apartments, adding over 3,800 rooms to its regional portfolio. Looking ahead, 2024 promises to be a landmark year for Radisson Hotel Group, with 14 new hotel openings slated across various countries in the Middle East and Africa. Expansion Momentum Continues in Africa In Africa, the group maintained its expansion momentum in 2023, with eight hotel signings, adding over 1,600 rooms to its robust African Portfolio. With this progress, it is well on its way to achieving its objective of reaching 150 hotels in Africa over the next five years, up from its current count of 100 hotels. These hotel signings included new market entries into Gambia with Radisson Blu Beach Resort & Spa, Banjul and Radisson Hotel Benin City in Nigeria. In addition to the Radisson hotel in Benin City, the signing of Radisson Collection Hotel & Conference Center, Abuja; Radisson Blu Hotel, Abuja CBD and Radisson RED Lagos VI further strengthened the Groups position as the market leaders in Nigeria, with its portfolio now expanding to 12 hotels and over 1700 rooms. Highlighting the groups priorities in Africa for 2024, Ramsay Rankoussi, Vice President, Business Development for Africa and Turkey at Radisson Hotel Group, said: Building on the momentum of the Radisson Collection Resort, Marsa Alam Port Phoenice signing, introducing the Radisson Collection brand in the country with an exceptional resort, we will also open the first standalone serviced apartments in Egypt with Radisson Residences Cairo Heliopolis within the coming months. In Morocco, Radisson Hotel Group further enhances its flourishing portfolio with the highly anticipated opening of Radisson Hotel Casablanca Gauthier, the debut of the Radisson brand in Morocco, scheduled for Q2. In South Africa, Radisson Hotel Group is set to add its 12th hotel with the opening of Radisson Hotel Middelburg later this year, following the successful opening of its first safari hotel in Africa with the recently announced Radisson Safari Hotel Hoedspruit. In addition to these key markets, we are proactively pursuing East Africa this year, with Kenya and Tanzania identified as market priorities. As resorts continue to play an important role in our global strategic growth plan, we will build on our successful resort expansion in Africa, which has included the recent openings of Radisson Blu Resort Mosi-oa-Tunya in Livingstone and our debut in Reunion Island with the opening of Radisson Hotel Saint Denis, said Rankoussi. Over the past three years, Radisson Hotel Group has emerged as the fastest-growing hotel group in Africa, with 20 hotel openings across the continent. This impressive feat has set a record for the Group in terms of the realisation of its pipeline into openings and has translated into a commendable 15% annual growth on its African portfolio. Strategic focus on the Middle East In the Middle East, the group opened over 1,000 keys in the past 12 months and is on track to open 2,000 keys in 2024. The group continues to drive its aspirations in the region, targeting 150 properties to be operational or under development across the Middle East by 2030. In the last quarter of 2023, Radisson Hotel Group revealed new hotels across Oman: Muscat Levatio Suites, a member of Radisson Individuals and Radisson Hotel Muscat Panorama, as well as opening the first Radisson Individuals in Saudi Arabia, with the opening of Vivid Jeddah, A Radisson Individuals hotel. In addition to these openings, the group has also signed agreements for Park Inn by Radisson Resort Bimmah and Radisson Serviced Apartments Salalah. In Jordan, Radisson Blu Hotel, Amman Galleria Mall opened its doors in offering 178 keys catering to travellers seeking convenience and luxury. Further, the group announced the signing of Radisson Hotel & Residences Erbil, in Iraqs vibrant city of Erbil which also opened during the course of the year, opening a new market and significant development destination for the group. In addition, Pakistan remains a focus for the group by signing four hotels and serviced apartments in the capital city of Islamabad with the first opening in this new market anticipated for 2025. Looking ahead, it plans further expansion in Makkah with the highly anticipated debut of Park Inn by Radisson Makkah Thaker West and of Park Inn by Radisson Makkah Thakher East in Q1 with new standards for contemporary lodging in the holy city of Makkah to meet the needs of an increasing number of international and regional visitors. Also set for opening in early 2024 is Radisson Hotel Jeddah Tahlia Street and as well as the introduction of the Park Inn by Radisson brand to Kuwait with the opening of Park Inn by Radisson Hotel & Apartments Kuwait. Elie Milky, Vice President Business Development, Middle East, Greece, Cyprus, and Pakistan at Radisson Hotel Group, said: Our ambitions remain strong as we continue our robust expansion efforts in the region, focusing particularly on resorts as well as serviced apartments. We continue to penetrate new markets as we have seen in Erbil and Amman while we strengthen our position with strategic owners in established cities such as Jeddah, Riyadh, Kuwait, Makkah and Muscat, to name a few. Our value proposition to our existing and new owners continues to improve with a comprehensive brand offering and a pragmatic conversions approach to drive openings. TradeArabia News Service KYODO NEWS - Feb 29, 2024 - 19:19 | All, World Russia could restore its military capabilities in the coming years in a "test" for NATO's collective defense, Estonia's Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna has said. A former defense minister, Tsahkna said that between 2015 and 2017, Estonia saw the massing of nearly 120,000 Russian troops close to its border, capable of launching an attack within 48 hours. The troops have now been "sent to Ukraine," he said in a recent interview with Kyodo News ahead of his planned visit to Japan in early March. As Russia has concentrated its offensive resources on invading Ukraine over the past two years, Kyiv now fights "not only for our freedom altogether and our democracies but also instead of us," he added. Speaking on the same day as Hungary became the final NATO member state to approve Sweden's bid to join the transatlantic military alliance, the foreign minister said Swedish accession will make the Baltic Sea akin to a NATO "internal lake." He was referring to the fact that once Sweden officially enters NATO, the Baltic Sea will be bordered almost entirely by member countries, with the exception of Russia. "This is strategically for us very important," he said. Tsahkna said he expects talks in Japan will include discussion of cooperation in supporting Ukraine. He hailed "very close relations" between Japan and Estonia that are becoming "more and more practical." While Tsahkna warned Russia could regroup its forces to test NATO in the coming years, he believes there is no imminent military threat to member states from Moscow due to the deterrent effect of the alliance's Article 5 collective defense clause. Russian President Vladimir Putin understands that "whatever he commits in the future against NATO," the response will be "very critical" and "rapid," Tsahkna said, adding, "The price must be very high." Anti-Russia sentiment is strong in Estonia, which was occupied by the Soviet Union in the 1940s and regained its independence in 1991 ahead of the communist bloc's collapse. The country, which borders Russia, is one of the three Baltic states along with Latvia and Lithuania. Over 1.4 percent of Estonia's gross domestic product is being spent on supporting Ukraine's fight against Russia, and the invasion has spurred the country to raise its defense spending to a projected 3.2 percent of GDP this year. "We have increased taxes for that, and people understand that this is needed," Tsahkna said. Underlining the need to overcome fatigue in supporting Ukraine, the foreign minister said that were Russia to win, it would "harm our democracies." Not backing Kyiv means "we later will pay a higher price, all of us," he said. Related coverage: Hungary approval clears way for Sweden to join NATO as 32nd member G7 leaders vow support for Ukraine on 2nd anniversary of Russian invasion U.N. chief repeats call for Russia to stop invasion of Ukraine An 80-year-old man has been sentenced to four years imprisonment for killing his 78-year-old wife in a retirement village in Mount Maunganui. When Justice Francis Cooke passed his sentence in Hamilton High Court on Thursday, he told John Alfred Salter not to give up hope, and to start thinking about his future now. Justice Cooke accepted that John did what he thought the pair had agreed upon, with the goal of eternal togetherness and a genuine belief it was in her best interests. He did not impose a minimum period of imprisonment and says John would be eligible for parole after one third of his sentence. Police were called to Metlifecares Bayswater retirement village at 6.55pm where they found the body of Jean Salter on October 8. John pled guilty to murdering Jean, 78, in their apartment, strangling her with a neck tie hed hidden behind a cushion. Theyd just got back from McDonalds and Robert Harris for breakfast and coffee when John made Jean another cup and sat with her. He asked her to drink it before moving towards her and retrieving the tie. She gasped, Oh John several times as he killed her, according to court documents previously obtained by Stuff. He then went into his bathroom and tried to kill himself. When that failed, he called his sister in the UK and then police. The documents say the suggestion that Jean go into full-time care caused John to become stressed and concerned about being separated from his wife. According to the court summary, John claimed hed spoken to Jean in the week leading up to the killing about a suicide pact. Bayswater Metlifecare Retirement Village in Papamoa was the scene of the murder. Photo: DJ Mills / Stuff. She had mild Alzhiemers disease and would nod in agreement, before forgetting the arrangement. In preparation, John started taking blood thinners, the documents say. He told police he killed Jean because he couldnt live without her and planned to kill himself to be with her. Johns lawyer Tony Rickard-Simms said there was nothing selfish about Johns actions. John and Jean had been together for 60 years, and spent every day together. They met when they were 15 and 17 and married the next year as soon as she was legally able. The couple came to New Zealand in 1975, and had been living in Metlifecares Bayswater retirement village for 18 years. Slowly but surely Jean started to lose her faculties, says Tony. Shed lose things, and became forgetful and had started wandering around the retirement village alone when John was sleeping. It was when a retirement village staff member suggested the behaviour was dangerous and that Jean should be moved to a different facility that John became distressed. Options were offered, but Tony says John found them all unbearable. He couldnt see himself without her. Justice Cooke says John had described Jean as the best wife who managed all his household duties up until her mental decline but hed also acknowledged his dependence on her. A worker refurbishes the apartment where John Salter killed his wife, Jean Salter, at the Bayswater Metlifecare Retirement Village in Papamoa. Photo: Tony Wall / Stuff. You believe she did not deserve this and have openly talked about self disgust about your actions. But Cooke also noted there was a degree of premeditation to the killing, and Jean was vulnerable and unable to physically defend herself. The charge of murder carries a mandatory sentence of life imprisonment, however Justice Cooke concluded it would be manifestly unjust to sentence John to life imprisonment, instead imposing a finite sentence. He decided on a starting point of eight years and gave a 25 per cent discount for a guilty plea, and a further 25 per cent discount for other factors including Salters age, remorse, his lack of support and vulnerability in prison. John has no family or close friends in New Zealand, and Cooke told him to start thinking now about what his future after prison would look like. John had already been in custody since his last court appearance in November. Crown prosecutor Anna Pollett argued this was not a mercy killing, and had selfish elements. She says Jean only had mild Alzheimers for one year before her death, was not abusive or aggressive and John was not required to provide full and constant care. It was well understood the full range of support that they had available to them. Pollett submitted that life imprisonment with a minimum period of 10 years was appropriate. Rachel Moore/Stuff Hundreds of thousands of books have been shipped to Pacific Island communities thanks to the ongoing labour of love from former Tauranga Libraries manager Jill Best. This year the books will be going to Fiji, Samoa and Solomon Islands, with the support of the Rotary Book sale this weekend. The Pacific Libraries Project story started back in 1969 when two young volunteers, one from NZ and one from Britain, were sent to Fiji to help in local education projects. Tauranga resident Jill Best helped to set up a library at the new University of the South Pacific. Philip Calvert taught in a local primary school. Both went on to careers in libraries in NZ. In 2006, the Fiji Local Government Association asked Local Government NZ to send advisors to write a plan to improve their public libraries. Jill and Philip were sent to review the five existing libraries, talk to locals, write a plan to improve them, and open more. Practical help Seeing the basic, rundown state of these libraries, Jill decided to organise practical help as well. She appealed to NZ public libraries and booksellers for second-hand books to send to the islands. Since then, more than 300,000 books and 75 computers have been sent to Fiji, Samoa, Vanuatu, Tuvalu and Solomon Islands. The books have travelled by RNZAF aircraft, truck, freight ship, cruise ship, yacht and canoe, and even packed into a container house. Pacific Libraries Project also provides training for librarians, and writes reports for councils on improving library services with very little money. Jills daughter Stella provides IT training. The books come from NZ public libraries, school libraries, Rotary book fairs, and individuals. Tauranga Rotary Club became involved about six years ago, and this year the Rotary Book sale is providing around 70 per cent of the shipment. Pacific Libraries Project is part of the Commonwealth Local Government Forum Pacific Project. In the beginning, freight of $2000-4000 per year was paid by the forum, but now they cannot extend to funding the libraries project, so it is paid by the Best family. Donate or buy books! Jill is asking for more books from the community to send to the Pacific. Books need to be in good condition to stand at least three years of hard use. Non-fiction should be recent enough to be current information, preferably not more than five years old unless it is historical. Particularly there is a huge need for childrens books, to help children learn to read, and learn English, says Jill. Jill says the public can make financial donations towards freight costs and/or donate books to Pacific island libraries by phoning her on 0212603743. For those who want to support the cause by purchasing books from the Tauranga Rotary Clubs Book Sale the event is on today, March 1, from 12 noon-6.30pm, and from 9am- 4.30pm on Saturday and Sunday, March 2-3 at Seeka Coolstore, Harvard Way, opposite Classic Flyers, Mount Maunganui. SIDNEY-- On Friday, February 16, a fundraiser was held in honor of Adam Romero, a long-time Sidney resident who had recently passed away. Friends and family members gathered in the Congregate Room at the Cheyenne County Community Center. A variety of soups were provided plus other delicious snacks. A silent auction was also held, with gifts donated by local companies like Pennington Seed, Western Drug and Dude's Steakhouse. Romero's daughter Judy was the organizer of the event and was overwhelmed by the response of the community. She said, "Adam was such a giving man, and he would be so happy over the response of this event. He was the type of person that would be the organizer of an event for somebody else, and would most likely be the last person to think of himself. Even until his last day he was looking out for other people, and we're all so appreciative of the response from his friends and the Sidney community. The money raised from the event will help to defray the costs of transporting Adam to San Antonio, Texas, so he can be buried next to his mother. Adam's family appreciates all of the kind wishes and support they have received through this trying time. In December of 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln suggested a plan to reinstate the seceded states back into the Union, his "Ten Percent Plan." He would permit each Confederate state to form a new state government after ten percent of the voters in a state took loyalty oaths to the Union and recognized the former slaves' freedom. Following Lincoln's assassination on April 9, 1865, his successor, former Vice-President Andrew Johnson, decided to run with Lincoln's Ten Percent Plan. Throughout the summer and fall of 1866, the Southern states held special state conventions. At them, they repealed secession, repudiated all Confederate debts, ratified the 13th Amendment that outlawed slavery, and held elections, all in accord with the Ten Percent Plan. Those elected to various offices in these new state governments included: four former Confederate generals, five colonels, members of the Confederate government's cabinet, plus Alexander Stephens, the Confederacy's former Vice-President, who was indicted for treason. President Johnson felt embarrassed that a series of former Confederates were back in power. The one constant in these new state governments was their utter contempt for the former slaves, whom they considered "unfit, "inferior," and "incapable of self-government." The new state governments passed a series of Black Codes, designed to keep the former slave poor, stuck at the bottom of the social ladder, with no opportunity for advancement. Vagrancy laws within the Black Codes forced blacks into contracted labor on a plantation's fields. Also, the Black Codes denied the former slaves equal protection under the law. The former slaves convened at their own conventions, called Colored Conventions. At them, delegates discussed "labor, health care, temperance, emigration, voting rights, trial by jury, and education." Anyone can read the convention's minutes at the "Colored Conventions Project." On December 4, 1865, when the Thirty-Ninth Congress first convened in Washington D.C., Northern Republicans were dismayed to see former Confederates try to walk into the Capitol and assume a seat. They slammed the door in their faces, and Congress's clerk refused to seat them. They were called names: "impudent claimants," "unrepentant," and "former enemies." Thaddeus Stevens, a Republican in the House," said, "Dead states cannot restore their existence. Congress must create states and declare when they are entitled to be represented." Both Presidential and Confederate Reconstruction had ended, but now Congressional Reconstruction was set to begin. A "spirit of revenge" motivated these Radical Republicans to act. On December 13, 1865, Congress formed a Joint Committee of Fifteen on Reconstruction, composed of nine Representatives and six Senators to investigate and determine under what terms the seceded states might regain their status as a state, plus congressional representation. The committee interviewed "144 witnesses, including 77 Northerners living in the South, 8 Blacks, and 57 Southerners," and produced "more than 700 pages of testimony, a dreary recital of inhumanity," of how whites mistreated the former slaves throughout the Southern states. The committee first recommended further support for the Freedmen's Bureau, intended to provide relief, food, and schools for the blacks. It also recommended a civil rights bill. On April 9, 1866, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1866, by a two-thirds vote over President Johnson's veto. It declared that "all persons born in the United States were citizens," "without distinction of race or color or previous condition of slavery or involuntary servitude." This Act was unique, the first United States federal law to define what persons are citizens. Black History Month ends this week. Reconstruction is a messy history. Some consider it a low point in American history. Others, including Eric Foner, historian at Columbia University, label it our nation's "Second Founding." More next time on Reconstruction in these pages, thoughts on the 14th Amendment. Current Print Subscribers will be prompted to either login to their current site user account or to create a new one. A confirmation email will be sent when a new user account is created, which must be confirmed within three days in order to provide uninterrupted online access through your Print Subscription. Once the email address is confirmed please provide your Account Number to activate your Print Subscription Service. By Matthew Carland, KYODO NEWS - Feb 29, 2024 - 10:28 | All, World, Japan A Japanese graduate student at Yale University is calling for Israel to end its protracted military campaign in Gaza at a time of high tensions over the issue on U.S. campuses, with prestigious universities under pressure from donors and politicians to suppress anti-Israel protests. Chisato Kimura, a leading member of Yale Law Students for Justice in Palestine, believes she must speak out for a cease-fire as a 24-year-old native of Japan, which has experienced the horrors of war after inflicting violence on its neighbors before and during World War II. On Oct. 7, the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing some 1,200 people and taking hundreds of hostages. The Jewish state launched hostage-rescue efforts as well as sustained bombardment of the Gaza enclave in response, leaving nearly 30,000 Palestinians dead. Student protests against Israel's military campaign and Washington's role in supporting it sprang up on university campuses across the United States and have gone on as the bloodshed continues. Amid contentious and often heated rhetoric, many have accused student protesters who oppose the Israeli government of taking antisemitic stances. Some wealthy donors and prominent lawmakers have publicly criticized universities over their handling of the unrest, saying campuses had become unsafe for Jewish students. The fallout led to the presidents of Harvard University and the University of Pennsylvania resigning their posts. Some donors announced the suspension of their annual contributions, while universities have imposed restrictions on campus protests. Kimura, who took part in campus actions at Yale as a leader in her activist group, said in a recent interview that universities succumbing to the pressure "is really disappointing." "It's just a silencing tactic that's being used to try to not only silence students directly, but also to get universities to silence students," she said. According to Kimura, her university in New Haven, Connecticut, has changed the rules around posters on campus as part of an effort to "suppress certain types of speech." Although she has been doxxed multiple times online by those seeking to intimidate and silence her, she considers the war a "litmus test" for her as a law student who pursues social justice. "If I were to stay silent when there's literally a genocide happening, I'd have no idea why I'm in law school," she said. In an earlier attempt to discourage student protesters, a truck sponsored by a conservative media group was driven around the Yale campus in November with a digital billboard displaying activists' names and photos. U.S. media reported the group had also funded such trucks at other universities including Harvard. Kimura noted that universities that curb speech critical of Israel's military campaign do not reflect the opinions of the general U.S. public. In November, an Economist/YouGov poll found that 65 percent of Americans supported a cease-fire, while 16 percent disapproved. An Associated Press poll the following month found 61 percent of Americans disapproved of President Joe Biden's handling of the war, while 37 percent approved. Kimura, born in Katano, Osaka Prefecture, western Japan, moved to Massachusetts with her mother at the age of 7. After her mother was unable to obtain a visa and returned to Japan in 2018, the immigration dilemma served as inspiration for Kimura to attend law school. While the handling by the U.S. and Japanese governments of the conflict has disappointed Kimura, she has been inspired by seeing photos and videos of Japanese protesting the war. "Japanese people have historically seen violence, they have seen the horrors of World War II. But also, Japan has a history of colonialism and perpetuating violence as well," Kimura said. "For both of those reasons, I think it's really important for Japanese people to speak out," she said. Related coverage: U.S. vetoes U.N. resolution on Gaza for 4th time since conflict began This feature is coordinated by The Post-Standard/Syracuse.com and InterFaith Works of CNY. Follow this theme and author posted Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Black History Month can inspire individuals to learn more about the diverse and lived experiences of Black people throughout history. Learning forms the backdrop of new perspectives and new ideas. I am always inspired when I learn about new cultures and the situations people have overcome to see change. I recently traveled to the Republic of Panama, and I visited the Panama Canal Museum. I was overwhelmed with emotion when I heard and saw the obstacles that the people of Panama endured because of the canal. Learning that piece of history gave me a new appreciation for the Panamanian people. I encourage others to do the same as it relates to Black history. Black History Month provides an opportunity for people to explore and recognize the significant impact that Black people have had on shaping and developing the world. By learning the unknown, individuals can gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the complexities of Black history and culture. Bishop Colette Matthews-Carter is the Director of the Center for Dialogue & Action at InterFaith Works of CNY. Growing up, sisters Jo Anne Bakeman, of North Syracuse, and Barbara Fero, of Onondaga Hill, knew little of their familys history. It was a subject that was difficult to bring up when they were young. An Upstate New York summertime attraction is being ordered to pay over $38,000 in fines to the Department of Labor for employing 15-year-old lifeguards at the top of their water slides. Zoom Flume Water Park in the Catskill Mountain town of East Durham employed 35 15-year-old lifeguards at the top of elevated, power-driven water slides between July 2021 and July 2022, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. The findings were in violation of the federal labor laws and regulations, including the Fair Labor Standards Act and Child Labor laws. The Times Union reported that while 15-year-olds can be employed as lifeguards, they cannot tend mechanically propelled rides such as the water slides they were stationed at the top of. The legal age of employment in the U.S. is 16. The Albany District Office of the U.S. Department of Labors Wage and Hour division did the investigation, according to Albany News 10. Court proceedings lasted over a year. Zoom Flume Water Park LLC has been ordered by a judge to pay a fine of $1,086 per child worker, totaling $38,010. Zoom Flume has appealed divisions findings and penalties. When investigators notified the waterpark in 2022 that it was in violation, it changed its staffing policies immediately and has followed the rule ever since, HudsonValley360 reported. The Green County water park is a summer job for many 14- and 15-year-olds, but Zoom Flume limits where they can work within the park. NEW YORK (AP) After failing to wipe illegal cannabis dispensaries off the map, New York is asking online sites to hide them. Since the state legalized marijuana in 2021, unlicensed pot shops have proliferated across New York City, with limited pushback from authorities. On Tuesday, Gov. Kathy Hochul called on online map and social media companies to stop listing them. Jenny Argie is the founder of Jennys Baked at Home Company, a licensed New York cannabis processor/manufacturer/distributor. Her brand in the adult use market is Jennys. In the newest entry of NYs women in cannabis, Argie talks about barriers for women in cannabis, how surviving cancer led her to the weed industry and her favorite resources within the industry. Women are vastly underrepresented in cannabis, and not just in New York. From 2019 to 2022, executive-level females have seen their industry wide status drop from 37% to 23%. Yet the MRTA makes things very clear: women-owned businesses are a key component of the states social and economic equity plan. NY Cannabis Insider is seeking to elevate women in cannabis through a hyper-focus on female story sourcing and balanced representation in articles. This series will last for as long as submissions come in. Why did you launch your career in the cannabis industry? Were there any women who inspired you to do so? How did you do it? Im a cancer survivor. Eight years ago, I decided to manage my post-surgical treatment with cannabis rather than radiation, chemo, and tamoxifen. I didnt want to smoke cannabis, and the problem was, all I could find was sugar-filled edibles. It wasnt hard to find tons of data about how sugar feeds cancer exactly the opposite of what I needed in recovery! Fortunately, Id been a product designer for 15 years, and I realized, I can do better. So I got my cannabinoids with tinctures, while I started to develop the edibles that eventually became Jennys. Eight years later, Im cancer-free and have dedicated my life to producing healthy cannabis products, which include sugar-free, kosher, vegan, products with only organic ingredients and incredible cured resin. When I say my products are made with love, I mean it with my whole heart. In fact, just the other day I got an email from a father who wanted my Zee Zee Gummies to help his daughter sleep. We had a long exchange, and he was able to find them at Herbal IQ, a dispensary near him. It really captured everything Im trying to do in the industry. 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: What do you think is the most significant barrier to women leadership? Are the barriers different in cannabis than any other industry? The lack of balance regarding women in business, investment in female-led companies, and women in leadership roles is bad enough to make any thoughtful person blush with embarrassment. Nancy Whiteman has said, When women in the industry raise capital, their valuations can be 30% to 40% less than similar male-led companies. And women-led companies get something like 3% of total VC-finding (which is hardly available in cannabis anyway) and have only 5% of C-suite roles. The data on cannabis companies is probably on par with these horrible statistics. Im a third-generation entrepreneur, so my experience is different. When I see an opportunity, I dont ask for a job, I build a company. Thats why Im busier than ever manufacturing Jennys products, while helping brands that need vision and guidance borne of my 25 years international manufacturing experience. Male or female, my resilience and experience-level are highly investment-worthy. Why do you think women are so underrepresented in leadership roles in cannabis? Bro-dominance of cannabis stems from the outlaw culture that was created by 100 years of cannabis Prohibition, and its led to an unnecessary focus on THC potency, heroic bong rips and all the rest. Rather than giving any oxygen to gender tribalism and the colossal waste of superior education, talent, and experience that cannabis industry women possess, lets look ahead. Female perspectives on innovation, flavors, form, effects, product, marketing, and sales are essential to reaching our largest underserved buying population: 35-plus women and men. By the way, women-led companies are on the rise in our industry. We are immensely creative, and are able to make our way, smash, create, hustle, whatever we have to do to stay afloat ... backwards and in heels as Anne Richards said. The bros may not invest in us, but they hire us when they want something done well. What are some ways in which companies can support gender diversity at senior levels? Close your eyes and hire people for their talent, experience, mental quickness, creativity, problem-solving ability, resilience, humor, kindness, empathy, and positivity. Open your eyes and Ill bet youve got a balanced team across genders and ethnicities. Shout out your other favorite women-owned or women-led businesses in the industry. My inspirations come from both inside and outside the industry. Id like to shout out Carols Daughter founded in Brooklyn by Lisa Price. Ritual founded by Katerina Schneider. And BLK + GRN. Lets support these awesome women-owned businesses! Who/what are your favorite tools and resources in the industry? These could be organizations, online websites, consultants, attorneys ... anyone or anything. What advice would you give your 25-year-old self? What advice would you give to the next generation of women leaders? Ill quote my father, my beacon of light who just passed away last week at 90 years old. He was a lifelong entrepreneur, the son of immigrant entrepreneurs, who raised 4 kids mostly on his own while building a national court-reporting company from scratch. When I was worried about my second companys prospects, he said: If this doesnt work, keep your chin up and try it again. He never said Just go get a job, he believed in supporting the family by building a company around good ideas and hard work. If youd like people to connect with you, please share your favorite methods of contact. Check out my LinkedIn page at linkedin.com/in/jennyargie, or email me at jenny@jennyloves.me. Baldwinsville, N.Y. Workers at Anheuser-Busch breweries, including at New Yorks largest brewery just outside Baldwinsville, reached a tentative deal Wednesday, avoiding a strike. The agreement was announced in statements by the Teamsters and Anheuser-Busch. The contract is good for five years and includes pay raises, better healthcare and retirement benefits and job security for 5,000 workers at 12 breweries nationwide, according to the union. Syracuse, N.Y. A Delta Air Lines flight from Detroit to Germany was cruising at 37,000 feet over Central New York when it began experiencing engine trouble. Weve got one engine thats running a little rough, one of the pilots told air traffic controllers Tuesday evening. Carolyn Price is executive director of the Upstate New York Towns Association, an organization based in Binghamton that advocates for the unique needs of municipalities in Upstate New York. Closing the digital divide is one of the significant challenges of our time. Access to reliable, affordable high-speed internet is not a convenience or a luxury. It draws the line between the haves and the have-nots. Thats why Congress must pass the Affordable Connectivity Extension Act and continue to keep our most vulnerable communities online. We cant end socio-economic, geographic and generational inequities if the playing field isnt level. And we cant ensure that New York and the United States lead in talent and innovation if the population lacks access to the tools that will keep our communities and local economies resilient and competitive. High-speed internet is essential for accessing employment and educational opportunities, high-quality healthcare, and the tools for entrepreneurship and financial independence. Despite the need, rural and underserved communities often lack quality broadband connections, and many families struggle to pay exorbitant monthly bills. This shouldnt be the case in 2024. For years, alongside allies and advocates, I have urged lawmakers to guarantee equitable and affordable access ensuring no one is left behind, stuck living in a broadband desert. When the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law was passed in 2021 during the Covid-19 pandemic, the federal government launched the Affordable Connectivity Program, which has helped over 20 million U.S. households, including many rural families, obtain internet access. Its an invaluable program that assists low-income residents and is a lifeline for families who otherwise could not access or afford the internet. However, funding for the ACP is set to run out as soon as April 2024 unless Congress passes the Affordable Connectivity Extension Act. Rural residents often have only one choice of broadband provider available, and the price of crucial internet access is astronomical in these areas. One family in my town paid $400 per month for internet service, and over $100 per month is relatively common and unacceptable. I recently met with a local immigrant family with poor satellite internet service and who could not afford smartphones. They werent even aware of the ACP. I worked with them to apply for the program. Families like theirs are experiencing digital inequity, and if Congress doesnt act, theyll continue to be left behind. This is detrimental to them, their communities, and the health of the American economy. Broadband connectivity is essential for educational and remote work opportunities, especially following the Covid-19 pandemic. We cant let affordability and accessibility be the determining factor in the role our kids play as future leaders on the global stage. Suppose Congress does not pass legislation extending the ACP. In that case, we risk falling behind our international competitors and adversaries in the race to lead the world in economic advancement, innovation and cybersecurity. Lawmakers from Albany to Washington D.C., should work to close the digital divide once and for all and avoid policies that could undermine that progress, diminish opportunities, and sabotage Americas role as a leading innovator. Congress cant sit idly while millions of Americans lose broadband access. The ACP has a proven record of success for rural and underserved communities nationwide. Letting this crucial program lapse will put the country at a terrible disadvantage and slow the progress of other private and public initiatives and investments in critical technologies. The ACP is indispensable to the millions of families and individuals who rely on it to connect them to education, healthcare, job training, and economic opportunity. Congress must swiftly pass the Affordable Connectivity Extension Act to continue funding the ACP. Continuing the program will empower many of our most vulnerable friends and neighbors and put their families on an equal footing. Nothing short of the future of our nations strength and prosperity in the 21st Century is at stake. We cant afford to take a massive step backward in closing the digital divide. As Gov. Kathy Hochul said in her recent State of the State address, the country that leads in advanced technologies will dominate the next era of human history. We need to nurture our best and brightest, but we cant cultivate the next generation of the worlds top innovators if they cant even get online. I hope New Yorks Congressional delegation including Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries leads the charge on this critical issue. KYODO NEWS - Feb 29, 2024 - 13:15 | All, Japan The government on Thursday eased visa regulations to expand the scope of foreign students allowed to stay on and find jobs in Japan, in response to calls from business and academic circles. The Immigration Services Agency of Japan said the government will allow students who have completed studies at state-designated technical schools to work in fields that are not necessarily closely related to the areas they majored in. The new measure is expected to increase the number of foreign students staying on in Japan to work by around 3,000 a year, the agency said. Previously, many foreign students, even if they had acquired a certain degree of technical and Japanese-language skills at technical schools, had to return to their home countries after failing to find workplaces that match the skills or knowledge they have acquired. The state-designated technical schools will offer special programs, including practical training at companies, the agency said. In addition, the government also widened the scope of foreign students who can stay on in Japan to work under the "designated activities" visa, another residential status that allows employment in even wider areas. The visa was previously only for students who have graduated from universities or graduate schools. It now can be issued to students with high Japanese skills and educational achievements equivalent to a bachelor's degree, including those who have completed a four-year program at a designated technical school. According to a Japan Student Services Organization survey taken in fiscal 2021, of some 2,000 foreign students enrolled at technical schools in the country, around 75 percent said they wanted to work in Japan. The new measures come after a government panel proposed in April last year making it easier for foreign students to find jobs in Japan. "We hope that students who have a certain degree of specialized skills and have deepened their understanding of Japan will work (in the country)," an agency official said. Related coverage: Japan to allow longer stays for digital nomads to boost consumption Japan's foreign worker population tops 2 million for first time State lawmakers approved new congressional district maps Wednesday that will make it more difficult for Rep. Brandon Williams to win reelection in Central New York this November. The Democratic-controlled state Assembly and Senate quickly passed the redistricting plan, without substantial debate, in votes about 15 minutes apart at the state Capitol. The legislation now moves to Gov. Kathy Hochul to be signed into law. Hochul has not expressed any concerns with the districts drafted by Democratic lawmakers. Williams, R-Sennett, is the only one of New Yorks 26 incumbent House members who ended up with a significant, negative change to the political makeup of a district. The first-term Republican will see his 22nd Congressional District change from one that President Joe Biden won by 7.6% in 2020 to a district Biden would have won by 11.6%. Democrats will have a voter enrollment advantage of about 31,000 over Republicans in the new district. The new Central New York district combines the cities of Syracuse, Utica, Auburn and Cortland into a district spanning all or part of five counties. The district spans all of Onondaga and Madison counties, the southern half of Cayuga County, the northern half of Cortland County and the western part of Oneida County, including Utica and New Hartford. The existing 22nd District is more compact. It spans all of Onondaga, Madison and Oneida counties, and part of the village of Cleveland in Oswego County. The state Senate passed the redistricting plan 45-17, with three Republican senators voting for the bill along with all Democrats. The Assembly passed the measure 115-33. GOP minority leader Will Barclay, R-Pulaski, was among 13 Republicans who voted for the bill. Republicans had threatened to sue if Democrats pushed through maps with unfair partisan advantages. But Barclay said before Wednesdays vote that Republicans had no plans for additional legal challenges. After the vote, New York Republican Party Chair Ed Cox said he saw no need for additional litigation. GOP leaders had supported the plan approved earlier this month by the New York Independent Redistricting Commission. The bipartisan commission voted 9-1 to approve new maps and submit them to lawmakers. But the state Assembly and Senate rejected the commissions maps Monday and decided to craft their own maps for the states 26 congressional districts. The final maps approved by the Legislature today made only small tweaks to a few districts. It did not make changes to the 22nd Congressional District represented by Williams. Both national political parties view the 22nd District election as one of the districts that will help determine which party wins control of the House of Representatives in November. Four Democrats are seeking the partys nomination to challenge Williams in November. The Democrats are state Sen. John Mannion, DeWitt town councilor Sarah Klee Hood, Utica University professor Clemmie Harris and Marine veteran Jake Addington of Oneida County. Got a tip, comment or story idea? Contact Mark Weiner anytime by: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 571-970-3751 WASHINGTON (AP) The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to decide whether former President Donald Trump can be prosecuted on charges he interfered with the 2020 election and set a course for a quick resolution. The justices order maintains a hold on preparations for a trial focused on Trumps efforts to overturn his election loss. The court will hear arguments in late April, with a decision likely no later than the end of June. The Taos News delivered to your Taos County address every week for a full year! We offer our lowest mail rates to zip codes in the county. Click Here to See if you Qualify. Plan includes unlimited website access and e-edition print replica online. Your auto pay plan will be conveniently renewed at the end of the subscription period. You may cancel at anytime. KYODO NEWS - Feb 29, 2024 - 18:41 | All, World, Japan Japanese cosmetic firm Kao Corp. and pharmaceutical maker Earth Corp. said Thursday they will jointly sell mosquito eradication sprays in Thailand in July to help the fight against insect-borne infectious diseases in Southeast Asia. The new product "Ars Mos Shooter" contains a substance developed by Kao that makes mosquitoes unable to fly by saturating their wings and bodies, while Earth has been active in Thailand for about 40 years with a high market share in insect control. As the spray does not include chemically manufactured insecticidal components, it can be used even with children around, the companies said. Dengue fever, which is spread by mosquitos and has been expanding in Southeast Asia amid global warming, mainly infects children and could cause deaths in serious cases, they said. "With the hope to swiftly save as many people's lives as possible, we joined hands with Earth, which has a strong reach and brand (in Thailand)," Kao President Yoshihiro Hasebe told a joint press conference. Earth President Katsunori Kawabata said the company is aiming to achieve the largest share in the Thai market of insect control products by 2025 from its current No. 2 position, and that the new spray "will become the engine" in that pursuit. The product, priced at 140 bahts ($4) per 370 millimeter-bottle, will be manufactured at Kao's plant in Thailand and sold by Earth. The companies said they are also considering selling it in Japan and other countries in the future. Related coverage: Japan's Shiseido to buy DDG Skincare Holdings for $450 million Facepalm: Consumer Reports delivers investigative reports and tests mass-manufactured products, providing advice and documentation on how consumers can protect their rights. The latest CR report focuses on doorbell cameras, and the findings couldn't be worse. Consumer Reports investigated inexpensive doorbell cameras, revealing that they are plagued by "terrible" security practices and are essentially all produced by the same Chinese company. These devices are being sold on digital marketplaces such as Amazon, Walmart, Temu, and others, and they have proven to be a highly popular product category. CR examined video doorbells made by Eken and Tuck, discovering that they appear to be the same product sold under different brand names. These two "smart" cameras, along with "at least" 10 more identical video doorbells, are manufactured by the Shenzhen-based company Eken Group, and they can be controlled by a common mobile app (Aiwit), which was also developed by Eken. The consumer organization found a significant number of security vulnerabilities with the doorbells. Major flaws include the unencrypted exposure of a user's home IP address and Wi-Fi network name (SSID) over the internet, the ability for malicious actors to take over the devices by downloading the Aiwit app and entering pairing mode, and unauthenticated remote access to still images and video feeds of private dwellings. The insecure cameras also lack a proper registration code, which, according to FCC regulations, must be visible on this class of products. Despite being considered second-rate products in the video doorbell market, Eken cameras are "relatively strong sellers" on online marketplaces. CR states that multiple listings on Amazon generated more than 4,200 sales in January 2024 alone. CR's director of tech policy, Justin Brookman, highlighted how both manufacturers and retail platforms are responsible for products that can harm consumers. Major ecommerce platforms need to do a better job of "vetting sellers and products" sold through their channels, Brookman said, and it has now become clear that new rules are required for holding online retailers accountable. CR asked Eken Group some questions about its video doorbells, but the company didn't provide any reply. The organization also reached out to online retailers, sharing the security vulnerabilities it found in the devices. Temu said that all the doorbells using the Aiwit platform were removed from its website, while Walmart only promised to do so. Amazon, Sears, and other retailers didn't provide any answers. Prescription drug orders in the United States have encountered disruptions for almost a week, affecting numerous pharmacies and shedding light on the vulnerability of healthcare data in the wake of a significant cyberattack on Change Healthcare, a division of UnitedHealth Group, the largest health insurer in the US. The cybersecurity breach, discovered last Wednesday, led UnitedHealth Group to sever connections between Change Healthcare's extensive digital network and its clients. The company still needs to fully restore all affected services, which affect nearly one in three US patient records and roughly 15 billion transactions yearly, as Health Day reported. (Photo : Joe Raedle/Getty Images) Rosemary Petty, a Publix Supermarket pharmacy technician, counts out a prescription of antibiotic pills August 7, 2007 in Miami, Florida. Serious Consequences of Cyberattack on Patients Change Healthcare plays a crucial role in assisting pharmacies in verifying patients' insurance coverage for prescriptions. Reports indicate that some individuals have resorted to paying for medications in cash due to the disruption. UnitedHealth took immediate action upon discovering the breach, shutting down various services, including tools that allow pharmacies to check a patient's medication costs swiftly. While major drugstore chains like Walgreens report limited effects, smaller pharmacies, including those operated by Dared Price in Kansas, contend with inconsistent service provision. Price expressed, "For the last week, it has been hit or miss about whether we can take care of patients," highlighting the challenges faced by patients unable to confirm insurance status for more expensive treatments. Tricare, responsible for US military healthcare coverage, disclosed that its pharmacies are now manually filling prescriptions due to the cyberattack, causing delays in dispensing critical medications. Change Healthcare issued a statement addressing the ongoing disruption, underscoring its proactive approach to restoring the impacted environment. The company acknowledged the expected duration of the disruption, committing to providing updates as more information becomes available. Read Also: Supreme Court Weighs Key Cases on Social Media Content Moderation Increasing Cyberattacks on the Healthcare Sector Industry experts point out that UnitedHealth, with its extensive footprint in various healthcare sectors, presents an attractive target for hackers. Fred Langston, Chief Product Officer for Critical Insight, noted that if cybercriminals intend to steal records, "you want to go after the biggest pot of records you can get-you're literally hitting the jackpot." Research by Omdia, a technology research provider, highlighted that the healthcare sector globally faced the highest number of cyber security breaches between January and September of the previous year. Out of the disclosed breaches, the healthcare industry experienced 241 attacks, surpassing other sectors such as government (147) and information technology (91), covering software, hardware, and IT services, per The Financial Times. The primary types of cyber breaches in healthcare include hacking, supply chain attacks, phishing, and ransomware, where hackers use malicious software (malware) to encrypt data until a ransom is paid to unlock it. Cybersecurity expert James Lewis from the Center for Strategic and International Studies emphasized the healthcare sector's attractiveness to cybercriminals due to the potential risk to lives. Earlier this month, TechTimes reported that at least 18 hospitals in Romania fell victim to a massive ransomware attack, crippling the Hipocrate Information System (HIS), responsible for managing medical activities and patient data. HIS production servers were attacked on Feb. 11-12, encrypting critical files and databases and leading the Romanian Ministry of Health to summon IT and cybersecurity experts to investigate. Related Article: MGM Resorts Cyberattack: State and Federal Regulators Launch Probe $100 Million Data Breach 2024 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. NASA's CUTE mission, aimed at observing extreme exoplanets, is poised to make huge strides despite the spacecraft's compact size and limited resources. Launched in September 2021, the Colorado Ultraviolet Transit Experiment (CUTE) seeks to shed light on the atmospheric dynamics of close-in exoplanets, offering insights into their composition and evolution. NASA's CUTE Mission for Exoplanets With over 5,500 exoplanets discovered thus far, many have been found to orbit perilously close to their parent stars. These proximity planets present a unique opportunity to study critical phenomena that shape planetary evolution, such as atmospheric mass loss and interactions with host stars. According to NASA, CUTE's design departs from traditional spacecraft architectures, utilizing a small form factor to achieve its scientific objectives. Equipped with a compact spectrograph and a novel rectangular Cassegrain telescope, CUTE can capture spectral diagnostics that trace the escaping atmospheres of ultra-hot, giant planets orbiting close to their stars. The phenomenon of atmospheric escape, which profoundly influences the structure and evolution of planets, has attracted considerable interest from astronomers and planetary scientists. CUTE endeavors to deepen our comprehension of planetary atmospheres and their impact on planetary demographics by studying the atmospheric dynamics of nearby exoplanets. The mission's dedication to exploring the near-ultraviolet (NUV) spectrum enables it to overcome challenges associated with traditional Lyman-alpha transit measurements. Unlike Lyman-alpha, NUV flux from host stars offers higher precision and clarity, facilitating detailed observations of exoplanetary atmospheres. Dr. Kevin France, leading the CUTE mission, spearheaded the development of its instrument suite, leveraging scaled-down component technology adapted from the Hubble Space Telescope. This innovative approach enables CUTE to achieve NUV precision comparable to larger missions despite its compact size. Read Also: NASA James Webb Achieves One of Its First Major Science Goals After Probing the Atmosphere of TRAPPIST Planet CUTE's Spacecraft Platform CUTE's spacecraft platform, a 6U CubeSat, provides the necessary infrastructure for scientific observations and data processing. Leveraging a UV-optimized charge-coupled device (CCD) and onboard data processing capabilities, CUTE captures and analyzes transit spectroscopy data with remarkable precision. Since its deployment in September 2021, CUTE has conducted numerous observations of exoplanetary transits, yielding valuable insights into these distant worlds' atmospheric compositions and dynamics. Data from CUTE's observations, archived by the NASA Exoplanet Science Institute, contribute to the growing understanding of exoplanetary atmospheres and their diversity. Furthermore, CUTE's success has paved the way for future small space missions, inspiring NASA and international partners to adopt similar instrument designs. Its sub-1% NUV precision demonstrates small spacecraft's potential to achieve scientific objectives previously reserved for larger missions. Related Article: NASA's Hubble Space Telescope Captures 'Butterfly Nebula' In Stunning Motion | Fun Facts About This Beautiful Space Butterfly 2024 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A nuclear weapons plant in Texas has resumed operations while wildfires continue to blaze throughout the state, endangering nearby communities. AP reports that the Pantex Plant, located just 21 miles from Amarillo, temporarily paused operations due to a growing fire threat but has now reopened, according to plant operators. Texas Wildfires Threatening Nuclear Plants The decision to suspend operations occurred amid three uncontained wildfires near Amarillo, the largest of which, known as the Smokehouse Creek Fire, engulfed over 300,000 acres of property. Strong winds and unusually warm temperatures fueled these fires, which forced evacuations in several towns and caused substantial damage to structures throughout Hutchinson County. In response to the wildfires, Governor Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration for 60 counties, advising residents to prioritize safety and restrict actions that could cause a fire. Evacuation orders were issued for many villages, leaving people without electricity and forced to seek shelter. Despite the difficult conditions, firefighting efforts have been undertaken to control the fires. Firefighters have been suppressing the flames amidst high winds and dry vegetation, with weather forecasts predicting milder temperatures and the potential of rain. Safety precautions were taken at the Pantex Plant, such as installing fire barriers and evacuating non-essential staff. In a recent statement, the plant confirmed that all weapons and special materials in the facility are safe and unaffected. Read Also: US Hydrogen Cars Sees New Tax Guidelines for Clean Cars, but Experts Are Torn The Pantex Plant Experts warn that fires at nuclear power facilities pose considerable risks, which could compromise critical safety systems. For instance, the 1975 fire incident at the Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant in the United States damaged over 1,600 electrical cables, including those vital for reactor safety. Operators were compelled to undertake emergency repairs to ensure the safe shutdown of the reactor, averting a potential meltdown. Since 1975, the Pantex Plant has played an important role in the United States' nuclear stockpile by serving as the primary facility for assembling and disassembling nuclear weapons. According to the Federation of American Scientists, the stockpile of nuclear weapons in the United States amounted to 5,244 warheads. Among them, 1,536 retired warheads are currently awaiting dismantlement. Emergency agencies and shelters have been offering help to those impacted, while local officials have provided live updates and support via social media. Environmental concerns have also been expressed since smoke from the wildfires has impacted air quality in Amarillo and nearby areas. As wildfires continue to threaten communities in Texas, authorities are closely monitoring the situation and coordinating efforts to save lives and property. In Other News Bell County declared a state of emergency ahead of the next solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. Local authorities remain prepared for potential issues as they anticipate a large flow of visitors during the celestial event. Stay posted here at Tech Times. Related Article: Governments, Big Tech Harness AI Against Climate-Driven Wildfires 2024 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Amidst the ongoing struggle over music rights, TikTok has decided to take further action by removing additional songs from its platform. This latest move affects a wide range of tracks written or co-written by artists associated with Universal Music Group, marking a significant development in the ongoing battle over digital music distribution. (Photo : Alexander Shatov from Unsplash) ByteDance, the company behind the popular messaging app TikTok is set to axe hundreds of jobs under the Nuverse gaming unit. The upcoming layoff is part of the company's restructuring process. Removing Additional Works TikTok continues its crackdown on songs amid ongoing battles over music rights. The platform's latest move will see the removal of all songs written or co-written by artists under Universal Music Group (UMG). As the dispute unfolds, TikTok is adhering to UMG's directive to eliminate songs associated with Universal Music Publishing Group songwriters. In a statement posted on its website, TikTok acknowledges its obligation to comply with UMG's request, noting the broad impact on both signed and unsigned artists. Beyond UMG-affiliated musicians, artists with publishing deals under the label will also feel the effects of the purge, such as Harry Styles, Steve Lacy, and SZA. This suggests that TikTok will lose even more UMG songs, though the exact extent remains unspecified. The ongoing developments underscore the complexities and ramifications of the ongoing music rights dispute on digital platforms like TikTok. Reiterating Dedication TikTok reiterates its dedication to securing a fair resolution with Universal Music Group, emphasizing its commitment to equitable agreements within the music industry. Despite the ongoing negotiations, TikTok assures users that they can still enjoy a vast library of music content from diverse artists and labels on the platform. Additionally, TikTok underscores its ongoing efforts to foster connections between artists and their fanbase, ensuring that all creators are supported and celebrated within its community, regardless of current availability. Universal Music Group cited three key issues that led to its decision: fair compensation for artists and songwriters, protection against the negative impacts of AI, and ensuring the safety of TikTok users. Negotiations for contract renewal with TikTok have been ongoing, as the current contract is set to expire on January 31. Of primary concern to Universal Music Group was TikTok's proposed compensation, which it deemed notably lower compared to other major social platforms for similar content. Despite TikTok's substantial user base and increasing advertising revenue, the platform reportedly contributes only about 1% to Universal's total revenue. Also Read: TikTok vs. Universal Music: Songs by Top Artists Like Taylor Swift Will No Longer Be Available on TikTok While TikTok users face challenges due to the unavailability of songs from their preferred artists, YouTube is making efforts to attract short-form video creators by introducing a new music video remix feature. Launched recently, this feature incorporates songs from the catalog of UMG, providing creators with additional options for their content. This follows Google's disclosure that YouTube Shorts has surpassed 70 billion daily views, marking a significant increase from the reported 50 billion daily views in February 2023. Despite this growth, Shorts' daily views continue to trail behind Reels. Meta disclosed last October that Reels accumulated 140 billion daily views across its social networks. Related Article: UMG-TikTok Feud Pulls Taylor Swift Songs from Viral App 2024 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Toyota is pulling out all the stops to drive the success of hydrogen-powered vehicles, showcasing its commitment to advancing hydrogen fuel technology. (Photo : Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Environmental Media Association) WEST HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 02: View of Toyota Mirai during the 2021 Environmental Media Association IMPACT Summit sponsored by Toyota, H&M Foundation & Montage International at Pendry West Hollywood on September 02, 2021 in West Hollywood, California. Offering Discounts to Boost Hydrogen Adoption Toyota is incentivizing the adoption of hydrogen fuel technology by offering substantial discounts on its Mirai model. Interested buyers can currently avail a discount of $40,000 on the 2023 Toyota Mirai, originally priced at $52,000. Additionally, Wards Auto reported that buyers benefit from $15,000 worth of free hydrogen over six years and have access to a 0% interest loan, effectively resulting in Toyota paying buyers $3,000 to acquire the vehicle. Hydrogen's application in powering passenger vehicles and trucks has yet to gain significant momentum. The infrastructure for hydrogen production and distribution remains inconsistent, making it impractical for owners of vehicles like the Mirai or CR-V to embark on long road trips. Furthermore, for fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) to significantly reduce carbon emissions, they must operate on green hydrogen rather than the predominantly used gray hydrogen derived from fossil fuels. Until this transition occurs, FCEVs offer only marginal environmental benefits compared to advanced hybrid vehicles. Closing Hydrogen Fuel Stations However, despite the enticing offer, potential owners may encounter challenges in finding hydrogen fuel to power the vehicle. Hydrogen Insight reported that this issue is exacerbated by Shell's recent announcement of the closure of its hydrogen filling stations in California. While Shell operated only seven stations in the state, the closure affects over 10% of California's hydrogen stations, most of which are concentrated around Los Angeles and San Francisco. Moreover, approximately a quarter of the remaining stations are currently offline, as reported by the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Partnership. Also Read: Hydrogen Fuel-Based Cars Unlikely To Take Over EV, New Study Claims-But, Some Automakers Still Offer FCEVs In California, where the presence of functional fuel stations is crucial for the viability of fuel cell vehicles, Honda has taken an unconventional approach. The automaker has transformed its popular CR-V into a hybrid vehicle that combines both plug-in and fuel cell technologies. Equipped with a 17.7 kWh battery, the crossover offers a range of 29 miles solely on electric power. Once the battery is depleted, the vehicle seamlessly switches to its fuel cell system, drawing hydrogen from two carbon-fiber tanks. However, the placement of these tanks, one beneath the rear seat and the other occupying significant trunk space, raises practical concerns. Despite the intricate engineering and trade-offs, what does this complexity yield? A total range of 270 miles, roughly on par with many mid-range electric crossovers. However, unlike electric vehicles, fuel cell cars aren't confined to metropolitan areas like Los Angeles or San Francisco. Nevertheless, hydrogen holds significant promise as a fuel source across various sectors of a carbon-neutral economy, including industrial heating, steel manufacturing, and long-haul shipping. This potential has led to numerous hydrogen startups positioning themselves as zero-emission solutions for these industries. Companies like Electric Hydrogen and Advanced Ionics, backed by substantial investments and innovative technologies, are targeting applications in steel production, power generation, and chemical manufacturing. This trend underscores the growing interest and investment in hydrogen as a versatile and sustainable energy solution. Related Article: First Hydrogen-Powered Train in the World Starts Production in China 2024 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Anime streaming giant Crunchyroll is reportedly looking into generative artificial intelligence for subtitling and closed captioning, as confirmed by its president Rahul Purini. The confirmation came during an interview in the Verge's decoder podcast. The president answered a multitude of questions regarding the anime industry in general and how Crunchyroll looks to grow in the coming years. (Photo : JOEL SAGET/AFP via Getty Images) Books of the "Berserk" manga collection are displayed at the Paris Book Fair 2019 (salon du livre) at the Parc des Expositions in Paris on March 18, 2019 in Paris When questioned about exciting technologies, such as AI being used in the anime business, Purini responded that AI is obviously something that the firm explores in a number of processes across the organization. He claims that Crunchyroll is now testing subtitles and closed captioning. The president went on to add that they were working on translating speech to text and looking for methods to improve and streamline their processes so that subtitles could be completed in other languages across the world faster and released as soon to the Japanese release as possible. Read Also: OpenAI Security Head Suggests ChatGPT Can Decrypt Russian Hacking Group Conversations in Pentagon Event AI-Generated Subtitles Before AI Dubbing While AI-generated subtitles could be on the horizon, Purini states that anime dubbing still has a long way to go. He states that AI dubbing is still a long way off, as dubs are often adaptations. Purini claims that dubs are not direct translations, implying that it is a creative process. He emphasizes that there are teams dedicated to adjusting the dubs for each area or region. He also claims to have the object that has to be dubbed, but they are unable to modify the animation itself, so they must get the lip sync accurate. Purini then states that they do not believe the technology is ready yet, but that they are exploring it in other areas such as customization and discovery, as well as how the firm might employ generative AI to improve the user experience. AI Translation The first episode of The Yuzuki Family's Four Sons premiered in October 2023, with what appeared to be machine-translated English subtitles that were overly literal and incorrect, as well as grammatical errors. Crunchyroll was compelled to remove the episode from its streaming service after receiving complaints on social media and through the website. A recent study proved AI translations to be unreliable due to their poor quality. The findings revealed that, after reviewing over six billion lines online, more than half had been translated into two or more languages, with an alarming amount of low translation quality. While the reliability of AI translations is uncertain, there are apparent advantages to their use. A recent report found that China's online literary sector has increased global sales due to the rapid development of AI technology, which enables Chinese web novels to be translated quickly for foreign consumption. Related Article: Roblox Brings Real-Time AI Chat Translator to Connect International Gamers 2024 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Alef Aeronautics wowed attendees at the WMC with its innovative flying car. The California-based company made a significant impact at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona with its impressive flying vehicle. (Photo : Alef Aeronautics) Designed to drive on the street, take off vertically when needed and fly overhead above traffic, were building the solution to the issues of modern congestion. Showcasing Innovative Flying Car At the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Alef Aeronautics from California turned heads with its groundbreaking flying car. The sleek vehicle unveiled to the public for the first time, stole the spotlight at the event, captivating attendees with its futuristic design and capabilities. Alef Aeronautics has been developing this flying car since 2015, aiming to create vehicles capable of both vertical takeoff and landing, as well as traditional road travel. Interesting Engineering reported that Constantine Kisly, Alef Aeronautics' Chief Technology Officer, described the vehicle as a fusion of science fiction and reality, emphasizing its dual functionality for driving and flying. He highlighted the efficiency and flexibility offered by such a vehicle, envisioning a future where transportation transcends traditional infrastructure limitations. The company has devised two prototypes, each designed to accommodate two passengers, with the "Model A" leading the way. Their objective is to achieve a driving and flying range of 200 miles for these vehicles. Their flagship model, the "Model A," received FAA certification in 2023, marking a significant milestone in the company's journey. The FAA has established regulations governing electronic vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, outlining their interaction with ground infrastructure. Alef has received approval from the agency in the form of a Special Airworthiness Certificate, allowing them to proceed with their operations. However, this certification imposes limitations on the areas and objects over which Alef's aircraft can fly once operations commence. Coming at 2025 Production of a final version, capable of transporting two individuals up to around 110 miles, is slated to commence by the end of 2025. This model boasts eight motors and electric propulsion, utilizing lithium polymer batteries commonly found on the market, to swiftly enter the market. Kisly mentions that they are open to various powertrain options, including hydrogen cells. Initially priced at approximately $300,000, Alef's debut vehicles aim for eventual cost reduction to match that of a standard sedan through large-scale production. The company has already amassed nearly 3,000 pre-orders for the car. Alef Aeronautics unveils its cutting-edge electric-powered flying car, boasting vertical takeoff and landing capabilities alongside road-driving functionality. Utilizing sophisticated technology, Alef's flying car elevates transportation above conventional traffic levels, addressing urban congestion and offering swifter travel alternatives. Featuring a mesh-covered structure, the vehicle includes bubble-shaped compartments for one or two occupants, with significant unoccupied space. Also Read: 'Doroni H1' Flying Electric Car Receives Airworthy Wings From FAA Alef Aeronautics aims to tackle traffic challenges by exploring innovative solutions that utilize airspace, providing alternatives beyond traditional ground and underground transportation methods. Kisly emphasized their commitment to addressing urban congestion and enhancing mobility options. The company plans to initiate the production of its air taxis by the conclusion of 2025, pending regulatory adjustments to facilitate its integration into the airspace. Alef is among several organizations globally working on prototypes for air cars and air taxis, distinguished by the sleek design of their aircraft. Related Article: Alef Receives Airworthiness Certification from FAA, Gaining Approval to Fly from US Government 2024 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. KYODO NEWS - Feb 29, 2024 - 20:14 | All, World The death toll from the war between Israel and the Hamas militant group in the Gaza Strip has topped 30,000, Palestinian authorities said Thursday, amid few signs that the two sides will be able to agree to a cease-fire soon. U.S. President Joe Biden expressed hope earlier this week for a cease-fire deal to be reached by next Monday, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas officials reportedly discounted the possibility. A U.N. official said at a recent Security Council session that one-fourth of Gaza's population is on the brink of famine in the area that has been pounded by Israeli military offensives since Hamas attacked Israel in October. Ramesh Rajasingham, a senior official of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, told the session Tuesday that at least 576,000 people in Gaza are "one step away from famine." The office estimates that one in six children under 2 years old in northern Gaza suffer from acute malnutrition and wasting. On the shortage of safe water, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization said that the water supply in Gaza as of December was at only 7 percent of pre-October levels, while 97 percent of the groundwater in the area "is reportedly unfit for human consumption." Biden told reporters on Monday in New York that his National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, briefing him on the matter of when a cease-fire could start, had said, "We're close." "And my hope is by next Monday, we'll have a cease-fire," Biden said. But U.S. broadcaster ABC said Netanyahu was "surprised" by Biden's remarks, quoting a senior Israeli political source, while Reuters reported two senior Hamas officials called them premature. Israel has reportedly agreed with the United States and other countries in principle on a 40-day cease-fire plan in which it would free some 400 Palestinians currently under detention in return for the release of 40 hostages by Hamas. Hamas is demanding that Israel withdraw its military from Gaza, but Israel has spurned the call. Related coverage: U.N. chief repeats call for Russia to stop invasion of Ukraine Japan joins U.S. in halting funds for U.N. Palestinian refugee agency U.S. launches strikes against Iran-linked sites in Iraq, Syria (Photo : (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)) In a recent legal case, Air Canada argued in court that a customer misled by its chatbot shouldn't have trusted it, claiming that the chatbot is a separate legal entity responsible for its actions. Experts are concerned about companies using legal disclaimers to escape punishment for AI-related issues.The concern is amplifying with the anticipated expansion of AI utilization across various sectors. "No customer wants legalese. They are fed up with it," Karthik Sj, VP of Product Management & Marketing at generative AI company Aisera, told Tech Times in an interview. "If a company says it will not stand by its chatbot, this is a major red flag. And if something goes wrong, it's a losing position to try to defend it by saying a chatbot is somehow a separate legal entity." Karthik says the onus is on the companies to ensure their AI tools provide accurate information and cannot simply distance themselves from the action of their AI. He argued that it all boils down to accountability. When a company deploys an AI tool, it must stand behind the information spurted by that tool, just as it would support information doled out by human employees. "The onus is on the company. Systems should be battle-tested to anticipate various scenarios," says Karthik. He insists this is even more true in the case of emerging tech like generative AI. "If not, then companies should not use these systems." Joaquin Lippincott, CEO & founder of AI cloud consulting firm Metal Toad, says using generative AI introduces a whole new dimension of ethical and legal concerns because of the AI's unpredictable nature. "This technology, capable of learning and evolving, often shows behaviors that can't be precisely anticipated, presenting both benefits and risks," Lippincott told Tech Times in an interview. Building on this, Ryan LaSalle, CEO of risk-management firm Nisos, says generative AI apps that have unlimited autonomy to create offers present an excellent example of the importance of why companies must test this new emerging class of technology, not just for security and abuse, but also for unintended consequences. "Customer experiences are a reflection of the company," LaSalle told Tech Times in an interview. "When users genuinely engage without abuse, they expect the company to stand behind its offers and customer treatment." Jonas Jacobi, CEO & co-founder of AI testing and documenting firm ValidMind, joins the other experts by saying a company's decision to take refuge behind legalese reflects a poorly thought-through strategy. He believes a company's choice to roll out inadequately tested, improperly validated, or undocumented AI shows their disdain for understanding the risks to their customers. Jacobi uses the example of pharmaceutical companies, which he says are required to give customers information and notices about the potential side effects of the drugs they market. "Similarly, companies should be responsible for documenting the risks of their AI and making that information available to their customers, for instance, through disclaimers," Jacobi told Tech Times in an interview. He pointed to Canada's small claims court ruling against Air Canada to suggest that governments and civil society support the addition of warnings, for instance, through disclaimers. Karthik, however, doesn't believe adding disclaimers is the way to go, for the simple fact that most customers usually ignore them. "Who will read pages of legalese before using a chatbot? No one. Users will just use the chatbot because that is what a company wants," said Karthik. That makes sense to Lippincott, who believes adding disclaimers and an End end-user license Agreement (EULA) to AI bots cautioning about the reliability of their information sends conflicting messages. He says using disclaimers and EULAs could potentially erode trust, as users may interpret them as a sign that the company itself believes its AI is not entirely dependable and lacks confidence in its outputs. Most experts agreed that while they might protect companies legally, disclaimers don't help build user trust. They suggest that instead of adding EULAs, companies should focus on improving the accuracy of their AI systems, being transparent about their limitations, and not shying away from accountability. Karthik says companies should remember that while it's costly to get new customers, it doesn't take much to lose one. "And when this happens, there is a high risk that they will tell other people." Jacobi said that while the legal text might protect the company from being sued, it won't protect it from losing customers if the AI makes mistakes. "Nor will it protect customers from the harm done to them by poorly tested AI models. Customers should expect more assurance from companies to trust their AI." About the author: Mayank Sharma is a technology writer with two decades of experience in breaking down complex technology and getting behind the news to help his readers get to grips with the latest buzzwords and industry milestones. He has had bylines on NewsForge, Linux.com, IBM developerWorks, Linux User & Developer magazine, Linux Voice magazine, Linux Magazine, and HackSpace magazine. In addition to Tech Times, his current roster of publications include TechRadar Pro, and Linux Format magazine. Follow him at https://twitter.com/geekybodhi 2024 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Cyber Attacks are unwanted and illegal attempts to steal, modify, disable, or destroy data and information through unauthorized access to computing devices. Cyber Attacks target governments, businesses, and individuals. These attacks can render computer information systems, networks, infrastructures, personal computer devices, and smartphones useless. In this article, we have highlighted the true cost of cyber attacks and how they will double down in less than a decade. Cost Of Cyber Attacks To Reach $10.5 Trillion Annually By 2025 Cyber Attacks have been a growing concern ever since the dawn of modern-day networks and computing devices. Trillions of dollars coupled with valuable data have been compromised by cyber-attacks. As stated earlier, everyone, ranging from regular users to big government agencies, have been targeted by cyber-attacks. According to the research conducted by ExpressVPN, cyber-attacks were expected to cost the world 8 trillion USD in 2023, with that number expected to rise to 9.5 trillion in 2024 and 10.5 trillion in 2025. Undoubtedly, 10.5 trillion is an insane amount of money, and the costs are expected to go up only in the coming years. You will be surprised to know that customers end up paying for the huge losses encountered by mainstream companies in the form of increased service and subscription prices. In addition to financial losses, there are many other hidden losses associated with cyber-attacks like operational disruption or destruction costs, loss of intellectual property, idle employees & lost wages, cost of downtime, and regulatory fines. Common Types of Cyber Attacks In this section, we have shared some of the most common types of cyber-attacks, followed by some preventive measures that can be followed to safeguard a business against these attacks. 1. Ransomware Ransomware is a type of crypto virological malware that blocks the individual or an organization from accessing the data on their computing devices unless a ransom is paid. The valuable data in a Ransomware attack is locked behind encryption, and only the attacker has the keys to decrypt it. Roughly 72.7% of organizations in 2023 were affected by Ransomware. While firms with regular backups of their data were able to fight back against Ransomware, the attackers have now started targeting victims backups to prevent organizations from restoring their data. 2. Data Extortion As the name suggests, in Data Extortion, the attackers steal sensitive data and threaten the targeted organization to pay a ransom amount, or else their data will get released. Data Extortion was involved in roughly 27% of cyber attacks in 2023. Once the attacker has access to the valuable data, he can use it, modify it, or sell it to a third-party organization. Unlike ransomware, where access to data is blocked, data extortion is a crime in which the attacker steals the actual data. Data Extortion is executed via data breaches or exfiltration. 3. Man-in-the-Middle Attacks (MitM) Another common cyber attack category thats gaining popularity lately is Man-in-the-Middle Attacks. In a MitM attack, the hacker or attacker positions himself in a direct conversation between two parties. Unknowingly, a user or an employee ends up giving private information to an unknown perpetrator. These attacks can lead to the loss of personal information, login credentials, financial information, and other forms of valuable data. Avoiding The Costs Of A Cyber Attack In order to avoid major cyber attacks or a security breach, organizations can adopt cybersecurity systems and strategies. Initially investing in a good threat management strategy can help save a company millions down the line. Deploying systems that utilize AI and automation can help cut the costs of a cyber attack by up to 80%. According to reliable sources, 37% of companies in the U.S. are planning to increase their cybersecurity spending. Thats a step in the right direction. While mainstream organizations have the capability of investing in comprehensive data security platforms, small businesses and individuals can also follow certain safety measures to protect themselves. CONCLUSION So this was all about the insane amounts of money and valuable information thats lost due to cyber-attacks every year. Together, we can all spread awareness to stop or drastically reduce the impacts of these attacks by reporting any suspicious online activities, updating our devices regularly, and using reliable authentication protocols. Epic Games, the developer behind the hugely popular Fortnite game, has denied claims of allegedly being hacked by a new ransomware gang, Mogilevich. Mogilevich, a relatively new extortion group likely to have originated from Russia, on Tuesday posted on a darknet site that it had quietly carried out an attack on Epic Games servers. As a result of the hack, they are currently in possession of 189GB of Epic Games data, including emails, passwords, full name, payment information, source code and many other data. However, it is unclear if this contains information about Epic Games employees, customers, or both. The post also says that the above data is now available for sale with a deadline of March 4, 2024. The group has added a link that says, An employee of the company or someone who would like to buy the data, click on me, which takes the groups contact page to a secured email. There is zero evidence right now that the ransomware claims from Mogilevich are legitimate. Mogilevich has not contacted Epic or provided any proof of the veracity of allegations, Epic Games shared via X on Tuesday. When we saw these allegations, which were a screenshot of a darkweb webpage in a Tweet, we investigated within minutes and reached out to Mogilevich for proof. Mogilevich has not responded. Well keep investigating. The closest thing we have seen to a response is this Tweet, where they allegedly ask for $15k and proof of funds to hand over the purported data. Apparently, the Mogelivich ransomware group has claimed to have successfully breached various organizations since February 20th, with the first attack being on luxury car manufacturer Nissans subsidiary Infiniti USA, followed by a commerce content firm called Bazaarvoice and Irelands Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). If the group has indeed hacked Epic Games, it would make them its fourth victim. However, Mogelivich has not provided any proof showing the Epic Games hack is legitimate, nor did it publicly mention how much money it needs for the data stolen or reveal its plans for the data if the sale deadline is missed, raising suspicion about its claim. It appears that the ransomware group is attempting to scam buyers with fake data. Even Irelands Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is skeptical about the cyberattack on them by the Mogilevich group, as the agency said they couldnt find evidence of their involvement nor any evidence of any security breach. Video: New Yorkers are winding up their Lunar New Year celebrations by staging large-scale parades and gatherings during the fourth weekend of February. (Xinhua) Highlights of the celebrations included traditional dragon and lion dances as well as cultural and artistic performances. Thousands of residents lined up the main roads and took part in the celebrations with some wearing traditional costumes. by Xinhua writers Liu Yanan, Yang Shilong NEW YORK, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- New Yorkers are winding up their Lunar New Year celebrations by staging large-scale parades and gatherings during the weekend. One such parade was held on Saturday for the first time in Chinatown near Sunset Park in Brooklyn. Organized by Asian American advocacy group the Asian American Community Empowerment, the parade was designed to celebrate both the Lantern Festival and the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and the United States. People perform dragon dance and lion dance during a Lantern Festival parade in New York, the United States, Feb. 24, 2024. (Xinhua/Liu Yanan) The gathering was attended by quite a few elected officials, including New York State Assembly Minority Leader William A. Barclay and New York City Mayor Eric Adams. "It is nice that we can come here in a bipartisan manner to celebrate the great Asian culture," said Barclay. Adams noted Brooklyn has one of the largest Chinese communities in the United States and extended his wishes to the community. Huang Ping, the Chinese Consul General in New York, urged the participants to embrace the future by working together to bring more positive energy into the China-U.S. relationship and build trust to get the relationship back on the right track. People perform dragon dance and lion dance during a Lantern Festival parade in New York, the United States, Feb. 24, 2024. (Xinhua/Liu Yanan) Highlights of the celebrations included traditional dragon and lion dances as well as cultural and artistic performances. Thousands of residents lined up the main roads and took part in the celebrations with some wearing traditional costumes. On Sunday, Better Chinatown USA, a volunteer-based organization dedicated to the improvement of New York City's Chinatown, is scheduled to stage its annual Lunar New Year parade in Chinatown in Lower Manhattan. "It's very exciting to be here as the first annual Brooklyn Lantern Festival troupe," said Edmund Durso, an instructor of lion and dragon dances, and the founder of a Chinese martial arts school in Northvale, New Jersey. Durso told Xinhua that his team has performed at a dozen events celebrating the Year of Dragon and would also appear at the parade in Chinatown in Manhattan on Sunday. The New York metropolitan area had a Chinese population of over 800,000 in 2019, ranking on the top of major U.S. areas with big Chinese American communities, according to a report by Pew Research Center in April, 2021. 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 Japan warns of increasing cases of serious streptococcal infection that can cause toxic shock syndrome and death Shanghai police cracked down on a series of burglaries: the suspect "switched his face" by buying film and television silicone masks online Device to produce hydrogen and oxygen on the moon unveiled Planned to launch this winter Second trial of residents who evacuated from the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident also does not accept national responsibility Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant First detection of object that may contain nuclear fuel debris on water Love and family are more important than money: what is the comedy series Inheritance about? Jordi Evole apologizes to Camela in Lo de Evole for an article he wrote in 2000 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 Darvish: ``I want to fight without putting personal feelings in the way'' in his first match with Otani "Watch me overcome difficulties step by step and fight back." This Chinese golden flower keeps his word. 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 The world's first driverless "air taxi" goes on sale for the first time The world's first driverless "air taxi" goes on sale for the first time China Cuisine Association: Catering consumption was booming from January to February, and companies in the ready-made beverage category were active Real estate crisis: Number of building permits also fell significantly at the beginning of the year The "egg-smashing" trend is blowing into a small town in Zhejiang, how to play the cards in your hand? Analyst: the drivers of rising oil prices were signs of high demand in the United States 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 Trump: If I were president, the Gaza invasion would not have happened US Senator: Allegations that UNRWA is a tool in the hands of Hamas are a lie A man stabbed to death in front of a supermarket in Aveyron, in the presence of his wife and son Puy du Fou receives the award for the best show in the world They intensify the search for Javier Marquez, a 20-year-old young man who disappeared on March 2 in Logrono Ayuso distances herself from her partner's case and delves into her criticism of the Prosecutor's Office and Moncloa for their "Chavista methods" Laura Escanes makes a mess by promoting the company Children's walkers: outdoor walks for a maximum of 7 and with harnesses 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. Faced with the risks of war with Russia, Latvia restores its military service for men The Japanese Cabinet of Ministers refrained from commenting on the results of the elections in Russia 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. 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 Shanghai police cracked down on a series of burglaries: the suspect "switched his face" by buying film and television silicone masks online Device to produce hydrogen and oxygen on the moon unveiled Planned to launch this winter Second trial of residents who evacuated from the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident also does not accept national responsibility Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant First detection of object that may contain nuclear fuel debris on water Love and family are more important than money: what is the comedy series Inheritance about? Jordi Evole apologizes to Camela in Lo de Evole for an article he wrote in 2000 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 "Watch me overcome difficulties step by step and fight back." This Chinese golden flower keeps his word. 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 Real estate crisis: Number of building permits also fell significantly at the beginning of the year The "egg-smashing" trend is blowing into a small town in Zhejiang, how to play the cards in your hand? Analyst: the drivers of rising oil prices were signs of high demand in the United States 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 Puy du Fou receives the award for the best show in the world They intensify the search for Javier Marquez, a 20-year-old young man who disappeared on March 2 in Logrono Ayuso distances herself from her partner's case and delves into her criticism of the Prosecutor's Office and Moncloa for their "Chavista methods" Laura Escanes makes a mess by promoting the company Children's walkers: outdoor walks for a maximum of 7 and with harnesses Pascal Praud and you - Fine for not picking up dog droppings: 537 euros, "it's not enough", says a dog owner Borrell hopes the EU can agree on the use of Russian assets 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. Faced with the risks of war with Russia, Latvia restores its military service for men The Japanese Cabinet of Ministers refrained from commenting on the results of the elections in Russia 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. 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 Japan warns of increasing cases of serious streptococcal infection that can cause toxic shock syndrome and death Shanghai police cracked down on a series of burglaries: the suspect "switched his face" by buying film and television silicone masks online Device to produce hydrogen and oxygen on the moon unveiled Planned to launch this winter Second trial of residents who evacuated from the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident also does not accept national responsibility Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant First detection of object that may contain nuclear fuel debris on water Love and family are more important than money: what is the comedy series Inheritance about? Jordi Evole apologizes to Camela in Lo de Evole for an article he wrote in 2000 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 "Watch me overcome difficulties step by step and fight back." This Chinese golden flower keeps his word. 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 China Cuisine Association: Catering consumption was booming from January to February, and companies in the ready-made beverage category were active Real estate crisis: Number of building permits also fell significantly at the beginning of the year The "egg-smashing" trend is blowing into a small town in Zhejiang, how to play the cards in your hand? Analyst: the drivers of rising oil prices were signs of high demand in the United States 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 Puy du Fou receives the award for the best show in the world They intensify the search for Javier Marquez, a 20-year-old young man who disappeared on March 2 in Logrono Ayuso distances herself from her partner's case and delves into her criticism of the Prosecutor's Office and Moncloa for their "Chavista methods" Laura Escanes makes a mess by promoting the company Children's walkers: outdoor walks for a maximum of 7 and with harnesses Pascal Praud and you - Fine for not picking up dog droppings: 537 euros, "it's not enough", says a dog owner Borrell hopes the EU can agree on the use of Russian assets 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. Faced with the risks of war with Russia, Latvia restores its military service for men The Japanese Cabinet of Ministers refrained from commenting on the results of the elections in Russia 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. 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 Shanghai police cracked down on a series of burglaries: the suspect "switched his face" by buying film and television silicone masks online Device to produce hydrogen and oxygen on the moon unveiled Planned to launch this winter Second trial of residents who evacuated from the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident also does not accept national responsibility Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant First detection of object that may contain nuclear fuel debris on water Love and family are more important than money: what is the comedy series Inheritance about? Jordi Evole apologizes to Camela in Lo de Evole for an article he wrote in 2000 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 "Watch me overcome difficulties step by step and fight back." This Chinese golden flower keeps his word. 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 China Cuisine Association: Catering consumption was booming from January to February, and companies in the ready-made beverage category were active Real estate crisis: Number of building permits also fell significantly at the beginning of the year The "egg-smashing" trend is blowing into a small town in Zhejiang, how to play the cards in your hand? Analyst: the drivers of rising oil prices were signs of high demand in the United States 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 Puy du Fou receives the award for the best show in the world They intensify the search for Javier Marquez, a 20-year-old young man who disappeared on March 2 in Logrono Ayuso distances herself from her partner's case and delves into her criticism of the Prosecutor's Office and Moncloa for their "Chavista methods" Laura Escanes makes a mess by promoting the company Children's walkers: outdoor walks for a maximum of 7 and with harnesses Pascal Praud and you - Fine for not picking up dog droppings: 537 euros, "it's not enough", says a dog owner Borrell hopes the EU can agree on the use of Russian assets 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. Faced with the risks of war with Russia, Latvia restores its military service for men The Japanese Cabinet of Ministers refrained from commenting on the results of the elections in Russia 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. A visitor takes a selfie in front of a driverless car at the Huawei booth during the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain, Feb. 28, 2024. The 2024 edition of the Mobile World Congress (MWC), the world's leading trade fair for mobile technology and related industries, opened in Barcelona, Spain, on Monday. (Xinhua/Gao Jing) Paul Chan (2nd L), financial secretary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government, speaks at a press conference on budget for 2024-25 in Hong Kong, south China, Feb. 28, 2024. The HKSAR will take a fiscal consolidation strategy in the new financial year, said Paul Chan while delivering the 2024-25 budget on Wednesday. (Xinhua/Wang Shen) A girl walks on a street with destroyed buildings in Gaza City, on Feb. 27, 2024. The Palestinian death toll in the Gaza Strip has risen to 29,954 as the Israeli military killed 76 in the past 24 hours, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said Wednesday. (Photo by Mohammed Ali/Xinhua) Monks attend a sutra debate at the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, Feb. 28, 2024. Twelve monks obtained the degree of Geshe Lharampa following a sutra debate Wednesday in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region. Geshe Lharampa is the highest degree in the exoteric teachings of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism, equivalent to a doctoral degree in modern education. (Xinhua/Tenzing Nima Qadhup) This photo taken on Feb. 27, 2024 shows a black-and-white snub-nosed monkey at Baima Snow Mountain National Nature Reserve in southwest China's Yunnan Province. Thanks to protection efforts, the population of black-and-white snub-nosed monkeys in the nature reserve has increased in recent years. (Xinhua/Pu Chao) Flames and smoke are seen inside a plastic factory in the West Bank city of Hebron, Feb. 28, 2024. A fire broke out at a plastic factory in the West Bank city of Hebron on Wednesday. (Photo by Mamoun Wazwaz/Xinhua) This photo taken on Feb. 27, 2024 shows a store of children's garment at Zhili Town of Huzhou City, east China's Zhejiang Province. Zhili, located in the Yangtze River Delta economic circle, is renowned for its children's garment industry, whose complete industrial chain covers design, production, sales, storage, and logistics. As home to more than 14,000 children's garment enterprises, the town sold over 1.5 billion pieces of children's garment in 2023, accounting for two-thirds of the total sales volume of the whole country. Meanwhile, the sales of children's garment from the town reached 80 billion yuan (about 11.11 billion U.S. dollars) in 2023, with online sales exceeding 30 billion yuan (about 4.17 billion U.S. dollars). (Xinhua/Xu Yu) Constructors adjust cutter position of a shield-tunneling machine at the Shenguan tunnel construction site of the railway linking Shenzhen and Jiangmen in south China's Guangdong Province, Feb. 28, 2024. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei) Oranges wither, cows go hungry in drought-hit Sicily Gangi, Italy, Feb 29 (AFP) Feb 29, 2024 Marilina Barreca has two grim options: feed her cows tainted fodder or set them to graze on barren hillsides as Sicily battles a crop-devastating drought which is sucking reservoirs dry. Regional authorities in the southern Italian island declared a state of emergency earlier this month, after the winter rains hoped for following last year's punishingly hot summer failed. "The situation is tragic," Barreca told AFP as she looked out over the Madonie Mountains, where her cows range free in pastures once rich with tufted grasses, but where there is little now for grazing. The circular feeder at the top of one rise holds hay -- but it is of such poor quality the cows will not eat it. Sicily is not alone. Drought has struck across the Western Mediterranean, with severe impacts on northern Africa, parts of Spain and other areas of Italy, including Sardinia. Experts say climate change driven by human activity is boosting the intensity and frequency of extreme weather events, such as heatwaves and droughts -- but also heavy rain. Storms swept across the island during the hay-making period in April and May, damaging the fodder and turning it into a breeding ground for poisonous toxins. Since then, it has barely rained. - 'Almost total aridity' - Barreca, 47, who runs the farm with her sister, is spending almost 3,000 euros ($3,255) extra a month on fodder just to keep her 150 cows alive. The poor quality hay means the animals struggle to get the necessary nutrients and energy, producing around 17 or 18 litres a day of milk, compared to their usual 27 to 30 litres. Barreca, who is also a vet, says she knows of cows which have been poisoned by mouldy fodder on other farms and "cannot get pregnant, abort calves, end up at the slaughterhouse or die outright". "We need to import good quality fodder, but the costs are absolutely prohibitive," she said. Sicily -- which set a European heat record in 2021, at 48.8 degrees Celsius (119.8 degrees Fahrenheit) -- has experienced eight months of "almost total aridity", according to the ANBI Observatory on Water Resources. The region's agrometeorology service said the second half of 2023 was the driest in over 100 years, and a couple of days of recent rainfall had little to no impact. With no chance to replenish its reservoirs, Sicily has been forced to ration water in dozens of towns, and farmers say wheat fields, citrus orchards, olive groves and vineyards have all been affected. - Withered fruit - Vito Amantia, 67, crumbles dusty clods of earth between his hands as he searches in vain for seeds sown at the end of November, "which should have produced wheat 50 centimetres high by now". Large sections of a regional water pipe lie next to his land, still unconnected years after works began. At Amantia's orange grove, in the usually mineral-rich soil near the Etna volcano, the fruit on the trees is much smaller than usual, or has withered on the branch. He is one of few farmers with a private well -- but high electricity costs mean he has to limit water. "I'm nearly 70 years old, I don't remember ever seeing anything like this, or hearing that my father or grandfather experienced similar," he said. Amantia, who is a local representative for the Coldiretti national farmers' association, said around 30 percent of citrus producers in the Catania region risked closure. Droughts in Sicily are set to be increasingly frequent, as are heavy rains and heatwaves, according to Andrea Toreti, coordinator of the Copernicus European and Global Drought Observatories. "What is really of concern is that our forecast for the coming three months for the Mediterranean shows much higher temperatures than usual," he told AFP. "And we know these temperatures exacerbate and amplify the effects of the drought," he said. - Desertification - Some 70 percent of Sicilian territory is at risk of desertification, not only due to long periods without rain, but also to uncontrolled urbanisation and the waste of water, ANBI says. The island has destroyed 95 percent of its wetlands in the past 150 years through drainage for conversion to urban or farm land, despite the key role the areas play in preventing drought. The region now plans to use purified waste water to help struggling farmers, but environmental groups warn many water treatment plants on the island are not in line with EU regulations. And a vast amount of the water that could go to homes or farms is simply lost: over 52 percent of water in the Sicilian network leaks out through ageing and poorly maintained pipes. "Sicily's been asleep for 30 years. This drought is what neglect looks like", Amantia said. Drones, snake robot enter wrecked Japan nuclear reactor Tokyo, Feb 29 (AFP) Feb 29, 2024 Japan on Thursday sent two mini-drones and a "snake-shaped robot" into one of three nuclear reactors at the Fukushima plant crippled by a tsunami in 2011, the facility's operator said. The gadgets were deployed in preparation for the removal of hundreds of tonnes of highly radioactive fuel and rubble, a risky operation expected to take decades. "We sent two drones yesterday and two drones today", in addition to the "snake-shaped robot" on Thursday, a spokesman for Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO) told AFP. Since the interior is "cramped and dark", the small drones are "highly manoeuvrable and have enhanced photographic capabilities", the company said. The "snake-like robot... houses wireless communications relay so that we can properly cover the radio transmission area within which the small drones will be operated", a statement said. But later in the day, the probe was curtailed due to technical glitches, local media including public broadcaster NHK said. The snake-like robot "could not reach" its destination because its cables did not function properly, with immediate resumption nowhere in sight, the Mainichi daily said. The interior of the reactor buildings is too radioactive for people to enter, and the drones are meant to inspect the area before the removal of the fuel and rubble by robots. TEPCO plans to carry out a trial removal of a small amount of fuel debris in October. It had already sent an underwater robot to inspect parts of the facility still submerged, the spokesman said. "It will take a long time to fully take off the 800 tonnes (of fuel), as the decommissioning period is thought to be 30 to 40 years," he said. Separately, TEPCO on Wednesday began releasing a fourth batch of treated wastewater from the Fukushima plant into the ocean. The process has been given the green light by the UN nuclear watchdog but China and Russia have banned seafood imports from Japan in response. The 2011 earthquake and tsunami killed around 18,000 people. The catastrophe at the Fukushima nuclear power facility in northeast Japan was one of the worst atomic accidents in history. kh-tmo/stu/smw/leg Spain opens 'street terrorism' probe into Catalan separatist leader Madrid, Feb 29 (AFP) Feb 29, 2024 Spain's top court said on Thursday it was opening an investigation into Catalan separatist leader Carles Puigdemont on "terrorism" charges over protests linked to Catalonia's failed 2017 independence bid. The Supreme Court said it had decided "to investigate and, where appropriate, prosecute" Puigdemont "for terrorism offences in relation to the Democratic Tsunami case". Democratic Tsunami is a secretive Catalan group that spearheaded a string of protests after Spain jailed 13 pro-independence leaders, two years after their botched bid to separate the rich northeastern region from Spain. Led by Puigdemont, who was Catalan regional leader at the time, the failed independence bid sparked Spain's worst political crisis in decades. Although Puigdemont fled Spain to avoid prosecution, his fellow leaders were put on trial and on the day their sentence was handed down in October 2019, thousands of activists blocked access to Barcelona airport for several hours. The unprecedented protest prompted the cancellation of more than 100 flights and 115 people were injured during clashes between police and protesters. In its decision, the court referred to the crime of "street terrorism". The aim, it said, was to "undermine law and order, to seriously breach the peace, to cause serious harm to the functioning of an international organisation or to cause a sense of terror within the population or part of it". There was "evidence pointing to Carles Puigdemont's participation in the events under investigation", it added, citing his involvement in the group's creation "to subvert law and order and to seriously destabilise democratic institutions". - Puigdemont unmoved - Puigdemont, who lives in self-exile in Brussels and is a member of the European Parliament, reacted drily on X. "The same day they accuse me of receiving a 7,000-euro Rolex watch, they charge me with being a terrorist. All I need now is a secret bank account in Panama," he wrote on X. He was referring to an article published in El Confidencial newspaper which said he had been given a Rolex watch by a company behind a string of separatist events, including the Democratic Tsunami protests. The court's decision will complicate life for Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, whose minority left-wing government relies on Puigdemont's hardline separatist JxCat party for parliamentary support. Spain's government is currently in the process of drawing up an amnesty law that was demanded by Puigdemont's party in exchange for crucial parliamentary support in a November vote to reappoint Sanchez as premier. The draft law, which was shot down by lawmakers in late January, is currently being reformulated but will essentially offer an amnesty to those wanted by the justice system over the failed independence bid, notably Puigdemont. The move has sparked fury among Spain's right-wing opposition, which sees Puigdemont as public enemy number one. It has also stoked opposition from within Sanchez's Socialist party. Puigdemont is already wanted in Spain for his role in the secession bid, and the courts will need the European Parliament's permission to question him in this latest case. Greece adopts contested coastal development law Athens, Feb 29 (AFP) Feb 29, 2024 Greece's parliament passed a controversial coastal development bill on Thursday despite concerns from NGOs and left-wing politicians that it threatened the country's beaches. Last week, eight environmental organisations, including the WWF and Greenpeace, called on parliament to withdraw the bill that would remove a coastal protection zone designed to limit seaside construction. The government insisted it would be good for business and would protect the environment. "We have a duty to protect our beaches and at the same time to support the legal tourism businesses that are developing along the coastline and are compatible with the environment," Finance Minister Harry Theoharis told parliament on Thursday. The aim of the law is to "protect the great richness of the country's long coastline... 13,676 kilometres (8,500 miles)," he said. However, the left-wing opposition party Syriza said the law threatened the beaches and would hand them over to "private interests". In a joint statement published last week, the group of NGOs said the bill failed to provide "necessary safeguards and improve the framework for the immediate removal of illegal buildings along the coastline." The bill, which was put forward by the finance ministry, "is abolishing the already inadequate setback zone of 30 meters (about 100 feet) from the shoreline," the statement said. "Unfortunately, in Greece, coastal ecosystems are treated as land for housing and tourist development." The government responded that "improving the management of coastal areas" will be "beneficial to the national economy and environmental protection." Illegal construction is rampant in Greece where the building industry is one of the main sectors of the economy. In 2020, the European Court of Justice judged that Greece had violated its obligations under EU law for not protecting some of its vulnerable ecosystems. Injured people are seen at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, on Feb. 29, 2024. Israeli forces opened fire Thursday on a crowd of Palestinians waiting for aid on a coastal road west of Gaza City, killing 104 people and wounding more than 760, Palestinian officials said. (Photo by Mohammed Ali/Xinhua) GAZA/JERUSALEM, Feb. 29 (Xinhua) -- Israeli forces opened fire Thursday on a crowd of Palestinians waiting for aid on a coastal road west of Gaza City, killing 104 people and wounding more than 760, Palestinian officials said. The attack occurred on Al Rashid Street, where many of the wounded were in critical condition, said Ashraf al-Qudra, a spokesman for the Gaza Health Ministry. He said the dead and injured, many with serious injuries, were taken to Al-Shifa Hospital, which is overwhelmed and under-equipped. Eyewitnesses said the Israeli army targeted a large gathering of civilians on the street. An Israeli military spokesman said the troops fired "in self-defense" after Gazans attacked and looted aid trucks that entered the Gaza Strip early in the morning. He said dozens of Gazans were injured in the chaos, some by being crushed or trampled. He said some of the Gazans approached the soldiers in "a threatening manner," forcing them to respond with live fire. The Hamas-run health ministry said earlier Thursday that more than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed and 70,000 wounded in the Gaza Strip since Israel launched a massive offensive against Hamas in October 2023. Israel says the operation is a response to a Hamas raid across the southern Israeli border that killed about 1,400 people and took more than 200 hostages. An injured man is seen at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, on Feb. 29, 2024. Israeli forces opened fire Thursday on a crowd of Palestinians waiting for aid on a coastal road west of Gaza City, killing 104 people and wounding more than 760, Palestinian officials said. (Photo by Mohammed Ali/Xinhua) Injured people are seen at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, on Feb. 29, 2024. Israeli forces opened fire Thursday on a crowd of Palestinians waiting for aid on a coastal road west of Gaza City, killing 104 people and wounding more than 760, Palestinian officials said. (Photo by Mohammed Ali/Xinhua) A Palestinian mourns the victims at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, on Feb. 29, 2024. Israeli forces opened fire Thursday on a crowd of Palestinians waiting for aid on a coastal road west of Gaza City, killing 104 people and wounding more than 760, Palestinian officials said. (Photo by Mohammed Ali/Xinhua) People comfort each other as they mourn victims at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, on Feb. 29, 2024. Israeli forces opened fire Thursday on a crowd of Palestinians waiting for aid on a coastal road west of Gaza City, killing 104 people and wounding more than 760, Palestinian officials said. (Photo by Malik Atallah/Xinhua) A man weeps at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, on Feb. 29, 2024. Israeli forces opened fire Thursday on a crowd of Palestinians waiting for aid on a coastal road west of Gaza City, killing 104 people and wounding more than 760, Palestinian officials said. (Photo by Malik Atallah/Xinhua) People transfer the body of a victim at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, on Feb. 29, 2024. Israeli forces opened fire Thursday on a crowd of Palestinians waiting for aid on a coastal road west of Gaza City, killing 104 people and wounding more than 760, Palestinian officials said. (Photo by Malik Atallah/Xinhua) People mourn victims at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, on Feb. 29, 2024. Israeli forces opened fire Thursday on a crowd of Palestinians waiting for aid on a coastal road west of Gaza City, killing 104 people and wounding more than 760, Palestinian officials said. (Photo by Malik Atallah/Xinhua) Texas Department of Public Safety officers guard an entrance to Shelby Park on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024, in Eagle Pass, Texas. The Justice Department on Friday, Jan. 12, asked the Supreme Court to order Texas to stop blocking Border Patrol agents from a portion of the U.S.-Mexico border where large numbers of migrants have crossed in recent months, setting up another showdown between Republican Gov. Greg Abbott and the Biden administration over immigration enforcement. (Sam Owens /The San Antonio Express-News via AP) ORG XMIT: TXSAE208 The former chief executive of The Iconic, Erica Berchtold, has been appointed to lead Mosaic Brands, which owns budget clothing brands such as Noni B, Katies and Rivers. Berchtold departed the online fashion retailer after four years at the helm and was due to begin at Best & Less last September, but an off-market takeover saw businessman Ray Itaoui installed as chief executive of the discount chain. Erica Berchtold will lead budget fashion retailer Mosaic Brands. Credit: Louie Douvis Berchtold signalled she would be improving the design of Mosaics brands, with a focus on the fact that two-thirds of spending on clothing is by Australians aged 35 and older. You have people tripping over themselves to work out what a 20-year-old woman wants to wear when a 50-year-old spends the same or more on clothes and is likely online shopping just as much, she told this masthead. Families and supporters of hostages taken by Hamas, take part in a march from Kibbutz Re'im to Jerusalem as they call for the release of all hostages, in Re'im, Israel, on Feb. 28, 2024. Israel has pushed forward a large-scale offensive against Gaza-ruling Hamas to retaliate against the latter's rampage through southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 were taken hostage. The Palestinian death toll in the Gaza Strip has risen to 29,954 as the Israeli military killed 76 in the past 24 hours, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said on Feb. 28, 2024. (Tomer Neuberg/JINI via Xinhua) JERUSALEM, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Israeli families of hostages held by Hamas began a four-day march from near the Gaza Strip to Jerusalem, calling for the release of their loved ones. The families commenced their march from Re'im, the site of a music festival on Oct. 7 last year, where about 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 were taken hostage by Hamas militants in a surprise attack. Video footage showed them marching with posters and T-shirts bearing printed images of their relatives, chanting "Now! Now! Now!" They are expected to arrive in Jerusalem on Saturday. "No one can be left behind," Ronen Neutra, father of one of the hostages, said in a speech along the march. "(Israel's) War Cabinet is responsible for ensuring that in the current deal, all the hostages will be included." The march coincides with Qatari efforts to broker a Hamas-Israel deal for a ceasefire in Gaza in return for hostage release. However, Israeli and Hamas officials have cautioned that substantial gaps still exist. According to Israeli figures, a total of 134 people are still being held by Hamas, at least 35 of them are believed to be dead. Families and supporters of hostages taken by Hamas, take part in a march from Kibbutz Re'im to Jerusalem as they call for the release of all hostages, in Re'im, Israel, on Feb. 28, 2024. Israel has pushed forward a large-scale offensive against Gaza-ruling Hamas to retaliate against the latter's rampage through southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 were taken hostage. The Palestinian death toll in the Gaza Strip has risen to 29,954 as the Israeli military killed 76 in the past 24 hours, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said on Feb. 28, 2024. (Tomer Neuberg/JINI via Xinhua) Families and supporters of hostages taken by Hamas, take part in a march from Kibbutz Re'im to Jerusalem as they call for the release of all hostages, in Re'im, Israel, on Feb. 28, 2024. Israel has pushed forward a large-scale offensive against Gaza-ruling Hamas to retaliate against the latter's rampage through southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 were taken hostage. The Palestinian death toll in the Gaza Strip has risen to 29,954 as the Israeli military killed 76 in the past 24 hours, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said on Feb. 28, 2024. (Tomer Neuberg/JINI via Xinhua) Families and supporters of hostages taken by Hamas, take part in a march from Kibbutz Re'im to Jerusalem as they call for the release of all hostages, in Re'im, Israel, on Feb. 28, 2024. Israel has pushed forward a large-scale offensive against Gaza-ruling Hamas to retaliate against the latter's rampage through southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 were taken hostage. The Palestinian death toll in the Gaza Strip has risen to 29,954 as the Israeli military killed 76 in the past 24 hours, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said on Feb. 28, 2024. (Tomer Neuberg/JINI via Xinhua) Families and supporters of hostages taken by Hamas, take part in a march from Kibbutz Re'im to Jerusalem as they call for the release of all hostages, in Re'im, Israel, on Feb. 28, 2024. Israel has pushed forward a large-scale offensive against Gaza-ruling Hamas to retaliate against the latter's rampage through southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 were taken hostage. The Palestinian death toll in the Gaza Strip has risen to 29,954 as the Israeli military killed 76 in the past 24 hours, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said on Feb. 28, 2024. (Tomer Neuberg/JINI via Xinhua) Families and supporters of hostages taken by Hamas, take part in a march from Kibbutz Re'im to Jerusalem as they call for the release of all hostages, in Re'im, Israel, on Feb. 28, 2024. Israel has pushed forward a large-scale offensive against Gaza-ruling Hamas to retaliate against the latter's rampage through southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 were taken hostage. The Palestinian death toll in the Gaza Strip has risen to 29,954 as the Israeli military killed 76 in the past 24 hours, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said on Feb. 28, 2024. (Tomer Neuberg/JINI via Xinhua) Families and supporters of hostages taken by Hamas, take part in a march from Kibbutz Re'im to Jerusalem as they call for the release of all hostages, in Re'im, Israel, on Feb. 28, 2024. Israel has pushed forward a large-scale offensive against Gaza-ruling Hamas to retaliate against the latter's rampage through southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 were taken hostage. The Palestinian death toll in the Gaza Strip has risen to 29,954 as the Israeli military killed 76 in the past 24 hours, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said on Feb. 28, 2024. (Tomer Neuberg/JINI via Xinhua) Families and supporters of hostages taken by Hamas, take part in a march from Kibbutz Re'im to Jerusalem as they call for the release of all hostages, in Re'im, Israel, on Feb. 28, 2024. Israel has pushed forward a large-scale offensive against Gaza-ruling Hamas to retaliate against the latter's rampage through southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, during which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 were taken hostage. The Palestinian death toll in the Gaza Strip has risen to 29,954 as the Israeli military killed 76 in the past 24 hours, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said on Feb. 28, 2024. (Tomer Neuberg/JINI via Xinhua) The 79-year-old who allegedly burst into a CBD law firm office on Wednesday and shot property lawyer Van Cooney, 77, was allegedly motivated by a grudge he held against Cooneys brother. Police allege Sinve Vulic took two firearms to the Castlereagh Street firm on Wednesday, pulling one out in the office and shooting Cooney in the groin. Paramedics treat Van Cooney on Castlereagh Street in Sydneys CBD on Wednesday. Credit: Ben Grubb Cooneys brother Dennis, also a lawyer, represented Vulic in court in 1998. The Cooney brothers had previously worked together, but now practise separately. We were swapping footy cards, riding skateboards, watching the Rabbitohs on the weekend, Adam said. Then there was this darkness coming over, secrets behind closed doors, lies and threats and physical attacks. I was literally shaking when I heard the judgment, it took me back to my abuse, it flung me back there. Adam We became fractured, turned against each other and drifted apart. Within a year, wed all taken drugs, slept in abandoned homes, leaving school to get away from the abuse. But after decades of silence, Adam says he had watched the royal commission into child sex abuse in schools and churches with hope. Adam had a breakdown at work, a minor issue had spiralled with unnerving speed. It was the latest in a series of psychological upheavals he felt were linked to his alleged abuse. Lam, now 70, will not face trial after a Court of Criminal Appeal ruling this month. He reached out to the other boys from school, and they all told similar stories. Adam, Jonathan and a third friend agreed they should finally contact the police. A fourth alleged victim of Lam was tracked down by dedicated police investigators. Adam and Jonathan have no idea who he is. Sitting on folding chairs around a small table in the back of a Sydney gym, Adam and Jonathan decided to speak publicly for the first time after decades of secrecy and years in the courts. Another friend, known as Steve, also sits at the table. He has made allegations against Lam but refused to join the criminal trial as a complainant, saying alleged abusers always seem to wriggle out of it. We had lost all confidence in authority. It took us 40 years to get to a place where we thought societys changed, we wont be turned away now, Adam said. And the exact same thing happened again. You guys dont matter. Lam had denied all accusations since her arrest and had asked the NSW District Court to throw the case out but the judge refused. Then, on the eve of her trial, Lams lawyers asked the Court of Criminal Appeal to finally quash the charges. The states most powerful judges ruled in Lams favour because the 1978 laws the teacher had been charged under only covered male abusers and male victims. Loading In other words, Lam could not be found guilty because she is a woman. The trial was abandoned this month. Lams alleged victims were shattered, and sickened in particular by Justice Anthony Meagher who noted that three of the four were willing participants in the alleged abuse. I was literally shaking when I heard the judgment, it took me back to my abuse, it flung me back there, Adam said. Hes just told every Australian that children can participate in their own abuse. To me, it was a very sick and twisted thing to say. Justice Meagher, following a public outcry, updated his judgment to attribute the willing participants line to prosecutors. An estimated one in five males experience sexual abuse before adulthood. Its not known how many men before 1984, when the laws changed, have yet to disclose historic abuse to police. Lams alleged victims fear the ruling could silence a generation. So if you were a five-year-old, and you were raped by a woman [before 1984], even if youve got photographic evidence, and you go to the cops, the cops have got their hands tied, Adam said. We dont want to be treated special. We just want equality with other [alleged] victims of severe abuse. Steve felt guilty after watching his friends lose their chance to face down Lam. Steve was shocked even though he always believed some unseen force would clear Lam. I felt bad for them knowing how traumatic it was to go forward - they did what I was not brave enough to do, he said. I felt bad I didnt go with them, but I felt even more guilty when there was no justice. Steve, Jonathan, Adam and their fourth friend are all part of a civil lawsuit against the Department of Education. It is currently before the courts. Thanks for joining us today. Thats where well leave our live updates this leap year Thursday but well be back tomorrow. Here are the headlines you might have missed: The Star Entertainment Group is sticking with an August start date for the staged opening of Queens Wharf despite rising costs and a drop in gambling revenue from its two existing casinos in Queensland. Queens Wharf Brisbane, as seen from above in December 2023, has been hit hard in a new report. Credit: Destination Brisbane Consortium Police say they are concerned officers are seizing more weapons from youths as part of their scanning operations, with machetes and tactical knives being found at busy Brisbane train stations and bus stops. CCTV footage has emerged of two separate shopping trips police officer Beau Lamarre-Condon made to buy surfboard bags, which police allege he used to secretly transport the bodies of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies after murdering them. ASIO boss Mike Burgess has defended his refusal to name the former politician who allegedly sold out Australia to foreign spies as critics, including former treasurer Joe Hockey, demanded he reveal the persons identity. We have fact-checked some of Peter Dutton and Angus Taylors key claims that under Labor, people are paying 27 per cent more tax, government spending has soared by $209 billion and that Australians suffered an $8000 fall in their incomes. Two men appear to have risen to the top of the selection queue ahead of the Dolphins season launch, with Wayne Bennett singling out a rookie on the rise. Max Plath and Wayne Bennett composite Credit: Getty Its been more than three decades since New Zealand beat Australia in a Test series. Will Pat Cummins men continue that domination in Wellington in the first of two clashes? They have started well, with Cameron Greens delivery of a terrific Test century at No.4. The magical opportunity to celebrate a wedding anniversary every four years was too good to pass up for Brisbane newlyweds Callum and Nina Richter on this February 29. Brisbane newlyweds Callum and Nina Richter got married on a leap day at the CBD registry office. Credit: Brisbane Registry Office From West End to the Scenic Rim, Ipswich to the inner city, you can spend your Saturday browsing markets for all the best things in life. Here are some of the best. And senior police were appointed to retirement age to enforce the law, not act as an extension of the government of the day. Loading Compare that to the US where police chiefs, two-bit sheriffs and judges all the way to the Supreme Court are political appointments, which means a president can influence the justice system years after they have left office because their judges remain in place. In Australia, we have moved slowly towards the flawed and at times corrupt American system. If a senior bureaucrat gives unpalatable advice the government appoints external consultants until they are told what they want to hear. Party flacks and hacks have the ministers ears while the career professionals sit in the waiting rooms watching daytime television. Federal Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus is swimming against the tide by scrapping the Administrative Appeals Tribunal because he says too often it has become a greenhouse for political turnips. This notion of independence is not some outdated convention. It stands, as we shall see, as the watertight door to protect us from seeping corruption. This is much more than sucking up to the boss. NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb earlier this week. Credit: Kate Geraghty Individual cops have a duty to enforce the law that cant be usurped by politicians or even senior officers. The control creep here is that senior police are now put on contract, which means they can be terminated without appeal at the end of a set time. Just this week NSW Commissioner Karen Webb spoke more like a politician than a career police officer saying, Ive got the confidence of the minister and the premier, and Ive got a job to do. When serving cop Beau Lamarre-Condon was arrested for allegedly killing Luke Davies and Jesse Baird with a police handgun, besieged senior NSW police launched a media counter-offensive. In trying to dig their way out of a hole they told millions of potential jurors alleged facts that are more commonly discussed in a court, not a media conference. Many decisions are made by politicians with elections in mind. Police were given a new 24-hour station in a coastal town that happened to be a swinging seat. The trouble is they didnt want it because when the town reverted to a sleepy village after the tourist season it was ridiculous to keep it open to arrest the odd angry walrus. It has nothing to do with crime but everything to do with votes. To understand the importance of police independence lets play Good Cop/Bad Cop. Police commissioner Terry Lewis in 1977. To call him an eel would be unfair to that aquatic species. Credit: Fairfax The Bad Cop The bent-as-a-banana Queensland commissioner Terry Lewis. Between 1970 and 1976 the Queensland police commissioner was Ray Whitrod, a thoroughly decent and scrupulously honest career cop. As well as being straight, Whitrod was smart smart enough to know his freshly promoted inspector Terry Lewis was a political limbo dancer and a crook to boot. As Whitrod couldnt sack Lewis and Queensland didnt have a Siberia, he chose to send Slick Terry 750 kilometres away from Brisbane to Charleville. He thought, not unreasonably, that the slippery inspector couldnt work against him from the backblocks. But Queensland back then was anything but reasonable. The cunning, if unintelligible peanut farmer turned premier, Joh Bjelke-Petersen, secretly flew to Charleville twice to meet Lewis. The fix was in. First he moved the police minister, who was Whitrods ally, and then he waited. When Whitrod put in his recommendations for the next assistant commissioner, cabinet at the urging of the premier and now without the support of the police minister, ignored them and appointed Lewis, jumping more than 100 more qualified senior police. Whitrod, his independence crushed, resigned on principle. Rather than realising the error of his ways, Joh appointed Lewis commissioner. Whitrod was fiercely independent and an outsider while Lewis had been mentored by the corrupt (and slightly mad) commissioner Frank Bischof. Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen in 1987. Credit: Fairfax Media What could be better than to replace the annoyingly honest Whitrod with a local puppet? The unspoken deal was that if the commissioner did what he was told and was prepared to be a political tool the government would turn a blind eye to corruption. The premier and the commissioner were, in effect, holding each others testicles with an understanding neither would squeeze. About 10 years later the system imploded, leading to the Fitzgerald Inquiry into corruption. Lewis ended up in jail. Evidence included that when his bribe package was on the light side he remained courteous saying, little fish are sweet. Tinned sardines, from the prison canteen, are not. The Good Cop Victorias chief commissioner Sinclair Imrie (Mick) Miller. The careers of Miller and Lewis were similar on paper. Both were awarded Churchill fellowships (Miller in 1967 and Lewis in 1968), they were appointed police chiefs in the 1970s, were smooth movers, were long shots to be appointed chief, would rule for a decade and were young both were 48. And that is the end of the similarities. Mick Miller reviewing police graduates in August 1987, his last year as chief commissioner. Credit: Cathryn Tremain Miller was honest, spoke his mind and stared down any political interference. Lewis was dishonest, lied through his teeth and was a political lapdog. When Miller was appointed assistant commissioner in 1971 then chief, Reg Jackson, told him, You werent my choice. A year later, when another assistant commissioner refused an out-of-hours call for an emergency, the police operator rang Miller who returned to duty. The emergency was a group of school kids and their teacher had been abducted from their one-class school at Faraday. He worked closely with education minister Lindsay Thompson until the hostages were saved and kidnapper Edwin John Eastwood was arrested. In February 1977, Eastwood committed the same crime at the Wooreen State School. Again Miller and Thompson teamed up. A few months later Jackson was due to retire, nominating a shortlist for his replacement he lobbied heavily for his deputy. Loading Victoria had been through two police scandals that resulted in judicial inquiries and premier Sir Rupert Hamer wanted someone fresh. Thompson recommended Miller who became chief commissioner in June 1977. There lies the difference. Hamer wanted someone honest and who could run the force without needing political direction. Bjelke-Petersen wanted someone dishonest and malleable as political putty. Today all senior cops know the only way to tackle organised crime is to pool information and resources. When Miller urged the same strategy 40 years ago through the Australian Bureau of Criminal Intelligence he was deliberately sidelined by cops more interested in lining their pockets or keeping power. Every year the commissioners voted to appoint a chair of the ABCI. They refused to pick Miller but twice elected Lewis. Lewis served 10 years as Johs tame cop. He was ordered to stand down in September 1987 and Joh crashed and burned a few months later. Miller served Labor and Conservative governments. It is fair to say his politics leant to the right. Yet well after both had retired Miller would regularly lunch with his ex-police minister, Race Matthews, who was well to the left. Despite not being politically aligned they both understood the need for police to be at arms length from the political process and enforce the laws of the government of the day. When Sir Edward Lyons, a close buddy of Joh and a political ally of the National Party, was caught driving with a blood alcohol level twice the limit you guessed it. The charges disappeared. Firefighters are battling a blaze at a waste facility in Bayswater that broke out early Thursday morning. A HAZMAT warning has been issued for people in an area bounded by Broun Avenue, Collier Road and Tonkin Highway may be impacted by the potentially dangerous smoke. Residents have been told to stay indoors due to potentially dangerous smoke billowing from the business that rents out skip bins. The fire at Perth Bin Hire on Duffy Street, near the intersection of Jackson Street, was first reported about 5.30am. Motorists are asked to avoid the area, reduce speed and be aware of fire and other emergency services personnel. The Kwinana Freeway is closed northbound between Paganoni Road and Karnup Road as a fire rages close by. There is a lot of smoke in the vicinity and those in the area are advised to keep up to date with the situation in case it changes. A bushfire Advice warning is in place for people in an area bounded by the Kwinana Freeway to the east, Stakehill Road to the north, Harvey Road to the west and Amarillo Drive to the south in parts of Karnup and Baldivis. Drivers in the area are asked to be extremely careful, turn headlights on and watch out for emergency services personnel. Aerial support has been sent to assist firefighters. A Perth grandmother will remain in a Japanese jail for at least another four months awaiting trial for smuggling drugs. Donna Nelsons trial is set to last two weeks and will likely begin in the last week of June, 18 months after she was arrested allegedly with two kilograms of meth in her suitcase. West Australian woman and Aboriginal community leader Donna Nelson. In a statement, her family told 9News Perth and WAtoday she was buoyed by the development. We would like everyone to know that our mum is in good health and good spirits. they said. The premiers annual dinner with Muslim leaders has been cancelled after more than 110 mosques and community groups announced they would boycott the event due to Victorian Labors stance on Israel. Premier Jacinta Allan confirmed on Thursday morning that this years event would not go ahead, two days after her office insisted it would proceed, albeit as a smaller and more intimate dinner in light of the ongoing events in the Middle East. Premier Jacinta Allan made the announcement while touring fire-affected communities on Thursday. Credit: Luis Ascui My role here in Victoria is to support the community, not add to distress and grief, Allan said. It is my intent to mark iftar, to mark events through the Ramadan period, respectfully with private occasions. Sitting with families [and] providing support and care. I do not want to add additional stress and distress to people who are already deeply grieving. NAIROBI, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- China's stewardship has been instrumental in injecting vitality into global efforts to protect habitats amid mounting threats, senior United Nations officials said Wednesday on the sidelines of the sixth session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-6) underway in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital. Inger Andersen, the executive director of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), noted that during its presidency of the 15th Conference of Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, China made bold decisions to boost the health of planetary resources. According to Andersen, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, a brainchild of China, has provided a roadmap for enhanced conservation of species that sustain livelihoods. "The Global Biodiversity Framework upon implementation will boost efforts to reverse ecosystem degradation and loss of rare species due to unsustainable production and consumption patterns," she said. China as the holder of the COP 15 presidency in partnership with UNEP and the Secretariat of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) convened a high-profile side event to discuss effective, inclusive, and sustainable actions that are required to boost the conservation of habitats. The side event was part of a series of activities held during the Multilateral Environment Agreements Day, a key highlight of UNEA-6 that ends Friday and is expected to adopt new resolutions on advancing planetary health. David Cooper, the acting executive secretary of the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, said that the global biodiversity framework initiated by China is a testament to the vital role of multilateralism in addressing threats to nature including climate change, pollution, and over-exploitation. According to Cooper, the framework promotes inclusivity, partnerships, and consensus required to halt the loss of species and place communities on a sustainable trajectory. He added that sustaining political momentum will be key to hastening the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, securing a green, healthy, and prosperous future for the planet. Not only does it give a great overview of Cambodia and what it offers as a stand-alone destination, but theres a consistent theme of conservation and empowerment, with each property committed to sustainability and supporting local communities. Cambodias historic heart Wat Bo Temple is in one of Asias coolest neighbourhoods. Credit: iStock Approaching Siem Reap in the comfort of an air-conditioned limousine, I comment to my driver that this is not the dusty frontier town I first visited 15 years ago, its smooth highways, freshly planted greenery and underground electric wiring indicative of the citys position as the jewel in Cambodias tourism crown. All this happened during the pandemic, my driver explains. The towns hospitality industry was decimated by lockdowns, so these Chinese-funded infrastructure projects forged ahead, transforming it into a showpiece, albeit one still relatively empty of visitors. Luxuriating among the greenery in my private compound at the Bensley Collection Pool Villas, I note how Siem Reaps potential as a luxury destination is palpable. Opened in December 2017 as an extension to the boutique Shinta Mani Angkor hotel across the road, these regal, multi-level residences tap into famed designer Bill Bensleys penchant for amplitude, from the terraced outdoor living spaces, to the plunge pool long enough to swim laps in, and a striking Khmer-style bas-relief detailing the flowing robes of King Jayavarman that adorns the walls. Theres an oversized bathroom that flows into a vine-choked courtyard, where a massive stone bath has been filled with pink lotus flowers. A dedicated butler is on-call via WhatsApp to address my every whim. At Sons suggestion, I check out the cool artisan boutiques and cafes at nearby Kandal Village, as well as the up-and-coming Wat Bo named the coolest neighbourhood in Asia in 2022 by Time Out. He also makes dinner reservations at the in-house Kroya Restaurant, its modern take on Cambodian traditional dishes by chef Chanrith deserving of its accolades as the best restaurant in town. Of course, a visit to the Khmer temples of Angkor is a given, the wonders of bas reliefs and hidden nooks in crumbling ruins such as Bayon and Ta Prohm temples as timeless as they are intriguing. And if theres any benefit to the post-pandemic slowdown in tourism, its the blessed lack of crowds at the jewel in the crown, Angkor Wat, as my private guide steers me to the best vantage points and points out details such as two apsara dancers baring their teeth in wide grins (the others all have a serene smile on their face). City in fast-forward City views at Rosewood Phnom Penh. During my first visit to Phnom Penh in 2009, all the activity and the place to be seen was on the waterfront at the confluence of the Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers. Today, this historic area is largely a construction site; the legendary FCC (Foreign Correspondents Club) is under wraps, while massive SUVs parked illegally across footpaths make a pedestrian stroll a hazardous undertaking. Instead, savvy tourists are heading skywards, following the sudden appearance of skyscrapers to accommodation, restaurants and bars well above the chaos of the streets. Phnom Penhs waterfront: Still a popular place to converge. Credit: iStock Occupying the top 14 floors of the Vattanac Capital Tower its dramatic naga-like structure a symbol of the new Cambodia Rosewood Phnom Penh offers one of the most coveted views of the city, with views to the river and the distant flashing neon of the casino district indicative of the citys obsession with new money. Floor-to-ceiling picture windows in my one-bedroom Mekong Suite put this incredible growth on full display, while the open deck of the Sora skybar attracts the citys bold and beautiful as the sun dips over the horizon. Zip into the wild Making an entrance at Shinta Mani Wild. A two-hour drive on yet another spanking new highway leads to a very different world, where forested mountains are a more natural zenith for intrepid travellers. And to enter this magical realm, Im taking arguably the most unorthodox entry into any resort on the planet a zipline across the treetops and over a raging waterfall into the Landing Bar at Shinta Mani Wild, where Im greeted with a cheer and a tequila cocktail. Another creation of Bill Bensleys exuberant imagination, Wild was devised to honour Jackie Kennedys visit to Cambodia in 1967, with a fictitious safari to the Cardamom Mountains with King Sihanouk forming Bensleys fantastical inspiration. My oversized tent, occupying a deck suspended over a tumbling cascade that creates the loudest white noise imaginable, is filled with travel memorabilia and images of the iconic widow throughout her lifetime. The other 14 tents are decorated with equally eclectic decor including elephants made of driftwood, butterfly imagery and botanical sculptures. With Wilds secluded location alongside a churning river, Bensleys plan was for guests to never have to reach for their wallets during their minimum three nights stay. Rates include all meals, beverages, activities and unlimited spa treatments whether in the Khmer Tonics treatment rooms tucked into the forest, in the privacy of your tent or even on a flat rock overlooking the waterfall. From jungle treks to anti-poaching missions alongside a team of Wildlife Alliance rangers, youre guaranteed action as well as the unexpected in this truly magnificent salute to low-impact tourism. Coastal chic Barefoot luxury at Six Senses Krabey Island in the Gulf of Thailand. In another example of eco-sensitive hospitality, the protection of the pristine jungle environment at Six Senses Krabey Island in the Gulf of Thailand via bird and butterfly conservation, reef protection and zero waste and plastic initiatives sets the tone for this resorts barefoot luxury. After breakfast, served with ocean views at AHA Restaurant, I stroll along the shorefront Sea Breeze Walk, gazing out across clear, healthy reef waters to the mainland and the surreal monstrosity of Sihanoukville, a formerly sleepy seaside town gone rogue with its skyscraper constructions and casino-based infrastructure. Loading Fortunately, this pocket of resistance resounding with birdsong illustrates Cambodian tourism in its most appealing mantle sensitive to its natural bounty, yet still catering to the whims of those seeking indulgence and pampering. Here, in my chic modern villa with its own private plunge pool, in the expansive spa the largest in Cambodia or in a swinging egg chair as I take in the sunset over the Gulf of Cambodia, I experience the essence of this luxury tour, savouring the rich mosaic of an intriguing and ever-evolving kingdom. The writer was a guest of Shinta Mani Angkor, Shinta Mani Wild, Rosewood Phnom Penh and Six Senses Krabey Island. The details Fly AirAsia flies from Sydney and Melbourne to Siem Reap via Kuala Lumpur, see airasia.com if the people of Biafra want Republic of Biafra, it will be a reality during my administration. ----Donald Trump Donald Trump I wi... Bayanat, a leading provider of AI-powered geospatial solutions, and UAE National Search and Rescue Center (NSRC), recently signed agreements with leading aviation services operators, enabling the successful deployment of the ELT system to enhance safety and aircraft tracking and rescue operations. Bayanat and NSRC signed the agreements with Falcon Aviation, the leading business aviation services operator in the Middle East and Africa; Abu Dhabi Aviation, the largest commercial helicopter operator in the Middle East; and AeroGulf Services, the UAEs premier commercial helicopter operator and aviation maintenance facility. The agreements allow for the integration of the Emergency Location Transmitter (ELT) testing process into each business fleet. Leveraging advanced artificial intelligence capabilities, Bayanat and NSRC developed the ELT system, a solution that offers automated aircraft reports and insights, eliminating the need for aircraft downtime and ensuring uninterrupted operations. The entire process is seamlessly managed from start to finish, offering airlines a streamlined and cost-effective solution. Falcon Aviation will implement the ELT system across its fleet as part of its industry-leading safety programme. The agreement will enable the successful development of this technology to benefit passenger safety and the wider aviation industry. Falcon Aviation CEO, Captain Ramandeep Oberoi, said: "Falcon Aviation continues its unwavering commitment to spearheading innovative initiatives that establish unprecedented standards in the industry. This collaboration represents our dedication to propelling safety and efficiency in the aviation sector. The integration of the ELT system underscores our proactive stance in adopting cutting-edge technologies, elevating safety protocols, and fostering cost-effective practices and operational excellence. Abu Dhabi Aviation will also implement the ELT system across its fleet, marking another significant milestone in enhanced safety protocols within the global aviation industry. Abu Dhabi Aviations General Manager, Mohammed Al Mazrouei, said: As our core value, safety drives ADA in all that we do. In signing this key agreement, ADA is proud to be the leader in ensuring that our fleet complies with the latest regulations and enhances safety in the region with this new ELT Registration and Testing Service. AeroGulf Services will integrate the ELT capabilities as part of its fleet. The General Manager of AeroGulf, Vinod Kumar, said: AeroGulf Services has been involved in the provision of professional around-the-clock helicopter support to not only the Oil & Gas Industry but also advertising, press, filming, corporate and tourism industries. We also know that continued improvement is essential and that is why we are determined to improve our safety standards by adding the Emergency Location Transmitter (ELT) testing process to all our working platforms and clients. Hasan Al Hosani, Managing Director, Bayanat, said: Our agreements with aviation leaders across the region underscore our commitment to advancing aircraft efficiency and safety. The implementation of the ELT system will demonstrate significant cost decreases and expansive operational benefits for Falcon Aviation, Abu Dhabi Aviation, and AeroGulf Services, while significantly enhancing overall safety standards. Together, with NSRC, we are pioneering the aircraft safety and engineering sector, and remain dedicated to expanding our operations for our customers. Rashed Ahmed Al Naqbi, General Manager, NSRC said: I am delighted to announce our partnerships with Falcon Aviation, Abu Dhabi Aviation, and AeroGulf Services in advancing aviation safety. Our collaboration on the implementation of the Emergency Location Transmitter (ELT) system marks a significant milestone in enhancing aircraft tracking and rescue operations. BEIJING, Feb. 29 (Xinhua) -- China will further promote the construction of charging infrastructures to better serve new energy vehicles, an official from the Ministry of Transport said Thursday. Vice Minister of Transport Wang Gang told a press briefing that this year, the ministry plans to build 3,000 charging piles and 5,000 rechargeable parking spots in highway service areas. The ministry will also guide all localities to provide targeted service guarantee measures in accordance with the traffic flow in different regions and different periods during holidays, Wang said. The vice minister noted that measures such as adding portable charging facilities as needed, improving charging information inquiry services, and enhancing charging guidance in service areas will be implemented to meet charging demands during holidays. Some 21,000 new charging piles along China's expressways were added in 2023, according to Wang. CANBERRA, Feb. 29 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Culture Day held here in the Australian capital has made people feel the ancient charm and vitality of Chinese culture, promoting cultural exchanges and cooperation between Australia and China. Chinese Ambassador to Australia Xiao Qian made a statement while delivering a speech at the Chinese New Year Reception on the Chinese Culture Day on Tuesday. The Chinese New Year has increasingly become an international festival in Australia, with the deepening of humanistic exchanges between the two sides, Xiao said, hoping that the Chinese Culture Day could facilitate the friendship between the two peoples. Participants from the Australian side, including Marisa Paterson and Peter Cain, both members of the Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory, during their speech, said that Australia and China have a long history of people-to-people exchanges, and the two sides have carried out in-depth mutually beneficial cooperation in the fields of culture, tourism and international student exchanges. This multi-layered partnership is unique and deserves to be celebrated by both parties. In their speech, the Australian guests noticed that China has been Australia's largest trading partner for many years, Beijing and Canberra are sister cities, and the number of Chinese tourists accounts for 20 percent of the total number of foreign tourists in Canberra. The Australian side is willing to continue to work hard to push the bilateral friendly and cooperative relations to a higher level. At the reception, artists from Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, staged performances of dance, folk music and traditional opera. Some Chinese intangible cultural heritage experience such as calligraphy, seal carving, woodblock prints and Song Dynasty-style tea ordering, were also on display. The Chinese New Year reception was attended by more than 180 people from all walks of life in Australia. DAMASCUS, Feb. 29 (Xinhua) -- Israeli airstrikes targeted areas in Damascus and Homs provinces in Syria on Thursday, according to Syrian media and a war monitoring group. The strikes, part of a series of Israeli attacks on Iranian targets in the region, resulted in multiple explosions in Damascus and the activation of Syrian air defenses, local media reported. In Homs, local media reported a drone strike on a vehicle near the Lebanese border, with no further details provided. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitoring group with sources on the ground in Syria, said the strikes hit their intended targets, including a site linked to air defense and radars northwest of Damascus and a truck belonging to the Lebanese Hezbollah party in Homs, resulting in the death of a Hezbollah member. Neither Israel nor Syria has commented on the attacks. That wasnt the worst of it. A Willy Wonka experience is all about the chocolate factory and the sugar overload that it contains, right? But there was NO CHOCOLATE in sight. Study shows number of Latinos has increased by 60 percent or more in 10 western suburbs Greg DiDomenico of Community Memorial Foundation hopes a report detailing the growing Latino community in the western suburbs will help nonprofit organizations and policymakers better understand the needs of the region. We always, as a foundation, have been working to understand the communities that we serve, said DiDomenico, president and chief executive officer. Weve done demographic studies in the past. Given the recent census, it was a great opportunity to work with the expertise of the Great Cities Institute, and so we funded the study in collaboration with Healthy Communities Foundation. The report, which was completed last year by the Great Cities Institute at the University of Illinois Chicago, looks at 36 suburbs in Cook and DuPage counties that make up the service area of Community Memorial Foundation and Healthy Communities Foundation. Almost 200,000 Latinos reside in the area, accounting for 32 percent of the population. DiDomenico said the reports findings were not unexpected. It was not surprising, but I learn something new every time I open the report, because it really explores our shared service area by municipality. You can actually explore the overall data analysis, but you can also go municipality by municipality, he said. Hinsdale is home to 948 Latinos who make up almost 5 percent of the towns population. The median household income of Hinsdale Latinos was about $139,615 in 2015-19, lower than the overall median town income of $203,368. For the foundation, which has set a goal of making this region the healthiest in the country, access to health insurance is an important statistic in the report. Fifteen percent of Latinos in the study area are uninsured. While we have made progress in closing the gap, work still needs to be done, DiDomenico said. He also pointed to the fact that 10 west suburban communities had an increase in Latino population of 60 percent or more between 2010 and 2020. That list includes Hinsdale (60 percent), Western Springs (73 percent) and LaGrange Park (71 percent). Again, not surprising, but a data point that, as a foundation, will inform our grant making and have an opportunity to share this data with our grantees, colleagues and partners, he said. One of those grantee partners is Wellness House in Hinsdale, which offered its first Spanish language class (yoga) in 2017. Today the nonprofit, which supports people and their caregivers on the cancer journey, offers a number of programs and a program guide in Spanish. Were recognizing, of course, our vision that all people impacted by cancer thrive, said Lisa Kolavennu, executive director. If we want to be able to do that well, we need to be able to do that in different languages. Spanish speaking participants are not limited to sites outside of Wellness Houses Hinsdale location. We find Spanish language participants here at our main location, she said. Also in the partner locations we have throughout the western suburbs and Chicago, as well as our online programs. The data in the report confirms the decisions Wellness House leaders have made, and it also will help going forward in terms of program development and fundraising, she said. Were seeing significant growth over the past 10 years and it appears that trend would continue, Kolavennu said. Through this collaboration and the data theyve compiled, its useful for us to take to other foundations and funders as well to demonstrate the need that exists. The work Community Memorial Foundation does truly makes a different, she noted. Having access to this type of reliable and informative information is really critical for nonprofit organizations, Kolavennu said. We are grateful to have partnership in this way with Community Memorial Foundation. The report is available on the foundations website at http://www.cmfdn.org/resources. Coming five years will see rapid development Yavatmal Correspondent Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday, asserted that the ruling BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will cross the 400-seat mark in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls and said that the next five years will see rapid development in the country. Sounding the bugle for BJPs poll campaign from lucky Yavatmal, the PM launched a slew of projects. The Parliamentary polls are likely to be held in April-May. The Prime Minister dedicated-launched development project-schemes worth around Rs 35,000 crore for Maharashtra in the presence of Governor Ramesh Bais, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, and other dignitaries. Addressing a massive gathering of women, the PM recalled his pre-poll trips to Yavatmal- in 2014 for a Chai pe charcha after which the NDA got 300 Parliamentary seats, and later in 2019, when the ruling alliance went over 350 seats. PM Modi said that like Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the Government has been working with a mission for the Contd from page 1 country, and whatever is being done is the foundation for the progress in the next 25 years. The Prime Minister said he had taken a vow to take development to each and every remote corner and dedicate himself full time for the mission. The PM said that for progress, there is a need to consider four sections of society - the poor, farmers, youth and the women- and today, he had done this by dedicating or launching schemes/projects worth thousands of crores of rupees to them and helping improving their lives. Government has also given rail, road and other infra projects for better connectivity for the Vidarbha region, he said. Modi slammed the Congress party over pending irrigation projects in the country, especially in Vidarbha. The coming five years will see rapid development, the Prime Minister maintained. He attacked former Union Minister Sharad Pawar and said that when he handled the agriculture portfolio in the Congress-led UPA Government financial packages would be announced for farmers, but the money would be siphoned off before it could reach the beneficiaries. PORBANDAR, INDIAN agencies on Wednesday made their highest-ever drugs bust from the sea as they seized 3,300 kg narcotics, which sailed from an Iranian port, off the Gujarat coast and arrested five foreigners from a dhow. The unregistered fishing boat was intercepted on Tuesday morning at the Arabian Sea from point about 60 nautical miles from the Indian coast and along the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL). The Navy deployed its P8I long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft and marine commandos onboard a warship and helicopters. Almost 3,300 kg of contraband that includes 3,110 kg charas or Hashish, 158.3 kg of crystalMethamphetamine and 24.6 kg of suspected heroin have been recovered from packets that bore the stamp of Ras Awad Goods Co, produce of Pakistan, the NCB said. The source of the drugs is found to be the Chabahar Port in Iran, the agency said. NCB Director General S N Pradhan told reporters during a press conference in Delhi that the cache could be estimated to be worth anything between Rs 1,300-Rs 2,000 crore in the international market. This is the biggest offshore narcotics seizure made in the country till date. We have seen that drugs smuggling has increased through the maritime route over the last few years and hence we are jointly working with other Government agencies like the Navy, Coast Guard, Customs etc. To intercept such activities. The smugglers and drugs operators use the Arabian Sea to exploit the Indian coastline that is vulnerable. It is part of the grand design to destabilise the country using drugs, Pradhan said. The last big seizure from the high seas was of 2,500 kg by the NCB and the Navy off the Kerala coast in May, 2023. NCB Deputy Director General (operations) Gyaneshwar Singh said, the fishing boat has been brought to Porbandar and the five nationals who were onboard have been arrested. They could either be Pakistani or Iranians. However, we have recovered no IDs from them. A Thuraya satellite phone and four mobilephones have been seized from these men, Singh said. The DDG said the drugs packets had the name of a Pakistani food company and hence they suspect the hand of that country in mobilising this cache whose destination was being probed. The traffickers onboard vessels carrying drugs keep in touch with buyers on the land and once they strike a deal, the consignment can land anywhere upto the southern-most tip of India, the NCB officials said. DDG Singh said this operation was codenamed Sagarmanthan-1 and the joint teams have been working on inputs for the last few weeks. This seizure of drugs is by far the largest in terms of quantity, & was possible through #collaborative efforts of #IndianNavys #missiondeployed assets with the NCB, the Navy said in a post on X. The NCB DG said combating the drugs trafficking was a task as this stockpile has grown in Afghanistan post the installation of a new government there even as Myanmar (on Indias eastern side) was a record supplier. Home Minister Amit Shah called the joint operation by the Navy, Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and the Gujarat Police a historic success and a testament of his governments unwavering commitment to making our nation drug-free. The Home minister, in his post on X, said pursuing Prime Minister Narendra Modis vision of a drugs-free Bharat, the agencies have achieved the grand success of making the biggest offshore seizure of drugs in the nation. Apex court grants bail to elusive MVI Shejwal Staff Reporter Justice Sudhanshu Dhuliya and Justice Prasanna Varale at the Supreme Court of India have granted anticipatory bail to Motor Vehicle Inspector (MVI) Geeta Shejwal, a prime accused in an attempted murder case. The decision follows the rejection of her pre-arrest bail application by the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court on February 8. The apex court has imposed certain conditions for Shejwals bail, instructing her to fully co-operate with the police investigation. Failure to adhere to these conditions may lead to the State seeking cancellation of her bail. This condition is expected to expedite the investigation into the shooting incident and unravel the truth behind the matter. The firing incident involving MVI Sanket Gaikwad is of grave concern, and MVI Geeta Shejwal has been identified by the police as the shooter. Despite being on the run for the past two months, the Supreme Courts directive mandates her appearance before the police to facilitate co-operation in the ongoing investigation. Initially, Gaikwad did not disclose the truth about the firing. However, the police have managed to obtain a statement from an eyewitness a security guard at Gaikwads apartment. The guard reported hearing a commotion early in the morning, followed by the sound of gunfire, providing a crucial perspective on the incident. The question now remains: Will Shejwal reveal the truth during the course of the investigation?The case originated from an incident on May 5, 2022, when Geeta Shejwal allegedly fired a shot at Sanket Gaikwad, her former subordinate at the Regional Transport Office (RTO). The City police filed an FIR against Shejwal under Section 307 of the Indian Penal Code on January 12, 2023, along with charges against Gaikwad under Section 201. Congress to contest 16 seats in Kerala THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : THE Congress on Wednesday said the party would contest 16 seats in Kerala in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls and the allocation of seats within the Opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) has been finalised. The party already has a clear understanding of its candidates, and their names will be announced soon, it said. The grand-old party also made it clear that the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), the second largest coalition partner in the front, has been convinced about the practical difficulty of allotting one more Lok Sabha seat this time. The announcements were made by UDF chairman and Opposition Leader V D Satheesan during a press conference here, which was also attended by KPCC chief K Sudhakaran. Like in the previous elections, the IUML would contest in two seats -- Malappuram and Ponnani-- in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls, he said. Of the 20 Lok Sabha seats in Kerala, the Congress will contest in 16 seats, IUML- 2, KCJ (J) - 1 and RSP-1. As per the discussions held within the UDF, the Congress will contest in 16 seats, the IUML in Malappuram and Ponnani, the RSP in Kollam and the Kerala Congress (J) in Kottayam, Satheesan said. The IUML leadership recently made it clear that they demanded one more Lok Sabha seat this time and said they wont backtrack from their decision. Admitting that the IUML had demanded a third seat during the discussions, Satheesan said the Congress party is also of the opinion that the League deserves this. But, the IUML leadership was convinced about the difficulty of allotting more seats in the present circumstances, the LoP explained. Instead of that, the Congress has decided to give the next Rajya Sabha seat that becomes vacant to the IUML, he said. During the discussions with the constituent parties, the UDF decided to strengthen the INDIA alliance by going ahead with the activities of winning all 20 Lok Sabha seats in Kerala, he said. Satheesan also said there is a public sentiment in Kerala against the Central and state governments. Congress sources here said the LoP and the KPCC chief would soon go to New Delhi to finalise the party candidates. The announcement of the candidates would be made in the national capital, they added. ED freezes over Rs 120 cr in probe against Chinese gambling, loan apps NEW DELHI, THE Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday said it has frozen about Rs 123 crore worth bank deposits during recent searches in Mumbai, Chennai and Kochi as part of money laundering investigation against Chinese-controlled betting and loan apps which allegedly duped numerous people. The searches were carried out on February 23-24 against a company named NIUM India Pvt Ltd and its directors based in Mumbai, Xoduz Solution Pvt Ltd, Vikrah Trading Enterprises Pvt Ltd, Tyrannus Technology Pvt Ltd, Future Vision Media Solutions Pvt Ltd, Aprikiwi Solution Pvt Ltd. In Chennai and Raphael James Rozario at Kochi. A total of 10 locations in Mumbai, Chennai and Kochi were covered, the federal agency said in a statement. The money laundering case stems from FIRs registered by the Kerala and Haryana Police on the complaints given by various persons who were cheated through online platforms that indulged in giving loans, gambling through apps (mobile applications) being controlled by Chinese entities, the ED said. The proceeds of crime generated from these apps and similar platforms are aggregated and laundered through mule accounts opened in various banks in Kerala using payment aggregators, the agency said. These funds, it claimed, were collected and layered through multiple shell companies in Chennai, Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai etc., and were finally being remitted outside India through various channels such as cryptocurrency, against fake imports of software from Singapore, forex currency purchases, etc. According to the ED, the accused opened many shell entities in India and they used them to send the alleged illegal funds to shell companies floated in Singapore. These Singapore shell entities would raise fake invoices for supply of software/other services in the name of the shell Indian entities in India where the proceeds of crime would have already been aggregated. These invoices are shared by a global forex settlement platform named NIUM Singapore Pte Ltd. (Singapore) who has an Indian subsidiary company named NIUM India Pvt. Ltd. To collect the money from Indian entities based on fake invoices. Outward remittances were made to NIUM Singapore Pte Ltd in the name of payment for technical services and such funds used to be credited in the virtual wallet of the Singapore-based shell entities, the agency said. Except the fake invoice, the probe found, no other documentation was collected by NIUM India Pvt Ltd from the remitters. In this manner, the shell remitter, the shell remittee and the sham import transactions were concealed from the bank and monitoring agencies and the proceeds of crime are thereby laundered out of India, the ED claimed. Deposits worth about Rs 123 crore which are suspected to be the proceeds of crime, belonging to shell entities of Singapore and parked in bank accounts of NIUM Indian Pvt. Ltd. On their behalf, have been frozen during the searches, it said. BEIJING, Feb. 29 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese defense ministry spokesperson on Thursday refuted the validity of the so-called "Taiwan Strait's median line." Zhang Xiaogang, a spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, made the comments in response to a media query regarding allegations by the U.S. press that China's military planes have constantly crossed the so-called "Taiwan Strait's median line." There is only one China in the world and Taiwan is part of China's territory, said Zhang, adding that the so-called "Taiwan Strait's median line" is invalid. The military training and exercises conducted by the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) in the Taiwan Strait are legitimate actions to safeguard China's sovereignty, security and development interests, Zhang said. These moves are deterrence and countermeasures against external interference and provocations by "Taiwan independence" forces as well as necessary steps to ensure peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, Zhang added. We will continue to intensify military training and preparedness to resolutely safeguard China's national sovereignty and territorial integrity, Zhang said. Mayor Malti Rai inspects demolition of BRTS corridor Staff Reporter Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) corridor has been demolished from Roshanpura Square to Banganga Square and traffic on this route has been regulated. In next phase, Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) is dismantling the corridor from Banganga Square to Polytechnic Square. On Wednesday, Mayor Malti Rai, MIC member transportation and traffic Manoj Rathore inspected the area from Banganga to Kamlapark. Routine traffic flow on mix lane on the route from Roshanpura to Banganga has begun. During her visit, Mayor and MIC member asked the concerned contractor to make proper arrangement of smooth traffic and safety of people at service road. They also asked to complete the task within three months and make divider on both side of road where plantation will be mandatory. MIC member Ravindra Yati, Corporator Vimlesh Thakur, Superintendent Engineer R K Saxena and other officials were present during the visit. The civic body has been asked to start removing the corridor from AMPRI to Misrod, Hoshangabad Road within week. After dismantling the BRTS, the ride is widen by 23.40 meters in New Market area. However, construction work for the road divider is continued. After completing the central verge, it will be six lane broad road where plantation will be done for beautification purpose. At present BRTS corridor is being removed at three different places. From Halalpura to Bairagarh almost 80 percent corridor has been removed by PWD. BMC and PWD jointly started demolition of BRTS that is giving people hope to play on a broaden road in city. After removing the corridor from Roshanpura to Kamla Park, road is now wide by 23.40 meters and 3-3 lane in each side is available for commutation of public. NDA likely to get majority in Rajya Sabha in April NEW DELHI, THE ruling BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is likely to get a majority in the Rajya Sabha in April this year once the remaining six vacancies under the nominated category are filled and those newly-elected take oath. According to data available with the Rajya Sabha Secretariat, the BJP, which currently has 94 members, gained two seats in the Upper House in the just concluded elections, pushing its own strength to 96. The strength of NDA, which at present has 113 members, will cross the half-way mark of 123 in the 245-member House in April this year once all nominated members take oath. At present, there are only six MPs who have been nominated by the President of India as members in the Rajya Sabha, with some having joined the BJP later. There are a total of 12 nominated members in the House. The data shows that with the support of some independents and nominated members, the NDA which did not have a majority in the Upper House so far will finally achieve the magic figure this April, helping it get crucial legislations passed in the Council of States. Elections were held on 56 Rajya Sabha seats in 15 states, in which the BJP won 30 seats, the Congress nine, SP 2, TMC 4, YSRCP 3, RJD 2, BJD 2, and NCP, Shiv Sena, BRS, and JD(U) one seat each. With the Congress strength going down to 30 seats, the joint Opposition has less than 100 MPs in the Upper House. Having a majority in the Upper House is very crucial for the ruling dispensation as several key legislations have been stuck in the past due to lack of strength. However, the ruling BJP had sought the support of parties like BJD and YSRCP for getting key legislations cleared in the Upper House in the past. The BJD which rules in Odisha and the YSRCP which rules in Andhra Pradesh have nine MPs each in the Rajya Sabha. Besides, BRS has seven MPs and BSP, IUML and TDP have one each, which are not part of any alliance yet. NEYU protests against Patwari Recruitment exam, police nab demonstrators Staff Reporter Demanding cancellation of Patwari Recruitment exam, a wide-level demonstration was staged in State capital Bhopal on Wednesday. Demonstrators were demanding to form Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the matter. The demonstrators said that if their demand would not be approved, then they will be moving towards Delhi to stage the sit-in. The protest was held under banner of National Educated Youth Union (NEYU) at MP Nagar Square. After staging sit-in at MP Nagar Square, they moved towards Vallabh Bhawan. However, police team used barricades at Board Office Square to stop them. When demonstrators were to move towards the Vallabh Bhawan, police team arrested some of the demonstrator near Congress office and disburse the crowd. Youngsters who were arrested by the police said that educated youth from across the State will be gathered. They alleged dictatorship on Government official and said that youth are being tortured. there were 11 girl demonstrators arrested by the team. Ranjeet Kisanvanshi from NEYU said, we are demanding to put the recruitment on hold and release the Rajendra Verma Committee report for public. Patwari recruitment result was released on June 30, 2023. Counselling for the candidates successfully cleared the Patwari Recruitment Examination 2022 began on February 24. Employees Selection Board had already released the final result of the exam. General Administration Department has already released an order to allow appointment to the candidates based on the exam result. Patwari recruitment test result was declared on June 30, 2023. After the result was released, allegation was made for the scam in examination process. Former Government led by Shivraj Singh Chauhan put the result on hold and formed committee to probe the matter. Only Biden Can Stop War By Gwynne Dyer MORE than four months into the sixth Arab-Israeli War, with about 1,500 Israeli dead and 30,000 Palestinian dead, all the major local actors are stuck. Only the United States can stop the killing if it chooses to do so. The one thing almost everybody agrees on is that Hamas must lose. It is a radical Islamist group that seeks the destruction not only of Israel but also of all the existing Arab regimes. In the entire Arab world only tiny, distant Qatar supports it. The existing Arab regimes in Egypt and Jordan, which both border on Israel, fear and loathe Hamas but know that the Islamists have much support among their own populations. The same goes for Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf States. None of them will take the responsibility for negotiating a ceasefire with Israel. Hamas wont do so either, because the slaughter of Palestinians helps its cause. That was why it killed all those Israelis in a particularly cruel way in the raid last October. Its a standard terrorist strategy: Hamas knew that a massive Israeli over-reaction killing tens of thousands of Palestinians would win it more supporters all across the Arab world. The political benefits of the ongoing carnage wrought by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) in the Gaza Strip continue to flow to the Islamist cause, so Hamass leaders have no desire for a long ceasefire. A short one to catch their breath, maybe they have lost many thousands of casualties but they are on a roll. Why stop now? Israel is deeply divided. Many Israelis want to stop the war and free the hundred remaining Israeli hostages, but just as many want the war to continue until Hamas is destroyed (a near-impossibility). And fifteen to twenty per cent of Israelis on the nationalist and religious extreme right just want to expel all the Palestinians. That minority have a hugely disproportionate effect on Israeli policy because they are an essential element in Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahus coalition government. Their openly declared goal is to create an ethnically cleansed all-Jewish Israel. Purging the five million Palestinians who live under Israeli military control in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, and maybe even the two million Palestinians who are actual Israeli citizens, would require a much bigger and bloodier war. They foolishly believe that events in Gaza are creating an opportunity to fight and win such a war. They are out of their minds. The glory days of easy, assured Israeli military victories are past. The last time Israel fought Hezbollah in Lebanon it ended in a draw, and the present war in the Gaza Strip is also likely to end in a draw. However, the leading crazies in Netanyahus coalition, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, remain in power because without them the coalition would collapse. Netanhahu would then be back in court and probably facing jail time for corruption, so he does what they want. That leaves only the United States free to seek a ceasefire, and President Joe Biden urgently needs one. His current policy is shredding Americas already damaged status as a force for order in the world. He is also alienating the youth vote at home that he will have to depend on in the November election. He does have the necessary tools to make Israel stop. Sanctioning Israel has always seemed unthinkable in Washington because it would mean the US Government bringing down the Israeli Government, but the time may be coming when saving Israel from itself is the least bad alternative. Bidens executive order a month ago imposing financial sanctions on four extremist Israeli settlers creates a precedent for sanctions up to and including the defunding of the entire illegal settlement enterprise. (Trumps administration declared the settlements legal, but Biden has just reinstated the long-standing US judgement that they are illegal.) Bezalel Smotrich dismissed it as meaningless: It is not possible for an Israeli citizen with Israeli money in an Israeli bank to be deprived of rights and assets due to an American order. Within a day, however, one of the settlers had all his personal and business accounts frozen by Israels Bank Leumi, and a state-owned bank promptly followed suit. Soon the other settlers were entangled in the sanctions as well: it was a small demonstration of what US sanctions could do. The settler economy is inextricably connected with the general Israeli economy, and extensive sanctions could paralyse practically everything. If the United States cut off military aid to Israel or applied serious economic sanctions, Netanyahus Government would collapse almost instantly. Sanctioning Israel goes against all Bidens political and personal instincts, but the events and people around him are now pushing him towards that action. Public sector general insurance employees hold demonstrations Business Reporter The Public Sector General Insurance (PSGI) employees all over India held pre lunch one hour walk out strike under the banner of Joint Forum of Trade Unions (JFTU) and Associations to press for their long pending demands on February 28, 2024. The employees demanded the Government to hold discussions immediately on various issues like wage revision which are due from August 1, 2022, uniform 30% family pension, scrapping of National Pension System (NPS) and 1995 Pension Scheme for all, till then increase employers contribution to 14% in NPS, merger of public sector general insurance companies to strengthen them and adequate recruitment in all cadres. At Nagpur, a large number of employees went on strike for an hour and gathered in front of Regional Office of United India Insurance Company Limited, situated at Shankar Nagar. The aggrieved employees shouted slogans for thair demands. They also showed their anguish against the indifferent attitude GIPSA. On the occasion, a meeting was conducted in which Arun Kulkarni, Swapnil Kohle, Anil Sakharkar and Vinod Sakhare addressed the gathering. The speakers criticised the Government and GIPSA management for not taking any decision on the legitimate demands of employees and appealed to them to unite and fight jointly. The meeting was conducted by Rohit Shivhare. Also, Chandrakant Deshpande, Deepak Gotmare, Omkar Shende and Sunil Tambe took efforts for the success of agitation. Tulsi Nagar, Awadhpuri residents living in dark age? By Kriti Shah Streetlight issue is not a new phenomenon to the residents of Bhopal, recently The Hitavada covered this grappling issue in Tulsi Nagar, Ward No. 31 and Awadhpuri Ward No. 61. In an attempt to connect to the authorities to understand more about the problem faced by the people in various affected area, there unresponsive side was discovered. In Bhopal, the lack of accountability within the Madhya Kshetra Vidyut Vitran Company (MPVVCL) is casting a shadow over the city, leaving residents frustrated and streets plunged into darkness. Despite the official phone numbers listed on the companys website, the issues related to street lights in the area from MPVVCL officials has become a cause of concern. As The Hitavada, attempted to contact various MPVVCL representatives for insights into the matter, only to encounter a frustrating wall of silence and ignorance. Queries regarding the ongoing issues with the street lights in various localities went unanswered, highlighting a significant gap in the communication and problem resolution between the Vidyut Vitran Company and the public. Giving a glance of one our call to MPVVCL, it was something like (MPVVCL) Sapna Jain General Manager, Department Commercial (6232913221): Hello, Yes I am from MP Vidyut Vitran. How can I help you? No, I dont over see that issue, I dont know anything......and straight way call got hung. Another attempt (MPVVCL) P C Gour General Manager, Department Works (6232913262): Hello... Yes. I cant hear you...and eventually call got hung, highlighting a simple attempt to dodge these pressing question and the uncooperative side of the utility company. Similarly other attempts to contact other officials were also gone to the downhill. In spite of, numerous attempts like this by concerned citizens to seek assistance from the utility provider, a lack of co-operation and responsiveness has left many in the dark. Residents in different areas of Bhopal have shared their experiences, detailing the challenges they face due to malfunctioning or non-functional street lights. Asha, a resident of Tulsi Nagar area, expressed her dismay, stating, The street lights are very dim and are cause of concern and safety especially at night-time. Despite multiple calls to the numbers listed on the MPVVCL website and other authorities there has been no response. Its disheartening to see the lack of concern for our safety. Sunil Agarwal, a resident of Shahpura, voiced similar frustration, The poorly lit street pose a serious threat issues promptly. However, the abrupt attitude of the officials is alarming. Its as if our concerns fall on deaf ears. Who stole our road ? By Mukesh S Singh Raipur/Bijapur, Theft and corruption have been an integral part of human society since forever. Despite this, every now and then, people come across news that surprises everyone due to its sheer ludicrous nature. One such news has emerged from Maoist-hotbed Bijapur district, where government officers and contractors have been accused of sabotaging the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY). Although the road is complete on the official site of PMGSY, there is no trace of it on the ground. The matter concerns 2-km long Granular-Sub-Base (GSB) road from Futkel to Patelpara village, under Basaguda police station limits of restive Bijapur district. Meanwhile, a written complaint to this effect was submitted on Wednesday with Bijapur Superintendent of Police (SP) by three whistleblowers, including journalists Ishwar Soni, Kushal Chopra and Prashun Sharma, who exposed the news, alleging the road theft. Not only this, according to the journalists, they have complained at the higher level through the official website of PMGSY. This newspaper reporter has in its possession the copy of this weird nature of written complaint to Bijapur SP alleging 2 kilometres of road being stolen by unidentified thieves. Talking to The Hitavada, Ishwar Soni alleged that a road project L061-Futkel to Patelpapra with package number CG-17-238, measuring in length up to 2-kilometre, on PMGSY official website shows that its construction has been completed by the department on May 2, 2022, but reality is something else and astonishingly baffling. On reaching the designated village, there is no trace of road on the spot. The villagers are also denying the construction of the road, even the villages Ward Panch and husband of local female Sarpanch, Deva Nupu, has confirmed that the information given by the department regarding the completed road work is totally wrong and misleading, he maintained. If the complainants are to be believed, the whole matter is crystal clear. To carry out the corruption, the officer-contractor in cahoots embezzled the entire amount of the road work and spent a little from the ill-gotten money on erecting the board that reads details of road work undertaken by PMGSY, which actually doesnt exist at all, they charged. According to the whistleblowers, an in-depth investigation by senior officers will expose the corrupt officers, while recovery action can also be initiated against the contractor after blacklisting his firm. The corruption could be easily done here since the L061-Futkel to Patelpapra falls under Usur block of Bijapur district, which is Maoists-hotbed and mostly senior officials from district administration avoid visiting the area to oversee and inspect development works under PMGSY works and other infrastructural development projects, on which Government of India (GoI) several crores to connect hinterland of Bastar region from the mainstream, they pointed out. VIENTIANE, Feb. 29 (Xinhua) -- Lao Minister of Industry and Commerce Malaythong Kommasith met with British Ambassador to Laos Melanie Barlow and discussed ways to strengthen cooperation in trade, investment, finance and business, local media said Thursday. Malaythong called for more British businesses to invest in Laos and facilitate commerce by offering trade preferences for Laos, news website Lao Phattana News reported. Britain currently has 38 businesses operating in Laos, mainly in agriculture, forestry, fisheries, processing industry, mining, wholesale and retail sales, and automobile and motorcycle repair. Malaythong informed Barlow about the priority work plan under the ASEAN Economic Pillars during Laos' chairmanship of ASEAN in 2024 during the meeting on Monday. Two-way trade between the two sides reached 46.3 million U.S. dollars in 2023, of which 27.1 million dollars represented the value of Lao exports, while 19.2 million dollars worth of goods were imported by Laos. Products exported by Laos consisted of shoes, clothing, sugar, hats, sweets, beer, wine and rice, while products imported from Britain included beer, wine, vehicles, tractors and spare automotive parts, according to the report. Trexquant Investment LP bought a new position in shares of OGE Energy Corp. (NYSE:OGE Free Report) in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm bought 136,597 shares of the utilities providers stock, valued at approximately $4,553,000. Trexquant Investment LP owned approximately 0.07% of OGE Energy as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. United Capital Financial Advisers LLC increased its position in shares of OGE Energy by 2.4% during the 4th quarter. United Capital Financial Advisers LLC now owns 13,004 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $514,000 after purchasing an additional 305 shares in the last quarter. Heritage Trust Co grew its holdings in OGE Energy by 2.1% during the 2nd quarter. Heritage Trust Co now owns 15,666 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $563,000 after acquiring an additional 321 shares during the last quarter. Brighton Jones LLC grew its holdings in OGE Energy by 5.8% during the 3rd quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 6,334 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $211,000 after acquiring an additional 345 shares during the last quarter. First Republic Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in OGE Energy by 0.8% during the 1st quarter. First Republic Investment Management Inc. now owns 43,660 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $1,780,000 after acquiring an additional 358 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Captrust Financial Advisors grew its holdings in OGE Energy by 1.5% during the 4th quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 25,863 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $1,023,000 after acquiring an additional 373 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 66.99% of the companys stock. Get OGE Energy alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of brokerages have commented on OGE. TheStreet lowered shares of OGE Energy from a b rating to a c+ rating in a report on Wednesday, February 21st. LADENBURG THALM/SH SH lowered shares of OGE Energy from a buy rating to a neutral rating and decreased their price objective for the stock from $36.00 to $34.00 in a report on Tuesday, January 16th. Mizuho raised their target price on shares of OGE Energy from $34.00 to $35.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 28th. StockNews.com raised shares of OGE Energy from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note on Friday, February 23rd. Finally, Barclays reduced their target price on shares of OGE Energy from $38.00 to $35.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, January 22nd. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, OGE Energy presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $33.60. OGE Energy Stock Down 0.5 % Shares of NYSE OGE opened at $33.11 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $6.63 billion, a PE ratio of 16.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.91 and a beta of 0.74. The company has a current ratio of 0.65, a quick ratio of 0.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.96. OGE Energy Corp. has a 1 year low of $31.25 and a 1 year high of $39.09. The firms 50-day moving average is $33.73 and its 200-day moving average is $34.18. OGE Energy (NYSE:OGE Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 20th. The utilities provider reported $0.24 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.20 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $566.70 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $986.67 million. OGE Energy had a net margin of 15.59% and a return on equity of 9.37%. OGE Energys revenue for the quarter was down 20.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.25 EPS. Equities analysts expect that OGE Energy Corp. will post 2.14 EPS for the current year. OGE Energy Cuts Dividend The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 26th. Investors of record on Monday, April 8th will be given a $0.418 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, April 5th. This represents a $1.67 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.05%. OGE Energys dividend payout ratio is 80.68%. About OGE Energy (Free Report) OGE Energy Corp., together with its subsidiaries, operates as an energy services provider in the United States. The company generates, transmits, distributes, and sells electric energy. In addition, it provides retail electric service to approximately 896,000 customers, which covers a service area of approximately 30,000 square miles in Oklahoma and western Arkansas; and owns and operates coal-fired, natural gas-fired, wind-powered, and solar-powered generating assets. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding OGE? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for OGE Energy Corp. (NYSE:OGE Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for OGE Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for OGE Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Li Xi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, addresses a teleconference on the education and rectification of the country's Party discipline inspection commissions and supervision agencies, in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 28, 2024. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei) BEIJING, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- China's top anti-graft official Li Xi on Wednesday addressed a teleconference on the education and rectification of the country's Party discipline inspection commissions and supervision agencies, urging related personnel to strengthen self-improvement work. Li, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, said that discipline inspection commissions and supervision agencies at all levels should summarize their education and rectification experience, and promote the high-quality development of discipline inspection and supervision work in the new era. Li said that through education and rectification practices, all discipline inspection and supervision officials have over the last year improved their ideological integrity, political integrity, discipline and capacity to perform their duties. This has shown that education and rectification are timely, necessary and important practices, he stressed. He called for continuous efforts to consolidate the results of education and rectification work, emphasizing that relevant officials should take strict steps to improve their ideological purity, loyalty and competence. He called on discipline inspection commissions and supervision agencies to make further efforts to improve Party conduct, enforce Party discipline and fight corruption, and urged them to provide a strong guarantee for both China's transition into a great modern socialist country in all respects and the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through the pursuit of Chinese modernization. MQS Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of American Express (NYSE:AXP Free Report) during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 1,562 shares of the payment services companys stock, valued at approximately $233,000. Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Tyler Stone Wealth Management acquired a new stake in shares of American Express in the 2nd quarter valued at $27,000. BluePath Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in American Express in the third quarter valued at about $29,000. RVW Wealth LLC bought a new position in American Express in the third quarter valued at about $33,000. Operose Advisors LLC acquired a new position in American Express during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $41,000. Finally, Brown Shipley& Co Ltd acquired a new position in shares of American Express during the second quarter worth $49,000. Institutional investors own 83.08% of the companys stock. Get American Express alerts: Insider Buying and Selling In other news, insider Howard Grosfield sold 7,029 shares of American Express stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 30th. The stock was 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 transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. In other American Express news, insider Howard Grosfield sold 7,029 shares of the firms 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 sale, the insider now owns 12,388 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $2,522,816.20. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Stephen J. Squeri sold 69,356 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $213.02, for a total value of $14,774,215.12. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 122,158 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $26,022,097.16. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 172,047 shares of company stock worth $36,528,388 in the last 90 days. 0.12% of the stock is owned by company insiders. American Express Stock Performance American Express stock opened at $218.01 on Thursday. American Express has a fifty-two week low of $140.91 and a fifty-two week high of $219.20. The firms fifty day moving average price is $197.17 and its 200-day moving average price is $171.87. The stock has a market cap of $157.81 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.45, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 1.23. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.71, a quick ratio of 1.63 and a current ratio of 1.63. American Express (NYSE:AXP Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data 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 for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $16 billion. American Express had a net margin of 13.84% and a return on equity of 30.99%. American Expresss revenue for the quarter was up 11.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $2.07 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts expect that American Express will post 12.83 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. American Express Dividend Announcement The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 9th. Investors of record on Friday, January 5th were issued a dividend of $0.60 per share. This represents a $2.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.10%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, January 4th. American Expresss dividend payout ratio is currently 21.41%. Analysts Set New Price Targets AXP has been the subject of a number of research reports. TD Cowen began coverage on shares of American Express in a report on Wednesday, November 1st. They issued a market perform rating and a $158.00 price objective for the company. Morgan Stanley cut shares of American Express from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $212.00 to $222.00 in a research note on Thursday, February 8th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their target price on American Express from $186.00 to $205.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Monday, December 18th. DZ Bank cut American Express from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research note on Thursday, January 4th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price objective on American Express from $220.00 to $226.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Monday, January 29th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, American Express currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $189.00. Read Our Latest Report on AXP American Express Company Profile (Free Report) American Express Company, together with its subsidiaries, operates as integrated payments company in the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the Asia Pacific, Australia, New Zealand, Latin America, Canada, the Caribbean, and Internationally. It operates through four segments: U.S. Consumer Services, Commercial Services, International Card Services, and Global Merchant and Network Services. Read More 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. Bamco Inc. NY bought a new position in shares of DiamondRock Hospitality (NYSE:DRH Free Report) during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund bought 481,480 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock, valued at approximately $3,866,000. Bamco Inc. NY owned approximately 0.23% of DiamondRock Hospitality as of its most recent filing with the SEC. Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. National Bank of Canada FI acquired a new position in DiamondRock Hospitality in the 3rd quarter valued at about $30,000. BOKF NA acquired a new position in shares of DiamondRock Hospitality during the 2nd quarter valued at about $56,000. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC increased its stake in shares of DiamondRock Hospitality by 711.7% during the 1st quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 7,119 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $58,000 after acquiring an additional 6,242 shares during the last quarter. Advisor Partners II LLC acquired a new position in shares of DiamondRock Hospitality during the 1st quarter valued at about $83,000. Finally, LPL Financial LLC increased its stake in shares of DiamondRock Hospitality by 10.2% during the 2nd quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 13,698 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $110,000 after acquiring an additional 1,266 shares during the last quarter. Get DiamondRock Hospitality alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of analysts recently issued reports on the stock. StockNews.com downgraded shares of DiamondRock Hospitality from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research report on Saturday, February 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of DiamondRock Hospitality from $9.00 to $10.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Friday, December 22nd. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on shares of DiamondRock Hospitality from $8.50 to $9.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 7th. Wolfe Research assumed coverage on DiamondRock Hospitality in a report on Wednesday, January 10th. They issued an outperform rating and a $11.00 price target for the company. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus upped their price target on DiamondRock Hospitality from $10.00 to $10.50 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Friday, February 23rd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, DiamondRock Hospitality presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $9.75. DiamondRock Hospitality Price Performance Shares of NYSE DRH opened at $9.37 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.96 billion, a PE ratio of 26.03 and a beta of 1.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71, a current ratio of 2.00 and a quick ratio of 1.82. DiamondRock Hospitality has a 1-year low of $7.14 and a 1-year high of $9.99. The businesss fifty day moving average price is $9.32 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $8.56. DiamondRock Hospitality (NYSE:DRH Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 23rd. The real estate investment trust reported $0.04 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.18 by ($0.14). The business had revenue of $263.50 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $261.45 million. DiamondRock Hospitality had a net margin of 8.03% and a return on equity of 5.29%. DiamondRock Hospitalitys revenue for the quarter was up 3.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $0.23 earnings per share. On average, research analysts expect that DiamondRock Hospitality will post 0.96 EPS for the current year. DiamondRock Hospitality Dividend Announcement The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 11th. Investors of record on Friday, December 29th were paid a dividend of $0.03 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, December 28th. This represents a $0.12 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.28%. DiamondRock Hospitalitys dividend payout ratio is currently 33.33%. About DiamondRock Hospitality (Free Report) DiamondRock Hospitality Company is a self-advised real estate investment trust (REIT) that is an owner of a leading portfolio of geographically diversified hotels concentrated in leisure destinations and top gateway markets. The Company currently owns 36 premium quality hotels with over 9,700 rooms. The Company has strategically positioned its portfolio to be operated both under leading global brand families as well as independent boutique hotels in the lifestyle segment. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding DRH? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for DiamondRock Hospitality (NYSE:DRH Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for DiamondRock Hospitality Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for DiamondRock Hospitality and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Advance Auto Parts (NYSE:AAP Get Free Report) updated its FY24 earnings guidance on Wednesday. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of $3.75-4.25 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.51. The company issued revenue guidance of $11.3-11.4 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $11.46 billion. Advance Auto Parts also updated its FY 2024 guidance to 3.750-4.250 EPS. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several brokerages have recently commented on AAP. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price target on Advance Auto Parts from $83.00 to $73.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, November 16th. William Blair restated a market perform rating on shares of Advance Auto Parts in a research note on Wednesday, December 13th. Bank of America lowered Advance Auto Parts from a neutral rating to an underperform rating and cut their target price for the company from $60.00 to $43.00 in a research note on Thursday, November 16th. TheStreet upgraded Advance Auto Parts from a d+ rating to a c- rating in a research note on Monday, January 22nd. Finally, UBS Group cut their target price on Advance Auto Parts from $75.00 to $62.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, November 16th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eighteen have given a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $72.71. Get Advance Auto Parts alerts: Get Our Latest Stock Report on Advance Auto Parts Advance Auto Parts Stock Up 2.6 % Shares of AAP stock opened at $66.42 on Thursday. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $63.38 and a 200 day moving average of $59.63. The company has a current ratio of 1.23, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.67. The stock has a market cap of $3.95 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.29, a P/E/G ratio of 1.19 and a beta of 1.15. Advance Auto Parts has a twelve month low of $47.73 and a twelve month high of $143.96. Advance Auto Parts (NYSE:AAP Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 28th. The company reported ($0.59) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.24 by ($0.83). Advance Auto Parts had a return on equity of 9.40% and a net margin of 1.65%. The firm had revenue of $2.46 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.47 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.88 earnings per share. The firms revenue for the quarter was down .4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Advance Auto Parts will post 1.53 EPS for the current year. Advance Auto Parts Dividend Announcement The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 26th. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 12th will be paid a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.51%. Advance Auto Partss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 32.05%. Insiders Place Their Bets In related news, EVP Kristen L. Soler acquired 500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, December 8th. The shares were bought at an average price of $55.60 per share, with a total value of $27,800.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the executive vice president now owns 12,697 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $705,953.20. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In other Advance Auto Parts news, EVP Kristen L. Soler purchased 500 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 8th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $55.60 per share, with a total value of $27,800.00. Following the purchase, the executive vice president now directly owns 12,697 shares in the company, valued at approximately $705,953.20. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP Kristen L. Soler bought 1,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 5th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $52.87 per share, for a total transaction of $52,870.00. Following the purchase, the executive vice president now owns 12,197 shares in the company, valued at approximately $644,855.39. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 0.63% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Advance Auto Parts Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Covestor Ltd lifted its stake in Advance Auto Parts by 113.7% during the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 156 shares of the companys stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 83 shares in the last quarter. Clear Street Markets LLC increased its holdings in Advance Auto Parts by 245.9% during the 1st quarter. Clear Street Markets LLC now owns 211 shares of the companys stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 150 shares during the period. Industrial Alliance Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in Advance Auto Parts by 469.4% during the 4th quarter. Industrial Alliance Investment Management Inc. now owns 353 shares of the companys stock worth $52,000 after purchasing an additional 291 shares during the period. UniSuper Management Pty Ltd purchased a new stake in Advance Auto Parts during the 2nd quarter worth about $28,000. Finally, Dagco Inc. purchased a new stake in Advance Auto Parts during the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 88.75% of the companys stock. About Advance Auto Parts (Get Free Report) Advance Auto Parts, Inc provides automotive replacement parts, accessories, batteries, and maintenance items for domestic and imported cars, vans, sport utility vehicles, and light and heavy duty trucks. The company offers battery accessories; belts and hoses; brakes and brake pads; chassis and climate control parts; clutches and drive shafts; engines and engine parts; exhaust systems and parts; hub assemblies; ignition components and wires; radiators and cooling parts; starters and alternators; and steering and alignment parts. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Advance Auto Parts Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Advance Auto Parts and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Alamos Gold Inc. (TSE:AGI Get Free Report) (NYSE:AGI) announced a quarterly dividend on Wednesday, February 28th, Zacks reports. Investors of record on Thursday, March 14th will be given a dividend of 0.034 per share on Thursday, March 28th. This represents a $0.14 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.87%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 13th. Alamos Gold Price Performance Shares of AGI stock opened at C$15.66 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of C$6.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.75, a P/E/G ratio of -2.10 and a beta of 0.99. The firm has a fifty day moving average of C$16.72 and a two-hundred day moving average of C$17.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04, a current ratio of 2.36 and a quick ratio of 1.06. Alamos Gold has a 1-year low of C$13.56 and a 1-year high of C$20.20. Get Alamos Gold alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several brokerages have issued reports on AGI. BMO Capital Markets upped their price objective on Alamos Gold from C$19.00 to C$23.00 in a research note on Wednesday, December 13th. Desjardins reduced their price target on shares of Alamos Gold from C$19.50 to C$18.75 and set a hold rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 12th. Royal Bank of Canada upgraded shares of Alamos Gold from a sector perform rating to an outperform rating and increased their price objective for the stock from C$12.00 to C$16.00 in a research note on Thursday, January 11th. Finally, National Bank Financial restated an outperform overweight rating on shares of Alamos Gold in a research note on Wednesday, January 3rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of C$20.45. Alamos Gold Company Profile (Get Free Report) Alamos Gold Inc engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and extraction of precious metals in Canada and Mexico. The company primarily explores for gold and silver deposits. It holds 100% interest in the Young-Davidson mine and Island Gold mine located in the Ontario, Canada; Mulatos mine located in the Sonora, Mexico; and Lynn Lake project situated in the Manitoba, Canada. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Alamos Gold Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Alamos Gold and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Meeder Advisory Services Inc. boosted its position in Amcor plc (NYSE:AMCR Free Report) by 39.5% during the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 23,573 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 6,678 shares during the quarter. Meeder Advisory Services Inc.s holdings in Amcor were worth $216,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of AMCR. Money Concepts Capital Corp bought a new stake in Amcor in the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. Clear Street Markets LLC boosted its holdings in Amcor by 93.6% in the 1st quarter. Clear Street Markets LLC now owns 2,913 shares of the companys stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 1,408 shares during the period. Signaturefd LLC boosted its holdings in Amcor by 1,619.5% in the 3rd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 3,267 shares of the companys stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 3,077 shares during the period. Quent Capital LLC boosted its holdings in Amcor by 99.6% in the 3rd quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 3,814 shares of the companys stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 1,903 shares during the period. Finally, West Tower Group LLC bought a new stake in Amcor in the 2nd quarter valued at $40,000. 49.52% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Amcor alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Separately, Truist Financial reduced their price target on shares of Amcor from $11.00 to $10.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a report on Friday, November 3rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $10.40. Amcor Price Performance NYSE:AMCR opened at $8.87 on Thursday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $9.43 and a 200-day moving average of $9.30. The company has a market capitalization of $12.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.16, a PEG ratio of 10.05 and a beta of 0.80. Amcor plc has a 52 week low of $8.45 and a 52 week high of $11.39. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a current ratio of 1.25. Amcor (NYSE:AMCR Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 6th. The company reported $0.16 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.15 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $3.25 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.29 billion. Amcor had a net margin of 4.59% and a return on equity of 24.28%. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Amcor plc will post 0.68 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Amcor Announces Dividend The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 19th. Investors of record on Wednesday, February 28th will be given a dividend of $0.125 per share. This represents a $0.50 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.64%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, February 27th. Amcors dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 113.64%. Insider Buying and Selling In related news, Director Arun Nayar sold 10,261 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $9.39, for a total transaction of $96,350.79. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 52,527 shares in the company, valued at approximately $493,228.53. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.69% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. About Amcor (Free Report) Amcor plc develops, produces, and sells packaging products in Europe, North America, Latin America, Africa, and the Asia Pacific regions. The company operates through two segments, Flexibles and Rigid Packaging. The Flexibles segment provides flexible and film packaging products in the food and beverage, medical and pharmaceutical, fresh produce, snack food, personal care, and other industries. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AMCR? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Amcor plc (NYSE:AMCR Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Amcor Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Amcor and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Vinva Investment Management Ltd increased its stake in American Homes 4 Rent (NYSE:AMH Free Report) by 209.3% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 23,400 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock after acquiring an additional 15,834 shares during the period. Vinva Investment Management Ltds holdings in American Homes 4 Rent were worth $792,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of AMH. MetLife Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in American Homes 4 Rent in the 1st quarter worth about $236,000. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can boosted its holdings in American Homes 4 Rent by 5.6% in the first quarter. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can now owns 255,574 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $10,631,000 after purchasing an additional 13,647 shares in the last quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in American Homes 4 Rent by 5.1% in the first quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC now owns 15,912 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $637,000 after purchasing an additional 767 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its stake in shares of American Homes 4 Rent by 3.0% during the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 4,597,311 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $184,037,000 after acquiring an additional 134,931 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sei Investments Co. boosted its stake in shares of American Homes 4 Rent by 16.3% during the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 244,953 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $9,809,000 after acquiring an additional 34,401 shares in the last quarter. 83.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get American Homes 4 Rent alerts: Insider Buying and Selling at American Homes 4 Rent In other American Homes 4 Rent news, CAO Brian Reitz sold 3,000 shares of American Homes 4 Rent stock in a transaction on Monday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $35.53, for a total transaction of $106,590.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 35,343 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,255,736.79. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 6.03% of the companys stock. American Homes 4 Rent Stock Up 0.1 % American Homes 4 Rent Increases Dividend Shares of AMH opened at $36.19 on Thursday. American Homes 4 Rent has a 12 month low of $28.78 and a 12 month high of $37.97. The stock has a market cap of $13.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 36.19, a P/E/G ratio of 2.76 and a beta of 0.70. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $35.37 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $35.16. The company has a quick ratio of 0.47, a current ratio of 0.46 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58. The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 28th. Investors of record on Friday, March 15th will be paid a $0.26 dividend. This is a positive change from American Homes 4 Rents previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 14th. This represents a $1.04 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.87%. American Homes 4 Rents payout ratio is currently 88.00%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several research firms recently weighed in on AMH. Royal Bank of Canada restated an outperform rating and issued a $39.00 target price on shares of American Homes 4 Rent in a report on Monday. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of American Homes 4 Rent from a hold rating to a buy rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $34.00 to $41.00 in a report on Tuesday, January 2nd. StockNews.com cut shares of American Homes 4 Rent from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report on Wednesday, January 10th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft began coverage on American Homes 4 Rent in a research note on Tuesday, January 30th. They issued a buy rating and a $40.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, BNP Paribas started coverage on American Homes 4 Rent in a research note on Monday, January 22nd. They set an outperform rating and a $42.00 target price for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $37.93. Get Our Latest Research Report on American Homes 4 Rent American Homes 4 Rent Company Profile (Free Report) American Homes 4 Rent (NYSE: AMH), which does business as AMH, is a leading owner, operator and developer of single-family rental homes. We're an internally managed Maryland real estate investment trust (REIT) focused on acquiring, developing, renovating, leasing and managing homes as rental properties. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for American Homes 4 Rent Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for American Homes 4 Rent and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of The Southern Company (NYSE:SO Get Free Report) have been given a consensus recommendation of Moderate Buy by the twelve ratings firms that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating, five have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price target among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $73.46. Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on Southern from $69.00 to $72.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 29th. BMO Capital Markets lowered their price target on Southern from $75.00 to $72.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 16th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on Southern from $66.00 to $67.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Tuesday, November 21st. StockNews.com upgraded Southern from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Friday, November 3rd. Finally, Scotiabank lowered Southern from a sector outperform rating to a sector perform rating and set a $78.00 target price for the company. in a report on Friday, November 3rd. Get Southern alerts: Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on SO Insider Activity at Southern Institutional Inflows and Outflows In related news, CEO Stephen E. Kuczynski sold 5,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $71.99, for a total value of $359,950.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 101,284 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $7,291,435.16. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink . In other news, CEO Stephen E. Kuczynski sold 5,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $71.99, for a total transaction of $359,950.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 101,284 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $7,291,435.16. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink . Also, EVP Christopher Cummiskey sold 899 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $67.06, for a total transaction of $60,286.94. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 22,502 shares in the company, valued at $1,508,984.12. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . Insiders have sold a total of 25,998 shares of company stock valued at $1,817,613 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.37% of the companys stock. A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Bollard Group LLC increased its holdings in Southern by 1.0% in the 2nd quarter. Bollard Group LLC now owns 431,500 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $30,313,000 after purchasing an additional 4,082 shares during the last quarter. Cullinan Associates Inc. grew its stake in shares of Southern by 200.9% during the third quarter. Cullinan Associates Inc. now owns 76,227 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $4,933,000 after purchasing an additional 50,897 shares in the last quarter. Elevated Capital Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Southern by 2.4% during the second quarter. Elevated Capital Advisors LLC now owns 24,377 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $1,712,000 after purchasing an additional 582 shares in the last quarter. Aspen Grove Capital LLC grew its stake in shares of Southern by 63.1% during the second quarter. Aspen Grove Capital LLC now owns 4,965 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $349,000 after purchasing an additional 1,921 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Commerce Bank boosted its stake in Southern by 6.6% in the second quarter. Commerce Bank now owns 108,811 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $7,644,000 after acquiring an additional 6,750 shares in the last quarter. 62.85% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Southern Price Performance Shares of Southern stock opened at $66.80 on Friday. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $69.00 and its 200-day simple moving average is $68.64. Southern has a 52 week low of $61.56 and a 52 week high of $75.80. The company has a market capitalization of $72.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.40, a PEG ratio of 4.13 and a beta of 0.50. The company has a quick ratio of 0.56, a current ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.62. Southern (NYSE:SO Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 15th. The utilities provider reported $0.64 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.59 by $0.05. Southern had a return on equity of 11.40% and a net margin of 15.79%. The business had revenue of $6.05 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.90 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.26 earnings per share. The businesss revenue was down 14.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts expect that Southern will post 4.01 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Southern Announces Dividend The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 6th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 20th will be given a $0.70 dividend. This represents a $2.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.19%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 16th. Southerns payout ratio is 77.14%. Southern Company Profile (Get Free Report The Southern Company, through its subsidiaries, engages in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity. The company also develops, constructs, acquires, owns, and manages power generation assets, including renewable energy projects and sells electricity in the wholesale market; and distributes natural gas in Illinois, Georgia, Virginia, and Tennessee, as well as provides gas marketing services, gas distribution operations, and gas pipeline investments operations. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Southern Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Southern and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Exactus (OTCMKTS:EXDI Get Free Report) and Jushi (OTCMKTS:JUSHF Get Free Report) are both small-cap medical companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their profitability, dividends, institutional ownership, risk, earnings, valuation and analyst recommendations. Profitability This table compares Exactus and Jushis net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Get Exactus alerts: Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Exactus N/A -3,272.69% -185.29% Jushi -67.16% -614.11% -35.22% Institutional & Insider Ownership 0.1% of Exactus shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 0.0% of Jushi shares are held by institutional investors. 65.0% of Exactus shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 21.0% of Jushi 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. Analyst Recommendations Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Exactus 0 0 0 0 N/A Jushi 0 4 1 0 2.20 This is a summary of recent recommendations for Exactus and Jushi, as provided by MarketBeat. Valuation & Earnings This table compares Exactus and Jushis top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Exactus $2.07 million 0.00 -$9.46 million N/A N/A Jushi $284.28 million 0.48 -$202.32 million N/A N/A Exactus has higher earnings, but lower revenue than Jushi. About Exactus (Get Free Report) Exactus, Inc., is a farmer and manufacturer of hemp-derived phytocannabinoid products. The company sells its CBD products through its Green Goddess brand and third-party resellers. Exactus is engaged in producing industrial hemp from farms in Oregon and plans to extract and manufacture directly through cGMP facilities. Industrial hemp is a type of cannabis, defined by the federal government as having THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) content of 0.3 percent or less. THC is the psychoactive compound found in cannabis. About Jushi (Get Free Report) Jushi Holdings Inc., a vertically integrated cannabis company, engages in the cultivation, processing, retail, and distribution of medical and adult-use products. It focuses on building a portfolio of cannabis assets in various jurisdictions in Pennsylvania, Virginia, Ohio, Illinois, California, Nevada, and Massachusetts. The company also offers hemp-based CBD products, including cannabis dry flower, vaporizer forms of cannabis, edibles, cannabis oil in capsules, tinctures, cannabis in topical products, and other cannabis products, as well as vape cartridges, disposables, and concentrates under The Bank, The Lab, Nira+ Medicinals, Seche, Tasteology, and Hijinks brands. In addition, it operates medical cannabis dispensaries under the BEYOND/HELLO, Nature's Remedy, and NuLeaf brands. The company is headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida. Receive News & Ratings for Exactus Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Exactus and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Morgan Stanley upgraded shares of AvalonBay Communities (NYSE:AVB Free Report) from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating in a research report sent to investors on Monday, MarketBeat reports. The firm currently has $191.50 price objective on the real estate investment trusts stock, up from their previous price objective of $175.00. A number of other brokerages have also weighed in on AVB. Wolfe Research lowered AvalonBay Communities from an outperform rating to a peer perform rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 2nd. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated a sector perform rating and set a $185.00 target price on shares of AvalonBay Communities in a research note on Friday, February 2nd. Barclays upgraded AvalonBay Communities from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating and raised their price objective for the stock from $194.00 to $204.00 in a research note on Tuesday, February 20th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft began coverage on AvalonBay Communities in a research note on Tuesday, January 30th. They set a buy rating and a $206.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, KeyCorp restated a sector weight rating on shares of AvalonBay Communities in a research note on Friday, January 5th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, AvalonBay Communities currently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $196.34. Get AvalonBay Communities alerts: Get Our Latest Research Report on AvalonBay Communities AvalonBay Communities Price Performance NYSE:AVB opened at $176.37 on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.84, a current ratio of 1.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $179.66 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $177.03. The firm has a market capitalization of $25.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.93, a P/E/G ratio of 3.23 and a beta of 0.93. AvalonBay Communities has a 12-month low of $153.07 and a 12-month high of $198.65. AvalonBay Communities (NYSE:AVB Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 6th. The real estate investment trust reported $1.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.73 by ($1.03). The business had revenue of $704.71 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $701.67 million. AvalonBay Communities had a net margin of 33.56% and a return on equity of 7.98%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $2.59 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that AvalonBay Communities will post 10.85 earnings per share for the current year. AvalonBay Communities Increases Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 28th will be issued a dividend of $1.70 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, March 27th. This is an increase from AvalonBay Communitiess previous quarterly dividend of $1.65. This represents a $6.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.86%. AvalonBay Communitiess payout ratio is presently 103.82%. Institutional Inflows and Outflows A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. BlackRock Inc. lifted its stake in shares of AvalonBay Communities by 0.4% in the 2nd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 15,723,924 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $2,976,067,000 after purchasing an additional 69,187 shares during the period. State Street Corp lifted its stake in shares of AvalonBay Communities by 0.6% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 10,147,624 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $1,937,005,000 after purchasing an additional 60,027 shares during the period. Norges Bank acquired a new position in shares of AvalonBay Communities in the 4th quarter valued at about $1,271,756,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its stake in shares of AvalonBay Communities by 8.0% in the 2nd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 5,250,683 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $993,797,000 after purchasing an additional 387,254 shares during the period. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD increased its position in AvalonBay Communities by 2.3% in the 1st quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 4,833,571 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $812,332,000 after buying an additional 106,604 shares in the last quarter. 88.71% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. AvalonBay Communities Company Profile (Get Free Report) As of December 31, 2023, the Company owned or held a direct or indirect ownership interest in 299 apartment communities containing 90,669 apartment homes in 12 states and the District of Columbia, of which 18 communities were under development. The Company is an equity REIT in the business of developing, redeveloping, acquiring and managing apartment communities in leading metropolitan areas in New England, the New York/New Jersey Metro area, the Mid-Atlantic, the Pacific Northwest, and Northern and Southern California, as well as in the Company's expansion regions of Raleigh-Durham and Charlotte, North Carolina, Southeast Florida, Dallas and Austin, Texas, and Denver, Colorado. See Also Receive News & Ratings for AvalonBay Communities Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for AvalonBay Communities and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Banco de Sabadell, S.A. (OTCMKTS:BNDSF Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant drop in short interest in February. As of February 15th, there was short interest totalling 141,000 shares, a drop of 99.0% from the January 31st total of 14,489,400 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 23,400 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 6.0 days. Banco de Sabadell Trading Up 0.8 % OTCMKTS:BNDSF traded up $0.01 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $1.32. 1,719 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 17,006. Banco de Sabadell has a 12 month low of $0.99 and a 12 month high of $1.48. The businesss 50-day simple moving average is $1.25 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $1.23. Get Banco de Sabadell alerts: About Banco de Sabadell (Get Free Report) See Also Banco de Sabadell, SA provides banking products and services to personal, business, and private customers in Spain and internationally. The company offers retail banking products, such as current and savings accounts, personal loans, cards, and mortgages. It also provides financial products and services to large and medium enterprises, SMEs, shops and self-employed workers, private individuals, and professionals; and consumer finance, asset management, and bancassurance services. Receive News & Ratings for Banco de Sabadell Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Banco de Sabadell and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. BEIJING, Feb. 29 (Xinhua) -- Another 15 rare disease drugs, also known as orphan drugs, have been incorporated into the recently updated catalog of medicines covered by China's national medical insurance, resulting in more urgently needed drugs being accessible at lower prices. The new entries into the catalog cover 16 types of rare disease, which means a total of 80 orphan drugs now feature on the medical insurance list, including drugs needed for the treatment of myasthenia gravis and atypical hemolytic uraemic syndrome. "The inclusion of drugs used in targeted therapy for diseases of social concern, such as myasthenia gravis, is of particular importance, as it means that more affordable target therapy drugs will be accessible," said Wu Liwen, a senior neurology physician at a children's hospital in central China's Hunan Province. Thursday marks World Rare Disease Day. Currently, more than 20 million people in China suffer from rare diseases. Such diseases are often very challenging, both in terms of accurate diagnosis and availability of suitable medicine. In March 2021, a paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria sufferer was confronted with a lack of medicine. Thanks to the joint efforts of the China Alliance for Rare Diseases (CARD), the National Medical Products Administration and pharmaceutical companies, the patient gained access to new medicine, introduced from Switzerland, within three months. Chinese health authorities have been working with social organizations, pharmaceutical companies and related research institutes to make rare disease drugs more accessible and affordable for the Chinese public. This year, for instance, the price of the drug used for treating atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome, a rare disease affecting children, has been cut from over 20,000 yuan (about 2,815 U.S. dollars) a dose to around 1,000 yuan per dose. This encouraging change has reignited the hopes of many patients and their families. In the foreseeable future, China's national medical insurance scheme will benefit more patients as the country has been attaching great significance to efforts aimed at the prevention and treatment of rare diseases. A series of measures have been taken in a coordinated manner in recent years, with Chinese health authorities green-lighting and prioritizing the approval of rare disease drugs for use by medical institutions. With the support of the government, some pharmaceutical companies have set up care centers for rare disease patients, offering one-stop professional drug services. China has also established a multidisciplinary diagnosis platform at the national level in a bid to shorten the time needed for a patient to receive a final diagnosis. In addition, Traditional Chinese Medicine was encouraged to contribute to these efforts. In September 2023, the National Health Commission released its second catalog of rare diseases, containing 86 such diseases falling into 17 medical specialties. So far, the catalogs have recorded 207 of the 7,000 rare diseases identified across the world. "Consensus concerning the need to help rare disease patients secure access to drugs has turned into actions," said Li Linkang, executive director of the CARD. China has been committed to safeguarding people's health. The initiative to increase the number of medicines covered by national medical insurance has benefited not only rare disease patients but the public in general. The latest catalog of medicines qualifying for medical insurance reimbursement, which was released in December 2023, features 126 new medicines, with the total number reaching 3,088. Taking into account both medical reimbursement and price-cutting, this move is predicted to save patients more than 40 billion yuan over the next two years. "It has created new options for both doctors and patients, and will greatly relieve the financial burden faced by patients," said Li Haihai from a research institute based in Hunan Province. Saba Capital Management L.P. lifted its position in shares of BNY Mellon Strategic Municipal Bond Fund, Inc. (NYSE:DSM Free Report) by 304.9% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 975,745 shares of the investment management companys stock after buying an additional 734,751 shares during the quarter. Saba Capital Management L.P.s holdings in BNY Mellon Strategic Municipal Bond Fund were worth $4,849,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Invesco Ltd. increased its position in BNY Mellon Strategic Municipal Bond Fund by 1.2% during the first quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 180,775 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $1,278,000 after purchasing an additional 2,159 shares during the last quarter. Stifel Financial Corp boosted its stake in shares of BNY Mellon Strategic Municipal Bond Fund by 6.7% in the second quarter. Stifel Financial Corp now owns 46,836 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $267,000 after purchasing an additional 2,938 shares during the period. Ironsides Asset Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of BNY Mellon Strategic Municipal Bond Fund by 34.0% in the third quarter. Ironsides Asset Advisors LLC now owns 14,263 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $71,000 after purchasing an additional 3,618 shares during the period. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of BNY Mellon Strategic Municipal Bond Fund by 2.5% in the third quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 156,822 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $888,000 after purchasing an additional 3,880 shares during the period. Finally, NewEdge Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of BNY Mellon Strategic Municipal Bond Fund by 21.7% in the second quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 25,223 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $157,000 after purchasing an additional 4,504 shares during the period. Get BNY Mellon Strategic Municipal Bond Fund alerts: BNY Mellon Strategic Municipal Bond Fund Price Performance Shares of DSM stock traded up $0.05 on Thursday, hitting $5.79. The stock had a trading volume of 51,550 shares, compared to its average volume of 154,126. The stocks 50 day moving average is $5.72 and its 200-day moving average is $5.40. BNY Mellon Strategic Municipal Bond Fund, Inc. has a 52-week low of $4.69 and a 52-week high of $6.05. BNY Mellon Strategic Municipal Bond Fund Dividend Announcement BNY Mellon Strategic Municipal Bond Fund Company Profile The business also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 29th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, February 14th will be paid a dividend of $0.018 per share. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 13th. This represents a $0.22 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.73%. (Free Report) BNY Mellon Strategic Municipal Bond Fund, Inc is a closed ended fixed income mutual fund launched and managed by BNY Mellon Investment Adviser, Inc The fund invests in the fixed income markets of the United States. It primarily invests in investment grade municipal bonds which are exempt from federal income tax. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding DSM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for BNY Mellon Strategic Municipal Bond Fund, Inc. (NYSE:DSM Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for BNY Mellon Strategic Municipal Bond Fund Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for BNY Mellon Strategic Municipal Bond Fund and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Boliden AB (publ) (OTCMKTS:BDNNY Get Free Report) was the recipient of a significant decline in short interest in the month of February. As of February 15th, there was short interest totalling 2,000 shares, a decline of 83.9% from the January 31st total of 12,400 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 59,500 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.0 days. Boliden AB (publ) Price Performance Shares of OTCMKTS BDNNY traded down $0.77 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $50.10. 21,427 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 23,189. Boliden AB has a twelve month low of $48.66 and a twelve month high of $85.84. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $55.26 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $54.64. Get Boliden AB (publ) alerts: Boliden AB (publ) (OTCMKTS:BDNNY Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 8th. The company reported $1.14 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The company had revenue of $1.95 billion during the quarter. Boliden AB (publ) Company Profile Boliden AB (publ) engages in the exploring, extracting, and processing of base metals and precious metals in Sweden, other Nordic region, Germany, the United Kingdom, the rest of Europe, North America, and internationally. The company operates through two segments, Business Area Mines and Business Area Smelters. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Boliden AB (publ) Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Boliden AB (publ) and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Boston Beer (NYSE:SAM Free Report) had its price target trimmed by Citigroup from $370.00 to $350.00 in a report published on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a neutral rating on the stock. Several other research firms also recently commented on SAM. Morgan Stanley reduced their price objective on Boston Beer from $285.00 to $275.00 and set an underweight rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on shares of Boston Beer in a research report on Monday, November 13th. They issued a hold rating and a $375.00 target price for the company. Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded shares of Boston Beer from an underperform rating to a market perform rating and boosted their price target for the stock from $280.00 to $335.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 16th. Roth Mkm increased their price objective on shares of Boston Beer from $406.00 to $422.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, January 23rd. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada restated a sector perform rating and set a $337.00 target price on shares of Boston Beer in a report on Wednesday. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Boston Beer has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $343.58. Get Boston Beer alerts: Read Our Latest Report on Boston Beer Boston Beer Stock Performance NYSE:SAM opened at $311.89 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.80 billion, a PE ratio of 50.30, a P/E/G ratio of 1.10 and a beta of 1.09. Boston Beer has a fifty-two week low of $296.27 and a fifty-two week high of $395.52. The company has a fifty day moving average of $350.77 and a two-hundred day moving average of $355.44. Boston Beer (NYSE:SAM Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 27th. The company reported ($1.49) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of ($0.22) by ($1.27). Boston Beer had a net margin of 3.61% and a return on equity of 8.12%. The company had revenue of $393.72 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $413.57 million. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted ($0.93) earnings per share. The companys quarterly revenue was down 12.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts forecast that Boston Beer will post 11.69 earnings per share for the current year. Insiders Place Their Bets In other news, insider Carolyn L. Oboyle sold 102 shares of Boston Beer stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $350.72, for a total value of $35,773.44. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 2,630 shares of the companys stock, valued at $922,393.60. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Insiders have sold 306 shares of company stock worth $107,146 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 23.30% of the companys stock. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Boston Beer Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of SAM. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its holdings in Boston Beer by 2.0% during the 1st quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 16,610 shares of the companys stock worth $6,452,000 after purchasing an additional 333 shares during the period. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in Boston Beer by 64.3% during the 1st quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 1,778 shares of the companys stock worth $691,000 after acquiring an additional 696 shares in the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Boston Beer by 3.3% in the 1st quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 2,961 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,151,000 after purchasing an additional 95 shares during the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can raised its holdings in shares of Boston Beer by 220.8% in the 1st quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 6,080 shares of the companys stock valued at $2,414,000 after purchasing an additional 4,185 shares in the last quarter. Finally, MetLife Investment Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Boston Beer by 42.6% during the 1st quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 6,488 shares of the companys stock worth $2,520,000 after purchasing an additional 1,938 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 64.10% of the companys stock. Boston Beer Company Profile (Get Free Report) The Boston Beer Company, Inc engages in the production and sale of alcohol beverages primarily in the United States. The company's flagship beer is Samuel Adams Boston Lager. It offers various beers, hard ciders, flavored malt beverages, and hard seltzers under the Samuel Adams, Twisted Tea, Truly Hard Seltzer, Angry Orchard, Dogfish Head, Angel City, Coney Island, and Havana Lager brand names. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Boston Beer Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Boston Beer and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. lowered its stake in shares of Cameco Co. (NYSE:CCJ Free Report) (TSE:CCO) by 38.6% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,674 shares of the basic materials companys stock after selling 1,054 shares during the period. Itau Unibanco Holding S.A.s holdings in Cameco were worth $66,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of CCJ. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. raised its stake in Cameco by 37.4% during the first quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 17,068,688 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $497,555,000 after purchasing an additional 4,644,453 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its position in shares of Cameco by 2.2% in the first quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 454,418 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $13,223,000 after acquiring an additional 9,757 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. increased its position in shares of Cameco by 6.0% in the first quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 25,154 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $733,000 after acquiring an additional 1,414 shares in the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. increased its position in shares of Cameco by 10.4% in the first quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 554,571 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $16,138,000 after acquiring an additional 52,341 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Aviva PLC acquired a new stake in shares of Cameco in the first quarter worth $819,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 66.57% of the companys stock. Get Cameco alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. StockNews.com lowered shares of Cameco from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research report on Monday, February 12th. Cantor Fitzgerald lowered shares of Cameco from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a report on Tuesday, December 19th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating, one has issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $65.33. Cameco Price Performance Shares of CCJ stock opened at $40.76 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $17.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 67.93 and a beta of 0.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 1.55 and a quick ratio of 0.97. Cameco Co. has a 1-year low of $23.69 and a 1-year high of $51.33. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $44.74 and a two-hundred day moving average of $41.78. About Cameco (Free Report) Cameco Corporation provides uranium for the generation of electricity. It operates through Uranium, Fuel Services, Westinghouse segments. The Uranium segment is involved in the exploration for, mining, and milling, purchase, and sale of uranium concentrate. The Fuel Services segment engages in the refining, conversion, and fabrication of uranium concentrate, as well as the purchase and sale of conversion services. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CCJ? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Cameco Co. (NYSE:CCJ Free Report) (TSE:CCO). Receive News & Ratings for Cameco Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Cameco and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Caxton Associates LP increased its stake in shares of Hess Co. (NYSE:HES Free Report) by 120.7% during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 6,400 shares of the oil and gas producers stock after buying an additional 3,500 shares during the quarter. Caxton Associates LPs holdings in Hess were worth $979,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. A number of other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. lifted its stake in Hess by 3.6% during the second quarter. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. now owns 10,100 shares of the oil and gas producers stock worth $1,373,000 after purchasing an additional 349 shares during the last quarter. Great Lakes Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Hess by 5.0% during the second quarter. Great Lakes Advisors LLC now owns 5,376 shares of the oil and gas producers stock worth $731,000 after purchasing an additional 258 shares during the last quarter. Point72 Europe London LLP bought a new stake in Hess during the second quarter worth $10,985,000. BOKF NA lifted its stake in Hess by 20.7% during the second quarter. BOKF NA now owns 34,301 shares of the oil and gas producers stock worth $4,663,000 after purchasing an additional 5,889 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC lifted its stake in Hess by 50.0% during the second quarter. Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC now owns 177,042 shares of the oil and gas producers stock worth $24,069,000 after purchasing an additional 59,000 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 81.72% of the companys stock. Get Hess alerts: Hess Trading Up 0.1 % NYSE HES traded up $0.12 on Thursday, reaching $145.52. The company had a trading volume of 559,968 shares, compared to its average volume of 2,675,841. The firm has a market cap of $44.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.31 and a beta of 1.28. Hess Co. has a fifty-two week low of $113.82 and a fifty-two week high of $167.75. The business has a 50 day moving average of $144.04 and a two-hundred day moving average of $147.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 1.05 and a quick ratio of 1.20. Hess Announces Dividend Hess ( NYSE:HES Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 31st. The oil and gas producer reported $1.63 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.43 by $0.20. Hess had a return on equity of 17.00% and a net margin of 12.98%. The business had revenue of $3.04 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.76 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $1.78 earnings per share. Hesss quarterly revenue was down .6% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts forecast that Hess Co. will post 8.01 EPS for the current year. The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 29th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 18th were issued a dividend of $0.4375 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 15th. This represents a $1.75 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.20%. Hesss payout ratio is currently 38.89%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Sanford C. Bernstein cut Hess from an outperform rating to a market perform rating and cut their target price for the stock from $189.00 to $166.00 in a research note on Thursday, November 2nd. UBS Group cut their target price on Hess from $210.00 to $195.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, December 14th. Argus upgraded Hess from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $171.00 price target for the company in a research note on Tuesday, November 7th. Mizuho increased their price target on Hess from $170.00 to $200.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Monday. Finally, StockNews.com assumed coverage on Hess in a research note on Thursday. They issued a sell rating for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have issued a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Hess currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $174.29. Read Our Latest Report on Hess Hess Company Profile (Free Report) Hess Corporation, an exploration and production company, explores, develops, produces, purchases, transports, and sells crude oil, natural gas liquids (NGLs), and natural gas. The company operates in two segments, Exploration and Production, and Midstream. It conducts production operations primarily in the United States, Guyana, the Malaysia/Thailand Joint Development Area, and Malaysia; and exploration activities principally offshore Guyana, the U.S. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Hess Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Hess and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Caxton Associates LP acquired a new position in shares of Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE:NUS Free Report) during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 46,915 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $995,000. Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Teza Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Nu Skin Enterprises in the third quarter valued at $270,000. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Nu Skin Enterprises in the 3rd quarter valued at $2,273,000. Trexquant Investment LP raised its holdings in shares of Nu Skin Enterprises by 123.8% in the 3rd quarter. Trexquant Investment LP now owns 49,334 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,046,000 after buying an additional 27,295 shares during the period. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of Nu Skin Enterprises by 1,015.1% in the 3rd quarter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. now owns 186,417 shares of the companys stock valued at $3,954,000 after buying an additional 169,699 shares during the period. Finally, Northern Trust Corp raised its holdings in shares of Nu Skin Enterprises by 1.3% in the 3rd quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 555,154 shares of the companys stock valued at $11,775,000 after buying an additional 7,378 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 73.62% of the companys stock. Get Nu Skin Enterprises alerts: Nu Skin Enterprises Stock Up 2.3 % Shares of NYSE:NUS traded up $0.29 on Thursday, hitting $12.67. 206,727 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 773,804. Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. has a 1-year low of $12.06 and a 1-year high of $41.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.58, a quick ratio of 1.28 and a current ratio of 2.13. The company has a market capitalization of $626.15 million, a PE ratio of 68.78 and a beta of 1.17. The firms 50-day moving average is $17.38 and its 200 day moving average is $19.26. Nu Skin Enterprises Cuts Dividend Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 6th. Stockholders of record on Monday, February 26th will be issued a $0.06 dividend. This represents a $0.24 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.89%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 23rd. Nu Skin Enterprisess payout ratio is currently 133.34%. Several research firms recently issued reports on NUS. DA Davidson cut their price objective on Nu Skin Enterprises from $29.00 to $21.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 5th. TheStreet downgraded Nu Skin Enterprises from a c rating to a d+ rating in a report on Wednesday, November 1st. Finally, StockNews.com cut Nu Skin Enterprises from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Saturday, February 24th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $23.67. Get Our Latest Report on NUS Insider Activity In other news, Director Andrew D. Lipman sold 2,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $18.55, for a total value of $37,100.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 31,225 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $579,223.75. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In the last three months, insiders sold 6,000 shares of company stock valued at $100,800. Insiders own 2.00% of the companys stock. Nu Skin Enterprises Company Profile (Free Report) Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, develops and distributes various beauty and wellness products worldwide. It offers skin care devices, cosmetics, and other personal care products, including ageLOC LumiSpa and ageLOC LumiSpa iO, ageLOC Body Spa; and nutricentials skin care products. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding NUS? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Nu Skin Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE:NUS Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Nu Skin Enterprises Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Nu Skin Enterprises and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Caxton Associates LP acquired a new position in Teleflex Incorporated (NYSE:TFX Free Report) during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 5,698 shares of the medical technology companys stock, valued at approximately $1,119,000. Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of TFX. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Teleflex by 2.5% during the first quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 2,231 shares of the medical technology companys stock valued at $792,000 after purchasing an additional 54 shares during the period. HighTower Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Teleflex by 2.2% during the first quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 4,678 shares of the medical technology companys stock valued at $1,655,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares during the period. Private Advisor Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Teleflex during the first quarter valued at about $455,000. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS raised its holdings in shares of Teleflex by 6.6% during the first quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS now owns 6,268 shares of the medical technology companys stock valued at $2,224,000 after purchasing an additional 388 shares during the period. Finally, Yousif Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Teleflex by 2.7% during the first quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC now owns 7,158 shares of the medical technology companys stock valued at $2,540,000 after purchasing an additional 190 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 97.15% of the companys stock. Get Teleflex alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes TFX has been the topic of several research reports. Morgan Stanley upgraded shares of Teleflex from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating and set a $261.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Monday, December 4th. Stephens restated an overweight rating and issued a $275.00 target price on shares of Teleflex in a report on Friday, November 3rd. Truist Financial lowered their target price on shares of Teleflex from $270.00 to $265.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 23rd. Raymond James upped their target price on shares of Teleflex from $227.00 to $271.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, December 20th. Finally, Piper Sandler upped their target price on shares of Teleflex from $210.00 to $225.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Monday, November 6th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $265.56. Insider Activity at Teleflex In related news, CEO Liam Kelly sold 26,256 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $250.23, for a total transaction of $6,570,038.88. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 18,470 shares of the companys stock, valued at $4,621,748.10. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 1.41% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Teleflex Trading Down 0.6 % Shares of TFX stock traded down $1.26 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $223.19. The stock had a trading volume of 27,483 shares, compared to its average volume of 241,300. The stocks 50-day moving average price is $246.53 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $223.24. Teleflex Incorporated has a 52-week low of $177.63 and a 52-week high of $276.43. The firm has a market capitalization of $10.50 billion, a PE ratio of 29.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.16 and a beta of 1.14. The company has a current ratio of 2.32, a quick ratio of 1.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. Teleflex (NYSE:TFX Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 22nd. The medical technology company reported $3.38 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $3.26 by $0.12. Teleflex had a net margin of 11.98% and a return on equity of 14.98%. The firm had revenue of $773.90 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $769.01 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $3.52 earnings per share. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts expect that Teleflex Incorporated will post 13.75 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Teleflex Announces Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 15th. Investors of record on Friday, March 1st will be given a dividend of $0.34 per share. This represents a $1.36 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.61%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 29th. Teleflexs dividend payout ratio is currently 18.06%. Teleflex Company Profile (Free Report) Teleflex Incorporated designs, develops, manufactures, and supplies single-use medical devices for common diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in critical care and surgical applications worldwide. The company provides vascular access products that comprise Arrow branded catheters, catheter navigation and tip positioning systems, and intraosseous access systems for the administration of intravenous therapies, the measurement of blood pressure, and the withdrawal of blood samples through a single puncture site. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Teleflex Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Teleflex and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Comstock (NYSE:LODE Get Free Report) released its earnings results on Tuesday. The company reported ($0.04) EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts consensus estimates of ($0.04), Yahoo Finance reports. Comstock had a negative return on equity of 12.67% and a negative net margin of 2,266.90%. Comstock Stock Performance Shares of LODE opened at $0.45 on Thursday. The business has a 50-day moving average of $0.50 and a 200 day moving average of $0.46. Comstock has a fifty-two week low of $0.28 and a fifty-two week high of $0.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a current ratio of 2.64 and a quick ratio of 2.64. Get Comstock alerts: Institutional Investors Weigh In On Comstock Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in Comstock by 41.0% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 3,193,849 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,309,000 after buying an additional 929,279 shares in the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC grew its holdings in Comstock by 609.3% during the 4th quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 320,206 shares of the companys stock valued at $88,000 after buying an additional 275,060 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Comstock by 27.5% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 701,485 shares of the companys stock valued at $512,000 after buying an additional 151,092 shares in the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. grew its holdings in Comstock by 48.9% during the 2nd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 431,882 shares of the companys stock valued at $315,000 after buying an additional 141,832 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. purchased a new position in Comstock during the 2nd quarter valued at about $44,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 5.17% of the companys stock. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Separately, StockNews.com initiated coverage on Comstock in a research note on Monday. They set a sell rating on the stock. View Our Latest Analysis on Comstock About Comstock (Get Free Report) Comstock Inc engages in systemic decarbonization business in Nevada. It operates through Renewable Energy, Metals and Mining, and Strategic and Corporate Investments segments. The company produces aviation, and marine fuel; carbon neutral ethanol, oil, gasoline, renewable diesel, and other renewable replacements. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Comstock Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Comstock and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. trimmed its position in Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico, S.A.B. de C.V. (NYSE:PAC Free Report) by 16.5% in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 13,282 shares of the transportation companys stock after selling 2,633 shares during the period. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd.s holdings in Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico were worth $2,183,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. BlackRock Inc. lifted its position in Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico by 8.3% in the third quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 1,429,111 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $181,182,000 after purchasing an additional 109,898 shares during the period. Deutsche Bank AG lifted its position in Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico by 63.9% in the third quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 998,367 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $164,102,000 after purchasing an additional 389,214 shares during the period. State Street Corp lifted its position in Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico by 5.3% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 392,448 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $54,778,000 after purchasing an additional 19,635 shares during the period. Nuveen Asset Management LLC lifted its position in Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico by 11.5% in the second quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC now owns 144,903 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $25,897,000 after purchasing an additional 14,993 shares during the period. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP lifted its position in Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico by 7.6% in the second quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 120,622 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $21,553,000 after purchasing an additional 8,473 shares during the period. 11.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Separately, The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico from a neutral rating to a buy rating and increased their price objective for the company from $135.00 to $175.00 in a research report on Friday, January 26th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $175.00. Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico Price Performance Shares of NYSE:PAC opened at $146.23 on Thursday. Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico, S.A.B. de C.V. has a one year low of $107.25 and a one year high of $198.28. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $161.13 and a 200-day moving average of $156.84. The company has a market capitalization of $7.39 billion, a PE ratio of 13.25, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.67 and a beta of 1.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.83, a quick ratio of 1.22 and a current ratio of 1.22. Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico Increases Dividend The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, December 26th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, December 14th were given a dividend of $2.1589 per share. This represents a dividend yield of 5.1%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, December 13th. This is an increase from Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacificos previous dividend of $2.13. Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacificos dividend payout ratio is 69.11%. About Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico (Free Report) Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico, SAB. de C.V., together with its subsidiaries, manages, operates, and develops airports primarily in Mexico's Pacific region. The company was incorporated in 1998 and is headquartered in Guadalajara, Mexico. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding PAC? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico, S.A.B. de C.V. (NYSE:PAC Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Corton Capital Inc. lowered its position in The Charles Schwab Co. (NYSE:SCHW Free Report) by 56.1% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 9,977 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 12,752 shares during the period. Corton Capital Inc.s holdings in Charles Schwab were worth $548,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Beacon Pointe Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Charles Schwab by 54.2% in the second quarter. Beacon Pointe Advisors LLC now owns 135,940 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $7,705,000 after purchasing an additional 47,792 shares in the last quarter. Bamco Inc. NY raised its stake in shares of Charles Schwab by 0.5% in the third quarter. Bamco Inc. NY now owns 8,102,475 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $444,826,000 after buying an additional 42,588 shares during the period. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Charles Schwab by 43.2% in the third quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 551,682 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $30,287,000 after buying an additional 166,316 shares during the period. Act Two Investors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Charles Schwab in the second quarter valued at $13,488,000. Finally, 180 Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Charles Schwab by 6.1% in the third quarter. 180 Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 32,214 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,769,000 after buying an additional 1,843 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 81.61% of the companys stock. Get Charles Schwab alerts: Insider Activity at Charles Schwab In related news, CFO Peter B. Crawford sold 4,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $64.49, for a total transaction of $257,960.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 37,611 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,425,533.39. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In other Charles Schwab news, CFO Peter B. Crawford sold 4,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, January 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $64.49, for a total value of $257,960.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 37,611 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,425,533.39. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CFO Peter B. Crawford sold 8,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $64.76, for a total value of $518,080.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 29,611 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,917,608.36. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 158,116 shares of company stock worth $10,232,094 in the last ninety days. 6.60% of the stock is owned by company insiders. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several analysts have issued reports on the company. TD Cowen assumed coverage on Charles Schwab in a research note on Thursday, January 4th. They issued a market perform rating and a $77.00 target price on the stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lowered Charles Schwab from an outperform rating to a market perform rating and lowered their target price for the company from $75.00 to $70.00 in a research note on Thursday, January 18th. Barclays boosted their price objective on Charles Schwab from $64.00 to $68.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 21st. Raymond James decreased their price objective on Charles Schwab from $78.00 to $75.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 18th. Finally, JMP Securities reiterated a market outperform rating and set a $77.00 price objective on shares of Charles Schwab in a research note on Thursday, January 18th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and seven have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Charles Schwab has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $69.92. Check Out Our Latest Research Report on SCHW Charles Schwab Price Performance Shares of SCHW traded up $0.85 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $66.50. The stock had a trading volume of 935,220 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,645,154. The companys 50-day moving average is $65.10 and its 200 day moving average is $59.97. The Charles Schwab Co. has a 12-month low of $45.00 and a 12-month high of $78.18. The company has a current ratio of 0.43, a quick ratio of 0.66 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.82. The company has a market capitalization of $117.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 0.99. Charles Schwab (NYSE:SCHW Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 17th. The financial services provider reported $0.68 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.64 by $0.04. Charles Schwab had a return on equity of 21.33% and a net margin of 26.90%. The firm had revenue of $4.46 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.49 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.07 EPS. The companys revenue for the quarter was down 18.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts predict that The Charles Schwab Co. will post 3.34 EPS for the current fiscal year. Charles Schwab Dividend Announcement The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 23rd. Investors of record on Friday, February 9th were issued a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.50%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 8th. Charles Schwabs dividend payout ratio is presently 39.37%. Charles Schwab Company Profile (Free Report) The Charles Schwab Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a savings and loan holding company that provides wealth management, securities brokerage, banking, asset management, custody, and financial advisory services. The company operates in two segments, Investor Services and Advisor Services. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding SCHW? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for The Charles Schwab Co. (NYSE:SCHW Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Charles Schwab Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Charles Schwab and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. A Boeing B787-9 Dreamliner of Shanghai Airlines, a subsidiary of China Eastern Airlines, arrives at the Liszt Ferenc International Airport in Budapest, Hungary, on June 7, 2019. (Xinhua/Budapest Liszt Ferenc International Airport) Boeing will develop the comprehensive action plan with measurable criteria that demonstrates the profound change that Administrator Mike Whitaker and the FAA demand. SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said on Wednesday it will give Boeing 90 days to come up with a comprehensive action plan to address its "systemic quality-control issues." The plan must also include steps Boeing will take to mature its Safety Management System (SMS) program, which it committed to in 2019. In addition, Boeing must integrate its SMS program with a Quality Management System, which will ensure the same level of rigor and oversight is applied to the company's suppliers and create a measurable, systemic shift in manufacturing quality control, it noted in a statement. "Boeing must commit to real and profound improvements," said the new FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker on Tuesday after meeting with Boeing Chief Executive Officer Dave Calhoun and his senior safety team. "Making foundational change will require a sustained effort from Boeing's leadership, and we are going to hold them accountable every step of the way, with mutually understood milestones and expectations." "Boeing must take a fresh look at every aspect of their quality-control process and ensure that safety is the company's guiding principle," Whitaker said. In a statement on Wednesday reacting to the FAA announcement, Calhoun said that the company has "a clear picture of what needs to be done" and that the company's leadership team "is totally committed to meeting this challenge." "Boeing will develop the comprehensive action plan with measurable criteria that demonstrates the profound change that Administrator Whitaker and the FAA demand," Calhoun said. The FAA noted the plan to fix the quality problems must take into account both the forthcoming results of an ongoing FAA production-line audit and the findings released Tuesday in an expert review panel report commissioned by the FAA. A preliminary report on the in-flight blowout of a fuselage panel on an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX last month by the National Transportation Safety Board revealed that four retainer bolts required to prevent the fuselage panel from coming off were not put back after the panel was opened and re-closed at Boeing's Renton 737 MAX final assembly plant. The report of the expert panel identified substantive upgrades needed to improve Boeing's quality and safety systems and directed the company to develop an action plan within six months. Just a day later, the FAA cut that to three months. The FAA has already stopped Boeing's planned ramp-up of 737 MAX production, capping the rate for now at 38 jets per month. CWA Asset Management Group LLC raised its holdings in Entergy Co. (NYSE:ETR Free Report) by 3.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 7,582 shares of the utilities providers stock after purchasing an additional 229 shares during the period. CWA Asset Management Group LLCs holdings in Entergy were worth $701,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in Entergy by 2.8% in the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 23,663,740 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $2,762,741,000 after buying an additional 650,775 shares in the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. grew its stake in Entergy by 1.5% in the 2nd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 17,680,096 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $1,721,511,000 after buying an additional 256,120 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its stake in Entergy by 3.1% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 12,739,479 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $1,240,443,000 after buying an additional 382,751 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its stake in Entergy by 11.9% in the 1st quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 4,664,512 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $502,556,000 after buying an additional 497,482 shares in the last quarter. Finally, FMR LLC grew its stake in Entergy by 64.4% in the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 4,562,369 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $422,019,000 after buying an additional 1,787,977 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.52% of the companys stock. Get Entergy alerts: Entergy Stock Down 0.2 % NYSE:ETR opened at $100.57 on Thursday. The firms 50-day moving average price is $100.62 and its 200-day moving average price is $98.06. The company has a market capitalization of $21.45 billion, a PE ratio of 9.07, a P/E/G ratio of 1.99 and a beta of 0.71. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.57, a current ratio of 0.57 and a quick ratio of 0.32. Entergy Co. has a 1-year low of $87.10 and a 1-year high of $111.90. Entergy Dividend Announcement Entergy ( NYSE:ETR Get Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 22nd. The utilities provider reported $0.52 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts consensus estimates of $0.52. Entergy had a net margin of 19.41% and a return on equity of 10.54%. The firm had revenue of $2.72 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.27 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.51 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Entergy Co. will post 7.22 EPS for the current fiscal year. The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 1st. Investors of record on Friday, February 9th will be given a dividend of $1.13 per share. This represents a $4.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.49%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 8th. Entergys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 40.76%. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of equities analysts have commented on the stock. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price target on shares of Entergy from $110.00 to $113.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Monday. Mizuho lowered their price objective on shares of Entergy from $113.00 to $105.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Friday, November 3rd. UBS Group upgraded shares of Entergy from a neutral rating to a buy rating and boosted their price objective for the stock from $103.00 to $118.00 in a report on Monday, November 6th. Guggenheim boosted their price objective on shares of Entergy from $99.00 to $103.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Friday, November 3rd. Finally, Barclays boosted their price objective on shares of Entergy from $99.00 to $104.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Tuesday, January 2nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $110.73. Read Our Latest Research Report on ETR Insider Activity at Entergy In other Entergy news, EVP Marcus V. Brown sold 38,417 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $101.53, for a total transaction of $3,900,478.01. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 9,380 shares in the company, valued at approximately $952,351.40. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 0.39% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. About Entergy (Free Report) Entergy Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the production and retail distribution of electricity in the United States. The company operates in two segments, Utility and Entergy Wholesale Commodities. The Utility segment generates, transmits, distributes, and sells electric power in portions of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, including the City of New Orleans; and distributes natural gas. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ETR? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Entergy Co. (NYSE:ETR Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Entergy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Entergy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Teza Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK Free Report) by 220.4% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 28,475 shares of the utilities providers stock after acquiring an additional 19,587 shares during the period. Teza Capital Management LLCs holdings in Duke Energy were worth $2,513,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Ascent Group LLC increased its stake in Duke Energy by 75.5% during the third quarter. Ascent Group LLC now owns 64,300 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $5,656,000 after acquiring an additional 27,666 shares during the last quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia increased its stake in Duke Energy by 30.5% during the third quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 88,933 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $7,849,000 after acquiring an additional 20,762 shares during the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC grew its stake in shares of Duke Energy by 323.9% in the third quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 62,974 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $5,558,000 after buying an additional 48,119 shares in the last quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina grew its stake in shares of Duke Energy by 0.5% in the third quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 338,885 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $29,910,000 after buying an additional 1,720 shares in the last quarter. Finally, MFA Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Duke Energy by 7.1% in the third quarter. MFA Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 17,203 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $1,518,000 after buying an additional 1,139 shares in the last quarter. 63.68% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Duke Energy alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. KeyCorp increased their target price on Duke Energy from $106.00 to $107.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, January 4th. StockNews.com upgraded Duke Energy from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note on Friday, November 3rd. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on Duke Energy from $93.00 to $95.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 21st. Royal Bank of Canada raised Duke Energy from a sector perform rating to an outperform rating and increased their price target for the company from $101.00 to $113.00 in a report on Wednesday, January 10th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on Duke Energy from $103.00 to $100.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 9th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $100.00. Insider Buying and Selling In related news, EVP Louis E. Renjel sold 3,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $92.57, for a total value of $277,710.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 14,213 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,315,697.41. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.10% of the companys stock. Duke Energy Trading Up 0.6 % NYSE:DUK opened at $91.32 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.49, a current ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.50. The businesss 50 day moving average is $95.35 and its two-hundred day moving average is $92.28. Duke Energy Co. has a 52 week low of $83.06 and a 52 week high of $100.39. The company has a market cap of $70.39 billion, a PE ratio of 25.56, a P/E/G ratio of 2.89 and a beta of 0.48. Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 8th. The utilities provider reported $1.51 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.53 by ($0.02). Duke Energy had a return on equity of 8.93% and a net margin of 9.78%. The firm had revenue of $7.21 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.24 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $1.11 EPS. The companys quarterly revenue was down 1.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts predict that Duke Energy Co. will post 5.97 EPS for the current year. Duke Energy Dividend Announcement The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 18th. Investors of record on Friday, February 16th will be issued a $1.025 dividend. This represents a $4.10 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.49%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 15th. Duke Energys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 115.49%. Duke Energy Company Profile (Free Report) Duke Energy Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an energy company in the United States. It operates through two segments, Electric Utilities and Infrastructure (EU&I) and Gas Utilities and Infrastructure (GU&I). The EU&I segment generates, transmits, distributes, and sells electricity in the Carolinas, Florida, and the Midwest; and uses coal, hydroelectric, natural gas, oil, solar and wind sources, renewables, and nuclear fuel to generate electricity. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding DUK? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Duke Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Duke Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Eldorado Gold Co. (TSE:ELD Free Report) (NYSE:EGO) Equities researchers at National Bank Financial issued their FY2025 EPS estimates for Eldorado Gold in a research report issued on Sunday, February 25th. National Bank Financial analyst S. Nagle anticipates that the company will post earnings per share of $1.30 for the year. National Bank Financial has a Outperform Spec Overweight rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Eldorado Golds current full-year earnings is $1.12 per share. Get Eldorado Gold alerts: Other equities analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Canaccord Genuity Group raised their target price on shares of Eldorado Gold from C$16.00 to C$17.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 7th. Stifel Canada lowered shares of Eldorado Gold from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Friday, January 26th. Stifel Nicolaus lowered shares of Eldorado Gold from a buy rating to a hold rating and lifted their price target for the stock from C$15.50 to C$17.25 in a report on Friday, January 26th. Cormark cut their price target on shares of Eldorado Gold from C$26.00 to C$25.00 in a report on Monday. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on shares of Eldorado Gold from C$17.00 to C$18.00 in a research note on Wednesday, December 13th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Eldorado Gold has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of C$18.06. Eldorado Gold Stock Performance Shares of TSE:ELD opened at C$13.78 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of C$2.80 billion, a PE ratio of 18.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 56.20 and a beta of 1.17. The firms 50 day simple moving average is C$16.23 and its 200-day simple moving average is C$14.90. Eldorado Gold has a one year low of C$11.38 and a one year high of C$18.30. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 18.60, a quick ratio of 2.28 and a current ratio of 3.39. About Eldorado Gold (Get Free Report) Eldorado Gold Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the mining, exploration, development, and sale of mineral products primarily in Turkey, Canada, Greece, and Romania. The company primarily produces gold, as well as silver, lead, and zinc. It holds a 100% interest in the Kisladag and Efemcukuru gold mines located in western Turkey; Lamaque gold mines located in Canada; and Olympias, Stratoni, Skouries, Perama Hill, and Sapes gold mines located in Greece, as well as the 80.5% interest in Certej development projects located in Romania. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Eldorado Gold Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Eldorado Gold and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. SVB Leerink started coverage on shares of Envista (NYSE:NVST Free Report) in a report issued on Monday, MarketBeat.com reports. The firm issued an underperform rating and a $19.00 price target on the stock. Other research analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price objective on shares of Envista from $45.00 to $36.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, November 1st. Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on Envista from $42.00 to $38.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, November 2nd. UBS Group assumed coverage on Envista in a research note on Friday, January 5th. They issued a neutral rating and a $26.00 price target for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on Envista from $42.00 to $32.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, November 2nd. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group cut Envista from a buy rating to a hold rating and dropped their price target for the company from $30.00 to $23.00 in a research note on Friday, February 9th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, five have assigned a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $29.60. Get Envista alerts: Read Our Latest Analysis on Envista Envista Stock Down 2.7 % NYSE NVST opened at $20.87 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 2.23, a quick ratio of 1.90 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33. Envista has a 1-year low of $20.00 and a 1-year high of $40.92. The company has a 50 day moving average of $23.54 and a 200-day moving average of $25.42. The company has a market cap of $3.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -34.21, a PEG ratio of 2.36 and a beta of 1.39. Envista (NYSE:NVST Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 7th. The company reported $0.29 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.33 by ($0.04). Envista had a negative net margin of 3.90% and a positive return on equity of 6.31%. The business had revenue of $645.60 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $638.37 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.52 earnings per share. The firms quarterly revenue was down 2.3% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts expect that Envista will post 1.42 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Institutional Trading of Envista Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Envista during the 2nd quarter worth about $35,000. Belpointe Asset Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Envista by 80.6% in the 1st quarter. Belpointe Asset Management LLC now owns 901 shares of the companys stock valued at $37,000 after buying an additional 402 shares during the period. Headinvest LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Envista in the 3rd quarter valued at about $28,000. Fifth Third Bancorp grew its stake in shares of Envista by 98.1% in the 4th quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 1,254 shares of the companys stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 621 shares during the period. Finally, Covestor Ltd grew its stake in shares of Envista by 35.0% in the 1st quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 1,273 shares of the companys stock valued at $62,000 after buying an additional 330 shares during the period. Envista Company Profile (Get Free Report) Envista Holdings Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, develops, manufactures, markets, and sells dental products in the United States, China, and internationally. The company operates in two segments, Specialty Products & Technologies, and Equipment & Consumables. The Specialty Products & Technologies segment offers dental implant systems, guided surgery systems, biomaterials, and prefabricated and custom-built prosthetics to oral surgeons, prosthodontists, and periodontists; and brackets and wires, tubes and bands, archwires, clear aligners, digital orthodontic treatments, retainers, and other orthodontic laboratory products. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Envista Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Envista and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Chubb Limited (NYSE:CB Free Report) Stock analysts at Zacks Research raised their Q1 2024 earnings estimates for shares of Chubb in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday, February 28th. Zacks Research analyst T. De now forecasts that the financial services provider will post earnings of $5.15 per share for the quarter, up from their prior estimate of $5.14. The consensus estimate for Chubbs current full-year earnings is $21.23 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Chubbs Q2 2024 earnings at $5.30 EPS, Q3 2024 earnings at $4.62 EPS, Q4 2024 earnings at $5.57 EPS, FY2024 earnings at $20.64 EPS, Q1 2025 earnings at $5.03 EPS, Q3 2025 earnings at $7.07 EPS, Q4 2025 earnings at $7.02 EPS and FY2026 earnings at $24.55 EPS. Get Chubb alerts: Chubb (NYSE:CB Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 30th. The financial services provider reported $8.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $5.07 by $3.23. Chubb had a net margin of 18.11% and a return on equity of 16.45%. The firm had revenue of $13.38 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $12.88 billion. Other research analysts have also recently issued research reports about the stock. UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of Chubb from $245.00 to $256.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Monday, February 5th. HSBC started coverage on shares of Chubb in a research note on Thursday, December 28th. They issued a buy rating and a $263.00 price target on the stock. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Chubb from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Friday, January 5th. TD Cowen initiated coverage on shares of Chubb in a research report on Wednesday, January 10th. They set a market perform rating and a $254.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Raymond James upped their target price on shares of Chubb from $270.00 to $285.00 and gave the company a strong-buy rating in a research report on Thursday, February 1st. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, ten have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $253.00. View Our Latest Research Report on Chubb Chubb Trading Down 0.5 % Shares of CB stock opened at $253.60 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 0.29 and a quick ratio of 0.30. Chubb has a 1 year low of $183.40 and a 1 year high of $257.84. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $238.18 and a 200-day moving average price of $222.23. The company has a market cap of $102.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.62, a PEG ratio of 1.20 and a beta of 0.62. Institutional Trading of Chubb A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in CB. Americana Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Chubb in the third quarter valued at about $292,000. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise lifted its stake in shares of Chubb by 10.0% in the second quarter. Banque Cantonale Vaudoise now owns 14,287 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $2,752,000 after buying an additional 1,300 shares in the last quarter. Regent Peak Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Chubb by 3.9% in the third quarter. Regent Peak Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,244 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $259,000 after buying an additional 47 shares in the last quarter. Glassman Wealth Services lifted its stake in shares of Chubb by 9.7% in the second quarter. Glassman Wealth Services now owns 737 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $142,000 after buying an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management UK Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of Chubb in the third quarter worth about $937,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.30% of the companys stock. Insider Activity at Chubb In related news, EVP Timothy Alan Boroughs sold 33,150 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $255.11, for a total transaction of $8,456,896.50. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 50,486 shares of the companys stock, valued at $12,879,483.46. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. In other Chubb news, EVP Timothy Alan Boroughs sold 33,150 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $255.11, for a total value of $8,456,896.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 50,486 shares of the companys stock, valued at $12,879,483.46. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CAO Annmarie T. Hagan sold 7,180 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $245.04, for a total transaction of $1,759,387.20. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 6,105 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,495,969.20. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.37% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Chubb Announces Dividend The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 5th. Investors of record on Friday, March 15th will be given a dividend of $0.86 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 14th. This represents a $3.44 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.36%. Chubbs payout ratio is 15.76%. Chubb Company Profile (Get Free Report) Chubb Limited provides insurance and reinsurance products worldwide. The company's North America Commercial P&C Insurance segment offers commercial property, casualty, workers' compensation, package policies, risk management, financial lines, marine, construction, environmental, medical, cyber risk, surety, and excess casualty; and group accident and health insurance to large, middle market, and small commercial businesses. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Chubb Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Chubb and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Sherbrooke Park Advisers LLC lifted its stake in Evergy, Inc. (NYSE:EVRG Free Report) by 23.3% in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 17,022 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 3,222 shares during the quarter. Sherbrooke Park Advisers LLCs holdings in Evergy were worth $863,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Red Tortoise LLC boosted its position in shares of Evergy by 793.5% in the 1st quarter. Red Tortoise LLC now owns 411 shares of the companys stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 365 shares during the period. Clear Street Markets LLC boosted its position in shares of Evergy by 92.7% in the 1st quarter. Clear Street Markets LLC now owns 451 shares of the companys stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 217 shares during the period. Pacific Center for Financial Services acquired a new position in shares of Evergy in the 1st quarter valued at $37,000. Armstrong Advisory Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Evergy by 57.2% in the 3rd quarter. Armstrong Advisory Group Inc. now owns 632 shares of the companys stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 230 shares during the period. Finally, Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. acquired a new position in shares of Evergy in the 3rd quarter valued at $35,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 82.82% of the companys stock. Get Evergy alerts: Evergy Stock Up 0.9 % Shares of EVRG traded up $0.43 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $50.22. 76,936 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,798,567. Evergy, Inc. has a 12-month low of $46.92 and a 12-month high of $63.93. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $51.17 and a 200-day simple moving average of $51.59. The company has a quick ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 0.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.95. The company has a market cap of $11.54 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 16.82, a P/E/G ratio of 3.01 and a beta of 0.57. Evergy Dividend Announcement Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 22nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 11th will be paid a dividend of $0.6425 per share. This represents a $2.57 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.12%. Evergys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 86.82%. A number of equities research analysts have commented on EVRG shares. Barclays decreased their price objective on Evergy from $56.00 to $54.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Monday, January 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded Evergy from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating and raised their price objective for the stock from $54.00 to $60.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 9th. Guggenheim lowered Evergy from a buy rating to a neutral rating and set a $52.00 price objective for the company. in a research report on Monday, January 22nd. Finally, Bank of America raised their price objective on Evergy from $50.00 to $51.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Friday, January 19th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $54.25. View Our Latest Research Report on EVRG Evergy Profile (Free Report) Evergy, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the generation, transmission, distribution, and sale of electricity in Kansas and Missouri, the United States. The company generates electricity through coal, hydroelectric, landfill gas, uranium, and natural gas and oil sources, as well as solar, wind, other renewable sources. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding EVRG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Evergy, Inc. (NYSE:EVRG Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Evergy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Evergy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Gafisa S.A. (OTCMKTS:GFASY Get Free Report) saw a large decline in short interest in February. As of February 15th, there was short interest totalling 200 shares, a decline of 99.2% from the January 31st total of 26,300 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 4,600 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.0 days. Gafisa Price Performance Shares of OTCMKTS GFASY opened at $3.80 on Thursday. Gafisa has a 52 week low of $1.45 and a 52 week high of $6.94. The companys 50-day moving average price is $4.24 and its 200 day moving average price is $2.70. Get Gafisa alerts: About Gafisa (Get Free Report) Featured Articles Gafisa SA operates as a development and construction company under the Gafisa brand name in Brazil. The company is involved in residential, commercial, and hotel projects. It also provides technical consultancy services, and real estate management and construction services to third parties. Gafisa SA was founded in 1954 and is headquartered in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Receive News & Ratings for Gafisa Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Gafisa and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Gotham Asset Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Polaris Inc. (NYSE:PII Free Report) by 61.2% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 75,625 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 28,700 shares during the period. Gotham Asset Management LLC owned 0.13% of Polaris worth $7,876,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Financial Gravity Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Polaris during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $772,000. Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its position in shares of Polaris by 71.2% during the 2nd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 250 shares of the companys stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 104 shares during the last quarter. Money Concepts Capital Corp raised its holdings in Polaris by 89.1% in the 4th quarter. Money Concepts Capital Corp now owns 312 shares of the companys stock valued at $32,000 after acquiring an additional 147 shares during the last quarter. Huntington National Bank raised its holdings in Polaris by 526.0% in the 2nd quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 313 shares of the companys stock valued at $38,000 after acquiring an additional 263 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Employees Retirement System of Texas acquired a new position in Polaris in the 2nd quarter valued at $47,000. 87.36% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Polaris alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several brokerages have weighed in on PII. Morgan Stanley upgraded Polaris from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating and boosted their price target for the company from $103.00 to $113.00 in a report on Wednesday, January 17th. DA Davidson cut their price target on Polaris from $90.00 to $77.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Friday, December 15th. KeyCorp cut their price target on Polaris from $115.00 to $105.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 12th. BMO Capital Markets cut their price target on Polaris from $100.00 to $95.00 and set a market perform rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 31st. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada boosted their price target on Polaris from $100.00 to $103.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a report on Wednesday, January 31st. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Polaris has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $102.11. Polaris Stock Up 0.9 % NYSE PII traded up $0.83 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $93.03. The company had a trading volume of 96,429 shares, compared to its average volume of 691,798. Polaris Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $82.00 and a fifty-two week high of $138.49. The company has a market capitalization of $5.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.67 and a beta of 1.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31, a current ratio of 1.39 and a quick ratio of 0.46. The firms 50 day moving average is $91.68 and its 200 day moving average is $95.92. Polaris (NYSE:PII Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 30th. The company reported $1.98 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.67 by ($0.69). Polaris had a net margin of 5.63% and a return on equity of 40.98%. The company had revenue of $2.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.25 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $3.46 earnings per share. The firms revenue for the quarter was down 4.8% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Polaris Inc. will post 7.98 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Polaris Increases Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 15th. Investors of record on Friday, March 1st will be issued a $0.66 dividend. This is an increase from Polariss previous quarterly dividend of $0.65. This represents a $2.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.84%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 29th. Polariss dividend payout ratio is currently 29.89%. Polaris Company Profile (Free Report) Polaris Inc designs, engineers, manufactures, and markets powersports vehicles in the United States, Canada, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Off-Road, On-Road, and Marine. The company offers off-road vehicles (ORVs), including all-terrain vehicles and side-by-side vehicles; military and commercial ORVs; snowmobiles; motorcycles; and moto-roadsters, quadricycles, and boats. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding PII? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Polaris Inc. (NYSE:PII Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Polaris Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Polaris and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Gotham Asset Management LLC lessened its holdings in shares of Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO Free Report) by 19.9% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 164,471 shares of the companys stock after selling 40,741 shares during the quarter. Gotham Asset Management LLCs holdings in Altria Group were worth $6,916,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Capital World Investors lifted its position in Altria Group by 8.5% during the second quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 96,401,945 shares of the companys stock worth $4,367,008,000 after acquiring an additional 7,546,851 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its stake in Altria Group by 1.8% in the second quarter. State Street Corp now owns 70,564,529 shares of the companys stock valued at $3,262,710,000 after acquiring an additional 1,240,150 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in Altria Group by 1.9% in the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 44,456,064 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,857,271,000 after acquiring an additional 840,559 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Altria Group by 3.3% in the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 37,025,033 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,672,836,000 after acquiring an additional 1,168,982 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its stake in shares of Altria Group by 5.1% during the third quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 24,517,169 shares of the companys stock worth $990,002,000 after buying an additional 1,192,266 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 58.94% of the companys stock. Get Altria Group alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of analysts have weighed in on MO shares. UBS Group reaffirmed a sell rating and set a $36.10 target price on shares of Altria Group in a research note on Tuesday, January 23rd. StockNews.com cut shares of Altria Group from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Friday, February 23rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $47.22. Altria Group Price Performance Shares of Altria Group stock traded down $0.04 during trading on Thursday, hitting $40.95. The companys stock had a trading volume of 1,401,864 shares, compared to its average volume of 8,591,781. Altria Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $39.06 and a 52 week high of $48.04. The stock has a market cap of $72.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.97, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.47 and a beta of 0.66. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $40.68 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $41.65. Altria Group (NYSE:MO Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 1st. The company reported $1.18 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.17 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $5.02 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $5.06 billion. Altria Group had a net margin of 33.21% and a negative return on equity of 243.71%. Altria Groups revenue for the quarter was down 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $1.18 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts predict that Altria Group, Inc. will post 5.07 EPS for the current fiscal year. Altria Group declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock repurchase plan on Thursday, February 1st that authorizes the company to buyback $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the company to reacquire up to 1.4% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are usually a sign that the companys management believes its shares are undervalued. Altria Group Dividend Announcement The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, January 10th. Investors of record on Thursday, December 21st were issued a $0.98 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, December 20th. This represents a $3.92 annualized dividend and a yield of 9.57%. Altria Groups payout ratio is 85.78%. Altria Group Company Profile (Free Report) Altria Group, Inc, through its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells smokeable and oral tobacco products in the United States. The company offers cigarettes primarily under the Marlboro brand; large cigars and pipe tobacco under the Black & Mild brand; moist smokeless tobacco and snus products under the Copenhagen, Skoal, Red Seal, and Husky brands; oral nicotine pouches under the on! brand; and e-vapor products under the NJOY ACE brand. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Altria Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Altria Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. (NYSE:TV Get Free Report) has been given an average rating of Moderate Buy by the six brokerages that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and three have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12 month price target among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $5.52. Several equities analysts have commented on the stock. Morgan Stanley reissued an equal weight rating and set a $4.00 target price (down from $7.00) on shares of Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. in a research report on Friday, January 5th. StockNews.com raised shares of Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. from a sell rating to a hold rating in a report on Monday. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price objective on shares of Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. from $3.90 to $3.50 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, December 13th. Get Grupo Televisa S.A.B. alerts: Get Our Latest Research Report on Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. Trading Down 5.7 % Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Northern Trust Corp grew its stake in shares of Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. by 0.4% in the first quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 307,546 shares of the companys stock worth $3,599,000 after acquiring an additional 1,312 shares during the period. Profund Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. by 15.3% during the second quarter. Profund Advisors LLC now owns 18,365 shares of the companys stock valued at $94,000 after purchasing an additional 2,441 shares during the period. Quantbot Technologies LP purchased a new stake in Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. in the second quarter worth about $25,000. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV lifted its position in shares of Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. by 20.7% during the first quarter. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV now owns 20,868 shares of the companys stock valued at $110,000 after buying an additional 3,578 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Signaturefd LLC lifted its position in shares of Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. by 20.7% during the third quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 22,889 shares of the companys stock valued at $70,000 after buying an additional 3,926 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 37.47% of the companys stock. Shares of TV stock opened at $2.98 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.76, a quick ratio of 1.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64. Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. has a twelve month low of $2.10 and a twelve month high of $5.66. The company has a market capitalization of $1.68 billion, a P/E ratio of -2.84 and a beta of 1.77. The businesss 50 day moving average is $3.12 and its two-hundred day moving average is $3.18. Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. (NYSE:TV Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 22nd. The company reported ($0.88) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of ($0.01) by ($0.87). Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. had a negative net margin of 13.99% and a negative return on equity of 7.36%. The firm had revenue of $1.05 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.04 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted ($1.27) EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. will post 0.11 EPS for the current year. Grupo Televisa, S.A.B. Company Profile (Get Free Report Grupo Televisa, SAB. operates as a media company in the Spanish-speaking Mexico and internationally. It operates through three segments: Cable, Sky, and Other Businesses. The Cable segment operates cable multiple system that provides basic and premium television subscription, pay-per-view, installation, Internet subscription, and telephone and mobile services subscription services, as well as sales local and national advertising services; and telecommunication facilities, which offers data and long-distance services solutions to carriers and other telecommunications service providers through its fiber-optic network. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Grupo Televisa S.A.B. Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Grupo Televisa S.A.B. and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Iran's Constitutional Council spokesman Hadi Tahan Nazif is seen at a press conference in Tehran, Iran, on Feb. 28, 2024. More than 15,000 candidates from different walks of life would compete for the Iranian parliament's 290 seats in the upcoming elections, said Iran's Constitutional Council spokesman Hadi Tahan Nazif on Wednesday. Nazif made the remarks at a press conference in the Iranian capital Tehran, ahead of the 12th parliamentary and sixth Assembly of Experts elections which will be held in the country on Friday. A total of 144 candidates will compete for the eight-year-termed Assembly of Experts. The 88-member body is in charge of overseeing the activities of Iran's supreme leader and is empowered to designate and dismiss the supreme leader of Iran. (Xinhua/Shadati) TEHRAN, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- More than 15,000 candidates from different walks of life would compete for the Iranian parliament's 290 seats in the upcoming elections, said Iran's Constitutional Council spokesman Hadi Tahan Nazif on Wednesday. Nazif made the remarks at a press conference in the Iranian capital Tehran, ahead of the 12th parliamentary and sixth Assembly of Experts elections which will be held in the country on Friday. According to Nazif, candidates must be between 30 and 75 years old, and nearly 75 percent of those registered are qualified to compete in the elections. Meanwhile, almost 400 candidates were born in the 1990s and over 3,000 in the 1980s, and women constitute 13 percent of the candidates. He stressed candidates are from different walks of life, including lawyers, judges, teachers, and physicians. The spokesman said the Constitutional Council has trained about 230,000 Iranians to serve as monitors and observers at nearly 60,000 polling stations across the country during the elections. "Religious minorities have had their own seats in the Iranian parliament ever since the victory of the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution," he noted. A total of 144 candidates will compete for the eight-year-termed Assembly of Experts. The 88-member body is in charge of overseeing the activities of Iran's supreme leader and is empowered to designate and dismiss the supreme leader of Iran. Nazif said 250,000 forces had been tasked with ensuring security in the elections. A total of 61.17 million people meet the eligibility criteria for voting in the two elections, said Iran's Election Office earlier this month, according to the semi-official Mehr news agency. Iran's Constitutional Council spokesman Hadi Tahan Nazif is seen at a press conference in Tehran, Iran, on Feb. 28, 2024. More than 15,000 candidates from different walks of life would compete for the Iranian parliament's 290 seats in the upcoming elections, said Iran's Constitutional Council spokesman Hadi Tahan Nazif on Wednesday. Nazif made the remarks at a press conference in the Iranian capital Tehran, ahead of the 12th parliamentary and sixth Assembly of Experts elections which will be held in the country on Friday. A total of 144 candidates will compete for the eight-year-termed Assembly of Experts. The 88-member body is in charge of overseeing the activities of Iran's supreme leader and is empowered to designate and dismiss the supreme leader of Iran. (Xinhua/Shadati) This photo taken on Feb. 28, 2024 shows a view of a press conference in Tehran, Iran. More than 15,000 candidates from different walks of life would compete for the Iranian parliament's 290 seats in the upcoming elections, said Iran's Constitutional Council spokesman Hadi Tahan Nazif on Wednesday. Nazif made the remarks at a press conference in the Iranian capital Tehran, ahead of the 12th parliamentary and sixth Assembly of Experts elections which will be held in the country on Friday. A total of 144 candidates will compete for the eight-year-termed Assembly of Experts. The 88-member body is in charge of overseeing the activities of Iran's supreme leader and is empowered to designate and dismiss the supreme leader of Iran. (Xinhua/Shadati) Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. cut its position in shares of Humana Inc. (NYSE:HUM Free Report) by 79.7% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 185 shares of the insurance providers stock after selling 727 shares during the period. Itau Unibanco Holding S.A.s holdings in Humana were worth $90,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of HUM. Dorsey & Whitney Trust CO LLC lifted its holdings in Humana by 2.6% during the third quarter. Dorsey & Whitney Trust CO LLC now owns 817 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $397,000 after acquiring an additional 21 shares in the last quarter. Vestcor Inc increased its stake in Humana by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Vestcor Inc now owns 8,292 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $4,247,000 after purchasing an additional 22 shares in the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. increased its stake in Humana by 2.8% during the 3rd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 805 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $392,000 after purchasing an additional 22 shares in the last quarter. Exencial Wealth Advisors LLC increased its stake in Humana by 4.1% during the 4th quarter. Exencial Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 582 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $298,000 after purchasing an additional 23 shares in the last quarter. Finally, PDS Planning Inc increased its stake in Humana by 4.1% during the 3rd quarter. PDS Planning Inc now owns 609 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $296,000 after purchasing an additional 24 shares in the last quarter. 91.86% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Get Humana alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes HUM has been the topic of several research reports. Argus raised shares of Humana from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $550.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, December 12th. UBS Group reiterated a neutral rating and set a $370.00 price objective (down from $530.00) on shares of Humana in a report on Friday, January 26th. Royal Bank of Canada decreased their price objective on Humana from $507.00 to $415.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 26th. Stephens decreased their price objective on Humana from $550.00 to $430.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 26th. Finally, StockNews.com lowered shares of Humana from a strong-buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Friday, January 26th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $506.72. Insider Buying and Selling at Humana In other Humana news, Director Jorge S. Mesquita bought 545 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 20th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $367.09 per share, for a total transaction of $200,064.05. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 2,578 shares in the company, valued at approximately $946,358.02. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.32% of the companys stock. Humana Trading Down 3.2 % Shares of HUM stock opened at $351.15 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $42.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.72, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.13 and a beta of 0.46. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $405.71 and a 200 day simple moving average of $461.18. Humana Inc. has a 1 year low of $342.69 and a 1 year high of $541.21. The company has a current ratio of 1.59, a quick ratio of 1.59 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.63. Humana (NYSE:HUM Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 25th. The insurance provider reported ($0.11) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.76 by ($0.87). Humana had a net margin of 2.34% and a return on equity of 19.44%. The firm had revenue of $26.46 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $25.47 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.62 earnings per share. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 17.9% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts predict that Humana Inc. will post 16.03 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Humana Dividend Announcement The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 26th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 29th will be given a $0.885 dividend. This represents a $3.54 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.01%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, March 27th. Humanas dividend payout ratio is presently 17.86%. Humana Company Profile (Free Report) Humana Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a health and well-being company in the United States. It operates through two segments, Insurance and CenterWell. The company offers medical and supplemental benefit plans to individuals. It also has a contract with Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to administer the Limited Income Newly Eligible Transition prescription drug plan program; and contracts with various states to provide Medicaid, dual eligible, and long-term support services benefits. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding HUM? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Humana Inc. (NYSE:HUM Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Humana Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Humana and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Altus Power, Inc. (NYSE:AMPS Get Free Report) insider Anthony Savino sold 4,598 shares of Altus Power stock in a transaction on Friday, February 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $7.15, for a total transaction of $32,875.70. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 3,887,663 shares in the company, valued at approximately $27,796,790.45. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Anthony Savino also recently made the following trade(s): Get Altus Power alerts: On Wednesday, February 14th, Anthony Savino sold 34,725 shares of Altus Power stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $7.02, for a total value of $243,769.50. Altus Power Stock Performance Shares of AMPS stock opened at $6.57 on Thursday. Altus Power, Inc. has a 52 week low of $4.08 and a 52 week high of $7.41. The company has a market cap of $1.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.63 and a beta of 0.84. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $6.25 and a 200-day moving average of $5.80. The company has a quick ratio of 1.02, a current ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.80. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Altus Power Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. lifted its position in shares of Altus Power by 50.0% during the second quarter. Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. now owns 30,000 shares of the companys stock worth $162,000 after acquiring an additional 10,000 shares in the last quarter. abrdn plc purchased a new stake in Altus Power during the 2nd quarter worth about $254,000. ANTIPODES PARTNERS Ltd boosted its stake in Altus Power by 292.1% in the 3rd quarter. ANTIPODES PARTNERS Ltd now owns 25,503 shares of the companys stock worth $127,000 after purchasing an additional 18,999 shares during the period. DAVENPORT & Co LLC purchased a new position in Altus Power during the 3rd quarter valued at about $580,000. Finally, Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. increased its position in shares of Altus Power by 7.5% during the third quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 50,933 shares of the companys stock valued at $267,000 after buying an additional 3,571 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 45.92% of the companys stock. AMPS has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Northland Securities began coverage on Altus Power in a research report on Thursday, November 30th. They issued an outperform rating and a $10.00 price target on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on Altus Power from $8.00 to $7.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, November 14th. B. Riley raised their price target on shares of Altus Power from $8.00 to $10.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Monday, February 5th. UBS Group reduced their price objective on shares of Altus Power from $10.00 to $9.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, November 14th. Finally, Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on shares of Altus Power from $11.00 to $9.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Friday, December 8th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Altus Power presently has an average rating of Buy and a consensus target price of $8.86. Read Our Latest Analysis on AMPS About Altus Power (Get Free Report) Altus Power, Inc, a clean electrification company, develops, owns, constructs, and operates roof, ground, and carport-based photovoltaic solar energy generation and storage systems. It serves commercial, industrial, public sector, and community solar customers. The company was founded in 2013 and is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Altus Power Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Altus Power and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. grew its position in Mettler-Toledo International Inc. (NYSE:MTD Free Report) by 42.1% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 54 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock after acquiring an additional 16 shares during the quarter. Itau Unibanco Holding S.A.s holdings in Mettler-Toledo International were worth $60,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. grew its stake in shares of Mettler-Toledo International by 8.0% in the first quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 176 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock valued at $242,000 after buying an additional 13 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. grew its stake in shares of Mettler-Toledo International by 19.7% in the first quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. now owns 176 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock valued at $242,000 after buying an additional 29 shares in the last quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. grew its stake in shares of Mettler-Toledo International by 48.9% in the first quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 834 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock valued at $1,172,000 after buying an additional 274 shares in the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. grew its stake in shares of Mettler-Toledo International by 4.2% in the first quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 16,305 shares of the medical instruments suppliers stock valued at $21,817,000 after buying an additional 662 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Prudential PLC acquired a new stake in shares of Mettler-Toledo International in the first quarter valued at $626,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 93.11% of the companys stock. Get Mettler-Toledo International alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price objective on Mettler-Toledo International from $1,425.00 to $1,270.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Monday, November 13th. Citigroup reissued a sell rating and issued a $975.00 target price (down from $1,050.00) on shares of Mettler-Toledo International in a report on Monday, December 11th. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their target price on Mettler-Toledo International from $1,185.00 to $1,030.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Monday, November 13th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on Mettler-Toledo International from $1,520.00 to $1,300.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Monday, November 13th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded Mettler-Toledo International from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Monday, February 19th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $1,223.71. Mettler-Toledo International Price Performance NYSE:MTD opened at $1,243.57 on Thursday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $1,196.93 and a 200-day simple moving average of $1,136.03. The firm has a market cap of $26.71 billion, a PE ratio of 34.65, a P/E/G ratio of 3.31 and a beta of 1.15. Mettler-Toledo International Inc. has a 1-year low of $928.49 and a 1-year high of $1,615.97. Mettler-Toledo International (NYSE:MTD Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Friday, February 9th. The medical instruments supplier reported $9.40 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $10.32 by ($0.92). Mettler-Toledo International had a net margin of 20.82% and a negative return on equity of 904.59%. The company had revenue of $934.90 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $959.45 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $12.10 earnings per share. Mettler-Toledo Internationals revenue for the quarter was down 11.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Mettler-Toledo International Inc. will post 39.96 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Insiders Place Their Bets In other Mettler-Toledo International news, Director Elisha W. Finney sold 251 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,177.35, for a total transaction of $295,514.85. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 316 shares of the companys stock, valued at $372,042.60. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In other Mettler-Toledo International news, CFO Shawn Vadala sold 300 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,210.83, for a total transaction of $363,249.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 4,914 shares in the company, valued at $5,950,018.62. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Elisha W. Finney sold 251 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,177.35, for a total transaction of $295,514.85. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 316 shares in the company, valued at approximately $372,042.60. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 2.40% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Mettler-Toledo International Company Profile (Free Report) Mettler-Toledo International Inc manufactures and supplies precision instruments and services in the Americas, Europe, Asia, and internationally. It operates through five segments: U.S. Operations, Swiss Operations, Western European Operations, Chinese Operations, and Other. The company's laboratory instruments include laboratory balances, liquid pipetting solutions, automated laboratory reactors, real-time analytics, titrators, pH meters, process analytics sensors and analyzer technologies, physical value analyzers, density and refractometry, thermal analysis systems, and other analytical instruments; and LabX, a laboratory software platform to manage and analyze data generated from its instruments.Its industrial instruments comprise industrial weighing instruments and related terminals, automatic dimensional measurement and data capture solutions, vehicle scale systems, industrial software, metal detection equipment, x-ray systems, check weighing equipment, camera-based imaging equipment, track-and-trace solutions, and product inspection systems. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Mettler-Toledo International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Mettler-Toledo International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Kenmare Resources plc (LON:KMR Get Free Report)s stock price reached a new 52-week low during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as GBX 291 ($3.69) and last traded at GBX 302 ($3.83), with a volume of 105475 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 295 ($3.74). Kenmare Resources Stock Up 2.7 % The business has a 50-day moving average price of GBX 336.68 and a two-hundred day moving average price of GBX 382.54. The company has a quick ratio of 1.22, a current ratio of 4.84 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.78. The firm has a market cap of 270.81 million, a PE ratio of 172.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.03 and a beta of 0.40. Kenmare Resources Company Profile (Get Free Report) Kenmare Resources plc, together with its subsidiaries, produces and sells mineral sand products in China, the rest of Asia, Europe, the United States, and internationally. It operates the Moma Titanium Minerals Mine located on the northeast coast of Mozambique. The company's products include ilmenite, rutile, and zircon; and concentrates, including secondary zircon and mineral sand concentrates. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Kenmare Resources Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Kenmare Resources and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Caxton Associates LP lifted its stake in shares of M/I Homes, Inc. (NYSE:MHO Free Report) by 154.5% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 12,516 shares of the construction companys stock after acquiring an additional 7,598 shares during the quarter. Caxton Associates LPs holdings in M/I Homes were worth $1,052,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC boosted its position in shares of M/I Homes by 354.1% in the third quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 56,654 shares of the construction companys stock worth $4,761,000 after buying an additional 44,177 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its holdings in shares of M/I Homes by 231.1% during the second quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 396,480 shares of the construction companys stock worth $34,569,000 after acquiring an additional 276,730 shares in the last quarter. Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. purchased a new stake in shares of M/I Homes during the third quarter worth $908,000. UniSuper Management Pty Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of M/I Homes during the second quarter worth $638,000. Finally, Avior Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of M/I Homes by 10,597.4% during the third quarter. Avior Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,065 shares of the construction companys stock worth $342,000 after acquiring an additional 4,027 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 94.84% of the companys stock. Get M/I Homes alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets Several analysts recently issued reports on the company. Wedbush lowered M/I Homes from an outperform rating to a neutral rating and set a $116.00 price objective for the company. in a report on Monday, December 18th. StockNews.com upgraded M/I Homes from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Monday, February 19th. M/I Homes Price Performance Shares of MHO traded up $3.19 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $125.34. The company had a trading volume of 22,990 shares, compared to its average volume of 269,549. M/I Homes, Inc. has a twelve month low of $56.27 and a twelve month high of $140.73. The company has a market capitalization of $3.49 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.52 and a beta of 2.15. The companys 50-day moving average is $128.26 and its 200-day moving average is $106.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a current ratio of 6.84 and a quick ratio of 1.68. M/I Homes (NYSE:MHO Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 31st. The construction company reported $3.66 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $4.94 by ($1.28). The firm had revenue of $972.59 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.19 billion. M/I Homes had a return on equity of 19.75% and a net margin of 11.54%. On average, equities analysts anticipate that M/I Homes, Inc. will post 16.35 EPS for the current year. About M/I Homes (Free Report) M/I Homes, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a builder of single-family homes in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan, Florida, Texas, North Carolina, and Tennessee. The company operates through Northern Homebuilding, Southern Homebuilding, and Financial Services segments. It also designs, constructs, markets, and sells single-family homes and attached townhomes to first-time, millennial, move-up, empty-nester, and luxury buyers under the M/I Homes brand name. Read More Receive News & Ratings for M/I Homes Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for M/I Homes and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Magna International (NYSE:MGA Free Report) (TSE:MG) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report sent to investors on Monday. Other research analysts have also issued reports about the company. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on Magna International from $60.00 to $54.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, February 12th. UBS Group lifted their target price on Magna International from $59.00 to $60.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 17th. Barclays decreased their target price on Magna International from $65.00 to $63.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 24th. BMO Capital Markets decreased their target price on Magna International from $67.00 to $65.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Monday, February 12th. Finally, Scotiabank reduced their price objective on Magna International from $62.00 to $59.00 and set a sector perform rating for the company in a research report on Monday, February 12th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Magna International has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $63.93. Get Magna International alerts: View Our Latest Research Report on Magna International Magna International Price Performance Magna International stock opened at $54.87 on Monday. Magna International has a 1 year low of $46.71 and a 1 year high of $65.27. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $56.37 and a 200 day moving average price of $55.14. The company has a market cap of $15.74 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.00, a PEG ratio of 0.51 and a beta of 1.71. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a quick ratio of 0.71 and a current ratio of 1.06. Magna International (NYSE:MGA Get Free Report) (TSE:MG) last released its earnings results on Friday, February 9th. The company reported $1.33 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.46 by ($0.13). Magna International had a net margin of 2.83% and a return on equity of 13.15%. The company had revenue of $10.45 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $10.44 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.91 earnings per share. Magna Internationals revenue for the quarter was up 9.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts predict that Magna International will post 6.23 earnings per share for the current year. Magna International Increases Dividend The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 8th. Investors of record on Friday, February 23rd will be issued a dividend of $0.475 per share. This is a boost from Magna Internationals previous quarterly dividend of $0.46. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 22nd. This represents a $1.90 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.46%. Magna Internationals payout ratio is presently 45.02%. Institutional Investors Weigh In On Magna International Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Thomas White International Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Magna International by 8.6% during the 1st quarter. Thomas White International Ltd. now owns 13,142 shares of the companys stock worth $845,000 after acquiring an additional 1,043 shares in the last quarter. Achmea Investment Management B.V. acquired a new position in shares of Magna International in the 1st quarter valued at $2,036,000. Power Corp of Canada acquired a new position in shares of Magna International in the 1st quarter valued at $574,000. BNP Paribas Arbitrage SA boosted its position in shares of Magna International by 549.6% in the 1st quarter. BNP Paribas Arbitrage SA now owns 26,177 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,683,000 after purchasing an additional 22,147 shares during the period. Finally, BNP Paribas Arbitrage SNC boosted its position in shares of Magna International by 272.2% in the 3rd quarter. BNP Paribas Arbitrage SNC now owns 72,430 shares of the companys stock valued at $3,435,000 after purchasing an additional 52,971 shares during the period. 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. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Magna International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Magna International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Mather Group LLC. reduced its holdings in AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO Free Report) by 31.0% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 227 shares of the companys stock after selling 102 shares during the period. Mather Group LLC.s holdings in AutoZone were worth $576,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Householder Group Estate & Retirement Specialist LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AutoZone during the third quarter worth $25,000. Rock Creek Group LP acquired a new position in shares of AutoZone during the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. First Capital Advisors Group LLC. bought a new stake in shares of AutoZone in the 2nd quarter valued at about $32,000. MUFG Americas Holdings Corp raised its position in shares of AutoZone by 166.7% in the 3rd quarter. MUFG Americas Holdings Corp now owns 16 shares of the companys stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 10 shares during the period. Finally, Mascoma Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in AutoZone during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $38,000. 90.34% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get AutoZone alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of analysts recently commented on AZO shares. Barclays lowered their price objective on shares of AutoZone from $2,800.00 to $2,779.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research report on Monday, February 12th. UBS Group increased their price objective on AutoZone from $3,100.00 to $3,425.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Wednesday. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of AutoZone from $2,900.00 to $3,100.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday. StockNews.com cut shares of AutoZone from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Raymond James upgraded shares of AutoZone from an outperform rating to a strong-buy rating and increased their price objective for the stock from $2,850.00 to $3,100.00 in a research note on Wednesday, December 6th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, thirteen have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $3,001.88. AutoZone Trading Up 2.1 % AutoZone stock opened at $3,016.84 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $52.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.90, a PEG ratio of 1.45 and a beta of 0.70. AutoZone, Inc. has a 12 month low of $2,277.88 and a 12 month high of $3,017.31. The stocks 50 day moving average is $2,696.09 and its 200-day moving average is $2,613.77. AutoZone (NYSE:AZO Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 27th. The company reported $28.89 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $26.08 by $2.81. The firm had revenue of $3.86 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $4.32 billion. AutoZone had a negative return on equity of 57.23% and a net margin of 14.62%. The companys quarterly revenue was up 4.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $24.64 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that AutoZone, Inc. will post 149.23 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Insider Activity at AutoZone In other AutoZone news, VP Charles Pleas III sold 3,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $2,717.36, for a total transaction of $8,152,080.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 3,416 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,282,501.76. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In related news, VP Charles Pleas III sold 3,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $2,717.36, for a total transaction of $8,152,080.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 3,416 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,282,501.76. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director George R. Mrkonic, Jr. sold 414 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $2,541.85, for a total transaction of $1,052,325.90. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 3,470 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $8,820,219.50. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 14,807 shares of company stock worth $38,827,861. Company insiders own 2.50% of the companys stock. AutoZone Profile (Free Report) AutoZone, Inc retails and distributes automotive replacement parts and accessories in the United States, Mexico, and Brazil. The company provides various products for cars, sport utility vehicles, vans, and light trucks, including new and remanufactured automotive hard parts, maintenance items, accessories, and non-automotive products. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AZO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for AutoZone Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for AutoZone and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shares of Medical Properties Trust, Inc. (NYSE:MPW Get Free Report) were up 7.8% on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $4.25 and last traded at $4.14. Approximately 5,620,081 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 78% from the average daily volume of 25,072,365 shares. The stock had previously closed at $3.84. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth A number of equities research analysts recently commented on MPW shares. Stifel Nicolaus downgraded Medical Properties Trust from a buy rating to a hold rating and decreased their target price for the stock from $12.00 to $4.50 in a report on Friday, November 10th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft started coverage on Medical Properties Trust in a research report on Tuesday, January 30th. They issued a sell rating and a $2.00 price objective for the company. StockNews.com cut Medical Properties Trust from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research report on Thursday, February 22nd. KeyCorp reiterated a sector weight rating on shares of Medical Properties Trust in a research report on Friday, January 5th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price target on Medical Properties Trust from $8.00 to $5.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, February 20th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $7.62. Get Medical Properties Trust alerts: Check Out Our Latest Report on Medical Properties Trust Medical Properties Trust Price Performance Hedge Funds Weigh In On Medical Properties Trust The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $3.79 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $4.92. The company has a market cap of $2.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -4.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 1.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.32, a current ratio of 2.26 and a quick ratio of 3.52. Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Covestor Ltd boosted its stake in Medical Properties Trust by 94.8% during the first quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 4,505 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $95,000 after buying an additional 2,192 shares during the last quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Medical Properties Trust by 1,247.4% in the 4th quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. now owns 4,608 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $51,000 after purchasing an additional 4,266 shares during the last quarter. First Manhattan Co. acquired a new position in shares of Medical Properties Trust in the 1st quarter valued at $98,000. Advisors Asset Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Medical Properties Trust in the 3rd quarter valued at $28,000. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its stake in shares of Medical Properties Trust by 43.9% in the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 5,402 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $60,000 after purchasing an additional 1,649 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.46% of the companys stock. About Medical Properties Trust (Get Free Report) Medical Properties Trust, Inc is a self-advised real estate investment trust formed in 2003 to acquire and develop net-leased hospital facilities. From its inception in Birmingham, Alabama, the Company has grown to become one of the world's largest owners of hospital real estate with 441 facilities and approximately 44,000 licensed beds as of September 30, 2023. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Medical Properties Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Medical Properties Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Meeder Advisory Services Inc. lessened its holdings in American States Water (NYSE:AWR Free Report) by 25.2% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 3,281 shares of the utilities providers stock after selling 1,108 shares during the period. Meeder Advisory Services Inc.s holdings in American States Water were worth $258,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the business. LPL Financial LLC raised its position in shares of American States Water by 0.5% in the first quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 22,474 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $1,998,000 after buying an additional 110 shares in the last quarter. Gotham Asset Management LLC raised its position in shares of American States Water by 1.6% in the first quarter. Gotham Asset Management LLC now owns 7,713 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $686,000 after buying an additional 120 shares in the last quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. raised its position in American States Water by 4.0% during the first quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 3,634 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $324,000 after purchasing an additional 141 shares in the last quarter. Arizona State Retirement System raised its position in American States Water by 1.4% during the third quarter. Arizona State Retirement System now owns 10,528 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $828,000 after purchasing an additional 142 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CWM LLC raised its position in American States Water by 10.4% during the second quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,572 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $137,000 after purchasing an additional 148 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.67% of the companys stock. Get American States Water alerts: American States Water Stock Down 1.0 % Shares of NYSE:AWR opened at $70.93 on Thursday. The stocks 50-day moving average price is $76.94 and its 200-day moving average price is $79.74. American States Water has a 12-month low of $70.34 and a 12-month high of $95.07. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.62 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.05, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.78 and a beta of 0.44. The company has a current ratio of 1.24, a quick ratio of 1.13 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.12. American States Water Dividend Announcement American States Water ( NYSE:AWR Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 22nd. The utilities provider reported $0.55 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.53 by $0.02. American States Water had a return on equity of 13.54% and a net margin of 20.97%. The firm had revenue of $125.20 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $132.00 million. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.42 earnings per share. The companys revenue for the quarter was down .2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts anticipate that American States Water will post 3.01 earnings per share for the current year. The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 1st. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 20th will be paid a $0.43 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 16th. This represents a $1.72 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.43%. American States Waters payout ratio is presently 51.04%. Insider Buying and Selling In other American States Water news, Director Thomas A. Eichelberger bought 1,400 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 28th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $71.21 per share, with a total value of $99,694.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now directly owns 5,850 shares of the companys stock, valued at $416,578.50. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 0.82% of the stock is owned by insiders. Analyst Ratings Changes AWR has been the topic of a number of research reports. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on American States Water from $79.00 to $77.00 and set an underweight rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 23rd. StockNews.com downgraded American States Water from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research report on Thursday, November 23rd. Get Our Latest Report on AWR About American States Water (Free Report) American States Water Company, through its subsidiaries, provides water and electric services to residential, commercial, industrial, and other customers in the United States. It operates through three segments: Water, Electric, and Contracted Services. The company purchases, produces, distributes, and sells water, as well as distributes electricity. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AWR? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for American States Water (NYSE:AWR Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for American States Water Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for American States Water and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Nomura Holdings Inc. lessened its holdings in shares of Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK Free Report) by 59.4% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 23,000 shares of the utilities providers stock after selling 33,699 shares during the quarter. Nomura Holdings Inc.s holdings in Duke Energy were worth $2,030,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Fairfield Bush & CO. bought a new stake in shares of Duke Energy during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $40,000. Cibc World Market Inc. raised its position in Duke Energy by 1.2% in the first quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 47,250 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $5,276,000 after purchasing an additional 581 shares during the last quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Duke Energy by 29.5% during the first quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 9,751 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $1,089,000 after purchasing an additional 2,223 shares in the last quarter. Covestor Ltd increased its stake in shares of Duke Energy by 447.8% in the first quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 1,260 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $141,000 after buying an additional 1,030 shares during the period. Finally, Mather Group LLC. raised its holdings in Duke Energy by 5.2% in the 1st quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 6,505 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $726,000 after buying an additional 322 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 63.68% of the companys stock. Get Duke Energy alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes DUK has been the subject of several recent research reports. KeyCorp upped their price target on shares of Duke Energy from $106.00 to $107.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Thursday, January 4th. BMO Capital Markets decreased their price target on Duke Energy from $101.00 to $100.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Monday, February 12th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on Duke Energy from $93.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 21st. Royal Bank of Canada raised shares of Duke Energy from a sector perform rating to an outperform rating and increased their target price for the company from $101.00 to $113.00 in a research report on Wednesday, January 10th. Finally, Evercore ISI raised shares of Duke Energy from an in-line rating to an outperform rating and upped their price objective for the company from $90.00 to $108.00 in a research note on Tuesday, January 23rd. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $100.00. Insider Buying and Selling at Duke Energy In other Duke Energy news, EVP Louis E. Renjel sold 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $92.57, for a total transaction of $277,710.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 14,213 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,315,697.41. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.10% of the companys stock. Duke Energy Trading Down 0.1 % NYSE DUK opened at $90.74 on Thursday. Duke Energy Co. has a 52 week low of $83.06 and a 52 week high of $100.39. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $95.35 and a 200-day moving average price of $92.28. The company has a quick ratio of 0.49, a current ratio of 0.74 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.50. The company has a market cap of $69.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.56, a P/E/G ratio of 2.89 and a beta of 0.48. Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 8th. The utilities provider reported $1.51 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.53 by ($0.02). The company had revenue of $7.21 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $7.24 billion. Duke Energy had a return on equity of 8.93% and a net margin of 9.78%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was down 1.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.11 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts expect that Duke Energy Co. will post 5.97 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Duke Energy Announces Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 18th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 16th will be paid a $1.025 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 15th. This represents a $4.10 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.52%. Duke Energys payout ratio is presently 115.49%. About Duke Energy (Free Report) Duke Energy Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an energy company in the United States. It operates through two segments, Electric Utilities and Infrastructure (EU&I) and Gas Utilities and Infrastructure (GU&I). The EU&I segment generates, transmits, distributes, and sells electricity in the Carolinas, Florida, and the Midwest; and uses coal, hydroelectric, natural gas, oil, solar and wind sources, renewables, and nuclear fuel to generate electricity. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding DUK? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Duke Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Duke Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. BEIJING, Feb. 29 (Xinhua) -- China firmly opposes the U.K. statement related to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), and urges the U.K. to stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs, foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Thursday. Mao's remarks came after the release of a statement by the U.K. Foreign Secretary David Cameron on Feb. 28, which said that the HKSAR government's legislative proposals on Article 23 of the Basic Law do not uphold the obligations of the Sino-British Joint Declaration, and it will have a negative impact on the people of Hong Kong in the exercise of their rights and freedoms, and a risk that the work of international organizations in Hong Kong could be labeled as "foreign interference." "The statement of the U.K. is a gross interference in China's internal affairs and Hong Kong affairs, which lays bare again its deeply entrenched colonial mindset and mentality as a 'lecturer'. China firmly opposes it," said Mao. She said that the "concerns" by the U.K. have no ground. First, the Sino-British Joint Declaration by no means put the U.K. in a position or gave it any right to interfere in Hong Kong affairs. Second, one of the principles that guide the legislation on Article 23 of the Basic Law is to respect and protect human rights, and protect in accordance with the law the rights and freedoms which the residents of Hong Kong enjoy under the Basic Law and the provisions of relevant international covenants as applied to Hong Kong, Mao said. Third, the spokesperson added, there is a clear line drawn between acts that constitute an offence that endangers national security, and normal commercial exchanges and activities in the fields of economy, culture, and science and technology. The normal activities of foreign institutions and personnel in the HKSAR will continue to be protected in accordance with law. It is worth pointing out that the National Security Act of the U.K. that came into force last year contains many provisions with vague definitions and grants law enforcement agencies sweeping power, which can be easily abused, Mao said. "We urge the U.K. to find the right mindset, face squarely the fact that Hong Kong has already returned to China, stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs, reflect on its action, and end double standards," said Mao. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE:MUFG Free Report) by 22.2% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 496,775 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 90,129 shares during the quarter. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLCs holdings in Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group were worth $4,218,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in MUFG. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. increased its stake in Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group by 14.5% during the 2nd quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 11,477,165 shares of the companys stock worth $84,587,000 after buying an additional 1,451,108 shares during the period. Natixis Advisors L.P. increased its stake in Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group by 7.5% during the 3rd quarter. Natixis Advisors L.P. now owns 11,060,016 shares of the companys stock worth $93,900,000 after buying an additional 773,830 shares during the period. BlackRock Inc. increased its stake in Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group by 6.4% during the 2nd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 5,966,027 shares of the companys stock worth $43,970,000 after buying an additional 357,659 shares during the period. FMR LLC increased its stake in Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group by 4.4% during the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 4,477,626 shares of the companys stock worth $38,015,000 after buying an additional 188,668 shares during the period. Finally, Jane Street Group LLC increased its stake in Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group by 1,929.8% during the 4th quarter. Jane Street Group LLC now owns 4,140,729 shares of the companys stock worth $27,619,000 after buying an additional 3,936,735 shares during the period. 1.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group alerts: Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Price Performance Shares of MUFG opened at $10.14 on Thursday. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $5.99 and a fifty-two week high of $10.27. The firms 50 day moving average price is $9.15 and its 200 day moving average price is $8.63. The company has a quick ratio of 0.91, a current ratio of 0.91 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.57. The company has a market cap of $125.10 billion, a P/E ratio of 8.18, a PEG ratio of 0.89 and a beta of 0.59. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Profile Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group ( NYSE:MUFG Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 5th. The company reported $0.21 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.17 by $0.04. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group had a net margin of 19.14% and a return on equity of 7.78%. The company had revenue of $19.25 billion for the quarter. On average, research analysts forecast that Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. will post 0.81 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. (Free Report) Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc operates as the bank holding company for MUFG Bank, Ltd. that provides various financial services in Japan, the United States, Europe, Asia/Oceania, and internationally. It operates through Digital Service Business Group; Retail & Commercial Banking Business Group; Japanese Corporate & Investment Banking Business Group; Asset Management & Investor Services Business Group; Global Corporate & Investment Banking Business Group; Global Commercial Banking Business Group; and Global Markets Business Group segments. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Richard Bernstein Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI South Korea ETF (NYSEARCA:EWY Free Report) by 11.3% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 291,300 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after acquiring an additional 29,500 shares during the quarter. Richard Bernstein Advisors LLCs holdings in iShares MSCI South Korea ETF were worth $17,169,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in EWY. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. grew its stake in shares of iShares MSCI South Korea ETF by 2.1% in the first quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 7,864 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $560,000 after buying an additional 160 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. grew its stake in shares of iShares MSCI South Korea ETF by 14.2% in the first quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 15,163 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $1,080,000 after buying an additional 1,886 shares in the last quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. grew its stake in shares of iShares MSCI South Korea ETF by 17.9% in the first quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 14,549 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $1,036,000 after buying an additional 2,206 shares in the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. grew its stake in shares of iShares MSCI South Korea ETF by 84.2% in the first quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 1,750,438 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $124,683,000 after buying an additional 800,235 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Cibc World Market Inc. grew its stake in shares of iShares MSCI South Korea ETF by 1.0% in the first quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 68,846 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $4,904,000 after buying an additional 701 shares in the last quarter. Get iShares MSCI South Korea ETF alerts: iShares MSCI South Korea ETF Price Performance EWY stock traded down $0.15 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $64.00. 1,148,760 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 3,461,718. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $62.48 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $61.45. iShares MSCI South Korea ETF has a one year low of $54.49 and a one year high of $67.95. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.39 and a beta of 1.05. iShares MSCI South Korea ETF Company Profile iShares MSCI South Korea Capped ETF (the Fund) is an exchange-traded fund (ETF). The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the MSCI Korea 25/50 Index (the Index). The Index consists of stocks traded primarily on the Stock Market Division of the Korean Exchange. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding EWY? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares MSCI South Korea ETF (NYSEARCA:EWY Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for iShares MSCI South Korea ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares MSCI South Korea ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Saba Capital Management L.P. lifted its stake in shares of Eaton Vance California Municipal Income Trust (NYSE:CEV Free Report) by 12.0% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 644,516 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 69,042 shares during the quarter. Saba Capital Management L.P. owned about 9.17% of Eaton Vance California Municipal Income Trust worth $5,904,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. Several other hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the business. LPL Financial LLC grew its position in Eaton Vance California Municipal Income Trust by 57.3% in the 3rd quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 20,605 shares of the companys stock valued at $189,000 after purchasing an additional 7,505 shares during the period. Fort Point Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Eaton Vance California Municipal Income Trust in the 3rd quarter valued at $191,000. Atria Wealth Solutions Inc. acquired a new stake in Eaton Vance California Municipal Income Trust in the 3rd quarter valued at $183,000. Raymond James & Associates grew its position in Eaton Vance California Municipal Income Trust by 56.8% in the 3rd quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 20,700 shares of the companys stock valued at $190,000 after purchasing an additional 7,500 shares during the period. Finally, Rivernorth Capital Management LLC acquired a new stake in Eaton Vance California Municipal Income Trust in the 2nd quarter valued at $185,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 26.77% of the companys stock. Get Eaton Vance California Municipal Income Trust alerts: Eaton Vance California Municipal Income Trust Stock Performance NYSE CEV traded up $0.01 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $10.36. The companys stock had a trading volume of 11,046 shares, compared to its average volume of 17,269. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $10.50 and its 200 day simple moving average is $9.88. Eaton Vance California Municipal Income Trust has a twelve month low of $8.83 and a twelve month high of $10.91. Eaton Vance California Municipal Income Trust Dividend Announcement Insider Buying and Selling at Eaton Vance California Municipal Income Trust The business also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, February 20th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 13th were paid a dividend of $0.0434 per share. This represents a $0.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.03%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 12th. In related news, major shareholder Saba Capital Management, L.P. acquired 20,659 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, December 8th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $10.08 per share, for a total transaction of $208,242.72. Following the purchase, the insider now owns 931,997 shares in the company, valued at $9,394,529.76. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. In the last three months, insiders have purchased 75,616 shares of company stock worth $758,740. Eaton Vance California Municipal Income Trust Company Profile (Free Report) Eaton Vance California Municipal Income Trust is a close ended fixed income mutual fund launched and managed by Eaton Vance Management. It invests in the fixed income markets. The fund invests primarily in debt securities issued by education, hospital, housing, insured-education, insured-electric utilities, insured-hospital, insured-transportation, insured-water and sewer, transportation, and other sectors. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Eaton Vance California Municipal Income Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Eaton Vance California Municipal Income Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Saba Capital Management L.P. grew its stake in BlackRock MuniVest Fund, Inc. (NYSE:MVF Free Report) by 37.8% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 545,041 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 149,589 shares during the period. Saba Capital Management L.P. owned 0.85% of BlackRock MuniVest Fund worth $3,303,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Karpus Management Inc. grew its holdings in BlackRock MuniVest Fund by 6.6% during the second quarter. Karpus Management Inc. now owns 6,787,838 shares of the companys stock worth $45,682,000 after purchasing an additional 422,720 shares during the period. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. lifted its position in BlackRock MuniVest Fund by 1.8% during the third quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 145,501 shares of the companys stock worth $882,000 after acquiring an additional 2,524 shares during the last quarter. Advisor Partners II LLC acquired a new stake in BlackRock MuniVest Fund during the third quarter worth approximately $2,850,000. Indiana Trust & Investment Management CO acquired a new stake in BlackRock MuniVest Fund during the third quarter worth approximately $883,000. Finally, Wolverine Asset Management LLC lifted its position in BlackRock MuniVest Fund by 34.6% during the third quarter. Wolverine Asset Management LLC now owns 28,019 shares of the companys stock worth $170,000 after acquiring an additional 7,204 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 39.48% of the companys stock. Get BlackRock MuniVest Fund alerts: BlackRock MuniVest Fund Trading Up 0.4 % MVF stock traded up $0.03 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $6.96. 134,535 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 173,879. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $6.99 and a 200-day simple moving average of $6.63. BlackRock MuniVest Fund, Inc. has a 1-year low of $5.85 and a 1-year high of $7.19. BlackRock MuniVest Fund Announces Dividend BlackRock MuniVest Fund Company Profile The firm also recently declared a dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 29th. Stockholders of record on Friday, December 15th were given a $0.03 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, December 14th. This represents a dividend yield of 5.24%. (Free Report) BlackRock MuniVest Fund, Inc is a closed-ended fixed income mutual fund launched by BlackRock, Inc It is managed by BlackRock Advisors, LLC. The fund invests in the fixed income markets of the United States. It primarily invests in investment grade, long term municipal obligations that are exempt from federal income taxes. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MVF? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for BlackRock MuniVest Fund, Inc. (NYSE:MVF Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for BlackRock MuniVest Fund Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for BlackRock MuniVest Fund and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. SAF-Holland SE (OTCMKTS:SFHLF Get Free Report) was the target of a large drop in short interest in the month of February. As of February 15th, there was short interest totalling 100 shares, a drop of 66.7% from the January 31st total of 300 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 0 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently days. SAF-Holland Stock Performance OTCMKTS:SFHLF opened at C$11.85 on Thursday. SAF-Holland has a 1-year low of C$10.89 and a 1-year high of C$11.85. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of C$11.85 and a 200 day simple moving average of C$11.26. Get SAF-Holland alerts: SAF-Holland Company Profile (Get Free Report) Read More SAF-Holland SE manufactures and supplies chassis-related assemblies and components for trailers, trucks, semi-trailers, and buses. The company offers axle and air suspension systems, fifth wheels, hweel systems, coupling systems, kingpins, and landing gears, as well as ball races, braking and EBS systems, lighting systems, and disc brakes. Receive News & Ratings for SAF-Holland Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for SAF-Holland and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Sherbrooke Park Advisers LLC grew its stake in shares of Motorola Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:MSI Free Report) by 224.3% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 3,891 shares of the communications equipment providers stock after acquiring an additional 2,691 shares during the period. Sherbrooke Park Advisers LLCs holdings in Motorola Solutions were worth $1,059,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of MSI. State Street Corp lifted its position in Motorola Solutions by 1.3% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 7,019,371 shares of the communications equipment providers stock valued at $2,064,642,000 after purchasing an additional 88,158 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its position in Motorola Solutions by 3.5% in the 1st quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 3,531,492 shares of the communications equipment providers stock valued at $1,008,362,000 after purchasing an additional 119,907 shares during the last quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. lifted its position in Motorola Solutions by 1.9% in the 2nd quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 3,337,453 shares of the communications equipment providers stock valued at $978,808,000 after purchasing an additional 60,733 shares during the last quarter. FMR LLC increased its stake in Motorola Solutions by 1.6% during the 3rd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 2,350,325 shares of the communications equipment providers stock valued at $639,853,000 after buying an additional 37,718 shares during the period. Finally, Raymond James & Associates increased its stake in Motorola Solutions by 3.4% during the 3rd quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 2,059,176 shares of the communications equipment providers stock valued at $560,590,000 after buying an additional 67,528 shares during the period. 82.37% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Get Motorola Solutions alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several brokerages have recently issued reports on MSI. William Blair reaffirmed an outperform rating on shares of Motorola Solutions in a research note on Friday, February 9th. StockNews.com raised shares of Motorola Solutions from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Monday, February 12th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft started coverage on shares of Motorola Solutions in a research report on Friday, January 19th. They issued a buy rating and a $350.00 target price on the stock. Finally, Barclays lifted their target price on shares of Motorola Solutions from $333.00 to $352.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 2nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Motorola Solutions currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $328.29. Motorola Solutions Stock Performance Shares of Motorola Solutions stock traded up $1.76 on Thursday, reaching $333.01. The stock had a trading volume of 42,124 shares, compared to its average volume of 611,675. The businesss 50-day moving average price is $320.45 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $303.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 6.37, a quick ratio of 0.85 and a current ratio of 1.00. Motorola Solutions, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $255.85 and a fifty-two week high of $334.68. The stock has a market cap of $55.32 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.36, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.04 and a beta of 0.92. Motorola Solutions (NYSE:MSI Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 8th. The communications equipment provider reported $3.90 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $3.63 by $0.27. Motorola Solutions had a net margin of 17.12% and a return on equity of 441.65%. The business had revenue of $2.85 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.82 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $3.38 earnings per share. Motorola Solutionss revenue was up 5.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Motorola Solutions, Inc. will post 11.72 EPS for the current year. Motorola Solutions Announces Dividend The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 15th will be paid a $0.98 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 14th. This represents a $3.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.18%. Motorola Solutionss dividend payout ratio is presently 39.48%. About Motorola Solutions (Free Report) Motorola Solutions, Inc provides public safety and enterprise security solutions in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and internationally. The company operates in two segments, Products and Systems Integration, and Software and Services. The Products and Systems Integration segment offers a portfolio of infrastructure, devices, accessories, and video security devices and infrastructure, as well as the implementation and integration of systems, devices, software, and applications for government, public safety, and commercial customers who operate private communications networks and video security solutions, as well as manage a mobile workforce. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MSI? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Motorola Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:MSI Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Motorola Solutions Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Motorola Solutions and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Sherbrooke Park Advisers LLC grew its position in shares of Molson Coors Beverage (NYSE:TAP Free Report) by 41.4% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 13,853 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 4,053 shares during the period. Sherbrooke Park Advisers LLCs holdings in Molson Coors Beverage were worth $881,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of TAP. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. increased its position in shares of Molson Coors Beverage by 25.9% during the first quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 23,269 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,242,000 after buying an additional 4,792 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. increased its position in shares of Molson Coors Beverage by 17.1% during the first quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 18,462 shares of the companys stock valued at $985,000 after buying an additional 2,700 shares during the period. US Bancorp DE increased its position in shares of Molson Coors Beverage by 45.7% during the first quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 3,834 shares of the companys stock valued at $205,000 after buying an additional 1,203 shares during the period. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Molson Coors Beverage by 4.5% during the first quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 16,654 shares of the companys stock valued at $889,000 after buying an additional 720 shares during the period. Finally, Natixis Advisors L.P. increased its position in shares of Molson Coors Beverage by 26.3% during the first quarter. Natixis Advisors L.P. now owns 14,411 shares of the companys stock valued at $769,000 after buying an additional 3,001 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 73.95% of the companys stock. Get Molson Coors Beverage alerts: Molson Coors Beverage Stock Up 0.4 % Shares of NYSE:TAP traded up $0.25 during trading on Thursday, reaching $62.70. 51,658 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,608,949. The stock has a market cap of $13.52 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.19 and a beta of 0.82. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $62.07 and a two-hundred day moving average of $61.52. Molson Coors Beverage has a 52-week low of $49.32 and a 52-week high of $70.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a quick ratio of 0.50 and a current ratio of 0.70. Molson Coors Beverage Increases Dividend Molson Coors Beverage ( NYSE:TAP Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 13th. The company reported $1.19 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.12 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $2.79 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.78 billion. Molson Coors Beverage had a net margin of 6.83% and a return on equity of 8.89%. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 6.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $1.30 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Molson Coors Beverage will post 5.66 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 15th. Investors of record on Friday, March 1st will be given a dividend of $0.44 per share. This is an increase from Molson Coors Beverages previous quarterly dividend of $0.41. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 29th. This represents a $1.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.81%. Molson Coors Beverages dividend payout ratio is 37.61%. Insider Activity at Molson Coors Beverage In related news, CFO Tracey Joubert sold 2,771 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.37, for a total transaction of $167,285.27. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 60,538 shares in the company, valued at $3,654,679.06. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 2.30% of the stock is owned by insiders. Analyst Ratings Changes Several brokerages recently issued reports on TAP. TheStreet upgraded shares of Molson Coors Beverage from a c rating to a b- rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 13th. HSBC began coverage on shares of Molson Coors Beverage in a report on Thursday, November 30th. They issued a hold rating and a $68.00 price objective on the stock. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Molson Coors Beverage from $64.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Thursday, February 15th. Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on shares of Molson Coors Beverage in a report on Monday, November 13th. They issued a hold rating and a $62.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of Molson Coors Beverage from a sell rating to a hold rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $57.00 to $58.00 in a report on Friday, November 3rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have assigned a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $67.57. View Our Latest Stock Report on TAP About Molson Coors Beverage (Free Report) Molson Coors Beverage Company manufactures, markets, and sells beer and other malt beverage products under various brands in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. The company offers flavored malt beverages including hard seltzers, craft, and ready to drink beverages. It provides its products under Aspall Cider, Blue Moon, Coors Original, Hop Valley brands, Leinenkugel's, Miller Genuine Draft, Molson Ultra, Sharp's, Staropramen, and Vizzy Hard Seltzer above premier brands; Bergenbier, Borsodi, Carling, Coors Banquet, Coors Light, Jelen, Kamenitza, Miller Lite, Molson Canadian Lager, Molson Dry, Molson Export, and Niksicko, Ozujsko under the premium brands; and Branik, Icehouse, Keystone, Miller High Life, Milwaukee's Best, and Steel Reserve under the economy brands. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Molson Coors Beverage Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Molson Coors Beverage and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Sherbrooke Park Advisers LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LW Free Report) in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 8,606 shares of the specialty retailers stock, valued at approximately $796,000. A number of other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. lifted its holdings in Lamb Weston by 28.3% during the 3rd quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 104,527 shares of the specialty retailers stock worth $9,665,000 after buying an additional 23,085 shares during the last quarter. Lmcg Investments LLC lifted its holdings in Lamb Weston by 2.2% during the 3rd quarter. Lmcg Investments LLC now owns 13,946 shares of the specialty retailers stock worth $1,289,000 after buying an additional 304 shares during the last quarter. State of Wisconsin Investment Board lifted its holdings in Lamb Weston by 31.3% during the 2nd quarter. State of Wisconsin Investment Board now owns 173,152 shares of the specialty retailers stock worth $19,904,000 after buying an additional 41,294 shares during the last quarter. Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund lifted its holdings in shares of Lamb Weston by 13.1% in the 3rd quarter. Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund now owns 26,800 shares of the specialty retailers stock worth $2,478,000 after purchasing an additional 3,100 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Lamb Weston by 1.3% in the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,145,465 shares of the specialty retailers stock worth $105,910,000 after purchasing an additional 14,527 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 85.77% of the companys stock. Get Lamb Weston alerts: Lamb Weston Price Performance Shares of LW stock traded up $0.59 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $101.57. 29,793 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,568,198. Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. has a twelve month low of $81.25 and a twelve month high of $117.38. The firm has a market cap of $14.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.13, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 0.72. The companys 50-day simple moving average is $104.94 and its 200-day simple moving average is $98.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.95, a quick ratio of 0.57 and a current ratio of 1.29. Lamb Weston Increases Dividend Lamb Weston ( NYSE:LW Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 4th. The specialty retailer reported $1.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.42 by $0.03. Lamb Weston had a return on equity of 63.19% and a net margin of 17.71%. The company had revenue of $1.73 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.70 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.28 EPS. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 35.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc. will post 5.94 earnings per share for the current year. The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 2nd will be given a dividend of $0.36 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 1st. This is a boost from Lamb Westons previous quarterly dividend of $0.28. This represents a $1.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.42%. Lamb Westons dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 18.73%. Analysts Set New Price Targets Several analysts recently issued reports on LW shares. Wells Fargo & Company started coverage on Lamb Weston in a report on Tuesday, December 12th. They issued an overweight rating and a $120.00 price target on the stock. Citigroup initiated coverage on Lamb Weston in a report on Thursday, February 1st. They issued a buy rating and a $132.00 price target on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their target price on Lamb Weston from $115.00 to $130.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Friday, January 5th. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded Lamb Weston from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research note on Friday, January 5th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has given a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $127.11. Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on LW Lamb Weston Profile (Free Report) Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc produces, distributes, and markets frozen potato products worldwide. The company operates through four segments: Global, Foodservice, Retail, and Other. It offers frozen potatoes, commercial ingredients, and appetizers under the Lamb Weston brand, as well as under various customer labels. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Lamb Weston Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Lamb Weston and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. STMicroelectronics (NYSE:STM Get Free Report) has been given an average rating of Moderate Buy by the eight ratings firms that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and six have assigned a buy recommendation to the company. The average 12 month price target among analysts that have covered the stock in the last year is $50.75. Several research analysts recently commented on STM shares. Morgan Stanley raised shares of STMicroelectronics from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 1st. StockNews.com downgraded shares of STMicroelectronics from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 31st. UBS Group raised shares of STMicroelectronics from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a research note on Friday, December 15th. Craig Hallum reduced their price target on shares of STMicroelectronics from $50.00 to $48.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 25th. Finally, HSBC assumed coverage on shares of STMicroelectronics in a research report on Thursday, February 22nd. They set a buy rating on the stock. Get STMicroelectronics alerts: Read Our Latest Stock Report on STM STMicroelectronics Trading Down 3.0 % Shares of STM opened at $44.92 on Thursday. STMicroelectronics has a twelve month low of $37.21 and a twelve month high of $55.85. The company has a market cap of $40.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.07, a P/E/G ratio of 3.03 and a beta of 1.71. The company has a current ratio of 3.17, a quick ratio of 2.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $45.77 and its 200-day simple moving average is $44.97. STMicroelectronics (NYSE:STM Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 25th. The semiconductor producer reported $1.14 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.95 by $0.19. The company had revenue of $4.28 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.08 billion. STMicroelectronics had a net margin of 24.36% and a return on equity of 27.70%. The firms revenue was down 3.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.32 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that STMicroelectronics will post 3.06 EPS for the current year. Institutional Trading of STMicroelectronics A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of STM. Thomas J. Herzfeld Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in STMicroelectronics by 548.4% in the 3rd quarter. Thomas J. Herzfeld Advisors Inc. now owns 590 shares of the semiconductor producers stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 499 shares in the last quarter. Huntington National Bank boosted its stake in STMicroelectronics by 112.7% in the 3rd quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 689 shares of the semiconductor producers stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 365 shares in the last quarter. Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new stake in STMicroelectronics in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. Spire Wealth Management boosted its stake in STMicroelectronics by 125.0% in the 3rd quarter. Spire Wealth Management now owns 720 shares of the semiconductor producers stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 400 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Farmers & Merchants Trust Co of Chambersburg PA acquired a new stake in STMicroelectronics in the 4th quarter worth approximately $40,000. 5.62% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. STMicroelectronics Company Profile (Get Free Report STMicroelectronics N.V., together with its subsidiaries, designs, develops, manufactures, and sells semiconductor products in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Americas, and the Asia Pacific. The company operates through Automotive and Discrete Group; Analog, MEMS and Sensors Group; and Microcontrollers and Digital ICs Group segments. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for STMicroelectronics Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for STMicroelectronics and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Teza Capital Management LLC raised its stake in Ciena Co. (NYSE:CIEN Free Report) by 459.5% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 58,456 shares of the communications equipment providers stock after purchasing an additional 48,009 shares during the period. Teza Capital Management LLCs holdings in Ciena were worth $2,763,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of CIEN. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Ciena by 0.9% in the first quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 28,651 shares of the communications equipment providers stock valued at $1,737,000 after purchasing an additional 252 shares during the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. grew its stake in shares of Ciena by 11.0% in the first quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 17,204 shares of the communications equipment providers stock valued at $1,043,000 after acquiring an additional 1,708 shares in the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can grew its stake in shares of Ciena by 0.6% in the first quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 36,296 shares of the communications equipment providers stock valued at $2,227,000 after acquiring an additional 220 shares in the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP grew its stake in shares of Ciena by 2.4% in the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,753,752 shares of the communications equipment providers stock valued at $106,335,000 after acquiring an additional 41,815 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Vontobel Holding Ltd. grew its stake in shares of Ciena by 40.6% in the first quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 19,106 shares of the communications equipment providers stock valued at $1,172,000 after acquiring an additional 5,516 shares in the last quarter. 90.02% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Ciena alerts: Insider Transactions at Ciena In other news, SVP David M. Rothenstein sold 3,500 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.40, for a total transaction of $155,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 246,095 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $10,926,618. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. In other news, SVP David M. Rothenstein sold 3,500 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $44.40, for a total transaction of $155,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 246,095 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $10,926,618. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Gary B. Smith sold 4,166 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $43.68, for a total transaction of $181,970.88. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 538,067 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $23,502,766.56. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 108,242 shares of company stock valued at $5,642,792 in the last quarter. 0.83% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Ciena Stock Performance NYSE:CIEN opened at $57.05 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $8.27 billion, a PE ratio of 33.12, a P/E/G ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 1.01. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $51.27 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $46.99. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a quick ratio of 2.71 and a current ratio of 3.84. Ciena Co. has a fifty-two week low of $39.94 and a fifty-two week high of $57.73. Ciena (NYSE:CIEN Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, December 7th. The communications equipment provider reported $0.75 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.69 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $1.13 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.10 billion. Ciena had a net margin of 5.81% and a return on equity of 10.28%. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 16.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.49 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Ciena Co. will post 2.09 earnings per share for the current year. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several research firms recently weighed in on CIEN. B. Riley upped their price objective on shares of Ciena from $67.00 to $68.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Friday, December 8th. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Ciena from $59.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Friday, December 8th. Rosenblatt Securities reaffirmed a buy rating and set a $65.00 price objective on shares of Ciena in a research report on Friday, December 8th. Evercore ISI upped their price objective on shares of Ciena from $57.00 to $63.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research report on Friday, February 23rd. Finally, Needham & Company LLC reaffirmed a buy rating and set a $60.00 price objective on shares of Ciena in a research report on Thursday, December 28th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating, nine have given 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 $60.21. Read Our Latest Report on Ciena Ciena Profile (Free Report) Ciena Corporation provides hardware and software services for delivery of video, data, and voice traffic metro, aggregation, and access communications network worldwide. The company's Networking Platforms segment offers convergence of coherent optical transport, open optical networking, optical transport network switching, IP routing, and switching services. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding CIEN? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Ciena Co. (NYSE:CIEN Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Ciena Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Ciena and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Azad Properties, Proper Developments, and Hilton have announced the official signing of a transformative real estate collaboration, further contributing to the evolution of Jeddahs thriving real estate landscape. The signing ceremony, held at the Retail Leaders Circle conference in Riyadh, was attended by Ayman Al Burti, CEO of Azad Properties; Ahmad Al Jared, Partner at Proper Developments; and Amir Lababedi, Managing Director, Development Middle East & North Africa, Hilton. Azad Properties, known for its innovative urban developments, has partnered with Proper Developments, a forward-thinking developer specialising in visionary mixed-use projects, and Hilton, a global leader in hospitality, to introduce a pioneering project within the vibrant Souq7 precinct in Jeddah. Innovation annd excellence Al Burti said: "This partnership exemplifies our commitment to innovation and excellence in real estate development. Together with our partners, we are proud to contribute to the growth and prosperity of Jeddah." Al Jared said: "We are thrilled to introduce this dynamic project, which represents a significant step forward in urban development in Jeddah. Through this collaboration, we aim to create a vibrant hub that offers a range of hospitality, retail, and commercial offerings to enhance the experience of residents and visitors of Jeddah. The hospitality-oriented mixed-use development within Souq7, developed by Proper Developments, includes a Hampton by Hilton hotel, retail spaces, and offices. Expected to open in 2026, Hampton by Hilton Souq7 will bring the brands award-winning thoughtful and friendly hospitality to guests staying in the missed-use community. 216-key hotel The 216-key hotel will feature a variety of guest rooms, a fully equipped fitness centre, and two meeting rooms to cater to business travelers, as well as several value-added amenities such as a lobby lounge, contactless arrival, and a complimentary breakfast. The retail built-up area spans 3,900 sq m, offering a diverse array of shopping experiences, while the office spaces encompass 6,800 sq m, catering to the needs of modern businesses. Carlos Khneisser, Vice President, Development, Middle East and Africa, Hilton, said: We are delighted to be working closely with Azad Properties and Proper Developments to bring the value-driven Hampton by Hilton brand to Jeddah. Hampton by Hilton in Souq7 is a welcome addition to our portfolio in KSA as we continue to diversify our presence in the Kingdom to meet guests various accommodation needs, and in particular the needs of the midscale market. The hotel sits in an exceptional location, giving visitors access to one of Jeddahs most lively lifestyle communities. Groundbreaking project Souq7, developed by Azad Properties, stands as one of the most groundbreaking projects in Jeddah, continuously advancing the concept of the integrated market. Spanning over 728,000 sq m and distributed across seven distinct zones, the project boasts a comprehensive range of offerings, including fashion, furniture, household appliances, electronics, and more, all seamlessly integrated. Additionally, Souq7 features the largest complex of cafes, restaurants, entertainment facilities, and cinemas in Jeddah, covering an area of more than 50,000 sq m. Accompanying activities such as a hotel, health clinics, and commercial offices further enhance the project's appeal, providing a modern and diverse experience that caters to the needs of individuals and families, adding a distinctive character to the overall ambiance of Souq7.--TradeArabia News Service Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, meets with President of the Republic of Sierra Leone Julius Maada Bio in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 28, 2024. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu) BEIJING, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- China's top legislator Zhao Leji met with President of the Republic of Sierra Leone Julius Maada Bio in Beijing on Wednesday. Zhao, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, said that under the guidance of the leaders of the two countries, bilateral relations had been running at a high level and cooperation had yielded fruitful results. Zhao said China was willing to work with Sierra Leone to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, consolidate political mutual trust, deepen practical cooperation, maintain close coordination in international affairs and push China-Sierra Leone comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership to a new level. The Chinese side attaches great importance to cooperation with the Sierra Leonean parliament and is willing to strengthen exchanges at all levels of the legislature, provide better legal guarantee for bilateral cooperation, promote exchanges among political parties and localities as well as people-to-people exchanges, and share experience in strengthening democracy and the rule of law, Zhao said. Noting that China is a reliable partner and great friend of Sierra Leone, Bio said Sierra Leone attaches great importance to developing relations with China and is willing to strengthen governance exchanges and practical cooperation with China to benefit the two peoples. Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, meets with President of the Republic of Sierra Leone Julius Maada Bio in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 28, 2024. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu) Teza Capital Management LLC cut its position in The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE:TRV Free Report) by 32.5% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 17,750 shares of the insurance providers stock after selling 8,541 shares during the quarter. Teza Capital Management LLCs holdings in Travelers Companies were worth $2,899,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Mn Services Vermogensbeheer B.V. lifted its stake in Travelers Companies by 1.5% in the 3rd quarter. Mn Services Vermogensbeheer B.V. now owns 111,547 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $18,217,000 after purchasing an additional 1,600 shares in the last quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Travelers Companies by 21.4% in the 2nd quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 9,938 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $1,725,000 after buying an additional 1,751 shares during the last quarter. SlateStone Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of Travelers Companies in the 2nd quarter worth $661,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Travelers Companies by 0.4% in the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,395,810 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $227,950,000 after buying an additional 5,584 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Clearbridge Investments LLC increased its holdings in shares of Travelers Companies by 15.8% in the 3rd quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 4,575,759 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $747,267,000 after buying an additional 623,974 shares during the last quarter. 81.12% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Travelers Companies alerts: Insider Transactions at Travelers Companies In other news, CFO Daniel S. Frey sold 38,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 6th. The shares were 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 directly owns 14,810 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,147,865.50. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In other news, CFO Daniel S. Frey sold 38,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 6th. The shares were 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 directly owns 14,810 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,147,865.50. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Michael Frederick Klein sold 12,287 shares of Travelers Companies stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $210.68, for a total transaction of $2,588,625.16. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 14,080 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,966,374.40. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 109,775 shares of company stock valued at $23,343,903. Company insiders own 1.29% of the companys stock. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of brokerages have recently commented on TRV. HSBC began coverage on shares of Travelers Companies in a report on Thursday, December 28th. They issued a hold rating and a $203.00 price target on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their price target on shares of Travelers Companies from $166.00 to $186.00 and gave the stock a sell rating in a report on Monday, January 22nd. UBS Group increased their target price on shares of Travelers Companies from $205.00 to $225.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Tuesday, January 23rd. Royal Bank of Canada increased their target price on shares of Travelers Companies from $185.00 to $210.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a report on Monday, January 22nd. Finally, Citigroup increased their target price on shares of Travelers Companies from $185.00 to $204.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday, January 17th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have given a hold rating, five have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $201.38. View Our Latest Analysis on Travelers Companies Travelers Companies Price Performance Shares of Travelers Companies stock opened at $220.32 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $50.48 billion, a PE ratio of 17.23, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.09 and a beta of 0.58. The Travelers Companies, Inc. has a 12-month low of $157.33 and a 12-month high of $223.88. The company has a quick ratio of 0.34, a current ratio of 0.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $205.53 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $181.56. Travelers Companies (NYSE:TRV Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Friday, January 19th. The insurance provider reported $7.01 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $5.10 by $1.91. Travelers Companies had a net margin of 7.23% and a return on equity of 13.68%. The firm had revenue of $10.93 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $10.18 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $3.40 EPS. The companys quarterly revenue was up 13.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts expect that The Travelers Companies, Inc. will post 17.68 EPS for the current year. Travelers Companies Announces Dividend The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 29th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 8th will be given a $1.00 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 7th. This represents a $4.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.82%. Travelers Companiess dividend payout ratio is 31.27%. Travelers Companies Company Profile (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. The company 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. Floor & Decor (NYSE:FND Free Report) had its price target lifted by The Goldman Sachs Group from $71.00 to $79.00 in a research report sent to investors on Monday, Benzinga reports. The Goldman Sachs Group currently has a neutral rating on the stock. A number of other analysts have also recently commented on the company. BNP Paribas cut Floor & Decor from an outperform rating to an underperform rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 29th. Evercore ISI boosted their price target on Floor & Decor from $110.00 to $112.00 and gave the stock an in-line rating in a research report on Friday, February 23rd. Sanford C. Bernstein cut Floor & Decor from an outperform rating to a market perform rating and boosted their price target for the stock from $100.00 to $115.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 16th. TheStreet cut Floor & Decor from a b- rating to a c+ rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 7th. Finally, Truist Financial boosted their price target on Floor & Decor from $102.00 to $127.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 20th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have given a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $104.76. Get Floor & Decor alerts: Get Our Latest Report on Floor & Decor Floor & Decor Price Performance Shares of Floor & Decor stock opened at $123.26 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $13.14 billion, a PE ratio of 54.30, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.65 and a beta of 1.83. Floor & Decor has a 12-month low of $76.30 and a 12-month high of $123.66. The company has a quick ratio of 0.18, a current ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $108.51 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $97.76. Floor & Decor (NYSE:FND Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 22nd. The company reported $0.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.27 by $0.07. Floor & Decor had a net margin of 5.57% and a return on equity of 13.38%. The business had revenue of $1.05 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.01 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.64 EPS. The companys revenue was up .0% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts expect that Floor & Decor will post 1.9 EPS for the current year. Insiders Place Their Bets In other Floor & Decor news, CAO David Victor Christopherson sold 6,850 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.70, for a total value of $813,095.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 25,271 shares in the company, valued at $2,999,667.70. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In other news, CAO David Victor Christopherson sold 6,850 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $118.70, for a total transaction of $813,095.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 25,271 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,999,667.70. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Norman Axelrod sold 40,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $119.97, for a total transaction of $4,798,800.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 226,080 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $27,122,817.60. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 72,349 shares of company stock worth $8,562,967. Company insiders own 2.50% of the companys stock. Institutional Trading of Floor & Decor Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Stephens Inc. AR boosted its position in shares of Floor & Decor by 20.2% during the 2nd quarter. Stephens Inc. AR now owns 655 shares of the companys stock worth $68,000 after purchasing an additional 110 shares during the period. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. boosted its position in shares of Floor & Decor by 24.4% during the 4th quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 577 shares of the companys stock worth $64,000 after purchasing an additional 113 shares during the period. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC boosted its position in shares of Floor & Decor by 0.5% during the 4th quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 23,389 shares of the companys stock worth $2,609,000 after purchasing an additional 117 shares during the period. Lido Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Floor & Decor by 4.8% during the 2nd quarter. Lido Advisors LLC now owns 2,580 shares of the companys stock worth $268,000 after purchasing an additional 118 shares during the period. Finally, Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Floor & Decor by 2.4% during the 4th quarter. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 5,141 shares of the companys stock worth $574,000 after purchasing an additional 120 shares during the period. Floor & Decor Company Profile (Get Free Report) Floor & Decor Holdings, Inc together with its subsidiaries, operates as a multi-channel specialty retailer and commercial flooring distributor in Georgia. The company offers tile, wood, laminate, vinyl, and natural stone flooring products, as well as decorative accessories, wall tiles, and installation materials and tools. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Floor & Decor Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Floor & Decor and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC lifted its position in Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Consumer Staples ETF (NYSEARCA:RHS Free Report) by 208.5% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 19,155 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 12,945 shares during the quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC owned about 0.09% of Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Consumer Staples ETF worth $3,189,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Phoenix Holdings Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Consumer Staples ETF by 279.4% during the 3rd quarter. Phoenix Holdings Ltd. now owns 3,853,180 shares of the companys stock valued at $641,400,000 after purchasing an additional 2,837,504 shares during the last quarter. LPL Financial LLC raised its stake in shares of Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Consumer Staples ETF by 327.7% during the third quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 976,760 shares of the companys stock valued at $162,591,000 after acquiring an additional 748,375 shares during the last quarter. Certified Advisory Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Consumer Staples ETF by 393.7% during the third quarter. Certified Advisory Corp now owns 357,179 shares of the companys stock worth $59,456,000 after purchasing an additional 284,833 shares during the period. UBS Group AG grew its stake in shares of Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Consumer Staples ETF by 375.8% in the third quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 359,555 shares of the companys stock worth $59,852,000 after purchasing an additional 283,989 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Affiance Financial LLC increased its holdings in Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Consumer Staples ETF by 420.1% during the 3rd quarter. Affiance Financial LLC now owns 342,932 shares of the companys stock valued at $57,084,000 after purchasing an additional 276,999 shares during the period. Get Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Consumer Staples ETF alerts: Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Consumer Staples ETF Stock Performance RHS opened at $31.49 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $682.07 million, a PE ratio of 19.12 and a beta of 0.59. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $42.06 and its 200-day moving average price is $39.32. Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Consumer Staples ETF has a 52-week low of $153.20 and a 52-week high of $178.08. Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Consumer Staples ETF Profile Rydex S&P Equal Weight Consumer Staples ETF (the Fund) seeks replicate as closely as possible the performance of the S&P Equal Weight Index Consumer Staples (the Index). The Index is an unmanaged equal-weighted version of the S&P 500 Consumer Staples Index that consists of the common stocks of industries, such as food and drug retailing, beverages, food products, tobacco, household products and personal products that comprise the consumer staples sector of the S&P 500 Index. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding RHS? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Consumer Staples ETF (NYSEARCA:RHS Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Consumer Staples ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Consumer Staples ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Tyler Stone Wealth Management cut its holdings in shares of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (NYSE:BUD Free Report) by 16.0% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 2,100 shares of the consumer goods makers stock after selling 400 shares during the quarter. Tyler Stone Wealth Managements holdings in Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV were worth $116,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust acquired a new stake in shares of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV in the second quarter valued at approximately $96,594,000. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV by 12.6% during the 3rd quarter. Northwest Investment Counselors LLC now owns 1,887 shares of the consumer goods makers stock worth $104,000 after buying an additional 211 shares during the last quarter. QRG Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV in the 3rd quarter valued at about $1,449,000. Pittenger & Anderson Inc. grew its position in shares of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV by 295.5% in the third quarter. Pittenger & Anderson Inc. now owns 19,600 shares of the consumer goods makers stock valued at $1,084,000 after purchasing an additional 14,644 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Clearbridge Investments LLC lifted its holdings in Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV by 1.7% during the 3rd quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC now owns 117,281 shares of the consumer goods makers stock worth $6,486,000 after purchasing an additional 1,944 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 5.53% of the companys stock. Get Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV alerts: Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV Trading Down 3.4 % Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV stock traded down $2.13 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $60.32. The stock had a trading volume of 581,931 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,794,334. The stock has a market cap of $104.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.02, a P/E/G ratio of 1.91 and a beta of 1.15. The company has a quick ratio of 0.43, a current ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.88. The businesss 50 day simple moving average is $63.63 and its 200-day simple moving average is $59.77. Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV has a one year low of $51.66 and a one year high of $67.09. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In BUD has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on shares of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV from $76.00 to $79.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 29th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Monday, December 4th. UBS Group raised Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV from a sell rating to a neutral rating in a report on Tuesday, December 5th. BNP Paribas cut Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV from an outperform rating to a neutral rating in a research report on Friday, January 12th. Finally, HSBC raised shares of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, November 9th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $73.38. Check Out Our Latest Analysis on Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV About Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (Free Report) Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV produces, distributes, markets, and sells beer and beverages. It offers a portfolio of approximately 500 beer brands, which primarily include Budweiser, Corona, and Stella Artois; Beck's, Hoegaarden, Leffe, and Michelob Ultra; and Aguila, Antarctica, Bud Light, Brahma, Cass, Castle, Castle Lite, Cristal, Harbin, Jupiler, Modelo Especial, Quilmes, Victoria, Sedrin, and Skol brands. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Shore Capital reissued their house stock rating on shares of Wynnstay Group (LON:WYN Free Report) in a research report released on Monday, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Separately, Canaccord Genuity Group restated a buy rating and set a GBX 520 ($6.60) price objective on shares of Wynnstay Group in a research report on Monday, December 4th. Get Wynnstay Group alerts: Check Out Our Latest Report on WYN Wynnstay Group Price Performance Wynnstay Group Increases Dividend Shares of Wynnstay Group stock opened at GBX 377.50 ($4.79) on Monday. The company has a quick ratio of 1.03, a current ratio of 2.04 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 15.02. Wynnstay Group has a twelve month low of GBX 296.55 ($3.76) and a twelve month high of GBX 560 ($7.10). The company has a market cap of 86.67 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 1,258.33 and a beta of 0.62. The companys 50 day moving average is GBX 359.21 and its 200 day moving average is GBX 381.68. The firm also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 30th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 28th will be paid a GBX 11.75 ($0.15) dividend. This is a boost from Wynnstay Groups previous dividend of $5.50. This represents a dividend yield of 3.62%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 28th. Wynnstay Groups dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 5,666.67%. Wynnstay Group Company Profile (Get Free Report) Wynnstay Group Plc manufactures and supplies agricultural products in the United Kingdom. It operates through Agriculture and Specialist Agricultural Merchanting segments. The Agriculture segment offers feeds for farm livestock, feed raw materials for farmers and other manufacturers; seeds, fertiliser and agrochemicals; and grain marketing services. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Wynnstay Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Wynnstay Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. BEIJING, Feb. 29 (Xinhua) -- China's National Health Commission (NHC) handled 1,470 suggestions and proposals from the national legislature and the national political advisory body in 2023, a health official said Thursday. In response to these suggestions and proposals, the NHC introduced 49 policies and measures, pushing for improvements in issues such as birth policies and community-level healthcare services, Li Bin, deputy head of the NHC, told a press conference. Efforts have been made to ensure the suggestions and proposals are timely completed, adopted and transformed into policies, Li noted, adding that last year, the NHC invited more than 40 deputies to the National People's Congress and members of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference to conduct research and discussions on major and complex issues related to healthcare. Li said about 10 percent of the suggestions and proposals concern community-level healthcare, which called for measures to guarantee investment, cultivate medical and healthcare personnel, and improve service capacities, among others. The NHC will continue translating the suggestions and proposals into concrete measures to address key challenges, thus better protecting the health and safety of the people, Li said. Deacon Alexander Maillis, left, who made history as the first Bahamian ordained to serve in the clergy at the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, with fellow church leaders, during a courtesy call on Governor General Cynthia Pratt at the Office of the Governor General on Tuesday, January 9, 2024, prior to Maillis ordination. Also pictured from left are Alexandra Maillis-Lynch, Sam Kellini, Father Irenaeus Cox, Chris Tsavoussis, Artemis Zervos, and Susan George. That release could not be found. BEIJING, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- The People's Republic of China and the Republic of Sierra Leone on Wednesday issued a joint statement on deepening the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. Full Text: Joint Statement on Deepening the Comprehensive Strategic Cooperative Partnership Between the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Sierra Leone Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is pictured outside the Senate Chamber of the Capitol building in Washington D. C., the United States, Feb. 28, 2024. Mitch McConnell, the longest-serving leader in the U.S. Senate history, announced Wednesday that he will step down from the position at the end of the year. McConnell, 82, has served as GOP leader since 2007. (Photo by Aaron Schwartz/Xinhua) WASHINGTON, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, the longest-serving leader in the Senate history, announced Wednesday that he will step down from the position at the end of the year. "One of life's most underappreciated talents is to know when it's time to move on to life's next chapter, so I stand before you today, Mr. President and my colleagues, to say this will be my last term as Republican leader of the Senate," McConnell said in a Senate floor speech Wednesday. McConnell, 82, has served as GOP leader since 2007. A leadership transition is set to take place in November when an election will be held to choose his replacement. The newly elected leader will assume office in January. McConnell is seen by fellow lawmakers as a skilled strategist in politics and one of the most powerful figures in Washington. Collaborating with then-President Donald Trump, McConnell played a pivotal role in passing a comprehensive 1.5 trillion tax cut bill in 2017. However, McConnell's once significant sway over the Senate GOP has waned in the past year as the party increasingly aligns itself with Trump, who maintains a notably strained relationship with the Republican leader. The rift between Trump and McConnell was exacerbated by the events of Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. Despite voting to acquit Trump in the subsequent impeachment trial, McConnell asserted that the former president bore substantial moral responsibility for inciting the events of that day. In the latest sign of Trump's strength and McConnell's waning influence, the Senate Republican leader recently encouraged GOP senators to pass a bipartisan immigration and Ukraine aid deal, but just four of them supported it. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is pictured outside the Senate Chamber of the Capitol building in Washington D. C., the United States, Feb. 28, 2024. Mitch McConnell, the longest-serving leader in the U.S. Senate history, announced Wednesday that he will step down from the position at the end of the year. McConnell, 82, has served as GOP leader since 2007. (Photo by Aaron Schwartz/Xinhua) Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is pictured outside the Senate Chamber of the Capitol building in Washington D. C., the United States, Feb. 28, 2024. Mitch McConnell, the longest-serving leader in the U.S. Senate history, announced Wednesday that he will step down from the position at the end of the year. McConnell, 82, has served as GOP leader since 2007. (Photo by Aaron Schwartz/Xinhua) Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is pictured outside the Senate Chamber of the Capitol building in Washington D. C., the United States, Feb. 28, 2024. Mitch McConnell, the longest-serving leader in the U.S. Senate history, announced Wednesday that he will step down from the position at the end of the year. McConnell, 82, has served as GOP leader since 2007. (Photo by Aaron Schwartz/Xinhua) Indo-Myanmar Border FencingA long term peaceful solution for NE region | Brigadier Laiphrakpam Ibotombi Singh (Retd) (Those who have voiced against Indo-Myanmar Border fencing have their hidden agendas as they are directly or indirectly benefitting from drug trafficking, human trafficking and other illegal trades) On Feb 8, 2024 the Honble Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced that the Government of India has taken a decision that the entire border between India and Myanmar ranging 1,643 kilometres will be fenced, starting from Arunachal to Nagaland, Manipur, and Mizoram, will no longer be open and porous. The plan for fencing was announced in the 2022-23 annual report of the MHA published in Feb 2024, in which the Government said that there were 201 insurgency-related incidents registered in all the North East States and 137 such incidents in Manipur. He further stated that the Free Movement Regime (FMR) of the people on the borders between the two countries, which had existed unofficially since independence in 1947 and 1948 and was first legalised in 1967, will now be scrapped. The FMR permitted citizens of both sides to travel up to 4050 kilometres on either side and halt for up to 2448 hours on both sides without passports or visas. The construction will be based on Smart Fencing System (SFS) along the entire length of India-Myanmar border. This technologically advanced border security infrastructure aims to enhance surveillance and control in sensitive border areas. The announcement comes at a time when unfenced border and unregulated migration from Myanmar have been blamed as factors responsible for the ethnic violence in Manipur, which has claimed more than 200 lives in the State since May 3, 2023. The SFS typically includes a combination of physical barriers, sensors, cameras, and communication systems, allowing for effective monitoring and response to border threats. Some key points regarding the India-Myanmar border and the progress of fencing are: (a) India shares a long land border of over 1,643 kms with Myanmar, along with a maritime boundary in the Bay of Bengal. The border passes through four States including Arunachal Pradesh (520 km), Nagaland (215 km), Manipur (398 km) and Mizoram (510 km). One of the most porous international borders, it frequently witnesses illegal migration and infiltrators indulging in activities including human and drug trafficking. (b) As of now, a demarcation of 1,472 km has been completed along the India-Myanmar border, balance under progress. (c) The construction of fencing for a border length of 10.02 mtrs at Moreh in Manipur awarded to the Border Roads Organization (BRO) have been completed. Because of the prevalent tense situation, further construction is awaited. (d) The smart fencing system aims to address security challenges, deter unauthorized entry, and enhance surveillance in the region. Given the porous and unfenced nature of parts of the border, this proactive measure contributes to maintaining peace and stability in the North Eastern region. Let us look back the time timeline leading to cross pollination between Burma (now Myanmar) and North Eastern Region of India as given below. (a) The Treaty of Yandabo 1826. The Treaty of Yandabo was a peace treaty that ended the First Anglo-Burmese War. The war lasted for two years and resulted in more than 15,000 fatalities for the British-led Indian troops. The treaty was signed on February 24th, 1826 by the East India Company and the King of Ava. The treaty ceded Assam and other territories of North East India to the British, marking the start of British rule in the Region. Its repercussion resonated far beyond the immediate territorial gains, shaping the regions political landscape, ethnic composition, and cultural fabrics for decades to come. The British secured free trade privileges in Burma, opening up lucrative markets for their goods, besides introduction of western education, legal systems and administrative structures which had profound impact on local cultures, traditions and social hierarchies. The colonial policies sowed the seeds of ethnic conflict, economic disparities, and border disputes that continue to challenge the regions stability to this day. The FMR along Indo-Myanmar border is a legacy of this and continued post-independence India. The FMR was suspected to be the main reason behind the huge quantum jump in the population of the Kuki-Zo community. The Chins in Myanmar are called Paites in Manipur, while the Kukis bear the same name. (b) 1967. Free Movement Regime was formalised between General Ne Wins military Government and the Indian Government allowing free movement of the population on either side of the international border sans passport and visa up to 50 kilometres on both sides and permission to stay for 24 hours. (c) 1984. Border trade between India & Myanmar formalised between the two countries, however distance allowed for travel under FMR was reduced to 40 kilometres. Thereafter, it led to Indias Look East Policy. (d) 2001-2002. 15 Battalions of Assam Rifles were raised for guarding Indo-Myanmar border, as recommended in K Subrahmanyam committee report post Kargil War 1999, to stop drug and human trafficking, illegal smuggling of weapons, besides to regulate FMR. (e) April 2002. A highway connecting Moreh to Mae Sot via Myanmar was first proposed at a trilateral Ministerial meeting on transport linkages in Yangon. The length of the four-lane highway is approximately 1,360 km. The 160 km long IndiaMyanmar Friendship Road, linking Moreh-Tamu-Kalemyo-Kalewa, was officially inaugurated on 13 February 2001, and it now forms a part of the trilateral highway. The BRO maintained the road until 2009, when it was transferred to the Government of Myanmar. (f) 03 May 2023. Kuki-Meitei Tribes clashes in Manipur. Myanmar based Kuki Militants of PDF crossing over to Manipur and alongwith Zo-Kuki Miltants under SoO (approximately 24 Groups) creating mayhem against Meitei Villagers on the fringes sharing border between Zo-Kukis and Meitei Tribes. Primarily expansion of geographical areas for dominance & its control, and to halt war on drugs by the incumbent Government in Manipur. Both the Kukis and the Naga communities have not taken lightly to the FMR being scrapped. The rationale for opposing the fencing by sections of Nagas and Zo-Kukis is hollow as movement of kiths and kins of Nagas and Zo-Kukis can be regulated properly after fencing through suitable transit routes. Afterall, the Nagas living in areas of the Somra Tract and Hukong Valley are citizens of Myanmar. Those who have voiced against fencing have their hidden agendas as they are directly or indirectly benefitting in drug trafficking, human trafficking and other illegal trade. Illegal immigration of Kukis and Zos (Chins) from across Myanmar would come to a halt sooner or later and would see the dwindling down of the poppy plantations in Manipur, which garner thousands of crores per year as revenue for their private ends. Some of the illegal tradings along porous Indo-Myanmar border are as under: (a) Drugs. It is estimated that 90% of the smuggling of drugs in India has its origin in Myanmar and these drugs not only include opium and heroin but also amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS). The India-Myanmar border in Moreh of Manipur is known to be the major hub of drugs. In 2022-23, prior to 03rd May, 2023 incident in Manipur, Moreh and routes flowing out of it was experiencing large range of drug seizures and arrests as there was war against drugs by the Govt of Manipur. Drugs reach Moreh through Myanmars Tamu village and then flow to Imphal to Nagalands capital Kohima and Dimapur. Another Indo-Myanmar border village New Somtal is used as a route for smuggling to Sugnu and Churachandpur in Manipur to Imphal, Kohima and Dimapur. The two other routes are Kheiman (a village in Myanmar) to Behiang and then to Imphal and Dimapur (Nagaland), the final known route starting from Somrah. All the stake holders, officials, non-officials, insur- gents and militant organisations have their fixed cut. (b) Human trafficking, primarily entering Manipur and Mizoram, because of economic crisis and crackdown against ethnic communities by Myanmars Military Junta. (c) Trafficking of weapons and other warlike military equipment primarily originating from Chinas Kunming Region. (d) Betel Nuts. These are smuggled in raw forms, transported through dirt tracks from Myanmar and after crossing Indo-Myanmar border consignment is ferried by second world war vintage Shaktiman vehicle upto main roadhead thereafter transhipped to normal lorries. Primarily transported to railhead in Dimapur or Jiribam and further taken to Bihar, used for manufacture of Gutkas. All the stake holders, officials, non-officials, insurgent and militant organisations have their fixed cut. (e) Chinese manufactured electronic and consumable goods including cigarettes. (d) Other items are construction materials like cement, sand, tin sheets etc. (e) Burmese teak. Some lucrative and profitable items smuggled from Indian into Myanmar are as under: (a) Red sandalwood (Pterocarpus Santanlinus). Also called Khewoo in Manipuri. Elements present in red sanders (Sandalwood) can make it an excellent coolant in nuclear reactors. Highly in demand by China for their nuclear reactors. (b) Pharmaceutical goods (c) Textiles mainly lungi. The main conduit are Moreh in Manipur, Phek in Nagaland and Champhai in Mizoram. Post ethnic clashes in Manipur, Indian smugglers and their local contacts on either side of the international border used excavators to carve out a 10-km jeepable road in Myanmar for the Dawn of a new drug route through Mizoram. Dawn is the name of the nearest habitation from Lungkawlh, a village in central Mizorams Serchhip district situated near the border with Myanmar. While Tiddim in Myanmars Chin State feeds the narcotic substances to Zokhawthar, 234 km southeast of Mizorams capital Aizawl, Dawnalso in Chin Stateis serviced from Thlantlang, the nearest urban centre across the border. Challenges for Fencing the Border. No fencing is impregnable unless the area is monitored by physical patrolling by security forces, therefore there is a need to construct motorable tract astride the fencing in Indian Boundary. Though the SFS includes a combination of physical barriers, sensors, cameras, and communication systems, allowing for effective monitoring and response to border threats, it is men behind the fencing which will make it effective. After all the heavily guarded and fortified Korean border has been breached many times. Some challenges anticipated are: - (a) Even in Assam when the decision to fence the border was taken in 1985 and reflected in Assam Accord but the work on fencing started seven years later in 1992 and it is yet to be completed, as per report tabled in Assam Legislative Assembly on 08 Feb 2024. Therefore, fencing of Indo-Myanmar Border need to be given to some big companies and may not be feasible by the BRO. Time bound completion is a necessity. (b) The quality of fencing in Punjab is superior. It is two feet taller than in Moreh (Manipur). Observation towers and lighting of the fence have been provided in Punjab, all along the border. In Manipur observation towers are yet to be constructed. There is no lighting of the fence in Manipur. (c) The density of troops guarding the fence is higher in Punjab. A BSF battalion in Punjab holds a frontage of approximately 30 kilometres. In Manipur, Assam Rifles Battalions in Manipur are deployed over frontages ranging 60 to120 km. Some of these troops are on dual role Border Guarding as well as counter insurgency. MHA must keep in mind that even during the peak of Punjab Militancy, the BSF were dedicated towards guarding Indo-Pak border only. (d) Border Guarding Troops. In 2001, fifteen battalions of Assam Rifles were raised for guarding Indo-Myanmar border, now most of these troops are committed in dual role, thus the border remains as porous as before. The length of Indo-Myanmar Border is 1643 kms. Even by giving 60 km frontage to an Assam Rifles Battalion, the requirement is 28 Battalions, which means an additional 13-15 border guarding battalions are required to be raised. The MHA must make a serious note of this short fall and raise it on a war footing. Equally is importance of creating permanent infrastructure for the border guarding battalions as is being adopted by China all along the Line of Actual Control. Positive Engagement of Myanmar. A stable and economically vibrant Myanmar will be good for India as it will facilitate to fulfil Indias long term goal of Act East Policy. Therefore, despite which form of Govt rules Myanmar, India need to engage Myanmar diplomatically in all fields including military diplomacy. Isolation, will only turn Myanmar away towards China. An alumnus of Sanik School Imphal, Brigadier Laiphrakpam Ibotombi Singh, Yudh Seva Medal is a retired Army Officer having served the Indian Army for about 36 years. He has vast experience in counter insurgency and border management while serving in Assam, Jammu and Kashmir, Drass & Siachen in Ladakh Region, East Sikkim and Nagaland. Calling out AR men from their bunkers Extraordinary time | Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures and it is probably along this line that the State Government has decided to call out the Assam Rifles from their bunkers to be deployed at what it says are the sensitive points in at least six districts. Notifications calling out the Assam Rifles have already been issued under the name and seal of the Deputy Commissioners of Imphal West, Thoubal, Bishnupur, Chura-chandpur, Kangpokpi and Tengnoupal and when contacted even as this commentary is being penned down, The Sangai Express was informed that a similar notification will also be issued for Imphal East later in the night. Already the net is abuzz with news of the Army or Assam Rifles being called out and pressed into service, leading many to speculate whether this amounts to taking one step closer to leaving the doors wide open for the infamous Army Act, the Armed Forces Special Powers Act to return at its menacing best. At the moment this sounds a little too presumptuous for this is a situation which the State police cannot handle, but given that police commandos across different districts, primarily in the valley districts, had decided to lay down arms in protest should say something very significant. And this significance, the part of which has been left unsaid should be clear, very clear to all those out there flexing their muscles and cocking a snook at the rule of law. It should not be forgotten that there is a legally elected Government in place at Imphal and obviously New Delhi must be watching every development here with a hawks eye. Does not portend well for Manipur and her people and if this is not noted and acknowledged then the real possibility of giving a totally new dimension to the ongoing clash between the Kukis and the Meiteis cannot be written off that easily. In such an eventuality it is Manipur which stands to lose and all concerned should take note of this. What has been happening here, particularly at Imphal in the last few days, should be taken into consideration to understand why the Assam Rifles personnel have been called out. That this particular order of calling out the Assam Rifles just one day after the slogan of Go back Assam Rifles, Leave Assam Rifles filled the evening and night of Imphal and other places in the valley districts should say something very, very significant. It should also be acknowledged that the very decision of calling out the Assam Rifles could not have been taken without a nod from New Delhi. A point which Manipur cannot afford to overlook. This is also the time for the Government at Imphal to admit that several power players have emerged basically because it failed to dispense with its duty of protecting the people and their livelihood. Rewind to May 3, 2023 and the days that followed and it should be more than clear that the presence of the Government was not felt or understood at all. Even today, no Meitei would dare to take the National Highway from Imphal to Dimapur passing through Kangpokpi. No Meitei civilian would dare proceed to Moreh or Churachandpur. Likewise no Kuki would dare to enter Imphal or any of the valley districts. And this has been going on for more than nine months now. In such a situation it is but not surprising to see so many power players emerge all over the place and if it is the words of the Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF) that hold sway at Churachandpur, it is the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) at Kangpokpi. Likewise in the valley districts there are several organisations which have already made their presence felt, with what happened to the residence of the Additional SP of Imphal West police a few days back standing out as a prime example. The arms laying down protest staged by police commandos should be seen in conjunction with the attack launched at the residence of the said police officer. As noted in an earlier commentary here, the script seems set to push Manipur into a state of anarchy and the decision to call out the Assam Rifles in at least six districts as of now should be seen in the context of the State Government totally failing to dispense with its duty of maintaining law and order. A subject which the police should be able to do, but the reality says something else and this is the tragedy of it all. GUANGZHOU, Feb. 29 (Xinhua) -- U.S. energy giant ExxonMobil plans to invest 10 billion yuan (about 1.4 billion U.S. dollars) in its Huizhou ethylene project in south China's Guangdong Province this year. Addressing the Guangdong Provincial High-quality Development Conference in Shenzhen recently, Jean-Marc Taton, chairman of ExxonMobil China, said ExxonMobil has already invested over 30 billion yuan in the first phase of its Huizhou ethylene project. ExxonMobil is just one of the many foreign companies expanding their investments in China. According to data from the Ministry of Commerce, in 2023, China's investment structure continued to be optimized, and the proportion of investment in high-tech industries reached 37.4 percent, marking a record high. Foreign investors invested in 53,766 newly established foreign-funded enterprises in China, a year-on-year increase of 39.7 percent. Foreign companies are optimistic about the Chinese market, said Harley Seyedin, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in South China (AmCham South China), adding that the potential growth of the Chinese market is the primary driver for increasing investments in China or shifting investments from other markets to China, followed by industrial cluster effect and preferential policies. The majority of the 183 companies studied are optimistic about the growth of the Chinese market, according to a report released by AmCham South China on Tuesday. Of these companies, 76 percent plan to reinvest in China in 2024. For those who have plans for reinvestment in China in 2024, 45 percent state that their primary area of investment focuses on sales, marketing and business development. Other key areas include research and development, automation and productivity development, according to the report. Over half of the companies studied believe that their overall return on investment (ROI) in China is better than their overall return on global investments. Eighty-eight percent of the companies studied have already made profits in China, among which 46 percent reported that they have met their budget expectations. Moreover, 90 percent of American companies have achieved profitability in China, according to the report. Although the sales volume decreased slightly in 2023, the profit margin of Fluidmaster China, an American-funded sanitary ware products enterprise, increased more than expected. David Yang, managing director-Asia of Fluidmaster China, said, "This reflects the trend of quality development, and high-end products are more competitive. We can also see that the entire market is recovering rapidly, and an increasing number of people are seeking a higher quality of life. Our goal is to achieve 5 percent to 10 percent growth this year." Despite challenges in international economic cooperation and trade exchange, 86 percent of the companies studied claim that they will not decouple from the Chinese market due to U.S.-China trade tensions. In 2023, 62 percent of the companies studied chose not to shift their investments out of China. Sixty-six percent of American companies claim that they will remain committed to the Chinese market, representing the highest proportion of all businesses studied, said the report by AmCham South China. David Jacques Roumanie, Asia General Manger of EuroKera (Guangzhou) Co., Ltd., a U.S.-France joint venture, feels optimistic about the Chinese market. "We are quite a representative of the economy of China somehow, because we followed the growth, we benefited from the growth until now. And I think we can replicate that in the future as well." Guangzhou, the capital city of Guangdong Province and known as south China's manufacturing hub, has maintained its status as the top investment destination in the country for seven consecutive years, followed by Shenzhen, Shanghai and Beijing. Over half of the companies studied see an improvement in the business environment in south China, an uptick of 5 percent compared with 2022, said the report by AmCham South China. The development of regional convergence and the improvement of the business environment also provide more opportunities for foreign companies. William Huang, managing partner at consulting firm Ernst & Young (EY) China South, said, "In April 2023, we opened a Greater Bay Area (GBA) center of excellence in Qianhai and focusing on technology and innovation. We hope to cooperate with the enterprises and other parties in developing AI block chain and big data technologies and supporting the companies in the unit, which would result in better development in the GBA." The Delhi unit of BJP on Thursday launched a scathing attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for not announcing the names of women candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Delhi BJP General Secretary Kamaljeet Sehrawat and Mahila Morcha President Richa Pandey Mishra said, Denial of an appropriate representation to women in the Lok Sabha polls has once again exposed the anti-women mindset of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. The BJP leaders pointed out that today, while on the one hand, the country has a visionary leader like Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is trying to ensure qualitative representation of women in administrative matters of the country, on the other, we have men like Kejriwal who are out to deny the women their rights. Advertisement From 2015 to 2023, Arvind Kejriwal denied participation to women in his government in Delhi, and was forced to include a woman minister under the political pressure of his jailed colleague Manish Sisodia who insisted on the inclusion of his protege Atishi, they said here. The Delhi BJP leaders further said, Women of Delhi will not forgive Arvind Kejriwal for denying representation to women and teach him a lesson in ensuing Lok Sabha elections. Earlier this week, the AAP announced the names of five candidates for the upcoming general elections under the Opposition INDIA bloc. As per the seat-sharing arrangement, of the seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi, the AAP will contest from four parliamentary constituencies and Congress in three seats. As per the announcement made by the AAP, Kuldeep Kumar will contest from the East Delhi constituency, Somnath Bharti from New Delhi, Mahabal Mishra from West Delhi, and Sahiram Pehalwan from South Delhi while Sushil Gupta will contest from Haryanas Kurukshetra. Delhi Minister Atishi on Thursday urged LG VK Saxena to provide houses to all those whose residences, such as shanties, temporary structures, etc., were demolished in the city over the past year as part of drives conducted by different agencies working under the Centre like the DDA, ASI, and others. Responding to LGs statement in the morning regarding providing a house to rat-hole miner Wakeel Hasan, whose home was demolished, Atishi emphasised at a press conference here that the LG must also consider those who lost their homes and provide them housing under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, in line with the announcement made for the rat-hole miner. The LG had on Thursday morning announced to provide a house to the rat-hole miner under the PM Awas Yojana. Advertisement Thanking the LG for his gesture, Atishi pointed out that a large number of shanties, make-shift houses, and dwellings belonging to the poor have been brought down in the past year as part of demolition drives, emphasising the need for compensating these affected individuals as well. Taking a dig at the Centre and the LG, Atishi said that the agencies had been particularly harsh on the poor people by demolishing their homes even during the implementation of the Graded Response Action Plan after obtaining special permission for the demolition activities. She cited the demolition drives near the Tughlaqabad Fort, Ghosia Colony in Mehrauli, slums behind the Sunder Nursery, Karkardooma Camp, and various other places, where residents were forced onto streets after their dwellings were razed by the agencies. I urge the honorable LG to provide housing under the PM Awas Yojana to all those people whose dwellings were demolished, akin to the announcement made for the rat-hole miner. Atishi stated that the Delhi government is in constant touch with rat-hole miners and extending all-out support to them as well as others who lost roofs over their heads due to the demolition drives. The Terrorist & Anti-disruptive Activities Act (TADA) court in Ajmer on Thursday acquitted Abdul Karim Tunda in the 1993 serial bomb blasts case. The CBI had accused Tunda of being the mastermind behind the serial blasts in four trains on the first anniversary of the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition. However, the agency could not prove Tundas involvement in the crime and the court acquitted him over lack of evidence. Advertisement Two other accused Aminuddin and Irfan have been convicted and awarded life imprisonment by the TADA court. Abdul Karim Tunda is innocent, today the Court gave this judgement. Abdul Karim Tunda has been acquitted in all Sections and all Acts. CBI prosecution could not produce any concrete piece of evidence before the court in TADA, IPC, Railway Acts, Arms Act, or Explosive Substances Act. We had been saying that from the beginning that Abdul Karim Tunda is innocentIrfan and Hamiduddin have been convicted & quantum of the sentence will be pronounced shortly, Advocate Shafqat Sultani, who represented Tunda said after the courts judgment. Earlier today, the advocate told media that the CBI could not present a chargesheet against Tunda and that there was no direct evidence against him. Last year, a sessions court in Haryana has acquitted Abdul Karim Tunda in the Rohtak 1997 twin bomb blast case over lack of evidence. Tunda is accused in several other bombings. The 84-year-old is currently serving life sentence in a 1996 bomb blast case. The screening committee of the Kerala unit of the Congress on Thursday cleared the names of all 15 sitting MPs, including Rahul Gandhi and party state President K Sudhakaran, for the Lok Sabha polls. It has been decided that Rahul Gandhi would contest from Wayanad and KPCC President K Sudhakaran from Kannur. The candidate for the Alappuzha seat will be decided later. AICC General Secretary KC Venugopals name is being considered for this seat. When the Central Selection Committee takes the final decision after considering the recommendations of the High Command, there might be changes in the, now cleared, list. Advertisement The meeting was chaired by AICC representative in the screening committee Harish Chaudhary, state unit incharge Deepa Dasmunsi, Leader of the Opposition VD Satheesan and KPCC president K Sudhakaran. According to the seat-sharing accord reached among UDF constituents, the Congress will contest 16 seats from where the party had contested in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) will contest from two seats while the Kerala Congress (J) and the RSP (B) will contest from one seat each. The stage is set for opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithis (BRS) Chalo Medigadda programme on Friday to counter what it calls misinformation campaign by the Congress government over Kaleshwaram project. BRS MLAs, MLCs, MPs, former MLAs, MLCs and other leaders will leave for Medigadda from Telangana Bhavan, the party headquarters in Hyderabad. The BRS team will visit Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla barrages and reservoirs. Partys senior leader and former irrigation minister T. Harish Rao, through a powerpoint presentation, will explain various features of the project and the benefits it accrued to the state. Advertisement Chalo Medigadda is to counter the recent visit to the barrage by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, ministers and Congress MLAs on February 13. After the visit to the barrage, some of whose piers sank in October last year, the Congress government had claimed that the large-scale corruption in the Kaleshwaram project by the previous BRS government was exposed. The Chief Minister had stated that the previous government spent Rs 94,000 crore to irrigate only 98,000 acre of land. While announcing Chalo Medigadda, BRS working president K. T. Rama Rao said ministers can join with them in the programme to ascertain the facts. The BRS leader declared that through this programme, they will explain how the Kaleshwaram project has benefited the people and will expose the conspiracies of the Congress party. KTR stated that though cracks have developed in 2-3 piers, the Congress is conspiring to demolish the entire project. He mentioned that during the Congress rules, problems cropped in several irrigation projects like Kadam, Gundla Vagu, Musi project, Singur, Pulichintala and Prakasam barrage There are engineering solutions to carry out repairs to the damaged barrages. Repairs to the three piers can be undertaken by easily building a cofferdam. We demanded in the Assembly that while carrying out the repairs, take action against those responsible for the damage, he said adding that BRS welcomes any probe into construction of the project The BRS leader said the Congress government should not play with the lives of farmers by delaying the repairs just to malign the previous government KTR alleged that by not undertaking the repairs, Congress is conspiring to see that the three barrages (Medigadda, Annaram, Sunkilla) are washed away in the coming rainy season. Meanwhile, irrigation minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy has demanded that BRS President and former chief minister K. Chandraskhar Rao should personally visit the Kaleshwaram project to witness the disaster he caused to Telangana and apologise to the people instead of delegating the task to other BRS leaders. He remarked that it was extremely foolish and arrogant for BRS leaders to talk about giving a Chalo Medigadda call. From our governments side, weve instructed the officials to extend full cooperation to the BRS leaders and let them inspect Medigadda and other barrages. But whatever the government has to do, it will do, he said, emphasising that the BRS partys call was nothing but a political gimmick. However, Uttam Kumar Reddy insisted that, ideally, KCR should visit the Kaleshwaram project himself and apologise to Telangana. KCR was not only the Chief Minister but also the Irrigation Minister. He acted as the Chief Designer, Chief Planner, and Chief Architect of the project. Therefore, KCR should visit Kaleshwaram and tender an apology, not others who know nothing about it, he said. Uttam Kumar Reddy reminded that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy had invited KCR to the Assembly to speak on the Kaleshwaram project and explain the fiasco and fraud that occurred in the name of irrigation. We even offered to arrange a helicopter for KCR to visit Kaleshwaram, but he is not coming out, he said. Interestingly, he noted that leaders not directly involved in the projects were planning to go to Kaleshwaram. Even former minister KTR had stated that he was not in the loop regarding irrigation projects. Someone who designed, planned, and did the engineering is not going. The visit of other leaders is only a political gimmick and drama, he emphasised. The irrigation minister said that the Director-General of the Vigilance Department briefed him about the status of the inquiry. He stated that the Vigilance report would be submitted soon. Based on the Vigilance report, we will file cases against whoever is guilty of the act. We will go as per the law, and we will take legal opinion to proceed against all failures, he announced. In a significant political development, Rana Goswami, a prominent figure within the Congress ranks in Assam, officially joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday in Guwahati in the presence of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and BJP State president Bhabesh Kalita. Goswamis decision to switch sides came after he tendered his resignation from the Congress on February 28, followed by a trip to New Delhi. In his resignation letter addressed to General Secretary (Organization) of Congress KC Venugopal, Goswami cited his departure from his roles as the working president of Assam Pradesh Congress Committee and as an active member of the Indian National Congress. Advertisement Kalita, along with other key BJP leaders, including Assam General Secretary (Organization) GR Ravindra Raju and Assam Co-Incharge Pawan Sharma, convened a high-level meeting with Goswami in New Delhi. Goswami, a former Member of Parliament from the Jorhat constituency in Assam, brings considerable political clout to his new party affiliation. In response to Goswamis resignation, Assam Leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia expressed surprise, noting the absence of a stated reason for his departure. Commenting on the trend of Congress leaders aligning with the BJP ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, Saikia pointed to perceived pressures from investigative agencies like the Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation. He suggested that some individuals might be seeking personal advantages or seeking refuge from legal troubles by associating with the ruling party at the Centre. The first team of Indian civilian technical personnel has reached the Maldives to take over aviation duties from Indian troops, the Ministry of External Affairs confirmed on Thursday. The first team of technical personnel to operate the advanced light helicopter at Gan has reached Maldives. It will replace the existing personnel that were until now, operating this platform, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at a media briefing. India and the Maldives had reached an agreement that the Indian soldiers operating the three aircraft would be replaced with non-military technical personnel. As per the understanding between the two sides, India had agreed to replace the military personnel in one of the three aircraft by March 10 and the other two by May 10. Advertisement The decision was reached after Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu asked for all Indian military personnel to be withdrawn from his country. Ahead of the Assembly session, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has called a breakfast meeting of all Congress MLAs on Thursday in Shimla. It is an important meeting. Lets see what happensThis is an informal meeting, party MLA Ashish Butail. Congress MLA Sudarshan Singh Bablu said, The CM has called everyone for breakfast. Lets see what discussions are taking placeWe received the message last night. Our Government will continue under the leadership of the Chief Minister. On Wednesday the Congress MLAs met individually with the two central observers DK Shivakumar and Bhupendra Hooda. The observers will now submit their report to the party high command. Meanwhile, the Speaker of Himachal Pradesh Assembly Kuldeep Singh Pathania is likely to pronounce the order on the future of six rebel Congress MLAs who cross voted in the Rajya Sabha polls. Advertisement The petition was filed by Congress MLA and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Harsh Wardhan Chauhan under the anti-defection law for disqualification of the six MLAs. Earlier on Wednesday, the Speaker said that the Parliamentary Affairs Minister had filed a petition against the six MLAs of the Congress party because the anti-defection law attracts proceedings against them. The Congress government in the state faces a crisis after six MLAs crossed sides and are learnt to be in touch with the BJP. The Congress has 40 MLAs, while the BJP has 25 in the 68-member state assembly. The remaining three seats are held by independents. The Congress had managed to pass the state budget after the speaker suspended 15 BJP MLAs for allegedly creating a ruckus in his chamber, a move that came under severe criticism from the BJP. The BJP has 25 MLAs. The number increased to 34 after the Rajya Sabha voting. This created a danger for the government They had to pass the budget somehow otherwise the government would fall. For this, they had to decrease the no. of BJP MLAs. 15 MLAs including me have been suspended We were suspended to save the Congress government. After our suspension, they passed the budget BJP leader Jairam Thakur said. The BJP has claimed the Congress had lost the moral standing to be in power after losing majority in the Assembly. West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Thursday expressed his satisfaction after Sandeshkhali accused Shahjahan Sheikh was arrested, and called it light at the end of the tunnel. On 26.02.2024 Honble Governor Dr. C. V. Ananda Bose had advised the Government to arrest the prime accused in the Sandeshkhali incidents, Shahjahan Sheikh, within 72 hours. Governor Dr. Bose has noted with satisfaction that Shahjahan Sheikh has been arrested, the Governors office said. Speaking to reports, Governor Bose said that with Shahjahans arrest he is hoping a new dawn of lawfulness will return to Bengal. Advertisement I told you there will be light at the end of the tunnel. That is democracy. This is a lesson for everyone. Now, lets hope a new dawn of lawfulness will come back to Bengal. I am glad that good things are happening, Bose told reporters. Earlier on Thursday morning, the West Bengal police arrested the Sandeshkhali accused from Minakhan area of North 24 Parganas district over accusations of sexual assault and land grab. Shahjahan was arrested from Minakhan in the North 24 Parganas district, Minakhan SDPO Aminul Islam Khan said. After the arrest, he was produced in a local court, which sent him on a 10-day custody. The police had reportedly sought 14 days custody but the court granted 10 days and posted the matter for next hearing on March 10. Sandeshkhali in West Bengals North 24 Parganas district has been witnessing widespread protests against TMC strongman Shahjahan Sheikh this month as a section of women were seeking justice against alleged atrocities committed by the TMC leader. A large number of women in Sandeshkhali had accused Shajahan Sheikh and his close aides of land-grab and sexual assault under coercion. The arrest comes three days after the Calcutta High Court Chief Justice ordered to add Sheikh Shahjahan to the Sandeshkhali case. OTTAWA, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Canadian federal government announced Wednesday an agreement to support the development of Canada's first commercial-scale green hydrogen and ammonia facility in Newfoundland and Labrador. Global Affairs Canada said in a news release that Export Development Canada and World Energy GH2 reached an agreement on terms for a 95-million-U.S.-dollar credit facility to support the development of Project Nujio'qonik. The project, located on the west coast of Newfoundland and Labrador, will help put Atlantic Canada on the global stage as a leader in clean energy, advancing the commitments under the Canada-Germany Hydrogen Alliance, the release said. Canada signed an agreement with Germany in August 2022 to work toward producing and shipping clean hydrogen products to Europe. The wind farm is expected to produce approximately 250,000 tons of hydrogen per year and then convert them to ammonia to be exported to Europe from 2026. According to Global Affairs Canada, more than 90 clean-growth projects with a total value exceeding 40 billion Canadian dollars (29.5 billion U.S. dollars), including private investment, began over the past three years or will soon move forward into construction across Canada. The Bharatiya Janata Partys (BJP) Central Election Committee meeting was held on Thursday at the party headquarters in Delhi to finalise the first list of candidates for the Lok Sabha elections 2024. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the partys national president JP Nadda and chief ministers from BJP-ruled states attended the meeting. Rajasthan chief minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, Gujarats Bhupendra Patel, Madhya Pradeshs Mohan Yadav, Chhattisgarhs Vishnu Deo Sai, Uttarakhands Pushkar Singh Dhami and Goas Pramod Sawant, among other leaders from various states were present during the meeting. Advertisement According to sources, candidates on seats where the BJP is comparatively weaker, including at least two South Indian states, will be announced in the first list in a bid to give them enough time for campaigning. Besides, candidates for Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, and Gujarat will also be discussed, said the sources. The BJP is believed to have selected top three candidates for each constituency and final decision will taken keeping in mind the winnability of the candidates. Before the CEC meeting, PM Modi also held a seperate meeting with Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP chief JP Nadda at his residence. PM Modi has given a 400-plus target for NDA and 370-plus for the BJP alone. He has asked BJP workers to add at least 370 more votes than the last time in every booth to achieve the highly ambitious target of winning 370 seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Mauritian counterpart Pravind Jugnauth on Thursday jointly inaugurated a new airstrip and St. James Jetty along with six community development projects at the Agalega Island in Mauritius via video conferencing. Mauritius is a key partner of Indias Neighbourhood First Policy and a special partner under Vision SAGAR, Mr Modi said on the occasion. As members of Global South, we have common priorities and the last ten years have seen an unprecedented momentum in the relations between the two countries and new heights of mutual cooperation have been achieved, he noted. The inauguration of these projects is a testimony to the robust and decades-old development partnership between India and Mauritius and will fulfil the demand for better connectivity between mainland Mauritius and Agalega, strengthen maritime security and foster socio-economic development. Advertisement The inauguration of these projects is significant as it follows the recent launch of UPI and RuPay Card services in Mauritius by the two leaders on 12 February. The Indian leader underlined that development partnerships have been the foundation pillars of the political partnerships between the two nations and that the developmental contributions made by India are based on Mauritiuss priorities, be it security to the EEZ or health security. India has always respected Mauritiuss needs and acted as the first responder, he said, highlighting Indias long-standing support to the island nation, be it the Covid pandemic or oil spill. He said that the prime objective of India is a positive change for the people of Mauritius. Mr Modi expressed happiness that he could fulfill his promise to the people of Agalega which he made in 2015. These days, this is being called Modi ki Guarantee in India. These facilities that have been jointly inaugurated today will enhance ease of living, he said. It will improve connectivity between the North and Southern parts of Mauritius and improve administrative connection with the mainland. Medical evacuation and transportation of school kids will improve, he said. Lauding Mr Jugnauths decision to establish Jan Ayushadhi Kendras in Mauritius, the PM said that with this the island has become the first country to join Indias Jan Aushadhi initiative which will benefit the people of Mauritius by providing better quality Made-in-India generic medicines. PM Jugnauth lauded Indias contribution to entirely finance the project. He conveyed profound gratitude to PM Modi Modi on behalf of his government and the people of Mauritius for giving special consideration to the island nation since assuming office in India. The Opposition in Assam has stepped up protest against the Central governments plan to implement the Citizenship Amendment Act (AAP) across the state. On Thursday, the Tinsukia unit of the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) organised a sit-in on a large scale prompting the police to detain several protesters. The United Opposition Forum, a confederation of sixteen political parties in Assam, decided to intensify protests and send a memorandum to President Droupadi Murmu against the proposed notification of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), Congress state president Bhupen Kumar Borah said. Advertisement The leaders of 16 Opposition parties, including that of the Congress, All India Trinamool Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Left parties, Raijor Dal, Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) and others, met Governor Gulab Chand Kataria on Thursday and submitted a memorandum to the President through him with a request not to implement the law in the state. If CAA is implemented in the state, the Opposition parties will launch widespread protests against the Act across the state and a detailed agitation programme will be chalked out against the unconstitutional and communal Act, Borah said. The united forum also threatened to call Assam bandh if the Act came into force and gherao the Janata Bhawan (the state secretariat) to bring all administrative work to a halt. The Citizenship (Amendment) Act that aims to grant Indian citizenship to persecuted minorities from neighboring countries, particularly Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians, has been a bone of contention in Assam. The protests were led initially by apolitical organizations like the All Assam Students Union (AASU) and the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) to voice concerns over the states demographic integrity rather than religious discrimination. Earlier, protest demonstrations against the Act were marred by violence leading to loss of lives and arrests before receding in the wake of the Covid pandemic. However, the contentious issue continues to fuel dissent and mobilisation among Opposition groups in the state. Meanwhile, Assam DGP Gyanendra Pratap Singh warned the organisers of the protests of recovery of financial losses of up to Rs 1,643 crore a day incurred by the agitation to be from them. Reiterating my post of June 2022 about Bandh Calls and responsibility/accountability of those who call for Bandh as directed by Honble Gauhati High Court in WP(C) 7570/2013 Date : 19.03.2019 Needless to say that with the GSDP of Assam pegged at INR 5,65,401 Crore, loss from a days Bandh would be approximately INR 1643 Crores recoverable from those who call for such a Bandh in accordance with Para 35(9) of the aforementioned order of the Honble Gauhati High Court order, Singh said in microblogging site X. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Jharkhand, Bihar and West Bengal for two days from Friday and launch projects worth nearly Rs 2.50 lakh crore, including oil and gas sector projects worth Rs 1.48 lakh crore, across the country. Modi will reach Sindri, Dhanbad in Jharkhand on Friday and inaugurate, dedicate and lay the foundation stones of multiple development projects worth Rs 35,700 crore in the State. The projects are related to fertiliser, rail, power, and coal sectors. In West Bengal, the Prime Minister will participate in a public programme later to launch multiple development projects worth more than Rs 7,200 crore in Arambagh, Hooghly. On Saturday, he will be in Krishnanagar, Nadia district to inaugurate and lay foundation stones of projects worth Rs 15,000 crore. Advertisement Modi is also expected to lay the foundation stones of projects worth Rs 21,400 crore. The Begusarai public function in the State will mark a significant event for the energy sector when the PM launches oil and gas projects worth about Rs 1.48 lakh crore. These projects are spread across states like Bihar, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab and Karnataka along with KG Basin. Mr Modi will dedicate First Oil from KG Basin to the nation and will flag off the first crude oil tanker from the ONGC Krishna Godavari deepwater project. The extraction of First Oil from KG Basin marks a historic achievement in Indias energy sector, promising to significantly reduce dependence on energy imports. The project also heralds a new era in Indias energy sector, promising to bolster energy security and foster economic resilience. The Hindustan Urvarak and Rasayan Ltd (HURL) Sindri Fertiliser Plant which the Prime Minister will dedicate at Sindri, Jharkhand, has been developed at a cost of more than Rs 8,900 crore, and brings the country closer to self-sufficiency in the urea sector. It will add about 12.7 LMT per annum indigenous urea production in the country for the benefit of farmers. This will be the third fertiliser plant to be revived in the country, after the revival of fertiliser plants at Gorakhpur and Ramagundam, dedicated to the nation by the Prime Minister in December, 2021 and November, 2022, respectively. Several rail projects worth more than Rs 17,600 crore will also be inaugurated in Jharkhand. These include 3rd & 4th Line connecting Sone Nagar-Andal; Tori-Shivpur first & second and Biratoli-Shivpur third railway line (part of Tori- Shivpur Project); MohanpurHansdiha new rail line; Dhanbad-Chandrapura rail line, among others. At Arambagh in West Bengal, the Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone and dedicate to the nation multiple developmental projects related to sectors like rail, ports, oil pipeline, LPG supply and wastewater treatment. He will inaugurate Indian Oils 518-km Haldia-Barauni Crude Oil Pipeline developed at a cost of about Rs 2,790 crore. This pipeline passes through Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. The pipeline will supply crude oil to Barauni Refinery, Bongaigaon Refinery and Guwahati Refinery in a safe, cost-efficient, and environment-friendly manner. Mr Modi will also dedicate to the nation and lay the foundation stone of multiple projects for strengthening of infrastructure at Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata worth about Rs 1,000 crore. The projects whose foundation stone will be laid include reconstruction of Berth No 8 NSD and mechanisation of Berth nos. 7 & 8 NSD of Kolkata Dock System. Projects for augmentation of the firefighting system at oil jetties of Haldia Dock Complex, Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port will also be dedicated. The newly installed fire-fighting facility is a state-of-the-art fully automated set-up equipped with cutting edge gas and flame sensors, ensuring immediate hazard detection. The Prime Minister will dedicate to the nation important rail projects worth about Rs 2,680 crore. The projects include the third rail line connecting Jhargram-Salgajhari (90 Kms); doubling of SondaliaChampapukur rail line (24 Kms); and doubling of DankuniBhattanagarBaltikuri rail line (9 kms). These projects will expand rail transport facilities in the region, improve mobility and facilitate seamless service of freight traffic leading to economic and industrial growth in the region. Indian Oils LPG Bottling plant with a capacity of 120 TMTPA will also be inaugurated at Vidyasagar Industrial Park, Kharagpur. Developed at a cost of more than Rs 200 crore, the LPG bottling plant will be the first LPG bottling plant in the region. It will supply LPG to about 14.5 lakh customers in West Bengal. At Krishnanagar, the Prime Minister will inaugurate, dedicate to the nation and lay the foundation stone of several development projects related to sectors like power, rail and road. Strengthening the power sector in the country, the Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone of Raghunathpur Thermal Power Station Phase II (2660 MW) located at Raghunathpur in Purulia district. This coal based thermal power project of the Damodar Valley Corporation employs highly-efficient super-critical technology. The new plant will be a step towards strengthening the energy security of the country. Oil and gas sector projects worth about Rs 14,000 crore will also be taken up in Bihar. This includes foundation stone laying of the expansion of the Barauni Refinery with project cost of more than Rs 11,400 crore and inauguration of projects like Grid Infrastructure at Barauni Refinery; ParadipHaldiaDurgapur LPG Pipelines extension to Patna and Muzaffarpur, among others. Mr Modi will also lay the foundation stone of the Indian Institute of Petroleum and Energy (IIPE), Vishakhapatanam, Andhra Pradesh. At Aurangabad in Bihar, the Prime Minister will inaugurate, dedicate and lay the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth more than Rs 21,400 crore, including strengthening of National Highways at a cost of Rs 18,100 crores. Mr Modi will dedicate to the nation Bharat Pashudhan a digital database for livestock animals in the country. Nationalist Congress Party (SCP) chief Sharad Pawar has invited Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his two deputies Ajit Pawar and BJPs Devendra Fadnavis for dinner at his residence in Baramati on March 2. In a letter to the Maharashtra CM, Sharad Pawar said that CM Shinde is coming to Baramati for the first time and invited him for the meal along with his other Cabinet colleagues. After taking oath as CM of the state, the CM is coming to Baramati for the first time and I am very glad about his visit to attend the Namo Maharojgar Event in Baramati. Therefore I would like to extend the invitation for the meal at my residence after the event along with his other Cabinet colleagues, the letter read. Advertisement The lunch invitation to the Maharashtra CM is likely to create an uncomfortable situation for his INDIA alliance partners as it comes at a time when Pawar is holding alliance talks with the Congress and Uddhav Thackeray faction of Shiv Sena. The development is being seen by many as an outreach attempt by Sharad Pawar to his present political rivals amid BJP allegations that the Maharashtra stalwart was behind the protest by Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil. Maharashtra BJP leader Pravin Darekar had alleged the Sharad Pawar has conspired with Patil to foment unrest and demanded the latters arrest. The Maharashtra government has formed an SIT to probe if anyone someone instigated the Maratha quota activist to lead protests. The SIT was formed after Patil accused Maharashtra deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis of hatching a conspiracy to murder him and end the influence of Maratha community. Visitors from Thailand are thronging the Uttar Pradesh Tourism Departments pavilion at the ongoing Buddhabhoomi programme, seeking information about Lord Buddhas travel destinations. They are keen to explore the Uttar Pradeshs Buddha Circuit tour packages. UP Tourism and Culture Minister Jaiveer Singh on Thursday highlighted the interest generated by the event. Advertisement He noted that during the ongoing Buddha Bhoomi programme that began on February 23 and ends on March 3, the Tourism Department has established a pavilion centered on Kushinagar, the site of Lord Buddhas Mahaparinirvana. Within this pavilion, information about prominent Buddhist pilgrimage sites in Uttar Pradesh, such as Kushinagar, Sarnath, Shravasti, Kapilvastu, Sankisa, and Kaushambi, is being shared with visitors through various mediums like books, travelogues, and stalls, minister said. Anamika Mishra, a travel agent and director of Destiny Travel, operating at the Buddhabhoomi stall, remarked on the special interest shown by Thai people in the Buddhist sites of India, particularly those in Uttar Pradesh. Mishra noted a daily influx of thousands of inquiries regarding these destinations, indicating the deep faith of the Thai people in Lord Buddha and their eagerness to experience the spiritual essence by visiting renowned Buddhist places like Sarnath, Kushinagar, and Shravasti in Uttar Pradesh. Sudeep Chaurasia, director of Travel Zone, noted a daily footfall of 5,000 to 8,000 visitors at the stalls, mostly young individuals seeking tour information for renowned Buddhist sites. He mentioned their nine-night and ten-day package covering destinations like Sarnath, Kushinagar, Shravasti, Kaushambi, Sankisa, Kapilvastu, and Bodh Gaya, priced at Rs 35,000 on average. Chaurasia expressed optimism about potential increases in Thai tourist arrivals soon. Today, at the Buddha Bhoomi event, Monk Dr. Pornchai Palava Dhammo, President of the World Alliance of Buddhists (WAB), discussed The Importance of Buddha Relics. He noted, Following Lord Buddhas Mahaparinirvana about 2567 years ago, his wish was to scatter his ashes into multiple parts so that people could honor him and follow his teachings in the future. Additionally, the Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department presented The Path coffee table book to the Buddhist monks at Buddhabhoomi Bharat Mandapam, and short films are being screened daily at six major Buddhist pilgrimage sites in the state. The tourism and culture minister said, Our effort is to attract Buddhist devotees from all over the world to Uttar Pradesh so that they could visit the holy places associated with Lord Buddha as well as other tourist places including Ayodhya, Kashi. Its difficult not to admit Im pretty confused, if not distraught. Call it nostalgia or fear of the unknown at the requiem scripted by Ministry of Railways for what many railway officers, serving and retired, lament is curtains on the IRs decades-old apex training centre in Vadodara, the RSC (Railway Staff College), rechristened (in 2012), rather prosaically, as NAIR (National Academy of Indian Railways). For its not the place; its the memories that live there. Recalling Tennysons celebrated aphorism that the old order changeth yielding place to new, my mind is spontaneously attuned to Raheel Farooqs insight, The greatest fear in life is not of death, but unsolicited change. Didnt we feel jolted by the sudden sledge hammer that came stealthily swooping on the institution, depriving it of its specialised infrastructure built over the years? We are at a loss to fathom the rationale why the Railway Board allowed the newly born babe, GSV (Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya) to take over its assets, and have its top functionary ensconced, nudging out the old, legitimate chief as in a coup. How will the GSV, a Central university established to create a resource pool of best-in-class professionals for the transport/ logistics sector, also assume the mantle of a specialised training facility for IRs 12,000 officers? It is learnt that the university will deploy faculty from IRs CTIs (centralised training institutes) for pedagogic purposes. Will the senior railway officers, currently constituting the faculty at CTIs, be equipped to teach modern day specialised subjects of logistics and transport economics? In the meanwhile, amidst a flurry of fuzzy events, a batch of 95 freshly recruited probationary Group-A officers of IRMS (Indian Railways Management Service) have been diverted to the Indian Railways Institute of Transport Management (IRITM), Lucknow, which is now proposed to gear up for their Foundation Course training programme. Shouldnt a state-of-the-art campus be built anew for the GSV with requisite infrastructure? It seems axiomatic that IRITM will need to enhance its infrastructure and resources for the newly assigned task. As it is, little seems to have been done to allay fears from uncertainties arising from what was ferreted as a panacea to curb deleterious virus of departmental silos in IR management. Much sulk and chest-thumping remain unabated among IR officers owing to little clarity about the ambit and impact of IRMS. Recommended by the Ackworth Committee in 1924, IR had thoughtfully set up in January 1930 a centralised training facility for railway officers with a 60 acre campus in salubrious Dehradun, at a cost of Rs 25 lakh. Advertisement Formally opened in April 1930 by the Governor of Uttar Pradesh, Sir Malcolm Hailey, the Railways apex training centre had its life cut short. The IR Board viewed it as an expensive luxury amidst the Rs 10 crore-loss Railways suffered in the year then. Its entire infrastructure was sold in 1932. That became the habitat of the renowned Indian Military Academy. Thanks to the vision of a great Gaekwad, Baroda became a renowned centre of learning during the days of the Raj. The city received a boost to its stature in academia, when the Railways premier institution for training its senior managers, 22 years after the closure of the Dehradun facility, in the shape of the Railway Staff College found a new regal abode. It was in the sprawling royal estate, the Pratap Vilas Palace at Lalbaug, designed by C.F. Stevens in the renaissance genre and built in 1914, which IR purchased from the Maharaja. The Baroda Staff College was inaugurated on 31 January 1952 by Union Transport and Railways Minister, N. Gopalaswami Ayyangar in the presence of Minister of State K. Santhanam and Railway Board Chairman, F. C. Badhwar, among others. Memories of my initiation in rail life sixty-six winters ago still haunt me. The very name of Baroda of old, or Vadodara of today, conjures up images of the majestic barh tree, with its quaint aerial roots that seemed to grow upside down. When Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru was asked why he did shirshasan every morning, he said, it gave him a unique perspective of the world, seeing it upside down. Our group was the second biggest those days, by and large heterogeneous ~ most of them fresh out of university. There were some brilliant ones who went through a whole library of novels while attending lectures but topped every Staff College exam. Another took bridge lessons from his friend while sitting on the back benches, particularly during lectures on finance and accounts. By and large, we were a bunch of naive simpletons; we stood in not a little awe of our senior batch who conducted themselves as seasoned men of the world. What particularly had us all goggle-eyed was the near-professional and nonchalant way they played flush even when they were on their way to the examination hall for the end-of-the-term test. Its a different matter that twenty of them were so taken to the College that they were called to undertake their test once more. However, in a more serious vein, along with the rudiments of interlocking, we also picked up some fundamentals of management and team-work, expanded our horizons, learnt to laugh at ourselves, and cemented life-long friendships ~ all of which stood us in good stead in service and beyond. Every routine at the College, no matter how small or insignificant it looked, had a great impact: the style of dining and quality of food, unsaid manners and civility at the table held their own lessons. As the majesty of the old Gaekwad palace with its splendour in stone and sprawling green cover whispered in our ears an element of awe, our attitudes and attributes would be chiselled and moulded by a kaleidoscopic range of faculty members ~ from the sheer brilliant to the mere pedestrian. Some were erudite and witty; some had a presence and commanded pindrop silence; some induced a sense of ennui. This was the time one learnt, if one learnt at all, that management, as it has evolved, and is evolving, is a battle of ideas and ideals. The Egyptian pyramids were made of stone; the new pyramids of wealth today are built on knowledge. The Information Revolution is now at the point at which the Industrial Revolution was in the early 1820s. In 1829 came the railroad ~ a product truly without precedent. Not only did it create a new economic dimension but it also rapidly changed the mental geography. We realised that good, effective management doesnt imply a jigsaw puzzle to be solved: lessons outside the classroom were sometimes more important than inside: no lectures on punctuality could be half as effective as Principal Mukherjee standing outside the classroom, sharp at 0801, looking at the watch, without uttering a word, watching some of the young probationers trundling along to class. His very look could kill! No young man was seen to be late ever again Its difficult on my part to eschew the last infirmity of old minds to hark back to the past with rose-tinted glasses, to suggest some emphasis on a few aspects of curricula at the College. The blizzard of change around us, all over the globe, demands we lead the change. At the College, as at other similar institutions, the goal is not merely to teach tools and techniques, general and subsidiary rules. Essential it is to impart to trainees a perspective on their role as managers and leaders. Leaders listen to people with different ideas and choose their own direction. A leader used to need great answers; today, the led now expect to be consulted, not instructed. An institution of higher professional learning must perforce inculcate the basic ingredients of character and courage, diligence and devotion in young minds to emerge as leaders: vitality that promotes interest in the world outside; courage or absence of fear ~ behold the turtle, it only makes progress when it sticks its neck out; sensitivity ~ man is a social being, no doubt, but equally he is a solitary pilgrim of eternity, individuals have their best ideas when allowing their minds to wander, reflect and play; and humility that enables the mind to remain ever open and inquisitive, with an intensity to learn and perform. Again, fun and work are not incompatible; they can co-exist. Work is more productive when its fused with fun. Relevant will it be to allude here to the Indian army that shares similar diversity and complexity in its departments and services. An important area for railways to emulate is the armys selection process for command posts, its insistence on the right combination of training, exposure, and expertise. Avoiding instances of senior commanders learning on the job should interest the IR Board. Railways has been trudging along a purely bureaucratic path. Although IR has developed extensive training facilities for its managers and other ranks, these are almost entirely department-oriented at all levels; with little evidence of job-oriented exposure, evolving integrated logistics services, along with the leadership role required at crucial Divisional and Zonal levels. Gone are the days of each mode of transport going its own way; the need today is of integrated intermodal logistics roads, railways, waterways, airways all optimally enmeshed. Aristotles profound words, For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them serve as a cornerstone of the institutional approach to future-ready education. In his Seven Pillars of Wisdom, Colonel T.E. Lawrence recounts his experiences in the Arab revolt against Ottoman, featuring a poignant metaphor War upon rebellion is messy and slow, like eating soup with a knife for the organisational struggle to transform workplace processes, encompassing analytical thinking and communication abilities, in order to effectively navigate cognitive complexities. The 21st century workplace values efficiency, agility and resilience. The faculty are expected to embrace innovative pedagogies for trainees to necessarily possess a blend of industry knowledge, technical proficiency in a core domain, coupled with a working understanding of another business vertical. It would perforce entail a strong, active, and growing interface with business and industry. (The writer is former CMD of CONCOR, and now Distinguished Fellow at Asian Institute of Transport Development) The recent truce proposal between Hamas and Israel emerges as a glimmer of hope amid the persistent shadows of discord. The proposed 40-day pause in military operations, coupled with a hostage exchange and humanitarian initiatives, raises cautious optimism for a potential respite in the strife-ridden Gaza Strip. The key elements of the proposed ceasefire offer a multifaceted approach to alleviate the longstanding humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Repairing hospitals and bakeries, delivering aid through a significant number of trucks, and providing shelters for the displaced signal an earnest attempt to address the immediate needs of the population. Such measures, if implemented, could offer a brief reprieve from the dire conditions faced by Gazans. The proposed exchange of hostages is a daring step, suggesting a willingness on both sides to make concessions for the sake of peace. The intricate details, such as releasing women, children, the elderly, and the sick, reflect a humane approach in a conflict often marred by brutality. Yet, the delicate balance of releasing prisoners and ensuring they are not re-arrested adds a layer of complexity to the negotiations. The international communitys involvement, notably through talks in Paris, underscores the global interest in resolving the Gaza conflict. Mediators intensifying efforts to secure a ceasefire reflect a recognition of the urgency to prevent further escalation and the devastating consequences it could unleash on the already beleaguered population. The prospect of a million displaced people in Rafah facing an Israeli assault adds urgency to the diplomatic endeavors. US President Joe Bidens statement regarding Israels commitment not to engage in military activities during Ramadan adds a temporal dimension to the proposed truce. The focus on enabling Palestinian evacuation before intensifying any military campaign reflects a strategic move to mitigate potential civilian casualties. However, beneath the surface of these diplomatic maneuvers lies a grim backdrop of past hostilities. The reference to Hamas killing and capturing hostages on October 7, triggering Israels subsequent ground assault, paints a stark picture of the cyclical nature of violence in the region. Advertisement The toll on human lives, with nearly 30,000 confirmed killed, serves as a haunting reminder of the high cost of unresolved conflicts. As news of this potential truce permeates the media, it is crucial to approach it with tempered optimism. While the outlined proposals offer a pathway to de-escalation, the intricate dynamics of the Middle East demand careful scrutiny. The international community must remain vigilant, urging both parties to honour their commitments and work towards a sustainable peace that addresses the root causes of the conflict. The proposed truce in Gaza holds promise, presenting a unique opportunity for a temporary halt in hostilities and a focus on humanitarian efforts. The path to lasting peace in Gaza remains uncertain, yet the pursuit of dialogue is a commendable step towards a more stable and humane future for the region. Vivekananda Music Festival, dedicated to Swamiji on his birthday (12 January), has been one of the most prestigious events in the cultural calendar of Kolkata for decades now. The Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture celebrated the 161st birth anniversary of Swamiji with reverence at the Vivekananda Hall, but with a modern twist. Instead of dhrupad, or traditional Indian instrumental music, the day-long event opened with raga Nat Bhairav by well-known harmonium player Ravindra Katoti. He gave his best to create the effect of glides, an essential element of Indian music. Equally important is rhythm. The Rhythm Harmony, as designed by the deep, rich tone of the pakhawaj of Pandit Ravishankar Upadhyay, the sweet and refined medium pitch of Pandit Anindo Chatterjees tabla, and Shrikhol wizard Gopal Burmans high-pitched, finely nuanced dancing cadence, apparently covered the long journey of Indian music down the ages. The famed trio began with a twelve-beat tala, followed by a seven-matra stint, and finally landed on a sixteen-beat tala. A khandajati composition on pakhawaj inspired the tabla to play the same, including different hues of bols replicating temple bells and cascading rains. The Shrikhol followed suit with greater ecstasy. Their last piece together proved to be a delightful melodic harmony of three octaves. Pandit Ulhas Kashalkar scripted the touching finale of the morning session with Ragas Vrindavani Sarang and Lalit Pancham. If the former stood out in its pristine form, glittering due to the masterly treatment, the latter created a sweet agony whenever the Master included Pancham within the emotional persona of Lalit. Pandit Suresh Talwalkar anticipated and understood every move of the erudite vocalist. Together, they presented another emotive bandish in Raga Patdeep. Advertisement Manipuri dance Guru, Thinghaijam Chourjeet Singh, and Troupe presented brilliant items, starting with Guru-vandana, followed by a sequence from Jaidevas Geetagovinda wherein Krishna is upset upon learning that Radha is angry because her friend Chandravali had spent intimate time with Krishna. On a different note, Tanam, a pure dance sequence composed by Guru Babu Singh, stood out for the commendable, neatly aligned body movements and coordination of the dancers (Prabin Singh, Ranjan Singh, Thoiba Singh, and Sudip Ghosh). Their last item was Dashavatar. The modernised music compositions were much easier at the cost of their original character. Also, the translated Sanskrit verses lost their grandeur. Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, the living legend, offered his unbroken annual melodic obeisance to Swamiji through a mystified raga Madhuvanti that exposed its real self in the gat-bandishes. His taans were steeped in layakari. Each taan was an example of a different cadence. Young tabla wonder Yashwant Vaishnav handled the complex patterns with elan and offered suitable replies too. On request, the veteran flautist played Kirtan-based dhun. It was very effective due to its devotional appeal. So much so that an ochre-clad music lover joined him by playing cymbals. The charmed listeners hankered for more and were rewarded with a beautiful dhun. Sarod maestro Basant Kabra greeted the evening with Shree, a raga of long meends. While inventing the alap segment, his simple meends etched the beauty of the raga, but the complex ones went out of shape. The mukam-based phrases were the main attraction of the jod segment. One long phrase at high speed completed his jhala. With Yashvant on the tabla, his slow jhaptal gatkari had almost all the phrases ending with asymmetric tihais. Bold, bol-based taans dominated the fast teental gatkari. Tabla and Sarod exchanged ideas before heading for a very high-speed jhala. After this full course, he served dessert in the form of a Mishra Kafi dhun, set to rupak, but again reverted to a drut teental gat to display layakari and sawal jawab at the inevitable, metallic breakneck speed. Finally, the duet between Hindustani and Carnatic music (a popular trend here now) brought Santoor virtuoso Tarun Bhattacharya and celebrated violinist Mysore Manjunath together on stage. They selected Bageshri, an adopted raga by Carnatic, but ironically, the alap violin suited the ragas slow gait and temperament. The Jod segment was better for Santoor, although gamaks eluded it. In jhala Santoor was in elements, took it to a very fast pace but climbed down to close softly sans tihai and invited tabla maestro Abhijit Banerjee to join in a medium-paced teental gatkari. Violin, supported by mridangam vidwan Anantha R. Krishnan, elaborated the raga very sensitively. Santoor picked up another beautiful bandish (Dekho thumak chale chaal) set to sitarkhani, which has no equivalent tala in Carnatic. Yet an inspired violin, joined by Santoor, created a ruckus at high speed, replete with sawal-jawab. The following taniavartanam, by Tabla and Mridangam, was very enjoyable. Veteran anchor Biplab Gangulys spontaneous introductions exuded warmth. Korak Basu, the co-anchor, had an attractive voice. Glorious forty decades The 42nd Dakshini Sangeet Sammilani succeeded in bringing the cream of the second or third generation of independent India, who are musicians of repute. Pandit Vijay Kichlu was the visionary who nurtured the first generation and supported the musicians to climb the ladder of glory. The Sammilani dedicated its first evening to the fond memory of Pandit Kichlu, the second to Ustad Rashid Khan, and the third evening to Vidushi Prabha Atre. Pandit Kichlus grand disciples Sanjukta Biswas and Sabina Islam could commence the evening rather late and offered their melodic tributes to all the greats through their jugalbandi steeped in the devotional strains of raga. Pooravi, superbly supported by veteran tabla maestro Sujit Saha, sang slow and fast khayals, replete with all eight segments of khayal singing. Their well-groomed voices, the rich, overt Agra Gayakis purity, and its well-nuanced emotional appeal cast their spell within minutes. Also well-versed in thumri, they sang a soulful khamaj thumri before closing with a delighting dadra. Their confident grip on the tala and its different cadence helped them play with layakari, a rare prowess among vocalists of their generation. This is not so with instrumentalists. Brilliant young sarod virtuoso Debosmita Bhattacharya is one such musician, now settled in the UK with her husband, Gurdain Singh Rayatt (a tabla exponent). The couple participated in this conference as co-artistes. Her sarod literally sang Jhijhoti, a pathos-laden, sweet evening raga. The soulful alap very lovingly created numerous phrases that etched the ragas portrait very brilliantly. Jod was attracted by its soft and bold bolkaris and jhala, which reminded him of arati jhala, popularised by sitar maestro Kushal Das. Accompanied by Gurdain Singhs unobtrusive tabla, her gatkaris glittered due to her brilliant playing technique. Day three commenced with steadily rising sitarist Sahana Banerjees delightful recital. The alap in Puriadhanashri was submerged in Ragas colour. It was very tuneful, especially in kharaj, wherein the raga became introverted and meditative. This part had velvety strokes and Veenas aural effect. An assertive jod had well-measured gamak-tthonk-bols and closed with mohra. After a brief jhala, Shubhojyoti Guha entered the scene with a beautiful uthan on his tabla before slow and fast teental gatkaris adorned with rhythm-play of amazing clarity and taans covering three octaves. The latter were too many for comfort. The jhala, encompassing the alap within it, brought back the much-needed peace, and a long tihai closed the raga. The sweetness of her gently and imaginatively handled Mishra Kirwani dhun completed the picture. Blessed with a robust, deep voice, Soumi Majumdar, flanked by Bivash Sanghai and Hiranmay Mitra, presented her version of Raga Jog. After a brief and neat auchar, she chose to sing a slow ektal khayal. During bol-vistar, she took the total canvas of Raga and jumped from one point to another. This confusion lacked both silliness and content. She could do much better by learning more. There were many other renowned and brilliant participants. Due to compelling reasons, this reporter could not attend their concerts. The writer is a senior music critic. With academic pressure, social media and digital distractions in the form of readily available audio-visual content at our fingertips, those of us who have left behind our student days may conclude that todays generation of college students has abandoned the habit of reading for pleasure. To be very honest, with all the deadlines and dissertations, I havent been able to read anything other than academic papers in the last few months, said Sruti Basu, a final-year Masters student of political science at Presidency University. A second-year M.S. student, Avigyan Samanta, said that his schedule permits him to read only two or three times a week. However, despite many obstacles, it appears that college and university students in India are still fighting to make space for books in their lives, exhibiting a wide range of reading preferences, including fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and drama. Advertisement Anurag Chandra, a second-year student in the comparative literature department at Jadavpur University, avidly reads approximately one new book per month. Anurags preference lies in science fiction, with favourite authors from young-adult and contemporary fiction including J.K. Rowling, Ruskin Bond, Dan Brown and Amitav Ghosh, whose novel The Hungry Tide he is presently reading. Sohini Kundu, a third-year B.A. student at Jadavpur University, regrets that her time spent reading has decreased in the last few years, but she still tries to read outside the texts prescribed in her syllabus as much as possible. Being a student of English literature, I enjoy a wide variety of genres. Although I mostly read novels, historical fiction, and women authors, sometimes reading poetry also brings me joy, Sohini said. The last book I read was Jhumpa Lahiris Whereabouts. I am currently reading My Story by Kamala Das. Apprupa Mandal, a third-year student at Presidency University, chooses her reading material based purely on personal inclination. A student of political science, she enjoys dystopian fiction such as Margaret Atwoods The Handmaids Tale and more contemporary fiction such as Khaled Hosseinis The Kite Runner and Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, while also appreciating literary classics such as To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. I am presently engrossed reading Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, Apprupa said. I keep reading out of curiosity to find out what happens next! Works by literary stalwarts such as Shakespeare also remain ever-loved. His tragedies in particular allow me to explore something new each time I read them, said a third-year MSc. Tech student, Arghya Dey. The diverse reading preferences of these students also include non-fiction genres, encompassing geopolitics, psychology, autobiographies, histories and sociological works. Arghya, a student in the department of applied geophysics at IIT (ISM) Dhanbad, prefers non-fiction books, as real issues are portrayed in them. Recently, I have been going through the writings of several Indian journalists like S. Hussain Zaidi, Ravish Kumar, and Rana Ayyub. The real events that they describe are thrilling to read and also give me greater insights into the power and corruption that go into politics in India, he said. Jigna Voras Behind Bars in Byculla: My Days in Prison was hard to digest because of its depiction of life inside Indias prison system. IIT Kharagpur student Avigyan too gravitates towards writing on geopolitics. I enjoy the works of Noam Chomsky, especially his work on economics. As someone who doesnt have a humanities background, I enjoy how the use of jargon is minimal, or the jargon that is used is the kind that I can understand even with my STEM background, he said. Experiences from real life, too, create a hunger for and interest in certain kinds of non-fiction. Avigyan is currently reading Shifting Lands, Moving People: Livelihood, Migration, Climate Change, and Natural Disasters in the Indian Sundarbans by Samantak Das, Gautam Gupta, and Sugata Hazra. As someone who has been to that region and been involved with people affected by climate change by volunteering there post-cyclone Amphan, I feel that this book is a good opportunity to gain an academic perspective on the situation, he said. Jadavpur University Sociology student Unmil Chattopadhyay also prefers reading books about topics within his coursework. He believes that delving into academic materials outside of the classroom enhances his understanding of complex social issues. Fiction and poetry in various Indian languages also occupy a special place in the hearts of todays students. Srutis last read was Ismat Chughtais novel Tedhi Lakeer in her mother tongue, Hindi, while Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyays Bengali novel Pather Panchali has been a favourite since childhood for Sohini, who also enjoys the works of Rabindranath Tagore, Ashapurna Devi and Mahasweta Devi. The students reading habits showcase a broad spectrum of interests and a keen appreciation for embracing diverse genres and authors with an open-minded approach. For them, literature serves as a source of solace, inspiration, and intellectual stimulation, offering insights into varied human experiences and a better understanding of the world and their role in it. Contrary to stereotypes of a digitally immersed generation, students nowadays show a commitment to intellectual curiosity and cultural enrichment through reading. Their engagement with literature shows that reading is more than just a fun hobby or leisure activity for them. Rather, it helps with personal development and serves as an avenue to understand the world better, amidst the complexities of academics and other challenges. Their collective journey through the world of reading shows us how literature stands the test of time as an enduring influence in shaping minds and nurturing souls. The writer is a freelance writer, editor and translator. BEIJING, Feb. 29 (Xinhua) -- Frontier fields such as life sciences, artificial intelligence, quantum science, astronomy and energy were celebrated Thursday when the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) released the country's top 10 science advances in 2023. The use of AI models for enhanced precision in forecasting weather was highlighted by the annual list. Huawei's Pangu model demonstrated high precision compared to traditional numerical prediction methods for forecasts, which could take anywhere from an hour to a week, and its prediction speed is 10,000 times faster. Also among the advances was the precise energy spectrum for the highest-energy gamma-ray radiation from the brightest gamma-ray burst observed to date, captured by China's Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO), a high-altitude cosmic ray observatory. In life science, the list included how certain elements with viral origins in our genomes become awakened and contribute to the aging process; how DNA's unzipping machine works; how light suppresses blood sugar metabolism; the precise integration of large DNA sequences in plant genomes; as well as the discovery of a "tangible" biological clock in the brain and a key gene in a crop that might substantially improve yields from alkaline soil. The advances also included the extension of the quantum information's storage time and the chemical reaction processes in lithium-sulfur batteries. The NSFC is a major source of funding in China for basic research and frontier exploration. More than 2,100 experts, including over 430 Chinese academicians, voted on the results. About 45 percent of researchers attached to the studies are aged less than 45, revealing that young scientists have become a driving force in China's basic research, according to the NSFC. Some achievements were contributed by enterprises including Huawei and Qi-Biodesign Biotechnology, which reflected the increasingly important role that firms are playing in innovation. In an interview with Xinhua, the NSFC announced new measures to extend funding for outstanding undergraduates to conduct pilot project basic research, and to offer long-term funding for excellent researchers with a maximum of nearly 30 million yuan (4.17 million U.S. dollars) over a 15-year period. The foundation also vowed to establish a global fund for science projects between Chinese and overseas scientists, and support overseas scientists to work in China on a long-term basis, in a bid to build a platform for international cooperation in basic research. The notion of culture is vague and complex. It is used to indicate several dissimilar elements, like beliefs, thoughts, values, ideals, emotions, rituals, customs, aesthetics, etc. But what conveys the people of different cultures is food. Food is more than just what sustains us. Over centuries and in every civilisation around the world, humans have always used food as a tool to bond, socialise and connect. It establishes a deep connection to history, culture and national pride. The pride in food can also lead to situations that expose its significance beyond just local lore. One significant food that became an overnight idol is the dumpling. These tiny dollops of savoury bliss have captured the hearts and alleys of the globe. These pockets of joy, whether they be steamed, fried, or baked, increase your likeness and open your taste buds. In India, these flavourful stuff balls are popularly known as momo, which comes from the Tibetan phrase mog mog, which captures the delightful sound and experience of savouring food in the Tibetan language and is akin to the English onomatopoeic phrase munch munch or nom nom. Momo has intertwined a fascinating journey all over the world and has its own long, rich, and diverse history. Therefore, lets take a deep drive into the pages of history to rediscover the journey of momo finally to the city of joy. Advertisement This humble dish travelled across many geographies, evolving with each stop it made. Momos are said to have originated in the 14th century, claiming their birthplace was either in Nepal or Tibet. But first, well take a deep dive into the most common type of momo, the dumpling. The invention of dumplings remains a mystery to most scholars. Some scholars suspect that dumplings were first spread by the nomadic Turkish people who lived in Western and Central China. They used to refer to it as manti, meaning dumpling or steamed bun in many Turkish languages. Manti also appears to be the root word for dumpling in several other languages. Yet dumplings first gathered their steam in China. According to the written record, it was created in China during the Han Dynasty (206 BC220 AD). These were also known as jiaozi. Jiaozi were considered a symbol of wealth and prosperity and were often served during special occasions such as the Chinese New Year. The provenance of the Indian dumpling, or momo, is a complicated one. The origin of the momo is kind of blurry. However, most people agree that it is primarily of Tibetan origin. Although some argue that momos were introduced in Tibet by a Nepalese Newari princess who was married to a Tibetan king in the late 15th century, it was after the Chinese invasion of Tibet in 1959 that the Tibetans immigrated and settled in numerous major Indian cities like Dharamshala, Kolkata, Delhi, Ladakh, Darjeeling and Sikkim. These Tibetans introduced their native foods, such as Momo, Thukpa, Taifu, Laping and others, to the Indian population after bringing their culinary customs to the Indian subcontinent. Among these, the momo became optimal because of its instant gratification and, hence, can be found mushrooming all across the country. One could grab and gobble it anywhere and in any part of the day. The shapes and options of fillings majorly depend on the previously mentioned factors. Some examples are Chinas wontons or xiao long bao, Japans gyoza, Italys ravioli, Indias modak, or our very own pithe. When momo arrived in the Indian subcontinent, it underwent a number of cultural exchanges as well as geographical changes. Today we focus on the growing fan base of momo in Kolkata, which made its debut by the end of the 1980s. The first eatery in Kolkata to sell momos professionally was a Tibetan couple who resided on the 3rd Suburban Hospital Road of Bhawanipur. The couple used to make only a limited amount for themselves and a few regular customers. They also distributed those culinary creations among their neighbours out of love. One of their neighbours was the Singh family, who were Nepalis and migrated to Kolkata from Kalimpong in Darjeeling. After the man of that Tibetan couple passed away, it was almost an uphill battle for the lady to continue the business alone. There then came the women in the Singh family, who very efficiently learned the culinary art of momo making from that lady and thus started the business of momos in Kolkata. The Singh family, after a few years, officially launched this business and named it Hamro Momo. Dinesh Singh is the current proprietor of this shop. In a conversation with The Statesman, he said, It was only after the establishment of the shop that momos began to circulate in the mouths of Kolkatans throughout Kolkata. Our shop has been around for almost 42 years, and according to the responses of our customers, it still has authenticity. My aunt, at first, used to sell momos from her roadside stall. This roadside stall further evolved into a two-table set-up when my mother joined the business. Once the business picked up, my parents took this space on rent and began operations from here around 1990. The name was set by my mother herself, and since then, this place has been a gem to gormandise authentic Tibetan momos. We also specialise in thukpas. Recently, after spotting the demand among customers, we introduced frozen momos to our menu. We are now planning to renovate this small enclosed eatery into a proper restaurant, elaborated Dinesh. Soon after Hamro Momo, Tibetan Delight was launched. This shop, despite its location deep inside an alley around Suburban Hospital Road, caught the sun because of its simple, authentic and pocket-friendly menu. The shop was started by my parents, Uday Mukhia and Nima Mukhia, almost 40 years ago. Sadly, my father passed away in 2020 due to a heart attack, and therefore, my mother, who is originally a Tibetan, now legally owns this shop. This success was because of my grandfathers initiative to open a momo joint right after he retired from the army and relocated to Kolkata, said Prashant Mukhia over a phone conversation with The Statesman. Recently, almost the whole city flared up when the eatery ceased for three weeks straight due to the complaints of the landlord and a developer. Thanks to the state government and the West Bengal Pollution Control Board, this eatery was prevented from ceasing forever, and the city of joy was once again elated with joy. Next in line is the restaurant named Momo Plaza, launched in 1992 by the late Somnath Sen and now run by his son, Sudarshan Sen. Orchid, another restaurant just beside the previous one, followed soon after. Summing up, these four eateries, standing consecutively next to each other on the 3rd Suburban Hospital Road, came to be known as the Momo Gully of Kolkata, serving momo as their specialty, and have remained the pioneers of Tibetan delicacies to date. Myanmars State Administration Council imposed martial law in Momeik and Mabein townships in Shan state of eastern Myanmar, media reported. According to the media report, the council said on Wednesday in its order statement that the martial law was imposed to ensure security, uphold the rule of law, and maintain peace and stability in the region, Xinhua news agency reported. Subsequently, in its separate order, the council granted administrative and judicial power for the townships to the commander of the northern command to effectively carry out the works on security, law enforcement, and peace and stability of the region, the report added. Advertisement Myanmar has remained under a state of emergency, which was initially declared in February 2021 for one year and subsequently extended five times, each for six months, until end of July this year. The Palestinian death toll in the Gaza Strip has risen to 29,954 as the Israeli military killed 76 in the past 24 hours, the Hamas-run Health Ministry said. Meanwhile, 110 others were wounded, bringing the total number of Palestinian injuries since the Israel-Hamas war broke out in early October to 70,325, the Ministry said on Wednesday in a statement. It noted that some victims remain under the rubble amid heavy bombardment and a lack of civil defence and ambulance crews, Xinhua news agency reported. Advertisement On Wednesday, Israeli media outlets reported that two officers were killed and seven soldiers were injured during battles in the Gaza Strip, pushing the death toll to 582. Citing IDF sources, the reports said Israels ground operations continued throughout the Gaza Strip under the support of air and naval bombardment. The reports said the Israeli army destroyed tunnels and other Hamas infrastructure, eliminating terrorist cells and seizing large quantities of weapons. In addition, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Spokesman Daniel Hagari said that the goal of the war in Gaza, which is to ensure the October 7 attack never ever happens again, will take time to achieve. Israel has pushed forward 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. Saint-Laurent, CA (H4T1V6) Today Variable clouds with snow showers that will mix with rain showers later. High 41F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight Cloudy with rain and snow showers this evening. Remaining cloudy overnight. Low 26F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precip 50%. Venezuelan government, allies and other groups propose more than 20 dates for presidential election A proposal meant to guide electoral authorities in setting the date for Venezuelas presidential election includes more than 20 potential options ranging from as soon as mid-April through early December NED BRISTOL, a retired editor of The Sun Chronicle, contributes columns to the newspaper. You can reach out to him at news@thesunchronicle.com . Volker Turk, United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights, attends an interactive dialogue meeting on the human rights situation in the occupied Palestinian territory during the 55th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland, Feb. 29, 2024. Volker Turk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said at the ongoing 55th session of the UN Human Rights Council that he had no words to capture the horrors in Gaza as the total number of people killed in Gaza has exceeded 30,000. "The war in Gaza must end," he said at an interactive dialogue meeting on the human rights situation in the occupied Palestinian territory, adding that the Israeli leaders must accept the right of Palestinians to live in an independent state and all Palestinian factions must accept the right of Israel to exist in peace and security. (Xinhua/Shi Song) GENEVA, Feb. 29 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations (UN) human rights chief emphasized on Thursday the deteriorating human rights situation in Gaza, urging an end to the conflicts there. "There appear to be no bounds to -- no words to capture -- the horrors that are unfolding before our eyes in Gaza," the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said during the interactive dialogue on the human rights situation in the occupied Palestinian territory at the 55th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. He referred to the situation in Gaza as "carnage," as approximately one in every 20 children, women and men in the region are dead or injured. The Palestinian death toll from the ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip has surpassed 30,000, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus said on social media platform X on Thursday. "At least 17,000 children are orphaned or separated from their families, while many more will carry the scars of physical and emotional trauma life-long," Turk said. "And tens of thousands of people are missing, many presumed buried under the rubble of their homes." "The war in Gaza must end," the UN human rights chief underlined while presenting a report on the human rights situation in Gaza and in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Turk said his office had recorded "many incidents that may amount to war crimes by Israeli forces." He added there were also indications that Israeli forces have engaged in "indiscriminate or disproportionate targeting" in violation of international law. Meanwhile, Turk said Palestinian armed groups launched indiscriminate projectiles across southern Israel and the holding of hostages also violated international humanitarian law. Turk added that a ground offensive in the southern border town of Rafah, where some 1.5 million people are estimated to be crammed after fleeing their homes further north to escape Israel's offensive, would incur massive loss of life. He said such an assault would increase the risk of atrocity crimes, spur more displacement, and "sign a death warrant for any hope of effective humanitarian aid." This photo taken on Feb. 29, 2024 shows an exterior view of the United Nations (UN) Office in Geneva, Switzerland. Volker Turk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said at the ongoing 55th session of the UN Human Rights Council that he had no words to capture the horrors in Gaza as the total number of people killed in Gaza has exceeded 30,000. "The war in Gaza must end," he said at an interactive dialogue meeting on the human rights situation in the occupied Palestinian territory, adding that the Israeli leaders must accept the right of Palestinians to live in an independent state and all Palestinian factions must accept the right of Israel to exist in peace and security. (Xinhua/Shi Song) Children attend an event organized by volunteers to promote children's welfare in central Gaza Strip city of Deir el-Balah, Feb. 29, 2024. The United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk emphasized on Thursday the deteriorating human rights situation in Gaza, urging an end to the conflicts there. "At least 17,000 children are orphaned or separated from their families, while many more will carry the scars of physical and emotional trauma life-long," Turk said. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) Children attend an event organized by volunteers to promote children's welfare in central Gaza Strip city of Deir el-Balah, Feb. 29, 2024. The United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk emphasized on Thursday the deteriorating human rights situation in Gaza, urging an end to the conflicts there. "At least 17,000 children are orphaned or separated from their families, while many more will carry the scars of physical and emotional trauma life-long," Turk said. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) A man paints a heart on a child's face during an event organized by volunteers to promote children's welfare in central Gaza Strip city of Deir el-Balah, Feb. 29, 2024. The United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk emphasized on Thursday the deteriorating human rights situation in Gaza, urging an end to the conflicts there. "At least 17,000 children are orphaned or separated from their families, while many more will carry the scars of physical and emotional trauma life-long," Turk said. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) Children attend an event organized by volunteers to promote children's welfare in central Gaza Strip city of Deir el-Balah, Feb. 29, 2024. The United Nations (UN) High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk emphasized on Thursday the deteriorating human rights situation in Gaza, urging an end to the conflicts there. "At least 17,000 children are orphaned or separated from their families, while many more will carry the scars of physical and emotional trauma life-long," Turk said. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) A recent study has revealed that drugs blocking the activity of sensory nerves could potentially slow or stop the growth of certain head and neck cancers. The research, conducted by the University of Colorado School of Medicine, found that sensory nerves within the tumor microenvironment play a role in accelerating tumor growth by impeding the immune system's ability to generate specific T-cells, which are crucial for combating disease within the tumor tissue . Lead author of the study, Laurel Darragh, emphasized the significance of these findings, stating, "We have long known that the intensity of nerve interactions within the tumor microenvironment are associated with worse outcomes in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma" . The study's senior author, Sana Karam, further highlighted the potential of nerve-blocking agents to be used in conjunction with radiation and other existing treatment regimens, suggesting that these drugs could have synergistic effects with radiation and potentially lower toxicities compared to current treatments. The researchers discovered that sensory nerves release a protein called calcitonin gene-related peptide, which directly inhibits the immune cells in the tumor environment, thereby promoting tumor growth. By blocking the nerves through surgical, genetic, or pharmacological means, the researchers observed increased T-cell activity and a halt in cancer progression for approximately six weeks . Notably, drugs that block nerve activity, such as gabapentin and botox, were found to be particularly effective when used alongside radiation treatment. This approach holds promise for developing improved therapeutics for patients who may not tolerate chemotherapy or radiation, according to Sana Karam. The study's findings shed light on the potential of nerve-blocking drugs to play a significant role in the treatment of head and neck cancers, offering new avenues for therapeutic intervention and potentially enhancing the life expectancy and quality of life for cancer patients. The entry of foreign nationals to India is a sovereign decision, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday, days after UK-based Indian origin professor Nitasha Kaul was denied entry at Bengaluru airport. "This particular UK national (Kaul) came to India on February 22. As you know, the entry of foreign nationals into our country is a sovereign decision, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in his weekly media briefing. Kaul, a Kashmiri Pandit faculty at the University of Westminster, was allegedly deported to the UK from Bengaluru airport where she had landed to attend a conferenceConstitution and National Unity Convention-2024 organised by the Karnataka government on February 24 and 25. Though there had been no official words on why she was denied entry, reports claimed that Kaul was deported because of her "anti-India, pro-separatist sentiments. "I am what authoritarians feara thinking woman," Kaul wrote on X. "Re: all the lies, I am not married to a Pakistani, not a Muslim convert, not a pawn of China, not a puppet of (the) West, not a commie (Communist), not a jihadi, not a Pak sympathiser, not a terrorist supporter, not anti-India, and not part of a gang, she said. The incident sparked off a war of words between the BJP and the Congress with Karnataka minister H.C. Mahadevappa terming it a fresh demonstration of how the rights of state governments are being repeatedly trampled by the Centre. The BJP defended Kauls deportation while accusing her of being a Pakistan sympathiser. Congress party has disgraced the Indian Constitution by inviting a Pakistani sympathiser who wants India's break up. Don't you have any shame left CM Siddaramaiah? Are you trying to challenge the constitution and threaten the unity and integrity of India?, the BJP Karnataka unit asked in a post on X. TEHRAN, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Iran and Russia on Wednesday signed 19 documents on expanding bilateral cooperation in various sectors, the Shana News Agency affiliated with the Iranian Oil Ministry reported. The agreements were signed at the end of the 17th meeting of the two countries' joint economic cooperation commission in Iran's capital Tehran, the report said, covering such areas as energy, health, trade, and education. Speaking at a joint press conference with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak following the signing of the documents, Iran's Oil Minister Javad Owji said the country "has so far signed contracts with Russian companies for developing eight Iranian oil fields," according to Shana. Owji added that discussions were underway regarding the development of a significant number of additional oil and gas fields, and the new contracts could be signed soon. Novak said at the press conference that the two countries could expand bilateral cooperation in the fields of oil, gas and petrochemical sectors, car production and service. The Mayiladuthurai police in Tamil Nadu have arrested four individuals including two BJP functionaries for allegedly threatening and blackmailing the pontiff of the Dharmapuram Adheenam mutt. The BJP functionaries allegedly threatened to release obscene video and audio clips of Masillamani Desiga Gnanasambanda Swamigal, the 27th Gurumaha Sannithanam of the mutt. Those arrested included K. Agoram, BJP Mayiladuthurai district president; Vignesh, BJP district secretary; and Vinoth, Thanjavur North Youth Wing Secretary. The FIR was registered following a complaint filed by Viruthagiri, brother and assistant of the pontiff, on February 25. According to the First Information Report filed by the police, Vignesh, Vinoth and two others threatened and blackmailed the Adheenam, saying that they would release obscene audio and video clips of the pontiff on social media if the mutt head doesnt pay money. Viruthagiri in his complaint said that Vinoth and Vignesh acted upon the instructions of Agoram; Kodiyarasu, founder of Kalaimagal school; and advocate Jayachandran. Viruthagiri also said that the accused demanded lump sum and also tried to strangle him. The Mayiladuthurai police had booked seven persons including one Senthil, who was working for Dharmapuram Adheenam. The case was registered under Sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 307 (attempt to murder), 389 (putting a person in fear of accusation of an offence), 506 (ii) (criminal intimidation) and 120 B (whoever is a party to a criminal conspiracy to commit an offence) of the Indian Penal Code. The four persons arrested, including the BJP functionaries, have been remanded for 15 days. The Dharapuram Adheenam had run into controversies on two occasions after the DMK came to power in 2021. The first time, the pontiffs palanquin ride called as pattina pravesam in Tamil, sparked controversy. The Mayiladuthurai district administration issued a ban on the pattina pravesam event by calling it as human rights violation. When the controversy came up the BJP leaders in the state stood by the seer and said that it is a ritual and cannot be termed as human rights violation. The BJP and several other adheenams in the state criticised the DMK government for trying to interfere in traditions. Later yet another controversy came up when the seer threatened to sit in an indefinite fast against the district administration action against the free hospital run by the mutt. It may also recalled that Dharmapurm aadheenam was one among the 21 mutt leaders (seers) from Tamil Nadu who attended the inauguration of the new parliament in Delhi when a Sengol from Tamil Nadu was placed there by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Himachal Pradesh Assembly Speaker on Thursday disqualified six Congress legislators under provisions of anti-defection law for defying party whip. The move comes as Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu invited party legislators for a breakfast meeting. The Congress had filed a petition against the six MLAs, namely Rajinder Rana, Sudhir Sharma, Ravi Thakur, Inder Dutt Lakhanpal, Chetanya Sharma and Divender Kumar (Bhutto), seeking their disqualification for defying the party whip to vote in favour of the government on Financial Bill. Himachal Pradesh Assembly Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania told presspersons, "Six MLAs, who contested on Congress symbol, attracted provisions of anti-defection law against themselves. I declare that the six people cease to be members of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly with immediate effect, ANI reported. The dramatic turn of events began unfolding in the hill state on Wednesday after Congress candidate Abhishek Manu Singhvi lost the Rajya Sabha election as several party MLAs cross-voted for the BJP. Singhvi was defeated by BJP's Harsh Mahajan on Tuesday through a draw of lots after the two candidates bagged 34 votes each. In the 68-member House, the Congress has 40 seats and the support of three independents, while the BJP has only 25 members. The Rajya Sabha poll results rang alarm bells for the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu government, with reports claiming that the BJP is likely to bring a no-confidence motion in the assembly later this week. In a damage control exercise, Congress chief Kharge sent three observers to Shimla to talk to the disgruntled MLAs and Singh. Himachal Pradesh Assembly speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania will pronounce the order on the future of six defected Congress MLAs on Friday morning in a petition filed against them under the anti-defection law. The petition was filed against the six MLAs namely Rajinder Rana, Sudhir Sharma, Ravi Thakur, Inder Dutt Lakhanpal, Chetanya Sharma and Divender Kumar (Bhutto), seeking their disqualification. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan told reporters on Wednesday that the decision will be taken by the Speaker. He added that the Congress has proved its majority and passed the budget. "A whip was issued to these MLAs asking them to be present in the House during voting on Wednesday's budget. But they defied it by staying away," Chauhan added. "I told the Speaker about this and a hearing was held today," he added. Meanwhile, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has called a 'breakfast meeting' of all Congress MLAs on Thursday in Shimla. "It is an important meeting though an informal one. Let's see what happens," MLA Ashish Butail told ANI. This comes as Sukhu claimed on Wednesday that his government was safe. Chief Minister Sukhu dismissed speculation that he was resigning. "Neither the high command nor anyone else has asked me for resignation," Sukhu told PTI Videos. He said the Congress government will complete its five-year term in the state. The Chief Minister added that all fellow party leaders were like his younger siblings, adding, that his party believes in 'forgiveness', and not 'revenge'. The dramatic turn of events began unfolding in the hill state on Wednesday after Congress candidate Abhishek Manu Singhvi lost the Rajya Sabha election as several party MLAs cross-voted for the BJP. Singhvi was defeated by BJP's Harsh Mahajan on Tuesday through a draw of lots after the two candidates bagged 34 votes each. In the 68-member House, the Congress has 40 seats and the support of three independents, while the BJP has only 25 members. However, Speaker Pathania has said that the majority was still with the Congress Party. The Congress had sent observers to Shimla in a bid to save the government. Adding to the party's woes, minister Vikramaditya Singh, son of Himachal Congress president Pratibha Singh, submitted his resignation from the council of ministers but hours later softened his stand. "There is a difference between taking back the resignation and not pressing it until a final outcome emerges from the ongoing dialogue and the efforts of the central observers. We have had a round of discussions with the central observers and have briefed them on the present situation in the state. Till the final outcome (of the placatory efforts of the central observers), I won't press my resignation," Singh told reporters. Senior CPI leader Annie Raja, who is making her electoral plunge after being nominated by her party to contest from Wayanad in the coming Lok Sabha polls, says if former Congress President Rahul Gandhi, the sitting MP from the constituency, goes on to contest from the seat, it would amount to a mismatch between what the Congress says and how it acts. In an interview with THE WEEK, Raja says that considering how crucial the coming Lok Sabha elections are, the Congress will take a sensible decision with regard to Rahul's candidature from Wayanad. She admits the civil society has given a mixed reaction to her candidature because for them both Rahul Gandhi and Annie Raja are friends. Excerpts from the interview: Q. What are your first thoughts on the electoral plunge that you have made after having spent decades in politics and social work? A. I feel really proud and happy that my party considered my name and recognised the work that I have done for the last more than four decades. I am very happy and thankful to the party. Q. How have your compatriots in the civil society responded to your electoral debut? A. There is a mixed reaction from the civil society. I have always participated in the calls given by the civil society and on many occasions we jointly took up issues and organised protest programmes in Delhi as well as other places. Some of them directly told me that they wanted to come and campaign for me, but they are in a difficult situation. Rahul Gandhi is a big leader of the INDIA alliance. And it is natural that choosing between two friends will be difficult for anyone. I take it that way only. As far as I am concerned, my party has taken a decision, and as a disciplined cadre, I will have to carry out that decision of the party. Q. What are the issues that you would seek to highlight in the election in Wayanad? A. First of all, everyone is saying that this could be the last election. So, the issue is to ensure the biggest celebration of democracy, that is election, in the future also. In this election, we need to defeat the RSS-BJP combine and safeguard our Constitution and constitutional values. When we speak about the Constitution, the constitutional rights of the people, everything is included in that, such as safeguarding the human rights of the peoplewhether it is right to life with dignity or the right to have an atmosphere of liberty and an atmosphere free of violence. As far as the Left parties are concerned, this is the most crucial election India has ever had because all the pillars of the Indian Constitution are under threat and encroached upon by the RSS and the Sangh Parivar and it is almost in a situation of collapse. These are all issues concerning the people of Wayanad, too, and they have their own specific problems also. Q. Congress' Rahul Gandhi is the sitting MP from Wayanad, and the coming election could well become a Rahul Gandhi vs Annie Raja contest. How do you view that? A. It is an election, so naturally parties will field their candidates. And there is nothing personal between Rahul Gandhi and me... Rahul Gandhi and I are not enemies. The fight is not between Rahul Gandhi and Annie Raja. The fight is between two ideologies and two positions. And if the Congress speaks about the danger of fascism, and Rahul Gandhi contests from Wayanad, then there is a mismatch between what they say and how they act. So it is for the Congress party to take a sensible decision. We can also ask why Rahul Gandhi came to Kerala and defeat the Communist candidate in Wayanad. He should not have contested last time also. I don't know who is finally going to contest from Wayanad. It may be him. This election is more crucial for the country, and at such a time, being a party which is playing a leading role in the INDIA alliance, the Congress should see that all the anti-fascist forces come together and they should take the initiative for that. What will they gain if Rahul Gandhi contests against a Left front candidate? Finally, both of us are fighting against the fascist forces. This is not the first time the CPI is contesting from Wayanad. As part of the Left front, we have been contesting from Wayanad and other seats for a long time and this time also we are contesting from these seats. Q. The critics of the INDIA alliance would be expected to point this out as a sign of the inherent differences in the grouping since two allies would be face to face. A. The question should be put to the Congress party. They should answer this question. Q. At the national level, how well placed is the INDIA alliance to take on the BJP? A. The prime minister is saying that India is poised to become the third largest economy, but the grassroots reality of the people is something different. This is where the INDIA alliance sees an opportunity to talk to the people, and convince them. The issue is how well we are able to connect with the people. In a way, the prime minister is betraying the ordinary people of this country. Look at the fact that he is repeatedly saying that he has only four castes, actually denying the reality of caste hierarchy and discrimination in our country. One of them is the farmers. But look at the way the Modi government has dealt with them when they have a simple demand to make about MSP. And how women are being dealt with. He speaks about empowerment of women, but he is sitting with Brij Bhushan who, the Delhi Police has said in its chargesheet, has on different occasions sexually harassed women wrestlers. Q. What is INDIA's counter to the BJP's poll narrative that is based on a combination of Hindutva and development? A. Narendra Modi is not cent per cent sure that with Ram Mandir he can cross 370 seats. That is why, India is witnessing the ugliest phase of its politics everywherepoaching, purchasing and crossing over of MLAs. The people will give a befitting response to the BJP's poll narrative. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday assured that it is doing its best to bring the Indians stuck with Russian military, who are forced to fight in the war against Ukraine. MEA is in touch with the Russian authorities, said officials. About 20 Indian nationals serving with the Russian military have approached authorities seeking help for their discharge. There were also reports of two unconfirmed deaths and several injuries among Indian nationals as well. During the media briefing, spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said 20 Indians working as ground staff and helpers with the Russia Army have contacted Indian authorities for assistance. We have an understanding that 20-odd people are stuck. We are trying our level best for their early discharge, Jaiswal said. We have told people not to venture into the war zone or get caught in situations which are difficult," he added. "We are trying to do our best. We are deeply committed to the welfare of all Indians, said Jaiswal. Recently, the All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Asaduddin Owaisi and the Karnataka government has approached the external affairs ministry to bring back the Indians. Indians from several states including Karnataka, Telangana, and Jammu and Kashmir are 'stuck' in Russia. At least 14 people were killed and 20 others injured when a pick-up vehicle overturned and fell into a deep valley in Madhya Pradesh's Dindori district in the wee hours of Thursday, a police official said. The accident took place near Badjhar Ghat at around 1.30am when the vehicle's driver lost control over the wheels while negotiating a blind turn. The vehicle then fell into a 40-50 feet deep valley. Fourteen people died on the spot while 20 others were injured, the official said. The deceased included seven men, six women and a minor boy, as per the police. The victims were returning to Amhai Devri from Masurghugri village in the district's Shahpura block after taking part in a programme, Sub Divisional Officer of Police Mukesh Avindra said. After being alerted, Dindori Collector Vikas Mishra and Superintendent of Police Akhil Patel rushed to help the victims. The injured persons were admitted to the Shahpura Community Health Centre for treatment. Six of them were reported to be in serious condition, an official said, adding that two of them were referred to Jabalpur for treatment. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the incident. "The road accident in Dindori, Madhya Pradesh is very sad. My condolences are with the bereaved families. I wish speedy recovery to all the injured persons. Under the supervision of the state government, the local administration is engaged in providing all possible assistance to the victims," the Prime Minister's Office said in a post on X. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav announced an assistance of Rs 4 lakh to the kin of each of the deceased. Yadav directed state cabinet minister Sampatiya Uikey to rush to Dindori for the relief work. Senior Congress leader and former MP CM Kamal Nath also expressed grief over the incident. TMC leader Sheikh Shahjahan, accused of sexual atrocities and land grabbing in Sandeshkhali in West Bengal, has been arrested by West Bengal Police. Shahjahan, who has been absconding for the past 55 days, was nabbed from the Minakhan area in North 24 Parganas. Minakhan SDPO Aminul Islam Khan said the accused will be produced before the Basirhat Court on Thursday afternoon. South Bengal ADG Supratim Sarkar, while confirming the arrest, said Shahjahan was arrested in the incident wherein ED officers were assaulted. "Sheikh Shahjahan, one of the principal accused in a case wherein ED officers were assaulted during the course of raid, was arrested. The incident happened on 5th January 2024. We arrested him Wednesday night from Minakha Police area. He will be produced before the court today and we will ask for police custody," Sarkar said. On whether there were sexual assault charges against Shahjahan, the ADG said: "Not in this case. In this case, there is no charge under Sec 354l. There have been many cases (against him). Cases registered on February 8 and 9 pertain to incidents which took place two to three years back. Investigating them and gathering evidence takes time, particularly in incidents that happened two years back." He added that the police could not act against Shahjahan due to legal complications. "The ED had applied to the High Court seeking a stay in investigation. That prayer was granted by the High Court. But, a couple of days back, the High Court made it amply clear that there is no bar on arrest. Following that instruction, over the last 2 days we had been holding raids and last night - on the basis of secret source information - we arrested Sheikh Shahjahan and he has been forwarded to court." The accusations against Shahjahan and his supporters had left the Sandeshkhali area -- situated on the borders of the Sundarbans, about 100 kilometres from Kolkata -- on the boil for over a month. Shahjahan, accused of several criminal cases including the murder of 3 BJP leaders, is also under ED probe for his role in money laundering in connection with the ration and land scams. Last week, the Calcutta High Court directed that Shahjahan, the Enforcement Directorate, the Central Bureau of Investigation, and the state home secretary be impleaded as parties in the suo motu matter initiated on the allegations of sexual atrocities on women and the land grab of tribal people. TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee had claimed that Shahjahan could not be arrested because of legal tangles and stay on FIRs filed by the police. TMC MP Santanu Sen defended the arrest of Shahjahan, stating that this proves the West Bengal government follows 'rajdharma' in administration. "We had taken action against Partha Chatterjee and Jyotipriya Mallick, and similarly, we have taken action against Shibu Hazra and Uttam Sardar and now Sheikh Shahjahan has been arrested. Abhishek Banerjee had said that the police were unable to arrest him due to the court's stay order. He has been arrested within 3-4 days of the removal of the stay order," Sen told ANI. However, the BJP claimed that the state government was compelled to arrest Sheikj Shahjahan. "The government was in denial mode. They were not even accepting that anything as such had happened. Today, due to the agitation of the BJP and the women of Sandeshkhali, the government and Mamata Banerjee were compelled to arrest Sheikh Shahjahan," West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar told ANI. The arrest of Trinamool Congress leader Shahjahan Sheikh, accused of sexual atrocities and land grabbing in West Bengals Sandeshkhali, is unlikely to put an end to the ongoing political turfwar, with the opposition BJP indicating the party's plans to push the issue further. Picture abhi baki hai (the show is yet to end), said Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari. This isn't an arrest; it's a mutual adjustment. Shahjahan, who had been on the run since January 15, was arrested by the state police a day after the Calcutta High Court ruled that the central agencies could also carry out the fugitive's apprehension. The saffron party takes credit for the arrest of Shahjahan, but it also feels that the government acted under pressure from the court and also in view of Prime Minister Narendra Modis scheduled public address in Arambag in Hooghly district on Friday. Shahjahan went into hiding after a mob affiliated to him attacked and chased away a team of Enforcement Directorate officials who had reached Sandeshkhali to raid his premises in connection with a separate corruption case. Only one Shajahan has been arrested. There are many more Shajahans spread across the state, BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar said. The high court on Monday directed police to arrest Shahjahan and expressed surprise at the fact that the incidents of atrocities in Sandeshkhali were reported to the state police four years ago. The island village has been witnessing protests for over a month after scores of women took to the streets alleging that Shahjahan and his supporters had illegally grabbed their lands and had been sexually abusing them. Also read Sandeshkhali: Decoding the political turf war in West Bengal According to police, Sheikh was apprehended from a residence in Bamanpukur, located in the Minakhan police station jurisdiction, approximately 30 km from Sandeshkhali. He was hiding in the company of several associates. Following a brief hearing at a local court that affirmed his 10-day police remand, Sheikh was transferred for interrogation to Bhabani Bhawan, the state police headquarters in Kolkata, as the CID assumed control of the investigation. He was booked under IPC sections 147 (guilty of rioting), 148 (guilty of rioting being armed with a deadly weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly), 307 (attempt to murder), 333 (whoever voluntarily causes grievous hurt to any person being a public servant) and 392 (robbery), police confirmed. Following the arrest, the TMC has suspended him from the party for six years. In a surprise move that has set tongues wagging in political circles, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) president Sharad Pawar has invited Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, deputy CMs Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar for a lunch at his residence in Baramati on March 2. Pawars invitation to his political rivals comes amid his strained ties with his nephew following the power tussle and split in the NCP and ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. There were reports that Ajit Pawar, who has got the NCP name and symbol following the split, is likely to field his wife Sunetra Pawar in Baramati Lok Sabha constituency, currently represented by his cousin and Pawar's daughter Supriya Sule. The CM and his deputies will be in Baramati on March 2 to attend a job fair 'Namo Maharojgar Melava' organised by the Maharashtra government on the premises of Vidya Pratishthan college. Sharad Pawar is the president of Vidya Pratishthan. It would be my pleasure to host you and other members of your cabinet at my house, the veteran leader said in his letter dated February 28. Pawar, a former Union minister, stated that as parliamentarians, he and Sule would like to attend the official event in Baramati. However, reports quoted government sources as saying the invitation had been extended only to Sule. Earlier this month, the Election Commission, in a significant ruling, allotted the name and wall clock symbol of the NCP to Ajit Pawars camp. The poll panel, in its order on February 6, held Ajit Pawars camp as the 'real NCP and, in a separate order the following day, allotted a new nameNationalist Congress Party-Sharadchandra Pawarto the Sharad Pawar camp in view of the upcoming Rajya Sabha election. Ajit Pawar had walked away with a majority of NCP MLAs last year and supported the BJP-Shiv Sena government led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. The special court in Ajmer for the trial of Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (TADA) cases on Thursday acquitted Abdul Karim Tunda, prime accused in the 1993 serial blasts case citing lack of evidence. The court convicted two other convicts for life imprisonment. Tunda, allegedly the mastermind behind the series of blasts that rocked several locations across the country was arrested by CBI in January 2014, near the Nepal border. Tunda has allegedly been associated with extremist groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), and the Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami (HUJI), among others, Hindustan Times reported. Tunda is alleged to be involved in at least 40 bomb blast cases across the country. A series of bomb blasts took place in Rajdhani express trains across various parts of the country, including Mumbai, Lucknow, Kanpur, Hyderabad, and Surat on December 6, 1993. The blasts were allegedly to avenge the demolition of Babri Masjid on the same day in 1992. Several landmark locations in Mumbai were also targeted by the accused, Hindustan Times reported. Following the blasts, five cases were registered at respective police stations in Kota, Valsad, Kanpur, Allahabad and Malka Giri and were later transferred to CBI and re-registered under TADA, Live Law reported. The special court sentenced two other accused Hameeduddin and Irfan Ahmed to life imprisonment. LA PAZ, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Bolivia's government plans to pursue firm legal action after the deputy transportation minister, Israel Ticona, died in a traffic accident caused by a road blockade in the country's eastern department of Santa Cruz, said Bolivian Minister of Government Eduardo del Castillo Wednesday. The accident occurred on Tuesday night when he was traveling to the town of Cuatro Canadas to resolve the blockade. The van he was traveling in collided with a truck stopped by the roadblock. Following the accident, those behind the blockade suspended their protest. Del Castillo said the organizers of the anti-government blockade were responsible, particularly Armando Apaza, the leader of the transporters, for putting public safety at risk, he said. Bolivian President Luis Arce expressed his condolences to Ticona's family and relatives. The charges announced by the government include conspiracy to interfere with the exercise of public function, sabotage and manslaughter. It is back to the Yasser Arafat days when Palestinian groups felt Russia could be approached to back their cause. In a strong unity bid, the representatives of 14 Palestinian groups, including the Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Fatah, will meet in Moscow from Thursday to Saturday. Russia's hosting and facilitating the intra-Palestinian talks is indicative of a positioning that backs the Palestinian cause to the hilt and is aimed at consolidating its influence among the Arab-Islamic nations. The Russian strategy is seen as a reaction to the US-led Wests backing for Israel. With this move, Russia is underlining its position also as a power that can unify all the various factions of the Palestinians. Confirming the development, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov had told agencies that everythings ready to host the meeting. "Of course, they (Palestinian groups) have agreed Some want to send two representatives or even more, that is more than we invited. So there are more than enough of those willing." "Moscows goal is to help the various Palestinian forces agree to unite their ranks politically. Bogdanov is also President Putins special envoy for the Middle East and Africa. The 14 Palestinian organisations include representation from many several Middle Eastern countries, including Syria and Lebanon. The developments take place in the backdrop of the resignation of Mohammad Shtayyeh, Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority. Shtayyeh had said that the changing Palestinian situation requires "new governmental and political arrangements that take into account the emerging reality in the Gaza Strip, the national unity talks, and the urgent need for an inter-Palestinian consensus based on a national basis, broad participation, unity of ranks, and the extension of the Palestinian Authoritys sovereignty over the entire land of Palestine." The present conflict began after a Hamas attack on October 7 killed 1,139 people while 250 were abducted. The dead included 695 Israeli civilians including 36 children, 373 security forces and 71 foreigners. The Israeli counterattack, exhibiting no discrimination, has killed more than 29,954 Palestinians till now and wounded about 70,325. In fresh Israeli strikes, at least 105 Palestinians were killed while waiting for humanitarian aid. According the Gaza Health Ministry, the troops attacked on a crowd of Gazans on Thursday. Health ministry spokesperson Ashraf al-Qidra said another 280 were injured in the attack. Meanwhile the Gazan death toll has crossed 30,000. As many as 81 people had been killed in the last 24 hours, bringing the toll to 30,035. More than 70,000 people have been injured as well. After the attacks, Hamas has warned that it could stop taking part in hostage negotiations. "The negotiations conducted by the movements leadership are not an open process at the expense of the blood of our people," said Hamas. Singapore government on Thursday said Israel's military response to the October attacks has "gone too far". "We manage our international relations by remaining engaged with the international community and maintaining ties with as many countries as possible...this is in Singapore's national interests as a small country," Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan told parliament while responding questions relating to Israel-Hamas war. Meanwhile, an Israeli strike hit a Hezbollah truck near the Lebanese-Syrian border on Thursday killing at least one fighter. According to the UN, 2.2 million people are threatened with famine, particularly in the north where destruction, fighting and looting make the delivery of food challenging. As per UNRWA records, over 2,300 aid trucks have entered the Gaza Strip in February, down by about 50 percent compared to January. UN human rights chief Volker Turk on Thursday said war crimes had been committed by all parties in the Israel-Hamas conflict. Clear violations of international human rights and humanitarian laws, including war crimes and possibly other crimes under international law, have been committed by all parties, Turk told the UN human rights council in Geneva. The International Court of Justice in The Hague ordered Israel to prevent acts of genocide against Palestinians and do more to help civilians, although it stopped short of ordering a ceasefire. The British government said Wednesday that it is stepping up security for lawmakers after politicians reported threats and intimidation connected to the Israel-Hamas war. The Home Office said a 31 million-pound ($40 million) fund will give every lawmaker a dedicated named police contact and provide money for those facing threats to pay for private security protection. The government said some of the money will go more broadly to protecting Britains democratic processes from intimidation, disruption or subversion ahead of a general election later this year. The fund includes money for extra police patrols in areas where tensions are high. Divisions over the conflict in Gaza have convulsed British politics, with some lawmakers saying they fear for their safety after receiving threats over their positions on the war. Reports of antisemitic abuse in Britain have soared since Hamas Oct. 7 attack on Israel, which triggered Israels invasion of Gaza. A debate last week in the House of Commons on whether to call for a cease-fire descended into chaos amid allegations the speaker of the house had bent parliamentary rules in response to pressure from pro-Palestinian activists. Conservative lawmaker Mike Freer has announced he is stepping down because of abuse and death threats linked to his support for Israel. Freer said an arson attack on his office in December was the final straw. He said the money announced Wednesday was only dealing with the symptom rather than going to the root cause of why people feel emboldened to attack politicians. Security is welcome, Freer told Times Radio. But frankly, unless you get to the root cause, then youre just going to have a ring of steel around MPs. And our whole style of democracy changes. British lawmakers have a tradition of meeting regularly with constituents in their local communities, but security has been tightened after several attacks in the last decade. In 2016, Labour lawmaker Jo Cox was killed by a far-right extremist, and Conservative David Amess was murdered in 2021 by an attacker inspired by the Islamic State group. In 2017 an Islamic State-inspired extremist killed four people with a vehicle on Westminster Bridge before stabbing a police officer to death at the gates of Parliament. Two years later, in 2019, a neo-Nazi pleaded guilty to plotting to kill a Labour lawmaker. Anti-war activists claimed the government was trying to stifle protest and lumping peaceful demonstrators in with violent extremists. Home Secretary James Cleverly called on pro-Palestinian demonstrators to halt the mass protests that have drawn hundreds of thousands of people to central London almost weekly to call for a cease-fire. Dozens of arrests have been made at those demonstrations over signs and chants supporting Hamas, a banned terrorist organization in Britain. Jewish organizations and many lawmakers say the mass marches have created an intimidating atmosphere for Jewish Londoners. I genuinely dont know what these regular protests are seeking to achieve, Cleverly told the Times of London. They have made their position clear, we recognize that there are many people in the U.K. that hold that position. We respect that, but the U.K. governments position is a disagreement with that for very practical, well thought-out reasons. The government says it supports an immediate humanitarian pause in the fighting but says a permanent cease-fire can only happen if Hamas frees all Israeli hostages and relinquishes control of Gaza. (AP) First year student Samuel Woo had been considering a career in cardiology so he would be able to pay off his medical school debt until the announcement this week of a generous donation that will remove tuition fees at his New York City school. Now, without the fear of crippling student debt, the 23-year-old whose parents emigrated from South Korea said Tuesday that he can afford to pursue his dream of providing medical services to people living on the streets. I was definitely very emotional and it changes a lot, said Woo, who had been working as a tutor and at a cafe to help cover his costs. Ruth Gottesman, a former professor at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and the widow of a Wall Street investor, announced Monday that she is donating $1 billion to the school in the Bronx. The gift means that four-year students immediately go tuition free, while everyone else will benefit in the fall. Another first year, Jade Andrade, whose parents emigrated from the Philippines to rural Virginia, had a similar reaction. A big wave of relief just came over me and, you know, everyone surrounding me in the auditorium, Andrade said. Both students expressed hope that Gottesmans generous gift would open doors for more low-income students from immigrant families who could not otherwise have afforded to pursue a career in medicine. The donation is notable not just for its size possibly the largest to any U.S. medical school, according to Montefiore Einstein, the umbrella organization for Albert Einstein College of Medicine and the Montefiore Health System but also because the school is located in one of the most impoverished parts of the city and the state of New York. There are people here in the Bronx who are first generation, low-income students who really want to be doctors and want to pursue medicine and want to practice here, but just arent able to have the opportunity, whether thats financial reasons or lack of resources, Woo said. Im hoping that the free tuition helps alleviate some of the pressure of those students and encourages them to think of medicine as, you know, a potentially acceptable field. Andrade, 30, called the announcement liberating. Growing up in an immigrant household, there are very few life decisions that you make without thinking of the financial aspects of it in terms of, you know, Is this like a worthy investment of my time? This is something I want to do, but can I afford it? she said. But once you remove the financial burden: Anyone can dream bigger. Astonished students and faculty rose to their feet, clapping, cheering, some crying, after Gottesman, 93, announced her donation. She has been affiliated with the college for 55 years and is the chairperson of its board of trustees. School officials said they hoped free tuition would attract a diverse pool of applicants, though it has no plans to change its admissions policy. They said the donation should last for perpetuity, since interest earned means the lump sum will continue to grow. All students will qualify for the free tuition. Tuition at the school is currently $63,000 a year, leaving graduating students with mountains of debt that can take decades to repay. The Education Data Initiative says medical graduates on average leave school with $202,453 in debt. Other schools in decidedly wealthier areas have also benefitted from generous donations. In 2018, Kenneth and Elaine Langone gave $100 million to the NYU Grossman School of Medicine that went to an endowment fund to make tuition free for all current and future medical students. And in 2023, the Langones gave $200 million to the NYU Grossman Long Island School of Medicine to endow a full-tuition scholarship program and guarantee free tuition for all medical students. Kenneth Langone is a co-founder of Home Depot. UCLAs David Geffen School of Medicine offers merit-based scholarships thanks to some $146 million in donations from the recording industry mogul. Gottesman credited her late husband, David Sandy Gottesman, for leaving her with the financial means to make the donation. David Gottesman built the Wall Street investment house First Manhattan and was on the board of Warren Buffetts Berkshire Hathaway. He died in 2022 at age 96. l feel blessed to be given the great privilege of making this gift to such a worthy cause, said Gottesman, a pioneer in the field of learning disabilities. Woo said he called his mother immediately after the announcement. I feel like she asked me a bunch of questions because thats what immigrant parents do, he said. But afterwards, when I clarified Im not going to pay for tuition anymore, she was very happy. (AP) The U.S. and U.K. sanctioned a deputy commander of Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and a Houthi militant member, Tuesday. The U.S. additionally sanctioned firms registered in Hong Kong and the Marshall Islands, along with two ships, including one that transported $100 million in Iranian commodities to China. Iranian official Mohammad Reza Falahzadeh, and Houthi group member Ibrahim al-Nashiri were hit with the U.S. and U.K. sanctions Tuesday. Hong Kong-registered Kohana Co. Ltd. and Marshall Islands-registered Iridescent Co. Ltd. which own the Panama-flagged Kohana were also designated for U.S. sanctions. The U.S. says the Kohana has shipped over $100 million in Iranian commodities to businesses in China on behalf of Irans Ministry of Defense. Additionally, the U.S. and U.K. sanctioned Hong Kong-based Cap Tees Shipping Co. Ltd., which owns the Artura, accused of transporting Iranian commodities for the network of previously sanctioned Houthi and Iranian financial facilitator Said al-Jamal. Treasury says the Artura obfuscated its identity by using the name of a different vessel, Sanan II, to complete some of its shipments. U.S. State Department spokesman Matt Miller said the U.S. and its allies remain committed to countering terrorist financing and will continue to use all available means to disrupt Houthi attacks on international shipping in the region. U.K. Foreign Secretary David Cameron said, The attacks by the Iran-backed Houthis are unacceptable, illegal and a threat to innocent lives and freedom of navigation. As I have made clear to the Iranian Foreign Minister, the regime bears responsibility for these attacks due to the extensive military support it has provided to the Houthis. All those who seek to undermine regional stability should know that the UK, alongside our allies, will not hesitate to act. The sanctions block access to U.S. property and bank accounts and prevent the targeted people and companies from doing business with Americans. Escalation between the U.S., Iran and Houthi militia have increased after a series of maritime attacks in the Mideast linked to the Israel-Hamas war, as multiple vessels have found themselves in the crosshairs of a single Houthi assault for the first time in the conflict. The White House last week promised to unveil new sanctions on Iran in retaliation for its arms sales that have bolstered Russias invasion of Ukraine and threatened a swift and severe response if Tehran moves forward with selling ballistic missiles to Moscow. (AP) More than half of the UKs Conservative Party members say they perceive Islam as a significant threat to the British way of life, according to a new poll. The survey, conducted by Opinium, found that 58% of Conservative members believe Islam poses a threat, double the proportion of the overall population who hold the same belief. Moreover, the poll revealed that 52% of Conservative members subscribe to a conspiracy theory that parts of European cities are under sharia law and are no-go areas for non-Muslims. The findings come on the heels of a prominent figures inflammatory comments about London Mayor Sadiq Khan, accusing him of being controlled by Islamist. The comments and the subsequent defense from some Conservative members suggest a shift to the right on immigration and religion that could have significant implications for the partys leadership and future policies. The poll also revealed a broader pattern of intolerance among Conservative members, with negative views towards immigrants, feminists, and LGBT+ individuals. Nearly three-quarters believed that immigration had been detrimental to Britain, while 40% thought feminism had gone too far. These results are a stark reminder of the deep-seated prejudices that exist within some segments of society. It is crucial for political leaders to acknowledge and address these issues, promoting inclusivity and understanding instead of perpetuating harmful stereotypes. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has announced that 95% of the toll readers for its controversial congestion pricing program have been installed, covering 104 of the planned 110 locations. The program aims to charge drivers an additional $15 to enter Manhattan at 61st Street and below, with varying charges for trucks and other vehicles. MTA Chairman Janno Lieber expressed confidence that the agency will prevail in ongoing lawsuits and that the program will begin as scheduled on June 15. The MTA board overwhelmingly approved the measure in December, predicting it would generate $15 billion for the citys aging transit system. The program will impact drivers entering the Central Business District, which spans from 60th Street in Manhattan to the southern tip of the Financial District. Different vehicles will be charged varying amounts, with passenger vehicles at $15, small trucks at $24, and large trucks at $36. Exemptions will be limited to specialized government vehicles and emergency vehicles, with low-income drivers eligible for a 50% discount after 10 trips in a month. Crossing credits will also be available for drivers using certain tunnels. Public hearings will be held starting Thursday, with a 60-day public response period. Possible tweaks to the plan could be added before a final vote in March or April, potentially delaying the programs start date to late June 2024. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) On Wednesday afternoon, February 28th, Lakewood witnessed a significant leap forward in its commitment to public safety. In a momentous event attended by the Ocean County Prosecutor, New Jersey State Police, Lakewood Police, Ocean County Sheriffs Department, and other key agencies, Lakewood Shomrim unveiled its brand-new state-of-the-art command center and a Chevrolet Tahoe response vehicle. This milestone symbolizes over a decade of dedication by the Shomrim to the safety and well-being of the Lakewood community. Since its founding, Lakewood Shomrim has been at the forefront of public safety, tirelessly working to ensure the community remains a safe haven for its residents. The organization has become synonymous with rapid response and unwavering commitment, dealing effectively with emergency situations including stolen cars, missing persons, and other critical public safety issues. The introduction of these new assets marks a significant enhancement in Lakewood Shomrims operational capabilities. The state-of-the-art command center is equipped with advanced technology to improve communication and coordination during emergencies. Meanwhile, the new Chevrolet Tahoe response vehicle will enable faster and more efficient on-site responses, further solidifying Lakewood Shomrims role as a pivotal force in community safety. Lakewood Shomrims efforts extend beyond emergency response. The organization is deeply committed to community engagement, offering safety workshops, and fostering a culture of vigilance and cooperation among residents. This approach has not only empowered the community but also strengthened the bond between Lakewood Shomrim and local law enforcement agencies, ensuring a unified front against any threat to public safety. The unveiling was more than just the presentation of new tools; it represents the tremendous growth and milestone achievements of Lakewood Shomrim. The event underscores the collaborative spirit between community organizations and law enforcement, highlighting a shared commitment to safeguarding the community. As Lakewood Shomrim continues to evolve and enhance its capabilities, one thing remains clear: keeping Lakewood safe is, and always will be, the organizations number one priority. Responding to Emergencies: A Commitment to Action Lakewood Shomrim is often the first line of response in various emergency situations. Whether its responding to reports of stolen vehicles, aiding in the search for missing persons, or addressing other urgent public safety concerns, the volunteers of Lakewood Shomrim are always ready to act. Their swift and efficient response has not only solved numerous cases but has also provided a sense of security and peace of mind to the residents of Lakewood. Training and Collaboration: Strengthening Community Safety The effectiveness of Lakewood Shomrim lies in its rigorous training programs and its strong collaboration with local law enforcement agencies. Volunteers receive extensive training to ensure that they can handle a wide range of emergency situations effectively. Furthermore, the organization works closely with the Lakewood Police Department, the Ocean County Sheriffs Department, and other agencies to coordinate efforts and share resources, thereby enhancing the overall safety of the community. Community Engagement: Fostering a Culture of Safety Lakewood Shomrim believes that public safety is a community-wide responsibility. As such, they are deeply committed to engaging with the residents of Lakewood, offering education and awareness programs that empower individuals with the knowledge and skills needed to contribute to their own safety and the safety of others. Through community patrols, safety workshops, and open lines of communication, Lakewood Shomrim fosters a culture of vigilance and cooperation. Elected Officials and Law Enforcement Leaders Attest to Shomrims Importance: At the event, Shomrim Coordinator Osher Perlow began the ceremony with a moment of silence in memory of longtime Shomrim member, Donato Dinola Jr., Badge #53, who tragically passed away in a car accident last week. He then said, Today marks a significant moment for our community, as we gather to unveil and dedicate a fully outfitted state-of-the-art Command Center and a Taho Response Vehicle. It is a privilege to stand before you and acknowledge the dedication and commitment that this vehicle represents. In times of crisis and uncertainty, as well as good times, emergency responders are the front-line heroes who tirelessly work to ensure the safety and well-being of our community members. These new vehicles symbolize our ongoing commitment to be prepared with the most efficient resources to carry out our duties quickly and efficiently. As we cut this ribbon and officially welcome these vehicles into service, let us not forgot the tremendous responsibility that comes with it. It is not just a vehicle; it is a lifeline to those in need, a beacon of hope in times of despair, and a symbol of unwavering dedication to servicing others Let us take a moment to recognize the braveness and selflessness of emergency responders and all those in the Lakewood Police Department, laws enforcement and emergency services who put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe. Your unwavering dedication to the community does not go unnoticed and we are truly grateful for your service. Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in his brief remarks, Id like to thank the Shomrim Safety Patrol for their partnership. They contribute greatly to public safety and it is our pleasure to work together with them to keep the community safe and secure. Mayor Ray Coles said, As a Mayor and Township Committeeman our number one concern is the safety of all of our residents. Every day, we pray that everything will go well. We know what an amazing police department we have, what incredible emergency responders we have, and what we have in Lakewood that a lot of other towns dont have is volunteer organizations like Shomrim that really go a long way towards keeping the residents of this town safe. I want to thank Shomrim for all of the work theyve put in, all of the effort to get these vehicles ready. I know that theyre going to be protecting the people of this town for a long time to come. Committeemen Meir Lichtenstein, who also serves as Lakewood Commissioner of Emergency Services, added, We appreciate the partnership. We appreciate the strong volunteerism in Lakewood. These volunteer partners like Shomrim are what makes Lakewood stronger and we very much appreciate it. As a representative of Hatzolah, Committeeman Lichtenstein, flanked by Hatzolah Administrator Motti Twersky and Captain Moshe Bauman, presented Shomrim with a plaque in honor of their devoted service to the community. Ocean County Sheriff Michael Matronardy stated, When it comes to volunteerism, Lakewood is the gold standard. Theres not another community across this country that has the outstanding level of volunteerism of Lakewood. Shomrim has worked diligently with many issues at hand. We are proud to have the opportunity to work hand-in-hand with Shomrim and with Lakewood PD. Assemblyman Avi Schnall related, On behalf of myself and my colleague Assemblyman Sean Kean it is an honor to be asked to speak about Shomrim. I agree that volunteerism in Lakewood is second to none. Whenever any elected official comes to Lakewood and is shown around, they are blown away by the level of volunteerism, and by the dedication and commitment of the volunteers. It is an honor to be part of this and to recognize it. Captain Steve Allaire of the Lakewood Police Department was the final speaker. He said, On behalf of Chief Meyer and the rest of the Lakewood Police Department, I want to thank Shomrim for all they do for the residents of Lakewood. You make our jobs easier and because of you the streets and the residents are safer. You are our eyes and ears out there. The police department cannot be everywhere and we appreciate what you do. Thank you. Looking Ahead: The Future of Lakewood Shomrim With the unveiling of their new state-of-the-art command center and response vehicle, Lakewood Shomrim is setting new standards in community safety. These advancements represent the organizations continued growth and its commitment to evolving in response to the needs of the community. As Lakewood Shomrim looks to the future, it remains dedicated to its founding principle: keeping Lakewood safe. Lakewood Shomrim is more than just an organization; it is a vital part of the community fabric. With a steadfast commitment to public safety, a collaborative spirit, and a proactive approach, Lakewood Shomrim continues to make a significant impact on the well-being of Lakewood and its residents. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin faced pointed bipartisan criticism at a congressional hearing Thursday for his failure to promptly notify President Joe Biden and other U.S. leaders about his hospital stay last month. Republicans demanded to know why no one has been disciplined. Members of the House Armed Services Committee condemned the lapse as an embarrassment and a failure of his leadership. They said the fact that Biden was kept in the dark about Austin not being in command for days could have meant confusion or delays in military action, even though decision-making authorities had been transferred to the deputy defense secretary. Austin insisted there were no gaps in control of the department or the nations security because at all times, either I or the deputy secretary was in a position to conduct the duties of my office. He said changes have been made to the notification process. Manyl Democrats also expressed concerns about Austins lack of transparency about his hospitalization for complications from prostate cancer surgery. But some also used the hearing to criticize House Republicans, who hold a slim majority, for not passing a budget or addressing critical national security needs. Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., denounced the outrage and drama from committee members as she said Austin has admitted making an error, apologized and taken action to prevent a repeat. She implored her colleagues to focus in on the things that are actually important to national security such as threats from Russia and China. Nonetheless, there was general agreement that Austin and his staff bungled notifications about his hospital stay in early January. Its totally unacceptable that it took three days to inform the president of the United States that the secretary of defense was in the hospital and not in control of the Pentagon, said Rep. Mike Rogers, the committee chairman, adding that wars were raging in Ukraine and Israel at the time. The chain of command doesnt work when the commander in chief doesnt know who to call. Lawmakers pointed out that any employee from truck drivers and bartenders to a subordinate military service member who failed to notify their superior about an absence would typically face punishment. Austin struggled at times when pressed on who was to blame. He said he took full responsibility, but also said he did not tell his staff to keep it a secret. At times he appeared to blame his staff. I was the patient and so my expectation is that the organization informed the right agencies, Austin said, when asked why it took four days to inform the White House that he was hospitalized. The Cabinet member said his public affairs staff knew he was hospitalized, but said he did not know why they did not tell anyone or if they made a decision not to inform the public. The incident led to concerns about lapses in the command and control of the armed forces, including the countrys nuclear arsenal. The Pentagon has said Austins staff notified Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks when Austin went into intensive care in early January. But that only raised questions about why Austin did not do that himself and whether that suggested there was a gap in control. Austin told lawmakers that at no time during my treatment or recovery were there any gaps in authorities. He offered a mea culpa that mirrored remarks early this month at a news briefing, saying he takes full responsibility and had apologized to Biden. I should have promptly informed the president, my team, Congress, and the American people about my cancer diagnosis and subsequent treatment. Again: We did not handle this right. And I did not handle it right, Austin said. Austin was diagnosed with prostate cancer in early December. He went to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for surgery on Dec. 22. On Jan. 1, he was taken back to Walter Reed by ambulance after experiencing significant pain. He was moved to the intensive care unit the next day. Pentagon officials have acknowledged that public affairs and defense aides were told on Jan. 2 that Austin had been hospitalized but did not make it public and did not tell the military service leaders or the White House National Security Council until Jan. 4. Only then did Biden find out. It took four more days before the reason for Austins hospitalization was disclosed. A newly released internal review conducted by Austins subordinates largely absolved anyone of wrongdoing for the secrecy. The review concluded there was no indication of ill intent or an attempt to obfuscate, and it blamed communications failures on privacy restrictions and staff hesitancy to seek or communicate timely information about Austins health and condition. Austin spent several days in intensive care and transferred decision-making authorities to Hicks during that time and when he had the initial surgery in December. He did not tell her why. In his news briefing Feb. 1, Austin said the cancer diagnosis was a gut punch. And, frankly, my first instinct was to keep it private. The internal review said procedures must be improved and information shared better when the defense secretary must transfer decision-making authorities to the deputy. The Defense Departments inspector general is also conducting a review. (AP) UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- The UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) completed its withdrawal from Sudan on Thursday local time, said a UN spokesman. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reiterates his deep appreciation to all international and national UNITAMS personnel for their dedication and service to the people of Sudan throughout the mission's mandate, said Stephane Dujarric, the chief spokesman for Guterres, in a statement. A small team will remain in Port Sudan to oversee the mission's liquidation process, beginning on March 1. The spokesman said the secretary-general counts on the full cooperation of the Sudanese authorities to ensure this process is completed as smoothly and swiftly as possible. The conflict that continues to rage in Sudan is further eroding the rule of law and protection of civilians, as well as jeopardizing the entire country and region. Guterres calls on the conflict parties to lay down their weapons and commit to broad-based peace talks that lead to the resumption of a civilian-led democratic transition, said the spokesman. "The United Nations is not leaving Sudan. It remains strongly committed to providing life-saving humanitarian assistance and supporting the Sudanese people in their aspirations for a peaceful and secure future," he said, noting that the UN secretary-general's personal envoy for Sudan, Ramtane Lamamra, has commenced his work in support of mediation efforts. Continued international support in that regard is of critical importance. Guterres calls on the Sudanese authorities to continue their cooperation to deliver this much-needed support, said the spokesman. The UN Security Council adopted a resolution on Dec. 1, 2023, to terminate the mandate of UNITAMS at the request of the Sudanese authorities. The relationship between UNITAMS and Sudan has been strained since the outbreak of the war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary group. The UN secretary-general's special representative and head of UNITAMS at the time, Volker Perthes, was declared persona non grata by the Sudanese authorities in June 2023. Perthes later resigned. UNITAMS, established by the Security Council in June 2020, was tasked to help Sudan with its political transition after the ouster of long-time ruler Omar al-Bashir in 2019. QUESTION: There is a local second-hand shop where the owner and his employee kind of make up prices in, what seems to me, a manner that is based upon their perception of the buyers interest. I get the idea that if I am interested in something the price is significantly higher. Is it permitted for me to ask about item X which they dont have and pretend I really need item X, but I really want item Z which they do have? Or is this a form of sheker? Specifically, I need an upright freezer but pretend I want a chest freezer, so I ask for a chest freezer and they say they only have an upright freezer and I explain that my tools are above it [which is true, but I was planning on moving them to put in the upright freezer]. The owner says that he can give me the upright freezer at a better price than listed. Is this permitted to do? ANSWER: This is a common negotiating tactic practiced by millions of businessmen, lawyers, and other types of people for many thousands of years. There is a fascinating Midrash Tehillim (Mizmor 12) which may have relevance to your question. Why not subscribe to the Sfas Tamim Newsletter promoting the value of Emes? Just send the word, Subscribe to the author at [email protected] There was an incident with Rabbi Yonasan when, in his time, the price of lentils went up. He had a relative in a certain city and he went to visit him. He told his relative, I am seeking lentils. The relative responded, They are available for sale in the city. How much do they sell for? Amount X, but whenever you want I will get it for you. After a few days, Rabbi Yonasan went to the city to the home of his relative and inquired about him. His wife responded that he is in the fields. He waited for him, but he did not return. He asked one of the residents of the city, Are there lentils available? He said, No, but would you like wheat kernels? He (Rabbi Yonasan) said, No, it is lentils that I desire. At the end they raised the price excessively, far beyond the price that his relative had quoted him. He purchased them. His relative then returned from the fields. Rabbi Yonasan said to him, You told me that the price of lentils was X and yet they charged me much more than what you quoted! He responded, Did you perhaps ask for lentils first? Had you said (first) it is wheat that I desire, they would have offered you lentils, but now that you said you desire lentils first they said do you desire wheat (and thus they overcharged you). It is thus said (Tehillim 12:3), One speaks to another with falseness, smooth talk; they speak with a double heart. Rabbi Chiya of Tziporei wished to purchase wheat from Syria. Rabbi Yochanan said to him, When you go to purchase it, say, It is barley I wish to buy. And when you wish to buy barley, say that it is wheat that you wish to buy, in order that they not sell it to you above the market rate. It would seem from this passage that you would be able to pretend you want a chest freezer, but this may not be so simple. Rabbi Yonasans case dealt with a true official market. Your case may not have a market. I would like to suggest that this is may be a pivotal point in the ruling just like the debate about over-pricing onaah in the Poskim. HOW IS MARKET VALUE DETERMINED? There are two situations in which market value is determined: (1)If there is a set market price for the item and (2) if there is a range of prices. If there is a set market price for the item in that neighborhood, some Poskim hold that there is a problem of Onaah even if it is less than 16.67% (see Aruch HaShulchan 227:7 and Machane Efraim Onaah Siman 7). Why not subscribe to the Sfas Tamim Newsletter promoting the value of Emes? Just send the word, Subscribe to the author at [email protected] There is a debate in regard to where there is a range of prices in the community. The Beis Yoseph (CM 209) suggests that Onaah does not exist in such a situation. Most Poskim (see Bach and Shach cited in Shaivet HaLevi Vol. V #218) hold that even if there is a range of prices there is still a prohibition of Onaah. Some Poskim write that the figure is calculated by determining 16.67% above the highest price for the item within the range. Others write that one calculates 16.67% above the median price of the item. Rabbi Yaakov Yeshayahu Blau ztl in his Pischei Choshain (Vol. IV p. 296) seems to feel that this is the most authoritative view. THE RANGE VIEW There is another understanding of these halachos as propounded by Rav Chaim Kohn in his book Hilchos Mishpat (page 294). His view, confirmed by this author in conversation with Rav Kohn, is that the true market price is what is determined by supply and demand in what the market will tolerate. Therefore, according to Rav Kohn, even if there is a minority of people that will purchase the item without looking at the price, this is still considered to be a valid market price. When this author suggested to Rav Kohn that this opinion may almost negate the concept of Onaah he responded as follows: In your example, where three stores price an item at $20 per pound and a fourth store prices it at $30 per pound, there are still buyers. Yet there would be no buyers at $50 per pound. The $50 would be considered Onah. Rav Kohns view, it seems, was not accepted by the author of the Pischei Choshen zl. If it is true that Rav Blaus view is the normative halachic view then it seems to this author that you can apply this shtick to your freezer question. According to Rav Kohn, there would not be a case of Onaah in Rabbi Yonasans case, since he bought it anyway. As in all cases of halacha, however, please speak to your own Rav or Posaik. Why not subscribe to the Sfas Tamim Newsletter promoting the value of Emes? Just send the word, Subscribe to the author at [email protected] by Chaim Weber When former Yahoo employees Brian Acton and Jan Koum created Whatsapp in 2009, they did not foresee the tzedakah revolution that would result. Thankfully, Whatsapp has made the mitzvah of tzedakah accessible like never before. But what happens if ones tzedakah commitments conflict with a family need? Specifically, what if Reuven sets aside money for tzedakah and then sadly discovered that a family member lost their means of parnassah and needs the money instead? Can Reuven retract his pledge and give to his family member instead? The Mordechai (Bava Basra 493) discusses this exact case and notes that a proof can be brought from a Gemara in Bava Kamma. The Gemara in Bava Kamma the Principle of Adaatah DHachi The Gemara in Bava Kamma discusses the halacha of stealing from a convert. If someone steals from a convert who dies and leaves no inheritors, the only way to achieve atonement is by returning the money to the Kohanim, paying an additional fifth, and then bringing a korban. The Mishnah in Bava Kamma rules that if the thief paid the money to the Kohanim but died before bringing the korban, his heirs cant force the Kohanim to pay them back. The Gemara (110b) proves from here that payment alone (even without a korban) must effect a partial atonement for the thief, as if it only effects atonement together with the korban, surely the thief would never have given money knowing that the korban wouldnt be brought! This concept that the subsequent fact that the thief can no longer bring a korban couldve potentially forced the Kohanim to return the earlier payment is called adaata dhachi with this knowledge in mind. The Gemara proceeds to apply adaata dhachi to other areas of halacha that subsequent knowledge about a change in circumstances can void an earlier transaction. The Mordechai rules that based on adaata dhachi, if Reuven gave tzedakah but then found out that his relative needs the money, Reuven can divert that money to his relative instead, as he never wouldve given to a stranger if he knew a family member needed the money. (Although the Mordechai quotes a dissenting view, that view appears to only disagree where the tzedakah donation was given on the givers deathbed, where its assumed one would want immediate atonement.) Rav Elchanan Wasserman ztl (Kovetz Shiurim, Bava Basra 444) notes that the Mordechai rules this way even if the relative was in good financial shape at the time of the tzedakah pledge and only became needy afterwards. Adaata Dhachi applies not only if one found out about a change in circumstances after making a transaction it applies even if the change in circumstance happened after the transaction took place! The subsequent change in circumstances can still void the transaction that previously took place! Rav Elchanan notes that the Maharam Bar Baruch disagrees. The Maharam Bar Baruch argues that only if the givers relative had already become poor at the time of the donation but the giver didnt know about it only then can the giver retract. Not if the relative didnt need the money at the time and only became poor after the donation. Other Applications of Adaata DHachi Eglah Arufah When a human corpse is found outside of a city, lo aleinu, the Torah describes the process of Eglah Arufah. Beis din brings a calf to a barren valley, recites a supplication and completes the process outlined at the end of Parshas Shoftim. But what if the murderer was found after they brought the calf down into the valley? The Rambam (Hilchos Rotzeach 10:8) rules that the calf goes free. Many Rishonim and acharonim ask why. After all, the Rambam himself rules that once the calf descends into the valley, it becomes consecrated. Furthermore, the Gemara in Kereisos (24b) indicates that the calf doesnt lose its consecrated status? R Isser Zalman Meltzer ztl explains that the Rambams ruling is based on the principle of adaata dhachi. When the calf was sanctified as an eglah arufah, it was under the assumption that the murderer wouldnt be found. If the murderer is found, the calf goes free, as the premise behind its initial consecration is no longer true. Although the Gemara in Kereisos appears to indicate otherwise, the Rambam learned that the Gemara in Bava Kamma disagrees with the Gemara in Kereisos, as it formulates the principle of adaata dhachi and applies it to all manners of transactions, including hekdesh. The Rambam rules like the Gemara in Bava Kamma and therefore codifies the halacha that the calf goes free. Prioritizing Relatives An Allowance or an Obligation? The premise of the Mordechai that one would prioritize giving tzedakah to a relative over a stranger isnt just an allowance. Its an obligation. The Rambam (Matnos Aniim 7:13) rules that one must prioritize giving tzedakah to ones relatives over strangers. The Rambam later describes tzedakah to ones relatives as a tzedakah gedola a great tzedakah. This halacha is brought in Shulchan Aruch (Yoreh Deah 251:3). The Pischei Teshuva notes that this applies to a spouses relatives as well. The Chacham Tzvi (Teshuvos 70) adds that this also applies to spiritual matters if one has the opportunity to help others perform mitzvos, one should prioritize helping relatives perform mitzvos over others. The idea behind this is not to encourage elitism or nepotism, chas veshalom but rather to be aware of ones personal responsibilities towards family towards ones flesh and blood. In fact, its this responsibility that led to the formation of klal yisrael. When Yaakov left eretz yisrael and went to live by Lavan, Lavan agreed to host Yaakov because he was his bone and flesh. Even the greedy Lavan knew that one has to care for relatives. The result of this was Lavan asking Yaakov what he wanted for wages to which Yaakov responded that he be rewarded for his work with a marriage to Rachel, leading to the formation of klal yisrael. An archive of these weekly articles on the Daf can be found at fromthedaf.com The IDF on Wednesday announced that they have killed dozens of Hamas operatives across the Gaza Strip over the past day. The IDF released footage of a strike on a gunman who tried to flee after opening fire at troops. According to the IDF, the Hamas gunman was spotted by soldiers of the 414th Combat Intelligence Collection Unit, who called in an airstrike. In addition, the IDF said it had carried out airstrikes on eight significant targets in an area from which rockets were fired at Ashkelon last night. Several more sites in the area, including tunnel shafts, were also struck, the IDF added. In southern Gaza, the IDF said that the 7th Armored Brigade raided Hamas sites, captured weapons, and killed a five-man Hamas cell in a vehicle using a guided munition. Additionally, fighter jets struck buildings where Hamas operatives were gathered and preparing to attack troops in Khan Younis, while the Paratroopers Brigade killed several gunmen with sniper fire, and the Givati Brigade called in airstrikes on two operatives. In central Gaza, the IDF said it is continuing to operate in Gaza Citys Zeitoun neighborhood, where the Nachal Brigade killed several Hamas gunmen and located weapons over the past day. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) Israeli Energy Minister and former Foreign Minister, Eli Cohen, has voiced a firm stance on the potential for normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Cohen emphasized that the creation of a Palestinian state should not be a prerequisite for such diplomatic progress. In an interview with Israels Channel 7, he expressed his view that expanding regional peace agreements should not come at the expense of Palestinian statehood. Cohen asserted, If the condition for broadening regional peace agreements is the formation of a Palestinian state, I am willing to forgo that expansion and normalization with Saudi Arabia. Drawing on his expertise in foreign relations, Cohen suggested that achieving a peace accord with Saudi Arabia could be feasible without necessitating the establishment of a Palestinian state. He argued that such an arrangement would be beneficial primarily for Saudi interests. As someone who knows foreign relations, I say that it is possible to bring a peace agreement with Saudi Arabia without the establishment of a state and it is first and foremost in the Saudi interest. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) In a press conference on Wednesday evening, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant made a historic call for the forced conscription of Charedim into the IDF, declaring that there is a real, national necessity to extend the service of soldiers and reservists. When the burden on servants continues to increase, I say one thing clearly: This war proved everyone must (be conscripted), Gallant said. War cabinet Minister Benny Gantz echoed Gallants statement, writing that all parts of Israeli society should take part in the right to serve. This is a national necessity. The move comes after the High Court of Justice issued conditional orders earlier in the week, threatening to upend the governments policies on drafting yeshiva bochurim to the IDF. The Movement for Quality Government in Israel (MQG), one of the main petitioners, hailed the conditional orders as a dramatic and important step towards full equality in conscription. IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi also expressed support for the conscription of all members of Israeli society, stating that in these challenging times, one thing is very clear everyone should do their part to protect our home. Shas and United Torah Judaism (UTJ) are furious over Gallants support for the conscription of yeshivaleit, with one source telling KAN News that it was full of catchphrases; this is not how to solve a crisis. Another source in UTJ warned that if Netanyahu wants to remain prime minister by summertime, he must get a conscription law approved in the Knesset. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on Wednesday called for the Axis of Resistance to increase attacks on Israel during Ramadan and break the siege on the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem. He called for Palestinians in Jerusalem and Yehudah and Shomron to barricade themselves in the Al-Aqsa mosque on Har HaBayis on the first day of Ramadan. Haniyeh also spoke about the possibility of Israel launching a military campaign in Rafah, begging the international community to restrain Israel. The occupation and its partner, the United States, will not be able to achieve via political machinations what they didnt achieve in war, he said. The world, especially the Arab countries, must restrain the enemy and refuse to let it invade the city of Rafah. On Tuesday, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant warned that Hamas, Iran and Hezbollah want to turn Ramadan into the second phase of October 7th. The main goal of Hamas is to take Ramadan, with an emphasis on Har HaBayis and Jerusalem, and turn it into the second phase of their plan that began on October 7th, Gallant elaborated. This goal is being boosted by Iran and Hezbollah. We must not let them achieve this which means we must calm the area as much as possible. (YWN Israel Desk Jerusalem) According to a report by Arabic Post on Wednesday, Iran has given Lebanese terror organization Hezbollah the go-ahead to escalate its attacks along Israels northern border. High-level Iranian and Lebanese sources revealed that Tehran has set conditions for Hezbollah, ordering it to launch a large-scale attack on Israel only after it becomes certain of Israels intention to invade the southern Gaza city of Rafah. A source from Irans Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) told Arabic Post that IRGC Quds Force commander Esmail Qaani met with Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah on Monday to discuss the latest developments along Israels northern border. Nasrallah reportedly requested the meeting, citing the need for an emergency discussion after obtaining information indicating Israeli plans to launch a large-scale assault on Hezbollah in Lebanon. Hassan Nasrallah told Qaani that the attack is likely to be very imminent, most likely in the month of Ramadan, or with Israels invasion of the city of Rafah, an IRGC source said. Another diplomatic source in Iran added that Nasrallah expressed complete certainty about Israels intention to attack Lebanon and requested complete freedom to respond. However, Qaani expressed Tehrans disapproval of Hezbollahs recent rocket attack on the northern Israeli city of Tzfas, which killed one IDF soldier and wounded 10 others. The attack reportedly angered Tehran due to Irans insistence on a policy of strategic patience in response to Israeli and American provocations. (YWN World Headquarters NYC) Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was shocked when the IDF launched a military operation deep into Gazan territory, Walla reported on Thursday, quoting senior Israeli security officials. According to the source, Sinwar intended to lead Hamas forces during the war from fortified tunnels in Gaza City. He designed the tunnels with the intention of remaining there for an extended period of time, which is why he was so perturbed when IDF forces began closing in on his territory.` When Sinwar realized that IDF forces were rapidly approaching, he quickly left the area, moving from place to place via strategically located tunnels, eventually arriving at Room 6 in the Khan Younis area a fortified hub dug deeper underground than other tunnels and equipped with communication lines, security guards, living areas, and a large number of entrances intended to dupe the IDF and intelligence forces. As Sinwar moved from place to place, he left traces behind at each location which IDF forces later found, including money, documents, and other evidence. A senior military source told Walla: Sinwar acts in accordance with his changing surroundings and therefore doesnt necessarily trust his immediate environment. When he moves from place to place, he encounters new people. It can be estimated that he doesnt even trust who brings him food and what is served. This is a pressure point that cannot be ignored. Senior IDF officials estimate that due to the armys advancements in the Khan Younis area and its stated intention to invade Rafah, the pressure on Sinwar and the other senior officials is increasing every day. Therefore, a military source told Walla, the IDF should continue its military actions throughout Gaza irrespective of the hostage release negotiations. Sinwar, very suspicious by nature, will make mistakes and we need to be there or in the area to detect it, the source said. I assess that he will soon move to Rafah or has already moved. One way or another we will get him, even if it takes us hours or months. According to what he left behind, the distance between us will be closed by his one mistake too many. (YWN Israel Desk Jerusalem) Embarking on a new chapter in life involves finding the perfect place to call home, and San Antonio extends a warm welcome with open arms. Beyond its rich history and cultural diversity, San Antonio boasts a vibrant Jewish community, making it an ideal choice for individuals and families seeking to establish roots in a warm and dynamic environment. In San Antonio, the variety of synagogues available ensures that you can find a spiritual home aligned with your beliefs and practices. These synagogues transcend their role as places of worship; they serve as vibrant centers for learning, socializing, and celebrating Jewish traditions. Within this city, youll discover a synagogue that feels like an extension of your family. For families with children, San Antonio provides a nurturing environment for Jewish education, offering after-school programs, engaging teen activities, and Jewish summer camps. The city supports your childs journey into their Jewish identity through a diverse range of educational institutions. San Antonio offers numerous opportunities for young adults aged 20 to 44 to connect with fellow Jews. The citys growing young adult population fosters a dynamic environment for socializing and building lasting connections, spanning from college to post-graduate pursuits. San Antonio is home to diverse Jewish organizations catering to various interests and age groups. These vibrant groups provide opportunities to engage in meaningful activities, connect with like-minded individuals, and expand your social network, creating a strong sense of community. From vibrant kosher restaurants to catering services, the Vaad Hakashrus ensures that the Greater San Antonio area has access to delicious and authentic kosher options, adding a flavorful dimension to the citys culinary scene. The heart of Jewish life in San Antonio beats at the Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Campus, housing the Barshop JCC, Jewish Federation, and Jewish Family Service. This centralized hub ensures that the community feels supported and has access to essential resources, fostering a sense of unity and belonging. In San Antonio, your journey isnt just a move; its an invitation to become part of a welcoming and flourishing Jewish community that adds a touch of sweetness to the Texan charm. Come experience the warmth and vibrancy that define our community. Join us for a Shabbos, and let the genuine hospitality of San Antonio greet you. Were not just a destination; were a community waiting to welcome you home. Reach out today! We dont have to wonder what life was like in the shtetl or rely on stories we heard as children. While Orthodox Jews did not traditionally write memoirs in past generations, Pinkhes Dov Goldenshteyn (1848-1930), a talmid chacham and a shochet, tells us in raw detail about his life as a poor orphan in Ukraine without nostalgia or white-washing in The Shochet: A Memoir of Jewish Life in Ukraine and Crimea, a new book from Touro University Press. Goldenshteyn wrote his Yiddish memoirs to strengthen the belief in Hashem and hashgacha pratis of his children and grandchildren in America and elsewhere, some of whom were wavering in their religious commitment. With the translation of those memoirs into English by Touro University librarian Michoel Rotenfeld, a new generation can also feel that wave of complete faith while also seeing the difficulty of life in nineteenth century Ukraine. Many Jews then were entrenched in poverty, scared of forced enlistment in the Czarist army and surrounded by family and community who struggled to survive on a daily basis. Despite all these basic challenges, the hard life was full of faith, love, plentiful moments of shared joy and the profound feeling of Hashems presence throughout life. In this first of two volumes which traces the years from his orphanhood, when he was raised by his doting sisters, through his maturation into a Torah scholar and shochet, Goldenshteyn endures tremendous hunger, suffering and humiliation. Readers see what life was like in the shtetl the cold, the hunger, the difficulty of travel. They see both good and bad marriages, family members who give away their last piece of bread to a loved one and others who have more but refuse to help, the hierarchy of suitable candidates for shidduchim, the corruption caused by desire for money and honor. Despite these hard truths of life, Goldenshteyns story uplifts readers. His faith carries him through his difficult time. His struggles bring him into personal contact with the Tzemach Tzedek of Lubavitch. His search for parnassah brings him to the hometown of the Malbim, who receives him with honor. His quest for a bracha and advice leads wealthy laymen to give him the unusual role of a minor celebrity for carrying a cherished esrog to the Lyever Rebbe. His faith and his personal integrity ensure that his life is filled with blessings even if he chronically lacked food and money. The story of Pinkhes Dov Goldenshteyns life is enhanced by his literary skill. He writes like a professional storyteller, leading readers in suspense and dropping bits of foreshadowing until we turn every page hoping to learn the next twist in his eventful life. Ultimately, the reader sees how the different pieces of his life fit together like a puzzle, as if a plan was always there waiting for Goldenshteyn to walk into it. Hashem is the true protagonist of this story of life in the nineteenth century shtetl. The rich often lose their wealth. Social status comes and goes. Strength of character, loyalty, honesty, piety and generosity last longer than the vanities of this world. As we read about Goldenshteyns tumultuous life, we learn about one persons unvarnished experiences in the legendary shtetl of a world that no longer exists. The Shochet: A Memoir of Jewish Life in Ukraine and Crimea: Volume I can be ordered through Academic Studies Press or on Amazon at The Shochet (academicstudiespress.com) A 1922 photograph of Pinkhes-Dov Goldenshteyn, standing in the foreground with his white beard parted in the middle. Standing on the first step is Rabbi Yisroel Aba Tsitron, the rabbi of Petakh-Tikva and the son-in-law of the Rogatshover Gaon. BEIJING, Feb. 29 (Xinhua) -- In the Taigu District of the city of Jinzhong, north China's Shanxi Province, tall and bright vegetable greenhouses standing next to each other have hosted busy workers before the Spring Festival this year. With a total area of 330,000 mu (about 22,000 hectares) for grain planting, a 60,000 mu facility for vegetable growing, and an annual output of 300,000 tonnes of livestock products, Taigu has become known for agriculture. "Our current efforts are aimed at increasing the production of pumpkins," said Shi Jingnan, manager of Taigu Defeng Seed Co., Ltd. The company has found an all-female strain, which is expected to be used in developing hybrid pumpkin seeds to deliver a major yield breakthrough. TECHNOLOGY UPGRADES EVIDENT IN FIELDS In Hancun Village of Taigu, villagers participated in agricultural technology development by applying research outcomes in the fields and sending feedback to researchers. The upgrading of seed technology is inseparable from large-scale planting, according to Shi. "Farmers have true ideas of the advantages and disadvantages of an agricultural product." "They hoped to diversify the ripening season of pumpkins, and so we developed early and extremely early varieties," Shi said. "We also maintain the size and weight of the products within a stable range." From single varieties to hybrids, the company combined traditional breeding methods and high-tech solutions to cultivate a group of high-quality pumpkin and zucchini seeds, which were introduced to overseas markets. In a biological breeding research center in Taigu, a seed selection center, experimental production base, promotion and trading platform, and germplasm resource storage facility have combined to greatly improve the innovation ability of the seed industry. China unveiled its "No. 1 central document" for 2024 earlier this month, outlining the priorities for comprehensively promoting rural revitalization this year. The document called for consolidating support for agricultural science and technology and intensifying research concerning the core technologies of germplasm resources. The development of seeds is a vivid illustration of the significant agricultural advances made in Taigu. This district has cultivated 44,460 mu of high-standard farmland, which accounts for more than 66 percent of total farmland in the district, and has developed a 24,400 mu efficient water-saving irrigation area, thanks to facilities and equipment upgrading initiatives based on science and technology. All this work is to make pumpkins more marketable and increase the income of farmers. The net profit of each vegetable planting greenhouse reached 100,000 yuan (about 13,900 U.S. dollars) in 2023, said Cheng Xiaowu, head of a village committee in Taigu. Some village households in this district have crops growing in as many as five greenhouses. INDUSTRY ADVANCE VIA TECHNOLOGICAL PROGRESS The introduction of modern science and technology has made traditional agriculture more efficient and effectively improved agricultural production methods. Mountain monorail transport trucks, loaded with fertilizer and farm tools, climbed steadily along a track to the terraces of olive trees in Wudu District of the city of Longnan, northwest China's Gansu Province. A single journey by one such truck carries a load of up to 200 kilograms, said Zhao Haiyun, an official with the district. It takes only 11 minutes to climb 500 meters, which means this innovation has effectively eased transportation challenges in terms of both production materials and agricultural products in mountainous areas with steep or extensive slopes. Longnan has completed a total of 66.7 kilometers of mountain monorail transport tracks consisting of 106 lines. With only seven percent of the world's arable land, China feeds about 20 percent of the global population and has made remarkable progress in agricultural development, said Yu Ningkai, director of the rural development institute under the Shaanxi Academy of Social Sciences Over thousands of years of Chinese agricultural development, each upgrade in farm tool technology has resulted in progress in human agricultural civilization, Yu added. A biological pesticide made of materials based on Traditional Chinese Medicine, combined with modern biopharmaceutical methods, is being promoted in more than 10 provinces nationwide, including Gansu, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, and Fujian. It has been widely used for the cultivation of vegetables and Chinese medicinal herbs, covering a planting area of nearly 3.6 million mu. Biopesticides are natural, said Shen Tong, a professor with Lanzhou Jiaotong University in Gansu. They can effectively control crop diseases and pests as well as ensure food safety and protect the agricultural environment. China is witnessing continuous research and development in terms of new agricultural technologies, which are beefing up industrial modernization upgrading in the country. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the contribution rate of agricultural scientific and technological progress exceeded 62 percent in 2022, with the overall mechanization rate of crop cultivation and harvesting reaching 73 percent. But he was fobbed off with excuses when he tried to claim on travel insurance My wife and I got married last summer and went on our honeymoon to the west coast of America. We started in July and had a three week itinerary, visiting multiple cities and finishing in Hawaii. We were set to travel from Los Angeles to Honolulu on 11 August. But the day before, we woke up in LA to news of the wildfires on Hawaii's Maui island. A state of emergency was announced, so we had to cancel that leg of the holiday last-minute and find a new hotel in LA for the five days until our flight back home. We had travel insurance with Southdowns, so when we returned home we made a claim. Trip cancelled: The newly married couple planned to end their honeymoon in Honolulu, Hawaii (pictured) but had to abandon their trip on news of the devastating wildfires in the state This was for the non-refundable return flights from LA to Hawaii that we couldn't use, and the portion of our hotel costs in Hawaii that we couldn't get refunded directly. This totalled about 1,500, minus the excess on our policy. We were shocked that it was rejected not once, but four times. Surely this is the definition of an obstruction to our trip that was out of our control? B.C, Oxfordshire Helen Crane, This is Money's consumer champion replies: Congratulations on tying the knot - sorry to hear your honeymoon didn't go quite to plan. You are keen to stress that you are in a fortunate position. Clearly, the impact of the August wildfires was much graver for those living in Hawaii - not to mention the people that tragically lost their lives. While the money involved in your insurance claim is not a huge sum, you told me you were 'absolutely sick of insurance firms just doing whatever it takes not to pay out' - and were prepared to 'fight this to the end' as you were sure you had been wrongfully treated. 'I have jumped through every hoop they have thrown at me, put up with their nonsense, but I am simply sick of insurances operating like this. They need calling out,' you said. CRANE ON THE CASE Our weekly column sees This is Money consumer expert Helen Crane tackle reader problems and shine the light on companies doing both good and bad. Want her to investigate a problem, or do you want to praise a firm for going that extra mile? Get in touch: helen.crane@thisismoney.co.uk First I should say that it is vital to read the finer details of a travel insurance policy, and make sure you know what you are - or more importantly, aren't - covered for. Holidaymakers are left out of pocket every year when they realise a snag in the small print means they won't be getting any money back when a trip goes wrong. According to the Association of British Insurers: 'If your policy includes trip disruption or natural disaster cover, you should be covered if you have to cut short or cancel your holiday due to wildfires.' You told me your policy did include this, but still you were fobbed off with a raft of excuses when you tried to claim on your insurance - some of which weren't even true. The first and second times you tried to claim, Southdowns said it was because the state of emergency was only on the Maui island, not Honolulu where your flight was set to land. Hawaii is made up of a series of islands. While it is true that the island of Maui bore the brunt of the disaster, the state of emergency was extended to the entire region, including the island of Oahu where Honolulu is located, the day before your flight on 10 August. You provided evidence to prove this, in the form of a statement published online by the Governor of Hawaii - but your insurance claim was still rejected. Catastrophe: This image shows the impact of the wildfires on Lahaina on the island of Maui The next time you tried to put through a claim, you were told you weren't eligible for a payout because your trip had not started in the UK. Again, you provided proof that you had flown from Heathrow to the US and then planned to travel on to Hawaii before returning to London but this was not accepted. Even though you hadn't flown directly from London to Honolulu, you believed Southdowns still should have covered you based on the terms of the policy. On your fourth attempt, you were told that you had not met the terms and conditions of the policy because you had not cancelled your trip before you left the UK. That one was true but as you pointed out, you flew out of London on 17 July and the wildfires did not begin until 8 August. Insurance policies shouldn't rely on the traveller being a particularly talented psychic. On three occasions, you said you were forced to chase up Southdowns for an update on your claim - only to be told it had already been rejected. You wanted to claim for the flights to Hawaii that you couldn't use, which cost $936 (740) and the portion of your hotel stay that you couldn't get refunded directly, which amounted to $699.54 (553). The maximum cover on your policy was 1,500, which just about covered those costs minus the excess based on the exchange rate at the time. You'd had to pay out an additional $2,267 for your extra five days of accommodation in LA, which you couldn't claim, so were especially keen to get the money back to cover some of that. I decided to speak to Axa Partners, the insurance firm which underwrites Southdowns policies. Review: After my intervention, Axa Partners, which underwrites Southdowns insurance, decided B.C and his wife did 'act within the terms of their policy' I am pleased to say it has reviewed your case again and reversed its decision, agreeing to settle your circa 1,500 claim in full. An Axa Partners spokesman said: 'We are sorry that Mr and Mrs C. have experienced issues while claiming on their travel insurance. 'The circumstances surrounding their claim were unusual, however, upon review we have decided that they have acted within the terms of their policy. 'We have been in contact with [them] to confirm their claim will be settled in full.' It further explained that the small print of the policy only covered you if you had to 'curtail' your trip due to the authorities recommending that people evacuate the area you were travelling to. It said it initially turned down your claim because to 'curtail' the trip, by its definition, would have meant you returned home to the UK early. You didn't do this, instead deciding to stay put in Los Angeles and enjoy the final days of your honeymoon. However, after my intervention it agreed that you were indeed within the rules of the policy, and agreed to pay out. I'm glad I could help you take the fight to the insurance industry - hopefully you now feel you've got the fair treatment you deserve. Share sale: The Treasury aims to sell down more of its 33% stake in NatWest Jeremy Hunt is expected to confirm plans for a NatWest share sale in next weeks Budget as a leading broker said a big price discount would be key to its success. The Chancellor said in November he was considering a public retail offer as the Treasury aims to sell more of its 33 per cent stake. The Government is consulting brokers such as Hargreaves Lansdown and AJ Bell. The firms and the Treasury declined to comment. One City source said: we are all on tenterhooks. It is not yet clear whether Hunt will set out the scale or timing of a sale even if he confirms such a move in the Budget. UK Government Investments, which manages the taxpayer stake, has said it could come as soon as June. Tim Jacobs, at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: NatWest has generated strong interest from clients and wed expect this to grow rapidly. The discount offered is going to be a major factor in how well the offer gets away. NatWest then known as RBS was given a 45billion bailout by the taxpayer during the financial crisis in 2008. That left the Government with more than 80 per cent of the lender, a stake that has been whittled down, though it remains the biggest single shareholder. Two-thirds of UK bosses fear being sued if they miss environmental, social and governance (ESG) targets as the woke investment fad grips the business world, a survey has found. ESG sometimes referred to as responsible investing has become rife as firms are urged to hit ambitious climate change goals and keep up with social issues such as mental wellbeing and gender transitioning. The study by insurance group Gallagher found three-quarters of business leaders felt pressure to set targets even if they did not know how they were going to reach them, while two in three feared legal action should they miss goals. The repercussions of missing them were investor withdrawal, litigation and shareholder activism, the bosses added. The findings come as many business leaders feel overwhelmed by the scale of regulation and paperwork brought in over the past decade, driven by investors, governments and social activists. Woke investing: Businesses are under pressure to hit ambitious climate change goals while keeping up with social issues such as mental wellbeing and gender transitioning One entrepreneur said: Once, all investors wanted were profits and a sound business model, now theres a lot more to think about. ESG litigation is a risk. Different industries have different responsibilities, with the oil and gas and mining industries at the forefront of environmental targets. In 2021 a Dutch court ordered Shell to cut emissions further, while in January a group of 27 investors filed a resolution that called for the oil company to align its medium-term green targets with the 2015 Paris Agreement. Corporations also expected to take their social and governance responsibilities more seriously than ever before. In the US last year, Randi Berghorst sued Fort Worths BNSF Texas-based railroad for not promoting her. Named as one of the employees of the year in 2021 for supporting LGBTQ+ workers she claimed she was denied advancement after her gender transition. James Bosley, head of climate strategy at Gallagher, said: ESG is front and centre of corporate strategy. The speed of change for ESG issues has resulted in a lack of standardisation and precedent, creating uncertainty. But there has been a recoil. Data in January showed global investors pulled 8bn from ESG funds last year amid a backlash over greenwashing and the vague promises they offer. Figures from industry group Calastone showed the three-year boom in the funds focused on environmental, social and governance issues had waned. From 2020 to 2022, 40billion went into ESG a boon for active fund managers, Calastone said, and six times the investment committed to funds that did not have specific ESG commitments. But last year billions were pulled out by investors. Jail term: Former crypto billionaire Sam Bankman-Fried is facing up to 110 years behind bars He is the crypto billionaire who is facing up to 110 years behind bars after one of the biggest financial frauds in American history. But in a last-ditch bid for clemency ahead of sentencing next month, Sam Bankman-Frieds parents and legal team are begging the judge to show mercy. Branding him a selfless and altruistic man who has committed his life to philanthropy, his lawyer Marc Mukasey said he should get as little as five-and-a-half years and no more than six-and-a-half. In a letter to US District Judge Lewis Kaplan, his law professor parents Joseph Bankman and Barbara Fried said they feared for his life in prison. His father and I face the very real possibility that we will not live long enough to see him freed, his mother wrote. I would gladly change places with him if I could. Bankman-Fried was accused of raiding FTX depositors accounts to make risky bets, repay loans and buy property, leaving an 6billion hole in the companys balance sheet when it collapsed into bankruptcy in 2022, with customers unable to withdraw funds. Known as SBF, he had cultivated celebrity and high-profile political relationships, including with Tony Blair and Bill Clinton, but was found guilty of seven counts of fraud and conspiracy in November last year after the collapse of the exchange. His legal team this week branded the 100-year sentence that has been recommended by probation officers as grotesque and barbaric. Row: Tim Steiner, the boss of Ocado, hopes to secure a settlement amid a spat with M&S Ocado could take legal action against grocery partner Marks & Spencer amid an ongoing spat over performance-linked payments related to the pair's joint venture. Tim Steiner, the boss of Ocado, said on Thursday he was confident M&S owed the firm 'a substantial amount of money' and he hopes to secure a settlement over the dispute. M&S is due to pay Ocado a final instalment of 190.7million as part of the payment for the 750million partnership between the businesses, Ocado Retail, which was launched in 2019. In its latest annual results on Thursday, Ocado confirmed that the retail joint venture 'failed to meet the performance measures' for the year needed to secure an automatic payment of the instalment. Ocado said accounting rules have estimated that a payment of 28million has been determined as fair value as a result. However, Steiner said this would be 'ludicrously low'. Ocado said it believes it will secure a greater sum 'either via a formal litigation process or settlement'. Steiner told reporters that it 'would be best to come to a settlement arrangement'. An M&S spokesman told This is Money: 'M&S remains committed to the turnaround strategy for Ocado Retail and our focus is on working with them and Ocado Group to deliver it. 'On the specific issue of the contractual contingency payment, our advice is that the financial performance of Ocado Retail means the criteria for the performance payment was not met.' Job cuts: Ocado said it cut around 400 jobs last year amid a 'partial restructuring' The update came as Ocado posted a 394million loss for 2023, an improvement on the previous year. The group was bolstered by 187million secured from a settlement with Norwegian rival AutoStore. Revenue increased by 9.9 per cent to 2.8billion, largely driven by the firms technology solutions arm, which grew by 44 per cent to 420.5million for the year. Ocado Retail revenue grew by 7 per cent, as it hailed 'continued strong customer retention'. Steiner said: 'I am pleased to report good progress across the group in 2023. 'Our technology is transforming the way people shop for food as we help some of the worlds best and most innovative retailers set the bar for excellence in grocery ecommerce worldwide. 'Ocado Retail, our joint venture with M&S in the UK, has had significant success growing customer numbers, taking online grocery market share and rebuilding profitability, proving once again the attractions of our online model.' During the year, Ocado 'partially reorganised' its head office and support functions, resulting in redundancies of around 400 and related costs of 15.5million. Ocado shares were up 0.75 per cent or 3.7p to 494.40p on Thursday, having fallen over 6 per cent in the last year. Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at IG Group, said: 'Ocados deepening spat with M&S hasnt deterred the shares from rallying this morning on the better-than-expected figures. For now, market sentiment is improving, as seen by the halt in the post-pandemic share price slump, but the big catalyst for renewed upside in the price is still lacking.' Analysts at Peel Hunt, said: 'We will update our model in due course, but having spoken to the company and done some back-of-the-envelope maths, we believe consensus EBITDA for FY24 could reduce substantially.' A bidding war is heating up for the ownership of Wincanton after US-based GXO Logistics revealed a 762million bid for the British logistics firm on Thursday. The 605p per share offer is around 26 per cent higher than the 480p 'increased and final' offer from CEVA Logistics, a subsidiary of French shipping giant CMA CGM, which was backed by the Wincanton board on Monday. GXO already has the binding support of Wincanton shareholders holding around 34 per cent of the company's equity, but that support will no longer be binding if another offer of more than 695p comes to the table. Wincanton shares up are more than 90% this year as takeover bids continue to drive the price higher Wincanton shares soared by almost 20 per cent to 607p by midday on Thursday, bringing 2024's gains to more than 90 per cent as bidding action continues to drive the price higher. Founded nearly a century ago, Wincanton operates around 8,500 vehicles delivering a range of consumer goods across the UK, including food, fuel, industrial equipment, and building materials. Its customers include some of Britain's most prominent retailers, such as Primark, Ikea, Asda and Sainsbury's, as well as manufacturers like BAE Systems, British Sugar and Tata Chemicals. Suitor GXO operates in almost 30 countries from about 970 warehouse locations and has a large exposure to the US aerospace and defence sectors. GXO told investors the deal would bolster its position as a 'global pure-play contract logistics leader by expanding its presence in a key market, enhancing its capabilities to better serve customers and drive long-term shareholder value creation'. It added: 'The combination has compelling strategic and financial logic and represents an opportunity for GXO to capitalise on exciting, structural growth opportunities within the UK and Ireland.' Analysts at Peel Hunt raised their Wincanton target share price to 500p, and said 'it is no surprise that Wincanton has been bid for' as the last independent, UK-listed, logistics operator with undervalued growth prospects Malcolm Wilson, chief executive officer of GXO said: 'Wincanton is a world class business, and we have long been impressed by their high-quality people and diverse customer relationships across key industries. 'The combination of GXO's technological capabilities and global reach with Wincanton's proven expertise in the UK and Ireland markets will enhance our offering for the benefit of both companies' current and future customers. 'Our superior offer reflects our conviction in the value of this business and the opportunities the combined company will realise.' Veeva Systems (NYSE:VEEV Free Report) had its price objective hoisted by UBS Group from $185.00 to $235.00 in a research report released on Monday morning, Benzinga reports. UBS Group currently has a neutral rating on the technology companys stock. Several other research firms also recently weighed in on VEEV. StockNews.com downgraded Veeva Systems from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, November 23rd. Piper Sandler boosted their price objective on Veeva Systems from $200.00 to $220.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 2nd. Oppenheimer restated an outperform rating and issued a $225.00 price objective on shares of Veeva Systems in a research report on Thursday, February 22nd. Needham & Company LLC restated a buy rating and issued a $220.00 price objective on shares of Veeva Systems in a research report on Thursday, December 7th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada lifted their target price on Veeva Systems from $225.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Tuesday, January 16th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and fifteen have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $219.77. Get Veeva Systems alerts: View Our Latest Research Report on Veeva Systems Veeva Systems Stock Performance NYSE VEEV opened at $225.25 on Monday. Veeva Systems has a fifty-two week low of $160.21 and a fifty-two week high of $226.32. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $206.21 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $198.07. The stock has a market cap of $36.27 billion, a P/E ratio of 64.73, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.64 and a beta of 0.74. Veeva Systems (NYSE:VEEV Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, December 6th. The technology company reported $1.34 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.29 by $0.05. The company had revenue of $616.51 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $615.98 million. Veeva Systems had a return on equity of 10.91% and a net margin of 24.68%. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 11.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.69 EPS. Sell-side analysts predict that Veeva Systems will post 2.84 earnings per share for the current year. Insiders Place Their Bets In other Veeva Systems news, EVP Alan Mateo sold 6,280 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $190.00, for a total transaction of $1,193,200.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 21,983 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,176,770. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In other news, EVP Alan Mateo sold 6,280 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $190.00, for a total transaction of $1,193,200.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 21,983 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,176,770. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CMO Eleni Nitsa Zuppas sold 4,350 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $192.61, for a total transaction of $837,853.50. Following the sale, the chief marketing officer now directly owns 19,057 shares in the company, valued at $3,670,568.77. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 40,819 shares of company stock valued at $7,520,033. Company insiders own 10.98% of the companys stock. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Facet Wealth Inc. lifted its stake in Veeva Systems by 3.2% in the 4th quarter. Facet Wealth Inc. now owns 1,542 shares of the technology companys stock worth $323,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. lifted its stake in Veeva Systems by 2.5% in the 3rd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 2,103 shares of the technology companys stock worth $428,000 after purchasing an additional 51 shares in the last quarter. NewEdge Wealth LLC lifted its stake in Veeva Systems by 0.6% in the 3rd quarter. NewEdge Wealth LLC now owns 10,059 shares of the technology companys stock worth $2,047,000 after purchasing an additional 60 shares in the last quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Veeva Systems by 3.5% in the 4th quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC now owns 1,777 shares of the technology companys stock worth $342,000 after purchasing an additional 60 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Personal CFO Solutions LLC lifted its stake in Veeva Systems by 5.9% in the 3rd quarter. Personal CFO Solutions LLC now owns 1,091 shares of the technology companys stock worth $222,000 after purchasing an additional 61 shares in the last quarter. 80.07% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Veeva Systems Company Profile (Get Free Report) Veeva Systems Inc provides cloud-based software for the life sciences industry. It offers Veeva Commercial Cloud, a suite of software and data solutions, such as Veeva customer relationship management (CRM) that enable customer-facing employees at pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies; Veeva Vault PromoMats, an end-to-end content and digital asset management solution; Veeva Vault Medical that provides source of medical content across multiple channels and geographies; Veeva Crossix, an analytics platform for pharmaceutical brands; Veeva OpenData, a customer reference data solution; Veeva Link, a data application that allows link to generate real-time intelligence; and Veeva Compass includes de-identified and longitudinal patient data for the United States. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Veeva Systems Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Veeva Systems and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Oshkosh (NYSE:OSK Get Free Report) and Metso Oyj (OTCMKTS:OUKPY Get Free Report) are both auto/tires/trucks companies, but which is the superior stock? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, dividends, risk, earnings, profitability and valuation. Earnings and Valuation This table compares Oshkosh and Metso Oyjs gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation. Get Oshkosh alerts: Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Oshkosh $9.66 billion 0.74 $598.00 million $9.08 12.07 Metso Oyj N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A Oshkosh has higher revenue and earnings than Metso Oyj. Profitability Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Oshkosh 6.19% 18.75% 7.67% Metso Oyj N/A N/A N/A Insider & Institutional Ownership This table compares Oshkosh and Metso Oyjs net margins, return on equity and return on assets. 88.7% of Oshkosh shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 0.0% of Metso Oyj shares are held by institutional investors. 0.6% of Oshkosh shares are held by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a company will outperform the market over the long term. Analyst Ratings This is a summary of recent ratings and price targets for Oshkosh and Metso Oyj, as provided by MarketBeat. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Oshkosh 0 5 10 0 2.67 Metso Oyj 0 0 3 0 3.00 Oshkosh currently has a consensus target price of $115.00, suggesting a potential upside of 4.97%. Given Oshkoshs higher possible upside, research analysts clearly believe Oshkosh is more favorable than Metso Oyj. Summary Oshkosh beats Metso Oyj on 8 of the 9 factors compared between the two stocks. About Oshkosh (Get Free Report) Oshkosh Corporation designs, manufacture, and markets specialty trucks and access equipment vehicles worldwide. Its Access Equipment segment design and manufacture aerial work platform and telehandlers for use in construction, industrial, and maintenance applications; offers financing and leasing solutions including rental fleet loans, leases, and floor plan and retail financing; and towing and recovery equipment, which includes carriers, wreckers, and rotators, as well as provides equipment installation and sale of chassis and service parts. Defense segment engages in the manufacture and sale of heavy, medium, and light tactical wheeled vehicles and related services for department of defense; and snow removal vehicles for airports and military bases. Its Fire & Emergency segment offers custom and commercial firefighting equipment, fire apparatus, and emergency vehicles, including pumpers, aerial platform, ladder and tiller trucks, and tankers; light, medium, and heavy-duty rescue vehicles; and wildland rough terrain response, bomb squad, hazardous materials control vehicles, and other emergency response vehicles. Additionally, this segment offers aircraft rescue and firefighting vehicles for airports; and broadcast vehicles, including electronic field production trailers, and satellite and electronic news gathering vehicles for broadcasters and command trucks. Its Commercial segment design and manufacture refuse collection vehicles for waste services industry; front- and rear-discharge concrete mixers for concrete ready-mix industry; and field service vehicles and truck-mounted cranes for construction, equipment dealer, building supply, utility, tire service, railroad, and mining industries. Further, the company provides its products through direct sales representatives, dealers, and distributors. Oshkosh Corporation was formerly known as Oshkosh Truck Corporation. The company was founded in 1917 and is headquartered in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. About Metso Oyj (Get Free Report) Metso Oyj provides technologies, end-to-end solutions, and services for aggregates, minerals processing, and metals refining industries in Europe, North and Central America, South America, the Asia Pacific, Africa, the Middle East, and India. The company operates in three segments: Aggregates, Minerals, and Metals. It offers a range of equipment, parts, and services for quarries, aggregates contractors, and construction companies; and process solutions, equipment, and aftermarket services for mining operations. The company also provides solutions for processing virtually various types of ores and concentrates to refined metals. The company was formerly known as Metso Outotec Oyj. Metso Oyj was incorporated in 1990 and is headquartered in Helsinki, Finland. Receive News & Ratings for Oshkosh Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Oshkosh and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Newmont (NYSE:NEM Free Report) had its price objective lowered by Scotiabank from $50.00 to $43.50 in a report published on Wednesday morning, Benzinga reports. Scotiabank currently has a sector perform rating on the basic materials companys stock. NEM has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Macquarie assumed coverage on Newmont in a research note on Tuesday, November 21st. They issued an outperform rating and a $45.00 price target for the company. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their price target on Newmont from $45.00 to $40.00 and set a sector perform rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 8th. UBS Group dropped their price target on Newmont from $42.00 to $40.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, December 13th. Argus lowered Newmont from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Monday. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lowered their price objective on Newmont from $57.00 to $56.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 15th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have issued a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Newmont has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $53.02. Get Newmont alerts: View Our Latest Analysis on Newmont Newmont Stock Performance NYSE:NEM opened at $29.87 on Wednesday. The firm has a market cap of $23.74 billion, a PE ratio of -12.55, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 0.52. Newmont has a fifty-two week low of $29.42 and a fifty-two week high of $52.76. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a current ratio of 1.25. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $35.91 and a 200-day moving average price of $37.64. Newmont (NYSE:NEM Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 22nd. The basic materials company reported $0.50 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.51 by ($0.01). The company had revenue of $3.96 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3.44 billion. Newmont had a negative net margin of 20.95% and a positive return on equity of 6.21%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 23.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.44 EPS. Equities research analysts predict that Newmont will post 2.04 earnings per share for the current year. Newmont Cuts Dividend The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 28th. Investors of record on Tuesday, March 5th will be issued a $0.25 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, March 4th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.35%. Newmonts payout ratio is -67.23%. Insider Buying and Selling In other Newmont news, COO Robert D. Atkinson sold 5,500 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $41.26, for a total value of $226,930.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer now directly owns 54,251 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,238,396.26. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 0.07% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Institutional Inflows and Outflows A number of large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Newmont by 43.8% during the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 118,749,913 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $4,915,059,000 after buying an additional 36,170,985 shares in the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. lifted its position in shares of Newmont by 4.6% during the 2nd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 99,433,731 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $4,241,843,000 after buying an additional 4,409,771 shares in the last quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp lifted its position in shares of Newmont by 57.2% during the 4th quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 51,290,469 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $2,122,913,000 after buying an additional 18,664,614 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its position in shares of Newmont by 0.3% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 40,353,343 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $1,721,474,000 after buying an additional 121,393 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Newmont by 44.9% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 24,639,109 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $1,019,813,000 after buying an additional 7,635,657 shares in the last quarter. 79.53% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Newmont Company Profile (Get Free Report) Newmont Corporation engages in the production and exploration of gold. It also explores for copper, silver, zinc, and lead. The company has operations and/or assets in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Peru, Suriname, Argentina, Chile, Australia, and Ghana. As of December 31, 2022, it had proven and probable gold reserves of 96.1 million ounces and land position of 61,500 square kilometers. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Newmont Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Newmont and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed their sector perform rating on shares of Boston Beer (NYSE:SAM Free Report) in a report released on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. Royal Bank of Canada currently has a $337.00 target price on the stock. Several other equities analysts have also commented on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on shares of Boston Beer in a report on Monday, November 13th. They issued a hold rating and a $375.00 price objective on the stock. Roth Mkm raised their target price on Boston Beer from $406.00 to $422.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Tuesday, January 23rd. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein upgraded shares of Boston Beer from an underperform rating to a market perform rating and boosted their price target for the stock from $280.00 to $335.00 in a research note on Tuesday, January 16th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, ten have given a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Boston Beer has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $343.58. Get Boston Beer alerts: Check Out Our Latest Report on SAM Boston Beer Stock Down 15.7 % NYSE SAM opened at $311.89 on Wednesday. Boston Beer has a 52 week low of $296.27 and a 52 week high of $395.52. The businesss fifty day simple moving average is $350.77 and its 200-day simple moving average is $355.44. The firm has a market cap of $3.80 billion, a PE ratio of 50.30, a P/E/G ratio of 1.10 and a beta of 1.09. Boston Beer (NYSE:SAM Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 27th. The company reported ($1.49) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of ($0.22) by ($1.27). The firm had revenue of $393.72 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $413.57 million. Boston Beer had a return on equity of 8.12% and a net margin of 3.61%. Boston Beers revenue for the quarter was down 12.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned ($0.93) earnings per share. Research analysts expect that Boston Beer will post 11.69 EPS for the current year. Insider Activity at Boston Beer In other Boston Beer news, insider Carolyn L. Oboyle sold 102 shares of Boston Beer stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $354.90, for a total transaction of $36,199.80. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 2,834 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,005,786.60. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders have sold 306 shares of company stock valued at $107,146 over the last quarter. 23.30% of the stock is owned by insiders. Institutional Trading of Boston Beer Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. EVR Research LP purchased a new position in shares of Boston Beer during the second quarter worth about $2,159,000. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System increased its position in Boston Beer by 15.0% during the third quarter. State Board of Administration of Florida Retirement System now owns 10,914 shares of the companys stock worth $4,251,000 after buying an additional 1,420 shares during the period. Rhumbline Advisers lifted its stake in Boston Beer by 2.8% in the second quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 30,877 shares of the companys stock valued at $9,524,000 after buying an additional 832 shares during the last quarter. First National Bank Sioux Falls purchased a new position in shares of Boston Beer during the third quarter worth approximately $212,000. Finally, Global Retirement Partners LLC increased its holdings in shares of Boston Beer by 262.3% in the 3rd quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 279 shares of the companys stock valued at $106,000 after acquiring an additional 202 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 64.10% of the companys stock. About Boston Beer (Get Free Report) The Boston Beer Company, Inc engages in the production and sale of alcohol beverages primarily in the United States. The company's flagship beer is Samuel Adams Boston Lager. It offers various beers, hard ciders, flavored malt beverages, and hard seltzers under the Samuel Adams, Twisted Tea, Truly Hard Seltzer, Angry Orchard, Dogfish Head, Angel City, Coney Island, and Havana Lager brand names. Read More Receive News & Ratings for Boston Beer Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Boston Beer and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. BEIRUT, Feb. 29 (Xinhua) -- Israeli air strikes killed two people and wounded five others in southern Lebanon on Thursday, Lebanese military sources said, as cross-border tensions escalated between the Jewish state and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah group. The sources, who requested anonymity, said an elderly couple were killed and five civilians injured when Israeli jets bombed the town of Seddiqine in the Tyre district, destroying eight houses and five cars and damaging 22 other homes. Civil defense and health workers rushed to the scene to clear the rubble and take the casualties to a nearby hospital, official sources told Xinhua. Hezbollah said its fighters had attacked Israeli troops near the border early on Thursday, targeting several sites with rockets and missiles. The Lebanon-Israel border has been witnessing increased tension since Oct. 8, 2023, after Lebanese armed group Hezbollah fired dozens of rockets toward Israel in support of the Hamas attack on Israel the previous day, prompting Israel to respond by firing heavy artillery toward southeastern Lebanon. The confrontations between Hezbollah and Israel have killed 322 people on the Lebanese side, including 216 Hezbollah members and 61 civilians, according to Lebanese security sources. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. purchased a new stake in Sonoco Products (NYSE:SON Free Report) in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 39,253 shares of the industrial products companys stock, valued at approximately $2,133,000. A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina boosted its position in shares of Sonoco Products by 0.4% in the 2nd quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 42,717 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $2,521,000 after purchasing an additional 180 shares during the period. Captrust Financial Advisors lifted its stake in Sonoco Products by 0.9% in the 2nd quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 21,341 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $1,260,000 after acquiring an additional 189 shares in the last quarter. Summit X LLC lifted its stake in Sonoco Products by 2.9% in the 2nd quarter. Summit X LLC now owns 6,969 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $411,000 after acquiring an additional 199 shares in the last quarter. Johnson Investment Counsel Inc. lifted its stake in Sonoco Products by 0.6% in the 3rd quarter. Johnson Investment Counsel Inc. now owns 31,339 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $1,703,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Coldstream Capital Management Inc. lifted its stake in Sonoco Products by 5.6% in the 2nd quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 3,778 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $223,000 after acquiring an additional 202 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 76.20% of the companys stock. Get Sonoco Products alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on SON shares. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Sonoco Products from $58.00 to $56.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 20th. StockNews.com raised Sonoco Products from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 28th. Finally, TheStreet downgraded Sonoco Products from a b- rating to a c+ rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 14th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $61.50. Sonoco Products Stock Up 0.4 % SON opened at $56.60 on Thursday. Sonoco Products has a fifty-two week low of $49.98 and a fifty-two week high of $63.74. The business has a 50-day moving average of $56.90 and a 200-day moving average of $55.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.25, a current ratio of 1.76 and a quick ratio of 1.10. The company has a market capitalization of $5.54 billion, a PE ratio of 11.79, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.15 and a beta of 0.69. Sonoco Products (NYSE:SON Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 15th. The industrial products company reported $1.02 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.04 by ($0.02). The company had revenue of $1.64 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.61 billion. Sonoco Products had a net margin of 7.00% and a return on equity of 22.42%. The businesss revenue was down 2.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.27 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Sonoco Products will post 5.25 EPS for the current fiscal year. Sonoco Products Dividend Announcement The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 8th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 28th will be issued a dividend of $0.51 per share. This represents a $2.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.60%. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, February 27th. Sonoco Productss dividend payout ratio is 42.50%. Insider Activity In other news, insider Jeffrey S. Tomaszewski sold 10,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $57.53, for a total transaction of $604,065.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 13,456 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $774,123.68. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. 0.51% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Sonoco Products Profile (Free Report) Sonoco Products Company, together with its subsidiaries, designs, develops, manufactures, and sells various engineered and sustainable packaging products in North and South America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. The company operates through two segments: Consumer Packaging and Industrial Paper Packaging. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Sonoco Products Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Sonoco Products and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. bought a new position in shares of Archrock, Inc. (NYSE:AROC Free Report) in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund bought 174,088 shares of the energy companys stock, valued at approximately $2,194,000. Connor Clark & Lunn Investment Management Ltd. owned approximately 0.11% of Archrock at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC boosted its stake in Archrock by 7.0% in the second quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 13,718 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $141,000 after acquiring an additional 902 shares during the last quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Archrock by 37.9% during the 2nd quarter. Pinnacle Wealth Planning Services Inc. now owns 14,424 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $148,000 after purchasing an additional 3,961 shares during the last quarter. Campbell & CO Investment Adviser LLC bought a new stake in Archrock in the 3rd quarter worth $620,000. Edgestream Partners L.P. bought a new stake in Archrock in the 2nd quarter worth $104,000. Finally, Los Angeles Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Archrock in the 3rd quarter worth about $1,269,000. 81.53% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get Archrock alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of brokerages recently issued reports on AROC. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price target on shares of Archrock from $18.00 to $20.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Wednesday. StockNews.com cut Archrock from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Wednesday, November 22nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Archrock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $17.33. Archrock Trading Up 0.6 % Shares of Archrock stock opened at $17.96 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $2.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.80, a PEG ratio of 2.56 and a beta of 1.57. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $16.08 and a 200-day moving average price of $14.28. The company has a quick ratio of 0.86, a current ratio of 1.40 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.82. Archrock, Inc. has a twelve month low of $8.78 and a twelve month high of $19.42. Archrock (NYSE:AROC Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 21st. The energy company reported $0.21 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts consensus estimates of $0.21. The firm had revenue of $259.60 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $252.42 million. Archrock had a return on equity of 12.63% and a net margin of 10.60%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 18.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.07 earnings per share. Equities research analysts anticipate that Archrock, Inc. will post 1 EPS for the current fiscal year. Archrock Increases Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, February 13th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 6th were given a $0.165 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, February 5th. This represents a $0.66 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.68%. This is a positive change from Archrocks previous quarterly dividend of $0.16. Archrocks dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 98.51%. Archrock Company Profile (Free Report) Archrock, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as an energy infrastructure company in the United States. It operates in two segments, Contract Operations and Aftermarket Services. The company engages in the designing, sourcing, owning, installing, operating, servicing, repairing, and maintaining its owned fleet of natural gas compression equipment to provide natural gas compression services to customers in the oil and natural gas industry. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding AROC? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Archrock, Inc. (NYSE:AROC Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Archrock Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Archrock and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Saba Capital Management L.P. reduced its holdings in shares of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited (NYSE:TEVA Free Report) by 25.2% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 189,003 shares of the companys stock after selling 63,835 shares during the quarter. Saba Capital Management L.P.s holdings in Teva Pharmaceutical Industries were worth $1,928,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Nelson Van Denburg & Campbell Wealth Management Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries by 5.5% during the 4th quarter. Nelson Van Denburg & Campbell Wealth Management Group LLC now owns 19,315 shares of the companys stock worth $176,000 after acquiring an additional 1,000 shares during the period. Marshall Wace LLP lifted its holdings in Teva Pharmaceutical Industries by 2.7% during the 4th quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 48,771 shares of the companys stock worth $445,000 after purchasing an additional 1,273 shares during the last quarter. Spire Wealth Management lifted its holdings in Teva Pharmaceutical Industries by 32.7% during the 2nd quarter. Spire Wealth Management now owns 5,584 shares of the companys stock worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 1,375 shares during the last quarter. ClariVest Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in Teva Pharmaceutical Industries by 0.4% during the 3rd quarter. ClariVest Asset Management LLC now owns 399,900 shares of the companys stock worth $4,079,000 after purchasing an additional 1,400 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS lifted its holdings in Teva Pharmaceutical Industries by 0.8% during the 3rd quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS now owns 178,827 shares of the companys stock worth $1,824,000 after purchasing an additional 1,500 shares during the last quarter. 43.23% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Get Teva Pharmaceutical Industries alerts: Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Stock Performance Shares of NYSE:TEVA traded up $0.05 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $13.14. The company had a trading volume of 1,529,597 shares, compared to its average volume of 12,139,553. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.23, a current ratio of 1.02 and a quick ratio of 0.69. The company has a market cap of $14.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -27.87, a PEG ratio of 1.53 and a beta of 1.01. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited has a 12-month low of $7.09 and a 12-month high of $13.53. The company has a fifty day moving average of $11.82 and a two-hundred day moving average of $10.30. Insiders Place Their Bets Teva Pharmaceutical Industries ( NYSE:TEVA Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 31st. The company reported $0.98 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.73 by $0.25. The firm had revenue of $4.46 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.97 billion. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries had a positive return on equity of 34.90% and a negative net margin of 3.33%. On average, equities research analysts expect that Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited will post 2.29 EPS for the current fiscal year. In other Teva Pharmaceutical Industries news, CAO Amir Weiss sold 31,766 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $12.37, for a total value of $392,945.42. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 10,676 shares in the company, valued at approximately $132,062.12. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In other news, CAO Amir Weiss sold 31,766 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $12.37, for a total transaction of $392,945.42. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 10,676 shares in the company, valued at $132,062.12. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, VP Eric Drape sold 173,261 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $13.05, for a total value of $2,261,056.05. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 1 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $13.05. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders sold 279,557 shares of company stock worth $3,634,071. Corporate insiders own 0.62% of the companys stock. Analysts Set New Price Targets TEVA has been the subject of several research reports. Piper Sandler raised Teva Pharmaceutical Industries from a neutral rating to an overweight rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $12.00 to $19.00 in a report on Monday, February 12th. StockNews.com raised Teva Pharmaceutical Industries from a buy rating to a strong-buy rating in a report on Thursday, February 1st. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on Teva Pharmaceutical Industries from $10.00 to $11.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Monday, February 5th. UBS Group raised Teva Pharmaceutical Industries from a neutral rating to a buy rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $11.00 to $13.00 in a report on Monday, November 27th. Finally, Barclays lifted their price objective on Teva Pharmaceutical Industries from $15.00 to $17.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Monday, February 5th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have issued a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $13.75. View Our Latest Research Report on TEVA Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Profile (Free Report) 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. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding TEVA? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Limited (NYSE:TEVA Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Teva Pharmaceutical Industries and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC raised its position in shares of Edwards Lifesciences Co. (NYSE:EW Free Report) by 516.4% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 44,015 shares of the medical research companys stock after purchasing an additional 36,874 shares during the period. Tower Research Capital LLC TRCs holdings in Edwards Lifesciences were worth $3,049,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Edwards Lifesciences by 11.4% in the first quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 9,181 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $1,081,000 after buying an additional 941 shares during the last quarter. Zions Bancorporation N.A. boosted its position in shares of Edwards Lifesciences by 34.7% during the first quarter. Zions Bancorporation N.A. now owns 1,738 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $204,000 after buying an additional 448 shares during the period. Covestor Ltd raised its stake in shares of Edwards Lifesciences by 18.2% in the first quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 1,223 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $144,000 after acquiring an additional 188 shares in the last quarter. Mather Group LLC. raised its stake in shares of Edwards Lifesciences by 53.5% in the first quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 7,182 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $846,000 after acquiring an additional 2,503 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Mackenzie Financial Corp raised its stake in Edwards Lifesciences by 3.1% in the first quarter. Mackenzie Financial Corp now owns 655,567 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $77,173,000 after buying an additional 19,798 shares in the last quarter. 79.25% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get Edwards Lifesciences alerts: Edwards Lifesciences Stock Performance Shares of EW stock opened at $86.00 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09, a quick ratio of 2.40 and a current ratio of 3.38. The companys 50-day simple moving average is $79.38 and its 200-day simple moving average is $73.95. Edwards Lifesciences Co. has a one year low of $60.57 and a one year high of $94.87. The stock has a market capitalization of $51.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.39, a PEG ratio of 4.34 and a beta of 1.04. Insider Buying and Selling Edwards Lifesciences ( NYSE:EW Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 6th. The medical research company reported $0.64 EPS for the quarter, meeting analysts consensus estimates of $0.64. Edwards Lifesciences had a net margin of 23.35% and a return on equity of 23.56%. The business had revenue of $1.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.50 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.64 earnings per share. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 13.3% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts anticipate that Edwards Lifesciences Co. will post 2.76 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. In other news, VP Daveen Chopra sold 3,500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $70.00, for a total transaction of $245,000.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 23,950 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,676,500. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In related news, VP Daveen Chopra sold 3,500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $70.00, for a total transaction of $245,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 23,950 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,676,500. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, insider Larry L. Wood sold 8,658 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $71.86, for a total transaction of $622,163.88. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 213,794 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $15,363,236.84. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 186,147 shares of company stock worth $14,664,599 in the last quarter. 1.29% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth EW has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on Edwards Lifesciences from $80.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 7th. Wells Fargo & Company raised Edwards Lifesciences from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating and set a $94.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 2nd. StockNews.com raised Edwards Lifesciences from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 13th. Truist Financial increased their price target on Edwards Lifesciences from $78.00 to $84.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Friday, December 22nd. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada upped their price objective on Edwards Lifesciences from $82.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, February 7th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and nine have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $87.38. Check Out Our Latest Analysis on EW About Edwards Lifesciences (Free Report) Edwards Lifesciences Corporation provides products and technologies for structural heart disease and critical care monitoring in the United States, Europe, Japan, and internationally. It offers transcatheter heart valve replacement products for the minimally invasive replacement of aortic heart valves under the Edwards SAPIEN family of valves system; and transcatheter heart valve repair and replacement products to treat mitral and tricuspid valve diseases under the PASCAL PRECISION and Cardioband names. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Edwards Lifesciences Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Edwards Lifesciences and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Meeder Advisory Services Inc. lessened its stake in shares of Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE:DGX Free Report) by 15.8% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,762 shares of the medical research companys stock after selling 330 shares during the period. Meeder Advisory Services Inc.s holdings in Quest Diagnostics were worth $215,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of DGX. Kentucky Retirement Systems Insurance Trust Fund purchased a new position in Quest Diagnostics during the 3rd quarter valued at about $493,000. LPL Financial LLC grew its stake in Quest Diagnostics by 4.4% during the 2nd quarter. LPL Financial LLC now owns 50,252 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $7,063,000 after acquiring an additional 2,103 shares in the last quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV grew its stake in Quest Diagnostics by 1.3% during the 3rd quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV now owns 16,439 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $2,003,000 after acquiring an additional 218 shares in the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC grew its stake in Quest Diagnostics by 5.1% during the 2nd quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 29,395 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $4,132,000 after acquiring an additional 1,421 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Pine Valley Investments Ltd Liability Co grew its stake in Quest Diagnostics by 41.9% during the 3rd quarter. Pine Valley Investments Ltd Liability Co now owns 16,901 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $2,060,000 after acquiring an additional 4,992 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.76% of the companys stock. Get Quest Diagnostics alerts: Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several equities analysts have weighed in on DGX shares. Citigroup lifted their target price on Quest Diagnostics from $130.00 to $145.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Monday, December 11th. TheStreet cut Quest Diagnostics from a b- rating to a c rating in a research report on Monday, February 5th. Leerink Partnrs reaffirmed a market perform rating on shares of Quest Diagnostics in a research report on Monday. Truist Financial cut their price target on Quest Diagnostics from $150.00 to $145.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 2nd. Finally, SVB Leerink initiated coverage on Quest Diagnostics in a report on Monday. They set a market perform rating and a $135.00 price target for the company. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, Quest Diagnostics has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $145.92. Quest Diagnostics Stock Performance Quest Diagnostics stock opened at $125.66 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70, a current ratio of 1.31 and a quick ratio of 1.20. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $131.61 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $130.66. Quest Diagnostics Incorporated has a 52-week low of $119.59 and a 52-week high of $148.62. The firm has a market capitalization of $13.91 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.78, a P/E/G ratio of 2.72 and a beta of 0.92. Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 1st. The medical research company reported $2.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.11 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $2.29 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.25 billion. Quest Diagnostics had a return on equity of 15.79% and a net margin of 9.23%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was down 1.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.98 earnings per share. As a group, analysts anticipate that Quest Diagnostics Incorporated will post 8.76 EPS for the current fiscal year. Quest Diagnostics Increases Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 22nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, April 8th will be issued a dividend of $0.75 per share. This represents a $3.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.39%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 5th. This is a boost from Quest Diagnosticss previous quarterly dividend of $0.71. Quest Diagnosticss dividend payout ratio is presently 37.92%. Insider Transactions at Quest Diagnostics In other news, SVP Michael E. Prevoznik sold 661 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $126.14, for a total transaction of $83,378.54. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 40,206 shares in the company, valued at $5,071,584.84. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. In other Quest Diagnostics news, SVP Michael E. Prevoznik sold 661 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $126.14, for a total transaction of $83,378.54. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 40,206 shares in the company, valued at $5,071,584.84. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Vicky B. Gregg sold 2,500 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $126.64, for a total value of $316,600.00. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 16,329 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,067,904.56. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 3,982 shares of company stock worth $503,539. Insiders own 1.70% of the companys stock. Quest Diagnostics Company Profile (Free Report) Quest Diagnostics Incorporated provides diagnostic testing, information, and services in the United States and internationally. The company develops and delivers diagnostic information services, such as routine testing, non-routine and advanced clinical testing, anatomic pathology testing, and other diagnostic information services. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding DGX? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NYSE:DGX Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Quest Diagnostics Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Quest Diagnostics and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. ASM International (OTCMKTS:ASMIY Get Free Report) issued its earnings results on Tuesday. The company reported $2.18 earnings per share for the quarter, reports. The business had revenue of $681.50 million for the quarter. ASM International had a net margin of 28.49% and a return on equity of 18.74%. ASM International Trading Up 5.0 % Shares of OTCMKTS:ASMIY traded up $29.06 during trading on Thursday, hitting $611.06. 3,390 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,885. The company has a market cap of $30.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 45.76 and a beta of 1.71. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $552.36 and a 200-day moving average price of $489.50. ASM International has a 52 week low of $317.36 and a 52 week high of $636.62. Get ASM International alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets Separately, Redburn Atlantic upgraded shares of ASM International from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 22nd. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold. About ASM International (Get Free Report) ASM International NV, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the research, development, manufacture, marketing, and servicing of equipment and materials used to produce semiconductor devices in the United States, Europe, and Asia. Its products include wafer processing deposition systems for single-wafer atomic layer deposition, plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition, epitaxy, silicon carbide, vertical furnace systems, and low pressure chemical vapor deposition and diffusion products, as well as provides spare parts and support services. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for ASM International Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for ASM International and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Summit Hotel Properties (NYSE:INN Get Free Report) updated its FY 2024 earnings guidance on Wednesday. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 0.900-1.000 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 0.880. The company issued revenue guidance of -. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Separately, Wolfe Research began coverage on shares of Summit Hotel Properties in a report on Wednesday, January 10th. They issued a peer perform rating for the company. Get Summit Hotel Properties alerts: Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on Summit Hotel Properties Summit Hotel Properties Trading Down 2.0 % Summit Hotel Properties Announces Dividend INN stock traded down $0.13 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $6.46. 215,237 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 747,486. The company has a current ratio of 0.92, a quick ratio of 0.92 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.04. Summit Hotel Properties has a 52-week low of $5.31 and a 52-week high of $7.82. The company has a market cap of $694.97 million, a P/E ratio of -30.09 and a beta of 1.96. The stocks fifty day moving average is $6.62 and its 200-day moving average is $6.18. The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, February 29th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.06 per share. This represents a $0.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.72%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, February 14th. Summit Hotel Propertiess dividend payout ratio is presently -109.09%. Institutional Trading of Summit Hotel Properties A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Summit Hotel Properties by 2.6% in the first quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 47,984 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $478,000 after purchasing an additional 1,212 shares in the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its position in shares of Summit Hotel Properties by 2.8% in the first quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 59,949 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $420,000 after purchasing an additional 1,609 shares in the last quarter. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky lifted its position in shares of Summit Hotel Properties by 5.7% in the second quarter. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky now owns 34,685 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $226,000 after purchasing an additional 1,877 shares in the last quarter. Ensign Peak Advisors Inc lifted its position in shares of Summit Hotel Properties by 2.2% in the first quarter. Ensign Peak Advisors Inc now owns 89,800 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $629,000 after purchasing an additional 1,950 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Brinker Capital Investments LLC lifted its position in shares of Summit Hotel Properties by 1.2% in the first quarter. Brinker Capital Investments LLC now owns 177,115 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $1,764,000 after purchasing an additional 2,113 shares in the last quarter. 95.06% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Summit Hotel Properties Company Profile (Get Free Report) Summit Hotel Properties, Inc is a publicly traded real estate investment trust focused on owning premium-branded lodging properties with efficient operating models primarily in the upscale segment of the lodging industry. As of November 1, 2023, the Company's portfolio consisted of 101 assets, 57 of which are wholly owned, with a total of 15,035 guestrooms located in 24 states. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Summit Hotel Properties Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Summit Hotel Properties and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. California State Teachers Retirement System trimmed its stake in shares of The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE:TRV Free Report) by 4.3% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 369,804 shares of the insurance providers stock after selling 16,772 shares during the quarter. California State Teachers Retirement Systems holdings in Travelers Companies were worth $60,393,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC increased its stake in Travelers Companies by 1.9% during the first quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 3,074 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $562,000 after purchasing an additional 58 shares during the last quarter. Equitable Holdings Inc. raised its stake in Travelers Companies by 2.5% during the second quarter. Equitable Holdings Inc. now owns 2,816 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $489,000 after acquiring an additional 70 shares during the period. Thomasville National Bank lifted its holdings in Travelers Companies by 4.9% in the third quarter. Thomasville National Bank now owns 1,563 shares of the insurance providers stock worth $255,000 after acquiring an additional 73 shares during the last quarter. Money Concepts Capital Corp boosted its stake in Travelers Companies by 2.1% in the third quarter. Money Concepts Capital Corp now owns 3,646 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $596,000 after acquiring an additional 74 shares during the period. Finally, Smith Moore & CO. grew its holdings in shares of Travelers Companies by 4.4% during the second quarter. Smith Moore & CO. now owns 1,785 shares of the insurance providers stock valued at $310,000 after purchasing an additional 75 shares during the last quarter. 81.12% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Travelers Companies alerts: Insider Buying and Selling In other Travelers Companies news, CFO Daniel S. Frey sold 38,000 shares of the companys 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 transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 14,810 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,147,865.50. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In related news, CFO Daniel S. Frey sold 38,000 shares of Travelers Companies stock in a transaction dated 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 transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 14,810 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,147,865.50. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Vice Chairman William H. Heyman sold 4,500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $215.06, for a total value of $967,770.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 255,178 shares in the company, valued at approximately $54,878,580.68. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 109,775 shares of company stock worth $23,343,903 in the last ninety days. 1.29% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Travelers Companies Stock Performance TRV opened at $220.42 on Thursday. The Travelers Companies, Inc. has a 1-year low of $157.33 and a 1-year high of $223.88. The company has a market capitalization of $50.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.23, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.09 and a beta of 0.58. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $205.53 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $181.56. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 0.34 and a quick ratio of 0.34. Travelers Companies (NYSE:TRV Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 19th. The insurance provider reported $7.01 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $5.10 by $1.91. The business had revenue of $10.93 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.18 billion. Travelers Companies had a return on equity of 13.68% and a net margin of 7.23%. The companys revenue was up 13.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $3.40 earnings per share. Research analysts predict that The Travelers Companies, Inc. will post 17.68 EPS for the current fiscal year. Travelers Companies Dividend Announcement The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 29th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 8th will be paid a $1.00 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 7th. This represents a $4.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.81%. Travelers Companiess dividend payout ratio is currently 31.27%. Analysts Set New Price Targets Several analysts recently issued reports on TRV shares. TD Cowen assumed coverage on Travelers Companies in a report on Wednesday, January 10th. They issued an outperform rating and a $247.00 price target on the stock. UBS Group boosted their price target on shares of Travelers Companies from $205.00 to $225.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Tuesday, January 23rd. Raymond James increased their price objective on shares of Travelers Companies from $220.00 to $245.00 and gave the stock a strong-buy rating in a report on Monday, January 22nd. Oppenheimer assumed coverage on shares of Travelers Companies in a research note on Thursday, November 16th. They set a market perform rating for the company. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded shares of Travelers Companies from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Monday, January 22nd. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have given a hold rating, five have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $201.38. View Our Latest Stock Report on Travelers Companies Travelers Companies Profile (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. The company operates through three segments: Business Insurance, Bond & Specialty Insurance, and Personal Insurance. Featured Articles 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. Nomura Holdings Inc. purchased a new position in WestRock (NYSE:WRK Free Report) in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund purchased 90,693 shares of the basic materials companys stock, valued at approximately $3,247,000. A number of other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Bank of Nova Scotia raised its holdings in shares of WestRock by 2,083.3% in the third quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 449,952 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $16,108,000 after acquiring an additional 429,343 shares during the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC raised its holdings in shares of WestRock by 64.5% in the third quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 25,930 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $928,000 after acquiring an additional 10,167 shares during the last quarter. Synovus Financial Corp raised its holdings in shares of WestRock by 79.2% in the third quarter. Synovus Financial Corp now owns 24,183 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $866,000 after acquiring an additional 10,689 shares during the last quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina raised its holdings in shares of WestRock by 0.4% in the third quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 114,781 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $4,109,000 after acquiring an additional 430 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vinva Investment Management Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of WestRock in the third quarter valued at $975,000. 85.51% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get WestRock alerts: Insider Buying and Selling In related news, insider Vicki L. Lostetter sold 3,500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $42.77, for a total value of $149,695.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 92,117 shares in the company, valued at $3,939,844.09. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.49% of the companys stock. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of brokerages have recently commented on WRK. Truist Financial lifted their price objective on WestRock from $40.00 to $48.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, January 4th. Royal Bank of Canada reissued a sector perform rating and set a $42.00 price target on shares of WestRock in a research report on Friday, February 2nd. StockNews.com initiated coverage on WestRock in a research report on Wednesday. They set a hold rating for the company. Wells Fargo & Company reissued an equal weight rating and set a $45.00 price target (up previously from $42.00) on shares of WestRock in a research report on Thursday, January 11th. Finally, Argus raised WestRock from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Friday, November 17th. 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, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $39.43. View Our Latest Report on WRK WestRock Price Performance Shares of NYSE WRK opened at $45.04 on Thursday. WestRock has a 1-year low of $26.84 and a 1-year high of $45.28. The business has a 50-day moving average of $41.87 and a 200-day moving average of $38.38. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 1.55 and a quick ratio of 0.95. The company has a market capitalization of $11.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -6.70, a PEG ratio of 3.65 and a beta of 1.06. WestRock (NYSE:WRK Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 1st. The basic materials company reported $0.20 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.35 by ($0.15). WestRock had a positive return on equity of 6.87% and a negative net margin of 8.58%. The business had revenue of $4.62 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.79 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.55 EPS. The companys revenue was down 6.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts anticipate that WestRock will post 1.95 EPS for the current fiscal year. WestRock Announces Dividend The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 21st. Investors of record on Friday, February 9th were paid a $0.3025 dividend. This represents a $1.21 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.69%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 8th. WestRocks dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -18.01%. WestRock Profile (Free Report) WestRock Company, together with its subsidiaries, provides fiber-based paper and packaging solutions in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. It operates through four segments: Corrugated Packaging, Consumer Packaging, Global Paper, and Distribution. The Corrugated Packaging segment produces containerboards, corrugated sheets, corrugated packaging, and preprinted linerboards to consumer and industrial products manufacturers, and corrugated box manufacturers. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for WestRock Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for WestRock and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Toronto Dominion Bank grew its position in shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE:CMG Free Report) by 18.3% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 23,441 shares of the restaurant operators stock after purchasing an additional 3,634 shares during the period. Toronto Dominion Bank owned approximately 0.09% of Chipotle Mexican Grill worth $42,940,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. grew its position in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 1.3% in the third quarter. Coldstream Capital Management Inc. now owns 382 shares of the restaurant operators stock worth $700,000 after acquiring an additional 5 shares in the last quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 0.7% during the 3rd quarter. Clearstead Advisors LLC now owns 773 shares of the restaurant operators stock valued at $1,416,000 after acquiring an additional 5 shares during the period. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC grew its position in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 2.2% in the 2nd quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 279 shares of the restaurant operators stock valued at $597,000 after acquiring an additional 6 shares during the last quarter. Legacy Capital Group California Inc. increased its stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 2.4% in the second quarter. Legacy Capital Group California Inc. now owns 258 shares of the restaurant operators stock worth $552,000 after purchasing an additional 6 shares during the period. Finally, Heartland Bank & Trust Co increased its stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill by 2.2% in the third quarter. Heartland Bank & Trust Co now owns 279 shares of the restaurant operators stock worth $511,000 after purchasing an additional 6 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 91.19% of the companys stock. Get Chipotle Mexican Grill alerts: Chipotle Mexican Grill Trading Up 1.0 % Chipotle Mexican Grill stock opened at $2,671.72 on Thursday. Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. has a 12-month low of $1,470.05 and a 12-month high of $2,725.83. The stock has a market cap of $73.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 60.24, a PEG ratio of 2.27 and a beta of 1.29. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $2,416.12 and a 200 day moving average price of $2,144.62. Analysts Set New Price Targets Chipotle Mexican Grill ( NYSE:CMG Get Free Report ) last released its quarterly earnings data 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. Chipotle Mexican Grill had a net margin of 12.45% and a return on equity of 44.41%. The firm had revenue of $2.52 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.49 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $8.29 earnings per share. Chipotle Mexican Grills revenue was up 15.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts forecast that Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. will post 53.21 EPS for the current year. A number of research firms have weighed in on CMG. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $2,100.00 to $2,400.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 7th. Oppenheimer increased their target price on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $2,225.00 to $2,525.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Friday, January 5th. KeyCorp raised their price target on 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 raised their price target on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $2,699.00 to $3,016.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 7th. Finally, Raymond James raised their price target on Chipotle Mexican Grill from $2,450.00 to $2,550.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday, January 25th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and sixteen have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $2,469.88. View Our Latest Research Report on Chipotle Mexican Grill Insider Buying and Selling In related news, CEO Brian R. Niccol sold 1,996 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $2,399.91, for a total transaction of $4,790,220.36. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 22,447 shares in the company, valued at $53,870,779.77. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In other Chipotle Mexican Grill news, CEO Brian R. Niccol sold 1,996 shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $2,399.91, for a total transaction of $4,790,220.36. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 22,447 shares in the company, valued at $53,870,779.77. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CEO Brian R. Niccol sold 1,093 shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $2,199.81, for a total transaction of $2,404,392.33. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 23,347 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $51,358,964.07. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 5,837 shares of company stock worth $14,012,071. Insiders own 0.96% of the companys stock. Chipotle Mexican Grill Company Profile (Free Report) Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, owns and operates Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurants. The company offers burritos, burrito bowls, quesadillas, tacos, and salads. Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc was founded in 1993 and is headquartered in Newport Beach, California. Read More 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. Yang Xiaojun (R) discusses research progress with colleagues at a laboratory of MICROMACH in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Jan. 17, 2024. Yang Xiaojun is director of the Photonic Manufacturing Systems and Application Research Center of Xi'an Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). He was employed by the institute after graduating with a Ph.D degree in 2008, and led his team to incorporate the MICROMACH company in 2015 to speed up the industrial application of his achievements in ultra-fast laser manufacturing research. Over the years, the company's workforce has grown from around 30 to over 450 employees. According to Yang, entrepreneurship requires self-evolution that keeps overthrowing pre-existing knowledge and ideas. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang) Yang Xiaojun (L) discusses research progress with colleagues at a laboratory of MICROMACH in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Jan. 17, 2024. Yang Xiaojun is director of the Photonic Manufacturing Systems and Application Research Center of Xi'an Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). He was employed by the institute after graduating with a Ph.D degree in 2008, and led his team to incorporate the MICROMACH company in 2015 to speed up the industrial application of his achievements in ultra-fast laser manufacturing research. Over the years, the company's workforce has grown from around 30 to over 450 employees. According to Yang, entrepreneurship requires self-evolution that keeps overthrowing pre-existing knowledge and ideas. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang) Yang Xiaojun (R) discusses research progress with a colleague at a laboratory of MICROMACH in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Jan. 17, 2024. Yang Xiaojun is director of the Photonic Manufacturing Systems and Application Research Center of Xi'an Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). He was employed by the institute after graduating with a Ph.D degree in 2008, and led his team to incorporate the MICROMACH company in 2015 to speed up the industrial application of his achievements in ultra-fast laser manufacturing research. Over the years, the company's workforce has grown from around 30 to over 450 employees. According to Yang, entrepreneurship requires self-evolution that keeps overthrowing pre-existing knowledge and ideas. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang) Yang Xiaojun shows a new type of turbine blade processed at a workshop of MICROMACH in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Jan. 19, 2024. Yang Xiaojun is director of the Photonic Manufacturing Systems and Application Research Center of Xi'an Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). He was employed by the institute after graduating with a Ph.D degree in 2008, and led his team to incorporate the MICROMACH company in 2015 to speed up the industrial application of his achievements in ultra-fast laser manufacturing research. Over the years, the company's workforce has grown from around 30 to over 450 employees. According to Yang, entrepreneurship requires self-evolution that keeps overthrowing pre-existing knowledge and ideas. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang) An ultra-fast laser micro-machining device engraves characters on a match head at a workshop of MICROMACH in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Jan. 19, 2024. Yang Xiaojun is director of the Photonic Manufacturing Systems and Application Research Center of Xi'an Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). He was employed by the institute after graduating with a Ph.D degree in 2008, and led his team to incorporate the MICROMACH company in 2015 to speed up the industrial application of his achievements in ultra-fast laser manufacturing research. Over the years, the company's workforce has grown from around 30 to over 450 employees. According to Yang, entrepreneurship requires self-evolution that keeps overthrowing pre-existing knowledge and ideas. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang) Yang Xiaojun checks experiment progress at a laboratory of MICROMACH in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Jan. 17, 2024. Yang Xiaojun is director of the Photonic Manufacturing Systems and Application Research Center of Xi'an Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). He was employed by the institute after graduating with a Ph.D degree in 2008, and led his team to incorporate the MICROMACH company in 2015 to speed up the industrial application of his achievements in ultra-fast laser manufacturing research. Over the years, the company's workforce has grown from around 30 to over 450 employees. According to Yang, entrepreneurship requires self-evolution that keeps overthrowing pre-existing knowledge and ideas. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang) A worker shows the words engraved on a match head with ultra-fast laser micromachining technology at a workshop of MICROMACH in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Jan. 19, 2024. Yang Xiaojun is director of the Photonic Manufacturing Systems and Application Research Center of Xi'an Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). He was employed by the institute after graduating with a Ph.D degree in 2008, and led his team to incorporate the MICROMACH company in 2015 to speed up the industrial application of his achievements in ultra-fast laser manufacturing research. Over the years, the company's workforce has grown from around 30 to over 450 employees. According to Yang, entrepreneurship requires self-evolution that keeps overthrowing pre-existing knowledge and ideas. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang) This photo taken on Jan. 26, 2024 shows a portrait of Yang Xiaojun. Yang Xiaojun is director of the Photonic Manufacturing Systems and Application Research Center of Xi'an Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). He was employed by the institute after graduating with a Ph.D degree in 2008, and led his team to incorporate the MICROMACH company in 2015 to speed up the industrial application of his achievements in ultra-fast laser manufacturing research. Over the years, the company's workforce has grown from around 30 to over 450 employees. According to Yang, entrepreneurship requires self-evolution that keeps overthrowing pre-existing knowledge and ideas. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang) Yang Xiaojun (R) adjusts experimental equipment at a laboratory of MICROMACH in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Jan. 17, 2024. Yang Xiaojun is director of the Photonic Manufacturing Systems and Application Research Center of Xi'an Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). He was employed by the institute after graduating with a Ph.D degree in 2008, and led his team to incorporate the MICROMACH company in 2015 to speed up the industrial application of his achievements in ultra-fast laser manufacturing research. Over the years, the company's workforce has grown from around 30 to over 450 employees. According to Yang, entrepreneurship requires self-evolution that keeps overthrowing pre-existing knowledge and ideas. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang) California State Teachers Retirement System decreased its position in TransDigm Group Incorporated (NYSE:TDG Free Report) by 3.8% in the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 84,553 shares of the aerospace companys stock after selling 3,310 shares during the period. California State Teachers Retirement System owned about 0.15% of TransDigm Group worth $71,289,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Bank of Nova Scotia grew its stake in TransDigm Group by 19.4% during the 3rd quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 5,110 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $4,308,000 after acquiring an additional 830 shares in the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC boosted its holdings in shares of TransDigm Group by 433.7% during the third quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 3,848 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $3,244,000 after purchasing an additional 3,127 shares during the period. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina increased its stake in TransDigm Group by 0.5% in the 3rd quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 23,041 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $19,427,000 after buying an additional 124 shares during the period. Valley National Advisers Inc. increased its stake in TransDigm Group by 26.1% in the 3rd quarter. Valley National Advisers Inc. now owns 58 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $49,000 after buying an additional 12 shares during the period. Finally, O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC lifted its position in TransDigm Group by 11.6% in the 3rd quarter. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC now owns 1,819 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $1,534,000 after buying an additional 189 shares in the last quarter. 95.78% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get TransDigm Group alerts: TransDigm Group Stock Performance NYSE:TDG opened at $1,172.00 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $65.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 49.75, a PEG ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 1.43. TransDigm Group Incorporated has a 52-week low of $686.46 and a 52-week high of $1,207.58. The firms 50-day moving average is $1,077.03 and its 200-day moving average is $960.12. Insiders Place Their Bets TransDigm Group ( NYSE:TDG Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 8th. The aerospace company reported $7.16 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $6.41 by $0.75. TransDigm Group had a net margin of 20.80% and a negative return on equity of 59.61%. The company had revenue of $1.79 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.68 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $4.15 EPS. The businesss revenue was up 28.1% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts predict that TransDigm Group Incorporated will post 29.1 EPS for the current year. In related news, Director W Nicholas Howley sold 2,391 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,160.55, for a total transaction of $2,774,875.05. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 21,549 shares in the company, valued at approximately $25,008,691.95. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In related news, CFO Sarah Wynne sold 5,850 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,159.00, for a total value of $6,780,150.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 700 shares in the company, valued at approximately $811,300. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director W Nicholas Howley sold 2,391 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,160.55, for a total value of $2,774,875.05. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 21,549 shares in the company, valued at approximately $25,008,691.95. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 127,720 shares of company stock valued at $135,556,161. 4.96% of the stock is currently owned by insiders. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of research firms have recently weighed in on TDG. Susquehanna upped their price target on shares of TransDigm Group from $875.00 to $1,100.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Friday, February 9th. KeyCorp raised their price target on TransDigm Group from $1,180.00 to $1,220.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, February 15th. Truist Financial boosted their price target on TransDigm Group from $1,158.00 to $1,267.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Friday, February 9th. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their target price on shares of TransDigm Group from $1,000.00 to $1,050.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 23rd. Finally, William Blair initiated coverage on shares of TransDigm Group in a research note on Tuesday, December 12th. They set an outperform rating on the stock. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $1,096.73. Get Our Latest Report on TDG About TransDigm Group (Free Report) TransDigm Group Incorporated designs, produces, and supplies aircraft components in the United States and internationally. The Power & Control segment offers mechanical/electro-mechanical actuators and controls, ignition systems and engine technology, specialized pumps and valves, power conditioning devices, specialized AC/DC electric motors and generators, batteries and chargers, databus and power controls, sensor products, switches and relay panels, hoists, winches and lifting devices, and cargo loading and handling systems. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding TDG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for TransDigm Group Incorporated (NYSE:TDG Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for TransDigm Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for TransDigm Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC grew its position in Riley Exploration Permian, Inc. (NYSE:REPX Free Report) by 27.0% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 16,790 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 3,567 shares during the period. CWA Asset Management Group LLCs holdings in Riley Exploration Permian were worth $534,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of REPX. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its position in Riley Exploration Permian by 1.3% during the 1st quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 26,179 shares of the companys stock worth $996,000 after purchasing an additional 335 shares during the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC raised its stake in Riley Exploration Permian by 109.4% in the 1st quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 710 shares of the companys stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 371 shares during the last quarter. Strs Ohio lifted its position in Riley Exploration Permian by 8.3% during the 2nd quarter. Strs Ohio now owns 5,200 shares of the companys stock worth $185,000 after acquiring an additional 400 shares during the period. FMR LLC grew its stake in Riley Exploration Permian by 68.7% during the 2nd quarter. FMR LLC now owns 1,331 shares of the companys stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 542 shares during the last quarter. Finally, New York State Teachers Retirement System acquired a new position in shares of Riley Exploration Permian in the third quarter valued at about $25,000. 73.10% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Riley Exploration Permian alerts: Riley Exploration Permian Stock Down 1.3 % NYSE:REPX opened at $23.14 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.94, a current ratio of 0.63 and a quick ratio of 0.55. The companys fifty day moving average price is $23.92 and its 200-day moving average price is $27.76. Riley Exploration Permian, Inc. has a 1-year low of $21.27 and a 1-year high of $47.79. The firm has a market capitalization of $472.66 million, a P/E ratio of 4.60 and a beta of 1.22. Riley Exploration Permian Dividend Announcement Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 8th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, January 25th were given a dividend of $0.36 per share. This represents a $1.44 annualized dividend and a yield of 6.22%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, January 24th. Riley Exploration Permians dividend payout ratio is currently 28.63%. Separately, Truist Financial decreased their target price on Riley Exploration Permian from $52.00 to $50.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Thursday, November 9th. Read Our Latest Research Report on REPX Insiders Place Their Bets In related news, CEO Bobby Riley sold 7,500 shares of Riley Exploration Permian stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $27.41, for a total transaction of $205,575.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 379,198 shares in the company, valued at $10,393,817.18. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other news, CEO Bobby Riley sold 7,500 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $27.41, for a total value of $205,575.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 379,198 shares in the company, valued at $10,393,817.18. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Bryan H. Lawrence sold 1,100 shares of Riley Exploration Permian stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, January 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $23.30, for a total value of $25,630.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 2,197,367 shares in the company, valued at approximately $51,198,651.10. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 90,748 shares of company stock valued at $2,122,838. Company insiders own 4.20% of the companys stock. About Riley Exploration Permian (Free Report) Riley Exploration Permian, Inc, an independent oil and natural gas company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids in Texas and New Mexico. The company's activities are primarily focused on the San Andres Formation, a shelf margin deposit on the Central Basin Platform and Northwest Shelf. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding REPX? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Riley Exploration Permian, Inc. (NYSE:REPX Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Riley Exploration Permian Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Riley Exploration Permian and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Sherbrooke Park Advisers LLC acquired a new position in shares of Leggett & Platt, Incorporated (NYSE:LEG Free Report) in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 42,739 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,086,000. Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. State Street Corp raised its stake in shares of Leggett & Platt by 35.5% in the first quarter. State Street Corp now owns 14,506,308 shares of the companys stock valued at $510,661,000 after acquiring an additional 3,803,469 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new position in Leggett & Platt in the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,894,000. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd raised its position in Leggett & Platt by 329.6% in the 3rd quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd now owns 834,221 shares of the companys stock worth $21,198,000 after purchasing an additional 640,015 shares during the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC raised its position in Leggett & Platt by 453.3% in the 1st quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 713,700 shares of the companys stock worth $24,837,000 after purchasing an additional 584,700 shares during the last quarter. Finally, National Bank of Canada FI bought a new position in Leggett & Platt in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $14,075,000. 60.26% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Leggett & Platt alerts: Wall Street Analyst Weigh In LEG has been the subject of several research analyst reports. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price objective on shares of Leggett & Platt from $27.00 to $24.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, November 1st. Truist Financial lowered their target price on shares of Leggett & Platt from $24.00 to $18.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, February 13th. Finally, Piper Sandler lowered their target price on shares of Leggett & Platt from $21.00 to $18.00 and set an underweight rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, November 1st. Leggett & Platt Trading Up 0.8 % LEG traded up $0.17 during trading on Thursday, reaching $20.76. 56,890 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,460,807. Leggett & Platt, Incorporated has a fifty-two week low of $19.60 and a fifty-two week high of $34.81. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.77 billion, a PE ratio of -20.59 and a beta of 1.23. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26, a quick ratio of 0.84 and a current ratio of 1.49. The companys fifty day moving average price is $23.57 and its 200-day moving average price is $24.65. Leggett & Platt (NYSE:LEG Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 9th. The company reported $0.26 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.27 by ($0.01). Leggett & Platt had a negative net margin of 2.90% and a positive return on equity of 11.99%. The firm had revenue of $1.12 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.11 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.39 EPS. Leggett & Platts quarterly revenue was down 6.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Leggett & Platt, Incorporated will post 1.17 EPS for the current year. Leggett & Platt Announces Dividend The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 15th will be issued a $0.46 dividend. This represents a $1.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 8.86%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 14th. Leggett & Platts dividend payout ratio (DPR) is -184.00%. Leggett & Platt Profile (Free Report) Leggett & Platt, Incorporated designs, manufactures, and markets engineered components and products worldwide. It operates through three segments: Bedding Products; Specialized Products; and Furniture, Flooring & Textile Products. The company offers steel rods, drawn wires, foam chemicals and additives, innersprings, private label finished mattresses, wire forms for mattress foundations, adjustable beds, industrial sewing and quilting machines, and mattress packaging and glue drying equipment, as well as machines to produce innersprings for industrial users of steel rods and wires, manufacturers of finished bedding, big box and e-commerce retailers, bedding brands and mattress retailers, department stores, and home improvement centers. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding LEG? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Leggett & Platt, Incorporated (NYSE:LEG Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Leggett & Platt Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Leggett & Platt and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Fred Alger Management LLC cut its position in shares of Oracle Co. (NYSE:ORCL Free Report) by 42.4% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 435,972 shares of the enterprise software providers stock after selling 321,224 shares during the quarter. Fred Alger Management LLCs holdings in Oracle were worth $46,178,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Ritter Daniher Financial Advisory LLC DE grew its stake in Oracle by 298.4% in the 3rd quarter. Ritter Daniher Financial Advisory LLC DE now owns 243 shares of the enterprise software providers stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 182 shares during the last quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC grew its stake in Oracle by 1,268.0% in the 3rd quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 342 shares of the enterprise software providers stock valued at $36,000 after buying an additional 317 shares during the last quarter. BluePath Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Oracle in the 3rd quarter valued at about $45,000. IMA Wealth Inc. grew its stake in Oracle by 30.5% in the 2nd quarter. IMA Wealth Inc. now owns 428 shares of the enterprise software providers stock valued at $51,000 after buying an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Intrepid Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in Oracle in the 2nd quarter valued at about $51,000. 42.44% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Oracle alerts: Insiders Place Their Bets In other Oracle news, Director Naomi O. Seligman sold 16,300 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Friday, December 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $106.02, for a total value of $1,728,126.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 34,771 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,686,421.42. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 42.80% of the companys stock. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of research analysts recently commented on ORCL shares. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Oracle from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Monday, February 12th. UBS Group decreased their target price on shares of Oracle from $135.00 to $125.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, December 12th. BMO Capital Markets decreased their target price on shares of Oracle from $130.00 to $126.00 and set a market perform rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, December 12th. Edward Jones upgraded shares of Oracle from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Monday, November 13th. Finally, Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on shares of Oracle from $107.00 to $106.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, December 12th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fourteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Oracle presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $127.00. Check Out Our Latest Report on Oracle Oracle Price Performance NYSE:ORCL traded down $0.33 on Thursday, hitting $111.35. The company had a trading volume of 1,461,723 shares, compared to its average volume of 7,508,621. The stock has a market capitalization of $306.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.85, a PEG ratio of 2.13 and a beta of 1.02. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 18.84. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $109.86 and a two-hundred day moving average of $111.12. Oracle Co. has a 52 week low of $82.04 and a 52 week high of $127.54. Oracle (NYSE:ORCL Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Monday, December 11th. The enterprise software provider reported $1.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.33 by $0.01. Oracle had a net margin of 19.64% and a return on equity of 703.26%. The firm had revenue of $12.94 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $13.05 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.21 EPS. The companys revenue was up 5.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts anticipate that Oracle Co. will post 4.44 earnings per share for the current year. Oracle Dividend Announcement The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, January 25th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, January 11th were given a dividend of $0.40 per share. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.44%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, January 10th. Oracles dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 44.20%. Oracle Profile (Free Report) Oracle Corporation offers products and services that address enterprise information technology environments worldwide. Its Oracle cloud software as a service offering include various cloud software applications, including Oracle Fusion cloud enterprise resource planning (ERP), Oracle Fusion cloud enterprise performance management, Oracle Fusion cloud supply chain and manufacturing management, Oracle Fusion cloud human capital management, Oracle Cerner healthcare, Oracle Advertising, and NetSuite applications suite, as well as Oracle Fusion Sales, Service, and Marketing. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ORCL? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Oracle Co. (NYSE:ORCL Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Oracle Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Oracle and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Cape Cod Five Cents Savings Bank acquired a new stake in Dominion Energy, Inc. (NYSE:D Free Report) during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 4,756 shares of the utilities providers stock, valued at approximately $212,000. Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Bank of Nova Scotia increased its stake in shares of Dominion Energy by 14.8% during the 3rd quarter. Bank of Nova Scotia now owns 86,661 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $3,871,000 after purchasing an additional 11,194 shares during the last quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC increased its stake in shares of Dominion Energy by 103.1% during the 3rd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 52,717 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $2,355,000 after purchasing an additional 26,757 shares during the last quarter. Reuter James Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Dominion Energy by 9.0% during the 3rd quarter. Reuter James Wealth Management LLC now owns 18,894 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $844,000 after purchasing an additional 1,554 shares during the last quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina increased its stake in shares of Dominion Energy by 0.5% during the 3rd quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 367,420 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $16,413,000 after purchasing an additional 1,870 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Valley National Advisers Inc. increased its stake in shares of Dominion Energy by 15.1% during the 3rd quarter. Valley National Advisers Inc. now owns 2,862 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $128,000 after purchasing an additional 375 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 70.66% of the companys stock. Get Dominion Energy alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets Several research analysts have recently commented on D shares. StockNews.com lowered shares of Dominion Energy from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research note on Friday, February 23rd. Barclays raised shares of Dominion Energy from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $45.00 to $47.00 in a report on Monday, November 6th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of Dominion Energy from $49.00 to $51.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Friday, December 1st. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $49.64. Dominion Energy Price Performance NYSE:D opened at $47.59 on Thursday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $46.33 and a 200-day moving average of $45.88. The company has a market capitalization of $39.85 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.74, a PEG ratio of 1.97 and a beta of 0.60. Dominion Energy, Inc. has a 52 week low of $39.18 and a 52 week high of $58.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.29, a quick ratio of 1.07 and a current ratio of 1.04. Dominion Energy (NYSE:D Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, February 22nd. The utilities provider reported $0.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.40 by ($0.11). The firm had revenue of $3.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.21 billion. Dominion Energy had a return on equity of 8.83% and a net margin of 12.40%. The companys revenue for the quarter was down 7.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.06 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Dominion Energy, Inc. will post 3.06 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Dominion Energy Dividend Announcement The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, March 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 1st will be given a $0.6675 dividend. This represents a $2.67 annualized dividend and a yield of 5.61%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 29th. Dominion Energys payout ratio is presently 114.59%. Insider Buying and Selling at Dominion Energy In other Dominion Energy news, COO Diane Leopold sold 6,250 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $45.51, for a total value of $284,437.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now owns 88,126 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,010,614.26. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.14% of the companys stock. Dominion Energy Profile (Free Report) Dominion Energy, Inc produces and distributes energy in the United States. It operates through four segments: Dominion Energy Virginia, Gas Distribution, Dominion Energy South Carolina, and Contracted Assets. The Dominion Energy Virginia segment generates, transmits, and distributes regulated electricity to approximately 2.7 million residential, commercial, industrial, and governmental customers in Virginia and North Carolina. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding D? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Dominion Energy, Inc. (NYSE:D Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Dominion Energy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Dominion Energy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Richard Bernstein Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF (NYSEARCA:EWT Free Report) by 12.1% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 467,200 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after purchasing an additional 50,500 shares during the quarter. Richard Bernstein Advisors LLC owned 0.58% of iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF worth $20,814,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Kabouter Management LLC bought a new position in iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF during the second quarter worth $25,000. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC lifted its stake in iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF by 4,235.0% in the third quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 867 shares of the exchange traded funds stock valued at $39,000 after buying an additional 847 shares during the last quarter. WestEnd Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF during the third quarter valued at $42,000. Headlands Technologies LLC bought a new position in shares of iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF during the third quarter worth about $44,000. Finally, Simplex Trading LLC acquired a new stake in shares of iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF in the 3rd quarter worth about $74,000. Get iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF alerts: iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF Trading Up 0.8 % NYSEARCA:EWT traded up $0.36 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $46.22. The stock had a trading volume of 1,606,416 shares, compared to its average volume of 3,431,644. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $45.16 and a 200-day simple moving average of $45.76. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.02 and a beta of 0.86. iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF has a 52 week low of $42.13 and a 52 week high of $50.19. iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF Profile Ishares MSCI Taiwan Index Fund (the Fund) is an exchange-traded fund. The Fund seeks investment results that correspond generally to the price and yield performance, before fees and expenses, of the MSCI Taiwan IndexSM (the Index). The Index consists of stocks traded primarily on the Taiwan Stock Exchange. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding EWT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF (NYSEARCA:EWT Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Sherbrooke Park Advisers LLC lowered its position in shares of Agilent Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:A Free Report) by 7.0% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 8,836 shares of the medical research companys stock after selling 664 shares during the quarter. Sherbrooke Park Advisers LLCs holdings in Agilent Technologies were worth $988,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. BlackRock Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Agilent Technologies by 1.1% in the 2nd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 31,853,176 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $3,830,344,000 after purchasing an additional 349,651 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its position in shares of Agilent Technologies by 1.1% during the 1st quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 24,531,170 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $3,246,209,000 after purchasing an additional 261,435 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its position in shares of Agilent Technologies by 2.0% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 13,214,595 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $1,591,990,000 after purchasing an additional 253,729 shares in the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA grew its position in shares of Agilent Technologies by 0.4% during the 3rd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 11,076,270 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $1,238,549,000 after purchasing an additional 39,030 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC grew its position in shares of Agilent Technologies by 2.8% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 6,378,218 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $765,009,000 after purchasing an additional 174,439 shares in the last quarter. Get Agilent Technologies alerts: Insider Activity In related news, CEO Michael R. Mcmullen sold 2,751 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $130.00, for a total value of $357,630.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 306,206 shares of the companys stock, valued at $39,806,780. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. In other Agilent Technologies news, CEO Michael R. Mcmullen sold 62,467 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $130.00, for a total value of $8,120,710.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 306,206 shares in the company, valued at $39,806,780. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Michael R. Mcmullen sold 2,751 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $130.00, for a total transaction of $357,630.00. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 306,206 shares in the company, valued at approximately $39,806,780. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 95,929 shares of company stock valued at $12,730,599. Agilent Technologies Trading Down 0.2 % Agilent Technologies stock traded down $0.34 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $136.67. The companys stock had a trading volume of 87,229 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,460,665. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a current ratio of 2.61 and a quick ratio of 1.97. The stock has a market cap of $40.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.62, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.03 and a beta of 1.11. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $133.47 and a 200-day moving average price of $122.70. Agilent Technologies, Inc. has a 12 month low of $96.80 and a 12 month high of $145.43. Agilent Technologies (NYSE:A Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 27th. The medical research company reported $1.29 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.22 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $1.66 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.59 billion. Agilent Technologies had a net margin of 18.35% and a return on equity of 27.64%. The companys quarterly revenue was down 5.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.37 earnings per share. As a group, analysts forecast that Agilent Technologies, Inc. will post 5.48 EPS for the current year. Agilent Technologies Dividend Announcement The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 24th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, April 2nd will be paid a dividend of $0.236 per share. This represents a $0.94 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.69%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, April 1st. Agilent Technologiess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 22.38%. Analyst Ratings Changes A has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Agilent Technologies from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 19th. Wolfe Research initiated coverage on shares of Agilent Technologies in a research report on Wednesday, December 13th. They set an outperform rating and a $140.00 price target for the company. Evercore ISI reduced their price target on shares of Agilent Technologies from $135.00 to $132.00 and set an in-line rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of Agilent Technologies from $140.00 to $165.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 20th. Finally, Bank of America lowered shares of Agilent Technologies from a buy rating to a neutral rating and upped their target price for the stock from $130.00 to $133.00 in a research report on Tuesday, December 12th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and ten have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $141.31. Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on Agilent Technologies About Agilent Technologies (Free Report) Agilent Technologies, Inc provides application focused solutions to the life sciences, diagnostics, and applied chemical markets worldwide. The company operates in three segments: Life Sciences and Applied Markets, Diagnostics and Genomics, and Agilent CrossLab. The Life Sciences and Applied Markets segment offers liquid chromatography systems and components; liquid chromatography mass spectrometry systems; gas chromatography systems and components; gas chromatography mass spectrometry systems; inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry instruments; atomic absorption instruments; microwave plasma-atomic emission spectrometry instruments; inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry instruments; raman spectroscopy; cell analysis plate based assays; flow cytometer; real-time cell analyzer; cell imaging systems; microplate reader; laboratory software; information management and analytics; laboratory automation and robotic systems; dissolution testing; and vacuum pumps, and measurement technologies. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding A? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Agilent Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:A Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Agilent Technologies Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Agilent Technologies and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Sherbrooke Park Advisers LLC acquired a new position in shares of ServiceNow, Inc. (NYSE:NOW Free Report) in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 1,657 shares of the information technology services providers stock, valued at approximately $926,000. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of the company. PFG Private Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in ServiceNow during the third quarter valued at approximately $28,000. First Capital Advisors Group LLC. acquired a new position in ServiceNow during the second quarter valued at approximately $29,000. High Net Worth Advisory Group LLC acquired a new position in ServiceNow during the first quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Steward Financial Group LLC boosted its position in ServiceNow by 125.0% during the third quarter. Steward Financial Group LLC now owns 63 shares of the information technology services providers stock valued at $35,000 after purchasing an additional 35 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Princeton Global Asset Management LLC acquired a new position in ServiceNow during the third quarter valued at approximately $35,000. 87.14% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get ServiceNow alerts: ServiceNow Price Performance Shares of NOW stock traded up $8.39 during trading hours on Thursday, reaching $768.18. The companys stock had a trading volume of 100,045 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,217,012. The firms 50 day simple moving average is $744.90 and its 200-day simple moving average is $653.22. The company has a market capitalization of $157.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 90.34, a PEG ratio of 4.89 and a beta of 0.99. ServiceNow, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $405.37 and a fifty-two week high of $815.32. The company has a quick ratio of 1.06, a current ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20. Insider Buying and Selling at ServiceNow ServiceNow ( NYSE:NOW Get Free Report ) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, January 24th. The information technology services provider reported $3.11 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.77 by $0.34. The firm had revenue of $2.44 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.40 billion. ServiceNow had a return on equity of 11.85% and a net margin of 19.30%. The companys revenue was up 25.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.88 EPS. Sell-side analysts forecast that ServiceNow, Inc. will post 6.11 earnings per share for the current year. In other ServiceNow news, insider Paul John Smith sold 1,795 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $781.06, for a total value of $1,402,002.70. Following the sale, the insider now owns 994 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $776,373.64. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, CEO William R. Mcdermott sold 5,030 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $753.08, for a total transaction of $3,787,992.40. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 17,177 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $12,935,655.16. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Paul John Smith sold 1,795 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $781.06, for a total value of $1,402,002.70. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 994 shares in the company, valued at approximately $776,373.64. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 13,164 shares of company stock valued at $9,940,303. 0.24% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In NOW has been the subject of several recent research reports. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on ServiceNow from $840.00 to $850.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, January 25th. BMO Capital Markets upped their price objective on ServiceNow from $630.00 to $850.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday, January 25th. Truist Financial upped their price objective on ServiceNow from $700.00 to $750.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research note on Thursday, January 25th. Citigroup upped their price objective on ServiceNow from $862.00 to $896.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Friday, January 26th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus upped their price objective on ServiceNow from $740.00 to $820.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, January 25th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twenty-four have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $750.93. View Our Latest Analysis on NOW About ServiceNow (Free Report) ServiceNow, Inc provides end to-end intelligent workflow automation platform solutions for digital businesses in the North America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific, and internationally. The company operates the Now platform for end-to-end digital transformation, artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotic process automation, process mining, performance analytics, and collaboration and development tools. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding NOW? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for ServiceNow, Inc. (NYSE:NOW Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for ServiceNow Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for ServiceNow and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Gotham Asset Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Vornado Realty Trust (NYSE:VNO Free Report) by 16.8% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 321,993 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock after purchasing an additional 46,316 shares during the quarter. Gotham Asset Management LLC owned 0.17% of Vornado Realty Trust worth $7,303,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in VNO. CWM LLC boosted its position in shares of Vornado Realty Trust by 90.3% during the 2nd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 12,249 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $222,000 after acquiring an additional 5,814 shares in the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC boosted its position in Vornado Realty Trust by 50.9% in the third quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 215,608 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $4,890,000 after buying an additional 72,750 shares in the last quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP acquired a new position in Vornado Realty Trust in the third quarter valued at about $1,158,000. Landscape Capital Management L.L.C. acquired a new position in Vornado Realty Trust in the third quarter valued at about $758,000. Finally, Rheos Capital Works Inc. acquired a new position in Vornado Realty Trust in the third quarter valued at about $4,649,000. Institutional investors own 75.86% of the companys stock. Get Vornado Realty Trust alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on VNO shares. TheStreet upgraded shares of Vornado Realty Trust from a d+ rating to a c- rating in a research report on Thursday, December 28th. Citigroup increased their price target on shares of Vornado Realty Trust from $12.00 to $18.00 and gave the company a sell rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 28th. BMO Capital Markets upgraded shares of Vornado Realty Trust from an underperform rating to a market perform rating and lifted their target price for the stock from $25.00 to $31.00 in a research report on Friday, December 15th. Truist Financial raised their price target on shares of Vornado Realty Trust from $27.00 to $30.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a report on Wednesday, December 20th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price target on shares of Vornado Realty Trust from $24.00 to $21.00 and set a sell rating for the company in a report on Thursday, February 22nd. Six analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and five have given a hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Reduce and an average price target of $23.67. Vornado Realty Trust Stock Up 4.3 % VNO stock traded up $1.08 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $26.09. 492,757 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,379,760. The company has a market cap of $4.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 114.22 and a beta of 1.58. The firms fifty day moving average price is $27.15 and its 200-day moving average price is $24.59. The company has a quick ratio of 4.95, a current ratio of 4.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.82. Vornado Realty Trust has a 52 week low of $12.31 and a 52 week high of $32.21. Vornado Realty Trust (NYSE:VNO Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 12th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.59 by ($0.55). The firm had revenue of $441.89 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $453.82 million. Vornado Realty Trust had a return on equity of 3.22% and a net margin of 5.82%. Vornado Realty Trusts revenue was down 1.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.72 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Vornado Realty Trust will post 2.34 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. Vornado Realty Trust Cuts Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 27th. Investors of record on Friday, December 15th were issued a $0.30 dividend. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.60%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, December 14th. Vornado Realty Trusts dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 521.74%. Insider Buying and Selling In related news, Director Russell B. Wight, Jr. sold 20,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $28.04, for a total value of $560,800.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 2,380,174 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $66,740,078.96. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In related news, Director Michael D. Fascitelli sold 262,945 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $29.54, for a total value of $7,767,395.30. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 1,306,546 shares in the company, valued at approximately $38,595,368.84. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Russell B. Wight, Jr. sold 20,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $28.04, for a total transaction of $560,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 2,380,174 shares in the company, valued at $66,740,078.96. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 8.03% of the stock is owned by insiders. Vornado Realty Trust Profile (Free Report) Vornado is a fully integrated real estate investment trust (REIT) with a portfolio of premier New York City office and retail assets and the developer of the new PENN DISTRICT. While concentrated in New York, Vornado also owns the premier assets in both Chicago and San Francisco. Vornado is a real estate industry leader in sustainability, with over 27 million square feet of LEED-certified buildings and over 23 million square feet at LEED Gold or Platinum. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding VNO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Vornado Realty Trust (NYSE:VNO Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Vornado Realty Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Vornado Realty Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Caxton Associates LP bought a new position in Mohawk Industries, Inc. (NYSE:MHK Free Report) in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 13,636 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,170,000. Several other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Victory Capital Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of Mohawk Industries by 6.9% in the second quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 8,791 shares of the companys stock valued at $907,000 after acquiring an additional 570 shares during the period. Renaissance Technologies LLC lifted its position in Mohawk Industries by 132.1% during the second quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 335,800 shares of the companys stock valued at $34,641,000 after purchasing an additional 191,100 shares during the last quarter. Rafferty Asset Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Mohawk Industries by 35.4% during the third quarter. Rafferty Asset Management LLC now owns 21,209 shares of the companys stock worth $1,820,000 after acquiring an additional 5,547 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. raised its stake in shares of Mohawk Industries by 2.6% during the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 510,036 shares of the companys stock worth $43,766,000 after acquiring an additional 12,989 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Heartland Advisors Inc. raised its stake in shares of Mohawk Industries by 33.4% during the third quarter. Heartland Advisors Inc. now owns 313,437 shares of the companys stock worth $26,896,000 after acquiring an additional 78,508 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 77.04% of the companys stock. Get Mohawk Industries alerts: Insider Activity at Mohawk Industries In related news, insider Suzanne L. Helen sold 5,500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $94.09, for a total transaction of $517,495.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 8,953 shares in the company, valued at $842,387.77. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 17.20% of the stock is owned by company insiders. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of research analysts have issued reports on MHK shares. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price objective on shares of Mohawk Industries from $105.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, January 11th. Truist Financial upped their target price on shares of Mohawk Industries from $98.00 to $127.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 13th. Barclays upped their target price on shares of Mohawk Industries from $100.00 to $122.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research note on Monday, February 12th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their target price 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. Finally, StockNews.com raised shares of Mohawk Industries from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Saturday, February 17th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and five have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Mohawk Industries currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $116.10. Check Out Our Latest Report on Mohawk Industries Mohawk Industries Stock Up 1.1 % MHK traded up $1.30 on Thursday, hitting $117.41. The company had a trading volume of 45,487 shares, compared to its average volume of 786,643. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $106.65 and a 200-day moving average price of $95.25. Mohawk Industries, Inc. has a 12-month low of $76.02 and a 12-month high of $118.36. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $7.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -17.06 and a beta of 1.31. Mohawk Industries (NYSE:MHK Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Friday, February 9th. The company reported $1.96 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 business had revenue of $2.61 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.56 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.32 earnings per share. The companys quarterly revenue was down 1.4% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts predict that Mohawk Industries, Inc. will post 9.71 EPS for the current fiscal year. Mohawk Industries Company Profile (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). Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MHK? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Mohawk Industries, Inc. (NYSE:MHK Free Report). 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. Chinese Vice President Han Zheng meets with Rodolphe Saade, chairman and CEO of CMA CGM Group, in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 29, 2024. (Xinhua/Shen Hong) BEIJING, Feb. 29 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice President Han Zheng met with Rodolphe Saade, chairman and CEO of CMA CGM Group, on Thursday in Beijing. Han said that the Chinese and French economies are highly complementary, and that cooperation between CMA CGM and Chinese shipping companies has achieved mutual benefits. China is committed to opening up to a high level and building a market-oriented, law-based and internationalized business environment, Han said, adding that China welcomes multinational companies, including CMA CGM, to deepen their cooperation with China and achieve better development in the country. Speaking highly of China's economic and social development achievements, Saade said that CMA CGM attaches great importance to cooperation with China. Saade said CMA CGM will adhere to its long-term development strategy in China, continue to pursue greater success in the Chinese market, and push for more achievements of mutually-beneficial cooperation between France and China. CWA Asset Management Group LLC lifted its stake in Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY Free Report) by 3.6% in the 3rd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The firm owned 8,107 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock after acquiring an additional 283 shares during the period. CWA Asset Management Group LLCs holdings in Bristol-Myers Squibb were worth $471,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. OFI Invest Asset Management bought a new position in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in the third quarter worth about $25,000. True Wealth Design LLC bought a new stake in Bristol-Myers Squibb during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Milestone Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Bristol-Myers Squibb during the third quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Coppell Advisory Solutions LLC bought a new position in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb in the second quarter worth approximately $28,000. Finally, Blue Bell Private Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb by 61.5% in the third quarter. Blue Bell Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 525 shares of the biopharmaceutical companys stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 200 shares during the period. 74.98% of the stock is owned by institutional investors. Get Bristol-Myers Squibb alerts: Insider Buying and Selling In other news, CEO Christopher S. Boerner acquired 2,000 shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 5th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $49.78 per share, with a total value of $99,560.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 82,672 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,115,412.16. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 0.09% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Daiwa Capital Markets downgraded shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb from an outperform rating to a neutral rating and dropped their target price for the stock from $68.00 to $54.00 in a report on Thursday, November 2nd. Cantor Fitzgerald lowered Bristol-Myers Squibb from an overweight rating to a neutral rating and dropped their price objective for the stock from $68.00 to $55.00 in a research note on Wednesday, November 15th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft initiated coverage on Bristol-Myers Squibb in a research note on Thursday, November 9th. They set a hold rating and a $55.00 target price on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on Bristol-Myers Squibb from $58.00 to $51.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 6th. Finally, Bank of America cut shares of Bristol-Myers Squibb from a buy rating to a neutral rating and reduced their price objective for the company from $68.00 to $60.00 in a research report on Wednesday, January 3rd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, fifteen have issued a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $61.17. Get Our Latest Report on Bristol-Myers Squibb Bristol-Myers Squibb Trading Up 0.2 % BMY opened at $51.00 on Thursday. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $50.35 and a 200 day moving average of $53.71. The company has a current ratio of 1.43, a quick ratio of 1.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.24. Bristol-Myers Squibb has a 12 month low of $47.58 and a 12 month high of $71.07. The firm has a market cap of $103.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.19, a P/E/G ratio of 1.53 and a beta of 0.38. Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Friday, February 2nd. The biopharmaceutical company reported $1.70 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.55 by $0.15. Bristol-Myers Squibb had a return on equity of 50.95% and a net margin of 17.83%. The firm had revenue of $11.48 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $11.19 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.82 EPS. The companys quarterly revenue was up .6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts forecast that Bristol-Myers Squibb will post 6.61 EPS for the current year. Bristol-Myers Squibb announced that its board has authorized a share repurchase program on Thursday, December 7th that allows the company to repurchase $3.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the biopharmaceutical company to buy up to 2.9% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are typically an indication that the companys leadership believes its stock is undervalued. Bristol-Myers Squibb Increases Dividend The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, January 5th were issued a $0.60 dividend. This represents a $2.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.71%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, January 4th. This is a positive change from Bristol-Myers Squibbs previous quarterly dividend of $0.57. Bristol-Myers Squibbs dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 62.18%. About Bristol-Myers Squibb (Free Report) Bristol-Myers Squibb Company discovers, develops, licenses, manufactures, markets, distributes, and sells biopharmaceutical products worldwide. It offers products for hematology, oncology, cardiovascular, immunology, fibrotic, and neuroscience diseases. The company's products include Eliquis for reduction in risk of stroke/systemic embolism in non-valvular atrial fibrillation, and for the treatment of DVT/PE; Opdivo for various anti-cancer indications, including bladder, blood, CRC, head and neck, RCC, HCC, lung, melanoma, MPM, stomach and esophageal cancer; Pomalyst/Imnovid for multiple myeloma; Orencia for active rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic arthritis; and Sprycel for the treatment of Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding BMY? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Bristol-Myers Squibb Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Bristol-Myers Squibb and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. KIGALI, Feb. 29 (Xinhua) -- Rwandan lawmakers on Wednesday approved a treaty with the United Kingdom signed last December that would enable London to send asylum seekers to Rwanda. At least 68 out of 70 lawmakers who attended the House plenary session voted in favor of the agreement, which was signed by British Home Secretary James Cleverly and Rwandan Foreign Minister Vincent Biruta in Kigali, the Rwandan capital. Under the agreement, Rwanda will establish a special court to address cases and legal matters concerning refugees and asylum seekers, Rwandan Minister of Justice Emmanuel Ugirashebuja told the lawmakers. A standard operating procedure will be followed to protect the migrants against refoulement, and an independent committee will be set up to audit the implementation of the agreement, he said. "Refoulement" means being sent back to one's country of origin where there is a risk of persecution. In addition, Ugirashebuja said there will be an appeal tribunal headed by a Rwandan judge working together with another from a Commonwealth country, where migrants can reach in case of perceived unfair treatment. In April 2022, London and Kigali signed a deal to facilitate the dispatch of some migrants who arrive in the UK across the English Channel to Rwanda, where their asylum claims would be processed. That deal, formally called the Rwanda-UK Migration and Economic Development Partnership initiative, was blocked by Britain's Supreme Court last November. The contentious plan still faces delays after Britain's House of Lords voted this month to delay ratification. Britain offered an upfront investment of 120 million pounds (about 149.5 million U.S. dollars) to facilitate the implementation of the five-year agreement. A press conference on a master plan for the Shanghai Eastern Hub International Business Cooperation Zone is held by the State Council Information Office in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 29, 2024. (Xinhua/Pan Xu) BEIJING, Feb. 29 (Xinhua) -- China has published a master plan for a new business cooperation zone in Shanghai to promote international business exchanges. According to the General Administration of Customs (GAC), the Shanghai Eastern Hub International Business Cooperation Zone, an 880,000-square-meter area neighboring Shanghai Pudong International Airport, allows foreign visitors on invitation who enter from the airport to stay within 30 days upon arrival without the verification of their visa. In addition, their personal belongings will get access to an expedited security check. The favorable measures providing convenience for business meetings and negotiations aim to better satisfy the needs of short-term international business activities. The construction of the new zone's pilot area will be completed in 2025, and the entire zone will start operation under closed management in 2028 and be fully established by 2030. Sun Yuning, deputy head of the GAC, told a press conference Thursday that the new zone will improve the Shanghai pilot free trade zone, help the city better play its pioneering role in reform and opening up, as well as innovation, and promote the country's opening up strategy. As a major window for foreign exchanges in China, Shanghai is home to more than 75,000 foreign-funded enterprises, with 956 headquarters and 561 research and development centers. AMMAN, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Jordan's tourism sector is planning a trip to China to woo Chinese tourists, said Jordanian Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Makram Queisi on Wednesday. At a joint press conference with Secretary-General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Zurab Pololikashvili at the archaeological site of Amman Citadel in the country's capital, Queisi said China is one of the major and promising markets in the world, and Jordan welcomes Chinese tourists. "Our visit will not be limited to one region in China. We will visit several provinces in China. I will also tell Chinese tourists that Jordan is safe, stable, and strong, and it welcomes them with open arms," Queisi said. "We open our hearts and open our homes to visitors from China, and this is a message I will carry with me when I visit this friendly and important country," the minister added. Echoing Queisi's words, Pololikashvili said China is an important partner of the UNWTO, calling on Jordan to enhance the Jordanian-Chinese partnership in the tourism field. "China is a very active member of our organization and is the most important market worldwide. To collaborate and work to have more presence and more tourists from China, we can make it happen," he said. As a main engine of Jordan's economy, the tourism sector contributed 15.6 percent to the country's GDP last year, according to Queisi. The CRAFT Maker Space at Mary Immaculate College (MIC) has secured 193,532 as one of 38 projects in the SFI Discover Programme, which aims to create greater public awareness of the impact of STEM on society and everyday life, generate opportunities for dialogue and encouraging diversity in STEM-related disciplines. Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Simon Harris TD, and Minister for Education, Norma Foley TD, announced the 5 million investment on 28 February. This project will embed and grow the CRAFT (Creative Arts/Future Technologies) Maker Space engagement centrebased on the John Henry New Campus at MIC Limerickto be a leading hub in the mid-west for STEM and STEAM educational activities, workshops, collaborations and research. The ultimate aim of the initiative is to demystify STEAM and to catalyse engagement with STEAM for children, teachers, preservice teachers, early childhood carers, families, youths, adults and the general public. Dr Eleanor Walsh, Acting Director of Enterprise & Community Engagement at MIC, said: Todays announcement of funding by SFI and the Department of Education will allow us to realise our ambitious plans for even greater engagement with schools, teachers, children, families and the wider public to demystify STEM and build related competencies and skills through fun, informed and accessible, integrated STE(A)M activities and workshops. Along with SFI and DE, MIC wants to promote an awareness and understanding of the value of STE(A)M to society and for the future economy of Ireland, so we are thrilled to be working in partnership with them towards that common goal, and putting Limerick in the centre of that work. Professor Eugene Wall, President of MIC, commented: Congratulations to all at CRAFT on its funding award as part of the SFI Discover Programme. A key goal of MICs current Strategic Plan was to establish a dynamic interactive public maker space for STEM education and creative arts in the form of CRAFT. The project was further enhanced with the addition of state-of-the-art facilities at Newman Hall on the MIC Limerick Campus. As well as its on-campus workshops and events, its outreach work extends into classrooms, after-school settings and public spaces across the mid-west. MIC strives to be at the forefront of advances in school curricula, and the value of the skills and innovative thinking required to excel in STEM disciplines cannot be underestimated. We are looking forward to seeing CRAFT develop and grow over the coming years. Typical onsite activities at CRAFT include hands-on workshops (created with educational and industry experts) on diverse topics like construction challenges, coding, electrical circuitry, robotics, Lego, 3D printing, laser cutting and design thinking projects amongst others. It supports national themed weeks such as the upcoming Engineers Week (2-8 March). Off-site activities will be in schools, afterschool clubs, theatres, libraries and public venues, and some through mail and online. CPD workshops for teachers will also take place. CRAFT is one the projects co-funded by the Department of Education and in relation to these, Minister Foley said that STEM subjects encourage learners innate curiosity about how the world works, and Im confident that support of these 38 initiatives will inspire the students involved to continue their studies in this area. Welcoming the announcement, Dr Ruth Freeman, Director, Science for Society, Science Foundation Ireland, emphasized: This programme is a key part of our education and public engagement strategy. Increasing engagement among less represented voices in STEM is vital to providing the diverse talent needed to take on societal challenges and to shape our future in Ireland. SFI are passionate about removing barriers to participation in STEM and providing learners with opportunities to engage. For more information on CRAFT Maker Space and its activities, see: stemcraft.mic.ul.ie Gardai have yet to find evidence of a national conspiracy around a spate of arson attacks across the country, the commissioner has said. There have been more than 20 fires at properties associated, sometimes incorrectly, with accommodating asylum seekers in 2023 and 2024. Speaking to the Policing Authority on Thursday, Commissioner Drew Harris said that while the individual attacks are localised incidents subject to serious local investigations, gardai have also implemented a national response. He said all the organisations investigative tools are utilised when examining arson attacks, adding that gardai have recently gone back over past incidents to probe for possible links. Mr Harris said the Special Detective Unit (SDU) has a national investigation which is seeking to draw on any threads on commonality on individuals involved or modus operandi. Asked about a perception that there may be an organised national effort behind the arson attacks, Mr Harris said: Its the job of the SDU to find those links if they exist. We have an open mind, we follow the evidence, were informed by the intelligence picture. At this moment of time, weve not seen this, in effect, overall conspiracy. A conspiracy has to be more than four or five fire emojis on an X post. Theres lots of posts which are very concerning in terms of their content but dont breach the criminal threshold in terms of what is said. What we want to be sure of is there a criminal conspiracy and can we find it from the information that we know? Mr Harris said that it was an active consideration in the minds of gardai when investigating these incidents. However, he noted it had not yet been found to be the case. In the absence of a national conspiracy, the Commissioner said gardai were also examining the possibility of regional coordination on arson attacks. Angela Willis, assistant commissioner for the Dublin Metropolitan Region, said four files were with the Director of Public Prosecution in relation to arson attacks. She said this included an individual identified in relation to the burning of building which had been incorrectly identified as being an accommodation centre. Ms Willis said online disinformation presents a challenge to gardai in the Dublin metropoliton region. Weve had a premises burned where there was a suggestion online that it was linked to accommodation for a particular group of people. That was not the case. The premises was burned. Ms Willis said arson is a very serious offence which presents a huge risk to life, even when a building appears empty. There may be people inside there and where a fire is set, there is an immediate risk to life. Paul Cleary, Assistant Commissioner for the Eastern Region, said there were also false online reports about male accommodation centre occupants assaulting a child. It resulted in a fairly large protest on that particular centre due to the misinformation circulating online. He said gardai were liaising with social media platforms to investigate these incidents. Ms Willis added: We have come together as recently as this week with all the senior investigating officers in the Dublin region to see if there are any commonalities between the different incidents within the city and also across the country. We are satisfied these are all localised incidents so far. She said gardai are continuing to investigate incidents and hope to make further arrests. On a related matter, Mr Harris said abuse of politicians which crosses a criminal threshold is also subject to a national investigation under the SDU. NAIROBI, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Colombia will host the 16th Conference of Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 16) from Oct. 21 to Nov. 1, the Latin American country's Minister of Environment Susana Muhamad announced Wednesday on the sidelines of the sixth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-6) underway in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital. "This is an opportunity for Colombia's indigenous communities to showcase a paradigm shift in the way the conservation of biodiversity should be undertaken globally," Muhamad said. The launch of the logo of a fresh flower took place during the official announcement of Colombia's hosting of the UN biodiversity summit. Muhamad said that COP 16 will be a mixture of cultural and environmental biodiversity from Latin American countries. David Cooper, acting executive secretary of the Secretariat of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, said that delegates will share experiences, find solutions, and inspire partnerships toward tackling global biodiversity loss. He noted COP 16 would allow local and indigenous communities to share their experiences and strengthen their links with biodiversity. According to Cooper, indigenous communities in 13 ecoregions of Colombia and neighboring countries will share their knowledge of rare endemic species with the delegates. The COP 16 will accelerate action and show progress towards turning the four goals and 23 targets of the biodiversity plan into nationally driven action. He said that the delegates are expected to demonstrate the alignment of their National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans with the Biodiversity Plan. Cooper revealed that the fourth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Implementation, which will take place in Nairobi from May 21-29, will provide an opportunity to review progress five months before COP 16 gets underway in Cali, Colombia. According to Cooper, COP 16 will be the first biodiversity summit since the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework at COP 15 held in December 2022 in Montreal, Canada. During COP 16, governments will review the state of implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, develop the monitoring framework, and advance resource mobilization for the Global Biodiversity Framework. In addition, the summit will finalize and operationalize the multilateral mechanism for the fair and equitable sharing of benefits from the use of digital sequence information on genetic resources. BEIJING, Feb. 29 (Xinhua) -- "Great! It looks exactly the same as my own eye. Now, I have no regrets," exclaimed Champa Yudron, who lost her left eye decades ago, as she tried on her new ocular prosthesis. Standing beside her, Xintong, a 27-year-old ocularist, shares the joy with this elderly lady who traveled more than 3,000 kilometers from Nyingchi in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region to Beijing. However, without closer observation, one might easily overlook the fact that the young girl who presented Champa Yudron with the new "eye" is herself a one-eyed person who also relies on artificial eyes. An ocular prosthesis, commonly known as artificial eyes, offers a cosmetic improvement for those who have lost their eyes by using an artificial substitute. Xintong lost her right eye in a car accident in 2013. After losing an eye, Xintong described her life as plunging into a world of "2.5 dimensions," experiencing a narrower range of vision. Due to the deterioration of her spatial awareness and three-dimensionality, she mentioned that simple tasks like pouring water into a cup became challenging, watching 3D movies was no longer possible, crossing the street required a 180-degree head turn, and walking too quickly often resulted in collisions with walls. "I didn't know what to do next," Xintong said, mentioning that she had transformed from being cheerful to consistently feeling melancholic. To get back to normalcy, she purchased her first ocular prosthesis. However, those mass-produced prostheses were not a good match for her eye. "I found them strange and not attractive," she said. From then on, the ambition to study and produce prosthetic eyes took root deep within her heart. "At that time, I had a strong conviction to master this craft and assist others like me," she said. She even gave herself a new name -- "Xintong," which is phonetically similar to the Chinese word for "new eyes." The process of creating a customized prosthetic eye involves multiple steps, including modeling, shaping the wax mold, attaching the iris, grinding, and polishing, among others. Most of these steps require meticulous handwork. "A lifelike prosthetic eye is a result of the pursuit of details," Xintong said. Even a slight difference in a few strokes can lead to inaccurate positioning of the iris or color deviation, according to Xintong. Having only monocular vision, Xintong often damaged materials in the grinding process and encountered difficulties in detaching the fine, fluffy wool used to mimic the red blood filaments of the eyeball. To improve her skill, Xintong diligently crafted numerous pieces of the prosthetic eye and voluntarily tried them on herself until she found her stride. "I want to lend a helping hand to those who are in the same predicament as I once was," Xintong said. Li Hui, who lives in the city of Baoding, in north China's Hebei Province, found Xintong's studio online and customized an ocular prosthesis there about half a year ago. As a fellow monocular individual, Xintong is better equipped to understand the needs of this group, Li said, adding that his friends commended a lot on his customized artificial eye from Xintong's studio. Since the studio's establishment, Xintong has customized ocular prostheses for nearly 200 customers from across the country, including Xinjiang, Xizang, Gansu, Heilongjiang, and other regions in China. The customers' age ranges from two to 82 years old. She has also initiated a charitable effort to provide free ocular prostheses to children in impoverished mountainous regions and military personnel who got injured while on duty. Being an ocularist has brought Xintong immense fulfillment. "There are those who were once camera-shy but now become enthusiastic about taking selfies with their new prosthetic eyes, and others have found the courage to confess their love after wearing their new prosthetic eyes," she said. A college student surnamed Qu visited Xintong's studio last summer to customize his prosthetic eye. "The positive energy emanating from Xintong gives me more confidence to enter society after graduation," Qu said. In her spare time, Xintong dedicates a significant amount of her effort to promoting awareness about prosthetic eyes and the scientific care of eyes through the internet. She also talks to ocularists from around the world about making prosthetic eyes, engaging in topics such as introducing 3D printing for iris production. This year, she plans to open another studio in Shanghai to expand the scale of prosthetic eye production and serve a wider clientele. "Perhaps it is my destiny to give people like me the chance to see the world with beautiful new 'eyes,'" she said. Enditem (Zhang Yiting also contributed to the story.) Chinese premier meets U.S. Chamber of Commerce delegation Xinhua) 08:07, February 29, 2024 Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with a U.S. Chamber of Commerce delegation led by the chamber's President and CEO Suzanne Clark at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 28, 2024. (Xinhua/Liu Weibing) BEIJING, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Wednesday met with a U.S. Chamber of Commerce delegation led by the chamber's President and CEO Suzanne Clark at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Noting that this year marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and the United States, Li said that the past 45 years have proved repeatedly that China and the United States benefit from cooperation and lose in confrontation. Cooperation is the only correct choice, he said. Based on the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, China is ready to work with the United States to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state to promote the sound and steady development of bilateral relations, he said. Li noted that the Chinese and U.S. economies are highly complementary, and their interests are deeply integrated. Both sides benefit from each other's development, and strengthening economic and trade cooperation is beneficial to both countries. The two sides should be partners rather than rivals, he said, noting that engaging in "decoupling" or "small yard, high fence" strategies is not in the fundamental interests of either side and will only bring huge losses to enterprises in the two countries, to the economy, and even to global development. Li said that China is pursuing Chinese modernization through high-quality development and will continue to unleash huge demand in advanced manufacturing, new-type urbanization, the upgrading of the consumption structure, and green and low-carbon transformations. He noted that U.S. companies are welcome to continue investing in China and deepening their presence in the Chinese market to share the development opportunities. He said that China will open its door even wider to the outside world, continue to foster a market-oriented, law-based and internationalized business environment, and provide more support and convenience for U.S. companies and foreign firms from other countries to invest and do business in China. It is hoped that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and its entrepreneurs will continue to serve as a bridge in promoting increased communication and mutual understanding between the two countries, Li said. For her part, Clark said the U.S.-China relationship is extremely important. A decoupling between the United States and China is not a viable option, and China's further opening-up is welcome, she said. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is willing to act as a bridge, conduct candid and constructive communication and exchanges with the Chinese side, make efforts to deepen U.S.-China economic and trade relations and mutually beneficial cooperation, and promote the steady development of U.S.-China relations, she said. (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) HOUSTON, Feb. 29 (Xinhua) -- At least one person has died in fast-spreading wildfires in the Texas Panhandle that forced evacuations in more towns, knocked out power to thousands of customers and shut down a nuclear weapons plant, local media reported on Wednesday. Fueled by high winds and dry air since Monday afternoon, the largest fire, known as Smokehouse Creek Wildfire, has burned through more than 850,000 acres as of Wednesday evening with only 3 percent contained. It now ranks as the second largest in Texas history. The blaze in Moore County scorched an estimated 142,000 acres, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service on Wednesday night. These wildfires are "quicker than anybody can get around," said a spokesperson for the service. Texas Governor Greg Abbott on Tuesday issued a disaster declaration for 60 counties and said more counties could be added. An official with the city of Borger confirmed a death linked to the wildfire on Wednesday without providing additional details, local media reported. In the town of Canadian, at least 30 homes were reportedly burned to the ground. Pantex Plant, a major nuclear weapons facility in the United States, suspended its operation Tuesday night due to the raging wildfires. The plant, located 21 miles (33.8 km) east of Texas Panhandle's largest city Amarillo, assembles and disassembles the country's nuclear arsenal. Rain could arrive in the Texas Panhandle later this week, according to local media reports. Google already makes the operating system that powers a lot of smartphones. For some of us, it even makes the phone we use. And if you sign up for Google Fi Wireless, your phone's coverage can also come courtesy of the tech giant. Known as Project Fi when it launched in 2015, Google touted its service as an alternate wireless carrier for select Google devices by using a blend of Wi-Fi and other carrier networks to keep you covered. Initial subscribers were drawn to its pay-only-for-what-you-use approach, too, though Google has expanded its offerings to include unlimited data options as well. Even iPhones work with the service these days (though only select phones are optimized for Google Fi). A lot has changed since the early days of Project Fi, including the name it's officially Google Fi Wireless these days. But a lot of what made Google's wireless service appealing many years ago remains in place today. Here's what you need to know about Google Fi Wireless, if you're considering switching to one of the best phone carriers. Be sure to check out our Google Fi review for more on this wireless carrier. What phones can you use with Google Fi? (Image credit: Tom's Guide) If you haven't looked at Google Fi in a long time, you might think that the service is limited to Google's phones. It's true that Pixel owners will find the wireless service, especially appealing, but now you can bring any device to Google Fi. That includes iPhones, too. Google Fi even has a compatibility checker where you can see if you're able to bring your device to the carrier. But Google Fi is still best experienced if you're using either Google's own phones or devices from other phone makes sold through Fi. That's because those devices are able to switch between carriers when Google determines there's a stronger signal in your location. That switching occurs both in the U.S. and when you're using your Fi-connected phone overseas. What's more, Pixel phones that are running Android 12 and later are able to turn on Google Fi's VPN and use something called the W+ network. According to Google, W+ uses secure Wi-Fi networks to improve connectivity in areas where network traffic would otherwise be congested. In other words, a Pixel device is your ticket to optimized service through Google Fi. Current Pixel models available through Google Fi's store include the Pixel 8, Pixel 8 Pro, Pixel 7a and Pixel Fold. Pixel 7 models remain available at a reduced cost, since those phones came out in 2022. If you prefer devices from other Android phone makers, the last two generations of Samsung Galaxy S flagships and Galaxy Z foldables are sold through Google Fi. The carrier also sells the low cost Galaxy A14 and Galaxy A15, as well as the midrange Galaxy A54. Several Motorola phones ranging from $199 to $999 are available as well. What network does Google Fi use? As with other mobile virtual network operators, or MVNOs, Google Fi relies on another carriers network to provide cellular coverage. For much of Google Fi's existence, that meant a trio of carriers T-Mobile, Sprint and US Cellular. T-Mobile bought Sprint, and started absorbing its network in 2020. As for US Cellular, it parted ways with Google Fi in 2023, leaving T-Mobile as the last partner standing. (Google Fi does tap other carriers as part of its extended network for optimized phones, as noted above.) That's not necessarily a bad thing, as T-Mobile offers a top-performing network. RootMetrics says T-Mobile ended 2023 with the fastest 5G coverage, and certainly T-Mobile has the most extensive 5G network of the major carriers. Another third-party testing firm is even more bullish on T-Mobile's network performance, giving it top marks in overall experience among U.S. carriers in a January 2024 report. It's also worth pointing out that Google claims Google Fi customers are "not subject to data traffic deprioritization," which is when a parent carrier slows down traffic from MVNOs on its network if things are getting too congested. All that said, if you live in an area with poor T-Mobile coverage, your Google Fi experience isn't likely to be any better, so keep that in mind when considering a carrier switch. What are the best Google Fi plans? (Image credit: Google) Google Fi keeps plans simple. The original Flexible option remains, providing unlimited talk and text (including international texting) for $20 a month. So what about data? Under the Flexible option, you pay $10 per GB consumed over cellular networks. Lets say you expect to use 3GB per month. That would tack on another $30 to your bill, meaning you can expect to pay a total of $50 each month. (That doesn't include taxes or fees, which aren't baked into Google Fi's rates the way they are at other carriers, such as T-Mobile and Visible.) Given Google Fis use of Wi-Fi when available, you presumably would use less LTE data than you might with a traditional carrier though that mostly depends on where you use your phone. At first glance, that doesnt compare particularly well to other low-cost carriers. Metro by T-Mobile, which also uses T-Mobile's network, has a 10GB for $40/month. That same $40 would buy you just 2GB of data from Project Fi. Google Fi does offer Bill Protection to Flexible plan users so that costs don't spiral out of control should you use a lot of data in a given month. Google stops charging $10/GB if a single line uses 6GB of data, capping your total bill at $80. (That's $60 for the data and $20 for the talk and text.) Your speeds will be slower after you go over that 6GB limit. Bill Protection levels increase if you have more than one line on your Google Fi Flexible plan. A two-person line will see their bill capped at 10GB of use that's a total of $135/month once you figure in the talk/text cost for two lines plus the $100 worth of data usage. Adding an extra line of data costs $15 for each line, incidentally, if you're looking for the best family cell phone plans. (Image credit: Google) There's another element to the Flexible plan you only pay for the data you use. In an example Google offers, if you use 1.4GB in a given month, you're only charged for $14 instead of the carrier rounding up to the next full gigabit. Still, it would be hard to consider Google Fi's Flexible option one of the best cheap cell phone plans if not for the travel benefits. Specifically, you're able to use your data and texts at no additional cost in 200-plus countries. (Overseas phone calls do cost extra.) We'll talk more about the travel benefits when discussing Google Fi's special features. Overseas travel is also included in Google Fi's Unlimited Plus plan, which costs $65/month for a single line of unlimited data. Adding a second Unlimited Plus line lowers the cost to $55 per line for a total of $110 monthly. There are additional discounts as you add more lines. Data isn't truly unlimited with Unlimited Plus. Your speeds can be slowed if you use more than 50GB in a given month, though that is a very generous chunk of data. For that reason and for the travel benefits mentioned above Unlimited Plus is one of the best unlimited data plans, particularly if you're a globetrotter. There is a cheaper option for unlimited data at Google Fi. Simply Unlimited starts at $50/month for a single line of data, with per-line discounts as you add additional lines. But a lot of the perks of Unlimited Plus get stripped away, chiefly the ability to use data at no extra cost when traveling overseas. What special features does Google Fi offer? Google Fi customers are able to use their phones as a wireless hotspot for no additional cost, though any data they use comes out of their monthly allotment. Simply Unlimited plans only get 5GB of hotspot data, while hotspot data is truly unlimited for Unlimited Plus. Google Fis real special feature should appeal to travelers looking for the best international phone plan: Youre able to draw from your regular pool of data in 200-plus countries, without having to pay any roaming fees. To put that in context, T-Mobile's Go5G Plus plan lets you use your data in 215-plus countries at no extra cost, but only the first 5GB is high-speed Go5G Plus also costs $90/month for a single line of data. Opt for the $75/month Go5G plan, and you only get high-speed data in high-speed data in 11 European countries, with data slowed to 2G speeds everywhere else. The best perks come with the Unlimited Plus plan, which also includes 100GB of Google One storage and a year's subscription to YouTube Premium. What do customers say about Google Fi? Reviews of Google Fi posted by the services users in the Google Fi app are a love-fest for Googles wireless service. Fi gets an average rating of 4.5 out of 5, with the majority of customers posting 5-star reviews. The most common complaints involve customer service, with more recent negative reviews also taking issue with performance. We've reviewed Google Fi, testing it on both optimized phones and regular handsets, and we think it delivers an unparalleled customer experience, even if other carriers offer cheaper plans and you get the most out of Google's service with an optimized device. Google Fi outlook There are some clear advantages to Google Fi, from the simple plan structure to the performance boost for Pixel devices. Bill Protection makes Google's service even more appealing for putting a cap on your costs. If you prefer Googles Pixel phones, the service is a no-brainer, and international travelers will love the convenience of using their regular data plan to stay connected on the go. Since Google Fi has been expanded to work with phones beyond Google-approved ones, more users can give this service a try, though you're sacrificing some of the benefits of having an optimized device. Other carriers may offer more aggressively priced data plans, and you may not reap Google Fis benefits if youre not around Wi-Fi as much, though. That said, fans of Google devices will find plenty to like about Google Fi. Lots of news to consider this evening by way of police action, community out reach and upcoming elections that will impact law enforcement as well. Check TKC news gathering . . . Kansas City man charged in Monday night deadly shooting outside apartment Tyler Thompson faces 26 felony charges of second-degree murder and armed criminal action, according to Jackson County prosecutors. Five vehicles towed, 21 people cited after KCPD uses stop sticks around large sideshow Police want to remind people that even watching these events is illegal KC community asked to keep eyes peeled for wanted sex offender Law enforcement officials in the Kansas City area say they need the community's help to locate a wanted sex offender. Alleged victim fears for safety after former KCK detective Roger Golubski accused of violating house arrest Federal prosecutors filed a motion to revoke Roger Golubski's pre-trial house arrest after he was spotted and photographed at a Culver's in January. Independence man charged with multiple counts of child porn possession The Jackson County Prosecutor's Office filed charges Wednesday against 40-year-old Boy Scout leader Timothy Fry. Court docs detail miles-long altercation on Interstate 35 that ended in shots fired Court documents unsealed Tuesday reveal details surrounding a miles-long altercation on Interstate 35 that ended with a suspect opening fire, striking the victim's car. Clay County judge sentences former teacher, coach Josh Hood to five years in prison Judge Alexander upheld a Clay County jury's December recommendation. One in custody after attempted break-ins at apartment complex lead to standoff One person is in custody after multiple attempted break-ins at a Shawnee apartment complex led to a nearly 2-and-a-half-hour-long standoff. Second candidate enters race for Jackson County prosecutor Army veteran and Assistant Prosecuting Attorney John Gromowsky announced his candidacy for Jackson County Prosecutor on Tuesday. Independence police search for man who went missing Jan. 7 The Independence Police Department is searching for a man who went missing on Jan. 7. Irvin J. Banda-Silva was last in contact with his family early last month and has not been seen since, per IPD. Miami County, Kansas Sheriff's Office helps father who just delivered his own baby The Miami County, Kansas Sheriff's Office found one father on the side of the road after delivering his own baby. Recovery of 2 stolen Kias spur Jackson Co. Sheriff to hand out free wheel locks Kia and Hyundai drivers in Jackson Co., Mo., have been urged to stop by the Sheriff's Office and pick up a free wheel-lock after two stolen Kias were found near Blue Summit. Developing . . . BEIJING, Feb. 29 (Xinhua) -- Following the devastating loss of over 30,000 lives in the Gaza Strip as a result of Israel's continuous strikes since last October, the world is witnessing not only a harrowing scale of human suffering, but also the ugly truth of Western double standard regarding human rights. As government officials and representatives worldwide convene in Geneva for the 55th session of the Human Rights Council, the protracted tragedy unfolding in Gaza underscores the imperative to safeguard the human rights of all ethnic groups and all people in a fair, equal and effective way. Death is but one facet of the despair confronting civilians in Gaza. Since 2007, when Israel enforced a sweeping blockade, the region has been besieged by humanitarian crises, including shortages of food, medicine, and clean water for daily sustenance. The ongoing conflict only compounds the already acute scarcity of essential resources for survival. Just several days ago, United Nations (UN) humanitarian officials warned the Security Council that the entire Gazan population faces acute hunger; over half a million people are "one step away from famine." Amidst the enormous humanitarian crisis in Gaza, one cannot help but wonder where the Western human rights champions are. Their absence in addressing the dire circumstances facing Gazans underscores the selective nature and double standard of their global human rights advocacy. In particular, the United States has opted to turn a blind eye to the plight of the Gazan people. Blocking repeated efforts by the Security Council to pass resolutions urging a ceasefire, Washington has consistently provided military support to Israel. Take the latest U.S. veto on Feb. 20 as an example. Apart from the United States, which vetoed, and Britain, which abstained, the other 13 members of the Security Council voted in favor of the draft resolution submitted by Algeria on behalf of the Arab states. The vote's outcome demonstrated that the Security Council does not lack unanimity; rather, the United States' decision to undercut the global community's unified consensus prevents the majority from prevailing. Through its unwavering support for Israel, including vetoing four Security Council resolutions calling for a ceasefire, some U.S. politicians have effectively emboldened a culture of impunity that undermines the very principles of justice and equity they claim to uphold. This truth will not go unnoticed by the international community. As the globe grapples with the aftermath of yet another humanitarian catastrophe, it is imperative that the world confronts the truths that lie at the heart of the collective failure to uphold the sanctity of human life: Western double standard on human rights stands as a formidable obstacle to the global promotion of human welfare. Two men confront serious courthouse indictments following a spate of shopping mass gunfire at the outset of the this year. A couple of things we can learn from this document released this evening . . . - As demographics shift . . . Latinos are ALLEGEDLY involved an increasing amount of East side gang activity. This isn't a new trend and has been underway since the 90s . . . Likely escalated by increasing population numbers amid an ongoing open border crisis. - Note the term "gang" used in the statement to the press . . . Conservative talkers like Kevin Keitzman have been calling for more recognition of this problem and this MIGHT be a high profile response to those demands. For now . . . The basics from the Jackson County Prosecutor's Office press release . . . "SUSPECTS collectively face 26 felony charges. Each defendant faces three counts of Unlawful Use of a Weapon, six counts of Armed Criminal Action, Terroristic Threat in the 1st Degree and three counts of Harassment in the 1st Degree. Both charged defendants are affiliated with the East Side Gang. "According to court records, a total of six persons were wounded in the shooting, including three victims not involved in the disturbance between two groups. Crime scene technicians located 54 spent shell casings, observed live rounds on the ground and recovered eight spent bullets and 22 bullet fragments. Witnesses stated a groups of males could be heard in a verbal disturbance at Crown Center. They fired their weapons in a public space with blatant disregard for the safety of many persons inside a mall, including families and children. "Prosecutors worked closely with the police investigative team on the timing of criminal charges in this case to protect officer safety in taking these defendants into custody. The charges were placed under seal this month. The seal was lifted today." Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . . Two men charged in Crown Center shooting that injured 6 Two men have been charged in connection with this January's shooting at Crown Center, Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker announced Wednesday. Two suspects charged in Crown Center mass shooting, court documents outline gang violence The Jackson County Prosecutor's Office has charged two suspects in connection to the mass shooting at Crown Center in January 2024. Two men charged in January shooting at Crown Center Two men are charged in connection with the January 17 shooting inside Crown Center in Kansas City, Missouri Developing . . . The strengthening and deepening of cooperation between Greece and Qatar in tourism dominated a meeting between Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni and the Ambassador of Qatar, Ali Khalfan Al-Mansouri, on Thursday, ANA reports. Kefalogianni briefed the Ambassador on the huge opportunities that are arising at this time in Greece for investments in the tourism sector, underlining that Greece is one of the most popular tourist destinations for Arab countries, which is proved by the constantly growing number of tourists in Greece. They also examined the prospects for signing a new and updated Memorandum of Understanding and for the exchange of know-how in tourism, as well as the promotion of air transport cooperation - especially to significant Asian destinations where there are no direct flights to Greece - to increase tourism flows. Finally, they discussed a visit by Kefalogianni to Qatar shortly, exploiting the momentum generated by a very successful recent visit to Qatar by the prime minister. 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: Nuroptics The stories of "Last Woman," Vancouver author Carleigh Bakers sophomore collection (after "Bad Endings"), had me reflecting on anxiety and nostalgia. The two are pervasive and entwined in the appealing collection. In Outraged on Your Behalf, an avid social media user prepares for the arrival of her parents, whose visit results from a wildfire evacuation. As Bakers protagonist savours all the likes for an outraged tweet My parents house burnt down, f**k the climate crisis the story weaves in a tale of a summertime camping trip years before. Though the spread of Eurasian Water Milfoil had made swimming less than perfect, the story nevertheless paints the past as relatively idyllic. A few blocks away and taking place during the Covid-19 lockdown, Patron Saint of the Hesitant, traces an empath, a true knower of the people whose daily routine includes sending out positive energy, pondering neighbours, and viewing Amanda, a self-help superstar, on a laptop. Worried about the big sad thats everywhere, this insular figure has a hopeful encounter in the apartment buildings breaker room. In Brightwater, a married couple returns to their hometown after a flooded river has spread devastation. Surveying his shops spoiled equipment and inventory, proprietor Ray takes solace from an eventual return of a new kind of normal. Throughout "Last Woman," comfort resides in memories or an unknown future. The present day, however, blares like a car alarm. In satirical and surreal Burial Ground, a maintenance foreman at decrepit Rolling Hills Malls is readying for his final job before retirement. The mall is slated to become a combined research lab, liquidation centre and parking lot. Yet, ground tremors, strange sights, and mysterious voices that boom Welcome, shoppers have Earl and his child Grizz puzzled. Weighing future obsolescence against current utility, Earl makes a momentous, backward-looking decision a leap into the literal past. Elsewhere, Charlotte, the tense young professor of Catechism, is assailed by the flutter of impending doom. She thinks back fondly to her younger self as she prepares for acceptance by her unnerving colleagues, itself freighted with consequence. Similarly, the fretful woman in Co-op, stumbles upon a Stepford Wives sequel in Vancouver (where it is hard to live). An invitation from one of her co-ops successful moms sparkly for the world and mean on the inside spells inclusion, but at a steep cost. Baker builds stories whose tensions are visceral. Stasis or steps forward, her characters wonder? Neithers a sure bet. Baker has described herself as writing stories about surviving. In "Last Woman" survival is rarely synonymous with thriving. Set in Vancouvers South Cambie, a dead neighbourhood slowly being ingested by condos, The Midden depicts a friendly alliance between two abused youths, who intuit that life will get worse not better. A snapshot of the 80s the era of Tough Love Longhand likewise portrays a friendship between two primary school outsiders, Ebba and Quinn. For Ebba, only screaming blue murder offers a way to be heard. As they celebrate friendships, Bakers stories never forget the unavoidable iniquities of the outside world. Appearing in three discrete sections at the books beginning, middle, and end, Billionaires stands out for its purposefully daffy science fiction premise. Zerglon-9, located on Utopis (everybeings favourite planet and basically party central), provides transcripts from non-meat-based lifeforms named XX-18, Ffiffy Schmoo Blitz, and Ffarf Blarg Sploot. Their reports explain the fates of Jo Sparks, Eliza Day, and Doreen, entrepreneurs with vested interests in leaving Earth. Compared to Midwives, where Metis friends labour comically over canoe portage in the Yukon while alert for some kind of blood connection to the land, and the title story, a snapshot of a self-described disaster holed up on a West Coast island as she tends to a broken heart, the schtick of Billionaires feels slight, a joke with too much set-up and not enough punchline. At home in the present day, with its news-conscious stir-craziness, "Last Woman" may provide future generations with a glimpse of Canada in the early 21st century: how it looked, how it felt, how its people managed. TEGUCIGALPA, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- At least 17 people were killed and a dozen injured when two buses collided Wednesday in the municipality of San Juan de Opoa, in western Honduras' department of Copan, local authorities said. "Soldiers and firefighters are working hard to attend to this emergency and provide all possible help to those affected," the armed forces said on X, formerly Twitter. According to local media reports, one of the buses was returning from the town of Agua Caliente, in the department of Ocotepeque, after dropping off migrants traveling to the United States, while the other was covering the Lempira-Santa Rosa route. "I wasn't driving the bus, I had given it over to the assistant. He slammed on the brake and the tires gave way," said the driver of the bus that had dropped off the migrants. According to the testimony of some passengers, one of the buses was speeding so much that there was "fear" among the riders. Honduran President Xiomara Castro expressed her condolences to the families of the victims. "My condolences to the families of the victims and solidarity for the speedy recovery of the injured. I have instructed the relevant teams and agencies to provide all support at this difficult time," she said on X. Defense Minister Jose Manuel Zelaya said all rescue agencies are at the site, including an Air Force helicopter to transport the injured. Those people are our people too. The words of UNC Senator David Nakhid, following the deadly Galena river energy project receives $9.5 million Photo by Ben Loeffler The research barge at the Tanana River Test Site near Nenana points upstream in 2023. Testing of prototypes at the site helps technology developers create systems that are ready for pilot deployments. The Yukon River village of Galena and the University of Alaska Fairbanks will investigate whether in-river turbines can provide electricity to the community. The UAF Alaska Center for Energy and Power and the nonprofit Sustainable Energy for Galena Alaska will explore the idea. Their project has received a $9.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy. The project will focus on hydrokinetic technologies, which use energy generated from the natural movement of water. Galena, off the road system and 270 miles west of Fairbanks, is served by a local microgrid that uses diesel-powered generators. Reliable hydrokinetic turbines could allow the diesel generators to be turned off during ice-free months. River energy is potentially more stable than wind and solar because the river runs constantly all summer. It also would require a much smaller energy storage system than solar and wind would. With no need to build an expensive dam, energy generated by hydrokinetic turbines is potentially less costly for the community. The river, when running, could provide 10 to 100 times more energy than the community needs. What is special about this project is that we will work with the community throughout the process, said ACEPs Ben Loeffler, who is the principal investigator of the project. The communitys input will help answer questions such as where the turbines should be placed, whether maintenance could be easily managed locally and which technologies would be best. Integration of locally managed renewable fuel sources is critical to the energy security of rural and remote microgrid communities like Galena, said Tim Kalke, the general manager of SEGA. The big goal of this project is to see what a community can accomplish with its engagement and decision-making together with funds and technology expertise, emphasized Loeffler. ACEP will offer preliminary work to characterize the sites, such as measuring velocities of river currents, mapping the river bottom and working on ways to connect to the grid. For over 10 years, ACEP has been learning about obstacles to harnessing river energy in Alaska, such as debris, turbidity, turbulence and effects on fish. The team will use its knowledge to help Galena evaluate the technologies. This is an exciting opportunity to better understand the challenges and barriers of harnessing energy from the Yukon River, noted Kalke. Successful implementation can also serve as a form of economic development that contributes to the communitys well-being. The project may help accelerate the development of hydrokinetic technologies, which are relatively new, compared to solar and wind technologies. If the project is successful, the team hopes to scale up the effort in Galena and replicate such work among Alaskas more than 90 communities with microgrids on or near rivers. ADDITIONAL CONTACTS: Ben Loeffler, principal investigator and research professional at the Alaska Center for Energy and Power, bhloeffler@alaska.edu, 907-888-2569; Tim Kalke, general manager at Sustainable Energy for Galena Alaska, tim.kalke@sustainablegalena.org, 907-656-7024 148-24 By Janice Phelan, February 28, 2024 Michael Kraxberger is on the fast track to a successful career after completing his four-year degree earlier than most other students his age. He took advantate of the Missouri Innovation Campus academic program. Graduating high school with an associate degree while gaining technical experience are among the reasons University of Central Missouri 2023 graduate Michael Kraxberger selected UCMs nationally recognized Missouri Innovation Campus program. Kraxberger recently moved to Raleigh, N.C. to work in the Cisco Sales Associate Program (CSAP). At age 20, he is the youngest in this elite program and among just 11 candidates accepted from a pool of applicants in the tens of thousands. He works as an associate systems engineer with this job title changing to associate solutions engineer in the near future. A 2021 graduate of Lees Summit High School, Kraxberger chose UCM due to its Missouri Innovation Campus (MIC) program. Finding the opportunity to graduate high school with an associate degree and get college schooling and technical experience simultaneously really puts you ahead in your career and enables you to get roles like CSAP, he said. Kraxberger, who earned his UCM bachelors degree in software development, also commended the MIC programs three-year, year-round, paid internships which are unique to this accelerated degree model. The opportunity for internship experience in a market saturated with new employees alongside the ability to become part of a tight-knit community enabled me to succeed in and out of the classroom, he added. I made many close friends and I still keep up with them today. The MIC professors provide another competitive edge for students enrolled in the program. Many of my professors drove all of us in the MIC program to finish strong and provide excellent work, Kraxberger said, and I think that commitment to work ethic is the biggest takeaway you can receive from a university. The MIC program has been recognized at the regional and national level for reshaping the way students experience education and innovation. A partnership between UCM, the Lees Summit R-7 School District, Metropolitan Community College and close to 70 leading businesses, the MIC program provides motivated students with career-ready skills while connecting businesses to a highly trained workforce. Students enter the MIC program the summer before their junior year in high school when they begin attending Lees Summit R-7s Summit Technology Academy. The students take college-level classes from UCM and Metropolitan Community College alongside their high-school courses, earning their high-school diploma and associate degree at the same time. This places the MIC students on an accelerated pathway to complete their UCM bachelors degree just two years after high-school graduation. For more information about the Missouri Innovation Campus program, visit this webpage. The Ministry of Defense of Finland says no restrictions were imposed on the use of weapons sent to Ukraine so they can also be fired at Russia. This is reported by Yle, Ukrinform saw. According to the Minister of Defense, Antti Hakkianen, restrictions on the use of weapons were established mainly by those nations that provided Ukraine with longer-range missiles. "At the moment we are talking about big countries that, among other things, have provided long-range missile systems, and of course they have the right to decide how these weapons can be used," Hakkianen said, adding that Finland is constantly discussing limits on military aid with its allies. The head of the parliamentary defense committee, Jukka Kopra, noted that Finland did not set any restrictions, and Ukraine "should have the right to use these weapons against military facilities including on the territory of Russia." The deputy chairman of the defense committee, Mikko Savola, clarified that the weapons provided by Finland "in principle" can be used against targets in Russia. However, the range of weapons provided by Finland is shorter than long-range missiles. It is noted that Finland does not publicly disclose what weapons it has donated to Ukraine. As Ukrinform reported earlier, the spokesman for the UK Ministry of Defense stated that the way Kyiv uses cruise missiles transferred by other countries is a matter to be decided by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk and Chairman of the National Council of the Slovak Republic Peter Pellegrini discussed the provision of further defense assistance to Ukraine. Stefanchuk said this in a post on Facebook, according to Ukrinform. "We discussed the importance of providing further defense assistance to Ukraine," the Ukrainian speaker said. According to him, this is the first personal meeting of the speakers. "It was important for me to hear my colleague's words of support and solidarity with Ukraine," Stefanchuk said. He noted that during 2022-2023, the inter-parliamentary dialogue proved to be effective, and Slovak parliamentarians demonstrated strong support and solidarity with Ukraine. It is important to continue active cooperation for the sake of the rule of international law, democratic values and prosperity in our countries," Stefanchuk added. The Ukrainian speaker thanked Slovakia and its people for the support and assistance provided to Ukraine and Ukrainians. As reported by Ukrinform, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Ruslan Stefanchuk is in the Czech Republic for a working visit on February 28-29. He will address the participants in the Summit of Speakers of the Parliaments of the Visegrad Group + Ukraine and hold several bilateral meetings. Photo: Facebook / Ruslan Stefanchuk BAGHDAD, Feb. 29 (Xinhua) -- Two Yazidi militiamen affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) were killed in a Turkish drone strike Thursday in northern Iraq, the Kurdistan Regional Government's Counter-Terrorism Service said. A Turkish drone struck a vehicle carrying members of the Sinjar Resistance Units (YBS) southwest of the town of Sinjar around 1:20 p.m. local time (1020 GMT), killing a YBS official and a militia member, and wounding another, according to a statement from the counter-terrorism service. The YBS, a militia founded in 2007 by members of the Yazidi community, a Kurdish-speaking religious minority, has been maintaining close ties with the PKK. Turkish security forces frequently conduct cross-border operations in northern Iraq, targeting PKK hideouts and bases. The PKK, designated a terrorist organization by Turkiye, the U.S., and the EU, has waged an insurgency against the Turkish government for over three decades. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine calls for a peaceful resolution of problematic issues of economic and social and humanitarian nature in relations between Chisinau and Tiraspol without any destructive external interventions. Thats according to a commentary on the situation in the Transnistrian region of Moldova, published on the website of MFA Ukraine, Ukrinform reports. It is noted that Ukraine stands for a peaceful settlement of the Transnistrian conflict with respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Moldova. "We consider the 5+2 negotiation format to be non-functional due to the presence of the aggressor state Russia, which cannot act as a peacekeeper in any peaceful settlement," the statement reads. The Foreign Ministry emphasizes that Ukraine is and will remain an active participant in the settlement process in the region and identifies the reintegration of Republic of Moldova as its main goal. In addition, Ukraine continues to advocate for the speedy withdrawal of Russian troops from the Transnistrian region of Moldova, the disposal of ammunition at the Kovbasna depots, and the reformatting of the mission on the Dniester from a military to a civilian one. "For ten years, Ukraine has been resisting Russian aggression and for more than two years has been resisting Russia's full-scale invasion. Our country knows the horrors of war and the price of peace better than anyone else. We are making and will continue to make every effort to preserve stability and strengthen security in Europe, as well as to prevent any attempts by Russia to destabilize Moldova or other countries in our region," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs summarized. As Ukrinform reported earlier, local deputies from unrecognized Transnistria appealed to Russias Federation Council and State Duma to implement measures to protect the self-proclaimed republic amid increased pressure on the part of Moldova. Chisinau decried these calls as a propaganda effort. The Moldovan government has decided to extend the provision of temporary protection to displaced persons from Ukraine for another year - until March 1, 2025. This was reported by Ukrinform with reference to the General Inspectorate for Migration of Moldova. "Displaced persons from Ukraine, who were granted temporary protection before March 1, 2024, will automatically have their identity documents extended until March 1, 2025, without the need to report to the offices of the General Inspectorate for Migration," the statement said. As noted, the decision "is a demonstration of Moldova's solidarity with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people." This was done in accordance with the decision of the EU Council, which extended temporary asylum for Ukrainians until March 2025. It is noted that citizens arriving from Ukraine now need to have a valid travel document, that is, one that has not expired. For adults, one of the following documents is required: a valid national passport for traveling abroad, an identification card/ID card, or a valid internal passport. At the same time, adults who entered Moldova on the basis of an internal document are entitled to only one exit/entry from and to Ukraine. As Ukrinform previously reported, the Lithuanian government has extended temporary protection for Ukrainians for a year - until March 2025. It also extended the period during which refugees from Ukraine will not be required to know Lithuanian for employment. 02/28/2024 Media Contacts: Emily Gowdey-Backus, director of media relations and Nancy Cicco , assistant director of media relations Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell announced to chamber members Wednesday he will step down from his post in November. The choice will see the Kentucky senator return to the partys rank-and-file until his term expires in 2027. The announcement comes one week after McConnells 82nd birthday. McConnells decision creates a leadership void in the GOP that could reshape the party, according to UMass Lowells John Cluverius, an expert in U.S. politics who is available for interviews. Despite his low approval ratings even among fellow Republicans Mitch McConnell is singularly responsible for the political successes of conservatives over the past decade. His willingness to use Senate procedure to engineer three appointments to the U.S. Supreme Court for former President Donald Trump in one term ensured the end of Roe v. Wade, probably the biggest change in policy that affects Americans since the passage of the Affordable Care Act, said Cluverius, an associate professor of political science. The longest-serving Senate leader in U.S. history, McConnell also refused to convict Donald Trump in his second impeachment trial, even as the scars of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot remained fresh. There is probably no single person in American politics more responsible than McConnell for the political moment were experiencing now. McConnells departure from his post sets up a power struggle for his successor, according to Cluverius. Topics he is available to discuss include: McConnells legacy as a Senate leader How McConnells decision may affect the future of reproductive rights in the U.S. How McConnells decision may impact the 2024 presidential election 02/28/2024 By Ed Brennen Is Unamunda very hard to learn? Eedgy. Egsovereedgy. Da bop. Da bop? Senior psychology major Rebecca Phillips, aka Dawn di Vito, and junior digital media major Colin ONeil, aka Don Finninneganegan, are rehearsing their lines in the comedic play The Universal Language on stage at the Comley-Lane Theatre on South Campus. Its the final run-through before the next nights performance of All in the Timing, a collection of one-act plays by David Ives, and nailing down the silly, make-believe language at the center of the story is a challenge. Fortunately, the performance is a staged reading, so Phillips and ONeil dont have to memorize lines. From the back of the darkened 500-seat theatre, their director, UML alumna Melissa Allen 15, stops them periodically to give notes. Bigger gestures. Quicker pace. Phillips and ONeil, who are both minoring in theatre arts , nod and scribble notations in their scripts. Meanwhile, a half dozen high school students from Haverhill, Massachusetts, look on from the first row of seats, waiting to rehearse their acts. Image by Ed Brennen The production is a collaboration between Haverhill High and UMass Lowell one started three years ago by Allen, a drama teacher at the high school, and Shelley Barish , one of her former theatre arts professors at UML. We were brainstorming ways to bring performances back on stage during COVID there wasnt a lot happening in-person and we thought it would be cool to bring some of my students to experience what its like here on the UML campus, says Allen, a Billerica, Massachusetts, native who earned a B.A. in English with a theatre arts concentration. So, in 2022, Allen and Barish formed an ensemble cast and produced a staged reading of Alone, Together, a collection of short plays about the pandemic. They followed that up last year with A Night of One Acts: A Staged Reading. Image by Ed Brennen Celia Schoenfeld stage-managed those productions during her junior and senior years at Haverhill High. She was back as stage manager again this year, this time as a UML student. Participating in the collaboration while in high school, she says, helped ease her fears about going off to college and made her want to attend UML. Mrs. Allen created a welcoming space in a college setting that bridged the gap between high school and college. When I got here, I was like, Yeah, I know my way around this place, says Schoenfeld, a first-year environmental science major in the Kennedy College of Sciences First-year psychology major Sheeba Nabiryo followed the same path, enrolling at UML after participating in the collaboration in high school. Its strange having both perspectives, says Nabiryo, who played Betty in Sure Thing this year. When I was in high school, I thought the college kids were so much older and the campus was so big. Now Im here, and I get to see some of my friends from high school. One of those friends is Sarah Tucker, a senior at Haverhill High who played a monkey named Kafka in Words, Words, Words. Image by Ed Brennen Its so much fun to take a break from high school theater and come here to see how this works, says Tucker, who is still deciding where she will study environmental sustainability in college. This was the first time on the college stage for ONeil, who did some acting in high school in Hudson, New Hampshire. It has been a great experience. Melissa is an awesome director, and the Haverhill students are extremely talented. Its been fun getting to know them and going to work with them, he says. Phillips has acted in several performances at UML, including the lead role in Dracula. She wishes shed had something like the collaborative available to her as a high schooler in Malden, Massachusetts. Image by Ed Brennen Its great that Haverhill is having kids come over and get a first glance of a university theater, says Phillips, who is grateful for the way the theater community embraced her at UML. While the collaboratives first two performances were held in the auditorium at OLeary Library, All in the Timing was on the Comley-Lane stage making it the theatre arts programs first production in the venue since the pandemic. Its nice to be back, says Barish, who is preparing for the return of full productions on the stage, starting with Melancholy Play in April. Barish hopes the collaborations with Allen and her students continue. Anybody can be involved with the program, which is the brilliance of it. Staged readings are a great way for students to test the waters and have some fun without the stress of memorizing lines, she says. Image by Ed Brennen Allen, who has taught at Haverhill High since 2017, feels a bit of nostalgia bringing her students to campus. The arts program at UML gave me every opportunity to round out my education, says Allen, who spent summers at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting in New York and Berkshire Theatre Festival in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. She also met her husband, music studies alum David Allen 15, in one of Barishs classes. They have a 1-year-old son, Luca. I really made the most of my time here, Allen says before returning her attention to the rehearsal stage. UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Following a deadly armed militia attack, UN peacekeepers and the Central African Republic (CAR) army restored calm in the southeastern Zemio region, a UN spokesman said on Wednesday. "In response to incidents and alerts in Zemio and its surroundings in Haut-Mbomou prefecture in the southeastern part of the country, UN peacekeepers, working in close coordination with the Central African armed forces, took immediate steps to protect civilians in these localities," said Stephane Dujarric, chief spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Dujarric said the situation deteriorated in Zemio after Azande militia attacked a village, killing five civilians. There are also reports of intercommunal tensions and a risk of clashes between Azande militia and another armed group. Meanwhile, while on patrol, peacekeepers from the UN mission, known as MINUSCA, discovered armed individuals close to the town of Am-Dafock in Vakaga prefecture, which borders Sudan. The militants fled toward the Sudanese border when spotted, said the spokesman. "The mission recently established a temporary operating base in the town of Am-Dafock, close to the border with Sudan, to secure the area, protect civilians and help reduce tensions," he said. An aerial drone photo taken on Nov. 4, 2023 shows a view of the Hengqin International Financial Center in Zhuhai, south China's Guangdong Province. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei) GUANGZHOU, March 1 (Xinhua) -- The island of Hengqin in south China's Guangdong Province started a new customs operation on Friday that allows most goods to be moved there tax-free from the neighboring Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR). The new operation became effective at midnight in the Guangdong-Macao In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, in the city of Zhuhai. The 106-square-kilometer island sits between Macao and the Chinese mainland. Under the new mechanism, tariffs will be generally lifted for goods entering Hengqin from Macao, while goods moving from Hengqin to the Chinese mainland will now be subject to import duties, if they are not eligible for added-value tax exemption. The new policy is seen as a major arrangement to enrich the practice of "one country, two systems" in Macao and boost the SAR's economic diversification. In a significant development, Bay Path University, situated in western Massachusetts, has unveiled plans to acquire Cambridge College, a Boston-based institution, in a strategic merger. Both Bay Path University and Cambridge College, operating as private nonprofit entities, share a common emphasis on career education, making the merger a synergistic move to bolster their collective educational offerings. The merger, which has been in the works since last summer, reflects a proactive approach by both institutions to leverage their strengths and resources. Bay Path University, with an enrollment of approximately 2,500 students, distinguishes itself with women-only undergraduate programs and coeducational graduate programs. Meanwhile, Cambridge College caters to over 2,000 predominantly adult learners through its diverse programs in Boston and Puerto Rico. READ ALSO: Exploring a Merger: Cleveland State University Engages in Talks with Notre Dame College for a Transformative Partnership Navigating the Merger Process The announcement of the merger marks a crucial milestone in the collaboration between Bay Path University and Cambridge College. The merger is currently undergoing a regulatory approval process, requiring the consent of the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education, the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), which accredits both institutions, and the U.S. Department of Education. The leadership teams of both institutions expressed confidence in the approval process, emphasizing their commitment to a seamless transition. State officials in Massachusetts have already voiced support for the merger, with Noe Ortega, the state's higher education commissioner, commending the collaborative efforts of Cambridge College and Bay Path University. He highlighted the state department's dedication to ensuring that the interests of students remain a top priority throughout the transition. Envisioning Opportunities for Students Leaders from both institutions believe that the merger will create enhanced opportunities for students by combining Bay Path's depth and breadth of undergraduate and graduate programs with Cambridge College's extensive network of programs and partners in eastern Massachusetts. Sandra J. Doran, President of Bay Path University, expressed optimism about the potential synergies, stating, "Bringing together Bay Paths depth and breadth of undergraduate and graduate programs with Cambridge Colleges extensive network of programs and partners in eastern Massachusetts creates tremendous opportunities for our students today and far into the future." Stephen Healey, Interim President of Cambridge College, echoed this sentiment, highlighting Bay Path University's suitability to integrate Cambridge College's programs effectively. He views the collaboration as paving the way for an optimistic journey ahead, ensuring a smooth and effortless transition for students. As the merger progresses through the approval stages, the focus remains on ensuring that students are well-informed and have ample time to make decisions about their academic paths. The collaborative efforts between Bay Path University and Cambridge College signal a commitment to delivering a positive and constructive experience for all students involved. The strategic merger between Bay Path University and Cambridge College represents a forward-thinking approach to advancing career education and providing an enriched learning environment for students. The collaborative efforts of these institutions aim to create synergies that will not only benefit current students but also shape the future landscape of higher education in Massachusetts. RELATED ARTICLE: Savvas Learning Company Expands Into Higher Education With Outlier.org Acquisition Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech during the annual address to the Federal Assembly in Moscow, capital of Russia, Feb. 29, 2024. (Xinhua/Cao Yang) MOSCOW, Feb. 29 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday slammed Western countries' intention to interfere in Russia's internal affairs, stressing that Russia will independently choose its own path of development. Russian people will defend their rights to live in peace and choose the path of national development on their own, he said during the annual address to the Federal Assembly. On international affairs, Putin noted that Russia was ready for dialogue with all interested countries and associations on creating a new pattern of equal and indivisible security in Eurasia. "We seek to unify the efforts by the global majority to address global challenges, among them rapid transformation of the world economy, trade, finances and technological markets when many former monopolies and related stereotypes are crumbling," the Russian president said. But he ruled out the possibility of strategic stability talks with the United States if the latter held a "hypocritical" position in this regard. For the Ukraine crisis, he warned that any potential intervention of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in Ukraine would lead to tragic consequences. Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers a speech during the annual address to the Federal Assembly in Moscow, capital of Russia, Feb. 29, 2024. (Xinhua/Cao Yang) Meanwhile, Russia's strategic nuclear forces were currently "in a state of full readiness for guaranteed use," Putin said, adding that Russia would continue to develop a range of advanced weapon systems. On domestic issues, Putin said that Russian economy was becoming more diversified, more technological and more sustainable. Due to the sustained economic development, the number of Russians living below the poverty line decreased to 13.5 million people by the end of 2023, he said, adding that this was a dramatic change in comparison to 42 million people in 2000. In addition, the Russian president proposed a series of goals for Russia's economic development in the fields of high-tech, food security, etc. in the next six years. The Albert Einstein College of Medicine, located in the Bronx, New York, is poised to implement a groundbreaking change in August. Thanks to a monumental $1 billion donation from its board chair, the institution is set to transition to a tuition-free model, marking a significant milestone in medical education. Historic Donation Sparks Change Ruth Gottesman, a former professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and a current member of the Montefiore board, spearheaded the transformative gift. Widely regarded as the largest donation ever made to an American medical school, this generous contribution is poised to reshape the landscape of medical education at the institution. READ ALSO: College Endowment Rise Up to 7.7 % in 2023 With Largest Amount From Harvard University The decision to abolish tuition fees comes as part of a broader initiative aimed at enhancing accessibility and affordability in medical education. Alongside eliminating tuition, the college also announced plans to reimburse all fourth-year students for their spring 2024 semester tuition, providing immediate relief for those on the cusp of graduation. Impact and Implications The move towards a tuition-free model reflects a growing trend among medical schools nationwide. By removing financial barriers, institutions aim to attract a diverse pool of aspiring medical professionals and alleviate the burden of student debt. Notably, New York University initiated a similar initiative in 2018, offering full scholarships to all medical students, while the Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine committed to free tuition for its inaugural classes. For Albert Einstein College of Medicine, the monumental donation from Ruth Gottesman holds transformative potential. With the financial burden of tuition lifted, the institution anticipates a broader and more inclusive applicant pool, enabling aspiring physicians from all socioeconomic backgrounds to pursue their academic and professional aspirations without the hindrance of financial constraints. Dr. Yaron Tomer, the dean of the college, expressed enthusiasm for the change, emphasizing its significance in advancing the institution's mission. He highlighted the newfound freedom and opportunities that the elimination of tuition fees would afford students, empowering them to pursue their passions and innovate in the field of medicine without the specter of debt looming overhead. Rare Generosity and Philanthropic Trends While monumental donations like Ruth Gottesman's are rare, they underscore a broader trend of philanthropic investment in higher education. Across the nation, universities and colleges have benefited from transformative gifts aimed at fostering innovation, expanding access, and driving positive change. The historic $1 billion donation to Albert Einstein College of Medicine joins a prestigious roster of philanthropic contributions to educational institutions. From Michael Bloomberg's landmark pledge to Johns Hopkins University to Stanford University's endowment for a school of sustainability, these donations signify a commitment to advancing education and research on a monumental scale. As medical schools continue to seek innovative ways to address the evolving needs of the healthcare industry, philanthropy plays a pivotal role in driving progress and expanding opportunities for aspiring healthcare professionals. The decision of Albert Einstein College of Medicine to go tuition-free stands as a testament to the transformative power of philanthropy in shaping the future of medical education. RELATED ARTICLE: Donor Support Soars for US Higher Education Amidst Debate Over Influence Corruption and Illicit Financial Flows Corruption remains a priority concern to the Nigerian Government and People. Corruption affects all aspects of public life, continues to undermine the social, economic and political development of the country and is a major obstacle to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. Nigeria is a State party to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) which guides UNODC's work in this area, and as such, an active member of the Implementation Review Mechanism, a peer review process that assists States parties to effectively implement the Convention. UNCAC provides an extensive range of measures on corruption from asset recovery, criminalization and enforcement of different classes of crimes, to preventive measures on corruption as well as enhancing international cooperation on issues of corruption between member states. Our work Since 2001, UNODC has been working with the Federal Government, its specialized agencies, the judiciary, as well as select State Governments, civil society and the private sector on a wide range of projects aimed at preventing corruption, strengthening integrity, accountability and transparency, enhancing the legal framework against corruption, improving the capacity of and coordination amongst various anti-corruption bodies, the recovery and return of the proceeds of corruption as well as international cooperation. Our partners Key partners for UNODC's work in this area include, among others, the Attorney General's Office, the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACAC), the Independent Corrupt Practices And Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB), the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the Technical Unit on Governance & Anti-Corruption Reforms (TUGAR), the Inter-Agency Task Team (IATT, a body of 22 anti-corruption agencies in Nigeria), the Nigerian judiciary, civil society organizations as well as the private sector. Our projects Promoting Ethics and Transparency in Business Transactions in Nigeria Concerned about the significant negative impact of corruption on economic growth of the country, UNODC and the Government of the Netherlands, in 2007 signed a cooperation agreement to finance a framework that will pave way for a greater involvement of the private sector in the anti-corruption crusade. The agreement has today resulted in the project: 'Promoting Ethics and Transparency in Business Transactions in Nigeria (NGA/T10)' Project implementation began in 2008. The primary aim was to advocate for transparency and ethical business practice in the Nigerian business sector through a thorough risk assessment and the development of sound business principles and related training. The project started out with three broad objectives namely: Develop and pilot the implementation of a comprehensive framework for promoting ethics and transparency in the Nigerian private sector Establishment of a credible and functional public complaints system providing the private sector with a set of possibilities to report corruption without fear of retaliation or other negative consequences Promote the compliance by the banking sector and other financial institutions with existing anti-money laundering standards Project Outputs and Achievements A) Establishment Of A Working Group With the commencement of the project, a Project Working Group was established with membership drawn from business and business organizations, civil society groups and the public sector. This action provided a platform where government and private sector /civil society actors come together to discuss and proffer remedies to the anti-corruption challenge. Some members of the Working Group members include: Nigerian Economic Summit Group, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, Nigerian Association of Small Scale Industrialists,TUGAR, Transparency In Nigeria, Convention on Business Integrity, African Leadership Forum, Institute of Directors, MTN Nigeria Communications Limited ,Promaconas International Ltd., Resources and Trust Limited, Federal Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Consumer Protection Council, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria, The Bureau of Public Service Reform (BPSR), United Nations Industrial Development Organisation, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Nigeria Labour Congress, Bank PHB, Oceanic Bank, Lagos Business School, Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission, Public Complaints Commission, Code of Conduct Bureau, and United Nations Development Programme. This group has since been instrumental in providing the needed guidance for the project. B) Conduct Of Risk Assessment Studies One of the outputs of the project is the assessment of risks and vulnerabilities to corruption involving the private sector. With the leadership provided by the Working Group, sectors for detailed risk assessment studies were identified, namely: Immigration, in particular the obtaining of work permits for foreign experts; Customs, in particular the clearance of goods; Environmental and sanitary clearances; Permits, licences accreditations' required to provide certain goods or services; Government contracting, in particular public procurement; In line with these observations, the project commenced a detailed institutional risk assessment of the Nigeria Customs Service in 2009. The assessment is meant to highlight what works, what does not and underscore how corruption prevention arrangements can be strengthened, particularly in the interface between the Customs Service and its publics. The draft report is currently awaiting the Nigeria Customs Service comments and endorsements. In addition, the project has commenced a transport sector assessment involving the Police, Federal Road Safety Commission and the Board of Inland Revenue. C) Development/Adoption Of Anti-Corruption Principles One of the challenges of enshrining transparency in the private sector in the country is not the absence of laws but compliance with these laws. At the inaugural Working Group meeting of 11th November 2008, members confirmed a range of existing laws and compliance standards that were not enforced. A grant was provided to an NGO under the project to conduct a desk review of domestic and international standards, principles, recommendations and other documentation relevant to ethical business conduct and develop a policy paper on commonalities on values and principles potentially relevant to doing business in Nigeria. This has been achieved. A set of principles have been developed that was widely accepted by the Nigerian business communities at that December 2009 Nigeria Economic Summit. Effort is on to ensure that these principles are widely disseminated and endorsed by all businesses in Nigeria. Awareness raising mission on GRIDS program and New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) in Cameroon during the Interpol workshop on drug control technics. Yaounde, 3rd August 2022-The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) recently participated in a workshop on drug control technics organized by the Interpol Regional Office of Cameroon in Yaounde for the benefit of police, customs, gendarmerie officers and Cameroonian prosecutors. This initiative had two (2) approaches: Trainings and awareness-raising presentations. The trainings were focused on the activities of judicial police officers, which range from the detection of offences to the transmission of files to the judiciary and investigations. These themes have been taught by specialists from the judiciary, the police and customs of Cameroon. The Awareness-raising presentations targeted Interpol's knowledge, drug trends in Central Africa and, above all, new psychoactive substances and non-medical synthetic opioids. In this regard, the Regional Technical Officer, RTO was able to present the GRIDS programme in that it is original and innovative in its approaches to tackle the new psychoactive substances and non-medical synthetic opioids trafficking. The presentation focused on the Mission of the SINCB, the GRIDS programme tools to combat NPS smuggling, the trainings provided to frontline officers and especially the importance of the IONICS platform. The participants greatly appreciated this presentation and some of them volunteered to be focal points. As representative of the participants, the prosecutor Mrs. Ndozomo requested for an extension of the NPS and opioids trainings to the magistrates. In parallel of this workshop, the Regional Technical Officer (RTO) of the GRIDS programme also met with the Secretary General of the Police, the Directorates of Customs and the Cameroonian public postal service. These senior authorities discovered with interest the GRIDS programme and its approach. They agreed in principle to participate in it and promised to nominate focal points and to share the recent statistics of NPS seizures by their respective services. They also requested for trainings and drug tests for these new substances. The Board's Global Rapid Interdiction of Dangerous Substances (GRIDS) Programme and Project ION and OPIOIDS Project support Governments' capacity to respond to changing trafficking, illicit manufacture, marketing and sales of NPS, non-medical synthetic opioids and fentanyl-related substances by providing real-time communication, facilitating information exchange and intelligence development that interdict distribution of dangerous substances. The participation of the GRIDS programme to the event was made possible through UNODC Nigeria and thanks to the generous support of the Government of the United States of America. Law Enforcement Capacity building in West Africa to prevent and combat Smuggling of Migrants UNODC Country Office Nigeria, is implementing a regional project titled: Law Enforcement Capacity building in West Africa to prevent and combat Smuggling of Migrants. The project has been designed with a specific focus on the crime related aspects and driving forces of migrant smuggling. In this regard, the project specifically aims to assist the ECOWAS Member States (Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cote d'Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo) and Mauritania in building capacities and strengthening cooperation mechanisms among law enforcement and prosecution authorities to effectively prevent, investigate and prosecute smuggling of migrants, and to develop effective cooperation mechanisms with third countries. The main outputs of the project are evidence-based research on the issue, elaboration of national counter-smuggling of migrants' policies that enhance intra-agency cooperation, capacity building for law enforcement officers, establishment of trained national counter-smuggling of migrant units and the facilitation of regional cooperation and information exchange Accordingly, in 2008, assessments of counter-migrant smuggling capacities was conducted by UNODC, Europol and Interpol in six ECOWAS countries including Nigeria to assess the existing capacities of law enforcement, prosecution and the judiciary to effectively respond to smuggling of migrants. It was discovered that: Nigeria is a source and transit country for irregular migration towards Europe Nigeria is a major hub for obtaining falsified and altered passports, identity documents and other documents enabling migrants coming from Central Africa to move freely within and the ECOWAS zone of free movement for persons The Nigeria criminal networks which are involved in the smuggling of migrants are very well developed, structured and spread over the African transit countries and Europe. Establishment of National Working Group on Law Enforcement A Law Enforcement National Working Group made up of focal points from relevant agencies was established in May 2009. Members who are relevant criminal justice practitioners and key officials are expected to advice, facilitate and provide inputs to policy development and the elaboration of the inter-agency coordination mechanism. Development of draft training material A draft manual has been developed and is being finalised. A three day Expert Group Meeting (EGM) on the Elaboration of Basic Training Modules on Preventing and Combating the Smuggling of Migrants was organized in Senegal from 30 th November to 2 nd December 2008. Experts from law enforcement and prosecution agencies (from Belgium, Burkina Faso, Canada, Denmark, Egypt, France, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Senegal, Spain, Turkey, the UK, the USA as well as from Interpol and Europol) participated and the results of the discussions were reflected in a first set of draft training modules which were drafted by an expert of the UK Serious Organized Crime Agency in cooperation with UNODC A second three- day EGM on the same topic took place in Cairo, Egypt, 23-25 March 2009. 23 experts (excluding experts from UNODC) participated in the meeting. They reviewed the draft developed at the first EGM and gathered additional expert input in order to further develop the general training modules and also adapt them to the specific regional and national contexts of North Africa A third and final EGM on the Elaboration of Basic Training Modules on Preventing and Combating the Smuggling of Migrants took place in Abuja from 22 -24 June 2009. 23 practitioners working in investigation and prosecuting migrant Smuggling from Algeria, Belgium, Burkina Faso, Canada , Cape Verde, Cote d'Ivore , Egypt , France, Guinea Bissau, Italy, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, the UK, USA, Spain as well as Interpol and Europol. The final EGM served to review the general training modules-which were shared with the participants in English and French before the meeting took place-while also adapting them to the regional and national contexts of West Africa. The training modules cover: Concepts & categories of Migrant Smuggling & related conduct Role of Smuggled Migrants & Migrant Smugglers in investigation Investigative Approaches Financial Investigation Covert Investigative Techniques Intelligence Legislative Issues International Cooperation & Human Rights. UNODC in cooperation with the UK SCOA is currently finalizing the training modules Training of Law Enforcement Officers A five-day Regional Training Workshop on Investigating and Prosecuting Migrant Smuggling which took place in Abuja, from 7 to 11 December 2009. The objective of the Regional Training Workshop is to strengthen the capacities in investigating and prosecuting migrant smuggling through an interactive training that allows for experience sharing and good practices among the participants while fostering international cooperation. Topics covered during the training include: Concepts & categories of Migrant Smuggling & related Conduct Role of Smuggled Migrants & Migrant Smugglers in investigation Investigative Approaches Financial Investigation Covert Investigative Techniques Intelligence Legislative Issues International Cooperation & Human Rights. The Workshop was facilitated by experienced trainers from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office of the United States Department of Homeland Security and the United States Justice Department. A total of 28 participants from Ghana, Liberia, Sierraleone, Gambia and Nigeria attended the workshop A second Training Workshop on the same issue took place in Abuja, from 22 and 25 February 2010. The objective of the Training Workshop is to strengthen the capacities in investigating and prosecuting migrant smuggling through an interactive training that allows for experience sharing and good practices among the participants while fostering inter agency, regional and international cooperation. The training had 31 participants from different Law Enforcement Agencies in Nigeria including the Ministry of Justice and participants from Liberia. The Workshop was facilitated by experienced trainers from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office of the United States Department of Homeland Security, the United States Justice Department and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons & Other Related Matters (NAPTIP). Using the UNODC anti-smuggling draft training manual as a guide, participants were trained on all the topics covered in the training manual Maritime Crime and Piracy In recent years, the Gulf of Guinea has been at the epicenter of global discussions on maritime security as a result of the incidents of piracy, kidnapping and armed robbery at sea. Very few incidents result in arrests, investigations, prosecutions and trials. With more than 90% of global trade carried out by sea, the economic effects on countries like Nigeria and its trading partners are especially burdensome. Our work UNODC, therefore, continues to support the Nigerian Government and its relevant agencies through legal and policy advisory services, training of law enforcement officials, prosecutors and judges, mentoring and other capacity-building measures in tackling piracy and other forms of maritime crime more effectively. In addition, UNODC works with local communities in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria to raise awareness and address the root causes of piracy and criminal activities in the Gulf of Guinea by implementing community-based initiatives aimed at preventing crime (new addition) UNODC has also partnered with the Nigerian Navy to upgrade one of the Navys training institutions to a Centre of Excellence for training on Visit Board Search and Seizure (VBSS). Since 2022, UNODC has trained over 300 maritime law enforcement personnel from within the Gulf of Guinea in a joint bilingual setting. Our partners Key partners for UNODC's work in this area include the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), the Department of Public Prosecution for the Federation, Federal Ministry of Justice, Nigerian Navy, the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Nigerian Police Force (NPF), Federal Department of Fisheries and the Bayelsa State Government among others. Our projects NAPTIP, UNODC, IOM, OHCHR, Expertise France, FIIAPP partner with States to combat human trafficking in Nigeria Tweet Abuja 19th July - As part of activities organized to commemorate the World Day against Human Trafficking, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), International Organisation on Migration (IOM), Expertise France, International and Ibero-American Foundation for Administration and Public Policies (FIIAPP), Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), with the Nigerian government are hosting a boot camp for state task forces on human trafficking and the Network of Civil Society Organisations against Child Trafficking, Abuse and Labour (NACTAL). The theme for this years day against human trafficking is the use and abuse of technology. It focuses on the role of technology as a tool that can both enable and impede human trafficking. The 2020 UNODC Global Report on Trafficking in Persons, reported that the use of internet has been integrated into the business model of traffickers. The expanded global usage of technology triggered by the COVID 19 pandemic has further increased these risks, with traffickers using the internet to identify, recruit and control their victims, advertise services and launder the proceeds of their crimes. The peer review bootcamp is organized for the 21 states which have inaugurated task force against human trafficking, namely Akwa-Ibom, Anambra, Benue, Borno, Cross-river, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Jigawa, Lagos, Kaduna Kano, Katsina, Nasarawa, Ogun, Ondo, Oyo, Plateau and Rivers. The key objective of the bootcamp is to bring together the members of the state task forces on human trafficking with the leadership of NAPTIP, relevant NGOs active in the fight against trafficking and international development partners to engage in a peer-to-peer exchange of experiences. In his good will message, the Country Representative of United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Dr Oliver Stolpe underscored the critical role of the State Task Forces. In his words, Most of these victims, their families and communities can only be reached through communication channels at the grassroots. Mobilizing the states, local governments and eventually communities is key. You, members of the State Task Forces are the first and most essential link in the chain needed to effectively translate the Federal Governments policies, and most notably the recently adopted National Action Plan on Human Trafficking 2022-2026 into practical outcomes on the ground. Declaring the event open, the Director General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Dr Fatima Waziri-Azi, noted that human trafficking is a national crisis, as all states in Nigeria are affected by human trafficking. According to NAPTIP statistics from 2019-2022, analysis shows that 61% of human trafficking in Nigeria happens internally, that is, within the states and across state lines, 39% across our borders, she said. Funded by the governments of the Netherlands, Switzerland and the United States as well as the European Union, the boot camp is organized under various projects being implemented by international development partners in cooperation with NAPTIP. Follow @UNODC_Nigeria Nigeria, EU, UNODC Renew Commitments Against Terrorism, Unveil a Follow-on Project The ongoing fight against terrorism in Nigeria received a boost as the EU-Nigeria-UNODC-CTED partnership unveiled a three-year follow-on project commencing in April 2018. This was the highpoint of a final Project Steering Committee Meeting involving high-level officials to reflect on the achievements made under the second phase of the EU-Nigeria-UNODC-CTED partnership to counter terrorism in Nigeria. The two-year project funded by the European Union came to a close at the end of March. While it lasted, the project focused on further strengthening the capacity of Nigerian criminal justice officials to effectively investigate, prosecute, and adjudicate terrorism cases, in accordance with the rule of law and human rights. It built on the groundwork laid under the previous EU-Nigeria-UNODC-CTED project. The project delivered 82 capacity building activities, including providing extensive training to select groups of investigators, legal advisors, defense attorneys, prosecutors, and judges on a range of practically-focused terrorism-related criminal justice issues. It strengthened the capacity of Nigerian criminal justice training institutions, providing in-depth train-the-trainer courses to groups of Nigerian trainers on counter-terrorism investigations, adjudication of terrorism cases, and human rights, respectively, and producing a manual on counter-investigations for use by police practitioners and trainers. The project also expanded its work in Northeast Nigeria. Mr. Kurt Cornelis from the European Union noted that "The European Union is particularly pleased to have been able to support the Government of Nigeria to address the significant terrorist threat facing the Northeast by working with Nigeria to develop an Action Plan on the Criminal Justice Responses to Terrorism in Northeast Nigeria which will support implementation of the Policy Framework and National Action Plan for Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism. The EU looks forward to partnering with Nigeria on its implementation during the next phase of the project." At the final Steering Committee meeting, Ms. Catherine Udida, from the Office of the National Security Advisor, stated "Over the last two years, Nigeria has made important progress in its fight against terrorism. We continue to be grateful for the partnership with the EU and UNODC in addressing this challenge and in particular for the support provided to the Nigerian Policy Framework and National Action Plan for Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism" which serves as an important framework for Nigerian efforts to counter terrorism. Ms. Elisabeth Bayer from the UNODC Office in Nigeria thanked the European Union and Nigeria for their on-going close collaboration, noting that "This project has been tailored to the needs identified by the Government of Nigeria. As a result, it has built a significant cadre of trained Nigerian counter-terrorism practitioners who are armed with the skills and knowledge needed to respond to the terrorism-related criminal justice challenges that Nigeria is currently facing". The Project Steering Committee was attended by representatives from the Nigerian entities who most closely worked with the project including: the Office of the National Security Advisor; Ministry of Budget and National Planning, Court of Appeal, Department of State Services, Federal Ministry of Justice, Federal High Court, Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National Assembly, National Human Rights Commission, National Judicial Institute, Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Bar Association, and Defense Headquarters. Nigeria, the European Union and UNODC have already committed to continuing this successful partnership with an EU-funded three-year counter-terrorism project starting in April 2018 which will build on and expand the work already started. Nigeria, Germany and Sweden host debate gender and corruption at COSP9 Abuja, 17th December 2021: On the 3rd day of the ongoing session of the Conference of States Parties of the United Nations Convention against Corruption in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, Nigeria, Germany, and Sweden gathered anti-corruption and gender experts to debate how corruption involves and affects men and women differently. One of the key panelists at the session, Ms. Lilian Ekeanyanwu, Head of the Technical Unit on Governance and Anticorruption Reforms (TUGAR) Nigeria pointed out the limited research on gender and corruption give strong indications of divergent experiences and disproportionate impact of corruption on women in relation to men. Presenting some of the findings from the UNODC Gender and Corruption in Nigeria Study, Ms. Ekeanyanwu highlighted that 35% of men and 24% of women who came into contact with a public official between July 2018 and June 2019 ended up being requested and, in most cases, paid a bribe. Consistent with what occurs in other countries, women seemed to experience corruption differently, and sometimes more drastically than men. Women, in particular young women and girls are also subject to sextortion when their bodies become the means of payment. While the prevalence of this particularly insidious form of corruption was more complex to establish due to the related stigma, the report found that close to 70% of the respondents, both women and men thought that sextortion was either very or fairly frequent. Most revealing, however, were the findings relating to the likelihood of male vs. female public officials engaging in bribe seeking behavior. Taking into account the existing gender gap in most public institutions, the data clearly indicated that female public officials are consistently less likely to engage in corruption than their male counterparts. Ms. Monika Bauhr, Associate Professor, Quality of Government (QoG) institute, University of Gothenburg, Sweden explained why women in elected office reduce corruption levels from the In her research published in the Oxford handbook on the Quality of Government, she found that women were typically more risk adverse and often more focused on the public good and welfare. Also, being outsiders in most male dominated environments insulated them to some extent from becoming part of corrupt networks. She also pointed out that besides the strong association between women in elected office and lower corruption levels, corruption can be an obstacle to the recruitment of women which needs to be urgently addressed to encourage more women representation on office. Ms. Ekeanyanwu also pointed out some of the missed opportunities in gender-sensitive language in the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) as well as the implementation review mechanism. She also urged for the introduction of gender- sensitive anti-corruption policies and programming in as well as for the gender disaggregation of data in the review of countries implementation of the requirements of the Convention. H.E Ambassador Ehab Fawzy, Deputy Executive Director of the Women Development Organisation stated that If we want to achieve our SDGs we need to work on corruption and the empowerment of women. We need to build gender responsive mechanisms to help women play a role in all public policies. According to the Moderator of the event, Mr. Daniel Kempken, Senior Advisor, Rule of Law and Anti-corruption at the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development, Germany the UNGASS declaration has established the global commitment for increased focus on the interlinkages between gender and corruption and the Sharm-El-Sheikh declaration reiterates this commitment. Link to video interview on gender and corruption https://twitter.com/un_vienna/status/1471195020791369741?s=24 Nigeria Police partners with UNODC and the EU to safeguard frontline officers against COVID-19 pandemic Tweet On Friday 8th May, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes, the Nigeria Police Force, and the European Union, launched new Guidelines for Policing During the COVID-19 Emergency, tailored specifically for the Nigerian context. Based on guidance provided by the World Health Organization, INTERPOL, and other leading international experts, these Guidelines set out practical steps that officers can take to reduce their risk of infection while working to prevent the spread of this disease and to protect the public from criminal activity. 10,000 copies of the new Guidelines, printed in booklet form, are being distributed to frontline officers. Around the world, Police officers, whose duties bring them in close and frequent contact with members of the public, have suffered disproportionately from the COVID-19 virus. Sadly, in Nigeria the virus has already claimed the life of Deputy Commissioner of Police Francis Bissong, Head of the Zonal Criminal Investigation Department in Benin. By following the practical advice contained in these Guidelines, especially simple steps like wearing personal protective equipment, maintaining social distancing, and frequently washing hands, it is hoped that officers will be able undertake their duties in greater confidence and safety. Launching the Guidelines UNODC Country Representative Oliver Stolpe said: We often ask our police officers to take tremendous risks on our behalf, and the COVID-19 crisis is no exception. Police officers in Nigeria are serving on the frontline in the fight against this virus and are often the first representatives of the state that the sick can turn to for help. We owe it to them to do everything in our power to enable them to go about their duties in as safe a manner as possible in such troubled times. We trust that these Guidelines will be a significant step towards achieving this goal. EU Ambassador Ketil Karlsen also welcomed the initiative: Raising awareness to limit the spread of the disease is of paramount importance. Along with health professionals, Nigerian law enforcement organizations are at the forefront of the COVID-19 response. By supporting the publication and distribution of these new Guidelines, the EU would like to contribute to safer working conditions for Nigerian police officers. Finally, the Inspector General of Police Mohammed Adamu extended his personal thanks and gratitude to UNODC and the European Union for their assistance: I would like to thank our international partners for working with us to prepare these Guidelines, my officers are doing a top notch job during this crisis and anything that helps them to stay safe while serving the public makes a tremendous contribution to the national effort to eradicate COVID-19. Nigeria Police Force Guidelines for Policing During the COVID-19 Emergency Subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Twitter to stay informed about UNODC work in Nigeria DAKAR, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Twenty-three illegal migrants died after a boat loaded with migrants heading for Europe sank at the coast of Saint-Louis, in northern Senegal, Senegalese media reported on Wednesday. A boat carrying illegal migrants capsized in the sea before stranding off the coast of Saint-Louis on Wednesday, reported the Senegalese News Agency citing firefighting sources, adding that 23 bodies were found. Rescue operations are still underway to find survivors among the 280 people who boarded this boat from Joal, firefighters said. The national navy was called to conduct search, added the same sources. Piloting drug treatment and counseling in Nigerian prisons UNODC is collaborating with the Nigeria Prisons Service (NPS) and the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) to support the provision of treatment and counseling services for inmates with drug use problems in Nigerian prisons. This initiative is part of activities under the European Union funded project, Response to Drugs and Related Organized Crime in Nigeria, being implemented by UNODC. The pilot program is expected to commence in one prison in September 2015 and lessons from the pilot will be applied to scale up services to other prisons in the country. Under the initiative, UNODC will provide multi-level support for drug dependence treatment, including, among others, sensitization activities, training of staff, including doctors and counselors, upgrade of a "halfway home" for prisoners who have been through the drug treatment program, and development of a drug dependence treatment model. The staff who will be trained under the program will in turn train other staff in their respective prisons. To ensure standardization of services, in line with international best practices, UNODC and FMOH are currently working with the NPS health and welfare department to develop a treatment model based on approaches that have worked in prison settings in other countries. "Just doing things is not enough; we really need to do things that are evidence-based. In developing a model for drug treatment in Nigerian prisons we are considering what works and what does not work in other prison settings and adapting these to local conditions," said Kevin Knight, a leading expert in the provision of drug treatment services and a UNODC consultant helping to develop the treatment model. In 2014, UNODC conducted a rapid assessment of selected prisons in Nigeria, which examined available services, health and living conditions, inflow and outflow of inmates, and other parameters. Among other issues, the assessment revealed overcrowding in some prisons, poor health and infrastructure facilities and non-availability of treatment services for drug abuse related problems. It recommended that drug use treatment services be introduced as part of the existing healthcare services. According to Dr. Adewale Oloyede, a former Comptroller-General of Prisons and a consultant with UNODC who undertook the assessment, "Possession and use of narcotics is forbidden in the prison but sometimes hard drugs get smuggled into the prison. There are also inmates who had drug abuse problems before being admitted into the prison. It is therefore necessary to target drug demand reduction services at prison inmates. Except for occasional health talks on drug abuse, there is no specialized program that addresses drug abuse in Nigerian prisons." For more information, please contact: James Ayodele, Outreach and Communications Officer, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Tel: 234 701 683 9159, 234 802 976 8649, E-mail: james.ayodele@unodc.org Prevention, cooperation and other measures While the number of Nigerian migrants smuggled and trafficking into Europe is still high, the level of successful prosecutions and convictions of smugglers and traffickers remains low in Nigeria and in the countries of destination. This is partly due to insufficient and ineffective judicial cooperation between Nigeria and European countries, with skepticism and distrust inhibiting practitioners from working together across national borders. Since 2018, UNODC has been supporting the deployment of two Nigerian liaison prosecutors to Italy and Spain, to establish a direct channel of communication between these countries to better handle and to overcome obstacles to request for mutual legal assistance regarding smuggling of migrants and trafficking in persons. Since the deployments in Italy and Spain, the Nigerian liaison magistrates have worked closely with Italian and Spanish prosecutors on over 35 cases involving Nigerian criminal networks and/or Nigerian victims. This cooperation has already shown some encouraging results in shortening the channels of communication, in improving the understanding of respective legal, institutional, procedural frameworks as well as the nature and type of criminal networks, and in building trust between prosecutors and law enforcement officers from different countries. Promoting Better Management of Migration in Nigeria (2011 - 2018) The 'Promoting Better Management of Migration in Nigeria' project supported by the European Union under the 10th European Development Fund and implemented by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) commenced in July 2011 and ended in January 2018. UNODC's implementation approach on the project cut across the 4 'P's approach of Prevention, Protection, Prosecution and Policy. The overall goal of the project was to support the Government of Nigeria to curb irregular migration by combating and reducing Trafficking In Persons (TIP) and Smuggling of Migrants (SOM). The project was implemented in partnership with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking In Persons (NAPTIP), the main national partner as well as the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and the Network of Civil Society Organisations Against Child Trafficking, Abuse and Labour (NACTAL). These partners played critical roles in the project implementation in particular in the area of improved policy and institutional measures as well as in catalysing public support and involvement to help prevent and protect the impact of human trafficking on the victims, their families and to prosecute their traffickers. Significant achievement was recorded in 2015 with the Presidential assent given to two major laws supported by the project namely the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act, 2015, which repealed the former Act and renamed the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and the Immigration Amendment Act, 2015. The latter replaced the moribund Immigration Act of 1963 and aims to establish a legal framework that reflects existing modern migration management and border management whilst establishing provisions on and strict penalties for migrant smuggling. Aside from the significant achievement on the legislative framework, other major milestones provided for national partners include, amongst others, institution building support, skills and knowledge enhancement of personnel, development of institutional instruments and massive awareness campaigns including through short films. The project created awareness about the perils of irregular migration as well as on the the need for increase interventions towards preventing trafficking in persons and migrant smuggling, protecting the victims and prosecuting the perpetrators of this crime. Capacity Building for NAPTIP's Implementation of the Action Plan against Human Trafficking (project NGA/S84) Nature and Scope Nigeria is a source, transit and destination country of human trafficking with a reported increase of the problem over recent years. Internal trafficking, mostly from rural to urban areas persist. Nigerians have established criminal groups in destination countries such as Italy, Spain, The Netherlands, and Saudi Arabia etc. Nigerian women constitute a higher percentage of vulnerable sex workers in Italy, The Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland, Swiss, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Libya etc. Figures clearly shows Nigerian prostitutes are at the lowest level - this simply means less paid and working in hazardous conditions Nigeria became signatory to the Transnational Organized Convention and its Trafficking in Persons Protocol on 13 December, 2000. Article 5 of the said Trafficking Protocol enjoins State parties to crimininalize practices and conducts that subject human beings to all forms of exploitation which includes in the minimum sexual and labour exploitation. The Bill was subsequently passed by the National Assembly on 7 July, 2003, and Presidential assent given on the 14 July, 2003. The Law seeks to address trafficking in persons with its associated problems by creating National Agency for Prohibition of Traffic in Persons and Other Related Matters (NAPTIP), a specific multi-disciplinary crime fighting agency to address them. NAPTIP came into being on 26 August, 2003 has been recorded remarkable success to address the issue of trafficking. The Nigerian National Plan of Action against Human Trafficking, developed over 2006 with United Nations Office on Drug and Crime (UNODC) support, saw adoption of the Federal Executive Council in the fall of 2008. UNODC's response to human trafficking The project provides support to NAPTIP on the on-going capacity development, through the creation of a training strategy and start larger training programme, mainly in enforcement and judicial matters for NAPTIP staff and other involved national agencies and through the provision of expert support for the implementation of NAPTIP Action Plan. It also facilitates NAPTIP's conduct of awareness campaigns in priority states of Nigeria through provision of expert services, training and information material for civil society organizations to sustain their local campaigns. The project also provides for the maintenance of a donor coordination network on human trafficking and related matters in Nigeria, which UNODC/CONIG is undertaking, for gradual hand-over to NAPTIP as of 2011. Activities: 1- 3-day programme on digital evidence for law enforcement A 3-day training workshop was organized by NAPTIP in collaboration with Dutch Police of the Netherlands on Digital Evidence for NAPTIP and Other Law Enforcement Officers from 23 -26 September, 2009 in Abuja. The meeting witnessed dignitaries like Ambassadors from Finland and the Netherlands. Representatives from the following Embassies like the United States, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the French as well as the Country Representative, UNODC. The Honorable Attorney General of Federation and Minister of Justice, the Honorable Judges of High Court from Benue and Edo State, the Executive Secretary, NAPTIP. 3- Start of Human Trafficking -Training Needs Assessment The National Agency for Prohibition of Traffic in Persons (NAPTIP) gathered a pool of experts from the agency, Nigeria Immigration Service, Police Force, Network of Civil Society Organizations Against Child Trafficking Abuse and Labour (NACTAL), the academia and UNODC, in the UN House from 11- 13 October to start the national HT training needs assessment and training strategy development. The group developed a work plan and timetable for the assessment and developed a matrix and questionnaire for information gathering from all relevant counterparts in the coming weeks. Review meetings of the group are scheduled throughout November, and results of the assessments are to lead to the drafting of a national training strategy in 2011. This is to provide the basis for a more coordinated and prioritized provision of training to NAPTIP and other stakeholders in the area of human trafficking and related problems. 4- Child Witch Stigmatization in Nasarawa state NAPTIP in collaboration with UNODC, UNICEF and the Governments of Switzerland, UK and Finland organized a sensitization and capacity building workshop on 11 - 12 November child witch stigmatization practices in Nasarawa State. The workshop reviewed the existing legislative framework on protection of children's rights and considered a real life case of a 14 year old victim. The victim was branded a witch by her father who disfigured her with acid. Stakeholders resolved to, apprehend and charge the alleged perpetrator and provide protection/assistance to the girl. They also agreed to work in greater cooperation to establish a children rights protection network, undertake more sensitization on this practice, and strengthen the prosecution of cases. The workshop drew high level participation from governmental and non-governmental stakeholders who applauded the state for its passage of the Child Rights Law. Strengthening Nigerias response to the trafficking of wildlife and forestry products The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), with the support of the Government of Germany, is supporting the Government of Nigeria to tackle the rising incidences of wildlife crime in Nigeria through the Project Strengthening Nigerias Response to the Trafficking of Wildlife and Forest Products Phase II. The project primarily partners with the Federal Ministry of Environment, the Nigeria Customs Service, the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), and various law enforcement agencies and civil society organizations. The phase II project follows on from the first phase of the Project which was between the period of June 2020 to December 2023. A key deliverable under the first phase was the development of Nigerias first ever National Strategy to Combat Wildlife and Forest Crime in Nigeria. The experience in implementing Phase I of the project indicated a need to increase regional and inter-regional cooperation considering the strong transnational dimension of wildlife trafficking in Nigeria. It also highlighted the need to improve inter-agency cooperation to ensure enhanced implementation of the National Strategy to Combat Wildlife and Forest Crime in Nigeria 2022-2026 and effective utilisation of resources. Moreover, it underlined the need to further strengthen the capacity of key frontline wildlife law enforcement agencies like the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) which is recognised as a CITES enforcement authority but has limited law enforcement capacity and training. There is also a need to strengthen the prosecutorial and adjudicatory capacity of the wildlife crime justice system in Nigeria and reinforce the implementation of the corruption risk mitigation strategies developed for four frontline wildlife agencies. All these components are highlighted in the National Strategy. The Phase II project seeks to support the implementation of this strategy and adopting a transnational organised crime approach to the prevention and disruption of wildlife crime in Nigeria, strengthening Nigerias capacity to conduct regional and inter-regional investigations and prosecutions of wildlife traffickers. This objective will be achieved through the following outcomes: Strengthening Womens Role in Counter-Terrorism Tweet International Womens Day provides an opportunity to also reflect on how women and men can be differently impacted by terrorism. UN Secretary-General, Mr. Antonio Guterres, recently reminded United Nations Member States in his Call to Action for Human Rights, that misogyny is a common feature of violent extremism and this has been especially true in the conflict in North East Nigeria. Between 2009 and 2017 the United Nations recorded some 7,000 incidents of sexual violence against women and girls committed by members of Boko Haram, and more cases have come to light each year since. The effects of sexual and gender-based violence on the victims, and their families, can be devastating. It is a cruel and brutal weapon of war and terror that is emphatically repudiated by international law. While efforts have been made to bring offenders to justice in January the Federal High Court sentenced a man found guilty of having played a role in the abduction of the Chibok girls to 35 years imprisonment - much more can and needs to be done to hold terrorists accountable specifically for violating womens and girls rights. To address these issues, the National Association of Women Judges of Nigeria (NAWJN) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime have been hosting a series of workshops highlighting the critical role the protection of womens rights and gender equality must play in criminal justice responses to terrorism. The aim of this initiative funded by the European Union is to help criminal justice professionals to adopt gender-sensitive practices throughout the investigation, prosecution and adjudication of terrorism cases in order to protect victims rights, encourage reporting of these crimes, and prevent secondary victimisation when women and girls victims of Boko Haram come into contact with the judicial system. To date, workshops have been held in Abuja, Port Harcourt, Gombe and Owerri, and have been attended by female judges, prosecutors, and defence counsels from across the North-East, South-South, South-East and the FCT. Further workshops are planned in the weeks ahead. These workshops draw heavily on UNODCs new Nigeria Training Module on Gender Dimensions of Criminal Justice Responses to Terrorism, produced in partnership with the European Union, the Federal Ministry of Justice and the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, which was launched in December 2019. This training tool has been tailored specifically to the Nigerian context and has been developed jointly by Nigerian and international experts. The response from the legal professionals attending these workshops has been enthusiastic. Hon. Justice Esther Lolo, High Court Judge and Executive Secretary of NAWJN, highlighted the important role played by the workshops in embedding gender dimensions in the criminal justice system in the fight against terrorism: NAWJN are delighted to be partnering UNODC in the delivery of this highly important and far-reaching initiative. The workshops reflect our joint commitment to integrate gender rights and perspectives throughout the criminal justice system in its response to terrorism and other related crimes, and to ensure that the criminal justice system responds effectively, sensitively and passionately to the gender needs of the people whom it serves. The participants have been particularly enthused by the practical and relevant nature of the training and the training module on which it is based; some participants have already informed us that they have started putting the lessons learned from the workshops to practical use while others said they will be using the lessons learnt. NAWJN sees the workshops as an integral step in promoting and furthering the practical embodiment of gender rights throughout the criminal justice system in the fight against terrorism. The Head of the European Union Delegation to Nigeria and to ECOWAS, Ambassador Ketil Karlsen, emphasized the importance that the European Union places on the provision of assistance of this kind: Through its long-standing support to the UNODC Criminal Justice programme, the EU contributes to promoting peace and security in Nigeria through a gender perspective. The EU Strategic Approach to Women, Peace and Security (WPS), aims to ensure that women and girls from all backgrounds can participate and shape all matters related to peace and security from conflict prevention to conflict resolution, as well as to prevent and protect from conflict-related violence including sexual and gender-related violence. UNODC Country Representative Oliver Stolpe recalled that in 2020 we celebrate the 20th anniversary of the United Nations Security Council resolution 1325 (2000), which stresses the importance of womens contribution to peace and security and sets forth an ambitious agenda to promote gender equality and enhance the rights, participation and protection of women in conflict and post-conflict situations. He recognized the Nigerian authorities commitment to addressing gender concerns: UNODC is greatly encouraged by the Government of Nigerias recognition of the core role of women and girls as actors in preventing and countering violent extremism through its National Action Plan to implement resolution 1325 and the Policy Framework and National Action Plan for Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism, and its efforts to mainstream gender throughout the criminal justice system more broadly. Still, more remains to be done to address the scourge of terrorism in Nigeria, by holding those responsible for committing acts of terrorism and to support access to justice for victims in a gender-sensitive manner. We are very pleased to be able to support together with the European Union our Nigerian partners efforts in this struggle. Subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Twitter to stay informed about UNODC work in Nigeria United Nations day commemorated in grand style in Abuja Resident Coordinator, Mr. Daouda Toure and staff members of the United Nations System in Nigeria commemorated the UN Day with a colourful parade and grand reception at the UN House in Abuja on Friday, 29 October 2010. Among the dignitaries at the special event were the Nigerian Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Dein Ajumogobia, Professor Dorah Akunyili of Information and Communications, other senior Nigerian government officials, diplomats, representatives of international development agencies and civil society organizations. In his welcome address, Mr. Toure congratulated the President and citizens of Nigeria on the country's 50th anniversary of independence and thanked the Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs for ensuring that the event was a joint U N - Nigeria commemoration. The Resident Coordinator said "...today we are also celebrating the 50th anniversary of Nigeria's membership in the UN and its immeasurable contributions to the organisation". Mr. Toure also stated that Nigeria's membership in UN has been marked from its earliest days by her commitment to the organizations peacekeeping efforts. "Only a few months after its accession to the UN, Nigeria deployed a contingent of peacekeepers to the Democratic Republic of Congo. Nigeria has not looked back since and has been a major contributor of peacekeeping forces from Bosnia to Cambodia, and particularly in Africa. There are over 6,000 Nigerian peacekeepers deployed around the world today". In his speech at the event, the Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs said the event was an opportunity for him to reiterate Nigeria's resolve and commitment to the Millennium Development Goals. Mr Ajumogobia disclosed that "...Nigeria has made much progress in some aspects of this very important endeavour", adding that "child and maternal mortality rates, for example, have been lowered and the national HIV/AIDS prevalence rate has dropped". The honourable Minister also drew attention to "President Jonathan's consistent appeal to the United Nations to take firmer action to control the illicit trade in the proliferation of small arms and light weapons... giving their role in the exacerbation of crisis and conflicts in Africa" Commenting on the on-going reform of the United Nations system, Mr. Ajumogobia said the exercise "...must be a priority for our esteemed organisation. A world in which the entire continents of Africa and South America representing close to 25% of the world's population are not represented in the permanent membership category of the Security Council is clearly undemocratic and contradicts a part of the UN's ethos in actively promoting democracy across the world". The President of the Federation of United Nations Staff Association in Nigeria (FUNSAN), Ms. Uzoma Ihedirimadu-Abudu also spoke at the event. A colourful guard of honour inspected by Messrs Toure, Ajumogobia and Professor Akunyili was mounted by Nigerian UN Peacekeepers, who also treated guests to a military demonstration parade at the special event, which opened with the hoisting of the UN and Nigerian flags by the Resident Coordinator and the Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs. Video 1 Video 2 Video 3 Video 4 UNODC trains NAPTIP investigators and prosecutors on human trafficking case management practices Lagos, 3rd December 2021- Successful investigation and prosecution trafficking in persons (TIP) depend on proper identification which in turn requires adequate knowledge of TIP concepts, skills and the utilization of appropriate investigative techniques and approaches. Strong coordination between investigators and prosecutors is essential in every TIP case to ensure victims access justice and increase the rate of convictions. At the Side Event to the High-level meeting of the UN General Assembly on the appraisal of the Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons in November 2021, the Director-General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) Dr. Fatima Waziri-Azi made reference to the newest edition of the UNODC Global Report on Trafficking in Persons. She highlighted that the reports analysis of court case summaries, showed that Sub-Saharan Africa still have the lowest rates in convictions and victim identification. She therefore called upon UNODC to further investigate cases from African countries to help NAPTIP improving its law enforcement responses at national and regional levels. In a response to this call, UNODC trained 25 NAPTIP investigators and prosecutors on case management practices from the 30th November to 2nd December 2021 within the project Strengthening Nigerias Criminal Justice Response to Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants (PROMIS Nigeria), funded by the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The training focused on a broad range of topics, including: strengthening the coordination between investigators and prosecutors; analysis of four closed NAPTIP cases and limitations of prosecuting under the previous Trafficking In Persons (Prohibition) Law Enforcement and Administration Act of 2003. Participants at the training appreciated the practical approach of the sessions and agreed going forward on a few things such as: holding case team meetings before, during, and after every case to ensure an air-tight case; testing the admissibility of electronic evidence in court especially for cases regarding minors; building trust and integrity amongst case teams; and having, statements for victims and suspects verbatim rather than written in processed English which could be discredited in court. UN/Austria Symposium 2024 Climate action: transforming space-based technology projects into sustainable services that support policy-making 17 and 18 July 2024 Graz, Austria & Online Click here to register or submit abstract Important dates Deadline for submission of abstract: 7 April 2024 Deadline for registration to attend in person: 14 April 2024 Deadline for registration to attend online: 10 July 2024 Theme Space applications and technologies have significant potential to contribute to mitigating and adapting to the effects of climate change. Every year there are demonstrations of new innovative technologies and launches of pilot projects that promise to address issues of forest fires, land degradation, floods, droughts, loss of biodiversity, agriculture, disaster management and more. Yet, many of these projects struggle to take off or fail to achieve long-term success. Beyond technical feasibility in the transition from a technical project to a sustainable service is a lack of understanding of how to make it happen. Technical innovation without effective implementation does not lead to meaningful change. Taking the right steps to transform a technical project into a sustainable service with tangible measurable impact on people's lives is essential to ensure that those who need solutions are empowered and those who can help do so in a financially viable and responsible way. Successful cases integrate and manage social, financial, political and regulatory dynamics to accelerate the transformation. The UN/Austria Symposium 2024 aims to bridge the gap between space applications and technologies providers, users and wider community. It aims to provide a diverse and inclusive multi-stakeholder platform to raise awareness of the challenges in transiting from a technical project into a sustainable service and facilitate knowledge exchange and sharing of lessons on how to successfully do so. The symposium in Graz will offer a possibility to share lessons learnt and success factors in transforming projects into sustainable services for climate action. The presentations and discussions will address the role of governmental support, financing, capacity building, users empowerment, impact measurement metrics, amongst others. Successful case studies from various countries and organisations will also be discussed. The symposium aims to stimulate cross-fertilization of ideas and experience among policy makers, service providers, the private sector, academia and user communities and foster collaborations among different groups. Objectives The symposium has the following objectives: To demonstrate how initiatives based on space applications have been successfully developed and implemented in different countries. To promote the exchange of best practices in transforming technical projects into sustainable services that have measurable impact and meet the demand and needs of developing countries in mitigating and adapting to climate change. To share experiences and explore how space-based services can be used to comply with or support policies about climate action according to national priorities. To present available toolboxes that have already been implemented through case studies or pilot projects at a country level to comply with regulations related to climate action, with the aim of encouraging the adoption of tested tools and approaches. To raise awareness of the Space for Climate Observatory (SCO), relevant space-related activities, services and cooperation programmes among different user groups, in particular government officials, the diplomatic community, UN and international agencies as well as non-governmental organisations. Create opportunities for cooperation and collaboration with funding organisations and international organisations. To report to the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space through the Scientific and Technical Sub-committee. Programme The programme includes: Keynote presentations: given by invited speakers. Panel discussions: roundtables during which speakers give a short presentation, followed by a moderated discussion among speakers and Q&A with the audience. Country case: a panel discussion focusing on a particular country. Video pitches: short presentations introducing specific projects or initiatives in less than 3 minutes. Social events: evening receptions, as well as a guided tour of the city of Graz (TBC). Networking opportunities. A detailed programme will be released in June 2024. The symposium will discuss the following sub-themes. 1. Funding and financing Most technical projects depend directly or indirectly, in part or in full, on public funding, especially in their initial stage. How can long-term financing by achieved? How can public-private-partnership be successful? In the long run, the organisation running the project has to be financially viable to ensure its own long-term survival, which necessitates a sound business model. Different financing sources and options are available at different stages of the business cycle, hence the optimal type of financing may change as a project transitions into a service. Speakers will share their experiences in transiting from a pilot project into a successful service. Financial experts will give us an overview of the different types of financing, and a more in-depth understanding of what model works best under what circumstances. 2. Users engagement and capacity building Many innovations including space data are looking for a problem to solve. How do we engage users at the initial stage of development to ensure that the solution addresses their specific needs? Beyond simply supplying data, how do we ensure that end users are capable of reading, interpreting, and utilizing the information they need on the ground? Instead of being a one-off project, how do we ensure continued sustained support to the user communities to ensure that benefits are reaped in the long run? Speakers will share their success in engaging users and capacity building approaches, common drivers of success, practical ways to identify, define and address local needs and advice for other practitioners. 3. Making success visible Impacts of projects are often not measured, or not well measured, and typically not well-communicated to the public. How does a successfully implemented project look like? How can we measure short term and long term impact? What are effective ways to communicate success? How can successful scaling of a project expand the user base? How to expand and adopt an inclusive approach, in particular taking into account the voices of marginalized groups. Speakers will explain success factors, share lessons learnt of impact-oriented approaches, and accompanying monitoring and evaluation methods. 4. Role of governments and intergovernmental agencies Governments play a key role as users and enablers. From national climate policies, multi-year workplan, economic incentives and ecosystem, to education, skills building, and support to employment in climate-related fields, what are the different roles of national, regional and international collaborations in successful initiatives? How can intergovernmental organisations promote cooperation between technology providers and users, sharing knowledge and fostering best practices? Speakers will share their approaches in supporting user uptake and integration of space solutions within different policy areas. Dates and Venue The symposium will be held from 17 to 18 July 2024 in Graz, Austria, as well as online via Webex. The venue is Graz University of Technology, Inffeldgasse 12, 8010 Graz, Austria. Call for Abstracts The UN/Austria Symposium invites you to submit abstracts for consideration. Please submit the abstract within the registration form before 7 April 2024. Late submissions will not be considered. This year the symposium will focus on how space-based technology projects progress into successful services. The abstract should be in line with the main theme of the symposium and linked to the symposium's sub-themes. When submitting abstracts for this symposium, please note that: Presentation of successful implementations and lessons learnt are strongly encouraged. Abstracts reporting on activities that have already taken place and have concrete results will be given preference over those primarily focused on theories, concepts and plans for the future. Abstracts covering topics/activities which have been presented at a prior UN/Austria Symposium must state this explicitly and detail both the additional information to be presented and the added value that this represents. Registration Click here to register. Deadline for submission of abstract: 7 April 2024 Deadline for registration to attend in person: 14 April 2024 Deadline for registration to attend online: 10 July 2024 Those interested to participate in person will be selected up to the maximum capacity of the room, based on relevant professional and/or academic experience. Expected Participants The symposium is aimed at members of the diplomatic community, intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations, research and development institutions, policy and decision-makers, the private sector, senior experts, scientists, engineers and university educators, especially from developing countries. Representatives from the various permanent missions of United Nations Member States in Vienna will be invited to the symposium, along with representatives from various United Nations agencies and other international organisations, with the aim of promoting dialogue not only between policy-makers but also with the private sector and end-users. Representatives from the space applications industry are also welcome to attend. The Office for Outer Space Affairs is committed to supporting gender mainstreaming in its programmes and advocates for balanced representation from different perspectives. Practical information for in-person attendance > SYMPOSIUM VENUE The symposium will take place at Graz University of Technology, Institute of Communication Networks and Satellite Communications, in Lecture Hall I 2, on the ground floor. Graz University of Technology Institute of Communication Networks and Satellite Communications Lecture hall I 2 (access from Sandgasse 38) Inffeldgasse 12 8010 Graz, Austria > HOW TO GET TO THE SYMPOSIUM VENUE Arrival by car - From north or south: via A9 Phyrn-Autobahn until junction Graz-West, then A2 Sudautobahn in direction Vienna, further see below - From east or west: A2 Sudautobahn to junction Graz-Ost, then feeder road to exit Graz-Liebenau, then right into Munzgrabenstrae, approximately 2km, then right into Sandgasse to parking lot Sandgasse 38 Arrival by plane - Nearest airport: Graz-Thalerhof: the journey by cab takes about 30 min. Arrival by train - Nearest train station: Graz-Hauptbahnhof: take tram line 6 in the direction of St. Peter to the station Schulzentrum St. Peter. Then walk along Inffeldgasse (west) to the campus. The institute (Inffeldgasse 12) is located on the right, northern side behind the new study center. > ACCOMMODATION Participants are encouraged to book their hotel room at Ibis Styles Graz Messe. > MEALS Lunches on day 1 and 2 of the symposium will be provided at the canteen in the Graz University of Technology. In the evening of 16 July, there will be a reception hosted by the Mayor of Graz at the City Hall. In the evening of 17 July, there will be a reception hosted by the Governor of Styria at the Orangerie at the Burggarten. Lunches and receptions are offered to all in-person participants free-of-charge. > ABOUT GRAZ Graz is the capital city of the Austrian province of Styria and the second-largest city in Austria, after Vienna. As a university city more than 45.000 students are living in Graz. The old city of Graz and the castle Schloss Eggenberg are since 1999 and 2010 respectively UNESCO-world cultural heritage sights. Graz was designated the Cultural Capital of Europe in 2003, became a City of Culinary Delights in 2008, and is also recognized as a UNESCO City of Design within the Creative Cities Network. Please refer to the Graz Tourism for more information. Background The UN/Austria Symposium has taken place in Graz, Austria, since 1994. It is an activity of the Programme of Space Applications of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs. Since the first symposium entitled "Enhancing Social, Economic and Environmental Security through Space Technology", more than 5,102 participants have attended the events. They addressed a variety of themes, ranging from security to youth, as well as the use of space for sustainable development, space accessibility, and international cooperation. This year's symposium will be the 30 th edition of this long-standing series. The symposia series has provided a forum for discussion between different stakeholder groups of the wider space community, including the diplomatic community, the private sector and academia, as well as UN entities. The main purpose of the symposia remains to enable discussions and learning on the use of space tools and applications, with an interdisciplinary viewpoint, addressing technology development and policymaking. Since 2020, the symposium engages in a series focusing on using space technologies, data and applications to address the unprecedented challenges posed by climate change, and in support of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 13: Climate Action. Working methods Speakers at the symposium are requested to deliver an oral presentation or a demonstration of a tool in-person in Graz, Austria. Remote presentation will not be considered. Presentations made at the symposium will be published on the website of the Office for Outer Space Affairs (www.unoosa.org) prior to the symposium to facilitate the engagement of participants. Language The working language of the symposium is English. Financial support Within the limited financial resources available, the United Nations may provide funding for individuals selected as speaker and whose nationality is classified as a developing country. Speakers will be selected on a competitive basis, depending on their nationality and relevant professional or educational background. The UN will provide a round-trip air-ticket - most economic fare - between the airport of international departure in their home country and Graz and/or hotel room and board expenses for the duration of the symposium. For the list of developing countries, please refer to the annex of the "World Economic Situation and Prospects 2024" report, available at https://desapublications.un.org/publications/world-economic-situation-and-prospects-2024. Successful applicants will be notified by May 2024. Health insurance Health insurance for each of the selected participants attending in person is necessary and is the responsibility of the participant or his/her institution or government. UNOOSA will not assume any responsibility for life and health insurance, nor for expenses related to medical treatment or accidents. Sponsorship The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs and Austria are responsible for organising the Symposium. It is supported by the Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs, the Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology, the European Space Agency, AUSTROSPACE, the City of Graz, the Province of Styria, JOANNEUM RESEARCH and the Graz University of Technology. Contact For additional information, please contact unoosa-events@un.org . Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune (C) welcomes visiting Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi in Algiers, Algeria, on Feb. 29, 2024. Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune on Thursday inked a number of agreements with his visiting Mozambican counterpart Filipe Nyusi to strengthen cooperation, Algeria's state-owned news agency APS reported. The agreements cover the areas of energy, plant protection, agricultural quarantine, animal health, and reciprocal visa exemption for holders of diplomatic and service passports, the report said. (Algerian Presidency/Handout via Xinhua) ALGIERS, Feb. 29 (Xinhua) -- Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune on Thursday inked a number of agreements with his visiting Mozambican counterpart Filipe Nyusi to strengthen cooperation, Algeria's state-owned news agency APS reported. The agreements cover the areas of energy, plant protection, agricultural quarantine, animal health, and reciprocal visa exemption for holders of diplomatic and service passports, the report said. During a joint press conference, Tebboune said that the discussions between the two leaders were focused on enhancing cooperation in energy, agriculture, scientific research, vocational training, marine fishing, and military collaboration. Tebboune further stressed Algeria's commitment to supporting Mozambique in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism. Nyusi emphasized that his visit aimed to strengthen bilateral relations and announced the establishment of a joint committee for cooperation between the two nations. He also highlighted that the two African nations hold similar positions on global issues as non-permanent members of the UN Security Council. Moreover, the leaders exchanged views on global and regional affairs, with a particular focus on the African Sahel region and the Palestinian issue. Nyusi is scheduled to attend the seventh Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum, to be held in Algiers on March 2. Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune (R) welcomes visiting Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi in Algiers, Algeria, on Feb. 29, 2024. Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune on Thursday inked a number of agreements with his visiting Mozambican counterpart Filipe Nyusi to strengthen cooperation, Algeria's state-owned news agency APS reported. The agreements cover the areas of energy, plant protection, agricultural quarantine, animal health, and reciprocal visa exemption for holders of diplomatic and service passports, the report said. (Algerian Presidency/Handout via Xinhua) Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune (R) welcomes visiting Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi in Algiers, Algeria, on Feb. 29, 2024. Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune on Thursday inked a number of agreements with his visiting Mozambican counterpart Filipe Nyusi to strengthen cooperation, Algeria's state-owned news agency APS reported. The agreements cover the areas of energy, plant protection, agricultural quarantine, animal health, and reciprocal visa exemption for holders of diplomatic and service passports, the report said. (Algerian Presidency/Handout via Xinhua) The total liquid foreign reserves of Pakistan stood at US$ 13,038.5 million in the week ended on February 23, 2024 while foreign reserves held by State Bank reached $ 7,949.6 million KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 29th Feb, 2024) The total liquid foreign reserves of Pakistan stood at US$ 13,038.5 million in the week ended on February 23, 2024 while foreign reserves held by State Bank reached $ 7,949.6 million. The State Bank of Pakistan, in a statement issued here on Thursday, informed that foreign exchange reserves held by the central bank decreased by $ 63 million to $ 7,949. 6 million due to debt repayments during the week under review. Meanwhile net foreign reserves held by commercial banks stood at $ 5,088.9 million. Total liquid foreign reserves held by the country, in the previous week ended on February 16, 2024, were $ 13,097.8 million. Among them foreign reserves held by the central bank were $ 8,012.8 million while net foreign reserves held by commercial banks were $ 5,085 million. Rio de Janeiro, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 29th Feb, 2024) Nearly 3,000 forest fires were registered in the Brazilian Amazon this month, the highest for any February since records began in 1999, and made more likely by climate change, according to experts. Brazil's INPE space research institute said Wednesday its satellites had picked up 2,940 fires so far this month, 67 percent more than the previous high of 1,761 recorded in February 2007 and four times more than in the same month last year. "The climate factor certainly plays a fundamental role in this anomaly," Ane Alencar, scientific director of the IPAM Amazonia research institute, told AFP. The northern part of the rainforest was hardest hit, particularly the state of Roraima, home to the Yanomami Indigenous reserve. "We have seen the Earth break... temperature records. Every year is the hottest year and this has a synergy with climate phenomena" such as droughts, said Alencar. Drought devastated the Brazilian Amazon between June and November last year, stoking huge fires, reducing or wiping out major water reserves, wreaking havoc with wildlife and affecting millions of people. A study last month by the World Weather Attribution (WWA) said climate change was the main driver of the "exceptional drought" in the world's largest rainforest. The WWA is a scientific project that seeks to quantify how climate change influences the intensity and likelihood of a particular extreme weather event. Such environmental "stress," said Alencar, "generates all the necessary conditions for each fire to become a large fire," adding that some of the blazes may have been the result of forest clearing for agriculture. Drought devastated the Brazilian Amazon between June and November last year, stoking huge fires, reducing or wiping out major water reserves, wreaking havoc with wildlife and affecting millions of people. A study last month by the World Weather Attribution (WWA) said climate change was the main driver of the "exceptional drought" in the world's largest rainforest. The WWA is a scientific project that seeks to quantify how climate change influences the intensity and likelihood of a particular extreme weather event. Such environmental "stress," said Alencar, "generates all the necessary conditions for each fire to become a large fire," adding that some of the blazes may have been the result of forest clearing for agriculture. (@FahadShabbir) Langkawi, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 29th Feb, 2024) Norway's King Harald V, aged 87 and in poor health, is "improving" from an infection that forced him to be hospitalised while on holiday in Malaysia, according to his office. The king will remain in hospital on the island of Langkawi and it is not yet known when he will return home, the Royal House of Norway said in a statement Wednesday. The king's "personal physician is in Langkawi and confirms that the king is improving from his infection. His majesty is well taken care of at the hospital and is receiving good treatment," the statement said. "His majesty will remain at the hospital for a few more days. No decision has been made regarding his return home," it added. Outside the Sultanah Maliha Hospital in Langkawi a guard ushered media away from the facility as cars and motorbikes entered and left the compound, according to an AFP journalist. Malaysian state news agency Bernama said the king was staying in the hospital's royal suite, citing unnamed sources. Malaysian health ministry officials and the Norwegian embassy in Kuala Lumpur have declined to comment. The king's next work commitment was scheduled for March 8 when he was set to meet the Norwegian government cabinet in Oslo, according to the Norwegian royal court's Calendar. Those monthly meetings -- known as the Council of State -- are where new laws are agreed and signed off by the country's monarch and premier. Europe's oldest ruling monarch, who turned 87 in February, needs crutches to get around and has suffered from a series of ailments and illnesses in recent years, including heart surgery and various respiratory problems. In January, he was ill with a respiratory infection just a few days after dismissing speculation that he might abdicate, following the lead of distant cousin Queen Margrethe II in Denmark. "I stick by what I've always said, that I swore an oath to the Storting (parliament) and it is for life," said Harald, quoted by Norwegian media. In his absence, Crown Prince Haakon, 50, steps in as regent. Funding for CREA is provided by the USDA Hispanic-Serving Institutions Education Grants (HSI) Program, which was created in 2012 to strengthen innovative educational programming that prepares underrepresented students to become leaders in food, agriculture and renewable natural resource careers. Students will have the opportunity to develop research projects related to environmental justice, natural resource conservation and regenerative ecology and agriculture while applying their skills in real-world contexts alongside agricultural and ecology experts, said Amelia King-Kostelac, principal investigator of the project and assistant professor of practice in the UTSA Department of Integrative Biology. Amelia King-Kostelac Every year for the duration of the program, CREA will fund a minimum of 10 undergraduate and graduate students from UTSA and St. Philips College (SPC) to participate in experiential learning opportunities. The students will have the option to choose from a community fellow program, a study abroad experience in Veracruz, Mexico, and/or a farming internship. A highly competitive grant, the UTSA/SPC project was one of only 25 selected from across the nation to receive funding in the most recent round. The programs collaborative network includes organizations such as Estampa Verde, a nonprofit directed by Antonio Carrillo Bolea that promotes regenerative agriculture in Veracruz, Mexico; and Terra Advocati, a local nonprofit led by Jess Mayes that uses interdisciplinary approaches to support regenerative systems. Both organizations have over 20 years of experience promoting interdisciplinary regenerative ecological projects that restore the soil, water and biodiversity of an area. As the lead institution for the program, UTSA will receive most of the award, which will be directed to contracts and logistics to manage the program and to the universitys student-success initiatives. Jennifer Smith The grant team consists of faculty from UTSA and SPC who will provide students from both institutions with interdisciplinary perspectives on humanities, environmental science, regenerative agricultural and ecological practices. King-Kostelac will contribute to CREA by offering her experience in social science research methods, environmental studies, and student success, including leading and coordinating multiple student scholar programs and internships with federal agencies. Joining King-Kostelac is Jennifer Smith, assistant professor in the UTSA Department of Integrative Biology. She will lend her expertise in wildlife ecology, global change biology, private lands and natural resource management to provide opportunities for students to engage in biodiversity assessment related to regenerative agriculture and develop knowledge about the effects of land use on biodiversity. Additionally, Kenneth Walker, associate professor in the UTSA Department of English, will bring his expertise in interdisciplinary environmental communication and community-engaged research to support the programs emphasis on field methods, digital media production and place-based regenerative ecologies. Marissa Ramirez, will lead efforts at St. Philips College. An instructor of English and Mexican American Studies, she will offer her expertise in interdisciplinary, community and site-responsive cultural work to create opportunities for students to explore the intersections of art, culture, ecology and regenerative practices. Kenneth Walker The CREA program is representative of UTSAs focus on preparing students for successful careers and transdisciplinary research excellence. Our team is excited to implement this innovative program, which will support student success at both UTSA and St. Philips College and also build a network of researchers and practitioners dedicated to supporting regenerative agriculture partnerships between San Antonio, Texas, and Veracruz, Mexico, Ramirez said. CREA will provide students with unique opportunities to develop interdisciplinary scientific and humanities skills that will help them contribute to regenerative ecological work in local and international contexts, while also gaining essential hands-on technical knowledge, in-the-field data collection and applied principles of regenerative agriculture, forestry and animal husbandry, Smith added. KABUL, Feb. 29 (Xinhua) -- Heavy snowfall, rain and freezing weather have claimed nine lives and injured two others in Afghanistan over the past 48 hours, spokesman for the national disaster authority Mullah Janan Saeq said Thursday. The freezing weather with downpours and snowstorms has struck Badghis, Badakhshan, Faryab, Jawzjan, Kandahar, Helmand and Sari Pul provinces over the past two days and also killed countless cattle in some areas. About 1,000 cattle have died due to the cold spell and snowfall in the northern Faryab province. Security forces have rescued 42 people who were stranded in snowstorms on a road in Aqcha district of Jawzjan province, provincial police spokesman Abdul Sattar Halimi said. Heavy snowfall, chilly weather and heavy rain have also caused road blockade in some provinces as well as in the Salang Pass -- the essential highway connecting the national capital Kabul to nine northern provinces onward to central Asian states. The Afghan meteorological department has predicated a snowfall and scattered rains along with flash floods in 32 out of the country's 34 provinces over the next 24 hours. What is Vietnams Mining Capacity for EV Batteries? Vietnam has an abundance of high-quality nickel reserves that, in recent years, have become increasingly attractive to international mining companies. The electric vehicle explosion has engendered soaring demand for raw materials, such as nickel, which is a key component in the lithium-ion batteries that power electric motors. Now, with the combined plans of Australian mining outfit, Blackstone Minerals, and local conglomerate Vingroup, Vietnam is set to become a hub for lithium-ion battery manufacture and even EV production. From automobiles to mobile electronic devices, lithium-ion batteries have become the energy storage solution of choice for many manufacturers. Compared to other battery technology, lithium-ion battery cells are lightweight and have a higher energy density than typical lead-acid or nickel-cadmium rechargeable batteries. As a result, most plug-in hybrids and all-electric vehicles use lithium-ion batteries. But from humble beginnings, demand for electric vehicles (EVs) is now soaring, driven by increasingly climate-conscious customers, global green agendas, and sky-high fuel prices. EVs have become increasingly competitive on cost too, with brands, such as MG, selling their electric offerings for little more than the petrol version. Battery production unable to meet supply As demand for EVs soar, manufacturers are confronting a deficit in battery-production capacity. The majority of the worlds nickel is currently used in the stainless-steel industry, but that is projected to change in the coming decades, especially as EV producers turn to more energy-dense batteries that typically contain more nickel. Last year, the Germany-based Center for Automotive Research (CAR) released a report suggesting that battery cell production would not be able to meet demand until 2030. In turn, this will result in an estimated shortage of over 18.7 million electric cars between 2022 and 2029. This also means that demand for metals used in the production of batteries, including nickel, has soared. Global demand for nickel has risen steeply over the past five years and is expected to increase to 3.02 million tons in 2022, up from 2.78 million tons in 2021, according to the International Nickel Study Group (INSG). With prices going sky-high, miners are stepping up their operations to extract more nickel, but thats not proving easy. Tesla chief executive Elon Musk has even made public pleas for mining companies to source more nickel and has promised sizable, long-term contracts for those that do. Battery makers require Class 1 nickel to produce nickel sulfate this is a key ingredient used in the production of lithium-ion battery cathodes. Class 1 resources primarily come from nickel sulfide deposits that are quickly becoming depleted. New discoveries are also few and far between. Some producers have looked to nickel laterite, which is mined heavily in Indonesia and the Philippines, as an alternative to the Class 1 material. While it is more widely available, the process of upgrading the low-grade nickel laterite for battery production requires extremely energy-intensive processes. As such, its CO2 footprint is many times higher. The sensitivity of the nickel market was highlighted earlier this year when the metals spot price shot up 250 percent in a day after Russia which is one of the largest nickel producers invaded Ukraine. Nickel mining in Vietnam So where does Vietnam fit in? Vietnam is among a number of Southeast Asian nations that is touted as a future battery supply chain hub. Vietnam has a relative abundance of nickel and the surge in demand for batteries has led to the reopening of nickel mines that were not previously considered profitable. While Indonesia and the Philippines are the two top producers of nickel in the world, Vietnam is set to ramp up production, following the entry of Australian company Blackstone Minerals into the market. The ASX-listed firm took over the Ta Khoa Nickel Project (TKNP) in the countrys northern Son La province and has earmarked first production for 2025. The mine is rich in nickel, copper, cobalt, and platinum group elements. The exploration is a part of Blackstones strategy to enhance its battery-focused asset base that also includes cobalt and manganese. When fully operational, the TKNP project will have a steady-state production rate of 18,000 tons per year (t/y) of nickel recovered from 225,000 t/y of concentrate. As part of its fully integrated Vietnam business, Blackstones mining operations will be complemented by the Ta Khoa refinery project (TKR). The firm is expected to make a final investment decision on the Ta Khoa project, which would require a total capital investment of US$854 million, by early 2023. The mines contain high-grade nickel sulfide mineralization, which is in demand by the lithium-ion battery industry. Blackstone hopes the project will make it a globally significant producer of high purity NCM811 nickel-based precursor products for lithium-ion battery production. NCM811 refers to the 8:1:1 ratio of nickel, cobalt, and manganese used to create the cathodes in EV batteries. For investors, Northern Vietnam is ripe for investment and consists of well-equipped infrastructure, such as power, roads, and ports. Major EV battery manufacturers that are already in the region include LG Chem and Samsung SDI. These businesses have invested and established electronic supply chains allowing investors to tap into these networks. Lithium-ion battery production in Vietnam In December 2021, Vingroup, Vietnams largest private conglomerate, said that it had started building a US$174 million battery cell plant in Ha Tinh provinces Vung Ang Economic Zone for its VinFast electric vehicle project. The company said it is looking to produce 100,000 battery packs per year in the first phase and then upgrade its capacity to one million. Documents suggest the plant is unlikely to be fully operational until 2025. The firm already operates state-of-the-art factories for its vehicle production in Vietnam. VinFast, which may be new to many, became Vietnams first fully-fledged domestic car manufacturer when it released its gasoline-powered models in 2019. The firm has since entered into a partnership with Kreisel Electric to make batteries for electric cars and buses and is looking to take its business beyond Southeast Asia. VinFast recently announced it was investing US$2 billion in a factory in North Carolina that will enable the firm to build cars in the US too. In November, VinFast unveiled its two electric SUVs the VF e35 and VF e36 at the Los Angeles Auto Show. VinFast has also committed to installing as many as 2,000 charging stations as part of its electronification plan in Vietnams 63 cities and provinces. The move is one of a number of actions being taken by the conglomerate, which intends to bring low-cost Made-in-Vietnam green vehicles to the wider world. Takeaways While theres a dearth of supply for nickel currently, its worth noting that Vietnam isnt the only country with its sights on being a global hub in the EV industry supply chain. Indonesia, a huge producer of nickel, banned exports of nickel ore in 2020 to see more resources processed indigenously and to aid the creation of a complete EV battery supply chain. Not only does Indonesia have sizable nickel reserves, but it also has direct trade routes to China and Japan both powerful players and consumers in the battery and EV industry. Despite being a nickel powerhouse, the country isnt rich in battery-grade nickel. As demand for EVs continues to rise, they are likely to become a mainstay in Vietnam and beyond. Vietnam, along with its regional peers, have realized the need for EVs to replace gasoline-powered vehicles. As Vietnam looks to become a hi-tech manufacturer, the latest foray into lithium battery production will further help the government meet its goals of spurring the economy and transitioning from a basic manufacturer to a hi-grade one. U.S. security officials are bracing for an onslaught of fast-paced influence operations, from a wide range of adversaries, aimed at impacting the countrys coming presidential election. FBI Director Christopher Wray issued the latest warning about attempts to meddle with American voters as they decide whom to support when they go to the polls come November, telling a meeting of security professional Thursday that technologies such as artificial intelligence are already altering the threat landscape. This election cycle, the U.S. will face more adversaries moving at a faster pace and enabled by new technology, Wray said. Advances in generative AI [artificial intelligence], for instance, are lowering the barrier to entry, making it easier for both more and less sophisticated foreign adversaries to engage in malign influence while making foreign influence efforts by players both old and new, more realistic and more difficult to detect, he said. The warning echoes concerns raised earlier in the week by a top lawmaker and by the White House, both singling out Russia. "I worry that we are less prepared for foreign intervention in our elections in 2024 than we were in 2020," said Mark Warner, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, during a cybersecurity conference on Tuesday. On Sunday, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told NBCs Meet the Press there is plenty of reason to be concerned." There is a history here in presidential elections by the Russian Federation, by its intelligence services," Sullivan said. U.S. intelligence agencies concluded Russia sought to interfere in both the 2016 and 2020 elections. But Russia has not been alone. A declassified intelligence assessment looking at the 2022 midterm elections concluded with high to moderate confidence that Russia was joined by China and Iran in seeking to sway the outcome. China tacitly approved efforts to try to influence a handful of midterm races involving members of both U.S. political parties, the report said. Tehran relied primarily on its intelligence services and Iran-based online influencers to conduct its covert operations, it said. Iran's influence activities reflected its intent to exploit perceived social divisions and undermine confidence in U.S. democratic institutions during this election cycle. The United States has also alleged other adversaries, such as Cuba, Venezuela and Lebanese Hezbollah, have sought to influence elections, as have allies, such as Turkey and Saudi Arabia. The warnings from Wray and others are encountering pushback from some lawmakers and conservative commentators who view such statements as an attempt to resurrect what they call the Russia hoax saying the narrative that Russia interfered in the 2016 U.S. presidential election to help former President Donald Trump win is without merit. Warner, however, dismissed that view in response to a question from VOA on the sidelines of Tuesdays security conference. Anyone who doesn't think the Russian intel services have and will continue to interfere in our elections ... I wonder where they're getting their information to start with," he said. Wray on Thursday suggested the list of countries and other foreign groups seeking to influence U.S. voters is set to expand. AI is most useful for what I would call kind of mediocre bad guys and making them kind of like intermediate, he said. The really sophisticated adversaries are using AI more just to increase the speed and scale of their efforts, he said. But we are coming towards a day very soon where what I would call the experts, the most sophisticated adversaries, are going to find ways to use AI to be even more elite. Some private cybersecurity firms also see the danger growing. This past September, Microsoft warned that Beijing has developed a new artificial intelligence capability that can produce eye-catching content more likely to go viral compared to previous Chinese influence operations. Others agree. Whether it's robocalls, whether it's fake videos all those things really even back to 2022, weren't as prevalent, Trellix CEO Bryan Palma told VOA. You weren't going to get any high-quality type of deepfake video. I think you're going to see more and more of that as we get closer to the election, he said. TOKYO, Feb. 29 (Xinhua) -- Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida apologized for the secret slush fund scandals involving the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) at a parliamentary panel on Thursday. Kishida vowed to advance political reforms and to amend the political funds control law to restore public trust during a televised session of the House of Representatives political ethics committee. Kishida became the first incumbent prime minister to attend the deliberative council on political ethics, last held in July 2009, national news agency Kyodo reported. The committee is responsible for examining the political and moral conduct of lawmakers who face allegations of wrongdoing. Approval ratings for Japan's ruling LDP have sunken to a record low in the wake of its slush fund scandal, according to the latest opinion poll conducted by Jiji Press. The public support rate for the LDP dropped to 14.6 percent, down 3.7 percentage points from the previous month, marking the lowest rate since the monthly poll started in 1960, excluding periods when the LDP was an opposition party, the January survey showed. Although the number of migrants crossing daily into the U.S. has fallen since December, local communities are still scrambling to provide them with resources. In the Pacific Northwest, a small-town church has become a shelter for hundreds of people from Africa and Latin America. From Tukwila, Washington, VOAs Natasha Mozgovaya has our story. Though the number of migrants crossing daily into the United States has fallen since December, local communities are still scrambling to provide them with resources. In the Pacific Northwest, Riverton Park United Methodist Church in Tukwila, Washington, has become a shelter for hundreds of asylum-seekers from Africa and Latin America. At the church entrance is a hum of conversations in Portuguese, French and Spanish, as asylum-seekers from countries such as Angola, Congo and Venezuela gather to discuss their immigration claims. Eurice, a bespectacled woman in her 50s, came from Venezuela. She asked that her last name not be used. "I don't want to be a burden to the United States," she said. "I didn't come here for a dream. Because of my work at the Colombian consulate, I was labeled a traitor. I've worked all my life, and instead of a peaceful retirement, I had to flee my country, walking through the jungle, crossing seven countries." She said she is grateful to find shelter at this church. "I thank God and the lady pastor for providing a roof over my head, a bed to sleep in, and a plate of food. I am blessed already," she said. Pastor Jan Bolerjack said that over the past year, Riverton has helped find shelter, food and basic necessities for about 1,000 asylum-seekers of various ages, including pregnant women and toddlers. Some of them arrived on their own. Others were brought in by the police. "The police department in Seattle found them on the streets in tents and realized they were a different population from our usual homeless individuals," Bolerjack told VOA. "And so, they started bringing them here. We went from zero to 100 by March 2023, and then 400 by July. In October, the mayor of Tukwila declared a humanitarian emergency here. And this is where we are now continuing with this humanitarian emergency." Unlike refugees who are eligible for resettlement services, asylum-seekers are unable to work legally before their work permit application is approved in a process that may last many months. Bolerjack said her church has always had an open door for the most vulnerable members of the community, but with limited resources, staff and volunteers are overwhelmed. "We have to provide everything, from food to laundry to bathrooms, showers, tents, sleeping bags, mattresses. Everything has to come from our friends and sources in the neighborhood," she explained, walking through the church hall where piles of donated mattresses, suitcases and bags line the walls, and past a tiny kitchen, where several young African women are cooking, and through an area where volunteers sort donated clothes. "Somehow, this place has been advertised across the country and at the border as the place to go," Bolerjack explained. "And you know, I can take great pride in that. And yet, I'm kind of embarrassed when they arrive after a long, traumatic journey and we have to say, 'You have to sleep in a wet, soggy tent.'" In winter, when temperatures in the area dropped below zero, hundreds of asylum-seekers were temporarily moved from tents to local hotels. Some refused to return to the encampment, asking lawmakers for help. State Representative Mia Gregerson is working to improve the states response to the crisis with legislation to better coordinate migrant services. Speaking with VOA at her office in the state capital, Olympia, she said that despite Tukwilas tradition of welcoming newcomers, the community of fewer than 22,000 people shouldnt be pushed to shoulder the crisis on its own. "I think they're really rolling up their sleeves well and making a go of it," Gregerson said. "But there is a lot of uncertainty. What are we going to do when the funds run out?" She said processing asylum cases is often complicated by different immigration statuses within a family. The bill she introduced with 18 co-sponsors seeks to empower the states Office of Refugee and Immigrant Assistance. "The idea is that the office is able to be nimble and utilize resources quickly to not only put them into the system for legal advice that's correct and factual, or quickly get them the education resources, transportation needs, and housing vouchers," Gregerson said. "And we need to maintain that contact with them so we can help them through the system. Otherwise, they may fall victim to other types of issues." Washington Governor Jay Inslees current budget includes $5 million in new funding for the Office of Refugee and Immigrant Assistance to expand support services for newly arriving people who do not qualify for federal refugee resettlement program services. A separate request for $3.4 million is meant to help provide transitional and long-term housing support to asylum-seekers in the county around Seattle. Volunteers at Riverton help asylum-seekers complete the required paperwork in English. In the past year, Bolerjack said just one person won their asylum case and obtained a work permit. That has not diminished the optimism of Jeremiah Lefau, who said he left Angola with his wife and three children in December 2022 because of insecurity in his country. They lived at Riverton for four months before they were approved for family shelter. The children are enrolled in local schools along with more than 100 young asylum-seekers. Lefau is taking English classes and volunteers at the church. "I feel good about the future," he said. "Now, we need to help others as the church helped us." Eurice, from Venezuela, hopes to return to her country someday. "My family is still there. I miss them," she said. "I hope to stay here as long as necessary to be safe, and I thank the United States for this opportunity they are giving us. But I have faith that one day my country will be able to repair itself so I can return." Meanwhile, the Biden administration is advancing measures making it more challenging for asylum-seekers to stay in the U.S. President Joe Biden brought law enforcement officials from key swing states into the White House on Wednesday as he touted declines in crime in major cities and pressed Congress for more action on policing and gun control. Murder, rape, aggravated assault, robbery all dropped sharply, along with burglary, property crime and theft. And it matters, Biden said, speaking to a gathering that included law enforcement officials from Chicago, Philadelphia, Miami, Detroit and Milwaukee. Data from the nations top law enforcement entity, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, show a clear decline in violent crime since 2020. Detroit Police Chief James White, speaking at the White House on Wednesday, said funding from Bidens 2021 American Rescue Plan was a tremendous game changer for Detroit. It's helped us reach these historic lows in crime. White said Detroits police department has used those funds not just for traditional law enforcement but also to expand the forces mental health services. Floyd legislation Biden on Wednesday also renewed his call for lawmakers to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. That act, named after a Black Minneapolis resident who was killed by a police officer in 2020, aims to increase police accountability, transparency and data collection, and to improve police practices and training. He also called for further action on gun control, which has been stridently opposed by powerful industry players like the National Rifle Association. Ive taken more executive actions to stop the flow of illegal guns than any other administration in history, Biden said. And we beat the NRA when I signed the most significant gun safety law in nearly 30 years. And were going to finish the job. Were going to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines next time around because it has to be done. On the issue of gun ownership, a Pew Research Center poll found that Americans are split. About one-third of Americans say they own a gun. Gun safety advocates on Wednesday praised the Biden administrations moves on gun safety. Monisha Henley, senior vice president of government affairs at Everytown for Gun Safety, described Bidens White House as the strongest gun safety administration in history. Our top priority is getting the Biden-Harris administration to implement the ATFs lifesaving rule to close deadly loopholes in our background check system as written, she said in a statement provided to VOA. ATF refers to the federal the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. We plan to work closely with the administration this year as they continue to advance their ambitious gun violence prevention agenda, Henley said. But Biden faces harsh criticism over his public safety policies from his main political challenger, Donald Trump. On Wednesday, Trumps campaign described Bidens plan as a pro-crime, anti-police agenda. President Donald Trump stands with police, the campaign said in a statement. [Trump] is promising to indemnify all police officers and law enforcement officials throughout the United States." Biden, on Wednesday, defined the challenge of public safety through a different lens. There is no greater responsibility than to ensure the safety of families, children, communities and our nation, he said. U.S. President Joe Biden signed an executive order Wednesday intended to protect Americans personal data from foreign adversaries. The order seeks to block bulk transfers of data such geolocation, biometric, health and financial information to countries of concern. Among specific countries identified by Biden administration officials as concerns were China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, Cuba and Venezuela. Bad actors can use this data to track Americans, including military service members, pry into their personal lives, and pass that data on to other data brokers and foreign intelligence services, the White House wrote in a fact sheet announcing the move. This data can enable intrusive surveillance, scams, blackmail, and other violations of privacy. Emily Benson, director of the Project on Trade and Technology at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told VOAs Mandarin service that the executive order represented one of the U.S. governments furthest-reaching attempts to create a privacy framework. Benson said a distinguishing factor between the American approach to data governance and those of other allies such as the European Union is that the U.S. approach is based on a national security paradigm, so the executive order is a national security instrument rather than a privacy mechanism. Sarah Bauerle Danzman, associate professor of international studies at Indiana University, Bloomington, told VOAs Mandarin service there are a lot of concerns about data going to potential adversaries, including information about people in the U.S. government or U.S. military, or data that could be used for surveillance purposes. Bauerle Danzman said those concerns extend to ways in which bulk data could be used to track dissidents in diaspora communities, including for purposes of silencing or intimidating those communities. Hannah Kelley, research associate at the Center for a New American Securitys Technology and National Security Program told VOAs Mandarin service the executive order is an effort to make the most impactful near-term progress on data protection. Kelley said that while there is an ongoing debate about domestic data privacy legislation, there is more consensus about dealing with protecting U.S. data abroad. She said there must be an assumption that countries of concern will find a way to obtain sensitive, personal and government information that is available, and the U.S. is in a position where it must make it as difficult as possible for those countries to do that. Paul Triolo, technology policy leader at Albright Stonebridge Group, told VOAs Mandarin service the United States and other governments are undoubtedly attempting to do the same thing with respect to China, leveraging both openly available and clandestinely collected data sources. Triolo also pointed to potential problems of data restrictions. The danger of controlling healthcare and genomic data too restrictively is that citizens in both China and the U.S. could lose out on advances in healthcare coming from large scale analysis of data, conducted under carefully managed data privacy and auditing conditions, that can lead to breakthroughs in treatment, leveraging a variety of AI algorithms, for example, to make linkages and extract new insights from clinical data, Triolo said. Some information for this report came from The Associated Press and Reuters Chadian opposition leader Yaya Dillo was killed Wednesday in a shootout with security forces in the capital, NDjamena, state prosecutor Oumar Mahamat Kedelaye confirmed Thursday. Dillo, who led the Socialist Party Without Borders, was set to be the leading opposition to his cousin and current transitional president, Mahamat Idriss Deby, during elections in May. A government spokesperson said Thursday that four soldiers died during the attacks as well as three assailants who were members of Dillos party. Ten days before the shooting, opposition member Ahmed Torabi was accused of attempting to assassinate Supreme Court President Samir Adam Annour. Torabi was arrested, the government said. Members of the opposition party and Torabis family searched for him near the internal security agency building, where the shootout occurred. The government and the opposition party had different accounts of the exchange. A government statement said the security agency was attacked by members of the Socialist Party Without Borders. According to the party, whose general secretary recounted the events to the Reuters news agency, the deaths near the security agency were a result of soldiers firing at family and party members who went to the security agency to look for Torabi. Dillo was accused of leading an attack against the security agency overnight on Tuesday, a claim he denied. He also told Agence France-Presse before his death on Wednesday that the attack against Annour was staged and meant to physically eliminate him before the election. Dillos family said they had received his body and that his funeral was planned for Thursday. His death came a day after a surprise announcement that Chad's presidential election would be held on May 6 instead of in October as anticipated. Chads electoral commission said elections would return the country to constitutional order and would mark the end of Deby's transitional period, which started in 2021. In December, Chad's Supreme Court voted on a new constitution, which according to critics could cement Deby's power in the government after May's election. Some information for this report came from Reuters, The Associated Press and Agence France-Presse. Japan sent on Thursday two mini-drones and a "snake-shaped robot" into one of three nuclear reactors at the Fukushima plant crippled by a tsunami in 2011, the facility's operator said. The gadgets were deployed in preparation for the removal of hundreds of tons of highly radioactive fuel and rubble, a risky operation expected to take decades. "We sent two drones yesterday and two drones today," in addition to the "snake-shaped robot" on Thursday, a spokesman for Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO) told AFP. Since the interior is "cramped and dark," the small drones are "highly maneuverable and have enhanced photographic capabilities," the company said. The "snake-like robot... houses wireless communications relay so that we can properly cover the radio transmission area within which the small drones will be operated," a statement said. The interior of the reactor buildings is too radioactive for people to enter, and the drones are meant to inspect the area prior to the removal of the fuel and rubble by robots. TEPCO is planning to carry out a trial removal of a small amount of fuel debris in October. TEPCO had already sent an underwater robot to inspect parts of the facility still submerged, the spokesman said. "It will take a long time to fully take off the 800 tons (of fuel), as the decommissioning period is thought to be 30 to 40 years," he said. Separately, TEPCO on Wednesday began releasing a fourth batch of treated wastewater from the Fukushima plant into the ocean. The process has been given the green light from the UN nuclear watchdog but has seen China and Russia ban seafood imports from Japan in response. The 2011 earthquake and tsunami killed around 18,000 people. The catastrophe at the Fukushima nuclear power facility in northeast Japan was one of the worst atomic accidents in history. On February 26, Simon Ateba, owner of the Today News Africa website, reported on X that Russia prevented a Ukrainian assassination attempt on American journalist Tucker Carlson while he was in Moscow to interview President Vladimir Putin. Ukraines intelligence agency dismissed the news as a Russian ploy. Andrey Yusov of Ukraines Main Intelligence Directorate told VOAs Ukrainian Service: "This is an absolute delusion and a ploy of the Russian fascist regime. Ateba neither cited sources nor provided details to verify the information but illustrated his post with an image of Putin and Carlson taken during their interview. At the time of this writing, Atebas post had received more than 14 million views and about 85,000 interactions. Ateba wrote: " BREAKING ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION OF TUCKER CARLSON: A man has just been arrested in Moscow, accused of being paid by Ukrainian intelligence to plant an explosive device on Tucker Carlson's vehicle and assassinate the prominent American journalist while he was there to interview Putin. That is false. Voice of America traced the origin of this news to a single source two doppelganger YouTube channels with only a handful of video clips, all uploaded in the last four days. One of the channels describes itself as a reserve copy of the other. The original distributor of the news was the Kontrterrorism YouTube channel, which on February 24 published a video of a man sitting in front of a camera and supposedly confessing his role in the alleged assassination plot to an off-screen interrogator. The man introduces himself as Vasiliev, Pyotr Alexeievich. Born 1988 in Podolsk, a Russian city near Moscow. Vasiliev then tells the interrogator that Ukrainian intelligence promised him $4,000 in exchange for planting an explosive device under the car Tucker Carlson was using during his visit to Moscow. The conversation is in Russian, and the video has English subtitles. VOA audio engineer Thomas Leahys forensic examination of the video clip showed evidence of digital manipulation. Leahy concluded with moderate confidence that the voice of Vasiliev has digital noises and waveform abnormalities, along with other signs of digital manipulation." The off-screen audio of the interrogator belongs to a human, Leahy concluded, but was recorded in a different location, with different audio equipment and room resonance. Polygraph.info has also established that the distribution patterns of the information about the alleged assassination plot bear distinct characteristics of the tactic known as disinformation laundering, which Russia has heavily used in its hybrid war against Ukraine and in its anti-U.S. influence operations. The means to amplify this disinformation from its obscure YouTube origins with just a few hundred subscribers to the millions of X users also points to a misinformation-laundering scheme. Here are the key players and what they did, in chronological order: Kontrterrorism posted the video clip on YouTube on February 25. The Telegram Channel Golos Mordora (Voice of Mordor) republished the video on February 26. The European Council-funded anti-disinformation website re:baltica exposed Golos Mordora as the largest and most influential pro-Kremlin channel on Telegram. It also noted that the channel receives an unusually high number of citations in the Russian news media. Golos Mordora is a social media arm of News Front the Kremlins propaganda outlet in Russia-occupied Ukrainian Crimea. An August 2020 U.S. State Department report titled Pillars of Russian Propaganda and Disinformation Ecosystem identified News Front as having ties to the Russian security services and Kremlin funding. VOA sister organization Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty described News Front as leading the most aggressive information war against Ukraine in Crimea. The Atlantic Councils Digital Forensic Lab, or DFRLab, reported that News Front frequently uses digitally manipulated content. Facebook deleted the News Front accounts in 2020. Twitter also deleted 18 Golos Mordora accounts between 2012 and 2022. Golos Mordora has been back on X since April 2022. The English-language news site The Intel Drop published a report about the alleged assassination plot based solely on the Kontrterroism YouTube video almost simultaneously with Golos Mordoras February 26 reposting of the Kontrterrorism video. BBC Monitorings disinformation expert Shayan Sardarizadeh characterized The Intel Drop as a notorious pro-Kremlin disinformation website with a long history of fabricating stories aimed to disparage Ukraine. He paired The Intel Drop with the DC Weekly website, which uses this exact tactic of citing obscure YouTube videos to publish fake stories about Ukraine. Also on February 26, the blue-checked anonymous X user MyLordBebo posted footage identical to the video published by the Kontrterrorism YouTube channel. The footage has MyLordBebos own logo and English subtitles different from those used in the Kontrterrorism video clip. Frequently cited by Russian state broadcaster RT (formerly Russia Today), the MyLordBebo account plays an instrumental role in pushing Russian propaganda and disinformation to English-speaking audiences on X. In a September 2023 disinformation analysis profiling the MyLordBebo X account, Polygraph.info wrote that its main uses are (in order of priority) to promote Russian President Vladimir Putin, to spread anti-Ukraine and anti-U.S. disinformation, and to boost fabricated content promoting Russias traditional values. Ateba of Today News Africa picked up the news of the alleged assassination plot some 40 minutes after MyLordBebo posted the video about it on X. While Atebas post has no reference to sources or the video of the Ukrainian spys confession, Atebas role in amplifying the fabricated news is obvious. Ateba has been a frequent subject of fact checks for sharing suspicious or false information, including AI-generated content such as a fake video of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy performing a belly dance on stage that was in fact a doctored video of the Argentinian dancer Pablo Acosta. On X, blue-checked users amplified Atebas post, with a majority of quote-reposts peddling the narrative that Ukraine is using American taxpayers money to kill an American journalist for interviewing the Russian leader. The creators of the disinformation claiming Ukraine plotted to assassinate Tucker Carlson did not intend for it to be used inside Russia; they designed it specifically to target U.S. audiences. That is evident from the fact that no major Russian state-controlled news outlets reported the breaking news about the alleged plot despite their weekslong fixation on every minor detail of Carlsons visit to Moscow. VOA News Centers Leonid Martynyuk and VOA Ukrainian Services Tatiana Vorozhko contributed to this report. Civil liberties declined globally for the 18th consecutive year in 2023, with conflict and flawed elections the biggest factors, a new report has found. Political rights and civil liberties deteriorated for more than one-fifth of the population, the non-profit group Freedom House found. And only one-fifth of the 210 countries and territories the research group analyzed was found to be "free." Released on Thursday, the Freedom in the World report assesses political rights and civil liberties, then ranks countries or territories as "free," "partly free," or "not free." Researchers looked at issues including how effectively governments work, political pluralism, freedom of expression, religious freedom, and whether marginalized groups are given full rights. Much of the decline in 2023 is attributed to cases of election manipulation, according to report co-author Cathryn Grothe. The report found electoral issues in almost half of the countries designated as being in decline. "While the findings of the report are certainly grim, they are coming at an especially important moment in time," said Grothe, noting 2024 will be a critical year with national elections scheduled in about 40 countries. Report finds manipulation, intimidation Grothe told VOA her group's research found widespread election manipulation and intimidation before, during and after elections. She noted that "billions of people around the world are going to be heading to the polls." The report highlighted Cambodia, Guatemala, Poland, Turkey and Zimbabwe as places that experienced attempts to control, hinder or interfere with elections. And in Ecuador, Nigeria, and Taiwan, elections were disrupted by either violence or interference by foreign regimes. In Guatemala, however, attempts to block a peaceful transfer of power failed. Bernardo Arevalo assumed office in early 2024 after the country's Supreme Court ruled that Congress must accept his inauguration, despite its previous refusal to acknowledge elected members. Group watches US races The United States which Freedom House ranks as free is among the countries holding significant elections. Grothe said that Freedom House is paying attention to issues in the U.S., including congressional dysfunction such as delayed appropriations bills and internal disputes over the speakership of the House of Representatives. Freedom House is also watching closely for intimidation and threats of violence as tools of political influence in the U.S, especially during the last few months before the election. Reports of threats against elected officials and local election administrators have "proliferated "in recent years, Grothe said. "When a democracy such as the U.S., those with kind of large influence on the world stage grow weaker internally, it makes it a lot more difficult to counter this kind of global authoritarianism," said Grothe. "It makes it very imperative that we at home in the United States need to address our own domestic shortcomings." The Freedom House report includes several recommendations, including calls for governments and other actors in civil society to "immediately" and "publicly" condemn manipulation efforts, coups and refusals to honor electoral outcomes. "Democracies need to commit to free and fair elections, both at home and need to stand up for the same abroad," said Grothe. The biggest decline in freedom was registered in Nagorno-Karabakh, a disputed territory which sparked conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia. The region saw an overall 40-point reduction. The decline follows a mass displacement of over 100,000 ethnic Armenians amid fighting in September 2023. The second-largest point reduction came in Niger, where military forces ousted the government in July 2023. Conflict resulted in major declines in other areas too. Russia's war in Ukraine continues to affect basic rights for those in occupied parts of Ukraine and brings a rise in repression inside Russia. The report also notes the effect on civilians of the Israel-Hamas conflict and Myanmar military rule. Other countries saw improvements. Fiji gained seven points due to a "smooth" transfer of power after elections in 2022. And Nepal is recognized in the report for amendments to its Citizenship Act, which allowed 400,000 stateless people born in the country to receive citizenship. While the past year faced obstacles, Grothe said there are "beacons of hope" in the countries pushing back against those declines. "It's important to remember that people in every sort of political environment, from the most-free countries to the most repressive, are continuing to fight to uphold their rights, their dignity and this offers some kind of level of hope even in these very kind of discouraging times." She added that the report should serve as a reminder of the stakes for democracy and as a call to reverse the decline of global freedoms. Heavy gunfire paralyzed Haiti's capital Thursday and at least four police officers were slain as a powerful gang leader announced that he would try to capture the country's police chief and government ministers. The move came during the absence of Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who is in Kenya trying to finalize details for the deployment of a foreign armed force to help Haiti combat gangs. Gunmen shot at Haiti's main international airport and other targets, including police stations, in a wave of violence that caught many people by surprise. At least four police officers, including two women, were killed in an attack on a station near the community of Canaan, according to a police union. The violence forced the airport, businesses, government agencies and schools to close as parents and young children fled through the streets in panic. At least one airline, Sunrise Airways, suspended all flights. 'We will free the country' Jimmy Cherizier, known as "Barbecue" and leader of the gang federation G9 Family and Allies, was seen in a recorded video announcing that the aim was to tie up the police chief and government ministers and prevent Henry from returning to Haiti. "With our guns and with the Haitian people, we will free the country," he said. A spokesman for the prime minister's office could not be immediately reached for comment. The head of Haiti's National Police, Frantz Elbe, and police spokesman Garry Desrosiers did not return messages for comment. Gunfire still rang out Thursday evening and dozens of Haitians were seen carrying children and heavy bags stuffed with belongings as they fled from their neighborhoods. They raised their hands as a peace offering to potential gangs while rushing through intersections. Armored vehicles patrolled empty streets in downtown Port-au-Prince while others remained stationed near gang-controlled slums. Residents in some neighborhoods, including Canape Vert and Turgeau, set up roadblocks to prevent gangs from entering as men who were not wearing uniforms stood by with machine guns. Pierre Alex Boucher, a math teacher who lives in downtown Port-au-Prince, said he heard heavy gunfire before dawn. Several hours later, as the gunfire continued, he said he stood on his roof and saw police in an armored car trying to fight gang members and then abruptly leave. 'Completely invaded' The shooting then worsened, and when he saw what he said he thought were teenagers with machine guns, he fled from his home, feeling that his life was in danger. "The area is completely invaded by gangs," Boucher said of his neighborhood. "A lot of people couldn't make it out, and some locked themselves inside their homes." He said he spoke with friends who saw people who had been shot to death. "The country has to revolt against the gangs," he said. "No one is safe." It was not clear if Barbecue, the gang leader, had the backing of other major gangs that are estimated to control up to 80% of Port-au-Prince. Diego Da Rin, with the International Crisis Group, noted that Barbecue in his speech referred to a coalition called Viv Ansanm, which means "living together" in Haitian Creole. The coalition was created last year as part of a peace pact between Barbecue's federation and another powerful gang called G-Pep and had as a main goal to bring down Henry's administration. However, the coalition crumbled just days after it was announced, and Da Rin said it remains to be seen whether Barbecue truly has the support of other gang leaders. "I don't know how much credibility to give Barbecue right now," Da Rin said. "Rivalries between gangs are so strong and alliances ever shifting that it's complicated; they could act in a concerted manner for a long time without much trouble." Coordination of raids However, he noted that gunmen launched coordinated attacks in Port-au-Prince on Thursday. In addition to the attack on the main international airport, gunmen also set fire to a police station in downtown Port-au-Prince. The attacks came a day after Henry met in Guyana with Caribbean leaders, who said he pledged to hold long-awaited general elections by mid-2025. It is the third time he has announced such a deadline, with previous promises made in 2022 and 2023. There are currently no elected officials in Haiti, with Henry sworn in as prime minister with the backing of the international community shortly after the July 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moise. Henry traveled from Guyana to Kenya in hopes of moving forward on the deployment of Kenyan police officers to Haiti. A court in the East African nation ruled last month that the proposed deployment was unconstitutional, but Henry and Kenyan officials have been working on a deal that would allow forces to arrive in Haiti soon. "There has always been the danger that as discussions progress and the goal of the mission gets closer that the gangs will try to flex their muscles and discourage the troops," Da Rin said. The government of Haiti said in a statement that Henry arrived in Kenya on Thursday. They did not say when he would return to Haiti. Gazas health ministry said Israeli fire killed at least 104 people and wounded hundreds more as a crowd of Palestinians waited for humanitarian aid in Gaza City. The incident happened at the al-Nabusi roundabout in the western part of the city. The Israeli military said in a statement that dozens of people were hurt amid pushing and trampling as a crowd tried to take aid from trucks during a delivery in northern Gaza. The military added that the incident was under review. Elsewhere in the enclave, the Israel Defense Forces reported carrying out ground operations in northern Gaza, as well as airstrikes in the Khan Younis area in the southern part of the territory. The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza said earlier Thursday the number of Palestinians killed in Israels offensive had risen to at least 30,035, with another 70,457 wounded. In Geneva, U.N. human rights chief Volker Turk said all parties in the Israel-Hamas war had committed war crimes. "It is time well past time for peace, investigation and accountability, Turk told the U.N. Human Rights Council. Turk also warned about a planned Israeli offensive in Rafah, the area of southern Gaza where an estimated 1.5 million Palestinians are currently living, many of them having fled other areas in search of safety. Turk said an offensive in Rafah "would take the nightmare being inflicted on people in Gaza into a new, dystopian, dimension." Israeli officials have mentioned evacuating civilians from Rafah, but they have not given any details about where the Palestinians might be able to go. Egypt, which borders Rafah, has said it will not open its borders. Much of Gaza has been leveled during Israel's massive counteroffensive after the October 7 Hamas terror attack killed 1,200 people in Israel. The United Nations said Wednesday that those trying to distribute or receive humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip are facing life-threatening challenges. Speaking to reporters in New York, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the dangers presented by the ongoing conflict have prompted the repeated U.N. calls for a humanitarian cease-fire. Yes, there are trucks that have crossed from Israel into Gaza. The situation in Gaza is, as weve described it numerous times, almost impossible for us to do humanitarian work, Dujarric said. There is an active conflict going on. Theres a breakdown of law and order. There is insufficient coordination on the security end, on deconfliction with Israel. Weve laid out all the challenges. That doesnt stop us from working. Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. KABUL, Feb. 29 (Xinhua) -- The Afghan caretaker government's Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi has said that his country wants to have further improved and closer relations with Pakistan with the formation of a new government in Islamabad. "We hope that after the elections in Pakistan and the formation of a new government, the situation and relations will further improve," the local media Tolonews TV channel quoted Muttaqi on Thursday as saying. Citing the impoverished economy of the people of both the neighboring nations, the Afghan interim administration's top diplomat said improved relations would serve the interests of the people of both sides. Ghana's parliament passed legislation Wednesday that intensifies a crackdown on the rights of LGBTQ people and those promoting lesbian, gay or other non-conventional sexual or gender identities in the West African country. Gay sex was already punishable by up to three years in prison. The bill now also imposes a prison sentence of up to five years for the "willful promotion, sponsorship, or support of LGBTQ+ activities." The bill is one of the harshest of its kind in Africa. "My heart is broken and devastated at the moment, that's all I can say for now" Angel Maxine, Ghana's first openly transgender musician and LGBTQI+ activist, told Reuters, adding "My pronouns are she/ her/ hers." A coalition of Christian, Muslim, and Ghanaian traditional leaders sponsored the legislation. Following the vote in parliament, the bill will be presented to President Nana Akufo-Addo after which he has seven days to assent or refuse to assent, according to Ghana's constitution. If he assents, the bill becomes law. Akufo-Addo, had avoided the heated debate over the bill, but said he'll react once it is voted by parliament. Winnie Byanyima, executive director of the United Nations AIDS agency UNAIDS, said in a statement that the bill would affect everyone if it became law, adding that punitive laws as embodied by the bill, are a barrier to ending AIDS and ultimately undermine everyone's health. "It will exacerbate fear and hatred, could incite violence against fellow Ghanaian citizens, and will negatively impact on free speech, freedom of movement and freedom of association," Byanyima said in the statement. "If it becomes law, it will obstruct access to life-saving services, undercut social protection, and jeopardize Ghana's development success," she said. Judges at the International Criminal Court on Wednesday granted reparations of more than 52 million euros ($56 million) to thousands of victims of a convicted commander in the shadowy Ugandan rebel group the Lord's Resistance Army. The nearly 50,000 victims covered by the order included former child soldiers and children born as a result of rapes and forced pregnancies. Dominic Ongwen was convicted three years ago of 61 offenses, including murders, rapes, forced marriages and recruiting child soldiers in 2002-2005. An ICC appeals panel upheld his convictions and 25-year sentence in late 2022, setting the stage for an order for reparations. Tens of thousands of individuals suffered tremendous harm due to the unimaginable atrocities committed" as rebel fighters led by Ongwen attacked four camps for displaced people in northern Uganda, said Presiding Judge Bertram Schmitt. "Similarly, over 100 women and girls and thousands of children, boys and girls under the age of 15 suffered profound, multifaceted harm as a result of being kidnapped. Many were later subjected to sexual and gender based crimes and/or forced to serve as LRA soldiers, being kept in captivity with cruel methods of physical and psychological coercion, he added. Ongwen was not in court for the reparations hearing. While he is considered liable for the reparations, the court ruled that he is indigent and said the reparations will be paid by a trust fund for victims set up by the court's member states. Schmitt urged states, organizations, corporations and private individuals to support the trust funds for victims' mission and efforts and contribute to its fundraising activities. He said victims would each receive 750 euros ($812) as a symbolic award while other reparations would come in the form of community-based rehabilitation programs. Evidence at Ongwen's trial established that female civilians captured by the LRA were turned into sex slaves and wives for fighters. The LRA made children into soldiers. Men, women and children were murdered in attacks on camps for internally displaced people. The chamber concludes that the direct victims of the attacks, the direct victims of sexual and gender based crimes and the children born out of those crimes, as well as the former child soldiers, suffered serious and long-lasting physical, moral and material harm, Schmitt said. The LRA began its attacks in Uganda in the 1980s, when one of the courts most-wanted fugitives, Joseph Kony, sought to overthrow the government. After being pushed out of Uganda, the militia terrorized villages in Congo, Central Africa Republic and South Sudan. Ongwen was among those abducted by the militia led by Kony. As a 9-year-old boy, he was transformed into a child soldier and later a senior commander responsible for attacks on camps for displaced civilians in northern Uganda in the early 2000s. Defense lawyers portrayed him as a victim of LRA atrocities. But the judge who presided over his trial called Ongwen a fully responsible adult when he committed his crimes. Activists welcomed his convictions for offenses against women, which included rape, forced pregnancy and sexual slavery. Kony, whose whereabouts are unknown, faces 36 charges, including murder, torture, rape, persecution and enslavement. Prosecutors are seeking to hold a hearing into the evidence against him at the court in Kony's absence. The LRA leader was thrust into the global spotlight in 2012 when a video about his crimes went viral. Despite the attention and international efforts to capture him, he remains at large. ICC cases against three other LRA leaders were terminated after confirmation that they had died before they could be arrested. Attacks by Iranian-backed proxies have slowed since the drone attack in January that killed three U.S. service members in Jordan near the Syrian border. There have been only two minor attacks in Syria since Feb. 2, when the United States launched retaliatory attacks on targets in Syria and Iraq. But U.S. lawmakers warned Wednesday that the lull does not de-escalate the risks of a regional conflict. Iran doesn't have complete command and control of their operations, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Ben Cardin said Wednesday. That makes this a very precarious situation, one that requires careful clear-eyed American leadership. The risks of miscalculation would not only lead to another deadly attack against U.S. service members, it could lead to a full-scale regional war. The U.S. military said U.S. and coalition forces shot down five Houthi drones late Tuesday in the Red Sea. U.S. Central Command said the drones were launched from areas of Yemen controlled by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels and that the drones presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and to the U.S. Navy and coalition ships in the region. The strikes were the latest in months of actions seeking to counter attacks by the Houthis against vessels in the Red Sea. The Houthis have said they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians amid the war in Gaza. Iran thrives on chaos and suffering. The best way to undermine threat in the long term is to offer an alternative a comprehensive and lasting peace that allows for real regional integration. I realize this is no easy task, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't make our efforts, Cardin said. The White House called the January attack despicable and wholly unjust, and killed the leader of the Kataib Hezbollah group in a targeted airstrike on Feb. 8 in retaliation. Senate Republicans characterized the Biden administrations overall approach to dealing with Iran as weak. Senator Jim Risch, the ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, called on the administration to do a better job of denying Iran the resources it uses to commit acts of terrorism. The Biden administration has still not articulated a coherent Iran policy outside of the nuclear negotiations. It's time to change course, Risch said Wednesday. We must adopt a policy of containment. Iran does not think like the West, and it cannot be taught or turned into a change in conduct. Brian Hook, the former U.S. special representative for Iran during the Trump administration, told senators, I believe that Iran knows that it can safely expand its Axis of Resistance because of the Biden administration's deep aversion to defensive military action. The Biden administration de-escalates to de-escalate. The Iranian regime thrives under this strategy. American troops do not. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee is considering Rischs legislation to better enforce U.S. sanctions on Iranian oil. Iran is always going to make sure that Hezbollah gets what it needs, Democratic Senator Chris Murphy told VOA. Their support for proxies is a very low-cost means of provoking the United States. I mean, we would be foolish to think that an oil sanction here, there, is going to change Iran's decision to fund a group like Hezbollah. A New York appellate judge on Wednesday refused to halt collection of Donald Trump's $454 million civil fraud penalty while he appeals, rejecting the former president's request that he be allowed to post a bond covering a fraction of what he owes. Judge Anil Singh of the state's midlevel appeals court ruled that Trump must post a bond covering the full amount in order to stop enforcement of the judgment. Singh did grant some of Trump's requests, including pausing a three-year ban on him seeking loans from New York banks, which could help him secure the necessary bond. Trump's lawyers told the appellate court earlier Wednesday that Trump was prepared to post a $100 million bond, arguing that the lending ban in the Feb. 16 verdict made it impossible for him to secure a bond for the full amount. Trump's lawyers floated the smaller bond offer in court papers as they sought an order from the appellate court preventing New York Attorney General Letitia James' office from enforcing the judgment while his appeal plays out. Singh ruled that Trump needs to post the full amount, which would pause collection automatically. In all, the Republican presidential candidate and his co-defendants owe more than $465 million to the state. They have until March 25 to secure a stay, a legal mechanism pausing collection while he appeals, or they'll be forced to pay the monetary penalty or risk having some of their assets seized. "The exorbitant and punitive amount of the judgment coupled with an unlawful and unconstitutional blanket prohibition on lending transactions would make it impossible to secure and post a complete bond," Trump lawyers Clifford Robert, Alina Habba and Michael Farina wrote in their request. James' office opposed Trump's plan, saying his lawyers have all but conceded he has "insufficient liquid assets to satisfy the judgment." "These are precisely the circumstances for which a full bond or deposit is necessary," Senior Assistant Solicitor General Dennis Fan wrote, saying Trump's offer would leave James' office and the state "with substantial shortfalls" if the verdict is upheld. "A prevailing plaintiff is entitled to have her award secured, and defendants have never demonstrated that Mr. Trump's liquid assets could satisfy the full amount of the judgment," Fan wrote. James, a Democrat, has said that she will seek to seize some of Trump's assets if he's unable to pay the judgment. Judge Arthur Engoron found that Trump, his company and top executives, including his sons Eric and Donald Jr., schemed for years to deceive banks and insurers by inflating his wealth on financial statements used to secure loans and make deals. Among other penalties, the judge put strict limitations on the ability of Trump's company, the Trump Organization, to do business. Paperwork making the judgment official was filed on February 23. That started a 30-day window for Trump to pay up or file an appeal and seek a stay. Trump filed his appeal on Monday. His lawyers are asking the Appellate Division of the state's trial court to decide whether Engoron "committed errors of law and/or fact" and whether he abused his discretion or "acted in excess" of his jurisdiction. Trump lawyers argued that Trump's vast real estate assets and oversight mandated by Engoron's ruling, including supervision of his company by an independent monitor, "would alone be sufficient to adequately secure any judgment affirmed." The $100 million bond, they said, "would simply serve as further security." Trump maintains that he is worth several billion dollars and testified last year that he had about $400 million in cash, in addition to properties and other investments. In all, Trump has at least $543.4 million in personal legal liabilities from Engoron's ruling and two other civil court judgments in the last year. In January, a jury ordered Trump to pay $83.3 million to writer E. Jean Carroll for defaming her after she accused him in 2019 of sexually assaulting her in a Manhattan department store in the 1990s. That's on top of the $5 million a jury awarded Carroll in a related trial last year. The eyes of free press advocates and U.S. intelligence officials are on London, where the High Court is set to rule on the fate of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. Washington wants him extradited to face 18 charges tied to the hacking and theft of classified material. VOAs Jeff Seldin reports. An international group of scientists has discovered what are believed to be more than 100 new species living on seamounts off the coast of Chile. From deep-sea corals to glass sponges, sea urchins, amphipods and squat lobsters, the scientists say these discoveries from a recent Schmidt Ocean expedition could be contributing to new science. Erin Easton, an assistant professor at University of Texas Rio Grande Valley who was involved in the expedition, said scientists collected specimens from the Nazca Ridge and Salas y Gomez Ridge two underwater mountain chains that stretch across 2,900 kilometers (1,800 miles) in the southeastern Pacific as well as from the Juan Fernandez ridge, located on the Nazca Plate off the west coast of South America. "We want to look to see if we can identify how those benthic or seafloor communities of animals change with depth and among the different seamounts," said Easton. "And we were looking to see ... if each community of the seamount was distinct or if they were similar, so that we can inform conservation management decisions." Descending into the deep ocean, the scientists used an underwater robot to explore seamounts along the Nazca and Salas y Gomez Ridge. They hope this data can support the designation of an international high-seas marine protected area. "On this expedition, we were able to observe over 150 species that have not been reported for the region, and we believe potentially 100 or more of those are new species to science. We observed these large urchins called cactus urchins. There they were quite tall," about a half meter, Easton said. "We observed forests of corals, so we saw a forest of bamboo corals that were probably thousands of years old. We also saw many other species of corals that were probably on the order of thousands of years old," she said. The scientists also mapped 52,777 square kilometers of seafloor. Jyotika Virmani, executive director at Schmidt Ocean Institute, said, "There's a lot of areas of the world that have never been seen and never been mapped. So, in addition to the new species, they [scientists] discovered four new seamounts as well, which are basically underwater mountains." "This part of the world is important because of its biodiversity and also because it's a very interesting geological region," said Virmani. "It's the meeting of a number of plates, tectonic plates." At least 112 Palestinians seeking humanitarian aid were killed in Gaza City early Thursday and scores more were injured in what witnesses and Gazan health officials said was the result of Israeli fire. Israel disputed that, saying scores of people trampled each other and were run over by fleeing aid trucks. The latest violence pushed the Palestinian death toll in the nearly five-month war to more than 30,000, with another 70,000 injured and many more missing under the rubble, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry. Gaza hospital officials initially reported an Israeli strike on the crowd at the al-Nabusi roundabout in the western part of Gaza City. Witnesses later said Israeli troops opened fire as people pulled flour and canned goods off aid trucks. Little aid has reached northern Gaza in recent weeks and hunger is rampant. The United Nations has warned that famine is imminent. Initially, Israeli officials acknowledged that troops opened fire, saying they did so because they thought the people rushing toward the aid trucks "posed a threat." But in a video statement posted later Thursday to the social media platform X, a spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces said troops fired only a few warning shots to disperse the people. No IDF strike was conducted towards the aid convoy, spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said, adding that Israeli tanks were present to secure a humanitarian corridor for the 38-truck convoy to pass. The IDF also initially said that "dozens were killed and injured from pushing, trampling and being run over by the trucks." Hagari echoed that, saying thousands of Gazans descended on the aid convoy. Some began violently pushing and even trampling other Gazans to death, looting the humanitarian supplies, Hagari said. He said the aid was to be distributed by private contractors and that the IDF had carried out similar relief operations for the past four nights without incident. "This latest event needs to be thoroughly investigated," White House spokesperson Olivia Dalton told reporters aboard Air Force One, traveling with President Joe Biden to the U.S.-Mexico border. Dalton called the incident in northern Gaza tremendously alarming and of deep concern to us. She said the loss of life was deeply tragic. "We also think that this event underscores the need for expanded humanitarian aid to make its way into Gaza, she added. Biden predicted earlier this week that negotiations among the U.S., Qatar and Egypt could produce a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas by Monday. But when asked Thursday by reporters after the convoy incident if he still thought that was possible, he replied, Probably not by Monday. But he did not rule it out entirely, saying, "Hope springs eternal. The White House said Biden had separate calls with the president of Egypt and the emir of Qatar, and they discussed both the civilian deaths and the urgency of concluding the hostage and cease-fire negotiations. The war was triggered when Hamas carried out terror attacks inside Israel, killing 1,200 people and kidnapping about 240 others, around 100 of whom were released during a brief pause in November. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed his shock to reporters in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, where he was attending a summit of Latin American and Caribbean nations. I think that a situation like this would require an effective independent investigation to detect how it was possible and those responsible for it, he said. In New York, the U.N. Security Council met for a late-day, closed-door meeting at the request of Algeria, the Arab bloc representative on the 15-nation council. Palestinian envoy Riyad Mansour called the aid incident an outrageous massacre. According to the information that we have, dozens of them have bullets in their heads, he said of the people who were at the scene. Its not like firing at the sky to restrain people if there was confusion and chaos. It was intentionally targeting and killing. At this stage there are still facts that have to be clarified, Frances ambassador, Nicolas de Riviere, told reporters. All the light must be shed on these events. The council failed to agree an Algerian-drafted press statement condemning the incident because it named Israel as the perpetrator and some diplomats said they did not yet have all the facts surrounding the incident. VOA U.N. Correspondent Margaret Besheer contributed to this report. Some information came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters. U.S. President Joe Biden's is a "healthy, active, robust 81-year-old male who remains fit to successfully execute the duties of the presidency," his physician, Dr. Kevin O'Connor, said in a statement released by the White House on Wednesday, following Biden's annual physical examination. "The president feels well, and this year's physical identified no new concerns. He continues to be fit for duty and fully executes all of his responsibilities without any exemptions or accommodations," O'Connor said following Biden's visit to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, earlier Wednesday. The checkup included consultations with optometry, dentistry, orthopedics, physical therapy, neurology, sleep medicine, cardiology, radiology and dermatology specialists, O'Connor said. It's Biden's third physical since taking office, amid concerns about his age as he seeks a second term. "They think I look too young," Biden joked to reporters at the White House after his checkup. "There is nothing different than last year," he said. According to the summary, Biden is currently being treated for several conditions, including obstructive sleep apnea, gastroesophageal reflux, seasonal allergies, arthritis and sensory peripheral neuropathy of the feet. He also has atrial fibrillation with normal ventricular response, a type of asymptomatic irregularity of the heartbeat. His doctor pronounced his conditions as "stable and well-controlled," with "three common prescription medications and three common over-the-counter medications." The symptoms were similar to those described in Biden's 2023 physical exam report that noted the president's "stiff gait," due to "a combination of significant spinal arthritis, mild post-fracture foot arthritis and a mild sensory peripheral neuropathy of the feet," and "occasional symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux," that made him have to clear his throat often. President didn't undergo cognitive test Recent events have highlighted Biden's potential age-related issues, including the president being described in a special counsel report as an "elderly man with a poor memory." In pushing back on reporters' questions about his age, Biden insisted that his "memory is fine" but shortly after mistakenly referred to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi as the president of Mexico. That and two other mistaken references to world leaders' names in recent weeks fueled further attacks by his rivals. Responding to reporters' questions during her briefing on Wednesday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden did not undergo a cognitive test as part of his physical because the president's physician, "doesn't believe that he needs one." As president, Biden passes a cognitive test "every day," Jean-Pierre underscored. A poll by the George Washington University shows 35% of respondents say Biden was in good enough physical health to serve effectively as president, and 38% said he has the mental soundness to serve effectively as president. This is lower that what respondents say about the leading candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, Donald Trump, who is four years younger. For Trump, the numbers are 54% and 46%, respectively. "These figures indicate that this is a big problem for Biden," Todd Belt, professor of politics at George Washington University, told VOA. "The campaign has changed course to attack Trump on his vulnerabilities on the mental soundness issue." Biden did exactly that during an appearance on a late-night television show earlier this week, by referencing a video in which Trump appeared to forget his wife's name. Americans concerned about Biden's age Trump was 70 when he took office in 2017, which made him the oldest American president to be inaugurated until Biden broke his record at 78 in 2021. The former president has also made blunders, including praising Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban for his leadership of Turkey, and confusing his Republican rival, Nikki Haley, with former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. A February ABC News/Ipsos poll conducted after the release of the special counsel report indicated concerns among 59% of Americans regarding the age and capability for a second term for both candidates, although more Americans are worried about Biden compared with Trump, said Clifford Young, president of Ipsos Public Affairs. "Age is an Achilles' heel, is an anchor for Biden," Young told VOA. "It was four years ago. Without a doubt, it will be this year." Though not publicly announced in advance, the timing of Biden's physical was anticipated, given the increasing focus on his age and health in the context of his reelection campaign ahead of the November election. A military court in northern Somalia has sentenced six Moroccan nationals to death on terrorism charges, prosecutors and court officials tell VOA. A judge at the court in the town of Bossaso handed down sentences Thursday to nine suspects, including seven foreigners. Six Moroccans, convicted of being members of Islamic State militants, will face the death penalty, Colonel Ali Ibrahim Osman, the deputy chairman of the court, told VOA Somali. He said an Ethiopian and a Somali each received 10-year jail terms, while the court found another Somali defendant not guilty. Osman said the foreign militants were accused of training with Islamic State at their base at Cal-Miskaat Mountains in the northeastern region of Somalia. They came to Somalia to support ISIS and destroy and shed blood, he said. Through an interpreter at the court and their lawyer, the accused foreigners said they were haplessly misguided about training with the group and wanted to be deported to their home countries, arguing that they had voluntarily surrendered to the security forces. Osman said that the court had communicated with the relatives of the defendants, provided them an interpreter and they were represented by a lawyer. After all the court proceedings, including hearings and the presentation of evidence against the men, the court made the sentences, Osman said. But they can take an appeal within 30 days otherwise the sentence will be carried out. The Moroccans admitted before the court that they were members of ISIS for two years, Osman said. It is not clear if witnesses supporting the prosecutions case testified in court. Osman identified the Moroccans as Mohamed Hassan, Ahmed Najwi, Khalid Latha, Mohamed Binu Mohamed Ahmed, Ridwan Abdulkadir Osmany, and Ahmed Hussein Ibrahim. An Illinois state judge on Wednesday barred Donald Trump from appearing on the Illinois' Republican presidential primary ballot because of his role in the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, but she delayed her ruling from taking effect in light of an expected appeal by the former U.S. president. Cook County Circuit Judge Tracie Porter sided with Illinois voters who argued that the former president should be disqualified from the state's March 19 primary ballot and its November 5 general election ballot for violating the anti-insurrection clause of the U.S. Constitution's 14th Amendment. The final outcome of the Illinois case and similar challenges will likely be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court, which heard arguments related to Trump's ballot eligibility on February 8. Porter said she was staying her decision because she expected his appeal to Illinois' appellate courts, and a potential ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court. The advocacy group Free Speech for People, which spearheaded the Illinois disqualification effort, praised the ruling as a "historic victory" in a statement. A campaign spokesperson for Trump, the front-runner for the 2024 Republican nomination, said in a statement that this was "an unconstitutional ruling that we will quickly appeal." Colorado and Maine earlier removed Trump from their state ballots after determining he was disqualified under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. Both decisions are on hold while Trump appeals. Section 3 bars from public office anyone who took an oath to support the U.S. Constitution and then "engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof." On January 6, 2021, Trump supporters attacked police and swarmed the Capitol in a bid to prevent Congress from certifying Democrat Joe Biden's 2020 election victory. Trump gave an incendiary speech to supporters beforehand, telling them to go to the Capitol and "fight like hell." Then for hours, he did not act on requests that he urge the mob to stop. The Supreme Court is currently weighing Trump's challenge to his Colorado disqualification. The justices in Washington appeared skeptical of the decision during oral arguments in the case, expressing concerns about states taking sweeping actions that could affect the national election. KUALA LUMPUR, Feb. 29 (Xinhua) -- Malaysia's Capital A, formerly AirAsia Group, has returned to the black in the financial year ending Dec. 31, 2023, as its revenue more than doubled. The firm said in a bourse filing on Thursday that it posted a net profit of 836.99 million ringgit (176 million U.S. dollars), as compared to a net loss of 2.63 billion ringgit a year ago. The firm's revenue for the year more than doubled to 14.77 billion ringgit from 6.44 billion ringgit a year ago, mainly attributed to the strong recovery in demand from both domestic and international travel. On aviation outlook, the firm said with a target of full aircraft reactivation by mid-year and nine additional aircraft, it expects to achieve 90 percent of its pre-pandemic capacity. The firm also plans to launch more than 60 new routes, expanding in China and India, and start AirAsia Cambodia operations in the middle of 2024. Tuvalus new government released a statement of priorities Wednesday, reiterating the Pacific island nations intent to maintain its "long-term and lasting special relationship" with Taiwan, while vowing to review a security pact that the previous administration signed with Australia in November. The announcement comes after some lawmakers hinted before last months parliamentary election that the new Tuvalu government might review the countrys ties with Taiwan. That kicked off weeks of speculation that the Pacific island nation might switch diplomatic recognition to Beijing. The new government "intends to reassess options that would strengthen and lift [its relationship with Taiwan] to a more durable, lasting and mutually beneficial relationship," the new government under Prime Minister Feleti Teo said in the statement shared by Transport, Energy, Communication and Innovation Minister Simon Kofe on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. Some analysts told VOA that Wednesdays statement can be viewed as Tuvalus effort to push back against Beijings influence campaign. "This is a strong sign of Tuvalu's intent to thwart what I must assume are strong offers from Beijing," Timothy Rich, a professor of political science at Western Kentucky University, said in a written response. Other observers say the announcement, which is a welcome message to the United States and its democratic allies, can shore up Taiwans remaining diplomatic footprint in the Pacific region while serving as a temporary setback for China. "I see this development as a setback for Beijing as they were hoping to lure Tuvalu into their camp but China [still] has other mechanisms through which they can increase their influence [in the Pacific region,]" Parker Novak, a nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Councils Global China Hub told VOA by phone. Since Tuvalus new government highlights climate change and connectivity as important areas for development, some experts say Taiwan needs to consider how it can constructively contribute to Tuvalus priorities. "As China looks to woo countries that have ties with Taiwan onto its side, the Tuvalu government needs to demonstrate to the Tuvalu community that its relationship with Taiwan is delivering something for the people while it passes the potential benefits of a relationship with China," Mihai Sora, a research fellow in the Pacific Islands program at Lowy Institute in Australia, in a phone interview. He said Taiwan needs to consider how it can elevate its relationship with Tuvalu. "The ball is in Taiwans court to elevate the relationship with Tuvalu [as] the language [in the statement] indicates that Tuvalu is interested in upgrading its relationship with Taiwan and getting more out of it," Sora added. In response to the new Tuvalu governments commitment to maintaining diplomatic ties, Taiwans Foreign Affairs Ministry said Wednesday that it treasures the "special relationship" with Tuvalu and hopes to continue to work together with the Pacific island nation. While Taiwan and Tuvalu reaffirmed their bilateral relationship, Beijing emphasized that "upholding the One China principle," which designates Taiwan as a part of China, is "where global opinion trends." "A handful of countries who still have so-called diplomatic ties with the Taiwan region should choose to stand on the right side of history and make the right decision that truly serves their fundamental and long-term interests," Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said during a regular press conference on Monday. Three Pacific island nations have switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China since 2019. Beijing has also increased efforts to deepen relations with regional countries, signing security deals with countries such as the Solomon Islands while promising a large amount of aid. To counter Beijings influence campaign, the United States and its allies have stepped up engagement with Pacific island nations, signing new agreements to deepen cooperation and increase support for regional countries. However, some of the efforts have been met with caution or stalled by domestic politics. In the Wednesday statement of priorities, the new Tuvalu government said while it supports the broad principles and objectives of the security and migration pact that the previous administration signed with Australia in November, it acknowledges "the absence of transparency and consultations" in informing the general public about the deal. The government vowed to address the "process issues." While analysts say the deal between Tuvalu and Australia will not be completely scrapped, the U.S. Congress has been unable to pass new funding packages for several Pacific island nations, forcing leaders from several countries to warn about Beijings attempt to seize the opportunity to shift their allegiances. Sora in Australia said the U.S. congressional failure to pass the aid package, the Compacts of Free Association, or COFA, agreement, hurts U.S. credibility as a reliable partner to Pacific island nations. "COFA is a core Pacific interest for the U.S. and if it cant make that, how could it credibly expand its engagement and presence in the rest of the Pacific?" according to Sora. Rich from Western Kentucky University said failure by the U.S. and its allies to provide economic support to Pacific island nations, who rely heavily on foreign aid for their development, could give China an opportunity to present itself as an alternative. "My concern is that without aid, the Pacific islands have no choice but China, and China could use these relations [to increase its presence in the region,]" he said. Human rights experts warn Eritrea maintains an iron grip on its people through repression and widespread, systematic impunity for grave human rights violations. At the U.N. Human Rights Council Wednesday, the experts presented what they call credible reports of grave human rights violations by the Eritrean ruling elite. The state of human rights in Eritrea continues to be dire with no signs of improvement, said Ilze Brand-Kehris, assistant secretary general of the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. She said her office continues to receive credible reports of torture, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, and restrictions of the rights to freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly. Impunity persists for these egregious human rights violations, she said. She accused the government of silencing dissenting voices through systematic repression and the detentions or enforced disappearance of thousands of religious leaders, activists, journalists, and those evading mandatory and indefinite military service. The U.N. special rapporteur on Eritrea, Mohamed Abdelsalam Babiker, told delegates attending the council session that there was no evidence the government has taken any steps to prevent, investigate or redress the grave human rights violations documented by a variety of monitoring groups. The complete lack of action by Eritrean authorities over the last two decades to address their countrys troubling human rights situation is a matter of governmental policy. He said, The prevailing impunity has enabled the recurrence of human rights violations and silenced the victims. The identified practices and patterns of gross violations continue unabated. In response to the criticisms of his country, the charge daffaires of the permanent Mission of Eritrea in Geneva, Habtom Zerai Ghirmai, accused those testifying at the council of presenting baseless, unfounded allegations. He said Eritrea has been a victim of politicized and selective mandate for the last 12 years. Rather than being a violator of human rights, he said, Our commitment to the promotion and protection of human rights lies at the heart of our nationhood, a nationhood that was realized after a long drawn armed struggle for the human rights of the Eritrean people. U.N. rapporteur Babiker said Eritreans have been stripped of their civic rights, noting that no elections have been held in over 30 years. Eritreans do not have any avenues to participate in decision-making in their own countryNo political groups are allowed to organize outside the ruling party, and independent media and civil society are not allowed to operate. Additionally, he said no action has been taken to reform Eritreas compulsory national service. Because of the countrys indefinite military service, he said Eritreans continue to be subjected to gross and horrific abuse, including forced labor and sexual violence. I routinely receive information regarding individuals who have been conscripted for the past 20 years, who have been deprived of their civic, social, and economic rights including the right to work, the right to life, family life, freedom of movement and the right to education. Further, severe, and collective punishments are inflicted on draft evaders, their families, and their communities, he said. As of June 2023, the U.N. refugee agency, UNHCR, says Eritreas indefinite national service had driven an estimated 345,000 Eritrean refugees and asylum seekers to flee the country. This out of a global number of more than 580,000 Eritreans who have sought safety abroad. Eritrea suffers from an acute lack of rule of law with no independent judiciary or other accountability mechanisms, observed Assistant Secretary-General Brands-Kehris, noting that Eritrea has not enacted any legal reforms that could foster the promotion and protection of human rights. Impunity abounds for violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law, including those committed in the context of the Tigray conflict by Eritrean Defense Forces or EDF, she said. Despite an agreement signed by Eritrea to withdraw its forces from Ethiopia, Brands-Kehris said, Our office has credible information that the EDF remains in Tigray and continues to commit cross-border violations, namely abductions, rape, looting of property, arbitrary arrest and other violations of physical integrity, she said. Civil Society Representative Hanna Petros Solomon has a harsh perspective of life under Eritreas repressive regime. I am a child of heroes who served their country honorably and yet now languish in solitary confinement. She said her father, Petros Solomon, played a prominent role during the struggle for independence and post-independent Eritrea, as did her mother, Aster Yohannes. The last I have seen or heard of my father was the morning of September 18, 2001, 22 years ago. The last I have seen or heard of my mother was December 11, 2003, 20 years ago. They have not committed any crime to warrant such punishment. They have not been convicted or sentenced in a court of law, she said. The U.N. considers it torture, inhuman and degrading to hold a prisoner in indefinite or prolonged solitary confinement for over 15 days, she said. My parents indefinite solitary confinement has now stretched to over two decades. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken hosted a meeting Wednesday in Washington with top Mexican and Guatemalan officials to discuss managing irregular migration, displacement, and expanding lawful immigration pathways in the Western Hemisphere. Blinken, joined by Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas and other high-level U.S. officials, met with Guatemalan Foreign Affairs Minister Carlos Ramiro Martinez, Guatemalan Minister of the Interior Francisco Jose Jimenez Irungaray, and Mexican Foreign Affairs Secretary Alicia Barcena Ibarra. The three delegations agreed on the urgency of addressing the root causes of irregular migration, expanding more legal pathways to the U.S., and the creation of a U.S., Mexico, and Guatemala "operational cell" to jointly tackle migration issues. We are really here to double down on the collaboration that we have in dealing with migration flows. We know that all of us are living in what is genuinely a historic time. Around the world, more people are on the move than at any time in recorded history, and the same is true, of course, in our own hemisphere, Blinken said. Guatemala will also host the next Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection ministerial meeting in April. Martinez said they do not see the migration issue as a problem, but a phenomenon. And we believe that behind this, of course, there is a fundamental task for the Guatemalan state. We are the first who must manage the needs of our population. We must create and provide opportunities so that our people do not migrate, so that these flows of Guatemalans seeking opportunities do not continue to grow. So, the first task is a task for the Guatemalan state, Martinez said. During a background call with reporters on Tuesday, a U.S. official said Mexican and Guatemalan nationals represent the largest number of migrants that border officers currently encounter at the Southwest border. The official added that the United States is looking forward to deepening trilateral efforts to expand legal pathways, including for labor migration. One of our most successful lawful pathway initiatives in 2023, we issued over 442,000 visas to temporary and seasonal workers. Those who work here through labor pathways contribute to the U.S. economy and send money back home to support friends and family and invest in their futures, the U.S. official said. Earlier this year, officials from the United States and Mexico met and set goals to make migration numbers consistent, fight human smuggling and create a plan to discourage migrants from crossing through the dangerous Darien Gap in Panama. The meetings come as the Biden administration considers cracking down on asylum-seekers after a record number of migrants arrived at the U.S.-Mexico border in December. The number fell by 41% in January. The difficult paths that migrants in our continent take towards the North to seek better and more opportunities in life is transcendental. These geographical circumstances mean that as countries, we face most of the cycles of the migration process. Guatemala and Mexico are origin, transit, destination and return, Barcena said. Immigration has become one of the leading issues in this years presidential election. Former President Donald Trump, who is likely to face President Joe Biden in November, promises to take stronger action on it. For now, Biden is going to Brownsville, Texas, on Thursday. At the same time, Trump will be going to Eagle Pass, Texas, which is also on the border with Mexico. In California, a high school teacher complains that students watch Netflix on their phones during class. In Maryland, a chemistry teacher says students use gambling apps to place bets during the school day. Around the country, educators say students routinely send Snapchat messages in class, listen to music and shop online, among countless other examples of how smartphones distract from teaching and learning. The hold that phones have on adolescents in America today is well-documented, but teachers say parents are often not aware to what extent students use them inside the classroom. And increasingly, educators and experts are speaking with one voice on the question of how to handle it: Ban phones during classes. "Students used to have an understanding that you aren't supposed to be on your phone in class. Those days are gone," said James Granger, who requires students in his science classes at a Los Angeles-area high school to place their phones in "a cellphone cubby" with numbered slots. "The only solution that works is to physically remove the cellphone from the student." Most schools already have rules regulating student phone use, but they are enforced sporadically. A growing number of leaders at the state and federal levels have begun endorsing school cellphone bans and suggesting new ways to curb access to the devices. The latest state intervention came in Utah, where Gov. Spencer Cox, a Republican, last month urged all school districts and the state Board of Education to remove cellphones from classrooms. He cited studies that show learning improves, distractions are decreased and students are more likely to talk to each other if phones are taken away. "We just need a space for six or seven hours a day where kids are not tethered to these devices," Cox told reporters this month. He said his initiative, which is not binding, is part of a legislative push to protect kids in Utah from the harms of social media. Last year, Florida became the first state to crack down on phones in school. A law that took effect in July requires all Florida public schools to ban student cellphone use during class time and block access to social media on district Wi-Fi. Some districts, including Orange County Public Schools, went further and banned phones the entire school day. Oklahoma, Vermont and Kansas have also recently introduced what is becoming known as "phone-free schools" legislation. And two U.S. senators Tom Cotton, an Arkansas Republican, and Tim Kaine, a Virginia Democrat introduced legislation in December that would require a federal study on the effects of cellphone use in schools on students' mental health and academic performance. Theirs is one of several bipartisan alliances calling for stiffer rules for social media companies and greater online safety for kids. Nationally, 77% of U.S. schools say they prohibit cellphones at school for non-academic use, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. But that number is misleading. It does not mean students are following those bans or all those schools are enforcing them. Just ask teachers. "Cellphone use is out of control. By that, I mean that I cannot control it, even in my own classroom," said Patrick Truman, who teaches at a Maryland high school that forbids student use of cellphones during class. It is up to each teacher to enforce the policy, so Truman bought a 36-slot caddy for storing student phones. Still, every day, students hide phones in their laps or under books as they play video games and check social media. Tired of being the phone police, he has come to a reluctant conclusion: "Students who are on their phones are at least quiet. They are not a behavior issue." A study last year from Common Sense Media found that 97% of kids use their phones during school hours, and that kids say school cellphone policies vary often from one classroom to another and aren't always enforced. For a school cellphone ban to work, educators and experts say the school administration must be the one to enforce it and not leave that task to teachers. The Phone-Free Schools Movement, an advocacy group formed last year by concerned mothers, says policies that allow students to keep phones in their backpacks, as many schools do, are ineffective. "If the bookbag is on the floor next to them, it's buzzing and distracting, and they have the temptation to want to check it," said Kim Whitman, a co-founder of the group, which advises schools to require phones be turned off and locked away all day. Some students say such policies take away their autonomy and cut off their main mode of communication with family and friends. Pushback also has come from parents who fear being cut off from their kids if there is a school emergency. Whitman advises schools to make exceptions for students with special educational and medical needs, and to inform parents on expert guidance that phones can be a dangerous distraction for students during an emergency. Jaden Willoughey, 14, shares the concern about being out of contact with his parents if there's a crisis. But he also sees the upsides of turning in his phone at school. At Delta High School in rural Utah, where Jaden is a freshman, students are required to check their phones at the door when entering every class. Each of the school's 30 or so classrooms has a cellphone storage unit that looks like an over-the-door shoe bag with three dozen smartphone-sized slots. "It helps you focus on your work, and it's easier to pay attention in class," Jaden said. A classmate, Mackenzie Stanworth, 14, said it would be hard to ignore her phone if it was within reach. It's a relief, she said, to "take a break from the screen and the social life on your phone and actually talk to people in person." It took a few years to tweak the cellphone policy and find a system that worked, said Jared Christensen, the school's vice principal. "At first it was a battle. But it has been so worth it," he said. "Students are more attentive and engaged during class time. Teachers are able to teach without competing with cellphones. And student learning has increased," he said, citing test scores that are at or above state averages for the first time in years. "I can't definitively say it's because of this policy. But I know it's helping." The next battle will be against earbuds and smartwatches, he said. Even with phones stashed in pouches, students get caught listening to music on air pods hidden under their hair or hoodies. "We haven't included earbuds in our policy yet. But we're almost there." Local officials in northeastern Syria said a series of Turkish drone strikes on Wednesday killed and wounded several people in a Kurdish-controlled town near the border with Turkey. Unlike other attacks carried out by Turkey in recent months, those targeted Wednesday were not Syrian Kurdish fighters. According to local sources, three members of a local Christian militia were killed and two others were wounded in several Turkish drone strikes on the town of Derik in northeastern Syria. Ankara has not commented on the recent attacks, but Turkey has been targeting areas under the control of the Syrian Democratic Forces, a Kurdish-led military alliance that has been a major U.S. partner in the fight against Islamic State group militants. Turkeys attacks have increased in recent months. Turkey views the SDF as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which is considered a terrorist organization by Ankara and Washington. But the United States makes a distinction between the two Kurdish groups. According to the Council on Foreign Relations, Turkey aims to maintain a buffer zone that deprives the PKK of bases abroad and to prevent the emergence of a contiguous area of autonomous Kurdish rule across borders that could intensify calls for an independent state. The Christian group that Turkey targeted Wednesday is called Sutoro, a local security force that is part of the Syriac Military Council, itself part of the SDF. Sutoro was founded in 2012 in the wake of Syrias civil war. It later entered an alliance with Kurdish forces to defend Christians and other communities in northeastern Syria from other armed groups. Kurdish officials say Christian representation within the SDF is an important indicator of northeastern Syrias diversity and its autonomous administration. Our autonomous administration was founded in 2014, and later when the SDF was established in 2015, Christian groups were the first ones to become part of it because they see themselves are real partners in governing and protecting this part of Syria, Farhad Shami, a spokesperson for the SDF, told VOA. Christians made up about 10% of Syrias prewar population of 23 million. But many of them have left the country since the conflict began in 2011, especially after the rise of Islamist extremist groups. Experts say Christian forces in northeastern Syria have played a major role in the war against IS, also known as ISIS. The Syriac Security Forces (Sutoro) demonstrated heroism in 2015 when they fought ISIS and prevented a massacre of Christians in the Khabur River Valley, said Myles B. Caggins III, nonresident senior fellow at the New Lines Institute and former spokesperson for the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS in Iraq and Syria. He told VOA that such cross-border attacks by Turkey on military targets and civilian infrastructure cause suffering throughout northeastern Syria and weaken the ability to fight IS remnants. U.S. troops have trained and advised Syriac Military Council anti-ISIS forces, and it is a tragedy that Americas partners are unjustly killed, Caggins said. According to the Rojava Information Center, a pro-Kurdish monitoring group in Syria, Turkey has carried out 76 drone strikes in the northeast since the beginning of the year. Last year, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the objective of such attacks was to destroy the organizational infrastructure and sources of income for terrorist organizations, referring to Kurdish groups and their partners. But Amy Austin Holmes, a research professor at George Washington University, said Syrian Christian armed groups and their Kurdish allies dont pose a threat to Turkey. Not only are they not a threat to Turkey, but they actually provide security to Turkey because they defeated ISIS and they protect Turkeys southern border from other threats, she told VOA. The Biden administration launched a series of actions against China in recent days, sustaining pressure against the United States' key strategic rival even as it focuses on more urgent fronts, including the wars in Gaza and Ukraine. In the span of one week, the administration announced an executive order to protect Americans' personal data from foreign adversaries, including China; launched an investigation into potential security threats posed by connected vehicles that use Chinese technology; and placed sanctions on Chinese entities for supporting Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. The actions taken by President Joe Biden stand in contrast to the months of warming ties following a November summit in California between him and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping a meeting aimed to improve a bilateral relationship that had reached its lowest point in decades due to rivalry and mistrust. Since the summit, diplomatic engagement has increased from both sides, including the resumption of military-to-military talks that were frozen after former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's 2022 visit to Taiwan. Restarting staff-level talks in early January was key to ensuring that the two sides avoided a major cross-strait incident during Taiwan's election later in the month. In January, Washington and Beijing also launched a working group designed to crack down on the flow of Chinese precursors used in the production of fentanyl and other synthetic drugs sold in the U.S., another sign of cooperation between the superpowers. Ties improved to the point that Beijing marked the 45th anniversary of U.S.-China diplomatic relations in January with a lavish banquet, where Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi promised that Chinese giant pandas, much loved by American zoo visitors, will return to U.S. by the end of the year. So why the flurry of actions against China now? National security issue The White House sidestepped questions on the back-to-back timing of the measures. Biden is "concerned about countries like China," White House deputy press secretary Olivia Dalton said to reporters aboard Air Force One on Thursday. "China is right now looking to flood the market here in the United States and around the world with vehicles equipped with advanced technology from countries of concern," she said. "That's a national security issue that we take very seriously." An administration official told reporters during a briefing that the U.S. Commerce Department probe launched Thursday to ensure that Chinese cars driving on American roads do not undermine U.S. national security, is "complementary and distinct" from the executive order to protect Americans' personal data from China and other foreign adversaries. The latter order blocks bulk transfers of data such as geolocation, biometric, health and financial information to "countries of concern." By putting the two announcements next to each other, the administration is trying to communicate that they're taking data security seriously, said Emily Benson, director of the Project on Trade and Technology at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "The anticipated outcome there was to signal that the connected vehicle rules are actually a national security instrument," Benson told VOA. The U.S. plans to engage partners and allies following the investigation into the threat posed by Chinese vehicles. There's a "growing sense of the security risks" and "really strong interest in the measures that we might take and the results of the investigation," an administration official told VOA during a briefing Wednesday. Biden himself warned of the dangers. "Connected vehicles from China could collect sensitive data about our citizens and our infrastructure and send this data back to the People's Republic of China," the president said in a statement. National security concerns aside, the administration is also anticipating an overcapacity of more affordable Chinese vehicles entering the American marketplace, especially as Chinese auto producers such as BYD set up manufacturing facilities in Mexico that would afford them more favorable tariff rates under USMCA, the free-trade agreement between the U.S., Mexico and Canada. "That has created a lot of fear in Washington about the longevity of the U.S. automobile sector," Benson said. She added that the executive actions taken this week are "easier and more appropriate" than the effort to ban TikTok. The social media app is used by more than 100 million Americans despite allegations that its China-based parent company, ByteDance, could collect sensitive user data. While the federal government and dozens of individual states have barred TikTok from government devices, Congress has yet to enact legislation to ban Americans from using the application on their personal devices. The app is highly popular, especially among young people, prompting Biden's campaign to join the platform despite the administration's previously firm stance on its potential national security concerns. Balanced approach As Biden gears up for his reelection campaign, his administration is keen to project the image that they are taking the threat of China seriously, said Yun Sun, director of the China Program at the Stimson Center. "Balancing has always been the theme of his policy," Sun told VOA. "When there is positive engagement, there's also the punitive gestures." Without such gestures, the administration would be vulnerable to criticism that it is ignoring the fact that Beijing remains a source of significant national security challenges for the United States, she said. "The administration has to demonstrate that it is extremely clear-eyed about the limitation of engagement but also the desirability of the engagement," she said. "Engagement does not mean there's no problem." Washington also announced sanctions against Chinese firms last week as part of a measure marking the second anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The trade penalties targeted entities in Russia and in countries viewed by the administration as supporting Moscow's war effort. The actions against China followed a meeting between Wang and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference earlier in February. In the meeting, Wang warned Blinken that turning de-risking "into 'de-China,' building 'small courtyards and high walls,' and engaging in 'decoupling from China' will eventually backfire on the United States." Paris Huang and Adam Chuanqi Xu contributed to this report. Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Western countries on Thursday that they risk initiating a nuclear war if they send troops into Ukraine, saying Russia has the weapons to strike targets in the West. During his annual state of the nation address, the Russian leader said Western nations must realize that we also have weapons that can hit targets on their territory. All this really threatens a conflict with the use of nuclear weapons and the destruction of civilization. Don't they get that? Although Ukraines Western allies have sent vast munitions to the Kyiv government in its fight against the 2022 Russian invasion, none has said it would send troops to fight alongside Ukrainian forces. Earlier this week, however, French President Emmanuel Macron said that while there are no plans in place to send Western troops to fight in Ukraine, the possibility remains. "There's no consensus today to send in an official, endorsed manner, troops on the ground. But in terms of dynamics, nothing can be ruled out," Macron said at a news conference. Several European leaders pushed back on Macrons troop suggestion as did the United States. Ukraine is not a member of NATO, the Wests main military alliance, and thus Kyivs Western allies are not obligated to defend it. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday that Europes path for several generations is now being determined amid Russias invasion of his country. We have seen in the past how someone else tried to determine the fate of other nations. This happened in the Balkans, in eastern Europe, and in all other parts of Europe. Now Putin wants to do exactly the same, Zelenskyy said as he attended a summit of southeastern European leaders in Albania. Zelenskyy said it is critical for all free nations that Putin lose the war, and that the Russian leaders failures are our security. In his Moscow speech, Putin said Russias strategic nuclear forces are in a state of full readiness." He noted that new-generation hypersonic nuclear weapons he first spoke about in 2018 had either been deployed or were at a stage where development and testing were being completed. Visibly angry, Putin suggested Western politicians recall the fate of those like Nazi Germany's Adolf Hitler and France's Napoleon Bonaparte who had unsuccessfully invaded Russia in the past. "But now the consequences will be far more tragic," Putin said. "They think it (war) is a cartoon," he said. He accused Western politicians of forgetting what an actual war meant because they had not faced the same security challenges as Russians had in the last three decades. The Russian leader said Moscows forces now have the initiative on the battlefield in Ukraine and advanced against outmanned Ukrainian troops. He dismissed as nonsense Western suggestions that Russia would advance beyond Ukraine and attack other countries. Putin said Russia was open to discussions on nuclear strategic stability with the U.S. but suggested that Washington had no serious interest in such talks and was more focused on making false claims about Moscow's alleged aims. "Recently there have been more and more unsubstantiated accusations against Russia, for example that we are allegedly going to deploy nuclear weapons in space. Such innuendo... is a ploy to draw us into negotiations on their terms, which are favorable only to the United States," he said. On Wednesday, Zelenskyy praised Belgium for committing to take part in a Czech-led initiative to supply badly needed ammunition to Ukrainian forces. Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said Belgium would provide $216 million in funding for the effort. In the U.S., the Senate has approved $60 billion in new Ukraine aid, but a Republican bloc of lawmakers in the House of Representatives opposes it. House Speaker Mike Johnson has not brought it to a vote in the full chamber, where it likely would be approved. Some information for this story came from Agence France-Presse and Reuters. Columbus Mavhunga HARARE, ZIMBABWE A court in Zimbabwe has sentenced an opposition leader to six months in prison or a $300 fine for verbally assaulting a Russian businesswoman. Magistrate Vongai Guwuriro ruled that Tendai Biti, a former Zimbabwean finance minister, must pay the fine or go to prison, ending a four-year legal battle between Biti and Tatiana Aleshina, who court papers said was a Russian investor. Biti paid the fine. Alec Muchadehama, Bitis attorney, told reporters outside the Harare magistrate's court Tuesday that Biti would appeal the sentence and conviction. "Both myself and Tendai Biti are extremely disappointed with the conviction, but I am not surprised that it came to that [conviction]," he said. "This is why we are going to appeal to the High Court, we have various grounds, which we will outline in our grounds of appeal. The state prosecutors accused Biti of calling Aleshina stupid and pointing at her in 2020. Biti denies the charge of verbal assault. Aleshina said the ruling was a victory for women. "Zimbabwe has got justice, even if it has taken long four years. But I learned a lot. I realized if we women cant stand for our rights, justice will not be revealed," she said. "And I have nothing to do with Tendai Biti, or anyone, but let him learn good lessons - respect women, and respect not only women, but everyone in this country. Aleshinas supporters outside the court said Biti should have been given a no-fine option and sent to prison, while Bitis supporters said the punishment for calling someone stupid was unfair. Agnes Togarepi said Biti was innocent. "How many times do you call someone 'stupid' or even 'idiot'? Is it a crime to point at someone? she asked. Biti is vice president of Citizens Coalition for Change, Zimbabwes main opposition party. His colleague Job Sikhala, who spent nearly two years in jail, was given a nine-month suspended sentence if he pays a $500 fine by March 4. He was convicted of publishing falsehoods. Chelsey Koopman, (3rd from left) is joined by one of dozens of Women's Build crews that took part in helping her build her home. NEW DELHI, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- At least two people were killed and several others injured Wednesday after a train ran over passengers on the railway track in the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand, officials said. The accident took place in the evening near Kalajharia railway station in Jamtara district about 215 km northeast of Ranchi, the capital city of Jharkhand. Reports said the passengers disembarked the train and assembled on the railway track following rumours that a fire broke out inside it. "This evening we got information that some passengers who had got off the train which halted at Kalajharia railway crossing were overrun by another local train. We immediately along with the local police and railway police force reached the spot. During the searches, two bodies have been found," a senior local government official Anant Kumar told media. According to Kumar, the exact number of injured can be known only after the officials are able to collect the details from government and private hospitals. Kumar further said the actual cause of the accident will be known after an investigation by the railways. Last June 295 passengers were killed in the worst train accident in India's recent history. Florence Pugh in Dune: Part Two. Photo: Niko Tavernise/Warner Bros. Critics have dug their heads out of the sand to share whats happening on Arrakis. Dune: Part Two, out March 1, is a triumph of vision, according to the early reports, but that doesnt mean director Denis Villeneuves monumental scale and formal austerity have pleased everyone. For select reviewers, the film amounts to sand, beautiful sand, and some tepid anti-imperial themes. Other, more satisfied critical responses argue that Villeneuves casting and craft alchemy, juiced by a story with far more interesting beats than the first one had, make for an arresting watch. Part Two belongs firmly to Zendaya, who gives the second half of Denis Villeneuves Frank Herbert adaptation an emotional tangibility that the first, in all its exotic majesty, eschewed, writes Vulture critic Alison Willmore. New faces Christopher Walken, Austin Butler, and Florence Pugh reinvigorate the future hellscape, while the returning Timothee Chalamet does a movie-star turn, critics say. Lets stick our hands in the popcorn-bucket orifice and see the first reactions from critics who watched Wonka ride the sandworm. Rather than soften the strangeness of its source material, Dune: Part Two shifts its perspective to one on the ground to Zendayas character, the Fremen warrior Chani. She was more promise than actual presence in 2021s Dune, a figure from Pauls visions whos only encountered in the flesh after the Harkonnen family ambushes and wipes out most of the Atreides forces. But shes the soul of the new film, skeptical of all the messiah talk she rightfully believes was planted to control her people, and skeptical of this off-world upper-cruster who comes seeking refuge, swearing hes not like the others and that he only wants to learn the ways of her people and help them. Alison Willmore, Vulture Whatever you do, dont mistake this follow-up for a sequel. Its the second half of a saga, which Villeneuve has hinted about wanting to carry through a third installment, provided Part Two earns enough for him to keep going. Like Christopher Nolan, the director is operating on the largest possible scale, pushing the medium to accommodate his vision. Also like Nolan, he has composer Hans Zimmers help in making everything sound as stunning as it looks. Peter Debruge, Variety If the movie is, among other things, a timely parable of Arab liberation, its at best a slippery and reluctant one, in which the politics of revolution feel curiously under-juiced. In retaining the materials Arabic filigree, albeit with a glaring paucity of Arab actors in key Fremen roles, Villeneuve and his co-writer, Jon Spaihts, follow the text with a cautious, noncommittal blandness. Justin Chang, The New Yorker Like its predecessor, Dune: Part Two thrums with an intoxicating big-screen expressionism of monoliths and mosquitos, fevered visions and messianic fervor more dystopian dream, or nightmare, than a straightforward narrative. Jake Coyle, Associated Press Its only toward the end of the film, a mighty crescendo in which big, universe-altering choices are made, that the film trips over its own momentum. Pauls complicated evolution is slow and steady until, all of a sudden, its moving at breakneck speed. It feels as if weve skipped a crucial expositional step in order to get to the massive finale sequence. Chalamet is an effective communicator of Pauls tortured ambitions, but he has trouble making it legible when it really counts, because Villeneuve hasnt given him the time. Richard Lawson, Vanity Fair Heavy with biblical themes of prophecy, sacrifice, redemption and resurrection with Shakespearean grace notes of fate, family and revenge Dune: Part Two manages to be busy and oddly inert at the same time. Ann Hornaday, the Washington Post Part Two is plagued by a nagging shallowness when it comes to portraying the Fremen, an indigenous people fighting for self-determination within the empire; the film has difficulty fully embracing the nuance of Herberts anti-imperial and ecologically dystopian text. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter Chalamet and Zendaya make an appealing duo, and the two performers fit together with tangible ease as their characters grow close. Both actors are fun to look at, and every bit as watchable and glamorous as old-fashioned Hollywood stars (I kept wondering what product he uses to tame his curls), which is amusing but makes sense for their outsize roles. Chalamet and Zendaya tend to overwork their glowers and puppy eyes in their less chatty scenes (the desert quiet can make loose talk deadly), but together they humanize the story, giving it the necessary personal stakes and a warmth that helps balance the chilling violence. Manohla Dargis, the New York Times While the plotting in Part Two is undeniably richer than the first film, its greatest assets are once again on a craft level. Greig Fraser, who won the Oscar for cinematography the first time, tops his work there with stunning use of color and light Hans Zimmers Oscar-winning score felt a bit overdone to me in the first film, but he smartly differentiates the cultures here, finding more metallic sounds for the cold Harkonnens to balance against the heated score for the Fremen. Finally, the effects and sound design feel denser this time, and the fight choreography reminds one how poorly this has been done in other blockbuster films. Brian Tallerico, RogerEbert.com Once again, the biblical solemnity of Villeneuves approach along with the tactile brutalism of his design have combined into a Timothee Chalamet movie that shimmers with the patina of an epic myth. And once again, the awesome spectacle that Villeneuve mines from all that scenery is betrayed by the smallness of the human drama he stages against it, with the majesty of the movies first hour desiccating into the stuff of pure tedium as Paul Atreides struggles to find his voice amid the visions that compel him forward. Its a struggle that Dune: Part Two continues to embody all too well. David Ehrlich, IndieWire In Villeneuves hands, a sci-fi epic like Dune: Part Two can deliver whats expected big stakes, big conflicts, big explosions but it can do so in a clear and rigorously consistent visual language that serves the story. Even in the biggest battle scenes, his camera keeps us focused on what matters most the human cost of it all. Glen Weldon, NPR [Villeneuve] widens our eyes with big action hugeness the products of an army of visual effects experts but then asks us, as he did with 2016s Arrival, to interpret and connect the dots. Less an act of literary fidelity than generosity, his sequel plunges us into the books messianic prophecies, but also into spiritual uncertainty, cultural conflict and doubt, as it must. Somehow, Villeneuve has made a Dune for right now and tomorrow. Joshua Rothkopf, the Los Angeles Times We need to talk about the F-word. I mean, its used so liberally in this one episode of Feud: Capote vs. the Swans that even in such respectful censoring, we do ourselves a disservice given the need to plumb just what we (or the swans and Capote, really) mean by such a word. For the derogatory term for gay men, here it curiously stands at the center of another infamous feud involving Capote. As Lee puts it, Its just two fags fighting. The two fags in question are Capote and Gore Vidal (unseen and unheard, a spectral figure all around). Their feud results from Capotes constant drinking and his penchant for playing the part of court jester on prime-time television. The drinking, in fact, has clearly begun to affect all his relationships. He may enjoy dolling up Kate Harrington nee Kerry OShea (Ella Beatty) as one of his swans, but the young would-be model is increasingly concerned about her new father figure losing himself in drinks. A sentiment shared by Richard Avedon (Jeffrey Grover), who, after undoing all that Truman had done to make Kate look matronly (to look like Babe, really) and shooting some fabulous headshots, scolds Capote for letting it all get to him. All Truman hears, though, is Avedon nudging Kate to dance in front of his camera: Movement is youth! he beams at her. And thats what Truman proceeds to do, trying to regain some semblance of youth and style at Studio 54 with C.Z., whos less enamored with the entire affair (theres nowhere to sit!). No matter, an increasingly drunken Capote has understood that even if the writing has fallen by the wayside, hes at least a famous person. One the American public thoroughly enjoys on their television screens and in talk shows thats where Vidal comes in. During one of those interviews (in real life, it was a Playboy interview), Capote makes the mistake of sharing a particularly ghastly story about the Hollywood and The City and the Pillar novelist all having to do with him having been kicked out of a 1961 White House function after drunkenly touching then First Lady Jackie Kennedy. For a writer who came from the moneyed, political class, the incident is embarrassing on its own; that it is being aired out by a fellow gay writer whom hed long despised is a bridge too far. Vidal sues Capote. The matter could be put away if the person who told Capote the story would come forward, but that person wouldnt dream of it. Lee, clearly harboring a lot of ill-will toward Truman, opts to pretend that shed never known, let alone told that story about her sister, telling her fellow swans that shed rather not get involved: Its just two fags fighting, Lee dryly admits. And its the line that elicits a response from C.Z., a line Chloe Sevigny was born to deliver: We owe them a modicum of respect the homosexuals, I mean. Shes talking to Babe, who is perhaps a bit swayed by C.Z.s position, though they both understand that men like Truman and women like themselves are caught in a bit of a bind. This was quite the popular thing to discuss in the late 70s when visions of allyship were clearly changing, perhaps all too fast for the people depicted here in Feud. Look no further than Larry Mitchell and Ned Astas 1977 graphic novel-cum-manifesto, The Faggots & Their Friends Between Revolutions, which sketched out (among other things) the very vexing relationship between men, faggots, and women: For a thousand years, the women did not trust the faggots, it reads at one point. They would allow the faggots to arrange their hair into elaborate, beautiful designs. They would allow them to fill their houses with carved wood and soft fabrics. They would allow them to play music at their parties. But they did not trust the faggots, for they knew the faggots only as men, and they could not trust men. This is what Feud is getting at; its entire plot is anchored by the fragile bond between fey gay men like Truman and beautiful women like Babe or C.Z. By the unspoken and yet strictly held detente that seems to have existed (and perhaps exists still) between these two groups of people whose penchant for the superficial, the vapid the feminine, really is needlessly put down by society writ large. Feud nudges us to notice how Babe and C.Z. are kind of silly as they go to buy gloves, while Capote rightly points out he may have been similarly understood as nothing more than an accessory (a cute fluffy Pomeranian, no less!). The warring way in which misogyny and homophobia are interlocked in their feud ends up being the key to understanding how the falling out between Capote and his swans actually telegraphed a changing of the guard, a change of style. Its why C.Z. feels embarrassed about going to Studio 54, let alone being photographed in such a cramped, sweat-filled space: Theres a time to bow out. And, in a way, thats what Truman tries to do. He wants to get sober (or so he says) and flees to Palm Springs, where he doesnt so much get dry as get busy with a handyman named Rick. A trade trick if there ever was one, Capote even brings him back East, where Ricks inability to carry a conversation about anything other than air conditioners leaves C.Z., Kate, and Jack aghast. Add to that the fact that Capotes cruelty has only been exacerbated by his rift with Vidal (an untalented hack of a writer), and you see how hes grasping at straws by trying to stay current to avoid going out of style. As C.Z. watches him on television slurring his words and as Jack sees hes not yet gotten over the loss of his many swans, its clear to them both that theres little either can do to really help him. Hes on yet another downward spiral; if only he could sit down and write! Alas, an addict cant really shake off his illness all that easily; soon enough, hes trying to get better again. He wants to get tucked and plucked by his doctor (the better to look younger, as required by a rapidly changing world obsessed with youth), wants to spend time writing Answered Prayers again, and even finds a way to be okay with Rick eventually leaving him, though not before being needlessly cruel about it. The episode ends, at least, with a final push to keep chipping away at his Proustian endeavor, a kind of faggot revenge against all that had first coddled and encouraged him. Its a melancholy moment because it may be the first instance when Capote, at his desk, realizes exactly what kind of book he was writing: a eulogy for a time gone by. He writes of friendships as sun-dappled light on ones skin, and his narrator missing said friendships even as he lays in a hammock in Tangier with the desert heat all around him. Director Gus Van Sant makes the moment all the more heartbreaking by intercutting it with the playful Easter bonnet anecdote Capote had been thinking about earlier with C.Z., a time when he and his swans could relish each others company into a fit of giggles while donning ridiculous hats. But thats all gone. The sun has set on those friendships. He and them are all the chillier for it. Wit Versus Beauty I love the idea that the easiest way to remember poetry, as Truman does, is to just listen. Its what he tells Kate as he regales her with bits and pieces of The Walrus and the Carpenter by Lewis Carroll. If you want to see footage of what a slurring Truman looked like whenever he went on late-night television in the 1970s, look no further than YouTube, where you can watch him on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. I cant be the only one who thought of Sondheims Company as C.Z. finds that her favorite millinery store is closing. Does anyone still wear a hat?, if you must know, was already a line being uttered on the Broadway stage back in 1970 Capotes swans were, years later, clearly a dying breed. Speaking of hats give Sevigny and Naomi Watts Emmy nominations for their reaction to there no longer being a gloves section at their favorite department store. Related: Look no further. We have found the best onscreen credit yet: Snide Salesgirl, played by Serena Ryen. Better read: Jacqueline Susann looks like a truck driver in drag or her new love interest, Herbert Ross, has sucked more cocks than a deckhand on the Fire Island ferry come August or maybe even the more innocuous sounding, your tumbleweed of a girlfriend? Im only sad the episode found no time for my favorite Vidal read, which is in Capotes Women: You see, behind his facade, hes [Gore] really just a bowl of not-quite-congealed jello. Capote has never been as relatable as a writer, let alone as a gay man, as when he tells Kate hes obviously been busy writing and scribbling away just as he sits at a Palm Springs pool with a drink in hand. Photo: Leon Bennett/WireImage Reality-TV heads have already litigated Scandoval at brunch and in blogs, but now its time to litigate the matter in a court of law. Former Vanderpump Rules star Rachel Raquel Leviss is suing castmates Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix for eavesdropping, invasion of privacy, and revenge porn, Deadline first reported. Leviss filed the lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court on February 29. The complaint seeks a jury trial and does not accuse Bravo, NBCUniversal, Andy Cohen, or other Vanderpump Rules executives of wrongdoing, though they are mentioned in the filing. Scandoval captured the publics attention in a massive way, went completely viral, and injected new life into Vanderpump Rules, the filing reads, per Deadline. It also caused mayhem in Levisss life, culminating in monthslong in-patient treatment at a mental-health facility and her departure from the show. Fomented by Bravo and Evolution in conjunction with the cast, Leviss was subjected to a public skewering with little precedent and became, without exaggeration, one of the most hated women in America. The biggest scandal to hit unscripted TV stemmed from an affair between Leviss and Sandoval that soon captivated insatiable fans. When Madix found out about the cheating after accidentally seeing an explicit FaceTime video of Leviss, the messiness reached atomic levels and instantly became all that anyone could talk about, to the point where Sandoval thought it correct to compare his virality with that of O.J. Simpson and George Floyd. (He later apologized for the hairbrained comparison.) The lawsuit claims the video was done illegally without Raquels knowledge or consent and violates California nonconsensual pornography laws. This lawsuit is squarely about illegal behavior and those who traffic in it and enable it, Mark Geragos, an attorney for Leviss, told Deadline on February 29. Rachel has apologized for her part in an affair. Thats not a crime. Tom and Ariana are alleged here to have engaged in criminal acts. They then doubled down and used those actions to shame, bully, belittle, and intentionally try to destroy Rachels mental health. VIENTIANE, Feb. 29 (Xinhua) -- Laos has received over 650,000 doses of the Measles and Rubella (MR) vaccines to help protect and prevent the spread of the two childhood illnesses. The donation by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, targeted over 600,000 children under five years of age, according to a report issued on Thursday from the Center of Information and Education for Health under the Lao Ministry of Health. Phonepaseuth Ounaphom, director general of the Department of Hygiene and Health Promotion under the Lao Ministry of Health, said that the donated vaccines will help save children's lives in the country. The MR vaccine will be administered by the Lao Ministry of Health with support from UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO) and other development partners. WHO Representative to Laos Ying-Ru Lo, said that measles and rubella are devastating diseases. Recent measles outbreaks in other countries have seen unvaccinated children die in tragic numbers. She added that vaccination is one of the most effective ways of improving the health and well-being of children and their families. "The WHO, alongside our partners, is proud to support the Lao government's vaccination efforts, including with the measles and rubella vaccine donation," she said. 14 March. In a bid to showcase its vibrant educational environment and close-knit community, RIS has announced an Open Morning event for prospective families. Scheduled to take place on campus, the event promises attendees an in-depth look into the school's unique educational approach, guided tours of its campus, and a chance to meet the people who make RIS an exceptional place for learning. The Admissions Team, alongside dedicated Student Ambassadors, will be hosting the Open Morning. This gathering serves as an ideal platform for prospective parents and students to discover firsthand the comprehensive educational experiences RIS offers. Attendees will have the opportunity to explore the school's facilities, understand its curriculum, and interact with current students and staff. This event underscores RIS's commitment to welcoming new families into its community and providing them with all the information they need to make an informed decision about their educational journey. Families interested in attending the Open Morning are encouraged to register their interest and join the RIS community in celebrating the school's commitment to excellence in education. Check link for registration and more info. SEOUL, Feb. 29 (Xinhua) -- South Korean banks' lending rate fell for the second straight month on expectations for policy rate cuts later this year, central bank data showed Thursday. The weighted average rate for new bank loans dipped 0.10 percentage points from a month earlier to an annualized 5.04 percent in January, after sliding 0.12 percentage points in the previous month, according to the Bank of Korea (BOK). Expectations emerged for the BOK to lower its key rate later this year following expected rate cuts in the United States. The BOK had left its policy rate unchanged at 3.50 percent since January last year, after hiking it by 3.0 percentage points for the past one and a half years. The rate for banks' new corporate loans retreated 0.07 percentage points over the month to 5.22 percent in January. The lending rate for big corporations slipped 0.12 percentage points to 5.16 percent, and the rate for small companies decreased 0.03 percentage points to 5.28 percent. The rate for new bank loans to households declined 0.14 percentage points to 4.68 percent in January compared with the previous month. The mortgage loan rate for households dwindled by 0.17 percentage points to 3.99 percent, and the credit loan rate diminished by 0.20 percentage points to 6.38 percent. The weighted average rate for fresh bank deposits shrank 0.18 percentage points over the month to an annualized 3.67 percent in January. Linda Wenhold was blown away by the Patriot Academys classes, which tap into a growing fear among some evangelical Christians that their faith and its rightful place at the center of American culture and government were under siege. 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 The first time we hear the phrase best holiday ever in How To Have Sex is during a pre-dawn swim as teenage friends Tara (Mia McKenna-Bruce), Em (Enva Lewis) and Skye (Lara Peake) kick off their booze-fuelled bender in Greece. The last time we hear it is on the last day of their holiday, when Em and Skye burst into the bedroom where Tara has just had an awful sexual experience with Paddy (Samuel Bottomley), a young man who appears never to have heard the word consent. Best holiday ever? Not so much. I went on a bunch of holidays like this, says Molly Manning Walker, the London-based writer and director of the film, which won the Un Certain Regard award for a first-time director at Cannes last May. I was a very different person when I was 16. I had long hair, fake eyelashes, I was covered in fake tan. I went to Ibiza, Magaluf, all of the places. So its a combination of events that happened when I was there and research that is more up to date. Dazed and confused: Mia McKenna-Bruce as Tara. Credit: Ahi Films What happens to Tara is a version of what happened to her at the same age. Ive always wanted to make something like this, since it happened to me when I was 16, Ive wanted to speak about it, she says. But every time you go into a room and you say it out loud, everyones like, shhh, and it really sucks the air out of the room, you know? And for me, as a victim, thats like the worst thing you could ever do to someone, because then suddenly you feel guilty and ashamed. Walker is an acclaimed cinematographer, who shot the charming feature Scrapper for her close friend Charlotte Regan. They are both, she feels, part of a wave of change thats sweeping through the industry and bringing female voices to the fore. But shes wary, too, of how the tide can recede. Advertisement Her mother, Lesley Manning, is also a filmmaker. In 1992 she directed Ghostwatch, a 90-minute mockumentary hosted by Michael Parkinson and presented as if it were live and factual. The special on paranormal activity invited viewers to dial in with their own tales, and there are claims that the BBC received 1 million calls. It certainly received a lot of complaints, and was subjected to an inquiry about how such a misleading program could have been broadcast (even though it went to air in the drama slot, under the drama umbrella, and on Halloween, all of which should have offered clues to what was going on). In short, Ghostwatch made a huge splash. But the backlash didnt do Lesley Manning any favours. She made that when she was 29, and then her career sort of fell apart, her daughter says. It was super successful and then she had a really hard time. I mean, shes still hustling now, still trying to make stuff, but shes just had a really hard time. What happens to Badger (Shaun Thomas) was inspired by a memory from Walkers own party-hard years in Spain. Credit: Ahi Films Youre 29, I note. Does that give you any cause for concern? Yep. Of course. I mean, Ive grown up with the DIY scene, and Ive seen my parents [her father is a freelance cartoonist] have no money, and thats always been a scary thing with filmmaking, she says. A lot of the reason I went into cinematography was to have a bit of money. Thats a job. How To Have Sex started as a COVID project, when there were no jobs to be had. It sprang from a single memory from her years of clubbing on the party islands of the Mediterranean, a time that, to be clear, also includes some of the best moments of her life, in which a male friend was dragged up on stage and fellated by a stranger in front of a raucous crowd of drunken revellers. Advertisement That scene is recreated in the film, with Tara watching on in horror as the boy she imagined she might fancy, Badger (Shaun Thomas), gives himself over to the moment. Until she started writing it down, Walker wondered if shed misremembered it; after all, she was pretty hammered at the time. But when she met up with some of the old crew, she realised everyone had pretty much the same version of events seared into their memories. And I just thought its crazy how that would have shaped our knowledge and experience of sex, and our understanding of it, she says. I remember the whole crowd was yelling. Were meant to be stoked about this? So yeah, that is kind of the root of the whole script. With an episodic structure and a sense of teetering on the edge of out-of-control, How To Have Sex brilliantly evokes the mood of a holiday in which the goals are pretty clear: get drunk, get a tan, get laid. But the rules of engagement arent, and Walkers characters, like many a young adult in the real world, are left to grope (literally and figuratively) in the dark, often taking their clues from what peers and porn tell them they should want or allow, rather than from what feels right. Walker shot Scrapper for her friend Charlotte Regan. The charming film set in Londons East End stars Lola Campbell as Georgie, with Alin Uzin as her friend Ali. Credit: Madman Its far from didactic, but Walker hopes her film helps educate people, especially young men, that they dont need to have this bravado and pretend to know what theyre doing. Theres still so much shame around sex, she believes, that young people often dont know where to turn for advice and porn fills the void. Advertisement Youll never stop people watching porn, she continues, but if we were having more open conversations about sex and female pleasure, and about things that people often dont speak about, then there would be less necessity to look at it. The first time Walker started to feel her story had wider resonance was when she was making the film in Malia, the deserted holiday town in Crete that the production took over in October and November 2022 (it looks like summer, but it was seriously cold; for all the scenes shot in swimming pools, she says, the cast were wearing thick woollen socks on their out-of-frame feet). Lots of women on set, and men, were telling me they realised they had been in similar situations, she says. There was an intimacy co-ordinator on set, and counsellors and a therapist, for anyone who was triggered by anything happening in front of the camera. Part of the whole process of making the film was, no one should come out damaged by it, she says. Its so often the case when youve got such an intense shoot with new filmmakers, and everyones still figuring out what theyre doing, that you come out the other side with a hard-done-by crew. But it was only when the film debuted at Cannes that Walker fully realised how it might affect people. We were hanging around after a screening, and there was an older man, maybe 65, pacing up and down outside, and someone asked if he was OK, and he was like, Ive just realised Ive been Paddy before. And in that moment, I relaxed about the other screenings, because I was like, if we can do that to one person, it feels important. Advertisement ROME, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Telecommunications company Swisscom announced Wednesday that it had reached a preliminary agreement to acquire Vodafone's Italian unit for 8 billion euros (8.7 billion U.S. dollars). Vodafone-Italia confirmed the deal via social media. The deal, which is still subject to regulatory approval, would see Swisscom's subsidiary Fastweb -- a leading Italian Internet service provider -- combine with Vodafone-Italia to create a telecommunications powerhouse. A month ago, Vodafone-Italia turned down an offer from France's Iliad to merge the two companies. Shares in Swisscom fell after the news was announced, slipping 1.4 percent on the Zurich Stock Exchange. Shares in Vodafone Plc., the London-based firm that controls Vodafone Italia, gained 3.8 percent after rallying late in the trading session. She said he committed the crime with chilling efficiency and made sure he had the advantage over her by breaking into her bedroom at night. Crimes such as these are profoundly disturbing, she said. Mannos family, dressed in all black, bowed their heads and some cried as they heard the sentence. Sako, wearing a grey prison tracksuit, sat expressionless in the dock. Family and friends gathered on Thursday night at the grave of Celeste Manno for a vigil after the sentencing of Luay Sako. Credit: Justin McManus Outside court, Mannos mother, Aggie Di Mauro, said the system failed Celeste 3 years ago, and had failed her again on Thursday. Todays outcome proves just how flawed the justice system is, she said. Its outrageous, absolutely unbelievable, that the court decided to grant him mercy even though he showed Celeste none. Quite clearly his right to mercy was more important than her right to life. Clearly Im devastated, we all are. Di Mauro said the prosecution argued for a life sentence because it was such a vicious, hateful and vengeful attack on an innocent young woman. Celeste Mannos mother Aggie Di Mauro (centre), flanked by Celestes father, Tony, and brother Alessandro, speaks to the media on Thursday. Credit: Justin McManus At this point, I can only pray that the [Director of Public Prosecutions] and Court of Appeal recognise that true justice in this case demands a life sentence, she said. Anything less is not only a grave injustice to Celeste but absolutely fails the communitys expectations in this case. Less than a month after the murder, the state government committed to urgently review the way the allegations of stalking are dealt with in Victoria, tasking the Victorian Law Reform Commission to review stalking laws. The resulting report the first Australian inquiry into non-family violence stalking laws was released in July, 2021, and tabled in parliament several months later. It found the criminal justice system was not dealing effectively with stalking, with reports often minimised or trivialised. It contained 46 recommendations, ranging from greater community education about what stalking entails, to improving the swamped personal intervention order system and increasing guidance for police and courts to identify and prioritise stalking cases, particularly those that are high risk. On Thursday, Di Mauro said that after three years of meetings with various stakeholders, including figures in the state government, many promises had been made to change the system and honour Celestes legacy, but few had been followed through. There were lots of promises made. None of them honoured. All of them look the part, say what needed to be said, and then dishonour my daughter in this way, she said. In a statement, Attorney-General Jaclyn Symes said she acknowledged the pain felt by Mannos family and loved ones and their ongoing advocacy in her memory. We are continuing to work on how we can better protect victims of stalking because we know that stalking can cause lasting harm to survivors mental and physical health and can escalate to more serious offending, she said. Loading This work is complex and takes time to make sure we best protect victims of stalking I stand by my promise to Celestes family that we will introduce change that reflects the seriousness of this crime. During a January plea hearing, the prosecution argued that Sako should receive a life sentence for the murder, describing it as the worst offending of its kind and pointing to evidence they said showed extensive premeditation. Sako drove from his family home in Roxburgh Park to Mannos home in Mernda on the day of the attack, where he scaled the side fence, walked into the backyard and used a hammer to smash the glass of her bedroom window. He was also carrying a knife he had bought three months earlier. He stabbed her repeatedly even as she raised her arms and tried to defend herself. He was out of the car for just two minutes and 39 seconds before driving himself to the local police station, where he was arrested. The prosecution had argued that Sako was motivated to kill out of rejection, humiliation, jealousy and rage, which had peaked when he saw a picture Manno had posted on social media of her with her new boyfriend, Chris Ridsdale, on November 15, 2020. Prosecutor Patrick Bourke, SC, said Sako had also relentlessly tried to shift the blame and avoid responsibility for his conduct since the murder, which indicated that he was not willing to engage in rehabilitation and treatment. But Sakos lawyer, Tim Marsh, described his clients prospects of rehabilitation as open and said a life sentence was not appropriate. Marsh said while there was evidence of some premeditation, Sakos mental state in the months before the murder was complex and shifting. He said that the motive was more complex than the prosecution made out and was complicated by Sakos extreme personality disorders, which contributed extensively to the reasons why he committed this offence and reduced his moral culpability. Dixon on Thursday said Sako was likely to have experienced intermittent homicidal ideation in the lead up to the murder, and that seeing the photo of Manno and her boyfriend was the final trigger for the offending. She said while anger and jealousy were factors in the murder, Sakos motive was also complicated by his problematic personality traits, which led him to have severely impaired judgment. A 15-year-old boy who shot at a school in Perths north has been sentenced to three years behind bars, with a judge noting good luck alone had prevented a more tragic outcome. The boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was sentenced in the Perth Childrens Court on Thursday morning after firing three rounds at Atlantis Beach Baptist College in May 2023. The teenager leaving Perth Childrens Court with his family in July. Credit: 9News Perth It is the first time anyone has been sentenced for a school shooting in Australia. Judge Hylton Quail took just under a week to decide on the sentence, and when handing it down on Thursday told the teenager that discharging a firearm to cause fear and endanger the life, health and safety of others was extremely serious and wicked. The number of West Australian parents opting to make voluntary fee contributions to public schools has declined since the pandemic, as the cost of living continues to bite. In 2019, before COVID-19 lockdowns, state public schools were receiving an average income of $357 per student for fees, charges and parent contributions. In 2020, that number declined by $100 and while it has slowly climbed since then, it was still below pre-pandemic levels in 2022 at $294 per student. The new figures were released by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority on Thursday. However, Democrats are never going to accede to the demands from the hard right of the Republicans for savage spending cuts and the end of funding for woke programs such as President Bidens spending related to climate change, Planned Parenthood, or the flagging of veterans deemed mentally incompetent when they apply for a gun licence. Thats why the US lurches from near-crisis to near-crisis. The politics of government funding have been made even more complicated by Donald Trumps campaign to regain the presidency. He seems to believe it is in his interests for Congress to deny Joe Biden even the semblance of a win. He wants dysfunction and inaction, and the hard right within the Republican caucus in the House appears willing to do his bidding. A recent bipartisan bill in the Senate, which would have provided funding for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan and which was tied to funding for US border security and measures that in any other circumstances Biden and the Democrats would never have agreed to, didnt even reach the floor of the House because of conservatives opposition. Its in Trumps political interests, of course, for there to be no progress in stemming the tide of immigrants at the US southern border. Loading While the deferrals reflect the difficulty of any level of consensus within the Republicans in the House, they also relate to the precariousness of the position Johnson is in. Hes chosen to defer rather than resolve the funding arrangements to avoid a confrontation with the hardliners and the risk of meeting the same fate as his predecessor, Kevin McCarthy, who lost his prestigious role after a deal with Biden that averted an even more serious shutdown over the peculiar ceiling the US has on its levels of federal government debt. Under that deal, which has come into focus because of the latest wrangling over the funding bills, the ceiling was suspended for two years after Biden agreed to freeze non-defence discretionary spending this financial year and increase total spending by only 1 per cent next year. There are some Republicans who wanted Johnson to refuse to agree to even a temporary fix without major concessions, while others were arguing for an extension of current funding levels until September 30, which, under the deal agreed by Biden and McCarthy, would effectively cut non-defence discretionary spending by up to 10 per cent. Under Congresss complex rules, more short-term deals beyond April 30 would trigger whole-of-government spending cuts, including for defence and veterans. The traditional conservatives want to avoid that. If Johnson wants to push the deadline back again, even if only for a week, hell probably need the support of the House Democrats or at least most of them. With retirements and the eviction of controversial Republican George Santos, whose seat has been taken by a Democrat, the Republican majority in the House has shrunk to two seats. Therell certainly be more than two conservative-MAGA members who would vote against any deal that doesnt have, for Democrats, unpalatable strings attached. So, the likelihood is that Congress will buy a few days before Johnson has to again grapple with the impossibility of matching the expectation of the rambunctious conservative minority in the House who toppled McCarthy and could do the same to him with a deal acceptable to Democrats and the White House. The routine funding of the government (which has proven to be less than routine) is separate from the funding for Ukraine that the White House and a largely bipartisan Senate are pleading with Johnson to put before the House. In Tuesdays meeting at the White House to discuss the broader funding impasse, discussion of funding Ukraine was, according to Chuck Schumer, the Democrat Senate majority leader, one of the most intense meetings hed ever experienced. All those present, including Republican Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell, urged Johnson to support new US aid. Johnson has said he is supportive of Ukraine (he wasnt always) but that border security is his priority despite refusing to table the Senate bill that included funding for both. Trump, who has a peculiar affinity with Russian President Vladimir Putin, has been publicly and successfully urging Republicans to oppose any further aid to Ukraine. The unwillingness or inability of House Republicans to do something as fundamental as providing funding certainty for a budget for government spending that was agreed by Congress last year doesnt augur well for the prospects of the budget for 2024-25, which Biden will soon present for discussion and negotiation. Using the threat of shutting down the government every couple of months or weeks is no way to run a country. The near-farcical routine confrontations of the debt ceiling and appropriation bills ought to embarrass those in Congress. Loading They undermine Americas brand globally and cost it financially, with the evidence they provide of political dysfunction leading to credit rating downgrades and higher funding costs on government debt that is spiralling towards threatening levels. Thats an issue that wont be resolved unless the more mainstream core of Americas political leadership is prepared to sideline its extremes and address it in a bipartisan manner. But that is unlikely as long as Trump and the conservatives and the MAGA cult in the House have a disproportionate voice in its affairs. Washington: The US Supreme Court has agreed to decide Donald Trumps claim of immunity from prosecution on charges brought by a special counsel involving his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss, further delaying Trumps criminal case as he seeks to regain the presidency. The justices put on hold the criminal case being pursued by Special Counsel Jack Smith and will review a lower courts rejection of Trumps claim of immunity from prosecution because he was president when he took actions aimed at reversing President Joe Bidens election victory over him. Trumps lawyers had requested a stay of that ruling, warning of dire consequences for the presidency absent such immunity. The Supreme Court will look at Donald Trumps claim of immunity from prosecution. Credit: AP Trump, the first former president to be criminally prosecuted, is the frontrunner for the Republican nomination to challenge Biden, a Democrat, in the November 5 election. The case once again thrusts the nations top judicial body into the election fray, as the justices are due to issue a ruling on whether to overturn a decision by Colorados top court that barred Trump from the states Republican primary ballot based on a constitutional provision regarding insurrection. BERLIN, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- German energy company Uniper made record-high adjusted net income of 4.4 billion euros (4.8 billion U.S. dollars) in 2023 after suffering heavy losses the year before due to the energy crisis, the company said in a statement on Wednesday. Uniper ended 2022 with a loss of 7.4 billion euros, prompting the German government to take over 99 percent of the shares as a way to bail out the strategic utility. For 2024, Uniper set aside a first provision of 2.2 billion euros for anticipated repayment obligations. "Uniper regained its financial stability in a short time," said CEO Michael Lewis in a statement, adding that the company "laid important foundations" for the future. For the fiscal year 2024, the company expects a lower adjusted net income of 0.7-1.1 billion euros due to declining commodity prices. "The market environment and our results are normalizing," said Uniper CFO Jutta Doenges. At the same time, Uniper is driving forward its green transition as Germany is seeking to become climate-neutral by 2045. The company is investing 8 billion euros by the end of the decade to reach CO2 neutrality five years earlier in 2040. "Alongside decarbonization and renewables expansion, flexible power generation will play an important role in the energy transition," Lewis said, adding that Uniper welcomed the German government's recent agreement on a comprehensive power plant strategy. To secure the energy supply of Europe's largest economy, several new gas-fired power plants will be built in Germany in the coming years. Under the strategy, these will be gradually converted to green hydrogen from 2035. (1 euro = 1.08 U.S. dollar) From 29 January to 02 February 2024, Nigeria hosted a national workshop on the Harmonized System and commodity classification in Abuja, Nigeria. The workshop was conducted by the WCO under the framework of the EU-WCO Programme for the Harmonized System in Africa (HS-Africa Programme) funded by the European Union, in partnership with the GIZ and the Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation. The workshop was part of the comprehensive package of assistance to provide joint support for competency developement in the area of tariff classification in the advent of the implementation of advance rulings in Nigeria. In his opening remarks, Mr. CG Niangwan, Assistant Comptroller General of the NSC, confirmed the commitment of NCS in developing the competency of its officials as a way of equipping them with the necessary skills to classify goods accurately following the rules of the Harmonized System. He stressed the importance of capacity building in they area of tariff classification as well as other customs operations. The workshop brought together twenty-four officials from different stations at the Nigeria Customs administration. It was an in person intermediate training preceded by the basic training conducted in the WCO CLiKC! platform under the HS Foundation module in line with the Strategic Guidance for Competency Development. During the training, key topics related to the HS were covered, notably Commodity Classification, WCO HS Convention and a detailed examination of the General Interpretative Rules of the HS. The participants demonstrated clear knowledge and improved skills on the importance of commodity classification for Customs and trade, the links between commodity classification, customs duties, and rules of origins, statistics and trade monitoring. They also acquired in-depth competencies on the HS Convention, the obligations of a Contracting Party to the HS Convention, the structure of the Harmonized System, as well as the ability to apply the terms of the headings/subheadings and any relative Section, Chapter or Subheading Notes. The workshop also provided an opportunity to the trainees to familiarise with WCO classification instruments and tools (legal notes, explanatory notes, classification opinions, HS digital platforms such as the WCO Trade Tools, etc.). In his remarks at the closing ceremony of the training, the Deputy Comptroller General of Customs in charge of Tariff and Trade, DCG Mba Musa, representing the Comptroller General of Customs, thanked the EU, WCO, GIZ and the Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation for their support in organisation of the HS training. He highlighted the importance of HS competencies in promoting revenue collection and trade facilitation. For further details please contact: hs@wcoomd.org. MOSCOW, Feb. 29 (Xinhua) -- Russian air defense forces of the West group of troops destroyed 48 Ukrainian drones in the Kupyansk direction in the past 24 hours, local media reported on Thursday. "During the air defense of the West group of troops, 48 unmanned aerial vehicles were destroyed in one day," Russia's TASS news agency quoted head of the press center of the troops involved Ivan Bigma as saying. Kupyansk is a city in the Kharkov Oblast in eastern Ukraine. Bigma also said that Ukraine suffered up to 145 casualties in the area. Furthermore, Russian fire hit two BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles, four artillery pieces, a mortar crew and two pickup trucks. There was no immediate response from Ukraine. BEIJING, Feb. 29 (Xinhua) -- Passenger flights between China and the United States will increase significantly from March 31, Dai Jun, an official with the Civil Aviation Administration of China, said on Thursday. Starting from March 31, Chinese and U.S. airlines can operate a total of 100 scheduled passenger flights per week, Dai told a regular press conference. "China currently has regular passenger flights with 64 countries, of which 48 are Belt and Road partner countries," Dai said. The number of flights between China and 22 countries, including Singapore, Australia, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and Italy, has exceeded the pre-epidemic level, he said. China will continue to promote the resumption of international flights to better meet the needs of personnel exchanges, Dai added. The wildfire that began 8.6 miles northeast of North Platte on Monday morning continued to burn as of Tuesday afternoon. The Bettys Way Fire has consumed 71,022 acres, according to a press release from the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency, with the hopes of some containment later on Tuesday. With winds over 40 mph the fire continues to spread east, and evacuations have been issued. According to Emergency Management Region 22 (Scottsbluff and Banner counties), local departments have responded to the mutual aid request by taking firemen and trucks. The departments responding include Gering, Banner County, Morrill, Minatare, Scotts Bluff Rural and City, Bayard, Alliance, Gordon, Chadron, Crawford and Bridgeport. The Nebraska State Patrol and Nebraska National Guard are providing aerial support and drone observation. The cause has been determined to be human- the result of a mowing operations. Gov. Jim Pillen has declared an emergency disaster. In Addition To New Hospital Ribbon Cutting, He Takes Look At KCTS, Kimball Schools Gov. Pillen arrived in Kimball for the Kimball Health Services hospital ribbon cutting on Monday, Feb 26, but he also tended to other business. The governor and his entourage landed on the newly resurfaced Kimball Municipal Airport runway 10/28 and found the landing was incredible. The resurfacing project recently received a 2023 Project of the Year award from the state. Before the ribbon cutting, Pillen met with KCTS staff and toured Kimball Public Schools. Pillen and members of his Department of Transportation cabinet met with area transit directors, officials and former officials to learn about the fast paced history of KCTS. Pillen understands the pride of Nebraskans, and he congratulated KCTS for having a "get it done" attitude. He noted that Nebraskans are not ones to ask for help; Nebraskans are too independent, and that is reflected in the ranking of 49 out of 50 states in obtaining federal funds. Pillen has met with officials in Washington, D.C., and he stressed that we need to get more federal dollars, such as the transit has done. From 1975 to 2017, KCTS was a one-horse show. The one bus operated five days a week within the confines of the city and county of Kimball to help people age in place. In 2017, as the need arose, KCTS received permission to leave the county's boundaries and purchase two more vehicles under Christy Warner's leadership. Adding to the transit, the Nebraska Department of Transportation requested that KCTS take over a troubled Chappell transit. The Chappell vehicles were gifted to Kimball and services provided to the people of Chappell. Warner said the "phones just kept ringing." Pillen listened intently to the Cinderella story of KCTS. There was no advertising and no vision for growth in the early going, but there was a need to provide local transportation to local residents not just for the aging but for everyone. Paul Whiting from Clean Harbors, Inc. said, "This transportation system has been a godsend to us, recruiting. We have regular routes that run to Scottsbluff, Gering. Sidney and Cheyenne daily." Whiting told the governor that Clean Harbors has a major hiring and housing initiatives." According to Whiting, KCTS has been a great help to Clean Harbors. Today, KCTS runs 16 routes a day with 16 drivers. Weekends are a little lighter with six drivers, and the popular DIA routes include feeder routes from the Sidney area. Kimball is one of 63 elite communities with a transit system. An individual can get from DIA to Rapid City, South Dakota, using the Panhandle transit systems. In his final remarks, Pillen stressed the hardcore reality and challenges with young people. Thse include poverty and drugs, issues Pillen said are very important to him. Living within our means is another issue Pillen stresses. As a fisical conservative, Pillen touted Kimball Public Schools Superintendent Trevor Anderson and the Kimball School Board for their property tax relief. State aid provided to the schools by the legislature helped the Kimball School reduce its property tax levy. And finally, Pillen briefly talked about expansion of broadband throughout the state and his recent trade mission to Vietnam. K-9 Will Sniff For Marijuana, Meth & Other Substances The Kimball Police Department received approval on two items at the Kimball City Council meeting on Feb. 20. A CargoGlide for a department pickup received approval for this budget season, and the council approved the purchase of a drug dog for the 2024-25 budget year. The CargoGlide, priced at $5,657.99, will provide storage for traffic cones, spikes, pepperballs, evidence collection kits, ballistic shields and instructor gear. Chief Jose Ruiz also received approval for a canine program to be started; this would include a female yellow lab. The dog is currently 6 months old and being trained in narcotics tracking. The program and dog will be purchased next fiscal year. The price for the dog and handler certification is $17,500. The dog will be trained to sniff out cocaine, meth, ecstasy, PCP, fentanyl, and marijuana. Under current business, Jim Shoup, street superintendent, presented the one- and six-year street plans. The State of Nebraska requires the plan to prove that the states money is being used wisely and that Kimball has a plan. Shoup said that 81% of the financing for street improvement comes from the state of Nebraska. This year, the one-year plan includes $70,000 of armor coating and $6,000 of crack sealing, $25,000 to be used to repair and replace the curbs and gutters, and $86,000 for replacing street sections. Other actions items included dispersal of Keno fund to the post-prom committee. Kimball Post Prom Committee asked and received $1,000 for the fun, engaging activities for Kimball High School students after prom has ended. Activities include glow-in-the-dark dodgeball, laser tag and karaoke. Post-prom is designed as a safe location for teens with their peers after the dance has ended. And finally, Marvin Planning presented the final comprehensive plan and zoning. The next scheduled meeting for the Kimball City council is March 19. Clifford M. "Cliff" Johnson, age 83, of Sidney, NE passed away in Sidney on Sunday, February 18, 2024. Funeral services will be held at 2:00 P.M. on Friday, February 23, 2024 at the Evangelical Free Church in Sidney, NE with Pastors Kyle Larson and Doug Birky officiating. Burial will follow in the Greenwood Cemetery in Sidney. Services will be livestreamed on the Gehrig-Stitt Chapel Facebook page and recorded for later viewing on our website. Friends may stop at the Gehrig-Stitt Chapel on Thursday, February 22, from 1-6:00 P.M. You may view Cliff's Book of Memories, leave condolences, photos and stories at http://www.gehrigstittchapel.com. Gehrig-Stitt Chapel & Cremation Service, LLC is in charge of Cliff's care and funeral arrangements. Clifford Mons Johnson, son of Leslie & Thelma Johnson, was born on March 4, 1940 in Sidney. Cliff spent his early years on his family's farm north of Sunol, NE. He attended and graduated from Dix High School in 1957. After high school, Cliff attended college at Colorado A&M, now Colorado State University, where he received his bachelor's degree in Soil Science in 1963. During his time at university, Cliff was a member of the Farmhouse fraternity, as well as student flight club. He loved to fly and he loved to farm. After college, he returned to his father's farm. While working at Leslie's farm, Cliff also worked for a summer as a plant manager for Royal Chemical. In the years after, Clifford had farms in Potter, NE and then Pine Bluffs, WY. Cliff had many business partnerships and ventures over the years including construction, land management, and residential appraisal. Ultimately, Cliff settled on farming most of his years on the family ground north of Sunol, where he was raised. In 1968, Clifford met the love of his life, Donna. The two were introduced by mutual friends, and were married in August of 1969. They remained married for 46 years until Donna passed away in 2015. The couple had 4 children together, Steven Johnson, Terri Rauscher, Shannon Carver, and Scott Johnson. Clifford and his wife loved Jesus Christ and they loved the church. He and Donna modeled the humility, grace, generosity, and genuine love that Jesus calls all Christians to have. Clifford was preceded in death by his father; Leslie, his mother; Thelma, his wife; Donna, and his sons; Steven and Scott. He is survived by daughter; Shannon Carver and husband Brian Carver, daughter; Terri Rauscher, nephew; Gary Johnson, daughter-in-law; Jennifer Johnson, 9 beloved grandchildren, and many great grandchildren. Vivienne Clarke An obesity expert is urging parents to buy only one easter egg for each child. Professor Donal OShea, who is HSEs clinical lead on obesity, warned that it was a flawed narrative if parents think it is okay to indulge for one day. He said such an attitude was flawed because the food and drinks industry wanted to increase the daily consumption of ultra-processed foods and used occasions such as Halloween, Christmas and Easter to promote them. People don't understand how hardwired the brain is to be unable to resist the combination of high fat, high salt and sugar. It is. You cannot stop, Prof OShea told RTE's Today with Claire Byrne. The food and drinks industry had opposed the sugar tax violently and very effectively for a decade, he said. But when it finally came in, the total sugar content people were ingesting reduced. We're beginning to see a levelling in our obesity rates and trends, which is positive. Obesity rates in Ireland were now edging down to 20 per cent from 23 per cent in adults, he said, which was a very encouraging trend. Prof OShea said it was also encouraging that Ireland was not seeing a spike in weight in school-age children as had happened in the UK during Covid. That's positive. So in the wide I think parents are doing a fantastic job, because one in five of our children are overweight or have obesity, but four in five don't. And that's pretty good in the toxic environment that we have. But parents need to realise that at every turn, the food and drinks industry is trying to push them towards ultra-processed [food]. And if you're high on ultra-processed food as a child, your palate will reject broccoli, your palate will reject the whole foods that contain the vitamins and minerals that you need to grow healthily. Prof OShea said that new drugs available to treat obesity would be a game changer. They work very well for about a third of people. They're kind of okay, not great for a third, and they don't work for the other third. So it's not this silver bullet that people think, 'oh, if I could just get on Ozempic,' ... But what we have now for the first time is safe treatments for the disease of obesity other than surgery, which is a very good treatment. However, Prof OShea said such drugs were not yet available for children in Ireland, though the HSE was going to continue to lobby the Medicines Management Agency for children (over the age of 12) with obesity attending the HSE for services. BEIJING, Feb. 29 (Xinhua) -- China has assisted the United States in searching for remains of U.S. military personnel from World War II within Chinese territory, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense said Thursday. Responding to a media query, spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang said that in coordination with China's foreign ministry and military departments, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency under the U.S. Department of Defense has dispatched a team to conduct site surveys in China's Guangxi and Hunan. These site surveys mark the first joint efforts between the two countries in searching for missing U.S. service members since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Zhang said. Over the past years, the Chinese side has been coordinating with the U.S. military to find remains of missing U.S. military personnel in China, he added. Kevin Hassett, of iamsold online bidding platform, has won this year's National Novice Rostrum Auctioneer competition, which is an annual competition run by the Institute of Professional Auctioneers and Valuers (IPAV). The competition saw competitors from all over the country going head-to-head in the renowned selling arena at Tattersalls Ireland, Ratoath, Co Meath to demonstrate their skills in rostrum selling. Kevin works with iamsold who provide a bidding platform to auctioneers and estate agents around Ireland Kevin, aged 35, joined iamsold in April 2021 as an apprentice auctioneer and enrolled in the two-year National Auctioneering and Property Services Apprenticeship course, based out of GRETb training centre, Athenry. Patrick Folan, company director of iamsold, is also the current chairperson of the steering group for the Property Apprenticeship. He remarked: "All of us at iamsold are delighted for Kevin in winning the competition and it is a testament to his own hard work and skills. I feel that Kevin's success is also a great news story for the Apprenticeship course which has enabled him to get licenced as an auctioneer and gave him excellent training over the two years. The new Apprenticeship style course, which is a relatively new concept for the property industry, was very much welcomed by all stakeholders in the property industry, including our own business and has become the training ground for many of the upcoming auctioneers nationwide". Having worked in organic farming and sales, Kevin decided upon a career change following on from the Covid pandemic. He then entered into the world of auctioneering with iamsold and hasn't looked back since, having successfully graduated as an auctioneer in 2023. Kevin's decision to enter the competition this year was inspired by his fellow graduate and former IPAV Novice Rostrum Auctioneer Champion of 2022, Darren Hession, who is a livestock auctioneer based in Tuam. As part of the competition, Kevin conducted multiple live auctions on the day and competed against seven high standard competitors from around the country. The initial audition involved selling an elephant art sculpture designed by IPAV in support of The Elephant in the Room mental health movement, which has been inspired by the founder Brent Pope. As the day progressed, the seven finalists were reduced to two who went through to the final auction to sell tickets for charity. The proceeds raised went to Samaritans Ireland, which Elephant in the Room selected as their chosen charity. Kevin emerged victorious in the final round, against a worthy competitor in Cian Pearse of Lisney Sotheby's International Realty, Dublin. Kevin was presented with the prestigious Ron Duff Memorial Rose Bowl trophy, which he will retain in Galway for one year. Kevin was also awarded a fantastic prize will see him fly to the USA to train with the renowned Mike Jones at the revered America's Auction Academy in Dallas, Texas. Patrick ODonovan TD, Minister of State for the Gaeltacht, officially launched the Maigh Eo Thiar Language Plan today during his visit to the Mayo Gaeltacht. Alongside this, the Minister visited Cumann Luthchleas Gael Tuar Mhic Eadaigh, where a grant of 218,000 was provided last year to facilitate construction of a new astro pitch adjacent to Pairc Naomh Muire in the town; and he also officially launched the Tuar Mhic Eadaigh Action Plan. Speaking today, Minister ODonovan said: I would like to commend Comhlacht Forbartha Aitiuil Acla (CFAA) - the Language Planning Area Coordinating Group - and everyone involved in drawing-up the language plan for the Maigh Eo Thiar area. As with all other plans currently being implented, opportunities will be provided for the Maigh Eo Thiar language plan to be central in the additional efforts required to ensure that the Irish language continues to thrive for future generations. Additionally, I would like to congratulate the community of Tuar Mhic Eadaigh, including the Tuar Mhic Eadaigh Steering Committee, the Tuar Mhic Eadaigh Culture and Language Committee and the local GAA club Cumann Luthchleas Gael Thuar Mhic Eadaigh, on this positive news for the area. What is particularly special about this Action Plan is the strong collaboration from a wide range of community stakeholders, both young and old; and there is no doubt that the newly announced astro pitch will be a fantastic asset for the community. Today Partly sunny, breezy, and noticeably colder; gusty winds add a chill. A sprinkle or flurry possible, mainly north and west. Tonight Partly cloudy, windy, and cold. Brisk winds add a chill. There could be an early flurry, especially north and west. Tomorrow Partly sunny but brisk and chilly with wind chills near or below freezing for much of the day. A sprinkle or flurry possible, mainly north and west. NEW YORK (AP) Health officials are investigating whether there's a link between two new RSV vaccines and cases of a rare nervous system disorder in older U.S. adults. The inquiry is based on fewer than two dozen cases seen among more than 9.5 million vaccine recipients, health officials said Thursday. And the available information is too limited to establish whether the shots caused the illnesses, they added. But the numbers are higher than expected and officials are gathering more information to determine if the vaccines are causing the problem. The data was presented at a meeting of an expert panel that provides vaccine policy advice to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Officials said they were investigating more than 20 cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome, an rare illness in which a persons immune system damages nerve cells, causing muscle weakness and paralysis. An estimated 3,000 to 6,000 people develop GBS in the U.S. each year, and it's more commonly seen in older people, according to the CDC. Most people fully recover from the syndrome, but some have permanent nerve damage. Guillain-Barre can occur in people after they are infected with a virus, but in some instances cases have been linked to vaccinations. RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, is a common cause of cold-like symptoms but it can be dangerous for infants and the elderly. Last year, the CDC signed off on a recommendation made by the advisory panel, aimed at Americans age 60 and older. It was for a single dose of RSV vaccine. There were two options, one made by Pfizer and the other by GSK. The CDC said that patients should talk to their doctors about the vaccines and then decide whether to get it. Officials were aware that instances of Guillain-Barre had been identified in clinical trials done before the shots were approved for sale, and that different systems were watching for signs of problems. At a meeting of the expert panel on Thursday, CDC officials presented an analysis of the reports taken in by those systems. About two-thirds of the cases occurred in people who got a version of the vaccine made by Pfizer, called Abrysvo. But officials are also doing follow-up tracking in people who got Arexvy, made by GSK. About two cases of Guillain-Barre might be seen in every 1 million people who receive a vaccine, health officials estimate. A CDC analysis found the the GSK rate was lower than that, but 4.6 cases per million were reported in recipients of the Pfizer shot. Data from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration also showed an above-expected number of Guillain-Barre cases being reported in RSV vaccine recipients, with more among Pfizer shot recipients. Taken together, these data suggest a potential increased risk in RSV vaccine recipients 60 and older that must be explored, said Dr. Tom Shimabukuro, a CDC vaccine safety monitoring official. Officials from GSK and Pfizer made brief statements during the meeting, noting that sorting out a safety signal is complicated. Pfizer is committed to the continuous monitoring and evaluation of the safety of Abrysvo and is conducting four safety studies to look into the possibility of vaccine-related GBS, said Reema Mehta, a Pfizer vice president. CDC officials also presented estimates that the vaccines have prevented thousands of hospitalizations and hundreds of deaths from RSV, and that current data indicates the benefits of vaccination outweigh the possible risks. The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content. AMITY TWP., Pa. - Several peace activists were arrested Thursday morning after blocking the road in front of an Amity Township manufacturing facility. The protest was held at Aydin Displays on Riga Lane. The company is a subsidiary of Elbit Systems, an Israel-based technology company and weapons supplier to the Israel Defense Forces. "Today I supported and helped to block the driveway of Aydin Technologies, which is responsible for the manufacturing of displays that help guide missiles and other weapons of war," said protestor Celine Schrier of Reading. Protestors say they are concerned that Elbit profits from the death and destruction in Gaza through sales of military equipment made in Berks County. Activists are calling for a "local economy with good jobs that support human life." "Even though Israel and Gaza are very far away, we here in Berks County and in Birdsboro are unfortunately playing a role in supporting this genocide by having this company here in our local area," said Pastor Margaret Ernst, United Church of Christ. Authorities say seven people were arrested during Thursday's action. "It's their constitutional right to protest, which I support, but they can't block the road and they can't be on private property of which they understood," said Chief Jeffrey Smith of Amity Township Police Department. One protestor suffered a head wound and was treated at the scene before being taken into custody. "They did not comply," added Smith. "They continued to block the roadway even more and we waited until we had proper resources from other law enforcement agencies." Elbit Systems of America issued the following statement: The Birdsboro-facility is home to Aydin Displays, a subsidiary of Elbit America. Including our 65 employees at Birdsboro, Elbit America employs thousands of Americans who are dedicated to the mission of creating and providing innovative solutions to the U.S. Government and commercial customers that protect and save lives. While we support the rights of protesters to peacefully express their views, we also take the safety and well-being of our employees extremely seriously. We greatly appreciate the work today of local law enforcement to ensure safety for all. The business was vandalized last year with graffiti that police said appeared to be related to the Israel-Hamas war. According to Berks County central booking, those arrested were charged with disorderly conduct amongst other charges and are awaiting arraignment. BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Neighbors on Cherokee Street in Bethlehem are uneasy, after a shooting left one woman seriously injured and the search continues for the suspect. Police searched his home Wednesday night, two blocks up from where the shooting happened. Police are on the hunt for 18-year-old Allen Grimes. He's now facing multiple charges, including attempted homicide and aggravated assault. There was commotion in the 400 block of Cherokee Street Wednesday afternoon. "What's going on? What's going on? Somebody's shooting somebody? What? Where? At the corner." Fernando Gomez recalled the conversations between neighbors. "I was actually sitting here relaxing, and I heard two gunshots," said Anna Rodriguez of Bethlehem. "Bam, bam." It was just 3:15 p.m. when police say a 22-year-old was shot in the neck. Investigators say the woman was rushed to the hospital in a personal car with serious injuries. She's in stable condition. "I hope she's getting better," said Gomez. Just hours later, in the 600 block of Cherokee Street, police converged on the home of the suspected shooter. "We have a search warrant for this residence," police could be heard saying. "You could hear them on the bullhorn as loud as day, so I know they were out looking for him," said Rodriguez. Investigators say surveillance video shows Grimes in a car involved in the incident before it happened, then running away afterwards. Plus, they say a man who was with the victim told them he knows Grimes and had a conflict with him before. But police didn't find Grimes at his home, leaving neighbors on edge. "My gate door is locked, and since that happened, just and I was like, 'oh, I'm going to put some locks because I don't want anybody getting behind my house,'" said Gomez. "You have to be fearful, because he is on the loose and we don't know," said Rodriguez. "Really scary, because what if we're outside and for some reason they try to come in here," said Erin Engelhardt of Bethlehem. Promise Neighborhood of the Lehigh Valley spent Thursday knocking on doors to provide support. "We just wanted to check in with the community, make sure that they're feeling safe," said Zaleeae Sierra, with Promise Neighborhoods of the Lehigh Valley. "With a tragedy like this, resources are needed...this is for our free therapists." Anyone with information about the case or where Grimes is is asked to contact Bethlehem Police via phone (610) 865-7000 or email BethlehemPolice@bethlehem-pa.gov or the anonymous tip line (610) 691-6660. Chinese Consul General in Chicago Zhao Jian (R front) hands Jennifer Fridley, principal of Susan Clark Junior High of Muscatine Community School District, a letter from Chinese President Xi Jinping to the students of Muscatine High School at a reception marking the 45th anniversary of the establishment of China-U.S. diplomatic relations in Chicago, the United States, Feb. 27, 2024. (Xinhua/Xu Jing) CHICAGO, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Students from Muscatine High School in Muscatine, U.S. state of Iowa, received a special gift -- a letter from Chinese President Xi Jinping. At a reception here on Tuesday marking the 45th anniversary of the establishment of China-U.S. relations, Chinese Consul General Zhao Jian handed the letter to Jennifer Fridley, principal of Susan Clark Junior High of Muscatine Community School District, in the presence of hundreds from all walks of life in Chicago. In her speech, Fridley said that the school is honored to be among the first students and educators participating in the 50,000-student exchange program. "We learned so much about the Chinese rich culture and heritage," Fridley said. "Actually to go there and visit China is something none of us will ever forget." During his trip to the United States in November 2023, Xi announced that China is ready to invite 50,000 young Americans to China for exchange and study programs in the next five years. With Xi's support, more than 20 Muscatine High School students visited Beijing, Shanghai and Hebei Province on Jan. 24-30. On Jan. 28, just before the end of their trip, the American students wrote a letter to express their joy and gratitude to Xi for the invitation. In his reply, Xi said "seeing is believing," encouraging the Muscatine High School students to revisit China and encouraging more young American people to come to China. "Some of our sister schools have invited us back on some trips," Fridley told Xinhua. "As we get invited, we're gonna have plans to take kids along to China, and then we want to invite Chinese students and families and teachers back to Muscatine, Iowa." As a token of thanks, American students sang a song specially composed for the friendship between China and Muscatine in Chinese at the reception. On learning of Xi's reply to their letter, "my students were all very excited," Guo Qianyu, a Chinese language teacher at the school, told Xinhua. The January China trip is "eye-popping." "Many students ask me, 'can I come again?' 'can we stay longer?'," Guo said. During their stay in China, the American students exchanged WeChat with their Chinese peers, hoping to keep in touch. "I'm gonna be back (to China) for like a month (this summer) and so I'm really excited to do that," Cole Loos, a 10th grader who was among those on the January trip, told Xinhua. "I felt like kind of honored, especially that he (President Xi) responded personally to it," said Leo Regennitter, a sophomore at the school. "I would love to go back to China. I loved it there. It was so awesome," he said. Addressing the reception, Consul General Zhao said that the U.S. Mid-western region has always played an important role in growing China-U.S. relations. Zhao expressed the hope that "the exchanges and cooperation between China and the United States could thrive like a soaring dragon." Chinese Consul General in Chicago Zhao Jian speaks at a reception marking the 45th anniversary of the establishment of China-U.S. diplomatic relations in Chicago, the United States, Feb. 27, 2024. (Xinhua/Xu Jing) Students from Muscatine High School sing a song in Chinese at a reception marking the 45th anniversary of the establishment of China-U.S. diplomatic relations in Chicago, the United States, Feb. 27, 2024. (Xinhua/Xu Jing) EASTON, Pa. - A pair of health advocates is working to raise awareness about colorectal cancer in the Lehigh Valley and beyond. "I don't think there's anywhere I'll go that I won't mention a colonoscopy," said Chelle Benner of Bethlehem. Benner says it with a smile, but she's serious. She and Kelly Sanders are both from the Lehigh Valley, but first crossed paths in Georgia, raising awareness about colorectal cancer. Benner is a survivor. "I know people complain about colonoscopies, but please, radiation and chemo and multiple surgeries - a lot worse," said Benner. Sanders' brother Glen McCartney lost his fight within a year. "He was diagnosed in 2019, at the age of 34," said Sanders, who lives in Allentown. "A common issue amongst younger patients is misdiagnosis and ignoring symptoms. So he was misdiagnosed for a year and then finally went for a colonoscopy, and it couldn't be complete because the tumor was so large." It's why Sanders wants more people to advocate for themselves and get tested. She and Benner now team up to donate screening kits and comfort bags and get the word out about resources. They worked to get recognition at the county level, too. "I present you with this proclamation," said Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure. Both Northampton and Lehigh counties have recongized March as Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. "If you get screened, we may not lose you prematurely," said McClure. "Just last year, the screening age was lowered from 50 to 45," said Sanders. There is hope. "I just hit five years cancer-free," said Benner. That fuels Benner to make a difference. This month, she'll be at the Cologuard Classic in Arizona, at the same time Sanders will be talking with lawmakers about the disease in Washington D.C. "I'd take this life away of advocating if I could have him back in a heartbeat, so please be an advocate for yourself. If something's wrong with your body, go to the doctor," said Sanders. McCartney loved cars, so May 5, there's going to be a car show at the Macungie Memorial Park. It'll be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. People can register on the event's website. EASTON, Pa. Easton City Council had two competing resolutions on the agenda Wednesday night about the ongoing war in the Middle East. While two were offered, only one was passed. Councilmember Taiba Sultana presented the first resolution and called for a ceasefire in Israel and Gaza. The second resolution, presented by the rest of City Council, supports world peace and speaks against war crimes. That resolution, which calls for "peace and justice" in 45 conflicts around the world, passed Wednesday night. Sultana's resolution was not brought up for a vote. 2:54 +3 Israel-Palestine ceasefire resolution fails at heated Easton council meeting At a contentious meeting Wednesday night, Easton City Council rejected a second attempt at a resolution calling for a ceasefire between Israel and Palestine. Sultana has tried twice to get a resolution passed regarding a ceasefire in Gaza at recent council meetings. Wednesday, her measure called for "Congress members to demand the release of all hostages, the unrestricted entry of humanitarian assistance into Gaza, the restoration of food, water, electricity, and medical supplies to Gaza, and the respect for international law; and calls for a resolution that protects the security of all innocent civilians." Instead, City Council passed a resolution that does not name any specific countries or groups, and does not contain the word "ceasefire." Council's resolution reaffirms its "commitment to promoting dialogue, diplomacy, and peaceful resolution of conflict both domestically and internationally." The resolution also states, "We stand firmly in support of the universal right to protest as a means of advocating for peace and justice." Lastly, the resolution calls for accountability among responsible parties and the prevention and resolution of conflicts. "The goal of the resolution is to say that we're not monsters...we don't support war crimes or anything of that type," Councilmember Frank Pintabone said. On the whole, many audience members spoke in support of Sultana's measure, calling for an immediate ceasefire in the region. Several individuals of the vocal group are making the rounds of local council meetings. The group spoke at a recent Bethlehem City Council. That council responded by vowing to support drafting a resolution but wanted to be sure that all of their points of view were represented in its language. The group expected the same consideration from Easton City Council. "If we didn't care, we would keep showing up," said Lafayette College student Ari Ismail. 2:09 'It was all for a show': Easton Mayor reacts after heated council meeting Wednesday night, some Easton City Council members were so frustrated, they got up from their seats before the meeting was officially adjourned. For about two hours, they debated about a resolution that the majority insist is one-sided. Another audience member vowed to continue to speak at council meetings until council voted to adopt a ceasefire. "Once you do that, we don't have to come here anymore, but until you do, we're coming to every meeting," said audience member Logan Scheier of Lehighton. "Please use your voices now," urged Easton resident Abben Lancaster. The war between Hamas and Israel in Gaza has claimed thousands of lives since it began last October. Some speakers Wednesday night said their family members were among those whose lives were lost. "One of my grandfather's uncles had went down to Gaza. That family has since passed in a bombing," said Raya Abdelaal. Every speaker who came to talk about the resolutions said they wanted the violence to stop, and they all believed a ceasefire is the first step. "This council needs to pass a ceasefire resolution and put pressure on our state representatives to do the same," said Kaitlin Hart. Several speakers during public comment who spoke against the fighting in Gaza referred to the use of taxpayer dollars to support conflict in the region. "Taxpayer dollars are being sent to a genocidal government," Scheier said. Sultana later echoed the claim, with Mayor Sal Panto countering, "It's not city budget money. It's tax money going to the federal government." Those in the federal government make decisions on the funds, he said. "That's where the issue belongs in federal government," Panto said. The mayor's statements were much like those from councilmembers who said they'd been inundated with emails from Easton residents asking them to focus on local, not international, issues. "We don't want to see armed conflict around the world, but we want to get back to business," said Councilmember Crystal Rose. "If we keep bringing this up, we're getting away from things we're elected to do here." The resolution presented by the rest of council, Sultana said, used "vague" language. She said she was not included on this alternate version. "We can't just pass a resolution. You have to identify a problem and offer a solution," said Sultana. If a resolution does not include these vital parts, she said, "It's just a piece of paper." Pintabone agreed that, as an individual, he also opposed the actions in Gaza, but residents are asking him to return to Easton's city business. "(Residents) have told me to stay out of international business," Pintabone said. "I have 740 emails just today alone," Pintabone said. "Ninety percent of them told me they didn't elect me to represent them on international business. They elected me to represent them on City of Easton business." "I have to do what I'm elected to do," he added. Sultana said her measure speaks to issues affecting members of Easton's community and was, therefore, within her purview as a city councilmember. "We have to represent every single person of this community whether they're white, black, purple, orange, Muslim or Jewish," said Sultana. Council President Ken Brown agreed the issue was a federal government issue. "This is 10 times higher level than we are," he said. BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- A large police presence was seen late Wednesday night outside of a home in Bethlehem. Officers in tactical gear converged on a home in the 600 block of Cherokee Street shortly before 11 p.m. At one point, an officer is heard shouting orders through a bullhorn. "This is the City of Bethlehem Police Department. We have a search warrant for this residence. All occupants must come out with their hands up and follow the commands of the officers on scene," the officer is heard saying. An armored vehicle was also at the scene and some officers were holding shields and had their guns drawn. The house is down the road from where a woman was shot earlier in the day Wednesday. A woman was rushed to the hospital with serious injuries after she was shot in the 400 block of Cherokee Street around 3:15 p.m., police had said. Police had said no arrests were made in the shooting. Bethlehem police have not said if the police presence later that night was related to the shooting. It does not appear that anyone was taken into custody from the home. BETHLEHEM, Pa. - A woman is in the hospital with serious injuries after being shot in Bethlehem Wednesday, city police said. Police received several 911 calls reporting a shooting that just occurred in the 400 block of Cherokee Street at 3:15 p.m., according to a news release from the Bethlehem Police Department. One caller reported a female had been struck by at least one gunshot, police said. Arriving officers were informed that the victim, a woman in her 20s, had been transported to an area hospital in a personal vehicle, according to the news release. Police say the woman remains hospitalized with serious injuries resulting from a gunshot wound to the body. No arrests have been made at this time, and the investigation is ongoing, city police said. Anyone with information is asked to contact Bethlehem Police at 610-865-7000 or BethlehemPolice@bethlehem-pa.gov. Anonymous information can also be provided on city police's Tip Line at 610-691-6660. Two companies are the main contenders to acquire Lehigh County-based payment processor Shift4, Reuters has reported. The news service said Fiserv and Amadeus IT Group are competing to acquire the payment-processing company in what would be a multi-billion-dollar deal. Reuters cited people who requested anonymity, and the report said no deal is certain. Shares of Shift4 jumped Wednesday. The company said earlier it was reviewing alternatives. On Tuesday, Shift4 founder and Chief Executive Officer Jared Isaacman declined to comment on that review, saying the process "is still active and ongoing. We will provide updates as soon as they are available." Isaacman, a billionaire, has discussed the possibility of the company going private earlier. Shift4 is based in Upper Saucon Township. In 2022, it employed about 600 people in the Lehigh Valley. 69 News has contacted Shift4 for comment. Shift4 processes payments for restaurants, hotels, online gambling, and teams and stadiums in every major league sport. Shares in the company are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol FOUR. The shares rose 12% Wednesday to close at $85.90. At 9:31 a.m. Thursday, the price was $88.61, giving the company a market capitalization of $7.3 billion. As Shift4 shares rise, so does Isaacman's wealth. At 9:32 a.m. Thursday, Forbes Real Time Net Worth said he was worth $2.6 billion, making him the 1,243rd richest person in the world. BETHLEHEM, Pa. - People can journey out of this world and into the depths of space in Bethlehem, for what's being described as a raunchy romp through the cosmos written, created, and inspired by locals. "It's a whole cast of intergalactic characters," explained actor Jason Hedrington of Bethlehem. People have the opportunity to see those intergalactic characters in action at Touchstone Theatre, located at 321 East 4th Street. "There are also Muppets," explained director Christopher Shorr of Bethlehem. "It's kind of like an adorable puppet show that has an alien, burlesque flare." There's a half-mermaid, half-dog, an android, and even an entire alien race called the HeadEye. "The HeadEye is an alien race from a planet called Tralfamadore, and they believe in the collective, like a collective consciousness," explained Hedrington. Hedrington plays an archeologist who travels to Earth. "I was stationed on Earth, particularly, because we wanted to see if the earthlings had a valid culture before they blow themselves up," he said. Before the musical's out-of-this-world concept, there was just music -- Hedrington's album called "Earth Girls." "It inspired everything," explained Shorr. "It tells a story." It sparked everything, from the set to the costumes to the original merchandise currently for sale stickers, shirts and vinyl. HeadEye: The Musical is a 90-minute production underscored by Hedrington's "space rock opera," and equipped with flashing lights, smoke, and adult humor. It's about a collective society that's turned its eye away from feelings. The plot thickens when Hedrington's character ventures to Earth and threatens the very fabric of his alien society by falling in love. "It's like ex-communication style on his planet. His thoughts about love and emotion could potentially poison the hive mind, so he might need to be eliminated," joked Hedrington. It's not Touchstone's typical project, which typically focuses on the community or an issue occurring in the community. "It's a small professional ensemble theater in a community, and, often, our projects are working with the community," added Shorr. "This is not that. This is just a fun, wild ride." "Absolutely a lot of laughs," said Hedrington. The musical will also get people to think. "Asking the big questions, like, 'what is the purpose of love in our lives?" explained Hedrington. Tickets for adults are $25, $15 for seniors and students. Touchstone's first showing begins 8 p.m. Thursday. Complete ticketing information can be found on Touchstone's website. "The main thing we're looking to do is just get butts in the seats and show people what can be done with community theater," added the actor. BETHLEHEM TWP., Pa. -- Warehouse developer Trammell Crow has filed a lawsuit against Bethlehem Township, contending that the township improperly rejected a permitted land use. Trammell Crow had sought approval for an 866,350-square-foot warehouse on the township's border with the Borough of Freemansburg. That site, 1600 Freemansburg Ave., is a former quarry that has been used as a dump. The Bethlehem Township Board of Commissioners voted 5-0 against the plan on Jan. 15. The township later cited 18 reasons for rejecting the warehouse, including traffic, noise, environmental hazards and threats to public health, along with claims that some documents were not provided. The township paid its law firm $180 per hour to prepare the response. The litigation, filed Feb. 21 by Allentown attorney Catherine Durso, asks Northampton County Court to reverse the decision. It does not seek monetary damages. "The claimed deficiencies set forth in the January 25th denial letter are not supported by any evidence," the Trammell Crow response says. The denial included "amorphous criteria" including "mere inconsistencies with a comprehensive plan," the lawsuit says. Reasons provided to deny the plan "are either factually inaccurate, ignore details of the plans, based on erroneous interpretations of the Zoning Ordinance or SALDO, and/or are inconsequential, administrative, or technical matters that are remediable and should not be grounds for a plan denial," the suit says. "Each of the purported deficiencies is either correctable or an improper basis for a denial," it says later. Many residents objected to the plan, citing concerns about traffic on Freemansburg Avenue. Trammell Crow's suit addresses that. "Despite public opposition to the project, a township is obligated to exercise good faith in its review and consideration of land development plans, which was not done in this instance," the suit says. After the Jan. 15 vote, township Commissioner Michael Hudak said legal action might follow. He said he voted against the plan because residents do not want another warehouse. The suit was filed on behalf of 1600 Freemansburg Associates, which has the same Dallas, Texas, address as Trammell Crow. Trammell Crow has other local projects, including warehouses at the site of the former Dutch Springs aqua park in Lower Nazareth Township and Bethlehem Township. The developer is in turn part of CBRE Group Inc., the world's largest commercial real estate firm. Bethlehem Township declined to comment on the lawsuit. CBRE Group reported revenue of $31.9 billion in 2023. More than 10 million people are abused each year in the U.S, according to the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence. For many it affects their ability to work, and currently it can take weeks for victims to receive unemployment benefits. So people are forced to go through a process which unfortunately takes weeks, where they have to file a claim, they have to provide proof of domestic violence and that can get held up in adjudication for weeks, said state Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, Republican chair of the House Labor and Industry Committee. Hes sponsoring a new bill that would change that, creating an express lane for victims claiming unemployment benefits. It would also make it easier to provide proof, requiring only a confidential statement from a professional, such as a counselor, member of the clergy, attorney, or health care worker, confirming recent domestic violence. The other thing that the legislation does is that on the back end for the employer, they will not be charged for that person leaving the workplace, Rep. Mackenzie said. Turning Point of Lehigh Valley, which provides support to victims of domestic abuse, supports the bill and points out that some national data show 98-100% of domestic abuse victims also suffer from financial abuse. When you dont think you have a choice, you often times stay in a situation even if its dangerous, said Carol Anderson, CEO of Bloom for Women, a nonprofit helping survivors of trafficking and exploitation. Anderson thinks the change could provide more stability and empowerment to those looking to leave a violent situation, which often requires relocating. It gives someone the agency to choose differently the next time, Anderson said. The bill was unanimously approved with bipartisan support by the Labor and Industry Committee last week and will head to the House for a full vote. A congresswoman from Pennsylvania is calling for a ceasefire as the war between Israel and Hamas continues. U.S. Rep. Madeleine Dean (PA-04), who represents Montgomery County, is making that call after visiting the Israeli and Palestinian territories. Dean returned just last week from her second trip to the Middle East amid the ongoing war. She said the visit allowed her to meet with government leaders to express her call for a bilateral ceasefire. "What difference can I make? What difference can my voice make? And I come away from it convinced that the suffering in Gaza must stop," said Dean. She described her recent visit. "We sadly toured the Nova fields where all the young people were slaughtered," Dean said. "We toured one of the kibbutz that suffered some of the greatest losses of life and horror." As a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, the congresswoman said her trip was taken with six other lawmakers who are also Democrats. The group met with government leaders and other organizations that have been working towards peace for decades. "The only path is a bilateral ceasefire," Dean said. "Get the hostages home, get the humanitarian aid in, and let the region help build toward a two-state solution." Dean also called for the release of hostages. "To just immediately say 'ceasefire,' to me, seemed irresponsible because it seemed as though that meant Israel had no right to prosecute a war, and they did," Dean said. "The attack [on Oct. 7] was barbaric." "Ceasefire by itself seems to say you'd have both parties," she said. "But we didn't have Hamas at the table." It's what she said is the growing evolution and understanding of the war that prompted her interest in another visit overseas to use her voice. "We met with Mr. Netanyahu, and I said those words ("ceasefire"), you know, to signal that history will judge you, just as we are judging this horrific attack by terrorists," Dean said. President Joseph Biden said he hopes a ceasefire could come as early as Monday and potentially last through the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. More than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 70,000 wounded in the Gaza Strip since the Israel's war on Hamas began nearly five months ago, health officials in the territory said Thursday. The bloody milestone came as Palestinian witnesses say Israeli troops opened fire on a crowd of people scrambling for aid in Gaza City. More than 100 people were killed and at least 700 wounded, according to Palestinian witnesses and Gaza's Health Ministry. Israel said many of the dead were trampled in a chaotic stampede for the food aid and that its troops only fired when they felt endangered by the crowd. Israel's war against Hamas has unleashed a humanitarian catastrophe throughout the Gaza Strip and has caused widespread devastation in northern areas like Gaza City, which are largely cut off from the rest of the territory with little aid entering. The U.N. says a quarter of Gazas 2.3 million Palestinians face starvation; around 80% have fled their homes. The war began after Hamas-led militants stormed across southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking about 250 others hostage. Currently: Michigans largest Arab American cities reject Biden over his handling of Israel-Hamas war. Austrias top diplomat appeals for a pause in Mideast fighting for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Canada says its working to airdrop aid to the Gaza Strip as soon as possible. Aid groups appeal to the EU to release urgent funds for Palestinian refugee agency. What would a cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas look like? Food aid reaches north Gaza for first time in weeks. Find more of APs coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war. Here's the latest: PALESTINIAN U.N. AMBASSADOR SAYS ISRAEL DELIBERATELY SHOT PEOPLE IN AID CONVOY VIOLENCE UNITED NATIONS The Palestinian ambassador to the U.N. is accusing Israel of deliberately and systematically targeting a humanitarian convoy, saying according to his information dozens of the 112 Palestinians killed were shot in the head. Riyad Mansour told reporters ahead of a closed emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council late Thursday afternoon that according to his information every few days trucks with humanitarian supplies including flour, sugar and other basic necessities traveled to the same place in northern Gaza to give desperately needed help to Palestinians in need. He said the trucks did the same thing earlier Thursday, and thousands of Palestinians were there. And then all of a sudden, the Israel army started firing at them and shooting, and according to the information that we have, dozens of them have bullets in their heads, he said. There has been no independent confirmation of this claim. Its not like, you know, firing in the sky to restrain people if there was confusion and chaos, Mansour said. It was intentionally targeting and killing, and the number that we have now is 112 have been killed and the number is increasing, and 750 injured, and possibly the number would be increasing. Mansour said he met U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield and implored her to support a U.N. Security Council statement condemning the killings and urging that those responsible be found and held accountable. UNITED NATIONS CHIEF SAYS HE'S SHOCKED BY GAZA DEATH TOLL AND KILLINGS NEAR AID TRUCK UNITED NATIONS U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is appalled that 30,000 people have been killed by the war in Gaza and condemned Thursday's killing of more than a hundred people seeking life-saving aid, his spokesperson said. Witnesses say Israeli troops fired on a large crowd of Palestinians racing to pull food off an aid convoy in Gaza City on Thursday. More than 100 people were killed in the chaos, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters this was not a U.N. convoy and there was no U.N. presence there, so it is trying to determine the facts. These people died because humanitarian aid has not been able to be delivered in a safe manner, Dujarric said. Whether they died or were wounded by Israeli gunfire, were crushed by a crowd or run over by trucks, these are all acts of violence in a sense due to this conflict. Dujarric said the United Nations hasnt been able to deliver aid to northern Gaza for more than a week because of the ongoing conflict and lack of safety for humanitarian staff and the people receiving aid. We want to see an immediate humanitarian cease-fire so that we can distribute aid in an organized, predictable and safe manner which is currently not an option for us, he said. Guterres reiterated his call for an immediate humanitarian cease-fire and release of all hostages taken captive during Hamas Oct. 7 attack in southern Israel, Dujarric said. GERMANY PLEDGES ANOTHER 20 MILLION EUROS IN AID TO GAZA BERLIN Germany will increase its humanitarian aid for Gaza by 20 million euros, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said Thursday night. She called on Israel to immediately allow more aid into Gaza and make sure that aid can also be distributed. Baerbock added that if not enough aid was able to get into Gaza by trucks, Germany would cooperate with Jordan to airlift aid into Gaza. Her statement didnt specify the total amount of aid Germany has promised for Gaza. The website of the German Foreign Office says it has given 138 million euros of humanitarian aid since Oct. 7 to the Palestinian Territories, which would include aid for the Israeli-occupied West Bank. U.S. SENATORS ASK BIDEN TO SEND HOSPITAL SHIP TO GAZA AND OPEN SEA ROUTE FOR AID WASHINGTON The chairman of the Senates armed services committee has asked President Joe Biden to deploy a military hospital ship and support units to treat Gazas wounded and help establish a sea route for delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza. Chairman Jack Reed, a Rhode Island Democrat, made the request in a letter to the White House Wednesday night. Sen. Angus King, a political independent from Maine and another senior member of the armed services committee, joined in the request. Despite U.S. appeals to Israel, Gaza residents trapped in the conflict between Israel and Hamas continue to suffer without adequate medical care, food and other aid, the senators said. Consequently, we urge you to take additional steps to deliver humanitarian aid by deploying a U.S. Navy hospital ship and support elements to the region and by working with the Israeli and Egyptian governments to establish maritime logistics routes and ensure civilian access to aid, the senators wrote. The two acknowledged the risks but said the U.S. military was best-equipped to handle them. The deployments would bring immense capacity to bear off the coast of the Gaza strip. they wrote the White House. It would be a visible embodiment of Americas commitment to the humanitarian challenges of the region. The U.S. has two dedicated hospital ships, the USNS Mercy and USNS Comfort. Each has a suite of advanced medical facilities, including scores of intensive care unit beds, blood banks and operating rooms. BIDEN SAYS CEASE-FIRE DEAL PROBABLY NOT DONE BY NEXT WEEK WASHINGTON President Joe Biden said Thursday that a deal to pause fighting between Israel and Hamas in Gaza and release some hostages held by the militant group would probably not be done by Monday. His comments at the White House came days after he said he hoped to have an agreement in place by the end of the upcoming weekend. Hope springs eternal, Biden told reporters on the South Lawn before departing for Texas, where he is to visit the U.S.-Mexico border. I was on the telephone with people from the region. Probably not by Monday, but Im hopeful. The White House later said the president had spoken by phone Thursday with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi and Qatars emir, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani. The calls focused on the war in Gaza and cease-fire negotiations, as well as plans to get more humanitarian aid into the besieged territory. Biden and the two leaders emphasized in their calls how the release of hostages would result in an immediate and sustained cease-fire in Gaza over a period of at least six weeks, a White House statement said. Biden also said the U.S. was still trying to determined what happened in Gaza City on Thursday, where witnesses say Israeli troops fired on a large crowd of Palestinians racing to pull food off an aid convoy. Biden said the loss of life would complicate ongoing talks to free hostages and pause fighting between Israel and Hamas. Were checking it out right now, Biden told reporters. Theres two competing versions of what happened. I dont have an answer yet. PALESTINIAN SHOOTING ATTACK IN WEST BANK KILLS 2 ISRAELIS JERUSALEM Two Israelis were killed in a Palestinian shooting attack at a gas station in the occupied West Bank on Thursday, the Israeli military said. The Israeli military said one attacker was killed after opening fire at the gas station near the Jewish settlement of Eli, and that Israeli forces were searching the area for additional suspects. Paramedics pronounced a 57-year-old man and another in his 20s dead at the scene, one in a vehicle and another nearby, the Magen David Adom medical agency said in a statement. It said a civilian shot and killed the attacker. SAUDI ARABIA, EGYPT AND JORDAN CONDEMN ISRAEL FOR FIRING ON CROWD IN NORTHERN GAZA BEIRUT Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Jordans foreign ministries condemned Israel for its forces firing on a large crowd of Palestinians trying to get aid in northern Gaza, which the three Arab governments called an attack targeting civilians. The three foreign ministries in separate statements called for increased safe passages to deliver humanitarian aid and for the international community to take decisive action to pressure Israel to abide by international law and to reach an agreement for an immediate ceasefire. ISRAELI OFFICIALS SAY TROOPS SHOT INTO CROWD OF PALESTINIANS SEEKING FOOD AID IN NORTHERN GAZA TEL AVIV, Israel Israeli officials have acknowledged that troops opened fire on a large crowd of Palestinians who had converged on an aid convoy as it entered northern Gaza. The officials insisted on anonymity to give details about what happened early Thursday. They said troops opened fire after the crowd approached the soldiers in a threatening way. Gazas Health Ministry says 104 people were killed and 760 wounded. Palestinian witnesses told The Associated Press that troops shot at the crowd and a tank opened fire. The Israeli military said in a statement that dozens were killed and injured from pushing, trampling and being run over by the trucks. The military also circulated aerial footage showing hundreds of people crowding around trucks, saying it showed that the deaths and injuries were caused by the crowd itself. It was not clear from the footage if anyone was being trampled. Associated Press writer Melanie Lidman contributed. EGYPT SAYS THURSDAY'S KILLINGS IN GAZA CITY ARE A HEINOUS CRIME Egypt has condemned the killings on Thursday in Gaza City, when the territory's health officials say Israeli forces fired at a crowd of Palestinians waiting for aid, killing at least 104 people. Also, around 760 were wounded, Gaza's Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra said. The ministry described it as a massacre. It is a heinous crime to target peaceful civilians who are rushing to get their share of humanitarian aid, read a statement released by Egypts foreign ministry. It is a flagrant violation of the international law and the international humanitarian law, and also shows disregard to the sanctity of human lives, the Egyptian statement added. MASSACRE AND MAYHEM AS ISRAELI FORCES OPEN FIRE, KILLING 104 PEOPLE WAITING FOR AID IN GAZA RAFAH, Gaza Strip Israeli troops fired on a crowd of Palestinians waiting for aid in Gaza City on Thursday, witnesses said. At least 104 people were killed and 760 were wounded, Gaza health officials said. Kamel Abu Nahel, who was being treated for a gunshot wound at Shifa Hospital, said he and others went to the distribution point in the middle of the night because they heard there would be a delivery of food. Weve been eating animal feed for two months, he said. He said Israeli troops opened fire on the crowd, causing it to scatter, with some people hiding under nearby cars. After the shooting stopped, they went back to the trucks, and the soldiers opened fire again. He was shot in the leg and fell over, and then a truck ran over his leg as it sped off, he said. Medics arriving at the scene on Thursday found dozens or hundreds lying on the ground, according to Fares Afana, the head of the ambulance service at Kamal Adwan Hospital. He said there were not enough ambulances to collect all the dead and wounded and that some were being brought to hospitals in donkey carts. Gaza's Health Ministry described it as a massacre. THE U.N. AGENCY FOR PALESTINIAN REFUGEES SAYS ITS FUNDS WILL START TO DRY UP AFTER MARCH JERUSALEM The embattled U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees may have to scale down operations at the end of March if it doesn't secure a new influx of funds, the agencys head told reporters Thursday. Some $450 million in funding for UNRWA has been frozen by donor states after Israel alleged that 12 members of the agency took part in the deadly Oct. 7 attack in southern Israel by Hamas militants that sparked the war in Gaza. UNRWA has thousands of staff members. We have no (funding) visibility past March, said Philippe Lazzarini, head of the agency. He said the agency is in talks with the European Commission to secure a donation of 82 million euros ($89 million) that could temporarily alleviate its financial shortfalls. The funding cuts would impact UNRWA operations in all areas where it has a presence Gaza, the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Lebanon, Syria and Jordan. The shortfalls would result in a slow-onset implosion of the agency, he said. Israeli officials have alleged that UNRWA has not done enough to push back against purported attempts by Hamas to infiltrate the agency, a claim vehemently denied by Lazzarini. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that he intends to force the closure of UNRWA after the Gaza war, now in its fifth month. Israeli officials have called for the eviction of the agency from its headquarters in Jerusalem and have frozen its bank account, according to Lazzarini. W.H.O. OFFICIAL DECRIES GAZA DEATH TOLL, SAYS THESE ARE HUMAN LIVES, NOT MERE STATISTICS CAIRO A regional director of the World Health Organization decried on Thursday the latest surge in the Palestinian death toll in the Gaza Strip and urged world leaders to join her in a push for a permanent cease-fire. Hanan Balkhy, who is WHO's head for the Eastern Mediterranean, said concrete steps toward peace are desperately needed. The 30 thousand are not mere statistics, they are human lives, Balkhy wrote on X, formerly Twitter. As a doctor and humanitarian, I will keep advocating for the right of all people to life and health. I call on all leaders to join. The WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus had previously described Gaza as a death zone and called repeatedly for a cessation of hostilities. Last week, WHO warned at a regional news conference in Cairo that poor sanitation, the lack of access to clean water, and the over-crowdedness of settlements where displaced Gazans have relocated, could lead to further infectious disease outbreaks and ultimately more deaths in the battered territory. PALESTINIAN DIPLOMAT AT THE U.N. IN GENEVA DENOUNCES LATEST STRIKE IN GAZA GENEVA The Palestinian ambassador at the United Nations in Geneva denounced Thursday's apparent Israeli strike that killed at least 70 people waiting for aid in Gaza City. Are these human shields? Are these Hamas combatants, asked Palestinian ambassador Ibrahim Khraishi, addressing his Israeli counterpart Meirav Eilon Shahar. Khraishi spoke as the U.N. human rights chief was presenting a report from his office about the Gaza situation to the Human Rights Council. , Hundreds of Palestinian citizens, civilians who were waiting for trucks loaded with humanitarian aid, and they were bombed by the occupying power, said Khraishi. "I would say to you: Let us put an end to the massacre. Khraishi represents the Palestinian Authority that runs pockets of the occupied West Bank but not the Gaza Strip, which is under the control of Hamas. He reiterated that the authority had condemned Hamas' Oct. 7 attack that triggered the latest Israel-Hamas war. Volker Turk, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, warned of the risk of famine in north Gaza, where aid groups have largely been denied access in recent weeks, and railed against the carnage in Gaza and the attacks in Israel that preceded them. Eilon Shahar, who spoke right before Khrashi and after the U.N. rights chief, stressed that more than 1,200 people were butchered in the Oct. 7 attack while others were subjected to unspeakable acts of violence by Hamas, She also criticized Turks comments. The minimal reference to these horrific acts in your statement today is an affront to the victims and supports those who seek to remove these crimes from the narrative altogether, she said. Dozens of diplomats were taking part in Thursdays council debate, which was focusing on recent developments in Palestinian areas. AUSTRIA'S TOP DIPLOMAT ON MIDEAST TOUR APPEALS FOR A PAUSE IN FIGHTING AHEAD OF RAMADAN BEIRUT Austrias foreign minister on Thursday urged Israel and Lebanons militant Hezbollah group against escalating the conflict along the volatile Israel-Lebanon border and expressed hope for a pause in the fighting in Gaza in time for the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in March. The Middle East has witnessed enough devastation and cruelty, said Alexander Schallenberg, speaking after meeting his Lebanese counterpart in Beirut. He came to Lebanon after visiting Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian city of Ramallah in the Israeli occupied West Bank. Overnight, Israeli airstrikes on Lebanese villages along the southern border killed two people and wounded 14 others in the village of Kafra, state-run National News Agency reported. Since the Israel-Hamas war started on Oct. 7, after Palestinian militants stormed parts of southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 250 hostage, Hezbollah started attacking Israeli posts, drawing return fire from Israel in daily exchanges. More than 210 Hezbollah fighters and nearly 40 civilians have been killed since then on the Lebanese side. In Israel, nine soldiers and nine civilians have been killed in Hezbollah attacks since Oct. 7. European and American officials have tried to ease the tensions in visits to Beirut, to avoid a full-blown war between Israel and Hezbollah, which has said it wont discuss any deals before the war in Gaza ends. Everybody is asked not to escalate and it always takes two sides, Schallenberg said. RELATIVES OF HOSTAGES MARCH TO DEMAND FREEDOM FOR LOVED ONES TEL AVIV, Israel The Israeli families of hostages held by Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip and their supporters are launching a four-day march from southern Israel to Jerusalem to demand their loved ones be set free. The march comes as negotiations are underway in Qatar to bring about a deal between Hamas and Israel that would lead to a cease-fire in exchange for the release of hostages. President Joe Biden has said such a deal was at hand but officials from Israel and Hamas have expressed skepticism about it. Negotiators from the United States, Egypt and Qatar have been working on a framework deal under which Hamas would free some of the dozens of hostages it holds in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners and a six-week halt in fighting. During the temporary pause, negotiations would continue over the release of the remaining hostages. Hostages freed in a late-November deal, some of whom still have relatives held in Gaza, joined the march on Wednesday. It will end near the official residence of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later this week. In its Oct. 7 attack, Hamas abducted roughly 250 people, according to Israeli authorities, including men, women, children and older adults. Roughly 100 were freed about 50 days into their captivity. Some 130 hostages remain and Israel says about a quarter of them are dead. The plight of the hostages has deeply shaken Israelis, who see in them an enduring symbol of the states failure to protect its citizens from Hamas assault. LONDON (AP) An off-duty police officer who abducted and murdered a 33-year-old woman in south London three years ago should never have been employed in the first place, with three police forces failing to spot clear signals of his unsuitability, an official inquiry revealed Thursday. According to the damning report, Wayne Couzens had a history of viewing extreme and violent pornography and alleged sexual offending dating back nearly two decades before the murder of Sarah Everard. Couzens, 51, often shared his interests with other officers on a WhatsApp group. The inquiry's chair, Elish Angiolini, warned that there's nothing to stop another Couzens operating in plain sight" unless there's a radical overhaul of policing practices and culture, The murder in March 2021 shocked the country, angered many women and raised questions about how police harbored a murderer in their ranks. Couzens, who was a member of London's Metropolitan Police at the time, later pleaded guilty to Everards murder and was sentenced to life in prison. The Met came under further criticism when a vigil involving hundreds of women that aimed to highlight the broader violence against women and girls was dispersed, at times violently, because it breached the coronavirus restrictions on mass gatherings in effect at the time. Everard, who disappeared while walking home from visiting a friend in south London on March 2021, was found dead a week later in woodland about 60 miles (nearly 100 kilometers) south of London. Couzens had used his police identification to stop her on the pretext that she was violating COVID-19 lockdown rules. Three different police forces Kent Police, the Civil Nuclear Constabulary and the Metropolitan Police could and should have stopped Couzens from getting a job as an officer, Angiolini said. She identified a catalogue of failings in his recruitment and vetting, and how allegations against him were investigated. Police, she added, repeatedly failed to spot warning signs, including a series of indecent exposure incidents, about his unsuitability" to be a police officer. Everards family said in response that they believe she died because Couzens was a police officer, adding: She would never have got into a strangers car. According to the report, the inquiry uncovered evidence that Couzens was accused of a string of other incidents of sexual abuse, including a very serious sexual assault of a child barely into her teens." The findings identified at least five incidents that weren't reported to police, with Angiolini saying she believes there could be more victims. Wayne Couzens should never have been a police officer," she said, urging every police force in the country to read the report and take action. Among the measures, Angiolini called for an urgent review of indecent exposure charges against serving officers, and said allegations of indecent exposure must be taken seriously. Warning signs were overlooked throughout his career and opportunities to confront him were missed," Everard's family said. The United Kingdom's interior minister, James Cleverly, said that the government would carefully consider the report's recommendations and that the response will be prompt. London Mayor Sadiq Khan also vowed to ensure lessons are learned. In September, London's Metropolitan Police said that more than 1,000 officers were currently suspended or on restricted duties while they were under investigation for corruption and other forms of misconduct, including sexual offenses, domestic abuse or racial harassment. Following the publication of the report, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mark Rowley said that progress is being made in rooting out corrupt officers, but that there's still a way to go. The majority of my Met colleagues share my determination to reform by both confronting the risk posed by predatory men in policing, and also, improving our protection of women and children across London, he said. The biggest day of this year's primary campaign is approaching as 16 states vote in contests known as Super Tuesday. The elections are a crucial moment for President Joe Biden and Donald Trump, who are the overwhelming front-runners for the Democratic and Republican presidential nominations, respectively. As the day with the most delegates up for stake, strong performances by Biden and Trump would move them much closer to becoming their party's nominee. The contest will unfold from Alaska and California to Virginia and Vermont. And while most of the attention will be on the presidential contest, there are other important elections on Tuesday. Some things to watch: DOES TRUMP KEEP ROLLING? So far, the Republican presidential primary has been a snoozer. The former president has dominated the race and his last major rival in the race, his onetime U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, is struggling to keep up. She lost the Feb. 27 primary in Michigan by more than 40 percentage points. She even lost her home state of South Carolina, where she was twice elected governor, by more than 20 percentage points. As the race pivots to Super Tuesday, the vast map seems tailor-made for Trump to roll up an insurmountable lead on Haley. His team has been turning up the pressure on Haley to drop out, and another big win could be a major point in their favor. Haley's banked a considerable amount of campaign money and says she wants to stay in the race until the Republican National Convention in July in case delegates there have second thoughts about formally nominating Trump amidst his legal woes. But she's seen some of her financial support waver recently the organization Americans For Prosperity, backed by the Koch brothers, announced it'd stop spending on her behalf after South Carolina. She may not be able to afford another sweeping loss. DO COLLEGE GRADS KEEP TURNING AGAINST TRUMP? Amid Trump's commanding wins this primary season have been a notable warning sign for November: He's performed poorly with college-educated primary voters. In the New Hampshire and South Carolina primaries, APVoteCast found that college graduates picked Haley over Trump. Roughly two-thirds of voters in both states who went to graduate school after college voted for the former South Carolina governor. In South Carolina, Trump won the suburbs but not by the same magnitude as his dominance in small towns and rural areas, essentially splitting the vote with Haley. One of the biggest questions on Tuesday is whether Trump can start repairing that rupture. Weakness with college graduates and in the suburbs where they cluster is what doomed Trump in his 2020 loss to Biden. DOES BIDEN END DOUBTS? As sleepy as the Republican presidential primary has been, the Democratic one has been even quieter. Biden has many political problems dragging him down in public opinion polls, but not, so far, at primary polling stations. The one speed bump came in Michigan, where an organized attempt to vote uncommitted in the primary there to protest Biden's support of Israel during the war in Gaza garnered 13% of the vote, a slightly higher share than that option got in the last primary under a Democratic president. The only similar organized anti-Biden effort on the Super Tuesday calendar is one put together at the last minute by a handful of leftist groups in Colorado on Thursday to vote non-committed like in Michigan. Some 700,000 people had already cast ballots in the all-mail state's primary. The other obstacles are the president's two longshot primary opponents who've yet to crack low single digits against him, U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota and self-help author Marianne Williamson, who revived her campaign after receiving a surprise 3% of the Michigan primary vote. WHAT HAPPENS IN CALIFORNIA'S SENATE RACE? There's far more than the presidential primaries on the ballot Tuesday. One of the most consequential contests is the California primary for the U.S. Senate seat left open by the death of Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein. The seat's temporary occupant, Laphonza Butler, isn't running for a full term. Rather than having the winners of party primaries face off in November, California throws every candidate into a single primary and has the top two vote-getters make it to the general election. Democrats have a lock on statewide races in the overwhelmingly blue state, and for months the speculation was that two prominent U.S. House members from that party, Reps. Katie Porter and Adam Schiff, would battle it out until Election Day. But that's changed since former Dodgers great Steve Garvey threw his hat in the ring. Garvey, 75, is both a Republican and a novice at politics. Schiff has been airing ads slamming him or, more accurately, promoting him as most likely to carry out Trump's wishes. The idea is to unite the state's outnumbered conservatives behind Garvey so he and Schiff finish in the top two, denying Porter a spot in November. Schiff would then be the overwhelming favorite for the seat. The current primary setup was passed by voters in 2010, partly to stop partisans from engaging in primary shenanigans. Among other things, the Senate primary will be a test of whether, in the end, motivated politicians can game any system. WHICH WAY ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE? Voters in San Francisco and Los Angeles will once more grapple with questions of criminal justice and public order. In Los Angeles County, District Attorney George Gascon faces 11 challengers in a primary amid criticism of his progressive approach that includes not seeking cash bail for misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies and not prosecuting juveniles as adults. His opponents have blamed him for a rise in property crimes in some parts of the county, including a brazen smash-and-grab spree at luxury stores. Gascon has weathered criticism before, including two failed recall efforts, one of which was in his first 100 days of taking office. The primary will determine who he faces in November and whether there are signs that Los Angeles' liberal voters are changing their minds. In San Francisco, Mayor London Breed is pushing one ballot measure to expand police powers to use tactics like drones and surveillance cameras, and another testing single adults on welfare for drugs. The two initiatives come as the city has been wracked by homelessness and drug use, and Breed faces a cranky electorate in her own reelection in November. ANOTHER GOP TEST IN TEXAS Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton last year survived an impeachment led by his own party. Now he wants payback, and Trump is helping him. The primary will be a test of how Republican voters are willing to regulate their own leaders. The impeachment stemmed from Paxton's legal woes. He faces an April trial on felony security fraud charges, and an additional federal corruption probe over the allegations that he used his office to favor a campaign donor that was the foundation of the impeachment charges. Paxton is targeting more than 30 Republican state lawmakers in the primary, including House Speaker Dale Phelan. Paxton is also trying to remove three Republican judges on the state's conservative appeals court who voted to limit the attorney general's powers. Paxton has been a staunch supporter of Trump, including the former president's attempts to overturn his own 2020 election loss, and Trump is helping Paxton in his primary campaign. The Texas purge will be a test of what Republican voters value the most in their elected officials. CAN NORTH CAROLINA CANDIDATES UNITE THE PARTIES? Most of the country picked its governors in the 2022 off-year elections, but North Carolina is gearing up for an intense race this fall. The major-party front-runners for the seat being vacated by term-limited Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper both will need to demonstrate an ability to unite their parties in the primary. Attorney General Josh Stein has Coopers endorsement. Stein's main competitor is a former state Supreme Court associate justice, Mike Morgan, who is Black. Watch whether Steins able to hold onto a significant share of the primarys Black voters, which is essential for any Democrat who wants to be competitive in November. The Republican front-runner is Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, who is Black, has been a divisive figure for some for criticizing vocally the teaching of LGBTQ+ issues during sex education and for comments at a church that Christians are called to be led by men. His opponents, state Treasurer Dale Folwell and trial attorney Bill Graham, say Robinson is too polarizing to win in November. Robinson received Trumps support last year, but its worth watching whether he shows the same weaknesses as the former president among college-educated, suburban voters. Bidens reelection campaign is targeting North Carolina because it thinks those voters can help him beat Trump there. In this article, we will look at the 11 highest paying countries for aerospace engineers. We have also discussed the global aerospace markets and the recent developments. If you want to skip our detailed analysis, head straight to the 5 Highest Paying Countries for Aerospace Engineers. From designing cutting-edge spacecraft for space exploration to enhancing aviation safety and efficiency, aerospace engineering professionals drive progress in both civilian and military applications. Their contributions are integral to pushing the boundaries of human knowledge, facilitating global connectivity, and expanding the frontiers of exploration beyond Earth's atmosphere. Owing to their critical roles, it is one of the highest-paying jobs in the world. For example, the average aerospace engineering salary per month is $7192 in the US, according to Indeed.com. In fact, the base salary for Entry Level Aerospace Engineer ranges from $74,402 to $88,002 with the average base salary of $82,302. Moreover, The average Aerospace Engineer base salary at SpaceX is $142,000 per year. Before getting into our list of the highest paying countries for aerospace engineers, lets explore the global aerospace market first. The aerospace market is predicted to reach new heights, with the global market size estimated at $321.5 billion in 2022, projected to reach around $678.17 billion by 2032, representing a strong CAGR of 7.80%. North America led the market in 2022, contributing over 46% of the revenue share, while the Asia-Pacific region is set to witness the fastest CAGR growth between 2023 and 2032. Commercial aircraft dominated the market, holding 43.5% share in 2022. However, the Aerospace Support segment is also set for a sizeable growth, with an anticipated CAGR of 8.5% during the forecast period. Narrow-body aircraft currently holds the largest market share, accounting for over 78.2% of revenue in 2022, but the Wide-body segment is projected to grow rapidly. Story continues In terms of end-users, the private sector leads the pack with a 65.4% market share in 2022, while the government sector is expected to expand at the fastest rate moving forward. Manual aircraft operations remain dominant, generating 68.5% of revenue in 2022, but the Autonomous Aircraft segment is primed for accelerated growth. With dynamic developments like space tourism and urban air mobility on the horizon, the aerospace industry is set for continued innovation and expansion, fueled by technological advancements and growing global demand. In 2022, the US Aerospace and Defense (A&D) industry saw a strong increase in its workforce, surpassing pre-pandemic levels with 101,700 new hires, totalling 2.2 million employees. This growth was a 4.87% rise from 2021 and hence, outpaced the employment figures of 2019, which stood at 2.18 million. However, with this expansion, talent shortages loom as a critical challenge for A&D companies. The industry faces difficulties in attracting professionals across various roles, from technicians to engineers. This scarcity could impede production capacities, particularly concerning increased domestic travel and global armament demands. Surveys such as the National Association of Manufacturers' 2023 third-quarter outlook indicate that a significant portion of US manufacturers view talent acquisition and retention as their primary business obstacle. As such, A&D firms must innovate recruitment strategies, recognizing that the competition for skilled individuals extends beyond their sector, encompassing fields like automotive and life sciences. Offering competitive salaries, while important, may need to be complemented with targeted campaigns emphasizing the industry's mission and values to effectively draw in talent. One of the key players in the global aerospace industry is Boeing Co (NYSE:BA) which has recently joined forces with European partners on seven SESAR 3 Joint Undertaking projects to enhance aviation sustainability and efficiency. These initiatives aim to optimize air traffic management, integrating autonomous aircraft and improving fuel usage. Boeing Co (NYSE:BA)s collaboration with industry leaders such as Airbus and Collins Aerospace confirms its dedication to advancing aviation technology. As part of the Digital European Sky program, Boeing Co (NYSE:BA) is capitalizing on its expertise to shape a smarter, more sustainable future for European airspace. Through innovation and partnership, Boeing Co (NYSE:BA) continues its legacy of driving progress in the global aerospace sector. Moreover, Boeing Co (NYSE:BA) is also anticipating a remarkable increase in Southeast Asia's commercial airplane fleet, projecting a quadrupling to over 4,000 jets by 2042, driven primarily by the expansion of low-cost carriers (LCCs). This growth is anticipated at 6.9% annually and is outpacing the global rate, fueled by the region's burgeoning middle class and increased connectivity. LCCs are set to dominate the market, with projections indicating they will account for 56% of passenger traffic by 2042, up from 22% in 2012. The demand for single-aisle jets is particularly pronounced, with LCCs expected to add over 2,000 such aircraft over the next two decades. In addition, Boeing Co (NYSE:BA)s 2023 Commercial Market Outlook (CMO) outlined a strong demand for aviation services, estimating a need for $310 billion in services including maintenance, repair, and training, driven by fleet growth and modernization. On the other hand, Lockheed Martin Corp (NYSE:LMT) has recently achieved a major milestone in its Next Generation Interceptor (NGI) program, advancing towards the Critical Design Review (CDR) with the successful completion of the first Knowledge Point (KP1) ahead of schedule. Through rigorous evaluation and technological maturation, Lockheed Martin Corp (NYSE:LMT) has demonstrated its commitment to delivering transformative defence solutions. As they enter the detailed design phase, Lockheed Martin Corp (NYSE:LMT) remains focused on testing integrated hardware and software components. Moreover, Lockheed Martin Corp (NYSE:LMT) is set to trim its workforce by 1% throughout the year to slash costs and streamline operations. This reduction will affect various positions across its business and enterprise operations, with measures such as hiring freezes and voluntary separations being implemented. With a workforce of 122,000 worldwide, the Maryland-based firm anticipates these cost-cutting measures to facilitate its digital transformation efforts. The decision comes amidst a forecasted profit dip for 2024, attributed partly to supply chain disruptions in its aeronautics segment manufacturing F-35 jets. To read more about aerospace technologies, see the Most Advanced Countries in Space Exploration. It is also worth mentioning that the average Aerospace Engineer base salary at Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) is $117K per year. 11 Highest Paying Countries for Aerospace Engineers A complex assembly line producing aircraft structures for aerospace applications. Our Methodology To list the highest paying countries for aerospace engineers, we identified the countries with the highest demand for aerospace engineers and then made a list for 20 countries with the average salaries for aerospace engineers. Of those 20, the 11 with the highest average salaries were selected and have been ranked. We acquired the data for average salaries of aerospace engineers for each country from Worldsalaries.com. The list is presented in ascending order. By the way, Insider Monkey is an investing website that uses a consensus approach to identify the best stock picks of more than 900 hedge funds investing in US stocks. The website tracks the movement of corporate insiders and hedge funds. Our top 10 consensus stock picks of hedge funds outperformed the S&P 500 stock index by more than 140 percentage points over the last 10 years (see the details here). So, if you are looking for the best stock picks to buy, you can benefit from the wisdom of hedge funds and corporate insiders. 11. Australia Average Salary: $75,305 Australia offers a conducive environment for aspiring aerospace engineers as it has a robust aerospace industry and renowned educational institutions. Companies like Boeing Australia and Airbus Group Australia Pacific provide ample opportunities for hands-on experience and career growth. Moreover, universities such as The University of Sydney and Monash University offer rigorous aerospace engineering programs with cutting-edge research facilities and industry partnerships. Australia is one of the countries with the highest minimum wages in the world. 10. Norway Average Salary: $78,140 Two important aerospace engineering companies in Norway are Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace and Nammo. Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace specializes in defense systems, like aerospace technologies such as missiles and aircraft systems. Nammo focuses on propulsion systems, ammunition, and space applications, offering opportunities in aerospace engineering within Norway's strong aerospace industry. It is one of the highest paying countries for aerospace engineers in Europe. 9. Netherlands Average Salary: $79,271 Becoming an aerospace engineer in the Netherlands offers unique advantages. The country has a rich history in aviation and space exploration, providing a vibrant environment for learning and innovation. Dutch universities offer world-class aerospace engineering programs and provide collaboration with industry leaders like Airbus and ESA. Additionally, the Netherlands' central location in Europe facilitates networking opportunities and access to cutting-edge research projects, making it an ideal choice for aspiring aerospace professionals. It is also one of the countries where aerospace engineers get paid the most. 8. Luxembourg Average Salary: $84,833 Established in 2018, the Luxembourg Space Agency is a crucial player in driving the countrys space endeavors forward. Its primary focus lies in allocating state funds to support private firms, startups, and entities involved in space exploration, particularly in asteroid mining. Luxembourg's vision is to establish space as a vital economic sector, leveraging its resources to bolster the industry. With over 70 entities and approximately 1,400 employees, the country's space industry is significant. It is also one of the highest paying countries for pilots. 7. United Arab Emirates Average Salary: $85,953 The United Arab Emirates (UAE) offers high salaries for aerospace engineers owing to its strategic investment in aviation and space industries, driven by lucrative oil revenues and ambitious development projects like Dubai's aviation hub and the Mars mission. It is one of the best countries for aerospace engineering jobs. 6. Denmark Average Salary: $93,164 Denmark pays high salaries to aerospace engineers due to the country's focus on innovation, strong economy, and demand for skilled professionals in its growing aerospace industry. Additionally, high living standards and competitive global market dynamics contribute to the attractive compensation packages offered to aerospace engineers in Denmark. It is one of the countries with the highest salary for aerospace engineers. Click here to see the 5 Highest Paying Countries for Aerospace Engineers. Suggested Articles: Disclosure: None. 11 Highest Paying Countries for Aerospace Engineers is originally published on Insider Monkey. Itau Unibanco Holding S.A. acquired a new stake in Allegion plc (NYSE:ALLE Free Report) in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 578 shares of the scientific and technical instruments companys stock, valued at approximately $60,000. Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. BlackRock Inc. boosted its position in shares of Allegion by 1.0% in the 2nd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 8,720,458 shares of the scientific and technical instruments companys stock worth $1,046,629,000 after buying an additional 89,381 shares in the last quarter. Boston Partners boosted its holdings in Allegion by 17.2% in the 3rd quarter. Boston Partners now owns 5,613,219 shares of the scientific and technical instruments companys stock worth $584,157,000 after acquiring an additional 825,048 shares during the period. State Street Corp boosted its stake in shares of Allegion by 4.8% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 3,871,806 shares of the scientific and technical instruments companys stock valued at $464,694,000 after buying an additional 176,973 shares during the last quarter. Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Allegion by 3.9% during the 3rd quarter. Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management LLC now owns 3,218,915 shares of the scientific and technical instruments companys stock valued at $335,411,000 after buying an additional 119,954 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Van ECK Associates Corp boosted its stake in shares of Allegion by 20.3% during the 3rd quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 2,773,767 shares of the scientific and technical instruments companys stock valued at $289,026,000 after buying an additional 467,772 shares during the last quarter. 92.21% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Allegion alerts: Allegion Price Performance NYSE:ALLE opened at $128.16 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $11.22 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.94, a P/E/G ratio of 4.66 and a beta of 1.14. The company has a quick ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 1.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.22. Allegion plc has a 12-month low of $95.94 and a 12-month high of $136.91. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $126.19 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $113.01. Allegion Increases Dividend Allegion ( NYSE:ALLE Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 20th. The scientific and technical instruments company reported $1.68 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.59 by $0.09. Allegion had a return on equity of 51.95% and a net margin of 14.80%. The business had revenue of $897.40 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $904.17 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.60 earnings per share. The firms quarterly revenue was up 4.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts anticipate that Allegion plc will post 7.01 earnings per share for the current year. The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 29th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 15th will be paid a $0.48 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 14th. This is an increase from Allegions previous quarterly dividend of $0.45. This represents a $1.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.50%. Allegions dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 29.41%. Insider Buying and Selling at Allegion In other Allegion news, CEO John H. Stone bought 10,000 shares of Allegion stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 22nd. The stock was bought at an average cost of $132.41 per share, with a total value of $1,324,100.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the chief executive officer now directly owns 104,248 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,803,477.68. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In related news, CEO John H. Stone bought 10,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 22nd. The shares were purchased at an average price of $132.41 per share, for a total transaction of $1,324,100.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 104,248 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,803,477.68. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, SVP Robert C. Martens sold 5,391 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $132.84, for a total value of $716,140.44. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 7,555 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,003,606.20. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.90% of the companys stock. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades A number of research analysts have recently commented on the company. Mizuho lowered Allegion from a buy rating to a neutral rating and raised their price target for the company from $140.00 to $141.00 in a report on Friday, February 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company lowered Allegion from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating and raised their target price for the company from $139.00 to $140.00 in a report on Wednesday, February 21st. Finally, Barclays lifted their price objective on Allegion from $119.00 to $121.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Wednesday, February 21st. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $125.50. Read Our Latest Report on Allegion About Allegion (Free Report) Allegion plc manufactures and sells mechanical and electronic security products and solutions worldwide. The company offers door controls and systems and exit devices; locks, locksets, portable locks, and key systems and services; electronic security products and access control systems; time, attendance, and workforce productivity systems; doors, accessories, and other. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Allegion Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Allegion and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Awakn Life Sciences Corp. (OTCMKTS:AWKNF Get Free Report) was the recipient of a large drop in short interest during the month of February. As of February 15th, there was short interest totalling 100 shares, a drop of 99.5% from the January 31st total of 18,800 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 44,700 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.0 days. Awakn Life Sciences Price Performance Shares of AWKNF stock opened at $0.09 on Thursday. Awakn Life Sciences has a 12-month low of $0.04 and a 12-month high of $0.40. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $0.10 and a 200 day moving average price of $0.14. Get Awakn Life Sciences alerts: Awakn Life Sciences Company Profile (Get Free Report) Read More Awakn Life Sciences Corp., a biotechnology company, engages in the researching, developing, operations, and delivering of psychedelic therapeutics to treat addiction and other mental health conditions in the United Kingdom and Europe. The company has a collaboration agreement with the University of Exeter for exploring the use of ketamine-assisted therapy to treat Severe AUD. Receive News & Ratings for Awakn Life Sciences Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Awakn Life Sciences and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Deere & Company (NYSE:DE Get Free Report) has received a consensus rating of Moderate Buy from the eighteen brokerages that are covering the stock, MarketBeat.com reports. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation and nine have issued a buy recommendation on the company. The average 12 month target price among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $428.58. A number of research analysts recently issued reports on DE shares. TD Cowen decreased their price objective on Deere & Company from $438.00 to $396.00 and set a market perform rating for the company in a report on Friday, November 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on Deere & Company from $380.00 to $385.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Monday, December 4th. Evercore ISI raised their price target on Deere & Company from $381.00 to $387.00 and gave the company an in-line rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 20th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their price target on Deere & Company from $425.00 to $401.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 16th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus decreased their price target on Deere & Company from $435.00 to $425.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 16th. Get Deere & Company alerts: Check Out Our Latest Report on Deere & Company Hedge Funds Weigh In On Deere & Company Deere & Company Price Performance Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Hodges Capital Management Inc. increased its stake in shares of Deere & Company by 4.0% in the second quarter. Hodges Capital Management Inc. now owns 8,895 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $5,225,000 after buying an additional 341 shares during the period. Westwood Holdings Group Inc. grew its stake in Deere & Company by 7.6% during the second quarter. Westwood Holdings Group Inc. now owns 53,191 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $21,552,000 after purchasing an additional 3,776 shares during the period. Osaic Holdings Inc. grew its stake in Deere & Company by 5.6% during the second quarter. Osaic Holdings Inc. now owns 135,091 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $54,775,000 after purchasing an additional 7,182 shares during the period. New Mexico Educational Retirement Board grew its stake in Deere & Company by 6.9% during the third quarter. New Mexico Educational Retirement Board now owns 14,002 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $5,284,000 after purchasing an additional 900 shares during the period. Finally, Greenline Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Deere & Company during the second quarter worth approximately $265,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 66.27% of the companys stock. Shares of DE stock opened at $364.85 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $102.25 billion, a PE ratio of 10.62, a PEG ratio of 1.36 and a beta of 1.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.81, a quick ratio of 1.81 and a current ratio of 2.05. The stocks fifty day moving average is $385.24 and its 200-day moving average is $385.11. Deere & Company has a 52 week low of $345.55 and a 52 week high of $450.00. Deere & Company (NYSE:DE Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 15th. The industrial products company reported $6.23 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $5.19 by $1.04. The company had revenue of $10.49 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.30 billion. Deere & Company had a return on equity of 44.60% and a net margin of 16.38%. Deere & Companys revenue was down 8.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $6.55 earnings per share. Equities research analysts expect that Deere & Company will post 27.47 EPS for the current fiscal year. Deere & Company Announces Dividend The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 8th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 29th will be issued a $1.47 dividend. This represents a $5.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.61%. Deere & Companys payout ratio is presently 17.12%. Deere & Company Company Profile (Get Free Report Deere & Company engages in the manufacture and distribution of various equipment worldwide. The company operates through four segments: Production and Precision Agriculture, Small Agriculture and Turf, Construction and Forestry, and Financial Services. The Production and Precision Agriculture segment provides large and medium tractors, combines, cotton pickers and strippers, sugarcane harvesters and loaders, harvesting front-end equipment, pull-behind scrapers, and tillage and seeding equipment, as well as application equipment, including sprayers and nutrient management, and soil preparation machinery for grain growers. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Deere & Company Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Deere & Company and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Cape Cod Five Cents Savings Bank acquired a new position in shares of KB Financial Group Inc. (NYSE:KB Free Report) during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm acquired 5,748 shares of the banks stock, valued at approximately $236,000. A number of other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in KB. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its stake in shares of KB Financial Group by 2.0% in the first quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 18,979 shares of the banks stock valued at $927,000 after buying an additional 378 shares in the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of KB Financial Group by 1.7% in the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 1,419,748 shares of the banks stock valued at $69,327,000 after purchasing an additional 23,138 shares during the last quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH lifted its holdings in shares of KB Financial Group by 19.4% in the 1st quarter. Allianz Asset Management GmbH now owns 18,669 shares of the banks stock valued at $911,000 after purchasing an additional 3,032 shares during the last quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of KB Financial Group by 57.9% in the 1st quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 8,795 shares of the banks stock valued at $429,000 after purchasing an additional 3,225 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Royal London Asset Management Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of KB Financial Group by 17.5% in the 1st quarter. Royal London Asset Management Ltd. now owns 720,294 shares of the banks stock valued at $35,226,000 after purchasing an additional 107,023 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 6.30% of the companys stock. Get KB Financial Group alerts: Analysts Set New Price Targets Separately, StockNews.com raised KB Financial Group from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Monday, November 20th. KB Financial Group Price Performance Shares of NYSE:KB opened at $47.01 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $18.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 5.20, a P/E/G ratio of 0.35 and a beta of 0.99. The company has a quick ratio of 1.69, a current ratio of 1.69 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.36. KB Financial Group Inc. has a 52 week low of $35.20 and a 52 week high of $51.88. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $43.38 and a 200-day simple moving average of $41.51. KB Financial Group Profile (Free Report) KB Financial Group Inc provides a range of banking and related financial services to consumers and corporations in South Korea and internationally. The company operates through seven segments: Retail Banking, Corporate Banking, Other Banking, Credit Card, Securities, Life Insurance, and Non-Life Insurance. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for KB Financial Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for KB Financial Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Caxton Associates LP purchased a new stake in shares of Capital One Financial Co. (NYSE:COF Free Report) in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 9,877 shares of the financial services providers stock, valued at approximately $959,000. Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Capital Research Global Investors purchased a new position in shares of Capital One Financial in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $874,947,000. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of Capital One Financial in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $318,480,000. Berkshire Hathaway Inc raised its position in shares of Capital One Financial by 25.7% in the 2nd quarter. Berkshire Hathaway Inc now owns 12,471,030 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,363,957,000 after purchasing an additional 2,549,030 shares during the last quarter. First Trust Advisors LP raised its position in shares of Capital One Financial by 603.3% in the 1st quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 1,731,554 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $227,336,000 after purchasing an additional 1,485,339 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Swiss National Bank purchased a new position in shares of Capital One Financial in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $151,073,000. 90.09% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Capital One Financial alerts: Capital One Financial Trading Down 0.1 % Shares of NYSE:COF traded down $0.18 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $137.44. 404,090 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,893,627. The stock has a market cap of $52.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.52, a P/E/G ratio of 1.16 and a beta of 1.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 1.01 and a quick ratio of 1.01. The firms 50 day simple moving average is $132.88 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $114.10. Capital One Financial Co. has a fifty-two week low of $83.93 and a fifty-two week high of $140.86. Capital One Financial Dividend Announcement Capital One Financial ( NYSE:COF Get Free Report ) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, January 25th. The financial services provider reported $2.24 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.50 by ($0.26). The business had revenue of $9.51 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $9.45 billion. Capital One Financial had a return on equity of 9.24% and a net margin of 9.88%. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Capital One Financial Co. will post 13.89 EPS for the current fiscal year. The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 23rd. Shareholders of record on Monday, February 12th were paid a $0.60 dividend. This represents a $2.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.75%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 9th. Capital One Financials dividend payout ratio is currently 20.08%. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several brokerages recently weighed in on COF. Bank of America upgraded shares of Capital One Financial from a neutral rating to a buy rating and increased their price target for the stock from $112.00 to $129.00 in a report on Wednesday, December 6th. Piper Sandler increased their target price on Capital One Financial from $126.00 to $142.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Friday, February 23rd. The Goldman Sachs Group increased their target price on Capital One Financial from $125.00 to $140.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Monday, December 18th. Citigroup increased their target price on Capital One Financial from $152.00 to $165.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Friday, February 23rd. Finally, Morgan Stanley upgraded Capital One Financial from an underweight rating to an equal weight rating and increased their target price for the company from $87.00 to $120.00 in a research report on Wednesday, December 13th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, thirteen have assigned a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Capital One Financial currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $127.66. Read Our Latest Research Report on COF Insider Activity In other news, insider Frank G. LapradeIii sold 39,760 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $130.00, for a total value of $5,168,800.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 43,186 shares of the companys stock, valued at $5,614,180. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, insider Frank G. LapradeIii sold 39,760 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $130.00, for a total transaction of $5,168,800.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 43,186 shares of the companys stock, valued at $5,614,180. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Frank G. LapradeIii sold 31,215 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Tuesday, December 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $122.50, for a total value of $3,823,837.50. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 54,991 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,736,397.50. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 75,975 shares of company stock valued at $9,622,638. Company insiders own 1.27% of the companys stock. Capital One Financial Company Profile (Free Report) Capital One Financial Corporation operates as the financial services holding company for the Capital One, National Association, which engages in the provision of various financial products and services in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. It operates through three segments: Credit Card, Consumer Banking, and Commercial Banking. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for Capital One Financial Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Capital One Financial and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Caxton Associates LP lifted its stake in Illinois Tool Works Inc. (NYSE:ITW Free Report) by 5.5% in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 4,790 shares of the industrial products companys stock after acquiring an additional 248 shares during the quarter. Caxton Associates LPs holdings in Illinois Tool Works were worth $1,103,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. V Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Illinois Tool Works by 3.3% in the second quarter. V Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,347 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $337,000 after acquiring an additional 43 shares during the period. Ropes Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Illinois Tool Works by 0.5% in the second quarter. Ropes Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 9,794 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $2,450,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares during the period. City Holding Co. grew its stake in shares of Illinois Tool Works by 0.5% in the third quarter. City Holding Co. now owns 8,057 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $1,856,000 after acquiring an additional 44 shares during the period. Lokken Investment Group LLC grew its stake in shares of Illinois Tool Works by 5.0% in the second quarter. Lokken Investment Group LLC now owns 944 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $236,000 after acquiring an additional 45 shares during the period. Finally, Nicolet Advisory Services LLC grew its stake in shares of Illinois Tool Works by 4.5% in the third quarter. Nicolet Advisory Services LLC now owns 1,066 shares of the industrial products companys stock worth $247,000 after acquiring an additional 46 shares during the period. 79.56% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Get Illinois Tool Works alerts: Illinois Tool Works Price Performance Shares of ITW stock traded down $1.05 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $261.62. The company had a trading volume of 113,773 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,063,543. Illinois Tool Works Inc. has a 52-week low of $217.06 and a 52-week high of $267.12. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $257.93 and its 200-day moving average price is $244.81. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.10, a current ratio of 1.33 and a quick ratio of 0.97. The company has a market capitalization of $78.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.97, a P/E/G ratio of 4.49 and a beta of 1.15. Illinois Tool Works Announces Dividend Illinois Tool Works ( NYSE:ITW Get Free Report ) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 1st. The industrial products company reported $2.42 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.41 by $0.01. Illinois Tool Works had a net margin of 18.36% and a return on equity of 96.60%. The firm had revenue of $3.98 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.01 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $2.34 earnings per share. The companys quarterly revenue was up .3% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts forecast that Illinois Tool Works Inc. will post 10.12 earnings per share for the current year. The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 11th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 29th will be issued a $1.40 dividend. This represents a $5.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.14%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, March 27th. Illinois Tool Workss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 57.49%. Insider Transactions at Illinois Tool Works In related news, EVP Sharon Szafranski sold 801 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $256.42, for a total value of $205,392.42. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 5,870 shares in the company, valued at $1,505,185.40. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, Chairman Ernest Scott Santi sold 50,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $254.83, for a total value of $12,741,500.00. Following the sale, the chairman now owns 221,015 shares in the company, valued at $56,321,252.45. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, EVP Sharon Szafranski sold 801 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $256.42, for a total transaction of $205,392.42. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 5,870 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,505,185.40. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 152,304 shares of company stock valued at $38,860,831. 0.88% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Citigroup boosted their target price on shares of Illinois Tool Works from $244.00 to $256.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Monday, December 11th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on shares of Illinois Tool Works from $238.00 to $239.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 23rd. Barclays boosted their target price on shares of Illinois Tool Works from $215.00 to $224.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a research report on Monday, February 5th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered shares of Illinois Tool Works from an equal weight rating to an underweight rating and cut their target price for the company from $277.00 to $240.00 in a research report on Tuesday, February 6th. Finally, Bank of America downgraded shares of Illinois Tool Works from a neutral rating to an underperform rating and lowered their price target for the company from $260.00 to $235.00 in a report on Wednesday, January 10th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $239.33. Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on ITW Illinois Tool Works Company Profile (Free Report) Illinois Tool Works Inc manufactures and sells industrial products and equipment in the United states and internationally. It operates through seven segments: Automotive OEM; Food Equipment; Test & Measurement and Electronics; Welding; Polymers & Fluids; Construction Products; and Specialty Products. Featured Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ITW? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Illinois Tool Works Inc. (NYSE:ITW Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Illinois Tool Works Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Illinois Tool Works and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. This article takes a look at the 13 biggest 401(k) mistakes to avoid. If you wish to skip our detailed analysis on unraveling the controversy surrounding 401(k) plans, you may go to 5 Biggest 401(k) Mistakes to Avoid. Unraveling the Controversy Surrounding 401(k) Plans Who is Robert Kiyosaki? More importantly, why does Robert Kiyosaki not like 401k? Robert Toru Kiyosaki, a Japanese-American businessman and author, is famous for the Rich Dad Poor Dad series of personal finance books. According to him, 401(k)s are a horrible retirement plan. Yet, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 56% of all civilian workers, including both full-time and part-time employees, participated in a workplace retirement plan in 2023. A retirement savings plan is an employer-sponsored plan where plan participants have individual accounts, including 401(k), 403(b), 457, and SIMPLE savings plans. Given these statistics, if retirement plans such as a 401(k) are bad, why are people participating? According to the financial expert, there are many mistakes that folks tend to make with a 401(k) account. For instance, there are high management fees associated with 401(k) plans, which usually tend to eat away at the retirement savings of an individual. Moreover, individuals also tend to have lesser control over the money invested in a 401(k), there is a limit to what can be invested, and you can't even gain immediate access without paying a fee. Moreover, there isn't any insurance on these plans, either. Rich Dad staff also notes that 401(k) plans are taxed at higher earned income rates, and provide a false security of employer match. Without a 401(k), your employer should still provide a match equivalent. However, they are only obliged to pay the match if you opt-in. Additionally, vesting schedules may allow the employer to avoid paying the match if the employee leaves before becoming vested. Providing all these arguments, the Rich Dad Poor Dad staff stands their ground that 401(k) plans are simply horrible. Contrarily, T.Rowe Price seems to think that 401(k) plans still make sense. According to T.Rowe Price, 401(k) plans are an important way to save and prepare for retirement. There are many advantages of 401(k) plans. For starters, employers have increasingly been adopting auto-enrollment of such plans which in turn allow for automatic savings for individuals. A T. Rowe Price in 2022 showed that 86% of employees participated in their plan if it was set up for auto-enrollment. Moreover, these plans also help individuals plan for retirement and aid in meeting retirement goals through tax-deferred growth with traditional or Roth savings. Story continues While the arguments towards and against a 401(k) plan are many, Charles Schwab agrees that 401(k) plans can be quite complex. Even though they are the most common retirement plans out there, they are not that easy to understand. Consequently, its easy to make mistakes when operating one, which only demonstrates a lack of preparedness. Not being prepared or aware of the intricacies revolving around retirement planning is one of the most critical mistakes in retirement planning. As such, navigating the world of 401(k) plans can be a daunting task for many individuals seeking financial security and freedom. While these retirement savings accounts are an excellent opportunity for wealth accumulation, they have their fair share of pitfalls. Making mistakes in managing your 401(k) can have significant consequences on your retirement nest egg. In this exploration, we'll delve into some of the biggest 401(k) mistakes that individuals commonly make, and why they should be avoided. 13 Biggest 401(k) Mistakes to Avoid A financial advisor discussing retirement plans with an elderly couple in their home. Methodology To compile the list of 13 biggest 401(k) mistakes to avoid, we have used several sources such as Bank Rate, CNBC, Kiplinger, Investopedia, Forbes, and U.S. News, to name a few. Next, we adopted a consensus methodology to select the mistakes, with one point being awarded to a mistake each time it was recommended by a source. Scores were summed up and places were ranked in ascending order from the lowest to the highest scores. 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. Here are the 13 biggest 401(k) mistakes to avoid: 13. Inadequate Default Savings Rate One of the biggest 401(k) mistakes that you can make is settling for a low default savings rate. 401(k) contribution rates, also known as deferral rates, act as an important lever of your retirement savings. Having higher deferral rates increases your chances of having a larger nest egg in retirement. According to Vanguard, the average deferral rate was 7.4% in 2022. Even though increasing your default saving rate increases your chances of improving your retirement nest egg, having a deferral rate that is too high can also prove to be dangerous. According to a study by the National Bureau of Economic Research, higher defaults aren't always better, and overly aggressive rates can cause financial strain on employees, and lead to potential opt-outs, amongst other problems. 12. Forfeiting Valuable 401(k) Matching Contributions If you miss out on the 401(k) match, it potentially means that youre leaving free money on the table. This is one of the biggest 401(k) mistakes that one can make. The SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022 primarily enhances automatic enrollment options for 401(k) plan sponsors. If an individual is automatically enrolled in a plan, it's advisable to maximize the benefits available to them. They must ensure that they determine the highest employer match that they are entitled to and understand the required contribution amount to qualify for these benefits in their 401(k). For instance, an employer might provide a 50 percent match on your contributions up to 6 percent, indicating that you can receive up to 3 percent of your salary as an employer match. The matching contribution is contingent on a vesting period that could extend over a few years. If you fail to contribute enough to contribute to the company's match, you're leaving your chance to compound your money faster. 11. Under-utilizing Tax Break Opportunities Anything you can do to tax-defer helps stretch your dollar. -Shannon Edwards, UFHR Benefits Director. One of the main advantages of a 401(k) plan is that individuals don't have to pay taxes on the amount contributed. These contributions are subtracted from your paycheck and are not part of taxable income. Consequently, the amount of tax that gets taken out of your paycheck is reduced. The more that an individual contributes to their 401(k) plan, the less taxes they have to pay. According to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the amount that individuals can contribute to their 401(k) plans in 2024 has increased to $23,000, up from $22,500 for 2023. The limit on additional catch-up contributions for employees 50 or older is $7,500, the same as in 2023. 10. Overpaying in 401(k) Fees Another 401(k) mistake that can significantly impact the overall returns of your 401(k) investments is failing to look at, and consequently overpaying in 401(k) fees. While it is true that many plans negotiate lower costs on behalf of the employees. However, there are plenty of others that charge hefty fees instead. Since different 401(k) plan investments come with different fees, it is best to compare the fees of different plan investments before choosing one. 9. Early Withdrawal Penalties According to the IRS, any amount that an individual withdraws from an IRA or a retirement plan before reaching the age of 59 is called early or premature distributions. For such early or premature distributions, there is a 10% early withdrawal tax. There are certain exceptions to this 10% withdrawal penalty, which can be checked out in detail on the IRS website. Even if there is no penalty on your withdrawal, you will still reduce your retirement savings and even miss out on any investment gains that the money would have earned you. 8. Initiating Risky 401(k) Loans When you take out a 401(k) loan, you are taking a loan from your retirement account. According to Charles Schwab, if youre disciplined, responsible, and can manage to pay back a loan, go ahead. However, there are potential drawbacks related to initiating these loans. First, youre removing money from your retirement account that would otherwise grow tax-free. According to Investopedia, since money taken from a 401(k) loan is typically tax-exempt, it is better than taking a hardship withdrawal. However, the best course of action is to not initiate a 401(k) loan at all. 7. Neglecting Old 401(k) Plans Another critical mistake that potential retirees are making is at the time they are switching jobs. This mistake involves ignoring or forgetting about your previous 401(k) plans. Failing to roll over your old 401(k) is a big mistake, resulting in lost opportunities for portfolio management and growth. Therefore, the best course of action is to roll it into your new employers 401(k) plan. In the case you leave your old plan with a previous employer, you may have to risk a forced cash-out, for example, which leads to tax implications and penalties. According to Charles Schwab, individuals should compare the pros and cons of all available options, including fees and expenses, investment and distribution options, legal and creditor protections, loan provisions (if any), and tax treatment. 6. Rolling 401(k) Plan into an Existing IRA Next up on our list of biggest 401(k) mistakes is rolling your 401(k) plan into an existing IRA. In the case that an individual switches jobs, they have the option to move their old 401(k) plan to a new qualified retirement plan. This helps them avoid early distributions and even helps them to allow their money to grow tax-sheltered. Many individuals arent aware that commercial creditors typically can't touch your 401(k), while they can do so with an IRA. According to the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act, the assets in your 401(k) plan are safeguarded from creditors. However, it's important to note that under federal bankruptcy law, only the initial $1,512,350 of assets in an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) is exempt from creditors' claims. This means that amounts beyond this threshold may be subject to creditor claims in the event of bankruptcy. This exemption limit doesn't affect funds in an IRA rolled over from a 401(k), provided they are kept separate from any initial IRA contributions. To safeguard unlimited creditor protection, it's advisable to perform a 401(k) rollover into a distinct IRA if you have an old 401(k) plan. Click to continue reading and see the 5 Biggest 401(k) Mistakes to Avoid. Suggested Articles: Disclosure: none. 13 Biggest 401(k) Mistakes to Avoid is originally published on Insider Monkey. Caxton Associates LP purchased a new stake in Beazer Homes USA, Inc. (NYSE:BZH Free Report) in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 45,371 shares of the construction companys stock, valued at approximately $1,130,000. Caxton Associates LP owned approximately 0.14% of Beazer Homes USA as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd grew its holdings in Beazer Homes USA by 723.7% during the third quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd now owns 126,259 shares of the construction companys stock worth $3,145,000 after acquiring an additional 110,931 shares during the period. Trexquant Investment LP grew its holdings in Beazer Homes USA by 96.1% during the third quarter. Trexquant Investment LP now owns 44,066 shares of the construction companys stock worth $1,098,000 after acquiring an additional 21,599 shares during the period. Algert Global LLC acquired a new position in Beazer Homes USA during the third quarter worth $1,629,000. Northern Trust Corp grew its holdings in Beazer Homes USA by 0.6% in the third quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 468,861 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $11,679,000 after purchasing an additional 2,759 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Dark Forest Capital Management LP grew its holdings in Beazer Homes USA by 19.8% in the third quarter. Dark Forest Capital Management LP now owns 8,729 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $217,000 after purchasing an additional 1,442 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.07% of the companys stock. Get Beazer Homes USA alerts: Analyst Ratings Changes BZH has been the topic of several research reports. StockNews.com lowered Beazer Homes USA from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report on Monday, February 5th. Wedbush upped their target price on Beazer Homes USA from $32.00 to $33.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a report on Friday, February 2nd. Beazer Homes USA Price Performance Beazer Homes USA stock traded up $0.72 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $30.99. 33,593 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 339,471. The company has a market capitalization of $977.73 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 5.99 and a beta of 2.26. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $31.32 and its 200-day simple moving average is $28.56. Beazer Homes USA, Inc. has a 1 year low of $13.56 and a 1 year high of $35.93. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87, a quick ratio of 1.32 and a current ratio of 13.95. Beazer Homes USA (NYSE:BZH Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 1st. The construction company reported $0.70 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.71 by ($0.01). Beazer Homes USA had a return on equity of 14.09% and a net margin of 7.26%. The business had revenue of $386.80 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $420.71 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.80 earnings per share. The firms quarterly revenue was down 13.1% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts anticipate that Beazer Homes USA, Inc. will post 4.66 EPS for the current year. Beazer Homes USA Company Profile (Free Report) Beazer Homes USA, Inc operates as a homebuilder in the United States. It designs, constructs, and sells single-family and multi-family homes under the Beazer Homes, Gatherings, and Choice Plans names. The company also sells its homes through commissioned new home sales counselors and independent brokers in Arizona, California, Nevada, Texas, Indiana, Delaware, Maryland, Tennessee, Virginia, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Beazer Homes USA Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Beazer Homes USA and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. BOX (NYSE:BOX Get Free Report) and Nfon (OTCMKTS:NFONF Get Free Report) are both computer and technology companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their institutional ownership, valuation, earnings, risk, dividends, profitability and analyst recommendations. Institutional and Insider Ownership 87.9% of BOX shares are held by institutional investors. 4.9% of BOX shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, hedge funds and endowments believe a company is poised for long-term growth. Get BOX alerts: Analyst Recommendations This is a summary of current ratings for BOX and Nfon, as reported by MarketBeat.com. Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score BOX 1 1 9 0 2.73 Nfon 0 0 0 0 N/A Profitability BOX currently has a consensus target price of $31.80, suggesting a potential upside of 25.47%. Given BOXs higher possible upside, equities analysts clearly believe BOX is more favorable than Nfon. This table compares BOX and Nfons net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets BOX 4.88% -5.68% 2.72% Nfon N/A N/A N/A Valuation and Earnings This table compares BOX and Nfons revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio BOX $990.87 million 3.67 $26.78 million $0.20 126.73 Nfon N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A BOX has higher revenue and earnings than Nfon. Summary BOX beats Nfon on 7 of the 8 factors compared between the two stocks. About BOX (Get Free Report) Box, Inc. provides a cloud content management platform that enables organizations of various sizes to manage and share their content from anywhere on any device. The company's Software-as-a-Service platform enables users to collaborate on content internally and with external parties, automate content-driven business processes, develop custom applications, and implement data protection, security, and compliance features to comply with legal and regulatory requirements, internal policies, and industry standards and regulations. It also offers web, mobile, and desktop applications for cloud content management on a platform for developing custom applications, as well as industry-specific capabilities. As of January 31, 2023, the company had approximately 100,000 paying organizations, and its solution was offered in 25 languages. It serves financial services, health care, government, and legal services industries in the United States and internationally. The company was formerly known as Box.net, Inc. and changed its name to Box, Inc. in November 2011. Box, Inc. was incorporated in 2005 and is headquartered in San Francisco Bay Area, California. About Nfon (Get Free Report) NFON AG provides cloud-based telecommunication services to business customers in Germany, Austria, Italy, the United Kingdom, Spain, France, and Portugal. It offers Cloudya and centrexx products for customers with the required brokerage service from the cloud in its data centers through the cloud private branch exchange; and telephone conference services. The company also provides various solutions, such as Nconnect voice for IP communications; Nconnect data, which allows Internet access; Ncontactcenter, a cloud contact centre solution, that facilitates customer support for various channels, agents, and locations; Nhospitality, which integrates cloud telephony into property management systems for hotel industry; Neorecording that allows companies to record conversations and retain them in a tamper-proof and encrypted environment; Nmonitoring Queues to monitor and track internal work performance; and Noperatorpanel, which provides a professional voice reception panel for customers to receive incoming calls and forward certain calls to their intended recipients. In addition, its product portfolio includes unified communications and collaboration, such as Meet and Share; integration for Microsoft Teams; and business applications comprising CRM Connect, as well as sells devices, such as telephones, soft clients for PCs and smartphones, and related software. The company has an agreement with Meetecho. NFON AG was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in Munich, Germany. Receive News & Ratings for BOX Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for BOX and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. CVS Health Co. (NYSE:CVS Free Report) Analysts at Leerink Partnrs issued their Q1 2024 EPS estimates for shares of CVS Health in a research report issued on Monday, February 26th. Leerink Partnrs analyst M. Cherny forecasts that the pharmacy operator will earn $1.76 per share for the quarter. Leerink Partnrs has a Outperform rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for CVS Healths current full-year earnings is $8.33 per share. Leerink Partnrs also issued estimates for CVS Healths Q2 2024 earnings at $2.09 EPS, Q3 2024 earnings at $2.20 EPS, Q4 2024 earnings at $2.31 EPS, FY2024 earnings at $8.37 EPS, FY2025 earnings at $9.21 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $9.87 EPS and FY2027 earnings at $10.50 EPS. Get CVS Health alerts: A number of other brokerages have also issued reports on CVS. TD Cowen cut their price objective on shares of CVS Health from $102.00 to $99.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a report on Monday, December 11th. HSBC began coverage on CVS Health in a research note on Friday, December 22nd. They issued a buy rating and a $94.00 price objective on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada lowered their price target on shares of CVS Health from $86.00 to $84.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 8th. TheStreet raised shares of CVS Health from a c rating to a b- rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 1st. Finally, Morgan Stanley cut their price target on shares of CVS Health from $110.00 to $100.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, November 2nd. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and fourteen have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, CVS Health presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $90.00. CVS Health Stock Down 1.4 % CVS stock opened at $75.22 on Tuesday. The businesss 50-day moving average is $76.71 and its two-hundred day moving average is $72.21. The company has a market cap of $94.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.64, a P/E/G ratio of 1.75 and a beta of 0.50. CVS Health has a fifty-two week low of $64.41 and a fifty-two week high of $83.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.63 and a current ratio of 0.86. CVS Health (NYSE:CVS Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 7th. The pharmacy operator reported $2.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.01 by $0.11. CVS Health had a net margin of 2.33% and a return on equity of 15.25%. The business had revenue of $93.81 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $90.58 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.99 EPS. The companys quarterly revenue was up 11.9% compared to the same quarter last year. CVS Health Increases Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, February 1st. Shareholders of record on Monday, January 22nd were issued a $0.665 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, January 19th. This represents a $2.66 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.54%. This is a positive change from CVS Healths previous quarterly dividend of $0.61. CVS Healths payout ratio is currently 41.18%. Insider Transactions at CVS Health In other news, EVP Prem S. Shah sold 29,473 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $76.95, for a total value of $2,267,947.35. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 39,765 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,059,916.75. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.25% of the companys stock. Institutional Inflows and Outflows Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Cantor Fitzgerald Investment Advisor L.P lifted its holdings in CVS Health by 92.9% in the first quarter. Cantor Fitzgerald Investment Advisor L.P now owns 377,875 shares of the pharmacy operators stock valued at $38,245,000 after buying an additional 181,966 shares during the period. United Bank grew its stake in shares of CVS Health by 7.2% during the first quarter. United Bank now owns 18,658 shares of the pharmacy operators stock worth $1,888,000 after purchasing an additional 1,260 shares during the period. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P lifted its stake in CVS Health by 4,063.8% in the first quarter. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P now owns 12,075 shares of the pharmacy operators stock valued at $1,222,000 after buying an additional 11,785 shares during the period. Zions Bancorporation N.A. increased its stake in shares of CVS Health by 116.9% in the 1st quarter. Zions Bancorporation N.A. now owns 2,572 shares of the pharmacy operators stock valued at $260,000 after acquiring an additional 1,386 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ergoteles LLC bought a new position in CVS Health during the 1st quarter worth approximately $1,551,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 75.99% of the companys stock. About CVS Health (Get Free Report) CVS Health Corporation provides health solutions in the United States. It operates through Health Care Benefits, Health Services, and Pharmacy & Consumer Wellness segments. The Health Care Benefits segment offers traditional, voluntary, and consumer-directed health insurance products and related services. Recommended Stories Receive News & Ratings for CVS Health Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for CVS Health and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Fred Alger Management LLC reduced its holdings in HubSpot, Inc. (NYSE:HUBS Free Report) by 9.4% in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 46,532 shares of the software makers stock after selling 4,800 shares during the period. Fred Alger Management LLC owned approximately 0.09% of HubSpot worth $22,917,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Smithfield Trust Co grew its stake in shares of HubSpot by 60.5% in the 2nd quarter. Smithfield Trust Co now owns 61 shares of the software makers stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 23 shares in the last quarter. Quarry LP grew its stake in shares of HubSpot by 333.3% in the 1st quarter. Quarry LP now owns 91 shares of the software makers stock worth $39,000 after buying an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. Alta Advisers Ltd purchased a new position in shares of HubSpot during the 3rd quarter worth about $49,000. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. boosted its stake in shares of HubSpot by 642.9% during the 2nd quarter. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. now owns 104 shares of the software makers stock worth $55,000 after purchasing an additional 90 shares during the period. Finally, C M Bidwell & Associates Ltd. purchased a new position in shares of HubSpot during the 2nd quarter worth about $55,000. 87.06% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get HubSpot alerts: Insiders Place Their Bets In other news, insider Brian Halligan sold 8,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $555.84, for a total value of $4,724,640.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 536,811 shares in the company, valued at $298,381,026.24. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In related news, insider Dawson Alyssa Harvey sold 1,086 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $618.25, for a total transaction of $671,419.50. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 7,783 shares in the company, valued at $4,811,839.75. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Brian Halligan sold 8,500 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, January 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $555.84, for a total transaction of $4,724,640.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 536,811 shares of the companys stock, valued at $298,381,026.24. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 19,055 shares of company stock worth $10,769,930. Company insiders own 4.90% of the companys stock. Wall Street Analyst Weigh In A number of research firms recently commented on HUBS. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on shares of HubSpot from $540.00 to $710.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Monday, February 12th. Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on shares of HubSpot from $568.00 to $539.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, November 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of HubSpot from $530.00 to $630.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, February 15th. Wolfe Research lifted their price target on shares of HubSpot from $660.00 to $715.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday, February 15th. Finally, Capital One Financial began coverage on shares of HubSpot in a research report on Tuesday, November 14th. They issued an overweight rating and a $525.00 price objective for the company. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twenty-two have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $631.54. Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on HubSpot HubSpot Stock Performance NYSE HUBS traded up $3.43 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $616.12. 78,209 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 433,539. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a quick ratio of 1.96 and a current ratio of 1.96. The businesss 50 day moving average is $589.88 and its 200-day moving average is $522.81. The company has a market capitalization of $31.22 billion, a P/E ratio of -172.59 and a beta of 1.61. HubSpot, Inc. has a 1 year low of $356.07 and a 1 year high of $660.00. About HubSpot (Free Report) HubSpot, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides a cloud-based customer relationship management (CRM) platform for businesses in the Americas, Europe, and the Asia Pacific. The company's CRM platform includes Marketing Hub, a toolset for marketing automation and email, social media, SEO, and reporting and analytics; Sales Hub offers email templates and tracking, conversations and live chat, meeting and call scheduling, lead and website visit alerts, lead scoring, sales automation, pipeline management, quoting, forecasting, and reporting; Service Hub, a service software designed to help businesses manage, respond, and connect with customers; and Content Management Systems Hub enables businesses to create new and edit existing web content. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for HubSpot Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for HubSpot and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Gotham Asset Management LLC raised its stake in shares of Vornado Realty Trust (NYSE:VNO Free Report) by 16.8% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 321,993 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock after acquiring an additional 46,316 shares during the period. Gotham Asset Management LLCs holdings in Vornado Realty Trust were worth $7,303,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust raised its stake in shares of Vornado Realty Trust by 170.0% during the 1st quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 1,277 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $58,000 after buying an additional 804 shares in the last quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC grew its holdings in shares of Vornado Realty Trust by 49.8% in the 3rd quarter. Global Retirement Partners LLC now owns 1,672 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 556 shares during the period. Selway Asset Management acquired a new stake in shares of Vornado Realty Trust in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $45,000. Whittier Trust Co. grew its holdings in shares of Vornado Realty Trust by 1,227.7% in the 3rd quarter. Whittier Trust Co. now owns 2,058 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $47,000 after acquiring an additional 1,903 shares during the period. Finally, Qube Research & Technologies Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Vornado Realty Trust in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $64,000. 75.86% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Vornado Realty Trust alerts: Vornado Realty Trust Stock Up 4.3 % Shares of VNO traded up $1.08 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $26.09. 492,757 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,379,760. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $27.15 and a 200-day moving average price of $24.59. The company has a market cap of $4.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 114.22 and a beta of 1.58. Vornado Realty Trust has a 1-year low of $12.31 and a 1-year high of $32.21. The company has a current ratio of 4.95, a quick ratio of 4.95 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.82. Vornado Realty Trust Cuts Dividend Vornado Realty Trust ( NYSE:VNO Get Free Report ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 12th. The real estate investment trust reported $0.04 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.59 by ($0.55). The company had revenue of $441.89 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $453.82 million. Vornado Realty Trust had a return on equity of 3.22% and a net margin of 5.82%. The companys revenue for the quarter was down 1.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.72 EPS. Research analysts expect that Vornado Realty Trust will post 2.34 earnings per share for the current year. The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 27th. Investors of record on Friday, December 15th were paid a $0.30 dividend. This represents a $1.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.60%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, December 14th. Vornado Realty Trusts dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 521.74%. Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades VNO has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. TheStreet upgraded Vornado Realty Trust from a d+ rating to a c- rating in a report on Thursday, December 28th. BMO Capital Markets upgraded Vornado Realty Trust from an underperform rating to a market perform rating and increased their target price for the company from $25.00 to $31.00 in a report on Friday, December 15th. The Goldman Sachs Group decreased their price objective on Vornado Realty Trust from $24.00 to $21.00 and set a sell rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, February 22nd. Citigroup lifted their price objective on Vornado Realty Trust from $12.00 to $18.00 and gave the company a sell rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 28th. Finally, Piper Sandler lifted their price objective on Vornado Realty Trust from $16.00 to $25.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 20th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and five have given a hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Vornado Realty Trust has an average rating of Reduce and an average target price of $23.67. Get Our Latest Research Report on VNO Insider Buying and Selling In related news, Director Michael D. Fascitelli sold 262,945 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $29.54, for a total value of $7,767,395.30. Following the transaction, the director now owns 1,306,546 shares in the company, valued at $38,595,368.84. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In related news, Director Russell B. Wight, Jr. sold 20,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $28.04, for a total value of $560,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 2,380,174 shares of the companys stock, valued at $66,740,078.96. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Michael D. Fascitelli sold 262,945 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $29.54, for a total value of $7,767,395.30. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 1,306,546 shares of the companys stock, valued at $38,595,368.84. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 8.03% of the companys stock. About Vornado Realty Trust (Free Report) Vornado is a fully integrated real estate investment trust (REIT) with a portfolio of premier New York City office and retail assets and the developer of the new PENN DISTRICT. While concentrated in New York, Vornado also owns the premier assets in both Chicago and San Francisco. Vornado is a real estate industry leader in sustainability, with over 27 million square feet of LEED-certified buildings and over 23 million square feet at LEED Gold or Platinum. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding VNO? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Vornado Realty Trust (NYSE:VNO Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Vornado Realty Trust Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Vornado Realty Trust and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Great Southern Mining Limited (ASX:GSN Get Free Report) insider John Terpu purchased 1,971,131 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 19th. The shares were acquired at an average price of A$0.02 ($0.01) per share, for a total transaction of A$37,451.49 ($24,478.10). John Terpu also recently made the following trade(s): Get Great Southern Mining alerts: On Thursday, February 22nd, John Terpu bought 1,295,829 shares of Great Southern Mining stock. The stock was purchased at an average price of A$0.02 ($0.01) per share, for a total transaction of A$24,620.75 ($16,091.99). Great Southern Mining Price Performance The company has a current ratio of 3.07, a quick ratio of 0.65 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.48. About Great Southern Mining Great Southern Mining Limited primarily engages in the exploration and evaluation of gold deposits in Australia. The company also explores for silver, nickel, copper, and other minerals. The company holds a 100% interest in the Mon Ami gold project, the Cox's Find project, and the Duketon gold project, Southern Star project, and East Laverton project located in Western Australia. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Great Southern Mining Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Great Southern Mining and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Equinox Gold (CVE:EQX Free Report) had its target price lowered by Haywood Securities from C$11.50 to C$10.50 in a report issued on Monday morning, BayStreet.CA reports. A number of other research firms also recently commented on EQX. Desjardins raised shares of Equinox Gold from a hold rating to a buy rating and raised their price objective for the stock from C$7.25 to C$7.75 in a report on Tuesday, January 30th. CIBC raised their price objective on shares of Equinox Gold from C$7.20 to C$7.60 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Wednesday, February 7th. Scotiabank reduced their price objective on shares of Equinox Gold from C$7.75 to C$7.00 in a report on Friday, February 23rd. BMO Capital Markets reduced their price objective on shares of Equinox Gold from C$8.00 to C$7.50 in a report on Friday, February 23rd. Finally, TD Securities dropped their target price on shares of Equinox Gold from C$8.50 to C$8.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 23rd. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Equinox Gold presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of C$8.01. Get Equinox Gold alerts: Get Our Latest Stock Report on Equinox Gold Equinox Gold Price Performance Insider Activity Shares of Equinox Gold stock opened at C$7.88 on Monday. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of C$7.88 and a two-hundred day moving average price of C$7.88. The company has a market cap of C$892.46 million and a PE ratio of -43.54. Equinox Gold has a fifty-two week low of C$4.25 and a fifty-two week high of C$8.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 64.28, a current ratio of 1.94 and a quick ratio of 1.11. In related news, Senior Officer Susan Caroline Toews sold 13,240 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of C$6.74, for a total transaction of C$89,237.60. In other Equinox Gold news, Senior Officer Susan Caroline Toews sold 13,240 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of C$6.74, for a total value of C$89,237.60. Also, Director Maryse Belanger sold 4,511 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of C$6.26, for a total transaction of C$28,238.86. Insiders have sold 41,232 shares of company stock worth $258,986 over the last ninety days. Equinox Gold Company Profile (Get Free Report) Equinox Gold Corp. engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral deposits. The company's principal properties include the Aurizona project covering a total land package of approximately 223,160 hectares located in Maranhao State, Brazil; and the Castle Mountain property situated in California, the United States. Further Reading Receive News & Ratings for Equinox Gold Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Equinox Gold and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Ironwood Investment Counsel LLC reduced its stake in Molson Coors Beverage (NYSE:TAP Free Report) by 2.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 10,598 shares of the companys stock after selling 228 shares during the period. Ironwood Investment Counsel LLCs holdings in Molson Coors Beverage were worth $674,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in TAP. Belpointe Asset Management LLC grew its stake in Molson Coors Beverage by 12.7% in the first quarter. Belpointe Asset Management LLC now owns 1,521 shares of the companys stock worth $79,000 after purchasing an additional 171 shares in the last quarter. Quent Capital LLC grew its stake in Molson Coors Beverage by 13.4% in the third quarter. Quent Capital LLC now owns 1,487 shares of the companys stock worth $95,000 after purchasing an additional 176 shares in the last quarter. Texas Permanent School Fund Corp lifted its holdings in Molson Coors Beverage by 0.5% in the second quarter. Texas Permanent School Fund Corp now owns 39,371 shares of the companys stock worth $2,592,000 after acquiring an additional 178 shares during the last quarter. Syntax Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Molson Coors Beverage by 5.0% in the third quarter. Syntax Advisors LLC now owns 3,866 shares of the companys stock worth $246,000 after acquiring an additional 185 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd lifted its holdings in Molson Coors Beverage by 1.3% in the third quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management Company Ltd now owns 15,259 shares of the companys stock worth $970,000 after acquiring an additional 196 shares during the last quarter. 73.95% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Molson Coors Beverage alerts: Molson Coors Beverage Price Performance Molson Coors Beverage stock traded down $0.13 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $62.32. The companys stock had a trading volume of 141,938 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,611,199. The company has a quick ratio of 0.50, a current ratio of 0.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40. The stock has a market capitalization of $13.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.42, a P/E/G ratio of 2.19 and a beta of 0.82. Molson Coors Beverage has a twelve month low of $49.32 and a twelve month high of $70.90. The stocks fifty day moving average price is $62.07 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $61.52. Molson Coors Beverage Increases Dividend Molson Coors Beverage ( NYSE:TAP Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 13th. The company reported $1.19 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.12 by $0.07. Molson Coors Beverage had a net margin of 6.83% and a return on equity of 8.89%. The firm had revenue of $2.79 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $2.78 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.30 EPS. The companys quarterly revenue was up 6.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts forecast that Molson Coors Beverage will post 5.66 earnings per share for the current year. The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 1st will be given a dividend of $0.44 per share. This represents a $1.76 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.82%. This is a boost from Molson Coors Beverages previous quarterly dividend of $0.41. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 29th. Molson Coors Beverages payout ratio is presently 37.61%. Insiders Place Their Bets In other Molson Coors Beverage news, CFO Tracey Joubert sold 2,771 shares of Molson Coors Beverage stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.37, for a total transaction of $167,285.27. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 60,538 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,654,679.06. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 2.30% of the companys stock. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of equities analysts have issued reports on TAP shares. Barclays raised their target price on shares of Molson Coors Beverage from $64.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Thursday, February 15th. HSBC began coverage on Molson Coors Beverage in a report on Thursday, November 30th. They set a hold rating and a $68.00 price target on the stock. Wedbush reaffirmed a neutral rating and set a $70.00 price target on shares of Molson Coors Beverage in a report on Monday, November 6th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised Molson Coors Beverage from a sell rating to a hold rating and lifted their price target for the company from $57.00 to $58.00 in a report on Friday, November 3rd. Finally, StockNews.com cut Molson Coors Beverage from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Wednesday, February 14th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have given a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $67.57. Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on Molson Coors Beverage Molson Coors Beverage Profile (Free Report) Molson Coors Beverage Company manufactures, markets, and sells beer and other malt beverage products under various brands in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. The company offers flavored malt beverages including hard seltzers, craft, and ready to drink beverages. It provides its products under Aspall Cider, Blue Moon, Coors Original, Hop Valley brands, Leinenkugel's, Miller Genuine Draft, Molson Ultra, Sharp's, Staropramen, and Vizzy Hard Seltzer above premier brands; Bergenbier, Borsodi, Carling, Coors Banquet, Coors Light, Jelen, Kamenitza, Miller Lite, Molson Canadian Lager, Molson Dry, Molson Export, and Niksicko, Ozujsko under the premium brands; and Branik, Icehouse, Keystone, Miller High Life, Milwaukee's Best, and Steel Reserve under the economy brands. Recommended Stories Want to see what other hedge funds are holding TAP? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Molson Coors Beverage (NYSE:TAP Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Molson Coors Beverage Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Molson Coors Beverage and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Ironwood Investment Counsel LLC bought a new stake in Edwards Lifesciences Co. (NYSE:EW Free Report) during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm bought 10,674 shares of the medical research companys stock, valued at approximately $739,000. Other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Truvestments Capital LLC grew its position in Edwards Lifesciences by 260.0% during the second quarter. Truvestments Capital LLC now owns 270 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 195 shares in the last quarter. Castleview Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Edwards Lifesciences in the 1st quarter worth approximately $25,000. Compass Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Edwards Lifesciences during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Jackson Grant Investment Advisers Inc. bought a new position in Edwards Lifesciences during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Finally, Janiczek Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in Edwards Lifesciences by 108.6% during the 3rd quarter. Janiczek Wealth Management LLC now owns 582 shares of the medical research companys stock valued at $40,000 after purchasing an additional 303 shares during the last quarter. 79.25% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors. Get Edwards Lifesciences alerts: Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several analysts have commented on EW shares. Truist Financial increased their target price on Edwards Lifesciences from $78.00 to $84.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Friday, December 22nd. StockNews.com upgraded Edwards Lifesciences from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 13th. Evercore ISI downgraded Edwards Lifesciences from an outperform rating to an in-line rating and dropped their price target for the stock from $80.00 to $77.00 in a research note on Thursday, January 4th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price target on Edwards Lifesciences from $70.00 to $83.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 7th. Finally, Wolfe Research downgraded Edwards Lifesciences from a peer perform rating to an underperform rating and set a $57.00 price target on the stock. in a research note on Tuesday, November 28th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $87.38. Edwards Lifesciences Price Performance NYSE:EW traded down $0.73 on Thursday, reaching $85.27. 321,515 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 3,970,401. Edwards Lifesciences Co. has a 12 month low of $60.57 and a 12 month high of $94.87. The company has a quick ratio of 2.40, a current ratio of 3.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $79.38 and a 200-day simple moving average of $73.95. The firm has a market cap of $51.27 billion, a PE ratio of 37.39, a P/E/G ratio of 4.34 and a beta of 1.04. Edwards Lifesciences (NYSE:EW Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 6th. The medical research company reported $0.64 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting the consensus estimate of $0.64. Edwards Lifesciences had a return on equity of 23.56% and a net margin of 23.35%. The firm had revenue of $1.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.50 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.64 earnings per share. The businesss revenue was up 13.3% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities research analysts forecast that Edwards Lifesciences Co. will post 2.76 earnings per share for the current year. Insider Buying and Selling In related news, Director Kieran Gallahue sold 3,058 shares of Edwards Lifesciences stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $87.61, for a total value of $267,911.38. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 67,219 shares in the company, valued at $5,889,056.59. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In related news, VP Daveen Chopra sold 3,500 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, December 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $70.00, for a total value of $245,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 23,950 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,676,500. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Kieran Gallahue sold 3,058 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $87.61, for a total value of $267,911.38. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 67,219 shares in the company, valued at $5,889,056.59. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 186,147 shares of company stock worth $14,664,599. Corporate insiders own 1.29% of the companys stock. Edwards Lifesciences Company Profile (Free Report) Edwards Lifesciences Corporation provides products and technologies for structural heart disease and critical care monitoring in the United States, Europe, Japan, and internationally. It offers transcatheter heart valve replacement products for the minimally invasive replacement of aortic heart valves under the Edwards SAPIEN family of valves system; and transcatheter heart valve repair and replacement products to treat mitral and tricuspid valve diseases under the PASCAL PRECISION and Cardioband names. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Edwards Lifesciences Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Edwards Lifesciences and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. In this article, we will look at the 13 highest paying countries for marine biologists. We have also discussed the global marine biotechnology market and its growth. If you want to skip our detailed analysis, head straight to the 5 Highest Paying Countries for Marine Biologists. The global marine biotechnology market witnessed sizeable growth, reaching $5.9 billion in 2022 and is projected to nearly double, reaching around $11.7 billion by 2032, with an expected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.09% during the forecast period from 2023 to 2032. This growth is primarily driven by the increasing utilization of marine products across different industries such as food, cosmetics, and agriculture, alongside advancements in fisheries, aquaculture, and pharmaceutical developments. Marine biotechnology offers promising solutions for sustainable energy production and environmental preservation. Techniques like microbial enhanced oil recovery (MEOR) can prolong the lifespan of mature oil reservoirs, while the cultivation of microalgae holds potential for bio-energy production. Such innovations align with the global demand for renewable energy sources, presenting significant opportunities for market expansion over the forecast period. Speaking of demand for renewable energy, it is interesting to note that solar photovoltaic installers in one of the fastest growing professions in America in 2024. However, the marine biotechnology industry faces challenges such as high research and development costs, limited laboratory capacity for organism development, and regulatory hurdles. Despite these challenges, the market is set for a stable growth, driven by increasing demand from sectors like cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and biofuels. Moreover, regional insights indicate that Europe is the leading market due to expanding research efforts and growing consumer preference for natural products, with North America expected to witness strong growth driven by advancements in marine biotechnology and rising demand across various sectors. Story continues Since marine biotechnology is a field of science that focuses on the application of biological techniques and processes to marine organisms and ecosystems for different purposes, it involves the study and exploitation of marine organisms, their genetic materials, and their biochemical compounds for applications in areas such as medicine, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, aquaculture, environmental remediation, and industry. Lets look at the key players in the marine biotechnology industry. Cyanotech Corp (OTC:CYAN) is a pertinent player in marine biotechnology, particularly renowned for its flagship product, BioAstin Hawaiian Astaxanthin. Astaxanthin, a potent antioxidant, is sourced from natural microalgae Haematococcus pluvialis and is cultivated on the pristine Kailua-Kona Coast of Hawaii. Cyanotech Corp (OTC:CYAN)s commitment to natural cultivation methods, free from GMOs, ensures the purity and efficacy of their product. With over two decades of experience, Cyanotech Corp (OTC:CYAN) has established itself as a leader in the field, capitalizing on the unique environmental conditions of Hawaii to produce high-quality astaxanthin. Their dedication to research and development is evidenced by over 200 scientific studies and 50 human clinical trials, validating the health benefits of BioAstin Astaxanthin. Furthermore, Cyanotech Corp (OTC:CYAN)s vertically integrated production process, from cultivation to extraction, ensures strict quality control standards, setting the company apart in the industry. Recognized by the US FDA as a dietary supplement, BioAstin is distributed globally, confirming Cyanotech Corp (OTC:CYAN)s promise to delivering natural, health-promoting solutions derived from the rich marine resources of Hawaii. Speaking of biotechnology, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc (NYSE:TMO) is a leading American provider of analytical instruments, life sciences solutions, specialized diagnostics, laboratory services, and offerings in pharmaceuticals and biotechnology. Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc (NYSE:TMO) has recently ventured into Asia's pharmaceutical landscape by opening of a sterile drug facility in Singapore. This decision further solidies the company as a key player in enhancing the region's capacity for critical medicine and vaccine manufacturing. The facility, built with assistance from the Singapore Economic Development Board, adheres to stringent cGMP standards, emphasizing its role in bolstering pandemic preparedness and strengthening vaccine supply chains. Singapore's strategic location and strong manufacturing capabilities position it as an ideal hub for pharmaceutical production. Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc (NYSE:TMO)s expansion includes not only the sterile drug facility but also complements existing research capabilities through the Customer Experience Center and Bioprocess Design Center. These facilities are equipped with cutting-edge technology and staffed by over 2,000 employees. In the coming years, demand for marine biologists is set to rise as ecosystems face biodiversity loss. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 3% job growth for zoologists and wildlife biologists from 2022 to 2032. Median annual pay for this field was $67,430 in May 2022. It is important to note that public and nonprofit sectors, where many marine biologists work, tend to offer lower salaries. Top-paying roles are usually found in government, while social advocacy organizations pay less. California, Washington, Florida, Oregon, and Alaska employ the most and highest-paid professionals in marine biology. Earning potential increases with experience and higher education degrees in marine biology. While the marine biology salary per month may vary from country to country, the average marine biologist salary in the US in $85,579. The top paying companies for marine biologists in the US are A.I.S Inc and Saltwater. 13 Highest Paying Countries for Marine Biologists A wide shot of a biotech lab, with scientists wearing lab coats and conducting research. Our Methodology To list the highest paying countries for marine biologists, we identified the countries with the highest demand for marine biologists and then made a list for 25 countries with the average salaries for marine biologists. Of those 25, the 13 with the highest average salaries were selected and have been ranked. We acquired the data for average salaries of marine biologists for each country from ERI Economic Research Institute. The list is presented in ascending order. By the way, Insider Monkey is an investing website that uses a consensus approach to identify the best stock picks of more than 900 hedge funds investing in US stocks. The website tracks the movement of corporate insiders and hedge funds. Our top 10 consensus stock picks of hedge funds outperformed the S&P 500 stock index by more than 140 percentage points over the last 10 years (see the details here). So, if you are looking for the best stock picks to buy, you can benefit from the wisdom of hedge funds and corporate insiders. Here is a list of the highest-paying countries for marine biologists: 13. United Arab Emirates Average Salary: $67,615 The opening of the Yas SeaWorld Research and Rescue center in Abu Dhabi signifies an important development in marine conservation efforts, potentially offering job opportunities for marine biologists. This center, spanning over 8,600 square meters, aims to contribute to marine-life conservation in the UAE and the region. Led by a team of dedicated marine scientists, zoologists, and subject matter experts, the center will focus on research, rescue, rehabilitation, and conservation efforts. It is one of the countries where marine biologists are paid the most. It is also one of the highest paying countries for data scientists. 12. Iceland Average Salary: $68,270 Iceland offers high salaries for marine biologists owing to its thriving fishing industry, abundant marine resources, and commitment to sustainable fisheries management. The country's focus on marine research and conservation, coupled with demand for expertise in aquaculture and environmental monitoring, contributes to competitive pay scales in this field. 11. Ireland Average Salary: $68,291 Marine biologists play a pivotal role in Ireland due to its extensive coastline and rich marine biodiversity. Recent research by Trinity College Dublin has further highlighted their importance as they discovered warm-blooded traits in certain shark species found in Irish waters. This discovery has raised major concerns about the impact of warming seas on marine life. With Ireland's commitment to marine conservation and sustainable management, the demand for marine biologists is ever-growing. It is often considered the best country to be a marine biologist. 10. Netherlands Average Salary: $70,547 In the Netherlands, where coastal and marine environments face threats such as habitat degradation and biodiversity loss, marine biologists provide invaluable insights into ecosystem dynamics, species interactions, and the effectiveness of restoration efforts. For instance, recent research demonstrated how marine biologists are initiating innovative approaches like using culled fruit trees to create artificial reefs, which significantly enhance local marine biodiversity. Owing to the strong research environment the country offers, the Netherlands is one of the best places to work as a marine biologist. It is also one of the highest paying countries for caregivers. 9. Austria Average Salary: $70,874 Austria, a landlocked country, may not have direct access to oceans, but its focus on marine biology stems from global environmental concerns and the interconnectedness of ecosystems. Austrian researchers contribute to understanding marine life, biodiversity, and climate change impacts on oceans. It is one of the top 10 highest paying countries for marine biologists. 8. Canada Average Salary: $71,374 With Canada's involvement in initiatives like the establishment of an Antarctic Ocean observatory, marine biologists contribute to global ocean science efforts. They provide insights into complex ocean processes, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable resource management. It is one of the countries where marine biologists are needed the most. It is also one of the Highest Paying Countries For Physiotherapists in the World. 7. Norway Average Salary: $71,782 Studying marine biology in Norway offers unparalleled access to some of the world's most pristine marine environments, fostering hands-on learning experiences. Among the top universities are the University of Bergen, offering cutting-edge research facilities and collaborations; the Arctic University of Norway, renowned for its focus on Arctic ecosystems; and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, known for its interdisciplinary approach and strong research emphasis. It is also one of the highest paying countries for marine biologists in Europe. 6. Germany Average Salary: $72,438 Universities like Jacobs University Bremen and Max Planck Institute provide specialized programs focusing on understanding oceanic phenomena and microbial ecology, crucial for addressing climate change challenges. The University of Bremen offers unique programs like Marine Biology and Aquatic Tropical Ecology that can help foster critical research skills. Additionally, programs such as Polar and Marine Sciences at the University of Hamburg focus on practical training through international exposure. With top-notch infrastructure, international exposure, and industry connections, Germany is an excellent destination for aspiring marine biologists. It is one of the best countries to study marine biology. Click here to see the 5 Highest Paying Countries for Marine Biologists. Suggested Articles: Disclosure: None. 13 Highest Paying Countries for Marine Biologists is originally published on Insider Monkey. CAVA Group (NYSE:CAVA Get Free Report) had its price target boosted by stock analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $40.00 to $50.00 in a report released on Thursday, Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an overweight rating on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.s price objective suggests a potential downside of 15.78% from the stocks current price. Other equities research analysts also recently issued reports about the stock. Piper Sandler raised their target price on shares of CAVA Group from $46.00 to $63.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday. TD Cowen began coverage on shares of CAVA Group in a research note on Wednesday, December 13th. They issued an outperform rating and a $46.00 target price for the company. William Blair reiterated an outperform rating on shares of CAVA Group in a research note on Tuesday. Argus began coverage on shares of CAVA Group in a research note on Monday, January 29th. They set a hold rating for the company. Finally, Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of CAVA Group from $49.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Wednesday. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $55.10. Get CAVA Group alerts: Get Our Latest Stock Report on CAVA CAVA Group Price Performance Shares of NYSE CAVA traded up $2.47 during midday trading on Thursday, reaching $59.37. 2,267,166 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,933,487. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is $47.36 and its 200-day simple moving average is $39.90. CAVA Group has a one year low of $29.05 and a one year high of $59.44. CAVA Group (NYSE:CAVA Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 26th. The company reported $0.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.01 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $175.50 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $240.03 million. CAVA Group had a net margin of 1.82% and a return on equity of 5.94%. The firms quarterly revenue was up 52.6% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts forecast that CAVA Group will post 0.15 EPS for the current fiscal year. Institutional Inflows and Outflows A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CAVA. Victory Capital Management Inc. purchased a new position in CAVA Group in the second quarter valued at $40,000. LPL Financial LLC acquired a new position in CAVA Group during the second quarter worth about $415,000. Barclays PLC acquired a new position in CAVA Group during the second quarter worth about $250,000. Glassman Wealth Services acquired a new position in CAVA Group during the second quarter worth about $28,000. Finally, Lido Advisors LLC acquired a new position in CAVA Group during the second quarter worth about $209,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 61.83% of the companys stock. CAVA Group Company Profile (Get Free Report) CAVA Group, Inc owns and operates a chain of Mediterranean restaurants. The company offers salads, dips, spreads, toppings, and dressings. It sells its products through whole food markets and grocery stores. The company also provides online food ordering services. Cava Group, Inc was founded in 2006 and is based in Washington, District of Columbia. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for CAVA Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for CAVA Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Meeder Advisory Services Inc. decreased its holdings in shares of KeyCorp (NYSE:KEY Free Report) by 38.7% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 21,699 shares of the financial services providers stock after selling 13,683 shares during the period. Meeder Advisory Services Inc.s holdings in KeyCorp were worth $233,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board acquired a new stake in shares of KeyCorp during the first quarter worth about $38,000. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of KeyCorp during the first quarter worth about $40,000. Cary Street Partners Investment Advisory LLC acquired a new stake in shares of KeyCorp during the third quarter worth about $28,000. Almanack Investment Partners LLC. acquired a new stake in shares of KeyCorp during the third quarter worth about $45,000. Finally, Tortoise Investment Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of KeyCorp by 47.8% during the second quarter. Tortoise Investment Management LLC now owns 3,094 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 1,000 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 77.77% of the companys stock. Get KeyCorp alerts: Insider Buying and Selling at KeyCorp In other news, CAO Douglas M. Schosser sold 14,383 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $13.37, for a total value of $192,300.71. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 19,795 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $264,659.15. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other news, Director Trina M. Evans sold 12,335 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $14.23, for a total value of $175,527.05. Following the transaction, the director now owns 81,622 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,161,481.06. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, CAO Douglas M. Schosser sold 14,383 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $13.37, for a total transaction of $192,300.71. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 19,795 shares in the company, valued at approximately $264,659.15. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 35,825 shares of company stock worth $496,214 in the last quarter. 0.61% of the stock is owned by insiders. Analyst Ratings Changes Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Stephens upgraded shares of KeyCorp from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 20th. Piper Sandler increased their price target on shares of KeyCorp from $16.00 to $17.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Friday, January 26th. DA Davidson dropped their target price on shares of KeyCorp from $17.00 to $16.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 19th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their price objective on shares of KeyCorp from $17.00 to $16.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Friday, January 19th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on shares of KeyCorp from $13.50 to $15.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Monday, December 18th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and twelve have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, KeyCorp presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $15.00. Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on KEY KeyCorp Stock Down 1.6 % Shares of KEY opened at $13.92 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $13.00 billion, a PE ratio of 15.64 and a beta of 1.29. The companys fifty day moving average is $14.24 and its two-hundred day moving average is $12.39. KeyCorp has a fifty-two week low of $8.53 and a fifty-two week high of $18.56. The company has a quick ratio of 0.86, a current ratio of 0.86 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.61. KeyCorp (NYSE:KEY Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 18th. The financial services provider reported $0.25 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.23 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $1.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.53 billion. KeyCorp had a net margin of 8.61% and a return on equity of 10.63%. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.38 EPS. Analysts forecast that KeyCorp will post 1.22 earnings per share for the current year. KeyCorp Dividend Announcement The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 15th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, February 27th will be issued a $0.205 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 26th. This represents a $0.82 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.89%. KeyCorps dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 92.13%. KeyCorp Profile (Free Report) KeyCorp operates as the holding company for KeyBank National Association that provides various retail and commercial banking products and services in the United States. It operates in two segments, Consumer Bank and Commercial Bank. The company offers various deposits, investment products and services; and personal finance and financial wellness, student loan refinancing, mortgage and home equity, lending, credit card, treasury, business advisory, wealth management, asset management, investment, cash management, portfolio management, and trust and related services to individuals and small and medium-sized businesses. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding KEY? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for KeyCorp (NYSE:KEY Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for KeyCorp Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for KeyCorp and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Fred Alger Management LLC lowered its position in shares of Montrose Environmental Group, Inc. (NYSE:MEG Free Report) by 41.7% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,087,947 shares of the companys stock after selling 777,390 shares during the period. Fred Alger Management LLC owned approximately 3.61% of Montrose Environmental Group worth $31,833,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Capital Research Global Investors boosted its holdings in Montrose Environmental Group by 23.8% in the first quarter. Capital Research Global Investors now owns 2,699,774 shares of the companys stock worth $142,899,000 after purchasing an additional 519,892 shares during the period. Emerald Advisers LLC lifted its stake in Montrose Environmental Group by 62.4% in the third quarter. Emerald Advisers LLC now owns 777,221 shares of the companys stock valued at $22,741,000 after buying an additional 298,629 shares during the last quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in Montrose Environmental Group by 281.9% in the second quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC now owns 379,510 shares of the companys stock valued at $15,985,000 after buying an additional 280,130 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. lifted its stake in Montrose Environmental Group by 12.0% in the second quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 2,446,774 shares of the companys stock valued at $103,058,000 after buying an additional 261,226 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Emerald Mutual Fund Advisers Trust lifted its stake in Montrose Environmental Group by 51.4% in the third quarter. Emerald Mutual Fund Advisers Trust now owns 635,695 shares of the companys stock valued at $18,600,000 after buying an additional 215,883 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 89.88% of the companys stock. Get Montrose Environmental Group alerts: Montrose Environmental Group Trading Up 18.5 % NYSE MEG traded up $6.11 on Thursday, hitting $39.12. 84,293 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 166,405. The companys 50 day moving average price is $31.16 and its 200-day moving average price is $31.01. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.52, a current ratio of 1.58 and a quick ratio of 1.58. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.18 billion, a P/E ratio of -19.37 and a beta of 1.90. Montrose Environmental Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $21.96 and a twelve month high of $45.96. Analyst Ratings Changes A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on MEG shares. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a buy rating and issued a $54.00 target price on shares of Montrose Environmental Group in a research note on Friday, January 19th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Montrose Environmental Group from a neutral rating to an overweight rating and cut their target price for the company from $46.00 to $41.00 in a research note on Thursday, November 9th. Royal Bank of Canada lifted their price objective on shares of Montrose Environmental Group from $31.00 to $33.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 8th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus restated a buy rating and set a $36.00 price objective on shares of Montrose Environmental Group in a research note on Monday, February 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $41.40. Read Our Latest Report on Montrose Environmental Group Montrose Environmental Group Profile (Free Report) Montrose Environmental Group, Inc operates as an environmental services company in the United States and internationally. The company operates in three segments: Assessment, Permitting and Response; Measurement and Analysis; and Remediation and Reuse. The Assessment, Permitting and Response segment provides scientific advisory and consulting services to support environmental assessments, environmental emergency response and recovery, toxicology consulting and environmental audits and permits for current operations, facility upgrades, new projects, decommissioning projects, and development projects. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Montrose Environmental Group Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Montrose Environmental Group and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. MQS Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Pinnacle West Capital Co. (NYSE:PNW Free Report) during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund bought 3,390 shares of the utilities providers stock, valued at approximately $250,000. Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Pacific Center for Financial Services purchased a new position in shares of Pinnacle West Capital during the 1st quarter valued at $40,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Pinnacle West Capital during the 3rd quarter valued at $44,000. Retirement Group LLC grew its holdings in shares of Pinnacle West Capital by 200.0% during the 4th quarter. Retirement Group LLC now owns 600 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $46,000 after acquiring an additional 400 shares in the last quarter. First Command Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Pinnacle West Capital during the 3rd quarter valued at $52,000. Finally, Parkside Financial Bank & Trust boosted its holdings in Pinnacle West Capital by 235.5% in the first quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 718 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $56,000 after purchasing an additional 504 shares in the last quarter. 84.95% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds. Get Pinnacle West Capital alerts: Insider Activity In other news, EVP Robert Edgar Smith sold 1,610 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, December 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $75.95, for a total transaction of $122,279.50. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 9,178 shares of the companys stock, valued at $697,069.10. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. 0.25% of the stock is owned by insiders. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of equities research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of Pinnacle West Capital from $71.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Tuesday, November 21st. LADENBURG THALM/SH SH began coverage on shares of Pinnacle West Capital in a report on Wednesday, February 14th. They set a neutral rating and a $69.00 price target for the company. Mizuho cut their price objective on shares of Pinnacle West Capital from $79.00 to $77.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 24th. Guggenheim raised shares of Pinnacle West Capital from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $78.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Monday, January 22nd. Finally, StockNews.com lowered shares of Pinnacle West Capital from a hold rating to a sell rating in a research report on Tuesday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have issued a hold rating and four have assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Pinnacle West Capital presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $73.11. Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on PNW Pinnacle West Capital Price Performance PNW opened at $66.90 on Thursday. Pinnacle West Capital Co. has a one year low of $65.20 and a one year high of $86.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.26, a current ratio of 1.10 and a quick ratio of 0.85. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $70.10 and its 200-day simple moving average is $73.30. The stock has a market capitalization of $7.59 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.93, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.69 and a beta of 0.49. Pinnacle West Capital Announces Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 1st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 1st will be paid a dividend of $0.88 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, January 31st. This represents a $3.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 5.26%. Pinnacle West Capitals dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 83.81%. Pinnacle West Capital Profile (Free Report) Pinnacle West Capital Corporation, through its subsidiary, Arizona Public Service Company, provides retail and wholesale electric services primarily in the state of Arizona. The company engages in the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity using coal, nuclear, gas, oil, and solar generating facilities. Further Reading Want to see what other hedge funds are holding PNW? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Pinnacle West Capital Co. (NYSE:PNW Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Pinnacle West Capital Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Pinnacle West Capital and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC raised its position in shares of Entergy Co. (NYSE:ETR Free Report) by 16.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 46,814 shares of the utilities providers stock after buying an additional 6,479 shares during the quarter. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLCs holdings in Entergy were worth $4,330,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Several other large investors have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Wetherby Asset Management Inc. raised its position in shares of Entergy by 2.7% in the 1st quarter. Wetherby Asset Management Inc. now owns 3,269 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $382,000 after purchasing an additional 87 shares during the last quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust raised its position in shares of Entergy by 15.5% in the 1st quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 739 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $86,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares during the last quarter. Smith Moore & CO. raised its position in shares of Entergy by 3.1% in the 1st quarter. Smith Moore & CO. now owns 3,339 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $360,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the last quarter. Metropolitan Life Insurance Co NY increased its holdings in Entergy by 1.2% in the 2nd quarter. Metropolitan Life Insurance Co NY now owns 9,214 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $897,000 after buying an additional 113 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC increased its holdings in Entergy by 1.8% in the 2nd quarter. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC now owns 6,287 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $612,000 after buying an additional 113 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.52% of the companys stock. Get Entergy alerts: Entergy Stock Down 0.2 % ETR stock opened at $100.57 on Thursday. Entergy Co. has a twelve month low of $87.10 and a twelve month high of $111.90. The company has a quick ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 0.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.57. The stock has a market cap of $21.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.07, a PEG ratio of 1.99 and a beta of 0.71. The businesss 50-day moving average price is $100.62 and its 200-day moving average price is $98.06. Entergy Dividend Announcement Entergy ( NYSE:ETR Get Free Report ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 22nd. The utilities provider reported $0.52 earnings per share for the quarter, meeting analysts consensus estimates of $0.52. Entergy had a return on equity of 10.54% and a net margin of 19.41%. The firm had revenue of $2.72 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3.27 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.51 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Entergy Co. will post 7.22 EPS for the current year. The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 9th will be given a dividend of $1.13 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 8th. This represents a $4.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.49%. Entergys payout ratio is currently 40.76%. Insider Activity In related news, EVP Marcus V. Brown sold 38,417 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $101.53, for a total value of $3,900,478.01. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 9,380 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $952,351.40. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Insiders own 0.39% of the companys stock. Analysts Set New Price Targets Several research firms recently commented on ETR. Barclays lifted their price objective on Entergy from $99.00 to $104.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Tuesday, January 2nd. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on Entergy from $110.00 to $113.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Monday. Guggenheim lifted their price objective on Entergy from $99.00 to $103.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Friday, November 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on Entergy from $117.00 to $121.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Friday, December 1st. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on Entergy from $92.00 to $94.00 and gave the company an underweight rating in a research note on Tuesday, November 21st. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and eight have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $110.73. Get Our Latest Analysis on ETR Entergy Company Profile (Free Report) Entergy Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the production and retail distribution of electricity in the United States. The company operates in two segments, Utility and Entergy Wholesale Commodities. The Utility segment generates, transmits, distributes, and sells electric power in portions of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, including the City of New Orleans; and distributes natural gas. Featured Stories Receive News & Ratings for Entergy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Entergy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Pambili Natural Resources Co. (CVE:PNN Get Free Report)s share price hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as C$0.04 and last traded at C$0.04, with a volume of 2300 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$0.04. Pambili Natural Resources Price Performance The stock has a market cap of C$908,250.00, a price-to-earnings ratio of -1.33 and a beta of -2.43. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of C$0.04 and a 200-day simple moving average of C$0.03. The company has a current ratio of 0.02, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 60.93. About Pambili Natural Resources (Get Free Report) Pambili Natural Resources Corporation engages in the evaluation, acquisition, exploration, and development of oil and gas properties in Canada and Zimbabwe. It operates Happy Valley gold mine in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. The company was formerly known as Pennine Petroleum Corporation and changed its name to Pambili Natural Resources Corporation in June 2022. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Pambili Natural Resources Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Pambili Natural Resources and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Profund Advisors LLC cut its position in shares of Fastly, Inc. (NYSE:FSLY Free Report) by 19.9% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 28,599 shares of the companys stock after selling 7,122 shares during the period. Profund Advisors LLCs holdings in Fastly were worth $548,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in FSLY. Essex Investment Management Co. LLC bought a new stake in shares of Fastly in the third quarter valued at about $1,942,000. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Fastly in the 3rd quarter valued at about $477,000. Lisanti Capital Growth LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Fastly in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $8,327,000. Fuller & Thaler Asset Management Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Fastly by 8.7% during the third quarter. Fuller & Thaler Asset Management Inc. now owns 1,087,695 shares of the companys stock valued at $20,851,000 after purchasing an additional 87,063 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in Fastly by 5.5% during the third quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 916,872 shares of the companys stock valued at $17,576,000 after buying an additional 48,008 shares during the period. 65.65% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Fastly alerts: Insider Activity at Fastly In other Fastly news, CEO Todd Nightingale sold 50,708 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $16.09, for a total transaction of $815,891.72. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 1,371,348 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $22,064,989.32. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other news, insider Artur Bergman sold 17,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $17.99, for a total value of $314,825.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 6,281,244 shares of the companys stock, valued at $112,999,579.56. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Todd Nightingale sold 50,708 shares of Fastly stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $16.09, for a total value of $815,891.72. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 1,371,348 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $22,064,989.32. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 495,237 shares of company stock valued at $8,742,206 in the last three months. 7.60% of the stock is owned by insiders. Fastly Trading Down 0.6 % Analyst Ratings Changes Shares of NYSE:FSLY opened at $14.13 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 3.14 and a quick ratio of 3.14. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.90 billion, a P/E ratio of -13.59 and a beta of 1.33. The businesss 50-day moving average is $18.66 and its 200 day moving average is $18.42. Fastly, Inc. has a 1 year low of $11.61 and a 1 year high of $25.87. A number of research firms have weighed in on FSLY. Craig Hallum lowered Fastly from a buy rating to a hold rating and set a $20.00 target price for the company. in a report on Thursday, February 15th. Citigroup upgraded Fastly from a sell rating to a neutral rating and upped their price objective for the stock from $11.00 to $20.00 in a research note on Monday, January 22nd. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada upgraded Fastly from an underperform rating to a sector perform rating and lifted their target price for the company from $12.00 to $18.00 in a research note on Monday, January 8th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, one has assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Fastly has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $20.56. Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on Fastly Fastly Company Profile (Free Report) Fastly, Inc operates an edge cloud platform for processing, serving, and securing its customer's applications in the United States, the Asia Pacific, Europe, and internationally. The edge cloud is a category of Infrastructure as a Service that enables developers to build, secure, and deliver digital experiences at the edge of the internet. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding FSLY? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Fastly, Inc. (NYSE:FSLY Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Fastly Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Fastly and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Richard Bernstein Advisors LLC reduced its holdings in Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF (NYSEARCA:VGK Free Report) by 40.2% in the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,194,215 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after selling 803,987 shares during the period. Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF makes up 1.1% of Richard Bernstein Advisors LLCs portfolio, making the stock its 21st largest holding. Richard Bernstein Advisors LLC owned approximately 0.39% of Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF worth $69,181,000 as of its most recent SEC filing. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in VGK. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its stake in shares of Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF by 1,190.1% in the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 5,479,304 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $317,416,000 after buying an additional 5,054,597 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF by 80.2% in the 1st quarter. State Street Corp now owns 4,261,262 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $259,724,000 after acquiring an additional 1,896,544 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its holdings in shares of Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF by 5.2% in the 2nd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 35,003,290 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $2,159,703,000 after acquiring an additional 1,745,652 shares during the last quarter. Chan Zuckerberg Initiative LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF by 459.2% in the 3rd quarter. Chan Zuckerberg Initiative LLC now owns 1,973,920 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $114,349,000 after acquiring an additional 1,620,909 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Flow Traders U.S. LLC bought a new stake in shares of Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF in the 1st quarter worth about $64,318,000. Get Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF alerts: Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF Stock Down 0.1 % VGK traded down $0.06 on Thursday, reaching $65.13. 320,480 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,384,581. Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF has a one year low of $55.06 and a one year high of $65.59. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $63.82 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $61.02. The company has a market cap of $19.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.10 and a beta of 0.95. Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF Profile Vanguard European Stock Index Fund is an exchange-traded fund. The Fund seeks to track the performance of a benchmark index that measures the investment return of stocks issued by Companies located in the markets of Europe. The Fund on focuses indexing investment approach by investing all, or substantially all, of its assets in the common stocks included in the FTSE Developed Europe All Cap Index. See Also Receive News & Ratings for Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Vanguard FTSE Europe ETF and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. West African Resources Limited (ASX:WAF Get Free Report) insider Rodney (Rod) Leonard purchased 38,633 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 26th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of A$0.87 ($0.57) per share, for a total transaction of A$33,610.71 ($21,967.78). West African Resources Stock Performance The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.37, a current ratio of 2.67 and a quick ratio of 1.65. Get West African Resources alerts: About West African Resources (Get Free Report) See Also West African Resources Limited engages in the mining, mineral processing, acquisition, exploration, and project development of gold projects in West Africa. The company has 90% interests in the Sanbrado Gold Project covering an area of 116 square kilometers located in Burkina Faso; and Kiaka gold project located in Burkina Faso. Receive News & Ratings for West African Resources Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for West African Resources and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Saba Capital Management L.P. acquired a new stake in shares of BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund II, Inc. (NYSE:MQT Free Report) during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm acquired 29,313 shares of the investment management companys stock, valued at approximately $264,000. Saba Capital Management L.P. owned about 0.13% of BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund II at the end of the most recent reporting period. Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of MQT. Alpine Global Management LLC bought a new position in BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund II in the third quarter valued at about $200,000. Stifel Financial Corp lifted its holdings in BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund II by 58.1% in the third quarter. Stifel Financial Corp now owns 35,562 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $320,000 after acquiring an additional 13,062 shares during the period. Mystic Asset Management Inc. lifted its holdings in BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund II by 47.1% in the third quarter. Mystic Asset Management Inc. now owns 53,100 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $477,000 after acquiring an additional 17,000 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. lifted its holdings in BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund II by 23.6% in the third quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 152,705 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $1,373,000 after acquiring an additional 29,203 shares during the period. Finally, Fiera Capital Corp lifted its holdings in BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund II by 2.1% in the third quarter. Fiera Capital Corp now owns 352,532 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $3,169,000 after acquiring an additional 7,396 shares during the period. 26.79% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund II alerts: BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund II Stock Up 0.4 % Shares of NYSE MQT traded up $0.04 during trading on Thursday, hitting $10.44. The company had a trading volume of 20,195 shares, compared to its average volume of 52,734. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $10.35 and a 200 day simple moving average of $9.79. BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund II, Inc. has a 12 month low of $8.59 and a 12 month high of $10.67. BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund II Dividend Announcement BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund II Profile The firm also recently announced a dividend, which was paid on Friday, December 29th. Investors of record on Friday, December 15th were paid a dividend of $0.049 per share. This represents a yield of 5.78%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, December 14th. (Free Report) BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund II, Inc is a closed ended fixed income mutual fund launched by BlackRock, Inc It is managed by BlackRock Advisors, LLC. The fund invests in fixed income markets. It primarily invests in municipal debt bonds exempt from federal income taxes. BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund II, Inc was formed in September 21, 1992 and is domiciled in United States. See Also Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MQT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund II, Inc. (NYSE:MQT Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund II Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for BlackRock MuniYield Quality Fund II and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. This article takes a look at the 14 countries with low humidity you can retire to. If you wish to skip our detailed analysis on the impact of climate on senior's well-being, you may go to 5 Countries with Low Humidity You Can Retire To. The Overlooked Impact of Climate on Seniors' Well-being and the Corporate Response Retirement dreams almost always involve picturesque landscapes, but climate is frequently overlooked in discussions when talking about this significant life transition. According to research, an increase in humidity levels can have detrimental impacts on people with high blood pressure and heart disease. A study highlighted by the Guardian reports similar findings at a macro level, stating that dangerous intervals of intense heat and humidity are poised to swiftly extend across the globe, with just a minimal uptick in global temperatures. Despite being small, it may cause a sharp increase in the number of deaths resulting from the climate crisis. Based on such studies, it can be concluded that climate should be an important factor, especially for retirees, when incorporating moves for their golden years. Over the years, mankind has been slowly witnessing the rise of temperatures all over the globe. The number, intensity, and duration of heatwaves have been rising as well. Take the example of Australia, where the summer temperatures have risen by 1.66 over the past 20 years. Higher temperatures, particularly ones with higher humidity, impede our ability to cool ourselves. When we fail to cool ourselves, we tend to develop heat stress. Studies have shown that babies, and people over 65, are at the highest risk from heat. Heat stress, even though it may not seem dangerous, can escalate things quickly for an older adult. For instance, heat stress can intensify existing health conditions common in older people, such as diabetes, kidney disease, and heart disease. Many heat deaths often end up being recorded as heart attacks. Story continues As the discourse on climate change continues, companies like Carrier Global Corporation (NYSE:CARR) have been taking proactive measures to address and mitigate the environmental impacts. Recognizing the critical role of climate in shaping the well-being of individuals and communities, Carrier Global Corporation (NYSE:CARR), a leading global provider of innovative heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) solutions, has emerged as a key player in developing sustainable technologies. In response to the rising awareness of the adverse effects of higher humidity levels on health and comfort, companies such as Carrier Global Corporation (NYSE:CARR) have introduced cutting-edge systems and services designed to control temperature and humidity in homes and other spaces. This forward-thinking approach aligns with the company's commitment to fostering sustainable practices and ensuring a healthier living environment. It has capitalized on the potential opportunity that higher humidity levels have created, realizing that higher humidity can affect your comfort by reducing your body's natural ability to cool itself. Other companies offering similar products include Honeywell International Inc. (NASDAQ:HON) and Emerson Electric Co. (NYSE:EMR). Companies like Honeywell International Inc. (NASDAQ:HON) are actively seeking to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions to protect the climate as well. "Our internal greenhouse gas footprint right now is about 2 million metric tons. And that's our operationsjust one of our products that we've innovated in this area, the solstice line of low global warming potential refrigerants, we estimate that that has avoided more than 260 million metric tons of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. Honeywell International Inc. (NASDAQ:HON) Chief Sustainability Officer The preceding conversation underscores the significance of comfortable climates, particularly for seniors. In this context, elderly retirees in search of low humidity can explore some of the driest countries known for their arid conditions, providing appealing choices for a retirement destination. Yet there are many others that readers can explore in our article below. 14 Countries with Low Humidity You Can Retire To Victor Maschek / Shutterstock.com Methodology When identifying countries with low humidity you can retire to, we considered a combination of factors that contribute to a comfortable and pleasant living environment, particularly for retirees. While these locations may not necessarily have the absolute lowest humidity levels globally, they were chosen based on a balance of moderate humidity, pleasant temperatures, and favorable living conditions. For more precise and up-to-date information, it's recommended to check local weather sources or climate data specific to the time of interest. Places were individually scored on each factor and summed up to generate an Insider Monkey Score. These places have been ranked in an ascending order from the lowest to the highest scores. Climate data has been sourced from World Data, SunHeron, Weather and Climate, and others. 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. 14. Australia Insider Monkey Score: 8 Particularly in: Western Australia Relative Humidity: 60% Ranking 15th on our list of countries with low humidity you can retire to is Australia. Known for its stunning natural landscapes, vibrant cultural scene, and well-developed healthcare, Western Australia is particularly appealing because it is comparatively less humid than other parts of the country. Retirees can enjoy the beaches, hike in national parks, or participate in water activities in the various places across the country. However, it's worth noting that retiring to Australia as an expatriate might pose some challenges. If you possess an Australian Retirement Visa (Subclass 410) or Investment Retirement Visa (Subclass 405) as of May 8, 2018, you may qualify to apply for permanent residency. 13. Mexico Insider Monkey Score: 12 Particularly in: Baja California Relative Humidity: 57% Mexico is home to a vast variety of climates. Plenty of the safest destinations are preferred by expats who move to the country because of its pleasant weather, low cost of living, and good quality healthcare. Elevated locations typically exhibit lower humidity levels when contrasted with their lower-altitude counterparts, and Mexico boasts numerous high-altitude areas. A large part of central Mexico has elevations ranging between 4,000 feet to 8,000 feet, such as Mexico City, Guadalajara, Cuernavaca, Guanajuato, Oaxaca City, and Pueblo. Similarly, most parts of Baja California also tend to have an arid climate with low humidity due to its desert landscape and proximity to the Pacific Ocean. June is the driest in Baja California, with only 51% humidity on average. 12. Argentina Insider Monkey Score: 14 Particularly in: the Patagonia region Relative Humidity: 62% Next up on our list is Argentina, a country that mostly enjoys a subtropical climate. The southern parts of Argentina, however, are often associated with drier and lower humidity conditions. It must be noted that local variations and microclimates can still exist within the broader Patagonia region, so specific humidity levels may vary. Nevertheless, cities like Bariloche and El Calafate tend to have lower levels of humidity when compared to other regions. December is the driest in the region with only 50% average humidity as quoted by World Data. 11. Chile Insider Monkey Score: 15 Particularly in: Antofagasta Relative Humidity: 22% Chile is considered to be one of the driest countries in the world. The northern part of Chile, particularly the Atacama Desert, is one of the driest places on Earth. Retirees can choose to live in Antofagasta or San Pedro de Atacama, which are some of the best places to retire in Chile. San Pedro de Atacama in Antofagasta Region has an average annual percentage of humidity at 22%. September is the least humid month at 13%. 10. Nicaragua Insider Monkey Score: 17 Particularly in: San Juan del Sur Relative Humidity: 68% Nicaragua, with varying climates across regions, experiences a dry season from November to May, providing sunny days and temperatures between 77 to 82F in most areas. This season, characterized by lower humidity, offers retirees favorable weather. The optimal months for pleasant weather in San Juan del Sur are January, February, March, April, and December. Residents can relish the scenic bay, beautiful coast, and vibrant nightlife. It's important to note that, even during the dry season, some humidity may persist, especially in coastal areas. 9. Portugal Insider Monkey Score: 19 Particularly in: The Algarve Relative Humidity: 69% Next up on our list of countries with low humidity, you can retire to is Portugal. While the country typically boasts a Mediterranean climate, the country can be deemed as having lower humidity levels as compared to its many other European counterparts. Central and Southern parts of the country have hot and dry summers while the winter is mild, boasting lower humidity, especially during the summers. The average annual humidity in the Algarve region is 69%, with July being the least humid month at 60%. According to SunHeron, Algarve is one of the destinations with lower humidity in the range of 61 % - 78 %. The most humid months are December - February and the least humid are July - August. 8. United Arab Emirates Insider Monkey Score: 21 Particularly in: Dubai Relative Humidity: 61% Boasting a hot desert climate, the UAE has a relative humidity of 61%. Healthcare standards are some of the best in the world, a major factor that can attract expatriates to the country. Dubai, in particular, is known for its modern amenities, financial security, year-round sunshine, and safety and security. Residents who are 55 and above can apply for the Dubai Retirement Visa considering they meet certain requirements. 7. Spain Insider Monkey Score: 23 Particularly in: Malaga Relative Humidity: 68% Andalusia, in Spain, is renowned for its lower humidity levels compared to other regions. According to Sunheron, the humidity levels in this area typically range between 58% and 75%. The sunniest period in the region occurs from June to August, with an average of 11 hours of sunshine. Retirees may find ideal retirement locations in areas such as Malaga and Cordoba, both widely recognized as among the best places to retire in Spain. 6. Morocco Insider Monkey Score: 24 Particularly in: Marrakesh Relative Humidity: 58% Morocco is home to at least four different climatic zones because of the influence of its physical location. However, some areas tend to be more arid and revered for having lesser humid temperatures. One such region acclaimed by retirees as one of the best in terms of weather is the city of Marrakesh. The city, known for its rich history, vibrant culture, and stunning architecture, generally has a climate that can be described as pleasant, particularly for retirees seeking warmth and diverse experiences. Click to continue reading and see the 5 Countries with Low Humidity You Can Retire To. Suggested Articles: Disclosure: none. 14 Countries with Low Humidity You Can Retire To is originally published on Insider Monkey. Sherbrooke Park Advisers LLC bought a new position in Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NYSE:HPE Free Report) in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm bought 44,599 shares of the technology companys stock, valued at approximately $775,000. Other large investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Marshall Wace LLP grew its position in shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise by 1,591.9% in the 2nd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 4,939,064 shares of the technology companys stock worth $82,976,000 after buying an additional 4,647,141 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. raised its position in Hewlett Packard Enterprise by 3.1% during the second quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 135,598,978 shares of the technology companys stock worth $2,278,063,000 after acquiring an additional 4,124,642 shares during the period. California Public Employees Retirement System raised its position in Hewlett Packard Enterprise by 110.0% during the second quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System now owns 7,551,246 shares of the technology companys stock worth $126,861,000 after acquiring an additional 3,954,621 shares during the period. Two Sigma Advisers LP grew its holdings in shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise by 302.9% during the first quarter. Two Sigma Advisers LP now owns 4,865,700 shares of the technology companys stock worth $77,511,000 after buying an additional 3,658,100 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Hawk Ridge Capital Management LP grew its holdings in shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise by 152.4% during the second quarter. Hawk Ridge Capital Management LP now owns 5,979,631 shares of the technology companys stock worth $100,458,000 after buying an additional 3,610,364 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 81.15% of the companys stock. Get Hewlett Packard Enterprise alerts: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Stock Performance HPE traded up $0.27 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $15.13. 605,423 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 11,102,906. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $15.86 and a 200-day simple moving average of $16.32. Hewlett Packard Enterprise has a 12 month low of $13.65 and a 12 month high of $18.14. The stock has a market cap of $19.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.56 and a beta of 1.20. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 0.87 and a quick ratio of 0.66. Insider Activity Hewlett Packard Enterprise ( NYSE:HPE Get Free Report ) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, November 28th. The technology company reported $0.52 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.50 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $7.35 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $7.36 billion. Hewlett Packard Enterprise had a return on equity of 9.83% and a net margin of 6.95%. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 5.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company earned ($0.23) earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that Hewlett Packard Enterprise will post 1.6 earnings per share for the current year. In related news, EVP John F. Schultz sold 209,748 shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $16.40, for a total transaction of $3,439,867.20. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 278,118 shares of the companys stock, valued at $4,561,135.20. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In related news, EVP John F. Schultz sold 209,748 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, December 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $16.40, for a total value of $3,439,867.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 278,118 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,561,135.20. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CFO Jeremy Cox sold 1,773 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $16.93, for a total value of $30,016.89. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 14,374 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $243,351.82. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 303,575 shares of company stock valued at $4,989,141. Company insiders own 0.40% of the companys stock. Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the stock. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise from $15.00 to $16.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Wednesday, November 29th. Sanford C. Bernstein lowered shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise from an outperform rating to a market perform rating and lowered their target price for the stock from $20.00 to $17.00 in a research note on Tuesday, January 16th. Finally, Barclays lowered their target price on shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise from $16.00 to $15.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, November 29th. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Hewlett Packard Enterprise currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $17.60. Check Out Our Latest Analysis on Hewlett Packard Enterprise Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company Profile (Free Report) Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company provides solutions that allow customers to capture, analyze, and act upon data seamlessly in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Asia Pacific, and Japan. It operates in six segments: Compute, HPC & AI, Storage, Intelligent Edge, Financial Services, and Corporate Investments and Other. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding HPE? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NYSE:HPE Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Hewlett Packard Enterprise Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Hewlett Packard Enterprise and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Soros Fund Management LLC bought a new stake in Entergy Co. (NYSE:ETR Free Report) in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund bought 32,000 shares of the utilities providers stock, valued at approximately $2,960,000. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of ETR. Fairfield Bush & CO. acquired a new stake in shares of Entergy in the first quarter valued at $29,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Entergy by 157.1% during the 3rd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 270 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 165 shares during the period. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV raised its position in Entergy by 108.8% in the 3rd quarter. Massmutual Trust Co. FSB ADV now owns 307 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 160 shares in the last quarter. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Entergy in the 3rd quarter valued at about $32,000. Finally, OLD Point Trust & Financial Services N A acquired a new position in shares of Entergy during the second quarter worth about $34,000. 86.52% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Get Entergy alerts: Insider Transactions at Entergy In other Entergy news, EVP Marcus V. Brown sold 38,417 shares of Entergy stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $101.53, for a total value of $3,900,478.01. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 9,380 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $952,351.40. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.39% of the companys stock. Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth Several analysts recently weighed in on ETR shares. Bank of America raised shares of Entergy from a neutral rating to a buy rating and raised their target price for the company from $94.00 to $110.00 in a report on Tuesday, November 21st. UBS Group upgraded shares of Entergy from a neutral rating to a buy rating and upped their price objective for the company from $103.00 to $118.00 in a research note on Monday, November 6th. Mizuho cut their target price on shares of Entergy from $113.00 to $105.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Friday, November 3rd. Guggenheim upped their price objective on Entergy from $99.00 to $103.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Friday, November 3rd. Finally, Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Entergy from $99.00 to $104.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 2nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Entergy currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $110.73. Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on ETR Entergy Price Performance Shares of ETR traded up $0.18 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $100.75. 106,992 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,345,233. The company has a quick ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 0.57 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.57. Entergy Co. has a 52-week low of $87.10 and a 52-week high of $111.90. The company has a market cap of $21.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.07, a PEG ratio of 1.99 and a beta of 0.71. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $100.62 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $98.06. Entergy (NYSE:ETR Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 22nd. The utilities provider reported $0.52 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts consensus estimates of $0.52. The company had revenue of $2.72 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $3.27 billion. Entergy had a return on equity of 10.54% and a net margin of 19.41%. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.51 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Entergy Co. will post 7.22 EPS for the current fiscal year. Entergy Dividend Announcement The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 1st. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 9th will be paid a dividend of $1.13 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 8th. This represents a $4.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.49%. Entergys dividend payout ratio is currently 40.76%. Entergy Company Profile (Free Report) Entergy Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the production and retail distribution of electricity in the United States. The company operates in two segments, Utility and Entergy Wholesale Commodities. The Utility segment generates, transmits, distributes, and sells electric power in portions of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, including the City of New Orleans; and distributes natural gas. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding ETR? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Entergy Co. (NYSE:ETR Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Entergy Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Entergy and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Teza Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in Otis Worldwide Co. (NYSE:OTIS Free Report) by 194.8% in the third quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 38,024 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 25,127 shares during the period. Teza Capital Management LLCs holdings in Otis Worldwide were worth $3,054,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. Other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Janiczek Wealth Management LLC raised its holdings in Otis Worldwide by 141.1% during the 3rd quarter. Janiczek Wealth Management LLC now owns 381 shares of the companys stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 223 shares during the last quarter. NBC Securities Inc. bought a new position in Otis Worldwide in the 3rd quarter worth $33,000. Resurgent Financial Advisors LLC bought a new position in Otis Worldwide in the 4th quarter worth $33,000. CNB Bank raised its holdings in Otis Worldwide by 81.0% in the 3rd quarter. CNB Bank now owns 429 shares of the companys stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 192 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Indiana Trust & Investment Management CO bought a new position in Otis Worldwide in the 3rd quarter worth $35,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 85.48% of the companys stock. Get Otis Worldwide alerts: Otis Worldwide Stock Performance Shares of OTIS stock opened at $95.37 on Thursday. Otis Worldwide Co. has a one year low of $73.32 and a one year high of $95.44. The companys 50-day moving average is $89.55 and its 200 day moving average is $85.12. The company has a market capitalization of $38.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.00 and a beta of 1.00. Otis Worldwide Dividend Announcement Otis Worldwide ( NYSE:OTIS Get Free Report ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, January 31st. The company reported $0.87 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.85 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $3.62 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.57 billion. Otis Worldwide had a net margin of 9.90% and a negative return on equity of 30.75%. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.75 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Otis Worldwide Co. will post 3.87 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 8th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 16th will be issued a dividend of $0.34 per share. This represents a $1.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.43%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 15th. Otis Worldwides payout ratio is presently 40.12%. Analyst Ratings Changes Several research analysts have commented on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada restated an outperform rating and issued a $100.00 price objective on shares of Otis Worldwide in a report on Monday, February 5th. Vertical Research lowered shares of Otis Worldwide from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 2nd. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on shares of Otis Worldwide from $97.00 to $95.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 1st. UBS Group increased their price target on shares of Otis Worldwide from $87.00 to $95.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Friday, February 16th. Finally, Argus raised shares of Otis Worldwide from a hold rating to a buy rating and set a $102.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Thursday, February 22nd. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $92.29. Read Our Latest Stock Report on Otis Worldwide Insider Activity In other news, CEO Judith Fran Marks sold 37,312 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $91.83, for a total transaction of $3,426,360.96. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 192,319 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $17,660,653.77. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In related news, CEO Judith Fran Marks sold 37,312 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $91.83, for a total value of $3,426,360.96. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 192,319 shares of the companys stock, valued at $17,660,653.77. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Montlivault Stephane De sold 18,393 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $91.10, for a total transaction of $1,675,602.30. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 67,274 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,128,661.40. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 0.11% of the companys stock. About Otis Worldwide (Free Report) Otis Worldwide Corporation engages in manufacturing, installation, and servicing of elevators and escalators in the United States, China, and internationally. The company operates in two segments, New Equipment and Service. The New Equipment segment designs, manufactures, sells, and installs a range of passenger and freight elevators, as well as escalators and moving walkways for residential and commercial buildings, and infrastructure projects. Featured Articles Want to see what other hedge funds are holding OTIS? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Otis Worldwide Co. (NYSE:OTIS Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for Otis Worldwide Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Otis Worldwide and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Vinva Investment Management Ltd grew its position in shares of State Street Co. (NYSE:STT Free Report) by 4.3% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 10,087 shares of the asset managers stock after acquiring an additional 415 shares during the period. Vinva Investment Management Ltds holdings in State Street were worth $681,000 at the end of the most recent quarter. A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in STT. Covestor Ltd raised its holdings in State Street by 69.2% in the first quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 572 shares of the asset managers stock worth $50,000 after purchasing an additional 234 shares in the last quarter. State of Wyoming lifted its position in State Street by 51.3% during the 2nd quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 619 shares of the asset managers stock valued at $45,000 after acquiring an additional 210 shares during the period. IFP Advisors Inc lifted its position in State Street by 24.9% during the 2nd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 733 shares of the asset managers stock valued at $72,000 after acquiring an additional 146 shares during the period. Savior LLC boosted its stake in State Street by 90.4% during the third quarter. Savior LLC now owns 857 shares of the asset managers stock worth $57,000 after acquiring an additional 407 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Sunbelt Securities Inc. purchased a new stake in State Street in the first quarter worth about $70,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 89.62% of the companys stock. Get State Street alerts: Insiders Place Their Bets In other news, EVP Anthony Bisegna sold 2,606 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $73.00, for a total transaction of $190,238.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 17,737 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,294,801. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 0.25% of the stock is owned by insiders. Analysts Set New Price Targets STT has been the subject of several recent research reports. Wells Fargo & Company reiterated an overweight rating and set a $83.00 target price on shares of State Street in a report on Wednesday, December 6th. Royal Bank of Canada increased their price target on shares of State Street from $75.00 to $85.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a report on Monday, January 22nd. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on State Street from $83.00 to $88.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Tuesday, January 30th. UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of State Street from $70.00 to $82.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 9th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reduced their price objective on State Street from $89.00 to $86.00 and set a market perform rating for the company in a research report on Monday, January 22nd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have given a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, State Street has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $81.83. View Our Latest Report on STT State Street Trading Down 0.1 % State Street stock opened at $73.37 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.86, a current ratio of 0.55 and a quick ratio of 0.55. The stock has a market cap of $22.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 13.36, a PEG ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 1.53. The firms 50 day moving average price is $74.85 and its 200-day moving average price is $71.02. State Street Co. has a 1 year low of $62.78 and a 1 year high of $91.15. State Street (NYSE:STT Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 19th. The asset manager reported $2.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.83 by $0.21. The business had revenue of $3.04 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.95 billion. State Street had a return on equity of 11.86% and a net margin of 10.59%. The companys quarterly revenue was down 3.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.07 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts predict that State Street Co. will post 7.87 earnings per share for the current fiscal year. State Street Dividend Announcement The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 11th. Investors of record on Monday, April 1st will be issued a dividend of $0.69 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 28th. This represents a $2.76 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.76%. State Streets payout ratio is 50.27%. State Street Profile (Free Report) State Street Corporation, through its subsidiaries, provides a range of financial products and services to institutional investors worldwide. The company offers investment servicing products and services, including custody, accounting, regulatory reporting, investor, and performance and analytics; middle office products, such as IBOR, transaction management, loans, cash, derivatives and collateral, record keeping, and client reporting and investment analytics; finance leasing; foreign exchange, and brokerage and other trading services; securities finance and enhanced custody products; deposit and short-term investment facilities; investment manager and alternative investment manager operations outsourcing; performance, risk, and compliance analytics; and financial data management to support institutional investors. Read More Want to see what other hedge funds are holding STT? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for State Street Co. (NYSE:STT Free Report). Receive News & Ratings for State Street Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for State Street and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Yum China (NYSE:YUMC Get Free Report) and CAVA Group (NYSE:CAVA Get Free Report) are both retail/wholesale companies, but which is the superior stock? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, risk, valuation, earnings, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership and profitability. Analyst Recommendations This is a breakdown of current ratings and recommmendations for Yum China and CAVA Group, as reported by MarketBeat.com. Get Yum China alerts: Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Yum China 0 1 4 0 2.80 CAVA Group 0 4 9 0 2.69 Yum China presently has a consensus target price of $61.63, indicating a potential upside of 40.89%. CAVA Group has a consensus target price of $54.60, indicating a potential downside of 4.04%. Given Yum Chinas stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, equities analysts plainly believe Yum China is more favorable than CAVA Group. Institutional and Insider Ownership Earnings & Valuation 73.9% of Yum China shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 61.8% of CAVA Group shares are owned by institutional investors. 0.3% of Yum China shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a stock is poised for long-term growth. This table compares Yum China and CAVA Groups top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation. Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Yum China $10.98 billion 1.65 $827.00 million $1.96 22.32 CAVA Group $728.70 million 8.87 -$58.99 million N/A N/A Yum China has higher revenue and earnings than CAVA Group. Profitability This table compares Yum China and CAVA Groups net margins, return on equity and return on assets. Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Yum China 7.53% 11.56% 7.07% CAVA Group 1.82% 5.94% 1.56% Summary Yum China beats CAVA Group on 9 of the 11 factors compared between the two stocks. About Yum China (Get Free Report) Yum China Holdings, Inc. owns, operates, and franchises restaurants in the People's Republic of China. The company operates through KFC, Pizza Hut, and All Other segments. It operates restaurants under the KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, Lavazza, Little Sheep, and Huang Ji Huang concepts. The company also operates V-Gold Mall, a mobile e-commerce platform, which sells electronics, home and kitchen accessories, and other general merchandise, as well as fried rice, steak, and pasta; and offers online food deliver services. Yum China Holdings, Inc. was incorporated in 2016 and is headquartered in Shanghai, the People's Republic of China. About CAVA Group (Get Free Report) CAVA Group, Inc. owns and operates a chain of Mediterranean restaurants. The company offers salads, dips, spreads, toppings, and dressings. It sells its products through whole food markets and grocery stores. The company also provides online food ordering services. Cava Group, Inc. was founded in 2006 and is based in Washington, District of Columbia. Receive News & Ratings for Yum China Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Yum China and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. Moelis & Company (NYSE:MC Free Report) Equities research analysts at Zacks Research cut their Q1 2024 earnings estimates for Moelis & Company in a note issued to investors on Wednesday, February 28th. Zacks Research analyst R. Department now anticipates that the asset manager will post earnings per share of $0.05 for the quarter, down from their previous forecast of $0.09. The consensus estimate for Moelis & Companys current full-year earnings is $1.59 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Moelis & Companys Q2 2024 earnings at $0.16 EPS, Q4 2024 earnings at $0.73 EPS, FY2024 earnings at $1.37 EPS, Q2 2025 earnings at $0.70 EPS and FY2026 earnings at $4.00 EPS. Get Moelis & Company alerts: Moelis & Company (NYSE:MC Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 7th. The asset manager reported ($0.06) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of ($0.11) by $0.05. The company had revenue of $214.90 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $197.98 million. Moelis & Company had a negative net margin of 2.89% and a negative return on equity of 3.82%. Moelis & Companys revenue for the quarter was up 3.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.33 EPS. MC has been the topic of several other research reports. Morgan Stanley cut their target price on Moelis & Company from $39.00 to $38.00 and set an underweight rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, November 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on Moelis & Company from $46.00 to $57.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Thursday, February 8th. StockNews.com raised Moelis & Company from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research note on Thursday, February 8th. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on Moelis & Company from $41.00 to $47.00 and gave the company a sell rating in a report on Tuesday, December 19th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods restated a market perform rating and set a $56.00 price objective on shares of Moelis & Company in a research report on Monday, January 29th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating and three have assigned a hold rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, Moelis & Company presently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $45.60. Read Our Latest Research Report on Moelis & Company Moelis & Company Stock Performance NYSE:MC opened at $53.75 on Thursday. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.82 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -149.31 and a beta of 1.37. Moelis & Company has a 1 year low of $33.87 and a 1 year high of $58.67. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $55.11 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $49.15. Hedge Funds Weigh In On Moelis & Company Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Moelis & Company in the 2nd quarter worth about $222,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Moelis & Company by 5.7% during the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 792,729 shares of the asset managers stock worth $35,776,000 after purchasing an additional 42,424 shares during the period. HighTower Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of Moelis & Company by 3.2% during the 3rd quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 1,111,200 shares of the asset managers stock worth $50,144,000 after purchasing an additional 34,740 shares during the period. CenterBook Partners LP boosted its holdings in Moelis & Company by 37.2% in the 3rd quarter. CenterBook Partners LP now owns 106,789 shares of the asset managers stock worth $4,819,000 after acquiring an additional 28,929 shares during the period. Finally, Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan Trust Fund purchased a new position in shares of Moelis & Company during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $16,924,000. 91.53% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors. Insider Buying and Selling at Moelis & Company In related news, Vice Chairman Eric Cantor sold 17,857 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $52.60, for a total value of $939,278.20. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 195,863 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $10,302,393.80. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In related news, Vice Chairman Eric Cantor sold 17,857 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $52.60, for a total value of $939,278.20. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 195,863 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $10,302,393.80. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, CFO Joseph Simon sold 8,149 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $52.60, for a total transaction of $428,637.40. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 8,573 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $450,939.80. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 240,840 shares of company stock worth $12,860,645 over the last 90 days. 6.96% of the stock is owned by insiders. Moelis & Company Dividend Announcement The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 28th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 20th will be paid a dividend of $0.60 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 16th. This represents a $2.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.47%. Moelis & Companys payout ratio is -666.67%. About Moelis & Company (Get Free Report) Moelis & Company operates as an investment banking advisory firm. It offers advisory services in the areas of mergers and acquisitions, recapitalizations and restructurings, capital markets transactions, and other corporate finance matters. The company offers its services to public multinational corporations, middle market private companies, financial sponsors, entrepreneurs, governments, and sovereign wealth funds. Featured Articles Receive News & Ratings for Moelis & Company Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Moelis & Company and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter. In this article, we will take a look at 15 Developed Countries with Citizenship Tests. You can skip our detailed analysis and go directly to the 5 Developed Countries with Citizenship Tests. With the ever-increasing international immigrant movement, there has been a scramble for citizenship as well. A less restrictive immigrant policy stance, on average, along with greater acceptance of dual nationality, has further fueled this drive. Countries worldwide have developed various programs and methods for obtaining citizenship, the most common of which is the naturalization process. However, in an attempt to ensure that new migrants can effectively integrate and survive in the new society, authorities, especially in developed countries, have designed citizenship tests to evaluate them. Citizenship Tests as a Tool for Restricting Citizenship Migration, especially to advanced economies, has been a hot topic of political discussion for years. The increasing number of immigrants in recent years is indeed a point of deliberation for authorities, as these individuals need to be properly integrated into society for both parties to benefit. While some agree with the basic concept of the citizenship test as a measure of how well immigrants can integrate themselves into society, others are skeptical of the validity of these tests as an instrument. Notwithstanding this dichotomous view, citizenship tests have gained prominence over the years. Governments, aiming to manage the increased demand for citizenship, have resorted to using citizenship tests as a means to screen out certain applications. Among the 27 EU countries, 13 have introduced the citizenship test, including countries like Germany, Latvia, Hungary, Greece, and Estonia. Additionally, other countries such as Norway, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein have also adopted a similar approach. The Finnish government is also considering the implementation of this method to restrict citizenship grants. Story continues The Trump administration made changes to the test, increasing its length and difficulty. However, these alterations were subsequently overturned by the succeeding government. According to data from the US Citizenship and Immigration Services in 2022, 88% of applicants managed to pass the test on their first attempt, with an additional 7% succeeding on a re-take. The test is currently under consideration for an update, which includes the addition of a speaking part in the language section. While test-takers in the United States performed well, those aspiring to Australian citizenship faced greater challenges. After a modification to the test in 2020, data from May 2022 to August 2023 showed that out of 288,603 individuals who took the citizenship test, over 101,000 failed-- a 35% failure rate. This figure is significantly higher than the 21% failure rate recorded during the period from 2017 to 2021, where 684,208 citizenship tests were administered. Tech to the Rescue As citizenship tests gain widespread prevalence, the tech industry has identified a niche in the market and moved to consolidate its position. Companies such as Udemy, Inc (NASDAQ: UDMY), Google (NASDAQ: GOOG), and Amazon.com, Inc (NASDAQ: AMZN) have developed apps that allow users to study and test their knowledge of citizenship test questions. These apps are downloadable on phones and can assist test-takers in preparing for their exams anywhere. 15 Developed Countries with Citizenship Tests 15 Developed Countries with Citizenship Tests Methodology To compile our list of the 15 Developed Countries with Citizenship Tests, we referred to our article 35 Most Developed Countries in the World Heading into 2024 and selected the top 15 from that list. We then investigated whether each country in the top 15 imposes any citizenship test. If a country within the top 15 does not require a citizenship test, we proceeded to the next country beyond the 15th position in the article, continuing until we finalized our list. By the way, Insider Monkey is an investing website that uses a consensus approach to identify the best stock picks of more than 900 hedge funds investing in US stocks. The website tracks the movement of corporate insiders and hedge funds. Our top 10 consensus stock picks of hedge funds outperformed the S&P 500 stock index by more than 140 percentage points over the last 10 years ( see the details here ). So, if you are looking for the best stock picks to buy, you can benefit from the wisdom of hedge funds and corporate insiders. 15. Spain Insider Monkey ranking: 27 As an indispensable part of gaining Spanish citizenship, two tests (DELE A2 and CCSE) must be taken. The first is a language test, and the latter evaluates the applicants knowledge of the country. While the DELE A2 lasts for two and a half hours, the CCSE is a 45-minute test consisting of 25 multiple-choice and true-and-false questions, divided into 5 subsections. To pass, applicants must correctly answer 60% of the questions. The CCSE's first part covers the culture and society of Spain, constituting 40% of the section, while the remaining 60% focuses on Spanish politics and geography. However, applicants who have completed school or high school in the country are exempt from the CCSE test. The language part of the test, divided into reading, listening, speaking, and writing, aims to analyze the applicant's ability to communicate and understand clearly in the Spanish language. This language test is exempt for applicants from Latin American countries or those who can prove A2 level Spanish proficiency. 14. France Insider Monkey ranking: 26 The French Nationality Test is an integral part of the naturalization process in the country. It consists of three parts: a language section, a culture and history section, and an interview. The language section assesses the speaking and listening capabilities of the applicant, excluding writing. To pass, the individual must score a minimum of 300 points on the listening part and at least 6 out of 20 on the speaking part. In the culture and history section, 60% of the questions must be answered correctly to pass the exam. 13. South Korea Insider Monkey ranking: 24 The process of gaining South Korean citizenship requires passing their citizenship test called the KINAT. The test comprises multiple-choice questions, a written part, and an oral test, to be completed within 60 minutes. A minimum of 60 correct answers out of the 100 questions is required to pass the exam. The topics covered in the KINAT include linguistic skills, knowledge of the social system, society and culture, customs, and history of the country. Individuals exempt from taking the test include legal minors, those over 60, individuals who have completed the Social Integration Program, and those whom the Justice Minister believes have sufficient reasons for exemption. 12. Austria Insider Monkey ranking: 21 Introduced in 2006, Austrias citizenship test is a mandatory component of the naturalization process. The test assesses the applicants knowledge of Austrias democratic system, its history, and the applicants regional history. Administered in German, the test comprises 18 questions, divided into the aforementioned three sections. To pass the exam, the applicant must provide correct answers to at least half the questions in each section or achieve an overall score of two-thirds. 11. United Kingdom Insider Monkey ranking: 20 The UK citizenship test, commonly known as the Life in the UK test, is a crucial component of the country's naturalization process. Comprising 24 multiple-choice questions extracted from the Life in the UK handbook, the test aims to assess the applicants knowledge of UK customs, traditions, laws, and the political system. The test has a duration of 45 minutes, and to pass, an applicant must answer 18 out of the 24 questions correctly, achieving a score of 75%. Exemptions from the test include individuals below 18 or over 65, those with a physical or mental condition verified by a doctor's letter, and those who have already passed the test. Applicants are allowed to retake the test as many times as needed, with an associated fee. 10. Germany Insider Monkey ranking: 16 To attain German citizenship, applicants are required to undergo a written test on German life. The test consists of 33 questions, and individuals must answer at least 17 correctly to pass. The first 30 questions cover German history, social and cultural rules, and regulations, while the last three pertain to the area where the applicant resides. Exemptions from the test are granted to individuals below 16 years of age, those unable to test due to age-related reasons, and those with mental, physical, or learning disabilities. Additionally, people with German schooling or higher education in law or social, political, and administrative sciences are also exempt. 9. The United States Insider Monkey ranking: 15 As part of the naturalization process for US citizenship, applicants are required to pass a two-part test. The first component assesses the applicant's proficiency in English, evaluating their speaking, reading, and writing skills. The second part, known as the civics test, focuses on the applicants knowledge of US history and government. This is an oral test where the applicant is asked 10 questions out of a pool of 100 civic-related questions. Typically, applicants are tested on both parts of the test. However, certain conditions, such as age, the time period since green card issuance, and some medical conditions, may exempt individuals from specific components of the test. The test usually takes place on the same day as the interview and can be taken up to two times. 8. Canada Insider Monkey ranking: 14 To obtain Canadian citizenship, individuals aged 18-54 are required to pass the Canadian citizenship test administered by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). The test comprises 20 questions with both multiple-choice and true/false options and must be completed within 30 minutes. To pass, the applicant needs to provide correct answers to 15 out of the 20 questions, achieving a score of 75%. The test can be taken in either English or French and covers a range of topics, including the rights and responsibilities of Canadians, Canadian history, geography, economy, government structure, laws of Canada, national symbols, and specific provincial questions related to the applicant's place of residence. 7. Netherlands Insider Monkey ranking: 11 Before acquiring citizenship, applicants are required to take the Inburgeringsexamen, a citizenship test aimed at assessing the applicant's understanding of Dutch language and culture. The test comprises five sections with questions on Dutch laws and customs. The topics covered include knowledge of Dutch society, speaking competence, listening competence, reading competence, and writing competence. Each test part can be taken either separately or as a whole exam. Test results are typically emailed within 8 weeks of completing the exam. 6. Luxembourg Insider Monkey ranking: 10 The Luxembourg citizenship test consists of two parts. The first part is essentially a language test known as Sproochentest, comprising speaking and listening sections. The second part is designed to assess the applicants understanding of the social structure, organization, and history of the country. Passing both parts is a requirement, and the certificates obtained must be submitted with the citizenship application. The second part, known as 'Vivre ensemble au Grand-Duche de Luxembourg,' is a course aimed at helping applicants integrate into society. An exam is conducted at the end of the course, and both the course and the exam can be conducted in Luxembourgish/German, French, or English. The course focuses on fundamental human rights (6 hours with 10 questions), state and municipal institutions in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (12 hours with 20 questions), and the history of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and European integration (6 hours with 10 questions). The exam is in the form of multiple-choice questions and is taken on the computer. Individuals who have been living in the country for 20 years are exempt from both exams. Click to continue reading and see our 5 Developed Countries with Citizenship Tests. Suggested Articles: Disclosure: None. 15 Developed Countries with Citizenship Tests is originally published on Insider Monkey. Zheng Xiaohui (right), a Chinese student, plays erhu alongside another Chinese student, Ma Ruomeng, who plays pipa, in Milan, Italy, in September 2023. [China Daily] Architecture student forges cultural connections in Europe through street performances of traditional Chinese music, Zhao Ruixue reports in Jinan. Dressed in hanfu and adorned in delicate makeup, Zheng Xiaohui, a Chinese student in Milan, Italy, has been conducting street performances playing the erhu, a traditional two-stringed bowed instrument, to promote her country's culture to the world. Hailing from Weifang, Shandong Province, Zheng is currently pursuing a master's degree in architecture and urban design at the Politecnico di Milano. In her spare time, however, she has taken to the streets, performing in Italy and France, captivating passersby with her erhu performances. During her first street performance in Milan in April last year, many sat down to listen to her and some also attempted to play the erhu themselves. The enthusiastic response from the audience cheered her up. Currently, she does three or four street shows a month. Zheng's proficiency in playing the erhu has instilled in her the confidence to perform in public. Zheng Xiaohui performs the erhu on a street in Milan, Italy, in 2023. [China Daily] She began learning to play at the age of 9 as her parents sought to cultivate her focus and dedication. Zheng practiced one to two hours a day throughout her childhood. During her time at Xi'an Jiaotong University, she was part of the school's Chinese orchestra, where she honed her musical skills and collaborative abilities. "The erhu has become an integral part of my life, akin to a close friend," Zheng says. Her decision to take her talent to the streets was sparked by daily encounters with street performers in Milan, especially after she watched a video of a violinist's street performance that caused many people to dance, creating a great atmosphere. "I was so touched, and found that music has a great power to bring people together," she says. Zheng then decided to share the beauty of the erhu with the world, hoping to spark curiosity and appreciation for this traditional Chinese instrument. She applied for a pitch near a canal in Milan to perform. Zheng prepares for every performance. She carefully selects a diverse repertoire that combines traditional Chinese folk music with popular Italian classics, such as Jasmine, Horse Racing and a reworked version of Bella Ciao tailored for the erhu. "I made some simple adaptations to make Bella Ciao more suitable for the erhu," says Zheng. Zheng plays the erhu alongside a French musician, Matthieu Lecoq, in Paris in September 2023. [China Daily] Her performances have received positive responses, with audiences often expressing their appreciation for the enchanting melodies and even dancing or tapping their feet to the rhythm. Children often dance to the lively tune of Horse Racing, sometimes you see an elderly man swaying to Goodbye, My Friend, and even an Italian woman doing tai chi to Chinese music, says Zheng. "Music is a bridge for cultural communication, transcending language barriers," she says. To enhance her performances and expand the allure of Chinese traditional folk music, Zheng collaborates with other musicians, integrating instruments such as the pipa (a four-stringed Chinese lute), cello, and saxophone alongside the erhu. "I will continue to explore ways of collaboration with both traditional Chinese culture and Western culture, not just musical instruments, but also opera singing, street dancing and bianlian, the traditional Sichuan opera face-swapping performance," she says. Her efforts extend beyond live performances, as she shares her street performances online to showcase the charm of the erhu to a global audience. Zheng says that music is a powerful tool for cultural exchange and understanding, fostering meaningful connections. "Many people asked me about the erhu, such as how many strings it has, and some people have made observations about how I play the instrument," she says. Through her performances, she has not only sparked curiosity about the erhu, but has also inspired cultural appreciation. "One Italian woman purchased a traditional Chinese hanfu outfit after being captivated by my winter attire during a street performance," says Zheng. "Every time the audience appreciates my performance and wants to learn more about the erhu, I am encouraged and feel it is meaningful to spread Chinese culture by doing street performances," she says. Looking ahead, Zheng has aspirations to organize her own concerts to provide a platform for a wider audience to appreciate the beauty and cultural significance of Chinese folk music. (Source: China Daily) Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan hold a welcome ceremony for President of the Republic of Sierra Leone Julius Maada Bio and his wife Fatima Bio prior to the talks between Xi and Julius Maada Bio at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 28, 2024. Xi held talks with Julius Maada Bio, who is on a state visit to China, in Beijing on Wednesday. [Xinhua/Huang Jingwen] BEIJING, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with President of the Republic of Sierra Leone Julius Maada Bio, who is on a state visit to China, in Beijing on Wednesday. Noting that China and Sierra Leone enjoy a time-honored friendship, Xi said the two sides have supported each other on issues concerning their core interests and major concerns, carried out efficient cooperation in the fields of economic and social development, coordinated closely on issues such as world peace and development, and worked together to fight against Ebola and the COVID-19 pandemic. China-Sierra Leone relations are a good example of China-Africa solidarity and cooperation, Xi said, adding that China is willing to work with Sierra Leone to consolidate high-level political mutual trust, advance pragmatic and mutually beneficial cooperation, and strengthen coordination on international and regional affairs to push bilateral relations to a new level. Xi said China firmly supports the Sierra Leonean people in pursuing a development path suited to their national conditions. He said China stands ready to strengthen exchanges with Sierra Leone on national governance, and work with Sierra Leone to continue supporting each other's major concerns and safeguarding their respective sovereignty, security and development interests. China is also willing to provide assistance and support to the best of its ability for Sierra Leone's development in agriculture, infrastructure construction and human resources, and encourage Chinese enterprises to invest and do business in Sierra Leone, Xi said. Both sides should strengthen cooperation on UN Security Council affairs and jointly safeguard the interests of Africa and developing countries, Xi noted. The Chinese president welcomed Sierra Leone to participate in the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, and jointly promote the building of a community with a shared future for humanity. "China has always regarded solidarity and cooperation with African countries as an important cornerstone of our foreign policy," Xi said. China will work with African countries to align its initiatives to support Africa's industrialization, agricultural modernization and talent development with the African Union's Agenda 2063 and the development strategies of African countries; and to further integrate the development of China, Africa and the world to promote the upgrading of China-Africa cooperation and move the world towards a bright future of peace, security, prosperity and progress, Xi said. China is ready to work with African friends, including Sierra Leone, to make this year's session of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) a success, Xi said. Bio said China is a trustworthy and reliable friend, thanking China for its great support for its economic and social development. He spoke highly of the Communist Party of China leading the Chinese people to achieve leapfrog development and promoting national rejuvenation. Bio said China's experience provides inspirations for developing countries to accelerate their development. Bio said Sierra Leone abides by the one-China principle, supports China in safeguarding its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and supports China in safeguarding its core interests. He said Sierra Leone is willing to learn from China's experience, strengthen cooperation with China on the Belt and Road Initiative, and tap the potential for cooperation on infrastructure, trade, education and public services. After the talks, the two heads of state witnessed the signing of bilateral cooperation documents in the fields of the Belt and Road Initiative, agriculture, economic development, and the implementation of the Global Development Initiative. Both sides issued a joint statement on deepening their comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. Prior to the talks, Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan held a welcome ceremony for Bio and his wife Fatima Bio at the Great Hall of the People. In the evening, Xi and Peng held a banquet for Bio and Fatima. Chinese President Xi Jinping holds a welcome ceremony for President of the Republic of Sierra Leone Julius Maada Bio in the Northern Hall of the Great Hall of the People prior to their talks in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 28, 2024. Xi held talks with Julius Maada Bio, who is on a state visit to China, in Beijing on Wednesday. [Xinhua/Yin Bogu] Chinese President Xi Jinping holds a welcome ceremony for President of the Republic of Sierra Leone Julius Maada Bio in the Northern Hall of the Great Hall of the People prior to their talks in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 28, 2024. Xi held talks with Julius Maada Bio, who is on a state visit to China, in Beijing on Wednesday. [Xinhua/Liu Bin] Chinese President Xi Jinping holds a welcome ceremony for President of the Republic of Sierra Leone Julius Maada Bio in the Northern Hall of the Great Hall of the People prior to their talks in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 28, 2024. Xi held talks with Julius Maada Bio, who is on a state visit to China, in Beijing on Wednesday. [Xinhua/Wang Ye] Chinese President Xi Jinping holds talks with President of the Republic of Sierra Leone Julius Maada Bio, who is on a state visit to China, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 28, 2024. [Xinhua/Yin Bogu] Chinese President Xi Jinping and President of the Republic of Sierra Leone Julius Maada Bio witness the signing of bilateral cooperation documents in the fields of the Belt and Road Initiative, agriculture, economic development, and the implementation of the Global Development Initiative after their talks at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 28, 2024. Xi held talks with Julius Maada Bio, who is on a state visit to China, in Beijing on Wednesday. [Xinhua/Liu Bin] Chinese President Xi Jinping and President of the Republic of Sierra Leone Julius Maada Bio witness the signing of bilateral cooperation documents in the fields of the Belt and Road Initiative, agriculture, economic development, and the implementation of the Global Development Initiative after their talks at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 28, 2024. Xi held talks with Julius Maada Bio, who is on a state visit to China, in Beijing on Wednesday. [Xinhua/Liu Bin] (Source: Xinhua) Xu Shu delivers a lecture, in October, about her thoughts on death as a cancer patient and a hospice care volunteer at Peking University. [China Daily] A woman's experience of losing her mother and a cancer diagnosis launched a quest of understanding that ultimately inspired a journey to become a hospice volunteer and, consequently, an author, Yang Yang reports. On July 6, 2019, 62-year-old Xu Shu came to the palliative care unit at Beijing Haidian Hospital, the Haidian Section of Peking University Third Hospital, as a volunteer photographer. She hesitated. She knew that on the hospice beds lay cancer patients who, with life expectancies of no more than six months, usually suffered from severe pain. She knew how miserable they may look and sound. Three years before, when her mother received chemotherapy, Xu heard the wailing of a terminal cancer patient at the same ward. "It's so appalling. All the other patients became nervous when they heard the howling because that might also be their future," she recalls. Her mom told her she'd rather die in a coma. Xu's mother had lived with cancer for three years. But it was still hard for Xu to prepare for her unexpected death. In her final days, her health deteriorated quickly. Xu didn't know what could be done at home. So, she sent her mom to the hospital. It was a Sunday in mid-July. The ward's air conditioner was blowing cold blasts onto the bed to prevent cross infection. The nurse said nothing could be done about it. The pharmacy didn't have opioids because it was the weekend. But Xu was still able to obtain transdermal patches that she thought could help her mother get through the night. Before she drove her exhausted father home, she helped her mother lie down, covered her with a blanket and applied pain-relieving medicinal liquor on her dying purple toes. Her mom asked her to take good care of her father and said, "See you tomorrow". Those were her last words. Xu wanted to return to the hospital but was too tired. Thinking the nurses would attend to her mother, she fell asleep. She returned early the next morning and was surprised to receive an official notice that her mother was in critical condition. Xu rushed to her bedside. She found her mother couldn't move her facial muscles and her hands were tied to the bed. She asked her mom what had happened, but she could only move her head. A nurse explained "the patient" had been writhing in pain, so they'd secured her arms so she wouldn't disconnect the infusion tube. A night nurse had mistakenly peeled off the two transdermal patches, which no longer worked after they were reapplied. "The pain was so intense that she had a stroke," she says. Xu was devastated, thinking about how lonely, desperate and pain-stricken her mother was in that cold ward while she slept at home. The hospital only allowed half-hour visits each day. After the stroke, her mother was not able to say a word. And before Xu was ready, her mother died alone in the ICU. When she rushed to the hospital, she found fluid was oozing from a hole in her mother's chest. But she recalled she'd told the doctor to not do any invasive procedures. Xu was overcome with sorrow, regret, self-blame and despair. Half a year later, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She sent her father to an elder care center while she received treatment. And she and her husband spent the following year and a half traveling the world. In Britain, she lay on a lawn outside a beautiful graveyard, where she found people appeared more relaxed when confronted with death. In Kenya, she saw beautiful wild animals and shot great memories with her camera. But travel didn't allow her to entirely escape her sadness. She had to stop and contemplate her own death, "which is inevitable". "If I wanted to continue traveling blithely, first, I needed to answer the question that kept coming to me: If my cancer progressed, where and how am I going to die? I don't want to undergo my mother's pain. I don't want to die at the hospital in lonely despair. I was wondering if there is any better way to die," she says. "If, in the end, I get symptoms that can't be dealt with at home, where can I go to relieve the symptoms and die not so alone and helpless?" The cover of Xu's Book Chongqi Shengming (Life Anew) that recorded her experiences and thoughts related to death, hospice care and life. [China Daily] Final Comforts China's population is rapidly aging. In 2017, the National Health Commission released a guide for palliative care and a list of the first five pilot cities. Beijing Haidian Hospital became one of China's first to provide professional palliative care in hematology and oncology in July of that year. And Qin Yuan, a professor of palliative care at the hospital, happened to live in the same apartment building as Xu's parents. Xu learned for the first time about palliative care and the new unit at BHH from Qin's WeChat post: "At palliative care wards, terminal cancer patients can relieve pain and die with decency in the warm company of hospice caregivers, family members and friends." In 2018, Xu drafted a will clarifying what medical care she doesn't want if she's terminally ill intubation, treatment and examination that causes severe pain, to be kept alive in a vegetative state and so on. In July 2019, Xu became a volunteer photographer for BHH's hospice. Before she stepped into the palliative care ward, her body tensed up when she thought of the miserable scenes she'd see. She forced herself to go forward. To her surprise, when she pushed open the door, she saw a sunny room where flowers were blooming in the small pots on the windowsill. She heard volunteers greet each patient warmly, and they responded with friendliness. She saw a veteran volunteer holding a patient's hand, casting cherishing looks at him while talking with him. Other volunteers were helping patients wash and cut their hair, as if they were family or old friends. There was no wailing, no unbearable suffering. Every patient seemed relaxed in the company of at least one family member. Xu was amazed by such a warm scene, so full of love, but also felt confused at how the volunteers did what they did. "The patients here were lucky. At the darkest times of their lives, there were people holding their hands, caring for them, loving them and accompanying them to face their deaths. They were safe. They were not lonely," she says. Xu decided that she would receive palliative care at the end of her life. She at first volunteered as a caregiver out of selfish intentions she wanted to secure a bed for herself in the future. And she also wanted to help those patients and to reduce her own guilt. However, becoming a qualified palliative caregiver requires mastery of various kinds of knowledge. They need proper training to better understand life and death from philosophical and psychological perspectives so that they won't fear death or feel too sad or frustrated when the patients they care for and about die. "The lectures about life and death that I attended saved me. It helped me see my mother's death from a new perspective and rid myself of the deep sorrow, self-blame and depression I'd felt," she says. "Death is not the end of a life but the start of a new journey. Such an idea helps console many people, including doctors who have to face many deaths every day." Xu traveled to different places to see the world and take photos. She recalls the experiences as she enjoys a cup of tea in Kashgar, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. [China Daily] Xu also learned aromatherapy to massage concentrated plant-based oils onto patients' skin to help them relax and sleep. Another important thing volunteers must learn is to express their care and love through eye contact and body language. For example, caregivers should look at patients with warm and determined eyes, and should hug people in a way that will let them feel secure and warm. By studying, reading and practicing, Xu gradually mastered related knowledge and skills. She learned how to provide individualized care for patients to enable them to spend their final days in decency and comfort. In the end, peaceful deaths console both the dead and the living. Xu recalls that a middle-aged patient whose mother kept asking nurses to change his bed sheets. "She was very rude. Later, we learned that her son used to be a very clean person but hadn't been able to bathe for months after falling ill because his skin hurt. The mother felt like changing the bedsheets was all she could do for him," she recalls. So, Xu and another volunteer offered to give him aromatherapy. To persuade his mother, they first tried it on one leg. They applied essential oils on his limb, and massaged it very carefully and gently. The dead skin came off without hurting him. The mother burst into tears and became friendly toward them from then on. The three later performed aromatherapy on his whole body together. "Every patient is my teacher," Xu says. "At the palliative care unit, I learned to respect every life that will soon pass on. They inspired me to think about the value and meaning of life, and to reflect on my own." From 2020 to 2022, Xu volunteered to look after cancer patients in the palliative care unit of Beijing Haidian Hospital. [China Daily] Life Before Death Xu started to re-examine her life, and, in particular, her relationships with her parents, husband and daughter. She stopped being a people pleaser. She readjusted her relationships with her family. She reconciled with her mother in her mind and, most importantly, learned to talk to, admire and cherish herself. When her cancer returned, she found she didn't fear death anymore. "Death is as saintly as birth. I'm completely in awe of and obedient to it," she says. "Death can come at any time. Then, I will be happy to go. But now, I will live each day well." When her mother was terminally ill, Xu did not know what to do at home, so she had to send her to the hospital, leaving her to die alone there. When her father, who had Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, reached his last period of life, she knew what to do. And when she was not sure, she turned to Qin and Professor Ning Xiaohong from the palliative care unit of Peking Union Medical College Hospital. "When a family member is going to die, be generous and give him or her more love, even if it's just your touch or hugs, which are better than a thousand words," she says. "Let them feel how you really love and cherish them. And they'll leave this world surrounded by your love." Chinese people of her father's generation are, in general, not used to affectionate touching and hugs, and typically feel embarrassed when their children tell them they love them. Bit by bit, Xu brought her father to accept all her expressions of love through words and body language. She also help him imagine, through visualization, the fulfillment of wishes related to major life concerns like education, family and career. In the end, he died peacefully, with her by his side. Xu's experience as a hospice volunteer encouraged her to reflect on her life and she started doing things she was interested in. She learned to take photos with drones and in September Xu operated a drone over a prairie in Chifeng, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. [China Daily] Xu felt pleased that she could use her knowledge to help him through this process. She wrote an essay reflecting on her mother's and father's deaths, and her own very different experiences and feelings. She sent it to Qin and Ning as a kind of summary of what she'd learned and practiced. Ning encouraged Xu to share her experiences with more volunteers, since the contrast between her parents' deaths was too stark. After she shared her stories with them, she was invited to write a book. Last year, Chongqi Shengming (Life Anew) was published by Guangxi Normal University Press. Starting from her early life, Xu tells her stories about dealing with life and death in concise language. The book is rated 8.8 out of 10 on the major Chinese review site, Douban. Many readers comment that they're inspired by the writer's thoughts on life and death, and knowledge about palliative care. Beijing Haidian Hospital has increased its palliative care beds from six to 50. According to a municipal plan, by 2025, every community in Beijing will build a hospice center with at least 50 beds, which adds up to more than 1,800 citywide. An old Chinese saying goes: "You can't know life before you know death." Xu says she rediscovered her life at age 62. Today, she's learning to use drones to take photos of the world's most splendid views. She prints some of these travel photos and brings them to the hospital's palliative care unit. "Patients there will choose the ones they love and hang them in front of their beds," she says. "I'm happy to give them some warmth in this way." (Source: China Daily) 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. In this article, we will look at the 15 highest paying countries for chefs. We have also discussed the recent developments in the culinary industry. If you want to skip our detailed analysis, head straight to the 5 Highest Paying Countries for Chefs. The food service market is witnessing exponential growth, with a projected increase from $2.85 trillion in 2023 to $6.3 trillion by 2031, indicating a remarkable CAGR of 10.45% during the forecast period. This increase is attributed to the evolving consumer lifestyle, technological developments, and rising disposable incomes, especially in emerging economies. A key driver of this growth is the growing convenience culture, where consumers look for quick and easy meal solutions due to their fast-paced lifestyles. This demand has led to the popularity of ready-to-eat meals, fast food, and food delivery services, contributing significantly to market expansion. Moreover, urbanization and changing lifestyles have increased the number of individuals eating out or ordering food, further propelling market growth. It is interesting to observe that major US restaurant chains, such as IHOP and Applebee's, currently operate at about 90% of their pre-pandemic staffing levels, representing a trend persisting for at least four consecutive quarters. IHOP alone is adjusting by reducing operating hours in nearly a quarter of its US locations due to a shortage of overnight shift workers. Despite recent improvements in hiring, the industry remains approximately 635,000 workers short compared to pre-pandemic levels, constituting a 5.1% deficit as of July. In response to labor shortages, restaurant chains are implementing technological solutions and operational adjustments. For instance, Marco's Pizza has integrated machines to expedite dough preparation, significantly reducing the time needed for this task. Additionally, Chili's Grill & Bar is reevaluating kitchen processes to optimize labor efficiency, potentially saving millions in operating costs annually. To read more about automation in other industries, see the Industries Being Revolutionized By AI and Automation Technologies. Story continues It is also worth noting that the culinary profession often fosters a sense of passion and creativity, leading to job satisfaction and loyalty. Additionally, many chefs benefit from structured career advancement opportunities, such as promotions and skill development, which incentivize long-term commitment. This also explains why workers in the food industry exhibit high retention rates, with positions like sous chef (11.18%), executive chef (16.16%), and head chef (17.19%), according to recent data from Indeed.com. Chefs are known to have the happiest jobs in the world. The highest paid job of a chef is that of an executive chef and the average salary for an Executive Chef is $85030 per year in US. Two of the highest paying companies for chefs in the US are Brinker International, Inc (NYSE:EAT) and Darden Restaurants, Inc (NYSE:DRI). Brinker International, Inc (NYSE:EAT) is a renowned casual dining restaurant company that has an extensive global presence with over 1,600 restaurants across 29 countries and two US territories. Among its celebrated brands are Chilis Grill & Bar, Maggianos Little Italy, and the virtual brand Its Just Wings. Established in Dallas, Texas, in 1975, Chilis revolutionized casual dining with its bold flavors, quality ingredients, and Texas-sized portions, all served in a welcoming "come as you are" atmosphere. This ethos remains ingrained in Brinker International, Inc (NYSE:EAT)s culture, ensuring guests feel at home in every visit. Chefs within Brinker International, Inc (NYSE:EAT) enjoy lucrative salaries, thanks to the company's success and demand for skilled culinary professionals. With over 100,000 team members worldwide, Brinker International, Inc (NYSE:EAT) offers ample opportunities for growth and advancement. The company's commitment to quality extends beyond its flagship brands, as evidenced by the launch of Its Just Wings in 2020, a virtual brand operating out of existing Chilis and Maggianos locations. Furthermore, Brinker International, Inc (NYSE:EAT) has a strong focus on sustainability and community engagement, reflecting its dedication to making a positive impact beyond the dining experience. Through its scratch kitchens and family-style dining options at Maggianos, the company fosters an environment where guests can celebrate life's special moments. On the other hand, Darden Restaurants, Inc (NYSE:DRI) has been a highly trusted name when it comes to culinary experience. The company reported a strong growth in its Q2 Fiscal 2024 earnings, with total sales increasing by 9.7% to $2.7 billion and adjusted diluted net earnings per share rising by 21.1% to $1.84. Darden Restaurants, Inc (NYSE:DRI) also announced a raised quarterly dividend of $1.31 per share and repurchased $181 million of its common stock. The company updated its fiscal 2024 outlook, projecting total sales of approximately $11.5 billion and adjusted diluted net earnings per share from continuing operations of $8.75 to $8.90, signaling confidence in its performance despite industry challenges. Segment-wise, Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse saw significant same-restaurant sales growth, while the Fine Dining and Other Business segments experienced declines. Darden Restaurants, Inc (NYSE:DRI)s strong financial performance was reflected in positive segment profit across the board. 15 Highest Paying Countries for Chefs A busy restaurant kitchen with a chef carefully plating a meal. Methodology To list the highest paying countries for chefs, we identified the countries with the highest demand for chefs and then made a list for 25 countries with the average salaries for chefs. Of those 25, the 15 with the highest average salaries were selected and have been ranked. We acquired the data for average salaries of chefs for each country from the Economic Research Institute (ERI). The list is presented in ascending order. By the way, Insider Monkey is an investing website that uses a consensus approach to identify the best stock picks of more than 900 hedge funds investing in US stocks. The website tracks the movement of corporate insiders and hedge funds. Our top 10 consensus stock picks of hedge funds outperformed the S&P 500 stock index by more than 140 percentage points over the last 10 years (see the details here). So, if you are looking for the best stock picks to buy, you can benefit from the wisdom of hedge funds and corporate insiders. 15. Finland Average Salary: $47,173 Finland's reputation as one of the highest-paying countries for chefs can be attributed to several factors deeply rooted in its culture and culinary evolution. Traditional Finnish cuisine with stews, root vegetables, and locally sourced ingredients, has evolved over centuries, blending influences from Swedish and Russian governance periods. Recent decades saw an increase in gastronomic innovation, with Helsinki boasting seven Michelin-starred restaurants and a burgeoning fine dining scene. 14. Canada Average Salary: $47,613 In Canada, the demand for chefs has been notably high, with projected job openings totaling 33,800 from 2022 to 2031. However, this demand is overshadowed by an influx of 44,900 new job seekers during the same period. This surplus of potential workers is expected to shift the occupation from a previous shortage to balanced conditions. Nevertheless, owing to the high quality of life and work-life balance, Canada is one of the best countries for chefs. 13. United Arab Emirates Average Salary: $48,874 The UAE is one of the highest paying countries for chefs in Asia owing to its flourishing hospitality industry, characterized by luxury hotels and ambitious projects. The region's relentless pursuit of culinary excellence demands top-tier talent, driving up salaries for skilled chefs. Grand hotels like the Burj Al Arab and Atlantis, the Palm, are global examples of world-class dining experiences, necessitating highly trained culinary professionals. Owing to the countrys emphasis on culinary experiences, the UAE is one of best countries for chef courses. 12. Ireland Average Salary: $49,342 In response to shortages, Ireland is offering diverse chef courses. For example, Ulster University's Culinary Arts Management course prepares for roles like Head Chef, Executive Chef. Owing to the high salaries and an excellent culinary industry, Ireland is one of the best countries for chef jobs. 11. Iceland Average Salary: $49,376 Iceland presents a unique opportunity for chefs owing to its emphasis on fresh and locally sourced ingredients such as abundant seafood and geothermally grown produce. The country's culinary scene is burgeoning, with a growing number of acclaimed restaurants showcasing innovative Nordic cuisine. It is one of the best places to work as a chef. 10. Netherlands Average Salary: $50,849 The Netherlands has a rich culinary heritage, with its traditional dishes like stamppot and stroopwafels, alongside a vibrant street food culture influenced by its multicultural society. Furthermore, the Netherlands' commitment to sustainability extends to its food industry, promoting organic farming and reducing food waste. This emphasis on ethical sourcing aligns with modern culinary trends and attracts chefs aspiring to make a positive impact through their cuisine. It is one of the countries with the best paying chef jobs. 9. Austria Average Salary: $51,172 Recently, the Austrian Airlines reintroduced its Flying Chefs for premium long-haul passengers, enhancing the dining experience with Austrian cuisine and hospitality. Dubbed "Tastefully Austrian," the upgraded menu features expanded options including Viennese coffee service and a cheese trolley in business class. Austria is one of the countries where chefs get paid the most in the world. 8. Norway Average Salary: $51,925 Norway's culinary industry thrives on its rich seafood offerings and commitment to sustainable practices, inspiring chefs worldwide. Renowned chefs like Eyvind Hellstrom, celebrated for his innovative Nordic cuisine, and Christopher Haatuft, known for his farm-to-table approach at Lysverket, exemplify Norway's culinary excellence. 7. Germany Average Salary: $52,348 Germany is popular for its high-paying chef positions owing to its strong culinary culture and demand for skilled professionals. Notable hotels like Hotel Adlon Kempinski and Brenners Park-Hotel & Spa in Baden-Baden are known for offering competitive salaries to chefs. Renowned chefs such as Tim Raue and Heinz Beck have also contributed to Germany's culinary reputation. It is one of the highest paying countries for chefs in Europe. 6. Australia Average Salary: $52,759 The culinary profession holds the record for the largest pool of applicants awaiting their PR visas, totaling 1,923 individuals in Australia. This trend highlights a rising demand for hospitality experts within the country. Australia's culinary sector has been notably impacted by the pandemic, resulting in a dearth of skilled chefs and prompting an immediate requirement for proficient and seasoned professionals to address the vacancies. Moreover, according to the latest Labour Market Update report from Jobs and Skills Australia, Chefs have secured the 8th position among the highly demanded occupations in the country. Click here to see the 5 Highest Paying Countries for Chefs. Suggested Articles: Disclosure: None. 15 Highest Paying Countries for Chefs is originally published on Insider Monkey. North Wales Growth Deal project kicks off with Turf Cutting at Wrexham University An official Turf Cutting to celebrate the start of the North Wales Growth Deals first construction project has seen ministers and partners come together at Wrexham University. The Enterprise Engineering and Optics Centre (EEOC), at the Plas Coch campus, will deliver a specialist facility for research and development, business collaboration and skills development in optics, photonics and composites as lightweight alternatives for manufacturing, offering regional manufacturing businesses support in reducing the environmental impact of their products and processes. Green hydrogen will also be developed on-site as part of the project, thanks to the installation of a hydrogen electrolyser as part of the build, which will contribute to sustainable practices in industry. Last week Fay Jones MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales and Rebecca Evans MS, Minister for Finance and Local Government were joined on site at Wrexham Universitys Plas Coch Campus in Wrexham by representatives from the University, Ambition North Wales and Wynne Construction. Together they marked the occasion of construction commencing on the site of the new EEOC. Professor Maria Hinfelaar, Vice-Chancellor at Wrexham University, said the turf cutting is an incredibly proud day for the university. She said: This milestone development would not be possible without investment from the North Wales Growth Deal. We are also delighted that Wynne Construction will be delivering this build. We are confident that the Centre will be of a high-standard in terms of design, functionality and also, in demonstrating significant carbon emissions reductions, all while delivering vast social value to North Wales. Richard Day, Professor of Composites Engineering and Pro Vice Chancellor for Research at Wrexham University, added that the centre will help to provide students, staff, as well as industry partners, with access to cutting-edge research, business collaboration and skills development. Chris Wynne, managing director, Wynne Construction, said: We are thrilled to be part of this transformative development for Wrexham University. We look forward to bringing our expertise, and working together with the University team and partners, to create a first-class building that leaves a lasting legacy for Wrexham and the North Wales region. Rebecca Evans MS, Minister for Finance and Local Government, said: I am pleased to be here in Wrexham to see the start of construction on this exciting project which is part of the North Wales Growth Deal. Based on two sites it will bring benefits across North Wales. It is good news for training and skills, as well as helping businesses reduce their impact on the environment. The development will play an important part in our aims to reach net-zero. Fay Jones MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales, added: I was delighted to be in Wrexham to see the start of the delivery of this fantastic project. The new Enterprise Engineering and Optics Centre promises to be a brilliant facility for Wrexham University and their industry colleagues. The UK Government is proud to invest in the North Wales Growth Deal, helping to bring about real change in North Wales by creating jobs and spreading prosperity through projects just like this. The EEOC project will be delivered across two of the university sites the Plas Coch campus in Wrexham and the OpTIC Technology Centre at the St Asaph campus. Growth Deal funding, through Ambition North Wales, will provide 11.55m of the total value of the project. [email protected] Welsh Government accused of papering over cracks in apprenticeship funding u-turn The Welsh Government has been accused of papering over the cracks after a U-turn on cuts to apprenticeship funding. Vaughan Gething confirmed 5.25m has been restored to the 2024-25 apprenticeship budget, taking overall investment to more than 143m a year. However, Wales economy minister warned the loss of former EU funding means there will still be an impact on apprenticeships. Mr Gething said this will be compounded by a UK Government decision to prevent councils from using replacement funds to support Wales-wide programmes. He outlined the aims of a new apprenticeship policy statement: strengthening important sectors; plugging skills gaps and boosting productivity, and tackling economic inequality. Spin Paul Davies, the Conservatives shadow minister, described the statement on February 27 as a disappointing attempt to paper over the cracks. He said: Three weeks ago, the minister promised lots of positivity in todays statement, but in reality this statement is straight out of the Alastair Campbell school of spin. Mr Davies warned the three aims of the policy statement are meaningless if the sector does not have enough funding in the medium and longer term. The reality is the sector will still receive a significant cut to its budget, he said. Rather than a cut of 17.5m, the sector is now facing a cut of 12.25m. Thats hardly positive, is it? Mr Gething stressed the need to balance the overall budget which he said is worth 1.3bn less in real terms than when it was set in 2021. Precarious Luke Fletcher welcomed the reversal of cuts as a step in the right direction but warned that the future of apprenticeships remains in a precarious place. Raising concerns about poor communication, Plaid Cymrus shadow minister warned: The sector was told to expect a 3% cut then it turned out to be a 24% cut. And now this reversal, as welcome as it is the uncertainty hasnt been good for the sector and its long-term planning. Mr Fletcher warned it will take years to recover from the loss of apprenticeship places. Calling for more meat on the bones of the new policy statement, he said: Theres nothing to disagree with in terms of the principles but thats what they are at the moment, supplemented with a lot of management speak and no clear actions. Vital Jack Sargeant, a Labour backbencher, who is a former engineering apprentice, told the chamber businesses in north-east Wales rely on quality apprenticeship programmes. The Alyn and Deeside MS said apprenticeships play a vital role in terms of building more homes, retrofitting existing homes and achieving net zero in a range of sectors in Wales. Laura Anne Jones, the Conservatives shadow education minister, criticised Welsh ministers for breaking a manifesto commitment to create 125,000 all-age apprenticeships by 2026. Mr Gething highlighted Conservative commitments to replace EU funding, saying: It is simply not the case that that manifesto pledge has even come close to being kept. Hefin David criticised the apprenticeship levy which he described as a UK Government tax that does not return to businesses in Wales in the same way as it does in England. Stretching Dr David, the Labour MS for Caerphilly, highlighted the recommendations of a 2023 report he authored for the Welsh Government on transitions to employment. Huw Irranca-Davies, who co-chairs a new cross-party group on apprenticeships alongside Mr Fletcher, raised concerns about the impact of the pandemic and cost-of-living crisis. The Labour MS for Ogmore warned that low-earning apprentices living in deprived areas had lower completion rates, according to latest data. Mr Irranca-Davies welcomed the restoration of 5.2m to the apprenticeship budget but cautioned it is still going to be immensely stretching for the sector Mr Gething said: Were still having to make terrible choices in other parts of the budget to make sure theres a budget that balances, and thats very uncomfortable. By Chris Haines, ICNN Senedd reporter [email protected] This article takes a look at the 15 states that dont tax retirement pension payouts. If you wish to skip our detailed analysis on navigating retirement taxes, you may go to 5 States That Dont Tax Retirement Pension Payouts. Navigating Retirement Taxes: From Strategic Planning to State Choices If you think taxes are going to leave you alone in retirement, think again. Contrarily, they do exist even in your golden period, underscoring the importance of proactive planning to navigate their impact effectively. According to The Charles Schwab Corporation (NYSE:SCHW), there are two unknowns looming in retirement: the taxable portion of your income, and their tax rate. Even though these unknowns exist, The Charles Schwab Corporation (NYSE:SCHW) asserts that it is still possible to plan for a potentially better tax outcome. "One approach is to use accounts with a variety of tax treatments so you can better control your taxable income in retirement. -Rob Williams, managing director of financial planning, retirement income, and wealth management at the The Charles Schwab Corporation (NYSE:SCHW) Center for Financial Research. The four main account typestax-deferred, Roth, taxable, and health savings accounts (HSAs)offer unique tax advantages. Employing strategies such as capturing employer matches, utilizing HSAs for medical expenses, maximizing tax-advantaged savings, investing tax-efficiently, and considering Roth conversions can offer a diversified and flexible approach to managing taxes in retirement. "Anticipating future tax rates is always a bit of a guessing game, but with several account types at your disposal, there's potential to build in flexibility and a surprising level of control over future tax bills." - Rob Williams Employing this approach can indeed provide a measure of control over your retirement taxes. Yet, a significant number of retirees are also leveraging an alternative strategy: moving states. Thats right, a large number of homebuyers have been actively moving states in the past many years, many of whom are retirees. For the fourth consecutive year, California leads U-Haul Holding Company (NYSE:UHAL)'s Growth Index as the state with the highest number of outbound moves, according to a study conducted by U-Haul Holding Company (NYSE:UHAL). California is notorious for its high cost of living, and it is no surprise that homebuyers are looking to move out and into states that offer nicer weather, and lower cost of living. The U-Haul Holding Company (NYSE:UHAL) Report claims that their growth index is an effective gauge of how well states and cities are attracting and maintaining residents, even though it does not directly correlate to economic or population increases. Story continues So where are potential retirees moving anyway? Apparently, Texas, Florida, and the Carolinas are the most popular states that individuals are moving to. Texas and Florida are not only revered for their warm climate, but also because of their attractive cost of living. Moreover, both of these states dont tax social security. Since retirees have fixed incomes to depend on, they are increasingly favoring states that have a lower tax burden, a lower-than-average cost of living, and a warm climate to ensure they can lead a comfortable life. This article delves into the tax landscape for retirees, specifically focusing on states that offer the advantage of not taxing retirement pension payouts. Understanding the tax landscape can significantly impact financial decisions and contribute to a more secure and informed retirement. Therefore, let us embark on this exploration to uncover how much a retiree can benefit by choosing a state that doesnt tax retirement pension payouts. 15 States That Don't Tax Retirement Pension Payouts Copyright: javenlin1018 / 123RF Stock Photo Methodology To compile the list of states that dont tax retirement pension payouts, we have filtered out all the states that tax pension incomes. Next, we ranked the states on their cost of living index and tax friendliness. Cost of living has been sourced from the Missouri Economic Research & Information Center, whereas tax-friendliness has been sourced from Smart Asset. Scores were summed up and places were ranked in ascending order from the lowest to the highest Insider Monkey Score. 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. Here are all the states that dont tax retirement pension payouts: 15. Hawaii Insider Monkey Score: 2 Cost of Living Index: 180.3 Tax Friendliness: Moderately Tax-Friendly Hawaii is considered a moderately tax-friendly state that doesnt tax Social Security benefits or income from public and private pensions. However, other types of retirement income, such as withdrawals from retirement accounts, are charged at a high-income tax rate. The combined sales tax rate for the state is 4.4%, and even groceries are taxed. Prescription drugs, however, are tax-exempt. The average effective property tax rate is one of the lowest in the US at 0.29%, largely because home prices in the state are high. The cost of living in the state is a whopping 80.3% higher than the national average. Moderate tax-friendliness, high cost of living, and high home prices make Hawaii one of the worst states to retire to for taxes and cost of living. 14. Washington Insider Monkey Score: 6 Cost of Living Index: 116 Tax Friendliness: Tax-Friendly Another state that doesnt tax your pension or social security is Washington. The state of Washington doesnt tax any form of retirement income, which is why retirees can enjoy their fixed incomes tax-free in this state. This is good news even for the retiree who wishes to work after retirement, as they can enjoy tax-free income in the state. Property taxes in the state are also less than the national average, with the average effective property tax rate standing at 0.94%. However, the one tax this state relies on heavily for its revenue is the sales tax, which is 6.5%. The combined sales tax rate can be as high as 10.5%, whereas the cost of living is also 16% higher than the national average. 13. New Hampshire Insider Monkey Score: 7 Cost of Living Index: 114.1 Tax Friendliness: Tax Friendly New Hampshire is another state that doesnt tax retirement pension payouts. The state doesnt tax social security benefits either. However, dividends and interests are taxed for the current tax year at 5% and will continue to be taxed until it's phased out by December 2024. According to the NH Department of Revenue Administration, the I&D (Interests and Dividends) tax shall be repealed for taxable periods beginning after December 31, 2024. The state doesnt have a sales tax, either. However, property taxes are some of the highest in the country. 12. Pennsylvania Insider Monkey Score: 10 Cost of Living Index: 95.6 Tax Friendliness: Tax-Friendly Next up on our list of states that dont tax retirement pension payouts is Pennsylvania. Social Security benefits are not taxed in the state, whereas payments from retirement accounts like 401(k)s and IRAs are also tax-exempt. Income from pensions is also tax-exempt for seniors who are aged 60 or older. Moreover, the cost of living is 4.4% lower than the national average. The average total sales tax rate is 6.17%, while property taxes are quite high. 11. Texas Insider Monkey Score: 11 Cost of Living Index: 92.7 Tax Friendliness: Tax-Friendly Texas doesn't tax retirement income or pension payouts since there is no income tax in the state. The cost of living is also favorable for retirees, which is 7.3% lower than the national average. While the cost of living and taxes are favorable for the average retiree, the state does however earn its revenue from the high sales and property taxes in the state. The average effective property tax rate in the state is 1.9%, which is one of the highest in the country. On the other hand, the sales tax rate is about 6.25%, and the local sales tax can be as high as 2%. 10. Alaska Insider Monkey Score: 12 Cost of Living Index: 125.2 Tax Friendliness: Very Tax-Friendly Alaska may be known for its crazy high cost of living, but the state doesnt tax retirement income or social security. There is no sales tax, no estate tax, and no inheritance tax either. However, there is a property tax, which stands at 1.17%. Alaska may be very tax-friendly for retirees, but the high cost of living and harsh weather tend to offset this financial advantage. No wonder it is one of the worst states to retire on social security. 9. Iowa Insider Monkey Score: 13 Cost of Living Index: 90.3 Tax Friendliness: Moderately Tax-Friendly Iowa is a moderately tax-friendly state to retire to, with a favorable cost of living. The living expenses in this state are 9.7% lower than the national average. Regarding taxes on retirement income, all retirement income is exempt for taxpayers who are at least 55 years old. The sales tax rate is 6%, while the combined rate can be as high as 7%. Certain exemptions are available such as on food, prescription drugs, and some types of non-prescription medication. 8. Illinois Insider Monkey Score: 14 Cost of Living Index: 92.1 Tax Friendliness: Tax-Friendly Another state that doesnt tax retirement pension payouts is Illinois. The state of Illinois charges a flat individual income tax rate of 4.95%. However, seniors dont have to pay taxes on retirement income. Income from most retirement plans is exempt from taxes, which includes payments from qualified employee benefit plans (401(k) plans and traditional pensions), government retirement plans, military pensions, and IRAs. Earnings from other sources, such as investment income, are taxable. 7. Nevada Insider Monkey Score: 15 Cost of Living Index: 101 Tax Friendliness: Very Tax-Friendly The state of Nevada is very tax-friendly for retirees, and the cost of living is a tad bit high (1% higher than the national average). This is because the state doesn't have an income tax, and retirees get to receive their income tax-free. Property taxes in the state are low as well, whereas sales taxes are a little higher than the national average. 6. Tennessee Insider Monkey Score: 15 Cost of Living Index: 90.3 Tax Friendliness: Tax-Friendly The state of Tennessee doesnt have an income tax either. This means that at the state level, retirement income isnt taxed for retirees. property taxes in the state are quite low as well. The average effective property tax rate is 0.65%, while the sales tax rate is 9.61%. Nevertheless, the cost of living is an advantage of retiring here, which is 9.7% lower than the national average. Click to continue reading and see the 5 States That Don't Tax Retirement Pension Payouts. Suggested Articles: Disclosure: None. 15 States That Don't Tax Retirement Pension Payouts is published on Insider Monkey. Long before it aired, it was clear that the BBCs Panorama investigation into letter delivery failures by Royal Mail across the UK was going to be a cover-up. The surest sign of this was the involvement of Dave Ward, General Secretary of the Communication Workers Union (CWU). Six days before it aired Monday night, CWU officials Ward and Martin Walsh posted a notice on the unions Facebook page announcing that Panoramas special episode would highlight the current state of play with regards to Royal Mail and the future of the postal service by interviewing a wide range of customers, managers and politicians. They revealed, the union has been engaged in the programme, promising it would spark a major debate and we will maximise our voice in that. A CWU press release announced that Ward would be available after the programme for media comment. CWU Facebook posting stating that the union has been engaged in the programme, promising it would spark a major debate and we will maximise our voice in that. [Photo: CWU Facebook] Among postal workers, suspicion was rife. Comments beneath the CWUs Facebook announcement were pointed: Well it will be heavily edited, because ANY postie telling the truth would tear the CWU and Royal Mail apart Im not sure who is worse, [far-right commentator] Katie Hopkins, [Prime Minister] Rishi Sunak, Dave Ward or Royal Mail. Another postal worker added, Always up for the fight behind a camera, different matter behind closed doors where they just cave in!! This was a reference to Wards role in the bitter year-long strike at Royal Mail that was betrayed by the CWU. During months of secret talks with company executives, Ward co-authored a 35-page Business Recovery, Growth and Transformation Agreement, cementing the destruction of terms and conditions for tens of thousands of postal workers. Panoramas episode began with a promising question: Royal Mail customers are demanding to know, Wheres my post? Reporter Zoe Conway cited chronic mail delays across Britain, including one quarter of first-class mail arriving late, and devastating, even life-threatening consequences for customers. Jasmin Moulton told Panorama that her children, five-year-old Harper and three-year-old Joshua, missed hospital appointmentsJoshua for surgery to his throatbecause mail notifications never arrived. Knocking on doors, Conway finds the problem is widespread. At Winsford delivery office, she encounters locals, including a cancer patient, arriving to ask for mail, including appointments for life-saving treatment, which they might otherwise not receive for weeks. But Panoramas opening question is sidestepped. The half-hour episode sees Conway evade any serious investigation of Royal Mail executives, the Conservative government, the Labour Party opposition, regulator Ofcomand the CWU executive. The latter have colluded with Royal Mail to enforce a raft of revisions to work practices aimed at driving up workloads and crashing the six-day-a-week mail delivery guarantee known as the Universal Service Obligation (USO). The sharpest proof of a cover-up is Panoramas refusal to even mention the issues at stake in the year-long strike. This means excluding the voice of postal workers and blocks any examination of their struggle against the profit dictates of the company. Instead, the USOs failure is presented solely as a consumer issue, to be resolved through moral appeals and an agreement between Royal Mail, the government and the CWU to reduce the USO while supposedly safeguarding the interests of consumers. This is Wards line during a softball interview with Conway. Panoramas episode includes, preposterously, an interview with former CEO Rico Back who observes, People do not get their letters and parcels sometimes, which means people are not very happy with Royal Mail. This is the same Rico Back appointed to oversee Royal Mails shift to a parcel-led company. He creamed off millions during his two-year tenure, including a 6 million golden hello and annual salary package of 2.7 million. Conway is a master of understatement. Her voiceover at the start announces, Some posties say at times they are told to prioritise parcels over letters. You would never know that thousands of Royal Mail workers have already supplied evidence of company-wide prioritisation of tracked parcels over letters. Last years parliamentary inquiry was inundated with email submissions from postal workers. Royal Mail workers have been scathing about Panoramas investigation, with hundreds of angry and bemused comments on Facebook: I thought Panorama was all about going undercover and getting to the truth why talk to customers, they dont know whats happening speak to us!! I thought it was rubbish and did not go anywhere near far enough. Load of old shite, wasnt long enough and didnt really get to the bottom of why we are failing almost daily. No mention of lapsing or our deliveries being too big in the first place. Doesnt take much working out. Only touched the tip of the iceberg and what [a load] of crap that came out of both RM [Royal Mail] and the union. It was a program of lies and deception a coverup of the truth. Many workers ridiculed the limited investigative scope by the state broadcasters flagship current affairs programme. This included sending 51 first class letters to recipients to see how many arrived late (30 did). Conway later sent six letters with digital trackers inside to find out where they are getting stuck (spoiler: the delivery office). Panoramas interview with Back was galling, described by one postal worker as the biggest kick in the nuts. Likewise, Conways light-touch interview with Corporate Affairs Director Jenny Hall was ridiculed, with Hall denying any company policy to preference parcels over letters. Royal Mail needed to find a financially sustainable way to protect the USO, she argued. But shareholders and asset strippers like Blackrock Inc and Vesa Equity will not be deprived of their lucrative dividends and profits. Labour MP Anneliese Dodds was portrayed as a crusader for truth over her prearranged visit to a delivery office in Oxford to investigate mail delays. She feigns shock that managers conspired to hide piles of undelivered letters. But Dodds, who served in the shadow Treasury team under Jeremy Corbyns shadow chancellor John McDonnell, and is now chair of the Labour Party, is never asked what Sir Keir Starmers pro-business party would do differently to the Tories. Her truthful answer would be Nothing. Communication Workers Union Deputy General Secretary (Postal) Martin Walsh, (left) and CWU General Secretary Dave Ward speaking at a CWU Live event [Photo: screenshot of video: CWU/Facebook] Ward delivers the final sickening instalment in a balcony interview overlooking Londons financial district. He tells a gravely nodding Conway, Royal Mail decided they wanted to go to a lower-cost employment model. They wanted to bring in new workers on lower terms and conditions, and what theyve created in the local sorting office is a situation where people can never complete their delivery in a lot of cases, and thats led to lower morale. What a charlatan. These sweatshop conditions have been introduced in direct collusion with the CWU postal executive. It was Wards sellout national agreement that established a two-tier workforce with all new permanent hires on inferior pay, terms and conditions. Ward finishes with a shameless call to ditch the six-day USO: I think there needs to be some change to the universal service going forward. The union does recognise that. So we would probably consider looking at a five-day letter service, within a seven day parcel service. This would be part of a vision for growth that would see postal workers delivering new products and services. While Ward claimed a three-day USO would be too much, the CWU will not hesitate to roll over and impose it. Ward will once again threaten workers that failure to accept Royal Mails dictates (described inevitably as modernisation) will push the company into bankruptcy. Conway concludes there is a tension between Royal Mails quest for profit and the public service ethos of its workforce. In fact, the drive for profit is an absolute barrier to workers most basic interests. A fight must be initiated to break free of the pro-company CWU by building rank-and-file committees, challenging the profit dictates of the corporate oligarchy. Royal Mail, BT and the major energy and transport companies must be expropriated and placed under the democratic control of the working class. Last Friday, students in Pisa, Italy protesting the US-backed Israeli genocide in Gaza were violently attacked with truncheons and kettled into a narrow lane by riot police, sparking widespread public outrage. The children included many from Russoli high school near where the demonstration took place. Teachers who cared for the injured students released a statement: We are teachers at the Liceo artistico Russoli high school in Pisa, and today we were bewildered by what happened in Via San Frediano, in front of our school. Students, mostly minors, were truncheoned for no reason because the procession, calling for a ceasefire in Palestine, which was absolutely peaceful, who knows why, was not supposed to parade in Piazza Cavalieri. Officers in riot gear had closed off the street and were waiting for the youths with shields and batons, while on the opposite side, the police forces closed off the street by Piazza Dante. On Via Tavoleria, [they deployed] another team with shields and batons. According to the teachers who witnessed the violent attack in front of the school, the police made several charges against the students while they held their hands raised. The teachers reported scenes of unprecedented violence, as many of the youth trembled, were traumatized, with some reporting injuries like a broken finger and pain in their shoulder or back from batons. The educators were appalled and have demanded that someone must be held accountable for the degree of unprecedented and unjustifiable violence to which one hundred to two hundred students who took to the streets peacefully were subjected. Questions were raised by the teachers: Why was it decided to kettle the youth and then beat them up? Who decided on this barbaric deployment of forces, never seen since the decades of fascism? The same day, Italian police in full riot gear violently prevented pro-Palestinian protesters from making their way to the US Consulate in Florence, where they intended to demand that the US stop backing the Israeli genocide. Several protesters sustained head injuries from police truncheons. A similar scene played out in Catania, where heavily armed police forcefully prevented the students from continuing their peaceful protest beyond University Square. The day after the beatings in Pisa and excessive use of force in other parts of Italy, demonstrators overflowed the main piazzas all over the country. In Pisa, an estimated 5,000 demonstrated against police violence and demanded that the police officers and the state be held accountable for their actions against innocent children and protesters exercising their basic democratic rights. In Rome, a local student network galvanized the support of dozens of students and youth for a sit-in at the headquarters of the Ministry of the Interior, calling for the resignation of Matteo Piantedosi, Minister of the Interior, whom they blame for a policy of anti-democratic responses to peaceful protests. In Naples, on February 13, police charged protesters at a rally in support of the Palestinians, injuring five. The protest was held in front of the local headquarters of RAI, the Italian state broadcaster, in response to a RAI statement of solidarity with the Israeli people on the subject of the massacres of October 7, 2023. Piantedosi, who is politically close to the fascist Lega party, said the matter of excessive police force would be investigated but threatened that [police response] is up to the cooperation of the demonstrators themselvesinsinuating it was the children who provoked the police to beat them. He continued that he hopes the investigation wont be prejudicially oriented to discredit the action of the government or the police forces because, out of 13,000 demonstrations, there was a prevalence of injuries among the police compared to the demonstrators. This turns reality on its head. It also begs the question: what is so rotten in a society that provokes 13,000 demonstrations? And what are the social forces driving state violence? None of these questions can be separated from those world eventsimperialist wars, genocide, climate change, a crippling pandemicthat are producing resentment and disgust among the majority of the population. In January, Piantedosi ordered police to ban pro-Palestinian groups from rallying on Holocaust Remembrance Day in Milan and Rome. The order was backed by the mayors of both cities, who portray themselves as progressives. It should be remembered that Piantedosi cynically blamed the victims of the refugee boat tragedy in Crotone, Italy, where 74 people drowned, saying that desperation did not justify putting your own children in danger. Matteo Salvini, leader of the Lega party and current Minister of Infrastructure and Transport in the fascist government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, reacted to the demands for justice by unequivocally supporting the police, saying, Hands off the police! It is right to make analyses to see if they did what they had to do or if someone went too far, but they are women and men, not robots, and they should not be drawn into a political row. State agencies are being placed above the law so that they can do what they have to do, that is repress the democratic rights of a population that is increasingly opposed to the policies of imperialist governments. Elly Schlein, leader of the center-left Democratic Partywho just months ago spoke unreservedly in support of Israel and Ukrainetried in vain to differentiate herself and her party from the far right and fascists by calling the unprovoked police attack 'unacceptable and demanding the police investigate themselves! Police have heavily cracked down on demonstrators to silence and intimidate anyone who is against the Gaza genocide. By so doing, the state is rehearsing its response to growing discontent in the working class due to unprecedented levels of social inequality. The WSWS predictions in November 2022 are fully vindicated: Barely in office, the Meloni government also made its first preparations for the violent repression of political and social resistance. By decree, it created a new criminal offense. Anyone who organises or participates in an assembly of more than fifty people by invading the space of other peoples public and private properties or buildings can be punished with imprisonment of between three and six years and a fine of up to 10,000 euros if the event may result in a threat to public order, security or health. Last weekend marked the 20th week of consecutive mass protests around Australia against Israels ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza. Thousands again rallied and marched in Melbourne and Sydney, while hundreds demonstrated in Brisbane and elsewhere around the country. Part of the Sydney rally on February 25, 2024 The protests have been sustained over almost five months because there is immense opposition of workers and young people to the Zionist regimes barbaric onslaught, and the complicity of governments worldwide, including the federal Labor government led by Anthony Albanese. Steadily shrinking numbers at the weekly rallies do not reflect any lessening of this opposition, but rather the growing frustration of demonstrators with the bankrupt perspective advanced by rally organisers and speakers, of plaintive appeals to the very governments perpetrating the genocide. This is covered in more detail here. WSWS reporters spoke to some of those in attendance at the Sydney and Melbourne rallies. In Sydney, Emily, an environmental scientist, said, When October 7 happened, I could see how the media and the government framed it, completely supporting Israel. I felt quite shocked with the media bias and lack of context for what was happening. From the beginning it has been about justifying the continuation of genocide against the Palestinians. From the start I could see Labor supported the genocide, talking about Israels right to defend itself. I have read up more on it and Labor is also providing support to Israel, both diplomatically and through surveillance, as well as potentially sending weapons. Labor is a main player in this conflict that supports Israels quest for Palestinian land. Emily said she attends the protests to support the people of Gaza but, its clear theyre not doing anything. Its been 20 weeks of protesting with no result. The Labor government doesnt care. What is put forward at the protests is that we must appeal to the government, but there is no point, because the genocide aligns with their interest in supporting the US in having a hold in the Middle East. Previously I had the view that Labor was maybe a more progressive government than the Liberals. Now its obvious they are just another side of the same coin. They are working in the interests of the ruling class. Im increasingly convinced that socialism is the only option. I dont think we can get anywhere meaningful in the current system. Theres clearly a need for a change, for a system that doesnt work in the interests of profit and exploitation, she said. Emily said she had seen other organisations claiming to be socialist at the rallies and had spoken to them. They either asked her to sign a petition or told her We have to keep up the pressure. What does that even mean? Its getting people to look like theyre doing something, letting off steam. They openly say the petition wont have any impact, so why spend time and energy doing that? Its an incredibly shallow approach and disingenuous. Acting as a socialist organisation and asking people to sign a petition or buy a flag, and trying to convince people that this will have some sort of impact. Its a distraction from working towards meaningful change. Catherine In Melbourne, University academic Catherine denounced the Labor government of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, which has supported Israels bombardment of Gaza. It has taken 30,000 deaths for Albanese and [Foreign Minister] Penny Wong to make a statement and, even then, theyre empty words. Nothings happening, she said. Ive known for a long, long time that billions of dollars go every year to funding Israel. I think the world has woken up to Israel. Its probably the positive thing out of this, that the world has woken up to them. Sara, who works in communications, said: The situation in Gaza is terrible, not just for the past few months, but it has been what, almost a hundred years. I myself have a friend in Palestine and he is protecting his family at the moment. He has cousins who have died. The most disgusting thing is the lack of support from our current government. Its all about weak words, very carefully scripted words, so that they stay on the side of the USA and other western nations rather than taking a stand against what is clearly happening, which is genocide. Sara drew a link between the silencing of media opposition to the Gaza genocide and the persecution of journalist Julian Assange, who exposed previous war crimes of US and Australian imperialism. I remember being in school in 2003 when we were joining forces with the US for the Iraq war. I almost didnt believe it. I thought I must have been looking at something fake. It was unbelievable in that time that Australia would do something like that. Clearly, we havent been taught about history, because we saw that was all based on lies, making enemies out of people and stereotyping. She denounced the state-owned Australian Broadcasting Corporations firing of pro-Palestinian journalist Antoinette Lattouf: True journalism wont exist if were not careful, if were going this far. Thats the scary thing. Bucko, a retired journalist from the US, told WSWS reporters, I think Assange is another person who is being persecuted by the US terror regime. Bucko Linking Assanges case to the Israeli onslaught on the Palestinian people, Bucko said: Its all about covering up the truth. Assange brought reality in front of their face as clear as helicopters shooting people down in the streets. He raised the long-held US plans to attack Iran. Iran is being targeted because they are resisting Israel, so Israel is trying to amp it up in Lebanon and draw the United States in. Theyre just playing with matches in the oilfields. A member of the Mums for Palestine group, Rian, said: I used to think that Labor were good, you know. Theyre not. Theyre just another [Liberal-National] Coalition. Theyve cut funding to UNRWA [United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East]. Theyre completely silent. The Palestinian community in Australia are getting nothing from the government. Its disgusting. Rian Rian expressed her agreement with the perspective elaborated on the World Socialist Web Site for an international movement of the working class to engage in political strikes to end the genocide: That would be wonderful. You have to hit them where it hurts and if everyone stops working, its going to hurt a lot. The Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) founded its first regional organisation last Saturday in Chemnitz, Saxony. The BSW, which had only constituted itself as a national party in January, shortly afterwards adopted a programme for the European elections. Its capitalist and nationalist orientation represents the interests of German corporations in the name of small businesses and the self-employedor in the language of the BSW, the performance-oriented middle class. It is no coincidence that the first regional organisation is being founded in Saxony, an East German federal state. Following the European elections on June 9, state elections will be held in Saxony, Thuringia, and Brandenburg in September this year. The BSW hopes for an immediate entry into the state parliament in the eastern German states. According to the strongly fluctuating poll figures, it will land somewhere between 6 and 20 percent. A state association is therefore to be founded in Thuringia on March 15. There is as yet no news of an organisation for Brandenburg. Sabine Zimmermann [Photo by Marc Rudnick / Wikipedia / CC BY 4.0 The fact that the organisation of a state association in Saxony was the first to be accomplished is also linked to the traditions of the Left Party there. It has its largest and most right-wing regional organisation in Saxony. The hand-picked leadership of the BSW is part of this tradition. As the leadership duo, the 60 BSW members who came together in Chemnitz for the founding party conference elected the long-standing party and trade union official Sabine Zimmermann and the entrepreneur Jorg Scheibe, previously without political affiliation. Following reunification in 1990, the 63-year-old Zimmermann, who worked in the former East Germanys construction materials and waste management industry, joined the German Confederation of Trade Unions (DGB) as a union secretary. After ten years in the Social Democratic Party (SPD), for which she sat in the Saxony state parliament for a few months, she entered the Bundestag (federal parliament) in 2005 via the Left Partys state list. She lost her seat in 2021. Scheibe runs his own architecture firm in Chemnitz. Like the businessman and millionaire Ralph Suikat, the BSW federal treasurer, he symbolises the illusory core message of the party: the reconciliation of the classes. Other founding members complete this picture. Alexander Schultz and Silke Hessberg both sat in the Zwickau district council, Schultz for the SPD and Hessberg as a non-partisan representative for the Left Party. Hessberg was managing partner of InSenTecInnovative Sensortechnikfor five years before moving to the West Saxony University of Applied Sciences in Zwickau as a professor in 2001. The BSWs social orientation and programme follow the political continuity of the OWUS business association, which was founded by the Left Partys predecessor the PDS in 1994 and which had one of its focal points in Saxony. According to its own description, it represented the interests of small and medium-sized companies, freelancers and the self-employed with economic rationality and social responsibility. The BSW defines itself in a similar way. The OWUS is primarily organised by former East German Stalinist functionaries who became capitalists after reunification. In a brochure published by the business association together with the Left Partys Rosa Luxemburg Foundation to mark its twentieth anniversary, this social basis is described quite openly: The majority were former SED [Stalinist party of state] members, including former active functionaries in the party, in business or state administration, former plant or department heads of state-owned enterprises, functionaries of mass organisations such as the FDJ [SED youth movement] and FDGB [union federation], teachers, cultural workers, members of the armed forces and academics. Small business owners and left-wingersa plea for a joint search for an alternatives, p. 5 In other words, they were members of the Stalinist bureaucracy that had oppressed the working class in East Germany for decades and initiated the introduction of capitalism there in 1990. The first chairwoman of the OWUS was Christa Luft, who had founded the Treuhandanstalt, the agency charged with selling off and dismantling the socialised property of the former East Germany. This was set up in March 1990 on behalf of the last SED government under Hans Modrow and had begun privatising state-owned enterprises. Luft recorded her experiences from this period in her book Lust am Eigentum (Lust for Property). Not only the new entrepreneurs in the East, who hoped for their fair share of the spoils, were recruited from the Stalinist apparatchiks turned capitalists, but also right-wing political elements such as Christine Ostrowski. As a founding member of the OWUS, a city councillor in Dresden and a top politician in the PDS, for which she sat in the Bundestag until 2002, she was on the extreme right wing of the party. Having already cultivated contacts with regional neo-Nazis in the 1990s, she supported the racist PEGIDA movement after leaving the PDS in 2007. In 2016, she openly called on people to vote for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). Ostrowski is not an isolated case, but embodies an entire tendency in the PDS, which was striving to become an East German peoples party modelled on the Bavarian Christian Social Union (CSU). This realpolitik faction came to the fore in Dresden in 2006 with the sale of the municipal property company WoBa, which was only possible with the approval of sections of the PDS. The success of the short-sighted justification that this would make Dresden debt-free did not last long. In the meantime, Dresden is once again in debt, rents have exploded, and the city began buying back the first 1,213 flats from Vonovia in 2023, for a total of 87.8 million. In view of the fact that the city realised 982 million for around 48,000 of its own flats at the time, investors are thus benefiting from a quadrupling of the price. At that time, this openly right-wing tendency finally exited the Left Party. Ronald Weckesser, a close confidant of Ostrowski, explained his departure to the Tagesspiegel in 2009, citing the partys arbitrary and irresponsible demands, such as the 10 minimum wage, which he denounced as populism. Things are being promised that couldnt even be kept if we won the election, he said. But the party concept is that it is not important whether this can be realised. The important thing is that we have the demand. Even after Weckesser and Ostrowski left the party, this openly right-wing tendency pushing for realpolitik continued to exist. In 2013, the Left Party in Saxony, led by its long-standing chairman Rico Gebhardt, agreed to a policy statement on the debt brake. Katja Kippings rise to the top of the federal party also began with this Saxony offensive in favour of radical left-wing realpolitik. Most recently, as Berlin Senator (state minister) for Labour and Social Affairs, Kipping implemented the right-wing programme of the Giffey government. At the time, Wagenknechts current husband Oskar Lafontaine was one of the populists that Weckesser attacked. Lafontaine had previously held leading party and government positions in the SPD for 40 years and, as state premier of Saarland, had also wound up the coal mining and steel industries in the state. In order to cushion the dissatisfaction that the SPD caused with its Agenda 2010 labour and welfare reforms and the deployment of the Bundeswehr (Armed Forces) in foreign wars, Lafontaine finally left the SPD. In 2007, he took part in the founding of the Left Party, which pursued the same austerity policies as the SPD under the guise of left-wing phrases. In the face of even greater anger at the official pro-war policy and accompanying social attacks, Wagenknecht is now once again trying to channel the discontent. While the rest of the Left Party is openly siding with the federal coalition government and vying with the Greens for influence in the urban middle classes on the basis of identity politics, the BSW is focussing on a right-wing, nationalist agenda. The social populism that Weckesser and Ostrowski deplored at the time is being replaced by economic reason, xenophobic agitation and nationalistic slogans in favour of Germanys foreign policy independence. Wagenknechts statements that a government collaboration with Michael Kretschmer from the CDU in Saxony was conceivable complete the circle. The BSW could soon be in Saxony what Ostrowski and Co. wanted 20 years ago: an openly right-wing governing party that dispenses with any left-wing masquerade. German Bundeswehr soldiers of the NATO enhanced forward presence in Lithuania. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis) French President Emmanuel Macrons statement Monday night that the sending of European troops to Ukraine is not ruled out has publicly revealed the extent of the war planning of the NATO imperialist powers. Behind the backs of the people, the NATO alliance is setting into motion a full-scale war with Russia and the danger of a nuclear cataclysm. No credence should be given to the statements of various NATO leaders that there are no plans to deploy troops in Ukraine. Macron did not speak only for himself. His carefully worded statement clearly signals that the strategic and tactical blueprints for such an intervention are already under review and that NATO is moving inexorably toward sending soldiers to Ukraine. For the leading NATO imperialist powers, it is not a question of if there will be an open war with Russia, but when. The Kremlin warned on Tuesday, according to a page one report in yesterdays New York Times, that a ground intervention by any NATO country would lead to a direct clash between the Western military alliance and Russian forces, fraught with potential dangers, and called the open discussion of such a step a very important new element. Macrons statement vindicates the warning made by Socialist Equality Party Chairman David North in his statement announcing the partys intervention in the 2024 presidential election: The war in Ukraine, which the Biden administration deliberately provoked two years ago with the aim of weakening Russia and tightening the grip of American imperialism and its NATO allies over Eurasia, in preparation for the coming showdown with China, threatens to escalate into a nuclear conflict. Germany is once again on the warpath. The NATO powers have repeatedly stated that they will not be deterred from pursuing the war by the threat of a nuclear exchange. The deliberate use of tactical and strategic nuclear weaponswhich was rejected for decades as synonymous with madnessis now being normalized as a legitimate component of imperialist geopolitical strategy. The only way that war can be stopped is by the intervention of masses of workers in direct struggle against the NATO governments that are plotting for war. The record of the French president underscores the utter hostility and imperviousness of European governments to public opinion. A year ago, in order to divert 100 billion over the next six years to military spending, he rammed through pension cuts without a parliamentary vote, in defiance of overwhelming public opposition and mass strikes. The appeals to Macrons conscience made by the union bureaucracies, who shut down strikes against him, went unheeded. He is now widely despised among workers in France for ruling against the people. The role of the other European NATO governments, which are now cynically trying to distance themselves from Macrons statement, is no different. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz declared yesterday that Berlin did not support Macrons statement, claiming, we will not become a party to the warneither directly nor indirectly. This is a brazen lie, first because Berlin, like all the major NATO powers, is already a party to the war with Russia in Ukraine. According to the official List of Military Support Services, Berlin has delivered 30 Leopard 1 main battle tanks, 18 Leopard 2 main battle tanks, 90 Marder infantry fighting vehicles, 52 Gepard anti-aircraft tanks and around 250 other armoured combat vehicles to Ukraine. A further 30 Marder, 105 Leopard 1 and 15 Gepard tanks are in preparation. In the same message on X in which Scholz declared that there would be no ground troops from European countries or NATO, he wrote: We agreed that everyone must do more for Ukraine in Paris yesterday. Ukraine needs weapons, ammunition and air defence. We are working on it. Last month, the German army released plans for a war with Russia within the next 5-8 years. As the German war plan was released, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius declared that Russian aggression could occur within five years. The next three-to-five years, he added, had to be used to intensively arm ourselves. Other major European governments have sent undeniable public signals that they are also preparing for war with Russia. Last month, British Chief of the General Staff General Sir Patrick Sanders called to mobilise the nation for war, stating that the war in Ukraine showed the need for a military draft and a citizen army in Britain. Scholzs denial of Macrons war plan is meaningless. Such denials have been issued time and again at every step in NATOs war escalation in Ukraine. The NATO powers plans to send weapons to Ukraine, then to send heavy artillery, then to send tanks, then long-range missiles were all first denied, then discussed, and finally adopted. The deployment of NATO troops to Ukraine would almost certainly escalate into a nuclear conflict between the NATO alliance and Russia, the worlds two largest nuclear-armed powers, with deaths and casualties reaching tens or hundreds of millions, or more. The only way to stop the capitalist systems march to a third world war is the international mobilization of the working class in struggle against the capitalist governments. Moral pressure and appeals to Europes ruling classes will fail. They know very well that their war to conquer Russia and plunder its vast natural wealth is setting them on a course for disaster and for a collision with deep working class opposition in every country. However, they are continuing anyway. Voters may object to having their pensions cut to buy more tanks, blandly wrote the Economist, the well known magazine of British finance capital, adding: If European leaders are to raise the funds through cuts to other services, taxes and borrowing, they will have to persuade voters that the sacrifices are worth it. European workers cannot and will not be persuaded to support a march to nuclear war. The military spending being consideredPistorius proposed 3.5 percent of Gross Domestic Product, more than doubling yearly euro zone military spending to well over 500 billionentails savage attacks on social spending and living standards. The bourgeoisie aims to persuade workers with the tools used during last years struggle against Macrons pension cuts in France: police clubs, rubber bullets and mass arrests. Ruling circles are planning a shift far to the right in official European politics. The Economist wrote: European leaders urgently need to jettison their post-Soviet complacency. That means raising defence spending to a level not seen in decades, restoring Europes neglected military traditions, restructuring its arms industries and preparing for a possible war. The work has barely begun. The revival of Europes neglected military traditions means a return to mass repression and fascism. The war and accompanying attacks on social and democratic rights are already provoking an intensification of the class struggle. The year has begun with farmers protests in many European countries, strikes by train drivers, airport workers and public sector employees in Germany, and a national teachers strike in France. After mass demonstrations against the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) in Germany, protests are ongoing against Israels genocide in Gaza. The crucial task is to arm the mounting working class resistance developing in Europe and worldwide with an understanding of the tasks flowing from imperialisms plunge into war. A politically conscious, international anti-war movement must be built in the working class, armed with a socialist programme against capitalism. This is the significance of the presidential campaign of the Socialist Equality Party in the US and the intervention of the Sozialistische Gleichheitspartei (SGP) together with its European sister parties in the upcoming European elections in June. The SGPs election statement reads: Workers must counterpose to the EU of the banks and corporations, of mass death and war, the perspective of a United Socialist States of Europe. War cannot be ended, human lives cannot be saved and wages cannot be defended without breaking the power of the banks and corporations and placing them under democratic control. Instead of shooting at each other, workers in Russia and Ukraine and workers across Europe must fight with this perspective against the warmongers at home. A Fairfax Connector bus [Photo by Flicker.com, MW Transit Photos / CC BY 4.0 Workers at the Fairfax Connector transit system in Northern Virginia entered their second week on strike yesterday after negotiations between the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 689 and the company, Transdev, failed to come to an agreement Monday. As of last Wednesday, 638 bus drivers, mechanics, utility, facility workers and clerks have been on strike, the largest in the Washington D.C. transit system since 2019. Their job action has led to service disruptions on over 90 different bus routes in the busy Washington D.C. suburbs. Workers are demanding adequate retirement payments, with ATU Local 689 stating, [T]he current 401(K) contribution model has resulted in more than half of the workers having zero to little retirement savings. A graph released by the ATU local compares retirement and sick leave benefits at Fairfax Connector to those at nearby transit services. For the Alexandria DASH bus service also in Northern Virginia, for instance, the Company Contributes 8% of Employee pay. No Employee match required. However, for Fairfax Connector, Company only contributes if employees defer wages proposal (1/29/24) to put into a 401k. It notes that the companys contribution falls by half if an employee contributes over four percent into their retirement package. A striking worker informed the World Socialist Web Site that he doubted Fairfax Connector workers would ever receive an adequate pension from the transit service, due to the revolving door of private contractors who are awarded deals by the county and nearby jurisdictions. Unless [Fairfax County] says in its contract that our retirement is part of the contract, workers will lose whatever benefits that accrue to them if a contract is not renewed. As for pay, a worker told the WSWS they are forced to relocate outside of Fairfax County due to the extraordinary cost of living. Previous workers have told the WSWS that the starting pay for a Fairfax Connector driver is roughly $60,000 yearly, or half of the median income level in the county. For its part, Transdev in a press release claimed it had offered a comprehensive proposal that includes significant wage increases, healthcare benefits, retirement savings, bonuses, guaranteed minimum hours, and additional perks tailored to employees of all experience levels. Workers raised other concerns, such as the lack of adequate sick leave. We are the only company that worked the whole pandemic, said a veteran transit worker at the Cinder Bed Road picket location. Every other [transit service in the region] stopped. The first weeks they didnt have anything to give to us. No masks, no gloves. We didnt stop one single day. A worker at another picket told the WSWS that those who called out during the first few months of the pandemic were penalized. The ATU has called an unfair labor practices (ULP) strike, a narrowly defined category of work stoppage that allows it to call the strike off the second it determines the company is bargaining in good faith, regardless of whether or not the workers demands are met. This is the same tactic the ATU used in 2019 when the Connector workers went on strike for four days before being called back to work. Despite their job action at that time coinciding with a parallel strike of over 120 Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) contractors also employed by Transdev, workers were sold out in the end without adequate retirement benefits and other demands being met. This company is not prepared to spend resources. They hoard everything, said a former Transdev worker, who joined the picket in solidarity. We struck for a week shy of three months [in 2019] because they wanted to keep us at $20 an hour through the whole three years of our contract, said another worker previously employed by the private contractor. The former Transdev worker noted that WMATA had ended its contract with the company due to the 2019-2020 strike. However, once the contract ended and they once again became public sector employees, more difficulties followed. We displaced [less senior] public employees when the private contract was voided. That didnt make metro employees very happy. The contract battle is occurring as the public transit system WMATA has incurred a massive debt of over $750 million over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic due to depressed ridership levels and other safety problems. Starting July, the transit service is proposing possible cuts to Metrobus service routes, fare hikes exceeding 25 percent in some cases, and even closures of whole stations throughout the Washington D.C. area. As is invariably the case, local officials are proposing that workers and the riding public must bear the costs for the authorities lack of concern for safety. The ATU has confined its appeals to local representatives of the Democratic Party, seeking to channel workers anger into dead end appeals to this capitalist party, which is squandering hundreds of billions on war. The union writes in its most recent press release Fairfax County officials have continued to remain silent and have refused to stand with workers and demand that their contractor bargain in good faith. In fact, the Democrats, just as much as the Republicans, are committed to spending every last dime on wars and inflating the wealth of billionaires. This is the reason they have refused to stand with workers. By promoting Democratic Party officials as supposedly sympathetic to working class people, the transit union is seeking to mislead its members and the public into believing this capitalist party will hear their demands. For his part, Democratic Fairfax County Supervisor Jeff McKay has a vested interest in keeping its contractors payment low. In comments to Fairfax Now, the county official demanded, Connector service needs to be sustainable not just now but in the future. The county is projecting a $284 million budget shortfall in the coming fiscal year, primarily due to The real estate market, global impacts on the local economy and pending collective bargaining agreements. From these comments, it is clear that Fairfax Connector workers are involved in a fight against not only their current employer, but the county and federal governments, which will not tolerate a growing struggle of workers on the doorstep of the national capital. In order to advance their interests, Connector workers must form their own independent worker-based rank-and-file organizations so they may formulate their own demands and decide on the best way to take their fight forward. Their strike is part of a growing workers struggle taking place internationally against the interests of big business. As such, their strike must form links with other workers struggles, in particular, that of 9,000 WMATA employees whose contract expires in June this year, coinciding with major planned cutbacks in transit service. In doing this, they must refuse to subordinate themselves to the strategy and demands of the pro-corporate and pro-Democratic Party ATU, which is seeking to contain their struggle before it even gets started. NALC President Brian Renfroe (center) speaks at a rally in Dallas, Texas, February 22, 2024 At a press conference last Thursday, National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) President Brian Renfroe falsely denied that mass job cuts are taking place as part of the United States Postal Services Delivering for America (DFA) restructuring program. The comments came in an exchange with WSWS reporter Tom Hall, who asked him to speak about the status of the contract talks. City carriers have been working without a new contract since last May. The exchange took place after a rally at the Dallas Main Post office in Texas, devoted to the topic of rising cases of assault and theft against letter carriers. Robberies and thefts have increased by over 800 percent between 2019 and 2023, and letter carriers in Dallas-Ft. Worth area (DFW) have experienced eight robberies since the end of December, according to the union. The rally consisted of around 30 blue-shirted mostly NALC union officials and lasted about 10 minutes. It was a stage-managed event, which had around equal numbers of media and demonstrators. The employee parking lot for the post office was at least half full with hundreds of cars, but few workers could be seen at the event, and most did not seem to be aware it was taking place. The brief remarks by Renfroe and local NALC officials did not even mention the contract. Nor, even though the event was focused on worker safety, did it raise the death last year of Eugene Gates, a veteran Dallas letter carrier who died from heat complications. When Hall asked about the tens of thousands of USPS jobs at stake, Renfroe claimed he was not sure thats accurate. Certainly Im no expert ... when it comes to jobs outside members that I represent, but I can tell you for sure that thats not the case with the letter carriers I represent. Any reduction in general. This is a patent falsehood, as Renfroe well knows. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy himself has explicitly said that tens of thousands of job cuts are on the agenda. Right now, to get to break even, I think we may need to get 50,000 people out of the organization, he told a right-wing think tank in July of 2022. The restructuring involves the closure of thousands of local post offices, the reconsolidation of the USPS delivery network around a small number of large, heavily automated hubs and the adjustment or elimination of 100,000 routes nationwide. As the USPS Workers Rank-and-File Committee explained in a statement published last year, DFA seeks to transform the USPS from a public service, which used to pay decent wages and pensions, into an entity beholden to shareholder profits, with a super-exploited, Amazon-style workforce. This is not the first time that the NALC has covered for the Post Office and Delivering for America. In the August edition of its Postal Record magazine last year, the union claimed in its cover story: There Will Be No Post Office Closures or Employee Layoffs as Part of Our S&DC Roll Outs. The consolidations are already well advanced and have produced debacles in urban areas across the country, where residents have had to wait for weeks for their mail. One factor behind mail backups in Richmond, Virginia, during the last holiday season was the shift towards Optimized Collections, where delivery units previously handled by local offices near sorting and delivery centers are now handled directly at the larger facility. If Renfroe and the NALC are covering up the job cuts, it is because the union bureaucracy is helping to carry them out. It has already quietly extended a memorandum establishing an invasive monitoring program called TIAREAP, which is used to robotically discipline letter carriers. The next contract, arguably the most significant in the history of the USPS, is being carried out behind closed doors. Workers have been left totally in the dark about the status of talks, even as they have been left on the job without a contract for most of a year. Renfroe declined to give any details of the contract talks to the WSWS last week, wouldnt get into the details of our contract negotiations publicly. He did, however, confirm that the union is moving towards binding interest arbitration. We have not done any official announcement about that yet, but that is the next step, but we are still optimistic as is the Postal Service. I think that we can reach an agreement, he said. The effect of binding arbitration, which is mandatory for postal contracts under anti-worker labor laws, would be to cut out the membership from even the pretense of a vote. The NALC and the other postal unions loyally help to enforce such laws, which amount to a corporate dictatorship over workers, as a convenient pretext to claim there is nothing workers can do except to accept cuts. In reality, postal workers, as with other sections of the working class, have been compelled to fight against repressive anti-labor laws, as well as against management. In 1970, postal workers carried out a national wildcat strike, the first by federal employees in US history, against President Nixons plan to spin off the Postal Department into an independent agencywhich was accomplished the following year with the creation of the US Postal Service. The agreement with the postal union officials to end the wildcat accepted the continuing ban on postal workers right to strike. Renfroes comments are a serious warning that the union bureaucracy is collaborating with USPS to impose historic cuts. If workers are to defeat this, they must prepare to fight not just against management but the union bureaucracy and the anti-democratic labor law framework which they defend. Canadas Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was among several international leaders to visit Kiev February 24 on the second anniversary of the US/NATO-provoked Russian invasion of Ukraine. Trudeau used the occasion to announce that his government will provide the far-right Zelensky regime with an additional Canadian $320 million in military aid in 2024. He and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelesnky also unveiled a 10-year Canada-Ukraine Security Cooperation Agreement that commits Ottawa to strengthening its military support and cooperation with Kiev. Trudeaus visit and related announcements confirm Canadian imperialisms role as a major aggressor in the US-led war against Russia. Washington and its allies aim to reduce Russia to the status of a semi-colony in order to seize control of its natural resources and strengthen imperialist control over Eurasia in preparation for a showdown with China. In a press release, Ottawa boasted that with the more than Canadian $3 billion in additional economic and military aid for 2024 that Trudeau announced while in Kiev, total Canadian support for Ukraine since 2022 now tops C$13 billion. This includes $4 billion in military assistance and $7 billion in financial loans administered through the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the leaders of other NATO states travelled to Kiev last Saturday, the second anniversary of the war's outbreak. From the left, Trudeau, Italy's Premier Giorgia Meloni, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo [AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky] The Trudeau government also announced a significant new investment in its military operations in Latvia, where it leads a NATO anti-Russia enhanced forward deployment. At a NATO meeting in mid-February, Defence Minister Bill Blair unveiled a plan to invest $227 million in a short-range air defence system and $46 million in an anti-drone defence system. There are eight NATO brigades deployed in the Baltic republics, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary and Bulgaria, with the aim of strategically encircling Russia in preparation for a direct war. The Trudeau governments increased military and financial support for Kiev comes as open discussion about the deployment of NATO ground troops in Ukraine is under way. At the end of a meeting in Paris on Monday, attended by many European heads of government and NATO defence ministers, French President Emmanuel Macron said that the question of deploying NATO ground troops to Ukraine had been a key topic of discussion; then added provocatively, there was no agreement this evening to officially send troops onto the ground but we cannot exclude anything. The subsequent claim by leading officials from European and North American governments, including Blair, that there are no plans for deploying NATO troops to Ukraine follows a by now well-worn pattern of escalation, seen repeatedly over the course of the two-year-old war. First, NATO leaders dismiss the next escalatory stepwhether it be the sending of tanks, aircraft or mid- and now long-range missilesas a red line they dare not cross for fear of provoking an all-out war. Subsequently, it is revealed to be under active discussion and then announced and implemented. Macrons remarks confirm that plans for deploying NATO ground troops are well advanced. Canadas participation in the escalation of the war on Russia comes just days after the trade union-sponsored New Democratic Party (NDP) reaffirmed its support for the pro-war, pro-austerity Liberal government. Languishing in the polls, the NDP had made a show of threatening to withdraw from the confidence-and-supply agreement under which it has pledged to keep the minority Trudeau Liberals in power till June 2025 unless the government acted on its longstanding promise to institute pharmacare. Predictably, this proved to be a piece of political theatre, with the NDP and unions hailing as historic a bare-bones agreement reached last week to provide coverage for a handful of diabetes and contraceptive medications. In a statement delivered in Kiev, Trudeau trotted out the well-worn lie that Ukraine is fighting Putins unprovoked invasion. He insisted that the 10-year security agreementwhich provides assurances of continued support for Ukraine similar to the recent bilateral accords Kiev has struck with Britain, Germany, Denmark and Italyshowed Canada was committed to the long-term to help Kiev secure a decisive victory. This, he said, would include restoration of its full territorial integrity, including the Crimea and the Donbas and Luhansk regions. Trudeaus fairy tale of an unprovoked war, which has been repeated by all the imperialist powers and their media mouthpieces ad nauseam, was conclusively revealed to be a lie by the admissions made in an article published this past weekend in the fervently pro-war New York Times. Acknowledging that the CIA mounted extensive operations with Ukrainian intelligence over the past decade to prepare for war with Russia, the piece vindicated the analysis made by the World Socialist Web Site of the 2014 Maidan coup as a stepping-stone for the US, Britain, Germany and Canada towards all-out war with Russia. The Canada-Ukraine Security Cooperation Agreement The Canada-Ukraine Security Cooperation Agreement aims to perpetuate the NATO-Russia war after it has already claimed hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian and Russian lives, and prepare the Canadian military for future conflicts. A Canada-Ukraine Strategic Security Partnership will oversee economic cooperation in the military, defence industry, and intelligence sectors, as prosecuting the war with Russia relies on having reliable access to resources and (the) capabilities to do so. The agreement also commits Canada and Ukraine to step up their sharing of information, requests and feedback as strategic partners; to work to develop and deliver bespoke military, security, economic, and other support to Ukraine; and to facilitate the rebuilding and rehabilitation of Ukraine. The agreement pledges Canadian support for Kievs integration into NATO and the European Union, which would mean direct war between NATO and Russia. Albeit using dry political and technocratic jargon, the agreement spells out how imperialism plans to consolidate its domination over Ukraine financially, politically and militarily as part of its drive to subjugate Russia. As part of this process, Canadian imperialisms military-security apparatus is anxious to appropriate the combat and counterintelligence know-how Ukraine has built up with assistance from the Western powers. An entire section is devoted to intelligence sharing, including countering disinformation and cyber-warfare, i.e., the suppression of anti-war and other critical voices online. The document notes, Building on the ongoing support and successes to date, and recognizing that Canada has much to learn from Ukraines experiences and knowledge, the Participants will aim to deepen their bilateral cooperation across a range of areas including defence, security, stability and resilience. In another place, it adds that the importance of information-sharing for both sides arises from the unprecedented experience and knowledge that Ukraine has in terms of use of new technologies in warfare, countering disinformation, and other capabilities. Canada is deepening cooperation with a strategic partner whose state is riddled with far-right and outright fascist forces. Many of them have obtained their positions thanks to the previous collaboration of Ottawa, Washington, London and Berlin with the pro-Western regime brought to power by the fascist-spearheaded 2014 Maidan coup. The military and intelligence forces so highly praised by the agreement include members of the fascist Azov Battalion and other neo-Nazi groups, who have received high-level military and intelligence training by Canadian Armed Forces personnel. The agreement is therefore not merely a threat to the Ukrainian working class, which Canada wants to continue using as cannon fodder for its imperialist goals. It also represents a real danger to workers across Canada, who will confront a state apparatus in their coming struggles that has learned from its experience of working with fascists in waging imperialist war on Russia. The political content of this alliance was on full display during Zelenskys visit to Ottawa last September, when he, together with Trudeau and the entire Canadian parliament, gave a standing ovation to the Ukrainian Waffen-SS veteran Yaroslav Hunka. Hunka, who was also personally invited by Trudeau to attend an exclusive reception for Zelensky in Toronto, served in the Galicia Division, which was involved in the Holocaust and the bloody suppression of an uprising of the Slovak working class. The standing ovation for Hunka was also joined by the ambassadors from all G-7 members. Trudeau was accompanied on his visit to Kiev last Saturday by Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland. She is best known as the granddaughter of a Ukrainian Nazi collaborator. Mykhailo Chomiak was the editor of Krakivski Visti, a fascist Ukrainian-language newspaper that campaigned for the formation of the Waffen-SS Galicia Division and whipped up antisemitism throughout the war. Freeland concluded her remarks in Kiev with the infamous Slava ukraini! slogan, which has its origins in the pro-Nazi Organisation of Ukrainian Nationalists led during World War II by Stepan Bandera. Canadian imperialisms alliance with the political descendants of Nazi war criminals is endorsed throughout the entire political establishment. The most pivotal source of political support for the Trudeau government comes from the trade unions and the trade union-sponsored NDP, whose MPs have ensured his government its parliamentary majority since 2019, initially on a case-by-case basis, and then formally with the conclusion of their March 2022 governmental alliance. In a statement marking the second anniversary of the war, the NDP left no doubt about its wholehearted endorsement of Canadian imperialisms aggressive role in Ukraine and throughout Eastern Europe against Russia. Foreign affairs spokesperson Heather McPherson echoed almost word for word the official government propaganda about the war, describing it as Putins illegal full-scale invasion. She then asserted that Putins brutal genocide has killed and injured tens of thousands of Ukrainians. This remark is especially revealing and noxious as it comes from a party that has refused to acknowledge the real genocide being conducted by Israel, with the backing of the Trudeau government and all the imperialist powers, in Gaza. The NDP has also participated in the witch-hunt of opponents of the Gaza genocide and the continuing suppression and dispossession of the Palestinians, including targeting its own party members. In this article, we will be taking a look at the 16 countries with most Chinese expats. If you do not want to learn about the dynamics of Chinese expatriation, head straight to the 5 Countries with Most Chinese Expats. When examining the global diaspora of Chinese nationals, certain countries like the USA and Thailand stand out as hubs for expatriates seeking opportunities abroad. These destinations attract Chinese expats for economic reasons and offer cultural, educational, and lifestyle opportunities. From bustling metropolises to serene landscapes, these countries provide diverse environments for Chinese expats to thrive and contribute to their host societies while maintaining ties with their homeland. Exploring the Dynamics of the Chinese Immigration Market: Opportunities, Trends, and Impact The global expat market, particularly the Chinese immigration market, presents significant economic opportunities for Chinese expats. Chinese immigrants are dispersed across various countries, with notable populations in Indonesia, the United States, Canada, South Korea, Japan, Australia, and Singapore. The Chinese diaspora amounts to 39.5 million individuals spread across 130 countries. Regarding financial statistics, China gradually opened to restricted forms of movement from abroad in 2022, with 4.47 million foreigners entering and exiting China that year. Notably, in 2022, 477,000 residence permits were issued to foreigners coming to China for various purposes such as work, family reunions, private affairs, and study. Chinese immigrants in the United States are highly educated and often employed in management positions. They tend to obtain lawful permanent residence through work and have been a significant group among new green card holders in recent years. The United States is a top destination for Chinese immigrants globally. Additionally, China is the primary source of international students enrolled in U.S. higher education and received many employer-sponsored H-1B temporary visas in the fiscal year 2021. Story continues When it comes to immigration statistics for China, the number of immigrants has increased. For instance, in 2015, there were 978,046 immigrants in China, showing a 15.08% increase from 2010. These figures highlight the growing immigration trend both into and out of China. Navigating the Dynamics of Chinese Expatriation and Economic Impact: Trends, Challenges, and Strategies The outmigration of Chinese citizens has significantly impacted economic growth in China and globally, and the early 21st century witnessed a surge in overseas Chinese returning to China, driven by the country's robust economy and abundant opportunities at home. This trend was further fueled by various government initiatives to attract overseas Chinese talent, such as the Thousand Talents Programme, which fostered entrepreneurship and innovation. Consequently, Chinese returnees have played a pivotal role in starting high-tech enterprises, introducing new management concepts, and revitalizing traditional industries, contributing significantly to China's economic development. China's entry into the World Trade Organization in 2001 marked a turning point, leading to significant economic reforms that reshaped migration patterns. The boost in export-led manufacturing and domestic demand altered the landscape of emigration, with labor shortages no longer driving international migration. Instead, the allure of new opportunities within China led to increased diversification of emigration as more citizens obtained passports. Chinese emigrants have also facilitated global capital investments through initiatives like the Belt and Road Initiative, impacting various industries globally. Studies indicate migration can have positive economic effects, including higher growth and productivity. For instance, a 1% increase in the migrant share in the adult population can result in a 2% higher GDP in the long run. Despite posing challenges such as social tensions, migration offers economic gains through increased productivity and labor market integration, benefiting both host and origin countries. However, China faces economic challenges stemming from demographic shifts and COVID-related disruptions. The country experienced a population decline in 2022, signaling demographic challenges that impact economic growth. With a shrinking labor force, China must focus on productivity to sustain its economy. Moreover, the economic growth rate dropped to 3% in 2022 due to COVID-related disruptions, marking a significant decline from previous years. To address these challenges, China aims to boost quality GDP growth through policy adjustments. The trends in Chinese expatriation are influenced by various factors such as economic conditions, government policies, and societal changes. Understanding future trends in Chinese expatriation requires analyzing financial statistics and overseas development finance patterns. Chinese overseas development finance has seen a downward trend in recent years, with a decrease in large-scale lending levels. This decline is evident in the number of new loan commitments totaling $10.5 billion in 2020 and 2021, the lowest in recent years. China's development finance is concentrated among top borrowers such as Angola, Argentina, and Brazil, mainly focusing on extraction, transport, and power. China's financial system faces challenges, including financial repression and innovation constraints, which contribute to stagnant productivity growth. As seen in recent central financial work conferences, efforts to address these challenges include discussions emphasizing financial stability, risk management, and innovation support. China is also adapting its monetary and fiscal policies to support quality growth and structural reform amidst global economic challenges, focusing on upgrading the equity market to finance innovation and improve efficiency. Tech Talent Dilemma: Returning Professionals Grapple with China's Work Culture Chinese professionals returning to China after studying abroad encounter challenges related to work culture, work-life balance, and job opportunities. Despite efforts to attract tech talent amid a tech war with the US, many overseas Chinese tech workers are deterred by the intense work environment and lack of work-life balance in Chinese companies, influenced significantly by differences in work cultures between China and countries like the US. Some returning tech workers have faced layoffs and increased competition, especially in major tech firms like Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ:BIDU), Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA), and Tencent, contributing to concerns about youth unemployment rates in urban areas. Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA), a leading Chinese tech giant, contributes significantly to China's development with a $15.5 billion pledge by 2025 for innovation and economic support. However, concerns arise over its $2.5 million US lobbying expenditure and international expansion focusing on platforms like AliExpress. With Eddie Wu taking over as CEO in 2023, leadership changes reflect a strategic shift towards cloud intelligence amidst competitive markets, aiming to sustain Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE:BABA)'s global tech leadership. Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ:BIDU), a major Chinese tech company founded by Robin Li in 2000, has significantly advanced China's technological landscape. With an 80% market share in China's search engine market and ranking as the world's fourth most popular website, Baidu has showcased China's tech capabilities globally. Its key contributions include technological innovation with a search engine rivaling Google, market dominance shaping information access in China, and strong brand recognition domestically and internationally. Financially, Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ:BIDU) has experienced substantial growth, with total revenues and net income growing at high compound annual rates from 2008 to 2012, alongside steady growth in shareholders' equity. Fitch Ratings affirmed Baidu's 'A' rating with a stable outlook, highlighting its strong market position and robust cash generation from search and newsfeed services. Tencent, a prominent Chinese tech company, has committed significant resources to philanthropy, pledging US$7.7 billion for 'shared prosperity' initiatives. Despite challenges, it remains a leader in digital donations in China. Financially, Tencent reported strong growth in Q2 2023, with revenues up 11% year-on-year to RMB149 billion ($20.6 billion) and net profits reaching RMB26.2 billion. Leveraging WeChat, Tencent focuses on high-quality revenue growth through features like Channels and mini-games, emphasizing innovation and sustainable development in the digital landscape. Consequently, some professionals are exploring job opportunities outside of China, including roles in cryptocurrency exchanges. The post-COVID era has seen changes in Chinese work culture, with a shift towards more flexible arrangements and remote positions being considered by some companies to adapt to evolving employee expectations. However, young graduates entering the job market face increased competition and may need help finding suitable positions, leading some to pursue alternative paths like working in family businesses or creating their jobs. 16 Countries with Most Chinese Expats Copyright: rawpixel / 123RF Stock Photo Our Methodology Our methodology entails ranking countries based on the total number of Chinese expatriates residing within them. We conducted a comprehensive review of various research papers to gather accurate and up-to-date information on the presence of Chinese expats in each country. Here is our list of the 16 countries with the most Chinese expats. 16. New Zealand Total Chinese Expats: 247,770 Chinese expatriates are attracted to New Zealand, particularly in property development and investment, despite recent challenges like a property crisis in China. New Zealand-China trade relations are significant, with exports totaling $21.45 billion and imports at $16.26 billion. Despite restrictions on foreign buyers, Chinese interest in New Zealand's property market persists, with increased inquiries for new apartments and the Investor 2 Category visa program. 15. Brazil Total Chinese Expats: 250,000 Chinese expatriates seek opportunities in Brazil, a country with highest number of Chinese expats, due to economic prospects, cultural exchange, and strategic ties. China is Brazil's top trading partner, but Chinese investments declined in 2022. Brazil's reliance on China for exports poses challenges for its industrialization. Bilateral trade hit $165.6 billion in 2022, with China investing $66.1 billion from 2007 to 2020. Despite hurdles, there's room for more collaboration and investment diversification. 14. Singapore Total Chinese Expats: 451,481 Chinese expatriates are drawn to Singapore for its robust economy, political stability, excellent healthcare and education systems, and high quality of life. The city's strategic location in Southeast Asia is a gateway for businesses. Post-COVID-19, Chinese expats show strong shopping sentiment, with 63% spending more. They contribute significantly to the local economy through consumption patterns and investments, fueling business opportunities across various sectors. 13. The United Kingdom Total Chinese Expats: 488,847 Chinese expatriates are drawn to the UK for educational and career opportunities, cultural experiences, and quality of life. The UK welcomed 46,986 Chinese visitors in 2022, spending 182.88 million (3,892 per person). Trade between the UK and China reached 100.9 billion, ranking China as the UK's 5th largest trading partner. The UK's market share in China was 1.5% in 2022, making it the 4th largest import market for the UK. Inward FDI from China to the UK totaled 5.0 billion in 2021. 12. France Total Chinese Expats: 600,000 France, one of the countries with most Chinese expats, hosts around 600,000 Chinese expatriates, concentrated in Ile-de-France, including Paris and Seine-Saint-Denis. Half of them hold higher education degrees. France and China are enhancing their economic ties by focusing on fair competition. France seeks broader market access in China and attracts investments from its electric car industry. 11. Vietnam Total Chinese Expats: 749,466 Chinese expatriates have significantly influenced Vietnam's economy, notably in trade and investment. Vietnam hosts over 4,000 Chinese investment projects worth $26 billion, making it China's sixth-largest global trading partner and the largest in Southeast Asia. Moreover, Chinese tourists are pivotal to Vietnam's tourism, with nearly six million visitors in 2019. Vietnam has led in exporting goods made with Uyghur forced labor, particularly in the garment industry, surpassing China. 10. Japan Total Chinese Expats: 922,000 Japan has seen a rise in Chinese expatriates, who are attracted by economic opportunities and lifestyle benefits. This includes seeking investment amidst China's economic slowdown, better quality of life due to COVID lockdowns, and real estate prospects, especially in Tokyo, which has boosted demand for luxury housing in Japan. Despite high expatriate costs averaging $370,183, Japan's stability and cultural appeal continue to attract foreign talent. 9. South Korea Total Chinese Expats: 1,070,566 Chinese expats flock to South Korea, standing twelfth among the countries with most Chinese expats, for economic opportunities, cultural exchange, education, and technological advancements. South Korea's trade dynamics with China and the US influence these trends: it experienced its first trade deficit with China in 31 years in 2023 ($18 billion) but maintained an overall trade surplus ($4.5 billion) due to strong export growth (18.0% year-on-year in January 2024, totaling $54.69 billion). Despite declining imports (7.8% in January 2024 to $54.39 billion), FDI from China remains significant, reflecting deep economic ties. 8. Philippines Total Chinese Expats: 1,273,125 The Philippines hosts many Chinese expatriates, enriching its economy and cultural landscape. Drawn by economic opportunities, they contribute significantly to the local economy, with a perceived positive impact highlighted by studies. Remittances from Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), including those from China, totaled 197.47 billion pesos in 2022. China's exports to the Philippines reached US$64.68 billion in 2022, focusing on various industries, making Philippines stand among the countries with highest number of Chinese expats. While smaller in proportion compared to other countries, the Chinese community in the Philippines enhances cultural diversity and fosters diplomatic relations between the two nations. 7. Australia Total Chinese Expats: 1,390,639 Chinese expats choose Australia for property investment, quality of life, education, and business opportunities. China is Australia's largest export market and contributes significantly to the economy. Chinese investment in Australian property is driving up demand and prices. In 2018, China accounted for 34.3% of goods exports and 19.3% of services exports, contributing 31.4% to Australian exports. The Chinese market contributed 7.2% to the Australian GDP in 2018, and Australian investment in major Asian economies, including China, has increased over the past decade. 6. Myanmar Total Chinese Expats: 1,725,794 Chinese expatriates are attracted to Myanmar for economic opportunities and investments, with China contributing over 73% of foreign investment in the country, making Myanmar stand tenth among the countries with most Chinese expats. The close Myanmar-China relationship facilitates business collaborations despite political and financial crises. Myanmar's market offers growth prospects, particularly in infrastructure and consumer goods. Click to see and continue reading the 5 Countries with Most Chinese Expats. Suggested Articles: Disclosure. None: The 16 Countries with Most Chinese Expats is originally published on Insider Monkey. A warning must be drawn from the smaller attendances at last weekends protests in Australia against the Israeli genocide in Gaza. In Melbourne, where an average of 20,000 people has rallied for 20 weeks in a row, the numbers fell to less than 5,000. In Sydney, the turnout was down to around 2,000. In Brisbane, just 300 joined a march to protest outside the electoral office of the Labor governments Treasurer Jim Chalmers. Part of the march to Treasurer Chalmers electorate office in Logan, Brisbane This does not represent any lessening of the outrage felt by broad layers of the population. On the contrary, it reflects growing frustration with the bankrupt political perspective being pushed by the speakers at the events, which is designed to wear down the mass movement. Australias federal and state Labor governments and their police forces, backed by the corporate media and a vehement Zionist business lobby, have not been able to shut down the protests. That is despite falsely accusing participants of antisemitism and threatening arrests on serious charges. But the dead-end political line peddled at the protests, particularly by the Greens and pseudo-left groups, could suffocate the demonstrations. Together with millions worldwide, thousands of people across Australia, mostly young and working class, have continued to rally and march repeatedly, now for nearly five months, to voice their horrified opposition to the naked extermination of Gazas population, and the complicity in this barbarism of every imperialist government, including the Australian Labor government. But it has become painfully obvious to many participants that the orientation being advanced at these demonstrationsthat the same pro-genocide governments can be pressured to halt the mass killing and devastation in Gazahas failed. In fact, the more that the rally organisers and speakers have called on people to keep appealing to these governments, week after week, the more the Zionist regime in Israel has accelerated its atrocities, backed to the hilt by the Biden administration in Washington and its allies in Europe, Canada and Australia. As a result, more than 30,000 Palestinians have been slaughtered, mostly women and children. Refugee camps, hospitals, schools and universities have been pulverised. Now the Netanyahu government is murdering the survivors it has herded into Rafah, the southern-most enclave of the Gaza Strip. Fully aware of the deepening hostility to it, the Australian government, led by the left-wing Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong, have parroted Bidens White House in shedding crocodile tears over the mass casualties. They have issued mealy-mouthed calls for a temporary truce, while doubling down on their support for Israel and Biden, who has greenlighted the assault on Rafah. Albaneses government directly intensified its support for the Israeli onslaught by joining the US in suspending funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) without even a shred of evidence to prove the Netanyahu governments allegation that a dozen UNRWA staff participated in the October 7 breakout from Gaza. At the protests in Australia, the more reviled the Albanese government has become, the more the speakers have sought to prop it up by promoting futile hopes of cajoling it to reverse course. They have beseeched participants to keep sending letters, emails and petitions to Labor members of parliament, which have all fallen on deaf ears, and continue protesting every week. This was graphically on display at Sundays Sydney Gaza rally. Josh Lees, a member of the pseudo-left Socialist Alternative, demagogically denounced former Liberal-National Prime Minister Scott Morrison for speaking at a Zionist rally in Sydney. Lees noted in passing that Israels genocide was supported by the Australian government. He did everything he could to downplay Labors role. He emphasised that only one Labor Party speaker addressed the pro-Israel rally, as if that did not display Labors unwavering commitment to Zionism and its Washington backers. Representing the Greens, Senator David Shoebridge promoted his partys claims to be pushing the Labor government to halt Australian arms exports to Israel. This is just one component of the governments active participation in the genocide as part of the US military alliance, including the use of the Pine Gap satellite targeting base in central Australia. We can hold our government to account, Shoebridge insisted. Ill go back down to the Senate this week. We will continue to make the case. This is a charade. For all their posturing, the Greens are trying to shore up the government. They are working closely with it, making one pro-business deal after another on issues such as housing and greenhouse emissions, and aiming to form a coalition government with Labor after the next election. The Greens and the pseudo-left groups do not oppose US-led militarism or the underlying capitalist profit system. They publicly supported the US-led regime-change operations in Libya and Syria in the 2010s, as did Israel. They back the escalating US-NATO war against Russia in Ukraine, provoked and orchestrated by the same ruling class in Washington that is arming and funding the genocide in Gaza. The deadly impact of peddling illusions of convincing the pro-genocide Labor government to alter its trajectory was shown at last Saturdays rally outside Chalmers office at Logan Central in southeastern Brisbane. About 300 people participated, well down on the previous three such events, none of which succeeded in altering the direction of Chalmers or the government one iota. The Facebook ads for the rally urged people to call on our government to demand that Israel does not invade Rafah and ends the genocide. They offered no perspective except more futile protests. We have been protesting, marching, pocketing, chantingand we will continue to so, they said. We will not relent until justice and freedom prevail. The ads acknowledged that Albanese and Wong had rebuffed demands for a ceasefire, despite hundreds of thousands of Australians demonstrating in all cities, calling on the government to support a ceasefire. Yet the ads still claimed that Chalmers and other Labor ministers could be swayed by a letter-writing campaign. They urged people to bring letters to the rally for Jim demanding he reinstate UNRWA funding, cut ties and place sanctions on Apartheid Israel. These proposals were hardly likely to win much support, given the Labor governments unwavering backing for Israels supposed right to defend itself by exterminating people in Gaza. Speakers at the rally reinforced the bankrupt perspective. Sam Watson, a pseudo-left activist, introduced as an indigenous speaker, branded Labor as a party of genocide. Yet he ended by declaring: These weekly protests are only thing that is keeping pressure on our governments right now to make any steps towards a ceasefire or to sanctioning Israel. Those things havent been achieved, so we need to keep fighting for them. So, I will see you next weekend and the weekend after. Lessons must be drawn from 2003, when millions of people globally, including in Australia, took to the streets to oppose the impending US-led invasion of Iraq. That mass movement, however, failed to halt the catastrophic onslaught. Above all that was because the Greens and fake-left organisations subordinated the movement to appeals to the United Nations and the European powers and peddled the fraud that official opposition parties, such as Labor in Australia and the Democrats in the US, represented a lesser evil. The only political party that has exposed and opposed these dead-end traps is the Socialist Equality Party (SEP). From the outset of the Gaza genocide, we have explained that it is not an isolated development. It is the most barbaric expression of imperialist militarism and the plunge into a third world war. The Gaza onslaught is inseparable from the US-led plans to expand the Middle Eastern war, particularly targeting Iran, Washingtons proxy conflict against Russia in Ukraine, and advanced US preparations against its main targetChina. Today, amid the bitter political experiences of the Gaza protests, there is significant and growing interest in the revolutionary socialist perspective advanced by SEP campaigners at the rallies, with attendees seeking out SEP leaflets and purchasing our Marxist literature. This points the way forward. What is posed is the need for a revolutionary and socialist movement of the working class internationally. The independent strength of the global working class must be mobilised, including through industrial action, to halt military supplies to Israel. That requires a political struggle against Labor and its trade union bureaucracy, which is blocking any such fight. Halting the genocide requires a struggle against capitalismthe system that creates this disaster. This means uniting workers all over the world in an international anti-war movement aimed at establishing a global socialist society based on peace and social equality. To discuss the burning necessity for this perspective, we urge our readers to register for the SEP public meetings in Sydney, Melbourne, Newcastle and Brisbane next week on How to stop the genocide in Gaza. How have the layoffs at UPS affected your facility? Contact us by filling out the form below. All submissions will be kept anonymous. UPS trucks outside the Olympic Hub in Los Angeles, California. On Tuesday, UPS announced it was cutting yet another shift at one of its logistics hubs. This time, the company is cutting the sunrise sort shift at the Western Regional International Air Hub in Ontario, California. Around 135 jobs will reportedly be lost at the facility, one of the largest UPS air hubs in the country. The WSWS has also received reports that the twilight sort has been cut, although this has not yet been confirmed. The move is part of the accelerating jobs massacre at the company, which earlier this year announced 12,000 cuts to management and administrative positions. The company is also eliminating thousands of jobs performed by members of the Teamsters union by slashing shifts at its warehouses and hubs. The vast majority of these workers are part-timers earning totally inadequate wages, which were only recently increased from a minimum of $16.65 to $21 an hour. The logistics giant is using new advances in automation as a weapon to eliminate huge swathes of its workforce. According to one HR source, technology being implemented at new facilities has the potential to eliminate 80 percent of all warehouse jobs. This is part of a massive international job cutting, which includes the auto industry, the technology sector, healthcare and others. The aim is not only to cut costs at each individual corporation but to smash the rising resistance of the working class through mass unemployment. UPS workers on social media are beginning to compile lists of layoffs around the country. Based on these, in addition to previous reporting by the WSWS, the facilities with known layoffs include: Mechanicsville, Virginia (facility closing) Louisville, Kentucky Centennial hub (day sort) Baltimore, Maryland hub (day and night sorts) Toledo, Ohio (day sort) Livonia, Michigan (night sort) Mesquite, Texas hub (slated to close for re-tooling as an automated facility) Round Rock, Texas Portland, Oregon Swan Island hub (day sort) New York City, Maspeth (Queens) (day sort) New York City, 43rd Street Manhattan Hub Windsor, Connecticut (twilight sort) Edgerton, Kansas (day sort) West Springfield, Massachusetts Mount Olive, New Jersey (twilight sort) New Stanton, Pennsylvania (day sort) Indianapolis, Indiana, 81st Street Hub (day sort) Perrysburg, Ohio trailer maintenance shop (facility closing) If you know of other facilities not listed above, notify the WSWS by filling out the form at the bottom of this article. All submissions will remain anonymous. To date, the top officials of the Teamsters union have still not publicly acknowledged that cuts are taking place. This is because they are helping to carry them out. The new contract passed last year, which the union dishonestly claimed to be the richest in decades, contains no provisions whatsoever against layoffs. Secretary-Treasurer Fred Zuckerman, the second-highest ranking bureaucrat in the union, recently visited Portland, Oregon, where hundreds of UPS workers are losing their jobs. He did not meet with workers in the day shift at the citys huge Swan Island hub, which is being eliminated. Instead, he proclaimed the issue was one of contract enforcement, in line with previous claims by General President Sean OBrien that the union was conducting an unprecedented enforcement campaign. This is not only largely fictitiousworkers report they have not been told anything by the Teamstersit is a red herring, given that the contract contains no safeguards against layoffs. If there is to be a fight in defense of jobs, it has to be done independently of and against the corrupt Teamsters bureaucracy. Workers must take matters into their own hands, reserving the right to take all measures they deem necessary to force an end to the layoffs. Workers should not be expected to treat last years contract, passed through lies and deception, as binding upon them. The UPS Workers Rank-and-File Committee has issued a statement proposing the development of a counter-offensive by UPS workers, organized around three main principles. First, workers must insist on the right to take action to enforce their democratic will regardless of what the bureaucracy says; second, they must reject the right of UPS and other giant corporations to profit and fight for their transfer to public ownership, democratically controlled by workers; and third, they must unite their struggle with workers all around the world in a common fight against job cuts. The union is doing nothing Workers at the UPS facility in Maspeth, Queens in New York City recently spoke to World Socialist Web Site reporters about the job cuts at their facility. One worker, formerly on the night shift and now working on the twilight sort, explained, The elimination of the night shift could be coming with the layoffs scheduled for May 10th. Right now, 80 people have been taken off that shift. They have been laid off for months. There has been no explanation from anyone about what is going to happen to the Midnight shift on May 11 after the layoffs occur. I know there are workers now working split shifts, and sleeping in their cars at night in the parking lot. Those split shift workers go to jobs early in the morning at 4:30 am with the preloaders. Because they are saying the volume of work is decreasing, they are saying there is no value to these jobs. Feeder drivers are also being pushed back into warehouse jobs. I know it is not declining volume that is behind these layoffs. They are taking work to the new automated hubs that have opened up, including the new ones in Bayonne, New Jersey and in Pennsylvania. These are the Mega-hubs. The company is saying theres no work to be had, but the lines are being taken over by the automated Bayonne hub. A veteran feeder driver said, The layoffs are bad, but the union has done and is doing nothing. That is the way things are going now. Feeder driver jobs are being eliminated. There are 20 drivers that are going to be laid off in Maspeth. Feeder drivers will be pushed back into regular package driving, which pays less money, but you still keep your job. They are definitely diverting work to Bayonne, he added. I have been driving there and delivering work there for a while. Have you seen it? It is a big, new place, and that is where they have been diverting work, as I said, for a while. A veteran porter was outraged by the layoffs. It is very bad. People with 5 years, 10 years or 20 years making this company money are just being laid off. Everyone needs to survive here. The place has plenty of work. I was born in the mid-20th century, and the world has changed. Nothing is going right now. With the contract we just had, they give you one thing, like the part-timers getting the wage raise to $21 an hour. But then they also include so many changes you dont know about that hurt. So, who really wins? Who got the better deal from the contract? It is the CEO of UPS, Carol Tome. How many millions has she made? They tell us they are upset because they didnt make as much profit last year as they did the year before. But that year was the most profit UPS ever made in a year. So, they want us to increase the profit margin for them every year, and look what they give us. I ask myself what is the union going to do about these terrible layoffs? They are doing nothing. When another night shift worker was asked what he thought, he delayed his response for a minute. He then said, I was just pausing to think how I could say this without curse words. The layoffs are horrible and disgusting. They are lying about having no work. They have had to double the size of the twilight shift recently. How is the union allowing no work on the night shift, but doubling the twilight shift? The union is doing nothing about this. A worker coming in for the second half of his split shift said, People need jobs and we need money. It may have been a good contract like the union claims, but people need jobs and not a lot of baloney. Instead, there are fewer workers here. Another worker said, We all have kids. It is unnecessary to get rid of the overnight workers. Instead, they are building that new facility in New Jersey. There should have been some consequences in the contract against layoffs. We are faced with being laid off or going to pre-load jobs, and [lower seniority pre-load workers] will lose their jobs. Another worker said, I heard [Teamsters Local 804 President] Vincent Perrone talk about layoffs on Facebook. He said that around January and February, they always have more layoffs. But the economy is not what it used to be. All those people that are making money now, and from the wars, and they are corrupt. The system is corrupt. The WSWS also spoke with a part-time worker from the 43rd Street Hub in New York City. Everyone with under five years seniority [when workers vest into their pensions] is being laid off. Someone said it was going to be for only six months, but when I asked the supervisor who laid me off, he said, I dont know how long this is going to last. However, they did call us back to work on Mondays to start off each week. I have gone to work on these Mondays with the hope that I can get a full week of work again for that week, but each week they tell us after the Monday work that there will be no more work for the week. What is the point of allowing UPS to call me in to work on Mondays when it is only one day a week? We cant live on that. But the company is attempting prevent us from filing for unemployment benefits, which saves the company a substantial amount of money. And it forces us to continue to pay union dues. I was making around $200 a week before the contract. The union celebrated getting us a raise to $21 an hour in the contract. But now my pay has been cut to an unlivable $70 a week as the company comes after us. And where is the union? Isnt this what they should have shut down? How can the union be doing what they are doing now? It is crazy that the union would support Donald Trump. That is not fair. Neither is Bidens support of Israel carrying out the genocide in Gaza against the Palestinians. They will start World War III. Last Thursday, the works council and IG Metall union invited the remaining 3,750 employees at the soon-to-close Ford Saarlouis plant to a factory meeting with only one item on the agenda: the vote on a so-called social contract the union bureaucracy had negotiated. Ford site in Saarlouis [Photo by Ford Media Center] Far from preventing the closure of the plant, the agreement sanctions the shutdown of the factory, which has been a critical source of employment in the southwest German region, next to the border with France, for more than half a century. At the time Ford announced the closure of the plant, about two years ago, more than 6,000 employees worked at the Saarlouis plant and adjacent supplier companies. The agreement chiefly involves redundacy packages, along with hollow promises that some workers will remain employed in auxillary positions after the factory stops car production. Following last weeks vote, IG Metall officials celebrated, issuing a hypocritical statement, titled Saarlouis must live!Gigantic approval of 93.28 percent. Union officials, perhaps saying more than they intended, declared, Our fight over the past months and years has paid off. There is little doubt that the suppression of any strike action to stop the closure of the plant has paid off well for union and works council officials, such as Markus Thal. For the workers, their families and the entire region, however, it has been a disaster. Auto production will be phased out by the end of November 2025 and some 5,000 jobs will be lost. After December 2025, Ford is only guaranteeing 1,000 jobs through 2032. In other words, the result of the fight by the works council and IG Metall is that Ford Saarlouis is dead! From the beginning, the World Socialist Web Site and the Ford Action Committee, set up by rank-and-file workers, warned that this would be the outcome of the bidding war between IG Metall and the General Union of Workers (UGT) over where Ford would locate electric vehicle production. The union bureaucracies played off workers in Saarlouis and Almussafes, Spain, against each other and offered management huge wage concessions, the details of which have been concealed to this day. The outcome has been wage cuts, layoffs and plant closures. The Ford Action Committee explained that jobs would not be defended by IG Metall and its works council but only through a rank-and-file rebellion against the bureaucrats that stand on the side of the corporation. Warning strike by Ford workers in Saarlouis in January After Ford announced that Saarlouis would be closed, the works council and IG Metall systematically demobilised the workforce to make the closure possible. They held back the workers, sought to placate them and occasionally ordered them to the gates for toothless protests in limited numbers to allow workers to blow off steam. Then Thal, the IG Metall and Saarland state executive strung the workforce along with promises of an investor who supposedly wanted to take over the entire plant. Everyone involved kept quiet about who the supposed investor was. Now, broadcaster Saarlandischer Rundfunk has revealed that the Chinese state-owned company Chery Automobile was the major investor. Chery officials have not denied the report. In October 2023, however, the company and the works council announced that the secretive investor had pulled out, with Ford Germany boss Martin Sander saying talks collapsed after an in-depth feasibility study and intensive negotiations, involving the Saarland state government. In the run-up to the final closure announcement, the works council and IG Metall organised short strikes in mid-January, ostensibly to improve the terms of the social contract. In reality, the phony strikes were the final nail in the coffin. The closure of the historic factory is the result of the rigged game the works council, IG Metall, Social Democratic (SPD) state government and company officials have played against rank-and-file workers for over two years. To ensure the ratification of their social contract, these forces sought to deceive workers by holding a strike ballot. But the only alternatives were an indefinite strike, which workers knew the works council and union would sabotage, or the acceptance of a deal whose details were concealed from workers. To make matters worse, union officials declared that 75 percent of the workforce would have to vote against it for the proposal to be defeated. The works council and IG Metall were reportedly unsure if this shotgun vote would work. Then suddenly they announced that it had been approved by over 93 percent of the workforce. Most workers could not believe the official results, given the widespread opposition. But IG Metall has made it impossible to check the validity of the vote. There was no list of those authorised to vote to compare with the actual votes cast. Anyone with an authorisation notice issued by the IG Metall and sent by post was allowed to vote. There was no rank-and-file oversight to determine if votes were valid or if someone voted multiple times. The ballot boxes were not publicly checked beforehand, or secured by committees of workers. Only officials from the works council knew what was in them. Workers have long accused IG Metall and works council officials of vote fraud in internal elections and contract votes. The large yes vote last Thursday is not particularly different from the last works council election results, or for that matter, votes in the Stalinist former East Germany, where the hated ruling party always received an overwhelming majority. Even if a majority of workers voted for the deal, it was not an endorsement of the IG Metall and its rotten deal. After two years of constant fears over their fate, it is possible a majority of workers reluctantly voted for the deal to end the horror rather than prolong it, especially since IG Metall and works council officials demonstrated they would do nothing to stop the plant closure. Workers reported that the atmosphere at the factory meeting was like a funeral. They felt forcedby the trade union and works councilto rubber-stamp their own job losses. And they did so without knowing exactly what they were voting on. Workers will only find out what the specific individual consequences will be for them later this month. They will either receive a redundancy offer or be told if they are being considered for one of the remaining 1,000 jobs after 2025. Not many more than these jobs will be created in the long term, no matter how loudly the works council, union and SPD talk about replacement jobs and new investors. This became clear immediately after the result of the vote was announced. State Minister of Economic Affairs Jurgen Barke immediately presented journalists with grand plans for the Ford plant and the entire 120-hectare site with its huge halls and areas. But on closer inspection, it was clear these were just castles in the air, much like the long-touted major investor. After 2025, a 10-hectare winter car park at the plant facility is supposed to be redeveloped. Until now, cars produced in winter have been parked there before being delivered to dealers. From 2026 onby which time the plant will already be closeda further 15 hectares are to be redeveloped and built on. The aim is to attract smaller companies with 100 to 300 employees each. The demand for this was very high, says Barke. However, it remains to be seen how many companies will actually settle there. Allegedly, letters of intent have been received from some companies. As usual, their names are not being mentioned nor is there any information of the wages and conditions workers will face. But one thing is clear: in 2026apart from the site where Ford is financing 1,000 jobstens of hectares of the 120-hectare site will lie empty. Only one-fifth25 hectares in totalwill be redeveloped. The supposed replacement jobs will be a long time comingif they come at all. However, SPD Minister Barke was just as euphoric as IG Metall and works council chairman Thal. For further planning on the Ford site, the social contract was a liberating blow, Barke claimed. Fundamental lessons must be learned from the experiences of the last two years, both at Ford and in the automotive industry. Before the vote, the WSWS made it clear: There is no individual way out of the crisis. A common struggle in defence of all jobs is necessary and can no longer be postponed. That is why the establishment of the independent action committee is so important. The redundancies and plant closure plans at Ford are just the beginning, the article noted. A job massacre is unfolding in the auto industry the likes of which the sector has not seen since the Second World War. Major class struggles were inevitable, which will go far beyond the current warning strikes and break through the control of the trade union apparatus. Workers at Bosch, Continental, ZF, BASF and many other companies are facing an escalating wave of job cuts, along with workers across the world, and a unified fight is necessary. But this fight must be organized independently of and in opposition to the works council reps and trade union bureaucrats, and coordinated across borders through the expansion of the International Workers Alliance of Rank-and-File Committees (IWA-RFC). Workers at Ford, the auto industry and beyond should take concrete action to set up rank-and-file action committees. To contact the Ford Action Committee, send a WhatsApp message to the following number: +491633378340 or fill out the following form! Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles announced yesterday that six more military personnel will be sent to US headquarters in the Middle East to assist in the planning and preparation of American and British strikes on Yemen. Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles with Indian, Japanese, US and Australian navy commanders involved in Exercise Malabar off the east coast of Australia, 11-22 August, 2023. [Photo: @RichardMarlesMP] While the increase is small, the decision signals the Labor governments unalloyed political commitment to US war plans in the Middle East and its full support for the Israeli regimes genocide of the Palestinian population in Gaza. The US has amassed a large naval armada in the Middle East to back Israels war on Gaza and to prepare for a wider war against Iran and Iranian-backed militia in the region. Together with Britain, the American military has carried out strikes against Houthi militia in Yemen that have attempted to disrupt supplies to the Israeli military, in solidarity with the Palestinians. As of Friday, the Houthis had carried out some 57 attacks against shipping in the Red Sea since November. The six personnel will be part of a newly formed Operation Hydrant, directly assisting in the US-British strikes on Houthi positions in Yemen. Marles told parliament that Australia would not be sending a warship or a plane to the region but called the increase in troops to shore-based roles significant. Speaking this morning on Channel Nines Today program, Marles explained that the number of Australian military personnel at the Combined Maritime Force headquarters in Bahrain had already been increased last year. This [extra six] is in addition, but separate to that, which is a headquarters specifically supporting the US-UK strikes, he said. Asked whether six people would make a difference, Marles insisted that it would, saying: These headquarters arent huge places, and its certainly a contribution which is very much welcomed by both the US and the UK. He added that it was very important that we are a part of this mission because of our national interest as an island trading nation. In reality, the governments decision to join the widening US-led war in the Middle East is bound up with its commitment to its military alliance with US imperialism more broadly, including the US-NATO war against Russia in Ukraine and Washingtons advanced preparations for war against China. Australian imperialism is completely dependent on the US to advance its own predatory interests in Asia and internationally. No details have been released about the specific military personnel being deployed or their roles. Nevertheless, they will be integral to the planning, preparation and monitoring of the US-led attacks on Yemen, which will inevitably result in civilian casualties. The Houthi militia, linked to Iran, control large parts of Yemen, including its capital, Sanaa. Last Saturday, US and British warplanes carried out the largest air strikes in weeks against targets inside Yemen. A statement by US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the operation to further disrupt and degrade Houthi capacities was directed against eight locations, hitting underground weapons-storage facilities, missile-storage facilities, one-way attack drones, air defenses, radar and a helicopter. On Sunday, the Houthis official Saba news agency announced the first civilian death in the US-UK strikes, stating: The American-British aggression on the district of Maqbana in the governorate of Taiz has left one civilian dead and eight wounded. Two more civilians were injured in the raids on the al-Nahda neighborhood in the al-Thawra district of Sanaa. Support for the air strikes has been provided by Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands and New Zealand. A joint statement declared: Our aim remains to de-escalate tensions and restore stability in the Red Sea. In fact, the huge US military build-up in the Middle East began in concert with Israels onslaught on Gaza which from the outset set its sights on expanding the assault into the West Bank and southern Lebanon. Just as the Israeli military has already carried out attacks inside Lebanon and Syria, the US has launched strikes inside Syria and Iraq, as well as Yemen. The Australian government, which is now expanding its direct involvement in US military operations, has backed the Israeli genocide in Gaza to the hilt. Amid ongoing weekly protests across Australia against Israeli war crimes, now responsible for more than 30,000 civilian deaths, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his ministers have issued meaningless expressions of concern for the plight of Palestinians and supported calls for a temporary ceasefire. The Labor governments attitude to the humanitarian disaster in Gaza, however, is exposed by its continued withholding of at least $A6 million in aid to the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA)the main lifeline for more than a million refugees in Gaza in desperate conditions without food, clean water, medicines and other essentials. The Albanese government joined the US in cutting aid to UNRWA based on unsubstantiated Israeli claims that a handful of UNWRA employees were involved in the October 7 military operations by Hamas in southern Israel. According to the Guardian, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong met on Tuesday with Tom White, the director of UNRWA affairs in Gaza, to discuss the acute humanitarian situation in the besieged territory. In parliament yesterday, however, Albanese, refused to give a timeline for the reinstating the aid. Wong was reportedly updated in the meeting with details of the internal UNRWA investigation into the Israeli allegations. In recent parliamentary proceedings, she conceded that she was yet to see any detailed evidence to support Israels claims. By blocking aid, Israel, with the support of the US and its allies, including Australia, is deliberately using starvation as part of its genocidal war. Speaking to the Guardian on Tuesday, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food Michael Fakhri declared: Intentionally depriving people of food is clearly a war crime. Israel has announced its intention to destroy the Palestinian people, in whole or in part, simply for being Palestinian. In my view as a UN human rights expert, this is now a situation of genocide. The Albanese government is directly complicit in the crimes of the Zionist regime in Gaza. By boosting Australian military integration into US military operations in the Middle East, it is committing to a broader US war of aggression in the region that will be waged with the same barbarity that the world is witnessing in Gaza. Under the pretext of jointly fighting the repressive policies of the Wickremesinghe government and its attacks on social and democratic rights, the Inter-University Student Federation (IUSF) leadership has been holding high-level discussions with Sri Lankas capitalist opposition parties and the trade union bureaucracies. IUSF officers meet with SJB leader Sajith Premadasa (top centre) on February 5, 2024 [Photo: Facebook/IUSF] Since early February, IUSF leaders have met with the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) and the National Peoples Power (NPP)the electoral front of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)as well as several splinter groups from the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) and the pseudo-left United Socialist Party (USP). On Sunday, IUSF convener Madhushan Chandrajith said that the organisation also planned to hold discussions with the New Democratic Marxist-Leninist Party, a Maoist group, and several trade unions. The IUSF is controlled by the fake-left Frontline Socialist Party (FSP), an offshoot of the JVP. It was formed just over a decade ago as the JVP was being rejected by increasing numbers of workers and youth because of its support for successive Sri Lankan governments and their bloody 26-year anti-Tamil communal war against the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Current FSP leaders, then JVP members, fully backed Colombos anti-working class and communalist policies. The establishment of the FSP was not a political break with JVPs policies but a continuation of the same agenda, garbed in pseudo-left nationalist rhetoric. The IUSF, which had been a student front for the JVP, shifted its allegiance to the newly formed FSP. Like the JVP, the IUSF leadership employs the same bureaucratic and anti-democratic methods to retain control of the organisation. After meeting with the SJB and its parliament opposition leader Sajith Premadasa on February 5, IUSF convener Chandrajith told the media: We discussed [with the opposition leader] about the recently enacted Online Safety Act [OSA], the impending Anti-Terrorism Bill, [police] Operation Justice and the problems in universities. The IUSF proposed to the opposition parties and their trade unions that they unite and fight against the governments repression and the crisis we are facing as a society, he said. Presenting these corrupt and thoroughly discredited formations as champions of democratic rights, Chandrajith declared they all had a definite task in defeating the governments attacks Although the government had approved these new acts in parliament, we will defeat them in struggle in the street with the masses. Chandrajith made similar remarks to the media on February 15, after discussions with Dullas Alahapperuma, leader of Freedom Peoples Congress, an SLPP splinter group. The IUSF has not provided any details about what really transpired in any of its closed-door discussions with these bourgeois parties and the unions. In the face of rising opposition to its International Monetary Fund (IMF) austerity measures the Wickremesinghe government is implementing a series of wide-ranging repressive measures. The recently enacted OSA gives it the ability to shut down social media platforms, suppress freedom of speech, and prosecute anyone criticising the government. Its Anti-Terrorism Bill, which will soon be presented to parliament, will replace the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) with even harsher measures. At the same time, the government has unleashed Operation Justice, which it claims is a war on drugs and crime but is instead a nationwide police terror campaign against the working class and the poor. The IUSF attempts to convince workers and students that the discredited opposition parties and pro-capitalist trade unions will fight the government is a reactionary and dangerous lie. As their political history shows, these formations are tried and tested representatives of the Sri Lankan capitalist class. The SJB is an offshoot of Wickremesinghes right-wing United National Party (UNP). Its leadership, who were ministers and MPs in previous UNP-led governments, are directly responsible for the bloody anti-Tamil communal war, developing and implementing previous draconian laws. Over the past three decades the JVP has been transformed into a political party of the bourgeois establishment, aligning itself, in government or in opposition, with every Colombo regime and their communalist war against the LTTE and supporting all their repressive measures. Notwithstanding their rhetorical denunciations of the Wickremesinghe government, the JVP, SJB and the SLPP splinter groups are all committed to IMF austerity and will implement its brutal program and the anti-democratic laws no less ruthlessly than the current administration. Likewise, the pseudo-left USP has previously established reactionary political alliances with Wickremesinghe, who is a deeply hated figure in the working class for his long record of anti-democratic attacks. Similarly, the trade union bureaucracies have and continue to play a major role in blocking a unified working-class movement against past and present Colombo regimes. We warn students and the workers that the FSP and IUSF are preparing another political disaster, just as they did during the AprilJuly 2022 mass uprising against former President Rajapakse and his government. IUSF supporters protesting Wickremesinghe governments attacks on social conditions and democratic rights in Colombo, one year ago on March 7, 2023. In 2022, the FSP and the leadership of its various front groups, including the IUSF, joined the Galle Face Green Occupation as part of the mass uprising against the government. It supported the no politics censorship imposed by the occupation leadership in an attempt to block any discussion of revolutionary socialist politics. As the government crisis deepened in the weeks that followed, the FSP and the IUSF backed SJB and JVP calls for an interim regime of parliament parties to stabilise Sri Lankan parliamentary rule. FSP-controlled trade unions joined their counterparts affiliated to the JVP, SJB and other unions to limit multi-million strong general strikes to one-day actions on April 28 and May 6 while politically disarming the working class by tying them to the campaign for an interim regime. After President Rajapakse was forced to flee the country, the discredited parliament, relying on the treachery of the trade union leadership, supported by various fake left groups, including the FSP, elevated Wickremesinghe into the presidency, paving the way for the breakup and suppression of the mass movement. The pro-capitalist and pro-imperialist orientation of the FSP and its IUSF was further demonstrated in the subsequent months. When the IUSF former convener Wasantha Mudalige and two other activists were detained under the PTA, the FSP and IUSF held a public rally at Hyde Park on September 16, 2022 demanding the government release the detainees. The above-mentioned parliamentary parties and even some ruling party MPs joined the protest. One of those addressing the event was SJB chairman Sarath Fonseka, former Sri Lankan Army commander who led the final bloody operations of Colombos communal war against the LTTE. IUSF and the FSP leaders also appealed to the Colombo diplomats of the major imperialist countries, including the US and UK, to call for the detainees release. Lawyer and FSP leader Nuwan Bopage addressed the UN Human Rights Council to call for Mudaliges release. In recent months, thousands of Sri Lankan workers have taken industrial action against the governments IMF-dictated privatisation program and other regressive measures. Massive hikes in value added taxes, electricity and water tariffs have further driven up the cost of essentials and budget cuts have deepened the crisis in public health and education, creating an intolerable situation for workers, students and the poor. Nurses and other health workers protesting outside Matara Hospital in Sri Lanka on January 16, 2024. This has led to strikes and protests of hundreds of thousands of employees in health, education, railways, electricity, telecom and ports, and seen rising anger among poverty-stricken university students. The FSP and IUSF latest campaign to unite capitalist parties and trade union bureaucracies is a sinister exercise in again trying to subordinate workers and youth to Sri Lankas parliamentary setup and its capitalist parties. When the writer of this article asked Chandrajith for details on the IUSFs orientation to these parties, he replied: We will have campaigns together with the trade unions affiliated to these parties, progressives and artists. After it was pointed out the parliamentary parties had supported the PTA and other repressive laws, he replied: Then with whom do you suggest students should align? Before doing anything else, we must defeat the repression. We are working for that. Chandrajiths response makes clear that the IUSF and FSP oppose the mobilisation of the working class to fight the government attacks and are attempting to tie workers and youth to the existing capitalist order. His claim about settling things with the government by a fight in the street, is simply hot air to derail students from fighting for the mobilisation working class on a revolutionary socialist program. Students genuinely determined to fight government attacks have joined those protest marches in thousands, facing brutal police attacks and arrests, but this, contrary to the IUSF claims, has not forced the government to change its brutal social agenda. The International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) urges students to reject the IUSF/FSP perspective, which is a blind alley designed to keep them trapped within the framework of the profit system, and to prevent a concerted struggle against the social disasters it creates for working people. The IYSSE calls on students to turn to the working class, the only genuine revolutionary force that can provide leadership to all oppressed masses in the struggle defend all democratic and social rights. This fight involves a struggle against capitalism in every country. Yet another alliance with capitalist parties and the trade bureaucracies will only perpetuate the profit system and governments that ruthlessly defend the wealthy few at the expense of working people. We urge students to join the struggle to mobilise workers, independent of every faction of the capitalist class, trade unions and pro-capitalist fake left groups, in the fight for a workers and peasants government based on a socialist and internationalist program. We call on university students to organise branches of the IYSSE in their respective universities and join the struggle for socialism. This article was written by a Ukrainian socialist living abroad. Last week, Volodymyr Zelenskys authoritarian regime celebrated the anniversary of the far-right coup in Kiev against the backdrop of the horrific consequences the 2014 coup had for Ukraines multi-millioned population and humanity as a whole. That coup and the ensuing war, which has already cost hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian lives, were deliberately instigated by American and German imperialism with the goal of bringing a puppet regime to power that would be willing to hand Ukraine over to their direct control. Line of protesters at Dynamivska Str. Euromaidan Protests. Events of Jan 20, 2014 (Source: Wikimedia Commons) The conspirators in Washington and Berlin enlisted the support of opposition parties to the pro-Russian regime of Viktor Yanukovych, one of which was the neo-fascist Svoboda Party, which openly support the actions of Nazi collaborators from Stepan Banderas Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN). Following the coup, Svoboda became the first neo-fascist party to enter a government in Europe since the end of World War II. The imperialists were fully conscious that the coup they were preparing would lead to a military escalation with Russia. They did not try to avoid it at all, but on the contrary, they believed that such a military escalation was necessary to achieve their goals. And after the coup, which provoked the Russian annexation of Crimea in March 2014 and the civil war in Donbass, in which 3,400 people were killed between 2014 and 2022, Ukraine has been armed to the teeth by NATO with yearly training exercises. The United States and NATO have also systematically armed and trained Ukrainian forces and far-right formations first under the Poroshenko and then Zelensky regime. Even in the lead up to the open war that broke out in 2022, the imperialist powers and the Kiev government worked closely with neo-Nazi elements like the Azov Battalion to wage an indirect war against Russia in East Ukraine. All these facts put the last nail in the coffin of US propaganda about a sudden and unexpected, unprovoked invasion of Ukraine by Putins regime in February 2022. Although Putins invasion was a desperate response to NATO expansion, this does neither justify the actions of the Putin regime nor change its reactionary character. Just as the Zelensky regime speaks for the interests of the Ukrainian oligarchy, the Putin regime speaks for the interests of the Russian oligarchy. Both emerged out of the Stalinist bureaucracys destruction of the Soviet Union and restoration of capitalism and are deeply hostile to the working class. Immediately following the coup, the working class of Ukraine faced attacks on its social and democratic rights. Arson attacks on party headquarters, physical violence against party members began and parties were banned. The new regime daily restricted the right to express dissent and to assemble peacefully without fear of fascist attack. Prices, inequality and poverty increased exponentially. The policies pursued by the Poroshenko regime and now the Zelensky government have benefited the oligarchy, exacerbating inequality and pushing more and more working class people into abject poverty. The Trade Union house in Odessa after a fire and imperialist-backed massacre by Ukrainian fascists in 2014. [Photo by Lsimon / CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 The coup detat also entailed intensified efforts by the state to rehabilitate the World War II-era fascists from the OUN and its paramilitary wing, the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA). The Communist Party and communist symbols were banned, while fascist forces were rehabilitated and their crimes glorified or minimized. The new regime began to distort historical facts and remake textbooks for its own purposes. It renamed streets and destroyed monuments, including those of many leaders of the October Revolution and the Trotskyist Left Opposition to Stalinism that hailed from Ukraine. Among the monuments destroyed was one of the Bolshevik Vitaly Primakov, the adopted son of the famous Ukrainian writer Mykhailo Kotsiubynsky. Primakov was a member of the Military Revolutionary Committee that organized the October insurrection in 1917, became commander of the Ukrainian Red Cossacks during the civil war and later a member of the Left Opposition. Monuments and streets, dedicated to Yevgeniia Bosh, a leader of the Bolshevik Party and member of the Left Opposition in Ukraine, as well as of Vladimir Antonov-Ovseenko, participant in the October armed uprising in Petrograd, and Soviet military commander who signed the Declaration of the 46, were renamed or demolished. A bust of the famous German revolutionary and anti-militarist Karl Liebknecht was also destroyed. Monument to Vladimir Antonov-Ovseenko, a leader of the October Revolution and signatory of the Declaration of 46, in the Ukrainian city of Chernihiv (Chernigov) before its demolition in 2015. [Photo: Mixabest ] At the same time, a wave of attacks was unleashed on the historical truth about the victory of the Soviet people over Nazi Germany in World War II. The government systematically tried to present the Red Army in the eyes of the Ukrainian people not as liberators but as occupiers of Ukraine. And this despite the fact that the overwhelming majority of the Ukrainian population has ancestors who fought in the ranks of the Red Army against fascism! With the beginning of the war in February 2022, the government began to destroy monuments to Soviet soldiers all over western Ukraine, destroying their burial places and the burial places of victims of the Ukrainian bourgeois nationalists. All this was aimed at undermining the collective memory, the memory of the working class, at suppressing the history and truth about the achievements of the October Revolution and the struggle of the Left Opposition against Stalinism. It is in this history that one must look for the roots of the events of 2014 and the war in Ukraine. All these events can only be understood as the direct result of the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 by the Stalinist bureaucracy, which led to the creation of bourgeois Ukraine. The restoration of capitalism was the culmination of Stalins betrayal of the internationalist program of the 1917 October Revolution. In Ukraine, this nationalist reaction formed the basis for the policy of forced collectivization and the ensuing famine that killed millions of people, and the perversion of the Bolshevik national policy which suppressed Ukrainian cultural and national aspirations and undermined the unity of the peoples within the Soviet Union. With the restoration of capitalism in the Soviet Union, bourgeois nationalists began to raise their heads, including in Ukraine. In September 1989, the Peoples Movement of Ukraine for Perestroika was formed, which was engaged in fomenting national discord between the Russian and Ukrainian working classes and called for separatism. On the territory of western Ukraine, bourgeois Ukrainian nationalists began not only dismantling monuments to Lenin and Soviet soldiers. Under the guise of fighting Stalinism, they also rehabilitated the fascist collaborators and murderers of women, old men and children from the OUN-UPA (Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists and the Ukrainian Insurgent Army). They glorified them by building monuments to Bandera and naming streets after him. It was then that the harassment and attacks on workers of Russian nationality and on communists and members of the Komsomol (the youth organization of the Communist Party) began. Ukrainian bourgeois nationalists everywhere engaged in this harassment, using force not only against ethnic Russians but also the Russian language, forcing many to leave the cities of western Ukraine. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, what had started in the 1980s gained even more momentum, especially under the presidency of Viktor Yushchenko, who came to power after the US-backed orange revolution of 2004. His government not only promoted the glorification of fascists but also gave Nazi collaborators such as Roman Shukhevych the title of heroes of Ukraine. The government brought to power by the 2004 Western imperialist-sponsored Orange Revolution and led by Viktor Yushchenko aggressively sought to promote the OUN fascists. In 2007 the Ukrainian postal service issued a stamp honoring Nazi war criminal and UPA leader Roman Shukhevych. But no matter how strong the machine of propaganda and historical falsification is, the proletariat of Ukraine will sooner or later break it, winning not only the struggle for historical truth but also in the struggle against Ukrainian bourgeois nationalism and those whom it serves. Already, every day the numbers of those who do not agree with this war are growing, who realize that its root causes are the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the ultra-right February coup in Kiev and NATO expansion. There are more and more of those who are waking up from the decade-long stupor. Among them are not only the Ukrainian workers who were destined by Zelenskys authoritarian regime to be nothing more than cannon fodder but also those who are already in the war. They are looking at the government in Kiev and are realizing what fate is in store for them. Already facing injustice, they are beginning to think about what they are fighting and dying for. Some of them still think that once they win this war, they will go and overthrow the government that sent them to war. Others are already prepared to desert the battlefield or to turn their guns on their regime. And this mood exists not only in the Ukrainian working class but also in the Russian working class, which is, ultimately, in the same situation as the Ukrainian working class. Sooner or later, this war will lead to a popular explosion. However, without an independent workers party and a revolutionary leadership, the Ukrainian and Russian working class cannot win. Above all, it cannot win without returning to the internationalist traditions of the great October proletarian revolution. The revival of these traditions can only be achieved through a fight for orthodox Trotskyism, which is the Marxism of the 21st century, and embodies Bolshevik traditions. That is why socialist-minded workers and young people who are opposed to this war must fight for the building of the Ukrainian and Russian sections of the International Committee of the Fourth International! For a compilation of the most important statements by the WSWS on the 2014 coup and its aftermath, review this topic page. The Michigan presidential primary Tuesday gave a partial glimpse of the enormous opposition building up in the United States to the Biden administrations all-out support and aid for the Israeli campaign of extermination and ethnic cleansing against the Palestinian population of Gaza. More than 100,000 voters participating in the Democratic Party primary voted for uncommitted rather than Biden, in response to a campaign by Arab-American groups and others opposed to the genocide in Gaza. While opposition was the strongest in the two cities where Arab-Americans and Muslims constitute the majority, Dearborn and Hamtramck, there was a sizeable vote against Biden in Ann Arbor and East Lansing as well, two cities dominated by major universities. A protest meeting against the Gaza genocide at Fordson High School in Dearborn Both Dearborn and Hamtramck have seen significant protests against the war in Gaza, including a large meeting at Fordson High School in Dearborn and outdoor rallies that attracted hundreds of participants despite cold weather. The campaign for an uncommitted vote was backed by a handful of prominent Democrats such as Representative Rashida Tlaib and former presidential candidate Beto ORourke as a means of corralling the popular outrage over Gaza and containing it within the framework of the Democratic Party. That does not lessen the significance of the opposition demonstrated in the vote. The Socialist Equality Party candidate for president, Joseph Kishore, issued a statement on X (Twitter) Wednesday declaring: The Biden administration is clearly guilty of war crimes for arming, politically backing and financially supporting Israel and its #GenocideinGaza. In the Michigan Democratic Party primaries yesterday, more than 100,000 people voted as uncommitted, mainly to express opposition to Biden. While pointing to the significance of the vote, Kishore went on to warn that the Democratic politicians who promoted the uncommitted vote were setting a political trap. They openly state that their aim is to save Biden and the Democratic Party, that somehow by voting uncommitted, the administration will be pressured into shifting its position. This is a lie. #Genocide_Joes support for Israels crimes is not a mistake. It is part of the expanding militaristic and imperialist agenda of the capitalist ruling class, which the Democratic Party represents. The task is to develop an independent political movement of the working class, in the US and internationally, against war and against capitalism. This is the perspective that Jerry White and I are fighting for in the Socialist Equality Party presidential election campaign. The SEP announced Tuesday that Kishore, the partys national secretary, and Jerry White, labor editor of the World Socialist Web Site, would be its candidates for president and vice president in the 2024 elections. Biden received 80 percent of the vote in the primary, with 13 percent going to uncommitted. The 100,000 votes withheld from Biden are a clear threat to his holding on to Michigans electoral votes in the November election, since he won the state over Trump by a margin of roughly 175,000 votes. (Trump won the state in 2016 over Hillary Clinton by a bare 10,000 votes). In many congressional districts, uncommitted received more than 15 percent of the vote, the threshold vote for obtaining delegates, assuring that some uncommitted delegates will be chosen for the Democratic convention to be held in Chicago in August. These will be Democratic Party politicians tied to Representative Tlaib, who will certainly support Biden in the November election. On Monday, the day before the primary, Biden declared that a ceasefire in Gaza was imminent, perhaps as soon as the coming weekend, a statement with no apparent basis in reality, but timed to influence the vote in Michigan. Hours after the primary results were known, Biden thanked every Michigander who made their voice heard today, without making any mention of the war in Gaza and the mass hostility to his support for the Israeli genocide. The Democratic campaign mobilized high-profile surrogates from Vice President Kamala Harris to Representative Ro Khanna, former chair of the Bernie Sanders presidential campaign, to oppose the uncommitted campaign. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer played the central role in this effort, although she was careful not to denounce the Democrats engaged in that effort or suggest they were antisemitic for raising the issue of Israeli complicity in genocide. There was no doubt back-channel communication with the dissident Democrats to reinforce the division of labor between the open advocates of a vote for Biden and those who are working to divert popular anger over Gaza into safe political channels and a vote for Biden in November. On the Republican side, Trump received 68 percent of the vote, while 26.5 percent voted for Trumps former UN ambassador Nikki Haley, his only remaining opponent. The remainder of the vote went to uncommitted or to Republican candidates who have already suspended their campaigns. Haley has pledged to remain in the race until after the Super Tuesday primaries on March 5, less than a week away. Her financial resources are expected to be drained by then, usually the impetus for a withdrawal by also-ran candidates. Up until her defeat last Saturday in South Carolina, where she had been twice elected governor, Haley actually had greater financial resources than Trump, who was able to raise only $13.8 million in January. But after South Carolina, billionaire Charles Koch, one of several financial heavyweights backing Haley against Trump, withdrew his support, with a statement issued by his political action committee asserting that Haley no longer had a path to the nomination. A Haley campaign spokeswoman, Olivia Perez-Cubas, indicated that Haley would continue to make an argument, not against Trumps fascistic policies, but over his prospects as a general election candidate. So long as Donald Trump is at the top of the ticket, Republicans will keep losing to the socialist left, she said. The characterization of Biden, a right-wing warmonger and advocate of bipartisan austerity policies, as a socialist is a hallmark of the shift of the Republican Party as a whole to the extreme right. It also expresses the real fear of both capitalist parties. The Trump campaign in Michigan is also threatened by a split in the Republican Party, which may hold two rival state conventions. The conflict was triggered by efforts by the party establishment, including top financial backers like the billionaire DeVos family, to remove the state party chair, Kristina Karamo, who was widely viewed as erratic and incompetent. The state party is virtually bankrupt financially. Rival meetings of the Republican state central committee were held, one electing former Representative Pete Hoekstra as the new state chair, the other backing Karamo. Karamo postured as the most fervent advocate of Trump, publicly defending his denial of the 2020 election result. She added to it a refusal to recognize the results of the 2022 election in Michigan, in which Whitmer was reelected and Karamo was heavily defeated as the Republican candidate for secretary of state, the top state election official. Both Trump and the Republican National Committee have publicly supported Hoekstra, and on Tuesday, the day of the primary election, a Kent County Circuit Court judge ruled that Karamo had been removed as chair and barred her from continuing to claim that position or act as the representative of the state party, cutting off her access to the partys bank accounts. Snowflake (NYSE: SNOW) is one of the most closely followed software companies in the market. The company competes with the likes of Amazon Redshift, Google BigQuery, Oracle Database, and unicorn start-up Databricks. Snowflake became a household name for technology investors following its record IPO back in 2020. A little more than a year prior to its public market debut, Snowflake appointed Silicon Valley legend Frank Slootman as its CEO. While Slootman is largely credited with Snowflake's success since going public, investors were hit with some shocking news following the release of the company's fourth-quarter earnings report. Slootman is stepping down as CEO of Snowflake, effective immediately. While he will remain Chairman of the Board, investors don't appear too thrilled. Let's dig into this surprising development and assess how it could impact investors. 1. Slootman is a technology legend, but... Co-founders are one of the hallmarks of famous technology companies. Microsoft was led by its founder, Bill Gates, for several years before he handed the keys to Steve Ballmer in 2000. Similarly, Larry Page, who co-founded Alphabet (then called Google), has had multiple stints in the CEO position. While Slootman has earned an exceptional reputation as a tech executive, he does not have the same experience as some of his cohorts. Slootman has spent a good portion of his career in the C-Suite, but not necessarily as an actual product builder or founder. Before joining Snowflake, Slootman served as CEO of information technology (IT) data company ServiceNow, and prior to that, he was CEO of Data Domain (which is now part of Dell Technologies). According to company press releases, Slootman's successor will be Sridhar Ramaswamy, who recently served as the Senior Vice President of AI at Snowflake. Ramaswamy joined Snowflake last year, as part of the company's acquisition of AI start-up Neeva, which he co-founded. Ramaswamy's experience as a co-founder (although not of Snowflake exactly) could bring something to the table that Slootman didn't as the company looks to move into its next phase of growth beyond data warehousing. Story continues Although Ramaswamy boasts an impressive resume of his own, investors seem less than enthusiastic about the transition at the moment. As of now, Snowflake stock is down over 20% after hours following the announcement of Slootman's resignation. However, this transition seems to signal the company's focus on leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) in its business going forward. 2. What's next for Snowflake? Snowflake has its eyes on the AI market like many of its peers. Big data analytics peers, including Palantir, Microsoft, and others, have all showcased how demand for artificial intelligence AI applications is fueling a new wave of growth. For the 12 months ended Jan. 31, Snowflake reported total revenue of $2.8 billion -- an increase of 33% year over year. The company's software services increased 38% in 2023, reaching $2.7 billion. On top of that, the company ended the year with $5.2 billion in remaining performance obligations (RPO) and expects to recognize half of that as revenue within the next year. The glaring issue that I see in Snowflake's business is its net revenue retention rate (NRR). This is a ratio that measures how much revenue a company retains net of any churn that it experiences. If the ratio is above 100%, this implies that the company is outselling its churn. Snowflake's NRR is 131%; however, it has actually declined in seven straight quarters. While Slootman seems to be departing at a time when Snowflake needs some help maintaining its revenue base, there are some silver linings. First, research firm Gartner is projecting that worldwide tech spend will reach $6.5 trillion by 2027. Among this budget, IT and software services are expected to be the largest cohorts. This should serve as a bellwether for companies like Snowflake. Moreover, as artificial intelligence becomes more prominent in tech stocks, I see it as highly likely that spending on cloud-based products will witness unprecedented acceleration over the next several years. I think Snowflake has a greenfield opportunity to benefit from the secular tailwinds pushing the AI market. However, the big question revolves around Ramaswamy and his ability to execute. For now, I think investors are best suited on the sidelines and should assess Snowflake's progress in a post-Slootman world in the coming quarters. If the company is able to capture a meaningful share of the AI market, investors will have ample opportunity to buy the stock and enjoy long-term returns. Should you invest $1,000 in Snowflake right now? Before you buy stock in Snowflake, 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 Snowflake 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 26, 2024 Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Adam Spatacco has positions in Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft, and Palantir Technologies. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft, Oracle, Palantir Technologies, ServiceNow, and Snowflake. The Motley Fool recommends Gartner and recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. 2 Things Snowflake Investors Need to Know About CEO Frank Slootman's Surprise Resignation was originally published by The Motley Fool In this article, we will list 20 countries with the longest coastlines in the world. If you want to skip our discussion about US coastal counties, ports, and the shipping industry in the world, go to 7 Countries With the Longest Coastlines in the World. Coastal counties in the United States are home to over 128 million, or almost 40% of its total population. When Alaska is excluded, the coastal counties account for only 10% of the total land mass in the country, depicting that they are quite densely populated. The population in coastal counties grew by 34.8 million in a period of 40 years spanning from 1970 to 2010. These coastal counties contribute significantly to the overall US economy. They produce more than $9.5 trillion in goods and services. For comparison, the total GDP of the United States for 2023 was $27.36 trillion. In fact, if these coastal countries were individual countries, they would rank third in the world in terms of GDP, surpassing only by US and China. At this point, it is worth having a look at the top three coastal populations in the United States. New Jersey has a 7.1 million coastal population, whereas New York has 16 million. However, California tops this list with 26.7 million in coastal population. While talking about coasts, one cannot ignore sea ports as the two are closely related. According to National Geographic, the port is a docking place for ships on the coast of the ocean, river, or lake. Ships dock at ports and unload their cargo and passengers. Ports play a crucial role in transporting raw materials. They are often categorized by the good or raw material they transport the most. For example, Tanura in Saudi Arabia is an oil port. The United States has a major shipping presence across the American continent. Its ports cover 75% of American goods transportation that travels through sea routes. North America accounts for 44% of the total shipping share in the world, and the US and Canada contribute most to this. Shipping also contributes to 26% of the US economy through direct and indirect trading. In the last decade, the United States shipping showed a growth of 6.9% in terms of cargo handling volume. Story continues While much is not talked about the shipping industry, it is an absolute lifeblood of the global economy as it accounts for 80% of the trade. Recently, the world got a taste of what could happen if the industry ever came to a halt when Ever Given got stuck in the Suez Canal. The canal is one of the major shipping routes for global trade. However, according to Lloyd's List Intelligence Data, in just six days $10 billion worth of trade was blocked. It is worth noting here that shipping accounts for 80% of global trade. While shipping is an economic lifeblood, things do not look so great for the industry in the short and medium term. The expected growth rate from 2023 to 2027 is just 2.1% annually, which is significantly lower than the current annual rate of 3.3% growth over the last three decades. In addition, there is a negative sentiment associated with the share prices of the biggest shipping companies in the world, including ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. (NYSE:ZIM). The company saw its market cap decline by nearly 50% in 2023. The losses of ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. (NYSE:ZIM) in Q2, 2023 were twice as much as what analysts had previously expected. Here is what ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. (NYSE:ZIM) said about the difficulties in the industry that led to this setback: "Alphaliner supply-demand outlook for 2023 and 2024 remains unchanged, pointing to clear oversupply. Slow steaming remains the most meaningful tool operators have consistently used in 2023 to absorb the oversupply created in the market with the complete unwinding of port congestions and new vessel deliveries. More recently, we have seen increased blanking, especially on Transpacific, which may have supported the recent rate increase on this trade. Other possible actions operators could have taken, namely idling or scrapping, have had a negligible effect so far. As the charter market remained relatively strong, the motivation to scrap old tonnage remains low. However, as chartered capacity comes up for renewal and IMO 2023 enforcement coming to play, the motivation to scrap may increase in 2024 and beyond. Delayed deliveries of new build capacity have also been minimal and are not expected to meaningfully impact the growth in supply. On the demand side, consumer spending remained relatively healthy despite rising inflation and greater macroeconomic risk, yet high inventory levels built over 2021 and 2022 and continued concerns over economic growth have caused importers to be cautious and limit any meaningful renewal of inventory." 20 Countries With the Longest Coastlines in the World A modern seaborne tanker off the coast of a major metropolitan city, transporting liquefied petroleum gas. Methodology To curate our list of the 20 countries with the longest coastlines in the world, we looked at trusted online sources for the country-wise coastal length. Then, we arranged our list in an ascending order. The coastal length figures in our list are mentioned in kilometers. 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 looking for the best stocks to buy you can benefit from the wisdom of hedge funds and corporate insiders. 20 - Chile Length of Coastline - 6,435 KM Chile is 20th on our list of the countries with the longest coastlines in the world. Thanks to its long coastline, the country has one of the largest economic zones covering an area of 3,648,532 square kilometers. The country encompasses the Diego Ramirez Islands and Cape Horn, which mark the southernmost points in the Americas where the Pacific and Atlantic oceans meet. 19 - India Length of Coastline - 7,000 KM India's coastline is diverse as it consists of a variety of environments including sandy beaches, rocky coasts, muddy flats, and marshes. More than 2000 kilometers of its coastline consists of island territories. Its coastline touches the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal and two union territories, Daman and Diu and Puducherry. The state of Gujrat in India takes the largest share of the coastline, measuring 1600 kilometers. 18 - Turkey Length of Coastline - 7,200 KM Turkey is 18th on our list of countries with the longest coastlines in the world. Its coastline is bordered by four different seas, the Mediterranean Sea, the Black Sea, the Aegean Sea, and the Marmara Sea. Its coastline has diverse landscapes, from peaceful beaches and fishing villages to fields of tea, tobacco, hazelnut, and corn. Its coastline is also popular among tourists as it houses more than 300 Blue Flag beaches. 17 - Denmark Length of Coastline - 7,314 KM Denmark is predominantly surrounded by water, except for a 68-kilometer border with Germany, making it one of the countries with the longest coastlines in the world. Denmark's coastline offers diverse landscapes, from the windswept sandy stretches of the North Sea to the shifting sand dunes along the Kattegat and Skagerrak seas in Northern Europe. The country's proximity to water influences the climate, making it mild despite its northern location. 16 - Brazil Length of Coastline - 7,491 KM Brazil is 16th on our list of the 20 countries with the longest coastlines in the world. Its coastline is known for its beautiful beaches as it attracts millions of tourists annually. Its coastline also boasts a diverse ecosystem from tropical and subtropical forests to Savannas and wetlands. Brazil's coastline exhibits diverse geological formations including coastal dunes, rocky coasts, wave-dominated deltas, and granitic and gneisses rocky coasts. 15 - Italy Length of Coastline - 7,600 KM Italy is renowned for some of the most spectacular coastlines which offer a mix of rugged cliffs, picturesque coves, and scenic fishing villages. One of the most famous coastal areas in Italy is the Amalfi coast which stretches along the southwest coast from Sorrento to Salerno and is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. 14 - Mexico Length of Coastline - 9,330 KM Mexico is 14th on our list of the 20 countries with the longest coastlines in the world. Its Pacific coast features a variety of destinations such as Loreto, La Paz, Los Cabos, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta, Acapulco, Huatulco, and more. The country also has a Gulf coast with places like Tampico, Nautla, Veracruz, Campeche, and Progreso offering unique coastal landscapes. 13 - United Kingdom Length of Coastline - 12,429 KM United Kingdom's coastline consists of the main Island of Great Britain, the northeast coast of Ireland, and approximately 1,000 smaller islands. The North Sea coast of England is mainly flat and sandy with many dunes, while the English Channel on the south coast has some steep cliffs. 12 - Greece Length of Coastline - 13,676 KM Greece has the longest coastline in Europe and is 12th on our list of the 20 countries with the longest coastlines in the world. Its coastline is the defining feature of its geography and features the cliffs of Pelion to the iconic caldera of Santorini. The country is facing challenges of coastal erosion which is expected to affect its coastline significantly over the next 80 years. 11 - China Length of Coastline - 14,500 KM China has the 11th longest coastline in the world. From the Bohai Sea to the Gulf of Tonkin, its coastline extends to 14,500 kilometers. It is worth noting that over the course of thirty years spanning from 1990 to 2020, China's coastline has gone under significant changes as the natural coastline decreased from 6.68% to 42.29% and the artificial coastline increased from 33.32% to 57.71%. 10 - New Zealand Length of Coastline - 15,134 KM New Zealand is 10th on our list of the 20 countries with the longest coastlines. Its coastline is highly irregular and indented, featuring deep coves, bays, intricate harbors, long sounds, and steep fjords. However, it supports numerous marine species, including fur seals, sea lions, dolphins, whales, and various types of fish and shellfish. 9 - United States Length of Coastline - 19,924 KM The United States has one of the longest coastlines in the world, stretching along the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, the Gulf of Alaska, and the Pacific Ocean. Its coastline is home to various ecosystems, including beaches, estuaries, and wetlands, and supports a diverse array of wildlife and plant species. The US coastline is also a source of significant economic resources, supporting industries such as fishing, tourism, and shipping. 8 - Australia Length of Coastline - 25,760 KM Australia is 8th on our list of the countries with the longest coastlines in the world. Its coastal regions are home to diverse ecosystems and habitats that support marine life and provide essential resources for coastal communities. Click to continue reading and see 7 Countries with the Longest Coastlines in the World. Suggested articles: Disclosure: none. 20 Countries with the Longest Coastlines in the World is originally published on Insider Monkey In this article, we will be taking a look at the 20 countries with worst vision problems. If you do not want to learn about the market overview and growth projections, head straight to the 5 Countries With Worst Vision Problems. Countries grappling with severe vision problems face significant challenges in healthcare and quality of life. Vision impairment, whether due to refractive errors, cataracts, glaucoma, or other conditions, affects individuals' ability to perform daily tasks and hampers economic productivity and social participation. Identifying the countries with the worst vision problems like USA, China, India, and Pakistan, among others, sheds light on regions where access to eye care services, education about eye health, and preventive measures are urgently needed. Global Vision Impairment Crisis and Economic Impact Visual impairment is a significant global health issue, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Despite initiatives like VISION 2020 and the WHO's Universal Eye Health Global Action Plan, the prevalence of avoidable vision impairment has increased, reaching 4.34% in 2020. The economic impact is substantial, with an estimated annual global productivity loss of around US$411 billion. Globally, at least 2.2 billion people have near or distant vision impairments, with approximately 1 billion cases being preventable or untreated. This impairment affects individuals across all age groups, impacting various aspects of life such as motor skills, language development in children, educational achievement, employment rates, and overall quality of life. Despite the severity of the issue, the average annual funding for eye health globally is less than 0.06% of total global health funding. Refractive errors, a leading cause of visual impairment, remain untreated in many cases due to factors like lack of access to care and resources. Providing adequate spectacle correction for uncorrected refractive errors is estimated to cost US$28 billion annually. Story continues Understanding the primary factors contributing to vision problems is crucial. Age-related macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and refractive errors are among the leading causes of vision loss globally. These conditions affect individuals differently and may require various interventions such as promotion, prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation. In the United States, over 12 million people aged 40 and older are visually impaired, with this number expected to rise due to an aging population and the increasing prevalence of conditions like diabetes. A study conducted in 2017 estimated the total economic burden of vision loss and blindness in the United States to be $134.2 billion, which comprised $98.7 billion in direct costs, including medical expenses, nursing home care, and supportive services, and $35.5 billion in indirect costs, such as absenteeism, lost household production, reduced labor force participation, and informal care. The most significant components of costs were medical expenses, accounting for $53.5 billion, nursing home costs at $41.8 billion, and reduced labor force participation at $16.2 billion. On average, vision loss and blindness cost $16,838 per person annually. The study also highlighted significant variations in total costs and costs per person affected across different U.S. states. Globally, unaddressed vision impairment costs exceed $400 billion per year. Market Overview and Growth Projections The global vision care market is experiencing significant growth, with a projected CAGR of 3% during the forecast period 2024-2032, aiming to reach USD 82.4 billion by 2032. In 2022, the market size was USD 63.1 billion. North America leads this market globally, driven by increasing demand for disposable contact lenses and rising incidences of eye disorders like cataracts and glaucoma. The vision care market is a significant part of the US industry. North America is expected to hold the highest global vision care market share. Global Vision, a key player in this industry, has 30 employees with a revenue-per-employee ratio of $46,666. Alcon Inc. (NYSE:ALC), a leader in eye care for 75+ years, operates in 60 countries, serving patients in 140+. They excel in Surgical and Vision Care businesses, reporting $2.3B in Q1 2023 sales. Beyond profits, their Alcon in Action initiative promotes community volunteerism. Alcon Inc. (NYSE:ALC) recently achieved positive topline results in Phase 3 COMET Trials for AR-15512, a novel drug candidate for dry eye. Furthermore, they've bolstered their presence in ophthalmic pharmaceuticals through strategic commercial agreements and acquisitions, including the acquisition of Aerie Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Alcon Inc. (NYSE:ALC) focuses on innovation and research to revolutionize eye disease treatment, poised for continued global growth and impact. EyePoint Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: EYPT) is a leading player in eye care, focused on innovative ophthalmic solutions to prevent blindness. EyePoint Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: EYPT)'s Durasert Technology, including EYP-1901, targets conditions like wet AMD and diabetic retinopathy. Recently, YUTIQ gained approval from China's NMPA for treating chronic non-infectious uveitis, a significant milestone. The vision care market is witnessing growth globally due to rising disposable incomes, increasing eye disorders, technological device usage, changing lifestyles, and health consciousness. The industry is expected to continue expanding with technological advancements and healthcare infrastructure. 20 Countries With Worst Vision Problems An ophthalmologist performing an eye examination on a patient with the latest medical equipment. Our Methodology For our methodology, we have ranked the countries with the worst vision problems based on the total number of people with blindness and moderate to severe visual impairments. We relied on the data from the IAPD vision atlas for the accuracy of data. Here is our list of the 20 countries with the worst vision problems. 20. Germany Total Affected People: 2,121,910 Germany stands among the countries with the worst vision problems. It's eye care market faces challenges with a high prevalence of disorders like retinal detachment and cataracts. Revenue is projected to reach US$221.60 million in 2024, with annual growth expected. The ophthalmic devices market is forecasted to grow at a CAGR of 6.1%. Key players include Alcon Inc, Bausch Health, Johnson & Johnson, Carl Zeiss Meditec AG, and Ziemer Ophthalmic Systems AG. Despite COVID-19 disruptions, technological advancements and product approvals are driving market growth. 19. Mexico Total Affected People: 2,547,299 Mexico's eye care market is expanding, with forecasts predicting growth. Statista projects a 6.87% increase in revenue, reaching US$1.97 billion in 2024, with ophthalmic device market expected to grow at 4.5% by 2027. With a significant portion of the population experiencing vision problems, there's a rising demand for eye care services and products, including vision correction solutions, eyeglasses, and contact lenses. 18. Myanmar Total Affected People: 2,802,753 Myanmar, one of the countries with most vision problems, faces significant challenges with vision problems, including high rates of impairment and blindness, mainly due to cataracts. Limited access to eye care services, particularly in rural areas, and a lack of awareness about eye health contribute to this issue. The country's eye care market includes public and private providers, but infrastructure still needs to be improved, especially in rural regions. Efforts by organizations and NGOs aim to improve access and awareness. 17. Ethiopia Total Affected People: 2,824,356 Ethiopia's vision problems pose significant challenges, including a high prevalence of conditions like refractive errors and cataracts, making Ethiopia stand among the countries with highest vision problems in the world. The Eye Care market, encompassing traditional providers and pharmacies, is expected to grow by around 6% annually, reaching US$3.72 million by 2028. Despite this growth, many Ethiopians still suffer from untreated vision issues due to factors like lack of awareness and limited access to healthcare facilities. 16. Iran Total Affected People: 2,975,520 Iran's eye care market is projected to grow steadily, reaching US$16.49 million in 2024, with pharmacies contributing US$17.52 million by 2028. Recent health reforms have reduced co-payments for surgical services in rural areas to 5%. The country boasts sufficient numbers of ophthalmologists and optometrists, with a higher growth rate than the general population, correlating with provincial life expectancy. 15. Egypt Total Affected People: 3,128,370 Egypt, stands fifteenth among the countries with worst vision problems. The country's eye care market is growing, with a projected 4.88% increase to $51 million by 2028. Egypt's dry Eye Disease diagnostics market was valued at $177.8 million in 2022, set to reach $281.3 billion by 2030, with a 5.9% CAGR. The Egypt Consumer Health Market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.5% from 2023 to 2028. 14. Thailand Total Affected People: 3,200,470 Thailand's eye care market is growing, with prevalent issues with cataracts, glaucoma, and trachoma. The market is expected to grow by 3.66% from 2024 to 2028, reaching US$27.46 million. The ophthalmology market saw a 3.6% revenue growth from 2015 to 2020, with the top 6 players holding a 41% market share. Increased awareness about eye health drove growth in 2023. 13. Vietnam Total Affected People: 3,241,087 In Vietnam, eye health is a significant concern, with 400,000 adults and 23,000 children blind, making Vietnam stand among the countries with the highest vision problems in the world. Retinal and corneal conditions are prevalent, with retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) affecting children. The country is working on improving its eye health system, graduating its first class of optometrists in 2019. Uncorrected refractive errors affect 15-20% of Vietnamese children. Efforts are underway to bridge the gap in eye care services and eliminate avoidable blindness through optometry workforce development and policy changes. 12. Philippines Total Affected People: 3,773,934 The Philippines faces vision health challenges, with a growing eye care market projected to reach US$56.20 million by 2028, growing at 4.36%. Cataracts, refractive errors, glaucoma, and retinal diseases are prevalent issues exacerbated by factors like aging, electronic device exposure, diabetes, and pollution. The ophthalmology market is set to see significant growth in consultations and surgeries, with CAGRs close to 6% and 11%, respectively, during 2018-2023. 11. Brazil Total Affected People: 4,057,010 Brazil, one of the countries with worst vision problems, faces significant vision health challenges, with approximately 4 million people affected by blindness or visual impairment, driven partly by an aging population. The eye care market is growing, expected to reach US$122.40 million by 2028, with a 3.64% growth rate. Dry eye disease is prevalent, especially among women and university students. 10. Japan Total Affected People: 4,212,054 Japan faces significant vision health challenges, with a notable market size of approximately US$0.99 billion in 2024, expected to grow annually. The high prevalence of myopia among school-aged children and young adults, cataracts among the elderly, and glaucoma are significant concerns. Myopia affects around 70% of high school students. Financially, the eye care market reflects substantial demand and growth opportunities. 9. Nigeria Total Affected People: 4,237,316 Nigeria grapples with significant vision health challenges, exacerbated by limited access to eye care services, especially in rural areas. Lack of education and resources hinders understanding of the causes of vision impairment. Increased screen time fuels the demand for standard eye care. The Eyewear market revenue is set to grow steadily. Despite challenges, the eye care industry in Nigeria is forecasted to experience healthy growth. 8. Russia Total Affected People: 4,870,962 Russia stands eighth among the countries with worst vision problems with a growing eye care market. The Eye Care market is expected to reach US$118.7 million in 2024, growing at 2.42%. The Ophthalmic Devices market is projected to reach US$304.10 million in 2028, with a growth rate of 2.76%. Common eye problems include cataracts, glaucoma, refractive errors, and age-related macular degeneration. 7. Turkey Total Affected People: 5,543,244 Turkey's vision health sector is expanding, with the Eye Care market expected to grow by 2.69% in 2024. The market encompasses products like eyeglasses, contact lenses, and eye drops. Rising eye diseases and vision impairment, especially among the aging population, drive the demand for eye care products. The market is forecasted to grow steadily, with leading players including Diplomat Optics and Johnson & Johnson. Intraocular lenses are expected to dominate the market by 2028. 6. Bangladesh Total Affected People: 5,715,518 Bangladesh stands among the countries with the highest vision problems in the world, with the Eyewear market projected to reach US$929.30 million in 2024, growing at 7.26% annually. The country's spectacles market is also experiencing remarkable growth. Approximately 1.5% of adults are blind, while 21.6% have low Vision, and about 15 lakh children suffer from vision disorders. Factors like prolonged screen time, diabetes, and hypertension contribute to the rise in vision disorders, including myopia. Over 200,000 people received eye treatment in 2020, supported by 1,300 eye specialists in Bangladesh. Click to see and continue reading 5 Countries With Worst Vision Problems. Suggested Articles: Disclosure. None: The 20 Countries With Worst Vision Problems is originally published on Insider Monkey. In this article, we will be taking a look at the 21 countries that have the highest rates of cancer deaths. If you do not want to learn about the global cancer care market, head straight to the 5 Countries that Have the Highest Rates of Cancer Deaths. The global impact of cancer is staggering, with millions of lives affected each year. When examining the prevalence of cancer-related mortality, certain countries stand out for their exceptionally high rates of deaths attributed to this disease. Understanding the factors contributing to these elevated rates is crucial for implementing effective prevention and treatment strategies. In this exploration, we delve into the countries grappling with the highest rates of cancer deaths, shedding light on the challenges they face and the initiatives aimed at mitigating this significant public health burden. Navigating the Oncology Horizon: Trends, Projections, and Shaping Factors The global oncology market is experiencing robust growth, with significant advancements in research and development leading to the discovery of novel treatments. In 2022, the market size exceeded $280 billion and is projected to reach $690 billion by 2032, exhibiting a 9.7% compound annual growth rate (CAGR). Oncology trial starts have increased by 22% since 2018, reflecting the industry's focus on innovation and patient outcomes. In the United States, the burden of cancer remains substantial, with an estimated 1,958,310 new cancer cases and 609,820 cancer-related deaths expected in 2023. The adoption of advanced cancer diagnostic and treatment methods has contributed to a 29% decline in cancer deaths since 1991. The US accounts for a significant portion of the global oncology market, holding 46% of the market share in 2022. Europe presents a promising market for oncology due to rising technological advancements in cancer diagnostics and the increasing prevalence of cancer cases. In 2020, Europe recorded approximately 2.7 million new cancer cases and 1.3 million cancer deaths. The region is anticipated to be the most opportunistic market for oncology during the forecast period. Story continues The global rise in cancer cases can be attributed to factors such as increased consumption of alcohol and tobacco. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) estimates a significant increase in new cancer cases globally from 2020 to 2040. Common side effects of cancer treatment, like chemotherapy, can lead to long-term damage to organs and healthy cells, impacting market demand. Understanding the Global Impact and Financial Challenges of Cancer Cancer, recognized as malignant tumours or neoplasms, is a devastating illness with profound global implications. It manifests in various parts of the body and is a leading cause of death worldwide, claiming nearly 10 million lives in 2020, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Approximately one in six deaths globally is attributed to cancer. In 2020, there were over 18 million cancer diagnoses reported by the World Cancer Research Fund, with an age-standardized rate of 190 cases per 100,000 individuals. Men had a higher rate at 206.9 cases per 100,000 compared to women's 178.1 cases. Despite Europe representing only a tenth of the world's population, it bears a disproportionate burden, with approximately 25% of global cancer cases occurring there. Innovative cancer treatment modalities, such as molecular and immune therapies, targeted agents, and advanced diagnostic technologies, are driving progress globally. However, the rising costs associated with these treatments are leading to increased financial toxicity for cancer patients, affecting their well-being and quality of life. Cancer patients endure substantial out-of-pocket expenses, with median annual costs ranging from $1,730 to $4,727, surpassing those of non-cancer patients by approximately $976 to $1,170. Between 22% and 64% of cancer patients experience stress over medical bills. The escalating costs of cancer care exacerbate financial distress, notably impacting low-income and uninsured individuals. The Annual Report to the Nation 2022 highlighted increasing incidence trends in childhood cancers, including leukaemia, brain and other nervous system cancers, and lymphoma, from 2001-2018. In the context of the Global Economic Cost of 29 Cancers study, the top five cancers with the highest economic costs are tracheal, bronchus, and lung cancer (15.4%); colon and rectum cancer (10.9%); breast cancer (9.6%); liver cancer (9.5%); and stomach cancer (7.6%). Leading Innovators Shaping the Future of Cancer Treatment Prominent players in the cancer treatment industry include Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE), Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE: MRK), Bristol Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY), and Guardant Health (NASDAQ: GH). These companies drive innovation and possess significant market capitalization. Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) recently bolstered its Oncology pipeline by acquiring Seagen Inc., doubling its efforts in cancer treatment with a $43 billion investment. Additionally, Pfizer's collaboration with the American Cancer Society underscores its commitment to addressing cancer care disparities through initiatives like "Change the Odds." Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE: MRK) is renowned for Keytruda (pembrolizumab), with multiple FDA approvals for treating cervical and lung cancer. Despite setbacks in specific trials, Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE: MRK) continues exploring innovative cancer treatments, including personalized mRNA therapy in partnership with Moderna. Guardant Health, Inc. (NASDAQ: GH) specializes in precision oncology through advanced blood tests like Guardant Reveal and Guardant360, offering insights into disease recurrence and treatment response. Collaborations with companies like Hikma aim to expand global access to these tests, enhancing cancer care on a broader scale. 21 Countries that Have the Highest Rates of Cancer deaths A researcher in a lab holding a bispecific antibody, illustrating the leading edge of cancer treatments. Our Methodology For our methodology, we have ranked the countries with the highest cancer death rates based on the global cancer mortality rates ASR/100,000. For data accuracy, we relied on the World Cancer Research Fund International. Here is our list of the 21 countries that have the highest rates of cancer deaths. 21. Turkey Global Mortality Rate: 119.9 Turkey, one of the countries that have the highest rates of cancer deaths, faces significant challenges in cancer care, with it being the second leading cause of death. Common cancers include lung, prostate, skin, breast, and stomach cancers, predominantly affecting individuals over 40, with a higher incidence in men. Lung cancer is particularly prevalent with increasing mortality rates. The financial burden is substantial, with 210,537 cancer deaths in 2018, prompting investments in healthcare infrastructure. 20. Lithuania Global Mortality Rate: 121.6 Lithuania, a country with the most cancer deaths, grapples with significant cancer care challenges, monitoring closely through the Cancer Registry. Pancreatic cancer sees rising incidence and mortality rates. Breast and prostate cancer mortality remains high, with 14,963 prostate cancer deaths from 1986 to 2020. Kidney cancer mortality, at 4.9 cases per 100,000, is notably high globally. Treatment costs vary, emphasizing the need for accessible care. 19. Barbados Global Mortality Rate: 121.8 Barbados grapples with significant cancer-related mortality, with prostate, colorectal, breast, stomach, and lung cancers prevalent. In 2015, 1,144 new cases led to 523 deaths, with a predicted increase by 2035. Breast cancer is a significant concern, with a mortality rate of 32.9 per 100,000. Colorectal cancer ranks third, with high incidence, especially among males. The healthcare expenditure was around 3.57% of GDP in 2020, with accessible chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and community-based. 18. Latvia Global Mortality Rate: 123.6 Latvia, standing among the countries that have the most cancer deaths, faces significant challenges in cancer care, with lung, colorectal, breast, and prostate cancers being the most common. The cancer care market involves public and private providers offering essential treatments and specialized services. Latvia has one of Europe's highest cancer mortality rates, partly due to preventable lifestyle factors like smoking and alcohol consumption. Healthcare expenditure in 2023 was around 8.8% of GDP, with ongoing government investment in improving cancer care infrastructure and access to innovative treatments. 17. Papua New Guinea Global Mortality Rate: 124.9 Papua New Guinea is one of the countries that have the highest rates of cancer deaths, with cervical, breast, prostate, colorectal, lung, and liver cancers being common. Limited resources lead to substantial treatment costs, hindering access to services such as surgery and chemotherapy. The cancer care market struggles with availability of palliative care, staff shortages, and limited options for pain management. 16. Armenia Global Mortality Rate: 125.8 Armenia struggles with the highest global cancer death rate, primarily due to lung cancer, affecting men aged 60-80 significantly. Over 80% of cases are diagnosed at late stages, contributing to high mortality. Limited access to essential medications and centralized radiotherapy services in Yerevan hinders cancer care. Implementing structured screening protocols, like low-dose CT scans, could offset costs and improve early detection. 15. Uruguay Global Mortality Rate: 127.1 Uruguay ranks fifteenth among the countries with the highest number of cancer deaths, with breast, prostate, colorectal, and lung cancers being prevalent. Collaborations with international organizations aim to strengthen cancer control capacities. Despite declining mortality rates since 1990, Uruguay faces persistent challenges with breast, lung, and prostate cancers. Cancer accounts for 5.6% of premature deaths from non-communicable diseases. 14. Bosnia and Herzegovina Global Mortality Rate: 127.3 In Bosnia and Herzegovina, cancer mortality rates are concerning, with lung cancer in males and breast cancer in females being the most common types. Common cancers include colorectal, liver, lung, pancreatic, prostate, stomach, brain, and CNS cancers. Tobacco use, alcohol consumption, obesity, and infections significantly contribute to the cancer burden. 13. Moldova Global Mortality Rate: 127.8 Moldova faces significant challenges in cancer care, with breast cancer being the most common among females. The overall cancer mortality rate is 128.7 per 100,000 persons annually, making Moldova stand among the countries that have the highest rates of cancer deaths. The investment case for cancer care highlights trends in breast and lung cancers, emphasizing the need for better healthcare infrastructure. 12. China Global Mortality Rate: 129 China bears a substantial cancer burden, with 4,546,400 new cases and 2,992,600 deaths in 2020, accounting for a significant global portion. The most common cancers include lung, colorectal, and breast cancers, with lifestyle-related cancers on the rise. Digestive-system cancers like oesophagal, nasopharynx, liver, and stomach cancers are prevalent. China accounted for 25.1% of global new cancer cases and 30.2% of global deaths in 2020, driven by population factors like increases in adult population size and ageing. 11. Romania Global Mortality Rate: 130.9 Romania, one of the countries with highest cancer deaths, faces significant challenges in cancer care, with lung cancer leading to mortality, followed by colorectal and breast cancers. Romania has approved a National Plan for Beating Cancer to address this, aiming for integrated care, early access to therapies, and prevention strategies. The plan is funded by the Ministry of Health, with an annual budget of 20% for national health programs. Cancer accounts for 37.4% of non-communicable disease premature deaths in Romania, indicating a high burden. The health system has moderate capacity, with several treatment services available per 10,000 cancer patients. 10. French Polynesia Global Mortality Rate: 131.7 French Polynesia stands tenth among the countries that have the most cancer deaths. The most common cancers include breast, prostate, lung, colorectal, and uterine cancers. Breast cancer has an incidence rate of 70.5 per 100,000 and a mortality rate of 21.6. Prostate cancer has an incidence rate of 66.5 and a mortality rate of 19.9. Lung cancer also presents a significant challenge, with an incidence rate of 38.1 and a mortality rate of 30.2. 9. Croatia Global Mortality Rate: 132.7 Croatia grapples with high cancer mortality rates, ranking among the EU's highest. Lung cancer is most common in men, leading to over 2000 deaths annually, while breast cancer, the most diagnosed malignancy, caused 752 deaths in 2019. Despite spending above the EU average on cancer treatment, challenges persist in timely and quality care provision, exacerbated by rural-urban disparities in access to treatment. 8. Poland Global Mortality Rate: 136.8 In 2019, Poland faced a significant cancer burden, with 171,218 incident cases and 100,324 deaths. Common cancers among men included prostate, lung, colon, urinary bladder, and rectum, with lung cancer being a leading cause of mortality. Among women, breast, lung, corpus uteri, colon, and ovary cancers were prevalent, with lung cancer also a leading cause of death. Poland's oncology spending increased from EUR 1.05 billion in 2009 to EUR 2.3 billion in 2019. Prostate and lung cancers dominate male cases, influenced by demographic changes and carcinogen exposure. The investment case aims to scale up essential services to address the significant burden of cancer mortality, with approximately 4,500 women dying each year from cancer. 7. Zimbabwe Global Mortality Rate: 137.1 Zimbabwe experiences high rates of cancer mortality and incidence, with cases nearly doubling from 2009 to 2018. This increase can be attributed to behavioral risks and challenges in accessing care. Cervical cancer is prevalent, prompting vaccination and screening programs. Breast and prostate cancers also rise. The National Cancer Control Plan, supported by WHO, focuses on prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and research. Cancer accounts for 32.1% of premature deaths from non-communicable diseases. Cervical cancer remains a significant cause of death among women. 6. Samoa Global Mortality Rate: 139.8 Western Samoa has relatively low cancer incidence rates compared to other Polynesian populations. Stomach cancer is the most common cancer in males, while breast and cervix cancers are equally prevalent in females, making up almost 40% of all cancers. Samoans have a lower thyroid cancer incidence than other Pacific Island populations. Approximately ten women are diagnosed with cervical cancer annually in Samoa, with six deaths affecting a population of 68,257 women at risk, making Samoa stand sixth among the countries that have the highest rates of cancer deaths, American Samoan women face higher cervical cancer risk compared to non-Hispanic white women. Click to see and continue reading the 5 Countries that Have the Highest Rates of Cancer Deaths. Suggested Articles: Disclosure. None: The 21 Countries that Have the Highest Rates of Cancer Deaths is originally published on Insider Monkey. Image source: Getty Images Costco used to be my favorite place to get groceries, but I eventually stopped shopping there. I was only shopping for myself, and it always took longer than I'd like. And now I live outside the United States, without a Costco in sight. If you're trying to figure out whether you should buy a Costco membership, you're probably going over the pros and cons. There are a few Costco perks I really miss that could help you make your decision. Alert: highest cash back card weve seen now has 0% intro APR for 15 months. Learn more here. 1. You know you're getting low prices and quality products Costco has a well-deserved reputation for low prices. It may not have the lowest prices on everything, but just about everything is competitively priced. You rarely buy something at Costco and feel like you got ripped off. There are plenty of stores with low prices. The impressive thing about Costco is that it also has high-quality products. Many members drive 30 minutes or more to Costco instead of going to local grocery stores, because it offers much better meat, fruits, and vegetables. More: Our picks for the best credit cards I've moved around a lot as an adult. One of the most challenging parts of living somewhere new is finding a place to shop for groceries. You're not sure which stores are the premium brands that will drain your bank account, or if the stores with cheap prices have lousy products. Each time I've moved, I've found myself wishing there was a Costco nearby. It's a place where I could be sure, just from the name, that I'm getting good deals on quality food. 2. It's easy to buy in bulk Buying in bulk can be a smart move for your finances. If you know you're going to use everything you buy, you can get a lower price by stocking up. There's arguably no store better for stocking up than Costco. From household staples to food, it sells many of its most popular items in bulk. This is great if you're shopping for your family, or if you just go through a lot of any particular product. Story continues As I've learned, not every supermarket makes it easy to buy in bulk. I was recently shopping for salmon at a local grocery store. Now, I love salmon and eat it often. This store had no option to buy in bulk -- the best price was on these tiny packages that didn't even weigh half a pound. Once again, while having to grab five of these, I found myself wishing I was at Costco. 3. The spacious warehouses The size of Costco's warehouses puts most stores to shame. The average grocery store is 38,000 square feet. The average Costco warehouse is 146,000. This has its drawbacks. Shopping trips to Costco tend to take longer. No one in history has said "I'm just going to run in and grab a few things" before a Costco visit. And if they did, they were lying. But personally, I'd always take that over a cramped supermarket. I've been to many stores where the aisles are so narrow, you can't even turn your cart around. It's annoying to constantly navigate around other people in tight spaces. The fact that Costco's warehouses have so much space makes for a more enjoyable shopping experience. Costco is an excellent brand, and it can be a good place to shop for just about anyone. Even though it's ideal for families, it can work well for single shoppers, too. If you're looking for quality products at low prices, a store where you can buy in bulk, or a place to shop that doesn't feel so cramped, consider getting a Costco membership. Our picks for 2024's best credit cards Our experts carefully review the most popular offers and select those that are worthy of a spot in your wallet. These standout cards come with fantastic benefits like generous sign-up bonuses, long 0% intro APR periods, and robust rewards. Click here to learn more about our recommended credit cards We're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.Lyle Daly has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Costco Wholesale. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. 3 Great Costco Perks I Miss as an Ex-Member was originally published by The Motley Fool Madeline Soto was last seen on her way to school GoFundMe Madeline Soto Days after a 13-year-old girl went missing in Florida, her mothers boyfriend was arrested and is now considered the prime suspect in her disappearance. Madeline Soto was reported missing Monday from her home, the Orange County Sheriffs Office says. On Wednesday, Stephan Sterns, 37, who is dating Madelines mother, was arrested and charged with sexual battery and possession of child sexual abuse material, the sheriffs office says. He has not been charged in connection with the 13-year-olds disappearance, but police say he is the prime suspect. Sterns was the last person confirmed to have seen Madeline, according to the sheriffs office. During the investigation into her disappearance, police allege that they found disturbing images on his phone as well as attempts to delete them. Orange County jail Stephan Sterns Police say upon his arrest, he invoked his right to an attorney. He is being held in jail currently without bond. It is not clear if he has entered a plea. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Stephan Sterns had an opportunity tonight to come clean with detectives and help lead them to information about Maddies disappearance, Sheriff John Mina said in a statement. Her loved ones deserve answers and OCSO and the Kissimmee Police will not stop until we find Maddie. Authorities have been actively searching for Madeline since she disappeared Monday morning. She is 5 feet, one inch tall, weighs 110 lbs. and was last seen wearing a green sweatshirt, black shorts and white Crocs. She was last seen on her way to school in Orlando, Fla. If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor. If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Leap day, that strange quasi-holiday that comes around every four years, is almost here. The history behind leap years may be little known, but even more curious are the various traditions and superstitions surrounding the day. Here are some traditional ways to celebrate leap day this Thursday. Pop the question It's a British and Irish tradition for women to propose marriage to their partner on leap day. The tradition is thought to date back to fifth-century Ireland, when Saint Bridget complained to Saint Patrick that women were tired of waiting for men to propose. The patroness saint of Ireland was able to convince Saint Patrick to allow women to propose to men once every four years, which became known as "Ladies' Privilege" or "Bachelor's Day." The tradition traveled to Scotland and is thought to have been adopted into law by Queen Margaret in 1288, though she would have been around six years old at the time. According to Scottish tradition, women had to wear a red petticoat while proposing. Turning down a Ladies' Privilege proposal was costly. Men had to reimburse the women they rejected with gifts, such as gloves so she could hide her ring-less finger, or were even fined. Getting married during a leap year can end in divorce, according to Greek superstition. But don't get married In Greece and other countries, getting married during a leap year is considered bad luck and thought to lead to divorce. Bad luck for the elderly In Taiwan, it's believed the elderly are more likely to die during a leap year. For this reason, married Taiwanese daughters return home on leap day to cook pig trotter noodles, a dish made with pig's feet, for their parents, which is thought to bring them good fortune and health. Leap years are also considered generally unlucky in Italy and Scotland. Read a rarely published newspaper La Bougie du Sapeur is a French satirical newspaper launched in 1980 that is only published on leap day. Named after a comic book character born on leap day, the publication is known for its satirical humor, and claims the title of least frequently published newspaper in the world. Party like a Leapling Anthony, Texas, claims to be the leap year capital of the world. The city hosts a festival every four years to help "Leaplings," people born on leap day, celebrate their special day. This year's Leap Year Festival kicks off Feb. 29 with an exclusive celebration for Leaplings, followed by two days of public festivities. Celebrate with a cocktail Famed bartender Harry Craddock created a special leap day cocktail for guests at the Savoy Hotel in London. The recipe dates back to 1928 and was published in Haddock's book, "The Savoy Cocktail Book." Here's how to make one at home. Ingredients: 2 ounces gin. 1/2 ounce Grand Marnier. 1/2 ounce sweet vermouth. 1 dash fresh lemon juice. Pour ingredients into a cocktail shaker. Fill with ice and shake well for 10 seconds. Strain liquid into a cocktail glass and top with a twisted piece of lemon peel as garnish. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Leap day: 6 weird traditions, superstitions to celebrate Feb. 29 In December 2022, authorities charged Bryan Kohberger for the brutal slayings of four University of Idaho students. Although Kohberger is the prime suspect in the case, the court has once again failed to set a trial date for the gruesome killings. During Wednesdays hearing, the judge heard both sides before saying another hearing would occur in May. Reports suggest that the upcoming heat will determine whether the trial should move out of Latah County. According to Idaho Statesman, the judge and the prosecution team wanted the trial to start in March 2025. However, the defense team indicated that starting the trial in 2025 might be too early for them. As a result, the lead public defender suggested that the trial should begin in June 2025. The lead public defender also noted that she and her team have a huge volume of information with them and need to figure out how to put them together. She added, Not only do we have a huge volume of information, the way Im getting it is completely disorganized. The public lead defender also slammed the prosecution team for not providing them with the information they had requested. As per the outlet, the defense team asked for several reports referred to as X-rays taken. However, when the defense asked for such reports, the prosecutors denied their existence. According to the law, its mandatory for both sides to share evidence or relevant information with each other that could be used during the trial through discovery. After hearing both sides, the judge agreed with the defense team and decided not to set a trial date for Bryan Kohberger. In May, the court will determine whether the trial will be moving out of Latah County. Why is Kohberger trying to get the Idaho murders trial moved? As mentioned above, another hearing will take place to decide whether or not to take the trial out of Latah County. According to Idaho Statesman, the judge will set a trial date after delivering a verdict in the above-mentioned matter. Earlier this year, the defense team filed a motion to move the proceedings out of Latah County to ensure a fair and impartial trial. At the time, Kohbergers attorneys noted that the extensive, inflammatory pretrial publicity and the severity of the charges made it impossible to find an impartial jury in Latah County. Citing their statement, The Independent noted that the small population size contributes to the inability to avoid bias. Meanwhile, the prosecutors called this move premature. In November 2022, police discovered the bodies of four students near their off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho. CBS News reported that the killer used an edged weapon for the slayings. As the investigations progressed, authorities arrested Bryan Kohberger in the murder case. The police charged him with burglary and four counts of first-degree murder. Subsequently, the accused didnt answer when the court asked him if he pleaded guilty to all the charges. So, the court entered a not guilty plea on Bryan Kohbergers behalf. Kohberger is currently residing at Latah County Jail The prosecution team is going for the death penalty in the case. Meanwhile, the defense tried to dismiss the indictment by filing an appeal. However, the judge denied the request. Currently, Bryan Kohberger is located at the Latah County Jail. The case has garnered attention in pop culture, and theres much anticipation for the verdict. There have been several documentaries based on Bryan Kohberger. Titles such as The Idaho College Murders and Cybersleuths give different perspectives about the case. The Idaho College Murders is available for streaming on Discovery+, while Cybersleuths is currently streaming on Paramount+. The post Bryan Kohberger Hearing: No Trial Date Set For Idaho Murders appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. Musician Cat Janice, who went viral for her pop anthem released from a hospice bed, passed away on Wednesday morning. She died at her childhood home in Annandale, Virginia, according to her brother William Ipsan. She was 31. On Jan. 19, Janice posted a TikTok video announcing the release of her song Dance You Outta My Head, a pop-funk dance tune, a little over a week after she revealed she was in home hospice care after what she believed would be her final trip to the hospital. The video instantly went viral on TikTok, as thousands of users began reposting the bubbly disco song. On her birthday the next day, as Janice was surrounded by family, she wrote, Im praying my story isnt over yet but if it is this is a pretty incredible way to say goodbye. The song went on to chart at #5 on Apple Music, and break the Billboard Top 40, a first for the life-long musician, who had been diagnosed with sarcoma in 2022. The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers awarded her the Robert Allen Award for pop song writing. The song has currently been shared more than 2.4 million times on TikTok. Before she posted Dance You Outta My Head, Janice wrote that she had changed all the rights on her music so that her son, Loren would profit off of the viral success after her death. My art is all I have to leave behind and Im leaving it behind for my son to profit on, she wrote. In an Instagram post announcing her passing, her family wrote, Cat saw her music go places she never expected and rests in the peace of knowing that she will continue to provide for her son through her music. This would not have been possible without all of you. Read more at The Daily Beast. Get the Daily Beast's biggest scoops and scandals delivered right to your inbox. Sign up now. Stay informed and gain unlimited access to the Daily Beast's unmatched reporting. Subscribe now. The media is in a place of malpractice, according to NewsNations Chris Stirewalt, who says the industry has chased clicks to the bottom of the ocean, and we have siloed the viewpoints in partisan and ideological ways in pursuit of that dwindling audience. Stirewalt is looking to change that. The former Fox News political editor by becoming a place for aspirationally fair, good-faith questioning and analysis thats not in a partisan silo, with his new Sunday political news show. Stirewalt currently serves as NewsNations politics editor and on Sunday he will kick off his new show as anchor of The Hill Sunday, at 10 a.m. ET. The show debuts on March 3 and will be available to CW stations across the country beginning on April 7. The premise for this show is that theres a big underserved audience out there of people of a variety of partisan affiliations and viewpoints, who want analysis and questioning done in good faith and with a little humility, Stirewalt told TheWrap in an interview, ahead of his Sunday debut. The Hill Sunday enters into a competitive field of Sunday public affairs programs including NBC News Meet the Press and CBS News Face The Nation, which have been around for decades and garner loyal audiences. Since joining NewsNation in early 2022, Stirewalt has covered midterm elections, major political events and led the editorial team involved in the networks 2024 presidential town halls. Stirewalt previously served as the political editor for Fox News, where he defended the networks 2020 early projection that Joe Biden would win Arizona. He then departed Fox News after spending a decade with the network. As of late, NewsNation has been expanding its network at a time when much of the media industry is cutting back and slimming down. The network recently expanded its roster of political contributors, bringing in Political contributor Kurt Bardella, Daily Blast Lives Lindsey Granger, A. Scott Bolden, and Denise Grace Gitsham. Additionally, NewsNation has recently expanded its weekend programming, launching a weekend edition of Morning in America with Hena Doba and shifting the networks daytime lineup. NewsNation is also seeing some promising ratings data, with the networks primetime viewership up 12% in total viewers and 6% in the 25-54 demographic year-over-year. While still growing, the network has yet to reach the ratings prowess of cable news primetime programming. Chris Stirewalt spoke to TheWrap about his new Sunday program and why journalists have to do better to deliver what Americans actually want to consume from their news content. What are you looking forward to with the new Sunday program and why is it significant to launch ahead of a consequential presidential election? Theres never a bad time to make a good show. While the media landscape is overstuffed with content, we still have some substantial deficiencies around quality. The opportunity of doing a Sunday show is that historically we reserve something a little finer or more aspirational for Sunday morning, and thats a decades-long tradition. While its certainly true that theres no shortage of political bloviation these days of the 24-hour news cycle and constant hot take garbage analysis on social media, there is a place for aspirationally fair, good faith questioning and analysis thats not in a partisan silo, or motivated by trying to help or hurt a particular party. But really with viewer service in mind, we can try to help the people who tune in have a leg up when it comes to understanding the world of politics, but also really for them to be better citizens, better Americans, and better neighbors. You have covered elections for a long time, specifically on the data side of things. How are you planning to approach the coverage of your program as it relates to data analysis? I will not be able to resist taking some deep dives in data. It is true. And there is a lot to unpack but I think when you unpack it, you cant just be showing off how smart you are or how much you know or how slick your graphics are. I really believe that it has to be a tool to help people understand whats going on and what their role is to play in it. Very often in the news business, we have allowed our own love of data and of the whiz bangs that actually impede normal people from understanding whats going on in politics. We will try to demystify it and make it pertinent to get down to the essential parts. Every week were going to have a segment set aside to break down some parts of the data picture. Each week youll get to see us unpack something significant, maybe something that youve missed, or maybe something thats everywhere, but that is misunderstood. That will be the goal. Can you speak to the environment at NewsNation, particularly the partnership with The Hill and how the flow of information works from one organization to another? Its a huge benefit to NewsNation to be in partnership with The Hill, to be part of the same family. The most obvious benefit you will get to see frequently on my show because youll get to hear from people like Bob Cusack from The Hill who will be there to bring the same perceptive analysis that he brings in print and has brought elsewhere on television to us. Just having access to the people starts out as a success. Then after that, it works to the great advantage of a television network to have in its DNA, the written word and the depths of reporting and understanding that only print and digital reporters tend to get because they have such an immersive understanding of the stories. Do you think there is widespread political news fatigue thats happening? Is it just the oversaturation of the market or are people almost tired of these two candidates? Weve seen a discouraging decline in news consumption going back to about 2016. According to Pew data in 2016, a majority of Americans said that they were regular, frequent, or whatever descriptor but that they were up to date on the news, and that number has dropped 20 points. There are many reasons to explain why that is true and one of them obviously, is competition for peoples attention. There is there is an increasing wilderness of options for people to be distracted, delighted, or entertained and thats obviously going to cut into peoples news consumption. Part of it is also fatigue, with just the exhaustion of this ongoing stress test that the United States has been living through, since really since the panic of 2008. Its been its been a lot of rough sledding. So I certainly understand that part. But I think another contributing factor is the malpractice of the American news business. We have chased clicks to the bottom of the ocean, and we have siloed the viewpoints in partisan and ideological ways in pursuit of that dwindling audience. And thats just not good enough. That does not meet our public responsibility. It doesnt meet our responsibility as citizens. I think the premise of NewsNation, certainly the premise for this show, is that theres a big underserved audience out there of people of a variety of partisan affiliations and viewpoints, who want aspirationally fair news, who want analysis and questioning done in good faith and with a little humility that acknowledges that they may not have all the answers, and that theyre listening. And I think part of why we have seen the decline in news consumption is the arrogance and the cynicism, of a lot of things in the news business, and I think we can do better. The post Chris Stirewalt Aims to Break From Trend of Media Malpractice With Sunday NewsNation Show appeared first on TheWrap. Image source: Getty Images Most people think that shopping at Costco will automatically save them money. And, to be fair, they're not entirely wrong. The per-unit prices at Costco are usually lower than at traditional grocery stores, which makes buying in bulk cheaper than buying items in smaller quantities. But every now and then, the wrong person ends up getting a Costco membership. These could be the kinds of shoppers who go once or twice a year, drop a few hundred dollars, and end up with more cans of tomatoes or jars of peanut butter than they know what to do with. If that sounds like you, here are five other signs you should probably never step foot in a Costco warehouse. Alert: highest cash back card weve seen now has 0% intro APR for 15 months. Learn more here. 1. You give in to impulse buying Costco is not great for impulse buyers. That's because everything you buy is in large quantities. If you take a chance and buy something that you might like, your supply will automatically be at a level of, "I love this!" This could easily result in blowing your budget on products that make you feel guilty later when you have to throw them out. Of course, Costco does redeem itself with its "Risk-Free 100% Satisfaction Guarantee." Under this policy, you can return any item you don't like for a full refund. However, you still have to revisit Costco and wait at the returns counter. If you already dread the warehouse experience, this could be more of a hassle. More: Our picks for the best credit cards 2. You're buying for one person If you're only buying for yourself, you're probably going to save more by shopping at a discount grocery store. Again, Costco doesn't sell things in small quantities, so the bulk food you buy, like milk, eggs, bread, poultry, and meat, could easily expire before you use it. Certainly some single-person households could benefit from buying in bulk -- after all, you can buy nonperishables there, too -- but more likely than not, you'll get the full benefit of a Costco membership if you're buying for more than one person. Story continues 3. You don't have a lot of space Got a 500-square-foot apartment? How about a cluttered freezer or a refrigerator with limited space? If you already struggle to find room for your groceries, you're probably going to feel overwhelmed by the bulk items from Costco. 4. You hate grocery shopping in person Shopping at a Costco warehouse ensures you're getting the best deals, saving on shipping, and seeing products that aren't available on Costco's website or mobile app. It's also one of the most unpleasant shopping experiences. I would say "it depends on your location," but every Costco I've ever been to has felt like Black Friday shopping -- like, the original Black Fridays, when you had to storm the store to get the best deals. There's no "quick stop" at Costco. Parking is scarce, the store is crowded, the lines to checkout are long. You have to show your membership card at the entrance, show it again when you check out, then show your receipt at the exit. The process is long and often boring, and if you're not the shopping type, you're going to dread going to the warehouse. 5. You don't have a Visa credit card If you prefer using a credit card, you'll need a Visa credit card to shop at Costco, as the warehouse only accepts Visa-issued cards. Of course, it also accepts cash, check, debit, Costco Shop Cards, and EBT cards. But if you want to charge your purchase to a credit card, you'll need to get a Visa card first. To be sure, shopping at Costco could help your personal finances. But not everyone is the ideal Costco shopper. If one or several of the statements above resonated with you, it might not be worth dropping the $60 for a Costco membership. You might be better off shopping at your local grocery store, where you can buy things individually and not worry about wasting food or money. Our picks for 2024's best credit cards Our experts carefully review the most popular offers and select those that are worthy of a spot in your wallet. These standout cards come with fantastic benefits like generous sign-up bonuses, long 0% intro APR periods, and robust rewards. Click here to learn more about our recommended credit cards We're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Costco Wholesale and Visa. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. 5 Reasons You Should Never Step Foot in Costco was originally published by The Motley Fool The Sister Wives star shared the reason on Instagram alongside a sweet photo of her and her husband in Punta Cana Christine Brown/ Instagram Christine Brown and husband David Woolley on vacation in the Dominican Republic Christine Brown and her husband David Woolley took a trip to the Dominican Republic earlier in February In an Instagram post on Wednesday, the Sister Wives star revealed why her husband decided to wake her up suddenly on the trip The couple also enjoyed ATV mud riding and impromptu photoshoots during their getaway Christine Brown is taking a moment to appreciate her husband David Woolleys sweet gesture during their recent tropical getaway. The newlyweds took a trip to the Dominican Republic earlier in February, where they enjoyed a number of fun excursions together such as impromptu photo shoots and mud riding in an ATV. On Wednesday, the Sister Wives star, 52, revealed another romantic activity the couple shared that Woolley had to wake her up for. We were in Punta cana last week on a trip we won and @david__woolley woke me up to go to the beach and take a photo with him of a sunrise with palm trees, she wrote on Instagram. Along with describing her husbands thoughtful gesture to her followers, the reality star included a photo of her leaning into Woolleys chest as the pair smiled in front of the stunning beach scenery. Related: Sister Wives Star Christine Brown 'Overwhelmed with Happiness' After Wedding to Husband David Woolley Since going public with their relationship in Feb. 2023 followed by their Utah wedding in October, the pair have embarked on a number of trips together including a family vacation to London and their Disneyland honeymoon in Southern California. In January, Brown opened up to PEOPLE about how their busy travel schedule has actually prevented her from doing one important thing since tying the knot changing her last name. "I like the idea of having the last name Woolley," Brown said. "I haven't done it yet because I have to change my passport, too, and we're in the middle of traveling." As the pair continue to travel, Brown explains: "There's a window there that I can get it, so it's all getting it done so I can get my passport and everything." Related: Christine Brown and Husband David Woolley Share Some Sweet PDA on Cruise to Haiti See the Pics! Christine Brown Instagram Christine Brown and David Woolley while on their honeymoon at Disneyland in 2023. As lovers of travel, Brown and Woolley have decided to launch their own Airbnb in Moab, Utah, to share their love of the city where they tied the knot and also use it as their own escape too. Discussing her and her husbands latest venture exclusively with PEOPLE, the TLC star revealed, We've done a lot of traveling and guess what? We bought a house in Moab. We're going to do an Airbnb with it. We figure everybody should come to Moab and love Moab. So we bought a house there for a way for us to escape too. The mom of six added, We love Moab. It was so awesome we did that." 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. Christine Brown/Instagram Christine Brown and David Woolley (left) pose outside of the Moab, Utah Airbnb they're opening in March (right). In a February Instagram post, Brown shared a sneak peek of the vacation rental that included a glimpse of the primary bedroom, living area, kitchen space and surrounding rocky landscape. She wrote in the caption, David and I have an Airbnb in Moab! It will be available March 1st! Heres a sneak peek! Ill get the link posted when its available so you can start booking a place to stay for your awesome adventures. In another post, she offered a closer look at the center island in the kitchen and fireplace in the living room, along with a shot of the second bedroom. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. A woman wounded during the infamous 1999 club shooting involving rap stars Sean Diddy Combs and Jamal Shyne Barrow claims that it was Combs, not Shyne, who shot her in the face nearly 25 years ago. Natalia Reuben, one of multiple clubgoers injured during a shooting at Club New York in Manhattan on Dec. 27, 1999, took to social media on Wednesday (Feb. 28) to accuse Diddy of firing the gun that left her maimed. Let me tell you why that is of utmost importance to me, Reuben said of the current legal issues plaguing Combs. Because I am the woman he shot in the face in that December 27, 1999 Club New York shooting. I have told everyone ad nauseam since then, even the surgeon who did the surgery to take the bullet, I got shot in my face with a 9 mm hollow-point bullet called a cop killer. Sean Diddy Combs attends The 2023 Met Gala Celebrating Karl Lagerfeld: A Line Of Beauty at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 01, 2023 in New York City. Reuben remained adamant that she fingered Diddy as the triggerman decades ago, insisting that she told the medical staff that performed surgery on her such immediately following the shooting. However, she suggests that Combs was able to bribe witnesses of the crime to dispose of incriminating evidence against him. I literally told everyone and never changed what I said, she added. I watched him, I got [shot] in the face, I watched him fire the gun. Ive said it all this time. Even the surgeon who did my surgery testified in the criminal trial that while they were putting me under [anesthesia]. I was screaming, Puffy [shot] me in the face. Everybody knew he did it, but he paid off the club bouncer and all these other people to hide the video. Thats his MO. During the broadcast, Reuben, who was reportedly paid $1.8 million in damages by Combs, also accused him of flattening her car tires several times as a form of intimidation. Shyne and Diddy onstage at O2 Shepherds Bush Empire in a special one night only event at O2 Shepherds Bush Empire on November 07, 2023 in London, England. After the incident, Diddy and Shyne were both arrested following the Club New York shooting and charged with weapons violations and other charges. Combs was also charged with bribing his driver at the time, Wardel Fenderson, to claim ownership of a gun he was in possession of on the night of the shooting. Ultimately, Combs was exonerated and cleared of all charges by a Manhattan jury in 2001. Shyne was convicted for the shooting and sentenced to 10 years in prison. He would be released from prison in 2009 and deported to Belize, where he is now a Belizean political leader. He and Combs have since reconciled and have even performed live with one another. See Natalia Reuben accusations against Diddy below. Natania Reuben, who was paid $1.8M by Diddy after 1999 nightclub shooting, claims Puffy flattened her tires seven times. Not only did he pew pew me in the face, he also set off a course of harassment against me for the past 24 years.pic.twitter.com/HWErKhELWn Kollege Kidd (@KollegeKidd) February 29, 2024 More from VIBE.com Macron made the half-hearted promise before sheepishly walking it back: "Im not going to give you the date," he says Ludovic Marin/POOL/AFP/Getty Emmanuel Macron French President Emmanuel Macron promised Thursday then sheepishly played down his promise to swim in the Seine River in order to prove its safe for the upcoming 2024 Summer Games. Macron, 46, made the half-promise as he looked to assure the world that Frances plan to have Olympic swimmers compete in the River Seine at this years upcoming Summer Games was a safe and sanitary idea, the Associated Press reported. The country plans to use the River Seine for a grand opening ceremony, as well as the site for a number of swimming competitions. The Parisian river is the fifth-largest in France and winds directly through the heart of the countrys capital city, with dozens of famous bridges arcing over it. Its banks are lined with lively city streets and walkways, and tour boats navigate its bends daily. However, the rivers water quality has long been an issue. Specifically, the dangerous amounts of sewage that flow into it through its 19th-century sewer network. Swimming in the river has been mostly banned in Paris since 1923, according to the Associated Press. But France has planned to use its cityscape, including the river, to host several events throughout the upcoming 2024 Summer Games. Macron, city officials, and the Olympic committee have all claimed swimming in the river is safe. Related: Designs for New Olympic Medals Feature Iron from the Eiffel Tower See Photo! Andrea Mantovani/Bloomberg/Getty The River Seine During a tour of a new Olympic complex in Paris on Thursday, the AP reports that Macron told journalists an extraordinary amount of public-funded investments have made the river safe again. Macron was then challenged by a reporter, who asked if he would swim in the Seine himself. Me, yes, Ill go, Macron reportedly said before backpedaling slightly. Im not going to give you the date: Theres a risk youll be there, he then said, attempting a joke. Related: Aly Raisman in Awe Watching Simone Biles Gymnastics Comeback: So Impressed and So Proud (Exclusive) Ludovic Marin/POOL/AFP/Getty Emmanuel Macron The Paris Games are set to take place from July 26 through Aug. 11, with the Paralympic Games happening from Aug. 28 until Sept. 8. According to France 24, Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo has also promised to swim in the river at some point before the 2024 Summer Games. 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. The country is planning to use the River Seine for open-water swimming competitions as well as the Summer Games triathlon competition. France has spent roughly $1.5 billion on upgrading sewage and storm water treatment facilities along the river in order to clean up the rivers waterways, according to the outlet. Last year, the outlet reported that three test events that were scheduled for the river were canceled due to high levels of E.Coli. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Cavallari and Estes hard-launched their new relationship while on vacation in Mexico Instagram/KristinCavallari Kristin Cavallari and Mark Estes on vacation in Cabo San Lucas; Kristin Cavallari taking a selfie in a black dress Kristin Cavallari's got a new man and she's feeling her sexy vibe in the early days of their relationship. The Laguna Beach alum, 37, and her new boyfriend, Mark Estes, 24, set off on a Mexican vacation, which meant Cavallari had to break out her best skimpy outfits (in the name of hot weather, and all). She's been showing off her wardrobe as well as her fresh romance on Instagram, and Estes has gotten in on the action as well. The TikTok star, who is a member of the Montana Boyz TikTok collective, naturally shared a video on the social media platform with his new girlfriend, and both were wearing exactly what you'd expect for a Los Cabos vacation: swimwear! Now that we're all properly invested in Cavallari's latest romantic endeavor, let's take a look at how she outfitted herself for her dreamy getaway with Estes. Kristin Cavallari/Instagram Kristin Cavallari on Instagram Stories Related: Kristin Cavallari's New Boyfriend Mark Estes Shows Off Their Relationship in Lovey-Dovey TikTok In the past few days, Cavallari dropped all the content we need for closet inspo for our next summer vacation, including this Nensi Dojaka Front Key Hole Floor Length Dress ($673) that she shared on her Instagram Stories. She wore the cutout dress (that included a daring slit!) with super-high nude-colored heels that elongated her legs. Related: Who Is Kristin Cavallari's Boyfriend? All About Mark Estes In the TikTok Estes posted, Cavallari was wearing her go-to swimwear brand, Monday Swimwear. She wore the Monday Swimwear Capri Top in Jungle ($57.60) and Monday Swimwear Hanalei Bottom in Jungle ($46.20) while she and Estes danced by the pool and showed off some major PDA! Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up to date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The last piece of Cavallari's vacation wardrobe puzzle is the Sir Antonia Beaded Sleeveless Midi Dress ($460), which she wore for an Instagram, sweetly albeit loudly launching her relationship with Estes. She wrote in her caption, "He makes me happy." A smiling Cavallari could be seen wearing the light peach-colored column dress with a beaded strap, but because she's sitting, her fans couldn't get the full effect of the beautiful gathered detail at the waist and the sexy slit. Related: Kristin Cavallari and Mark Estes Spotted at Cabo Airport After Sexy Vacation Where They Debuted Relationship Bergdorf Goodman Kristin Cavallari's dress Cavallari, who shares three children with ex-husband Jay Cutler, first became acquainted with Estes through social media before connecting in real life, a source told PEOPLE. Though they only went public later, the two had been seeing each other for a while and it was getting serious, the source said. Theyve been dating longer than people think and have kept it very private. They met on social media, the insider said. Theyre serious enough now that they were ready to go public. Theyre really happy together. Hes been so great to her and is just a really nice guy. Cavallari was previously married to Cutler before they split in 2020. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. The Utah senator said he has two criteria for choosing a candidate and Trump misses the marks Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty; James Devaney/GC Images Mitt Romney; Donald Trump Mitt Romney has made clear one person who will not be getting his vote in the 2024 presidential election. The outgoing Utah senator, 76, broke down his thought process behind who he believes deserves to be the leader of my country and the person who is the example of the president for my kids and my grandkids during an appearance on CNNs The Source with Kaitlan Collins. When Collins, 31, asked if he would vote for Donald Trump over Joe Biden in the November election, Romney replied, No. No, no, absolutely not. Related: Historians Rank Donald Trump Worst U.S. President Again, with Biden in 14th Place Romney said that there are two factors that influence his decision when it comes to casting his vote: One is their position and policies and on foreign policy Im not aligned with Donald Trump, at least as I understand his policy. On domestic policy, yeah, I align with many of his domestic policies. But theres another dimension besides policy and thats character. He continued, What America is as a nation, what has allowed us to be the most powerful nation on Earth, and the leader of the Earth, is the character of the people who have been our leaders. Past presidents, but also mothers, fathers, church leaders, university presidents, and so forth." Speaking about Trump, Romney added, "Having a president who is so defaulted of character would have an enormous impact on the character of America. And for me, thats the primary consideration. Related: Mitt Romney Receives JFK Profile in Courage Award for Voting to Convict Trump Ian Maule/Bloomberg via Getty Former US President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign event at Big League Dreams Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada, US, on Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024. Elaborating on how his foreign policy views differ from Trumps, Romney said that a Trump win in November would lead to a dramatic departure from the United States' foreign policy strategy of the last near-century. I think that people around the world say, Okay, America is no longer the leader of the free world and the arsenal of democracy. Its no longer the City on the Hill. Its now an isolated island, the senator said of what hed expect if Trump returned to the White House. Related: Nikki Haley Reacts After Trump Says He's 'Encouraged' Russia to 'Do Whatever the Hell They Want' to Some NATO Allies Romneys comments come as Trump and Biden barrel toward a 2024 electoral rematch by decisively leading their party's primary races. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Brothers Kevin Bacon, left, and Michael Bacon pose in New York to promote their self-titled album on May 28, 2018. The duo is performing in Lehi, Utah, this summer, just months after the film "Footloose" celebrated its 40th anniversary. | Christopher Smith Even after 40 years, Footloose is still a big part of Payson High School. The school in Payson, Utah, is where Kevin Bacon and his fellow Footloose stars filmed several scenes during the summer of 1983. Other Utah filming locations included the Geneva Steel mill in Vineyard, which was the site of Bacons renowned warehouse dance, and Lehi Mills, where Bacons character, Ren McCormack, gets a job. Stills from the movie are peppered throughout the Payson High School halls, situated above the now-green lockers. And Bacons locker is still on display, complete with a Congrats! Youve got Kevin Bacons locker! plaque. Kevin Bacons character Ren McCormacks locker in the film Footlose is pictured at Payson High School in Payson on Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024. The locker has now been memorialized and students are trying to get Kevin Bacon to come to their prom as part of the 40th anniversary of the film, which filmed many of the scenes at the school. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News And since Footloose recently celebrated its 40th anniversary and since the current Payson High School is soon making way for a new building Payson students have been working year-round to pull off the ultimate send-off: Getting Bacon to attend their high school prom on April 20. Payson High School still hasnt received official word on whether Bacon is attending the prom, but Utah is getting at least one visit from the Footloose star in the coming months: The actor and his brother, Michael Bacon, will perform in Lehi this summer. Kevin Bacon is coming to Lehi, Utah The city of Lehi, the site of several Footloose scenes, recently announced in a Facebook post that the Bacon Brothers will headline the Lehi Round-Up concert on June 24 (the concert is just one event in the citys weeklong summer celebration). The Bacon siblings have performed their blend of folk, rock, soul and country music everywhere from Japan to established U.S. venues like Carnegie Hall and the Grand Ole Opry, according to the duos website. The band is releasing its latest album, Ballad of the Brothers, on April 19 which happens to be the day before Payson High Schools prom. So does the high school still have a shot at getting Bacon to its prom? Jenny Staheli, Payson High Schools student council adviser, told the Deseret News in an email that the Bacon Brothers upcoming concert at the Lehi Round-Up is separate from the high schools Bacon to Payson project meaning theres still a chance. Although Staheli didnt have any new developments to share, she added that theyre hoping for something to share soon. So will Kevin Bacon come to Payson High Schools prom? The latest Bacon to Payson development is promising, though: Bacons organization, SixDegrees, has been super interested in working with Payson High School, Staheli previously told the Deseret News. As part of the 40th anniversary Footloose celebrations, the organization hopes to create 40,000 humanitarian kits and it wants Utah to contribute 5,000 of those kits. A sign inside actor Kevin Bacons character Ren McCormacks locker from the film Footlose is pictured at Payson High School in Payson on Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024. The locker has now been memorialized and students are trying to get Bacon to come to their prom as part of the 40th anniversary of the film, which filmed many of the scenes at the school. | Megan Nielsen, Deseret News So on the morning of April 20 the day of Payson High Schools prom members of Bacons organization will be at the high school putting together kits with the students. We want to have fun with this, but we also want to do something good if we could, and we feel like this is a really great opportunity for that, Staheli previously told the Deseret News. And you just never know where Kevin Bacon might show up. You just never know. Christina Dixon fled Oregon with her teenage daughter to avoid her having surgery to treat liver cancer in 2019 Christina Dixon An Oregon mother was sentenced to three months in jail and supervised probation for trying to keep her daughter from receiving surgery in 2019 to treat her liver cancer and instead attempting to treat the disease with CBD oil and vitamins. Local station WLBT reports that the mother, 39-year-old Christina Dixon, became emotional on Monday when she received her sentence, which prosecutors believed to be too lenient. According to The Oregonian, prosecutors originally sought a 19-month sentence against the mother for trying to keep her then-13-year-old daughter from receiving the recommended medical attention for her cancer diagnosis. The reason that [she] is alive today is because she got the chemotherapy, because she got surgery, because of tumors removed, Deputy District Attorney Brian Powell told a judge at the sentencing hearing Monday. But Circuit Judge Michael Wetzel opted to hand down a more lenient 90-day sentencing because Dixons daughter, now 17 years old, has continued to support her mother, according to WLBT. The daughter was not at the court hearing, but the teen's father Jim Dixon was and said he was disappointed in the lax sentencing. Im glad theres closure, finally, he said, according to the outlet. I was a little sad to see how easy she got off on all this considering all the damage shes done. The teen was first diagnosed with cancer in 2018, according to The Oregonian. She underwent three rounds of chemotherapy before her mother began refusing to take her daughter to receive treatments. The newspaper reports that the states Department of Human Services then got involved and claimed custody of the girl, allowing the state to make medical decisions for her, while continuing to allow her to live with her mother. Dixon then fled the state with the teen hours before her daughter was scheduled to have surgery in June 2019, taking her to Las Vegas. Police located the teen and returned her to Oregon, where she received successful surgery in 2020. I never wanted to stop her treatment, DIxon told the court, according to WLBT. It was just with this particular doctor. I wouldve never put [her] in harms way. I did everything to fight for her life, and I put my own life on the line for her. Greg Oliveros, Dixons lawyer, told the court this week that the mother made some mistakes but argued that one could argue her love for her child clouded her common sense or judgment, according to The Oregonian. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. The daughter is now cancer free, according to her father, although the newspaper reports he hasnt seen his daughter since 2020. The truth is that [she] had a tumor that CBD wasnt doing a thing to help, her father told WLBT. The only thing that was helping was the treatment that she was getting, and she had the surgery. And shes cancer free now because of it." For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Sarah van Mosel is returning to SiriusXM in the newly-created position of senior vice president of podcast strategy. In the role van Mosel will be charged with creating a targeted podcast acquisition strategy as well as source and attract up and coming new talent to the SiriusXM Podcast Network, according to a memo sent to employees by Scott Greenstein, SiriusXMs president and chief content officer. Van Mosel most recently worked as executive vice president of the iHeart Audience Network, where she oversaw audio advertising. More from The Hollywood Reporter She previously served as chief revenue officer at the SiriusXM subsidiary Stitcher. As podcasting continues to be a major driver of growth in our overall business, we are organizing the best team in the industry to power our next chapter. Youve seen us make big moves, most recently with the SmartLess deal, and as we evolve our position within this part of the audio industry, we are both expanding our team and allowing the leaders we already have in-house to hyperfocus on their areas of expertise, Greenstein said in the memo. A major area of focus is expanding our relationships with top podcasts as we look to grow both our exclusive content portfolio and support our successful advertising business, he continued. In addition to van Mosel, Adam Sachs will work on podcast production and development at SiriusXM as senior vice president of podcast content. At the end of January, SiriusXM struck a more than $100 million deal with SmartLess, hosted by Jason Bateman, Will Arnett and Sean Hayes, in a multiyear agreement. As part of the deal, SiriusXM will provide exclusive content from the podcast for its subscribers, including early access to new episodes of SmartLess and SmartLess Media podcasts Just Jack & Will, Bad Dates and Owned, and the majority of the SmartLess library will also be available only on SiriusXM. Best of The Hollywood Reporter A lawsuit filed by the injured student's parents claims that their daughter has permanent injuries from the incident Google Maps Volcano Vista High School A New Mexico family is suing Albuquerque Public Schools after their daughter was allegedly injured in a sword fight at school. Arnold and Judy Gachupin filed a lawsuit against Albuquerque Public Schools, as well as teacher Loviatta Mitchell and Manuel Alzaga, the vice principal of Volcano Vista High School, last week, PEOPLE has confirmed. According to NBC News and the Albuquerque Journal, the parents allege that their daughter was seriously injured after Mitchell brought swords into a classroom and had students fight each other with them in May 2022. Per the outlets, the complaint claims during the teenage girls turn fighting another student with the swords, she suffered a large and deep laceration across her right hand and wrist. Now, almost two years later, her nerves and tendons remain damaged, the document continued. Her wrist and hand are permanently injured, the familys attorney, Jessica Hernandez, said in the complaint, per NBC News. Those injuries cause her ongoing daily pain, as well as cause her to be unable to perform many basic daily tasks." According to Albuquerque Journal, the complaint alleges that after the incident, Mitchell screamed Im in trouble! and had the students delete any videos theyd taken of the incident. Only after the girl began to feel nauseous and weak from blood loss did another student alert the schools administration, and 911 was called, the outlet reported. The complaint claims this was roughly 30 minutes after she had been injured. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. The student who was 16 at the time and is now 17 has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and her wrist and hand are permanently damaged, per the outlet. The familys attorney said in the complaint that the injury has changed her client's entire life and has been discouraging and depressing. Per NBC News, the complaint also claims that a Volcano Vista High School report allegedly written by Alzaga described the incident as a lesson on metal and melding that led one student to accidentally cut the 16-year-old. Alzaga allegedly checked the box No when asked if the incident violated school rules. PEOPLE has reached out to Albuquerque Public Schools for comment. For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on People. Growing its executive team under president Bill Damaschke, Warner Bros. Pictures Animation has hired Kim Mackey and Jessie Carbonaro as executive vice president of production and vice president of production talent, respectively. Susan Akinbola has also been elevated to vice president of development. At a such an exciting time in our companys history, where we are ramping up and building a slate and culture that we are incredibly proud of, we are thrilled to welcome such well-respected and accomplished executives to the team and promote one of our talented team members from inside the company. Kim, Jessie, and Susan are an integral part of our stellar team that also includes EVP of Theatrical Animation Chris Leahy, Damaschke said in a statement. More from Variety Responsible for recruiting and talent development strategy across the division, Mackey will help attract and retain top talent as well as the artistic management and training for the feature film animation division. She has over 25 years of experience in the animation industry and most recently served as head of recruiting for Netflix Animation overseeing the hiring across the film, series and adult animation divisions. Prior to that role, Mackey was global head of recruiting for DreamWorks Animation, where she worked for over 20 years. Before her recruiting role, she contributed to the studios feature success in production and executive roles for Prince of Egypt, Spirit, Shark Tale and Flushed Away. As a talent acquisition studio executive, she managed resource needs across the entire studios production slate for franchises such as Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, Madagascar and How to Train Your Dragon. Collaborating closely with Mackey, Carbonaro will oversee the production talent team, cultivating and maintaining relationships within the animation communities as well as managing the recruiting experience. She comes to Warner Bros. Animation from Netflix, where she served as director of talent acquisition for feature animation. In that role, she led a recruiting team and helped build the studio throughout her four years in the position. She joined DreamWorks in 2004 to pursue animation, serving as production supervisor on projects such as Madagascar, Madagascar 2, Shrek the Third, Shrek Forever After, Puss in Boots and Home. Transitioning from production into talent acquisition in 2015, she has held positions and executive roles at DreamWorks Animation, Skydance Media and Netflix Animation. In her role as vice president of development, Akinbola is responsible for developing a diverse slate of original and IP-based features for Warner Bros. Pictures Animation. Returning to the studio, she joined Warner Bros. Pictures Animation as a development executive in January of 2020, where she began her career on the Lego Movie franchise. Best of Variety Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Dave Allocca / Starpix / Shutterstock.com Many people know that Warren Buffett, the Oracle of Omaha, has invested in Coca-Cola stocks for years. His widely-shared philosophy is: Never invest in a business you cannot understand. Explore More: Im a Financial Advisor: Id Invest My First $5,000 in These 6 Stocks Find Out: 6 Genius Things All Wealthy People Do With Their Money In spite of this, Buffett owns shares of many tech stocks, many in a portfolio owned by a Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary, New England Asset Management (NEAM), according to The Motley Fool. Sponsored: Owe the IRS $10K or more? Schedule a FREE consultation to see if you qualify for tax relief. Alphabet Company While Buffett doesnt always follow the crowd when it comes to investment choices, he does have exposure in three out of the five FAANG stocks (Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, and Google) through NEAM. These large-cap tech stocks are all household names. You dont have to be an expert in artificial intelligence or quantum computing to see the impact Alphabet (or Apple and Amazon, in which NEAM also holds shares) will have on the future. StoneCo Not every stock in Buffetts portfolio is a household name, though. Experts, including analysts at Zacks.com, are rating the Latin America-based fintech solutions provider a strong buy. Buffett invested in the companys IPO in 2018, according to The Motley Fool, and, although the stock is down 42% from that time, he hasnt sold. Snowflake As with StoneCo, Buffett bought into Snowflakes IPO several years ago. The cloud-based computing companys stock showed a steep decline of 20% recently when CEO Frank Slootman announced his retirement. At the same time, first-quarter projections were weaker than expected. Investors are divided on whether the dip means they should increase their position or not. It will be interesting to see what action Berkshire-Hathaway takes. Cisco Systems (and Others) Buffett and NEAM also own a handful of legacy tech stocks, companies that have been around for decades and show staying power. These include Cisco Systems, with a $217 billion market cap, IBM, VeriSign, HP, Texas Instruments, and Activision Blizzard. Story continues Qualcomm and Other Chip Manufacturers Four semiconductor chip manufacturers round out the tech stocks owned by NEAM or Buffett. All are showing recent gains due to growing demand. Analysts at Zacks spotlight Qualcomm as a solid buy. Buffett has also invested in Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, Broadcom, and NXP Semiconductors. Bottom Line Whether you are considering megacap tech stocks or prefer to take a chance on newer companies, it pays to understand where some of the best investment firms are putting their money. Of course, you should strive to build a diversified portfolio and never risk more than you can afford to lose, especially in speculative stocks that may not have the staying power of companies like Apple or Amazon. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: These Are the 5 Tech Stocks in Warren Buffetts Portfolio: Should You Invest? Disclaimer: The article contains mentions of murder. Reader discretion is advised. Thomas Eugene Creech is one of the most notorious serial killers in US history. The authorities reportedly convicted him of committing two murders in 1974. Subsequently, the court sentenced him to death. The serial killer was about to be executed on Wednesday but was spared after the medical team failed to administer a lethal injection properly. According to ABC News, the medical team could not establish an IV line, which is why the execution couldnt take place. For the uninitiated, Thomas Creech filed a request for a stay of execution. However, the court denied the request and cleared the way for the execution. The outlet also mentioned that six members of the prison took Creech into the execution chamber. At first, the medical team was confident in the procedure and noted that they could administer the injection by establishing an IV. The aforementioned publication also mentioned that the team tried establishing the IV line, but failed to do so. Citing the Idaho Department of Corrections, ABC News noted, The team attempted eight times through multiple limbs and appendages to establish IV access, consistent with IDOC policy. They continued, This is a team of competent medical professionals. The outlet also noted that a vein quality issue was one of the major problems during the execution. This didnt let the executioners form an IV line and prompted them to call off the execution. As of now, the authorities havent revealed when theyll be able to execute Thomas Creech again. Currently, he is residing at Idaho Maximum Security Institution in Kuna, Idaho. Thomas Creechs murder case explored Authorities first charged Thomas Creech for murdering two men in 1974 in Valley County, Idaho. As per Idaho Statesman, the court gave him the death penalty. However, his death sentence was reduced to life imprisonment. The court overturned his sentence after the Supreme Court prohibited automatic death sentences. While testifying in his trial, Creech admitted that he killed 42 people by the time he had turned 24. However, he later recanted his statement and said that he was a part of 26 slayings. For years, Thomas Creech has said that the death of his wife made him insane. Citing his statements, Idaho Statesman reported that 11 men gang-raped his wife and threw her from a two-story building. Although she survived the fall, Creechs wife committed suicide in Oregon. As a result, he went on a killing spree and murdered nine of the 11 culprits. He said, I went after them. All those happened within just a couple months. I think that I did get them nine. Meanwhile, in an interview given to The Wall Street Journal, Creech revealed that he committed four murders after fits of rage. In the interview, he also made it clear that drugs made him experience those fits of rage. No timeline is set for another execution attempt The outlet also revealed that he killed a fellow prisoner and pleaded guilty. As a result, the court resentenced him to death in 1982. Since then, he has been on death row. Despite his horrifying crimes, CBS News reported that prison staffers labeled Thomas Creech a well-behaved inmate. The publication also mentioned that only three people have been executed in Idaho since 1976, and Creech would be the fourth one, per the Death Penalty Information Center. Currently, there has been no timeline on when Thomas Creech will be executed again. The post Where Is Thomas Creech Now? appeared first on ComingSoon.net - Movie Trailers, TV & Streaming News, and More. Canadian filmmaker Xavier Dolan is officially the 2024 Cannes Film Festival Un Certain Regard jury president. Dolan, who is a self-taught writer/director, made his feature debut at age 19 with I Killed My Mother based on his original short story. The film was chosen to represent Canada at the Academy Awards. His work has repeatedly been featured at Cannes ever since Dolans 2010 sophomore feature Heartbeats marked his first entrance in Cannes Un Certain Regard program. More from IndieWire I am humbled and delighted to return to Cannes as President of the Un Certain Regard Jury, Dolan said in a statement. Even more than making films myself, discovering the work of talented filmmakers has always been at the very heart of both my personal and professional journeys. I see, in this responsibility Im assigned, the opportunity to focus with the members of the Un Certain Regard Jury on an essential aspect of the art of film: stories told truthfully. The 2024 Cannes Film Festival will take place May 14 to 25, with Barbie director Greta Gerwig presiding over the Jury. The official selection will be announced April 11. Dolans Cannes accolades have been consistent over the years. Laurence Anyways earned Suzanne Clement the Best Actress title in Un Certain Regard, before Clement went on to star in Dolans coveted film Mommy that was Dolans first feature in Competition. Mommy tied with Jean-Luc Godards Goodbye to Language to win the Jury Prize. Dolan later joined the jury chaired by the Coen brothers at the 68th Festival de Cannes. Dolan debuted Its Only the End of the World at the festival the following year, and Matthias & Maxime premiered in Competition in 2019. However, Dolan turned down attending 2018 Cannes with follow-up film The Death and Life of John F. Donovan, his first English language feature. Some last-minute developments prompted us to decide it wasnt the ideal place for the film to premiere, and I cant say I disagree, Dolan told IndieWire at the time. Dolan previously hinted at possible retirement and voiced his dissatisfaction with modern filmmaking in a 2022 interview with Le Journal de Montreal. I dont really want to do this job anymore. Im tired. We are in 2022, and the world has changed drastically, Dolan said. Me, in that world, I no longer necessarily feel the need to tell stories and to relate to myself. I want to take time to be with my friends and family. I want to shoot commercials and build myself a house in the country one day when I have enough money saved. I dont say that in a sad way at all. I just want to live something else, other experiences. The director later debuted the TV series Night Logan Woke Up at 2023 Sundance, which IndieWire critic Ben Travers called a mystery soap that aligns with the grim twin of Pedro Almodovar. Best of IndieWire Sign up for Indiewire's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Ghanas parliament has passed a controversial new anti-LGBTQ bill following months of debate that could make it illegal to identify as a citizen of the LGBTQ in the West African nation. The bill -- named the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill -- was passed by the national legislature on Wednesday in a unanimous vote by lawmakers. The proposed law which was sent to ABC News states that it aims to provide for proper human sexual rights and Ghanaian family values." It now awaits being signed into law by Ghanas president Nana Akufo-Addo. The bill is one of the harshest of its kind in Africa and, if signed into law, it could see people who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, pansexual, nonbinary, queer or any other sexual or gender identity that is contrary to the binary categories of male and female sentenced to up to three years in prison. Those found guilty of the promotion, sponsorship or support of LGBTQ+ activities could also face a prison sentence of up to five years in prison. Gay sexual acts are already illegal in the West African nation and being convicted of the crime carries a prison sentence of up to three years. PHOTO: An LGTBQ+ flag is seen on June 25, 2023 in Philadelphia. (Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images, FILE) United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk has condemned the passage of the bill, calling for it not to become law. The bill broadens the scope of criminal sanctions against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transexual and queer people simply for being who they are, said Turk in response to the proposed bill. I call for the bill not to become law. I urge the Ghanaian government to take steps to ensure everyone can live free from violence, stigma, and discrimination, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Consensual same-sex conduct should never be criminalized. The Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill was first introduced to parliament in 2021 following a wave of anti-LGBTQ sentiments after the opening of Ghanas first LGBTQ+ community center. "We did not expect such an uproar," Alex Kofi Donkor, director of LGBT+ Rights Ghana, which hosted an opening event in Ghanas capital city of Accra told Reuters in 2021. "We expected some homophobic organizations would use the opportunity to exploit the situation and stoke tension against the community, but the anti-gay hateful reaction has been unprecedented, Donkor said. A total of 31 of Africas 54 countries criminalize homosexuality and the passage of Ghanas bill follows Ugandas passage of the Uganda Anti-Homosexuality Bill in 2023. The United States has said it is deeply troubled by the passage of the bill, saying it poses a threat to Ghanaians constitutionally protected freedoms of speech, press and assembly. Ghanas tradition of tolerance, peace, and respect for human rights is a source of stability and prosperity that has long served as a model for countries around the globe. This legislation is inconsistent with these values and will, if it becomes law, undermine this laudable tradition, the U.S. State Department said. Ghanas parliament passes controversial new anti-LGBTQ bill originally appeared on abcnews.go.com An attorney with the special counsel Jack Smith's team told a judge Friday that holding former President Donald Trump's classified documents trial before the November election would not violate Justice Department policy. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon is hearing arguments today on moving the May 20 trial date in Trump's federal classified documents case during a court conference in Florida that the former president is attending in person. Special counsel Prosecutor Jay Bratt pushed for a July start, saying that holding a trial within 60 days of an election would not violate the Justice Department's typical aversion to bringing politically charged cases so close to an election. Bratt told Judge Cannon a trial is permissible because the policy does not apply to already indicted matters. "We are in full compliance with the Justice Department manual," said Bratt. "This case can be tried this summer," Bratt said, accusing the defense of "trying to wring out of the court" endless hearings that do not need to be held. Trump attorney Todd Blanche argued that it would be "unfair" to put Trump on trial for mishandling classified documents before the election. "We very much continue to believe that a trial that takes place before the election is a mistake and should not happen," Blanche said during the scheduling conference in Fort Pierce, Florida. PHOTO: Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump arrives on stage at a Get Out The Vote rally at Winthrop University, Feb. 23, 2024, in Rock Hill, S.C. (Win Mcnamee/Getty Images) Blanche said the trial would take between four and five weeks, not including jury selection, and would be better suited to start after the country votes. "There's no reason this trial can't start until late November," Blanche said. Trump watched the morning's proceedings from a seat at the defense table, hunched forward with his hands clasped together on the table Special counsel Jack Smith was seated behind two prosecutors from his team, Bratt and David Harbach. It was the first time Smith and Trump were in the same courtroom together since the D.C. Circuit court heard arguments on presidential immunity. Trump's co-defendants, longtime aide Walt Nauta and Mar-a-Lago staffer Carlos De Oliveira, are also attending the hearing. Judge Cannon broke for lunch offering little indication how she might rule, other than noting the 20 pretrial motions she still needs to decide. "A lot of work needs to be done," the judge said. Smith, in a filing Thursday, proposed a new trial date of July 8, while Trump's legal team is continuing to propose a trial date after the 2024 election -- but said in their own filing that Aug. 12 could be an alternative if Cannon were to disagree with that proposal. Trump's lawyers have also argued that the case should be entirely dismissed based on Trump's claim of presidential immunity -- an argument that the Supreme Court on Wednesday said they would consider in Trump's federal election interference case. Trump pleaded not guilty last June to 37 criminal counts related to his handling of classified materials, after prosecutors said he repeatedly refused to return hundreds of documents containing classified information ranging from U.S. nuclear secrets to the nation's defense capabilities, and took steps to thwart the government's efforts to get the documents back. The former president has denied all wrongdoing in the case. Meanwhile, in Georgia, Fulton County Judge Scott McAfee will hear final arguments Friday afternoon on the potential disqualification of District Attorney Fani Willis from the election interference case she brought against Trump and 18 others, on the grounds that she allegedly benefited financially from a romantic relationship she had with one of the prosecutors she hired for the case. And with only 25 days until jury selection begins in Trump's criminal hush money case in New York, Friday's court proceedings could fundamentally realign the former president's legal battles as he races toward the 2024 presidential election. The former president has pleaded not guilty and denied wrongdoing in all cases. Friday's court conference in Florida will address multiple motions to dismiss the classified documents case, as well as issues surrounding the classified materials in question and scheduling challenges. It follows several sealed hearings that were held this month to address access to evidence. The special counsel's team and Trump's attorneys have clashed over how much discovery information should be redacted -- or completely withheld from public view. Wednesday's decision by the Supreme Court granting Trump's request to consider whether he should have immunity from prosecution in his federal election subversion case has cast further doubt on whether the former president will stand trial on those charges prior to the 2024 election. Whether Trump can convince Judge Cannon to similarly delay his classified documents trial will be a central issue in Friday's hearing -- and could ultimately determine whether either case brought by Smith is ever heard by a jury. In court filings, Trump's lawyers have argued that the same argument of presidential immunity should apply to Trump's alleged retention of classified documents, since the decision to remove the documents from the White House occurred while Trump was still president. "The alleged decision was an official act, and as such is subject to presidential immunity," defense lawyers wrote last week in a motion to dismiss the case. In an additional series of motions, Trump's attorneys argued that the case should be dismissed because Smith's appointment as special counsel was unlawful; that Smith charged Trump with statutes that shouldn't apply to the former president; and that Trump should have been able to have custody of the documents in question, even after he was president, because of the Presidential Records Act. Complications surrounding the handling of classified documents in the case could also result in a delay. In November, Judge Cannon said she would make a decision on whether to move the trial date once the parties determined how classified discovery is handled at trial; however, the parties in the case still face multiple unresolved issues surrounding how classified information should be handled at trial and in pre-trial litigation. MORE: Special counsel says Trump and co-defendants 'will stop at nothing' to delay classified docs trial Trump has been attempting to delay the trial for several months, with his attorneys arguing in court filings last year that the extraordinary nature of the case means there should be no reason to expedite the trial. Earlier this month the special counsel's team said that Trump and his co-defendants "will stop at nothing to stall the adjudication of the charges against them by a fair and impartial jury of citizens." Judge Cannon previously ruled that Smith's team must file a cache of documents on the public docket, but in a motion last month, Smith urged her to reconsider her ruling, saying that doing so would, among other things, reveal the names of potential witnesses in the case, "exposing them to significant and immediate risks of threats, intimidation, and harassment." "These risks are far from speculative in this case," Smith argued in his filing. "Witnesses, agents, and judicial officers in this very case have been harassed and intimidated, and the further outing of additional witnesses will pose a similarly intolerable risk of turning their lives upside down." Smith is asking Judge Cannon to suspend her ruling until the matter is resolved, suggesting that he might try to appeal the ruling to a higher court if Cannon doesn't reverse course. Misconduct hearing in Georgia Five hundred miles away from Judge Cannon's Florida courtroom, the Fulton County judge overseeing Trump's Georgia election interference case will hear arguments on Friday about the potential disqualification of DA Fani Willis. "At this point, I need to start hearing the arguments and the law and what we've heard so far," Judge McAfee said on Tuesday following three days of witness testimony. "If I think I'm able to reach a ruling based on that, I will." Defense lawyers have argued that Willis benefited financially by hiring a prosecutor with whom she had a romantic relationship and suggested that they both perjured themselves when they testified two weeks ago about the timing of their romantic relationship. Both Willis and the prosecutor Nathan Wade said their romantic relationship started in the spring of 2022 -- months after Wade was hired by the Fulton County district attorney's office in November 2021. MORE: Fani Willis ethics case may reverberate long after judge decision: Experts "You're confused. You think I'm on trial. These people are on trial for trying to steal an election in 2020," Willis testified, vehemently pushing back on the allegation that she benefited financially from the relationship. "I'm not on trial, no matter how hard you try to put me on trial," she said. Defense lawyers initially argued that Wade's former law partner and divorce lawyer, Terrence Bradley, would contradict Wade and Willis' claim about when the relationship began, but Bradley testified this week that any past statements he made to that effect were "speculation on my part." "I do not know when the relationship started between Mr. Wade and Ms. Willis. I cannot recall that," Bradley repeated during Tuesday's two-hour hearing. Special counsel says holding Trump's classified docs trial before election would not violate DOJ policy originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Shares in WeightWatchers dropped by more than 25% in premarket trading Thursday after Oprah Winfreys announcement that she has decided not to stand for reelection to the board at the upcoming annual meeting of shareholders in May. Winfrey has served on the companys board of directors since 2015, according to a statement from the company confirming her departure. After briefly rallying at the opening bell, the stock remained down by 23% midday Thursday. MORE: Famous London museum looking to hire Taylor Swift 'superfan' adviser I look forward to continuing to advise and collaborate with WeightWatchers and CEO Sima Sistani in elevating the conversation around recognizing obesity as a chronic condition, working to reduce stigma, and advocating for health equity, said Oprah Winfrey. Winfrey also announced that she plans to donate her financial interest in WeightWatchers to the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. PHOTO: 66th GRAMMY Awards - Backstage (Neilson Barnard/Getty Images for The Recording A) MORE: 200-year-old 'national treasure' stolen from storage unit as police hunt for missing portrait of George Washington Weight Health is a critically important topic and one that needs to be addressed at a broader scale. I plan to participate in a number of public forums and events where I will be a vocal advocate in advancing this conversation, continued Winfrey. In addition, I have decided to donate my interest in WeightWatchers to the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC). I have been a long-time supporter of this worthy organization, and I am proud to continue my support. The Board of Directors of WeightWatchers said that they were supportive of Winfreys proposal to donate all of her stock to the museum. MORE: Man credited with inventing the Pop Tart dies at 96 Ms. Winfrey is making the donation to support the NMAAHCs goal to promote and highlight the contributions of African Americans and to eliminate any perceived conflict of interest around her taking weight loss medications, WeightWatchers said in their statement. In addition, Ms. Winfrey intends to donate the proceeds from any future exercises of her WW stock options to NMAAHC. Meanwhile, the company published its latest financial report on Wednesday, including its fourth-quarter and full-year 2023 results which showed a total loss of $88.1 million, more than twice the amount during the same period in the previous year at $35.8 million. MORE: 73-year-old man dies in skydiving incident after parachute fails to deploy Winfrey has a stake in the company of around 10% and is one of the companys biggest shareholders. Oprah has been an inspiring presence and passionate advocate for our members, providing critical insights and counsel that has helped shape WeightWatchers over these last 8 years. On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank her for her energy, dedication, and for continuing to play a role as collaborator and thought partner going forward. What I know for sure, we will dearly miss her presence on the Board, said Thilo Semmelbauer, chairman of the board. In a statement Thursday evening, WeightWatchers thanked Winfrey for being a part of the organization for so long. "After nearly a decade of service as a member of WeightWatchers Board of Directors, Oprah Winfrey has decided to not stand for re-election in May," the statement read. "We are deeply grateful to Oprah for her dedication, unwavering support, and invaluable partnership. Her ability to inspire millions of people to put their health and wellness first will have a lasting impact on our members and brand. Were enthusiastic about her continued advisement and collaboration with the company, including her role in our upcoming Weight Health event and her advocacy in addressing this critically important topic." WeightWatchers shares plunge by 25% after Oprah Winfrey announces departure from board originally appeared on abcnews.go.com You might be familiar with a sad longing on beach vacations the sudden intense desire to bottle up the relaxed feeling and bring it home (or buy a beach house). Luckily, the coastal interior aesthetic lets you do just that. The decor style, full of soft blues, natural textures (think: wicker or rattan), and even nautical elements, feels like an immediate stress reliever. And maybe the best part about this style is that you dont physically have to be at the seaside to get that breezy, beachy feeling. With laid-back, yet simultaneously elevated design choices, even a New York City apartment can feel like youre steps away from the sand. Even though you might be able to imagine the beachy tones from a coastal home, its not a one-size-fits-all style. Keep reading to learn more about the best coastal homes weve seen. Disclaimer: Youre about to be instantly transported to the beach. 1. See Why This Teeny 313-Square-Foot Studio Is Nicknamed the Sailors Den When Milo and Lance Putnam were decorating their maximalist studio in Provincetown, Massachusetts, they looked to their community and surrounding environment for inspiration. Sailors Den is a trendy studio that is a celebration of queer joy with a tie to the nautical nature of Cape Cod. Our home is anchored in the heart of Americas gayest town Provincetown, Massachusetts, Milo wrote at the time of the home tour. Visit the full home tour to see more of their nautical space. 2. Coastal Grandmother Meets Eclectic Farmhouse in This 200-Square-Foot Apartment Even though Ashley Watson lives in a small apartment in New York Citys Greenwich Village, youd never know it if you only saw the inside of her home. Whether its the gingham pastel-colored comforter, comfy couch, or natural light that streams in from the two big windows, her space feels like immediate stress relief. I want my apartment to feel like a hug from grandma and taking that first sip of summer wine on vacation simultaneously, Watson shared at the time of the home tour. See how this New York City renter brought the beach to the city in the full home tour. Credit: Michael D Wilkerson Credit: Michael D Wilkerson 3. This Tiny Malibu Cottage Is a Love Letter to Wood Paneling And Has an Adorable Reading Nook Coastal style doesnt only have to feature soft tones and comfortable materials. When you think of how much sand gets tracked inside during a beach trip, youll want a home that can be easily cleaned. Amy Roberts achieved this in her Malibu cottage by having wood paneling throughout the home. Explore more of this gorgeous space in the full home tour. 4. A Tech Experts Breezy Beach House Is Decorated with Wellness in Mind When Carley Knobloch and her family started spending more time in Malibu, they realized they wanted to purchase a second home there and the one they landed on is just two minutes from the beach. It has been the most incredible weekend retreat for our family, Knobloch said at the time of the tour. It feels like were on vacation every weekend. Visit the full home tour to experience more of this coastal space. Credit: Mia Finsness Credit: Mia Finsness 5. A 150-Year-Old Cottages Design Is Industrial Farmhouse by the Sea Not only does Mia Finsnesss 150-year-old cottage in Bermuda have sweeping ocean views, but the inside is also just as calming. Soft tones and minimal furniture (some of the walls are adorned with nautical details like the fish print above a bed) make the space feel similar to the relaxed feeling after a day at the beach. See more of this airy space in the full home tour. 6. A Renovated Long Beach Bungalow Is Perfect Eclectic Minimalism Travis Wayne and his familys coastal Craftsman-style home in Long Beach, California, is just minutes from the beach, but how theyve decorated the space makes it feel like youre already there. Most of the interior is white with dots of color from the rattan dining room chairs, leafy plants, and the leather chair in the living room. Check out the full home tour to see more of this incredible space. 7. This 940-Square-Foot Apartment Is Walking Distance to the Beach Its not just the city name (Oceanside, California) that classifies Sarah Ehrichs organic modern apartment as coastal style. There are several natural textures, like the jute living room rug, and a soft color palette throughout the home. A couple of decorative surfboards add to the coastal style, too. Explore more of this coastal apartment in the full home tour. 8. Little Changes Went a Long Way in Making This Rental More Sustainable The color palette in Emily Busams eco-friendly house in San Diego, California, is a fun take on the coastal aesthetic. While coastal is often full of neutrals or a combination of blues, her space is a yellow-ish gold with pattern pops throughout. Its reminiscent of warm summery days in the glow of the sunshine. Learn more about the sustainable updates in the full home tour. 9. An Ancient Garage Was Transformed into a Tiny but Beautiful Cottage Its hard to believe that Kates tranquil 520-square-foot home in Ely, Minnesota, was once a garage for cars and tools. However, with a little imagination and likely a bit more elbow grease, she turned it into a wonderful home full of coastal details namely, a pair of white chairs that look like seashells. Step inside this gorgeous space in the full home tour. 10. This Cardiologists Coastal-Inspired Home Also Features Heart-Shaped Decor Elizabeth Epstein is a cardiology fellow, and her husband is a veterinarian both arguably high-stress careers. So, when decorating their home in La Jolla, California, they wanted it to be an oasis, and clever color choices helped achieve that. The color palette is inspired by the colors of the ocean, moss-covered rocks, and sand at Windansea beach, she said at the time of the tour. Visit the full home tour to see more of their heart-shaped decor. Lebanon has a rich culinary history that many people only know the half of. Sure, you've probably tried falafel and shawarma, but the amazing foods this region has to offer extend far beyond that. We want to shed some light on more of the delicacies Lebanon has to offer and that you should try. One thing that's interesting about Lebanese cuisine is that it has a lot in common with other Middle Eastern food. This is likely due to the impact of the Ottoman Empire, which spanned much of the Middle East and ruled Lebanon from the early 16th century to the early 20th century. However, this doesn't mean there isn't a distinct Lebanese food tradition. Some dishes are unique to Lebanon, while others are found all over the Middle East in some form, but have a Lebanese twist. These are the 14 Lebanese foods you need to try before you die. From delicious topped flatbreads like manakeesh to bright, fresh stuffed grape leaves called warak enab, there's a huge range of dishes to try. You might just find your new favorite food. Read more: US Foods You Surprisingly Can't Find In Canada Manakeesh manakeesh with za'atar - Hashem Issam Alshanableh/Shutterstock Also known as man'oushe, manaquish, al-man'ouche, or several other spelling variations, manakeesh is a traditional Lebanese flatbread. While it's popular across the Levantine region, it's especially common and significant in Lebanon, where UNESCO has even granted it status as an emblematic culinary practice. But, what's special about this flatbread? Well, it has a puffy, airy yeasted base, more akin to a pizza base than to an unleavened flatbread, such as a tortilla. It has a number of traditional topping options, including a blend of Lebanese cheeses and a mixture of onions and tomatoes. However, our favorite way to enjoy it is slathered in za'atar and olive oil. For those not in the know, za'atar is a blend of dried thyme, oregano, marjoram, sumac, and toasted sesame seeds. In Lebanon, it's considered a default breakfast food. You can buy it from street food vendors all over towns and cities. If you don't want to travel to try manakeesh, you can find it in some Lebanese restaurants and Middle Eastern bakeries in the U.S. While it might not be a common breakfast in this part of the world, it's delicious enjoyed at any time of day. Balila Lebanese balila chickpeas - Eliane Haykal/Shutterstock A Lebanese chickpea dish, this form of balila isn't to be confused with Egyptian balila, which is a wheat porridge. Balila is the Arabic word for cooked or boiled chickpeas and this dish consists of chickpeas with lemon juice, garlic, herbs, and spices. The chickpeas are simmered until they're extremely soft and tender, with the aromatic ingredients added at various points in the cooking process. The chickpeas are then mashed to form a thick, chunky paste, with some chickpeas left whole, some partially mashed, and some completely mashed into the liquid to thicken it. The resulting dish is often somewhere between a soup and a stew, although there are thicker, drier variations. It only contains simple ingredients, but they're perfectly balanced into something greater than the sum of its parts. When it's time to eat, balila is often served with pita or other Lebanese flatbreads. Like manakeesh, it's a traditional breakfast food. However, you can certainly enjoy it at other times of day if it doesn't take your fancy for breakfast. Baba Ganoush Lebanese or Syrian baba ganoush - Anastasia Kamysheva/Shutterstock If you think you've already had Lebanese baba ganoush, you might be wrong. You're probably thinking about a smooth, creamy eggplant dip that has an earthiness to it from the inclusion of tahini. This dip is called baba ganoush in some parts of the Middle East. However, in Lebanon, Syria, Armenia, and some other surrounding areas, this dip is called moutabel, and baba ganoush is something slightly different. Lebanese baba ganoush consists of smoky aubergine roughly chopped and mixed with other ingredients like onions, tomatoes, bell pepper, and pomegranate seeds. It's more like a salad than a dip. For traditional baba ganoush, the eggplant is cooked in coals or over an open flame, which gives it that smoky, charred flavor. Some versions of Lebanese and Levantine baba ganoush contain pomegranate molasses. This gives it a sweetness that balances out the rich smokiness of the dish. It's usually served as part of a mezze spread, with other small plates and Lebanese bread. If you want to find it outside of Lebanon, you might need to try a few restaurants. Since most people in the U.S. think of baba ganoush as the creamy version, that's often what you find in Western Lebanese restaurants. However, if you see both moutabel and baba ganoush on the menu, you'll know that the moutabel is the pureed dip, while the baba ganoush is the sweet and chunky salad. Yakhnet Bamia bamia okra stew - Veliavik/Shutterstock Bamia means okra in Arabic and the name of this dish yakhnet bamia translates to okra stew. That said, it's occasionally simply called bamia on menus and by people in the know. So, what can you expect from this Lebanese okra stew? This is a simple one-pot recipe, consisting of okra, onions, tomatoes, and various herbs and spices. Like many stews, there are multiple variations of it, so just because you've had it once doesn't mean you know the ins and outs of it. For instance, it's often made using meat, but there are also plenty of vegetarian versions of it. You'll also find as many variations on the herbs and spices used as there are people regularly making this dish. However, you can expect some Middle Eastern classics, such as cilantro, parsley, coriander, and cinnamon. You'll usually find this kind of stew served with rice, although nobody would be too upset if you wanted to eat it with flatbread. It's tasty, warming, and great for the winter months, whether you make it yourself at home or eat it at a restaurant. Fattoush fattoush salad - Hashem Issam Alshanableh/Shutterstock There's one easy way to improve on any salad and that's adding bread. Fattoush is a salad that's thought to have originated in Northern Lebanon, although it's also popular in other Levantine countries. It's known for its fresh, vibrant flavors. The key ingredients typically include lettuce, a range of vegetables such as cucumbers, tomatoes, radishes, and green peppers, herbs such as fresh mint and parsley, and the star of the show: crispy pieces of toasted or fried pita bread. Other additions include a dressing that consists of olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and sometimes vinegar and sumac a tangy, lemony spice that is often used in Middle Eastern cuisine. What's great about fattoush is that you can tailor it to what you have on hand or what's in season. You don't need to use the same veggies every time and can experiment with your dressing. Fattoush is a versatile salad that can be enjoyed on its own as a light meal or served alongside grilled meats or falafel. It's a perfect dish for showcasing the fresh flavors of seasonal vegetables. Mujadara mujadara on platter - Dina Saeed/Shutterstock Super simple, yet warming, comforting, and delicious, mujadara is a common dish in Lebanon, as well as in other parts of the Middle East. This straightforward dish is made with lentils, rice, and caramelized onions. It might not sound too exciting, but the combination of ingredients is delicious. It's one of those recipes that proves food doesn't have to be complicated to be amazingly tasty. Let's look at this dish in a little more detail. We'll start with the lentils. Usually brown or green lentils are used. These hold their shape nicely, so they don't get lost in the rice. Speaking of the rice, most recipes use long-grain white rice, such as basmati. However, you can find some variations that use short-grain rice. Then, onions are a crucial component and are caramelized to provide sweetness and depth of flavor. Finally, spices are added to the mix for extra flavor. Common spices include cumin, coriander, and cinnamon. To prepare mujadara, the lentils and rice are cooked together, and the onions are caramelized separately. The cooked lentils and rice are then mixed, and the caramelized onions are added on top. The dish is often served with yogurt or a side salad. Warak Enab warak enab on plate - Slashio photography/Shutterstock Warak enab, also known as grape leaves or stuffed grape leaves, is a popular dish in Middle Eastern cuisine. You might have heard of them as dolma in Greek or Turkish restaurants, but warak enab is the version enjoyed in Lebanon. The name warak enab is derived from Arabic, where warak means leaf and enab means grape. The dish is made of large grape leaves that are stuffed with a mixture of rice, sometimes with the addition of ground meat, pine nuts, and various herbs and spices. The stuffed grape leaves are often rolled into small cylindrical shapes. Flavors can vary widely, depending on the choice of fillings and combinations of herbs, but they're usually fresh and vibrant. You'll find warak enab on practically every Lebanese menu. It's a dish usually served with other mezze dishes. This is a great way to enjoy Lebanese food, as you can try a lot of different dishes at once. Fatayer fatayer pastries - hussein farar/Shutterstock Fatayer are a staple in Lebanese cuisine and they're so tasty that you have to try them before you shuffle off this mortal coil. They're effectively individual hand pies, with a soft yeasted dough. You can find these kinds of savory pastries around much of the Middle East, but in Lebanon and other Levantine regions, they're known as fatayer. Spinach is one of the most common fillings for fatayer. It's combined with onions and spices to make a tasty filling. However, there are a wide range of other filling options, including cheese, ground beef, and a mixture of za'atar and olive oil. If you're interested in trying fatayer but don't want to make them yourself, you should be able to find them at most Lebanese restaurants. Generally, you'll find them as part of the mezze offerings, to enjoy with other small plates. They're also commonly available at Middle Eastern bakeries, should you have one in your city. Ma'amoul ma'amoul cookies - Fidia Helianti/Shutterstock Now it's time to bring a little sweetness to this article in the form of ma'amoul. This is a traditional Lebanese cookie that is popular not only in Lebanon but also in various Middle Eastern countries. Ma'amoul cookies are typically made with a buttery semolina-based dough. The dough may contain a mixture of standard wheat flour and semolina flour and often uses clarified butter. In the center, these cookies can be stuffed with a variety of sweet fillings, such as dates, nuts (like walnuts, pistachios, or almonds), or figs. Additionally, they can be flavored with things like rosewater and orange blossom. Ma'amoul cookies are often shaped using special wooden molds or hand-carved molds, resulting in intricate patterns on the surface. This makes them more than an everyday cookie. While they can be eaten all year round, they're often associated with special occasions and holidays. They're particularly popular at Eid, which marks the end of Ramadan, as well as at Easter for Middle Eastern Christians. Local bakeries and sweet shops in Lebanon may bake thousands of ma'amoul during this period. Knafeh knafeh with slice being removed - Hashem Issam Alshanableh/Shutterstock Knafeh, also spelled kanafeh or kunafa, is a traditional Middle Eastern dessert that is popular in Lebanon, as well as various countries across the region. It is made with thin noodle-like pastry soaked in sweet syrup, and it is often layered with cheese or semolina and then baked to a golden brown color. Knafeh can be flavored with ingredients such as orange blossom or rose water, and it is commonly garnished with chopped nuts, such as pistachios or almonds. Traditionally, it's made using a sweet cheese filling made with Middle Eastern cheese, such as ackawi or nabulsia. However, variations made in the U.S. can use ricotta or even mozzarella. The traditional dough used in this recipe is called kataifi, but it's effectively just shredded phyllo dough. The resulting dessert provides an array of flavors and textures like no other. Even if you're thinking that you're not sure about the combination, you're likely to be pleasantly surprised. Ful Medames ful medames in bowl - hussein farar/Shutterstock If you're wondering what the most popular Lebanese breakfast food is, ful medames (or foul medames, as it's also spelled) is in the running. This traditional Middle Eastern dish isn't exclusive to Lebanon, but it's commonly enjoyed there. This hearty dish, also known as ful or foul, is made with fava beans. It's often seasoned with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and various spices. In Lebanon, ful medames is a popular breakfast or brunch dish, served warm or at room temperature. It's often eaten with flatbread, vegetables, and sometimes hard-boiled eggs. Some variations may include additional ingredients such as tomatoes, onions, or parsley. After the beans have been cooked with the other ingredients, some of them are mashed. This gives it a thick, creamy texture, rather than simply being a bowl of cooked, seasoned beans. How much is mashed and how much is left whole is up to the cook and you'll find a range of variations. However, some people mash as much as 80% of the beans, giving it an almost dip-like consistency. Arnabeet Mekleh Middle Eastern fried cauliflower - Jannissimo/Shutterstock The name arnabeet meklah literally translates to fried cauliflower, so you can guess what this popular Lebanese dish is all about. Individual florets are fried until they're golden brown and may even have some slightly blackened areas that only add to the flavor. However, it's worth noting that some home cooks may decide to roast the cauliflower instead of frying it. Of course, if you go to a restaurant to enjoy it, you can safely assume that it's fried and at its most delicious. But, the dish doesn't end with the frying it's also topped with a tahini sauce. The exact contents of these sauces can vary, but they're usually made by mixing tahini paste with water, lemon juice, and garlic, with salt added to taste. Like a lot of Lebanese dishes, this is often eaten as part of a mezze spread, so if you don't think cauliflower sounds that delicious on its own, think of it as one part of a large meal. However, we think it's among the tastiest Lebanese dishes around and yet more evidence that simple ingredients can be exceptionally delicious when cooked just right. Tabbouleh bowl of tabbouleh salad - Sea Wave/Shutterstock Tabbouleh is a popular Middle Eastern salad that originated in the Levant region, which includes Lebanon. Traditionally made with finely chopped parsley, tomatoes, mint, onion, and soaked bulgur (cracked wheat), it's fresh and vibrant. Generally, it's dressed with a mixture of olive oil and lemon juice and seasoned with salt and pepper. Lebanon is thought to be the place of origin for tabbouleh, and it holds a special place in Lebanese cuisine. In fact, it's unofficially considered a kind of national dish. Tabbouleh is known for its fresh, zesty flavors, making it a popular choice during the hot summer months. The balance of herbs, vegetables, and grains, along with the citrusy dressing is complex yet well-balanced. In Lebanon, tabbouleh is not only a side dish but can also be considered a main course. It is commonly served as part of a mezze spread. It's a staple in Lebanese households and has become a well-loved dish in many countries around the world. While you can find tabbouleh on many menus in the U.S. (not just in Middle Eastern restaurants), you'll never find it better than you can in Lebanon. Of course, if you're not making that long trip, tabbouleh from a good Lebanese restaurant comes a close second. Jallab two glasses of jallab - Dina Saeed/Shutterstock Okay, this one isn't precisely a food, but rather a drink. Still, jallab is worth noting due to its popularity in Lebanon and because it tastes amazing. It's a popular Middle Eastern beverage that is especially enjoyed during the holy month of Ramadan and other festive occasions. This sweet, refreshing drink is made from a mixture of ingredients, typically including grape molasses (also known as silan) and rose water. To prepare jallab, the syrupy mixture is diluted with water and served over ice, sometimes with added pine nuts, raisins, or pistachios. Some variations may also include a splash of orange blossom water or a sprinkle of ground cinnamon for added flavor. Jallab has a rich, complex taste, combining the natural sweetness of the molasses with the floral notes of rose water. It is a beloved beverage across the Middle East and is enjoyed for its cooling properties, especially during warm weather or after a day of fasting during Ramadan. Read the original article on Mashed. New Orleans is a cultural powerhouse, blending French, Spanish, African, and American traditions to create one of the best food and music scenes in the country. When you think of New Orleans, chances are you associate the city with all things French. Francophonea term used to describe cultures, peoples, and languages influenced by Franceactivities and celebrations have seen a resurgence in recent years. From Joan of Arc celebrations to French language classes, Creole cuisine to French film festivals, New Orleanians are proud of their more than 300 years of history. Every time a new group of people settled in this region, they made a cultural impact on the city. It is a beautiful mix of a lot of different people here, says Amanda McFillen, Director of Programs and Interpretive Services for The Historic New Orleans Collection. The French were the first Europeans to colonize New Orleans, which remained under French rule until 1763, when the area became a Spanish colony. In 1803, Louisiana became an American territory. The citys French roots grew deeper as waves of French-speaking immigrants from Canada (whose descendants are known as Cajuns) and Haiti settled in the area. Over time, Caribbean, Italian, German, and Irish immigrants; enslaved Africans; and free people of color all contributed rich traditions and culture to the region. The term Creole represents this ancestral complexity of many long-time residents of New Orleans. In the French Quarter, or Vieux Carre, you can walk through these eras of history. The quarter was originally constructed according to French custom but was later renovated by the Spanish following extensive fires in the 18th century. For over a century, the French Quarter remained linguistically and culturally isolated from the rest of the city, contributing to the distinct architecture and traditions we see today. Even outside of the quarter, though, the influence of New Orleans many inhabitants is clear. New Orleans is a city that sort of punches above its weight, says Joseph Mistrot, the president of Franco-Louisiana organization L'Union Francaise. There's way more cultural things to do here than you would expect in a city of its size. Here are some of the best ways to experience French culture in New Orleans, no matter when you're visiting. Related: The Best Time To Visit New Orleans For Every Type Of Traveler Historical Landmarks Relish the History of Jackson Square Getty Standing in the center of Jackson Square, youll revel in the shadow of the St. Louis Cathedral, the oldest Catholic cathedral in continual use in the United States. French Catholics built the cathedral building in 1718, the early days of the French colony, and French services were routinely held until at least 1906. As you walk down the cathedral's nave, you'll pass the burial places of numerous French settlers who took up positions in the church. Outside again, if you turn to face the cathedral and look to your left and right, youll see distinctive red brick buildings stretch down the square. These are the Pontalba Buildings, named after a wealthy 19th-century French family. Getty The Baroness de Pontalba was from New Orleans but lived most of her dramatic adult life in Paris. Using her expertise in business and architecture, she decided to construct the buildings on inherited land. Engraved initials on the wrought iron balconies AP for Almonester de Pontalba cement her influence. Experience 19th-century New Orleans at the BK House Sarah Becker The BK House, short for Beauregard-Keyes, is a National Historic Landmark in the French Quarter. Built in 1826, the house provides a glimpse into the lives of numerous pre-civil war French Creoles and laborers. The house was designed by Haitian architect Francois Correjolles, who utilized elements of a Creole cottage with Greek Revival featuresa common architectural style to look out for in French Quarter. The house currently serves as the headquarters of the Nous Foundation, a Francophone cultural institute, and features an exhibition inspired by Haitian art. Experience French Impressionist Art at the Degas House At the Degas House, guests have the opportunity to experience Creole food and culture as it was experienced by French Impressionist Master, Edgar Degas, who stayed on the property for four months in the late nineteenth century. Non-inn guests can also enjoy a Creole breakfast, complete with French Waffles and oversized Creole omelets, and a history-focused house tour. Learning Opportunities Discover the France-New Orleans Link at The Historic New Orleans Collection Getty The drawing room in Counting House Interior of the Historic New Orleans Collection. Located in a historic building in the heart of the French Quarter, the Historic New Orleans Collection is a free history museum, research center, and publisher. Through their permanent exhibit, learn about the history of the French Quarter, from its construction by French settlers to its post-fire reconstruction by the Spanish. Then explore the museum's other permanent and temporary exhibitsas well as an exposed historic well. Uncover History at Le Musee de f.p.c. Le MusAe de f.p.c. Continue your stroll through history at Le Musee de f.p.c., located just down the street from the Degas House. New Orleans has a long history of free people of color who spoke French and were Creoles, also referred to as gens de couleur libres. The historic house is constructed in the same Greek Revival style as the BK house, and the museum represents one of the country's only museums dedicated exclusively to telling the story of free people of color. See the European-American Land Struggle at the State Museums Getty The Cabildo, the site of one of the Louisiana State Museums. Two of Louisianas official museums are housed in the Cabildo and Presbytere, the two buildings on either side of the St. Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square. Over 200 years ago, France officially relinquished ownership of Louisiana during a ceremony in the Cabildothe Louisiana Purchase. The Cabildo now hosts an exhibit on The Battle of New Orleans, when the British and their Spanish allies invaded the city because they did not recognize land deals made by the French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, as well as an exhibit on people, places, and things that are quintessentially New Orleans. The Presbytere also features two permanent exhibits: Mardi Gras: Its Carnival Time in Louisiana and Living with Hurricanes: Katrina and Beyond. Test Your Skills with French Language Classes Whether youre fluent or un amateur, multiple organizations offer French language groups to improve your skillsand, as an added benefit, get to know city residents involved in francophone events. If youre staying for a while, L'Union Francaise offers three-week French immersion classes. Alliance Francaise of New Orleans also offers French classes for all skill levels, as well as an informal French conversation group. French Cuisine Dine with (Friendly) French Ghosts at Antoine's Restaurant Getty Taste history at Antoine's Restaurant, one of the oldest restaurants in the country. Try their famous Bananas Foster, a French toast dish topped with caramelized bananas and lit on fire at your table. After dinner, order an infamous French cocktail: a Cafe Brulot. The coffee cocktail involves boiling coffee with herbs and spices, adding an orange peel, and then lighting the concoction on fire to burn off some of the liquor and add a smokey flavor. Treat Your Tastebuds to Dooky Chase American chef Leah Chase in the Dookie Chase kitchen. This legendary Creole restaurant, which once served as an important gathering place for activists during the Civil Rights Movement, makes a fine gumbo. Like most Creole foods, the dish is believed to blend West African, Native American, and French culinary traditions. As you eat, enjoy what many consider New Orleans finest collection of African American Art. Dooky Chase co-founder Leah Chase, who recently passed away in her 90s, was an inspiration for Princess Tiana from Disney's Princess and The Frog. Revel in L'air de Paris at Cafe Degas Toast the day at Cafe Degas, a romantic French bistro. When painter Edgar Degas (mentioned in the Degas House section above) spent time as a young man in New Orleans, he lived close to the restaurants current location. Allison Alsup, Alsup, a local writer who moved to New Orleans 23 years ago because of the city's Francophone culture, described the cafe as having an indoor-outdoor feel and recommended prefacing your cafe visit with the nearby New Orleans Museum of Art for a truly Paris-esque experience. Taste Wines and French Cheeses at St. James Cheese Company The Anchovy Loveras Toastie special at St. James Cheese Company. If you're eager to experience all the flavors France can offer, head to St. James Cheese Company and order their French Collection. Or, if you're on the go, order the cheese for pickup and enjoy it in the comfort of your hotel room. If you're coming from the French Film Festival, one of the company's locations is just across the street. Enjoy Famous French Pastries at La Boulangerie Chris Granger For an experience "very evocative of a French bakery," check out La Boulangerie. If you're visiting for lunch, try the Croque Monsieur, the fanciest-sounding ham and cheese sandwich on this side of the Mississippi (no surpriseit's French). For lighter fare, try one of the cafe's many croissant flavors. Unless you're staying for a while, it's unlikely you'll even make a dent in the bakery's pastry and bread options. Treat Yourself to Cajun at Cochon Cochon is a must for some of the city's best Cajun. Cajun food, or cuisine cadienne in French, traces its roots back to rural France. Cochon's menu includes many meat and vegetable dishes inspired by the peasant-style recipes and culinary traditions originally brought to North America by Acadians, including a pork neck cutlet with pickled greens and Louisiana cochon (pig) with braised green beans and pickled pears. Related: The 40 Best Restaurants In New Orleans For Every Price Point French Celebrations Observe Francophonie at the French Film Festival Kewon Hunter The Patron Party at the French Film Festival. 2024 marks the 27th New Orleans French Film Festival, held in-person February 22-28 and virtually from February 22-March 3. L'Union Francaise, one of the major sponsors of the event, hosts a coffee and croissants event in association with the festival, during which attendees can enjoy live French-inspired cajun music. Though the films use French language audio, all are offered with English subtitles. Experience a Joan of Arc Parade Amy Kirk Duvoisin, who founded the Joan of Arc parade, describes it as a less overwhelming version of Mardi Gras. The parade, which has been described as a Walking Renaissance Festival, has evolved into a celebration of Francophone culture in New Orleans, a magnet for the French community. Celebratory exclamations in French abound in the streets, where performers dressed as angels, flowers, and French medieval characters march (on foot or on horse). You get a very authentic French experience, but then you also get this artistry of a New Orleans street parade and the irreverence of Mardi Gras, says Kirk Duvoisin. According to Kirk Duvoisin, the most French component of the parade happens early on, when the Consul General of France in New Orleans toasts the parade in French, followed by a toast from the New Orleans Mayor in English. Visitors can also tour New Orleans' Joan of Arc statue, lovingly referred to as "Joanie on the Pony" by locals. The statue is an exact copy of the famous 1880 Emmanual Fremiet equestrian statue of Joan located at Place des Pyramides, Paris. It was gifted to the city by then-French President Charles Degaulle in 1964 and continues to serve as a reminder of the city's connections to France. Commemorate Bastille Day If you find yourself in New Orleans in the dead of summer, Alsup says you cant miss the festivities of Bastille Day, the anniversary of a prison break representing the beginning of the French Revolution. In past years, performers have celebrated rebellious French women through dance, DJ-ed in French style, and immersed visitors with jazz music. Related: The Best Places To Shop In New Orleans For more Southern Living news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on Southern Living. With DIY projects and home renovation ideas filling our social media feeds daily, achieving the home of your dreams has never been more affordable and accessible. Just like any other facet of home decorating, DIY home decor trends come and go, often following suit with standard interior design trends. To get the scoop on what DIY projects will be popular in 2024, we spoke with four home design and DIY experts. Here are the six top DIY home decor trends that will be big this year. Textured Walls Heather Barnes, expert home DIYer and the content creator behind @ourbarnesyard on Instagram, predicts that textured walls will be big in 2024. Think: Roman clay and limewash paint for a natural, stone-effect finish. Both of these wall treatments are eco-friendly and super DIY-friendly, requiring only time and patience to get the finished look. The best part is that various application techniques can yield drastically different results, from plaster to marble-like finishes. Eccentric Knobs, Pulls, & Switch Plates Heres a super fun and simple way to upgrade your space on a budgetswap out your builder-grade knobs, pulls, and switch plates for something more personalized and unique. Julian Thomas, DIY and home lifestyle expert and Command Brand partner, says that eccentric hardware and finishes will be all the rage this year. From marble-covered switchplates to anamorphic handles, to switchplates for the maximalist, this DIY design trend is one that anyone can do on their own, and can add a bold look to any space, Thomas says. Wall Paneling Wall paneling has been popular in both the interior design world and the home DIY world for the past couple of years, and experts agree we can expect to see that continue in 2024. I've been seeing painted pencil molding or paneling applied to walls to give them more flair," says Morgan Blinn, lead designer at Rumor Designs based in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. "This simple project can make a big impact on the overall feel of your space and add dimension to your walls." While it looks complicated to install, this is a super easy and beginner-friendly DIY that people of all experience levels will be able to try out. Disco-fying From home decor to fashion, the disco movement is having a bit of a comeback, with disco balls being particularly popular. Sophie Brown, a graphic designer, content creator, and Visual Designer at Mustard Made, predicts that disco-fying will be a big trend in 2024, with all kinds of home decor items getting the glittery, disco ball treatment. I have such a big soft spot for bedazzling and disco-fying," Brown says. "I love that it can take the sunlight and scatter it around a space, creating unpredictable little universes of reflections. Its a low-cost, accessible trend that blends the best of DIY, crafting, and playful home decor. Bold Accent Walls Accent walls are nothing new, but experts agree that they will continue to trend in 2024. Where accent walls used to err on the neutral and subdued side, this year we can expect to see plenty of bold, statement DIY accent walls taking over our social media feeds. People are getting more comfortable with being bold in their style and straying away from monochromatic beige tones, Blinn says. Think striking colors, interesting textures, bold wallpapers, unique architectural details, and more. Not only will a bold accent wall add some visual interest and personality to your space, but its also a super affordable and accessible way to give your home an upgrade, regardless of your DIY experience level. Swag Lighting Lastly, Thomas predicts swag lighting (fixtures that are not hardwired) will be popular in 2024 as homeowners look to add light fixtures to areas of their homes without the heavy investment of hiring professionals to install them. For renters, swag light fixtures allow them to customize their homes without breaking their rental agreement or making permanent changes to space. Usually, the lighting cord is long and exposed allowing for it to be plugged into an outlet," Thomas says. "The exposed cords on swag lighting can add to the overall design aesthetic of the space, especially if it leans more mid-century or industrial." Read Next: 53 DIY Furniture Ideas to Personalize Your Home Read the original article on The Spruce. On Monday, U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Aaron Bushnell died of his injuries after setting himself on fire outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington. Bushnell shouted, Free Palestine! as police tried to douse him. The airman had previously told a friend that he had access to classified intelligence that showed U.S. troops on the ground killing Palestinians in Gaza. A cyber-defense operations specialist assigned to the 531st Intelligence Support Squadron, Bushnell certainly had access to top-secret information, but he was also a turbulent young man, raised on a religious compound and highly politically active online. This background, coupled with his direct insertion into what is possibly the most divisive political issue of the day, sparked an outpouring of commentary from his fellow service members across the internet, on active duty/veterans forums, on social media, and in the comments sections of blogs and news outlets, revealing a military as passionately divided over Bushnells protest as the civilian community it serves. Comments have included the gallows humor that is a signature of militaries worldwide. These particularly dark jokes were how I got through both indirect fire in Iraq and crisis-response work domestically, and I was unsurprised and comforted to find that this kind of humor was ubiquitous among my Georgian, British, and Australian counterparts (and Nepali private security contractors) in Iraq, as well as my German, Polish, Dutch, and other European colleagues during military exercises in Germany. Theres something of an unspoken rule that jokes and rants that would be beyond shocking in a corporate workplace get a pass in the extreme pressure of a military operational environment, provided they dont generate public scrutiny. But the whole world sees online commentary, including users who identify as service members making references to Bushnell as the Airman a la Flambe and others punning on burning questions regarding his motivations. Although public-facing commentary is limited by military policy, internet anonymity allows service members to let their real thoughts fly with little fear of reprisal. Some of the commentary is less about comedy and more about real criticism of military culture and policy, or the ethical ramifications of Bushnells act. WHERE THE FUCK WAS HIS LEADERSHIP? was a comment appearing in one thread, alongside another: Imagine leaving behind your wife and children to make a political statement. In the first instance, the commenter wondered if Bushnells leadership could have intervened to provide the airman with support or discipline that might have headed off his fatal protest. In the second instance, the commenter condemned him for abandoning family in the interest of making a point. (Its not clear, in actuality, that Bushnell was married or had a child.) This outpouring of military opinion can be shocking to the American civilian population. It shouldnt be. In 2011 the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Adm. Michael Mullen, said of the American military: We dont know the American people and the American people dont know us. Indeed, that divide persists todayless than 1 percent of Americans serve in uniform, and roughly 6 percent have ever served. Any surprise over military reactions to Bushnells actions points to Mullens warning that this disconnect is a very dangerous force. The issue stems from the perception that military service isnt just a job, but rather an identity entire. This is partly true. Military service provides community, culture, and custom, and it certainly can pervade every aspect of someones life. Military members and veterans have our own argot that pervades civilian life (plenty of people who have never served affirm understanding with roger), as well as brands that specifically target and serve us. We spark and participate in trends in the wider culture. Indeed, some studies show that military identity is so powerful that retirement can instigate a potentially fatal identity crisis. But while this is true, it is equally true that for many, the military is just another job. One that, at the end of the day, involves taking off ones uniform and getting on with ones regular life of fandom, family, and yes, political activism. Military members, often young and single, take part in social media trends, posting thirst traps or photos of themselves looking attractive online. (The images are inevitably aggregated by voyeur accounts.) These are activities that are absolutely normal in the civilian population but in a military context lead to conspiracy theories about recruiting PSYOPS. While there have been social media explosions, the military is aware of the ubiquity of the modern internet and is by and large embracing it, while also posting guidelines directing the use of personal social media, hoping to avoid public backlash and reputational damage. Many of the comments about Bushnells actions online certainly could run afoul of the Air Forces social media guidelines, which are very similar to those of the other branches. Guidance includes Dont post defamatory, libelous, vulgar, obscene, abusive, profane, threatening, racially or ethnically hateful or otherwise offensive or illegal information or material and Any time you engage in social media, youre representing the DAF [Department of the Air Force]. Dont do anything that discredits you or our service. These rules are written broadly for a reason. They give the military latitude to decide what constitutes vulgar conduct or what discredits the service. Yes, military service does come with restrictions around political protest and the release of sensitive or classified data. But military members, who are humans, violate these all the time, just as they violate policies on drug use, sexual assault, criminal conduct, how to wear their uniform, tardiness (I personally had to discipline sailors who were chronically late for time-critical operations, like going on patrol), and a host of other rules. In short, they are just like every other organized community of humans on the planet. Indeed, acts of political protest, sometimes related to the release of classified information, are common, to the distress of some. Names like Chelsea Manning, Jack Teixeira, and John Walker are likely familiar to most because they disclosed classified information, but in all cases the service members were ideologically motivated, and the actors believed, precisely like Bushnell, that what they were doing was an act of protest against injustice. Notably, some military members were involved in the Jan. 6 insurrection. The U.S. military has roughly 1.29 million active-duty members and more than another 767,000 reservists. While this is arguably understrength to meet the challenges facing the American military at the dawn of 2024, it remains an enormous population of fallible and variable people, most of whom are not in combat arms roles, and most of whom are very young and possess all the decisionmaking tendencies and the passion of folks with an average age of 28 years. To civilians and non-veterans reading the military commentary surrounding Bushnells death, it might seem to be a passionate and undisciplined conversation that clashes sharply with public perceptions of the stoicism, commitment to the mission, values of service over self, and ethic of the quiet professional so often associated with military service. But the civilian-military divide highlighted by Mullen in 2011 has only worsened, and has resulted in a mirage not easily pierced. That mirage obscures the reality that the military is a workplace much like any other, an enormous population of laborers, technicians, and knowledge workers who will never fire a gun, who are mostly young, and who are subject to the same passions, political motivations, desire for recognition, and just plain errors in judgment as the rest of us. Whether or not you agree with Bushnells actions, he was a human being, and his membership in the U.S. military does not change that. Key Insights Significantly high institutional ownership implies SAF-Holland's stock price is sensitive to their trading actions 50% of the business is held by the top 25 shareholders Analyst forecasts along with ownership data serve to give a strong idea about prospects for a business If you want to know who really controls SAF-Holland SE (ETR:SFQ), then you'll have to look at the makeup of its share registry. The group holding the most number of shares in the company, around 57% to be precise, is institutions. Put another way, the group faces the maximum upside potential (or downside risk). Last weeks 8.3% gain means that institutional investors were on the positive end of the spectrum even as the company has shown strong longer-term trends. The one-year return on investment is currently 51% and last week's gain would have been more than welcomed. In the chart below, we zoom in on the different ownership groups of SAF-Holland. See our latest analysis for SAF-Holland What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About SAF-Holland? Institutions typically measure themselves against a benchmark when reporting to their own investors, so they often become more enthusiastic about a stock once it's included in a major index. We would expect most companies to have some institutions on the register, especially if they are growing. We can see that SAF-Holland does have institutional investors; and they hold a good portion of the company's stock. This suggests some credibility amongst professional investors. But we can't rely on that fact alone since institutions make bad investments sometimes, just like everyone does. When multiple institutions own a stock, there's always a risk that they are in a 'crowded trade'. When such a trade goes wrong, multiple parties may compete to sell stock fast. This risk is higher in a company without a history of growth. You can see SAF-Holland's historic earnings and revenue below, but keep in mind there's always more to the story. Story continues Since institutional investors own more than half the issued stock, the board will likely have to pay attention to their preferences. Hedge funds don't have many shares in SAF-Holland. Looking at our data, we can see that the largest shareholder is TimesSquare Capital Management, LLC with 5.2% of shares outstanding. The second and third largest shareholders are Universal Investment GmbH and Van Lanschot Kempen Investment Management N.V., with an equal amount of shares to their name at 5.1%. Our studies suggest that the top 25 shareholders collectively control less than half of the company's shares, meaning that the company's shares are widely disseminated and there is no dominant shareholder. Researching institutional ownership is a good way to gauge and filter a stock's expected performance. The same can be achieved by studying analyst sentiments. There are a reasonable number of analysts covering the stock, so it might be useful to find out their aggregate view on the future. Insider Ownership Of SAF-Holland The definition of company insiders can be subjective and does vary between jurisdictions. Our data reflects individual insiders, capturing board members at the very least. Management ultimately answers to the board. However, it is not uncommon for managers to be executive board members, especially if they are a founder or the CEO. Most consider insider ownership a positive because it can indicate the board is well aligned with other shareholders. However, on some occasions too much power is concentrated within this group. We note our data does not show any board members holding shares, personally. It is unusual not to have at least some personal holdings by board members, so our data might be flawed. A good next step would be to check how much the CEO is paid. General Public Ownership The general public-- including retail investors -- own 43% stake in the company, and hence can't easily be ignored. While this group can't necessarily call the shots, it can certainly have a real influence on how the company is run. Next Steps: While it is well worth considering the different groups that own a company, there are other factors that are even more important. For example, we've discovered 2 warning signs for SAF-Holland that you should be aware of before investing here. If you would prefer discover what analysts are predicting in terms of future growth, do not miss this free report on analyst forecasts. NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Officials in California, are searching for a forever home for an abandoned dog left tied to a tree with her puppies. Currently, the adorable 1-and-a-half-year-old canine named Angel is being cared for by the Mission Viejo Animal Services staff. Dog found tied to tree near Mission Viejo, abandoned with her puppies Angel, a Siberian Husky and German Shepherd mix, was found on Jan. 28 at around 9 p.m. Furthermore, her seven puppies were also found huddled up in a box next to her, as per NBC Los Angeles. Mission Viejo public information specialist, Kelly Tokarski, told the news outlet, [Angels] already had a tough start to life. She was found tied to a tree at night in an Aliso Viejo park with her seven puppies in a box next to her [with] no food, water, or way to protect her or her pups from danger. Given that its the coyote mating season, being left all alone at night in such a vulnerable state put Angel and her puppies at high risk of coyote attacks. Unfortunately, Angel had no microchip, so officials couldnt tell who her owner was. Authorities are now investigating her abandonment, and hope to locate the person behind this cruel act. Under California law, abandoning an animal is a misdemeanor that attracts a 6-month jail sentence and a $1,000 fine. According to Patch News, Angel and her puppies were vaccinated and given a bath as soon as they arrived at the shelter. Luckily, they were all healthy despite the risky situation they were found in. The shelter said the seven puppies have already been adopted. Now, all thats remaining is for Angel to find her perfect home, too. Staff at the shelter described Angel as a love bug who deserves a loving home. Tokarski told the news outlet that Angel is truly one of the nicest, kindest dogs we have ever met. The official further shared, She rolls over in submission when getting pets and will crawl up into your lap for attention. Simply put, Angel is a great dog. The post California Dog Abandoned, Tied To Tree With Box of Puppies appeared first on DogTime. The Red Sea crisis is giving ocean carriers varying opinions on how or when to go about returning to the waterway. In a service update Wednesday, CMA CGM said it has reevaluated the situation in the southern area of the Red Sea, concluding that the evolving conditions allow us to resume transit on case-by-case basis. More from Sourcing Journal The container shipping company said the situation is being closely assessed for each vessel before each transit. Therefore, routing choices cannot be anticipated or communicated. All other vessels will still be rerouted via Africas Cape of Good Hope. Of the liners that skipped the Red Sea, CMA CGM was the latest to commit fully to diverting its vessels on Feb. 1. Unlike the other major container shipping companies, the France-based firm had benefited from having the French Navy escort select vessels through the Red Sea since December amid concerns of lingering Houthi attacks. After one of its charters was targeted and unharmed, and its schedules became further disrupted, the company suspended all sailings in the area through February. Unlike CMA CGM, Maersk still hasnt committed to sending any ships back through the Red Sea. In a market update on Tuesday, Maersks regional president for North America, Charles van der Steene, put the situation bluntly: No one knows for how long the situation will last. Van der Steene advised shippers to seek alternatives to how they traditionally bring products into North America, listing off ports in Mexico, the Pacific Northwest, Los Angeles and Long Beach as possible substitutes for East Coast-bound freight. Start quantifying and preparing to mitigate shifts in your supply chain costs, Van der Steene said. Many customers factor a cost per unit into their budgeting, and if that fundamentally changes due to all of this volatility, it could have a big impact on overall costs. Although drone and missile attacks from the Iran-backed Houthis continue to persist, carriers appear to have more or less adjusted to their new normalcy from a pricing standpoint. Despite freight rates hitting their highest point since October 2022 on Jan. 25, ocean spot rates have since declined 11.9 percent to $3,493 per 40-foot container, according to Drewrys World Container Index (WCI). While the rates seem to have stopped escalating, other costs have ballooned, including warrisk premiums, for those carriers still bold enough to pass through the conflict-ridden Red Sea. Citing data from Moodys Investors Service, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) said in a report that these premiums rose from under 0.1 percent of a vessels total fell to between 0.7 percent to 1 percentan increase of as much as 900 percent. Cargo traversing the Suez Canal still registered significant drops in overall traffic for the week ending Feb. 18, coming in at 61 percent below normal levels, measured by deadweight tonnage. Normal levels in this case consist of the three-week average prior to Red Sea disruption in weeks 45-48 of 2023, according to data from Lloyds List Intelligence. On a weekly basis, cargo surpassing the Canal was down 5 percent. However, in the Red Sea itself, there may be some signs of stabilization. In the week to Feb. 18, commercial shipping traffic across vessel types through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait rose 7 percent. The uptick was led by increased numbers of smaller container ships entering the regional market to replace suspended calls from larger lines, Lloyds List Intelligence said. This marks the first week-on-week rise seen since the Houthi attacks on vessels transiting the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden escalated in December. Although more ships may be braving out the journey through the Bab el-Mandeb as joint U.S. and U.K. naval forces continue striking Houthi targets in Yemen, the vessels are likely to endure more attack attempts throughout their journey. Our operations will continue with greater effectiveness in the Red Sea, said Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, the Iran-backed groups leader. Speaking in a broadcast address today he said, We have a big surprise that the enemies do not expect, and we will indeed start it. At a Senate hearing on Tuesday, Dan Shapiro, the deputy assistant secretary of defense on Middle East policy for the Department of Defense, said the Houthis have conducted at least 48 attacks against commercial shipping and naval vessels in and around the Red Sea since Nov. 19. Despite the Houthis claims, these attacks are almost entirely unrelated to Israel and Israeli-affiliated shipping, Shapiro said. And to be clear, any such attacks would be entirely illegitimate anyway. These are indiscriminate acts that are as much an affront to maritime commerce as piracy, having affected the interests of more than 55 nations and threatened the free flow of commerce through the Red Seaa bedrock of the global economy. It's a one-stop shop your home's most used items. Dotdash Meredith/Janet Maples Costco is our go-to source for great deals on bulk goods, surprisingly good kitchenware steals, and the cheapest rotisserie chicken you can find available today. But, all of that is changing with a new kind of Costco store opening in Anchorage, Alaska. The wholesale club recently revealed that its opening a new showroom dedicated to appliances and furniture. Costco Is Opening a New Showroom for Furniture and Appliances This isnt the wholesale clubs first unique showroom. In February, Costco also opened a business center warehouse in Anchorage thats intended to serve businesses (though any member can still shop there). And theres an appliance and furniture showroom in San Juan, Puerto Rico, also run by Costco. A Costco director of real estate development at the companys headquarters in Issaquah, Washington, Christian Lasley, told the Anchorage Daily News that the news warehouse "will give Alaskans a chance to see firsthand what they can buy for shipment. They can see the products in person at the warehouse, then have them shipped to their home. Lasley told the outlet, Were doing this to meet the needs of our members. The new Costco showroom does not yet have an opening date, as there are still permits pending. Costco purchased the site in 2019, and its currently used as a distribution center. (Costco has four standard Costco warehouses throughout the state.) The news is welcomed in the area, especially because oversized appliances and furniture are costly there. In a Reddit thread, commenters said, This is the best news in a long time! and, We've been longing for an Ikea for decades. Leave it to Costco to step up. Read the original article on All Recipes. Illustration: Julia Abbonizio/Getty Images At one point, a Live, Laugh, Love sign mounted on the wall above a sofa (or even better, the toilet) was the hallmark of cringe for DIY trends, but now its a little more covert. Once reserved for Gen Zs disdain for anything they deemed embarrassing, the term cringe has firmly planted its presence in design. And we hate to break it to you, but no one is immune from being cringenot even us. So how do we avoid empty design when a new aesthetically driven trend appears almost daily? Whether its cottagecore, coquettecore, or even goblincore; it can be hard to keep up with whats in. But at the heart of every fad is something more substantialstyle. You cant teach style; its what sets tastemakers apart from the rest. Its why theyre touted as influencers. And its why millions of people wait with bated breath to see how theyll incorporate trends like, say, Peach Fuzz, Pantones latest color of the year. Their innately stylish and signature taste is not a result of trend-hopping but a culmination of trial and error and an instinctual understanding of design. So who better to tackle the mother of all design categories than TikToks favorite DIYers? Unfiltered and brutally honest, these eight content creators share what they love, loathe, and find totally cringe as far as DIY trends go. Arts & Crafting a TV Frame There was a collective sigh of relief when Samsung released The Frame, a super thin TV that mimics framed art, in 2017. When mounted on a wall, it sits flush against the wall and can display high-definition photos even when turned off. Additionally, owners can purchase frames, or bezels, to place around the TV, hence the name. Finally, an alternative to the bulky plastic hanging from our limewashed walls. Intended to blend seamlessly with your decor, The Frame is beloved by countless interior designers, and your most design-savvy friends, for its graceful discretion. Anthony Immediato, a Philadelphia-based interior stylist known for his impeccable taste and honest takes on design trends, notes that while he understands its a pricey piece of technology, he doesnt think frames work on just any TV screen. The entire purpose is to disguise your television, but DIYing custom frames may be doing the opposite. This resulted in what was essentially a black box with a picture frame around it, he explains. To me, this makes your TV stand out more, contradicting the whole point of the DIY. Imani Keal, a DC-based interior decorator, also has a hot take on TVs, a subject that shes very vocal about. I cannot stand seeing people hide TVs in small spaces, she confesses. If youre not a big TV watcher, maybe, but insinuating that a viable TV is some kind of crime is deeply annoying. If you must disguise it, Keal recommends The Frame, but really she just wants people to stop the shaming and keep their spaces real. Most of us watch TV and build our living rooms around that activity, Keal adds. Theres nothing wrong with that. It makes me cringe to watch people build a home to convey an aesthetic that isnt real. The $7 Mirror Hack is Tack Listen, we get it: Mirrors are expensive. But theyre also one of those critical pieces that can truly transform your space. However, instead of investing in a quality crafted mirror, many people are now opting for the $7 mirror hack. This trend involves buying multiple $7 mirrors, typically from Walmart or Target, and mounting them together to make a mirror wall. According to Courtney Shoudis, the multimedia artist behind Studio EmmJean, the $7 mirror hack is not giving what people think it is. No matter how many you hang together, it still looks like a really cheap mirror wall, she insists while likening it to a fun house. We all know how wonky and distorted they can be, so why would you want to multiply that wonkiness by hanging six or eight of them together on a wall? Immediato adds that this is not an isolated incident, as its also happening with the DIY wavy mirror and the DIY Anthropologie mirror. Essentially, all of these mirror hacks have the same goal, to elevate a cheap mirror and make it look expensive or more luxurious, which is great in theory. However, Shoudis offers one exception to the rule: small IKEA mirrors. Ive seen some creators elevate the mirror wall by using smaller square mirrors from IKEA, and it makes a huge difference, she adds. Make Salad Bowls a Serving Dish Again Salad bowls are having a moment right now and it actually has nothing to do with salad. For a while, I was seeing people making their own pendant light shades out of things like baskets or plastic/wooden bowls, Immediato says. But while some people have succeeded with this trend, most fall flat from this content creators purview. In order for this DIY to be a success, I feel like you would have to invest in high-quality baskets or bowls along with a fair amount of materials like paint and plaster, depending on what style of light you were trying to achieve. And though we may admire the craftiness, at that price point why not just buy the pendant shade youre trying to replicate? But the trend does not end there. (Seriously, whos the publicist behind salad bowls?) Despite being the It-girl of DIY trends right now, Shoudis is not a fan. She is deeply disturbed by the IKEA and Dollar Tree side table hack thats all over TikTok specifically. (The trend involves gluing and spray painting salad bowls together and using a serving tray as the tabletop.) I have yet to see it look good, she admits. If youre already at IKEA, why not buy an actual side table there instead of making a half-assed one out of spray-painted glass and plastic bowls? Half-assed or not, this DIY trend isnt slowing down anytime soon, as its gone from side tables to fruit bowls and vases. The devil works hard, but the marketing team behind salad bowls works harder! Enough With the Monochromatic Madness Whether its monochromatic pastels, whites, or even single-metal tones, many interior designers agree that variation is necessary. The coquette trend might be to blame, but a room full of 80s pink, pastels, and bows is not my cup of tea, says Vic Sanchez, a viral interior designer on TikTok. Instead, he recommends curating a more balanced space over aesthetically driven trends. Like with fashion, there seems to be a new TikTok aesthetic trend almost daily. Bookshelf wealth? I dislike viral trends that promote consumption for the sake of an aesthetic. Sanchez is in favor of buying and creating things that speak to you and skipping the aesthetic FOMO. Keal also points out how microtrends leave spaces feeling disjointed and may only look good as a vignette. When people do these quirky DIY trends like squiggles or decals, they sometimes don't show the project in the context of the rest of the apartment, she explains. When participating in micro trends, people have a tendency to overlook how it translates from online to real life: The purpose of creating a beautiful space is to look and feel warm and welcome in real life and on the internet, not just in five-second clips. Keal encourages people to think bigger than one design or even one room. I love a viral DIY project as much as the next DIY content creator, but I always wonder what those types of projects look like when you take a step back and show it in the full context of the room, she adds. Life Imitates Art, But Keep Your Sheets on Your Bed Shoudis acknowledges that it can be challenging navigating art for your home, especially finding large-scale work on a lower budget, but if your intent is to elevate your space, then it needs to be done with integrity. The DIY trend of creating textured monochrome wall art using bed sheets or heavy layers of Spackle needs to end, she insists. Yes, art is something we can get weird and experimental withits encouraged evenbut when its merely a means to fill white space, is it still art? I firmly believe art should tell a story, be bold and unique to your tastes, and incorporate color and intrigue, she argues. Just because its easy to make and DIY doesnt mean its suitable for the space. Instead, Shoudis recommends visiting your local thrift for paintings and purchasing prints and originals from artists you lovebonus points for supporting emerging artists. Whether you make or buy art, keep it authentically expressive. Art is meant to be interesting, peculiar, and narrative-driven, not merely [used] to occupy wall space with a hardened old bed sheet or a textured layer of Spackle painted a singular color. One Molding Style Does Not Fit All Kate Pearce of Kate Pearce Vintage knows a thing or two about architectural style, as her home renovation is the envy of many on the internet. As an interior stylist with a knack for thrifting and DIY, Pearce is ready to weigh in on a DIY trend that shed like to see less of: picture frame molding. Look, I love picture frame molding just as much as the next person, but I also think its important to honor the architectural style of your home, she says. While picture frame molding looks fabulous in most older homesdoes it make sense in modern ones? Honoring and respecting your homes personal style is an excellent way to elevate it and make your interior decor pop. To me, it feels out of place in a midcentury ranch or other more architecturally modern styles. Its Time to Dump the Dupes When youre decorating on a budget, it can be hard to resist the temptation of a good dupe, especially when its an affordable alternative. But more often than not, the dupe is never going to be as good as the real thing. Pearce lends some words of wisdom for avoiding dupes while still staying within budget: Its a lot more interesting to show how you can reuse a secondhand piece and give it new life. Toby Liu, a New Yorkbased interior designer and creative director, shares Pearces disdain for dupe culture, specifically with regards to applicable features like faux marble. Ive noticed this trend lately, where people paint their countertops white and then paint a marble pattern on them. It looks fake and cheap. Liu acknowledges that marble is expensive, but there are many other kinds of stone that look great, so its worth looking into more affordable stones. Quality over quantity wins every time! Copy, Paste, Delete! We love DIYs for the different interpretations taken on popular trends; the ordinary becomes the extraordinary. Infusing your personal style into design is the best part, and Tay BeepBoop Nakamoto does this well. As a viral TikToker known for creating fun spaces, Nakamoto cant stress the importance of designing how you like enough. Rather than copy-past[ing] a trend, its more impressive to put a personal creative twist on it, she says. Nakamoto aces infusing creativity and silliness into her interior design projects, so she encourages everyone to do what you want, how you want it. Some people might appreciate being told whats in and whats out, but Im a subscriber to the thought that it doesnt matter, she adds. A prime example of Nakamoto practicing what she preaches is how she made the organic-shaped chandelier trend her own by surpassing the electric ware. I couldnt simply install chandeliers because Id have to run new wiring, and Im not qualified to do that, she explains. I decided to do a renter-friendly trick and just hang the chandelier. After drilling into the ceiling joist, Nakamato popped in rechargeable LED light pucks for a functional piece that felt unique in the space. Step Outside of Matchy-Matchy Design Galey Alix, founder of Galey Alix Design, is ready to make a case for mismatched design and has no reservations about the fact that we need to stop the matchy-matchy. Theres no greater time to flex your DIY muscles than when renovating a home, but so many people make the mistake of matching hardware during the process in an effort to create a more cohesive space. Alix challenges this notion, encouraging people to try mixed metals for a pop of personality. (Chrome might be on trend right now, but why not pair it with copper or brass finishes?) When you walk into a home that has mixed metals, such as a kitchen with an unpolished brass sink faucet and antique bronze drawer pulls, it instantly feels more custom, she insists. Why? Because youre now layering complementary metal tones and showing more design thought and effort. Can We Please Leave Pandemic White in 2020? Neutrals are a great way to create a more grounded space, but it may have run its course. As Alix says, I think it worked until it didnt. When the viral content creator flexes her DIY chops on her HBO Max show Home in a Heartbeat, she makes a point to infuse a sense of warmth even in the most neutral and white spaces. When we were in a pandemic and seeking calm and peace in our lives because the world was spiraling around us, white-everything made sense. As we carry on through 2024, Alix hopes people will integrate more color and vibrancy into their homes again. We are quietly quitting white and replacing it with bold, vibrant, deep colors, she adds. Liu agrees, confessing that hes sick of seeing homes that are entirely white/beige and that lack character and look too intentional. Luckily, he has an easy DIY solution for seamlessly instilling color back into your home: pick three colors and bring them into your space a la decorative objects. I would recommend choosing around three colors and integrating them into your space using items like furniture, rugs, or decorative objects, he adds. Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest Dotdash Meredith and Yahoo Inc. may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. I found a similar version for $29. Getty Images/ InStyle IMO, handbags make or break an outfit; a flared dress with eyelash lace doesnt go with a sporty backpack, just like a dainty pearl-embellished bag doesnt necessarily pair with yoga pants. With that said, your style is up to you! But if youre in search of some purse inspo, just look to Emma Watson. Whether Watson is coordinating a winter white handbag with a crochet sweater or structured black bag with crepe trousers, she gets it right every time. While in Italy for Milan Fashion Week, the actress did it again, wearing a laid-back trench coat, mid-rise jeans, and purple long-sleeve shirt. She matched her supermodel-loved Adidas Sambas sneakers with a $725 Prada bucket bag featuring a top handle, removable crossbody strap, and drawstring closure. 7 Emma Watson-Inspired Bucket Bags This isnt the first time bucket bags have made their rounds: Meghan Markle carried one last May, Katie Holmes held onto a similar version in October, and Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez twined in the style this past November. Bucket bags arent going anywhere any time soon, and theyre bound to be huge for spring 2024 mark my words. Kate Spade Rosie Mini Bucket Bag Kate Spade Outlet $129 at katespadeoutlet.com Mali and Lili Ella Denim and Vegan Leather Bucket Bag Nordstrom $68 at Nordstrom I get the hype; bucket bags hold so much (think sunglasses, a large wallet, paperback book, and water bottle) thanks to their spacious, high interiors. The drawstring detail also provides a secure closure to keep your items safe, whether your bag accidentally goes flying or wandering hands on a crowded subway get curious. Watson-inspired bags can be worn with a plethora of styles, too. Luxe leather options, like this hot pink Marc Jacobs style, look great with little black dresses, while more casual options, such as this denim Mali and Lili find, pair perfectly with sweats and bomber jackets. The versatile silhouette knows no bounds, becoming a staple in anyones accessory wardrobe. Marc Jacobs Leather Bucket Bag Nordstrom $395 at Nordstrom Afkomst Detachable-Strap Bucket Bag Amazon $29 at Amazon The key is finding a bucket bag that expresses your style and seamlessly integrates into your fashion rotation. This lime green Kate Spade choice is bold and unique, while this Tory Burch option channels quite luxury to a T. And if youre looking for a budget-friendly option, opt for this versatile $29 Amazon find. Stay ahead of the curve and secure your own Watson-inspired bucket bag just in time for spring 2024. Check out more editor-approved picks, below. Tory Burch T Monogram Bucket Bag Nordstrom $468 at Nordstrom Mansur Gavriel Mini Soft Leather Bucket Bag Nordstrom $495 at Nordstrom Jw Pei Yulia Faux Leather Bucket Bag Nordstrom $99 at Nordstrom For more InStyle news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on InStyle. Kohl use in the Middle East and North Africa is as rich and varied as the region itself. The earliest iteration of eyeliner which has been integral to Arab culture for millennia can be traced back to ancient Egypt where it served not only beautification purposes but was also thought to offer protection against the harsh desert sun and even the evil eye (which can signify a curse or an ill-intentioned glance). Over the centuries, the use of kohl spread across the Arabian Peninsula, eventually becoming a staple in the daily lives of both men and women with its wide-ranging applications aesthetic, medicinal, religious, and practical. It is believed that Crusaders may have brought the practice of using kohl back to Europe. The methods of preparing and applying kohl have also reflected the regions diverse cultural landscapes. The pigment is typically made from natural materials; Emiratis have historically preferred date seeds, for example, while in Lebanon, cedar honey and even the gallbladder of a hyena have been used. A Palestinian woman Hadeya Qudaih applying traditional kohl eyeliner to her granddaughter in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip in March 2020. - Majdi Fathi/NurPhoto/Getty Images In rural communities, residents often produce their kohl at home, or in group settings. The process involves sourcing readily available ingredients, such as plants, tree sap, or stone, which are then burned to soot, melted, or ground into powders with a mortar and pestle. Much like their Ancient Egyptian counterparts, Emirati women even had their kohl buried with them, along with their jewelry and pottery. Preserving an ancient custom During Israels bombardment of Gaza, Ive often thought of Tamam Farhan Abu Issa, a resident of Gazas city of Deir al Balah. I stumbled upon her story while researching my book, Eyeliner: A Cultural History, which traces the evolution of the cosmetic, from its ancient roots to its modern variations. Using methods passed down for generations, in 2022, Abu Issa spoke enthusiastically of how she sought to preserve the historical art of making kohl. Okay, girls, this kohl, I made it myself, she proudly says in a video produced by UNESCO, a United Nations agency, which worked with Palestinian artisans to help document and safeguard traditional handicrafts. It is an old product that is part of the heritage of the Palestinian people. Abu Issa demonstrates how to make the pigment: she begins by soaking a piece of cotton cloth in olive oil, using old robes decorated with tatreez (Palestinian embroidery) to absorb the excess oil. She then places the cloth under an aluminum pan and allows it to burn above a flame overnight. The process produces soot, which accumulates on the underside of the pan; the superfine powder is then collected and stored as kohl in ornate brass pots. Abu Issa dips an applicator moistened with olive oil into the pot to gather the pigment, then smoothly drags it along her lash lines, darkening her eyes. Hadeya Qudaih makes and sells traditional kohl eyeliner for medical and cosmetic purposes (photograph taken in February 2020). - Hassan Jedi/Quds Net News/ZUMA Press/Alamy Stock Photo Against the backdrop of the Israel-Hamas war, the preservation of customs like kohl-making assumes greater significance in the Palestinian context. As demonstrated by Abu Issa, the process reflects not only one method of creating an age-old cosmetic, but also a deep connection to Palestinian cultural traditions, and by extension, the regions broader history. Further, the practice embodies a form of cultural continuation perhaps even cultural resistance. A rite of passage into manhood From the deserts of Saudi Arabia and Jordan to Palestinian villages, kohl is used during special occasions such as weddings, childbirth, and religious celebrations. (Abu Issa speaks of how her grandmother advised her to apply kohl around her childrens eyes upon their birth to help them sleep at night, for example). Some Muslims consider the wearing of kohl to be Sunnah meaning the way of the Prophet Muhammad given he was said to have worn a form of it to treat his eyes medicinally. The tradition also finds its origins in various communal practices, including those of the Bedouin, the nomadic peoples of the Arabian deserts. There, kohl is traditionally applied not only along the waterlines, for its aesthetic appeal, but also around the entire eye area beneath the lower lash line and sometimes above the upper lash line. The application has a dual purpose: to enhance the beauty of the eye, and to provide protection against the suns glare, wind, and sand. This reverence for kohl is mirrored in Saudi Arabia, where some men (such as the Flower Men of the Qahtan tribe) wear it to honor their tribal heritage. A Bedouin man wearing traditional kohl, photographed in the ancient Jordanian city of Petra. - Alessandro Bigazzi/Alamy Stock Photo In Bedouin society, the application of kohl is also considered a rite of passage into manhood and a marker of singledom. Among the younger Bedouins, theres a playful acknowledgment of kohls impact on ones appearance: of his heightened good looks after applying kohl, Raed, a 19-year-old Bedouin, jokingly told me in an interview conducted in Petra for my book research, Do I look like Jack Sparrow, or does Jack Sparrow look like me? (In 2010, the cosmetics allure spurred the UAE General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowments to issue a fatwa, or formal ruling, allowing its use, so long as it wasnt to attract the opposite sex.) Entrenched in cultures Kohl has withstood the test of time, enduring eras of profound upheaval, including wars, colonialism, occupation, the rise and fall of empires, natural disasters, and significant cultural shifts. It has survived prolonged periods of economic tumult, globalization, and changing beauty standards. As such, well before eyeliner was adopted as a now-ubiquitous cosmetic in the West, it was already deeply entrenched in Middle Eastern and North African cultures. In the regions folklore, literature, song, and dance, kohl has been celebrated for centuries. The image of kohl-lined eyes is a recurring motif in various Arab art forms: in poetry, for example, Middle Eastern and Arab women are portrayed as being staggeringly beautiful in part due to their oyoun al sood (black eyes) or oyoun kaheela (kohl-rimmed eyes.) Kohl is so commonly worn in the area that girls are sometimes named or nicknamed Kahla by their parents or friends, roughly meaning the girl who appears to have kohl around her eyes. Kohl is also a feature of many millennia-old myths, rituals, and legends. Zarqa alYamama (Blue Dove), a heroine of pre-Islamic folklore, was famed for the strength of her eyesight, which was credited to her use of kohl. Bridging tradition and modernity Today, kohl maintains its status across the Arab world and in Muslim communities, though its use has evolved. On social media platforms, kohl has gained popularity among young women, bridging tradition and modernity. Instagram and TikTok feeds feature posts from Arab and Muslim influencers and makeup enthusiasts showcasing their kohl-lined eyes. There we are! says TikTok influencer Blinkaria Kohl Girl (who has more than 33m likes) after applying the product in a tutorial. You get waterline and tightline. (Waterlining involves drawing eyeliner onto the inner rim of the eyelids for a dramatic look, while tightlining is the application of pigment at the base of the lashes for a subtle, fuller-lash effect; both are centuries-old). A bride paints on kohl at her wedding. Eyeliner has been used for medicinal, cultural and beautification purposes for thousands of years. - Fatima Shbair/Middle East Image/Redux Younger generations have incorporated modern beauty trends like liquid eyeliner into their routines as urban areas have experienced a shift towards imported Western or South Asian eyeliner brands for practical purposes. Kohl is simple to make, observed Abu Issa of Gaza, but many women find it easier to use ready-made products. This could be because they are impatient or want to avoid getting their hands dirty. Handmade kohl (often purchased from local souks or sellers) is still sought after despite these shifts, particularly among those who value cultural continuity. Maram, an Egyptian woman in her mid-30s, told me in an interview for my book, I grew up believing kohl was a traditional Egyptian practice. When I started using kohl as a teenager, I thought it looked cool. And Ive continued to wear it every day since. For Abu Issa and indeed many across the Arab world, myself included, making kohl is not only a craft; it is a tangible link to her grandmothers legacy, and to her identity. Even if she doesnt (make kohl) anymore, I will for sure continue to do this myself, Abu Issa said. Im happy to produce something for my personal use. Ive done something good for myself. Eyeliner: A Cultural History by Zahra Hankir is published by Harvill Secker in the UK and Penguin Books in the US and out now. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com This is the first article in a 22-part series from Masood Textiles. It was written by Muhammad Surfraz Gill, corporate HR and communications at Masood Textile Mills Limited. Amidst a global push for transparency and sustainability, Masood Textile Mills, Ltd. (MTM) takes the lead in the textile manufacturing sector. With its origins in Faisalabad, Pakistan, MTM has revolutionized the industry through its unwavering dedication to total vertical integration, distinguishing itself both in the local landscape and on the global front. More from Sourcing Journal Rooted in Ethical Sourcing: The Foundation of Excellence Masoods journey commences at the very roots of the supply chain, placing meticulous emphasis on raw material sourcing. The company begins with the selection of the purest Pakistani cotton, cultivated with a predominant focus on sustainability and traceability. Through the innovative Cotton Source Tracking system, customers gain the ability to trace the cottons origins, ensuring a transparent supply chain. Moreover, this system provides customers with a comprehensive specifications sheet, offering detailed insights into the precise attributes of the cotton used in each product. This commitment to sustainable sourcing not only ensures the quality of MTMs products but also signifies a significant step toward a more sustainable and ethical fashion industry. Spinning Excellence: Crafting Quality Yarn for Superior Fabrics Masood boasts state-of-the-art ring-spinning mills equipped with an impressive 63,000 spindles, showcasing the companys prowess in producing 34,000 kilograms of melange yarn daily. This intricate process involves various combinations of raw white and dyed cotton or fibers, resulting in the creation of quality yarn that forms the very foundation of MTMs fabric excellence. The emphasis on quality at the yarn stage sets the tone for the entire manufacturing process. This meticulous approach ensures that every garment produced by Masood is not just a piece of clothing but a testament to the companys commitment to excellence. Innovative Knitting: Crafting Versatile and Sustainable Fabrics Masood showcases an impressive range of cutting-edge knitting machines, encompassing both circular and flat knitting equipment. These advanced machines highlight the companys substantial daily production capacity, reaching an impressive 100,000 kilograms. Together, these machines play a pivotal role in crafting a diverse array of high-quality, innovative, and sustainable fabrics, exemplifying Masoods commitment to adaptability and versatility in product development. Central to Masoods operations is a steadfast dedication to innovation in fabric creation. The company strategically invests in state-of-the-art knitting technology, ensuring not only operational efficiency but also the capability to generate a broad spectrum of fabrics. This proactive approach positions Masood at the forefront of meeting the dynamic demands of the fashion industry, where evolving trends and diverse preferences require a versatile and forward-thinking approach to fabric development. Dyeing and Processing: A Symphony of Colors with a Touch of Green Within its vertically integrated structure, Masood excels in dyeing and processing with facilities capable of processing 120,000 kilograms of fabric daily. This not only accommodates various materials, including cotton and polyester but also reflects MTMs commitment to sustainability through energy-efficient processes. The integration of sustainable practices in the dyeing and processing stage is a testament to Masoods holistic approach to environmental responsibility. By reducing energy consumption and adopting eco-friendly processes, the company sets new standards for sustainable textile manufacturing. Precision in Printing: A Fusion of Technology and Craftsmanship Masoods in-house facilities for diverse printing techniques, including rotary, digital, and screen printing, underline the companys commitment to versatility. With a capacity of over 100,000 garments each day, these advanced printing technologies enable the creation of products with exceptional quality and unparalleled precision. Precision in printing is not just a technical necessity for Masood but a creative expression. The ability to bring intricate designs to life on fabrics showcases the companys dedication to craftsmanship and attention to detail. Crafting Excellence: The Heartbeat of Masoods Operations At the core of Masoods vertically integrated operations lies its vibrant apparel division. Multiple sewing facilities, tailored to meet the unique needs of diverse clientele, deliver a stunning array of products. With top-tier sewing machines and a highly skilled workforce, these facilities craft 5 million value-added garments every month. The apparel division is the heartbeat of Masoods operations. By combining state-of-the-art technology with skilled craftsmanship, the company ensures that each garment not only meets but exceeds the expectations of its clientele. Global Innovation Centers: Staying Ahead of Trends with a Global Vision Masoods robust international footprint is attributed to the deliberate establishment of product development centers and design houses strategically positioned across different continents. Within these hubs, elite designers and product developers engage in close collaboration with clients, crafting bespoke and inventive solutions. These creative minds curate specialized catalogs meticulously aligned with the latest seasonal trends, positioning MTM at the forefront of the continually evolving fashion panorama. The global innovation centers represent a strategic investment aimed at maintaining relevance in the industry. By remaining attuned to international trends, Masood ensures that its products transcend mere fashionability, standing at the vanguard of trends and fulfilling the preferences of a diverse global clientele. This forward-thinking approach not only solidifies Masoods position as a trendsetter but also underscores its commitment to anticipating and meeting the dynamic demands of the global fashion landscape. Fabricating Excellence: MTMs Endeavor for Perfection At Masood, a commitment to quality is intricately woven into every aspect of the production process. The dedicated team of quality experts rigorously oversees every stage, ensuring steadfast adherence to the brand-standardized protocols. These protocols, diligently followed from the initial phases of raw material sourcing to the final stitch in production, reflect MTMs holistic approach to maintaining unparalleled quality. Operating round the clock, the fabric testing laboratories conduct rigorous tests to guarantee that only the highest-quality products reach the customers. MTMs dedication to quality has earned international recognition, with certifications such as ISO 9001 serving as a testament to the unwavering commitment to upholding the highest global quality management standards. What truly distinguishes Masood is the seamless integration of efficient systems, key performance indicators, radio-frequency identification (RFID), and enterprise resource planning (ERP) tools. These sophisticated tools further exemplify MTMs dedication to operational excellence. This precise quality control process is bolstered by Masoods vertically integrated operations, ensuring meticulous quality oversight at every stage. In traditional fashion manufacturing, disparate entities at each production stage may have their own standards and quality checks. In contrast, Masoods vertically integrated structure provides direct oversight throughout the process. This unified approach facilitates cohesive communication and quality control, enabling swift implementation of adjustments without prolonged negotiations between separate entities. The efficiency of Masoods vertically integrated textile manufacturing not only serves as a wellspring of competitive advantage but also contributes to customer satisfaction. Tailored reduced lead times align with todays dynamic fashion landscape, where trends evolve rapidly, and customers seek timely access to the latest styles. This operational excellence underscores Masoods reputation as an industry leader, steadfastly committed to unwavering quality, customer satisfaction, and delivering products that consistently exceed expectations. Sustainability at the Core: Nurturing The Planet In an era where sustainability is an essential ethical imperative, Masood Textile Mills has fully embraced eco-friendly practices. These initiatives underscore the companys commitment to both environmentally conscious manufacturing and sustainable sourcing, laying the foundation for a more sustainable future for the planet. At the core of Masoods sustainability mission is the adoption of cleaner and environmentally friendly alternatives for process heating. Transitioning to low-carbon fuels, Masood has significantly reduced its carbon footprint while ensuring the efficiency of heating processes. The companys utilization of carbon-neutral biomass fuels, such as corn cobs, rice husks, and mustard stock, exemplifies an innovative approach to lowering emissions and conserving energy resources. This step goes beyond industry requirements, reflecting Masoods profound sense of responsibility toward environmental preservation. Rather than allowing excess heat to go to waste, Masood has ingeniously harnessed this surplus energy and repurposed it for valuable applications. This initiative highlights Masoods resourceful thinking and commitment to environmental stewardship, positioning it as a leader in sustainable textile production. Furthermore, Masood is at the forefront of environmental responsibility, actively transitioning toward biofuels to maximize energy conservation. This forward-thinking approach not only underscores the companys dedication to sustainability but also sets the stage for future energy-saving practices within the industry. Masoods proactive stance in environmental conservation reflects its commitment to being a trailblazer in sustainable textile manufacturing. Innovation in Supply Chain Masood Textile Mills pursuit of innovation extends deep into its supply chain, particularly in the realm of raw material selection and fabric development. The companys innovation journey begins with the careful curation of fibers, allowing it to craft distinctive melanges, fancy yarns, and injection slubs. This meticulous selection process enables the creation of textiles that not only meet the highest standards but also bear the mark of innovation. Beyond fibers, Masoods dedication to innovation shines through in its fabric selection, from hosiery to Jacquard. This diverse range of materials showcases the companys flexibility in catering to a multitude of customer needs and fashion preferences. Moreover, Masoods innovative spirit is further reflected in its exploration of new materials through the ingenious mixing of various raw components. This dynamic approach to material development ensures that the company remains at the forefront of the textile industry, offering its customers products that are both cutting-edge and of the utmost quality. Exceeding Expectations: Masoods MTM Elegance MTM redefines personalized clothing with its Made to Measure (MTM) services, striking an elegant balance between off-the-rack and bespoke fashion. MTM clothing stands out for its personalized approach, committed to crafting each garment according to the unique specifications and preferences of the wearer. What truly sets Masood apart is its unwavering dedication to exceptional customer experiences. The company goes above and beyond, guiding clients toward the best choices and tailoring personalized solutions. Masoods customer-centric approach offers an unparalleled degree of customization, allowing clients to tailor garments precisely to their requirements. From fabric selection to style, fit, and embellishments, every detail is customizable, enabling customers to bring their unique vision to life. This commitment is not just theoretical; its validated by the success stories of countless satisfied customers. Masoods ability to transform a customers vision into a tangible, high-quality product has earned the company a reputation for exceeding expectations and maintaining a competitive edge in the market. Collaborative Innovation MTM goes beyond the traditional role of a manufacturer, excelling in collaborative innovation and co-creations. The company actively participates in co-creations with brand teams and clients, embarking on a shared journey to conceptualize and craft innovative products. This strategic partnership ensures the seamless integration of customer preferences, market trends, and brand identities into every creation, resulting in products that deeply resonate with end-users. Masoods unwavering commitment to innovation is epitomized by its Product Development Center, strategically located in Shenzhen, China. Functioning as a crucible for creativity and forward-thinking, this center is the nucleus where an adept team utilizes avant-garde tools such as Browzweara cutting-edge software that scans and interprets fabric properties, demonstrating how a garment drapes on the body. Through this visionary approach, Masood breathes life into the products of the future. The companys fervent emphasis on co-creation and relentless innovation sets MTM apart as a dynamic, customer-centric force in the textile industry. To learn more about Masood Textile Mills Limited, click here. ON THIS WEEKS episode of Dinner SOS, test kitchen director and host Chris Morocco is joined by chef and cookbook author Tanya Holland to help caller Michelle recreate her favorite French dish of beef bourguignon with an added nuanceno garlic or onion allowed. Michelle and her husband live in Miami, but they travel often to France to visit his family and to eat his fathers cooking. According to Michelle, her father-in-law makes perfect renditions of French classics like beef bourguignon, ratatouille, lamb tagine, and poulet farci. But as many times as Michelle has tried, shes unable to recreate these dishes back home in the States. Theres also one important caveat: Michelles husband has an intolerance to alliums like garlic, onion, and shallots, which form the base of flavor in many French dishes. Chris calls on Tanya Holland, a Bay Area-based chef who attended culinary school in Burgundy, to help Michelle translate this French classic to her American kitchen. Tanya suggests other ingredients like anchovies, mushrooms, and fresh herbs that can add depth of flavor without the alliums. Chris recommends Michelle try this recipe for Beef and Bacon Stew, which includes a stealthy addition of miso for extra umami depth. Because onions would typically add sweetness to the stew, Chris and Tanya agree that Michelle should add additional carrots and some sugar (or brown sugar, as Tanya suggests) in place of the onions to achieve a similar flavor. Listen now to hear whether Michelle achieves her dream of exquisite beef bourguignon back home in Miami. This embedded content is not available in your region. Originally Appeared on Bon Appetit Travelers will have new, low-cost flight options just in time for the upcoming summer travel season. Bill Ross/Getty Images Travelers will have new, low-cost flight options just in time for the upcoming summer travel season. Frontier Airlines recently announced 17 new routes spanning various markets, including a new service to St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The routes will have staggered start dates between May 2 and May 25. The largest expansion will take place in Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), where Frontier will operate new service to Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR), which serves Grand Rapids, Michigan; Long Island MacArthur Airport (ISP) on Long Island, New York; Virginia's Norfolk International Airport (ORF); and New York state's Syracuse Hancock International Airport (SYR) three times a week. The airline will also begin services from Missoula Montana Airport (MSO) to Denver International Airport (DEN) and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) several times a week. For travelers looking to explore the U.S. Virgin Islands, Frontier will offer a new weekly service between Orlando International Airport (MCO) and St. Croix's Henry E. Rohlsen Airport (STX) starting May 25, subject to government approval. Frontier also announced a new service connecting Nashville International Airport (BNA) to Chicago's O'Hare International Airport (ORD) three times a week, starting on May 16. The airline will also expand services from destinations like Columbus, Ohio; New Orleans; Denver; Houston, Texas; Indianapolis; Phoenix; San Diego; and Seattle. Increasing the number of cities with an ultra-low fare option helps ensure even more consumers can take to the skies this year to visit friends and family or experience a new destination on their travel wish list, Frontier Airlines Vice President of Network and Operations Design Josh Flyr said in a statement shared with T+L. To celebrate the new routes, Frontier is offering introductory tickets on the routes for as low as $19, one-way. The fare sale is currently running through 11:59 pm EST on March 1 and is valid on travel on select days through June 19. The fare sale has several restrictions and blackout dates, such as it is only valid on flights operating on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Saturday. The full terms of the fare sale are listed on Frontiers website. For more Travel & Leisure news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on Travel & Leisure. It's pretty unusual to go to an Italian restaurant and not see any sign of garlic bread on the menu. This buttery, sometimes cheesy bread has become a staple to serve alongside almost any Italian dish, from pasta to egglplant parm, and, as such, it's been well-associated with the European country for years. But, if you trace garlic bread back to its roots, you'd be surprised to learn that this dish did not actually originate in Italy. Rather, it's an Italian-American dish that took inspiration from another popular appetizer: bruschetta. Garlic bread became popular in the mid-20th century; Italians began opening restaurants to serve their cuisine, including pizza and pasta, and garlic bread was a natural addition to the menu. Before that, though, nobody wanted to use garlic -- Americans didn't love its heavy scent and pungent raw flavor. But thanks to a spike in Italian-American restaurants as well as Julia Child's cooking (which often included garlic) in the 1960s, this bulb vegetable is now a household staple. Read more: French Cooking Tricks You Need In Your Life Garlic Bread's Origin Story Sliced garlic bread on plate - New Africa/Shutterstock When Italians immigrated to the United States, they brought their bruschetta recipes with them. We know traditional Italian bruschetta as being made with tomatoes, but in its original form, tomatoes were not used. The dish was primarily made with bread that was starting to go stale as a way of using it up, with a little olive oil and garlic. The garlic was rubbed on from a raw clove rather than crushed or minced and baked on top of the bread. Of course, that holds much similarity to the garlic bread we know and love today, though most Americans opt for fresh bread. But good olive oil wasn't as readily available as butter in the U.S.; butter could easily be churned in less than an hour, so people began making the dish with butter instead. And so began the American variation of bruschetta, which came to be known as garlic bread. It's unclear exactly how the dish got its American name, though it could be that it was a simple, forward way of describing the snack. Americans Have Modified Other Italian Dishes, Too Roasted head of garlic on a board - Rudisill/Getty Images Over the years, garlic bread went from raw garlic on stale bread to garlic that's baked over fresh bread while it toasts. But that's not the only time Americans have modified popular Italian dishes. If you've ever ordered fettuccine Alfredo at a restaurant in the United States, you've probably received a dish made from cream, parmesan, and butter tossed with pasta. But in its original form, which was invented in Rome by chef Alfredo Di Lelio, the dish contains just butter and parmesan -- no cream; it's still prepared in Italy this way today. Pizza has certainly been modified as well, with its ingredients in the U.S. differing from how it's made in Italy. In the U.S., it's common for pizza dough to contain shortening or vegetable oil, while olive oil is the choice in Italy. The flour of choice is tipo 00 in Italy, but that isn't always easy to find in the U.S., so higher-gluten flour is often used instead. That's why dough in Italy usually tastes lighter and fresher than dough in the U.S. Plus, tomato sauce in Italy contains less sugar than it does in the United States. Read the original article on Daily Meal. PeopleImages / iStock/Getty Images Tax Day is April 15, which means that if you still have to file, youve missed your chance to be an early bird, but youre not yet a procrastinator, either. Be Aware: Trump-Era Tax Cuts Are Expiring How Changes Will Impact Retirees Read Next: Owe Money to the IRS? Most People Dont Realize They Should Do This One Thing But the time to get started is now and the following list of tips will make the process easier when you do. Irina_Strelnikova / Getty Images/iStockphoto Save the Date The first step in making your taxes easier is to know the due date. Tax Day was pushed back the last several years because of holidays and the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2024, there will be no such delays, and the filing deadline is back to the traditional date of April 15. Find Out: This Is the One Type of Debt That Terrifies Dave Ramsey Learn More: IRS Increases Gift and Estate Tax Exempt Limits Heres How Much You Can Give Without Paying Sponsored: Owe the IRS $10K or more? Schedule a FREE consultation to see if you qualify for tax relief. AaronAmat / iStock.com Avoid Errors This one sounds obvious, but many taxpayers waste time and money because they make avoidable errors, leading to rejected returns, amended returns or even audits. The IRS states, Taxpayers should take extra time to review their tax return so they can file a complete and accurate return and avoid refund delays Check all names and double-check all Social Security numbers as well as account and routing numbers for direct deposit. For You: The 7 Worst Things You Can Do If You Owe the IRS Olga Shumitskaya / iStock.com Review Publication 17 IRS Publication 17 covers the general rules for filing a federal income tax return, according to the agency. It supplements the information contained in your tax form instruction booklet. It explains the tax law to make sure you pay only the tax you owe and no more. Give it at least a skim before you file. PeopleImages / iStock.com Know the Law Or at Least the Dumbed-Down Version According to the IRS, the Internal Revenue Code is The codified collection of U.S. laws on income, estate and gift, employment and excise taxes, plus administrative and procedural provisions. Story continues Attempting to read and understand it is, to be kind, a chore. Luckily, the IRS offers a primer called IRS Guidance in Plain English, which you should familiarize yourself with before you file. shapecharge / Getty Images Know Your Rights You should also familiarize yourself with the Taxpayer Bill of Rights, which is available on IRS.gov. Ridofranz / Getty Images/iStockphoto Know Who To Contact With a Problem If you encounter a problem or want to press your rights, your Local Taxpayer Advocate is your voice within the IRS they exist to make sure youre treated fairly. Find yours and know their contact info before a problem arises. Check Out: Billionaires vs. the Middle Class: Who Pays More in Taxes? serggn / Getty Images/iStockphoto Get To Know the Most Common Forms The IRS has a page that profiles the most commonly used forms for reporting income and claiming credits and deductions. Brush up before you get started. Easy_Company / iStock.com Sign Up for Tips The IRS suggests signing up to its e-News subscription to get easy-to-read tips about taxes via e-mail from the IRS throughout the year. Tax Tips are brief, to the point and cover a wide range of topics. Clicker / Getty Images Create and Maintain a Dedicated Folder Whether physical or digital, make a folder for all your documents and keep it neat. Designate a place to collect all your relevant tax files, receipts, etc., throughout the year so everything is in one place and ready to go, said Alton Moore, a dually licensed attorney and CPA and founding attorney of the California-based firm Evolution Tax & Legal. Anchiy / Getty Images Consider Making a Digital Folder and a Physical Folder If youre one of the many people who receive some paper documents in the mail and some digital documents online, Forbes suggests creating an online folder and a physical folder for each. Alternatively, you could print your digital forms or scan and upload your paper documents. Explore More: Top 7 Countries with Zero Income Tax iStock.com Make Sure Your ITIN Is Still Valid If you file with an individual taxpayer identification number issued before 2013 that you havent used at least once in tax years 2020-22 and the middle digits are 70-99, your ITIN has expired, and youll need to request a new one. monkeybusinessimages / Getty Images/iStockphoto Let the IRS Know If You Moved Before you get started, make sure to inform the IRS about any address changes with Form 8822 or just use your new address on your returns. franckreporter / Getty Images/iStockphoto Track Expenses Throughout the Year Moore said to use apps or software to track expenses and receipts in real time, especially if youre self-employed or have numerous deductible expenses. This habit can save significant time and ensure accuracy, he said. Steve Debenport / iStock.com Summarize and Record Charitable Donations If you made charitable donations, Moore said to keep a detailed record of each contribution, including the date, organization and amount. For non-cash donations, keep a list of donated items and their estimated value, he said. Read Next: How Much Money Youd Owe If the National Debt Was Divided by Household Highwaystarz-Photography / iStock.com Do the Same for Medical Expenses and Deductions Moore said to keep a folder within your main tax folder for health care transactions. For deductions like medical expenses or work-related costs, compile summaries and total amounts spent throughout the year, he said. zimmytws / iStock.com Dont Forget the Student Loan Interest Deduction Is Back If youre a student borrower who resumed payments on your college loans in 2023, you can deduct up to $2,500 in interest. Form 1098-E has the information you need to claim the deduction. DGLimages / iStock.com Read the IRSs Recordkeeping Primer Charitable donations, student loans and medical expenses are part of the puzzle, but youll have more to keep track of than that if you want to get it right. Read the IRSs recordkeeping tutorial Topic No. 305 to make the crucial step of document-gathering as easy as possible. inhauscreative / Getty Images Report Disaster Losses and Theft The IRS generally lets taxpayers deduct losses from certain disasters and thefts. If you suffered property damage from a tornado, flood, earthquake or similar event, or lost money or property to theft or fraud like a Ponzi scheme, read up on Topic No. 515 to see what you can write off. Be Aware: You Can Get These 3 Debts Canceled Forever designer491 / Getty Images/iStockphoto Max Out Your IRA If you have an individual retirement account, you have until April 15 to make contributions up to $7,000 $8,000 if youre 50 or older for 2023, which can reduce your taxable income. martin-dm / iStock.com Have a Designated Card for Work Expenses Moore suggests sole proprietors and business owners use one card exclusively for business and work expenses. Independent contractors and self-employed individuals should use a credit card for work, he said. DragonImages / iStock.com Have a Dedicated Bank Account for Work Expenses Moore said its also critical for business owners and contractors to keep a separate bank account for work. This way bookkeeping is streamlined, and theres no commingling of funds, which could make you more susceptible to an audit, he said. pixdeluxe / iStock/Getty Images Keep Everything for at Least 3 Years After You File The moment you file, you might want to throw everything away and be done with it. Dont. The IRS can and will audit individuals for years passed, said Moore. Keep your folders intact for at least 3 years after your original filing date to avoid any issues. Find Out: How Much Money Do Americans Have in Their Bank Accounts in 2024? Khanchit Khirisutchalual / Getty Images/iStockphoto Start by Getting Out Last Years Returns An audit is fairly unlikely, but youll need prior-year returns if you need to file an amended return or claim a missed refund and having them on hand can make it easier to complete this years taxes, too. Check your prior years tax filings for reference, said Johan Garcia, CPA, owner and sole author of After Tax Cash and principal of JG CPA & Advisory. However, this might change, as you could have income from different sources and deductions, too. Goodboy Picture Company / Getty Images Start Early The easiest way to make tax season as painless as possible is to not procrastinate. You have until April 15, but the earlier you get started, the better. Begin gathering your tax documents well before the deadline, said Garcia. InCommunicado / Getty Images/iStockphoto Create a Form and Document Checklist The best way to know if you have all applicable forms is to anticipate their arrival and cross them off a pre-made list when they arrive. Download a checklist and collect all necessary forms that you might need to file, said Garcia. Kameleon007 / Getty Images/iStockphoto Organize Receipts and Documentation Before You Begin Dont start inputting information into your tax software platform or visit your CPA until youve gathered and organized all receipts and other proof of expenditures that could lower your tax bill. Keep records of all expenses that could qualify for deductions costs, dates, vendors, etc., said Garcia. Check Out: How Far a $100,000 Salary Goes in Americas 50 Largest Cities Rawpixel / Getty Images/iStockphoto Ditch the Paper The old way of gathering physical paper receipts and organizing them in a folder is a recipe for unforced errors. Ideally, use digital apps like Excel to categorize receipts for home office expenses, education costs, medical expenses, charitable donations and others, said Garcia. David Sacks / Getty Images Learn About Lesser-Known Deductions Garcia said to familiarize yourself with common deductions that some people miss, including those involving state and local taxes. For example, SALT up to $10,000, mortgage interest, medical expenses exceeding 7.5% of your adjusted gross income and charitable contributions up to 60% of your adjusted gross income, he said. Kerkez / Getty Images/iStockphoto Investigate All Available Credits Before You Start Just like deductions, credits can lower your taxable income. Get every dollar coming to you by researching them first, because they change every year. Look for credits such as energy-efficient credits, Earned Income Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit and education credits, said Garcia. jeffbergen / Getty Images Know the Difference Between Refundable and Nonrefundable Credits All credits fall into one of two categories, and knowing the difference can help you avoid unpleasant surprises. Some credits are refundable, meaning they can increase your refund if they exceed your tax liability, said Garcia. Others are nonrefundable, which means they can reduce your bill down to zero, but you dont keep any that might be left over. They just offset your tax liability, said Garcia. Trending Now: Im a Bank Teller: Here Are 10 Mistakes You Are Making With Your Banking skynesher / Getty Images Do Your Homework on Potentially Deductible Major Purchases The government offers credits for many eco-friendly major appliances, vehicles, building materials, etc., but they apply only to certain models. Find out if yours qualifies before you file to avoid surprises. If you purchased electric or energy-efficient equipment, review your receipts and check with the EnergyStar website to see if theres a possible tax credit available, said Garcia. Olivier Le Moal / Getty Images/iStockphoto Know and Report All Income Sources One of the easiest ways to complicate your taxes is to underreport your income, which can come in many different forms beyond just your paycheck. Ensure you report all types of income, including ordinary income like wages and salaries, capital gains and any retirement distributions or other related income, said Garcia. Check with your income providers if any tax forms are issued. sommart / iStock.com Dont Forget Earned Interest According to Forbes, many people make the common mistake of forgetting to report earnings from interest-bearing cash accounts, like savings accounts. Dont omit this income source, which youre required to report to the IRS. Andrii Dodonov / Getty Images/iStockphoto Report Unemployment Compensation If you received unemployment benefits in 2023, its important to know your reporting obligations. Review IRS Topic No. 418, which explains the tax treatment of unemployment compensation according to your unique circumstance. Discover More: Heres What the US Minimum Wage Was the Year You Were Born Ridofranz / iStock/Getty Images If You Own a Business, Take Every Deduction Entrepreneurs should read the IRSs Guide to Business Expense Resources, which expands on the recently discontinued Publication 535. BongkarnThanyakij / Getty Images/iStockphoto Prepare To Reconcile Health Insurance Credits If you received a premium tax credit for a Marketplace health insurance plan, make sure you have Form 8692 to reconcile the amount paid in advance with the credit you compute when you file. Chaay_Tee / Getty Images/iStockphoto Dont Wait for Form 1099-K for P2P Payments The IRS planned to require taxpayers to use Form 1099-K to report payments of more than $600 through apps like Venmo. However, widespread confusion and uncertainty on the issue compelled the agency to delay the order, and it is now planning a phased rollout in 2024 for the next tax season. FatCamera / Getty Images Break It Down Into Smaller Tasks Several experts told GOBankingRates that one of the best ways to simplify your taxes is to break down the gargantuan task of filing into smaller, more manageable tasks to spread out over tax season. You might gather documents one night, research credits and deductions another, input your personal information on another day and add your financial and income data on another. Read Next: 7 Things You Should Know If You Deposit More Than $10K Into Your Checking Account vitapix / Getty Images Lean on the IRS Its easy to think of the IRS as the enemy during tax time, but the agency and its many taxpayer-friendly services and tools can actually be your best friend. The agency states, IRS.gov is available around-the-clock and its the fastest way to get assistance. Millions of people use IRS.gov for filing and paying taxes, getting information about their accounts or answers to tax questions. The IRS Services Guide outlines the many ways taxpayers can get help from the IRS. mdphoto16 / Getty Images Create or Revisit Your IRS Account If you havent already, start by signing up for a free account at IRS.gov. Your account will be your home base for tax season and show you all your pertinent information from this year and years past in one place, with options for making payments and setting up payment plans. If you already have an account, check in with it and brush up before you file. Riska / iStock.com Download IRS2Go Available in both English and Spanish, the IRSs free app lets you sign up for helpful tax tips, check your refund status, find free tax prep assistance, make a payment and more. eyesfoto / iStock/Getty Images File Electronically The IRS says about 94% of taxpayers now file electronically, and if youre among the 6% still putting pencil to paper before sending your returns off via snail mail, moving into the digital age is the single best way to make your taxes easier. The IRS says e-filing is faster, simpler, more accurate, more secure and ensures a faster acceptance and refund. Learn More: 6 Ways to Tell If Youre Financially Smarter Than the Average American AndreyPopov / Getty Images/iStockphoto Sign Up for Direct Deposit The IRS says eight out of 10 taxpayers choose direct deposit instead of getting a check in the mail. The agency uses the same electronic transfer system that sends VA and Social Security benefits and wants all taxpayers to know that direct deposit is faster, safer and more accurate than receiving your refund through a check. Jacob Wackerhausen / iStock/Getty Images Use the Interactive Tax Assistant The IRSs Interactive Tax Assistant tool can answer many important questions about filing according to your unique situation, including whether you have to file a return, who you can claim as a dependent, if youre eligible for a credit or if you can deduct an expense. Prostock-Studio / iStock/Getty Images Use IRS Calculators The IRS offers handy calculators to help you get your numbers right before you file. The Sales Tax Deduction Calculator, for example, can help those who itemize determine how much state and local general sales tax they can claim. See If Youre Eligible for IRS FreeFile According to CNBC, seven in 10 taxpayers are eligible for the IRSs FreeFile service, but only 2% take advantage of the no-cost program. FreeFile, which is open to taxpayers with AGIs of $79,000 or less, partners with trusted third-party online preparation companies to e-file your returns for free. Explore More: A $150K Income Is Lower Middle Class In These High-Cost Cities Ridofranz / iStock.com Look Into FreeFile Even If You Have Complicated Returns FreeFile can now handle even complex returns for those who meet the income threshold. You can qualify even if you have self-employment income, gig income, hobby income or trade income. SelectStock / Getty Images/Vetta Consider the Direct File Pilot In 2024, the IRS launched a pilot program for a new tool called Direct File. Enrollment is open but limited, but there are many potential benefits for those who qualify. Eva-Katalin / Getty Images Research Alternative Filing Software If you arent eligible for FreeFile, the experts said to research alternative software platforms as one of the smaller steps you create upon breaking down the big task of filing. More than a dozen providers are competing for your business, most of which offer several price tiers for categories like self-employed people, investors and business owners. If you wait until the last minute and pick randomly, your procrastination could cost you dozens or even hundreds of dollars. Weekend Images Inc. / Getty Images Use a Human If Your Life Changes Using software to self-file is relatively easy and simple, but according to CNN, it probably makes sense to hire a professional tax preparer if you experienced major life changes in the previous tax year. That includes things like getting married or divorced, launching a business or retiring. Check Out: 7 Key Signs Youve Reached Financial Freedom skynesher / Getty Images Pick the Right Professional If you are in the market for professional help, its imperative to pick the right tax pro. Search every available option with the IRSs Directory of Federal Tax Return Preparers with Credentials and Select Qualifications database. Phynart Studio / Getty Images Consider a Hybrid Format If you can handle most of your returns alone but want a professional on hand to answer questions and assist with complex sections, Forbes recommends choosing a hybrid DIY/full-service software format, which platforms like TurboTax offer as a happy medium. Or Just Find an Authorized e-File Provider Authorized e-file providers are tax professionals who can prepare and file tax returns through the IRS electronic filing program. The IRS maintains a database that lets you find one near you by entering your state and zip code. RichVintage / Getty Images Plan To Pay by April 15th Even If You Delay Filing The IRS grants six-month extensions that let you file as late as Oct. 15, but you still have to pay on time. Even if youre granted a filing extension, remember that you have to settle your bill by Tax Day in April, unless you work out a payment plan. Read Next: Net Worth for Baby Boomers: How To Tell Whether Youre Poor, Middle Class, Upper Middle Class or Rich Goodboy Picture Company / Getty Images Seek Volunteer Assistance If You Qualify The disabled, the elderly, people who qualify on income-based grounds and those who speak limited English are eligible for volunteer assistance with their taxes. If you qualify, use the IRSs Get Free Tax Prep Help tool to find Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) participants. Drazen Zigic / Getty Images/iStockphoto Seek In-Office IRS Assistance If you dont qualify for any special volunteer programs, use the IRSs Taxpayer Assistance Center Office Locator to find a Taxpayer Assistance Center near you for help you cant find online. zamrznutitonovi / iStock.com Track Your Refund Online Dont waste your time calling the IRS to inquire about your refund status. Instead, use the agencys Wheres My Refund? tool online. designer491 / Getty Images/iStockphoto Dont Get Scammed The IRS warns of frauds and scams that lure taxpayers with promises of tax exemptions, outsized refunds and other offers that sound too good to be true because they are. Learn how to spot them to avoid a frustrating and expensive tax season. Find Out: 7 Ways the Upper Middle Class Can Become Rich in 2024 Protect Your Identity Your tax returns contain all of your personal data and financial data in one place, which makes them a gold mine for identity thieves. Visit the IRSs Taxpayer Guide to Identity Theft page to learn how to protect yourself. Luke Chan / iStock/Getty Images Adjust Your Withholdings To Break Even Next Year One of the best ways to simplify your taxes and improve your financial life is to complete Form W-4 accurately, so your employer doesnt withhold too much or too little federal income tax on your behalf. Use the IRSs Tax Withholding Calculator to get it right for next year. More From GOBankingRates This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 60 Things To Do To Make Your Taxes Easier in 2024 What Happened To Inslaw? Heres If The American Conspiracy Company Still Exists Trigger warning: This article contains graphic depictions of violence. American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders goes through the investigations of Danny Casolaro and his persistence in finding out about the Octopus Conspiracy. Many viewers might want to know what happened to Inslaw. More from StyleCaster Casolaro was a freelance reporter who gained attention for his work on what he referred to as The Octopus; a term he used to describe a complex and interconnected network of individuals and organizations involved in various alleged criminal activities, including government corruption, arms trading, drug trafficking, and covert operations. He focused particularly on exposing a supposed shadowy conspiracy that he believed controlled many global events, touching on themes such as the Iran-Contra affair, the BCCI (Bank of Credit and Commerce International) scandal, and a theory that, during the Iran hostage crisis, Iran deliberately held back American hostages to help Ronald Reagan win the 1980 presidential election. Inslaw was a major part of the investigation as it programmed PROMIS. Casolaro was found dead in a hotel room in Martinsburg, West Virginia, on August 10, 1991, under suspicious circumstances. His work and death are the subject of a gripping Netflix four-part documentary series titled American Conspiracy: The Octopus, which dropped on the streamer on February 28, 2024. If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, help is available. Call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 for free and confidential counseling. What happened to Inslaw? What happened to Inslaw? Inslaw still exists. William Hamilton is still listed as president on his LinkedIn. The website describes the company as the leading vendor of case management software products in the United States for over 42 years. It pioneered the use of software customization tools to meet specific customer requirements without the need for conventional programming changes. It stated that the companys case management software is currently licensed to customers in the public and private sectors of the United States, Europe, and the Pacific Rim. Who killed Danny Casoloro? Who killed Danny Casoloro? Who killed Danny Casolaro? To this day, Casolaros death has been ruled a suicide. Five months after the initial coroners report in 1991, Dr. Frost of the Virginia State Medical Examiners Office performed another autopsy and returned a second suicide verdict. But those who knew Casolaro as well as medics who were at the scene of his death are doubtful thats actually the case. Casolaro was on the verge of uncovering a huge government conspiracy involving many high-stakes individuals and because of this, friends were convinced hed been killed to stay quiet. After all, Casolaro told his brother Anthony repeatedly, If an accident happens [to me], dont believe it. Don Shirley, who was a medic at the scene of Casolaros death, was asked by another reporter if he thought there was anything suspicious at the crime scene. In my six years as a medic, Ive never seen somebody cut their wrists that many times. The left arm appeared to have 8 cuts and the right arm appeared to have 4 cuts, he said at the time, as depicted in the Netflix series. It just did not appear that he could have physically done this. These were deep enough that the tendon had been severed. You cut your tendon, you cant hold something and I had the gut feeling at that time that this could be a homicide. However, months after Casolaro died, fellow reporter Ron Rosenbaum reflected on his relationship with Casolaro; the two had discussed the Octopus theory not long before Casolaros death. I was so skeptical about the Octopus murder theory that I even harbored a suspicion that Danny might have staged his own death. That, while his friends were saying it was murder disguised to look like suicide, maybe it was really a suicide staged to provoke suspicion of murder, he wrote for Vanity Fair in December 1991. That by killing himself and leaving enough ambiguities to raise the possibility of murder Danny would make his own death the sensational final chapter of the book he never wrotethe one thing that would validate the seriousness of the quest he was on. Who is Michael Riconoscuito? Who is Michael Riconoscuito? Michael Riconosciuto was Casolaros most significant source in his investigation into Inslaw, the case that kicked off the whole Octopus theory. Inslaw is a company that developed and sold computer software for managing case information for law firms and government agencies. The controversy revolves around allegations of the theft of Inslaws software, called PROMIS (Prosecutors Management Information System), and its unauthorized distribution. The Inslaw affair began in 1986 when the company accused the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) of stealing their software. Inslaw claimed that the DOJ had modified the software without permission and distributed it to various U.S. government agencies and foreign intelligence agencies. The modified software was allegedly used for purposes beyond its original design, including tracking intelligence and law enforcement activities. Riconosciuto was arrested on drug charges shortly after providing Inslaw, Inc. with an affidavit in support of their lawsuit against the United States Department of Justice. He served a 30-year sentence. In American Conspiracy, Riconosciuto is picked up by the filmmakers Christian Hansen and Zachary upon his release from prison and immediately, you can sense his panic. After telling them his detailed story, he expresses concern that hed be safer in prison. Upon violating the conditions of his parole, Riconosciuto is arrested 3 days later and is behind bars once more. American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders is now streaming on Netflix. Best of StyleCaster Courtesy of Matilda Bress In this op-ed, American Bridge 21st Century writer Matilda Bress explores why she, an IVF baby, will be voting for President Biden in November. In 1993, my mom anxiously picked up a call from her fertility doctor and heard the words, "I'm so sorry, you're not pregnant." She and my dad answered that same call again and again and again and again. It took them six rounds of in vitro fertilization (IVF) to get pregnant with me and my twin brother. The Supreme Court of Alabamas recent ruling put the process that created my brother and me, and completed my family, into jeopardy. Using religious justification from the Christian Bible, the court ruled that frozen embryos are children under state law and subject to "legislation dealing with the wrongful death of a minor." According to the Washington Post, the ruling stemmed from a wrongful death case brought by three couples after a patient in a hospital dropped their cryogenically frozen embryos, ultimately destroying them. The implication of the ruling extends well beyond the couples who brought the lawsuit or the patient who could be help liable, though it is already putting IVF at risk across the state. The New York Times reports that the University of Alabama at Birmingham health system has paused IVF treatment as they weigh the legal risk of creating and storing embryos in a state that would treat them legally like children. When my brother saw the news, he texted me, "Mom and Dad are murderers in Alabama." It might seem absurd, but thats the question were now facing: If embryos are considered children in Alabama, what happens when one doesnt successfully implant? What happens if someone never uses their stored embryos? What happens when something goes wrong? According to Pew Research, 42% of adults say they have used fertility treatments or personally know someone who has, up from 33% five years ago. More Americans than ever, including queer couples, are seeking fertility assistance. The Alabama ruling threatens to slam the door on their chance to build a family. As a staffer at the progressive research firm American Bridge 21st Century, I see daily reports from Republicans viciously attacking abortion rights, birth control, and IVF. After Roe v. Wade was overturned, reproductive rights activists warned that abortion access was the first attack, not the last and they were right. On Wednesday, GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley sided with Alabama's dangerous ruling. In 2022, Republican Governor Brian Kemp said he was "open" to restricting IVF. Mississippi GOP Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith blocked a bill to federally protect IVF. Now, 125 U.S. House Republicans have co-sponsored the "Life at Conception Act," a bill that uses similar language to the Alabama decision and, if passed, could lead to restrictions on IVF nationwide. In each of these instances, a member of the supposedly "pro-life" party is attacking the very reproductive care that can help create life that created my life. When my brother and I were unruly tweens, my dad pulled a dusty suitcase from the garage shelf. It was filled with hundreds of needles. He'd saved a fraction of the daily follicle-stimulating hormone shots my mom took to prove a point: your mom went through hell to have you, so give her some respect. My mom and millions of Americans put themselves through physical, emotional, and financial turmoil to realize their dream of a family. They deserve respect and support, like paid leave for procedures and insurance covering more fertility costs. They don't deserve Trump and other Republican politicians inserting themselves into family planning conversations and doctors' offices. They don't deserve GOP justices ruling against their right to make a family. They dont deserve to live in a country that blocks their opportunities to get pregnant, or to decide when and how to have a healthy pregnancy. In November, I'm voting for President Joe Biden and the party that stands for reproductive rights. Some have pointed out that, particularly in the case of IVF, the Biden administration's calls to restore Roe v. Wade don't go far enough to secure bodily autonomy. We need federal legislation, like Senator Tammy Duckworth's bill, which establishes a legal right to access IVF and other assisted reproductive services. In November, I'm voting for President Biden and the party working hard to safeguard not destroy reproductive rights. I'm voting for Alabamians who can no longer access fertility assistance. I'm voting for people like my parents, so they can finally hear, "Congratulations, you're pregnant!" Originally Appeared on Teen Vogue MILAN Dsquared2 founders Dean and Dan Caten are returning to London, a city where they once lived for a decade, by opening a new flagship in Mayfair, at 67 New Bond Street. Moving from its previous expansive location on the corner of Savile Row and Conduit Street, the unit marks the debut of a new interior concept the designers developed specifically for the space with the architectural and design studio StorageMilano. More from WWD There are four fashion capitals in the world, and you have to be present there. Its all about the presence, said Dan Caten, hinting at the strategic importance of the opening and of the English market for the brand. And [StorageMilano] kind of know our aesthetic, continued Dean Caten. We talked about [creating] different situations and kinds of setups, as well as how we can interchange and move stuff, he added, mentioning also the installment of a dedicated VIP room. Spanning two levels, the interior design aimed to mix the concept of a Wunderkammer with cabinets with an industrial vibe and the aesthetics of 50s American offices. Walls covered with hand-applied micro-cement their texture emphasized by chromatic variations in fossil and dusty tones contrast with wooden furniture that dominates the space, as seen in the large showcase spanning the entire ground floor that is made of custom lacquered okoume wood. In keeping with the industrial mood, tubular elements inspired by the London Underground alternate with dividers in glass, while the modular ceiling grid in aluminum anchors bespoke lamps. Carpeting in different colors separates areas and is complemented by striped curtains and mirrored walls. Yet the most striking element is the sculptural staircase in polished pressed steel and a rhomboidal pattern that sits at the center of the space to connect the two levels. The new Dsquared2 flagship in London. Its a very warm and cool space, with lots of contrasts, said Dean Caten. Asked about the key feature a store has to have for the duo, his twin said: It has to be inviting, not arrogant. People shouldnt be scared to go into it. It has to [encourage] you to go around its corners, explore it and find out new things. It has to be interesting and intriguing. And thats where we reflect our personality: were very easygoing, friendly and accommodating not to mention fun, added Dean Caten. Incidentally, the bubbly personality of the designers is set to be in full display at the cocktail event planned for March 14 to mark the official opening of the store and which promises to see the attendance of the duos London clique. We have a lot of memories in [London]. We had a really cute office, too, on top of our old store, which was massively too big. I loved it there. We had a great time and there are lots of things [still] happening, said Dan Caten. The designer pointed to the way the brand particularly resonates with the London crowd. I think the British kind of get where were going, like on the recent shows. They are very fashion and theyre appreciating us right now, so its actually a good moment for us to salute our public there, he said. As for plans to replicate the store concept to other locations, the Catens are still pondering. I dont know, because sometimes we like to adapt it to the cities that we go to, said Dean Caten, while his twin was considering reprising just some of the concepts in smaller boutiques and corners. The direct retail push is one of the pillars of the brands strategy to boost its business. For one, the Catens are looking for locations in Munich and Miami, as they aim to alter their presence in the latter city by eyeing a move from Bal Harbour Shops to the Design District. Retail is not the easiest for us, but we have to do the right store in the right place, said Dan Caten. The designers underscored the importance of having brick-and-mortar spaces that can immerse customers in the brands world, as well as offer them the full assortment of products across all lines, from womenswear and menswear to accessories. In our day, we loved to go to the stores. That was fun. This [younger] generation, I think they want to have experienced that, but have been used to online shopping Were going to try to make our stores very exciting for them, said Dan Caten. A render of the Dsquared2 store in London. At the moment Dsquared2 counts 91 stand-alone stores across directly operated units, franchising and concessions, in addition to six outlets. The company, which last year generated roughly 300 million euros in sales, is mainly a wholesale-driven business, with the channel accounting for 80 percent of its distribution network. Europe remains key in terms of best-performing market offline, while the U.S. along with Italy and Germany are the top ones for online sales. Still, the diversification of markets and customer base will be a big focus for the company going forward, with the Middle East and Asia-Pacific areas identified as the ones offering the most opportunities for growth. The brand will additionally focus on maximizing its omnichannel strategy, further enhancing long-term wholesale partnerships rather than moving away from the channel. Customization in customer experiences will add to the strategy. While relatively flat business is expected for 2024, also in light of the macro-economic scenario and global uncertainty, growth is seen in following years, boosted not only by distribution plans but also by a stronger push product-wise, especially in accessories. The Catens underscored that, conversely to other fashion houses, their sales are mainly driven by ready-to-wear, leaving room for growth in the shoes and bags categories. On the licensing front, a new fragrance launch is scheduled for early September, thanks to the ongoing partnership with Euroitalia. But theres a lot of untouched things that we still could tap, said Dan Caten. Were interested ourselves about lifestyle. We have a restaurant, we have a gym, those kinds of things intrigue us a lot right now. We have something in the works, but we cant really talk about it. Its been two years [in the making] and it will be amazing, he teased about a project, likely in food and beverage. Dean and Dan Caten Best of WWD The Chloe girl is back. Both on and off the catwalk. Youre the original Chloe girl, the labels new creative director, Chemena Kamali, told Jerry Hall as they embraced backstage after the formers debut show on Thursday morning. Hall was a friend and muse to Karl Lagerfeld, who crafted the flowy Chloe look during his tenure at the brand in the 1970s. Its a look that remains at the roots of insouciant French-girl dressing today. For a while, Chloe has veered away from the aesthetic it was known for most recently with Gabriela Hearst, the Uruguayan-American designer better known for her luxe take on sustainable fashion than creating clothes for carefree Parisiennes. German-born Kamali, 42, was appointed in October last year, and could hit the ground running, given that her career has already involved two stints at Chloe her first during its last true heyday when Phoebe Philo was creative director in the early noughties. This collection had that thrown-on, effortless feel which has become a fashion holy grail, but with a softer, more girlish tinge than the mannish tailoring usually offered as a solution for modern style. Kamali comes from Saint Laurent, where earlier this week there was a parade of pencil skirts and nipples on the catwalk. There were still nipples here, too (can we call it a trend? Will anyone actually be baring their nips in the name of fashion or is it more a symptom of the inconvenience of including a bra?) but the vibe was less sexualised, more sensual. This was Chemena Kamali's first collection as the brand's new creative director - Getty Models 'swooshed' down the runway in sheer capes - Getty Tiered, sheer capes and maxi dresses swooshed down the runway, sometimes given a tougher spin with the addition of a structured cape or wide-shouldered coat, which were reminiscent of vintage styles the models might have borrowed from their mothers wardrobes. The jeans patchworked, bleached flares and wide-legs could have been pilfered from Stevie Nicks. Kamali, who has ultra-long, wavy Chloe-girl hair, wore a pair with trainers as she took her bow. She is also a blouse obsessive, recently admitting to owning between 600 and 700 of them, and it showed: dramatic fluted sleeves peaked out from under neat herringbone jackets, and there was a gorgeous white lace one; others came in shades such as putty, taupe and dusky pink which would be kind to almost any skin tone. There was also fringing galore on supersoft leather jackets and trousers that were half leather, half acres of chiffon. Kamali admits to being a blouse obsessive this collection featured diaphonous takes on the garment - Getty 'There was a gorgeous white lace one', writes Holt - Getty These shades 'would be kind to almost any skin tone' - Getty I would love to bring back the feelings that I had when I fell in love with Chloe more than 20 years ago, said Kamali after the show. Its a collection that is ultimately about intuition and freedom and female energy. I would love women to feel that because I feel it. I also dedicated this collection to the late 1970s, an era of Chloe when it was all about a natural femininity and sensuality that was effortless, but also powerful. Gold belts were fashioned from the Chloe name - Shutterstock The bags ranged from tiny little party numbers... - Getty ...to huge carry-the-kitchen-sink hobos - Getty Refreshingly, her bag offering ranged from tiny little party numbers to huge carry-the-kitchen-sink hobos. She also intends them to be the kind of bags that look better over time and arent simply precious objects you can put them down on the floor. Bags, then, for real life not just for social media posing. Shoe-wise, anything clog or Scholl-like goes, as does a ballerina toughened up with gold discs and ankle straps. You also couldnt miss the belts, with Chloe appearing handwritten across the waist. The many incarnations of the Chloe girl: the front row featured Sienna Miller, Georgia May Jagger and her mother Jerry Hall, Pat Cleveland and her daughter Anna - Getty If you need any instruction on how to be a Chloe girl now, simply look to her in all her incarnations at Thursdays show, be it Hall and her daughter Georgia May Jagger laughing with fellow mother-daughter model duo Pat and Anna Cleveland. Sienna Miller nonchalantly paired an oversized leather jacket with a delicate white dress and wooden platforms on the front row, while older (and all the cooler for it) models such as Georgina Grenville, 48, and Doutzen Kroes, 39, were killing it on the catwalk in diaphanous gowns and kick-ass heeled boots. More from the show... 'Sienna Miller nonchalantly paired an oversized leather jacket with a delicate white dress and wooden platforms.' says Holt - Getty chloe paris fashion week autumn winter 2024 2025 chloe paris fashion week autumn winter 2024 2025 chloe paris fashion week autumn winter 2024 2025 chloe paris fashion week autumn winter 2024 2025 chloe paris fashion week autumn winter 2024 2025 chloe paris fashion week autumn winter 2024 2025 chloe paris fashion week autumn winter 2024 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. "Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." SHOGUN IS POISED to be the television breakout hit of 2024. Previously adapted in the '80s for NBC with a cast that included the legendary Toshiro Mifune, the long-gestating FX adaptation has finally arrived, to the tune absolutely rave reviews. The historical epic comes from the beloved James Clavell novel of the same name, a legendary and impactful book that is said to have done more to familiarize readers with the understanding of 1600s Japan than some textbooks. Clavells novel focuses on an English navigator, or pilot, as they were called at the time, John Blackthrone, who was the first Englishman to reach Japan. Blackthorne isnt there for a vacation, but rather to gain the upper hand in breaking a Portuguese trade monopoly. Blown off course, he stumbles into a simmering conflict: the reigning Japanese ruler, aka the titular shogun, has recently died, leaving a young heir and a council to guide the country. As a veritable game of thrones kicks off, Blackthorne finds more than he bargained forand a chance to turn the power vacuum in his favor. Clavells novel is a totemic work of fiction, sure, but its also inherently rooted in reality. Blackthrone is loosely based on a man named William Adams, the first Englishman to reach Japan. Adams would go on to play a considerable role in the countrys international politics and would become a samurai himself. If youre digging into Shogun and want to know more about the man behind the legend, weve got you covered. Stream Shogun Here What is the History of William Adams Before Arriving in Japan? FXs Shogun - OFFICIAL TRAILER | An epic saga of war, passion, and power set in Feudal Japan. Coming February 2024 on Hulu and FX. pic.twitter.com/geHFLIUYQf Shogun (@shogunfx) November 2, 2023 Adams was born in Kent and served as an apprentice to a shipyard owner, where he learned all kinds of relevant nautical trades before joining the Royal Navy, where he served under the command of Sir Francis Drake ( yes, that one! ) during the Anglo-Spanish War in 1588. He married and had two children before becoming a pilot for the Morocco Company. In 1598, Adams left England along with a group of Rotterdam merchantswho, fun fact, served as the predecessors of a little organization called the Dutch East India Companyalongside a fleet of five ships that were seeking Japan to break up the Spanish monopoly. Throughout the journey, ships fell off for various reasons, leaving only Adams ship, the Liefde, behind. The ship eventually arrived in Japan in 1600, a staggering 19 months later, with only 23 out of 100 men originally on board. Of that 23, only 9including Adamsstepped foot onshore. What is the History of William Adams in Japan? Pictures from History - Getty Images Local Portuguese missionaries considered Adams and his remaining crew to be pirates and suggested they be tried and executed as such. As they awaited their fates, the crew ventured to Osaka Castle and was held captive by the feudal lord Tokugawa Ieyasu. The Japanese locals also ransacked the Liefde, taking the ships cannons under their control. Adams and Ieysau met a handful of times while he was held in the castle, eventually conveying his naval knowledge to the leader. Eventually, Ieysau freed Adams and commanded him to build a Western-style ship for him. Impressed by the final product, Ieyasu granted Adams and his crew special favors, and many of them returned home. After Ieyasu became shogun, Adams was granted samurai status, was provided a home, and served as a diplomat and trade advisor. Adams was critical in helping to establish more trade routes and partnerships between Japan and other nations, including helping the Dutch East India Company get a foothold in the country, an eventual English trading partnership, and New Spain. In the later portions of his life, Adams charted a number of commercial expeditions on behalf of the English East India Company, working with the shogun to permit these ventures. A series of expeditions in the mid to late 1610s saw him travel to whats now Thailand and Vietnam. Adams died in 1620 at the age of 55 and is buried in Nagasaki. Hes appeared in a few forms of media, including as an inspiration for Shogun, a character in the second season of NBCs Heroes, and as the lead of the video game Nioh, which reimagines his origins but keeps his namesake. You Might Also Like Love Is Blind season six has been full of drama, both on and off-screen. But its the mothers of Love Is Blind that have stolen the show. On 28 February, Netflix dropped episodes 10 and 11 of the popular reality dating series. Much like each season, the sixth season of Love Is Blind follows five couples as they form an emotional connection and get engaged in the pods all without seeing each other in person. The newly engaged couples eventually meet face to face, and must live together until they get married in just three weeks. This season follows contestants from Charlotte, North Carolina. Johnny McIntyre and Amy Cortes were the first couple to get engaged in the pods, followed by Kenneth Gorham and Brittany Mills, and Amber AD Desiree and Clay Gravesande. Jeramey Lutinski and Laura Dadisman were also engaged in the pods, as well as Chelsea Blackwell and Jimmy Presnell. Spoilers ahead. Five couples left the post-pods retreat in the Dominican Republic and returned home engaged, but only three are still remaining. Kenneth and Brittany broke off their engagement shortly after moving in together, while Jeramey and Lauras relationship imploded after he was out until the early morning with his former pods fling. In addition to Laura, the 32-year-old intralogistics worker sparked up an emotional connection with contestant Sarah Ann Bick in the pods. When it came time to propose, Jeramey was split between both women. He ultimately proposed to the 34-year-old account director, but left the door open with the 30-year-old customer support manager. At the end of episode eight, it was revealed that Jeramey had reunited with Sarah Ann during a night out with his friends. Laura met up with fellow contestant Jessica Vestal and revealed that Sarah Ann had sent Jeramey an Instagram DM saying that shed love to meet him if he ever has any doubts over his decision. She then confronted Jeramey when he returned home after talking with Sarah Ann all night long until five in the morning. While Jeramey assured Laura that he shared his location with her, she accused him of leaving the bar and going to Sarah Anns house. I want out, Laura told Jeramey in the final moments of the episode. In episode 10, which dropped on Wednesday, viewers watched as Jeramey informed his mother about his messy love triangle with Laura and Sarah Ann. Although Jeramey attempted to explain the situation from his perspective, it appeared that his mother quickly caught on that her son had screwed up his relationship with Laura. In fact, as Jeramey recounted Lauras explosive reaction to his rendezvous with Sarah Ann, she told her son: Youre luckyit wasnt me. Following the episode, many fans took to social media to applaud Jerameys mother for refusing to side with him. Jeremy sitting down with his mom thinking shes going be on his side but shes Team Laura, wrote one viewer on X, formerly Twitter. Yes Im already watching episode 10 of Love Is Blind and can I just say - Jeramys mom is an icon, another person said. You can see she knows her son didnt tell her the truth and supports Laura. One viewer believed that Jerameys mother saw through the BS during their conversation, while another praised her for holding her son accountable. Jeremy sitting down with his mom thinking shes going be on his side but shes Team Laura #LoveIsBlind pic.twitter.com/7sAfxVtrNp julian (@julian_hagins1) February 28, 2024 Yes Im already watching episode 10 of love is blind and can I just say - Jeramys mom is an icon. You can see she knows her son didnt tell her the truth and supports Laura rie (@rie_b19) February 28, 2024 Meanwhile on Reddit, some fans described her as authentic and honest as another jokingly wrote: Off camera I bet she let him have it. The way she was looking at him! She wasnt buying any of it! said someone else. Youre lucky it wasnt me. You have my respect maam. Jeramey and Laura eventually call it quits, and its revealed that the former couple hadnt seen each other in four days since their blowout fight. They finally reunite at a lake house barbecue with the rest of the Love Is Blind cast, where they have one last confrontation. Laura accused Jeramey of being a con artist and a narcissist and insisted that he still has feelings for Sarah Ann. You are not a man. Youre not man enough for me. You never f***ing have been. End of story. Do whatever the fuck you want with whoever the fuck you want, Laura tells Jeramey. I wish you the best. Go kick rocks with open-toed f***ing shoes. The finale episode of Love Is Blind season six drops on Netflix on 6 March. A mans encounter with a shelter dog during a visit to North Carolina led to an unexpected turn of events. The shelter shared on Facebook that a tourist and his family instantly fell in love with the dog, leading the tourist to cancel his flight. Subsequently, he rented a car to adopt him and bring him home. Tourist loves shelter dog so much he cancels flight home to adopt pup A tourist in North Carolina encountered a shelter dog, Grover, sparking a connection that compelled him to change his travel plans, as per The Kansas City Star. Asheville Humane Society shared a post on Facebook on Feb. 27 describing how Wayne and his family quickly developed a deep affection for Grover upon meeting him. As a result, Wayne made the decision to cancel his flight. Instead, he rented a car to adopt Grover, an Australian Shepherd, and bring him to their home. A heartwarming image shared online captures Grover in the loving embrace of his new owner. Grover will be moving to his new home in Massachusetts. Just days prior to this fresh start, the sweet, friendly, and fun dog arrived at the North Carolina shelter as a stray, eagerly awaiting his second chance at a forever home, the humane society told the media. Then, one day in February, a shelter volunteer treated Grover to an exhilarating hike as part of the Mountain Mutts program. This program provides adoptable dogs with opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors. While the dog was out on the hike, the family from Massachusetts was exploring Ashevilles famous landmark, the 8,000-acre Biltmore Estate. As it happens, the tourists instantly connected with Grover and expressed their eagerness to take him home. This sweet love-at-first-sight story gained a lot of appreciation on Facebook. Consequently, it has close to 350 reactions on the social media platform. The post Love at First Sight for Tourist and North Carolina Shelter Dog appeared first on DogTime. Dotdash Meredith and Yahoo Inc. may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. Cook up one-pot meals your family will enjoy. Courtesy of Brand Nothing stands out in a sea of cookware quite like the specifically designed paella pan. If youre familiar with the traditional rice-based Spanish dish paella, chances are youve used (or at least heard of) the paella pan. This wide, shallow pan was initially made for open-fire cooking in SpainValencia, to be exact. The Mediterranean coast of Spain is prime rice-growing land, and they needed something to cook rice in. Enter the paella pan! Paella is perhaps one of the most well-known one-pot meals that can feed a family or village. But in order to make a proper paella recipe, youll want to start with a quality paella pan, like those made from carbon steel. (If youre unfamiliar with carbon steel, it is similar to cast iron but much thinner and lighter, and its also seasoned like cast iron.) The shape of a paella pan is typically round, so it can cook fast and evenly, creating the prized socarratthe crispy layer of rice at the bottom of the pan, similar to tahdig in Persian Rice Pie. To find the best paella pan, I put my culinary skills to use and teamed up with EatingWell to test a total of 18 pans made from carbon steel, stainless steel, copper and nonstick materials. We tried them out on both gas and electric stovetops as well as in the oven. (You can also find paella pans compatible with outdoor grills, but our main focus was indoor cooking.) Read on to find which pans took the top spots in our testsand which one I liked the most. Our Paella Pan Recommendations Best Overall: IMUSA Red Paella Pan, 15-Inch Amazon $20 at Amazon What we like: Sturdy construction, great appearance, versatility. What to know: While it didnt affect our paella, we did notice a hot spot in the center of the pan. If youre looking for a great all-around pan for paella, I recommend this IMUSA paella pan. With its versatility, easy cleaning and sturdy construction, this pan claimed the top spot on our list. I love the vibrant red exterior and the sturdy, solid construction of this pan, and while it was one of the larger pans of the group, it still fits nicely on the stovetop. Before the first use, you'll need to season the pan, which involves washing it, coating it with oil and placing it upside-down in a hot oven. Due to this seasoning process, this pan isnt dishwasher safe and should only be hand-washed when cleaning it. When we were testing this pan, we noticed a hot spot at its center. However, it in no way affected the development of the socarrat or the dish's flavor. Our paella turned out delicious and evenly cooked in this pan, and cleanup was easy, as well. While the IMUSA pan is versatile enough to be used in the oven and on any stovetop, including electric and gas, its not recommended for grilling. But, given its excellent performanceand the fact that its under $40I think this makes a great pan for any paella fan. Diameter: 15 inch | Material: Carbon steel | Induction Compatible? Yes | Dishwasher Safe? No EatingWell / Wendy Hill Best Value: Garcima Carbon Steel Paella Pan, 13-Inch Amazon $24 at Amazon $51 at Wayfair What we like: Durable design, size, affordability. What to know: Can discolor, prone to rust. Looking for a great affordable pick? I nominate this Garcima carbon steel paella pan. Its compact size makes it ideal for those with smaller kitchens and stoves, and its reliable and easy to use. While this pan is thin, its sturdy enough that it didnt bend or flex when we were cooking our paella. The handles are securely bolted to the sides of the pan, making it easy to maneuver on the stove and carry to the table. The pan is 13 inches in diameter and fit perfectly on the stovetop during our tests. We prepared a seafood and chicken paella recipe in this pan, and we found that it held enough food for up to four people, making it the perfect size for a small family. Our paella cooked evenly throughout this pan and developed a nice socarrat on the entire bottom portion of the rice. We noticed a hot spot where the flames from the burner were, but it didnt impact the cooking process. This pan is great for use on the stovetop, oven and grill, and we found it worked particularly well for sauteeing. When we seasoned the pan, it developed a nice, dark brown color after only three rounds in the oven, which made for easy cleanup when we finished cooking. Diameter: 13 inch | Material: Carbon steel | Induction Compatible? No | Dishwasher Safe? No EatingWell / Kyle McKinnon Best Splurge: Mauviel MSteel Paella Pan, 14.2-Inch Amazon $140 at mauviel-usa.com What we like: Quality material, great performance, ease of cleaning. What to know: The bottom of this pan was larger than the burner on our stove. When it comes to carbon steel pans, this Mauviel MSteel paella pan makes a great splurge-worthy option. Its durable material and attractive yet comfortable design made this one of our favorites during testing. The pan was easy to maneuver, and the handles were quite comfortable to hold, even while wearing thick oven mitts. This Mauviel pan comes with a protective beeswax coating to prevent rust, which youll need to remove before washing, seasoning and using the pan. The instructions said to use hot water to melt off the beeswax, which we did, although the process took a bit more time than we thought it would. If you choose this pan, be sure to account for this extra time when you first use it. When we tested the pan on an electric stove, we noticed it was bigger than the largest burner. Because of this, we had to rotate the pan during the cooking process so the food at the edges of the pan cooked as evenly as the rest. Despite this, our paella turned out beautifully, and we were impressed with how well it crisped our chicken skin and browned our pork tenderloin. Beyond paella, we think the Mauviel MSteel is also great for sauteeing vegetables and meats, and its diameter makes it perfect for medium-sized families or small dinner parties. The food sticks just enough to create a nice socarrat, and when it was time for cleaning, we found it didnt require much scrubbing, soaking or soap. Diameter: 14.2 inches | Material: Black carbon steel with iron handles | Induction Compatible? Yes | Dishwasher Safe? No EatingWell / Mary Claire Lagroue Best Stainless Steel: Garcima Stainless Steel Paella Pan, 16-Inch Amazon $106 at Amazon $106 at Wayfair What we like: Well made, low maintenance, great design. What to know: Due to its larger size, this pan may not fit on some stovetops. If youre looking for a stellar stainless steel paella pan, look no further than this Garcima stainless steel model. Its mirrored finish and elegant gold-colored handles make it a visual delight, and its just as functional as it is beautiful. This versatile pan can transition from stove to table, making the one-pot cooking experience a snap, and the thin construction of the pan ensures that the bottom of your rice dish achieves a delightfully crispy texture. Beyond making paella, we were pleasantly surprised to learn that the Garcima pan can be used to make crepes and omelets. We even made a great shakshuka recipe in this pan. We'll note, however, that the size of this pan made it a little tricky to fit on the burner of our stove, and we had to rotate the pan a good bit during the process of cooking our paella. Even though this pan is not dishwasher-safe, it requires little care and maintenance beyond hand-washing. This pan is perfect for those who love hosting parties and experimenting with various dishes. Diameter: 16 inches | Material: Stainless steel | Induction Compatible? No | Dishwasher Safe? Yes EatingWell / Sophia Mozena Best Copper: Mauviel Copper Paella Pan, 16-Inch Williams Sonoma $485 at Amazon $600 at Williams-Sonoma What we like: Seasoning not required, oven-safe to 600F, large capacity. What to know: Its on the larger side, and the brass handles can get very hot. The price point is also quite steep. In my humble (and professional) opinion, the best copper paella pan is, hands down, the Mauviel. Beyond the beautiful design of the pan, I love the sturdy construction of the copper exterior, the stainless steel interior and the riveted brass handles. It also heats quickly and evenly and can reach temperatures of up to 600F, making it perfect for the oven, as well. The oven-safe factor makes this a versatile pan that can be used for sauteeing and roasting. Aside from our paella, we used this pan to whip up some sauteed chicken thighs with a white wine cream sauce, all of which turned out perfectly. We also appreciated how easy cleanup was after each meal; crusted food was effortlessly removed with a simple soak and scrub. While this may not be the most practical pan for everyday home cooks, we think this makes an excellent investment for anyone who loves entertaining, especially for holidays. Not only is it stunning to look at, but its ability to go from stove or oven to the table is a huge selling point for us. One thing to note, however, is that this is one of the largest pans we tested, and we had a bit of difficulty fitting it on the stovetop. For this reason, the Mauviel paella pan may be better suited for the oven. Additionally, we noticed that the handles became quite hotcharacteristic of brass materialso be sure to grab a towel, oven mitt or potholder before touching them. Diameter: 16 inches | Material: Copper bottom, stainless steel interior, brass handles | Induction Compatible? No | Dishwasher Safe? Not specified EatingWell / Meredith Butcher The Bottom Line: The Best Paella Pan If you want a great paella pan at an approachable price point, the IMUSA Red Paella Pan (view at Amazon) is our favorite overall pick because of its sturdy construction, great appearance and versatility. Another favorite was the Garcima Carbon Steel Paella Pan (view at Amazon), which offers a durable design, ample size and affordability while distributing heat evenly throughout the cooking process. EatingWell / Wendy Hill Choosing a Paella Pan Pick the Right Material Carbon Steel: Traditional paella pans are often made of carbon steel because the material heats up quickly and distributes heat evenly. Carbon steel pans also develop a natural nonstick patina over time, similar to cast iron. Stainless Steel: Stainless steel paella pans are durable, resistant to rust and easy to clean. While they may not heat up as quickly as carbon steel, they're known for their longevity. Copper: Like carbon steel, copper cookware offers even heat distribution, is a better heat conductor and makes food less likely to burn or stick to the pan. Nonstick: When cooking with nonstick cookware, food tends not to cling to the surface, making the pans easier to clean, and you use less oil or fat as a result. Check the Size and Depth Pan Diameter: Paella pans come in various sizes, ranging from small ones for individual servings to large pans for big gatherings. The size you choose depends on the number of people you plan to serve. For example, a 14- to 16-inch pan will feed between 4 and 6 people. Pan Depth: Paella pans typically range between 1.75 inches deep to 3 inches deep, and they're shallow for a reason: To cook the rice in a thin layer and develop a crispy crust. The pan you choose should be deep enough to distribute heat evenly but not so thick that it retains too much heat, risking overcooking the rice or other ingredients. EatingWell / Kyle McKinnon Look at the Design Paella pans are usually shallow and wide cooking vessels with handles on either side for maneuvering. The pans are also typically round, which helps the rice cook in a thin, even layer. Paella pans are designed for various cooking methods such as roasting, braising, sauteeing, grilling and even baking, which makes them the perfect vessel for cooking on stovetops, ovens, grills and open flames. Consider the Performance and Versatility A paella pan's performance and heating ability are vital for the dish's flavor and texture. In conjunction with the pan's design, they influence heat distribution, ensuring the even cooking of ingredients and the development of socarrat. The pan's materials should be durable, providing structure while being easy to clean and maintain. The versatility of a paella pan is also essential because of the wide range of cooking possibilities beyond traditional paella recipes. Its design allows for the efficient cooking of various dishes, from stir-fries and sautes to risottos and seafood boils, making it easier to employ several cooking methods. Is It Easy to Clean? Being able to effectively clean a paella pan is crucial for multiple reasons. A pan that is easy to clean minimizes the effort required for its upkeep and ensures its longevity by preventing residue buildup. Additionally, its essential for preserving the pan's quality and preventing any lingering flavors from previous dishes from seeping through. Finally, a paella pan that is simple to clean encourages regular use and contributes to a more enjoyable cooking experience. Is It Easy to Maintain? Proper care and maintenance are necessary in order to ensure the longevity and performance of your paella pan, especially if it's made of carbon steel or stainless steel. It's important to read the specific care instructions from the manufacturer; by following these tips, you'll keep your paella pan in good condition for a long time. Here are some general guidelines to consider for caring for and maintaining your paella pan: Seasoning Carbon Steel Pans. This involves coating the pan in a thin layer of cooking oil and heating it to create a natural, nonstick surface. Washing. Clean your pan with warm water and a mild dish soap with a towel, soft sponge or cloth. Drying. Wipe the pan dry thoroughly after washing to help prevent rust. Storage. Your paella pan should be stored somewhere away from moisture to prevent rusting. Cooking Utensils. Use appropriate utensils that wont scratch the pan's surface, especially if it's nonstick. Prevent Warping. Avoid drastic temperature changes, like immersing a hot pan in cold water, which can cause warping. EatingWell / Sophia Mozena Our Paella Pan Tests Our testing process included testing 18 paella pans made from stainless steel, carbon steel, copper and nonstick materials. We evaluated each one for its design, performance, heating ability, versatility and ease of cleaning. Each evaluation offered valuable insight into how the paella pans performed in order to help you determine which pan is best for you. We Also Considered Even though the following paella pans didnt make our best list, theyre still great options to consider. Garcima Pata Negra Paella Pan, 13.5-Inch ($44 at Amazon): The Garcima Pata Negra Paella Pan is a good option because of its design and carbon steel construction. Despite being lightweight, its well-made and performs well on gas and electric stoves. With its reasonable price and versatility, its perfect for entertaining. El Cid Paella Pan, 30cm (12-Inch) ($16 at Despana): We liked the El Cid Paella Pan because of its affordability, as well as its grill and oven compatibility, making it a good option for various cooking methods. Its also an inexpensive option and great for those on a budget. It comes in a variety of sizes, from individual servings to eight servings. Cuisinart Nonstick Paella Pan with Lid, 15-Inch ($56 at Amazon): The Cuisinart Nonstick Paella Pan is a good choice if youre looking to cook for larger families or large dinner parties. The nonstick feature makes for easy cleaning, with food sliding off effortlesslyperfect for low-maintenance cookware. EatingWell / Mary Claire Lagroue Common Questions What is a paella pan? A paella pan is a wide, shallow and typically round pan thats usually made from materials that conduct heat well, like carbon steel, stainless steel and copper. These pans often have two handles on opposite sides to make it easier to move the pan, especially during the cooking process. Do you need to season a paella pan? Not all paella panssuch as stainless steel, copper or nonstick onesrequire seasoning. If the pan is made from carbon steel or cast iron, though, you'll need to treat it with a coating of oil. Here's how to season carbon steel or cast iron pans: Wash the pan in warm, soapy water in order to remove any residue. Apply a thin layer of oil to the pan using a high-smoke-point oil. Heat the pan slowly, allowing the oil to create a nonstick layer. Cool, wipe away excess oil, and repeat if needed. How do you clean a paella pan? Each paella pan has specific care and maintenance instructions, so you should check with the manufacturers guidelines before cleaning. For general step-by-step instructions for cleaning paella pans, follow these steps: To prevent any potential burns or damage to the paella pan, allow the pan to cool down completely before handling. Remove stuck-on food using a spatula or wooden spoon. If your paella pan has a nonstick coating, you'll want to be extra careful so you don't damage it. Soak the paella pan in warm water and let it sit for about 15 to 30 minutes; this helps to loosen any leftover stuck-on bits. After the pan has soaked, add a small amount of mild dish soap to the pan and gently scrub with a towel, soft sponge or cloth. Avoid abrasive scouring pads or steel wool because they can damage the pan's surface. After cleaning, dry the paella pan thoroughly with a towel to prevent rust. If your paella pan is made of carbon steel or cast iron and has a seasoned surface, you may need to re-season it periodically to maintain its nonstick properties and prevent rust. Can you make paella without a paella pan? Yes! You can make paella in just about any wide, shallow pan, skillet or pot. A traditional paella pan is designed to spread the heat evenly and provide a larger cooking surface area for the rice. Do paella pans have other uses besides making paella? Paella pans are versatile cooking vessels that can be used for stir-frying, sauteing, frying, grilling, roasting, braising and more. If youre limited on kitchen space, or want to keep dirty dishes to a minimum, theyre the perfect option for one-pot cooking. Our Trusted Expertise Joe Morales is a senior commerce editor and trained chef who specializes in articles on home, kitchen and product reviews. He participated in testing these paella pans and used that experience in tandem with additional information from our lab-tested insights for this roundup. This article was edited by Kayleigh Drake, a former full-time baker and current EatingWell commerce editor and contributor to publications such as Food & Wine, The Spruce Eats and Simply Recipes, and reviewed by Brierley Horton, M.S., RD, a senior commerce editor with over 15 years of experience writing about nutrition, health, and food. Read the original article on Eating Well. Tragedy struck in Mason County on Saturday, Feb. 26, when a woman lost her life while attempting to rescue her cat from a house fire, Michigan State Police stated. Despite the valiant effort, the woman succumbed to the blaze after re-entering her burning home. Woman rescued pet dogs from house fire, died attempting to rescue cat According to Michigan State Police, a 60-year-old woman from Tennessee tragically lost her life in a house fire. She died while trying to rescue her cat from her burning house, as per WWMT. The woman, who had recently relocated to the Fountain area, safely got her dogs outside the house and called 911 to report that her home was on fire. Subsequently, she returned inside despite receiving instructions from dispatchers to remain outside and await the arrival of firefighters. She disregarded the advice and re-entered the home for the cat, Wood TV News reported. According to the police, the incident occurred at approximately 12:50 p.m. in Sheridan Township. Troopers stated they were unable to enter the home upon arrival due to intense smoke, heat, and flames. When firefighters arrived promptly, they extinguished the blaze and extracted the woman from the residence. Despite efforts to save her life, the woman tragically passed away at the scene. Her identity has not been disclosed as of Thursday, Feb. 29. Troopers are currently conducting an investigation into the incident. Moreover, they urge the public to contact Michigan State Police at (231) 873-2171 with any relevant information. As Fox 17 News reported, there is no information available regarding the fate of the cat, whether they were located or if they survived the fire. Hence, the tragic loss of the womans life serves as a poignant reminder of the lengths to which individuals will go to protect their beloved pets. The post Michigan Woman Died Trying To Save Cat From House Fire appeared first on CatTime. Conservative MP Sir Christopher Chope is pushing to pause the extension of new legal protections against the abduction of cats in England and Northern Ireland. It is a controversial move that has drawn attention to the proposed Pet Abduction Bill in the United Kingdom. The proposed legislation aims to address the growing concern around pet theft by making it a specific criminal offense. However, Chopes amendments could change its scope significantly. Sir Christopher Chope moves to make changes to cat protections in Pet Abduction Bill Sir Christopher Chopes stance on the matter stems from a forthcoming law regarding the compulsory microchipping of cats, set to take effect in June in England. He advocates delaying the inclusion of cats in the Pet Abduction Bill until the implementation of this microchipping regulation. Microchips are tiny electronic devices embedded under an animals skin. They serve as a modern means of linking pets to their owners through unique identification numbers. Microchipping has been mandatory for dogs in England, Scotland, and Wales since 2016 and in Northern Ireland where dog owners must register their pets annually. However, no such mandate exists for cats in the majority of the U.K. By advocating for a connection between the ability to prosecute under the new offense and the success of microchipping, Chope suggests that cat abduction could be considered for inclusion at a later stage, once the microchipping systems efficacy is proven per BBC. This perspective mirrors his interpretation of the initial recommendations made by a task force established during the lockdown, which, according to him, suggested limiting the scope of the pet abduction offense primarily to dogs. Having cleared its first hurdle in the House of Commons earlier in the year, the Pet Abduction Bills journey is not without its procedural obstacles. Sir Christopher Chopes well-documented history of using parliamentary mechanisms to delay or block legislation has raised concerns among supporters about the bills future. While Chope maintains that his interventions aim to uphold parliamentary standards rather than oppose the content of the legislation itself, his actions highlight the complexities and challenges of navigating legislative reform in the U.K. parliament. What you need to know about the Pet Abduction Bill, Parliamentary procedure, and the 1968 Theft Act The Pet Abduction Bill, spearheaded by Conservative MP Anna Firth, emerged as a pivotal piece of legislation in response to rising concerns over pet thefts. Introducing new criminal offenses for the abduction of both dogs and cats, the bill prescribes penalties including fines and up to five years of imprisonment for convicts. The government had previously examined dog theft within the context of the Kept Animals Bill, spurred by task force recommendations that recognized the escalating issue, evidenced by reported cases of dog thefts rising to 2,760 in 2021 from 2,000 in 2020. Currently, under the 1968 Theft Act, the law considers pets as property, making pet theft a matter of property theft. The Pet Abduction Bill seeks to refine this view by distinguishing the theft of pets as a specific offense, recognizing the unique emotional and social value pets hold for their owners. Firths proposal, which has garnered government support and acclaim from animal welfare organizations, looks set to progress through the legislative process. Nonetheless, amendments tabled by the Christchurch MP have introduced a procedural step that mandates a parliamentary debate, now scheduled for April 19. As the Pet Abduction Bill navigates the complexities of parliamentary procedure, its supporters remain hopeful for a smooth journey to the House of Lords for further consideration. The unfolding debate and subsequent decisions will ultimately determine how the U.K. strengthens its laws to protect pets from the rising threat of abduction. The post MP Sir Christopher Chope Wants Protection of Cats Paused appeared first on CatTime. (Bloomberg) -- Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. is rolling out its second major price cut for cloud services in years, aiming to win back users from rivals like Tencent Holdings Ltd. competing to provide the tools critical to training artificial intelligence. Most Read from Bloomberg The Chinese internet pioneer will slash prices starting Thursday on scores of internet-based services by as much as 55%, and by 20% on average. The discounts span more than 100 products, including data storage and elastic computing options for online processing power, Alibaba executives told reporters in Beijing. The cuts mark one of the more aggressive moves by Alibaba to stay ahead of Tencent and Baidu Inc. in the cloud business, and risk triggering a price war in an already hotly contested sector. They emerged after Alibaba called off a spinoff and initial public offering for the formerly fast-growing Aliyun or cloud unit, a move that surprised investors hoping to buy into a key business essential to AI. Alibabas shares slid as much as 2.5% in Hong Kong, the most since Feb. 9. The company is now focusing on growing the public cloud the domestic services arm aimed at enterprise customers given US sanctions curtailing the supply of advanced chips to Chinese firms. Chief Executive Officer Eddie Wu, who took the helm last year, has taken direct control of the unit and revamped major lines. Alibabas cloud business has been contending with weak macro conditions and rising competition for some time, so its not surprising that they cut prices, especially with the new management in place, said Vey-Sern Ling, managing director at Union Bancaire Privee. Whether this can reignite growth is uncertain, but at least theyre becoming more aggressive at trying to get business. Story continues Alibaba has struggled over the past year to revamp its vast e-commerce, logistics and cloud empire in the face of fierce competition and geopolitical risks. The company is looking to revive growth after two years of regulatory scrutiny and Covid-era economic turbulence. It seeks to hive off non-core assets to raise capital, while dividing its sprawling operations into more clearly defined areas. But the cloud the business spawned over a decade ago from the need to support a mammoth e-commerce operation remains a focal point. In recent years, the division has shed clients to not just its usual rivals but also state-backed entrants and relative newcomers like Huawei Technologies Co. Thats why we decided to launch the price reduction campaign to lower the threshold of cloud services for more enterprises and developers to reap the technological dividends and accelerate the adoption of advanced public cloud services across various industries, Liu Weiguang, president of the units public cloud segment, said in a statement. What Bloomberg Intelligence Says Alibabas price cuts in its cloud services from Feb. 29 affirm the firms plans to use incremental profits from the business, which surged 51% year-over-year in the nine months ended December, to secure more customers and improve technology in fiscal year ending March 2025. Any resulting boost to Alibabas cloud revenue may emerge only in fiscal 2H starting October, according to our scenario. Catherine Lim and Trini Tan, analysts Click here for the research. The company announced cuts from 15% to 50% for core products of the Alibaba Cloud in April last year, in a move aimed at capitalizing on the demand for raw computing power needed for AI models such as Alibabas own Tongyi Qianwen. The previous round of discounts triggered fears that rivals like Tencent and Baidu will follow suit, eroding margins for a wide swath of the Chinese internet industry. Read More: Baidu Slides Most Since 2022 After AI Spending Erodes Profit Thursdays cuts will also apply retroactively to clients that renew their orders on discounted products for at least a year within the next three months, for the remaining undelivered cloud resources they had previously purchased. The price cuts from Chinas largest cloud provider are aimed at attracting longer-term customers, with special discounts for five-year plans. The free-usage amount for consumer storage will also double to 20GB from 10GB. Alibaba executives stressed that the discounts will open up more possibilities particularly for smaller firms. The company has backed startups such as Zhipu and Moonshot AI that are developing generative AI platforms to compete with sector leaders such as Baidu. The Chinese internet search leader reported disappointing results Wednesday, hit partly by the surging costs of AI development. Alibaba tried the same strategy in 2023 with limited success, as its Cloud Intelligence revenue rose by just 3% year on year in calendar 4Q, said Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Robert Lea. We expect Tencent and Alibaba to continue to lose cloud market share to Huawei though 2024. --With assistance from Vlad Savov. (Updates with analysts comments from the fifth paragraph) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Twenty-four urban and rural tribal organizations, medical schools, health plans, teaching hospitals, medical residencies, and physician advocates on Wednesday launched the American Indian Medical Education Strategies (AIMES) Alliance. The AIMES Alliance, whose mission is to address physician shortages in tribal communities, is the first funded policy and communications organization singularly focused on advancing and advocating for federal policies that bring graduate medical education (GME) partnerships to more urban and rural Tribal medical facilities. The new alliance intends to counter the vast health disparities that exist among American Indians and Alaska Natives. According to the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the age-adjusted percentage of American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) adults in fair or poor health is 20.6% as compared to 12.1% of the overall U.S. population. "This is a pivotal moment for Indigenous health and academic medicine," Dr. Donald Warne (Oglala Lakota), the AIMES Alliance leader and co-director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health said. "I am honored to lead the Alliance and to support AIMES members in shaping the future of IHS, Tribal, and Urban Indian Health GME programs. Mortality disparities from Indian Health Service data shows the AI/AN age-adjusted death rate is 33% higher than the overall U.S. death rate (all races). Despite these outcomes, current funding for the Indian Health Service (IHS) addresses just 48.6% of the estimated health care needs of the American Indian/Alaska Native population, which has historically been subject to discretionary allocations from Congress. Dr. Warne says to promote American Indian/Alaska Native health equity, staffing at tribal health facilities must be improved. 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. Bold and collaborative action is required. As an American Indian physician, I recognize the critical need to form an alliance of community leaders and partners in the Tribal health and medical education and training space. The AIMES Alliance will play an essential role in developing innovative AI/AN-medical education partnerships that benefit our communities and support culturally relevant training of physicians," according to Dr. Warne. The health disparities that exist in Indian Country were amplified during the Covid-19 pandemic. The pandemic highlighted vast inequalities facing American Indian and Alaska Native communities. With the founding of the AIMES Alliance, tribal nations, academic and community medicine leaders, and other allies can come together, collaboratively work with policymakers, and champion public policies that address health equity and alleviate physician shortages by expanding medical education and training opportunities in Indian Country, Dr. Michael Toedt, the AIMES Alliance Senior Advisor and former Chief Medical Officer of the Indian Health Service. Harnessing the full potential of this collaborative work will require the shared commitment of Tribal nations, academic and community medicine partners, health plans, and health equity advocates. Alliance members represent some of the most recognized tribal health and academic medical innovators in the field. Bringing the best minds together, AIMES aims to overcome the most critical obstacles inhibiting the advancement of Tribal-GME policies and partnerships. AIMES' founding members include: Albuquerque Area Indian Health Board American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Association of American Indian Physicians Association of Native American Medical Students Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine Denver Health Family Medicine Residency of Western Montana Great Plains Tribal Leaders' Health Board Health Care Service Corporation Mayo Clinic Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation Michigan State University College of Human Medicine Mount Sinai Health System Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences Partners in Health Rocky Vista University Montana Rocky Vista University Utah Rocky Vista University Colorado Seattle Indian Health Board Touro University California College of Osteopathic Medicine Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine - Harlem (NY) Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine - Middletown (NY) Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine - Great Falls (MT) University of North Carolina Rural Residency and Teaching Health Center Planning and Development Technical Assistance Centers University of Washington School of Medicine The Alliance is managed by Leavitt Partners, an HMA Company. About the Author: "Native News Online is one of the most-read publications covering Indian Country and the news that matters to American Indians, Alaska Natives and other Indigenous people. Reach out to us at editor@nativenewsonline.net. " Contact: news@nativenewsonline.net In a ruling handed down by UK's High Court yesterday, Prince Harry lost his case arguing for police protection when he is back in his home country. He plans to appeal the decision, with a legal spokesperson for the Duke of Sussex saying, "The Duke's case is that the so-called 'bespoke process' that applies to him, is no substitute for that risk analysis." Buried in the 51-page ruling (which you can read here) were details of Harry and Meghan Markle's visit to NYC in May 2023, wherein the NYPD said they were, in fact, dangerously chased by paparazzi. But also of note in the document are details surrounding all of Prince Harry's trips to the UK since he and Meghan relocated to California, including their trip in September 2022which was initially to "visit with several charities close to their hearts," but turned into a much longer stay following the death of Queen Elizabeth. The ruling reveals that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex hoped to bring their two children, Archie and Lilibet, along with them for the trip, but the decisions RAVEC made prevented them in doing so. (RAVEC stands for the Royal and VIP Executive Committee, and coordinates security between the Royal Household, the Metropolitan Police, and the Home Office.) Screenshot/Netflix - Netflix On page 24, the document reads: "The Home Office had been notified on 3 August 2022 that the claimant and his wife and children would be visiting the United Kingdom between 2 and 11 September 2022. The itinerary did not [redacted text]. On 10 August 2022, RAVEC met to decide what protective security, if any, should be provided. A letter outlining RAVECs decision was sent to the Private Secretary to the Sovereign, since the request for protective security had come through the Royal Household. The letter of 12 August was from the Chair of RAVEC to Sir Edward Young. It explained that [redacted text]." In response, Prince Harry and Meghan's team "wrote to say that the proposed security arrangements for the September visit were not lawful and that [redacted text] was plainly inadequate." Reading between the lines, the security was not adequate enough for the Sussexes to bring their children, which ultimately meant they traveled to the UK sans Archie and Lilibet. This goes back to Prince Harry's original case to review his police protection, wherein his spokesperson said, "The Duke and Duchess of Sussex personally fund a private security team for their family, yet that security cannot replicate the necessary police protection needed whilst in the UK. In the absence of such protection, Prince Harry and his family are unable to return to his home." Since moving to California, Meghan and Harry have only brought their kids to the UK once, in June 2022 for Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee. During that visit they celebrated Lili's first birthday at Frogmore Cottage in Windsor. This trip is not referred to in the document. You Might Also Like "Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Prince William spent his morning showing his support for the victims of the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. The Prince of Wales visited the Western Marble Arch Synagogue in London, where he joined a conversation with ambassadors of the Holocaust Educational Trust, young people who advocate against hatred and antisemitism. Antisemitism has no place in our society... Both Catherine and I are extremely concerned about the rise of antisemitism, William said. The war, which broke out in October after years of conflict between Israel and Palestine, has taken the lives of more than 30,000 Palestinians in Gaza, and more than 1,200 Israelis. Williams visit to the synagogue was originally meant to take place on Holocaust Memorial Day, January 27, but the prince postponed it due to wife Princess Kates abdominal surgery, which also took place that month. His speech during the visit marks only the second time he has brought up his wife, Kate, since she underwent the procedure. The first time he spoke of her, post-surgery, was in early February, when he thanked well-wishers at the London Air Ambulance Charity Gala. The Princess of Wales has been recovering at home since January, and has yet to be seen out in publicsparking confusion amongst the public. The princes visit today also comes after he notably skipped the Thanksgiving service for King Constantine of the Hellenes held at St. Georges Chapel in Windsor Castle earlier this week. Bazaar.com learned only that his last-minute absence was due to personal reasons. You Might Also Like Interior designer Jeremiah Brent will be the newest member of the Fab Five on season 9. Netflix The Fab Five, as we know and love them, are changing. Last fall, Bobby Berk announced that he would be leaving Queer Eye and that Season 8, which was released in January, would be his last season of the show. On Tuesday, Netflix finally announced Berk's replacement: interior designer Jeremiah Brent. The rest of the cast will remain the same, so Brent will be joining returning members Tan France, Karamo Brown, Antoni Porowski, and Jonathan Van Ness for Season 9. Brent's stepping into a pretty big role, not only because of the legacy of Queer Eye, but also because Berk was often considered to have the hardest job on the show, transforming entire home spaces in a matter of days. Below, learn more about Brent and the future of the show, plus everything we know about Berk's departure. Who Is Jeremiah Brent? Theo Wargo / Staff/Getty Images Even if you didn't know Brent before the announcement, you're likely familiar with some of his projects (and/or with his husband). The interior designer and TV personality is married to fellow interior designer Nate Berkus and the pair have done a number of design shows together, including TLC's Nate & Jeremiah by Design, HGTV's Nate & Jeremiah Save My House, and most recently HGTV's The Nate & Jeremiah Home Project. Brent and Berkus got married in 2014making history as the first same-sex couple to hold their wedding at the New York Public Libraryand they have two children, Poppy and Oskar. Power couple resume aside, Brent's design and TV background speaks for itself. He got his start as a styling associate to celebrity stylist Rachel Zoe on the Bravo series The Rachel Zoe Project. He also hosted the Emmy-winning design series Home Made Simple for the Oprah Winfrey Network and he was the design expert on Netflixs Say I Do. Brent is also the founder of full service design firm Jeremiah Brent Design and lifestyle brand ATRIO, Not to mention, Brent was one of our designers for the 2018 Real Simple Home, so we're super excited to see him join the Fab Five for Season 9 of Queer Eye. Why Is Bobby Berk Leaving Queer Eye? While there is excitement surrounding the new addition to the Queer Eye cast, many fans were disappointed to hear about Berk's departure from the show. And Berk (who was one of the designers for the 2023 Real Simple Home) was definitely bummed about it too. On the social platform X (formally Twitter) in November, Berk posted a long thread announcing his exit and explaining how much the show meant to him. He started the thread by addressing it to the "Queer Eye Community who have become family to me," and ended it by saying: "Its with a heavy heart that I announce that season 8 will be my final season on Queer Eye. Its not been an easy decision to be at peace with, but a necessary one. Although my journey with Queer Eye is over, my journey with you is not. You will be seeing more of me very soon." As soon as Berk made the announcement, people started theorizing about his reasoning. There were rumors about an alleged feud between Berk and former co-star Tan France being the reason for Berk leaving. However, the designer addressed these in an interview with Vanity Fair, saying that he wanted to "extinguish some of the speculation" and that him and France "will be fine." The real reason behind Berk leaving the show, he explains in the interview, is that his contract was up (along with the rest of the cast members' seven-cycle contracts) and he had already mentally moved on from Queer Eye after filming Season 8. Netflix, however, decided to renew the series and offer each cast member a new four-cycle contractwhich Berk declined. He also says that the other cast members considered doing the same, but in the end decided to move forward with the series. While Berk says that he was upset "for a second" at learning the show would be continuing on without him, he didn't want to give up on his plans for new personal projects ahead, which include expanding his design firm. For more Real Simple news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on Real Simple. Corralejo isnt a resort, more like an island for the world, extolled Isabella, the owner of Vrebac, one of this Canarian towns quartet of Italian-run artisan gelaterias. As I decompressed in the warm winter sun with a scoop of her Sicilian pistachio, I watched as an elegant suited woman sauntered by, surfboard under arm, nodding to a man on a bike with a fishing rod in tow. Around us, a British theme bar lay empty while a hole-in-the-wall sushi joint buzzed with life. It was a typical day in Corralejo, the Canarian resort thats quietly catering to people who dont really like resorts and drawing visitors from across the world in the process. Corralejo's town beach is a popular spot come sunset - Alamy Ive spent years exploring the Canary Islands, largely trying to escape the high-rise resorts that blight Tenerife and Gran Canaria. Still, Ive only recently found Corralejo: a breath of fresh salt-scented Atlantic air on Fuerteventura. It was love at first sight. Corralejos charms are instant and intoxicating. Fringed by cobalt ocean north and east, empty desert malpais (badlands) drift off westwards from the town and a massive sand dune-kissed natural park unfurls to the south. This corner of Fuerteventura is sketched out in natural drama and bold colours. Not many colours, mind: soaring blue skies and ocean, binary against whitewashed low-rise buildings that mirror swaths of brilliant white beach. I snaked around the necklace of sandy strips hugging the fishermens cottages of Corralejos old town and headed into the Mojito Beach Bar, where I met Iris. A native of Marseille, she served me a glass of the bone-dry Malvasia Volcanica wine that Fuerteventura has just started producing, along with a platter of local hams and delicious Fuerteventura majorero goats cheese. The pretty harbour is a calm spot amid the wilder waters of the surrounding Atlantic - Alamy Casting her arm over our view of the bay, she summed up Corralejos natural appeal. I enjoyed living by the Mediterranean, but why would you settle for the Mediterranean when you can have the big skies and wild waters of the Atlantic? she asked. Other Canary Islands have grown a little tired of tourism. In Tenerife, a recent kickback has seen the British become a target in an ongoing tourists go home campaign. Not on Fuerteventura. Tour guide Ivan says Corralejo is only too happy to welcome tourists This island of precious little water, let alone bankable natural resources, sees its visitors as an escape from the edge of poverty. My tour guide, Ivan, who is Corralejo born and bred, told me: Weve been able to renovate a lot of the old buildings, build proper roads and upgrade all the facilities. Everyone here welcomes tourists. Ivans words werent a selfish call for more business. In Corralejo, the positivity is both genuine and infectious, shared by residents and visitors of myriad nationalities. I met people from every corner of Europe, ticked off most South American countries and even encountered tourists from mainland Spain (a rarity in Tenerife these days). Elena from Madrid was visiting Corralejo for the second time with her cousin. I wanted to show her that there are resorts in Spain that are for everyone and dont feel like the awful ones she normally hears about, she told me. The area is paradise for seafood connoisseurs Even the oldest of rivalries are put aside in the international atmosphere of Corralejo An Caisteal Scottish bar cosies right next to an English bar, with flags of both nations blowing together in the perpetual Atlantic breeze. Meanwhile, the ultimate melting pot is known locally as Music Square. Plaza Felix Estevez lounges soporifically by day but bursts into life when the sun burns down into the Atlantic. Every night of the year, a band takes to its little stage: I took a ringside seat at the squares cocktail bar and waited for the action. Early on, the music was merely a background to eating and chatting, but, as ron miel (Canarian rum) and Tropical (the crisp local beer) eased inhibitions and stimulated muscle memory, the square filled with an international cast of dancers and hedonists. Sing-alongs were started, as were new friendships. It was quintessentially Corralejo. The town is becoming increasingly cosmopolitan, with a swathe of fresh eateries popping up - getty The town is getting increasingly cosmopolitan. Since my last visit, in February 2023, a dozen new businesses seem to have opened, all independently run with the chains seemingly in stasis. Giorgia and her boyfriend set up the low-key Buena Suerte last summer and its one of a new wave of esoteric eateries. We couldnt afford to set up a restaurant serving quality food and wine back in Milan, she said as she dished up sizzling garlic prawns and seafood spaghetti. After Covid, we wanted a fresh start, and Corralejo has given us that. Its such a relaxed place that doesnt really feel like a resort. The seafood can be exceptional in town, but its even better 20 minutes drive away on the west coast at the fishing village of El Cotillo. Thats the beauty of Corralejos location in the wildscapes of northern Fuerteventura, where lesser-visited sites abound. Its another quick drive to superb sweet treats and spot-on coffee at the swath of surf bakeries in Lajares (even better, hike there over the volcanoes on the waymarked trails and catch a taxi back). The Parque Natural de Corralejo is home to some 6,500 acres of beautiful sand dunes - Alamy Then theres the Parque Natural de Corralejo to the south of town. With its 6,500 acres of sand dunes slipping towards a dramatic dalliance with the Atlantic, its the nearest most people will ever get to the sands of the Sahara. In fact, the Sahara is less than 60 miles from here; Madrid lies a comparative world away, more than 900 miles in the distance. Offshore, the small uninhabited island of Lobos tempts, too, just minutes from Corralejo by boat. Lobos makes Corralejo look like Manhattan. While flitting about on boats is a joy around Corralejo, the novelty inflatables you might find elsewhere in the Canaries are a no-no given the trade winds. And Ive never seen a floundering pedalo thrashing around either. The landscape of the Corralejo Natural Park, which sits immediately outside of the town - getty In their place are world-class water sports. Surfers are joined by windsurfers and a small army of kiteboarders. There are scuba diving, stand-up paddleboarding and kayaking, too, plus the emerging craze of e-foil, a watercraft that combines surfing, hydrofoiling and electric propulsion. A flotilla of small businesses and schools gives a typically warm Corralejo welcome to novices, so its easy to learn the ropes. For all Corralejos plus points, its number-one attraction lies out of town, if TikTok and Instagram are to be believed. Playa el Hierro, or Popcorn Beach, is so nicknamed for its popcorn-doppelganger rhodoliths (a form of calcareous alga), and when Ivan and I approached it, I spotted a flurry of tourists jostling to take selfies on the sand. Ivan sighed. I dont like this kind of tourism, he said. Weve got another dozen beaches just like this one where youve got the same popcorn and there is no one else there. Everyone coming here fighting for space and the best spot in a herd is not very Corralejo. Then again, Corralejo is not like any other Canarian resort. Essentials EasyJet flies direct to Fuerteventura from six UK airports with returns starting from 113. Barcelo has two hotels in Corralejo, including the adults-only Barcelo Corralejo Bay (020 3727 0251), which has doubles from 126. 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. PARIS A lineup of 16 all-female-led fashion brands from Saudi Arabia took center stage at the latest edition of the Saudi 100 Brands showroom, which is open to press and buyers here until Friday. Backed by the Saudi Fashion Commission, which is working to promote local talent at home and abroad, Saudi 100 Brands went for quality over quantity this time. Instead of filling the space with an overwhelming amount of brands 60 last season it brought 16 labels that are gaining global recognition in fashion. More from WWD They are Abadia, Apoa, Ashwaq Almarshad, Chador, Charmaleena, Dazluq, Kaf by Kaf, Mashael Al Faris, MD29, Mona Alshebil, Pavone, RMRM, Samar Nasraldin, The Dropped Collection, Yasmina Q and Yataghan. Guests including Marisa Berenson, Mira Mikati, Sidney Toledano and Xavier Romatet were able to meet with the designers behind these brands and hear their stories and what Paris can offer to them with cultural exchanges like this. A mini-fashion show also took place during the cocktail reception to better present the designs to the audience. Designer from Apoa, Xavier Romatet, Marie de Foucaud, and Sydney Toledano at Saudi 100 Brands showroom in Paris. Marie de Foucaud, founder and chief executive officer of Elovation Consulting, who oversees the Paris showroom program under the Fashion Commissions chief executive officer Burak Cakmak, said, The objective last time was to make it known to the world that the Saudi fashion industry exists. This time, we brought over brands that we thought would be appropriate for Paris, and appeal to international buyers and media. She added that by continuously showing in Paris, Saudi 100 Brands reinforces that theres a real creative movement in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia is like any country, you have talent, but the only difference is for now, no one knows it yet. Thats why Im so motivated by what we do, to show the world that in this country you have talent in many different industries, including fashion, and these people can also start to become part of the international ecosystem, she added. The focus on Saudi Arabian female entrepreneurs was a major highlight this season. Its a new era that has started for them and they are so eager to use these new opportunities. These ladies here are willing to show that they can develop a business and build some awareness about the brand, added de Foucaud. She pointed to the fashion label Abadia as a prime example of homegrown talent attracting international investment to fuel the next stage of growth. Shahd AlShehail, founder of Abadia, said she has been showing in Paris since the brands first season in 2019 and it managed to survive during the COVID-19 pandemic as its direct-to-consumer model helped it better understand customers shifting demands. Within the last year, we were ready to open up for wholesale. It has been such a great response. We became the first Saudi brand to be on Net-a-porter, and we are in Harvey Nichols as well as small boutiques, said AlShehail. She said Abadia has managed to appeal to a wider audience outside of the Gulf region because the brand has the image of a global, multidimensional woman in mind from the very beginning. She buys things that have unique stories to them that represent her styles that feel timeless, not like a moment in time or trend-driven at all. Our aesthetic is always driven by this balance between the contrast between masculine and feminine, structure and flow. You see it in our outerwear and how structured they are, while the flowiness and the feminine elements come across in our dresses, she added. AlShehail believes Saudi Arabian designers like her have a very unique point of view to bring to the global stage when it comes to fashion. We are inspired by our culture and heritage but then very much bringing it to what today looks like. Marisa Berenson at Saudi 100 Brands showroom in Paris. Also feeling the buzz of Paris in the showroom was Apoa, a young fashion jewelry brand that offers bold statement pieces rooted in local culture as well as modern living. It offers playful earrings that are inspired by the moon, octopus, and the architectural style of Saudi Arabia, as well as a tiara resembling the Milky Way at a contemporary price point. Founded by Noura A. Al Saud, Sara N. Al Saud, and Mashael K. Al Saud, the brand recently launched a collaboration with Ashi Studio during the Paris couture. The brand aims to reach a wider audience through a more global marketing strategy. It also plans to expand from direct-to-consumer online channels to department stores via wholesale with a stand-alone Parisian showroom in the near future. The Saudi 100 Brands showroom is a great starting point. It has opened a lot of doors for local designers. In Saudi, theres a lot of inspiration and great talent, and now they are getting the recognition they deserve, to explore, to be bold, and to be out there, said the Saud sisters of the ruling royal family of Saudi Arabia. Yasmina Qanzal, founder of the fashion label Yasmina Q, which pivoted into a knitwear-focused brand during the pandemic to cater to the rising demand for cozy home wear, also agreed that she has been benefiting from the rising awareness of Saudi Arabian talents, thanks to the exposure brought by Saudi 100 Brands. Best of WWD PARIS Shiseido Co. Ltd. has unveiled a new business plan within which it is offering an early retirement plan to approximately 1,500 employees in Japan to help bolster group growth and profitability. The companys business has been hard hit by Chinese consumer pullback after Japans release of treated water into the Pacific Ocean and a weakened sentiment toward Chinas economy in the second half. In 2023, group profits sank 35.7 percent, while sales were down 8.8 percent. More from WWD Last November 13, after Shiseido reduced its profit guidance for 2023 on the back of a weakness in China and travel retail in its third quarter, its stock ended the day down 14.3 percent, a 16-year low. Japans largest beauty company and the fifth largest in the world on Thursday announced what it calls Mirai Shift Nippon 2025 as part of a process initiated last August by Shiseido president and chief operating officer Kentaro Fujiwara, who is also serving as president and chief executive officer of Shiseido Japan. Shiseido is offering an early retirement incentive plan to about 1,500 employees in Japan, who meet specific age and tenure criteria, between April 17 and May 8. That represents about 3.7 percent of Shiseidos employees worldwide. The move is part of an over-arching vision. To achieve sustainable growth, Shiseido Japan will concentrate its activities on brands, products and touchpoints with high growth potential and profitability, strengthening brand and touchpoint strategy, the company said. That plan has two pillars: leveraging Shiseidos technological advantages and research-and-development capabilities to enhance consumers favorite brands and products, while creating new beauty categories that lasso consumers changing needs. Meanwhile, Shiseido keeps homing in on its skin care know-how. In late December 2023 the company said it had signed a definitive agreement to acquire DDG Skincare Holdings, the owner of Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare. The purchase was viewed by Shiseido as a move to strengthen its core prestige skin care business, which involves brands Shiseido and Cle de Peau Beaute. Also to build a more profitable foundation, the company plans to optimize efficiency regarding cost of goods sold, marketing investments and other expenses, with the intention of reducing 25 billion yen, or $166.8 million, over the next two years. Best of WWD The warning is asking travelers to travel smart and be informed." marako85/Getty Images The United States is warning travelers heading to Mexico to be aware of their surroundings ahead of the spring break holiday season. The warning, which was issued this week by the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Mexico, reminds travelers to travel smart and be informed as thousands of U.S. citizens visit Mexico during spring break each year. The embassy continued that while the vast majority travel safely, visitors should be aware of issues with crime, drugs, unregulated alcohol, drownings, and more. Crime, including violent crime, can occur anywhere in Mexico, including in popular tourist destinations. Travelers should maintain a high level of situational awareness, avoid areas where illicit activities occur, and promptly depart from potentially dangerous situations, the embassy warned. U.S. citizens should exercise increased caution in the downtown areas of popular spring break locations including Cancun, Playa Del Carmen, and Tulum, especially after dark. The warning also reminded American travelers that drug possession and use is illegal in Mexico, including medical marijuana. It also advised that unregulated alcohol may be contaminated, that counterfeit medication is common, and that guns are illegal in Mexico. When it comes to the countrys popular beaches, the embassy reminded travelers some beaches may have strong rip tides and may lack lifeguards, warnings, or signs of unsafe conditions. The U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Mexico issued a similar spring break warning last year. The U.S. Department of State classifies different states in Mexico under different warning levels. While travelers can exercise normal precautions when traveling to the Campeche and Yucatan states, the State Department warns them to exercise increased caution when heading to places like Baja California Sur (where Los Cabos is), Mexico City, and Quintana Roo (where Cancun is) due to crime. The State Department also asks American travelers to reconsider going to the state of Jalisco, which is home to popular destination Puerto Vallarta, due to the danger of crime and kidnapping. The State Department recommends Americans who do travel to Mexico keep people at home informed of their travel plans and enroll in the departments Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to both receive alerts and make it easier to locate them if an emergency occurs. Travelers heading to international destinations can view all current travel advisories on the State Department's website at travel.state.gov. For more Travel & Leisure news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter! Read the original article on Travel & Leisure. Raymond Boyd/Getty Images In 1964, Dr. Charles H. Wright, a Black obstetrician in Detroit, found himself in Denmark to get help in the recruitment of physicians and dentists who could work in African villages. While there he visited the Freedom Museum, dedicated to World War II veterans. When he returned home, he wondered: why werent there places in the United States commemorating the rich triumphs and stories of Black history? So, in 1965, he founded one of the first museums chronicling the stories of African Americans, and then spent the rest of his life building it. Building a Black History Museum As a doctor, Dr. Wright delivered thousands of babies, and through the museum he hoped to ensure that those children could grow up understanding the truth about Black history, and challenge stereotypes and false narratives about Black communities. Dr. Wright began his work during the Civil Rights Movement and saw firsthand the courage of Black Americans who fought against segregation, voter suppression, and other racist attitudes of the time. As a lifelong member of the NAACP, Dr. Wright served as an attending physician at the march in Selma on March 7, 1965, known as Bloody Sunday for the violence that ensued at the hands of the police. As the Civil Rights Movement brought legislation that ended Jim Crow segregation and forced a nationwide reckoning with our countrys history of racism, Dr. Wright began collecting objects related to African American history in his home. "I was committed to what I defined as 'one of the most important tasks of our times, he later said, ensuring that generations, especially young African Americans, are made aware of and take pride in the history of their forebears and their remarkable struggle for freedom." Soon community members were donating their own artifacts, and the collection had become large enough that a dedicated space was needed. So Dr. Wright opened the International Afro-American Museum in a small building on Detroits West Grand Boulevard. Early exhibitions spotlighted inventions by African Americans, such as the first traffic signal, invented by Garrett Morgan; items collected from Rosa Parks, Frederick Douglass, Malcolm X, and other Civil Rights activists; and African art and instruments, some of which had been collected by Dr. Wright while he was conducting medical research in West Africa. Understanding the impact the museum could have beyond Detroit, Dr. Wright took to the road, converting a mobile home into a traveling exhibition space, to educate people of various backgrounds about African American history and culture in communities across Michigan. Preserving History: A Collaborative Effort The Civil Rights Movement saw many members of the Black community embracing Black pride, taking steps to reclaim their history and celebrate cultural contributions that had long gone under recognized by white Americans. Dr. Wright was not alone in his pursuithistorically Black colleges and universities were growing their own collections, and other independent museums were beginning to be built, including the DuSable Museum of African American History in Chicago. In the late 1960s, Dr. Wright joined hands with Dr. Margaret Burroughs, founder of the DuSable Museum, to initiate a series of conferences for African American museums to share ideas and discuss their efforts. These convenings would lead to the official founding of the Association of African American Museums in 1978, which continues to uplift African American museums today. By 1978, Dr. Wrights museum needed a larger space. Community members came together to fundraise for a new building in Detroits Cultural Center, a historic district home to many of the Motor Citys most prominent cultural institutions. Detroiters of all ages worked together to fund the new buildings construction. A Buy a Brick campaign organized by Detroit Public School students raised $80,000 and a student-led penny drive raised nearly $20,000. The new museum opened in 1987, with a new name to match: the Museum of African American History. The museum continued to host concerts, lectures, and other programming, with exhibitions including Black Migration to Detroit: 1910-1950, Black Women: Achievements Against the Odds, and 200 Years of Black Art: A Symposium. The museum soon became a glamorous cultural destination for Black people across the country. Not only did it present beautiful exhibitions that centered Black experiences, but it also hosted film screenings and meet-and-greets with some of the biggest names in Black Hollywood at the time, including Angela Bassett, Ossie Davis, and Ruby Dee. During this period, the museum also took over the beloved African World Festival, an annual outdoor celebration, featuring music, vendors, and more. Last year marked the 40th anniversary of the African World Festival, and it continues to be a highlight that Detroiters look forward to each summer, celebrating the breadth of cultural expression from across the African diaspora. In 1997, through the leadership of Mayor Coleman Young, it eventually moved into its current location,Detroits Cultural Center. The over 125,000-square-foot building was designed by two Black architects Howard Sims and Harold Varner who incorporated elements from African architecture to represent an African village in the buildings rotunda. It was upon this milestone that the museum was ultimately renamed the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History and became known as one of the largest African American museums in the world. Telling Black History Today Dr. Wright wanted to ensure that young people understood the breadth of Black history, including joys and triumphs rather than beginning with slavery, as mainstream storytelling often does, the museums permanent exhibition And Still We Rise begins with ancient and early modern African history, then traces the Middle Passage and follows stories from the Underground Railroad. Today, the museum houses over 35,000 artifacts and archival materials and offers hundreds of programs and events annually. Membership to the museum has become seen as a key indicator in support of Black history, continuing this tradition for future generations. Exhibitions currently on view include Ruth E. Carter: Afrofuturism in Costume Design, featuring costumes designed by Carterthe first Black woman to win multiple Oscarsfor iconic films such as Black Panther, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Malcolm X, Do The Right Thing, and more. The Wright has also just unveiled a new gallery as part of And Still We Rise, honoring the life and legacy of Judge Damon J. Keith, the Detroit native known as one of the longest-serving federal judges and a civil rights legend. Dr. Wright passed away in 2002, and in his obituary, the Los Angeles Times described him as the father of the national movement to establish African American museums. The museums rotunda hosted funeral visitations for Dr. Wright, and nearly 10,000 people paid their respects. Several other Black leaders have since laid in state under The Wrights iconic dome, such as Rosa Parks, Aretha Franklin, and Judge Damon Keith. Next year will mark the 60th anniversary of the museums founding. Despite its impact, the museums founding story often goes untold, but its because of Dr. Wright that so many stories are preserved and remembered. Dr. Wrights dream lives on in his museum, as well as in the many museums that have been modeled after it. Stay up-to-date with the politics team. Sign up for the Teen Vogue Take Originally Appeared on Teen Vogue "Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." If youve noticed that paper lantern lights are seemingly everywhere these days, youre not alone. These lightsoften a single bulb thats concealed within a paper shadeare definitely having a moment right now. As any serious collector may know, theyre not new; theyre simply back. So when and where did paper lanterns first hit the market? Well, various cultures have utilized such fixtures for centuries, but the most referenced ones were originally made famous by Japanese-American artist Isamu Noguchi. Though he was known in the design community for more than his transfixing paper lanterns (his Noguchi Coffee Table is quite famous, too), his lights have found their way back to center stage. Noguchi launched his first paper lantern, which he named Akari (meaning light in Japanese) back in 1951 when he traveled to Gifu, Japan. The then-mayor commissioned the beloved artist to revitalize the citys fading lantern industry by designing more modern options that were more than just a means of, well, light. So Noguchi got to work and created Akari, a series of similar-looking sculptures that double as lamps. Though the Akaris were a much-welcomed addition to the design communitys myriad of unique pieces, they didnt and still dont come cheap. Some, for instance, are going for more than $7,000. As much as we appreciate Noguchis artistic contribution to the world, for those who might not be able to justify spending that much, but want that paper lantern aesthetic, peep our under-$250 alternatives below. We did, however, include one original Noguchi Akari lantern as an homage to a highly iconic light fixture, so if you want to invest in a piece of art, add it to cart. For everyone else, feel free to scoop up the dupes. Rice Paper Shade HAY is a relatively new brand (founded in 2002 by Danish husband and wife Mette and Rolf Hay) and owned by Herman Miller, which makes sense considering the two brands celebrate the same midcentury modern-inspired look. This perfectly round spherical light is a good intro to the brand if you've never shopped it before. This lampshade comes in two shapes (one of which is available in three sizes), but doesn't come with the hanging cord, so if you want to add this to your space, add the HAY hanging set to your cart in addition to the lantern. Shop Now Rice Paper Shade dwr.com $79.20 White Round Paper Latern "When my pendant light dropped on the floor, the exterior plastic shell completely cracked, exposing the lightbulb. Since I couldn't find the exact pendant again, I opted for a paper lantern instead," Senior Commerce Editor Marina Liao says. "To be honest, I had little hopes that this would look nice in our apartment because it was only $32 and seemed wrinkly. However, when we hung it up, the light emits a soft glow from within the paper and the lantern actually looked...nice? It definitely holds up well because I've accidentally knocked the shade to the floor, since it's not secured in place, and the paper has not ripped! If you're looking for something affordable and temporary, especially in rentals, I'd recommend this." Shop Now White Round Paper Latern amazon.com $31.99 Large Paper Lantern Most of Noguchi's lamps are made using unbleached rice paper, but we're all for a pop of color. This one is an unassuming blush shade when the pendant is off, but when it's on, it fills the room with a warm, watermelon-colored light that instantly softens the mood. If pink isn't your thing, this lantern also comes in white. Shop Now Large Paper Lantern urbanoutfitters.com $69.00 Paper Lamp For an obvious Noguchi-inspired reference, you can shop this Akari 1A lookalike. While the original is hard to find, this Amazon option is still in stock and super affordable for those who like the look of an egg-shaped lamp. It's propped up on a paperclip base and comes in several other shapes like a "mini" and "floor" model. You can even opt for one with LED lights that will illuminate your space in pink or blue lighting. Go ahead and snap up this beautiful lantern. Shop Now Paper Lamp amazon.com $59.99 Astri 1 Pendant This Joss & Main piece seems to be inspired by Noguchi's Akari 50EN, a ceiling pendant that hangs from a super-skinny wire, making the lantern appear as if it's floating in mid-air. Plus, because it's hanging, it will probably hold up better than a floor or table lamp that you're physically touching more than you would a pendant. The wire is also adjustable, so if you're worried it will hang too close or high above your bed, dining table, or reading chair, fret not. Shop Now Astri 1 Pendant wayfair.com $135.00 Soft Paper Pendant Light This lantern is loosely based on Noguchi's work, with a few creative liberties, including the shape and the black metal base. Most of Noguchi's hanging lanterns are totally round, whereas this one features a flat top and bottom. Noguchi also rarely displayed any material other than the paper, but we're into the black metal base here because it adds another level of dimension and some much-welcomed contrast. Shop Now Soft Paper Pendant Light 2modern.com $225.00 Daughtry 1 Pendant The Daughtry 1 pendant is quite reminiscent of Noguchi's Akari 100D, which boasts that kind of perfectly imperfect feel with the internal webbing and wiring. It's not in a perfect grid like some of Noguchi's other lamps, but that's what we love about it too. As you may be able to see from the photo, this beautiful light is available in three sizes, all of which are affordable. (The largest one is only $62.95). Shop Now Daughtry 1 Pendant wayfair.com $62.95 Rice Paper Lampshade This may seem like an odd shape, considering most of the options on our list are more round, this lampshade (the bulb and base are not included), is a dead ringer for the Akari 25N, which is going for $1,800 on the Noguchi website. If you're wondering what on earth you're going to do with just a lampshade, know that you have options: You can either hang it from the ceiling or buy a separate base and use this as a table lamp. Shop Now Rice Paper Lampshade hm.com $34.99 Noguchi-Style Lamp The second Nogy piece on our list is almost identical to Noguchi's Akari 7A, which features the same wooden details on the top and bottom, square shaped shade, and tripod base. If there are any die-hard Noguchi fans who don't want to spend the money on the real thing, this is a pretty legitimate dupe. It's even made of the same toned rice paper and features the same bamboo ribbing. Shop Now Noguchi-Style Lamp amazon.com $84.99 Akari 55A Last but certainly not least, the real thing by Isamu Noguchi. He designed model 55A early on in his light sculpture journey, in 1951. It is one of the more basic designs that was originally manufactured in Gifu by trained artisans who understood the way the materials, handmade washi paper and bamboo, worked together. Though vintage furniture and lighting tends to bear a few signs of its age, this piece is marked as pristine by the seller. Shop Now Akari 55A 1stdibs.com $750.00 You Might Also Like Alphatec Holdings (NASDAQ:ATEC) Full Year 2023 Results Key Financial Results Revenue: US$482.3m (up 37% from FY 2022). Net loss: US$186.6m (loss widened by 23% from FY 2022). US$1.54 loss per share (further deteriorated from US$1.47 loss in FY 2022). All figures shown in the chart above are for the trailing 12 month (TTM) period Alphatec Holdings Revenues Beat Expectations, EPS Falls Short Revenue exceeded analyst estimates by 1.2%. Earnings per share (EPS) missed analyst estimates by 6.6%. Looking ahead, revenue is forecast to grow 14% p.a. on average during the next 3 years, compared to a 7.8% growth forecast for the Medical Equipment industry in the US. Performance of the American Medical Equipment industry. The company's shares are down 9.0% from a week ago. Risk Analysis It's still necessary to consider the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 1 warning sign with Alphatec Holdings, and understanding it should be part of your investment process. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. 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 news that the Nuffield Foundation will soon publish a report proposing a move to a four-week school summer holiday in the UK with longer half-term breaks instead got me thinking about how differently the French approach family holidays to the British. When I moved to France in 2009 with my husband and two children aged four and six, one thing I hadnt really considered in spite of being a meticulous planner was how we would adapt to the very different school holiday pattern after leaving the UK. A six-week summer had always seemed long with two children at home and childcare and childrens activities costing a fortune in London how would we manage with a two-month summer holiday in a country where we had no family and knew no one? As it turned out, France had it all in hand. When schools are closed, the local centres de loisirs basically supervised holiday and after-school clubs are open to entertain children during working hours, heavily subsidised and with further reductions available for those on a low income. Provision no doubt varies around the country but the system is generally easily accessible and inexpensive. Our local centre has huge grounds, a fenced and life-guarded swimming pool, large, light rooms for each age group and a canteen serving organic food. The children are looked after by trained animateurs and there are regular temps forts outings to the beach, theme parks, bowling and the cinema on offer, plus activities such as whitewater rafting and go-karting for the older ones. All for around 15 per day. The centre de loisirs covered the time when we needed to work, but the long holiday also gave us a chance to reconnect as a family and spend proper time together and travel at a leisurely pace. We would typically, like many French families do, load up the car and head to a self-catering apartment at the beach or in the mountains for a few weeks. Holidays dont have to cost a fortune if you drive and take everything with you as the French do, as you can see from the lines of cars on the motorways with bikes strapped to the back, maybe a paddleboard on the roof and a bumper pack of loo rolls in the back window. Holidays give children the opportunity to explore new horizons - E+ Admittedly some will be heading off to stay with Granny for a few weeks or cramming into the tiny family beach apartment which theyve owned for generations instead we would Airbnb the house to help cover the cost. As well as allowing us time to bond as a family, I feel the children benefited hugely from having time to explore and travel, getting out of their normal routine and being somewhere different. In France, apart from summer, all the other holidays are usually two weeks long which is ideal for a number of reasons. The children have enough time to properly decompress and if families want to take advantage of the cheaper holidays which are available than in the summer, they have the time to do so and dont necessarily all have to leave on the same day, overwhelming airports as you often see in the UK. For the February/March holiday and the spring holiday, the country is divided into three zones and holidays are staggered, meaning that holiday locations (especially ski resorts) are less crowded than if everyone went on holiday at the same time, surely also helping to keep prices down. Friends who work in tourism say that this is also a boon for them as their clients arrive over several weeks rather than all at once. Staggered holidays in France ensure that the ski slopes are not overcrowded - E+ And as for the proposed four-week summer holiday for Britain can this really be long enough? A recent poll by the Teacher Tapp found teachers fairly evenly divided over whether theyd like it to remain at six weeks, have it cut down to five or shortened to four. A teacher friend told me she felt that as well as four weeks not being enough downtime for children, it certainly wasnt enough for teachers, given that many spend the first few weeks mainly sleeping. Holiday accommodation and transport in the UK school summer holidays is already extortionate wouldnt cutting the holiday further simply exacerbate this? And probably lead to more children being taken out of school during termtime for holidays. Another friend in France said that the long summer holiday worked well for her as a divorcee as the children had plenty of time to spend with both parents with just four weeks, theyd barely have time to catch their breath. Its a well-worn cliche that in France people work to live rather than live to work, but when it comes to holidays and time off, its certainly true, and a decent holiday is seen as almost as right. French families on low incomes receive vouchers which can be used at campsites and holiday villages across France to help them take their families on holiday, and many companies also subsidise holidays for low-earning employees, or offer cheques-vacances, where money put in by the employee is topped up by the employer. A factory close to where I live even has its own campsite at the beach for employees use. Admittedly French schools have longer days in part to compensate for the extended holidays, and while some feel they are too long for younger children, they also fit in much more easily with working hours, plus they have Wednesday afternoon off (all day Wednesday at some primaries), and typically a lunch break of up to two hours during which they get to both eat a decent meal and have plenty of time to play. I believe that people in the UK could benefit hugely from a French-style holiday pattern, but of course there would need to be the infrastructure to support it accessible childcare for working parents, as well as affordable holidays for all. In France, proper holidays are part of the culture, whatever your income. The UK could learn a lot from this. Recommended The best multi-generation holidays to book now (and how to get granny to pay) 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. An 18-year-woman in Sussex, Wisconsin, who is accused of killing a familys dog has denied the charges brought against her during her trial on Feb. 28. Kielee Sonnemann, a high school senior, fatally stabbed the 8-year-old dog while the owners were away. She was babysitting the familys 4-year-old daughter on the day of the killing. Babysitter accused of killing dog enters plea of not guilty by reason of insanity According to CBS 58 News, the horrific incident happened on Jan. 28. Its reported that Sonnemann attacked the Chihuahua named Batman with a pair of scissors before covering his head with a plastic bag. She then proceeded to hide the dead body underneath a pile of blankets and stuffed animals in one of the familys rooms. TMJ4 News previously reported that when the childs parents came back home, they realized Batman wasnt around and began looking for him everywhere in the house. In fact, Sonnemann even joined in on the search. The owners called authorities when they discovered Batmans body, which had a stab wound. Upon interrogation by police, the 18-year-old claimed she only shooed him away a little bit and that when she gets mad and lashes out, everything goes blank and she does not remember. The grieving couple, Shelly and Justin Ciardo, are trying to come to terms with Batmans tragic death. This is the hardest thing. The emotions go from sad to mad. Theres never anything more than that, Shelly, the dogs owner, told the news outlet. Commenting on Batmans untimely demise, Ciardo shared: Its hard. Its hard because obviously everything reminds you of the animal that we lost. Shockingly, the couple and Sonnemanns family knew each other. Sonnemann had even babysat for them multiple times in the past. There was no inclination of anything wrong. There was no signs. There was nothing said that gave us that hint that something this horrific could happen, a distraught Ciardo said. On Wednesday, Sonnemann pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. During her first court appearance earlier this month, the accused stated she was on medication for a mental illness. Sonnemann is due back in court on May 6. The post Wisconsin Babysitter Accused of Killing Family Dog appeared first on DogTime. The Department of Energy has awarded an environmental cleanup contract for the Hanford site worth up to $45 billion to a newly formed limited liability company based in Lynchburg, Va. For the second time the winning bidder for the Eastern Washington nuclear reservation work is Hanford Tank Waste Operations and Closure, called H2C, which is made up of BWXT Technical Services, Amentum Environment and Energy, and Fluor Federal Services. Our long history and extensive experience bringing advanced technical solutions to safely manage legacy liquid waste at the Hanford Site makes us the best partner for the Department of Energy, said John Heller, Amentum chief executive officer. The 10-year contract, which includes some work that could extend an additional five years, covers the initial operation of the vitrification plant, which is being commissioned now after construction began in 2002, and work at the tank farms where radioactive waste is stored underground until it can be treated, much of it at the vitrification plant, for disposal. DOE awarded the contract, called the Hanford Integrated Tank Disposition Contract, to the same company in April. But the award was challenged in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims by the losing bidder, Hanford Tank Disposition Alliance, or HTDA. HTDA argued that H2C had not properly registered to bid in a required federal database and questioned the safety performance of its member companies and the strength of its proposed leadership team. HTDA was formed by Atkins Nuclear Secured, Jacobs Technology and Westinghouse Government Services. In November Jacobs merged some of its business lines with Amentum. Lights shine at night at the Hanford vitrification plant, which is being commissioned to glassify the least radioactive tank waste at the nuclear reservation for disposal. U.S. Judge Marian Blank ordered the contract to be set aside in a ruling June 12, finding that H2C was ineligible for the award because it had not met a mandatory requirement in the bidding process. It had let its registration to bid on large federal projects lapse, according to the court order. DOE then asked for revised proposals and evaluated them to make the contract award on Thursday. Contractor responsibilities H2C will operate the Waste Treatment Plant, or vitrification plant, after commissioning is completed that will prepare it to start treating the least radioactive waste stored in underground tanks. H2C also will be responsible for core functions of the plant, including project management, security, emergency services, and safety and quality. The 580-square-mile Hanford site in Eastern Washington adjacent to Richland was used from World War II through the Cold War to produce nearly two-thirds of the plutonium for the nations nuclear weapons program. Environmental cleanup is underway at the 580-square-mile Hanford nuclear reservation. The underground radioactive waste storage tanks and the vitrification plant are in the center of the site. The work left 56 million gallons of radioactive and hazardous chemical waste stored in underground tanks, many of them prone to leaking. The plant is planned to vitrify much of that waste to turn it into a stable glass form for permanent disposal. After technical issues needed to be resolved on parts of the plant treating high level radioactive waste, DOE switched to a plan to separate out some of the least radioactive waste, called low activity waste, and start treating it as work continues to prepare to treat high level waste. Bechtel National is commissioning the plant, and DOE plans to start regular operation of the plant to initially treat low activity radioactive waste in 2025. A deadline for treating low activity waste by the end of 2023 was set in a federal court consent decree, but the deadline was extended due to work delays during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hanford communities plan required The new contractor will take over work at the tank farms from Washington River Protection Solutions, also an Amentum led company, with a 120-day transition period starting immediately, unless there is another protest or appeal of the contract award. Amentum and our partners have a tremendous track record of treating waste and managing nuclear operations around the DOE complex, said Mark Whitney, president of Amentums National Security Group. We will bring the most advanced technologies and experienced team to help solve one of our nations most important environmental challenges. Washington River Protection Solutions has held the expiring contract for tank farm work since 2008 and has been given several short-term contract extensions. Most recently its contract was extended in summer 2023 for up to two years. Traditionally most employees of Hanford companies with expiring contracts are hired by the new contractor with only leadership changing. The current tank farm contractor employs about 2,400 workers and relies on an additional 350 subcontractor workers. Hanford site workers remove a pump from a double-shell underground radioactive waste tank that will be used to stage waste until it can be pretreated and sent to the vitrification plant to be glassified. No workforce impacts are expected under the new contractor if stable funding for the Hanford site continues, according to DOE. It described the benefits that workers would receive under the new contract as competitive and comparable to current benefits. Work at the tank farms includes emptying waste from 149 leak-prone single shell tanks into 27 newer double-shell tanks for storage until it can be treated for disposal and eventually permanently closing the tanks. Work also includes separating out low activity waste from the waste mixture in the tanks to feed to the vitrification plants Low Activity Waste Facility to glassify it for disposal. The new contractor is teaming with four subcontractors on the work: DBD, DSS Sustainable Solutions USA, Intera, and Longenecker and Associates. A portion of the contracts work must be subcontracted to small businesses. The new contract promotes robust community commitment and engagement, including support to site reindustrialization by the local community, according to DOE. Parts of the site are in Benton, Franklin and Grant counties. H2C will be required to submit a community commitment plan to DOE. The activities could include educational outreach programs, regional purchasing programs and other community support, DOE said earlier. H2C is expected to be required to subcontract 18% of work under its contract to small businesses, but those do not have to be Eastern Washington businesses. H2C owners Hanford history Amentum already has a strong presence at Hanford as the owner of the current tank farm contractor with Atkins, leading the Central Plateau Cleanup Co. team and as the primary subcontractor at the vitrification plant construction and commissioning project. BWXT was awarded the environmental management contract for DOEs Savannah River, S.C., site in 2021. Fluor is best known at Hanford for being the sites main cleanup contractor from 1996 to 2008. It also is a partner with Amentum on the Central Plateau Cleanup Co. contract, which is responsible for most environmental cleanup at Hanford other than tank waste. This is the third time DOE has tried to replace the expiring tank farm contract. The vitrification plant at the Hanford nuclear reservation site in Eastern Washington. The Low Activity Waste Facility is the largest completed building. In May 2020, DOE awarded a 10-year, $13 billion contract to manage Hanford tank waste to a team headed by BWXT and Fluor with primary subcontractors Intera and DBD. It did not include the vitrification plant work. But after appeals were filed to the Government Accountability Office over the choice of the new tank contracting team, DOE canceled the contract award. One appeal was filed by a company owned by Aecom, Fluor and Atkins and the other by a company owned by Jacobs Government Services Co. The GAO dismissed the appeals, but DOE voluntarily decided to address an issue raised in the appeal and canceled the contract. In February 2021, DOE announced that it would instead seek a contractor for both vitrification plant operations and also the management of the tank farms. Then it estimated the value of the new contract at $26.5 million over a decade. The new contract uses DOEs indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contracting model, under which DOE awards a contract and then negotiates specific tasks to be completed. Under the contracting model, tasks may be paid for either through the traditional Hanford method of reimbursing costs and paying incentive fees to allow the contractor to profit or by offering a fixed price for completion of work, shifting financial risk to the contractor. The tasks will focus on providing the most reduction of risk and taxpayer costs and advancing environmental cleanup, DOE said in 2021. [Source] Meet Kotone Ugamochi, a 10-year-old Japanese girl who invented an easy-to-apply adhesive bandage that leaves a pain-free experience with its innovative design. How it started: The idea to create a one-side adhesive bandage came to Ugamochi, a student at Egakawa Elementary School in Yuki City, Ibaraki Prefecture, when she noticed a cut on her finger sometime in 2021, she told the Asahi Shimbun. Her mother tried to help her with an adhesive bandage, but its tape got caught. As a result, Ugamochi's mother had to cut one end of the bandage. This workaround later led them to experiment by moving the gauze near one end, creating a more convenient bandage. Trending on NextShark: Video of Mexican American toddler crying because she's not Chinese goes viral Award-winning invention: Ugamochi submitted her invention to the 2022 World Youth Invention Exhibition, where she won a bronze medal. Her feat caught the attention of Matsumoto Kiyoshi, the founder of the Matsumotokiyoshi drug store chain and its brand Matsukiyo who later picked up the invention and turned it into the Matsukiyo Easy-Wrap Finger Plaster. Released last August, the adhesive bandage is reportedly made with urethane non-woven fabric that helps prevent stuffiness and keeps the wound clean. The plaster is also stretchable, making a perfect fit when applied on fingertips and joints. Trending on NextShark: Asian restaurant slams influencer's request for free meal in exchange for exposure Why it matters: While Ugamochi's solution is simple, it solves the common problem of bandages getting caught during application. With it, one only has to apply the pad directly onto the injured area and secure it with the next finger. Sometimes the tape is put on the cut and it is very painful and the tapes stick together easily. With this band-aid, itll be easier to put on the finger, Ugamochi said in a video showcasing her invention. The Matsukiyo Easy-Wrap Finger Plaster is available in a box of 20 for 327 yen ($2). Trending on NextShark: Watch: Chinese makeup artist transforms 57-year-old man into '27-year-old' Download the NextShark App: Want to keep up to date on Asian American News? Download the NextShark App today! 11 mistakes you're making before you go to bed The United Health Foundation reported that 35.5% of Americans aren't getting enough sleep. It's important to establish and maintain healthy sleep habits. From too much caffeine to ill-timed exercise, Americans make a lot of mistakes before going to bed. They say the key to a good day is a good night's sleep. Unfortunately, 35.5% of Americans sleep fewer than the recommended seven hours per day, on average, according to America's Health Rankings' analysis of 2022 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. Additionally, 13.5% of adults over 18 described feeling tired most days, the National Council on Aging reported in January. While enough sleep may not seem like a priority or a possibility for many adults, it's incredibly important for preserving your health, as sleep deficiency is linked to diabetes, obesity, depression, heart disease, and other serious health conditions, reported the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. So, although most of us aren't striving to be like the CEOs taking ice baths and going to bed before 10 p.m., there's still plenty of room to improve our night routines. Here are 11 mistakes you might be making before bed, and what you should do instead to sleep longer and feel better throughout the day. You're not relaxing enough. People walking through Central Park. Gary Hershorn/Contributor/Getty Images If you're jumping straight from work into bed and still thinking about work while you're doing it you're probably not preparing yourself for a good night's rest. Throughout the day, your body produces a hormone called cortisol that helps control things like metabolism, blood pressure, and your sleep-wake cycle, but it is also known as the stress hormone. Naturally, your cortisol levels are higher in the morning to help you wake up and lower in the evening to help you sleep. So, if your cortisol levels are too high at night, you can experience effects like shortened or broken sleep and insomnia, Healthline reported. High cortisol levels can be caused by stress, so taking time to relax can be an important component of getting better sleep. Research suggests certain relaxing activities before bed such as listening to soothing music or trying deep-breathing techniques could help. You're consuming too much caffeine. A cup of coffee with a latte art heart. Faisal Khan/Contributor/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images In 2023, the medical journal Sleep Medicine Reviews published a study on the effects of caffeine on subsequent sleep and found that consuming caffeine reduced total sleep time by 45 minutes and sleep efficiency by 7%. As a result, the study's authors recommended consuming coffee and pre-workout supplements about 9 hours and 13 hours before bedtime, respectively. While that is sad news for our afternoon energy drinks, there's a variety of healthy energy-boosting snacks, like peanut butter and celery, you can try instead. You're planning your days the morning of, instead of the night before. A woman writing in a notebook. Zhang Peng/Contributor/LightRocket via Getty Images Technically, there's nothing wrong with planning your day when you start work, but why not get ahead? Dr. Meena Khan, a neurologist and sleep expert at Ohio State University, told Business Insider in 2023 that people can have trouble sleeping because they're still worrying about their day. "Just sit down and write down a list of things that are bothering you, a list of things you have to do, so you're going through it before bed rather than processing it in bed," she said. Psychology Today also reported that using daily planners can help improve time management, increase productivity, and reduce stress, in addition to other benefits. You're drinking alcohol too close to bedtime. A glass of wine with the bottle presented next to it. David Silverman/Contributor/Getty Images Alcohol may be a sedative, but that doesn't mean your last glass of wine is actually good for your sleep pattern. In 2022, medical professionals told The New York Times that alcohol can activate the body throughout the night, waking you up and making it harder to fall back to sleep. You may also experience vivid, stressful dreams and have to use the bathroom more frequently as a result of drinking alcohol. To help prevent these issues, the Sleep Foundation recommends you stop consuming alcohol at least four hours before sleeping. You're scheduling your workout routine too late at night. Women on the Republic of Ireland's women's national team riding stationary bikes. Stephen McCarthy/Contributor/Sportsfile via Getty Images Exercise is an important part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. However, since working out is a stimulating activity, it's recommended that people avoid exercising too close to their planned bedtimes. "The effect of exercise in some people is like taking a hot shower that wakes you up in the morning," said Dr. Charlene Gamaldo, medical director of Johns Hopkins Center for Sleep at Howard County General Hospital. Johns Hopkins Medicine reports that working out can increase your core body temperature, which signals to your body that it should be awake, in turn making it harder to sleep. Aerobic exercises can also release endorphins, which stimulate the brain and make it more challenging to fall asleep. In 2018, Dr. Karen Joubert, PT, DPT, told Business Insider that people should "try and avoid exercise two to three hours prior to bedtime." You're making your room too hot. A thermostat is set to 69 degrees. Smith Collection/Gado/Contributor/Getty Images While increasing your core body temperature makes it harder to sleep, decreasing your core temperature can make falling asleep easier. Healthline reported that your body naturally reduces its core temperature at night, so reducing your environment's temperature to about 65 degrees Fahrenheit will be best for mimicking that process and improving sleep. You're eating dinner and dessert within three hours of your bedtime. Cookies and milk. Ben McCanna/Contributor/Portland Press Herald via Getty Images Even the best of us can have a hard time resisting a late-night snack, but research has found that eating too close to your bedtime can negatively impact your sleep schedule. The International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health reported in 2020 that eating within three hours of falling asleep was positively associated with waking up during the night. The British Journal of Nutrition found similar results after analyzing 2003-2018 data from the American Time Use Survey, stating that women and men who ate or drank within an hour of going to bed experienced increased "wake after sleep onset." "Eating too close to bedtime can disrupt your sleep, mostly because it gets your stomach acids going, and lying down can cause those acids to go up into your throat," Dr. Saurabh Sethi, MD, MPH, told Business Insider in 2018. You haven't implemented a "closing shift" before bed. A woman does dishes in the kitchen sink. Annette Riedl/Contributor/picture alliance via Getty Images Apparently, a "closing shift" isn't just for work; It's great for homes, too. #closingshift has over 490 million views on TikTok and often features creators detailing their evening clean-up routines, with aesthetic clips of washing dishes, cleaning countertops, and vacuuming. While we know it's not ever really that glamorous (or even necessary on some nights), aiming to implement your own version of a quick closing shift could be helpful in reducing stress. In 2021, the Cleveland Clinic published a podcast episode with Dr. Dawn Potter, a clinical psychologist, on the connections between cleaning and mental health. "For a lot of people heaving a clean and organized home can help them feel in control. It can help them with their day-to-day routine. They know where everything is. Everything is straightforward. And there's also just a peace of mind from having an aesthetically pleasing place to wake up in and return to at the end of your workday, or if you're working from home, of course, just to have your workday feel smooth and organized and put together," she said. You're not planning your outfits. Woman looking for clothes. Nikolas Kokovlis/Contributor/NurPhoto via Getty Images Let's be honest: No one likes the stress of finding out their favorite shirt is dirty, their slacks are wrinkled, or their tie is missing. Just like a nightly clean-up, planning your outfits before bed can be a consistent part of your night routine that helps eliminate a potentially stress-inducing scenario. This way, you can focus your energy on more important things and help prevent decision fatigue, a term the American Medical Association defines as "a state of mental overload that can impede a person's ability to continue making decisions." Carolyn Mair, a fashion business consultant and author of "The Psychology of Fashion," told Byrdie in 2023 that she recommends choosing an outfit the night before. "We might be more relaxed in the evening than in the morning, and so we might even be able to make a better choice of outfit," she said. Plus, you'll get to sleep in. You're forgetting to wash your face. A woman washes her face in the sink. Universal Images Group via Getty Images After a long day, it's understandable that you'd forget your nighttime skincare, but washing your face should be a non-negotiable part of your routine, just like brushing your teeth. New York City-based dermatologist Hadley King told BI in January, "Cleansing before bed is generally recommended not only to remove makeup but also dirt and pollution that accumulates on our skin during the day." So, as tired as you may be, at least try to remember to do a simple cleanse. And, of course, you're using screens directly before sleeping. A man watches his laptop in bed at night while a woman sleeps next to him. Ute Grabowsky/Contributor/Photothek via Getty Images The National Sleep Foundation's 2022 Sleep in America Poll reported that 58% of Americans looked at screens within an hour before sleeping. But why's that a problem? Electronics like phones, computers, and TVs emit blue light, which has a shorter wavelength and higher energy than other forms of light, causing more alertness. The exposure stimulates your brain into thinking it's daytime, so it slows or even stops the production of melatonin, the hormone associated with sleeping. While dark mode or blue-light glasses may help this issue, some experts say the best solution is to avoid screen time for at least one hour before bed. Plus, think of how often you've told yourself, "Just one more episode of 'Love is Blind'" or "Just five more minutes of TikTok" before realizing it was 3 a.m. The screen spirals simply aren't worth it. Read the original article on Business Insider A man in Florida is accused of possessing child sexual abuse material and filming underage girls in a library bathroom, a sheriffs office said. On Feb. 13, a 12-year-old girl was in the Lutz Branch Library when she went into the womens bathroom, according to a Feb. 29 news release from the Hillsborough County Sheriffs Office. While inside, she saw a man, later identified as 27-year-old Christian Stark, using his cellphone to record her, the sheriffs office said. She told an adult who called deputies to investigate, according to the sheriffs office. The next day, detectives searched the mans house and his phone and found he had also filmed at least four other underage girls in the same bathroom, deputies said. They also found numerous images of child sexual abuse on his phone and videos of himself performing sexual acts, the sheriffs office said. On Feb. 14, Stark was charged with 100 counts of possession of child pornography with 10 or more images and one count of unlawful use of a two-way communications device, according to the sheriffs office. Later, officials brought additional charges of voyeurism, video voyeurism of a victim under the age of 16 and a second count of unlawful use of a two-way communications device, deputies said. The sheriffs office said the man has a lengthy history with the law, including 13 arrests since 2011. The sheriffs office said on Feb. 19 there may be more victims, and anyone with information about Stark should call 813-247-8200. Lutz is about 15 miles north of Tampa. Cop sexually assaults handcuffed man, lawsuit says. Hes accused of abusing 19 others 19-year-old rapes 14-year-old and posts nude photos on social media, Indiana cops say Popular Elvis impersonator caught in motel with naked 16-year-old runaway, PA cops say Defense lawyer specializing in prostitution cases caught in sex sting, prosecutor says Houston Police said there is new information in their ongoing search for a 12-year-old girl who they said was last seen leaving her home in the early morning hours a week ago. New details in the disappearance of Eminie Hughes reveal she left her Houston home at about 1:40 a.m. Feb. 22 and got into a dark colored 4-door Dodge pickup, according to a Feb. 29 post from Texas Center for the Missing on X, formerly known as Twitter. UPDATE: HPD continues searching for missing 12 year-old Eminie Hughes. She may be on a social media app known as Tagged & is believed to be in the Missouri City area. If you have information call HPD Missing Persons at 832-394-1840. Updated photos below.#HouNews https://t.co/jehMCm8iZn pic.twitter.com/Mm8E7UYbLU Houston Police (@houstonpolice) February 29, 2024 Eminie may have been on a social media app called Tagged and is believed to be in the Missouri City area, Houston Police said in a Feb 29 post on X. Tagged is a dating app marketed as a way to vibe with new people, match with singles, meet dates, and connect with friends through livestream, according to the apps description in the Apple Store. The app has an age rating of 17 or older. Shannon Williams, Eminies mother, told Houstons KHOU that she and her daughter share a TikTok account and that Eminie did not have her own cell phone. An AMBER Alert for Eminie was issued by the Texas Center for the Missing on Feb. 28, according to a post on X. The Houston Police Department officially reported her missing to the organization Feb. 27. Williams reported her daughter missing Feb. 23, KHOU reported. It is unclear why five days passed before an AMBER alert was issued. Police said additional information they gathered Feb. 28 led them to believe Eminie could be a trafficking victim, KHOU reported. Eminie was last seen wearing a white crop top and pink joggers, officials said. Anyone with information is asked to call Houston Police Department Missing Persons at 832-394-1840. Accused car burglar is shot in the legs by homeowner, then drives away, Texas cops say Mom shot dead in front of her two sons when men open fire into her car, Texas cops say Man chases down, kills person he accused of stealing his barbecue pit, Texas cops say A Florida man who is dating the mother of a missing 13-year-old was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly possessing child sexual abuse material on his phone. Stephan Sterns, 37, the last person who saw missing 13-year-old Madeline Soto, was taken into custody on charges of sexual battery and possession of child sexual abuse material, the Orange County Sheriffs Office announced. Soto was reported missing on Monday and was last seen with Sterns, who authorities said in an earlier press conference had dropped her off near her school. Sotos mom, Jenn Soto, discovered that evening, when she went to go pick her daughter up, that Madeline never made it to school that day. Missing 13-year-old Madeline Soto via Orange County Sheriff's Office Fla. Orange County Sheriff's Office Fla. According to Orange County Sheriff John Mina, Soto left her phone at her Kissimmee home, and digital forensics discovered messages she sent that stated that when she turned 13 on Feb. 22, she wanted to go live in the woods. Jenn Soto told FOX affiliate WOFL there were surveillance footage that showed the girl hanging out in the church parking lot after she was dropped off for school. Im trying to hope for the best, but Im scared for her, the mother told the outlet. I want her to be okay; I want her to be safe I dont want her to come back harmed. I just want her back whatever that means, I just want her back. Sterns was arrested on Wednesday night during the investigation after police found images and videos that were criminal, and sexual in nature on his phone according to the announcement. According to an emergency arrest warrant shared with HuffPost on Thursday, police said Sterns claimed that he accidentally performed a factory reset on his phone the same day Soto was reported missing. Police said in the warrant that there is probable cause to believe that Stern was in possession of child sexual abuse imagery and had attempted to erase it from his phone. Its unclear whether the contents found on Sterns phone depicted Madeline Soto, but Sheriffs said the crimes were committed at the family home in Kissimmee. Stern was not charged in connection to Madelines disappearance, but is considered the prime suspect in that case. In a statement shared with HuffPost on Thursday, theOrange County Sheriffs Office said there havebeen no substantive updates and that investigators are still searching for the missing girl. Related... First school cameras for speed enforcement in the entire state of Florida have been installed in Eustis. At a Eustis City Commission meeting on Sept. 12, City Manager Tom Carrino first proposed installing a speed-detecting device at crosswalks in front of Eustis public schools. The devices would be the first ones featured in the entire state. The Eustis commission tabled the matter back then, but the city got the greenlight to install the cameras, and they were working on Feb. 21, when the city of Eustis began its first 30-day awareness campaign. Officials kicked it off with a press conference to announce the first school zone speed enforcement cameras in the vicinity of Eustis Elementary School. The cameras, now located at the corner of Orange Avenue and Prescott Street, will allow the Eustis Police Department to track speeders and write tickets based on camera data. The implementation of the city's school crossing cameras follows the passage of Florida House Bill 657, allowing municipalities to put cameras in school zones and fine drivers speeding 10 mph or more over the posted speed limit. Why are the cameras needed? The cameras are in response to recent findings that Florida is the third worst state for pedestrian traffic fatalities, according to a Florida Road Safety Report. A study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety conducted in four cities across the U.S. found the camera programs reduced the number of accidents resulting in injury or death by an average of 30 percent. During this period, violators will receive warnings instead of citations for driving 10 mph or more over the posted speed limit in the school zone. This warning period aims to encourage compliance and allow motorists to adjust their driving behaviors accordingly. A 2018 Georgia law allowed speed detection companies like RedSpeed to set up shop in Georgia, partnering with local governments with the school districts approval. The Alpharetta Department of Public Safety believes the cameras are working. A spokesperson told WSB-TV Channel 2 that only 8% of tickets are going to repeat offenders. In Eustis, optimism surrounds the new devices. We hope Eustis becomes the model for other cities to follow as they pursue safer roads for all of their residents, Mayor Tom Holland said at the press conference ushering in the new devices."I can tell you that in less than a week, we checked and we had 166 violations," Eustis Police Chief Craig Capri told the Daily Commercial, commenting on his observations so far. "And that was after service address announcements, all of our social media pushes, all the stuff we've done to get the word out ... the school zone lights and everything else." "These cameras are designed to capture speed at, during this time, when school's in session and only on school days," Chief Capri explained. "So, for around 181 days, those are the only days the cameras are on; not on weekends, not on holidays, not during the summer." Camera-detected speed violations are only given if you're going 11 or more mph over the hspeed limit, the Eustis police chief added. The ticket starts out as a civil citation that costs $100, and if it isn't paid in 30 days, it becomes a moving traffic violation that will cost $164. Forbes recently reported on findings released by the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), a nonprofit organization representing state highway safety offices, examined the use of automated enforcement technology to address risky driving behavior. Transparency is of utmost importance, the report said, adding that revenue generated by safety cameras should focus on safetyand be used to support program start-up and maintenance costs. Excess revenue, the report suggests, should be directed to traffic safety initiatives, like infrastructure enhancements and education. Pedestrian crossing cameras vs. red-light cameras? Are they better? While school crossing cameras are in vogue, red light cameras are declining in popularity. According to the Florida Department Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Red Light Camera Summary Report, 508 red-light cameras were active in Florida as of June 30, 2018, down from 629 in 2017. Florida Sen. Ileana Garcia, R-Miami, has filed a proposed constitutional amendment that would ban the use of "traffic infraction detectors." According to CBS News in Miami, Garcia's proposal, which would need voter approval, wouldn't apply in school speed zones. Interestingly, disapproval of using cameras in traffic enforcement can be found on both sides of the Florida legislative aisle. Putting in more cameras in more places to watch more people is an overreach, said state Sen. Bobby Powell, D-West Palm Beach. Rep. David Borrero, R-Sweetwater, has filed a proposed constitutional amendment that also would ban red-light cameras. During a legislative debate, Republican state Sen. Jeff Brandes from St. Petersburg, cited studies reporting that the cameras don't reduce traffic accidents and that low-income people could be hurt financially. Most of the people that will be fined by this are not the 1 percent, Brandes said. It will be the bottom half that will get half the tickets. And 100 bucks to them is a lot of money. Eustis' police chief defended the use of cameras, including red-light cameras. "They do stop people from running red lights, which in turn causes accidents, especially at intersections that we have known, a known history of accidents, vehicle accidents," he said. The difference, the police chief said, is how they're funded. Red-light cameras have been characterized as "cash cows" for local governments. Altumints speed enforcement program was chosen for the Eustis school-safety camera implementation and is 100 percent violator-funded with no cost to taxpayers, the company said in a press statement. "When I was in Daytona, we had a red-light cameras and it was sold as a money maker," Chief Capri said. "That was out of pay range, of course, but this, what we're using here, is not to make money. We're here to stop people speeding in school zones, to protect our kids, our, our staff and faculty and control speed." This article originally appeared on Daily Commercial: New Eustis school zone cameras not 'cash cow' like red-light cameras A pair of Central Florida Republican lawmakers are requesting $2 million in public money that would go to an entity connected to several prominent GOP figures and co-operated by John Miklos, a controversial former chair of the St. Johns Water Management District. The taxpayer funds would be used to plant aquatic vegetation on 141 acres in long-polluted Lake Apopka, according to the budget requests submitted by Rep. Taylor Yarkosky of Montverde and Sen. Jason Brodeur of Sanford. But so far, the Florida Senate has included $500,000 for the project in its version of the state budget, although that figure could change as lawmakers hammer out details of the spending plan over the coming days. The Houses spending plan didnt include any funding for the Lake Apopka project. Records show a company called Aquaticus Plants LLC, which grows and sells freshwater and saltwater native plants, requested the funding. Miklos is listed as a manager on state business records. Miklos also is president of Bio-Tech Consulting, an environmental consulting firm that worked with dozens of clients in the St. Johns Water Management District while Miklos was the chair, prompting complaints that his dual roles presented a conflict of interest. Shortly after Gov. Ron DeSantis took office in 2019, he rescinded Gov. Rick Scotts second reappointment of Miklos to the water board and added him to the University of Central Floridas Board of Trustees. Miklos didnt return an email or phone message seeking comment for this story, and Yarkosky and Brodeur didnt answer questions about his involvement in the proposed project. Miklos has donated to both Yarkosky and Brodeur, including a $10,000 gift to a political committee chaired by Yarkosky in 2023. Budget documents say a nonprofit organization called the Aquatic Restoration & Conservation Alliance, which was set up last year, would receive the state funding if it is awarded. Its leaders include local developer Jeff Fuqua, who said his organizations role is to disburse funding for the project as work is completed. My entity has no financial interest in the profitability of the project, Fuqua wrote in an email. We are paid a fee to administer the project. Miklos business partner, Aquaticus Plants co-owner Beau Williams, said the project would be a continuation of his other firms ongoing work on Lake Apopka. Williams other firm, Aquatech Eco Consultants, has planted 50 acres of aquatic plants and is slated to plant 50 more this year through a contract with the St. Johns River Management District, he said. Water district board members have approved more than $1.3 million in funding for the project, which calls for planting eelgrass and pondweed designed to improve water quality and expand the habitat available for wildlife. This is a beneficial project for Lake Apopka, Williams said. Aquaticus Plants is a subcontractor on that project, records show. Aquaticus Plants also has ties to Chris Dorworth, the former lawmaker and lobbyist who is locked in a years-long legal battle with Seminole County over a failed attempt to build a large housing development in a rural portion of the county. Dorworths consulting firm was listed on Aquaticus Plants corporate records in 2020, although Williams said Dorworth is no longer connected to the firm. He didnt respond to an email from the Orlando Sentinel about the matter. Dorworths finances are a source of contention in Seminole County, where leaders are pushing to obtain bank account records from him and his wife, as well as Dorworths consulting firm, to establish his liability for $432,000 in legal fees his River Cross development firm owes the county. More than a year ago, a judge ordered River Cross to pony up the fees to repay much of what Seminole County spent defending itself against a failed lawsuit brought by the development firm. But the firms bank records showed a balance of just over $30. Dorworth, who has said he is the sole investor in a proposed River Cross development in Seminole, told the Orlando Sentinel in November he is not responsible for the debt and has no plans to deposit more money in the firms account. anmartin@orlandosentinel.com Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - February 29, 2024) - American Aires Inc. (CSE: WIFI) (OTC Pink: AAIRF) ("Aires" or the "Company"), a company focused on scientifically-proven EMF diffraction technology, today announced its regionally-exclusive distribution partnership with a Taiwan-based arms-length tech health & wellness firm, Purland Co., Ltd. ("Purland"). This distribution collaboration highlights ubiquity of demand for Aires' Lifetune EMF modulation technology and supports management's commitment to building Lifetune into a global brand. Aires' current direct-to-consumer business ships products to over 60 countries every month. With the majority of Aires' current order volume largely coming from North America, Europe and the UK, this milestone partnership incrementally adds to and extends Aires' already broad reach. Gaining access to and developing traction within these Eastern markets can be challenging for companies based in the West. In the initial pilot campaign, Purland, which is based in Taiwan, demonstrated incredible competency and proficiency reaching and converting consumers into the Aires brand. During the initial test campaign, Purland offered Aires' products to a small selection of their customers. Purland saw higher than anticipated customer interest and overwhelming demand, exceeding forecasts. As a result, Purland placed its second order almost immediately and nearly doubled its trial volumes to meet the current demand. Josh Bruni further elaborated on the partnership: "I want to say I am surprised to see so much success so quickly but it was clear from the first intro meeting with the Purland team they had vision, the plan and the skills to deliver results. We learned firsthand when we opened our own fulfillment centers in Australia and Europe that this localized experience was the best way to serve those consumers. Having an experienced partner on the ground in Taiwan to navigate unique complexities of this region will allow us to unlock the massive revenue we had yet to tap into. Although I am never surprised by the success we find in all corners of the globe, the early success of this relationship serves as further affirmation for our team, partners and shareholders that EMF protection is truly a growing global opportunity." Story continues Terms of this partnership include: exclusive right to sell Lifetune brand products in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Malaysia; exclusivity is conditional on achieving certain performance milestones, including minimum order quantity and minimum advertised price; contract expires on December 31, 2025 with good-faith negotiations expected to commence in July 2025; Purland and the Company agree on marketing and sales strategy collaboration with the Company committing to a certain level of advertising spend within the region to maximize sales and ensure success of the partnership overall. "Aires' products were received extremely well by our trial group of customers. We are huge believers in the technology but we were caught off guard by the overwhelming reception of a completely new product within still very young product segment. Aires' huge database of research was already impressive enough, but experiencing the tangible effects of the Lifetune products left no room for doubt in our minds. Even as we kick this off, a tidal wave of positive community response confirms we've found the right partner," shared Eric Canzano, Senior Marketing Manager with Purland. Vitali Savitsky, CFO, VP commented: "Having worked closely with Purland, I`m extremely satisfied with the results and excited about the future. We`ve been able to set Purland up for success by translating our know-how into their hands despite the sizeable cultural and language gap. I believe all this could become a proven template for our future distribution deals, aiding with global sales expansion." About Purland Co., Ltd. Purland is a new Taiwan-based brand with a focus on tech health & wellness. Drawing from a team with over 40 years of experience in natural, Eastern wellness techniques for the body and mind, the brand aspires to bring the best of wellness tech from around the world to its communities in East Asia. About American Aires Inc. American Aires Inc. is a Canadian-based nanotechnology company committed to enhancing well-being and environmental safety through science-led innovation, education, and advocacy. The company has developed proprietary silicon-based resonator chip that reduce the harmful effects of electromagnetic radiation (EMR). Aires' Lifetune products target EMR emitted by consumer electronic devices such as cellphones, computers, baby monitors, and Wi-Fi, including the more powerful and rapidly expanding high-speed 5G networks. Aires is listed on the CSE under the ticker 'WIFI' and on the OTC Pink under the symbol 'AAIRF'. Learn more at www.airestech.com . On behalf of the board of directors Company Contact: Josh Bruni, CEO Website: www.airestech.com Email: wifi@airestech.com Telephone: (415) 707-0102 Certain information set forth in this news release may contain forward-looking statements that involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding future financial position, business strategy, use of proceeds, corporate vision, proposed acquisitions, partnerships, joint ventures and strategic alliances and co-operations, budgets, cost and plans and objectives of or involving the Company. Such forward-looking information reflects management's current beliefs and is based on information currently available to management. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "predicts", "intends", "targets", "aims", "anticipates" or "believes" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases or may be identified by statements to the effect that certain actions "may", "could", "should", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. A number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors may cause the actual results or performance to materially differ from any future results or performance expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the control of the Company including, but not limited to, the impact of general economic conditions, industry conditions and dependence upon regulatory approvals. Certain material assumptions regarding such forward-looking statements may be discussed in this news release and the Company's annual and quarterly management's discussion and analysis filed at www.sedarplus.ca. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. The Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by securities laws. No securities regulatory authority has either approved or disapproved of the contents of this news release. The Shares have not been, nor will they be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or any state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States, or to or for the account or benefit of any person in the United States, absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any common shares in the United States, or in any other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. We seek safe harbour. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/199807 A Missouri police officer and a civil process server were shot and killed in Independence, Missouri, authorities said Thursday. Independence Police Department received a call at 1:09 p.m. local time saying a civil process server with the Jackson County Circuit Court had been shot, Missouri State Highway Patrol said in a statement. At the same time, a neighbor called to say an officer had been shot, the highway patrol said. Multiple police officers responded to the scene, more gunfire ensued and three police officers were shot. The officers and the civil process server were taken to a local hospital. The suspect was taken into custody and transported to be treated for minor injuries. One of the officers, identified as Cody Allen, and the process server, identified as Drexel Mack, died of their wounds, police said. One of the other officers who was shot underwent surgery and is expected to make a full recovery, while the third was treated for minor injuries, Independence Police Department chief Adam Dustman said. Allen was 35 years old and had a wife and two kids, Dustman said. Allen had at one point left the police force to take a different job but "realized, like so many of us, that this is ingrained in who you are," and returned to IPD about two years ago, Dustman said. Mack was attempting to serve an eviction notice when he was shot, police said. He had been with the Jackson County Circuit Court for more than 12 years and was in his early 40s, Judge Jalilah Otto, the court's presiding judge, said Thursday. He was engaged to be married at the time of his death and also has adult children, Otto said. "He is a true public servant, and he lost his life doing his job today," Otto said at a news conference. "We are devastated for the loss that we as a court have suffered." The suspect was not immediately identified and details on what led to the attempted eviction were not immediately known. "My heart breaks for the Independence Police Department and all the family and friends of their officer who succumbed to injuries from a shooting earlier today," said Quinton Lucas, Mayor of Kansas City, in a social media post. "I am praying for all others impacted today and all of the women and men of law enforcement in the Kansas City area." "Our deepest condolences go to families of the 16th Circuit Court process server and the Independence Police Department officer who died from fatal gunfire today in the course of their duties," Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker said in a statement. Area schools were placed on lockdown for approximately 20 minutes because of the large police presence in the area, according to a spokesperson for the Fort Osage R-1 School District. Independence, about 25 minutes from Kansas City, is home to the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library & Museum The Smokehouse Creek Fire spreads, extending its reach from Texas to Oklahoma Texas Smokehouse Creek Fire becomes second-largest wildfire in U.S. history Roughly half of graduates are underemployed 10 years after college, study finds This is a developing story. Check back to sanluisobispo.com for updates. To get breaking news alerts, click here Two San Luis Obispo County Hospitals are being sold to Adventist Health, the company announced Thursday. Adventist acquired Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center in San Luis Obispo and Twin Cities Community Hospital in Templeton from Tenet Healthcare, the company said in a news release. We are excited to increase our footprint to the beautiful Central Coast of California, Adventist Health President and CEO Kerry Heinrich said in the release. The agreement includes related physician practices and imaging centers. The company will enter an agreement with Conifer Health Solutions, a revenue cycle service, as part of the transaction, the release said. Heinrich added Adventist plans to expand services at the local hospitals. Twin Cities Community Hospital in Templeton. Adventist Healths innovative, patient-centered approach will enable these hospitals to be at the forefront of advancing compassionate, community-based medicine, Tenet Healthcare Chairman and CEO Saum Sutaria said in the release. The agreement is for approximately $550 million, with after-tax proceeds of approximately $450 million, according to a Tenet Healthcare release Thursday. Tenet said the two purchased hospitals and their related options generated revenues of approximately $337 million in 2023, bringing home $38 million in adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation (EBITDA) an alternate measure of profitability. As a result, Tenet expects to see a pre-tax gain of approximately $275 million from the sale, according to the release. Adventist Health owns several hospitals in California. It closest location to San Luis Obispo County prior to this sale was in Hanford. The transaction is expected to be completed in spring 2024. Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center in San Luis Obispo. What is Adventist Health? According to its about page, Adventist Health began in 1866 with a healthcare ministry with the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Like our church forefathers, we promote wellness and treatment of the whole person mind, body and spirit, the website said. However, we are separately owned and operated. The nonprofit company represents 26 hospitals and more than 400 clinics around the country, according to the website. In 2022, its total revenue was $5.4 billion, with an EBITDA of $17 million. It also does not participate under the death with dignity legislation in states it operates, according to the website. The California End of Life Option Act, which became law in 2015 under then-Gov. Jerry Brown, allows people over 18 diagnosed with a terminal illness and with six months or less to live to end their life. The company said a referral may be provided if a patient requests assistance under a death with dignity law. The accused killers of 20-year-old mom Mahogany Jackson recorded parts of her kidnapping and torture leading up to her fatal shooting, Alabama police say. Now, seven people face murder charges. The frantic search for Jackson began the morning of Feb. 25, when she sent her mom her location, along with a text message saying she was being held hostage and to send police, McClatchy News previously reported. When the Birmingham Police Department arrived at anapartment, investigators said Jackson wasnt there. One of the people they made contact with there was later charged, police said. Investigators and family members continued searching for Jackson until she was found early the next morning on the side of the road with a gunshot wound, police said. I served a number of years in the homicide unit, Birmingham Police Chief Scott Thurmond said. And this is undoubtedly one of the most heinous acts Ive ever seen in my career. Its absolutely disgusting. Birmingham police held a news conference the evening of Feb. 28 to announce the seven people arrested, all of whom face an array of charges including murder, sodomy, assault and kidnapping. Police arrested three women and four men, ranging in ages 18 to 25. Thurmond said Jackson and all the people involved knew each other. The facts of this case are deplorable and sickening, Thurmond said. Saddest of all, they were made public by the suspects decision to videotape portions of this horrific act. Thurmond said his department will withhold certain details of the case for the benefit of the womans family and friends. However, we have determined that Mahogany was a victim of sexual assault with murder and kidnapping, he said. Jacksons family is mourning the loss of the 20-year-old woman. What am I going to tell my Granddaughter when she asks for her Mother, Jacksons mother, Gail Maddox, posted on Facebook. The Birmingham police thanked the community for information that led to the arrest of the seven individuals. Mom shot dead in front of her two sons when men open fire into her car, Texas cops say Man guns down girlfriend as kid watches, then kidnaps her 6-year-old, TN officials say Son kills 75-year-old mom, then sets fire to her home to destroy evidence, CA cops say Pregnant woman found dead in basement 32 years ago is identified, Indiana officials say ST. LOUIS Several babies have been born around the St. Louis area on one of the rarest birthdays, Feb. 29. Those born on Leap Day are also known as leaplings. Local hospitals celebrated these babies with special onesies or bunting. St. Lukes Hospital put the newborns in a bunting decorated as a frog that says Hoppy Leap Day! Mercy Hospital in Creve Coeur gave their leaplings a Leap Day onesie topped with a green frog hat. According to the New York Times, the chances of being born on Leap Day are 1 in 1,461, and there are around 363,000 people in the U.S. who share the birthday. Photo courtesy of St. Lukes Hospital Photo courtesy of Mercy Hospital Photo courtesy of St. Lukes Hospital Photo courtesy of Mercy Hospital Photo courtesy of St. Lukes Hospital Photo courtesy of Mercy Hospital Photo courtesy of St. Lukes Hospital Photo courtesy of Mercy Hospital For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2. Five relatives including three siblings were killed in a car wreck, according to South Carolina officials. They were killed in a head-on crash with a tractor-trailer hauling cars on Interstate 26 at about 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 24, Spartanburg County Coroner Rusty Clevenger told McClatchy News in an email. The tractor-trailer and another vehicle crashed into each other on the interstate, causing the semi to veer out of control and cross the median, Clevenger said. The car hauler then collided with a 2004 Honda Accord, which had the five relatives inside, he said. The coroners office identified them as 35-year-old Ashia Michelle Ballenger, 14-year-old Ashton Isaiah Olley, 11-year-old Jaicurious Treyvon Gist and 8-year-old Jalecia Andrea Gist. The fifth person has been presumptively identified as 57-year-old Leroy Covington, according to the coroners office. DNA results to confirm Covingtons identity are still pending, Clevenger said. Ashton, Jaicurious and Jalecia were siblings, Clevenger said. Ballenger was their aunt and Covington was their grandfather, he said. The childrens older sibling, Alexis Olley, had just seen Jalecia and Ballenger the day of the car crash. The loss of the five family members is heartbreaking, Olley wrote on Facebook. Never knew Saturday would be the last goodbye or last I love you man this is so hurtful, Olley wrote. The loss of the three siblings also devastated the local community, Spartanburg County School District Six wrote on Facebook on Feb. 28. They were each a special part of the schools they attended and will be remembered for their vibrant personalities and the joy they brought to our classrooms, the district said. Ashton, Jaicurious, and Jalecia were all loving students with infectious smiles, the district wrote. Their deaths are an unimaginable loss for those who knew them, the school system said. The tremendous loss of the children, their grandfather and their aunt was unexpected for the rest of the family, according to a GoFundMe. Now, the family is planning funeral arrangements to honor them, according to the GoFundMe. Our family was not prepared for this horrific tragedy, the GoFundMe said. Spartanburg County is about 90 miles northwest of Columbia. Unborn baby, child and woman killed in collision with firetruck headed to fire, cops say Driver fleeing 2 different crash scenes kills woman in third wreck, Florida cops say 72-year-old is fatally struck after exiting car with tire issue, Michigan cops say This week, San Franciscos Board of Supervisors issued an apology to Black residents and their descendants for the racists policies that have harmed them. The resolution was introduced by Supervisor Shamann Walton, the only Black member of the board, the Associated Press reported. We have much more work to do but this apology most certainly is an important step, he said. And hes right: An apology is one thing. But action is another. The apology came six months after the citys The African American Reparations Advisory Committee made more than 100 recommendations regarding reparations for Black people. An apology was one of their recommendations among other items, including every eligible Black adult receiving a $5 million lump-sum cash payment and guaranteed income of nearly $100,000 to remedy the citys racial wealth gap. If in six months, the best you can do from the list is an apology to your Black residents and only during Black history month, then its time to rethink priorities and put concerted efforts behind actionable items that will have a positive effect in addressing disparities and reparations for your Black residents. INSIDE THE 305: Fed up with Florida legislators, faith leaders create Black history program for churches Miami, Florida, February 27, 2024- Pastor Alfonso Jackson Jr. of New Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church talks about the importance of Black History month to the congregation during a Tuesday Mid-week Service At New Generation Missionary Baptist Church in Opa-locka, a new class has gained popularity with younger congregants and its not your typical Bible study or Sunday school. Since last year, the church has been teaching classes about African American history using a program created by leaders from Faith in Florida, a coalition of over 800 congregations across 41 counties in Florida. The group of religious leaders developed the Black studies toolkit last year to counter the Florida Legislatures controversial revision of state academic standards, which put a particular focus on reshaping Black history education. How Liberty City native Keya Martin helped Cardi B walk in style Keya Martin, Keeyahri founder and designer, poses in her workspace while wearing the Zerina thigh high boot on Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024, in Miramar. Martin runs the business on her own. The Zerina boots are named after Beyonces stylist. All of my boots are named after people who inspire me, said Martin. The signature heel to all of her luxury shoes was inspired by a Japanese wedding chapel. Liberty City native Keya Martin had a modest 500 Instagram followers and less than three years of experience in the fashion industry when she released her luxury footwear line in 2018. But against the odds, British Vogue immediately reached out after seeing her shoes in a post. Elle, Harpers Bazaar and other fashion publications soon followed. In December of 2020, rapper Cardi B wore a pair of Martins Keeyahri heels in a photo spread in Billboard magazine. Cardi B was the first celebrity to wear it, Martin said. Its an honor, and it makes me proud. A seminal moment. Levine Cava unveils historical marker for Arthur McDuffie Marc and Dewana McDuffie speak during a ceremony on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024, in which a historical marker was raised at the corner of 38th Street and North Miami Avenue to memorialize their father Arthur McDuffie, a 33-year-old insurance agent and former Marine who was beaten into a coma by up to a dozen white Dade County police officers on Dec. 17, 1979. It should be a day Miami never forgets. At least six Dade County Public Safety officers savagely beat Arthur McDuffie into a coma near the corner of North Miami Avenue and Northeast 38th Street in the early hours of that Monday morning on Dec. 17, 1979. Though McDuffie would die four days later, justice was never truly served as the acquittal of the four officers involved would spark the McDuffie Riots. For nearly 45 years, only a stretch of Northwest 17th Avenue named after McDuffie enshrined his memory. That changed Saturday morning when Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and County Commissioner Keon Hardemon unveiled a historical marker dedicated to McDuffie on the very same corner that forever changed the course of Miami history. OUTSIDE THE 305: San Francisco apologizes to Black residents for decades of racist policies San Francisco NAACP President Amos Brown, third from right, listens at a San Francisco Board of Supervisors meeting at City Hall, Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024, in San Francisco. Supervisors in San Francisco formally apologized Tuesday to African Americans and their descendants for the citys role in perpetuating racism and discrimination. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vasquez) San Franciscos Board of Supervisors apologized Tuesday to African and their descendants for the citys role in perpetuating racism and discrimination, the Associated Press reported. This historic resolution apologizes on behalf of San Francisco to the African American community and their descendants for decades of systemic and structural discrimination, targeted acts of violence, atrocities, said Supervisor Shamann Walton, as well as committing to the rectification and redress of past policies and misdeeds. HIGH CULTURE: Swiss-born Montreux Jazz fest comes to Miami for the first time Jon Batiste headlines two nights at the Montreux Jazz Festival Miami on Friday, March 1 and Saturday, March 2. On Sunday, March 3, Daryl Hall is the draw at The Hangar at Regatta Harbour in Coconut Grove. For the first time in its history, Switzerlands Montreux Jazz Festival, which has kept the summers on chilly Lake Geneva hot for nearly 60 years, is expanding to the subtropics. Montreux Jazz Festival Miami will hold its inaugural event in Coconut Grove from Friday, March 1 through Sunday, March 3, showcasing a lineup that includes Grammy winner Jon Batiste and Miami-native Cecile McLorin Salvant. The festival will be the first time Switzerlands Montreux Jazz Festival expands to the subtropics. Where does The 44 Percent name come from? Click here to find out how Miami history influenced the newsletters title. An Iranian political scientist accused by the feds of covertly working for Tehran while lobbying the U.S. government is blaming the Islamic Republic for roping him into a situation that ultimately threatened to put him behind bars for a decade. Lotfolah Kaveh Afrasiabi, who was, among other things, an adviser to Irans nuclear negotiation team, says he was lied to about the legality of an illicit consulting gig by former Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, according to a $50 million lawsuit obtained by The Daily Beast. Afrasiabi claims in the suit that he got duped into taking the position after getting false reassurances by Zarif, and names the ex-FM, the Islamic Republic of Iran, its Mission to the United Nations, and several others as defendants, claiming they exposed him to a federal prosecution that thoroughly ruined his life. When Afrasiabi was arrested and charged in January 2021, the nations top national security prosecutor claimed the 67-year-old had for years pitched himself to Congress, journalists, and the American public as a neutral and objective expert on Iran. However, all the while, Afrasiabi was actually a secret employee of the Government of Iran and the Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the United Nations who was being paid to spread their propaganda, then-Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers said in a statement at the time. But Afrasaibi, an Iranian citizen who has been a permanent U.S. resident since 1985, says in his lawsuit that he would never have accepted the position had he not been repeatedly mislead [sic] and negligently assured that [it] was a United Nations authorized role. To that end, Afrasaibi argues that Zarif, Iranian diplomat Gholamali Khoshroo, and a pair of mission functionaries are solely responsible for the dire consequences Afrasiabi suffered including his subsequent arrest, incarceration, prosecution, house arrest, public defamation, job loss, and significant damages to his reputation and to his career. Afrasaibis attorney, William Keefe, told The Daily Beast that he could not comment on the record because he is hoping to discuss a resolution with the Iranian defendants. He declined on Thursday to make Afrasiabi available for an interview. Officials at the Iranian Mission to the UN in New York City did not respond to a request for comment. An email sent to Zarif, now a professor at the University of Tehran, went unanswered. Afrasaibi has had a long rapport with Irans UN Mission, according to his lawsuit, which was filed on Feb. 26. In it, Afrasiabi says the relationship began in 1990 after The New York Times published a letter he wrote, titled Give Iran Credit for the Strides It Has Taken. Afrasaibi had access to top Iranian officials, and Mike Wallace from 60 Minutes subsequently contacted him to work with the show as an Iran expert. He introduced Wallace to Iranian UN Representative Kemal Kharazi, and got Kharazi guest spots on CBS World News during the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, states the lawsuit, which was filed Feb. 26 in Boston federal court. Afrasibi, a confidante of leftist intellectual Noam Chomsky, also wrote op-eds for various newspapers and interviewed influential members of the Iranian government, according to the suit. In 2005, at the request of Irans Deputy Oil Minister (and present Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Roads) Mohammad Hadi Nejad Hosseinian, Afrasiabi represented the nation at two international oil conferences in Istanbul and Baku, Azerbaijan, the suit goes on. He traveled with then-Iranian President Mohammad Khatami to Turkmenistan, Germany, Spain, and New York, and in 2007, was Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejads personal guest at a National Press Club luncheon in Washington, D.C. In early 2007, Zarif approached Afrasaibi about becoming a consultant to Irans Mission to the UN, according to the lawsuit. It says Afrasiabi wondered if that was legal and permitted, given the U.S. sanctions on Iran, and that Zarif promised to investigate. Approximately two weeks later, Zarif informed Afrasiabi that he had looked into this matter and that the Mission was allowed to hire two outside consultants under the UN guidelines, the lawsuit continues, adding that Afrasaibis contract as an international affairs consultant began that spring. For the next decade-and-a-half, Afrasiabi would receive a monthly salary of $3,000 from the Iranians, and was on the UN missions health plan, the suit states. In exchange, Afrasiabi claims he did his best to help both sides foster more peaceful relations. Afrasiabi repeatedly used his rapport with Iran for the sake of U.S. hostages in Iran, the lawsuit states. A case in point is when Afrasiabi collaborated with the M.I.T. Linguistics Professor Noam Chomsky for the release of three American hikers held in Iran in the years 2008-2009. Also, Afrasiabi helped the family of an F.B.I. agent Robert Levinson, who was missing in Iran. Afrasiabi refused the familys offer of monetary compensation for his humanitarian efforts. Afrasiabi says he also collaborated with future U.S. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter, who was then the director of preventive diplomacy at Harvards Kennedy School of Government, on a joint proposal to prevent accidental warfare in the Persian Gulf between Iran and the U.S. The lawsuit says Afrasiabi worked to persuade Zarif to agree to the proposal, and that he received a positive response from the FM. Afrasiabi insists he didnt hide anything, participating in meetings at the UN attended by former U.S. diplomats, and deposited Irans checks into his personal account at Chase Bank. According to the suit, Afrasiabi received repeated assurances from several Iranian ambassadors that his consulting role was fully legal and legitimate under the United Nations standards. His Iranian bosses asked Afrasiabi for copies of his passport, green card, and fingerprints to submit to the UN for registration purposes, giving the entire affair a sheen of legitimacy, the lawsuit states. However, when Ahmad Sheikhzadeh, another consultant to Irans UN Mission, was charged in 2017 with conspiring to violate U.S. sanctions laws, Afrasiabi got spooked, according to his lawsuit. He says he immediately asked to meet with Khoshroo, and expressed his concern as to why a consultant to the Mission was in trouble. Khoshroo firmly assured Afrasiabi that Mr. Sheikhzadeh had been accused of money laundering and was not in trouble over his consulting role, and that Afrasiabi had nothing to worry about, the lawsuit states. Ambassador Khoshroo reiterated that Afrasiabis consulting role was being registered at the United Nations, and asked him to resubmit his personal documents for UN approval. Afrasiabi says in the suit that everything he was told had him fully convinced that his consulting role was fully legal and legitimate under the United Nations guidelines. On Jan. 18, 2021, Afrasiabi found himself in handcuffs. His arrest by the FBI at home in Watertown, Massachusetts, left Afrasiabi completely shocked, according to the lawsuit. He was hit with one count of violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), a federal crime carrying up to 10 years in prison. Since at least 2007 to the present, Afrasiabi has also been secretly employed by the Iranian government and paid by Iranian diplomats assigned to the [Iranian UN Mission], the Department of Justice said in an announcement of the charges. Afrasiabi has been paid approximately $265,000 in checks drawn on the [missions] official bank accounts since 2007, and has received health insurance through the [missions] employee health benefit plans since at least 2011. Acting U.S. Attorney Seth DuCharme said at the time that Afrasiabi had sought to influence the American public and American policymakers for the benefit of his employer, the Iranian government, by disguising propaganda as objective policy analysis and expertise. Without FARAs requirement for foreign agents to declare their paymasters, the American people would not have the necessary tools to evaluate opinions and arguments in the marketplace of ideas, according to DuCharme. Former Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP via Getty Images) After three days in a federal lockup, Afrasaibi was released on a significant bail posted by Afrasiabis family. He was remanded to home confinement for the next two years while awaiting trial, with an electronic ankle monitor, a strict curfew, and allowed four hours of outside activity a week, according to court records. But, Afrasiabi claims in his new lawsuit, The shame associated with the ankle bracelet attached to his leg prevented Afrasiabi from exiting his home and engaging in his normal activities including exercise. Afrasiabi denied the allegations, and his pleas to the Iranian Mission for an attorney to defend him fell on deaf ears, the lawsuit states. Instead, Afrasiabi opted to represent himself in court. In one letter to the judge, he argued strongly against the governments characterization of him as a destabilizing force beholden to an enemy nation, insisting that his theological and literary works alone prove that he is a humanist with a keen commitment to global and human causes. Afrasiabi also lodged a formal complaint with Irans Ministry of Foreign Affairs, sending it via his court-appointed standby attorney to both the Iranian UN Mission and to Irans Interests Section at the Pakistani Embassy in Washington, D.C. In it, Afrasiabi demanded an explanation, according to his lawsuit, which says he sent a copy of the complaint to the UNs Legal Department, as well. Afrasiabi never got a response, the lawsuit says. News of his arrest was carried by major outlets throughout the U.S. and the rest of the world, which made Afrasiabi the target of numerous attacks on social media by the various Iran opposition groups, including by the group known as MEK and the supporters of the Iranian monarchy. In a letter to the judge overseeing Afrasiabis case, Noam Chomsky said his pal had played a pivotal role in diplomatic efforts to convince Iran to release the three hikers, which it eventually did in 2011. I was personally involved in the efforts to obtain their release, and knowing that Professor Afrasiabi had some Iranian contacts, I asked him for suggestions about how to help. He was very forthcoming. Apart from suggestions, he tried as best he could to intervene personally to expedite their quick release from imprisonment, another of many illustrations of his engagement in human rights activities in Iran and elsewhere, Chomsky wrote. The renowned linguist and social critic further supported the condemned man in an email where he backed Afrasiabis testimony about his mistreatment by prosecutors. When Afrasiabi wrote to the federal judge that he had suffered more than any other academic in modern American history, and begged to be allowed the tranquility of retirement instead of the hot furnace of the instant action, Chomsky followed up in an email by commenting, Powerful statement, I hope someone will hear. But the letter to U.S. District Judge Brian M. Cogan didnt change his situation at all. Then, in September 2023, Afrasiabis misfortunes suddenly turned. He was granted a full pardon by President Joe Biden as part of a controversial prisoner swap that saw five American detainees sprung from captivity in Iran and five Iranians released from U.S. jails. Afrasiabi remained in the U.S., contrary to calls by Republicans for him to be expelled. In his lawsuit, Afrasiabi says he welcomed the dismissal of charges against him as he was innocent. Afrasiabi continued his letter-writing campaign, complaining to Iranian officials that he had been lied to. Last fall, Afrasiabis lawsuit says he finally heard back from Zarif, who stated in writing that he did not know about U.S. law and was only a political scientist at the time of Afrasiabis hiring by Irans Mission. In response, Afrasiabi told Zarif that he was entitled to a full compensation for the damages brought about by the negligent and misleading information given to him. When it never came, Afrasiabi sued. He is now claiming negligent misrepresentation, fraudulent hiring, fraudulent renewal of contract, and infliction of emotional damage. Afrasiabi wants $50 million in compensatory and punitive damages, plus legal fees and other costs. The Iranian government has not yet filed a response in court to Afrasiabis claims. 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. US airman Jack Teixeira was detained in April 2023 in a dramatic arrest broadcast live on TV networks (-) Jack Teixeira, the US airman accused of leaking top secret Pentagon documents in an online chat forum, will plead guilty to charges that could land him in prison for decades, court documents showed Thursday. Prosecutors requested a change of plea hearing for March 4, at which Teixeira will confirm his decision to reverse his current plea of not guilty. The Massachusetts Air National Guard IT specialist was arrested in April for allegedly orchestrating the most damaging leak of US classified documents in a decade, some of which concerned the war in Ukraine. He is facing six counts of retaining and transmitting national defense information. They each carry sentences of up to 10 years in prison. Teixeira is accused of posting the documents -- some dated as recently as early March 2023 -- to a private chat group on the social media platform Discord. Some of the files later appeared on other sites, including Twitter, 4Chan and Telegram. The documents, which soon spread across the internet, pointed to US concern over Ukraine's military capacity against invading Russian forces and showed Washington had apparently spied on allies Israel and South Korea, among other sensitive details. It was the biggest such breach since the 2013 dump of National Security Agency documents by Edward Snowden and raised tough questions about access by Teixeira and other junior staffers to high-level secrets. Teixeira was an airman first class, the third-lowest rank for enlisted US Air Force personnel and had possessed a top secret security clearance since 2021. In May 2023 a judge ordered that Teixeira remain in jail after prosecutors argued he posed an ongoing risk to American national security. Prosecutors said that Teixeira might still have access to classified documents and that "hostile" nations could aid his escape if he was released from prison. They also cited his history of making "violent" statements. Teixeira wrote on social media in November 2022 that he wanted to "kill a ton of people" because it would be "culling the weak minded," the prosecution wrote in a court document. Teixeira was detained in April 2023 in a dramatic arrest broadcast live on TV networks. gw/nro As part of theGrios Running Black election series, theGrio sits down with the longtime Hollywood star who says hes ready to serve Michigan voters. TheGrios Running Black election series profiles Black candidates running for office in the 2024 elections. If successful, each candidate profiled could make history in their state. Hear from them in their own words about whats at stake in their races, for the country, and for Black and brown communities on the political margin. Award-winning actor and advocate Hill Harper is running for the United States Senate in the purple state of Michigan. The 57-year-old Democratic Senate candidate and single father hopes to replace retiring U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., in November. That is, if he can survive the Democratic primary on Aug. 6. Harper, best known for his roles in CSI: NY and Good Doctor, wants to hang up his acting hat to embark on what he hopes will be a new calling in public service. After over 30 years in the television and film industry, Harper has drawn much from acting that he believes prepared him for a political career. Im proud to be an actor because the one thing acting gives you is the ability to walk in someone elses shoes, he told theGrio. It gives you empathy you dont judge a character you play. You try to understand them. Harper, the son of doctors an anesthesiologist and psychiatrist said his political activism dates back to his days as an undergraduate student at Brown University when he and others protested and advocated for divestment from South Africa over its apartheid laws. Reflecting on the state of the country and the world today, he said, This is a matter of life and death. Good common sense people have to start running for office, and unless we do, were giving away our democracy, he told theGrio. Were seeing people literally die because of the decisions that are being made, or the lack of decisions that are being made. As he embarks on his new role as Senate candidate in a state he believes is a microcosm of the rest of the nation, Harper says hes most concerned with policy issues like labor, manufacturing, tech, migration, and health care affordability. As the controversial war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza region continues, there is also a political spillover happening in Dearborn, Michigan, driven by outrage there with large Arab, Muslim, and Jewish communities. If he is able to emerge victorious in the Democratic primary race and subsequently win the general election, Harper will make history as the first Black American from Michigan to serve in the U.S. Senate. NEW YORK, NEW YORK JULY 25: Hill Harper attends as SAG-AFTRA members hold Rock The City For A Fair Contract rally in Times Square on July 25, 2023 in New York City. Members of SAG-AFTRA, Hollywoods largest union which represents actors and other media professionals, have joined striking WGA (Writers Guild of America) workers in the first joint walkout against the studios since 1960. The strike could shut down Hollywood productions completely with writers in the third month of their strike against the Hollywood studios. (Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images) Despite his fame, Harper is considered an underdog in this years election. Born in Iowa City, Iowa, in 1966, some Michigan voters view him as a transplant. While in Detroit during an event discussing racial equity, a group of local Black female advocates told theGrio that Harpers candidacy will likely be an uphill battle because he is not homegrown. Hill purchased a residence in the state where he also owns a Detroit coffee shop, the Roasting Plant, among his other entrepreneurial projects and ventures across the country. In his efforts to win the primary and general elections, Harper said his campaign is trying to do it the good old-fashioned way. To date, only 12 Black Americans have served in the U.S. Senate. One of those U.S. senators, former President Barack Obama, whom Harper befriended as a student at Harvard Law School in the early 1990s. Despite that progress, the number of Black U.S. senators pales to the nearly 12,000 non-Black U.S. senators elected. People get shocked there has been a higher percentage of Black presidents (1 out of 45) in the U.S. than there has been a percentage of Black U.S. Senators, said Harper, who noted that some Black U.S. senators were appointed and not elected statewide. For those who may question his lack of experience to serve in the U.S. Senate, Harper named U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., and Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., as examples of those who had no political background before being elected to Congress. While Harper has never served in elected office, he contributed his voice to political issues and brought his expertise to advance policy. He served in Obama for Americas National Finance Committee and President Obamas Cancer Panel, which worked with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to make policy recommendations to the White House. With his campaign, Harper said he is fighting the establishment, telling theGrio, Power does not concede easily. His words closely mirrored the historical phrase from abolitionist and scholar Frederick Douglass: Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did, and it never will. Unlike other politicians, Harper said he is in this race to represent people, declaring, Im not here to represent the party. He added, Neither party has ever been interested in insurgent, independent-minded candidates who cant be bought, bossed or bullied. Though some may question his candidacy because of his Hollywood roots, Harper recalled the advice from the late actor and civil rights activist Harry Belafonte, who he described as his idol and somewhat of a mentor. Belafonte told Harper, You have to be political. You have to be an activist if you are going to truly impact the world. Never miss a beat: Get our daily stories straight to your inbox with theGrios newsletter. The post Actor Hill Harper says running for office is a natural fit dating back decades appeared first on TheGrio. LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is warning anyone seeking treatment for a substance abuse disorder through Pine Rest Christian Services, to beware of a fake phone number posted online. An attorney for Pine Rest said patients have been improperly diverted to out-of-state facilities by fake online phone numbers claiming to be for Pine Rest. Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services is a mental health care service provider, located in Western Michigan and provides inpatient mental health services, outpatient counseling, inpatient detoxification, along with mental health services. Pine Rest said when some patients search for its company using their cell phones, the fake advertisement appears on search results. Upon calling the number, people seeking treatment are told there are no beds or appointments available and attempt to divert patients to another mental health service provider typically out-of-state such as California to receive services, according to Pine Rest. This appears to be a cruel scheme targeting those suffering from substance abuse disorder, striking treatment-seeking victims in a moment of courage when theyve finally sought professional help, said Nessel. This scam heaps fake hurdles to mental health assistance upon already vulnerable individuals and could further burden them with significant unnecessary costs if they can afford to get the recommended out-of-state help. For those who could afford treatment close to home but not expensive out-of-state options, they may be deterred from treatment permanently. That is especially egregious and cruel when the treatment they seek is potentially lifesaving substance abuse services. My office will investigate these allegations thoroughly and bring all appropriate charges if laws have been broken, said Nessel. The real Pine Rest Christian Services phone number is (800) 678-5500. For more information, Pine Rest published a news release warning potential patients. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WLNS 6 News. By Ludwig Burger and Emma-Victoria Farr FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Bayer may have to ask shareholders for fresh capital to shore up its finances even after the debt-laden German drugmaker slashed dividends last week in its latest effort to get wiggle room, analysts said. But new CEO Bill Anderson may struggle to win over investors, who have seen the company's value sink by two thirds since its $63 billion acquisition of Monsanto in 2018, which saddled it with costly litigation and debt. The debate over a possible share issue comes as Anderson, who was hired last June to revive the company's fortunes, prepares to deliver a strategic investor update in London on Tuesday. He is already cutting management jobs. The company faces a deluge of problems including U.S. litigation alleging harm from weed-killer glyphosate, a development setback for its most promising experimental medicine, weak agriculture markets and investor pressure to separate or sell businesses. Anderson is under pressure to cut net debt, which was almost 39 billion euros ($42 billion) at end-September, so he can invest in much-needed drug development projects, investors say. "To create the structures that generate growth again, the pharma division needs acquisitions. I don't see how this can be achieved by cutting dividends and costs alone," said Fabian Wenner, wealth management analyst at Swiss bank Julius Baer. "Bayer needs a breakout moment. I imagine that a rights issue could be an option," he added. He said the company could consider selling its consumer health products unit, valued by some analysts at 13-14 billion euros, but a fire sale would force the company to accept a discount. Anderson does not have time on his side. Martin Schnee, an analyst at independent equity research firm AlphaValue, said a capital increase worth 5 billion euros or around 25 euros per share, a discount to Tuesday's closing price of 29 euros, could be called for if Bayer can't sell assets in the short term. Story continues "I could imagine Bayer winning over shareholders to back a capital increase," he said, but added a steeper discount on the share sale could throw the transaction into doubt. Divestment proceeds, such as a spin-off and partial sale of the agriculture unit, could help avoid a cash call, he said. Two people close to Bayer said a capital increase was not on the agenda. One of the sources said any consideration about it in the future would be influenced by the verdict of major credit rating agencies, where a downgrade translates into higher interest rates. AlphaValue's Schnee said that Bayer primarily needs to avoid the spike in borrowing costs that would result from slipping two or three notches, depending on the agency, into non-investment grade ratings. Bayer declined to comment. Barclays analysts, in a note earlier this month, said a capital increase, or a sale of the agriculture or consumer products business to a peer in the industry, might be needed. SALE VS CASH CALL Bayer last week slashed its dividend to cut debt and increase flexibility, keeping what analysts estimate would have been combined payouts of 6-7 billion euros. Anderson is grappling with legacy issues from Monsanto, which was engineered by his predecessor Werner Baumann, mainly due to costly litigation over an alleged cancer-causing effect of glyphosate. Discussion of a cash call prompted criticism from investors. Markus Manns, a portfolio manager at Bayer investor Union Investment, called for the former Roche executive to make a full or partial sale of the consumer unit instead. "As long as that option has not been thoroughly assessed, a capital increase would be an affront to shareholders," he said. A top 10 Bayer investor, who declined to be named, said Anderson would struggle to convince shareholders of the need for a cash call over internal restructuring and asset disposals. Since the Monsanto deal closed in mid-2018, Bayer stock has lost 65% of its value, including reinvested dividends, compared with a 56% gain in the pan European healthcare index. Anderson has faced calls by some investors to break up the group to boost its share price. The CEO has said he is still reviewing options. People familiar with the matter told Reuters he will likely hold off on presenting specific break-up plans next week and focus on an internal management overhaul and job cuts. (Reporting by Ludwig Burger, Emma-Victoria Farr and Patricia Weiss; Editing by Josephine Mason and Christina Fincher) The former independent immigration watchdog called UK border protection "neither effective nor efficient" in a report that went unpublished by the government for nine months. David Neal found e-passport gates at airports were staffed by "distracted" officers who lacked basic equipment. The accusation is within 13 previously withheld reports written by Mr Neal, who was sacked last week. MPs criticised the delay as reports are normally released within eight weeks. Mr Neal was let go from his role last week after details of his findings appeared in newspapers. The publication of the overdue reports were "a demonstration of transparency and acceptance of independent scrutiny", the Home Office said on Thursday, adding that a further two reports would be published in the next eight weeks. As the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration (ICIBI) at the time, Mr Neal wrote that an inspection of the e-passport system at airports found border officials distracted and stressed, lacking basic communication equipment. The report, completed in May 2023, said resources were inconsistently deployed, and border posts went unmanned while staff went to get additional help. The Home Office acknowledged airports were "complicated", but said its aim was "to provide a professional and adaptable service which protects the public by providing a secure border, whilst facilitating legitimate travel and trade." Two other reports, looking at the use of hotels to house unaccompanied asylum seeking children and families, said "basic bread-and-butter checks" on hotel staff had not been carried out. They also highlighted the chaotic handling of Afghans who came to the UK after the Taliban takeover in Kabul in August 2021. He said the Home Office had been unable to process cases efficiently, and poor IT systems led officials to contact some of the evacuees by phone to ask if they had permission to remain in the UK. A 'burning platform' His report on the asylum system described it as a "burning platform that required radical action". It questioned why the Home Office had not taken action to address an increasing backlog of cases before Rishi Sunak promised in December 2022 to clear them. Mr Neal said there had been a soaring number of asylum cases withdrawn, or cancelled, by the Home Office after the prime minister's announcement. "22% of all decisions made since June 2022 were withdrawals, and, incredibly, only one underwent formal quality assurance. This is not acceptable," said Mr Neal. "I am concerned that the focus on clearing the legacy backlog 'at all costs' has led to perverse outcomes for claimants and staff." Mr Neal was sacked last week after the Home Office said he breached the terms of his role and leaked confidential information. David Neal was sacked last week after details of critical reports appeared in newspapers Mr Neal had told the Daily Mail he had seen Home Office data suggesting that just 21% of private jets classified as high risk, which came into London City Airport, were inspected by immigration officials last year. Immigration minister Tom Pursglove told the Commons the Home Office "categorically" rejected claims. But when he appeared before MPs on the Home Affairs Select Committee on Tuesday, Mr Neal said he had been "sacked for doing his job" on a Microsoft Teams call with Home Secretary James Cleverly. He added that he stood by the contents of his report on private jets. "I wouldn't have submitted it and behaved in the way I've done if there were any doubts it wasn't accurate," he said. In one report Mr Neal had accused the Home Office of "sitting on" his revelations in 2022. A source at the department described the reports as "dirty nappies" left behind in the Home Office. Labour shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said Tory ministers had "sat on these devastating reports for months in a bid to hide their utter failure to protect our borders." "They have tried to bury this bad news, but the public deserve the truth," Ms Cooper added. A spokeswoman for No. 10 Downing Street downplayed suggestions the delay was deliberate, and said the government had "wanted to publish [the reports] as swiftly as possible following the necessary and appropriate due diligence". A Home Office spokeswoman said: "In January the Home Secretary made a promise to the previous Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration to publish all overdue reports as soon as possible. "Today we have delivered on that promise by publishing all 13 reports that were overdue. "The publication of these reports that scrutinise the activity of the Home Office and make recommendations for improvement is in and of itself a demonstration of transparency and acceptance of independent scrutiny. "A final two reports from the former Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration will be published in the established eight week period. A process of appointing his replacement is already underway." Rep. Terri Collins, R-Decatur, discusses a bill aimed at allowing in vitro fertilization processes to proceed in the Alabama House of Representatives in the Alabama Statehouse on Feb. 29, 2024 in Montgomery, Alabama. The Alabama House and Senate debated legislation seeking to address an Alabama Supreme Court decision that shut down most IVF programs in the state. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector) The Alabama Legislature Thursday approved bills to extend criminal and civil immunity to in vitro fertilization (IVF) providers, trying to address the fallout of an Alabama Supreme Court decision that declared frozen embryos children. HB 237, sponsored by Rep. Terri Collins, R-Decatur, passed the House on a 94-6 vote late Thursday morning. The Senate passed SB 159, sponsored by Sen. Tim Melson, R-Florence, on a 34-0 vote. Both bills passed after hours of debate in both chambers. Republicans and Democrats in the House both expressed concerns over unintended consequences. Democrats in both chambers questioned if it would be enough to protect IVF in the state, and accused Republicans of pursuing anti-abortion policies including a 2018 Sanctity of Life amendment and a 2019 abortion ban that led to the courts decision. Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro, said the IVF conundrum was an I told you so moment. Youve just got to eat this one up, he said. You cause this problem and youre going have to deal with this problem. Women all over the state should be pointing their fingers at you. You made this bed. And now youve got to sleep in it. Collins and Melson both described their bills as a temporary fixes aimed at reopening IVF programs and said a long-term solution would be needed. Collins, who sponsored the 2019 abortion ban, discussed the possibility of a task force to develop that longer-term solution. Were going to continue to need to work together to fix the problem, but right now we were wanting to get the clinics open for the families to be using them, and this that does, Collins said. The state Supreme Court on Feb. 16 ruled that frozen embryos destroyed at a Mobile clinic could be considered children, and that their parents could pursue civil damages under an 1872 state law. Many IVF programs in the state, including one at the University of Alabama Birmingham, stopped offering the service, citing concerns about legal consequences for patients and providers. The decision has drawn criticism from around the nation. Hundreds of people who have used or administered IVF came to the Alabama Statehouse on Wednesday to urge action on the issue. Alabama lawmakers have been racing to try to develop a solution. But supporters also had questions about the legislation. A man in a blue suit and tie Rep. Chris England, D-Tuscaloosa, speaks during a debate on a bill aimed at preserving in vitro fertilization services in Alabama in the Alabama House of Representatives at the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Alabama on Feb. 29, 2024. The House approved a bill providing criminal and civil immunity to IVF providers, following an Alabama Supreme Court ruling that caused many programs to close their doors. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector) Democrats said the court decision rested on when life begins, and noted the bill does not address that question. Some also expressed concern about extending blanket criminal and civil immunity to both providers and patients, saying that it does not protect patients from malpractice. Rep. Chris England, D-Tuscaloosa, said that giving blanket immunity is requiring [the Legislature] to be morally ambiguous and intellectually dishonest. England said that the bill avoided addressing the courts finding, based in part on a 2018 Sanctity of Life constitutional amendment, that a frozen embryo is an unborn child. He accused the legislative majority of trying to avoid a lawsuit over any legislation that could contradict the courts finding. If in fact, we have a constitutional amendment that requires us to adopt public policy that these embryos have a right to life, can we pass a law that authorizes life to be taken in fertility clinics? he said. Many Republicans speaking against the bill wanted more restrictions on IVF treatments, such as having a process for dealing with embryos once households achieve their family goals, arguing that a frozen embryo represents a life. Rep. Ernie Yarbrough, R-Trinity, who voted against the bill, said that the ruling and the attention it has gotten had possibly uncovered a silent Holocaust going on in our state. Yarbrough said that lawmakers should take the time to work out legislation that prevents the destruction of children they werent aware of. Its a self-imposed pause the IVF facilities in this state have put on themselves must continue until weve determined what is moral and righteous and life preserving, Yarbrough said. Is this not worth the pause? He offered an amendment to add that immunity shall not be provided to those who intentionally causes the destruction of an embryo. The amendment was tabled, with Democratic House members voting with Yarbrough. A tough situation A man at a lectern Sen. Tim Melson, R-Florence, listens during a debate in the Alabama Senate on a bill extending immunity to in vitro fertilization programs on Feb. 29, 2024 at the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Alabama. The Alabama House and Senate both debated measures aimed at restarting IVF programs in the state, after a Feb. 16 Alabama Supreme Court decision led many to shut down. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector) The question of when life starts also entered a debate in the Alabama Senate over a similar bill sponsored by Sen. Tim Melson, R-Florence. Melson circulated a draft bill last week that would have excluded fertilized eggs or embryos not implanted in a womb from a definition of life, but dropped that language in the measure filed this week. Melson said before the Senate convened Thursday that he didnt take a poll on what the Republican caucus preferred, but also didnt want to make anyone uncomfortable by having to take a position on the issue. It just seemed like it would be one thing thatll put them in, like I say, just a tough situation to make that determination with the short period of time, he said. A man in a suit pointing Senate Minority Leader Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro, gestures during an Alabama Senate debate over a bill extending immunity to in vitro fertilization providers on Feb. 29, 2024 at the Alabama Statehouse in Montgomery, Alabama. The House and Senate Thursday both considered measures aimed at restarting IVF programs that stopped following a Feb. 16 Alabama Supreme Court ruling. (Brian Lyman/Alabama Reflector) While the question of when life begins was central to the Supreme Courts ruling, Melson said that they didnt think it was necessary to state when life begins for IVF and thinks it might survive judicial scrutiny. Rep. Juandalynn Givan, D-Birmingham, said that she was concerned with patient rights in the event of malpractice. She argued that Alabama claims to be a pro-life state, but they arent looking after the lives of patients. She said that there is something seriously wrong with this piece of legislation and that urgency of passing the legislation leads to death. You are now saying that the mother who may have had to have an IVF procedure, the doctor has committed some act, using a best practice, and hes immune to prosecution. Thats not right, she said. Melson, speaking in the Senate, said he believed legal action would still be possible in those situations. Theyre still going to be susceptible to, Ill just call it malpractice, he said during that chambers debate. Rep. Anthony Daniels, D-Huntsville, has introduced a constitutional amendment that would declare that a fertilized embryo is not a child. Daniels said that he doesnt know how the Supreme Court will look at the current piece of legislation. We certainly got to have realistic conversation and not continue to sidestep and work around the issue at hand. Because these families this is their last best chance to be able to bring life into this world, he said. Sen. Linda Coleman-Madison, D-Birmingham, said the Legislature was not taking all the steps needed, and compared the situation to putting out a fire by throwing a little water on it. We look around and say Its out,' she said. We walk away, which is whats going to happen today. But you got little embers that are still burning there. We walk on we go home, we adjourn because this session is moving fast. And then they say You know, we got a huge brush fire thats out there because something happened and we didnt get it right. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Alabama Legislature passes bills aimed at protecting in vitro fertilization appeared first on Alabama Reflector. The Alabama House of Representatives and state Senate both passed bills Thursday giving in vitro fertilization (IVF) service providers civil and criminal immunity from prosecution or legal action related to the goods and services they provide, just weeks after the states Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos can be considered children under the law. The bill passed the Alabama House of Representatives with 94 yeas, six nays and three abstentions. It will now head to the Alabama Senate. In the state Senate, a bill essentially identical to the one in the House passed unanimously with 34 yeas. The two chambers now just have to prepare the enrolled bill for Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R), who has indicated she will sign the bill into law. The legislation would provide civil and criminal immunity to persons providing goods and services related to in vitro fertilization in certain circumstances; to provide retroactive effect; and to provide for the repeal of the act on a certain date. This exemption does not apply in situations that involve an act or omission that is both intentional and not arising from or related to IVF services. This comes after several fertility clinics, including the largest health care provider in Alabama, paused IVF services due to concerns of legal action in the event that frozen embryos stored at their facilities were destroyed. The Alabama Supreme Court ruled earlier this month that an 1872 law that allows families to sue for damages in the event of a wrongful death of minor did not have any exemptions, explicit or unwritten, for frozen embryos. While the court acknowledged concerns that allowing embryos to be considered children would make IVF services more difficult to provide in Alabama, it stated in its ruling that those issues were for the state Legislature to address. This cleared the way for patients whose embryos had been accidentally destroyed at an Alabama fertility clinic to sue for damages, after a lower court had previously dismissed the lawsuit upon finding frozen embryos did not meet the definition of a person or child.' The high courts ruling and the subsequent pause on services has led members of the GOP to scramble, as they both agree with the court finding embryos can be considered children while opposing the inadvertent restrictions the decision placed on IVF access. Fertility specialists said Thursday that the legislation passed in Alabama didnt go far enough. We are pleased that the members of the Alabama General Assembly have responded to that advocacy and have repeatedly stated their interest in providing a legislative solution. However, the legislation weve seen this week as a proposed solution even as most recently revised is inadequate insofar as it fails to correct the Supreme Courts nonsensical stance that fertilized eggs are scientifically and legally equivalent to children, Sean Tipton, chief advocacy and policy officer for the American Society for Reproductive Medicine said in a statement. Therefore, we believe these bills will not provide the assurances Alabamas fertility physicians need to be confident they can continue to provide the best standard of care to their patients without putting themselves, their colleagues, and their patients at legal risk. Senate Democrats earlier this week attempted to force a vote on a bill that would similarly protect access to IVF services, but Republicans blocked it, claiming the legislation was full of poison pills and overreached its aims. Updated at 6:20 p.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Alabama lawmakers moved to protect in vitro fertilization treatments in the state, days after a state judicial ruling on embryos led to clinics that offered the reproductive technique to suspend services. Alabamas house and senate both passed a measure on Thursday intended to provide legal protections to IVF clinics, a temporary fix to problems created by a state supreme court ruling that deemed frozen embryos extrauterine children. Related: We did it in cattle: Alabama Republicans bungled response to IVF patients The measure passed the lower chamber by 94 to 6 before also being passed by the state senate. The legislation is expected to be signed by the governor, which could make the provision law early next week. The bill, known as HB 237, was passed after three hours of debate. It came after a rally a day earlier where IVF patients, their families and doctors urged lawmakers to quickly resolve the issue. The bill states no action, suit, or criminal prosecution shall be brought or maintained against any individual or entity providing goods or services related to in vitro fertilization except for an act or omission that is both intentional and not arising from or related to IVF services. The bill also states that immunity would apply retroactively to any act, omission, or course of services which are not the subject of litigation on the effective date of this act. The legislations sponsor, Republican representative Terri Collins, said it would at least keep the clinics open and the families moving forward while lawmakers reviewed whether additional action is needed. But the Republican lawmaker Mark Gidley said he was concerned that the measure was a kneejerk reaction, and told the chamber that he did not want it to be used as a way of undermining Alabamas status as a pro-life state, according to Al.com, and said it was important frozen embryos were recognized as human life. Democrat Laura Hall asked Collins, the bills sponsor, why some IVF clinics in the state had remained open. I know youre coming with this Band-Aid today, Hall said. But theres a big open wound out there that needs to be taken care of. Collins said she did not know why some had closed while others remained open. Separately, Alabama house Democrats have proposed an amendment to the state constitution stating that a human embryo held in storage outside a womans uterus is not considered an unborn child or human being for any purpose under state law. The delicacy of the issue was illustrated during the debate when the Tuscaloosa Democrat Chris England asked that if embryos are in fact children then the state, which has an abortion ban with no exceptions for rape, could have to take custody of them if the owner stops paying for the service. Im not sure if youre prepared to create the Alabama department of cryogenics, but thats an issue, England said, according to Al.com. And our temporary solution here is akin to turning a water hose on a burning tree in a forest that is on fire. Representative Arnold Mooney, a Republican, noted that bio ethics issue a massive issue, Mooney said. God creates, not man. Related: US Senate attempt to protect IVF access blocked by Mississippi Republican The new legislation comes after the Alabama supreme court ruled that three couples whose frozen embryos were destroyed in a storage accident could pursue wrongful death lawsuits for their extrauterine children. The issue has travelled to the federal level, where a Republican senator blocked a proposed Democrat-sponsored bill in the US Senate that would have protected access to IVF treatments. The federal bill, which was introduced on Wednesday and would outlaw restrictions placed on IVF treatments, brought up questions in the thinking of anti-abortion, pro-IVF Republicans. The Florida Republican senator Marco Rubio said he supported IVF but also believed frozen embryos used in procedures were human lives. Thats the challenge. Thats at the crux of the ethics of it, Rubio said. In the balance of things, how do our laws recognize the dignity of that human life and also understand what it enables is a life-creating procedure? But Mississippi Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith objected to the bill, named for its sponsor Senator Tammy Duckworth, arguing that it went too far since no state had banned IVF. I support the ability for mothers and fathers to have total access to IVF and bringing new life into the world, Hyde-Smith said in her objection. I also believe human life should be protected. Washington Sen. Katie Britt, an Alabama Republican, will deliver the GOP response to President Biden's State of the Union address next week, Republican Congressional leaders announced Thursday. Britt, 42, became the youngest Republican woman ever elected to the Senate, and the first woman from Alabama, when she won her seat in 2022. In a statement, House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana said Britt's story stands in contrast to "a President not up to the task." "She is a champion for strong families, a secure border, national defense and a vibrant economy with stable prices and opportunities for all," Johnson said. "The American people will tune in as the youngest Republican woman ever elected to the Senate turns the page on the oldest President in history." Sen Katie Britt listens during a Senate Banking Committee hearing on Capitol Hill on June 13, 2023. / Credit: Michael A. McCoy/Getty Images President Biden, 81, is set to deliver his State of the Union address to Congress on March 7. The speech gives him a chance to frame the early stages of a likely general election rematch with former President Donald Trump, who is closing in on the Republican presidential nomination. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, said in a statement that Britt's address will offer a "very different perspective" to Americans. "Senator Katie Britt is an unapologetic optimist, and as one of our nation's youngest Senators, she's wasted no time becoming a leading voice in the fight to secure a stronger American future and leave years of Washington Democrats' failures behind," McConnell said. Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders delivered the response to Mr. Biden last year. "At this decisive moment in our country's history, it's time for the next generation to step up and preserve the American Dream for our children and our grandchildren," Britt said in a statement. The choice of a senator from Alabama comes at a time when the state is embroiled in controversy over a state Supreme Court decision that found frozen embryos can be considered children under state law. The ruling led several health care facilities to pause in vitro fertilization treatments, and the state legislature has scrambled to shield fertility treatments in recent days. Britt, who opposes abortion rights, said in a statement to AL.com last week that she believes "defending life and ensuring continued access to IVF services for loving parents are not mutually exclusive." Alan He contributed reporting. The Smokehouse Creek Fire spreads, extending its reach from Texas to Oklahoma Texas Smokehouse Creek Fire becomes second-largest wildfire in U.S. history Sen. John Cornyn announces bid for Senate Republican leader FRANKLIN COUNTY, Ala. (WHNT) The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency arrested three people Wednesday after a chase through two counties and a search that uncovered a large amount of drugs and multiple guns. At about 3:43 p.m. on Wednesday, Troopers took part in a chase that began on Alabama 24 near the 31 mile marker in Franklin County after a Trooper conducted a traffic stop on a Cadillac Escalade for speeding. Florence vehicle theft suspect punches police chief during arrest, faces more charges The driver of the Cadillac fled during the traffic stop and a pursuit ensued, ALEA said. Authorities said the chase ended on ended on Alabama 24 near Alabama 157 in Lawrence County, with assistance from Moulton Police Department and Lawrence County Sheriffs Department. Special agents with ALEAs State Bureau of Investigation found $50,000 in U.S. Currency, 12.5 pounds of marijuana, 121 dosage units of Liquid THC, 3 handguns, and 1 rifle during a search of the vehicle. The driver, 29-year-old John Borelli of Chesterfield, Mich. was arrested and charged with drug trafficking, felony eluding, possession of firearm with altered serial number, second receiving stolen property, reckless driving, and speeding. ALEA says he was taken into custody without incident. Passengers Darius Braden, 28, of Detroit, Mich. and Cortae Davidson, 20, of Rochester, Minn. were both charged with drug trafficking. Jail records show Borelli was taken to the Lawrence County Detention Center where is being held on bonds totaling $1,518,000. Braden is being held in Lawrence County in lieu of a $1.5 million bond and Davidsons bond is set at $20,000. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WHNT.com. People react outside the Church of the Icon of the Mother of God, ahead of the upcoming funeral of late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, in Moscow Hundreds of people in Russia have been gathering for the funeral service of Alexei Navalny, the vocal Putin critic who died in jail last month. Police have set up barriers around the church outside Moscow where the ceremony is due to take place ahead of his burial later in the day. It is unclear how events will unfold as his team had complained of not even being able to find a hearse. They have accused the Kremlin of having killed the opposition leader. But authorities say Navalny died of natural causes. Navalny died on 16 February in the Russian prison inside the Arctic Circle. He had been jailed for three years on trumped-up charges. The memorial service has been scheduled for 14:00 Moscow time (11:00 GMT) at the Church of the Icon of Our Lady Quench My Sorrows, in Maryino. The burial will then take place at the Borisovskoye Cemetery nearby at 16:00. The funeral service will also be streamed online on Navalny's YouTube channel. But hours before the ceremony, his spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh said they were having difficulties with arrangements. "Unknown people are calling mortuaries and threatening them if they accept to take Alexei's body," Ms Yarmysh said. Navalny died on 16 February in his cell in the prison colony in Siberia where he was being held on a 19-year sentence over charges that were widely seen as politically motivated The opposition leader's team - who are overseas and have encouraged people to attend - have shared a map of the route between the two locations. They also shared a list of places abroad - from Seoul to Rome, Montreal and Stockholm - where people can join memorial services. Speaking to BBC Newshour on Thursday, Navalny's former chief of staff Leonid Volkov said he was concerned about what might happen during the service in Moscow. "I'm afraid that surprises are to be expected tomorrow... frankly, as I speak now, I don't know if they will actually allow people to say goodbye to Alexei," he said. He added that Navalny's team were also worried problems might arise with the church where the service is being held. In March 2015, thousands lined the streets to pay homage to slain opposition politician Boris Nemtsov, but it is unlikely any similar public outpouring of grief for an opponent of President Vladimir Putin would be allowed now. In recent years, Russian authorities have cracked down on any action that could be interpreted as criticism of the government. Attempts at commemorating Navalny's death were met by a heavy-handed response, with makeshift monuments cleared and hundreds arrested. Police have been deployed at the church where the service is due to take place. Telegram channel RusNews also said that surveillance cameras had been installed "on every streetlight" surrounding the cemetery. First Department - a group of lawyers and human rights defenders - has shared advice on social media for those planning to go to Navalny's funeral. It warned about "pro-government activists" acting as provocateurs and urged people to remain vigilant: "Detentions cannot be ruled out after the ceremony... Stay under the radar of security forces - do not use public transport or apply for paperwork in the days after the funeral." The advice also includes not carrying any objects bearing the photograph of Navalny or the symbol of his Anti-Corruption Foundation, which was declared an extremist organisation by Russian authorities. It is not known which members of Navalny's family will be able to attend the funeral other than his mother, Lyudmila, who recently publicly accused the authorities of withholding her son's body. Navalny's children Daria, 23, and Zakhar, 15, live abroad. His widow, Yulia, has also been overseas recently and might be at risk of being arrested if she returns due to her work with Navalny's team and her recent public declarations in which she blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin for her husband's death. The authorities have reportedly tried to thwart Navalny's team's attempts to organise a public farewell ceremony for the opposition leader for days. On Tuesday, Ms Yarmysh said Navalny's team were struggling to find somewhere to hold the ceremony. Some funeral homes had claimed they were fully booked, she said, while others told them they were "forbidden" from working with them. Moscow map showing church and cemetery Dr. Stephen Jones, an Alliance High School graduate who is a general surgeon in Florida, accepted the 2024 Pathfinder Award on Feb. 2, 2024, at the school. Alliance High School celebrated a member of its Class of 2003 with this years Pathfinder Award. Dr. Stephen Jones, now a general surgeon in Florida, was honored Feb. 2 during a ceremony at the school. In honoring Jones, the school district hailed his service and dedication to helping others and inspiring AHS students to reach their full potential. 'Black 14' member honored: Lionel Grimes receives 2022 Pathfinder Award Jones attended the event at the school, and engaged students in discussions as he shared his pathway to success. Jones told students he was part of the National Honor Society and was in the Top 10% of his class at Alliance High School. He attended Youngstown State University and graduated magna cum laude after just two years. In Fall 2006, he enrolled at Northeastern Ohio University College of Medicine. While attending medical school, he served as the president of the college's chapter of the Student National Medical Association. He also served on the diversity council. He graduated with his degree in medicine in 2010. Jones told students that its not always easy to achieve your dreams on the first try. As you know, everybody has obstacles, everyone has hurdles, everyone has difficulties that they have to overcome, Jones said. We can either let that obstacle overcome us, or we can overcome that obstacle. He said he didnt pass the entrance exam for medical school on his first two tries. He was only able to begin his studies after his third try. Even though he had studied and worked hard, he didnt pass. He said he was heartbroken and feeling like a failure. But, he said he knew he was meant to be a doctor and that hed overcome the hurdle. Overcoming obstacles is a true, true practice, Jones said. Its what I like to call the art of turning adversity into opportunity. Obstacles come in failure, come in doubt, adversity, uncertainty. Im sure all of you have experienced at least one, if not all of these, at one point in your life. Each one is a true test of our spirit and in every challenge lies the opportunity to learn and redefine what is actually possible. We are presented with a choice and we can either rise or we can fall. It is in these moments that we can discover the extraordinary strength that resides in us and that shouldnt be taken lightly. Jones encouraged the students to have a positive mindset that will enable them to believe in themselves and to know that they can overcome any obstacle in their path to achieve their goals. Dr. Stephen Jones, center in suit, and members of Alliance High School's 99th Squadron program conduct a question-and-answer portion during the Feb. 2, 2024, Pathfinder assembly at the school. Following Jones speech, he took part in a question-and-answer session moderated by members of the 99th Squadron, a student success, character, leadership and life skills development program aimed at improving Black students' academic and social achievement at Alliance High School. The program also places a particular focus on college and career readiness. Each year, Alliance City Schools hosts a series of Pathfinder Awards assemblies during Black History Month to recognize individuals who have been trailblazers for success. The recipients are recognized in five areas: arts and science, education, humanitarianism, citizenship/government and business. All honorees are alumni who have been an inspiration to minorities in one of the above areas either locally or out of the area, or non-ACS alumni who has been an inspiration to the local area. This article originally appeared on The Alliance Review: Alliance graduate Dr. Stephen Jones wins Pathfinder Award as trailblazer for success Writer and podcaster Coleman Hughes was invited last year to give a TED Talk called "A Case for Color Blindness." After Hughes spoke, some TED employees argued adamantly that his speech should not be released out of concern that it would be harmful to people of color. Eventually, video of the talk was released but with the condition that Hughes engage in a follow-up debate with an opponent who would argue against "color blindness." That move set off opponents of cancel culture, who excoriated TED on social media and beyond. Yet, the debate that emerged out of this awkward compromise wound up being a vital entry into the larger discourse over racial consciousness. Hughes agreed to a moderated debate with New York Times columnist Jamelle Bouie, who was a contributor to the 1619 Project. Co-produced by TED and Open to Debate (and co-released as an episode of "Conversations with Coleman"), the encounter between these two gifted thinkers took place at an interesting moment for the larger national discourse about race. Anti-racism as an ideological perspective gained prominence in America in 2020, and it remains an important point of view. But of course many people do not like that fact, and the number of those Americans seems to be rising. "Black Lives Matter" street sign near the White house in 2020 after the police murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis that Memorial Day ignited nationwide protests against police brutality. Popularity of Black Lives Matter has declined Black Lives Matter, and in particular the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, is a political movement guided by the broader perspectives of anti-racism. If one were to take the popularity of Black Lives Matter as an indicator of the popularity of anti-racism in American life, you would have to see it as in decline. Pew Research Center found approval for Black Lives Matter falling from 67% in 2020 to 51% last April. Black History Month: How Black people have challenged US presidents to deliver on America's promises Likewise, the allegations against Ibram X. Kendi arguably Americas leading scholar of anti-racism over alleged financial and administrative mismanagement of the Center for Antiracist Research at Boston University, likely undercut Americans' esteem for this ideological movement. The university announced in November that its inquiry had found no evidence of financial mismanagement at the center. One of the the chief criticisms of Kendi and other proponents of anti-racism has been that they are averse to debate their critics. So it was encouraging to see Bouie agree to debate Hughes, and the Times columnist proved that there are intelligent arguments to be made from a generally anti-racist perspective that ought not be lightly dismissed. Debate on 'colorblindness' raised important points In the debate, called Does Color Blindness Perpetuate Racism?, Hughes took the position that colorblindness is the fairest, most effective social and political posture from which to defeat the ills of racism. Colorblindness doesnt mean pretending not to see race," he said. "It means that once weve noticed race, we still commit to treating people without regard to it, both in our personal lives and in our public policy. Reinforcing this position, according to Hughes, is the long history of Americas foremost civil rights leaders who argued for a colorblind state and society. If you want to fight racism, remove race from public policy," Hughes said. "And if you want to fight injustice, do so based on class. And by definition, class policies will disproportionately benefit Blacks and Hispanics because they are disproportionately likely to be poor. That was the position of the Civil Rights Movement. Bouie, in arguing that colorblindness in the realm of public policy does perpetuate racism, set his argument against the backdrop of an understanding of race as a set of social relations produced by racism. MLK's vision for a beloved community: Racism devastated our Black neighborhoods through highways. We're building back. Given that race was created by powers in society seeking a justification for slavery and other relationships of subordination and domination between racial groups, it becomes vital in Bouies view not to turn a blind eye to the social relations produced by that subordination and domination. Bouie reinforced his position not by placing class analysis and racial consciousness as opposites, as Hughes did, but rather by analogizing them. The National Labor Relations Act aimed directly at reconfiguring the relationship between workers and nonworkers," Bouie said. "We recognized that it was not simply people who were disadvantaged, it was workers, and we acted accordingly. So unless racism is a special kind of inequality, then the same goes for it as well: The way to address it, to ameliorate it, is to at least take note of and respond to the social relations that structure and continue to structure its ongoing existence. Opinion alerts: Get columns from your favorite columnists + expert analysis on top issues, delivered straight to your device through the USA TODAY app. Don't have the app? Download it for free from your app store. As hard as it is to disagree with Bouie, it is not clear to me that his points negate Hughes' emphasis that race not be used as a proxy for class inequality. Bouie observed that even middle-class Black families are more likely to live in impoverished neighborhoods (with all of their corresponding risk factors) than are white middle-class families. That fact, in Bouies view, justifies race conscious policies in response. But why employ race as a second best proxy, Hughes essentially asked, when instead we might simply identify socioeconomic data based on ZIP codes and Census information, gaining a truer assessment of a persons disadvantages from there? The debate over colorblindness, along with its political and social implications, is often clumsily reduced to whether we are reviving the evils of racism on one hand or ignoring those evils on the other. Hughes and Bouie reminded us that there is indeed a conversation to be had here that is not self-evident in its conclusions. It requires us to appreciate the greater complexity of our history as a nation and to navigate the tension in our values. This is a conversation we need to have. TED and other vital intellectual platforms should not shy away from it. John Wood Jr. John Wood Jr. is a columnist for USA TODAY Opinion. He is national ambassador for Braver Angels, a former nominee for Congress, former vice chairman of the Republican Party of Los Angeles County, musical artist, and a noted writer and speaker on subjects including racial and political reconciliation. Follow him on Twitter: @JohnRWoodJr You can read diverse opinions from our Board of Contributors and other writers on the Opinion front page, on Twitter @usatodayopinion and in our daily Opinion newsletter. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Colorblind to race: What does that mean in the US? A 114-year-old Houston woman has become the oldest living person in the U.S., according to LongeviQuest, an organization that tracks human longevity across the globe. Elizabeth Francis is now the oldest living American at age 114 and 217 days after Edie Ceccarelli, the previous oldest living American, died at age 116 on Feb. 22 in California, according to LongeviQuest. Francis is now also the fifth-oldest person on Earth, according to LongeviQuest. Shes also included on the list of supercentenarians people who are 110 and older validated by the Gerontology Research Group, which verifies and tracks the worlds oldest people. The 114-year-old Houston resident previously reflected on her longevity with TODAY.com. Its not my secret. Its the good Lords good blessing, Francis said an interview in August 2023. I just thank God Im here. Francis was born on July 25, 1909, a few months after William Taft was inaugurated president and 11 years before women had the right to vote in the U.S. Shes lived through two World Wars, the 1918 Influenza and the Covid pandemics. Elizabeth Francis is the oldest living American at age 114. (Courtesy Ethel Harrison) The supercentenarian lives with her 94-year-old daughter, Dorothy Williams, in a private residence where caregivers come to the home every day, Francis granddaughter Ethel Harrison told TODAY.com. Its just amazing, Harrison, 68, said. Were so grateful that shes still here, and my mom, whos her daughter she only had one child is still alive also. Longevity runs in Francis family one of her sisters lived to age 106, and her father died at age 99, Harrison said. Harrison said Francis has some memory problems and is confined to her bed, but shes mentally alert and recognizes her family. Try to do the best thing you can to everybody. Love everybody, Francis said. Harrison shared some of Francis healthy habits with TODAY.com, including having social connections and supportive relationships, eating fresh, home-cooked foods and having faith. She tried to do things to stay healthy, Harrison said. Her life basically was pretty simple. She didnt go out to parties and stuff like that. She was more of a homebody. She would go to church. Francis granddaughter added that her grandmother never smoked or drank alcohol, and she regularly walked until her early 90s. For more from NBC BLK, sign up for our weekly newsletter. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com (Bloomberg) -- Japanese lender Aozora Bank Ltd. surged the most since March 2020 after a fund linked to activist investor Yoshiaki Murakami reported its holdings and said it may make important proposals. Most Read from Bloomberg Aozora shares surged 9.5% in Tokyo, after jumping as much as 18% during the days session. City Index Eleventh reported a 5.42% stake in the company, according to a filing to Japans Finance Ministry on Wednesday. It further built its position to 6.71%, the fund said in a disclosure after the market close. Aozora Bank, which had been lending aggressively in the US, lost about a third of its market value earlier this month after saying it would have its first loss in 15 years because of bad loans tied to properties in the country. Murakamis disclosure suggests two possibilities, the start of an activist campaign or a short-term trading play, said Arun George, an analyst at Global Equity Research Ltd., who publishes on Smartkarma. A spokesman for Tokyo-based Aozora declined to comment. City Index Eleventh has taken stakes in other firm in Japan, boosting shares on expectations their profitability will improve. The Tokyo-based fund hasnt always been successful with its campaigns though. It sold most of its position in oil refiner Cosmo Energy Holdings Co. last year after failing to get the company to boost returns and consider spinning off its energy business. The stock has rebounded about 36% from its three-year low reached February 16. Its still nearly 20% away from recouping its losses this month. --With assistance from Taiga Uranaka. (Updates with closing share price and adds activist funds latest filing) Story continues Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. The criminal case against Endo Health Solutions alleged that certain sales representatives touted the drug Opana ER's supposed abuse deterrence without any evidence. Photo courtesy of West Virginia Attorney General's Office/Twitter Feb. 29 (UPI) -- Opioid manufacturer Endo Health Solutions reached an agreement with the U.S. government Thursday to resolve criminal and civil cases stemming from its contribution to the opioid epidemic. The Justice Department announced in a statement that Endo, which already is dealing with Chapter 11 bankruptcy, agreed to plead guilty in a Michigan federal court to violating the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act for mislabeling the drug Opana ER. The criminal resolution includes a fine of $1.1 billion and another $450 million in criminal forfeiture. Endo also agreed to a civil settlement of $475.6 million to resolve alleged losses to federal health care programs that paid for Opana ER. "Companies that profit from the opioid abuse epidemic by misrepresenting the safety of their opioid products and using reckless marketing tactics to increase sales threaten the health and safety of Americans," Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian Boynton said in a statement. "With today's announcement of a criminal guilty plea and a substantial civil settlement, the Justice Department re-affirms its commitment to holding accountable those whose illegal conduct contributed to the opioid crisis." The federal government also reached an agreement to resolve all of Endo International's monetary claims against the debtors in its bankruptcy case. The company and several of its affiliates filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the Southern District of New York in 2022. The bankruptcy agreement provides payment for claims for unpaid taxes and for costs endured by federal health care agencies to treat people harmed by Endo's products. Under the agreement, Endo will pay the government up to $464.9 million over 10 years. Other conditions of the resolution state that Endo must no longer operate in its current form and must turn over millions of documents related it its role in the opioid crisis. The criminal case against Endo alleges certain sales representatives between 2012 and 2013 pitched Opana ER to prescribers by touting the drug's purported abuse deterrence and tamper and crush resistance without any evidence. The approved labeling for Opana ER also did not have adequate information for health care providers to safely prescribe the drug, according to the settlement. Endo voluntarily withdrew Opana ER from the market in 2017. The civil case alleged Endo targeted health care providers that it knew were prescribing Opana ER for non-medically accepted use from 2011 to 2017. The case accused Endo of seeking to increase its revenue from Opana ER by focusing its marketing on providers who prescribed the highest levels of Opana ER -- and opioids in general. The settlement is the latest blow against the pharmaceutical giant. The company just prior to its bankruptcy settled its claims in San Francisco federal court along with pharmaceutical companies AbbVie and Teva, which also have faced scrutiny for their role in the opioid epidemic. The company earlier that same year was forced to pay $25 million to the state of Alabama as part of a $276 million settlement in a suit the state filed against Endo, McKesson Corporation and Johnson & Johnson. Endo reached a settlement with the state of New York in September 2021 for $50 million. Donald Trump is appealing a decision from an Illinois judge to remove him from the states primary ballot over his alleged involvement with the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Illinois is the third state, along with Colorado and Maine, to attempt to boot Trump from the ballot, using Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. Cook County Circuit Judge Tracie Porter, a Democrat, issued her ruling on Wednesday after a group of Illinois voters trying to remove Trumps name from the state ballot sued to counter the State Board of Elections rejection of their effort. She put the ruling on hold in anticipation that Trumps legal team would file an appeal, which they did on Wednesday evening Porters ruling is also likely to be affected by an impending decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in the Anderson v. Trump case concerning Colorados decision to remove Trump from its primary ballot. The high court heard arguments in that case earlier this month. Heres what else to know about the Illinois ruling: What does the ruling say? Porters ruling agreed with a group of Illinois voters who said Trump violated the so-called insurrection clause of the U.S. Constitution and should therefore be disqualified from the presidency and kicked off the ballot. Section 3 of the 14th Amendment bars a person from public office who previously took an oath to uphold the Constitution and then engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. Trump, however, has not been explicitly charged with insurrection in any of the four criminal cases in which he has been indicted. The former president argues that Section 3 does not apply to him. In her ruling, Porter also disagreed with a previous decision by the Illinois State Board of Elections, which found that it didnt have the authority to remove Trumps name from the ballot. Her decision said in part, The Illinois State Board of Elections shall remove Donald J. Trump from the ballot for the General Primary Election on March 19, 2024, or cause any votes for him to be suppressed, according to the procedures within their administrative authority. Is Trumps name still on the Illinois primary ballot? Yes. Porters ruling is currently on hold until Friday, March 1, meaning Trumps name will remain on the Illinois ballot at least until then. Porter also acknowledged that Trumps name would also remain on the ballot if the U.S. Supreme Court issues a ruling in the Colorado case that is inconsistent with her decision. A Supreme Court ruling in Trumps favor could also mean his name would also remain on the Maine ballot. As reported by the New York Times, if the appellate court where Trump filed his appeal does not step in before Friday, its not clear what it would mean for Illinois Republican voters for the primary. Whats next? Trumps appeal asks the Illinois court to reaffirm the State Electoral Boards decision and to reverse and vacate Porters Wednesday ruling. In a separate request dated Wednesday, Trumps legal team is also asking Porter to extend the hold on the ruling beyond Friday, until the appellate court issues a final order. The clock is also ticking for the U.S. Supreme Court to issue a ruling in the Colorado case, as that states primary is on March 5. During oral arguments earlier this month, the justices seemed to indicate skepticism over Colorados decision to keep Trumps name off the ballot, expressing concern over the national implications of such a move ahead of the 2024 presidential election. For now, the rulings in Colorado and Maine are currently on hold until the U.S. Supreme Court issues a ruling in the Colorado case, which could come imminently. Until then, Trumps name will remain on the ballot in both states. Angry outbursts in Thursdays testimony in the capital murder trial of Tajmon Robinson prompted 30th District Court Judge Jeff McKnight to threaten a witness with contempt of court. Robinson is on trial for killing clerk Floyd Kirt during the robbery of a Stripes convenience store on Southwest Parkway at Taft Boulevard in Wichita Falls on Feb. 12, 2022. Murder suspect Tajmon Robinson, center, is seen with his attorneys at his trial in 30th District Court on Wednesday. Robinsons former girlfriend, Taesheona Johnson, testified under subpoena, denying that Robinson ever told her he had killed Kirt. First Assistant District Attorney Dobie Kosub pointed out that she had told a grand jury Robinson admitted killing the clerk, but she denied saying it or that Robinson had texted her to say he had committed the crime. McKnight admonished her for not directly answering Kosubs questions. Yall are lying on me. I swear to God! an angry Johnson said. McKnight sent the jury from the courtroom and instructed the woman to answer Kosubs questions without elaboration or face a fine and possibly jail time. Johnson continued to deny she told the grand jury that Robinson had admitted to the killing. Under defense questioning, she said Wichita Falls Police told her that Robinson had committed the murder. Amelia Corona testified that Robinson and Johnson had stayed at her apartment at Brigadoon Apartments for a short while about the time of the murder, but Johnson had left and Corona called police to try to get Robinson out of the apartment. She also said she had seen a gun in Robinsons pocket and recognized Robinson in store surveillance pictures that were released to media after the murder. A friend, Terique Jones, testified Robinson had stayed at his house on Garfield Street after the robbery. He said Robinson had earlier sent him a picture of a gun on Facebook and that he had seen a gun in his possession. Jurors also heard from another former girlfriend that Robinson had told her he had worked at the Stripes store and knew where the safe was if he wanted to rob the place. On Wednesday, jurors were shown surveillance video and police photos that showed the robbery and killing of Kirt by a man who then rummaged behind the counter and took cigarettes and lottery tickets before leaving the store. They also watched video of a police interview in which Robinson at first denies and then confesses to the crime, saying he wanted money to leave town. The District Attorney's Office has not sought the death penalty, but by Texas law Robinson, 23, must be sentenced to life in prison without parole if he's convicted on the capital charge. This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Angry outbursts mark Thursday testimony in Robinson murder trial Bjarna OBrien has come close to only one conviction during her time working as an animal control officer for the Salem Police Department. She criminally pursued a man for leaving his dogs inside a hot environment on multiple occasions in town. OBrien would later learn hed done the same in several other towns, cross-jurisdictional information that wasnt readily available during her investigation. When a judge deferred the mans conviction so he could instead receive more animal education, he brought his dogs to court that day and left them in the car. These kinds of things continue to build and continue to happen, she said. OBrien believes New Hampshire should establish an animal abuse offender registry, a tool to equip law enforcement with the knowledge and collaboration needed to bolster the chance of successful convictions and justice for animals. Bjarna OBrien, animal control officer for the Salem Police Department, testifies in support of a statewide animal abuse offender registry. Few places in the U.S. have gone down this path. Tennessee launched the first and only statewide registry in 2017, and a handful of cities and counties have created their own. Last week, OBrien testified passionately in support of House Bill 1505, which is sponsored by her mother, Rep. Katherine Prudhomme-OBrien, a Republican from Derry. She described a dearth of information for animal control officers outside of their own jurisdictions, and a system where animal cruelty convictions are few and far between and not because abuse isnt happening. The reality is strongly disheartening, she said. Few cruelty cases make it to court and even fewer result in convictions. Moreover, convicted offenders often face minimal consequences and can easily obtain new animals or continue operating in animal-related businesses due to the absence of a centralized public registry. As proposed, Prudhomme-OBriens bill would establish an animal abuse offender registry within the Department of Safety, one that would be posted publicly on its website starting Jan. 1, 2026. The registry would include a persons full legal name, a booking photo, and other identifying data determined necessary by the department. A person would be removed from the registry two years after the date of their conviction, provided they havent been convicted of more animal abuse during that period. If they offend again, their name would remain on the registry for five years. Jeff Dahmer started with just animals, Prudhomme-OBrien told lawmakers while introducing her bill on Feb. 20, alluding to the established link between violence against animals being a potential precursor for violence against humans. For everyone at the hearing who supported the bill was someone who didnt. Nancy Holmes, a New Boston resident who has been involved in dog rescue, breeding, and training, feared a public registry would be weaponized, subjecting the people on it to scrutiny, ridicule, and censure. For me, the bill really seems to promote cyber bullying rather than the reduction of incidents of animal abuse, she said. New Hampshire State Police Lt. Mary Bonilla said her agency is very neutral on this matter, though she raised issues of cost and additional staffing to create and man the database. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has a national position on animal abuse registries: They do little to protect animals or people, and can have unintended consequences. Instead, the ASPCA believes existing strategies such as well-enforced no-contact orders, mandated psychological assessments, and inclusion of pets in orders of protection are more effective. Lawmakers appear poised to vote inexpedient to legislate on HB 1505 when it comes back in front of the House Environment and Agriculture Committee on March 5. But many agreed the challenges faced by animal control officers do need to be addressed by the Legislature. NH animal cruelty laws: A lot of loopholes Opening up a public hearing on her bill last week, Prudhomme-OBrien likened her proposal to sex offender registries, a central repository to alert people in a community about individuals convicted of certain crimes. She acknowledged that animal abuse registries face a lot of resistance, and many feel they are too punitive. Its a tool, and I think its a needed tool, she said. Prudhomme-OBrien faced questioning from skeptical lawmakers about individuals with mental health issues, concerns about surveillance, and the possibility that people may take on vigilante roles against those on the list. Lawmakers also took issue with the bill not differentiating between misdemeanor and felony offenses. Im still unsure about why you believe we need a registry at all, said Rep. Judy Aron, a South Acworth Republican and chair of the House Environment and Agriculture Committee. Is this so people wont employ them? So that people will stay away from them? I just dont understand what this list would be for. Prudhomme-OBrien answered: Would this keep them from being employed? Maybe in the animal care business, yes. I hope you can agree that is not a problem. Thats good judgment. Current animal cruelty statutes in New Hampshire fall under the states Department of Agriculture. Someone convicted of a felony offense will be prohibited by a court from having ownership or custody of other animals for a minimum of five years. Arresting officers may also confiscate animals when a person is charged. But Salem Animal Control Officer OBrien described the states animal cruelty laws as a sieve. Theres a lot of loopholes, and if youre using it as a bucket to hold water, its useless, she said. OBrien said judges have a lot of discretion in animal cruelty cases, and many dont have any expertise in them. When animal control officers do make it to court with a case, she said, charges are often deferred for a number of years as long as the individual does not engage in additional offenses. But her biggest concern perhaps is the absence of centralized information for animal control officers across the state. Much of the time, the only insight animal control officers have is whats in their departments local a small, computerized system providing information about people who live in the town, or out-of-towners who got a speeding ticket there, for example. OBrien argued that if someone committed animal cruelty a few towns over, she likely wouldnt know about it. A centralized registry of animal abuse streamlines the process for law enforcement agencies to gain details on individuals with a history of animal cruelty by convictions, OBrien said. Last legislative session, Center Barnstead Republican Rep. Barbara Comtois sponsored a bill that would have created a deputy animal control officer position in each county sheriffs department, with the intent this person would serve as a clearinghouse for the county. But that effort was defeated when animal control officers and police came out against it, she said, feeling as though they would get overstepped. Rehabilitation versus public shaming Others feel an animal abuse registry in New Hampshire could be a slippery slope, especially in a society where information is widely available on the internet and what people do with it can be unpredictable. Joyce Arivella, a New Boston resident, said the bill was pitting neighbor against neighbor. While there are evil people who do abuse animals, she said, the registry does not distinguish them from somebodys mistake. Holmes, the former dog breeder and trainer from New Boston, said peoples stories are nuanced and a name inclusion on a list doesnt give the full picture. She mentioned anecdotally an elderly woman living in a hoarding situation, or livestock owners who have run out of money and dont know what to do with their animals. I absolutely believe that putting people on a registry like this and having it open to everybody to view is putting a target on those peoples backs, Holmes said. And I, for one, would find it really hard to find (out) that somebodys house has been burned down or their kids attacked or whatever, because they had this conviction. Holmes urged lawmakers to invest in rehabilitation versus public shaming. During a committee work session on Feb. 21, House members were united in that they wouldnt move the bill forward with a positive recommendation. But they discussed other ways the Legislature could in future years address the issues raised, including looping in the House Criminal Justice and Judiciary committees. I do think a good point was brought up that there needs to be some better communication within law enforcement about whos been arrested for what or whos been indicted for what or whos been charged or convicted, said Aron. This story was originally published by the New Hampshire Bulletin. This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Animal abuse registry pitched in NH as needed tool After a decade of troubled development, Apple finally gave up on its effort to build a high tech car a secret project codenamed Titan earlier this week, shifting focus to generative AI. Now, a new report from The New York Times gives us a glimpse of the chaos behind the scenes of this doomed venture, in what's a damning portrait of the company's management and a case in point of the challenges faced in developing autonomous cars. Per the report, Apple's car project was repeatedly "scrapped and rebooted" as the company's leadership battled over its direction, which was an ever-shifting hodgepodge of building a self-driving electric vehicle to rival Tesla or Google's Waymo. In doing so, they burned a lot of money: more than $10 billion, according to NYT all that for no final product. "When it started, it was aligning the stars on something Apple alone could hit a home run on," Bryant Walker Smith, an associate professor at the schools of law and engineering at the University of South Carolina, told NYT. "A decade later, the stars have realigned to make this a lot of risk and not a lot of gain." Self-driving cars were all the rage when the project kicked off in 2014. Software engineers were confident that autonomous driving was a problem that could be solved something that seems decidedly less certain now. According to the NYT, the brains at Apple were itching to start on their next project, so CEO Tim Cook greenlit Titan in part "to prevent an exodus of engineers to Tesla." In fact, NYT sources said the company briefly flirted with the idea of outright acquiring Tesla, holding several discussions with the automaker's co-founder and CEO Elon Musk. Of course, that never materialized. Flush with cash that helped bring in top talent and with over 2,000 employees on the project, Apple figured it'd be better off going its own way. Some of its ideas, though, were a little too ambitious. Even at its cheapest, the car would have probably sold for no less than $100,000. One concept, which was designed to look like a European minivan, came without a steering wheel and would be controlled by talking to Siri. Anyone with an iPhone that uses the virtual assistant can tell you that sounds like a nightmare. That kooky idea was scrapped by 2016, when Apple would prioritize building self-driving software rather than a whole car. Even with these tamped-down ambitions, the project continued to falter. It was dealt another heavy blow in 2019, as Apple laid off over 200 employees working on the project. It also underwent a change in leadership, which again shifted the focus back to building an entire car, deepening the chaos. In 2022, it fully ditched autonomous driving. Fast forward to this February, and Apple finally decided to bite the bullet and end the hamstrung project. Its failure might be as much of a symptom of the company's vacillating vision as the difficulty of perfecting self-driving tech. Not even the field's leaders, such as Tesla and especially General Motors' suspended Cruise division, have released finished autonomous systems, and both have been the center of controversy over the safety of their technology. Nevertheless, Apple seems to think there's a silver lining. Per NYT, it plans to use what it's learned about AI and automation and put it towards its now prioritized generative AI efforts, mimicking the rest of the tech industry. But perhaps it's merely heading down another dead end, hopping from the last fruitless trend to another, as generative AI seems more and more like a bubble. More on Apple: We Talked to the Guy Who Wore a Vision Pro VR Headset at His Wedding Appleton alderperson Kristin Alfheim launches her bid for Senate District 18 Feb. 29 at the Democratic Party of Outagamie County office. APPLETON With the enactment of new electoral maps, Appleton alderperson Kristin Alfheim is looking to be the first Democratic senator in the Fox Valley in over a decade. Alfheim officially launched her bid for Senate District 18 on Thursday morning at the Democratic Party of Outagamie County office with Sen. Jeff Smith, D-Eau Claire, and Rep. Lori Palmeri, D-Oshkosh, joining in support. "We need to ensure that Wisconsin's next generation has a better state and world than what exists today," Alfheim said at her campaign kickoff. "That's what this campaign is about." As a state senator, Alfheim said she would work toward investing in child care, strengthening Wisconsin's economy and protecting reproductive rights. Elected to the Appleton Common Council in 2021, Alfheim said she will hold onto the seat throughout her Senate run but would step down as alderperson if she won. Under Gov. Tony Evers' reshaped maps, Senate District 18 now covers the lakeshore communities of Oshkosh, Neenah, Menasha and Appleton. No one else has announced a bid for the district. Potential legislative candidates have until June 1 to file nomination papers. Gov. Tony Evers' new maps give Fox Valley a democratic edge With new electoral maps that even out the playing field for Democrats and Republicans in the state Legislature, the Fox Valley could get its first Democratic senator since Jessica King in 2012. Wisconsin currently has 10 Democratic senators but the new maps bump up the number of Democratic-leaning Senate districts to 14. This includes Senate District 18, which will be the sole Democratic-leaning Senate district in northeastern Wisconsin. Under the previous 2022 and 2011 maps, all Senate districts covering the Fox Valley held a Republican lean. But Evers' maps passed last week give Senate District 18 a 55% Democratic lean. This is according to an analysis of the maps by Marquette University Lubar Center research fellow John Johnson, who compared Wisconsin's current maps to the new ones and determined its partisan lean based on Republican or Democratic vote share in the 2022 election. Regardless of the new maps, Alfheim said she would run for the Appleton area's Senate district, but she's excited about her new chances. "It's the most winnable district for Democrats (in northeast Wisconsin)," Alfheim said. "I'm excited about that. I'll take that five points." Senate District 18's lines changed drastically between the 2022 and 2024 maps. The 2022 boundaries surrounded Oshkosh, Omro, Waupun and Fond du Lac and is currently held by Sen. Dan Feyen, R-Fond du Lac, who was drawn out of his district. MORE: Fox Cities could gain more Democratic lawmakers under the new Wisconsin legislative maps MORE: National Democrats ramp up efforts on legislative races under new Wisconsin maps Alfheim takes another shot at state Senate run Alfheim ran in 2022 for Senate District 19, which previously covered the Appleton-Neenah area, against Sen. Rachael Cabral-Guevara. Cabral-Guevara narrowly secured the district winning 53% of the vote against Alfheim. That district leaned 52% Republican but with the newly drawn 18th district leaning Democratic, Alfheim could have a better chance at securing the Appleton-area district. Sophia Voight covers local government and politics in the Fox Valley for The Post-Crescent. She can be reached with feedback and story tips at svoight@postcrescent.com. This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Appleton alderperson Kristin Alfheim launches state Senate bid LITTLE ROCK, Ark. Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders is planning a second overseas trade mission for the second week of March. This trip will be to Asia to meet with Japanese and Korean business executives and government leaders from March 6 to 14. It is Sanders second overseas trade mission, having traveled to Paris shortly after taking office. Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders leaves on first overseas trade mission trip The December announcement of a planned $100 million expansion of French aircraft manufacturer Dassault Falcon Jet at the Little Rock airport came after the Paris trip. Walther in Fort Smith announced a $30 million expansion after the trip as well. Officials said Commerce Secretary Hugh McDonald, Economic Development Commissioner Clint ONeal, and other state leaders will be joining Sanders on the Asia trip. Dassault Falcon Jet announces major expansion of Little Rock operation, adding 800 jobs Sanders said the trip was to encourage investment in Arkansas and deepen connections between The Natural State and Americas Asian allies. With the rising threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party, these relationships have never been more important, the governor said. Arkansas is making groundbreaking advancements in energy, aerospace, manufacturing, and more. I know all of this will appeal to Asian leaders and businesses and help bring new investment and jobs to our state, she added. Walther Manufacturing announces $30 million expansion in Fort Smith According to Arkansas Economic Development Commission figures, Japan and South Korea rank seventh and eighth as export markets for the state. In 2022, Japan represented $161.4 million in trade, with South Korea at $141.3 million. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KARK. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders looks out the cockpit window of a Falcon business jet on Dec. 12, 2023, after Dassault Falcon Jet CEO Thierry Betbeze announced the French company would invest tens of millions in its Little Rock facility and 800 jobs. (John Sykes/Arkansas Advocate) Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders looks out the cockpit window of a Falcon business jet on Dec. 12, 2023, after Dassault Falcon Jet CEO Thierry Betbeze announced the French company would invest tens of millions in its Little Rock facility and 800 jobs. (John Sykes/Arkansas Advocate) Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders next week will travel to Japan and South Korea alongside state economic development officials to try to recruit additional international investment in Arkansas. The March 6-14 trade trip will be Sanders second overseas after a visit to Europe last year, and shell be joined by Commerce Secretary Hugh McDonald and Economic Development Commission Director Clint ONeal. Ill meet with Japanese and Korean business executives and government leaders to encourage investment in Arkansas and deepen our states connection with Americas Asian allies, Sanders said in a statement. With the rising threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party, these relationships have never been more important. Arkansas is making groundbreaking advancements in energy, aerospace, manufacturing, and more. Overseas trade missions have become a staple for Arkansas chief executives, and former Govs. Asa Hutchinson and Mike Beebe each visited Asia during their administrations. Sanders administration, in contrast to her predecessors, has taken an antagonistic stance towards China, including investigating several agriculture companies and their ties to the Chinese government. Sanders has tied last years European trip to several economic development announcements in recent months, including Walthers expansion in Fort Smith, Dassault Falcons expansion in Little Rock and a new missile factory in Southeast Arkansas. Japanese entities purchase the 7th most commodities exported from Arkansas $161 million in 2022, according to Economic Development Commission data. Japan lagged Canada, Mexico, China, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and France. Source: Arkansas Economic Development Commission South Korea brought in the 8th most Arkansas exports, totaling $141 million in 2022, the most recent year for which data is available. Asian-owned companies employ more than 6,500 Arkansans, according to state economic data. Japanese-owned companies employed 4,947 Arkansans in 2022, the most of any other countrys businesses. The state is home to 44 Japanese companies. Thats the fourth most of any country behind Germany, the United Kingdom and Canada. Source: Arkansas Economic Development Commission Some of the largest Japanese companies operating here include Mitsubishi, Nucor-Yamato Steel and Bridgestone. Four South Korean companies employed 203 Arkansans in 2022, including LG and Samsung. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post Arkansas governor to pitch the state to Japan, South Korea on trade mission appeared first on Arkansas Advocate. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) An audit released by the Oregon Secretary of States office on Thursday highlights issues addressing the states government workforce crisis urging leaders to create staffing plans over concerns for employee well-being and how efficiently agencies can serve the public. Auditors assessed the role of the Department of Administrative Services in guiding state agencies through workforce planning. Decades of staffing shortages, an imminent wave of retirements, and significant societal disruptions highlight a workforce in crisis, and the lack of a coherent approach to workforce planning undercuts state efforts to address the current situation, according to the audit. Oregons government workforce includes over 45,000 people across nearly 80 agencies and spans a variety of sectors including public safety, education, and health care. Incredibly unfair: Portland Vietnamese restaurant Pho Gabo closes due to smell complaints The state is Oregons largest employer and faces several concerns outlined by the audit. These concerns include: an aging workforce, and frequent reports of staffing shortages, increased workloads, and employee burnout. While Oregon has taken steps to address these concerns, auditors said the state could take a more strategic role, to address gaps. The first concern listed in the audit is Oregons lack of a statewide workforce planning process. Oregon Senate committee agrees to ditch Daylight Saving Time, pending West Coast alignment Workforce planning includes succession plans and auditors warn that one in four state workers are eligible for retirement but say there is a lack of planning for filling those roles. Other workforce planning concerns include chronic staffing shortages, increased workloads, burnout, and job turnover. Even though DAS provides guidance for state agencies for workforce planning, auditors said this role varies depending on how agencies choose to engage. Oregon Senate committee agrees to ditch Daylight Saving Time, pending West Coast alignment Oregon does not have a clear, consistent, or comprehensive approach to identify what state government needs to do to support its workforce, the audit says. According to DHS paralegal Andrea Kennedy-Smith, the Local 200 president for SEIU Local 503, the situation is leading to a lot of burnout. Not just with the workload, but we arent getting that time with our families. Were not getting time for self care or wellness, she said. Were not making it to doctors appointments, dental appointments, vision appointments, counseling, appointments, all of the things because we are prioritizing our work. Auditors recommend DAS to develop a statewide workforce plan that should be adopted by the Oregon legislature. The second concern listed in the audit is that Workday a platform that provides human resources and employee management services does not include employee competency data, which makes it difficult to understand workforce supply, and skills needed for certain jobs. Those issues were exacerbated by the pandemic but could get worse, as 1-4 current state workers are already eligible for retirement. Oregon AFSCME Executive Director Joe Baessler supported the audits findings, adding that these workers are working more than 1,000 hours annually. With a quarter of current workers already eligible for retirement, there is no question that our state needs a plan to address the existing and oncoming staffing shortages, Baessler said. We look forward to partnering with DAS and other agencies to create this plan, as nobody knows the needs better than the people doing the work. Eastern Oregon creek sees first salmon spawn in 30 years As a remedy, auditors recommend DAS to incorporate competency data into the workforce planning process. Next, auditors voiced concern about Oregon statutes for personnel administration because they do not detail agency versus statewide roles. Auditors say DAS should implement a process to ensure cycles of workforce planning statewide and within agencies. Lastly, auditors pointed out that Oregon has taken steps to optimize workforce planning including lawmakers approving resources to boost staffing responsible for human resources management; however, DAS should take steps to fill gaps. Waiting on your Oregon tax refund? Kicker credit is on the way Auditors recommend DAS to implement an oversight agency to monitor workforce planning within agencies. This audit was really looking at redundancies and gaps in governance and weve given DAS some important tools so they can assert a more balanced and deliberately planned role, said Audits Director Kip Memmott. Tone at the top is really important in determining how an agency will function and Im very encouraged by how DAS has responded to this audit. In response to the audit, Oregon Secretary of State LaVonne Griffin-Valade shared the following response: Oregon should model best practices in workforce management because that will improve our public services. I know other elected officials and agency leaders will be interested in the findings in this audit, as they can be broadly applied across state government. I want to thank DAS leadership and staff for their cooperation with the audit team and for agreeing to implement all of the reports recommendations. But as this is the latest of nearly a dozen reports to highlight these challenges, workers told KOIN 6 the audit is appreciated, but they want action and accountability. We can only work so many hours in a day, and were at a breaking point, Andrea-Kennedy-Smith said. The SEIU Local 503 union said the state needs a holistic, comprehensive approach that meets the demands of todays and tomorrows hybrid workforce in order to combat these ongoing problems. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com. A zoning ordinance approved Thursday by the Austin Council allows developers to build 30 to 90 feet higher in exchange for more affordable housing units in certain areas of the city. but each individual case must go through the city's rezoning process. The city of Austin reinstated elements of a city ordinance aimed at creating more affordable housing options that was voided under a lawsuit. Travis County state District Judge Jessica Mangrum ruled in December in favor of a group of homeowners claiming the city of Austin violated the rights of its property owners by failing to provide proper notice of land development code, making void three of Austin's zoning ordinances: the Vertical Mixed-Use II Ordinance, or VMU2, Residential in Commercial Development Program, and Compatibility on Corridors. An ordinance approved Thursday, dubbed DB90, is largely the same as VMU2, according to a statement from Paul Books, senior planner with the city's planning department. Read more: City of Austin violated rights of its property owners, judge says. Three ordinances voided VMU2 allowed developers to build up to 30 feet in additional height to a maximum of 90 feet in total building height for more affordable housing units in certain areas of the city. The new ordinance allows developers to build the same height in exchange for affordable units but extends the opportunity for where it can be developed with one caveat: Under DB90, each individual case will need to go through the city's rezoning process, while the last ordinance, which was voided, created a blanket opportunity for developers to build higher in certain areas of the city if they met the affordability requirements without going through the rezoning process. Notice of rezoning will give eligible property owners the right to protest the proposed changes on an individual case, which was the sticking point of the lawsuit against the city. Under Texas code, municipalities are required to provide notice of proposed changes relating to zoning, and property owners can then protest those proposed changes. "Rezoning will require Planning Commission recommendation and Council action at public hearings," Books said in the statement. Once a rezoning request has been submitted, public notice will be provided and the opportunity for protest will be available, according to Books. Another factor included in the ordinance passed Thursday is a process to initiate rezoning for properties that were trying to use any of the three voided ordinances. While eligible developers will still have to apply for rezoning under the new ordinance, fees will be waived. "The applications will be assigned to the same case manager for an expedited review," Books said. The ordinance passed Thursday with nine votes in favor, an abstention from Council Member Mackenzie Kelly and a no vote from Council Member Alison Alter. Editor's note: This story has been updated to clarify height regulations under VMU2. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Austin City Council votes to reinstate elements of zoning ordinance Melbourne, Victoria --News Direct-- Aura Energy Ltd Newly appointed Aura Energy Ltd (ASX:AEE) CEO Andrew Grove joins Jonathan Jackson in the Proactive studio to discuss the companys uranium ambitions and its work at the Tiris Uranium Project in Mauritania, which is poised to become a leading global near-term uranium operation following the delivery of a positive Front End Engineering Design (FEED) study. Grove gives his insight into the FEED study and what the findings indicate about the project's potential. He also outlines the expansion plans for Tiris, highlighting the strategic direction and growth objectives. Further to this, Grove speaks about the Swedish Governments potential reversal of its uranium mining ban and what this would mean for the companys Haagan Project in Sweden, including a possible increase in Net Present Value and strategic positioning. Grove said: "The FEED study clearly demonstrates that Tiris will be a low-cost, high value, near-term uranium producer with the ability to scale in a very strong uranium market. The market is in structural deficit and likely to continue that way for an extended period. "The strong economics at Tiris are supported by the simple, low risk mining and beneficiation that delivers the high-grade, 1,750ppm to 2,000ppm U3O8, ore to the leach plant and there are no requirements for crushing or grinding the ore. "These high grades are only matched by the deep underground mines in Canada and exceeding any current or proposed open pit uranium mines worldwide. Contact Details Proactive Investors Jonathan Jackson +61 413 713 744 jonathan@proactiveinvestors.com View source version on newsdirect.com: https://newsdirect.com/news/aura-energy-releases-positive-feed-study-at-tiris-548687729 Jonathan Bivins, an Alamogordo man and Bandidos Motorcycle Club member faces up to 15-years in prison for possession of firearms and ammunitions he was prohibited from having. Bivins, 41, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm and ammunition in federal court according to a Feb. 27 news release from the U.S. Department of Justice. A photo of a Bandidos Motorcycle Club vest and 13 guns with ammunition. Jonathan Bivins is charged with being a felon in possession of firearms. Bivins was indicted on Dec. 6, 2023 in front of a federal grand jury. On Aug. 31, 2023 the FBI and New Mexico State Police executed a federal search warrant on the Bandidos Motorcycle Club at a home in Alamogordo. Law enforcement did not disclose if anyone else was present at the time of the search or what other evidence was found. More: Man who killed Alamogordo cop Anthony Ferguson now facing federal firearms charge A photo of a Bandidos Motorcycle Club vest and 13 guns with ammunition. Jonathan Bivins, a felon, was not allowed to own guns and now faces 15 years in prison. Bivins has felony drug offenses dating back to 2005, all of which he pleaded guilty to. According to court documents, in 2005 he was charged with possession of a controlled substance and use or possession of drug paraphernalia. In 2008, Bivins was charged with possession of a firearm or destructive device by a felon and negligent use of a deadly weapon under the influence. Bivins will remain in custody until his sentencing which has not been scheduled. The FBI Albuquerque Field Office and New Mexico State Police led the investigation as part of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gang Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph M. Spindle and David B. Hirsch are prosecuting. Juan Corral can be reached at JCorral@gannett.com or on twitter at @Juan36Corr. This article originally appeared on Alamogordo Daily News: Bandidos motorcycle member pleads guilty to firearms possession Clive Myrie, the BBC News presenter, says there is no need to represent both sides of some arguments - ANDREW CROWLEY Clive Myrie has said he dislikes the term impartial and does not believe the BBC must provide balance on every topic. The BBC News presenter said he would be happy to state that Donald Trump has issues with race because that is a fact, rather than an opinion. On other subjects, such as the causes of climate change, Myrie said there was no need to represent both sides of the argument equally because the vast majority of scientists agreed that it was man-made. Interviewed by Craig Oliver, the former Downing Street communications director, for the Desperately Seeking Wisdom podcast, Myrie was asked about balancing his own strong opinions with the requirements of working for an organisation that wants you to be impartial. Myrie replied: Theres a fundamental flaw in what youve just said. The BBC wants me to be fair. I dont like the word impartial because that can suggest 50:50, on the one hand or the other. Thats wishy-washy. BBC News was committed to due impartiality, not impartiality per se, Myrie said and gave climate change as an example. If 99 per cent of eminent scientists around the world say climate change is man-made, why am I putting the one per cent on air? he asked. Lots of BBC people who think its difficult to say anything Asked if being fair would allow him to say that Trump is a nightmare and clearly not a good thing, Myrie replied: Yes, if its based on fact. So you find the comments that hes made about Mexicans all being rapists hes said all that. Whats really interesting is, I think there are lots of people in the BBC who I think have in their mind [that] its really difficult to say anything. I think you can say a hell of a lot as long as its based on fact. I could easily say that Donald Trump has issues with race as long as I quote what hes said. Thats the key. In 2019, Naga Munchetty, the BBC Breakfast presenter, was reprimanded by the BBCs editorial complaints unit for suggesting that Trump was racist after he told four US Congresswomen to go back to where they came from. Munchetty said on air: Every time I have been told, as a woman of colour, to go back where I came from that was embedded in racism. The BBC was swiftly forced to climb down, with the then director-general, Lord Hall of Birkenhead, intervening to say that the complaint against Munchetty should never have been upheld and she did not breach impartiality guidelines. On the podcast, Myrie added that he had just written two articles for The Guardian on incendiary topics migration and the Israel-Hamas war and was allowed to do so because what he wrote was based on fact. 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. ROME Bell and Leonardo are to work together on tiltrotor helicopters, 13 years after they broke off a partnership on what was then nascent technology. The U.S. and Italian firms signed a memorandum of understanding to evaluate cooperation opportunities in the tiltrotor technology domain, they said in a statement Thursday. That cooperation will get underway in earnest with a NATO Next Generation Rotorcraft Capability concept study, where Leonardo will take the lead on a tiltrotor architecture proposal with Textrons Bell in support, the firms said. The agreement follows a long partnership between the firms on the BA609 tiltrotor program, which ended in 2011 when Bell pulled out, leaving Leonardo then known as Finmeccanica to push on with the effort. Bell went on to win the U.S. Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft program in 2022 with its V-280 tiltrotor, while Leonardo has kept faith with the BA609, now known as the AW609, albeit moving slowly with development. Officials have cited the lack of government development cash as a reason. With a target of 2025 for certification for its tiltrotor, Leonardo officials were less than enthusiastic when the Italian Air Force encouraged them to team with Lockheed Martin and Boeing on their Defiant-X coaxial rotor helicopter. When the Defiant was beaten out in the FLRAA competition by Bells tiltrotor, Leonardo officials felt vindicated in sticking with tiltrotor technology. Now we are the only European company with a tiltrotor close to certification, primarily for civil application but which can be converted to military applications, said Leonardo CEO Roberto Cingolani on Thursday. Cingolani was speaking during a presentation of Leonardos preliminary results for 2023, which showed it delivered 185 helicopters during the year, up from 149 in 2022. Electronics orders were up by 15.9%, buoyed by orders from the U.K. for new MK2 radars for its Eurofighters. Leonardos U.S. unit DRS saw revenues rise 4.9% to $2.8 billion. Overall group revenue rose 3.9% to 15.3 billion (U.S. $16.5 billion). At the presentation, Cingolani said talks were back on with German electronics firm Hensoldt about a joint venture. Leonardo purchased a 25.1% stake in the firm in 2021, but declined to participate in a capital increase in December and saw its stake in the firm drop to 22.8%, prompting suggestions its interest in the tie-up was fading. We didnt participate in the capital increase because the German government and the previous top management of Hensoldt didnt say clearly whether the possibility of a Leonardo-Hensoldt alliance or joint venture was still open, said Cingolani. A few weeks ago the new CEO of Hensoldt came to Rome, and we had a long and constructive discussion and he told me they are reconsidering a joint venture, Cingolani added. Now we are studying what we can do together. Rep. Kambrell Garvin, D-Columbia, displays a photo of his daughter as an embryo on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. He was given the photo as he and his wife went through the IVF process. (Abraham Kenmore/SC Daily Gazette) COLUMBIA Legislation intending to ensure in vitro fertilization remains an option for South Carolina women trying to get pregnant was introduced this week as a reaction to an Alabama court ruling that put IVF programs there on hold. Bills introduced in both the House and Senate, mostly by Democrats, explicitly protect the fertility treatments, though there is nothing in South Carolina currently that puts them in jeopardy. We know what happened in Alabama. My second child, who is 15 , was the result of in vitro fertilization, Rep. Beth Bernstein, D-Columbia, told reporters. This bill ensures that no matter what if someone says its not going to happen here this will ensure its not going to happen here. The Alabama Supreme Court ruled Feb. 16 that frozen embryos produced as part of the IVF process are legally considered children, causing IVF clinics across the state to shutter as they worked out the legal implications. Lawmakers in Alabama are moving swiftly to protect IVF and reopen programs. The Alabama House passed a bill aimed at doing so Thursday afternoon, as that states Senate debated a similar measure. The Alabama case stemmed from an accident that resulted in couples losing their frozen embryos. The ruling allowed them to sue the fertility clinic and hospital for wrongful death of a child. There has been no similar court ruling in South Carolina and no known legal challenge. Lawmakers said they want to avoid any future possibility. But for IVF, my family would not have had the opportunity to expand, said Rep. Kambrell Garvin, D-Blythewood. I am grateful for modern advancements in technology that enabled me to have one of the most important titles today, and thats dad. Garvin held up a photo of his daughter as an embryo, which he and his wife were given after she was conceived through IVF. It normally hangs in his daughters room, he said. His one-paragraph bill, co-sponsored by 13 Democrats and three Republicans, doesnt actually use the words in vitro fertilization or IVF. Instead, it says any fertilized human egg or human embryo that exists in any form outside of the uterus of a human body shall not, under any circumstance, be considered an unborn child. There are many members of this chamber, both Democrat and Republican who have benefited from IVF, he said. So, I think there may be enough folks who will propel these bills that protect IVF in our state. Bi-partisan legislation introduced Wednesday in the Senate adds language declaring it the states policy to protect and promote equitable access to the full range of assistive reproductive technologies, which specifically includes in vitro fertilization, egg, embryo, or sperm cryopreservation, egg or embryo donation, and gestational surrogacy. Penry Gustafson, R-Camden, said the issue is not a partisan one and should not get tied into the Legislatures fights over ending abortions. This is a preventative measure, so that treatment centers wont be closing, said Gustafson, among two Republicans, three Democrats, and one Independent co-sponsoring the bill. Alabama is among states across the South where legislators have nearly completely banned abortions. The ruling has raised concerns about the practical implications of laws that extend legal rights to fetuses from conception. So-called personhood bills have been repeatedly rejected in South Carolina, where abortions are banned at roughly six weeks under a law upheld by the state Supreme Court last August. There is nothing in that law concerning IVF treatments. Rep. John McCravy, R-Greenwood, said its a moot issue in South Carolina thats being confused with abortion bans. He said the Family Caucus, which he leads, intends to again pursue legislation next year that would ban abortions from the outset of a pregnancy mirroring the bill with very limited exceptions that passed the House but was repeatedly rejected in the Senate. McCravy, one of the Legislatures staunchest abortion foes, noted his bill specified that IVF treatments were allowed. In pledging to introduce it again after the November elections, he said he intends to protect IVF. We will continue to monitor the Alabama legislation and if we need to add language to protect the practice of ethical IVF we will do so, he said in a statement. SC Daily Gazette is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. SC Daily Gazette maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Seanna Adcox for questions: info@scdailygazette.com. Follow SC Daily Gazette on Facebook and Twitter. The post Bi-partisan legislation seeks to guarantee IVF protections in SC appeared first on Arkansas Advocate. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) accused the Biden administration of greenlighting the massacre of Palestinians during a press conference calling for a cease-fire in Gaza on Thursday. Omar has been outspoken about demanding a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war, often voicing concerns about the staggering death toll of civilians and the displacement of more than 1 million Palestinians. She criticized the Biden administration for approving additional aid to Israel without congressional approval in remarks delivered Thursday alongside other lawmakers, including Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and Cori Bush (D-Mo.), about the anticipated Israeli invasion of Rafah. This administration cannot claim to be an honest broker of peace while greenlighting the massacre of Palestinians. The restocking of Israels arsenal is not foreign policy. It is state-sponsored violence waged against defenseless families who want to only live in peace, Omar said. If we truly want to uplift humanity to protect the innocent people of Gaza, to bring hostages safely home, to hold out hope for peace, then we must demand cease-fire now, she added. Her remarks come as the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry reported Thursday that the death toll has surpassed 30,000. Gaza officials also revealed that more than 100 Palestinians were killed in Gaza City on Thursday while attempting to secure critical humanitarian aid. Despite the clarity surrounding Gazas despair, the response from political leaders has been nothing short of callous inaction. Empty rhetoric about human rights ring hollow when no action follows. This administrations policies fail to meaningfully pressure Israel through restrictions, sanctions or any hint of consequence, Omar said. The U.S. has warned Israel against an anticipated invasion of Rafah, where an estimated 1.4 million civilians are estimated to be seeking refuge, without an effective plan to protect civilians. Bush also demanded a cease-fire in Gaza in her remarks Thursday, suggesting that the Biden administration was complicit by providing weapons to Israel. The majority of voters in this country want a cease-fire, including 77 percent of Democrats, and the majority of the world wants a cease-fire. People in this country do not want to be complicit in the atrocities that are happening in Gaza. We dont want that. Not on our watch. And weve said it over and over again: Not on our watch, and not on our dime, Bush said. How many Palestinian deaths must our country be complicit in killing before the violence ends? How many Palestinian children must die before we stop bear-hugging Netanyahus extremist far-right government with our taxpayer-sponsored bombs and weapons? How many Palestinian families must be destroyed before we stop enabling these war crimes? How many more before Biden will act with the full leverage of the U.S. government to facilitate a lasting cease-fire to end the violence and save lives? she added. The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. FLAGSTAFF When the local nonprofit Native Renewables Inc. was founded in 2016, it had a long-term goal of eventually growing enough to connect 100 homes across the Navajo and Hopi communities with electricity each year. In the years since, it's developed an Indigenous workforce that has installed 2.5-kilowatt off-grid solar and battery storage systems in 72 homes across the Hopi and Navajo Nations. While that's a life-changing opportunity for those families, the total is just a fraction of what the organization dreamed about when it first started. But thanks to an $8 million federal grant, Native Renewables will be able to bring electricity to 300 additional tribal homes. That brings the organization closer than ever to its foundational goal. Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren and federal Deputy Energy Secretary David Turk were in Flagstaff on Wednesday to celebrate the funding announcement and meet the staff of Native Renewables. They also toured the organization's warehouse, which originally began in an office suite about the size of a residential garage and has since expanded into a new space about four times that size. Nygren said he "didn't hesitate" to support Native Renewables' mission because "it's one of those things where you're changing people's lives and really improving them." "It's going to bring electricity to the most remote areas of the Hopi and the Navajo Nation and it's going to bring opportunities to bring families closer together and give them some hope that, 'You know what? Maybe we're not out here all alone. We've got the government that cares about us, we've got our nation that cares about us,'" Nygren said. U.S. Deputy Energy Secretary David M. Turk (left) and Navajo Nation President Dr. Buu Nygren speak after a tour of Native Renewables Inc. in Flagstaff on Feb. 28, 2024. The grant represents a small portion of the overall $366 million the Biden administration is investing in energy resources in rural and remote areas, including 30 tribal communities across the country. "I think that this is a terrific example of democracy actually working," Turk said of the investment. "The fact that this one grant, this $8 million, will provide 300 homes, 300 families with electricity," he said. "Just that real-world impact is just so humbling, it's inspiring and we just need to do a lot more of that." Working with the most remote residences Native Renewables is unique in that it only works with residents who are living off-grid with no electrical lines or public utilities connecting to their properties. It do not charge an installation fee or monthly payments. If needed, it also work to enhance existing electrical wiring, or install it for the first time to ensure some houses can support the solar technology, according to Native Renewable Deputy Director Chelsea Chee. The 2.5 kilowatts of power isn't enough to run an air-conditioning unit or a space heater, but can support a small refrigerator and other small appliances. While that might not seem like much to some, it offers an opportunity for many tribal homes to have reliable electricity for the first time. Deb Tewa, Native Renewables' workforce and education manager, said the system is a "happy medium" allowing the organization to provide some electricity to as many people as possible. "If we increase our size on our modules, then we lessen the number of deployments out in the field," she said. Native Renewables works with the residents to educate them on the capabilities and limits of the new system and budget their energy usage based on the appliances and devices they need to plug in, Chee explained. For some families, 2.5 kilowatts is more than enough because they might only have a few things plugged in, Tewa said. Younger generations typically have more devices that require some electricity. "We want the families we work with and the recipients we work with to be happy with the system, to know their limits," Chee said. If they need more power to support their energy use, Native Renewables will work to connect them with other tribal resources that could help. "We want you to get electricity, but if its not with us that's OK," Chee said. Building a workforce that understands the need Founded by two Navajo women, the organization aims to develop its workforce from within the tribal communities it serves. Tewa said that's because "we want them to be able to be totally invested in what we're doing for our Native communities." "There's a myriad of job opportunities," Tewa said, including electricians, solar installers, communications and more. A graduate of the organization's first workforce development cohort in 2019, Parvana Lee has now been a solar installer for Native Renewables for about two years. For her, the funding means more steady work for her and her colleagues. "From an installer's perspective, NRI receiving a grant award means job security for us," Lee said. Native Renewables currently has less than two dozen employees, all of whom come from Indigenous communities spread across the Southwest. It plans to add more as it continues to grow, in large part boosted by the grant funding. "It feels good that people support our work and that they're behind us and we get to work with 300 more Navajo and Hopi homes, we get to expand our mission, we get to expand our impact," Chee said. Reach the reporter at LLatch@gannett.com. The Republics coverage of northern Arizona is funded, in part, with a grant from Report for America. To support regional Arizona news coverage like this, make a tax-deductible donation at supportjournalism.azcentral.com. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Indigenous nonprofit in Arizona to electrify 300 tribal homes President Joe Biden recently underwent his annual physical exam, continuing a decades-long practice that sheds light into the health of the commander-in-chief. After undergoing the exam Feb. 28, Bidens doctor released a summary of the results, identifying no new concerns and concluding that the president remains fit for duty. The summary stated that Biden, 81, is currently being treated for sleep apnea, gastroesophageal reflux and peripheral neuropathy in his feet, among other minor conditions. It also noted that the president still abstains from alcohol and tobacco and exercises five days per week. For the past half-century, every president has undergone regular and publicized physical exams, which include routine testing and occasionally reveal previously unknown conditions. However, the results which are released at the discretion of the president should not necessarily be taken at face value since presidents have a history of deceiving the American public about their health, historians told McClatchy News. History of the annual physical For most of the countrys history, the health of the president has been treated with an extreme degree of secrecy, Thomas Balcerski, a presidential historian at Eastern Connecticut State University, told McClatchy News. There are so many examples of concealment that are almost incredible to believe, Balcerski said. Perhaps most notably, Grover Cleveland underwent a partial jaw replacement surgery aboard a covertly camouflaged yacht in 1893 in the hopes that word would not get out. Similarly, Franklin Roosevelt who famously kept his wheelchair usage from the American public was diagnosed with a congenital heart condition in 1944, which he also kept under wraps, Balcerski said. However, a turning point came during the presidency of Dwight Eisenhower, who suffered multiple heart attacks, Balcerski said. He seems to be the first one who tried to cut off concerns about his fitness to run again in 1956 by appearing before the public in a wheelchair and in his hospital bed in his recovery stages, he said. But it was not until the Nixon Administration that presidents began regularly undergoing standardized physical exams, of which some of the results were released to the public, Jacob M. Appel, a professor at the Icahn School of Medicine and presidential health historian, told McClatchy News. Since Nixon each president has done these, not necessarily every year, but on a fairly regular basis, Appel, who is currently writing a book on presidential health, said. What do the exams include? Just like anyone else going to the doctor, these are pretty routine, basic physicals, Appel said. The exams, which can vary by president, typically include blood and urine panels, which test for things like cholesterol and glucose. Hearing, dental and skin exams are also routine. Some presidents public results, like George H.W. Bushs in 1989, revealed more extensive testing, including a chest X-ray and an electrocardiogram. The results also often include a presidents social history, such as their smoking and drinking habits as well as their exercise routines. What about cognitive exams? Biden, who has faced criticism that he suffers from a poor memory, did not take a cognitive test as part of his physical, a White House spokesperson recently told reporters. However, cognitive testing is not typically administered during these physicals, though Trump said he took one and aced it in 2020, Appel said. Whether or not standard cognitive testing should be part of this process is an interesting question because most Americans if theyre 80 or 90 and go to their general practitioner, probably you get a cognitive test, Appel said. However, passing a mental fitness test which typically includes simple questions like correctly naming the day of the week or identifying animals would not necessarily indicate fitness to be president. Its a great accomplishment if youre a nursing home patient with advanced Alzheimers disease, Appel said. Its not a great accomplishment for the average human being. Do the results matter? The president is under no legal obligation to undertake a physical examination, much less release the results to the American public, Balcerski said. The analogy Ill give is that its like releasing tax returns, Balcerski said. Theyre not legally bound to do it. Because of this, the president is within his rights to withhold any test results that he sees fit, Balcerski said. It is definitely a political exercise, Appel said. The American people should put absolutely no trust in this We have learned over and over again including in recent times that politicians have deceived the public about their health in very high stakes ways. For example, Appel said, Lyndon Johnson withheld his skin cancer diagnosis from the public, and Paul Tsongas, a candidate for president in 1992, stated he was cancer free, which, at the time, was patently false. The public can only presume that some results are similarly being withheld now, Appel said, adding, We will learn in a generation or two what we dont know. Pushing back against this, Balcerski said that Bidens physical results appear detailed and thorough, adding I would expect a physicians integrity to be on the line here. Regardless of whether not the presidents full health status is revealed, some interesting tidbits can often be gleaned from the exams, Appel said. During one of Clintons physicals, for example, it was revealed that he was developing hearing loss and required a hearing aid late in his presidency. Similarly, he said, I think the average person would have been stunned at what good shape George W. Bush was in. Even well into his presidency, he had the body and vital signs of a trained professional athlete. What is 25th Amendment? Congressman calls to use it on Biden in a stunt, experts say Senator calls Walmarts TV acquisition a warning bell and pushes for investigation Scholars release official ranking of US presidents. See where Biden and Trump fall President Biden visited the border in Brownsville, Texas, Thursday, as part of an effort to go on offense against former President Trump and to turn a political liability into a line of attack against Republicans. The Biden campaign has signaled Trumps hand in getting Republicans to kill a bipartisan proposal to bolster resources at the southern border as a major messaging gift for them. Theyre seeking to blame Trump for the lack of action at the border, while tying the former president and his party to Washingtons dysfunction. Trump, who will also be in Texas on Thursday for his own border visit, is almost certain to blame Biden for the surge of migrants into the United States and tie the death of Georgia student Laken Riley directly to the White Houses policies. The remarks are scheduled for 4:30 p.m. EST. Watch the live video above. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The News The Biden administration is launching an investigation into national security risks posed by connected vehicles cars linked to the internet that use Chinese technology. Officials will weigh potential restrictions on the products to head off spying, hacking, or data collection. Led by the Commerce Department, the investigation will solicit public comments over the next 60 days about risks posed by connected vehicles, which include electric vehicles, that use technology from China or other countries of concern. Ultimately, the administration could enact bans or mitigating measures to address any risks, a senior Biden administration official said, though officials are not currently promising to take any actions. Connected vehicles that have technologies sourced from China could be exploited in ways that threaten U.S. national security, White House National Economic Council Director Lael Brainard told reporters. The president believes its important for the United States to consider imposing safeguards to guard against connected vehicles operating on U.S. roads from relying on information and communication technology from China and other countries of concern. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said the administration has a high level of concern about risks of Chinese-made connected vehicles and wants to act before Chinese-manufactured vehicles become widespread in the United States and potentially threaten our privacy and our national security. The announcement is likely to inflame tensions with China, which has criticized U.S. curbs on semiconductors and other advanced technology the Biden administration says are motivated by national security considerations. Know More The investigation will be run by Commerces Bureau of Industry and Security, which is putting out an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking to solicit public input about potential risks from foreign-made technology in connected vehicles. The administration is taking the action under authorities provided by a Trump-era executive order. The Biden administration is specifically looking at connected vehicles made with technology from China, even if those vehicles are manufactured or assembled elsewhere, a senior administration official said. Chinese car companies have recently gained a foothold in Mexico, for example. The View From China In a statement to Semafor, a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington, Liu Pengyu, described the investigation as discriminatory and accused the U.S. of weaponizing economic and trade issues. The statement explicitly mentioned Tesla, noting that the Texas-based automaker has substantial investments in China and exports products from China to the U.S. The U.S. approach will only exacerbate security risks in the global supply chain and ultimately harm others and itself, Liu said. It is hoped that the United States will immediately stop this investigation, avoid launching similar investigations, and stop creating obstacles to normal economic and trade activities such as imports from China and investment by Chinese companies in the United States. China will also continue to firmly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of its own enterprises, he warned. Notable In the New York Times, Robinson Meyer writes that U.S. policymakers need to brace for a flood of cheaply-made Chinese electric vehicles that could take over the market before Detroits own models can get off the ground. US President Joe Biden speaks to reporters before boarding Marine One at the White House on February 29, 2024 (ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS) US President Joe Biden said Thursday that a deadly incident at a food aid point in Gaza would complicate ceasefire negotiations, but also underscored the urgency for a deal between Israel and Hamas. Biden added that a ceasefire was unlikely to happen by Monday as he previously believed, but stressed he was still hopeful for a deal that would provide a six-week pause in fighting in exchange for the release of hostages held by the Palestinian militant group. "Hope springs eternal," Biden told reporters at the White House when asked about the ceasefire timing. "I was on the telephone with people in the region... Probably not by Monday, but I'm hopeful." Biden was also asked about the incident in Gaza, when Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinians scrambling for food aid in a chaotic melee that the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory said killed more than 100 people. "We're checking that right now. There are two competing versions of what happened, I don't have an answer yet," Biden said as he headed to his helicopter. Asked if he was worried whether it would complicate the delicate negotiations for a ceasefire, Biden replied: "I know it will." The White House later said it had asked close US ally Israel to probe the "tremendously alarming" deaths. "We think that this latest event needs to be thoroughly investigated," deputy press secretary Olivia Dalton told reporters traveling with Biden to Texas on Air Force One. "We've been in touch with the government of Israel this morning to gather information and to request that they investigate." - 'Desperate' - The US State Department called the situation in Gaza "desperate." "We will be monitoring that investigation closely and pressing for answers," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters about the aid trucks incident. Biden separately spoke to two key regional players on Thursday -- Qatar's emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi -- about efforts to reach a ceasefire. They discussed the "tragic and alarming" aid incident in Gaza, saying it "underscored the urgency of bringing negotiations to a close as soon as possible," the White House said in a statement. Biden and the two Arab leaders also set out new details of what a ceasefire deal could look like. "The leaders underscored that the release of hostages would result in an immediate and sustained ceasefire in Gaza over a period of at least six weeks," the White House said. "They exchanged views on how such a prolonged period of calm could then be built into something more enduring" and agreed to stay in touch over the coming days. The Israeli military said a "stampede" occurred when thousands of Gazans surrounded a convoy of 38 aid trucks, leading to dozens of deaths and injuries, including some who were run over by the lorries. An Israeli source acknowledged troops had opened fire on the crowd, believing it "posed a threat." The Gaza health ministry condemned what it called a "massacre" in Gaza City in which 112 people were killed and more than 750 others wounded. The incident adds to a Palestinian death toll from the war that the ministry said earlier Thursday had now topped 30,000. Hamas's October 7 attacks resulted in the deaths of around 1,160 people, mostly civilians, Israeli figures show. Militants also took about 250 hostages, 130 of whom remain in Gaza, including 31 presumed dead, according to Israel. dk/bfm Washington has expressed concerns that "broad and vague" definitions in Hong Kong's home-grown national security law could be used to stamp out dissent and its proposed long-arm jurisdiction might be exercised to "intimidate and restrict" Americans. Joining the fray after China hit back at Britain's own worries, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller on Thursday offered his country's strongest stance on the coming legislation so far by warning it risked compounding the effects of the Beijing-imposed security law that he said had curtailed rights and freedoms. "We are particularly concerned by Hong Kong authorities' proposal to adopt broad and vague definitions of 'state secrets' and 'external interference' that could be used to eliminate dissent through the fear of arrest and detention," he said. Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. Theft of state secrets and external interference are two of the five offences proposed in the new security legislation, which Hong Kong is required to pass under Article 23 of the Basic Law, its mini-constitution. The three others are treason, insurrection and sabotage endangering national security. "We are also concerned that Hong Kong authorities will apply Article 23 extraterritorially in their ongoing campaign of transnational repression to intimidate and restrict the free speech of US citizens and residents," Miller said. He added that enacting further national security legislation with "vaguely defined provisions and purported extraterritorial reach" would further violate Beijing's international commitments and undermine the "one country, two systems" governing principle. Earlier in the day, Beijing hit back at "groundless attacks" on the proposed law after British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said it would inhibit freedom of expression and threaten legitimate diplomatic activities in Hong Kong. Story continues The Chinese embassy in London said the Sino-British Joint Declaration did not give Britain the right to intervene in Hong Kong's affairs, after Cameron revealed UK officials had raised their concerns over the bill "privately" with city authorities. "We firmly oppose the groundless attacks by British politicians on the legislation of Article 23 of Hong Kong's Basic Law," an embassy spokesman said. The joint declaration, signed between Britain and China on September 26, 1984, set out the terms of Hong Kong's return to Chinese sovereignty on July 1, 1997. The embassy on Thursday said Hong Kong's domestic legislation was "fully in line with international law and common practice in various countries and regions", adding that the British government's concerns were groundless and biased. David Cameron leaving 10 Downing Street in London last month. The British foreign secretary has urged the Hong Kong government to reconsider its proposal for the law. Photo: AFP alt=David Cameron leaving 10 Downing Street in London last month. The British foreign secretary has urged the Hong Kong government to reconsider its proposal for the law. Photo: AFP> "On the contrary, the British national security law has a vague concept and broad authorisation for law enforcement agencies, making it extremely easy for it to be abused," the spokesman said. "The British authorities should self-reflect instead of pointing fingers at others." In a separate and longer statement, China's foreign ministry office in Hong Kong expressed its opposition to the British minister's "irresponsible remarks" and "malicious smear" regarding the security legislation proposal. The condemnations follow the British foreign minister's statement issued on Wednesday urging the Hong Kong government to reconsider the proposal for the law and engage in "genuine and meaningful consultation" with residents. Cameron said British officials had raised concerns about the Article 23 proposal "privately" with Hong Kong authorities and during the consultation process as he was concerned that the new law would have a "negative impact on the people of Hong Kong in the exercise of their rights and freedoms". "The toughening of penalties for speech crimes and the use of the broadly defined term 'state secrets' will inhibit freedom of speech, of expression and of the press," he said. "Vague references to 'external forces' and the new offence of 'external interference' threaten legitimate and lawful diplomatic and consular activity as protected in the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations." Cameron added that while the consultation paper on the legislation made extensive references to several British national security laws, these were subjected to full scrutiny by the democratically elected House of Commons, thus ensuring democratic legitimacy. "I strongly urge the Hong Kong SAR government to reconsider their proposals and engage in genuine and meaningful consultation with the people of Hong Kong," he said. The public consultation for the legislation ended on Wednesday. The full draft of the proposed law has yet to be completed. It is unclear when the draft law will reach the Legislative Council, though lawmakers have already formed a special subcommittee poised to be converted into a bill committee for the new legislation. This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright 2024 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2024. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. President Joe Biden said on Thursday that he believes negotiations for a possible truce between Israel and Hamas will be complicated by an incident where Gaza officials say Israeli troops killed more than 100 starving Palestinians trying to access aid. Earlier that day, Israeli forces in Gaza City fired at a crowd of Palestinians after the enclaves northern region received its first major aid delivery in a month. Hundreds of Palestinian civilians, who are being starved by the lack of aid, began pulling flour and canned goods off the trucks when witnesses said troops began shooting at them. Medics found dozens or hundreds lying on the ground at the scene, Kamal Adwan Hospital official Fares Afana told The Associated Press. Because there were so many bodies, Afana said some of the victims had to be wheeled to the hospital in carts pulled by horses and donkeys instead of ambulances. Video taken by a Gaza journalist shows medics assisting a single donkey carrying a cart that has a pile of bodies stacked on top of each other. The Gaza Health Ministry, which described the shooting as a massacre, said more than 100 Palestinians were killed and 760 were wounded. The casualties resulted in the Palestinian death toll surpassing 30,000, with another almost 70,500 wounded, according to health officials. A screen grab captured from a video shows Israeli forces targeting Palestinians, surrounding humanitarian aid trucks, as Israeli soldiers open fire on the crowd in Gaza City on Feb. 29, 2024. Stringer/Anadolu via Getty Images On Thursday morning, Biden told reporters before traveling to Texas that he had not yet learned what specifically happened in north Gaza, saying there are two competing versions of what happened. Israel confirmed that their troops fired at the crowd, but claimed they did so because the Palestinians who are experiencing a breakdown of public order due to not having basic necessities approached the trucks in a threatening manner. When asked whether hes worried the shooting will complicate negotiations for a temporary cease-fire deal, the president said, I know it will. Israel launched its ongoing military offensive in Gaza immediately after Hamas militants attacked the country on Oct. 7, killing about 1,200 people and seizing about 250 hostages. Around 130 hostages remain including roughly 30 believed to be dead after the militant group released the remaining captives during a temporary cease-fire in November. In addition to the massive death toll, Israeli forces have destroyed homes and important institutions like schools, hospitals, mosques and shelters. The offensive has also disproportionately targeted women, children, aid workers, doctors and journalists. Israel is facing accusations in international courts of committing genocide and apartheid against the Palestinians, which it fervently denies. More than half of Gazas population of 2.3 million has been pushed to the southernmost city of Rafah, where Israel has threatened a ground invasion if a deal to return the hostages is not reached by the time the Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins around March 10. The U.S. has vetoed three times a U.N. Security Council resolution that calls for a cease-fire in Gaza, causing massive backlash due to growing international calls for an end to the violence. The U.S. is separately working with Egypt and Qatar to secure a temporary cease-fire and the release of some of the hostages, though both Israel and Hamas have not signaled any progress on such a deal. Biden previously said that he expected a deal as early as next Monday. But on Thursday, the president retracted his estimated timeline. Hope springs eternal, he said. I was on the telephone with people in the region. Probably not by Monday, but Im hopeful. President Joe Biden told reporters that negotiations for a temporary cease-fire between Israel and Hamas will likely be complicated by the killing of hungry Palestinians trying to access aid in north Gaza by Israeli troops. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images The Security Council is expected to meet on Thursday at the request of Algeria to discuss the shooting in north Gaza, according to Al Jazeera. The White House said that Biden spoke with leaders in Egypt and Qatar on Thursday to discuss the status of negotiations and the tragic and alarming shooting in Gaza City. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters that too many Palestinians died today in the shooting and that the U.S. is pressing for answers. Two things are clear: just from the aerial footage, you can look at that and right away conclude that the situation is incredibly desperate, he said. People are swarming these trucks because theyre hungry, because they need food, because they need medicine and other assistance. And that tells you that we need to do more to get humanitarian assistance in. Some pro-Palestinian groups who have been critical of the U.S. governments role in Israels offensive demanded that Biden condemn the country for attacking the starving Palestinians. It is unconscionable that the Biden administration has not condemned the Israeli government for any of the war crimes it has committed over the past four months. Only political leaders who do not believe all lives are equally valuable could ignore todays massacre and continue to enable this open genocide of Palestinian men, women and children, Nihad Awad, national executive director of Muslim civil rights group CAIR, said in a statement on Thursday. The Biden administration must stop doubling down on its complicity in the Gaza genocide and offering vague words of mild criticism that mean nothing to [Israeli Prime Minister] Benjamin Netanyahu while it speeds more bombs that he will use to massacre more Palestinians. Palestinian people with empty pots receive food distributed by charity as Gaza faces a hunger crisis amid an aid blockade due to the ongoing Israeli offensive on Feb. 29 in Deir al Balah, central Gaza. Ali Jadallah/Anadolu via Getty Images Israel has blocked food, water, medicine and other aid from coming in, except for a small number of supply trucks arriving from the south. According to U.N. humanitarian agency OCHA, aid organizations have been unable to reach north Gaza and increasingly parts of southern Gaza safely due to convoys coming under Israeli fire and because they have been systematically denied access to people in need. The U.S. also cut funding this month for UNRWA the only U.N. refugee agency operating in Gaza including $300,000 of frozen funds that the government annually provides in humanitarian aid. The lack of funding, triggered by Israels allegations that a few UNRWA workers participated in the Oct. 7 attack, could lead to the agency shutting down and worsening the already catastrophic humanitarian conditions in Gaza. Many of the more than 750,000 Palestinians remaining in north Gaza say they have resorted to desperate measures so they dont die of starvation, including eating horses, animal feed and leaves. Still, the U.N. says that Palestinians in north Gaza are one step away from famine, and that 1 in 6 children in the north who are under the age of 2 suffer from acute malnutrition and muscle wasting. Intentionally depriving people of food is clearly a war crime. Israel has announced its intention to destroy the Palestinian people, in whole or in part, simply for being Palestinian, Michael Fakhri, the U.N. special rapporteur on the right to food, told The Guardian. In my view as a U.N. human rights expert, this is now a situation of genocide, he continued. This means the state of Israel in its entirety is culpable and should be held accountable not just individuals or this government or that person. (Bloomberg) -- President Joe Biden and his political rival Donald Trump undertook dueling visits to the US southern border on Thursday, highlighting an issue that stands to feature prominently in an expected November rematch of their bitterly contested 2020 contest. Most Read from Bloomberg With Biden in Brownsville and Trump 300 miles away in Eagle Pass, the president and his predecessor competed for attention, each seeking to demonstrate his ability to respond to a migrant surge that voters say is one of their top concerns ahead of Novembers election. Biden toured border areas with his Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, US Border Patrol Chief Jason Owens and local officials, while Trump received his own briefing from the states Republican governor, Greg Abbott. Trump and Abbott greeted members of the Texas National Guard, Border Patrol and Texas Department of Public Safety troopers at Shelby Park, a hot spot for migrants seeking to enter the US. They walked past shipping containers topped with razor wire placed there to discourage migrants. Biden Invasion This is a Joe Biden invasion, Trump said as he delivered remarks outdoors against a dusty backdrop, flanked by the governor and other officials. The United States is being overrun by Biden migrant crime. Trump ticked off a list of violent crime allegedly committed by migrants, including the recent killing of a Georgia nursing student. Joe Biden will never say Laken Rileys name, Trump said, adding that he had spoken to her parents. The former president praised Texas officials efforts to stop the flow of migrants, contrasting their approach with Democratic governors in other states, including Californias Gavin Newsom, a prominent Biden surrogate whom he mocked with a new nickname: Newscum. We have languages coming into our country nobody that even speaks those languages, Trump said. Theyre pouring into our country, and theyre bringing with them tremendous problems, including medical problems. Across the Rio Grande in Mexico, a small crowd gathered to watch the spectacle, standing on a retaining wall decorated with a colorful mural. Trump at one point waved and pumped his fist at the people on the other side of the border. Today is a day of extraordinary contrast, Abbott said. The governor has assailed the Biden administration over its response and fought it in court over how much local officials can do to secure the border. And hes sent busses of migrants to cities in other states. Read more: Texas Picks a Fight With Biden Over Powers to Patrol the Border As Trump spoke, Biden was being briefed at a border patrol station by US Customs and Border Protection, US Citizenship and Immigration Services and Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials. Biden began speaking just moments after Trump wrapped up, urged the former president to join him in securing passage of a bipartisan border deal, which Republicans had rejected under pressure from the GOP frontrunner. Instead of playing politics on this issue, instead of telling members of Congress to block this legislation: join me, or Ill join you in telling the Congress to pass this bipartisan border security bill, Biden said. We can do it together, you know and I know its the toughest, most efficient, most effective border security bill this country has ever seen, he added. Rejected Deal Biden has sought to reverse criticism of the administrations handling of the crisis by highlighting Republicans decision, at Trumps behest, to kill the painstakingly negotiated bipartisan deal. That agreement would have given the president powers to effectively close the border if crossings reached certain levels. Biden has said his rival would rather weaponize the issue of immigration than address it. The president pushed Congress to act, saying lawmakers needed to approve more funding for Border Patrol agents and for additional immigration judges to deal with a backlog in cases. Its long past time to act, Biden said. We cant wait any longer. Biden earlier met with Border Patrol agents as he toured a section of the Rio Grande with a boat patrolling the calm waters behind them. There were no migrants visible. Pro-Trump protesters waved flags along a nearby fence. The border visits come at a critical moment for the presidential contenders. Trump is closing in on the GOP nomination and increasingly solidifying his hold on the party. Hes vowed to carry out the largest deportation in US history and complete a wall along the entire Southern border if returned to office. Texas holds its primaries on March 5, Super Tuesday, when voters in more than a dozen states head to the polls. Blame Game A February Bloomberg News/Morning Consult poll shows a majority of voters in seven swing states still hold Biden and congressional Democrats responsible for the migrant surge. But blame for congressional Republicans and the Trump administration each increased 5 percentage points compared to the previous month. Read more: Biden Is Too Old But Trump Is Dangerous, Swing-State Voters Say While Biden contends that Congress needs to act on immigration he told governors visiting the White House last week that his lawyers have told him he has few options Speaker Mike Johnson has said the president can take executive action to deal with the border, leaving the two sides at a stalemate. --With assistance from Stephanie Lai, Michelle Jamrisko and Akayla Gardner. (Updates with additional details from Trump, Biden visits) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. President Joe Biden walked back his assessment that a hostage deal to pause fighting in the Gaza Strip could be reached by Monday. I was on the telephone with the people in the region, Biden told reporters on the South Lawn Thursday morning, adding: Probably not by Monday, but Im hopeful. The president said earlier this week he hoped a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas could be in place in roughly a week at an ice cream shop in New York as part of an appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers. "Were close, were not done yet, Biden said. U.S. representatives, including several from the CIA, have worked with Israeli and Qatar officials in Doha in recent days to try and reach a cease-fire and hostage deal by Monday, but that effort is unlikely to come to a close this weekend, said a person with knowledge of negotiations granted anonymity to describe sensitive conversations. The U.S. and Israel are still waiting to hear back from Hamas on whether it will agree to a six-week pause in fighting and a new proposal for a prisoners-for-hostages exchange, that person said. Bidens reassessment comes as he faces mounting pressure on the campaign trail to demonstrate to voters that hes pushing the Israeli government to minimize civilian deaths in Gaza while also maintaining support for Israel, Washingtons staunchest ally in the Middle East. He has pushed harder for a pause in the fighting in recent weeks to enable more humanitarian aid to flow into Gaza and to allow for the release of Israeli hostages. The war has been a tricky balancing act for the Biden-Harris campaign, underscored by more than 100,000 people casting uncommitted protest ballots in the Michigan primary on Tuesday. Now, Democratic leaders nationally are urging him to show up in communities upset about his handling of the Israel-Hamas war. His timeline revision also follows a grim milestone for the Israel-Hamas war, which is entering its sixth month: Israeli troops fired on a crowd of Palestinians awaiting aid in Gaza City on Thursday, killing more than 100 people and bringing the civilian death toll in the territory to more than 30,000 since October, per local health officials. Gaza's Health Ministry, which keeps track of the deaths, doesn't differentiate between civilians and combatants in its figures but has said that women and minors account for most of the deaths. "The events of this morning just underscored how deep and dire the humanitarian needs among the civilian population in Gaza are right now," White House spokesperson Olivia Dalton told reporters on Air Force One Thursday afternoon. As the death toll continues to rise, aid groups have warned that its becoming increasingly challenging to deliver assistance to Palestinians due to the difficulty of working with Israels military, ongoing fighting and massive crowds overwhelming the convoys. Theres also growing fears that Israels military will invade the southern city of Rafah, where more than 1 million Gazans are sheltering. The U.S. has warned that such an invasion would be a disaster if it proceeds without a plan to protect civilians. A quarter of the 2.3 million people in Gaza face starvation, while 80 percent have been displaced from their homes, according to the United Nations. Erin Banco and the Associated Press contributed to this report. US President Joe Biden wants the G7 countries to move forward with plans to use seized Russian sovereign assets to support Ukraine before their June 2024 summit. Source: Bloomberg with reference to informed sources, as reported by European Pravda Details: According to an anonymous source, the US president wants the frozen assets to be used to fund Ukraine's budget and, later, to rebuild the country. According to the source, Biden does not believe that using confiscated Russian funds will replace the need for assistance. According to Bloomberg sources, the US president also privately warned allies that if Ukraine collapsed, the international order would be destroyed for at least the next 50 years. Unlike Germany and France, which, along with the European Bank, continue to oppose any step that could result in the confiscation of Russian Federation assets, the UK and Canada support this step. One issue is that the vast majority of these funds are in Europe, primarily in the Belgian depository Euroclear, and any agreement will need the approval of all G7 countries. Another challenge is to find a solution that all allies believe is legally sound and helps mitigate any risks to the euro. Earlier, Italian Finance Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti stated that it would be difficult to find a legal basis for utilising frozen Russian assets to assist Ukraine. Earlier, French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire publicly opposed US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen's position on the confiscation of frozen Russian assets, indicating deep divisions among the G7 countries. Despite the public outcry, one Western official, who asked not to be identified, told Reuters that G7 officials agreed that Moscow should pay for the harm it has caused. The official stated that more and more experts believe there is a legal way to seize frozen assets. Following the 24 February summit, the leaders of the Group of Seven confirmed that they would keep the Russian Central Bank's assets frozen in their jurisdictions until Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine ended. On 12 February, the Council of the European Union 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. Support UP or become our patron! The state House unanimously passed the Georgia Squatter Reform Act on Thursday, which is designed to make it clear that squatting is a crime and should not be dealt with through the traditional eviction process. Channel 2 Action News went undercover last month for an investigation into how squatters are counting on that long, drawn-out eviction process to stay in the homes for 8-10 months while the fight plays out in civil courts. Our undercover investigation showed how 1 Time Payment Homes were even advertising on Instagram that they could put you in a squatter home and take advantage of squatters rights so you could stay there. RELATED STORIES: This legislation would change that and have police charge people criminally for trespassing. It also makes any fake lease a separate felony. Colleagues, House Bill 1017 sends a message to squatters you are criminals and will be treated like criminals. If you commit the crime of squatting, you will be arrested charged with a crime, prosecuted and promptly removed from the property, state Rep. Devan Seabaugh said. By passing on Thursday and crossing over now to the Senate, the legislation takes a big step forward. The unanimous vote makes clear it has big bipartisan support. RELATED NEWS: An exonerated Black man who spent more than 16 years behind bars after he was wrongfully convicted of armed robbery in Broward was shot to death by a Georgia deputy during a traffic stop in 2023. His family is now petitioning a federal court for millions. The lawsuit, filed in the Southern District of Georgia on Tuesday, names as defendants Buck Aldridge, the deputy who shot 53-year-old Leonard Allan Cure, and Jim Proctor, the sheriff of Camden County, for the unlawful killing of Cure. The legal action was brought forth by Cures mother Mary Cure. Prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump is on the team representing the exonerated Dania Beach mans family. Mary Cure, Leonard Cures mother, speaks to reporters during a press conference in Camden County, Georgia on Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023. The Cure family is seeking more than $16 million in damages, citing emotional distress, humiliation and pain and suffering. Attorneys in the filing allege that Aldridge committed acts that deprived Mr. Cure of his rights under the Constitution and the laws of the State of Georgia by using excessive and deadly force against Mr. Cure. An alarming history? The court documents also state that Proctor knew or should have known that Aldridge had a propensity for violence and had a history of using unlawful force and excessive force. They listed out several previous incidents involving Aldridge. In 2014, the deputy received a warning for violating Kingsland Police Departments use of force policy; In May 2017, he was suspended for three days, placed on probation for a year and ordered to completely remedial use of force training for violating Kingsland Polices use of force policy; In August 2017, the deputy was fired for violating the same departments use of force policy; In June 2022, Aldridge intentionally struck an unarmed man who wasnt resisting arrest and tased him twice. The lawsuit also alleges that Proctor didnt fire other officers accused of excessive use of force and states that the sheriff was deliberately indifferent to claims of excessive force by his employees. Defendant Aldridges actions and use of force... were also malicious and/or involved reckless, callous, and deliberate indifference to Mr. Cures federally protected rights, attorneys say in the filing. Step out! Step out! On Oct. 16, 2023, Aldridge spotted a gray pickup truck in the far left lane zooming past his vehicle on Interstate 95 in Camden County, Georgia. Dash and body-worn camera footage shows the deputy stopping Cure for speeding around 7:30 a.m. Step out! Step out! Get out! Get out! Aldridge yells as soon as he sets his feet out of his police vehicle and as he approaches Cures pickup truck near I-95s mile marker 9. Cure then steps out, and the deputy tells him to put his hands against the pickup truck, according to the videos. Cure, standing with his hands by his side, says he isnt going to do it. When Aldridge tries to grab one of his arms, saying put your damn hands back here, Cure moves his arm away. READ MORE: Step out! Video shows exonerated Broward man fighting deputy before fatal shooting Aldridge proceeds to take his Taser out of the holster and points it at Cure. At some point, the deputy orders Cure to put his hands behind his back, grabbing one of Cures wrists before he pulls away, the vidoes show. After Aldridge tells Cure again to put his hands behind his back, the man points toward the sky with one hand, according to the videos. Thats when the deputy shoots him with the Taser while repeating the order. Cure subsequently turns around, starts grabbing the Tasers wires and ultimately the deputys hand holding the weapon. They begin to fight, with the deputy putting Cure in a headlock, the videos reveals. Cure, however, pushes him against the back of the pickup truck. The Camden County Sheriffs Office released video footage showing the moment one of their deputies shot and killed Leonard Allan Cure, 53, during a traffic stop on Oct. 16, 2023. Cure was exonerated and released from prison in 2020 after being wrongfully convicted in Broward County, Florida of armed robbery, spending over 16 years behind bars. The deputy starts hitting Cure with a baton but the man continues to push his head further back, according to the videos. As Cure seems to have overpowered Aldridge, the deputy takes out his firearm and shoots Cure. The shot or shots cant be heard in the video provided by the sheriffs office. Cure falls down. Attorneys representing Cures family previously stated that the trauma of being wrongfully imprisoned for more than a decade and a half, combined with the deputys behavior, may have triggered Cure. A Georgia deputy killed Allan Cure, 53, during a traffic stop on Interstate 95 on Monday, Oct. 16, 2023, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. In December 2020, Cure was exonerated after Browards Conviction Review Unit concluded the case against Cure is so weak that it gives rise to a reasonable doubt as to his culpability and that hes most likely innocent. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in June 2023 signed a claims bill granting Cure $817,000 in compensation for his wrongful conviction. Cure had moved to Georgia after his exoneration to start a new life. Miami Herald staff writer Omar Rodriguez Ortiz contributed to this report VICKSBURG, Miss. Thelma Sims Dukes grew up during the 1940s and 50s in a segregated Mississippi town steeped in Civil War history. As a small Black girl, she would walk to school through Vicksburg National Military Park the hilly battlefield where Union and Confederate soldiers fought and died over whether the U.S. would continue allowing slavery in the South. Union forces won a pivotal campaign to capture the town of Vicksburg and gain control of the Mississippi River in 1863, hastening the wars end. But during Dukes childhood, Vicksburg venerated the Confederacy and ignored the history of Black soldiers who fought for the Union, including her great-great-grandfather, William Bill Sims. The superintendents and the museum curators they said we didnt fight in the Civil War, Dukes said recently. The Black soldiers valor and service to the country is no longer ignored, thanks to the efforts of historians, park employees and citizens like Dukes. On crisp morning in mid-February, Dukes and her niece, Sara Sims, and four park employees two of them Black men wearing reproductions of U.S. Army uniforms from the Civil War placed American flags on 13 graves where a group of recently identified Black soldiers are buried in Vicksburg National Cemetery, which is part of the military park. Like father, like son: Book explores legacy of first Black general A historian working for the military park, Beth Kruse, identified the soldiers through research of military records, newspapers and other sources. Their remains lie beneath white marble headstones carved with numbers rather than names, as are most veterans buried in the cemetery. In recent years, the National Park Service has broadened how it presents history in parks nationwide. In the Vicksburg military park, which is dotted with more than 1,400 monuments, markers and tablets and is one of the largest tourist attractions in Mississippi, drawing visitors from around the globe, the visitor center now includes information about Black history, and a monument to Black soldiers was dedicated 20 years ago. Sunlight dappled the graves under a towering magnolia tree during the flag-planting ceremony on Feb. 14. Dukes said the men and other Black Union soldiers were freedom fighters, not only for themselves but for all Americans. They are not unknowns anymore, she said. This is a start. This is good. Lets put history right. The newly identified soldiers had enlisted in the Vicksburg-based 1st Mississippi Infantry (African Descent) as the town was under federal occupation. In early 1864, 18 soldiers and two white officers traveled by boat some 95 miles north along the Mississippi River to Chicot County, Arkansas, to forage for crops to feed people and horses. On Feb. 14, 1864, at Ross Landing near the town of Lake Village, irregular Confederate troops from Missouri shot the Union soldiers and officers, killing most and leaving some for dead. They used the Union soldiers own bayonets to impale the dead and wounded, pinning them to the ground, according to research by Kruse. Brendan Wilson, chief of interpretation, education and partnerships for Vicksburg National Military Park, said on the 160th anniversary of the gruesome day in Ross Landing that its still not known which of the 13 Black soldiers from that massacre is in which specific grave. Records show where the group is buried. And now we have their names and can bring those names back to life, Wilson said. Kruse is working in Vicksburg through the National Park Services Mellon Humanities Postdoctoral Fellows program. She said at least 11 soldiers of the 1st Mississippi Infantry (African Descent) were previously enslaved on southern plantations. For these soldiers, it was not abstract ideology, she said. They knew what it was to be unfree. The Mississippi African-American Monument, a 9-foot tall, bronze sculpture that rests on a pedestal of African black granite, and features two Black Union soldiers, and a common field hand, as photographed, Feb. 14, 2024, in the Vicksburg National Military Park, in Vicksburg, Miss. (Rogelio V. Solis/AP) Vicksburg National Cemetery was established in 1866 and now holds more than 18,000 graves veterans from six wars and a few former park employees. More than 17,000 of them fought for the Union in the Civil War, including more than 5,500 Black soldiers, designated by the U.S. War Department in 1863 as United States Colored Troops. Vicksburg is the largest cemetery for Union soldiers and sailors, its dead brought from Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas and other states. Nearly 13,000 are buried as unknown. About 5,000 Confederate soldiers are buried in a city cemetery in Vicksburg, outside the military park. Some 80 years after the Civil War ended, Dukes father worked in maintenance at the national military park. She said she has always thought the landscape of the former battlefield is beautiful, but when she was young she never saw any of the history there as relevant to the Black community. All I know is that the South lost. OK, I did know that, Dukes said. But none of the battles like we are learning now. I didnt feel like it was any connection to Blacks. In 2004, Vicksburg National Military Park dedicated a monument honoring the Black soldiers who fought in the Vicksburg Campaign. The troops were pivotal in a Union victory at Millikens Bend, Louisiana, along the Mississippi River north of Vicksburg, in June 1863. Robert Major Walker, a historian elected as Vicksburgs first Black mayor in 1988, proposed the monument in 1999 after spending years doing research and securing money for it. Something had to be done to show the involvement of Black folk in the Civil War, Walker said recently. So much positive had been left out of the books of history. Everybody needed to know the truth. Dukes, whose great-great-grandfather fought at Millikens Bend and survived the war, criticizes efforts by some Republican governors, including Floridas Ron DeSantis and Mississippis Tate Reeves, to limit the teaching about slavery and other difficult aspects of U.S. history. And I dont see why the majority of people in America dont say, No, you cant do that. Lets tell it all, Dukes said. Three days after placing American flags in the cemetery, Dukes joined others inside the military parks visitor center for a libation ceremony, a traditional African religious ritual, to pay tribute to the 20 men killed or wounded at Ross Landing. Albert Dorsey Jr., a history professor from Jackson State University, read the name of each man Black and white as he poured water into a pot of soil and grass, a small chunk of Earth brought indoors for the chilly day: Pvt. Henry Berry, Pvt. Calvin Cathron, 1st Lt. Thaddeus Cock, Pvt. Howard Dixon, Corp. Fleming Epps, Pvt. Ruffian Epps, Corp. Peter Everman, Pvt. Charles Farrar, Pvt. Henry Ford, Pvt. John Genefa, Pvt. Anthony Givens, Pvt. Richard James, Sgt. Tony McGee, Sgt. Noah Powell, Pvt. Thomas Ransom, 1st Sgt. James Spencer, Pvt. Isaac Stanton, Pvt. Isom Taylor, Corp. Nelson Walker, Pvt. James H. Boldin. After each name, the audience of about 50 people responded: Ase, pronounced ah-SHAY, a word from the Yoruba language spoken in parts of western Africa. It is similar to Amen, an affirmation of a life force. The 13 Black men killed in the massacre were initially buried at Ross Landing, and later interred in the cemetery as unknowns. Three more were wounded and died during or shortly after the Civil War, and also were buried as unknowns. Two others survived until 1918. The two white officers bodies had been identified and sent home to Ohio and Indiana for burial during the war. Kruse told the audience that the Black men who joined the Union Army were not groveling for inclusion but actively chose to fight. As President Lincoln remarked of the Gettysburg dead, Kruse said, we, too, can recognize the men who lay in the hallowed grounds of the Vicksburg National Cemetery, and never forget what they did for freedom. A long line of trucks is parked off westbound I-80 in Lake Tahoe, Calif., Thursday, as drivers put chains on the wheels in preparation for the snowstorm over the Sierra Nevada. (Andy Barron/AP) Blizzard conditions descended on the mountains of Californias Sierra Nevada Thursday, with up to 12 feet of snow and roaring winds up to 100 miles per hour forecast for the region through Sunday. The National Weather Service, which issued a rare blizzard warning for the Sierra Nevada, urged residents to AVOID travel at elevations above 2,000 feet in the states mountain areas. Blizzard conditions are expected in areas above 2000 ft this afternoon through Saturday. It is EXTREMELY dangerous to travel through the mountains at this time! AVOID travel! Stay up to date with the forecast at https://t.co/7FMe5twj20 by entering your zip code. Stay safe! #CAwx pic.twitter.com/ANf1qmEmBe NWS Sacramento (@NWSSacramento) February 29, 2024 Life-threatening blizzard conditions are expected from Friday afternoon through Saturday morning, according to forecasters, with wind gusts that could reach 110 mph. The California Highway Patrol briefly closed Interstate 80, the main road that connects California and Nevada, near Donner Summit after a big rig truck overturned Thursday as the storm began to take shape. Travel impossible The worst weather conditions are expected to arrive Thursday night, with heavy, persistent snow accompanied by strong winds. That mixture would result in whiteout conditions that will make travel impossible, the National Weather Service said, and bring long-lasting disruptions to daily life in the affected area. As much as 12 feet of snow could fall near mountain peaks. Here are the latest Key Messages for the major winter storm across the Western US. Check your latest forecast at https://t.co/pGx1JRZdMa pic.twitter.com/XgQs5AeSVd NWS Weather Prediction Center (@NWSWPC) February 29, 2024 Avalanche warnings have been issued for the Lake Tahoe area and on Mammoth Mountain. The National Weather Service in Reno, Nev., issued a stark warning: Do not travel. If you must travel, have a winter survival kit with you. If you get stranded, stay in your vehicle. Blizzard conditions are expected over a 300-mile area in the eastern portion of the state, from north of Lake Tahoe to south of Yosemite National Park. Top 5 snow event UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain told reporters in a webcast on Friday that this weekends storm is likely to set some top-five daily or two-day snow accumulation records. This will be another snowstorm, probably, for the record books in some places, he said. While the storm would immobilize higher-elevation areas of the Sierra Nevada, it would also help make up for a snowpack deficit at lower ones, Swain added. We rarely get air masses this cold that are also this moist and [are] associated with this much storm activity, Swain said. Snowfall rates could reach up to 5 inches per hour and last for several hours, Swain warned. Theres no way that any road-clearing crew can possibly clear that much snow that quickly. Especially if you have 60 mile per hour winds, Swain said. More snow for skiers, but patience will be required The arrival of a significant snowfall to kick off March is good news for Californias ski resorts. But the intensity of the storm has caused most resorts to close until the blizzard conditions pass. We have made the decision to proactively CLOSE OPERATIONS for Friday, 3/1 to preserve the safety of our guests + employees during the most intense wave of the storm, Sierra-at-Tahoe ski resort said in a message posted to its website. In a post on its Instagram page, Mammoth Mountain Ski Area wrote that its going to DUMP . Its looking like we have a lot of digging to look forward to the next few days. (Bloomberg) -- US President Joe Biden wants the Group of Seven nations to make progress on plans to tap frozen Russian sovereign assets to help support Ukraine by the time the leaders meet in June, according to people familiar with the matter. Most Read from Bloomberg G-7 officials have been discussing options to use the $280 billion of immobilized Russian Central Bank assets, including using the money as collateral to raise debt or issuing guarantees against the frozen funds, said the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The debate comes as Ukraine faces a critical shortage of artillery and other ammunition while allies struggle to source supplies at speed, and as $60 billion of economic aid remains stuck in the US Congress. Biden has also privately told allies, according to people briefed on recent talks, that if Ukraine falls, he believes the international order will be upended for at least the next five decades. The allies all concur that the funds should remain off-limits from Russia unless it pledges to help with Ukraines reconstruction, but theyre at odds over whether it would be lawful to seize them outright. G-7 leaders are due to meet in Italy in June. A spokesman for the White House National Security Council declined to comment. Biden would like to see the frozen assets used to help fund Ukraines budget needs, and later toward Ukraines reconstruction, said the people. The president doesnt think using the frozen funds replaces the need for aid, one of the people said. The US view is that its not right that Russia gets to decide when to compensate Ukraine for the damage it has caused, according to the people. Story continues France and Germany, along with the European Central Bank, have so far resisted taking any path that would lead to the funds being seized. They worry about Russian retaliation targeting European assets there, and also the potential impact on financial stability and the euros status as a reserve currency, Bloomberg previously reported. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and others have downplayed most of those concerns. In Brazil this week, Yellen said the G-7 should work together to explore seizing the assets themselves, or using them as collateral to borrow from global markets. The UK and Canada are also in favor of seizing the assets, according to one of the people. One challenge is that the vast majority of the funds are in Europe, mostly held through the Belgium-based clearing house Euroclear, and any agreement will need the backing of all G-7 nations. Another challenge is finding an option deemed by all allies to be legally sound and that helps mitigate any risks to the euro. Separately, the EU is slowly making progress on plans to at least apply a windfall tax to the profits generated by the immobilized funds. Last year the assets enabled profits of $4.8 billion. On Wednesday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen suggested using those proceeds to fund weapons for Ukraine. Russia has threatened to retaliate if Ukraines allies move on the assets and has explored options to stall any effort to seize the funds. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Dartmouth Health Blood Donor Program guideline changes help increase donations, maintain safety Implemented this month, Dartmouth Healths new blood donation policy, which aligns with FDA guidance, eliminates questions based on sexual orientation and gender and moves to an individual donor assessment. LEBANON Emergency blood donations are in short supply nationwide, with donations among Americans currently at a 20-year low. Blood donation is critically important from people of all blood types, genders, ethnicities and regions to ensure that there is an adequate supply of blood is available to people undergoing treatment of serious illness and following medical emergencies. However, until recently, some members of the LGBTQIA+ community and their sexual partners were barred from donating based on outdated science. On Feb. 19, Dartmouth Healths Blood Donor Program implemented the Food and Drug Administrations updated guidelines for blood donation. This change eliminate questions based on sexual orientation and gender and moves to an individual donor assessment. Now, donation eligibility is based on the individual, not sexual orientation or gender identity, so a persons choice of sexual partner will no longer matter. The FDAs change in policy is based on science and facts. We have learned a lot in the 40-plus years since the AIDS epidemic began, and we know now that prohibiting people who want to give blood based on their sexuality and identity is not only discriminatory, its unnecessary to stemming the spread of HIV, and only hurts patients who need blood, said Amber Grantham, donor relations specialist with the Blood Donor Program. By implementing the Donor Health History Questionnaire 4.0, we removed barriers to populations who want to give blood while maintaining safety protocols to protect blood donors and recipients. Blood collected by the Blood Donor Program stays within the Dartmouth Health system, benefiting patients in New Hampshire in Vermont. To learn more about the program and make an appointment to donate, visit https://donateblood.d-h.org/. For more information on Dartmouth Healths updated blood donation policy, visit https://www.dartmouth-hitchcock.org/blood-donor-program. Dartmouth Health and New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services launch initiative to improve maternal and infant health LEBANON Dartmouth Health and the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services and are taking a significant step towards addressing maternal mortality and morbidity with the launch of the New Hampshire Perinatal Quality Collaborative (NHPQC). Led by a team from Dartmouth Health Population Health and the DHHS Maternal and Child Health Program, the NHPQC aims to improve access to high-quality perinatal care and significantly reduce disparities for pregnant individuals and infants in the state. Every New Hampshire resident should have access to the best prenatal care, postpartum care, and birthing services they need to stay healthy. The Collaboratives work will help make that a reality, said Patricia Tilley, DHHS Associate Commissioner. The Department is proud to partner with individuals and organizations throughout the state, including Dartmouth Health, to understand the challenges residents are facing, implement best practices, and knock down barriers to care. The planning team, consisting of multidisciplinary professionals including community leaders and women with recent birthing experience, is working to create a collaborative that can effectively address the specific needs of pregnant individuals and infants in New Hampshire. In light of data presented in a newly released State of Maternal Health Report, the NHPQC recognizes that poor outcomes disproportionately impact individuals based on race/ethnicity, rurality, income level and insurance status, and aims to bridge these gaps. All stakeholders, including hospitals, outpatient providers, social services, community organizations, government organizations, homebirth providers, and individuals with lived experience, will be involved in co-creating a framework for quality improvement across all settings where pregnant and postpartum people receive care. The NHPQC presents an opportunity to create a framework that will support ongoing collaborative community efforts to move improvements forward collectively statewide. The NHPQC will also support ongoing statewide quality improvement initiatives, such as the implementation of AIM bundles, a national program of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, in collaboration with the Northern New England Quality Improvement Network and DHHS. Additionally, the NHPQC will prioritize underserved and marginalized communities, with a focus on community-driven approaches for implementing nationally recognized best practices in perinatal care. The NHPQCs first meeting will be March 4. This collaborative effort has been made possible through funding from DHHS and the generous support of an anonymous organization, which has donated funds to support the planning year until June 30, 2024. The NHPQC is committed to creating a patient-centered system of care, improving outcomes, and ensuring that every pregnant person and infant in New Hampshire receives the highest quality perinatal care possible. This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Blood donor guidelines changes, maternal & infant health: Seacoast health news By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Boeing said on Thursday it had reached a $51 million settlement with the U.S. State Department for numerous export violations including Chinese employees in China improperly downloading documents related to U.S. Defense Department programs. The State Department said from 2013 through 2017 three Chinese employees at Boeing facilities in China downloaded technical data involving programs including the F-18, F-15 and F-22 fighter jets, the E-3 airborne warning and control system, the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter and the AGM84E cruise missile. Boeing said there were additional unauthorized downloads of technical data at Boeing and partner facilities in 18 countries, including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Morocco, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, Taiwan, Ukraine and the United Kingdom from 2013 to 2018. The administrative settlement covers unauthorized exports of technical data and resolves 199 violations of the Arms Export Control Act and International Traffic in Arms Regulations, the State Department said. The State Department said the settlement "highlights the importance of exporting defense articles only pursuant to appropriate authorization" and followed "an extensive compliance review" by the government. Boeing said it was "committed to our trade controls obligations, and we look forward to working with the State Department under the agreement." The company added it was committed to continuous improvement of its trade controls compliance program. Boeing also engaged in some unauthorized exports of defense material and technical data related to defense programs to a number of countries including Israel, Turkey and Lebanon, the State Department said. Boeing voluntarily disclosed the violations, which mostly occurred before 2020, and the government documents did not allege disclosure of classified material. The department said Boeing cooperated and "has incorporated numerous improvements to its compliance program since the conduct at issue." The settlement includes a three-year consent agreement and $51 million civil penalty, of which $24 million will be suspended by the State Department so Boeing can use the funds for remedial compliance measures to strengthen its compliance program. For at least two years, Boeing will engage an external special compliance officer to oversee the agreement, which will also require two external audits, the State Department added. (Reporting by David Shepardson, Eric Beech and Kanishka Singh; Editing by Jamie Freed) The Border Patrol union issued a fiery warning on Thursday to President Biden, telling him to "keep our name out of your mouth," hours before the president is due to meet with officials at the border and urge passage of a Senate border bill. Biden and former President Donald Trump are both heading to the border, with Biden visiting Brownsville, Texas, in the Rio Grande Valley. He will meet with Border Patrol, law enforcement and local leaders. "During his trip, the President will receive a briefing on border security operations and an operational briefing from CBP, ICE, and USCIS. Afterwards, the President will deliver remarks to emphasize the need for Congressional Republicans to stop putting politics ahead of our border security and pass the bipartisan border security agreement," a White House official said. BORDER PATROL UNION SLAMS BIDEN BORDER VISIT AS TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE JUST TO TRY TO SAVE HIMSELF President Biden speaks with a member of the Border Patrol as they walk along the U.S.-Mexico border fence in El Paso, Texas, on Jan. 8, 2023. That bipartisan bill, which includes additional staffing for Border Patrol and other agencies, as well as funding for cities and states receiving migrants and limits on asylum, won the backing of the union. Conservative lawmakers, however, rejected the bill and said it would normalize unacceptably high levels of illegal immigration and the bill has not progressed. While it backed the bipartisan bill that Biden also supports, the National Border Patrol Council has otherwise been intensely critical of the Biden administrations handling of the border crisis and put that in no uncertain terms in a post on X. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP "Attention President Biden: Keep our name out of your mouth today," it said. Fox News Digital reached out to the White House for comment on the post. The union had issued a statement this week, calling the visit "too little, too late." DUELING BIDEN, TRUMP VISITS TO BESIEGED BORDER COME AMID FRESH SLEW OF VIOLENT CRIMES BY ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS "But even if he were to put the proper policies in place at this late hour, hed be doing it only to try to save his Presidency. And self-serving actions when time is winding down should always give Americans pause. Common sense dictates that as a lame duck, hed revert to his open border policies if re-elected," the union said. WHITE HOUSE CALLS FOR SANCTUARY CITIES TO COOPERATE WITH ICE AMID FUROR OVER ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CRIMES "Biden is going to the border now solely to try to save himself. Border security should never be about politics, it should always be about the safety and security of this great nation and the American people," it said. The trip comes as illegal immigration has become a top election issue, with polls showing a majority of voters see it as a critical threat to the country. President Biden will seek to put the ball in the Republicans camp, repeating the administrations argument that it is working within a "broken" system that needs funding and reforms from Congress. The White House has also pointed to a record of over 550,000 removals since May last year, more than any year since FY 23. But Republicans say that the three-year crisis, which saw a record 2.4 million encounters in FY 24 alone, is the result of Biden-era policies including more releases into the interior and reduced interior enforcement. Original article source: Border Patrol union tells Biden to 'keep our name out of your mouth' ahead of Texas visit The boyfriend of a ballerina who has been detained in Russia has spoken of his guilt at buying her plane ticket to go and visit her family, a trip which ended in her being detained in a Russian jail cell on treason charges. Ksenia Karelina, also known as Ksenia Khavana, was arrested in late January on public disorder charges while outside a cinema in Yekaterinburg. This month, she was charged with treason, according to Russian human rights activists, and appears to be confined to a Russian jail for allegedly sending $51.80 to a Ukrainian charity. I thought it might be dangerous for her to go, with everything going on with the war in Ukraine, but she reassured me that she was Russian and that everything would be fine, Chris Van Heerden told The Los Angeles Times. So, for her birthday in December, I bought her a ticket. She was so excited. Now, I am hitting myself over the head about it. Mr Van Heerden, a South African professional boxer known as The Heat, told the newspaper that his girlfriend flew to Russia using her Russian passport after the couple both went to Istanbul to celebrate New Years together. Mr Van Heerden flew back to the US. Ms Karelina, who became a US citizen in 2021, told her boyfriend that she missed her family and wanted to go to Russia to visit them. Ksenia Karelina, also known as Ksenia Khavana, was arrested in late January on public disorder charges while outside a cinema in Yekaterinburg (Ksenia Karelina via Facebook/First Department) However, when she arrived in the country on 2 January, according to Mr Van Heerden, Ms Karelina faced hours of questioning by Russian authorities, as well as her phone being taken away from her. He told the Times that she was ordered to stay in Yekaterinburg, and told to check in weekly with Russias security agency, the Federal Security Service. Initially, the couple kept in touch by Ms Karelina using her motherss phone. However, in late January, Karelina said she was going to leave her family home to meet government officials to get her phone back but never returned, the outlet reported. According to Russian media, Ms Karelina was originally accused of "petty hooliganism, with court officials saying she had used "coarse, obscene language in front of other citizens, and was behaving rudely and defiantly." The officials further claimed that she violently resisted arrest. On 29 January, she was reportedly found guilty and sentenced to 14 days in jail. Things appeared to change after she filed a complaint about her arrest with the court. The FSB now claims that she donated money to Razom, a Ukrainian aid charity based in New York City, on the day of Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Ksenia Karalina celebrates her US citizenship in 2021 (Ksenia Karelina via Facebook/First Department) Now, Mr Van Heerden has been separated from his girlfriend and is struggling to understand how Ksenia was gone and worried about when she would get back, he told the Times. I have spoken to the State Department. I have spoken to anybody I can, he added. We are trying everything. He told the outlet that he received a letter from Ms Karelina last week, written in Russian, that was sent to one of her friends, who scanned it and sent it to Mr Van Heerden. Using a translator to decipher the letter, Mr Van Heerden said it included sentiments from his girlfriend, such as Im sorry for putting you in this position. Im sorry for the pain. While he told the newspaper that she was not an activist nor political, and even avoided talking about the war in Ukraine due to its sensitivity, she said she was so proud to be Russian. She had love and friends from everywhere and respect for everyone, he said. I believe she made a donation. That is true. But she is not an activist. Karelinas former mother-in-law Eleonara Srebroski, 56, spoke to The Independent, and while she declined to discuss the details of Karelinas alleged donation, spoke on her character. "Shes just that kind of person. If somebody needs help, she will be helping. Whether its an animal, a child, or a grown-up, shes the one who is always opening her heart and her wallet, Ms Srebroski said. SAO PAULO A leading Brazilian bank has reversed its decision to cease using its own resources to finance the defense industry, according to the government. Defense News reported earlier this month that Banco do Brasil declared its intention to stop financing defense companies, citing governance and sustainability policies. The U-turn follows a meeting held Feb. 26 involving the banks president, Tarciana Medeiros; Brazils vice president and the minister of development, industry, commerce and services, Geraldo Alckmin; the minister of the civil house, Rui Costa; and the defense minister, Jose Mucio Monteiro. The decision will prevent losses to companies in the sector that were at risk of losing contracts and will contribute to the sustainability and autonomy of the Defense Industrial Base, the Ministry of Development, Industry, Commerce and Services said in a statement this week. The ministry noted the latest decision reinforces the importance of structured financial policies that ensure not only the economic viability of companies but also national security and sovereignty. If the bank had gone through with its initial plan, the move would have impacted many Brazilian defense players and the Proex program a government mechanism, managed by the bank, that provides resources for domestic companies exporting goods and services. The Brazilian defense contractor Mac Jee has celebrated the decision. The Mac Jee Group believes that this measure is a crucial step towards the sustainability and autonomy of our Defense Industrial Base, the company said in a statement. The initiative also ensures the preservation of vital contracts for companies in the sector, contributing to the generation of foreign exchange and jobs in the country, in addition to strengthening national security and sovereignty. Banco do Brasil declined to comment for this story. The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission will explore replacing the 1905 Washington Crossing bridge, citing age, wear and narrow horse and buggy travel lanes that cause traffic jams, fender-benders and regularly damage motorists side-view mirrors. The existing 193-year-old substructure and 120-year-old superstructure has experienced structural deterioration and does not meet current design standards, which creates reliability and safety concerns, the DRJTBC states in its request for a design proposal. The Washington Crossing free bridge will be closed from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesday. The clattering, open-grate metal bridge connects Route 532 in Upper Makefield, Bucks County with Route 546 in Hopewell Township, New Jersey. It carried about 7,200 vehicles per day in 2023 and was rated as fair when it was inspected in 2020. Joe Donnelly, bridge commission spokesman, said the proposal does not mean a new bridge is a done deal. It is far from a fait accompli, he said. This (proposal) is to conduct an environmental review which would determine whether a new bridge is built. There are hoops and hurdles to go through before a new bridge would come anywhere near a reality. Donnelly could not say if a new bridge would have tolls. Thats gonna have to be discussed going forward, he said. Right now, the existing bridge cannot be tolled. Its written in law that it cant be tolled. Whatever happens will take years, he said. I fully expect to be well retired by the time any of the major decisions are made, said Donnelly, who has worked at the bridge commission since 2008. Read the bridge proposal https://www.drjtbc.org/professional-services/current/ The commissions request for proposal anticipates replacing the bridge with a pier-to-pier multi-span structure, increasing the width of travel lanes, widening shoulders and creating a 10-foot-wide pedestrian walkway on the upstream side. No costs are given. The commission seeks to improve mobility and to provide a safe and reliable river crossing for vehicles and pedestrians, its request states. In its request, the bridge commission cites multiple steps over the course of years toward a new span. Part VI at Task A is marked Public Involvement. It states that the commissions project consultant will develop a comprehensive and dynamic Public Involvement Program deliverable to identify and address the issues of stakeholders. A no build decision is always possible, the commission states. In other local bridge news Why the Edgely bridge is still closed in Bristol Township. Here are the options to fix it The Washington Crossing Bridge is the DRJTBCs narrowest span, with its two travel lanes just 15 feet wide, according to a history of the bridge posted on the commissions website. Currently, each travel lane is 7.5 feet wide, nearly five feet narrower than a standard 12-foot-wide interstate highway lane. Due to age, traffic usage, and other wear and tear, the history states, the bridges load rating has been reduced to the current 3-ton limit. A bridge monitor is posted on the bridges New Jersey side to thwart crossings of oversized vehicles. In 2021, 1,865 vehicle turnarounds took place at the bridge and State Police issued 17 summonses and 10 warnings to violators. The current bridge was built between 1904 and 1905. Its 277 tons of steel span nearly 1,000 feet across the water, taking roughly the same path to New Jersey used by Gen. George Washington and his Continental Army when they cross the ice-choked river on Dec. 25, 1776. A bridge has spanned the same location since 1835. Prior to the that, ferry service served travelers from the late 1600s. Its most famous ferry operator was Sam McConkey, who guided the Continental Army across the river. The bridge is a popular spot to see the annual reenactment of Washington crossing the river each December. JD Mullane can be reached at 215-949-5745 or at jmullane@couriertimes.com. This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Narrow, fender-bender bridge in Washington Crossing could be replaced BUFFALO, N.Y (WIVB) Mayor Byron Brown and the Buffalo Fire Department announced their plans to remember Jason Arno, the Buffalo Firefighter who died one year ago fighting a four-alarm fire at 745 Main St. The remembrance began on Thursday, with all City of Buffalo flag lowered to half-staff at 5 p.m., where they will stay until Saturday morning. Fridays plans begin at 9:30 a.m. where a procession of vehicles led by firefighters of Buffalo Fire Dept. Engine Company 2 left the firehouse on 376 Virginia, where Arno called home. From there they proceeded through city streets until ultimately reaching 745 Main St., the site of last years fire. At 10 a.m. a ceremony of remembrance was held at that location to honor the 37-year-old father, and husband. It was a tragic loss, we miss Jason around here. The laughter, the good food he always made and just the good heartedness that he was. So its always a remembrance every day, said Engine 2 Captain Scott Janowski at a vigil on Thursday night. Building where Buffalo firefighter Arno died subject of lawsuit from ex-congressman Arno was a three-year veteran of the Buffalo Fire Dept. before he was killed battling a fire in a three-story commercial building. Authorities said he issued a mayday call after an explosive backdraft before going silent. His body was found hours later. He left behind a 3-year-old daughter, Olivia, and his wife, Sarah. When its time to do the little things when no ones looking, thats how I would remember Jason, Janowski said. Thats what I would encourage people to do. If there is trash on the ground you could walk by or pick it up and I know Jay would pick it up. So the little things is how I remember him. Main Street between Tupper Street, Goodell Street, and Edward Street closed on Friday during the ceremony. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to News 4 Buffalo. (Bloomberg) -- California Governor Gavin Newsom faces a new recall effort from some of the same organizers who tried and failed to unseat him in 2021. Most Read from Bloomberg Rescue California cited rising crime and the states yawning budget deficit in unveiling a long-shot attempt at recalling the governor. The group also accused Newsom of being too distracted by presidential politics to govern California. This man knows his political game like the back of his hand, Anne Hyde Dunsmore, political strategist with Rescue California, told a Los Angeles television station. He is not a novice, he is an expert at pivoting, twisting, never really going over the line with lying, but he is deceptive and he is carrying that onto a national stage. Newsom easily overcame the 2021 recall campaign and went on the next year to win reelection by a landslide, bolstering his national profile and emerging as a potential Democratic presidential contender for 2028. He dismissed the latest bid to remove him from office as a sideshow amid this years presidential election, which is shaping up as a rematch of the 2020 contest between Donald Trump and President Joe Biden. Trump Republicans are launching another wasteful recall campaign to distract us from the existential fight for democracy and reproductive freedom, Newsom said in a post on X. We will defeat them. Rescue California is betting on voter discontent over the states rising budget deficit, according to Politico, which earlier reported the recall effort. Organizers of the campaign say Newsom is using gimmickry to hide the true extent of the deficit, which the state Legislative Analysts Office has projected at $73 billion. Newsom maintains the shortfall is much lower. The group also criticized Californias policy of granting health benefits to undocumented immigrants, and argued that heavy spending on curbing homelessness and easing other social ills hasnt been effective, Politico said. In addition, backers of the recall campaign faulted Newsom for focusing more on national politics than the problems in California. Last weekend, Newsom released a new TV ad in Tennessee accusing elected officials of waging a war on travel and holding women hostage who seek to travel out of state for reproductive care. To qualify for the November ballot, organizers must collect almost 1.5 million signatures. (Corrects to remove reference in second paragraph to Rescue California as being a project of the California Taxpayers Coalition. The group organizing the recall isnt affiliated with the California Taxpayers Coalition.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. An Arkansas man arrested in Madison County after federal officers found 40 pounds of crystal meth in his rental car has been sentenced to serve 30 years in prison. Christopher Palmer, 40, of Fort Smith, Arkansas, pleaded guilty in the case last year and was sentenced this week in federal court in East St. Louis, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorneys Office. Under federal sentencing guidelines, Palmer qualified as a career offender for previous drug trafficking convictions, the news release states. Career offenders are eligible for longer terms of federal imprisonment. Palmer was arrested after two U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration highway interdiction officers pulled him over as he was driving a rental car on the Illinois 143 exit ramp off Interstate 70 near Marine in May 2022, according to the news release. Palmer got out of the vehicle but then tried to re-enter the car but officers were able to detain him. A police canine indicated a presence of drugs and then officers found a duffel bag stuffed with 40 bags holding about one pound each of crystal meth in the cars trunk, the release stated. A loaded Glock 43 semiautomatic pistol was found in the center console. Palmer pleaded in June to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute meth, one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and one count of felon in possession of a firearm. Judge David W. Dugan sentenced Palmer on Tuesday, according to federal court records. As a repeat criminal offender, the defendant chose to transport drugs in bulk for distribution and unlawfully possess a firearm knowing the consequences, said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe in the news release. A Drug Enforcement Administration report states meth is a stimulant that speeds up a bodys system. Crystal meth resembles glass fragments and is an illegally altered version of a prescription drug that is cooked with over-the-counter drugs in meth labs. In a 2018 Reddit "Ask Me Anything" that delved into various aspects of his lifestyle and preferences, Microsoft Corp. Co-Founder Bill Gatess revelation about his simple culinary pleasure unexpectedly sparked an online discussion that veered in a different direction. A user asked, Do you ever like, just randomly get up when youre home and make yourself a peanut butter sandwich? Or do you have people do that for you? Don't Miss: This startup is accepting investors for as little as 25 cents whats the catch? Fortnites creator company greenlights partial ownership for up to 100 accredited investors in the upcoming series. Gatess response shed light on his down-to-earth demeanor despite his immense wealth. I do make myself tomato soup sometimes, he said. It is kind of a comforting food and reminds me of doing the same when I was growing up. I dont make sandwiches much. This admission, highlighting a preference for something as simple as tomato soup, contrasts with the opulent lifestyle you might expect from a billionaire residing in a $130 million mansion. The conversation took a turn when the topic of grilled cheese as a companion to tomato soup was brought up. A user inquired, Do you ever have a grilled cheese sandwich to go with the tomato soup? This query sparked a cascade of responses, with another user emphasizing the essential pairing. Seriously though, tomato soup without grilled cheese is just wrong. Trending: Amid the ongoing EV revolution, previously overlooked low-income communities now harbor a huge investment opportunity. This sentiment was echoed and expanded on by other users, leading to a wide-ranging discussion on the culinary and conceptual similarities between various foods and grilled cheese, including the notion posited by one user that tomato soup and grilled cheese together are akin to a deconstructed pizza. The thread evolved into a debate on the nature of food, with comparisons stretching to include spaghetti with meatballs and pop tarts likened to ravioli. The conversation showcased the creativity and humor of the Reddit community, as they explored the idea that many beloved dishes could essentially be considered variations of pizza based on their core components of bread, cheese, and tomato sauce. Story continues What began as a simple query about Gatess snack habits spiraled into a vibrant discussion that spanned culinary comparisons, cultural observations and light-hearted banter. The transition from Gatess personal preference for tomato soup to the wider, creative discussions on food emphasizes the unpredictable and lively essence of online conversations. Here, a single comment can generate extensive dialogue among the community, even during a live Reddit session where Gates answers questions. Despite making tomato soup "sometimes," the tech billionaire enjoys the luxury of personalized culinary services at home. According to The Street, Gates employs a private chef through Private Chefs Inc., a chef placement firm renowned for its high-end services, led by the distinguished Austrian chef Christian Paier. The service, tailored for the elite, often includes several chefs to meet the diverse culinary desires of their clientele, the Gates family among them. Given Seattle is not a standard operating city for Private Chefs Inc., this arrangement suggests Gates incurs a significant expense for his home dining, with top chefs commanding salaries as high as $140,000 annually. Read Next: "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 Bill Gates Was Asked Whether He Ever Makes His Peanut Butter Sandwiches, He Responded, 'I Do Make Myself Tomato Soup Sometimes' This Answer Sparked A Debate Over Grilled Cheese originally appeared on Benzinga.com 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is advising doctors to conserve a certain type of tetanus shot in anticipation of shortages after one of its two manufacturers stopped production. Two tetanus and diphtheria (Td) vaccine products have been available for use in the United States: one made by Sanofi, and one made by MassBiologics, which is the sole Td vaccine manufacturer in the country. According to the CDC, MassBiologics has discontinued production of its shot. Sanofi is taking steps to augment their available U.S. supply, the CDC said, but it will take time and the agency said it anticipates that the supply of Td vaccine in the U.S. market will be constrained during 2024. Grifols, which is the exclusive distributor for the MassBiologic shot, expects to have the product available only through about June, the agency said. Temporary ordering controls are in place in the public and private sectors to help manage the gap in supply. The CDC said doctors should switch to giving the broader Tdap vaccine instead whenever possible. In addition to tetanus and diphtheria, the Tdap vaccine offers protection against pertussis, also known as whooping cough. Tetanus shots are often given as a booster dose every 10 years, though doctors are recommended to give them earlier when treating severe or dirty wounds and burns. The Tdap vaccine is an acceptable alternative, the CDC said, including when a tetanus booster is indicated for wound management. The use of Td vaccines has been declining in recent years, according to CDC data, though it is less expensive than the Tdap shot. There are two licensed manufacturers of Tdap vaccines, and CDC said there are no supply constraints. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) In honor of February being Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month (TDVAM), the Center Against Sexual and Family Violence (CASFV) in collaboration with El Paso County, County Attorney JoAnne Bernal and District Attorney Bill Hicks, hosted Chalk the Block to spread hope to youth. The event was held Thursday afternoon, Feb. 29 at the Enrique Moreno County Courthouse located at 500 E. San Antonio Ave., according to a press release sent by the El Paso County. According to Loveisrespect.org, one in ten high school students has been purposely hit, slapped, or physically hurt by a partner, and only 33% of teens who have been in an abusive relationship ever told anyone about the abuse. Its time to Speak Up and let our youth know that their voices are being heard, read the press release. The County says the event was an opportunity to create dating abuse awareness with a pop of color and art. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News. Naval Air Station Jacksonville conducted its time-honored change of command ceremony Thursday with Capt. Marc Cantu retiring and Executive Officer Capt. Gregory deWindt taking over. He said he plans to stay in Jacksonville with his family after 26 years in the Navy. He succeeded Capt. Jeffrey Hill in August 2022. Cantu oversaw many accomplishments at NAS Jacksonville, the third largest installation in the Navy with over 100 unit commands including 17 squadrons, thousands of civilians and sailors, along with their families. The station recently earned Commander, Navy Installations Commands 2024 Installation Excellence Award as the best large naval installation worldwide. The base also successfully conducted 170,000 flight operations in support of six strike group pre-deployment exercises and fleet operations. Cantus efforts reduced energy consumption across the base by about 10%, saving the Navy roughly $1.2 million in 2023, according to public affairs officer Kaylee Larocque. That included replacing gas-powered government vehicles with hybrid electric vehicles. Naval Air Station Jacksonville Commanding Officer Capt. Marc Cantu, left, relinquishes command to Executive Officer Capt. Gregory deWindt with Rear Adm. Ian Johnson presiding at center on Feb. 29, 2024. Another unique change was the conversion of food service operations from a galley to Navy Southeast Regions first Essential Station Mess, providing nearly 20,000 meals each month for sailors. Also during Cantu's tenure, the installation championed an innovative Get Fit program that has now been adopted Navy-wide. It consolidates Morale, Welfare and Recreation, Fleet and Family Support Center, Navy and Marine Corps Relief Society, and other programs into a monthly event giving sailors a one-stop shop for resources. What is Capt. Gregory deWindt's background? DeWindt is from Long Island, N.Y., and been in the Navy since 1991. In 2011 he earned a master's degree in national security and strategic studies from the Naval War College. In 2017 he completed an executive master of business administration degree from Naval Post Graduate School. The Navy provided his military experience as follows: He became a naval aviator in 1998 and joined Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light 47 at Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego. His flying tours include Fleet Replacement Squadron instructor at HSL-41 at NAS North Island, department head at HSL-45 at NAS North Island, executive officer of HSM-37 at Marine Corps Air Station, Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, and commanding officer of HSM-49 at NAS North Island. At sea he deployed as a first tour pilot with the USS McClusky and USS Fife and as Detachment Three officer-in-charge aboard the USS Halsey. He also served on the USS Tarawa as hangar deck division officer and air department mini-boss and with Carrier Strike Group One as air operations officer aboard the USS Carl Vinson. Ashore tours include an individual augmentee assignment to Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as an assisting military officer supporting administrative review boards and combatant status review tribunals for the Office for the Administrative Review for the Detention of Enemy Combatants; duty with the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization where he served as deputy chief for the Counter-IED Operations Intelligence/Integration Center Net Centric Innovation Division and deployed as officer-in-charge for COIC-Afghanistan supporting Joint Task Force Paladins counter-threat network analysis; and service with Commander, Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing Two as staff officer and N6 department head. He has also served as inclusion and diversity officer for Commander, Navy Personnel Command at Bureau of Naval Personnel in Millington, Tenn. NAS Jax in 2015: Celebrating 75 years of service In August 2022, deWindt assumed the duties of executive officer for NAS Jacksonville. Taking over for him will be Capt. Ryan Dexter. Rear Adm. Ian Johnson, commander of Navy Region Southeast, did the honors at Thursday's ceremony as the presiding officer. Col. Michael Brennan, commanding officer at Marine Aircraft Group 41, served as the guest speaker. This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Naval Air Station Jacksonville conducts change of command ceremony The U.S. Attorney for western North Carolina and the Mecklenburg County District Attorney have something in common, and its more than just their love for the law. Theyre both firsts in their offices. As Channel 9 celebrates Black History Month, reporter Hunter Saenz sat down with both Dena King and Spencer Merriweather to discuss their journeys and their efforts to make sure more people of color rise to the same roles. King grew up in south Charlotte, with parents who pushed her as much as they supported her. I came from humble beginnings, King told Saenz. One of the things that my mom and dad had always told me, even as a kid, is that I was created to stand out. Growing up, I did not know any attorneys, especially not any attorneys of color or any attorneys that were women. Instead, her inspiration came from television, growing up watching lawyer Clair Huxtable on The Cosby Show. That was the first time Ive ever seen an African American woman, a woman that looked like me, in a professional light, King said. She wore a suit, she had a briefcase, she went to work every day, she was a mom, she was a wife. Thats not the way African American women, in particular, were shown on television. King knew she wanted to be just like Clair, and she went for it. She graduated with her law degree from North Carolina Central University, and landed her first job at the Mecklenburg County District Attorneys Office. Eventually became the first person of color to be appointed the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina in 2021. Now, King is leading prosecutors in federal court. I think that at any given time, people should look like everyone, King said. Whatever the role is, to make sure that were all doing our part to diversify the legal profession. Current Mecklenburg County District Attorney Spencer Merriweather agrees. The question that I think we want to make sure that were keeping an eye on is do our people feel represented by what they see in their criminal justice system? Merriweather told Saenz. ALSO READ: Black male educators inspire students to follow in their footsteps Merriweather is the first African American to hold his office, and he doesnt take that honor lightly. I was someone who was fortunate enough, again, given an opportunity, and charged with making the most of it, Merriweather said. This trail was blazed for me to arrive at this moment. Merriweather grew up in Mobile, Alabama, born to parents who were public school educators. He went to Princeton University and later received his law degree from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. What I found when I was exposed to this work was just how impactful it was, Merriweather said. He says continuing to diversify the field will make it even more just and impactful. Knowing that whoever should come into this courthouse knows that race and culture is not an obstacle to a person feeling represented in our court system, Merriweather said. SPECIAL SECTION >> Channel 9's Black History Month stories Its a mission that both he and King continue knowing that the future is watching. You turned to television to get your inspiration; there may be a little Black girl who turns this on or is watching with their parents, what do you tell her? Saenz asked. I would tell her: Brown girl, Brown girl, what do you see? I see a beautiful Brown girl that can be all that she can be, King said. Dont be scared that you dont know anyone that has done it. You put your mind to it and the sky truly is the limit. (WATCH: Chatty Hatty reflects on career as Charlottes first Black female radio DJ) Semafor Signals Insights from CIPER Chile, El Mostrador, Mongabay, and El Desconcierto The News A Chilean court handed environmentalists a partial win on Tuesday after it ruled Google must revise its application for the construction of a $200 million data center in Santiago in order to take into account the impact of climate change. Google first received initial authorization of its Cerrillos Data Center in 2020, but the plan was met with fierce resistance from locals who said it would exacerbate the ongoing Chilean drought by using residents water supplies to help cool its servers. After a previous court fight, Google revealed the data center would use 7.6 million liters (2 million gallons) of potable water a day. The tech giant later said it would switch to an air cooling system. But the court ultimately ruled that the initial environmental assessment was still sufficient despite Googles changes. SIGNALS Semafor Signals: Global insights on today's biggest stories. Big Tech quietly increasing water usage as AI demand surges Source: Financial Times Microsoft, Google, and Meta have all quietly and significantly raised their water usage to cool down data centers in recent years, coinciding with the development of AI models. Googles usage increased by 22% over a two year period and Microsoft by 34%, according to 2022 figures the latest available as cited by the Financial Times. Requesting 10 to 50 responses on ChatGPTs older GPT3 model is equivalent to drinking a 500 ml bottle of water depending on when and where the inputs were prompted one academic told the FT. OpenAI has remained relatively quiet about its total water usage, but told the outlet that it believes its models will be helpful in accelerating scientific collaboration and discovery of climate solutions. Activists accuse authorities of disregarding Indigenous rights Sources: CIPER Chile, El Mostrador, El Desconcierto Environmental groups have for years warned of serious shortcomings in Chiles environmental regulation, with regulators responsible for greenlighting projects like the Cerrillo data center, according to CIPER, a Chilean investigative news agency. Of particular concern are projects that exploit the resources of Indigenous people which in Chile is primarily the result of mining and hydroelectricity projects, according to a 2023 study. More than 34% of environmental complaints in Chile over the last decade have been directed at projects that impact Indigenous territories, an earlier 2021 study by El Desconcierto found. One researcher told the newspaper that Chilean regulators have weak oversight because they are very young institutions the environment ministry, for example, was only established in 2010. Uruguayans protest Googles data colonialism Source: Mongabay Google last year announced plans to build a separate data center in Montevideo, but locals are decrying the move as data colonialism, accusing the tech giant of exploiting cheap water and electricity and lax environmental standards, according to environmental news site Mongabay. In addition to Montevideos own drought, one Uruguayan researcher told Mongabay that the data center will do little to boost the local economy adding only about 30 jobs once completed and it will forego taxes because it is being constructed on a duty-free zone. The data center is also not a permanent industry because data centers lifespans are typically between 5 and 20 years, the researcher said. Semafor Signals Insights from Xinhua News, Bloomberg, and The Wall Street Journal The News Chinas top legislative body further strengthened its sweeping law on state secrets this week, in a move likely to stoke fears among foreign firms already concerned about the stringent legislation. The changes, which take effect May 1, expand the already-broad definition of Chinese state secrets which includes discussions among Communist Party members, military activities, and economic development plans, as well as enhancements to the countrys science and technology industry. The revision covers sensitive information related to work secrets of government departments a provision that authorities did not clearly define, with the specifics of the new rules to be published at a later date. It marks the first time China has amended the law since 2010 and comes amid growing efforts by Beijing to tighten its control over the flow of state information and prioritize national security. Foreign businesses and investors have voiced concerns about the broad definition of Chinese state secrets, fearing such laws could be weaponized against them. Chinese government authorities have in recent years raided foreign due diligence firms such as Mintz Group and banned foreign executives from leaving the country. SIGNALS Semafor Signals: Global insights on today's biggest stories. Move underscores sensitivity and fear surrounding potential leaks Sources: Xinhua News Agency, Reuters, Bloomberg, South China Morning Post While details remain vague, the change is likely intended to avoid the leaking of information regarding the organizational structure and decision-making hierarchy of state institutions, one law professor from the University of Hong Kong told Reuters. In response to media questions about the expanded law Thursday, Chinas National Administration of State Secrets Protection said Beijing faces unprecedented risks and challenges in safeguarding national secrets, adding that confidentiality work is facing a more complex and severe situation. The revisions highlight the need to accelerate innovation in secret-keeping technology, Bloomberg reported. One such effort includes mandating outgoing government employees who possessed state secrets to go through secrecy education, the South China Morning Post reported. Expansion of state secrets rattles the international business community Sources: The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times China has passed or revised more than 20 national security and information-sharing laws in the past few years, Thomas Kellogg, the executive director of the Georgetown University Center for Asian Law, told The Wall Street Journal, and the latest revision probably wont be the last. The revision has stoked fears that rules could be applied arbitrarily to international companies and investors amplifying the already-existing challenges of doing business in China at a time when foreign investment has dropped to its lowest level in three decades, The New York Times reported. The scope of issues deemed sensitive seems to be constantly expanding, which makes it more difficult for companies to access information necessary for making investment decisions related to their China operations, Jens Eskelund, the head of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China said in a statement to the Times. The latest iteration of the law comes only a week after China announced that attracting more foreign investment was one of the nations top priorities this year, he added. An image provided by Abu Zubaydah, Courtesy Mark P. Denbeaux shows the torture technique called "walling," drawn by Guantanamo Bay prisoner Abu Zubaydah. (Abu Zubaydah, Courtesy Mark P. Denbeaux via The New York Times) GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba In his first month in U.S. custody, the man accused of planning the 9/11 attacks confessed to the crime during questioning and wanted to keep talking about it, according to the psychologist who interrogated him. But the CIA wanted him to discuss al-Qaidas future plans, not the attacks that had horrified America a year and a half earlier, said Dr. James Mitchell, the psychologist. So when the prisoner, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, mentioned 9/11, they would slam him, naked, into a wall. It was March 2003. That month, interrogators would waterboard Mohammed 183 times at a secret overseas CIA prison in the mistaken belief, Mitchell said, that a nuclear attack in the United States was imminent. But Mohammed still was not saying what his captors wanted to hear. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times We walled him, Mitchell said Monday, explaining that he and his colleagues had rammed their prisoner backward into a wall to punish him because they feared he was talking about 9/11 to distract them from another looming crime. The idea that Mohammed was punished for talking about that topic in his first month of U.S. detention is new to the proceedings. Mitchell has been testifying in pretrial hearings in the death penalty cases at Guantanamo Bay since 2020 and never mentioned it before. But it aligns with a prosecution argument that the CIA was not seeking confessions for a future trial when it brutally interrogated captives who were held incommunicado in the secret prisons, known as black sites, from 2002 until they were transferred to Guantanamo in 2006. As Mitchell and the prosecutors tell it, the agency was seeking actionable intelligence that could be used for a military or agency mission not a prosecution. The government considers the distinction between interrogating to gather intelligence rather than to build a case to be important. In 2007, Mohammed again bragged about his role in the attacks when he was brought before FBI agents at Guantanamo Bay, according to prosecutors. They want to use that confession to clean teams that did not use or threaten violence as key trial evidence. It will be up to the military judge to decide whether the 2007 confession was voluntary. But the judge also must decide whether earlier statements obtained from Mohammed through torture informed the FBI interrogations, which could make the confession inadmissible. Mitchell testified that Mohammed had been questioned up to three times a day almost daily for three years in the CIA prison network before his transfer to Guantanamo. The questions arrived in classified cables from CIA headquarters. But some questions originally came from FBI agents and analysts who were building an eventual case for prosecution, according to government documents and pretrial testimony. Mitchells testimony also put a spotlight on the use of walling in the black sites. If done right, he has said, it should not cause any permanent damage. The enhanced interrogation technique was designed for an Air Force program that trained American pilots to resist enemy interrogations. Then, a trainee faced a mock interrogator, who slammed his shoulder blades, not his head, into a wall made of plywood and burlap, to disorient him. But CIA prisoners experienced it differently. They have said their heads were slammed against concrete walls. Their lawyers blame walling for brain injuries that have been detected in some detainees. Those being walled were seen as the enemy terrorism suspects who were held naked, hooded and systematically deprived of sleep. They were being conditioned, in Mitchells wording, to give up al-Qaida secrets about sleeper cells, future plots and how to find Osama bin Laden. In 2020, Mitchell testified that three interrogators took turns walling Mohammed so that they would not become tired and make a mistake. Mitchell wrote in his 2016 memoirs that he and his team used walling in combination with sleep deprivation as part of a gradual conditioning process after, in Mitchells assessment, waterboarding failed to elicit the desired response from Mohammed. One of his interrogator partners, Dr. John Bruce Jessen, put a rolled-up towel that was held together with duct tape around the naked prisoners neck and pulled him forward. Mohammed refused to help us stop operations inside the United States, he wrote, so Jessen bounces him off the walling wall several times. In 2022, Jessen testified in a different case that a towel was needed because the prisoner was at most wearing a diaper. There was no way to grab hold of him. Mitchell has described the rolled-up towel as both a safety collar and a tool to condition prisoners. After the brutality ended, he said, an interrogator could bring just a towel to a debriefing session to remind a prisoner of the hard times, code in the black sites for brutal interrogations. In time, Mitchell said, the prisoners were so cooperative that a towel was no longer needed. In other accounts of the CIAs reward and punishment system, interrogators sometimes gave a naked prisoner who cooperated a towel to cover his genitals during questioning. Mitchell said that the walling and waterboarding ended a month into Mohammeds detention but that he continued answering questions for his next 1,250 days in the black sites, where prisoners only had contact with CIA staff. Prisoners deemed less cooperative got a maintenance visit from Mitchell or Jessen, who reminded them that displeasing Washington could result in more enhanced interrogations, although that never happened, he said. Instead, amenities, including mattresses, clothing and Qurans, could be given or taken away. In time, Mitchell said, Mohammeds conditioning to be afraid if he did not respond to questions diminished, and he answered questions to keep amenities or get new ones. Despite Mitchells testimony about institutional disinterest, somebody in the black sites captured what Mohammed had said about the 9/11 attacks. This week, Mohammeds defense lawyers showed the judge CIA cables from March 2003 with information about the plot that was attributed to Mohammed and that had been circulated in the intelligence community, including to the FBI. c.2024 The New York Times Company More than two decades after Jeffrey Epstein sexually abused dozens of girls in Palm Beach, his victims may finally learn how and why the state prosecutors handling of the case allowed Epstein to escape a prison term more in line with the serious crimes he committed. On Thursday, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law a bill that permits the unsealing of the long-secret evidence and testimony presented to a 2006 Palm Beach grand jury, leading the panel to return an indictment against Epstein on only minor prostitution charges. At the time, Palm Beach police had interviewed at least six girls who claimed Epstein had sexually assaulted them as part of a massive scheme in which they were also pressured to recruit more girls for him to abuse over many years. The signing of the bill could pave the way for the public to evaluate whether former Palm Beach County State Attorney Barry Krischer conducted a thorough prosecution of Epstein. DeSantis noted that the Epstein case and the plea deal the financier struck with state and later, federal prosecutors has long been a black eye on the nations criminal justice system. They say justice delayed is justice denied, and this whole situation proves that to be true, the governor said at a press conference at the Palm Beach County Police Department. Jeffrey Epstein sexually abused underage girls in this waterfront estate in Palm Beach, victims say. But as the governor signed the bill with several Epstein survivors at his side a Palm Beach County judge denied a pending court petition calling for the records to be unsealed. Judge Luis Delgado, who reviewed the grand jury records, proclaiming that making the files public will not further justice. However, it was clear his ruling was timed to coincide with the new bill, as he noted that the provisions under the new law could give the court more leeway because of the intense public interest in the case. Under the new law, the records will not be made public until at least July 1. The legislature and I agreed that there needs to be a mechanism in some of these rare circumstances where people can get the truth and where we can try to pursue justice, DeSantis said. He added there are still many questions surrounding the case yet to be answered, even though Epstein is now dead and his accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell, is serving a long prison sentence. We are now sitting here decades later, you have Epstein and Maxwell, who is actually in prison in Florida and yet nothing else has ever happened. How is that possible given the magnitude of what was going on? Epsteins crimes were first reported to the FBI in 1996 but it wasnt until a complaint was filed with the Palm Beach Police Department in 2005 that Epstein came under scrutiny. Krischer, who had a reputation for aggressively prosecuting crimes against children, initially said he didnt know who Epstein was, and told police he would put him behind bars for the rest of his life. Palm Beach detectives took statements from victims, many of them terrified of Epstein, who told them basically the same story: They were offered money to give a wealthy man massages massages that turned into assaults at his Palm Beach mansion. Epstein hired a team of influential lawyers, among them Alan Dershowitz, Kenneth Starr and Roy Black. According to police, Epstein also hired private investigators who stalked his victims and their families. Soon, Krischer began questioning whether Epstein should be charged with any crimes. In 2018, the Palm Beach police detective who investigated the case told the Miami Herald that state prosecutors began worrying about the credibility of Epsteins victims and what they called conflicting accounts of what happened. Most troubling to police, however, was prosecutors labeling the victims as prostitutes, even though some of them were as young as 13. Detective Joe Recarey, who testified before the 2006 grand jury, said the prosecutors repeatedly postponed the grand jury, then rescheduled at the last minute. By this time, some of the young women had moved away or were in college. The rescheduling would force victims to travel long distances and miss classes on short notice, Recarey said. Behind the scenes, prosecutors were unsuccessfully trying to get Epstein to plead to lesser charges. When that failed, Krischer took the unusual step of empaneling a grand jury, a move reserved for homicide cases. When he was state attorney for Palm Beach County, Barry Krischer handled the local prosecution of Jeffrey Epstein Recarey and his police chief, Michael Reiter, were so troubled by what they saw as the state attorney minimizing Epsteins crimes that they took the case to the FBI in 2007. Grand juries nearly always do what prosecutors want them to do. The grand jury was used to stifle the Palm Beach Police Departments investigation and quiet our efforts at prosecuting Epstein, said Reiter, now retired. We know the charge against Epstein that it produced, but what we do not know is why. Was it a purposeful sabotaging of the case or did something unknown occur? Release of the grand jury record should answer that question. Recarey, who died after a short illness in 2018, had never given an on-the-record interview until the Miami Herald approached him about the case in 2017. Reiter also spoke publicly for the first time about the case as part of the Miami Heralds Perversion of Justice series. The series, which also included interviews with Epsteins victims, detailed how Epstein and his lawyers managed to manipulate prosecutors into giving him a extraordinarily lenient deal that was kept secret from his victims and their attorneys. He then avoided being in jail for long periods of time by getting an unusual incarceration arrangement in which he spent almost all his waking hours in a luxurious office suite in downtown Palm Beach. He rarely spent time in jail, and was allowed to have young women visit him at his office. Michael Reiter, who was police chief in Palm Beach, said he faced intense local pressure to go easy on Jeffrey Epstein. He refused, instead taking the case to the U.S. Justice Department. After the Heralds series, DeSantis asked the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to investigate the state prosecutions case as well as Epsteins unusual jail privileges. In 2021, state investigators said they found no evidence that Krischer and Assistant State Attorney Lanna Belohlavek or the Palm Beach sheriff in charge of the jail committed any wrongdoing. However, at the time, a Palm Beach County judge refused to let state investigators review the grand jury records. Krischer has not responded to Herald requests to discuss the case. Joseph Abruzzo, the Palm Beach clerk of courts, supported release of the files and was involved in drafting the bill that passed he legislature. Epstein, 66, was re-arrested on sex trafficking charges in July 2019. He died in jail awaiting trial. His death was ruled a suicide by hanging. Maxwell, 62, was tried and convicted in 2021. She is serving a 20-year sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution for women in Tallahassee. Reporters note: If you were a member of the 2006 grand jury or know someone who was, we would like to speak to you. Please email jbrown@miamiherald.com PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) Thirty days after the City of Portland, Multnomah County and the State of Oregon declared a fentanyl emergency, representatives of the tri-government declaration are sharing what, if anything, has changed. Gov. Tina Kotek, County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson, and Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler first kicked off the 90day initiative to combat the drugs ongoing impact. Within a week, Multnomah County made a permanent emergency declaration. Audit outlines challenges addressing Oregons government workforce crisis During a Thursday roundtable meeting, city officials and law enforcement reflected the changes made within the past month. Prior to the emergency declaration, Portland Police Sgt. Jerry Cioeta said the level of addiction had become unmanageable. I have been a Portland police officer for almost 27 years, and I have gone through the crack addiction, Ive gone through the meth addiction, Ive gone through the heroin addiction, and fentanyl is like nothing Ive ever seen. Its crazy, Cioeta said. I have had more people dying of overdoses in literally my hands more than anytime in my career. So far, the emergency targeting the Portland city center has closed two container return centers to address the bottle-to-cash-to-fentanyl cycle police have seen in these areas. So far, these locations are the Safeway at Southwest 11th Avenue and Jefferson Street and the Plaid Pantry a few blocks away. Incredibly unfair: Portland Vietnamese restaurant Pho Gabo closes due to smell complaints But Multnomah County representative Jennifer Vines said coordination between the state county and city is their main goal. I think in our response, what youre seeing and hearing, is us start to weave together what we need to treat fentanyl addiction which is a combination of housing and treatment, she said. City representative Mike Myers added that it will leverage resources, collect public health and law enforcement data, and find gaps in housing and treatment. The goal of this emergency is to coordinate the effort and build a common strategy so we can augment the effort that gets results, and we can start driving down the drug addiction issues that we are seeing on the streets of Portland, he said. Turbulent weather with a taste of wet snow Thursday in Portland A month in, Myers said the thing that has impressed him the most is the amount of dealer arrests made by Oregon State Police, Multnomah County Sheriffs Office, and the Portland Police Bureau. He also lauded Portland Fires new overdose response team. Lets be very clear: Our intent is to arrest the drug distribution dealers out there on the streets, he said. The users out there on the streets, we want them to be able to get access to treatment beds, and if theyre houseless, to give them access to temporary shelter centers. Within the past 30 days, officials say they have been in the process of developing a mission statement, objectives, goals and metrics. Theyve also heard briefings from law enforcement agencies, health officers, the Joint Office of Homeless Services and other groups focusing on outreach. Armed and dangerous: Man accused of 2022 murder sought by Portland police However, the declaration focused on Portlands city center has also led critics specifically Commissioners Sharon Meieran and Julia Brim-Edwards to demand more urgent action. After failing to see a measurable outcome within the first two weeks, Meieran said a recent tri-governments presentation contained nothing of substance. This has been with us for years, weve seen a huge increase in overdoses and deaths related to fentanyl, so I expected a lot more this morning and I expect really clear measurable goals laid out, Brim-Edwards added. KOIN 6 previously pointed out to Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson that it seemed like the emergency was addressing gaps in communication between the city, state and county rather than addressing the fentanyl emergency itself. This was her response: I think what the whole point of this is, fentanyl as a crisis is beyond any one government entity to be able to respond to. So all of us are bringing the resources, the expertise together so that we are able to address this huge crisis, Vega Pederson said. When asked by KOIN 6 whether she was satisfied with what she heard, Brim Edwards said Not at all. She elaborated she thinks collaboration cant be the primary outcome. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com. BRIDGEWATER, N.J., and BENGALURU, India, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Biocon Biologics (PRNewsfoto/Biocon Biologics, Inc) Biocon Biologics Ltd (BBL), a fully integrated global biosimilars company and subsidiary of Biocon Ltd (BSE code: 532523, NSE: BIOCON), announced today that the Company has signed a settlement and license agreement with Janssen Biotech Inc., and Johnson & Johnson (collectively known as Janssen) that clears the way to commercialize its Bmab 1200, a proposed biosimilar to Stelara, in the United States of America. The agreement licenses the Company to launch in the United States, in February 2025, once approved by the U.S. FDA. The U.S. FDA has accepted the Company's Biologics License Application (BLA) for Bmab 1200 (bUstekinumab) for review under the 351(k) pathway. Biocon Biologics and Janssen have finalized the settlement agreement to dismiss the pending Inter Partes Review (IPR) for US 10961307 before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) of the United States Patent and Trademarks Office. Shreehas Tambe, CEO & Managing Director, Biocon Biologics Ltd, said: "This settlement agreement reflects our commitment and focus on science and innovation. We are pleased that this allows Biocon Biologics to be amongst the first launch group to offer a reliable, high quality biosimilar option to patients and healthcare providers in the United States with our bUstekinumab, Bmab 1200. This development enables Biocon Biologics to build further on our existing immunology franchise in the US. As a fully integrated biosimilars company, Biocon Biologics is committed to expanding access to life-changing treatments with our broad portfolio of products." Matthew Erick, Chief Commercial Officer Advanced Markets, Biocon Biologics Ltd, said: "This agreement for a biosimilar Ustekinumab is an important milestone in our company's commitment to delivering affordable, life-changing biosimilar medicines. It underscores the Company's steadfast resolution of supporting the well-being of patients impacted by inflammatory diseases and driving positive change within the healthcare industry." Story continues Stelara (Ustekinumab) is a monoclonal antibody medication that prevents abnormal regulation of interleukin IL-12/23 associated immune diseases and has been approved for the treatment of psoriasis, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. The reference brand, Stelara, had sales of $7 billion in the United States in 2023. Company Reported 2023 Sales. All trademarks, registered or unregistered, are the property of their respective owners. About Biocon Biologics Limited: Biocon Biologics Ltd. (BBL), a subsidiary of Biocon Ltd., is a unique, fully integrated, global biosimilars company committed to transforming healthcare and transforming lives by enabling affordable access to high quality biosimilars for millions of patients worldwide. It is leveraging cutting-edge science, innovative tech platforms, global scale manufacturing capabilities and world- class quality systems to lower costs of biological therapeutics while improving healthcare outcomes. BBL has acquired the global biosimilars business of its long-standing partner Viatris, which is a historic milestone in its value creation journey. Biocon Biologics has commercialized eight biosimilars in key emerging markets and advanced markets like U.S., EU, Australia, Canada, Japan. The Company has a pipeline of 20 biosimilar assets across diabetology, oncology, immunology, and other non-communicable diseases. It has many 'firsts' to its credit in the biosimilars industry. As part of its environmental, social and governance (ESG) commitment, BBL is advancing the health of patients, people, and the planet to achieve key UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).Website: www.bioconbiologics.com ; Follow us on Twitter: @BioconBiologics for company updates. Biocon Limited, publicly listed in 2004, (BSE code: 532523, NSE Id: BIOCON, ISIN Id: INE376G01013) is an innovation-led global biopharmaceuticals company committed to enhance affordable access to complex therapies for chronic conditions like diabetes, cancer and autoimmune. It has developed and commercialized novel biologics, biosimilars, and complex small molecule APIs in India and several key global markets as well as Generic Formulations in the US, Europe & key emerging markets. It also has a pipeline of promising novel assets in immunotherapy under development. Website: www.biocon.com; Follow-us on Twitter:@bioconlimited for company updates. Forward-Looking Statements: Biocon This press release may include statements of future expectations and other forward-looking statements based on management's current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects upon Biocon and its subsidiaries/ associates. These forward-looking statements involve known or unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from our expectations include, amongst other: general economic and business conditions in India and overseas, our ability to successfully implement our strategy, our research and development efforts, our growth and expansion plans and technological changes, changes in the value of the Rupee and other currency changes, changes in the Indian and international interest rates, change in laws and regulations that apply to the Indian and global biotechnology and pharmaceuticals industries, increasing competition in and the conditions of the Indian and global biotechnology and pharmaceuticals industries, changes in political conditions in India and changes in the foreign exchange control regulations in India. Neither Biocon, nor our Directors, or any of our subsidiaries/associates assume any obligation to update any particular forward-looking statement contained in this release. Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/biocon-biologics-secures-us-market-entry-date-for-bmab-1200-a-proposed-biosimilar-to-stelara-302075944.html SOURCE Biocon Biologics Ltd. Three of Chicagos most important civic organizations are urging the City Council and Mayor Brandon Johnson to make major ethics changes designed to keep the public informed and engaged with what the council is considering. The leaders of the Better Government Association, the Civic Federation and the League of Women Voters of Chicago called for more transparency and better public access in the body in a letter shared publicly Thursday to Johnson and the council Rules Committee chair, Ald. Michelle Harris, 8th. The groups criticized current City Hall leaders for circumventing rules designed to publicize what aldermen are considering and chipping away at public access to meetings in a letter signed by BGA President David Greising, Civic Federation President Joe Ferguson and League of Women Voters of Chicago President Jane Ruby. Under the current process, it is difficult even for groups informed on government practices, such as ours, to remain abreast of legislation moving through City Council a strong indication that the process is opaque to the general public, the letter said. The letter called for a host of reforms to require the council to share agendas that accurately reflect what aldermen will vote on and debate. State law and city ordinance require the city to share agendas for council meetings 48 hours ahead of time. However, such rules are often flouted through parliamentary maneuvers and the use of late substitutions and direct introductions that substantially alter what aldermen will consider, the letter said. Agenda items are far too often introduced to committees without prior public posting of their text and sometimes without even alderpersons having an opportunity to see the text, the letter said. The three groups called for the 48-hour window to be expanded to four business days and for the full text of all agenda items to be published. They also called for new restrictions blocking the use of substantive substitutions and unannounced direct introduction in an effort to limit aldermens ability to dramatically change what is debated during meetings. It remains to be seen whether the groups letter spurs any changes. Aldermen have long resisted adjustments to the way they do business, and Johnson has so far shown little appetite to try to force council reform. In a statement from spokesperson Ronnie Reese, the Johnson administration pushed back against some of the letters criticisms. The city scrupulously follows the states Open Meeting Act and the council faithfully adheres to the 48-hour prior posting requirement, Reese said. The administration appreciates the feedback and will discuss the proposals with all stakeholders, Reese said. The Johnson Administration appreciates and encourages public engagement and feedback in the legislative process, he added. The robust levels of public engagement at City Council meetings are a positive indication of accessibility, even in situations when the gallery has been so disruptive as to bring meetings to a halt. But Greising, in a statement separate from the groups letter, said that based on the way the City Council and committees operate currently, there is hardly any opportunity for meaningful public participation. The letter also criticized formerly planned restrictions on access to the City Council chambers that the groups successfully pushed back against. Johnson announced in early December a new policy curtailing public seating in the chambers, but reversed course after outcry that the restrictions could hurt the openness of public meetings. The situation demonstrated the need for organizations like ours to protect public participation in the democratic process. It is the right of every citizen to have equal access to their government, the letter said. In an effort to provide better public access to government, the groups called on Johnson and the council to offer more time and a simpler process for people registering to speak at meetings. They also called for the council to consider expanding the amount of time allotted for public comment at meetings and called for better systems to record and share what public speakers say. The clumsy December chambers restrictions were a trip wire for the civic groups, said Ferguson, the citys former Inspector General. Johnson, former Mayor Lori Lightfoot and the City Council are all to blame for the gradual and ongoing drift toward chaos that made it necessary for the groups to speak up, Ferguson said. The persistent misuse of procedural rules and failure to release clear meeting agendas have mounted to the point where many aldermen dont know whats going on when they walk into a vote, he said. What we have right now is a regimen where the predictability of the application of the rules that have long existed cant be relied upon, he said. If we are to have truly open participatory democracy, we need to lower the barriers to access and information. The changes the three groups seek are easily implementable and similar to what already occurs in Cook County government, but a big change for a council known to resist reform, Ferguson said. Its just a chipping away at the really, really fragile fabric of democracy, he said. This is an opportunity for an easy win for the mayor and the City Council. jsheridan@chicagotribune.com Kimberly Dehler immediately started researching online as soon as she found out the date of her planned cesarean section. The Cocoa mom, who already had three children, didnt look up info on the surgery, tips for recovery or anything like that. I wanted to see how complicated his life would be if he was born on that day, Dehler told FLORIDA TODAY in a telephone interview Thursday, a few hours after welcoming her baby boy. That day in question was Feb. 29, better known as Leap Day, which occurs once every four years. I found some people had problems filling forms out when they had to enter their birthday, but I also found that people born on that day have formed their own community, Dehler said while her new baby Draven made cooing sounds in the background. How many babies born in Brevard on Leap Day? Baby Draven Dehler was born to Kimberly and Jason Dehler, of Cocoa, on Leap Day at Holmes Regional Medical Center. Draven, an 8-pound baby, was born at 9:25 am at Holmes Regional Medical Center in Melbourne. As of late Thursday afternoon, Draven was one of five babies born at Holmes on Leap Day. Over at Cape Canaveral Hospital, they welcomed at least three leapings or leapers, as they are affectionally called. The fourth baby will celebrate every four years It's fitting that Draven will celebrate his birthday once every four years given he is the fourth sibling in the Dehler family. Also worth noting: Mom, Dad Jason, 11-year-old son Drake and daughters Trevi, 9, and Venice, 5, all celebrate their birthdays in either October or November. He (Draven) is definitely the odd ball out, Dehler said. He picked his own path in being a special little guy. When will this new Brevard Leap Day baby celebrate his birthday? Baby Draven Dehler, who will have a birthday once every four year is appropriately the fourth sibling in the family. Here he is hours old in this picture with Mom Kimberly, Dad Jason, brother Drake, sisters Trevi and Venice and Grandma Rebecca Smith. Mom said since Draven was born in February, they will likely celebrate Feb. 28th. On second thought, she reconsidered and said the celebration may extend to March 1 resulting in two birthdays. One thing was for sure, every four years when Feb. 29 does come up on the calendar, the celebration will be memorable. Well make it a big birthday when he does have it, Dehler said. Spitzer can be reached at Mspitzer@floridatoday.com. This article originally appeared on Florida Today: How Leap Day baby born in Florida will celebrate his birthday DENVER (KDVR) Colorado is set to receive more than $84 million in federal formula funding to support public transportation in the states communities. The funding, announced Thursday, is part of an overall $9.8 billion investment from the U.S. Department of Transportations Federal Transit Administration. Colorado is receiving the 16th-most funding in the nation, while New York and California top the list with $1 billion and $848 million disbursements, respectively. RTD still wants commuter rail from Denver to Longmont, Fort Collins The funding amounts were also broken down by urbanized areas for the 2024 fiscal year. Denver-Aurora is set to receive about $51.3 million, Colorado Springs is to receive $4.6 million and Fort Collins is set to receive $2.9 million. U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said that the federal disbursements for transit under President Joe Biden have been the largest investments into public transit in U.S. history When we invest in public transit, we improve daily life for millions of Americans across the country, and make it easier, safer, and more affordable to get around communities of every size, Buttigieg said in the federal announcement. What is this funding from, and how can it be used? All of this funding is part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The formula-based grant program includes funding for: Transit systems in urbanized and rural areas Buses and bus facilities including low- and no-emission buses Transit designed for seniors and people with disabilities Planning funds Support to improve the condition of transit assets By using statutorily defined formulas, transit agencies and grant recipients can better plan and manage over the long term for new projects and address repair backlogs. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides significant increases to transit funds across the country, from counties with just one van providing rides to systems operating hundreds of trains, buses, and ferries in the largest cities in America, said FTA Acting Administrator Veronica Vanterpool in the federal release. Communities depend on this funding to start new projects, fix old infrastructure, and bring more fast, safe, convenient service, Vanterpool said. As pedestrian deaths reach record heights, CDOT warns of after-dark dangers At the bottom of the list for funding are American territories: Guam ($2.3 million), Virgin Islands ($1.8 million), American Samoa ($1.2 million) and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands ($1.2 million). For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver. COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) A third Columbus man has been sentenced to prison for a gang-related car shooting in 2022 that spurred from a bar fight in Whitehall. Breon Kelly, 21, entered a guilty plea on Tuesday for his role in the Jan. 23, 2022, incident and was been sentenced to 32 to 33 and a half years in prison, according to Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney Gary Tyack. Kelly marks the third and final person to plead guilty in the shooting after his co-defendants, Larry Latham III, 21, and Mark Smith Jr., 21, pleaded guilty in May and April of last year. Tyack said the gang-related shooting began after a large fight at PKWY Lounge and Grill at 5200 Riding Club Lane, when the three defendants got into a car and chased another car with three people inside. Tyack said Smith and Kelly both fired shots at the other car while Latham drove. Kelly used a Glock switch to convert his gun to an automatic weapon, and struck the car and two additional cars, including one with a 7-year-old inside. No one was injured in the shooting, Tyack said. Kelly had chosen to take his case to trial, but pleaded guilty right before opening statements. Tyack said Kelly was immediately sentenced for two counts of attempted murder, one count of discharge over a prohibited premises and one count of having a weapon while under a disability. Lathan pleaded guilty on May 2, 2023, and was sentenced to 11 to 13 and a half years in prison for two counts of attempted murder, one count of discharge over a prohibited premises and two counts of having a weapon while under a disability. Smith pleaded guilty on April 27, 2023, and was sentenced to 17 to 20 years in prison for two counts of attempted murder, one count of discharge over a prohibited premises, two counts of having a weapon while under a disability. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NBC4 WCMH-TV. The U.S. military plans to preserve force readiness as a top priority, even if Congress fails to pass a defense spending bill next week. But service leaders fear cuts and cancellations would have to be made to training considered vital to preparing for joint and allied high-end operations against adversaries. A full-year continuing resolution that would keep fiscal 2023 spending levels through the rest of 2024 means the U.S. Army, for instance, would run out of operations and maintenance funding in the European theater as it trains Ukrainian soldiers to defend against Russias ongoing invasion of the country, which has entered its third year. The financial strain is compounded by the lack of certainty over whether Congress will pass a supplemental funding package that would reimburse the Army for expenses incurred so far in bankrolling support to Ukraine. The Army already spent $500 million in the European theater in operations and maintenance, and we were counting on a supplemental to be able to sort of replenish us for that, Army Secretary Christine Wormuth said at a Feb. 27 Defense Writers Group event. What that means is probably by late spring, summer, we would have to make some difficult choices about other [NATO] exercises, for example, that our forces participate in. Additionally, the Army has been funding support to Israel to include deployments of units to the Middle East in the event they are needed, she added. Army Under Secretary Gabe Camarillo told reporters Feb. 28 at the Pentagon that the service spent $100 million in U.S. Central Commands area of operations as well as another $500 million to support the U.S. Southwest border security mission. I do worry. Our budget has been flat for the last couple years. We dont have a lot of cash under the sofa cushions, and if we dont get a budget and we dont get a supplemental, were going to probably have to cancel some things, Wormuth said. The Army is prioritizing current operations, Camarillo said, which means it is going to have to look to other areas of O&M spending where they can potentially take some risk, including exercises and the degree to which we participate in some around the globe. We might have to scale some of that back in the absence of an appropriation this year. For the Air Force, Kristyn Jones, who is performing the duties of the services undersecretary, told reporters alongside Camarillo that in order to pay its personnel, training exercises would take the hit. Anything thats already on a [Foreign Military Sales] case wont have a dramatic impact, but all of the replenishment that were expecting in the supplemental is currently impacted. And even things like F-35 [fighter jet] training that were planning with our allies and partners, thats impacted by not having this appropriation as well. The Air Force is focused on trying to ensure flight hours are maintained, but its also important, Jones noted, that pilots receive training. Despite the militarys experience in warfare, were in a different strategic environment and we need to do the exercises, often joint and allied, to prepare for that environment. And the lack of our ability to do that doesnt allow us to, again, to test the new techniques, the new military tactics that wed like to have primarily for an Indo-Pacific fight, Jones said. Thats really where we need to stretch our muscles a little bit more. Learning from sequestration With a possible extended or full-year continuing resolution, the service undersecretaries said the last time the military felt such a painful budget crunch was during the 2013 sequestration, where the services were required by law to make percentage cuts evenly across spending lines. One of the fallouts of the 2013 sequestration was a rise in aviation mishaps because vital training flight hours were cut. Military Times and Defense News took a deep dive into aviation mishaps from FY11 through FY18 and uncovered the trend. Safety is always going to come first, said Navy Under Secretary Erik Raven, but we did look at the lessons of 2013 and sequestration, where we spread risk around the enterprise, and I think the concerns about maintaining ready and trained forces are part of the lessons that were using to inform if we get into this worst-case scenario where we dont have our 24 budget enacted and we are under a CR. Were not going to repeat that same peanut butter spread, he added. But trade-offs will be inevitable, he acknowledged, and well have to look across the board to see how to maintain the focus on current operations. A change to testing rules for care home admittance came in on April 27 2020, but 47 patients were discharged without one after that date First Minister Mark Drakeford's claim there was "no value" in Covid testing all care home residents was queried by a top scientist, an inquiry has heard. Mr Drakeford made the comment in a TV news interview on 29 April 2020. The Welsh government's head of science asked for the "rationale, evidence and advice" behind this the following day. Day three of the Covid inquiry in Wales also heard more than 75% of residents who died from Covid after hospital stays were not tested before discharge. In the interview, Mr Drakeford said: "The clinical evidence tells us that there is no value in [testing everyone] and because of that we don't do it." At that stage all care home residents in England were being offered tests, but in Wales they were only available for those with symptoms. In an email to senior officials on 30 April 2020, Robert Hoyle, the Welsh government's head of science, said he was "keen to understand the rationale, evidence and advice behind the first minister's comments last night on the telly that there is no value to testing for CV19 in care homes." "Please can you enlighten us," he said. Testing for care home residents and staff in Wales, regardless of whether they had symptoms, was not announced until the 16 May 2020. Data shared with the inquiry showed 1,729 hospital patients were discharged into care homes between the start of March and end of May 2020. By the end of June, 81 had died from Covid, most of whom were not tested. Dr Hoyle added that Wales' chief scientific adviser "could and should have done more" when Covid first emerged and the Welsh government needed Boris Johnson's "decisive leadership". The Welsh government's head of science called into question Mark Drakeford's stance on care home testing and said Wales needed Boris Johnson's "decisive leadership" Mass testing of hospital patients being transferred to care homes in Wales was introduced from 27 April 2020, two weeks later than in England, but there were still 47 patients not tested after this date. Twenty-nine of those were in the Aneurin Bevan health board area, according to the data. Stephanie Howarth, chief statistician for Wales, said there could have been instances when there were reporting issues, but it "could be because genuinely that no test was undertaken". The inquiry was told Wales had the highest number of Covid deaths across the UK in the second wave of the pandemic. Prof Sir Ian Diamond, chief executive of the UK Statistics Authority, took the inquiry through the mortality figures involving Covid in Wales. England had the higher percentage of excess expected deaths (11.9%) - the difference between the number of deaths recorded for a specific place and time and the number of deaths that would have been expected anyway - compared to Wales (9.2%) in the pandemic period up to February 2022. But there were 3,187 excess deaths in the second wave in Wales, and 4,429 deaths involving Covid, compared to 2,251 excess deaths in the first wave and 2,109 deaths involving Covid. Graph showing discharges from hospital into care homes Dr Hoyle said there was "a lack of confidence" by Welsh ministers around what action to take in early 2020. He added he believed lockdown was inevitable, but that quicker action could have reduced fatalities in the first wave. "Despite what the prime minister did subsequently during the Covid-19 crisis, I have to admit that, in my view, he did act decisively on behalf of the whole of the UK... and Welsh ministers needed that decisive UK-wide decision making and leadership," he said. Dr Hoyle said he started monitoring Covid after it emerged in China in December 2019, but he did not start discussing Covid with the chief scientific advisor for Wales, Prof Peter Halligan, until a week before lockdown. He said Prof Halligan implied "that it was someone else's problem a health issue". "I went out of my way to encourage him to engage with this, he eventually took that advice but not until very late in the day. I think he could and should have done more," he said. Analysis from Gareth Lewis, BBC Wales political editor The Welsh government's policy around the testing and discharge of hospital patients into care homes is becoming the recurring theme of this module of the inquiry. Bereaved families have long wanted answers on why Wales introduced such testing a fortnight later than England. The data shown to the inquiry that some patients might still have been discharged without a test a whole month after the guidance changed will have been difficult reading for them. The key decision makers - including First Minister Mark Drakeford and Health Minister at the time, Vaughan Gething, will give evidence the week after next. Today's hearing also gave an insight into what was going on behind the scenes before the first lockdown - from a Welsh government that found out only late in the day that it would be in charge to scientists disagreeing about how quickly action should be taken. 'Confusion over accountability' Meanwhile, Mr Drakeford admitted he learned Wales would take charge of its own Covid response only three days before the UK-wide lockdown was introduced. The lockdown was announced on 23 March by Boris Johnson, who was then prime minister, and who used public health powers rather than civil contingencies legislation to do so, because it had been advised it could not use the former as Covid was not an unforeseen event. This meant the Welsh government ended up in charge of decision-making in Wales, the inquiry heard. Tom Poole, the inquiry counsel, said that once the decision had been made Drakeford agreed with the approach as it allowed him to "calibrate" a response specific to Wales. Prof Dan Wincott, an expert in Welsh government decision-making, said "blame games" were played between the Welsh and UK governments , describing them as a "feature of the system". He said the "jagged edges" of the devolution settlement led to "confusion over accountability", adding: "Welsh ministers are still responsible for decisions, but exercise those responsibilities in particularly tight and uncertain constraints." Prof Wincott said that structures to help the Welsh and UK governments work together were "much less well-developed than would be optimal in a system like the UK". Amid a nationwide spike in killings, a new initiative to tackle cold cases is taking off in Florida. State Attorney General Ashley Moody on Thursday announced a new statewide investigative unit that is tasked with solving cold cases. They are the most difficult-to-solve cases, which take the most time intensive and investigative efforts, Moody said during a news conference outside the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regional office in Palm Beach County. The Cold Case Investigations Unit already has helped: It assisted in an investigation that led to the recent indictment of a suspect in the 2010 killing of a 16-year-old boy in Alachua County. During an attempted home burglary, a man named Timothy Thomas shot the teenager four times, which killed him, authorities say. It was not until September 2021 that investigators found DNA on a shirt collected near the crime scene, which ultimately led to Thomas arrest, according to a statement from the attorney generals office. Thomas is already serving a life sentence for attempting to kill a police officer in Key West. The Cold Case Investigations Unit also would address the common issue of trying to solve a cold case involving multiple municipalities. Lets say we have a case where we found a body in Palm Beach County, but the offense may have taken place in another county in North Florida, Moody said. How do we, as a state, reconcile the different jurisdictions all together with pieces? Extra expertise is needed, Moody said, especially in pockets of the state with strained financial and staffing resources. A community can mourn for decades when someone goes missing, and they have absolutely no understanding or an answer of what happened to a loved one, she said. This announcement comes amid high rates of homicides and clearance rates, which is the reported rate of how many killings are solved, across not only the entire United States but specifically in Florida, too. In 2022, police departments nationwide on average solved only 37% of violent crimes, and that number is astounding, Moody said. Homicides and clearance rates rose significantly in 2020 and have continued to stay that way, according to the Murder Accountability Project, a nonprofit that pulls data from federal, state and local governments. From 2020 to 2022, more than 3,000 homicides happened in Florida, and nearly 1,800 of them were solved, creating a clearance rate of about 58%, according to the Murder Accountability Project. In Palm Beach County, 209 homicides happened from 2020 to 2022, with 110 of them being solved, creating a clearance rate of about 53%. Standing at the lectern, Moody was flanked by various authorities to illustrate the collaborative effort, including police dogs that sat attentively as everyone spoke. Moody and Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw urged people to come forward with any information they feel could be relevant to a case. There are people out here that know something, either about something thats happened or something that might happen. You need to give us that information, Bradshaw said. You dont have to give us your name. You dont have to be personally involved, but give us that piece of information that will help us either prevent a crime or solve one that is occurring. If you believe you have any information about a cold case, you can do so anonymously by dialing **TIPS (8477). _____ GOLDSBORO, N.C. (WNCN) A receipt at a Japanese steakhouse in Goldsboro is getting a lot of attention. A post on social media not only shared a photo of the $71.38 bill with no tip, but it also included the message that employees said was offensive to both the business and people in the Asian community. An incident like this shouldnt color the people that support this place. I think were better than that, said Erik Defibaugh. Defibaugh was among customers who chose to dine at Wafu Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Bar in an effort to show support after the post gained attention over the weekend. Justin Fulcher, who also shared his support by dining at the restaurant Monday night, said, They dont deserve that. Theyre just trying to make a living and they do a really good job at it. Xin Lin, the owner of the restaurant, said employees werent aware of the message written on the receipt until late Saturday night. We didnt see it right away because it happened on a Saturday night and were really busy, Lin said. Ive told my employees, their job is to focus on customers its not to focus on tips. MORE FROM QUEEN CITY NEWS North Carolina News Lin said he opened Wafu Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Bar about a year ago. Overall, he said the Goldsboro community has continued to welcome the business and customers have been great. He said that same response has reassured the business that theyre not alone. I really do appreciate everybody in our community and the local people. Their support means a lot for us. Because the message that was written on the receipt was not a crime, Lin explained that its left the business with few options with how they can respond. I can see why our Asian community is mad because theres nothing we can do, said Lin. If there was another customer that walked in and did the same thing, theres nothing we can do. Since the issue has gained so much attention from people on social media, Lin said he reached out to a lawyer and Goldsboro police. With recent Asian hate speech and crimes across the country, Lin continues to keep the safety of his employees and customers a priority. Thats our biggest concern. I dont care about the financial loss, I dont care if we speak up for ourselves and we lose potential business. I dont really care about any of that, but safety cant be replaced and if something happens, theres no way I can recover, Lin said. Lin is still unsure why the message was left on the receipt, but he is aware that the customer has dined at the restaurant several times. Lin said the customer had also been briefly employed at the restaurant shortly after they opened. She worked for a couple hours, she didnt finish her training, and then she disappeared, Lin said. Was it really our service that went wrong, our food quality went down, or anything related to, and I dont get an answer from our employees or her. Lin said theyve received comments from the customer who claimed the message was not intended to be racist or offensive to the Asian community. The owner also said a family member apologized, but Lin said they have not received an official apology from the customer who wrote the message on the receipt. Until then, he said the restaurant is allowed to refuse service. CBS17 worked to get in touch with the customer but has not had a response yet. While Lin hopes not to escalate the issue, he is hopeful that more can be done to prevent offensive statements toward minority groups. Customers like Justin Fulcher are also hopeful that their support for the restaurant will send a more positive message. He included, We need to hold each other accountable for that but not be hateful about it not be hateful to the people who were hateful, Fulcher said. Even if they didnt like something or it didnt go the way they thought, thats not how we should act. We should treat everyone with respect and kindness. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, speaks at a GOP press conference at the U.S. Capitol on Feb. 29, 2024. With Johnson are, left to right, GOP Reps. Blake Moore of Utah, Beth Van Duyne of Texas and Steve Scalise of Louisiana. (Photo by Ariana Figueroa/States Newsroom) U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, speaks at a GOP press conference at the U.S. Capitol on Feb. 29, 2024. With Johnson are, left to right, GOP Reps. Blake Moore of Utah, Beth Van Duyne of Texas and Steve Scalise of Louisiana. (Photo by Ariana Figueroa/States Newsroom) WASHINGTON The U.S. House on a bipartisan vote passed a short-term funding extension Thursday intended to give lawmakers a bit more time to wrap up work on the annual spending bills trying to dodge a shutdown despite election year politics and narrow margins. The stopgap spending bill, sometimes called a continuing resolution, or CR, would keep funding mostly flat for programs funded in six of the full-year bills through March 8 and for programs in the other six bills through March 22. That means Congress will face another deadline just next week for action. The House voted 320-99 to approve the stopgap bill, which now goes to the Senate, where any one lawmaker can slow down the approval process, pushing it past the Friday midnight deadline. A Senate failure to send the bill to President Joe Biden before then would result in a partial government shutdown for the departments of Agriculture, Energy, Housing and Urban Development, Transportation and Veterans Affairs. Other agencies, like the Food and Drug Administration and military construction projects, would also be closed except for essential staff until a stopgap bill is enacted. While at the time of passing our last continuing resolution I had hoped we would not need this measure, we owe it to the American people to do our due diligence in reaching the end of this process, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, said on the House floor. I appreciate the respectful bipartisan cooperation that took place to put forward this continuing resolution and move us closer to the finish line. GOP Rep. Chuck Fleischmann of Tennessee, an appropriator, acknowledged that many of his Republican colleagues would be upset with another CR, but he noted the slim majority in the GOP and that the bill gives Congress more time to pass the remaining appropriations bills. We are where we are, he said. This negotiation has been difficult, but to close the government down at a time like this would hurt people who should not be hurt. Border security Republicans like Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona and Bob Good of Virginia expressed their frustration about border security, and said House Republicans have not leveraged the threat of shutting down the federal government to push for changes in immigration policy. We just keep spending money and we keep the policies that are in place, Biggs said. House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana said during a Thursday press conference that the bill texts for the first package of six spending bills will be released this weekend and members will be given at least 72 hours to read the bills before voting. This is a bipartisan agreement in the end, but it sticks to the numbers, the agreement on spending, it does not go above that, Johnson said. It will increase a bit, defense spending, but there will be real cuts to non-defense discretionary spending. Johnson added that after the remaining appropriations bills are done by the March 22 deadline, he wants to quickly move on to fiscal year 2025, as well as other issues, such as immigration. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, said Thursday morning the only way for Congress to accomplish anything during divided government is through bipartisanship. This agreement is proof that when the four leaders work together, when bipartisanship is prioritized, when getting things done for the American people takes a high priority, good things can happen, even in divided government, Schumer said. And I hope this sets the stage for Congress to finish the appropriations process in a bipartisan way very soon. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, said he appreciated the commitment to see this process through and make good on this essential governing responsibility. As I said earlier this week, government shutdowns never produce positive outcomes. Thats why Congress is going to avoid one this week, McConnell said. Leaders in both parties and both houses have agreed to a plan that would keep the lights on while appropriators complete their work and put annual appropriations bills on a glide path to becoming law. Congress has used a series of these stopgap funding measures to extend its deadlines for passing the dozen annual appropriations bills after failing to meet an Oct. 1 deadline. Deep disagreements House Republicans and Senate Democrats have had fundamental disagreements about spending levels and the policy that goes into the bills for months. Those differences began after Biden submitted his budget request for fiscal year 2024 in March 2023, starting off the annual process. The disputes appeared to abate a bit after Biden and then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy reached agreement on total spending levels in May 2023 at the same time they brokered a bipartisan agreement to address the nations debt limit. House GOP appropriators moved away from that agreement after McCarthy experienced pressure from especially conservative members to significantly cut spending on domestic programs below the agreement. The original batch of House spending bills also included dozens of very conservative GOP policy initiatives, drawing rebukes from Democrats and impeding the path toward a final bipartisan agreement. A faction of far-right House Republicans ousting McCarthy of California in early October and then spending weeks disagreeing about who should lead them also delayed the process. Johnson, after becoming speaker, renegotiated the spending levels for defense and domestic discretionary programs with Biden in January, starting off the process of merging the GOP bills from the House with the broadly bipartisan bills approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee. The spending deal sets spending on defense programs at $886.3 billion and provides $772.7 billion for non-defense discretionary spending. Congressional leaders and the four lawmakers that lead the Appropriations committees in both chambers announced Wednesday theyd reached final agreement on six bills and had an agreement for another stopgap spending bill to bridge the gap. Those bills, which will make up the first so-called minibus, include Agriculture-FDA, Commerce-Justice-Science, Energy-Water, Interior-Environment, Military Construction-VA and Transportation-HUD. March 22 deadline The remaining six bills, the toughest to negotiate, havent yet garnered bipartisan, bicameral agreement, but the statement said they will be finalized, voted on, and enacted prior to March 22. That spending package is supposed to include the Defense, Financial Services and General Government, Homeland Security, Labor-HHS-Education, Legislative Branch and State-Foreign Operations government funding bills. Should Congress approve all dozen of the bills before the March 22 final deadline, and Biden signs them, that would place lawmakers 174 days behind their deadline. That would be the latest members have completed work on all the bills since fiscal 2017, when they wrapped up work 216 days into the fiscal year, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. Congress wrapped up work on all the bills during fiscal 2018 by March 23, but that was 173 days behind their deadline. The difference between this fiscal year and then is due to leap day. The process of funding the government is expected to start anew on March 11 when Biden submits his budget request for fiscal 2025. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post A day ahead of shutdown, Congress works on advancing stopgap spending bills appeared first on Alaska Beacon. U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, speaks at a GOP press conference at the U.S. Capitol on Feb. 29, 2024. With Johnson are, left to right, GOP Reps. Blake Moore of Utah, Beth Van Duyne of Texas and Steve Scalise of Louisiana. (Photo by Ariana Figueroa/States Newsroom) Quality Journalism for Critical Times WASHINGTON Congress passed a short-term funding extension Thursday intended to give lawmakers a bit more time to wrap up work on the annual spending bills dodging a shutdown despite election year politics and narrow margins. The stopgap spending bill, sometimes called a continuing resolution, or CR, would keep funding mostly flat for programs funded in six of the full-year bills through March 8 and for programs in the other six bills through March 22. That means Congress will face another deadline just next week for action. The House voted 320-99 to approve the stopgap bill a few hours before the Senate voted 77-13 to pass the measure. The bill now goes to President Joe Biden for his signature, which he is expected to provide before the Friday midnight funding deadline for some federal departments. Before approving the bill, senators voted to reject an amendment from Kentucky GOP Sen. Rand Paul that would have barred the Federal Reserve from buying state government debt. Senators also voted to reject a proposal from Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee that would have had the stopgap bill last through September, another from Kansas Republican Sen. Roger Marshall that did the same thing while adding aid for Israel and a third from Texas GOP Sen. Ted Cruz that would have added House Republicans border security bill, often referred to by its bill number, H.R. 2. House debate on the stopgap drew bipartisan backing from both Republicans and Democrats, though some especially conservative GOP lawmakers opposed the short-term extension. While at the time of passing our last continuing resolution I had hoped we would not need this measure, we owe it to the American people to do our due diligence in reaching the end of this process, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, said on the House floor. I appreciate the respectful bipartisan cooperation that took place to put forward this continuing resolution and move us closer to the finish line. GOP Rep. Chuck Fleischmann of Tennessee, an appropriator, acknowledged that many of his Republican colleagues would be upset with another CR, but he noted the slim majority in the GOP and that the bill gives Congress more time to pass the remaining appropriations bills. We are where we are, he said. This negotiation has been difficult, but to close the government down at a time like this would hurt people who should not be hurt. Border security Republicans like Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona and Bob Good of Virginia expressed their frustration about border security, and said House Republicans have not leveraged the threat of shutting down the federal government to push for changes in immigration policy. We just keep spending money and we keep the policies that are in place, Biggs said. House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana said during a Thursday press conference that the bill texts for the first package of six spending bills will be released this weekend and members will be given at least 72 hours to read the bills before voting. This is a bipartisan agreement in the end, but it sticks to the numbers, the agreement on spending, it does not go above that, Johnson said. It will increase a bit, defense spending, but there will be real cuts to non-defense discretionary spending. Johnson added that after the remaining appropriations bills are done by the March 22 deadline, he wants to quickly move on to fiscal year 2025, as well as other issues, such as immigration. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, said Thursday morning the only way for Congress to accomplish anything during divided government is through bipartisanship. This agreement is proof that when the four leaders work together, when bipartisanship is prioritized, when getting things done for the American people takes a high priority, good things can happen, even in divided government, Schumer said. And I hope this sets the stage for Congress to finish the appropriations process in a bipartisan way very soon. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, said he appreciated the commitment to see this process through and make good on this essential governing responsibility. As I said earlier this week, government shutdowns never produce positive outcomes. Thats why Congress is going to avoid one this week, McConnell said. Leaders in both parties and both houses have agreed to a plan that would keep the lights on while appropriators complete their work and put annual appropriations bills on a glide path to becoming law. Congress has used a series of these stopgap funding measures to extend its deadlines for passing the dozen annual appropriations bills after failing to meet an Oct. 1 deadline. Deep disagreements House Republicans and Senate Democrats have had fundamental disagreements about spending levels and the policy that goes into the bills for months. Those differences began after Biden submitted his budget request for fiscal year 2024 in March 2023, starting off the annual process. The disputes appeared to abate a bit after Biden and then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy reached agreement on total spending levels in May 2023 at the same time they brokered a bipartisan agreement to address the nations debt limit. House GOP appropriators moved away from that agreement after McCarthy experienced pressure from especially conservative members to significantly cut spending on domestic programs below the agreement. The original batch of House spending bills also included dozens of very conservative GOP policy initiatives, drawing rebukes from Democrats and impeding the path toward a final bipartisan agreement. A faction of far-right House Republicans ousting McCarthy of California in early October and then spending weeks disagreeing about who should lead them also delayed the process. Johnson, after becoming speaker, renegotiated the spending levels for defense and domestic discretionary programs with Biden in January, starting off the process of merging the GOP bills from the House with the broadly bipartisan bills approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee. The spending deal sets spending on defense programs at $886.3 billion and provides $772.7 billion for non-defense discretionary spending. Congressional leaders and the four lawmakers that lead the Appropriations committees in both chambers announced Wednesday theyd reached final agreement on six bills and had an agreement for another stopgap spending bill to bridge the gap. Those bills, which will make up the first so-called minibus, include Agriculture-FDA, Commerce-Justice-Science, Energy-Water, Interior-Environment, Military Construction-VA and Transportation-HUD. March 22 deadline The remaining six bills, the toughest to negotiate, havent yet garnered bipartisan, bicameral agreement, but the statement said they will be finalized, voted on, and enacted prior to March 22. That spending package is supposed to include the Defense, Financial Services and General Government, Homeland Security, Labor-HHS-Education, Legislative Branch and State-Foreign Operations government funding bills. Should Congress approve all dozen of the bills before the March 22 final deadline, and Biden signs them, that would place lawmakers 174 days behind their deadline. That would be the latest members have completed work on all the bills since fiscal 2017, when they wrapped up work 216 days into the fiscal year, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. Congress wrapped up work on all the bills during fiscal 2018 by March 23, but that was 173 days behind their deadline. The difference between this fiscal year and then is due to leap day. The process of funding the government is expected to start anew on March 11 when Biden submits his budget request for fiscal 2025. This story has been updated. This is the original story: WASHINGTON The U.S. House on a bipartisan vote passed a short-term funding extension Thursday intended to give lawmakers a bit more time to wrap up work on the annual spending bills trying to dodge a shutdown despite election year politics and narrow margins. The stopgap spending bill, sometimes called a continuing resolution, or CR, would keep funding mostly flat for programs funded in six of the full-year bills through March 8 and for programs in the other six bills through March 22. That means Congress will face another deadline just next week for action. The U.S. Capitol. (Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom) The House voted 320-99 to approve the stopgap bill, which now goes to the Senate, where any one lawmaker can slow down the approval process, pushing it past the Friday midnight deadline. A Senate failure to send the bill to President Joe Biden before then would result in a partial government shutdown for the departments of Agriculture, Energy, Housing and Urban Development, Transportation and Veterans Affairs. Other agencies, like the Food and Drug Administration and military construction projects, would also be closed except for essential staff until a stopgap bill is enacted. While at the time of passing our last continuing resolution I had hoped we would not need this measure, we owe it to the American people to do our due diligence in reaching the end of this process, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, said on the House floor. I appreciate the respectful bipartisan cooperation that took place to put forward this continuing resolution and move us closer to the finish line. GOP Rep. Chuck Fleischmann of Tennessee, an appropriator, acknowledged that many of his Republican colleagues would be upset with another CR, but he noted the slim majority in the GOP and that the bill gives Congress more time to pass the remaining appropriations bills. We are where we are, he said. This negotiation has been difficult, but to close the government down at a time like this would hurt people who should not be hurt. Border security Republicans like Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona and Bob Good of Virginia expressed their frustration about border security, and said House Republicans have not leveraged the threat of shutting down the federal government to push for changes in immigration policy. We just keep spending money and we keep the policies that are in place, Biggs said. House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana said during a Thursday press conference that the bill texts for the first package of six spending bills will be released this weekend and members will be given at least 72 hours to read the bills before voting. This is a bipartisan agreement in the end, but it sticks to the numbers, the agreement on spending, it does not go above that, Johnson said. It will increase a bit, defense spending, but there will be real cuts to non-defense discretionary spending. Johnson added that after the remaining appropriations bills are done by the March 22 deadline, he wants to quickly move on to fiscal year 2025, as well as other issues, such as immigration. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, said Thursday morning the only way for Congress to accomplish anything during divided government is through bipartisanship. This agreement is proof that when the four leaders work together, when bipartisanship is prioritized, when getting things done for the American people takes a high priority, good things can happen, even in divided government, Schumer said. And I hope this sets the stage for Congress to finish the appropriations process in a bipartisan way very soon. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, said he appreciated the commitment to see this process through and make good on this essential governing responsibility. As I said earlier this week, government shutdowns never produce positive outcomes. Thats why Congress is going to avoid one this week, McConnell said. Leaders in both parties and both houses have agreed to a plan that would keep the lights on while appropriators complete their work and put annual appropriations bills on a glide path to becoming law. Congress has used a series of these stopgap funding measures to extend its deadlines for passing the dozen annual appropriations bills after failing to meet an Oct. 1 deadline. Deep disagreements House Republicans and Senate Democrats have had fundamental disagreements about spending levels and the policy that goes into the bills for months. Those differences began after Biden submitted his budget request for fiscal year 2024 in March 2023, starting off the annual process. The disputes appeared to abate a bit after Biden and then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy reached agreement on total spending levels in May 2023 at the same time they brokered a bipartisan agreement to address the nations debt limit. House GOP appropriators moved away from that agreement after McCarthy experienced pressure from especially conservative members to significantly cut spending on domestic programs below the agreement. The original batch of House spending bills also included dozens of very conservative GOP policy initiatives, drawing rebukes from Democrats and impeding the path toward a final bipartisan agreement. A faction of far-right House Republicans ousting McCarthy of California in early October and then spending weeks disagreeing about who should lead them also delayed the process. Johnson, after becoming speaker, renegotiated the spending levels for defense and domestic discretionary programs with Biden in January, starting off the process of merging the GOP bills from the House with the broadly bipartisan bills approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee. The spending deal sets spending on defense programs at $886.3 billion and provides $772.7 billion for non-defense discretionary spending. Congressional leaders and the four lawmakers that lead the Appropriations committees in both chambers announced Wednesday theyd reached final agreement on six bills and had an agreement for another stopgap spending bill to bridge the gap. Those bills, which will make up the first so-called minibus, include Agriculture-FDA, Commerce-Justice-Science, Energy-Water, Interior-Environment, Military Construction-VA and Transportation-HUD. March 22 deadline The remaining six bills, the toughest to negotiate, havent yet garnered bipartisan, bicameral agreement, but the statement said they will be finalized, voted on, and enacted prior to March 22. That spending package is supposed to include the Defense, Financial Services and General Government, Homeland Security, Labor-HHS-Education, Legislative Branch and State-Foreign Operations government funding bills. Should Congress approve all dozen of the bills before the March 22 final deadline, and Biden signs them, that would place lawmakers 174 days behind their deadline. That would be the latest members have completed work on all the bills since fiscal 2017, when they wrapped up work 216 days into the fiscal year, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. Congress wrapped up work on all the bills during fiscal 2018 by March 23, but that was 173 days behind their deadline. The difference between this fiscal year and then is due to leap day. The process of funding the government is expected to start anew on March 11 when Biden submits his budget request for fiscal 2025. The post A day ahead of shutdown, Congress works on advancing stopgap spending bills appeared first on Florida Phoenix. The surging price of bitcoin has sparked increased attention from internet users in mainland China, where some cryptocurrency-related activities persist in spite of a sweeping government ban. The world's largest and most valuable cryptocurrency, bitcoin gained more than 16 per cent over the past five days to surpass US$59,000 on Wednesday, which made it a fast-trending topic on all major Chinese social media platforms. At one point on Wednesday, bitcoin ranked as the 11th most-searched term on microblogging service Weibo. Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. Bitcoin's popularity also increased more than 358 per cent from a day ago on Chinese super app WeChat, according to Tencent Holdings' official WeChat Index, which tracks keyword traction across in-app search, videos, live streams and blog posts. The Chinese government banned banks from handling bitcoin in 2013 and forced cryptocurrency exchanges to move offshore in 2017. In 2021, the country's regulators reiterated the prohibition on all financial institutions from engaging in crypto-related activities. Photo: Shutterstock alt=The Chinese government banned banks from handling bitcoin in 2013 and forced cryptocurrency exchanges to move offshore in 2017. In 2021, the country's regulators reiterated the prohibition on all financial institutions from engaging in crypto-related activities. Photo: Shutterstock> That followed a 676 per cent jump in bitcoin's popularity on WeChat on February 13, the same day bitcoin reached the US$50,000 mark for the first time in more than two years. Bitcoin has climbed 40 per cent since the beginning of February after staying below US$30,000 for the most part of last year, following a crypto market rout in 2022. Fuelled by the launch of spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds in the United States in January, bitcoin is now trading at its highest level since reaching a historic high of US$69,000 in November 2021. Story continues The strong interest in Chinese social media of bitcoin prices' ascent reflects how a community of cryptocurrency enthusiasts on the mainland continues to thrive, despite Beijing's rigid stance against all crypto-related activities. Investing in cryptocurrencies has recently become more attractive to some people on the mainland, as the country's stock market continues to plummet amid its economic woes, according to a Reuters report in January. Cryptocurrency trading via a number of major exchanges has also remained active in mainland China, as traders employ a range of workarounds to skirt loosely implemented restrictions. Despite warnings on its site, Binance allows mainland users to create accounts and trade on the exchange via some workarounds, according to tests conducted by the South China Morning Post. Still, the Chinese government has ramped up its scrutiny of all activities related to cryptocurrencies over the years, citing risks to financial stability. Beijing is now tackling money laundering risks associated with cryptocurrencies, even though it endorses Hong Kong's ambitions to become a major hub for virtual assets. In research firm Chainalysis' ranking of cryptocurrency adoption in 20 major countries, mainland China took the No 11 spot last year after placing tenth in 2022. While mainland China's ranking in terms of trading volume on centralised crypto exchanges dropped to the No 10 spot last year after placing second in 2022, Chainalysis said the country ranked 13th in peer-to-peer trading volume last year, up from No 144 in 2022. Before cryptocurrency exchange FTX collapsed in 2022, mainland Chinese traders made up 8 per cent of the platform's user base, according to the company's bankruptcy filings. This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright 2024 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2024. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, speaks at a GOP press conference at the U.S. Capitol on Feb. 29, 2024. With Johnson are, left to right, GOP Reps. Blake Moore of Utah, Beth Van Duyne of Texas and Steve Scalise of Louisiana. (Ariana Figueroa/States Newsroom) WASHINGTON Congress passed a short-term funding extension Thursday intended to give lawmakers a bit more time to wrap up work on the annual spending bills dodging a shutdown despite election year politics and narrow margins. The stopgap spending bill, sometimes called a continuing resolution, or CR, would keep funding mostly flat for programs funded in six of the full-year bills through March 8 and for programs in the other six bills through March 22. That means Congress will face another deadline just next week for action. The House voted 320-99 to approve the stopgap bill a few hours before the Senate voted 77-13 to pass the measure. Of Colorados eight House members, only Republican Reps. Lauren Boebert and Ken Buck voted against the measure. The bill now goes to President Joe Biden for his signature, which he is expected to provide before the Friday midnight funding deadline for some federal departments. Before approving the bill, senators voted to reject an amendment from Kentucky GOP Sen. Rand Paul that would have barred the Federal Reserve from buying state government debt. Senators also voted to reject a proposal from Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee that would have had the stopgap bill last through September, another from Kansas Republican Sen. Roger Marshall that did the same thing while adding aid for Israel and a third from Texas GOP Sen. Ted Cruz that would have added House Republicans border security bill, often referred to by its bill number, H.R. 2. House debate on the stopgap drew bipartisan backing from both Republicans and Democrats, though some especially conservative GOP lawmakers opposed the short-term extension. While at the time of passing our last continuing resolution I had hoped we would not need this measure, we owe it to the American people to do our due diligence in reaching the end of this process, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, said on the House floor. I appreciate the respectful bipartisan cooperation that took place to put forward this continuing resolution and move us closer to the finish line. GOP Rep. Chuck Fleischmann of Tennessee, an appropriator, acknowledged that many of his Republican colleagues would be upset with another CR, but he noted the slim majority in the GOP and that the bill gives Congress more time to pass the remaining appropriations bills. We are where we are, he said. This negotiation has been difficult, but to close the government down at a time like this would hurt people who should not be hurt. Border security Republicans like Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona and Bob Good of Virginia expressed their frustration about border security, and said House Republicans have not leveraged the threat of shutting down the federal government to push for changes in immigration policy. We just keep spending money and we keep the policies that are in place, Biggs said. House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana said during a Thursday press conference that the bill texts for the first package of six spending bills will be released this weekend and members will be given at least 72 hours to read the bills before voting. This is a bipartisan agreement in the end, but it sticks to the numbers, the agreement on spending, it does not go above that, Johnson said. It will increase a bit, defense spending, but there will be real cuts to non-defense discretionary spending. Johnson added that after the remaining appropriations bills are done by the March 22 deadline, he wants to quickly move on to fiscal year 2025, as well as other issues, such as immigration. This agreement is proof that when the four leaders work together, when bipartisanship is prioritized, when getting things done for the American people takes a high priority, good things can happen, even in divided government. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, said Thursday morning the only way for Congress to accomplish anything during divided government is through bipartisanship. This agreement is proof that when the four leaders work together, when bipartisanship is prioritized, when getting things done for the American people takes a high priority, good things can happen, even in divided government, Schumer said. And I hope this sets the stage for Congress to finish the appropriations process in a bipartisan way very soon. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, said he appreciated the commitment to see this process through and make good on this essential governing responsibility. As I said earlier this week, government shutdowns never produce positive outcomes. Thats why Congress is going to avoid one this week, McConnell said. Leaders in both parties and both houses have agreed to a plan that would keep the lights on while appropriators complete their work and put annual appropriations bills on a glide path to becoming law. Congress has used a series of these stopgap funding measures to extend its deadlines for passing the dozen annual appropriations bills after failing to meet an Oct. 1 deadline. Deep disagreements House Republicans and Senate Democrats have had fundamental disagreements about spending levels and the policy that goes into the bills for months. Those differences began after Biden submitted his budget request for fiscal year 2024 in March 2023, starting off the annual process. The disputes appeared to abate a bit after Biden and then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy reached agreement on total spending levels in May 2023 at the same time they brokered a bipartisan agreement to address the nations debt limit. House GOP appropriators moved away from that agreement after McCarthy experienced pressure from especially conservative members to significantly cut spending on domestic programs below the agreement. The original batch of House spending bills also included dozens of very conservative GOP policy initiatives, drawing rebukes from Democrats and impeding the path toward a final bipartisan agreement. A faction of far-right House Republicans ousting McCarthy of California in early October and then spending weeks disagreeing about who should lead them also delayed the process. Johnson, after becoming speaker, renegotiated the spending levels for defense and domestic discretionary programs with Biden in January, starting off the process of merging the GOP bills from the House with the broadly bipartisan bills approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee. Pictured is the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 2, 2024. (Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom) The spending deal sets spending on defense programs at $886.3 billion and provides $772.7 billion for non-defense discretionary spending. Congressional leaders and the four lawmakers that lead the Appropriations committees in both chambers announced Wednesday theyd reached final agreement on six bills and had an agreement for another stopgap spending bill to bridge the gap. Those bills, which will make up the first so-called minibus, include Agriculture-FDA, Commerce-Justice-Science, Energy-Water, Interior-Environment, Military Construction-VA and Transportation-HUD. March 22 deadline The remaining six bills, the toughest to negotiate, havent yet garnered bipartisan, bicameral agreement, but the statement said they will be finalized, voted on, and enacted prior to March 22. That spending package is supposed to include the Defense, Financial Services and General Government, Homeland Security, Labor-HHS-Education, Legislative Branch and State-Foreign Operations government funding bills. Should Congress approve all dozen of the bills before the March 22 final deadline, and Biden signs them, that would place lawmakers 174 days behind their deadline. That would be the latest members have completed work on all the bills since fiscal 2017, when they wrapped up work 216 days into the fiscal year, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. Congress wrapped up work on all the bills during fiscal 2018 by March 23, but that was 173 days behind their deadline. The difference between this fiscal year and then is due to leap day. The process of funding the government is expected to start anew on March 11 when Biden submits his budget request for fiscal 2025. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post A day ahead of shutdown, Congress works on advancing stopgap spending bills appeared first on Colorado Newsline. U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, speaks at a GOP press conference at the U.S. Capitol on Feb. 29, 2024. With Johnson are, left to right, GOP Reps. Blake Moore of Utah, Beth Van Duyne of Texas and Steve Scalise of Louisiana. (Ariana Figueroa/States Newsroom) WASHINGTON Congress passed a short-term funding extension Thursday intended to give lawmakers a bit more time to wrap up work on the annual spending bills dodging a shutdown despite election year politics and narrow margins. The stopgap spending bill, sometimes called a continuing resolution, or CR, would keep funding mostly flat for programs funded in six of the full-year bills through March 8 and for programs in the other six bills through March 22. That means Congress will face another deadline just next week for action. The House voted 320-99 to approve the stopgap bill a few hours before the Senate voted 77-13 to pass the measure. The bill now goes to President Joe Biden for his signature, which he is expected to provide before the Friday midnight funding deadline for some federal departments. Before approving the bill, senators voted to reject an amendment from Kentucky GOP Sen. Rand Paul that would have barred the Federal Reserve from buying state government debt. Senators also voted to reject a proposal from Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee that would have had the stopgap bill last through September, another from Kansas Republican Sen. Roger Marshall that did the same thing while adding aid for Israel and a third from Texas GOP Sen. Ted Cruz that would have added House Republicans border security bill, often referred to by its bill number, H.R. 2. House debate on the stopgap drew bipartisan backing from both Republicans and Democrats, though some especially conservative GOP lawmakers opposed the short-term extension. While at the time of passing our last continuing resolution I had hoped we would not need this measure, we owe it to the American people to do our due diligence in reaching the end of this process, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, said on the House floor. I appreciate the respectful bipartisan cooperation that took place to put forward this continuing resolution and move us closer to the finish line. GOP Rep. Chuck Fleischmann of Tennessee, an appropriator, acknowledged that many of his Republican colleagues would be upset with another CR, but he noted the slim majority in the GOP and that the bill gives Congress more time to pass the remaining appropriations bills. We are where we are, he said. This negotiation has been difficult, but to close the government down at a time like this would hurt people who should not be hurt. Border security Republicans like Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona and Bob Good of Virginia expressed their frustration about border security, and said House Republicans have not leveraged the threat of shutting down the federal government to push for changes in immigration policy. We just keep spending money and we keep the policies that are in place, Biggs said. House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana said during a Thursday press conference that the bill texts for the first package of six spending bills will be released this weekend and members will be given at least 72 hours to read the bills before voting. This is a bipartisan agreement in the end, but it sticks to the numbers, the agreement on spending, it does not go above that, Johnson said. It will increase a bit, defense spending, but there will be real cuts to non-defense discretionary spending. Johnson added that after the remaining appropriations bills are done by the March 22 deadline, he wants to quickly move on to fiscal year 2025, as well as other issues, such as immigration. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, said Thursday morning the only way for Congress to accomplish anything during divided government is through bipartisanship. This agreement is proof that when the four leaders work together, when bipartisanship is prioritized, when getting things done for the American people takes a high priority, good things can happen, even in divided government, Schumer said. And I hope this sets the stage for Congress to finish the appropriations process in a bipartisan way very soon. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, said he appreciated the commitment to see this process through and make good on this essential governing responsibility. As I said earlier this week, government shutdowns never produce positive outcomes. Thats why Congress is going to avoid one this week, McConnell said. Leaders in both parties and both houses have agreed to a plan that would keep the lights on while appropriators complete their work and put annual appropriations bills on a glide path to becoming law. Congress has used a series of these stopgap funding measures to extend its deadlines for passing the dozen annual appropriations bills after failing to meet an Oct. 1 deadline. Deep disagreements House Republicans and Senate Democrats have had fundamental disagreements about spending levels and the policy that goes into the bills for months. Those differences began after Biden submitted his budget request for fiscal year 2024 in March 2023, starting off the annual process. The disputes appeared to abate a bit after Biden and then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy reached agreement on total spending levels in May 2023 at the same time they brokered a bipartisan agreement to address the nations debt limit. House GOP appropriators moved away from that agreement after McCarthy experienced pressure from especially conservative members to significantly cut spending on domestic programs below the agreement. The original batch of House spending bills also included dozens of very conservative GOP policy initiatives, drawing rebukes from Democrats and impeding the path toward a final bipartisan agreement. A faction of far-right House Republicans ousting McCarthy of California in early October and then spending weeks disagreeing about who should lead them also delayed the process. Johnson, after becoming speaker, renegotiated the spending levels for defense and domestic discretionary programs with Biden in January, starting off the process of merging the GOP bills from the House with the broadly bipartisan bills approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee. The spending deal sets spending on defense programs at $886.3 billion and provides $772.7 billion for non-defense discretionary spending. Congressional leaders and the four lawmakers that lead the Appropriations committees in both chambers announced Wednesday theyd reached final agreement on six bills and had an agreement for another stopgap spending bill to bridge the gap. Those bills, which will make up the first so-called minibus, include Agriculture-FDA, Commerce-Justice-Science, Energy-Water, Interior-Environment, Military Construction-VA and Transportation-HUD. March 22 deadline The remaining six bills, the toughest to negotiate, havent yet garnered bipartisan, bicameral agreement, but the statement said they will be finalized, voted on, and enacted prior to March 22. That spending package is supposed to include the Defense, Financial Services and General Government, Homeland Security, Labor-HHS-Education, Legislative Branch and State-Foreign Operations government funding bills. Should Congress approve all dozen of the bills before the March 22 final deadline, and Biden signs them, that would place lawmakers 174 days behind their deadline. That would be the latest members have completed work on all the bills since fiscal 2017, when they wrapped up work 216 days into the fiscal year, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. Congress wrapped up work on all the bills during fiscal 2018 by March 23, but that was 173 days behind their deadline. The difference between this fiscal year and then is due to leap day. The process of funding the government is expected to start anew on March 11 when Biden submits his budget request for fiscal 2025. The post A day ahead of shutdown, Congress works on advancing stopgap spending bills appeared first on Idaho Capital Sun. A man at a lectern surround by staff and with flags behind him U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, speaks at a GOP press conference at the U.S. Capitol on Feb. 29, 2024. With Johnson are, left to right, GOP Reps. Blake Moore of Utah, Beth Van Duyne of Texas and Steve Scalise of Louisiana. (Ariana Figueroa/States Newsroom) WASHINGTON The U.S. House on a bipartisan vote passed a short-term funding extension Thursday intended to give lawmakers a bit more time to wrap up work on the annual spending bills trying to dodge a shutdown despite election year politics and narrow margins. The stopgap spending bill, sometimes called a continuing resolution, or CR, would keep funding mostly flat for programs funded in six of the full-year bills through March 8 and for programs in the other six bills through March 22. That means Congress will face another deadline just next week for action. The House voted 320-99 to approve the stopgap bill, which now goes to the Senate, where any one lawmaker can slow down the approval process, pushing it past the Friday midnight deadline. A Senate failure to send the bill to President Joe Biden before then would result in a partial government shutdown for the departments of Agriculture, Energy, Housing and Urban Development, Transportation and Veterans Affairs. Other agencies, like the Food and Drug Administration and military construction projects, would also be closed except for essential staff until a stopgap bill is enacted. While at the time of passing our last continuing resolution I had hoped we would not need this measure, we owe it to the American people to do our due diligence in reaching the end of this process, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, said on the House floor. I appreciate the respectful bipartisan cooperation that took place to put forward this continuing resolution and move us closer to the finish line. GOP Rep. Chuck Fleischmann of Tennessee, an appropriator, acknowledged that many of his Republican colleagues would be upset with another CR, but he noted the slim majority in the GOP and that the bill gives Congress more time to pass the remaining appropriations bills. We are where we are, he said. This negotiation has been difficult, but to close the government down at a time like this would hurt people who should not be hurt. Border security Republicans like Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona and Bob Good of Virginia expressed their frustration about border security, and said House Republicans have not leveraged the threat of shutting down the federal government to push for changes in immigration policy. We just keep spending money and we keep the policies that are in place, Biggs said. House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana said during a Thursday press conference that the bill texts for the first package of six spending bills will be released this weekend and members will be given at least 72 hours to read the bills before voting. This is a bipartisan agreement in the end, but it sticks to the numbers, the agreement on spending, it does not go above that, Johnson said. It will increase a bit, defense spending, but there will be real cuts to non-defense discretionary spending. Johnson added that after the remaining appropriations bills are done by the March 22 deadline, he wants to quickly move on to fiscal year 2025, as well as other issues, such as immigration. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, said Thursday morning the only way for Congress to accomplish anything during divided government is through bipartisanship. This agreement is proof that when the four leaders work together, when bipartisanship is prioritized, when getting things done for the American people takes a high priority, good things can happen, even in divided government, Schumer said. And I hope this sets the stage for Congress to finish the appropriations process in a bipartisan way very soon. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, said he appreciated the commitment to see this process through and make good on this essential governing responsibility. As I said earlier this week, government shutdowns never produce positive outcomes. Thats why Congress is going to avoid one this week, McConnell said. Leaders in both parties and both houses have agreed to a plan that would keep the lights on while appropriators complete their work and put annual appropriations bills on a glide path to becoming law. Congress has used a series of these stopgap funding measures to extend its deadlines for passing the dozen annual appropriations bills after failing to meet an Oct. 1 deadline. Deep disagreements House Republicans and Senate Democrats have had fundamental disagreements about spending levels and the policy that goes into the bills for months. Those differences began after Biden submitted his budget request for fiscal year 2024 in March 2023, starting off the annual process. The disputes appeared to abate a bit after Biden and then-Speaker Kevin McCarthy reached agreement on total spending levels in May 2023 at the same time they brokered a bipartisan agreement to address the nations debt limit. House GOP appropriators moved away from that agreement after McCarthy experienced pressure from especially conservative members to significantly cut spending on domestic programs below the agreement. The original batch of House spending bills also included dozens of very conservative GOP policy initiatives, drawing rebukes from Democrats and impeding the path toward a final bipartisan agreement. A faction of far-right House Republicans ousting McCarthy of California in early October and then spending weeks disagreeing about who should lead them also delayed the process. Johnson, after becoming speaker, renegotiated the spending levels for defense and domestic discretionary programs with Biden in January, starting off the process of merging the GOP bills from the House with the broadly bipartisan bills approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee. The spending deal sets spending on defense programs at $886.3 billion and provides $772.7 billion for non-defense discretionary spending. Congressional leaders and the four lawmakers that lead the Appropriations committees in both chambers announced Wednesday theyd reached final agreement on six bills and had an agreement for another stopgap spending bill to bridge the gap. Those bills, which will make up the first so-called minibus, include Agriculture-FDA, Commerce-Justice-Science, Energy-Water, Interior-Environment, Military Construction-VA and Transportation-HUD. March 22 deadline The remaining six bills, the toughest to negotiate, havent yet garnered bipartisan, bicameral agreement, but the statement said they will be finalized, voted on, and enacted prior to March 22. That spending package is supposed to include the Defense, Financial Services and General Government, Homeland Security, Labor-HHS-Education, Legislative Branch and State-Foreign Operations government funding bills. Should Congress approve all dozen of the bills before the March 22 final deadline, and Biden signs them, that would place lawmakers 174 days behind their deadline. That would be the latest members have completed work on all the bills since fiscal 2017, when they wrapped up work 216 days into the fiscal year, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. Congress wrapped up work on all the bills during fiscal 2018 by March 23, but that was 173 days behind their deadline. The difference between this fiscal year and then is due to leap day. The process of funding the government is expected to start anew on March 11 when Biden submits his budget request for fiscal 2025. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post A day ahead of shutdown, Congress works on advancing stopgap spending bills appeared first on Alabama Reflector. Swim lessons at a recreation center in Canada were stopped by an uninvited attendee: a deer, officials said. The animal crashed through a window and jumped in the pool, videos show. Francesco Siino was at the Vollmer Culture and Recreation Complex in LaSalle on the afternoon of Sunday, Feb. 25, for his kids swim lesson, he told CTV News Windsor, a Canadian news outlet. We were in the changing rooms and a parent rushed in and said, You guys wont believe this. Theres a deer in the swimming pool, Siino told the outlet. I thought there was no way. The deer had crashed through a window near the hot tub and sent shards of glass across the pool deck, according to a news release from the Town of LaSalle. About 30 people were in the pool area, and swimming lessons were in progress, officials said. Staff cleared the area and tried to help the deer find its way out. The deer ran around the pool deck and jumped into the pool, a video shared by Siino on TikTok shows. It swam across the pool and got out on the other side. Yall wouldnt believe me if I told you a deer broke into the Vollmer Recreation Complex, Siino wrote in a Feb. 25 Facebook post.. Siinos second video shows the deer swimming in a different section of the pool. Several people stand around the pool deck watching the deer and appear to try to guide the animal using the buoys. Eventually, staff coaxed the deer into the main lobby and helped it find its way outside, officials said. This is not something that you can train for, Patti Funaro, LaSalles director of culture and recreation, said in the release. I commend the staff on duty who responded immediately to ensure the safety of the patrons and the deer. No one was harmed during the incident although the day after, Monday, Feb. 26, a swimmer stepped on a piece of glass at the bottom of the pool. The deer may have cut itself but went on its way. The recreation center temporarily closed its pool and hot tub. The pool was later reopened Tuesday, Feb. 27, after divers performed an extensive sweep. LaSalle, Ontario, is along the Canada-U.S. border and about 10 miles south of Detroit. Horse headbangs to music on TikTok. Meet the girl who likes to rock out Fierce battle between octopus and seal stuns scuba diver off Canada. See rare video Divers find fascinating artifacts from 19th century shipwrecks off Canada, video shows Examining racism in the Coastal Bend, Del Mar College faculty outlined housing discrimination in Corpus Christi, voting restrictions and maternal mortality in Texas and threats to the local Hillcrest neighborhood. The forum took place in a lecture hall full of students Tuesday evening. The Del Mar College Social Sciences Department hosted the symposium focused on race-related issues. It included presentations from seven sociology, psychology, history and political science faculty members focusing on local history and current issues. Sociology instructor Will Rushton started off the event with a brief introduction telling students that racism is not dead in the U.S. Its been argued that race doesnt matter much anymore that weve elected a Black president, so all is good, Rushton said. But thats not the case. Over the course of the evening, the speakers cited data showing racial disparities across all aspects of society, from maternal mortality rates to disciplinary rates in schools. Assistant professor of sociology Isabel Araiza focused in on institutional racism in Corpus Christi. Adjunct history instructor Mauro Sierra spoke about redlining in Corpus Christi. History instructor Mauro Sierra discussed redlining in Corpus Christi at Del Mar College's Race Matters symposium Tuesday. Araiza said that the boundaries of race are not clearly defined instead, they reflect social conditions, location and historical moments. For example, the U.S. Census does not identify Hispanic or Latino as a racial category, and instead considers race and Hispanic origin as two separate and distinct concepts. But in the Coastal Bend, Mexican Americans have often been treated as belonging to a separate racialized category. Araiza displayed copies of birth certificates from Corpus Christi and Robstown showing babies whose race was identified as Mexican or Latin American. Segregation and redlining Corpus Christi doubled in population between 1930 to 1940, and doubled again between 1940 and 1950. As developers, built neighborhoods in Corpus Christi, they included restrictive racial covenants. In neighborhoods intended for white residents, contracts prohibited land from being sold or leased to or occupied by Black or Hispanic individuals. The only exceptions were for domestic servants. We couldnt live there, we couldnt rent there, we couldnt own there, unless we were a domestic servant, Araiza said. ...Subdivision, after subdivision, after subdivision, after subdivision had this in there. Black residents were segregated initially in the north close to Refinery Row, in the Washington-Coles neighborhood and eventually spreading into the Hillcrest area. The Hispanic population grew in the Westside, also near industrial growth. Theres real consequences to being a racialized minority, Araiza said. Those quality resources like housing and education were not for us. Araiza cited a 1944 Corpus Christi housing report that stated that growing Black and Hispanic populations in white areas would devalue property. When redlining ended, when those restrictive covenants were no longer legal, the social landscape of our society was already built, Araiza said. Assistant professor of sociology Isabel Araiza discusses how institutional racism has impacted Corpus Christi at Del Mar College's Race Matters symposium Tuesday. Araiza flipped through maps showing climate vulnerability, health stressors and environmental factors. In the maps, the Northside and Westside neighborhoods stood out, facing more threats than other parts of the city. "We can dream better and we can demand better and we can deserve better and we can get better, Araiza said. As the city further developed, Interstate 37 was built through historically Black neighborhoods. The new Harbor Bridge will also cut through Hillcrest, and the city of Corpus Christi has plans for a desalination plant. The Caller-Times has written about how development has impacted the area and how residents have fought for their homes. That is going to essentially destroy a cultural area in Corpus Christi, Sierra said. In the late 1960s, Mexican-American families filed a lawsuit against the local school district, Cisneros v. Corpus Christi Independent School District. In 1970, the courts found that the district had been operating separate education systems for white students and Black and Hispanic students. Voting rights Political science professor Adrian Clark presented on the history of voting rights in the U.S., describing a series of peaks and troughs. From the founding until the Civil War was a trough, Clark said. There was a brief peak in the Reconstruction era when voting rights were extended to Black men, but the Jim Crow era was another trough, when literacy tests, poll taxes and intimidation and lynching were used to keep Black citizens from exercising their right to vote. The Civil Rights Movement represented another peak, but since 2013, when the U.S. Supreme Court struck down parts of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the county has been in a trough, Clark said. The Voting Rights Act initially required states with a history of low voter registration to receive U.S. Justice Department approval before making any changes that could potentially impact voting rights. The Supreme Court declared the coverage formula used to determine which jurisdictions this preclearance requirement applied to was unconstitutional. Every state previously subject to preclearance requirements has changed its voter eligibility rules to make them more restrictive, Clark said. Clark pointed to Texas voter ID laws and recent restrictions to absentee and drive-through voting. Clark also pointed to evidence of gerrymandering, noting that current legislative district maps in Texas are drawn in ways that create white majorities. Despite the non-Hispanic white and Hispanic populations of Texas being similar in size, each representing about 40% of the population with a slightly larger Hispanic population, 23 out of 38 congressional districts have a non-Hispanic white majority. The same is true for districts for the Texas Legislature. Assistant professor of sociology Kelly Vinson focused on maternal health care in Texas. The. U.S. has a high rate for maternal mortality, which measures how many women die giving birth, compared to other developed countries. The mortality rate in 2021 was nearly 33 deaths per 100,000 live births. Rates are particularly high for Black women nearly 70 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2021 compared to for non-Hispanic white and Hispanic women 26.6 and 28 respectively. Vinson said that rates in Texas were also higher than in most other states. I tell my students all the time, when you see different outcomes by race, that tells you we dont have an inherently equal society, Vinson said. If we did, maternal mortality would be the same rate for every racial category. Here's how Driscoll Children's Hospital has provided therapy in Corpus Christi ISD Academics and post-graduation readiness: Corpus Christi ISD reflects on 2022-23 Years after Corpus Christi ISD ends dual language program, other districts take it on This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Impacts of racism on Coastal Bend revealed at Del Mar College event Democratic members of the House Oversight & Accountability Committee accused Republicans of falling for Russian propaganda after Hunter Biden testified behind closed doors on Wednesday. Their words came after President Joe Bidens son Hunter testified behind closed doors on Wednesday and insisted that I did not involve my father in my business and that House Republicans built your entire partisan house of cards on lies when it came to opening an impeachment inquiry into the president. Republicans have sought to tie the younger Biden to his father and say that Hunter involved his father in his business dealings. But Democrats said that the testimony from the testimony from the younger Biden showed how faulty the GOP investigation is. I think that the American people deserve better, Representative Jasmine Crockett of Texas told The Independent. They know that they deserve better. They're going to get better this November when the House flips because it is going to flip. This has been a monstrous waste of tax dollars. Ms Crockett said that Republicans focused on an impeachment inquiry of the president instead of working to keep the US government open. She also alluded to Republican members of the Oversight Committee such as Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia displaying photos of Hunter Biden naked in hearings. The problem is that we're six months behind on the work that we're supposed to be doing, because they decided that they wanted to see what was in Hunter's pants or they decided that they wanted to somehow propagate Russian propaganda, Ms Crockett said. Jasmine Crockett said investigations into Joe and Hunter Biden represented a monstrous waste of tax dollars (Getty Images) The testimony comes after Alexander Smirnov, a former FBI informant, was arrested and accused of making false statements about President Biden and Hunter Biden. Mr Smirnov claimed to have connections with Russian intelligence and was charged with bribery after he allegedly told the FBI that executives from Ukrainian energy company Burisma paid Joe and Hunter Biden $5m each. Republicans such as House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan dismissed the arrest of Mr Smirnov and said it was a double standard compared to Christopher Steele, who compiled the Steele Dossier about Donald Trump. Maybe the guy did lie, Mr Jordan said last week during the Conservative Political Action Conference just outside of Washington, DC. But there sure is quite a contrast for, Christopher Steele can give false information about President Trump, and he continues to get paid. This guy, this Mr Smirnov, can give false information, what theyve said is false information, and he gets arrested. Double standard again. But Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, the number-two Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, told The Independent that the Republicans impeachment inquiry stood on shaky ground. Hunter Biden arrives on Capitol Hill for his behind-closed-doors testimony (EPA) Listen, Republicans set up a whole investigation based on a flimsy account that was connected to Russian intelligence, and once that was exposed, their entire case has fallen apart, she said. And now they're trying to scramble to grasping for straws and, you know, they're taking it out on the president's son. Ms Ocasio-Cortez said that Mr Smirnovs charges showed how gullible Republicans are and said that not only was Mr Smirnov indicted, but other sources were compromised as well. The Republican party has decided to proceed with an investigation that is largely based on accounts and individuals connected to Russian intelligence, she said. It's an abuse of power, period. And frankly, it's extremely disturbing because it begs the question, who these folks are actually working for. Hunter Bidens testimony came after he unexpectedly appeared in front of the House Oversight Committee when it planned to hold him in contempt of Congress. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez highlighted the Russian connections in the Republicans investigation (Getty Images) Representative Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the Oversight Committee, said the fact Republicans wanted Hunter Biden to testify behind closed doors showed they wanted to take him out of context. They wanted it behind closed doors so they could leak out selective bits of information to distort what he was saying, he told The Independent, saying Republicans did the same with other witnesses. I think that Hunter Biden, who has made some terrible mistakes in his life, anchored in his addiction, here, is speaking with absolute clarity and lucidity. His father had nothing to do with his business ventures and was not financially profiting from them and did nothing to render official favors or benefits to his businesses. The Republican-controlled House of Representatives voted in December solely on party lines to open an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. But so far they have not produced the evidence they desired in the investigation. Republicans used Defense Secretary Lloyd Austins appearance on Capitol Hill on Thursday to slam the Pentagon chief over his unannounced hospitalizations that they say put national security in jeopardy. The Democrats counterpoint? Ukraine. In an at times fiery hearing on Thursday that was supposed to focus on Austins secrecy over his health, Democrats used most of their time to thrash House Speaker Mike Johnson and conservative Republicans for holding up a foreign aid package with money for Kyiv to defend against Russia. The focus on Ukraine coupled with the committees self-imposed time limit of two hours, which prevented individual lawmakers from engaging in the typical lengthy monologues allowed Democrats to blunt Republican arguments that Austins failure to inform the commander in chief of his absence hurt national security. Their comments also served as a preview of Democrats strategy the next time the issue comes up, most likely when Congress holds hearings on the administrations budget request in the coming weeks and when the Defense Department Inspector General releases its review of Austin and his staffs handling of his medical problems. The accusations from Republicans come at a sensitive time for President Joe Biden, who is running for reelection as he and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas face impeachment, and as his brother and son testify as part of congressional investigations into their conduct. On Thursday, Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) called out "the outrage and the drama" from Republicans over the breakdown in communications while those same lawmakers still refuse to approve funding for Ukraine. "Look, you made a mistake. You admitted it. You're taking steps to address it. And you want to know what accountability is, Slotkin said to Austin. Accountability is having to come and sit in front of people and their outrage and their drama in public about your health issues and the mistakes you've admitted you made, when the entire world is wondering what the hell is going on with the United States of America. House Republicans have stymied efforts to provide more money to assist Ukraine since retaking the majority more than a year ago as opposition has built on the right. The Senate cleared a $95 billion emergency funding package this month to assist Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. But Johnson has so far not granted a vote on the measure, despite bipartisan pressure to act as Ukrainian forces run low on ammunition. The news first reported by POLITICO that Austin had failed to notify the White House, Congress and his closest staff that he was in the hospital and unable to perform his duties sent shock waves through Washington in January. In December, Austin secretly underwent a procedure to treat prostate cancer; in January, he returned to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in an ambulance due to complications from that procedure. Biden did not learn that Austin was in the hospital until Jan. 4, three days after he was admitted. The panel's top Democrat, Rep. Adam Smith of Washington, said the controversy of Austins health is dwarfed by the eroding battlefield situation in Ukraine. Whatever Russia and Chinese propaganda machines may be cranking out about this situation, I assure you it pales in comparison to what theyre cranking out about the fact that they think the United States is getting ready to abandon our ally in Ukraine, Smith said. After stressing that the transfer of authorities from Austin to his deputy, Kathleen Hicks, was seamless during each of his hospitalizations, Rep. Joe Courtney (D-Conn.) also pivoted from the Defense secretarys health to the Ukraine war. He hit Johnson for not putting the supplemental package up for a vote. We're seeing the risk play out on the battlefield each and every day as the Ukrainians fight valiantly to defend their sovereign territory, Courtney said. Without our support, the Ukrainians will be outgunned in terms of artillery. Rep. John Garamendi (D-Calif.), meanwhile, wished Austin well on his cancer treatment and applauded his extraordinary service record. Mr. Secretary, it is not you that is the problem. It's not what happened in your health emergency that's the problem, Garamendi said. When will this committee actually stand up for the defense of this nation? When my colleagues on the Republican side of this committee find the courage to get the job done? The strategy also gave Austin an opportunity to make his own pitch for additional Ukraine aid one he seized readily. We don't want to live in a world where one country can redraw his neighbor's boundaries and illegitimately take over its sovereign territory, Austin said. If [Vladimir] Putin is successful here, he will not stop. He will continue to take more aggressive action in the region, and other autocrats around the world will look at this and they will be encouraged by the fact that this happened and we failed to support a democracy. Several Republicans dinged Democrats for changing the subject, arguing that they too support arming Ukraine. "I would make the point that the chairman decided to call this hearing, Armed Services Chair Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) said in response to Slotkin. "And there is no stronger proponent of Ukraine funding than the chairman. Another senior Republican, Rep. Austin Scott of Georgia, nodded to Democrats concerns about Ukraine assistance, but added that many GOP lawmakers want tougher sanctions against Putin and Russia in addition to military aid. "Let me assure you, we want the Ukrainians to win and we want Putin to lose, Scott said. But one of the key things that many of us have asked for that have voted for the Ukrainians repeatedly is the enforcement of the sanctions against Russia. Simply sending the Ukrainians weapons or money is not going to win the war against Russia and Putin, he said. Democrats push to highlight the slow walking of Ukraine aid didnt stop Republicans from going after Austin and Biden. Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) zeroed in on the fact that the president and the White House werent immediately aware of Austins health status. "Either the president is that aloof or you are irrelevant," Banks said. And Rep. Michael Waltz (R-Fla.) slammed Austin for holding himself to a "different standard" than the rest of the American people. "My teenage daughter knows to tell her supervisor if she's not going to work. The American people truck drivers, bartenders know they have to tell their boss or they get fired. But you've held yourself to a different standard. And that's unacceptable," Waltz said. Hundreds of officers and their families gathered to pay their respects to DeSoto County Sheriff's K9 Luca on Wednesday in Hernando. Occasional barking broke up near complete silence as dozens of K9 handlers and their dogs lined the street outside Longview Point Baptist Church, waiting for the procession to arrive. Luca died Feb. 21 after being shot following a car chase that ended in Lake Cormorant. Following the chase, Luca was released and the suspect, later identified as Jamarcus Brown, shot the K9, according to the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation. Deputies then fired at Brown, who was fatally shot, MBI said. The cause of the chase has not been released. Pallbearers bring out DeSoto County Sheriff's Department K9 officer Lucas body in a casket after a service for him was held at Longview Point Baptist Church in Hernando, Miss., on Wednesday, February 28, 2024. Luca was released after a suspect fleeing in a car was brought to a stop by deputies and upon being released the person shot Luca. Prior to his service as a police dog, 10-year-old Luca spent five years in Afghanistan under the 7th Special Forces Group, which he was selected to join in August 2015. Luca would serve under three handlers during this time, one of whom credits Luca with saving his life. The sergeant, who can't be identified for security reasons, recalled when his unit came under fire in a narrow alleyway in Afghanistan. "An enemy machinegun position erupted less than 30 meters to my 12 o'clock, claiming the life of a fellow soldier next to me," he said. "I was stunned as the bullets whizzed by me. Luca sensed my delayed response, and swiftly grabbed me by the arm and pulled me to the ground. "Luca's instincts took over, dragging me out of the kill zone... it was in that moment I realized that without Luca's intervention, I would not have made it out of that situation alive." K9 Luca was remembered by DeSoto County Sheriff's Department during a service on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024. Luca was killed on Feb. 21, 2024. After his time in Afghanistan, Luca was transferred to DeSoto County Sheriff's Department, where he served from December 2020 until his death. He would be deployed more than 323 times while serving the sheriff's department for explosive detection, SWAT operations and locating suspects. DeSoto County Sheriff Thomas Tuggle opened Wednesday's service and later presented a Medal of Valor to Luca's handlers. "Luca served with unwavering loyalty, bravery and love, standing beside his handler in the face of danger," Tuggle said. "Luca's selflessness and devotion to duty serve as a shining example of the noble bond between a K9 and his handler." K9 officers and deputies from various departments watch as a procession escorts the body of DeSoto County Sheriff's Department K9 officer Luca to a service for him held at Longview Point Baptist Church in Hernando, Miss., on Wednesday, February 28, 2024. Luca was released after a suspect fleeing in a car was brought to a stop by deputies and upon being released the person shot Luca. Major Jonathan Poe delivered the eulogy for Luca. "His final act of bravery saved the lives and ensured the well-being of deputies who worked alongside him that day," Poe said. "I have witnessed an outpouring of support from the citizens of the community, and for that I am extremely grateful." Poe also read a statement from Luca's handler, Sgt. Nick Cook. "As a handler, it's a dream to look at the other end of the leash and see Luca," Cook's statement read. "Every time I opened Luca's door at work, I hooked my leash to him with zero doubt. I hold my K9 partner in ultimate confidence, and I knew there was no task too tall for Luca." DeSoto County Sheriff's Department deputy Nicholas Cook holds a folded flag while looking into the hearse where K9 officer Luca was placed after a service was held for him at Longview Point Baptist Church in Hernando, Miss., on Wednesday, February 28, 2024. Luca was shot after a suspect fleeing in a car was brought to a stop by deputies. After the stop, K9 Luca was released and the person shot the dog. The statement continued: "Although I feel incredible pain from the loss of Luca, I would not change the circumstances that transpired that day... Luca saved lives at the expense of his own. He was a true warrior, and I could not be more proud of my partner. The life of Luca was an incredible story with storybook ending, and I am just thankful to have been a small part of that story." DeSoto County Sheriff's Department is asking anyone who wishes to offer flowers or other condolence gifts to instead make a donation to The American Law Enforcement Canine Handlers Association on Venmo. 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: DeSoto County MS Sheriffs K9 killed in line of duty honored at service Detroit will receive the largest portion of the more than $87 million in marijuana tax revenue that's being distributed among the 269 municipalities that allow these businesses, the Michigan Department of Treasury said Thursday. Detroit, which has 33 recreational marijuana dispensaries, will receive nearly $2 million in revenue collected from the 10% recreational marijuana excise tax, the most of any city. Each eligible municipality and county will receive $59,000 for every licensed retail store and microbusiness. Wayne County, which has a total of 59 dispensaries and microbusinesses, will receive $3.5 million, the most of any county. Cody Mathis, 31, of Crystal Lake, Ohio, left, looks at the cannabis products with his friend Robert Moore, 65, of Vandalia, Ohio, at House of Dank on Fort Street in Detroit on Jan. 4, 2023, as budtender Raven Campbell, 32, looks on from the right. After years of delay, recreational marijuana finally went on sale in Detroit. This is the first time that Detroit will get tax revenue from marijuana businesses, as sales of recreational marijuana started in the city in early 2023. Revenue was collected from 737 licensees among the state's cities, villages and townships during the 2023 fiscal year. The $87 million that was collected is about a 46% increase from the $59.5 million in tax revenue that was collected for the 2022 fiscal year. More on how communities spend the money: Metro Detroit communities allowing cannabis sales using tax revenues in variety of ways More on the cannabis industry: Michigan's cannabis industry turns 5 this year: What to expect More than $100 million was sent to the School Aid Fund for K-12 education and another $100 million went to the Michigan Transportation Fund. Other municipalities that will receive more than $1 million in tax revenue: Ann Arbor, which has 26 dispensaries and microbusinesses, will receive $1.5 million. Grand Rapids, with 23 retail stores and microbusinesses, will receive $1.4 million. Kalamazoo, with 18 dispensaries and microbusiness, will receive $1.1 million. Lansing, with 24 dispensaries and microbusinesses, will receive $1.4 million. For a full list of the amount of tax revenue each community will receive, go to Michigan.gov/Treasury. Contact Adrienne Roberts: amroberts@freepress.com. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan communities will share a record $87M in marijuana tax revenue UPDATE: This story has been updated with comments from City Councilmembers and Mayor. LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) A local developer has agreed to drop a $1.35 million portion of a purchase deal for a new Lansing city hall. As 6 News exclusively reported on Feb. 12, Boji Group and city officials had struck a tentative deal for the city to purchase the former Masonic Temple, 217 S. Capital Ave., for a total cost of $5 million. The deal included $3.65 million for the building and the land and an additional $1.35 million for a permanent visibility easement and carrying costs. The later part of the deal, $1.35 million, had received pushback from City Council. Thursday, City Spokesman Scott Bean confirmed the $1.35 million had been struck from the purchase agreement. Its been removed, Bean said. The new proposal will also strike the easement, Bean noted. (WLNS) In an interview with 6 News, Lansing Mayor Andy Schor said he thought the original deal, including the carryings costs, was fair. But he recognized the city council was not onboard. The argument was made and through the legislative process we heard, we heard the people, we heard the Council members, Schor told 6 News. We had agreed that that we would support taking it out. Schor said the developers, the Boji Group, was eager for the Masonic Temple to become the new seat of government for the capital city. Lansing City Councilmember At-Large Peter Spadafore the elimination of the additional $1.35 million in the proposed purchase agreement clears the way, for him, to support a once in a generation change in the city. I am as well of my reservations really centered on those carrying costs and making sure that we were not paying for things that were not of a benefit to the city of Lansing, he said of council opposition to the now rewritten purchase agreement. But First Ward Councilmember Ryan Kost is not so sure the Masonic Temple is the right place for a new city hall or a good deal. I have not received an updated cost for renovations of current city hall and a response to why use a RFP from 2019, pre-COVID when we have so many more buildings now empty downtown, he told 6 News via Facebook messenger Thursday afternoon. Im not sure its the best deal. 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 was used to host the Michigan Senate offices and hearing rooms. 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 require 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. 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. Spadafore, the councilman, dismissed those claims in an interview with 6 News. That was not a compelling argument, he said. I think, in private development, there is risk associated with purchasing any building, and that risk was that carrying cost, those taxes, the utilities. 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. This embedded content is not available in your region. The City Council is expected to review the deal and vote on it in mid-March. 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 of the buildings seven floors will be redeveloped to meet city needs for an estimated $42 million. Schor says the other three floors could be rented to the Lansing School District or the state. 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. This is a developing story For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WLNS 6 News. Spearheading Digital Transformation in Malaysia and Asia Pacific CYBERJAYA, Malaysia, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Bridge Data Centres ("BDC") has expanded its presence by acquiring new land in Selangor for the development of its third data centre, MY02, in Cyberjaya, Malaysia. This expansion, in partnership with Cyberview Sdn Bhd ("Cyberview"), is estimated to be the largest among its three data centre developments. The project is expected to increase IT capacity by approximately 87 MW across three phases. The first two phases both involve the construction of a three-story data centre. The Sales & Purchase Agreement was formalised in a ceremony at RekaScape, Cyberjaya, officiated by Kamarul Ariffin Abdul Samad, Chief Executive Officer of Cyberview Sdn Bhd, and Patrick Png, Vice President of Solutions for APAC at Bridge Data Centres. Witnessing the event were Dato' Hasan Azhari Hj. Idris, CEO of Invest Selangor Bhd and Haffizam Abu Seman, Deputy Director, Business Services & Regional Operations Division of Malaysian Investment Development Authority, Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA). As the tech hub developer, Cyberview is thrilled to welcome BDC into the city's data centre ecosystem. BDC, recognised as one of the largest hyperscale data centre operators, aims to provide deeply integrated and mission-critical infrastructure, prioritising efficiency, and cost-effectiveness with advanced cooling technology. YBhg. Datuk Wira Arham Abdul Rahman, CEO of Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA), congratulated Bridge Data Centre on the inauguration of its third data centre expansion, MY02, in Cyberjaya. He emphasised, "This ongoing investment underscores BDC's confidence in Malaysia, reinforcing our role as a regional data centre hub. Aligned with the New Industrial Master Plan (NIMP) 2030, BDC's commitment contributes to the nation's sustainable economic growth, creation of high-skilled jobs for locals, and propel the digital transformation journey." Story continues Ts. Mahadhir Aziz, Chief Executive Officer of Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) said, "We are thrilled to witness Bridge Data Centres (BDC) on board with Cyberview Sdn Bhd towards the initiative to catalyse the growth of the digital economy. BDC, being the largest data centre development, establishing its presence here will boost Malaysia's position as the digital hub of ASEAN, significantly attract substantial investment and generate numerous employment opportunities. MDEC as the nation's digital IPA fully supports such collaboration, and this perfectly aligns with MDEC's Malaysia Digital (MD) in driving the nation's digital economy. Congratulations to BDC and Cyberview on this remarkable milestone." Kamarul Ariffin Abdul Samad, Chief Executive Officer, Cyberview Sdn Bhd, said, "Bridge Data Centre's investment in Cyberjaya, represents a significant achievement and validates the city's positioning as the prime location for hyperscale data centre providers. This is testament to our commitment in fostering innovation, in line with the government aspiration to continue to grow the digital economy." BDC's strategic investment not only promises to invigorate the growth of ancillary businesses but also holds the potential to spark innovation across various industries. By injecting resources into key sectors, BDC aims to drive economic expansion and enhance competitiveness. Their investment signifies a pivotal step towards sustainable growth, job creation, and a thriving high-skilled workforce. Eric Fan, President Bridge Data Centres, said, "Our ongoing expansion in Malaysia underscores our commitment to meeting the evolving needs of our customers and further solidifying our position as a key player in the data centre industry. With this latest development in Cyberjaya, we are poised to continue driving innovation and supporting the digital transformation of businesses across the nation." Patrick Png, Vice President of Solutions for APAC, said, "Our focus remains on delivering cutting-edge solutions to meet the evolving needs of our clients. The MY02 data centre will embody our commitment to sustainability, boasting energy-efficient power and cooling technology alongside robust network connectivity. We are confident that these features will ensure uninterrupted IT operations and maximize performance for our valued customers." In 2023, Cyberjaya saw an increase in data centre investments, cementing its role as the global technology hub. The city is currently home to 15 commercial and captive data centres including hyperscale, as well as the location for 90% of Malaysia's co-location data centres. About Bridge Data Centres Established in 2017, Bridge Data Centres (BDC) is a leading global provider of hyperscale and wholesale data centre solutions. We help businesses grow with highly scalable, resilient and carrier-neutral data centres in India, Malaysia and Thailand. We are a subsidiary of Chindata Group that provides ultra-large scale data centre solutions in Asia Pacific. Our mission is to deliver the highest level of speed, reliability and performance to our customers, with built-to-suit data centre services ranging from planning, design, construction to operations. We are committed to developing sustainable data centres that are carbon-neutral and powered by 100% renewable energy by 2040. For more information, please visit www.bridgedatacentres.com and follow BDC on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/bridgedc/ Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bridge-data-centres-expands-footprint-with-third-hyperscale-data-centre-in-cyberjaya-malaysia-302075571.html SOURCE Bridge Data Centres Semafor Signals Insights from The Washington Post, Defense One, and The New York Times The News United States Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin apologized in a congressional hearing Thursday for how his recent hospitalization was handled, conceding that he should have been more transparent with the White House. Austin was hospitalized for a health crisis related to prostate cancer in January, but President Joe Biden did not know of his status for days, sparking widespread criticism and questions about whether the Cabinet has a handle on the two ongoing wars in which the U.S. is involved. Austin reiterated that he transferred his decision-making authority to his deputy when he was incapacitated, but did not tell her why. He testified that he never asked anyone to keep his condition from the White House or the public. The defense secretary repeatedly emphasized that there was never a gap in the chain of command, only a failure on the notification front. We did not handle this right, Austin, who is still recovering from complications after a procedure he had in December, said Thursday. I did not handle this right. Republicans excoriated Austin for failing to notify Biden, lawmakers, and the public of his status, saying the lapse in communication could have caused a crisis and reflected poorly on the nation. Our adversaries should fear us, and you have embarrassed us, Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., said at the House Armed Services Committee hearing. Who will be held accountable for this, this embarrassment? he asked. SIGNALS Semafor Signals: Global insights on today's biggest stories. Pentagon endorses new notification policies Source: The Associated Press Austins conduct spurred an internal investigation by the Pentagon, which issued a report Monday saying it found no indication of ill intent or an attempt to obfuscate in the delay to notify Biden of Austins being incapacitated. The Pentagon did not recommend that anyone be disciplined, but did endorse newly adopted procedures that will see the White House, Congress, and top military officials immediately notified whenever the defense secretary transfers authority. Some lawmakers dont trust Pentagon report, want accountability for concealment Sources: Rep. Mike Rogers, The New York Times Unsurprisingly, the review of Sec Austins actions, conducted by his own subordinates & subject to his approval, HELD NO ONE ACCOUNTABLE, Republican Rep. Mike Rogers, the committee chair, posted on X. Rogers reiterated his stance during Thursdays hearing, saying the chain of command doesnt work when the president does not know whom to call. Some lawmakers across the aisle agreed. Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal told reporters after the Pentagon report was released that there ought to be some public accountability and he still has very strong, severe questions remaining for the Pentagon as to how this seeming concealment was handled. Democrats use hearing to excoriate Republicans over failure to send aid to Ukraine Sources: Defense One, Stars and Stripes Democrats tried to highlight that Austins failure to notify the president didnt break any laws, and largely used the hearing to attack Republicans for refusing to pass a bill that would provide more aid to Ukraine. I would challenge any member on the other side of this aisle to claim that the secretary of defense not fully informing the president for three days is somehow more important than walking away from that obligation that we have made and that the whole world is watching us on, Rep. Adam Smith said. Democratic Rep. John Garamendi echoed his remarks, saying: Mr. Secretary, it is not you who is the problemWhen will this committee actually stand up for the defense of this nation? When will my colleagues on the Republican side of this committee find the courage to get the job done? The California Democrat who authored bills creating a fast food worker council and setting a $20-per-hour minimum wage claims he was not part of negotiations that led to an exemption for Panera and similar bakery restaurants. Assemblyman Chris Holden, D-Pasadena, on Thursday responded to questions about Assembly Bills 257 and 1228 after Bloomberg reported Panera may have achieved a special carve-out due to franchisee Greg Flynns friendship with Gov. Gavin Newsom. State filings show Flynn donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to Newsoms 2021 anti-recall and 2022 re-election campaigns. When asked whether he was involved in the talks that led to an exemption for fast food restaurants that bake and sell their own bread, Holden said, No, I was not. In terms of the negotiations, it was bringing together the business community and the franchisees and franchisors and also (Service Employees International Union) and others, he said. Through the governors leadership, they came together, and what came out of that is what became the amendments to the bill. Meanwhile, Republicans called the exemption pay to play and used it to slam Newsom and labor bills they already disliked. I guess if youre in the bread-making business, theres a lot of dough to go around, said Sen. Brian Dahle, R-Bieber, during the Senate floor session on Thursday in Sacramento. But this is just not right. At the end of the day, we need to pass good laws and we need to not carve out people who are campaign donors. How did the exemption happen? Former Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, D-San Diego, first authored AB 257 in 2021. But the bill died that year, and Holden took it up in 2022 after Gonzalez left the Legislature to lead the California Labor Federation. AB 257 created a fast food council made up of employees, employers and government officials to create regulations around workplace conditions. The bakery exemption was not part of Gonzalezs original bill. Holden in 2023 authored AB 1228, which would have made fast food companies and franchise owners jointly liable for workplace abuses. Fast food companies spent millions lobbying against the bill. Holden and labor leaders eventually reached a deal with them removing joint liability from the legislation in exchange for setting a $20-per-hour minimum wage and dropping a ballot measure that would have asked voters to repeal the fast food council in 2024. Both AB 257 and AB 1228 include provisions exempting fast food bakery restaurants that were making and selling bread as a standalone menu item prior to a specific date. When asked about the carve-out at the AB 1228 bill signing in 2023, Newsom said, Thats a part of the sausage-making. Tia Orr, executive director of SEIU California, said the final measure is historic by any measure and is a bold, transformational step toward an economy that works for all, not just billionaires, shareholders and CEOs. Like all transformational initiatives, it addressed difficult questions around its scope, Orr said in a statement. Including what constitutes a fast food restaurant as opposed to a bakery, for example, and it involved literally hundreds of businesses in discussions. Republicans slam Panera exemption Republican lawmakers on Thursday slammed the Panera exemption and called for an Ethics Committee investigation into it. In the Senate, they tried to take down another related Holden measure currently moving through the Legislature that would exempt establishments in airports, hotels, event centers, theme parks and other places from the definition of fast food restaurant. Holden said the bill is meant to help union members negotiating higher salaries at those locations. We were just trying to focus on the fact that as you have bargaining units that are negotiating for their members for $30 an hour, it, I guess, muddies the waters and makes it difficult when you have a bill that youre a part of that says 20, he said. They say, Well, were already paying you that. So I think that was why it was necessary to allow them to continue to have free negotiations. But Republican senators, who already disliked AB 257 and AB 1228, used the Panera news as an opportunity to attempt to shoot down and criticize Holdens most recent bill, even though several voted in favor of the measure during earlier committee hearings. It advanced from the Senate on Thursday with a 31-4 vote. Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones, R-Santee, said pay to play is not acceptable, and his body should have held the bill pending an Ethics Committee investigation. AB 1228 is an unmitigated disaster for small business in California, Jones said. The impact that its already having on these fast food workers and look, if they care about the fast food workers, they want to create opportunities for more fast food places to open up. STUART How do you know when you are being lied to? The Merriam-Webster Dictionary offers this definition: An untrue or inaccurate statement that may or may not be believed true by the speaker or writer. At the Feb. 22 Rivers Coalition meeting in Stuart, those in attendance saw another definition: Water managers' policies on moving water south from Lake Okeechobee. Key on the part "an inaccurate statement believed true by the speaker." During one tense exchange, a critical decision-maker was put in an uncomfortable position. Forevermore, if not already, clean water advocates will watch closely how, when and where the water flows out of Florida's greatest lake. South Florida Water Management District executive director Drew Bartlett (left) and Col. James Booth, commander of the Jacksonville District of the Army Corps of Engineers, listen to questions at the Rivers Coalition meeting on Feb. 22, 2024. What got SFWMD director in trouble? The regular February monthly meeting for the organization took place six days after Lake O discharges to the St. Lucie River began. It was the first time in a year discharges were necessary because Lake O levels had pushed too high. Many in the meeting room were already on edge. Dozens of residents, realtors, recreational and commercial fishers, and others who work on and near the water, attended specifically to hear what water managers had to say about the discharges destructive to the brackish St. Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon. Army Corps Jacksonville district commander Col. James Booth spoke early in the meeting. He squarely took the blame for authorizing the lake water discharges. No one in the room wanted to hear his reasons for doing so and some questioned his logic. But all thanked him for facing a room full of critics while he explained his thought process. Then it was time for Drew Bartlett, the executive director of the South Florida Water Management District, to speak. Bartlett did a fantastic job explaining to the heated crowd an overview of the complex and myriad water management factors around the lake that factor into the difficult decision-making. He explained how and when stormwater treatment areas (STAs) can and can't be used, where water should move at various times, future projects and how unseasonal rainfall created a cascade of problems for water managers. But some in the room weren't buying it. And that's when things got a little sideways. A man on the spot Todd Weissing of Stuart expressed the frustration of many longtime members of the Rivers Coalition, formed in 1998 when discharges hammered the St. Lucie River. Weissing stated over the last several years people in Stuart have listened to SFWMD excuses as to why water can never be sent south from Lake O. Instead we are always told it must come to the east and west where the lake water is damaging to two of Florida's most important estuaries. He cited how the Rivers Coalition had been told by SFWMD the STAs were unusable for lake water in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 for a variety of reasons. "Why? Why are we constantly not using the STAs. What's wrong with STAs? What's going on? Why can't we move water south?" Weissing asked. Bartlett replied: "So we are moving water south. You let the water out of the lake, you pump it into STAs so at any given time, when you're looking at those structures they may, or may not be open." At the time Bartlett replied, the Miami Canal had zero flow for two days and the New River Canal had zero flow for four days. The West Palm Beach Canal discharged 322 million gallons per day into Lake Worth Lagoon and the S-271 was moving 68.5 million gallons per day into a reservoir. About four times more than that 1.5 billion gallons poured into the St. Lucie River that day. It wasn't a good look. Some felt like Bartlett was lying. I felt like Bartlett was trying to spin an ugly and unfair situation for a crowd who wasn't going to be happy with his answer, no matter what it was. How to go from the frying pan to the fire Bartlett then made it worse. He explained rains on the Everglades Agricultural Area mean that water from the farms gets moved into the 6,500 acres of STAs before lake water. I think everyone in the room snapped. Weissing pressed Bartlett that as much as 90% of the STA water is actually from farms and not from the lake. Bartlett did not deny it. Bartlett spoke for a long time to answer Weissing's pointed claims, though. I genuinely feel Bartlett, appointed to SFWMD's top position in 2019, is actually "heartbroken" about what is happening to the estuaries. I also feel he will move as much water as he can south, through STAs and into the Everglades. But he's hamstrung, at best. The canals that flow south five total are narrow and shallow. If opened up completely, they might be able to move a quarter of the capacity that can be moved through the C-44 canal the 23-mile-long one that connects the lake with the St. Lucie. Then there's the problem with the Tamiami Trail, over 120 miles to the southwest of Stuart, which has very small structures to move water into Everglades National Park. That's where it used to go over a century ago, before the Trail, STAs, canals or the Herbert Hoover Dike encircling the giant lake were built. LOSOM or LORS08? Army Corps: Why the new Lake Okeechobee management rules wouldn't have stopped discharges Corps confusion: Lake Okeechobee discharges: Why wasn't Army Corps transparent about the volume of water? Bartlett is a good man in a difficult position. I think he's an excellent executive director and the kind of person we need in that role. He has double the courage of many of his predecessors and he is trying to serve a public with often conflicting demands. The lopsided water management system that favors Big Sugar over the coastal estuaries needs to change to put people like Bartlett in a better position. A president, Congress or a federal court needs to order the Army Corps to design infrastructure that can carry large volumes of water south. The health of the lake, St. Lucie, southern Indian River Lagoon, Caloosahatchee, Lake Worth Lagoon, Florida Bay and Everglades depend on it. Ed Killer is an opinion columnist with TCPalm. This is his opinion. Email him at ed.killer@tcpalm.com. This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Did SFWMD executive director lie to Rivers Coalition? It's complicated The National Park Service has designated over 2,600 National Historic Landmarks since 1960 and 28 of those landmarks are in Colorado. National Historic Landmarks are buildings, districts and other landmarks determined to be historically significant in the United States. Some of the most famous National Historic Landmarks include the Lincoln Memorial, the Golden Gate Bridge and the Martin Luther King Jr. Historical Park. Are you a history buff looking for nearby National Historic Landmarks? Here are five sites within a few hours' drive of Downtown Pueblo. The 1901 Colorado Fuel and Iron Company administration building is part of the steel mill complex designated as a National Historic Landmark. Colorado Fuel and Iron Administrative Complex Colorado Fuel and Iron Company's administration complex, 215 Canal St., joined the list of National Historic Landmarks in 2021, making it Pueblo's first National Historic Landmark. The designated area includes the 123-year-old Spanish Mission Revival-style CF&I headquarters, a medical dispensary building that now serves as the Steelworks Center of the West Museum, Steelworks Park and even an underground tunnel. CF&I employed 22,215 people at its peak in 1957. The company's steel mill in Pueblo, built in 1872, was the first mill west of the Mississippi River. CF&I recruited a diverse workforce, leading to 42 different languages being spoken at the mill by 1917, Steelworks Museum curator Victoria Miller said. "We have local mom-and-pop shops that came about because of the people that brought their cultural preferences and food here," said Christina Trujillo, executive director of the museum. "We have our traditions and we have our schools because of the efforts and the foundation that were laid by CF&I." Inside view of the main entrance at Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site on Saturday, February 24, 2024. Bent's Old Fort A trip to the 1840s is only a 73-mile drive away from Downtown. Bent's Old Fort, located northeast of La Junta, is a reconstruction of the fort where indigenous tribes, beaver trappers and other travelers traded goods 180 years ago. Charles Bent, William Bent and Ceran St. Vrain established Bent's Old Fort in 1833 along the Arkansas River then a boundary between the United States and Mexico. Today, visitors to the reconstructed fort can expect to interact with the site's living historians. Living historians at Bent's Old Fort dress, act and interact as if they are living in the heyday of the fort. More information about Bent's Old Fort can be found on its official website, nps.gov/beol/index.htm. Ludlow Tent Colony In 1915, CF&I owner John D. Rockefeller Jr. announced his institution of an employee representation plan ensuring an eight-hour workday and opportunities to voice employee grievances among other reforms. The plan emerged following the loss of life at the Ludlow Tent Colony site the previous year. The United Mineworkers of America's Ludlow Tent Colony site in Las Animas County is where striking CF&I coal miners stayed with their families following eviction from company-owned housing in September 1913. Estimates of the time including those from the Denver Express, New York Times and United Mineworkers of America estimated the number of residents living in the tent colony to be between 900 and 1,300 individuals, according to a draft of the tent colony's National Historic Landmark nomination. On April 20, 1914, months of CF&I guards and Colorado National Guard members clashing with striking miners led to several deaths, including the deaths of two women and eleven children, at the site. Today, a monument exists honoring the victims of what became known as the Ludlow Massacre. Camp Amache Over 120,000 Japanese Americans were unjustly incarcerated in the United States during World War II. Camp Amache in Granada, Colorado, was the incarceration site of 10,000 individuals between 1942 and 1945. In addition to being one of 28 National Historic Landmarks in Colorado, Camp Amache was formally established as a National Park earlier this month. The formal establishment was made possible through President Joe Biden's March 2022 signing of the Amache National Historic Site Act. "After visiting Amache and meeting with survivors and descendants, I was moved by their resilience and the way in which Colorado communities came together during and after the injustice to support Japanese Americans," Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland said in a 2022 news release. The lights and the sunset provide for a spectacular show on Cripple Creek's main drag Bennett Avenue. Cripple Creek Historic District About $400 million worth of gold was found in Cripple Creek, Colorado, between 1891 and 1975, according to a 1975 form prepared for the National Register of Historic Places by historian Joseph Scott Mendinghall. In 1899, the Cripple Creek Historic District was home to nearly 500 mines producing a combined $20 million worth of gold. Since the 1991 legalization of gambling, several buildings in the historic districts have operated as casinos, according to a timeline on Cripple Creek's website. There's also the active open-pit gold mine that began operations in 1995 at the historic Cresson Mine site in Cripple Creek. More information about the Cripple Creek Historic District can be found at visitcripplecreek.com. Other National Historic Landmarks near Pueblo include Pike's Peak, Raton Pass near the Colorado-New Mexico border and the Denver Civic Center Historic District, among others. A comprehensive list of National Historic Landmarks can be found on the National Park Service website. Student of the Week: Who will be Pueblo's next Student of the Week? Vote here by Feb. 29 Pueblo Chieftain reporter James Bartolo can be reached at JBartolo@gannett.com. Support local news, subscribe to The Pueblo Chieftain at subscribe.chieftain.com. This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: 5 National Historic Landmarks worth visiting in and near Pueblo They may be the most important government officials you cant name. Their decisions have the potential to alter election results. Scholars have referred to them as the guardians of the democratic process. Who are these unknown, but essential, officials? State secretaries of state. You probably know only one person with the title secretary of state, Antony Blinken, who conducts foreign policy for the U.S. The others serve their individual states, overseeing numerous crucial state functions. In Michigan, the secretary of state provides motor-vehicle services, such as drivers licenses and auto registrations. In California, the secretary of state heads the public archives that document California history. And in many states, such as Pennsylvania, the secretary of state manages the process for business registration. Perhaps the most vital role that state secretaries of state play is that of chief election official. In 38 states, the secretary of state supervises elections. This power is not confined simply to state and local elections, as the position title might suggest, but includes those on the federal level too. Despite their importance, secretaries of state have historically managed to avoid being the center of attention during election seasons. Times are changing, though. Disputes over election results and ballot access have become more prominent over the past half-decade. In turn, secretaries of state have faced newfound scrutiny and are likely to become more central figures in coming elections. Power from the Constitution The basis for secretary of states comprehensive authority is found in the text of the U.S. Constitution: Article I gives states the power to regulate the times, places, and manner of holding congressional elections. Under Article II, the states get to choose how they pick their electors in presidential elections. The administration of federal elections is thus largely a state affair. Secretaries of state derive their power over state and local elections from the 10th Amendment, which reserves to the states all powers not expressly delegated or prohibited by the Constitution. This dynamic explains why the Maine secretary of states actions can range from keeping former President Donald Trump off the presidential primary ballot to overseeing the 2023 local elections. It explains why controversies over election certification by Georgias secretary of state occurred in both the 2020 presidential election and 2018 gubernatorial election. As the chief election official, a secretary of states influence over the democratic process can extend to every single elected office. Substantial sway The election-related powers wielded by secretaries of state naturally vary by state. There are, nevertheless, common features. The majority of secretaries of state determine ballot eligibility for political parties and candidates. Such determinations are typically straightforward: Is the candidate old enough? Are they a natural-born citizen? Yet, as recent events in Colorado and Maine concerning Trumps presidential eligibility under the 14th Amendment show, such decisions have the potential to be complex and extraordinarily significant. The majority of secretaries of state also have the job of certifying the winners of primary and general elections within their states. This is why secretaries were often named as defendants in Trumps 2020 legal cases challenging the presidential election results. Secretaries of state often have substantial sway over how you vote. This can include what your ballot looks like on Election Day. For example, the Montana secretary of state, like many secretaries, has the power to adopt statewide uniform rules setting out, among other things, the ordering of candidates on the ballot, how to handle write-in candidates and the procedure for correcting ballots. These decisions may seem trivial, but as the infamous 2000 election fiasco in Florida showed, ballot design can quite literally affect electoral outcomes. That ballot was ordered in a way that caused some Al Gore supporters to accidentally vote for third-party candidate Pat Buchanan. Experts have argued that this cost Gore the election. In Industry, Calif., on Nov. 9, 2022, ballots were received, sorted and verified at the LA County ballot processing facility. Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images Potential for abuse Secretaries of state can also control how your vote is counted. In Nevada, the secretary of state can adopt regulations imposing statewide standards for vote counting. That system gave rise to conflict in the 2022 midterms between the Nevada secretary of state and county officials, when the secretary would not permit county officials to conduct a hand count of mail-in ballots before election day. Likewise, numerous secretaries of state have the ability to authorize the use or nonuse of voting equipment. Such powers were showcased in the wake of the 2020 election when many secretaries decertified voting machines that were subject to Stop the Steal audits by Trump supporters. This list of powers is far from comprehensive. Indeed, some secretaries of state are granted such broad election authority that they have provoked concerns over the potential for abuse. The Arizona secretary of state, for example, can determine the maximum allowable wait time at polls. Given the negative relationship between poll line length and voter turnout, such power, if misused, could effectively reduce voter participation. The Arizona secretary of state can furthermore refuse to approve the certification of any election officer people who help administer elections seemingly for any reason that does not meet the secretarys satisfaction. While this authority normally would not raise red flags under a secretary of state acting in good faith, it could allow a secretary with an agenda perhaps election denialism or favoring one candidate over another to staff the states election administration regime with ideologues. How to hold accountable? I do not raise these examples to suggest that state secretaries of state are figures to be feared. The vast majority are, from my observations as a practitioner and scholar of election law, excellent public servants. Nevertheless, their immense influence over the democratic process demonstrates the need for accountability measures in situations where secretaries of state abuse their power perhaps by deliberately suppressing the vote or acting in an overly partisan manner. The most obvious means of public accountability is elections. In most states in which the secretary of state is the chief election official, the secretary is in fact elected by the people. In seven such states, however, the secretary of state is a political appointee of either the governor or legislature. Appointment certainly does not immunize a secretary from accountability. The barrier for removal, however, may be higher when politics enters the calculation e.g., requiring a supermajority legislative vote for impeachment. The drawback to this kind of accountability: lack of immediacy. If a secretary of state is actively harming the democratic process, waiting until the next election year to vote them out may not seem like the best option. One alternative involves a lawsuit. In 2018, for instance, Georgia advocacy groups got a federal court to block then-Secretary of State Brian Kemp from tossing out absentee ballots without notifying voters. Lawsuits are an imperfect solution. For one, voters will not always have the legal right to sue a secretary of state in every instance of wrongdoing. Furthermore, when a lawsuit is brought, the implication is often that harm has already been done. Internal checks and balances can provide additional accountability. When a secretary of state makes an important election-related decision, that decision could be subject to the scrutiny of another official. This is how it is done in Louisiana, where the secretary of states decisions on issues such as absentee and early voting require the approval of the states attorney general. 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: John J. Martin, University of Virginia Read more: John J. Martin does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment. DOTHAN, Ala (WDHN) A Dothan man has been ordered to spend the next decade in federal prison after admitting he pulled a pistol on a mail carrier and robbed him. On Tuesday, February 27, a federal judge sentenced 38-year-old Jermain Tyrone Holmes to 10 years in prison. In April 2023, a Dothan mail carrier was working his route in the 600 block of Allen Road when he found Homes standing next to a mailbox. According to a plea agreement, Holmes asked for directions before pulling out a pistol and demanding money. The mail carrier gave Holmes his wallet and other items before Holmes ran away. Dothan Police said the mail carrier tried to follow Holmes while calling the police, and patrol officers arrested Holmes a few blocks from the crime scene. In November 2023, Holmes pled guilty to federal charges of robbery of a postal worker, assault of a federal employee, brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, and felon in possession of a gun. The judge also ordered Holmes to serve five years of supervised release after his prison sentence. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDHN - wdhn.com. Dutch legislators have said that employed Ukrainian refugees living in the country should pay more for housing and food, DutchNews reported on Feb. 29. Read also: If Ukraine collapses, millions of refugees will flee to Europe, according to German government's worst-case scenario According to the report, Ukrainians in the Netherlands have been granted special refugee status, which gives them the same rights to live and work in the country as EU citizens. The journalists wrote that Ukrainian refugees receive EUR 280-380 ($303-411) from the government for living expenses. The MPs have suggested that these payments should cease after their recipients find a job. At the same time, it would be difficult for local authorities to control this process. The current rules also exempt Ukrainians from paying health insurance, utility bills, and taxes. The MPs believe that those who have found jobs should be asked to pay more out of pocket. The parliamentarians also note that a fifth of the 100,000 refugees from Ukraine live in private housing, which entitles them to an additional EUR 93 per month to cover the costs of the owners. Read also: Ukrainian refugees in Poland: A closer look at migration patterns "More than half of Ukrainians are working; this is extremely good progress, said NSC (New Social Contract party) MP Kasper Veldkamp. Read also: Moldova automatically renews temporary residency permits for Ukrainian refugees through early 2025 But I don't think it's fair if someone who works, earns an income, and gets free housing shouldn't have to pay anything. A fair personal contribution seems reasonable to me. Earlier, some MPs from the BBB (Farmer-Citizen Movement) party suggested sending Ukrainian refugees back to western Ukraine, as that region of the country "looks relatively stable." On Oct. 19, the European Union extended temporary legal protections for Ukrainian refugees until March 2025. 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 Advice columnist E. Jean Carroll expressed very serious concerns Thursday that she wont be able to collect the $83 million from former President Trump that a jury awarded in Carrolls defamation lawsuit last month, citing Trumps various legal woes. He simply asks the Court to trust me and offers, in a case with an $83.3 million judgment against him, the court filing equivalent of a paper napkin; signed by the least trustworthy of borrowers, Roberta Kaplan, Carrolls lawyer, wrote in court papers. The new filing responds to Trumps demand that his trial judge delay enforcing the eight-figure sum as the former president attempts to get the verdict reduced or eliminated entirely in post-trial motions. In the alternative, Trump asked the judge to allow him to post bond in a substantially reduced amount. Opposing those demands, Carroll pointed to the more than $454 million judgment in Trumps civil fraud case, which only grows in interest each day its left unpaid. To begin, recent developments give rise to very serious concerns about Trumps cash position and the feasibility (and ease) of collecting on the judgment in this case, Carrolls lawyers wrote. Trump on Wednesday offered to post a $100 million bond in the fraud case while he appeals, writing in court filings that the eye-popping judgment made it impossible to secure a bond in the full amount. Former advice columnist E. Jean Carroll, right, leaves federal court with her lawyer Roberta Kaplan, Thursday, April 27, 2023, in New York. Donald Trump's lawyer sought Thursday to pick apart a decades-old rape claim against the former president, questioning why accuser E. Jean Carroll did not scream or seek help when Trump allegedly attacked her in a department store.(AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews) Former advice columnist E. Jean Carroll, right, leaves federal court with her lawyer Roberta Kaplan, Thursday, April 27, 2023, in New York. Donald Trumps lawyer sought Thursday to pick apart a decades-old rape claim against the former president, questioning why accuser E. Jean Carroll did not scream or seek help when Trump allegedly attacked her in a department store.(AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews) A New York judge in the trial courts appellate division ruled that enforcement of the multimillion-dollar judgment would not be paused unless Trump could post a complete bond but did pause the enforcement of two penalties regarding the former presidents ability to seek loans and serve in top leadership positions of his and other New York companies. If Trump posts the full judgment, the financial penalties will be immediately paused. If he doesnt, under the Wednesday ruling, New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) can begin to collect the full amount a process that could mean selling famed properties or other assets. A federal jury in New York awarded Carroll the $83.3 million after Trump was ruled to have defamed the advice columnist by denying her sexual assault claims in 2019, when Carroll came forward publicly. Trump has insisted that Carroll made up the story to sell her book. A separate jury last year found Trump liable for sexual abuse. Top Stories from The Hill The Hill has reached out to Trumps legal team for comment. Trumps net worth is famously obscure, but estimators like Forbes and Bloomberg have placed his wealth between $2.6 billion and $3.1 billion. In a deposition with Jamess office last year, Trump said he has substantially in excess of $400 million in cash. But between the $454 million judgment in the fraud case and the $83.3 million verdict in Carrolls case, its unclear the former president has the cash to pay up. Carroll on Thursday also noted the 91 charges across four criminal cases that could end his career as a businessman permanently. Trumps first criminal trial over a hush money deal during the 2016 election is scheduled to begin next month in New York. He also faces federal prosecutions in Washington, D.C., for alleged election interference and in Florida for his purported mishandling of classified documents, plus charges in Georgia he interfered in the states election. Moreover, by the time the post-trial motions (or the appeal) are fully resolved, Trump may be in a very different position, Carrolls lawyers wrote. He could then be President of the United States; he could then be a convicted criminal serving time behind bars; or, given his advanced age, Carroll may be forced to reckon with his estate. Any of these developments could substantially complicate collection efforts here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. You've no doubt seen mutual fund warnings that past performance isn't necessarily indicative of future results. This caution applies to stocks as well. However, it doesn't just mean that investments that have performed well in the past may not keep winning; it also implies that those that haven't performed well won't necessarily continue to languish. With a new bull market under way, some stocks that have been big losers in the recent past could be ready to rebound. Two Motley Fool contributors think they've identified magnificent stocks down 80% or more that are great picks to buy right now. Here's why they chose Intellia Therapeutics (NASDAQ: NTLA) and Moderna (NASDAQ: MRNA). Intellia Therapeutics Adria Cimino (Intellia Therapeutics): Intellia stock has dropped more than 80% below its high over the past three years, even as this CRISPR gene-editing specialist moves closer to the finish line with its lead candidates. And this could offer bargain-hunting investors looking for the next big biotech story a terrific buying opportunity. But before talking more about the stock price, let's consider Intellia's path to product commercialization. The company has four candidates in the pipeline and also is working on several research programs. Intellia's two lead candidates -- NTLA-2001 for transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR) and NTLA-2002 for hereditary angioedema (HAE) -- could make significant progress over the next few years. The company plans to complete patient enrollment in pivotal studies of these candidates and file for regulatory review of NTLA-2002 by 2026. ATTR is caused by accumulation of a misfolded protein, which impacts various organs. And HAE is characterized by sudden and excessive swelling. Today, treatment options for both are limited, so a gene-editing therapy offering a functional cure could be a game changer. And there's reason to be optimistic about regulators' views of this exciting technology. Another company using the CRISPR gene-editing technique, CRISPR Therapeutics, recently won approval for its first product, a treatment for blood disorders. This represented the first-ever approval for a CRISPR-based therapy, suggesting regulators are ready to give the thumbs-up as long as clinical trial data are solid. Story continues Intellia also plans to launch clinical trials of newer candidates over the coming two years and further innovate in the areas of gene editing and delivery. Now, let's get back to the stock price. Intellia shares trade for considerably less than those of CRISPR Therapeutics, but that wasn't always the case. NTLA Chart It's easy to imagine Intellia stock catching up with its more advanced peer if the gene-editing company brings a product to market later this decade. And that means now looks like a great time to get in on the stock at what could be a dirt cheap level. Moderna Keith Speights (Moderna): Moderna skyrocketed in 2020 and early 2021 thanks to the company's rapid development and commercialization of a messenger RNA-based COVID-19 vaccine. However, the biotech stock has plunged roughly 80% from its peak set in mid-2021. Declining demand for COVID-19 vaccines has caused Moderna's revenue and share price to sink. The company's bottom line has also taken a huge hit. After generating profits of $12.2 billion in 2021, Moderna posted a net loss of $4.7 billion last year. But better days could soon be on the way. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has set a PDUFA date of May 12, 2024, for an approval decision for Moderna's respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine mRNA-1345. This vaccine could be a commercial success with its solid efficacy and ready-to-use pre-filled syringes. Moderna also hopes to win regulatory approvals this year for mRNA-1345 in Australia and Germany. The company has already reported positive late-stage results for its mRNA-1010 seasonal flu vaccine. It's in discussions with regulators and plans to file for approvals later in 2024. Despite the lower demand for COVID-19 vaccines, there's still a significant market to go after. Moderna expects to announce results from a late-stage study of its next-generation refrigerator-stable COVID-19 vaccine (mRNA-1283) in the first half of this year. It also has a combination flu-COVID vaccine in phase 3 development, with data anticipated in 2024. More promising programs are in the pipeline, too. Moderna is collaborating with Merck on a combination of its mRNA-4157 cancer vaccine with Merck's Keytruda. The company should report late-stage efficacy data from its experimental cytomegalovirus vaccine this year. Moderna expects to return to sales growth in 2025. The company also thinks that it will reach breakeven in 2026. With new products likely to be on the market soon along with a robust pipeline, I predict that Moderna will bounce back in the not-too-distant future. Revisiting the warning Both Intellia and Moderna could turn things around in a major way after their steep declines. However, it's worth revisiting the warning mentioned earlier. While there's no guarantee the past will be indicative of future results, the possibility still exists that the future won't be significantly better than the past. These biotech stocks remain risky and volatile. But aggressive investors willing to wait just might enjoy tremendous returns if Intellia and Moderna can fulfill their potential. Should you invest $1,000 in Moderna right now? Before you buy stock in Moderna, 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 Moderna 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 26, 2024 Adria Cimino has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. Keith Speights has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends CRISPR Therapeutics, Intellia Therapeutics, and Merck. The Motley Fool recommends Moderna. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. A Bull Market Is Here: 2 Magnificent Stocks Down 80% to Buy Right Now was originally published by The Motley Fool TWO RIVERS Ten days after 3-year-old Elijah Vue went missing from a Two Rivers apartment, the boy has still not been found. "Everyone has been affected by this incident a great deal," said Two Rivers Police Chief Ben Meinnert said during a press conference Tuesday. "This is a close-knit Two Rivers community. We're all devastated and we want answers." A $15,000 reward from the FBI was announced during the same press conference. In addition, another $1,000 reward is being offered by Manitowoc County Crime Stoppers. Surrounded by law enforcement officials, Two Rivers Police Chief Ben Meinnert, center, speaks at the press conference held at Two Rivers city hall, about the missing three-year-old Elijah Vue, Tuesday, February 27, 2024, in Two Rivers, Wis. Hundreds of tips had been received that law enforcement was following up on, Manitowoc County Sheriff Dan Hartwig said during Tuesday's press conference. In a statement Wednesday, Meinnert wrote that there was a marked increase in tips after the $15,000 reward was announced. In Wednesday's statement, Meinnert also conveyed information about the search for Elijah. He said law enforcement expanded its canvassing of urban and rural neighborhoods and continued to search rivers and shores. K9 teams were also "checking and rechecking various areas." FBI offers reward in Elijah Vue case: FBI offers $15K reward for information about Elijah Vue's disappearance. Here's what else we learned at the Two Rivers press conference. Police continue to ask for the public's help in locating Elijah Vue. The Two Rivers Police Department has also asked the public in Two Rivers and Manitowoc County to check their own property with the following guidelines: Check anywhere a small child could hide, climb or fall. Check your own property for items that don't belong to you which could include anything from Elijah such as the red-and-white plaid blanket or dinosaur printed shoes. Check your surveillance systems from Feb. 12-20. Look for anyone matching Elijah's description in the surveillance footage. Search public land for the same items or anything relevant to the investigation. Do not touch anything you find, but contact the tip line (1-844-267-6648) or Two Rivers police (920-686-7200) right away. A coordinated civilian search effort for Elijah Vue continues daily throughout Manitowoc County. Elijah's family, along with hundreds of people from the community, have turned out each day to search public properties. A coordinated civilian search effort is being organized with the Mikadow Theatre, 1118 Washington St. in Manitowoc, as a base of operations. People coordinating the searches are now at the theater every day 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and will assign volunteers to areas that haven't been searched yet. People and businesses have also donated food and drinks to the law enforcement officers conducting the search. The Two Rivers police ask that anyone who wishes to donate contact their business line at 920-793-1191 to make arrangements. 2 charged in 3-year-old's disappearance: Elijah Vue latest: Court documents reveal more about 3-year-olds disappearance in Two Rivers Do you have information about Elijah Vue? A woman leaves the Mikadow Theatre after attending a meeting for people wishing to volunteer in the search for missing 3-year-old Elijah Vue Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024, in Manitowoc, Wis. Police describe Elijah as being of Hmong and white ethnicity with dark brown hair and brown eyes. He is approximately 3 feet tall and has a birthmark on his left knee. He was last seen wearing gray pants, a dark-colored, long-sleeve shirt and a pair of red-and-green dinosaur slip-on shoes. He may also be carrying a red-and-white plaid blanket. If you have information that could help the Two Rivers Police Department find Elijah Vue, contact their tipline at 844-267-6648 or submit information via the Crime Stoppers app P3. People who share information that leads to finding Elijah or the arrest of anyone involved in or responsible for his disappearance could be eligible to receive a reward of up to $1,000 through Manitowoc County Crime Stoppers or $15,000 through the FBI. Alisa M. Schafer is a reporter for the Herald Times Reporter in Manitowoc. She can be reached by email at aschafer@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter: Elijah Vue missing in Two Rivers: FBI reward leads to tips amid search *The above video is a recent story about a NE Ohio county awarding grants to hold eclipse events* TIFFIN, Ohio (WJW) What started with 20 couples signing up, is soaring to 120 couples who have booked a history making event to get married in the middle of the total solar eclipse in northern Ohio. 39 days from now, when darkness falls, romance will heat up April 8 during the eclipse. Local astronomer: Why I wont drive during eclipse Seneca County is holding Elope at the Eclipse and the number of couples signing up is soaring, Destination Seneca County Executive Director Bryce Riggs told Fox 8 News Thursday. Most of the couples are from Ohio, and Northeast Ohio, but now we have couples singed up from Texas, New York City, and Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, according to Riggs. We have a couple signed up from San Antonio which is about 1,400 miles each way, Riggs added. Tiffin will play Cupid with a history making wedding event for the ages, Riggs said. Tiffin will be in the totality of darkness for several minutes during the solar eclipse just after 3 p.m. April 8. Riggs told FOX 8 News that Destination Seneca County will supply wedding cake, a champagne toast, live music, a photographer and the officiant, Judge Damon D. Alt, who will marry everyone at the same time during the totality of the eclipse. Riggs said its all free and the only thing the couple needs to pay for in advance is a marriage license, which is $70 in Seneca County. Other counties may have a similar price, he said. According to Riggs, theyre sponsoring the event because it will be fun and historic but also to attract visitors to see Seneca Countys rich history. Why is the 2024 total solar eclipse so unique? Jenny Harris and her fiance Bart Lombardy, who live in Fostoria, are getting married during Elope at the Eclipse. Were more than happy to share our big day with others who are getting married during such a unique, fun and historic day, Harris told FOX 8 News. Riggs said couples can also renew their vows at the event and that couples from all over Ohio and the country have signed up. You can find out how to sign up and get information on a marriage license for Ohio and other states by clicking here. The event will take place at the new Frost-Kalnow Amphitheatre in Tiffin. Getting married during the 100% darkness that will carve a narrow path over Ohio during the upcoming solar eclipse is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, considering the next total eclipse in Ohio isnt until 2099. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW. Nearly 500 years ago, an expedition led by Spanish explorer Francisco Vasquez de Coronado trekked through the plains of New Mexico and Texas, searching for a fabled city of gold. Coronado was accompanied by at least 2,000 indios amigos or Indigenous allies from various populations in Central Mexico who took handcrafted tools and weapons with them. In 1541, about a year into the expedition, the group was stopped near McLean, Texas. Its there that an indios amigos took out one of his tools: an obsidian blade. Maybe he was butchering a bison or completing another task, but whatever he was doing, his blade snapped in half. The broken blade was discarded, left to the dirt of the plains, according to a new study published in January in the Journal of the North Texas Archeological Society. That is until between 1930 and 1940, when a teenager working on his parents ranch in McLean spotted something emerald green glinting from the ground: It was the ancient blade. Uncover more archaeological finds What are we learning about the past? Here are three of our most eye-catching archaeology stories from the past week. 2,400-year-old underground discovery stumped experts for decades until now 800-year-old toy unearthed after firehouse demolition. See it Metal detectorist unearths 'one-of-a-kind' gold treasure from 1,400 years ago. See it Luckily, the teenager, Lloyd Erwin, had a passion for historical artifacts and recognized that the broken piece of glass-like material was likely some kind of tool or arrowhead. Erwin added the obsidian artifact to his growing collection, and it eventually ended up on the edge of one frame alongside 30 or so similar pieces. Once again, the small unassuming blade was forgotten, largely ignored for decades, researchers said. But a chance meeting at the North Texas Archaeological Societys January 2023 meeting changed that. Thats where Matt Boulanger, the director of Archaeology Research Collections at Southern Methodist University and one of the studys co-authors, came across Erwins collection, which had been left to his son and daughter-in-law after his death in 1992. In May, Erwins daughter-in-law showed Boulanger the frame holding the blade, and he just happened to catch its greenish tint as the frame was being turned in the sunlight. Boulanger noticed that the prismatic blade was actually a highly unusual artifact and an exceedingly rare discovery for the area, according to the study. Obsidian is not a natural occurrence in the Texas Panhandle. With the help of Erwins daughter-in-law, Charlene Erwin, Boulanger conducted an analysis of the artifact and determined it was of Mesoamerican origin. The obsidian specifically came from the Pachuca Range, which is about 1,050 miles south of McLean and about 60 miles northeast of Mexico City. The blade is about 2.5 inches long, 0.8 inches wide and 0.3 inches thick, researchers said. It has a distinctive color and sheen, giving it an emerald-green and nearly translucent appearance. Experts determined that the most likely explanation for the blade is it was associated with the Coronado expedition. It could be the first unequivocal evidence of a Coronado-related site in the Texas Panhandle. This small unassuming artifact fits all of the requirements for convincing evidence of a Coronado presence in the Texas panhandle, Boulanger said in a Feb. 22 news release from Southern Methodist University. It is the correct form of artifact, it is fully consistent with other finds, the correct material, found in the correct location, and there are no indications of an intentional hoax. 1,700-year-old metal object one of archaeologys great enigmas unearthed in UK Interns notice green item on ground and find rare ancient artifact in Taiwan. See it Hunt for ancient Roman pottery workshop leads to much older exciting find An Indiana man has been arrested after his roommate disappeared and the investigation led police to a dumpster filled with bones. Jonathan Christy, 39, is charged with murder in the death of his roommate, Brandi Bradley. Attorney information for Christy was not listed in public court records as of Feb. 29. On Feb. 11, Bradley, 44, was reported missing in Kokomo, according to an arrest affidavit. The person who reported her missing told police she hadnt heard from Bradley since mid-January. While speaking to police, the person said there was a history of violence between Bradley and Christy, and that Christy made threats to kill Bradley in the past, the affidavit said. Brandi Bradley sends Warnings Authorities discovered what seemed to be a warning from Bradley posted to social media. If I end up dead and my dismembered body is found all over Kokomo, it was John Christy, Bradley said in a video shared to social media, according to police. Police spoke with people who knew Bradley. One person said they last spoke with Bradley on Jan. 20 on Facebook, according to court records. This person told officers there had been physical altercations between Bradley and Christy, in which Bradley was choked. Between Dec. 30 and Jan. 19, police were called to the apartment Bradley and Christy shared together five times, court records said. Another person told police that on Jan. 20, Christy contacted her boyfriend asking if he knew of a burn pit where Christy could burn documents and a carpet. The boyfriend said he could use his mothers property in Oakford, however, Christy never went, police said. Bones in a dumpster Authorities tried to track down Christy to question him about Bradleys disappearance. On Feb. 14, they interviewed Christy at a police station, records show. During the interview, Christy said he hadnt seen Bradley in about three weeks, since they got into an argument at their apartment, the affidavit said. When officers asked Christy about him inquiring about a burn pit, Christy said he had some old items from his late wife he wanted to burn, according to court records. However, he said instead of using the property in Oakford, he burned the items in a dumpster at a job site in Kempton, officials said. Police asked Christy if he had anything to do with Bradleys disappearance and if they would find anything unusual in the dumpster, to which Christy responded no to both questions, according to the affidavit. While searching the dumpster a second time, authorities found what appeared to be burned human bones, including what looked like finger, arm and rib bones, according to the affidavit. Police said they also found red carpet fibers inside Christys vehicle that matched the red carpet in Bradleys room and some found in the dumpster. Jail calls On Feb. 16, police interviewed a woman who knew Christy and spent time with him at his apartment, authorities said, and the woman told police she overheard Christy on the phone with someone talking about disposing of something. The woman said when she asked Christy about it, he got really (expletive) mad, the affidavit said. Then, he told her if she said anything about it, she was going to end up in the same place shes at, the woman told police. When she asked Christy what he meant, she said he grabbed her and began choking her, according to police. On Feb. 18, while the woman was incarcerated in the Howard County Jail, a phone call between her and Christy was recorded. While on the call, Christy asked the woman how her interrogation thing went. Then he asked her, did you tell them I did it? according to court records. During an interview with an unnamed man, police said the man told them he was contacted in mid-January by Christy asking if he wanted to make $500, court records said. When the man showed up to Christys home, he said Christy opened the door and said its done. The man said he asked what he was talking about, and Christy opened the door and took him inside. The man told police it smelled like battery acid, and then he saw Bradleys body lying on the floor with a plastic bag over her head, according to police. The man asked Christy, What did you do? What have you gotten me into? He told police that Christy said he came home and saw that Bradley trashed his house and he lost control, and then he beat her with a wrench, court records said. The man said Christy told him at some point Bradley woke up so he began hitting her again, then placed a plastic bag over her head to make sure she was dead, police said. The man told police he helped Christy move Bradleys body because he was scared of Christy and panicked, court records said. A few days later, the man said he drove Christy to the location where the dumpster was. He said Christy told him he had to burn it, referring to Bradleys body, according to police. Then he said he saw Christy light a fire and it became fully engulfed, court records say. Christy was booked into the Howard County Jail on several charges, including murder, on Feb. 27, records show. Kokomo is about 60 miles north of Indianapolis. Pizza Hut worker kills manager over inheritance check, then puts body in trash, cops say Body identified 31 years after biologist spotted remains in Nevada desert, police say Mom of 8 has been missing since 2022, MI cops say. Now boyfriend charged with murder Lady Gabriella Windsors late husband Thomas Kingstons final days before his tragic death have been disclosed. The financier died at the age of 45 on Sunday in Gloucestershire, England. He was found deceased at a home and emergency services were called at around 6:25 p.m. His death is not being ruled as suspicious and an inquest will be made. A friend who saw Gabriella also known as Ella and Kingston at a Feb. 21 National Gallery event in London opened up about the couple in a new interview. Thomas Kingston and Gabriella Windsor married in May 2019 at Windsor Castle. ZUMAPRESS.com They seemed happy and positive as ever, the friend told Daily Mail on Wednesday. Ella was particularly chatty. Another friend told the outlet that Kingstons death is utterly shocking. They went on: None of us saw it coming. I cannot understand it. One pal also shed light on Kingstons character, calling him charming and a gentleman. Hes one of those guys who can be quite enigmatic and doesnt tell you what he is thinking. Hes careful. Perhaps its a legacy from the work he was doing in Iraq, another companion revealed. Kingston attended the University of Bristol and was once stationed in Baghdad, Iraq, where he worked for the United Kingdoms Diplomatic Missions Unit of the Foreign Office to secure the release of hostages. The financier was found dead at the age of 45 on Sunday in Gloucestershire, England. via REUTERS Windsor, 42, and Kingston were last photographed together on Feb. 14, when they attended an event with Queen Camilla, 76, to honor the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeares First Folio. The news editor is the daughter of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent and is 56th in line to the British throne. Windsor is the second cousin to King Charles III, 75, and was even present at his coronation last year with her husband. Kingston who also previously dated Pippa Middleton married Gabriella in May 2019 at Windsor Castle with the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip in attendance. Kingston previously worked in Iraq, helping secure the release of hostages. via REUTERS Buckingham Palace released a statement on Tuesday about the equity analysts passing. The King and the Queen have been informed of Thomass death and join Prince and Princess Michael of Kent and all those who knew him in grieving a much-loved member of the family, the memo read. In particular, Their Majesties send their most heartfelt thoughts and prayers to Gabriella and to all the Kingston family. Both King Charles (second from right) and Queen Camilla (far right) expressed their sorrow over the death of Kingston (far right). Getty Images Windsor, as well as Kingstons parents and his sisters, released their own statement. It is with the deepest sorrow that we announce the death of Thomas Kingston, our beloved husband, son and brother, they said. Tom was an exceptional man who lit up the lives of all who knew him. His death has come as a great shock to the whole family and we ask you to respect our privacy as we mourn his passing. The manhunt for an escaped Louisiana murder suspect came to an end Tuesday when authorities tracked the man to a New Orleans hotel two days after he pepper-sprayed a deputy and made off in her marked sheriff's vehicle. Leon Ruffin, 51, was first arrested in July by the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office on suspicion of murder and had been in custody at the local jail awaiting the resolution of his case before making the brazen Sunday escape, jail records show. U.S. Marshals and investigators with the sheriff's office and local police tracked Ruffin to the New Orleans hotel, where they took him into custody Tuesday afternoon without incident, Sheriff Joseph Lopinto said at a news conference. Ruffin was expected to face additional charges for the motor vehicle theft, escape and assault on the sheriff's deputy. More charges may be added as the investigation continues, Lopinto said. Lopinto declined to reveal the name of the hotel in which Ruffin was staying when prompted Tuesday by a reporter, citing the fact that investigators were in the process of searching his room after obtaining a warrant. The sheriff's office also expected that "multiple" people would be arrested and charged for aiding Lopinto in his escape attempt, Lopinto said. Orlando shooting: 1 dead and 6 injured hours after altercation at same location, police say Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joseph Lopinto speaks Tuesday at a press conference announcing that fugitive Leon Ruffin was taken back into custody after the murder suspect escaped Sunday. Ruffin pepper sprayed deputy, stole her vehicle Ruffin had been transported Sunday afternoon to a New Orleans hospital to receive medical treatment for an apparent seizure, which Lopinto previously indicated he believed the inmate fabricated. When Ruffin was discharged around 6:40 p.m. that evening, a deputy was preparing to transport him back to the Jefferson Parish jail in Gretna, located just east of New Orleans across the Mississippi River. But before the deputy's marked Ford Explorer could even leave the parking lot, Ruffin "created some type of disturbance" that prompted the deputy to exit the vehicle and go to the inmate's door, where he sprayed her with pepper spray, Lopinto said. It was unclear where Ruffin obtained the pepper spray, as the transporting deputy still had her own canister, Lopinto said. Ruffin then charged at the deputy before getting behind the wheel of the Explorer and fleeing, prompting the deputy to fire her weapon as the inmate sped through the parking lot. The vehicle was located within hours that night in the New Orleans neighborhood of Algiers on the west bank of the Mississippi River, according to the sheriff's office. After escape, sheriff doesn't foresee medical transport changes Investigators who tracked Ruffin to the New Orleans hotel surrounded the property before taking him back into custody around 2:30 p.m. local time Tuesday, Lopinto said. Ruffin, who was alone in the room at the time of his arrest, is believed to have been staying at the hotel ever since he made his escape. It's unclear what his longterm plan would have been, but Lopinto said investigators believe that he had help from multiple others who he said would be arrested and charged. "Pretty much locked up in a hotel room instead of a jail cell," Lopinto said. "I dont think he had a really good, good time over the last two days." In addition to the murder charge, Ruffin was also charged in July with obstruction of justice; illegally carrying a firearm (since he has already been convicted of felonies); aggravated assault with a firearm; and aggravated criminal damaging to property. Asked by a reporter whether he he envisions that the sheriff's office medical transportation policy would be revised, Lopinto said it was unlikely. Any "wholesale policy changes" would only serve to punish a large inmate population, many of whom are in need of legitimate medical care, Lopinto said. "You wish you could take people on their face and say, 'OK, you're hurt and we're going to treat you with the respect that you deserve,'" Lopinto said. "You try to treat them as adults and this person took advantage of it; most of the inmates don't." Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at elagatta@gannett.com This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Leon Ruffin: Escaped murder suspect arrested at New Orleans hotel Semafor Signals Insights from the Financial Times, El Pais, and The Bell The News Top U.S. and EU officials are actively exploring using hundreds of billions of dollars in frozen Russian assets lying in Western banks to help fund Ukraine, after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said aid was needed within a month as Kyiv seeks to turn its embattled war effort around. Seizing Russian assets would open up as much as $285 billion for Ukraine at a moment where the U.S. is struggling to pass a crucial $60 billion aid package but critics warn that any move to seize bank-held assets could undermine faith in Western financial markets. It is necessary and urgent for our coalition to find a way to unlock the value of these immobilized assets to support Ukraines continued resistance and long-term reconstruction, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told a meeting of the G20 on Tuesday, adding that there was a strong international law, economic and moral case for finding a way to use the assets. One option is to seize the assets, but they could also be used as collateral to borrow on global markets, Yellen said at the meeting in the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo, adding that the US has no preferred strategy at present. A day later, the EUs most powerful official advocated seizing profits generated by the assets and deploying the funds to the war effort. It is time to start a conversation about using the windfall profits of frozen Russian assets to jointly purchase military equipment for Ukraine, EU Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen told MEPs. The Commission is expected to present a plan for how to use the profits in mid-March, Politico reported. SIGNALS Semafor Signals: Global insights on today's biggest stories. Russian assets could go towards rebuilding Ukraine or supporting its army Sources: The World Bank, European Council on Foreign Relations, Timothy Garton Ash There are two main scenarios for how confiscated funds could be used to assist Ukraine. The first option would be to use the funds to fund the countrys urgently needed reconstruction. The World Bank estimates that Russia has caused more than $150 billion in direct damage to Ukraine and that the country will need almost $500 billion to recover and rebuild. Ukraine has proposed an international mechanism for recording the claims of damage and dispersing the funds, two experts wrote for the European Council on Foreign Relations. Another proposal is to use the funds for Trump proofing military support to Ukraine ensuring that Ukraine still has funds to purchase ammunition and other key military supplies even if a future U.S. president were to cut aid the Oxford professor Timothy Garton Ash wrote on Substack. Will Ukraine get all the cash or just the profits Russias assets generate? Sources: CNN, Financial Times, Politico, Bloomberg It is also undecided whether Ukraine would be allowed to tap all the assets or be limited to skimming the profits off Moscows billions. The Russian assets frozen in the Belgian-based central securities depository Euroclear have already earned more than $5 billion in interest, the company said. The EU has agreed in principle to set aside future profits from the Euroclear funds, which make up a majority of Russian immobilized assets, the Financial Times reported. Brad Setser of the Council on Foreign Relations has estimated that the interest on Russias assets could be up to $10 billion a year a significant amount given Kyivs $37 billion budget gap. Some countries, including the U.S., favor the more expansive approach of seizing some of Russias money directly, Bloomberg reported. But as the U.S. only holds a small portion of Russias assets, Washington is hesitant to act alone, a congressional source told Bloomberg. Some European countries remain skeptical, citing lack of legal basis Sources: Reuters, The New York Times, El Pais, The Bell The EU is unlikely to agree to confiscate the funds, one senior official told Reuters, as questions remain about the legality and the impact that an unprecedented seizure of state assets could have. One worry is that investors may pull out of euro currency assets due to fear that their money too could be seized. We dont have the legal basis to seize the Russian assets and we should never act if we dont obey by the international law and by the rule of law, Frances finance minister said, adding that he favored seizing the interest accrued from Russian assets. Belgium, which holds the bulk of the frozen funds, is also concerned about damaging Euroclears reputation on financial markets, according to the Russian independent economics outlet The Bell. The fact that Belgium currently holds the rotating EU presidency significantly reduces the likelihood of any radical steps in the immediate future, The Bell reported. And Moscow has warned that it would retaliate in kind, seizing Western assets in Russia if the West were to confiscate Russian capital. European news media companies sued Google for roughly $2.1 billion in damages Wednesday over allegations that the tech giants ad technology practices have harmed them. The case, filed by more than 30 European news media companies is the latest challenge to the California-based company over its ad technology, including a case launched by the Department of Justice last year. The companies suing include Axel Springer, the German-based company that owns Politico, Reuters reported. The media companies involved have incurred losses due to a less competitive market, which is a direct result of Googles misconduct, Geradin Partners and Stek, the law firms representing the companies, said in a statement. Without Googles abuse of its dominant position, the media companies would have received significantly higher revenues from advertising and paid lower fees for ad tech services. Crucially, these funds could have been reinvested into strengthening the European media landscape, they added. To bolster their argument, the case cited the French competition authoritys 220 million Euro fine against Google in 2021 for having abused its dominant position in the ad tech market, and the European Commissions statement of objections issued to Google in June over abusive practices in online advertising tech. Google has previously pushed back on allegations targeting market abuse in the ad technology industry. Google legal director Oliver Bethell slammed the latest lawsuit as speculative and opportunistic, and said the company will oppose it vigorously and on the facts. Google works constructively with publishers across Europe our advertising tools, and those of our many adtech competitors, help millions of websites and apps fund their content, and enable businesses of all sizes to effectively reach new customers. These services adapt and evolve in partnership with those same publishers, Bethell said in a statement. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Russian President Vladimir Putin must be held responsible for the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, the European Parliament said in a resolution adopted on Feb. 29. According to the resolution, the Russian state, and Putin personally, bear criminal and political responsibility for Navalny's death. Navalny, Putin's main political opponent, died on Feb. 16 in a penal colony in in Russia's far northern Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District. Leaders around the world pointed at Putin as to blame for Navalny's death. It remains unclear whether the harsh prison conditions caused his death or if he was intentionally murdered. The European Parliament's resolution warned that Navalny's death is "yet another sign of the increasing and systematic repression in Russia" and demanded an "independent and transparent investigation into his murder in order to uncover the truth, ensure accountability, and secure justice." The resolution asserted that Russia's political system is controlled by a consolidated authoritatian regime with rampant corruption that uses rigged elections as a semblance of democracy and concentrates all power in the hands of Putin. The parliament also noted that the Russian people cannot be confused with the "warmongering, autocratic, and kleptocratic regime of the Kremlin." Political, economic, financial, and military support for Ukraine amid Russia's war are the best answer to the current oppressive and aggressive practices by the Kremlin regime, the resolution concluded. The U.S., the EU, and the U.K. announced additional sanctions against Russia shortly after Navalny's death and on the second anniversary of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The country already faces the heaviest sanctions in the world because of its aggression against Kyiv. Navalny's funeral will be held on March 1 in Moscow's Borisov cemetery. Read also: Navalnys widow at European Parliament: Sanctions dont work on Putin, more innovative ways needed Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. WASHINGTON (AP) A man who was employed as a Middle Tennessee sheriffs deputy when he assaulted police officers protecting the U.S. Capitol from a mob of Donald Trump supporters was sentenced on Thursday to nearly six years in prison. Ronald Colton McAbee wore a bulletproof vest with two patches one that said SHERIFF and another bearing an insignia for the Three Percenters militia movement when he stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6. 2021. During a melee on the Capitols Lower West Terrace, McAbee dragged an officer away from a police line and punched another officer who tried to stop him. McAbee said he never intended to strike fear or be part of the chaos on Jan. 6, 2021. Neither officer assaulted by McAbee attended his sentencing. I wish they were here so I can tell them Im sorry, McAbee said before U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras sentenced him to five years and 10 months behind bars. I take attacks on law enforcement very, very seriously, as I suspect you did before that day, the judge told McAbee. AUGUST 2021: Bedford County man charged with assaulting officer during breach of U.S. Capitol McAbee will get credit for the two years and seven months that he already has served in jail since his arrest. Prosecutors recommended sentencing McAbee to 12 years and seven months in prison. Only six Jan. 6 riot defendants have received a longer prison sentence than that. McAbee expressed condolences to the families of rioters and police officers who died on Jan. 6, 2021, and the days that followed. He performed CPR on Rosanne Boyland, a Georgia woman in the mob who died during the riot. Im sorry for all the families that lost someone, McAbee said. However, the judge noted that McAbee appeared to be proud of his violent exploits on Jan. 6, 2021. A day after the riot, McAbee smiled and held a newspaper with the headline INSURRECTION as he posed for a photograph with a friend, prosecutors said. Notably, he did not mention anything about Ms. Boyland or attempting to help her, Contreras said. McAbee pleaded guilty to two counts, including a felony assault charge, before a federal jury convicted him of five other counts after a trial last year. OCTOBER 2023: Former TN sheriffs deputy found guilty of 5 felony charges related to Jan. 6 riots McAbee was on medical leave from the Williamson County Sheriffs Office in Tennessee when he and a friend drove to Washington, D.C., and attended then-President Donald Trumps Stop the Steal rally near the White House on Jan. 6, 2021. McAbee wore brass knuckle gloves and a shirt bearing a Three Percenters emblem and slogans. Three Percenters refers to the myth that only 3% of Americans fought in the Revolutionary War against the British. After watching rioters clash with police outside the Capitol, McAbee joined the fray near a tunnel leading to an entrance on the Lower West Terrace. Metropolitan Police Department Officer Andrew Wayte was on his back on the ground when McAbee grabbed one of his legs and dragged him away from his fellow officers. When other officers attempted to assist their fallen colleagues, McAbee interfered with their efforts, cursing at them and striking one of them, prosecutors wrote in a court filing. McAbee then lifted the officer up by his torso, causing him to cry out in pain before they slid together down a set of steps. He pinned the officer down for more than 25 seconds as other rioters attacked him and fired pepper spray at his face. Defense attorney Benjamin Schiffelbein said McAbee was trying to alert police when he briefly moved Wayte and pointed at Boylands body. Mr. McAbee placed himself in an impossible situation: stand and watch as a woman lay dying in front of officers who did not notice her, or to try to help her, Schiffelbein wrote in a court filing. Read todays top stories on wkrn.com A medical examiners office later determined that Boyland died from acute amphetamine intoxication. After his attacks on police, McAbee sought camaraderie and favor from other officers still fighting off the mob. Can I get in? he asked, tapping the sheriff patch on his vest. I cant go back that way, man. Two men charged with McAbee were also convicted of assaulting Wayte, whose injuries prevented him from returning to work for months. Justin Jersey, was sentenced to four years and three months in prison. The other, Clayton Ray Mullins, was sentenced to two years and six months of imprisonment. McAbee previously served as a deputy for the Cherokee County Sheriffs Office in Georgia before leaving in November 2020 to join the sheriffs office in Tennessee. McAbee worked for the Williamson County Sheriffs Office until March 23, 2021, according to prosecutors. More than 1,300 people have been charged with Capitol riot-related federal crimes. Over 800 of them have been sentenced, with roughly two-thirds receiving terms of imprisonment ranging from a few days to 22 years. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2. Butterfly Network, Inc. (NYSE:BFLY) Q4 2023 Earnings Call Transcript February 28, 2024 Butterfly Network, Inc. misses on earnings expectations. Reported EPS is $-0.21 EPS, expectations were $-0.12. BFLY isn't one of the 30 most popular stocks among hedge funds at the end of the third quarter (see the details here). Operator: Good afternoon. Thank you for attending today's Butterfly Network's Q4 and Fiscal Year 2023 Earnings Call. All lines will be muted during the presentation portion of the call with an opportunity for questions and answers at the end. [Operator Instructions] I would now like to hand the call over to Heather Getz with Butterfly Network. You may proceed. Heather Getz: Good afternoon, everyone, and thank you for joining us today. Earlier today, Butterfly released financial results for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2023, and provided a business update. The release and earnings presentation, which include a reconciliation to management use of non-GAAP financial measures compared to the most applicable GAAP measures, are currently available on the investor section of the company's website at ir.butterflynetwork.com. I Heather Getz, Chief Financial and Operations Officer of Butterfly, alongside Joseph DeVivo, Butterfly's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, will host this afternoon's call. During today's call, we will be making certainly forward-looking statements. These statements may include, among other things, expectations with respect to financial results, future performance, development and commercialization of products and services, potential regulatory approvals, and the size and potential growth of our current or future markets for our products and services. These forward-looking statements are based on current information, assumptions, and expectations that are subject to change and involve a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. These and other risks are described in our filings made with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, and the company disclaims any obligation to update such statements. As a reminder, this call is being webcast live and recorded, and we will be referencing a slide presentation in conjunction with our remarks. There may be a short delay between the live audio and the presentation being shown, and the slides visible within the webcast platform will also not play animations. Story continues To access the animated versions of our slides, visit the events section of our investor website. And then under upcoming events, you will see today's earnings call with an option to click called presentation with animated videos. On the same page, you will also be able to access the webcast live and as a replay once the call has been completed. I would now like to turn the call over to Joe. Joe? Joe DeVivo: Thank you, Heather. Good afternoon and thanks for joining the call, everyone. I'm pleased to report that our 2023 revenue finished at $65.9 million worldwide, above our expectations of at least $64 million. I was pleased to see each one of our channels performing well as we headed into 2024. In fact, our Q4 and full year direct sale revenues grew 10% and 11% year-over-year. Moving forward, we have every opportunity to realize growth across all of our channels and grow the company double digits in 2024, while investing efficiently. Over the last 18 months we removed over $170 million of cash cost from the business yet continue to invest in our technology roadmap and our commercial team. 2023 was a necessary transition year for the company. We chose to resize the business and focus our strategy. We've matured as a company and can now rely less and less on online sales and more on higher end hospital sales. The operational disruptions over, our sights are set today on growth of our existing business, new products recently launched, and building new market opportunities only ultrasound on chip technology can deliver. During my first full call last year, I laid out what we would deliver in 2023 to set the foundation for growth in 2024. It was one, introducing new ultrasound education offerings to make POCUS accessible to healthcare providers and grow our users. Two, accelerate the easy use by increasing the availability of AI solutions. Three, identifying new development partnerships to bring our core technologies into markets that are not competitive to Butterfly, but will create value for shareholders by leveraging our core semiconductor investment. And four, introduced more products from our roadmap to drive top line growth. I'm very pleased to say that we've completed each of these commitments. One, for new education offerings, we delivered Butterfly Certified, an expert-led education services helping customers master point of care ultrasound with Butterfly by training and certifying proficiency in certain scan types. This offering was operationalized very quickly. We've already seen Butterfly Certified revenue, and we've embedded education as a service into all of our quotations to health systems going forward. Two, on the AI offerings, we received FDA clearance and launched our AI powered auto beeline counter in the second quarter of 2023. It was key FDA AI milestone for us. We also launched Butterfly Garden, our AI marketplace. Since 2018, we've grown a leading customer base of over 143,000 probes. And now third-party ultrasound AI companies can build and sell new AI applications to them. These new AI tools, which will be compatible with Butterfly devices, will be incredibly valuable to all Butterfly users. We signed 13 partners to-date, and our newest partner, Deepecho, just press-released their entrance into the program this week. Three, we've announced previously that we delivered on the core technology partnerships by successfully launching our Powered by Butterfly program in 2023 and introducing Forest Neurotech and Mendaera as mission partners. Four, and lastly, we delivered ahead of schedule on two key product launches, InLab and iQ3, which I will review in more detail in just a bit. We Butterfly employees are very proud of our accomplishments in 2023. We weathered the storm, stayed together, delivered on our construction goals, while implementing our core priorities and investing in our commercial organization. Thus, we've set ourselves up in 2024 to be laser-focused on revenue execution. At this point, I'll turn the call over to Heather to walk through 2023 results in more detail before returning to our 2024 execution strategy. Heather? Heather Getz: Thank you, Joe. As you noted, we accomplished a lot in 2023 to right-size and reset the company and are now on what we believe to be a solid path for growth in 2024 and beyond. But first, let me cover the 2023 results. Revenue for the fourth quarter was $16.5 million, down compared to 2022 revenue of $19 million, driven by lower volume, partially offset by higher price. The lower volume was mostly due to lower e-commerce, as well as large orders, including the deployment of Gates in Africa and others from international distributors, and to a lesser extent, the vet market. These large orders occurred in 2022 and did not repeat in 2023. In the U.S., we realized 11 million in total sales, slightly higher than prior year. This was driven by increased ASPs and higher revenue from software and subscriptions, partially offset by lower per sales, predominantly in e-commerce. Total international declined, 24% over the prior year to 4.6 million. This was due to the previously mentioned large orders in 2022 that did not reoccur in 2023. Partially upsetting the decline in global health and international distribution was a 27% increase in the international direct market. Breaking our revenue down between product and software, product revenue was $10.2 million, a decrease of 20% versus Q4 2022. This decrease was driven by lower volume, spread largely across e-commerce, international distribution, and VET due to the large deals in '22 that I mentioned. Software and services revenue was 6.4 million in the fourth quarter, flat to the prior year period. Software and services mix was 39% of revenue, an increase by approximately 5 percentage points versus Q4 2022. This increase was due to a higher installed base of subscription software as compared to prior year, renewals on the existing base of software users, and software implementations completed during the quarter. Our total annual recurring revenue, which is reported as part of software and other services, grew by 4%. This was led by an increase of 35% in our enterprise software, which is now 41% of our total ARR versus 32% in Q4 2022. When looking at the full year 2023, versus '22, while total revenue declined 10% to 65.9 million due to lower sales in the e-commerce and distribution channel from the non-recurrence of the previously mentioned large orders in 2022. Partially offsetting these declines were double-digit increases in our direct businesses, both domestically and internationally. As Joe noted in his remarks, excluding these large deals from '22 revenue, 2023 revenue was essentially flat year-over-year and our direct market increased 11%. At the end of 2023, we made additional investments in our direct sales teams, and we have begun signing new distributors in existing and in new markets internationally. We expect these investments to gain further traction in 2024. Turning now to gross profit. Gross profit excluding a non-cash write-down of excess inventory totaling $21.9 million was $9.4 million in Q4 2023 compared to $10.3 million in the prior year period. On the same basis, gross profit margin was 57% for the fourth quarter of 2023, which was higher by 210 basis points compared to Q4 2022. This was driven by higher average selling prices, a shift in product mix reflecting a higher proportion of higher margin software and other services revenue, and operating efficiencies. Higher amortization, reduced margin by 150 basis points. To expand on the inventory write-off, during Q4 of 2023, we took a 21.9 million non-cash charge to our cost of sales for the write-off of excess quantities of our previous generation chip that are used in the manufacturing of our iQ+ probes. The number of chips on hand was higher than our updated forecast for future demand of the iQ+. Our forecast was adjusted down as a result of the newly launched iQ3. While we continue to sell iQ+ worldwide, our previous forecast assumed usage of the chips based on 100% of our sales demand being attributed to iQ+. Moving to EBITDA and capital resources, for the fourth quarter of 2023, adjusted EBITDA loss was $15.7 million, compared with a loss of $27.7 million for the same period in 2022. The improvement in adjusted EBITDA loss was driven by the previously announced cost reductions, which led to lower payroll, consulting, and other outside services. Capital resources as of December 31, 2023, were cash and cash equivalents, including restricted cash of 139 million. Excluding 4.4 million of severance and other non-recurring expenses, our total use of cash for the fourth quarter was $11 million. As we have mentioned, over the past 18 months, we have taken over 170 million of cost out of the business and have reduced our annual cash burn to approximately $60 million. Based on this, we estimate that our cash balance conservatively provides us with a runway into 2026. Moving to guidance. As Joe discussed, we have been executing against the roadmap we laid out in August. We launched Butterfly Garden with 13 deal sign, completed and launched our education at ScanLab. We invested in our sales teams and received an early approval and launched our iQ3. All while completing a reorganization that conservatively extends our cash into 2026. While we have many exciting and potentially meaningful tailwinds, in establishing our 2024 guidance, we have not included in our forecast any material acceleration from either the launch of iQ3 or any new revenue streams or markets. We also need to respect the medium-term adoption cycle of large providers who could benefit greatly from wide-scale adoption of Butterfly, but can't buy immediately, as well as the fact that the company has for the first time, introducing next generation device while keeping the existing product in the market, thus creating segmentation for those customers who crave iQ+'s affordability and are not yet in a position or need to fully utilize the capabilities of iQ3. As such, we are taking a prudent and conservative approach to guiding for the full year 2024 with low double-digit top-line growth and an EBITDA loss of $60 million to $50 million. As mentioned, we believe there is upside to this plan, and as the year progresses, we will provide updates and further clarification. Specifically looking at Q1, we expect to see growth in the mid-single digits as we ended Q4 higher than expected, and Q1 tends to be a tougher quarter for closing hospital deals. We do expect this growth to accelerate into the second half of the year as we ramp iQ3 and our newly hired sales resources continue to come up to speed. For Q1 adjusted EBITDA, with expenses related to the launch of iQ3 and payroll tax and the 401k reset, we expect slightly higher expenses and lower EBITDA in the first quarter relative to the remainder of the year. To summarize, this was a transition year, and we look forward to growth in 2024. The reorganization and the investments we laid out are all completed, including investing in the direct sales force, as well as launching Butterfly Garden, ScanLab, and iQ3. While we were forecasting low double-digit revenue growth for 2024, as mentioned, we believe there is upside to this plan and additional efficiencies to realize. Furthermore, we have maintained a solid cash position and have extended our cash runway into 2026, while continuing to invest in the business. We will continue to execute against our plan, drive adoption of iQ3 and expand uses of our product across all our channels. Butterfly is set up to accomplish its goals with a strong base of technological and organizational assets that we are continuing to invest in, and a team who is energized to capitalize on this attractive market opportunity. With that, I will turn the call back to Joe to detail 2024. Joe? A doctor looking at a ultrasound system with a Compass software interface, demonstrating the sophistication of the device. Joe DeVivo: Thank you, Heather. We discussed 2024 guidance of low double-digit top-line growth with an opportunity for upsides. This will be driven by further penetration of health systems with the launch of IQ3 and our investment in our commercial seat. Two, global expansion. Three, further medical school adoption. And four, alternative uses for our technology, including in the vet space. So we all know Butterfly had tremendous success building relationships with doctors directly around the world. Today we have a comprehensive and global online go-to-market strategy. Each quarter we sell more than 1,000 probes online directly to doctors in 18 countries around the world. This allowed us to build the Butterfly brand quickly and reliably as we launched our inexpensive all-in-one ultrasound device for just a couple thousand dollars, making ultrasound a daily fixture in physicians' hands for the first time. So Butterfly did not invent POCUS, but we certainly accelerated its adoption and in many countries put it on the map by selling more handheld POCUS devices than any other ultrasound company in the world, over 143,000 since 2018. While individual doctors were way ahead in embracing POCUS, hospitals were slower to adopt. Emergency rooms led the way, showing hospitals that bedside ultrasound for immediate diagnosis can be a potentially life-saving tool for patients. Early adopters of POCUS originated there. Hospitals became [delouse] [ph] with either having to buy expensive carts to wheel around for POCUS or multiple PISO-based handhelds, which together cost as much as a cart. Then Butterfly introduced the first all-in-one handheld device. And we did a very good job penetrating the ER. If there was a criticism of Butterfly, it was that the image quality needed to be even better to get into more places in the hospital. With the launch of Butterfly iQ3, we doubled the processing power from 4.8 gigabytes per second to 9.6 gigabytes per second. Moore's Law proved true again. Our exponential growth in processing power and image capability since the launch in 2018 is not just an exciting fact today, it's the principle for which we can set our sights on capturing the whole ultrasound industry in the future. As mentioned earlier in January, we received FDA clearance of iQ3 earlier than expected. On February 13th, we launched iQ3 ahead of schedule. And now we have the tool that has at minimum equivalent imaging power to any other handheld on the market, all-in-one, low-cost device. In our industry, image quality is often in the eye of the beholder. So to validate our belief that iQ3 image quality is best-in-class, we commissioned a survey through a reputable third-party vendor and asked 475 medical professionals across eight clinical specialties to do a blinded image review. They were given images from Butterfly's iQ+, Butterfly's new iQ3, and GE's Vscan Air CL. On average, the majority of blinded participants responded that Butterfly's iQ3 had a better image quality than GE's Vscan CL. Other qualitative feedback from KLL said that they believed iQ3 had closed the image quality gap even compared to some hospital multipurpose parts. For Butterfly, the hospital market is now open to our probes like never before. Hospitals now may think twice about reordering the next multipurpose cart and instead consider giving an iQ 3 to each of their doctors so they no longer have to share the cart. There would be minimal cost difference in a one cart versus a fleet of Butterfly's. And on top of that, the benefit of our handheld portability could improve diagnostic time and patient care. The handheld benefits are validated by 1600 clinical-focused papers published in 2023 alone, where Butterfly was cited in nearly half. Not only do we have a world-class ultrasound device, we will continue to deliver the best ultrasound middleware in the market, our Compass Software, bolstering our health system strategy, user proficiency, quality assurance, automatic data transfer into the EMR and packs for billing and storage, reimbursement automation and more benefits. Compass is the best ultrasound management software in the market. While we have been very successful with Compass deployments with 123 new accounts in 2023 alone, not many of those deals were bundled software and hardware. With iQ3 and Compass, we now have a killer one, two punch for health systems. And today, the best point of care health system offerings in the world. iQ3 checks the box on image and sets the stage for advanced digital tools to make image acquisition even easier. I'd like to share one with you today. As you know, ultrasound is a hard image to get. The operator must manipulate the probe to get that one perfect image. But what if we can make it easier? Well, have any of you had an MRI before? The technician puts you on the table and asks you to watch your head as you're automatically slid into this big circular magnet. The tech then leaves the room and starts an automated protocol. Over 20 to 30 minutes, the machine slices the body into many cross-sectional images. It automatically captures images. On a lesser scale, of course, a new feature in our iQ3 called iQ Slice performs a similar task. If you're viewing our animated slides, you'll see this feature on the screen. With the probe in a stationary place over a piece of anatomy, and in this example here, it's a kidney, you press a button and like the burst mode on an iPhone, 46 images are taken as the ultrasound beam moves across the organ. Once captured, the doctor simply scrolls through the images and chooses the one they wish to use. Said a different way, iQ Slice enables capturing a series of images from the single position and gives the user the option of rapid assessment of the target organ or the ability to select the best image for annotation or storage. iQ3, once positioned, automatically takes the images for the user. So this marks the beginning of a new era. I once told you that when reviewing digital and film photography, that when digital equals analog, digital wins. Why? Well, digital always has more unique features and capabilities. In photography with digital, you don't have to develop pictures that you don't want. You can store it in a cloud and share them as you see fit. Well, in ultrasound, the digital benefits are an all-in-one device for imaging, automated image capture, byline imaging, 3D in the handheld, and more and more capabilities to come. We also have a cool proprietary feature called iQ Fan, which you can see on this next slide. It fans the lung automatically without ever moving the probe. The B movement is a profound new capability, which will remain a core differentiation to analog and will be core to our wearable strategy in the future. The hospital market is a big growth opportunity for us in 2024, but it's important to remain conservative in this early going as hospitals also have the longest selling cycle of our channels. The hospital market for ultrasound is over $8 billion a year in the U.S. and Butterfly now has greater access to it than ever. And as Heather mentioned, we hired more sales people and managers in our direct U.S. market who are now focused and outselling in 2024. Butterfly's new iQ3 is in addition to our current product offering, not a replacement to our second generation iQ+. iQ+ is still the best selling handheld ultrasound device in the world and priced at $26.99 for the probe. We will continue to sell this workhorse for a while for this foreseeable future. iQ3 is a premium product and it's priced at $38.99 per probe plus subscription. So for the hospital market where we compete clearly with handheld devices priced between $5,000 and $7,000, remember each needing four devices to do what Butterfly can do in one. We remain the lowest cost ultrasound alternative by far. The big companies charge $20,000 to $28,000 for their four handheld devices priced at $5000 to $7,000 each. That's the same overall price as a multipurpose cart. You see how that works for big ultrasound? In comparison, $38.99 remains a fraction of the current hospital purchase cost today, and we hope we'll accelerate the adoption of a one probe per doctor model in the future. Our iQ+ will remain available for all healthcare practitioners around the world, who want to have access to the best-selling device in the world. iQ3 is completely incremental to Butterfly's mission to democratize ultrasound for everyone. Our next major growth driver in 2024 will be our global expansion. So last year we retooled, educated, and reinvested in our international distribution partners. We hired a new senior commercial leader. With clean house and set ourselves up for growth in 2024. So first, we will expand our footprint in Asia for the first time. We are in the process of opening new markets in Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Bangladesh, and Singapore, while increasing our work in India and Pakistan. We've developed the China strategy, which will take a couple of years to implement, but it's in flight, and we're working to expand into this important market. I'm also pleased to announce that this month we've completed our EU MDR review of our Butterfly iQ+ ultrasound system, with a positive recommendation for certification from our notified body. To put this into context, EU MDR certification has been and is one of the biggest regulatory milestones for numerous medical device manufacturers looking to enter the EU market and remains a struggle for many companies in search of EU MDR certification. For clarity, our iQ+ received CE Mark with our first few set of features. Then the regulations changed to EU MDR and we've waited a few years for this approval and launching features, our customers need. Our quality and regulatory teams are currently finalizing documentation and are expecting issuance of the finalized certificate very soon. Having this certification will allow us to release additional features not yet available on the iQ+, such as Pulsed-wave Doppler in a number of presets including abdomen, as well as auto B-lines in the lung preset that our international customers have been patiently waiting for and will be excited to access. This also sets the foundation for the launch of iQ3 in Europe later this year with its advanced tools like iQ Slice and iQ Fan. The iQ3 is also currently under review with Health Canada and we anticipate approval there soon along with several other international markets later this year. ScanLab which I'll talk about more in a moment, was also launched in many of our international markets last month. We have focused our quality and regulatory resources on growing our international markets. So we are so pleased to offer these new features. Continuing in Europe, many of you may not know, but in 2006, the European Commission implemented what is called the Restrictions of Hazardous Substances Directive, or RoHS. RoHS was a sweeping directive banning hazardous materials to be added to electronics. Medical devices were covered by this directive, and piezoelectric ultrasound devices ran afoul of the standards because crystals and analog ultrasound devices contain a level of lead contaminant that exceeds the RoHS standards. So at the issuance of the directive, the analog ultrasound industry lobbied for an exemption solely on the basis that there was no alternative to their lead crystal devices. For the past two decades, they have enjoyed the exemption and are only meeting RoHS standards due to the commission's good graces. Well, Big Ultrasound has wasted 20 years in my view because Butterfly Semiconductor Technology, which is RoHS compliant, today surely can do everything the piezo handhelds can do. There is no medical basis to claim piezo lead crystals and handhelds do not have an alternative. They do. So I truly don't know what's going to happen here, I don't know how it's going to go. Big ultrasound's lobby is quite powerful. Gosh, two of them are in Europe. Will the European Commission have the courage to actually ban piezo handhelds? Well, who knows? But it's good to know that Butterfly's on the right side of history. We filed two briefs with the EC, educating them on our position, while asking them not to renew the exemption this go-around. We'll stay focused on them to hopefully remove this old hazardous handheld technology from their market. Our third growth driver in 2024 will be to drive adoption into medical school programs. So as I mentioned previously, 60% of medical schools train on a Butterfly, but not all use the one probe per student model. We will grow by converting more programs to Butterfly, while upgrading existing ones to a one-to-one model. Students don't truly learn unless they practice and having their own probe is essential to fully committing to ultrasound. One catalyst in our medical school strategy will be ScanLab. ScanLab is another way users can practice their scanning skills. The AI-driven tool helps them with walkthroughs on probe positioning that actually labels anatomy using very advanced AI tools driven by the largest ultrasound image repository in the world. ScanLab has been made available free to all subscribers in January and thousands of downloads have already occurred. ScanLab has been added to our Compass, iQ+, and iQ3 product offerings. We aspire to pitch every medical school this comprehensive offering in 2024. On top of these primary growth drivers are additional opportunities. For example, our vet business continued pursuing use in the feedlot cattle market for detection of interstitial pneumonia, a primary cause of mortality in the feedlot cattle industry by using our custom AI auto B-line tool for cattle. Preliminary findings from our research partners at Kansas State University are affirming the opportunity in shoot side cattle treatment and management, which could be of use to the 1 million cattle producers in the U.S. If this hits, it's yet another growth driver in 2024 for Butterfly. I'd like to conclude by restating my belief that conservatively, Butterfly will return double-digit growth this year. I believe aside from tough comps in Q2, we will deliver accelerating revenue growth each quarter throughout the year. And it doesn't stop there. Butterfly is well into development of our fourth generation chip, with our longstanding chip partner, DSMC, the world's leading semiconductor foundry. And as I've discussed before, Moore's Law is on our side. Our chip will continue to get faster, more advanced, more compact. This coupled with our beam-steering capability will be core to our wearable strategy in the future, analog, ultrasound, [beware] [ph]. Before I turn the call back to the operator for questions, I wanted to make sure that you're aware that we'll be holding an Investor Day, Monday, March 18th at the New York Stock Exchange. I'm very excited for this event, where we'll unpack more of our innovations, will have demonstrations and tables and discuss our pathway in the wearables and the home that we will begin introducing in the first half of '25, which will help drive growth past '24. The future of Butterfly's ultrasound-on-chip is one where doctors monitor patients in their homes. which represents a sizable TAM when considering the more than 150 million patients globally living with chronic diseases. So thank you again, and operator, we can now open the call for questions. See also 11 Best Semiconductor Equipment Stocks to Invest In and 20 Highest Quality Skincare Brands in 2024. To continue reading the Q&A session, please click here. FREDERICKSBURG, Texas (KXAN) Central Texans looking for a way to commemorate the April 8 total eclipse have plenty to choose from, including a two-day festival in Fredericksburg. The Arch Ray Resort will host its two-day Arch Ray Solar Eclipse Fest on Sunday, April 7, and Monday, April 8, 2024, at the Living Tree Amphitheater. The lineup includes bands like the Goo Goo Dolls, Fastball, Switchfoot, and more. Taxidermy, massages & weddings: Unique Texas eclipse festivals prepare for April 8 There are limited tickets available to allow an intimate, exceptional experience, a release about the event noted. Tickets start at $129. Arch Ray Eclipse Festival poster (Courtesy: Arch Ray Eclipse Festival) Guests at the Arch Ray Solar Eclipse Fest will get overnight accommodations for RV boondocking and full access to the resort with a winery, brewery, distillery, and restaurant, plus spacious grounds for an ideal location to view the totality of the eclipse. Texas eclipse map: Which cities will have the best view? Live music schedule: Sunday, April 7: Slim Bawb 12:55 p.m. Hank Williams IV 2:30 p.m. Matt Daniel 4:05 p.m. Lane Smith 5:40 p.m. Cory Morrow 7:15 p.m. Kyle Park 9:00 p.m. Monday, April 8: Nautical Nation w/ Brock Bushong 12:15 p.m. Audic Empire 1:50 p.m. Timothy Howls 4:05 p.m. Fastball 5:40 p.m. Switchfoot 7:15 p.m. Goo Goo Dolls 9:00 p.m. Tickets: $129-$269 General Admission, $199 Early Bird Special Tier 3 Pricing $129 Tier 2 Pricing $199 Tier 1 Pricing $269 (Front Of Stage; comes with a poster or some other type of memorabilia) For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. By Jonathan Allen NEW YORK (Reuters) - FBI agents searched the New York City home of a senior policy adviser to Mayor Eric Adams early on Thursday, according to News 12. The FBI, which typically does not publicly discuss ongoing investigations, did not respond to questions about the search by dozens of agents at the Bronx home of Winnie Greco. But it comes after the FBI seized the mayor's electronic devices in November and searched his chief fundraiser's home as part of a criminal inquiry into whether Adams' 2021 election campaign team conspired with a Brooklyn construction company and the Turkish government to illegally obtain foreign donations, the New York Times has reported. Greco could not be reached for comment and it was unclear whether she had an attorney. She went on leave from work on Thursday, according to City Hall. She has volunteered and worked with the mayor for many years, both as a fundraiser on his election campaign and presently as his adviser for Asian affairs. A spokesperson for the mayor released a statement repeating earlier statements that the mayor has not been accused of any wrongdoing. No one has been charged in the federal investigation into the mayor's campaign fundraising. "Our administration will always follow the law, and we always expect all our employees to adhere to the strictest ethical guidelines," the statement said. "As we have repeatedly said, we don't comment on matters that are under review, but will fully cooperate with any review underway." The FBI also searched two other properties on Thursday including a second home belonging to Greco, the New York Times reported, citing unnamed officials. In November, the city's Department of Investigation opened an inquiry into Greco at the request of City Hall following a report by The City news outlet that she had tried to benefit from her government position in violation of city ethics rules. (Reporting by Jonathan Allen in New York; Editing by Daniel Wallis) SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) Happy leap year, Utah! As we reflect on the month weve seen quite the weather roller coaster, from several atmospheric river events to massive temperature fluctuations. Salt Lake City saw precipitation at least twice a week every week, 18 out of the 29 days had some sort of measurable precipitation. The average total precipitation for February was 1.36 inches, but this month we ended with an impressive 3.37 inches of precipitation. That makes this month the 5th wettest February on record for Salt Lake. Above average warmth and increasing winds for Thursday; wet weather looming While we did see ample precipitation, we got a surprisingly small amount of snow. Thats all thanks to this months unseasonably warm weather. The average temperature for the month is 35.7 degrees, but so far this month it was 40.8 degrees, making this the 8th warmest February on record. We have one more day before the end of the month, so the final number may be slightly different, but it will likely hold its 8th warmest title. Warm temperatures are responsible for all the valley rain and mountain snow systems weve seen. Only 1/3 of the storm days resulted in snow, out of the 18 days Salt Lake saw precipitation, only six yielded any measurable snowfall. The most snow from a single storm was 2.4 inches from only a few days ago. Monthly totals came out to a modest 4.6 inches, whereas the average is 11.2 inches of snow. While valleys may have been left out of the snow party, the mountains definitely took advantage of the moisture. Resorts reported seeing roughly 70-100 inches over the month, while resorts in the Salt Lake region averaged 147 inches of new powder. Snowpack for the whole state is currently at 117%, meaning we are 17% above average for this time of year. With how dynamic this month has been, its not far-fetched to expect records to be broken. The storm that swept through from the Feb. 6 to Feb. 8 brought the bulk of the records, but there were plenty more. Given over half our days were marked with rain and snow, its no surprise that most of the records broken involved precipitation. Salt Lake Citys 3.7 inches of precipitation makes this the 5th wettest February. Meanwhile, Logan had their 2nd wettest February ever with 3.78 inches, only beaten by its 2017 record of 4.29 inches. Logan and Alta Ski Area both saw their 6th snowiest February, with Logan measuring 15.5 inches and Alta measuring a whopping 128.8 inches of snow. Daily records were broken as well, below are the new daily records set for this month separated by date: Feb. 2 - Salt Lake City Intl Airport: 1.08 of precip old record: 0.89 (1936) - Capitol Reef National Park: 0.51 of precip old record: 0.41 (1955) - St. George: 0.70 of precip old record: 0.62 (1960) Feb. 6 - Kodachrome Basin SP: 0.18 of rain old record: 0.04 (2010) - Deer Creek Dam: 0.55 of rain old record: 0.37 (1978) Feb. 7 - Salt Lake City Intl Airport: 0.79 of precip old record: 0.45 (1918) - Downtown Salt Lake City: 0.78 of precip old record: 0.19 (1998) - Bryce Canyon: 1.0 of precip old record: 0.78 (2010) - BYU Provo: 0.80 of precip tied record: 0.80 (1925) - City Creek Water Plant: 1.55 of precip old record: 1.50 (1950) - Bryce Canyon: 15.5 of snow old record: 6.0 (1998) Feb. 8 - Kodachrome Basin SP: 4.8 of snow old record: 2.0 (2009) - Levan: 7.7 of snow old record: 6.0 (1893) - Levan: 0.86 of precip old record: 0.70 (1893) Feb. 19 - Downtown Salt Lake City: 61 high temperature old record: 60 (2015) Feb. 21 - Logan: 3.1 of snow old record: 2.0 (2016) - Randolph: 8.0 of snow old record: 6.0 (1984) What an eventful February! Were excited to see how March shakes out! For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah. GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) Two years after Target 8 confronted a contractor accused of ripping off a West Michigan family, the suspected scammer is facing a new foe: the United States government. A federal grand jury voted to indict Matthew James Mencarelli, 38 of Belmont, on seven counts of wire fraud. Target 8: Rockford-area contractor accused of taking cash, not delivering The indictment, filed Tuesday, alleges that Mencarelli convinced multiple people to invest hundreds of thousands of dollars in projects that did not exist. He used the proceeds from the alleged scheme, which totaled $718,680, to pay off earlier victims or for personal expenses, federal prosecutors wrote in an indictment filed in U.S. District Court in Grand Rapids. The scheme consisted of Mencarelli soliciting individuals to invest in infrastructure construction projects pursuant to contracts Mencarelli, or others he was supposedly working with, had secured with state and local governmental entities, wrote Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen P. Baker. According to the indictment, Mencarelli told some unsuspecting investors that he, or someone with whom he was working, had a contract to lay fiber optic cable in or near Traverse City. In some instances, Mencarelli falsely represented that to maintain the government contract, he had to show the governmental entity that he had a large sum of cash on hand as a form of surety, and so told the investor that there was no risk associated with the investment, as Mencarelli simply needed such a sum of cash to show the government entity, and it would remain untouched in a bank account until it was paid back with interest, wrote Baker in the indictment. Prosecutors added that, in fact, Mencarelli had no such government contract, maintained no such account of funds, and was not working with anyone else who had such a government contract. Target 8 first exposed Mencarelli in November 2021 after he took $9,000 from Jeff and Becki Agar to begin renovating the basement of their Rockford home. The goal of the project was to create a space where Johnny Agar, who has cerebral palsy and uses a motorized chair, could live more independently. The Agars are well-known in the community and beyond because Johnny, now 29, and his dad, Jeff, compete in endurance races as a father-son team. But the Agars told Target 8 they could not endure any more excuses or unfulfilled promises from Mencarelli who, six months after receiving their $9,000, had not started the renovation. The Agars asked for their money back but told Target 8 Mencarelli never produced it. The Agars did, however, receive an extraordinary gift from West Michigans community of builders, one of whom reached out to Target 8 to offer his services to the Agars for free. Ultimately, in less than a month and just in time for Christmas workers from at least a half a dozen companies came together to turn the Agars basement into a dream apartment for Johnny. The grateful family called it a Christmas miracle. The team of Secret Santas donated their skill and time, as well as all of the materials. Christmas miracle after contractor allegedly ripped off Rockford family Two years later, Mencarelli is facing federal charges in an entirely different alleged scam. That is sad, said Becki Agar of the indictment. Target 8 checked in with the Agars Thursday morning. I feel bad for the people he scammed, obviously, us being one of them, said Becki Agar. But I feel bad for his family too. I feel bad for him. I wish hed have gotten help a long time ago But hes hurt so many people. Its probably best that hes having to be held accountable. In the indictment made public Tuesday, federal prosecutors said Mencarelli committed seven instances of wire fraud in 2020 and 2021 involving six alleged victims. On May 7, 2020, according to the indictment, Mencarelli sent an email with a fake bank statement attached to it falsely representing a $160,300 wire transfer to an (alleged victims) bank account. In September and October 2020, in three separate transactions, Mencarelli caused to be deposited through wires $75,000 into his Matthews Woodworking bank account with TCF Bank, stated the indictment. In January and February 2021, Mencarelli allegedly deposited through wires another $485,000 into his business bank account in three different transactions. While the fraud detailed in the indictment totals $560,000, federal prosecutors said Mencarelli received at least $718,680 in total, proceeds they said hed obtained directly or indirectly, through the offenses charged. The wire fraud charges carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. According to the indictment, if convicted, Mencarelli must forfeit any property derived from the alleged fraud, including but not limited to the $718,680 and the Belmont property on which hes been renovating a house. Mencarelli, reached by phone Wednesday evening, told Target 8 he knew nothing about any federal indictment. He said the wire fraud allegations were quashed or squashed two years ago. Mencarelli shared his attorneys name with Target 8 but declined to say in what city the lawyer practices. He also promised to text Target 8 his attorneys phone number but never did so. Target 8 contacted a lawyer of the same name in Portage, but we did not hear back. The Agars, meanwhile, remain grateful to the team of contractors that stepped in to finish what Mencarelli never started. Oh my gosh, its been such a blessing for us, said Becki of Johnnys renovated apartment. I mean as soon as you got here, (Johnny) said, Can I offer you something to drink? Thats what he loves to do. This is his space. He claims it. But he loves having friends over. Johnny is getting ready to celebrate his 30th birthday. What I like best about my apartment is just having my own space to decompress and gather my own thoughts, said Johnny. And just being able to welcome guests and have a lot of my friends down here and not have to worry about mom and dad looking over my shoulder. Its awesome. I love mom and dad, but its nice to have my own space. The Agars said the apartment also gives Johnny the invaluable opportunity to learn, grow and work on becoming more independent. Were just so very thankful to all the people who worked on this space, said Becki. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com. By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Benin and Chad have formally notified the United Nations of their intent to contribute personnel to an international force to help Haitian national police fight armed gangs, a U.N. spokesman said on Thursday. Contributions of $10.8 million have also been deposited into a trust fund to support the multinational security support mission, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters, adding that further pledges of $78 million had also been made. The United Nations Security Council authorized in October a foreign security mission to Haiti, a year after the Caribbean country asked for help to fight violent gangs that have largely overrun its capital Port-au-Prince. The 15-member council's resolution requires countries to inform U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres of their participation in the security mission. While approved by the Security Council, the mission is not a U.N. operation. The response to Haiti's request for help was delayed due to a struggle to find a country willing to lead a security assistance mission. Kenya stepped forward last year with a pledge of 1,000 police, but a local court later barred the move as unconstitutional. Kenyan President William Ruto has said the plan will go ahead, however it has not yet notified Guterres. Dujarric said Benin has said it plans to send about 1,500 personnel. It was not immediately clear how many personnel the remaining four countries have pledged. Separately, the United Nations said some 5.5 million people in Haiti - half the population - need humanitarian assistance and it is appealing for $674 million in 2024. Last year the U.N. only received a third of the money it requested, said U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator for Haiti Ulrika Richardson. (Reporting by Michelle Nichols; editing by Jonathan Oatis) TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law permitting the public disclosure of grand jury testimony, paving the way for officials to release documents from the secretive 2006 Jeffrey Epstein case. The bill, HB-117, states in part that grand jury testimony may be disclosed so long as the subject of the grand jury inquiry is deceased, the grand jury inquiry related to criminal or sexual activity between the subject of the grand jury investigation and a person who was a minor at the time of the alleged criminal or sexual activity. According to DeSantis, the law will spearhead the release of records related to the grand jury case where a single criminal charge was brought against Epstein, despite prosecutors identifying over 30 victims. Some of the people who claimed he abused them at his Palm Beach home were as young as 14 years old. Gov. Ron DeSantis signs HB-117 When police raided Epsteins home in 2006, they found hidden cameras believed to have been used to document the abuse, as well as several photos of young girls. The FBI stepped in after the Palm Beach Police Chief requested Epstein be charged with several offenses and accused the state prosecutor of being too lenient with Epstein. The then-state attorney, in an unusual move, decided to present evidence to a grand jury, which would legally seal the identities of those involved and the details of the accusations. Epstein pleaded not guilty to the single charge of procuring for prostitution a girl below age 18 as part of a deal negotiated between his lawyers and the state attorney. According to the Miami Herald, the deal essentially shut down an ongoing FBI probe into whether there were more victims and other powerful people who took part in Epsteins sex crimes. After spending just 13 months in jail housed in a private wing and permitted to leave for up to 12 hours a day Epstein walked free until his July 2019 federal sex trafficking arrest. He died by suicide in his jail cell just over a month later. Epsteins longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted of sex trafficking and conspiracy in 2021 for helping Epstein groom his victims. Haley Robson Two victims of the disgraced billionaire joined DeSantis at the Palm Beach Police Department on Thursday. Haley Robson, a former teen recruiter for Epstein, said victims are still healing from the abuse, and she hopes the law will bring some closure. Im trying to put the final pieces of this puzzle together so I can move on and finally get the peace I deserve for my life, Robson said. Im so grateful for this bill. Really, I just want to know why Jeffrey Epstein was given such grace and mercy for his inhumane crimes. Robson also wants to know why the young victims were scrutinized so heavily in the media. She said the victim-shaming that arose from the high-profile case was psychologically damaging and led some to retract statements out of fear. Jena-Lisa Jones Jena-Lisa Jones was 14 years old when she was sexually assaulted by Epstein. Weve been left in the dark for so long, with no answers as to what was going on and why things played out the way that they did, Jones said. It would have saved literally hundreds of girls from being put in a position none of us ever wanted to be put in. Both women said they were grateful to the legislature for passing the bill. Its going to shed light on what Ive known this entire time. Im excited to see what is and what isnt included in these documents, Robson said. I think its going to be groundbreaking. Grand jury documents from the Epstein case will be authorized for release on July 1, when the law goes into effect. When Robson asked DeSantis if the documents were allowed to be altered before they are released, he said the judge is allowed to redact some things, but the law is structured in a way thats disfavored. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to PIX11. Some of the living survivors of the Dozier School for Boys and their supporters celebrated on the 4th floor rotunda of the Capitol on Feb. 29, 2024. (Photo credit: Mitch Perry/Florida Phoenix) Quality Journalism for Critical Times The Florida House unanimously approved legislation Thursday to provide $20 million for victims who endured physical beatings and sexual abuse decades ago at the then-Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys in North Florida. The measure (HB 23), sponsored by Escambia Republican Michelle Salzman and Duval Republican Kiyan Michael, calls for providing a one-time payment program of $20 million through the state Department of Legal Affairs. The boys confined between 1940 and 1975 and were subjected from the abuse at the Dozier School for Boys in Marianna and the Okeechobee reform school, another state-based institution known for its abusive nature, would be compensated. The proposal also says that the Commissioner of Education may award a standard high school diploma to a person who is compensated who has not completed high school graduation requirements. The measure still needs to be approved in the Florida Senate (SB 24) before it would go to Gov. Ron DeSantis desk for his consideration. According to a bill analysis, there were reports of children being chained to walls in irons, brutal whippings and peonage at Dozier as early as 1901. In the first 13 years of operation, six state-led investigations took place. After former Dozier School students began to publish accounts of the abuse, their complaints gained traction. Ultimately, Gov. Charlie Crist in 2008 directed the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to investigate the Dozier School and the deaths that were alleged and occurred at the school. Dozier survivors have been coming to Tallahassee for years, hoping to persuade the Legislature to get compensation for their suffering. In between that time, the school was closed after a federal investigation in 2011, and lawmakers gave a formal apology to the survivors back in 2017. Several lawmakers said on the floor of the House on Thursday that they had visited the Dozier School in recent years, and that they have never forgotten that visit. It was a harrowing experience, said St. Petersburg-based Democratic Rep. Lindsay Cross. You can feel the evil. You can feel the negativity, years, decades, after those atrocities happened, and so this is our opportunity, and it can never repay the price that these boys had the pain that they endured and their families and the not knowing what happened to those children. The vote was emotional for many of the victims who sat in the House gallery on Thursday, with more than a dozen people there. After the vote, in the Capitol rotunda on the 4th floor, retired Army Ranger Captain Bryant Middleton, said: This absolutely validates everything that we have said. To hear the representatives say that they went to the White House (the name of the small white building on the Dozier campus where former students were punished). That they saw the White House. We lived in the White House. That was our way of life. They beat us daily in that place. This is validation. This proves that we told the truth that we were honest, that we were sincere, and the people who lied in Jackson County, who denied it here in the state of Florida, here in this very building. This is the proof that we were telling the truth. House Speaker Paul Renner, after the vote, took a moment to acknowledge the gravity of the situation. What bothered me most is that what we had done to date was simply put up a sign that said, were sorry. he said. And my response to that was thats not enough. So today weve done something more than just say were sorry. Florida Democratic Sen. Darryl Rouson, the bill sponsor in the Senate, said earlier this week that there are an estimated 400 living survivors from the Dozier and Okeechobee schools, meaning that they could each individually receive about $50,000. The post Florida House approves $20 million for victims abused at Dozier School for Boys appeared first on Florida Phoenix. Senate President Kathleen Passidomo said she thinks Gov. Ron DeSantis will veto legislation this week that would ban social media for minors in Florida younger than 16. The Legislature would then send another bill to the governor with language more palatable to him, she explained. "My understanding is that they are in a really good spot," the Naples Republican told reporters during a Thursday afternoon press conference. She's referring to DeSantis and House Speaker Paul Renner, a Palm Coast Republican who is term limited this year. The ban (HB 1) was his priority bill this session, slated to end next Friday. He and DeSantis met Monday, according to a daily calendar released by the governor's office. When asked about the meeting Wednesday, Renner said they were "looking at alternatives" but that he didn't have anything to announce it. If in fact the bill is vetoed, Passidomo predicted the House would quickly bring forward another bill (HB 3) and modify it with language DeSantis agrees on. That bill, in its current form, requires age verification for pornographic websites. It has remained out of the spotlight for weeks, as its provisions were added to the social media bill now before DeSantis. Renner and other legislative proponents of the bill continually tinkered with it as it moved through both chambers, trying to make it more likely to survive expected legal challenges and more likely to get DeSantis' signature. Similar measures have stalled in other states. The governor has said for more than a month that he thinks parents should have a say in whether their child uses social media. He had concerns the legislation wouldn't survive in the courts. He even criticized it hours before the House passed the bill, saying it wasn't "there yet." Tina Descovich, left, and Tiffany Justice, co-founders of Moms for Liberty, speak at a meeting of the parents' rights group in Philadelphia in June 2023. Justice says parents should control their children's use of social media, not the government. Tiffany Justice, co-founder of the conservative Moms for Liberty, has objected to the proposal not having an exception for a parents permission: Parents have fundamental rights to direct the upbringing of their children, she said in an interview. Youre not allowed to abuse your children. But should the government be controlling whether or not your kids use social media? Some of the changes lawmakers made to the legislation in recent weeks included tweaking the definition of a social media platform. Affected ones must in part have "addictive features," including infinite scrolling, push notifications and auto-play videos. Bill proponents have said the bill is focused not on banning minors or targeting platforms, but on making those platforms make changes to their features. "It's a major existential threat to this generation and coming generations," Renner said on Wednesday. This reporting content is supported by a partnership with Freedom Forum and Journalism Funding Partners. USA Today Network-Florida First Amendment reporter Douglas Soule can be reached at DSoule@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: DeSantis will veto Florida social media bill: Passidomo OSHKOSH, Wis. (WFRV) Families and hospitals across northeast Wisconsin are welcoming Leap Day babies to the world on Friday, and one Fond du Lac woman shares a unique tie with her leapling son, as both now share a Leap Day birthday. Mother Lisa Barkow, and son, Cole, share Leap Day birthdays. (Photo credit: Aurora BayCare) Lisa Barkow, and her husband Andrew, celebrated the birth of their son, Cole, at 8:10 a.m. on February 29, 2024, in Oshkosh. The fascinating part? Lisa was born on a Leap Day as well. These baby names are expected to trend in 2024 and these could go extinct According to officials from the Aurora BayCare Medical Center, it is estimated that only about five million, or around 0.07% of the total population, have a February 29 birthday. The chance of being born on Leap Day? One in 1,461. Those odds give Lisa and Cole the unique bond of both being leaplings. Congratulations to the entire Barkow family! For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay, Appleton. Image source: The Motley Fool. C3.ai (NYSE: AI) Q3 2024 Earnings Call Feb 28, 2024, 5:00 p.m. ET Contents: Prepared Remarks Questions and Answers Call Participants Prepared Remarks: Operator Good day and thank you for standing by. Welcome to the C3.ai's third-quarter fiscal year 2024 conference call. At this time, all participants are in a listen-only mode. After the speakers' presentation, there will be a question-and-answer session. [Operator instructions] Please be advised that today's conference is being recorded. I would now like to hand the conference over to your speaker today, Amit Berry. Please go ahead. Amit Berry -- Investor Relations Good afternoon and welcome to C3.ai's earnings call for the third quarter of fiscal year 2024, which ended on January 20 -- January 31st, 2024. My name is Amit Berry, and I lead investor relations at C3 AI. With me on the call today is Tom Siebel, chairman and chief executive officer; Juho Parkkinen, chief financial officer; and Hitesh Lath, chief accounting officer. After the market closes today, we issued a press release with details regarding our third-quarter results as well as a supplemental to our results, both of which can be accessed through the Investor Relations section of our website at ir.c3.ai. This call is being webcast and a replay will be available on our IR website following the conclusion of the call. During today's call, we will make statements related to our business that may be considered forward-looking under federal securities laws. These statements reflect our views only as of today and should not be considered representative of our views as of any subsequent date. We disclaim any obligation to update any forward-looking statements or outlook. Should you invest $1,000 in C3.ai right now? Before you buy stock in C3.ai, 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 C3.ai wasnt one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Story continues 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 26, 2024 These statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations. For a further discussion on material risks and other important factors that could affect our actual results, please refer to our filings with the SEC. All figures will be discussed on a non-GAAP basis unless otherwise noted. Also, during today's call, we will refer to certain non-GAAP financial measures. A reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP measures is included in our press release. Finally, at a time in our prepared remarks, in response to your questions, we may discuss metrics that are incremental to our usual presentation to give greater insight into the dynamics of our business or our quarterly results. Please be advised that we may or may not continue to provide this additional detail in the future. And with that, let me turn the call over to Tom. Tom Siebel -- Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Thank you, Amit. Good afternoon, everyone, and thank you for joining our call today. C3.ai had a great third quarter. Total revenue of 78.4 million grew 18% year over year, exceeding the high end of our guidance range. The total number of customer engagements was 445, an increase of 80%, compared to 247 a year ago. Subscription revenue was 70.4 million, constituting 90% of total revenue and increasing 23% from a year ago. Non-GAAP gross profit was 54.7 million, representing a 70% gross margin. Our GAAP operating loss was 82.5 million. Our non-GAAP operating loss was 25.8 million, better than our guidance for a loss of 40 million to 46 million. Our non-GAAP net -- our non-GAAP net loss per share was $0.13. We ended the quarter with $723.3 million in cash, cash equivalents, and investments. All these numbers exceeded our guidance and exceeded analyst consensus. This is the 13th consecutive quarter as a public company in which we have met or exceeded our revenue guidance range. None of this should have come as a surprise. The enterprise AI market is on fire. We have been predicting for some years that the market for enterprise AI would be quite large. Those predictions were subject to much speculation in the analyst community and media. As of February 2024, I believe it's broadly resolved that the enterprise AI market opportunity is substantially larger than anyone predicted, constituting a secular change in the composition and growth rate of enterprise software writ large. Cloud infrastructure is scaling rapidly. Nvidia Group, 265% year over year. Nvidia's data center GPU sales grew by 409% year over year. Now, some believe this capacity is built -- is being built to use LLMs to write Christmas cards in the style of Charles Dickens, OK, and write college application essays to Yale. But that's simply not the case. This capacity is being built to run enterprise AI applications. Stochastic optimization of the supply chain, supply network risk, predictive maintenance, demand forecasting, fraud detection, perception optimization, customer engagement, predictive medicine, precision medicine, and government services. And that is what we do at C3 AI. So, as we power into 2024 and 2025, the world is very much coming our way. C3 AI has been preparing for this enterprise AI market explosion for 15 years. We started in 2009 at the infancy of AWS. This is before Azure and before Google Cloud even existed, OK? We carefully designed, developed, and tested a reference AI software platform architecture, now known as the C3 AI platform. We then used that platform to design, develop, and bring to market over 45 production enterprise AI applications that address the value chains of manufacturing, financial services, agribusiness, chemicals, lumber, paper products, utilities, oil and gas, state and local government, defense and intelligence. The market for enterprise -- the market interest in enterprise AI is staggering. Virtually, all commercial, military, and government organizations are focused today on leveraging AI to improve their operations, optimize their processes, and transform their businesses. Our qualified opportunity pipeline has increased by 73% from a year ago. Now, this is led by C3 Generative AI opportunities. Our go-to market with partners is driving strong pilot additions, and it's still in the earliest innings. In the third quarter, we closed 62% more bookings with our partner network than we did in Q2, 337% more bookings than a year ago. Bottom line, the market demand for enterprise AI products is overwhelming. Customers. In the commercial sector, in Q3, we signed new agreements with Boston Scientific, Pantaleon, Booz Allen, Southwire, Carpenter Technology Corporation, Florida Crystals, Santa Ana Agriculture, Cerveceria Guatemala, AbbVie, T-Mobile, Bloom Energy, Ball Corporation, DLA Piper, Carlisle Companies, and Holcim, among others. Holcim, a European leader in sustainable building solutions, embarked upon a production pilot with C3 AI beginning in May 2023 to configure and deploy the C3 AI Reliability suite. Following a successful six-month pilot, Holcim entered into a four-year subscription agreement with C3 AI to scale the reliability application across its 100 -- in excess of 100 cement plants. Holcim's predictive maintenance program monitors a large number of assets and will generate significant yearly economic value in reduced maintenance costs and production increases. Holcim is also implementing C3 Generative AI to enrich the reliability application and to assist with complex machinery troubleshooting. Another example, DLA Piper, a global law firm pioneering technology innovation in the legal sector, worked with C3 AI to create a first-of-kind generative AI application to streamline the analysis of complex legal agreements. In just three months, DLA Piper applied C3 Generative AI to reduce the time it takes to create over 200-point due diligence analyses of limited partner agreements, and it reduced the effort by 80%. As a result of this application, DLA Piper is realizing new operational efficiencies and freeing up their attorneys' time to focus on delivering increased value to their clients. State and local government had a huge quarter, generating 29% of our bookings. Lighthouse agreements with San Mateo County, Daly City, and Riverside County, California are spearheading growing awareness for our state and local governments' suite of applications, and we're now closing deals nationally. We see a huge potential to expand our footprint to the counties, cities, and municipalities across the United States. San Mateo County Sheriff's Office and the Daly City Police Department both signed multi-agency expansion contracts for the C3 AI Law Enforcement application as a countywide crime investigation platform to combat organized retail, vehicle, and cargo theft. This contract involves a combined 15 local police departments and 16 agencies deploying the application in -- in coordination, including Burlingame, Daly City, the City of San Mateo, San Bruno, Atherton, Redwood City, South San Francisco, Menlo Park, Foster City, Belmont, Pacifica, East Palo Alto, Colma, Broadmoor, Brisbane and others. These deployments promise to significantly decrease the investigative timelines to solve crimes and empower multi-agency collaboration to help prevent crime. These -- these engagements -- engagements were funded through the Organized Retail Threat Grant from the California Board State -- the Board of State and Community Corrections. And by the way, of all the submissions to the -- to -- to this board, San Mateo County submission ranked No.1, OK, as the -- in priority as -- as the best submission in the state, OK, with C3 AI Law Enforcement being the top investment in their initiatives to combat retail theft in the state of California. We also executed an agreement -- actually, multiple agreements, OK, with San Mateo County to deploy C3 AI Property Appraisal, C3 AI Loss -- Law Enforcement, and C3 AI Generative -- and C3 Generative AI applications. The assessors and county clerks, recorders and Elections Office licensed C3 AI Residential Property Appraisal and C3 AI Commercial Property Appraisal to kind of modernize the appraisal of over 230,000 parcels each year, constituting more than $300 billion in assessed property value, and to do this more accurately, more equitably, more expeditiously, and more defensively. Our U.S. federal business continues to show significant strength. Third-quarter revenue was up over 100% year over year, and bookings were up 85%. We signed new and expansion agreements with the Missile Defense Agency, the Department of Defense, the United States Air Force, and the U.S. intelligence community, including seven new generative AI agreements at the Missile Defense Agency, the United States Air Force, JROC, and the U.S. Marine Corps. We have a really substantial growth opportunity in federal, and we're laying the groundwork to seize it. We're getting strong traction with partners in this federal space, not the least of which is AWS. We've deployed our federal solutions on the AWS Marketplace for the U.S. intelligence community in June of last year, and we're basically on speed dial collaborating with -- with AWS federal executives every day in the defense and intelligence communities. Additionally, and importantly, we entered into an enhanced partnership agreement with Paradyme. This is a -- this is a high-end professional services organization in the federal sector. And we did this to increase our capacity for deploying appropriately cleared data scientists and application engineers into our classified government installations. We've aligned with Paradyme in our commitment to support the defense intelligence communities in their critical missions related to national security. Under the new agreement, Paradyme will significantly grow its number of dedicated C3 AI staff to accelerate joint selling and to accelerate the delivery of these secure, classified, and powerful AI applications, predicting -- you know, providing predictive insights into these federal agencies. In addition, Paradyme will jointly mark up the C3 Generative AI for Defense application and the C3 AI Law Enforcement applications. I want to highlight the continued diversification in our -- in our go-to-market efforts. Our business continues to diversify across industries. In the last quarter of Q3, our bookings distribution by industry was 29% state and local government, 25% federal defense and aerospace, 16% manufacturing, 11% agribusiness, 8% chemical, 7% professional services, 2% energy and service utilities, 1% food processing and consumer packaged goods, and 1% oil and gas. Now, let's take a minute, and this is important, so please pay attention and look at the evolution of our go-to-market model. And I want to particularly talk about the transition to consumption-based pricing. You'll recall that, six quarters ago, we changed our go-to-market model from a leading with a subscription-based pricing model to leading with a consumption-based pricing model, the general idea being that rather than people licensing 10, 20, 30, 40, $50 million upfront, they would simply do a project -- a pilot project for, say, a half a million for six months. And we'll bring the predictive maintenance application, the supply chain optimization, the demand forecasting application, whatever it may be, into full production in six months and then -- to the customer for half a million dollars, which is insignificant. And if the customer likes it, they could keep it and they pay depending upon the volumes. Generally, you know, $0.40 to $0.55 per vCPU hour to run the application. Bring it live, if you like it, keep it. That was the idea. And this clearly and substantially lower the price barrier for -- for companies to engage with us. And we've seen this now in the -- you know, the size, the number of deals that we close each quarter, the size of the -- you know, of the transaction that we're doing, it's been very effective. So, this model has been and continues to be very successful in driving engagement. And our contract volume has grown as we expect it. Now, at that time, we provided expectations of vCPU consumption ramps, pricing, and pilot conversion rates. And now, we've compared this to the empirical data that we've realized over the past four quarters, and it turns out, those initial assumptions have been proved to be quite accurate. Our estimates on VPC --vCPU usage and how that ramps, those -- how that ramp, say, over four, five, six, seven, eight quarters, they're pretty darn accurate. And I would say that, you know, say, plus or minus 10% in -- you know, it's about right on. OK, we assumed a pilot conversion rate of 70%, and what we're seeing, that appears to be about right. OK, we're also pleased to share that the pricing on the converting part -- on the converted pilot is pretty much in line with our expectations. Now, when we began the transition, we assumed that virtually almost all pilots actually would convert to month-to-month pay-as-you-go consumption-based pricing. Counterintuitively, it hasn't quite worked out that way, and the empirical data show that the majority of our customers are choosing to sign multi-year subscription contracts rather than, you know, after the trial, they have the option, OK, and they're choosing to sign multi-year subscription contracts rather than month to month pay as you go. And so, why are they doing that? After pilot completion, many customers are electing to deploy multiple applications across multiple business units, and they're electing for a multiyear subscription -- committed subscription pricing model as it offers them a more predictable cost model at large scale. Now, note also, it's not quite this simple, for those of you who are working out models, because that subscription agreement also involves a consumption runtime component. So, this is not going to be easy to model, people, for those who are working on your spreadsheets. OK, now, the good news is that our customers are making significant commitments to C3 AI, and our multi-year subscription agreements are a positive indicator of the depth of their commitment. Also, our data shows that over the term of the contract, the revenue from the subscription agreements is generally equal to the revenue from our consumption agreements. So, whatever the customer chooses is fine to us because it's revenue neutral over, say, 10 to 12 quarters. Bottom line, our go-to-market transition is working as evident from the growth of our opportunity pipeline, the increase in our customer cases, and increased revenue. Now, let's take a minute and talk about generative AI because this is a -- this is a very significant market development. The opportunity ahead of us in generative AI is enormous. C3 AI has been at the vanguard of enterprise AI innovation now for 15 years. We spent 15 years building enterprise AI applications for manufacturing, supply chain, demand chain, finance, defense, intelligence, smart grid, oil and gas, etc. We -- in all fairness, we largely established the enterprise AI category. Now, with the advent of generative AI, I mean, this is fundamentally changing the nature of the market. It's changing the nature of the human-computer interface. It's unlocking new use cases, and it's breaking -- and it's creating kind of breakthrough opportunities for non-obvious applications in new industries and -- and enterprises that we might -- that we would not have expected. And we're just in the earliest days of this. Gartner predicts -- Gartner Group predicts that by 2026, over 80% of enterprises will be using generative AI, including the deployment of generative AI-enabled applications in their production environments. This is up from basically zero in 2022. Per Gartner, organizations that "do not consistently manage AI risks are exponentially inclined to experience adverse outcomes such as security failures, financial and reputational loss, and social harm," OK? We are leveraging our first-to-market advantage in scalable, trusted enterprise AI to bring secure, deterministic, hallucination-free, traceable, domain-specific generative AI solutions and generative AI-augmented applications to market. And we're seeing a groundswell of interest in all of our generative AI offerings and our remarkable uptake of the C3 Generative AI suite. Our generative AI customer activity has ramped sharply since we introduced this product to market four quarters ago. We're now applying AI -- generative AI in kind of areas where we wouldn't have expected, in operator assistance in a major manufacturing facility, customer assistance at a global financial services company, and field technical support at a major multinational manufacturing group. DLA Piper is using generative AI to significantly reduce the labor associated with limited partner agreement due diligence. Another leading law firm is using the corpus of S-1s that are contained in SEC.gov to train a large language model to reduce the attorney labor, OK, in generating first drafts of S-1 for IPO candidates. I mean, imagine you train a large learning model on the corpus of S-1s in sec.gov. And then, you want to come up with your first draft of your S-1 if and when the IPO market opens again, OK, and you put in the name, address, the finances, the key risk factors, hit the carriage return, and you know, ipso facto, you know, the first draft of the S-1 is there. And we've saved, you know, God knows how many person weeks of legal associates, where now they can just edit it and get it done. So, it's really -- this is -- this is pretty neat. Baker Hughes is using C3 Generative AI, on top of Workday and ServiceNow, to provide its global employees broad and immediate answers to all employee questions about -- you know, employee questions, policies, benefits, compensation, what have you. Riverside County in California is using C3 Generative AI to assist their staff in answering questions about citizens questions, about taxation, zoning, building codes, etc. We continue to be really impressed by the broad range of applications to which the -- this generative AI technology is applicable. In -- in Q3, we closed 17 generative AI applications pilots across a broad range of industries including federal defense, aerospace, ag, forestry, food processing, manufacturing, state and local government, chemicals, life science, and others. And these generative AI pilot spanned Europe, Latin America, North America. There are no bounds to this. We continue to drive innovation in the generative AI market with our highly differentiated C3 Generative AI solution. Our newest innovations include omni-modal data support. You've heard about multimodal. Well, multimodal doesn't cut it. Multimodal includes text and images, that doesn't get you very far. You need to include you know -- you need, you know, enterprise data, ERP, CRM, OSI PI data, telemetry, images, text, photos, voice. So, you know, in order for this -- for this dog to hunt, OK, it needs to, you know -- you know, multimodal, it doesn't get you anywhere. You need omni-modal data support, which is what we support in the C3 AI product today. We have advanced parsing and embedding capabilities with increased reasoning on tables and images within documents, OK. We have the planning and execution of complex multi-step workflows. We support multilingual support and the automatic invocation of advanced math tooling, OK. We do this in a manner that is virtually hallucination-free, OK, and it's LLM-agnostic. So, it's -- our solution here is really quite unique and it's getting a lot of traction. And we are installed today in, you know, some of the most secure installations on the planet Earth. Earlier this year -- or last year actually, then we announced in last quarter's conference call, we made a well-considered decision to accelerate our investments in generative AI to seize market share in this large and rapidly growing market opportunity. As a result of that investment, last quarter, our way -- our web page views are up 57% year over year in Q3, our organic search traffic is up 68%, and our unique visitors to our website are up an eye-popping 230%. So, this decision is already accelerating our business, already accelerating our -- our product innovation, and it's driving definitely broader market awareness of what we do in enterprise AI and in generative AI. That being said, we continue to expect that we will operate a positive free cash flow business, OK, in Q4 of -- in the next quarter. Now, while we're not giving fiscal year '25 guidance yet, we will continue to expect a positive free cash flow -- we continue to expect positive free cash flow for the full year of fiscal year '25. Talk -- talk a minute about our international users group conference, C3 Transform. We'll be holding our fifth annual international users group conference, C3 Transform, in Boca Raton next week, March 5th to 7th. Over 500 customers and partners are registered to attend, including leaders from almost every industry sector. General sessions on March 5th and 6th will be substance-packed, including C3 AI product roadmaps, C3 AI customer success stories, best practices in enterprise AI from C3 AI customers and partners, AI innovation in defense and intelligence, and discussions from experts about the past and future of generative AI. And I'm very pleased to announce that the C3 Transform general sessions will be simulcast to qualified investors and analysts, and those of you who are interested can register online beginning this Friday and -- and tune in -- in real time to participate in any of those -- to those general sessions that you would like. And I think you'll find them these are not cheesy sales pitches, folks. This is -- this is -- this is pretty substantive stuff. And for those of you who are either interested in C3 or interested in AI in general, I think you'll find it a -- you know, we hope you'll join us, and you're welcome to. In conclusion, business is good, prospects look bright, and C3.ai has returned to accelerating growth. Talk about guidance. So, given current market conditions, we are increasing revenue guidance for Q, OK, and for fiscal year -- this fiscal year, 2024. We're -- for Q4, we're anticipating revenue in the range of 82 million to 86 million. And for the year, we're anticipating revenue in the range of 306 million to 310 million. Our non-GAAP loss from operations is expected to be in the range of 43.5 million to 51.5 million for the quarter, and our loss -- our non-GAAP loss from operations for the year is expected to be in the range of 115 million to 123 million. Now, let me turn the call over to my colleagues, Juho Parkkinen, the chief financial officer; and Hitesh Lath, the chief accounting officer, for additional detail. Juho. Juho Parkkinen -- Chief Financial Officer Thank you, Tom. I will now provide a recap of our Q3 financial results and some additional color on pilot activity, then I'll discuss factors that will drive our financials in Q4 and in FY '25. All figures are non-GAAP unless otherwise noted. Total revenue for the third quarter increased 17.6% year over year to 78.4 million. Subscription revenue increased 23.4% year over year to 70.4 million and represented 89.8% of total revenue. Professional services revenue was 88.0 million and represents a 10.2% of total revenue. Gross profit for the third quarter was 54.7 million and gross margin was 69.7%. As a reminder, we continue to expect short-term pressure on our gross margins due to higher mix of pilots, which carry a greater cost of revenue during the pilot phase of the customer life cycle. Also, as we discussed last quarter, we expect short-term pressure on our operating margin due to the investments we're making in generative AI and upgrading customers to our platform version 8.3. Operating loss for the quarter was negative 25.8 million, compared to our guidance range of negative 40 million to negative 46 million. The improvement in operating loss versus guidance was driven by our team's ongoing focus on disciplined expense management, as well as the timing of additional investments we're making to capture market share. At the end of Q3, our accounts receivable balance was 173.5 million, including unbilled receivables of 102.6 million. Total allowance for bad debt remains low at 400,000, and we have no concerns regarding collections. The general health of our accounts receivable remains strong. Six quarters ago, we announced a transition from subscription-based pricing to consumption-based pricing, a standard in the industry. We anticipated and announced that this transition would have a short to medium-term negative effect upon revenue growth and RPO, as the average sales price was significantly reduced and the contracts often lack the time of certain multi-period commitment. As the transition progressed, we expected to return to revenue growth as customer engagements accelerate and customers expand their consumption. Reflecting our transition to a more consumption-based contract, we reported third-quarter GAAP RPO of 286.9 million, which is down 28.8% from last year, and current GAAP RPO of 172 million, which is down 2.4% from last year. Free cash flow for the quarter was negative 45.1 million. We continue to be very well capitalized and closed the quarter with 723.3 million in cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities. Now, I'll provide some additional metrics for the third quarter. During the quarter, we started 29 pilots, a 71% increase from last year and down 19.4% from last quarter due to the timing of the sales activity. Ten industries were represented in our pilot starts. At quarter end, we had cumulatively signed 138 pilots, of which 132 are still active. This means they're still in their original three- to six-month term, extended for some duration, converted to consumption or a licensed contract, or currently being negotiated for a production license. Our customer engagement count for the quarter was 445, an 80.2% increase from 247 a year ago. As the last item on our call today, I wanted to inform you that after three wonderful years at C3.ai, I will be stepping down as the company's CFO and assuming a role as VP of finance. I have been at C3.ai for three amazing years and two as its CFO. I'm grateful to Tom and the board of directors for the opportunity. It has been a privilege to work beside Tom and the entire executive team in this role. As you all are aware, C3.ai is a unique hyper-performance technology company, 100% in the office, incredibly hardworking, fast-paced, you have to be on 150% all the time. And for me, personally, I need to take a break and step aside for a bit and spend more time with my family. I am pleased to inform you that my colleague, Hitesh Lath, is assuming the role as CFO. I hired Hitesh about three months ago as our chief accounting officer. Hitesh comes to us from Ernst and Young, where he was a partner for over eight years and brings a total experience of 24 years spent serving large multinational technology clients. I've known Hitesh for over a decade, and in fact, when I was at Ernst and Young, I worked for him at some of the engagements. From day one, Hitesh jumped right in and was heavily involved in preparing the financials for this quarter. And I am very excited to hand the finance team into Hitesh's capable hands and expect him to continue the progress we have made and take the team to new heights. I will remain a C3.ai employee, advising Hitesh and Tom and assisting the team as necessary to make sure our operations are smooth and our financial reports continue to be pristine. Hitesh, would you like to say something? Hitesh Lath -- Chief Accounting Officer Thank you, Juho. I have been here at C3.ai for about three months, and I'm very excited to take on this role. These are great times for AI and for C3.ai, and I look forward to working with Tom and the rest of the executive team and be a part of the growth story. With that, I'd like to hand it over to the operator for Q&A. Questions & Answers: Operator Thank you. [Operator instructions] And our first question comes from Timothy Horan of Oppenheimer. Tim Horan -- Oppenheimer and Company -- Analyst Thanks, guys. Can you give us a little bit more metrics on the productivity improvements your customers are seeing or success stories? And, you know, where is generative AI adding the most value to AI as you see it now? Thanks. Tom Siebel -- Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Timothy, hi, it's Tom. Thanks for the question. I would -- you know, to the extent that you have time, either you or have one of your of associates dial in next week to our users group conference, because your customers are going to say what the productivity increases they're getting. I mean, Shell has stood up and said they're getting, you know, $2 billion in economic benefit, OK. The United States Air Force, who will be presenting, OK, at this, at this has said that they're getting a 25% increase in aircraft availability -- increase in aircraft availability from our predictive maintenance applications deployed as a standard in the Air Force. So, I mean, that's 25% increase in capability in the United States Air Force is a lot of capability. So, you know, those are two examples. Generative AI, to me, this -- there's just no telling where this goes, whether it's sitting on top of Workday, sitting on top of ServiceNow, sitting on top of SAP, sitting on top of Salesforce, driving contracts for lawyers, you know, the work we're doing at DLA Piper. I mean -- one of the applications you're going to see, like, you know, for those of you that tune in to our users group conference, they'll talk about our RSO application. This is the -- this is the application we -- this is one of the largest AI applications on Earth to support and deployed at the United States Air Force. And, you know, now we're putting -- and this -- this is -- we've used the data from 22 weapon systems into a unified federated image, F-15, F-16, F-18, F-35, KC-135, etc., and including the telemetry from many of these devices. And a B-1 bomber has 42,000 sensors emitting telemetry. It's something like eight hertz cycles. So, there's a lot of data. I think it's order of 100 terabytes of data. And like any application of this nature, it has a highly technical interface. When we put generative AI on top of it, it has a Mosaic browser user interface. The Mosaic browser, you guys know, that is basically the Google browser, OK. Google copied it, OK. And Mosaic browser came out of University of Illinois, I think, in 1993. And the -- so now, you simply -- anybody in the Air Force with the proper authority can ask any question about any weapon system -- or any weapon systems and immediately get the answer: What am I writing up [Inaudible] for F-35 squadrons in Central Europe? What's my cost of running the B-1 b program in each of the last five years? OK, what are my biggest parts issues associated with the F-35 project, whatever it may be. So, it really is -- so, as it relates to the -- you know, as we deploy these enterprise AI applications in mass across organizations, it provides a user interface, it makes the change management project process much simpler. So, these are examples in both those areas. And, you know, I don't know how this big -- how big this generative AI thing is, but it's bigger than a breadbox I can tell you that. Tim Horan -- Oppenheimer and Company -- Analyst Thank you. Operator Thank you. One moment for our next question. And our next question comes from Sanjit Singh of Morgan Stanley. Sanjit Singh -- Morgan Stanley -- Analyst Thank you for taking the questions. And sorry, Juho, to see you go, and best of luck spending time with the family. Tom, I wanted to ask a little bit about retrieval-augmented generation. It seems like that's an AI access pattern that's getting really really popular across enterprises and across AI companies. And so, there's a lot of companies sort of pursuing this opportunity. And I wanted to hear a little bit about how C3 is sort of differentiated in terms of providing this capability to enterprises. You know, what sort of differentiates RAG from C3 versus some of the other players that are -- that are trying to to make this a reality for customers? Tom Siebel -- Chairman and Chief Executive Officer OK, Sanjit, you talk about enterprise AI in general, or specifically generative AI? Sanjit Singh -- Morgan Stanley -- Analyst Generative AI, but then specifically about the retrieval-augmented generation, like, RAG, it seems like one of these use cases that's catching fire with enterprises and just wanted to see, like, how C3 is allowing customers to pursue RAG use cases. Tom Siebel -- Chairman and Chief Executive Officer OK, well -- well, RAG, usually, what we're referring to is a technology that allows the answer to be traceable, OK. It allows you to do so, when you ask the question, it tells you where the answer comes from. And most large language models will not do that, OK. The C3 generative, by combining 15 years' worth of platform architecture with the large language model, we're able to solve the generative AI equation in a -- in a highly differentiated manner, OK. The C3 AI Generative AI, when we simply generate, all the answers are deterministic, not -- not random. That means every time you ask the same question, you get the same answer. Go on to Bard or go on to ChatGPT. It doesn't work that way. Every time you ask the same -- if two people ask the same question, you get different answers, OK? Secondly, everything that we do is traceable, OK? And this is where we use a RAG, you know, retrieval-augmented generation technology so we know exactly where the answer came from, OK. And most large language models will not do that OK. Because we have the temperature turned down to zero, OK, we don't -- we don't hallucinate. If it doesn't know the answer, it doesn't tell you where the answer is. Most of these other solutions are unimodal. You know that, OK? They can input anything you want as long as you put in text. That's not useful. Now, they're thinking about multimodal. Multimodal, if you ask Andrew Ng, means, you know, text plus images. That's not that useful either. If we're going to do generative AI, for example, on this airport application, it needs to be omni-modal: text, images, graphics, enterprise data, telemetry, voice, signals, what have you. And so, we're omni-modal. We -- almost all of these other LLM solutions, whether they come from OpenAI or Anthropic or -- or Google or whoever they might be, they are LLM-specific. Our answer is we're LLM agnostic. So, you can change out the large language model every week as these guys out-innovate each other, OK. One of the big hobgoblins associated with large language models is data exfiltration. This is what -- this is what is stopping these applications from being installed everywhere. See Samsung for details. There's a lot of research, particularly coming out of university -- Carnegie Mellon, OK, that are showing the cyberattack vectors that are opened by these large language models. And then, you know, the story about Samsung with the kind of massive data exfiltration of their intellectual property onto the public internet, OK. Because the way that our system is structured, we have the LLM has no access to the data, therefore it can't exfiltrate and it's not a vector for cyber, OK. It also because it doesn't have access to the data, it doesn't have the opportunity to hallucinate, OK. Another reason why these LLMs are not being installed has to do with IP liability. The IP liability is associated with these large language models that are trained on the public internet are unbounded OK. Unbounded liability is a problem for Bank of America. Unbounded liability is a problem at Cargill. It's a -- it's a problem at any responsible organization, you know, even you know, Morgan Stanley, OK. And the -- you know, the way that -- the way that our system works, only your data are available to the large language model, so there is no IP liability problem. And finally, our solutions, our LLP, you know, we -- I already mentioned LLP -- LLM-agnostic. So, our solutions are highly differentiated from the other solutions that are out there. And for any one of those reasons I mentioned, OK, that system does not get installed at Goldman Sachs, does not get installed at Morgan Stanley, OK, Koch Industries, United States Air Force, or the CIA. That dog doesn't hunt and ours does, that's the difference. Sanjit Singh -- Morgan Stanley -- Analyst That's a super comprehensive answer, Tom, and I'm really looking forward to watching some of those sessions at C3 Transform next week. Tom Siebel -- Chairman and Chief Executive Officer And there is a session specifically on that with -- with Nikhil Krishnan who you know, James Lawrence also, OK, and for -- and Rowan Curran from Forrester Research on exactly that and at 9:15 on March 6th. I highly recommend it. Sanjit Singh -- Morgan Stanley -- Analyst Perfect. I did have one follow-up, and it goes to some of the -- the color that you provided on, you know, the customers coming out of pilot and how they're choosing to -- to license going forward. And so, with the kind of more of a shift or more of a preference, I guess, for kind of subscription contracts, directly, what does that imply for, like, quarterly revenue over the next couple of quarters, right? Because we've been trying to think that, you know, there might be a headwind as customers move to, like, consumption contracts and, you know, consumption will eventually sort of, you know, grow and that becomes revenue accretive. So, now with this mix shift, directionally, how should I think about that impacting quarterly revenue? Does that trend continue from -- from here on going forward? Tom Siebel -- Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Let's see. I'm trying to find a headwind in either of these stories, OK. Sometimes, you have to, like, offline tell me where the headwind is, OK. The -- the bottom line is the customer has the option of licensing it, you know, completely, the pilot. Say, OK, we'll take it month to month, and we'll pay for these -- for the -- for the per, you know, CPU hour, OK. Or many of them, you know, want to deal with price certainty because they plan on expanding in a pretty big way. And they say, "Hey, guys, let's talk about a three-year commitment." You know, we're going to commit to, you know, a certain amount of money in year one, year two, year three, and there's a consumption pricing component. Now, the bottom line is, Sanjit, it's revenue-neutral to us over 10 quarters, so it doesn't matter. And, you know, our business is -- our business is -- we're in the customer service business. However the customer wants to buy it, we're going to sell it. But it has really no meaningful impact on our revenue modeling. But it did come as a surprise. It's counterintuitive. Sanjit Singh -- Morgan Stanley -- Analyst Yeah. No, that's -- that's great. And I'll leave it there and give the floor to -- to the other analysts. Thank you so much, Tom. Operator Thank you. One moment for our next question. And our next question comes from Pat Walravens of JMP Securities. Pat Walravens -- JMP Securities -- Analyst Oh, great. I'd like to start with one sort of financial one. And then -- and then, Tom, I have a big picture one for you. So, you know, maybe on your way out, I mean, this is your Q3, next quarter's Q4, and then you're going to -- you're going to give us some guidance for fiscal '25 just to keep us all in check, you know, a quarter ahead of it. Yeah. Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Can we just -- can we just get some sense of what -- what -- you know, some boundaries in terms of what we should think about for -- for fiscal '25? Juho Parkkinen -- Chief Financial Officer Thank -- Pat, thanks, first of all, for that question. But I mean, we're still -- we're still planning for FY '25. I mean, we think the opportunity is massive. We're very excited about the generative AI opportunity, but it's too early for us to give you any sort of guidance as to what the FY '25 revenues look like. We are confident on free cash flow positivity for '25, however. Pat Walravens -- JMP Securities -- Analyst OK. All right. Well, that's helpful. All right, and then, Tom, the big one for you is I'm just wondering about the sort of, I think, future demand curve for, you know, nation states, sovereign clouds, that sort of thing. I had breakfast with another AI executive this week, and one of the comments he made was if you don't have access to --if you don't have your own committed access to AI in-country, you are dead. So, is he overstating the case, or is this -- is this another area where there's potentially a lot of work for you guys to do? Tom Siebel -- Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Who's you, the you don't have access? All of our -- Pat Walravens -- JMP Securities -- Analyst Pick -- pick whatever -- pick whatever. Pick the -- pick the prime minister or president of any of our allies. Tom Siebel -- Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Well, I think, you know, France, Germany, U.K., we do have sovereign access, OK. And so, we're not finding this a problem -- or data sovereignty a problem because one or more of the cloud providers does guarantee data sovereignty. I think, actually, the interesting trend, Pat, that we're seeing, and this is really counterintuitive, I think -- I think we're going to see the return of in-house data centers, OK. And, you know, I think this, you know, like what HP is leading, you know, with, what do they call it, green -- green grass, greenhouse with these supercomputers that will be inside of, you know, Goldman Sachs and -- OK, and -- and Bank of America and other firms. I think -- I think we're going to see a return to in-house data centers, believe it or not, OK, where people have the G -- will get the GPUs inside. But data sovereignty is not a difficult problem to solve, and we're able to address it. We have customers all over the world. And, you know, I believe it's a level-zero requirement. And the -- the -- you know, our friends at Azure and AWS, in particular, do kind of nail that quite well. Pat Walravens -- JMP Securities -- Analyst OK, can I -- can I go a little deeper on your comment about why we're returning to in-house data centers? Tom Siebel -- Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Why do I think that? Pat Walravens -- JMP Securities -- Analyst Yeah. Well, what are you seeing that -- that's driving that? Tom Siebel -- Chairman and Chief Executive Officer I'm hearing this in the marketplace, and even my engineers have talked about it OK, that it's going to be cost-effective for us to build. Now, the constraint is that, you know, you think, well, somebody needs to call up Jensen and beg for GPUs. So, let's say we could figure out how to do that. Maybe we know somebody who knows Jensen, OK. The -- the hard part is we can't get power. So, I think the constraint on this going for everybody is -- the constraint is availability of GPUs. I think a constraint on this soon is going to be the availability of power. You cannot get power to build a data center in Silicon Valley. You know this, right? You get, you know, northern Silicon Valley is -- is PG&E, which is I have no comment on that. And the southern -- southern Silicon Valley, some other power company I know not what, but they will not give you power for a data center. So, it's -- I think -- I think this -- I think this GPU constraint is ephemeral, and soon it's going to be power. Pat Walravens -- JMP Securities -- Analyst All right. Awesome. Thank you. Operator Thank you. One moment for our next question. And our next question comes from Mike Cikos of Needham and Company. Matt Calitri -- Needham and Company -- Analyst Great. Thanks, guys. This is Matt Calitri on for Mike Cikos over at Needham. Good to hear that the consumption transition is tracking in line with your initial targets. On that note, what can you tell us about the size of your sales force, the ramping of these reps, and the number of pilots being signed per sales rep relative to your expectations? Juho Parkkinen -- Chief Financial Officer Hi, Matt. This is Juho. So, the sales -- we are still hiring actively in all of our sales functions but not as fast as we'd like. So, we -- we -- our sales force is not as high as we initially projected when we provided these sort of assumptions, but we continue to ramp up on that. As it becomes to the ramping up the sales force, I think, previously, we've said that everybody should make some sort of expectations and assumptions in their models until they close their first pilots. But a reasonable assumption would be, you know, one and a half, two quarters before they get fully ramped up and get going on -- on -- on closing their first pilots. And then, well, Matt, what was your third question? Matt Calitri -- Needham and Company -- Analyst Just if -- if anything is -- has changed as far as, like how many pilots you're expecting each -- each rep to close. I know that was part of the initial assumptions, I think, in Q4. Juho Parkkinen -- Chief Financial Officer Yeah, I think -- yeah, yeah. Once again, we lead with the pilots sales motion. So, all the sales reps, when they close new business, is expected to meet with a target. So, we would expect each of the sales guys to bring in at least a pilot a quarter once they're fully ramped up and -- and everything's at scale, but we're not quite yet there. Matt Calitri -- Needham and Company -- Analyst OK. Great. Thanks for that. And then, has the company noted any change in the length of sales cycles this quarter versus the prior quarter, given management's comments on customer considerations for AI governance? Tom Siebel -- Chairman and Chief Executive Officer I think we published that, didn't we? Juho Parkkinen -- Chief Financial Officer We took it out from the -- the Q. So -- so -- but the sales cycle is about the same, yeah Tom Siebel -- Chairman and Chief Executive Officer It's about the same, Matt. Juho Parkkinen -- Chief Financial Officer Yeah. Tom Siebel -- Chairman and Chief Executive Officer It hasn't changed. Juho Parkkinen -- Chief Financial Officer Yeah, which is about three and a half months. Yeah. Matt Calitri -- Needham and Company -- Analyst All right. Beautiful. Thanks so much, guys. Operator Thank you. One moment for our next question. And our last question comes from Kingsley Crane of Canaccord Genuity. Kingsley Crane -- Canaccord Genuity -- Analyst Great. Thank you for taking the question. Commend you for the great Q3 and really strong momentum in the business. With respect to your comments on Nvidia and enterprise AI, I think what we're all trying to figure out is when does Nvidia's 200-plus percent growth in hardware investments start flowing into the software layer. And we're seeing some of it already, but is that more like one year, five years? I think we see the tidal wave coming, but we're all trying to time it. Tom Siebel -- Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Well, you know, Kingsley, it's a good question, you know. But I can tell you, all this infrastructure is not being put out there to, like, play games, OK? It's put out there to run enterprise AI applications. And so, these guys are out there building highway for us, and thank goodness for that. And I think that, you know, we -- you know, the -- in terms of if you look at the -- I think you're generally aware of the market interest in AI applications. And I think you're generally aware -- maybe more than generally, probably specifically aware, of the -- of the interest in generative AI applications. And that's what those GPOs are going to be doing, they're going to be running them. And the good news is they'll be there. So, it's -- you know, there's a lot of things coming into place. Kingsley Crane -- Canaccord Genuity -- Analyst Thank you. That's -- that's really helpful. And so, last one is just that we're seeing so much investment domestically. You've had such great success both with federal and state and local. How are you doing the international opportunity today both in Europe and then in regions like APAC? Tom Siebel -- Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Well, I disclosed, I think, last quarter that our performance in EMEA was significantly substandard, OK. And any -- and I was pretty clear about that. And, you know, come as a big surprise to everybody on this call, but maybe we made some organizational changes. And the -- I'm pleased to report that those changes have been quite positive. And we're seeing the -- the levels of sales activity and customer engagement increasing dramatically in the EMEA theater and, interestingly enough, the South American theater, too. So, there's that. That's -- thanks for the question. And we're seeing, you know, very positive news there. Kingsley Crane -- Canaccord Genuity -- Analyst That's great. Thank you. And, Juho, it's been fantastic to work with you. I wish you the best luck. Thanks again. Juho Parkkinen -- Chief Financial Officer Thanks, Kingsley. Operator Thank you. I would now like to hand it back to Mr. Siebel for closing remarks. Tom Siebel -- Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your time this afternoon. We appreciate the opportunity to update you on the state of our business. I can tell you that, you know, for those of you who have visited us, you know, this is a very unique place. We're the only full parking lot in Silicon Valley. There are 500 or 600 people here working with us today, shoulder to shoulder. They're here Monday through Friday, and we're working. And, you know, Chicago; Atlanta; Tysons, Washington, D.C.; London; Rome; Paris, were all at it. We have a very unique, high-performance corporate culture that I think is going to serve as a real strong competitive advantage in the long run. So, this place is just kind of vibrating with excitement. And I think for all of us involved, it's the professional experience of a lifetime. And we thank you for the opportunity to share it with you. And we look forward to bringing you up to speed next quarter. And let me just -- last thought, for those of you who got time, I really encourage you to dial in to C3 Transform next week because I think you'll -- you'll find it these are professional presentations that are quite substantive. And it will be a good use of your time if you have time. Ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much, and we look forward to talking again soon. Operator [Operator signoff] Duration: 0 minutes Call participants: Amit Berry -- Investor Relations Tom Siebel -- Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Juho Parkkinen -- Chief Financial Officer Hitesh Lath -- Chief Accounting Officer Tim Horan -- Oppenheimer and Company -- Analyst Sanjit Singh -- Morgan Stanley -- Analyst Pat Walravens -- JMP Securities -- Analyst Matt Calitri -- Needham and Company -- Analyst Kingsley Crane -- Canaccord Genuity -- Analyst More AI analysis All earnings call transcripts This article is a transcript of this conference call produced for The Motley Fool. While we strive for our Foolish Best, there may be errors, omissions, or inaccuracies in this transcript. As with all our articles, The Motley Fool does not assume any responsibility for your use of this content, and we strongly encourage you to do your own research, including listening to the call yourself and reading the company's SEC filings. Please see our Terms and Conditions for additional details, including our Obligatory Capitalized Disclaimers of Liability. The Motley Fool recommends C3.ai. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. C3.ai (AI) Q3 2024 Earnings Call Transcript was originally published by The Motley Fool A jury found former state Sen. Otoniel "Tony" Navarrete guilty of sexual conduct with a minor but not guilty on a second sexual conduct charge of molestation of a child. He faces up to two years in prison on the Class 6 felony conviction, but could also receive probation since he's a first-time offender. Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Kristin Culbertson set a sentencing date for late April. If he'd been convicted on the molestation charge, a Class 2 felony, he would have faced a minimum of 13 years in prison. The verdict followed November's mistrial on similar charges. The ex-lawmaker wore a blue suit, his face tense even after the verdict was read, offering only slight smiles to family members seated behind him. Culbertson cleared the courtroom after the verdict so lawyers in the case could speak with jurors. Navarrete, with family and friends, gathered outside the courtroom, waiting to go back in for more information about what happens next. Navarrete declined to speak with a reporter. His lawyer, Adam Feldman, said he would release a statement about the case after sentencing. Former state Sen. Otoniel "Tony" Navarrete speaks with family members and supporters outside the courtroom after a jury found him guilty on a child-sex count on Feb. 29, 2024. The jury found him not guilty on two other charges related to a teenage boy's allegations against him. Navarrete, a Democrat, was in his third term as a lawmaker when he resigned from office a few days after his August 2021 arrest by Phoenix police. A grand jury then indicted him on seven counts related to molestation allegations by two children. He pleaded not guilty and has steadfastly maintained his innocence. The jury in the first trial couldn't agree on a verdict, resulting in the November mistrial, but the Maricopa County Attorney's Office refiled the case. This time, it involved four charges and one minor victim, though prosecutors dropped one of the charges, attempted molestation of a child, before the trial. Court records state the boy alleges that Navarrete began molesting him at age 12 or 13. When he was 14 and 15, the boy said, Navarrete laid down with him while he was sleeping on at least five occasions, touching his penis and sometimes performing oral sex on him. The boy, who was 16 in 2021 when he told authorities what happened, stated he was "fearful" of Navarrete and now suffers from anxiety and anger issues. A call to Navarrete by one of the victims with police listening in became the lynchpin of the case. "Of course, I regret any bad actions that I did, absolutely wishing everything could be different. I'm sorry, mijo," Navarrete said on the call. Navarrete had faced the possibility of a 49-year prison sentence in the first trial involving two victims. The second boy, who was 13 when police began investigating, alleged that Navarrete once attempted to touch his penis, causing him to slap Navarrete's hand away. The former lawmaker rebuffed offers of a plea deal during the first prosecution attempt that would have limited his time behind bars, but still involved years of prison. Voters in the West Valley's former Legislative District 30 elected Navarrete to the Arizona House in 2016. After serving one term, he ran successfully for the state Senate in 2018 and 2020. Reach the reporter at rstern@arizonarepublic.com or 480-276-3237. Follow him on X @raystern. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Former state Sen. Navarrete found guilty of sexual conduct with minor BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) A former bookkeeper pleaded guilty to stealing more than $162 thousand from her employer over the course of four years, the Erie County District Attorneys Office announced. Carrie Zielinski, 47, of Depew pleaded guilty to one count of grand larceny in the second degree on Thursday. Between January 2019 and May 2023, Zielinski, officials said, stole $162,269.37 from a medical office in Williamsville. Officials said Zielinski was employed at the office as an office manager and accountant. Zielinski, according to authorities, committed the theft by stealing cash from co-pays paid by patients. The theft was uncovered after another employee noticed a discrepancy in the documented co-pays compared to the deposited cash and Zielinski was fired from her position, officials said. Zielinski is scheduled to return to court on May 21. If convicted of the highest charge, she faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and was released on her own recognizance. As part of the guilty plea, she is ordered to pay full restitution to the victim and two insurance companies. 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. A Modesto business alleges in a lawsuit and other court records that its former accounting office manager embezzled at least $1.8 million and is believed to have used the money to fund an extravagant lifestyle, including buying Harley-Davidson motorcycles, new cars and season tickets to San Jose Sharks, Oakland As and Las Vegas Raiders games. Attorneys for Stainless Distributors filed the lawsuit Jan. 5 in Stanislaus County Superior Court against Kelly Bradley, 50, who the lawsuit states lives in Merced County. The lawsuit also names her husband, Chad, as a defendant, as well as other unnamed defendants. The Stanislaus County District Attorneys Office filed one charge of embezzlement and one charge of money laundering against Kelly Bradley on Jan. 25, with the enhancement that the amount of the money laundered was $1 million to $2.5 million. Has pleaded not guilty in criminal case Bradley pleaded not guilty Tuesday and is not in custody after posting $10,000 bail in January. She declined to comment Wednesday about the civil and criminal allegations. But the attorney representing her in the lawsuit filed a response in court, claiming among other things that Stainless Distributors was careless and negligent, which caused and contributed to any damages it may have sustained, and is barred from relief because of the companys allegedly unconscionable behavior. Stainless Distributors is the second Modesto business to recently be rocked by allegations of embezzlement. Boyett Petroleum which delivers gasoline and diesel to 700 to 800 gas stations from California to Oklahoma filed a lawsuit Feb. 15 against its former marketing director, Anne Benisch, alleging she used her company American Express card to make $1 million in unauthorized purchases over five years, including womens clothes, shoes, apparel, beauty products, food, rent, utilities and housecleaning. Two law enforcement agencies are investigating embezzlement allegations involving two former Boyett employees. The Modesto Police Department has confirmed it is one of the agencies. Benisch, 35, has not responded to requests for comment. Stainless Distributors is a family-owned small business and, according to its website, supplies fluid handling products including pipes, valves and pumps for industrial uses, including the food service and dairy industries. Stainless Distributors hired Bradley in 2009 as its accounting office and credit manager, according to court records, which also state she was the companys bookkeeper. Court records state her duties included processing and paying bills and managing the companys accounting records. Those records included the disbursement journal that tracks check numbers, the vendor who the check was sent to, the date the check was sent and the amount of the check. Court records allege Bradley embezzled the money by writing checks to Double B Livestock, a livestock hauling business owned by Bradley and her husband. The checks were made out to B&B, B&B Inc., Double B and B&B Hauling. Bradley allegedly covered up the checks by entering false information in the disbursement journal, stating the checks were paying bills from legitimate Stainless Distributors suppliers and vendors, according to court records. At doctors office when bank called Stainless Distributors CEO and co-owner Scott Encerti wrote in court records that he discovered the embezzlement Jan. 4 when a Bank of Stockton official called him because the company did not have enough money in its account to cover some checks, including one for $21,675 written to Double B. He wrote that Double B is not one of his companys vendors or suppliers. Encerti wrote Bradley normally would have taken the call but was out of the office for a doctors appointment. Encerti wrote the bank held the check and he spoke with Bradley when she arrived at work. He alleges Bradley admitted writing the check and offered to cover it with proceeds from her 401(k) retirement account if he would not call law enforcement. He also alleges that when he asked her whether she had done this before, Bradley would not answer unless he agreed not to call law enforcement. Encerti wrote that he called the Sheriffs Department. The Bank of Stockton searched Stainless Distributors bank records and found $1.86 million in checks written to Double B, B&B, B&B Inc., Double B or B&B Hauling from May 2019 through December 2023. Court records allege the loss could grow as more records are searched. The lawsuit alleges Bradley deposited the checks in her and her husbands account at Farmers and Merchants Bank. Encerti wrote that because of the alleged embezzlement, Stainless Distributors has suffered financial hardship over the past couple of years. Stainless lost money as it was spending more to operate than it was able to generate in profit. Now we have discovered the reason it lost money ... . The lawsuit seeks to recover the embezzled money, as well as damages, and seeks temporary and permanent orders barring the spending, withdrawing and transferring of the stolen money. Encerti did not return a request made through an employee seeking comment. Attorneys representing Stainless Distributors and Bradley in the lawsuit did not respond to requests for comment. COFFEE COUNTY, Ala (WDHN) A former Elba pastor and assistant Wiregrass coroner accused of stealing nearly $9,000 from a state department almost two years ago is entering a diversion program hoping to have his charges dismissed. Philip Box is accused of stealing approximately $8,911.07 from the Alabama Coroners Association between April and September 2022 while serving as its executive director. Box was arrested in January 2024 after the Alabama Attorney Generals Office issued a warrant. Shortly after his arrest, Box revealed he intended to plead guilty. On February 29, Judge Jeff Kelly allowed Box to enter a pretrial diversion program. If Box completes the diversion program, which could consist of mandatory reporting to the District Attorneys Office and drug tests, Judge Kelley will dismiss the charges. Past WDHN reports show Box, a former pastor in Elba, unsuccessfully ran for Coffee County Coroner in 2018 and later served in the appointed deputy coroner position. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WDHN - wdhn.com. ST. LOUIS A former St. Louis middle school principal appeared in federal court on Wednesday and admitted paying a friend to kill his pregnant girlfriend. Jocelyn Peters was found shot to death inside her Central West End apartment on March 24, 2016. Peters, 30, was seven months pregnant at the time of her murder. She taught third grade at Horace Mann Elementary School in the Tower Grove neighborhood of south St. Louis. Months later, Phillip Cutler of Oklahoma was arrested in connection with the killing. St. Louis homicide detectives learned Cutler had been a longtime friend of Cornelius M. Green, who was Peters boyfriend at the time. Federal and local prosecutors alleged that Green, who was already legally married, was cheating on his spouse with Peters and got her pregnant in 2015. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Daily News Green was the former principal at Carr Lane Visual & Performing Arts Middle School, near downtown St. Louis. Green had been working for the district since 2002, serving as a teacher, assistant principal, and eventually, principal, according to the St. Louis Public Schools. Sometime in early 2016, prosecutors say Green hatched a plan to murder Jocelyn Peters and their unborn child. He reached out to his friend Cutler and offered to pay him to commit the deed. On or about March 7, 2016, Green sent a UPS package to Cutler containing $2,500 as a retainer for the crime. On March 21, Cutler traveled from Oklahoma to St. Louis to stay at Greens residence. The following day, Green traveled from St. Louis to Chicago so he wouldnt be in town when Peters was killed. Green left Cutler with keys to his car and to Peters apartment. Prosecutors allege Cutler entered Peters apartment, found her in bed, and shot her in the head with a .380 caliber gun, using a potato as a silencer. Cutler called Green to tell him hed killed Peters. Shortly thereafter, Green booked a return train ticket. Green went to the apartment, found his girlfriend murdered, and called police to report her death. The U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of Missouri charged both Green and Cutler with conspiracy to commit murder for hire and murder-for-hire. Meanwhile, the St. Louis Circuit Attorneys Office charged Green with two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of armed criminal action, and burglary, and said they would seek the death penalty in his case. City prosecutors at the time said they would also seek the death penalty for Cutler, whom they charged with two counts of first-degree murder and armed criminal action. Green is pleading guilty in federal court with the hope of avoiding a death penalty trial in St. Louis Circuit Court. According to the plea agreement, the Circuit Attorneys Office will dismiss its charges against Green if hes sentenced to life imprisonment on each count in the federal case. The plea agreement is not, however, binding for the Circuit Attorneys Office or the federal judge presiding over the case. Green will be sentenced on the morning of June 5. Meanwhile, Cutler is scheduled to appear in federal court on March 11 for the beginning of his trial. He is also awaiting trial in St. Louis City. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2. Manuel Rocha, a former US ambassador to Bolivia, admitted to acting as a Cuban agent for more than 40 years A former career US diplomat who had served as the US ambassador to Bolivia has pleaded guilty to working as an agent of Cuba for more than 40 years. Victor Manuel Rocha, 73, was charged with secretly passing information to the communist-run Cuban government since 1981 while working for the US state department. On Thursday, he changed his initial not guilty plea in a court in Miami. He is due to be sentenced at a hearing on 12 April. The move brings one of the highest profile espionage cases between Cuba and the US to an unexpectedly rapid conclusion. Thursday's court hearing was supposed to be about how to handle classified documents involved in the case, according to the Miami Herald. But instead, Mr Rocha, his lawyers, and prosecutors acknowledged that a plea deal had been struck. When Judge Beth Bloom asked him if he wished to change his plea to guilty, he responded: "Your honour, I am in agreement." He is charged with violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act by acting as a foreign agent, wire fraud and making false statements to obtain a US passport. The evidence collected by investigators includes covert recordings of Mr Rocha admitting to working for Cuba for decades, praising the late Cuban leader, Fidel Castro as "Commandante", and calling the United States "the enemy". He and his legal team now appear to have reached a similar conclusion, calculating that a guilty plea was his wisest option. The BBC has contacted his lawyer for comment. In effect, Mr Rocha must now accept the US government's accusation that he spent nearly his entire professional career working for the Cuban Revolution in US outposts in Havana and Buenos Aires while simultaneously rising in the US diplomatic service. There's been no discussion in court as yet of Mr Rocha's sentence or whether he accepted a plea bargain in exchange for his co-operation. James Olson, the CIA's former head of counterintelligence, told BBC News last month that the case illustrates how Cuba's intelligence services outwitted the US government. The US authorities have released footage of Manuel Rocha covertly recorded by an FBI agent "They owned us. They beat us. That's one of the reasons I have this personal grudge against the Cuban intelligence service because they have been so successful in operating against us," said Mr Olson. "He's a traitor. He betrayed our country. I think that's contemptible, and I don't think he's going to see the light of day again," he added. The US and Cuba have had a fraught relationship since Fidel Castro overthrew a US-backed government over 60 years ago. The US imposed a trade embargo against Cuba in the 1960s. Former President Barack Obama and former Cuban President Raul Castro took steps to normalise relations in 2015, though former US President Donald Trump later reversed many of these actions. Born in Colombia, Mr Rocha was raised in New York City and obtained degrees from Yale, Harvard and Georgetown. He worked as US ambassador to Bolivia from 1999 to 2002, according to prosecutors, and served in several government roles - including at the National Security Council - for 25 years. In addition to Bolivia, he has also served in postings in Argentina, Honduras, Mexico and the Dominican Republic. After leaving the diplomatic service, he continued in a lucrative private role consulting job as a special advisor to the US Southern Command, the part of the US military that oversees Cuba. In November 2022, an undercover FBI agent contacted Mr Rocha via WhatsApp, claiming to be a representative of Cuban Intelligence Services delivering a message from "your friends from Havana", the charging document stated. Mr Rocha agreed to meet the agent several times, including once at a food court, because there was "no possibility for anyone to see me" there, he said, according to court documents. During three meetings with the undercover FBI agent, Rocha began to divulge details about his time working as a secret agent for the Cuban government, the charging document described. Mr Rocha allegedly used the term "we" to describe Cuba and himself, and said he wanted to "protect ... what we have done". When the agent, posing as a Cuban spy, asked him "are you still with us?" Mr Rocha responded that he was "angry" to have his loyalty questioned. "It's like questioning my manhood," he said. With additional reporting by Max Matza By Marcela Ayres and Christian Kraemer SAO PAULO (Reuters) -Finance leaders from the world's largest economies failed to agree on a joint statement as they wrapped up talks on Thursday, with divisions over the wars in Gaza and Ukraine overshadowing efforts to forge a consensus on global economic development. Brazil, which hosted finance ministers and central bank chiefs from the Group of Twenty (G20) major economies, issued its own summary in lieu of a shared communique. India took a similar tack in its G20 presidency last year, but still rallied most of the G20 in condemnation of Russia for invading Ukraine. Brazil's summary, in line with a draft communique seen by Reuters on Tuesday, cited the economic risks of "wars and escalating conflicts" but urged debate on them in other venues. It also noted higher odds of a "soft landing" for the global economy, which would cool inflation without a major recession. Brazilian Finance Minister Fernando Haddad told journalists that differences among G20 foreign ministers discussing regional conflicts the week before had "contaminated" talks on the financial track, spoiling efforts to reach a joint statement. G20 officials debated late into the night and down to the final hours of the meeting how to describe the wars in a joint communique, with Russia and major Western nations at loggerheads over the language, according to people familiar with the matter. Those geopolitical tensions ran throughout the two-day meeting, at times overshadowing the formal agenda, such as discussion of a global minimum wealth tax on the ultra-rich proposed by Brazil. The G7 group of rich Western nations and Japan backed the idea of referring to the war "on" Ukraine, while Russia wanted to describe it as the war "in" Ukraine, said two people familiar with the matter. The G7 countries also backed language describing the war in Gaza as a "humanitarian crisis" with no mention of Israel, the sources said. Brazilian officials hosting the event had tried to focus talks on economic cooperation to tackle issues such as climate change and poverty, but countries including Germany pushed for a joint statement mentioning wars in Ukraine and Gaza. Japan's vice finance minister for international affairs Masato Kanda, who attended on behalf of the finance minister, brushed aside the view the G20's credibility was on the line. "Conflicts have a huge impact on the global economy. It affects energy and food prices, among other things. Therefore, it's obvious the impact must be discussed at the G20," he told a news conference after the G20 meeting. INEQUALITY AGENDA Despite the tensions hanging over the meeting in Sao Paulo, Achim Steiner, head of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), called the start of Brazil's presidency this year a success, as the only contention of the second day of finance track talks was "over a few words" in a joint statement. "Brazil had set clear priorities, for example, with their tax proposal," Steiner told Reuters on Thursday. As part of efforts to address inequality, Brazil has proposed debates on a global minimum wealth tax that would ensure increased tax contributions by super-rich individuals. "Even with slightly higher tax rates for the approximately 2,500 billionaires worldwide, very considerable additional revenue could be generated," he said. Brazil will aim to craft a statement on international taxation by the group's July summit, Finance Minister Fernando Haddad said on Thursday. He said he was expecting a report on the matter from the European Tax Observatory, which has advocated for a global wealth tax on the world's richest people, in contrast with income taxes common in most major economies. French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire expressed support on Wednesday for a global minimum tax on the world's most wealthy. (Reporting by Marcela Ayres and Christian Kraemer; additional reporting and writing by Leika Kihara; editing by Brad Haynes, Gabriel Araujo, Paul Simao, Alistair Bell, Deepa Babington and Lincoln Feast) Gang attacks near Haitis international and domestic airports in the capital left a police officer wounded and jetliners shot up on the tarmac Thursday, prompting two U.S.-based airlines to cancel flights out of Miami and Fort Lauderdale. The violence, which also targeted police facilities and an auto dealership housing the Jamaican consulate, started early in the morning with an armed gang knocking down the perimeter wall of the Haiti National Police Academy not far from the U.S. embassy in metropolitan Port-au-Prince. By mid-morning, the attacks had spread and shots were fired just north of the airports. At least one person, a Haiti National Police officer, was shot during an exchange of gunfire between gang members and police trying to quell the violence. The officer was taken to the hospital, an airport employee told the Miami Herald. At the time of the shooting, a New York-bound JetBlue Airways flight was preparing to take off from Toussaint Louverture International Airport. Though the airliner managed to depart unscathed, both Spirit Airlines and American Airlines canceled their flights out of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and Miami International Airports into Port-au-Prince. American suspended daily service between MIA and Port-au-Prince as a result of civil unrest, spokeswoman Laura Masvidal told the Miami Herald. We will continue to monitor the situation with safety and security top of mind and will adjust our operation as needed. Police take cover during an anti-gang operation at Portail neighborhood in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. Gunmen shot at the international airport and other targets in a wave of violence that forced businesses, government agencies and schools to close early. Spirit Airlines did not respond to the Heralds request for comment. A carrier based in Haiti, Sunrise Airways, confirmed that it too had canceled flights after some of our airplanes were hit by stray bullets, spokeswoman Stephanie Armand said in an email. One of those planes was a Havana-bound Sunrise Airways Airbus 320, which was hit while parked at the international terminal. A video showed a worker inspecting the damage on the belly near the jets tail. Following exchanges of fire which took place today near the Rita crossroads, endangering users of the Guy Malary terminal and causing damage to some aircraft, Sunrise Airways has decided to suspend all flights until further notice, to ensure the safety of passengers, ground crews, and aircraft, Sunrise Airways said in a statement. A bullet also pierced a window and a chair at the Guy Malary domestic airport, leading to flights being held back until the shooting stopped. Both domestic flights and U.N. helicopter flights take off from that airport. Residents flee their homes during clashes between police and gang member at the Portail neighborhood in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. Gunmen shot at the international airport and other targets in a wave of violence that forced businesses, government agencies and schools to close early. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph) The Sun Auto Car Dealership, where the Jamaican consulate is located east of the capital, in an area controlled by gang leader Vitelhomme Innocent, was also hit. Last June, an attack on the dealership forced the Jamaican government to suspend consular services in Haiti. The amount of damage this time remains unknown because police still not get to the facility Thursday afternoon. The gangs also attacked a police substation at Portal Leogane, at the southern edge of the capital, where several vehicles were torched. A Haiti National Police spokesman did not respond to a Herald request for comment and the police commissioner in charge of the airport could not be reached for comment. Late Thursday night, the police union SYNAPOHA announced on X, formerly Twitter, that four officers had lost their lives in an attack against the Bon Repos police station located not far from the airport. The armed attacks sent airport workers, school children and others running to safety. The assaults coincided with the 20th anniversary of the bloody Feb. 29, 2004, coup that forced President Jean-Bertrand Aristide from power, which ushered in a United Nations peacekeeping mission to stabilize the country. Gang leader Jimmy Cherizier, a former cop who has been sanctioned by the U.N. and the U.S., claimed responsibility for the attacks in a video posted online. Cherizier, nicknamed Barbecue, said the assaults were meant to seek out government ministers and Haiti National Police Chief Frantz Elbe and to keep Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who is on a trip to Kenya, from returning to the country. Find [Elbe] where he is and tie him up with all of the ministers and send them to Ariel Henry so that Ariel Henry cant reenter the country, Cherizier said. This population needs to be freed. With our guns and with the Haitian people, we will free the country. The violence erupted as Henry arrived in Nairobi for a state visit and hours after Caribbean Community leaders announced late Wednesday that the prime minister had committed to holding elections no later than Aug. 31, 2025. Henry reportedly made the commitment after engaging for hours in discussions with leaders of the 15-member regional bloc and representatives of the U.S., Canada, France, the U.N. and United Kingdom about the ongoing political stalemate in Haiti. The announcement by the Caribbean Community, known as CARICOM, immediately led to worries that Haiti may be headed into a new crisis. Youths raise their hands to show police they are not carrying weapons during an anti-gang operation at the Portail neighborhood in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. Gunmen shot at the international airport and other targets in a wave of violence that forced businesses, government agencies and schools to close early. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph) The U.N. Security Council and several nations have been calling on Haitis leaders to reach a broad political agreement leading to elections. But Henry and his detractors have not been able to agree on a power-sharing arrangement that could end the political stalemate that has also fueled the surge in armed gang violence. Earlier in February, after Henry failed to keep another promised deadline to step down from office on Feb. 7, 2024 thousands of Haitians took to the streets calling for his departure from office. The date was contingent on Haiti being safe enough to hold general elections. In October, the U.N. Security Council approved the deployment of an armed Multinational Security Support mission led by Kenya to help the Haiti National Police defeat the gangs. But the mission has been stalled by legal hurdles in Kenya after the Nairobi High Court blocked President William Ruto from deploying 1,000 of his police officers to the Caribbean nation to help combat gangs. During his visit to Nairobi, Henry is hoping to address some of the legal hurdles but its still uncertain if and when the mission will be able to move ahead. A bus set on fire by gang members at the Portail neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. Gunmen shot at the international airport and other targets in a wave of violence that forced businesses, government agencies and schools to close early. On Thursday, the U.N. said that it had received an official announcement from the West African nation of Benin intends to contribute personnel to the multinational mission. Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman for U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said the. U.N has now received notifications from The Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Benin and Chad of their commitments to provide security forces to the armed mission. A U.N. trust fund set up to pay for the mission has received $78 million in pledges. GASTON COUNTY, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) The Holbrook Middle School community in Lowell is in mourning following the sudden loss of one of their students on Thursday. Authorities said a middle school student was found unresponsive on a school bus as the vehicle arrived at school on Thursday morning, Feb. 29. A Lowell Police School Resource Officer working at the school attempted life-saving efforts on the child before they were rushed to Caromont Regional Medical Center. One of the tools officers utilize when confronted with unresponsive individuals is Narcan. In this incident, Narcan was administered to the juvenile, just in case there was some type of exposure to any narcotics. The Narcan did not have any effect on the juvenile, indicating this was not likely a drug overdose, Lowell and Gaston County Police explained on Thursday. MORE FROM QUEEN CITY NEWS Gaston County News Emergency personnel worked to save the child but their efforts were unsuccessful. The childs name will not be released at this time, authorities said. The Gaston County Police Criminal Investigations Unit is assisting Lowell Police in determining what occurred leading up to the childs death. While we are awaiting final results from the Medical Examiner, it appears the child suffered from a medical condition, authorities said. At this point, police do not expect any charges to be filed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. C3.ai, Inc. (NYSE:AI) Q3 2024 Earnings Call Transcript February 28, 2024 C3.ai, Inc. misses on earnings expectations. Reported EPS is $-0.60282 EPS, expectations were $-0.28. C3.ai, Inc. isnt one of the 30 most popular stocks among hedge funds at the end of the third quarter (see the details here). Operator: Good day and thank you for standing by. Welcome to the C3 AI's Third Quarter Fiscal Year 2024 Conference Call. At this time, all participants are in a listen-only mode. After the speakers' presentation, there will be a question-and-answer session. [Operator Instructions] Please be advised that today's conference is being recorded. I would now like to hand the conference over to your speaker today, Amit Berry. Please go ahead. Amit Berry: Good afternoon and welcome to C3 AI's Earnings Call for the Third Quarter of Fiscal Year 2024, which ended on January 31st, 2024. My name is Amit Berry and I lead Investor Relations at C3 AI. With me, on the call today is Tom Siebel, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Juho Parkkinen, Chief Financial Officer, and Hitesh Lath, Chief Accounting Officer. After the market closed today, we issued a press release with details regarding our third quarter results, as well as a supplemental to our results, both of which can be accessed through the Investor Relations section of our website at ir.c3.ai. This call is being webcast and a replay will be available on our IR website following the conclusion of the call. During today's call, we will make statements related to our business that may be considered forward-looking under federal securities laws. These statements reflect our views only as of today and should not be considered representative of our views as of any subsequent date. We disclaim any obligation to update any forward-looking statements or outlook. These statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations. For a further discussion on material risks and other important factors that could affect our actual results, please refer to our filings with the SEC. All figures will be discussed on a non-GAAP basis unless otherwise noted. Also during today's call, we will refer to certain non-GAAP financial measures. A reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP measures is included in our press release. Finally, at time, in our prepared remarks in response to your questions, we may discuss metrics that are incremental to our usual presentation to give greater insight into the dynamics of our business or our quarterly results. Story continues Please be advised that we may or may not continue to provide this additional detail in the future. And with that, let me turn the call over to Tom. Thomas Siebel: Thank you, Amit. Good afternoon, everyone, and thank you for joining our call today. C3 AI had a great third quarter. Total revenue of $78.4 million grew 18% year-over-year, exceeding the high end of our guidance range. The total number of customer engagements was 445, an increase of 80% compared to 247 a year ago. Subscription revenue was $70.4 million, constituting 90% of total revenue and increasing 23% from a year ago. Non-GAAP gross profit was $54.7 million, representing a 70% gross margin. Our GAAP operating loss was $82.5 million. Our non-GAAP operating loss was $25.8 million. Better than our guidance for a loss of $40 million to $46 million. Our non-GAAP net loss per share was $0.13. We ended the quarter with $723.3 million in cash, cash equivalents and investments. All these numbers exceeded our guidance and exceeded analysts' consensus. This is the 13th consecutive quarter as a public company in which we have met or exceeded our revenue guidance range. None of this should have come as a surprise. The enterprise AI market is on fire. We have been predicting for some years that the market for enterprise AI would be quite large. Those predictions were subject to much speculation in the analyst community and media. As of February 2024, I believe it's broadly resolved that the enterprise AI market opportunity is substantially larger than anyone predicted, constituting a secular change in the composition and growth rate of enterprise software writ large. Cloud infrastructure is scaling rapidly, NVIDIA grew 265% year-over-year. NVIDIA's data center GPU sales grew by 409% year-over-year. Now, some believe that this capacity is being built to use LLMs to write Christmas cards in the style of Charles Dickens and write college application essays to Yale. But that's simply not the case. This capacity is being built to run enterprise AI applications, stochastic optimization of the supply chain, supply network risk, predictive maintenance, demand forecasting, fraud detection, production optimization, customer engagement, predictive medicine, precision medicine, and government services. And that is what we do at C3 AI. So as we power into 2024 and 2025, the world is very much coming our way. C3 AI has been preparing for this enterprise AI market explosion for 15 years. We started in 2009 at the infancy of AWS. This is before Azure and before Google Cloud even existed. We carefully designed, developed and tested a reference AI software platform architecture now known as the C3 AI platform. We then used that platform to design, develop and bring to market over 45 production enterprise AI applications, that address the value chains of manufacturing, financial services, agribusiness, chemicals, lumber, paper products, utilities, oil and gas, state and local government, defense and intelligence. The market for enterprise -- the market interest in enterprise AI is staggering. Virtually all commercial, military and government organizations are focused today on leveraging AI to improve their operations, optimize their processes and transform their businesses. Our qualified opportunity pipeline has increased by 73% from a year ago. Now this is led by C3 Generative AI opportunities. Our go-to-market with partners is driving strong pilot additions, and it's still in the earliest innings. In the third quarter, we closed 62% more bookings with our partner network than we did in Q2. 337% more bookings than a year ago. Bottom line, the market demand for enterprise AI products is overwhelming. Customers. In the commercial sector. In Q3, we signed new agreements with Boston Scientific, Pantaleon, Booz Allen, Southwire, Carpenter Technology, Florida Crystals, Santa Ana Agriculture, Cerveceria Guatemala, AbbVie, T-Mobile, Bloom Energy, Ball Corporation, DLA Piper, Carlisle Companies and Holcim among others. Holcim, a European leader in sustainable building solutions, embarked upon a production pilot with C3 AI beginning in May 2023 to configure and deploy the C3 AI reliability suite. Following a successful six-month pilot Holcim entered into a four-year subscription agreement with C3 AI to scale the reliability application across its in excess of 100 cement plants. Holcim's predictive maintenance program monitors a large number of assets and will generate significant yearly economic value in reduced maintenance costs and production increases. Holcim is also implementing C3 Generative AI to enrich the reliability application and to assist with complex machinery troubleshooting. Another example, DLA Piper, a global law firm pioneering technology innovation in the legal sector worked with C3 AI to create a first of kind generative AI application to streamline the analysis of complex legal agreements. In just three months, DLA Piper applied C3 Generative AI to reduce the attorney time it takes to create over 200 point due diligence analyses of limited partner agreements, and it reduced the effort by 80%. As a result of this application, DLA Piper is realizing new operational efficiencies and freeing up their attorneys' time to focus on delivering increased value to their clients. State and local government had a huge quarter, generating 29% of our bookings. Lighthouse agreements with San Mateo County, Daily City and Riverside County, California are spearheading growing awareness for our state and local government suite of applications and we're now closing deals nationally. We see a huge potential to expand our footprint through the counties, cities and municipalities across the United States. San Mateo County Sheriff's Office and the Daily City Police Department both signed multiagency expansion contracts for the C3 AI law enforcement application as a countywide crime investigation platform to combat organized retail, vehicle and cargo theft. This contract involves a combined 15 local police departments and 16 agencies deploying the application in coordination, including Burlingame, Daly City, the City of San Mateo, San Bruno, Atherton, Redwood City, South San Francisco, Menlo Park, Foster City, Belmont Pacifica, East Palo Alto, Colma, Broadmoor, Brisbane and others. These deployments promised to significantly decrease the investigative timelines to solve crimes and empower multi-agency collaboration to help prevent crime. These engagements were funded through the Organized Retail Theft grant from the California Board, the Board of State and Community Corrections. And by the way, of all the submissions to this board, San Mateo County submission ranked number one in priority as the best submission in the state with C3 AI law enforcement being the top investment in their initiatives to combat retail theft in the State of California. We also executed an agreement, actually multiple agreements with San Mateo county, to deploy C3 AI Property Appraisal, C3 AI Law Enforcement and C3 Generative AI applications, the assessors and county clerks, recorders and elections office licensed C3 AI Residential Property Appraisal and C3 AI Commercial Property Appraisal to kind of monetize the appraisal of over 230,000 parcels each year, constituting more than $300 billion in assessed property value. And to do this more accurately, more expeditiously and more defensively. Our US federal business continues to show significant strength. Third quarter revenue was up over 100% year-over-year, and bookings were up 85%. We signed new and expansion agreements with the Missile Defense Agency, the Department of Defense, the United States Air Force, and the US Intelligence community, including seven new generative AI agreements at the Missile Defense Agency, the United States Air Force, JROC, and the US Marine Corps. We have a really substantial growth opportunity in federal and we're laying the groundwork to seize it. We're getting strong traction with partners in this federal space, not the least of which is AWS. We've deployed our federal solutions on the AWS marketplace for the US intelligence community in June of last year, and we're basically on speed dial collaborating with AWS federal executives every day in the defense and intelligence communities. Additionally, and importantly, we entered into an enhanced partnership agreement with Paradyme. This is a high-end professional services organization in the federal sector, and we did this to increase our capacity for deploying appropriately cleared data scientists and application engineers into our classified government installations. We've aligned with Paradyme and our commitment to support the defense intelligence communities in their critical missions related to national security. Under the new agreement, Paradigm will significantly grow its number of dedicated C3 AI staff to accelerate joint selling and to accelerate the delivery of these secure, classified, and powerful AI applications, providing predictive insights into these federal agencies. In addition, Paradyme would jointly mark up the C3 Generative AI for defense application and the C3 AI law enforcement applications. I want to highlight the continued diversification in our go-to-market efforts. Our business continues to diversify across industries. In the last quarter, Q3, our bookings distribution by industry was 29% state and local government, 25% federal defense and aerospace, 16% manufacturing, 11% agribusiness, 8% chemical, 7% professional services, 2% energy and service utilities, 1% food processing and consumer packaged goods, and 1% oil and gas. Now let's take a minute and this is important. So please pay attention and look at the evolution of our go-to-market model. And I want to particularly talk about the transition to consumption-based pricing. You'll recall that six quarters ago, we changed our go-to-market model from a leading with a subscription-based pricing model to leading with a consumption-based pricing model. The general idea being that rather than people licensing $10 million, $20 million, $30 million, $40 million, $50 million upfront, they would simply do a project, a pilot project, for say, $0.5 million for six months and we'll bring the predictive maintenance application, the supply chain optimization, the demand forecasting application, whatever it may be, into full production in six months and then the customer will offer $0.5 million, which is insignificant. And if the customer likes it, they could keep it. And they pay depending upon the volumes, you generally $0.40 to $0.50 per BCP or to run the application. Bring it live, if you like it, keep it. That was the idea. And this clearly and substantially lowered the price barrier for companies to engage with us. And we've seen this now in the number of deals that we close each quarter, the size of the transaction that we're doing, it's been very effective. So this model has been and continues to be very successful in driving engagement. And our contract volume has grown as we expected. Now, that time we provided expectations of VCPU consumption ramps, pricing and pilot conversion rates. And now we've compared this to the empirical data that we've realized over the past four quarters. And it turns out those initial assumptions have been proved to be quite accurate. Our estimates on VCPU usage and how that ramps. How that ramps say over four, five, six, seven, eight quarters. They're pretty darn accurate. I would say that plus or minus 10% it's about right on. We assumed a pilot conversion rate of 70% and what we're seeing that appears to be about right. We're also pleased to share that the pricing on the converted pilots is pretty much in line with our expectations. Now, when we began the transition, we assumed that virtually almost all pilots actually would convert to month-to-month pay as you go consumption-based pricing. Counter-intuitively, it hasn't quite worked out that way. And the empirical data show that the majority of our customers are choosing to sign multi-year subscription contracts rather than after the trial they have the option and they're choosing to sign multi-year subscription contracts rather than month-to-month pay as you go, and so why are they doing that? A computer engineer debugging a complex AI application on a powerful workstation. After pilot completion, many customers are electing to deploy multiple applications across multiple business units, and they're electing for a multi-year subscription -- committed subscription pricing model as it offers them a more predictable cost model at large scale. Now note also it's not quite this simple for those that you're working on models, because that subscription agreement also involves a consumption runtime component. So this is not going to be easy to model people for those who are working on your spreadsheets. Now the good news is that our customers are making significant commitments to C3 AI and our multi-year subscription agreements are a positive indicator of the depth of their commitment. Also our data shows that over the term of the contract, the revenue from these subscription agreements is generally equal to the revenue from our consumption agreements. So whatever the customer chooses is fine to us because it's revenue neutral over, say, 10 to 12 quarters. Bottom line, our go to market transition is working, as evident from the growth of our opportunity pipeline, the increase in our customer engagements, and increased revenue. Now, let's take a minute and talk about generative AI. Because this is a very significant market development. The opportunity ahead of us in generative AI is enormous. C3 AI has been at the vanguard of enterprise AI innovation now for 15 years. We've spent 15 years building enterprise AI applications for manufacturing, supply chain, demand chain, finance, defense intelligence, smart grid, oil and gas, et cetera. In all fairness, we largely established the enterprise AI category. Now, with the advent of generative AI, I mean, this is fundamentally changing the nature of the market. It's changing the nature of the human computer interface. It's unlocking new use cases and it's breaking, and it's creating kind of breakthrough opportunities for nonobvious applications in new industries and enterprises that we would not have expected and we're just in the earliest days of this. Gartner predicts -- Gartner Group predicts that by 2026, over 80% of enterprise will be using generative AI, including the deployment of generative AI enabled applications in their production environments. This is up from basically zero in 2022. For Gartner, organizations, this is a quote that do not consistently manage AI risks are exponentially inclined to experience adverse outcomes such as security failures, financial and reputational loss, loss and social harm. We are leveraging our first-to-market advantage in scalable trusted enterprise AI to bring secure, deterministic, hallucination-free, traceable, domain-specific generative AI solutions and generative AI augmented applications to market. And we're seeing a groundswell of interest in all of our generative AI offerings and our remarkable uptake of the C3 generative AI suite. Our generative AI customer activity has ramped sharply since we introduced this product to market four quarters ago. We're now applying generative AI in a kind of areas where we wouldn't have expected the operator assistance in a major manufacturing facility, customer assistance at a global financial services company, and field technical support at a major multinational manufacturing group. DLA Piper is using generative AI to significantly reduce the labor associated with limited partner agreement due diligence. Another leading law firm is using the corpus of S1s that are contained in sec.gov to train a large language model to reduce the attorney labor in generating first drafts of S1s for IPO candidates. I mean, imagine you train a large learning model on the corpus of S1s in sec.gov, and then you want to come up with your first draft of your S1 if and when the IPO market opens again. And you put in the name, address, the finances, the key risk factors, hit the carriage return, and you know it was so facto. You know, the first draft of the S1 is there. And we've saved, you know, god knows how many person weeks of legal associates where now they can just edit and get it done. So it's really, this is pretty neat. Baker Hughes is using C3 generative AI on top of Workday and ServiceNow to provide its global employees broad and immediate answers to all employee questions about, you know, employee questions, policies, benefits, compensation, what have you. Riverside County in California is using C3 generative AI to assist their staff in answering questions about citizen questions, about taxation, zoning, building codes, et cetera. We continue to be really impressed by the broad range of applications to which this generative AI technology is applicable. In Q3, we closed 17 generative AI applications pilots across a broad range of industries, including federal, defense, aerospace, ag, forestry, food processing, manufacturing, state, local government, chemicals, life science, and others. And these generative AI pilots spans Europe, Latin America, North America. There are no bounds to this. We continue to drive innovation in the generative AI market with our highly differentiated C3 generative AI solution. Our newest innovations include omni-modal data support. You've heard about multi-modal. Well multi-modal doesn't cut it. Multi-modal includes text and images. That doesn't get you very far. You need enterprise data, ERP, CRM, OSI-PI data, telemetry, images, text, photos, voice. So in order for this dog to hunt, it needs to, you know, multimodal doesn't get you anywhere. You need omni-modal data support, which is what we support in the C3 AI product today. We have advanced parsing and embedding capabilities to increase reasoning on tables and images within documents. We have the planning and execution of complex multi-step workflows, which are multilingual support, and the automatic invocation of advanced math tooling. We do this in a manner that is virtually hallucination-free and it's LLM-agnostic. So it's -- our solution here is really quite unique and it's getting a lot of traction and we are installed today in some of the most secure installations on the planet Earth. Earlier this year, I'd actually asked when we announced in last quarter's conference call, we made a well-considered decision to accelerate our investments in generative AI to seize market share in this large and rapidly growing market opportunity. As a result of that investment last quarter, our web page views are up 57% year-over-year in Q3. Our organic search traffic is up 68%. And our unique visitors to our website are up an eye popping 230%. So this decision is already accelerating our business, already accelerating our product innovation, and it's driving definitely broader market awareness of what we do in enterprise AI and in generative AI. That being said, we continue to expect that we will operate a positive free cash flow business in Q4 in the next quarter. Now, while we're not giving fiscal year '25 guidance yet, we will continue to expect positive free cash flow for the full year of fiscal year '25. Talk a minute about our International Users Group Conference C3 Transform. We'll be holding our Fifth Annual International Users Group Conference C3 Transform in Boca Raton next week, March 5th through 7th. Over 500 customers and partners are registered to attend, including leaders from almost every industry sector. General sessions on March 5th and 6th will be substance packed, including C3 AI product roadmaps, C3 AI customer success stories, best practices in enterprise AI from C3 AI customers and partners, AI innovation in defense and intelligence, and discussions from experts about the past and future of generative AI. And I'm very pleased to announce that the C3 Transform General Sessions will be simulcast to qualified investors and analysts and those of you who are interested can register online beginning this Friday and tune in real time to participate in any of those general sessions that you would like. And I think you'll find them, these are not cheesy sales pitches, folks. This is pretty substantive stuff. And for those of you who are either interested in C3 or interested in AI in general, I think you'll find it, you know, we hope you'll join us and you're welcome to. In conclusion, business is good, prospects look bright, and C3AI has returned to accelerating growth. Talk about guidance. So given current market conditions, we are increasing revenue guidance for Q4, and for fiscal year, this fiscal year, 2024. For Q4, we're anticipating revenue in the range of $82 million to $86 million, and for the year, we're anticipating revenue in the range of $306 million to $310 million. Our non-GAP loss from operations is expected to be in the range of $43.5 million to $51.5 million for the quarter. And our non-GAAP loss from operations for the year is expected to be in the range of $115 million to $123 million. Now let me turn the call over to my colleagues, Juho Parkkinen, the Chief Financial Officer, and Hitesh Lath, the Chief Accounting Officer for additional detail. Juho? Juho Parkkinen: Thank you, Tom. I will now provide a recap of our Q3 financial results and some additional color on pilot activity. Then I'll discuss factors that would drive our financials in Q4 and in FY'25. All figures are non-GAAP unless otherwise noted. Total revenue for the third quarter increased 17.6% year-over-year to $78.4 million. Subscription revenue increased 23.4% year-over-year to $70.4 million and represented 89.8% of total revenue. Professional services revenue was 8.0 million and represented 10.2% of total revenue. Gross profit for the third quarter was 54.7 million and gross margin was 69.7%. As a reminder, we continue to expect short-term pressure on our gross margins due to higher mix of pilots which carry a greater cost of revenue during the pilot phase of the customer lifecycle. Also, as we discussed last quarter, We expect short-term pressure on an operating margin due to the investments we're making in generative AI and upgrading customers to our platform version 8.3. Operating loss for the quarter was negative 25.8 million compared to our guidance range of negative 40 million to negative 46 million. The improvement in operating loss versus guidance was driven by our team's ongoing focus on disciplined expense management, as well as the timing of additional investments we're making to capture market share. At the end of Q3, our accounts receivable balance was 173.5 million, including unbilled receivables of 102.6 million. Total allowance for bad debt remains low at 400,000, and we have no concerns regarding collections. The general health of our accounts receivable remains strong. Six quarters ago, we announced a transition from subscription-based pricing to consumption-based pricing, a standard in the industry. We anticipated and announced that this transition would have a short to medium term negative effect upon revenue growth and RPO as the average sales price was significantly reduced and the contracts often lacked a time certain multi-period commitment. As the transition progressed, we expected to return to revenue growth as customer engagements accelerate and customers expand their consumption. Reflecting our transition to a more consumption-based contract, we reported third quarter GAAP RPO of 186.9 million, which is down 28.8% from last year and current GAAP RPO of 172 million, which is down 2.4% from last year. Free cash flow for the quarter was negative 45.1 million. We continue to be very well capitalized and closed the quarter with 723.3 million in cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities. Now I'll provide some additional metrics for the third quarter. During the quarter, we started 29 pilots, a 71% increase from last year and down 19.4% from last quarter due to timing of the sales activity. 10 industries were represented in our pilot starts. At quarter-end, we had cumulatively signed 138 pilots, of which 132 are still active. This means they're still in their original three to six month term, extended for some duration, converted to consumption or a license contract or currently being negotiated for a production license. Our customer engagement count for the quarter was 445, an 80.2% increase from 247 a year ago. As a last item on our call today, I wanted to inform you that after three wonderful years at C3 AI, I will be stepping down as the company's CFO and assuming a role as VP of Finance. I have been at C3 AI for three amazing years and two of its CFO. I'm grateful to Tom and the Board of Directors for the opportunity. It has been a privilege to work beside Tom and the entire executive team in this role. As you all are aware, C3 AI is a unique hyper-performance technology company. 100% in the office, incredibly hard working fast paced. You have to be on 150% all the time. And for me personally, I need to take a break and step aside for a bit and spend more time with my family. I am pleased to inform you that my colleague Hitesh Lath is assuming the role as CFO. I hired Hitesh about three months ago as our Chief Accounting Officer. Hitesh comes to us from Ernst & Young, where he was a partner for over eight years and brings a total experience of 24 years spent serving large multinational technology clients. I've known Hitesh for over a decade, and in fact, when I was at Ernst & Young, I worked for him at some of the engagements. From day one, Hitesh jumped right in and was heavily involved in preparing the financials for this quarter, and I'm very excited to hand the finance team into Hitesh's capable hands and expect him to continue the progress we have made and take the team to new heights. I will remain a C3 AI employee, advising Hitesh and Tom and assisting the team as necessary to make sure our operations are smooth and our financial reports continue to be pristine. Hitesh, would you like to say something? Hitesh Lath: Thank you, Juho. I have been here at C3 AI for about three months. And I'm very excited to take on this role. These are great times for AI and for C3 AI. And I look forward to working with Tom and rest of the executive team and be a part of the growth story. With that I'd like to hand it over to the operator for Q&A. See also 15 States Where Youre Most Likely To Get In A Car Accident and 10 Countries with No Income Taxes in the World. To continue reading the Q&A session, please click here. As the death toll in Gaza tops 30,000 and international criticism mounts, Israeli forces believe they are on the path to victory in their offensive against Hamas. But the Palestinian militants are still fighting and could yet draw Israel into a long quagmire like past conflicts in Lebanon, former U.S. military officers and analysts say. After four months of hammering, Israel says it has severely damaged the capacity of Hamas to fight, killing about 12,000 of its roughly 30,000-strong army and destroying much of its arsenal. Israeli commanders and officials say Hamas is under growing pressure, with no way to replenish its weapons or ammunition and increasingly restricted in its movements. Brig. Gen. Dan Goldfuss, commander of the Israel Defense Forces 98th Paratroopers Division, told NBC News that top Hamas leaders are now unable to direct their troops in real-time combat because they have no way to communicate securely. Theyve lost command and control, said Goldfuss. The body of a Palestinian killed when Israeli forces opened fire on crowds rushing at an aid distribution point in Gaza City. (AFP - Getty Images) As for the massive network of tunnels under Gaza where Hamas moves its fighters, equipment and hostages, Goldfuss said Israeli forces have seized the main arteries. We are in the most important tunnels, he said. We are maneuvering in the most important tunnels. A senior Biden administration official agreed that Hamas leadership, infrastructure and weapons storage sites have been hit hard. The Israeli operation has absolutely had an effect on their morale and their ability to continue to function, the official said. But as Israel prepares for what it says is a final push against Hamas in the southern city of Rafah, one U.S. official said Hamas is degraded but still capable. Hamas top leaders are still alive, the group still holds more than 100 Israeli hostages, it continues to battle Israeli troops on the ground and even based on Israels aggressive casualty estimates has 18,000 fighters left. And the massive civilian death toll in Gaza, like the dozens killed Thursday by Israeli forces as they rushed aid trucks in search of food, keeps stoking global criticism of Israel. The chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, meanwhile, told NBC News he was surprised to learn that only a miniscule portion of the Hamas tunnel network, which may stretch for 300 miles, has been cleared. The amount of the tunnels that theyve been actually fully able to clear, fully secure is tiny, said Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va. Its stunningly small. Israels estimate that it has killed roughly 40% of Hamas fighters is significant but suggests there is still a substantial armed force on the ground, said the former head of U.S. Central Command, retired Army Gen. Joseph Votel, who oversaw the U.S.-led war against the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq. Thats not nothing, he said. But what that does tell you is there are a lot of fighters left. Although Israels military is making progress, he said there are indications they still have got an awful long way to go, and its going to continue to be a difficult campaign. Total Victory Israel launched its offensive after Hamas militants swarmed over the southern Israeli border on Oct. 7, killing some 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and taking roughly 240 hostages in the worst terror attack in the nations history. Israeli leaders vowed to destroy Hamas to ensure it can never stage another similar attack, and to help create a new government for Gaza. But they never precisely defined the political and military goals for the campaign or the exact meaning of destroy. Its unclear exactly how much damage the Israel Defense Forces have inflicted on Hamas over the past four months, and NBC News could not independently verify the IDFs claims about Hamas casualties. A Hamas official in Qatar recently told Reuters the group had lost 6,000 fighters, half the Israeli estimate. Some security analysts say Hamas is now unable to access many of its tunnels and Israel will blow up the underground maze once the current military operation ends. People mourn in Gaza City (AFP - Getty Images) Whatever the military results of the campaign, Israel has suffered a blow to its international image over the steep civilian toll in Gaza. With 31,000 air strikes, the offensive on the densely populated enclave has caused massive damage to infrastructure and killed more than 30,000 people, two-thirds of them women and children, say Palestinian health authorities. Amid the worldwide outcry over Israeli tactics, the Biden administration has repeatedly appealed to Israel to scale back military operations and allow more access for humanitarian aid. Israel, however, has refused to pull back and been reluctant to agree to a long-term cease-fire, saying the systematic murder of civilians in the Oct. 7 attack has altered the countrys mindset about how to respond to Hamas. We cant leave the last Hamas stronghold without taking care of it. Obviously, we have to do it, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said this week. It has to be done. Because total victory is our goal, and total victory is within reach. Avi Melamed, a former Israeli intelligence official and negotiator, said eliminating Hamas entirely is not a realistic objective and that Hamas is not going to disappear. But he said the key goal is to dismantle Hamas military reach and power, so that it can no longer operate as a small army. Once the IDF advances into Rafah in the south, we will be done with the phase of crushing the major spine of Hamas military capacities, and the next step would be lower intensity warfare to sweep up the remaining elements of Hamas, Melamed said. Some analysts and former U.S. officials say, however, that even a remnant of the groups militants could remain armed and influential in the enclave. In that case, Hamas could potentially undermine more moderate political elements in Gaza and force Israel into an exhausting occupation. If Israel pulls out its troops and some other government comes in, that government could not survive in the face of Hamas opposition without significant outside help, said Daniel Byman, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. In that scenario, with no reliable local security force to turn to, Israel could potentially be drawn into a fraught occupation with no clear way out, said Colin Clarke, a senior research fellow at the Soufan Group, a nonprofit focusing on global security issues. Hamas isnt going to stop fighting, and also, they cant go anywhere. Theyre not leaving, Clarke said. So if the Israelis dont leave, and Hamas doesnt leave, whats the endgame there? Clarke and other analysts say the situation in Gaza could end up resembling Israels troubled experience in southern Lebanon in the 1980s and 90s. In 1982, Israel moved into southern Lebanon to evict the Palestinian Liberation Organization but stayed for nearly two decades, having failed to stamp out Lebanese and Palestinian militants. They withdrew from it (Lebanon) in 2000 unilaterally, and they never solved the problem. In fact, they left Hezbollah stronger than ever, said Randa Slim, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute think tank. I think theyre going to repeat the same failed experiment in Gaza, she said. Israels long-running military presence in southern Lebanon enabled the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia to attract thousands of volunteers, Slim said, and the Israeli offensive in Gaza could have a similar effect. Israels reliance on heavy aerial bombing in Gaza could also prove to be counterproductive, as it risks fueling resistance for years to come, according to Robert Pape, a military strategy and counterterrorism expert and political science professor at the University of Chicago. Israels military operations are producing more terrorists than theyre killing, Pape said. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Legislation requiring local law enforcement agencies to comply with a 2006 state law aimed at illegal immigration cleared the Republican-controlled Georgia House Thursday. House Bill 1105, which passed 97-74 primarily along party lines, comes on the heels of last weeks murder of Laken Riley, a 22-year-old nursing student, on the University of Georgia campus in Athens. A 26-year-old Venezuelan man allegedly in the country illegally has been charged with the crime. The bill requires local sheriffs and jailers to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. Those that fail to determine the nationality of suspects being held in local jails and notify the U.S. Department of Homeland Security when they have a suspected illegal immigrant in custody would be subject to the withholding of state funds and state-authorized federal funds. Georgia law already prohibits sanctuary cities, state Rep. Houston Gaines, R-Athens, told his House colleagues before Thursdays vote. House Bill 1105 will make sure sanctuary policies dont get rooted in our local governments. We have the greatest border crisis in our nations history, added Rep. Jesse Petrea, R-Savannah, the bills chief sponsor. Millions are entering our country illegally. We dont know who they are. But Rep. Stacey Evans, D-Atlanta, said the legislation would force local law enforcement agencies to focus their efforts on ferreting out illegal immigrants instead of allowing them to concentrate on those committing violent crimes regardless of their nationality. Its stepping on the hands of law enforcement (agencies) who are trying to deal with high crime, she said. Other opponents argued the legislation would lead to racial profiling of the sort that would discourage law-abiding citizens with brown skin or foreign accents from coming forward to report criminal activity, Fewer people scared of being suspected of anything are going to see something, say something, said Rep. Marvin Lim, D-Norcross. The bill now moves to the Georgia Senate. The old St. Clair Auto Mall in OFallon may be getting closer to redevelopment now that a German company seeks to move a light manufacturing and assembly operation into one building, city officials say. Pintsch North America, which specializes in railroad safety, would employ up to 12 people initially, with plans for more later. It currently has a facility in Marion which would move to OFallon because of its interstate access. With Lambert (international airport) now getting a direct flight to Germany, they need to be closer to the interstate since their ownership group comes in more frequently now, Community Development Director Justin Randall said. Pintsch has applied for rezoning to renovate the interior of a 10,250-square-feet building on 1.76 acres at 141 Auto Court. That spot was used as the Auffenberg Dealer Groups paint booth, repair facility and photo booth to fix and promote the vehicles they were going to sell. The mall is located on 23 acres on U.S. Highway 50. It has been vacant since Auffenberg moved its car dealerships to Shiloh in July 2021, saying manufacturers and franchisers wanted major updates, and the buildings and parking lots were inadequate there. Construction began on the auto mall in 1989 and the final structure was built in 2004. The Pintsch companies are known internationally for railway wheel sensors, amplifiers, axle counting systems, and industrial products. Its headquarters are in Dinslaken, Germany, with several other locations in that country and abroad, according to its website. Pintschs proposed land use is allowed in a B-2 district. Staff is recommending approval because it would expand OFallons economic base, adding jobs and potential sales tax back into the community. There are no plans to change the exterior, Randall said. Capital Automotive Real Estate Investment Trust, based in Virginia, currently owns, and leases, the property. The company specializes in auto dealerships, and Jamie Auffenberg sold Capital Automotive the property. Randall said he has been approached by another business about the mall as well. Hopefully, we will be able to announce in the next few weeks, he said. OFallon Mayor Herb Roach said that this is the first new development, but wont be the last, for that area. Usually, once you can get one moving, then things begin to start happening, he said. He explained that Randall has been working with the property owners to explore more options other than regional commerce. Theyve been open to look at different ideas and different concepts, Roach said. Randall said the malls interior lots will struggle to be a regional commercial destination. The ability to find an attractive use that adds jobs, potential tax base and can be a good neighbor to the surrounding business is important. Pintsch North America is a light manufacturing and assembly operation that can accomplish those goals outlined in the 2040 Master Plan, he said. Russell Pratt, president of Pintsch North America, attended the Planning Commission meeting Feb. 13, and said the company would not only renovate the one building, but use an area of 13,650 square foot for outdoor storage and inventory. All the existing infrastructure would remain in place. Staff recommended that the storage lot be surrounded with a 6-foot vinyl privacy fence. Pratt also indicated they may need to grow to about 15 employees in the next few years, Randall said. In her report to the Planning Commission, Community Development Coordinator Abigail Cline said that while the primary business of light manufacturing and assembly is not typically considered a regional commercial use, the reuse of the auto dealership building for light manufacturing and assembly does work in this particular area. The development of the St. Clair Auto Mall created several interior lots without frontage to Interstate 64 and Highway 50, Cline said. It is surrounded by mostly commercial developments. To the east is Home Depot, Lincoln Crossing and Walmart. South is Aspen Dental, MedExpress, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Castle Acres, and west is Watsons and Metro East Christian Church. If the plans advance through the city channels without a hitch, Randall said Pintsch should be able to begin renovations in mid-March. Following the Planning Commissions unanimous approval, the councils Community Development Committee reviewed it Feb. 26, and advanced the proposal for first reading at the council meeting March 4. In March 2017, Auffenberg announced it would move to 36 acres on Frank Scott Parkway East, east of the Green Mount Crossing Shopping Center, behind Target, and adjacent to Interstate 64. It struck a deal with the village of Shiloh, which offered a sales tax rebate worth up to $14 million to move. Auffenberg currently has dealerships for Ford, Chrysler Dodge Jeep, Nissan, Kia, Mazda, and Volkswagen on Frank Scott Parkway. An Auffenberg Hyundai is under construction about 30 acres away from the new site. Prior to Interstate 64 opening in the metro-east in 1975, that area of St. Clair County was mainly agricultural. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (L) visits the Ravensbrueck Memorial and talks to Andrea Genest (R), director of the memorial. The "Women's Group" by artist Will Lammert stands to the right of the Wall. Soeren Stache/dpa German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock believes recent developments in Moldova mirror those at the beginning of the Ukraine-Russia conflict several years ago when Moscow illegally annexed the Crimean peninsula. Her comments came after the pro-Russian rulers of the breakaway region of Transnistria in Moldova asked Russia for "protection," according to media reports. A congress of the internationally unrecognized separatist region, which borders on Ukraine, voted in favour of a resolution to this effect on Wednesday, Moldovan media reported. According to the resolution, Transnistria wants to turn to the Russian Federation Council and the State Duma "with a request to implement measures to protect Transnistria in the face of increasing pressure from Moldova." What exactly they expect from Russia was not immediately clear. Germany's top diplomat Baerbock on Thursday drew parallels to developments in eastern Ukraine several years ago, when minorities were instrumentalized by Russian President Vladimir Putin to help prepare his full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, she said. "Sham referendums, sham proceedings to destabilise another country are a breach of international law," Baerbock asserted. Her ministry has long been aware of the destabilisation of the Republic of Moldova from outside, she added. Baerbock stressed that she wanted to support the country in its right to territorial integrity. In 2014, Moscow illegally annexed Ukraine's Black Sea peninsula of Crimea after holding a referendum asking citizens if they wanted to join the Russian Federation. Neither the referendum nor the annexation of Crimea have been internationally recognized. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Alliance 90/The Greens) visits the Ravensbrueck Memorial and holds a white rose in her hands. Soeren Stache/dpa Annalena Baerbock German Foreign Minister, comments on the start of the peace negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan at the German Foreign Office's guest house, Villa Borsig. Bernd von Jutrczenka/dpa The German government is increasing humanitarian aid for the people in the sealed-off Gaza Strip, which have been under relentless Israeli bombardment for months, by another 20 million ($21.6 million), Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said Thursday. However, this was by far not enough to meet the needs of Gazans, Germany's top diplomant stressed. The number of lorries bringing life-saving food, medicine and other aid supplies to Gaza has fallen sharply in recent weeks, Baerbock added. "This is unacceptable. The Israeli government must immediately allow safe and unhindered access for humanitarian aid." According to the German Foreign Office, Berlin provided a total of 206.5 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East(UNRWA) in the last financial year. Of that sum, 83 million had benefitted people in Gaza. The UNRWA has come under criticism in recent weeks after Israeli accusations that some of its workers were involved in the October 7 attacks on Israel. A total of 16 countries, including Germany, had initially put payments to UNRWA on hold following the revelations. Baerbock went on to say that following the collapse of law and order in large parts of the Gaza Strip, the Israeli army must ensure that humanitarian aid can be distributed successfully. If not enough lorries could get through, aid would have to be delivered to the people by air if necessary, she said. "Together with our partners, especially Jordan, we also want to participate in airdrops of humanitarian aid." At the same time, a humanitarian ceasefire is now needed more urgently than ever before "so that the hostages can finally be released from the hands of Hamas and more humanitarian aid can reach the people." The latest Gaza war was triggered by the unprecedented massacre carried out by Palestinian extremist organization Hamas and other militant groups in southern Israel on October 7. They killed some 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and abducted about 250 to Gaza. More than 100 Israelis are still said to be held there. Meanwhile, more than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's retaliatory military assault on the sealed-off coastal area, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. A German warship accidentally tried to shoot down a US military combat drone this week. The frigate Hessen targeted the MQ-9 Reaper as it was on a mission around the Red Sea, a US official said. A malfunction stopped Germany's missiles from striking the drone. A German warship accidentally targeted an American combat drone that was operating around the Red Sea earlier this week, but a malfunction spared the US from losing another Reaper drone. The Hessen, a Sachsen-class frigate, accidentally targeted the MQ-9 on Tuesday while the drone was on a mission in the vicinity of the Red Sea, a US official told Business Insider on Thursday, adding that the Reaper drone did not sustain any damage and the incident is under investigation. Germany's armed forces confirmed there was an incident in an online statement that said the Hessen engaged a drone that lacked a "friend or foe" identification earlier in the week, and after coordinating with allied units in the area, the warship fired multiple missiles at the drone. The missiles, however, did not reach the system due to a technical error in the warship's radar system, although Germany said the error was quickly identified and fixed. Berlin's Defense Minister Boris Pistorius also confirmed in a briefing that there was an incident where shots were fired at a reconnaissance drone, but nothing was hit. An MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft piloted by Airmen from the 556 Test and Evaluation Squadron flies over the Nevada Test and Training Range and performs live-fire exercises with Air-to-Ground Missile-114 Hellfire missiles and Guided Bomb Unit-12 Paveway IIs, Aug. 30, 2023. US Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Victoria Nuzzi According to German military news site Augengeradeaus, which first reported the incident, the Hessen fired two SM-2 missile interceptors. The incident preceded an engagement with the Houthi unmanned aircraft on Feb. 27. US Central Command, or CENTCOM, said American aircraft and an unspecified coalition warship shot down five one-way attack drones in the Red Sea while Germany said the crew of the Hessen successfully downed two drones in self-defense that evening. If Germany had actually managed to shoot down the American drone, it would have marked the third time since early November the US military has lost a Reaper. The Houthis already managed to destroy two MQ-9s, most recently downing one last week off the coast of Yemen. The Hessen leaves a harbor on Feb. 8, 2024. Photo by Sina Schuldt/picture alliance via Getty Images These drones, which cost tens of millions of dollars, can be well-armed with Hellfire missiles and precision bombs and are able to loiter for extended periods until targets like Houthi missile launchers are spotted. They are used frequently. Beyond the incidents involving the Houthis, Russia has also harassed, broken, and forced these drones to crash on several occasions over the past year. The Hessen recently entered the Red Sea as one of four frigates that are part of the European Union's Operation Aspides, which is aimed at protecting international shipping lanes from ongoing Houthi attacks, much like the US-led Operation Prosperity Guardian. A US official told BI that following the MQ-9 incident, CENTCOM is working closely with the EU and Operation Aspides to investigate the circumstances that led to the engagement and "to ensure safe deconfliction of airspace." They added that the two operations continue to work alongside each other to protect freedom of navigation. A missile launches from a US Navy destroyer in the Red Sea earlier this month. Screengrab/US Central Command via X Meanwhile, with this week's engagements which saw Germany shoot down the two Houthi drones Berlin joins the US, UK, and France in eliminating deadly threats launched by the rebels. The US Navy's Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group has led this charge over the past few months, intercepting Houthi drones and missiles in the air while also destroying these weapons before they can be launched in preemptive strikes on Yemen. Alongside these preemptive strikes, which are carried out unilaterally and on a routine basis, the US has also conducted several rounds of coordinated and widespread strikes with the UK against the Houthis. Most recently, on Saturday, the two countries hit 18 targets across Yemen. Read the original article on Business Insider GOP Sens. John Barrasso (Wyo.) and Bill Cassidy (La.), two of the Senates most outspoken critics of the Biden administrations energy policies, introduced a bill Wednesday that would reverse a federal pause on new exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG). The pause, announced in January, is set to suspend new export approvals to countries without free-trade agreements with the U.S. while the administration reviews the effects of LNG shipping on climate change. The decision will not affect existing exports, which increased substantially to Europe after the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The Senate Republicans bill would require that the Energy Department approve LNG exports to any country that currently imports Russian or Iranian natural gas or have in the past. President Bidens decision to stop approving LNG exports is a disaster. We already know LNG exports are good for American workers, our economy, our national security, and the planet. We dont need a new study to make that clear, Barrasso said in a statement. The Presidents decision will only force our allies and partners to import energy from Russia, Iran, and Qatar. Our bill will reverse President Bidens decision and support American energy production. Barrasso, the top Republican on the Senate Energy Committee, has been a consistent opponent of the administration when it comes to energy. The bill introduction also comes as Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) confirmed he will leave his leadership role, leaving Barrasso, the Senates No. 3 Republican, as a potential successor. Barrasso said Wednesday that he is focused on the 2024 elections. While much of the backlash against the pause has come from Republicans, it has also come from Barrassos Democratic counterpart on the energy committee, Chair Joe Manchin (W.Va.), who called the pause reckless and held a hearing on the subject earlier this month. The Hill has reached out to the Energy Department for comment. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Thursday that she is calling for a member of the Arkansas Board of Corrections to resign amid his involvement in an ongoing lawsuit claiming sexual abuse at a childrens camp. In a statement to KARK 4 News, Sanders called the allegations facing board member Alonza Jiles concerning and a distraction from his work and the work of the rest of the board. The accusations against Alonza Jiles are concerning and a distraction from his work and the work of the Board of Corrections, Sanders told KARK 4 News reporter Samantha Boyd. I am calling on Mr. Jiles to resign from his post and allow our state to fully focus on improving community safety and ending the revolving door in our prisons. Lawmaker calls for Arkansas Board of Corrections members resignation over Lords Ranch child sexual abuse lawsuit The governor is joining a number of Arkansas lawmakers in calling for Jiles resignation as he faces a series of lawsuits tied to accusations of sexual assault by a staff member at The Lords Ranch, a religious camp in Pocahontas that claimed to offer help for troubled children. Jiles, who served as a director at the camp, has been named in the suits, with plaintiffs accusing him of covering up the claims of abuse and allowing the abuse to continue. Lawsuit filed against The Lords Ranch youth facility in central Arkansas, claiming staff member sexually abused its children In addition to the call by Sanders for Jiles to resign, Arkansas Senate President Pro Tem Bart Hester (R-Cave Springs), Sen. Ben Gilmore (R-Crossett) and Attorney General Tim Griffin have all said Jiles should step down from the board. The lawsuits against Jiles and the camp after the passage of a new law called the Justice for Vulnerable Victims Act, which allows child sexual abuse victims more time to file civil lawsuits. Arkansas Senate president pro tem calls for resignation of board of corrections member accused in Lords Ranch suits Jiles has filed a motion to dismiss the suits, saying the look-back period thats been created under a new law allowing these civil suits to be filed is unconstitutional. Thursday afternoon Jiles released a statement through the Arkansas Board of Corrections, again calling the allegations false while claiming that the calls for his resignation are an attack on Amendment 33 of the Arkansas Constitution. I have been asked repeatedly by the media and politicians to comment on the lawsuits involving the Lords Ranch in which I am named as a defendant. The allegations against me are false. I was not aware of, nor did I participate in any child abuse. I did not preside over a wedding of any minor at the Lords Ranch. I have kept silent about this on the advice of counsel and because these lawsuits are pending. The efforts to force me to resign from the Board of Corrections because of these baseless allegations is yet another attack on Amendment 33 of the Arkansas Constitution and the shield it provides to constitutional boards against political pressure. Any questions you may have should be directed to my attorney, J. Bequette, at 501-590-4500. Pastor Alonza Jiles Recent amendment to Arkansas law extends period for child sexual abuse victims to sue; Victim calls it a sign of hope Jiles was originally appointed to the corrections board by former Gov. Asa Hutchinson in 2022. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KARK. Russian forces struck the Nikopol district in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast multiple times on Feb. 29, wounding a 72-year-old man, Governor Serhii Lysak reported. Nikopol, situated on the banks of the dried-up Kakhovka Reservoir, just across from Russian-occupied Enerhodar and the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, is a regular target of Russian attacks. Russia hit the city of Nikopol as well as the Marhanets and Chervonohryhorivka communities with artillery and drones, Lysak said on Telegram. The strikes damaged 17 houses, 10 outbuildings, power lines, a gas pipeline, and cars, according to Lysak. Russian attacks against Ukraine, including Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, overnight and on Feb. 28 killed eight people and injured 12 others, regional authorities reported early on Feb. 29. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. (Bloomberg) -- C3.ai Inc. surged by the most in nine months after reporting strong sales in the last quarter, suggesting that the companys bet on new artificial intelligence-based apps is paying off. Most Read from Bloomberg Revenue increased 18% to $78.4 million in the fiscal third quarter, topping analysts average estimate of $76.1 million. C3.ai estimated sales of $82 million to $86 million in period ending in April, roughly in line with expectations of $84.5 million. The Redwood City, California-based company, which went public in 2020, is known for its data management and analysis software. It has introduced products over the last year with generative AI, software that creates text and images in response to a users prompts, hoping to capitalize on the wide interest in the technology. The company is also transitioning to consumption-based pricing, under which customers essentially pay for what they use. The change has caused some disruption in revenue growth. Customer engagement grew 80% year over year, Chief Executive Officer Tom Siebel said in a statement. Our significant first mover advantage in Enterprise AI is generating tailwinds as market interest in adopting AI accelerates. Read More: C3.ai Criticized for Product Delays, Tom Siebels Micromanaging The shares jumped as much as 26% on Thursday to $37.53, the biggest intraday move since May 30, 2023. C3.ai, whose ticker is AI, tripled in value in the early months of 2023 as AI-mania swept Wall Street. Still, some investors remain skeptical that the company will live up to the hype, a concern that had weighed on share prices in recent months. Separately, the company announced that Chief Financial Officer Juho Parkkinen, who has been in the role since 2022, will step down and become vice president of finance. Hitesh Lath, who had joined C3.ai in December as chief accounting officer, will succeed Parkkinen. Story continues Lath will be at least the 10th person to hold the CFO role since 2015. One point of caution raised by activist investors last year was the high turnover in the post. The change is likely to draw questions around underlying reasons for high management churn, Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Sunil Rajgopal said in an interview, adding that Laths accounting background may mean higher scrutiny on costs. In November, the company cut workers and spoke of the need for cost savings. (Updates with opening shares from first paragraph) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) A coalition of 30 tribal nations from across the Great Lakes region are calling on President Joe Biden to speak out against Line 5, the pipeline that runs through Michigan and under the Straits of Mackinac, and oppose owner Enbridges plan to continue to trespass on tribal land. The letter was sent to the White House this week by the Native American Rights Fund, signed by 30 tribes, including all 12 of the federally recognized tribes in Michigan. Read: Full letter from the Native American Rights Fund A federal court ruled last year that Enbridge, a Canadian energy company, is trespassing on land that belongs to the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa in Wisconsin. They now have until June 2026 to shut down that portion of the Line 5 pipeline. The tribe first filed a lawsuit against Enbridge in 2019, arguing that Enbridges land easements to operate on their land expired in 2013. The tribe, like many other Indigenous groups and environmentalists, believe the 71-year-old pipeline is a looming threat to their local environment and that a major leak would have long-term devastating consequences. In a twist, both sides have appealed the ruling. The Bad River Band doesnt want to wait three years for a shutdown, while Enbridge says it is working to reroute the pipeline around the reservation but will not be able to make the 2026 deadline. Lawyers representing Enbridge are also fighting a shutdown in general. They argue the judges order violates a 1977 treaty between the United States and Canada that says, no authority in either country shall impede the flow of oil and natural gas through pipelines between the two nations. Canadian and U.S. flags fly near the Bluewater Bridge in Sarnia, Ontario, the ending point of Line 5. (Getty Images) Internationally, only Canada seems to side with Enbridge, filing an amicus brief last year in support of the energy company and citing the 1977 treaty. An advisory body to the United Nations recommended that the pipeline be shut down, while Biden and the White House have been mostly silent. GOP reps urge haste on Line 5 tunnel environmental impact study In a statement, the tribal coalition pressed the White House to weigh in on the situation. The Bad River Band should not be left to wage an existential fight against Enbridge and Canada while its trustee and treaty partner, the United States, remains on the sidelines, the statement read. Riyaz Kanji, lead counsel for the Bad River Band, ended his statement by arguing that a ruling in favor of Enbridge would essentially strip the U.S. and any other subsidiary governments of any power. Canada and Enbridges legal arguments would strip sovereign governments tribal, state and federal of the ability to regulate the most dangerous of pipelines, Kanji stated. Governments would be left powerless to prevent egregious trespasses and the continued operation of pipelines even in the face of grave threats. We remain hopeful that the Biden Administration will heed that call and stand up for tribal, state and federal sovereignty and the rule of law. Sign up for breaking news alert emails Line 5 carries up to 540,000 barrels of fuel each day from Superior, Wisconsin to Sarnia, Ontario. For years, environmentalists have been concerned about the stretch of pipeline that runs at the bottom of the Straits of Mackinac. A 2016 study out of the University of Michigan ran simulations of how a major leak in the Straits of Mackinac would impact the Great Lakes. The study ran 840 simulations of a leak of 25,000 barrels of fuel. Researchers estimate up to 720 miles of total shoreline would be damaged and cost billions in cleanup, not factoring in revenue lost in the shipping, fishing and tourism industries. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com. GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) A Green Bay man is facing multiple charges after he allegedly made multiple threats toward a business on Oneida Street. According to a criminal complaint obtained by Local 5, 62-year-old Thomas Miller was arrested after allegedly making threats towards a business in Green Bay. On February 28, authorities were sent to a restaurant on South Oneida Street for a harassment call. A man was reportedly calling the restaurant and making threats to bomb the business, according to the complaint. The owner told authorities that the man, identified as Miller, made comments about a bomb and used profanities. Green Bay schools see increased police presence due to potential threat The complaint also mentions that Miller had allegedly made threats back on February 20 and that officers cited Miller and no trespassed him from the business. The owner also told authorities that she was concerned because it was the second time that Miller had allegedly made threats. Authorities went to Millers home address, but there was no answer at the door. Authorities then called him and Miller reportedly admitted to making the call to the business. He also said that he was very serious with what he said regarding the business, according to the complaint. Miller later told an officer that they had a week to close the business down or he was going to override the officer. Authorities spoke to a family member of Miller who said that he did not have any mental health issues. The complaint says that Miller eventually threatened an officer over the phone. Miller reportedly said that he knew all the judges and the officer had a week to do what the officer needed to do. Eventually, authorities were able to contact Miller in person where he said that he was very angry and that he would take care of it himself and send a bulldozer to the business. Miller was eventually arrested and had a preliminary breath test reading of .118. The complaint did not state which restaurant on Oneida Street Miller allegedly made the threats to. 41-year-old man arrested in relation to the fentanyl overdose of a 2-year-old in Freedom He is charged with the following: Terrorist Threats Create Risk of Causing Result Felony Up to three and a half years in prison Bomb Scare Felony Up to three and a half years in prison Unlawful Use of Telephone Misdemeanor Up to 90 days in prison Court records show that Miller is scheduled to be in court on February 29 at 2 p.m. No additional information was provided. Local 5 will update this story as more details are released. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay, Appleton. Hackers set a ransom deadline of Thursday morning to release Fulton County court documents. They claim the documents include files related to the criminal case against Donald Trump. The hacking group was shut down by law enforcement earlier this month, but they appear to be back up. The hacking group responsible for taking down Fulton County's websites in Georgia is threatening to publish documents from the state's court system including ones related to the criminal case against Donald Trump unless it gets paid a ransom. In a message posted online Saturday, in both English and Russian, the hacking group called LockBit said the stolen documents "contain a lot of interesting things and Donald Trump's court cases that could affect the upcoming US election." Initially, LockBit set a Saturday, March 2, deadline for the payment, according to the cybersecurity reporter Brian Krebs. It has since moved up that deadline to 8:49 a.m. ET on Thursday, February 29, LockBit's restored website shows. It's not clear how much money the group is demanding. The hacking group's demands are often negotiated in private, Dan Schiappa, the chief product officer at the cybersecurity firm Arctic Wolf, said. The group led by a hacker using the pseudonym LockBitSupp appeared to become operational again over the weekend after a February 20 law-enforcement raid. A group of agencies, including the FBI and the United Kingdom's National Crime Agency, took down 34 of its servers and changed its website to a series of messages bragging about the law-enforcement operation. The same day, the US Department of Justice unsealed an indictment accusing two Russian nationals of being involved in the group's hacking operations. By Saturday, LockBit was back. On a new website, the group posted a message claiming it had backup copies of documents taken from the Fulton County government's website. It also renewed its ransom demands. The post claimed that the FBI acted quickly because the leak of documents in Trump's criminal case could affect the 2024 presidential election although court documents show that the FBI's investigation into LockBit and coordination with international law-enforcement agencies has been ongoing for years. It characterized LockBit's relationship with the FBI as a sort of romantic rivalry and promised that the group would hack more government websites in the future. "Personally I will vote for Trump because the situation on the border with Mexico is some kind of nightmare, Biden should retire, he is a puppet," the message said. LockBit works with affiliates to hack companies and government agencies LockBit's targets go far beyond just the Fulton County government. As of Wednesday, it had ongoing ransom demands for 11 different companies on its website in addition to the one for Fulton County. Over the years, the hacking group has targeted over 2,000 victims and obtained over $120 million in ransom funds, according to the Justice Department. Its targets in recent years include Boeing, the UK's National Health Service and Royal Mail, and the state-owned Industrial and Commercial Bank of China. The group doesn't always conduct hacks itself, according to law-enforcement agencies. It operates on a service model, in which it develops sophisticated ransomware hacking tools and leases them out to other hackers to deploy against targets, taking a cut of the ransom. Former U.S. President Donald Trump boards his private airplane, also known as Trump Force One, as he departs Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport after being booked at the Fulton County jail on August 24, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. Trump surrendered to multiple charges related to an alleged plan to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia. Joe Raedle/Getty Images It's not clear which other organizations may be working with LockBit on the Fulton County hack. LockBit has claimed to be "completely apolitical" in the past, Oz Alashe, the CEO and founder of the cybersecurity firm CybSafe, said. But it is also deeply involved in the Russian cybercrime scene, Krebs said. Because it works with so many different affiliates, its motives are hard to discern, Alashe told Business Insider. "Even if one could discern the organization's motives outside of the obvious financial one, the same cannot be said for all its partners and affiliates," Alashe said. Alashe said that LockBit's more overt political messages taking a shot at Biden and expressing support for Trump shouldn't necessarily be taken literally. "It's always difficult to discern the meaning of messages like the one published by LockBit on Saturday," he said. "Whether the declaration of support for Trump is genuine, posturing aimed at taunting what they see as 'strong competitors and the FBI,' or even an attempt to grab headlines, we don't know." Authorities appeared to negotiate with hackers earlier Fulton County's computer systems were taken down in a hack on January 27, leaving some of its services down for weeks. Its court website still isn't fully operational. Officials have put up a separate web page with filings in the case for the public to access in lieu of the official court docket. The hack has resonated nationally because of the charges against Trump. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has charged the former president and more than a dozen of his allies with racketeering in connection to the attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 federal election in Georgia. Trump has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him; several codefendants have pleaded guilty to their own charges. It's not clear whether LockBit is in possession of any court documents in the Trump case that are not already part of the public record. George Chidi, an Atlanta-based independent journalist, reported earlier this month that a sampling of files published by LockBit includes sealed court records in other unrelated cases. A Fulton County court administration spokesperson declined to comment. The earlier countdown timer, which had been set for February 16, disappeared from LockBit's site that day without offering a link to download files from the hack. Such removals normally happen when extortion targets pay ransom or are in negotiations to pay it, Krebs said. Fulton County DA Fani Willis. Pool Schiappa, the Arctic Wolf executive, told Business Insider that there was nothing usual about the situation. LockBit might be attempting to maintain its credibility with its hacking affiliate organizations in the wake of the law-enforcement raid earlier this month, he said. "LockBit built its image on being loud and garnering the attention of other groups that wanted assurance that they could conduct business with them unhindered," Schiappa told Business Insider. "The law-enforcement action presents a threat to that narrative. The more attention that the group can focus on anything other than the fact that their image was compromised by law enforcement, the more likely that they will be able to salvage their image with affiliates and continue operations." At a press conference on February 20, Robb Pitts, the Fulton County commission chair, said no ransom was paid. "We did not pay, nor did anyone pay on our behalf," Pitts said during the briefing. In Saturday's message, LockBit said its "partner" was in "negotiations" over the ransom, but they had "stalled." Pitts didn't respond to requests for comment from Business Insider. On Tuesday, county officials told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that it would not pay a ransom. "Our focus remains on safely restoring services for our citizens and we continue to work in close coordination with law enforcement," a county spokesperson said in a statement. An FBI representative declined to comment. Although LockBit appeared to recover from the law-enforcement takedown earlier this month, its reputation has been severely damaged, Schiappa said. Its grandstanding messages about the FBI may be a way to shore that up. "We expect that LockBit will suffer consequences from this law-enforcement action," Schiappa said. "Their attempts to establish new partnerships will be challenging with the cloud of this takedown looming over them and tarnishing their reputation." The renewed ransom threat comes as Willis' investigation is beleaguered by a series of hearings playing out in a Fulton County courtroom. A judge is hearing testimony from several of her associates and Willis herself over the question of whether the district attorney had an improper relationship with a prosecutor she hired to work on the Trump case. The judge may decide to remove Willis from the case, which would be a significant setback for the prosecution. This story has been updated. Correction: February 28, 2024 An earlier version of this story misidentified a cybersecurity reporter in the story. His name is Brian Krebs, not Christopher Krebs. Read the original article on Business Insider By Sarah Morland (Reuters) -Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry has committed to holding general elections by Aug. 31 next year, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) said in a statement on Thursday, a day after the conclusion of a regional summit in Guyana. CARICOM said it would send an assessment team to evaluate electoral needs by March 31 of this year to support planning and establishment of the relevant institutions. Henry, who came to power after the assassination of the country's last president, Jovenel Moise, in 2021, had previously pledged to step down by early February, but later said security must first be re-established in order to ensure free and fair elections. Crowds came to the streets to protest around the previous date, and on Thursday there was fresh violence marked by heavy gunfire in downtown Port-au-Prince as prominent gang leader Jimmy Cherizier called for Henry's government to be toppled. Since Moise's assassination, hundreds of violent gangs have since expanded their territory, coalescing around two main alliances, and are now estimated to control most of the capital. The Caribbean nation last held elections in 2016 and its last senators' terms expired more than a year ago. Henry had in October 2022 called for a "rapid" international security force to help under-resourced national police fight the heavily armed gangs, and though the U.N. ratified sending such a body a year later there is still no set deployment date nor are there details on how large the force would be. On Thursday, a U.N. spokesman said the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Benin and Chad had formally notified the United Nations of their intent to contribute personnel. Kenya has offered to lead the mission with some 1,000 police officers. Kenya's proposed leadership is facing a constitutional challenge at home, but officials from Haiti and the African country have continued to hold meetings. Public pledges of support are overwhelmingly from developing nations. The United States has meanwhile pledged $200 million in support, Canada around $60 million and France close to $4 million. The U.N. spokesman said less than $11 million has so far been deposited into the U.N.'s designated trust fund. The ratification of the force is tied to the goal of facilitating electoral conditions as well as securing routes for humanitarian aid, as the conflict plunges millions of Haitians into acute hunger and blocks off access to medical care. Speaking ahead of a regional summit, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he would push for more funding for the force as well as humanitarian aid during the talks on Friday, and noted some progress on scheduling of elections. "We absolutely need now to move quickly," he said, saying it was important that "things are not postponed and that nobody is dragging their feet." Regardless of how many troops are deployed, he added, a political solution remains crucial. (Reporting by Sarah Morland in Mexico City and Robertson S. Henry in Kingstown; Editing by Kylie Madry and Christopher Cushing) HAMPTON Violent and property crimes in the city were up slightly in 2023 compared with the previous year, but two months into 2024, crime seems to be on a downward trend. On Wednesday, Hampton Police Chief Jimmie Wideman briefed City Council on crime statistics from the past two years. In 2023, police recorded 372 violent crimes a 7.8% increase from 345 in 2022. Violent crimes include murders or nonnegligent manslaughter, rape or sexual assault, robberies and aggravated assault. Last year also saw a 4% increase in property crimes 4,206 compared with 4,044 the previous year. There were fewer burglaries (234) reported in 2023 than in 2022 (274). However, there was an increase in larcenies and motor vehicle thefts. In 2023, 3,582 larcenies and 390 motor vehicle thefts were reported, compared with 3,401 larcenies and 369 motor vehicle thefts in 2022. But much of Widemans presentation focused on how crime is down this year compared with this point in 2023. From Jan. 1 to Feb. 27, four people have been shot and killed, down from 10 at that point last year. The total number of people killed or injured in shootings (9) is down 67% compared with the 27 shootings in the first two months of 2023. Based on data from Jan. 1 to Feb. 12, there have been 457 property crimes this year, down from 468 at this point last year and 476 in 2022. Wideman noted the numbers were substantially higher at this point in 2022 and 2023. He said during the holiday season through February, there tends to be an increase in crime. To proactively intervene and keep the numbers down this year, he said police worked to identify areas where crime was most likely to occur and increase patrols in those areas to deter crime. Rather than spreading our resources out so widely, we concentrated on individuals and the neighborhoods in which they exist, to then proactively deter any opportunities for criminal activity, Wideman said. When asked after the meeting to identify neighborhoods where police are concentrating resources, Wideman declined to say. We have hotspots; I wont name any specifics, he said. Due to the frequency of ABC store thefts, the police division recently began noting how many larcenies were specific to ABC stores. So far, there have been 111 ABC store larcenies this year, but Wideman said police are now doing more surveillance around these stores and staying in touch with employees and patrons so they can identify repeat offenders. Regarding commercial burglaries, Wideman said there has been a slight increase in cell phone shops and vape shops being targeted. Councilwoman Hope Harper asked why vape shops were more likely to be targeted. Wideman said it was due to opportunity. He explained that a lot of the vape shops in the city are newer businesses, and they may not be familiar with ways to secure their companies. He said they may not have requested Hampton police to do a security inspection for them with a recommendation on how to protect their properties better. But subsequent to the burglaries, as a matter of routine, we go out, we make contact and we make an offer of those services for them so they dont have the event of having repeated occasions of burglaries, Wideman said. Wideman is optimistic about a downward trend in crime throughout the remainder of the year. He told the council police are working on youth outreach and they are collaborating with other state and federal law enforcement agencies. Councilwoman Billy Hobbs recalled that when Wideman was sworn in last year as police chief he promised to hit the ground running. Sir, it looks like youve done it, and Im proud of you, Hobbs said. Josh Janney, joshua.janney@virginiamedia.com Ethan Wade was found 'face down' by his father on the morning of July 1 2021 - KENT MESSENGER A disabled 4-year-old boy died after his head became accidentally stuck in a new medical bed the first night he slept in it, an inquest has heard. Ethan Wade was found by his father on his specialist Olaf bed at their home in Chatham, Kent, on the morning of July 1 2021. Ethan had cerebral palsy and was non-verbal. He also suffered from mobility issues as well as development delays and reflux. Both parents said Ethans bed was left at its lowest level, as recommended, when he was put to bed the night before. Mr Wade found him face down and unresponsive before pulling him free and calling for Ethans mother, Jessica Gardiner. She called for an ambulance and performed CPR as instructed by the 999 operator. When paramedics arrived, they continued CPR on Ethan before taking him to Medway Maritime Hospital. He was later transferred to Kings College Hospital in London where his condition deteriorated. He died four days later. Four-year-old Ethan had cerebral palsy and mobility issues, requiring him to use a specialist medical bed - KENT MESSENGER Dr Virginia Fitzpatrick-Swallow, a Home Office forensic pathologist, recorded the cause of death as hypoxia, a lack of oxygen and blood flow to the brain and consistent with entrapment. She noted Ethans nose and mouth had been covered, resulting in a degree of smothering and he had sustained red stripe marks on his neck and collarbone which could have been caused by puckering of the mattress. Dr Fitzpatrick-Swallow said on a video call to the inquest: There was no underlying independent, natural disease that would explain respiratory arrest. The mattress was later inspected at the warehouse of Medequip, which supplies equipment on behalf of Medway Council and NHS Kent and Medway, by representatives from Theraposture and an occupational therapist manager at Medway Community Healthcare. No defects were found and the matter was referred to the Health and Safety Executive and the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency. The bed was delivered and installed by Theraposture, which specialises in tailor-made, adaptable furniture. David Holton, co-owner of Theraposture, told the jury that his company had a contract with respected German company KayserBetten, which abided by stringent EU directives and independent testing. In the 20 years he had been dealing with the Olaf bed, it had never been subject to a recall. Ethan attended Abbey Court SEN School and Snapdragons, a child development centre, both in Strood. Emma Rayfield, who was his occupational therapist, helped to select specialist equipment for Ethan and chose the Olaf bed over other options because it met his medical needs. She ordered it online from Rochester-based Medequip. Inquest jurors decided user action was to blame and delivered a conclusion of an accident. After the jury reached its conclusion, Catherine Wood, the assistant coroner, said: My sincere condolences on the absolutely devastating loss of your child. I cant imagine how difficult this entire process has been. I am truly sorry for your loss and hope the inquest process has helped answer some of your questions and its brought you some closure. Ms Gardiner said after the verdict: Ethan was the light and soul of our lives. He was such a happy-go-lucky boy, always had a smile on his face that made you smile. 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. On the first day of classes at the University School of Nashville, the students could always count on one thing: Harvey Sperling would greet each and every one of them by name. Sperling served as the director of the school from 1979 to 1990, later taking up several consulting and leadership roles that revolved around education, art, music and community. He died Tuesday after a brief battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 82. On Feb. 3, he was beaming proudly over a performance of the play "Girl From the North Country" at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center with his family, according to his daughter, Sarah Sperling Young. She said the producer of the show, Tristan Baker, is a close family friend and was like a son to her father. Harvey Sperling In the days that followed, they learned of his cancer diagnosis. "As difficult as it is ... I also feel that he lived his life exactly as he wanted to," Young said. "Out with friends and engaged with the community up until the last few weeks." After his time at the University School of Nashville, Sperling took on the role of headmaster at the University School of Milwaukee in Wisconsin. Upon returning to Nashville in 2000, he became the education program officer at the Frist Foundation. A published author and well-traveled lecturer, Sperling later served as a consultant at Belmont University, Vanderbilt University, Alignment Nashville and the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. He also sat on multiple boards, including those for the Episcopal School of Nashville and Equal Chance for Education. "He cared deeply about the city and community," Young said. Sperling enjoyed joining book clubs, had an eye for photography and was an avid collector of Japanese art. He also loved to keep up with former students, teachers and friends, taking great joy in networking and connecting people with each other. Even up until his final weeks, he and his wife, Cathie, were hosting people at their home, according to his daughter. They were married for 55 years and would have celebrated their 56th anniversary in June. Sperling is survived by his wife, Catherine Sperling, his daughter, Sarah Young Sperling, and his son-in-law, Kyle Young, along with many loving family members and dear friends. The family will lay him to rest during a private ceremony on March 3. Donations in Sperling's honor can be made to the Harvey Sperling Endowed Scholarship Fund at the University School of Nashville or to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Reach children's reporter Rachel Wegner at RAwegner@tennessean.com or follow her on Twitter, Threads and Bluesky @RachelAnnWegner. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Harvey Sperling: Nashville education leader dies at 82 Election Day is fast approaching, and only about 19% of voters in San Luis Obispo County had returned their mail-in ballots as of Tuesday, according to the San Luis Obispo County Clerk-Recorders Office spokesperson Erin Clausen. Luckily, you can still return your mail-in ballot at the SLO County Clerk-Recorders Offices in downtown San Luis Obispo or Atascadero, or at one of the countys drop boxes on or before Election Day which is March 5. You can also vote at your polling place on Election Day. Voters will have the chance to choose a representative for District 5 on the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors and judges for San Luis Obispo Superior Court, along with picking candidates to progress to the November general election for Congress, president and the California State Assembly and State Senate. Heres a look at everything you need to know to vote in the primary. From housing to water: Heres where SLO County supervisor candidates stand on the issues Is it too late to register to vote? The deadline to register to vote was Feb. 20 for the March primary but to all the procrastinators out there, youll still have the chance to cast a ballot. People are still able to sign up for conditional voter registration, also known as same-day voter registration, through Election Day. You can complete conditional voter registration at the San Luis Obispo County Elections Office or a polling place, where youll fill out forms and then be allowed to vote a provisional ballot. How and where to vote Voters can return their mail-in ballots by mail, at an official ballot drop box, at the countys election offices in San Luis Obispo and Atascadero or at a polling place on Election Day, according to the release. You can find a list of official drop boxes on the countys website at bit.ly/4aU6hGg. The North County Elections Office at 6565 Capistrano Ave. in Atascadero is open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., and will stay open until 8 p.m. on Election Day. The San Luis Obispo Elections Office at 1055 Monterey St. is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and will also remain open until 8 p.m. on Election Day. Both Elections Offices will open for early voting on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mail-in ballots must be postmarked on or before Election Day to be counted. Finally, on Election Day, you can drop off your mail-in ballot or vote with a provisional ballot at your polling place. Your polling place is listed on your mail-in ballot. Be sure to complete your ballot with a pencil or a pen with blue or black ink and sign the back of your mail-in ballot envelope before submitting it. Ballots submitted before Election Day will be counted before election night, and then included in the election night tally. Ballots received by the office in the mail after Election Day are counted later, which can take weeks depending on volume. 19% of registered voters cast ballots so far The Elections Office mailed a total of 180,790 ballots to registered voters in San Luis Obispo County for the March primary, according to Clausen. As of Tuesday, 34,289 ballots had been returned which is about 19% of the total sent out, Clausen said. This is higher than the November 2022 general election, when about 15% of voters had returned their mail-in ballots a week before Election Day, Clausen said. Voter turnout was higher a week before the last presidential primary in 2020, when about 26% of registered voters had returned their mail-in ballots a week before Election Day, Clausen said. In 2020, however, the state had not yet mandated that every registered voter receive a mail-in ballot. Back then, people had to request mail-in ballots to receive them, so its not exactly apples to apples, Clausen wrote in an email to The Tribune on Wednesday. SALEM, Va. (WFXR) A skunk has tested positive for rabies in Salem. The Roanoke City and Alleghany Health Districts (RCAHD) confirmed that animal control picked up the skunk on Feb. 21 in the E. Hill Court area. It then tested positive for the virus on Feb. 27. Raccoon tests positive for rabies in Rockbridge County: What you need to know The deadly disease attacks the nervous system and can be deadly. Exposure to rabies can occur: any time a bite or scratch (or other circumstance) allows saliva or central nervous system tissue from a potentially rabid animal to enter an open, fresh wound. when rabid tissue enters a mucous membrane via the eye, mouth, or nose. Rabies are preventable in domestic animals through vaccinations. The Code of Virginia 3.2-6521 requires that pet owners maintain current rabies vaccinations for dogs and cats that are 4 months and older. If you come in contact with a wild or stray animal you should not touch it. The health department is encouraging residents to report any abnormal behavior to animal control. The health district says if you might have come in contact with this skunk call the RCAHD or animal control. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFXRtv. Detectives in Auburn are looking for tips in identifying a gunman who robbed a bank on Tuesday. Police say the man entered the Heritage Bank at 206 A Street in Auburn around 12:30pm. Just before walking into the bank, the man pulled a black mask or bandana - over his face. Once inside, he pointed a semi-automatic pistol with a silver barrel and told people to get down. He demanded money, which police say was given to him. He left without incident. If you recognize the suspect, youre asked to call the Auburn Police tipline at 253-288-7403. Nearly 700 paychecks issued to Capital Metro bus operators during the first three paydays of the year were short of what was owed, transit officials said Monday, a shortfall they attributed to a truncated transition period between its previous primary contractor overseeing bus operations and the current one. The majority of the Austin-area transportation authority's bus operators and mechanics are employed by Keolis Transit Services, a France-based company selected last fall to oversee bus operations for Austin's public bus system. Earlier this month, the company said the payroll issues affected about 360 employees for January's two paydays a figure it says has since decreased to double digits during the two paydays in February. Those missing pay were issued checks to make up the difference, a Keolis spokesperson said earlier this month. The general manager of the company's Austin operations, Michael Ake, said the issues were a result of a late consensus last year not to shift the biweekly pay cycle or change certain payroll systems in place under CapMetro's previous contractor, MV Transportation. He said he understood how the pay discrepancies might have complicated the financial position of CapMetro's bus operators. "That's a hardship. I realize that creates a hardship, so that's why we're striving so determinately to make all of these systems work properly together so no one has to go through it," Ake said in an interview Monday. Speaking to the CapMetro board of directors during a public meeting, he said the discrepancies were "unacceptable." "I realize that creates a hardship, so that's why we're striving so determinately to make all of these systems work properly together," Michael Ake, general manager of Keolis Transit America's Austin operations, said of the company's payroll issues. How did the pay discrepancies happen? The first four paydays under Keolis, who began overseeing operations Jan. 1, were marred with pay discrepancies. The issues came after CapMetro's board of directors selected Keolis last fall as its new contractor following a contentious bidding process. At one point, an Amalgamated Transit Union national director called for rejecting Keolis' bid, citing a "history of hostile anti-union conduct." Story continues Keolis has repeatedly affirmed it will honor a collective bargaining agreement with Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1091, the Austin union chapter representing more than 1,200 transit employees. The ratified agreement, which runs through December 2025, was negotiated by MV Transportation. As of Monday, 35 employees had pay discrepancies on their latest paycheck issued Feb. 23, Ake said. In total, in the three paydays since the beginning of the year, 690 paychecks issued to employees fell short of the expected amount. The "payroll challenges," as CapMetro has described the discrepancies, are regrettable, but the transit agency's leadership has been satisfied with the pace at which Keolis has worked to address the issue, Andrew Skabowski, CapMetro's chief operating officer, said in an interview. 'Transitions are always kind of complicated' Last year, Keolis was one of three companies that submitted a bid to be CapMetro's primary contractor, its application ranking the highest on CapMetro's scoring matrix. At the time, CapMetro officials praised Keolis for its experience managing electric fleets, establishing new bus rapid transit lines and having a dedicated labor relations team. The previous contractor, MV Transportation, a CapMetro contractor since 2012, submitted a bid but was not selected. Speaking to the American-Statesman after the final vote, the Dallas-based company's chief customer success officer Gary Coles, said, "It is unfortunate when an American-owned, minority-started, Texas-based company loses a contract to a company out of France." CapMetro has committed to pay $426.5 million to Keolis over three years, according to CapMetro's open contracts portal, and it has two optional one-year extensions that would bring the total cost to $753.6 million making the agreement CapMetro's largest executed contract. Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1091 member Corey Troupe drops his contract vote into a ballot box last year. CapMetro's new contractor, Keolis Transit Services, has agreed to honor the union contract through December 2025. Generally, a transition of this scale takes three months to execute, during which payroll systems would be test run to squash any bugs, Ake said. However, a decision to keep the same biweekly pay schedule for employees left the company with less time to work out kinks, he said. Bus operators first noticed the issues when they were paid Jan. 12 and Jan. 26. CapMetro asked Keolis to keep this schedule paydays that differ from all of Keolis' other outfits so the pay for bus operators would not be delayed a week to shift schedules. "Transitions are always kind of complicated," Ake said, adding that the late decision "didn't make it impossible, but complicated it." Some employees could be owed additional pay due to correction delays Leaders of the bus operators union's Austin chapter raised concerns Monday about additional pay owed to employees. Under a collective bargaining agreement, some bus operators might be owed additional compensation under a section of the contract dealing with the timeliness of payroll corrections. Speaking at Monday's CapMetro board of directors meeting, Darrell Sorrells, vice president of ATU Local 1091, said the company was dragging its feet. "We've met a few times to try to get things rectified, but things are not going fast enough," Sorrells said. Darrell Sorrells, Vice President of ATU Local 1091, speaks at the CapMetro board meeting at the CapMetro Administration Building Monday February 26, 2024. The number of employees who will receive additional pay referred to by the union as "double pay" and by the company as "pay penalties" for the timeliness of the payroll corrections remains to be seen. Ake said Keolis had focused efforts in recent weeks on fixing the pay issues prior to assessing how much additional compensation might be owed. Upon meeting with the union, which has helped tally how many employees were affected and guided them through the process for reporting a correction, Ake said between 300 and 320 employees might be eligible. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: CapMetro payroll issues were caused by short transition with Keolis Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin speaks during a House Armed Services Committee hearing on his secret hospitalization at the U.S. Capitol on Thursday. Austin acknowledged to the committee he "did not handle this right" and takes full responsibility. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI Feb. 29 (UPI) -- A congressional committee challenged Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin during a tense hearing Thursday over his failure to notify President Joe Biden of his hospitalization in January. Austin faced the House Armed Services Committee to answer for his unexplained absence. The defense secretary underwent surgery for prostate cancer in December at Walter Reed Army Hospital but went back on New Year's Day due to complications from the surgery. Neither the White House nor his deputy secretary, Kathleen Hicks, knew of the situation until three days later. "We did have a breakdown in notifications during my January stay at Walter Reed -- that is, sharing my location and why I was there," Lloyd told the committee "And back in December, I should have promptly informed the president, my team and Congress and the American people of my cancer diagnosis and subsequent treatment." The Pentagon on Monday released an internal review of its handling of Austin's hospitalization. The report offered recommendations to improve transparency and communication of the transfer of military authority but found no wrongdoing. Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., participates in a hearing over Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's secret hospitalization in January. Rogers called Austin's secrecy "totally unacceptable" and said "somebody needs to be held accountable." Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI Committee Chairman Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., said the blunder was "totally unacceptable" and suggested that since his absence wasn't noticed by the White House, his advice was "not sought or heeded" amid two wars in Israel and Ukraine, on top of rising tensions in Syria, Iraq and the Red Sea. "Someone needs to be held accountable," Rogers said. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin speaks during a House Armed Services Committee hearing on his secret hospitalization at the U.S. Capitol on Thursday. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., echoed Rogers' demand for accountability and said he had "very strong, severe questions" regarding the Pentagon's handling of Austin's absence. Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., told Austin he was surprised the president did not call for his resignation. A member of Code Pink holds a sign with red hands before a hearing where Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin spoke on his secret hospitalization on Thursday. Austin faced criticism for his failure to notify the White House of his absence while conflicts rage in Israel and Ukraine. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI "Is it typical that the president will go three days without talking to the secretary of defense?" Banks asked Austin. "Either the president is that aloof, or you are irrelevant." Austin defended himself and Biden, saying, "It's neither. The president is not aloof and, and I am, I participate in, in all of the critical decision-making processes." Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., further pressed Austin, "What disciplinary action would a junior service member face if he or she failed to properly notify their chain of command and failed to report for duty?" Austin responded, "The chain of command would be concerned about why they were in a hospital, and it makes sure that they're doing the right things to take care of them and their family." The defense secretary acknowledged his failure to communicate his hospitalization and that Congress had "some legitimate concerns about some issues" regarding his illness. "Again, we did not handle this right. And I did not handle this right," he said. "And as you know, I have apologized, including directly to the president. And I take full responsibility." After his release from Walter Reed in February, Austin had said his prostate cancer diagnosis was a "gut punch. And frankly, my first instinct was to keep it private." Austin said the Pentagon has made some key changes recommended in the review. "In the future, if the deputy secretary ever needs to temporarily assume the duties of my office, she and several White House offices will be immediately notified. That includes the White House Situation Room and the White House chief of staff," he said, noting key officials, including the deputy secretary, the chairman of the joint chiefs and the general counsel would also be notified. Austin also said his doctors expect him to be "completely cured of my prostate cancer, which was caught early." The House on Thursday approved a short-term funding bill to avert a partial government shutdown this weekend, sending the legislation to the Senate one day before Fridays funding deadline. The legislation which cleared the chamber in a 320-99 vote kicks the two government funding deadlines to March 8 and March 22, buying lawmakers more time to hash out their differences on spending bills and push them over the finish line. Trouble, however, could loom ahead. While lawmakers say they have a deal on the six appropriations bills due next week, disagreements remain on the other half-dozen measures, which include more controversial pieces of legislation funding agencies like the Pentagon and the Department of Homeland Security. Clearly the second group of bills could be difficult and problematic, especially as Republicans in the House continue to insist on policy riders that erode womens reproductive freedom, Rep. Pete Aguilar (Calif.), chair of the Democratic Caucus, said shortly before the vote. In the near-term, the continuing resolution keeps the government running and lends a small victory for Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) who is fighting to avoid a shutdown, which would be blamed on House Republicans who have demanded controversial policy additions to funding bills. But it puts him on thin ice with members of the right flank, who abhor short-term spending bills and are becoming fed up with his propensity to put continuing resolutions on the floor that pass with Democratic support as was the case Thursday. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) addresses reporters after a closed-door House Republican Conference meeting on Thursday, February 29, 2024. (Greg Nash) Only 113 Republicans voted for the bill, compared to 207 Democrats, though slightly more than half the GOP conference voted in favor. Only two Democrats Reps. Jake Auchincloss (Mass.) and Mike Quigley (Ill.) voted no. Thursdays vote marked the fourth stopgap bill the chamber has cleared this Congress, and its the third under the Louisiana Republicans leadership. To bypass the conservative opposition, Johnson brought the legislation to the floor under suspension of the rules, a fast-track process that requires two-thirds support for passage but eliminates the need to approve a procedural rule, which conservatives likely would have tanked. Its a maneuver that helped lead to the ouster of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) who lost the gavel in September after passing a short-term spending bill with help from Democrats. But Johnsons job appears safe for the time being. Conservatives were quick to voice their opposition to the spending bill Thursday, but would not go as far as to vow retribution for the top Republican. Here we are again, kicking the can down the road, Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) said on the House floor Thursday. Buy more time so we can spend more money that we dont have. Asked earlier in the day if Johnson should face consequences for moving the short-term spending bill, Roy responded: Im not gonna talk about that, adding consequences are gonna be that people are gonna lose faith in the Republican Party. Top Stories from The Hill Under the agreement congressional leaders struck this week, the six appropriations bills that fund military construction, water development, the Food and Drug Administration and the departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Justice, Energy, Interior, Veterans Affairs, Transportation and Housing and Urban development are due March 8. The remaining six measures funding the financial services, general government, the legislative branch, state and foreign operations and the departments of Defense, Homeland Security, Labor and Health and Human Services are due March 22. Leadership said negotiators have an agreement on the six bills coming down the pike next week, and Johnson said Thursday the package will be made public this weekend to give members enough time to review the text ahead of a vote next week. But senior appropriators have signaled there could still be some loose ends to iron out before text is released. Rep. Rosa DeLauro (Conn.), the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, told reporters Wednesday evening that theres still one or two pieces to hammer out, including unresolved items in areas like the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, as well as gun-related snags. Conservative Republicans are pushing to include a host of conservative policy priorities in the funding bills, but GOP leadership has sought to temper expectations ahead of the rollout, warning members not to expect any home runs. In remarks to reporters Thursday, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), top Republican on the subcommittee that hashes out dollars for the Department of the Interior and the environment, said there were a couple final remaining things on her subpanels bill that top negotiators were dealing with. But I can tell you that the vast, vast, vast majority, the overwhelming majority of the riders that the House had wanted to try to advance, we just werent able to accommodate, Murkowski told reporters Thursday. Were trying to get a bill. Some of the measures Republicans sought as part of their Interior funding bill could create more opportunities to drill offshore and on public lands, while also targeting the Biden administrations environmental rules. The partys initial proposal also included language taking aim at the administrations executive orders on diversity, as the party has pressed for a list of riders in thorny areas like abortion and critical race theory an academic framework evaluating U.S. history through the lens of racism that has become a political catch-all buzzword for any race-related teaching that have drawn the ire of Democrats. But that doesnt mean rank-and-file Republicans are holding their breath for major conservative policy wins. Well get text with enough time to read it. Well get the 72 hours cleared, but Im not anticipating any big wins, Rep. Kat Cammack (R-Fla.) said Thursday. So, I anticipate probably 100 Republicans voting against. Mike Lillis contributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Authorities in Florida on Wednesday found human remains believed to be those of a teenager who disappeared nearly 20 years ago. Autumn Lane McClure (Volusia Sheriff's Office) Autumn Lane McClure, 16, of Ormond Beach, was last seen on May 10, 2004, when her boyfriend dropped her off at Volusia Mall, the Volusia County Sheriffs Office said in a statement. Investigators dug up a suspected burial site in the Ormond Beach area on Wednesday afternoon and made the gruesome discovery, the statement said. Sheriffs detectives continued to investigate the case in the nearly 20 years that followed, obtaining DNA from family members, re-interviewing friends and possible witnesses, and identifying a person of interest in 2021, the sheriffs office said. That person died in May 2022, but the investigation continued. The possible discovery of the body of McClure, a student at Mainland High School, was not the conclusion his detectives wanted, Sheriff Mike Chitwood said Wednesday on X. He added the investigation showed his agency cares about victims, whether from recent cases or from cases decades ago. Not the result anyone hoped for in 2004 or ever since, but I am very proud of the work that went into this discovery 20 years later, Chitwood wrote. At the very least we can say we never gave up on Autumn McClures case. Prayers and condolences to the family tonight. Chitwood told reporters at a news conference Thursday that investigators were able to recover "99.9%" of McClure's remains. The medical examiner's office should soon conclude that the remains are McClure's, Chitwood said. But he added that determining her cause of death may prove difficult. As for the person of interest eyed in her death: "The sad part is he'll never face [justice] in this world for the evil that he perpetrated," Chitwood said. "But sure enough, I'm hoping that God, when he took his last breath, on May 26 of 2022, that maybe he had a vision of where ... he was headed." This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Hundreds of LGBTQ and civil rights groups are calling for the removal of Oklahomas top education official in the wake of the death of LGBTQ high school student Nex Benedict. More than 350 organizations advocating for equality across the U.S. issued a letter to legislative leaders in the Sooner State calling on the Oklahoma Legislature to immediately remove Ryan Walters from his position as Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction, according to a Wednesday press release from the Human Rights Campaign. Superintendent Ryan Walters is responsible for fostering a culture of violence and hate against the [Two Spirit, transgender and gender nonconforming+] community in Oklahoma schools, the Wednesday letter reads. Just a month ago, he passed an emergency rule to prevent an Oklahoma teen who was fearful of being bullied from changing his gender on school files. He called for the firing of a principal who performed in drag on weekends, which led to violent threats against the educator. Benedict, a high school sophomore in Owasso, died on Feb. 8, a day after a physical altercation in a girls bathroom at school. Sue Benedict, Benedicts grandmother and legal guardian, said they had faced bullying at school since last year over their gender identity. Despite outcry over Benedicts death and the links advocates have drawn between it and policies aimed at LGBTQ people in Oklahoma, Walters has continued to defend his policies. The safety and security of our students is my top priority as well as the first responsibility of Oklahoma schools. I mourn the loss of our student in Owasso and pray for Gods comfort for the family and the entire Owasso community, Walters said in a previous statement to The Hill. We have witnessed the radical left and their accomplices in the media use the tragic death of a student to push a political agenda and a false narrative. It is despicable and harms our students and communities, he continued. I will continue to fight for parents and will never back down to the woke mob. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A group of hunters shot two deer from a vehicle in Tennessee, then one threatened to kill a property owner who confronted him, officials say. Now the 22-year-old has pleaded guilty to multiple charges, according to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. The man and two companions were road hunting in Hawkins County at around 11:30 p.m. last August with a spotlight, officials said in a news release. From a vehicle, they shot and killed a doe and a seven-point buck while the deer hunting season was closed, wildlife officers said. A property owner confronted them, and the 22-year-old is accused of pointing his gun at the man and threatening to kill him. When a deputy later found the group, the hunters had a spotlight and hunting rifles, officials said. They were taken into custody, and a third person was charged as an accessory. In Tennessee, its illegal to use light to hunt deer from a motor vehicle unless you are on your own property or have explicit written permission from the property owner. About a month after the incident, an officer with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency was serving the man with a criminal summons when he found a buck deer carcass in the backyard, officials said. Four days later, wildlife officers executed a search warrant at the mans residence. They reported finding 11 sets of deer antlers, which they say were poached. In addition to the antlers, investigators said the man shot a bearded hen turkey and did not check it in, and they also said he checked in the deer carcass as an archery harvest despite not having an archery license. Over a three and a half year period, (the hunter) was charged with killing or assisting in killing 15 deer illegally, and admitted to poaching 20 deer from the road in 2020 alone, wildlife officer Justin Pinkston said in the release. Sadly, most of these deer were left lying and were never recovered. The man was convicted of poaching in May 2021 and pleaded guilty to similar charges at the time. Now, his hunting privileges have been revoked for life. He pleaded guilty Feb. 23 to aggravated assault, spotlighting deer, hunting from a motor vehicle, and a second and third offense of hunting big game in closed season, wildlife officials said. Hell serve concurrent sentences of six months in prison and has been ordered to pay $12,500 in restitution, officials said. Wildlife officers also confiscated hunting equipment and items harvested from animals. The mans attorney information is not available in case records. Hawkins County is in northern Tennessee near the North Carolina and Virginia border, about 80 miles northeast of Knoxville. Men caught illegally snatching prehistoric creatures from Oregon bay, officials say Hunters fearing bears abandon moose in national park except for 1 trophy, feds say Rare trio of elusive predators spotted on trail camera in Thailand, video shows Iconic desert creature found shot near field sparks search for poacher, officials say Immediately following the Idaho prison systems failure Wednesday to execute the states longest-serving death row prisoner by lethal injection, his attorneys secured a stay of execution from a federal judge and filed a new demand they said was intended to protect their clients constitutional rights. U.S. District Court Judge Amanda Brailsford for the District of Idaho issued a stay of execution for Thomas Creech about a half-hour after Idaho Department of Correction officials called off his lethal injection when they couldnt locate a vein for an IV. Attorneys for the prison system did not contest the emergency request for the stay from Creechs attorneys, who alleged in their court filing that the execution team had badly botched their clients lethal injection Wednesday morning. Creechs attorneys wrote that they were not aware at the time of their filing whether the prison system would again try to execute their client during his active death warrant, which expired at the end of the day Wednesday. IDOC Director Josh Tewalt said during a Wednesday afternoon press conference that the prison system decided not to make another attempt to execute Creech. On Thursday during testimony before an Idaho House committee, Tewalt contested claims that Creechs execution, while unsuccessful, was botched. In fact, he said, the lethal injection policies and procedures worked as intended. Unequivocally, they made the right call, Tewalt said of the execution team. The worst thing the state could have done is to try to proceed with an execution without having confidence or the ability to administer those chemicals in a way that honored our commitment and responsibility to adhere to the Eighth Amendment and preventing cruel and unusual punishment. Tewalt and media witnesses said the execution team tried eight times to find a vein in different areas of Creechs body over about an hour. The execution teams failure to carry out a lethal injection proves IDOCs inability to carry out a humane and constitutional execution, Creechs attorneys wrote. A new death warrant what would be the 13th for Creech since he was convicted of murder for the November 1974 shooting deaths of two men in Valley County would need to be issued if prison officials were to attempt to execute him again. Creech, 73, has been incarcerated in Idaho for nearly 50 years, the bulk of that time on death row. Rev. Mike Hollomon of Caldwell United Methodist and Emmett United Methodist prays with protesters against the death penalty outside of the Idaho Maximum Security Institution south of Boise Wednesday during prisoner Thomas Creechs attempted execution. Talk of firing squad back at the Capitol Creechs attorneys with the legal nonprofit Federal Defender Services of Idaho argued in their court filing that their clients constitutional rights may have been violated during Wednesdays execution attempt. They issued a legal demand that the prison system preserve all evidence and that the execution chamber be kept in its present condition. They sought to inspect and photograph the chamber, and immediately speak with their client. This motion is based on Mr. Creechs right to an execution free from cruel and unusual punishment under the Eighth Amendment, wrote Creechs attorneys in a case that named Tewalt, Idaho maximum security prison Warden Tim Richardson and IDOC prisons chief Chad Page as the defendants. Members of the Idaho attorney generals office objected on their behalf in a response filing, arguing that Creechs attorneys had not stated a viable legal claim. They asked that Brailsford reject the request. While (the) plaintiff cites the Eighth Amendment, the motion does not contain any legal or other authoritative source citations to support plaintiffs requests that IDOC preserve evidence and the execution chamber, the prison officials attorneys said. Brailsford held a Wednesday afternoon conference call with attorneys from both sides to discuss the emergency demand, according to the court docket. The judge during the call reminded each side of their responsibility to preserve information they believe could be relevant in a future lawsuit. Brailsford found the emergency demand to be moot, the docket stated, after attorneys for Creech and the prison system reached agreement during the call on each of the three requests in the legal demand. The terms of that compromise were not immediately clear. Creech was returned to his cell after prison officials called off the execution, prison officials said. Tewalt said that state officials are considering what they may do next. Reviewing how soon they can potentially implement the firing squad, which Idaho approved last year as its backup execution method, is part of those discussion, he said Thursday. The math were doing is: Can it be done in a way befitting what this process deserves, as well as controlling as many variables as possible? he told the House committee. We continue to try to work through that process of where, best and how to carry that out. Illinois has disqualified Trump from the 2024 ballot. Heres what this means Illinois has become the latest state to weigh in on Donald Trumps presidential primary ballot eligibility, with a judge ordering the former president to be removed due to his alleged involvement in the January 6 insurrection. On Wednesday, Circuit Judge Tracie Porter of Cook County issued a ruling in a challenge to Mr Trumps eligibility which was brought by four Illinois voters and the organisation Free Speech For People. Much like the near-identical lawsuits brought in other states, the group of voters claimed Mr Trump was ineligible to appear on the states primary ballot due to his actions leading up to and on January 6 2021 a violation of Section Three of the 14th Amendment known as the insurrection clause. The judge agreed and said the former president should not appear on the ballot. A spokesperson from Mr Trumps campaign called the Illinois decision unconstitutional and accused the judge of having a Democratic political agenda. On Thursday just hours after the ruling was handed down Mr Trump appealed the decision. The ruling is currently on pause until the US Supreme Court issues an official decision on a similar ruling in Colorado. Former US president and 2024 Republican Presidential hopeful Donald Trump leaves after speaking at the Republican Party of Iowa's 2023 Lincoln Dinner at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines, Iowa, on July 28, 2023 (AFP via Getty Images) The ruling comes just weeks before the state is slated to hold its primary election. It is also around a month after the Illinois State Board of Elections unanimously dismissed the case, claiming it lacked jurisdiction to remove the former president from the ballot. The 14th Amendment case brought in Ilinois is part of a much larger effort by voters and groups across the country to prevent the former president, who is facing a trove of criminal and civil trials, from taking office again. The group initiating the lawsuits believes the former president is partially responsible for the actions on January 6 and in trying to overturn the 2020 election results in his favour. Already, the former president is facing a federal trial that charged him with several counts related to his alleged efforts to interfere with the election. Mr Trump faces another criminal trial in Georgia for allegedly interfering with the 2020 election results. So far, most states have dismissed or refused to remove Mr Trump from the ballot. But, Illinois does join Colorado and Maine in removing the former president from the ballot. Colorado was the first state to do so and now that appeal is in the hands of the Supreme Court. It is unclear when the high court will issue a ruling on the matter. Most likely, Mr Trumps ballot eligibility will remain in limbo in Illinois until the Supreme Court issues its decision. Illinois has become the latest state to weigh in on Donald Trumps presidential primary ballot eligibility, with a judge ordering the former president to be removed due to his alleged involvement in the January 6 insurrection. On Wednesday, Circuit Judge Tracie Porter of Cook County issued a ruling in a challenge to Mr Trumps eligibility which was brought by four Illinois voters and the organisation Free Speech For People. Much like the near-identical lawsuits brought in other states, the group of voters claimed Mr Trump was ineligible to appear on the states primary ballot due to his actions leading up to and on January 6 2021 a violation of Section Three of the 14th Amendment known as the insurrection clause. The judge agreed and said the former president should not appear on the ballot. A spokesperson from Mr Trumps campaign called the Illinois decision unconstitutional and accused the judge of having a Democratic political agenda. On Thursday just hours after the ruling was handed down Mr Trump appealed the decision. The ruling is currently on pause until the US Supreme Court issues an official decision on a similar ruling in Colorado. Former US president and 2024 Republican Presidential hopeful Donald Trump leaves after speaking at the Republican Party of Iowa's 2023 Lincoln Dinner at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines, Iowa, on July 28, 2023 (AFP via Getty Images) The ruling comes just weeks before the state is slated to hold its primary election. It is also around a month after the Illinois State Board of Elections unanimously dismissed the case, claiming it lacked jurisdiction to remove the former president from the ballot. The 14th Amendment case brought in Ilinois is part of a much larger effort by voters and groups across the country to prevent the former president, who is facing a trove of criminal and civil trials, from taking office again. The group initiating the lawsuits believes the former president is partially responsible for the actions on January 6 and in trying to overturn the 2020 election results in his favour. Already, the former president is facing a federal trial that charged him with several counts related to his alleged efforts to interfere with the election. Mr Trump faces another criminal trial in Georgia for allegedly interfering with the 2020 election results. So far, most states have dismissed or refused to remove Mr Trump from the ballot. But, Illinois does join Colorado and Maine in removing the former president from the ballot. Colorado was the first state to do so and now that appeal is in the hands of the Supreme Court. It is unclear when the high court will issue a ruling on the matter. Most likely, Mr Trumps ballot eligibility will remain in limbo in Illinois until the Supreme Court issues its decision. Indiana lawmakers voted to give more money to families caring for children with medically complex conditions who previously relied on a program allowing them to be paid hourly as attendant caregivers. And in a rare moment, a Democrat managed to pass language unanimously on this issue, too breaking the voting machine in the process seeking to investigate the source of the problem. The Family Social Services Administration decided to cut the attendant care program amid a slew of other cost-cutting measures in response to a nearly $1 billion Medicaid budget shortfall discovered in December. They want families to transition into a model called "structured family caregiving" instead, a model that pays providers a flat daily rate but generally compensates families less. While lawmakers couldn't halt this change, a bipartisan cohort collaborated on a series of amendments on the House floor Thursday intended to soften the impact and require more information from FSSA than has been provided. Lawmakers and Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch previously tried to extract information, such as how many families would be impacted and whether the existing provider network can support them, from FSSA through letters and public appearances. One of the amendments today would make this reporting a requirement by law. The amendments were tacked onto Senate Bill 256, originally authored by Sen. Ryan Mishler, R-Mishawaka, and which in the House chamber has transformed into a massive bill containing a slew of disparate fiscal matters. Adaline Davis, who turns eight on Jan. 25, brushes the hair of her brother Alexander Davis, 15, on Sunday, Jan 21, 2024, at the familys Tipton home. A recent Family and Social Services Administration decision is slated to eliminate financial reimbursement for family members who care for severely disabled and medically complex children. What did lawmakers do? Family members in the current attendant care model get paid an hourly wage by third-party providers, who get reimbursed by Medicaid. In the "structured family caregiving" model, the state pays a service provider a daily stipend, and the provider passes on a portion to the family caregiver as payment. The structured model also includes training for the live-in caregiver and is supposed to supply substitute caregivers as needed. Typically, about 50-60% of the stipend is actually passed along to the caregiver. For families interviewed by IndyStar, this results in a steep pay cut compared to what they've been getting under the existing program. Rep. Jeff Thompson, R-Lizton and the House's lead budget writer, successfully proposed language to require 80% of the stipend passes through to families. Indiana State Representative, Jeff Thompson, R-Lizton, attends a House session on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2024, at the Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis. One of the amendments offered by Rep. Ed Clere, R-Albany, will compel FSSA to apply for an amended Medicaid waiver that would do one of two things: establish a new, higher reimbursement rate for individuals who require "extraordinary" care, or, allow those individuals requiring extraordinary care to go back to the original structure FSSA is trying to get rid of. One example of "extraordinary" care is needing a mechanical breathing machine at least ten hours per day. Under an amendment by Rep. Greg Porter, D-Indianapolis, FSSA will be required to review attendant care claims and not automatically approve them. And finally, Rep. Ed Delaney, D-Indianapolis, floated language he has tried to pass before: FSSA must, under this proposal, submit a report to the General Assembly by Oct. 1 that explains how the Medicaid forecast miscalculation happened and how the agency will prevent a repeat. "The citizens have a right to know," Delaney said. State Rep. Ed DeLaney, D-Indianapolis, listens to Gov. Holcomb's speech Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, during the State of the State address at the Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis. As lawmakers voted and green "Yes" symbols began populating the large screens at the head of the chamber, suddenly the screen went blank. Huston had warned earlier that the machines were having technical issues. "Dramatic pause for Rep. Delaney's amendment here," Huston said, waiting for the results to tally. "Oh! Rep. Delaney, the machine died!" The House roared with wall-to-wall laughter and applause: Delaney broke the machine with the unanimous vote. Families react The House and Senate will need to negotiate over these changes to Senate Bill 256, so it remains to be seen how much of the language will stay. Nonetheless, there's excitement among the community impacted by these changes. "Those of us taking care of loved ones in the attendant care program are so very thankful for the amendments made to Senate Bill 256 today to fix the ongoing problems at FSSA," said Jennifer Dewitt, a mother who cares full-time for her son Jackson, who has cerebral palsy. Anastasia Davis and her 15-year-old son Alexander Davis (bottom left), talk with a reporter on Monday, Jan. 22, 2024, at the Indiana Statehouse. About 100 people showed up for a rally who are at odds with a recent Family and Social Services Administration decision to eliminate financial reimbursement for family members who care for severely disabled and medically complex children. The amendment addressing the needs of families with "extraordinary care," in particular, would mean a great deal to Anastasia Davis, whose son Alexander requires round-the-clock assistance to do everything from eating and getting in and out of bed. "It is really nice to see the government paying attention to the minority of special needs families that have truly medically complex kids," Davis said. "Their extraordinary care is at a level that there's just no help for. And we want them to be considered." Amber OHaver, chief revolutionary officer for advocacy organization Disability Revolution and someone who uses these services, called the action "meaningful" and a "step in the right direction." I applaud legislators for listening to waiver users like me and taking meaningful action that recognizes the immense value (Legally Responsible Individuals), like my husband, play in our lives. Crouch, who had publicly called for a pause on FSSA's plans, told IndyStar she was pleased with the momentum. "The Medicaid shortfall was not the fault of families of our most vulnerable citizens, and I am encouraged by the action today in the House," she said. FSSA did not immediately respond to request for comment. More: After $1 billion Medicaid budget shortfall, Indiana to cut program paying family caregivers Contact IndyStar state government and politics reporter Kayla Dwyer at kdwyer@indystar.com or follow her on Twitter@kayla_dwyer17. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana House turns to legislation to address FSSA family caregiver issue House Republicans' bill to change how school districts can contract a range of educational services was approved by the chamber Thursday, advancing a plan that diverges significantly from Gov. Kim Reynolds' initial proposal to overhaul Iowa's area education agencies. House File 2612 retains the AEAs as the sole providers of special education services for districts across the state. It will allow those districts to seek private contracts for media and general education services currently provided by AEAs by 2025, and commissions a task force to provide recommendations on the role and future of the agencies. Passage of the bill, the result of weeks of closed-door meetings, committee discussions and a public hearing, comes two months after the governor unveiled a plan to overhaul the agencies in her Condition of the State speech. "Everybody agreed that there were areas to improve and that we could make changes," said Rep. Skyler Wheeler, R-Hull. The Iowa House of Representatives votes on HF 2612 at the Iowa State Capitol on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024, in Des Moines. Wheeler and House Republicans' plan deviates in several major ways from the governor's pitch, which aimed to narrow AEAs' scope to focus strictly on special education services and send federal dollars directly to school districts. Republicans in the Senate have also crafted their own changes on the issue, in a bill that differs in several ways from the House's and has not passed out of the full chamber. Reynolds' initial proposal, which proved widely unpopular and died early in the House, continued to be panned by lawmakers during floor debate Thursday, including several Republicans. Rep. Brent Siegrist, R-Council Bluffs and a former executive director of the Iowa AEAs, said the issue was "on nobody's agenda going into session." And the bill's sponsor expressed regret at how the issue was first broached at the Capitol. "The rollout sucked," Wheeler said. "I wish we could go back. Personally, I wish I could go back. I think there could have been some things done differently." State Rep. Skyler Wheeler, R-Hull, speaks during debate of HF 2612 at the Iowa State Capitol on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024, in Des Moines. The House's new plan earned passage on a 53-41 vote, despite nine Republicans joining Democrats in opposition. More: Iowa special ed advocates say new House plan for AEAs is better, but more changes needed Reynolds, in a statement on the bill's passage, thanked the House for "making progress" on the issue, asserting that the AEAs are "failing our students." "Improving student outcomes has always been at the forefront," Reynolds said. "The system must provide transparency and accountability to school districts, those closest to our students, and drive consistency across the AEA regions to improve services for students with disabilities. "Thats what Ive heard from over 100 school districts as Ive traveled the state, and I look forward to more conversations as the legislation moves forward," she added. Democrats remained strongly critical of any changes to AEAs, calling the bill "a solution without a problem" and urging a slower timeline to conduct a more full evaluation of what changes are needed. "On many levels, this has been rushed," said Rep. Monica Kurth, D-Davenport. "Too many questions remain unanswered. Why the rush? And how is this good for our kids?" Several requested that the proposal be pared down to include strictly a task force, rather than restructuring of services and funding. "People are concerned about the dismantling of the AEAs," said Rep. Art Staed, D-Cedar Rapids. "It's still taking place in this bill, little by little. Even this amended bill here, certainly fits the description of a hostile takeover." Mike Beranek, president of the Iowa State Education Association, said the union remains supportive of the AEAs, and called the House plan "less draconian" than Reynolds' bill but still unnecessary. "Thousands of Iowans have contacted legislators and the governor with support and praise about their experiences with their AEAs," Beranek said. "They are not being listened to. Any system can be improved, but such improvement needs to be thoughtful and responsive to Iowans' input." More: Iowa ends contract with AEA-run program that helps families navigate disability services House Republicans' AEA plan sends federal dollars to agencies, allows private contracts for services Just as Iowa's nine AEAs would continue to be the sole provider of special education services under House Republicans' bill, so too would federal special education dollars flow directly to the agencies. That's a change from Reynolds' proposal, which would have sent those dollars directly to school districts. State aid and property tax dollars that currently go to the agencies would flow directly to the school districts. Contracting for media services and general education services, currently also under the sole jurisdiction of the AEAs, would now fall to districts. Boards can decide whether to continue paying the AEA under a "fee for service" structure, or they could choose to contract with a private provider. None of the changes to services under the House plan would take effect until the 2025-26 school year. More: Iowa lawmakers unveil AEA changes. Here's how they affect special education, teacher pay: The Iowa Department of Education, which accredits the AEAs annually, would also take on a more prominent oversight role under the bill. The education director would have authority over the agencies, with existing boards that make governing decisions moved to advisory roles. Budgets and policy decisions would fall under the director's purview. And a new division with the Department of Education would be dedicated to oversight of the AEAs, with several of those positions embedded in regional offices. A task force would be commissioned under the plan to study and make recommendations on AEAs' services, properties, oversight and staffing by the end of 2024. Its membership would be required to include multiple special education teachers, superintendents and parents; the Heartland AEA administrator; a nonpublic school leader; and multiple lawmakers. What are the Area Education Agencies and why are there efforts to change them? Iowas nine Area Education Agencies Northwest, Prairie Lakes, Central Rivers, Keystone, Mississippi Bend, Grant Wood, Heartland, Green Hills and Great Prairie are tasked with providing special education and other services to public and accredited private schools across the state. Iowa established the agencies in 1974 to fill a need for equal access to services and following federal legislation in the 1960s and 1970s that focused on programming for students with disabilities. They provide a range of services, including behavioral support, occupational therapy, professional development, crisis management and more. During her Condition of the State speech, Reynolds said the AEAs have operated without meaningful oversight and have grown beyond their original mission of providing special education supports for school districts. Galen Bacharier covers politics for the Register. Reach him at gbacharier@registermedia.com or (573) 219-7440, and follow him on Twitter @galenbacharier. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa legislature: House passes plan to change area education agencies Investors are eating up Cava (CAVA). On Tuesday, shares of the Mediterranean fast-casual chain hit a new record of $59.91. Shares are up more than 40% year to date, jumping by as much as 19% in the last five days after posting a beat on its top and bottom lines for its Q4 results. For comparison, the S&P 500 (^GSPC) is up more than 7% year to date, whereas fast-casual powerhouse Chipotle (CMG) is up nearly 20%. For the fourth quarter, Cava's revenue came in at $177.17 million, versus $174.09 million expected, while adjusted earnings were $0.02, versus $0.01 estimated. Same-store sales soared 11.40% year over year, handily besting the 6.25% Wall Street had anticipated. "Our results are reflective of how we're able to demonstrate the power of our category-defining brand," CEO Brett Schulman told Yahoo Finance. He believes there is major "white space potential in front of us" in the Mediterranean food sector. In a note to clients, JPMorgan analyst John Ivankoe wrote that he believes the company's team and operating structure "supports the likelihood of CAVA becoming a highly visible, important national brand that should dominate the large and flexible Mediterranean category." Stifel analyst Chris O'Cull wrote to clients that Cava's "premium valuation can be justified by its healthy unit economics, development visibility, and solid operating momentum," which could lead to "further upward revisions to near-term estimates and long-term earnings potential." Jefferies analyst Andy Barish increased his price target by 16% to $66 from $48 following the Q4 results, citing "an attractive runway ahead for CAVA to further scale." One persistent problem labor costs has followed the restaurant industry into 2024. 22 states raised their minimum wages on Jan. 1, while Oregon, Nevada, and Florida are set to increase theirs later this year. And California is facing a looming wage jump as a result of AB 1228 and its predecessor, the FAST Act. Beginning April 1, food chains that have at least 60 locations nationwide will be required to raise their minimum wage for restaurant employees to $20 per hour. Story continues The company plans to "absorb that 30 basis point impact," Schulman said, adding that it has always "aspired" to pay more than the average wage, as well as "be competitive and have attractive wages in every market we operate in." In 2024, the company expects its restaurant-level profit margin to be between 22.7% and 23.3%, or 150 to 210 basis points below 2023's margin. Schulman said that the impact on margin from the higher wage growth is "an investment in our team that will create ... restaurant-level margin growth over the long haul." In January, Cava increased menu prices by 2.5% to 3%. The average price per person, which includes premium add-ons to the entrees, is now $14. In August 2023, Schulman told Yahoo Finance the average price per person was "a little bit north of $13.50." "We have pricing elasticity," he said when asked about his company's pricing power. "We don't want to just take it because it's there, we want to put the best value proposition for it for our guests," he added. CFO Tricia Tolivar said the company expects the cost of food to increase in the low to mid single digits in 2024, but Shulman said its new steak offering "is a premium item and it will be priced as such. ... We see it as dollar margin neutral to our basket." CAVA in Waldorf, Maryland featuring digital order pickup. (Courtesy of CAVA) Cava lays out slow and steady growth plans By 2032, the company plans to have 1,000 Cava locations. At the end of fiscal 2023, the company had 309 locations, with 72 opened last year, and plans to launch 48 to 52 this year. "We are projecting 15% compound annual unit growth," Schulman shared, "we feel really comfortable about our pipeline and our ability to maintain this growth rate." It plans to enter Chicago this year with three locations, sticking to the model of penetrating established markets. Ivankoe believes the brand is a "preferred tenant," especially as "the high-profile IPO draws attention to the companys cash-rich balance sheet with less than $300 million and prospects for brand longevity." Earlier this year, the company also got its new food processing facility up and running in Verona, Virginia, which can serve up to at least 750 Cava stores. In addition, it can supply packaged goods like its Crazy Feta and Harissa for up to 1,000 stores. "We are in about 650 grocery outlets today, and we are slowly growing that," Schulman shared, with the new facility providing an opportunity to scale its packaged foods business in the future. Brooke DiPalma is a senior reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter at @BrookeDiPalma or email her at bdipalma@yahoofinance.com. Click here for the latest stock market news and in-depth analysis, including events that move stocks Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance The Scoop Iran is stepping up shipments of attack drones to the Sudanese military, further internationalizing the North African countrys civil war and potentially providing Tehran with a new ally through which to project power into the Red Sea, U.S. and Arab officials tell Semafor. The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) has been locked in a nearly year-long conflict with the rebel Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that has split the country and spilled into neighboring countries like Chad and South Sudan. The war provided Iran with an opening last October to reestablish diplomatic relations with the Khartoum government for the first time since 2016 and potentially end Sudans strategic shift towards the West. The country, previously designated by the U.S. as a state sponsor of terrorism, significantly improved its ties with Washington during the Trump administration and agreed in 2020 to establish diplomatic relations with Israel. Sudans worsening civil war, which has included the targeting of civilians, however, has halted these steps towards normalization. And the Biden administration imposed new sanctions on both the SAF and RSF in recent months. As part of Irans bolstered ties with Khartoum, Tehran has begun sending attack drones to the SAF in recent months, U.S. and Arab officials familiar with the intelligence told Semafor. The SAF is expected to deploy the Mohajer-6 drones to try and block RSF offensive operations that have allowed the rebels to gain control of large swathes of central and western Sudan, as well as much of Khartoum, over the past year. The Sudanese government and the SAFs commander, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, are largely based today out of Port Sudan on the Red Sea. U.S. and Arab officials said they believe Iran aims to use its relations with the SAF to bolster Tehrans regional alliances and allow the country to project more power into the strategic waterways in the Red Sea. Prior to Sudans 2016 revolution, under dictator Omar al-Bashir, Iran used the North African country as a conduit through which to move arms to allied Palestinian militias fighting Israel from the Gaza strip, including Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Iran sent military supplies both via the Red Sea and overland through Sudan and Egypt, according to Israeli officials. Iran has also used the Red Sea to increase pressure on Israel and the U.S. following Hamass October 7 terrorist attack on southern Israel and the ensuing war. The Yemen-based Houthi militia, which receives drones, cruise missiles and intelligence from Tehran, has regularly been targeting Western commercial ships moving through the Red Sea. And Sudan could provide Tehran with another foothold to strengthen its regional position and potentially impede maritime traffic. Jays view The Gaza war has made Irans regional network of allies, known as the Axis of Resistance, front-page news. But the reality is that Tehran has been building up this coalition for decades. And gaining leverage, if not control, over the Middle Easts strategic waterways including the Persian Gulf, Suez Canal, and Bab-el-Mandeb Strait is a central feature of Irans strategy. The Houthi attacks in recent months on ships moving through the Red Sea which need to transit the Suez Canal to reach Europe has threatened the entire global economy. Many commercial lines, wary of being targeted by Houthi drones and missiles, have redirected their ships to travel south around the Horn of Africa to reach European markets and the U.S. This significantly raises shipping costs and time. The U.S. and U.K. have launched a sustained campaign of military strikes against Houthi targets in recent weeks in an effort, which has been only partially successful, to free up Red Sea trade. But U.S. and Mideast officials believe Iran views Sudan as providing a second front from which to challenge U.S. and allied navies in the Red Sea. Sudan sits directly across the waterway from Yemen. Middle East and Africa analysts believe Sudans civil war could potentially split the country. And militias and warlords that are only nominally under either the SAF or the RSF control large parts of Sudanese territory. Iran has proven adept in recent decades of using such instability to build up allied militias in countries like Iraq, Syria and Yemen. Analysts say a similar model could be employed in Sudan. Given the ways in which Iranian influence has grown elsewhere in the region, there are fears that the Sudanese army, with its Islamist orientation, will morph into a militia group similar to the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces, ultimately exerting Irans will in exchange for funding and military support, wrote Areej Elhag, a Sudanese security analyst, last month. The View From Iran and Sudan Iranian and Sudanese officials have hailed the resumption of their diplomatic relations in recent months, but havent publicly disclosed any military cooperation. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian welcomed his Sudanese counterpart to Tehran earlier this month as part of a process aimed at reopening each countrys embassy. And, according to Iranian state media, the Iranian envoy highlighted Tehrans experience in industrial and technical-engineering services, as well as medical and pharmaceutical products, as being available to Sudan. Sudans Foreign Minister Ali Al-Sadiq has also promoted Khartoums new relationship with Iran. But hes stressed that this doesnt need to come at the cost of Sudans ties with other nations. Relations between countries are not static, Al-Sadiq said, according to the Sudan News Agency. This resumption follows a period of separation, and it is a normal course of action in international diplomacy. Notable Bloomberg reported last month the first shipments of Iranian drones to Sudan. Africa expert John Prendergast called this month in Foreign Affairs for the U.S. to sanction all outside actors including Iran and the United Arab Emirates who are fueling Sudans civil war. He cited intelligence that the UAE is providing arms and funding to the RSF. Ultra-Orthodox Jews pay a solidarity visit to Israeli troops deployed near the Gaza border in October. Now the defence ministry wants the community to face conscription like other Israeli Jews (Menahem KAHANA) Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant has called for members of the ultra-Orthodox community to be required to perform military service like other Israeli Jews as the Gaza war rages on. "We must all bear the burden," Gallant said, addressing what has long been a divisive political issue in a country with mandatory military service for most citizens. Since Israel was founded in 1948, Jewish men who study the Torah full-time in a seminary are granted an annual deferment from military service until the age of 26, at which point they become exempt. But since the war in Gaza erupted after Hamas's October 7 attack, a decades-old debate around these exemptions has taken on a new urgency. On Wednesday, Gallant called for an end to the exemptions, saying he would back legislation to this effect if it is endorsed by centrist ministers in the war cabinet of right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "An immediate need arises for the extension of military service for our active soldiers and the prolongation of reserve duty for reservists," Gallant told journalists on Wednesday evening. "It is not a matter of choice. We must stand firm in defending our homeland. "It is possible and important to reach an agreed framework for a draft (law), even for a growing part of the ultra-Orthodox community which is already contributing to the civilian effort," he said. Gallant's comments have raised fears of a political crisis in Israel at a time when it is fighting Hamas militants in Gaza. A deadlock over the issue could threaten Netanyahu's coalition of ultra-Orthodox and religious nationalist parties. Addressing reporters on Thursday, Netanyahu voiced confidence the issue could be resolved. "We will find an agreement for (the ultra-Orthodox) to join the army or the civilian service, even if not everyone will be satisfied," Netanyahu said. "(An) election now would block everything... Gallant knows that we cannot move towards elections during the war." - Growing resentment - The exemptions given to ultra-Orthodox seminary students have ballooned as the community's population has grown over the decades. This has fuelled resentment among Israeli society at large. Israel called up more than 300,000 military reservists as it launched its costly war against Hamas following the October 7 attack, which resulted in the deaths of around 1,160 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official Israeli figures. Gallant called on Netanyahu "to lead a shared process with all coalition parties and reach necessary agreements on the issue of a draft law". Gallant said the bill needs backing from all parties. "Without agreement from all parts of the coalition, the defence establishment that I head will not submit the law," he said. His remarks were welcomed by centrist cabinet minister Benny Gantz, a former defence minister who joined Netanyahu's emergency coalition after the war began. Gallant's remarks drew criticism from Heritage Minister Amichai Eliyahu, a member of the far-right Jewish Power faction in Netanyahu's government. "There is no possibility whatsoever to draft this community forcibly," Eliyahu told army radio. "At the moment I prefer unity of the people of Israel and the country to the government collapsing" over this issue, he said. ibz-jd/rcb/kir Israel faces growing concern about the number of civilian deaths, after at least 30,000 Palestinians were reported killed in Gaza - as well as pressure to show it is eliminating Hamas as it vowed after 7 October. BBC Verify examines Israel's claims about how many of those killed were combatants. The Israeli military says it has killed more than 10,000 fighters in its air strikes and ground operations in response to the Hamas attack which killed about 1,200 people. But there are concerns about whether it is able to separate fighters from ordinary civilians. President Joe Biden said in December that Israel had the support of the world as well as the US, but "they're starting to lose that support by the indiscriminate bombing that takes place". The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have consistently defended their tactics, stressing that they are trying to be precise in their targeting of Hamas fighters and infrastructure, while seeking to minimise civilian deaths. Hamas does not provide any figures for its military fatalities. The Reuters news agency reported that an official had admitted 6,000 fighters had been killed, but Hamas denied this figure to the BBC. The toll of at least 30,139 killed, from Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry, has previously been described as trustworthy by the World Health Organization's (WHO) regional emergency director Richard Brennan. The WHO says the ministry has "good capacity in data collection" and its previous reporting has been credible and "well developed". But its overall tally of those killed does not distinguish between civilians and combatants. More than 70% of those killed in Gaza have been women and children, according to the health ministry The health ministry's last demographic breakdown from 29 February indicated more than 70% of those killed had been women and children. So, with the figures suggesting less than 30% of those killed were men - some of whom are likely to be over fighting age - experts have raised questions about how Israel arrived at its claim of killing 10,000 fighters. BBC Verify has repeatedly asked the IDF for the detail of its methodology for counting Hamas fighter deaths but they have not responded. The BBC tried to piece together a fuller picture through claims and videos published by Israel. The IDF has issued press statements and social media posts since October, making claims about the outcome of its operations in Gaza. References to the numbers of fighters killed in these announcements are more sporadic and approximate than the Hamas-run health ministry's regular updates on fatalities. One IDF estimate before the war suggested Hamas had about 30,000 fighters in Gaza. In December, it described an assessment that it was killing two civilians for every Hamas fighter as "tremendously positive", given the challenges it faced on the battlefield. On 29 December, IDF spokesman Major Doron Spielman told Sky News Australia that 8,000 Hamas fighters had been killed, saying the figure was based on intelligence, interrogations and examination of satellite photographs. In mid-January, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed Israel had "destroyed" two-thirds of Hamas fighting regiments in Gaza. On 19 February, the Times of Israel reported the IDF as saying 12,000 fighters had been killed. We put that figure to the IDF who, in two separate responses to us, said the figure is "approximately 10,000" and "more than 10,000". The Israeli embassy in the UK told us they think the total number of Hamas fighters killed is "between 10,000 and 12,000". But they said it was hard to distinguish between civilians and combatants as many of them are not wearing military uniform and Hamas also has fighters who are aged 16 and 17. Other factors cited by experts as obstacles to counting combatant casualties include Hamas operating in tunnels. Palestinians on an Israeli tank captured in the 7 October attack BBC Verify reviewed all 280 videos posted to the IDF YouTube channel from 7 October up to 27 February and found that very few contained visual evidence of fighters being killed. Of these just one - posted on 14 December - purports to show dead bodies of fighters. A handful of other videos appear to show fighters being shot at. We also attempted to count the number of individual claims of Hamas fighters killed on the IDF's official Telegram channel. We found 160 posts claiming to have killed a specific number of fighters, for a total of 714 fatalities. But there were also 247 references which used terms such as "several", "dozens" or "hundreds" killed, making a meaningful overall tally impossible. Since the beginning of the IDF incursion into Gaza, the military has accused Hamas of using the civilian population as human shields. But some experts are concerned that the IDF might be counting some non-combatants as fighters merely because they are part of the Hamas-run territory's administration. Andreas Krieg, a senior lecturer in security studies at Kings College London, said: "Israel takes a very broad approach to 'Hamas membership', which includes any affiliation with the organisation, including civil servants or administrators." The fatality data for the current conflict from the Gaza health ministry shows a sharp increase in the proportion of women and children among the dead compared with previous wars. A graph showing how the porportion of women and children killed in this conflict is far greater than in previous conflicts betwen Israel and Gaza in 2008 and 2014 This "indicates a much higher civilian death rate," according to Rachel Taylor, the executive director of the Every Casualty Counts organisation, a UK-based organisation that aims to record victims of violent conflicts. Nearly half of Gaza's population is under 18 and about 44% of the fatalities of war are also children, according to the health ministry's 29 February demographic data. Ms Taylor said the fact that the deaths closely track the demographics of the general population "indicates indiscriminate killing". A chart showing the numbers killed in Gaza since 7 October until 29 February and how the majority of these have been women and children "In contrast, in 2014 there was a fairly high percentage of 'fighting age' men among the dead, but this is much less evident today," she said. The pace of killing appears, on the face of it, to have slowed down, from about 330 deaths a day in the first month of the conflict to approximately 110 deaths a day over the past month. But some experts told the BBC that the real scale of those killed by the Israeli offensive is likely to be significantly higher as many hospitals, where deaths are usually recorded, are no longer operating. These figures also only include deaths from military attacks, and not starvation or disease, which are increasingly concerning international aid organisations. B'tselem, a Jerusalem-based human rights organisation, said the current war is far deadlier than previous conflicts between Israel and Gaza. Spokesperson Dror Sadot said: "These are numbers that we never saw in previous wars and strikes in Gaza or the other territories." Additional reporting by Maryam Ahmed and Aidan McNamee. BBC Verify logo Jack Teixeira, the former member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard charged with leaking hundreds of highly classified military and intelligence documents, intends to plead guilty, according two sources familiar with the matter and court filings. Teixeira is scheduled to enter the plea during a court hearing in federal court in Boston on Monday. The court's calendar now includes what's known as a Rule 11 hearing, where a judge reviews whether a guilty plea is voluntary and adequate. Teixeira's attorney declined to comment on Thursday. He has been detained since his arrest last April, several weeks after the sensitive documents began circulating online. Investigators said in previous court documents that Teixeira used his position as a systems administrator in the 102nd Intelligence Wing in the Massachusetts Air National Guard to obtain and then illegally disseminate classified military information on the online messaging platform Discord. An undated picture shows Jack Teixeira, a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard who was arrested over his alleged involvement in leaks online of classified documents. / Credit: Reuters A federal grand jury indicted him on six counts of willful retention and transmission of national defense information in June 2023. He initially pleaded not guilty. It was not immediately clear what charge or charges he will now plead guilty to. The classified documents covered a number of subjects, but some of the most revelatory were documents about Russia and Ukraine that disclosed troop movements, as well as a timeline for Western deliveries of weapons to Ukraine. Prosecutors say in some instances, Teixeira transcribed the information he was leaking, and in other instances, posted photographs of the documents. In arguing for Teixeira's pretrial detention in April, prosecutors alleged that he sent more than 40,000 messages on Discord between Nov. 1, 2022, and April 7, 2023, some of which contained sensitive government records. He allegedly began accessing the classified information in February 2022 and later posted the information online. The Air Force ultimately took action against 15 individuals for "dereliction in the performance of duties" after the service's inspector general found that Teixeira's unit failed to take proper action after at least four separate security incidents. The report concluded that Teixeira alone was responsible for the leaks, but members of his unit "enabled" the disclosures by not properly supervising his access to classified information. Eleanor Watson contributed to this report. The Smokehouse Creek Fire spreads, extending its reach from Texas to Oklahoma Texas Smokehouse Creek Fire becomes second-largest wildfire in U.S. history Roughly half of graduates are underemployed 10 years after college, study finds JACKSONAfter receiving a tip from a task force, investigators found child pornography on the cell phone of a 23-year-old township man, authorities said. Ricardo Espinoza Gonzalez was charged Wednesday with possession of child pornography, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said in a statement. This investigation into Espinoza Gonzalez started after the New Jersey State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force contacted local authorities, Billhimer said. The task force had likewise received tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that an individual in the area was uploading images of child sexual abuse. The High Tech Crime Unit of the prosecutor's office honed in on an IP address linked to a Jackson Township home. The person in the home responsible for the uploads was eventually identified as Espinoza Gonzalez, Billhimer said. Detectives from the prosecutor's office and the Jackson Police Department, along with the investigative arm of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, executed a search warrant Wednesday at Espinoza Gonzalez' residence, Billhimer said. An initial forensic examination of Gonzalez's cell phone by the High Tech Crime Unit turned up several items of child pornography, Billhimer said. Espinoza Gonzales remains at Ocean County Jail where he awaits a detention hearing. Attorney information for Espinoza Gonzalez was not immediately available. Ken Serrano covers crime, breaking news and investigations. Reach him at 732-643-4029 or at kserrano@gannettnj.com. This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Jackson man, 23, draws possession of child pornography charge CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) The final remaining sibling of the late Rev. Billy Graham, Jean Graham Ford, died Thursday morning, the family announced. She was 91. Ford met her husband Leighton while attending Wheaton College in Illinois. Like Graham, Leighton became an evangelist and launched Leighton Ford Ministries in 1985 in Charlotte. Americas Beloved Gospel Singer, Billy Graham collaborator, will be honored at NC Music Hall of Fame Jeans nephew Franklin Graham wrote that Billy Graham sought her counsel on many issues throughout his life. Jean contracted polio at age 11, which paralyzed her throat. Even at that time in her young life, and faced with the possibility of death as a child, she often said that it would not have bothered her [to die] so much because she knew she was going to heaven, Franklin said. She traced her faith back to her childhood, commenting that Jesus was part of our family. Jean and Leightons oldest son, Sandy, died of a rare heart disease at the age of 21. She is survived by her husband, Leighton; son, Kevin; and daughter, Debbie. Billy Graham, the nations most prominent Christian evangelist, died in 2018 at age 99. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday signed a new law into effect that will allow the grand jury testimony in a 2006 hearing against Jeffrey Epstein to be released for the first time, giving the public a window into the earliest accusations against him. Justice delayed is justice denied, and I think in many respects, this whole ordeal has proven that to be true, DeSantis told reporters at a Palm Beach news conference where he signed the bill into law. He was joined by two of Epsteins accusers, Haley Robson and Jena-Lisa Jones. The bill allows grand jury records to be released if the suspect at the center of the inquiry is dead and if the crimes involve sexual misconduct against minors. The 2006 grand jury inquiry in Palm Beach meets both of those criteria; Epstein died in jail in 2019 by suicide while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Epstein Had a Creepy Panopticon Room to Monitor All His Guests Epstein was charged for his crimes in 2006, and we are finally going to learn why, Jones, one of Epsteins alleged victims, said at the news conference. We have been left in the dark for so long with no answers. Had the public known the details of Epsteins 2006 inquiry, Jones added, authorities could have prevented him from sexually abusing dozens of other girls and women in the years that followed. In 2006, Palm Beach police recommended multiple felony charges against Epstein after an investigation uncovered sexual abuse against underaged girls. But the state attorney at the time chose to present evidence to the grand jury instead of charging Epstein directly, sealing the names of those involved and the details of the accusations. The new Florida law will release those details when it takes effect July 1. The public deserves to know who participated in Jeffrey Epsteins sex trafficking, DeSantis said. Nobody should be protected from facing justice due to their wealth or status, and those who harm children should be exposed and punished to the fullest extent of the law. The inquiry resulted in a 2008 plea deal for the late financier, which DeSantis criticized as little more than a slap on the wrist. Epstein was sentenced to 18 months of jail time, during which he was allowed to leave for work, followed by 12 months of house arrest, and was required to register as a sex offender. Epstein Client Les Wexner Donated $100K to Pro-Israel Group 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. House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) defended former President Trumps son-in-law Jared Kushner on Thursday after Hunter Biden, during testimony with House lawmakers, raised questions about his foreign dealings. Jordan said the scrutiny of Kushner, who was also an adviser to Trump, was ridiculous. The idea that Jared Kushner did something wrong is ridiculous, Jordan told Newsmaxs Eric Bolling during a Wednesday night appearance on The Balance. I mean, the Trump family has been investigated more than any family on the planet, and what theyve attempted to do to President Trump and been doing to President Trump over the last seven years is unbelievable, Jordan said. Hunter Biden appeared for a closed-door deposition Wednesday, where he was grilled by Republicans about his foreign business deals. During the process, the presidents son flipped the question back on the GOP interrogators. He drew the distinction between what he has done in a business world with independent businessmen, versus foreign governments, which he did not do any business with unlike Jared Kushner, Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.) said Wednesday during a break in the testimony. During his time in the Trump White House, Kushner oversaw Middle East policy. He secured a $2 billion investment from Saudi Arabia six months after leaving his Oval Office post, a deal that raised questions. The scrutiny intensified after a 2022 New York Times report detailed how the Saudi sovereigns advisory panel was not supportive of investing in Kushners private equity firm, pointing to the inexperience of the management. The doubts were quashed by a bigger advisory board led by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, an ally of the Trump administration. Top Stories from The Hill House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.), the other House Republican spearheading the probe into Hunter Biden, said in August that Kushner crossed the line of ethics by accepting a $2 billion investment. However, Comer drew a distinction at the time between the two cases, saying Kushner secured the funds after leaving office, while Hunter Bidens deals came through while his father was the vice president. Democrats opened a probe into Kushner when they held the majority in the lower chamber. The investigation was dropped when the GOP took back the majority. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, speaks to the media before a vote on the bipartisan immigration and border security legislation, which includes aid for Ukraine and Israel, at the U.S Capitol on February 7. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI WASHINGTON, Feb. 29 (UPI) -- U.S. Sen. John Cornyn officially announced Thursday he is running to lead the Senate Republican Conference. "I am asking my Republican colleagues to give me the opportunity to succeed Leader [Mitch] McConnell. I have learned a lot during my time both in and out of Senate leadership," Cornyn said in a statement. "Throughout my time, I've built a track record of listening to colleagues and seeking consensus, while leading the fight to stop bad policies that are harmful to our nation and the conservative cause." Republicans will elect their leadership for 2025 and 2026 in November after the national general election. Cornyn's announcement comes a day after McConnell announced he would not seek another term as Republican leader. McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, is the longest- serving Senate leader of either party. Cornyn is a close McConnell ally and spent six years as the number two Republican from 2013 to 2019. It's expected that Cornyn would continue in McConnell's tradition of principled pragmatism to pass legislation amid a broader push by conservatives to adhere to strict party purity. He demonstrated bipartisan chops in negotiating the first major gun safety bill in decades after the Robb Elementary shooting in Uvalde, Texas, and the CHIPS and Science Act, meant to help boost the U.S. semiconductor industry in the face of rising competition from China. That reputation has attracted some detractors, including Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who would not rule out a run against Cornyn in his 2026 Senate primary. Paxton blasted Cornyn for not backing him in his impeachment by the Texas state House and for openly showing concern over Paxton's legal woes. Cornyn was Texas attorney general from 1999 to 2002. Paxton called Cornyn an "anti-Trump, anti-gun" senator on social media Wednesday night. He added that Texans "deserve better" because Cornyn "will be focused on his highly competitive primary campaign in 2026." Cornyn tersely responded: "Hard to run from prison, Ken," in a nod at Paxton's felony indictment for securities fraud and an ongoing federal investigation into allegations of abuse in office. Despite his criticism from the right, Cornyn is by no means a moderate. He has faithfully voted with his party and advocated conservative causes in the judiciary, on the border and in U.S. interests overseas. He voted with then-President Donald Trump 92% of the time, despite later expressing personal misgivings with Trump's electability. He endorsed Trump in 2016 and 2020, as well as in this year's primary. Cornyn was slow to endorse Trump in the primary. He contended that it would be inappropriate to endorse before the Republican nominee was clear, and expressed doubt that Trump would perform well in the general election. "President Trump's time has passed him by and I think what's the most important thing to me is we have a candidate who can actually win," Cornyn said last May. Cornyn endorsed Trump after his New Hampshire primary win. Trump is widely popular among Texas Republicans. Cornyn told reporters Thursday that he had spoken with Trump about his intention to run for leader. He did not say if Trump would endorse him and said the topic didn't come up. Cornyn said the race was between Republican senators and that he was not seeking endorsements from outside the chamber. Cornyn said he and Trump had a "good relationship based on a shared desire to fix what's broken in this country." But Trump is also a backer of Paxton -- which could complicate things for Cornyn, given his public feuding with the Texas official. Paxton's name has been floated for U.S. attorney general in a second Trump administration. Paxton has repeatedly sued President Joe Biden's administration and led a lawsuit to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. The Supreme Court rejected the case, but Trump never forgot Paxton's loyalty. Cornyn said as leader, he would try to unify the disparate factions within the Republican Party, which have recently become a growing challenge to McConnell's leadership. Speaking with reporters Thursday, Cornyn said the leader "is not a dictator" and "should be more of a facilitator." "If you're going to be in leadership, you're going to have to do things that, because the membership demands it, maybe is not what you would do as an individual senator voting on a piece of legislation," Cornyn said. In his statement announcing he was running for leader, Cornyn said he thought the Senate is broken but could be fixed. "I intend to play a major role in fixing it," Cornyn wrote. "We will improve communication, increase transparency and ensure inclusion of every member's expertise and opinion. ... And we will return power back to our members; there will be no more backroom deals or forced votes on bills without adequate time for review, debate, and amendment." Cornyn has long made it clear he wants McConnell's job. He has built strong relationships in the Senate by sharing his prolific fundraising with other Republicans and working across the aisle on major legislative deals. Cornyn was the top Senate Republican fundraiser in the 2022 cycle other than McConnell and Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., who was then chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. Cornyn was also ranked the most effective Republican senator of the 2021-23 session of Congress by the nonpartisan Center for Effective Lawmaking at Vanderbilt University and the University of Virginia. Two other Republicans with leadership experience, Minority Whip John Thune of South Dakota and Republican Conference Chair John Barrasso of Wyoming, have also hinted interest in the job. Cornyn was term-limited out of being Republican whip but has remained close to Republican leadership. He and McConnell kept an open line when McConnell suffered numerous health scares last year that amplified talk of the Kentuckian's succession. Sejal Govindarao contributed reporting. This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2024/02/29/john-cornyn-senate-leader-mcconnell/. The Texas Tribune is a member-supported, nonpartisan newsroom informing and engaging Texans on state politics and policy. Learn more at texastribune.org. Jollof rice, which is believed to have originated from the Senegambia during the Wolof Empire (c. 1200 1600), is a dish that has become a staple across West Africa. It is typically made in a single pot with long-grain rice, tomatoes, peppers, onions, spices and herbs, and sometimes seafood or meat, though its ingredients and preparation vary by region. The evolution of jollof rice reflects the regions complex history, where trade, migration and cultural exchange played significant roles. Ghanas take on the dish highlights the countrys ability to blend external influences with local traditions, creating a version of jollof rice that is distinctly Ghanaian. It is not merely food it is a narrative of survival, adaptation and unity. As the dish traveled, it gathered flavors and techniques, transforming with each communitys touch. Ghanas version, particularly notable for its texture and taste, became a source of national pride. The variations between recipes from different West African countries have sparked lighthearted debates, but they underscore a shared culinary heritage. Culinary artists showcasing their passion for West African cuisine, offering a taste of cultural heritage through vibrant dishes. (Courtesy Nana Araba Wilmot) Ghanaian society holds jollof rice in high regard, attributing to it roles that transcend the culinary. It is a fixture in celebrations and a symbol of hospitality, embodying the Ghanaian ethos of sharing and community. The preparation of jollof rice is a communal activity, bringing together families and neighbors, strengthening social bonds. This tradition of shared meals reflects a broader cultural value of unity and collective well-being, foundational to Ghanaian identity. Jollof also serves as a culinary ambassador that introduces Ghanaian culture to the world. As the dish gains popularity internationally, it carries with it stories of Ghanas heritage, cuisine and community life. In Winneba, Ghana, the dish is not just a meal but a celebration of local identity and communal resilience. The ritual of making jollof rice, from sourcing ingredients at the market to the communal feast that follows, showcases the towns unique contribution to Ghanas culinary landscape. The sea is deeply woven into the fabric of our culinary practices. While jollof rice remains the centerpiece of our meals, it is traditionally accompanied by fresh, locally caught seafood, chicken and/or beef, served on the side to honor the pristine flavors of both the land and the sea. The seafood, prepared with simplicity to highlight its freshness, complements the rich and spicy flavors of the jollof, creating a harmonious balance that is quintessentially Winneban. Matriarchs: The heartbeat of Winnebas jollof Jollof rice is more than food; its a story of our people, our struggles, and our joys, my mother shares, her voice rich with pride and nostalgia. She speaks of the dish as a living history, a canvas for the expression of Ghanaian culture and resilience. A traditional serving of jollof rice, ready to be enjoyed, with a side of refreshing mixed fruit salad, exemplifying the balance of spice and sweetness in West African meals. (Courtesy Nana Araba Wilmot) Sitting down with my grandmother, the dialogue takes a unique turn, transcending language barriers. Though she speaks no English, her hands, moving with the grace and precision of a seasoned artist, narrate tales of tradition and love. My mother translates: She says, Every ingredient has its purpose, every step its significance. Its about preserving our heritage, one pot of jollof at a time. Their conversation unfolds like a melody, blending memories with recipes. Cooking jollof, my grandmother gestures, is like weaving a tapestry, each thread a flavor, each knot a memory. Sea and land: The Winneba recipe The distinctiveness of Winnebas jollof rice lies in its ingredients and the art of its preparation. Opting for local rice varieties over parboiled rice, the Winneba version achieves a unique texture and flavor profile that sets it apart. The sauce, rich with tomatoes, onions and chili peppers, is simmered to perfection, its spices carefully balanced to complement the freshness of the local produce. Simmering spices, alliums and tomatoes blend in a pot the foundation of jollof rice. (Courtesy Adjoa Kittoe) Cooking jollof rice in Winneba is a time-honored process, one that requires patience and skill. The technique of allowing the rice to steam within the sauce, absorbing every nuance of flavor, is crucial to achieving the dishs signature taste. This method, passed down through generations, reflects the communitys respect for tradition and their culinary heritage. Pairing the dish with fresh, locally caught seafood adds another layer of flavor and complexity to Winnebas jollof. The sea is part of who we are, my mother remarks. Incorporating it into our jollof is a tribute to our ancestors, who navigated these waters long before us. The use of local rice over parboiled varieties makes for a dish deeply rooted in the soil of Ghana. The texture, the aroma its incomparable, my mother explains. Its about honoring the land that feeds us. The sauce, a vibrant melody of tomatoes, onions, and chili peppers, simmers slowly. This part, my mother says, is where patience plays its role. Its about letting the flavors meld, transform, becoming something entirely new yet familiar. Ghanaian Jollof Rice with Corned Beef by Adjoa Kittoe This article was originally published on TODAY.com Campbell Wilson had a tough job when taking over Air India, the once-state-owned now privatized airline, back in June 2022. The airline had lost money every year since 2007, when it merged with fellow state-owned carrier Indian airlines. Estimates put the daily cost of running the carrier at 200 million Indian rupees ($2.4 million) to run each day. It wasnt just financial troubles: Air India was infamous for poor service, dirty flights and constant delays. The first six months was really triage, Wilson said during a moderated discussion at the Aviation Festival Asia 2024 held in Singapore. We had all sorts of legacy issues to tidy up and just start building the foundation. Air India concluded the first phase of its transformation, titled Taxi, last April last year which included improvements to employee welfare, IT infrastructure upgrades, and aircraft refurbishment. Since then, the airline has also overhauled its website and released a new digital app. Part of Air Indias transformation includes a blockbuster deal for new planes. Air India has a total of 470 jets on order from Boeing and Airbus. Wilson said deliveries of those planes have generally been on time. Tata Sons first launched its air services as "Tata Airlines" in 1932. The carrier was rebranded as "Air India" in 1946, and India's government took a majority stake in the airline in 1953. Frustrated with continued losses, the Modi government announced its intention to privatize Air India in 2017, eventually selling the airline back to Tata Sons for $2.3 billion in October 2021. Tata Sons completed its acquisition of Air India in January 2022, and now plans to consolidate the airline and its low-cost arm, Air India Express, with its own carrier Vistara, a joint venture between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines. The Singaporean carrier will get a 25.1% state in Air India when the transaction is completed in March. Wilson said he hopes the consolidation will help create a profitable domestic market for the company, noting that the Indian airline sector was historically competitiveand usually not profitable. Story continues But Wilson, who joined Air India after spending 26 years at Singapore Airlines in various senior roles, is optimistic about the Indian market. Wilson cited the countrys large population, increasing affluence due to strong economic growth, and a huge Indian diaspora that maintains close links with the country. We really dont need to grow that much. There is a huge volume of traffic to and from India that is going non-stop. We only need to shift a couple of percentage points and were in a pretty good position, Wilson said. India expects domestic air passenger traffic to hit 300 million a year by 2030, civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said in January. The number of airports and seaports will increase to over 200 by the end of decade, up from 149 today. This story was originally featured on Fortune.com FIRST ON FOX: House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan is subpoenaing Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for documents related to DHS actions in response to an overwhelming surge of migrants into Eagle Pass, Texas, in September accusing the agency of failing to produce documents and impeding the committee's work. Republicans on the Committee had requested documents on multiple occasions related to the Sept. 20 surge of mostly Venezuelan nationals into Eagle Pass, which led to the closings of two bridges as Customs and Border Protection (CBP) struggled to cope. The lawmakers have been critical of the way the crisis has been handled by the administration. TOP HOUSE COMMITTEE RENEWS DEMAND FOR DOCS FROM DHS ON TEXAS BORDER WIRE CUTTING U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan holds a press conference at the U.S. Capitol on Oct. 20, 2023 in Washington, D.C. "While thousands of illegal aliens flooded into Eagle Pass, shutting down lawful commerce across the bridges, the Biden Administrations DHS cut and removed concertina wire and fencing installed as a deterrent by the state of Texas, helping the aliens cross illegally," Jordan said. In his cover letter to the subpoena, Jordan said that after multiple attempts to get the documents, DHS offered an in-person briefing, but later said that a briefing in Eagle Pass to a congressional delegation of over 60 lawmakers the same week had provided the lawmakers with the latest operational updates. It also cited additional briefings, including biweekly Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) briefings. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP 7.2M ENTERED US UNDER BIDEN ADMIN, AN AMOUNT GREATER THAN POPULATION OF 36 STATES The committee, however, said that it "does not consider the unrelated briefings DHS cites responsive to its needs." Jordan also dismissed claims that some aspects were not provided due to ongoing legal action with Texas. "Finally, DHS has also asserted that the Committees requests are extremely broad and vague," Jordan wrote. "The Committee has in good faith attempted to work with DHS to scope and prioritize its requests. However, the reality is, in the more than three months since the Committees initial request, DHS has produced nothing at all in response to the Committees November 6 and December 8 letters, and it was only months after the letters were sent that DHS even attempted to engage on the substance of such requests." Jordan wrote that the suspension of trade and travel at that time "is yet another example of the Biden Administrations prioritization of illegal aliens to the detriment of Americans." DUELING BIDEN, TRUMP VISITS TO BESIEGED BORDER COME AMID FRESH SLEW OF VIOLENT CRIMES BY ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas speaks to the media about an overview of public safety plans for Super Bowl week at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center on Feb. 7, 2024 in Las Vegas. "Indeed, the events in Eagle Pass illustrate the broader effects of the Biden Administrations open-borders policies: benefits for illegal aliens and harm and endangerment for American communities" he said. "Moreover, the Departments failure to produce materials requested in the course of the Committees oversight is wholly unacceptable and impedes the Committees ability to fulfill its constitutional obligations." The subpoena requests documents by March 19 related to the transport of illegal immigrants into the U.S., the closing of the bridges, policy decisions, the cutting of razor wire, related intelligence and the numbers and percentages of migrants being encountered at the border. A DHS official told Fox News Digital that information, including on the concertina wire and a related parole program, is subject to litigation and therefore cannot be provided, but that it has provided documents not subject to those limits. The official also cited moves it had made to be responsive, including briefings on Eagle Pass, the congressional delegation and production of materials and data including data at the sector level. The official also said that DHS, more broadly, has provided over 75 witnesses in more than 50 hearings, 20 personnel participating in transcribed interviews, and more than 20,000 pages of documents in response to lawmakers' letters. "Consistent with longstanding precedent, and as the Committee is well aware, the Department cannot provide material that is subject to ongoing litigation," a DHS spokesperson said in a statement. "This subpoena is a ploy for media attention. DHS has provided information to the Committee and made clear that additional materials will be provided as they become available." "DHS will continue cooperating with Congressional oversight requests, all while faithfully working to protect our nation from terrorism and targeted violence, secure our borders, respond to natural disasters, defend against cyberattacks, and more." The subpoena comes just hours before President Biden, along with Secretary Mayorkas will visit the border in Brownsville, Texas. Biden is expected to renew his calls for Republicans to pass a bipartisan Senate border bill. "During his trip, the President will receive a briefing on border security operations and an operational briefing from CBP, ICE, and USCIS. Afterwards, the President will deliver remarks to emphasize the need for Congressional Republicans to stop putting politics ahead of our border security and pass the bipartisan border security agreement," a White House official said. Original article source: Jordan subpoenas Mayorkas for documents on Texas migrant surge, razor wire cutting The bodybuilder and school security guard who participated in the killing of four men in Orange County and was the only witness to detail the killings at ex-cop Nicholas Tartaglione's trial last year was sentenced Thursday to 16 years and eight months in federal prison. Joseph Biggs trembled as he addressed the families of the victims in federal court in White Plains Thursday, reciting a prayer that God forgive him for what he did. "I had no intention of being part of a drug conspiracy," he told the families. "I understand your feelings toward me, and I pray that one day you can find forgiveness in your heart for me." But earlier, relatives of Martin Luna, his nephews Miguel Luna and Urbano Santiago and family friend Hector Gutierrez said they were not inclined to do so, that forgiveness was up to God and that Biggs could have prevented the tragedy but instead killed one of the men himself and ruined the families' lives forever. U.S. District Judge Kenneth Karas and Assistant U.S. Attorney Maurene Comey said the case highlighted the tension in reconciling a cooperator's horrific crimes with their assistance in bringing more culpable people to justice. The judge said he would have had no problem ignoring any mitigation and sentencing Biggs to life in prison had it not been for his cooperation. Joseph Biggs, who participated with Nicholas Tartaglione in an Orange County quadruple homicide, fatally shooting one of the victims himself, in an undated photo. How Biggs met Tartaglione Biggs was a bodybuilder who met Tartaglione in the Rockland County gym scene and would buy steroids from him. Tartaglione eventually used Biggs and Gerard Benderoth, another ex-cop and strongman competitor, as enforcers to help him collect debts from his steroid customers. It was in that role that the two men tried to locate Martin Luna early in 2016. Luna had claimed that he was double crossed by Texas drug dealers when he gave them $270,000 to buy an additional round of cocaine after the first seven kilos Tartaglione and Luna paid for were sold in Florida. But Tartaglione decided Luna had stolen the money himself. Luna was eventually lured to the Likquid Lounge, a bar owned by Tartaglione's brother in a Chester, New York strip mall, where Biggs and Benderoth were waiting on April 11, 2016. But Luna brought along the other three men. When Tartaglione arrived, he confronted Martin Luna and began beating him to learn where the money was. Tartaglione eventually put a zip tie around his neck and strangled him as one of the nephews looked on. Tartaglione took Luna's body to his rented ranch in Mount Hope, as Biggs and Benderoth followed with the other three men. At the ranch, as the three men kneeled on the ground, their hands bound, Biggs, Benderoth and Tartaglione each shot one of the men in the back of the head. The four bodies were buried there, not to be dug up by the FBI and state police until eight months later. Biggs testified that he took the gun from Benderoth under duress when the man known as the "White Rhino" implied Biggs would be shot with the others if he didn't join in the killing. Biggs said he shot one of the men, handed the gun to Tartaglione and turned away, at which point he heard two more shots. He believed Benderoth and Tartaglione each shot one of the others, because when he turned back around, Benderoth was holding the gun. 'I was a coward. I was scared.' In court Thursday, Biggs, 62, recalled that moment but said taking part in the kidnapping and killings was out of character for him, as he usually would fight for the underdog. "That day will never leave my mind," he said. "I left a piece of me on that mountain. I was a coward. I was scared. I was scared because I knew I was next. I was the next one to go." Benderoth fatally shot himself in his car March 8, 2017, as FBI agents approached to arrest him. Biggs was indicted two months later and arrested in the parking lot of the Greenburgh-Graham school district in Hastings-on-Hudson where he worked as a security guard. When he eventually agreed to cooperate, his "remarkable" assistance was threefold, Comey said: Biggs gave prosecutors details they didn't have and admitted his role when he could have lied to protect himself; he went into painful detail about sexual and racial abuse by Benderoth; and his trial testimony offered the most powerful evidence jurors heard and was why, Comey said, their guilty verdict against Tartaglione was "so swift, so decisive." Biggs' lawyers, Ying Stafford and Stephen Turano, said his remorse and shame were significant but acknowledged nothing could undo the pain he caused. Turano urged the judge to impose the 15-year prison term recommended by probation officers. Victims' loved ones tell of struggles The victims' relatives acknowledged that there would be leniency but said it wasn't fair Biggs' relatives would be able to see him but they would never see the four men again. Martin Luna, one of four men killed April 11, 2016, in Orange County, in an undated photo Celia Luna, Martin's sister and Miguel's aunt, said she wouldn't judge her brother over the allegations he was engaged in drug dealing. She simply wished he would have gone to jail and not into a shallow grave. She said even God could not forgive Biggs for what he did. "No matter what happens we will keep going forward struggling and fighting," she said in Spanish. Obdulia Luna, Santiago's wife and niece and sister of Martin and Miguel, said she was left to raise her three kids alone, that her husband's dreams of starting a construction company and providing for his kids were dashed. She recalled crying when their oldest son needed help when he first had to shave. "I wasn't supposed to be doing that," she told the court through a Spanish interpreter. "The person that was supposed to teach him was his father." Sarah Lopez, Martin Luna's sister-in-law, read a letter from her sister, Lisa, who wrote how Martin was the love of her life and that she and their son and three daughters missed him terribly. Lisa called Biggs "nothing but a waste of space, a monster, a fake, a coward." Tartaglione sentencing upcoming Tartaglione spent most of a checkered law-enforcement career as a police officer in Briarcliff Manor, with shorter stints in Mount Vernon, Yonkers and Pawling. He is scheduled to be sentenced in May but is challenging his conviction. He faces up to life in prison. Two other co-conspirators who testified against Tartaglione and were credited with providing substantial assistance to the government had already been sentenced. Marcos Cruz, a farmhand of Tartaglione's who introduced him to Martin Luna, participated in the drug scheme and helped bury the bodies, was deemed the least culpable. He was sentenced last year to the seven years he had already spent in custody. Jason Sullivan, a construction company owner who employed Martin Luna and invested in the drug scheme, was sentenced to 10 years in prison. He had moved to Florida, where he allowed his house to be used to store the cocaine, and he set up the ruse that got Luna to go to the bar thinking he was giving a construction estimate. Karas acknowledged their roles but said they couldn't provide the "bird's-eye view" into Tartaglione's crime that Biggs did. "The cooperation was clearly meaningful," the judge said. "It brought to justice a monster." Staff reporter Asher Stockler contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Tartaglione murder case witness Joseph Biggs gets 16+ years in prison Migrants walk between concertina wire and a string of buoys in the Rio Grande at Eagle Pass, Texas (SUZANNE CORDEIRO) A federal judge on Thursday temporarily blocked a Texas law that would allow state police to arrest and deport migrants who cross illegally into the United States from Mexico. The administration of Democratic President Joe Biden had sued to halt the law known as Senate Bill 4 (SB 4), which had been scheduled to take effect next week. US District Court Judge David Ezra issued a preliminary injunction preventing it from going into force, citing previous court rulings that "states may not exercise immigration enforcement power except as authorized by the federal government." "SB 4 conflicts with key provisions of federal immigration law," Ezra said. The ruling came as Biden and Donald Trump, his likely Republican opponent in the November presidential election, were paying dueling visits to the US-Mexico border on Thursday. Republicans blame Biden for the recent record flow of migrants into the United States, while the White House says Trump's party is deliberately sabotaging a bipartisan attempt to find a solution. Greg Abbott, the Republican governor of Texas and a Trump ally, said he would appeal the district court judge's ruling on SB 4. "The president of the United States has a constitutional duty to enforce federal laws protecting states, including laws already on the books that mandate the detention of illegal immigrants," Abbott said. "Texas has the right to defend itself because of President Biden's ongoing failure to fulfill his duty to protect our state from the invasion at our southern border." SB 4 is the latest flashpoint between the Republican governor and federal authorities. The Justice Department has also filed a lawsuit seeking the removal of a floating barrier installed by Texas authorities in the Rio Grande river to stop migrants crossing from Mexico. cl/acb Channel 4s excellent series The Jury: Murder Trial will have done a great public service if it reignites debate about the role of the juries in criminal trials. The public has a high regard for juries. They inject a democratic element into the courtroom. They humanise criminal justice, bringing a dose of common sense into its sometimes arcane structures. That may sound like an implied criticism of the professional judges and lawyers who operate the system, but the great majority of them share the publics view. Yet none of us knows what really goes on in the jury rooms of a Crown Court. Juries deliver their verdicts in one or two words: Guilty or Not Guilty. They give no reasons. Indeed, they are forbidden by law to disclose their reasons, or anything else about their discussions. So the Channel 4 producers re-enacted a real trial word for word with professional actors, before two juries recruited from ordinary members of the public. They then filmed them as they discussed their verdicts. The charge was murder. The defendant killed his wife during a row in which she provoked him beyond endurance. He admitted the killing. So the issue was whether it was murder, or the lesser crime of manslaughter. His defence to murder was loss of control. But the test is an exacting one. Did he really lose control of his own acts, or just lose his temper? Could a reasonable person have done the same in similar circumstances? One jury in the programme thought a murder had been committed, while the other deemed it to be manslaughter - Channel 4 One of the Channel 4 juries thought it was murder, the other manslaughter. For what it is worth, if I had been deciding the issue, I would have gone for murder. The evidence pointed to the more serious crime. But I would have felt bad about it, as both juries did, because the evidence showed that the husband was a fundamentally decent man whose acts were completely out of character. At the real trial, the real jury chose manslaughter. The Channel 4 juries came rather well out of the experiment. Both of them set about their task with care and rigour. The fact that they reached different conclusions reflects the difficulty of the issue rather than the defects of the system. The evidence was very finely balanced. Even professional judges could have come to different verdicts on that material. But there are other kinds of cases in which juries have a more chequered record. In high-profile terrorist cases and those involving the sexual abuse of children, juries are probably too ready to convict. In adult rape cases, they are probably too ready to accept the usual defence of consent. There have been perverse acquittals in cases where the jury sympathised with a defendant who was undoubtedly guilty. The men who sprang the notorious traitor George Blake from jail admitted their guilt but were still acquitted. Conversely, the juries who took against defendants such as the Guildford Four and the Birmingham Six were far too ready to convict, even if it involved overlooking gaping holes in the prosecution case. However, the biggest problem with juries is that they convict people for reasons which are not declared and have to be kept secret by law. This is not something that can be cured by asking juries to give reasons. Written judgments require experience and training to prepare. Anyway, there might be anything up to 12 different reasons. Without reasons, there can be no proper appeal system. If we do not know why the jury convicted, we cannot tell whether they were right, except in the most extreme cases. Our appeal courts focus instead on the judges summing up. But the judges summing up is not the same as the jurys reasons. In fact, judges are required by law to tell jurors that they must form their own view and not take it from them. Miscarriages of justice do happen, and the jury system makes it exceptionally difficult to put them right. Carole Richardson, one of the Guildford Four, was undoubtedly innocent. She was convicted by a jury in spite of a strong alibi and evidence that her confession had been extorted by the police. The result would probably have been no different if the trial judge, Sir John Donaldson, had decided the case himself. He notoriously expressed regret that she had not been charged with treason, so that she could be hanged. As for the Court of Appeal, it had to hear the case with both hands tied behind its backs, and rejected one appeal after another. Richardson spent 14 years in jail before justice was done. Carole Richardson, one of the Guildford Four, was convicted by a jury despite having had a strong alibi - BBC/Television Stills Jury trial has been in retreat for more than a century. Civil juries gradually died out once litigants were given the choice of trial by judge or jury in 1854. They were retained for libel and slander and a handful of other cases, but that went in 2014. Even in criminal cases, complex facts can now be tried without juries at the direction of the judge. France has abolished jury trial for rape, and Scotland plans to do the same, in the hope that judges will take a less indulgent view of the defence of consent. Most common-law countries in Asia have dispensed with juries because of the risk of ethnic or religious bias. For much the same reason, serious crimes were tried by judges alone during the Troubles in Northern Ireland. All the notorious miscarriages of justice in IRA trials happened before juries in England, not before professional judges in Northern Ireland. Jury trial in criminal cases will be secure for as long as the public still have confidence in it. But the public is not always aware of the high price that we pay for the jury system, not just in terms of cost and delay but in terms of basic justice. More experiments like Channel 4s may help to enlighten them. 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. The US supreme court took two weeks to decide it would hear Trumps appeal and then scheduled a hearing seven weeks hence. The US supreme court took two weeks to decide it would hear Trumps appeal and then scheduled a hearing seven weeks hence. Photograph: Olivier Douliery/AFP/Getty Images The US supreme courts Wednesday decision to hear Donald Trumps claims that he cannot be prosecuted for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election marked the courts direct entry into the 2024 presidential election. The decision to hear the case and delay his criminal trial in Washington DC was unquestionably one of Trumps biggest legal victories to date. Fending off the 91 criminal charges against him, the cornerstone of Trumps legal strategy has been to try to delay each of the four criminal trials against him until after the election. If he wins the presidency, he would have the power to install an attorney general who would dismiss the federal cases against him. His claim of immunity in the federal election interference case brought by Jack Smith, the justice departments special counsel, is seen as novel and a long shot, but it nonetheless has succeeded in slowing down the case against him. Related: Supreme Court hands Trump a gift The court has now essentially sanctioned Trumps delaying strategy. Even though it set a relatively quick argument for the week of 22 April, the court put the case on hold while it was being considered. Even if the court moves quickly to reach a decision in May something it has not been known to do recently a trial in the case would not start until the summer. If the court were to wait until the end of its term in late June or early July, the trial would be pushed back until late September, the heart of the election season, as the Guardian has previously reported. If the Court does not issue an opinion until late June, are we really going to see the trial court put Trump on trial during the general election season (or even during the RNC convention)? I find this very hard to believe, Richard Hasen, a law professor at the University of California Los Angeles wrote in a blogpost. This could well be game over. The delay is of the courts own making. Jack Smith, the special counsel prosecutor handling the election interference case, first came to the supreme court in December and asked the justices to quickly take up the issue so that the trial would not be delayed. The court declined to do so. After the US court of appeals for the DC circuit ruled Trump was not immune in February, Smith again urged the court to act quickly in a brief filed on 14 February. The court instead waited two weeks to announce it would take the case. That delay was a bit puzzling. Why wait if the Court is going to actually hear the case on the merits? Hasen wrote. Steve Vladeck, a law professor at the University of Texas, speculated that the delay might reflect some division on the court and that the justices had reached a compromise. One camp of some number of justices wanted to keep the prosecution on hold indefinitely; one camp wanted to stay out of the case altogether (or summarily affirm). And neither of those camps apparently had enough votes, which is how we ended up here, he wrote in a Q&A on his Substack, One First. So what this says to me is that the middle of the Court (the Chief Justice, Justice [Brett] Kavanaugh, and Justice [Amy Coney] Barrett) wants to resolve this issue, but *also* wants to resolve it before the election, even *if* the result is to make it practically impossible for the trial to wrap up by November. In an interview, Vladeck noted that the court did not give Trump the best possible outcome staying the lower case while not hearing the case until the fall. If the courts only goal was to help Trump, this was not the way to do it, he said. Theres no neutral. Theres literally nothing the court could have done here that would not have been perceived as starkly political, he added. Folks look at this timeline and say, well what the heck, the court could have moved faster. And thats true, the court could have moved faster. I think the problem is that historically the contexts in which the court has moved faster are, in my view, indisputable legal emergencies and not just political emergencies. Regardless of what the supreme court rules on the immunity question, by delaying the trial, it has now directly linked itself to Trumps fate in the 2024 election. It is a perilous move for a court that is already suffering a credibility crisis and is widely seen as a body that favors Republicans and conservatives. It comes as the court appears poised to overturn a Colorado decision removing Trump from the 2024 ballot and declare he is eligible. Even though that decision may have broad support on the court, taken with the delay in the immunity case, it may give the public an impression that the court is helping Trump in the election. Trump is also maneuvering to delay the other election interference case against him in Fulton county, Georgia by making allegations of impropriety by the Fulton county district attorney, Fani Willis. If both that case and the federal election case against him are delayed until after the election, it may mean that Trump could return to the presidency without ever facing criminal accountability for his attempts to subvert democracy. While Kate Middleton has been absent from royal duties for two months due to a planned abdominal surgery, the British public has been full of speculation about what's going on with their future Queen Consort. But the royal family has always held a fine line between balancing private health matters with disclosure to the public they serve. You could argue that details about a head of state are in the public interest, says Richard Fitzwilliams, an expert on the royal family. But on the other hand, to what extent does a public figure have a right to privacy? Kate's absence fits into a long and evolving history of how royals have chosen to handle health issues. Past generations often shrouded them in secrecy. Perhaps most famously, in the 1950s the British public was not told when King George VI had lung cancer. In 1951, he had his left lung removed because of what was vaguely described as structural abnormalities," and cancer was not mentioned in his death announcement. Occasionally, past generations would be more open about less significant problems. Once in 1982, when Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother had to visit the hospital after nearly choking to death on a fishbone, she issued a statement to the press, joking, It was only the salmon getting its own back." King George VI and Queen Elizabeth sit with Princesses Margaret Rose and Elizabeth in their box in Londons Palladium Theater, on Nov. 13, 1950. AP The fishbone is quite revealing because they tended to be more open about minor instances, says Gareth Russell, a historian and author who focuses on the British royal family. Britain was a much more reserved society in the 20th century, and in families across the land and across the social spectrum, cancer or fatal illnesses often weren't discussed. Kate and Williams approach has proved to be starkly different, as theyve addressed private matters with far more candor. Kate and William are members of a different generation, so they feel no shame in being open about challenges, says Clare McHugh, a royal historian and author. Neither Kate or William have shied away in the past from speaking out about health matters. Prince William has spoken extensively about the importance of mental health, and Kate spoke about the difficult morning sickness she faced during her pregnancies. She also revealed her postpartum baby bump in photos hours after giving birth to her son, Prince George. In part, its a necessary tactic for the internet age, in which secrets are much harder to keep. I think they do recognize that in order to survive and flourish in a modern era they need to be honest about what is going on with them, says McHugh. Its better for them to be candid up front rather than let internet rumors fly. That they have previously been somewhat transparent only makes their current silence stand out, experts say. Thats why William and Kates reticence about what's going on with them is odd, says McHugh. From left, Britains Kate, Princess of Wales, Prince William and King Charles III during the National Service of Thanksgiving and Dedication for King Charles III and Queen Camilla, and the presentation of the Honours of Scotland, at St Giles Cathedral, in Edinburgh, on July 5, 2023. Andrew MilliganPool/AP As Kathryn Lamontagne, a lecturer in Social Science at Boston University says, sometimes saying nothing causes more of a stir than addressing the problem head on, a lesson the Royal Family learned when Queen Elizabeth II missed parts of a major event in the months before her death. For Royal followers, her absence from the Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022 was a glaring sign of how unwell she was and a clear indicator of a serious issue on the horizon, Lamontagne said in an email. Still, despite her candor in the past, in many ways the Duchess of Cambridges silence is simply following tradition. This dance between private and public information nudges the line of medical privacy and a public clamoring for details, but it still follows the pattern of giving very few medical details of a certain kind to the public, says Lamontagne. Never complain, never explain, in the words of the late Queen. Write to Simmone Shah at simmone.shah@time.com. TWO RIVERS At 10:59 a.m. Feb. 20, Two Rivers man Jesse Vang called 911 to report 3-year-old Elijah Vue missing from his apartment in the 3900 block of Mishicot Road. Three days later, Vang, 39, was arrested and then charged in Manitowoc County Circuit Court with felony child neglect in relation to Elijah's disappearance. He is being held on $20,000 cash bond at Manitowoc County Jail. As of Feb. 29, Elijah Vue remained missing 10 days after his disappearance with daily search efforts including canvassing of urban and rural neighborhoods; searches of rivers, shores and a landfill in Calumet County; and K9 teams "checking and rechecking various areas." The FBI has offered a $15,000 reward for information leading to locating Elijah or convicting those responsible for his disappearance, and Manitowoc County Crime Stoppers has offered a $1,000 reward. While law enforcement officers cannot discuss details relating to Vang's criminal case or the search for Elijah, a thorough review of Vang's criminal history offers a few more details about the man who says he was the last person to see the child before he disappeared. Vang's history includes a number of felony and misdemeanor convictions, dating back to his teenage years. Those convictions include child abuse, bail jumping, disorderly conduct and even a federal drug trafficking charge that resulted in Vang spending three years in prison. Here's what we know about Vang from previous court documents. Latest on the search for Elijah: Elijah Vue latest: 3-year-old still missing in Two Rivers after 10 days. 'We're all devastated and want answers,' police chief says. Jesse Vang is charged with child neglect in Elijah Vue's disappearance and was previously convicted of child abuse. An apartment complex in the 3900 block of Mishicot Road in Two Rivers was where 3-year-old Elijah Vue disappeared from, as seen Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024, in Two Rivers, Wis. Vang's criminal history does include being convicted of felony child abuse in 2002, however the charge stems from a fight with a fellow juvenile inmate who was five years younger than him. The incident occurred on Dec. 9, 2001. According to the criminal complaint from Outagamie County Circuit Court, Vang, who was 17 years old at the time, took offense to a joke told by a 12-year-old inmate while they were in the "program area" of the Outagamie County Jail. Vang punched the victim and struck him multiple times with a plastic chair, causing the victim non-life-threatening injuries. Vang was convicted and sentenced to 10 months in county jail on the charge. Three years of Jesse Vang's life were spent in prison on a federal drug charge. Vang spent three years, from 2018 to 2021, imprisoned on a federal conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine charge. He was indicted on Oct. 11, 2016. According to court documents, Vang was accused of distributing "50 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, a controlled substance," during a period of time in 2013. The rest of the court documents do not go into detail about the crime, but Vang was convicted and sentenced in November 2017. He was ordered to report for a three-year period of imprisonment on or before Jan. 4, 2018. After his imprisonment, he was on supervised release, which was supposed to last until 2025. Jesse Vang told police the last time he saw Elijah Vue the boy was standing next to his bed praying. Elijah, a 3-year-old boy from Two Rivers, was reported missing Feb. 20. The Two Rivers Police Department has asked the public for help with finding him. Elijah was reported missing Feb. 20. Three days later, Vang and Katrina Baur, 31, Elijah's mother, had been arrested and charged with child neglect. Vang was taking care of Elijah for a week before the boy went missing. According to the criminal complaint, he and the boy's mother were in a relationship and Baur, who resides in Wisconsin Dells, told police she wanted Vang to teach Elijah "how to be a man." The morning Elijah disappeared, Vang told police he saw the boy sleeping on a sofa in the living room when he woke up at 7:30 a.m. to help his own son get on the bus for school. He then woke Elijah up and gave him cereal to eat, but didn't change his diaper, and then had him stand next to Vang's bed and pray. Vang said he shut the door and fell asleep at around 8 a.m. When he woke up nearly three hours later, the boy was gone. He called 911 at 10:59 a.m. to report the boy missing. According to the complaint, Vang told police he would force Elijah to stand for two to three hours without sitting as a punishment and he would threaten Elijah with cold water. The complaint also said Vang drank three beers and took one Cyclobenzaprine, a muscle relaxant, as a sleep aid the night before Elijah disappeared. Details of criminal complaints: Elijah Vue latest: Court documents reveal more about 3-year-olds disappearance in Two Rivers Jesse Vang sees himself as the 'enforcer' of discipline in Elijah Vue's life. According to the criminal complaint, Vang told police he was helping Baur "correct victim's (Elijah's) bad behaviors," though he didn't say specifically what those behaviors were except that he would "get into things." The boy was also mostly bottle-fed and not potty-trained, the complaint said. Vang said Elijah's time with him was intended as a sort of "boot camp" and that he was trying to make the child "understand that going home is like a privilege for him." He also said the child was scared of him, but then corrected himself and said the boy respected him. Police officers found texts between Vang and Baur from Feb. 17 in which Vang tells Baur he was angry with Elijah for overfilling his diaper. He said he gave Elijah a cold shower and said he was clean, but scared, according to the complaint. Where are Jesse Vang and Katrina Baur now? Flags flutter in the wind near the Manitowoc County Jail as seen, Thursday, April 23, 2020, in Manitowoc, Wis. Vang is being held at the Manitowoc County Jail on a $20,000 cash bond. Unless bail is furnished, he will remain in jail while his child neglect charge is resolved through the Manitowoc County Circuit Court. He is expected to appear in court March 7 for a preliminary hearing. In Wisconsin, the court system requires people to pay the full cash bail to be released from custody. Baur has also been charged with felony child neglect as party to a crime along with two counts of misdemeanor obstruction of an officer. She is being held at the Manitowoc County Jail on a $15,000 cash bond. She is also expected to appear in Manitowoc County Circuit Court March 7 for a preliminary hearing. Baur initially told police she was in Wisconsin Dells at her primary residence while Elijah was staying with Vang in Two Rivers Feb. 12-20, according to the criminal complaint in her case. But location data in her cell phone showed she was in Two Rivers Feb. 14 and 16-17. Baur, the criminal complaint states, later told police she visited Vang late at night Feb. 16 and saw Elijah sleeping on the sofa, and she left early the next morning. No other details were given about her visit on Feb. 14, which was Valentine's Day. According to the complaint, the discrepancy in what she told police and what the cell phone data showed are the basis for the two obstructing an officer charges. Baur's criminal history consists of two misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct, one from 2011 and one from 2015. She also has a number of minor offenses on her record such as underage drinking and operating a vehicle with a revoked license. Do you have information about Elijah Vue? Police describe Elijah as being of Hmong and white ethnicity with dark brown hair and brown eyes. He is approximately 3 feet tall and has a birthmark on his left knee. He was last seen wearing gray pants, a dark-colored, long-sleeve shirt and a pair of red-and-green dinosaur slip-on shoes. He may also be carrying a red-and-white plaid blanket. If you have information that could help the Two Rivers Police Department find Elijah Vue, contact their tipline at 844-267-6648 or submit information via the Crime Stoppers app P3. People who share information that leads to finding Elijah or the arrest of anyone involved in or responsible for his disappearance could be eligible to receive a reward of up to $1,000 through Manitowoc County Crime Stoppers or $15,000 through the FBI. How you can join the search for Elijah Vue and support local search efforts. People attend a volunteer search meeting at the Mikadow Theatre in Manitowoc for the ongoing search for 3-year-old Elijah Vue Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024, in Manitowoc, Wis. Elijah's family, along with hundreds of people from the community, have turned out each day to search public properties. A coordinated civilian search effort is being organized with the Mikadow Theatre, 1118 Washington St. in Manitowoc, as a base of operations. People coordinating the searches are now at the theater every day 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and will assign volunteers to areas that haven't been searched yet. People and businesses have also donated food and drinks to the law enforcement officers conducting the search. The Two Rivers police ask that anyone who wishes to donate contact their business line at 920-793-1191 to make arrangements Alisa M. Schafer is a reporter for the Herald Times Reporter in Manitowoc. She can be reached by email at aschafer@gannett.com. This article originally appeared on Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter: Elijah Vue missing in Two Rivers: What to know about caretaker Jesse Vang [Source] South Korea's fertility rate beat its own record for the worlds lowest fertility rate after dropping for the fourth consecutive year. Population drop: On Wednesday, Statistics Korea reported an 8% decrease in the nations fertility rate in 2023 compared to the previous year. Experts warn that the current trend could lead to a significant decline in the country's population, which stands at 51 million, potentially halving by the year 2100. The average number of expected babies per South Korean woman's lifetime dropped from 0.78 to 0.72 in 2022. Projections indicate a further decline to 0.68 in 2024. These figures are reportedly significantly below the 2.1 threshold needed to sustain a country's population. The fertility decline is notably pronounced in Seoul, with the capital recording the lowest rate at 0.55. Factors of the decline: According to experts, the low fertility rates are due to the countrys demanding work cultures, rising costs of living, changing attitudes toward marriage and gender equality and rising disillusionment among younger generations. Trending on NextShark: Japan breaks ground on world's first museum for video game art Women, concerned about career advancement and the financial burden of raising children, are choosing to delay childbirth or forgo it altogether. Many do not feel obligated to raise a child, citing the costly expenses amid the uncertainty of a bleak job market, expensive housing and gender and social inequality. Women have also cited the patriarchal culture of childcare and discrimination at work. Addressing the decline: As South Korea approaches April elections, political parties are addressing the critical issue of population decline. The government has pledged "extraordinary measures" to tackle the situation. Since the decline started, the government has introduced multiple initiatives, such as offering monetary baby allowances of 1 million won ($767) as an incentive for more births, foreign and low-cost nannies and extended paid paternity leaves. Social campaigns have also encouraged men to help in childcare and housework. Recently, a construction firm in South Korea also offered 100 million won ($75,000) for every child born to its employees in a bid to address the nations declining birth rates. Trending on NextShark: Video of Mexican American toddler crying because she's not Chinese goes viral How its going: Despite spending over $270 billion in initiatives since 2006, the root causes persist. The workaholic culture and fierce workplace competition deter many women from having children, exacerbating the gender pay gap issue, which is the worst in the OECD. Financial concerns also hinder marriage, seen as a prerequisite for parenthood. Neighboring countries similar struggles: Similar concerns also affect neighboring countries like China and Japan, both experiencing record-low fertility rates and a demographic crisis with more deaths than births, leading to growing labor shortages. China, which currently holds the worlds second-largest population with over 1.4 billion people, may see that number shrink to 525 million by 2100. Japan recorded a fresh record low in the number of births for the eighth consecutive year in 2023, with a 5.1% decrease in births from the previous year, totaling 758,631. Additionally, marriages declined by 5.9% to 489,281, marking the first time in 90 years that the number fell below 500,000. Trending on NextShark: Asian restaurant slams influencer's request for free meal in exchange for exposure Download the NextShark App: Want to keep up to date on Asian American News? Download the NextShark App today! Pages from the United Healthcare website are displayed on a computer screen in New York on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. On Thursday, Change Healthcare, a massive U.S. health care technology company owned by UnitedHealth Group, announced a ransomware group claimed responsibility for a cyberattack and is assessing the impact of the attack, which it first acknowledged on Feb. 21 and says has affected billing and care authorization portals. (AP Photo/Patrick Sison) Health care providers across the country are reeling from a cyberattack on a massive U.S. health care technology company that has threatened the security of patients information and is delaying some prescriptions and paychecks for medical workers. The hack could also disrupt discharging people from the hospital, a major hospital association said. Change Healthcare announced Thursday that a ransomware group that had claimed responsibility for the attack was at fault. Change Healthcare also said it is assessing the impact of the attack, which it first acknowledged on Feb. 21 and has affected billing and care-authorization portals across the country. Patient care is our top priority and we have multiple workarounds to ensure people have access to the medications and the care they need, Change Healthcare said in a statement. Owned by UnitedHealth Group, Change Healthcare manages health care technology pipelines, processing 14 billion transactions a year. The company said its investigation determined that Change Healthcare, Optum, UnitedHealthcare and UnitedHealth Group systems have been affected. Change also confirmed Thursday that ransomware group ALPHV, or Blackcat, made the breach. The company didn't respond to a question about whether it paid or negotiated a ransom. One of the most immediate impacts is that people are seeing delays in getting prescriptions, American Hospital Association spokesperson Ben Teicher said. Change Healthcare said most affected pharmacies are using workarounds like writing things down. But the severity of the situation may still be unfolding, the American Hospital Association said in an email to The Associated Press. Hospitals are having issues with processing claims, billing patients and checking insurance coverage for care, the AHA said, but the attack also could affect the ability to pay workers and buy medicine and supplies. The impact to hospitals is just now really starting to crystallize and as a result has been underreported, Teicher said. As a result we cant really speak to the longer term aftermath, but it can result in hospitals not being able to make payroll or patients still waiting for services to be approved. Health systems told the Healthcare Association of New York State that theyve had trouble with various things, including an inability to verify patient eligibility and coverage communicate pharmacy prescriptions, file claims and receive normal cash flow to support operations, among other issues, association president Bea Grause said. Several major health care providers that serve multiple states did not respond to requests for comment. Cybersecurity experts say ransomware attacks have increased substantially in recent years, especially in the health care sector. This one comes on the heels of an attack last month on a childrens hospital in Chicago, which had to take phone, email and medical records systems offline. An FBI spokesperson in Tennessee said he could not confirm or deny whether the FBI is investigating. The FBI also said it's aware of this incident but didn't have anything else to provide because the incident "is ongoing. As far as we can tell, the attack is being contained, said Allan Liska, a threat intelligence analyst at Recorded Future. We dont think its going to get worse. But when you have a critical system like this thats down for an extended period the longer its down and the longer that recovery takes, the more impact its going to have on patient care. ___ AP correspondent Adrian Sainz in Memphis and Lindsey Whitehurst in Washington contributed to this report. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Restaurant chain Chick-fil-A has issued a recall on its Polynesian sauce. If you're someone who keeps unused Polynesian sauces from Chick-fil-A in your fridge for future consumption, you may want to toss your stash in the trash. The company is urging customers to discard any Polynesian sauce dipping cups that they may have taken home between Feb. 14-27, 2024, according to a notice on its website. The Polynesian dipping cups may contain a different sauce that includes wheat and soy allergens, the notice says. The company urges customers with questions to call Chick-fil-A CARES at 1-866-232-2040. According to Chick-fil-A's website, it introduced Polynesian sauce, along with their honey mustard and barbeque sauces, in 1984 to accompany chicken nuggets, which were introduced to the menu in 1982. Chick-fil-A agrees to settle class-action lawsuit The fast food chicken chain last month agreed to settle a class-action lawsuit for charging inflated prices for delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic. Residents in New Jersey, California, Florida, Georgia and New York were eligible for a $29.95 Chick-fil-A gift card as part of the lawsuit, however the deadline for submitting a claim has already passed. The lawsuit filed in Georgia in October 2023 accused the food chain of promising low delivery fees on its app or website but later increasing its menu prices by up to 30% on delivery orders. Contributing: Doc Louallen, USA TODAY This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Chick-fil-A recalls Polynesian sauce due to allergy concerns EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) Las Cruces Police Departments Chief Jeremy Story hosted a news conference on Friday, March 1, releasing video from the fatal stabbing of Officer Jonah Hernadez and introducing a path towards a safer community, according to the Las Cruces Police Department. Story introduced three short term goals and three long term goals for Las Cruces to become a safer community. Those are the following: The three short-term goals include: Fill open positions within LCPD. The department has a capacity of 220 commissioned law enforcement officers, but currently has 25 vacancies. Replace constitutionally problematic ordinances with ordinances that are enforceable in their entirety, ordinances that would give officers tools to address the issues businesses and residents are facing. Establish a Real-Time Crime Center within LCPD. A RTCC would prevent crime from occurring, help solve and prosecute crime and help increase officer safety. The three long-term goals include: Address competency issues. Too many criminal cases are being dismissed in Municipal Court, Magistrate Court and District Court. Address Bail Reform. The 2016 constitutional amendment has been ineffective at protecting New Mexicans. Address the fentanyl and meth crisis. Many of the increases in crime over the last few years are directly related to the increase usage of fentanyl and meth. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News. The U.S. Supreme Court is seen on Feb. 22, 2024. (Mark Schiefelbein / Associated Press) To the editor: Breaking news the U.S. Supreme Court has just confirmed it is in the camp of the former president, a defendant in multiple criminal and civil cases. It is doubtful that voters will have the chance to know whether a jury of Donald Trump's peers will convict or exonerate him before the November election. ("Without even ruling on Trumps immunity claim, the Supreme Court handed him a huge victory," Opinion, Feb. 28) Did the justices have to take the immunity case that was unanimously decided by the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals? No. Did they have to wait so long to announce that decision? No. Having decided to take the case, did they have to schedule hearings all the way out to the week of April 22? No. A case with such wide-ranging importance has been treated by the court with incredible disregard of the voters. There is only one conclusion: The Supreme Court is putting its finger on the scale in favor of Trump. James Zimring, Tarzana .. To the editor: The Supreme Court, its reputation already in tatters, has just lost all credibility. There is nothing the justices can write that could expand upon or improve the compelling and comprehensive decision by the D.C. Circuit Court last month. Yet Supreme Court not only has agreed to hear the case, but it also took its time making its decision. Now the entire case continues to be on hold for at least two more months and probably beyond. You have to ask yourself: Is the conservative supermajority of the Supreme Court trying its best to help Trump and march our country toward the possibility of a theocratic autocracy? Marcia Goodman, Long Beach .. To the editor: Anyone who believes the Supreme Court's conservatives will side with Trump's claim of immunity from prosecution for acts taken while president should think twice. Granted, the court's right-wing supermajority may be inclined to favor conservative litigants in pivotal rulings. But as much as they may prefer the election of a Republican president, they needn't do Trump any favors not when they have lifetime tenure. Hence, with polls showing that among viable GOP candidates Trump is the most likely to lose to President Biden, look for the high court's right-wing majority to rule against the former president. This contentious case will afford the high court's conservatives a rare opportunity for a win-win: They can deny Trump's appeal, thereby fostering the illusion that they rule free of partisanship, and still boost the GOP's chance of retaking the presidency. Betty Turner, Sherman Oaks .. To the editor: Harvard law professor Jack Goldsmith tells us Trump shouldn't be tried before the election, because a court establishing his guilt for attempting to overthrow an election would be unfair to him as a presidential candidate. The fact that this Orwellian doublethink is taken seriously says all we need to know about American capacity for rational thought. Brian Masson, Harbor City .. To the editor: I have heard arguments for and against expanding the size of the Supreme Court and instituting term limits for justices. After this decision by the court to needlessly delay resolution of the question as to whether a president of the United States has absolute immunity from criminal prosecution after a voluminous, well-founded and crystal-clear ruling by the D.C. Circuit, I am no longer undecided: The Supreme Court must be reformed. Rita Zwern, Burbank This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. US President Joe Biden transfers from Marine One to Air Force One en route to visit the US border in Texas. Immigration is an increasingly hot button political issue in the run up to the Presidential election - Jim Watson/AFP Many liberal news outlets regard their readers with such contempt that they censor the news in the hopes of preventing the unwashed masses, who cant be trusted with the truth, from coming to the wrong conclusions about groups they champion, such as illegal immigrants. Such was the case last week when Laken Riley, a University of Georgia student, was kidnapped and then brutally murdered while jogging on campus. A Venezuelan immigrant with a criminal record who entered the country illegally in 2022 has been charged with the crime. A host of blue-chip publications either ignored or downplayed the immigration status of the alleged killer, Jose Ibarra. Is it any wonder trust in media is at an all-time low? CNN claimed that Mr. Ibarra, who is accused of disfiguring the skull of his victim, was of Athens, the city in Georgia where the crime occurred. The Associated Press published a much-ridiculed piece highlighting the fears of solo female athletes, as if the takeaway from the case is that jogging, rather than open borders, is dangerous. They called Mr. Ibarra an Athens resident and omitted that he entered the country illegally and was granted parole, likely because hes from unstable Venezuela. The UKs Guardian, like many other publications, ignored the story. This is not surprising given that the papers journalists initially refused to tell their brainwashed readers that cat killer and murderer Scarlet Blake was transgender. Other publications, like The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal waited a few days after the Laken Riley murder and reported that the killing sparked a debate over immigration. Before either publication informed their readers of Mr. Ibarras immigration status, they provided misleading disclaimers near the top of their coverage. The Post claimed, On average, immigrants commit fewer crimes than native-born U.S. citizens, data show, but Republican leaders have been galvanized by record numbers of illegal border crossings since Biden took office in 2021. The Journals disclaimer, also placed up top, read: Decades of research have found that immigrants are less likely than native-born Americans to commit crimes and that neighborhoods with greater concentrations of immigrants have lower rates of crime and violence. The Journals link to this decades of research is a massive study on immigration carried out by sociologists referencing other sociologists. The problem here is that sociology is nowadays basically the study of how to be a left-wing activist, so much so that the Florida government has de-emphasised it in Florida colleges for that exact reason. The Post links to a similar academic study which concludes that migrants commit fewer crimes, but doesnt examine illegal immigrants, and admits that migrants from Mexico and Central America have had higher incarceration rates than native born Americans since 2005. The truth is that we dont have reliable data detailing illegal immigrant crime because almost all states do not record criminals immigration status and it is often impossible to separate out the illegals. One might also note that all illegal migrants have committed at minimum a misdemeanor simply by entering the USA illegally, and sometimes a full blown crime as when a person has been formally deported and then returned without permission. It is also common practice to control for age and sex when attempting to prove that theres no link between migration and crime, which ignores the fact that migrants are disproportionately young men the group that commits most violent crime. The UK for its part would seem to be experiencing an explosion of violent crime committed by women: but its not true. This is a consequence of recording crimes by trans women as being committed simply by women, as was the case with Scarlet Blake. Whitewashing the immigration status of criminals is a pattern, not a new tactic for the media. For example, last May, The Wall Street Journal published a lengthy piece about Francisco Oropesa, an illegal alien accused of killing five Honduran immigrants execution-style including an eight year old omitting the fact that he was in the country illegally and had been deported four previous times. Ooops. Often, the media simply ignores migrant crime stories. For example, few national outlets reported that earlier this month a 15-year old Venezuelan migrant who just arrived in September was charged with attempted murder after allegedly shooting a Brazilian tourist while aiming for a nearby security guard in Times Square! And of course, the liberal media here was outraged when Donald Trump created The Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement (VOICE) Office, since shuttered by the Biden Administration in 2021, insisting that migrant crime is rare and its racist to highlight individual cases. A new poll from Monmouth University indicates that 84 per cent of Americans consider illegal immigration a serious problem and a majority of Americans want a border wall. Another from Harvard-Harris reveals that immigration is now the top election issue for a plurality of voters. Trump and Biden understand the stakes and are both headed to the border to blame each other on Thursday. Meanwhile, the Fourth Estate and the nations sociology faculties still havent given up on trying to convince Americans that open borders are a great idea. 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. Gabby Petitos father speaks for first time since Laundrie settlement, pushes for new domestic violence bill TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) Joseph Petito, Gabbys father, gave his first live interview since coming to a settlement agreement with the parents of Brian Laundrie on WFLANows #HeyJB Live. Gabby Petito was found dead on Sept. 19, 2021, in Grand Teton National Forest in Wyoming. Brian Laundrie took his own life in late October 2021. Joseph Petito is pushing for a new bill that could help prevent domestic violence homicides in Florida. SB 638, which passed 8-0 through the Senate Committee on Criminal Justice on Wednesday, would bring a Lethality Assessment Program to Florida. This would give Florida law enforcement training to identify victims of intimate partner violence who are at higher risk of death or serious injuries. The bill outlines 12 questions law enforcement officers would use to help determine the risk: Did the aggressor ever use a weapon against you or threaten you with a weapon? Did the aggressor ever threaten to kill you or your children? Do you believe the aggressor will try to kill you? Has the aggressor ever choked you or attempted to choke you? Does the aggressor have a gun or could the aggressor easily obtain a gun? Is the aggressor violently or constantly jealous? Does the aggressor control most of your daily activities? Does the aggressor reside in the same household with you? Is the aggressor employed? To the best of your knowledge, has the aggressor ever attempted suicide? Do you have a child whom the aggressor believes is not the aggressors biological child? Has the aggressor ever followed, spied on, or left threatening messages for you? If it is determined the domestic violence victim is at high risk, first responders would then connect them with a local domestic violence service program. The Lethality Assessment Program was developed in 2003 by the Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence. The program is used in 32 states, presently. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. Former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) on Wednesday called on the Supreme Court to promptly decide on former President Trumps criminal immunity claims. Cheney, in a post on X, the social media platform formerly called Twitter, argued voters should be able to hear the evidence in the Department of Justices case against Trump concerning his efforts to overturn his 2020 reelection loss before Novembers election. Delaying the January 6 trial suppresses critical evidence that Americans deserve to hear, Cheney wrote. Donald Trump attempted to overturn an election and seize power. Our justice system must be able to bring him to trial before the next election. SCOTUS should decide this case promptly. The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to take up the issue of whether Trump is immune from charges stemming from his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss. Trumps legal team is arguing the former presidents actions leading up to and surrounding the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection are protected from criminal prosecution under presidential immunity. The courts decision to consider the matter will likely delay the start of the trial until the summer or later, inching close to Novembers general election. Cheney served as vice chair of the House select committee investigating Jan. 6 and emerged as one of the most outspoken GOP critics of the former president. She has pinned the blame on Trump for inciting the riots on Jan. 6 and eventually lost her seat in the lower chamber after three terms to a Trump-backed challenger, Rep. Harriet Hageman, during the 2022 primaries in Wyoming. She has remained a vocal critic of both Trump and some of his allies since leaving the House and expressed many of those concerns in her recent memoir, titled Oath and Honor: A Memoir and a Warning. The Hill reached out to Trumps campaign for comment. Trump celebrated the Supreme Courts decision to hear his immunity case and thanked the high court for the decision. The former president had previously urged the Supreme Court to delay the trial, while special counsel Jack Smith asked the Supreme Court to reject Trumps request. Other Republicans, including Sen. Ted Cruz (Texas), also celebrated the decision. Cruz said he hopes the Supreme Court puts a stop to what he called an abuse of power against Trump. Im glad the Supreme Court is taking the case. I have to say what weve seen in the past year about the targeting from the left, the targeting from Democrat prosecutors of Donald Trump has been an enormous abuse of power, Cruz said Wednesday on NewsNations Elizabeth Vargas Reports. NewsNation is owned by Nexstar Media Group, which also owns The Hill. Trump faces four felony counts in the federal case alleging he was involved in a conspiracy to defraud the U.S. and that he stood at the center of a campaign to block the certification of votes on Jan. 6. The Supreme Courts order will keep the proceedings for the case on pause for now, handing Smith a blow following his past efforts to keep the cases time frame on track. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. A Michigan lottery player is celebrating yet another lottery win. There is no way, I cant be that lucky, he thought to himself when he saw the second win. The 59-year-old man won another $110,000 prize this month after winning in August, according to a Feb. 29 news release from lottery officials. What was his secret to the second win? He switched up his numbers, according to the Michigan Lottery. He scanned his Fantasy 5 Double Play ticket with the clerk at a gas station in Southfield. The clerk, handing him his ticket, said, I think you won big! I looked up the winning numbers, and sure enough, I had won again! I couldnt believe it. Winning is such a blessing! the Wayne County winner told lottery officials. Though he doesnt have any plans for the money yet, hes excited to have it in his bank account, he told officials. The first time I won I was able to pay off all my debt, now I get to have some fun! he told Michigan lottery officials. I dont have any special plans for the money yet, I plan to sit back and just look at it in my bank account for a while. Southfield is about 15 miles northwest of Detroit. Man used $50 lottery prize to buy another ticket. He then won a life-changing jackpot Daughter sees Facebook lottery post and tells mom to check her ticket. It was a winner $1 million Powerball ticket was forgotten for months in womans wallet until now French President Emmanuel Macron reiterated the seriousness of his Monday remarks when he said he would not rule out sending Western troops into Ukraine. Macron said he carefully chose his words and doubled down on his statement despite the criticism he received in his country and internationally. These are sufficiently serious issues; every one of the words that I say on this issue is weighed, thought through and measured, Macron said Thursday during his visit to the 2024 Olympic Village, according to Politico Europe. Earlier this week while hosting 27 European Union nation representatives, the French president said sending troops to help counter Russias intensified offensive should not be ruled out. Theres no consensus today to send in an official, endorsed manner troops on the ground. But in terms of dynamics, nothing can be ruled out, Macron said. Macrons Monday statement drew criticism and a warning from the Kremlin. In this case, we need to talk not about probability, but about the inevitability [of conflict], Dmitry Peskov, Russian President Vladimir Putins spokesperson, said Tuesday. Macrons remarks were downplayed by French officials. French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu said there are no concessions about potential military operations in Ukraine. Other European military superpowers Poland and Germany reiterated they would not be sending troops. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said there will be no ground troops, no soldiers on Ukrainian soil who are sent there by European states or NATO states. Representatives from Spain, Italy, the Czech Republic, and the U.K. also denied the possibility of deploying troops. The backtracking came after Russia threatened military consequences for Sweden joining NATO after getting approval from Hungarys parliament. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The Paris Summit was an excellent overture to Macron's upcoming visit to Kyiv. There will be much to talk about and coordinate. The high-level conference in support of Ukraine organized by the French president in Paris on February 26 could well have been an ordinary event - one of many others. I am in no way trying to diminish its importance or the ambitious initiative of France in convening it. The moment is crucial, especially when aid to Kyiv is blocked in the US Congress. Ukraine desperately needs weapons and ammunition, and in this sense, France's leadership as a nuclear power, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, and one of the G7 countries, has traditionally always been and remains decisive. Although the agenda of the meeting included a wide range of issues related to support for Ukraine, the Paris Summit will be remembered for something else. Namely, the comments of the French president, in which he did not rule out the possibility of sending the military of allied countries to help Ukraine. Despite the resonance of these assumptions, they cannot be called spontaneous or accidental. After all, the French president had to clarify his words at least three times in a conversation with journalists. The position was clearly expressed and quite understandable, even to the uninitiated. In addition to the traditional assurances of support for Ukraine "as much as necessary" and "with what is needed," Macron clearly emphasized that Russia cannot win this war. The allies will make every effort to prevent that. We are also now discussing the possibility or expediency of sending allied forces to Ukraine. That is why the "Paris summit" is now historical, and the date of February 26, 2024, should be marked red in the history of the Ukrainian-Russian war. Macron's resonant remarks about foreign military forces were met by many, though not all, of the participants rebuking them. They said they don't plan to, it's not the right time, never. But some clearly shared the French president's ideas, including the Baltic states. Despite all the bravado, the Kremlin is the last place in the world that wants war with NATO Diplomatic wisdom and the experience of years of confrontation with Russia say, "Never say never." To back up his words, the French president reminded us that a few years ago, the allies thought of helping Ukraine in terms of "helmets and sleeping bags," Now they are talking more about "missiles and tanks." The situation is changing and evolving positively. This is happening both on the battlefield and in the political discourse. What benefits Ukraine and our victory cannot be ignored, let alone denied. I dare say that Macron's words have flown and will not go away. This idea is already taking on a life of its own, both in the information space and in Western politicians' minds. It will occur repeatedly in discussions, interviews, meetings, and electoral debates, especially in the Washington NATO summit run-up. The confrontation with Russia now has a new element, an X-factor - the potential for allied troops to appear on the side of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The Kremlin dictator certainly did not count on this scenario when he ordered the invasion. The first reactions from Moscow make it clear that they are seriously considering it. Macron has raised the stakes, which surprised the Putin regime, especially when this blow came from Paris. The very fact of the potential for allied troops to appear on the side of Ukrainian forces, albeit not today, but somewhere in the distant future, when the situation requires it, is a very effective element of psychological pressure on the aggressor, a kind of deterrent. What will happen in the future is still unknown. If Ukraine receives enough weapons in a timely manner, the situation may develop without the critical need to implement Macron's initiative. But there is already a reason for Russia's concern. In Putin's mind, returning to the 1991 borders will no longer seem achievable for the aggressor. Increasing this concern and bringing it to the point of potentially revising the aggressor's maximalist goals is essential. Thus, the Paris Summit was an excellent overture to Macron's upcoming visit to Kyiv. There will be much to talk about and coordinate. In this context, it was no accident that Macron's thesis was announced as part of the coalition's announcement of long-range weapons to Ukraine. Accordingly, the allies face an apparent dilemma: either providing Ukraine with all the necessary weapons now, or sending their own soldiers to the front later. This is all against the backdrop of increasingly frequent talk about the possibility of a Russian attack on NATO in the near future. Let's hope that Macron's thesis will have an effect not only on Moscow but also on our partners regarding the need to mobilize resources fully today. There is no need to say that this is a gift to Putin or an excessive escalation or provocation by Russia. We should never forget that, despite all the bravado, the Kremlin is the last place in the world that wants war with NATO. This is perhaps the only "never" that should constantly be reminded. 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 man in Florida has been arrested four days after a bridge repair crew said he fired shots at them while they worked, a sheriffs office said. A crew from Underwater Mechanix Services LLC, a commercial marine construction company, was working on repairs of a bridge on State Road 46 near C.S. Lee Park in Geneva on Feb. 24, the Volusia Sheriffs Office said in a Feb. 28 news release and the company confirmed to McClatchy News. The work required some of the crew to be underwater, and the crew put up flags to alert passing boaters of the divers, the company told WOFL. As they worked, the crew said a man on an airboat kept speeding by them at dangerously close distances and yelling at them from his boat, the sheriffs office said. Youre sending a bunch of waves, and our floats are becoming incredibly unstable, dive supervisor Dakota Atkinson told WOFL. Someone in the water, not to mention the divers below the water, are also worried about their heads getting smashed in. The crew tried to wave down the man on the airboat to warn him to slow down, but instead the man started yelling back and circling the crew at closer and closer distances, the crew told WOFL. The man made reckless passes in an airboat, then started yelling and ultimately pulled out a handgun and fired, the sheriffs office said. No one was hit by the bullets, deputies said, but the crew said it was a close call. Everybody hit the deck really quick, Atkinson told WOFL. Everyone was on the ground. He fired at basically where they would have been standing, and it could have been really bad. The crew refused to keep working on the project until the man was taken into custody, the sheriffs office said. The boater was later identified as a 69-year-old man from Mims, according to the sheriffs office. He was taken into custody on three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. The company told McClatchy News it would continue work on the bridge following his arrest. Geneva is about 25 miles northeast of Orlando. Man jailed after leaving boat in road outside sheriffs substation, Florida cops say Body appears in front of two people canoeing in scenic Florida river, sheriff says Two airboats collide at popular Florida tourist attraction, injuring 13, officials say Coast Guard finds body of missing dredge crewman in Charleston Harbor Three men have been arrested and charged with murder following a fatal shooting at a gas station in Houston, Texas, police say. The 30-year-old victim, identified in media reports as Andrew Garza, was with his uncle at Sunnys Food Store on Wednesday, Feb. 28, when they were approached by three men in an attempted robbery, police said. This individual who followed the victim pretended, according to the uncle, to be pumping gas as well, Houston Police Det. Alexander Vinogradov said, KTRK reported. And as our victim got done pumping gas, this individual produced an AR pistol and put it to the back of our victim and demanded everything he got. The uncle retrieved his gun and began exchanging gunfire with the three suspects, police said. Garza, police told KPRC, was shot in the head. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Unfortunately, the uncle had to see his nephew die in front of him, Vinogradov said, according to KHOU. The three suspects fled and went to a hospital, where one of them was treated for injuries sustained during the gunfire, according to police. They were taken into custody at the hospital. Police identified the suspects as 22-year-old Travante Marques Purvis, 19-year-old Christian Nicholas Barrera and 24-year-old Fernando Aguilar Jr. They are each charged with capital murder. Vinogradov described Garza and his uncle as hard-working people up early in the morning, going to work, KHOU reported. Aniyah Garza, Andrew Garzas 13-year-old daughter, told KTRK she wants her father remembered as the loving father he was. 18-year-old shot his brother and left him to die in bedroom closet, Texas cops say Dad shot dead in front of family after men burst into home at night, Texas cops say 14-year-old home alone fatally shoots man seen pulling on door handles, Texas cops say (Bloomberg) -- China banned a top-performing quant fund from the stock-index futures market and vowed tighter oversight of high-speed trading, expanding a crackdown on computer-driven investment strategies that some have blamed for exacerbating market turmoil. Most Read from Bloomberg The China Financial Futures Exchange recently banned Shanghai Weiwan Fund Management from opening stock index futures positions for 12 months, while confiscating 8.9 million yuan ($1.2 million) in illegal gains, the bourse said in a statement late Wednesday. The hedge fund had used high-frequency trading to circumvent transaction limits on multiple equity index futures, according to the exchange. It also failed to disclose the links between accounts by its controller and relatives and accounts used for managing its products. The penalty marks an escalation of a clampdown on quantitative trading, as regulators try to shore up the stock market after three years of losses. It also shows the strong resolve of Wu Qing, who was named chairman of China Securities Regulatory Commission in early February, to punish wrongdoing. Wu pledged to enhance judicial protection and law enforcement efficiency in the stock market to stabilize expectations and foster its long-term development, according to a CSRC statement late Wednesday. The latest moves suggest the regulator is shifting to a more results-oriented stance, said Yu Yingbo, a fund manager at Zhuhai Wanfang Investment Management Co. Rather than just plugging loopholes, once they identify a certain type of strategy they want to quell, its an all-round chase with measures to prevent it from ever cropping up again. Story continues China earlier this month broadly took aim at quant funds, which relied on computer-driven trading to outperform the market for much of the last three years. The group fell under scrutiny after being blamed for worsening a market slump with their Direct Market Access products, which typically use swap contracts and are often highly leveraged. The Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges froze the accounts of major quant fund Ningbo Lingjun Investment Management Partnership for three days earlier this month, after it dumped a combined 2.57 billion yuan in shares within a minute as markets declined, a move deemed as disrupting normal trading order. The bourses had since vowed to tighten supervision of quant trading, especially leveraged products, and expand the scope of required reporting of such trades to offshore investors via the stock links between Hong Kong and mainland China. The CSRC will guide stock exchanges and the financial futures bourse to step up coordinated oversight of all trading behavior, including high-frequency trading, and crack down on illegal activities, it said in a separate statement Wednesday. Regulatory oversight will be stepped up across the board, it added. Some quant funds that manage DMA products for clients were told to stop accepting new inflows and phase out their existing products, in a gradual exit that would help prevent drastic selloffs, Bloomberg News reported this week. Some of the DMA funds had earlier been barred from paring positions by regulators trying to stem the market rout. The governments forceful measures have helped prop up the market at least temporarily, with the benchmark CSI 300 index jumping about 10% from its five-year low hit earlier this month. Still, some analysts have questioned whether the interventions come at the expense of efforts in recent years to develop a free market. Shanghai Weiwan was the top performer for the commodity trading adviser strategy in 2022 among managers with less than 500 million yuan, with a 105% gain through November of that year, according to Shenzhen PaiPaiWang Investment & Management Co. One of its products was ranked 19th among all CTA strategies by managers with less than that amount over the past year. --With assistance from April Ma and Zhang Dingmin. (Adds details of earlier action by stock exchanges in eighth and ninth paragraphs) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. An Orange County man pleaded guilty to federal criminal charges for firebombing a Costa Mesa Planned Parenthood clinic in March 2022. (U.S Department of Justice) The final defendant tied to the firebombing of a Planned Parenthood clinic in Costa Mesa pleaded guilty Thursday for his role in that crime and for another plot to damage Orange County's power grid. Tibet Ergul, 22, pleaded guilty to federal charges of conspiracy to damage an energy facility and intentional damage to a Reproductive Health Services Facility. He was one of three suspects arrested in connection with the 2022 attack on the clinic. Ergul's co-defendants, Xavier Batten, of Brooksville, Fla., and Chance Brannon, of San Juan Capistrano, also pleaded guilty in recent months. Ergul had been slated to go to trial in March. Prosecutors are seeking a sentence range of five to just over six years in prison. Ergul's attorney did not respond to a request for comment. Read more: O.C. man pleads guilty to firebombing Planned Parenthood clinic, plotting other attacks Martin Estrada, U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, said the Justice Department is "very much focused on this and making sure that we investigate these cases and prosecute them aggressively." "There's really been a rise throughout the country in terms of what I'll call domestic extremism, but might otherwise be called groups motivated by hate and hateful ideology," Estrada said. According to the plea agreement, on the morning of March 13, 2022, Ergul and Brannon disguised in dark clothing, hoods, masks, and gloves ignited a Molotov cocktail and threw it at the clinic's entrance. The men targeted the clinic because it provided reproductive health services and they "wanted to make a statement against abortion, scare pregnant women away from obtaining abortions, deter doctors, staff, and employees of the clinic from providing abortions, intimidate and interfere with the patients of the clinic, and encourage others to engage in similar acts of protest," the agreement states. The facility was forced to temporarily close and staff had to reschedule around 30 appointments. Following the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, Ergul and Brannon planned to use a second Molotov cocktail to damage another Planned Parenthood clinic, but did not follow through with it after seeing law enforcement near their intended target, the plea agreement states. Ergul then conspired with others, including Brannon, to use firearms or a Molotov cocktail to damage a Southern California Edison electrical substation, according to the agreement. In March 2023, the agreement states, Ergul messaged an associate to say that he had found a substation to target in the city of Orange with a fence area "nearby enough to a switch." He sent Brannon aerial photos and suggested going to the location at 3 a.m. to do a "drive thru" and either climbing on the roof of a nearby building or throwing the Molotov cocktail across the fence to reach a critical portion of the substation. Read more: Camp Pendleton Marine and accomplice charged with firebombing Costa Mesa Planned Parenthood Ergul even wrote Brannon a letter, the agreement states, in which he said: The rifle is in a box in my room waiting to be used in the upcoming race war. . . VOTING DOESNT CHANGE ANYTHING. IF IT DID, IT WOULD BE ILLEGAL." He added that he had "an unbelievable desire to murder journalists and politicians as soon as some chaotic event begins." "They didn't want to go through legitimate channels to voice their political views. They wanted to take violent action," Estrada said. "And unfortunately that's something that we're seeing throughout the country." Throughout the summer of 2023, Ergul and Brannon also researched how to attack the parking lot or electrical room of Dodger Stadium on a night celebrating LGBTQ pride, including by using a remote-detonated device, the plea agreement states. He and Brannon, then an active duty Marine, were arrested two days before the "Pride Night" at the stadium. "This group was plotting attacks all over Southern California," Estrada said. 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. Mandatory evacuation of families with children from 18 more villages is to be conducted in Kharkiv Oblast. Source: Oleh Syniehubov, Head of Kharkiv Oblast Military Administration Quote: "Shortly the question of mandatory evacuation of families with children from 18 more villages of the Velykyi Burluk and Vilkhuvatka hromadas will be raised at the Defence Council [a hromada is an administrative unit designating a town, village or several villages and their adjacent territories - ed.]. At the moment, families with 161 children are residing there. They risk their lives on a daily basis as the Russians are using their whole arsenal of weapons: artillery, UAVs, mortars and aircraft. There are 1,082 children residing in the 57 settlements of the Velykyi Burluk, Vilkhuvatka, Kindrashivka and Kurylivka hromadas. We are planning to announce a mandatory evacuation here. We have received letters from Kupiansk District Military Administration." Details: Syniehubov added that almost 20 volunteer organisations in the Kharkiv Oblast coordination centre had been involved in the process of evacuation. Reportedly, 28,329 people in total have moved to safer areas, 869 of them children. 1,500 people, 140 of them children, have evacuated since the beginning of this year. Syniehubov stressed that the military administration, volunteers and international organisations provide aid, guidance, accommodation, etc. Background: In August 2023, authorities commenced the mandatory evacuation of families with children from 37 settlements in the Kupiansk district of Kharkiv Oblast in connection with the intensification of Russian attacks. At the end of November, it was reported that 299 children and their parents were evacuated from dangerous areas in the Kupiansk district of Kharkiv Oblast. In December, the authorities in Kharkiv Oblast were considering expanding the list of frontline hromadas subject to mandatory evacuation orders due to Russian bombardments. The mandatory evacuation zone for families with children was expanded in Kharkiv Oblast in January. Support UP or become our patron! The Texas fires have destroyed hundreds of homes and businesses in the Lone Star State, leaving a path of destruction larger than the size of Rhode Island and forcing a nuclear plant to take precautions. A map shows the fires, which have killed at least two people, located throughout the state's rural Panhandle area, with some blazes crossing into western Oklahoma. Where are the Texas fires burning? The fires are burning northeast of Amarillo, a city of over 200,000 people. A map created on Feb. 29, 2024, shows where wildfires are raging across the Texas Panhandle and parts of Oklahoma. / Credit: Yasin Demirci/Anadolu via Getty Images The largest of the fires, the Smokehouse Creek Fire, is the biggest blaze in Texas history. On Thursday, the Texas A&M Forest Service said the inferno was an estimated 1.059 million acres. The agency said the size of the fire was lower than its last estimate of 1.076 million acres because of additional data collection and more accurate mapping. The fire was 74% contained, according to the forest service. A satellite image shows the Smokehouse Creek Fire burning in Texas on Feb. 28. / Credit: Satellite image 2024 Maxar Technologies In Hutchinson County, which includes the hard-hit towns of Fritch and Stinnett, about 200 families have been displaced by the fires, according to Julie Winters, executive director of the local United Way. "We have some veterans that have been displaced with this, we have elderly people that have been displaced, we have young families," Winters told CBS News on Monday. A 20-second video of satellite images posted by the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere showed the fires growing in Texas and spreading to Oklahoma. Satellite images also show how the fires have affected Fritch, Texas, with one image showing how the town looked from above last summer. A satellite image shows how Fritch, Texas, looked from above on Aug. 4, 2023. / Credit: Satellite image 2024 Maxar Technologies The town's mayor said dozens of homes have been destroyed in the blazes, according to the Associated Press. One family in Fritch told CBS News that their home was burned to "nothing but ash." Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Friday about 400 to 500 structures in the Panhandle had been destroyed so far. Rian Hightower told CBS News Texas she and her family barely made it out of their house in Fritch before it was in flames. "We no longer got off of our street that the entire street was engulfed, so in a matter of seconds," she said. "It looked like Armageddon, it looked like the end of the world," she said. Winters told CBS News she saw some of the devastation Sunday night. "One neighborhood, there's probably 70% of the homes have been completely burned down, there's nothing left," she said. "Another neighborhood, probably about 80%." A satellite image shows how Fritch, Texas, looked from above on Feb. 28, 2024, after devastating fires hit the area. / Credit: Satellite image 2024 Maxar Technologies The fires have upended the lives of people living in several towns in the Panhandle. Hemphill County Emergency Management Coordinator Bill Kendall likened the scorched area to a moonscape. "It's just all gone," he said, according to the AP. An infrared satellite image shows a fire line and burn scars west of Miami, Texas, Feb. 28, 2024. With color infrared imagery, burned vegetation appears in shades of black and gray. / Credit: Satellite image 2024 Maxar Technologies How has the area's nuclear plant responded to the Texas fires? The Pantex nuclear plant, located about 30 miles east of Amarillo, evacuated nonessential personnel and constructed a fire barrier last Tuesday in response to a fire near the facility. The Pantex plant is one of six production facilities for the National Nuclear Security Administration, according to the plant. The plant boasts being "the nation's primary assembly, disassembly, retrofit, and life-extension center for nuclear weapons" since 1975. Operations returned to normal a day later, the plant said on social media. "There is no imminent wildfire threat to the plant at this time," the plant said. What caused the Texas fires? Investigators with the forest service determined that power lines ignited the Smokehouse Creek Fire and a smaller blaze, the Windy Deuce Fire, the agency said in a statement to CBS News. As of Thursday, the Windy Deuce Fire was 89% contained, the agency said. Also on Thursday, Minneapolis-based power company Xcel Energy said in a statement that its facilities may have been involved in starting the state's largest fire. "Based on currently available information, Xcel Energy acknowledges that its facilities appear to have been involved in an ignition of the Smokehouse Creek fire," the company said. It also said the company doesn't believe its facilities caused the Windy Deuce Fire. A lawsuit filed late last week blamed the Smokehouse Creek Fire on a utility pole that snapped at its base, bringing down electrified lines that ignited the blaze. The suit is against Xcel, its subsidiary Southwestern Public Service Company and a contractor that inspects utility poles. "Xcel Energy disputes claims that it acted negligently in maintaining and operating its infrastructure," the company said. Dry grass, strong winds and warm temperatures have fueled the Panhandle fires and helped them spread. In Canadian, Texas, a woman told CBS News that flames spread to her family's home when a rolling, burning tumbleweed came onto the property, burning down the house. A satellite image shows the town of Canadian, Texas, Feb. 28, 2024. / Credit: Satellite image 2024 Maxar Technologies Simply Recipes announces winners of the inaugural "Freezies" awards New York governor deploys National Guard to subways following string of violent attacks Election dynamics unfold as Nikki Haley suspends campaign following Trump victory A new restaurant is planned to open in Bellinghams Granary Building, offering a unique blend of cuisines from Italy, Greece and New York City. Mercato delle Bonta restaurant was started by a husband and wife duo Francesco Di Vito who is from Milan and Julia Tzortzatos, a first-generation Greek American from New York City. Opening Mercato delle Bonta has been a vision my husband Francesco and I have had for a few years. This is not our first business but it is our first time working together and our first brick-and-mortar. My husband was in the food industry in Italy, he managed an Italian restaurant when he moved to NY and most recently we had a food truck in NYC, Tzortzatos wrote in an email to The Bellingham Herald. Tzortzatos and Di Vito were also on an episode of Food Networks Cut Throat Kitchen in 2017 to show off their cooking expertise. The couple named the restaurant Mercato delle Bonta as it means market of goodness, and tells visitors what they can expect from this untraditional restaurant. We will have coffee, breakfast choices sweet and savory, a deli serving sandwiches on focaccia made in-house. We will also offer other bread choices from a local bakery. There will be a small market section that includes imported and local products. We will also have a selection of ready-to-bake or ready-to-heat-up dinner options, Tzortzatos wrote. Homemade focaccia bread from Mercato delle Bonta, a new restaurant opening in Whatcom County in April 2024 inside the Granary Building at 1211 Granary Ave. in Bellingham, Wash. As the restaurant offers more options than other sit-down traditional eateries, Mercato delle Bonta will feature unique menu items inspired by the owners Italian, Greek and New York City backgrounds. Our hope for Bellingham is to join an already vibrant community and add an establishment the residents would love to patronize for its food and overall atmosphere. We want everyone to feel great when they walk in and feel great about our products, Tzortzatos wrote. Mercato delle Bonta does not have an official opening date but is expected to open some time in April. The restaurant and market will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays at 1211 Granary Ave. in Bellingham. This embedded content is not available in your region. Police officers are seen during a lockdown of the Maryland State House in Annapolis, Md. on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. The building was locked down for an undisclosed security threat. (AP Photo/Brian Witte.) ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) The Maryland State House was locked down for about two hours Thursday after an anonymous phone threat was made, but officials said no signs of suspicious activity were found and later allowed people back inside. Annapolis Police Department spokesperson Bernie Bennett said someone made an anonymous threat to the State House via phone. He said the agency was called to assist the Maryland Capitol police in responding to the potential threat. Authorities didnt find anything suspicious in the building. Bennett said they also didnt receive any reports of violence at the State House and that no one had taken credit for the threat. You have to react to every threat as though its credible and serious, he said. By 7 p.m., an Anne Arundel County police officer said the building was all clear, and people were allowed to go back inside. Nick Cavey, a spokesperson with the Maryland Department of General Services, said Capitol police coordinated sweeps of the State House, Senate and House office buildings and surrounding grounds, according to protocol, and determined that the areas were secure and clear of any potential threat. The lockdown and shelter in place was lifted at 6:52 p.m. and all remaining occupants, including the governor, lieutenant governor, and Senate president, were escorted from the building, per situational protocol, Cavey said in a statement. State House grounds have resumed standard security procedures and protocol. It was shortly after 5 p.m. when reporters with offices on the ground floor of the building were told by an aide to Maryland House Speaker Adrienne Jones to lock their doors. About 30 minutes later, police escorted reporters out of the building. An Associated Press reporter saw an officer hurrying up a staircase with his gun drawn. State employees also were seen evacuating the building. People inside the building were asked to shelter in place while law enforcement agents searched the building and grounds, including with police dogs. Police cars were lined up outside the building, blocking roads that lead to a road that encircles the State House. Senate President Bill Ferguson and the speaker thanked all the law enforcement officers who responded to the threat. We and everyone else in the legislative complex are grateful for their presence as we continue to do the peoples work, they said in a joint statement. Gov. Wes Moore also thanked law enforcement. Our family is grateful for the members of the Maryland Capitol Police, Maryland State Police, Annapolis Police Department, and the Anne Arundel County Police Department who secured the State House Grounds and kept us safe today, the governor said in a statement. Palestinian journalists attempt to connect to the internet using their phones in Rafah on the southern Gaza Strip on December 27, 2023 (SAID KHATIB) More than 30 news organizations signed an open letter Thursday expressing solidarity with journalists working in Gaza and calling for their protection and freedom to report. The letter, coordinated by the Committee to Protect Journalists, was signed by global news agencies AFP, AP and Reuters, as well as other leading media outlets including the New York Times, BBC News and Israel's Haaretz. "For nearly five months, journalists and media workers in Gaza -- overwhelmingly, the sole source of on-the-ground reporting from within the Palestinian territory -- have been working in unprecedented conditions," the letter said. It noted that at least 89 journalists and media workers in Gaza have been killed in the war, according to the CPJ. The Israel-Hamas war began following an unprecedented Hamas attack on Israel that resulted in the deaths of around 1,160 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official Israeli figures. Israel's retaliatory military campaign has killed 30,035 people, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry. "Journalists are civilians and Israeli authorities must protect journalists as noncombatants according to international law," said the letter, also signed by the Association for International Broadcasters and the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA). "Those responsible for any violations of that longstanding protection should be held accountable," AFP has had a bureau and staff in Gaza for several decades. Before the start of the war, the agency had a full bureau in Gaza City of 10 people, including text, photo and video reporters as well as administrative and technical staff. The staff were all evacuated with their families to southern Gaza in early October when the Israeli army ordered Gaza City residents to move south. The office was subsequently damaged by an Israeli strike. Several staff still remain in southern Gaza in precarious conditions. gw/nro Kansas Democrats tried to force a vote on legal marijuana last week. Rep. Silas Miller, a Wichita Democrat, offered an amendment on a fentanyl bill that would have legalized cannabis finally moving Kansas away from among the strictest prohibitions in the country. We have been unable to have this discussion since Ive been here, Miller said. But House Speaker Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican, urged his colleagues to shut Miller down. Everybody in this body knows that weve tackled this subject before and well tackle it again, Hawkins said, reminding House lawmakers that theyd been waiting the past three years for the Kansas Senate to take a position on medical marijuana. I think that they are getting closer and well have our chance, he said. Kansas is one of 12 states in the U.S. that does not have legal medical or recreational marijuana. The Kansas House voted in 2021 to legalize medical marijuana. But despite broad support for legalization, the issue has repeatedly stalled in the state Senate, facing opposition from conservative Republicans. That may be changing. An opening has now emerged for an extremely restrictive medical program to gain support from Senate leadership. But the proposal may be so narrow it forfeits the support of the legalizations loudest advocates who worry it will keep potential producers out of the business and fail to help the Kansans who need it the most. Legal medical marijuana program in Kansas? Senate President Ty Masterson, an Andover Republican, told The Star last week he is expecting to start to have a real discussion on the legalization in the coming weeks over a new proposal that would create a narrow program for medical marijuana. Im expecting a bill to come in that is a lot more conservative dealing with pharmacies and things like that that I think would create an open discussion, said Masterson, who has repeatedly said he will only support a very restrictive medical marijuana program. He said hed heard the proposal may include a pilot program. As Senate president, Masterson holds vast power to block or fast-track bills in the state Legislature. A draft bill crafted by a Wichita hemp producer and obtained by The Star would establish a pilot program for medical marijuana, allowing no more than four operators to produce and sell cannabis and restricting those operators from producing any smokable product. Its unclear whether that bill, drafted by hemp cultivator company Kansas Natural Remedies, is the exact proposal Masterson expects or if the draft obtained by The Star is the final version. Kansas Natural Remedies Chief Operating Officer Sam Jones and the companys lobbyist Michael ODonnell, a former Republican state senator who was indicted on federal fraud charges related to his political campaigns but acquitted in 2019, did not respond to The Stars request for comment. But longtime advocates for legalization in Kansas worry Masterson will back a policy that will be so restrictive it leaves Kansans who would benefit from the program behind. Concerns about the draft proposal Rep. Ford Carr, a Wichita Democrat, said he was concerned that the draft proposal didnt include language ensuring Black and indigenous business owners would obtain some of the licenses to operate in Kansas. Brett Harris, a board member at the Kansas Cannabis Chamber of Commerce, called a pilot program an outdated idea. Why does our state need to have training wheels when there are full medical and full recreational states around us? he said. A pilot bill is such a disservice to the patients of Kansas. Meanwhile, Kelly Rippel, an advisor for the Kansas Cannabis Coalition, said he and other advocates were speaking with Senate leadership about a separate medical marijuana proposal that could address Mastersons concerns. Rippel said the Kansas Natural Remedies bill was rife with issues and could allow a small number of companies to corner the market. Getting something done is whats important but were not going to just settle for a monopoly is what it comes down to, Rippel said. People are not going to be completely happy with everything but theyre not going to be surprised either. But time is running short in the Kansas legislative session. Lawmakers have just over five weeks remaining in Topeka. Establishing a pilot program for marijuana, Sen. Jeff Longbine, an Emporia Republican, said, comes with a variety of difficulties that will take time to work through. I think that those who are promoting a pilot program dont really understand all of the complexities that have to be part of a bill, he said, predicting Kansas will go another year or more before lawmakers legalize marijuana. The closer lawmakers get to the end of the legislative session the more likely it is that any medical marijuana proposal will be tied up in debates on other issues or used as a bargaining chip. Support from Democrats will be essential for Kansas Republicans to pass any policy legalizing marijuana, Sen. Cindy Holscher, an Overland Park Democrat, said that may not be guaranteed. We want a good bill, Holscher said. We dont want to have something thats just thrown out there late that has a lot of problems and is going to need a lot of cleanup. You have, no doubt, been made aware of the death of Richard Lewis. The 76-year-old Brooklyn-born comic/actor/writer died Feb. 27 of a heart attack in his Los Angeles home. Almost immediately, remembrances from friends and fans created an internet avalanche and formal obituaries charted the course and provided the details of his distinctively prolific career. Many knew Lewis primarily from his work on the HBO series Curb Your Enthusiasm, which made him a hit with a new generation and is the creation of his lifelong friend Larry David. Lifelong? Well, they were born at the same hospital, days apart, and a few years later became buddies when attending the same summer camp. I am a fan of Curb Your Enthusiasm, as I was the sadly short-lived Anything But Love, an ABC sitcom of the late 1980s in the early 1990s in which Lewis co-starred with Jamie Lee Curtis and Chicago stage actress Holly Fulger as a pair of writers for a fictional Chicago magazine. But I was also thrown back in memory to a March night in 1984 at Zanies, the Old Town comedy club, where he made his first Chicago appearance. Also in the audience was my former Tribune colleague and friend Howard Reich, who told me on Thursday, I last communicated with Richard just a couple of days ago, so his death is as much a shock to me as to the millions who similarly revered him. And there were millions too, fans of his stand-up career, a couple of books, innumerable appearances on late night talk shows, HBO specials, and his work in such movies as Leaving Las Vegas. As Reich remembers, The first time I reviewed him was that March 1984 night at Zanies. I was overwhelmed by his verbal brilliance and by his sheer profusion of comic scenarios. Id never witnessed such an avalanche of humor so virtuosically delivered. Reich has not forgotten that night and many others. There are few writers who kept in closer touch with Lewis than did Reich. Over the decades, in reviews and lengthy interviews, he was able to insightfully capture the comic. As he once wrote, Lewis was the most dexterous emerging wordsmith in American comedy. More confessional than Woody Allen, more world-weary than Rodney Dangerfield, more maniacal than Lenny Bruce, Lewis dared to tell his audience secrets that most folks wouldnt share with their shrinks. In my own interviews with Lewis, he long ago told me, Chicago has been historically the nicest, most receptive city in the country for me. Basically, its the nightmares of Steve (Dahl) and Garry (Meier). Really, I love those guys, love their show. I love every facet of the town. Though he would perform at such spacious local venues as the Vic and Park West and he played a sold-out Carnegie Hall in New York in 1989 he remained loyal to our city and especially to intimate, 100-seat Zanies. When the clubs owner, Rick Uchwat, died in 2011, Lewis told me, Im heartbroken. My near 30-year run with Rick turned Chicago into my comedy town, and the shows there and the response is something that in many ways helped me achieve what I have. I cant imagine being a comedian without Rick. I loved him like a brother. There remains on the wall of the Wells Street Zanies an 810 photo of the young Lewis, one of the hundreds who have played the clubs tiny stage. There is also a wonderfully evocative painting of him with the words Jokes from HELL! The last time I reviewed Richard at what turned out to be his final stand-up engagement, again at Zanies, in January 2018 he proved every bit as quick and incisive as ever, if not more so, says Reich. But now he was a man who had been dealt many harsh blows in life yet still found humor and joy in being alive. Those blows came in the form of difficult childhood familial bonds; hard tussles with drugs and alcohol, which he won by the mid-1990s; romantic troubles that ended with his happy marriage to Joyce Lapinsky in 2005. He was often beset by anxiety and depression and was ever dealing with various health problems, which included back surgery and a recent diagnosis of Parkinsons disease. But he did take joy in being alive. One of those who knew Lewis best is Bert Haas, who recently retired after more than four decades as a manager and executive with Zanies. He told me, Richard drove me crazy for almost three decades and I loved every minute of it. He was one of the kindest men I met. The first time I met him was after I returned from my grandmothers funeral and without a word he just gave me a big hug. Once, playing the Zanies in Nashville, he had complained about his room and the hotel upgraded him to the best suite where Al Gore had stayed as vice president. Richard was so excited, he was like a kid. He insisted on taking Rick (Uchwat) and me on a tour of the suite and he almost missed his flight home. He continued the stream-of-consciousness comedy pioneered by Lenny Bruce. Richard would take notes on stage with him because he was so prolific that it was impossible for him to remember all the material. One of the greatest comedy performances I ever witnessed was at Zanies in Vernon Hills when Richard did an hour-plus set and in the final five minutes pulled together three distinct themes he had been riffing on to reach a magnificent climax. It was absolutely awesome and transcended stand-up comedy. So, Richard Lewis is dead and memories flow and Reich says, I believe Richard lifted the lives of anyone who saw him perform. I hope he realized that. rkogan@chicagotribune.com EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) El Paso Police identified the two men who allegedly trespassed in a vacant apartment which led to an officer-involved shooting on Tuesday, Feb. 20 in West El Paso. Trespassing call leads to officer-involved shooting in West El Paso Police say Efrain Rivera III, 24 and Dominick Giangrossi, 22, entered a vacant apartment on the 7200 block of Royal Arms at around 3 a.m. that Tuesday. Left: Efrain Rivera III, 24 Right: Dominick Giangrossi, 22 Photo: EPPD Two officers, a four-year veteran and a one-year veteran approached the area and heard loud noises from inside the residence, according to police. The officers positioned themselves at the back of the home and observed both men heading into the backyard, according to police. The four-year veteran drew his weapon while the one-year veteran deployed a less-lethal weapon, according to police. Both men were instructed to surrender, but Rivera refused and threw a large rock at the officers, which prompted the four-year veteran to discharge his weapon, according to police. Rivera fled the scene but was pursued by the four-year veteran who discharged his gun again. The four-year veteran also deployed his taser, but Rivera continued to evade, according to police. Rivera sustained a gunshot wound and was transported to a local hospital where he remained in critical but stable condition. Giangrossi was apprehended by the one-year veteran inside the vacant residence after resisting arrest. Giangrossi was charged with criminal mischief, resisting arrest, search or transport, and criminal tresspass/ habitation and booked into the El Paso County Detention Facility with a total bond of $20,000. However, he posted bond on Friday, Feb. 23. Earlier this week, on Monday, Feb. 26, Rivera was taken into custody after being discharged from the hospital. Rivera was charged with two counts of aggravated assault against a public servant, criminal mischief, and criminal trespass/ habitation and booked into the El Paso County Detention Facility with a total bond of $170,000. The case continues to be investigated concurrently by the Crimes Against Persons Unit, El Paso Police Internal Affairs, and the Texas Rangers from the Department of Public Safety. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News. Meta is partnering with LG Electronics to expedite the social media companys plans for extended reality (XR) and to promote other artificial intelligence (AI) ambitions. LG announced its top management met with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg in Seoul, South Korea, on Wednesday, where they discussed the next generation of XR device developments. The electronics company, headquartered in South Korea, said the partnership aims to combine the strengths of both companies across products, content, services and platforms to innovate in the burgeoning virtual space of XR. According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, XR is technology that includes augmented, mixed and virtual reality to combine the real and digital worlds for interaction and perception. After experiencing Meta products including the Meta Quest 3 virtual reality headset and its Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, LG CEO William Cho expressed a keen interest in the companys tech advancements. LG envisions that by bringing together Metas platform with its own content/service capabilities from its TV business, a distinctive ecosystem can be forged in the XR domain, the company said in its release. The technology company signaled the XR will be the next generation of personal devices and will surpass the capabilities current devices have now. Wearable devices will also substantially broaden customer interactions, LG said. Zuckerberg met with the LG executives on the second leg of his three-nation Asian tour that observers say is dedicated to discussing partnerships. He has already visited Japan and will travel to India in the coming days, The Associated Press reported. A technology analyst told the AP that Zuckerberg likely also spoke with Samsung Electronics about producing Meta-exclusive chips, so the company can ease its reliance on the company Nvidia, who is dominant in the AI chip market, per AP. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. (Bloomberg) -- China installed more solar panels in power plants than on rooftops last year for the first time since 2020 as President Xi Jinpings push to build large-scale renewable facilities in inland deserts boosted growth. Most Read from Bloomberg The country added 120 gigawatts of utility-scale solar projects, exceeding the 96.3 gigawatts of new distributed capacity, which are mainly on the rooftops of homes and office buildings, according to a National Energy Administration statement on Wednesday. Rooftop installations were the major force for Chinas solar growth in 2021 and 2022 as the country ran out of land for utility-scale developments in more densely populated regions. However, large-scale solar projects outgrew distributed capacity last year after Xis ambitious plan for clean energy expansion lured developers to the countrys inland areas. Read More: Chinas Deserts Show COP28 How to Triple Clean Energy By 2030 Solar installations surged to a record of about 216 gigawatts last year more than all the panels installed in the US thanks to falling module prices. New utility-scale capacity more than tripled in 2023 as developers rushed to meet the deadline for the first phase of Xis plan, while rooftop growth nearly doubled. The China Photovoltaic Industry Association expects the country to install as many as 220 gigawatts in 2024. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Metro Phoenix residents gathered to remember Nex Benedict, a 16-year-old Oklahoma student who died after being in a fight in a school bathroom, and to continue pushing for change. Tami Stass, a parent of two LGBTQ people and executive director of AZTYPO, said anti-trans legislation is "sweeping the nation" and affecting Arizona's LGBTQ community. "People are really upset. We're seeing so many anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ bills introduced here in the Arizona state Legislature," said Stass. "It's creating a culture of hate. And it's hate directed at a very marginalized population." Benedict, who identified as nonbinary and used they/them pronouns, was involved in an altercation with three girls that broke out earlier this month in a high school bathroom. They had been bullied in the past due to their gender identity, according to their family. Benedict's death, while still under investigation, has prompted vigils across the country and heightened awareness for LGBTQ-related issues, according to the Associated Press. The vigil Wednesday night at First Congregational United Church of Christ in downtown Phoenix brought nearly 100 members of the community together to pay their respects for Benedict. 'Be their authentic selves' The Rev. Susan Valiquette, who helped organize the vigil, has been the pastor of First Church UCC for the past five years. She said it was important for the community to "bear witness to the sadness" of Benedict's family and to acknowledge their life. "Our hope for (Benedict's) family is that, while we are complete strangers to them, they know somebody in another part of the U.S. is gathering and speaking Nex's name," said Valiquette. "And joining them in their grief." Owasso student Nex Benedict First Church UCC, which opened more than 100 years ago, committed to being "open and affirming" for LGBTQ individuals in 2003. Its congregation is "a strong, supportive group of people," Valiquette said. "We allow people to fully develop the way God has created them," said Valiquette. "We see and acknowledge their fullness and humanity." For Valiquette, allowing the congregation to be "their authentic selves" remains at the forefront of First Church, where topics involving justice and inclusion are thoroughly discussed. Following the vigil, guests were invited to stay and continue to share their condolences. A certified grief specialist was onsite to help attendees mourn. Pushing against 'anti-LGBTQ' legislation The event, which was initiated by a Valley mother of a nonbinary teen, featured several guest speakers who represented different LGBTQ support groups and organizations, many of whom voiced frustrations toward "a failure to protect LGBTQ-identifying children." Stass, a mother of a transgender man and a nonbinary-identifying individual, is part of a group of parents and caregivers who "warned legislature" that an incident like Benedict's would happen in Arizona if government policies don't change to protect LGBTQ people. "This hate has consequences," said Stass. "The consequence, unfortunately, is the loss of life." Stass is the executive director of AZTYPO, a peer-to-peer support group for parents and caregivers of gender-diverse youth, who has advocated for the community for years. LGBTQ youth are at higher risk of experiencing hate, violence and discrimination compared with their gender-conforming contemporaries, she said. "The narrative that trans youth are the aggressors in our schools and our communities is just false," Stass said. While nondiscrimination ordinances have been enacted in cities, including Phoenix and Tempe, it's municipalities that don't have these laws in place that endanger LGBTQ youth the most, according to Stass. In addition to creating safe spaces to gather, Stass also encouraged other Valley residents to "join the fight," urging community members to disrupt anti-LGBTQ legislature and fight for their rights. "(LGBTQ individuals) need protections," said Stass. "If they don't, we're going to continue to have vigils like this." Arizona politics: Proposal targeting trans students designed to bypass veto fails in Arizona Senate 'This cannot happen anymore' Valiquette went on to explain the difficulties of expressing public support for the LGBTQ community due to the "current political climate," citing "ignorance and hate" stemming from both state and federal government that she believes makes people feel unsafe to raise their voice. "I think it really comes from not understanding," said Valiquette. "The expectation should be that we treat each other with humanity, respect, and dignity. And that we seek to really understand people's stories through an openness of spirit." Ryan Anderson, a transgender man involved with Phoenix's Queer Center, said misinformation and "being different" is often why LGBTQ-identifying people become targets of violence and discrimination. "We cannot lose any more young people," said Anderson. "It could've been me. It could've been any one of my friends. This cannot happen anymore." Anderson encouraged vigil attendees to vote, as much of the progress toward LGBTQ recognition and rights has been erased due to legislation. Despite his feelings of "utter despair," Anderson said the fight for awareness continues. Those who struggle with identity and harassment should lean on their communities and "put one foot in front of the other," he added. "All we are trying to do is live our lives, just like everybody else," said Anderson. 'You're not alone' Stass, a schoolteacher, said the assault and death of Benedict hits particularly close to home. "Anytime tragedy strikes, it's really hard as a parent to not reflect on your own child's experience and what they went through," said Stass. "It's the support of teachers as educators that helps keep kids safe and it breaks my heart that Nex didn't have that." Throughout the event, vigil speakers all expressed that those being bullied or harrassed for their gender or identity should seek out resources and "find people who share the same experience." "You're not alone. You have a huge community behind you," said Stass. "There are people that want to see you in this world. It's a better place with you in it." Resources for LGBTQ members and advocates in metro Phoenix Southwest Center: Arizona's home for affordable primary health care and wellness for LGBTQ+ individuals. AZTYPO: A support group for parents and caregivers of LGBTQ+ and gender-expansive youth that works with educational institutions and connects families to resources in the Valley. Queer Center: An LGBTQ+ organization that serves the Phoenix Metro area through gender-affirming programming and events. Trans Spectrum of Arizona: Provides support and resources for the trans community and their allies. One-n-ten: A nonprofit that focuses on serving the Valley's LGBTQ youth. GLSEN Arizona: Supports LGBTQ+ students' rights to a safe and inclusive academic environment through a network of educators. Pride Guide Arizona: An LGBTQ+ travel and resource guide that connects individuals to different businesses, events and organizations across the state. Beacon of Hope Counseling Services: A Gilbert-based mental health clinic that specializes in LGBTQ-related issues for all ages. Phoenix Pride: An annual event that promotes unity and visibility for LGBTQ individuals while also providing education and resources through its festivals and parades. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Metro Phoenix LGBTQ community mourns Nex Benedict Miami Beach leaders have sought to portray a unified front in their efforts to crack down on spring break chaos in March, declaring that the city is breaking up with spring break and detailing severe measures to shut down the party, ranging from parking garage closures to Slingshot rental bans. Enough is enough, and thats why were so united, Mayor Steven Meiner said at a Feb. 15 press conference. But at public meetings and behind the scenes, political tensions have contributed to a thorny planning process and plenty of second-guessing in the final days before March, raising questions about whether officials are truly in sync and prepared to tackle the complex challenges that spring break presents. City commissioners on Feb. 21 voted for substantial changes to a previously approved parking plan, sending administrators scrambling to interpret the new measures and to staff the citys parking facilities an 11th-hour move almost a year after officials had begun discussing plans for March 2024. The commissioner who proposed the changes, David Suarez, later suggested political pressure had prevented the city administration from pursuing certain safety measures and left it up to the commission to propose them, as Suarez did for parking garage closures. Tensions between part-time elected officials and full-time city administrators have been rising in part because of Suarezs confrontational style, and four high-ranking city officials recently announced they are leaving their posts after spring break concludes. In a statement, city spokesperson Melissa Berthier denied that politics have played any role in the administrations approach, adding that we always welcome City Commission input. Two women walk past a road closed sign on the corner of 10th Street and Ocean Drive in Miami Beach on Feb. 29, 2024. Meanwhile, the president of the Miami Beach police union has publicly skewered the administrations spring break plans, saying in a Feb. 15 Instagram post that the city is doing nothing different than it has in the past and is refusing to use things that have worked, such as a South Beach traffic loop that was previously deployed during Memorial Day weekend. He also criticized the citys plan to close beach entrances on Ocean Drive at 6 p.m., saying people shouldnt be prevented from entering a public beach barring an emergency. The men and women of the union are tired of Diet Coke versions of operational plans that dont work, Fraternal Order of Police President Bobby Hernandez told the Miami Herald in a text message. The residents have been extremely patient and its time to make the tough decisions. Police department spokesperson Christopher Bess said police officials met Monday with the unions executive board to talk about the traffic plan. Bess said all parties involved, including Hernandez, reached a consensus that the citys current plan, a modified version of the traffic loop, is the most optimal choice. Hernandez told the Herald on Thursday that he still prefers a stricter version of the traffic loop that would prevent many drivers from even entering the entertainment district, but was told that the department doesnt have the resources to staff it. A map shows Miami Beachs spring break 2024 traffic plan. Law and order This years spring break comes on the heels of a November election in which voters picked a new mayor and three new commissioners, all of whom campaigned on improving public safety and eliminating the violence and negative headlines that have become synonymous with spring break in Miami Beach. In each of the past two years, the city has imposed midnight curfews in response to shootings amid large crowds on Ocean Drive. In 2021, police used SWAT teams as they tried to enforce an 8 p.m. curfew, one year after the local NAACP branch had decried an aggressive response by police against Black spring breakers as racist. Meiner, a former commissioner who billed himself as the law-and-order mayoral candidate, will face his biggest test so far after his predecessor, Dan Gelber, tried for years to calm spring break chaos, which never subsided. At the Feb. 15 press conference, Meiner said he is confident in the citys plan and hopeful for a successful spring break, which would mean having a March without violence. Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner speaks during a press conference about the citys spring break plan in front of the Miami Beach Police Department in South Beach on Feb. 15, 2024. Commissioner Alex Fernandez told the Herald that, despite the last-minute changes and some disagreements over the best approach, he doesnt believe political factors are hindering the process. Fernandez, who was elected in 2021, said officials have made bold moves to enact the harshest regulations ever imposed for Miami Beach during spring break, including the closure of public parking garages and lots and a ban on sidewalk seating at Ocean Drive cafes during the second and third weekends of March. I dont see this really being political, other than weve all made a commitment to public safety, Fernandez said. To the extent that its political, its because of the expectation our community has to once and for all free us from spring break. A pedestrian walks by a parking garage in Miami Beach with a sign that shows a $30 flat fee for parking on Feb. 29, 2024. Not the ideal way to do business Even as plans are underway to address the crowds, some officials including those who support strict measures have expressed reservations about the process. When the City Commission voted Feb. 21 to close parking garages and lots in South Beach, Meiner voted in favor but said it was not the ideal way to do business and should not have been decided on the fly. Last March, Meiner had urged city officials to set up a secured perimeter with metal detectors around Ocean Drive in 2024, a step he said was crucial to prevent another shooting. After two deadly shootings on crowded Ocean Drive during last years spring break, Gelber, the former mayor, said it was clear that even an unprecedented police presence could not prevent these incidents from occurring. But the perimeter concept didnt materialize because the city was unable to nail down a ticketed event that would have been legally required to set up metal detectors around a public street. The City Commission also voted last March to support a curfew in South Beach and an earlier last call for alcohol during spring break in 2024. But in late January, the new-look commission declined to address liquor sale hours, with some officials saying they didnt feel it would be an effective measure. A curfew could still be implemented this year if City Manager Alina Hudak chooses to declare a state of emergency at some point. City Manager Alina Hudak, pictured at Miami Beach City Hall on Nov. 22, 2021, could choose to implement a curfew during spring break in March. At a Feb. 23 meeting to discuss spring break plans, Vice Mayor Kristen Rosen Gonzalez said the city probably should have rolled back alcohol hours, a step it has taken in the past. I think thats the biggest mistake, she said. Rosen Gonzalez suggested that commissioners didnt get to vet certain spring break plans because of a transition period after the November election. But Commissioner Tanya Katzoff Bhatt disputed that characterization, noting that several commission meetings had been held to talk about the citys strategy. We are five minutes from the beginning of spring break, Katzoff Bhatt said. Everyone has the same goal, no one is pulling punches. We are united in making this safe, pleasant and fun. At the meeting a sunshine meeting that wasnt video recorded by the city and at which commissioners could not take action through a formal vote Suarez criticized the city manager and the police department for not sending representatives to be there. Meiner, who observes the Sabbath, also wasnt able to attend. Katzoff Bhatt suggested the City Commission could reconvene Feb. 28 to take any final votes on additional safety measures. But she later withdrew that request and the special meeting didnt take place. The narrative that we havent had enough time to discuss specific ideas during our commission meetings is nonsense, Katzoff Bhatt said in a text message. Suarez said at the sunshine meeting that he wanted to ensure the city was taking every step to prevent violence. I wanted to make sure that we clear our conscience, he said. Miami Beach is preparing for an avalanche of visitors during spring break. Business owners also express qualms City officials arent the only ones questioning parts of the plan. The Ocean Drive Association, a collection of business owners on the strip, said in a letter to city officials Tuesday that it had profound public safety concerns about some components. Removing sidewalk seating during two peak weekends will mean more spring breakers walking near hotels and restaurants on the west side of Ocean Drive, the group said, putting guests and workers at risk if theres a stampede, something that has happened in recent years past. The association also questioned the citys decision not to roll back liquor sale hours, saying late-night operators and alcohol sales contribute to a club atmosphere on the street. We note that, while we are not public safety experts, we are experts about establishing and preserving a safe environment in our places of business, Executive Director Ceci Velasco wrote. Crowds gather on Ocean Drive during spring break in Miami Beach on March 18, 2023. Several hoteliers or managers declined to comment on the record for this story, saying they fear reprisal from political leaders. But those who did expressed uncertainty over whether the citys measures this year were rigorously thought-out or will have the intended impact. At the same time, business leaders expressed appreciation that the status quo isnt being accepted and that the city is trying to change the pattern of violence and bad behavior each March. We do not want our city and destination associated with this, said Mutluhan Kucuk, complex managing director for Loews Miami Beach Hotel on Collins Avenue. Some business owners say they havent been properly involved in the citys process. Dan Binkiewicz, co-owner of Sweet Liberty, a cocktail bar on 20th Street, said city officials have perpetuated an antagonistic relationship with businesses and that, in the discussions surrounding spring break measures, it did not feel like theres a place for small business owners. It does not feel like were ever in this together, Binkiewicz said. Miami Beach police officers patrol Ocean Drive on their bicycles on Feb. 29, 2024. Plans set into motion All of those political tensions and disagreements now hang in the backdrop as March begins and the citys plans start to take effect. Beginning this weekend, the city will charge $30 for anyone except residents and employees to park at public garages and lots south of 42nd Street; double the towing rate in South Beach for nonresidents to $516; and limit beach entrances on Ocean Drive to Fifth, 10th and 12th streets before closing those entrances at 6 p.m. During the two following weekends, when the highest volume of visitors is expected, even more disruptive measures will go into place. Those include sweeping parking closures, motorized vehicle rental bans, license plate readers directed at cars entering the city and a DUI checkpoint on Fifth Street. Drivers are stopped at a DUI checkpoint in South Beach on March 25, 2023. Ocean Drive will remain open to traffic, in contrast to plans from years past that have shut down parts of the road and opened it up to pedestrians, creating more space for crowds and a party environment that often included people drinking in the street. Reducing crowding on Ocean Drive might help avoid stampedes and could also be good for businesses if spring breakers move off the street and into bars and restaurants, said Joshua Wallack, chief operating officer of Mangos Tropical Cafe. I think youre going to see some benefit from this, he said. I dont think were going to have some of the same problems. As in the past, the law enforcement presence will be massive. Police Chief Wayne Jones said at the Feb. 15 press conference that there will be more police in South Beach in March than youve ever seen before, which will include state law enforcement officers provided by Gov. Ron DeSantis. Since taking office, Meiner has had multiple conversations with DeSantis, who has said he is eager to send state law enforcement officers to assist Miami Beach during spring break. This week, Meiner was in Tallahassee and said he met with officials from the Florida Highway Patrol and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to secure resources for spring break operations. A Miami Beach police officer tickets a vehicle that was traveling in the bike lane along Ocean Drive in South Beach on Feb. 29, 2024. Commissioners voted last year to redirect more than $3 million that had initially been set aside for programming during spring break toward public safety measures, a shift in the citys strategy that previously included concerts and activities. Wallack said he disagrees with the citys decision not to host events in South Beach this year. Its all defensive posturing to try to lock people out from coming there, he said. Like other business owners in the area, he expressed uncertainty about the weeks to come. We have no idea what to expect, Wallack said. This is the most intense lockdown of the city weve ever seen. More details of the citys plans can be found at miamibeachfl.gov/breakup. [Source] Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan, named best actress and best supporting actor at last year's Oscars, have been tapped to return this year as presenters. Breaking the news: The Academy announced on Monday its full line-up of presenters for the 96th Oscars, which will take place at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles on March 11. Aside from Yeoh and Quan, Everything Everywhere All at Once co-star Jamie Lee Curtis, who won the best supporting actress category for her role, will also return to present. Other presenters include Mahershala Ali, Nicolas Cage, Brendan Fraser, Jessica Lange, Matthew McConaughey, Lupita Nyongo, Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer, Sam Rockwell and Zendaya. Trending on NextShark: Video of Mexican American toddler crying because she's not Chinese goes viral Return to the Oscars stage: Yeoh, Quan and Curtis will return to the same stage where they won their respective Oscars at last years ceremony. A24s Everything Everywhere All at Once also bagged the award for best picture, while directors and screenwriters Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert a duo better known as the Daniels took home awards for best director and best original screenplay. Current projects: Quan, who recently appeared in the second season of Marvels Loki and Disney Plus American Born Chinese, is set to voice pangolin Han, the leader of the Den of Thieves, in the upcoming Kung Fu Panda 4. He joins fellow franchise newcomers Awkwafina and Viola Davis. Meanwhile, Yeoh became the latest brand partner of cosmetics company Helena Rubinstein, owned by French brand L'Oreal since 1984, on Monday. She was previously named brand ambassador for Balenciaga and was the face of Lululemon for its Lunar New Year campaign. Trending on NextShark: Asian restaurant slams influencer's request for free meal in exchange for exposure Trending on NextShark: Benny Blanco faces Filipino fury after disrespectful review of Jollibee Download the NextShark App: Want to keep up to date on Asian American News? Download the NextShark App today! Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.) said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) should bite his tongue and endorse former President Trumps reelection bid. If he does decide to stick through November, I think he needs to come out strongly for Trump, even though he might have to bite his tongue to do that, Braun said Thursday in an interview on Fox Businesss Mornings with Maria in a clip highlighted by Mediaite. Its clear that in [2015] and [2016], when [Trump] came on the scene, Maria, half the country was fed up with this place, Braun told host Maria Bartiromo. And when you see it up close like I do, its worse than what you can imagine. So, dont fight it. You gotta go along with it, even if they dont get along as personalities. Fellow Republican senators have said McConnell saw the writing on the wall as he made his recent decision to step down as Senate Republican leader, noting that his party is heading in a different direction from him and falling in line behind Trump as the likely presidential nominee. I think its a reflection of Mitchs understanding of the room. I think its a reflection of both his personal situation as he described eloquently in his speech and his reading of the political climate and his respect for that, Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) said following McConnells Wednesday announcement that he will step down from his leadership post. On Wednesday, McConnell, who recently turned 82, gave a speech announcing his plan to leave his leadership post in November on the upper chambers floor. One of lifes most underappreciated talents is to know when its time to move on to lifes next chapter. So I stand before you today to say that this will be my last term as Republican leader of the Senate, McConnell said. McConnell has faced recent pressure to endorse Trump; reports confirmed by The Hill this week said Chris LaCivita, the former presidents campaign manager, and Josh Holmes, the Kentucky Republicans top political hand, had been discussing a possible endorsement. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. The cost of living is on the rise, due in no small part to rent increases across the country. But a new report by the rental site Rent.com shows that some states are feeling the burden of these increases more than others and Missouri and Kansas have some of the highest in the country. Between January 2023 and January 2024, Missouris median rent rose by more than 13% the highest increase of any state in the nation. Kansas median rent rose by nearly 9%, the sixth-highest increase. According to the sites aggregation of all rental types, the median rent in Missouri is now $1,209 per month, while Kansas is $1,218 per month. The site calculated state median rents by aggregating the median rents in each states cities. The data also tracked year-over-year median rent increases by metro area. Kansas City came in seventh place out of the 50 largest metro areas in the country, with an increase of 7.4% since last January. The median rent in the metro is now $1,644 per month. The graph below shows how the median rent in Missouri, Kansas and Kansas City have compared to the national median rent over the past six months. Hover over a point on the graph to see the median monthly rent for a unit in each location. Housing affordability groups like the citywide renters union KC Tenants have pushed legislation at the city level in recent months intended to mitigate the impacts of rising housing costs. Just last month, City Council passed a ban on source of income discrimination, which proponents hope will make more housing available to low-income tenants with federal Section 8 housing vouchers. In 2022, voters approved a bond initiative that funneled $50 million to the citys housing trust to fund affordable housing at around 30% of the area mean income. This benchmark is intended to set rents on these affordable units at around $550-$750 per month. Do you have more questions about housing affordability in Kansas City? Ask the Service Journalism team at kcq@kcstar.com. CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. A Poplar Bluff, Missouri, man appeared in federal court on Tuesday and admitted setting a series of fires that burned 220 acres of private land and federally protected U.S. Forest Service land in 2022. Prosecutors with the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of Missouri said Adam Gambling, 44, set fires on Nov. 8, 2022, near Beaver Lake and Mark Twain National Forest in Butler County. Underground world of catalytic converter thefts Those fires burned 125.38 acres of national forest and 95.3 acres of privately owned land. Investigators with the U.S. Forest Service identified Gambling as their chief suspect. Gambling met with investigators at his home and admitted to setting the fires. Gambling pleaded guilty to one count of arson on public land. Hell be sentenced on May 24. He faces up to five years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. Gambling already agreed to pay more than $66,000 in restitution to the U.S. Forest Service. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2. JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. The Missouri House passes two bills aimed at regulating agricultural sludge. Those two bills originated from complaints of residents in southwest and central Missouri, over the odor and environmental concerns from land application. Commonly known as sludge, byproducts from industrial facilities, like food processors. Locally, the group Stop Land Use Damaging our Ground and Environment, or S.L.U.D.G.E had been fighting for legislative change. The bills passed by the house would require storage lagoons to be tested monthly for heavy metals and pathogens, along with monitoring to prevent seepage into water bodies. The bills were sponsored by state representatives Dirk Deaton of McDonald County, and Ed Lewis of Randolph County. Theyll now begin the process of passing through the state senate. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com. Missouri officials recently defended in court a far-reaching state law that declares some federal firearms laws invalid, a stark demonstration of how far the state has gone to thwart restrictions on guns. Missouri Attorney General Andrew Baileys Office urged the federal Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals to uphold the states Second Amendment Preservation Act or SAPA during oral arguments last Friday. The 2021 law, signed by Gov. Mike Parson, spurred confusion among law enforcement when it went into effect. The U.S. Department of Justice has sued to overturn the measure. U.S. District Court Judge Brian Wimes in March 2023 ruled the law unconstitutional, but Missouri appealed. The courtroom showdown between Missouri and the DOJ had long been scheduled for February, but came a little over a week after at least two people exchanged gunfire, according to prosecutors, following the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl rally, killing one bystander and injuring more than 20 others. The mass shooting has led to renewed calls for action on gun violence and focused fresh attention on Missouris loose firearms laws. Republicans, with few exceptions, have resisted demands to consider new restrictions and since the shooting Bailey has promoted his role in defending the Second Amendment Preservation Act. The DOJ has argued SAPA severely impairs federal criminal law enforcement operations to fight gun crime in Missouri. Some local law enforcement have questioned whether the law allows them to cooperate with federal officials. As state attorney general, Bailey is tasked with defending state law in court. Bailey, a Republican facing a competitive primary contest, has publicly framed his defense of the state law as a defense of the Second Amendment. But in court, his office has instead centered its defense on the 10th Amendment, which reserves for the states powers not delegated to the federal government. This is not a Second Amendment case, it is a 10th Amendment case, Missouri Solicitor General Josh Divine told the appeals court. Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey. The federal gun laws declared invalid by SAPA include statutes covering weapons registration and tracking, and possession of firearms by some domestic violence offenders. State and local police are prohibited under the act from helping federal agents enforce any of the invalid laws, or from hiring former federal agents who had enforced them. Under the law, police departments are subject to $50,000 lawsuits from private citizens who believe their Second Amendment rights were violated. U.S. Circuit Judge James B. Loken appeared highly skeptical of Divines invocation of the 10th Amendment. He said the 10th Amendment doesnt give states powers prohibited by the U.S. Constitution and pointed to the Constitutions Supremacy Clause, which ensures federal law is supreme over state law. Counsel, Im looking at the text of the 10th Amendment and your argument does nothing for me, Loken said. Baileys office argues SAPA does not nullify federal law. In court, Divine cast the law as telling government agencies not to use state resources to enforce unconstitutional federal laws. He argued the law only expresses a constitutional interpretation. Thats nothing like Jim Crow where you had state police blockading schools to prevent compliance with federal desegregation orders. The rhetoric by the United States here is way off base. Its good for shock value only, Divine said. The DOJ continues to argue the law is an unconstitutional attempt to overturn federal law. In court papers, the agency said the law has disrupted longstanding state-federal task forces and information sharing. In at least one instance, a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper released a federal fugitive. The DOJ in a court filing said a Highway Patrol trooper in September 2021 released the fugitive rather than risk liability for the state agency. DOJ attorney Jeffrey Eric Sandberg suggested to the appeals court that SAPA could encourage defiance of federal law, potentially leading to deadly consequences. He raised the hypothetical scenario of a U.S. marshal who seeks to take a fugitive into custody only to find the fugitive believes they have a right to resist. The last thing we want is a violent confrontation over the proper enforcement of federal law, Sandberg said. The appeals court took the case under advisement. Its unclear when it will reach a decision. The law has effectively been on pause for the past year. When Wimes ruled the measure unconstitutional, he ordered that state and local law enforcement may participate in the investigation and enforcement of federal firearms crimes without facing any penalties under the law. Wimes also blocked Missouri from any implementation or enforcement of the measure. In October, the U.S. Supreme Court denied a request by Bailey to allow Missouri to enforce the law while its appeal is ongoing. The President accused China on Thursday of using unfair trade tactics - Evan Vucci/AP Joe Biden has warned Chinese electric cars are a threat to US national security, as he ordered a sweeping investigation into whether the vehicles can be exploited for spying. The President accused China on Thursday of using unfair trade tactics to flood the US market with technology-packed vehicles that can hoover up sensitive data about people and infrastructure. He said the US Department of Commerce would investigate vehicles that used technology from countries of concern and prepare to hit them with new restrictions. Officials said it was too early to say what those could be, and there was no decision on a potential ban of Chinese cars, but that the government had wide-ranging powers, according to Reuters. The move comes as governments are bracing for a wave of cheap Chinese cars to hit western markets, amid warnings that traditional US and European manufacturers could be wiped out. Mr Bidens decision will be seen as a major escalation and piles pressure on the UK and Europe to take tougher action. It is also likely to trigger a backlash from Beijing. Chinese electric cars already face substantial import tariffs in the US, with relatively few sold there currently, and they do not qualify for generous consumer subsidies. Still, some have floated plans to build factories in neighbouring Mexico and analysts say they have scope to drop prices far lower than their US and European rivals. BYDs Dolphin Mini is set to sell in Mexico for just $21,000 (16,637) less than half the price of Teslas cheapest model. In the statement released by the White House, Mr Biden said: A dynamic auto industry is vital to the US economy. China is determined to dominate the future of the auto market, including by using unfair practices. Chinas policies could flood our market with its vehicles, posing risks to our national security. Im not going to let that happen on my watch. The President claimed that electric cars, which are packed with sensors, cameras and other advanced technology, could be used by China to collect sensitive data about American citizens and infrastructure. They could even be remotely accessed or disabled, he claimed. Story continues China imposes restrictions on American autos and other foreign autos operating in China. Why should connected vehicles from China be allowed to operate in our country without safeguards?, he added. It comes after the EU launched an investigation into alleged unfair state subsidies provided to Chinese electric car makers last year. The UK is yet to launch any investigation of its own but on Tuesday it emerged that the Department for Business and Trade has discussed an intervention amid fears that Chinese has given its car makers an unfair advantage through vast subsidies. On Thursday night, a spokesman for the Government insisted that no formal request for an investigation which must come from a car company had been made, while a source close to Kemi Badenoch, the Business and Trade Secretary, would not comment. However, Conservative MPs urged the Government to follow the White House. Bob Seely, a Tory backbencher and a member of the foreign affairs committee, said: We are being extremely naive in our relationship with China. China does not seek to live in harmony with the west but to dominate it. Of course we should be doing the same, and we need to think far more carefully about our economic relationship. Felipe Munoz, a global analyst at JATO Dynamics, said the US investigation would pile pressure for Britain and Europe to follow suit with their own tougher measures, potentially making a global slowdown in EV sales growth worse. He added: EVs are increasingly becoming a political issue now. It is no longer just about trade or economics. The UK will likely follow suit now because these Chinese brands are gaining traction very quickly. All these things create more uncertainty for consumers, thats for sure. I am not expecting big growth numbers for EVs this year. Half of drivers say they will hold off from buying an electric car until the next decade following Rishi Sunaks decision to delay the petrol car sales ban, new figures show. A survey for the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) found that 46pc of respondents now plan to wait until after 2030 to make the switch. That is up from just 11pc in early September, just before the Prime Minister announced that the ban on new petrol car sales would be pushed back by five years to 2035. The SMMT blamed Mr Sunaks decision for the shift in attitudes towards electric vehicles (EVs), along with continued high prices and a lack of public charge points. It is calling on Jeremy Hunt, the Chancellor, to introduce urgent measures to revitalise flagging EV sales in the UK, pointing to a current lack of incentives for households. Mike Hawes, the SMMTs chief executive, said Mr Hunt should slash VAT on purchases of EVs by half, a move that would save the average consumer 4,000. 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. Box braids, cornrows, locks and classic afros are just a few of the thousands of Black hairstyles people see today. But where do braids come from? To answer this question, we must first have historical context. Braids and cornrows date as far back as 3000 B.C., depicted within Stone Age paintings from the Tassili Plateau in the North African Sahara. Men and women in Ancient Egypt wore cornrows and other small braids often seen with with golden thread, according to an article from University of Bedfordshire student Tabitha Ajao. Braided hairstyles were used to show age, ranking, social class and power. Opinion From the Nile, Black hairstyles spread to the west coasts of Africa. Thousands of years later, in the United States, millions of African immigrants were enslaved from 1562 to 1867. Not only were these people stripped of the land and people they loved, but they were also forced to part with the most personal connection to who they once were: their hair. The heads of enslaved Africans were shaved to take away their cultural identity, Ajao writes. Slaves in the U.S. were beaten, ridiculed and tortured. Through their hair, they rebelled. Not only were cornrows small acts of rebellion and resistance that reunited slaves with their African heritage, Ajao writes, and they were also used as a discrete way to transfer information. Slaves used braids to hide information for escape plans, creating intricate designs that hid food like rice, beans and seeds needed if they were to survive their escape. In 1867, just years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, declaring all enslaved individuals free, Madam C.J. Walker was born. Born into poverty in the South, Walker would go on to become the first self-made millionaire through her inventions. Walker improved and popularized the hot comb for Black women, a hair tool used to straighten curly hair. The hot comb gave Black women, specifically, new ways to express themselves through their hair. Over a century after Walkers invention, her legacy continues to inspire Black people including me. We owe our brave and amazing ancestors a debt of gratitude. I have a sense of pride for my culture, seen through my hair, because of them. But we must continue their legacy of fighting for the right to wear our hair how we want. In some parts of the world, including in some parts of the U.S., braids or cornrows are seen as unprofessional. We must fight to preserve our cultural heritage. Kenyah Hibbitt is an artist, actor and self-described future entrepreneur who attends Grace M. Davis High School in Modesto. Modular homes designed to be built more quickly and affordably than traditional construction could soon begin rolling out of a new manufacturing facility in Louisville's Parkland neighborhood. On Thursday, MMY Global announced plans to invest $6.1 million in the facility, creating 73 full-time jobs with more expected as production ramps up. The announcement makes good on Mayor Craig Greenberg's commitment to draw a company of MMY's kind to Louisville as part of his larger plan to add or preserve 15,000 homes within his first term. And it positions western Louisville as the "epicenter of modular housing construction" a growing industry as cities nationwide attempt to address the ongoing housing crisis, Greenberg said at a press conference, standing alongside Gov. Andy Beshear and Metro Councilwoman Tammy Hawkins. "Basically every city needs more of what MMY is going to be doing right here in Louisville because every city, like Louisville, needs more affordable, quality housing units for all people in their city," Greenberg said. Mayor Craig Greenberg speaks at a press conference announcing a $6.1 million investment by MMY US in the Parkland neighborhood. MMY is based in the United Kingdom, and the Louisville factory will be its first in the United States. Louisville Metro Government has awarded MMY a $500,000 grant to open the facility on Beech Street. The company specializes in scalable, multiplex homes that can be built in a factory, then transported to a property a process it says is more efficient and sustainable than on-site construction. Robin Bartram Brown, CEO of MMY US, said the company will be able to produce up to 500 units per year from the Louisville facility, with an opportunity to grow to 1,000 units annually. The base of a modular home designed and constructed by MMY US. Production is expected to start later this year. The average wage at the facility will be $30 per hour, with a minimum of $23 per hour. At least 50% of jobs will be reserved for Louisville residents, with preference given to people living in the nine West End neighborhoods. "What we're doing here is intentional," Bartram Brown said. "It's not only about providing high-quality options for homes in Louisville, Kentucky. But that's a big part of it. We're here to make a positive change. Parkland is now our U.S. home, and we're committed to driving economic growth, transforming this job site and putting local residents first for jobs. We aim to make a real difference in this community by focusing on what we can achieve together in the future." Councilwoman Hawkins said she is grateful for MMY's commitment to the area and she looks forward to the impacts the company can bring. "Sustainability is important," she said. "Generational wealth is vital. I am sure this new facility will help bring that. This advanced manufacturing facility will bring positivity to our community and improve the quality of life for our residents because just like all parts of Louisville, the west deserves the best." Reach reporter Bailey Loosemore at bloosemore@courier-journal.com, 502-582-4646 or on Twitter @bloosemore. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Modular home company to open factory, bring jobs to Louisville Moldovan officials have played down the significance of an appeal by lawmakers in the breakaway region of Transnistria for Russian "protection" (STRINGER) Moldovans dismissed talk of tensions on Thursday, a day after pro-Russian rebel officials in the country's breakaway region of Transnistria appealed to Russia for "protection". Experts, likewise, do not expect the territory soon to become a new flashpoint in Moscow's conflict with neighbouring Ukraine. - Is Chisinau worried? - Moldova's government has been quick to reject "propaganda statements" from separatists on the sliver of land, which has been de facto controlled by pro-Russian forces since the collapse of the Soviet Union but is internationally recognised as part of Moldova. "The Russian Federation, or rather the Kremlin, wants us to be scared... We can't allow them to do that. We have to keep our peace," pro-European President Maia Sandu told Jurnal TV on Thursday, assuring Moldovans they were safe. At a rare special congress in Transnistria, lawmakers passed a resolution asking Russia's parliament to "protect" the region from mounting Moldovan pressure. Moldovan Deputy Prime Minister Oleg Serebrian also told reporters during a briefing that "nothing spectacular happened in Tiraspol". "We were ready to see these kind of messages, alarmist messages from Tiraspol" after Moldova introduced customs duties in January, he added. On the streets of Chisinau, Moldovans said they were not overly worried. "We don't have major concerns," Igor Druta, 40, an electrician, told AFP. "There are some tensions... but in general we keep calm and move forward thinking positively." "We are very much protected," with the "dastardly war in Ukraine" creating a bulwark for Moldova, Tudor Balinschi, a 78-year-old retiree, told AFP, tears coming to his eyes. - Is a Russian invasion likely? - On Wednesday, Russia's foreign ministry said it was one of the country's priorities to protect "our compatriots", the residents of Transnistria, adding that it considered "all requests" for help. But Russian President Vladimir Putin didn't mention Transnistria in his annual address to Russian lawmakers on Thursday. Several experts told AFP that Transnistria was not a priority for Putin at the moment and they did not see signs of an imminent invasion or annexation. "Vladimir Putin's Russia is much more focused today on the Ukrainian conflict than any other subject. There is no need for Russia to move the Transnistria map today," said Florent Parmentier, Moldova specialist at Sciences Po university in Paris. He added Russia's policy towards Transnistria has been to use the region "as a vector of influence over the whole of Moldova to try to influence Moldovan political life". - Why this call for protection now? - Alexandru Flenchea, a former deputy prime minister, said Wednesday's meeting was "an exclusively local initiative" to get Chisinau to revoke import duties and thwart other economic measures they plan to carry out to "reintegrate" Transnistria. For Parmentier too, the separatists' call for help aims to "create leverage" in their discussions with Chisinau. Russia -- which has around 1,500 soldiers permanently stationed in the region -- props up Transnistria's economy with free natural gas. But the breakaway republic of some 450,000 inhabitants has found itself increasingly isolated from Moscow since the conflict in Ukraine broke out. Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Moldova -- which borders Ukraine and EU member Romania -- is seeking to join the EU and has obtained EU candidate status. But many of Moldova's 2.6 million people struggle in one of Europe's poorest nations. "What worries me is the future of my child because it's not a good political situation, and we're constantly stressed," Eni Melnic, 32, a fashion designer, told AFP as she pushed her two-year-old son in a stroller. "We always have it in the back of our minds that we have to leave, because we don't know what tomorrow will bring," she added. ani-anb-jza/cw An oil pump jack is pictured in Weld County on June 24, 2020. (Andy Bosselman for Newsline) Colorado is widely viewed as a leader on climate action, and the reputation is mostly deserved. The state has implemented several substantial climate policies, and it has achieved real results. With the release this week of the governors updated plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, that leadership is again highlighted. But so are some shortcomings. The plan, known as the Colorado Greenhouse Gas Pollution Reduction Roadmap 2.0, from the administration of Democratic Gov. Jared Polis, is an account of the states performance so far and where its headed. In many respects, the document provides reassurance that Colorado is doing its part amid a global crisis. But for all the plans tone of success and confidence, it confirms that the state will miss its own near-term targets, it relies on insufficient market-based and voluntary actions, and it provides essentially no program for hitting long-term targets. At least as notable, the roadmap contains an uncomfortable contradiction thats rarely addressed: Oil and gas production in Colorado is expected to increase until around 2030, and though this source of fossil fuels represents a massive amount of greenhouse gas emissions, the plan explicitly rejects any production prohibition as a climate response. Colorado was one of the first states to adopt a renewable energy portfolio standard for power utilities. It was the first state to regulate methane emissions from oil and gas production. It was the first state to require natural gas distribution utilities to substantially reduce emissions. And Colorado requires certain electric utilities, like the states largest, Xcel Energy, to submit energy plans that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. With legislation passed in 2019 and 2023, the state codified economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets of 26% below 2005 levels by next year, 50% by 2030 and 100% by 2050. The roadmap is mostly about achieving those targets. Is Colorado on track? No. Though the emissions reduction law says that the state shall have the goal of achieving the targets at a minimum, the roadmap released this week shows that the state will miss the first two targets, in 2025 and 2030. And it basically says its too hard to project how close the state will be to achieving its net-zero target 26 years from now. Environmental advocates have long faulted the Polis administration for its reliance on incentives and market forces to nudge businesses and individuals toward pollution-reducing behavior, and its fair to assume that the states failure to achieve statutory targets is largely due to that posture. Yet the near-term climate actions proposed in the revamped roadmap contain more of the same. And so it sort of calls into question like, what does it mean for it to be a roadmap? What is a roadmap if it doesn't actually end at the destination? Alex DeGolia, of the Environmental Defense Fund Alex DeGolia, who heads the Environmental Defense Funds state climate strategy, noted that the original roadmap from 2021 was heavy on incentive-based climate actions, and it projected that the state would hit its emission-reductions targets. Since the state will miss those targets while sticking with carrots over sticks, theres cause for doubt. There arent policies that provide any sort of backstop or increased certainty, such that if the incentives-based policies that are proposed in the roadmap dont deliver the reductions that are projected, then well be even further behind, and theres no mechanism for course correction, DeGolia told Newsline this week. This is the second roadmap, and its not setting out a strategy for hitting those targets. And so it sort of calls into question like, what does it mean for it to be a roadmap? What is a roadmap if it doesnt actually end at the destination? But lets say the roadmap does its job and delivers Colorado to its destination. Even the destination under the terms of the states emissions reductions targets omits oil and gas production. Theres some logic to this material pulled from the ground does not itself make emissions. But fossil fuels extracted in Colorado will be burned somewhere, resulting in emissions that contribute to harm everywhere on Earth, including Colorado. If the ultimate goal of the roadmap is to reduce greenhouse gas pollution, its dishonest for it to take a detour around one of the biggest sources of pollution pulled from the state. The roadmap itself acknowledges that some stakeholders lobbied officials to consider an oil and gas permitting prohibition as one of the states climate actions. But the Polis administration offers several reasons why it rejects such an approach. It says that cutting supply rather than reducing demand will hurt low- and moderate-income Coloradans without necessarily reducing emissions, according to the roadmap, which focuses on the development of clean energy, electric vehicle adoption and other ways to reduce fossil fuel consumption. Will Toor, executive director of the Colorado Energy Office, during an interview with Newsline this week, offered an analogy. Coal mining is going away in Colorado, not because we banned coal mining but because the demand for coal is being eliminated, because we are moving towards so much wind, solar and batteries, displacing coal generation, Toor said. We think that the same approach needs to be true when it comes to other fossil fuels. This position appears to be at odds with a bill before the Colorado Legislature. Senate Bill 24-159, sponsored by Democrats in the House and Senate, would ban new oil and gas drilling by 2030. Language in the bill expresses why one might expect such a ban to be among the top climate actions proposed in the roadmap. Oil and gas production has resulted in negative cumulative impacts to Coloradans from over one hundred thousand wells drilled over decades, it says. Climate pollution from oil and gas wells in Colorado exacerbates climate change, which has been declared the greatest global threat to public health by two hundred medical journals, and has adverse impacts on Coloradans health and well-being. And yet, even if the bill passed the Legislature, it would have to get past Polis pen, and his approval appears unlikely. Asked his position on the bill, Shelby Wieman, the governors press secretary, wrote in an email, The Governor was not consulted on this legislation and has not reviewed it yet but is skeptical of the overall direction. Global warming, the result of greenhouse gas emissions, is an existential threat. The survival of countless whole species, including humans, is at stake. Colorado cant solve the climate crisis on its own, but the country and the world need bold leaders to show the way forward. The states climate action journey boasts moments when it has cruised toward its goals. But the roadmap shows that it can sometimes get lost. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post More of the same in Colorado climate roadmap appeared first on Colorado Newsline. Esther Ghey met with Rishi Sunak in Downing Street - Paul Grover for the Telegraph The mother of the murdered teenager Brianna Ghey met Rishi Sunak to discuss ways to keep children safe online after he was criticised for joking about trans people. Esther Ghey said it had been a positive meeting, with Mr Sunak approaching the issue as both a parent and the Prime Minister. The discussion, held on Teams, was also attended by Michelle Donelan, the science secretary, and Ian Russell, the father of Molly Russell. It comes three weeks after Mr Sunak was accused of making a tasteless joke about trans issues at Prime Ministers Questions while she was in the public gallery. Ms Ghey is campaigning for mindfulness studies in schools, as well as better safeguarding for children on mobile phones and social media. No 10 said that Mr Sunak told them one of his key responsibilities was to let children be children, and that as a father he could barely begin to imagine what the parents of the two teenagers have been through. Ms Ghey said: It was a really productive meeting with the Prime Minister and the secretary of state which has opened up a positive line of communication. Brianna, 16, was murdered by two teenagers in February 2023 - Family handout/Warrington Police Approaching the meeting as both a parent and the Prime Minister, Rishi listened to my thoughts around both mindfulness in schools and concerns over mobile phone safety for our children. The Prime Minister showed his concerns and support for many of the points raised making a real commitment in supporting parents and taking suggestions on board around the dangers and issues faced by our young people. Likewise, having spoken to the Education Secretary before the meeting, Rishi also showed his support for programmes to help support the wellbeing and mental health of children. He recognised the need to gather evidence, something we are keen to add to through the work we are delivering in Warrington through the Mindfulness in Schools Project. It was an encouraging start and I hope to continue to work with Rishi, Michelle and other leaders across government to make the world a safer, more empathetic and resilient place. Also at the meeting was Emma Mills, the headteacher of Briannas school. Rishi Sunak was criticised after he made a joke about trans issues with Esther Ghey in the public gallery for Prime Minister's Questions - UNPIXS Downing Street said Mr Sunak expressed his condolences to Ms Ghey and Mr Russell for their loss, and thanked them for their campaign work. He said the Government was gathering evidence on what mental health support works best, and asked for Ms Gheys support in the Governments work on this. They then discussed the Online Safety Act, which Mr Russell and Ms Ghey agreed was an amazing step in the right direction, according to Number 10. Ms Donelan offered a follow-up meeting with Ms Ghey to explore her ideas further. Mr Sunak was criticised after he made a joke about trans issues in February, when Ms Ghey was in the public gallery for Prime Ministers Questions. He said Labour were guilty of a string of broken promises, telling the Commons: I think I counted almost 30 in the last year: pensions, planning, peerages, public sector pay, tuition fees, childcare, second referendums, defining a woman although in fairness that was only 99 per cent of a U-turn. Ms Donelan said: Today the Prime Minister and I met Brianna Gheys mother Esther and Molly Russells father Ian, who have shown immense courage in the most tragic of circumstances. We heard from Esther about her work to promote better wellbeing in schools alongside discussing the issues parents face navigating online safety, and how the Online Safety Act will create a safer digital world. I look forward to working together towards this shared goal. 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. Olha Pankova, 39, had hoped to spend the rest of her life in Avdiivka. She had built a lovely home for herself and her children and wanted to grow old in the small Donetsk Oblast town, once home to almost 30,000 residents. But that was before Russia turned her dreams into ashes and her hometown into a smoldering pile of rubble. "I know our home is gone now," Pankova told the Kyiv Independent. Single mother Pankova and her three kids Roman, 7, Serhii, 15, and 19-year-old Nadiia were finally forced to flee Avdiivka in late October, just as Russia intensified the offensive it had launched to capture the city. Although the children had begged her not to leave their home, staying in the damaged apartment, its windows shattered due to Russian attacks, was no longer possible, says Pankova. They rented a small house in the village of Novoselivka Persha, about 15 kilometers to the west of Avdiivka, still hoping to return to their home one day. But their hopes were shattered in January, when Pankova discovered that their apartment building in Avdiivka had been completely razed to the ground. "All the memories, photographs They were all burnt to ashes, together with our apartment," she says. As brutal attacks by Russian forces were only increasing in the district, the local authorities then declared a mandatory evacuation of children from Novoselivka Persha, and the family had to flee again. The destroyed buildings in the area where Olha lived with her kids in Novoselivka Persha. (National Police) In early February, the police took Pankova, her kids, and their multiple pets from the village and helped them relocate to Zhytomyr Oblast. Soon after, ammunition-starved Ukrainian forces withdrew from Avdiivka and several other villages nearby, while Russia intensified its offensive efforts across several sectors of Ukraine's front line. Pankovas family is now one of many that have lost their home to Russias war on Ukraine. Russias invasion of Donbas, a region comprising Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, which started in 2014, has displaced over a million Ukrainians, while Russias full-scale invasion of the country that started in early 2022 drastically worsened the situation. Although some areas have since been liberated, 3.7 million people were still internally displaced within Ukraine as of February 2024, according to the International Organization for Migration, while nearly 6.5 million are refugees abroad. Pankova says she had never even thought that at 39, she would have to start her life from scratch in another city. But the Russian invasion gave her no choice. "We have nowhere to return" she says. Home lost, again Pankova genuinely loved everything about her hometown: Its narrow streets, quietness, the people, and even the grimy heart of the city's life the coke plant, once one of the largest coke producers in Europe and the towns major employer. Russian forces destroyed the plant in fighting to capture the town in February. It is not the first time the town has fallen under Russian occupation. Located just kilometers away from Russian-occupied Donetsk, Avdiivka was first captured in the spring of 2014 by Kremlin-backed militants. Back then, Pankova and her two oldest children had to flee their hometown to escape the fighting. They found safe haven at her mother's summer house near Pokrovsk, a small town in Donetsk Oblast about 50 kilometers west of Avdiivka. The Avdiivka Coke Plant is seen behind a sunflower field in Avdiivka, Ukraine on July 28, 2015. (Oleksii Furman/Getty Images) With no job and almost no money, they sustained themselves by growing vegetables and fishing at a local pond, Pankova recalls. Even though Ukraine regained control over Avdiivka in the summer of 2014, Pankova feared for her kids' safety, and the family only returned home in early 2016. "(Upon returning home) (the children) told me: 'Mom, we are not going anywhere ever again,'" she recalls. Pankova, who has a disability, committed herself to raising the children and establishing a comfortable household for them. Because her children love animals, they acquired several cats and dogs, all residing in a three-bedroom apartment near the city center. "We had a normal, comfortable life," recalls Pankova's daughter Nadiia. "I loved it (Avdiivka). I often walked in the parks after school." The full-scale invasion ended this relatively peaceful life. While Russian-occupied areas started just beyond the towns southeastern edge, the front line did not move for years after the initial Russian invasion of Ukraine. That was until Pankova's family, like millions across Ukraine, woke up in fear to explosions on Feb. 24, 2022. But for them, that fear came together with a strong feeling of deja vu. This time they decided to stay. Nadiia started volunteering, delivering humanitarian aid across Avdiivka, with Pankova assisting her whenever possible. They got used to living under constant attacks, and without gas or electricity. "My brother helped me set up a stove outside the building so that I could prepare food for the kids," Pankova says. In the early fall of 2023, amidst aggressive Russian assaults on the city, their apartment building suffered damage, leading to the windows of their home being shattered. "In some rooms, the plastic window frames had completely come off," Pankova says. "We covered the windows with an oilcloth and slept together in one room." Despite all these struggles and horrors, her children fiercely resisted leaving their home. Nadiia recalls their pets bringing them lots of joy: The family's fourth dog, a tiny Chihuahua, was rescued by them after its owners were killed in one of the Russian attacks on Avdiivka. "Lots of cats and dogs were abandoned or lost their owners in our city," Nadiia says. Pankova says she did all she could to convince her oldest children to leave Avdiivka in October. With Russian attacks intensifying and the weather turning colder, living in an apartment with broken windows became increasingly unbearable. "Serhii agreed to relocate only to Novoselivka (Persha) as it was close to our home," says Pankova. Starting from scratch The family spent only three months living in the village of Novoselivka Persha. Pankova says she and her children got used to living amid brutal Russian attacks in the area. Even when there were power cuts and explosions, her children could attend classes online, and Nadiia continued volunteering. Pankova revisited her apartment in Avdiivka several times to retrieve belongings. But one day in January, she discovered that their apartment and the entire building no longer existed. Seeing only ruins where once her home had stood broke her heart. But it also made it easier for her to let go. She knew that the safety of her kids came before the memories and love for her hometown. As Russian attacks continued to intensify in the area, the family was ordered to flee the village. They did so reluctantly. A local resident walks in front of a mural on a heavily damaged residential building in the frontline town of Avdiivka, Donetsk region on April 25, 2023, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Anatolii Stepanov / AFP via Getty Images) "(During attacks) I sit in the hall. Its safe. There are no windows," little Roman told the police officers on video shot during the familys evacuation from Novoselivka Persha in February. But it was far from safe where they were: A video published by National Police on Feb. 8 shows the heavy damage done to the village, with large craters in people's yards and houses smashed to ruins. With their four cats and four dogs, the family took a train to the safer region, Zhytomyr Oblast hundreds of kilometers away from the front line where they are now starting their lives again from scratch. Although they are currently living in a small room at a hospital while looking for a house to rent, Nadiia says they feel happy there. The boys now go to school, and she hopes to get a job soon to help provide for the family. Pankova has come to terms with the fact that her life in Avdiivka is probably over for good. "My children told me there is no hope of returning to Avdiivka. So we will try to build a home here," she says. Note from the author: Hi! Daria Shulzhenko here. I wrote this piece for you. Since the first day of Russia's all-out war, I have been working almost non-stop to tell the stories of those affected by Russias brutal aggression. By telling all those painful stories, we are helping to keep the world informed about the reality of Russias war against Ukraine. By becoming the Kyiv Independent's member, you can help us continue telling the world the truth about this war. Read also: I still imagine being there: A trip through memories of Ukrainian cities in tatters from Russias war Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. MEMPHIS, Tenn. Memphis Shelby County Schools says addressing barriers outside of the classroom is one way to keep students on track inside the classroom. The doors of Booker T. Washington High Schools Food and Essentials Hub are officially open. From canned goods to beauty products, Principal Tara Harris says the idea is that giving students and families access to basic needs will not only help students in the classroom but the entire community. If its food, laundry, apply for jobs, utilities, that is the purpose of a community school, said Harris. 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. BTW High lies in the heart of the 38126 zip code, which is currently what the USDA calls a food desert, a low-income area where many people do not have access to affordable, healthy food. Right here in Shelby County, its estimated that 50,000 kids dont have enough food to eat and we believe thats unacceptable, said Tamara Sandberg with Feed The Children. Students, parents, staff, and companies like Feed like Children and FedEx came together for Memphis children. Principal Harris says cutting the ribbon is one step toward change. This is about pouring into a community and making sure our students have everything they need, said Harris. It takes a village and this allows us to show that we are apart of that village. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WREG.com. If NATO decides to send military personnel to Ukraine, it would surely be limited to a small number of specialists, Ukrainian international affairs analyst Ivan Yakovina said in an interview with NV Radio on Feb. 27. Read also: Netherlands doesnt rule out Western troops in Ukraine, All options open Dutch Defense Ministry He was commenting on French President Emmanuel Macrons statement about possible deployment of Western troops to Ukraine, which NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has already denied, saying there are no such plans. Basically, Macron didnt rule out sending NATO troops to war against Russia in Ukraine. Theres no consensus today to send troops on the ground in an official, endorsed manner, but in terms of dynamics, nothing can be ruled out, the French president said. I was particularly interested in this phrase in an official, endorsed manner, Yakovina notes. Does it mean that sending troops to Ukraine is generally considered and there is a consensus in an unofficial, unendorsed manner? Is that how we should understand it? Read also: US will not deploy troops in Ukraine White House Most likely, he didnt mean it that way. Most likely, he meant that they were considering two options for sending troops, both as official units so that everyone would know about it, and also as unofficial ones, as military advisers, or perhaps without announcing anything, just that some troops would be sent. Read also: In a first from Ukraines NATO allies, France raises prospect of Western troop deployment to Ukraine Why is NATO starting to think about it now? First, because everyone knows the situation with the U.S. military aid, which is being delayed. Second, Macron said that almost all EU countries realize that Russia is considering plans to invade EU territory. This idea isnt marginal, its already generally accepted. That is, almost all EU countries are preparing for the fact that war with Russia will take place sooner or later. Therefore, they would definitely like to prevent this turn of events and end this war in non-EU territory, the expert said. Read also: Czech, Polish PMs rule out sending their own ground forces to back Ukraine, despite recent talks According to Yakovina, Macron wants to show that the determination of NATO countries to help Ukraine has not gone anywhere and that the allies will make effort to end this war so that it never reaches their territory. I think this news isnt bad, because [Russian dictator Vladimir Putins] press secretary Dmitry Peskov immediately reacted to Macrons statement, the expert said. Read also: NATO troops in Ukraine wont be used to fight Russia France He said the appearance of any NATO troops on the territory of Ukraine would mean the beginning of a war between NATO and Russia, as if it will inevitably lead to a military clash. I think NATO has already more or less come to terms with the fact that such a clash will take place since Russia doesnt hide its aggressive plans. Therefore, they decided that it would be better not to have it on their territory. That is, they are generally ready for something like that. Read also: NATO not planning to send troops, though European allies might Stoltenberg You see, theyre already launching test balloons, probing both public opinion and the reaction of Russia and the United States to such statements. It seems to me there are grounds for Macrons comments that Europe wont allow Putin to win this war under any circumstances. These arent empty words. In fact, aid will increase in many different [forms], perhaps eventually in the form of military units, Yakovina said. Read also: NATO must consider "new actions" in Ukraine "without crossing threshold of belligerence" I think that if Europe is going to send some units or troops to Ukraine, most likely, it wont be infantrymen or soldiers on tanks, or tankers, but some specialists like pilots, maybe engineers and technicians who maintain aircraft, he said. That is, high-end professionals who are very long, difficult and expensive to train, who Ukraine may simply not have at the moment due to the fact that the [military] standards were Soviet, completely different [than those] in NATO. Lets see. Anyway, this is a very interesting statement. And Russias worried, I would say, even frightened reaction shows that Moscow is paying a close heed to it and is very afraid of such a development, Yakovina concludes. 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 Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, said Russian President Vladimir Putin must answer for what he has done with the country, and for her husbands death, in an emotional speech Wednesday. Putin must answer for what he has done with my country. Putin must answer for what he has done to a neighboring peaceful country. And Putin must answer for everything he has done to Alexei, she said in her impassioned speech to the European Parliament. Russian officials announced Navalnys death Feb. 16, explaining that Putins imprisoned top rival felt unwell after a walk and lost consciousness. Attempts to revive him after an ambulance was called were unsuccessful, the officials said. Navalnys mother was later told her son died from sudden death syndrome a vague term used to describe various cardiac syndromes that can prompt sudden cardiac arrest and death. Following his death, Navalnys family had pressed Russian officials for his body, after they said they would be holding it pending further investigation. Ivan Zhdanov, the director of Navalnys Anti-Corruption Foundation, confirmed over the weekend that Navalnys body had been returned to his mother. His funeral has been scheduled for Friday which Navalnaya said has sparked worries that people could be arrested for honoring his life. I thought that in 12 days since Alexeis murder, I would have time to prepare for this speech. But first we spent a week a week getting Alexeis body and organizing funeral. Then I choose the cemetery and coffin. The funeral will take place the day after tomorrow, Navalnaya said. And Im not sure yet whether it will be peaceful or whether police will arrest those who have come to say goodbye to my husband, she added. Hundreds of people were detained across Russia for mourning Navalny in the days following his death. She also vowed again in her speech to continue the work of her late husband, who was serving a a 19-year sentence on charges of extremism. My husband will never see what a beautiful Russia of the future will look like, but we must see it, she said, being met with applause. I will do my best to make his dream come true. The evil will fall, and the beautiful future will come. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Next month, Rick Kupfer will travel to Texas Hill Country for the first time. Hell set up some lawn chairs about an hour northwest of Austin near a place where the Buchanan Dam holds back the Colorado River and where for more than four minutes on April 8 the afternoon sun will turn coal black. Its the second trip for the Boynton Beach resident into the shadow of a total solar eclipse after a 2017 experience near Casper, Wyoming where the daytime twinkle of stars and pearly corona behind Earths only natural satellite were on display for two and a half minutes. It looks like there is a big hole in the sky, like a big black hole in the sky, Kupfer said. We are so lucky that this is happening in our lifetime. Its so rare, its exhilarating. Before 2017, the last total solar eclipse to be seen by a portion of the United States was a cloud-plagued event in 1979. After April 8, the next cosmic super show in the continental 48 wont be until 2045, and then only areas of the Dakotas and Montana will experience daytime darkness. Reserving a spot to watch solar eclipse a tricky business, and expensive one In Palm Beach County, which is more than 1,000 miles from the eastern edge of the April 8th path of totality, about 50% of the sun will be covered by the moon. Thats why for so-called shadow chasers, plans to reach next months 115-mile-wide path of totality from the sandy beaches of Mazatlan through the valleys of Newfoundland have been months, even years, in the making. Boynton Beach resident Rick Kupfer in 2017 at the total solar eclipse near Casper, Wyoming where scores of people parked and camped to watch the more than 2 minutes of totality. His wife Wendy Kupfer took the photo of the "diamond ring" effect. Where were you?: Pilgrims flock to path of totality for Great American Eclipse of 2017 Kupfer, 71, said he made reservations nearly a year in advance at a short-term rental in Austin, only to have the owner cancel several months ago because, he believes, they realized they could charge more for a stay during the eclipse. Kupfer booked a second rental for a very good price, then was canceled again. The one were in now is priced more toward what it should probably be for the eclipse, Kupfer said. The area in the Texas Hill Country where Kupfer and his wife are headed was strategically chosen. It will experience four minutes and 25 seconds of totality and has low chances of rain and clouds in early April, according to Astronomy.com. Meteorologist Orlando Bermudez with the National Weather Service in New Braunfels, Texas, said many people are traveling west of Austin to Kerrville where NASA is hosting an eclipse festival on April 8. Although rainy season begins in April, Bermudez said it doesnt ramp up until May, and while prevailing southerly winds can increase morning clouds in spring, they usually clear by afternoon. The website Eclipsophile.com considered this years El Nino in making weather predictions for April 8, looking at satellite measurements of cloud cover and focusing on Aprils that follow an El Nino winter. It found Texas was the most likely to benefit from the current El Nino with clearer April skies than other areas in the eclipse path. It would be a real bummer to get clouded out, Kupfer said. Then something amazing happened: Dear God, go away! someone yelled at the cloud covering the eclipse Kerrville is where Boynton Beach resident and retired astronomy professor Sam Storch, 75, is headed with a group of fellow shadow chasers. In 2017, he went to Driggs, Idaho, west of Grand Teton National Park, to watch the eclipse, which was the first in 100 years to cross the entire country. I can think of only one other experience that was personally as intense as seeing totality and that would be actually seeing my first child literally emerge from the womb and be placed in my arms, Storch said. That was the only thing as intense as totality. The sun is eclipsed by the moon and the sun's corona can be seen during a total solar eclipse on Monday, August 21, 2017. This image was captured in Deep Creek, Bryson City, North Carolina. (Joseph Forzano / The Palm Beach Post) North of Austin in Bell County, Texas, officials issued a state of emergency in February to prepare for a crush of eclipse seekers that could double the countys population of 400,000. The issuance, in part, requires landowners who plan to lease space or host parties of 50 or more people to register the event with the county and provide site plans and designate routes for emergency vehicles. Florida's last full solar eclipse and forecast for the one to come Total solar eclipse of 1918: What was Palm Beach County like then? Florida's closest recent recorded brush with a full solar eclipse occurred in 1970 when North Florida fell within the moon's shadow. Next month, Pensacola will see about 76% of the sun covered by the moon. The coverage decreases the farther south you go so that West Palm Beach will see about half of the sun covered beginning at 1:48 p.m. Maximum coverage will occur at 3:03 p.m. Several South Florida observatories will be open for the eclipse, including the Marmot Observatory at the Cox Science Center and Aquarium in West Palm Beach, Florida Atlantic Universitys observatory in Boca Raton and the Fox Astronomical Observatory in Sunrise. Save your eyes: Take precautions when watching solar eclipse There will be a limited amount of solar eclipse glasses available at each event. It is important never to look at the sun during an eclipse without appropriate eye protection except during the few moments of totality when the moon completely blocks the sun's face. Normal sunglasses even those with the darkest lenses arent enough to protect your eyes from damaging rays. Its not that the sun is any stronger during an eclipse, but where you would squint, blink and turn away from the full sun, it can be more comfortable to look at the sun as the moon moves over the bright disk. The next total solar eclipse that crosses the entire continental United States is Aug. 12, 2045. Its path will go from Northern California through Florida with most of the Sunshine State in the path of totality. Nowhere else in our solar system has anything like this, said FAU astronomer Eric Vandernoot, noting the unique sun, moon and Earth configuration that allows for a total solar eclipse. We have so much perfection set up for us. Kimberly Miller is a veteran journalist for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA Today Network of Florida. She covers real estate and how growth affects South Florida's environment. Subscribe to The Dirt for a weekly real estate roundup. If you have news tips, please send them to kmiller@pbpost.com. Help support our local journalism: Subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Total solar eclipse is April 8 and the next one isn't until 2045 By Ellen Zhang, Xiaoyu Yin and Marius Zaharia BEIJING/HONG KONG (Reuters) - Chinese university graduate Zhang Baichuan travels hundreds of kilometres from one job fair to another in a final push to find a better offer than the unappealing one he received after more than 1,000 applications. He hopes the post-Lunar New Year recruiting season in China, when many companies advertise for new positions, brings more attractive opportunities than the livestream moderator role he was offered recently. While Zhang, 23, was fine with the 5,000 yuan ($695) monthly salary, with the company covering meals and accommodation, he dreaded the 12-hour shifts, six days a week - known in China as the "996" work culture. "I'm not keen on a 996 schedule, but I'm considering it as a safety net while I look for better options," Zhang, who holds a business management degree from Hebei GEO University, said outside his 50-yuan-per-night hostel room in suburban Beijing. "I don't like the devaluation of degrees, but the reality is that there are more college graduates now," he said before travelling to another job fair outside of Beijing. Encouragingly for China's first-quarter economic growth, the post-Lunar New Year recruiting season is off to a stronger start than in 2023, when the world's second-largest economy was going through its biggest COVID-19 infection wave. But high youth unemployment gives employers a large pool of candidates to choose from, keeping wage growth sluggish and cementing worries China may struggle to boost household consumption enough to stabilise growth and lift the economy out of deflation. Zhaopin, one of China's biggest recruiting platforms, said in the first week after the Feb. 10-17 break there were 45% more companies looking to hire than in the corresponding post-holiday week of last year. That demand hasn't translated into higher wages, however, which were only up 3% on average. Story continues The pace, which lags China's expected 2024 economic growth target of around 5%, suggests the job market remains an employers' market for now, said ING chief China economist Lynn Song. "The recovery in the job market will likely be modest this year as economic momentum remains relatively weak," Song said. More than 21% of Chinese aged 16-24 were unemployed last June, the last data point before officials suspended the series. China resumed publication this year, excluding college students from the data, to put youth unemployment at 14.9% in December. 'NEW NORM' The travel sector - the fastest to recover after three years of COVID restrictions - led the way in hiring, offering 56.3% more jobs than last year, followed by logistics with 26% and transportation with 21.6%, Zhaopin said. At the Beijing job fair, one of thousands across China, a hotel human resources manager who only gave her surname Han, said her firm tweaked commission thresholds, which could lead to 30-40% higher take-home pay from last year. Others were less generous. Zhang Chengjin, director at housing information provider Mingwang, said he could only offer a "slight increase," given the troubled property sector was generally cutting jobs. A civil servant from Lanzhou, capital of the northwestern Gansu province, said the local government's debt woes forced it to cut bonus payments, reducing his annual pay by a fifth. "It might be the new norm," he said. SUBSIDY HOPES With China's parliament starting its annual meeting next week, pressure is growing on leaders to come up with policies that address weak household spending, a long-standing structural imbalance. Analysts at Societe Generale and HSBC say last week's comments by President Xi Jinping calling for the "replacement of old durable goods" raised expectations policymakers could announce subsidies for home appliance purchases. But such subsidies would change little. Relative to economic output, household spending in China is about 20 percentage points below global average. For China to become a more consumption-driven economy, household incomes must rise faster than GDP for sustained periods and policymakers need to find ways to transfer resources from the government sector to households, analysts say. "Large enough subsidies and tax breaks are helpful in frontloading purchases," said Gary Ng, Asia Pacific senior economist at Natixis. "However, consumption will only rebound if households become more optimistic or if income growth and wealth effects see real improvement." Gao Tianyi, a 26-year-old attending the Beijing job fair, worries about a "trend of pushing salary expectations lower," but says he tries to "remain humble" in his job hunting. "Some people can't sleep at night because they can't find a job," said Gao. "For me, it's the mornings. I wake up and immediately start to worry." ($1 = 7.1989 Chinese yuan) (Reporting by Ellen Zhang and Xiaoyu Yin; Graphic by Vineet Sachdev; writing by Marius Zaharia; Editing by Sam Holmes) SAN JOSE (Reuters) - Nicaragua's government committed human rights violations that amount to "crimes against humanity," a United Nations-appointed team of human rights experts said in a report on Thursday. The report called for President Daniel Ortega and his wife and vice president, Rosario Murillo, to be "held accountable by the international community" for widespread abuses. "Serious systematic human rights violations, tantamount to crimes against humanity, continue to be perpetrated by the Nicaraguan Government for political reasons," the experts said in a statement. The Nicaraguan government did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report's findings. Ortega's government in the past has ignored reports from the UN and the Organization of American States, which it says are part of an international campaign against it. The UN-appointed group, formed to investigate human rights abuses in the wake of Nicaragua's 2018 political crisis, has previously found that the government committed acts of torture, extrajudicial executions, and arbitrary detention beginning in 2018. Although appointed by the UN, the group does not speak for the world organization. "Nicaragua is caught in a spiral of violence marked by the persecution of all forms of political opposition, whether real or perceived, both domestically and abroad," said Jan Simon, the chair of the group. The experts called for an international investigation into Ortega and Murillo after identifying abuses throughout the government and police's chains of command. The group did not identify the army as being involved in such crimes. Ortega, Murillo and senior government officials "must be subjected to judicial investigations for their possible responsibility in the crimes, violations and abuses described, the document said. According to the report, more than 935,000 Nicaraguans fled the country from the beginning of the 2018 political crisis through June 2023. Political persecution is common in Nicaragua, and more than 300 Nicaraguans were stripped of their nationality in 2023, according to the report. (Reporting by Ismael Lopez; Writing by Brendan O'Boyle; Editing by Leslie Adler) LAS CRUCES, N.M. (KRQE) New Mexico State University is hosting an event to help aspiring teachers find work. The 50th annual Educators Job Fair is set for April 22 from 1-6 p.m. at the Corbett Center Student Union. More than 6,000 New Mexicans get federal student loans forgiven Candidates will have the opportunity to meet with over 40 education organizations looking to recruit for various careers. Its open to everyone including students and alumni. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRQE NEWS 13 - Breaking News, Albuquerque News, New Mexico News, Weather, and Videos. North Yorkshire Police has issued an apology to the LGBTQ+ community for past discriminatory behaviour. The apology was in response to a request from Peter Tatchell, who heads a human rights foundation. Mr Tatchell appealed to all UK police forces to apologise for their "past extreme persecution" of members of the LGBTQ+ community. In a letter to Mr Tatchell, Acting Chief Constable Elliot Foskett offered his "sincere apologies". North Yorkshire Police said the human rights campaigner had acknowledged the force's current supportive policies towards the community but wanted to "draw a line" under historical injustices. "I hope you will agree that some expression of remorse is appropriate... so that we can move forward together," Mr Tatchell said. Peter Tatchell has received apologies from 12 police forces so far Mr Foskett is the 12th UK police chief to apologise, following similar apologies by the heads of the Metropolitan, City of London, Sussex, South Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Gwent, Avon & Somerset, Cambridgeshire, West Mercia, Nottinghamshire and Wiltshire forces. He said: "I offer my sincere apologies to the LGBT+ community for any historical discriminatory behaviour they were subjected to by any member of this force. "To rebuild trust, it's important to recognise the harm caused not only to the individuals subject to unacceptable police behaviours of the past, but also the upset and distress experienced by their families and loved ones, and the LGBT+ community as a whole." He added that it was important to "acknowledge former injustices to forge stronger relationships for the future". "As a bisexual man myself, I understand some of the challenges that our LGBTQ+ communities, both externally and internally, continue to face," he added. He said he hoped that his response and staff actions had shown that policing is "listening, learning, and changing". Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk. The extreme snowstorm looming over Northern California is set to bolster Sierra Nevadas less-than-ideal snowpack but it comes with a cost. A severe weekend winter storm is forecast to bring heavy mountain snow, strong winds and rain to the Sierra Nevada. In a Thursday morning video briefing, Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles, said it wont be an ordinary storm. Blizzard conditions are expected to move in on Thursday and intensify overnight. Swain said almost all elevations above 3,000 feet will see measurable snow. The Tahoe Basin down lake level will receive at least 3 feet of snow and mountain peaks could see 5 to 10 feet of fresh powder. Conditions are forecast to peak sometime on Friday before tapering off early next week. Roads will be affected, power outages are possible and mountain travel is strongly discouraged and likely impossible, the National Weather Service said. This will be a legitimate blizzard, Swain said. According to the weather service, blizzards produce dangerous storms because they combine wind and low visibility. Heavy snow and cold temperatures, while often accompanied by a blizzard, arent required for such events. The weather services blizzard warning remains in effect for the greater Lake Tahoe area through 10 a.m. Sunday as the area prepares for whiteout conditions and near zero visibility. This will be another snowstorm probably for the record books, Swain said, adding that the Sierra Nevada snowpack could peak above average in as little as a week. What exactly is a blizzard? How is this California snow storm different from the last? Swain said lower elevations will experience breezy and wet conditions but major flooding is not expected. Californias snowpack Last winters string of aggressive atmospheric river storms created the deepest snowpack recorded across the Sierra Nevada in at least 40 years. This winter, although wet, has not seen nearly as much snow. The mountains around Mammoth are caked with snow on March 7, 2023. New aerial surveys are enabling scientists to obtain much more detailed snow estimates than in the past. The third snow survey of the water season which began Oct. 1 showed continued improvement to the states snowpack, according to a news release from the California Department of Water Resources. The snowpack at Phillips Station, west of Lake Tahoe, recorded 47.5 inches of snow depth on Thursday. This is an improvement over January, when surveyors recorded 29 inches. Hydrometeorologist Angelique Fabbiani-Leon, left, and water resources engineers Anthony Burdock and Andy Reising take measurements for the California Department of Water Resources as snow falls during a snow survey at Phillips Station in El Dorado County on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. The survey recorded 47.5 inches of snow depth and a snow water equivalent of 18 inches, which is 77% of normal. Snow falls as California Department of Water Resources hydrometeorologist Angelique Fabbiani-Leon warns against driving to the Sierra after she and her co-workers conducted a monthly snow survey at Phillips Station in El Dorado County on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. The National Weather Service has issued a blizzard warning. We are now in the last month of the traditional snow season and while conditions have dramatically improved since the beginning of the year, March will be critical in determining if we finish above or below average, Director Karla Nemeth of the states water agency said in a news release. The next and final snow survey is scheduled for April 2. An end to drought? A Thursday update from the U.S. Drought Monitor shows the eastern slopes of Californias Sierra Nevada remain the driest areas of the state. A weekly map that illustrates drought intensities across the country shows the states abnormally dry status is at 7%, down from nearly 9.5% earlier this month. All but one of Californias major reservoirs are at or above the historical average to date. California is a drought-free state, which is similar to what was monitored in March 2020, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. The U.S. Drought Monitor reported roughly 7% of California had abnormally dry conditions as of Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. No one has lived in drought conditions in California since November, a significant decrease from roughly 3,000 people in October and about 9,800 people in September. Approximately 903,000 people remained in drought areas in August. The update showed 0% of California has moderate drought, down from 0.07% on Oct. 10. Roughly 7% of the state parts of Siskiyou, Modoc, Lassen, Plumas, Sierra, Nevada, Placer, El Dorado, Alpine, Mono, Inyo, San Bernardino and Riverside counties remained abnormally dry as of Thursday, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. 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. Northrop Grumman is now adapting the next two RQ-4 Global Hawk drones into aircraft that can monitor hypersonic system tests and expects to start integration testing on the pair later this summer. In an interview with Defense News, Northrop Grumman executive Doug Shaffer said the company is on track to deliver those aircraft, newly modified into Range Hawks, to the Defense Departments Test Resource Management Center by early 2025. These two Range Hawks are the first to be modified from a batch of 24 Global Hawk drones the Air Force has retired in recent years and passed on to TRMC for a second life as flexible and airborne test data collectors. In the past, the government has used sensors mounted on ships to collect test launch data for hypersonic systems. But moving those ships into the proper positions can be a lengthy and laborious process that requires a substantial number of people. So in recent years, the Air Force, NASA and TRMC have been working on a concept called SkyRange to mount sensors onto Global Hawks that could more easily collect this data. The programs first three adapted RQ-4s which were older Block 10 models in recent years have been supporting tests for programs such as NASAs Artemis Moon exploration program and hypersonic vehicles. They are stationed at the Armstrong Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base in California. In an interview with sister publication C4ISRNet, TRMC director George Rumford said having those early Range Hawks allowed the Pentagon to conduct virtually back-to-back hypersonic flight tests in early 2023, 10 days apart over the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Northrop Grumman said the first three Range Hawks performed so well that TRMC is moving to expand the SkyRange program. The two dozen Block 20 and 30 RQ-4s that are slated to be modified into the next several batches of Range Hawks are more capable than the older model. Technology has advanced enough in recent years to be able to shrink the sensing equipment down enough to be mounted on a drone, said Shaffer, vice president of intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and targeting programs for Northrop Grummans aeronautics systems sector. Shaffer said Northrop Grumman has started breaking down these first two RQ-4s at the Grand Sky facility near Grand Forks, North Dakota, and will start installing the new suite of sensors as parts come in. Once mounted on the Range Hawks, the sensors will be able to gather telemetry data on hypersonic launches such as speed and trajectory, he said. These Range Hawks have now passed their critical design review, and the design process is now finished, Shaffer said. Northrop Grumman used digital design techniques, he said, which has sped up the process. Northrop Grumman plans to modify the remaining RQ-4s in batches of four, Shaffer added, starting with the Block 30s. And with each RQ-4s modification taking roughly eight months to complete, he said, updating the entire fleet could take several years. He cautioned that schedule will depend on whether the program continues to get enough funding. Shaffer declined to say how much each updated Range Hawk will cost, but said later modifications will grow cheaper as work on the program progresses. The Air Force now has nine RQ-4s left in its inventory and plans to eventually retire them. But in the latest National Defense Authorization Act, lawmakers moved to prevent the Air Force from mothballing the remainder of its fleet until after fiscal 2028. Students at Novi Woods Elementary School show off the plastic frogs they found for Leap Day on Feb. 29, 2024. This Feb. 29 is looking a little more green and a lot more exciting than a typical school day at Novi Woods Elementary. In celebration of Leap Year, Novi Woods teachers and staff hid over 500 plastic green frogs throughout the building for their kindergarten through fourth-grade students to find in a school-wide frog hunt. In a Novi Community School District post on X, students are seen searching under furniture and behind decorations in the hunt, and with wide smiles and plastic frogs in hand once finding their frog. Students at @noviwoods are looking for more than 500 frogs hidden in the school for #LeapDay pic.twitter.com/FEBLTIw3BL Novi Community School District (@NCSD) February 29, 2024 "The kids were so excited. ... It was kind of right when they got in this morning, everyone went a little bonkers to get their frogs. So, I think everyone already has their frogs, it was pretty quick," said building secretary Kelly Stoy. Students get to take the plastic amphibians home as a token of the four-year holiday, but Stoy said Novi Woods' staff is in for their own froggy treat: there are six frogs secretly floating around, jumping from pocket to pocket if one correctly asks another if they have a frog in their pocket. At the end of the day, the staff member who's found all six frogs wins gift cards. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Novi students, teachers race to find 500 frogs for Leap Day Vladimir Putin has spoken for more than two hours in a rambling state of the nation speech, during which he issued a series of nuclear threats against the West ahead of presidential elections in two weeks. But there was one name he would not say, Alexei Navalny, his most prominent critic. Navalny died in an Arctic prison earlier this month. The opposition leaders family and supporters say he was killed by Putin. Western leaders have also lined up to lay the blame at Putins door. Navalny will be buried in Moscow on Friday. He was serving a decades-long prison sentence on charges that were seen as trumped up to silence him, having been seen as a threat to Putin for his ability to pull together dissent against the Kremlin. Addressing legislators in Moscow, having turned up 15 minutes late, Putin began his speech by speaking of the pride he has in Russias seizure of the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea, which happened a decade ago, and the subsequent capture of parts of eastern Ukraine. Putins full-scale invasion of Ukraine, launched two years ago, has caused hundreds of thousands of casualties among Russian troops according to US estimates, with much of the frontline in bloody stalemate, despite some recent advances by Moscows troops. Kyivs troops have been staunchly defending their territory, with Putin reiterating his false claims that Russia is seeking to liberate areas populated by Russian people oppressed by Ukrainian rule as opposed to illegal annexations of Ukrainian territory decried by the international community. Despite a crackdown on criticism of the invasion of Ukraine, with long prison sentences handed out to dissenters, the Russian leader sought to claim that the absolute majority of Russians supported the war. The Russian autocrat, who will certainly assume office for his fifth term after a presidential ballot in mid-March, then alleged that the West was attacking Russia via Ukraine, a narrative that he has maintained throughout his full-scale invasion. Putins speech was broadcast to cinemas across the country and on billboards in Moscow. According to Russian state media, the crowd applauded Putin more than 80 times. Vladimir Putin delivers his annual address to the Federal Assembly, in Moscow, 29 February 2024 (via Reuters) Addressing comments made by French President Emmanuel Macron earlier this week that he could not rule out the idea of sending soldiers into Ukraine, Putin said: There has been talk about the possibility of sending Nato military contingents to Ukraine. But we remember the fate of those who once sent their contingents to our countrys territory. But now the consequences for possible interventionists will be far more tragic. He then launched into a nuclear warning, something he has reached for repeatedly since the Ukraine invasion started. They must realise that we also have weapons that can hit targets on their territory. All this really threatens a conflict with the use of nuclear weapons and the destruction of civilisation. Dont they get that? Sergey Radchenko, a Russian-born British historian, suggested Putins quick lurch to nuclear threats suggested Mr Macron had touched a raw nerve. I thought it was interesting that Putins speech included a direct reference to Macrons recent remark that the use of Natos troops in Ukraine should not be excluded, he said. His apoplectic reaction to this [threatening nuclear war] suggests that Macron touched a raw nerve. Putin later suggested that the West was being cavalier about the threat Russia poses. The West is trying to drag us into an arms race. They are trying to wear us down, to repeat the trick they succeeded [in pulling off] with the Soviet Union in the 1980s, Putin said. Therefore, our task is to develop the defence-industrial complex ... (and) the scientific, technological and industrial potential of the country. Russian civilians watch Vladimir Putins address from a cinema in Volgograd, 600 miles south of Moscow (Telegram) For Professor Radchenko, however, this merely belies the fact that Putin himself does not know what a world war would be like. If he did, the historian said, he would perhaps behave with greater circumspection. He also downplayed the nuclear threats of Putin, saying it was part and parcel of his usual arsenal of threats that he uses to dissuade the West from helping Ukraine. On the ground in Ukraine, the Russian army is trying to seize the towns and villages of Tonenke, Orlivka, Semenivka, Berdychi and Krasnohorivka in the eastern Donetsk region, Ukraines army chief Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi has said. Those are places where Ukrainian military officials had said they would form a new line of defence after Ukrainian troops pulled out of the symbolically important town of Avdiivka earlier this month. Meanwhile, Ukraines air force commander Mykola Oleshchuk said his units shot down two Russian Su-34 jets overnight. That makes a total of 11 warplanes, including an early warning and control A-50 plane, that Ukraine claims to have downed since 17 February. Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesperson, had told reporters in the run-up to the address that Putins speech should be understood as a political pitch for his re-election. Though his reappointment is not in doubt Putin is already the longest-standing Russian leader since Joseph Stalin he did use the speech to speak about domestic issues outside of the war in Ukraine. After roughly 15 minutes on Ukraine, Putin spent nearly two hours then addressing issues in Russia. He offered spending promises across as many sectors as possible, seemingly aimed at the Russian public, but more importantly at the heads of businesses and regional officials. Those that he needs to keep on his side politically. Mark Galeotti, a Russia expert, described this as a painfully extended political broadcast promising money for everything but with no sense of how this could be paid for, when 40 per cent of the state budget is going to the war [in Ukraine]. The results of Michigans Democratic presidential primary were just messy enough that both sides could claim victory. But there was a clear warning for President Joe Biden from key elements of the Democratic coalition. More than 100,000 Michiganders took the time to vote for nobody instead of the incumbent president. In a battleground state Biden won by fewer than 150,000 votes in 2020, the strength of that protest vote sent an unambiguous message. And look a little deeper at the communities where those votes came from, and the results reveal significant weaknesses in his electoral base among Arab American voters (a potentially pivotal bloc in the state) and young voters (a key part of Democrats coalition everywhere). Amid the debate over whether the uncommitted campaign was a success, however, was a reminder that Biden remains the overwhelming choice of Democratic primary voters. He earned greater than 80 percent of the vote in Michigan. And his success was driven in part by continued support from Black voters, who backed him over uncommitted and are poised to assert themselves in a number of Super Tuesday states next week that will place the president on the cusp of clinching his partys nomination without facing any significant challenge. Bidens likely November opponent, meanwhile, has his own holdouts to worry about. Former President Donald Trump won another convincing victory on his path to the GOP nomination, but he continued to show signs of weakness among suburban voters especially. Whether the two candidates are able to shore up the support of their partys holdouts or perhaps manage to draw from each others will help decide the White House. Its true that both Biden and Trump are dominant in their parties, but a deep dive into the Michigan maps underscores the vulnerabilities now that could haunt them in November. Arab American voters and young voters pushed back and highlighted the fragility of Democrats coalition Arab American communities who have been heavily critical of Biden in recent months arguing he should publicly call for a ceasefire amid the Israel-Hamas conflict drove the strength of the uncommitted vote on Tuesday. Organizers with the Listen to Michigan campaign, backed by Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and former Rep. Andy Levin, among others, actively campaigned to persuade Democratic primary voters to vote uncommitted as a way to send a message to Biden favoring a ceasefire. Uncommitted received a majority of votes in Dearborn and Dearborn Heights, and got more than 60 percent of the vote in the smaller city of Hamtramck, an enclave of Detroit with significant Yemeni American and Bangladeshi American populations. Precinct-level results further show the strength of the uncommitted campaign among Arab American voters: the protest vote got more than 90 percent in Dearborns neighborhoods that are heavily Arab American. Turnout was also good in the places where the uncommitted vote was strongest, suggesting the Biden critics were particularly motivated to show up to mark their anger. Statewide, about half as many ballots were cast in this years Democratic contest compared to the partys competitive 2020 primary. In the Dearborn precincts where the uncommitted vote dominated, turnout was roughly three-quarters of the total from four years ago. The uncommitted campaign also showed strength in a handful of precincts surrounding college campuses, suggesting significant protest votes from young voters, who polls show disapproved of Bidens handling of Gaza most compared to other age groups. Nearly one in five voters, 19 percent, voted uncommitted in the city of Ann Arbor, home to the University of Michigan, and the protest vote won outright in a precinct covering part of the colleges campus. It also got 17 percent in Ypsilanti, home to Eastern Michigan University. To what extent uncommitted voters come around for Biden in the general election will depend in part on how the incumbent responds to the ongoing challenge of the Israel-Hamas war. Arab American voters are a pivotal voting bloc in Michigan, while young voter turnout will be key for Biden in every battleground state. And Tuesdays result in Michigan was clear: The coalition that the Democratic president would rely on for victory includes voters who are currently skeptical of him. Uncommitted had few other strong points and was weakest in majority-Black areas The flip side of the uncommitted votes localized strength was that it made little splash in much of the rest of the state. Outside of the strongholds of Arab American and young voters, uncommitted received comparable numbers Tuesday to the 10 percent of voters who voted uncommitted in 2012, when then-President Barack Obama was running as an incumbent. That suggests that Bidens troubles largely did not extend to other key constituencies in the state, including Black voters who powered his 2020 general election victory. In fact, uncommitted performed especially poorly in majority-Black areas. In Detroit, a Democratic bulwark where running up the score will be key to Bidens general election chances, uncommitted got just 8.7 percent of the vote. In Flint, less than 6 percent of ballots went for uncommitted; in Southfield, just 5.6 percent did. Democrats have worried for years about declining Black support and especially in recent months about polls showing drop-offs in Black voters enthusiasm for Biden. But while primaries tend to bring out the most highly engaged voters, the presidents performance Tuesday at least signals that he has not lost that core of his base. Trump dominated again, but Haley showed his continued weakness in the suburbs Trump ran up the score overall, demonstrating continued strength in blue-collar places like Macomb County, where he won 75 percent of the vote. But as in South Carolina this past weekend, Trump was weakest in Michigans suburbs and other affluent parts of the state. Nikki Haley, the former U.N. ambassador, didnt win any of the states 83 counties, but she did hold Trump to under 60 percent in Washtenaw (50 percent) and Kent (59 percent) and nearly did the same in Oakland (61 percent). Haley won a few individual towns in these counties, like Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti in Washtenaw, East Grand Rapids in Kent and Birmingham in Oakland. These are exactly the types of places where Trump has struggled since 2016, and the results from the first primary contests underscore that these voters remain opposed to his political comeback. In traditionally Dutch Protestant Kent County, for example, Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in 2016, but the county flipped four years later, with Biden carrying it en route to flipping Michigan back to the blue column. The 34 percent of the countys voters who supported Haley on Tuesday will be targets for the Biden campaign in the general election. And on that front, the primary numbers may be a good sign for Biden: The uncommitted voters are a danger for Biden in that they may vote for a third-party candidate or stay home, not that theyre likely to go for Trump. Voting changes have boosted turnout, making comparisons complicated Uncommitted breaking 100,000 votes was eye-popping, but there is some important context that might temper any overreaction. More than most states, Michigan has liberalized its voting laws in recent years to encourage increased voter participation. The state in 2019 implemented automatic voter registration in which citizens are registered to vote when they renew their drivers licenses unless they opt out. The 2020 election was Michigans first with no-excuse absentee voting, and the state has since added more dropboxes for mail ballots. The changes appear to have had a tangible effect on turnout. When Uncommitted received 11 percent of the vote in Obamas 2012 reelection campaign, it did so with fewer than 21,000 votes. The result on Tuesday was only 2 percentage points higher, but with nearly five times the raw vote totals. Thats followed the recent trends: Turnout in the general election rose sharply from 2016 to 2020. And it was flat from the 2018 midterms to 2022, defying a national trend of decline despite having the same marquee Senate and governors races on the ballot in both years. That makes raw vote comparisons like the uncommitted totals from 2012 versus 2020 to previous elections difficult. Instead of taking an injured inmate to an infirmary, an Alabama corrections officer savagely beat the man in the hallway of the prisons health care unit, according to the Justice Department. As he did, another officer joined in the assault, federal prosecutors said. The officers repeatedly kicked and punched the man, who was lying on the ground in a fetal position, screaming, and broke his ribs, according to court documents. Now 38-year-old Devlon Williams, a former Alabama Department of Corrections sergeant who federal prosecutors said initiated the beating, has been sentenced to prison, the Justice Department announced in a Feb. 28 news release. McClatchy News contacted two federal public defenders appointed to represent Williams for comment Feb. 29 and didnt receive an immediate response. What led up to the assault? The assault on the inmate happened after prosecutors said Williams responded to the mans suicide attempt at Staton Correctional Facility in Elmore in March 2018, according to court documents. When the inmate didnt get up upon Williams orders, Williams hit him with a baton, a trial brief says. Then, Williams and another officer, Larry Managan Jr. escorted the inmate to the health care unit, according to the trial brief. While on the way, Williams is accused of shoving the mans head into a gate and pushing him into a door. Once they entered the unit, Williams threw the inmate down to the floor and started kicking, punching and taunting him, the trial brief says. Williams yelled at the inmate, saying since you want to die, Im going to help you, according to the Justice Department. At some point, Managan took part in the beating and repeatedly kicked the man, the trial brief says. Williams also hit the inmate with his collapsible baton about eight to ten times as he was unarmed, unresisting, posed no threat, and was not engaged in any conduct requiring the use of force, according to the court filing. Both Williams and Managan made the inmate crawl to the facilitys emergency room, the trial brief says. When the inmate did, Managan stepped on his chest, according to the brief. The (officers) assault of (the man) left (him) with bruises, abrasions, and three broken ribs, the trial brief says. Afterward, prosecutors said Williams and Managan lied about what happened to hide their misconduct. Williams further pressured junior-ranking officers and eyewitness nurses to lie along with him after the fact, the Justice Department said. When a nurse who witnessed the assault warned Williams she was going to report the beating to her supervisor, Williams told her you didnt see anything, according to the trial brief. The sentence On Feb. 28, Williams was sentenced to five years and three months in prison on charges of deprivation of rights under color of law, falsification of records and obstruction of justice, the Justice Department said. Williams not only attacked the victim while transporting him to receive critical care for suicidal ideation, but also attempted to cover up his crimes and intimidate witnesses, said Michael D. Nordwal, the assistant director of the FBIs criminal investigative division. In July 2023, two defense attorneys who previously represented Williams in the case argued it was unlikely that the incident involving the inmate was a suicide attempt and instead suggested it was more likely that he was attempting to catch out, according to a court filing. They said this meant he was trying to get reassigned, so as to avoid having to pay his drug debts or be attacked by other inmates, to whom (he) owed drug debts. In the court filing, the attorneys wrote that Williams believes the nurses did not see what they thought they saw, and that it is more likely they saw Officer Managan kicking (the inmate). Managan was previously sentenced for obstructing justice after pleading guilty, the Justice Department said. He was sentenced to two years of probation, court records show. During Williams trial, Managan testified against him, according to prosecutors. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke, of the Justice Departments civil rights division said Williams was supposed to set an example for those he supervised and instead he callously abused his authority and brutalized a vulnerable inmate during a time of need. Officer did nothing as inmate was held down, beaten for his going away party, feds say Irritated officer punched inmate in face, and co-worker helped cover it up, feds say Corrections officer broke inmates jaw, and co-worker helped cover it up, feds say Cops violently handcuff, arrest 2 women for taking care of stray cats, lawsuit says A new natural gas-fired peaker plant being built on Colorado's eastern plains will feature aeroderivative gas power packages from GE Vernova. The Mountain Peak Power Plant, which will be managed and operated by Princeton, New Jersey-based Kindle Energy, and will serve the United Power electric cooperative, is expected to come online in 2025. GE Vernova's Gas Power and Financial Services division on Feb. 29 said the 162-MW facility will include a half-dozen of the company's LM2500XPRESS units, a modular technology designed for fast starts to quickly provide electricity during periods of peak demand. The Mountain Peak plant will be located in Keenesburg, in Weld County, just more than 40 miles northeast of Denver. Weld County for decades has been the center of Colorado's oil and natural gas industry. Kindle Energy Portfolio Kindle Energy has a portfolio of power generation assets operating in four statesNew Jersey, Maryland, Ohio, and Indianaand also is developing the 700-MW advanced combined cycle Magnolia plant in Louisiana. Kindle has said the Magnolia facility will be capable of burning up to 50% hydrogen on its first day of operation, expected next year. United Power, headquartered in Brighton, Colorado, provides much of its electricity to the oil and gas industry. The company's service territory covers 900 square miles, serves more than 106,000 meters, and includes customers in 17 communities on the state's Front Range. [caption id="attachment_216020" align="alignnone" width="640"] GE Vernova has said the LM2500XPRESS can be 95% assembled in the factory. The unit comes pre-packaged in 10 simplified modules and features 27 electrical interconnects, compared to 130-plus for a traditional plant, as well as minimal mechanical interconnects. Module systems flushing is completed at the factory. The company said the unit can start in as few as five minutes, and can be installed in as little as two weeks. Source: GE Vernova[/caption] In a region with an increasing power demand due to planned coal-fired plant retirements and increased renewable energy generation, a mix of flexible and efficient energy sources will be necessary to achieve the carbon emissions goals of Colorado, while ensuring the reliability of power supply, said Lee Davis, CEO of Kindle Energy. We trust in GE Vernovas technical and financial solutions to help our Mountain Peak Power plant support the intermittent growing power generation supply from nearby wind farms and solar fields in northeast Colorado and helps us to successfully tackle the challenges of the energy transition. Davis added, We are excited to collaborate with GE Vernova again to deliver energy transition solutions in Colorado, as well as the most recent Magnolia Power Plant, powered by GE Vernovas hydrogen-ready H-Class gas turbines, expected to boost a lower-carbon future in Louisiana. Coal, Gas, Renewables Colorado continues to receive about one-third of its electricity from coal-fired generation, though plans are in place to retire the states half-dozen remaining coal-burning power plants no later than 2031. Colorado, with Xcel Energy as its largest electricity provider, is building more renewable energy generation from both solar and wind farms. The U.S. Energy Information Administration in November 2023 said renewables provide about 36% of the states power, with gas-fired units responsible for generating just more than 30% of the states electricity. GE Vernovas LM2500XPRESS power packages are capable of starting in as few as five minutes. Each of the packages includes an LM2500 aeroderivative gas turbine, a distributed control system, and a Dry Low Emissions (DLE) combustion system. The DLE system is able to reduce emissions without the use of water, an important consideration on Colorados eastern plains, which are prone to drought conditions. GE Vernova said the power units are derived from the aviation industry and can perform multiple daily starts and stops. The LM2500XPRESS units for the project will be assembled at GE Vernovas Gas Power Manufacturing Excellence Center in Veresegyhaz, Hungary. They are scheduled for commissioning within a few weeks after delivery to the site. GE Vernova is thrilled to bring fast-start peaking power to Kindle Energy and help them support the energy transition in Colorado. In less than 18 months from order, this project is scheduled to supply reliable power to homes and businesses of northeastern Colorado, said Dave Ross, president and CEO for GE Vernovas Gas Power business in the Americas. This project, built upon the synergies of our Gas Power and Financial Services businesses, marks our second dispatchable peaking project in the state being built to support the increase in renewable energy sources, and load growth as the state continues to shift to lower carbon-emitting energy sources, in line with the states Renewable Portfolio Standard goals. Darrell Proctor is a senior associate editor for POWER (@POWERmagazine). A local union consisting of principals, assistant principals and other site administrators from Oklahoma City Public Schools is mounting a letter-writing campaign to convince OKCPS Superintendent Sean McDaniel to reverse course and stay with the district. They also want to encourage the districts board to seek to keep him in his current role. In a surprise announcement Monday, McDaniel said an irreconcilable difference of opinion with an as-yet-unidentified OKCPS Board of Education member led him to decide to resign, effective June 30, after six years in the position. That announcement stunned many within the district, including the leadership of the Oklahoma chapter of the American Federation of School Administrators, which has about 100 members. After an AFSA chapter board meeting Tuesday, the chapters leadership wrote an email and sent it to its membership, saying the AFSA board on behalf of our group wanted to know how we can best support Dr. McDaniel and to determine if there is a pathway for him to reconsider his decision and stay. The AFSA board encouraged its members to email OKCPS Board Chair Paula Lewis, OKCPS Board Vice-Chair Lori Bowman and their district board member, telling them how much they have enjoyed working under McDaniels leadership, said Melinda Elms, one of the AFSA board members. When the news came out about Dr. McDaniels resignation, it was really like a punch to the gut, Elms said. We were all devastated because he has been such a pillar of support for all of us. As a board, we started talking. One of the things Dr. McDaniel says when he speaks to us is Take care of your people. We just decided we needed to show our support to him for everything hes done for us, our staff and our teachers. The best way to express it was to tell our school board. Union doesn't want to assign 'shame or blame' in McDaniel's resignation The email sent by the AFSA board said the purpose of encouraging the unions members to write to OKCPS board members is not to shame or blame. We are not airing our grievances or asking for answers to questions we may have. What we ARE asking for is for them to please do everything they can to make sure we keep Dr. McDaniel as our superintendent. The district is scheduled to hold a special board meeting on Thursday night. On the agenda are items for closed-session discussion regarding the evaluation and employment of the superintendent, as well as open-session discussion and possible action regarding the evaluation and employment of the superintendent, and the selection of a search firm to find a new superintendent. McDaniel, who started the job July 1, 2018, is the longest-serving OKCPS superintendent since Arthur Steller, who held the job from 1985 through November 1992. Since Stellar left, McDaniel is one of only three people to last at least five years as the districts superintendent. Neither McDaniel nor most members of the eight-person OKCPS board have returned messages seeking comment since Monday. The district has issued two statements about the situation, both in the name of Lewis, who has served as the board chair an elected position since 2017. Her current term in that position expires in 2025. Elms said she didnt know if board members would pay attention to the emails from school site administrators, but we just decided we wanted to show our unconditional support for everything Dr. McDaniel does for us. Elms said if she could speak to McDaniel, she would thank him for being an inspiration in a pretty tough profession. Hes got great words of wisdom. Hes always believed in the work were doing. What I love the most about him is hes about taking care your people, taking care of one another. That shows what a servant heart he has. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKC Supt. resigns: Principals launch campaign to encourage him to stay The Muscogee Nation's Lighthorse Police patrol the tribe's eastern Oklahoma reservations, which includes much of Tulsa. Oklahomas attorney general is challenging the Muscogee Nations right to prosecute an Okmulgee County jailer accused of assaulting a tribal police officer during a dispute over a jail booking. Gentner Drummond filed the case Wednesday in federal court in Muskogee, asking a judge to rule the eastern Oklahoma tribe has no authority over the jailer, Matthew Douglas, because he is not Native American. Douglas was charged with felony protected status battery on law enforcement in Muscogee Nation District Court in December, days after he was allegedly involved in an altercation with Muscogee Nation Lighthorse Police at the county jail. Lighthorse officers had been trying to drop off a non-Native man to be booked when a disagreement escalated, video of the incident shows. The situation put a spotlight on the tensions that still exist between some local and tribal law enforcement agencies more than three years after the McGirt v. Oklahoma ruling. The landmark Supreme Court decision found that the Muscogee Nations reservation still exists. The ruling has since been applied to several other tribal reservations in eastern Oklahoma. The state cannot prosecute Native Americans accused of committing crimes in those areas; that authority falls to tribal and federal courts. Drummonds legal filing on behalf of Douglas names the Muscogee Nations top prosecutor, Geri Wisner; criminal prosecutor Matthew Hall; and the judge hearing the case against Douglas, Lisa Otipoby-Herbert, as defendants. How the Muscogee Nation has responded so far Jason Salsman, a spokesman for the Muscogee Nation, said its officials had not yet been served with the petition but "will respond appropriately when the time comes." Speaking generally about the allegations, Salsman said Congress affirmed that the Muscogee Nation has the right to pursue such charges against non-Native defendants. "It is unfortunate that AG Drummond will spend the state's resources challenging the authority of the nation to prosecute crimes in its own reservation when that defendant has his own attorney and is free to make those challenges for himself in court," Salsman said in a written statement. McGirt v. Oklahoma, 3 years later: How police work on the Muscogee Nation reservation Tribal courts don't have extensive powers over non-Native people accused of crimes. But a federal law passed in 2022 allows certain tribal courts to prosecute people accused of hurting a tribal police officer, regardless of whether or not that person is a tribal citizen. At a press conference in December when Wisner announced the charges against Douglas, she said that law gave the tribe jurisdiction to file charges against Douglas. Drummond argued in his court motion that the authority granted by the new law was much more limited. In a separate filing attached to Drummond's motion, Douglas said he attended an initial court hearing via video-conference on Dec. 21. Otipoby-Herbert told him during that hearing that he would be released on his own recognizance, he said. He is set to be formally arraigned March 27. Muscogee Nation District Court is located near the tribal nation's headquarters in Okmulgee, south of Tulsa. Wisner said in December that Lighthorse Police officers had stopped at the jail to drop off a man they had stopped after he was driving the wrong way in a school zone in Okmulgee, where both the tribe and the county jail are based. After police stopped the man, Wisner said, he admitted to fentanyl possession and was arrested. Lighthorse officers arrested the man under jurisdiction granted by a working agreement with the Grand River Dam Authority, a state agency. The GRDA suspended that authority in the aftermath of the incident. Gov. Kevin Stitt said the scuffle prompted him to create a new One Oklahoma Task Force to recommend model working agreements and legal fixes in light of McGirt. The Muscogee Nation and several other tribes have refused to participate in the task force. The Muscogee Nation convened several law enforcement agencies earlier this week in Tulsa to discuss criminal justice issues on tribal reservations. About 300 people, including some federal prosecutors, attended. Editor's note: This is a developing story and will be updated. Molly Young covers Indigenous affairs. Reach her at mollyyoung@gannett.com or 405-347-3534. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma AG challenges Muscogee Nation case against Okmulgee County jailer DENVER (KDVR) A woman wanted on charges of an accessory to murder in Oklahoma was taken into custody in Idaho Springs on Tuesday. According to the Idaho Springs Police Department, 29-year-old Vanessa Norvell was a wanted fugitive out of Kay County, Oklahoma. Rep. Lauren Boeberts son arrested in string of trespassing, thefts On Tuesday, an officer with the Idaho Springs Police Department saw a woman who matched Norvells description. She was taken into custody without incident in the 2300 block of Colorado Boulevard at 6:30 p.m. According to police and a local news outlet in Oklahoma, Norvell was wanted in connection to a deadly fentanyl overdose of a 40-year-old man from Sept. 24, 2023, in Ponca City, Oklahoma. Download the FOX31 App: Breaking news alerts & Pinpoint Weather Idaho Springs police investigated an overdose death on that same day. The Idaho Springs Police Department investigated the tragic fentanyl overdose death of 26-year-old Idaho Springs resident Garrett Chandler on Sept. 24, 2023, which was, coincidentally, within days of the Ponca City overdose. Our agency empathizes with both families that lost loved ones to fentanyl and our agency is committed to combating this dangerous drug. ISPD was grateful we could assist our law enforcement partners in Ponca City, Oklahoma and appreciates the collaborative and positive relationship with the Kay County District Attorneys Office in safely apprehending this individual. Chief Nathan Buseck of the Idaho Springs Police Department Norvell is being held at the Clear Creek County Jail on a $100,000 bond. She is awaiting extradition to Kay County, Oklahoma. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX31 Denver. NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA Early voting begins today for Oklahoma voters across the state. Oklahoma has three presidential primary elections Republican, Democratic, and Libertarian. Early voting locations will be open Thursday, February 29 and Friday, March 1 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday, March 2 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day. There are no local elections on the ballot. For the 2024-2025 election years, the Democratic Party has opened its primaries to Independent voters. However, the Republican and Libertarian parties have chosen to keep their primaries closed meaning only registered voters of a party may vote in that partys primary election. Independent voters who wish to participate in the Democratic Party primary must request a primary ballot from election workers. Those with questions should contact the Delaware County Election Board at Office: (918) 253-8762, the Ottawa County Election Board at (91) 542-2893 and the Craig County Election Board at (918) 256-7559 . 2024-PPP-Republican-Sample-BallotDownload 2024-PPP-Libertarian-Sample-BallotDownload 2024-PPP-Democrat-Sample-BallotDownload For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com. An arrest affidavit contains an eyebrow-raising claim that the son of Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) sent out a sex tape involving him and another suspect in their alleged Colorado crime spree. Tyler Boebert, 18, was arrested Tuesday and faces 22 charges relating to a series of alleged thefts and vehicle break-ins in Rifle, Colorado, which is in his moms congressional district. The sex tape allegation was levied by the stepmother of one unnamed suspect, who is said to have disclosed the alleged crime spree to police. Boebert now faces four felony counts of criminal possession of identification documents and one felony count of conspiracy to commit a felony, police said. He also faces multiple misdemeanors including counts of theft under $300 and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. One of the victims of Boeberts alleged crime spree says her 11-year-old daughter was left feeling scared by the ordeal. A police incident summary obtained by The Daily Beast listed a Kia Sorento as being a victim vehiclea car that belongs to mom-of-two Roscely Alvarado, according to KJCT-TV. 3-Year-Old Among Victims in Lauren Boeberts Sons Alleged Crime Spree Speaking in Spanish to the station, Alvarado said the incident had a significant impact on her family and made her reconsider her own approach to safety. She alleged that some her familys belongings were swiped in the alleged crime along with the contents of her purse. Maybe I should be more cautious, dont ever leave my purse in the car again, and yeah, be more cautious, Alvarado said, according to the stations translation of her comments. Be more cautious because I have two kids, an 11-year-old and a 3-year-old girl. The 3-year-old has a condition. Alvarado says she knew something was wrong when she sent her older daughter to fetch her purse from her car. She was like: Mom, the car is a mess, everything is everywhere. I dont know what happened, Alvarado said. She had my purse in her hand but without the wallet. She told me that there was nothing inside of the purse. As well as the contents of the purse allegedly being taken, Alvarado said her daughter was emotionally affected by the incident. She was telling me she was scared, Alvarado said. She felt like someone from here could have stolen [from] us and that was making her scared. According to the incident summary, a total of six victims were involved in the case, ranging in age from 3 to 64. Boebert was detained along with three other minor suspects whose names were redacted. An arrest affidavit obtained by The Daily Beast said Boebert sent around a sex tape involving him and a fellow suspect, whos a minor, in the alleged crime spree. None of Boeberts charges are related to the purported sex tape, which police said was also alluded to by another minor quoted in the affidavit. That unnamed minor said the video was sent around to people they knew. Tyler Boebert is captured on security footage allegedly using stolen credit cards for purchases. Garfield County Clerk of Court The affidavit added that security camera footage allegedly caught Boebert using stolen credit cards at gas stations and convenience stores along with the other suspects. In that footage, he was allegedly wearing a Shooters Grill top that read Grits N Glorya sweatshirt from his familys now-closed restaurant in his hometown that featured gun-toting servers. Police questioned Boebert about the incident at his home on Feb. 27, asking if he could share the names of the people he was with. He allegedly insisted that he did not know their names. Detectives allegedly pressed Boebert, and he eventually conceded that he was with the other suspects. The affidavit said he was then arrested. The affidavit detailed the attempted purchases the suspects allegedly made, which police said included a failed transaction of $717 on the clothing website Shein.com. Another, for $175, was made at a Kum & Go convenience store. I love my son Tyler, who has been through some very difficult, public challenges for a young man and the subject of attention that he didnt ask for, Lauren Boebert said in a statement Wednesday. It breaks my heart to see my child struggling and in this situation, especially when he has been provided multiple opportunities to get his life on track, she added. I will never give up on him and I will continue to be there for him. As an adult and father, Tyler will take responsibility for his actions and should be held accountable for poor decisions just like any other citizen. Tyler Boeberts embattled father, Jayson Boebert, sent a statement to the news site Westword that focused more on himself than his son. Still, he blamed his childs alleged crimes, in part, on a mismanaged COVID SHUT DOWN and the media. Jayson Boebert told Westword that his son called him from jail to check on his baby, Josiah. Jayson Boebert then went to the county jail and picked his son up, he said. The challenges we have experienced, especially in the last few years, with schools being shut down, social shut downs, and the depression that was set in from a mismanaged COVID SHUT DOWN, he said in his statement. Despite our best efforts, we will fall short sometimes. As a parent balancing work, family, and personal life while striving to be a good role model for your kids can be incredibly demanding. He added: Moreover, the spotlight of todays media can magnify and distort even the smallest aspects of your life. Its disheartening to see your actions or words misrepresented and sensationalized, painting a false picture for the public. These distortions do not only create tension within your family, but also affect your reputation and relationships outside of the home. 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. There is consensus among observers of Russias war against Ukraine that it should end as soon as possible. Most Ukrainians couldnt agree more. Today, one suspects, many Russians would also not mind ceasing the carnage. Why, then, is there still not and likely will not be any time soon a negotiated finale to the war? Pushing for a negotiated ceasefire of some durability, not to mention sustainable peace, between Ukraine and Russia at this moment in time is futile. Following this strategy would not only be inconclusive but could absorb energy needed to pursue more promising paths toward a solution to this war. There are at least six reasons that hamper compromise between Kyiv and Moscow. Ukraines and Russias constitutions Ukraines and Russias constitutions are the highest hindrance to compromise. Russia illegally annexed Crimea and made it an official part of its pseudo-federation in March 2014. In September 2022, Moscow repeated this move, illegally declaring four of Ukraines mainland regions as part of Russia. Russias internal legislation was changed to incorporate them within its constitution fully. While, obviously, Moscows claims are null and void under international law, they have been fully enshrined into Russias basic law, federal legislation, and state structure. Neither Ukraines nor Russias constitutions can be easily changed. Theoretically, Ukraines constitution could be quickly amended by a two-thirds majority of the Verkhovna Rada, but such a reform would never pass. Under pressure from Berlin and Paris, former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko tried in August 2015 to change Ukraines constitution marginally and temporarily to fulfil the infamous Minsk Agreements. The proposed temporary special status for the Russian-occupied parts of Donbas did not pass parliament. A Ukrainian renunciation of legitimate state territory will never happen. Read also: The Counteroffensive: Russias failure to take Kyiv was luck and timing In contrast, the prospect of a Russian reversal of the 2014 and 2022 constitutional reforms implementing the annexations is politically less fantastic than a Ukrainian cessation of its temporarily occupied territories. However, a Russian fulfilment of its obligations under international law will not be easy to implement. Not only is it politically easier to annex territories than to cede them, but Russias procedure of constitutional revision is also more complicated than Ukraines. A formal legal reversion of Putins expansionist adventure will, in other words, only come after and not before its material end. The hope that Ukraine and/or Russia can, as a result of a diplomatic process, enact even a temporary abrogation of their currently valid constitutions is unrealistic. Hawkish domestic politics Both Ukraine and Russia have social and political groups who are strictly against any territorial and political compromise with the enemy. Given the high toll of the war on both countries, even minor conciliatory steps toward the other side would be regarded as acts of national treason and generate domestic challenges for both Kyiv and Moscow. To be sure, the hawkish constituencies of Ukraine and Russia are neither normatively nor politically comparable. The vast majority of Ukraines population is merely demanding the restoration of its internationally recognized borders. Some Russian hawks insist that Moscows military gains from its initial invasion in 2014 should remain permanent, while others, including Russian President Vladimir Putin himself, think that the territorial expansion achieved in the full-scale war thus far is insufficient. To be sure, the depth of hawkishness (if one uses the term in a neutral way) in Russias population is altogether lower than in Ukraine. A Russian popular acceptance of the loss of most of the relative gains for Russia from the war is more likely and can become more widespread than a Ukrainian popular acceptance of a loss of territory or sovereignty. That being said, Moscows illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014 continues to have overwhelming support among Russias population. If Kyiv and Moscow become inclined to achieve a negotiated end to the war, it remains unclear what compromise they could sell to the less dovish parts of their domestic audiences. Ukraine and Russia would both be at risk of civil war. As the short-lived Wagner mutiny in the summer of 2023 illustrated, the prospect of domestic civil unrest has become a serious issue for the Kremlin. Wagner Group head Yevgeny Prigozhins armed uprising was motivated, it may be worth reminding, by insufficient Moscow bellicism, not pacifism. The Crimean conundrum The fifth hindrance to reaching a negotiated end to the war is Crimea. Crimea was the most popular territorial achievement that Putin presented to the Russian nation, despite being based on a deeply flawed historical narrative. The Russian character of Crimea is partly historical fiction and partly the result of ruthless demographic engineering by pre-Soviet, Soviet, and post-Soviet governments. Notwithstanding, most Russians believe that Crimea belongs to Russia. Crimea also creates a peculiar strategic dilemma for the Kremlin. Should the current or future Russian leadership become interested in ending the war, it may be ready to sacrifice the territories it has occupied since 2022. However, to keep Crimea as an isolated exclave far away from other Russia-controlled lands would neither economically nor strategically make much sense for Moscow. Since its annexation, Crimea has not only been Russias most illegal region but also the most subsidized. The peninsula is neither an object of negotiation nor a potential instrument of compromise. A simple glance at the map and consultation of Crimeas history on Wikipedia should make clear that, in negotiations, the peninsula would be a part of the problem rather than a means to its solution. Historical experience The most important political factor holding Kyiv back from premature negotiations with Moscow is its own and other East-Central Europeans' historical experience with Russia. History suggests that Russia will not uphold an agreement reached via diplomatic compromise rather than a military victory. Independent Ukraine has, over the last 30 years, signed hundreds of agreements with Russia most of which today are void. Among them are the 1991 Belovezha Accords, the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, the 2003 Border Treaty, and the 2014-2015 Minsk Agreements. Several of these documents explicitly acknowledge Ukraines borders, territorial integrity, and sovereignty, but even those with Putins signature and ratified by the Russian parliament have been invalidated by Moscows actions in 2014 and 2022. Read also: Opinion: The UK needs to up its cyber defense as Russias war continues Similar adventures by Moscow in the post-Soviet space do not bode well, from a Ukrainian standpoint, for negotiations with the Kremlin. These historical lessons also advise Helsinki, Tallinn, Riga, Vilnius, Warsaw, Prague, and Bucharest that Ukraine needs to reach at least a partial victory before entering meaningful negotiations with Russia. Only when facing military disaster will Moscow engage in a genuine search for a compromise that may be acceptable to Kyiv and have the potential to hold. Conclusions Negotiations will, at some point, start to play a role. However, they have to wait until the situation on the ground and in Moscow changes to such a degree that they make sense for Kyiv. An agreement signed before Ukraine has achieved, at least some, salient military advantage and a stronger negotiation position will likely be a charade. At most, it will achieve a postponement rather than an end of armed conflict. A quick ceasefire agreement could even prolong the overall length of high-intensity war, allowing Russia to make further preparations as it did back in 2014. The provision of substantial military support to Kyiv is thus the right strategy for three reasons. First, it will help to prepare for meaningful negotiations. Second, it will ensure a sustainable accord (rather than an unbalanced deal like the Minsk Agreements) between Kyiv and Moscow in the future. And third, it will subsequently keep the peace intact. Editors Note: The opinions expressed in the op-ed section are those of the authors and do not purport to reflect the views of the Kyiv Independent. Submit an Opinion Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Editors Note: Julian Zelizer, a CNN political analyst, is a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University. He is the author and editor of 25 books, including The New York Times bestseller Myth America: Historians Take on the Biggest Legends and Lies About Our Past (Basic Books). The views expressed in this commentary are his own. Read more opinion on CNN. Mitch McConnell bowed to political reality Wednesday and announced that he would endorse Donald Trumps White House bid, a final act of capitulation to the soon-to-be Republican presidential nominee who has vanquished all comers challenging his dominance in the party. McConnell announced last week that he would be relinquishing his role as leader of Senate Republicans, one of the most powerful positions in Washington, in what many interpreted as another nod to Trumps pre-eminence. Julian Zelizer - CNN It is abundantly clear that former President Trump has earned the requisite support of Republican voters to be our nominee for President of the United States, McConnell said in a statement. It should come as no surprise that as nominee, he will have my support. In his speech delivered on the Senate floor last week, McConnell he mentioned the tragedy that recently struck his family with the death of his sister-in-law, sister to his wife Elaine Chao. (Chao served as transportation secretary under former President Donald Trump, before quitting the post following the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol.) McConnell noted as well that he had just turned 82 and suggested that his time at the helm had simply run out. One of lifes most underappreciated talents is to know when its time to move on to lifes next chapter, he said. Its also important to take note of the recent health challenges McConnell has faced including episodes in which he froze mid-sentence in front of television cameras which might also have hastened his decision to step aside. But make no mistake: McConnells endorsement on Wednesday and last weeks announcement that hes leaving his powerful perch also reflects his realization that he is no longer in step with his increasingly fractious and Trump-oriented Republican caucus. Both developments come just a few weeks after McConnell suffered an embarrassingly large number of defections on a vote he had backed to fund aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. A clear-eyed assessment of the political landscape surely would have accelerated his decision. McConnell didnt overtly say so, but it wasnt hard to read the message between the lines of his speech last week. Believe me, I know the politics within my party at this particular time. I have many faults. Misunderstanding politics is not one of them, he told his fellow senators. McConnells education about the changes has not been subtle. In addition to his difficulty moving funding for Ukraine through his own caucus, he has been the target of Trumps invectives for years. The former president has called him a piece of s**t and mocked him as an old crow. Nor has his wife been safe from Trumps merciless barbs. The Kentucky senator, for his part, has greatly displeased the former president by withholding at least so far an endorsement of his presidential candidacy. His decision to cede the Senate minority leaders position should provide a clear answer to skeptics who doubted that the MAGA wing of the GOP had reached a tipping point in terms of the power it wields in the upper chamber of Congress. No one should doubt Trump and his acolytes, whose political muscle has led to a takeover of the GOP. The former Presidents romp through the primary election season, all but securing the Republican presidential nomination, is another sign of this indomitable position in the party. The truth is now painfully apparent: Trump and the GOP are one and the same. The anti-Trump coalition within the Republican Party is small and hanging on by a thread, and there is little chance of that changing in the short term. Every major figure who tries to take on the Trump-oriented GOP faction ends up losing. Now add McConnell to the list of the vanquished. A wily Republican partisan who has shown no reluctance over the years to weaponize the levers of power, as well as a stalwart defender of a conservative agenda, McConnell was no match for Trump and his partys brash young upstarts. The former president and the rest of what once was the anti-establishment are now the new Republican establishment. And yet, McConnell has had no shortage of triumphs over the years. As a result of his tough approach to judicial confirmations including, famously, his refusal to take up the Supreme Court nomination of Merrick Garland, then-President Barack Obamas pick for a vacant seat on the high court McConnell has been largely responsible for the conservative shift on the federal courts. When SCOTUS knocked down Roe v. Wade in its Dobbs decision last year, McConnell had achieved his ultimate goal. As fellow Senate conservative Lindsey Graham succinctly put it, through sheer force of will, he has shaped the federal judiciary in a conservative fashion. Taking a far less sanguine view of McConnells legacy, Sen. Dick Durbin bemoaned the way he has reshaped the courts. Probably the most lasting political move hes made as a leader changing the Supreme Court has resulted in [overturning] Roe v. Wade. Now, we live in the Dobbs era, and we see the chaos thats created. But despite that crowning achievement by McConnell, the party now belongs to Trump. He has been able to move Republican party positions on foreign policy and the budget wars, and has shown he is willing to withdraw the US from the world, while playing brinkmanship with the fiscal stability of the country all in pursuit of more power. Trump also has been a staunch opponent of funding for Ukraine, skeptical about the importance of NATO, and stoked Republicans in Congress to weaponize the debt ceiling in budget negotiations. Just as the Tea Party supplanted Newt Gingrichs generation of Republicans, who had already shifted the GOP to the right, now the MAGA wing is doing the same. Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley learned the same hard lessons as McConnell, although her ability to win the support of a sizable minority of voters in the presidential primaries and caucuses was impressive, and for a while gave a home to those who want to move in a different direction other than following the former president. But the bottom line is that Haley, who suspended her quest for the nomination on Wednesday, continued to lose in state after state, while Trump kept winning. Despite an enormous flood of donor cash and the consolidation of the non-Trump vote behind her, she couldnt even win in her own home state of South Carolina last week. So, its all but official: The Republican party belongs to Donald Trump. Any illusion that that will change anytime soon and that the party will revert back to the way it was in the pre-MAGA era should be seen as just that. The new reality of politics in Washington favors instability and dysfunction. One of our two major parties the Grand Old Party will continue to play partisan politics, without adhering to any kind of rulebook and they will keep pushing the policy agenda even further to the right. Its now up to voters in Novembers general election to demonstrate whether they believe our democracy can sustain this fraught and chaotic new status quo in our politics. Editors Note: This story has been updated following McConnells endorsement of Trump For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com Some Panera Bread customers may be owed money if they had their food delivered. The soup and sandwich chain agreed to pay $2 million to settle allegations it deceived customers about delivery fees and food prices on delivery orders, according to Kroll Administration Settlement, which is supervising the resolution. One of the complaints, filed last year in U.S. District Court in Illinois, accused Panera of tacking additional, hidden fees on delivery orders placed on its app or website. The chain was also accused of marketing a free or flat rate on deliveries only to then overcharge unsuspecting customers. Specifically, Panera secretly marks up food prices for delivery orders only by 5%-7%, the lawsuit reads. This secret menu price markup was specifically designed to cover the costs of delivering food and profit on that delivery. The surcharge was only shown after customers chose the delivery or pickup option, the lawsuit said. Panera has denied wrongdoing in the case. McClatchy News reached out to the restaurant for comment Feb. 29 and was awaiting a response. Heres what to know about the settlement: Whos eligible? Panera customers who placed an order for delivery on the restaurants mobile app or website between Oct. 1, 2020, and Aug. 31, 2021, are eligible to submit a claim, administrators said. How do I file a claim? Claim forms can be submitted online or mailed, according to settlement administrators. Some customers may have received an e-mailed notice containing a Class Member ID, which is needed to access the claim form. Those without a unique ID can download the form, print it and mail it. All claims must be submitted by Monday, June 10. How much is the payment? Under the terms of the settlement, customers can receive two Soups & Mac vouchers, worth $9.60 each. They can be redeemed for a free item on Paneras Soups & Mac menu, and no additional purchase is required. Those who opt for a cash payment will receive up to $12, according to the administrators website. When will I be paid? A fairness hearing to approve the settlement will be held May 31, administrators said. If approved, eligible customers can expect to get their settlement award after 60 days barring any appeals. Wendys sets the record straight on surge pricing: No plans to do that Looking for fish sandwiches for Lent? Heres which fast-food restaurants have them Hershey lied about its Reeses holiday-themed candy, lawsuit says. Monstrosity PARSONS, Kans. In a display of knowledge and skill, Ivy Brimms fifth-grade class at Parsons Guthridge School has secured the state champion title in the 5th-8th grade category of the IXL Sunflower State Sprint competition. The contest, which ran from January 29 to February 23, challenged students across Kansas to see who could correctly answer the most questions and master subjects within the IXL platform. IXL is a comprehensive online learning tool that supports students by reinforcing the curriculum taught in class across a multitude of subjects. Its widespread adoption across Kansas schools at all grade levels provides teachers with vital insights into students learning needs and strengths. Despite being in second place at the midpoint of the competition, Brimms class made a remarkable comeback to secure the top spot. This victory marks the first year of the Kansas statewide IXL competition. However, academic competitions are a regular occurrence at Guthridge. The winning class in each grade band, determined by the highest average number of questions answered per student, was awarded a $100 VISA gift card along with ICL merchandise for the classroom. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSNF/KODE | FourStatesHomepage.com. Content warning: This story contains details of sexual assault of a child. BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) A Pennsylvania man has been sentenced for raping a child in Evans in 2022, the Erie County District Attorneys Office said Thursday. 39-year-old Jacob Pearson of Wilcox, Pennsylvania was sentenced to 14 years in prison for raping the child, who was less than 13-years-old at a location in Evans on July 5, 2022. Pearson and the child knew each other. Pearson pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree rape in December. As part of the sentence, he will be subject to 10 years of post-release supervision and will have to register as a sex offender. A final order of protection was also issued to be in place until 2055. Latest Local News Aidan Joly joined the News 4 staff in 2022. He is a graduate of Canisius College. You can see more of his work here. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to News 4 Buffalo. Congressional leaders struck a deal Wednesday on half of the 12 required annual spending bills along with a stopgap measure to avoid a partial government shutdown that was set to begin Friday night. We are in agreement that Congress must work in a bipartisan manner to fund our government, the four top congressional leaders and four top appropriators said in a joint statement announcing the deal, which was initially floated by House Speaker Mike Johnson. The agreement will extend the current funding deadlines of March 1 and March 8 by one week and two weeks, respectively, buying time for appropriators to finish work next week on a package of six spending bills: Agriculture-FDA, Commerce-Justice and Science, Energy and Water Development, Interior, Military Construction-VA, and Transportation-HUD. After preparing final text, this package of six full year Appropriations bills will be voted on and enacted prior to March 8, the lawmakers said in their statement. These bills will adhere to the Fiscal Responsibility Act discretionary spending limits and Januarys topline spending agreement. Leaders reportedly hope to have legislative text for the first batch of spending bills ready for lawmakers to review by this weekend. Once that package is done, the remaining six appropriations bills will be finalized and enacted by March 22. Those bills cover Defense, Financial Services and General Government, Homeland Security, Labor-HHS, Legislative Branch, and State and Foreign Operations. The House will reportedly vote on the stopgap funding bill on Thursday, with the Senate to follow before Fridays midnight deadline. Johnson will almost certainly need help from Democrats to pass the measure in the House, Politico points out, and all 100 senators will have to agree to speed up debate to move the stopgap through the upper chamber before the March 1 deadline. Why it matters: None of the congressional leaders wanted to shoulder the blame for a government shutdown months before the 2024 elections, and this deal will allow them to avoid that possibility, for now. It will also remove any uncertainty about whether President Joe Biden will be able to deliver his State of the Union address as scheduled on March 7. Story continues But, as Catie Edmondson of The New York Times writes, passing another stopgap spending bill will only prolong what has been an agonizing monthslong negotiation on federal spending that has gripped Congress for months, as Republicans bent on steep cuts and conservative policy mandates refused to accept a deal with Democrats. Lawmakers will still have to work out potentially significant differences over the next six, more contentious spending bills within a few weeks or face another shutdown threat. That would be a tall order in the House, which has struggled to pass any spending legislation amid Republican divisions, Edmondson notes. If or when lawmakers can finalize all the required 2024 annual spending bills, theyll quickly have to move on to the 2025 budget battles. The president is due to release his fiscal 2025 budget request on March 11. Quote of the Day Look, theres no reason this shit couldnt have been done by the end of September. Democratic Sen. Jon Tester of Montana, who oversees the defense spending bill, as quoted by Politico talking about the budget and appropriations process for the current fiscal year, which started some five months ago. Like what you're reading? Sign up for our free newsletter. The Pentagon has quickly walked back an assertion Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made before the House Armed Services Committee that over 25,000 women and children have been killed in Israels brutal military campaign in Gaza. In a statement, a Pentagon spokesperson clarified that the figure Austin offered was based on unconfirmed figures from the Gaza Health Ministry and included all deaths. We cannot independently verify these Gaza casualty figures, spokesperson Sabrina Singh said. On Thursday, Austin replied after being specifically asked how many women and children have been killed by Israel during the war. Last week, the United Nations High Commissioner on Human Rights warned that the transfer of weapons to Israel could constitute a violation of international humanitarian law. The United States has sent an estimated 21,000 precision guided munitions to Israel since Oct. 7. Israel Defense Force soldiers open fired on Palestinian refugees as they gathered to receive food aid in Gaza City, on Thursday. The IDF deflected blame for the 104 people killed in this incident, claiming that they were killed from overcrowding, in a post on X. Last week, the UNRWA said that it had been unable to deliver food to the North, where Gaza City is located, for at least a month. Several countries, including the United States have paused funding to the UNRWA after Israel-backed allegations surfaced claiming that six UNRWA employees had participated in the Oct. 7 massacre. According to the U.N. a quarter of Gazas population of 2.3. million people are currently facing starvation. 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. US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin has been pressed by lawmakers for not informing the White House of recent hospital stays, with one calling the failure an "embarrassment". The Pentagon chief acknowledged there was "a breakdown in notifications" about his January hospital stay during a contentious Thursday hearing. Mr Austin, 70, has been undergoing prostate cancer treatment. The Pentagon has found no "indication of ill intent" by Mr Austin. "I never told anyone not to inform the president, White House or anyone else about my hospitalization," Mr Austin said in testimony before the House Armed Services Committee, the first chance lawmakers have had to question him since the incident came to light earlier this year. Representative Mike Rogers said it was "totally unacceptable" it took three days for the president to be informed Mr Austin was in hospital. "Wars were raging in Ukraine and Israel, our ships were under fire in the Red Sea, and our bases were bracing for attack in Syria and Iraq. But the commander in chief did not know that his secretary of defense was out of action," he said early on in the hearing. "Who will be held accountable for this embarrassment?" Republican Congressman Jim Banks asked Mr Austin, later pressing him about the length of time he and President Joe Biden went without speaking while he was at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. "Either the president is that aloof or you are irrelevant," said Mr Banks. "The president is not aloof," Mr Austin responded, adding that he is involved with all critical decision making. Republican Nancy Mace asked: "When a soldier goes AWOL...what happens? What is the punishment?" "I wouldn't equate my going to the hospital as going AWOL," Mr Austin replied. "I did not disappear. I was in a military medical facility in Washington DC." Mr Austin told the committee in his opening statement that there has been a review of the chain of command process, saying the "system must be postured better" so this does not happen again. They defence department has already implemented two out of the eight recommendations, he said. The defence secretary is just below the president in the chain of command for the US military and is regarded as one of the most important members of the cabinet. Mr Austin also spoke more about his cancer diagnosis saying it was "personal and deeply troubling" when he found out. "I described it as a gut punch," he told the committee. He said he did not want to "burden" the president with one of his personal issues but said "I should have talked to him about it". On Monday, a Pentagon report cleared Mr Austin of wrongdoing and found no "indication of ill intent or an attempt to obfuscate" by either him or his staff. Mr Austin began a "transfer of authority" to his deputy on 2 January - one day after he entered hospital and as he was being taken into critical care. It was not until 4 January that the White House and Mr Austin's deputy - who was on leave in Puerto Rico - were made aware of his admission to hospital. Mr Austin is expected to return to provide more testimony next month. Massachusetts Air National Guardsman Jack Teixeira, right, appears in U.S. District Court in Boston, Friday, April 14, 2023. Teixeira, who is accused of leaking highly classified military documents on a social media platform, is expected to plead guilty in his federal case. Prosecutors asked the judge to schedule a change of plea hearing for Monday, March 4, 2024. (Margaret Small via AP) BOSTON (AP) Jack Teixeira, the Massachusetts Air National Guard member accused of leaking highly classified military documents on a social media platform, is expected to plead guilty in his federal case, according to court papers filed Thursday. Prosecutors asked the judge to schedule a change of plea hearing, but no other details were immediately available. The judge set the hearing for Monday in Boston's federal courthouse. Teixeira had previously pleaded not guilty to six counts of willful retention and transmission of national defense information. Each count is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. The Massachusetts U.S. attorney's office declined further comment. An attorney for Teixeira didn't immediately return a phone message Thursday. Teixeira, of North Dighton, Massachusetts, has been behind bars since his April arrest for a leak that left the Biden administration scrambling to assess and contain the damage among the international community and reassure allies that its secrets are safe with the U.S. He was accused of sharing classified military documents about Russias war in Ukraine and other sensitive national security topics on Discord, a social media platform popular with people who play online games. Investigators believe he led a private chat group called Thug Shaker Central, where enthusiasts shared jokes, talked about their favorite types of guns and discussed wars, including Russias invasion of Ukraine. Authorities say Teixeira, who enlisted in the Air National Guard in 2019, began around January 2023 sharing military secrets with other Discord users first by typing out classified documents and then sharing photographs of files that bore SECRET and TOP SECRET markings. Teixeira worked as a cyber transport systems specialist, essentially an IT specialist responsible for military communications networks. Authorities have said that Teixeira was detected on April 6 the day The New York Times first published a story about the breach of documents searching for the word leak in a classified system. The FBI says that was reason to believe Teixeira was trying to find information about the investigation into who was responsible for the leaks. Prosecutors say he continued to leak government secrets even after he was warned by superiors about mishandling and improper viewing of classified information. After being admonished by superiors, he was again seen viewing information not related to the intelligence field, not his primary duty, according to internal Air National Guard memos filed in court. Authorities have provided few details about an alleged possible motive, but accounts of those in the online private chat group where the documents were disclosed have depicted Teixeira as motivated more by bravado than ideology. Prosecutors had urged the judge to keep Teixeira jailed while the case played out, in part because of an arsenal of weapons found at his home and his history of disturbing online statements. That included one social media post saying that, if he had his way, he would like to kill a ton of people because it would be culling the weak minded. U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani last year denied Teixeiras bid for release, saying No set of release conditions will reasonably assure the safety of the community, or prevent destruction of evidence. In pressing for their client to be freed from jail, Teixeira's attorneys pointed to the pretrial release of former President Donald Trump and others in high-profile classified documents cases. Teixeiras lawyers noted that prosecutors did not seek to detain Trump or his co-defendant, Walt Nauta even though they said the former president and his valet possess extraordinary means to flee the United States. PETERSBURG Dr. Tamara Sterling has reportedly admitted to something that the city school system has not. After a year and a half on the job, she is no longer superintendent of schools here. According to her LinkedIn profile, Sterling now calls herself an "independent education professional" as of February 2024. She lists her previous experience as Petersburg's school superintendent lasting from September 2022 until February 2024. The big story stemming from her departure now is this: Why hasn't anyone in the school system said anything? Did she resign? Was she fired? We dont know because leadership in Petersburg City Public Schools has closed ranks and thrown a blanket over the matter. Numerous calls and messages left with key school-system personnel have gone unanswered since last Saturday when social media began sharing reports of Sterlings departure. Scans of the systems webpage and Facebook page have not mentioned anything about a change, although Sterling is still listed on the webpage as superintendent. Sterling The focus now is not so much the reason for Sterlings departure on Feb. 23 and there has been plenty of public speculation about it but the silence that has enveloped the school district since she left. Traditionally, whenever a highly visible local official such as a city manager or a public-school superintendent leaves their position willingly or unwillingly, the agency from where they left puts out a news release. Those statements will often focus on the most basic information the person left for greener pastures, to pursue other opportunities or they were fired for cause. If it was a firing, the cause is often not specified. In Sterlings case, there have been no public announcements, no news releases, not even a good luck in future endeavors Facebook post. Silence, silence everywhere The Progress-Index began pursuing the story as soon as the social-media chatter started. School Board chair Kenneth Pritchett was sent several emails and text messages seeking, if nothing else, confirmation that Sterling was either on the job or not. Several emails have been sent to PCPS spokesperson Terrance Dixon asking for the same information. In all cases, the requests have been ignored. The P-I made an unannounced in-person visit Thursday morning to the school system office on South Boulevard. We were told that Dixon was in his office, and that he would be summoned. That was at 11 a.m. We waited in the main lobby for 15 minutes with no sign of acknowledgement. Finally, another system employee told us Dixon was not available, but we were asked to leave a phone number that would be emailed to him asking for a response. As of Thursday afternoon, we had received nothing. The closest we have gotten to any system recognition that Sterling was no longer with the city was a phone call we made Wednesday asking to speak with Sterling. The call was sent to the voicemail of Dr. John Farrelly, the systems chief of staff and reportedly the acting superintendent. A message was left on his voicemail. It, too, has not been returned. We also followed up on social-media reports that Sterling was escorted out of the administration building by Petersburg Police. According to police records, the only report of any officer presence anywhere near the office was a traffic stop Feb. 19 on South Boulevard, four days before Sterling left. Sterling was hired as Petersburgs school chief in 2022 to succeed Dr. Maria Pitre-Martin. Bill Atkinson (he/him/his) is an award-winning journalist who covers breaking news, government and politics. Reach him at batkinson@progress-index.com or on X (formerly known as Twitter) at @BAtkinson_PI. This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Petersburg school system silent on superintendent's status This image grab from a video released by the Israeli army shows what the army says are Gazans around aid trucks in Gaza City (Aline MANOUKIAN) Thousands of Palestinians flocked to an aid distribution point early Thursday, desperate for food amid Gaza's looming famine, only to be met with lethal chaos including live fire by Israeli troops. By mid-afternoon the Hamas-run health ministry said more than 100 people were reported dead in the grisly incident which underscored worsening shortages in the war-ravaged Palestinian territory. "There were crowds of people, but the occupation (forces) kept firing towards us," one young man told AFP while lying on the dirty, crowded floor at Kamal Adwan Hospital waiting for treatment. He was among those wounded in the chaos. But there were conflicting reports on what exactly unfolded in the hours before dawn. Ali Awad Ashqir, who had gone to get some flour for his starving family, had been waiting for two hours when violence erupted. "At approximately 4:00 am the trucks began to arrive. The moment they arrived, the occupation army fired artillery shells and guns," he told AFP. "I was hit by a bullet in the left foot and taken to Al-Shifa Hospital. I was later discharged because my injuries were moderate." Hossam Abu Safiya, director at Kamal Adwan Hospital, said all the casualties were hit by "bullets and shrapnel from occupation forces". Ashraf al-Qudra, spokesman for Gaza's health ministry, denounced what he called a "massacre" at Gaza City's Nabulsi roundabout, saying 112 people were killed and 760 wounded. He blamed Israeli troops, and Israeli sources confirmed to AFP that the Israeli forces at the scene did open fire, having perceived the crowds near the trucks as a "threat". But a spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said many of the dead were crushed by the trucks themselves. "Aid trucks were overwhelmed by people trying to loot and drivers ploughed into the crowd of people, ultimately killing tens of people," said the spokesman, Avi Hyman. - Gazans storm trucks - Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, an Israeli army spokesman, said on Thursday night that "thousands of Gazans" swarmed the trucks bearing aid from Egypt, "violently pushing and even trampling other Gazans to death". Israeli tanks escorting fired warning shots and tried to retreat, Hagari said, denying the army had turned its tanks on civilians. "We did not fire at the humanitarian convoy -- neither from the air nor from the ground," he said. Outside Kamal Adwan Hospital, four women in headscarves wailed while clutching at the lifeless body of a bearded man wrapped in white cloth. At Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City, doctors were "unable to deal" with the flood of casualties "as a result of weak medical and human capacities", Qudra said. Israel has vowed to eliminate Hamas after it carried out an unprecedented attack on October 7 on southern Israel. The Hamas attack resulted in the deaths of around 1,160 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official Israeli figures. Umm Hamdan Abu Sultan, a displaced woman waiting for aid near the scene, said: "They are the terrorists, not us." "Our children are dying of hunger, we go to get a bag of flour to feed our children and they fire at them." Israel's withering military response to the October 7 attack has now killed at least 30,035 people, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry, which does not specify how many fighters are included in the toll. The offensive has caused widespread devastation in Gaza and severe shortages of food, water and medicine. - 'Under siege' - For months, aid workers have warned of an increasingly desperate situation for Gazan civilians, and on Monday an official from the UN humanitarian office OCHA said widespread starvation was "almost inevitable". UN estimates show that 2.2 million people -- the vast majority of Gaza's population -- are threatened with famine, particularly in the north where destruction, fighting and looting make the delivery of food almost impossible. According to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, just over 2,300 aid trucks entered the Gaza Strip in February, a drop of about 50 percent compared with January. That is an average of well below 100 trucks per day, down from around 500 that were entering daily before the war. It was precisely that scarcity that drove crowds to rush the trucks at Nabulsi roundabout on Thursday, a witness told AFP. Aerial footage distributed by the Israeli military showed large groups swarming a line of moving trucks on foot. "Trucks full of aid came too close to some army tanks that were in the area and the crowd, thousands of people, just stormed the trucks," the witness said, declining to be named for safety reasons. "The soldiers fired at the crowd as people came too close to the tanks." Thursday's incident spurred a heated exchange at the Human Rights Council in Geneva, where Palestinian ambassador Ibrahim Mohammad Khraishi confronted his Israeli counterpart about the reported casualties. "Are these human shields? Are these Hamas combatants?" Khraishi asked. At Kamal Adwan hospital, a Palestinian woman said: "We are under siege. Take pity on us. Ramadan is coming soon. People should look at us. Pity us." az-rcb-jd/dv Poland will consider banning food imports from Russia after it "analyzes" the results of Latvia's decision to do so, Bloomberg reported on Feb. 29, citing Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Latvia became the first EU member to ban imports of grain and other foodstuffs from Russia and Belarus. The ban will come into force in March. Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics supported the ban, arguing that Russian grain imports support the Russian economy, and therefore its army. Tusk said that Poland is open to imposing similar regulations, and that he will discuss the issue at a meeting with protesting farmers later on Feb. 29. Polish farmers have been holding protests across Poland and at the border with Ukraine in opposition to Ukrainian agricultural imports and the EU's Green Deal. According to Warsaw, the influx of cheaper Ukrainian products threatens the domestic production and livelihoods of Polish farmers, which Kyiv denies. Poland has already instituted a ban on several Ukrainian products, such as grain. In a meeting with Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina, Tusk told reporters that the problem of oversupply and "unequal" competition stems from imports of Russian and Belarusian goods, in addition to Ukrainian goods. Read also: Warsaw eyes imposing embargo on additional Ukrainian goods Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. WARSAW, Poland The Polish Ministry of National Defence has signed a $2.5 billion deal with the U.S. government to acquire the Integrated Battle Command System, or IBCS, to synchronize the nations air- and missile-defense weapons under development. Deliveries are scheduled for the years 2024 to 2031. Poland intends to use the system to operate its Patriot missile launchers, which are part of the Wisla medium-range, air-defense program, and the Narew short-range equivalent, which relies on MBDAs Common Anti-Air Modular Missile, or CAMM. The acquired systems will be used for six Wisla batteries and 23 Narew batteries, the countrys defense ministry said in a statement Wadysaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, Polands deputy prime minister and national defense minister, signed the contract during an official ceremony on Feb. 29. We will be the second country, after the United States, to have this system, an integrated command system, he said. Kosiniak-Kamysz was sworn in on Dec. 13 as a new Cabinet replaced the ousted government of the right-wing Law and Justice party. Polands Oct. 15, 2023, parliamentary election, which paved the way for a change in government, prompted U.S. manufacturer Northrop Grumman to host an event with top executives in Warsaw in November to advertise the program during the transition. With the purchase now secured, it appears that the new defense leadership here will stick to the previous governments procurement schedule for the key components of the Wisla and Narew programs. Thursday, 02/29/2024, 12:00 p.m. THORP, Wis. (WFRV) Police in Wisconsin say the woman accused of being involved with stealing $200 worth of groceries from a Kwik Trip has been identified. No other information is available at this time. Thursday, 02/29/2024, 10:36 a.m. THORP, Wis. (WFRV) Police in Wisconsin are asking the public for help in identifying a woman and a vehicle after the woman allegedly stole about $200 worth of groceries from a Kwik Trip. 41-year-old man arrested in relation to the fentanyl overdose of a 2-year-old in Freedom According to a release from the Thorp Police Department, officers responded around 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday to the Kwik Trip at 103 East Hill Street in Thorp for reports of a woman who left the business with $200 worth of unpaid groceries. Officials say the woman allegedly left the Kwik trip without paying with a shopping basket in hand before getting into and driving away in a blue Dodge Caliber with a Minnesota license plate reading 1PD292. Courtesy of the Thorp Police Department Courtesy of the Thorp Police Department Courtesy of the Thorp Police Department Courtesy of the Thorp Police Department Police add that the vehicle does not have a front plate but does have all-black wheels and a rear trailer hitch. Anyone with additional information about either the woman or the vehicle is asked to contact the Thorp Police Department at 715-669-5523. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFRV Local 5 - Green Bay, Appleton. PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) A police chase that started at the James River Bridge stretched all the way into Portsmouth on Wednesday. Police say the driver was high on drugs at the time. The chase started around 1:11 p.m. in the southbound lanes at the JRB, per Sergeant Michelle Anaya with Virginia State Police. Anaya says the driver of a Chevrolet Suburban refused to stop on Route 17 near the Suffolk city line, and the chase went through Chesapeake and into Portsmouth. The suspects eventually abandoned the SUV on Detroit St. in the Port Norfolk section and fled on foot, but were eventually detained. The female driver, who hasnt been identified at this time, was believed to be under the influence of narcotics and taken to Bon Secours Maryview Medical Center. Her passenger, 47-year-old Mark Anthony Hodges II, was detained and later arrested for outstanding warrants, Anaya says. Multiple charges are pending in the case, Anaya says, including charges related to guns and narcotics paraphernalia found in the SUV. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WAVY.com. Rep. Lauren Boebert's son Tyler was arrested in connection to a string of Colorado thefts. Tyler Boebert, 18, was linked to the crimes, in part, through surveillance footage, according to court documents. The teen was wearing a hoodie with the name of his mom's shuttered gun-themed restaurant. Investigators identified Colorado GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert's teenage son as a suspect in a Colorado crime spree, in part because he was caught on surveillance footage wearing a hoodie with the name of his mom's shuttered gun-themed eatery, newly released court documents say. Tyler Boebert, 18, was arrested on Tuesday by Colorado's Rifle Police Department in connection to a spate of property thefts and car break-ins. He faces more than 20 charges, including several felony charges, relating to the string of crimes. According to an arrest affidavit, Boebert, along with three underage pals, has been accused of breaking into four cars in the city of Rifle and stealing wallets and credit cards found inside to make purchases at several locations, including local McDonald's, Starbucks, and gas stations. In one case, a woman's stolen debit card was used in an attempt to make a $717 purchase from the fast-fashion online retailer Shein, but the transaction was denied, the arrest affidavit says. Tyler Boebert in his booking photo after his February 27 arrest. Garfield County Sheriff's Office Police identified Boebert in surveillance footage at a gas station at the time and place when one of the stolen cards was used, according to the affidavit. Boebert was wearing a gray hoodie that said "Shooters Grill" on the back and "Grit Glory" on the front, the affidavit says. Shooters Grill was the name of a firearm-themed restaurant his mom once ran. "Based off my previous encounters, I was able to identify the male with the gray hoodie to be Tyler Boebert," a Rifle police officer wrote in the arrest affidavit. "Tylers mother, Lauren Boebert, use to be the owner of the Shooters Grill restaurant here in Rifle, Colorado, hence why the gray hoodie would read out 'Shooters Grill' on the back. Tyler was also wearing long, black, Under Armor pants." The arrest affidavit says that Tyler Boebert and three others "walked around the store and gathered the goods they purchased with" a stolen debit card before they left in a Ford pickup truck. "Tyler can be seen getting in the driver seat, the female with the backwards hat entered the front passenger seat, the female with the gray shirt and the male with the black beanie got in the passenger side rear seat. They stayed parked for a while before finally reversing out and drove away," the affidavit says. The affidavit also says police interviewed someone in connection with the crime spree who alleged that Boebert had made a "sex tape" with someone involved in the ordeal. Business Insider could not immediately reach Boebert's defense attorney for comment on Thursday. Boebert was all smiles on Wednesday during a virtual court hearing related to his arrest. Clad in a black-and-white jumpsuit, he appeared for the hearing via a video hookup from the Garfield County Jail. During the hearing, a judge ordered Boebert to be released on a $1,250 personal-recognizance bond. His next court date is set for April 11. Colorado GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images Lauren Boebert told Business Insider in a statement Wednesday that her son should be "held accountable for poor decisions just like any other citizen." Tyler Boebert's arrest is the latest upheaval in Lauren Boebert's bid for Colorado's Fourth District seat. Lauren Boebert has been involved in a contentious split with her ex-husband, Jayson Boebert, with whom she has four sons. Jayson Boebert was recently arrested twice and Lauren Boebert now has a temporary restraining order against him. Jayson Boebert was arrested in January after Tyler Boebert accused his father of shoving him to the ground, putting his hand in his mouth, and grabbing a rifle during the incident. Read the original article on Business Insider The "Magnificent Seven," a group of market-leading tech companies, is so named for several reasons. Here are three: First, they've all delivered outsized returns over the past decade or so. Second, all seven are leaders in their respective niches of the tech sector. Third, they generally boast excellent growth prospects. Now, suppose we wanted to create a "Magnificent Seven" list in the biotech industry. Which companies would make the cut? I have no doubt that the following three drugmakers would feature prominently: Vertex Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: VRTX), Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY), and Novo Nordisk (NYSE: NVO). VRTX Total Return Level Chart Above-average historical returns As the graph above shows, the worst-performing stock of these three biotech leaders over the past decade is Vertex Pharmaceuticals, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.7%. Eli Lilly's CAGR of 32.1% is the best, while Novo Nordisk's 20.2% annual return comes in second. In the same period, the biotech industry -- as measured by the SPDR S&P Biotech ETF, an index fund tracking it -- delivered a CAGR of 5.5%, nowhere close to the performance of those three biotech giants. Even the S&P 500's 12.8% falls far short of the worst-performing among our biotech trio. So, Vertex, Eli Lilly, and Novo Nordisk meet the first requirement of a Magnificent Seven of biotech stocks. Leaders in core therapeutic areas Vertex, Lilly, and Novo Nordisk all dominate their most important markets. Let's start with Vertex. The company's success over the past 10 years is due to its dominance in the market for therapies for cystic fibrosis (CF). No other company in the world sells medicines that treat the underlying conditions of this rare disease, which affects patients' internal organs, and it's not like Vertex's competitors haven't tried. Vertex has a monopoly that grants it substantial pricing power. The biotech has also been able to develop newer and better CF medicines. In 2019, Vertex earned approval for Trikafta, a drug that can treat up to 90% of CF patients. The biotech is still working on improving its CF lineup. It recently reported results from a phase 3 study for its next combo treatment, which, among other things, comes with a convenient once-daily dosing (Trikafta is taken twice a day). In short, Vertex's dominance here is far from over. Story continues Turning to Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk, the duo have long competed in the market for diabetes therapies, where they are the two leading players. More recently, Lilly and Novo Nordisk have become famous for their anti-obesity medicines. Novo Nordisk's Ozempic is likely the most famous of the bunch, but Eli Lilly earned approval for Zepbound last year, which proved even more effective than Ozempic. Still, both medicines should increase their sales rapidly in the coming years. Their growth prospects are exciting Let's now consider what the future holds for these three biotech leaders. Vertex has sought to diversify its lineup, and succeeded. It recently earned approval for a gene-editing therapy called Casgevy that treats the blood disorders sickle cell disease (SCD) and beta-thalassemia. Vertex also recorded positive results from a phase 3 study of VX-548, a potential treatment for acute neuropathic pain. The company has several other mid- and late-stage pipeline programs, so it should be able to continue delivering rapidly growing revenue and earnings. Meanwhile, Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk will benefit from the fast-growing market for anti-obesity drugs. Some analysts think this niche will hit sales of about $44 billion by 2030, up from $2.5 billion in 2022. Ozempic and Zepbound should earn key label expansions in other areas, too. Both are targeting the potentially highly lucrative nonalcoholic steatohepatitis market. The former recorded excellent results in treating kidney disease in diabetes patients, while the latter is also being investigated in obstructive sleep apnea. Furthermore, Eli Lilly's lineup and pipeline include important medicines in other areas, including cancer drug Verzenio, immunosuppressant Taltz, and donanemab, which could earn the green light this year in treating Alzheimer's disease (AD). Novo Nordisk is expanding its lineup, too, with programs for SCD, AD, and various rare diseases; it's also close to an approval for icodec, a once-weekly insulin product. So all three of these biotechs seem to have excellent outlooks. That's why the market continues to reward them. There is no official "Magnificent Seven" for biotech stocks yet. But if there were, it would be hard to come up with a better trio to lead the pack. Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Eli Lilly, and Novo Nordisk are absolute no-brainers for biotech investors. Where to invest $1,000 right now When our analyst team has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for two decades, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has more than tripled the market.* They just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy right now and Vertex Pharmaceuticals made the list -- but there are 9 other stocks you may be overlooking. See the 10 stocks *Stock Advisor returns as of February 26, 2024 Prosper Junior Bakiny has positions in Vertex Pharmaceuticals. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Vertex Pharmaceuticals. The Motley Fool recommends Novo Nordisk. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Could These 3 Companies Headline a "Magnificent Seven" of Biotech Stocks? was originally published by The Motley Fool An investigation is underway after a woman was found seriously injured in the street in Dracut earlier this week, authorities announced Thursday. Officers responding to a report of a person down in the roadway in the area of 23 Pleasant Street just before 10:30 p.m. on Monday found a 33-year-old woman suffering from serious injuries, according to the Dracut Police Department. The woman, whose name hasnt been released, was rushed to a local hospital and later transferred to a Boston trauma center. A subsequent investigation proved unsuccessful in determining exactly what happened to the woman, according to police. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Dracut Police Department at 978-957-2123. 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 Robert Joseph St. John Jr., 54, was a key part of the punk rock scene in Rhode Island in the 1990s before he moved to Austin, said his friend. He had his own record label that featured local bands, said Jeff Bellucci. Bellucci said he was shocked to find out that St. John had been killed in an Austin hotel room on Feb. 19. Indira Kamil Zink, 25, of Austin has been charged with murder in St. John's killing, police said. The charge is a first-degree felony punishable by up to 99 years in prison. An arrest affidavit said St. John had listed Zink as an emergency contact on his driver's license information. It did not say how he knew her. Police were notified after they received a call that a man, later identified as St. John, was not breathing at 5:04 p.m. Feb. 21 in a room at the InTown Suites at 12989 U.S. 183 North in Austin, the document said. Indira Kamil Zink, 25, of Austin, has been charged with murder in the stabbing death of Robert Joseph St. John Jr. Officers found St. John's body with a stab wound, police said. Staff said St. John had been staying by himself at the hotel since December, according to the affidavit. Police saw a knife near his body, as well as blood on the outside of the room's front door, the document said. Residents in nearby rooms said they had heard a disturbance in St. John's room Feb. 19, two days before his body was found, the affidavit said. It said surveillance video from the hotel's lobby showed St. John meeting a woman later identified as Zink at 12:42 p.m. Feb. 19. The video then showed St. John stepping briefly out of his room at 5:35 p.m. but then returning, police said. He then stepped out of the room again at 6:49 p.m. "holding his midsection and walking slowly, as if he is in pain," the affidavit said. St. John, in the video, stood outside of the room for several minutes before going back inside it, police said. The video then showed that Zink stepped out of the room at 7:07 p.m. and stayed in the hallway for about 10 minutes before reapproaching the room's door, the affidavit said. It said Zink appeared to knock on the door, and, when it opened, she "produced a small thin object in her left hand and reared it back behind her waist as if to prepare to swing it forward." The video showed she then stepped quickly inside the doorway before she backed out about two seconds later and walked toward the elevators, the affidavit said. It said police think she was holding a knife. The video surveillance showed that Zink used the elevator at 7:11 p.m. to go to the first floor, where she left the hotel, the affidavit said. Detectives later found three cellphones in St. John's room, including one that belonged to him, the affidavit said. It said his phone had messages on it from someone named "Twooky," later identified as Zink. Zink had also sent St. John pictures of herself on the phone, police said. The Lone Star Fugitive Task Force found and arrested Zink on Feb. 24, police said. She was being held Thursday at the Williamson County Jail with bail set at $250,000. The incident happened in part of Austin that is in Williamson County. Anyone with information on the case can contact the Austin Police Department at 512-974-TIPS. People can also submit tips anonymously through the Capital Area Crimestoppers program by visiting austincrimestoppers.org or by calling 512-472-8477. Bellucci said St. John was supposed to meet him for lunch in Austin on Feb. 26. He said Bellucci had reached out to him on Facebook wanting to meet. They both had moved to Austin separately around 2006 or 2007 but had not kept in touch recently. "I was hoping to find out where he's been," Bellucci said. "Nobody had heard from him for the last five and a half years because he didn't have a phone." Bellucci said he had never heard St. John speak about Zink and didn't know who she was. Bellucci said he first met St. John around 1993 when they both lived in Providence, Rhode Island, and played in punk rock bands. St. John at that time was a drummer in a band Gringo, his friend said. St. John helped punk rock bands by throwing shows in basements and warehouses and by featuring them on his record label called Roachender Records, Bellucci said. "He was a very big guardian of us because if you were walking down the street with dyed hair and piercings and a leather jacket at 16 years old in 1993, people were going to mess with you," said Bellucci. "Bob had our backs and gave us places to go and stay out of trouble. He was a very key part of all of us growing up in that scene. He touched a lot of lives. There's a lot of people back home that are hurting right now." St. John moved to Austin in 2006 or 2007 but wasn't part of the local music scene, said Bellucci. Another friend, Jenn Lombari of Providence, said St. John had told her he was planning to move back to that city soon. She said she had met him in 1995 in Providence and played in shows with him. "I was so excited for him to come back to Providence because everything is so much different, and I wanted to see the expression on his face." She said St. John had expressed no fears about his safety to her. Bellucci said he recently went to help another friend collect St. John's belongings from the hotel room to send them to St. John's sister in Boston. St. John had a lot of his records in the room in perfect condition, Bellucci said. "He had held on," Bellucci said, "to every little treasure from the 1990s of the amazing Rhode Island music scene." This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Former punk rock producer in Rhode Island killed in Austin hotel room There are no suspects in the murder of a 23-year-old Pennsylvania Amish woman who was six months pregnant, state police said Wednesday. Rebekah Byler was found dead on Monday afternoon in the living room of her home in Spartansburg, a rural community in northwest Pennsylvania where there is a thriving Amish population, according to local station WJET. Bylers husband was reportedly away when her body was discovered by a close friend and relative. Her two young children were also found in the house unharmed. State trooper Cynthia Schick said police were aggressively investigating all possible leads, in a statement to The Daily Beast. Schick told WJET that Bylers autopsy shed some light on her killing, but she didnt reveal how the young woman died. Keep being vigilant. This is a criminal homicide investigation. Practice safe procedures keep your doors locked, report any suspicious behavior of persons or vehicles whether it was past or current, Schick advised the surrounding community. Authorities also urged the public to come forward with any tips that could help the investigation. State Police Lt. Mark Weindorf said authorities are trying to reconstruct Bylers actions and whereabouts in the 24 hours before her death, the Erie Times-News reported. The crime shocked the community, where there hasnt been a murder since 1993. That case also involved the grisly murder of an Amish woman, Katie Gingerich, who police said was disemboweled by her husband. 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. Marcus Osborne had been 'coercive, controlling and physically abusive' towards Katie Higton, she told police Police officers were informed that a violent domestic abuser had murdered his ex-partner and her new love interest while holding an urgent meeting on how to protect the woman from him, it has emerged. Katie Higton reported Marcus Osborne to West Yorkshire Police four days before he tortured and killed her and Steven Harnett, 25, in her Huddersfield home on 15 May last year. Osborne, 35, who had previously been jailed for domestic abuse, forced his way into Higtons home, took a woman in the property hostage, and told her to contact his ex and get her to return to the property. Higton had reported Osborne to police four days before her death and the murder was reported at the very moment professionals from police, the local authority and other agencies gathered to discuss the threats reported by Ms Higton, 27, days earlier. Katie Higton, 27 reported Osborne to police four days before her death in May of last year This was an urgent meeting, according to the official record, which was obtained by the BBC ahead of his sentencing hearing on Thursday. Outlining the case against Osborne, who previously pleaded guilty to the murders, prosecutor Jonathan Sandiford KC said Higton was hacked at as soon as she returned home in the early hours of 15 May 2023. Leeds Crown Court heard Higton sustained 99 injuries during the attack against which she was effectively defenceless, although she put up a courageous fight. The woman in the house said that after the murder Osborne appeared calm, laughed, and washed himself before changing his clothes. Steven Harnett, 25, the new partner of Katie Higton, was tortured by Osborne before he was killed She said he then took Higtons phone from her body and sent a text message pretending to be her, to Harnett, 25, luring him to the house in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. When he entered, Osborne set upon him with the knife before mutilating his genitals while he was still alive, the prosecutors said. Romeo and Juliet can die together After he killed his second victim, he said to the woman still in the property: Romeo and Juliet, they can f****** die together now. He moved the bodies so they were side by side before remaining in the house for several hours. He then raped the other woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons and whom he had held captive in the house overnight, at knifepoint. Before he did so, he told her: This is happening, Ill slice your throat if you scream. Shut up, this is the last time Ill have sex in a long time. The court heard four children were also in the house during the murders. Sexual jealousy Mr Sandiford said: The defendant committed a premeditated and brutal double murder motivated by sexual jealousy, a desire to exercise control over Katie Higton, an unwillingness to accept her decision to leave him and her freedom to form a relationship with another man. Higton had been in a relationship with Osborne for five years, but left him after an assault on April 28 which was the last straw. She later told police the relationship had become coercive, controlling and physically abusive in the past two years and that she had been regularly assaulted, including one incident when he threw a cat at her, the court heard. Osborne also has convictions for violent offences against two previous partners in 2011 and 2012, Mr Sandiford said. Higton went to Huddersfield police station on May 10 to make a complaint about Osborne, and spoke to a member of police staff over the phone later that day. She was visited by an officer on May 11. During phone calls to the police Higton said Osborne had told her he would slit her throat if she said what he had done and that if she ever got a boyfriend he would kill them both. On May 12 Osborne was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence offences and bailed with conditions not to go back to their home, but spied on her over the following days before taking a taxi to the house on the night of the murders. The court heard he found out about the developing relationship between Higton and Harnett by hacking into her Snapchat account. Monster of the worst kind A victim personal statement by Higtons mother Nicola McAlister, read in court, said Osborne was a monster of the worst kind. Ms McAlister wrote: I no longer live, I simply exist in a tortuous world without my baby. Osborne has previously pleaded guilty to two counts of murder, and the false imprisonment and rape of the other woman in the house. The hearing which is due to conclude on Friday. 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. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has not ruled out the possibility that the country may impose a ban on imports of agricultural products from Russia, following the example of Latvia. Source: Reuters, citing Tusk during a press conference in Warsaw on 29 February, as reported by European Pravda Details: The Polish prime minister noted that Russian and Belarusian agricultural products imported to Poland also cause market distortions, which protesting farmers resent. "Latvia decided to implement an embargo on the import of (agricultural) products from Russia. We will analyse the case of Latvia, and I do not rule out that Poland will take an appropriate initiative," Tusk added. Tusk also stated that the European Union needs to "seriously focus on better regulations when it comes to the import of cereals and food products from the east". Like most European countries, Poland has been gripped by farmers' protests in recent weeks, opposing the EU's environmental regulations and what they say is unfair competition from Ukraine after it was granted trade benefits. Background: Last week, the Latvian parliament passed a temporary ban on imports of agricultural products from Russia and Belarus until at least July 2025. Latvia stated that this step seeks to sever economic ties with the aggressor countries and complements EU sanctions. Earlier, Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina noted that her country was setting an example for others by banning grain imports from Russia and Belarus. Support UP or become our patron! VALPARAISO, Ind. The Porter County coroner is seeking the publics help in finding relatives of two sisters who recently died. The sisters are Radojka Predovic, 74, and Darinka Predovic, 67. Radojka could possibly have gone by the name of Radmila and Darinka possibly went by the name Dawn, according to coroner Cyndi Dykes. They lived in the Aberdeen area of Valparaiso. Anyone with information on the sisters is asked to call the coroners office at 219-548-0208. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WGN-TV. How can any country accidentally let in a million immigrants? Brexit was supposed to dial it all back, ushering in a new economic model where employers would be forced to rely on the domestic workforce. Care homes would, finally, have to recruit locally and pay properly. Instead, real-term salaries plunged and immigration doubled leading to the panic now underway. The number of health and social care visas has risen fivefold in just three years, according to figures out yesterday. So what went wrong? And how? So often, the policies that most shape societies for good and ill come about by mistake rather than design. This is a classic example. Immigration has changed the face of Britain: newcomers account for one in five workers (a higher ratio than the US) and almost one in three new mums. A higher birth rate means the UK is one of the few major countries not fretting about a fall in the working-age population. So this is not the story of disaster: for all of the current tensions, Britain can still claim to be Europes most successful melting pot. But this wasnt intentional. Everyone thought that Brexit would lead to less immigration. It was seen to be obvious, which is why so many Remainers portrayed Brexit as a xenophobic, anti-migrant project. The economic scare studies from Remain saying wed be poorer usually included the assumption that immigration rates would plummet. What about GDP per head? said the Brexiteers. But all sides agreed that numbers would drop, which is partly why Boris Johnson loosened the migration rules. He felt he could afford to: numbers were sure to fall. Covid arrived just weeks after Britain left the EU, so the new visa system was not properly tested. When lockdowns ended, the urgent mission was rebuilding the economy and it had become horribly clear that the Great British workforce was not rushing back to the office. Immigrants who came to study were allowed to stay for two years to job hunt. The salary threshold for a visa was lowered from 30,000 to 25,600. Rules on bringing dependants were loosened. The first odd sign came from the UK Visas authority, which prides itself on issuing paperwork in good time and submitted a request for more staff to handle a quadrupling of demand. This wasnt seen as alarming but, instead, the start of the post-Brexit visa era and the unwinding of lockdown. The finest minds in England thought things were still on track. As late as November 2022, the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) said net migration would be 230,000 the next year. The actual figure was three times higher. The dots were there, but no one had joined them. The number of dependent visas rose fourfold. Just one in four visas issued was for work. The 2019 Tory target to have 600,000 foreign students by 2030 was hit in 2021, an astonishing nine years early. But this didnt cause alarm or make people ask whether a scam may be going on where colleges were offering Mickey Mouse degrees so foreign students could bring their family and exploit a loophole. Political attention was elsewhere (mainly on the emerging small boats crisis). Three factors had blinded ministers to what was happening. The first was the wildly-wrong modelling: the OBR was no more accurate with migration than Sage was with Covid. Next, the OBRs crude calculation: that every 100,000 immigrants would mean 1 billion more headroom to lift spending or cut taxes. It didnt properly factor in the cost of public services or the rise in dependants visas. Worst of all, ministers had started to take such figures as gospel when the OBR has always stressed that its figures are simplistic and subject to significant uncertainty. That is an understatement. Immigration and population projections have been wrong for decades and with big consequences. Enoch Powell gave his rivers of blood speech using official figures predicting that the population was about to surge. It didnt. Before Tony Blair gave full employment rights to workers from new EU member states in 2004, the Home Office published a report saying no more than 13,000 a year would come. In the end, 50,000 a year did. So post-Brexit migration forecasts belong in this tradition of statistical fiction. There were dissenters. Suella Braverman, Robert Jenrick, Theresa May all questioned the economic benefits suggested by the Treasury and warned that getting it wrong would put pressure on everything from school places to community cohesion. But that didnt bother Rishi, Liz or Boris, says one minister who worked under all three. They are liberals. They wanted the GDP. They knew far more may end up coming but theyd say oh dear, never mind, lets bank the extra cash. The wiring of government has always had an inherent pro-migration bias. Look around the Cabinet table and ask: who has a vested interest to control numbers? Not HM Treasury: they want every penny of what their models say is extra revenue. The education secretary wants foreign students and their fees. The health secretary needs nurses and care workers to fill huge vacancies. Transport needs lorry drivers and agriculture the farm workers. A housing minister might be anxious: where might they all live? But attempts to model the accommodation pressures fell flat. Then there were the liberal commentators, like me, relaxed about mass immigration. I was (and remain) keen to see a successful, liberal model of Brexit where borders stay open but the intake is controlled. High-skilled immigration would continue and low-skilled immigration would dry up, so wages would rise and if the Treasury wanted more taxpaying workers theyd have to stop ignoring welfare reform. The case for this was so clear, I thought, that it was bound to happen. Eight years after the Brexit vote and four years after Brexit itself, its fair to say that it hasnt. Remainers were wrong to say Brexit would hoist up the drawbridge. Leavers were wrong to say thered be a better mix of fewer, higher-skilled people. We instead ended up with something no one envisaged: the unintended trebling of immigration, covering up what may soon be the worst welfare crisis in history. Id still argue that we have the tools to get the balance right between migration, welfare and wages. But hopes for this will lie with a Labour government, it seems, given that the Tories really do seem to have blown 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. Pupils will find out which school they can go to on Friday - izusek/E+ A record number of families are set to miss out on their first-choice secondary school amid a rise in applications, analysis has suggested. On Friday, more than half a million 10 and 11-year-olds will find out which state secondary school has offered them a place. One in five children in England and Wales are expected to miss out on their preferred school, because a baby boom in around 2010 has put pressure on places. Last year, about 620,000 primary pupils applied to secondary schools, the highest number ever. Demand for places is expected to peak this year owing to a bulge in the primary school population applying for secondary places. As a result, the success rate for families achieving their first choice could fall to about 80 per cent, projections suggest. Last year, the proportion of pupils achieving their first choice was 82.6 per cent, down from 83.3 per cent a year earlier, having recovered from a historic low of 80.9 per cent in 2019. Prof Alan Smithers, director of the Centre for Education and Employment Research at the University of Buckingham, who carried out the analysis, said competition for places was greater than ever. Last year, the proportion of schools full or above capacity rose to 23 per cent, the highest in more than a decade. The figure is expected to increase this year. Prof Smithers said more places had been on offer this year, but not enough to keep pace with extra demand. Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: The number of pupils in secondary schools has been rising in recent years and is set to do so again for 2024-25. Its therefore inevitable that there will be pressure for places, although the extent of this will vary across different areas. Schools and local authorities will have done their best to plan for these population changes and the majority of families will still get their first choice. Where the pressure will be most keenly felt is in schools that are already oversubscribed. This is often caused by families moving into the catchment area of these schools, which tend to be located in affluent areas and have positive Ofsted ratings. The most competitive region for a family to win a place at their first preference school last year was Lambeth in south London, where only 61.6 per cent received an offer from their preferred school. In the London boroughs of Redbridge and Wandsworth, the offer rate was 63.3 per cent and 64 per cent, respectively. In other parts of the country, the success rate was much higher. In Rutland, 98 per cent of applicants received an offer from their first-choice school, while in Cumbria and York, the figure was 96 per cent. A spokesman for the Local Government Association said it was becoming increasingly difficult to keep up with demand for places because more schools have become academies, which local authorities cannot direct to expand. The spokesman added: Every child should have a fair chance of getting into their parents preferred school and councils and schools work extremely hard to try and ensure that as many pupils as possible are allocated their first preference. The Department for Education 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. WASHINGTON Former President Donald Trump welcomed the Supreme Courts decision to hear his argument for immunity from federal charges he tried to steal the 2020 election, but legal experts feared a broad protection from prosecution after leaving office could turn presidents into dictators. The high courts decision to hear the landmark case in April will delay the high-profile criminal trial for months. It's unclear whether the delay will push the trial beyond the November election. Trump has repeatedly claimed that the charges are politically motivated. If he returns to the White House, he could appoint an attorney general who would seek to dismiss any pending federal charges. Trump could also simply pardon himself, although his power to do so is debated. Whatever the decision, the case could set new boundaries between the three branches of government by clarifying when former presidents can be tried in the courts under laws that Congress approved. Here are the top takeaways from the high courts decision to hear the case: Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump greets supporters during an election night watch party at the State Fairgrounds on Feb. 24, 2024 in Columbia, South Carolina. South Carolina held its Republican primary today. How is Trump claiming immunity from prosecution? Trump faces four criminal cases for charges of election interference in federal court and in Georgia state court, for federal charges of mishandling classified documents and for New York charges of falsifying business records to pay hush money. In the federal cases, Trump has argued he is completely immune from prosecution because crimes were charged for actions he took as president. His lawyer, John Sauer, argued at the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals that former presidents are only vulnerable to criminal charges after the House has impeached and the Senate convicted a president. Sauer said in response to a judges questions that a president could kill a political opponent and get away with it if the Senate didnt convict him. But the three-judge appeals panel ruled unanimously that former presidents are subject to laws that Congress approves and that courts judge. "Former President Trump lacked any lawful discretionary authority to defy federal criminal law and he is answerable in court for his conduct," the panel ruled. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, former President Donald Trump and special counsel Jack Smith. Why did Trump welcome the Supreme Court taking case? Trump welcomed the decision by arguing that without immunity, a president wouldnt be able to function in the job because he would always be fearful about prosecution over contentious actions. Presidents will always be concerned, and even paralyzed, by the prospect of wrongful prosecution and retaliation after they leave office, Trump said in a post on Truth Social. This could actually lead to the extortion and blackmail of a President. The other side would say, If you dont do something, just the way we want it, we are going to go after you when you leave office, or perhaps even sooner. But legal experts contend such an expansive view of immunity would leave presidents unaccountable. Joyce White Vance, a former U.S. attorney, said this isnt a hard case because providing a president immunity for trying to steal an election has to be a loser. If not, our claim to be a democracy is no longer viable, Vance said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. McQuade, another former prosecutor, said a Supreme Court decision in spring would still allow Chutkan to begin a trial in August or September and finish it before November. "I think there is time for the case to be decided and then tried before the election," McQuade said. President Donald Trump speaks at a rally in front of the White House on Jan. 6, 2021. Soon after, rioters marched to the U.S. Capitol. Why is the Supreme Court hearing Trump's appeal now? Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith had tried to get the high court to weigh in earlier but was rebuffed. After the trial court judge ruled in December that the presidency doesnt confer a lifelong get-out-of-jail-free pass, Smith tried to leapfrog the normal appeals process in hopes of getting a final decision so the trial could start in March. Smith told the justices that the case presents "a fundamental question at the heart of our democracy that only the Supreme Court can definitively resolve. The Supreme Court declined Smiths request without comment. There were no noted dissents. No justices dissented Wednesday either when the court announced it will decide the immunity issue now that the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals has acted. That leaves observers guessing about why they're taking the case. It takes four justices to agree to hear an appeal. A major reason for doing so is if they think the lower courts decision was wrong. But another is if the issue is of major significance. "While at least four justices agreed to hear the case, that doesnt mean four are inclined to accept Trumps immunity defense," said Barbara McQuade, a law professor at the University of Michigan and former U.S. attorney. "Even Jack Smith argued that this issue is a matter of national import that should be decided by this court, even if only to reject the defense or limit its contours." The decision to hear the appeal but do so on an accelerated schedule may also have been a compromise if some justices wanted to deny it outright and others wanted full consideration. The fact that the court took about two weeks to decide could indicate there was a lot of back-and-forth. Alan Morrison, a law professor and associate dean for public interest at George Washington University, said options for the high courts change of mind include wanting to hear what the circuit court had to say and perhaps playing a bait and switch on Smith. The fact is this is the worst outcome for him in terms of what could have happened, Morrison said. Hes certainly not at fault. I thought it was a bold move to try to get the court to take it. How quickly is the Supreme Court acting? Typically, when a case gets appealed to the Supreme Court it can take months and months for a resolution. For example, in a case the justices heard Wednesday on whether the government can ban bump stocks on guns, the oral arguments came nearly four months after the court agreed to take the case. In Trumps immunity appeal, oral arguments will happen in about half that time. This is still a very expedited timetable for a major historic case at the Supreme Court, Norm Eisen, who served as special counsel to the House of Representatives' first impeachment of Trump, said on CNN. Still, Smith this month had urged the court to act even sooner if they now wanted to hear the appeal. He was hoping for oral arguments in March, not April. And it can take months for the justices to issue an opinion after hearing a case. Delays could mean Supreme Court tells voters it's 'up to you,' expert says The trial will be delayed, but its not clear for how long. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan scheduled the trial for March 4. But the dispute over immunity has halted action in the case indefinitely. The justices agreed to hear the case the week of April 22, which means a decision could come in May or June. If the trial can proceed after the high courts decision, there would still be about two months of preparation for trial, under Chutkans earlier schedule for the case. Prosecutors have estimated their case could take four to six weeks, then Trumps defense could present its arguments. The election interference trial could still happen before the November election, but the longer the Supreme Court takes to rule on immunity, the smaller the chances for a verdict before voting. The Supreme Courts message to us is, Hey voters, were leaving this up to you, Vance added on X. Trump has other trials pending Trump has a variety of civil and criminal trials pending as he hashes out the immunity claims with the Supreme Court. He is appealing civil verdicts totaling more than $500 million from columnist E. Jean Carroll and New York Attorney General Letitia James. Among criminal cases, Trumps New York trial on charges of falsifying business records is scheduled March 25 and could last a couple of months. Trumps federal trial on charges of hoarding national defense records after leaving the White House is tentatively set for May 20. But U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon set a scheduling hearing Friday to discuss pretrial preparations and the date could change. Trump has asked Cannon to dismiss those charges based on immunity and her decision is pending. Trump contends that he designated records marked classified as personal records under the Presidential Records Act, so he was free to take them with him to Mar-a-Lago. Prosecutors have disputed the records containing some of the countrys most important national security secrets were personal and said there was no documentation that they had been declassified. In Georgia, Trump faces racketeering charges without a trial date set. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis asked for an Aug. 5 trial, but the judge hasnt set a date yet. Trump is trying to disqualify Willis, with closing arguments in that dispute scheduled Friday. How has Trump fared before the Supreme Court? Trump reshaped the Supreme Court, giving it a potent conservative supermajority that has made major policy decisions, most notably overturning the 5-decade-old decision that made abortion legal nationwide. But when it comes to Trumps personal issues, he hasnt gotten a lot of love. After Trump lost reelection in 2020, the court threw out a Texas lawsuit aiming to overturn the results in four battleground states. The court has also allowed New York City prosecutors and Congress to get his tax records and didnt stop the congressional committee investigating Jan. 6 from accessing presidential documents. The justices also declined Trumps request to get involved in the dispute over classified documents seized at his Mar-a-Lago resort in 2022. But when hearing Trumps challenge to Colorados decision that an anti-insurrection provision of the Constitution makes the former president ineligible to serve again, even the courts liberal justices sounded skeptical that one state could make such a determination about a national candidate. That decision is pending. Another Trump case at the Supreme Court Supreme Court grapples with leaving Donald Trump on presidential ballot in Colorado What are 'official acts' of a president? In agreeing to hear the case, the Supreme Court appeared to focus on what sort of official acts should shield a president from prosecution. Part of Trumps argument for immunity is based on one of the high court's earliest decisions, called Marbury v. Madison, which found a presidents official acts can never be examinable by the courts. Trump defined official acts broadly to include his campaign-related activities covered in the criminal charges. But the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that former presidents can be tried for official acts because the prosecution by definition means the allegations were carried out in defiance of the law. In Marbury, the Supreme Court found the president is responsible for his conduct and cannot at his discretion violate the law. Here, former President Trumps actions allegedly violated generally applicable criminal laws, meaning those acts were not properly within the scope of his lawful discretion; accordingly, Marbury and its progeny provide him no structural immunity from the charges in the Indictment, the appeals panel wrote. Morrison, the George Washington professor, said he expects the justices to focus on what actions could be considered official. For example, disputes over whether Trump should have called the National Guard to combat the riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, could be considered official acts as commander in chief. But Trumps reported effort to visit the Capitol during the riot might sound campaign related. I think what this question is looking at is the equivalent of what happens in civil liability cases involving the president, which is to zero in on specific acts that the indictment alleges and see whether they are within the outer limits of the presidents authority, Morrison said. Its going to be very tricky. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Supreme Court Trump immunity case: How the ruling could make history Russian forces launched an airstrike on the village of Shcherbynivka in Donetsk Oblast, wounding three people and damaging multiple houses, the regional prosecutor's office reported on Feb. 29. Civilians in Donetsk Oblast settlements suffer from daily Russian strikes due to their proximity to the front line. Intense fighting continues in Donetsk Oblast, partially occupied by Russia, as Moscow seeks to capture the entire region. Russia dropped a bomb on the village at around 4:50 p.m. local time, completely destroying a house, the Donetsk Oblast Prosecutor's Office said on Telegram. The debris and blast wave injured three residents of houses nearby, a 63-year-old woman and two men aged 65 and 76, according to the prosecutors. At least 10 nearby houses and outbuildings were reportedly damaged in the strike. Shcherbynivka lies around 35 kilometers southwest of Russian-occupied Bakhmut. Russian attacks against Donetsk Oblast on Feb. 28 killed two civilians and injured four others, Donetsk Oblast Governor Vadym Filashkin reported earlier. Read also: They mourned loss of apartment. Then, Russia destroyed their whole city Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. By Laila Kearney NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. officials this week indefinitely withdrew a survey aimed at gathering information on the crypto-mining industry's power use, hindering attempts to understand the sector's impact on grids and energy prices at a time of record activity. Riot Platforms, among the biggest U.S. bitcoin miners, and industry group Texas Blockchain Council, sued to stop mandatory data requests after a new survey went out this month by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) to assess crypto-mining's electricity use. As a result, U.S. officials canceled the emergency survey and are negotiating an agreement with the bitcoin mining plaintiffs to end the lawsuit, said two sources familiar with the situation. Crypto critics said halting the survey could create new vulnerabilities to the U.S. electrical grid, and one environmental group called industry opposition to the survey "reprehensible." Mining of digital coins hit a peak on Feb. 7 and is expected to consume more than 60 terawatt hours in the U.S. this year, or nearly the annual electricity consumption of Israel, according to Reuters calculations and estimates from firms producing data about Bitcoin and electricity use. Bitcoin mining power demand is projected to grow by more than a third globally through 2024, with the U.S. accounting for the largest share, according to energy analytics firm Enverus. It was unclear if the EIA would still pursue its survey or what sort of timeline such an effort would now entail. The U.S. made up 38% of global bitcoin mining as of January 2022, according to the latest data from Cambridge University. Anecdotally, that share is now likely closer to 50%, estimated Alexander Neumuller, a researcher at Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance. Recent approval of spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) has boosted prices, which this week soared to $60,000, encouraging more mining activity. Last month the EIA, the Department of Energy's statistical arm, filed an emergency request to begin monitoring crypto-mining's power use, citing concerns its swelling footprint could raise power bills and overburden the vulnerable U.S. electrical network. Story continues Booming electricity consumption, and crypto-mining's unusual interplay with power markets, has affected grids in places like Texas and driven up energy costs for some consumers. "It's particularly reprehensible for Texan cryptocurrency miners to obstruct basic efforts to gather essential data energy regulators need to deliver reliable, affordable power, said Holly Bender of environmental group Sierra Club. Bender pointed to a 2021 winter freeze that knocked out power across large swaths of Texas and killed over 200 people. 'SENSE OF URGENCY' The EIA began its survey of 82 miners the week of Feb. 5, requesting details about operations and energy use. Members of Congress, including Senator Elizabeth Warren, had requested a survey for more than a year. "The department is asking crypto-miners to report basic information about their energy usage like other industries have done for decades so the public and lawmakers better understand how crypto-mining's electricity use and carbon emissions affect the power grid and environment," Warren said in an email to Reuters. The memo from EIA Head Joseph DeCarolis requesting approval of the survey from the Office of Management and Budget said, "We feel a sense of urgency to generate credible data that would provide insight into this unfolding issue." The mining industry's lawsuit, filed on Feb. 22, claimed the survey's fast-track approval process was unlawful and its scope, including questions about precise geographic locations of miners and commercial partners, posed threats to their businesses and hard assets if made public. On Friday, the EIA agreed to halt the survey for over a month until March 25 and sequester the data it received so far. Later that day, a U.S. federal judge in Waco, Texas, ordered a temporary restraining order against federal agencies and the survey. This week, the survey was withdrawn, according to sources who asked to remain anonymous because of the ongoing legal dispute. The sides reached an "agreement-in-principle," to be finalized by March 1, court records show. Both sides declined to comment on details of any agreement. (Reporting by Laila Kearney in New York; Editing by Liz Hampton and David Gregorio) Onetime Vanderpump Rules star Rachel Leviss, whose affair with fellow cast member Tom Sandoval was one of the Bravo shows biggest story arcs, filed a bombshell lawsuit Thursday accusing him and co-star Ariana Madix of being involved in producing and distributing revenge porn against her. Raquel Leviss on the Bravo2Bravo Panel at BravoCon in New York on Oct. 15, 2022. (Charles Sykes / Bravo) Leviss secret relationship with Sandoval, who had been dating Madix, then her friend, led to the Scandoval affair, which became one of the most talked-about storylines of reality TV last year. Representatives for Sandoval and Madix could not immediately be reached for comment Thursday. Raquel Leviss, Tom Sandoval, and Ariana Madix on To be clear, Leviss has repeatedly acknowledged that her actions were morally objectionable and hurtful to Madix, according to Leviss lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court. She has offered numerous apologies. The affair led to uncalled-for attacks on Leviss, 29, by Sandoval, 40, and Madix, 38, the suit alleges. Lost in the mix was that Leviss was a victim of the predatory and dishonest behavior of an older man, who recorded sexually explicit videos of her without her knowledge or consent, which were then distributed, disseminated and discussed publicly by a scorned woman seeking vengeance, catalyzing the scandal, according to the civil complaint. The affair was exposed when Madix and Sandoval were together at a performance with his band in Los Angeles on March 1 last year and his phone fell out of his pocket, the lawsuit claims. The phone ended up with Madix, "who searched it and found sexually explicit videos of Leviss," the lawsuit says. That video had been "recorded by Sandoval without her knowledge or consent in or around February 2023," according to the lawsuit. "Leviss has every reason to assume there are additional illicit videos and/or photographs of her that she has not yet seen," the civil complaint continues. "Leviss is informed and believes ... that Madix has obtained at least two illicit videos of Leviss and distributed them and/or showed them to others with Leviss' knowledge or consent," it says. Leviss said she has good reason to believe multiple other people have possession of the videos, as well. "Leviss is informed and believes ... that Madix obtained the videos of Leviss from Sandoval's mobile phone and distributed and disseminated them to others, including but not limited to Madix herself, Leviss, and other individuals whose identities are not currently known to Leviss," the complaint says. Leviss said in the lawsuit that last March 1, she was in New York City to appear on "Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen" and went to a bar after the taping. That's when she received a text message from Madix, reading "you are DEAD TO ME," along with "two videos of Leviss" found on Sandoval's phone, the civil complaint says. Vanderpump cast mate Scheana Shay was with Leviss in New York City, and she lashed out at Leviss over the shocking affair, according to the lawsuit. Reacting to the revelation in apparent shock and anger, Shay violently assaulted Leviss, shoving her aggressively into a brick wall, punching her in the face, and throwing her phone into the street, the lawsuit says. The blow to Levisss face caused a rupture above her left eyebrow and severe swelling and bruising above her left eye. A representative for Shay would not comment on the lawsuit. Leviss said that three days after Madix texted her she confronted Sandoval for secretly recording pornographic videos of her and storing them unprotected on his phone and that the conversation left him so rattled that he refused to leave Levisss apartment in spite of her requests," according to the suit. "Leviss was forced to have her sister and brother-in-law pick her up and drive her to their home," it says. Mark Geragos and Bryan Freedman, attorneys for Leviss, said the ordeal has taken a toll on her mental health. Rachel has apologized for her part in an affair. Thats not a crime. Tom and Ariana are alleged here to have engaged in criminal acts," Geragos said in a statement. "They then doubled down and used those actions to shame, bully, belittle, and intentionally try to destroy Rachels mental health. The law makes it clear that recording someone without their consent and distributing that illegal recording is punishable by law," the statement said. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo is open to banning any Chinese company that accesses U.S. data from doing business in America, she told POLITICO in a Thursday interview. Raimondo said she would consider barring the operations of certain Chinese firms in the U.S., an escalation in the tit-for-tat between Washington and Beijing over technology and industry. But she would need relevant legislation, backed by Democrats and Republicans, to wind its way through Congress and give Commerce the ability to make such judgments. It was her strongest statement yet on potential limits on Chinese companies from automakers to social media companies in the American market. Raimondo told lawmakers in October she was supportive of attacking the issue of data theft by Chinese companies in the U.S. but did not get specific. The secretarys proposal would mark another expansion of existing Biden administration efforts to crack down on Chinese-owned companies that collect U.S. data. Her remarks come after the Biden administration on Thursday announced a probe into connected vehicles made with Chinese parts that U.S. officials fear could capture sensitive personal data from Americans and just one day after President Joe Biden issued an executive order to protect sensitive personal data in the U.S. Commerce, Raimondo noted, doesnt currently have the statutory authority to prohibit any Chinese company absorbing and using Americans data. There's room for a bipartisan bill in Congress to strengthen the tools in the Commerce Department, she said. Asked if she would consider restrictions on such Chinese firms if Commerce got the desired authorities, Raimondo said yes. Theres legislation already circulating on the Hill that would give Commerce authority to take more action against Chinese companies collecting U.S. data. The first, the bipartisan RESTRICT Act, would empower the secretary of Commerce to prohibit transactions between U.S. persons and foreign adversaries, but some Republicans have raised concerns that the bill gives the agency too much power. The second legislative effort, the GUARD Act, is spearheaded by Senate Commerce Chair Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), and would take a more narrow approach to empowering the Commerce Department. We need both more statutory authority, which I would be ready to use vigorously, and also the resources necessary to protect Americans, Raimondo said, noting that the budget for the office in charge of national security-related export controls, the Bureau of Industry and Security, has remained flat for about a decade. The administration has previously focused on taking steps to secure data collected by specific Chinese companies, in particular social media app TikTok, which is owned by Chinese company ByteDance. The U.S., from the White House to the Commerce Department, is especially concerned that Beijing could exploit its fast growing electric vehicle industry as a wedge to purloin personal data from American drivers or send U.S. highways into mass gridlock. The administration has taken a noticeably harder tone against China since the start of 2024, and not only in areas involving U.S. data. The nations top cybersecurity officials appeared in front of the House Select Committee on China last month to warn that Chinese government hackers have infiltrated U.S. critical infrastructure, and are prepositioning to cause chaos in the event of a conflict between Washington and Beijing. Whos ready for less sleep? Yes, you read that right. Less sleep. Its almost daylight saving time and in March, we spring forward. When is the time change? Daylight saving time begins on March 10 at 2 a.m., so remember to change your clocks before bed. We will be springing forward and losing one hour of sleep. It comes with some perks though: more sunlight in the evening. Is it Daylight saving or savings time? According to Almanac.com, the correct term is without the extra s, Daylight Saving Time. Or you can refer to it as Spring Forward or, as the Brits would say it, Summer Time. Why do we have daylight saving time? According to the Farmers Almanac, it might have first started because of Ben Franklin. Benjamin Franklins An Economical Project, written in 1784, is the earliest known proposal to save daylight, said Catherine Boeckmann with the Almanac. In a whimsical tone, Franklin wrote: Every morning, as soon as the Sun rises, let all the bells in every church be set ringing: and if that is not sufficient, let cannon be fired in every street to wake the sluggards effectually. Oblige a man to rise at four in the morning, and it is probable that he will go willingly to bed at eight in the evening. However, some associate the time change to war times when the U.S. needed to conserve fuel and power. And then there are farmers. Many believe that daylight saving time allows farmers to have an extra hour in the fields to watch after crops. This has since been debunked. Whats the best way to prepare for DST? You may lose sleep for one day, but remember, youre gaining extra light when youre more likely to be driving, working or enjoying the outdoors. Here are a few tips to make next Sundays transition a smooth one. Stick to your regular bedtime routine. Avoid caffeine and alcohol before bedtime. Fill up on proteins for dinner and try to eat at the same time, if not a little earlier. Spend time outdoors. Itll help your bodys natural clock reset. Take a short nap. Whos in charge? The Department of Transportation oversees Daylight Saving Time, rolling out the change at 2 a.m. on the second Sunday of March and the first Sunday of November. If you notice a municipality is not observing DST, you can report it to the DOT by emailing regulationsC50.law@dot.gov. The DOT has no say in whether or not a state chooses to observe Daylight Saving Time. When does daylight saving time end? Daylight saving time will end the first Sunday of November, when we will fall back and gain one hour of sleep. Simply put: this change is the one that comes with the extra dark days. What if it changes? A change in Georgias adherence to daylight saving will mean the Sunshine Protection Act has passed and the state will adopt permanent daylight saving time. Other states that have proposed this include: Florida South Carolina Alabama Mississippi Louisiana Tennessee Ohio Delaware Minnesota Colorado Utah Montana Washington Oregon States that voted down legislation: Idaho, Kentucky, Arkansas, Connecticut, Nebraska, Maine, Maryland, New Mexico, Virginia and Wyoming. What do you think of springing forward? Comment below or let me know at cmadden@mcclatchy.com Why are Macon & Warner Robins ranked among the worst cities in the US to walk your dog? Tired of driving in the dark? Heres when well start getting more daylight in Georgia Theres a petition to end the time change in Georgia. Heres how to sign it FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) Three people were arrested for vandalism in Reedley after vigilant residents flagged down Reedley police officers. Thanks to quick action, Chief of Police Reedley Police Department says officers responded swiftly to reports of gang-related vandalism in the areas of Columbia and Washington avenues. We want to extend our heartfelt appreciation to a vigilant resident who flagged down our officers at the Oaks earlier today, says Chief Garza. Garza says officers found the vandalism and spotted a vehicle matching the description provided by witnesses near a freshly painted Norteno tagging on Evening Glow and Columbia avenues. The suspect identified by police as Erik Valencia, 23 of Reedley was arrested for evading arrest, while Alejandro Amezcua, 29, and Mario Samaniego, 21 were arrested for vandalism after a brief pursuit. Investigators say they discovered four walls defaced by the suspects, along with aerosol paint cans found within the vehicle. Police say Amezcua and Samaniego were also found with paint residue on their hands. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to YourCentralValley.com | KSEE24 and CBS47. Rep. Mark Green (R-Tenn.) will run for reelection in November, he confirmed to The Hill on Thursday, reversing his announcement two weeks prior that he would retire at the end of his current term. Green, the chair of the House Homeland Security Committee, revealed last week he was seriously reconsidering his decision to retire, setting off speculation that the Tennessee Republican would vie for another term in the lower chamber. On Thursday, former President Trump urged him to seek reelection in a post on Truth Social. Shortly after, the Tennessee Republican made his reversal official, writing in a statement that he made his decision after fielding calls from various people including Trump encouraging him to run again. While my strong desire was to leave Congress at the end of this year, since my announcement, I have received countless calls from constituents, colleagues, and President Trump urging me to reconsider. I was reminded of the words of General McArthur on a statue at West Point: Duty, honor, country. I realized once again: I had a duty to my country to fulfill, Green said in a statement. I will be running for re-election so I can be here on Day 1 next year to help President Trump end this border crisis once and for all, he added. Green who has represented Tennessees 7th Congressional District since 2019 announced his retirement plans Feb. 14, one day after the House voted to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on its second try. The congressman said after notching a win with the Mayorkas impeachment, the time had come for him to return home. At the start of the 118th Congress, I promised my constituents to pass legislation to secure our borders and to hold Secretary Mayorkas accountable. Today, with the House having passed H.R. 2 and Secretary Mayorkas impeached, it is time for me to return home, he wrote in a statement. But he also took a shot at the institution of Congress, calling it broken beyond most means of repair. The sentiment jibes with that of other lawmakers who are running for the exits this Congress, a session that has been described as one of the most unproductive in years. In the last few months, in reading the writings of our Framers, I was reminded of their intent for representatives to be citizen-legislators, to serve for a season and then return home. Our countryand our Congressis broken beyond most means of repair. I have come to realize our fight is not here within Washington, our fight is with Washington, Green said at the time. Trump made a public plea for Green to run for reelection shortly before he made his announcement on Thursday, citing his political talents and the fantastic work he has done in Congress. Mark Green has had lots of options because of his political talents, and the great job he has done as a Congressman, but given the fantastic work hes doing as Chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, I hope he runs for Re-Election to the U.S. House of Representatives. If he does, he has my Complete and Total Endorsement! Trump wrote. Updated at 4:25 p.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) Tennessee Republican Congressman Mark Green will not retire at the end of his current term after all, the legislator announced Thursday. According to a statement obtained by News 2s Chris OBrien, Green said he initially planned to retire from Congress in November but the countless calls from constituents, colleagues, and President Trump urging me to reconsider put him back in the race. I will be running for re-election so I can be here on Day 1 next year to help President Trump end this border crisis once and for all, he said in the statement. Green initially announced he would not seek reelection after he and other Republicans successfully impeached Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas on Feb. 14. Rep. Mark Green reconsidering decision to retire Ive accomplished what I wanted to do. I wanted to get a great border security bill done. We did that, and I wanted to hold the administration accountable, and we just impeached for the first time a sitting Cabinet secretary, Green told reporters outside the Capitol at the time. However, less than two weeks after that announcement, Green said he was seriously reconsidering his retirement from Congress. Green currently serves as the House Homeland Security Chair. He represents Tennessees 7th Congressional District, which includes Clarksville, Dickson, Waverly, Waynesboro, and parts of Nashville and Franklin. Read todays top stories on wkrn.com His full statement is below: While my strong desire was to leave Congress at the end of this year, since my announcement, I have received countless calls from constituents, colleagues, and from President Trump urging me to reconsider. I was reminded of the words of General McArthur on a statue at West Point: Duty, honor, country. I realized once again: I had a duty to my country to fulfill. I will be running for re-election so I can be here on Day 1 next year to help President Trump end this border crisis once and for all. Congressman Mark Green (R-Tenn.) For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRN News 2. Mitch McConnell announced on Wednesday that he intends to step down as the longest-serving Senate Republican leader following November's general election. For nearly 20 years, Republicans have relied on the effective Kentucky legislator to navigate the passage of conservative priorities. Since he announced the news, Washington has moved quickly to speculate who could replace Mr McConnell, who has skilfully held his fracturing party together in recent times. Those vying to succeed Mr McConnell, 82, face the daunting prospect of appealing to competing wings of the party. The eventual replacement will have to win the support of a majority of Senate Republicans. Here are some potential successors. John Cornyn of Texas The Texas senator became the first lawmaker on Thursday to officially throw his hat in the ring for the position. Mr Cornyn once served in Mr McConnell's leadership team, and he remains a close confidant of the Kentucky politician. He is widely considered a strong Senate operator thanks to his 22 years of legislative experience. In a statement announcing he was running for Mr McConnell's position, he pointed to this expertise. "I am asking my Republican colleagues to give me the opportunity to succeed Leader [Mitch] McConnell. I have learned a lot during my time both in and out of Senate leadership," Mr Cornyn said. "Throughout my time I've built a track record of listening to colleagues and seeking consensus, while leading the fight to stop bad policies that are harmful to our nation and the conservative cause." Being outside of leadership could also prove to be a benefit, as he did not participate in the recent deal to pass foreign aid in the Senate. He also was not part of the failed border security negotiations, which proved unpopular with the Republican Conference. And, while Mr Cornyn has taken Mr Trump to task in the past, he endorsed the former president last month. He also never supported any of Mr Trump's challengers, which saved him from earning the Maga movement's ire. Senator John Thune of South Dakota John Thune of South Dakota Mr Thune is typically the first mentioned of the "three Johns" who are considered the top candidates to take on Mr McConnell's leadership position. The South Dakota senator is currently the Republican whip, second-in-command to Mr McConnell, and he is known as an effective fundraiser within his party. He also is seen as a moderating force among Republicans, who have taken a hard turn to the right under the leadership of former President Donald Trump. But Mr Thune's position in leadership could also undermine his ambition to take on Mr McConnell's post. Some Senate Republicans, particularly those allied with Mr Trump, have made clear they would like a fresh leader. It is worth noting that Mr Thune only endorsed the former president's candidacy a few days before Mr McConnell's announcement. Mr Trump also endorsed the South Dakota senator's Republican primary challenger in 2022. Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming John Barrasso of Wyoming As the Republican Conference Chair, Mr Barrasso has an influential position within Senate party leadership - and he also has never crossed Mr Trump. That could prove to be the necessary recipe to earn the support of many of his fellow Republicans if he were to pursue Mr McConnell's leadership post. Mr Barrasso was the second senator to support Mr Trump's candidacy ahead of the 2024 primary campaign, and he has backed a slate of candidates who are in lockstep with the former president. He immediately dismissed reporters questions when asked whether he intends to battle for Mr McConnell's position, saying that he remains focused on the election results in November. Senator Rick Scott of Florida Rick Scott Mr Scott angered a number of his Republican colleagues when he mounted a challenge against Mr McConnell 15 months ago. He burned further bridges with them by proposing that several popular federal programmes - such as Medicare and Social Security - be renegotiated every five years. Even Mr Trump, who has been supportive of the Florida politician, has warned Mr Scott to "be careful" about his policy suggestions. While the chances seem low that Mr Scott would run again or win the leadership position, he has maintained that the Senate needs new leadership. That comment was reflected in the statement he shared after Mr McConnell's announcement. "I have been very clear and have long believed that we need new leadership in the Senate that represents our voters and the issues we were sent here to fight for," Mr Scott said. The dark horses While the four men are the most likely candidates, Capitol Hill can always surprise political observers. After all, few would have considered Mike Johnson, a little-known Louisiana congressman, as a viable candidate for Speaker of the House. Senator Steve Daines of Montana could be a strong dark horse contender for the job. He currently leads the National Republican Senatorial Committee, and is leading the party's efforts to retake the Senate majority. Many Republicans feel bullish about their chances thanks to his efforts, and the party's electoral success in November could lift Mr Daines' profile further. Mr Trump has also encouraged the Montana Republican to run for the leadership post, according to a Politico report. Sen Joni Ernst of Iowa, who served as the vice-chair of the Republican conference until January, is considered another potential candidate and a reliable backer of Mr Trump. Republicans are trying to spin the Biden impeachment inquiry forward after an hours-long deposition with his son Hunter Biden on Wednesday. Its proving difficult, as the closed-door hearing doesnt seem to have yielded many revelatory details. Some Republicans are even conceding that Biden performed well under questioning. I think when the transcript comes out, its gonna read well for him, because they did a great job prepping, Rep. Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.) told Fox News host Harris Faulkner Thursday. GOP Rep. Andy Biggs on Fox News admits that the transcript of the Hunter Biden deposition "is gonna read well for him, because they did a great job prepping." pic.twitter.com/Eb0OwHTYxr Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) February 29, 2024 Sean Hannity on Wednesday night asked three GOP committee chairs involved in the impeachment inquiry to rate how damaging Hunter Bidens testimony was on a scale of 1 to 10. Reps. James Comer (R-Ky.) and Jason Smith (R-Mo.) both gave it an 8, while Rep. Jim Jordan only said he thinks it was very good for us. As I said, I think we got a lot of information that we can use if in fact we have a public hearing as Chairman Comer has talked about, Jordan said, referencing Comers announcement earlier on Wednesday that Republicans will hold a public hearing.. Hannity: On a scale of 1-10, how damaging was todays testimony to Hunter Biden? Smith: 8. Comer: 8 pic.twitter.com/z4yFkUzhRT Acyn (@Acyn) February 29, 2024 Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) said following the proceedings that Comer left the hearing pretty early and never asked any questions, which he called very telling. Nelly Decker, the communications director for the Oversight Committee Democrats, added that Smith was never in the room for Hunter Bidens deposition. Other Democrats who attended the hearing, such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), expressed similar sentiments. What we just witnessed over the last hour was I think a deep sea fishing expedition because the Republican case has completely fallen apart, she told reporters partway through Wednesdays hearing. Hunter Biden is at the center of the Biden impeachment inquiry, with Republicans alleging that his overseas business dealings are part of an influence-peddling scheme involving the president. They havent been able to turn up any evidence that this is the case, however. Last week, the GOPs star witness in the inquiry, former FBI informant Alexander Smirnov, was alleged to have been in contact with Russian intelligence agents. He was also remanded into custody after being charged with providing fraudulent information to the FBI. Republicans similarly scrambled to spin the damning revelations ahead of the deposition with Hunter Biden. Hunter Biden blasted the inquiry in prepared remarks on Wednesday, calling it a house of cards of lies and a destructive political charade. More from Rolling Stone Best of Rolling Stone Russia is using private militias to control and weaponise immigration into Europe, The Telegraph can reveal. The Kremlin has influence over a number of the main routes into the continent and border police are warning that, with the arrival of spring, Russia is likely to intensify its efforts to move migrants. It has been widely feared that Vladimir Putin is using the tactic to destabilise Europe. The Telegraph has now seen intelligence documents detailing plans for Russian agents to set up a 15,000-man strong border police force comprising former militias in Libya to control the flow of migrants. A security source said: If you can control the migrant routes into Europe then you can effectively control elections, because you can restrict or flood a certain area with migrants in order to influence public opinion at a crucial time. It comes as migration is set to be a key issue in the general election. A failure to control the number of migrants coming to the UK is already seen as a major weakness for Rishi Sunak, who is struggling to push through a scheme to deport illegal migrants to Rwanda to stop the flow of small boats across the Channel. In the year to June 2023, 52,530 illegal migrants were recorded as entering the UK, up 17 per cent on the previous year. Most of these crossed the Channel in small boats. Figures released on Thursday revealed that the number of people granted asylum in the UK hit a record high in 2023 as officials waved through thousands of applications in an attempt to clear a huge post-pandemic backlog. A surge of migrants into Europe this winter prompted by Putin could lead to an increase in small boats crossing this summer, when people smugglers make use of the better weather to send people across the Channel, putting Mr Sunak under further pressure. Frontex, the EUs border police, says it has seen Russia using migration as a lever in a larger game of influence and pressure. The agency is warning that an increasingly isolated Putin choosing to move migrants to Europes doorstep both along Russias eastern borders and through proxies in the south, including in Africa is a major threat to security for 2024. It comes amid growing tensions between Russia and the West, with Putin using his annual state of the nation speech on Thursday to warn that he will use nuclear weapons if Nato countries send troops into Ukraine. The president told the Kremlin that strategic nuclear forces were in a state of full readiness for guaranteed use and boots on the ground could lead to the destruction of civilisation. Mercenaries including the Wagner group have been fuelling migration by increasing instability and violence in parts of Africa under their control and by physically moving migrants to the borders and supporting smugglers, experts say. A Wagner mercenary in the Central African Republic. Russia has been using the group to physically move migrants around Robert Jenrick, the former immigration minister, told The Telegraph: The UKs adversaries are weaponising the flow of people in Europes near abroad, as we witnessed on the border between Belarus and Poland and Lithuania in 2021, and exacerbating instability in the Maghreb and Sahel region through the use of proxies. The warning has been echoed by ministers across Europe. Russias plans to set up a Libyan militia, as seen by The Telegraph, fell through when payments due to be made via the the Russian-Libyan cultural institute in Moscow were never made. No record of such a company exists. However, thousands of Wagner mercenaries have been fighting in Libyas civil war since at least 2019 for Russia ally General Khalifa Haftar, and the group has a stronghold in the region. Antonio Tajani, Italys deputy prime minister, has said that Rome has intelligence that the mercenaries are very active and in contact with trafficking gangs and militia interested in migrant smuggling. His government has blamed a surge in the number of migrants crossing the Mediterranean on Wagner, whom they accuse of waging hybrid warfare. The largest increase in migrants last year was through that central Mediterranean route, according to Frontex, which noted that at 380,000, the number of irregular border crossings in 2023 was at its highest since 2016. Women and children accounted for only 20 per cent of the total, the data show. Frontex recorded more than 62,000 onward crossings toward the UK. Increasing migrant crossings in the Mediterranean are a concern for many European leaders - Cecilia Fabiano/LaPresse via AP Amid growing tensions over the conflict between Israel and Gaza, Russia has also been strengthening its ties with Tunisia, another major source of migrants into the central Mediterranean. Russian mercenaries are already known to be active across Africa, including in the Central African Republic, Mali and Sudan. Dr Sergey Sukhankin, a senior fellow at The Jamestown Foundation and an adviser at Gulf State Analytics in Washington, said that observers tended to focus on Russian paramilitaries role in propping up African regimes, and not on the impact on migration. If we take a look at their map, you will see that the Central African Republic holds a strategic place, which gives the Russian paramilitaries inroads to Sudan, which is another key player, and then on to the smugglers route through to Libya, he said. The migration routes are inseparable from the localities and places where the Wagner Group and other Russian paramilitaries are present. The various waves of illegal migrants from Africa might increase, because Russia is planning to create a new military facility in the Central African Republic. I think the capacity is about 2,000 men so this will give Russia additional leverage in terms of navigating those migration flows from the Sub-Saharan Africa region on to Libya and then on to the European Union. In its latest risk report, Frontex warns: Given the extent of hostility between Russia and the West and the reduced interdependence between them, the likelihood of the instrumentalisation of migrants by Russia and Belarus has increased. Importantly, the instrumentalisation of migrants may not only be limited to the eastern land borders as Russias allies and proxies to the south and south-east could be leveraged. EU law defines instrumentalisation of migrants as a situation where another country instigates irregular migratory flows by actively encouraging or facilitating the movement of migrants to the borders in order to destabilise the EU or a member including putting at risk its territorial integrity, the maintenance of law and order or the safeguard of its national security. The European Parliament is in the process of passing an emergency migration and asylum management procedure to deal with the highly worrying phenomenon of the increasing role of state actors in artificially creating and facilitating irregular migration, using migratory flows as a tool for political purposes. It started taking action in 2021 after Belarusian leader and close Putin ally Alexander Lukashenko sent thousands of migrants from the Middle East into the EU by inviting people mainly in Iraq to fly to Minsk and then bussing them to the heavily forested border with Poland and telling them to walk across. Frontex officers were deployed to Finland in November when the country was forced to close several of its border crossings with Russia after seeing a dramatic spike in the number of migrants without proper visas and documentation, mostly from the Middle East and Africa. Frontex officers were deployed to Finland after migrants crossed over from Russia - ALESSANDRO RAMPAZZO/AFP via Getty Images Elina Valtonen, the Finnish foreign minister, said that it was undoubtedly Russia using migration as hybrid warfare and in some cases it was actively helping migrants to travel to the border. A Frontex spokesman told The Telegraph: These developments illustrate broader strategies that seem to be employed by state actors like Russia and Belarus, aimed at stress-testing the resilience of borders shared with EU and Schengen countries. This is not just a matter of border security but also of geopolitical tension, where migration is used as a lever in a larger game of influence and pressure. It is disturbing to see the desperation of people seeking to come to the EU used ruthlessly as pawns in a geopolitical game. While these incidents in Finland are currently at a relatively contained scale, they signal a potential risk that could intensify, particularly with the arrival of spring a period traditionally associated with increased migratory movements. The situation could further escalate if there is active facilitation of crossings by the authorities in question. 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. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will appear as a presidential candidate in Hawaii after gathering enough voter signatures to qualify for the state ballot. Kennedys campaign announced Thursday that it exceeded the required threshold to be a 2024 candidate for the We The People party, certified by the Hawaii Office of Elections. The third party is expected to nominate Kennedy for the White House as an option in November, the campaign announced. When I declared my independence from the two-party Washington establishment and announced my campaign for President, I knew it would be an all-out fight, Kennedy wrote in a campaign fundraising email with the subject line Exciting Ballot Update. I knew the Democrat and Republican establishments would stop at nothing to try and block my campaign every step of the way, he wrote while soliciting campaign donations. Hawaii is the third state for which Kennedys team has confirmed meeting the election signature requirements, joining New Hampshire and Utah. The lawyer and independent contender has stated a goal of reaching all state ballots. D.C. American Values, the super PAC behind Kennedy, additionally said this week that it has collected the requisite number of signatures for Kennedy in Georgia and Arizona. A spokesperson for Kennedys campaign did not independently verify the signature tally for those two states. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. PLEASANT GROVE, Utah, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- doTERRA is an integrative health and wellness company and world leader in the global essential oils market, today announced significant leadership changes as part of its ongoing commitment to tripling its impact by 2030. Founding Executive and former President Emily Wright will elevate to Chair of the Board, creating an exciting opportunity for doTERRA as the company prepares for its next wave of worldwide growth and business development. The founders of doTERRA have also appointed Kirk Jowers as CEO and promoted Murray Smith, former EVP of International, as President. These changes are being made after Corey Lindley retired at the end of 2023 after a successful two-year stint as CEO, formerly serving as the company's CFO and President. doTERRA International Logo Kirk Jowers joined doTERRA in 2015, where he was instrumental in guiding the company's expansion and success across Europe, Middle East and Africa, serving as the first non-founder on the company's executive committee and leading the company's international, public, corporate, and government relations. He then held the position of President of doTERRA's North America markets, where he spearheaded numerous initiatives and achieved significant milestones. A Harvard Law school graduate, Jowers spent the last two years co-founding ADDAX Overland serving as CEO, while also consulting for doTERRA. Prior to working with doTERRA, Kirk served as chief advisor to the University of Utah's Office of Global Engagement, director of federal relations, co-director of the Middle East Institute, and director of the Hinckley Institute of Politics, where he was described by the Salt Lake Tribune as being the "most quoted man in Utah." He's served on more than 25 boards, organizations, and committees and served as cofounder of Count My Vote, Real Women Run, and the Campaign Legal Center; chairman and general counsel of Mitt Romney's Commonwealth PACs; an executive committee member of the Council for Responsible Nutrition, and a member of multiple gubernatorial, Attorney General, and congressional advisory teams. As a partner in the Washington, DC, law firm of Caplin & Drysdale, Kirk provided legal and political advice to congressional and gubernatorial candidates, Fortune 500 corporations, nonprofit organizations, and five presidential campaigns. He currently serves as the Honorary Consul for Bulgaria. Story continues "I am truly honored to be entrusted with this position to serve doTERRA's incredible Wellness Advocates. I will put my whole heart into building on the foundation that the founders have laid and continuing doTERRA's world changing vision, mission and purpose," Jowers said. "doTERRA is poised for massive growth and I can't wait to get started." Murray Smith, newly appointed President, is a graduate of BYU's MBA program and boasts over 30 years of industry experience and a proven track record of driving results. His strategic approach to partnering closely with Wellness Advocates has been instrumental in fostering growth and success. Smith's recent tenure in Europe overseeing all aspects of doTERRA's operations further underscores his leadership capabilities. Throughout his career, he has held many senior-level positions and is renowned for his passion for building strong teams and collaborating with Wellness Advocates to help them achieve their goals. Emily Wright, Founding Executive and former President, will be promoted to Chair of the Board. In this capacity, Wright will focus her passions within the business, including setting innovative growth strategies, supporting doTERRA's independent distributors (also known as Wellness Advocates) and promoting the company's philanthropic efforts through the doTERRA Healing Hands Foundation. Wright will remain actively involved in day-to-day operations and regularly interface with Jowers and Smith and looks forward to having the time necessary to fully contribute to doTERRA's global community of Wellness Advocates and Co-Impact Sourcing initiatives. "We are thrilled to welcome Kirk Jowers as our new CEO and Murray Smith as President," said Emily Wright, Founding Executive and Chair of doTERRA. "Their combined expertise and dedication will further propel doTERRA's mission of helping the world heal by empowering individuals and communities worldwide through our natural wellness solutions. As we move into our next phase of massive growth, bold, capable leadership is required. We're on our way to fulfill our mission to triple our impact by 2030 and to expand our influence for good around the globe!" About doTERRA doTERRA International is an integrative health and wellness company and the world leader in the global aromatherapy and essential oils market. doTERRA sources, tests, manufactures, and distributes CPTG Certified Pure Tested Grade essential oils and essential oil products to over 10 million Wellness Advocates and customers. Through industry-leading, responsible sourcing practices, doTERRA maintains the highest levels of quality, purity, and sustainability, partnering with local growers around the world through Co-Impact Sourcing. Like and follow doTERRA on Facebook and Instagram and learn more at www.doterra.com. Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dterra-announces-executive-changes-kirk-jowers-appointed-ceo-murray-smith-as-president-and-emily-wright-as-chair-of-the-board-302076485.html SOURCE doTERRA TechCrunch While generative AI was clearly the big attraction, the future of transportation still garnered attention from investors, urban planners, founders, corporations and media. Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana was also at SXSW, where she announced the company will begin offering a robotaxi service to the public in Los Angeles this week and in Austin by the end of the year. The 130,000-square-foot Center for Health Sciences at 9575 Sherrill Boulevard is expected to educate more than 8,000 students each year in a variety of health care roles. The League of Women Voters of Oak Ridge welcomes the community to hear about Roane State's new Health Science Campus over lunch March 5. Chris Whaley, president of Roane State Community College, will be the guest speaker at the event to be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church, 809 Oak Ridge Turnpike. Whaley has a personal understanding of the colleges value to its communities, a college news release notes. His father, Lowell, worked at Roane State from the colleges early days, and Whaley began his college education at Roane State. He earned Roane States highest student award, continued his education at Middle Tennessee State University and earned his law degree from the University of Tennessee. After three years in private practice as an attorney, Whaley returned to the college in 1997 as program director of the A.A.S. Paralegal Studies program, a position he held until 2010. Since then he has served in positions of successively greater administrative responsibility at the college. Chris Whaley Roane State students many of them first-generation college students gain access to opportunities that higher education provides, and the college drives economic development by working closely with employers to offer relevant programs that meet their workforce needs, the release says. League members and nonmembers are welcome to bring their lunch or purchase a boxed lunch. Coffee and tea will be served. The presentation will begin at noon. This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Roane State Health Science campus is lunch topic Here's a roundup of recent incidents and announcements from Ventura County agencies: Ventura County Sheriff's officials gather evidence at the scene of a 2022 stabbing on Park Lane in Moorpark that turned fatal. Man pleads guilty in fatal stabbing of father A defendant originally charged with murder in the 2022 stabbing death of his 73-year-old father has pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter. Jason Tyler Fernandes, now 25, was accused of stabbing his father with scissors on March 9, 2022, after an argument at the older man's apartment in Moorpark. Ventura County Sheriff's deputies had responded to the Vintage Crest Senior Apartments in the 4700 block of Park Lane shortly before 6 p.m. that evening for reports of a family disturbance. The father, Michael Fernandes, had been stabbed in the upper torso, officials said. He later died at Los Robles Regional Medical Center. The cause of death was blunt and sharp force injuries, the Ventura County Medical Examiner's Office determined. Jason Fernandes was arrested that night in a nearby arroyo, authorities said at the time. The son, a Ventura resident, had previously pleaded not guilty to the murder charge when arraigned in March 2022. In a plea agreement on Feb. 15 in Ventura County Superior Court, prosecutors filed an amended complaint that included the voluntary manslaughter charge, court records show. Voluntary manslaughter, a lesser charge than murder, generally covers a killing during a sudden quarrel or in the heat of passion, according to California law. During the hearing, Fernandes pleaded guilty to the lesser charge and admitted to several special allegations, including that the crime involved great violence and the victim was vulnerable. Such allegations can impact sentencing. We considered all the facts and circumstances of the crime and the defendant in seeking to reach an appropriate result," said Senior Supervising Deputy District Attorney Rafael Orellana in an email. Sentencing is scheduled for the morning of March 18 in courtroom 37. Former credit union manager pleads guilty to grand theft, forgery The former manager of the credit union for Limoneira Co. employees pleaded guilty to eight felonies in a plea deal on Feb. 15. Tina Torres, 55, of Santa Paula, had previously pleaded not guilty in June to 25 counts of grand theft and forgery involving the Limoneira Federal Credit Union, which was founded in the 1970s to benefit employees of the citrus company. The independent organization now goes by the name Valley Ag Federal Credit Union and serves employees of other agricultural companies as well as Limoneira, but is still located at the grower's headquarters west of Santa Paula. Investigators had accused Torres of stealing about $250,000 while on the job between January 2016 and August 2019. She lost her job in August 2019 after discrepancies were found. Torres was arrested in Ojai in June after a lengthy investigation. Prosecutors said she was responsible for managing the institution's financial records but exploited her position by forging documents and defrauding the organization. In the plea agreement, Torres pleaded guilty to eight grand theft and forgery charges and admitted to numerous special allegations including that crimes involved great monetary value and that they involved planning and sophistication. Such special allegations can impact sentencing. The plea agreement involved a so-called Harvey waiver, Ventura County District Attorney's officials said in an email. The waiver allows a judge to consider and sentence a defendant for all charged acts, including acts a defendant didn't plea to, according to Deputy DA Susan Park. Torres has remained out of custody on a $40,000 bail bond. Sentencing is scheduled for the morning of April 3 in room 11 of Ventura County Superior Court. Fillmore deputies recover stolen ag equipment Ventura County Sheriff's deputies in Fillmore arrested two men from Tulare County who allegedly stole agricultural equipment in late February. On Feb. 24, patrol deputies had responded to a call about an audible alarm at a residence in the 1400 block of San Cayetano Street. An estimated $2,500 to $3,500 worth of agricultural smudge pots had been taken, authorities said in a news release, and surveillance footage showed two strangers on the property at the time. After midnight, in the early hours of Feb. 25, deputies responded to a similar call in the same block. A ranch manager remotely accessing surveillance cameras told dispatchers a stranger was actively stealing ag equipment. Responding deputies found one of the suspects, a 28-year-old Lindsay man, with about $1,000 of the smudge pots, authorities said. The man reportedly also admitted responsibility for the Feb. 24 theft. He was arrested on suspicion of grand theft. The alleged co-conspirator in the Feb. 24 incident, a 29-year-old Lindsay man, was arrested in Fillmore on Feb. 27 on suspicion of grand theft and conspiracy. Investigators recovered more of the stolen equipment and returned it to the victim. Sheriff's officials suggested members of the Fillmore ag community to take part in Farm Watch, a partnership between farmers and the sheriff's office that serves as a county-wide electronic neighborhood watch program. Items may be updated. This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Roundup: Son pleads guilty in 2022 scissors stabbing death, more news Russian forces struck 10 communities along the Sumy Oblast border in 27 separate attacks on Feb. 29, injuring one person, the regional military administration reported. The communities of Yunakivka, Khotin, Bilopillia, Vorozhba, Krasnopillia, Seredyna-Buda, Znob-Novhorodske, Velyka Pysarivka, Shalyhyne, and Druzhbiv came under attack. More than 157 explosions were recorded. A civilian was injured in Vorozhba as a result of the shelling. Regional authorities also reported that several warehouses belonging to a local manufacturing company also caught fire. Throughout the day, Russia assailed the border communities with mortar, artillery, drones, and unguided bombs. At least 13 mines were also dropped onto the Bilopillia community, according to the Ukrainian military. The village of Krasnopillia, located just over 16 kilometers from the Russian border, experienced the bulk of the attacks reported with almost 40 explosions recorded in the area over the past 24 hours. Residents of Sumy Oblast's border communities are subject to near-daily attacks from nearby Russian forces. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Ukraine downs 3 Russian Su-34 jets in 1 day Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Russian troops are attacking Ukrainian positions at night on quad bikes, report says Russian troops are using quad bikes in their assaults in Ukraine, according to CNN. Drone footage from the front lines shows quad bikes in use, and some on fire. Ukrainian troops say there are typically three to four Russian soldiers per bike. Russian troops are using quad bikes to attack Ukrainian positions, according to imagery and soldier testimony. Ukrainian soldiers on the front line near the village of Robotyne told CNN that Russian troops are using the four-wheeled vehicles to attack Ukrainian positions at night, typically with three or four soldiers on each bike. Kokos, a drone pilot in Ukraine's 15th National Guard unit, told CNN the quad bikes were "more maneuverable than tracked vehicles. It's hard for artillery to hit them, so we have to use drones." CNN witnessed drone footage of a quad bike traveling down a dirt track and then swerving when a grenade from a Ukrainian drone hit it. Soldiers then appeared to stagger away from the bike, with one rolling away, CNN reported. Separate footage showed the remains of quad bikes on fire, according to CNN. This isn't the first report of quad bikes in use in the war. A Ukrainian special forces commander said in 2022 that his soldiers used quad bikes to approach Russian forces under the cover of night and then ambush them. But CNN described these latest Russian efforts as "almost suicidal tactics" by a military that is "unafraid to sacrifice personnel in the pursuit of an unclear goal." Russia has been accused by Ukraine, Western intelligence, and captured Russian soldiers of using "meat wave" tactics that sacrifice soldiers in an attempt to push forward. The southeastern village of Robotyne, where these latest incidents occurred, was captured by Russia earlier in its invasion, but retaken by Ukraine in September 2023. It was one of the biggest successes of Ukraine's counteroffensive effort that started last summer. But Russian forces are now attacking the town. Ukraine said last week that it repelled multiple attacks over several days. Ukraine's commander in chief, Oleksandr Syrsky, reported fierce fighting near the village on Thursday, saying Russia is trying to take control there. Anthey, a soldier in Ukraine's 65th Mechanised Brigade, told CNN that Ukrainian troops were suffering from a lack of ammunition as funding from the US remains stalled. He said the lack of ammunition was "forcing them to underperform." His commander told CNN that the unit previously fired around 80 rounds a day, but now only fires about 10. This echoes complaints by other Ukrainian soldiers, who say they have to ration ammunition and not go after targets in their sights. The White House said earlier this month that Ukraine pulled out of the eastern town of Avdiivka giving Russia its biggest prize in months because "Ukrainian soldiers had to ration ammunition due to dwindling supplies as a result of congressional inaction." Read the original article on Business Insider A Russian business owner in Sri Lanka has apologised after a white only party coinciding with the second anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine sparked diplomatic tensions with Moscow. Sarayka Lounge, a Russian restaurant bar in southern Sri Lankas Unawatuna, said it cancelled the party and disavowed any support for racist ideology. The event, on 24 February, was advertised as the White Opening Party with specific face control and dress code requirements in the southern coastal town. The invitation specified a dress code of white attire and included the instruction, Face control: White. Face control practice is commonly employed by clubs to selectively admit patrons based on their appearance, demeanour and social status. The party invite went viral on social media and led to a massive backlash, with many Sri Lankans calling on the government to take action. We apologise! The party planned for Saturday will not take place. We have urgently cancelled this event. Also, we have severed ties with the organisers who planned this party at our venue, Sarayka Lounge said in a statement ahead of the event. It said they did not conduct a thorough enough check and added: We have never supported and will never support various racist statements or organisations. Step 1: make it easier for foreigners to get a business visa, set up a business. Step 2: make it easy for any hospitality establishment to get excise license Step 3: raid all these places run by tourists without work permit & fine them And never let stuff like take place. pic.twitter.com/bFc3i3zpzX Rukmankan (@rukmankan) February 23, 2024 A translation of the announcement was posted in both Russian and English. The controversy escalated on Sunday after the immigration office of Sri Lanka told hundreds of thousands of Russians staying in the country to escape the war to leave in the next two weeks. But the countrys president, Ranil Wickremesinghe, later launched an investigation into the order and said the decision was taken without cabinet approval. The Russian embassy in Colombo on the same day condemned all forms of racial discrimination and nationalism, calling on the Russians in the island nation to follow local laws and customs. The Tass news agency reported that the Sarayka Lounge was run by immigrants from the Russian Federation. Hundreds of thousands of Russians and Ukrainians came on 30-day tourist visas to the country before and during the war, and many have remained on extended visas. Some of them have set up businesses in the coastal towns and some of these are being illegally run, according to reports. Over 288,000 Russians and nearly 20,000 Ukrainians have travelled to Sri Lanka in the last two years since the war began, according to official data. Many people on social media reacted with disgust and pointed out that the party coincided with the second anniversary of the Russian-Ukraine war. We need to ban this s***. We get discriminated in embassies, passport queues, the whole lot; last thing we need is people coming to Sri Lanka and hosting whites-only parties, a user said. "I know not all expats are like this... but this sort of thing should be stopped fast and stopped hard, said one local restaurant owner. Fresh, local products sandwiched between Frankforts own Heidelberg bread with a sprinkling of friendly competition Taste NY is hoping that's a recipe for success. Taste NY, an initiative of the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, is holding its very first Sandwich Showdown beginning Friday. SUNY Cobleskill agriculture students and staff at two Taste NY locations collaborated to design and market sandwiches using New York ingredients, according to a statement from the department. Staff at the Taste NY Market at the Mohawk Valley Welcome Center in Fultonville and at the Carriage House Cafe and General Store at SUNY Cobleskill were tasked with creating sandwiches using at least 50% local ingredients, state officials said. The agriculture students in a Retail Practicum agricultural business course got hands-on business experience as part of this project, officials said. The Carriage House, the sandwich created by Carriage House Cafe and General Store at SUNY Cobleskill staff for the Sandwich Showdown. What's for lunch? The Taste NY Markets sandwich, called The General Herkimer Veggie, features creamy chevre from Interlakens Lively Run Dairy, tender beets from Remembrance Farm in Trumansburg, fresh basil pesto from Binghamtons Whole in the Wall, romaine lettuce, beefsteak tomatoes and red onion on Heidelberg Italian bread, officials said. The sandwich created by the Carriage House Cafe and General Store is aptly named The Carriage House. It includes arugula (sprouted from Hudson Valley Seed Company seeds) and beefsteak tomatoes grown right on SUNY Cobleskills campus. Those ingredients are combined with extra sharp Cabot New York cheddar from Chateaugay and smoked maple mustard from New York Citys Yo Pitts! Foods on Heidelberg French peasant bread, officials said. State officials announced that visitors will be able to sample both sandwiches and vote for their favorite on Friday, March 1 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Mohawk Valley Welcome Center and on Tuesday, March 12 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Carriage House Cafe and General Store. The winning sandwich will be added to the menu at both locations for a limited time, state officials said. The General Herkimer Veggie sandwich, the Taste NY Market at the Mohawk Valley Welcome Center's entry into the Sandwich Showdown. 'The essence of the region's flavors' SUNY Cobleskill professor JoAnne Cloughly has worked with her agriculture business students since January to develop marketing and promotion plans for the sandwich project, as well as to coordinate the sampling and voting events. We're thrilled to take part in this competition to come up with a regional Taste NY sandwich, Cloughly said in a statement. Featuring our campus-grown arugula and tomatoes, this creation captures the essence of our region's flavors. Crafting this featured regional sandwich isn't just a competition for us; it's a celebration of our campus community and the students involved in creating it. According to state officials, Taste NY is an initiative that aims to bring attention to the quality and diversity of New York state food and beverage products, and to create opportunities for producers. With events, retail locations and partnerships with over 1,800 state farmers and producers, Taste NY helps bring economic opportunities to New Yorkers and celebrate the flavors of the state. Not only does this Sandwich Showdown spotlight all thats great about our Taste NY program and the fresh, local products that are its hallmark, but the competition also highlights the fantastic agricultural education opportunities that we have here in New York, with SUNY Cobleskill students designing the program and helping to bring these delicious foods to more New Yorkers and visitors alike, State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball said in a statement. I encourage everyone to stop by the Taste NY Market at the Mohawk Valley Welcome Center and the Carriage House Cafe and General Store at SUNY Cobleskill to try these delicious creations and cast a vote for your favorite! This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Taste NY Sandwich Showdown a win for state, sandwich lovers A US federal judge has blocked Texas from implementing SB4, a controversial law that would make border crossings illegal and punishable with jail time. If implemented, the law will become one of the toughest immigration laws passed by any US state in modern history. But rights groups and the federal government have sued to stop it. The state's governor says he will appeal. He is accompanying Donald Trump on a border visit on Thursday, while President Joe Biden makes his own trip. Governor Greg Abbott said his state would not "back down in our fight to protect our state - and our nation - from President Biden's border crisis". Mr Abbott has previously alluded to a "tidal wave" of illegal entry into his state. More than 6.3 million migrants have been detained crossing into the US illegally under President Biden - higher than was seen under previous presidencies - though reasons for the spike are complex with some factors pre-dating Mr Biden's time in office. The proposed law would allow local and state police officers to stop and arrest anyone suspected of having crossed the border illegally, except in schools and hospitals. Punishments range from misdemeanours to felonies that can lead to jail time or fines of up to $2,000 (1,580). Penalties for illegal re-entry could go up to 20 years in jail, depending on a person's immigration and criminal history. The law was set to come into effect on 5 March. But a legal challenge was mounted by the American Civil Liberties Union and the US Department of Justice - which argues that the legislation would conflict with its own powers. In an 114-page order published on Thursday, US district judge David Ezra granted a request for an injunction that temporarily prevents Texas from implementing the law. In his order, Judge Ezra said that legal precedent affirms that "states may not exercise immigration enforcement power except as authorized by the federal government" and that SB4 "conflicts with key provisions of federal immigration law, to the detriment of the United States' foreign relations and treaty obligations". Additionally, the judge rejected Texas' claim that the state has authority to repel an "invasion" of the territory, saying that "surges in immigration do not constitute an 'invasion' within the meaning of the Constitution." "[To] allow Texas to permanently supersede federal directives on the basis of an invasion would amount to nullification of federal law and authority a notion that is antithetical to the Constitution and has been unequivocally rejected by federal courts since the civil war," Mr Ezra wrote. The controversy of SB4 comes amid rising illegal migration and public concern over Mr Biden's handling of the border. Both he and his likely contender in the November election, Donald Trump, are scheduled to visit separate border cities in Texas on Thursday. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz talks to participants in the "metro-polis" democracy project organized by the local transport company in a streetcar. Ebrahim Noroozi/AP Pool/dpa On a visit to the eastern German city of Dresden on Thursday, Chancellor Olaf Scholz called on Germans to get better at communicating in the face of a growing divide. In a conversation with participants from the Dresden democracy project "metro_polis," he urged a "community of understanding." People ought to not only evaluate things, but also be part of the solution, Scholz said. The chancellor's visit to Dresden came just over six months before regional elections for the state government. In recent months, the rise of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in opinion polls in Germany has caused consternation among mainstream parties and led to fierce debate in society at large. Tens of thousands of people have joined anti-extremism demonstrations all over the country in recent weeks. For a country haunted by its Nazi past, the rise of a nationalist party has become a major concern. Social media had brought a lot of good, Scholz asserted, noting that the spread of unfounded rumors is a problem. It was important to create opportunities where there is more dialogue again, he said. The "metro_polis" group works with the Dresden public transport company and wants to make trams a lively place for democracy and opinion-forming. Moderated discussions take place several times a week in the last compartment of a moving tram during normal service. Spontaneous discussions with passengers take place there. The "metro_polis" team moderates discussions on relevant topics such as migration, climate, social justice or loneliness, bullying and stress management. Scholz described the project as a great initiative, saying it does valuable work for social cohesion. "Talking to each other, exchanging and enduring different opinions, learning to understand other views and perhaps even developing common points of view this promotes the culture of conversation in our country in the very best sense," the chancellor said. Scholz hopes that the example from Dresden will set a precedent and be imitated in other cities. In conversation with Scholz, participants reported on their experiences with the project. According to club spokeswoman Kristina Kromer, passengers' suggested solutions to various topics are bundled together at the end of the month and sent to the city administration. Scholz also talked about how his use of modes of transport has changed since he took high office. He said that he misses driving or taking the train and revealed that the last time he took the train was when he was as federal finance minister under his predecessor Angela Merkel. Earlier on Thursday, Scholz visited the Elbe Flugzeugwerke, a company specializing in converting passenger aircraft into cargo planes which works for airlines all over the world. He then travelled to Glashutte, not far from Dresden, to visit the watch manufacturer Nomos. The company is known for its mechanical watches. Scholz was to continue his meetings with the public in the evening at the Kraftwerk Mitte venue, a cultural centre on the edge of the city centre. Children no longer get help with meals during school holidays The Welsh government has admitted failing to follow the law when stopping free school meals during the holidays. Two families and a legal charity claimed ministers had not considered the rights of children. The case concluded without a court hearing after the Welsh government accepted it should have done more to assess the effect of the decision. But Education Minister Jeremy Miles said the government could not afford to reintroduce the meals. School meals during the holidays began during the pandemic and the policy was repeatedly extended. Last June, the government wrote to councils saying there would be no further extensions during the 2023 summer holiday. The Public Law Project argued that ministers failed to follow a law passed by the Senedd in 2011, which requires it to show regard to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The case also claimed they failed to follow part of the 2010 Equality Act by not considering the impact on people with protected characteristics, including disabled people, ethnic minorities and single mothers. Ministers did acknowledge the impact when they decided not to reintroduce the holiday meals in October 2023. Public Law Project solicitor Matthew Court said his clients felt the decision taken in June 2023 was "unfair and unlawful". "The Welsh ministers have now conceded that they acted unlawfully, and the court has also declared it so," he said. Mr Miles said that by reaching the settlement the government accepted "further equality assessment work needed to be completed". "As the claim related to a procedural issue, the current position has not changed: the provision of free school meals during the holidays ceased in 2023, as funding unfortunately remains unavailable within the current budgetary constraints," he said. The government will have to pay the claimants' legal costs. The board of Dancomech Holdings Berhad (KLSE:DANCO) has announced that it will pay a dividend on the 4th of April, with investors receiving MYR0.015 per share. Based on this payment, the dividend yield on the company's stock will be 4.3%, which is an attractive boost to shareholder returns. View our latest analysis for Dancomech Holdings Berhad Dancomech Holdings Berhad's Dividend Is Well Covered By Earnings If the payments aren't sustainable, a high yield for a few years won't matter that much. Prior to this announcement, Dancomech Holdings Berhad was quite comfortably covering its dividend with earnings and it was paying more than 75% of its free cash flow to shareholders. The business is earning enough to make the dividend feasible, but the cash payout ratio of 86% indicates it is more focused on returning cash to shareholders than growing the business. Looking forward, earnings per share is forecast to rise by 52.4% over the next year. Assuming the dividend continues along recent trends, we think the payout ratio could be 33% by next year, which is in a pretty sustainable range. Dancomech Holdings Berhad's Dividend Has Lacked Consistency Dancomech Holdings Berhad has been paying dividends for a while, but the track record isn't stellar. This makes us cautious about the consistency of the dividend over a full economic cycle. Since 2017, the dividend has gone from MYR0.015 total annually to MYR0.02. This means that it has been growing its distributions at 4.2% per annum over that time. It's encouraging to see some dividend growth, but the dividend has been cut at least once, and the size of the cut would eliminate most of the growth anyway, which makes this less attractive as an income investment. Dancomech Holdings Berhad May Find It Hard To Grow The Dividend With a relatively unstable dividend, it's even more important to see if earnings per share is growing. Although it's important to note that Dancomech Holdings Berhad's earnings per share has basically not grown from where it was five years ago, which could erode the purchasing power of the dividend over time. Story continues In Summary In summary, while it's good to see that the dividend hasn't been cut, we are a bit cautious about Dancomech Holdings Berhad's payments, as there could be some issues with sustaining them into the future. The company hasn't been paying a very consistent dividend over time, despite only paying out a small portion of earnings. We would be a touch cautious of relying on this stock primarily for the dividend income. 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. For example, we've picked out 2 warning signs for Dancomech Holdings Berhad that investors should know about before committing capital to this stock. If you are a dividend investor, you might also want to look at our curated list of high yield 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. Search for missing Florida 13-year-old ongoing as her mother's boyfriend is arrested A search was ongoing Thursday morning for a missing Florida 13-year-old girl who was last seen Monday, as her mothers boyfriend, whom police call a prime suspect, has been arrested. Madeline Soto was last seen around 8:30 a.m. Monday when her mothers boyfriend dropped her off a few blocks away from Hunters Creek Middle School in Orlando, Orange County Sheriff John Mina said. At 4:30 p.m., when Madelines mother went to pick her up at school, she learned her daughter never made it to school that day and had left her phone at home. A search for the child was launched that night. Madeline Soto (Orange County Sheriff's Office) Stephan Sterns, 37, the boyfriend of Madelines mother and the last person to have seen her, was arrested Wednesday evening on charges of sexual battery and possession of child sexual abuse material, authorities announced. Though he was not arrested in direct connection to Madelines disappearance, the Orange County Sheriffs Office said Sterns is considered the prime suspect at this time. During the investigation into Madelines whereabouts, Orange County sheriffs detectives discovered disturbing images and videos that were criminal, and sexual in nature in a forensic examination of Sterns phone, the agency said. They also discovered attempts to delete evidence. It was determined that those crimes were committed at the familys home in Kissimmee and local police were notified and are leading the sexual battery case. The department shared video showing Sterns silently being placed into a patrol car. He was interviewed Wednesday night by Kissimmee police and OCSO detectives. He invoked his right to an attorney and was placed under arrest and transported to jail, the sheriffs office said. Stephan Sterns had an opportunity tonight to come clean with detectives and help lead them to information about Maddies disappearance, Mina said. Her loved ones deserve answers and OCSO and the Kissimmee Police will not stop until we find Maddie. The search so far The search for Madeline started Monday night. A bloodhound smelled an item of Madelines and did an extensive search, but it didnt lead to any results. Detectives also accessed Madelines phone and found information on the phone that indicated that she told people when she turned 13, which was on February 22, she actually wanted to go live in the woods, Mina said. The search so far has seen more than 100 deputies, detectives, intelligence analysts and bloodhounds search for her, including in a wooded area near the school. Mina said Wednesday afternoon that Madelines familys home in Kissimmee was being held by the Orange County Sheriffs Office until police could secure search warrants, which were expected to be executed that evening. Madeline, described as blond with blue eyes and 5 feet, 1 inch tall, was last seen wearing a green sweatshirt, black shorts and white Crocs. Anyone with information on her whereabouts is urged to call 911 or the Orange County Sheriffs Office. This article was originally published on NBCNews.com WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) opened a press conference highlighting the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act that will be introduced in Congress. This bill honors the legacy of John Lewis and those who marched and fought and died to protect the right to vote in America, Durbin said. Senate Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senator Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) also spoke, as well as activist organization leaders. The late Ruth Bader-Ginsburg was correct, Warnock said, when she said getting rid of preclearance is like getting rid of your umbrella in the middle of a rainstorm because youre not getting wet. The result of the referenced 2013 Supreme Court case, Shelby County v. Holder, changed how the federal government can assess whether states are discriminating against voters. As part of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, a formula was introduced that would clarify whether a states voting laws were racially discriminatory. If the formula dictated that a state was discriminating, the federal government could step in, change the laws and require preclearance for any further changes to state voting laws. In Shelby County v. Holder, the Supreme Court held the formula to be unconstitutional. The court asserted that the federal government imposing restrictions in state voting laws can only be justified by using current needs and argued since voting percentages had changed since the 1960s, it was no longer necessary. This severed the federal governments ability to qualify racial discrimination in state voting laws. A CRS report summarizes the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Act of 2021, saying it establishes new criteria for determining which states and political subdivisions must obtain preclearance before changes to voting practices may take effect. When asked if there were any changes in the bill introduced today from the previous version, Senator Durbin said that they have been making changes to respond to Supreme Court decisions. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. Sienna Miller joins celebrities including actress Tiernan Shipka and model Georgia May Jagger on the Front Row at the Chloe catwalk show in Paris - JULIEN DE ROSA/AFP via Getty Images Sienna Miller has been seen at Paris Fashion Week less than two months after giving birth to a baby girl with partner Oli Green. The British-American actress, 42, was pictured at the Chloe fashion show on Thursday wearing a white satin slip dress and a leather bomber jacket. She was previously seen in west London with her newborn and partner Green, a 27-year-old actor, for the first time in early January. Miller also has a daughter, Marlowe, 10, with her former partner Tom Sturridge, 38. Sturridges rumoured fiancee Alexa Chung also attended the Chloe womenswear fall/winter 2024-25 event in the French capital. The model, 40, and The Sandman lead actor, 38, prompted engagement rumours after they were seen wearing rings on their engagement fingers. Chung sat next to model Ella Richards, granddaughter of Rolling Stone Keith, at the catwalk show, while Miller was alongside US actress Kiernan Shipka and model Liya Kebede. Alexa Chung and Ella Richards on the Chloe Front Row - JM HAEDRICH/SIPA/Shutterstock Miller and Green were previously seen together in January in a coffee shop with their newborn baby in an Artipoppe baby carrier. The pair have been dating since 2021 and Miller, who starred in Netflix drama Anatomy of a Scandal, has complained of double standards over criticism of their 15-year age gap. She appeared on the cover of Vogue in December 2023 and spoke about the stigma surrounding an older pregnancy, saying: Id love to get to a point where I didnt feel the need to make a joke of my being older and having a baby, to show Im in on the joke. Chemena Kamali, the creative director at Chloe, walks the runway after the show - Stephane Cardinale/Corbis via Getty Images She added: I think people are comfortable with a way of living that has existed for many years, which is very misogynistic and patriarchal. And like me being the older woman in a partnership with a younger person or being pregnant over 40 and that thats irresponsible and poor child and its such double standards. Speaking about being pregnant with her second child, she told Vogue it was unplanned but that she felt more psychologically prepared. I was very fortunate. I wasnt necessarily trying to get pregnant. This happened as a total surprise and biologically was something I was able to do. 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. Nic and Jennie Peterson werent expecting their firstborn child to be a Leap Year baby, but they say it was a "total surprise" things worked out that way. Jennie Peterson holds baby Cora on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024 at Sanford USD Medical Center and Hospital in Sioux Falls. Sioux Falls welcomed its first Leap Year baby of the day at about 2 a.m. Thursday at the Sanford USD Medical Center and Hospital in central Sioux Falls. More: Jose-Marie Griffiths honored as USA TODAYs Woman of the Year for South Dakota Cora Jean Peterson, her middle name borrowed from Jennies grandmother, is the seventh grandchild for grandparents Juli and Scott Peterson. Nic, who was holding Cora while she squirmed, her supple hands and legs wrapped in a blanket, said they were expecting her to come earlier in the week. Sanford Health welcomes baby Cora as this years first Leap Year baby born on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024 at Sanford USD Medical Center and Hospital in Sioux Falls. We actually thought itd be Sunday, Monday, and then the clock kept ticking, Nic said. (We) came in yesterday (and) the closer we got to midnight, the more we realized this could be a Leap Year baby. More: Senate Education committee advances legislation on minimum teacher salary, accountability Nic and Jennie, who are from Brandon and Garretson originally, said they heard the name Cora online and loved it. He said theyve talked about birthday celebrations and plan on doing a huge one for the babys first birthday, as well as a big splash every four years on Feb. 29. Grandma Juli Peterson and Grandpa Scott Peterson hold baby Cora on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024 at Sanford USD Medical Center and Hospital in Sioux Falls. Juli and Scott, who arrived at the hospital at about 10:30 a.m. Thursday, said they couldnt sleep through the night when they found out Jennie had started pushing at about 11:15 p.m. Wednesday night, only to have baby Cora finally arrive at 1:50 a.m. More: Illinois judge rules Donald Trump is disqualified from the state's 2024 election ballot The pair are grateful and thankful the mom and their precious little angel is healthy, they said. Grandma Juli Peterson holds baby Cora on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024 at Sanford USD Medical Center and Hospital in Sioux Falls. The Sioux Falls couple, who married April 15, 2023, said they were ready to have children since theyd been together for seven years before that. More: Dillards to open South Dakotas first store in Sioux Falls Empire Mall next week Its crazy, I dont think Ive even wrapped my head around it, Jennie said. But its definitely exciting. Everything from the pregnancy to labor was super, super smooth. This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: Sioux Falls' newest Leap Year baby came as 'total surprise,' parents say Slave Play received 12 nominations at the 74th Tony Awards, breaking the previous record held by Angels in America A West End production of Slave Play that plans to host some shows for black audiences only has been criticised by Downing Street as "wrong and divisive". The Noel Coward Theatre will hold two "Black Out" performances solely for an "all-black-identifying audience". Set on a plantation in the old American South, the controversial play explores "race, identity and sexuality". Written by US actor and playwright Jeremy O Harris, it has received more Tony nominations than any other play. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's official spokesman said media reports about some showings being "free from the white gaze" were "concerning" and No 10 was seeking further information. "The prime minister is a big supporter of the arts and he believes that the arts should be inclusive and open to everyone, particularly where those arts venues are in receipt of public funding," the spokesman said. "Restricting audiences on the basis of race would be wrong and divisive." Slave Play's producers told BBC News that the "intent is to celebrate the play with the widest possible audience. "We want to increase accessibility to theatre for everyone. "The Broadway production conceived of Black Out nights and we are carefully considering how to incorporate this endeavour as part of two performances in our 13-week run. "We will release further details soon. To be absolutely clear, no-one will be prevented or precluded from attending any performance of Slave Play." Jeremy O Harris at the 2022 opening of Slave Play in Los Angeles which has generated both acclaim and controversy over its subject matter and production decisions In an interview with the BBC's World at One radio programme this week, Harris explained the reasoning behind a Black Out night. "The idea of a Black Out night is to say: this is a night that we are specifically inviting black people to fill up the space, to feel safe with a lot of other black people in a place where they often do not feel safe." "I think that one of the things that we have to remember is that people have to be radically invited into a space to know that they belong there. In most places in the West, poor people and black people have been told that they do not belong inside of the theatre. "In America, Jim Crow existed to literally tell them that they could not sit in the same theatre as white people. "As someone who wants and yearns for black and brown people to be in the theatre, who comes from a working class environment, and so wants people who do not make over six-figures a year to feel like theatre is a place for them, it is a necessity to radically invite them in with initiatives that say 'you're invited. Specifically you'." 'Trails blazed' On Thursday Harris also defended the Black Out decision on social media after being criticised by some users on X, formerly Twitter, for allegedly being "racist against white people". "I don't have to imagine the roles were reversed in my grandparents' lifetimes AND WORSE," he wrote on X. "I'm not even saying BLACKS ONLY I'm saying I'm inviting black ppl first! They can bring their white friends or lovers if they want. There's no colour bar. But one existed in the UK recently!" I dont have to imagine the roles were reversed in my grandparents lifetimes AND WORSE. Im not even saying BLACKS ONLY Im saying Im inviting black ppl first! They can bring their white friends or lovers if they want. Theres no colour bar. But one existed in the UK recently! https://t.co/LoBqPuN397 pic.twitter.com/orzEOivISu Jeremy O. Harris (@jeremyoharris) February 28, 2024 The 34-year-old said he did not "take it lightly that this play is one of the rare plays by a black author that has made its way to the West End". "I'm incredibly grateful for the trails blazed by the myriad black British writers recently who have broken ground for black writers and audiences on the West End like Arinze Kene, Kwame Kwei-Armah, Tyrell Williams, Ryan Calais Cameron, and Natasha Gordon. "I hope that with this production even more work by writers of colour will find support on our largest commercial stages." In the BBC interview with World at One host Sarah Montague, he acknowledged the controversy Slave Play has generated, including petitions for it to not be shown. "I think that all those things are really beautiful and necessary," he told the BBC. "Hard questions should invoke loud responses, both of celebration and censorship, right?" When asked whether he thinks the response to the play in the UK is going to be different to that in the US, especially around race issues, Harris responds that he's "not sure". "There is a very loud reason for why British audiences or British theatre-makers often feel as though racial discourse is outsourced to American writers," he told the BBC after a pause. "The race plays that happen here or plays where race is centre to the themes are often written by black writers. I know that a lot of black British writers that I'm friends with feel sort of frustrated and alienated by that. "And so I hope that this will be an invitation for more plays by black Brits to come and have those conversations." Slave Play received 12 nominations at the 74th Tony Awards, breaking the record previously set by the revival of Angels in America. It did not bring home any wins. Game of Thrones star Kit Harrington and Denzel Washington's daughter Olivia Washington are among the ensemble cast. In an interview with the Guardian newspaper, Harris criticised commercial theatre relying on celebrity castings because it makes people treat theatre "like a Disney World attraction, where the play is background to the amusement of seeing their favourite celebrity in front of them". However Harris believes Harrington will not be a "distraction" because he is not a lead character in the play and was impressed with his acting. The Yale School of Drama graduate is also among the creatives warning about how elitist Broadway and West End tickets have become. "It is way too expensive," he told the BBC. I didn't see my first Broadway play until a year before my play went to Broadway. And I only got to see it because I was going to Yale, and someone else bought my ticket for me. But I am not someone who grew up ever seeing a play. That's why I love British theatre so much because I knew plays from reading them". Harris' producers have apparently set aside over 200 tickets per week starting at 1 with some seats priced at 20. The UK premiere of Slave Play is scheduled for 29 June. It will run until September 21. The two scheduled Black Out nights are 17 July and 17 September. (CNN) Catastrophic wildfires ripping across the Texas Panhandle have killed at least two people and threaten to destroy more homes, cattle and livelihoods as the biggest inferno in state history engulfs more land every minute. The Smokehouse Creek Fire has now torched more than 1 million acres in Texas alone, making it the largest fire on record in the state. The blaze had also charred more than 31,500 acres in Oklahoma as of Thursday evening, that states forestry service said. Altogether, the fire is among the largest in the Lower 48 since reliable record-keeping began in the 1980s. The inferno is one of three fires burning in the Texas Panhandle with no end in sight. Despite light precipitation in the area Thursday, dry air and ferocious winds are expected to return Friday and into the weekend likely fueling the flames. The wildfires have already scorched about 2,000 square miles roughly the same amount of land as the entire state of Delaware. Two people have been killed by the Smokehouse Creek Fire: Truck driver Cindy Owen perished after evacuating while on the road, her sister-in-law said; and in Hutchinson County, the fire claimed the life of 83-year-old Joyce Blankenship, her family said. The house was gone, said her grandson Nathan Blankenship. There was no way she couldve gotten out. Latest developments Power outages are a major concern as North Plains Electric Cooperative said it has approximately 115 miles of line to rebuild. A telephone pole burns from the Smokehouse Creek Fire on Wednesday in Canadian, Texas. - David Erickson/AP In Hemphill County alone, 400,000 acres are burned, scores of homes have been destroyed and thousands of cattle have died, Hemphill County AgriLife Extension agent Andy Holloway said. More than 85% of cattle in Texas are raised in the Panhandle, according to agricultural officials. In addition to the mammoth Smokehouse Creek Fire, the Windy Deuce Fire in Texas has torched 142,000 acres and was 50% contained as of early Thursday afternoon. The portion of the Smokehouse Creek Fire that jumped into Oklahoma is now 40% contained there, Oklahoma Forestry Services spokesperson Keith Merckx told CNN on Thursday evening. The Grape Vine Creek Fire has charred 30,000 acres and is 60% contained. The Magenta Fire is also still burning and has seared 2,500 acres and is 65% contained. The 687 Reamer Fire burned more than 2,000 acres before merging into the Smokehouse Creek Fire Thursday. President Joe Biden committed to helping those affected by the wildfires Thursday, while also using his remarks to call out his Neanderthal friends who dont believe in climate change. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott authorized additional state resources to fight the blazes, including 94 fire fighting personnel, 33 fire engines and six air tankers. A ranch with a 120-year history says about 80% of its nearly 80,000 acres have burned. The Turkey Track Ranch, nicknamed the Prize of the Panhandle, is also the site of Battles of Adobe Walls of 1864 and 1874. The loss of livestock, crops and wildlife, as well as other ranches and homes across the region is, we believe, unparalleled in our history, the Turkey Track Ranch Family Group said in a statement. The Smokehouse Creek Fire has covered around 98% of 5,394 acres of the Gene Howe Wildlife Management Area, which is located along the Canadian River in the Northern Rolling Plains of Hemphill County, according to a news release from Texas Parks & Wildlife. At least 13 homes have been destroyed in Oklahoma, a state emergency spokesperson told CNN. Gov. Kevin Stitt has activated emergency response teams. As we keep a close eye on wildfires across the state, the safety of our fellow Oklahomans is the top priority, he posted on X. Two firefighters for the Texas Panhandle city of Pampa, in Gray County, were treated for minor injuries sustained battling the blazes Monday night, Pampa Community Services Director Dustin Miller told CNN on Thursday. The city of Fritch, Texas, is under a boil water notice but that is hard to do since many residents are without electricity and or gas, Hutchinson County announced. Water bottles are being given away at several churches and other locations, officials said. Amarillo National Bank is starting a Panhandle Disaster Relief Fund for wildfire victims with a $1 million donation, according to a release from the financial institution. A massive wall of fire The Smokehouse Creek Fire exploded in size after a sudden shift of wind direction Tuesday. As of Thursday, its still only 3% contained in Texas. Wind was coming straight out of the north and made just this massive wall of fire moving across the landscape, Texas A&M Forest Service spokesperson Adam Turner said Wednesday. Greenville Fire-Rescue firefighters drive near the Smokehouse Creek Fire as it threatens the Texas towns of Canadian and Wheeler on Tuesday. - Greenville Fire-Rescue In the town of Fritch, which was threatened by several wildfires, Frank Probst made sure elderly neighbors could escape before evacuating himself with almost no time to spare. Our main concern was getting them out first. We were the last ones out, Probst told CNN. His family wasnt able to grab any of their belongings before fleeing the devastating inferno. It happened so quick. By the time the evacuation sirens went off, it was too late, he said. We just jumped in the car and took off. Mason Holloway and Hugh Lively sift through the remains of a relative's home destroyed by the Smokehouse Creek Fire in Canadian, Texas, on Wednesday. - Nick Oxford/Reuters She went back for dogs as homes burned Tyler McCain and his family woke up Tuesday to smoky skies over Fritch, so they went across town to his grandparents, he said. When it became clear the fires were getting bad, McCains wife returned to the family home to get their two dogs. As she arrived to her block, she saw the homes of two neighbors on fire. She retrieved the pets and the family stayed overnight in Amarillo. On Wednesday, the parents and their three girls returned to a pile of ash and rubble. Tyler McCain's home has been reduced to charred rubble. - Courtesy Tyler McCain A tearful McCain told CNN that seeing his 3-year-old daughter, Addison, cry over their house has broken him. Stuff can be replaced, but its hard to see your kids get ripped out of their life like that, he said. Addison cant stop asking about losing her home. She keeps talking about all the stuff weve lost and now shes saying, Daddy, are you going to build me a new house? McCain regrets not grabbing enough stuff before they had to evacuate. Everything she keeps asking for I ask myself why I didnt grab that? Her favorite stuffed animal, why didnt I get it for her? he said. In Hutchinson County where the Smokehouse Creek, Windy Deuce and 687 Reamer fires are burning at least 20 structures in Stinnett, some outside Borger city and quite a few structures in Fritch were destroyed, a county official said Wednesday. Probst, the Fritch resident who helped his neighbors then fled, said he returned to his neighborhood Wednesday. His home, purchased just six months ago, is gone, as are entire neighborhoods he drove past on his way to Amarillo, where his family will stay until they figure out what is next. Victim was one of a kind, sister-in-law says Truck driver Cindy Owen, 44, was working about 50 miles north of Pampa, Texas, on Tuesday when the Smokehouse Creek Fire swept through the area, her sister-in-law told CNN. She basically couldnt breathe and she evacuated the truck and tried to run for safety and didnt make it, said Jennifer Mitchell, who is married to Owens brother. Owen was on a video chat as this was happening, so family members scrambled to find someone to help her, according to Mitchell. She was found with burns and it was about 90% of her body, Mitchell said. An undated photo of Cindy Owen. - Family photo Hemphill County rescuers reached Owen and took her to the INTEGRIS Burn Center in Oklahoma City for treatment, Mitchell said. She fought all day (Wednesday) We were really positive at the end of the day, her vitals were turning around, and she could hear us even though she was sedated and on a ventilator, Mitchell said. But she fought til the last minute and thats who she was. Her sister-in-law didnt make it through the night. Mitchell had known Owen for 16 years, she said. Cindy was just Cindy. She was one of a kind, Mitchell said. She would do anything for anybody. She would pull over and give people coats when it was cold, give food, money or clothes to homeless people and would help stray dogs, Mitchell said. And Owen was devoted to her large family. She showed up to everybodys birthday parties and everybodys kids stuff, Mitchell said. She was everybodys friend and everybody knew her. Theres nothing bad to say about her. She was the best person ever. Owen is survived by her fiancee, Elaine Sanchez, Mitchell said. This story has been updated with additional information. CNNs Brandon Miller, Caroll Alvarado, Amanda Jackson, Monica Garrett, Sharif Paget, Sara Tonks, Lucy Kafanov, Andi Babineau, Andy Rose, Mary Gilbert, Samantha Waldenberg and Christina Zdanowicz contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com SNP ministers have been mocked for targeting porridge in a crackdown on junk food meal deals, despite it being one of Scotlands most well-known food staples. A Scottish Government consultation on banning offers and price reductions for unhealthy food listed porridge oats as one of the products affected. It said the list, which does not distinguish between plain porridge oats and porridge products with added flavours, was drawn up following careful consideration of the feedback received. Questioned on the proposals, the government clarified plain porridge oats which are not high in fat, salt and sugar would not be subject to any restrictions on promotion. However, the clarification came too late to stop a backlash from critics. Lucy Hunter Blackburn, an eminent policy researcher, posted to X, formerly Twitter: In the middle of health and cost of living crisis the SG [Scottish Government] really is proposing to classify porridge oats one of the cheapest, healthiest, most filling and lets be honest, Scottish, food staples, as too unhealthy to sell at a discount. Breakfast better than no breakfast She added: Even with the caveat itll only catch sweetened versions, I still wonder about catching porridge in this. It has masses of benefits, not least for heart health, which Scotland has a problem with. Its cheap. Breakfast is generally better than no breakfast. Tess White, the Scottish Tories deputy health spokeswoman, said there was a huge irony in the SNP turning their back on one of our iconic products in an apparent junk food crackdown. Alex Cole-Hamilton, the Scottish Liberal Democrat leader, also commented: The humble porridge oat is in large part what most of Scotland goes to work and to school on, its quite a leap and something of an overreach to single it out for inclusion in the governments crackdown on unhealthy food promotions. He added: The SNP are acting like a character in a Dickens novel, limiting your serving of porridge and leaving you wanting more. Under the proposals unveiled on Tuesday, popular supermarket offers such as buy-one-get-one-free and temporary price reductions on unhealthy food and drink would be banned. Bid to rebalanc meal deals Options for rebalancing meal deals towards healthier options include banning any food or drink classed as being high in fat, sugar or salt from meal deal promotions, in which customers typically buy a sandwich, snack and drink for a set price. Alternatively, customers may be allowed to purchase one unhealthy item, such as a bag of crisps or a sugary drink but not both. The plans are a significant departure from England, where only multi-buy junk food promotions face being banned from October 202, such as buy-one-get-one-free deals. A Scottish Government spokesman said: Plain porridge oats are a healthy breakfast choice. Plain porridge oats would be determined as non-HFSS [high in fat, salt and sugar], so they would not be subject to any restrictions on promotion. The same applies to all food categories that are not high in fat, sugar or salt. This consultation is about restrictions on the promotion of food and drink high in fat, sugar and salt to improve public health in Scotland, and all views are welcome. 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. Semafor Signals Insights from the Addis Standard and Al Jazeera The News Somalia has signed security deals with the United States, Turkey and Uganda in recent weeks as multiplying tensions in the Horn of Africa raise fears of possible armed conflicts in the region. An agreement signed with Washington commits the U.S. to building five military bases for the Somali army to bolster the counters military capacity amid ongoing threats from the extremist group al-Shabab, while a 10-year security deal with Turkey is aimed at strengthening Somalias naval force and to help patrol its 2000-mile countrys coastline. Somalia has also signed an agreement to deepen its military collaboration with Uganda. The deals underscore Mogadishus ambitions to bolster its security, as it faces a persistent internal threat from al-Shabab, with peacekeeping forces from the African Union set to pull out in December. Meanwhile, Somalias vow to stop an Ethiopian deal to lease a port in the breakaway region of Somaliland has sparked concerns of a conflict with Ethiopia. SIGNALS Semafor Signals: Global insights on today's biggest stories. Somalia sees deal between Ethiopia and Somaliland as an act of aggression Sources: Al Jazeera, The New York Times, Addis Standard, Reuters While exact terms of the deal for Somaliland to give Ethiopia commercial and military access to a key Red Sea port are unclear, the fact that it involves recognizing Somaliland as a sovereign country has incensed Somalia. Somaliland, a self-declared breakaway region in northern Somalia, has been de facto independent since 1991, but its claim to sovereignty is not recognized by Moghadishu or any other state. If Ethiopia continues to pursue that, Somalia has the right to defend itself by whatever means it can, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud told The New York Times. For landlocked Ethiopia, however, the deal to secure access to the sea is not a matter of luxury but of survival, the Ethiopian news outlet the Addis Standard quoted an official as saying. Currently, Ethiopia relies on Djibouti, with more than 95% of its imports and exports passing via its smaller neighbors ports. But using Djiboutis ports costs Ethiopia $1.5 billion a year in fees, a huge sum for a country that defaulted on its debt in December. Tensions over port deal may weaken Somalia in its fight against extremist group Sources: Critical Threats Project, CTC Sentinel If Ethiopia proceeds with the Somaliland port deal, the tensions will likely impact the cooperation between Addis Ababa and Moghadishu on counterterrorism operations against the al-Shabab militant group. Al-Shabab, which seeks to establish a fundamentalist Islamic state in the country, remains a threat despite a year-long, large-scale government offensive to reassert control over parts of Somalia that al-Shabab has seized. The port deal has already prevented military coordination between Ethiopia and Somalia, and al-Shabab has seized on the deal and increased anti-Ethiopian sentiment to recruit new fighters, the Critical Threats Project assessed. Somalias efforts to fully liberate its territories from al-Shababs control have stalled in recent months due to political infighting, logistical challenges, and politically powerful clans failing to support the offensive, Daisy Muibu of the Africa Center for Strategic Studies wrote for CTC Sentinel, the publication of the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point. The South Dakota Senate begins a floor session, Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024, at the state Capitol in Pierre, S.D. The Senate on Thursday, Feb. 29, approved a bill mandating an informational video on the state's abortion laws. The House previously passed the same bill, which now goes to Gov. Kristi Noem. (AP Photo/Jack Dura) PIERRE, S.D. (AP) South Dakotas Republican-controlled Legislature on Thursday approved the creation of a video to outline the states abortion laws and to clarify when health care providers are legally allowed to intervene. The bill passed by the state Senate in a 31-3 vote is also intended for the general public and would require the state Department of Health, which answers to Republican Gov. Kristi Noem, to create the informational video and other materials by Sept. 1. Creation of the video would take place in consultation with the state attorney general and legal and medical experts, describing how the states abortion laws should be applied. The bill previously passed in the House by a 63-6 margin, and now heads to Noem. South Dakota outlaws all abortions except to save the life of the mother under a trigger ban that took effect in 2022 after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Republican Rep. Taylor Rehfeldt said she brought the bill for clarity to providers who had questions about when they could intervene to save the life of a mother. The bill seeks to provide clarification without the noise of politics around the abortion issue, Rehfeldt said last week during an interview with The Associated Press. Efforts to clarify or redefine the statute itself likely would have failed, having little consensus around the issue, she said. Republican Sen. Erin Tobin told a Senate panel on Wednesday that a video could be used by hospitals and health care systems to review their policies and to educate all employees" and would be an actual way to battle misinformation in the state of South Dakota. The video will be publicly accessible online, she said. But there will not be specific (pregnancy complication) circumstances in this video. That's the problem with health care, is that there are so many different circumstances that you have to allow doctors discretion, Tobin said. She also said she didn't know whether the video will have a legal disclaimer. Sanford Health, a South Dakota-based health care system, asked the panel to support the bill. Senior legislative affairs specialist Ally Brandner said, At Sanford, we realize that we are entrusted with both the life of the pregnant mother and the child, and we appreciate the sponsor's efforts to provide clarity around our abortion (laws). Noem spokesman Ian Fury, who is the governors unborn child advocate, said the administration will make the proposed video and materials available on South Dakota's pregnancy resource website to make sure that we are offering peace and knowledge to moms, families and the general public and that they can access those resources as well. American Civil Liberties Union of South Dakota Advocacy Manager Samantha Chapman said the bill does not solve the fundamental problem that we're facing here, which is that our underlying statutes are too vague to reasonably inform a medical practitioner as to what they are legally allowed to do in an emergency. The video's budget is expected to be $50,000, but it might cost less, Health Secretary Melissa Magstadt told the Senate panel. A proposed ballot initiative would place abortion rights in South Dakota's constitution. The Legislature inked its official opposition to the measure earlier this month with a resolution against it. Democratic Senate Minority Leader Reynold Nesiba said the video bill would open the state to litigation for attempting to influence the measure's election outcome. Boomers can use the equity in their current homes to buy a new house. RealPeopleGroup/Getty Images Declining boomer ownership will free up 9.2 million homes by 2035, a Freddie Mac report found. The 32 million homes owned by boomers will drop to 23 million by 2035, when the oldest members of the group are pushing 90. Homeownership rates "gradually starting to decline as households age beyond age 75," the report said. As baby boomers age, their homes are going to increasingly be hitting the open market. A new report from Freddie Mac estimates that declining homeownership for the group will free up 9.2 million homes by 2035. Right now, boomers have a pretty large grip on the US housing market. The generation accounts for about 21% of the total US population, but they own 38% of American homes, Freddie Mac found. "Boomers are overrepresented in the homeowner demographic because homeownership rates tend to increase as households age, gradually starting to decline as households age beyond age 75," the report stated. This year, the youngest boomers will turn 60. That means that over the next decade or so, as more people age past 75, they will let go of their homes on the market. Some top forecasters like Meredith Whitney have described this phenomenon as the "silver tsunami" that will bring a wave of inventory back to the market. The offloading of homes will accelerate in the 2030s as boomers reach the ages of 70 to 80, Freddie Mac said, based on an analysis using American Consumer Survey data. The 32 million homes owned by the generation as of 2022 will drop to 23 million in 2035, when the oldest boomers will be close to 90 years old. Cumulative decline in boomer-owned households Freddie Mac But that's assuming boomers' household retention rates follow the same pattern as earlier generations. "It is possible that we may see a different outcome," the report said. "The estimates based on historical retention rates may be too negative. Retention rates have been increasing over time as health outcomes for older Americans improved and life expectancy has increased." Story continues In that case, the number of homes freed up would be about 1 million less than forecasted. Even so, as more homes flood into the market, the rising demand of younger generations notably Gen Z is expected to more than offset the decline in boomer homeownership, the report found. Read the original article on Business Insider Speaker Johnson to Biden: Mexico will do what we say Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Thursday doubled down on his calls to reinstate the Remain in Mexico policy for migrants trying to enter the U.S. and recounted telling President Biden that Mexico will do what we say if the administration decides to implement the policy. Speaking to reporters about migration, Johnson touted H.R. 2, the House-approved GOP border bill that includes many elements of former President Trumps policies. How do you reduce the flow? The answer is simple. You reinstate Remain in Mexico, that alone would reduce the flow by 70 percent thats their estimate, Johnson said. I told the president that at the White House again. He acted as though he had never heard that, didnt understand, said he couldnt do it. I said, Thats not true.' Well, Mexico doesnt want that, said Johnson, relaying his account of Bidens response. Mr. President. Were the United States, Mexico will do what we say, OK. President Trump did it. Why cant you do it? Johnsons statement comes amid tensions between Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and U.S. administration officials, stoked by a series of news stories about investigations into financial ties between drug cartels and Lopez Obrador aides. Over the past week Lopez Obrador has dropped a range of accusations of foreign intervention, particularly after a New York Times report found U.S. officials had begun and quickly scrapped investigations into drug money connections to his victorious 2018 presidential campaign. Ahead of that story, Lopez Obrador doxed The New York Timess bureau chief in Mexico, Natalie Kitroeff, projecting and reading aloud her phone number, and over subsequent days defended his actions, alleging presidential liberty trumps Mexicos strict privacy laws. The countrys independent transparency agency opened an investigation into Lopez Obrador the day after the incident. His anger over the story has not subsided, and he has threatened to skip the upcoming North American Leaders Summit, where he is scheduled to meet Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Lopez Obrador on Thursday added Canadas reinstatement of visa requirements for Mexican nationals to the list of reasons why he wont attend the summit. Still, the Mexican president remains a key player, painstakingly courted by the Biden administration, in controlling migrant flows toward the U.S.-Mexico border. Lopez Obradors office did not respond to a request for comment on this story. While Remain in Mexico has been discounted by many border experts as a dangerous and inefficient way to reduce border crossings, Johnsons recounting of its implementation was accurate. In 2019, Trump threatened to impose tariffs if Mexico did not agree to receive third-country nationals awaiting asylum processing in the United States, and he quickly obtained Lopez Obradors acquiescence. That, among other things, is the tone and the muscle memory left by the way in which Lopez Obrador folded and how he did it with Trump in March of 2019, tweeted Arturo Sarukhan, Mexicos former ambassador to the United States. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. Mike Johnson, Republican Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, has stated that the bill for supplementary funding for Ukraine will be considered as soon as the federal government's financing issues are resolved. Source: Johnson in a comment to Voice of America, as reported by European Pravda Details: Johnson stated that the House of Representatives is looking into all available options for supplementary national security funding and will return to the issue "as soon as the government receives funding." Earlier, at a briefing on 29 February, the speaker predicted that the House would most likely not consider Ukrainian assistance this week, instead focusing on border security and avoiding a shutdown. "If we are to fix the world, we must first fix America. That means two things: border security and funding for our government. So this week, we're working really hard to do both of those things," Johnson said. During the briefing, the politician also mentioned that it took the Senate four months to pass a bill providing supplementary funding, while the House of Representatives only received the document a week and a half ago. Earlier this week, after meeting with US President Joe Biden, Johnson stated that the issue of Ukraine assistance would be resolved "in the time and manner". President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced at a news conference last week that Ukraine had notified the United States, specifically Congress, of the need to approve a multibillion-dollar aid package within a month. Support UP or become our patron! U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson told the Voice of America (VoA) on Feb. 29 that his chamber would consider $60 billion in aid for Ukraine "as soon as the government is funded." The House of Representatives approved a bill on Feb. 29 to avoid a partial government shutdown less than two days before a looming deadline that threatened to disrupt federal operations. To be implemented, the measure now has to be passed by the Senate and signed into law by President Joe Biden. A $95 billion supplemental funding bill intended for Ukraine, Israel, and other allies has been stalled for months due to domestic political turmoil. The U.S. Senate passed the foreign aid bill on Feb. 13, but Johnson has not yet put it to a vote in Congress's lower chamber, despite the pressure from the Senate and the White House. Read also: Our reserves will run out: Ukrainian artillery sounds alarm on Western shell shortage Hold-ups in U.S. assistance continue to put a strain on Ukraine's defense capabilities, contributing to the loss of the key front-line city of Avdiivka, acknowledged by several U.S. officials. U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer warned during his visit to Lviv earlier this month that Ukraine is at risk of losing the war without American aid. Schumer added that the failure to support Ukraine would hurt the standing of the U.S. in the world and increase the likelihood of further conflict in the future, which could potentially require American boots on the ground. U.S. military officials previously told the VoA that if nothing changes, the U.S. Army in Europe and Africa may run out of resources "for everything," including the support for Ukraine and training and operations with NATO partners, by summer. Read also: Opinion: As an American in Avdiivka, what is Congress doing? Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Prosecutors want to ask potential jurors in the Mar-a-Lago classified documents case against former President Donald Trump whether they believe the 2020 election was stolen one of several proposed queries for the jury pool that prosecutors and the defendants are at odds over, according to a new court filing. Prosecutors and defense attorneys submitted a list of questions for potential jurors for the judge overseeing the case to review. The filing outlines which questions the parties agree are necessary to ask people called for jury duty when the case goes to trial, and which questions they disagree on asking. The proposed jury questionnaire form gives insight into how each side in the case is approaching voir dire, or the process of questioning potential jurors, for the historic trial. It also highlights the unique challenges of fielding a jury for the unprecedented, high-profile case. According to the new jury questionnaire filing, defense attorneys object to asking questions about potential jurors feelings on the Justice Department and FBI, and their opinions and news consumption around the FBIs 2022 search of Mar-a-Lago. The defense also opposes specific references to Trumps properties, including the Mar-a-Lago estate, in some of the questions. Meanwhile, the defendants are proposing to the objection of special counsel Jack Smiths office that jurors be asked if theyre registered to vote, if they voted in 2020 and whether they have a registered party affiliation. The special counsel also opposes a question proposed by the defense seeking negative views potential jurors have of politicians. Trump has been charged with unlawful retention of national defense information and obstruction in the case, which was first brought against the former president last summer. Hes accused of mishandling sensitive government documents he took from the White House to Mar-a-Lago at the end of his presidential term. He has two co-defendants in the case, who are both charged with obstruction-related crimes: his bodyman Walt Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira, a Mar-a-Lago employee. The three defendants have pleaded not guilty. Smiths team and defense attorneys do agree on several questions, including whether potential jurors have ever donated money to a political campaign, ever attended political rallies in support of a candidate, or whether they have displayed a bumper sticker or magnet on your car. Theres also stark disagreement between prosecutors and the defense over how long the trial will last: Prosecutors are recommending a prediction of four to six weeks, while the defense suggests eight to 10 weeks. The trial is ostensibly scheduled to begin in May, but there is a hearing in the case on Friday where the judge will discuss scheduling and other issues. The documents case is one of four criminal prosecutions the former president and 2024 GOP frontrunner is facing. Smith has brought a separate case in Washington, DC on hold while the Supreme Court takes up Trump claims of presidential immunity stemming from Trumps attempts to overturn the 2020 election. A prosecution brought by the Manhattan District Attorney that concerns a hush money scheme during Trumps 2016 campaign is scheduled to go to trial next month. Meanwhile, the Georgia election interference case against Trump and several other defendants brought has been tied up by ethics allegations against District Attorney Fani Willis. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com City Water, Light and Power ratepayers will notice a 32% increase on their water bills soon, with those rates set to go up 32% more in 2025. An annual Consumer Price Index (CPI) for water, sewer and trash adjustment will be applied each year starting in 2026. That CPI has been averaging about 4%. City Council members approved the hike on a 7-3 vote at its Feb. 20 meeting. Here's the rundown. City Water, Light and Power ratepayers will notice a 32% increase on their water bills soon after the Springfield City Council passed an ordinance on Feb. 20. What rate increases might look like Friday's water rate increase amounts to about 15 cents per day. For a household using on average five units (on 5/8-inch meters), or 3,740 gallons of water a month, the bill would go from $14.78 to $19.51. In Year 2, that bill would go to $25.75. Ratepayers can calculate their new cost with the 32% increase by multiplying their total CWLP Water Charges line on their bill by 1.32, said CWLP spokeswoman Amber Sabin. When will I first see the increase in my bill? The increase will be reflected on bills arriving in April. Why you are paying more According to CWLP, about half of the additional $15 to $18 million anticipated to be raised by the hikes would go towards addressing water main breaks and a state-mandated replacement of lead water service lines. It also will go towards shoring up the utility's depleted Water Fund. Illinois is one of three states that mandates lead service line replacement, although there is a federal plan afoot. Under the state mandate, the city might be required to replace 500 lead lines per year by 2027. The cost to the city will be about $150 million for switching out lead lines with copper lines. Chief Engineer for CWLP Doug Brown answers questions during the City Council meeting Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024, in Springfield. How CWLP rates stack up Even with the rate increase, CWLP officials said the municipal utility has some of the lowest rates in the state. According to a chart provided by CWLP, a customer using five units of water per month on a 5/8-inch in Chatham would be paying $64.84 or more than triple what a CWLP customer pays. Chatham is on the South Sangamon Water Commission. A Decatur customer would pay $33.29 per month. A Normal customer would pay $59.92 per month. Payment plans If a customer gets behind on a bill, they can request a payment plan, Sabin said. Likewise, a customer can set up a level payment plan to pay the same amount each month. Those requests can be made through Customer Service by calling 217-789-2030. CWLP's Energy Services Office can help customers reduce their water usage and assist with finding and fixing water leaks. Historic hike According to CWLP's chief engineer Doug Brown, the last water rate increase was 13 years ago. Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788; sspearie@sj-r.com; X, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie. This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Water bills to increase in Springfield March 1. What you need to know TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) Four teenage girls from St. Petersburg were accused of stealing from 19 liquor stores across the state of Florida. According to a release from the Charlotte County Sheriffs Office (CCSO), two 16-year-olds, a 15-year-old and a 17-year-old were arrested in Port Charlotte on Tuesday after a series of Publix liquor store thefts. Its going to be groundbreaking: DeSantis OKs release of more Epstein documents Publix locations in Venice and North Port were victims of organized retail theft of liquor earlier that day. North Port police called CCSO to warn them the suspects car was heading their way on the interstate. Deputies waited at the Publix on Peachland Blvd. in Port Charlotte, assuming that store would be the groups next target. Their black Kia sedan pulled into the parking lot and deputies waited as the four teens headed into the store. North Port police also warned the Publix manager that the group may stop at their store next. The manager spotted the girls and ran to lock the door. According to CCSO, two of the teenagers complied when stopped by deputies and the other two ran away. They were each carrying large purses, which deputies believe were used to hide the alcohol during the alleged thefts. (Charlotte County Sheriffs Office) (Charlotte County Sheriffs Office) (Charlotte County Sheriffs Office) The final two suspects were detained by deputies. One was found hiding in bushes on a median, according to CCSO. This is a perfect example of the power of intelligence-led policing, Sheriff Bill Prummell wrote in a statement. As I have said before, we have excellent working relationships with our surrounding law enforcement agencies, and it has paid off once again. Deputies found over 50 liquor bottles when searching the car, according to CCSO, and the girls reportedly confessed to committing several thefts. In total, the group was accused of 19 thefts in 16 different law enforcement jurisdictions, beginning in December 2023. The four teenagers are due in court on April 2nd. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WFLA. A State College father was arrested Wednesday on a felony child endangerment charge after telling borough police he slapped, dropped and threw his newborn. Kyuhyong Park, 30, told investigators he slapped his 7-week-old sons back hard about 10 times, police wrote in an affidavit of probable cause. Hes also accused of letting the newborn fall about half a foot backward onto a bed. A detective wrote Park was basically dropping him backwards without supporting his head and neck. Park said he would let his child fall in that manner about twice a week, police wrote. The detective wrote Park also said he picked the child up with one hand and threw him onto a bed. The newborns mother expressed concern about abusive head trauma and took him to Mount Nittany Medical Center, where he received a CT scan, police wrote. No injuries were reported and the newborn was released Wednesday evening, borough police Lt. Chad Hamilton said. No defense lawyer was listed. Park is enrolled at Penn State as a graduate student in physics. The Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response will review the allegations of misconduct and determine appropriate next steps, university spokeswoman Lisa Powers wrote Thursday in an email to the Centre Daily Times. The university may take student conduct action in addition to, and separate from, the charges filed by police. Park was also charged with a misdemeanor count of recklessly endangering another person. He was arraigned Wednesday by District Judge Don Hahn, who set bail at 10% of $20,000. He did not post bail and is incarcerated at the Centre County Correctional Facility. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 6. STAUNTON A man who beat a 2-year-old girl to death in 2022 was sentenced to decades in prison Thursday in Staunton Circuit Court. Christopher S. Hoover, 25, of Staunton, pleaded guilty in October to second-degree murder in the death of Averianna "Averi" May of Hinton. Hoover also pleaded guilty to child abuse. Evidence showed the 2-year-old girl was violently beaten the night of June 17, 2022. She died the following day. Christopher S. Hoover. Circuit Judge Anne Reed sentenced Hoover to a 30-year prison term. In court Thursday for Hoover's sentencing hearing, Dr. Robin Foster, director of the Child Protection Team at the Children's Hospital of Richmond at Virginia Commonwealth University, testified the toddler had brain bleeding, brain swelling, and multiple impact trauma to her head and body that caused numerous internal and external injuries. Staunton Chief Deputy Commonwealth's Attorney Joseph Perry said Hoover shook Averi so hard that it caused "the neurons in her brain to shear apart." Perry previously stated that Hoover, who was not the girl's father, was watching Averi and her younger half-sibling, Hoover's child, at his Staunton residence on Vincent Street while Averi's mother was away for a previously planned weekend getaway in Culpeper. Hoover was supposed to hand the children over to a babysitter after a few hours. However, a panicked Hoover ended up at his mother's Augusta County home shortly after midnight as he carried the limp toddler, leaving his child behind in a crib on Vincent Street. Hoover and his mother both called 911 as Hoover did CPR on the unresponsive toddler, causing her to vomit. "All he said is she fell off the bed," Donna Hoover said on the stand Thursday. Christopher Hoover would tell a Staunton police officer the same story, previous evidence showed. But Dr. Foster likened the child's injuries to those one would receive in a high-speed rollover crash, not a short fall from bed. Hoover told police that after changing Averi's diaper he went to get a juice box for the girl, who was standing on her bed. When he heard a noise, Hoover said he went to investigate and found her on the floor. He claimed he blacked out but didn't recall being angry. "Obviously, I know I made a mess," Hoover said on the recording. While investigating, police measured the child's bed and said the top of the mattress was less than three feet from the floor, according to previous testimony. The unresponsive toddler was taken to Augusta Health in Fishersville before being flown to UVA Health in Charlottesville, where she died the following day while being held by her mother, Perry said. Kirsten May, the toddler's mother, read from a prepared statement in court Thursday and said she's still struggling with her child's death. "I'd give anything to brush her hair one more time," May said. As she spoke, Hoover, who was part of Averi's life since she was 6 months old, sobbed at the defense table. But when Hoover was given a chance to address the court moments before his sentence was announced, in a booming, angry tone, he took umbrage at previous remarks by Perry, who noted he saw little remorse from the defendant. "He doesn't know," Hoover said. "He can't look me in the eye and tell me how I feel." Hoover, who said he is haunted by the child's death, eventually said, "I apologize." Before handing down the sentence, Judge Reed wondered aloud if Hoover had grasped the magnitude of his actions, and said it seemed he was more focused on the impact the child's death had on him. "It appears to this court that you are very angry about what happened," Reed said. In a plea deal that was previously agreed upon by Perry and Hoover's defense attorney, Dana Cormier, in exchange for his guilty pleas Perry would not ask for more than 30 years in prison. Reed gave him the max, sentencing him to a total of 40 years with 10 years suspended on charges of second-degree murder and child abuse, leaving Hoover with 30 years to serve. Afterward, Perry said, "While nothing that happens in court can bring back the life that was lost, or undo the suffering of Averi's family, we believe that the sentence imposed was just. We are grateful for the work of the Staunton Police Department in the case." Buffalo Gap-Brunswick preview; Grace girls win; all-region teams named, MBU dancing in DIII USA TODAY's Women of the Year: Meet the woman who dared to charge seven Virginia deputies with murder Brad Zinn is the cops, courts and breaking news reporter at The News Leader. Have a news tip? Or something that needs investigating? You can email reporter Brad Zinn (he/him) at bzinn@newsleader.com. You can also follow him on X (formerly Twitter). This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Staunton man sentenced to 30 years in prison for killing toddler Landslides buried Southern California roads and highways in mud and debris as storms last week drenched already-soaked hillsides. Now, more rain is on the way. A stretch of Highway 150 near Santa Paula remained closed indefinitely with a pile of mud roughly 15-feet high covering lanes. The slide one of at least four reported locally during the recent days-long storm prompted an evacuation warning for several nearby homes. Another slide just north of Ventura sent soupy mud into backyards. With steady, but lighter rain expected Friday and Saturday, authorities don't expect major flooding. But they urged anyone near a slide or another problem-prone spot to watch for changing conditions. "Anybody living near those areas should be very vigilant about knowing their surroundings and keeping an eye on things," county geologist Jim O'Tousa said. Forecast calls for up to an inch of rainfall A landslide covered lanes of Highway 150 in mud and debris at Bridge Road, north of Santa Paula, last week. After some drizzle or light showers Thursday, steadier rain could start overnight. The best chance for rain likely will run Friday through Saturday night, said David Gomberg, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard. Most areas are expected to see a half-inch to an inch of rainfall over that 48-hour period. Some foothill and mountain areas could see slightly higher totals. While the forecast shows a less intense storm, any additional rain could cause issues with mud or landslides, Gomberg said. The recent storms rolled through week after week, leaving little time for the ground to dry out in between soakings. That can cause the potential for problems with even light to moderate rainfall, he said. Two wet rainy seasons may be to blame Officials say it is difficult to predict if or when a landslide happens because of the complex nature of the hazards. Why so many were reported last week also isn't entirely clear. The amount of rain leading up to a storm and the intensity of the rainfall are among the factors contributing to whether a slope fails. The problems don't always show up during the rain but can happen weeks later. Ventura County had one of its wettest rainy seasons last year and several intense storms, but few problems with landslides were reported. The recent storms may have just taken different tracks, or in some spots, the risk could be higher because of past wildfires. Back-to-back rainy seasons also could be to blame, officials said. The county was on the heels of a drought going into the last rainy season, said Patrick Maynard, director of the sheriff's Office of Emergency Services. The soils were dry, but that has changed over two particularly rainy seasons. O'Tousa described the storm-drenched earth like a sponge full of water. If the soil gets too wet and too heavy, it can start to slide. Highway reopening remains unknown The slide on Highway 150 near Bridge Road, north of Santa Paula, was the most significant of the four reported during last week's stormy weather. The slopes in the area had failed previously during a wet winter in the late 1990s. This time, mud initially washed onto the highway early last week. The California Department of Transportation said a contractor cleared the road and put concrete rails in place to help protect it. But overnight, the slide dumped more mud and debris, Caltrans spokesman Michael Comeaux said. By Wednesday morning, the pile was roughly 15-feet high and 170-feet long; the concrete barriers buried underneath. The route between Santa Paula and Ojai is closed in both directions from Steckel Park to Stonegate Road. As of Thursday morning, Caltrans had no estimate for reopening the highway. Geologists continued to assess the slide, which remained unstable, Comeaux said. The rain in the forecast also added to the uncertainty, he said. State Route 150 (#Ojai-#SantaPaula Road) is CLOSED to traffic in both directions between Steckel Park & Stonegate Rd. Caltrans is removing mudslide. No estimate of opening time. Meanwhile, access is from Ojai #VenturaCounty #Ventura. See: https://t.co/cxZ0jW7S5n pic.twitter.com/cm8hyNi4az Caltrans District 7 (@CaltransDist7) February 20, 2024 Slides spotted near Santa Paula, Ventura Smaller, thinner slides scarred hills above a Santa Paula neighborhood during the storm. At the spot roughly a half-mile south of Bridge Road, dirt or mud didn't make it down to any roads or backyards, O'Tousa said. But across the county, mud did reach a neighborhood, spreading into a couple backyards in the Norway tract just north of Ventura. The slope directly above the homes also had failed previously, O'Tousa said. Since then, water has flowed out of the hillside. As it drains, the soils dry up and hill becomes more stable, he said. In the meantime, the county notified residents that additional rain could cause the same or worse problems. Dirt moves on La Conchita hillside Along the coast, La Conchita, a community of about 300, sits below an unstable hillside, one that gave way in 1995 and again in 2005 when a landslide killed 10 and buried homes with no warning. Authorities have declared it a geological hazard zone. Last January, debris from an older landslide fell about 150 feet but the mud stopped before reaching homes. Last week, a small amount of dirt moved again, this time within the 1995 slide area. Officials say they have no surefire way to predict if or when the La Conchita hillside could fail. But the county does look at historical triggers. As of Thursday, rainfall totals fell below those marks. Maynard urged residents to stay alert. Even with a few days of drying, the soils remain saturated and won't absorb much rain, he said. During the upcoming storm, higher elevations also could see nearly a foot of snow. The forecast calls for 5 to 10 inches in spots over 7,000 feet, Gomberg said. Areas from 5,500 to 7,000 feet could get up to 5 inches of snow. Theres also a chance of light snow later Saturday night and into Sunday morning on Interstate 5 through the Grapevine. To sign up for emergency alerts in Ventura County, go to readyventuracounty.org/vc-alert. For information about evacuations and potential road closures, go to vcemergency.com. Cheri Carlson covers the environment and county government for the Ventura County Star. Reach her at cheri.carlson@vcstar.com or 805-437-0260. This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Southern California weather: Landslide danger still looms Steve Coogan, who is defending a defamation claim, did not attend the High Court hearing but his barrister said The Lost King is a 'feature film not a documentary' - Jamie McCarthy/Getty Steve Coogan is being sued over the weasel-like portrayal of a university official in a feature film about the discovery of Richard IIIs remains, the High Court has heard. Mr Coogan was a writer and producer of the 2022 film The Lost King, which follows the story of historian Philipa Langley and her search to find the kings skeleton. Now Richard Taylor, the deputy registrar of the University of Leicester at the time, is bringing legal action against the comedian and his production company Baby Cow over the way he was depicted in the film. Mr Taylor, who was played by Lee Ingleby, claims that he was portrayed as devious and weasel-like during the search for the Plantagenet monarch under a Leicester council car park in 2012. At a hearing in the High Court on Thursday, which Mr Coogan did not attend, William Bennett KC said his client Mr Taylor was presented as being dismissive, patronising and misogynistic towards Ms Langley. The former university official is also bringing legal action against Pathe Productions over his portrayal in the film. Mr Taylors barrister said in written submissions: The relevant context is the good versus bad narrative, which runs through the film. Ms Langley is portrayed as the gutsy underdog heroine struggling against opposition and the claimant as the arrogant villain. He not only takes steps to make sure that people do not know about her role but takes the credit, which was rightfully hers, for himself and the university. Mr Taylor, who is now chief operating officer at Loughborough University, was also shown as a devious, weasel-like person and a suited bean-counter, Mr Bennett told the High Court in London. The barrister later said that Mr Taylor was portrayed as mocking Richard IIIs disability and linking physical deformity with wickedness or moral failings. Mr Bennett continued: Its a straightforward, plot-driven film where everything that is said and done matters. Mr Coogan and the two production companies are defending the libel claim. Andrew Caldecott KC, for the Alan Partridge star and companies, said in written submissions: It is a feature film, not a documentary. It would be clear to the ordinary reasonable viewer that the film is not a documentary, it is a dramatisation of events. The concept of fictional films based on real events is not a new one. The Lost King stars Sally Hawkins and Steve Coogan, pictured, who play Philipa and John Langley - Warner Bros In England and Wales, it is understood that no individual holds the legal right to the story of their life being depicted in a film, television or writing. Others are free to produce content about a person without their consent if the information was obtained lawfully. However, as Mr Taylor has done, an individual may consider bringing a defamation claim if a television show, film or book makes what they claim are false or injurious claims about them. Mr Caldecott said the film states it was based on a true story, adding: It is not a literal portrayal of exact words ... and would be understood as putting forward Ms Langleys perception. The barrister denied that Mr Taylor is shown to be sexist or misogynist, adding his concern is about Ms Langleys amateur status and lack of historical expertise, and not her gender. He continued: Whilst the film is clearly strongly critical of Mr Taylor and the university for sidelining Ms Langley at the dig and after the discovery of the body and not giving her sufficient credit, his clear motive is to exploit the discovery to further the universitys commercial interests. No reasonable viewer would conclude that his motive was sexism or misogynism. Mr Caldecott also said Mr Taylor was not portrayed as mocking Richard IIIs disability, and certainly not mocking disabled people in general. Judge Jaron Lewis will give a ruling on preliminary issues in the claim at a later date. 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. Everest Group Ltd (NYSE:EG) demonstrates robust financial health with a market capitalization of $14.8 billion as of June 30, 2023. EG's diverse operations and strategic initiatives in talent development and DEI position it well for future growth. Despite a strong market presence, EG faces challenges from catastrophic events and competitive pressures in the insurance industry. Opportunities for expansion and innovation are counterbalanced by potential threats from cybersecurity risks and regulatory changes. Everest Group Ltd (NYSE:EG), a leading provider of insurance services, filed its 10-K on February 28, 2024, offering a comprehensive view of its financial and operational status. With a market capitalization of $14.8 billion as of mid-2023, EG operates across U.S., Bermuda, and international markets, focusing on Reinsurance and Insurance business segments. The company's financial tables reflect a diversified portfolio, with gross written premiums spread across broker reinsurance, insurance business, and direct reinsurance markets. EG's strategic approach to talent development and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are notable strengths that contribute to its competitive advantage and potential for sustained growth. Decoding Everest Group Ltd (EG): A Strategic SWOT Insight Strengths Diversified Business Operations and Global Reach: Everest Group Ltd (NYSE:EG) has established a broad spread of risk by writing business on a worldwide basis across many different customers and lines of business. This diversification strategy has resulted in no single customer generating more than 3.8% of the company's gross written premiums, indicating a low dependency on individual clients and a reduced risk of significant revenue loss from any one source. Furthermore, EG's global presence, with operations in key markets such as the U.S., Bermuda, Canada, Europe, and South America, enhances its ability to tap into various growth opportunities and mitigate region-specific risks. Story continues Robust Talent Management and DEI Initiatives: EG's focus on attracting, developing, and retaining top industry talent is a critical strength. The company's comprehensive talent management programs, including corporate mentoring, leadership development opportunities, and engagement with external partner organizations, foster a culture of continuous learning and professional growth. EG's proactive approach to DEI, as evidenced by its Global Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council and Colleague Resource Groups, promotes an inclusive workplace that values diversity in gender, ethnicity, age, geography, skill sets, experiences, and perspectives. This focus on human capital not only enhances employee satisfaction and retention but also drives innovation and better decision-making within the organization. Weaknesses Exposure to Catastrophic Events and Market Volatility: As an insurance and reinsurance provider, EG is inherently exposed to losses from catastrophic events, which could exceed projections and significantly impact financial statements. The company acknowledges this vulnerability, which poses a challenge in accurately assessing underwriting risk and establishing adequate premium rates. Additionally, EG's investment portfolio is subject to fluctuations in financial market conditions, potentially leading to declines in investment values and income, which could affect the company's overall profitability and financial stability. Dependence on Brokers and Agents for Business Development: EG relies heavily on brokers and agents for the distribution of its insurance products. This reliance creates a potential weakness, as the company must continuously maintain strong relationships with these intermediaries to ensure a steady flow of business. Any disruption in these relationships, whether due to competitive pressures or changes in the brokerage industry, could adversely affect EG's market share and revenue generation capabilities. Opportunities Expansion into Emerging Markets and Product Innovation: EG's global footprint provides a platform for expansion into emerging markets, where insurance penetration rates are typically lower and the potential for growth is significant. By leveraging its existing expertise and reputation, EG can explore opportunities to introduce innovative insurance products tailored to the needs of these markets. Additionally, the company's commitment to DEI could serve as a differentiator in new markets, appealing to a broader customer base and fostering local partnerships. Technological Advancements and Data Analytics: The insurance industry is increasingly influenced by technology and data analytics. EG's investment in information technology and cybersecurity measures positions the company to capitalize on digital transformation trends. By enhancing its data processing capabilities and predictive analytics models, EG can improve risk assessment, pricing accuracy, and customer experience, leading to more competitive product offerings and operational efficiencies. Threats Regulatory Changes and Compliance Risks: The insurance industry is highly regulated, and EG operates under the scrutiny of various regulatory bodies across multiple jurisdictions. Changes in laws, regulations, or accounting standards could impose additional compliance costs or limit the company's operational flexibility. Moreover, EG's ability to pay dividends and manage its capital structure is subject to regulatory restrictions, which could impact shareholder returns and the company's financial planning. Cybersecurity Risks and Technological Disruptions: Despite robust security protocols, EG acknowledges the potential impact of significant cyber incidents on its operations. A system failure or security breach could lead to operational disruptions, reputational damage, and financial losses. As cyber threats evolve, EG must continuously invest in and update its cybersecurity measures to protect sensitive data and maintain the trust of clients, partners, and regulators. In conclusion, Everest Group Ltd (NYSE:EG) presents a solid financial and strategic profile, with strengths in its diversified operations, talent management, and DEI initiatives. However, the company must navigate weaknesses related to catastrophic event exposure and reliance on intermediaries. Opportunities for growth through market expansion and technological innovation are promising, but EG must remain vigilant against threats from regulatory changes and cybersecurity risks. By leveraging its strengths and addressing its weaknesses, EG is well-positioned to capitalize on opportunities and mitigate threats in the dynamic insurance landscape. 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. Parents take their children to school in La Verne on Feb. 20 as steady rain falls across much of Los Angeles County. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times) To bookend a particularly wet February, another storm is expected to hit Southern California this weekend but the incoming rainfall should be relatively light. The storm is expected to move into Los Angeles on Friday and continue through Saturday night, with periods of light rain and mountain snow, according to the National Weather Service. The Los Angeles area is expected to get between half an inch to three-fourths of an inch of rain, and between 1 and 1.5 inches of rain in the foothills and mountains. "We will have several days of rain, but it'll be pretty light accumulation," said Kristan Lund, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard. "There won't be any particularly heavy moments." Still, because the ground is already so saturated from previous storms there could be some risk of debris and mud flows on canyon roads, as well as some localized flooding. In the mountains, its expected to snow 1 to 2 inches in elevations between 4,000 and 5,000 feet, with 2 to 5 inches in elevations between 5,000 and 7,000 feet and 5 to 10 inches above 7,000 feet, according to the weather service. Interstate 5 and the Grapevine a heavily used roadway that is often closed during heavy storms could get around an inch of snow. The weather service issued a winter storm warning for the Sierra Nevada foothills above 2,500 feet from 4 a.m. Saturday until 10 a.m. Sunday. Heavy snow is expected, with accumulations between 6 to 12 inches. Travel is expected to be difficult and drivers are encouraged to keep an extra flashlight, food and water in their cars in case of an emergency. Read more: The Sierra's remarkable recovery: 'Snow drought' fears overturned in a flash But in Californias highest mountains, blizzard conditions were predicted to roll in as early as Thursday, and forecast to hit the Lake Tahoe area by late morning and Mammoth Mountain by the afternoon. In the Los Angeles Basin, the storm is expected to peter out by Sunday, with most of next week forecast to be dry until at least Tuesday, when there's chance of another storm. The latest bout of wet weather caps off a nearly historically wet February. The back-to-back atmospheric river storms that rolled through the region earlier this month triggered hundreds of landslides across Los Angeles, damaged homes and resulted in multiple fatalities across the state. Downtown Los Angeles has received 17.89 inches of rain since Oct. 1, when hydrologists begin measuring annual rainfall. That's about 7 more inches of rain than what's normal for this time of year. In the month of February alone, downtown L.A. so far has gotten 12.66 inches of rain, when it normally gets about 3.64 inches in an average year. February is already the fourth-wettest February since the weather service started keeping records in 1877. It's also the wettest month in 26 years and is tied for the seventh-wettest month ever. 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. Laken Riley, a committed Christian, would have been an 'incredible nurse', friends said - FACEBOOK When 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley failed to return home from her usual run near University of Georgia, her concerned flatmate called the campus police. Just over 30 minutes later, her lifeless body was found in a wooded area just off the running trail. She had been brutally bludgeoned to death. When a Venezuelan migrant who had illegally crossed the US border was charged with Ms Rileys murder, her death was instantly transformed from a family tragedy to a political lightning rod. The murder - the first homicide on the universitys campus in 30 years - was immediately seized upon by Donald Trump and his GOP allies, who have sought to pin the devout Christians murder on Joe Biden. Senator Joni Ernst holds a poster with photos of Sarah Root, killed by an illegal immigrant who was drink-driving, and Laken Riley as Republicans stepped up efforts to link Ms Riley's death to Joe Biden's border policies - SHUTTERSTOCK Crooked Joe Bidens Border invasion is destroying our country and killing our citizens, Mr Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform days after Jose Antonio Ibarras arrest. Ms Rileys murder should have never happened, he said, describing her killer as a monster who illegally entered our country. Mr Trump dedicated a significant portion of his remarks at the US-Mexico border on Thursday to Ms Riley, who he described as a beautiful young woman. Doubling down on his previous comments, he described the man charged with her murder as an illegal alien migrant who was let into our country and released into our communities by crooked Joe Biden. Mr Trump added that his political rival will never say Laken Rileys name, before adding: but we will say it and we will remember, were not going to forget her. His allies quickly fell in line. Mike Collins, a Georgia congressman, said Mr Biden had blood on his hands. And Brian Kemp, the state governor, shared a letter addressed to Mr Biden demanding information related to Mr Ibarras immigration status. Laken Rileys tragic death struck the hearts of Georgians everywhere and has sparked national outrage, Mr Kemp said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. Joe Bidens failed policies have turned every state into a border state, and Im demanding information from him so we can protect our people when the federal government wont! A life of laughter and kindness Deborah Gonzalez, Athens-Clarke Countys district attorney and a Democrat, tried to push back on the rhetoric, saying she would not allow this or any other case to be used for political gain. The bitter, political fallout sparked by Ms Rileys death could not be further from how she lived her life - thoughtfully, and filled with laughter and kindness. A lover of dancing, running and singing, Ms Riley had recently enrolled as a nursing student at Augusta University, which has a campus in Athens, Clarke County, around 70 miles from Atlanta. She showed incredible wisdom throughout her friendships. Many sisters have shared that she was the best listener, Chloe Mullis, Ms Rileys sororitys president, said at her vigil. Ms Mullis described Ms Riley as a devoted Christian, sister, student, daughter and friend, who no doubt would have been an incredible nurse. But Ms Rileys life was cut short on February 22. She was jogging around Lake Harrick, a quiet loop popular for running and walking, when she was attacked. Her disfigured body had been dragged into a secluded area, and medical examiners said she died from blunt force trauma. Jose Ibarra faces charges of murdering and kidnapping Laken Riley - CLARKE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE VIA AP Ibarra, 26, was arrested last Friday and charged with felony murder, false imprisonment and kidnapping and concealing a death. In September 2022, he was arrested after entering the US illegally near El Paso, Texas, and was paroled and released for further processing, according to a statement from ICE. His release was part of a practice, since abandoned, that the administration used when officials were overwhelmed with high numbers of crossings. Mr Ibarra is understood to have spent some time in New York City, where he was arrested and released after driving a scooter without a licence and with a child who was not wearing a helmet. In October 2023, he and his brother were caught shoplifting over $200 worth of clothes and food in Athens, according to a police report. Suspect lived a mile from death scene At the time of Ms Rileys death, he was living in a block of flats about one mile from the wooded trail where her body was found, according to police. Given Ms Rileys suspected murderer is a migrant, it is not surprising her death has been seized upon by the GOP, according to Wendy Brown, a political science professor at the University of California, Berkeley. Ms Brown, who has studied the border, said Mr Trump and the GOPs response to the murder was totally predictable. She told The Telegraph: Obviously, the GOP will seize on anything an undocumented person does thats in violation of the law and turn it into a symbol for catastrophic border crisis and immigration crisis and its not surprising. She added it was particularly telling this has blown up in Georgia which is a swing state and swung to Biden and 2020. And the Republicans are desperate to get it back by any means possible. 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. Its been more than two years since the Supreme Court opened a new frontier for gun laws. In New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, the court laid out a far more restrictive test for determining whether such laws violate the individual right to bear arms that the justices previously found in the Second Amendment. Ive chronicled time and time again how judges have tried to apply that test to existing laws, sometimes with far-reaching implications. Earlier this month, a federal judge in New York ruled that simply possessing a gun in public no longer amounts to probable cause for an arrest in that state. The decision is one of the first to apply Bruen to how police officers carry out searches and arrestsa sign of how much the Supreme Courts ruling has changed the legal landscape when it comes to guns in American life. In February 2023, NYPD officers encountered Robert Homer on Guy R. Brewer Boulevard, near the border of the Rochdale neighborhood in Queens. A group of officers, using the citys ARGUS surveillance camera network, observed him sitting in the drivers seat of a silver van. One of the officers saw Homer put what appeared to be a black handgun into one of his pockets while in the van, go to a nearby deli to get something to eat, and return to the van. After his return, officers arrested him and found a handgun in his pocket. Court documents do not say whether he was able to eat his meal first. After his arrest, federal prosecutors charged Homer with violating a federal law that bans people with felony convictions from owning firearms. Critically, however, the officers were unaware that Homer had a previous felony conviction prior to arresting him. Instead, their justification for making the arrestwhat is known as probable cause in courtrevolved around his simple possession of a firearm. The arresting officer additionally told the court that he thought Homer lacked proper firearm discipline and that he was in what the police described as a high-crime area. Homers lawyers saw things differently. In their telling, their client was minding his own business when he was arrested for no reason. Neither [the arresting officer] nor any of the [other] NYPD officers who arrived on scene witnessed Mr. Homer do anything suspicious, much less anything that would give rise to probable cause to arrest Mr. Homer, they told the court. Mr. Homer was simply sitting in the drivers seat of a car when the arresting officers arrived on scene and immediately pulled him from the car and placed him under arrest. Accordingly, his lawyers filed a motion to suppress any evidence obtained as a result of Homers arrest, including the discovered firearm. They claimed that the Supreme Courts ruling in Bruen and the subsequent expansion of New Yorks concealed-carry laws changed the calculus for when a persons behavior becomes suspicious enough for an arrest. Even assuming the unidentified NYPD officer observed Mr. Homer on live video surveillance briefly holding what resembled a firearm, that observation is not sufficient to establish probable cause to believe that Mr. Homer committed a crime, Homers lawyers told the court. Federal prosecutors pushed back by arguing that the sum of events met the probable-cause threshold. Homer was holding a firearm in his hand unsecured while in a car with other people, in a high-crime area and in a car recognized as connected to a violent gang, prosecutors said in court filings. (As the court later noted, the officers couldnt see the license plate and therefore only knew it as a silver van, of which there are many in New York City.) They also faulted Homer for what they described as faulty gun discipline based on how Homer handled the gun. This was not the mark of a licensed gun owner, prosecutors claimed. Bruen, in their view, does not affect the probable cause calculus in this case whatsoever. The district court thought otherwise. In the pre-Bruen world, the court agrees that a police officer likely would have had probable cause to arrest someone that the officer observed in a high crime area at night with a firearm, Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis wrote in the decision. Since concealed-carry licenses were so rare in New York before Bruen, and so few people had them, officers could reasonably conclude that someone they spotted with a gun in those circumstances didnt have a license. In Bruen, the Supreme Courts justices articulated an expansive approach to the Second Amendment. Restrictions that do not pass Bruens new history-and-tradition test, which only allows courts to uphold gun laws if they have a founding-era analogue, are now invalid. Lower courts have spent the last two years trying to decide which laws survive under the new test, sometimes reaching wildly different conclusions. The Supreme Court is already mulling a follow-up case about whether Bruen invalidated a federal law that bars domestic abusers from owning a gun. After Bruen came down and New York rewrote its gun laws to match it, however, that calculus had changed. For the purposes of this inquiry, the practical effect of [the amendment] is to make gun licenses for public carry significantly more accessible, Judge Garaufis explained. The licensing exception that police could have reasonably disregarded before Bruen was substantially broadened so that police can no longer reasonably assess whether a person was committing a crime without taking the exception into account. As a result, he ordered the evidence to be suppressed. The courts ruling was bounded by the practical steps that the officers could have taken to make a more lawful arrest. For one thing, Garaufis noted, the cops could have tried to actually identify Homer before arresting him. That would have allowed them to discover his prior felony conviction, which in turn would have provided probable cause. They also could have performed whats known as a stop and frisk to find the gun and check for a license instead of jumping straight to an arrest. Since the officers only arrested Homer for the mere fact of having a gun, however, they couldnt use any evidence obtained from the arrest to prosecute him. Garaufis is not the first judge to conclude that Bruen has changed the calculus for when cops can arrest people for having guns. In an evidentiary ruling in a federal gun-related case last year, a federal court in Connecticut reached a similar conclusion. That case also involved an armed defendant who was arrested before officers determined he had a felony conviction. Consequently, by the time of the second search, the officers did not have enough facts to support probable cause, Judge Stefan Underhill wrote, citing Bruen. That is because an individual cannot be presumed to be carrying a firearm unlawfully simply because of their possession of a firearm. The motion to suppress in that case ultimately failed for unrelated reasons. Bruen did not technically address police interactions like the one Homer experienced, so it is unclear whether other courts will adopt the same reasoning. But one of the friend of the court briefs in Bruen did discuss how New Yorks gun laws affected policing strategies, particularly in New York City. The brief, filed by a coalition of legal aid and public defender groups in the state, told the justices that the pre-Bruen law led to draconian outcomes for otherwise law-abiding citizens. We routinely see people charged with a violent felony for simply possessing a firearm outside of the home, a crime only because they had not gotten a license beforehand, they claimed. They also noted that the NYPD had a history of predominantly enforcing those laws against communities of color in New York City, particularly among Black and Hispanic New Yorkers. According to NYPD arrest data, in 2020, 96 percent of arrests made for gun possession ... in New York City were of Black or Latino people, they told the justices. This percentage has been above 90 percent for 13 consecutive years. One can also understand how the Homer decision flows from the courts vision of gun rights in Bruen. By hewing to eighteenth- and nineteenth-century gun restrictions, it reflects an America where owning and carrying a gun were part of everyday life, either for self-defense or for survival in the early republic. A world in which the Second Amendment is no longer a second-class right, as Justice Clarence Thomas lamented before he wrote Bruen, is likely a world where seeing someone with a gun in public is no longer a sign of imminent criminal activity. But as the events in the Homer case demonstrate, its far from clear if everyone is going to see this the same way. A woman under a purple umbrella walks past the Supreme Court, Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, in Washington. The Supreme Court agreed on Wednesday to decide whether former President Donald Trump can be prosecuted on charges he interfered with the 2020 election and has set a course for a quick resolution. | Jacquelyn Martin The future of federal gun control is in the hands of the Supreme Court. The justices will soon clarify how much power a president has to put forward new gun policies in a case that stems from the Trump administrations 2018 ban on bump stocks. If the court overturns the ban, it will become harder to regulate gun access with administrative rules. The executive branch would instead need to lean on Congress, which hasnt passed a significant gun control measure in years. What is a bump stock? The Supreme Court case, called Garland v. Cargill, centers on bump stocks, devices that modify semiautomatic rifles to make it easier to shoot hundreds of rounds in quick succession, according to The Washington Post. The device harnesses a guns natural recoil, allowing the rifle to bounce or bump rapidly back and forth off a shooters trigger finger. Rifles equipped with bump stocks can fire an estimated 400 to 800 bullets per minute, the article said. Bump stocks have been used in some recent mass shootings, including the 2017 attack on a music festival in Las Vegas that left 60 people dead and hundreds injured. The bump stock case After the Las Vegas music festival shooting, the Trump administration moved to ban bump stocks through the federal rulemaking process. Officials based the new rule on a 1986 law prohibiting the purchase or sale of machine guns. They argued that a semiautomatic rifle with a bump stock amounts to a machine gun since the modified weapon fires dozens of rounds with little effort from the shooter. The Supreme Court case came about because not everyone accepts this argument. Michael Cargill, a U.S. Army veteran who owns a gun store in Austin, says in the lawsuit that bump stocks do not fit the legal definition of a machine gun since they do not continuously fire with a single function of the trigger, per The Washington Post. Instead, they require steady, continuous pressure on the weapon. During Wednesdays oral arguments in the case, Cargills attorney stressed that even if the shooter is simply applying constant pressure with the same amount of force, he is still acting manually, rather than automatically, SCOTUSblog reported. Cargill and his attorneys are squaring off against the Biden administration, which shares the Trump administrations belief that guns with bump stocks should be considered machine guns under the law. The Biden administration asked the Supreme Court to intervene in the case after the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Cargill. How will the Supreme Court rule on bump stocks? During oral arguments Wednesday, the Supreme Court appeared divided over the bump stock ban, although not along the typical conservative-liberal dividing line. The three more liberal justices all appeared supportive of the ban, and so did, at various points, a few of the more conservative justices. Justice Clarence Thomas noted that the statute was initially passed because of the lethality of machine guns. Behind the latest ban, he said, is the notion that the bump stock does the exact same thing. Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. asked (Cargills attorney) if he could imagine a legislator thinking Congress should ban machine guns but not bump stocks, The Washington Post reported. Some conservative justices expressed concern about what will happen if the court upholds the ban. Attorneys for the Biden administration said people who currently own bump stocks could be held criminally liable even if they didnt realize the ban was in place, SCOTUSblog reported. Several justices shared concerns about gun violence during Wednesdays arguments, but some added that such concerns dont change the courts duty to properly interpret the law. The Supreme Courts ruling in the bump stock case is expected by the end of June. Jeffrey Reinbold, National Park Service Superintendent for the National Mall and Memorial Parks, announces the peak bloom for the cherry blossoms during a news conference in Washington, Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) WASHINGTON (AP) It's cherry blossom season again, and officials in the nation's capital are predicting a banner year for the signature pink blooms. To herald the iconic blossoms, the nation's capital has prepared several weeks of events, including a parade, concerts and fireworks for both locals and visitors who flood the city annually for the Cherry Blossom Festival. Based on hotel reservation numbers, organizers are expecting the number of tourists to reach 1.5 million for the first time since before the pandemic. Here's a primer on Washington's iconic flowering trees. When will the cherry trees reach peak bloom? National Park Service officials estimate that peak bloom will begin between March 23 and March 26 and run for about 10 days. That's when 70% of the city's 3,700 cherry trees will be flowering. The overall cherry blossom season will run from March 20 through April 14. Where are the best places to see the trees? The capital's highest concentration of cherry trees is around the Tidal Basin near the Jefferson Memorial, a short walk from the National Mall. However, cherry blossoms are scattered throughout the capital city's neighborhoods. Officials recommend that people take public transportation because parking is at a minimum. What events are planned? Cherry blossom time is regarded locally as the unofficial start of Washington's tourist season, and organizers have planned a host of events. Area restaurants also traditionally roll out various cherry blossom-flavored specialties from martinis to milkshakes. The full list is events available on the Cherry Blossom Festival website. Some highlights include: The Blossom Kite Festival around the Washington Monument on March 30. The Cherry Blossom Parade on April 13. The Petalpalooza music and arts festival at the Capital Riverfront on April 6, with fireworks at 8:30 p.m. How did Washington get its cherry trees? The tradition dates back to 1912, when the mayor of Tokyo gifted Washington with 3,000 trees. The Japanese Embassy remains heavily involved in the annual festival and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will make an official visit to Washington this year during the festival on April 10. Why are the cherry trees blooming earlier than in the past? Officials point to climate change and say the impact may be accelerating. Steadily rising global temperatures have resulted in peak bloom creeping a little earlier each year. In 2013, the peak bloom was on April 9, about two weeks later than the current date. Jeff Reinbold, the superintendent of the National Mall and memorial parks for the National Park Service, said a hotter-than-usual January essentially confused the trees and prevented them from entering their normal and necessary winter dormant period. This has been a puzzling year to read the trees, he said. We are seeing the effects of both warmer and highly variable temperatures on the trees. Officials have also warned that the hundreds of trees around the Tidal Basin are under threat from creeping floodwaters due to rising sea levels. Millet Ben Haim, a survivor of the Oct. 7 terrorist attack in Israel, speaks in front of the Old Capitol in Tallahassee on Feb. 29, 2024. (Photo credit: Mitch Perry/Florida Phoenix) Quality Journalism for Critical Times A bipartisan group of state lawmakers gathered in front of the Florida Capitol on Thursday to observe the states first Israel Day at the Capitol, an event labeled as bittersweet by Democratic Sen. Jason Pizzo because of the war between Israel and Hamas. On October 7, Hamas gunmen killed approximately 1,200 Israelis and took around 250 hostage. The conflict has resulted in the deaths of approximately 30,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Among those speaking at the event were Millet Ben Haim and Rom El Hai, two people whod attended the Tribe of Nova Music Festival in Southern Israel where at least 260 people were killed on Oct. 7, according to the Associated Press. Ben Haim, 28, said that she and three other young women hid under a bush for six hours hoping to avoid the terrorists. I prayed to get hit by a rocket, she said. Because it was very clear to me that if they will see us they will rape us and to know now what they did to so many other girls and actually some of the guys that is devastating. Equally devastating, she added, has been the reaction of the international community. We have a second circle of this trauma, as the world either stays silent or worse [is] standing up against us. El Hai, 29, said what he remembers is how the terrorists seemed so happy, like a birthday party, while they were killing Jews. It was so brutal, that thing that Ill never forget it the rest of my life, he said. But we need to remember that there are so many people that didnt survive, and we need to mention them every day and we need to bring the hostages [home] as soon as we can, and also we need to make sure that thing will never happen again, not just in Israel but any place in the world, he said. But there is one thing we know for sure is that we will dance again. States reaction Florida has a Jewish population of more than 670,000, according to the World Population Review, and the DeSantis administration and the Florida Legislature responded immediately in support of Israel after the attack. On Oct. 10, Gov. Ron DeSantis met with Jewish leaders in Miami-Dade County and announced that he was increasing sanctions against the Iranian government (a State Department spokesman said in the immediate aftermath of the attack that while Iran was complicit the department had no evidence that it directed or orchestrated it). A month later, the Legislature approved $25 million to bolster security for Jewish day schools. And on Thursday, the House approved a measure (HB 187) updating the definition of antisemitism in Florida which includes a provision that the term antisemitism does not include criticism of Israel that is similar to criticism of any other country. While the war in Gaza has continued, there have been protests on college campuses in Florida in support of Palestinian rights and calls for a cease-fire. At the press conference, Pizzo, representing South Florida, appeared to reference those protests. We accuse each other on either side of the aisle very often about misinformation, but its been horrible to see throughout the state of Florida as we tour around to see the disinformation that many of our kids have been experiencing and having been seeing, he said. A month after the attacks, the Legislature nearly unanimously voted down a resolution sponsored by Jacksonville Democratic Rep. Angie Nixon calling for a cease-fire in the conflict. The vote was 104-2. Meanwhile, President Biden said earlier this week that he hopes for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas to put a pause on the fighting and allow for the remaining hostages held by Hamas to be released by next week, according to the Associated Press. The post Survivors of Oct. 7 terrorist attack speak at Israel Day at the Capitol in Tallahassee appeared first on Florida Phoenix. The Synevo chain of medical laboratories said on Feb. 27 that it had reached an agreement with the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) over the seizure of its main office and laboratory in Kyiv earlier the same day. Synevo said earlier on Feb. 27 that the SBI had seized its building as part of a criminal case over the illegal removal of real estate from state ownership between 2016 to 2021, unrelated to the company itself. The company said its building was seized without an official notice, calling on the bureau to resolve the issue as soon as possible. In a statement later the same day, the SBI noted that no investigative actions were taken in relation to the specified medical enterprise that would interfere with its operations. In an updated statement, Synevo said it engaged in fruitful dialogue with SBI representatives about its buildings seizure. They (the SBI) emphasized that any targeted influence on the activities of Synevo, now or in the future, in the course of the criminal proceedings, was not intentional, Synevo said. According to Synevo, the SBI denied any intention of blocking the laboratorys activities and assured the company of its desire for a quick resolution. In a comment to the Kyiv Independent, Synevos deputy director general Mykola Skavronskyi said the buildings seizure led to the expiration of the companys current lease agreement, thereby ceasing the laboratorys operations. The seizure was made quietly no one was informed about it why it happened this way and for what purpose, we should ask the SBI, the representative said. According to the Skavronskyi, the company discovered by accident that the building had been seized. When it tried to lift the seizure at the Lviv court that had issued it, the companys request was denied. Given the obvious absurdity of the situation, we intend to continue to seek justice, and the only option we have left is to file another lawsuit in the coming days to cancel the seizure of the building, but this time at the Pechersk District Court of Kyiv. The representative said the SBI informed the company that it does not intend to keep the building seized. We do not know the reasons for the seizure, nor do we know the reasons for the previous refusal to lift the seizure at the Lychakiv Court in Lviv. The court also did not disclose its decision, so only the SBI can clarify the situation. Currently, the common goal of Synevo and the SBI is to resolve the issue quickly and cancel the seizure of the building in court, Synevos statement said on Facebook. According to the company, around 300,00 people use Synevo services every month, including Ukrainian military personnel and war veterans who are served free of charge. If Synevo is forced to halt its operations, Ukraine will lose hundreds of millions of hryvnias in taxes and fees, the company said. Read also: Ukraine war latest: Ukraine downs 3 Russian Su-34 jets in 1 day Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. EL CAJON, Calif. (FOX 5/KUSI) Two teenagers booked into juvenile hall Wednesday are suspected of retail theft and fleeing from police in a stolen car, according to the El Cajon Police Department. Officers say a person contacted police after they saw three people who appeared to be breaking into and stealing a vehicle in San Diego. When officers located the vehicle, they say the driver sped away and a handgun was thrown out of the car in the process. Police chased the stolen vehicle until it crashed into a dirt embankment while exiting the freeway. Hybrid buses catch fire in parking structure: SDFD After the crash, officers say the three suspects fled on foot and two of them were caught by police. The third suspect was not located. The incident happened in the 800 block of North Mollison Avenue around 11:20 p.m. Wednesday. Police say the three teenagers are also suspected of stealing more than $1,000 worth of merchandise from Dicks Sporting Goods earlier. The two teenagers who were caught at the scene were booked into juvenile hall. Officers are still looking for the third suspect. Anyone with more information regarding this incident is asked to contact the El Cajon Police Department at 619-579-3311 or Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News. Rep. Mark Green, (R-TN) Chairman, U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security, during the Conservative Political Action Conference, CPAC 2024, at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center. U.S. Rep. Mark Green, R-Clarksville, will seek reelection despite his strong desire to leave Congress this year, a quick reversal from his retirement plans he announced two weeks ago. Greens initial retirement announcement took many by surprise, though it came amid a slew of similar retirements by high-ranking House Republicans. The congressmans office earlier this week confirmed he was reconsidering his decision, as reports simmered that some Tennessee Republicans had asked him to rethink his plans. In a statement, Green said former President Donald Trump was among those encouraging him to seek reelection. While my strong desire was to leave Congress at the end of this year, since my announcement, I have received countless calls from constituents, colleagues, and President Trump urging me to reconsider, Green said in a statement. I was reminded of the words of General MacArthur on a statue at West Point: Duty, honor, country. I realized, once again: I had a duty to my country to fulfill. I will be running for re-election so I can be here on Day 1 next year to help President Trump end this border crisis once and for all." Green's retirement would have left the Republican primary in the 7th Congressional District wide open. Green had never faced primary challenger for the seat, which now includes parts of Nashville and Davidson County after a controversial redistricting. Former Nashville Mayor Megan Barry, a Democrat, announced in December she would seek the Democratic nomination in the 7th Congressional District and challenge Green for the seat. In a statement, Barry slammed Green's reversal, saying he's decided to run for a job that "just two weeks ago he said he didnt want - just because his party bosses told him to." "Green said himself what his bosses know, that my campaign is mounting a serious threat to flip this seat blue," Barry said. "Greens flip-flop is just more of the same chaos and incompetence that has marked his time in Congress. As I said when I announced my campaign for this seat: Mark Green has failed to address the most pressing problems our families are facing. Green said he was leaving behind a broken Congress - dysfunction that he and his fellow extremists in the House Freedom Caucus are responsible for." This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: US Rep Mark Green: Tennessee congressman will seek reelection WILL BE FOUND AND NEUTRALIZED: Mobile fire teams have been helping air defense defend Ukrainian cities from enemy shaheeds for over a year Every night, equipped with tablets, pickup trucks, machine guns, and their own skills, Ukrainian mobile fire groups (MFG) monitor the skies over the Ukrainian capital and repel Russian drone attacks. An intense blizzard in sub-zero temperatures made the suburbs of Kyiv feel rather inhospitable late on Jan. 11. Read also: Ukrainian Air Force provides details on Russian overnight attack on Ukraine A group of soldiers of the 242nd Separate Territorial Defense Battalion was waiting for NV journalists on a dark street. Good evening, a short man in a camo smiles, addressing us. Oleksandr Zhyhun, deputy battalion commander. His unit includes several MFGs guarding the skies above Kyiv. Its they who destroy Russian drones that occasionally reach the capital. Zhyhun invites the journalists to his car, which, judging by the position of the steering wheel, should be driving not on Ukrainian roads, but somewhere in Japan, the United Kingdom, or its former colonies. The deputy commander sits in the drivers seat, and we set off into the darkness. From time to time, a walkie-talkie starts working next to Zhyhun, as well as a tablet with specialized software tracking any airborne threats as they are detected by the air defenses. Everything is calm now. What are your expectations for tonight? we ask the deputy commander, pointing to the tablet. In fact, we had information this morning about a serious attack tonight or early in the morning. Maybe like the one that happened after New Year, he answers calmly. On the New Years Eve he mentioned, according to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia launched a record number of drones on Ukraine: 96 drones before midnight and another 36 after. On the way to the military base, Zhyhun tells the entire service record of his battalion. Its soldiers first ousted the Russians from Kyiv Oblast in early 2022, and then engaged in battles in Kharkiv and Donetsk oblasts. Read also: Mykolaiv mayor confirms explosions coming from suburbs, Ukraine neutralizes 23 of 31 Russian attack drones launched overnight Half of our battalion has returned from Klishchiivka [near Bakhmut area], says Zhyhun. Another half protected the skies here. The battles in Kharkiv Oblast in 2022 turned out to be the bloodiest for the unit. It was then, in the battle for the village of Dementiivka, that some of the battalions soldiers were captured by the Russians. Two of them were returned in a POW exchange in the summer of 2023. The first Shahed drone We can see the silhouettes of the soldiers in the windows of one of the battalion bases, an hour and a half drive away from Kyiv. Just outside the door is a point where soldiers monitor the skies with a tablet. A small white dog guards their peace. Zhyhun leads NV through the corridors into the mess hall. Here he introduces us to the soldiers who shot down a Shahed drone on New Years Eve, the first on their tally. Just dont ask us tricky questions, a tall, dark-haired, middle-aged soldier (nom de guerre: Pyatak) says with a smile. Another respectable-looking soldier with a gray beard, known as Uncle Sanya [Oleksandr], a retiree and former liquidator of the 1986 Chornobyl NPP disaster, stands next to him. The third and youngest member of the group is a man wearing a balaclava (nom de guerre: Ka 13). Everyone has more than one experience of ground battle. However, their duties recently switched to air defense. So, which one of you shot down the Shahed drone? we asked the troops. All three, they answer almost unanimously. The soldiers must conduct simultaneous heavy machine gun fire to shoot down a drone. Therefore, its not always possible to determine whose shot was decisive. To down a drone, they need to lead it, aiming at least three or four lengths of the target ahead of it, Pyatak explains. We shot it [our first Shahed drone] down almost overhead, at a height of about 100 meters. It then tilted and exploded on a field, the soldier explains. A MARTIAL HOLIDAY: Terrorist fighters (from left) Ka 13, Pyatak and Uncle Sanya shoot down their first shahed on New Year's Day Olexander Medvedev / NV Pyatak, together with Uncle Sanya, then worked with 5.45mm Kalashnikov machine guns (RPK). Their comrade-in-arms, Ka 13, fired a more powerful weapon, the so-called Pokemon, which is a 7.62mm Kalashnikov machine gun mounted on a turret in the back of a pickup truck. Uncle Sanya, 58, sitting on a bench, tells his own story with a serious expression on his face. However, as soon as he remembers the downing of the drone, he immediately breaks into a smile. I had such an adrenaline rush! he recalls and begins to laugh. I was wheezing, I was calling... I was so full of joy! The soldier admits that hes very happy to hear from people on social media thanking the Air Defense Forces for their work during nighttime attacks on the city. When I said that were leaving [to hunt down] Shaheds, everyone thanked me very much, he says. Everyone. Why did you go into service at the beginning of the invasion? NV asked. I have grandchildren, Uncle Sanya answers promptly. I left only for their sake. Many people here are like that: for mothers, for children, for women. Who else could go? No one. For the sake of grandchildren The Ukrainian military began using MFGs in the northern operational zone, including Kyiv Oblast, as early as late 2022. In the autumn of 2023, the Armed Forces of Ukraine announced an increase in the number of MFGs deployed in the north. According to Lt. Gen. Serhiy Nayev, former Joint Forces Commander, this is necessary to step up the effectiveness of the air defense system. Yuriy Ihnat, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Air Force, explained in an interview with NV the increase in active MFGs was a forced step. After all, the Ukrainian air defense system doesnt have enough assets to cover the territory of the entire country. This is something we can already do at home, he said. That is, to get all the available small arms, including large-caliber machine guns, and to equip the shooter himself with additional equipment, such as thermal imagers, night vision device, spotlights, laser pointers, etc. All this improves the MFGs efficiency. However, there is a sang: the effective engagement range of these groups is only a couple kilometers. Many factors affect whether soldiers will be able to shoot down a drone with small arms, including visibility, targets velocity, spotlight power, and weapons used by soldiers. Sometimes you hear it [the drone], but you cant see it, says Pyatak. But I try to shoot somewhere close [to the sounds origin]. If the soldiers fail to shoot down a drone, they report its heading to their colleagues in other units. The situation is the same with cruise missiles: the 242nd has no weapons to hit them, but they collect data on the flight paths of high-velocity targets and pass it on. The soldiers admit that its important to detect a drone when it flies past their positions as they have more chances to destroy it. After all, Shahed drones constantly change course, fly at different altitudes, sometimes even turn off the engine so as not to be heard, Zhyhun explains. MFGs patrol along several lines outside Kyiv. Each group has one or more designated positions: once occupied, the soldiers must stay there until the threat is over. According to Zhyhun, his battalion is armed with different types of machine guns to hit Shahed drones, including U.S.-made 12.7mm M2 Browning, Soviet NSV and DShK, as well as a more powerful 14.5mm KPVT. However, its easier for mobile groups in other battalionswho are armed with short-range anti-aircraft missile systems, anti-aircraft artillery, and portable anti-aircraft missile systemsto shoot down incoming drones. Drone hunting subtleties Its almost 11 p.m. NV talks with Ka 13, the soldier who mans the machine gun. Here, all the guys are fighters, we dont need to tell anyone what to do, he says. All of them have already received a baptism by fire. Everyone knows everything. The motivation is very high as we must shoot down the drones so that they dont reach the civilian population. We took the oath to the people of Ukraine, and this is our job. Theres no other way. The soldier speaks calmly and confidently. Like the rest of his comrades-in-arms, he joined the military voluntarily. He fought for Kyiv Oblast, and later for Kharkiv Oblast, where he was seriously wounded after being hit by an enemy tank. His commander was killed after a shrapnel hit him under the ear, while another soldier had an arm and a leg injured. He himself had a bone in his hand shattered, while another piece of shrapnel hit the back of his head. The doctors didnt dare to try and extract the piece of metal, fearing causing even more injury. With the fragment in his head, the man spent a year in the hospital and was deemed to have limited fitness for service. Nevertheless, he rejoined the battalion. Although he cannot do all the physical work as before, he continued his service. I still want to fulfill [my military duty], to help, says Ka 13. And thats how I ended up in a mobile group: I wont be able to go to the front because of my health. The guys are doing their work there, and were doing ours here. Have you managed to recover from your arm injury? Not fully. So, youre shooting down drones with an injured arm? Well, were trying the soldier says and pauses. Someone must do it. Ka 13 believes they were lucky with the downed drone as it flew right over their heads. At other times, they flew a long distance away. We saw it, heard it, and tried to shoot them down. Unfortunately, they changed course course, the soldier explains. You have no time to change your position. Because when you get there, another group [of drones] will fly over where you stayed before. Shahed drones mostly fly at a speed of up to 200 km/h, he says. So, the soldiers decide for themselves whether they can hit the target from their position and whether it will be helpful. Read also: Russia drone debris damages power line, leaving 200+ people without power in Poltava Oblast That is, you wont shoot just for the sake of shooting, Ka 13 says. You need to be confident that the distance allows you to shoot effectively. The soldiers are mindful that drones will fly over villages and cities. Therefore, if they shoot it down, they try to do it for sure. However, sometimes they score a hit on a drones fuel tank. After that, it can fly for some time and fall far away. Youre worried that it might fly into residential buildings. You dont hit it mindlessly, but you want no casualties. We must destroy them, Ka 13 continues. It would be better for them to turn around and fly back. That would be great. Like firefighters The work of MFGs resembles that of firefighters. After an air raid alert is on and they receive the order, they have only a few minutes to take up positions. The 242nd Battalion demonstrated this to NV on a training trip. After a command on the walkie-talkie, they promptly put on outerwear, got into a pickup truck, and drove to their position. The journalists followed them in another car, accompanied by Zhyhun. About 10 minutes after receiving the order, the mobile group is already in position, explains the deputy commander. All together, we first drive onto an asphalt road, but in a moment, we find ourselves on a dirt road in the middle of a field. The car is constantly tossed over the bumps. You see, this is the best job, says Zhyhun and smiles as he drives the pickup truck along snowy roads at night. Such landscapes, winter! I drive a car, breathe fresh air. See what the roads are like here, he continues after another toss. Thats why we constantly need cars, especially ones with an all-wheel drive. Read also: Ukraine downs all 10 Russian drones fired overnight, debris causes major damage in Odesa The car may drive to a firing position several times in one shift because after the first wave of Shahed drones, the Russians often launch another one. When our cavalcade arrives at the scene, the pickup truck with Pyatak, Uncle Sanya, and Ka 13 takes a firing position. Ka 13 goes to the machine gun. A small spotlight lights up the sky. Three, two, fire, he shouts. The soldiers create a powerful hail of bullets, illuminated by the laser pointer of the main machine gun. The lead soars upward, tearing the imaginary target into pieces. The soldiers work in the same way when dealing with a real threat. They were lucky not to go on a real combat mission on that frosty night. Their shift ended at 9 a.m. on Jan. 12. 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 EH Group 300kW Fuel Cell Stack (Photo: Business Wire) NYON, Switzerland, February 29, 2024--(BUSINESS WIRE)--EH Group is a proud member of H2MARINE, a co-funded initiative by the EUs Clean Hydrogen Partnership and SERI (Switzerland). The project is committed to innovation in hydrogen technologies, focused on the development of next generation PEM fuel cell stacks for marine applications. It entails the comprehensive process of designing, assembly, and testing of FC stacks, engineered to generate 250-300 kW of electrical power, and addressing the specific challenges of maritime applications. Based on its unique FC technology, EH Group will contribute its high power density stacks, further developed and optimised for marine use. With an overall budget of over 9Mio EUR, across 42 months, the project represents a significant step forward in the pursuit of sustainable energy solutions for the maritime sector. The project consortium consists of 13 partners across Europe, including key R&D institutes like VTT, EPFL, ZSW, University of Freiburg, and companies such as Beyond Gravity, CluBE, CLEOS, DANA REINZ-DICHTUNGS-GmbH, Greenerity GmbH, PowerCell Sweden AB, and Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems. "Our high power density fuel cell technology has been recognised in its use for maritime applications, and we are delighted to contribute to its further development in this project. " says Mardit Matian, Founder of EH Group. "The marine sector is facing increasing pressure to decarbonise, and EH Group is committed with its H2MARINE collaborators to accelerate FCs role in solving that challenge." states Christopher Brandon, Co-Founder. About EH Group Established in Switzerland since 2017, EH Group is focused on the design and production of its innovative fuel cell technology. It offers unrivalled power density, greater system efficiency and a unique assembly process that radically reduces costs. It is aimed at the decarbonisation of heavy duty mobility such as marine vessels, off-highway vehicles, trucking and aviation as well as large scale stationary power. Story continues View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240228228176/en/ Contacts For more information: info@ehgroup.ch www.ehgroup.ch Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing two more North Texas school districts, alleging they used official resources to promote political candidates and policies, the attorney generals office announced in a news release Thursday. The Castleberry and Denison school districts are accused of illegal electioneering. Castleberry Superintendent Renee Smith-Faulkner used her email from her school account to send out an endorsement list of political candidates and told the districts administration to vote accordingly, the release says. Denison used its website to display support or opposition for certain political candidates and stumped for its preferred policy agenda, the release says. The district also posted a resolution adopted by its school board, further endorsing certain political measures. State law prohibits publicly funded educational institutions and officials from using resources to promote political agendas. While the Office of the Attorney General is unable to criminally prosecute election code violations, the office can seek a court order prohibiting school districts from engaging in illegal attempts to influence elections, according to the release. I am extremely troubled by this pattern of government officials engaged in illegal electioneering. These are government employees charged with the education of our children. They must respect our laws, said Paxton in the release. I will continue to use every legal remedy available to me to stop this unlawful conduct. Elections are the foundation of our republic. They must be free and fair. Both districts could not be immediately reached for comment Thursday. On Feb. 22 Paxton sued Denton school district administrators who allegedly sent emails to employees, asking them to vote for Republican candidates who support public education. They also told workers to take time off from work to vote. The Frisco school district has also been sued. The primary is Tuesday. Early voting ends Friday. A firefighter battling the Smokehouse Creek Fire, near Amarillo, in the Texas Panhandle (-) Texas emergency crews were struggling Thursday to contain the largest wildfire in the US state's history, with the blaze killing at least two people and scorching a million acres as it raged out of control. The Texas A&M Forest Service said five major fires, fueled by an unseasonably hot winter and ferocious winds, were actively burning across the state's northern area known as the Texas panhandle. The largest, the Smokehouse Creek Fire, started on Monday, grew to a record 1,075,000 acres (435,000 hectares) in size, and was just three percent contained, the forest service said. With Smokehouse Creek merging with another blaze, it has now become the state's largest-ever wildfire, surpassing the East Amarillo Complex disaster that torched 907,000 acres in 2006. A 44-year-old truck driver died in an Oklahoma City hospital on Thursday, having been rescued near her smoke-engulfed truck in Smokehouse Creek on Tuesday, according to several local media, citing a Texas public safety department official. While preventive evacuations were ordered across multiple localities, the body of an 83-year-old woman was found in the city of Stinnett, a Hutchinson County emergency services spokesperson told ABC News. She also said about 20 structures in Stinnett had been razed by the fire. A 120-year-old Texas ranch said it lost 80 percent of its 32,000-acre property near the area of the largest fire. "The loss of livestock, crops, and wildlife, as well as ranch fencing and other infrastructure throughout our property as well as other ranches and homes across the region is, we believe, unparalleled in our history," the managers of Turkey Track Ranch said in a statement posted on its website. Governor Greg Abbott on Tuesday issued a disaster declaration for 60 Texas counties, a move that frees up resources to battle the fires. President Joe Biden, while visiting the southern border, told reporters that 500 federal personnel were working on fire suppression in Texas. "I directed my team to do everything possible to help protect the people in the communities threatened by these fires," Biden said, promising federal support to Texas and neighboring Oklahoma while also slamming those who deny climate change. "I love some of my Neanderthal friends who still think there's no climate change," he said. Cities across the United States and Canada saw record temperatures in February, with some experiencing summer-like heat. An El Nino weather pattern is at play, in addition to climate change, according to experts. mav/dg/mlm/bgs/nro/sn/leg AUSTIN (KXAN) The bundles of joy born Thursday have a little extra to celebrate! The newest residents of the Lone Star State are celebrating Leap Day birthdays, ringing in the specialty occasion on Feb. 29. Here in Austin, St. Davids Womens Center of Texas welcomed two leaplings today. Baby girl Stevie Lien was born Thursday, weighing eight pounds and eight ounces and measuring 21 inches long. Baby boy Ignatius was also born at the medical center, weighing in at seven pounds and 15 ounces. The hospital said 15 babies have been delived on Leap Day, with more expected Thursday evening. Baby Stevie Lien is one of the babies born on Leap Day 2024 at St. Davids Womens Center of Texas. (Courtesy: St. Davids Womens Center of Texas) Baby Ignatius is one of the babies born on Leap Day 2024 at St. Davids Womens Center of Texas. (Courtesy: St. Davids Womens Center of Texas) Elsewhere in the state, Texas Childrens Hospital in Houston is celebrating its first leap year baby born on Thursday morning. The pediatric hospital system announced Aaron McAdams was born just after 6:30 a.m. weighing eight pounds, 12 ounces and measuring 19.5 inches long. RELATED: Meet Austinites celebrating Leap Day birthdays Texas Childrens went on to say Aaron isnt the only baby born on leap day for the hospital system and others are getting ready for their photo op. Texas Childrens shared that being born on a leap day is the rarest of birthdays, with only a 1 in 1,461 chance. Those born on this special day are also called leaplings. Congrats to this Texas family! For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin. A Texas man who argued that he was innocent and that his trial was tainted by false testimony was executed Wednesday. Ivan Cantu received a lethal injection and was pronounced dead at 6:47 p.m. local time at the state penitentiary in Huntsville, Texas, according to the Associated Press. Cantu was convicted of the double homicide of his cousin James Mosqueda and Mosquedas fiancee, Amy Kitchen, in 2001. Cantu maintained his innocence until his death though attempts to stay the execution ended after two lower courts denied appeals Tuesday and Cantu's lawyer, Gena Bunn, "couldnt find a viable path" to have the case heard by the U.S. Supreme Court, according to the Associated Press. This undated booking photo provided by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice shows Texas death row inmate Ivan Cantu. Cantu, who has long said he's innocent and claims that his conviction more than 20 years ago was based on false testimony and questionable evidence. Lead juror, Kardashian supported Cantu Cantu's legal team argued in court filings that his trial "was marred by false testimony from the prosecution's star witness," who was Cantu's then-girlfriend, Amy Boettcher. Court filings also show that Boettcher's brother, Jeff Boettcher, recanted his testimony. Cantu's attorneys also alleged that Amy Boettcher lied about a watch Cantu was alleged to have stolen. Cantu also argued that he received ineffective assistance of counsel at trial, according to court documents. Efforts to prevent the execution gained prominence as the podcast "Cousins by Blood" reinvestigated the case. The Ausitn American Statesman part of the USA TODAY NETWORK published an op-ed from the head juror in the 2001 case, Jeff Calhoun. The opinion piece that said that the new evidence raised doubts in the conviction. "Simply put, we jurors did not hear the truth you assume you would hear from a person under oath," Calhoun wrote. "Bottom line, I feel like I was fooled." A petition to stay the execution on Moveon.org gained over 150,000 signatures and was shared by Kim Kardashian. Kardashian also wrote a post on X urging Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbot to give Cantu a 30-day reprieve. "Hey! Its Kim Kardashian, I just wanted to thank you guys for signing, and I hope you all get your friends to sign too!" she wrote after digitally signing the petition. Kardashian also shared the Statesman op-ed on her Instagram. Texas Gov Greg Abbott is last resort for 30 day reprieve for Ivan CANTU, set to die Wednesday, Feb 28. Urge him to use his power to allow time for new evidence in Ivans case to be evaluated, lest Texas execute a wrongfully convicted man. Urge the Gov to grant a 30 day reprieve Kim Kardashian (@KimKardashian) February 27, 2024 The Wynne Unit is pictured on May 21, 2013 in Huntsville, Texas, the site of hundreds of executions in the state. Prosecutors remain 'convinced' conviction was correct Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis said that he was still "fully convinced" that Cantu was guilty, according to a statement provided to CNN. "Its my firm belief that justice has been done in this case and that a Collin County jurys verdict should be carried out," Willis told the network. State prosecutors have maintained that Cantu has repeatedly failed to provide new evidence and that his motions have no legal basis. Court records show that Cantu's fingerprints were found on the gun's magazine. Texas execution occurs hours after 'botched' Idaho execution Cantu's execution came hours after the execution of an Idaho man was called off after a medical team was unable to complete the lethal injection. Thomas Eugene Creech was scheduled to be executed by lethal injection Wednesday, according to the Idaho Department of Correction, in what would have been the state's first execution in 12 years. Creech, 73, was convicted of five murders in three states and landed on death row after killing a fellow prisoner in 1981. The medical team attempted to establish IV access eight times in multiple places and encountered issues with both accessing the veins and the quality of the veins, department director Josh Tewalt said at a news conference Wednesday. "We are angered but not surprised that the State of Idaho botched the execution of Thomas Creech today," Federal Defender Services of Idaho said in a statement. The death warrant for Creech will expire and Idaho officials will consider next steps, according to a statement from the Department of Correction. Contributing: N'dea Yancey-Bragg and Emily DeLetter This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Texas executes Ivan Cantu, who maintained innocence in double murder Wide view of the Texas House chamber during debate on the articles of impeachment against AG Ken Paxton on May 27, 2023. Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune Note: The graphic in this story was updated on Feb. 29, 2024. The Texas primary season promises more drama than usual as Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton seek revenge against dozens of fellow Republicans in the state House. Paxton is working to defeat the House Republicans who voted to impeach him in May on abuse-of-office charges. The Senate acquitted him after a trial in September. Abbott, meanwhile, wants to unseat the House Republicans who thwarted his yearlong crusade for school vouchers, which would allow parents to use taxpayer dollars to help pay for private school costs. Both of them have their work cut out for them. Sixty House Republicans voted to impeach Paxton, while Abbott is focused on a narrower group of 21 who voted last month to strip a voucher proposal out of a broad education bill. Some of the Republicans in their crosshairs are retiring, but most are running for reelection. The filing deadline was Dec. 11. Among those seeking another term, 15 House Republicans are on the wrong side of both Paxton and Abbott because they voted both to impeach Paxton and to block Abbotts voucher program. Heres a closer look at all the House Republicans and the political headwinds they face in the March primary. A federal judge has blocked Texas from enforcing a new law that would make illegal immigration a state crime. U.S. District Judge David A. Ezra of the Western District of Texas on Thursday granted a preliminary injunction that will block Texas' Senate Bill 4 from taking effect next week. The law would allow state authorities to arrest and jail illegal immigrants, and would give state judges the power to order deportations. In his ruling, the judge wrote that states "may not exercise immigration enforcement power except as authorized by the federal government." Texas can appeal the decision. TEXAS GOV. ABBOTT SIGNS BILL MAKING ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION A STATE CRIME Senior U.S. District Judge David A. Ezra of the Western District of Texas on Thursday issued an injunction against Texas SB4, which would make illegal immigration a state crime. The injunction comes in response to a lawsuit by Immigration and civil rights groups against Texas after Gov. Gregg Abbott signed the law in December. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP At the signing ceremony, Abbott said the goal of the legislation was to "stop the tidal wave of illegal entry into Texas." Migrants are sent back by the Texas National Guard to the Rio Grande after entering El Paso, Texas, from Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua state, Mexico, on Feb. 8, 2024. Under the law, a migrant in Texas custody could either agree to a judge's order to leave the U.S. or be prosecuted on misdemeanor charges of illegal entry. Migrants who don't comply could face arrest again under more serious felony charges. The law is a dramatic step by Texas to police immigration. Abbott, a Republican, has repeatedly slammed the Biden administration for not doing enough to address the border crisis. Texas has bussed more than 65,000 migrants to cities across America and installed razor wire along the banks of the Rio Grande. TEXAS HAS SPENT NEARLY $150M BUSSING MIGRANTS TO SANCTUARY CITIES: REPORT Texas Gov. Greg Abbott vowed to continue sending migrants to sanctuary cities until the Biden administration secures the border. Opponents have characterized the measure as the most drastic attempt by a state to crack down on immigrants since a 2010 Arizona law which detractors called the "Show Me Your Papers" bill was mostly struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court. Thirty former U.S. immigration judges, who served under both Republican and Democratic administrations, signed a letter this month condemning the measure as unconstitutional. MEXICO PRESIDENT MOCKS ABBOTT'S PLANNED MILITARY BASE CAMP ALONG TEXAS BORDER: PUT AS MANY AS YOU WANT Ezra, a Reagan appointee who previously served as Chief Judge for the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii, said the Texas law conflicts with the U.S. Constitution and federal immigration law, "to the detriment of the United States' foreign relations and treaty obligations." The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the Department of Justice and other groups sued Texas arguing the law is unconstitutional. "VICTORY: A federal court just BLOCKED Texas anti-immigrant law #SB4 from taking effect March 5," the ACLU said on X after Ezra's decision came down. "This is a win for Texas values, human rights, and the Constitution." Texas officials did not immediately release a statement on the judge's decision. Fox News' Bill Melugin and Fox News Digital's Bradford Betz contributed to this report. Original article source: Texas law letting police arrest illegal border crossers blocked by federal judge A massive wildfire burning across the Texas Panhandle has scorched more than 1 million acres, making it the largest recorded blaze in state history, officials there say. The Smokehouse Creek Fire is one of five active wildfires burning in the northern part of the state, according to the Texas A&M Forest Service. The blazes have caused thousands of evacuations and power outages and left at least one person dead. Whats happening There are five wildfires currently burning across the Texas Panhandle. (Map via NASA and the USDA Forest Service) According to the forest service, these are the five wildfires burning in northern Texas: The Smokehouse Creek Fire has burned more than 1 million acres and is 3% contained. The Windy Deuce Fire has burned 142,000 acres and is 50% contained. The Grape Vine Creek Fire has burned 30,000 acres and is 60% contained. The Magenta Fire burned 2,500 acres and is 65% contained. The 687 Reamer Fire has burned more than 2,000 acres and is 10% contained. The Smokehouse Creek Fire surpassed Texass previous largest wildfire on record, the East Amarillo Complex Fire, which killed a dozen people as it torched more than 907,000 acres in March 2006. Heavy winds, extremely dry grass and unseasonably warm temperatures across the panhandle region have caused each of the fires to spread quickly, fire officials say. One death reported CNN reported that Joyce Blankenship, 83, died at her house in Stinnett, Texas, Wednesday as the Smokehouse Creek Fire swept through it. The house was gone, her grandson, Nathan Blankenship, told the news outlet. There was no way she couldve gotten out. Texans are urged to limit activities that could create sparks and take precautions to keep their loved ones safe, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said in a statement Tuesday when he issued a disaster declaration for 60 counties to allow fire response resources to be quickly deployed to areas affected by the wildfires. Power and water outages A fallen tree sits in a burned-out pasture in Canadian, Texas, on Wednesday. (David Erickson/AP) Thousands remain without power in parts of the panhandle region, though reports of power outages have been declining. Residents in Fritch, a city of about 2,000 located in Hutchinson and Moore counties, were without water and power. The city pleaded in a Facebook post for an industrial generator to help get our water back up. Residents have been posting wildfire updates in a public Facebook group, through which locals have been coordinating assistance to move their livestock, borrow equipment, and find and provide shelter and donations. Thousands are under evacuation orders Charred vehicles sit at whats left of an auto body shop that was burned by the Smokehouse Creek Fire in Canadian, Texas, on Wednesday. (Julio Cortez/AP) Several towns and communities were under mandatory evacuations in the Amarillo region, according to the National Weather Service. Residents in other towns had the choice to evacuate. The Windy Deuce Fire destroyed about half of the structures in Borger and Fritch. In Fritch, more than 40 houses were damaged and parts of the city had to be evacuated. In Borger, many of the citys 13,000 residents said they felt trapped. It was like a ring of fire around Borger, Adrianna Hill told the Associated Press. There was no way out. Oklahomans in the northwestern part of the state, which shares a border with Texas, have also been forced to leave their homes due to the Smokehouse Creek Fire, which jumped across state lines on Tuesday. It has already burned more than 30,000 acres in Oklahoma. Partial shutdown at nuclear weapons facility A view of the Smokehouse Creek Fire from a fire truck on Thursday. (Greenville Firefighter Association/Handout via Getty Images) On Tuesday night, Carson Countys Pantex Plant the U.S.s main nuclear weapons facility briefly evacuated nonessential staff out of an abundance of caution, said Laef Pendergraft, a spokesperson for the National Nuclear Security Administrations production office at Pantex. The facility, which is largely responsible for assembling and disassembling the U.S.s nuclear arsenal, is about 13 miles away from the Windy Deuce Fire in Moore County. The plant said Wednesday it was open for normal day shift operations. Firefighters deployed to contain flames An aerial view of grasslands burning from the Smokehouse Creek Fire in Roberts County, Texas, on Wednesday. (Nathan Frandino/Reuters) The Smokehouse Creek Fire was just 3% contained as of Wednesday evening, according to the forest service. But crews battling the flames have made more progress on the smaller wildfires. The Windy Deuce Fire, which has burned about 142,000 acres, is about 50% contained. In Gray County, firefighters have contained about 60% of the Grape Vine Creek Fire, which has destroyed 30,000 acres. The Juliet Pass Fire in Armstrong County was largely under control, with 100% containment, but an estimated 3,000 acres has been scorched. (Bloomberg) -- Texas is pursuing a series of legal fights against the federal government that are testing the limits on how far local officials can go to shore up US borders, taking advantage of the concerns over immigration gripping the nation. Most Read from Bloomberg The legal machinations are playing out as President Joe Biden and Republican frontrunner Donald Trump visit the Texas-Mexico border Thursday to demonstrate their focus on the issue. Their arrival follows weeks of growing tension in the migration hotspot of Eagle Pass, where state troopers are blocking federal agents from a park along the Rio Grande. Texas also recently passed a law that gives local police the right to arrest people who illegally cross the border, a direct threat to the idea that immigration enforcement is outside a states purview. But a federal judge on Thursday sided with the Biden administration, blocking the law from taking effect because it would conflict with the complex and expansive system Congress created to regulated entry into and removal from the United States. Americans are in a fervor about immigration, roiling the political landscape ahead of the 2024 election. The angst is fanned by Republicans like Texas Governor Greg Abbott who cite a foreign invasion, but also by Democratic mayors in Denver, Chicago and New York struggling to cope with the unprecedented influx. Texas leaders are looking to capitalize on the opportunity. Attorney General Ken Paxton said in an interview with Bloomberg News that the standoff stems from the Biden administrations refusal to take responsibility for keeping out unauthorized immigrants as well as illegal drugs. If the federal government is not going to protect our country, then the states have a right to step up and protect the citizens, said Paxton, who like all statewide elected officials in Texas is a Republican. Conservative Majority The US Supreme Court has long held that the federal government has power over who can come into the country, not states. But a conservative majority on the high court has emboldened Texas to seek to undermine that precedent. The state seems intent on testing the limits or changing the existing standard, said Denise Gilman, a law professor who directs the Immigration Clinic at the University of Texas. The new composition of the Supreme Court makes it a more viable avenue. Read more: Who Polices the Border? The Texas Battle, Explained: QuickTake Texas has been making a sport of suing the federal government for years. Before he became governor, Abbott was attorney general, and described his job as going into the office in the morning, suing the Obama administration, then going home. Paxton similarly embraces his role as an agitator, championing lawsuits with bombastic press releases that produce favorable coverage in right-wing press. Since Biden took office, the state has spent more than $1.4 million litigating dozens of cases related to border security and immigration. The state has also poured billions of dollars into its own security initiatives using National Guard members and police to monitor border crossings despite lacking explicit authority to enforce immigration law. Ground Zero Eagle Pass is ground zero for the confrontation, and Abbott recently announced plans to build an 80-acre camp there to house as many as 2,300 National Guard troops. The city is a major trade corridor into central Texas and a key point of entry for migrants. Trump plans to visit Eagle Pass today as he seeks to keep up pressure over the issue. The president will go to Brownsville, some 300 miles to the south. Read more: Biden, Trump Set Dueling Visits to US-Mexico Border in Texas The legal dispute stems from a state effort to string razor wire along the border. The state says the wire deters people trying to enter the country illegally. Federal authorities say it impedes their ability to patrol and aid migrants who may need help, and there have been reports of serious injuries. Border Patrol agents began cutting the wire, prompting Paxton to sue, arguing illegal destruction of state property. The case is in its early stages, but a preliminary ruling gave clearance for federal agents to remove the wire while the lawsuit proceeds. Some of the wire is strung along a 47-acre city park along the river, and state officials have blocked Border Patrol agents from entering. Courts have yet to weigh in on whether Texas must allow them access. Police Powers The second major states-rights showdown is over a Texas law adopted last year that makes it a crime to cross the border between official ports of entry and allows police to arrest anyone suspected of doing so. The Biden administration sued, arguing the law usurps federal authority. After the federal judges ruling Thursday, Texas is expected to appeal to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, which is already handling challenges from the federal government to an array of Texas border enforcement measures. Read more: Texas Immigration Law Struck Down by Judge in Win for Biden Abbott wants to push the envelope on everything and anything states are able to do, using the courts to show Texas is doing everything in its power to block immigration, said Mark Jones, a political science professor at Rice University in Houston. While the Constitution doesnt reference immigration explicitly, court rulings point to specific clauses that give Washington authority over commerce with foreign nations and setting rules of naturalization. Republicans are hoping the high court will shift more power to states. Under Trump, the court gained a 6-3 conservative super-majority that already has issued opinions granting broader authority to local governments, including ending federal protections for abortion and saying states could set their own rules on the procedure. The legal push is also tied to shifting national sentiment about the border, as cities thousands of miles from Mexico see a surge of asylum seekers. Republicans want to keep voters focused on the border because they view it as a winning issue, according to Jones. State leaders are trying to present themselves as taking aggressive action while putting the Biden administration in a tough spot. When we talk about Texas engaged in legal battles with a Democratic president, it was always Texas versus the feds, Jones said. It has now transformed into a Republican versus Democratic battle. --With assistance from Julie Fine and Ryan Autullo. (Updates to add court ruling in third paragraph.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis center, and the special prosecutor Nathan Wade, right, during a press conference to announce the indictment of former President Donald Trump and others, in Atlanta on Aug. 14, 2023. (Kenny Holston/The New York Times) Terrence Bradley, an Atlanta-area lawyer, had been billed as the star witness in the effort to disqualify Fani Willis, the district attorney leading the election interference case against former President Donald Trump in Georgia. But when Bradley took the stand this week and twice earlier this month he was a deeply reluctant witness. His testimony did little to resolve a question at the heart of the defenses attempt to show that Willis had an untenable conflict of interest: whether the romantic relationship between Willis and Nathan Wade, the lawyer she hired to help run the Trump case, began before or after he joined her staff. But hundreds of text messages obtained by The New York Times show that Bradley, a former law partner and friend of Wade, helped a defense lawyer to expose the relationship between the two prosecutors. The texts reveal that Bradley, who served for a time as Wades divorce lawyer until the two men had a bitter falling-out, assisted the effort to reveal the romance and provide details about it for at least four months countering the impression he left on the witness stand that he had known next to nothing about the romance. In the text exchanges, which began in September of last year and were reported late Wednesday by CNN, Bradley claimed some knowledge of when the relationship began. He even offered the defense lawyer, Ashleigh Merchant, reassurance as she submitted her motion to disqualify to the court. I am nervous, Merchant texted to Bradley on Jan. 8, the day she filed the motion. This is huge. You are huge, Bradley encouraged her. You will be fine. Ultimately, it will be up to the judge to assess the credibility of Bradley and determine whether the text messages bolster the case for disqualifying the prosecutors. Lawyers for Trump and his co-defendants have argued that the relationship between the prosecutors amounted to self-dealing, because Wade, who has made more than $650,000 working for Willis office, paid for vacations that the couple took together. A series of hearings delving into the issue has plunged the overall case into turmoil. When contacted Thursday morning, a lawyer for Wade, Andrew Evans, said that the texts contain several outright lies. Among them, Evans said, was an assertion from Bradley that either Evans or his wife, Stacey Evans, a Democratic state representative, had witnessed Wade and Willis having sex. A lawyer for Bradley, Bimal Chopra, Jr., declined to comment. Willis, the Fulton County district attorney, has defended her conduct. She has acknowledged that she had a romantic relationship with Wade. But she has said that it started after she hired him and argued that the relationship did not create a conflict under Georgia law. Both Wade and Willis have told the court that they divided the costs of the vacations about evenly between them. Bradley was one of two witnesses called by Merchant to testify, expecting they would say that the relationship started before Willis hired Wade in November 2021. The other was Robin Yeartie, a former friend of Willis and former employee of the DAs office, who testified in mid-February that the romance started before Wade was hired. The business partnership between Wade and Bradley soured after Bradley was accused of sexually assaulting an employee, an accusation he vigorously denied during his testimony. Bradley told the court this week that he had not spoken to Wade in more than a year. Before exposing the romance in her Jan. 8 filing, Merchant asked Bradley in a text, Do you think it started before she hired him? Absolutely, Bradley replied, adding that the romance had started when the two served as local judges, before Willis election as district attorney in 2020. But on the witness stand this week, Bradley said he had only been speculating about the timing. Although Wade had told him about the relationship, he said on the stand, he did not have direct knowledge about when it began. The text messages some of which Merchant described in court after Bradley did not provide the testimony she was hoping for show that Bradley was trading messages with Merchant about the prosecutors and their romance as long ago as September. Bradley made suggestions about who might know about the romance and be able to corroborate it. He encouraged Merchant to subpoena members of Willis security detail and other members of her staff. He also helped Merchant as she tried to pinpoint the location of an apartment where Willis was staying. And he accused Wade and Willis of arrogance. Merchant texted Bradley in early January that she had records showing the two prosecutors had traveled to the Napa Valley in California and had taken a Royal Caribbean cruise together, writing that she was shocked they were so careless. Damn what else, he replied. When Merchant was writing the motion to disqualify the prosecutors, she assured Bradley that I protected you completely, adding, I kept you out of it. Merchant also told Bradley that she was becoming president of the Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and wanted him to become more involved in the group, including by becoming a program director for an upcoming seminar. Their mutual trust developed to the point that Bradley agreed when she asked if she could subpoena him. You are my friend and I trust you, he told her. Weeks later, on the witness stand, Bradley appeared to be dismayed that Merchant had ended up making him a central witness on the matter. They clashed during his testimony when it became evident that his prior enthusiasm for talking about the prosecutors romance had vanished. At one point during a hearing Tuesday, a frustrated Merchant said to the presiding judge, Scott McAfee of Fulton Superior Court, Judge, he doesnt remember much of anything right now. Steven Sadow, a lawyer for Trump, pressed Bradley on the text exchanges at the hearing, seeking to cast doubt on Bradleys claim that he had merely been speculating in the text messages about when the relationship began. Why would you speculate and say that in a text? Sadow asked, repeating the question several times. I dont recall why I thought that it started at that time, Bradley replied. The hearings delving into the romantic relationship do not change the underlying details of the election interference case itself, in which Trump and his allies are charged with conspiring to subvert the results of the 2020 election. Four of the 19 original defendants have already pleaded guilty. Even so, the effort to disqualify the prosecutors has been an extraordinary detour that has turned the case upside down, with defense attorneys acting more like prosecutors, and vice versa. Another defense witness, Yeartie, testified that the romance started before Wade was hired. Yeartie left the DAs office on bad terms, a turn of events that ended her friendship with Willis. Even if McAfee allows Willis to keep the case, she is likely to face tough scrutiny, including from a new state commission with the power to remove prosecutors and from the Georgia Senate, which has opened an investigation. Many observers, including some who support the election interference case, believe that Willis needs to cut ties to Wade and have him leave her office. So does Bradley, according to his texts: She needs to fire nathan but she wont, he wrote to Merchant, to which she replied, yep, adding, She will go down in flames for Nathan. Merchant declined to comment Thursday, except to say that she had not provided the text messages to the media. Another hearing in the case is scheduled for Friday, but a decision on the disqualification issue is not expected until next week at the earliest. c.2024 The New York Times Company For beginners, it can seem like a good idea (and an exciting prospect) to buy a company that tells a good story to investors, even if it currently lacks a track record of revenue and profit. But as Peter Lynch said in One Up On Wall Street, 'Long shots almost never pay off.' Loss-making companies are always racing against time to reach financial sustainability, so investors in these companies may be taking on more risk than they should. So if this idea of high risk and high reward doesn't suit, you might be more interested in profitable, growing companies, like Lee Swee Kiat Group Berhad (KLSE:LEESK). While this doesn't necessarily speak to whether it's undervalued, the profitability of the business is enough to warrant some appreciation - especially if its growing. 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There's always the possibility of doing well buying stocks that are not growing earnings and do not have insiders buying shares. But for those who consider these important metrics, we encourage you to check out companies that do have those features. You can access a tailored list of Malaysian companies which have demonstrated growth backed by recent insider purchases. 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. The Joint Investigation Group of War Crimes of the Russian Federation has extended its work for two years Lithuania has pressed war crimes charges under the auspices of international joint investigation team (JIT) working in Ukraine, Ukrainian Prosecutor Generals Office reported via Telegram on Feb. 29. Read also: Russian soldiers murder Ukrainian POWs near Robotyne DeepState The first indictments relate to the case of the murder of famous Lithuanian director Mantas Kvedaravicius on April 2, 2022 in Mariupol, said Lithuanian Prosecutor General Nida Grunskiene. Ukraines Prosecutor General, Andriy Kostin, said he believes that the indictment is only the first step in the work of the JIT. He added that the case is deeply symbolic for Ukraine, as it concerns Russias horrific crimes committed in Mariupol, a city that has become a symbol of the barbaric invasion. Read also: M86 Chronicle: Heroic defense of Mariupol unveiled in Kyiv "Three pro-Russian militants are suspected of murdering a Lithuanian citizen, a civilian who was not involved in the hostilities," said Kostin. Read also: SBU names ex-official as suspect in leading Melitopol FSB branch, overseeing torture of locals Inhuman torture, which included shooting, beating, stabbing and bone fractures, led to the man's death. The identification of the suspects in this brutal murder is an important indication that even when war crimes are committed in occupied territories, the perpetrators will not escape justice, Kostin added. Read also: Russian generals trying to shift blame for war crimes committed in Ukraine onto subordinates According to Interfax-Ukraine news agency, the head of Eurojust, Ladislav Hamran, announced that the JITs mandate in Ukraine was extended for another two years. The initiative to investigate Russian war crimes was established by Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania, just three months into the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The JIT currently includes seven countries, the International Criminal Court, Eurojust, and Europol. 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 TYLER, Texas (KETK) The Tiger Creek Animal Sanctuary in Tyler has come to a settlement in an Endangered Species Act lawsuit brought against them by the Animal Legal Defense Fund in March of 2022. Lawsuit against East Texas animal sanctuary reveals worlds oldest tiger has been dead for months The settlement forces Tiger Creek, to make significant changes to the facility and level of care being provided to the animals in order for them to come in full compliance with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) standards with in two years. According to the ALDF, an agreed upon neutral third party auditor will make visits to the sanctuary in the lead up to their two year deadline to become AZA compliant. Tiger Creek, who continues to claim the allegations against them are baseless, has also reportedly agreed to become AZA accredited within five years of the settlements execution. If Tiger Creek fails to make the necessary changes required to become AZA compliant, all of their endangered and threatened animals will be transferred to the facilities of ALDFs choosing, per their agreement. The ALDFs March 2022 lawsuit against the sanctuary alleged that they had harmed, harassed and killed several animals including nine lions and tigers between 2018 and when the lawsuit was filed. One animal Tiger Creek claimed to have had to medically euthanize was Bengali, the worlds oldest living tiger being held in captivity at the time. Horizon Organic drops Wills Point dairy farm after allegations of animal cruelty Judge Jeremy D. Kernodle ordered the cased dismissed on Thursday, so the agreement is executed and the ALDF said that Tiger Creek has agreed to immediately: Not acquire any new endangered or threatened animals until it is compliant with AZA standards; Not breed any endangered species; Not allow human interactions with endangered or threatened species outside of that deemed necessary by an attending veterinarian; Have an attending veterinarian with heightened training or an expertise in exotic animals; Make adjustments to tiger housing as deemed necessary by the attending veterinarian; and Provide ring-tailed lemurs with enrichment, nutrition, and veterinary care in compliance with the AZA standards. The changes that will go into action immediately will improve the lives of the animals significantly, and with the length of time litigation can take, this is the best-case scenario with the most immediate effect for the animals at Tiger Creek, said Animal Legal Defense Fund Senior Staff Attorney Caitlin Foley. The settlement provides provisions that the animals will be monitored regularly and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums has much more vigorous standards than those enforced by the USDA. The ALDF claims that, Brian Werner, Tiger Creek founder and co-defendant in the case along with his daughter Emily Owens, reportedly agreed to not acquire any more endangered or threatened animals in the future. Caldwell Zoo warns public of online ticket scam However, Tiger Creek executive director Emily Brooks has claimed that Werner and Owens didnt agree to not acquire any more endangered or threatened animals like the ALDF claimed. Tiger Creek is pleased to report that ALDF agreed to a settlement instead of continuing to have to fight against what we have always contended were baseless allegations. Tiger Creek is pleased that this litigation is resolved, so that 100% of Tiger Creeks focus can remain on providing excellent care to all of the animals residing at the sanctuary. We felt confident with this agreement, because we have always provided our animals with excellent care which we believe largely meets or exceeds AZA animal care guidelines. While the terms of the agreement were not filed with the court, we believe the Joint Stipulation of Dismissal with Prejudice, which was ordered today, provides for closure of the case. Also, while it appears to have been suggested that Brian Werner and Emily Owen have agreed not to acquire new ESA animals, that was not part of the agreement. Brian and Emily simply cannot acquire certain new animals because a law has been passed that now prohibits individuals who have not already registered with US FWS for possession of certain protected big cats from possessing them in the future. Emily Brooks, executive director, Tiger Creek Animal Sanctuary KETK News can be contacted at Newsroom@KETK.com for those with tips about similar cases. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KETK.com | FOX51.com. SAN DIEGO (Border Report) A police officer, on his way home from work, was the target of an attack Wednesday afternoon near his home in Tijuana. Surveillance video widely shared on social media shows a black SUV slamming into the officers private car and assailants firing automatic weapons at the officer. The images also show the officer opening the passenger side door, crawling out of the car, and running from the area. Its not clear if the officer was hit by any of the bullets, although he was hospitalized and is reportedly in stable condition, according to Jose Sanchez Gonzalez, Tijuanas director of public safety. Attack on Tijuana childrens center aimed at individual, not facility, Baja AG says Sanchez Gonzalez also said the search continues for two suspects after their vehicle was located a short distance away minutes after the attack. Sometimes the officers are targets due to the nature of their work, he said. The The people they arrest or encounter, at times, its related to activities outside the law. It happens a lot once you arrest someone, you get threats and sometimes those threats are carried out. When asked if the officer involved had received threats, Sanchez Gonzalez said he was not aware of any. Visit the BorderReport.com homepage for the latest exclusive stories and breaking news about issues along the U.S.-Mexico border During a news conference with reporters Wednesday evening, he expressed disappointment the video depicting the attack had been made public and placed on social media, hindering the investigation as he put it. We dont know who released it, but its going to make it harder for state investigators to find the people responsible. He warned if it was a member of his own police department, there would be heavy sanctions and disciplinary action. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI News. Tom Kingston was brave and tough. He was also a very, very, very committed Christian who for three years worked side by side in Baghdad with the citys famous vicar, the Reverend Canon Andrew White. Together they had survived countless suicide bomb attacks, only for Kingston to die 20 years later in a Cotswold village that was as outwardly peaceful as Iraq was violent. Kingston, who was just 45, had been married for almost five years to Lady Gabriella Windsor, the 42-year-old daughter of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent. Her beloved husband, said his grieving widow in a statement, was an exceptional man who lit up the lives of all who knew him. His death has sent shockwaves through his close circle of friends and family as well as in the corridors of Buckingham Palace. The circumstances remain unclear and a postmortem was being carried out on Wednesday afternoon. His body was found at his parents 3 million home in Gloucestershire. Police said they wished to keep the location secret to ensure the safety and security of the family. The Telegraph understands that Lord Frederick Windsor, Lady Gabriellas brother, took on the awful duty of calling Kingstons closest friends, including his three best men, to keep them apprised. He wasnt a depressed individual Police said the death was not suspicious, while sources stressed it had come as a complete shock given that Kingston had not been suffering from long-term health problems. Equally, the marriage remained a very happy one and his financial business was thriving. Speculation will be hard for the family to cope with but is rife. Canon White, who had remained in touch in the post-Baghdad days and attended their wedding, told The Telegraph: You do wonder how something like this happens. He was so fit and so mentally stable. He wasnt a depressed individual. He also noted his friend was still young and wasnt, as far as he was aware, suffering from any serious physical illness. That has been confirmed by multiple sources. Kingstons journey has been an eventful one from hostage negotiator and parish dogsbody in Baghdad in the early 2000s to financier with offices in St Jamess that are a stones throw from Clarence House. In 2019, he wed Lady Gabriella known to her friends as Ella at a wedding attended by senior members of the Royal family, including Elizabeth II. Kingston had come a long way, descended from a family of Cheshire butchers and farmers, and whose father was educated at a state secondary modern school (albeit he went on to become a highly successful QC). The couple with family and friends at their wedding in Windsor in 2019 Hes one of those guys who can be quite enigmatic and doesnt tell you what he is thinking, said one friend. Hes careful. Perhaps its a legacy from the work he was doing in Iraq. Known at university he read economic history at Bristol as Christian Tom, Kingston joined the diplomatic missions unit at the Foreign Office before being seconded to Baghdad as project manager for the International Centre for Reconciliation, based at Coventry Cathedral. Canon White remembers first meeting Kingston in Coventry prior to the posting to Baghdad. A very, very, very committed Christian It is terrible about my Tom, said Canon White, who was the vicar of St Georges Church, the only Anglican church in Iraq. I loved him so much. He was, he said, a very, very, very committed Christian, fearless in those unbelievably dangerous days in Baghdad between 2003 and 2006. The thing about Tom was he was never scared. Whatever I asked him to do he would do it with a big smile on his face in the middle of a war zone. During the stint in Baghdad, Kingston was involved in mediating between political and tribal leaders as well as negotiating the release of hostages. He was also the vicars aide, carrying out parish work outside the safety of the Green Zone. We survived several suicide bomb attacks. We were regularly caught up in IED [improvised explosive device] attacks. Cars would blow up in front of us and we would just move on. We were always together and had 35 armed guards at all times, recalled Canon White. Canon Andrew White was the vicar of St George's Church, the only Anglican church in Iraq During his time in Baghdad, Kingston became good friends with Rory Stewart, the former Tory cabinet minister who was stationed in Iraq in the wake of the invasion and who, it was subsequently suggested, was an MI6 officer (which he has denied). Stewart declined to discuss his friendship with Kingston so soon after his death. Once out of Iraq, Kingston entered the world of finance, firstly with Schroders, a blue-blooded asset management company founded in London in 1804 and now with offices worldwide. He was subsequently appointed managing director of Voltan Capital Management before joining Devonport Capital as one of two directors in 2017. The firm, based in St Jamess, provides finance to developed market companies exporting to, or operating in, the emerging economies. In other words it provides short-term loans to businesses operating in the developing world. The couple joined the Queen at Grosvenor House to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's first folio - Alpha Press It was founded by Paul Bailey, a former City lawyer, who had previously run a boutique investment firm in Iraq. Devonport Capital had expanded its operations significantly in recent years, with accounts showing more than 5 million in shareholder funds. Kingston was at the time of his death a co-owner in the business. One of the last true English gentlemen His death comes out of the blue. We are so upset about the news, everybody loved him. He was kind, charming and thoroughly decent and one of the last true English gentlemen. It is beyond tragic and so hard to get ones head around, said one close acquaintance. Another friend, whod had dinner with Kingston and his wife towards the end of last year, said: We are really shocked. He was so young. They were very close as a couple. The friend stressed that Lady Gabriella and Kingston had been happily married and had seemed perfectly fine at the dinner party held in London a few months ago. Well placed sources also insisted the marriage was solid, adding to the mystery and compounding the distress over his sudden death. The King and Queen watch the racing from the Royal Box to Ascot in 2023 - Max Mumby/Indigo Gloucestershire Coroners Service Office said on Wednesday that information would be released as and when is necessary. We are dealing with the death of a 45-year-old male and are awaiting a post-mortem to establish the cause of death. The post-mortem exam will take place today and further information will be released if a coroner opens an inquest. Gloucestershire police said in a statement: We were called by the ambulance service at 6.25pm on Sunday with a report of the death of a 45-year-old man at an address in the Cotswolds. The death is not being treated as suspicious and a file will be prepared for the coroner. A very gentle soul, just like his father In the pretty village, there was palpable upset while locals rallied round. Kingston lived with his wife in London and had been visiting his parents house, a sprawling manor protected by a high wall. The local sub-postmaster said on Wednesday: We are all so sad to hear the terrible news. They are a lovely, gentle family who do a lot for the village and the church. They are a big part of the local community. He added: Thomas popped into the shop a lot, he would come by every so often. I last saw him a few months ago. He was a very gentle soul, just like his father. Everyone is in shock, its really sad and very fresh. Kingston comes from a well-to-do family. His father Martin retired recently from the Bar, having enjoyed a successful career as a planning barrister. Mr Kingston had been elected to the General Synod in 2016 while his wife Jill Kingstons mother is also heavily involved in the church. She is a trustee of a Christian healing centre and runs the Nadezhda Charitable Trust, which supports projects in Zimbabwe. By contrast, Lady Gabriella is the daughter of Prince Michael of Kent, the late Queens first cousin and a grandson of George V. Her mother Princess Michael of Kent is descended from European aristocracy. Her grandmother was an Austrian princess. Kingston was introduced to Lady Gabriella through mutual friends and they had been an item for the past nine years. Handsome and eminently eligible, he had been linked to other women who moved in royal circles including Natalie Hicks-Lobbecke, said to have been a former girlfriend of prince William, and Pippa Middleton, sister of the Princess of Wales. Kingston proposed to Lady Gabriella at his parents holiday home on the Channel Island of Sark. The grand wedding was held at St Georges Chapel Windsor in May 2019. The couple were last photographed together in public as recently as Valentines Day, having joined the Queen at Grosvenor House to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Shakespeares first folio. Looking at the picture, they are the epitome of the handsome, happy couple. There is no inkling of the tragedy to come. 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. Iranian protesters shout anti-U.S. and anti-Israel slogans while burning the U.S. flag during an anti-Israel rally in downtown of Tehran, Iran, on October 18, 2023. (Photo by Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images) Every year, the Council on Foreign Relations pulls together a comprehensive report surrounding the biggest threats to our American experiment called the "Preventative Priorities Survey." I like to call it "Top 8 reasons to have anxiety." According to the PPS, the survey evaluates "ongoing and potential conflicts based on their likelihood of occurring in the coming year and their impact on U.S. interests." The PPS aims to "help the U.S. policymaking community prioritize competing conflict prevention and mitigation demands." While the survey acknowledges there are countless threats to the nation, they're really focused on the top 30, which they place in three categories - Tiers I, II, and III. Eight threats made it into Tier I for 2024, and this year, for the first time in the report's 16-year history, the report doesn't list a foreign entity as the biggest threat, rather, we, as Americans, are the biggest danger to ourselves. https://giphy.com/embed/aa9VQ6gg5wCBy via GIPHY A few notes from the PPS before we discuss this no good, terrible, awful, terrifying news: "The survey did not ask experts to assess broad trends like global warming, demographic change, or technological developments because it is inherently difficult to gauge how such trends could trigger conflict in a specific area over the next twelve months. Nor does the PPS attempt to evaluate the risk associated with more discrete events such as earthquakes, severe weather events, public health crises, or the death of a specific leader, all of which can undermine political stability. Such random events are inherently unpredictable within a short time frame. The results reflect expert opinion at the time the survey was conducted in November 2023. The world is a dynamic place and geopolitical risk assessments need to be regularly updated to refect changing circumstances. For this reason, CPA monitors ongoing and emerging conflicts with its award-winning Global Conflict Tracker interactive, accessible at cfr.org/globalconficttracker. " Now that THAT's out of the way, let's dive into the Top 8 threats to our very way of life. Map courtesy of Council on Foreign Relations. Numbers courtesy of my just-above-mediocre Photoshop skills. 1. Politics ruin everything That's right. Politics don't just ruin Thanksgiving dinner or your regular Taco Tuesday or your cousin's wedding or your sister's baby shower. They also ruin democracy as a whole. In the immortal words of Alanis Morrissette, isn't it ironic? The very reason our country was born - independence and freedom to select our leaders - is the largest threat to our existence. According to CFR, growing political polarization in the United States, particularly around the 2024 presidential election, leading to acts of domestic terrorism and political violence, is the number one threat in 2024. Welp, %$#!. Likelihood: High. Impact: High. 2. Hamas & Israel SANA'A, YEMEN - FEBRUARY 29: Yemen's Houthi followers carry weapons while taking part in a parade staged in solidarity with Palestinians and against Israel's war on the people of the Gaza Strip and other Palestinian territories, on February 29, 2024, in Sana'a, Yemen. Yemen's Houthi movement vowed to retaliate against Israel and its allies by sustaining its maritime attacks until Israel stops the war on Palestinians. (Photo by Mohammed Hamoud/Getty Images) As the death toll exceeds 30,000 since Hamas attacked Israel in October 2023, according to the PPS the threat of a protracted war igniting a wider regional conflict, specifically involving other Palestinian territories and further clashes between Israel and Islamist militant groups in Lebanon and Syria, is very real. The United States was the first nation to recognize the provisional government of the state of Israel in 1948 and has always rallied support and aid. The region is steeped in conflict; understanding the likelihood of it spilling over and the U.S. being involved is imperative. Likelihood: High. Impact: High. 3. Narcos isn't just a Netflix show SAN SALVADOR, EL SALVADOR - NOVEMBER 25: A feminist woman from Mexico walks holding up a cardboard sign with the legend "Not one more assassinated" during a demonstration to mark International Day For The Elimination Of Violence Against Women on November 25, 2023 in San Salvador, El Salvador. (Photo by APHOTOGRAFIA/Getty Images) We love a good crime and corruption show. Less thrilling when it's real life - in fact, absolutely harrowing. The third-leading threat to the United States surrounds the rising corruption and violence in Central America and Mexico. According to the PPS, a surge in migration to the southwest border of the United States driven by criminal violence, corruption, and economic hardship in Central America and Mexico presents a strong threat to the United States. Likelihood: High. Impact: High. 4. Damn Ruskies https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khXMVPpxdxg Let's be honest, we've been worried about what the invasion of Ukraine would mean for American Forces and families since the Russians invaded in February 2022. According to the PPS, an escalation of the war in Ukraine resulting from intensified military operations in Crimea, the Black Sea, and/or neighboring states, including Russia, potentially leading to direct NATO involvement, is worth losing sleep over. Likelihood: Moderate. Impact: High. 5. Taiwan We're not the only ones with a big election coming up. According to the PPS, intensified economic and military pressure by China toward Taiwan, especially around the 2024 Taiwanese presidential election, precipitates a severe cross-strait crisis involving the United States and other countries in the region. Gross. Likelihood: Moderate. Impact: High. 6. Iran. Of course. Those $%*#@# guys. Why can't we all unite around this common enemy instead of fighting each other politically at home? Iranian protesters burn the U.S. flag during an anti-Israel rally protesting the Israeli air strike on Al-Ahli hospital, in northern Tehran, October 20, 2023. Israel's military denied responsibility for the Gaza hospital attack, attributing it to a failed rocket launch by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group. MORTEZA NIKOUBAZL/NurPhoto (Photo by Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images) When was the last time we ever heard anything nice about Iran? Exactly. Never. Direct military confrontation between Iran and Israel triggered by Irans support for militant groups in the region and continued nuclear weapons development remains a threat to the United States and likely will in perpetuity. Likelihood: Moderate. Impact: High. 7. Cyber attacks If you, like hundreds of thousands of other Americans, use UnitedHealth, you got a nice little preview of this one this week when prescriptions were disrupted following supposed ransomware at UH systems. Beyond pills, a highly disruptive cyberattack on U.S. critical infrastructure, including electoral systems, by a state or nonstate entity is a very real and present danger in 2024. Time to go off the grid. Likelihood: Moderate. Impact: High. 8. North Korea. Of Course. You can just hear the evil. In this pool photo distributed by Sputnik agency, Russia's President Vladimir Putin (Centre L) shakes hands with North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un (2nd R) during their meeting at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Amur region on September 13, 2023. Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un both arrived at the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia's Far East, Russian news agencies reported on September 13, ahead of planned talks that could lead to a weapons deal. (Photo by Vladimir SMIRNOV / POOL / AFP) (Photo by VLADIMIR SMIRNOV/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) Finally, it wouldn't be a list of threats to the United States if it didn't include everyone's favorite, unhinged, propaganda-loving non-state actor: North Korea. The PPS put them on the list for the possibility of an acute security crisis in Northeast Asia triggered by North Koreas further development and testing of nuclear weapons and long-range ballistic missiles. Likelihood: Moderate. Impact: High. Just in case you don't have enough things to keep you up at night, you can read all of the Tier II and Tier III threats and learn more about the PPS here. Editor's note: We know the geopolitical situations around the globe are serious and cause for concern. If you need someone to talk to, help is always available at the veteran's crisis line. Dial 988 for support. READ MORE ON WATM: 'Lone Survivor' Marcus Luttrell went 'John Wick' on the guys who killed his dog | We Are The Mighty 27 FBI photos you must see of the Pentagon on 9/11 | We Are The Mighty 10 most lethal special operations units from around the world Former Jacksonville State Legislator Betty Holzendorf passed away Thursday morning at the age of 84. Betty Holzendorf represented Jacksonville in the Florida House from 1988 to 1992, before making the jump to the Senate, where she served for a decade. She ran for mayor in 2003 and earned countless accolades during her time in public service. Today, our family and our city lost one of its greatest champions. Betty Holzendorf dedicated her life to public service, working for three Mayors. She served in a number of leadership positions within the Florida House of Representatives and The Florida State Senate, Holzendorfs son Kevin said in a statement sent to Action News Jax. With a servants heart and selfless determination, she advocated fiercely for citizens and communities with the greatest needs. She will be greatly missed. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] Former Jacksonville State Senator Audrey Gibson told Action News Jax she knew Holzendorf as a family friend and role model as she began her own political career. Some people in the legislature called me like, youre like Betty Jr. Im like, Not quite, but I sure would like to be. And say things, you know, the way she said them, Gibson said. For Gibson, Holzendorf was a leader who spoke truth to power during a pivotal time in the states history, especially for African Americans. ORIGINAL STORY: Betty Holzendorf, 1939-2024: Longtime Florida legislator who represented Duval dies at the age of 84 Its the era we have to think about. What she lived through. What she stood for at a time when some people wouldnt stand up, right? What she said that other people would not say. Thats what changed this community. Thats what changed the legislature too, Gibson said. Other local leaders also weighed in on Holzendorfs passing Thursday. Betty Holzendorf was a force in Jacksonville politics and my dear friend for more than 30 years. As a science teacher, leader in two mayoral administrations, state representative, and state senator, her trailblazing career was dedicated to public service. I will always be grateful for her commitment to community and compassion for people, Mayor Donna Deegan said in a statement. [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] The condolences came in from across the aisle as well. Betty Holzendorf, a great legislator and a strong leader for our city, passed away today. In her time in the Florida House of Representatives and Senate; she was a passionate voice for her constituents and for the causes she held dear. I want to extend my deepest condolences to her family at this difficult time, said State Representative Dean Black (R-Yulee) in a post on X. Gibson said Holzendorfs legacy will not only live on thanks to the street on the University of North Florida campus named in her honor, but also in the philosophies, hearts and minds of the leaders she inspired. READ: We need that support; Jacksonville Black business owners concerned with money spent elsewhere Its getting really, really extra heartbreaking because theyre not here to talk to anymore, but that mean we have to step up too and make sure we carry on their legacy in the community, Gibson said. UNF President Moez Limayem released the following statement honoring Holzendorf: The University of North Florida is saddened by the loss of the Honorable Betty Holzendorf, who cared so deeply for UNF and the Jacksonville community. She was a proud UNF alum, as are several of her children. Her civic leadership clearly reflected her commitment to public education, and she was a tremendous advocate and friend to UNF throughout her career, including working to secure funding for our University Center. The road leading to the center Betty Holzendorf Drive keeps her legacy alive on our campus. Her impact on the region has been profound, and our hearts go out to her loved ones. UNF President Moez Limayem Jacksonville City Council Member Rahman Johnson said Holzendorf was his mentor and iconoclast: The word icon cant fully describe my mentor, and friend, Senator Betty Smith-Holzendorf. She was a true force of nature. She was iconoclast! If you havent had a bowl of her gumbo or anything she cooked up, for that matter, you missed a treat. Her lessons were just as filling as her food. One of her many lessons is a mantra I live by daily. When it comes to legislation, if you havent read it and understood it dont vote for it. That advice and her voice in my head is why you will find me at City Hall in the wee hours of the morning reading and preparing. Because Betty said so. You may not have always agreed with her, but you would always know where you stood with her. I will always remember her as feared and fearless. What I will remember most is that when you got to know her, she was a nurturing mother to more than just her four kids she nurtured and mothered us all. My heart goes out to Councilman Holzendorf, Kim, Kevin, Kessler, and King. Thank you for sharing your Betty with the world. May she take a well-deserved rest from an amazing life, and may her memory always be a blessing. Jacksonville City Council Member Rahman Johnson 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. Nadhim Zahawi, the former chancellor, has had discussions with senior figures in No 10 this year about the proposed change - Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP Downing Street has been considering whether to copy an Italian scheme in which wealthy foreigners pay a 100,000 (85,500) yearly fee to replace the non-dom status. Nadhim Zahawi, the former chancellor, has proposed the idea and had discussions with senior figures in No 10 this year about how it could work in the UK. His proposal is for a much higher fee to be adopted in Britain, possibly as much as 150,000. It could raise significantly more for the Treasury than the current non-dom status. Mr Zahawi told The Telegraph: It will be fairer, it will raise more money and it will close the loopholes for people who should be paying tax here. However, it could leave the Government open to criticism that the ultra-wealthy can still come to the UK long-term and pay minimal tax something limited in Labours own proposal to scrap the status. Blow to Jeremy Hunt The Telegraph revealed this week that the Treasury is considering abolishing non-domiciled status in the Budget next week. The status allows foreign nationals who live in the UK but are officially domiciled overseas to avoid paying UK tax on their overseas income or capital gains for up to 15 years. A Treasury source said on Thursday that the Office for Budget Responsibility had decided to downgrade the economic boost from the new Budget policies, in a blow to Jeremy Hunt. It was claimed that the decision would leave the Chancellor having to find an extra 2 billion to deliver the announcements planned and still have government debt falling within five years. Oil and gas windfall tax Plans to expand the windfall tax on oil and gas companies, potentially bringing in billions of pounds in additional revenue, have also been drafted for the Budget, according to Bloomberg. It is unclear if they will be adopted. Scrapping the non-dom status would help raise money for the tax cuts being planned and cause Labour a political problem, since 2 billion of spending is funded by that same move. But there was a backlash from Conservative MPs on Thursday who dubbed it the politics of jealousy and questioned whether it would harm rather than help economic growth. It can also be revealed that a former chancellor said the Treasurys own analysis has shown that scrapping or reducing the generosity of the non-dom tax status would not generate more income and risks hurting the economy. Lord Hammond, who was chancellor from 2016 to 2019 under Theresa May, told The Telegraph, in remarks given last year but published in full for the first time here, that the flagship Labour policy was unlikely to raise any money. Lord Hammond said that the flagship Labour policy was unlikely to raise any money - Hollie Adams/Bloomberg Lord Hammond said then: I looked at non-doms. George Osborne did a big change around non-doms. The Treasurys analysis when I was there suggested that we had gone about as far as we could go without starting to have a negative effect on the economy. You get to the point where actually you think you are taxing people more highly and you end up raising less tax. We would be there if we try and do anything else on non-doms. In Italy, foreigners who take up residency in the country are exempt from paying tax on income generated overseas in exchange for paying a 100,000 annual fee, plus 25,000 for each family member. It was introduced in 2017 and by 2021 had resulted in 1,339 using the scheme, many believed to have sizeable wealth. Tory MPs went public with concerns about scrapping the UKs existing non-dom status on Thursday. Harriett Baldwin, chairman of the Treasury Select Committee, said: Its vital that all taxes are set in such a way that they optimise UK tax revenues. Harriet Baldwin said you would not want to see non-domiciled investors leave the UK - Eddie Mulholland Non-doms already pay a lot of tax here and you would need to be very careful as you would not want to see non-domiciled investors leave the UK along with all their tax revenues. Sir John Redwood, a former Tory cabinet minister, said: The politics of jealousy doesnt work. Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, the former Tory business secretary, said: It is an economically foolish idea and any political benefit would be trivial. 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. (Bloomberg) -- Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus government has introduced a bill in Parliament that moves Canada closer to a national drug coverage program. Most Read from Bloomberg The legislation sets up foundational principles for a national drug program. As a first step, the bill establishes that the government will start negotiations with provinces to provide universal, single-payer coverage for a number of contraception and diabetes medications, Health Minister Mark Holland said Thursday at a press conference in Ottawa. Trudeaus government must secure agreements with each province to provide the drug coverage. Though the minister was reluctant to provide a cost estimate due to the need for provincial talks, he ultimately told reporters that the federal price tag may be around C$1.5 billion ($1.1 billion), likely starting next year. The legislation also sets up a new Canadian Drug Agency that will work toward development of a national list of essential drugs that could eventually be covered by the government as well as a national bulk purchasing strategy. It also supports the publication of a pan-Canadian strategy on the appropriate use of prescription medications. Taking steps toward a national drug program is a condition of the deal Trudeaus Liberals have with the left-wing New Democratic Party, which sees the NDP support the Liberals in parliamentary votes in effect, ensuring Trudeau stays in power. The deal is set to expire in June 2025. This is historic, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh said at a separate news conference. This is the dream of our party since the conception of our party and we have fought tirelessly. Read More: Trudeaus Deal for Left-Wing Support Signals More Spending Ahead The Canadian Chamber of Commerce has called the plan for a national drug program concerning, saying that a single-payer universal system would be a complicated and costly solution. The group pointed to an October report that estimated public sector spending under such a plan would reach C$38.9 billion annually, though there would also be economy-wide savings in total spending on drugs. Read More: Trudeaus Deal for Left-Wing Support Signals More Spending Ahead Most Canadians already have coverage of prescription drugs through employer-sponsored insurance plans. Provinces and territories which are primarily responsible for health care in Canada also offer some drug coverage, either based on income or targeting specific vulnerable groups. Alberta and Quebec have already said they plan to opt out of the program and seek per-capita funding from the federal government to bolster their own drug programs. Holland said he spoke with the health ministers of both provinces and left those conversations feeling optimistic, adding that we can find answers. Questions remain about how an expected federal election in 2025 could upend the long-term plan to establish a universal drug coverage program. Pierre Poilievres Conservatives are leading in the polls and have pledged to cut back on spending. (Adds details from news conference.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. FILE - Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump pumps his fist as he departs after speaking during the Conservative Political Action Conference, CPAC 2024, in Oxon Hill, Md., Feb. 24, 2024. A Cook County judge ordered the Illinois State Board of Elections to take former President Donald Trump's name off of the state's March 19 primary ballot Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, but placed her order on hold until Friday to allow an appeal. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File) CHICAGO (AP) Attorneys for former President Donald Trump have appealed a Cook County judge's decision ordering election officials to remove the Republican's name from Illinois' March 19 primary ballot. The appeal, filed minutes before midnight Thursday, came hours after Judge Tracie Porter issued her decision. She placed a hold on it until Friday to allow the expected appeal. A group of Illinois voters is trying to remove Trump from the primary ballot over his handling of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. The group appealed an election board decision unanimously rejecting its effort. The voters, joined by national voter advocacy group Free Speech for People, argued Trump is ineligible to hold office because they say he encouraged and did little to stop the Capitol riot. The case is one of dozens of lawsuits nationwide filed to remove Trump from the ballot, arguing he is ineligible due to a rarely used clause in the 14th Amendment prohibiting those who engaged in insurrection from holding office. The U.S. Supreme Court earlier this month signaled that it is likely to reject the efforts, judging from commentary the justices made during an appeal of a Colorado ruling removing Trump from the ballot there. Like the Illinois decision, the Colorado ruling is on hold until the appeal is finished. Trumps attorneys also filed a motion early Thursday to clarify how long the hold should stay in place. They declined comment Thursday. In her 38-page ruling, Porter wrote that the Illinois voters' request to exclude Trump from the ballot should have been granted because they met their burden and the Election Board's decision was clearly erroneous. This is a historic victory, Ron Fein, legal director of Free Speech For People and co-lead counsel in the case, said after the ruling. In an earlier statement, Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung called the Illinois decision an "unconstitutional ruling that we will quickly appeal. WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) In dueling border visits, President Joe Biden and former president Donald Trump are both in Texas. The leaders are highlighting immigration issues but have vastly different stances on how to fix them. President Biden went to Brownsville and 300 miles away his republican rival former president Trump visited Eagle Pass. A very dangerous border, were going to take care of it, Trump said. Both leaders agree the U.S.is facing an immigration crisis with an overwhelming surge of people trying to cross the border each day. President Biden is using his trip to push Congress to act says White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. Highlight the need for Congress to pass the bipartisan security agreement that was negotiated out of the Senate, she said. Last month Senate negotiators came up with a bipartisan border bill but Republicans blocked the legislation after the former president came out against it. Donald Trump deliberately sabotaged the very same border reforms he spent years calling for, said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.). Trump blames President Biden for the border issues and Republicans argue the president already has the power he needs to crack down on immigration. He needs to take executive action right now. He needed to take it yesterday and the day before. He needs to secure that border and protect our communities, because lives are being lost and we cannot wait, said House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.). As President Biden and former president Trump fight to win the 2024 election immigration is a central campaign issue. Republicans meanwhile are continuing to fight for strength and control we want to keep criminals out and our family safe, Johnson added. However, Democrats disagree. Republicans have no right to say theyre focused on solutions when theyre the ones creating the issue, said Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.). Trumps team says Biden is copying him by visiting the border, but the White House insists this trip has been in the works for a while now. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. For beginners, it can seem like a good idea (and an exciting prospect) to buy a company that tells a good story to investors, even if it currently lacks a track record of revenue and profit. 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. While a well funded company may sustain losses for years, it will need to generate a profit eventually, or else investors will move on and the company will wither away. So if this idea of high risk and high reward doesn't suit, you might be more interested in profitable, growing companies, like Mitrajaya Holdings Berhad (KLSE:MITRA). Even if this company is fairly valued by the market, investors would agree that generating consistent profits will continue to provide Mitrajaya Holdings Berhad with the means to add long-term value to shareholders. View our latest analysis for Mitrajaya Holdings Berhad How Quickly Is Mitrajaya Holdings Berhad Increasing Earnings Per Share? If a company can keep growing earnings per share (EPS) long enough, its share price should eventually follow. So it makes sense that experienced investors pay close attention to company EPS when undertaking investment research. Mitrajaya Holdings Berhad managed to grow EPS by 14% per year, over three years. That's a pretty good rate, if the company can sustain it. It's often helpful to take a look at earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) margins, as well as revenue growth, to get another take on the quality of the company's growth. Mitrajaya Holdings Berhad shareholders can take confidence from the fact that EBIT margins are up from 3.6% to 8.0%, and revenue is growing. 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 Mitrajaya Holdings Berhad is no giant, with a market capitalisation of RM194m, you should definitely check its cash and debt before getting too excited about its prospects. Story continues Are Mitrajaya Holdings Berhad Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders? Theory would suggest that it's an encouraging sign to see high insider ownership of a company, since it ties company performance directly to the financial success of its management. So those who are interested in Mitrajaya Holdings Berhad will be delighted to know that insiders have shown their belief, holding a large proportion of the company's shares. To be exact, company insiders hold 63% of the company, so their decisions have a significant impact on their investments. Intuition will tell you this is a good sign because it suggests they will be incentivised to build value for shareholders over the long term. To give you an idea, the value of insiders' holdings in the business are valued at RM121m at the current share price. That's nothing to sneeze at! Should You Add Mitrajaya Holdings Berhad To Your Watchlist? One important encouraging feature of Mitrajaya Holdings Berhad is that it is growing profits. To add an extra spark to the fire, significant insider ownership in the company is another highlight. That combination is very appealing. So yes, we do think the stock is worth keeping an eye on. Before you take the next step you should know about the 2 warning signs for Mitrajaya Holdings Berhad that we have uncovered. Although Mitrajaya Holdings Berhad certainly looks good, it may appeal to more investors if insiders were buying up shares. If you like to see companies with insider buying, then check out this handpicked selection of Malaysian companies that not only boast of strong growth but have also seen recent insider buying.. 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. The baseless cries of voter fraud by failed gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake werent just a redundant mimicry of former President Donald Trumps claims that voter fraud cost him the 2020 election in Arizona. They are aspersions that are easily proven as false. It amazes me that the most straightforward explanations for Trumps loss are overlooked. After recounts, audits and even the Cyber Ninjas, no one has brought forward a credible and provable claim of massive voter fraud in Arizona. And lets be clear: There is no evidence that Arizona election officials certified the wrong winner in 2020 or 2022, even with the races being as close as they were. Trump lost by less than 11,000 votes. I should know. Im the man the Trump campaign hired to find those fraudulent votes. I only found a handful of fraudulent votes The day after the election, I was asked to look for dead and duplicate voters for every mail ballot cast in each of the swing states in 2020: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. I found fewer than 200 duplicate mail-in ballot votes fraudulently cast from all of the swing states combined. The Trump campaign chose not to do anything with these fraudulent votes to avoid calling attention to the small amount of provable fraud my team and I had uncovered, including about a dozen so votes in Arizona. What are these straightforward explanations as to why Trump lost? Lets start with one of the most easily provable reasons: In 2020, voters cast more than 51,000 votes for the Libertarian candidate, Jo Jorgensen. Jorgensens vote count was five times the margin of President Joe Bidens victory in Arizona. Had Trump convinced 11,000 Libertarians to abandon their party and vote for him, he could have won. Also, the Green Partys candidate in 2016 won more than 34,000 votes, while in 2020, they took less than 2,000. Trump simply underperformed in Arizona Donald Trump points to Kari Lake as she joins him on stage at a Save America rally at Bell Bank Park on Oct. 9, 2022, in Mesa, Ariz. Another astonishing and undeniable trend emerged when I compared the 2016 and 2020 election results. In most of Arizonas counties, Trumps share of the vote declined in 2020 relative to 2016. That includes what I define as red counties because Trump won there in 2016 and 2020. A majority of Arizonas 10 red counties saw a drop in Trumps vote share in 2020. Exceptions were Yuma County and the states smallest red counties Gila, Graham and Greenlee where Trump cleaned up in 2020. Trumps underperformance meant that he lost more than 8,500 votes in 2020 in Arizonas red counties alone a fact that argues strongly against the voter fraud narrative. It would be counterproductive to do anything that would endanger your own candidate. A damage control expert's: Advice for Kari Lake Those 8,500 votes that Trump lost are easily explained. He told moderate Republicans to take a hike, and those lost votes confirm that these voters did as they were told. How can a candidate so concerned about a few thousand imaginarily fraudulent votes be so cavalier about losing the support of millions of likely voters across the country? Trumps pollster, Tony Fabrizio, documented this loss of moderate GOP support in a December 2020 report detailing exit polling results across the swing states commissioned by the Trump campaign. Politico.com obtained this internal campaign document and has it on its website. Why don't more conservatives know this truth? Additionally, researchers have identified more votes than the margin of loss for both Lake and Trump, where voters chose down-ticket Republicans but left the presidential or gubernatorial race blank or voted for the Democrat. How is it possible that Kimberly Yee, a moderate Republican, won 100,000 more votes in her race for treasurer than Kari Lake did for governor in 2022? Of critical concern to hard-core conservatives, Trump did 5% less well in Maricopa County in 2020 than he did in 2016, while Yee won Maricopa County by 11% in 2022. Republicans can still win Arizona elections if they have broad-based appeal. The passion and certainty of so many Americans that election fraud was behind Trumps loss has turned into a mania. Some of the most intelligent people I know are convinced, without a shred of objective evidence, that the election was stolen. Why dont more people know the truth? Conservatives mainly get their news from conservative media. Coverage of my story about working for the Trump campaign and the subpoenas I have received garnered mention in just one conservative outlet for an entire year. Facts are only helpful if people are made aware of them. Voter fraud did not cause Trumps 2020 Arizona election loss. I know because I have done the work. Ken Block owns Simpatico Software Systems and is the author of Disproven My Unbiased Search for Voter Fraud for the Trump Campaign, the Data That Shows Why He Lost, and How We Can Improve Our Elections. Share your thoughts at feedback@disproven.com; on X, formerly Twitter: @KenBlockRI. This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Trump hired me to find election fraud. Here's what I found instead Donald Trump's lawyers Thursday appealed an Illinois judge's ruling barring Trump from the ballot for engaging in insurrection. Judge Tracie Porter said Trump is disqualified by the 14th Amendment. Pool Photo by Jefferson Siegel/UPI Feb. 29 (UPI) -- Attorneys for Donald Trump Thursday appealed an Illinois judge's decision to disqualify Trump from the state ballot under the 14th Amendment for engaging in insurrection in the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol attack. In a legal filing Trump's lawyers asked to stay that ballot disqualification judgment. "Staying the judgment until the Illinois appellate courts finally decide this case would reduce the great risk of voter confusion and logistical difficulties for election officials," the attorneys wrote. Judge Tracie Porter's ruling disqualifying Trump from the Illinois ballot said he is disqualified "based on engaging in insurrection on January 6, 2021, and his name should be removed from the ballot." Judge Porter immediately put that ruling on hold while the U.S. Supreme Court considers a similar finding by the by Colorado State Supreme Court. Despite that hold Trump's lawyers appealed. In a separate court filing they asked Porter to clarify how long the hold will remain in place or to "enter an order staying the judgment pending resolution of this case." Porter cited the 14th Amendment's ban on insurrectionists or those who give aid and comfort to insurrectionists from holding office as officers of the United States. The Illinois Board of Elections unanimously voted in January to keep Trump on the ballot because the board's general counsel advised it didn't have jurisdiction to decide whether he should be removed. In January the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear a challenge to Trump's ban from the Colorado ballot. Oral arguments were presented Feb. 8. Trump expressed optimism about the coming ruling based on the justices seeming skeptical about disqualifying him. Norma Anderson, a 91-year-old Republican who co-petitioned for Trump's removal said she was confident the high court would do the right thing. "I've lived through a lot and been through a lot of presidents," Anderson told reporters after the hearing. "This is the first one that is trying to destroy the Constitution." At the conclusion of closing arguments in a hearing to decide whether Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis should be disqualified from prosecuting former President Donald Trump and 18 co-defendants, Judge Scott McAfee says he hopes to have a final decision in two weeks. At another high-stakes hearing in Florida, Judge Aileen Cannon voices skepticism on special counsel Jack Smiths proposal to start Trumps trial on July 8. Here are the latest developments in the legal cases facing the man hoping to be reelected to the White House. Georgia election interference Judge hears closing arguments on whether to disqualify Fani Willis from prosecuting Trump Key players: Judge Scott McAfee, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, lead prosecutor Nathan Wade, Fulton County prosecutor Adam Abbate, Trump lawyer Steve Sadow, Trump co-defendant Mike Roman, Romans lawyer John Merchant, Trump co-defendant David Shafer, Shafers lawyer Craig Gillen, Trump co-defendant Bob Cheeley, Cheeleys lawyer Richard Rice, Trump co-defendant Jeffrey Clark, Clark lawyer Harry MacDougald In closing arguments Friday in the motion to dismiss Willis from the Georgia election interference case she brought against Trump and 18 co-defendants, defense attorneys accused Willis and Wade of ethical misconduct and lying on the witness stand, while Fulton County prosecutors argued that there was no evidence of either. If this court allows this kind of behavior to go on, the entire public confidence in the system will be shot and the integrity of the system will be undermined, Merchant told McAfee. Sadow argued that Willis and Wade had not told the truth on the witness stand about when their relationship began, but he made the case that the judge didnt need proof of that to disqualify them from the case. Im not saying you have to find that she was untruthful or that Wade was untruthful. You dont have to make a finding of fact that they lied, Sadow said. All you have to do is make a finding of fact that you have genuine, legitimate concerns about their credibility. Gillen, like Sadow before him, took aim at a speech given by Willis in an Atlanta church in which she suggested defense lawyers had targeted Wade because he was Black. She chose to play the race card and the God card, Gillen said. On the cellphone records entered into evidence that showed that Wade and Willis allegedly communicated with one another thousands of times in the first 11 months of 2021, Rice implied they disproved the claim that Wade and Willis had not started their romantic relationship until 2022. I dont even think lovestruck teenagers communicate that much, Rice said. MacDougald called Williss assertion that there was no evidence she received any financial benefit from hiring Wade flat-out false. Throw another log on the bonfire of conflicts of interest, he said. In his rebuttal of the defense arguments to dismiss Willis and Wade, Abbate said the defense lawyers had failed to show why Willis and Wade deserved to be disqualified. Theres absolutely no evidence that the defendants in this case, their due process rights, have been harmed in absolutely any way, he said. But he also spent a great deal of his time on the question of whether a judge could or should disqualify a district attorney on the sole basis of an appearance of a conflict of interest. Speculation and conjecture leads to an appearance of impropriety, not an actual conflict, which I would submit to the court what is required for disqualification, he said. After challenging lawyers on both sides of the motion to dismiss Willis and Wade, McAfee indicated that it would take some time to reach a final decision. There are several legal issues to sort through several determinations that I have to make and those arent ones I can make at this moment. And so, Ill be taking the time to make sure that I can give this case full consideration, McAfee said, adding, I hope to have an answer for everyone in the next two weeks. Why it matters: If McAfee decides to disqualify Wade and Willis from the case, it is unclear whether Trump and the remaining defendants (four have already pleaded guilty) will ever face charges in a court of law for their alleged roles in attempting to subvert the 2020 presidential election results in Georgia. Classified documents Judge Cannon seems skeptical about Jack Smiths proposal for July 8 start date for trial Key players: Judge Aileen Cannon, special counsel Jack Smith, federal prosecutor Jay Bratt In a Friday morning hearing attended by Trump, Cannon appeared skeptical about Smiths proposal to start the classified documents trial on July 8, Politico reported. A lot of work needs to be done in the pretrial phase of this case, Cannon said during the hearing. Cannon expressed doubts about the July 8 timeline at various points throughout the hearing. To try to do 13 motions in a day or even two days seems unrealistic, she said. The case was originally scheduled to go to trial on May 20, but the judge has issued a series of rulings that make that date all but impossible. In addition, Trumps hush money trial is now slated to begin on March 25 and is expected to take six to eight weeks. Trumps lawyers had asked the judge, who Trump appointed to the federal bench, to delay the start of the trial until after the 2024 presidential election. Short of that, they wrote in a legal filing this week, they said they would be amenable to begin the trial on Aug. 12. At the hearing, Bratt took issue with that proposal, saying, What it really seems to me is that those were fake dates and really almost bad faith dates. We just need to bring this case to trial this summer. Cannon did not immediately announce when she would announce a new start date for the documents trial. Why it matters: Even if Cannon decides to begin the documents trial in early August, it is unclear whether further delays will mean that a verdict may not be reached ahead of the 2024 election. Recommended reading ________________________ Thursday, February 29 ________________________ Lawyers for columnist E. Jean Carroll respond to a request by former President Donald Trump to delay payment of the $83.3 million judgment against him. In their filing, the lawyers tell Judge Lewis Kaplan that they have serious concerns about Trumps cash position. In Illinois, lawyers for Trump ask an appeals court to stay a ruling by a state judge that would remove Trumps name from primary ballots on the grounds that he violated Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. The United States Supreme Court is expected to release a ruling soon on whether Colorados Supreme Court overstepped its authority by ordering Trumps removal from ballots in that state on the same grounds. Here are the latest legal developments involving the only U.S. president ever to be charged with a criminal offense. E. Jean Carroll defamation Carrolls lawyers counter Trumps request to postpone payment of $83.3 million judgment Key players: Columnist E. Jean Carroll, Carrolls lawyer Roberta Kaplan, Judge Lewis Kaplan, New York Attorney General Letitia James In a legal filing Thursday, Carrolls lawyers responded to Trumps request to delay payment of the $83.3 million judgment in the defamation case against him, saying they had serious concerns about Trumps cash position, The Hill reported. On Friday, Trumps lawyers asked Kaplan to pause payment of the massive judgment on the grounds that an appeal of the verdict would likely diminish the amount he owed Carroll or wipe it away completely. He simply asks the Court to trust me and offers, in a case with an $83.3 million judgment against him, the court filing equivalent of a paper napkin; signed by the least trustworthy of borrowers, Kaplan wrote. Carrolls lawyers also noted the $454 million judgment against Trump in his financial fraud trial. Trump is appealing the decision in that case as well, but an appeals court judge ruled this week that Trump must pay the entirety of that amount as bond while he pursues his appeal. If Trump fails to post the $454 million bond, James could require him to sell off his assets. Why it matters: While Trumps lawyers have successfully delayed the start of the majority of the criminal trials in which he is charged, the civil verdicts in New York threaten his business empire and personal fortune. Appeals may indeed lessen the amount he will be required to pay Carroll and the state of New York, but they likely wont spare him from having to raise significant sums in the short term. Jan. 6 election interference Trump appeals Illinois judges ruling to kick him off ballot Key players: Judge Tracie Porter, the Illinois Appellate Court, the Illinois State Board of Elections, the Colorado Supreme Court, the U.S. Supreme Court On Thursday, Trumps lawyers filed an appeal of Porters ruling that he should be removed from state primary ballots for violating Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which bars those who have previously taken an oath to uphold the Constitution but later engaged in insurrection from ever holding office again, CBS News reported. In their appeal, Trumps lawyers asked to stay Porters decision "until the appeal is fully and finally resolved by the Illinois Appellate Court, First District, the Illinois Supreme Court, and/or the U.S. Supreme Court." The Supreme Court has heard arguments to decide whether to let stand the Colorado Supreme Courts decision to remove Trump from ballots in that state. Illinois holds its presidential primary on Mar. 19 and Trumps name currently appears on early voting ballots. Porter, a Democrat, put her own ruling on hold until Friday to give Trumps lawyers a chance to appeal it, and acknowledged that the Supreme Court could soon issue a ruling to decide the question. In her ruling, Porter said the Illinois State Board of Elections had made a mistake by finding that Trump was eligible to run in the state. Why it matters: The U.S. Supreme Court is widely expected to overturn the Colorado Supreme Courts decision to remove Trumps name from ballots. Because the Illinois judges ruling relies heavily on findings by the Colorado court that Trump did engage in insurrection, it would also be nullified if that happens. ________________________ Wednesday, February 28 ________________________ The U.S. Supreme Court says it will take up an appeal by former President Donald Trump on the question of whether presidential immunity protects former presidents from being prosecuted for criminal prosecution for conduct alleged to involve official acts during his tenure in office. An appellate court judge denies Trumps request to stay a ruling obliging him to pay a bond of $454 million while he appeals the decision, but the judge does grant him the right to seek loans from New York banks to raise that sum. Earlier in the day, lawyers for Trump said it was impossible for their client to raise the full bond amount set by Judge Arthur Engoron and proposed paying just $100 million instead. In response, New York Attorney General Letitia James argued that there was no merit to that request and that Trump should be forced to pay the full amount. Here are the latest legal developments involving the billionaire hoping to be reelected to the White House in 2024. Jan. 6 election interference Supreme Court to hear Trumps presidential immunity appeal Key players: U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, special counsel Jack Smith, Judge Tanya Chutkan The Supreme Court announced Wednesday that it would hear Trumps appeal of a lower courts ruling that presidential immunity does not protect him from prosecution for his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election, USA Today reported. In a statement, the court said it would limit arguments to the question of Whether and if so to what extent does a former President enjoy presidential immunity from criminal prosecution for conduct alleged to involve official acts during his tenure in office. The court will hear oral arguments the week of April 22. Chutkan ruled that presidential immunity did not protect Trump, but the former presidents lawyers appealed that decision. In December, Smith had asked the court for an expedited ruling on the presidential immunity question. At that time, the court declined. Instead, a three-judge panel with the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit took up the case, siding with Chutkan. Trump then asked the Supreme Court to pause that ruling so that the full appeals court could hear the case. Why it matters: Trump has sought to delay the start of the federal election interference case until after the 2024 presidential election. But if the court rules against him, it is conceivable that a trial could begin in August or September. New York financial fraud Judge denies Trump motion to delay payment of $454 million bond Key players: Appellate Court Judge Anil Singh, Trump lawyers Clifford Robert and Alina Habba, New York Attorney General Letitia James, Judge Arthur Engoron, Supreme Court of New York Appellate Division Singh denied a motion by Trumps lawyers for a stay that would have allowed them to pay just $100 million of the court-ordered $454 million bond imposed for years of fraudulent business practices in New York. But the judge did stay portions of Engorons ruling, saying Trumps sons Eric and Donald Jr. could remain in control of the family company as the appeal played out and that Trump could apply for loans from New York-based banks to help him cover his bond. In a court filing Wednesday morning, Robert and Habba proposed that as he awaits his appeal to be heard by a New York appellate court, Trump should be allowed to pay a $100 million bond instead of the $454 million mandated by Engoron, USA Today reported. In a letter to the appeals court, the lawyers said that because Engorons verdict prevented him from doing business in New York for three years, including borrowing money from state banks, he was unable to raise the full bond amount. The exorbitant and punitive amount of the Judgment coupled with an unlawful and unconstitutional blanket prohibition on lending transactions would make it impossible to secure and post a complete bond, the lawyers wrote. Instead, the lawyers continued, Trump planned to post a different amount. Appellants nonetheless plan to secure and post a bond in the amount of $100 million, they wrote. James, who has said she will look to seize Trumps real estate assets if he fails to post bond, dismissed the request in her own filing. There is no merit to defendants contention that a full bond or deposit is unnecessary because they are willing to post a partial undertaking of less than a quarter of the judgment amount, James wrote. Defendants all but concede that Mr. Trump has insufficient liquid assets to satisfy the judgment; defendants would need to raise capital to do so. Engorons ruling that Trump be prohibited from obtaining loans from New York-based banks was warranted, James continued, as it was the central issue of the fraud trial. These are precisely the circumstances for which a full bond or deposit is necessary, where defendants approach would leave OAG with substantial shortfalls once this Court affirms the judgment, James wrote. Trump has until March 25 to pay off the full amount of his bond, and every day that he doesnt pay, the amount goes up more than $100,000 in interest. Why it matters: The ruling by the appeals court judge means that Trump will have to secure bank loans or he could be forced to sell off his real estate holdings in order to make bond. Recommended reading ____________________ Tuesday, February 27 ____________________ Nathan Wades former business partner Terrence Bradley again takes the witness stand at a hearing to decide whether Wades romantic relationship with Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis should disqualify both from prosecuting the case against former President Donald Trump and 18 others. But in a setback for the defense, Bradley testifies that he had no direct knowledge of when that relationship began. Here are the latest legal developments for the former president looking to win reelection to the White House in 2024. Georgia election interference Star witness at hearing at Wade and Willis dismissal hearing denies knowing when their relationship began Key players: Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, lead prosecutor Nathan Wade, Wades former business partner Terrence Bradley, Judge Scott McAfee, Trump co-defendant Mike Roman, Wades attorney Ashleigh Merchant, Trump attorney Steve Sadow During his second appearance on the witness stand, Bradley repeatedly stated on Tuesday that he did not know when the romantic relationship between Willis and Wade began. I do not have knowledge ... of when it started, Bradley said. That testimony appeared to contradict text messages sent between Merchant and Bradley in the lead-up to the hearing seeking to dismiss Willis and Wade over a romantic relationship that, the defendants in the case claim, represents a conflict of interest. That left the defense lawyers in the position of scrambling to try to establish that the testimony of their most important witness was not credible. Merchant revisited the email correspondence, but Bradley contended that the meaning of his answers were different than what Merchant contended, and that he had merely speculated to Merchant about when Wade and Willis had started their relationship. McAfee, who compelled Bradley to retake the stand after meeting with him for a private interview on Monday, pushed Merchant to try to cover new ground. Youre making the point that he had made some comments to you along the way that led you to believe he had more knowledge than today he is testifying that he had, McAfee, who had earlier referred to Bradley as a star witness for the defense, said at one point. And so, if youve hit the high points of that, then I dont know what else we can actually cover that moves the needle. Sadow also questioned Bradley about why he initially speculated to Merchant that Wade and Willis began their romantic relationship prior to Willis hiring him to prosecute the Georgia case. You do, in fact, know when it started and you dont want to testify to that in court, Sadow said. Thats the true explanation, but you dont want to admit it in court, correct? No, I have no direct knowledge of when the relationship started, Bradley answered. Watching the proceedings, reporter Michael Isikoff, co-author of the book Find Me the Votes: A Hard-Charging Georgia Prosecutor, a Rogue President, and the Plot to Steal an American Election, posted a courtroom observation. There will be a lot of time to dissect the lawyering but at a minimum Merchant should have tried to get an affidavit from Bradley back in January, Isikoff wrote on X. Who knows what he might have said then but now she and Sadow have nothing from him. McAfee will hold a final hearing on Friday, March 1, on the question of whether to remove Willis and Wade from the case. Why it matters: Ultimately it will be up to McAfee to decide whether the romantic relationship between Willis and Wade represents a conflict of interest serious enough to remove both from their roles in prosecuting the case against Trump and his co-defendants. Without the sworn testimony of their star witness to bolster the claim that Willis hired Wade so as to financially benefit from their relationship, that may be a harder point to prove. _______________________ Monday, February 26 _____________________ Lawyers for former President Donald Trump ask Judge Scott McAffee to allow cellphone records to be used in his decision on whether to remove Fulton County District Attorney Fani Wilis and lead prosecutor Nathan Wade from the Georgia election interference case. Trumps lawyers also appeal New York Judge Arthur Engorons $454 million judgment in the financial fraud case. Here are the latest developments in the legal cases against the man seeking to be reelected to the White House in 2024. Georgia election interference Trump lawyers seek to admit cellphone records obtained by private investigator Key players: Trump lawyers Steven Sadow and Jennifer Little, Judge Scott McAfee, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, lead prosecutor Nathan Wade, private investigator Charles Mittelstadt On Monday, Sadow and Little filed a motion with McAfee, asking the judge to admit cellphone records for Wade that they say show he and Willis lied in court about when their romantic relationship began, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. Lawyers for Trump and other defendants have argued that Willis should be removed from handling the case because, they allege, she benefited financially from her relationship with Wade, who paid for vacations with Willis, who hired him. Willis and Wade testified earlier this month that they split expenses on those trips and that their relationship does not represent a conflict of interest. Willis and Wade also both testified that they did not begin their sexual relationship until 2022, after Willis had hired Wade to lead the prosecution of Trump and 18 others charged with crimes stemming from their efforts to overturn the presidential election results in Georgia. Trumps lawyers hired Mittlestadt, who used online analytics tools to track Wades cellphone activity. In an affidavit, Mittlestat said the data he obtained showed that Wade visited Williss neighborhood multiple times in 2011, that the two talked on the phone more than 2,000 times in the first 11 months of 2021 and that they exchanged almost 11,000 text messages. The Fulton County prosecutors countered that the cellphone records do not show proof that Willis or Wade lied about their relationship. McAfee has stated that in order for him to disqualify Willis or Wade, the defense needs to show that the two lawyers brought their prosecution of Trump in order to financially benefit from the case, USA Today reported. The judge has scheduled another hearing on Friday, March 1, on whether to remove Wade and Willis. Why it matters: If McAfee decides to remove Willis or Wade from prosecuting Trump and his co-defendants, that could deal a potentially fatal blow to what many legal observers consider the strongest criminal case the former president faces and would almost certainly delay it until after the 2024 election. New York financial fraud Trump appeals $454 million fraud judgment Key players: Judge Arthur Engoron, New York Attorney General Letitia James, Trump lawyer Alina Habba On Monday, Trump appealed Engorons ruling that he must pay $454 million in penalties and interest for years of fraudulent business practices in New York, CBS News reported. Trump asked an intermediate-level state appellate court to overturn Engorons ruling, which gives the former president, his adult sons and members of the Trump Organization 30 days to begin paying. In order to qualify for a stay of Engorons decision during the appeal, however, Trump will be obliged to pony up the entire amount of the judgment as a bond. So far, Trump has yet to do so, according to a spokesperson for James. If Trump were to fork over the $454 million as his appeal played out, the money would go into an escrow account and would be returned to Trump if the appeals court ruled the massive fines were an overreach by Engoron. Every day that Trump does not pay the full amount of the judgment, he accrues more than $100,000 in interest. We trust that the Appellate Division will overturn this egregious fine and take the necessary steps to restore the public faith in New York's legal system, Habba told CBS News in a statement. Jamess office did not offer any comment on Trumps appeal. Why it matters: While Trumps appeal contends that Engoron committed errors of law in his decision to wallop Trump, his adult sons and members of the Trump Organization with hefty fines, simply filing the appeal does not get them off the hook from paying it in the short term. The co-founders of former president Donald Trumps media company filed a lawsuit Wednesday, claiming that Trump and other leaders had schemed to deprive them of a stake in the company that could be worth hundreds of millions of dollars. The case could complicate a long-delayed bid by Trump Media & Technology Group, owner of the social network Truth Social, to merge with a special purpose acquisition company called Digital World Acquisition and become a publicly traded company. Subscribe to The Post Most newsletter for the most important and interesting stories from The Washington Post. That merger deal, which could value Trumps stake in the company at more than $3 billion, would offer the former president a financial lifeline at a time when he is facing more than $454 million in penalties from a civil fraud judgment this month in New York. The case is one of three lawsuits filed this week that detail bitter recriminations among people key to the Trump companys earliest days. The filings will probably serve as the opening salvo in what could be all-out legal warfare ahead of the March 22 shareholder vote on whether to go ahead with the merger. On Tuesday, Digital World and Trump Media sued Digital Worlds former chief executive, Patrick Orlando, and its sponsor, Arc Global Investments II, in a Florida court, alleging that Orlando had threatened to block the merger to obtain a windfall by way of extortion and accusing him of avarice [and] incompetence that had caused extensive reputational harm. On Thursday, Arc filed its own lawsuit, telling a Delaware chancery court that Digital World, its current chief executive, Eric Swider, and three board members had miscalculated Arcs stake in a way that would deprive it of more than 2 million shares. In a motion to expedite, Arcs attorneys accused Digital World of gamesmanship and strong-arming tactics related to the dispute. Arc, a subsidiary of the Shanghai-based investment firm Arc Capital, provided Digital Worlds early funding and is managed by Orlando, whom Digital Worlds board fired last year. The suit against Orlando alleges that he received a letter from the Securities and Exchange Commission, known as a Wells notice, indicating that officials had considered charging him for violations of federal securities laws but that the matter was still pending. The SEC and an attorney for Orlando did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Trump campaign referred comment to Trump Media, which did not respond to requests for comment. Digital World also did not respond. Digital Worlds share price Thursday plunged almost 9 percent, to $41, amid the turmoil. Considering that Digital World has said in an SEC filing that Trump will receive 78 million shares in the post-merger company, the drop equates to a roughly $300 million loss in equity for Trumps stake. The co-founders lawsuit is led by Andy Litinsky and Wes Moss, who met Trump as contestants on his reality show The Apprentice. The men pitched Trump on the idea of a Trump-branded tech start-up and social media platform in early 2021 after he lost the White House and was banned from Twitter, now called X. Trump agreed to the deal and was given 90 percent of the company, according to a motion for expedited proceedings filed Wednesday in the Delaware Court of Chancery by the co-founders partnership, United Atlantic Ventures. The partnership took 8.6 percent, while an attorney on the deal, Bradford Cohen, was given the remaining 1.4 percent, the motion states. UAV launched the Trump Media business, hired employees and raised funding while receiving no fee or payment for its work, the motion said. And though Litinsky and Moss left Trump Media that year amid a dispute with its current leadership, UAV retained its shares, according to a SEC filing this month from Digital World. The filing said that Trump was set to receive 78 million shares in the post-merger company - a stake worth more than $3 billion at Thursdays share price - and that UAV would receive more than 7 million shares, a stake worth nearly $300 million. Throughout TMTGs corporate history, the motion states, UAVs 8.6 percent ownership interest has been recognized and honored. But UAVs attorneys allege in the motion that Trump has recently attempted to drastically dilute the partnerships stake as part of what they called an 11th hour, pre-merger corporate maneuvering tactic designed to increase the amount of authorized stock, from 120 million shares to 1 billion shares. UAVs attorneys wrote that the dilution scheme had no legitimate business purpose and suggested that Trump and the Trump Media board planned to issue the new shares to Trump and/or his associates and children, watering down UAVs stake to less than 1 percent. UAV was promised 8.6 percent of this company and sadly its business partners are baselessly trying to renege, said the partnerships lead attorney, Christopher J. Clark of Clark Smith Villazor, in an interview with The Washington Post describing the lawsuit. They feel like: We made Truth Social for you. You get 90 percent. But some people just arent happy with 90 percent. Clark has represented high-profile defendants including Hunter Biden, Elon Musk and billionaire businessman Mark Cuban. After representing President Bidens son for several years in negotiations related to a Justice Department investigation, Clark stepped down in August due to the possibility that he could be called to testify as a witness on Hunter Bidens behalf. In the filing, Digital World said the proposed issuing of 1 billion shares in New Digital World stock was part of a set of post-merger business changes. The SEC declared this month that the mergers registration statement was effective, clearing the way for Digital Worlds shareholders to vote to finalize the merger in a meeting next month. Digital World acknowledged the UAV dispute in the SEC filing, saying it had received letters starting last month from a UAV lawyer asserting that the partnership still had the right to appoint directors to Trump Medias board and to approve or disapprove of the creation of additional TMTG shares. UAV, the filing said, argued that its original services agreement with Trump from 2021 remains in effect. Digital World said in the filing that the agreement was declared void by a Trump attorney nearly two and a half years prior. Digital World said in the filing that Trump Media had said it strongly disagrees with UAVs assertion to any rights with respect to TMTG under the Services Agreement and that it believes TMTG has valid defenses to the potential claims by UAV. The filing said a UAV representative sent a text message this month to a Trump Media noteholder suggesting that UAV might seek to enjoin, or block, the merger. The filing also noted that a UAV attorney had sent a letter to Trump Media threatening legal action regarding UAVs alleged rights in TMTG, including, if necessary, an action to enjoin the merger. Digital World said in the filing that the legal dispute could prevent or delay the merger deal, significantly impact the companys future performance, or negatively impact investor confidence and market perception. Delaware, where Trump Media was incorporated, is a common state for American business registrations, and its chancery court is a mainstay for corporate litigation. A sealed legal complaint was filed in the case late Wednesday. Under Delaware chancery law, it wont be made public for another five days as both sides discuss potential redactions. A copy of the motion for expedited processing, which outlines the dispute, was publicly visible in court records. Related Content Inside Ukraines last stand in Avdiivka and its road of death All pets go to heaven. She helps them do it at home. Sizable uncommitted vote in Michigan ignites debate among Democrats Former President Trump will stay on the Illinois state primary ballot for now, after a state judge put her Wednesday ruling on hold until an appeals court weighs the former presidents challenge. Cook County, Ill., Judge Tracie Porter paused her order to boot Trump from the ballot Thursday afternoon, less than one day after her initial ruling. The ruling will stay paused until the Appellate Court of Illinois hands down a final order on the matter, according to the court order obtained by The Hill. Porter on Wednesday ordered the states election board to remove the former president from the March 19 primary ballot, reversing the boards decision last month to keep him on the ballot. She initially put her order on pause until Friday to allow Trumps legal team to appeal the matter, which came down hours later. Trumps team asked the appeals court to reverse and vacate Porters ruling and reaffirm the state boards decision. In a separate request Wednesday, Trumps legal team asked Porter to extend the pause beyond Friday until the Appellate Court rules. Porters Thursday order hands Trump a temporary win as the U.S. Supreme Court weighs a different appeal of a Colorado Supreme Court decision, which ruled in December that he is not eligible for the state ballot under the U.S. Constitutions Insurrectionist Clause. The Colorado ruling invoked the 14th Amendments Insurrectionist Clause and stated the former president participated in an insurrection through his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack. Porter pointed to this decision in her Wednesday ruling, calling its rationale compelling. After yesterdays ruling in Illinois, President Trump appealed the decision and asked to remain on the ballot. As a result, the Illinois Circuit Court has agreed to keep President Trump on the ballot, pending all appeals and a decision from the U.S. Supreme Court. We expect the court to issue that order later today, Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said Thursday in a statement to The Hill. A court in Maine ruled last month Trump can remain on the states ballot after the state secretary of states decision to disqualify him until the U.S. Supreme Court weighs on the matter. Porters ruling was in response to a challenge filed by the national nonprofit Free Speech For People, which has launched several ballot challenges in multiple states, including Minnesota, Massachusetts, Oregon and Michigan. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. From the The Collision on The Dispatch Welcome to a Leap Day edition of The Collision! While Nikki Haley is still fighting it out in the Republican primary, weve reached a point in the political cycle where the setup for the general election is clear: Barring any unforeseen circumstances, President Joe Biden will face Donald Trump. So, we thought wed take this moment to survey where all of Trumps legal battles stand, how they might affect the race in the months ahead, and what to watch for as politics and the law keep colliding. But first The Docket Hunter Biden appeared behind closed doors for a deposition before two House committees Wednesday, testifying that he did not involve his father, Joe Biden, in his business activities. Not while I was a practicing lawyer, not in my investments or transactions domestic or international, not as a board member, and not as an artist, he said in a prepared statement provided to news outlets. Late last year, House Republicans, who are conducting an impeachment inquiry of President Biden, had subpoenaed Hunter, who at the time refused to comply. Republicans threatened to hold Hunter in contempt before he eventually agreed to testify. Republicans dismissed Hunters testimony on Wednesday, citing text message evidence that the younger Biden invoked his father in conversations with business associates or potential clients. Hunter, for his part, cited his drug use at the time and said he was not in the right state of mind. Rep. James Comer, the Republican chairman of the House Oversight Committee, made a statement to reporters following the hourslong deposition. I think this was a great deposition for us, Comer said. It proved several bits of our evidence that weve been conducting throughout this investigation. But there are also some contradictory statements that I think need further review. So this impeachment inquiry will now go to the next phase, which will be a public hearing. Its a drop in the bucket compared to the much bigger legal penalties (more on those below), but Donald Trump has paid the New York Times $392,000 to cover legal fees in a lawsuit against the paper. Trump had sued the Times over its investigation into his tax records. A judge dismissed the suit last year. Were running a bit long in this weeks Collision, so we will give you a full status report on the Biden-related legal issues when we return next week. Status Report on Trumps Trials Former President Donald Trump sits in New York State Supreme Court during the civil fraud trial against the Trump Organization, in New York City on January 11, 2024. (Photo by PETER FOLEY/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) The special counsels D.C. election interference case. In the not-so-distant past, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan announced that this casealleging Trump violated four federal laws in his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 electionwould go to trial in early March. How quaint! But that trial is now on hold indefinitely as the Supreme Court just announced Wednesday night that it would decide whether and if so to what extent does a former President enjoy presidential immunity from criminal prosecution for conduct alleged to involve official acts during his tenure in office. The justices will hear arguments on April 22 and, presumably, hand down their opinion in May. What does that mean for the timing of the trial? First, its worth remembering that the Supreme Court decides questions, not cases. It may say Trump is not immune from prosecution for his specific acts and that the case will move forward. (Although that still doesnt mean its heading to trialthe defense could have more motions up its sleeves). But thats not the only outcome, or even the most likely one. The Supreme Court may instead say something like, No, presidents are not immune from prosecution for all official acts, but they are from some, and heres how to draw that line. At that point, it could send the case back to Judge Chutkan to use this new test to decide where Trumps actions fall on that spectrum, and that decision could once again go up on appeal to the D.C. Circuit and perhaps the Supreme Court for a second time. Buckle in; its gonna be a bumpy ride. So, is there any chance this goes to trial before the election? Yes, but not really. Even if the Supreme Court resolves the case, its likely that itll still be too late. The Department of Justice has a policy against holding criminal trials against political candidates too close to the election. And given how long this potential trial could lastboth sides will want the jury to hear from dozens of witnessestheres not much chance that DOJ could wrap up the trial by Labor Day. (Remember, O.J. Simpsons trial lasted 11 months!) The special counsels Mar-a-Lago documents case. Of the four criminal cases facing the former president, the federal case involving Trumps retention of classified documents after leaving the White House seemed the most straightforward and the most straightforwardly problematic for him. The original indictment unsealed in June 2023 alleges, with lots of evidence, that Trump intentionally retained classified documents after leaving office, resisted efforts by the federal government to retrieve those documents, and tried to mislead investigators. Politically, it seemed like the easiest set of charges for people to digest as well: Trump had violated the law and was careless with state secrets. But for those who thought this trial would begin swiftly, or even start before the election, the reality should have sunk in by now. The original trial start date was August 14, 2023, which was never reasonable. Special counsel Jack Smith sought a December 2023 start date. Trumps lawyers wanted an indefinite delay, which is how this is playing out. At the heart of the problem with a swift trial is something we covered in our very first Collision: Cases about classified documents require a long time to sift through the security-clearance issues. The process has slowed down considerably as the court figures out how much access to the relevant classified documents lawyers for Trump and his co-defendants (a political aide and a staffer at Mar-a-Lago) need. On top of that, Trump has used other pre-trial motions to slow things down, most recently moving to dismiss the case on the same presidential immunity grounds being litigated in the D.C. election interference case. Some Trump critics have blamed Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee to the U.S. Court of the Southern District of Florida. In 2022, during the investigation into Trumps stash of documents at Mar-a-Lago, Cannon presided over Trumps civil suit against the government requesting a special master to examine the documents. Cannon granted the request in what many liberal legal commentators deemed an inordinately friendly ruling for Trump. The ruling was eventually overturned by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. Her assignment in 2023 to the subsequent criminal case prompted many calls for Cannon to recuse herself. While theres been little factual or legal basis established in favor of her recusal, all of her rulings on pre-trial motions have received close scrutiny from Trump opponents, even as some of her decisions have cut against Trump or his co-defendants, as happened as recently as this weektwice. Politically speaking, however, the effect of this case on Trumps standing with swing voters may have been blunted by the recent release of a report from another special counsel, Robert Hur, on his investigation into Joe Bidens retention of classified documents. Yes, the Hur report argues against bringing charges against Biden because of the perceived difficulty in getting a conviction. Moreover, the lengths that Hur went to argue against charges meant he depicted the president as a confused elderly man, enraged Biden and Democrats. But Hurs findings look awfully similar to what Smith and federal investigators found with Trumps classified documents situation: unguarded boxes of materials stored haphazardly, and a stated view from the principal that those classified documents belonged to himnot the government. Beyond that, the facts of each presidents classified documents case are starkly different. Where Biden cooperated with investigators and worked to return sensitive material to its rightful place, Trump resisted. But in politics, perception is everything. The Georgia election interference racketeering case. Woof. This case took a turn in the last few weeks. Initially, this case about Trumps efforts to overturn the 2020 election looked like it could move quickly under state law. But the prosecutor, Fani Willis, unveiled a sprawling indictment covering 19 defendants and 41 counts. It was bound to get complicated. Even so, what happened was a total surprise. For several weeks, Willis has been battling accusations from the defendants that she hired her married boyfriend, Nathan Wade, as one of the special counsels for the prosecution and then benefitted from the salary that she paid him in the form of expensive trips for her and her family. After hearing from several witnessesincluding Willis and Wade themselvesthe judge will decide whether to disqualify Willis from prosecuting these cases moving forward. If the judge removes her, it could result in major delays for this case. Theres even a slim possibility the charges against Trump could be dismissed if a new prosecutor is brought in. Even if the judge does not remove her, Willis could face ethics complaints within her office and at the state bar. Be sure to read more of our past coverage of the sordid hearings over these motions. This was always going to be a hard case to bring before the election. Trying a case with 19 defendants is, well, a challenge under normal circumstancesand these arent normal circumstances. And because it involves many of the same acts as the federal case, the Supreme Courts decision on Trumps criminal immunity will likely affect this case as well. Per usual, Donald Trumps greatest gifts often come in the form of his enemies penchant for stepping on rakes. Michael Avenatti, anyone? The New York hush money case. This case is also set for trial at the end of March. It was the first criminal indictment brought against the former president, and it remains the weakest. Heres what Sarah wrote nearly a year ago: This case will require that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg prove that Donald Trump violated a New York law on the falsification of business records for the purpose of committing a federal campaign finance violation that the federal government declined to prosecute. Again, we dont need to get into the legal weeds here, but 1) its not even clear a state prosecutor can use a federal crime to bootstrap a state misdemeanor into a felony, 2) its unclear the facts underlying the federal crime even as alleged by the prosecution would, in fact, be a federal crime, and 3) his own office declined to prosecute this case under his predecessor because the legal grounds were so shaky. Trumps efforts to have the case dismissed have failed so far, but its also worth considering that Trump may see it as a political boon to his candidacy, whether hes convicted or not. The underlying facts are nothing new to voters, and these legal weaknesses make this case Trumps best argument that Democrats are using the law to come after him. (This case wont be affected by the Supreme Courts immunity decision because Trump wasnt president when the alleged crimes occurred.) The 14th Amendment disqualification case. All eyes are on the Supreme Court as we wait for its decision in this case. The court has no plans to release opinions this week, but next week well see. Earlier this month, the court heard oral arguments that did not go well for the Colorado voters who petitioned to get Trump disqualified from their ballot. The more interesting questions are: a) Will it be a unanimous decision? And b) Will the court leave it to Congress to decide whether Trump is disqualified after (and, of course, if) he is elected? If the court holds that only Congress can disqualify a president-elect, that will leave it to Democrats in Congress to decide whether to certify Trumps election on January 6, 2025. The irony wont be lost on anyone. The civil cases. Trump owes a lot of money. That much is clear from the outcome of his two recent civil lawsuits. The larger, a lawsuit based on New Yorks idiosyncratic fraud law, allowed state Attorney General Letitia James to sue Trump, three of his children, and the Trump organization for defrauding banks and investors by misrepresenting Trumps wealth and the companys assets. The presiding judge, Arthur Engoron, issued a summary judgment finding the defendants guilty, and the weekslong trial at the end of 2023 and beginning of 2024 was held to determine how much Trump would be fined. The final answer: More than $354 million, plus $100 million in interest. Engorons ruling also barred Trump and other organization officers from conducting certain business in New York for a few years. Trump is appealing, though its unclear whether he will be able to put up enough money to file that appeal formally. The other lawsuit was actually the second verdict against Trump and for writer E. Jean Carroll, who had accused Trump of sexually assaulting her in the 1990s. The first came in May 2023, when a jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation based on a social-media post he had written about Carroll in 2022. The more recent verdict is actually from Carrolls first lawsuit against Trump, in which she accused him of defaming her in 2019 after she first came forward with her accusations. In that lawsuit, a jury in late January awarded Carroll $83.3 million in damages. Trump has plans to appeal this verdict as well. One additional detail in all this: As our colleague David Drucker reported last weekend, a member of the Republican National Committee is trying to put forth a resolution that would bar the committee from paying Trumps legal bills. 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. Former President Trump on Thursday pushed for Rep. Mark Green (R-Tenn.) to seek another term in Congress as the congressman mulls retirement. Mark Green has had lots of options because of his political talents, and the great job he has done as a Congressman, but given the fantastic work hes doing as Chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, I hope he runs for Re-Election to the U.S. House of Representatives. If he does, he has my Complete and Total Endorsement! Trump wrote on Truth Social. Green announced Feb. 14 that he planned to retire at the end of his term. The news came after he led the successful effort to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, in a second vote after the first fell short. But Green confirmed earlier this week he was seriously reconsidering his decision to retire. Green is among five GOP committee chairs who have announced their retirements at the end of this Congress an unusually high number of senior lawmakers and rising stars willing to give up their gavels. Many in the House are blaming the toxicity on Capitol Hill, where internal party clashes have ground legislating to a snails pace. Trump is on track to be the Republican nominee for president in November and has strong relationships with numerous GOP lawmakers from his first term in the White House. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. An estimated $4 billion business merger involving former President Donald Trumps social media company could hit a major snarl after a lawsuit was filed Wednesday accusing Trump of trying to dilute the co-founders shares. Andy Litinsky and Wes Moss, who co-founded Trumps Truth Social platform, filed a lawsuit in Delaware claiming their previously negotiated 8.6% stake in Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG ) has been watered down to less than 1%, The Washington Post and CNBC reported. The dispute comes as TMTG eyes a merger with the publicly traded shell company Digital World Acquisition Corp. The sale, which Digital Worlds shareholders are scheduled to vote on next month, is estimated to be worth as much as $4 billion, according to The New York Times. Andy Litinsky and Wes Moss, who co-founded Trumps Truth Social platform, have alleged that their 8.6% stake in Trump Media & Technology Group has been watered down to less than 1% ahead of a lucrative merger. NurPhoto via Getty Images The attempt here is to deprive them of the deal, attorney Christopher J. Clark, who is representing Litinsky and Moss partnership, United Atlantic Ventures (UAV), in the complaint, told CNBC News. They actually went out and did the work, they created Truth Social, and now the beneficiary of that, Donald Trump, doesnt want to pay. Clark and representatives of Trump, Digital World and TMTG did not immediately respond to HuffPosts request for comment on Thursday. Under UAVs previously reached agreement, Trump would receive 78 million shares that are worth about $3.5 billion at todays share price value. UAV would receive more than 7 million shares, equating to roughly $339 million, according to The Washington Posts review of a court motion requesting expedited proceedings in the case. Digital World appeared to recognize that previous deal with UAV in an Securities and Exchange Commission filing earlier this month but said that the agreement was declared void by a Trump attorney more than two years ago. The sale of any stock could come as a major financial lifeline to Trump, who has faced numerous legal judgments against him since leaving the Oval Office, including an order earlier this month to pay $355 million, plus interest, for committing business fraud in New York state. An appeals court judge on Wednesday denied Trumps request to pause that judgments enforcement. Trump, currently the front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination, argued that he doesnt have the cash to cover the penalty. This isnt the first time that a founder of Trumps Truth Social platform has spoken out against him while alleging misconduct, particularly involving stocks. Will Wilkerson, who helped found TMTG but was then fired after speaking out about alleged security law violations, alleged in 2022 that Trump asked Litinsky to relinquish his stock in the company to his wife, Melania Trump. Wilkerson also said that Trumps sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump requested a financial stake in the social media platform despite having never worked for the company. They were coming in and asking for a handout, Wilkerson told The Washington Post. They had no bearing in this company and they were taking equity away from hard-working individuals. Related... The Senate on Thursday overwhelmingly voted 13-79 against a resolution that would have blocked a $23 billion F-16 sale to Turkey that the Biden administration approved last month. Turkey has sought to lock down the sale, which includes 40 new F-16s made by Lockheed Martin as well as modernization kits for 79 fighter jets in its current fleet, for several years. The State Department finally approved the sale when Turkey ratified Swedens NATO membership after stalling for more than a year. Sen Rand Paul, R-Ky., on Thursday forced the vote on the resolution to block the sale, citing significant human rights issues, arbitrary killings, suspicious deaths of person in custody, torture, arbitrary arrests and continued detention of tens of thousands of persons. I also remain deeply concerned about the negative strategic implications of this proposed sale, given Turkeys reckless military actions in recent years, Paul said on the Senate floor ahead of the vote. Paul noted that a U.S. F-16 shot down a Turkish drone in October in northeast Syria, where American troops back Kurdish-majority forces Ankara considers a terrorist organization. He also pointed to Turkeys deployment of F-16s to Azerbaijan in 2020 during its war with Armenia over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Ben Cardin, D-Md., defended the sale on the floor after greenlighting it last month. I consulted closely with the highest levels of the Biden administration about this transaction over several months, said Cardin. I believe they share my concerns, and I believe we are making progress. Cardin argued Russias invasion of Ukraine presented a strategic imperative for Swedens NATO accession as well as the need to modernize Turkeys capabilities within the alliance. He said the sale would upgrade Turkeys aging F-16 fleet to a more capable model, a model that is compatible with the United States. Turkey is key to the defense of the southern flank of NATO, said Cardin. It is host to a major U.S. military presence, and Turkeys F-16 fleet contributes to NATO, including in the Black Sea, which is critical to our national security. The State Department also approved an $8.6 billion sale of F-35 stealth fighter jets to Greece last month at the same time it greenlit Turkeys F-16 purchase. The U.S. expelled Turkey from the F-35 co-production program in 2019 over Ankaras purchase of the S-400 missile defense system due to fears Moscow could use its advanced radar system to spy on the stealth fighter jets. An ETF that tracks the stock trades of Democrats in Congress has been beating the S&P 500 on the strength of Magnificent 7 tech bets An ETF that tracks the trades of Democrats in Congress has outperformed the S&P 500 since its launch last year, returning 30%. The Unusual Whales Democratic ETF reflects how those individuals have been riding tech-industry momentum to further gains. The fund's biggest weightings include market standouts Microsoft, Amazon, Apple, and Nvidia. An ETF that tracks the trades of Democrats in Congress and their spouses has outperformed the broader stock market since its launch last year. The Unusual Whales Democratic ETF, which trades under the symbol "NANC" in a nod to former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, has surged 30% since its launch on February 7, 2023. That compares to a gain of 24% for the S&P 500 over the same time period. Looking underneath the hood of the ETF, it's clear that an outsized bet on mega-cap tech stocks has driven much of the outperformance over the past year. Microsoft alone represents nearly 10% of the fund, and its top 10 holdings make up a highly concentrated 50% of the fund. Other top tech holdings within the NANC ETF include Amazon, Apple, Nvidia, Salesforce, Alphabet. When combined with Microsoft, those six stocks comprise 32% of the fund's total market value. Other major holdings include Crowdstrike and Netflix. The fund has a total of 719 stocks. The lawmakers tracked by the fund own holdings in many of the same stocks most popular with hedge funds. Amazon, Microsoft, Alphabet, Nvidia, Apple, and Salesforce are among the top 10 most widely owned stocks amongst major firms, a recent Goldman Sachs analysis found. Both groups are trying to ride the continuing momentum of the market's best-performing stocks. Meanwhile, a Republican-focused fund with the same methodology has been underperforming the market. The Unusual Whales Republican ETF, which trades under the symbol "KRUZ," has gained about 15% since inception. The comparison is reflected in the chart below. Story continues YCharts Lawmakers trading stocks have come under intensifying scrutiny in recent years, as some members of Congress have made timely trades in stocks they could have theoretically influenced, or had access to sensitive information about. One of the main selling points of the NANC ETF is that if there is, in fact, a trading advantage being employed tracking those investments could beat the market. But right now, it appears they're employing the straightforward strategy of loading up on mega-cap tech winners. Read the original article on Business Insider Three Independence police officers and a civil process server were shot, two of them fatally, during an eviction Thursday afternoon in the northeast part of the city, officials said. Officials confirmed Independence police officer Cody Allen was killed in the gunfire, along with Jackson County courts civil process server Drexel Mack. The two other officers who took gunshot rounds are expected to make a full recovery, according to Independence Police Chief Adam Dustman. One underwent surgery and the other suffered minor injuries. Both are expected to make a full recovery. A tactical response team had to be called in to extract the officers body from the front porch of a residence. The victims were taken to Centerpoint Medical Center. About a half dozen police cars were parked outside the main entrance of Centerpoint Medical Center in Independence after the shooting. Officers and police personnel could be seen hugging each other and crying. The shooting occurred shortly after 1 p.m. in the 1100 block of North Elsea Smith Road, near East Bundschu Road, said Cpl. Justin Ewing, a spokesman with the Missouri State Highway Patrol. A civil process server with the Jackson County Circuit Court called Independence police saying that an officer with the court had been shot, Ewing said. Simultaneously, a neighbor called 911 saying that an officer had been shot. Multiple officers from the Independence Police Department responded and additional shots were fired at police officers, critically injuring two of them, Ewing said. At that time, officers from multiple agencies responded to assist, including tactical units. Eventually, a male suspect was taken into custody with minor injuries. It was unknown how many civil process servers were on the scene when the initial shots were fired, Ewing said. Officers and tactical units with the Kansas City Police Department also responded, said Capt. Jake Becchina with the Kansas City Police Department. They initiated an Operation 100, a tactical response for an armed barricaded suspect that includes negotiators trained to help deescalate a situation. As of shortly before 5 p.m., no one had made it inside the house, Becchina said. Police said they did not have any indication any more people were inside the home. Once the home has deemed clear and safe, the house will be turned over to the highway patrol to investigate the shooting. We now have two officers down The call went out about 1:12 p.m., according to audio captured on Broadcastify.com, saying: Independence, we have units en route. Officers down inside the doorway. Suspect is still inside. Then, at 1:15 p.m., came the call: Independence is requesting assistance. They have an officer down at 1111 N. Elsea Smith Road. Another voice said: This will be on a gunshot wound. Two minutes later a voice said: We now have two officers down. Around 1:30 p.m., someone said, We see the incoming units are telling us to stay in the back, the officers are still stuck at the house getting shot at. Then, around 1:40 p.m., someone said: Im on footwere approaching the house and it appears that theyre doing CPR on one of the officers. Law enforcement officials and medical personnel work the scene of an officer involved shooting near the intersection of Elsea Smith Road and Budschu Road on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024, east of Independence. Fort Osage schools spokesperson Stephanie Smith said local schools were temporarily placed on lockdown for 20-30 minutes, meaning all exterior doors were locked but classes continued. Once law enforcement gave them the all clear, they lifted the lockdown and plan to conduct dismissal like normal. Alden Smith, an 18-year-old who lives in the area, described being at a nearby McDonalds restaurant when about half a dozen police vehicles sped by around 1:30 p.m. Smith, along with some friends, drove by the shooting scene a few minutes later and described seeing numerous police vehicles, along with officers who they said appeared to be part of a SWAT unit. Some adrenaline is definitely going through, Smith said. The shooting is the second officer-involved shooting in Independence in a week. Officers shot and killed 32-year-old Sief Bani-Khalid of Independence while responding to an armed disturbance about 4:40 p.m. Feb. 22 at a home in the 700 block of North Frandsen Road. Officers were checking out a report that gunshots had been fired. Arriving officers encountered Bani-Khalid at the front door entryway and gave commands that were heard by witnesses, police have said. Two officers fired their weapons, striking and killing Bani-Khalid. Bani-Khalid died at the scene. Police said a firearm was allegedly found near where he was shot. He was also allegedly wearing a fanny pack containing ammunition. This shooting also comes two weeks after a mass shooting killed one person and injured 24 others at the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl victory rally at Union Station Feb. 14. An unidentified woman and unidentified law enforcement officer embrace outside Centerpoint Medical Center in Independence Thursday after an Independence police officer and court process server died in a shooting incident in eastern Independence . Multiple people injured in the incident were taken by ambulance to the hospital. News of Thursdays fatal shooting spread quickly. Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter: My heart breaks for the Independence Police Department and all the family and friends of their officer who succumbed to injuries from a shooting earlier today. He added that he was praying for all others impacted and all of the women and men of law enforcement in the Kansas City area. Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said his office was continuing to receive updates on the shooting. He said the Missouri State Highway Patrol was assisting. Teresa and I are praying for the@IndepMoPolice officers involved and all who work to protect us, Parson said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. The Kansas City office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also responded to the scene to assist the Independence Police Department. This story will be updated as additional information becomes available. U.S. Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama addresses a crowd at a breakfast hosted by the Chamber of Commerce in Montgomery on Nov. 3, 2023. (Alander Rocha/Alabama Reflector) WASHINGTON U.S. Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama will deliver the Republican rebuttal following President Joe Bidens State of the Union address to Congress on March 7. House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana said Thursday that Britt will share her story as a mother and as the first woman elected to serve Alabama in the Senate. The announcement comes as the Biden administration has been highly critical of a recent state Supreme Court ruling in Alabama with the result that in vitro fertilization treatments have been placed on hold. The Alabama House of Representatives Thursday approved a bill that would give criminal and civil immunity to IVF providers and patients on a 94-6 vote. As the only current Republican mom of school-aged kids serving in the Senate, Katie is fighting to preserve the American Dream for the next generation, Johnson said in a statement. She is a champion for strong families, a secure border, national defense and a vibrant economy with stable prices and opportunities for all. Britt said in a statement that she is excited about the opportunity to show Americans how the Republican Party is the party of hardworking parents and families. At this decisive moment in our countrys history, its time for the next generation to step up and preserve the American Dream for our children and our grandchildren, she said. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky also praised the freshman senator. Senator Katie Britt is an unapologetic optimist, and as one of our nations youngest Senators, shes wasted no time becoming a leading voice in the fight to secure a stronger American future and leave years of Washington Democrats failures behind, McConnell said in a statement. SUPPORT NEWS YOU TRUST. DONATE The post U.S. Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama to deliver GOP response to State of the Union appeared first on Alabama Reflector. The U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. (Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom) WASHINGTON U.S. Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi blocked a bill from passing Wednesday that would have preserved access to in vitro fertilization nationwide, stalling a push by Democrats following a landmark Alabama state Supreme Court decision. U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith (Courtesy of Cindy Hyde-Smiths official website) The court ruled earlier this month that frozen embryos counted as children under state law and parents could collect damages for their destruction, putting IVF programs in the state on hold. Illinois Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth asked for unanimous consent to pass the IVF bill, a process that allows any one senator to prevent it from moving to the House. Duckworth has said shell press for a roll call vote on the bill at a later point to put every senator on record. My girls are my everything, Duckworth said, referring to her two daughters. They likely would have never been born if I had not had access to the basic reproductive rights that Americans, up until recently, had been depending on for nearly a half century. Duckworth said that after her service in Iraq, she struggled with infertility. Hyde-Smith argued that the bill was overreaching, and contained provisions with which she disagreed. I support the ability for mothers and fathers to have total access to IVF and bring new life into the world, and I also believe that human life should be protected, Hyde-Smith said. She also argued that the Alabama case did not ban IVF. However, clinics in the state have paused treatments following the ruling. Duckworth defended her bill, saying that it protects individuals who are seeking IVF technology without fear of being prosecuted, protects the rights of physicians to provide that treatment and allows insurance companies to cover reproductive technology. It simply says you have a statutory right, should you choose to pursue assisted reproductive technology, that you would be able to do so, Duckworth said. Washington state Democratic Sen. Patty Murray slammed Republicans for blocking the unanimous consent request to pass the bill. These women have had their dreams shattered because Republicans believe a frozen embryo kept in storage at an IVF clinic is the same and should have the exact same rights as a living, breathing human person, Murray said. Sen. Tim Kaine, a Virginia Democrat, said that the first child born through IVF in the United States was in 1981, in Norfolk, Virginia. He added that its estimated that 12 million people were born through IVF. In-vitro fertilization patient Julie Cohen holds up a photo of her children In-vitro fertilization patient Julie Cohen holds up a photo of her children at a roundtable discussion with patients and health professionals on Feb. 27, 2024, in Birmingham, Alabama. U.S. Senate conservatives blocked a Democratic sponsored bill to legislate in-vitro protections at the federal level on the heels of a controversial Alabama Supreme Court ruling that could restrict the procedure. (Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images) Shes raising her own family today, Kaine said. What could be more pro-life than in vitro fertilization? Oregon Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden said that the repeal of Roe v. Wade has led to an onslaught of court rulings just like this one in Alabama. Nevada Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto said that when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, we could see from a mile away that IVF was in danger. It will not stop with Alabama, Cortez Masto said. Attacking IVF was yet another chance for anti-choice Republicans to erode womens rights in this country. Sen. Katie Britt: Alabama taking action Alabama Republican Sen. Katie Britt said in a brief interview with States Newsroom on Wednesday afternoon that her home state should be left to address the issue. So Alabama is, right now as we speak, working to protect IVF, she said. Alabama state lawmakers advanced three bills out of committee on Wednesday that would protect access to IVF in that state. The U.S. Senates debate over access to IVF came just hours after the Senate Budget Committee held a hearing on the economic harms of restricting reproductive freedom, which included testimony on access to the procedure. Caitlin Myers, John G. McCullough professor of economics at Middlebury College in Vermont, told the committee that access to reproductive autonomy isnt just about young people avoiding parenthood until theyre ready, its about all people being able to become parents when they want to. The economic evidence suggests that it allows women to spend more time seeking the right partner, investing in education and investing in their careers, she said. And in a country and moment when were increasingly seeing people delay parenthood, a lack of access to IVF is very concerning from an economic perspective. 44 co-sponsors for Duckworths IVF bill The Duckworth bill, dubbed the Access to Family Building Act, is nine pages long and aims to provide protections for patients and health care providers. Duckworth introduced the bill in mid-January with Wisconsin Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin, Washington states Murray and New York Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand as original co-sponsors. Support for the legislation began increasing this week, with the number of co-sponsors rising to 44 as of Wednesday. The bill says that it would bar limitations on assisted reproductive technology services that are more burdensome than limitations or requirements imposed on medically comparable procedures, do not significantly advance reproductive health or the safety of such services and unduly restrict access to such services. Assisted reproductive technology is defined in the legislation as whats included in Section 8 of the Fertility Clinic Success Rate and Certification Act of 1992. That laws definition says it encompasses all treatments or procedures which include the handling of human oocytes or embryos, including in vitro fertilization, gamete intrafallopian transfer, zygote intrafallopian transfer, and such other specific technologies as the Secretary may include in this definition, after making public any proposed definition in such manner as to facilitate comment from any person (including any Federal or other public agency). GOP senators reject congressional action Republican senators, speaking briefly with States Newsroom on Tuesday, all rejected the idea of Congress stepping in now to set a nationwide policy on access to IVF. And some expressed concerns with how the bill was written. Utah Republican Sen. Mitt Romney said he would need to look over Duckworths bill in detail, but said his understanding is its just substantially broader than dealing with IVF. On IVF access generally, Romney said, he didnt believe that federal lawmakers had enough of a window on that at this stage in that its not been an issue for any state other than Alabama. And the Alabama Legislature, as I understand it, is attempting to deal with this legislatively, so I dont think its an issue elsewhere, Romney said. West Virginia Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito said that while she supports everyone having access to IVF, shes not sure Congress should approve legislation. I think we need to preserve access to IVF for families and folks suffering from infertility, she said. But I think this is, right now, a state issue in Alabama. And I think they ought to fix it there first. Indiana Republican Sen. Todd Young said access to IVF has to be protected and that he would look into supporting legislation to do just that, though he said he hadnt yet read Duckworths bill. I would consider any proposals that are put forward here, Young said. I have not read through the particulars on that. Some have characterized it as overbroad. But I would entertain legislation to preserve that important prerogative for women and families, Young said. GOP senators say it is a state issue Kansas Republican Sen. Roger Marshall said he believes the U.S. Supreme Courts ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization, which overturned the constitutional right to an abortion, sent issues like IVF to state lawmakers. I think that the Dobbs decision clearly states that this should be a decision made at the state level, Marshall said. I encourage the state legislators to support IVF. Its a beautiful thing, hundreds of babies are delivered every day across the country because of IVF. The U.S. Supreme Courts ruling in Dobbs said the Constitution does not confer a right to abortion; Roe and Casey are overruled; and the authority to regulate abortion is returned to the people and their elected representatives. That includes Congress. Marshall said that Republicans throughout the country should all lean into it that we are the pro-family party, and we should celebrate IVF. Its an incredible technique, something that Ive participated in close to 100 or more cycles and just lots of beautiful children I know from IVF, Marshall said. Iowa Republican Sen. Joni Ernst said that its not yet time for Congress to step in with nationwide legislation on IVF, though she said its important that Americans have access to the process. I think the message that we have is that families should have access to IVF. Thats extremely important, Ernst said. I have a friend who has twin daughters because of IVF. So I hope we can work through this. Alabama Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville said the issue should be left to state lawmakers. Let them do it, just like theyre doing abortion. Let everybody get a chance to vote on it, Tuberville said. I think it will work a lot better than people complaining up here. We need to get our act together and worry about all the things that we can control. The post U.S. Senate Republican blocks legislation protecting in vitro fertilization appeared first on Idaho Capital Sun. The U.S. Supreme Courts decision to hear former President Donald Trumps claim that he has blanket immunity could effectively allow him to avoid facing a jurys judgment in the Jan. 6 federal election interference case before the fall election. The conservative-dominated courts ruling that it will only hear oral arguments on Trumps appeal in late April means a trial would almost certainly be delayed until late September at the earliest, even if the Supreme Court justices shoot down Trumps immunity claim, legal analysts say. The case is expected to take about three months, meaning it would take a legal Hail Mary for Trump to face a verdict from a jury of his peers before Election Day. They have given Trump the win, Andrew Weissman, a former federal prosecutor, said Thursday on MSNBC. Its very, very hard to see how this goes to trial before the election. The top court could have rejected the appeal and let stand a comprehensive and unanimous ruling by an appeals court panel rejecting Trumps claim. That would have allowed the trial to start as soon as late spring with a verdict possible by Labor Day. The fact the court decided to schedule the case when it did taking much more time than its hearing on the decision of a Colorado court to bar Trump from the ballot for violating the 14th Amendment suggests to some political observers that they are intent on letting voters decide Trumps fate, not a jury. The Supreme Courts message to us is: Hey voters, were leaving this up to you, Joyce Alene Vance, an Alabama law professor and former federal prosecutor, tweeted. Some Supreme Court-watchers note that the two months before oral arguments is still a speedy time frame by the top courts standards. Those analysts dispute the notion that the court is letting Trump off the legal hook, suggesting that a trial could still be resolved before America goes to the polls on Nov. 5. SCOTUS schedule for Trump immunity argument leaves just enough time for case to be tried before the election, Barb McQuade, another ex-federal prosecutor, said. The expedited briefing and argument schedule indicate (the) court is working to uphold publics right to a speedy trial. So what is the schedule for the case as things stand now? The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments the week of April 22. It could rule anytime after that but its likely it would only rule at the end of its session at the end of June. If the court agrees with Trump, the case effectively dies. If the justices reject Trumps appeal, as most legal analysts across the political spectrum believe is likely, they would hand the case back to Judge Tanya Chutkan for trial. Chutkan had originally set a March 4 trial date, but put all pretrial proceedings on hold in early December when Trump filed his immunity appeal. Assuming she gives Trumps defense the same amount of time to prepare for trial, that would be just under three months from the time the case resumes. That would mean a possible trial date at the end of September. Prosecutors have estimated their case against Trump would take four to six weeks and Trumps defense could take about the same time. That means the election interference trial could still start before the November election, but would likely not be finished by the time Americans decide whether they want Trump to be the next president. Trump has not said what he would do about the case or any possible conviction if he were to return to power. But he could seek to order the Justice Department to halt the case or even try to pardon himself. _____ Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin believes that if Ukraine loses the full-scale war with Russia, the latter will be forced to fight the entire North Atlantic Alliance. Source: Austin's statement at the US House Armed Services Committee hearing, as reported by European Pravda Details: Although the hearing focused primarily on Austin's hospitalisation at the beginning of the year, about which he did not notify either the White House or Congress in advance, the congressmen also asked several questions about how much US military assistance Ukraine requires. The Defense Secretary emphasised that the approval of additional funding for Kyiv is important to prevent a situation in the world "where one country can redraw its neighbours boundaries and illegitimately take over its sovereign territory." Quote: "We know that if Putin is successful here, he will not stop. He will continue to take more aggressive actions in the region. And other leaders around the world, other autocrats around the world will look at this and will be encouraged by the fact that this happened and we failed to support a democracy," he added. Later, Austin clarified that if Ukraine loses on the battlefield, the Baltic countries may be threatened. "If you are a Baltic state, you are really worried about whether you are next. They know Putin. They know what he is capable of. And, frankly, if Ukraine falls, I really believe that NATO will be in a fight with Russia," the official said. Background: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced at a news conference last week that Ukraine had notified the United States, specifically Congress, of the need to approve a multibillion-dollar aid package within a month. However, in the House of Representatives, they intend to address the issue of avoiding a shutdown rather than helping Ukraine. Support UP or become our patron! Ukraine and Turkey agreed to extend the liberalization of rules for two-way cargo transportation and transit of cargo trucks "at least until the end of the war," the Ukrainian Infrastructure Ministry reported on Feb. 29. Ukraine has a permit-free regime for cargo transportation with 35 countries, including EU members, which helped the country to continue its agricultural exports when Russia blocked Ukraine's maritime trade at the start of the full-scale invasion. "The extension of the liberalization of freight transportation is an example of making decisions based on numbers and real indicators regarding the positive impact on the two-way transportation market," said the Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov. About 15% of Ukrainian exports to Turkey and 60% of Turkish imports to Ukraine are carried out by road transport, added Kubrakov. Under the deal between the two countries, Ukrainian and Turkish road carriers will not need to obtain permits for exports, imports, and cargo transit, including entry of empty trucks, according to the ministry. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Key developments on Feb. 29: Air Force: Ukraine downs 3 Russian Su-34 jets in 1 day Chief commander: Ukrainian forces push back Russian troops in Orlivka, Donetsk Oblast General Staff: Ukraine hits Russian troops clustered in Olenivka, 19 soldiers killed UK Defense Ministry: 'Territory west of Avdiivka remains focal effort of Russian offensive' European Parliament calls on EU to 'give Ukraine whatever it needs to defeat Russia.' Ukrainian forces shot down three Russian Su-34 attack planes on Feb. 29, Air Force spokesperson Yurii Ihnat confirmed to the Kyiv Independent. The first Su-34 was downed at 1 a.m. local time (EET) in the east, according to the Air Force. The other two Su-34 jets were downed at around 9 a.m. local time near Avdiivka and Marinka, Air Force Commander Mykola Oleshchuk said. Russia has lost almost a dozen Su-34 aircraft in February alone, according to the Air Force. Each plane is estimated to cost around $36 million. Two Russian A-50 aircraft were also downed by Ukrainian forces in January and February, each costing around $330 million. Ukrainian forces push back Russian troops in Orlivka in Donetsk Oblast Ukrainian forces held back a Russian attack on the outskirts of the front-line village of Orlivka in Donetsk Oblast, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi reported on Feb. 29, following his visit to the front line. Ukrainian forces withdrew from the village of Lastochkyne near the recently captured Avdiivka in Donetsk Oblast on Feb. 26 and set up defenses near neighboring settlements, including Orlivka, to prevent further Russian advances westward. Syrskyi described the situation at the front line in Donetsk Oblast as "difficult," with Russian troops continuing to conduct offensives "in many directions of the front." The situation is "particularly tense" in the villages that Ukrainian forces withdrew to after Russia captured Avdiivka. Syrskyi said he noted the "courage, resilience, and heroism" of the 3rd Assault Brigade and 25th Separate Airborne Brigade, which held back the Russian offensive on Orlivka. Syrksyi also said that during his visit, he took measures to correct "certain miscalculations" commanders had made that "directly affected the stability of the defense in certain areas." "I took all measures to correct the situation on the spot, with the allocation of an additional resource of ammunition and material means, as well as the necessary reserves," Syrskyi said. Ukrainian forces withdrew from the small industrial city of Avdiivka in Donetsk Oblast on Feb. 17 amid ammunition shortages after months of repelling Russia's renewed offensive. Ukrainian forces then withdrew from the villages of Stepove and Severne near Avdiivka on Feb. 27, north of Lastochkyne. Read also: Our reserves will run out: Ukrainian artillery sounds alarm on Western shell shortage General Staff: Ukraine strikes Russian troops cluster in Olenivka, 19 soldiers killed Ukraine's Armed Forces launched a strike targeting Russian troops gathered in occupied Olenivka in Donetsk Oblast, the General Staff reported on Feb.29. The strike reportedly killed 19 Russian soldiers, including the deputy commander of a military unit. Twelve soldiers, including the commander of that unit, were reportedly injured. Ukraine conducted the strike using a multiple rocket launcher, according to the General Staff. Ukraine's military intelligence agency confirmed the successful strike on Russian troops in Olenivka. Andrii Yusov, a military intelligence spokesperson, told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty that "similar operations would be conducted in the future." "The intelligence services are working on the ground to detect clusters of the opponent military personnel and equipment," Yusov said. A pro-Russian Ukrainian politician who fled Ukraine in 2014, Oleg Tsaryov, on Feb. 28, claimed on his Telegram channel that the rocket attack happened when the Russian military personnel were lining up to receive awards from the military command. UK Defense Ministry: 'Territory west of Avdiivka remains focal effort of Russian offensive' Russia continues to take advantage of the Ukrainian retreat near Avdiivka moving further west, the U.K. Defense Ministry reported in its Feb. 29 intelligence update. Since Russia took control of Avdiivka, it has advanced approximately six kilometers west from the center of the town, the ministry wrote. Russian troops are likely looking for the right moment to benefit from "fewer, well-defended positions and urban areas from which Ukrainian forces can defend," the intelligence update said. The small city of Avdiivka in Donetsk Oblast was captured by Russian troops on Feb. 17 amid ammunition shortages after months of repelling Russias renewed offensive. Within several days, Ukraine's Armed Forces withdrew from Lastochkyne, Severne, and Stepove villages near Avdiivka. "Territory west of Avdiivka remains focal effort of Russian offensive in eastern Ukraine," said the report. According to the U.K. Defense Ministry, tactical gains of the latest captured villages serve primarily to consolidate Russian positions around Avdiivka. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) warned that Russia could replicate its successful tactics in Avdiivka on a larger scale if the West continues to delay military assistance. Read also: Ukrainian soldiers recall retreat from Avdiivka on foot, leaving their wounded behind European Parliament calls on EU to 'give Ukraine whatever it needs to defeat Russia' The European Parliament adopted a resolution on Feb. 29 calling on EU member states to support Ukraine with "whatever is needed for Kyiv to win its war against Russia," including long-range weapons. The move comes as an ammunition deficit caused by delays in defense aid from the U.S. and EU has shown its impact on the battlefield, with Ukraine losing more territory. Ukraine's calls on Berlin to provide much-needed long-range Taurus missiles were recently rejected again, reportedly due to fears of escalation. The resolution was approved by 451 votes in favor and 46 against, with 49 abstentions, according to the parliament's press service. Members of the European Parliament (MEP) said that the main goal is for Ukraine to win the war, adding that "serious consequences" await if that does not happen as other authoritarian regimes would "assess their own leeway for exerting aggressive foreign policies." To ensure Kyivs victory, the EU should have "no self-imposed restriction on military assistance to Ukraine," MEPs said, urging European countries to provide Ukraine with air-defense systems, long-range missiles such as Taurus and Storm Shadow/SCALP, various types of artillery and ammunition (155 mm in particular), drones and other weapons. "All EU and NATO allies should support Ukraine militarily with no less than 0.25% of their GDP annually, say MEPs, who also urge EU countries to immediately enter into dialogue with defense companies in order to ensure increased production and deliveries of ammunition and missiles to Ukraine, which should be prioritized over orders from other third countries," reads the press release. The European Parliament also called on the U.S. Congress to immediately approve $60 billion in aid for Ukraine, which has remained stalled for months. The resolution underlined the urgency to develop a legal framework to confiscate state-owned Russian assets frozen in the EU and transfer them to Ukraine. "Russia must be obliged to pay reparations imposed on it to ensure that it contributes substantially to rebuilding Ukraine." The European Parliament also called on member states to extend their sanctions against Russia and Belarus, including "banning Russian uranium and metallurgical imports to the EU, terminating nuclear cooperation with Russia, and imposing a full embargo on EU imports of Russian agricultural and fishery products as well as fossil fuels and liquefied natural gas transported by sea through pipelines." Read also: Opinion: Will Europe ever get serious about defense? Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Ukrainian hackers have targeted Russia's largest Internet portal, Mail.ru, causing disruptions for users outside of Russia and some domestic clients, Ukraines Digital Transformation Ministry reported via Telegram on Feb. 29. Affected users have lost access to their accounts, including the ability to recover passwords and use two-factor verification to access their devices. Read also: Ukrainian cyber specialists disrupt Russia's drone control system in successful operation "The free email service has been suspended due to attacks by our cyber army, the ministry wrote. We are saying goodbye to Mail.ru...; the [Ukrainian] IT army attacked the largest Internet portal in Russia." Read also: HUR confirms successful cyber attack on Russian state-owned enterprise On Jan. 27, Ukraines Defense Intelligence (HUR) reported that a devastating Ukrainian cyber-attack devastated the entire digital infrastructure of IPL Consulting, a company providing IT services to the Russian industrial sector. On Jan. 24, HUR reported that Ukrainian hackers attacked Russias Far Eastern Scientific Research Center for Space Hydrometeorology, destroying its database. On Jan. 9, NVs sources said that hackers from the Blackjack group, likely associated with Ukraines SBU security service, breached Moscows internet provider M9com. Read also: Top Ukraine officials, NATO allies to discuss securing communications, countering hackers in Kyiv On Jan. 8, Ukrainian hacker collective KibOrg leaked the entire customer database of Russia's largest commercial bank, Alfa-Bank, which contained personal data of the banks 38 million clients. In what was most likely a Russian hacker attack, Ukraine's largest mobile operator Kyivstar experienced a large-scale outage on Dec. 12, 2023. Millions of customers across the country lost access to Kyivstars mobile network for several days. 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 FILE - Nicaragua's President Daniel Ortega poses for a photo during the ALBA Summit at the Palace of the Revolution in Havana, Cuba, Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2021. Nicaraguas government has shut down the countrys scouting organization and seven other nongovernmental organizations, state media La Gaceta reported Friday, Feb. 16, 2024, the latest in an ongoing crackdown that has seen the government toss out religious orders, charities and civic groups. (Adalberto Roque, Pool Photo via AP, File) MEXICO CITY (AP) A panel of U.N.-backed human rights experts on Thursday accused Nicaragua s government of systematic human rights abuses tantamount to crimes against humanity," implicating a range of high-ranking officials in the government of President Daniel Ortega. The allegations, fiercely rejected by Nicaragua's government, follow an investigation into the countrys expanding crackdown on political dissent. The Ortega government has gone after opponents for years, but it hit a turning point with mass protests against the government in 2018 that resulted in violent repression by authorities. In the past year, repression has expanded to large swaths of society with a focus on incapacitating any kind of opposition in the long term," according to the independent group of U.N. experts investigating the issue since March 2022. The experts do not speak for the world body, but work under a mandate from the Human Rights Council. "Serious systematic human rights violations, tantamount to crimes against humanity, continue to be perpetrated by the Nicaraguan government for political reasons," the group said in a statement. Jan Simon, an expert who headed the investigation, said at a news conference Thursday in Geneva that the Nicaraguan government's persecution targets all forms of opposition, whether real or perceived, both domestically and abroad. The state has targeted civilians, including university students, Indigenous and Black Nicaraguans, and members of the Catholic Church. Children and family members are now targeted simply for being related to people who raise their voices against the government. Ortegas government has repeatedly said that the mass demonstrations against it in 2018 constituted a failed coup attempt orchestrated by the United States, and typically defends any repression as a crackdown on anti-government plots. The government responded to the report Thursday by saying it was manipulated by a group of imperialist powers paid to distort the reality of our country. We will not accept these self-proclaimed human rights experts," Attorney General Wendy Morales said in a video, accusing them of bias and of basing their conclusions on unreal and irrational criteria. The human rights report, which came after hundreds of interviews, implicated a number of high ranking officials in crackdowns that have firmly consolidated power in the hands of Ortega and his Vice President Rosario Murillo. The report says Gustavo Porras, the head of the countrys National Assembly, pushes through legislation to facilitate repression. It says Marvin Aguilar Garcia, the head of the Supreme Court, takes direct orders from Ortegas government, and commands lower level judges to fall in line. Meanwhile, Chief Prosecutor Ana Julia Guido Ochoa's office fabricates evidence against real or perceived opponents, the report says. The experts also cite high-ranking officials in the countrys interior ministry, the governmental body regulating migration and the body regulating non-governmental organizations. Yader Morazan, an exiled former official of the Nicaraguan judiciary, hailed the report saying it could help combat impunity in Nicaragua. This report presents a well-documented work that for the first time identifies the main perpetrators of abuses and crimes against humanity and reveals the structure and chain of command of the repression from State institutions, Morazan said. ln December, police charged the director of the Miss Nicaragua pageant of a beauty queen coup plot, saying she rigged the competition against pro-government beauty queens. In February, the government shut down yet another round of social groups, including the country's scouting organization and a rotary club. The report says the crackdown has expanded past Nicaragua's borders to the hundreds of thousands of people who have fled government repression, largely landing in the United States and Costa Rica. Hundreds of Nicaraguans have been stripped of their citizenship and left stateless, unable to access fundamental rights. The U.N. report urges the Ortega government to release arbitrarily detained Nicaraguans and calls on global leaders to expand sanctions on individuals and institutions involved in human rights violations. -- Associated Press reporter reporter Jamey Keaten contributed from Geneva. By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - United Nations investigators expect to receive shortly materials from Israel related to its accusations that staff with the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency took part in the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas militants, a U.N. spokesman said on Thursday. The allegations became public five weeks ago when the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) announced it had fired some staff after Israel verbally provided the agency with information. Israel had accused 12 staffers, of which nine were fired, the U.N. later said. The independent, internal U.N. investigation by the Office for Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) was immediately launched as the United States - the largest donor to UNRWA - and other countries paused funding following the allegations. OIOS briefed U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday on its work over the past month, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters on Thursday. Dujarric did not say when the investigation might be complete. "The investigation remains ongoing. OIOS will continue to seek and to corroborate additional information and to compare the information obtained with materials held by Israeli authorities, which OIOS expects to receive shortly," he said. "OIOS staff are planning to visit Israel soon to obtain information from Israeli authorities that may be relevant to the investigation. Cooperation with the OIOS investigation by Member States has thus far been adequate," Dujarric added. Guterres has described UNRWA as "the backbone of all humanitarian response in Gaza" and pledged to act immediately on any new information from Israel related to "infiltration of Hamas" in the world body. UNRWA employs 13,000 people in Gaza, running schools, its primary healthcare clinics and other social services, and distributing humanitarian aid. Guterres has said some 3,000 are currently still working to deliver aid. At least 576,000 people in the Gaza Strip - one quarter of the population - are one step away from famine, a senior U.N. aid official told the Security Council on Tuesday, warning that widespread famine could be "almost inevitable" without action. The war in Gaza began when Hamas fighters attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing around 1,200 people and seizing 253 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's air and ground campaign in Gaza has since killed around 30,000 Palestinians, health authorities in the Hamas-run enclave say. (Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Tomasz Janowski) LUXEMBOURG, February 29, 2024--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Regulatory News: Eurofins Discovery, part of the Eurofins (Paris:ERF) network of laboratories and an industry-leading provider of products and services for drug discovery research, today announces the launch of DiscoveryAI SAFIRE (Suite of ADMET Predictions For In Silico Refinement and Evaluation). SAFIRE is an advanced platform that leverages proprietary datasets, artificial intelligence (AI), and machine learning (ML), offering a unique capability for expediting discovery. SAFIRE is now available for customer use through the Eurofins Discovery website. Eurofins Discoverys experienced informatics experts collected vast, high-quality and diverse datasets that provide a unique approach in predicting the ADMET (Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion and Toxicity) properties of molecules. It sets a new standard in predictive analytics. SAFIRE utilises data from Eurofins Discoverys preeminent BioPrint database, curated over years of meticulous research and data accumulation. The result: a more powerful research tool surpassing the limits that exist in other predictive systems currently in the market, as demonstrated in a recent publication in the Future Medical Chemistry journal. Designed with end-users in mind, SAFIRE provides essential features such as scoring functionality to aid in decision-making and a comprehensive suite of predictive ADME models. Its proven effective in accelerating drug discovery projects from initial hit discovery through to lead optimisation. How does SAFIRE go beyond existing predictive system limits in the market? Published results of AI advances demonstrated how Eurofins Discoverys models can be used to predict ADMET properties of molecules quickly and efficiently, when trained with BioPrint database proprietary data along with public datasets utilised by the SAFIRE platform. This approach has proven improved model performance as well as broadened the chemical space covered by the models, achieving Matthews Correlation Coefficient values greater than 0.4, and accuracies above 80%. Story continues Eurofins Discoverys experts keep SAFIRE dynamic with consistent updates, enlargements of its chemical space, and the latest in AI and ML innovations. For more details about SAFIREs benefits and significant value to the drug discovery community, visit eurofinsdiscovery.com/safire. About Eurofins the global leader in bio-analysis Eurofins is Testing for Life. The Eurofins network of companies believes that it is a global leader in food, environment, pharmaceutical and cosmetic product testing and in discovery pharmacology, forensics, advanced material sciences and agroscience contract research services. It is also one of the market leaders in certain testing and laboratory services for genomics, and in the support of clinical studies, as well as in biopharma contract development and manufacturing. It also has a rapidly developing presence in highly specialised and molecular clinical diagnostic testing and in-vitro diagnostic products. With ca. 62,000 staff across a decentralised and entrepreneurial network of more than 900 laboratories in 62 countries, Eurofins offers a portfolio of over 200,000 analytical methods to evaluate the safety, identity, composition, authenticity, origin, traceability and purity of a wide range of products, as well as providing innovative clinical diagnostic testing services and in-vitro diagnostic products. Eurofins companies broad range of services are important for the health and safety of people and our planet. The ongoing investment to become fully digital and maintain the best network of state-of-the-art laboratories and equipment supports our objective to provide our customers with high-quality services, innovative solutions and accurate results in the best possible turnaround time (TAT). Eurofins companies are well positioned to support clients increasingly stringent quality and safety standards and the increasing demands of regulatory authorities as well as the evolving requirements of healthcare practitioners around the world. Eurofins has grown very strongly since its inception and its strategy is to continue expanding its technology portfolio and its geographic reach. Through R&D and acquisitions, the Group draws on the latest developments in the field of biotechnology and analytical chemistry to offer its clients unique analytical solutions. Shares in Eurofins Scientific are listed on the Euronext Paris Stock Exchange (ISIN FR0014000MR3, Reuters EUFI.PA, Bloomberg ERF FP). Until it has been lawfully made public widely by Eurofins through approved distribution channels, this document contains inside information for the purpose of Regulation (EU) 596/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014 on market abuse, as amended. Important disclaimer: This press release contains forward-looking statements and estimates that involve risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements and estimates contained herein represent the judgment of Eurofins Scientifics management as of the date of this release. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees for future performance, and the forward-looking events discussed in this release may not occur. Eurofins Scientific disclaims any intent or obligation to update any of these forward-looking statements and estimates. All statements and estimates are made based on the information available to the Companys management as of the date of publication, but no guarantees can be made as to their completeness or validity. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240228237935/en/ Contacts Notes to Editors: For more information, please visit www.eurofins.com or contact: Investor Relations Eurofins Scientific SE Phone: +32 2 766 1620 E-mail: ir@sc.eurofinseu.com The Gaza City headquarters of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) is war-damaged and empty but director Philippe Lazzarini says the agency cannot easily be replaced (-) It is unrealistic to think the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, can easily be replaced, its head said on Thursday in the face of calls for its abolition. "It is a little bit short-sighted to believe that UNRWA can just technically hand over all its activities to other UN agencies or NGOs," Philippe Lazzarini told journalists at the agency's headquarters in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem. "It's an agency (that's) quite unique because we are... primarily providing government-like services to one of the most destitute communities in the region," he said. Pointing to education, he said "there is no one except a functioning and administrative state which can provide a direct education to all these grades, at scale". In Gaza, he added, "we have the biggest footprint, we are providing the entire operation platform of the rest of the humanitarian community". If UNRWA left Gaza, he said, "it would weaken our collective ability to respond to unprecedented and acute humanitarian needs." The UN agency, created in 1949, employs around 30,000 people in the occupied Palestinian territories -- including 13,000 in Gaza -- as well as neighbouring Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. It has come under heavy criticism after Israel accused 12 of its employees of being implicated in the October 7 Hamas attack on southern Israel. Multiple countries have suspended their aid, although the UN has said that Israel has not provided it with any evidence. The UN has launched both an internal and an independent investigation into the claims. The accusations were "feeding and fuelling anxiety among our staff" and were causing settlers and demonstrators in the occupied West Bank to target UNRWA personnel, Lazzarini said. He said that calls for UNRWA to be dismantled were "a way to address the issue of refugee status without having to go through a political process," and would be seen by Palestinians as a "betrayal by the international community". Lazzarini insisted that UNRWA was still a temporary organisation and its aim "remains to hand over all services to a functioning state". He is due to speak at the UN General Assembly on Monday. crb/emd/dcp/kir Editors note: This story has been updated to reflect the specific action taken by the Commerce Department. The Department of Commerce added computer networking company Sandvine to its blacklist earlier this week, alleging the company supplied equipment to the Government of Egypt and engaged in censorship. The department announced Tuesday that it would ban the company from obtaining U.S. technology because of national security concerns. The Entity List, which now has seven entries, identifies organizations where there is reason to believe based on specific and articulable facts that they have been involved with or pose a risk to national security and foreign policy interests of the United States. The department said it was adding Sandvine to the list because it provided deep packet inspection technology to the Egyptian government. The government was accused of using mass web-monitoring and censorship to block news as well as target political actors and human rights activists. Sandvine is a software company that started in Ontario, Canada, but was acquired by a San Francisco-based company in 2017 and has been combined with Procera Networks. Its products can be used to monitor large amounts of internet traffic between networks and can be used to target spam and viruses. The technology can also block websites and messaging apps, and it can carry out surveillance of internet activity, according to Bloomberg, which first reported the news. The decision to blacklist the company comes after Bloomberg reported last year that Sandvine made sales upward of $30 million in Egypt, including to state-owned companies and government agencies. It was one of at least a dozen countries where the companys equipment was utilized by the government to censor online content. It has even been used to hack the iPhone of an Egyptian presidential candidate, the outlet reported. The Commerce Departments End-User Review Committee determined that Sandvine should be added to the list under destinations of Canada, India, Japan, Malaysia, Sweden, and the United Arab Emirates. In an emailed statement, Sandvine said it is aware of the action announced by the Commerce Department. We are committed to working closely with government officials to understand, address and resolve their concerns, the company said. We will do everything we can to continue to support our customers. Updated at 5:28 p.m. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill. By Daniel Wiessner (Reuters) -A federal judge in Texas on Thursday blocked the Republican-led state's new law giving officials broad powers to arrest, prosecute and order the removal of people who illegally cross the U.S.-Mexico border. U.S. District Judge David Ezra in Austin agreed with Democratic President Joe Biden's administration that the law known as SB4 interferes with the federal government's powers under the U.S. Constitution to enforce U.S. immigration laws and the ability of migrants to apply for asylum and other humanitarian aid. Ezra blocked the law, which was set to take effect on March 5, pending the outcome of the Biden administration's lawsuit challenging its legality. The judge ruled on the same day that Biden and his Republican predecessor and likely opponent in the Nov. 5 U.S. election, Donald Trump, were making dueling appearances along the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas to address the large influx of migrants that has become a major issue for U.S. voters. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, in a statement said the state is appealing the decision. "Texas has a clear right to defend itself from the drug smugglers, human traffickers, cartels, and legions of illegal aliens crossing into our state as a consequence of the Biden Administrations deliberate policy choices," he said. The U.S. Department of Justice declined to comment. The Texas law would make it a state crime to illegally enter or re-enter Texas from a foreign country and would give state and local law enforcement the power to arrest and prosecute violators. It also would allow state judges to order that individuals leave the country, with prison sentences up to 20 years for those who refuse to comply. The state's adoption of the law escalated an ongoing battle between Texas and the federal government over control of the southern border. Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott has blamed Biden for a record increase in illegal border crossings and has said the state's actions, including installing razor wire fencing at the border and a floating barrier in the Rio Grande river, were necessary because of federal inaction. The Biden administration and civil rights groups led by the American Civil Liberties Union sued to block the law in January, shortly after Abbott signed it. The lawsuits, which were consolidated, argue that the law infringes on the longstanding and complex scheme under federal law governing the entry of non-citizens into the United States. Ezra agreed in his 114-page decision on Thursday, citing a 2012 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down key provisions of an Arizona immigration law. The court in that decision said states cannot make laws that interfere with the federal government's ability to enforce complex U.S. immigration laws. Ezra also rejected claims by Texas that the growing number of migrants amounts to an "invasion" triggering the state's constitutional right to defend itself and secure its borders. "Even accepting that some small number of immigrants do traffic drugs or have cartel affiliations, Texas cannot genuinely maintain that noncitizens crossing the border are an organized military force aimed at conquest or plunder," wrote Ezra, an appointee of Republican former President Ronald Reagan. Civil rights groups that sued to block the law praised the ruling, saying the Texas law represents the most extreme anti-immigrant law ever passed by a U.S. state. "While this is only the first step in abolishing the law, people across the state can breathe a sigh of relief knowing they will not be needlessly arrested or deported," said Aron Thorn of the Texas Civil Rights Project. (Reporting by Daniel Wiessner in Albany, New York; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama, Will Dunham, Alexia Garamfalvi and Jonathan Oatis) The US Navy's new floating base for Marines and Navy SEALs is named for a Vietnam war hero USS John L. Canley joined the active fleet as the US Navy's newest warship, a floating sea base. The Canley is the Navy's sixth expeditionary mobile base (ESB). The first of its name, the warship honors the Vietnam war hero, the late Sgt. Maj. John L. Canley. The US Navy commissioned a new warship earlier this month, a massive floating sea base named after a Vietnam war hero. The first of its name Donald Trump presents the Medal of Honor to US Marine Corps retired Sgt. Maj. John Canley. Susan Walsh/AP Born in Caledonia, Arkansas, in December 1937, John Canley went on to enlist in the Marine Corps in 1953. In his nearly 30 years in service, Canley was deployed on three combat tours to the Vietnam War, serving as a rifle platoon leader, company gunnery sergeant, and company first sergeant before retiring as a sergeant major in 1981. In 2018, Canley was awarded the nation's highest military honor for his actions during the Battle of Hue City in Vietnam in 1968, when he carried more than 20 wounded Marines to safety while under enemy fire. He also took command for three days of Alpha Company, 1st battalion, 1st Marines after his company commander was wounded. He became the first Black Marine to receive a Medal of Honor while still living. Honoring the ship's namesake The crew of the Lewis B. Puller-class expeditionary mobile base USS John L. Canley held a memorial service to honor the ship's namesake, Sgt. Maj. Canley. US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Julio Rivera Canley died on May 11, 2022, in Bend, Oregon, of complications related to prostate cancer. He was 84. He was honored by the ship's crewmembers in a memorial service and buried with full military honors at the Arlington National Cemetary. "The actions in the face of danger Sgt. Maj. Canley took are incredible and remarkable," Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Troy Black said in 2022. "Sgt. Maj. Canley was a leader and a warfighter who undoubtedly contributed to the battles won in Vietnam." "His first priority was and has always been his Marines a true example of Semper Fidelis," Black added. "I'm saddened by the loss of such a great Marine, yet I'm grateful for the legacy he established for generations of warriors." Joining the active fleet US Marines fire a 21-gun salute during the expeditionary sea base USS John L. Canley commissioning ceremony at Naval Base Coronado, California US Marine Corps photo by 1st Lt. Joshua Estrada USS John L. Canley joined the active fleet in a commissioning ceremony at Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego, California, on February 17. The third largest flight deck of the US Navy USS John L. Canley in San Diego Harbor in front of the city skyline. US Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Mark D. Faram Canley's legacy lives on in the Navy's newest expeditionary sea base, the first of its name and the sixth ESB to join the Navy's active fleet. The Lewis B. Puller-class warship acts as a highly flexible mobile staging area to support military operations at sea, including the Marine Corps, special operations forces like the Navy SEALs, and other embarked units. It can also serve as a mothership for unmanned aerial systems. It is designed to include aviation facilities, equipment staging support, and command-and-control assets. With a length of 785 feet, it also has the Navy's third-largest flight deck. The diesel-electric vessel has four large rotary-wing landing spots that can support nearly every helicopter within the joint forces: MH-53E Sea Dragons, MV-22 Ospreys, CH-47 Chinooks, CH-46 Sea Knight, AH-1 Cobras, and AH-64 Apaches. Fully loaded, the Canley has a displacement of 90,000 tons and can travel at 15 knots with a range of 9,500 nautical miles. Supporting a variety of operations Expeditionary Sea Base USS John L. Canley at Naval Air Station North Island, where the ship was commissioned. US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Kelby Sanders General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Company built the mobile sea platform. David Carver, President of General Dynamics NASSCO, noted the "remarkable capabilities" of the Canley. "Canley has substantial residual space, weight, and power to accommodate a wide range of current and future, manned and unmanned, surface, aerial, and undersea systems across multiple warfighting functions," Carver said. "This is a massive, capable, flexible warship that gives fleet commanders decision space they need throughout their operating theaters." The ship can accommodate MK-105 mine sleds, rigid hull inflatable boats (RHIBs) used by SEALs and Marines, and twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs). The ship can also carry high-speed interceptor patrol boats and has weapon mounts and stowage space for weapons and ammunition. A look inside the Canley Sailors assigned to the expeditionary sea base USS John L. Canley participate in a reenlistment ceremony following the ship's commissioning. US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Claire M. DuBois Xavier Vavasseur, chief editor of Naval News, toured the Canley with Capt. Thomas Mays, the commanding officer of the ESB. They walked through the ship's parking-garage-like structure, where the crew could store boats and vehicles. "One of our primary mission sets is US Marine Corps aviation mine-sweeping," Mays told Naval News. "The MH-53 can drop sleds in the water, and then sweep a minefield free to enable an amphibious assault if needed." Flying low over the water, the powerful MH-53 tows the sled through the minefield to trigger any lurking mines so ships can later pass through. Operating with the Navy's Forward Deployed Naval Force Ship's crew members of USS John L. Canley man the ship during the ship's commissioning ceremony at Naval Station North Island, California. Sarah Cannon Mays said the ship's crew will undergo a few more months of certification and training before likely joining the USS Miguel Keith (ESB 5) in the Seventh Fleet operating area in the Western Pacific. Christened by Canley's daughter Patricia Sargent, the ship sponsor, christens Military Sealift Command's newest ship, expeditionary sea base USS John L. Canley. Sarah Cannon A few weeks after his death, Canley's daughter and the ship's sponsor, Patricia Sargent, christened the ship in a time-honored tradition, breaking a bottle of sparkling wine across the ship's bow in a ceremony in June 2022. She delivered an address during the ship's commissioning in February 2023, highlighting her father's heroism and other Marines in the Vietnam War. "To be able to give the order to bring this ship to life, I need to give you some information in regards to my father," Sargent said. "My father understood that greatness is not achieved by the individual; it is achieved by the courageous acts of the many. The Marines of Alpha Company 1/1 are an example of that in what they achieved in the Battle of Hue City." "This ship will achieve greatness, but it will only do that by the courageous actions of the many," Sargent continued. "It is in honor of my father, my family, members of the 1/1, and the great people of the United States that I give the command: officers and crew of the USS John L. Canley, man our ship and bring her to life!" 'A beautiful ship named after a very brave man' Expeditionary Sea Base USS John L. Canley at Naval Air Station North Island. US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Kelby Sanders Paul Garcia recalled his time serving alongside Canley in 1968, saying he "earned the respect of every member of our unit because of his selflessness during combat." "During major battles, he'd go out into the open and save Marines after they were shot," Garcia told the Orange County Register. "I just feel honored I served with him." Garcia was part of a private tour of the warship following its commission, describing it as a "beautiful ship named after a very brave man." "It will afford the Marine Corps the ability to be prepared in any location to attack in an amphibious landing," he said. 'An inspiration to all who follow in her wake' Expeditionary Sea Base USS John L. Canley at Naval Air Station North Island, where the ship was commissioned. US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Kelby Sanders "It is my firm belief that USS John L. Canley will serve as an inspiration to all who follow in her wake," US Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro said during the commissioning ceremony earlier this month. "It is my sincere hope that for those who come aboard this ship those in the United States Navy, the Marine Corps, Military Sealift Command when they cross that bow, they're also challenged to live up to the unwavering devotion to duty that this ship's namesake." Read the original article on Business Insider A video shared across platforms is fueling claims that the US state of Washington's mail-in ballots are designed to help authorities throw out Republican votes. But this is unfounded; while voters in the state's 2024 presidential primary must indicate which political party's process they are participating in, the same checkboxes do not appear on general election ballot envelopes. Many safeguards, including criminal penalties, also protect against tampering. "Got our voters' pamphlets," a woman says in a video posted February 23, 2024 to TikTok. "Now you check on the outside of your pamphlet what party you're affiliated with. I mean, I guess that just makes it easier for them to toss away the red ones." Screenshot from TikTok taken February 28, 2024 As she speaks, the woman holds up what appears to be her husband's ballot for the March 12 presidential primary in Washington's King County, pointing to instructions on the outside of the envelope that say: "Mark one party declaration box." The video spread across X and other platforms, with one widespread post claiming unnamed actors were "setting the stage for the most rigged election in American history" in November 2024. "Plotting to throw away the red ballots," claims a top post on "The Donald," a far-right forum that was instrumental to the organization of the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol. Screenshot from patriots.win taken February 28, 2024 X owner Elon Musk also amplified the same narrative, responding "What!?" to a February 22 post sharing a picture of the ballot envelope and claiming the design was new. But such claims about the party affiliation labels being used to illegally toss out Republican ballots are not backed by evidence. The requirement is neither new nor nefarious, and it only comes into play for the state's presidential primary, according to AFP's interviews with experts and current and former elections officials. "This isn't great design, but it's also emphatically not part of a conspiracy," said Loyola Marymount University law professor Justin Levitt, who previously served as President Joe Biden's first senior policy advisor for democracy and voting rights. "And none of this will happen in the general election, when party preference has zero connection to eligibility for any race." Washington's presidential primary Election administration varies by state in the United States. Washington conducts voting entirely by mail, sending a ballot to every registered voter. But unlike some other jurisdictions, the northwest state also does not register voters by party. Voters are not allowed to participate in the presidential nomination contest for more than one party, so those in Washington are asked to check a box on the outside of their primary ballot envelope to declare which process they wish to join. The requirement comes from the parties, who submit the language to be used beside the boxes, according to the Washington secretary of state's website (archived here and here). Levitt said the requirement honors the national Republican Party's stipulation that eligible voters can only participate in a GOP primary if they are "deemed as a matter of public record to be Republicans pursuant to state law or, if voters are not enrolled by party, by Republican Party Rules of a state" (archived here). A spokesperson for Secretary of State Steve Hobbs, a Democrat, told AFP: "The Presidential Primary is conducted to help major political parties select their nominees to appear on the November General Election ballot, and each party requires voters to state a party declaration to have their vote counted toward the party's results." Hobbs's office said party declarations "have been on the backs of ballot return envelopes for the presidential primary since Washington adopted all-mail elections more than a decade ago." Washington experimented for some years with a flap that covered the checkboxes, said former secretary of state Kim Wyman, a Republican who oversaw the 2020 election Biden won over Donald Trump. But the state later got rid of that setup due to the costs. The existing design also cuts down on processing time, allowing votes to be easily sorted so each party's results can be counted separately, Wyman, now a senior fellow at the Bipartisan Policy Center, said. Empty envelopes of opened vote-by-mail ballots for the presidential primary are stacked on a table at King County Elections in Renton, Washington on March 10, 2020 Jason Redmond AFP The same ballots were used in King County for the 2020 primaries, undercutting the viral TikTok video's claim the question is new, said Halei Watkins, communications manager for King County Elections. "Because this happens every four years, voters don't always recall that they have actually encountered a ballot like this before," Watkins said. No impact on the general election The positioning of the checkboxes on the ballot envelope's exterior has been criticized by some Republicans, but the secrecy of the vote cast on the inside of the ballot is maintained throughout the process, experts and elections officials said. Each person's party declaration is also removed from public records 60 days after the primary results are certified, the state says -- and despite the rumors swirling online, such selections will not impact voting in November's general election, which could pit Trump against Biden. "You'd never see any sort of party designation on the outside of a ballot envelope in a general election," Levitt said. He said the primary ballot design "isn't nefarious," adding that it would not make sense for theoretical bad actors to single out and discard one side's ballots in a primary election. Watkins agreed: "Throwing out ballots from one party versus another makes little to no sense, even in the election conspiracy space. Both parties will ultimately divide their delegates and nominate a candidate regardless of how many people voted for each party in the primary." Security measures Ballots are also safeguarded throughout the process. "King County Elections has stringent chain-of-custody procedures, including tracking ballot collection teams in real-time while they're out in the field emptying drop boxes," Watkins said. "Voted ballots are never with a single person, but always with at least a team of two." Watkins said voters in her county can track their ballots online or sign up for alerts to know when their ballot has been received. The county publishes broader ballot return statistics on its website. Ballot processing is also open to party observers, as state law requires, and streamed live online (archived here). Election workers open vote-by-mail ballots for the presidential primary at King County Elections in Renton, Washington on March 10, 2020 Jason Redmond AFP Other counties in the state, where fraud is rare, have similar protections and tracking measures. Tampering with a ballot or disenfranchising an eligible voter is a felony in Washington, and secretary of state Hobbs's office said it will also be reporting potential election mail crimes to the US Postal Inspection Service, the mail agency's law enforcement arm. Marti Johnson, the US Postal Service's public relations representative for election mail, said its inspection service is working to protect its employees, distribution network and infrastructure, actively identify efforts to compromise the mail system and investigate election crimes. AFP has debunked similar allegations of wrongdoing by election officials and mail carriers in past US elections. Watkins said such narratives are "disheartening and devastating" given the oath election administrators pledge toward accuracy. "Election administrators are not a group of shadowy figures, but simply folks from the community who have chosen public service," she said. Undated picture shows Jack Douglas Teixeira who was arrested by the FBI, over the leaks online of classified documents Undated picture shows Jack Douglas Teixeira who was arrested by the FBI, over the leaks online of classified documents By Nate Raymond and Kanishka Singh BOSTON (Reuters) - Jack Teixeira, a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, is expected to plead guilty to charges related to his alleged leaking of classified military information on a social media platform in what was one of the most serious U.S. national security breaches in years, according to a court filing. Federal prosecutors asked a judge in Boston to schedule a Monday hearing for Teixeira, 22, to change his plea following his arrest in April on charges he leaked classified documents to a group of gamers on the messaging app Discord. The material included highly sensitive U.S. military assessments, including on the war in Ukraine. Further information, including what charges Teixeira would plead guilty to, was not immediately available. He had been facing six counts of willful retention and transmission of classified information relating to national defense. Lawyers for Teixeira, of North Dighton, Massachusetts, did not respond to requests for comment. The leak was considered the worst U.S. national security breach since more than 700,000 documents, videos and diplomatic cables appeared on the WikiLeaks website in 2010. The documents leaked on Discord included highly classified information on U.S. allies and adversaries, with details ranging from Ukraine's air defenses to Israel's Mossad spy agency. In December, the U.S. Air Force moved to discipline 15 personnel over the leaking of classified military information allegedly by Teixeira. An Air Force Inspector General report into the incident found that some member of Teixeria's unit and leadership "had information about as many as four separate instances of his questionable activity." A smaller number of people had a more complete picture of his intelligence-seeking behavior and "intentionally failed to report the full details of these security concerns/incidents," the report said. (This story has been corrected to fix the month of arrest to April, not June, in paragraph 2) (Reporting by Nate Raymond and Kanishka Singh; Editing by Daniel Wallis) SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) During the finish-line push of the 2024 Utah legislative session, state lawmakers passed a bill that would no longer require drivers to have a front license plate on their vehicles. Senate Bill 45 passed its final vote in the Senate 27-0 on Wednesday, when the upper chamber concurred with a slight change to the legislation made in the House. The bill is now on its way to Gov. Spencer Coxs desk. Bill protecting elected officials calendars signed by Gov. Cox Sen. Daniel McCay (R-Riverton) ran the bill, and he told ABC4 earlier this month that front license plate compliance in Utah is already relatively low. So we thought of getting rid of that requirement and using that to create some cost savings, he said. Sen. Dan McCay, R-Riverton, speaks at the Utah State Capitol, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer) The change made in the House specifies that commercial vehicles would still need to have front and back license plates, in compliance with federal standards. SB45, which is over 1,300 lines long, also centralizes and streamlines the license plate distribution process. McCay expects the state to save roughly $3 million a year through these changes. Taxpayers will also see savings, as they will pay less in fees, McCay said. He noted that the state will save $3.50 for each license plate that isnt printed, and a dollar from each plate saved with go toward the Utah Highway Patrol to boost trooper ranks. The legislation is slated to go into effect on Jan. 1, 2025. As it stands, Utah is on track to become the 22nd state not to require a front license plate. Others include New Mexico, Arizona, Alaska, and Florida. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC4 Utah. Van Hise Hall is named after Charles Van Hise, who helped create the Wisconsin Idea but also promoted eugenics. A history lesson may soon be attached to one of the tallest buildings in Madison. The University of Wisconsin-Madison is moving forward with the installation of a plaque in Van Hise Hall that would explain the legacy of the building's namesake, Charles Van Hise, and his promotion of eugenics. Eugenics is selective breeding, often by forced sterilization, to remove "undesirables" from society, such as people of color and those with disabilities. The intent of the plaque is to spark a broader conversation about a relatively unknown and painful chapter in state history, and the university's role in it, said Kacie Luccini Butcher, director of the UW-Madison Public History Project who conducted research on the topic. Who was Charles Van Hise? Van Hise received four degrees from UW-Madison, including the first Ph.D. degree granted by the university. He is the university's longest serving leader, serving as president from 1903 until his death in 1918. During his tenure, UW-Madison established a graduate division, founded a medical school and increased its faculty from 200 to 750 professors. Charles R. Van Hise was president of the University of Wisconsin from 1903 to 1918. Van Hise is most remembered for working with a former classmate, Robert La Follette, to develop the Wisconsin Idea, the principle that the university should serve the entire state. Van Hise advocated for eugenics Less known is Van Hise's vocal promotion of eugenics. His interest in it came from reading Charles Darwin's book, "On the Origin of Species." Letters between Van Hise and his wife show he was curious about how to apply the ideas of animal evolution and natural selection to the human race, according to Luccini Butcher. Van Hise lectured on eugenics, gave public speeches and talked to legislators. In one of his speeches, he said [h]uman defectives should no longer be allowed to propagate the race" and sterilization "might be the proper method." In another speech, Van Hise said [w]e know enough about the breeding of animals so that if that knowledge were applied to man, the feeble minded would disappear in a generation, and the insane and criminal class be reduced to a small fraction of their present numbers. Most students are unaware of this part of Van Hise's history, Luccini Butcher said. Wisconsin was a national leader in eugenics Van Hise wasn't the only academic espousing eugenics during this time. Edward Ross, a UW-Madison sociologist, also advanced the idea. UW-Madison in 1910 established the country's first department of experimental breeding, which was initially led by Leon Cole, another eugenicist. The department is today called the genetics department. Academics gave the eugenics movement legitimacy and helped drive the Wisconsin sterilization law passed in 1913. The law forced sterilization for "undesirables" at the discretion of medical professionals. The state conducted nearly 2,000 sterilizations, the 11th highest in the country. "These people have a ton of credibility," Luccini Butcher said of academics like Van Hise. "It's their great minds who are saying this is actually sound science." Wisconsin repealed its sterilization law in 1978. Eugenics was not widely supported when the law was in place, Luccini Butcher said. Many people saw it as an overstepping by the state. The Catholic Church, in particular, opposed forced sterilization. Chancellor supports plaque UW-Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin supports the plaque and expects to finalize plans by the end of the semester, university spokesperson John Lucas said. "UW-Madison acknowledges the complicated legacy of Charles Van Hise, who played an important role in the history of the institution, but also held views, especially around the field of eugenics, that are abhorrent to us today," Lucas said. The campus community over the last year has "carefully considered how it might both recognize Van Hises complex history and encourage engagement with, rather than erasure of, the past." Proposed plaque is short The six-sentence bronze plaque approved last week by the campus planning committee would read: "Charles Van Hise was a Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison from 1879 to 1903, after which he served as President until 1918. As President, Van Hise offered the best-known articulation of the Wisconsin Idea. He was also an advocate of eugenics. Eugenicists seek to justify discrimination against marginalized people whom they deem unfit based on individual and group characteristics and identities. The impact of eugenics can be seen not only in the genocides of the 20th century but also, for example, in discriminatory immigration practices and involuntary sterilization laws. As UW-Madison strives to serve the people of Wisconsin and the world, the legacy of Van Hise reminds us that we must acknowledge and grapple with all parts of our past and our present to move forward together." A QR code may be included on the plaque, which could be scanned with a smartphone to take people to a website where they could learn more. Why doesn't UW-Madison rename Van Hise Hall? A faculty committee focused on disability access and inclusion considered renaming the 19-story building constructed in the 1960s. But the Van Hise name is everywhere in Madison, including on an elementary school, a street and a university teaching award. The committee concluded in its most recent annual report that a plaque inside the bulding's first-floor lobby would be a better approach. If the goal is education, renaming is often a missed opportunity, Luccini Butcher said. "What will happen in a renaming debate, and what has happened before, is that you will take the name down, there'll be a kind of big backlash or controversy and lots of people will talk about it for a year or two or three, and then it kind of fades away, right?" she said. You get a whole new group of students or a new group of community members, and nobody remembers what the building used to be called, or nobody remembers that the monument was up." Contact Kelly Meyerhofer at kmeyerhofer@gannett.com or 414-223-5168. Follow her on X (Twitter) at @KellyMeyerhofer. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: University of Wisconsin-Madison to add plaque to Van Hise Hall This photo of Autumn Lane McClure, 16, of Ormond Beach, was featured by the National Center for Missing n Exploited Children on missingkids.org. She disappeared 20 years ago and her remains were found in a grave Wednesday. Editors note: The Daytona Beach News-Journal was neither invited to, nor informed of, this press briefing. Multiple attempts to reach the sheriffs media department were made to obtain information about when and where it would take place. None of the messages were returned. WESH-TV, channel 2, streamed the press conference on its Facebook page. A feed of the press conference was posted roughly three hours later on the sheriffs office Facebook page. A grant of immunity to a witness helped the Volusia Sheriff's Office find what investigators believed to be the remains of a 16-year-old Mainland High School girl who disappeared in 2004 and was buried beneath a modular home and driveway in Ormond Beach. Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood said Tuesday during a briefing that 99.9% of the remains believed to belong to Autumn Lane McClure were recovered this week from a grave off Hand Avenue in Ormond Beach. The sheriff's office is awaiting confirmation from the Medical Examiner's Office. Here is an account of the case from Chitwood: The suspect in her murder, Brian Christopher Donley, died in 2022. He was 49. Before reaching the girl's grave, detectives had to work with crews to move the modular home and tear through a concrete driveway. Autumn was 16 and living in Ormond Beach when she disappeared May 10, 2004, investigators said. Autumns grandmother called the sheriffs office to report her missing. The sheriffs office contacted Autumn's boyfriend who told investigators that he had dropped her off at the Volusia Mall and had not seen her since then. Autumn's grandmother told detectives sometime afterward that Autumn called her from a 321 area code and that she had received some letters from Autumn postmarked from Melbourne. In 2004, detectives get information that Autumn was staying with a Brian Donley and a Jessica Freeman in a trailer at 1320 Hand Ave., Lot 32, in Ormond Beach. Donley and Freeman told detectives that Autumn didnt get along with her grandmother and they had been letting her stay at the trailer for a couple of days but did not know anything else. Chitwood said Autumn had never run away before. The case then went cold. But detectives kept working the case, obtaining DNA from family members and entering her in a national database of missing children. In 2016, detectives contacted her boyfriend again. He then admitted that he lied in 2004 and that he did not drop her off at the mall but instead took her to the Seabreeze Bridge where she got in a car with Freeman. Investigators uncover remains they believe belong to 16-year-old Autumn Lane McClure in Ormond Beach, Feb. 28, 2024. Detectives tracked down Freeman, who was in Nevada, and she claimed not to know anything about McClure's disappearance. In 2021, detectives got a call from a Chris Miller who is related through marriage and/or friendship to Donley and Freeman. Miller told detectives that a missing teenage girl was dead and buried in Volusia County. Miller said Donley and Freeman had something to do with it. Detectives had Miller call Freeman who basically said she saw Donley kill Autumn. And then he told a myriad of stories that he chopped her up, he set her on fire, he buried her off Flomich Avenue, he just tells her a whole bunch of different things, Chitwood said about Donley. Donley died May 26, 2022, almost 18 years to the day that detectives believe Autumn was killed, Chitwood said. In the meantime, Freeman had moved back to Florida. Chitwood said he believed she was living in the Crescent City area. Freeman refused to talk to investigators until she was granted immunity, which detectives requested and obtained from the State Attorneys Office. A break in the case Once she had immunity, Freeman told detectives that she worked with Autumn at a Winn-Dixie and she and Donley allowed her to stay with them at the trailer. They were involved in a sexual relationship with Autumn, Chitwood said. Now keep in mind Brian was 31 at the time. Autumn was 16. Freeman told detectives she saw Donley attack Autumn. "She also goes on to tell us that she came home one afternoon and saw Brian choking Autumn in the bathroom, Chitwood said. By the time she intervened, she saw that Autumn was lifeless. Freeman said that she left the trailer and when she returned two weeks later she noticed new plywood on the bedroom floor. She asked Donley what happened to Autumn and her belongings. And his response to her is shut up or the same thing will happen to you. She's dead. If you don't want that to happen to you, shut up and mind your business, Chitwood said. Freeman said that Donley visited the lot where he once lived in late 2021 or early 2022 and was relieved to see a new manufactured home and a driveway being built there. At the time, Freeman did not tell detectives the exact location. But in late 2023, Freeman went ahead and told detectives Autumn was buried beneath the trailer. Detectives then obtained search warrants but had to work with the homeowner who had just put in a new modular home and driveway. This week, investigators worked with crews to move the modular home and tear up the concrete. Investigators were able to recover what is believed to be Autumns remains. The sheriff's office also got help in the case from Dr. Lerah Sutton at the University of Florida's Maples Center for Forensic Medicine. Sutton's team used ground-penetrating radar to help pinpoint areas to search. This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Detectives unravel mystery of Ormond Beach girl believed murdered Relatively few people are likely to meet Vice President Kamala Harris in person when she visits Durham on Friday. More are likely to experience the traffic jams created as her motorcade moves through town. The White House has not publicly announced where Harris will go or when. But Downtown Durham Inc., the downtown booster group, is warning its members to expect some disruptions in the city center Friday. The secret service does not provide specific time/location details for security reasons, Gina Rozier, the communications director, wrote in an email. But you should expect road closures and traffic delays especially within the loop. The State Highway Patrol and local police usually clear the way for visiting vice presidents and their entourage, closing off streets and roads as they move about. Like all White House visits, Harris will likely begin at Raleigh-Durham International Airport. Rather than pass through a terminal, shell likely deplane in a remote section of the airfield to her waiting motorcade. Assuming Harris is headed to downtown Durham, the two likeliest options are Interstate 40 to I-887 and the Durham Freeway or U.S. 70 to I-887 and the Durham Freeway. The motorcade may bring traffic to a standstill, but the delays should be relatively short as it hustles through. This will be Harris 10th trip to North Carolina since taking office, including an earlier visit to Durham in March 2022. The White House says shell be touting the administrations efforts to encourage entrepreneurship and support small businesses, including in underserved communities. Shell be joined by Gov. Roy Cooper and U.S. Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo. The White House is usually tight-lipped about the travel plans of presidents and vice presidents. And even when the planned destination becomes known, there are often unscheduled stops or detours. When President Joe Biden came to Raleigh in January, the main event was at a community center in North Raleigh. But before he left town, Biden stopped at a Cook Out restaurant on Falls of Neuse Road, where he ordered a bacon cheeseburger, french fries and a milkshake. Company Logo Dublin, Feb. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Smart Metering in Europe - 18th Edition" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Smart Metering in Europe is the eighteenth consecutive report analysing the latest developments for smart metering (electricity and gas) in Europe. This strategic research report includes 5-year industry forecasts, expert commentary and real-life case studies. Highlights from the report: Full coverage of the European market with in-depth market profiles of all countries in EU27+3. Case studies of smart electricity and gas metering projects by the leading energy groups in Europe. 360-degree overview of next-generation PLC, RF and cellular standards for smart grid communications. Updated profiles of the key players in the metering industry. New detailed forecasts for smart electricity and gas meters in 30 countries until 2028. Summary of the latest developments in the European energy industry. More than 56 percent of the electricity customers in EU27+3 had a smart meter at the end of 2022 - a figure that is forecasted to increase to as much as 78 percent in 2028. In terms of shipments, smart meters accounted for around 80 percent of total EU27+3 electricity meter shipments in 2022. Italy, which is currently in the midst of its second-generation rollout, was the largest market in terms of shipments with around 2.6 million units installed during the year. The United Kingdom was the second largest market by volume with yearly shipments of more than 2.5 million units, a number that should have been higher if the British utilities met their installation targets for the year. The third largest market was Sweden, which is in the midst of its second-generation deployment, with yearly shipments of around 1.4-1.5 million units. Poland and France also made their way in the top five in terms of shipment volumes. Other markets with large installation volumes during the year included Austria and Belgium. Story continues The smart metering market in Europe remains promising and is set for robust growth in the coming years with a total of close to 110 million smart electricity meters forecasted to be deployed across the region during 2023-2028. In addition to major first-generation deployments in countries such as the UK, France, Austria, Belgium and Portugal, second generation rollouts in countries such as Italy and Sweden will contribute with substantial shipment volumes up until the end of 2024. Poland, which is currently ramping up smart meter installations will meanwhile account for a substantial and increasing share of smart meter shipments throughout the entire forecast period. From 2025 and forward, the ramp up of second-generation installations in markets such as Spain as well as first-generation deployments in Germany and Greece are also expected to be important contributors to yearly shipment volumes. In total, replacements of first generation smart meters are expected to be in the range of 25-40 percent of total smart meter shipments in Europe throughout the next five years, or 4-8 million units annually. While rollouts in many countries in Western Europe and the Nordics are now either well-advanced or largely completed, the focus is increasingly shifting to Central, East and Southeast Europe. The outlook for the region has improved significantly over the past years with multiple major rollouts now planned or already under way. Overall, the CEE and Southeast European region is expected to account for as much as 51 percent of annual EU27+3 smart meter shipments in 2028, up from 30 percent in 2022. Looking only at the growth in annual shipment volumes of first-generation smart meter projects, all the 10 fastest growing markets can be found in CEE and Southeast Europe. The rapid development of new wireless technologies for IoT communications has a major impact on the smart metering market in Europe. DSOs planning for new smart grid projects and rollouts in the mid-2020s have a wide range of increasingly sophisticated wireless technologies to choose from for their networking platforms. Wireless technologies have a number of advantages compared to PLC technologies which dominated the first wave of smart electricity deployments in Europe. Supported by massive R&D investments in the mobile communications industry in combination with decreasing mobile subscription costs, 3GPP-based LPWA technologies such as NB-IoT and LTE-M are now rapidly gaining traction in the electricity, gas and water utilities space. Several major deployments utilising these technologies are now either under way or about to begin in the Benelux, the Nordics and the Baltics. 3GPPbased LPWA will more than quadruple its smart meter connectivity market share throughout the forecast period. At the moment, various forms of PLC will remain the dominant technology group in terms of installed base although purely wireless communications options are forecasted to account for over 50 percent of shipment volumes during the forecast period - peaking at around 64 percent in 2025-2026. Adoption of smart metering is also growing fast in the European gas distribution market. At the end of 2022 around 42 percent of the natural gas customers in EU27+3 had been equipped with a smart gas meter. The report estimates that the number of natural gas customers with a smart gas meter will increase to 77.6 million in 2028, equal to a penetration rate of more than 61 percent. Annual shipments of smart gas meters in the EU27+3 amounted to 5.2 million units in 2022. This represented a decrease of 1.4 million units in comparison to 2021, since the mass-rollout phase in major markets such as Italy and France were largely completed during the year in combination with a slower than anticipated pace of installations in the UK. Nevertheless, France was the most active market in 2022 with yearly shipment volumes of 1.9 million units while the UK and Italy accounted for 1.8 million and 0.8 million units respectively. Throughout the forecast period, annual shipment volumes of smart gas meters will remain stable at around 5-6 million units. Shipment volumes are expected to decrease in Italy until 2025 and then increase until the end of the forecast period while yearly shipments in France will stay at around 0.1 million from 2023 onwards. After multiple delays, the UK market is expected to gradually ramp up smart gas meter installations and reach a peak of 3.4 million units in 2025. A significant volume of smart gas meter installations is also anticipated in additional countries over the coming years, particularly Spain and Belgium, where the former will account for 22 percent of yearly shipment volumes in Europe by 2028. Key Topics Covered: 1 Electricity, Gas and District Heating Markets in Europe 1.1 Energy industry players 1.2 Electricity market 1.3 Gas market 1.4 District heating market 2 Smart Metering Solutions 2.1 Introduction to smart grids 2.2 Smart metering 2.3 Project strategies 2.4 Regulatory issues 3 IoT Networks and Communications Technologies 3.1 IoT network technologies 3.1.1 Network architecture 3.1.2 Unlicensed and licensed frequency bands 3.2 PLC technology and standards 3.2.1 International standards organisations 3.2.2 G3-PLC 3.2.3 PRIME 3.2.4 Meters & More 3.2.5 OSGP 3.3 3GPP cellular and LPWA technologies 3.3.1 2G/3G/4G/5G cellular technologies and IoT 3.3.2 NB-IoT and LTE-M 3.3.3 The role of cellular networks in smart meter communications 3.3.4 LoRa and LoRaWAN 3.3.5 Sigfox 3.4 Other RF technologies and standards 3.4.1 IEEE 802.15.4 3.4.2 Wi-SUN 3.4.3 Proprietary IPv6 connectivity stacks based on 802.15.4 3.4.4 EN 13757 4 Smart Metering Industry Players 4.1 Meter vendors Itron Landis+Gyr Aclara (Hubbell) ADD Grup AEM Aidon (Gridspertise) Apator Circutor Diehl Metering EDMI (Osaki Electric) EFR Elgama Elektronika (Linyang Energy) EMH Metering Flonidan Gridspertise (Enel) Hexing Electrical Honeywell Holley Technology Iskraemeco Kaifa Technology Kamstrup Meter&Control MeteRSIT Networked Energy Services NIK Pietro Fiorentini Sagemcom Sanxing Electric Wasion ZIV ZPA Smart Energy ZTE Corporation 4.2 Communications solution providers APKAPPA Corinex CyanConnode Devolo NuriFlex Ormazabal Power Plus Communications Sensus Theben Smart Energy Toshiba Trilliant Xemex 4.3 Software solution providers Avance Metering Atlantica Digital Cuculus Embriq Hansen Technologies Ferranti Kisters Oracle Robotron Datenbank-Software SAP Siemens Telecontrol STM Terranova Software VIVAVIS 4.4 System integrators and communications service providers A1 Telekom Austria Arqiva Atos Capgemini CGI Com4 Greenbird Integration Technology IBM Telecom Italia Telefonica Telenor Telia Company Utility Connect Vodafone 5 Market Profiles 5.1 Regional summary 5.1.1 EU energy strategy 5.1.2 EU policies related to smart metering 5.1.3 Smart metering policies on the national level 5.1.4 Top smart metering projects in EU27+3 countries 6 Case Studies: Smart Metering Projects in Europe 6.1 Enel 6.1.1 Enel Open Meter and the second-generation rollout in Italy 6.1.2 Endesa's smart metering project in Spain 6.1.3 Smart meter rollout in Romania 6.2 Enedis 6.2.1 The Linky Programme 6.2.2 System development and large-scale pilot 6.2.3 Full-scale rollout 6.3 Current smart meter projects in four European countries 6.3.1 Austria - Wiener Netze 6.3.2 Belgium - Fluvius 6.3.3 Ireland - ESB Networks 6.3.4 Lithuania - ESO 6.4 Pioneering next-generation smart meter rollouts 6.4.1 E.ON Sweden 6.4.2 Elenia 6.5 Smart gas meter rollouts in France and Italy 6.5.1 GRDF 6.5.2 2i Rete 6.6 Smart meter communications platforms in Germany and the UK 6.7 Smart metering in Eastern Europe and the Balkans 7 Market Forecasts and Trends 7.1 Market trends 7.1.1 Second-wave rollouts to account for a substantial share of shipments 7.1.2 Growth increasingly driven by CEE and Southeast European projects 7.1.3 Adoption of NB-IoT and LTE-M connectivity picking up speed 7.1.4 Making smart metering systems secure by design 7.1.5 Rethinking the smart metering offering to respond to emerging utility needs 7.1.6 Europe gearing up for hydrogen supply operations 7.2 Smart electricity metering market forecast 7.3 Smart gas metering market forecast For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/17b3cf About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. CONTACT: CONTACT: ResearchAndMarkets.com Laura Wood,Senior Press Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./ CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 Vulnerable House Dem under fire for introducing only 5 bills that became law in 41 years: Hasnt done squat' Ohio Democratic Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur, who is currently running for re-election touting her record in Congress, has introduced just five bills that have become law during a span of more than four decades she has spent in office, prompting criticism from her GOP opponents. Since taking office in 1983 representing Ohios 9th Congressional District in Toledo, Kaptur has introduced five bills on her own that have become law, including a joint resolution to designate 1986 as "Save for the U.S.A. Year," the Veterans' Home Loan Program Improvements and Property Rehabilitation Act of 1987, and the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge Complex Expansion and Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge Expansion Act. Kaptur, who has co-sponsored hundreds of bills, has only introduced two bills that have become law since 2005, a law dedicating a Toledo courthouse in 2008 and legislation with over 300 co-sponsors authorizing the U.S. Mint to produce coins honoring World War II veterans. Kaptur, who has labeled herself a "champion for the Midwest in Congress" and made the case that she is focused on "delivering real results" for the people of Northwest Ohio, has made the case that her seniority in Congress is a reason to support her while campaigning over the years. POLLS SHOW BIDEN FACING 'ENTHUSIASM GAP' HEADING INTO 2024 ELECTION SEASON Rep. Marcy Kaptur of Ohio "Getting things done," Kaptur said on a podcast recently when she was asked what her "super power" is. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP During the tenure of the 117th Congress, which concluded in 2023, Kaptur was ranked by the Center for Effective Lawmaking as the 160th most effective Democrat lawmaker. Additionally, the amount of federal grants and contracts Kaptur has brought back to her district consistently ranks among the lowest in the state, including in FY 2023 when the roughly $384 million in federal funding that came back to the 9th District was lower than any district in Ohio except for the 16th, which was eliminated at the end of 2023. "Marcy Kapturs four decades in Congress can be summed up as the one guest who was invited to dinner, didnt bring anything for the table and then overstayed their welcome," NRCC spokesperson Mike Marinella told Fox News Digital. 4TH GEN FARMER BLASTS BIDEN ADMIN FOR SENDING BILLIONS TO UKRAINE AS US FARMERS SUFFER: 'FACING EXTINCTION' "Northwest Ohio needs someone who will deliver results not just mooch off her own constituents like some unwanted guest. Its time to kick her to the curb." Kaptur is expected to be involved in a tight re-election campaign as she defends her seat in a district former President Trump won by three points in 2020. The Cook Political report ranks the race as a "Lean Democrat" contest that Republicans are targeting as an opportunity to hold and improve on their slim majority in the House. Four Republicans are facing off in a March 19 primary to determine who will face Kaptur in November. The Republican candidates are J.R. Majewski, who lost to Kaptur in 2022, state Rep. Derek Merrin, former state Rep. Craig Riedel, and real estate broker Steve Lankenau. Each of the Republicans running in the primary took issue with Kaptur's record when contacted for comment by Fox News Digital. "When the voters of Northwest Ohio cast their ballot this November, their choice will be clear: continue the ineffective status quo, or elect a real leader who will deliver tangible results," Merrin told Fox News Digital. "Marcy Kaptur hasnt done squat for the four decades she has served in Congress, and I look forward to bringing forth the meaningful change Northwest Ohioans have deserved for years." The U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. In a statement to Fox News Digital, Majewski said he was inspired to run for her seat in part due to Kapturs lack of accomplishments in Congress. "The ineffectiveness of Marcy Kaptur, one of the most biggest backbenchers on Capitol Hill, was what drove me to run for this seat the people of Ohios 9th District need a representative that will fight for them, help repair the issues created by the disastrous Biden Agenda and put the needs of Americans first and I fully plan to deliver," Majewski said. Riedel told Fox News Digital that Kaptur is a "failed politician" who "has failed the people of Northwest Ohio." "She votes with Joe Biden 100% of the time," Riedel added. "Im not shocked to see that she has only passed 5 pieces of legislation." "It's clear that Marcy Kaptur's record is based on a lot of talk, but not much action that has benefited our communities," Lankenau told Fox News Digital. "Our district deserves a representative who backs up the rhetoric with results, and that's why I'm running to be the Republican nominee." Kapturs campaign and office did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital, but a spokesperson with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) pointed to the tens of millions of dollars Kaptur has brought to the district through appropriations funding and other avenues. "Congresswoman Kaptur is a proven champion for working families in Northwest Ohio who literally saved thousands of jobs at Jeep," DCCC spokesperson Aidan Johnson told Fox News Digital. "In the last year alone, she has secured almost $14 million for a new battery assembly plant in Toledo, $20 million for new roads and bridges, nearly $11 million for the Napoleon, Defiance, and Western Railway, and more than $16 million for Toledo-area solar companies. Despite all this, Republicans are trying to smear her record because they have nothing of their own to run on." Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub. Original article source: Vulnerable House Dem under fire for introducing only 5 bills that became law in 41 years: Hasnt done squat' A powerful counterweight to former President Donald Trump is exiting stage left from Republican leadership and leaving in his wake a major showdown over the future of the party. Minority Leader Mitch McConnells decision to step aside as the longest serving Senate leader in history comes as Republicans are at an inflection point: former President Donald Trump and his isolationist-tinged foreign policy is once again ascending, at odd with McConnells vision. The right-wing of the Republican conference in the House already ousted one speaker and has extracted more power in a narrow majority. Even conservatives in McConnells own ranks have become emboldened to attack him publicly and often. It has Republicans reflecting on what happens to the party in the months ahead and has some weighing whether they can fit into a GOP that is more modeled after Trump than the Reagan-Republicanism McConnell embodies. I wonder that every day, said Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a Republican from Alaska. Asked if shed be open to becoming an independent, Murkowski didnt take it off the table. Thats not something I am prepared to discuss in terms of where I am, but I am watching very carefully what we are seeing with the party and the partys choices and with where Republicans are leaning, Murkowski said. And, I am clearly not one who is following the Trump path at all. So again, it is not about Lisa Murkowski. It is like what is our party right now? McConnell wont step aside until November and even then, he will remain in the Senate as a rank-and-file member. But the fight for the next leader is sure to expose the fractures within the Republican conference and its allegiance to Trump and force members to reckon with what their party will be in the wake of a powerful and longstanding leader. That will give us time to sort all of this out, said Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, a Republican from West Virginia. I think everything is pretty fluid right now. Its an interesting discussion weve been having among ourselves, said Sen. Roger Marshall, a Republican from Kansas. Were seeing this populist brand of conservatism rise to the top. Then-President Donald Trump hands a pen to then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell after signing the $2.2 trillion coronavirus aid package bill during a signing ceremony in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, March 27, 2020. - Jonathan Ernst/Reuters Some Republicans dismiss the existential question about the partys future without McConnell as leader, arguing hes only one person in a party where many members still believe in the US role on the global stage and believe in the basic functions of governing. I dont see it moving dramatically. Sen. Joni Ernst, a Republican from Iowa, said of the partys future direction on foreign policy. Theres a whole new generation of us that will keep that up. But the reality is support in the Senate for Ukraine aid has dwindled over the last two years, a hard fought compromise on immigration crashed and burned in hours after a stern warning from Trump and five months into the fiscal year, funding the government remains a struggle due to divisions in the House. Always the party is bigger than the single person. So well get together and move forward as we have, said Sen. Jim Risch, a Republican from Idaho and the top ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. I really dont think it changes things. Sen. Thom Tillis, a Republican from North Carolina, said its up to those who are gonna stick around to define the future of the GOP and if McConnell were to want to stick around as leader, he could win, symbolizing that most members still back his philosophy of conservatism. Mitch isnt going anywhere. His term ends the same year as mine does. I think we gotta carry on, Tillis said. I think people will step up. Good leaders will step up. For decades, McConnell was considered a reliable conservative in the mold of Ronald Reagan whose command of Senate procedure and hardball tactics helped the GOP gain a conservative majority on the Supreme Court, helped pass a Republican tax bill and continued to champion the US role around the world. Senate Minority Leader Senator Mitch McConnell walks at the US Capitol on February 28, 2024 in Washington, DC. - Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images But, in recent years, the party shifted closer to Trumps vision and further from McConnells. The GOP leaders nonexistent relationship with Trump in the wake of the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol, paired with his willingness to negotiate with Democrats on domestic policy issues like gun control and immigration, has left him at times at odds among many within his own party and conference. Believe me, I know the politics within my party at this particular moment in time, McConnell said in his floor speech Wednesday. I have many faults. Misunderstanding politics is not one of them. McConnells detractors and longtime critics applauded the news Wednesday, ready to turn the page and move toward a brand of conservatism they argue will more closely align the Senate GOP with voters back home. I appreciate the fact that hes announced it now to give our conference the time to really sit down and decide what our mission needs to be. What are our goals? asked Sen. Ron Johnson, a Republican from Wisconsin. And those aligned with Trump warn whoever the next leader will need to have a far more functional relationship with the Republican front-runner for the White House than McConnell had. I think its pretty clear Donald Trump is the largest force in the Republican Party. There is no mystery there, said Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina. The next majority leaders in January I think well be in the majority and I think Trump will be president will have to be somebody who can work with Trump, but also all factions of the party. CNNs Manu Raju and Morgan Rimmer contributed to this report. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com (NEXSTAR) Walmart shoppers may be entitled to a cash payout as part of a proposed $45 million settlement over allegations that the retail chain overcharged for grocery items. A lawsuit filed in October 2022 (and since revised) had accused Walmart of falsely inflating the weights of certain sold-by-weight groceries at the register, thereby negating any sale pricing (or rollback pricing) that shoppers may have believed they were paying, court documents say. The lawsuit also accuses the retailer of incorrectly labeling certain sold-by-weight bagged produce items and sold-by-weight clearance items, leading the consumer to unknowingly pay more for the amount they were getting. The grocery items included meats, seafood, poultry and pork, as well as a variety of bagged citrus items. Walmart denies any wrongdoing or deceptive practices. But in November 2023, the company reached a deal to settle, according to the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida. A hearing to determine whether the proposed settlement can move forward will be held later this year. Panera agrees to pay customers $2 million over hidden fees. Do you qualify? Until then, customers can submit claims online or by mail for a share of the proposed $45 million at WalmartWeightedGroceriesSettlement.com. To qualify, Walmart customers needed to have purchased the aforementioned sold-by-weight items between Oct. 19, 2018 and Jan. 19, 2024. Customers need not provide any proof of purchase to file, though payouts without receipts or other documentation are capped at $25 per person depending on the amount of claimed purchases (to those who qualify). Customers with receipts or other proof of purchase may be eligible to receive up to 2% back on the total amount paid for the groceries, but capped at $500. Consumers may also opt out of the settlement, if they wish to take separate legal action against Walmart, according to the settlement website. The hearing to determine approval of the proposed settlement is scheduled for June 12, 2024, in Tampa. More information on the settlement agreement, and instructions for filing a claim, can be found on the settlement website. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Queen City News. PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) The state of Washington plans to follow Oregons lead by launching a bias crimes hotline. On Wednesday, the Washington House of Representatives joined state senators in approving Senate Bill 5427. Sponsored by Seattle Sen. Javier Valdez, the measure calls on the state Department of Justice to oversee a hotline in which residents can report hate crimes and bias incidents they have faced or been affected by. Pickathon music festival will call Happy Valley home for another 10 years Attorney General Bob Fergusons office would be tasked with developing and testing a pilot program that serves Washingtonians in at least three counties by July 1, 2025. If successful, officials said the hotline would be available to all residents by the beginning of 2027. The AGs office would also be tasked with releasing an annual report of all hate crimes and bias incidents reported to the hotline. In Oregon, the Department of Justice debuted a bias crimes hotline in January 2020. By the end of 2022, the agencys Civil Rights Unit revealed that bias and hate incident reports had increased by 178%. Study finds Oregon, Washington among top 10 states with expensive yards While Washington doesnt have an official hotline of its own, the Anti-Defamation League previously announced there were 576 reported hate crimes in the state in 2021. This was a 28% increase from the previous year, and the most ADL had received from Washington since at least 2000. In a statement, Attorney General Ferguson said it was time to stand up to the bias crimes affecting Washington residents. Creating this hotline will provide a centralized location for Washingtonians to report hate crimes and bias incidents, Ferguson said. ODOT to close major Portland-Beaverton connection for nine months This will improve our states response to these incidents and increase public safety. I thank Sen. Valdez for his leadership on the hate crimes task force and for bringing forth this legislation, and for the many advocates who joined my office in supporting this policy, he added. Gov. Jay Inslee will be next to sign off on SB 5427. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KOIN.com. Farm Credit of Northwest Florida recently announced a total of $18,500 awarded to five organizations working to improve rural communities within the Florida Panhandle through their Rooted in Giving community campaign. One recipient was Pensacolas Waterfront Rescue Mission, which started in 1949 as a refuge for wayward fishermen and has grown into full-service missions in Pensacola and Mobile, Alabama, dedicated to helping lift people out of homelessness, poverty, and addiction. Another recipient was Feeding the Gulf Coast with its Panhandle Branch in Milton. Feeding the Gulf Coasts vision is a hunger-free central Gulf Coast, by providing a wide variety of hunger-relief programs to nourish our communities and establish stronger, healthier families. Front desk at the Waterfront Rescue Mission at 348 W. Herman St. Additionally, food collected from the Farm Credit of Northwest Florida Food Drive was provided to Feeding the Gulf Coast and Second Harvest of the Big Bend in Tallahassee, with the aim to help restock the shelves of area food banks after the Thanksgiving holiday and provide area families nutritious meals. Visit GoRural.net for details. Find ways to help: Escambia Childrens Trust awards Pensacola $1.7 million grant for after school programs Dave Jasso Foundation helps fight against ALK-positive cancer In May of 2020, what started as slight back pain turned debilitating. Dave Jasso, along with his wife Amy, made a trip to the hospital and were given heartbreaking news: Jasso had stage IV ALK-positive lung cancer. He passed away three years later in October 2023, surrounded by those he loved most. In his memory, Jassos family started the Dave Jasso Foundation in January to raise awareness and further research efforts. Dave Jasso ALK-positive cancer, caused by a mutation in the ALK gene, is a type of cancer with no known cause and no known cure. Like many of the roughly 100,000 people diagnosed worldwide every year, Jasso was a non-smoker in the prime of his life. And like almost all others, his prognosis was terminal by the time the illness was uncovered. The Dave Jasso Foundation acts under the umbrella of ALK-positive Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization that funds research and grants and works to improve quality of life for current ALK-positive patients. Despite much of ALK-positive lung cancer being a mystery, recent advancements have been made in treatment, survival rates and quality of life. Be part of Jassos legacy and contribute to the mission and help spread awareness. Visit davejassofoundation.org for details. Jernigans Landing, hosts Reimagine Milton outreach event Reimagine Milton takes place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, March 2 at Jernigans Landing, 5158 Willing St. Reimagine Milton is an outreach event where churches, businesses, ministries and community agencies come together for a few hours to bless those who feel a bit hopeless. The festival will have children's activities, including inflatables, face painting, games, popcorn, coloring contests, carnival rides, free haircuts and more. The event also will give away 20,000 pounds of food, in addition to diapers and clothing. Free HIV testing will be offered, and free lunch will be served. Visit reimagineworldwide.org for details. Community pillars Chadbourne Foundation revises name The Chadbourne Foundation, a local charitable entity that has supported over 40 organizations since 1980 and infused more than 12 million dollars into the local non-profit landscape, has adopted a revised name. Their philanthropic mission remains unchanged, but their name has been expanded to The Chadbourne-DeMaria Foundation. The trustees adopted the revised name to more accurately reflect its founders, leadership and administration, as well as the membership composition. Caroline C. DeMaria, president, conveyed that over the last three years, The Chadbourne-DeMaria Foundation has been implementing a passion-driven approach to its annual distributions, proactively seeking out 501c3 organizations with missions that resonate with its membership. She noted that in the past, annual gifting was largely request-driven with the organization supporting upward of 40 organizations annually. Take part: To make a Causes submission, email giving@pnj.com. Never miss a story: Subscribe to the Pensacola News Journal using the link at the bottom of the page under Stay Connected. This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Waterfront Rescue Mission named Farm Credit Rooted in Giving recipient Wayne Couzens was a prolific sex offender with a warrant card who was never fit to serve as a police officer, the Prime Minister said on Thursday after a report into the killer revealed he had committed crimes over a period of nearly 20 years. Rishi Sunak said he was sickened by new revelations that Couzens sexually assaulted a child, tried to kidnap a woman at knifepoint and was reported to police eight times for exposing himself in the years before he kidnapped, raped and murdered Sarah Everard. A long-awaited report by Dame Elish Angiolini into Couzens, published on Thursday, showed he had a long history of sexual offending dating back to 1995 but had never been arrested or prosecuted and was able to pass police vetting and become an armed officer with both the Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC) and the Met. Lady Elish said there had been a lamentable and repeated failure to deal with allegations reported to police before Ms Everards murder in south London in March 2021. Mr Sunak said: This was a chilling, abominable crime that shook the country to its very core. Sarahs murderer was a prolific sex offender carrying a valid warrant card. He was never fit to serve. Police officers should be there to keep us safe to be our guardians against those who wish to do us harm. That is why Sarah trusted him and his betrayal of that trust makes his crime even more heinous. I am sickened by the details that have come to light today and the police must urgently make changes to earn that trust back. No woman should ever feel unsafe on our streets. Lady Elish also said there were major red flags and missed opportunities to halt Wayne Couzenss career and bring him to justice. Sir Mark Rowley, the Met Commissioner, said the report was an urgent call to action, adding: We must go further and faster, to earn back the trust of all those whose confidence in policing has been shaken by events of recent years. He added: Regardless of our significant progress over the past year, the scale of the change that is needed inevitably means it will take time and it is not yet complete. The majority of my Met colleagues share my determination to reform by both confronting the risk posed by predatory men in policing, and also, improving our protection of women and children across London. In a 347-page report, Lady Elish reveals how Couzenss first interactions with police date back to 1995 when he allegedly tried to kidnap a woman at knifepoint in north London. The incident was reported to police on the day but the perpetrator was never caught. The woman came forward to police after seeing photographs of Couzens following his arrest for the murder of Ms Everard. The report also reveals how when he was in his early 20s, Couzens was suspected of committing a very serious sexual assault of a child barely in her teens. The report said the sexual assault provided an important link in the chain of events leading up to the abduction, rape and murder of Ms Everard. Couzens stopping Miss Everard in the street before abducting her He was also accused of possessing indecent images of children, and in 2004 exposed himself towards a teenage girl in south London by driving past her while masturbating. The offence was not reported but the woman later came forward when she recognised Couzens in the media. At some point between late 2006 and early 2007, Couzens is suspected of attempting to rape a woman at a singles night in an east London bar. The victim again came forward after the murder of Ms Everard. There was another allegation of rape in October 2019 which took place under a bridge in London. In the summer of 2019, Couzens also sexually assaulted a man in a bar in Kent. The complainant was in drag and wearing a blonde wig when Couzens grabbed him inappropriately. When the victim remonstrated with him, Couzens said he was a police officer and invited him outside to perform a sex act. The man came forward to police following Couzenss arrest for the kidnap, rape and murder of Ms Everard. There were also a string of allegations of indecent exposures, some of which were reported to police but not fully investigated. In November 2008, Couzens exposed himself to a woman in south London and while the offence was reported at the time no suspect was identified. In 2015, while working for the Civil Nuclear Constabulary, Couzens again exposed himself but despite the victims providing police with his car registration, he was never arrested or charged. The inquiry concluded that the failure to investigate this offence fully was a red flag and a missed opportunity to disrupt or even prevent further offending by Couzens. Following the murder of Ms Everard, Couzens pleaded guilty to three further indecent exposures, including two offences committed at a branch of McDonalds in Swanley, Kent, just days earlier. Lady Elish said the investigations into these offences had been of poor quality and inadequate, with the officers displaying an apathy and disinterest. She said in future all cases of indecent exposure that were reported must be thoroughly and comprehensively investigated. She went on: Furthermore victims need to be encouraged to report and believe they have no reason for shame or embarrassment. These emotions should be left to the perpetrators to experience. Lady Elish said without a radical overhaul of policing practices and culture, there was nothing to stop another Couzens operating in plain sight. James Cleverly, the Home Secretary, said Couzenss crimes were not a reflection on the majority of police officers. But he said: Sarah was failed in more ways than one by the people who were meant to keep her safe. He said the report laid bare wider issues in policing and society that needed to be urgently fixed. In the three years since, a root and stem clean-up of the policing workforce has been under way and we have made huge strides as well as making tackling violence against women and girls a national policing priority to be treated on par with terrorism. But we will continue to do everything in our power to protect women and girls. I am grateful to Lady Elish for her meticulous investigation. Her insights will be invaluable as we move forward in supporting our police to build forces of the highest standards of integrity and regain the trust of the British public. Gavin Stephens, chairman of the National Police Chiefs Council, said hearing the inquirys findings had left him aghast. Listening this morning to Lady Elish Angiolinis clear findings of a catalogue of missed opportunities and red flags left me aghast. Police leaders across the United Kingdom will feel the same and take this as an urgent call for action and a reminder of how far we still have to go. We are reviewing the recommendations in detail and I do not underestimate just how important this is for all of society. The report also identified a string of other potential red flags which should have been spotted by police in the years before the murder of Ms Everard. In 2013, when he was working as a firearms officer with the CNC, he was reported missing for several hours. The report said: Couzens could have been driving around looking for a victim, in the same way as he did almost eight years later on the evening he abducted Sarah Everard and on other dates leading up to his crime. The report concluded that his unexplained disappearance should have been considered a warning sign when he was being vetted to join the Metropolitan Police. In addition, there were vetting failures when Couzens applied to join both the CNC and the Met. He managed to mask his desperate financial state and the fact he was so in debt that he had entered an Individual Voluntary Arrangement in order to avoid bankruptcy, which would have prevented him joining the police. Presenting her findings, Lady Elish said: The evidence seen by the inquiry has shown that failures in recruitment and vetting meant Couzens was able to continue a policing career which should have been denied to him. Failures investigations into allegations of indecent exposure meant opportunities to disrupt Couzens offending and bring his policing career to a halt were missed. She went on: The fact remains three separate police forces allowed him the privilege of being a police officer when they could and should have stopped him. Responding to the inquiry report, Ms Everards parents, Sue and Jeremy, and siblings, Katie and James Everard, said in a statement: It is obvious Wayne Couzens should never have been a police officer. Whilst holding a position of trust, in reality he was a serial sex offender. Warning signs were overlooked throughout his career and opportunities to confront him were missed. We believe Sarah died because he was a police officer she would never have got into a strangers car. The family also called for all the recommendations to be made forthwith, adding: We cannot get Sarah back, but positive changes give hope for the future and will be of benefit to others. Ms Everard was 33 when she vanished in Clapham, south-west London, on the way home from a friends house. Miss Everard walking home from her friend's flat on the night of her death She was abducted by Couzens at half past nine on the evening of Mar 3 2021 after he stopped her on the street, showed her his warrant card and handcuffed her. After putting her in the back of a white Vauxhall he had rented, he drove to a remote location in Sibertswold, Kent, and some point around midnight, raped her. At 2am, Couzens was seen on CCTV buying a drink from a petrol station. At some stage in the past hour, he is believed to have strangled Ms Everard using his police issue belt. Information Commissioner John Edwards, who contributed to the inquiry, said: This inquiry paints a concerning picture of how disciplinary concerns about police officers and recruits are shared. There is no room to hide behind misconceptions of the law on such an important matter: data protection law does not stand in the way of police sharing information about a potential recruits previous disciplinary action or warnings, nor does it act as a shield against investigations into police officers. There is a need for greater transparency here. The public have a right to understand how information will be shared to encourage trust in high standards of policing, and police officers have a right to understand how their information will be shared. 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. Ahead of President Biden's visit to the U.S.-Mexico border on Thursday, the White House debuted a new term for illegal immigrants arriving in the country, calling them "newcomers." Biden will travel to Brownsville, Texas, in an effort to reassure voters who have soured on his handling of the border crisis. Republicans have lambasted the Biden administration for weak enforcement of immigration laws, and a recent poll showed that just 26% of Americans approved of the president's job on immigration. The language the White House used to describe the crisis may not alleviate voters' concerns. In a fact sheet distributed by the White House press office to advocate for the bipartisan border agreement Biden has endorsed, officials pointed out that the bill includes $1.4 billion "for cities and states who are providing critical services to newcomers." BIDEN'S BORDER VISIT LANDS ON ONE OF THE LEAST TRAFFICKED TOWNS, WHILE TRUMP IS HEADED INTO THE THICK OF IT President Biden will visit Brownsville, Texas, on Thursday to defend his administration's border policies. The reference to illegal immigrants as "newcomers" which suggests equal status to migrants who come to the U.S. legally provoked a swift condemnation from House Republicans. "The Biden White House is now referring to illegal immigrants as newcomers. Joe Biden is not serious about stopping the illegal immigration into the United States. This is a catastrophe by design," the House GOP conference posted on X. READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP White House officials have shot back at their GOP critics several times in recent weeks, asserting that if Republican lawmakers were serious about securing the border, they would support the bipartisan legislation President Biden has endorsed. 7.2M ENTERED US UNDER BIDEN ADMIN, AN AMOUNT GREATER THAN POPULATIONS OF 36 STATES Former President Donald Trump will travel to Eagle Pass, Texas, on the same day as President Biden's visit to Brownsville, Texas, for a competing event on immigration. The border bill negotiated in the Senate would increase Border Patrol staff and tighten asylum rules, expand law enforcement's authority to tackle fentanyl smuggling and increase funding to cities and states receiving asylum seekers. Republicans argued the bill would normalize high levels of illegal immigration and do little to stop the flow of people and drugs over the border. "We have done the work to make sure we're dealing with a broken immigration system. The Republicans have gotten in the way. They have gotten in the way," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday on CNN. WHITE HOUSE CALLS FOR SANCTUARY CITIES TO COOPERATE WITH ICE AMID FUROR OVER ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT CRIMES "And so look, this is a serious matter, thats why the president is going to the border. The president was at the border a year ago in El Paso, visiting the border back in January 2023. He put a comprehensive, a comprehensive immigration policy on day one," she added. Biden's choice of Brownsville for his border visit is an area that has seen comparatively small numbers of migrant crossings in Texas. CBP data shows that Brownsville has seen just 46 migrant encounters over the past five days, compared to 2,106 in Eagle Pass. The former averaged 17 migrant encounters per day in February, while the latter averaged 462. Brownsville is part of the CBP's Rio Grande Valley sector, which has seen 87,426 migrant encounters so far in FY 2024. The Del Rio sector that encompasses Eagle Pass has seen 182,077 encounters, but even that is far below the busiest sector, which lies around Tucson, Arizona, and has seen 297,380 encounters. Former President Donald Trump, the 2024 Republican presidential front-runner, will visit Eagle Pass on Thursday in a competing visit, one of the most heavily trafficked areas in Texas and ground zero for Gov. Greg Abbott's fight with the Biden administration over enforcing immigration law. Fox News Digital's Anders Hagstrom and Hanna Panreck contributed to this report. Original article source: White House refers to illegal immigrants as 'newcomers' GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) An Italian company converting waste into energy is expanding to Grand Rapids. Two European competitors, both around 20 years old, combined forces to enter the U.S. market as EBC Energy last year. The company started its U.S. operations in May 2023, opening its headquarters in New York. At a conference for international companies in Washington D.C., EBC Energy COO Matteo Biasin met with Brent Case, the vice president of business attraction for West Michigan economic development organization The Right Place, Inc. I made an appointment to meet with Matteo, and we sat down for a 20-minute speed date,' Case explained. After that, we coordinated a visit for him to come see me in Grand Rapids and show him around and basically give the pitch of why he should locate his company here in Grand Rapids. West Michigan farms putting waste to work as fuel EBC Energy will be opening a business development office inside Michigan State Universitys Grand Rapids Innovation Park on Michigan St. NW near Monroe Avenue. Operating a business in Grand Rapids costs about half of what it costs in New York, Case said, and West Michigan also has several potential customers and partners. Biasin met with potential customers while in Grand Rapids, he told News 8, and believes there is a lot of opportunity in the area. While Case wouldnt say what companies the team met with, he said the area has some big food producers generating lots of food waste in their processes. The Grand Rapids expansion comes as waste-to-energy companies face oversaturation in Europe, Biasin said. Turning waste like manure, biproducts from beverage companies and domestic waste into energy has been prevalent in Europe for decades. Since the cost of the energy in Europe has always been higher than in U.S., we were obliged to find an alternative way to produce energy than the normal way, he explained. Its something that is already existing in USA, but the market in USA is very, very wide. The market in Europe is quite saturated. EBC Energy offers complete solutions for customers, from putting together the business plan to operating facilities that covert waste into energy. Opening a facility is a long process, but Biasin said his team is very ambitious, hoping to open a facility in West Michigan within a couple of years before expanding to other parts of the Midwest. I think theres a great opportunity for West Michigan companies to leverage EBC Energys expertise so that they can be more green, sustainable, meet their energy efficiency goal, Case said. They can convert their waste into a revenue stream instead of paying to dispose of it. Those interested in learning more about the company can stop by an event it is hosting with the West Michigan Food Processing Association on April 18. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WOODTV.com. The widow of Oswaldo Paya, a prominent Cuban opposition leader who is widely believed to have died in a car crash caused by Cuban state security officials, filed a civil lawsuit in Miami on Thursday against Victor Manuel Rocha, a former U.S. ambassador who has agreed to plead guilty to charges of acting as an unregistered agent of Cuba, including at the time of Payas death in 2012. I seek what I have sought all along: for the truth, for justice, and for the regime and its accomplices to stop acting with impunity, Ofelia Acevedo said in a statement. The lawsuit, filed Thursday in Miami-Dade circuit court, seeks compensation for the wrongful death of Paya, which it claims was a direct and proximate result of [Rochas] actions as a covert agent for the Cuban terrorist dictatorship. Paya, the founder of the Christian Liberation Movement, won international recognition for his work defending human rights, opposing Fidel Castro and promoting the Varela Project, an attempt to use Cubas constitution to promote civil and political liberties on the island. For that work, several dissidents linked to the project were arrested in 2003. Paya was not imprisoned, but he and his family faced constant harassment that ended with his death in a car crash in July 2012. Cuban government was responsible for death of dissident Oswaldo Paya, human-rights group says In a landmark conclusion after a delayed investigation spanning a decade, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, part of the Organization of American States, said the Cuban government bears responsibility for Payas death and that it was politically motivated. The commission said there was serious and sufficient evidence to conclude that state agents participated in his death and that of a fellow member of the Christian Liberation Movement, Harold Cepero, who was also in the car. Mr. Paya posed one of the most legitimate and serious threats to Fidel Castros dictatorship. For this, Fidel and Raul Castro ordered Mr. Payas murder, the lawsuit filed Thursday says. The assassination could not have been undertaken by the Cuban dictatorship with impunity absent the aid and comfort [Rocha] provided to the regime. New book tells the story of opposition leader Oswaldo Payas quest for freedom in Cuba Rocha, a former U.S. ambassador to Bolivia who held positions at the U.S. embassy in Havana and the National Security Council during his long career in the foreign service, was a special advisor to the head of the Pentagons Southern Command, based in Doral, at the time of Payas death. He was arrested in December after an FBI sting operation in which he was recorded admitting he worked for Cuban intelligence for over 40 years, according to the criminal complaint. In a hearing Thursday in Miami federal court, Rocha agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to be an illegal agent and acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government in a deal that will be unveiled on April 12, when he will be sentenced. The charges carried a possible sentence of up to 15 years in prison. In the most direct accusation against the former U.S. diplomat, Acevedos lawsuit says the Cuban government used the intelligence, aid, and comfort provided by Defendant to unlawfully assassinate Mr. Paya. The lawsuit also cites Cubas inclusion on a U.S. State Department list of countries that sponsor terrorism to argue that the death of Paya intended to intimidate the Cuban population and that Rocha conspired with the Cuban dictatorship to promote and carry out its terrorist activities, including the Cuban governments assassination of Mr. Paya. Carlos Trujillo, the former U.S. ambassador to the Organization of American States and currently a lawyer with the Florida firm Continental, is leading the legal team working pro-bono to represent Acevedo. He says his team has further information, including secret embassy cables sent to the Southern Command about Payas work at the time Rocha was an advisor there, and other confidential sources that could help tie Rochas covert activities to the dissidents death. Rocha is also going to be deposed on our case, and we are going to ask him point blank on multiple issues, Trujillo told the Herald. While there have been other prominent cases of U.S. officials and others spying for Cuba over the years, lawsuits against those found spying for foreign governments are rare. But Rocha is a wealthy target because he had a profitable career in the private sector after he left the State Department in 2002. He recently transferred title to four luxury condos in Brickell to his wife. After he pleads guilty, the government could seize any assets he acquired while conducting his covert activities on behalf of Cubas intelligence agencies. Trujillo said the motive behind the lawsuit was not the money, but for the family to get closure and know what happened to Mrs Payas husband. The filing of the lawsuit coincides with what would have been Payas birthday. He was 60 when he was killed. My father would have celebrated his 72nd birthday... on February 29, said his daughter, Rosa Maria Paya, who has continued his work advocating for democracy in Cuba. We remain steadfast in carrying on the work he initiated until the Cuban people achieve the freedom unjustly withheld from them by the regime and its accomplices. Name: Nicole Cico Education: Master's degree in mental health counseling Occupation: Social worker Political or civic experience highlights: Volunteer for multiple organizations at Winnacunnet High School, including the music and theatre programs and the Chem Free graduation event. I have volunteered for Hobbs House in Hampton, and have been a Girl Scout/Cub Scout leader. What would be your top three priorities if you are elected?: Mental Health needs for students is my top priority right now. Our students are struggling with an unprecedented level of mental health needs that require additional support in the school setting. I think this is and will continue to be a main focus for the school setting for the foreseeable future. Our student leaders who work with the superintendent have consistently identified mental health as the issue most impacting them at this time. As a school board member, I want to be sure our school is doing all that's possible to support students in this area. A high-quality, rigorous education for all students is another priority. I believe that the SAU has developed a strong framework with the Portrait of a Learner, which will be used to help take our students to the next level moving forward. Winnacunnet High School has a high level of consistency with our teachers, who provide an amazing education to our students. I want to be sure that we are supporting them and providing the teachers with what is needed to continue providing this high-quality education to our varied student population. Overseeing and managing the school budget is another main role for a school board member, and I take this responsibility seriously. Running a school is a costly endeavor, but I also want to balance that with the financial realities of our community members. I believe the SAU staff work hard to develop as lean a budget as possible while also meeting the needs of students and staff. How should the school district handle requests to remove books from the library or curriculum?: The school district has a policy outlining how to address these requests, and I believe that this policy should be utilized. Removing books from a school should be done only after due diligence and only for very strong reasons. Our students need to be exposed to varying viewpoints and perspectives and our library/classroom book collections are essential to this. Limiting access to reading materials can be a dangerous, slippery slope, and I would prefer to err on the side of more access rather than less. Do you support the expansion of education freedom accounts in New Hampshire?: I have unwavering support for our public school system and believe that public education is one of the foundations of an educated, successful society. I am very concerned about any expansion because this can have a deep financial impact on funding our public schools. At Winnacunnet High School, we provide students with an excellent education of which our community should be proud. Education funding in N.H. is already so challenging, my main concern at this point is to fund our public schools and be sure that all students are getting a high-quality education within that system. What else should voters know about your views on local schools and public education?: As I said previously, I am a strong supporter of public education and want our community and students to receive the best education policy. I believe Winnacunnet High School has amazing teachers and administrators providing students with so many wonderful opportunities. The staff is working hard to grow and change to meet the needs of all varying populations of students. Throughout my time on the board, there have been changes to the graduation options to keep students in school and be sure that they graduate. We have expanded our ELO program, which offers real-life work experiences empowering students to learn about varied career options, and have expanded mental health and disability-related services. There are many amazing things happening in our local schools! I know our students are being prepared for the future and I see it personally in my own three Winnacunnet graduates who are thriving as they move into adulthood. This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Winnacunnet School Board candidate Nicole Cico The former Big Lots store at 126 W. Troutman Parkway will soon have a new occupant after remaining mostly vacant for 15 months. Planet Fitness has applied for permits to turn the 29,922-square-foot discount retail store into the fitness center's newest location. According to its website, Planet Fitness has more than 2,500 locations nationwide. The gym that offers memberships as low as $10 a month has locations in Loveland and Greeley but none in Fort Collins. According to permit applications, the interior will be gutted and renovated with new plumbing, mechanical and electrical updates. Renovation costs are estimated at $1.1 million. An old Big Lots storefront sits vacant in Fort Collins on Nov. 22, 2023. Renovations are expected to take between 12 and 16 weeks, said owner Carla Jamieson. Jamieson and business partner Vincent Love own four other Planet Fitness franchise locations in Colorado and Wyoming. Planet Fitness is expected to open in the third quarter. Memberships are expected to be available for presale four to six weeks before the grand opening. Planet Fitness will fill the second of two large box stores at the corner of Troutman Parkway and South College Avenue that have sat empty for many months. Big Lots shuttered its Fort Collins store in January 2023, along with three others in Colorado, to increase revenue, which was down 9.8% last year. The Columbus, Ohio-based chain had been a staple of Fort Collins' discount shopping scene since 1987, according to the city's sales tax office. The building was sold last year to BL Portfolio LLC of Santa Ana, California, for $2.39 million, according to Larimer County property records. More: As high-profile Fort Collins storefronts sit vacant, here's why filling them is so hard Bed Bath & Beyond, 110 W. Troutman Parkway, adjacent to Big Lots, closed in June after filing for bankruptcy, leaving nearly 100,000 square feet of empty retail space just as the economy was starting to slow. Michigan-based food distributor Gordon Food Service filed a development review application with the city in January to fill the vacant Bed Bath & Beyond store, according to city documents. Story continues The application is in the early stage of the city's review process and has not been completed. The minor amendment seeks to change the use from Bed Bath & Beyond to a grocery store. The application did not name the grocer, but city officials said they believe it to be Gordon Food Service, the largest family-operated food distribution company in North America, according to its website. Headquartered in Wyoming, Michigan, the company has been family owned for 125 years and reports 22,000 employees and $21 billion in annual sales. Gordon Food Service delivers to restaurants, health care facilities, schools, hotels, etc.; has 25 distribution centers throughout the U.S. and Canada; and has 180 stores that are open to the public. This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Planet Fitness plans Fort Collins location at former Big Lots A new book on China from bestselling author Peter Schweizer is being advertised on a Times Square billboard taking aim at Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for what the book argues is a soft stance on the CCPs threats. The Times Square billboard, promoting Schweizers "Blood Money: Why the Powerful Turn a Blind Eye While China Kills Americans," shows a photo of Ocasio-Cortez, a member of the progressive "Squad" wing of House Democrats, with the caption "AO-CCP." "The Chinese military is weaponizing TikTok to target American children," the billboard says. "AOC argued against a TikTok banOn TikTok!" "TikTok is something that while we're having this debate in our country about whether it poses a threat, there is no debate in China," Schweizer, president of the Government Accountability Institute, told Fox News Digital. "They see it as a Trojan horse. SCATHING DETAILS REVEAL WHY BIDEN APPEARS 'SILENT' ON CHINA'S ROLE IN FENTANYL CRISIS: BOOK Peter Schweizer, left, and a billboard promoting his new book on China, right. "So, we wanted to capture the importance of TikTok and, also, AOC is from New York, and we feel like she has been woefully silent on so many issues, whether it's fentanyl, whether it's TikTok. And she does not see China as a threat. So, we thought it was important to highlight that." READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP Ocasio-Cortez has been criticized by some for opposing a ban on TikTok despite concerns from experts and government officials that the platform, owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, is being used by the CCP to harvest data for nefarious purposes. 'THIS SCARES ME': AS CHINA WATCHES, THIS DECORATED VETERAN SOUNDS ALARM ON AN AMERICA STRETCHED TO ITS LIMITS "Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez came out against banning TikTok, declaring that it doesnt feel right in part because other social media companies collect data, too," Schweizer writes in the book. "She never addressed the fact that because TikTok is controlled by the Chinese state, it represents a very different challenge than that of an American tech company. "She also expressed no concerns about the propaganda and social manipulation aspects of the platform. Later, it was revealed that the Hispanic Caucus Foundation, where she sits on the Advisory Council, received a $150,000 contribution from ByteDance. And a TikTok lobbyist sat on the organizations board of directors." A Times Square billboard promoting Peter Schweizers book "Blood Money: Why the Powerful Turn a Blind Eye While China Kills Americans" Schweizer further argues in his book that China is using TikTok as part of a broader plan to spread division and cause chaos in the United States. "I've got a section in the book on what they're doing on social media," Schweizer explained. HOUSE REPUBLICANS TOUT NEW BILL AS 'STRONGEST' ANTI-CCP MEASURE IN HISTORY "They have a very extensive campaign where theyve got literally thousands of Chinese officers who create hundreds of thousands of social media accounts where they pose as Americans, and they go on our social media. "And basically half of them will write messages about how America is just a helplessly racist society, and the other half of them will be putting up posts about, I only like White people, and the purpose is to magnify social and racial divisions that exist in the United States and to make it more severe and to make them seem larger than they actually are." In his book, Schweizer outlines concerns that Ocasio-Cortez and other politicians have not spoken out strongly enough when it comes to fentanyl. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez "Ocasio-Cortez, who serves as the vice ranking member of the powerful House Oversight Committee, has been weirdly silent on fentanyl and Chinas role," Schweizer wrote. "Her congressional website yields plenty of mentions of her passionate work on topics like taxes and gun control, but there is not a single mention of fentanyl as of this writing." Ocasio-Cortez's office did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. Chinese President Xi Jinping reviews the honor guard during a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People Nov. 22, 2023, in Beijing, China. Schweizer told Fox News Digital one of the main points in his book is pointing out that China is involved in a war with the United States that is "designed to kill us and undermine us without giving the appearance of a kinetic war. "In other words, disintegration warfare is trying to fragment and undermine your opponents, to sow division and chaos, distrust. And it's kind of a well-established Chinese strategy going back to Sun Tzu centuries ago," Schweizer said. "The Chinese government has never abandoned it, in fact, they've enhanced it." Original article source: 'Woefully silent' AOC blasted in Times Square billboard warning of 'Trojan horse' China threat CROCKETT, Texas (KETK) A woman was arrested Wednesday night following a high-speed chase that started in Houston County and spanned other counties. 2 arrested in Houston County after stolen property investigation reveals drugs According to the Crockett Police Department, officers responded to reports of a hit-and-run crash in the 1200 block of East Loop 304 around 10 p.m. on Wednesday. Officials said the caller reported being hit by a white BMW that refused to stop, and officers were able to locate the driver of the White BMW but they allegedly did not stop for law enforcement. Authorities said that a high-speed pursuit ensued, including speeds over 100 mph. The chase went from Houston County, into Trinity County and into Polk County, according to officials. Officers were able to reportedly receive aid from the Polk County Sheriffs Office, Corrigan PD and Texas DPS. Officials said that once the pursuit entered Corrigan, the Trinity County Sheriffs Office was able to utilize a PIT maneuver to force the vehicle to stop. Officers searched the vehicle and reportedly found a small amount of suspected methamphetamine. Police said the driver of the BMW was identified as Crystal Ruther Taber, 40 of Crockett, and was taken into custody and transferred to Houston County Jail without further incident. Crystal Ruth Taber, courtesy of Houston County Sheriffs Office Tyler lawyer arrested on theft charges, accused of taking more than $200,000 from client Taber was charged with evading arrest or detention with a vehicle, possession of a controlled substance, and driving while their license was suspended with previous conviction. Her bond is currently set at $22,500. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KETK.com | FOX51.com. A former Newburyport mayor is reliving the graphic moments after a pickup truck hit an 81-year-old woman near the State of the City address at City Hall. Donna Holaday, who served as Newburyports mayor for 12 years, was headed to Wednesday nights event when she saw the impact. She told Boston 25 News that she rushed toward the pickup truck and saw a woman underneath it. Holaday said her first instinct was to comfort the victim at the traumatic scene. I got down on my knees, looked under the vehicle and thats when I noticed that there was a person under there, recalled Holaday. So I got down and reached out and held her hand and kept talking to her until the EMTs arrived. Holaday said there was nothing she could do but try to comfort the victim of the horrific auto-pedestrian accident. She describes another witness doing the same alongside her. I didnt want her to be alone, she said. You just move when something happens and someone needs help. Shortly thereafter, Holaday found out that the woman did not survive and also learned who she was. The victim, who was pronounced dead at the hospital, has been identified as beloved Reverend Helen Murgida. Murgida was a community service minister with the First Religious Societys Unitarian Universalist Church. She was also on her way to attend the Newburyport Mayors State of the City address to give the invocation. She had agreed to fill in for another religious leader who came down with an illness just hours earlier. Ive learned a lot about this amazing woman. The work shes done in education, the work shes done in mental health, said Holaday. Holaday attended an emotional vigil honoring Murgida 24 hours after the fatal impact. It was held at the First Religious Society Church, just about a block from where the accident happened. She was generous. She was kind. She was strong. She was sweet but like fierce, said Rev. Rebecca M. Bryan. She was deeply committed to supporting people who had in any way been marginalized because of their needs or differences. Holaday said she was touched to learn more about the remarkable woman she met in her final moments of life. She said she also cant help but think about the driver who was behind the wheel of the Ford F-150 pickup truck. He couldnt move [or] talk. He was just an absolute mess. Im sure as any of us would be if something like that happened, she added. The driver of the pickup truck remained at the scene. No charges or citations have been issued in connection with the deadly accident. Newburyports current Mayor Sean Reardon, who was visibly shaken at the State of the City event, attended Thursday nights vigil. This is a tragic day for the Newburyport community. Our hearts are prayers are with her family, friends, and the First Religious Society, said Reardon. As an Interfaith Chaplain, Rev. Helen touched many lives within her congregation and throughout Newburyport. She had spent a long and rewarding career in special education, and she carried her passion to support those facing challenges through her faith. She advocated tirelessly for the inclusion of people with disabilities, delivering sermons and organizing community programming to raise awareness. Counseling services will be made available to City Hall staff. 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 former female prisoner of the Georgia Department of Corrections filed a lawsuit against a former corrections officer alleging he raped her while she was in custody at Lee Arrendale State Prison. According to the filing, submitted by attorneys for a woman identified only as Jane Doe, former officer Cameron Cheeks, who now lives in Habersham County, allegedly raped her while employed by GDOC. The court record filed against Cheeks states he was employed in the summer and fall of 2022, including on Dec. 5, 2022. The lawsuit was filed in the Northern District of Georgia judicial circuit, located in Gainesville. At all times pertinent to the claims presented by this lawsuit, Mr. Cheeks used the authority vested in him by virtue of his official status to commit the actions alleged in the lawsuit, the legal filing says. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] As described in the court record, the plaintiff was a GDOC prisoner on Dec. 5, 2022, serving a sentence at the state prison in Alto, Ga. While Doe was housed in the A unit of the A building for the prisons housing units, Cheeks was assigned to that section of the prison. The plaintiff did not have a cellmate, according to the court filing. TRENDING STORIES: The complaint says that Cheeks approached Does cell and told her it was time for her shower, and that he was not the only correctional officer on duty in the building at the time. The lawsuit accuses Cheeks of moving the plaintiff to another area of the prison and violently and forcibly rap[ing] her. It goes on to say that the violence inflicted upon Ms. Doe served no legitimate penological purpose. The court record further alleges that the sexual assault by Cheeks was so brutal that Doe needed to have and did receive surgery for partial uterus removal. Does court filing alleges she suffered an internal bodily injury that required medical services in addition to surgery and she has been greatly injured physically and mentally and will continue to suffer from the natural consequences of such violent misconduct. Further investigation and discovery will likely reflect that the other Correctional Officers frequently accompanied Cheeks as he performed his responsibilities and were on notice of the fact that, prior to Dec. 5, 2022, Cheeks had engaged in one or more of the following actions, according to the court record: Cheeks allegedly verbally flirted with female prisoners Cheeks allegedly passed notes to female prisoners expressing his sexual interest in the women Cheeks allegedly raped another female prisoner in October 2022 Cheeks allegedly sexually assaulted another female prisoner in November 2022 Under those conditions, Doe accuses Cheeks of violating her Eighth Amendment rights against cruel and unusual punishment and is seeking a jury trial for compensatory, special and punitive damages against Cheeks, in addition to attorneys fees and litigation costs. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] IN OTHER NEWS: POINT PLEASANT BEACH The only thing louder than the bickering was Councilman Jack Pasola's exasperation. Pasola isn't a stranger to borough council dramatics. The 80-year-old former mayor is regularly appointed to fill short-term vacancies on council. The last time he was on the dais, for six weeks in 2021, he had replaced another councilman who got into an argument with a different mayor. It grew so heated police officers had to separate the two men. But as this most recent squabble continued, Pasola's aggravation cut through the din, rising louder than his colleagues Mayor Doug Vitale and Council President Rosa Crowley sniping at each other over Vitale's role, or lack thereof, in a new recall election. "Alright, come on," Pasola said, talking as loudly with his hands as he did with his voice. "This is worse than Washington, D.C." Point Pleasant Beach Townhall Streams Live Stream This is government in Point Pleasant Beach, the seaside town of just 4,800 full-time residents its population exponentially grows during the summer months where elected officials are just as likely to spend time debating Facebook posts as the municipal budget. Relationships between elected officials became heated after a three-way 2023 mayoral primary, but reached a fever pitch almost immediately after Vitale, who had served four years on the council until he was elected mayor, was sworn into office. At its January reorganization meeting, council voted down nearly every one of Vitale's appointments, from professionals on five- and six-figure contracts to volunteers on the recreation and senior citizen committees. Under the borough form of government, mayoral appointments are subject to the "advice and consent" of council an up or down vote, in other words. But Vitale called the rejections "political retribution." Of course it's about politics But the politics are unavoidable. Vitale acknowledged that many of the volunteers rejected by the council were people who had worked on his campaign. Among the four council members voting down those appointments were Councilwoman Arlene Testa, who Vitale defeated in last year's mayoral primary, and Councilwoman Caryn Byrnes, who ran on a ticket with her. (Councilman Michael Ramos voted in favor of Vitale's appointments; Pasola, who replaced Vitale on the council, hadn't been appointed yet.) "I made appointments that I thought would be in the best interest of the town. I didn't make any political favors to anyone I wanted to be tied to," Vitale said. "If there's still this dissension between the council, or if my ideas or initiatives get voted down, I have to make it public so the residents, taxpayers and businesses know where I was coming from and why I thought it was a good idea." Doug Vitale, president of the Point Pleasant Beach Borough Council, is poised to become the borough's next mayor after scoring an upset victory to secure the Republican nomination in the June 2023 primary elections. At the time, Council President Rosa Crowley said the professional rejections were due to Vitale not discussing his appointments with council members in advance. When it came to the volunteer positions, she cited residents "trashing" council members, especially on social media. "People have been actively, on Facebook and throughout town, trashing councilmembers on this board," Crowley said. "There is no way that I could allow somebody to volunteer for a committee on this governing body vote, to have them trash us and then be rewarded by being a volunteer and working with us." At the council's Feb. 20 meeting, Testa acknowledged that multiple media outlets, including the Asbury Park Press, had reached out for comment. She did not return multiple calls seeking comment. "We had a very divisive primary for mayor last year. Unfortunately, some people have not moved past this primary and are still trying to get retribution," Testa said. How the recall effort started That retribution has now manifested as a recall petition that could remove Testa from the council well over a year before her term is set to expire. Karen "Kitty" Stillufsen, one of the recall organizers, said the effort was an attempt to hold Testa accountable for "retaliatory acts and abuses of power," specifically citing the rejected volunteers. "I realize that recalling is an extra expense to taxpayers, but I feel that it's worth it," said Stillufsen, a teacher at Point Pleasant Beach Middle School who ran an unsuccessful council campaign in last year's Republican primary. "I am a single mother. I work full-time. Do I want to be doing this? No. But can I stand for incompetence? No." Former Cranbury Mayor Thomas Panconi, Jr., cited the back-and-forth screaming matches at council meetings when asked why he joined the recall effort. "I know what it's like being in town government. It's not easy," said Panconi, who moved to Point Pleasant Beach in 2016. "But this is like junior high school crap." The recall committee initially targeted both Testa and Crowley, but in a letter to organizers, borough clerk Eileen Farrell rejected Crowley's inclusion as any recall election must occur at least six months before the official is up for reelection. A potential recall election in late April isn't feasible, Farrell wrote. As of press time, an election to recall Testa hadn't been scheduled. "Just like the residents spoke and voted Mayor Vitale in, they spoke and voted me in. If you're not happy, you have the right ... to vote us out," Testa said at the Feb. 20 council meeting. "We're going to set a precedent that, because we're not happy who didn't get (elected), we're just going to recall you." Crowley did not agree to an interview. At the Feb. 20 council meeting, she said the recall effort left her "disgusted and appalled." "Because you don't like that she's not voting in a way you'd like her to ... when the voting time comes, vote her out, just like you have a chance for every other member up here," Crowley said. Handicapping a recall election Much like the council's rejection of Vitale's appointments was valid, so too is a recall election. Under state law, any local or state elected official who serves in office for at least one year can face recall if committee organizers collect signatures from 25% of registered voters within the district. Since recall laws were enacted in 1911, 649 elected officials have been targeted for recall in New Jersey, but more than 75% of efforts never got to an actual recall election, according to a report from the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission. Of the 156 recall elections, 61% of targeted officials were successfully recalled most recently former Mahwah Mayor William LaForet in 2018. Recalls are most successful in small towns like Point Pleasant Beach, where former Mayor Vincent Barrella fended off a recall election in 2010. The average population in the 56 municipalities with successful recall elections is 25,000 people and nearly half are under 10,000, according to ELEC. "Recalls in New Jersey are largely a numbers game. The bigger the voting district, the less likely officials will face early removal," ELEC Acting Executive Director Joseph Donohue wrote in the report. "Recalls are easier to achieve in places with fewer voters and therefore offer local voters some chance of kicking out bad officials." Recall elections are also subject to campaign finance laws and contribution limits, with less than $500,000 spent on all recall elections since 1995, according to ELEC. The committee to recall Testa filed its formal paperwork with ELEC on Feb. 23. In an interview, Vitale said he was confident relationships between himself and the council were getting better. "I'm not done. I'm not turning my back on them," he said. "It started off contentious, but we're working through the issues," he added. He declined to comment on the recall election a position that has drawn the ire of Crowley and Testa, who urged him not to "hide behind freedom of speech or people have a right." But those rights do exist, Vitale replied. "I'm not signing this recall, but I cannot tell them, 'no, you cannot do this recall,'" Vitale said. "The residents have a right to do whatever they want under freedom of democracy and their freedom of speech." As the argument devolved into a shouting match, Pasola found himself begging his colleagues to "calm down and talk calmly. "Jesus," he said. "This is awful." Mike Davis has spent the last decade covering New Jersey local news, marijuana legalization, transportation and basically whatever else is going on at any given moment. Contact him at mdavis@gannettnj.com or @byMikeDavis on Twitter. This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Point Pleasant Beach NJ mayoral, council feud; recall looms President Volodymyr Zelensky dismissed Oleh Huliak from the position of commander of Ukraine's Logistics Forces, replacing him with Volodymyr Karpenko, according to his decrees published on Feb. 29. The appointment is part of Zelensky's reshuffle of Ukraine's military command, which included the dismissal of Ukraine's top military commander Valerii Zaluzhnyi. Logistics Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine store, maintain, and transport weapons, ammunition, military equipment, food, and other items used by the army. The newly appointed commander, Brigadier General Karpenko, was previously responsible for logistics in Ukraine's Ground Forces Command. Major General Huliak has led the Logistics Forces since 2021. Zelensky announced four high-level military appointments earlier in February, including the commanders of the Ground Forces, Territorial Defense Forces, the Combined Forces, and the Airborne Assault Forces. After months of speculations about disagreements between Zelensky and Zaluzhnyi, the president replaced the previous chief commander with General Oleksandr Syrskyi, former head of Ground Forces, on Feb. 8. Weve been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced that he has held a meeting on Ukraine's European aspirations and tasks for this year. Source: Zelenskyy's address Quote: "This year should be a time of real negotiations on accession. We can start as early as spring and take the first negotiating steps. This year should also be a time of maximum pragmatism in relations with our neighbours. Everyone sees that Russia is not going to stop. Moscow wants an arms race and new waves of destabilisation. All of us in Europe need to realise this clearly. If the freedom of one falls, the freedom of all the others will not withstand either. This is the reality. We have to defend ourselves. And we can defend ourselves. We must achieve our common goals." Details: Zelenskyy noted that Ukraine's priority is to ensure that all existing agreements are fulfilled and that every word that is spoken must work in practice. Ukraine is pursuing this approach in its European aspirations and has achieved historic results thanks to it. Support UP or become our patron! Google on Wednesday was slapped with a $2.3 billion lawsuit by media giant Axel Springer and 31 other publishers, alleging that they suffered heavy losses due to the search giants practices in digital advertising. The move by the group which include publishers in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain and Sweden comes as Europes antitrust regulators crack down on Googles ad tech business. The tech giant also faces a landmark case in the US claiming it holds a monopoly over search. Axel Springer, the parent company of Business Insider, and the smaller publishers account for the 55 brands in the complaint. In all, they garner over 1 billion monthly visits. Major media groups across Europe filed a $2.3 billion lawsuit against Alphabet-owned Google on Wednesday in the District Court of Amsterdam. Getty Images The media companies involved have incurred losses due to a less competitive market, which is a direct result of Googles misconduct, the media firms counsel at Geradin Partners and Stek Lawyers said in a statement obtained by The Post. Without Googles abuse of its dominant position, the media companies would have received significantly higher revenues from advertising and paid lower fees for ad tech services, the lawyers added. Crucially, these funds could have been reinvested into strengthening the European media landscape. They cited the French competition authoritys nearly $240 million fine against Google on its ad tech business in 2021 as well as the European Commissions charges last year to buttress their group claim. The lawsuit was filed in the District Court of Amsterdam, a key jurisdiction for antitrust damages claims in Europe, the lawyers said. Googles legal director, Oliver Bethell, denied the claims in a statement to The Post, saying, This lawsuit is speculative and opportunistic. Well oppose it vigorously and on the facts, Googles legal director, Oliver Bethell, said in a statement to The Post. Well oppose it vigorously and on the facts. The 32 media groups which includes Business Insider-parent Axel Springer called Googles advertising practices into question. dpa/picture alliance via Getty Images Google last year said it disagreed with EU antitrust charges against its ad tech business where it is involved in both the buy-side as well as the sell-side of the ad-tech business. Google works constructively with publishers across Europe our advertising tools, and those of our many adtech competitors, help millions of websites and apps fund their content, and enable businesses of all sizes to effectively reach new customers, Bethell said. These services adapt and evolve in partnership with those same publishers. Representatives for Axel Springer declined The Posts request for comment, instead advising to contact Geradin. The European Union which has implemented tougher regulations on Big Tech firms than American officials with the Digital Service Act, which took effect earlier this month also slapped Google with a $2.7 billion antitrust fine in 2017 for market abuse related to its shopping service. Google also faces antitrust claims in the US, where the Justice Department has worked to expose the tech behemoths shady tactics during a historic trial. REUTERS In the years since, Google has tried to skirt the fine, but Europes top court struck down the Mountain View, Calif.-based companys last-ditch effort to avoid the payment last month, dealing a potential blow to the worlds most popular internet search engine. The shopping case was the first of three EU decisions that resulted in a total of roughly $8.94 billion in fines for Google last decade. In the US, Google has faced similarly costly litigation from the Justice Department, which alleged the company wielding illegal monopoly power that has harmed consumers. Jerry Dischler, Googles vice president of advertising products, admitted at the trial last September that the company has silently raised ad prices within its search results in order to hit revenue goals and that the stealth changes resulted in hikes from 5% to 10% for advertisers. Dischler said during his bombshell testimony Google often tweaks ad sales metrics for its advertising auctions, which determine which ads appear as top results in response to user prompts on the companys search engine, by raising rates or the minimum required spending to secure placement. We tend not to tell advertisers about pricing changes, Dischler said on the stand. Jerry Dischler, Googles VP of advertising products, has admitted in court that the company has silently raised ad prices within its search results in order to hit revenue goals. Google Despite the DOJs effort to expose its shady tactics during the closely-monitored search trial, several prominent anti-monopoly organizations including Demand Progress, the Revolving Door Project, Fight for the Future and the Tech Oversight Project have alleged that Google is still moving full steam ahead with anticompetitive practices. A total of 15 groups urged a coordinated crackdown on the corporate giant, noting in a letter to FTC chief Lina Khan and the DOJs top antitrust lawyer Jonathan Kanter obtained by The Post that Googles practices demonstrate that even the DOJs lawsuit and heightened regulatory scrutiny abroad have not deterred the company. The letter points to three separate recent developments, including a reported partnership to embed Google search results within TikTok. The tie-up surfaced last September in the middle of the DOJs antitrust trial, where lawyers were laying out their argument that Google has relied on such deals to stifle potential competition. US District Judge Amit Mehta is expected to render a decision in May. With Post wires Just two months after Google launched Gemini, its flashy new AI model, the company revealed that it had already built a better version. Gemini 1.5, Google said, was bigger, faster, and more capable than its predecessor. The February 15 announcement, outlined in a giddy 1,600-word blog post replete with sizzle reels, prompted buzzy coverage among AI researchers and the tech press. For a few hours, anyway. Later that day, OpenAI introduced Sora, a tool that generates videos up to 60 seconds long based on text prompts. The rapturous response was immediate. CEO Sam Altman took prompt requests from X users and posted the results in real time. Words like "eye-popping" and "shockingly powerful" were thrown around, while researchers mused about the threat to Hollywood and the potential for deepfakery. Then, days later, Google scrambled to explain why its image generation tool spit out racially inaccurate depictions of historical figures. The instinct to erect sky-high guardrails led Gemini to "overcompensate in some cases, and be over-conservative in others," the company said. Industry insiders responded by questioning whether the company had a culture problem and calling for CEO Sundar Pichai's head. It was yet another gut punch. "It's a PR nightmare for the company," a current senior employee said. "Googlers are pissed." Pichai has been describing Google as an AI-first company since 2016, but it has struggled to turn its foundational research which powers technology like ChatGPT into products that dazzle. Chatter about Google's transition from vanguard to dinosaur is hardly new. The company just turned 25 roughly two centuries in tech years. It has lived through five presidents and two major market crashes. Its boy-wonder cofounders are now emeritus executives, and it changed its corporate name from a word that telegraphed futurism and brainpower to a word most people learn by age 3. But the past few years have introduced new troubles: lower tolerance for risk, crackdowns on innovation, layoffs, and a narrative that its famed products like search and Gmail are getting worse. They have supercharged the perception that Google, once seen as the most desirable place to work in Silicon Valley, has become the one thing it promised it would never be: boring. The downstream consequences of Google's graying loom large: a talent exodus, stale products, and an overreliance on its advertising cash cow. It also raises larger questions for Silicon Valley. What do you do when your formerly freewheeling juggernaut the company that powered your reputation for boundless creativity and the idea that billions of dollars lurked behind any old line of code loses its luster? When Google went public in 2004, Larry Page and Sergey Brin famously told investors that theirs was not a "conventional" company and that they didn't intend for it to become one. For at least a decade, they kept that promise. Google created the mold for a new Silicon Valley culture. It was an engineer's paradise, flush with great perks, fat salaries, and a belief that long-term investments always trumped short-term payoffs. Back in Google's infancy, co-founder Sergey Brin once served employees lunch. Lea Suzuki/The San Francisco Chronicle/Getty Brin and Page had little interest in defacing their clean, powerful search engine with clutter, until they tested what would turn out to be Google's golden goose: search advertising. The upside was shedloads of cash and, in turn, freedom. The ad umbrella gave the founders cover to explore out-there ideas, and they encouraged employees to do the same. "The whole culture of 'treat employees really well, give them a sense of ownership' that was new and crazy in the early 2000s," one veteran staffer said. It built giant internet balloons. It virtually mapped Earth with satellite imagery. It built its own high-speed internet. It even tried to extend people's lives. In 2012, Business Insider listed 10 reasons Google was "the greatest company in the world," including that it "made sick perks standard for startups" and created "a little something we call 'Google Glass.'" As the company grew, the founders became wary of creeping bureaucracy. The formation of Alphabet in 2015, which put Google's riskier bets outside the core business, was meant to be a solution. "In the technology industry, where revolutionary ideas drive the next big growth areas, you need to be a bit uncomfortable to stay relevant," Page wrote in a memo to employees at the time. It would prove more portentous than he could have imagined. Ask Googlers when, how, and why their employer got too comfortable, and you'll hear different theories. Some say the company got too big. Others believe it lacks visionary leadership. Some say a fear of regulation and public backlash led to paralysis; others think it became subservient to Wall Street. One thing they can agree on, however, is the financial success of the Pichai era. Alphabet's revenue has soared. The company's market cap stands at around $1.7 trillion, up from just over $400 billion in 2015 when Pichai took the helm. Last year, Google announced that its cloud business one of Pichai's early big bets had finally become profitable. Yet 80% of Alphabet's revenue still comes from advertising the bulk of which comes from simple text ads that have sat atop Google's search-results page since the turn of the millennium. (On February 28, Axel Springer, Business Insider's parent company, joined 31 other media groups and filed a $2.3 billion suit against Google in Dutch court, alleging losses suffered due to the company's advertising practices.) As the company has struggled to diversify, fears of tipping the cash cow have only intensified. Risky prospects are viewed with skepticism, particularly when they don't involve selling ads. The result is a growing sense that preservation has replaced innovation as Google's chief form of currency. "They can't get out of their own way because they're so entrenched in just protecting what they have," one former director said. Indeed, few of Google's notably successful products were launched within the past decade. Plenty have been killed, however, including augmented-reality glasses and a short-lived foray into gaming. Even its core products have lagged. Users have long bemoaned and researchers recently found a decline in the quality of Google Search results. AI only threatens to make it worse. In a particularly 2013-era moment, models for designer Diane von Furstenberg wore Google Glass during a runway show. Giovanni Giannoni/WWD/Penske Media/Getty "They just fell into the trap of this incrementalism," said Michael Avrukin, a former Google engineer manager who joined in 2014 but left of his own volition last year. "It became so metric-driven, to 'Are you moving this tiny needle by a little bit of an inch?' If not, don't do it." For years, Googlers were encouraged to explore side projects that weren't directly related to their job something known as "20% time." Some of these experimental projects eventually shifted to an internal incubator named Area 120, a nod to a joke among employees that 20% time had actually become "120% time." In 2021, it cut short a policy that allowed employees to "bungee" into other Alphabet companies for several months. In 2022, it dramatically scaled back Area 120, shuttering several projects that were unrelated to AI and laying off most of its staff. A Google spokesperson noted that employees were still encouraged to pursue other projects, and pointed to work like AlphaFold and quantum computing and products like Magic Eraser as examples of innovation. Still, X a moonshot lab that birthed Google's self-driving-car unit and explored exoskeletons and space elevators has also curtailed its ambitions as it faces increased pressure to reduce losses. Historically, projects inside X considered good enough to stand on their own feet might "graduate" into a separate Alphabet company, but staffers were recently told, according to a report by The Information, that there would be no such graduations this year and that those close to graduating should seek outside funding and leave Alphabet entirely. In 2023, Googlers protested outside the company's UK offices in response to planned layoffs. Vuk Valcic/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty A job at Google was once seen as a job for life. The company's engineers, constantly courted by rival tech firms, wouldn't even bother to take their calls or update their resumes. So news of a plan to cull its workforce by 12,000 people in January 2023 around the time Microsoft and Amazon announced layoffs landed with an unexpected thud. "It came out of the blue, and nothing like that had ever happened before," the veteran staffer said. "Twenty years of carefully built employee trust gone in an instant." The drip, drip, drip of layoffs continued into 2024, and the anxiety is palpable. "It's now a zero-sum survival game," the veteran staffer added. "Each employee feels pressured to join whatever team is least likely to have layoffs, and nobody feels any ownership over the culture anymore." The flip side of Google's "Hunger Games" is that smart people who challenge ideas and start debates are pushed to the side. It's a far cry from the Google of 2012, when its Project Aristotle study found that the strongest trait in high-performing teams was "psychological safety." "If you lose trust and psychological safety, it's virtually impossible to get the innovation," said Patrick Mork, who led marketing for Google Play before leaving the company in 2013. "The minute it becomes too institutionalized and you slow down innovation, you lose the best people, because the best people hate bureaucracy." Googlers have long been allergic to bureaucracy. In 2018, more than a dozen vice presidents sent a letter to Pichai saying the company was moving too slowly and needed more decisive leadership, The New York Times reported. And employees have long circulated a document, titled "Why everything is so darn hard at Google," criticizing the bottom-up structure. That unhappiness has not gone away. In a 2023 companywide survey obtained by Business Insider, more than three-quarters of respondents said they were proud to work at Google. But 45% tens of thousands of employees said bureaucracy was slowing down their work. The company appears to be aware of this creep. "We're simplifying our structures," the Google spokesperson noted, while "reducing bureaucracy and layers." As the company has grown, so has the number of new hires who might not have met the "Googliness" standard once required to enter the hallowed Googleplex. At Google Cloud, employees jokingly call the company "Goracle" a reference to the hordes of employees who joined from Oracle, Salesforce, and other enterprise outfits that weren't typically seen as "Googley." In 2018, a Google software engineer named Eric Lehman sent an email with the subject line "AI is a serious risk to our business." In it, Lehman predicted a machine-learning system would outperform Google's search engine. Such a system, he mused, could be developed outside Google by a rival giant, "or even a startup." "Personally," he wrote, "I don't want the perception in a few years to be, 'Those old school web ranking types just got steamrolled and somehow never saw it comin'...'" Google has been working on artificial intelligence for well over a decade, quietly incorporating it into search, ad products, and YouTube video recommendations. It acquired DeepMind, the pioneering AI startup, in a cutthroat secret auction in 2014. In 2017, the company published a groundbreaking research paper that introduced a faster and more effective way for AI to parse information. It was so influential, in fact, that OpenAI used it as the foundation for ChatGPT. How Google failed to capitalize on its own discovery has been the ultimate question since ChatGPT arrived in 2022. People inside Google started pointing fingers: How could the company have let a small startup get ahead? Part of the answer may lie with its pesky aversion to risk. Caesar Sengupta, a former Google vice president, said that the company feared releasing generative-AI products that risked public backlash if they went wrong. "Everyone would have skewered it," Sengupta, who launched and ran Google Pay, said. And skewer it they did this week with the Gemini debacle. A similar scenario unfolded with its voice assistant, according to two people familiar with the project. The company was afraid of being the first to launch a product, dubbed Google Mic, that it had internally developed but came with many potential privacy headaches. In the end, Amazon's Alexa debuted first, while Google was left to settle for second place. There's good reason to be cautious, as various public embarrassments with new technology have made clear. Pichai has also stressed the broader merits of waiting a beat. "While some have tried to reduce this moment to just a competitive AI race, we see it as so much more than that," he wrote in 2023. "What matters even more is the race to build AI responsibly and make sure that as a society we get it right." But this has meant that Google now often holds ready-to-release products back from launch and lets rivals make the first move. "The fact that Google is not a decade ahead on generative AI is a joke, right? The fact that Google is not far and away the self-driving-car leader, it's, like, a total joke," the former Google director said, adding that the problem of Google's lost supremacy is "maybe impossible to solve, frankly." There are some signs of hope. Google now is reminiscent of the Steve Ballmer-era Microsoft, which missed the smartphone, search, and cloud waves and was overtaken by Apple, Google, and Amazon. But under its current CEO, Satya Nadella, Microsoft performed an epic turnaround. Say it quietly, but for the first time in decades, Microsoft is sexy again. But a better comparison may be IBM: still big, but no longer dominant, having shed the freewheeling culture that bred innovation and made its brightest thinkers feel like anything was possible. Becoming the new IBM isn't all downside, but it's clear Silicon Valley's original tastemaker is no longer the belle of the ball. "I think the bigger challenge they're facing is that everything becomes a utility," Sengupta said, "and utilities are never sexy." Morphing from a magic factory to a power plant may simply be the logical end of the Great Google Culture Experiment. But this inflection point requires more-radical change than a few rounds of layoffs. Rivals like Meta and Microsoft have turned their fortunes around in recent years with more-decisive, top-down leadership, forging a cultural compromise between unconstrained innovation and corporate efficiency. As Google enters its next 25 years, it may well follow in an effort to reclaim its prestige and in doing so, radically redefine what it means to be "Googley." Hugh Langley is a senior correspondent at Business Insider, focusing on Google and tech investigations. You can reach him via encrypted messaging apps Signal and Telegram (628-228-1836) or email. Lara O'Reilly is a senior correspondent on Business Insider's tech desk, focusing on digital advertising. You can reach her via Telegram (@loreilly1) or email. Read the original article on Business Insider NEW DELHI (Reuters) -India gave the go-ahead to construction of three semiconductor plants worth 1.26 trillion rupees ($15.2 billion) by firms including Tata Group and CG Power on Thursday, as the country pursues its goal of becoming an electronics powerhouse. India, which is seeking to rival countries such as Taiwan in chipmaking, expects its semiconductor market to be worth $63 billion by 2026, but does not yet have a chipmaking facility. Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to make India a chipmaker for the world as his government tries to overcome setbacks faced in its bid to offer $10 billion in incentives to the industry. Indian Electronics Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said construction will begin on the plants within the next 100 days, adding that they will manufacture and package chips for sectors including defence, automobiles and telecommunication. "This is a big decision for the country and a key accomplishment towards making India a self-dependent country," Vaishnaw told reporters. He did not give updates on other key chipmaking applicants, including Indian conglomerate Vedanta, Taiwan's Foxconn and Israel's Tower Semiconductor. Tata will partner with Taiwan's Powerchip to set up India's first chipmaking plant worth 910 billion rupees in Gujarat state's Dholera, he said, while CG Power will partner with Japan's Renesas Electronics Corp and Thailand's Stars Microelectronics for a 76 billion rupees chip packaging plant, also in Gujarat. A third chip packaging plant worth 270 billion rupees will be set up in the eastern state of Assam by Tata unit Tata Semiconductor Assembly and Test Pvt Ltd, Vaishnaw added. ($1 = 82.9061 Indian rupees) (Reporting by Shivam Patel in New Delhi; Editing by YP Rajesh and Alexander Smith) It's common for many investors, especially those who are inexperienced, to buy shares in companies with a good story even if these companies are loss-making. But the reality is that when a company loses money each year, for long enough, its investors will usually take their share of those losses. 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 Fonix Mobile (LON:FNX). Even if this company is fairly valued by the market, investors would agree that generating consistent profits will continue to provide Fonix Mobile with the means to add long-term value to shareholders. See our latest analysis for Fonix Mobile How Fast Is Fonix Mobile Growing? Generally, companies experiencing growth in earnings per share (EPS) should see similar trends in share price. That makes EPS growth an attractive quality for any company. Over the last three years, Fonix Mobile has grown EPS by 13% per year. That's a good rate of growth, if it can be sustained. Careful consideration of revenue growth and earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) margins can help inform a view on the sustainability of the recent profit growth. While we note Fonix Mobile achieved similar EBIT margins to last year, revenue grew by a solid 21% to UK65m. That's a real positive. In the chart below, you can see how the company has grown earnings and revenue, over time. To see the actual numbers, click on the chart. While it's always good to see growing profits, you should always remember that a weak balance sheet could come back to bite. So check Fonix Mobile's balance sheet strength, before getting too excited. Are Fonix Mobile Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders? It's a necessity that company leaders act in the best interest of shareholders and so insider investment always comes as a reassurance to the market. So it is good to see that Fonix Mobile insiders have a significant amount of capital invested in the stock. Holding UK72m worth of stock in the company is no laughing matter and insiders will be committed in delivering the best outcomes for shareholders. At 30% of the company, the co-investment by insiders fosters confidence that management will make long-term focussed decisions. Story continues It means a lot to see insiders invested in the business, but shareholders may be wondering if remuneration policies are in their best interest. A brief analysis of the CEO compensation suggests they are. Our analysis has discovered that the median total compensation for the CEOs of companies like Fonix Mobile with market caps between UK158m and UK632m is about UK796k. The CEO of Fonix Mobile only received UK176k in total compensation for the year ending June 2023. That looks like a modest pay packet, and may hint at a certain respect for the interests of shareholders. CEO remuneration levels are not the most important metric for investors, but when the pay is modest, that does support enhanced alignment between the CEO and the ordinary shareholders. It can also be a sign of a culture of integrity, in a broader sense. Does Fonix Mobile Deserve A Spot On Your Watchlist? As previously touched on, Fonix Mobile is a growing business, which is encouraging. Earnings growth might be the main attraction for Fonix Mobile, but the fun does not stop there. Boasting both modest CEO pay and considerable insider ownership, you'd argue this one is worthy of the watchlist, at least. It is worth noting though that we have found 1 warning sign for Fonix Mobile that you need to take into consideration. Although Fonix Mobile certainly looks good, it may appeal to more investors if insiders were buying up shares. If you like to see companies with insider buying, then check out this handpicked selection of British companies that not only boast of strong growth but have also seen recent insider buying.. 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. A delivery driver in north London suffered life-changing injuries when his e-bike caught fire while charging A government plan to double the maximum legal power of e-bikes has drawn warnings that it could increase the risk of severe battery fires and other injuries. The Department for Transport is consulting on the proposals which would also allow e-bikes that don't require pedalling to travel much faster. The government said it wanted to make riding e-bikes more attractive. But critics said the plans posed safety risks. There were more fires caused by e-bikes and e-scooters in London in 2023 than in any previous year. London Fire Brigade said it supported green transport but described lithium battery fires as "London's fastest growing fire trend." "The risk of more severe battery fires - because of these more powerful models - which the consultation does highlight, is a significant concern", said Assistant Commissioner for Fire Safety, Charlie Pugsley. Campaign group Electrical Safety First said: "Substandard e-bike batteries are already causing devastating fires across the country." MPs should focus on making current batteries safe, it said. Currently the motors of e-bikes - or electrically assisted pedal cycles (EAPCs) as they are officially known - must not exceed 250 watts. The government wants to increase that to 500 watts in England, Scotland and Wales. It is also consulting on increasing the top speed that users on e-bikes with throttles can travel, to 15.5mph up from 3.73mph at the moment. In its consultation document, the government acknowledged that higher speeds and more power could increase road risks, including collisions. It said it could also make battery fires more severe, with risks heightened by tampering. However, it said having greater power might also reduce the incentive for people to tamper with their bikes - one of the issues contributing to safety problems with e-bikes at the moment. The government said boosting e-bike power might also encourage more delivery bikes, cutting congestion and air pollution, while making rides easier and more enticing to users. But Volt, which makes e-bikes, said the plan to boost the power would "attract unsafe batteries and potentially encourage users to tamper with them". Volt managing director James Metcalfe said lawmakers were "failing to understand what our industry truly needs". "It is our infrastructure that is lagging behind, not the technology in e-bikes," he said. "Ministers need to take action to build more cycle lanes and increase incentives for sustainable transport." Campaign group Cycling UK said the main reason more people don't cycle was that they don't feel safe on the roads. It warned that the proposals presented "a huge safety risk to pedestrians and others who cycle". "The dramatically increased power would mean faster acceleration and much heavier bikes, which we're really concerned about," said Cycling UK's director of external affairs, Sarah McMonagle. She said the government should invest in better cycling infrastructure, and give financial assistance to people who need it for bikes. 'Serious concerns' Three people died in London last year in fires thought to have been caused by e-bike lithium batteries. The risk of e-bike fires has been in the spotlight in recent weeks, with one delivery rider telling the BBC that, due to the high price of reliable e-bikes, people will buy "cheaper, less reliable and often dangerous batteries". The Bicycle Association, which represents the UK cycle industry, said it was concerned the proposals could legitimise the process of tampering with e-bikes to boost their power - with a higher potential power leading to "possibly very serious fire safety consequences". It said it also feared the changes could lead to calls for "moped-like" regulations for the sector - such as mandatory insurance, registration and helmets - which could make e-bikes "significantly less attractive" to people. The government said it would use any feedback it received through consultation responses to consider how to mitigate risks. A government spokesperson said: "We're launching this consultation to gather views on how we can increase power safely for certain users, including those with mobility issues and e-cargo bike operators. Safety is always at the heart of any decisions made around e-bikes and the results of the consultation will be published followings its closure." The consultation will end on 25 April 2024. Gemini, the crypto startup owned by the Winklevoss twins, will have to return $1.1 billion to customers who lost money in their partnership with the now-bankrupt crypto lender Genesis. In a deal with the New York State Department of Financial Services, Gemini agreed to return the funds lost by customers of its Earn program, in which users could loan their crypto to Genesis in exchange for interest payments. According to the Department of Financial Services, Gemini did not fully vet or sufficiently monitor [Genesis] throughout the life of Earn, and the company defaulted on its loans and then went bankrupt, leaving some 200,000 Earn customers empty-handed. Gemini failed to conduct due diligence on an unregulated third party, later accused of massive fraud, harming Earn customers who were suddenly unable to access their assets after Genesis Global Capital experienced a financial meltdown, DFS Superintendent Adrienne A.Harris said in a statement. Todays settlement is a win for Earn customers, who have a right to the assets they entrusted to Gemini. In a tweet, Gemini said it was pleased to announce that we have finally reached a settlement in principle with Genesis and other creditors in the Genesis Bankruptcy that will, if approved by the Bankruptcy Court, result in all Earn users receiving 100% of their digital assets back in kind. The DFS said Gemini would also pay $40 million to the Genesis bankruptcy for the benefit of Earn customers, as well as a $37 million fine for significant failures that threatened the safety and soundness of the company. Both Genesis and Gemini were also charged by the Securities and Exchange Commission last year with the unregistered offer and sale of securities; Genesis settled its half of the suit for $21 million earlier this month. No word on how all of this will affect the Winklevosses cover band, Mars Junction. 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. You are the owner of this article. WA is home to 10 of the most ethnically diverse cities in the country, new study says A portion of the UnitedHealth Group Inc.'s campus in Minnetonka, Minn. A spokesperson for UnitedHealth estimated more than 63,000 pharmacies nationwide have been hit by a recent cyberattack. (Jim Mone / AP) Adjusted EBITDA : Reached $388 million in Q4 and $1.3 billion for the full year. Net Income : Reported at $215 million in Q4 and $549 million for the full year. Adjusted EPS : Achieved $1.01 in Q4 and $2.75 for the full year on a fully diluted basis. Funds from Operations (FFO) Per Share : Increased to $1.36 in Q4 and $3.56 for the full year, more than doubling from the previous year. Dividend : Announced a dividend of $0.10 per share, payable in March 2024. Operational Milestones: Completed key terminals in Brazil and power plants in Puerto Rico, with significant revenue generation expected to commence in March 2024. On February 29, 2024, New Fortress Energy Inc (NASDAQ:NFE) released its 8-K filing, announcing record financial results for the fourth quarter and the full year ended December 31, 2023. The company, an integrated gas-to-power business, has made significant strides in expanding its operations, particularly in Brazil and Puerto Rico, and has achieved a major shift in performance quality and results. New Fortress Energy Inc. Reports Record Results for Q4 and Full Year 2023 Financial and Operational Achievements New Fortress Energy's financial achievements are particularly noteworthy in the context of the Utilities - Regulated industry. The company's ability to more than double its Funds from Operations per share is indicative of its successful expansion and operational efficiency. This metric is crucial as it reflects the company's ability to generate cash flow from its core business operations, which is a key indicator of financial health for investors. The completion of the Barcarena and Santa Catarina terminals in Brazil and the installation of two FEMA Power plants in Puerto Rico are significant operational milestones. These developments are expected to contribute to revenue growth starting March 2024, demonstrating the company's strategic execution and potential for future expansion. Financial Performance Analysis Examining the Income Statement, New Fortress Energy reported a substantial increase in revenues, reaching $758.4 million in Q4 and $2.4 billion for the full year. The company's net income also saw a significant rise to $214.9 million in Q4, contributing to the full year's net income of $548.9 million. Story continues The Balance Sheet reflects the company's solid financial position, with robust capitalization and liquidity to support ongoing and future projects. The Cash Flow Statement further underscores the company's strong operational cash flow, which has enabled it to double its Funds from Operations per share compared to the previous year. Key financial metrics from the report include: Year Ended December 31, 2021 Year Ended December 31, 2022 Year Ended December 31, 2023 Illustrative Goals Year Ended December 31, 2024 EPS (diluted) $0.47 $0.93 $2.65 ~$5.00 Funds From Operations/share $0.97 $1.61 $3.56 ~$6.00 Gross Capex ~$600 million ~$1,100 million ~$2,800 million ~$1,500 million Net Capex ~$500 million ~$800 million ~$2,400 million ~$250 million This year was a record by all of our reported metrics and importantly, during the second half of the year, there was no profit from Cargo Sales recorded. In other words, all of our performance was a result of downstream operating results. This is a major change in the Companys performance, and a significant and meaningful improvement in both the quality and quantity of our results," said Wes Edens, NFE president and chief executive officer. The company's strategic focus on downstream operations has paid off, with no profit from Cargo Sales recorded in the second half of the year, indicating a shift towards more stable and predictable revenue streams. The company's forward-looking statements suggest a continued focus on operational excellence and financial discipline, with expectations of further growth in earnings and a decrease in capital expenditures starting in 2024. For additional insights and detailed financial data, investors and interested parties are encouraged to review the full 8-K filing and attend the earnings conference call scheduled for February 29, 2024, at 8:00 A.M. Eastern Time. Explore the complete 8-K earnings release (here) from New Fortress Energy Inc for further details. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. SmartAsset: Four Ways to Make Money in Retirement With many Americans living longer and retiring earlier, more and more people have time, health and energy to work in retirement. And this has led to a surge in retirees doing just that. So whether you need the extra cash or just want to pick up a side gig, here are four common ways to make some additional money after you already retired. A financial advisor can help you create a financial plan for your retirement goals. Local, Government and Nonprofit Work Just about every community has a wealth of jobs that need doing and almost no wealth with which to pay for that work. This ranges from work in schools, such as helping to manage the library, to work in local museums or parks, and helping with local government. This is the kind of work that can be ideal for retirees. Often work within the community is part-time and tends not to pay very well. This means that relatively few people can afford to take those jobs if they need this as their main source of income. However, if you already have a retirement account and/or Social Security benefits, then this may simply be supplemental income for you. In that case, the money can work out well and the light hours might actually be a feature not a bug. Local work tends to involve jobs that really do need doing. Look into your areas museums, schools, town government, nonprofits and similar organizations. They almost always need help running institutions that make the community function. Youll give something back while putting aside some extra money in the process. Seasonal Work SmartAsset: Four Ways to Make Money in Retirement Depending on where you live, seasonal work can mean a great many things. Maybe youre working as a desk clerk during a tourist towns summer rush. Perhaps youre giving tours in a New England villages fall high season. If youre in a college town, every spring commencement means a community full of hoteliers and restaurants need additional workers. Or you may work retail during November and Decembers Christmas shopping just about anywhere. Story continues The advantage to seasonal work is that its both easy to get and temporary. You generally dont need much of a background for these jobs, so theyre a good fit for someone who may have been out of the workforce for a while. And youll only be at it for a few months, which can be great if you want some extra money but arent ready to completely come out of retirement. The disadvantage can be physical. A lot of seasonal work tends to focus on the retail, service and hospitality industries, and these can involve a lot of running around. Dont take a job thats going to wipe you out by the end of the first week, and dont be afraid to ask for something behind the counter. Most employers will be happy to accept any help they can get. Lyft/Uber Driver Driving a rideshare can work specifically for retirees who are looking to supplement their income. As a full time job, driving for a rideshare tends to be poorly compensated, grueling work. For someone who wants to step in and out, though, it can be an excellent source of side money. You can turn the app on and off whenever you want, get to socialize with your passengers, and can use a car that you most likely already own. You wont be on your feet and, and while driving for hours on end can get exhausting, youre free to simply go home whenever you feel like it. One thing to note: Driving for a rideshares can come with high expenses in gas and tolls. Pay can also be low, and depending on how much you want to ear, hours can be long. But for retirees just looking to add some side money, this job may work out well. Tutoring and Test Preparation SmartAsset: Four Ways to Make Money in Retirement There are many ways to look into tutoring and teaching as a field. You can explore remote work opportunities, such as online classes and tutoring. You can try teaching English online or as a second language. You can even see about getting hired as a teacher at a school or university. This is a common recommendation for retirees, however, many of those positions are difficult to get if you dont already have a background in teaching. Remote work opportunities, such as online tutoring, may also pay poorly, if at all. But teaching in some capacity can be an excellent way for retirees to engage with students on an intellectual level and make money. If youre interested in tutoring students in foreign languages, you may want to look into getting a certification. You can also look for other opportunities through these education resources: Local School Tutoring Approach the schools in your local district about work as a tutor. Many of them need people who can offer students extra help and they may hire qualified tutors to do it. You generally dont need a teaching degree to do this, but you may need specific skills or a reason why you can tutor in specific subjects. Test Preparation Test preparation classes almost always need teachers. This is a major industry for part-time work and most require no specific degrees or certification to apply. You learn the test and how to teach it from the test prep center, so the core skill is just an ability to teach. This is a job that works around students schedules, which means its typically part-time on nights and weekends. Depending on the kind of work youre looking for, that might be perfect. What You Should Know About Social Security Benefits The full retirement age is currently 67 for anyone born after January 2, 1960. After your full retirement age, you can work and earn money with no impact on your Social Security benefits. If you are collecting Social Security benefits and are younger than your full retirement age, then the Social Security Administration puts a cap on how much you can make while still collecting full benefits. Above this cap, the SSA temporarily withholds your benefits on a pro-rata basis depending on how much you earned. Both the cap and the reduction change periodically. At time of writing, if you are younger than your full retirement age for all of 2022 the cap is $19,560. The Social Security Administration then reduces your benefits by $1 for every $2 you earn above the cap. If you reach full retirement age in 2022, the cap is $51,960. The Social Security Administration then reduces your benefits by $1 for every $3 you earn above the cap. Once you reach full retirement age you will receive your full Social Security benefits. The SSA also increases your benefits based on the amount that they withheld while you worked, meaning that you dont lose this money permanently. Bottom Line How you make money in retirement depends a lot on your specific needs. But if youre looking for supplemental income, these four options might be just what you need. Tips for Retirement Planning Making money in retirement has become a major topic, and were not nearly done yet. Read on for more ideas on how to earn income after youve finished work. A financial advisor can help you create a financial plan for your retirement preferences. SmartAssets free tool matches you with up to three financial advisors in your area, and you can interview your advisor matches at no cost to decide which one is right for you. If youre ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now. Photo credit: iStock.com/ferrantraite, iStock.com/dmphoto, iStock.com/blackCAT The post Four Ways to Make Money in Retirement appeared first on SmartAsset Blog. By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] Bessemer Members of the Bessemer City Council voted Monday evening to approve qualifications for the position of code enforcement officer. The role is sometimes referred to, colloquially, as a blight officer. The vote included two contingencies requested by Councilman Adam Zak: 1. Allow, but do not require, the officer to use his or her laptop on the job, and 2. Reduce the expected weekly hours from 20 to 15, with the added freedom to adjust hours to suit the officers schedule. The code officers calendar year runs from March 1 to Oct. 31. Responsibilities of the job, as stated in the qualifications, include but are not limited to familiarization with city codes and ordinances, inspecting city streets and roads for code and blight infractions, citing infractions, following up as needed, providing monthly reports to the city manager, and providing recommendations to the council. As stated in the qualifications, Preference will be given to contractors who have previous experience in code enforcement and law enforcement. Payment will be negotiable, depending on qualifications. In other news, the council voted to accept and file a report by Deputy Clerk Samantha Dorr on the Downtown Development Authority. Dorr said the city made $43,257 last year from tax increment financing, as well as $1,000 in interest. Among expenditures she reported were dealing with boiler needs for the Bessemer Heritage Center and an ongoing effort to set up a live-stream camera downtown. The council also approved a request by City Manager Christopher Frazer to attend a March 6 conference on Downtown Development and Revitalization in Marquette. The Northern Michigan Public Service Academy is offering the conference. Council members also: Voted to approve a revised letter to send to donors of the pending Iron Belle trailhead project. The letter invites donors to allow the city to hold their donations while awaiting a third application for a state grant or to request a reimbursement or to commit the donation to Bluff Valley Park. Voted to approve the sale of an industrial plot for $100 to Mark and Lisa Selin of 1200 Eli Ave. The plot is adjacent to their own land. After a related public hearing, voted to approve the abandonment of an alley near North Cinnabar Street. Although the council already had approved the action in a past year, Frazer said the action was not properly registered and so needed to be repeated. Voted to approve the allotment of $3,083 as the citys equalized payment to the Gogebic County Council of Veterans Affairs, as requested by John Frello, the countys veterans affairs officer. The money is used to provide services to local veterans. Voted to approve the purchase of a new dump truck at a cost of $143,831 with the help of a 5.9% loan from First National Bank. Voted to approve for C2AE, the citys engineering consultants, a water draw request of $34,094 and a wastewater draw request of $45,251 from the citys U.S. Department of Agriculture funds and a draw request of $64,895 from the citys funds from the Michigans Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. In separate motions, voted to table the following items: 1. Action on a water agreement with the Gogebic Range Water Authority until Department of Public Works Lead Ben Tucker can research rates, 2. Action on the purchase of iPads for council members until policies and insurance are researched, 3. The 2nd reading of the citys revised noise ordinance until residents are informed of changes, and 4. Action on whether or not to vacate an alley near Howell Street in order to allow Tucker time to review it. All votes were unanimous with Mark Movrich absent. The city manager also reported that DPW staff have been replacing old meters around the city. He said about 400 still need replacing, and he requested that city residents call Utility Clerk Lisa Selin to schedule an appointment for the free service. Frazer also informed that the citys application for a state grant to renovate the City Hall was rejected. He said the city will reapply for the grant while also seeking other funding options. The councils next regular meeting will be on March 11 at 6 p.m. in the council chambers of the Bessemer City Hall. By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] BESSEMER - A Bessemer housing project that has been years in the making is inching toward the possible start of construction this summer. Although not on the agenda, the pending project was discussed during the public comment session of Monday's Bessemer City Council meeting. Project Developer Chad Bucknell specifically informed the city that he is requesting a tax-exempt status for the pending complex south of the Iron Belle Trail, between South Moore and South Clayberg streets. "We qualify because we're a limited income apartment property," he said... By LARRY HOLCOMBE [email protected] President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump were the winners of Tuesdays Michigan Presidential primary. Locally, results mirrored the statewide count. Biden won the Democrat primary with 81.1% of the statewide vote, followed by 13.3% of voters choosing Uncommitted. According the Associated Press, Biden gained 86 of the states 117 available delegates to this summers national convention. On the Republican ticket, Trump garnered 68.2% of the vote, compared to 26.5% for former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley and 3% for ... By MEGAN HUGHES [email protected] IRONWOOD The Gogebic Community College Board of Trustees heard Tuesday the college has been granted accreditation through 2034. This comes following our comprehensive visit this past October following years of hard work by all staff in all areas to meet the Higher Learning Commissions criteria for accreditation, said Maria Sokol, accreditation liaison and anatomy and physiology instructor in a college press release. Accreditation is a stamp of approval that GCC is meeting quality standards, said the release. Not only does it demonstra... By LARRY HOLCOMBE [email protected] IRONWOOD The Ironwood City Commission spent time looking forward at its meeting Monday evening, approving a list of goals and hiring a firm to update the city Comprehensive Plan. Commissioners previously pared down a list of goals and then voted on the 12 remaining. City Manager Paul Anderson reported the results on Monday, listing them in a chart titled Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Goals. They included: 1. New Civic Center ice making system, 2. Coordinate, communicate and expand city recreational service and opportunities, 3. Address vacant build... By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] WATERSMEET - When Ricky White interacts with kids at the Watersmeet Township School, it's like an exercise in glee. They flock to him like groupies, engaging in high-fives, group hugs, and lots of smiles and laughs. "If I wanted to feel like a rock star with kids jumping all over me, that would be the place I'd go every day," he told The Globe. White is a Native American consultant, and for more than a year, he's been regularly visiting the school to work with all ages of students, as well as with the staff and administration. He visited most recentl... By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] WAKEFIELD Following a recommendation by the citys new Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, the Wakefield City Council voted Monday evening to authorize the city manager to develop and release a Request for Proposal for preliminary costs of two regulation sand volleyball courts in Eddy Park. Funds received by the city from the American Rescue Plan Act are expected to cover the expense. In a related agenda report, City Manager Robert Brown Jr. said that a regulation volleyball court is 52 feet, 6 inches by 26 feet, 3 inches, and the recommended... By P.J. GLISSON [email protected] HURLEY - Iron County Board Member Kurt Wolff reported to fellow members on Tuesday evening that he will make formal recommendations on the 2024-25 budget at the board's March meeting. He requested that members submit any concerns they have to him as quickly as possible. Wolff, who represents the town of Sherman on the board, is the lead coordinator in working toward budget reconciliation for the pending new fiscal year. One of his first objectives was to take what he called "a straw vote" of board members' opinions on using carbon credit funds, which... ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Barbara Elizabeth Fleming went to heaven on Feb. 23, 2024, surrounded by family in Anchorage. She was born in Ewen, Michigan, on Oct. 17, 1933, to Alex "Tanglefoot" and Martha Tyyska. She was the daughter of Finnish immigrants and stayed true to her heritage. She possessed incredible sisu, the Finnish art of inner strength. She didn't speak English until she started school, where she was forbidden to speak Finnish. Her dream was to become a nurse, but she was in a car accident right before she was to enter nursing school and her injuries prevented that from happening. She married her high school sweetheart, Jim Fleming, and they were blessed with five daughters, Jody, (Pease), Jennifer (Hromadka), Jamie (Berge), Jonnie (Ackiss) and Janelle (Sweeney). At the age of 35, Jim was tragically killed in a multiple-fatality car crash while carpooling home from the White Pine Copper mine, leaving her with the five of us, ages 11 months to 15 years old, to raise on her own. She never remarried. Two years later, her father died, and she took in her mother, Grandma T, to live with us in "the house that Jim built." We were blessed to grow up in Ewen where the power of community support played a critical part in our upbringing. It truly did take a village. She and her sister-in-law and dear friend, Dorothy Miesbauer (Aunty D), were publishers of The Ottawa Shopper, an area-wide shoppers guide that kept Ewen and surrounding communities up to date on grocery and retail sales, community events, local For Sale items, wedding announcements, and more. When Dorothy retired, she continued on her own until she retired at the age of 67. She lived a life of service and was a faithful member of First Lutheran Church in Ewen. She served in roles as organist, choir director, council member, Sunday School teacher, and anything else that was needed for her church family. She also served many years on the board of the Ewen Civic Association, from the Load of Logs to the fundraising for the Centennial Hall and centennial celebration, and of course, the annual Log Jamboree. She was the biggest fan at all our sporting events, both home and away. When Grandma T's health required more critical care, she drove to visit her in Wakefield (a 70-mile round-trip) daily, for more than two years. Four of us girls settled in Alaska, so after retiring, she moved to Fairbanks to be closer to us and her grandkids. In Fairbanks, she was an active member of Fairbanks Lutheran Church and her Bridge club. While there, she joined the PEO (Philanthropic Educational Organization) Sisterhood which provides educational opportunities for female students worldwide. She loved being a PEO sister. She lived with Jennifer and Gypsy for 12 years, until they retired and moved south. Jamie, Janelle and their families built a three-generation home in Anchorage for her to move into with them. She was a well-loved member of Christ Our Savior Lutheran Church and her PEO Chapter in Anchorage. She enjoyed playing the piano, especially for family singalongs, of which there were many, any and all card games and board games, puzzling, reading, and watching her grandchildren grow. She lived a life filled with grace, kindness, caring and love. She was so proud to reach the 90-year-old milestone last year. She was preceded in death by her husband; her parents; her siblings, Norma, Jim and Diane; and son-in-law, Michael Pease. Those left to cherish her memories are her five daughters; sons-in-law, Gypsy, Berge, Bill and Mike; special "daughters," Debbie, Tara and Sue; grandchildren, Shawn Earl, Maxwell Pease, Emily Organ and Quinn Sweeney; great-grandchildren, Charlotte Earl and Mikah Pease; some very special cousins; and many nieces and nephews who loved their Aunty Barb. We are grateful for so many of you who touched her life and ours on her journey - the Ewen-Trout Creek community, Fairbanks family and friends, especially her dear friend, Flora, Anchorage family and friends, her amazing PEO sisters, and all of those who helped us through her health struggles in the last two years, especially her church family, PEO sisters Bruce, Cindy and Janet, Pastor Dan and Jan, and Saundra and Harry. It means the world to be uplifted in prayer and surrounded by all your love. Contributions in mom's memory may be made to First Lutheran Church in Ewen or the E-TC Booster Club. Mom wanted services at her beloved First Lutheran Church in Ewen, so we will plan something for the spring so we can all celebrate the life of this beautiful woman. As she always signed her cards, "God Bless." The cost of constructing Hinkley Point C has risen to 46bn, equivalent to 700 for everyone in the UK - EDF ENGERY/AFP via Getty Images Frances demands for UK taxpayers to help fund Hinkley Point C are wholly unacceptable, according to the former energy secretary who helped develop the nuclear project. Chris Huhne, who was energy secretary from 2010 to 2012, said he was astonished and saddened to hear that both Bruno Le Maire, the French finance minister, and Luc Remont, chief executive of EDF, were pressing the UK to help with the cost overruns. Mr Huhne was a leading architect of the deal with EDF, Frances state-owned electricity supplier, to build the nuclear power station. Under the deal, finally signed off by Mr Huhnes successor, Ed Davey, EDF was responsible for all the estimated 18bn costs,with a start date of 2025. Chris Huhne was a leading architect of Britain's deal with EDF - Jordan Pettitt/PA Wire Costs have since risen to 46bn, equivalent to 700 for everyone in the UK, with an earliest start date of 2031. The delays have prompted French ministers to demand the UK help cover the extra costs. In a letter to the Financial Times Mr Huhne said: I regret EDFs 12.9bn (11bn) write down, but it is the French companys responsibility. I will save French blushes by not quoting all the promises that were made by the company about the low cost of its nuclear energy (a fraction even of what was ultimately agreed). What is wholly unacceptable, however, is the notion that the UK taxpayer should in any way be on the hook for cost overruns when it was always made utterly explicit by me and my successor [Ed Davey] that this would never happen. A clear condition of the Hinkley project was that EDF would be entirely and solely responsible for the construction costs and risks, and the UK government would merely guarantee a price (subsidy-free, taking account of carbon costs) for the electricity output once the plant started. It follows comments from Mr Le Maire at an International Energy Agency meeting earlier this month that the costs of Hinkley were becoming excessive for France to bear alone. There needs to be an equitable sharing of costs, Le Maire told reporters, adding that he intended to have discussions with Claire Coutinho, the Energy Secretary, about the issue. Story continues The UK has so far refused to consider paying more for Hinkley, pointing out that it is not a government project. Last month a government spokesman said: Any additional costs or schedule overruns are the responsibility of EDF and its partners and will in no way fall on taxpayers. EDF is vital to the UKs existing power supplies and to its plans for a nuclear renaissance. It is now running all the UKs existing nuclear stations as well as taking the lead in another reactor project, Sizewell C in Suffolk, which is regarded as vital for the UKs future energy security. Mr Le Maires comments came after he said last year that EDFs priorities should lie with France where he wants the company to build at least six new nuclear power stations to give the nation a lead over its competitors. He said at the time: The global economy is electrifyingThe need for electricity will explode. There will be, on the one hand, the states which will be independent in matters of electricity production and, on the other, those who will not. The first will be the big winners in the global economy of the 21st century. France aims to be part of this camp. 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. Doua persoane la spital dupa un accident cu o masina si un TIR Accident de circulatie in care au fost implicate un autoturism si un autotren, in aceasta dupa-amiaza, pe DN 79, la iesirea din localitatea aradeana Andrei Saguna. La fata locului s-au deplasat pompierii militari ai Detasamentului Arad cu o autospeciala de stingere [citeste mai departe] Fabrica din Romania care reia productia. Angajatii vor reveni la munca, ce s-a intamplat Una dintre cele mai mari fabrici din Romania isi reia activitatea de astazi, dupa ce a fost suspendata in urma cu un an pentru o perioada de trei ani. Sute de angajati vor reveni la munca mai devreme. Lactate Natura [citeste mai departe] The fresh newsletter for the International Community in Hungary - described by readers as a "Great read each week" - is now available for your interest and use via the link below. You can see the new edition of the Xpat E-Magazine here: https://xpatloop.com/newsletters/2024/29-february.html 1. First up is an invitation for you to a special International Community Gathering: * Annual St. George's Day Event in Budapest Supporting UNICEF, 24 / 04 / 24. 2. You can see a wide selection of events happening these days in it, and in Calendar: E.g. Lunar Dj Sets, Ageless Generation Dance, Mozart's Don Giovanni, Palace of Delights. 3. Also for your interest there are new Movies & Specials, + News, Information & Inspiration: E.g. Opinions on New President, Return of Uber, New Big Balaton Bike Route, Top 3 Night Hikes. Now we hope you like what's in it for you below. Yours with best wishes, Team XpatLoop Graphic - courtesy of Aniko Woods ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Shortcut Links: Latest News / Interviews / Directory / Calendar / New Movies / Sponsorship Notes: You're in good company together with thousands of expat readers + high-level locals = a cosmopolitan group of internationally-minded folks, known as the Xpat Community. Feedback: Your feedback is always welcome. Here are a few examples: Brett Penny, Director, American International School of Budapest: "Two thumbs up on XpatLoop's website and newsletter. A really great resource for us expats. Easy to navigate and loads of excellent ideas on what's on in Budapest, plus activities for the weekend. Keep up the good work!" Sandra Knibbs, Principal at Dance Craze Academy: "XpatLoop - great work informing us about the most compelling events in the city!" Ephie Christodoulides, Client Manager at KPMG: "I just wanted to say thank you for all the work you are doing on the site". Warren Conolly, Professional Educator. "As a fellow expat here in Hungary, I thought to say how great XpatLoop is for the community as a whole." Dennis A. Diokno, CEO & Founding Partner, FirstMed Thanks to XpatLoop for an excellent working relationship of over 20 years! Frank Hegedus, Chaplain, St. Margaret's Anglican Church Thank you for your important service during these troubling times. John Hart, Principal, International School Of Budapest Just a short note of deep appreciation to you all at XpatLoop. At these difficult and potentially solitary times your mailings are doing a wonderful job at keeping us expats in the loop, and ensuring that we still feel part of the vibrant community which is Budapest. Rough Guide To Budapest, the most knowledgeable & entertaining guidebook: "For Arts & Entertainment: The best online listings are provided by XpatLoop.com" Lonely Planet, the worlds largest guide book publisher: "XpatLoop: What the foreign community in Budapest is thinking and talking about." A pro-government analyst sees the juridical erudition of the President elected by the parliamentary majority on Monday as a guarantee against mistaken decisions. On the Mandiner website, political analyst Daniel Deak believes that the election of the new President signals the end of the conflicts of the past few weeks and thus political stability has been restored. He describes Mr Sulyok as a highly authoritative jurist whom even the opposition parties struggled to criticise. Deak welcomes the new Presidents promise that he will be perfectly transparent in granting pardons. Mr Sulyoks career as a lawyer and as President of the Constitutional Court, Deak asserts, will guarantee that the kind of mistakes made by former President Novak who pardoned the helper of a paedophile offender, cannot happen again in the future. Three opposition parties demand direct election of President A left-leaning analyst believes Sundays demonstration held by the Democratic Coalition, Momentum and the MSZP was a failure. On Index, Attila Tibor Nagy remarks that the number of opposition supporters who gathered in front of the Parliament building on Sunday was dwarfed by the size of the demonstration held by YouTubers nine days earlier. Thus, he writes, the three parties whose leaders addressed the rally only showed their weakness. The large demonstration on 16 February, he continues, expressed outrage over the paedophile pardon scandal, whereas Sundays rally was held to demand the direct election of the President a legal issue of little interest to the public, especially one day before the parliamentary majority would elect the new President anyway. Weeklies on events since President Novaks resignation Commentators assess a wide range of issues connected to the paedophile pardon scandal, from the role of women in politics to why the opposition parties seem unable to profit from the failures on the government side. In Magyar Narancs, Noemi Szecsi takes the case of the two women who had to resign from high posts as proof that women only play weak political roles. She views both former president Novak and former justice minister Judit Varga who had to give up her ambition to be Fidesz frontrunner in the European election as figures sacrificed by male politicians. Demokratas Gabor Bencsik, on the other hand, sees them as exceptionally valuable members of the right-wing political community who had the moral strength to resign after making a mistake by granting a pardon to the helper of a paedophile offender. He hopes that the right-wing community has only lost them temporarily. In Heti Vilaggazdasag, Reka Kinga Papp finds it telling that it was Youtubers and other Internet influencers who were able to organise a 150,000 strong meeting in Budapest to express dissatisfaction with the government over the pardon issue and more. However, she warns, real political change will need a new political generation to appear. In Jelen, Zoltan Lakner believes that the paedophile pardon scandal opened an unexpected opportunity for the opposition to take the lead, expressing popular dissatisfaction over a moral issue. However opposition politicians are busy outmanoeuvring each other rather than building strong coalitions ahead of the local elections in June, he complains. In his Magyar Hang editorial, Szabolcs Szereto also remarks that the opposition seems unable to exploit the opportunity provided by the scandal. Rather than coordinating their strategies, he explains, opposition parties decided to run separately for seats in the European Parliament, although, if united, they could force Fidesz below the psychologically important 50% level in the European elections. In Mandiner, Daniel Kacsoh accuses the organisers of the large mid-February anti-government demonstration of falsely claiming that they were apolitical. In reality, he continues, they played the role of the leaders of a crowd hoping (in vain, he adds) to achieve a change in government. Meanwhile, the opposition parties have again proven helpless and had no better idea than to come forward with the hopeless initiative that the president of the Republic be elected by direct plebiscite, rather than by Parliament, he writes. MTI Photo: Zoltan Mathe This opinion does not necessarily represent the views of XpatLoop.com or the publisher. Your opinions are welcome too - for editorial review before possible publication online. Click here to Share Your Story ******************************************************************************************** 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! Szilard Demeter, the director of the Petofi Museum of Literature (PIM) has won the bid to serve as next director of the Hungarian National Museum, the minister of culture said. Speaking to an evening round table programme on public cultural TV channel M5, Janos Csak said Demeter is in the first place a philosopher, but is one of the rare people who has worked in the EU, led a whole institutional system while preserving its profile as a literary author. Demeter has been selected from among ten contenders and will take up his post on March 6, the minister said. He said that a new centre named Szechenyi Ferenc Public Collection Centre comprising six cultural institutions would be set up and operated as a holding. It will bring under one roof the National Museum, the National Szechenyi Library, PIM, the Hungarian Natural Science Museum, the Museum of Applied Arts and the Hungarian Museum of Commerce and Hospitality. Demeter: New Coordinated Museum Centre Will Have to Present Cultural Unity The new Szechenyi Ferenc Public Collection Centre comprising six cultural institutions will have to present the unity of Hungarian national cultural identity, Szilard Demeter, the director of the Petofi Museum of Literature (PIM), said. The coordinated operations of the National Museum, the National Szechenyi Library, PIM, the Hungarian Natural Science Museum, the Museum of Applied Arts and the Hungarian Museum of Commerce and Hospitality will have to ensure that these institutions are able to offer a public service that can present a unified national cultural identity, Demeter, who will take over as director of the National Museum on March 6, told public broadcaster Kossuth Radio. Demeter said he disagreed with the idea that writers, visual artists and musicians should operate separately, arguing that culture was whole when it was unified. The Hungarian National Museum isnt just an institution with dusty objects, but a knowledge centre, and presenting the diversity, unity and complexity of this knowledge is a good task, he said. ********************************************************************************* 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! YORK COUNTY Bailey McLellans first day with the York County Sheriffs Department was Jan. 1. It was a great day to start, McLellan joked, with York County Sheriff Paul Vrkba doing the same. Yes, it was a trying time to be in this business, Vrbka said, reflecting on the challenges of working in law enforcement during the month of January with record snows and horrible below-zero temperatures. It was certainly a tough time to start a new job in this field. She was out with the rest of us, working a lot of wrecks and doing first response. But start she did and shes been a member of the YSO ever since. McLellan is currently working with York County Sheriff Lt. Alex Hildebrand, as she has been hired as an investigator for the department. She is specializing in investigations for cases involving sexual assault, abuse and abandonment of children. Since joining the local sheriffs department, shes attended training in this field as well. She grew up in Lincoln, later moving to Omaha. She attended Creighton University and later joined the Nebraska State Patrol (NSP) as a trooper. She worked with the NSP for two years, before coming to York County. Law enforcement runs in my family, she said. I first started in college pursuing a degree in nursing and worked in the emergency room. But I quickly decided it just wasnt for me. I loved the adrenaline rush of working in the emergency room, but it wasnt quite the fit I was looking for. God bless the people who do, but it just wasnt for me. Then I thought why not go into law enforcement? Its historically ironic how shes working for the York County Sheriffs Department. Her father, the former Nebraska State Patrol Col. Tom Nesbitt, started his 31-year law enforcement career right here in York County, as a sheriffs deputy in 1977. He was a mentor for now-York County Sheriff Vrbka, when he started working in law enforcement. Its like things came full circle, Sheriff Vrbka said. Yes, it really did, Deputy McLellan said. Sheriff Vrbka was quick to note his past relationship with her father, the longtime leader of the NSP and a former member of the YSO, had nothing to do with her hiring. A hiring team, not me, chooses our new employees. She was solely hired based on her experience, her work ethic, her willingness to serve in this position. Its hard to find someone who wants do investigation work in child assault, neglect, abuse cases. It takes a toll on you. I know, I did it for 10 years. This was one of her goals, to work with victims, make a difference. This was her passion and we saw it right away. I felt I was ready for a change, McLellan said. I looked into it, as my husband and I were looking to leave Omaha. The couple wanted a fresh start in a smaller town than Omaha. I never lived in a town smaller than Lincoln or Omaha, so this is a change for me, but a really good change, she said. My husband grew up in a small town and this has been a great change for us. And I want to work on cases to help people, regarding neglect, abuse and sexual assault. Its very important. I think theres an art to law enforcement, as certain people are so good, so skilled, in serving in certain areas. And serving in this type of capacity is hard, its challenging working these types of cases. You have to have empathy but you cant get emotionally involved, Sheriff Vrbka said. Deputy McLellan says shes very fortunate to be working with Lt. Hildebrand. Ive learned so much and hes a great mentor in this field. What we are unfortunately seeing in York County is there are so many more cases in this area than weve seen in the past, Sheriff Vrbka said. The sheriff says that yes, unfortunately there are many aspects of todays society that contribute to these types of cases. But he also feels more people in schools, churches, daycares are now trained to recognize signs of child abuse, which leads to more investigations, cases and convictions. I wish we werent as busy as we are with these types of cases, but we have restructured our staff with two investigators now because its necessary, Sheriff Vrbka said. We are glad to have her on board. Im excited to be here, working for York County, McLellan said. And Im here, ready to work, doing the work. YORK How do we educate people on local water quality concerns and strategies for improvement? Are there solutions that are good for farmers and good for the broader community? And most importantly, how do we build trust and collaboration around these issues so that we are all working toward the same goal? These and other questions were discussed at a recent stakeholder meeting on water quality hosted by the Upper Big Blue Natural Resources District. This type of meeting is required every five years in accordance with the districts action plan. More than 20 attended the day long event at the NRD office in York. Attendees came from across the district, from Hastings to Seward and places in between. They represented many sectors and demographics within the district, from healthcare, to agriculture, to banking, to municipal water systems. Many shared personal stories about water quality and its impact on their lives or their neighbors. One thing they all had in common was an interest in maintaining the quality of the water in this district. A main goal of the day was to improve the relationship between all parties represented at the meeting, recognizing that each has a role to play in protecting Nebraskas essential water resources. The event included an update from NRD staff on water quality over the past few decades in the district and a review of the current rules and regulations around this topic. Staff asked attendees to consider are the current rules sufficient to address the problem, or are there new ideas that the Board of Directors should consider? Two members of the NRD board were in attendance as spectators, but did not participate in discussion, as their role was to listen to others ideas only. There were many questions asked by participants, including what are the acute and long-term impacts for human health of drinking water that has impaired quality due to contaminants such as uranium, selenium, and nitrate? What can be done to remediate for water quality impairments, and what can be done to prevent further contamination? Several in attendance discussed the challenges of those connected to the agricultural industry, either as producers, bankers, or fertilizer and equipment salespeople, in finding the balance between sustainability and profitability. In order to see a real change in agricultural practices that harm water quality (such as over application of nitrogen fertilizer), attendees suggested it will take system-wide reform that refocuses the conversation in agriculture to profit per acre instead of yield goals. Attendees discussed the need for more precision agriculture solutions such as fertigation, as well as funding for practices like cover crops and filter strips. Part of the days discussion also involved education and outreach. What are the best ways to reach those in the agriculture industry, as well as those working in municipal water supply, those with private wells, and the general public on water quality topics? How do we measure whats working? And how do we increase the trust that all parties have in each other and in the NRD? The final take-aways from the event were that the future of Nebraskas water resources depends on collaboration and that all who call this state home should be proud of Nebraskas water and work to protect it. The stakeholder meeting was organized and moderated by JEO Consulting, who will summarize the days conversations for NRD staff to incorporate into the districts update to the groundwater action plan, which will go before the NRD Board of Directors for review. The Upper Big Blue NRD is one of 23 Natural Resources Districts across the state and includes all or part of Adams, Butler, Clay, Fillmore, Polk, Hamilton, Seward, Saline, and York Counties. For more information, visit www.upperbigblue.org or call 402-362-6601. COQUITLAM, BC / ACCESSWIRE / February 29, 2024/ Grid Battery Metals Inc. (the "Company" or "Grid Battery") (TSXV:CELL)(OTCQB:EVKRF)(FRA:NMK2) announces that Global Business Reports, a respected industry news writer and editorial author, has profiled Grid Battery Metals Inc. in its latest issue of the Western USA Mining 2024, profiling active and successful mineral exploration companies in this region. The interview and corporate profile can be found by accessing the following weblink, Global Business Reports, Western USA Mining 2024. The article includes commentary by Grid's CEO Mr. Tim Fernback, a discussion of Grid's current lithium exploration programs in Nevada, its impressive corporate balance sheet and cash balance, and the company's overall focus for 2024. About Global Business Reports Headquartered in Singapore and with offices in Istanbul, Global Business Reports ("GBR") was established in 2001 in order to provide first-hand information for global business decision makers. In an age where cross boundary trade and investment are driving factors for businesses, information is crucial. Precise sectorial reports help companies understand and expand their markets, improve their sourcing chain, target their investments and discover the trends affecting their industry around the world. GBR provides in-depth analyses and up-to-date insights into all aspects of the mining, energy, chemicals and life sciences industries globally. Our research includes face-to-face meetings with the main protagonists in the field to form an accurate picture of the actual situation on the ground. The Western USA Mining 2024 Report looks at copper, lithium, uranium, rare earth, and other minerals are in-demand commodities and prevalent in Western USA. From northern Alaska to southern Arizona, the Western USA boasts rich reserves of these minerals. The world is in a race towards a more green and electrified future, and these metals have become a focal point in global discussion, being designated by many nations as "critical," resembling oil in terms of their geopolitical significance. Nations worldwide are after self-sufficiency and reducing reliance on foreign sources; the US is no exception. Story continues With approximately 110 interviews conducted with government authorities, associations, and key C-level executives across the mining value chain, GBR's Western USA Mining 2024 report offers a comprehensive overview of the current state of the mining industry. This report aims to provide readers with on-the-ground insights, allowing them to understand how the past has shaped today's US mining industry and what industry leaders hope for the future. About Grid Battery Metals Inc. Grid Battery Metals Inc. is a Canadian based exploration company whose primary listing is on the TSX Venture Exchange. The Company's maintains a focus on exploration for high value battery metals required for the electric vehicle (EV) market. www.gridbatterymetals.com. About Texas Springs Property The Company owns a 100% interest in the Texas Spring Property which consists of mineral lode claims located in Elko County, Nevada. The Property is in the Granite Range southeast of Jackpot, Nevada, about 73 km north-northeast of Wells, Nevada. The target is a lithium clay deposit in volcanic tuff and tuffaceous sediments of the Humbolt Formation. A Phase 1 exploration program at the Texas Springs Property (Fall 2023) yielded results with average lithium grades of 2010 ppm, applying a 1,000 ppm cut-off, and up to 5,610 ppm Lithium. The Texas Spring property adjoins the southern border of the Nevada North Lithium Project - owned by Surge Battery Metals Inc. ("Surge") (TSXV:NILI)(OTCQX:NILIF) and comprised of 725 mineral claims. Surge's first round of drilling identified strongly mineralized lithium bearing clays. The average lithium content within all near surface clay zones intersected in the 2022 drilling program, applying a 1000 ppm cut-off, was 3254 ppm. (Press release March 29, 2023). More recent results have shown higher grade lithium up to 8070 ppm on this property after initial drilling (Press release September 12, 2023). Our exploration results are on-trend with these results. About Clayton Valley Lithium Project The Company owns a 100% interest in 113 lithium lode and placer claims covering over 640 hectares in Clayton Valley. Clayton Valley is a down-dropped closed basin formed by the Miocene age Great Basin extension and is still active due to movement along the Walker Lane structural zone. As a result, the basin has preserved multiple layers of lithium bearing volcanic ash, resulting from multiple eruptive events over the past 6 million years including eruptions from the 700,000-year-old Long Valley Caldera system and related events. These ash layers are thought to contribute to the lithium brines extracted by Albemarle and are also likely involved in the formation of the exposed lithium rich clay deposits on the east side of Clayton Valley. Volt Canyon Lithium Property The Company owns a 100% interest in 80 placer claims covering approximately 635 hectares of alluvial sediments and clays located 122 km northeast of Tonopah, Nevada. About the British Columbia, Nickel Projects The Mount Sidney Williams Group consists of three claim blocks with a total area of 10,569 hectares in the area surrounding Mount Sidney Williams, both adjoining and near the Decar project of FPX Nickel Corp., located 100 kilometres northwest of Fort St. James, B.C., in the Omineca mining division. Metallic mineralization includes nickel, cobalt, and chromium. At least some of the nickel mineralization occurs as awaruite. The Mitchell Range Group area claim consists of one claim block covering 8,659 hectares with demonstrated metallic mineralization including nickel, cobalt, and chromium. Nickel cobalt mineralization has not been well explored, but the presence of awaruite has been documented. On Behalf of the Board of Directors "Tim Fernback" Tim Fernback, President & CEO Contact Information: Email: info@gridbatterymetals.com Phone: 604- 428-5690 Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release may contain forward-looking statements which include, but are not limited to, comments that involve future events and conditions, which are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Except for statements of historical facts, comments that address resource potential, upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt and security of mineral property titles, availability of funds, and others are forward-looking. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may vary materially from those statements. General business conditions are factors that could cause actual results to vary materially from forward-looking statements. It should be noted that results from any adjacent property(s) are not an indication of what may be found on the Company's property(s). SOURCE: Grid Battery Metals Inc. View the original press release on accesswire.com Air India has been fined Rs 30 lakh by the DGCA on Thursday. The fine was imposed for an incident on February 12 at Mumbai airport, where an 80-year-old passenger collapsed and died after walking from the plane to the terminal due to the unavailability of a wheelchair. The regulatory body imposed the penalty, citing Air India's failure to provide assistance to the elderly passenger. Air India Heart Attack Incident According to a senior official at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Thursday said a penalty of Rs 30 lakh has been imposed on Air India as it failed to provide any wheelchair to the elderly passenger. "Further, Air India did not inform about any action taken by the airline against the erring employee(s) and the airline also failed to submit any corrective actions taken to prevent the recurrence of such incidents in the future," the official said. Earlier this month, the DGCA issued a show cause notice to the carrier, which received a response from the airline on February 20. In its submission, the airline stated that the elderly passenger expressed a preference to walk alongside his wife, who was also using a wheelchair, rather than waiting for an additional wheelchair. The DGCA official also said, "An advisory has also been issued to all airlines to ensure that an adequate number of wheelchairs are available for passengers who require assistance during embarking or disembarking from the aircraft during their journey." New Delhi: Ghazal Alagh, co-founder of the popular beauty brand Mamaearth, recently shared her experience of encountering sexism as a woman entrepreneur. In a candid post on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, she recounted an incident from last year that left her feeling disregarded. What Was The Incident? During a series of meetings with potential investors ahead of Mamaearth's IPO, Alagh and her husband, Varun Alagh, faced a disheartening encounter. (Also Read: Viral Video: Did You Know Elon Musk Used To Sleep In Tesla Factory Floor Under His Desk? WATCH) One investor posed a question to Varun, asking if he would have hired Ghazal if she hadn't been his wife. The insensitive query was made in Ghazal's presence, adding to the discomfort of the situation. (Also Read: Dating App Bumble To Layoff 30% Of Workforce) Last year before our IPO, we met 100s of investors during our roadshows. While most of the conversations were very valuable and enriching, a few conversations left a bitter taste. I learned the best and harshest of lessons as a woman entrepreneur. An investor asked Varun: pic.twitter.com/UWeFXOZdMw Ghazal Alagh (@GhazalAlagh) February 28, 2024 Alagh Expression Reflecting on the incident, Alagh expressed that it took her two days to recover from the feeling of being sidelined. Despite the setback, she found support from her husband and Mamaearth's CFO, Ramanpreet Sohi, who helped her view the situation differently. They reassured her that such instances reveal the individuals not suited for the journey of building their company. Words Of Wisdom In her post, Alagh shared a valuable lesson she learned from the experience. She emphasized that no matter where one is in their entrepreneurial journey, there will always be skeptics. However, she advised other women to ignore the noise created by those who doubt their capabilities. Users Reaction Alagh's post quickly gained traction online, garnering over 37,000 views on X and prompting numerous comments from internet users. Many resonated with her message and expressed solidarity with her struggle against sexism in the business world. Take a look at the reactions: Yes. As a founder - male or female, early or late stage - u meet investors who belittle others. Luckily they are a few. I remember 3 such VCs in our 25-30 odd pitches & 50 odd that I met. But as founder we just move on. No time to waste on creeps. Atul Mehra | AI Co-Pilots (@MehraAtul123) February 28, 2024 Your resilience is inspiring. Upholding your worth in the face of adversity showcases true strength. Keep leading and paving the way for others in the entrepreneurial world. Abhinav.Amarapuram (@AbhinavAmarapu1) February 28, 2024 Your strength inspires us, Ghazal ma'am. At Sunfox Technologies, we are committed to supporting women entrepreneurs like you. Keep shining despite the doubters. Proud to be associated with you. February 29, 2024 Apke Products se Sir par baal aajate hai>???/ CA () (@ShravakC) February 28, 2024 New Delhi: The ongoing WTO ministerial conference in Abu Dhabi took turns for the ugly when Thai Ambassador to WTO, Pimchanok Pitfield reportedly made offensive remarks on India's rice export. As per a report in the Times of India, Thailand's ambassador's remarks at the 13th ministerial conference (MC) of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) have given rise to a 'diplomatic storm' of sorts with the former accusing India of using 'subsidised rice' procured for the public distribution system for its exports. The TOI report has said that India has lodged a strong protest with the Thai govt. The paper added that commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal has lodged India's dissatisfaction over the language and behaviour of the Ambassador with United States Trade Representative (USTR) Catherine Chi Tai. India has also reportedly refused to participate in meetings with the Thai official until the 'offensive comments' are retracted. Meanwhile, Minister Goyal has strongly advocated for addressing the concerns of developing countries, including India. He called for swift attention to issues such as a permanent solution to public stockholding. He stressed, "India stands on strong principles of fair play, justice and wants to ensure that all decisions taken at the WTO are keeping in mind the best interests of India's farmers, India's fisherfolk and ensures that our work towards meeting the Sustainable Development Goals, ameliorating poverty, ensuring good quality of life and ease of living for the people of India, and promoting strong and speedy growth in our Amrit Kaal is promoted through the various decisions at the WTO." #WATCH | Abu Dhabi, UAE: Union Minister Piyush Goyal says, "Indias stand is consistent, the world needs to see who is blocking the issues and why WTO work is not going on smoothly. It shows India is a consensus builder and we are playing an important role in this regard but many pic.twitter.com/5dEhgfluMx ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2024 Earlier, in November 2023, India had told a WTO grouping with a major interest in farm trade that it will not discuss any new issue in the agriculture segment like imposition of export restrictions before a permanent solution is found with regard to public stockholding of food grains, news Agency PTI, quoting an official had reported. This position was cleared during a mini-ministerial virtual meeting of about 28 WTO (World Trade Organisation) member countries on agriculture issues on November 28. In the meeting, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal put forward New Delhis approach to the issue saying that public procurement and stockholding of food grains serve the twin objectives of food security and income support to marginal farmers. Guwahati: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced its strategy for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Assam, opting to contest 11 out of 14 seats while allocating the remaining three to its allies, the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and the United People's Party Liberal (UPPL). This decision was disclosed by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma during a press conference held in Guwahati. "Yesterday, BJP state chief Bhabesh Kalita and I had a meeting with our national president J P Nadda, Union Home minister Amit Shah and our national general secretary B L Santosh, during which the seat-sharing was discussed," he told a press conference at the party headquarters here. Out of 14 LS seats in Assam, BJP to contest 11, AGP two, UPPL one: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in Guwahati Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) February 29, 2024 Alliance Dynamics In Assam: AGP And UPPL's Role Under this arrangement, the AGP will field candidates in the Barpeta and Dhubri constituencies, while the UPPL will contest from Kokrajhar. Notably, both allies have committed to supporting each other's candidates across all 14 constituencies in the state, reinforcing a collaborative electoral approach. Seat Allocation Negotiations The decision on seat-sharing was reached after discussions between state BJP chief Bhabesh Kalita, Chief Minister Sarma, and senior party leaders including national president J P Nadda, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and national general secretary B L Santosh. Sarma highlighted that while the UPPL requested the Kokrajhar seat, the AGP expressed interest in contesting more seats. However, considering the directives from the central leadership, the AGP has accepted the allocation of two seats for the upcoming polls. "The AGP, which has its base across the state, wanted more seats. But, I conveyed to them the request of our central leadership to contest from two seats this time, and they have obliged us," the CM said. "Of the total 14 seats, we are optimistic of winning 11," he said. BJP Confident Of Win Expressing optimism, Chief Minister Sarma conveyed confidence in securing victory in 11 out of the 14 constituencies. This ambitious target reflects the BJP's aspirations to strengthen its position in Assam, where it currently holds nine seats in the outgoing Lok Sabha. In contrast, neither the AGP nor the UPPL have representation in the present parliament. Assam's Political Landscape The Congress currently holds three seats in Assam's Lok Sabha, with one seat belonging to the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF), while another is held by an independent candidate. As Assam gears up for the upcoming elections, the BJP's electoral strategy and alliance dynamics will play a pivotal role in shaping the state's political landscape. New Delhi: Himachal Pradesh assembly speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania terminated the membership of 6 rebel MLAs who defied the party whip to vote in favour of the government on the Finance Bill in the House.The disqualified MLAs are Rajinder Rana, Sudhir Sharma, Inder Dutt Lakhanpal, Devinder Kumar Bhutoo, Ravi Thakur and Chetanya Sharma. Addressing reporters here, Pathania, who had reserved his verdict on the disqualification of the MLAs on Wednesday, said the legislators attracted the anti-defection law by defying the Congress whip as they were elected on the party's tickets. "These six MLAs are disqualified and cease to be members of Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly with immediate effect," the Speaker said. These MLAs had cross-voted in favour of BJP candidate Harsh Mahajan in the Rajya Sabha elections on Tuesday. Later, they abstained from voting on the budget in the assembly. The petition was filed by Congress MLA and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Harsh Wardhan Chauhan under the anti-defection law for disqualification of the six MLAs. Earlier on Wednesday, the Speaker said that the Parliamentary Affairs Minister had filed a petition against the six MLAs of the Congress party because the anti-defection law attracts proceedings against them. The Congress government in the state faces a crisis after six MLAs crossed sides and are learnt to be in touch with the BJP. The Congress has 40 MLAs, while the BJP has 25 in the 68-member state assembly. The remaining three seats are held by independents. The Congress had managed to pass the state budget after the speaker suspended 15 BJP MLAs for allegedly creating a ruckus in his chamber, a move that came under severe criticism from the BJP. "The BJP has 25 MLAs. The number increased to 34 after the Rajya Sabha voting. This created a danger for the government... They had to pass the budget somehow otherwise the government would fall. For this, they had to decrease the no. of BJP MLAs. 15 MLAs including me have been suspended... We were suspended to save the Congress government. After our suspension, they passed the budget" BJP leader Jairam Thakur said. The BJP has claimed the Congress had lost the moral standing to be in power after losing majority in the Assembly. NEW DELHI: Tonight's episode of DNA delves into a recent development from Karnataka that has ignited a political firestorm over the last couple of days. Allegations swirl that during the celebrations following the Rajya Sabha election results in Karnataka, chants of "Pakistan Zindabad" reverberated outside the state assembly. Nasir Hussain, the triumphant candidate, stands accused of endorsing these chants during his victory festivities. While the BJP has mounted a vigorous offensive on this issue, the Congress government in Karnataka has taken a defensive stand. The pivotal question remains: were pro-Pakistan slogans indeed raised during Nasir Hussain's celebration? Further complicating matters, Congress leader BK Hariprasad has voiced support for Pakistan, deepening the turmoil within the party. In any nation, the euphoria of electoral victory often echoes through celebratory slogans, a manifestation of national pride. However, the recent events in Karnataka have left the Indian populace perturbed. The Rajya Sabha elections held on the 27th in Karnataka saw some MLAs casting their votes, resulting in Nasir Hussain's ascension as the Congress representative. Nonetheless, the festive atmosphere soured when cries of "Pakistan Zindabad" emerged, sparking investigations into whether these chants stemmed from genuine support or conspiratorial machinations. The BJP has vehemently raised objections, prompting police intervention and the initiation of legal proceedings. As the Karnataka police sift through video evidence and endeavour to identify the involved parties, the BJP has amplified the issue across the state. Amidst this tumult, the veracity of a contentious video remains in question. While Nasir Hussain has refuted claims of endorsing pro-Pakistan sentiments, the BJP has sharpened its criticism of the Karnataka government, alleging favouritism towards Hussain. Congress's BK Hariprasad's recent statement, characterizing Pakistan as a neighbour for Congress and an enemy of the BJP, has further inflamed tensions. This ideological divergence underscores the BJP's contention that Congress's stance towards Pakistan elucidates its antipathy towards India's interests. While India refrains from formally designating Pakistan as an enemy state, widespread acknowledgement exists of Pakistan's adversarial actions, fueling public ire. Given the sensitivity surrounding Pakistan-related sentiments in India, the clamour for a thorough investigation has intensified. Only through meticulous scrutiny of pertinent videos can the truth be unearthed, ensuring accountability for those responsible. Tonight, on DNA, we dissect this unfolding saga, unravelling its implications within the political landscape. New Delhi: West Bengal Leader of the Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, on Thursday launched a scathing attack on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, alleging that Shahjahan Sheikh, a key accused in the Sandeshkhali sexual assault and land grab case, has struck a deal with her and is in the "safe custody of Mamata Police." The LoP, in a post on X, alleged that Shahjahan will be extended five-star facilities while in jail. "The Scoundrel of Sandeshkhali, Seikh Shahjahan, is in the safe custody of Mamata Police since 12 am last night. He was taken away from the Bermajurr-II Gram Panchayat area, after he managed to negotiate a deal with the Mamata Police, through influential mediators, that he would be taken care of properly while in police and judicial custody," Suvendu Adhikari said in his post. "He will be extended 5-star facilities during his time behind bars and will have access to a mobile phone, through which he will be able to lead the Tolamool Party virtually," he added. "Even a bed in the Woodburn Ward will be kept ready and vacant for him if he chooses to spend some time there," Adhikari said. The Scoundrel of Sandeshkhali - Seikh Shahjahan is in the safe custody of Mamata Police since 12 am last night. He was taken away from the Bermajur - II Gram Panchayat area, after he managed to negotiate a deal with the Mamata Police, through influential mediators, that he would Suvendu Adhikari (@SuvenduWB) February 28, 2024 Shahjahan's arrest comes three days after the Calcutta High Court Chief Justice ordered to add Sheikh Shahjahan to the Sandeshkhali case. On February 26, Calcutta HC Justice asked to issue a notice in the case and said, "There is no reason to not arrest him." He had been evading arrest by both state and central agencies for over a month. Sandeshkhali in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district has been witnessing widespread protests against TMC strongman Shahjahan Sheikh this month as a section of women were seeking justice against alleged atrocities committed by the TMC leader. A large number of women in Sandeshkhali had accused Shajahan Sheikh and his close aides of "land-grab and sexual assault" under coercion. New Delhi: The Speaker of the Himachal Pradesh Assembly, Kuldeep Singh Pathania, on Thursday, disqualified six Congress MLAs for violating the party whip and abstaining from voting on the Budget in the House. The six MLAs had also cross-voted for the BJP candidate in the recent Rajya Sabha polls. The rebel MLAs said they would challenge the Speakers order in the Supreme Court. The six MLAs who lost their membership of the House are Sudhir Sharma, Ravi Thakur, Rajinder Rana, Inder Dutt Lakhanpal, Chetanya Sharma and Devinder Kumar Bhutto. They belong to the assembly constituencies of Dharamshala, Lahaul and Spiti, Sujanpur, Barsar, Gagret and Kutlehar, which are now vacant. The Speaker issued a notification on Thursday evening, stating that the six MLAs were disqualified under the anti-defection law, as they disobeyed the party whip and did not vote for the Budget in the House. The notification said that the six MLAs ceased to be members of the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly with effect from February 29. Rajinder Rana, one of the disqualified MLAs, told PTI that they would appeal against the Speakers order in the Supreme Court. He said that only one of them received the notice on Whatsapp on February 27 night and they were present in the House on February 27 and 28. The disqualification of the six MLAs has reduced the effective strength of the House from 68 to 62 and the number of Congress MLAs from 40 to 34. This is the first time in the history of Himachal Pradesh that any MLA has been disqualified under the anti-defection law, which aims to prevent defections. The Speaker announced the disqualification of the six MLAs at a press conference on Thursday. He said that they violated the anti-defection law by voting for the BJP candidate Harsh Mahajan for the lone Rajya Sabha seat and by abstaining from voting on the Budget in the House. The Parliamentary Affairs Minister Harshwardhan had filed a petition before the Speaker on Tuesday evening, seeking disqualification of the six MLAs for defying the party whip, which required them to be present in the House and vote for the Budget. The Speaker issued show-cause notices to the MLAs and asked them to appear for hearing at 1.30 pm on Wednesday. The six MLAs had left for Panchkula after the Rajya Sabha polls on Tuesday and came back for the hearing on Wednesday. The Speaker heard the arguments of both the parties and reserved his judgment on Wednesday. He pronounced it on Thursday. Senior advocate Satya Pal Jain, who represented the six MLAs, argued that they were only given the show-cause notices and not the copies of the petition or the annexures. He also said that they were not given seven days time to reply to the notices, as required by the law. The anti-defection law states that any elected member who voluntarily gives up the membership of a political party or votes or abstains from voting in the House, contrary to the direction of his or her political party, is liable for disqualification. The Congress party had issued a whip to its members to be present in the House and vote for the Budget. The Speaker said that the six MLAs had signed the attendance register but did not vote for the Budget in the House. He said that he had issued notices to them for defying the whip through Whatsapp and e-mail and asked them to appear for hearing. The House passed the Finance Bill by voice vote after the Speaker suspended 15 BJP MLAs. The Speaker then adjourned the session sine die. New Delhi: John Chambers, the Chairman of the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF), expressed his admiration for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, labelling him the "best leader in the world today." Former tech titan Chambers highlighted Prime Minister Modi's remarkable 76 per cent approval rating and his unique ability to build trust. "One thing about your prime minister, and obviously I'm a huge fan. I think he's the best leader in the world today. And I wish we had somebody like that in the US. We haven't got a political leader who has over 50 per cent approval rating, and Prime Minister Modi has 76 per cent," Chambers, who is known for his influential role in the tech industry, remarked during an interview with a private channel. Chambers also emphasised the significance of a leader's track record, relationships, and trust-building abilities. He commended PM Modi for forming relationships with every political leader in the United States, citing the Prime Minister's ability to garner trust from the people. "If you think about a leader, it's about their track record. It's about their relationships and trust. He's formed a relationship with every political leader we've had in the US. The people trusting," Chambers added. In 2022, India and US marked the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations. The two nations enjoy a comprehensive global strategic partnership covering almost all areas of human endeavour, driven by shared democratic values, convergence of interests on various issues and vibrant people-to-people contacts. Earlier in December, USISPF President and CEO Mukesh Aghi said diplomatic momentum gained during the visits of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden paved the way for a "concrete strategic roadmap" and new initiatives between India and the US in several areas. "The diplomatic momentum gained during the visits of Prime Minister Modi and President Biden paved the way for a concrete strategic roadmap and new dialogues and initiatives in multifaceted areas such as clean energy cooperation, education, space collaboration, semiconductors, quantum computing, drone technology, artificial intelligence, with accelerated joint projects such as manufacturing GE F-414 jet engines in India, putting India in the elite club of countries with such manufacturing capability," Aghi said. In June last year, PM Modi travelled to the US for a State visit. US President Joe Biden had invited PM Modi for a State visit. He also addressed a joint meeting of Congress before a State dinner at the White House. Later, US President Biden travelled to India to attend the G20 Summit under India's Presidency. MUMBAI: With the Model Code of Conduct for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections set to be enforced in Maharashtra within days, the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) is intensifying its preparations for the crucial electoral battle. Leaders of the alliance, collectively known as the Maha Vikas Aghadi, convened at the Silver Oak residence of NCP stalwart Sharad Pawar on Thursday, following a pivotal meeting a day before. MVA Leaders Agree On Seat-Sharing Deal Distinguished figures from the Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena faction, the NCP under Sharad Pawar, and notable Congress leaders graced the gathering. Deliberations spanned across various crucial matters, with a keen focus on seat allocation. A consensus was reportedly reached on the seat-sharing formula, signaling a significant stride in readiness for the forthcoming elections. Amidst preparations, attention was also directed towards Rahul Gandhi's scheduled visit to Maharashtra on the 10th. Discussions revolving around the state's electoral strategy were held, alongside ongoing dialogues with the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi. Formal Announcement Soon Balasaheb Thorat provided insights into the proceedings, affirming that the finalized formula will soon be unveiled through a formal announcement by the MVA's top brass via a press conference. Seat Allocation Formula: The purported allocation within the MVA stands as follows: Shiv Sena (UBT): 21 seats Congress: 15 seats NCP: 09 seats Ally: 03 seats Speaking on behalf of the alliance, senior Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut confirmed the accord on seat-sharing. His statement came after an extensive meeting involving representatives from Congress, NCP (under Sharad Pawar), and Shiv Sena (UBT) on Wednesday. The meeting witnessed the active participation of notable leaders, including Congress' Nana Patole and Prithviraj Chavan, NCP's Jayant Patil, Jitendra Awhad, and Anil Deshmukh, alongside Sena (UBT)'s Sanjay Raut and Vinayak Raut. Additionally, a representative from the Prakash Ambedkar-led Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi (VBA) was present. Raut emphasized that no further deliberations on seat-sharing are anticipated. Final approval will be sought from Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray, Nana Patole, and Prakash Ambedkar, culminating in a formal announcement via a press conference. Addressing speculations, Raut dismissed reports of VBA's purported demand for 27 seats, indicating instead a discussion on seats reflective of VBA's established presence. Electoral Battle In Maharashtra Maharashtra, with its 48 Lok Sabha seats, holds profound electoral significance, ranking second only to Uttar Pradesh (80). In the 2019 general elections, BJP clinched 23 Lok Sabha seats, while its former ally Shiv Sena secured 18 seats. Additionally, the undivided NCP won four seats, with Congress and AIMIM securing one seat each, alongside an independent candidate's victory. Company Logo Freight Forwarding Market Leading Container Ship Operators Global V Freight Forwarding Market Leading Container Ship Operators Global V Dublin, Feb. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Freight Forwarding - Market Share Analysis, Industry Trends & Statistics, Growth Forecasts 2019 - 2029" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. With international commerce continuing to surge, the latest industry analysis forecasts a positive trajectory for the global freight forwarding market. The sector, which stood at USD 168.99 billion in 2023, is projected to ascend to a value of USD 207.19 billion by 2028, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.16% during the period from 2023 to 2028. Robust trade activities across the world serve as the backbone for this remarkable growth. Particularly, business operations are gaining momentum with the resumption of internal air freight movements, underpinning the expansion of the market. In-depth studies encapsulate the industry's response to unprecedented events that tested supply chain resilience in recent times. These include global disruptions such as the COVID-19 pandemic aftermath, obstruction of the Suez Canal, geopolitical tensions, and the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The industry is increasingly spotlighting the necessity for agile, adaptable, and transparent supply chain solutions, emphasizing the role of digitalization in enhancing operational effectiveness. Contemporary Market Dynamics and Projections With an economic slowdown on the horizon, as indicated by institutions like the International Monetary Fund and World Trade Organization, freight forwarders are preparing for an atmosphere of heightened caution and strategic adjustments. The recalibration of air and sea freight dynamics is leading to shifts in global trade patterns, with the air freight sector currently experiencing a downturn in demand post a pandemic-induced peak. Strategic sourcing shifts are being observed as traders seek alternatives to previously dominant markets, a move that is fostering market variety and resilience. Story continues The logistics industry, specifically ocean freight, looks towards self-correction amidst fluctuating global demands. Conversely, air freight continues to chart a course peppered with challenges, from decreased demand to route adjustments. The Freight Forwarding market landscape remains diverse, with a mixture of leading global entities, regional champions, and specialized local operators. Collaboration and mergers are on the upswing, particularly in progressive regions like ASEAN, propelled by burgeoning trade and commerce activities. This comprehensive market overview provides invaluable insights for entities engaged in the freight forwarding sector, offering a granular look at the factors driving industry growth and the challenges lying ahead. A selection of companies mentioned in this report includes: Kuehne + Nagel International AG DB Schenker Bollore Logistics DHL Global Forwarding Nippon Express Co. Ltd. DSV Global Transports and Logistics The Maersk Group C.H. Robinson Panalpina United Parcel Service FedEx Corp. Walmart Group MGF (Manitoulin Global Forwarding) Hellmann Worldwide Logistics Expeditors International Dachser Imerco Sinotrans India Private Limited CEVA Logistics Uber Freight LLC For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/z5nfkp About ResearchAndMarkets.com ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends. Attachment CONTACT: CONTACT: ResearchAndMarkets.com Laura Wood,Senior Press Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call 1-917-300-0470 For U.S./ CAN Toll Free Call 1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 New Dehi: West Bengal police arrested Trinamool Congress leader Shahjahan Sheikh on Wednesday. The TMC leader was arrested from the Minakhan area in North 24 Parganas in the early hours of Thursday morning. Speaking to ANI, SDPO of Minakhan, Aminul Islam Khan said Shahjahan Sheikh was taken to Basirhat Court and will be produced before the court at 2 pm today. With Sheikh Shahjahan's arrest, the police are now on high alert to maintain law and order in the region. The arrest comes three days after the Calcutta High Court Chief Justice ordered to add Sheikh Shahjahan to the Sandeshkhali case. On February 26, Calcutta HC Justice asked to issue a notice in the case and said, "There is no reason to not arrest him." "Public notice shall be given in this case. There is no stay order in Sandeshkhali cases. There is no reason to not arrest him," the Court said. Earlier, the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) had on February 23 raided nearly half-a-dozen locations in West Bengal including residences of Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan and his close aides in connection with the alleged land grabbing case Sandeshkhali in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district has been witnessing widespread protests against Trinamool Congress strongman Shahjahan Sheikh this month as a section of women are seeking justice against alleged atrocities committed by the TMC leader. Sheikh and his close aides have been accused of sexual harassment and land-grabbing. A large number of women in Sandeshkhali had accused Trinamool Congress strongman Shajahan Sheikh and his supporters of "land-grab and sexual assault" under coercion. Shahjahan continues to evade arrest, with both state police and central agencies unable to trace him. Targeting Cookies These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising. PUNE: In a surprising move, Sharad Pawar, the influential leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), has extended an invitation to Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, along with deputy CMs Devendra Fadnavis and his nephew Ajit Pawar, for lunch at his residence in Baramati on March 2. Invitation Amid Internal Rift Within NCP This invitation comes against the backdrop of internal turmoil within the NCP and strained relations between Sharad Pawar and his nephew Ajit Pawar, who had defected to join the Shiv Sena-BJP government last year. Trio Invited To Job Fair The trio of Shinde, Fadnavis, and Ajit Pawar are slated to attend a job fair, 'Namo Maharojgar Melava', at Vidya Pratishthan college in Baramati, triggering speculation about the underlying political motives behind Pawar's gesture. Ajit Pawar's Potential Next Move Additionally, there are murmurs of Ajit Pawar contemplating fielding a candidate for the Baramati Lok Sabha constituency, currently represented by Sharad Pawar's daughter, Supriya Sule. In the official invitation, dated February 28, Sharad Pawar, accompanied by Supriya Sule, expressed their desire to attend the event as parliamentarians. Furthermore, in his capacity as the president of Vidya Pratishthan, Pawar extended a warm welcome to the CM on the institution's premises. Speculations Over Pawar's Invitation The invitation for a meal at Pawar's residence, 'Govindbaug', after the event raises questions about whether this gesture symbolizes a potential reconciliation or serves as a strategic political move amidst shifting alliances and power dynamics in Maharashtra politics. New Delhi: The Terrorist and Anti-Disruptive Activities Act (TADA) court on Thursday acquitted Abdul Karim Tunda, the primary accused in the 1993 serial bomb blasts case, citing a lack of evidence. Advocate Shafqat Sultani, representing Tunda, highlighted that the CBI failed to provide substantial evidence against Abdul Karim Tunda. "Abdul Karim Tunda is innocent, today the Court gave this judgement. Abdul Karim Tunda has been acquitted in all sections and all acts. CBI prosecution could not produce any concrete piece of evidence before the court in TADA, IPC, Railway Acts, Arms Act, or Explosive Substances Act," Advocate Sultani told reporters. The CBI had accused Tunda of being the mastermind behind the blasts on four trains on the first anniversary of the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition. "We had been saying from the beginning that Abdul Karim Tunda is innocent...Irfan and Hamiduddin have been convicted and the quantum of the sentence will be pronounced shortly," he added. The charges were framed against Tunda, and two other accused, identified as Irfan alias Pappu and Hamiruddin, for orchestrating the blasts in Lucknow, Kanpur, Hyderabad, Surat and Mumbai on the intervening night of December 5-6, 1993. New Delhi: Karnataka Deputy CM and Congress observer DK Shivakumar on Thursday expressed his regret over the poor performance of the party in the Rajya Sabha elections in Himachal Pradesh. He said that the chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has acknowledged the failure and assured that it will not be repeated. He also announced the formation of a coordination committee between the party and the government, consisting of five to six members, including the PCC president, the CM, the deputy CM and others. "...Our CM accepted that some failure has happened. But it will not continue further. We have spoken to all the MLAs personally. We have spoken to the PCC president, CM. One round of discussion will happen later. So all of them have sorted out all their differences. They'll work together... We are forming a coordination committee between the party and the government with five to six members....They will all work together to save the party and save the government," Shivakumar said while addressing the media. #WATCH | Shimla, Himachal Pradesh: Congress observer DK Shivakumar says, "...Our CM accepted that some failure has happened. But it will not continue further. We have spoken to all the MLAs personally. We have spoken to the PCC president, CM. One round of discussion will happen pic.twitter.com/VHwzx991xC ANI (@ANI) February 29, 2024 Earlier in the day, Shivakumar met with the state Congress leaders Vikramaditya Singh and Pratibha Singh in Shimla and said that he had spoken to all the MLAs personally and resolved their differences. He claimed that there was no problem in the government and that it would complete its five-year term. He said that the coordination committee would work together to save the party and the government from any crisis. BJP Doing Petty Politics: Sukhu Amid the political drama unfolding in the state, CM Sukhu while addressing the media said, "After Rajya Sabha elections everybody started thinking that Himachal Pradesh government is breaking...I also came across news that the state CM has resigned, which I highly condemned, this all was done to ensure that during final voting our numbers get down." #WATCH | Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu says, "After Rajya Sabha elections everybody started thinking that Himachal Pradesh government is breaking...I also came across news that the state CM has resigned, which I highly condemned, this all was done to pic.twitter.com/RIyxCvzDyi ANI (@ANI) February 29, 2024 "I wish to ask which majority BJP is talking about? They are the ones who created a ruckus in the House...I wish to say this to the BJP the kind of petty politics they are doing with no majority. Their only purpose is to take down our government, people will give them befitting reply," he added. New Delhi: The Union Cabinet has given the green light to a proposal worth Rs 24,420 crore to set the rates for subsidising phosphatic and potassic (P&K) fertilisers. This move also includes adding three new types of fertilisers to the subsidy scheme for the Kharif season of 2024, which runs from April to September this year. Why Is It Important? This scheme aims to ensure that farmers can get fertilisers they need at prices that are subsidised, meaning they're cheaper and more affordable. It's a way to make sure farmers have access to fertilisers without having to spend too much money. (Also Read: India's GDP Grows At 8.4% In Q3; Economy To Expand At 7.6% In FY24: Govt Data) What's The Plan? The government will adjust the subsidy rates for P&K fertilisers based on the current international prices for these fertilisers and the cost of the materials needed to make them. By doing this, they hope to make sure that the subsidy rates are fair and reflect the actual costs. (Also Read: Mamaearth Co-Founder Ghazal Alagh Opens Up About Facing Sexism; Read Her Post) New Additions The plan also involves including three new types of fertilisers in the subsidy scheme. These fertilisers are designed to help improve soil health and give farmers more options when choosing fertilisers that are right for their land. What Farmers Can Expect Farmers can expect to get subsidised rates for P&K fertilisers during the Kharif season of 2024, starting from April 1st and lasting until September 30th. This ensures that farmers can easily access the fertilisers they need without worrying too much about the cost. Overall Impact This initiative makes a total of 25 types of P&K fertilisers available to farmers at subsidised rates. The aim is to support farmers in increasing their crop production and ultimately boosting their income. (With IANS Inputs) New Delhi: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has cancelled the licence of Sumerpur Mercantile Urban Cooperative Bank Limited, Sumerpur, Pali, Rajasthan. Consequently, the bank ceases to carry on banking business, with effect from the close of business on February 28, 2024, the RBI said in a release. The Registrar of Cooperative Societies, Rajasthan has also been requested to issue an order for winding up the bank and appoint a liquidator for the bank, RBI added. "Consequent to the cancellation of its licence, Sumerpur Mercantile Urban Cooperative Bank Limited, Sumerpur, Pali, Rajasthan is prohibited from conducting the business of banking which includes, among other things, acceptance of deposits and repayment of deposits as defined in Section 5(b) read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 with immediate effect," RBi said in a release. On liquidation, every depositor would be entitled to receive deposit insurance claim amount of his/her deposits up to a monetary ceiling of Rs 5,00,000/- (Rupees five lakh only) from Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC) subject to the provisions of DICGC Act, 1961. As per the data submitted by the bank, 99.13% of the depositors are entitled to receive full amount of their deposits from DICGC. As on November 30, 2023, DICGC has already paid Rs 45.22 crore of the total insured deposits under the provisions of Section 18A of the DICGC Act, 1961 based on the willingness received from the concerned depositors of the bank. The Reserve Bank said that it cancelled the licence of the bank as the latter does not have adequate capital and earning prospects. As such, it does not comply with the provisions of Section 11(1) and Section 22 (3)(d) read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949. Further, RBI said, the bank has failed to comply with the requirements of Sections 22(3)(a), 22(3)(b), 22(3)(c), 22(3)(d) and 22(3)(e) read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949; the continuance of the bank is prejudicial to the interests of its depositors; the bank with its present financial position would be unable to pay its present depositors in full; and pblic interest would be adversely affected if the bank is allowed to carry on its banking business any further. New Delhi: Russian President Vladimir Putin warned NATO nations on Thursday (February 29) that they could trigger a nuclear war if they deployed troops to Ukraine, saying that Russia needed to fortify its western military district in response to Finland and Sweden joining the Atlantic alliance. The United States and major European allies this week ruled out sending ground forces to Ukraine, following Frances suggestion of the option. Putin delivered the caution during his yearly speech to Russias lawmakers and other members of the countrys establishment. The war in Ukraine has caused the worst crisis in Moscows ties with the West since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. Putin has already warned of the perils of a direct clash between NATO and Russia, but his nuclear caution on Thursday was one of his most blunt. Speaking to lawmakers and other members of the countrys elite, Putin, 71, reiterated his claim that the West was intent on weakening Russia, and he implied that Western leaders did not grasp how risky their interference could be in what he portrayed as Russias own domestic affairs. He preceded his nuclear caution with a specific reference to an idea, proposed by French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday, of European NATO members sending ground troops to Ukraine - a suggestion that was swiftly dismissed by the United States, Germany, Britain and others. (Western nations) must understand that we also have weapons that can strike targets on their territory. All this really risks a conflict with the use of nuclear weapons and the annihilation of civilisation. Dont they comprehend that?! said Putin. Ahead of a March 15-17 presidential election when he is sure to be re-elected for another six-year term, he praised what he said was Russias greatly modernised nuclear arsenal, the largest in the world. Strategic nuclear forces are in a state of full readiness, he said, noting that new-generation hypersonic nuclear weapons he first mentioned in 2018 had either been deployed or were at a stage where development and testing were being finished. Visibly furious, Putin suggested Western politicians remember the fate of those like Nazi Germanys Adolf Hitler and Frances Napoleon Bonaparte who had unsuccessfully invaded Russia in the past. But now the consequences will be far more dire, said Putin. They think it (war) is a cartoon, he said, accusing Western politicians of forgetting what real war meant because they had not faced the same security challenges as Russians had in the last three decades. Russian forces now had the upper hand on the battlefield in Ukraine and were advancing in several places, Putin said. Russia must also increase the troops it has deployed along its western borders with the European Union after Finland and Sweden decided to join the NATO military alliance, he added. The veteran Kremlin leader rejected Western suggestions that Russian forces might go beyond Ukraine and attack European countries as nonsense. He also said Moscow would not repeat the mistake of the Soviet Union and allow the West to drag it into an arms race that would consume too much of its budget. Therefore, our task is to develop the defence-industrial complex in such a way as to enhance the scientific, technological and industrial potential of the country, he said. Putin said Moscow was open to discussions on nuclear strategic stability with the United States but implied that Washington had no genuine interest in such talks and was more focused on making false claims about Moscows alleged aims. Recently there have been more and more unfounded accusations against Russia, for example that we are allegedly going to deploy nuclear weapons in space. Such innuendo is a ploy to draw us into negotiations on their terms, which are favourable only to the United States, he said. On the eve of the U.S. presidential election, they simply want to show their citizens and everyone else that they still rule the world. Straits Research - Market Research Strategy | Strategy Consulting | Business Research | Business Consulting | Market Research Hyperscale data centers are one of the major investors in the global optical connectivity market. These technologies are used by most hyper-scale data centers that support online businesses like Facebook, Google, Amazon, and Microsoft. New York, United States, Feb. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The phrase "optical interconnect" refers to various techniques used in integrated circuits to transfer data via light. Optical interconnects are an attractive solution for increasing bandwidth while reducing density and power consumption in high-performance data communication systems. Polymer optical waveguide technology enables the cost-effective, manageable integration of large optical interconnects into racks and onto motherboards. Download Free Sample Report PDF @ https://straitsresearch.com/report/optical-interconnect-market/request-sample Increasing Investment in Data Centers Interconnect and Fiber Optic Communication Drives the Global Market According to Straits Research, The global optical interconnect market size was valued at USD 11.63 billion in 2021. It is projected to reach USD 35.76 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 13.29% during the forecast period (2022-2030). An optical connection is one of the basic designs used in fiber optic communication networks. The number of data center service providers increased, and they all adopted server architectures based on optical technology. As data requirements continue to rise, service providers will remain to look for extensive fiber optic connectivity choices. Additionally, hyperscale data centers are one of the leading investors in the market under scrutiny. Most hyper-scale data centers power online companies like Facebook, Google, Amazon, and Microsoft use these technologies. Millions of computers are housed in these hyper-scale data centers, which use fiber-optic networks to coordinate their efforts to manage the vast amounts of data consumers require. These factors are anticipated to drive market growth over the forecast period. Story continues Growth of Data Communication and the Incorporation of Various Technologies Creates Tremendous Opportunities Based on electronic packet switches, current data center networks experience an exponential increase in network traffic due to the growth of cloud computing. Optical interconnects are a potential substitute that offers high throughput, low latency, and low power consumption. Adopting optical interconnects in sizable data centers utilized by enterprises is significant. It is essential to have interconnected with high bandwidth and low latency that are power-efficient. Optical technology is only used for point-to-point connectivity in data centers, just as point-to-point optical links were only ever used in prior telecommunication networks (opaque networks). However, work on optically switched interconnects is currently ongoing. Regional Analysis Asia-Pacific optical interconnect market share is expected to grow at a CAGR of 14.40% during the forecast period. The continual advancements in communication technology are the main forces behind the market's expansion. China accounts for more than half of the annual global demand for optical cable. In addition to supporting enterprises, the Chinese government authorities also install fiber-optic systems to support the country's infrastructure, which includes airports, data centers, highways, railroads, and pipelines. Nokia received two contracts for its data center interconnect (DCI) network technology from the Chinese webscale giants Tencent and Baidu. Tencent and Baidu will strengthen their current strong cooperation with Nokia to increase their software-defined DCI infrastructure and obtain the dynamic, massive-scale optical bandwidth they need to support growing cloud operations in China and the US. Europe is expected to grow at a CAGR of 12.28%, generating USD 7,268.64 million during the forecast period. Industrial and R&D firms from Europe's telecoms and microelectronics industries are creating a high-level strategic roadmap of core technologies for future connectivity systems and components targeted at the next generation of telecommunications networks and services. Additionally, it is projected that 5G will connect billions of devices, digitizing industries and enhancing social and economic development in various sectors. The strategy aims to lay the foundation for long-term technological superiority by Europe in the 5G era and beyond. It is therefore anticipated that these enhancements will favor the market's expansion in the region. The US has been one of the significant contributors to the growth of the optical interconnect market due to its massive internet usage and growing communication infrastructure. These trends require better connectivity, which is increasing demand for optical interconnect connectors across the country. The region has many well-established retailers, which helps the industry grow. Molex, Inc., Amphenol Corporation, Cisco Systems, and Finisar Corporation. Through acquisitions, vendors consistently increase their market shares. For instance, Acacia Communications, Inc. was acquired by Cisco Systems, Inc. after most Acacia shareholders authorized the transaction. In addition, the United States is one of the top inventors and investors in the 5G market due to the high investment rate for the 5G rollout. Telecom companies, including AT&T (US) and T-Mobile, have started several efforts towards 5G services in the US., a developing market in Canada for communications infrastructure. Competitive Players The Top 10 players in the global optical interconnect market are 3M Company, Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd, Molex LLC, Amphenol Corporation, TE Connectivity Ltd, Go!Foton Inc., II-VI Incorporated, Corning Incorporated, Cisco Systems Inc., and Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. Market News In April 2022, Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd., at the request of the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, cooperated in providing technical guidance for engineers engaged in communications infrastructure at a human resource development seminar held at the National Polytechnic Institute of Cambodia (NPIC), a vocational school in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. In September 2022, Molex introduced first-to-market hybrid optical-electrical interconnects for co-packaged optics. Global Optical Interconnect Market: Segmentation By Product Category Cable Assemblies Indoor Cable Assemblies Outdoor Cable Assemblies Active Optical Cables Multi-source Agreements Connectors LC Connectors SC Connectors ST Connectors MPO/MTO Connectors Free Space Optics, Fiber, and Waveguides Silicon Photonics PIC-based Interconnects Optical Engines By Interconnect Level Metro and Long-haul Optical Interconnect Board-to-Board and Rack-level Optical Interconnect Chip- and Board-level Optical Interconnect By Fiber Mode Single-mode fiber Multimode Fiber By Data Rate Less than 10 Gbps 10 Gbps to 40 Gbps 41 Gbps to 100 Gbps More than 100 Gbps By Distance Less than 1 km 1 km to 10 km 11 km to 100 km More than 100 km By Application Telecommunication Data Communication By Regions North America Europe Asia-Pacific LAMEA Get Detailed Market Segmentation @ https://straitsresearch.com/report/optical-interconnect-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 The secondary battery market is bolstered by the Increasing adoption of electric vehicles, decreasing prices of lithium-ion battery these factors are anticipated to driving the market growth during the forecast period. New York, United States, Feb. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A secondary battery is an electrical battery that can be repeatedly charged, discharged, and recharged. Secondary batteries power electronic devices, mobile phones, and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs). The growth of the global secondary battery market is fueled by several factors, including technological advancements, an increase in end-user industries, government policy-level support to promote energy storage infrastructure, etc. In the beginning, almost all secondary batteries were lead-acid batteries. However, as technology advanced, other types of batteries, such as lithium-ion batteries, which are more effective and powerful, entered the market. Download Free Sample Report PDF @ https://straitsresearch.com/report/secondary-battery-market/request-sample Increasing Adoption of Electric Vehicles Drives the Global Market According to Straits Research, The global secondary battery market was valued at USD 93.85 billion in 2021. It is projected to reach USD 300.41 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 13.80 % during the forecast period (20222030). Hybrid cars increasingly rely on secondary battery systems. As demand for EVs rises, EV manufacturers have become the largest buyers of lithium-ion batteries. Subsidies and other government programs are being implemented in many nations to promote the widespread adoption of EVs. Electric vehicles typically use lithium-ion batteries. Due to the decreasing price of lithium-ion batteries, the production of electric vehicles has become more affordable. NiMH batteries, which can be utilized in a wide range of temperatures and are quick to recharge, are ideally suited for automobiles. Growing Use of Artificial Intelligence in the Research and Development Phase of Battery Manufacturing Creates Tremendous Opportunities The battery manufacturers are investing heavily in R&D initiatives to increase battery life. The industrial sector will likely adopt batteries more frequently as their performance and cost improvements. Therefore, artificial intelligence in the R&D phase of battery production may indirectly influence the growth of the secondary market in the coming years. AI is anticipated to reduce R&D expenditures and accelerate the research process. Depending on how the battery will be used and other technical specifications, AI can make in-depth structural design recommendations that result in optimized battery performance. AI is expected to cut down on the costs of R&D and speed up the process. Story continues Regional Analysis Asia-Pacific secondary battery market share is expected to grow at a CAGR of 15.89% during the forecast period. The adoption of electric vehicles is accelerating in developed and developing Asia-Pacific economies. Due to increasing urbanization, rising sales of consumer electronics such as smartphones, tablets, and computers, and the number of internet users in the country is soaring. Due to the expansion of the automotive industry and the proliferation of smart devices, Japan holds a sizeable portion of the global secondary battery market. China has a secure grip on the lithium-ion battery manufacturing supply chain because of the cost advantages and convenience of having access to battery materials. South America is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.12% during the forecast period. The expanding demand for consumer electronics in Brazil is a significant boon for the secondary market. Vehicle production growth has increased the demand for lead-acid batteries used in SLI applications. With a growing population, vehicle demand is anticipated to grow further. Brazil has been at the forefront of developing standards for adopting electric vehicles (EVs) over internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address climate change challenges. The government of Argentina intends to explore the country's vast lithium reserves. It is anticipated that the large lithium reserve will provide ample opportunity for industrial lithium-ion battery manufacturers to construct a manufacturing center in Argentina and produce relatively inexpensive batteries for the market. The government of the United Kingdom is taking many steps to improve the country's telecommunications infrastructure. It is a good indication of the future sales of secondary batteries. In addition, Russia has started replacing lead-acid batteries with lithium-ion batteries for their Base Transceiver Station (BTS) power backup solutions, a move that will increase the need for industrial batteries in the country. Also, Germany has been victorious in luring investors worldwide to fund the construction of lithium-ion battery production facilities. Key Highlights Based on technology, the global secondary battery market is bifurcated into lead-acid batteries, lithium-ion batteries, and others. The lead acid battery segment is the highest contributor to the market and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.24 % during the forecast period. Based on application, the global secondary battery market is bifurcated into automotive batteries, industrial batteries, portable batteries, and others. The automotive batteries segment owns the highest market share and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 18.36 % during the forecast period. Asia-Pacific is the most significant shareholder in the global secondary battery market and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 15.89 % during the forecast period. Competitive Players The Top 10 players in the global secondary battery market are LG Chem Co. Ltd., Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited, Samsung SDI Co. Ltd., TDK Corporation, Panasonic Corporation and BYD Co. Ltd, and EnerSys. Market News In December 2021, ABSLTM Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries were successfully integrated into the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) James Webb Space Telescope launch. In August 2022, LG Chem, a leading global diversified chemical company, and ADM, a global leader in nutrition and biosolutions, established two joint ventures for the U.S. production of lactic acid and polylactic acid to meet the rising demand for a wide range of plant-based products, including bioplastics. In August 2022, Contemporary Amperex Tech Co., Limited (CATL) announced it would invest 7.34 billion euros in constructing a 100 GWh battery plant in Debrecen, east Hungary. It will be the company's second battery plant in Europe after its German plant. Global Secondary Battery Market: Segmentation By Technology Lead-acid Battery Lithium-ion Battery Nickel Metal Hydride Other NiMH NICD By Applications Automotive Batteries Industrial Batteries Portable Batteries Motor Vehicle Electronic HEV NEV Stationary Telecom UPS Other By Regions North America Asia-Pacific Europe The Middle East and Africa South America Get Detailed Market Segmentation @ https://straitsresearch.com/report/secondary-battery-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 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 29, 2024) - GMV Minerals Inc. (TSXV: GMV) (OTCQB: GMVMF) (the "Company" or "GMV") is pleased to announce that further to receipt of additional geophysical depth analysis of its helicopter-borne high resolution magnetic and radiometric survey, the Company's exploration team has proposed an initial drill program of six holes at the Daisy Creek property. The program is designed to test the Daisy Property for prospective Lithium Claystone (LC) mineralization. The property was explored in the past because of the prospectivity for uranium with lithium being identified serendipitously. Drill targets have been established based upon recent sampling, historical data, and the high-resolution aeromagnetic survey completed by Precision GeoSurveys in late 2023. The aeromagnetic data was inverted to determine depth of the caldera basement. The flatter-lying Tertiary tuffs and claystones on the property are deposited into this caldera. Later basaltic intrusions and extrusions complicate portions of the basin, but in general a gently dipping margin appears to steepen as the slope approaches the center of the basin. ** Two historic drill holes are reported to have intercepted approximately 11 meters of very elevated lithium (up to 20,000 ppm Li) encountered at depths from surface of less than 125m. The image (see below) shows the Daisy Property outlined in purple over top of a satellite image that has been overlain with the Nevada Bureau of Mines 1:500,000 Geological Map {Stewart and Carlson (1978)}. The Basin-fill tuff and claystone unit is shown in pale yellow and is the target horizon. The Daisy Caldera is defined by the rhyolite breccia shown in a pale flesh tone. Portions of the basin that are deeper than 200 m are shown in blue. The proposed drill holes target the basin fill at depths <200 m in locations where evidence of past drilling has likely occurred. This will maximize GMV's opportunity to replicate the previous drill locations and test the fullest thickness of the prospective claystone horizon. Story continues To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/5465/199769_cfbde6e484451ac1_002full.jpg **This does not meet NI 43-101 guidelines for disclosure and are presented for background purposes only. Moving forward the Company will file a Notice of Intent with the Bureau of Land Management and expects to move a rig onto the property as soon as spring weather permits. Ian Klassen, President commented, "Our understanding of the historical work completed by Phillips Uranium has confirmed the setting of this caldera with favorable host-rocks. Phillips had been testing the uranium potential predicated on elevated gamma-ray spectrometer in an interpreted hydrothermal setting on the margin of the caldera. The historic underground Daisy Creek uranium workings are located on our property. We understand that the elevated lithium values they are reported to have obtained were from the initial shallow drill holes. We have improved our understanding of the basin configuration to where we can optimize our ability to reproduce the drill holes that discovered lithium here while testing possible uranium targets. The setting, analogous to that of the McDermitt caldera leads us to believe that the target warrants drill testing." Dr. D.R. Webb, Ph.D., P.Geo., P.Eng. is the Q.P. for this release within the meaning of NI 43-101 and has reviewed the technical content of this release and has approved its content. About GMV Minerals Inc. GMV Minerals Inc. is a publicly traded exploration company focused on developing precious metal assets in Arizona. GMV, through its 100% owned subsidiary, has a 100% interest in a Mining Property Lease commonly referred to as the Mexican Hat Property, located in Cochise County, Arizona, USA. The project was initially explored by Placer Dome (USA) in the late 1980's to early 1990's. GMV is focused on developing the asset and realizing the full mineral potential of the property through near term gold production. The Company's NI 43-101 resource estimate (Inferred) is 36,733,000 tonnes grading 0.58 g/t gold at a 0.2 g/t cut-off, containing 688,000 ounces of gold. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS ________________________________________ Ian Klassen, President For further information please contact: GMV Minerals Inc. Ian Klassen Tel: (604) 899-0106 Email: info@gmvminerals.com www.gmvminerals.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. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/199769 BANDUNG,Indonesia, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- BPR Artha Karya Usaha, commonly known as BPR AKU, proudly announced the grand opening of its new Headquarters located at Jl. Suniaraja No. 65, Bandung, on February 23, 2024. This significant event marks the initial step of the strategic partnership between BPR AKU and Orderfaz, a leading Fintech company in Bandung, specializing in payment and online sales innovations. This collaboration reaffirms their commitment to delivering revolutionary solutions within the rapidly growing MSME and digital business ecosystem. Mr. Dwikun Agus Pamudji, President Director of BPR AKU, along with the Board of Directors, joined by the Chairman of Perbarindo West Java, Mr. Mahfud Fauzi, and the CEO of Orderfaz, Mr. Reynaldi Gandawidjaja, cutting the Tumpeng as a gesture of appreciation and cooperation. "The opening of our new headquarters is a tangible testament to BPR AKU's commitment to providing the best services for businesses in West Java in this digital era," said Mr. Dwikun Agus Pamudji, CEO of BPR AKU. The inauguration event was attended by several key figures, including the Chairman of the Association of Indonesian People's Credit Banks (Perbarindo) West Java, Mr. Mahfud Fauzi, and the Chairman of the Perbarindo Bandung Commissariat, Mr. Muhammad Yadi. Also present were the branch managers of leading banks in Bandung, such as Mr. Momo from BCA Bank, Mr. Andi from Mandiri Bank, Mrs. Rinda from BJB Bank, Mr. Eky Dyata from BRI Bank, as well as several BPR directors in Bandung. BPR AKU has consistently received various awards from Infobank magazine and The Finance as one of the top 100 best BPRs in Indonesia from 2017 to 2022. This achievement reflects their tireless dedication to providing high-quality services to the community. These awards reflect BPR AKU's success in strong company management, reflected in healthy financial ratios. This support is also evident in the financial statements published as of December 31, 2023 by the Financial Services Authority every quarter, where BPR AKU was able to record significant operating profit, with an NPL ratio of 3.20% and an NIM of 17%. Efficient cost management is also reflected in the BOPO of 78.75%, indicating good operational management supported by solid credit management with low NPL. Story continues At the inauguration of the new headquarters of BPR AKU, we are excited to establish a strategic partnership with BPR AKU. This collaboration will bring great benefits to MSMEs and digital business players, as well as accelerate the growth of the digital business ecosystem in West Java," said Mr. Reynaldi Gandawidjaja, CEO of Orderfaz. The collaboration between BPR AKU and Orderfaz is expected to make a significant contribution to MSMEs and digital business players, both in terms of access to fund storage, business financing, business training, and the utilization of platforms in the current digital era. Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/grand-opening-of-bpr-aku-headquarters-in-bandung-orderfaz-ready-to-support-302075586.html SOURCE Orderfaz Guan Chong Berhad (KLSE:GCB) Full Year 2023 Results Key Financial Results Revenue: RM5.35b (up 21% from FY 2022). Net income: RM101.0m (down 32% from FY 2022). Profit margin: 1.9% (down from 3.3% in FY 2022). The decrease in margin was driven by higher expenses. EPS: RM0.086 (down from RM0.14 in FY 2022). All figures shown in the chart above are for the trailing 12 month (TTM) period Guan Chong Berhad Earnings Insights Looking ahead, revenue is forecast to grow 5.3% p.a. on average during the next 3 years, compared to a 4.3% growth forecast for the Food industry in Malaysia. Performance of the Malaysian Food industry. The company's shares are down 4.2% from a week ago. Risk Analysis It's necessary to consider the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 3 warning signs with Guan Chong Berhad (at least 2 which are a bit unpleasant), and understanding these should be part of your investment process. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. 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. There's no doubt that money can be made by owning shares of unprofitable businesses. For example, biotech and mining exploration companies often lose money for years before finding success with a new treatment or mineral discovery. But while history lauds those rare successes, those that fail are often forgotten; who remembers Pets.com? Given this risk, we thought we'd take a look at whether Rush Street Interactive (NYSE:RSI) shareholders should be worried about its cash burn. In this report, we will consider the company's annual negative free cash flow, henceforth referring to it as the 'cash burn'. First, we'll determine its cash runway by comparing its cash burn with its cash reserves. View our latest analysis for Rush Street Interactive When Might Rush Street Interactive Run Out Of Money? A company's cash runway is calculated by dividing its cash hoard by its cash burn. As at September 2023, Rush Street Interactive had cash of US$171m and no debt. In the last year, its cash burn was US$49m. Therefore, from September 2023 it had 3.5 years of cash runway. Importantly, though, analysts think that Rush Street Interactive will reach cashflow breakeven before then. If that happens, then the length of its cash runway, today, would become a moot point. Depicted below, you can see how its cash holdings have changed over time. How Well Is Rush Street Interactive Growing? Happily, Rush Street Interactive is travelling in the right direction when it comes to its cash burn, which is down 62% over the last year. And while hardly exciting, it was still good to see revenue growth of 19% during that time. It seems to be growing nicely. Clearly, however, the crucial factor is whether the company will grow its business going forward. So you might want to take a peek at how much the company is expected to grow in the next few years. How Hard Would It Be For Rush Street Interactive To Raise More Cash For Growth? While Rush Street Interactive seems to be in a decent position, we reckon it is still worth thinking about how easily it could raise more cash, if that proved desirable. Issuing new shares, or taking on debt, are the most common ways for a listed company to raise more money for its business. One of the main advantages held by publicly listed companies is that they can sell shares to investors to raise cash and fund growth. By comparing a company's annual cash burn to its total market capitalisation, we can estimate roughly how many shares it would have to issue in order to run the company for another year (at the same burn rate). Story continues Since it has a market capitalisation of US$1.2b, Rush Street Interactive's US$49m in cash burn equates to about 4.0% of its market value. Given that is a rather small percentage, it would probably be really easy for the company to fund another year's growth by issuing some new shares to investors, or even by taking out a loan. Is Rush Street Interactive's Cash Burn A Worry? It may already be apparent to you that we're relatively comfortable with the way Rush Street Interactive is burning through its cash. For example, we think its cash runway suggests that the company is on a good path. And even though its revenue growth wasn't quite as impressive, it was still a positive. There's no doubt that shareholders can take a lot of heart from the fact that analysts are forecasting it will reach breakeven before too long. After considering a range of factors in this article, we're pretty relaxed about its cash burn, since the company seems to be in a good position to continue to fund its growth. Its important for readers to be cognizant of the risks that can affect the company's operations, and we've picked out 1 warning sign for Rush Street Interactive that investors should know when investing in the stock. Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies, and this list of stocks growth stocks (according to analyst forecasts) Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Hong Leong Asia (SGX:H22) Full Year 2023 Results Key Financial Results Revenue: S$4.08b (up 5.2% from FY 2022). Net income: S$65.0m (up 19% from FY 2022). Profit margin: 1.6% (up from 1.4% in FY 2022). The increase in margin was driven by higher revenue. EPS: S$0.087 (up from S$0.073 in FY 2022). All figures shown in the chart above are for the trailing 12 month (TTM) period Hong Leong Asia Revenues and Earnings Miss Expectations Revenue missed analyst estimates by 1.4%. Earnings per share (EPS) also missed analyst estimates by 3.7%. Looking ahead, revenue is forecast to grow 8.4% p.a. on average during the next 2 years, compared to a 11% growth forecast for the Machinery industry in Singapore. Performance of the Singaporean Machinery industry. The company's share price is broadly unchanged from a week ago. Risk Analysis What about risks? Every company has them, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for Hong Leong Asia you should know about. 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. WEST LONG BRANCH - Tyler Bane, a history major at Monmouth University, has heard the loud whispers that his studies would lead home to a dead end and underemployed, but as he nears graduation this spring, he sounded unconcerned. Bane has been talking to Monmouth County about working for the park system. He is considering getting a graduate degree in public history. But even if those ideas fall through, he is confident he can find a landing spot with his degree. "It allows you to become a better critical thinker, to analyze data in different ways and can give you a better understanding of different situations," said Bane, a 29-year-old senior from Middletown, who is attending college after a stint in the military. "(They are) skill sets that can be applied to any field, whether that's business or banking or really anything." Arts and sciences professors and students are pushing back against new data showing them to have higher unemployment and underemployment rates early in their careers than career-oriented majors like engineering, accounting and nursing. Monmouth University professors are making the case that the skills students learn in humanities classes are vital for the workplace. Rechnitz Hall's DiMattio Gallery currently has The Cardboard Show: MU student Tyler Bane. West Long Branch, NJ Wednesday, February 28, 2024 Job-hunting tips: These are the 10 most overused words found on New Jersey resumes They say the figure overlooks the number of humanities students who go on to graduate school and threatens to downplay so-called soft skills like communication, teamwork and critical thinking that employers routinely say are among the most important attributes they need in their work force. It has prompted local counselors to remind students wanting to study liberal arts along with parents who might be footing their tuition that they are still marketable. 'What sets people apart?' Thriving in the job market is "not just about the actual degree," said Jill Donovan, director of the career center at Brookdale Community College in Middletown. "It's about the skills that you need to be successful in that field. Because when you're in an interview, if everyone being interviewed has the exact same (qualifications) on paper, what sets people apart? So how can we be sure that you're going to be the clear choice?" Story continues Bane has company. Reagan Dunn, 19, of Old Bridge, is not only majoring in history, but also minoring in art history, pursuing what has been a passion that he developed by going to museums when he was younger. Where do you want to work? Here are the New Jersey employers ranking in Forbes' America's Best Employers 2024 list Monmouth University professors are making the case that the skills students learn in humanities classes are vital for the workplace. Rechnitz Hall's DiMattio Gallery currently has The Cardboard Show: MU student Reagan Dunn. West Long Branch, NJ Wednesday, February 28, 2024 Dunn said he came to appreciate the stories, the characters, the plots, the key events of history that have come together to influence the world today. "I find it all fascinating and really engrossing," Dunn said of the history major. "I think it's really adaptable and can be used in a lot of different settings." Bane and Dunn are in increasingly rare company. The number of humanities majors fell by 14% from 2012 to 2018. And the field of study accounted for just 10.2% of all bachelor's degrees awarded nationwide, its lowest share on a record that dates to 1987, according to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a professional society. What recession? NJ employers discover new perks to attract workers as economy rolls on Monmouth University professors are making the case that the skills students learn in humanities classes are vital for the workplace. Rechnitz Hall's DiMattio Gallery currently has The Cardboard Show: Beyond the Fold on display. Artwork by Porkchop. West Long Branch, NJ Wednesday, February 28, 2024 The case for a humanities degree gets little support from jobs data. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York last week released a report looking at employment for college graduates ages 22 to 27. Majors with the lowest unemployment rates for recent graduates Industrial engineering: 0.2% Construction services: 0.4% Medical technicians: 0.4% General social sciences: 0.6% Nursing: 1.3% Majors with the highest unemployment rates for recent graduates Art history: 8.0% Liberal arts: 7.9% Fine arts: 7.9% Aerospace engineering: 7.8% History: 7.5% Adding to the angst: Art history, liberal arts, fine arts and history all have underemployment rates of at least 50%, meaning the graduates are working in jobs that don't require a college degree, the New York Fed reported. One-company lifer: 'Tribal knowledge' helps 50-year employee keep Wall ambulance factory going strong Monmouth University professors are making the case that the skills students learn in humanities classes are vital for the workplace. Rechnitz Hall's DiMattio Gallery currently has The Cardboard Show: Beyond the Fold on display. Artwork by Porkchop. West Long Branch, NJ Wednesday, February 28, 2024 Not the whole story Observers, however, continue to advocate for those majors. The National Association of Colleges and Employers, a research group, measures what it calls positive career outcomes for students within six months of graduation: full-time job, graduate school, entrepreneurship, military, for example. The group found graduates from the class of 2022 had considerable success across disciplines. An engineering student, for example, had an outcome rate of 89.8%, while a history student had an outcome rate of 82%, the study found. Engineering graduates had an easier road to landing a full-time job; their average salary was 63% higher than history students, the report said. But the association also found that employers prized skills that humanities majors ideally should have developed. For example: Nearly all employers who were surveyed responded that communication skills were important. But only 55% of employers said recent graduates showed a high level of proficiency in that category. Monmouth University professors are making the case that the skills students learn in humanities classes are vital for the workplace. Rechnitz Hall's DiMattio Gallery currently has The Cardboard Show: Beyond the Fold on display. Artwork by Porkchop. West Long Branch, NJ Wednesday, February 28, 2024 Good news: Why the Jersey Shore is gaining more jobs than its neighbors "History majors are learning critical thinking skills, or they are mastering communication skills, which are all in high demand from employers across industries," said Mary Gatta, director of research and public policy for the National Association of Colleges and Employers. Professors say they are trying to connect their majors to real world applications. It can be a tough sell. While nursing majors become nurses and engineering majors become engineers, the pathway from, say, an English degree to the work force can take more explaining. Corey Dzenko, an art history professor at Monmouth University, said she gives her students a weekly assignment taking a historic work of art and describing how it connects to their lives today. Monmouth University professors are making the case that the skills students learn in humanities classes are vital for the workplace. Rechnitz Hall's DiMattio Gallery currently has The Cardboard Show: MU professor Corey Dzenko. West Long Branch, NJ Wednesday, February 28, 2024 "So many people often don't understand how art and the study of it can enrich their lives in many ways and their understanding of even our society today," Dzenko said. As Tyler Bane prepares to graduate, he said his degree in history should give him a unique perspective that he can bring to an employer, whether it is a museum or bank. He wondered if schools had raced to quickly into science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM. "If you were to direct everyone to take the exact same degree, that weakens everyone," Bane said. "I'm going to have a different perspective on something than someone who is a nursing major might. And you also can oversaturate. Look at tech right now. They are undergoing historic layoffs right now. So, (people saying), 'Just go get a STEM degree' is not the answer." Michael L. Diamond is a business reporter who has been writing about the New Jersey economy and health care industry for more than 20 years. He can be reached at mdiamond@gannettnj.com. This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Humanities college majors have career prospects that rival STEM (Bloomberg) -- Follow Bloomberg India on WhatsApp for exclusive content and analysis on what billionaires, businesses and markets are doing. Sign up here. Most Read from Bloomberg Tightening enforcement of US sanctions is denting Indias oil trade with Russia, forcing processors to consider other supplies, according to refinery executives familiar with the matter. Russia is still the dominant supplier to India, but there are signs refiners are buying more from elsewhere. Overall imports from Saudi Arabia are 22% higher this month than January, with the biggest private refiner Reliance Industries Ltd. taking its highest volume since May 2020, according to Kpler. Indias refiners are keen to take more Russian oil, but there would need to be US approval for buying to ramp up again, the executives said, asking not to be identified because the information is private. Russian oil is now only $2-$4 a barrel cheaper than other supplies and double-digit discounts are unlikely to return due to competition for barrels from China, the executives said. The discount blew out to more than $30 after the war. Indias imports of Russian oil surged after the war as refiners took advantage of cheaper barrels that other buyers shunned. At its peak last year, crude from the OPEC+ producer accounted for almost half of the nations purchases, but fresh US sanctions has recently stranded some cargoes. Moscow is also seeking payment in yuan due to increased scrutiny by some banks over using dirhams to settle the trade in the past few months, said a refinery executive and a government official. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Charles Boettcher, EVP, Corporate Development & Chief Legal Officer of Waste Management Inc (NYSE:WM), sold 2,500 shares of the company on February 28, 2024, according to a recent SEC filing. The transaction was executed at an average price of $209.5 per share, resulting in a total sale amount of $523,750. Waste Management Inc is a leading provider of comprehensive waste management environmental services in North America. The company offers services that range from collection and disposal to recycling and renewable energy generation, and it is known for its commitment to environmental sustainability. Over the past year, Charles Boettcher has sold a total of 15,775 shares of Waste Management Inc and has not made any purchases of the stock. The insider transaction history for the company shows a pattern of insider sales, with 33 insider sells and no insider buys over the past year. Shares of Waste Management Inc were trading at $209.5 on the day of the insider's recent sale, giving the company a market capitalization of $82.709 billion. The price-earnings ratio of the stock stands at 36.39, which is above both the industry median of 19 and the company's historical median price-earnings ratio. The stock's price-to-GF-Value ratio is 1.18, indicating that Waste Management Inc is considered modestly overvalued based on its GF Value of $177.59. The GF Value is an intrinsic value estimate that takes into account historical trading multiples, a GuruFocus adjustment factor based on the company's past returns and growth, and future business performance estimates from Morningstar analysts. Insider Sell: EVP, Corp Development & CLO Charles Boettcher Sells 2,500 Shares of Waste Management Inc (WM) The insider trend image above reflects the recent selling activity by insiders of Waste Management Inc, which may be of interest to investors monitoring insider behaviors. Insider Sell: EVP, Corp Development & CLO Charles Boettcher Sells 2,500 Shares of Waste Management Inc (WM) The GF Value image provides a visual representation of the stock's current valuation in relation to its intrinsic value, as estimated by GuruFocus. For more detailed information and analysis on insider transactions and the company's financials, investors are encouraged to visit the SEC filing and the company's profile on GuruFocus. 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. Generally, when a single insider buys stock, it is usually not a big deal. However, when several insiders are buying, like in the case of The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:HAIN), it sends a favourable message to the company's shareholders. While insider transactions are not the most important thing when it comes to long-term investing, logic dictates you should pay some attention to whether insiders are buying or selling shares. View our latest analysis for Hain Celestial Group The Last 12 Months Of Insider Transactions At Hain Celestial Group In the last twelve months, the biggest single purchase by an insider was when Global Chief Supply Chain Officer Steven Golliher bought US$305k worth of shares at a price of US$10.16 per share. So it's clear an insider wanted to buy, even at a higher price than the current share price (being US$9.74). It's very possible they regret the purchase, but it's more likely they are bullish about the company. In our view, the price an insider pays for shares is very important. Generally speaking, it catches our eye when insiders have purchased shares at above current prices, as it suggests they believed the shares were worth buying, even at a higher price. In the last twelve months Hain Celestial Group insiders were buying shares, but not selling. 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). Insiders At Hain Celestial Group Have Bought Stock Recently We saw some Hain Celestial Group insider buying shares in the last three months. President Wendy Davidson shelled out US$47k for shares in that time. It's great to see that insiders are only buying, not selling. But the amount invested in the last three months isn't enough for us too put much weight on it, as a single factor. Story continues Does Hain Celestial Group Boast High Insider Ownership? Many investors like to check how much of a company is owned by insiders. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. It appears that Hain Celestial Group insiders own 1.2% of the company, worth about US$11m. While this is a strong but not outstanding level of insider ownership, it's enough to indicate some alignment between management and smaller shareholders. So What Does This Data Suggest About Hain Celestial Group Insiders? Insider purchases may have been minimal, in the last three months, but there was no selling at all. That said, the purchases were not large. On a brighter note, the transactions over the last year are encouraging. Overall we don't see anything to make us think Hain Celestial Group insiders are doubting the company, and they do own shares. So while it's helpful to know what insiders are doing in terms of buying or selling, it's also helpful to know the risks that a particular company is facing. While conducting our analysis, we found that Hain Celestial Group has 1 warning sign and it would be unwise to ignore this. Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies. 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. ROME/MUNICH (Reuters) - Leonardo and Germany's Hensoldt are discussing a possible joint venture, the chief executive of the Italian defence group said on Thursday, adding that he hoped to have "news" in the coming months. Leonardo is a shareholder in the German military sensor maker, alongside the German government which holds a 25% stake. However, it did not take part in a December capital raising which reduced its previous 25% stake in Hensoldt. "We are now restarting the analysis of a joint venture. We are discussing with (Hensoldt's) new management what we can do together, the table is open," Roberto Cingolani told a post-results call. Cingolani added that he met the head of Hensoldt a few weeks ago and that he hoped to have some "news in the coming months". Last year, outgoing Hensoldt CEO Thomas Mueller had raised the possibility of his company taking over Leonardo's defence electronics division, but Leonardo's then boss Alessandro Profumo dismissed the comments as "misleading". A Hensoldt spokesperson said on Friday that future Chief Executive Oliver Doerre had met with Cingolani in Rome and there is a list of possible cooperation projects between the two. "However, there are no concrete plans for a joint venture," said the spokesperson. Leonardo's decision not to take part in Hensoldt's capital increase fuelled speculation of a lack of interest in collaboration between the two groups. Cingolani said Leonardo had never opposed the recapitalisation, and the German government had appreciated the Italian group's transparent position. (This story has been refiled to correct the dateline) (Reporting by Giulia Segreti and Alexander Huebner, writing by Miranda Murray, editing by Gavin Jones, Rachel More, Elaine Hardcastle) Just trying to make ends meet: Ohio mom left struggling to feed her family after she was charged more than $1K for a Subway sandwich and she had to fight for the refund A social worker in Ohio was left struggling to pay her bills and feed her family after a simple Subway order set her back a whopping $1,021.50. With a bill that size, it would be reasonable to expect a foot-long list of sandwich orders. But Letitia Bishop, a mom-of-two from Columbus, took that monstrous charge on her debit card to buy just three Subway sandwiches one of which cost a cool $1,010, according to her Jan. 5 receipt, which she shared with WSYX ABC 6's On Your Side. Don't miss When Bishop realized the error, she returned to the Subway at a Thorntons gas station on Winchester Pike, where she was advised to contact Subways corporate office. She claimed she had no luck getting through to a live person at Subway and when she tried the local store again, she found it temporarily closed. Bishop eventually reached out to WSYX for help in reclaiming her money. Im just trying to make ends meet at this point in time, she told the ABC 6 news station, adding that she felt stressed, overwhelmed [and] couldnt get groceries at one point because my account was negative. She told WSYX theres no way shed ever pay that much for a sandwich especially from Subway unless its wrapped in gold. Heres how the sandwich saga played out. A cash resolution Following advice gained through a WSYX investigation, Bishop filed an official complaint about her astronomical sandwich bill with the Cromwell Connecticut Business Bureau, where Subway is an accredited business and where the business must respond to complaints brought to their attention. Story continues This finally triggered a response from the fast-food giant. According to Business Insider, Subway reached out to Bishop to connect her with the regional manager for Thorntons, the owner of the gas station and, seemingly, the Subway franchise that ripped her off. The regional manager allegedly told the struggling mom that there was an online portal where she could have claimed a refund, but theyd never used it before so they decided to pay her back with a huge wad of cash at the gas station. In total, the saga took two months to resolve. To some, that may sound like a happy ending. But Bishops money problems did not end there. She told Business Insider her funds were placed on hold when she tried to deposit the cash at her local Huntington Bank branch, which meant she couldnt immediately pay the outstanding bills shed wracked up while fighting to get her money back. I just honestly don't have the emotional space to deal with this, she said. It's stressing me out so much. Read more: Rich young Americans have lost confidence in the stock market and are betting on these 3 assets instead. Get in now for strong long-term tailwinds A safer payment option Bishop may have been able to avoid some of her struggles if shed paid for the Subway sandwiches with her credit card. The Better Business Bureau told WSYX it is often safer to pay for goods and services with a credit card if you have access to one than with a debit card or cash. Thats because credit cards typically give you the advantage of being able to dispute fraudulent charges and nearly all credit cards come with zero liability protection a guarantee by the credit card issuer that you wont have to pay charges made fraudulently without your consent. In comparison, when you pay for something with a debit card, the funds are taken directly from your checking account. If a fraudster steals your card or, like Bishops case, an erroneous charge is made, this can have a hugely negative impact on your personal finances. It could leave you unable to settle time-sensitive debts like a credit card bill, mortgage payment or car loan payment which could result in high interest charges, as well as late and missed payment fees. This is what happened to Bishop, who told Business Insider she was forced to prioritize which bills to pay, while trying to recover her extortionate sandwich bill. It was very difficult, she said. I have never had to feel like we're going to have just to get spaghetti, and that's going to be that I had to make sacrifices during these two months. What to read next This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind. Nestle Canada Inc. A tribute to the cherished tradition of the Muslim communitys daily breaking of fast, the 30-piece bar is now available with all proceeds supporting Food Banks Canada KITKAT Iftar bar KITKAT Iftar bar TORONTO, Feb. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- KITKAT Canada, the renowned advocate of having a break, officially announced the return of the KITKAT Iftar bar. This limited-time bar is designed to uphold meaningful representation and commemorate the Muslim communitys daily breaking of fast after sundown during Ramadan. KITKAT is thrilled to be making limited quantities available to Canadians* while supplies last through the KITKAT Canada website . Unlike the standard four-piece bar, the Iftar bar features thirty pieces, perfect for enjoying during Iftar, the meal consumed after sundown. The bar is divided into three parts, with each set of 10 pieces representing the ten days of each Ashra, featuring iconography inspired by the 30 phases of the moon in the Islamic lunar calendar. Last year's Iftar bar resonated widely with Canadians celebrating Ramadan, says Riona Coller, Marketing Leader, Confectionery at Nestle Canada. We're thrilled to officially offer a limited run, furthering our community engagement, and embodying the spirit of service during the holy month with proceeds to support Food Banks Canada. We're honoured to play our part and anticipate many more meaningful celebrations across diverse communities in the years ahead. The Iftar bars thirty pieces reflect the brands dedication to fostering inclusive celebrations and providing a unique experience for every break. By making limited quantities available, the brand aims to continue learning from the community and invites Canadians to join in fostering an environment of respect, empathy, and inclusivity, where all traditions are honoured and celebrated. As part of this commitment, all proceeds from Iftar bar sales will support Food Banks Canada , a national charitable organization dedicated to relieving hunger today and preventing hunger tomorrow. Story continues The number of individuals and families turning to food banks, many for the first time, continues to climb, with almost two million visits to food banks across Canada in one month alone last year, shared Erin Filey-Wronecki, Chief Development and Partnerships Officer, Food Banks Canada. Thanks to the generosity of KITKAT and the Iftar bar, we are able to support those in communities across the country who need it most, working towards our vision of a Canada where no one goes hungry. The Iftar bar is now available at www.kitkat.ca while supplies last. For more information, please visit www.kitkat.ca or view the campaign video on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@KITKATCanada . * Excludes Quebec and the Territories About Nestle Nestle is the world's largest food and beverage company present in 188 countries. Nestle has been in Canada since 1887 and locally manufactures and/or distributes some of the world's most recognized and trusted brands, including, NESQUIK, HAAGEN-DAZS, KITKAT, NESCAFE, NESPRESSO, GERBER, and NESTLE PURINA. Its 3,700 employees in approximately 12 locations across Canada are committed to Nestle's purpose, to unlock the power of food to enhance the quality of life for everyone, today and for generations to come. More information and details are available at www.corporate.nestle.ca/en. About Food Banks Canada Food Banks Canada provides national leadership to relieve hunger today and prevent hunger tomorrow in collaboration with the food bank network from coast-to-coast-to-coast. For 40 years, food banks have been dedicated to helping Canadians living with food insecurity. Over 4,750 food banks and community organizations come together to serve our most vulnerable neighbours who in March of last year made nearly two million visits to these organizations, according to our 2023 HungerCount Report. Over the past 10 years, as a system weve sourced and shared over 1.4 billion pounds of food and Food Banks Canada shared nearly $168 million in funding to help maximize collective impact and strengthen local capacity while advocating for reducing the need for food banks. Our vision is clear: create a Canada where no one goes hungry. Visit foodbankscanada.ca to learn more. For media inquiries or interview opportunities, please contact: Jamie-lee Common jamie-lee.common@citizenrelations.com Nestle Media Line (416) 218-2688 or Corporate.Affairs@ca.nestle.com A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d685e313-80c0-4c67-baf6-bb8c900bdcfd China's top legislator meets Sierra Leonean president Xinhua) 08:35, February 29, 2024 Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, meets with President of the Republic of Sierra Leone Julius Maada Bio in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 28, 2024. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu) BEIJING, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- China's top legislator Zhao Leji met with President of the Republic of Sierra Leone Julius Maada Bio in Beijing on Wednesday. Zhao, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, said that under the guidance of the leaders of the two countries, bilateral relations had been running at a high level and cooperation had yielded fruitful results. Zhao said China was willing to work with Sierra Leone to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, consolidate political mutual trust, deepen practical cooperation, maintain close coordination in international affairs and push China-Sierra Leone comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership to a new level. The Chinese side attaches great importance to cooperation with the Sierra Leonean parliament and is willing to strengthen exchanges at all levels of the legislature, provide better legal guarantee for bilateral cooperation, promote exchanges among political parties and localities as well as people-to-people exchanges, and share experience in strengthening democracy and the rule of law, Zhao said. Noting that China is a reliable partner and great friend of Sierra Leone, Bio said Sierra Leone attaches great importance to developing relations with China and is willing to strengthen governance exchanges and practical cooperation with China to benefit the two peoples. Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, meets with President of the Republic of Sierra Leone Julius Maada Bio in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 28, 2024. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu) (Web editor: Zhang Kaiwei, Liang Jun) LILLE, France, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Lesaffre, a 170-year-old global key player in fermentation and micro-organisms, inaugurates today a new plant in Indonesia dedicated to the production of compressed and dry yeast. Lesaffre Logo Lesaffre has been commercially active in Indonesia for over 40 years. PT Saf Indonusa, Lesaffre's first Indonesian subsidiary incorporated in 2000 today employs more than 130 employees through its baking ingredients blending plant in Surabaya, Jakarta head office and four Baking Center and sales offices in Jakarta, Medan, Semarang, Surabaya. The new plant completes the already active blending plant for baking ingredients in the Surabaya region. With this new plant, built on of 9.8 ha land in Malang Regency, East Java, Lesaffre is strengthening its geographical footprint close to its customers. It will supply baking yeast in Indonesia and ASEAN countries. This new entity, PT Lesaffre Sari Nusa, is a partnership between Lesaffre and its Indonesian long lasting partner PT Citra Bonang. More than 200 new local positions have been created to run the new plant. "Lesaffre has been present in the Asia Pacific region for more than 55 years. This new plant in the region illustrates our determination to provide our clients with the best possible support and to meet their needs with innovative solutions. By inaugurating a new plant in Malang, Indonesia, we affirm once again Lesaffre's desire to evolve and grow alongside its customers, in a spirit of partnership." says Brice-Audren Riche, Lesaffre CEO. ABOUT LESAFFRE A key global player in fermentation for more than a century, Lesaffre, with a 2,7-billion-euro turnover, and established on all continents, counts 11,000 employees and more than 96 nationalities. On the strength of this experience and diversity, we work with customers, partners and researchers to find ever more relevant answers to the needs of food, health, naturalness and respect for our environment. Thus, every day, we explore and reveal the infinite potential of microorganisms. Story continues To nourish 9 billion people, in a healthy way, in 2050 by making the most of our planet's resources is a major and unprecedented issue. We believe that fermentation is one of the most promising answers to this challenge. CONTACT: l.doucy@lesaffre.com Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1893479/Lesaffre_Logo.jpg Cision View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lesaffre-inaugurates-a-yeast-plant-in-indonesia-strengthening-its-presence-in-asia-pacific-302074409.html SOURCE Lesaffre Lithium Ionic Corp. Figure 1 Lithium Ionics Itinga Group of Properties Showing the Vale and Borges Claims TORONTO, Feb. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lithium Ionic Corp. (TSXV: LTH; OTCQX: LTHCF; FSE: H3N) (Lithium Ionic or the Company) reports that is has amended the purchase agreements related to the acquisition of certain of its Itinga properties, in Minas Gerais, Brazil. The amendments are as follows: Vale Claims: On January 20, 2023, Lithium Ionics 100%-owned Brazilian subsidiary, MGLIT Empreendimentos Ltda. (MGLIT), entered into a purchase agreement with Exotic Mineracao Ltda. pursuant to which MGLIT had the option to acquire up to a 100% equity interest in Vale do Litio Mineracao Ltda. (respectively, the Vale do Litio Agreement and Vale do Litio). Vale do Litio has a 100% beneficial ownership interest in three lithium mining claims covering a total of 3,140 hectares (the Vale Claims; see Figure 1). Based on the payments that have been made to date, Lithium Ionic own 7.4% of the Vale Claims. The amendment to the Vale do Litio Agreement is as follows: The payment schedule for the remaining 92.6% is as follows: R$50,000 (~C$13,700) to be paid to the vendor on July 20, 2024, to acquire 0.15% interest in Vale do Litio; R$29,950,000 (~C$8.2 million) to be paid to the vendor on January 20, 2025, to acquire the remaining 92.45% in Vale do Litio. Lithium Ionic may terminate the Vale do Litio Agreement at any time without incurring any additional financial penalties. Borges Claims: On December 5, 2022, MGLIT entered into a binding asset purchase agreement with Mineracao Borges Ltda. (Borges) to acquire from Borges a 100% ownership interest in three mining claims (the Borges Claims) covering a total of 1,478 hectares (the Borges Agreement; see Figure 1). Amendments to the Borges Agreement are as follows: R$50,000 (~C$13,700) to be paid to the vendor by March 9, 2024; R$14,950,000 (~C$4.1 million) to be paid to the vendor on the establishment of an NI 43-101 mineral resource estimate (minimum of 2 million tonnes with a Li2O content of over 1.30%), whose deadline to completion has been extended to June 5, 2025. Story continues Lithium Ionic may terminate the Borges Agreement at any time without incurring any additional financial penalties. 240229_Vale_Borges_Fig 1 Figure 1. Lithium Ionics Itinga Group of Properties Showing the Vale and Borges Claims View Figure 1 here: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6415dedf-2d00-46b6-91f6-fec2830ebd2c About Lithium Ionic Corp. Lithium Ionic is a Canadian mining company exploring and developing its lithium properties in Brazil. Its flagship Itinga and Salinas projects cover 14,182 hectares in the northeastern part of Minas Gerais state, a mining-friendly jurisdiction that is quickly emerging as a world-class hard-rock lithium district. The Itinga Project is situated in the same region as CBLs Cachoeira lithium mine, which has produced lithium for +30 years, as well as Sigma Lithium Corp.s Grota do Cirilo project, which hosts the largest hard-rock lithium deposit in the Americas. Investor and Media Inquiries: +1 647.316.2500 info@lithiumionic.com Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains statements that constitute forward-statements. Such forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Companys actual results, performance or achievements, or developments to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes, in light of the experience of its officers and directors, current conditions and expected future developments and other factors that have been considered appropriate that the expectations reflected in this forward-looking information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on them because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. When used in this press release, the words estimate, project, belief, anticipate, intend, expect, plan, predict, may or should and the negative of these words or such variations thereon or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements and information. The forward-looking statements and information in this press release include information relating to the prospectivity and development of the Companys mineral properties, the amendments to the Vale do Litio Agreement and the Borges Agreement and the Companys future plans. Such statements and information reflect the current view of the Company. Risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in those forward-looking statements and information. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking information contained in this news release represents the expectations of the Company as of the date of this news release and, accordingly, is subject to change after such date. Readers should not place undue importance on forward-looking information and should not rely upon this information as of any other date. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that managements beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Information and links in this press release relating to other mineral resource companies are from their sources believed to be reliable, but that have not been independently verified by the Company. Neither the TSXV nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release. Rainbow Blossom on Lexington Rd. Thursday morning.Nov. 3, 2022 Locally owned and operated Rainbow Blossom will open its sixth location over the summer. The natural grocer, which has served the Louisville area since 1977, selling "health and wellness groceries and products" will be located at 4946 Brownsboro Road, formerly Pauls Fruit Market. Paul's recently announced it would be relocating into a larger space off Brownsboro Road. This is an exciting opportunity for us to continue to be a resource for all things wellness-related in the Louisvillearea, Rainbow Blossom owner Summer Auerbach said. When scouting out a site for its new location, Auerbach said the company used a site selector, and the new location "rated really well." Data also indicates many shoppers in the area, coupled with the construction of the new VA Hospital and the ability to easily move into a building, will help set the tone for anticipated growth and success at the new Brownsboro Road store. Being near Paul's is nothing new for Rainbow Blossom either, with two other locations within close proximity. "We seem to compete well with them," Auerbach said. "Our areas of focus are different: They specialize in (conventional) produce and freshly prepared foods. We sell only certified organic or local produce, limited prepared foods, and a large selection of supplements and health and beauty products." Despite the ongoing competition in the grocery space, Auerbach noted, "Pauls has been extremely collaborative and accommodating throughout this process and weve had a lot of direct communication." Auerbach confirmed to the Courier Journal Wednesday that Rainbow Blossom staff had been made aware of the upcoming local chain expansion. Renovation of the store location is set to begin in March. Rainbow Blossom currently operates locations in St. Matthews, Middletown, the Highlands, Springhurst and New Albany, Indiana. A variety of crystals are avaiable at Rainbow Blossom Natural Food Markets The new store will offer organic produce, grocery and wellness items, gifts, supplements and grab-n-go meals. This location will also boast a full-service Blossom Bar with a walk-up pickup window, which offers freshly prepared smoothies, cold-pressed juices and made-to-order smoothie bowls. Story continues Auerbach, the second-generation store owner, said this new expansion allows Rainbow Blossom to further its focus on supporting the local community. "We hope to utilize the ample outdoor space in creative ways to host events, sell seasonal items, and perhaps even a play area and/or outdoor seating. All of these aspects support our mission of supporting our community in health and wellness, she said. Contact business reporter Olivia Evans at oevans@courier-journal.com or on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter at @oliviamevans_. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Local grocery Rainbow Blossom set to open sixth location. What we know Key Insights AngloGold Ashanti's estimated fair value is US$22.33 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity AngloGold Ashanti's US$18.01 share price indicates it is trading at similar levels as its fair value estimate Analyst price target for AU is US$21.08 which is 5.6% below our fair value estimate Today we will run through one way of estimating the intrinsic value of AngloGold Ashanti plc (NYSE:AU) by estimating the company's future cash flows and discounting them to their present value. Our analysis will employ the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. Before you think you won't be able to understand it, just read on! It's actually much less complex than you'd imagine. Companies can be valued in a lot of ways, so we would point out that a DCF is not perfect for every situation. If you still have some burning questions about this type of valuation, take a look at the Simply Wall St analysis model. Check out our latest analysis for AngloGold Ashanti What's The Estimated Valuation? We use what is known as a 2-stage model, which simply means we have two different periods of growth rates for the company's cash flows. Generally the first stage is higher growth, and the second stage is a lower growth phase. To begin with, we have to get estimates of the next ten years of cash flows. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years. Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, so we discount the value of these future cash flows to their estimated value in today's dollars: Story continues 10-year free cash flow (FCF) forecast 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033 Levered FCF ($, Millions) US$339.0m US$421.0m US$482.4m US$535.0m US$579.5m US$617.3m US$649.6m US$677.9m US$703.3m US$726.5m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x2 Analyst x1 Est @ 14.59% Est @ 10.90% Est @ 8.32% Est @ 6.51% Est @ 5.24% Est @ 4.36% Est @ 3.74% Est @ 3.30% Present Value ($, Millions) Discounted @ 8.2% US$313 US$360 US$381 US$391 US$392 US$386 US$375 US$362 US$347 US$332 ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = US$3.6b 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$726m (1 + 2.3%) (8.2% 2.3%) = US$13b Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= US$13b ( 1 + 8.2%)10= US$5.8b 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$9.4b. The last step is to then divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Relative to the current share price of US$18.0, the company appears about fair value at a 19% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Valuations are imprecise instruments though, rather like a telescope - move a few degrees and end up in a different galaxy. Do keep this in mind. dcf Important Assumptions 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. 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 AngloGold Ashanti 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 1.276. 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 AngloGold Ashanti Strength Debt is not viewed as a risk. Weakness Earnings declined over the past year. Dividend is low compared to the top 25% of dividend payers in the Metals and Mining market. Opportunity Annual earnings are forecast to grow faster than the American market. Current share price is below our estimate of fair value. Threat Dividends are not covered by earnings. Annual revenue is forecast to grow slower than the American market. Looking Ahead: Valuation is only one side of the coin in terms of building your investment thesis, and it ideally won't be the sole piece of analysis you scrutinize for a company. The DCF model is not a perfect stock valuation tool. Rather it should be seen as a guide to "what assumptions need to be true for this stock to be under/overvalued?" 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 AngloGold Ashanti, we've compiled three fundamental elements you should further research: Risks: To that end, you should be aware of the 2 warning signs we've spotted with AngloGold Ashanti . Future Earnings: How does AU'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. The person helped me by adding $40,000 here and $40,000 there to boost my money-making ability. - Getty Images/iStockphoto Dear Quentin, Most Read from MarketWatch Over the past six months, I was crypto scammed. I just retired and lost $243,000 that I dont think I will ever see again. I have reported the company to the FBI, Federal Trade Commission, and a few others. Some of the money was from a SEP IRA. Is there something I can do at tax time so I dont have to pay taxes on it? When I first started investing, the person helping showed how easy it was to get money back out which we did. This operation got interesting when I was informed that if I put in a total of $150,000 I would start the VIP treatment and would get tax-avoidance help, among other things. The company will not allow me to withdraw the money I have put in. I was helped by this individual to invest in crypto futures. The person helped me by adding $40,000 here and $40,000 there to boost my money-making ability. The last time I added another $100,000. Its a long story but in a nutshell that is the help I received. I tried to pull money out and the crypto company said the government thinks that I am laundering money. They now say I need to pony up $150,000 15% of my profit to pay taxes. The company said this would be reimbursed so I would not lose any money. I stopped right there and contacted the FBI and FTC. Now the crypto company is saying if I dont pay the money soon my account will be frozen! I have not written back. The website looked legitimate I met this friend via Instagram META. We switched from Instagram to Whatsapp, which I now see is also a no-no. I needed some photography help, and after a few weeks, the conversation turned to investing. Initially, the money went to what appeared to be a real site, and was sent to an external account called Cryptonex.com . Story continues I should have done my homework as the real company is actually Cryptonex.org. The fake website looked legit to me. It also looked great on the phone which is where all the transactions were done. (On the computer, the header was all screwed up. (I have done HTML and SQL programming and that would have been a simple fix.) The rest of the page looked quite good. The company seems to have kept a very good track record of my installments. I still cant be sure if its a scam or not. I have not yet received any communication from the FBI website for cybercrime. I filed a case for both elder fraud (Im 62) and also for cybercrime. It is very unfortunate that these people prey on the older folks. Its not like we want to go back to work for minimum wage the rest of our lives just to put food on the table. I am especially upset as I think I am a pretty educated guy. My financial adviser said one of her clients lost $2.7 million in one of these types of scams. Ive read that they can trace the wallets, and there are all sorts of companies that will help for a fee. What can I do now? Scammed Related: I want to do what is right: My father died without a will. His wife moved out of state and left me paying the mortgage. When you start to suspect that something may be wrong, you learn to suspend your disbelief. Its a horrible cycle that goes against all logic. - MarketWatch illustration Dear Scammed, Once a scammer has gained your confidence, its hard to break that trust. When you start to suspect that something may be wrong, you learn to suspend your disbelief. Its a horrible cycle that goes against all logic and, in many cases, everything we have been taught to watch out for strangers approaching us online, too-good-to-be-true offers and requests to throw good money after bad. When our confidence fails, fear and desperation take over. It can seem easier to keep the illusion alive than to admit to ourselves weve been had. Thats likely why you are still unsure whether or not this is a scam, despite the fact the fake Cryptonex.com website no longer exists. A spokesperson for the real Cryptonex says it has issued an alert about situations such as this. That warning says : Dont rush scammers often create an illusion of urgency. Verify the accuracy of the information provided to you. Do not share personal information. Cryptonex will never ask for payment or personal data. Such confidence tricks are known as pig butchering. Its a nasty term for a nasty business. The scam artists scour social-media sites, public records and dating sites for marks. Its called pig butchering because they take their time fattening up their marks, establishing trust and gradually feeding the victim information promising bigger and better returns. Slowly, the victim compromises their own instincts with the excitement of a big payday. And then they get bled dry. The scammers goal is not to request money from you, but to convince you to invest in a fake trading website or platform that will show you a bogus balance with lots of profit, according to this warning from the Georgia Secretary of State. They allow you to withdraw profits early so you invest more. They may even lend you money so that you can make larger trades. Imposter websites are one of the most popular methods. You can read more here . Limitations on claiming a tax loss Its hard to claim a tax loss on such scams. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 limited individual casualty and theft deductions to federal disasters. There are exceptions for Ponzi-scheme scams, if the loss is considered a business-theft loss rather than a personal-theft loss; for that to happen, the scammer must be charged with theft, fraud or embezzlement, and the writeoff must be made in the same year as those charges are made. You can read more from the IRS here . George Dimov , a New York-based CPA, says he receives roughly two requests a week from people who wish to take this kind of deduction. There may be some possibility however slim to write off such losses, he says. Claiming a capital loss is the least risky, typically resulting in a relatively minor deduction of up to $3,000 per year as capital losses. Of course, this does not help victims much, especially in cases that we have seen where the victim has lost millions. The IRS Revenue Procedure 2009-9/20 , or the Ponzi Scheme Safe Harbor, generates a greater deduction of up to 95%, Dimov adds, yet it also comes with potential audit risks and IRS rejection. To determine qualification for Ponzi loss deductions, we must evaluate the clients situation on a case-by-case basis. Before making any concrete tax-reporting decisions, it is also important to assess the taxpayers own risk tolerance for potential audits. He cites a lack of clarity on deducting such investment losses as one of several loose ends created with the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. Although Dimov says he has successfully navigated numerous cases involving Ponzi-loss deductions, the interpretation of the IRS tax code on scams could help some victims but, as I noted above, not others. I do not want to provide general tax advice as a blanket statement, one-size-fits-all strategy, Dimov says. It sounds like a slim chance, at best. Please let me know if you have any success. You can email The Moneyist with any financial and ethical questions at qfottrell@marketwatch.com, and follow Quentin Fottrell on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. The Moneyist regrets he cannot reply to questions individually. Previous columns by Quentin Fottrell: Things have not been easy: My sister is a hoarder and procrastinator. She is delaying probate of our parents estate. What can I do? I gave up a job that I loved passionately: My husband secretly set up a trust that includes our home and his investments. What should I do? I have $1.5 million in stocks and bonds. I asked my broker to convert my bonds to cash. He didnt and my portfolio fell by $100,000. Can I sue? Check out the Moneyist private Facebook group, where we look for answers to lifes thorniest money issues. Post your questions, or weigh in on the latest Moneyist columns. By emailing your questions to the Moneyist or posting your dilemmas on the Moneyist Facebook group, you agree to have them published anonymously on MarketWatch. By submitting your story to Dow Jones & Co., the publisher of MarketWatch, you understand and agree that we may use your story, or versions of it, in all media and platforms, including via third parties. Most Read from MarketWatch Flashpoint and British Academy in Public-Private Partnership to Host 13 March On-the-Record International Symposium at Kings College London LONDON, February 29, 2024--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Flashpoint, a global intelligence and threat data firm, today announced that the company will collaborate in a public-private partnership with the British Academy and Kings College London to host an invite-only, open source intelligence (OSINT) symposium. Intelligence experts from Sweden, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, the United States, and other NATO security partners, will be joined by expert discussants to discuss a growing international profession of open source intelligence (OSINT) as a vehicle for collaboration, cooperation, and decision advantage for shared enterprises. They will also discuss sector-specific insights relevant to government, private sector, NGOs, journalists, and academic or research institutions. Set against a backdrop of Swedens formal accession to NATO during the ongoing Russian war in Ukraine, spreading violence across the Middle East, and rising concerns about threats to commercial and civilian critical infrastructure in the cyber domain, space, and at sea - this timely event will explore the major geopolitical risk and cyber threat landscape of 2024 and related major concerns for free-world allies. Additionally, speakers will share defensive security and threat awareness tactics to empower societal resistance and resilience against hybrid warfare campaigns. WHAT: Symposium on "The International Field of Professional Open Source Intelligence" co-hosted by Flashpoint and the British Academy at Kings College London WHERE: Kings College London, Strand Campus WHEN: 13 March, 2024 14:30-16:00 pm GMT HOSTS, PRESENTERS, AND ATTENDEES INCLUDE: Swedish Defence University: Per Thunholm former Deputy Director of the Department for Intelligence Coordination at the Swedish Ministry of Defence Ukraine Centre For Defence Reforms: Oleksandr Danylyuk, Chairman and leader on development of Ukraines Joint Intelligence Committee European Marshall Center: Martin Schuster, International Program Manager for Partnership for Peace Consortium RAND Europe: Ruth Harris, Director of Defence & Security, former NATO HQ and SHAPE Joint Capability Advisor The Royal United Services Institute (RUSI): James Byrne, Director of the Open-Source Intelligence and Analysis Research Group Centre for Defence Studies, Kings College London: Dr. Hillary Briffa, Asst. Director Flashpoint: Andrew Borene, Executive Director for Global Security, former senior official at U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) Kings College London: Dr. David Gioe, Kings College London Dept. of War Studies, former CIA officer Invited journalists covering national security, foreign affairs, and technology developments from The Economist, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and others. Story continues This unique event is open to qualified members of the media. Due to the venues security requirement and space restrictions, advanced RSVP is required and invitations are non-transferable. To request an invitation, register here or contact Kari Ritacco, kari@redironpr.com with any media inquiries. About Flashpoint Flashpoint is the pioneering leader in threat data and intelligence. We empower commercial enterprises and government agencies to decisively confront complex security challenges, reduce risk, and improve operational resilience amid fast-evolving threats. Through the Flashpoint Ignite platform, we deliver unparalleled depth, breadth and speed of data from highly relevant sources, enriched by human insights. Our solutions span cyber threat intelligence, vulnerability intelligence, geopolitical risk, physical security, fraud and brand protection. The result: our customers safeguard critical assets, avoid financial loss, and protect lives. Discover more at flashpoint.io. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240229226414/en/ Contacts RedIron Public Relations for Flashpoint Kari Ritacco, kari@redironpr.com Just once every four years, three Pueblo leap year babies, who all work in the same RE/MAX office, get to celebrate their birthdays on the actual day they were born, Feb. 29. Mike Pospahala, Rick DeCesaro and Donna Phillips, all brokers with RE/MAX of Pueblo Inc., share that very special day. "Me and Mike are both 18," DeCesaro said. "I am 19, so they need to start calling me ma'am," Phillips said with a laugh. "I can vote," Pospahala joked. Mike Poshpahala, left, Donna Phillips and Rick Decesaro, right, are all Leap Year babies who work in the same RE/Max of Pueblo office. Pospahala and DeCesaro "have been friends for 30-40 years" and always knew they had the same birthday. "But then we get this straggler coming in our office," DeCesaro said, referencing Phillips, who came to work in the office two years ago. "When I found out there were three of us with the same birthday, I about freaked out," Phillips said. "You rarely meet someone who has a leap-year birthday, much less three of us in the same office." "We are the three musketeers," she said. "We share the same neighborhood, the same city, the same profession and the same company." Today's birthday is extra special for Pospahala because he gets to share it with his twin sister, Marilee Pospahala, who is visiting from Boise, Idaho. Their children are treating them to a big party at Angelo's Pizza. "We grew up in Westcliffe. When we were born, there was no waiting room in the small hospital, so my dad, Bill, was waiting in the hallway while my mom, Susan, was in labor," Pospahala recalled. Bill Pospahala saw the nurse as she rushed in with a basket for the new baby, only to see her return for a second basket a short time later. That's when he got an inkling that the delivery involved twins. "My parents did not know they were having twins. We have a big family I have eight siblings," Pospahala said. Phillips said the fourth time she celebrated her real birthday, she was turning 16 years old, "which is the sweet 16 and is real special to girls, but they all give me 4-year-old birthday cards, which really upset me." Story continues Pospahala went on to graduate from the all-boys private Abbey High School in Canon City in 1970. He and his fellow leap-year coworkers were all just 4 1/2 years old when they graduated from high school. When it comes time to celebrate their birthdays each, all three have celebrated on February 28. When there is a leap year, though, like this year, "we celebrate on the 28th and the 29th. We milk it for as much as we can," Phillips said. More: Mayor Graham holds meeting with Pueblo homeless advocates in response to camping ban Chieftain reporter Tracy Harmon covers business news. She can be reached by email at tharmon@chieftain.com or via X, formerly Twitter, at twitter.com/tracywumps. Support local news, subscribe to The Pueblo Chieftain at subscribe.chieftain.com. This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo leap-year babies include 3 realtors working in the same office Former state Rep. Maureen Stapleton will be the interim director of Midtown Detroit Inc. as the nonprofit community and development group looks to replace longtime director Sue Mosey. Stapleton, who, as a Democrat, from 2011 until 2013 represented District 4 on Detroit's east side with portions of Midtown, starts the job Friday. Maureen Stapleton Mosey retired at the end of last year after serving as Midtown Detroit Inc.'s first director. The organization's board voted late last week to approve Stapleton for a one-year contract. Midtown Detroit Inc. plays an active role in fostering economic development in the city's Midtown and New Center areas and organizes special events including Noel Night and DELECTRICITY. It was formed by the 2011 merger of the University Cultural Center Association and the New Center Council. Mosey had led the University Cultural Center Association since the early 1990s. It was unclear Thursday whether the organization intends to undertake a formal search process for a permanent replacement for Mosey. More: Detroits skyline looks different with uptick in high-rise construction Stapleton, 58, said one of her first responsibilities will be working with area anchor institutions, businesses, community stakeholders and developers to update the organization's Community Strategic Plan. Midtown is, in my opinion, the most successful placemaking effort in Detroit, and some would argue in the state of Michigan," she said. My goal is to do two things: continue to move those things in the pipeline forward and find new opportunities for development both housing and retail so that Midtown continues to be a place where people live, work, shop and play." She added, I dont want anyone to believe that Midtown is done its not. Stapleton is a longtime public servant who worked in the city's youth and recreation departments in the 1990s during the administration of former Mayor Dennis Archer. She later worked as an administrator for the city of Indianapolis. Story continues Stapleton returned to Detroit and won election in 2010 to the state House, serving for one term before losing to Rashida Tlaib in a 2012 primary that followed a redistricting that pitted the two incumbents against each other. Stapleton then went on to be the first chair of the then-new Detroit Public Lighting Authority. More recently, she was the executive director in the city of Columbus, Ohio, for an infant mortality reduction initiative from September 2020 until last spring. Maureen has spent her career successfully making organizations stronger and has a proven track record of spearheading community development and long-range planning efforts for federal, state and local government agencies, Ned Staebler, board chair of Midtown Detroit Inc., said in a statement. Her deep roots in our Midtown and New Center Detroit communities make her ideally suited to guide this organization through this leadership transition and her vast understanding of organizational development makes her uniquely qualified to create a strategic plan to move Midtown Detroit Inc. forward. Contact JC Reindl: 313-222-6631 or jcreindl@freepress.com. Follow him on X @jcreindl. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Midtown Detroit Inc. names Maureen Stapleton as interim director KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Malaysian International Food & Beverage Trade Fair (MIFB) 2024 will present its 23rd edition from July 17-19 this year at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC). It will feature the inaugural MYFoodTech, a comprehensive new platform that highlights the latest technological advances, solutions and services across key segments in the food value chain. Visitors throng the booths at last years MIFB The F&B industry in the ASEAN region remains one of the largest and fastest-growing in the world, with a market value of over USD 667 billion in 2023 (Source: Euromonitor International: The Food and Beverage Industry in ASEAN: Key Trends and Opportunities to 2028). It is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 6.99% through the next five years, to over USD 900 billion by 2028. This year's theme of "Elevating the F&B business; Empowering innovations; and Enabling transformation" will spotlight the latest tech innovations and solutions that will provide a powerful stimulus to industry players. The exhibition segment will provide visitors with the latest state-of-the-art products and services in the market today, from local and international exhibitors, with this year's special focus on food tech, processing/machinery, and private labelling. "We take pride in playing a part in contributing to the growth of the industry, especially in the ASEAN region, providing an established and credible platform for the region's F&B community to connect in a meaningful and productive way," said Hellen Woon, Event Director of MIFB. "This year, we're very excited to present the inaugural MYFoodTech trade show, for industry professionals to discover and harness new technologies that will be vital to the future of food," she added. The conference segment will feature experts addressing topical issues and current trends including green technologies, sustainability, food security, food tech, AI, Robotics, and the role of government policies in the sector. Story continues The event will feature over 500 exhibitors occupying over 18,000 square meters, and expects to host over 20,000 trade visitors from more than 80 participating countries. Organised by Constellar Exhibitions Malaysia Sdn Bhd, MIFB 2024 is endorsed by the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE). The exhibition is open to trade visitors only. To register and for more information, please visit www.mifb.com.my For media enquiries, please contact : Christina Kwok (+6012-2877600) Email: marcomms@mifb.com.my Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/mifb-2024-malaysias-premier-f--b-event-is-back-as-asean-fb-industry-lauded-one-of-the-largest-and-fastest-growing-in-the-world-302075885.html SOURCE Constellar Exhibitions Malaysia Sdn Bhd commuters A motherhood penalty and a failure to support women going through menopause has sent gender equality into reverse in Britain, PwC has said. The Big Four accountants research suggests the gender pay gap has widened in Britain after companies failed to adequately support women. The UK experienced the largest annual fall of any OECD country in PwCs annual Women in Work Index, slipping from 13th to 17th. It comes after the gender pay gap grew from 14.3pc to 14.5pc in 2022, sitting well above the global average of 13.5pc. PwC blamed the setback on the pay penalty women face after becoming mothers. Women are on average paid 5.2pc less than men at the start of their career but the gap grows to nearly 13pc in subsequent years. The growing chasm reflects the impact of maternity leave, which disrupts womens careers and dents their lifetime earnings. PwC said women in Britain were also shouldering an outsized share of childcare responsibilities, which hurt their career progression. Conversely, men have more time available to do greedy and lucrative jobs that are more time-consuming. This exacerbates the problem. While the motherhood penalty typically hits women in their 20s or 30s, PwC said women in their mid-40s to mid-60s also struggle because of a lack of menopause support. In a survey of 2,000 women, one in four said the menopause had harmed their career progression. The Fawcett Society has found that nearly half of women say their ability to work is affected by menopause symptoms. PwC said women would earn 55bn more if the pay gap was closed. However, Tara Shrestha Carney, economist at PwC UK, said: Over the last decade, the UK has consistently lagged behind the OECD on the gender pay gap, and at the current rate of progress it will take nearly half a century to close [it]. Greater female participation in the workforce could deliver significant economic benefit, with a 5pc rise in the number of women in work equating to a 125bn increase in GDP. Story continues The UK has one of the highest shares of women only working part-time among OECD countries, at one in three female workers. Experts typically pin this on high childcare costs, which in many cases make it more economic for mothers to stay at home. The findings come as many British employers complain of labour shortages, amid a rise in long-term sickness causing millions to be out of the workforce. Luxembourg, Iceland and Slovenia topped PwCs Women in Work Index. 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. Great Western Exploration (ASX:GTE) is a copper, gold and nickel explorer with a world class, large land position in prolific mining regions of Western Australia. Great Western's tenements have been underexplored or virtually unexplored. We have numerous field work programs across multiple projects currently underway and are well-funded with a tight capital structure, providing leverage upon exploration success. NRG Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NRG) Q4 2023 Earnings Call Transcript February 28, 2024 NRG Energy, Inc. isnt one of the 30 most popular stocks among hedge funds at the end of the third quarter (see the details here). Operator: Good day and thank you for standing by. Welcome to the NRG Energy, Inc. Fourth Quarter 2023 Earnings Conference Call. At this time, all participants are in a listen-only mode. After the speakers presentation, there will be a question-and-answer session. [Operator Instructions] Please be advised that todays conference is being recorded. I would now like to hand the conference over to your speaker today, Kevin Cole, Head of Treasury and Investor Relations. Please go ahead. Kevin Cole: Thank you. Good morning. And welcome to NRG Energys fourth quarter and full year 2023 earnings call. This mornings call will be 45 minutes in length and is being broadcast live over the phone and via webcast, which can be located in the Investors section of our website at www.nrg.com under Presentations and Webcast. Please note that todays discussion may contain forward-looking statements which are based upon assumptions and we believe to be reasonable as of this date. Actual results may differ materially. We urge everyone to review the Safe Harbor in todays presentation, as well as the risk factors in our SEC filings. We undertake no obligation to update these statements as a result of future events, except as required by law. In addition, we will refer to both GAAP and non-GAAP financial measures. For information regarding our non-GAAP financial measures and reconciliations to the most directly comparable GAAP measures, please refer to todays presentation. And with that, I will now turn the call over to Larry Coben, NRGs Chair and Interim President and CEO. Larry Coben: Thank you, Kevin. Good morning, everyone. And thank you for your interest in NRG. I'm Larry Coben, and I am the Chairman, Interim President and CEO. I'm joined this morning by Bruce Chung, our Chief Financial Officer and we also have members of the management team on the call and available for question. While I have been CEO for three months, I have been Chairman for seven and on the Board for 20 years. I have never been more excited about NRG as a company than I am today. Let's begin with the NRG value proposition on Slide four. We are the trusted partner to almost eight million residential customers earned every day through unique and differentiated offerings that simplify and improve our customers lives. We have 5.9 million energy and 2 million smart home customers and manage the second largest C&I Energy and Natural Gas retail portfolio in the country. Story continues We have taken the necessary steps to position NRG to win the energy transition. At the convergence of energy and technology in the home and grid, with the evolution of smart devices and generative AI data centers. We generate significant excess cash well beyond our current business needs, resulting in financial flexibility to return significant capital to our shareholders while maintaining a strong balance sheet. Our business and financial outlook has never been stronger. And I've never been more excited about the future of the company than I am today. Turning to Slide five. First, in 2023 we delivered record free cash flow before growth and near record adjusted EBITDA. We exceeded our Investor Day outlook and our previously increased 2023 guidance ranges. This is the direct result of the strategic initiatives and actions we've taken in recent years to strengthen and stabilize our business. Our outlook continues to get better and better, and today we are reaffirming our 2024 financial guidance ranges. Next, we made significant progress advancing our long term energy transition and electrification strategy. We have line of sight to achieving our current $550 million by 2025. And we are now turning our attention to the next phase of our growth. Lastly, we continue to execute our disciplined capital allocation strategy, which involves both a strong balance sheet and returning significant capital to you, our shareholders. Turning to Slide six. We delivered $844 million of adjusted EBITDA for the fourth quarter, 82% higher than the prior year. This brings our full year results to $3.282 billion of adjusted EBITDA, 76% higher than last year, primarily driven by improved operational performance of our Integrated Energy platform and the addition of our Smart Home Business. Our 2023 adjusted EBITDA was $152 million above our original guidance midpoint, and at the high end of our adjusted guidance, while free cash flow before growth came in above the high end of our increased guidance range at $1.92 billion, or $185 million above our original guidance midpoint. This resulted in $9.25 of free cash flow before growth per share in 2023, well ahead of the $8.50 per target provided at our June Investor Day. Bruce will provide more details certainly, but again, this performance is the direct result of our strategic initiatives and actions taken to strengthen and grow our business. And I know that these took place even with share purchases occurring at higher levels than projected about Investor Day. Turning to our 2023 scorecard, we delivered across our strategic priorities. As you know, safety is our top priority, and I'm pleased to share that we achieve top decile safety performance through a year with many distractions. I'd like to thank all of our employees for their focus, and dedication and hard work to making this happen, as well as the making our financial results happen. Next, we made progress in our continuous improvement goals for cost excellence. We completed the $300 million Direct Energy Synergy program announced earlier in the year, and we quickly turned our attention to identify and execute our previously announced next phase of cost initiatives $250 million by the end of 2025. Turning to growth, our success in achieving the $9.25 of free cash flow before growth per share versus our $8.50 target was primarily driven by faster execution of our growth plan. We are incredibly pleased with the results of our Smart Home acquisition and believe our current growth plan is just the beginning. We are only starting to scratch the surface. Lastly, on capital allocation, we executed over $1.5 billion in debt paid down and returned another $1.5 billion to shareholders. Turning to Slide seven, let's take a look at our 2024, outlook. Today, we are reaffirming our 2024 financial guidance ranges, and our Investor Day 15% to 20% growth strategic roadmap. We are well positioned across each of our businesses to deliver on our commitments. In consumer energy we expect the momentum gained in 2023, to continue into 2024, with volume margins and earnings growing across residential and small commercial as well as commercial and industrial customer segments. They success will be driven by our diverse and efficient marketing and sales engines, our leading care and retention capabilities, and our best-in-class innovative digital experience. We are also seizing numerous opportunities as they arise or as we create them. An exciting example is Lubbock, Texas, a market of just over 100,000 customers that opened in early January, with 65% of customers having already made their electricity provider choice. So far we are exceeding expectations for our success and winning customers and look forward to bring our innovative offerings and experiences to that market. We also continue to see momentum with Community Choice programs, as a way for customers to experience the benefits of electricity competition in markets that don't have favorable political and regulatory sentiment that would allow customers to have the ability to freely choose their electricity providers. Next, our diversified supply strategy manages our retail exposure in multiple scenarios to include events, like the extreme summer of 2023 and Winter Storm Heather this past January, well, at the same time handling the mild weather that we have seen most of this winter. Our targeted investments for reliability and flexibility across our fleet led to material improvements in the performance of our generation when we needed it, and we expect to realize continued improvements. We continue to evaluate various ways to enhance our supply strategy. We have three brownfield sites ready to go in Texas with dispatch flexibility, and we are considering additional storage options for the portfolio, primarily through longer term structured transactions, rather than outright ownership. And finally, the smart home business delivered a strong year driving impressive top and bottom line growth, recurring revenue and margin per customer increased through selling more products and services while simultaneously reducing net service costs per customer, we will continue to drive toward the horizontal expansion of our eight million customers wallet. Our customer retention is the best in the industry with an average customer life in the Smart Home Business of nine years, driven by unmatched customer engagement and world class, product performance and reliability. We continue to focus on integrating Smart Home and Energy in achieving the initiatives we have previously communicated to you. Turning to Slide 8, for a closer look at growth and cost initiatives. In 2023, we advanced our energy transition electrification, and continuous improvement strategy and delivered $138 million of incremental earnings, which was more times than twice our original $65 million target. We exceeded our goals for both growth and cost savings resulting in more than $100 million of growth in our core businesses and sales channel optimization and more than $35 million in cost savings. This outperformance was primarily the result of realizing synergies faster than originally anticipated. And today, we are reaffirming the full plan target of $550 million of growth and cost initiatives by the end of 2025. Close up image of an engineer inspecting the control panel of a modern power plant. Outside of this $550 million program, we have also identified additional attractive initiatives that are in early development, leveraging the significant value creation opportunity from the convergence of energy and technology in the home in the grid. First, is for example, Virtual Power Plants are VPP, where we are uniquely positioned given our customers scale and reach, our data science, proficiency and decades of commercial market -- commercial and market experience. Importantly, VPP will increase in value as the grid tightens, and our Integrated Energy Business will allow us to monetize this value without requiring regulatory change. Second on data centers and AI. Today, we are one of the largest competitive providers of power to the hyperscalers and other data center managers. And we have been in direct conversations with several of these customers about using more load. We see this as a significant opportunity for NRG and for competitive markets more broadly. Finally, we continue to evaluate strategic dispatchable new build, with 1.5 gigawatts of brownfield projects in Texas ready to go. As you may know in November, Texas voters approved the Texas Energy Fund, which provides support for new dispatchable generation. We expect the rules for that to be adopted earlier this year with applications beginning mid-year. We anticipate providing an update on these projects over the coming months. With that I'd like to turn it over to our Chief Financial Officer, Bruce Chung, for a financial review. Bruce Chung: Thank you, Larry. Moving to Slide 10. For 2023, NRG produced adjusted EBITDA of $3.282 billion, exceeding our original guidance and at the high end of our upward revised guidance range. And free cash flow before growth of $1.925 billion, exceeding the high end of our upward revised guidance range. Our 2023 free cash flow before growth and adjusted EBITDA represent the highest and second highest respectively in NRGs history. This strong financial performance is a direct result of excellent execution across our businesses, and made possible by the continued focus and effort from each of our employees in a year full of potential distractions. Our 2023 adjusted EBITDA improved by $1.4 billion as compared to 2022, driven by strong performance in our Texas region, the addition of the Vivint Smart Home Business and execution of our growth and cost efficiency plans. Taking a closer look at the drivers within our segments, and beginning with Texas. Our full year adjusted EBITDA increased by $806 million over 2022. This was driven by higher revenue rates coupled with lower supply costs. Our diversified supply strategy worked as designed throughout a volatile year, lowering our supply costs during the mild start to the year and providing stable pricing through the summer's extreme heat. As we discussed throughout 2023, the margin expansion we saw across both our residential and C&I energy businesses, was produced through a combination of careful revenue rate management, and providing our customers with differentiated products that address their needs for affordability, comfort and peace of mind. We believe this margin expansion will be durable over the foreseeable future, and this view is reflected in our 2024 guidance. In addition to improved margins, our Residential Energy business delivered strong customer retention of nearly 80%, while maintaining average customer tenure of six years. This is a testament to the strength of our brands, and customer experience. Our East/West services segments were lower by $142 million versus the prior year. This was due to $60 million from asset retirements in sales, with the remainder of the variance from the combination of lower average realized pricing at the Cottonwood facility, as well as a challenging housing market and more conservative consumer discretionary spending impacting our HVAC and Goal Zero services businesses. Finally, the addition of Smart Home contributed $753 million in adjusted EBITDA, finishing above the high end of our upward revised guidance for this segment. Throughout 2023, Smart Home delivered across all of its key metrics. Most notably, Smart Home achieved 6%, ending subscriber growth in an otherwise challenging macro environment. In addition to improving monthly recurring service margins at 9%, through increasing average monthly revenue per subscriber coupled with a continued focus on cost efficiency. Turning to free cash flow before growth. NRG achieved $1.925 billion in 2023, setting a new record for the company. This represents an improvement of $1.4 billion over the prior year, primarily driven by our stronger EBITDA performance, along with improved working capital initiatives across our businesses. At our Investor Day in June, we communicated the 2023 target of $8.50 of free cash flow before growth per share. Our strong performance in 2023 resulted in $9.25 of free cash flow before growth per share, even after repurchasing shares, at a 25% premium to what we had originally assumed in our Investor Day plan. Our platform is designed to generate significant cash flow, and based on that $9.25 per share, and our current share price that represents an implied free cash flow yield of 18%. Given this dislocation repurchasing our shares remains one of the best investments we can make. And as such, we remain firmly committed to staying the course with our capital allocation framework. Throughout 2023, we have demonstrated the strength and resiliency of our strategy, and coupled with the compelling long term macro tailwinds for the increasing electrification of the economy, and convergence of energy with smart technologies, we are confident in the outlook for our share price. Turning to the next slide, I'd like to provide some additional context for 2023 financial results. On the left side of the page, we highlight the resiliency of our core energy business. Our Texas fleet performed well through the second hottest summer in Texas history, and most recently continued to perform through the volatility experienced during January's Winter Storm Heather. Over the last few years, we have strategically invested capital in improving the reliability of our facilities and anticipation of volatility across both summer and winter conditions. And we are seeing the impact of those investments through material improvement in our -- in the money availability factor. This is a performance measure illustrating the availability of our generation assets during periods when we need them the most. As you can see in the bar chart, we realized a 14% and 13% improvement in summer and winter respectively in this metric. Furthermore, we saw a nearly 20% improvement in this metric on comparing the fleet performance during a Winter Storm Heather versus Winter Storm Elliott. This level of improvement was and will be critical to ensuring we're able to serve our retail load cost effectively. Moving to the right side of the page, our Smart Home Business surpassing original expectations, primarily driven by expanded monthly recurring service margins. Notably, the margin expansion was a function of both higher average revenues per subscriber coupled with lower cost to serve. We're also seeing higher take rates on Smart Home products and services at the point of sale, which is a testament to the effectiveness of our Smart Home sales channels, and Smart Home customers recognizing the benefit of increasing the intelligence of their homes through additional seamlessly integrated devices. Turning to Slide 12, for an updated view of our 2024 capital allocation. As you can see from the slide, not much has changed since our third quarter earnings call, where we provided our initial view on 2024 capital allocation. We are still planning on $500 million of debt paid down in 2024, and expect to return nearly $1.2 billion to shareholders in the form of share repurchases and common dividends. Coupled with the 2023 share repurchase program, we will have executed nearly 75% of the current $2.7 billion authorization by the end of 2024. We expect the 2023 accelerated share repurchase program to conclude by the end of Q1 this year, at which point we will begin executing our 2024 repurchase plan on a more regular and programmatic basis throughout the year. As I mentioned earlier, at an implied yield of 18%, we see our shares as an excellent investment for shareholder capital. And as such, remain committed to the 80-20 principle we rolled out during an Investor Day. In terms of incremental changes since our last earnings call and moving from left to right, 2024 excess cash increased $74 million because of the over performance in 2023. Other investments increased $33 million, primarily from a calendar year shift in integration costs and capital deployed to small book acquisitions in our Residential Retail business. Finally, we have $41 million of unallocated capital available for allocation in 2024, which we will evaluate the use of as we move along the year. Before I hand it back to Larry, I'd like to point out that we included some new slides in the appendix of today's presentation, which provide more disclosure around our energy business. We believe this disclosure will enable investors to model our energy business with a level of granularity they did not have before. These slides will be updated with each earnings call we have going forward. We hope you find them helpful, and our Investor Relations team is more than happy to answer any questions you may have regarding the new disclosures. With that, I will turn it back to you, Larry. Larry Coben: Thank you, Bruce. On Slide 14, I want to provide a few closing thoughts about 2024, our priorities and our expectations. We are laser focused on delivering on our financial and operational commitments and adhering to our capital allocation principles. We will continue to integrate Smart Home with our energy businesses and deliver on our growth and cost initiatives. All while advancing our energy transition and electrification strategy. I have never been more excited about the future of energy. We are seeing signs of step change improvement in fundamentals across our platform, including the convergence of energy and technology in the home and grid through smart devices and generative AI. We believe this will put a spotlight on the scarcity of the critical products and services we sell and the durability of our platform. Said bluntly, I believe this step change will signify a change in the depressed valuations for NRG in our sector that have resulted in 20% plus cash flow yields. This will be good for NRG and the sector and its very exciting times. I look forward to updating you on our progress along the way. With that thank you for your time and your interest in NRG. We're now ready to open the line for questions. See also 15 Developed Countries with Citizenship Tests and 21 Countries that Have the Highest Rates of Cancer Deaths. To continue reading the Q&A session, please click here. Crude futures gained for a second month in a row as the market anticipated oil alliance OPEC+ will extend its production cuts and the latest inflation data came in as expected on Thursday. On Thursday, the Federal Reserve's favorite inflation gauge indicated gradual rate cuts this year are still on the table. Lower interest rates spur economic activity, which is bullish for oil demand. West Texas Intermediate (CL=F) and Brent (BZ=F) ended the last day of February little changed at $78.26 and $83.62 per barrel, respectively. US crude futures are up roughly 3% for the month. Since the start of 2024, WTI has gained about 9%, while Brent has rallied more than 8% following a volatile start to the year. While crude inventories rose for a fifth straight consecutive week, greater-than-expected demand out of Asia coupled with expectations that OPEC+ will extend its production cuts beyond March has helped maintain crude prices at elevated levels this month. "OPEC+ will be very slow to unwind production cuts," Rebecca Babin, US senior energy trader at CIBC Private Wealth, recently told Yahoo Finance. "I don't think OPEC+ will rush this decision unless the market is showing large inventory draws and Brent is closer to $90. This will keep the market tighter than most analysts have on paper at this point." The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies have implemented production cuts totaling about 2 million barrels a day. A large portion of those are unilateral reductions from Saudi Arabia. Crude demand for 2024 could also rise as China continues stimulating its economy to promote growth. "Even though crude storage has risen, and near [non-OPEC] record crude production has been noted, so has a larger than expected global demand especially from Asia and mainly India," Dennis Kissler, senior vice president at BOK Financial, said in a note on Thursday. Additionally, traders have been reacting to escalating tensions in the Middle East over the past two months. Story continues Iran-backed Houthis supporting Palestinians in the Israel-Hamas war have been targeting vessels along the Red Sea, prompting major tankers to avoid the area that connects to the Suez Canal, a critical pathway between Asia and Europe. Analysts are watching for any impact broadening to the Strait of Hormuz, located between Oman and Iran. The waterway is considered one of the largest oil chokepoints in the world. An Iranian police boat patrols near the island of Qeshm, which oversees the strategic waterway of the Strait of Hormuz, Iran, on Saturday, Dec. 24, 2011. (Vahid Salemi/AP Photo) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) "While the ongoing Red Sea shipping disruptions amid the escalating war in the Middle East have had only a modest impact on energy prices, a potential closure of the Strait of Hormuz would have much more significant energy price effects that would likely lower global growth," wrote Goldman Sachs analysts this week. The bank's analysts recently reiterated their call for a range of $70-90 per barrel for Brent this year, noting "geopolitics still pose upside price risk." Ines Ferre is a senior business reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on X at @ines_ferre. Key Insights The projected fair value for Wasco Berhad is RM1.86 based on 2 Stage Free Cash Flow to Equity Current share price of RM1.28 suggests Wasco Berhad is potentially 31% undervalued The RM1.38 analyst price target for WASCO is 26% less than our estimate of fair value Today we'll do a simple run through of a valuation method used to estimate the attractiveness of Wasco Berhad (KLSE:WASCO) as an investment opportunity by estimating the company's future cash flows and discounting them to their present value. We will use the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model on this occasion. Believe it or not, it's not too difficult to follow, as you'll see from our example! 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. 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 Wasco Berhad Step By Step Through The Calculation We're using the 2-stage growth model, which simply means we take in account two stages of company's growth. In the initial period the company may have a higher growth rate and the second stage is usually assumed to have a stable growth rate. In the first stage we need to estimate the cash flows to the business over the next ten years. Where possible we use analyst estimates, but when these aren't available we extrapolate the previous free cash flow (FCF) from the last estimate or reported value. We assume companies with shrinking free cash flow will slow their rate of shrinkage, and that companies with growing free cash flow will see their growth rate slow, over this period. We do this to reflect that growth tends to slow more in the early years than it does in later years. Generally we assume that a dollar today is more valuable than a dollar in the future, so we 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 (MYR, Millions) RM184.8m RM227.1m RM214.6m RM209.1m RM207.5m RM208.7m RM211.7m RM216.1m RM221.5m RM227.8m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x2 Analyst x2 Analyst x1 Est @ -2.57% Est @ -0.74% Est @ 0.55% Est @ 1.44% Est @ 2.07% Est @ 2.51% Est @ 2.82% Present Value (MYR, Millions) Discounted @ 16% RM159 RM169 RM137 RM115 RM98.5 RM85.3 RM74.6 RM65.6 RM57.9 RM51.3 ("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St) Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = RM1.0b The second stage is also known as Terminal Value, this is the business's cash flow after the first stage. The Gordon Growth formula is used to calculate Terminal Value at a future annual growth rate equal to the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield of 3.5%. We discount the terminal cash flows to today's value at a cost of equity of 16%. Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2033 (1 + g) (r g) = RM228m (1 + 3.5%) (16% 3.5%) = RM1.9b Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= RM1.9b ( 1 + 16%)10= RM424m The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is RM1.4b. In the final step we divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of RM1.3, the company appears quite undervalued at a 31% discount to where the stock price trades currently. Remember though, that this is just an approximate valuation, and like any complex formula - garbage in, garbage out. dcf Important Assumptions The calculation above is very dependent on two assumptions. The first is the discount rate and the other is the cash flows. If you don't agree with these result, have a go at the calculation yourself and play with the assumptions. The DCF also does not consider the possible cyclicality of an industry, or a company's future capital requirements, so it does not give a full picture of a company's potential performance. Given that we are looking at Wasco Berhad as potential shareholders, the cost of equity is used as the discount rate, rather than the cost of capital (or weighted average cost of capital, WACC) which accounts for debt. In this calculation we've used 16%, which is based on a levered beta of 1.973. 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 Wasco Berhad Strength Debt is not viewed as a risk. Weakness No major weaknesses identified for WASCO. Opportunity Annual revenue is forecast to grow faster than the Malaysian market. Trading below our estimate of fair value by more than 20%. Threat Annual earnings are forecast to decline for the next 2 years. 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. Rather it should be seen as a guide to "what assumptions need to be true for this stock to be under/overvalued?" For instance, if the terminal value growth rate is adjusted slightly, it can dramatically alter the overall result. Why is the intrinsic value higher than the current share price? For Wasco Berhad, we've put together three pertinent items you should consider: Risks: As an example, we've found 1 warning sign for Wasco Berhad that you need to consider before investing here. Future Earnings: How does WASCO'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 Malaysian stock every day, so if you want to find the intrinsic value of any other stock just search here. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. HOUSTON, February 29, 2024--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Orion S.A. (NYSE:OEC), a specialty chemical company, today announced that it will hold its 2024 annual general meeting of shareholders on Thursday, June 20, 2024, at 2:00 pm Central European Time at the companys office, located at 6, Route de Treves, L-2633 Senningerberg (Municipality of Niederanven), Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. The company also set its record date for the admission of the companys shareholders to its annual general meeting to April 26, 2024, at 11:59 pm Central European Time. The company will make it possible to attend its annual general meeting virtually and to exercise shareholder rights in advance of the meeting by means of remote communication. About Orion S.A. Orion S.A. (NYSE:OEC) is a leading global supplier of carbon black, a solid form of carbon produced as powder or pellets. The material is made to customers exacting specifications for tires, coatings, ink, batteries, plastics and numerous other specialty, high-performance applications. Carbon black is used to tint, colorize, provide reinforcement, conduct electricity, increase durability, and add UV protection. Orion has innovation centers on three continents and 14 plants worldwide, offering the most diverse variety of production processes in the industry. The companys corporate lineage goes back more than 160 years to Germany, where it operates the worlds longest-running carbon black plant. Orion is a leading innovator, applying a deep understanding of customers needs to deliver sustainable solutions. For more information, please visit orioncarbons.com. Forward-Looking Statements This document contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are statements of future expectations that are based on current expectations and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance, or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these statements. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Each forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of the particular statement. New risk factors and uncertainties emerge from time to time, and it is not possible to predict all risk factors and uncertainties, nor can we assess the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events, or other information, other than as required by applicable law. Story continues View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240229657111/en/ Contacts Wendy Wilson Orion S.A. Head of Investor Relations wendy.wilson@orioncarbons.com +1 281-974-0155 William Foreman Orion S.A. Director of Corporate Communications and Government Affairs william.foreman@orioncarbons.com Direct: +1 832-445-3305 Mobile: +1 281-889-7833 THIS NEWS RELEASE IS INTENDED FOR DISTRIBUTION IN CANADA ONLY AND IS NOT INTENDED FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / February 28, 2024 / Pelangio Exploration Inc. (TSXV:PX)(OTC PINK:PGXPF) ("Pelangio" or the "Company") is pleased to announce a non-brokered private placement for gross proceeds of up to $500,000 (the "Offering"). The Offering will consist of the sale of units (the "Units") of the Company at a price of $0.015 per Unit. Each Unit consists of one common share of the Company (a "Common Share") and one Common Share purchase warrant ("Warrant"). Each whole Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one Common Share at a price of $0.05 for a period of five years from the initial closing date of the Offering. The Company intends to use the gross proceeds for working capital, including up to 10% for settling non-arm's length payables, as well as general corporate purposes including land maintenance costs. The Offering is subject to customary closing conditions including, but not limited to, receipt of applicable regulatory approvals, including approval of the TSX-V. The closing of the Offering may occur in one or more tranches, with the initial closing date of the Offering expected to occur on or around March 30th, 2024 and is not subject to receipt of a minimum amount of gross proceeds. The securities issued pursuant to the Offering will be subject to a four-month and one day hold period in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws and TSX-V policies. The Offering is open to participation by insiders. The securities offered have not been registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any State in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. Story continues About Pelangio Pelangio acquires and explores prospective land packages located in world-class gold belts in Ghana, West Africa and Canada. In Ghana, the Company is focused on its two 100% owned camp-sized properties: the 100 km2 Manfo property, the site of eight near-surface gold discoveries, and the 284 km2 Obuasi property, located 4 km on strike and adjacent to AngloGold Ashanti's prolific high-grade Obuasi Mine, as well as the Dankran property located adjacent to its Obuasi property. In Canada, the Company is currently focused in Ontario at its gold, silver, zinc polymetallic Kenogaming project, located 63 km southwest of Timmins and at its Gowan polymetallic project, located 16 km east of the Kidd Creek Mine. See www.pelangio.com for further detail on all Pelangio's properties. For additional information, please visit our website at www.pelangio.com, or contact: Ingrid Hibbard, President and CEO Tel: 905-336-3828 / Toll-free: 1-877-746-1632 / Email: info@pelangio.com Forward Looking Statements Certain statements herein may contain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements or information appear in a number of places and can be identified by the use of words 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 statements and information include statements regarding the Offering generally, the proceeds that may be raised in connection with the Offering, the proposed use of proceeds and the Company's exploration plans. With respect to forward-looking statements and information contained herein, we have made numerous assumptions, including assumptions about our ability to close additional tranches of the Offering in a timely manner, if at all, and the state of the equity markets. Such forward-looking statements and information are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statement or information. Such risks include the ability of the Company to meet the conditions of closing, our ability to conduct our exploration programs as planned, changes in equity markets, share price volatility, volatility of global and local economic climate, gold price volatility, political developments in Ghana, increases in costs, exchange rate fluctuations, speculative nature of gold exploration and other risks involved in the gold exploration industry. See the Company's annual and quarterly financial statements and management's discussion and analysis for additional information on risks and uncertainties relating to the forward-looking statement and information. There can be no assurance that a forward-looking statement or information referenced herein will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements or information. Also, many of the factors are beyond the control of the Company. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. We undertake no obligation to reissue or update any forward-looking statements or information except as required by law. All forward-looking statements and information herein are qualified by this cautionary statement. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE: Pelangio Exploration Inc. View the original press release on accesswire.com Permian Resources Corporation (NYSE:PR) Q4 2023 Earnings Call Transcript February 28, 2024 Permian Resources Corporation isnt one of the 30 most popular stocks among hedge funds at the end of the third quarter (see the details here). Operator: Good morning, and welcome to Permian Resources conference call to discuss its fourth-quarter and full-year 2023 earnings. Today's call is being recorded. A replay of the call will be accessible until March 13, 2024, by dialing 877-674-7070 and entering the replay access code 855841 or by visiting the company's website at www.permianres.com At this time, I will now turn the call over to Hays Mabry, Permian Resources' Senior Director of Investor Relations, for some opening remarks. Please go ahead. Hays Mabry: Thanks, John, and thank you all for joining us on the company's fourth-quarter and full-year 2023 earnings call. On the call today are Will Hickey and James Walter, our Chief Executive Officers; and Guy Oliphint, our Chief Financial Officer. Yesterday, February 27, we filed a Form 8-K with an earnings release reporting fourth-quarter results. We also posted an earnings presentation to our website that we will reference during today's call. I would like to note that many of the comments during this earnings call are forward-looking statements that involve risk and uncertainties that could affect our actual results and plans. Many of these risks are beyond our control and are discussed in more detail in the risk factors and the forward-looking statements sections of our filings with the SEC, including our Form 10-K, which is expected to be filed tomorrow afternoon. Although we believe the expectations expressed are based on reasonable assumptions, they are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially. We may also refer to non-GAAP financial measures that help facilitate comparisons across periods and with our peers. For any non-GAAP measure, we use a reconciliation to the nearest corresponding GAAP measure that can be found in our earnings release or presentation, which are both available on our website. With that, I will turn the call over to Will Hickey, Co-CEO. Story continues William Hickey: Thanks, Hays. We're excited to share our fourth-quarter and full-year 2023 results, as Permian Resources was able to deliver another quarter of outperformance, closing out an incredible first year of operations under the PR name. I think that over the past five quarters, we've demonstrated just how good this Permian pure-play business is, operating efficiently on our core Delaware assets, executing on highly accretive deals, and continuing to demonstrate low-cost operatorship across the business, which all contribute to PR's industry-leading returns since inception. As we look to 2024, we expect to continue maximizing shareholder value, and I want to take a moment to walk through how we think about value creation here at PR. Our relentless focus is on creating value on a per-share basis, and our team has positioned us to deliver a 2024 plan that's expected to generate peer-leading production, cash flow, and free cash flow per share growth without increasing leverage. We're able to drive this outsized growth per share through PR's continued focus on being the lowest cost operator in the Delaware, our thoughtful capital allocation and development plan, and the highly accretive transactions we completed during the year. In the midst of closing the Earthstone acquisition on November 1, the Permian Resources team was still able to deliver an outstanding fourth quarter across all metrics. Q4 production outperformed, with total production of 285,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day and oil production of 137,000 barrels per day, exceeding both internal and external expectations. This production beat was attributable to three things. First and most significantly, we saw outperformance across the board between both PR and legacy Earthstone assets. Second, a reduction in downtime on legacy Earthstone assets led to higher-than-expected runtimes as the team realized operational synergies more quickly than planned. Third and finally, our drilling and completion efficiencies continue to impress, bringing incremental wells and producing days into the quarter. Even with the increased activity, capital expenditures were in line due to per-unit cost reductions, leading to significant free cash flow outperformance in the quarter. Our team was also able to transition seamlessly into integration and synergy capture mode in the fourth quarter, executing on our proven integration playbook while maintaining focus on driving low-cost leadership across the business. PR continued to increase operational efficiencies in the fourth quarter while integrating legacy Earthstone rigs and fleets into its program, contributing to overall program decreases in per-well unit costs that we've been able to carry forward into the full-year 2024 plan, culminating in a program average of $860 per lateral foot. In addition, the team demonstrated strong controllable cost discipline, driven largely by lower LOE with controllable cash costs decreasing 8% quarter over quarter to $7.33 per BOE despite higher legacy Earthstone costs. Overall, our strong production and low-cost structure allowed PR to report $0.47 per share of adjusted free cash flow or $332 million in aggregate. In addition to our focus on execution, we believe our portfolio optimization program will continue to drive meaningful value for shareholders. As many of you saw last month, Permian Resources announced a series of transactions which added 14,000 net acres and 5,300 net royalty acres in the core of the Delaware Basin, just three months after closing the $4.5 billion Earthstone acquisition. Most notably, the two bolt-on acquisitions add over 100 high-return locations, directly offset our core Parkway position, which represents one of the highest returning assets within our portfolio. This is in addition to a sizable acreage swap, a non-core divestiture, and our ongoing ground game. Importantly, when you combine all of our portfolio management efforts from the last year, our inventory additions more than replaced the wells we drilled on a standalone basis. We believe that excellent execution on these type of difficult transactions and smaller deals is a great path towards material improvements in our inventory position, NAV, and overall value proposition to stakeholders and will continue to be a key focus for us going forward. Our excellent Q4 results and increased free cash flow allowed us to deliver total return of capital of $0.24 per share to shareholders during the quarter. We announced a $0.05 per share base quarterly dividend, and we are excited to be able to demonstrate sustainable base dividend growth as we plan to increase our base dividend by 20% to $0.06 per share next quarter. In addition, we remain committed to paying 50% of the remainder of free cash flow to shareholders via dividends and or buybacks. And once again, we executed both methods of variable returns during the fourth quarter. First, we repurchased a total of 5 million shares at an aggregate price of $13.32 per share for the quarter. And consistent with our framework, we announced an incremental variable dividend of $0.10 per share, bringing the all-in quarterly return of capital to $0.24 per share. A close-up of a wellhead, showing off the company's production of oil and natural gas. As I mentioned before, our team has absolutely hit the ground running with the integration and synergy capture phase of the Earthstone acquisition. We are well ahead of schedule, giving us high level of confidence that we'll be able to beat the original synergy target timeline laid out in August. Importantly, drilling and completion costs and efficiencies are realized almost immediately at closing, with a 12% D&C savings per well already realized on the legacy Earthstone wells and more to come. I want to take a second to highlight the amount of effort that's gone to that 12% cost reduction per well since closing the Earthstone acquisition because it's not just swapping out rigs or changing a casing design. Slide 6 shows around 10 drivers. But in reality, it's close to 40-plus small initiatives that add up to meaningful improvements. And our team has not stopped pushing on those efforts. Two of the largest savings, drilling and completion efficiencies, have improved by 35% and 20%, respectively, versus historical Earthstone results, as equipment has been high-graded and best practices have been shared across the unified team. These faster drilling completion time has both reduced costs and improved returns by shortening cycle times. Our field operations team has also made incredible progress on the LOE front, optimizing production operations in many large and small ways. We couldn't be more pleased with the synergy results to date and look forward to providing another positive update next quarter. The same relentless focus on low-cost leadership that allowed us to maximize synergies in the Earthstone acquisition also allowed us to drive controllable cash cost to peer-leading levels. Our 2024 plan, which James will outline here in a minute, benefits from lower-than-expected all-in cost, with the combined business able to basically get back to PRs legacy cost structure despite higher historical Earthstone costs. Given the marginal nature of free cash flow, running a low-cost business is critical to supporting strong free cash flow per share generation. With that, I'll turn it over to James to talk through the 2024 plan. James Walter: Thanks, Will. Turning to slide 8, we're excited to discuss our 2024 development program, which is focused on maximizing returns and free cash flow per share through thoughtful capital allocation and efficient low-cost execution. Our plan is a result of a tremendous amount of work from every department at Permian Resources, and we want to thank our entire team for the work that went into this plan. Our goal is to focus on high-return developments in the Delaware Basin that allow the company to maximize returns while ensuring we minimize any future well or location degradation. Fortunately, our robust inventory allows us to drill similar zones, areas, and packages to what we drilled in 2023 and, as such, achieve similar well productivity. For the full year 2024, we expect total production to average between 300,000 and 325,000 BOE per day and oil production to average between 145,000 and 150,000 barrels of oil per day. We expect production to be in the lower half of the full range during the first half of 2024 and the upper half during the back half of the year. Our capital program consists of approximately $2 billion, of which 75% is allocated to drilling and completion operations. We expect to turn-in-line 250 wells this year. The balance is primarily investments in infrastructure that positions PR to continue to drive value in 2024 and years beyond. In terms of CapEx cadence, we expect CapEx to be slightly front-half weighted. Our drilling program is largely focused on our high-returning Delaware Basin asset, with a particular emphasis on the New Mexico portion of the Delaware, given the returns we're seeing from those assets today. The Midland Basin will not be a substantial part of our development plan in 2024. As Will mentioned, we expect our controllable cash cost to be approximately $8 per BOE, which screens well relative to other operators in the Permian and is particularly impressive given the higher legacy cost structure that came over from the Earthstone assets. Turning to slide 9, we wanted to concisely lay out how our business is getting better this year through the lens of capital efficiency-related metrics. Simply put, in 2024, we expect our cost to be lower and our well productivity to be the same or slightly better than last year, which is a winning combination. We would also like to highlight that these improvements in capital efficiency do not come easy. Our team is focused on maximizing value by analyzing every input into our model on a per-unit basis and looking for areas to improve. We moved very quickly and leveraging our increased size and scale to receive better pricing on key consumables, such as casing and sand. But some key input costs, such as drilling rigs and pressure pumping, remain at elevated prices as we head into 2024. Our team continues to find ways to do more with less, and we're always looking for ways to tweak and optimize well designs and find that these individual changes only reduce cost by a percentage point or two, but the cumulative effect adds up to real dollars when multiplied over a 250-well program. This hard work drives our basin-leading cost structure and really makes a difference in our ability to extract as much value from every single asset as possible. I'd like to conclude today's prepared remarks on slide 11, which helps to re-emphasize our value proposition for current and future investors. Since the formation of Permian Resources, we have delivered best-in-class returns for our sector and meaningfully outperformed the S&P 500. This outperformance was largely driven by successful execution, low-cost leadership, and accretive acquisitions. As a result, our business continues to represent a compelling value proposition against other large cap oil companies. For some of the recent deals announced, there are fewer and fewer Permian pure plays solely focused on the highest returning base in the lower 48. It's worth emphasizing Permian Resources now fits to the new cost of large-cap peers with an enterprise value of greater than $15 billion and 100% of our business focused on the Permian. It continues to be our belief that quality businesses such as ours with core assets in the Permian, efficient operations, and strong multiple -- strong production and free cash flow per share growth have room to re-rate to higher multiples. By continuing to cultivate and enhance these attributes through efficient execution and opportunistic transactions such as Earthstone, we believe that we can continue to create outsized value for shareholders and solidify our position as a leader in the energy sector. Thank you for tuning in today. And now, we will turn it back to the operator for Q&A. See also 15 Countries With Economic Growth or Debt Problems in 2024 and Real Estate Investing For Beginners: 11 Best Stocks To Buy. To continue reading the Q&A session, please click here. Shareholders might have noticed that PETRONAS Chemicals Group Berhad (KLSE:PCHEM) filed its yearly result this time last week. The early response was not positive, with shares down 2.8% to RM6.85 in the past week. Revenue of RM29b surpassed estimates by 3.7%, although statutory earnings per share missed badly, coming in 21% below expectations at RM0.21 per share. The analysts typically update their forecasts at each earnings report, and we can judge from their estimates whether their view of the company has changed or if there are any new concerns to be aware of. So we gathered the latest post-earnings forecasts to see what estimates suggest is in store for next year. View our latest analysis for PETRONAS Chemicals Group Berhad Taking into account the latest results, the most recent consensus for PETRONAS Chemicals Group Berhad from 17 analysts is for revenues of RM29.6b in 2024. If met, it would imply an okay 3.4% increase on its revenue over the past 12 months. Per-share earnings are expected to leap 61% to RM0.34. Before this earnings report, the analysts had been forecasting revenues of RM30.5b and earnings per share (EPS) of RM0.40 in 2024. The analysts seem less optimistic after the recent results, reducing their revenue forecasts and making a real cut to earnings per share numbers. The analysts made no major changes to their price target of RM6.46, suggesting the downgrades are not expected to have a long-term impact on PETRONAS Chemicals Group Berhad's valuation. There's another way to think about price targets though, and that's to look at the range of price targets put forward by analysts, because a wide range of estimates could suggest a diverse view on possible outcomes for the business. Currently, the most bullish analyst values PETRONAS Chemicals Group Berhad at RM8.50 per share, while the most bearish prices it at RM5.05. Analysts definitely have varying views on the business, but the spread of estimates is not wide enough in our view to suggest that extreme outcomes could await PETRONAS Chemicals Group Berhad shareholders. Story continues Another way we can view these estimates is in the context of the bigger picture, such as how the forecasts stack up against past performance, and whether forecasts are more or less bullish relative to other companies in the industry. We would highlight that PETRONAS Chemicals Group Berhad's revenue growth is expected to slow, with the forecast 3.4% annualised growth rate until the end of 2024 being well below the historical 15% p.a. growth over the last five years. By way of comparison, the other companies in this industry with analyst coverage are forecast to grow their revenue at 4.1% per year. So it's pretty clear that, while revenue growth is expected to slow down, the wider industry is also expected to grow faster than PETRONAS Chemicals Group Berhad. The Bottom Line The biggest concern is that the analysts reduced their earnings per share estimates, suggesting business headwinds could lay ahead for PETRONAS Chemicals Group Berhad. Unfortunately, they also downgraded their revenue estimates, and our data indicates underperformance compared to the wider industry. Even so, earnings per share are more important to the intrinsic value of the business. The consensus price target held steady at RM6.46, with the latest estimates not enough to have an impact on their price targets. Keeping that in mind, we still think that the longer term trajectory of the business is much more important for investors to consider. At Simply Wall St, we have a full range of analyst estimates for PETRONAS Chemicals Group Berhad going out to 2026, and you can see them free on our platform here.. That said, it's still necessary to consider the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 2 warning signs with PETRONAS Chemicals Group Berhad , and understanding these should be part of your investment process. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. 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. Understanding the Dividend Dynamics of Pioneer Natural Resources Co Pioneer Natural Resources Co (NYSE:PXD) recently announced a dividend of $2.56 per share, payable on 2024-03-22, with the ex-dividend date set for 2024-03-01. 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 Pioneer Natural Resources Co's dividend performance and assess its sustainability. What Does Pioneer Natural Resources Co Do? Warning! GuruFocus has detected 6 Warning Sign with PXD. 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? Headquartered in Irving, Texas, Pioneer Natural Resources is an independent oil and gas exploration and production company focusing on the Permian Basin in Texas. At year-end 2022, Pioneer's proven reserves were 2.4 billion barrels of oil equivalent with net production for the year of 650 mboe per day. Oil and natural gas liquids represented 79% of production. Pioneer Natural Resources Co's Dividend Analysis A Glimpse at Pioneer Natural Resources Co's Dividend History Pioneer Natural Resources Co has maintained a consistent dividend payment record since 2004. Dividends are currently distributed on a quarterly basis. Below is a chart showing annual Dividends Per Share for tracking historical trends. Breaking Down Pioneer Natural Resources Co's Dividend Yield and Growth As of today, Pioneer Natural Resources Co currently has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 5.94% and a 12-month forward dividend yield of 4.62%. This suggests an expectation of decrease dividend payments over the next 12 months. Over the past three years, Pioneer Natural Resources Co's annual dividend growth rate was 85.10%. Extended to a five-year horizon, this rate increased to 123.10% per year. And over the past decade, Pioneer Natural Resources Co's annual dividends per share growth rate stands at an impressive 86.00%. Story continues Based on Pioneer Natural Resources Co's dividend yield and five-year growth rate, the 5-year yield on cost of Pioneer Natural Resources Co stock as of today is approximately 328.31%. Pioneer Natural Resources Co'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, Pioneer Natural Resources Co's dividend payout ratio is 0.68. Pioneer Natural Resources Co's profitability rank, offers an understanding of the company's earnings prowess relative to its peers. GuruFocus ranks Pioneer Natural Resources Co's profitability 8 out of 10 as of 2023-12-31, suggesting good profitability prospects. The company has reported net profit in 7 years out of past 10 years. Growth Metrics: The Future Outlook To ensure the sustainability of dividends, a company must have robust growth metrics. Pioneer Natural Resources Co'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 Pioneer Natural Resources Co's revenue per share, combined with the 3-year revenue growth rate, indicates a strong revenue model. Pioneer Natural Resources Co's revenue has increased by approximately 23.40% per year on average, a rate that outperforms approximately 71.43% 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, Pioneer Natural Resources Co's earnings increased by approximately 160.60% per year on average, a rate that outperforms approximately 95.4% of global competitors. Lastly, the company's 5-year EBITDA growth rate of 42.70%, which outperforms approximately 89.71% of global competitors. Investing in Pioneer Natural Resources Co's Dividend Future Considering Pioneer Natural Resources Co's consistent dividend payments, robust dividend growth rate, manageable payout ratio, and strong profitability and growth metrics, the company appears to be a compelling candidate for dividend investors. The solid financial foundation and promising growth prospects suggest that Pioneer Natural Resources Co is well-positioned to maintain its dividend payments in the foreseeable future. Investors seeking dividend income might find Pioneer Natural Resources Co an attractive addition to their portfolios. For those looking to expand their investment horizons, 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 Given the large stake in the stock by institutions, Qiagen's stock price might be vulnerable to their trading decisions A total of 19 investors have a majority stake in the company with 51% ownership Ownership research along with analyst forecasts data help provide a good understanding of opportunities in a stock To get a sense of who is truly in control of Qiagen N.V. (NYSE:QGEN), it is important to understand the ownership structure of the business. We can see that institutions own the lion's share in the company with 81% ownership. In other words, the group stands to gain the most (or lose the most) from their investment into the company. Since institutional have access to huge amounts of capital, their market moves tend to receive a lot of scrutiny by retail or individual investors. As a result, a sizeable amount of institutional money invested in a firm is generally viewed as a positive attribute. Let's delve deeper into each type of owner of Qiagen, beginning with the chart below. View our latest analysis for Qiagen What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Qiagen? Many institutions measure their performance against an index that approximates the local market. So they usually pay more attention to companies that are included in major indices. As you can see, institutional investors have a fair amount of stake in Qiagen. This suggests some credibility amongst professional investors. But we can't rely on that fact alone since institutions make bad investments sometimes, just like everyone does. When multiple institutions own a stock, there's always a risk that they are in a 'crowded trade'. When such a trade goes wrong, multiple parties may compete to sell stock fast. This risk is higher in a company without a history of growth. You can see Qiagen's historic earnings and revenue below, but keep in mind there's always more to the story. Investors should note that institutions actually own more than half the company, so they can collectively wield significant power. We note that hedge funds don't have a meaningful investment in Qiagen. The company's largest shareholder is Massachusetts Financial Services Company, with ownership of 11%. BlackRock, Inc. is the second largest shareholder owning 10% of common stock, and The Vanguard Group, Inc. holds about 3.9% of the company stock. Story continues A closer look at our ownership figures suggests that the top 19 shareholders have a combined ownership of 51% implying that no single shareholder has a majority. Researching institutional ownership is a good way to gauge and filter a stock's expected performance. The same can be achieved by studying analyst sentiments. There are plenty of analysts covering the stock, so it might be worth seeing what they are forecasting, too. Insider Ownership Of Qiagen The definition of an insider can differ slightly between different countries, but members of the board of directors always count. The company management answer to the board and the latter should represent the interests of shareholders. Notably, sometimes top-level managers are on the board themselves. Most consider insider ownership a positive because it can indicate the board is well aligned with other shareholders. However, on some occasions too much power is concentrated within this group. Our information suggests that Qiagen N.V. insiders own under 1% of the company. Being so large, we would not expect insiders to own a large proportion of the stock. Collectively, they own US$41m of stock. In this sort of situation, it can be more interesting to see if those insiders have been buying or selling. General Public Ownership The general public-- including retail investors -- own 18% stake in the company, and hence can't easily be ignored. While this size of ownership may not be enough to sway a policy decision in their favour, they can still make a collective impact on company policies. Next Steps: It's always worth thinking about the different groups who own shares in a company. But to understand Qiagen better, we need to consider many other factors. For example, we've discovered 1 warning sign for Qiagen that you should be aware of before investing here. If you are like me, you may want to think about whether this company will grow or shrink. Luckily, you can check this free report showing analyst forecasts for its future. NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the last twelve months, which refer to the 12-month period ending on the last date of the month the financial statement is dated. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Did you know there are some financial metrics that can provide clues of a potential multi-bagger? Firstly, we'd want to identify a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and then alongside that, an ever-increasing base of capital employed. This shows us that it's a compounding machine, able to continually reinvest its earnings back into the business and generate higher returns. However, after briefly looking over the numbers, we don't think Strategic Minerals (LON:SML) has the makings of a multi-bagger going forward, but let's have a look at why that may be. Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What Is It? For those that aren't sure what ROCE is, it measures the amount of pre-tax profits a company can generate from the capital employed in its business. The formula for this calculation on Strategic Minerals is: Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) (Total Assets - Current Liabilities) 0.013 = US$186k (US$15m - US$944k) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2023). Therefore, Strategic Minerals has an ROCE of 1.3%. Ultimately, that's a low return and it under-performs the Metals and Mining industry average of 7.7%. View our latest analysis for Strategic Minerals roce While the past is not representative of the future, it can be helpful to know how a company has performed historically, which is why we have this chart above. If you'd like to look at how Strategic Minerals has performed in the past in other metrics, you can view this free graph of Strategic Minerals' past earnings, revenue and cash flow. What Does the ROCE Trend For Strategic Minerals Tell Us? When we looked at the ROCE trend at Strategic Minerals, we didn't gain much confidence. Over the last five years, returns on capital have decreased to 1.3% from 22% five years ago. Given the business is employing more capital while revenue has slipped, this is a bit concerning. This could mean that the business is losing its competitive advantage or market share, because while more money is being put into ventures, it's actually producing a lower return - "less bang for their buck" per se. Story continues What We Can Learn From Strategic Minerals' ROCE We're a bit apprehensive about Strategic Minerals because despite more capital being deployed in the business, returns on that capital and sales have both fallen. This could explain why the stock has sunk a total of 85% in the last five years. With underlying trends that aren't great in these areas, we'd consider looking elsewhere. One more thing: We've identified 4 warning signs with Strategic Minerals (at least 3 which shouldn't be ignored) , and understanding these would certainly be useful. If you want to search for solid companies with great earnings, check out this free list of companies with good balance sheets and impressive returns on equity. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Assyrian Parties in Talks With Iraqi Top Court to Amend Controversial Ruling Talks between Iraq's top court and the Christian minority parties have started in hopes of a new ruling that would amend its controversial verdict to abolish minority quota seats in the Kurdistan Region's parliament, with the minorities claiming the court's ruling has "legal issues." A major ruling by Iraq's Federal Supreme Court on Wednesday labeled the 11 quota seats in the Kurdistan Region's parliament reserved for ethnic and religious minorities as "unconstitutional," effectively rejecting their legitimacy. The court made the ruling in accordance with the Kurdistan Parliament Election Law 1 of 1992. The decision is significant for Iraq's Christian community as it rules that their candidates for the legislature can no longer contest within the designated quota, with Christian parties forced to field their candidates against better-funded, established Kurdish political parties. Despite the court's "final and binding" ruling, Christian parties hopeful of overturning the decision claim it has "legal issues" and could be reviewed. Yonadam Kanna, a veteran Assyrian politician and former secretary-general of the Assyrian Democratic Movement, told Rudaw that they had presented documents that show the legality in a meeting with the head of the Federal Court. "The documents show that the minority quota seats have been a part of the [1992 election] law, and he told us that he hadn't seen those documents," Kanna said, noting that the head of the court promised them to review the decision in accordance with the top court's bylaw. Article 45 of the Iraqi Federal Supreme Court's bylaw state that "the court may, when necessary and whenever the constitutional and public interest requires, amend a previous principle approved in one of its decisions, provided that this does not affect the stability of legal positions and acquired rights." The lawsuit that led to the court's ruling was filed by two politicians from the PUK and a Christian party in Sulaimani against the Kurdistan Region's election law, passed in 1992 and last amended in 2013. It claimed that several articles of the election law were unconstitutional, including Article 36 which stipulates that 11 of the legislature's 111 seats are dedicated to minorities under a quota system. Per this law, Turkmens have five seats, Assyrians, Chaldeans, and Syriacs have five, and Armenians have one. In case the court does not amend its ruling, the next term of the Kurdistan Parliament will need to resort to reintroduce the minority quota seats, according to Sharmin Khidir Bahjat, head of the legal affairs directorate of the Region's parliament. "When the new Kurdistan Region parliament is established, its first task will be to amend the election law in which it can allocate seats for the minority quota," she said. The date of the Kurdistan Region's delayed parliamentary elections is yet to be determined. Last week, delegations from Iraq's Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) and the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) met with Kurdish authorities. In the meeting, June was suggested as a date for the vote, Rudaw has learned. EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J., February 29, 2024--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sagard Real Estate, formerly known as EverWest Real Estate Investors, a leading real estate investment advisor, today has announced the successful acquisition of a 47,000 square foot newly constructed warehouse in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The warehouse, located at 390 Central Ave in East Rutherford, NJ is located 11 miles from midtown Manhattan and 14 miles from the Port of Newark. "We are very pleased to acquire this state-of-the-art distribution warehouse in one of the most coveted industrial locations in the state. The property is 14 miles from Port Newark, and 17 miles from Port Jersey, and is situated in the Meadowlands submarket, home to some of the largest national and regional distributors looking to service the port with excellent connectivity within the greater tri-state area," stated John Maurer, Senior Managing Director, Head of Equity, for Sagard Real Estate. The fully occupied building includes 3,000 square feet of office space, parking for 41 vehicles, and over 45,000 square feet of warehouse space. Fully leased by Restaurant Technologies, the commercial building will operate as the companys Northern New Jersey Hub, serving over 80 fast food and fast casual restaurants around the Northern New Jersey area. Consistent with the firms strategy of acquiring high-demand assets in well-connected and sought-after locations, this acquisition follows Sagard Real Estates successful track record, including the recent purchase of 135 Maddox Road in Nashville. About Sagard Real Estate Sagard Real Estate is a real estate investment advisor and operator providing investment management services throughout the U.S. including acquisitions, asset management, development and property management for our investors. With $5 billion in assets under management, our clients invest in a variety of commercial real estate investment strategies through separate accounts and commingled funds. Sagard Real Estate is based in Denver with regional investment offices in New York City, Charlotte, Austin, Los Angeles and San Francisco metro areas. Sagard Real Estate is a part of Sagard, a multi-strategy alternative asset management firm. Sagards leading shareholder is Power Corporation of Canada, an international management and holding company that focuses on financial services in North America, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit www.Sagard.com/RealEstate. Story continues About Sagard Sagard is a multi-strategy alternative asset management firm with more than US$15B under management, 125 portfolio companies, and 300 professionals. We invest in venture capital, private equity, private credit, real estate, and royalties. We deliver flexible capital, an entrepreneurial culture, and a global network of investors, commercial partners, advisors, and value-creation experts. The firm has offices in Canada, the United States and Europe. For more information, visit www.sagard.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240229421790/en/ Contacts Bristol Jones sagard@bevelpr.com Finding the best returns is the point of stock investing. Its why people get into the markets. But ensuring strong returns isnt always as straightforward as it seems. Sometimes, the winning play is a combination strategy. Investors frequently look for stocks with solid upside potential, and shares that will show a double-digit upside are popular theyll generate income, beat inflation, and provide a real rate of return. The other place to look for those attributes, outside of share price appreciation, is in dividend stocks. These income-sharing payments can range from the miniscule to the huge; the best will combine reliability with an inflation-beating yield. The stock analysts at Goldman Sachs like both strategies and firm analyst Chandni Luthra is willing to combine these approaches to find solid portfolio choices. So, for investors seeking high dividend yields combined with double-digit upside potential, she has come up with two stocks to consider buying. Lets delve into the TipRanks database and take a closer look. Camden Property Trust (CPT) First on our list is Camden Property Trust, a real estate investment trust (REIT) with a focus on apartment homes and multi-family properties. Camdens operations revolve around the ownership and construction, acquisition and management, and development and redevelopment of its apartment communities. As of this past January, the company had 172 properties in its portfolio, with a total of 58,634 apartment units. Based in Houston, Texas, Camden boasts locations and offices in some of the countrys fastest growing urban areas. These include Washington DC, Nashville, Denver, Charlotte, and Phoenix, as well as south Florida. Camden, like all REITs, has felt pressure in the past year from higher interest rates, and the consequent increase in the cost of real estate mortgages and other loans. The overall pressure on the real estate industry has created a difficult environment for Camden and its peers. The most recent headwind came from the Federal Reserve directly, when the central bank at its last policy meeting held rates steady at the 5.25% to 5.50% range, and indicated a cautious attitude toward potential rate cuts. Story continues However, Camden also delivered solid results in its recent 4Q23 financial release. The company showed a revenue total of $387.6 million, in-line with the forecast and up some 3% year-over-year. At the bottom line, the company reported a core FFO (funds from operations, a key metric in the REIT sector) of $1.73. This was down a penny from the prior year quarter, but like the revenues, it met expectations. The FFO also fully covered Camdens dividend payment, which was bumped up in the last declaration by 3% to reach $1.03 per common share. At an annualized payment of $4.12 per share, the dividend gives a forward yield of 4.4%, more than enough to beat inflation and ensure a real rate of return. The increased dividend is scheduled for payment in April. For Goldman analyst Chandni Luthra, covering the REIT sector for the bank, this stock appears capable of weathering the current headwinds. She writes of Camden, We acknowledge supply headwinds facing CPTs markets, but note i) peak supply pressure (from new deliveries and lease-up) is just around the corner (2Q24) and the headwinds should moderate from there on; ii) demand trends have been holding better-than-expected, and signed new lease trends (indicator of February and March) showed acceleration from effective rent growth in January; iii) bad debt is improving in 2024. Finally, at the current levels, we think that valuation has bottomed out, and see the multiple gap to coastal names narrowing from here as we get past peak supply and demand remains healthy. Summing up, Luthra puts a Buy rating on these shares, with a $112 price target that points toward a one-year upside potential of 19.5%. With the dividend added in, the return here may exceed 23% in the coming year. (To watch Luthras track record, click here) For the Street generally, this stock has a Moderate Buy consensus view, a rating based on 16 recent analyst recommendations, including 7 Buys and Holds, each, and 2 Sells. The shares are priced at $93.77 and the $102.67 average price target suggests a 9.5% increase in share price over the next 12 months. (See Camden stock forecast) Mid-America Apartments (MAA) Next on the list is Mid-America Apartments, one of the largest owners of apartment complexes in the US. Mid-Americas operations and properties are focused mainly in three regions, the Mid-Atlantic, the Southeast, and the Southwest. In these areas, as of the end of 2023, the company had ownership interests in 102,662 apartment units. This figure includes apartment communities that are currently under development. On the map, Mid-America has properties in 16 states plus the District of Columbia. Mid-America is based in Tennessee, from where it manages its portfolio of sunbelt properties. The company bases its portfolio acquisitions on a combination of balance and diversity, to maximize revenues and income, and in 4Q23, the last period reported, had a top line figure of $542.25 million. While up 2.7% year-over-year, this top line just missed the forecast, by $1.1 million. At the bottom line, MAA reported a core FFO $2.32 per share; this was flat year-over-year and a penny better than the forecast had called for. Like Camden above, MAAs funds from operations more than covered the current dividend declaration even after an increase in the payment. The last dividend, which was paid out on January 31 of this year, was set at $1.47 per common share, an increase of 5% on the previous payment. The new dividend annualizes to $5.88 per share and gives investors a forward yield of 4.67%. For Goldmans Luthra, the key point to remember on Mid-America is that the headwind pressures have likely peaked, and that the companys situation will improve over the course of the coming year. She says of the stock, Looking into 2024, based on our proprietary supply analysis, MAA is positioned unfavorably within our coverage for every existing MAA building, there are 3 new buildings in close proximity in 2023-24. However, looking at the cadence of supply indexed to 1Q23 for MAA a year when supply started coming online meaningfully supply pressures peaks in 1H24, and starts to moderate afterward. More so, multifamily starts have declined -25% on average in the past 6 months, boding well for demand dynamics in the out years. We understand that rent growth in MAAs markets will be pressured this year as newer constructions undergo lease-up, but we think this dynamic is already reflected in valuation, and with the second derivative of rent improving, we think the extent of current valuation discount is excessive. These comments support her Buy rating, while Luthras $149 price target implies a gain of 18.5% on the one-year time horizon. With the share upside and dividend yield taken together, this is another stock whose total return may reach above 23%. (To watch Luthras track record, click here) Thats the bullish take. The Street isnt quite ready to go there; this stock has a Hold from the analysts consensus, based on 15 reviews that include 4 Buys, 10 Holds, and 1 Sell. Still, theres double-digit upside projected here; the shares have a current trading price of $125.83 and their $140.89 average price target indicates room for 12% share price growth over the course of the next 12 months. (See MAA stock forecast) To find good ideas for stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks Best Stocks to Buy, a tool that unites all of TipRanks equity insights. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the featured analysts. The content is intended to be used for informational purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment. (Bloomberg) -- Foreign governments are abusing security flaws in mobile phone networks to secretly track Americans in the US and journalists and dissidents abroad, Senator Ron Wyden has warned. Most Read from Bloomberg In a letter sent to President Joe Biden on Thursday, reviewed by Bloomberg News, Wyden is urging the White House to counter the threat by supporting a major overhaul of cybersecurity standards for US-based wireless carriers. Surveillance companies and their authoritarian foreign government customers have exploited lax security in US and foreign phone networks for at least a decade to track phones anywhere in the world, Wyden wrote, adding that the practice is threatening US national security, freedom of the press and international human rights. At the center of the senators concern is an obscure telecom protocol called SS7, or Signaling System 7, a sort of switchboard for the global telecommunications industry that is used to route communications between phone networks. SS7 contains known security vulnerabilities that governments and private surveillance companies have exploited in the past to intercept phone calls and text messages, and track peoples locations. The surveillance method doesnt require hacking into individual phones to install spyware on the device and steal data. Instead, it can be used to trick the phone network itself into handing over communications or location information from a particular phone. Multiple companies are now providing foreign governments with these phone company hacking services, according to Wyden, a Democrat from Oregon. A representative for CTIA, a trade association that represents the US wireless communications industry, wasnt immediately available for comment. Industry bodies have previously recognized the issue. The GSMA, an industry group that works with carriers internationally, has acknowledged there are known vulnerabilities associated with SS7 and last year published a code of conduct intended to help prevent abuses of the protocol. Story continues The Department of Homeland Security warned in a 2017 report that SS7 vulnerabilities could be exploited by countries or organizations that support terrorism or espionage. Meanwhile, the FCC, National Security Agency, and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, known as CISA, have also acknowledged the serious threat of SS7 surveillance, according to Wyden. Wyden accuses CISA of actively hiding information about the problem, citing an independent report that he says the agency commissioned in 2022 but has refused to publicly release. A spokesperson for CISA said in an emailed statement that the agency doesnt comment on congressional correspondence and would instead respond directly to the senator. In 2021, Bloomberg News reported on a Switzerland-based company named Mitto AG whose co-founder was allegedly secretly providing surveillance services that exploited SS7 vulnerabilities. The company denied operating a surveillance business and said it would carry out an investigation to determine if our technology and business has been compromised. Several of Mittos clients, including Twitter Inc., later cut ties with the firm. Read More: Swiss Firm Executive Said to Run Secret Surveillance Operation According to Wyden, the Swiss government is now leading a push to internationally regulate the sale of SS7 surveillance services under the Wassenaar Arrangement, a multicountry forum for collaboration on export controls. Wyden is calling on President Biden to direct the national cyber director to coordinate action among agencies and provide Congress with updates at least twice a year until the threat is meaningfully addressed. He sets out a series of recommendations to counter the surveillance vulnerabilities, calling on the Office of Management and Budget, in consultation with CISA and NSA, to establish minimum cybersecurity standards for wireless services purchased by federal agencies. He also recommends that the government sanction surveillance technology companies allegedly providing SS7-related services, including the Israeli firms Cognyte and the Rayzone Group, Bulgarias Circles and Panama-based Defentek. Representatives for each of the companies didnt respond to requests for comment. There is a simple reason for the wireless industrys failure to protect subscribers, including federal agencies: The US government has failed to set minimum cybersecurity standards, Wyden says in the letter. Effectively addressing this threat will require a whole-of-government effort, and diplomatic partnership with our allies. Wyden has long advocated for curbs on the use of intrusive surveillance technology. The senator, a member of the Senates Intelligence Committee, has previously criticized the NSAs large-scale surveillance programs and brought scrutiny to the practice of government agencies purchasing Americans personal data from private companies. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Snowflake Inc. (NYSE:SNOW) Q4 2024 Earnings Call Transcript February 28, 2024 Snowflake Inc. beats earnings expectations. Reported EPS is $0.35, expectations were $0.17. Snowflake Inc. isnt one of the 30 most popular stocks among hedge funds at the end of the third quarter (see the details here). Operator: Hello, and welcome to the Q4 Fiscal Year '24 Snowflake Earnings Call. My name is Alex, I'll be coordinating the call today. [Operator Instructions] I'll now hand you over to your host, Katherine McCracken, Senior Manager, Investor Relations. Please go ahead. Katherine McCracken: Good afternoon, and thank you for joining us on Snowflake's Q4 fiscal 2024 earnings call. With me in Bozeman, Montana are Sridhar Ramaswamy, our Chief Executive Officer; Frank Slootman, our Chairman; Mike Scarpelli, our Chief Financial Officer; and Christian Kleinerman, our Executive Vice President of Product, who will join us for the Q&A session. During today's call, we will review our financial results for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2024, and discuss our guidance for the first quarter and full year fiscal 2025. During today's call, we will make forward-looking statements, including statements related to our business operations and financial performance. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties which could cause them to differ materially from actual results. Information concerning these risks and uncertainties is available in our earnings press release, our most recent Forms 10-K and 10-Q, and our other SEC reports. All our statements are made as of today, based on information currently available to us. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to update any such statements. During today's call, we will also discuss certain non-GAAP financial measures, the reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP measures is included in today's earnings press release. The earnings press release and an accompanying investor presentation are available on our website at investors.snowflake.com. A replay of today's call will also be posted on the website. With that, I would now like to turn the call over to Frank. Story continues Frank Slootman: Thanks, Katherine. Welcome, and good afternoon. Right now, you've heard the great news about Sridhar becoming our next CEO. Before we get to that, I would like to highlight our fiscal 2024 results. FY '24 product revenue grew 38% year-over-year to reach $2.67 billion. Non-GAAP product gross margin expanded to 77.8%. Non-GAAP adjusted free cash flow was $810 million, representing 56% year-over-year growth. We continue to pair high growth with efficiency. The year began against an unsettled macroeconomic backdrop. We witnessed lackluster sentiment and customer hesitation due to lack of visibility in their businesses. Customers prefer to wait-and-see posture versus leaning in to longer-term contract expansions. This reversed in the second half of the year and we started seeing larger multi-year commitments. Q4 was an exceptionally strong bookings quarter. We reported $5.2 billion of remaining performance obligations, representing accelerated year-on-year growth of 41%. Our international theaters outperformed the company as a whole. We continue to see success in our effort to campaign the largest enterprises globally. We added 14 Global 2000s in the quarter, and eight of our top 10 customers grew sequentially. Meanwhile, Snowflake has announced many new technologies that let customers mobilize AI, Streamlit in Snowflake, Snowpark ML Modeling API, and Cortex ML functions are all generally available. We also received FedRAMP High authorization on the AWS GovCloud. This enables Snowflake to protect some of the Federal Government's most sensitive and classified data. Now, on the topic of CEO transition. I was brought to Snowflake five years ago to help the company breakout and scale. I wanted to grow the business fast, but not at all costs. It had to be efficient and establish a foundation for long-term growth. I believe the company succeeded on that mission. The Board has run a succession process that wasn't based on arbitrary timeline, but instead, looked for an opportunity to advance the company's mission, well into the future. The arrival of Sridhar Ramaswamy through the acquisition of Neeva last year represented that opportunity. Since joining us, Sridhar has been leading Snowflake's AI strategies, bringing new products and features to market at an incredible pace. He led the launch of Snowflake's Cortex, Snowflake's new fully-managed service that makes AI simple and secure. Prior to Neeva, Sridhar lead all of Google's advertising products. During his 15-year tenure at Google, he helped grow AdWords and Google's advertising business from $1.5 billion to over $100 billion. With the onslaught of generative AI, Snowflake needs a hard-driving technologist to navigate the challenges the new world represents. Sridhar's vision for the future and his proven ability to execute at scale made it clear to us as a Board, he is the right executive at the right time to lead Snowflake. This marks my retirement from an operating role. I will remain on duty as Chairman of the Board, and look forward to working with Sridhar and the team going forward. With that, I will pass it over to Sridhar. Sridhar Ramaswamy: Thank you, Frank. I'm honored to have been chosen to lead this great company. The success that Snowflake has achieved is a testament to the great customers, employees, and partners who have contributed along the way. And of course, Frank has been a huge part of getting us here, which I gratefully acknowledge. Snowflake is a once-in-a-generation company that will revolutionize the world with its cloud data platform. This has become more true in the past year with the rapid technology innovations we have seen. Generative AI is at the forefront of my customer conversations. This drives renewed emphasis on data strategy in preparation of these new technologies. You heard the team say it many times, "There's no AI strategy without a data strategy." And this has opened a massive opportunity for Snowflake to address. A software engineer at work, surrounded by a wall of computer monitors connected to a 'Data Cloud' platform. To deliver on the opportunity ahead, we must have clear focus and move even faster to bring innovation on the Snowflake platform to our customers and partners. This will be my focus. I look forward to working with the team, and I'm extremely excited for the opportunity. With that, I'll pass it over to Mike. Mike Scarpelli: Thank you, Sridhar. Q4 marked a strong finish to a challenging year. Product revenue was $738 million, growing 33% year-over-year. Similar to prior years, we experienced significant holiday impacts in December and January. Holidays make it difficult to discern meaningful consumption trends. In the quarter, younger customers led revenue growth. These accounts are adding new workloads in migrating from legacy vendors. Financial Services and retail were our largest revenue contributors, and we are seeing emerging momentum from the EMEA region and technology vertical. Customer optimizations returned to a normal level, with eight of our top 10 accounts growing sequentially. We proactively engaged with customers to help them optimize their Snowflake usage and we'll continue to do so. History has shown that optimizations expand our long-term opportunity. We now have 83 customers with trailing 12-month product revenue greater than $5 million, up from 75 in Q3. Q4 was an exceptional booking quarter for us. Bookings are not leading indicator of revenue; they do signal an improving macroenvironment. Remaining performance obligations grew 41% year-over-year to $5.2 billion. Of the $5.2 billion in RPO, we expect approximately 50% to be recognized as revenue in the next 12 months. We signed our largest deal ever in Q4, a five-year, $250 million contract with an existing customer. Our international territories returned to meaningful growth, outperforming expectations for the first time in a year. We made significant progress in delivering margin expansion. Non-GAAP product margin at 78% was up approximately 300 basis points year-over-year, improved terms from the cloud service providers have contributed to margin expansion. Non-GAAP operating margin of 9% was ahead of expectations. Operating margin benefitted from increased hiring scrutiny. Non-GAAP adjusted free cash flow margin was 42%. Bookings outperformance increased collections. We ended the quarter with $4.8 billion in cash, cash equivalents, and short-term and long-term investments. We did not repurchase any shares in Q4. We have approximately $1.4 billion remaining under our original authorization of $2 billion. Now, let's turn to outlook. Consumption trends have improved since the beginning of last year, but have not returned to pre-FY '24 patterns. We have evolved our forecasting process to be more receptive to recent trends. For that reason, our guidance assumes similar customer behavior to fiscal 2024. We are forecasting increased revenue headwinds associated with product efficiency gains, tiered storage pricing and the expectation that some of our customers will leverage Iceberg Tables for their storage. We are not including potential revenue benefits from these initiatives in our forecast. These changes in our assumption impact our long-term guidance. Internally, we continue to march towards $10 billion in product revenue. Externally, we will not manage expectations to our previous targets until we have more data. We are focused in executing in FY '24 to ensure long-term durable growth. Now, turning to FY '25 guidance. For the first quarter, we expect product revenue between $745 million and $750 million, representing year-over-year growth between 26% and 27%. For the first quarter, we expect non-GAAP operating margin of 3%, and 366 million diluted weighted-average shares outstanding. For the full year, we expect product revenue of approximately $3.25 billion, representing 22% year-over-year growth. We expect Snowpark to contribute 3% of product revenue. We are not including any other new products in our forecast at this time. For the full year, we expect non-GAAP product gross margin of 76%, non-GAAP operating margin of 6%, non-GAAP adjusted free cash flow margin of 29%, and diluted weighted average shares outstanding of 368 million. We plan to add approximately 1,000 employees this year inclusive of M&A. For expenses, our forecast assumes meaningful investments in our AI initiatives. We expect approximately $50 million of GPU-related costs in fiscal year '25, approximately $10 million flowing through cost of product revenue. For the purpose of forecasting, we're not including any incremental revenue associated with these features. We've also evolved our go-to-market motion. As we compensate more reps on a consumption quota, we will see increased commission expense. Consumption-based commissions are expensed immediately rather than amortized over a five-year period. This has no impact on cash flows, but is expected to have approximately $30 million impact to P&L. Lastly, I would like to acknowledge Frank's retirement. Working with Frank for the past 17 years has been an incredible learning experience and I'm grateful for our time together. Frank's contributions to Snowflake has set the company up for long-term success and I look forward to being part of that journey. I have committed to Sridhar and the Board that I will be with Snowflake for at least the next three years. Before closing, we will host our Investor Day on June 4th in San Francisco in conjunction with Data Cloud Summit, our annual users conference. If you're interested in attending, please email ir@snowflake.com. With that operator, you can now open up the line for questions. Operator: Thank you. [Operator Instructions] Our first question for today comes from Mark Murphy of JPMorgan. Your line is now open. Please go ahead. See also 25 Countries with Developing Economies but Slow Growth Rates and 21 Best Countries to Buy Real Estate According to Reddit. To continue reading the Q&A session, please click here. By Tom Westbrook and Harry Robertson SINGAPORE/LONDON (Reuters) - Bitcoin was on track for its biggest monthly gain in more than three years on Thursday and within sight of a record high, propelled by cash rushing into exchange-traded funds. The approval and launch of spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds in the U.S. this year has opened the asset class to new investors and reignited the excitement that evaporated when prices collapsed in the "crypto winter" of 2022. The largest cryptocurrency by market capitalisation was last up 3.4% at $62,205, having changed hands at $63,933 overnight, the highest since late 2021. Bitcoin's monthly gain is more than 47%, its largest since December 2020, and its rally has pulled ether along in its wake. The smaller cryptocurrency topped $3,500 for the first time since April 2022 on Wednesday and was last up 4.3% at $3,466, taking its February increase to 52%. The momentum in bitcoin suggested "a test and likely break" of $69,000, said Tony Sycamore, an analyst at brokerage IG Markets. That would put bitcoin beyond its record high set in the heady days of crypto peaks in November 2021. "If this were any other market, it would likely be in the 'blow-off top - don't go near that bubble' category," said Matt Simpson, senior market analyst at City Index. "But bitcoin is back in its parabolic-rally phase, with no immediate signs of a top." The head of Coinbase Global said the exchange was dealing with a surge in traffic and LSEG data shows around $612 million flowed into the 10 largest spot bitcoin ETFs on Wednesday, the most since Feb 14. BlackRock's iShares bitcoin trust was the major beneficiary, with $550 million in flows - the most in a single day to the fund since its inception in January. Traders have also poured into bitcoin ahead of April's halving event, a process that takes place every four years in which the rate at which tokens are released is cut in half, along with the rewards given to miners. Story continues Supply of bitcoin is limited to 21 million, of which 19 million have already been mined. In addition, the prospect of the U.S. Federal Reserve delivering a series of interest rate cuts this year has lowered the yields available on bonds and boosted investor appetite for riskier assets, including fast-growing tech stocks. "Rate cuts matter," said Geoff Kendrick, head of crypto research at Standard Chartered, "If you can get higher returns elsewhere, Treasury yields are higher, then you're comparing that against what you can earn from bitcoin". Kendrick said the health of the U.S. economy and the inflows into bitcoin funds have been more important factors. "The ETF inflows have been huge," he added. (Reporting by Tom Westbrook, Ankur Banerjee and Harry Robertson; additional reporting by Amanda Cooper; Editing by Himani Sarkar, Shri Navaratnam and Alexander Smith) By Hyonhee Shin and Joyce Lee SEOUL (Reuters) -South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol met Meta's CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Thursday for talks to explore ways to increase cooperation with the U.S. company in artificial intelligence (AI) and digital ecosystems, Yoon's office said. Yoon said South Korea's portfolio of smart home appliances, wearable devices and smart cars offered a good platform for Meta's AI technology. The president also promised support for business tie ups and expressed hope for greater collaboration in areas like the metaverse and extended reality (XR) headsets, it said. "The two discussed the vision for creating open AI and digital ecosystems and how to strengthen cooperation between Meta and our companies," Yoon's policy chief, Sung Tae-yoon, told a briefing. "The president said that the Korean industry is ready to actively support what Meta has imagined and designed." Yoon also asked Meta to play an active role monitoring and countering fake news and other malpractices on its platforms as many countries gear up for elections this year, Sung said. Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment. On Wednesday, Zuckerberg met Samsung Electronics Chairman Jay Y. Lee and LG Electronics CEO William Cho to discuss potential cooperation in AI and XR technology. Meta launched its latest mixed-reality headset, Quest 3, in June before rival Apple ramped up competition this month with its Vision Pro device. AI chip supply and expanding ecosystems for generative AI are key priorities for Meta this year, as the company seeks to get generative AI technology into its social media products and hardware devices. South Korea has announced measures to foster local AI development, including investments to provide text data for large language models, core AI technology and large-capacity computing resources, as well as projects to embed AI, according to the Ministry of Science and ICT. Story continues South Korea will host a global AI Safety Summit in May. Zuckerberg is on his first publicly known visit to South Korea in about 10 years, as part of an Asian tour that includes stops in Japan and India. ($1 = 1,332.6400 won) (Reporting by Hyonhee Shin and Joyce Lee; Editing by Ed Davies and Christian Schmollinger) Assessing the Dividend Profile of Suncor Energy Inc Suncor Energy Inc (NYSE:SU) recently announced a dividend of $0.55 per share, payable on 2024-03-25, with the ex-dividend date set for 2024-03-01. 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 Suncor Energy Inc's dividend performance and assess its sustainability. Understanding Suncor Energy Inc's Operations Warning! GuruFocus has detected 6 Warning Signs with EXC. 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? Suncor Energy Inc is an integrated energy company. The company's operations include oil sands development, production and upgrading, offshore oil and gas, petroleum refining in Canada and the U.S., and the company's Petro-Canada retail and wholesale distribution networks. The company is developing petroleum resources while advancing the transition to a low-emissions future through investment in power, renewable fuels, and hydrogen. It also conducts energy trading activities focused principally on the marketing and trading of crude oil, natural gas, byproducts, refined products, and power. Suncor Energy Inc's Dividend Analysis Suncor Energy Inc's Dividend Reliability Suncor Energy Inc has maintained a consistent dividend payment record since 1994. Dividends are currently distributed on a quarterly basis. Below is a chart showing annual Dividends Per Share for tracking historical trends. Analyzing Suncor Energy Inc's Dividend Yield and Growth As of today, Suncor Energy Inc currently has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 4.66% and a 12-month forward dividend yield of 4.79%. This suggests an expectation of increased dividend payments over the next 12 months. Over the past three years, Suncor Energy Inc's annual dividend growth rate was 24.30%. Extended to a five-year horizon, this rate decreased to 6.50% per year. And over the past decade, Suncor Energy Inc's annual dividends per share growth rate stands at 7.20%. Story continues Based on Suncor Energy Inc's dividend yield and five-year growth rate, the 5-year yield on cost of Suncor Energy Inc stock as of today is approximately 6.38%. Suncor Energy Inc's Dividend Analysis Assessing Dividend Sustainability Through Payout Ratios 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, Suncor Energy Inc's dividend payout ratio is 0.44. Suncor Energy Inc's profitability rank, offers an understanding of the company's earnings prowess relative to its peers. GuruFocus ranks Suncor Energy Inc's profitability 7 out of 10 as of 2023-12-31, suggesting good profitability prospects. The company has reported net profit in 8 years out of the past 10 years. Projecting Growth: Suncor Energy Inc's Future Potential To ensure the sustainability of dividends, a company must have robust growth metrics. Suncor Energy Inc'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 Suncor Energy Inc's revenue per share, combined with the 3-year revenue growth rate, indicates a strong revenue model. Suncor Energy Inc's revenue has increased by approximately 34.70% per year on average, a rate that outperforms approximately 84.31% of global competitors. Conclusion: Evaluating Suncor Energy Inc's Dividend Prospects In conclusion, Suncor Energy Inc's consistent dividend payments, coupled with an impressive dividend growth rate, payout ratio, profitability, and growth metrics, present an appealing case for value investors. The company's ability to maintain a healthy balance between paying dividends and retaining earnings for growth indicates a sustainable dividend policy. With a solid profitability rank and growth trajectory, Suncor Energy Inc appears to be on a path that could continue to reward shareholders with attractive dividend yields. As investors consider adding Suncor Energy Inc to their portfolios, they should also weigh these factors against their investment strategy and market conditions. Will Suncor Energy Inc's dividends continue to be a beacon of consistency in your investment journey? 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. PHOENIX, Feb. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- SWCA Environmental Consultants, a global environmental consulting firm, announces the appointment of Scott Slessman as the company's first chief growth officer. SWCA Environmental Consultants Logo (PRNewsfoto/SWCA Environmental Consultants) In this newly created position, Slessman will be responsible for achieving SWCA's growth objectives by identifying strategic opportunities, driving sales success across the organization, and developing the next generation of client services consultants at SWCA. "Throughout his career at SWCA, Scott has demonstrated an impressive track record of creating valuable growth," said Joseph J. Fluder, III, CEO and president of SWCA. "He has played a key role in establishing offices and expanding SWCA's presence in Colorado, Wyoming, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, and the upper Midwest and Great Lakes region. Scott's leadership has been instrumental in navigating the challenges posed by the pandemic, adapting business development approaches, and ensuring client satisfaction. His strategic vision, relentless drive, deep industry knowledge, and commitment to our clients, purpose, and core values make him the perfect fit to lead as our first-ever chief growth officer." Slessman brings more than 30 years of invaluable experience in the environmental consulting industry, having served SWCA in various capacities since 2003. Most recently, as senior vice president of client services, Slessman played a pivotal role in more than tripling SWCA's total annual sales since 2015. The chief growth officer position joins SWCA's existing c-suite team of Joseph J. Fluder, III, chief executive officer and president; Denis Henry, chief financial officer and executive vice president; Deborah Owens, chief people officer; Linda Lannen, chief technology officer; Robert Kroeger, chief operating officer; Norma Crumbley, chief delivery officer; and Robert Kloepfer, global strategic management officer. About SWCA Founded in 1981, SWCA is a 100% employee-owned environmental consulting firm. SWCA provides a full spectrum of environmental services focused on sustainability strategy, environmental planning, natural and cultural resources management, permitting and compliance, water resources, ecological restoration, and disaster and resilience. We combine scientific expertise with in-depth knowledge of regulatory requirements to achieve technically sound, cost-effective solutions for environmental challenges in the U.S. and beyond. www.swca.com Story continues Media Contact Bethany Smith SWCA Environmental Consultants Ph: +1.513.470.2123 bethany.smith@swca.com Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/swca-appoints-scott-slessman-as-first-chief-growth-officer-302075109.html SOURCE SWCA Environmental Consultants Revenue : Increased by 16% to a record $833.3 million through entirely organic growth. Net Income : Reached $183.5 million, translating to $3.85 per diluted share; Adjusted Net Income at $189.3 million, or $3.98 per diluted share. Adjusted EBITDA : Rose by 15% to an all-time high of $304.1 million, representing 36.5% of revenues. Gross Profit : Achieved a record $390.9 million, with gross margin within the target range of 47% to 49%. Cash Flow : Strong full-year cash flow from operations at $138.8 million, representing 46% of Adjusted EBITDA. Leverage : Net leverage ratio at a record low of 0.1x at year-end. Backlog: Expanded by 20% year-over-year to a record $870.1 million. Tecnoglass Inc (NYSE:TGLS) released its 8-K filing on February 29, 2024, announcing record financial metrics for the full year ended December 31, 2023. The company, a leading producer of architectural glass and windows for residential and commercial markets, has achieved significant growth through organic means, with a notable 16% increase in full-year revenues to $833.3 million. Tecnoglass Inc (TGLS) Posts Record Financial Results for Full Year 2023 The company's net income surged to $183.5 million, or $3.85 per diluted share, with an adjusted net income of $189.3 million, or $3.98 per diluted share. Adjusted EBITDA also saw a 15% increase to a record $304.1 million, which is 36.5% of revenues. This performance highlights Tecnoglass's ability to maintain profitability and efficiency in its operations. Gross profit for the year reached a record $390.9 million, producing a gross margin within the target range of 47% to 49%. This achievement is indicative of the company's effective cost control measures and high-return automation enhancements. The strong cash flow from operations, amounting to $138.8 million, underscores the company's solid financial discipline and operational excellence. Moreover, Tecnoglass reported an all-time low net leverage ratio of 0.1x at year-end, reflecting its robust capital structure and financial stability. The company's backlog expanded by 20% year-over-year to a record $870.1 million, providing clear visibility into future revenues and underlining the strong demand for its products. Story continues Despite challenges such as the appreciation of the Colombian Peso and a turbulent macroeconomic environment, particularly in the single-family residential end market, Tecnoglass has managed to deliver industry-leading margins and exceptional cash flow. The company's strategic expansion into the high-end vinyl window market is on track, with shipments commencing in December 2023, which is expected to contribute more meaningfully to results in the second half of 2024 and beyond. CEO Jose Manuel Daes expressed pride in the team's record performance and operational accomplishments, attributing the success to the company's dedication to excellence, market-leading innovation, and unique vertically integrated business model. COO Christian Daes also highlighted the company's resilience and competitive advantages that have allowed it to preserve margins and generate additional cash flow. The company's board has approved a 22% increase in the quarterly dividend to $0.11 per share and executed $23.5 million in share repurchases during the year, demonstrating confidence in the company's financial health and commitment to delivering value to shareholders. Looking ahead, CFO Santiago Giraldo provided a positive outlook for 2024, anticipating another year of double-digit revenue growth. While the company plans to provide more details on its full-year 2024 revenue and adjusted EBITDA outlook at a later date, the current backlog and expansion strategies position Tecnoglass for continued growth and solid cash flow generation. For a more detailed analysis of Tecnoglass Inc's financial performance and future prospects, investors and interested parties are encouraged to join the webcast and conference call on March 1, 2024. Value investors and potential GuruFocus.com members seeking to capitalize on the building materials industry may find Tecnoglass Inc (NYSE:TGLS) an intriguing opportunity given its strong financial performance and strategic growth initiatives. Explore the complete 8-K earnings release (here) from Tecnoglass Inc for further details. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. (Image: Jim Allen/FreightWaves) Most technological solutions in trucking focus on improving some aspect of the for-hire fleet experience. Despite often being left out of the conversation, private fleets face a unique set of challenges that can often be addressed by different applications of the same solutions. When software providers do not cater to private fleets, both the provider and the carrier suffer. To truly provide value to these companies, third-party partners must understand their differing priorities. For example, private fleets have significant differences in operational structures, often placing an outsize emphasis on operational efficiency and customer service. Private fleets place such a high value on efficiency and service due, in large part, to their position as in-house transportation providers and brand representatives for their own organizations. Unlike for-hire carriers serving many clients, private fleets are almost exclusively dedicated to meeting the transportation demands of their parent company. As a result, their primary focus is in optimizing transportation operations to guarantee timely and cost-effective delivery of goods, according to Joe Franco, director of strategic sales at Tenstreet, who has worked with dozens of private fleets to create optimal processes. This focus on cost-effective delivery often extends to creating and maintaining strategies to manage fuel, maintenance, and driver compensation within the framework of the organizations profitability and financial goals. In contrast to for-hire carriers, private fleets have direct oversight and control over their drivers, equipment, and routes, Franco explained. This level of control allows them to pivot their operations to meet business needs in real-time, adapt to market changes, and maintain a competitive edge. Due to the high level of control and responsibility private fleets exercise when managing their operations, compliance and risk management are often top of mind for decision-makers. Story continues Private fleets prioritize investments in training programs, safety initiatives, and technological solutions to achieve driver compliance, minimize accidents, and fleet well-being Franco highlighted. Given their typically larger scale, they face heightened scrutiny compared to some for-hire carriers. Due to their unique business models, private fleets also face different challenges than their for-hire counterparts, including: Disjointed systems and lack of integration Limited collaboration and information sharing Heightened competition and aging demographics Longer hiring cycles and approval processes Most of these issues tie into a common struggle among private fleets: disconnection. Private fleets often encounter hurdles in finding solutions that enable collaboration and visibility among their various locations. Lack of communication and shared best practices can impede fleet scalability and growth, Franco said. Drawing from my experience working with numerous private fleets, its a common refrain that, regardless of industry segment, these fleets share similar pain points. Collaboration and visibility among different locations consistently emerge as major challenges. While Tenstreet is known for the plethora of solutions it offers for-hire carriers, private fleets can also leverage Tenstreets comprehensive suite of driver management solutions. FMCSA compliance Tenstreet offers specialized tools and features designed to help private fleets navigate complex Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulations and compliance requirements. From managing driver qualifications and certifications to ensuring adherence to FMCSA regulations, Tenstreet helps private fleets mitigate compliance risks. Efficient recruitment and onboarding Tenstreet streamlines the recruitment and onboarding processes, allowing private fleets to attract and onboard qualified drivers quickly and efficiently. With features like IntelliApp, which accelerates the application process, and Driver Pulse, which moves onboarding online to get drivers in trucks faster, Tenstreet helps private fleets reduce time-to-hire without sacrificing the quality of hires. Post-hire solutions Tenstreet also offers post-hire solutions aimed at enhancing driver management and safety. These solutions include safety and accountability monitoring, events management for tracking violations and incidents, and driver report cards that provide insights into driver performance and behavior. These tools help private fleets reduce accidents, lower insurance premiums, and maintain a high level of safety and efficiency. Advanced safety features Tenstreets platform includes advanced safety features such as driver qualification file management, fuel efficiency monitoring, and GPS navigation route tracking and sharing. These features enable private fleets to optimize fuel usage, track driver routes in real-time, and identify areas for improvement in operational efficiency and safety. In addition to the companys existing suite of solutions, Tenstreet plans to launch AI automation and recruiter messaging tools to streamline communication with drivers and automate routine tasks. By automating repetitive processes and enabling proactive communication with drivers, private fleets will be able to improve efficiency, enhance driver engagement, and maintain a positive driver experience. Click here to learn more about how Tenstreets solutions can benefit private fleets. The post Tenstreet offers modern tech solutions tailored to private fleets appeared first on FreightWaves. Turkish Drones Kill Three Assyrians in Syria Turkish drones targeted several vehicles in the town of Al-Malikiyah (Derik), situated in the far north-east of Syria, killing three security officers from the Syriac Security Office and seriously injuring two others, along with six civilians, at 9.40am local time on Wednesday. The Sutoro Police, a Syriac and Assyrian community police force operating under the Internal Security Forces of North and East Syria (Asayish), confirmed and detailed the attack. Sutoro police force said Turkish forces used drones to target two civilian vehicles at the entrance to Al-Malikiyah. A Sutoro patrol, sent to the scene to help the wounded, was bombed in a second attack by Turkish forces. The second attack killed three Sutoro members and wounded eight people, including six civilians, as well as causing significant material damage to nearby shops. The Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES) strongly condemned the Turkish attacks, describing them as a clear violation of international norms and a destabalising act of aggression. The administration accused the Turkish government of barbarism, claiming that the attacks are part of Turkey's efforts to distract its people from internal issues by fabricating threats from the Syrian region. The DAANES also stated that these actions are aimed at undermining the democratic aspirations and the fight against the jihadist groups in northern and eastern Syria. DAANES called on the international community, including the countries involved in the ceasefire agreement, the Global Coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS) and the Russian Federation, to intervene and stop the Turkish aggression to prevent further chaos and instability in the region. They also called on the Turkish public to question the narratives presented by their government. This is not the first time that Turkey has been accused of targeting first responders in its drone attacks on the autonomous region. Previously, in September 2023, after attacking and killing two members of the security forces, a Turkish armed drone reportedly continued to target civilians as they attempted to rescue the wounded. In response to increased Turkish aggression, the DAANES pledged to continue to maintain security and efforts towards democratic governance, despite challenges posed by external aggression. The administration also emphasised the resilience of the local population and the unity of the residing ethnic and religious groups, in the face of threats to security and the region's achievements. (Bloomberg) -- Texas is pursuing a series of legal fights against the federal government that are testing the limits on how far local officials can go to shore up US borders, taking advantage of the concerns over immigration gripping the nation. Most Read from Bloomberg The legal machinations are playing out as President Joe Biden and Republican frontrunner Donald Trump visit the Texas-Mexico border Thursday to demonstrate their focus on the issue. Their arrival follows weeks of growing tension in the migration hotspot of Eagle Pass, where state troopers are blocking federal agents from a park along the Rio Grande. Texas also recently passed a law that gives local police the right to arrest people who illegally cross the border, a direct threat to the idea that immigration enforcement is outside a states purview. But a federal judge on Thursday sided with the Biden administration, blocking the law from taking effect because it would conflict with the complex and expansive system Congress created to regulated entry into and removal from the United States. Americans are in a fervor about immigration, roiling the political landscape ahead of the 2024 election. The angst is fanned by Republicans like Texas Governor Greg Abbott who cite a foreign invasion, but also by Democratic mayors in Denver, Chicago and New York struggling to cope with the unprecedented influx. Texas leaders are looking to capitalize on the opportunity. Attorney General Ken Paxton said in an interview with Bloomberg News that the standoff stems from the Biden administrations refusal to take responsibility for keeping out unauthorized immigrants as well as illegal drugs. Story continues If the federal government is not going to protect our country, then the states have a right to step up and protect the citizens, said Paxton, who like all statewide elected officials in Texas is a Republican. Conservative Majority The US Supreme Court has long held that the federal government has power over who can come into the country, not states. But a conservative majority on the high court has emboldened Texas to seek to undermine that precedent. The state seems intent on testing the limits or changing the existing standard, said Denise Gilman, a law professor who directs the Immigration Clinic at the University of Texas. The new composition of the Supreme Court makes it a more viable avenue. Read more: Who Polices the Border? The Texas Battle, Explained: QuickTake Texas has been making a sport of suing the federal government for years. Before he became governor, Abbott was attorney general, and described his job as going into the office in the morning, suing the Obama administration, then going home. Paxton similarly embraces his role as an agitator, championing lawsuits with bombastic press releases that produce favorable coverage in right-wing press. Since Biden took office, the state has spent more than $1.4 million litigating dozens of cases related to border security and immigration. The state has also poured billions of dollars into its own security initiatives using National Guard members and police to monitor border crossings despite lacking explicit authority to enforce immigration law. Ground Zero Eagle Pass is ground zero for the confrontation, and Abbott recently announced plans to build an 80-acre camp there to house as many as 2,300 National Guard troops. The city is a major trade corridor into central Texas and a key point of entry for migrants. Trump plans to visit Eagle Pass today as he seeks to keep up pressure over the issue. The president will go to Brownsville, some 300 miles to the south. Read more: Biden, Trump Set Dueling Visits to US-Mexico Border in Texas The legal dispute stems from a state effort to string razor wire along the border. The state says the wire deters people trying to enter the country illegally. Federal authorities say it impedes their ability to patrol and aid migrants who may need help, and there have been reports of serious injuries. Border Patrol agents began cutting the wire, prompting Paxton to sue, arguing illegal destruction of state property. The case is in its early stages, but a preliminary ruling gave clearance for federal agents to remove the wire while the lawsuit proceeds. Some of the wire is strung along a 47-acre city park along the river, and state officials have blocked Border Patrol agents from entering. Courts have yet to weigh in on whether Texas must allow them access. Police Powers The second major states-rights showdown is over a Texas law adopted last year that makes it a crime to cross the border between official ports of entry and allows police to arrest anyone suspected of doing so. The Biden administration sued, arguing the law usurps federal authority. After the federal judges ruling Thursday, Texas is expected to appeal to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, which is already handling challenges from the federal government to an array of Texas border enforcement measures. Read more: Texas Immigration Law Struck Down by Judge in Win for Biden Abbott wants to push the envelope on everything and anything states are able to do, using the courts to show Texas is doing everything in its power to block immigration, said Mark Jones, a political science professor at Rice University in Houston. While the Constitution doesnt reference immigration explicitly, court rulings point to specific clauses that give Washington authority over commerce with foreign nations and setting rules of naturalization. Republicans are hoping the high court will shift more power to states. Under Trump, the court gained a 6-3 conservative super-majority that already has issued opinions granting broader authority to local governments, including ending federal protections for abortion and saying states could set their own rules on the procedure. The legal push is also tied to shifting national sentiment about the border, as cities thousands of miles from Mexico see a surge of asylum seekers. Republicans want to keep voters focused on the border because they view it as a winning issue, according to Jones. State leaders are trying to present themselves as taking aggressive action while putting the Biden administration in a tough spot. When we talk about Texas engaged in legal battles with a Democratic president, it was always Texas versus the feds, Jones said. It has now transformed into a Republican versus Democratic battle. --With assistance from Julie Fine and Ryan Autullo. (Updates to add court ruling in third paragraph.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Net Sales : $390.2 million in Q4 2023, a decrease from $509.8 million in Q4 2022. Gross Profit : Maintained at 14.9% in Q4 2023, consistent with 15.0% in the prior year period. Free Cash Flow : Record $119 million, highlighting effective working capital management. Net Debt : Reduced to $205.8 million at the end of 2023, from $286.0 million at the end of 2022. Acquisition : Completed the acquisition of Carlstar Group LLC, expected to diversify and strengthen the company's market position. Adjusted EBITDA : $38.1 million in Q4 2023, compared to $52.8 million in the same period last year. Capital Expenditures: Increased to $60.8 million in 2023, up from $47.0 million in 2022. On February 29, 2024, Titan International Inc (NYSE:TWI) released its 8-K filing, detailing the financial results for the fourth quarter and fiscal year 2023. The company, a leading manufacturer of off-highway wheels, tires, assemblies, and undercarriage products, faced a challenging year with reduced demand and sales volume, particularly in the Americas. Despite these challenges, Titan International Inc managed to maintain its gross margin and reported a record free cash flow, underscoring its resilience and operational efficiency. Titan International Inc (TWI) Navigates Market Headwinds with Strong Free Cash Flow in FY 2023 Company Overview Titan International Inc operates through three segments: Agricultural, Earthmoving/Construction, and Consumer. The company's primary revenue comes from the Agricultural segment, which manufactures equipment such as tractors, combines, and plows. Titan International Inc serves a global market, with a significant presence in the United States, Europe/CIS, Latin America, and other international regions. Financial Performance and Challenges The company's net sales for Q4 2023 were $390.2 million, a significant decrease from $509.8 million in the same quarter of the previous year. This decline was attributed to a decrease in sales volume due to elevated inventory levels at OEM customers, lower demand for small agricultural equipment, and economic softness in Brazil. Despite these headwinds, Titan International Inc managed to maintain a gross margin of 14.9% for the quarter, consistent with the prior year, thanks to lower production input costs and continued productivity initiatives. Story continues Strategic Acquisition and Market Conditions The acquisition of Carlstar Group LLC is a strategic move for Titan International Inc, expected to diversify the customer base and product portfolio while adding key manufacturing and distribution assets. The company refrained from providing financial guidance due to the scope of integration work and the addition of new end markets. Segment Performance The Agricultural segment saw a 29.9% decrease in net sales for Q4 2023 compared to the same period in 2022, while the Earthmoving/Construction segment experienced an 18.7% decrease. The Consumer segment had a slight decrease of 1.6% in net sales. However, the Consumer segment's gross profit increased by 42.2%, indicating a potential area of growth for the company. Financial Condition and Outlook At the end of 2023, Titan International Inc had a strong cash position with $220.3 million in cash and cash equivalents. The company's long-term debt stood at $409.2 million, with a notable reduction in net debt from the previous year. Capital expenditures increased as the company invested in enhancing its facilities and manufacturing capabilities. While the company faces soft demand in the agricultural sector and a challenging economic environment, the normalization of inventories and the strategic acquisition of Carlstar Group LLC position Titan International Inc for potential growth and expansion in the upcoming years. For detailed financial tables and further information, please refer to the full 8-K filing. Investors and interested parties can access the teleconference and webcast discussing the Q4 financial results on February 29, 2024, at 9 a.m. Eastern Time through the links provided in the earnings release. This summary provides a snapshot of Titan International Inc's financial performance, highlighting the company's ability to navigate market challenges while maintaining profitability and executing strategic initiatives. For more in-depth analysis and updates, stay tuned to GuruFocus.com. Explore the complete 8-K earnings release (here) from Titan International Inc for further details. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Demand for the Toyota Mirai, an electric vehicle that runs off of a hydrogen fuel cell, must not be strong because the automaker is practically giving them away. According to Wards Auto, Toyota recently issued a $40,000 sales incentive for the second-generation Mirai that normally sells for $52,000. That price is already significantly lower than the cost of a 2017 Lexus hybrid with 71,000 miles that I found on Carfax for $21,000. As the report points out, the Mirai also includes $15,000 is complimentary fuel. So when you factor that in, its like Toyota is paying you $3,000 to drive a Mirai for six years, which is how long you have to use up the free fuel package. Most Read on IEN: Of course, there are limitations with the Mirai. For one, its only sold in California and, as Wards notes, Toyota dealerships in the state are not stocking the Mirai in large quantities. And then theres finding hydrogen to fuel the thing. Shell once had grand plans to build a hydrogen refueling network in California that would serve lightweight consumer vehicles. The company had even received millions in grant money from the state. But last year it canceled plans to build 48 hydrogen refueling stations and this year, it shut down nearly all of its light-duty hydrogen refueling stations due to supply complications and other external market factors, according to Hydrogen Insight. On paper, the Toyota Mirai is a great vehicle. It gets 402 miles of range and its only emissions are water. But given the limited infrastructure in place to support it, it may be just a little ahead of its time. Travel Ban on Ex-Blockchain Global Head in $58M Meltdown The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) has secured interim travel restraint orders against former Blockchain Global Limited director Liang "Allan" Guo, barring him from leaving the country as the corporate regulator investigates the collapse of the crypto company. The orders, granted by the Federal Court on February 20, prevent him from departing Australia until at least August 20, 2024. He has also been compelled to surrender any passports in his possession to authorities. The ban comes as ASIC probes the implosion of ACX, a cryptocurrency exchange run by Blockchain Global, which collapsed in early 2020 with debts of AUD$58 million owed to creditors. Liquidators brought in to wind up the company flagged potential breaches of corporation law by directors in a report filed last November. Alongside Mr. Guo, the regulator is looking into fellow directors Samuel Lee and Ryan Xu over their stewardship of ACX Exchange prior to its downfall after three years of operations. Both Mr. Lee and Mr. Xu are considered to have left the country following the exchange's collapse. Justice Catherine Button endorsed ASIC's application for the urgent travel restraint, noting the allegations that investors' funds had been misused under Mr. Guo's watch for personal expenses, including mortgage repayments. She described the claims as "very serious." With key suspects residing overseas, the court determined the former director posed a flight risk and his presence was required for questioning. (Bloomberg) -- Ukrainian officials are concerned that Russian advances could gain significant momentum by the summer unless their allies can increase the supply of ammunition, according to a person familiar with their analysis. Most Read from Bloomberg Internal assessments of the situation on the battlefield from Kyiv are growing increasingly bleak as Ukrainian forces struggle to hold off Russian attacks while rationing the number of shells they can fire. Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said Thursday that mistakes by frontline commanders had compounded the problems facing Ukraines defenses around Avdiivka, which was captured by Russian forces this month. Syrskyi said hed sent in more troops and ammunition to bolster Ukrainian positions. Pessimism among Ukraine and its allies has been mounting for weeks as theyve seen Russian forces seize the initiative on the frontline with vital aid from the US held up in Congress. The fall of Avdiivka and several nearby villages is fueling fears that Kyivs defenses may not be able to hold. Those losses should act as a wake up call to Ukraines allies, a European official said. Ukraine can start losing the war this year, Michael Kofman, a specialist on Russia and Ukraine at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, said on the War on the Rocks podcast. Russian President Vladimir Putin hasnt given up his original goal of seizing major cities including the capital Kyiv and Odesa, according to Ukrainian intelligence assessments, the person said, asking for anonymity to discuss matters that arent public. If Russian forces reached Odesa, they would be able to shut off Ukraines crucial grain export routes through the Black Sea and also open up access to Moldova, where the breakaway region of Transnistria on Wednesday appealed to Moscow for political support. Story continues Depending on the results of the current campaign, Russia will decide whether to continue with a slow, grinding advance, or to accumulate resources for a bigger strike to break through Ukrainian lines this summer, the person close to Ukraines leadership said. Putin on Thursday repeated that he still plans to achieve the goals set out at the start of the invasion, which have remained unchanged since 2022, during an address to his Federal Assembly. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Sunday that munitions shortages are affecting the battlefield situation and warned that Russia is planning a new offensive in the spring or early summer. It will be difficult for us in the coming months because there are fluctuations in the US that have an impact on some countries, though the European Union showed it is capable of being a leader with its support, Zelenskiy said. With Ukrainian forces desperate for more ammunition, some allies, led by the Czech Republic, are looking into buying around 800,000 artillery shells from outside the EU to give to Ukraine. A major offensive would still be a challenge for the Kremlin after two years of war that have depleted its forces. Russias efforts to take Kyiv, Kharkiv and move on Odesa in the early weeks of the war failed spectacularly. Despite Ukraines shortages, Russia would need far more soldiers but also heavy tanks and vehicles to launch an offensive, Admiral Rob Bauer, NATOs military committee chairman, said in an interview on Feb. 17. So far, Moscow hasnt been able to ramp up production quickly enough in those areas, he said. Putin has more artillery, he has an ability to replace a certain amount of missiles every month, which hes using, but hes not been fully successful in terms of the increase in, for example, tanks and armored vehicles, Bauer said. He pointed to recent Ukrainian reports that, despite the loss of Avdiivka, Russian troops were killed at a high rate of seven for every soldier Kyiv lost. The one-to-seven ratio means he will need a lot of forces to defeat the Ukrainians, Bauer said. Ukraines strategy is to try to hold the front line as much as possible until the second half of the year, when it may get F-16 fighter jets and western ammunition production is due to ramp up. That would allow Kyiv to plan for another possible counteroffensive in 2025. --With assistance from Aliaksandr Kudrytski and Jessica Loudis. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. By Stephen Nellis (Reuters) - Airspace Technologies, a U.S. logistics startup that specializes in transporting time-sensitive cargo, on Thursday said it is expanding operations in Asia and working with Qualcomm and other semiconductor firms. Airspace, which was founded in 2016 and raised $100 million in funding, uses a combination of sensors placed on packages and a cloud-based software system to show where packages are in real time as they are picked up by contract drivers, put on planes and then picked up again for delivery. It specializes in high-value shipments where minutes matter, such as human organs bound for transplant surgeries. On Thursday, the company, which operates in Europe and the U.S., said it was expanding to Malaysia, Vietnam and Singapore and increasing its work with the chip industry. During the manufacturing process, semiconductors typically cross oceans several times before they are ready to be put into devices such as computers or smartphones. Because chips are small and light compared to their value, that shuttling has taken the form of air cargo. But the global air cargo industry is being upended by fast-fashion clothing brands snapping up capacity that has been limited since the pandemic. That's an issue for the chip industry, where multi-billion-dollar factories are only profitable when running at full capacity around the clock and stoppages to wait for packages cost money. Alex Coates, Airspace's president and chief financial officer, said chip companies are now asking logistics partners for a range of options - including paying extra to make sure that materials arrive on time. "They're looking for people to be much more consultative than they were 10 years ago. You need to help them figure out these complex problems," Coates said in an interview. Qualcomm's subsidiary RF360 Europe, which manufactures radio frequency chips, has been using Airspace's service to track shipments from Asia to Europe and vice versa. In a statement, Michael Fleischmann, a senior director of sourcing for the unit, said the ability to track packages in real time was "a critical aspect in our industry that requires the highest discipline in on-time-deliveries." (Reporting by Stephen Nellis in San Francisco) (Bloomberg) -- Sanctions by the US Treasury are quietly turning up the heat on Russias oil exports to the point where they may soon be at risk of curtailment, writes Bloomberg oil strategist Julian Lee. Most Read from Bloomberg Since the Treasury first started designating individual tankers back in October, a total of 40 vessels have been identified. Of those, 14 were named on Feb. 23 and the rest before then. A handful of ships are also stuck with Russias Sokol crude grade on board. Tracking these vessels one by one reveals that, of those named before the most recent round of designations, almost all of them have failed to load cargo since being added to the list. And when Fridays measures were imposed, one performed a mid-ocean U-turn and another appeared to abandon a cargo transfer that it was engaged in. In addition to the ships, a phalanx of significant traders and shipping firms not least the state-owned tanker giant Sovcomflot and entities related to it have been targeted. As well as stopping the ships from doing what they were doing, the measures come with a psychological impact. Oil refineries in India are becoming increasingly wary of touching Russian barrels because of mounting sanctions pressure. READ: India Looks Elsewhere for Oil as US Sanctions Crimp Russia Trade Any buyer dealing with Russia today needs to keep in mind that Trader X, Y or Zs name is not somewhere in the paperwork to ensure theyre not inadvertently caught up in a sanctioned cargo. And there can also be no certainty about which ship or shipping company the US Treasury might target next. Despite all this, its hard to be certain what the impact is right now. Certainly overall exports are holding up. Story continues Yes, its true that prices of Russian oil are deeply discounted at the point when the barrels leave Russia. However, by the time the barrels arrive in Asia, the price has risen closer to that of the international benchmark Brent. That might be because the sanctions are genuinely inflating shipping costs, but its hard to be certain because the tanker companies and traders involved in the trade are so often unknown. So far, the sanctions applied have pertained to breaches of a price cap. The US Treasury has asserted that Group of Seven services were provided for cargoes that cost more than $60 a barrel thereby breaking the rules. There are still plenty more ships that the US and its allies can go after for such breaches, intensifying the pressure on Moscow to find suitable tankers for its needs. But a wider question lurks in the background: will the western regulators target a fleet of vessels that doesnt use G-7 service providers at all? Remember, these ships, somtimes part of what is known as a shadow fleet, are going a long way to helping Russia deliver its barrels and fill its war chest. They can have substandard insurance if they have insurance at all, their ownership details are often a mystery, and there are concerns about their safety and environmental credentials. And they arent impeded by the need to use western services or under the threat of sanctions for doing so. What if the Treasury were to sanction a ship that had no Western nexus at all? Say a carrier with a poor environmental profile that was helping Russia to deliver its barrels. No Surprise The fact is, sanctions have now been shown to disrupt the tankers that would otherwise deliver Russian oil, and there are plenty more that can be added to the list. If more and more are taken out of the market, Russia may start struggle to find all the ships it needs. It could even affect the wider freight market. At that point, it would be no surprise to see the flow of crude start to ebb, something that would mark a far bolder approach from the US Treasury than has been the case up to now. Disruption to crude supply is something the US Treasury has said it will seek to avoid. But that doesnt mean it cant test the limits of its powers and their influence on the market. NOTE: Julian Lee is an oil strategist who writes for Bloomberg. The observations he makes are his own and are not intended as investment advice. Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. (Bloomberg) -- The Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating whether OpenAI investors were misled as the startup went through a ferocious debate over leadership last year, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the probe. Most Read from Bloomberg The US regulator is studying internal communications by Chief Executive Officer Sam Altman in relation to his ouster from the post in November, the report said. The SEC sent a subpoena to the company in December and asked senior OpenAI officials to preserve internal documents, according to the people. To regain his job, Altman agreed to an internal investigation, among other conditions. The abrupt nature of his firing and a statement from the board saying that Altman hadnt been consistently candid in his communications set up expectations for the emergence of a smoking gun. Nothing like that has come out, though there have been revelations of tensions within OpenAI over his fundraising for an outside chip venture, including seeking funding in the Middle East, and a dispute with former board member Helen Toner over a research paper shed co-written that was critical of the company. Read More: OpenAIs Altman Ouster Was Result of Drawn-Out Tensions It was Altmans pattern of behavior, rather than a single egregious action, that caused the board to lose trust in him, according to a person with direct knowledge of the boards thinking, who asked not to be named discussing private business matters. OpenAIs ChatGPT triggered the current rush to adopt artificial intelligence across all manner of industries and services, with Microsoft Corp. investing more than $10 billion into its partnership with the closely held startup. Story continues The SECs probe may not lead to any finding of wrongdoing by the parties involved. OpenAI selected two lawyers from the firm WilmerHale to conduct its investigation into the events. While the review is ongoing, the board will continue to take steps to strengthen OpenAIs corporate governance, build a qualified and diverse board of exceptional individuals, and oversee OpenAIs important mission in ensuring that artificial general intelligence benefits all of humanity, Bret Taylor, chair of OpenAIs board, said in December. (Updates with detail of Altmans ouster from third paragraph) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2024 Bloomberg L.P. Wasco Berhad (KLSE:WASCO) Full Year 2023 Results Key Financial Results Revenue: RM2.61b (down 3.0% from FY 2022). Net income: RM103.7m (up from RM6.30m loss in FY 2022). Profit margin: 4.0% (up from net loss in FY 2022). The move to profitability was driven by lower expenses. EPS: RM0.14 (up from RM0.008 loss in FY 2022). All figures shown in the chart above are for the trailing 12 month (TTM) period Wasco Berhad Earnings Insights Looking ahead, revenue is forecast to grow 11% p.a. on average during the next 3 years, compared to a 4.6% decline forecast for the Energy Services industry in Malaysia. Performance of the Malaysian Energy Services industry. The company's share price is broadly unchanged from a week ago. Risk Analysis Before we wrap up, we've discovered 1 warning sign for Wasco Berhad that you should be aware of. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Differing rules from state to state are primarily to blame. (Photo: Jim Allen/FreightWaves) Insurance is one of the top expenses for a carrier, behind fuel and maintenance. Premiums for each carrier vary wildly based on a number of factors, such as years of experience, average cost of goods hauled, driving record, etc. One of the factors carriers cant control is insurance rates that are based on the state where they are domiciled. Carrier insurance is regulated at the state level. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration requires that all carriers have liability insurance, and there are some commonalities in the rules across all states. Reliance Partners Executive Vice President of Sales, Jackson Alexander, explained the three requirements that must be met for insurance companies rates to be approved. First, rates must be adequate, meaning insurance companies have to charge enough to collect enough premium in order to be able to pay out claims, Alexander said. Second, rates must not be excessive, meaning rates cant be too high to where insurance carriers are earning excessive profits. Finally, rates cannot be unfairly discriminatory, meaning you cannot charge higher rates based on race, gender, etc. But beyond those basic similarities lie stark differences in rules and regulations from state to state. Those differences include the impact on rates based on where a carrier is domiciled. Most recently a law has been enacted in New Jersey requiring at least $1.5 million of liability insurance for motor carriers domiciled there. The New Jersey law and laws in other states raising coverage minimums can cause those states insurance rates to rise significantly, increasing disparities. In fact, the question of where a carrier is domiciled can be a key factor in whether a state has relatively higher or lower insurance premiums for motor carriers. Moreover, courts in plaintiff-friendly states like California, New York and Louisiana often award much larger payouts in lawsuits related to trucking than other states do. Because of this, insurance commissioners in these states force insurance companies to file higher rates to make sure they collect enough premium to be able to pay claims, according to Alexander. Story continues Still, there are areas where carriers can take steps to mitigate rising costs, which vary widely even among carriers within a given state despite regulation by state insurance departments. Individual loss data for the motor carrier is arguably the most important factor when insurance carriers determine how much they are going to charge, Alexander said. CSA [compliance, safety, and accountability] scores is another one that is extremely important. Each alert a motor carrier has in one of the seven BASICs [Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories] can cost on average an additional $500-1,000 in insurance premium per truck per year. It boils down to hiring the right drivers, having the right equipment and technology in the trucks, such as telematics, cameras, etc., and emphasizing safety to hold down potential increases in rates. Motor carriers can also choose to increase deductibles to reduce premiums as more of the risk is now on them versus the insurance carrier when deductibles are raised. Meanwhile, the future of insurance rates will continue to rely in significant part on what each states lawmakers and regulatory agencies decide. Its likely that more states will go the route of New Jersey and require carriers to increase liability coverage to $1.5 million. At the federal level, the FMCSA minimum remains $750,000. Should additional states take New Jerseys approach, it could increase the exit of motor carriers from an even more cost-prohibitive market. Click here to learn more about Reliance Partners. The post Why do insurance rates vary by state? appeared first on FreightWaves. A little more than a year after Sheetz announced it is expanding to Michigan, the Pennsylvania-based convenience store and gas station chains president and CEO Travis Sheetz visited its first metro Detroit location in Romulus. It's not slated to open until September, but Sheetz, who wants to build 50-60 more in metro Detroit, made the case Thursday to the Free Press and other media outlets why communities should embrace it, and why Michigan is vital to the company's future. "It's a big bet," Sheetz said while visiting the Free Press offices. "We're committing to a bunch of stores. Our plan is not to build three stores, watch and wait. Strategically, we think we need to have a presence quickly." Travis Sheetz, President and CEO Sheetz, stands in the lot at Vining road and Wick road in Romulus, Mich. where they plan to build a Sheetz gas station, Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024. In many ways, Sheetz and Michigan should be a natural fit. Michiganders, like Pennsylvanians, are authentic, hardworking and love their cars. Sheetz, an $11-billion company, employs 25,395 at 722 stores in a half-dozen states. The stores bring jobs about 30 per location with pay starting at just under $15 an hour, with benefits, including medical and dental insurance, a retirement plan, and stock ownership and they enhance a community's tax base. But that, along with the companys clever marketing line, "Why the Sheetz not?" hasn't been enough, at least not in four suburban Detroit communities, where residents have objected to the 24/7 traffic, noise, and pollution. In Madison Heights, Rochester Hills, and Waterford, where Sheetz faced opposition, the company pulled back its applications, claiming it wasnt ready; and in Fraser, the planning commission outright rejected its plans. "We fully expect it in a new market," Sheetz said of the community pushback. "We are accustomed to being shot down at first," adding that in in Columbus, Ohio, market, there also was opposition, but "we now have 34 stores." Sheetz is also looking at a second Romulus location and Livonia in Wayne County, Chesterfield in Macomb County, others in Oakland County, and eventually, further out, making Michigan a key part of its business strategy. Story continues Family-owned and run Michigan is a big opportunity for Travis Sheetz because it offers the company its next test in its steady growth plan, which means opening, on average, a new store a month. It also poses a big challenge. In late 2022, when Travis Sheetz announced his expansion plans, he made the point it was the companys first expansion into a new state in two decades, adding it is "dedicated to being a great employer and neighbor." And the private company's ambitious plans an estimated half-billion investment come at a time when other companies, and consumers, are cutting back on costs and expenses, and automakers aim to move from gas-powered cars to electric ones. There also are shifting generational attitudes and some Michigan idiosyncrasies. Among some of the nuances that the Sheetz folks had to learn about was the Michigan left, which Sheetz called "interesting and unique." When he first heard about the Michigan left he said he wondered: "Wait, you can't just turn at the intersection?" But, he said, he realized that while it was new to him, Michiganders are used to it. Sheetz now operates in six states Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina with a handful of members of the Sheetz family in the companys top management. Initially, Travis Sheetz's cousin, Emily Sheetz, the Altoona-based companys executive vice president of strategy, had planned to accompany Travis to Detroit, which would have offered the Free Press a chance to make a bad headline pun about giving "two Sheetz." But she couldnt make it this time. An exterior shot of a Sheetz gas station and convenience store. The chain is set to expand to Michigan with three new locations. Still, Travis Sheetz may be the companys best choice to try to sell reluctant communities on Sheetz. He has a bachelors degree in finance from Penn State, and a masters degree from Vanderbilt University. And addition to being the CEO, he began in the family business in real estate site election, and he also worked in the sales department. He was chief operating officer until he became CEO, following his brother, Joe, into the chief executive role. Their uncle, Bob Sheetz started the company, which initially was a single dairy store that he bought from his father, in 1952, and in addition to other family members, one of Travis Sheetz's four children, who recently graduated, also started working in the company. Her job: Preparing the managers and workers who want to move to Detroit. Why did you pick us? Bob Sheetz, who changed the name of the store to Sheetz Kwik Shopper, opened a second one in 1963, and then a third, and by 1972, had 14 stores, and then added gasoline pumps and by the 1980s had more than a hundred stores. On its website under the heading "What's a Sheetz?" the company calls itself "a mecca for people on the go," adding that "if you need to refuel your car or refresh your body, we have what you need" all the time, "even on Christmas." Before the company announced it was expanding to Michigan, rumors had begun circulating on the internet. In addition to being a state that is friendly to automobiles, Michigan already has some Sheetz fans, which the company calls Sheetz Freakz. And for a while, the company even carried Detroits pop brand, Faygo, which Sheetz said "took off like crazy." Molly Gagnon's view, a marketing expert who teaches it at Oakland University, said that Sheetz projects a sense of high-quality and fun, and has "had success in other states," but "they have to bring the emotion and stories to Michigan while highlighting value." A the same time, she added, many Michiganders have never heard about Sheetz. "If they're coming to a new market, they need to answer: Why did you pick this location?" Gagnon said, adding the company needs to communicate it understands the customer. To put it another way: "What problem, for the city, is Sheetz trying to solve?" Experiencing is believing Gagnon suggested Sheetz needs to make a stronger case of not, what's in a move into Michigan for Sheetz or even what's in it for Michigan but what's in it for the residents that live in the community where it wants to build. And then, Gagnon said, it may become clearer whether the early opposition has drowned out the excitement some Michiganders initially expressed about Sheetz and the marketing points that the company and Travis Sheetz is trying to extoll. Among them: Sheetz offers convenience and service. It sells an array of both "indulgent," Sheetz's word, and healthy food, including fresh food: fruit, salads, and healthy sandwiches. And, Sheetz said, the healthy menu has been growing because he knows people increasingly care about what they eat. The company has a charitable program it said it will use to try to address hunger, and it has joined with a nonprofit that focused on donating unsold food so it helps fill bellies, not landfills. Sheetz aims to have electric charging stations, which, also wont solve the problem of car emissions or range anxiety but will help, especially during cold snaps when it takes batteries longer to recharge. And if past experience is a guide, Travis Sheetz said, the Romulus store opening will be a key to winning over the state because when that happens, Detroiters can experience for themselves, and see with their own eyes, what he's talking about. Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or fwitsil@freepress.com. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Sheetz CEO betting the family company on expansion into metro Detroit Did you know there are some financial metrics that can provide clues of a potential multi-bagger? Typically, we'll want to notice a trend of growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and alongside that, an expanding base of capital employed. This shows us that it's a compounding machine, able to continually reinvest its earnings back into the business and generate higher returns. Although, when we looked at Wiseway Group (ASX:WWG), it didn't seem to tick all of these boxes. Return On Capital Employed (ROCE): What Is It? For those that aren't sure what ROCE is, it measures the amount of pre-tax profits a company can generate from the capital employed in its business. To calculate this metric for Wiseway Group, this is the formula: Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT) (Total Assets - Current Liabilities) 0.043 = AU$2.1m (AU$67m - AU$19m) (Based on the trailing twelve months to December 2023). Thus, Wiseway Group has an ROCE of 4.3%. In absolute terms, that's a low return and it also under-performs the Logistics industry average of 11%. See our latest analysis for Wiseway Group roce While the past is not representative of the future, it can be helpful to know how a company has performed historically, which is why we have this chart above. If you're interested in investigating Wiseway Group's past further, check out this free graph covering Wiseway Group's past earnings, revenue and cash flow. The Trend Of ROCE In terms of Wiseway Group's historical ROCE movements, the trend isn't fantastic. Around five years ago the returns on capital were 6.8%, but since then they've fallen to 4.3%. On the other hand, the company has been employing more capital without a corresponding improvement in sales in the last year, which could suggest these investments are longer term plays. It's worth keeping an eye on the company's earnings from here on to see if these investments do end up contributing to the bottom line. Story continues On a side note, Wiseway Group has done well to pay down its current liabilities to 28% of total assets. So we could link some of this to the decrease in ROCE. What's more, this can reduce some aspects of risk to the business because now the company's suppliers or short-term creditors are funding less of its operations. Since the business is basically funding more of its operations with it's own money, you could argue this has made the business less efficient at generating ROCE. What We Can Learn From Wiseway Group's ROCE In summary, Wiseway Group is reinvesting funds back into the business for growth but unfortunately it looks like sales haven't increased much just yet. Moreover, since the stock has crumbled 88% over the last five years, it appears investors are expecting the worst. In any case, the stock doesn't have these traits of a multi-bagger discussed above, so if that's what you're looking for, we think you'd have more luck elsewhere. Like most companies, Wiseway Group does come with some risks, and we've found 3 warning signs that you should be aware of. While Wiseway Group may not currently earn the highest returns, we've compiled a list of companies that currently earn more than 25% return on equity. Check out this free list 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. I'm not here to join the mockery of Alabama for declaring that embryos are children -- and, therefore, in vitro fertilization clinics must protect them forever. On the contrary, I admire its honesty. Many states have effectively banned abortions, arguing that destroying an embryo amounts to baby killing. Yet they look the other way when fertility clinics discard hundreds of thousands of unused embryos, which they routinely do. Let's be clear. I believe in the right to an abortion within a reasonable time limit and whenever the mother's life is in danger. Mothers-to-be often refer to the cluster of cells that constitute the embryo as a "baby," which is understandable. Science does not. Nevertheless, an Alabama court ruled that frozen embryos resulting from IVF treatments are considered children under the law. Other states have hypocritically gone halfway in that direction. Some of their fetal personhood laws let women sue for back child support since conception. Give Alabama credit for walking the walk. Biologically speaking, there is virtually no difference between an embryo created through IVF and one conceived naturally. And that's what the Alabama court is saying. Fearing the political repercussions, however, Republican lawmakers in Alabama are trying to weasel out of the consequences. They are working on proposals to redefine a frozen fertilized egg as "potential life," as opposed to the fully human one inside the uterus. Baloney. Both kinds of fertilized eggs are potential life. Some pro-life advocates hold that while most of the embryos created in IVF clinics will never be used, the clinics enable couples to create life that wouldn't have happened without them. That's a valid argument. But for the true opponents of abortion, that argument is one of political convenience. Former President George W. Bush made a show of pushing for adoptions of frozen embryos by women who would have them implanted. He called the embryos "snowflakes." But fertility centers continued to discard unused embryos. Bush never threatened to close them down or force the IVF clinics -- and the egg and sperm donors -- to preserve them in perpetuity. Another dodge by alleged abortion foes is the exception for rape and incest. Many politicians throw that in their abortion bans because it sounds only fair to victimized women. But if a fertilized egg represents innocent life, then the circumstances of the conception should not matter. The pro-choice movement often aids that phony argument by condemning abortion bans with the words, "They don't even allow an exception for rape and incest." Darn right there should be no exceptions. Democrats such as Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth have foolishly helped take states that ban abortion off the hook by offering legislation that would protect IVF services nationwide. No, their politicians should live with the fallout of declaring that an embryo is a baby. The pro-choice stance should be that a woman has a right to end an unwanted pregnancy early on and for whatever the reason: rape, an unwise night of unprotected sex, failed birth control -- no questions asked. Certainly no woman should have to present police evidence that she had been brutally violated. In the wake of the Alabama ruling, there's been an explosion of memes about listing fertilized eggs as children on tax returns and using a box of chicken eggs to get access to high-occupancy vehicle lanes. They can be pretty funny. But those who support a constitutional right to abortion should also praise Alabama for stripping away the veils that provide phony exceptions to the protection of embryos. Alabama has bravely followed through on its position that a fertilized egg is a child. The position may be biologically false and politically dangerous, but give the state credit for honesty. A Lincoln inmate died while in custody at the Reception and Treatment Center on Monday, according to a Nebraska Department of Correctional Services news release. Jose Cabrera-Lomeli, 52, began serving his sentence for multiple counts of first-degree sexual assault of a child out of Sarpy County in October, according to the news release. The cause of death has not been determined, but Cabrera-Lomeli was was being treated for a medical condition, corrections officials said. He was sentenced to 160-220 years in prison after being convicted of sexually abusing three minors over a nearly 16-year period. As is the case whenever an inmate dies in custody in Nebraska, a grand jury will conduct an investigation. Photos: Nebraska's new Reception and Treatment Center Pro-Palestinian protesters chant at the top of the west steps of the Colorado State Capitol building after Gov. Jared Polis delivered his State of the State address inside the House chambers on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024, in Denver, Colo. Protestors could be heard inside the chambers during the address. (Timothy Hurst/The Gazette) The U.S. Army is slashing the size of its force by about 24,000, which is nearly 5%. The cuts will mainly be in already-empty posts not actual soldiers. It's also restructuring to be better able to fight the next major war. The changes come as the Army struggles with recruiting shortfalls that have made it impossible to bring in enough soldiers to fill all the jobs. The cuts include jobs related to counter-insurgency that swelled during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars but are not needed as much today. About 3,000 of the cuts would come from Army special operations forces. Aurora Police Department officers were on scene at the Grandview Dog Park in southeast Aurora investigating an accidental death after an explosion killed one Thursday morning. The incident happened near Quincy Reservoir on the south side of East Quincy Avenue near South Pitkin Street. Residents reported hearing explosions around 12:49 a.m. Thursday and called police. "Before 1 a.m. on Thursday Feb. 29, 2024, Aurora patrol officers responded to a report of a suspicious occurrence involving an explosion at Grandview Dog Park, 17502 E. Quincy Avenue," Aurora Police officials said in a news release Thursday afternoon. "Once officers arrived at the scene, they located a 42-year-old Strasburg man who had sustained fatal injuries consistent with an explosion." Police said the preliminary investigation indicates the man traveled to Aurora with two other people to visit "food and beverage businesses." Before 1 a.m., they traveled to the dog park with several large, commercial-grade fireworks, but it was unclear if the fireworks were homemade or purchased out-of-state. "The man was lighting one of the fireworks when it exploded, causing the fatal injuries. No other injuries or property damage were reported," police said. Featured Local Savings The Arapahoe County Sheriffs Office Bomb Squad responded to the scene and deactivated four additional fireworks. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATFE) also responded to assist with the investigation. Police said law enforcement officials traveled to the mans home in Strasburg, where there was no evidence of explosive making activity nor any additional fireworks recovered. The incident is being investigated as an accidental death and no criminal charges are anticipated. The Strasburg man will be identified by the Arapahoe County Coroners Office pending notification of relatives and an autopsy. Anyone with any information about the incident, who hasnt already spoken with investigators, is asked to contact Denver Metro Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867. Denver Gazette news partner 9News contributed to this report. In an effort to better prepare local students for Colorado Springs burgeoning industries, District 11 is hoping to provide a new option aimed at kickstarting careers into the tech field. The Colorado Springs School of Technology (CSST) would be an innovation zone in a partnership between the district, local colleges, industries and governments to increase specialized STEM career opportunities for students in the area. On Wednesday night, during their regular meeting, the D-11 board of education approved an innovation zone application to submit to the state board of education for approval. Rather than an innovation school, an innovation zone utilizes existing infrastructure across multiple facilities to offer the type of specialized curriculum that is offered at a standalone school. If approved, the CSST zone will incorporate the UCCS Cybersecurity and Research Center and the National Cybersecurity Center for industry professionals to instruct D-11 in addition to licensed educators. Specifically, the innovations detailed in the application were space leadership, applied cyberscience and ethical entrepreneurship with an aim to prepare students for careers in aerospace, defense, cybersecurity, information, and space technology. In addition to offering specialized coursework for these fields, CSST plans to offer students dual enrollment opportunities at UCCS and Pikes Peak State College, internships and certifications through its coursework. The school hopes to fill current job needs in Colorado Springs' local tech industries by offering unique curricula not currently offered at district high schools. Board members also expressed a hope that the school would attract other students to the district and increase enrollment. Board President Dr. Parth Melpakam noted the unique opportunity the school could provide by allowing students regularly meet with industry leaders and professionals in a classroom setting. That is incredibly motivating for them to see that, he said. The idea for the school came together when UCCS and Pikes Peak State College along with the Air Force Academy, the National Cybersecurity Center, The Space Foundation, and the chamber of commerce all successfully applied for a grant by the National Science Foundation (NSF) for cybersecurity research. Featured Local Savings With the local ecosystem for this industry already in place, the NSFs prioritization of education and the need to increase its workforce, exploring the possibility of the innovation zone began once Superintendent Michael Gaal expressed similar interest with stakeholders. During the meeting, Gaal said the proposal is a response to what hes been hearing from local families in favor of school choice that he believes the school could provide a niche experience for select students. Were responding to what we believe is the demand of the market, he said. Gaal, along with UCCS Chancellor Jennifer Sobanet, National Cybersecurity Center CEO Harry Raduege, Pikes Peak State College President Lance Bolton, and Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce CEO Johnna Reeder Kleymeyer, would be among those serving as the schools board of directors if it were to get approved. Different members of the public expressed both support and concern with the proposed innovation zone. Those in favor of it believed it offered more school choice and learning opportunities for students while those against it voiced concerns over hiring course instructors without a teaching license and straying too far from current public school curricula. Board member Julie Ott also voiced concerns over hiring unlicensed teachers while adding that the current proposal isnt held to the same level of detail and scrutiny of a charter school application. Counselors, social workers, special education and how exactly the district planned to fund the school were among the factors missing in the current proposal. She also said that investing deeper in the districts current high school school CTE programs could accomplish many of the things this plan is proposing. I think this is siloing some of our students and thats a concern for me, she said of the current proposed application. Conversely, other board members believed that industry professionals rather than licensed educators could provide unique approaches to teaching through real-world perspectives and that the zone was an innovative solution to meeting different student needs. The board ultimately voted to approve the application 6-1. With the initial hope being to open the school in the fall of 2024, the application must now get approved by the Colorado Board of Education before further details like a high school location get decided and ultimately approved by the district board. The Colorado Springs man accused of crashing his car into downtown businesses after being shot during a break-in made his first appearance in court on Wednesday afternoon. Fidencio Meza-Pelayo, 24, appeared in court out of custody after posting a $10,000 surety bond to be released from custody, according to court records. For allegedly causing the chaotic downtown scene that led to significant damage of the beloved Skirted Heifer restaurant and AT&T Store, Meza-Pelayo faces 10 charges several of which are felonies including kidnapping, burglary, leaving the scene of an accident, assault and more. According to previous reporting from The Gazette, the trail of destruction started around 1:30 a.m., in the Hillside neighborhood, outside of a house on the 1900 block of South Prospect Street, where Meza-Pelayo, was involved in a domestic disturbance with his girlfriend. During the disturbance, his girlfriend ran across the street to get help from a neighbor, and the suspect "temporarily lost sight of her," police said. The suspect then ran to his house, came back out, got into a vehicle and backed out of the driveway, hitting a neighbor's parked car. At that point, police said, Meza-Pelayo got out of the car and attempted to break into the neighbor's home, thinking his girlfriend, who was a block away on foot, was hiding inside. Police said the homeowner fired a single shot, hitting the man. Featured Local Savings Wounded, the suspect reportedly got back into his car and sped off, eventually ending up in the downtown area, where he allegedly hit at least one parked car and crashed into several businesses along the 200 block of North Tejon Street, including the AT&T Store and the Skirted Heifer. (The car) just took out everything, said Skirted Heifer owner Kevin Megyeri, who responded to a 3 a.m. phone call to find a vehicle lying upside down in front of the restaurant. The whole storefront. My entire patios gone, my glass is gone, everythings gone. The Skirted Heifer remains temporarily closed due to the damage caused from the incident. Meza-Pelayo was hospitalized for several days after the incident and appeared to court on Wednesday limping and using a walking cane. He will make his next appearance in Colorado's 4th Judicial District Court on March 22 for his preliminary hearing. As violent crimes continue to rock portions of the Colorado Springs community, The Gazette in partnership with KOAA News5 are in search for solutions. Following continued calls from the public for law enforcement and officials to find an end to the violence plaguing The Citadel mall and the Colorado Springs community at large, the Gazette and News5 hosted a solutions-based town hall forum titled "Crime and Community," on Thursday night at the Imagination Celebration's "Celebration Place," at The Citadel. The forum comes just months after the fatal Christmas Eve shooting that injured three and claimed the life of 18-year-old Teryus Thomas, a frequent patron of the mall and former employee. Sign up for free: Springs AM Update Your morning rundown of the latest news from Colorado Springs and around the country overnight and the stories to follow throughout the day delivered to your inbox each evening. Sign Up View all of our newsletters. Success! Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. View all of our newsletters. Following Thomas' death, an anti-violence rally hosted by Colorado Springs group Men of Influence called on the public and mall officials to work together to put an end to violence in and around The Citadel mall. The goal: to create a safe space for the community. Nearly a dozen shootings have been reported at or near The Citadel shopping center since 2016. The forum featured panelists including city officials, law enforcement, educators and community advocates including Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade, City Councilwoman Nancy Henjum, founding member of Men of Influence DeAndre Smith, Colorado Springs Police Chief Adrian Vasquez and Mitchell High School Principal George Smith. If the Tuesday 'snow storm shot in the arm' didn't cure your powder bug, wait only three more days for a second booster, because Colorado's about to get double vaccinated. Recap: On Wednesday, the sun came back out minus some high passing clouds in northern Colorado and high temperatures rebounded into the high 20s and low 30s. Powder shots from Snowmass looked rather ZEN: Forecast: Similar sunny skies, yet warmer temperatures into the upper 30s and low 40s, is forecast for Thursday, Friday and Saturday ahead of the next storm. Colorado's weekend storm is forecast to come ashore in northern California on Thursday morning, bringing the potential for snow accumulations to the Sierra Nevada mountains between 4-8 feet and perhaps upwards of 10 feet above 5,000 feet in elevation. The ECMWF high resolution model forecasts snow showers to start around 7 p.m., Saturday in northwestern Colorado. Snow will ramp up overnight into Sunday and by first chairs around 8:30 a.m., 4-12 inches for the western and northwestern mountains, and 2-5 inches is forecast for the northern and central mountains. The northern San Juan mountains may have a dusting to 2 inches. I would not be surprised if snow squall warnings are issued on Sunday morning for similar locations in the western, central and northern mountains. Snow is forecast from the European model to continue throughout Sunday into as late as Monday afternoon, but other models, including the American GFS and German ICON model, have snow accumulations higher in other mountain zones. Snow accumulations by Monday's first chairs could range between up to 24 inches around the Grand Mesa, 12-16 inches in the Flattops and Park (Steamboat) and Elkhead mountains, and 4-12 inches for most other northern mountains north of Interstate 70 and the northern side of the central mountains (Aspen/Snowmass and Sunlight). Like with prior forecasts, this model run will most likely change along with snow totals. The storm will be pushing moisture into Colorado on the atmospheric river from the southwest and depending on moisture levels, orographic lift and wind direction, snow could potentially equate to early models or fizzle out similar to Tuesday's storm expect for isolated spots like Snowmass, Aspen and Ski Cooper saw. Long Range: For Tuesday and Wednesday, drier weather returns for a brief 48ish-hour period before more storminess enters back into Colorado around Thursday with Friday forecast to be the storm day. Today's 24 hour snow total from Colorado resorts: Arapahoe Basin - 1" Aspen Mountain - 0" Aspen Highlands - 0" Beaver Creek - 0" Breckenridge - 0" Featured Local Savings Buttermilk - 0" Cooper - 0" Copper Mountain - 0" Crested Butte - 0" Echo Mountain - 0" Eldora Mountain - 0" Granby Ranch - 0" Hesperus - Closed for season Howelsen Hill - 0" Kendall Mountain - 0", open weekends Keystone - 0" Loveland - 0" Monarch - 0" Powderhorn - 0" Purgatory - 0" Silverton - 0" Snowmass - 0" Steamboat - 0" Sunlight - 0" Telluride - 0" Vail - 0" Winter Park - 0" Wolf Creek - 0" Two gray wolves were on the move west across Colorado over the last month, according to the latest tracking data released by state wildlife officials. The latest data from the wolves GPS tracking collars showed the two wolves moving from western Routt County into eastern Moffat County, Colorado Parks and Wildlife said in a news release. CPW each month releases an updated map that shows the collared gray wolves movements over the last 30 days. The map released Wednesday showed the 12 collared wolves had covered vast areas of the state, including Jackson, Larimer, Grand and Summit counties to the east, and Eagle, Routt, Garfield, Rio Blanco and Moffat counties to the west. CPW continues to work with livestock producers to provide conflict-mitigation techniques and will continue to conduct outreach/education in areas that are likely to have wolves, CPW said in the release. The data is compiled by recording the wolves position once every four hours and is transmitted to state biologists after four locations have been recorded. Featured Local Savings CPW said the data is useful to see where the wolves have been, but staff cannot tell exactly where the wolves are at any point in time. The data is then displayed on a map that shows which watersheds the wolves have been in over the last 30 days. Watersheds are the appropriate mapping unit to display wolf activity information because wolves are far more likely to use geographic features to affect their distribution than they are political boundaries, CPW said. Wildlife officials said they reserve the right to buffer the wolves locations on the map if it means protecting the wolves safety. CPW said the accuracy of the map will diminish over time as the animals breed in the wild and as other uncollared wolves potentially move into the area from other states. George Brauchler is the former district attorney for the 18th Judicial District and is a candidate for district attorney in the newly created 23rd Judicial District. He has served as an Owens Early Criminal Justice Fellow at the Common Sense Institute. Follow him on Twitter(X): @GeorgeBrauchler. A Colorado office tasked with taking care of some of the state's most vulnerable citizens is once more facing questions about its management, notably after resignations have left it with just a few staffers to care for more than 80 clients. FILE The OpenAI logo is seen on a mobile phone in front of a computer screen which displays output from ChatGPT, March 21, 2023, in Boston. Campaigns will be required to clearly state that political advertisements airing in Michigan were created with the use of artificial intelligence under legislation expected to be signed in the coming days by the Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. The use of AI-generated deepfakes within 90 days of an election will be prohibited without a disclosure identifying the media as manipulated. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, File) RAFAH, Gaza Strip Israeli troops fired on a crowd of Palestinians racing to pull food off an aid convoy in Gaza City on Thursday, witnesses said. More than 100 people were killed in the chaos, bringing the death toll since the start of the Israel-Hamas war to more than 30,000, according to health officials. Israel claimed many of the dead were trampled in a stampede for the food aid and that its troops only fired when they felt endangered by the crowd. Arab countries quickly condemned the attack. Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan accused Israel of targeting civilians in the incident. U.S. President Joe Biden expressed concern it would add to the difficulty of negotiating a cease-fire in the nearly five-month conflict. The Gaza City area was among the first targets of Israel's air, sea and ground offensive, launched in response to the Hamas militant group's Oct. 7 attack into Israel. While many Palestinians fled the invasion in the north of the enclave, a few hundred thousand are believed to remain in the largely devastated and isolated region. Several deliveries of aid reached the area this week, officials said. Aid delivery difficult Aid groups say it has become nearly impossible to deliver supplies in most of Gaza because of the difficulty of coordinating with the Israeli military, ongoing hostilities and the breakdown of public order, with crowds of desperate people overwhelming aid convoys. The U.N. says a quarter of Gaza's 2.3 million Palestinians face starvation; around 80% have fled their homes. Military officials said the pre-dawn convoy of 30 trucks driving to northern Gaza were met by huge crowds of people trying to grab the aid they were carrying. Kamel Abu Nahel, who was being treated for a gunshot wound at Shifa Hospital, said he and others went to the distribution point in the middle of the night because they heard there would be a delivery of food. "We've been eating animal feed for two months," he said. He said Israeli troops opened fire on the crowd as people pulled boxes of flour and canned goods off the trucks, causing the Palestinians to scatter. After the shooting stopped, people went back to the trucks, and the soldiers opened fire again. He was shot in the leg and fell over, and then a truck ran over his leg as it sped off, he said. Medics arriving at the scene of the bloodshed Thursday found "dozens or hundreds" lying on the ground, according to Fares Afana, the head of the ambulance service at Kamal Adwan Hospital. He said there were not enough ambulances to collect all the dead and wounded and that some were being brought to hospitals in donkey carts. Another man in the crowd who gave only his first name, Ahmad, as he was being treated at a hospital for gunshot wounds to the arm and leg said he waited for two hours before someone with a horse-drawn cart had room to take him to Shifa. The violence came more than a month after witnesses and health officials in Gaza accused Israeli troops of firing on a previous aid distribution in Gaza City, killing at least 20 people. At least 112 people were killed, Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra said. The Hamas-run Health Ministry described it as a "massacre." In separate statements, they called for increased safe passages for humanitarian aid. They also urged the international community to take decisive action to pressure Israel to abide by international law and to reach an agreement for an immediate cease-fire. Biden spoke with the leaders of Egypt and Qatar about the deaths, according to U.S. officials, and the U.N. Security Council scheduled emergency closed consultations for later Thursday. "We are urgently seeking additional information on exactly what took place," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said. Calls for cease-fire The increasing alarm over hunger across Gaza has fueled international calls for a cease-fire, and the U.S., Egypt and Qatar are working to secure a deal between Israel and Hamas for a pause in fighting and the release of some of the hostages Hamas took during its Oct. 7 attack. Mediators hope to reach an agreement before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan starts about March 10. But so far, Israel and Hamas have remained far apart in public on their demands. Biden earlier expressed hope that a deal would be done by Monday. He said Thursday that looked unlikely. "Hope springs eternal," Biden told reporters. "I was on the telephone with people from the region. Probably not by Monday, but I'm hopeful." When asked if the bloodshed in Gaza City on Thursday would complicate those efforts, he said, "I know it will." In a statement condemning Thursday's attack, Hamas said it would not allow the negotiations "to be a cover for the enemy to continue its crimes." Dr. Mohammed Salha, the acting director of the Al-Awda Hospital, said the facility received 161 wounded patients, most of whom appeared to have been shot. He said the hospital can perform only the most essential surgeries because it is running out of fuel to power emergency generators. The Health Ministry said the Palestinian death toll from the war has climbed to 30,035, with another 70,457 wounded. The agency does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in its figures but says women and children make up around two-thirds of those killed. The ministry maintains detailed records of casualties. Its counts from previous wars have largely matched those of the U.N., independent experts and even Israel's own tallies. 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. Hamas and other militants are still holding about 100 hostages and the remains of about 30 more, after releasing most of the other captives during a November cease-fire. Today in history: Feb. 29 1904: Jimmy Dorsey 1916: Dinah Shore BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) An Alabama man wanted on drug and weapons charges has posted a video denying he fed methamphetamine to a so-called "attack squirrel" that he considers a pet. Mickey Paulk posted the video on his Facebook page Tuesday night as authorities continued searching for him. It shows him stroking a rodent that he indicates was the same one seized during a search and then released by authorities. "You can't give squirrels meth; it would kill 'em. I'm pretty sure, (but) I've never tried it," he said. He said the squirrel, which he kept as a pet, was safe and not a threat to anyone. "The public isn't in danger in any kind of way from the methed-out squirrel in the neighborhood," Paulk said with a laugh. Paulk told The Associated Press that a friend gave him the animal shortly after it was born, and he named it "Deeznutz." Stephen Young, a spokesman for the Limestone County Sheriff's Office, said Wednesday investigators were still looking for Paulk, 35, who has an extensive criminal record. "Yes, we're aware of the video," he said. "And yes, that's him in the video." Police said they were warned about a meth-fueled, trained attack squirrel before conducting a drug search at a rural home near Athens, Alabama, on Monday. One man was arrested at the home and police said they released the caged squirrel. In the video, Paulk denied living at the home but said he went there after the raid and saw the pet squirrel in a treetop. The animal scampered down and hopped on his shoulder, he said. "I just pulled up and whistled," said Paulk, who is wanted on warrants accusing him of possession of drugs and an illegal weapon. Deputies released the squirrel in trees near the home, Young said, but there was no way to say whether the squirrel shown in the video is the same one released by officers after the raid. "We don't know if he might even have two squirrels," he said. "It would just be speculation." Speaking in a phone interview with AP, Paulk said Wednesday that he was working with an attorney and relatives on a plan for turning himself in to authorities. Paulk said he had "a few loose ends to tie up" before surrendering, including getting the squirrel to a temporary home in Tennessee. Paulk said he raised "Deeznutz" since it was a baby. "I've had it since it was a little pink thing," he said. Paulk said he didn't know why authorities believed the squirrel was on drugs unless someone saw it acting excitedly and told police "maybe he's on meth or something." Paulk said he isn't in Athens anymore but wouldn't give his exact location. By JAY REEVES Associated Press Glen Oaks Community, an independent senior living community in Clear Lake announced in a press release it has been recognized with a Best of Senior Living 2024 award winner by A Place for Mom (APFM), the leading online platform and trusted advisory service for senior living in North America. The Best of Senior Living honor represents the top-rated senior living communities and in-home care providers across the US and Canada, determined by the reviews of residents and their families. A Place for Moms 2024 Best of Senior Living Awards recognizes the top 1-2% of nearly 45,000 senior care providers nationwide for providing exemplary care and support to aging seniors. Its a tremendous compliment to receive this honor from A Place For Mom," One Vision CEO Mark Dodd said in a statement. "It reinforces our focus every day to create a community where our residents feel engaged, supported, and connected, from our onsite wellness center and pool to the variety of activities we bring onsite, to coordinating destination trips, such as to a dinner theater. This years Best of Senior Living Awards recognize top providers in nearly every state and several Canadian provinces based on reviews from seniors and their loved ones. The top reviews across aplaceformom.com often highlight the excellent care and support senior living communities provide. A Place for Mom has found that, on average, families are six times more likely to move into communities with recent reviews, further reinforcing the importance of reviews in helping families make decisions. To learn more about the Glen Oaks Community, or to schedule a tour, visit www.glenoakscommunity.org/the-terrace-townhomes/ or call 641-355-1203. Glen Oaks Community is a branch of One Vision that focuses on housing for active 55+ living featuring a choice of either apartment rentals or townhomes for purchase. Both living options offer a wide variety of amenities from a full wellness center to organized activities. Glen Oaks Community is a three-year winner of A Place for Moms 2024 Best of Senior Living Award. Danville and Pittsylvania County have received more than $200,000 in grants from the Virginia Opioid Abatement Authority. The city was awarded $87,206 and the county was awarded $118,861 for the two localities joint drug treatment court, the authority announced in a news release Friday. The grants total $206,067. I am very pleased the OAA recognizes the value of our drug treatment court, state Sen. Tammy Mulchi, R-Mecklenburg, said in a prepared statement Monday. The opioid epidemic has left a devastating impact on countless lives and families. This will help us to continue and to expand our fight against this destructive enemy and support healing from its damaging effects. Five Virginia localities were awarded a total of $537,076 for opioid abatement and remediation efforts. Other localities receiving money include Wythe, Smyth and Fairfax counties. These five grant awards are just the beginning of what the OAA will distribute by this summer, state Sen. Todd Pillion, R-Abingdon, chair of the OAA Board of Directors, said in a prepared statement. We have been working closely with communities across the commonwealth and assisting them in completing their applications in time for our April 1 application deadline. The authority began accepting 2024 and 2025 applications in October 2023. Danville and Pittsylvania County each submitted applications to fund the expansion of their shared drug treatment court in the 22nd Judicial Circuit. The courts are run by judges based on criteria established and overseen by the Supreme Court of Virginia. Virginias drug treatment courts and alternative dockets have helped reduce substance use and recidivism among offenders, lowering drug-related court workloads and improving accountability among offenders, according to the news release. The commonwealth expects to receive about $1.1 billion from litigation against manufacturers, distributors and pharmacies that were alleged to have contributed to the opioid crisis. Payments from settlements and bankruptcies began in 2022 and are expected to end by 2041, according to the news release. The Virginia General Assembly established the authority in 2021 to oversee distribution of 55% of the states total settlement funds. Of the remaining amount, 30% is distributed directly to cities and counties and 15% goes to the commonwealth. GREENSBORO The Guilford County Division of Public Health is investigating a possible case of measles in an adult, a spokesman for the agency said Wednesday morning. If confirmed, it would mark the first time in 11 years measles has shown up in the Triad. The health department termed the illness a "suspect measles case,'' but did not disclose details about how or where the adult may have contracted the illness, where they are being treated or whether they had been previously vaccinated against the airborne disease. The National Institutes of Health defines a suspected case of measles as causing fever, a generalized rash that typically starts behind the ears or on the forehead at the hairline, a cough, runny nose or conjunctivitis (commonly referred to as "pink eye"). Meanwhile, measles cases are cropping up nationwide, prompting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to issue a warning following confirmation of 23 such instances between Dec. 1, 2023 and Jan. 23 in Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and the Washington, D.C. area. No cases were reported in North Carolina during 2023, state health officials said. In April 2013, however, the Piedmont Triad saw a measles outbreak in Stokes County that spread to Orange and Polk counties. Health officials tested more than 1,000 potentially exposed people and traced the origin of 19 measles cases to a community in Stokes. No measles cases have been reported in North Carolina since 2018, according to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. State health officials are ready to help should the suspected measles case in Guilford County be confirmed, a spokeswoman said. "NCDHHS Division of Public Health is working closely with local health departments to ensure readiness to detect and respond to any possible measles exposures in North Carolina,'' Summer Tonizzo said in an email on Wednesday. "The increased number of measles cases in the U.S. in recent weeks is reflective of a rise in global measles cases and a growing global threat from the disease." Tonizzo added that state health officials recommend vaccinations as an important part of overall health and well-being, especially for children. North Carolina schools require students be protected against measles, mumps, and rubella more commonly known as MMR and those vaccines are checked upon entry to school. The CDC also tracks MMR vaccination coverage through the National Immunization Survey (ChildVaxView) and through state-reported kindergarten immunization reports (SchoolVaxView), according to Tonizzo. According to the National Immunization Survey, 90.1% of North Carolina children born in 2020 had received at least one dose of the MMR vaccine by 24 months of age compared to 91.4% nationally. And kindergartners in the Tarheel state have a slightly higher rate of immunization than the national average. The CDC estimates that 93.8% of North Carolina kindergarteners were reported up to date on the MMR vaccine in the 2022-23 school year compared to 93.1% nationally. Who needs a vaccination? Those age 1 or older should be vaccinated, health officials said in an email on Wednesday. Anyone with questions regarding their vaccine status or immunity should check their immunization record or contact their healthcare provider to verify when they received their last shot, the state health department advised. A highly contagious disease caused by a virus, measles can be spread through the air by coughing and sneezing. Contact with nose or mouth secretions of an infected individual can also transmit the illness. Measles can be prevented by the MMR vaccine, which is a two-shot regimen that's been used since 1989 and is about 97% effective, according to infectious disease experts. The two-shot vaccine replaced a one-shot regimen that was less effective. For that reason, people born between 1958 and 1989 who may have the received the old procedure could be at slight risk of contracting the disease if exposed to an active case, according to the CDC. Anyone born before 1958 is considered to have natural immunity because they were probably exposed to the measles. Public health officials recommend immunization within 72 hours of exposure for those individuals who have not already been vaccinated. Vaccines, usually covered by private health insurance, Medicare and Medicaid, are available at private and public medical clinics. Individuals who are uninsured can expect to pay between $30 to $40 for the shot. Children who are uninsured can be vaccinated in North Carolina at low or no cost through the Vaccines for Children program, which offers free shots to children through 18 years of age. Barbenheimer was the most memorable movie weekend of 2023. But Past Lives was the best film of the year and one of the quietest. Amid the bright pink of Barbie, the mushroom clouds of Oppenheimer and the promiscuity of Poor Things, Past Lives chose subtlety. Korean writer/director Celine Songs love story begins with a sweet friendship between 12-year-olds Na Young and Hae Sung. Two decades later, his heart still pining, Hae Sung seeks out Na Young in New York, hoping to rekindle embers long dormant. Rejecting the romcom formula, Song sings a softer tune: one of integrity and sacrifice. The ending is an exquisite Shakespearean parting such sweet sorrow. Just sharing this story with readers one more time gives me chills and reminds me why Ive been faithfully reviewing films weekly for 48 years. The remainder of my top 10 are good films, but orbiting at lower altitudes, amid clouds not stars. My runner-up is the Judy Blume classic Are you there, God? Its me, Margaret. God, Im getting a bra. Now can you please give me something to put in it? As much about spiritual discovery as about blossoming hormones, Margaret provides young moviegoers with insight and substance they deserve. The Myrna Loy dominates my list (thank you Benji, thank you Ramsay), but Hollywood gets its due as the Killer Moons shine Barbenheimer bright. May our movie blessings be as bountiful in the year ahead, as our harvest was in the year we leave behind. The best films of 2023 1: Past Lives. Amazon Prime. (see above) 2: Are you there God? Its me, Margaret. Amazon Prime. Judy Blumes 1970 hormonal classic. 3: Killers of the Flower Moon. Amazon. Lily Gladstone is the heart and soul of Scorseses recounting of the Osage Nation Murders in Oklahoma in the 1920s. DeNiro provides the darkness, but Gladstone lets the light back in. 4: Oppenheimer. Amazon. Portrait of the conscience of the genius who invented the bomb. His heart grieved what his brain hath wrought. 5: Taste of Things. French gem mixes cooking and grieving. Juliette Binoche is delicious. 6: Barbie. Amazon. Greta Gerwig buries pink knives in Barbies subversive purse. Margot Robbies pitch perfect performance as the flat-footed heroine. 7: Poor Things. Amazon. As plush and exquisite as it is shocking and strange. Watch Bella evolve from child to adolescent to full-throttled femme fatale, and, finally, to Philosopher Queen. 8: Zone of Interest. Amazon. A Nazi commandants family enjoys life as usual, while smoke rises from the ovens next door. Chilling. 9: Anatomy of a Fall. Amazon. French. Did the mother Daniel loves kill the father he loved? Sandra Huller delivers a cryptic performance as the wife under suspicion. 10: American Fiction. Amazon. A satire on race, writing and art, but also a meditation on loneliness and love. Bonus shoutouts Quiet Girl. Women Talking. Petite Maman. All Amazon. Gems from 2022 that I saw in 2023 that we should all stream again. Quiet Irish girl finds unconditional love; women talk of forgiveness; and children playing together, while grieving together. Helena Public Schools is rolling out a 6th Grade Career Exploration project offering students an opportunity to experience the job options Helena and Montana have to offer. In Superintendent Rex Weltzs weekly superintendent update on Feb. 23, he said for two days in April every sixth grade student in Helena will participate in finding fields of work they are interested in. April 3 Helena Middle School students will participate in the project and on April 9 C.R. Anderson Middle School students will participate. He said the addition of the project allows the district to offer seven consecutive years of career exploration for students. The project has no cost to students or parents with all of the districts partners volunteering their time to promote these efforts. Developing goals and a vision for a successful future can motivate students to avoid risky behaviors, stay on track at school and seek out opportunities, Weltz said in the update. Some of the projects partners include Dick Anderson Construction, Boeing, Montana Radio Co., St. Peters Health, Opportunity Bank, Holter Museum of Art and many more. One of the members that helped develop the project was Bethany Coe, a prevention specialist for southwest Montana, who said the project started after a survey circulated the district acknowledging that some students become disengaged with education. The Prevention Need Assessment (PNA) survey is used by the district to identify needs and feelings to help prevent students from using drugs or alcohol, according to Coe. She said the survey data showed that students become disengaged due to curriculum and the feeling that there is a lack of community support. Coe is a local in Helena and said growing up people would tell her she would have to leave Montana for a career opportunity and then possibly return after gaining experience. The goal of the project is to show students opportunities in their hometown and to show them that the community cares. Students will go to business sites and spend time listening to introductions from company representatives and then participate in small projects, while asking questions about the job. Each company will have three different opportunities to present to students. Coe said the coolest part about presenting to the projects partners was that all of them wanted to offer an opportunity for students like this one but didn't know where to start. She said they were receptive and excited to begin the project. Coe said she felt it was the perfect time to start this project because it can give students an opportunity to spark a passion to keep going. Another member of the project is Helena Public Schools Student Health Administrator Lona Carter, who said in Weltzs update that they hope by starting earlier with students the district can catch those who disengage from their education for various reasons. This includes students who cant afford a four-year university upon graduation, students who struggle with the traditional educational track, and students who think When am I going to use this in the real world, Carter said. Carter has been a part of the district for 36 years, working in all grade levels and in various roles. She said if students do not feel hope in their futures they tend to disengage with the curriculum. She has worked to provide barrier-free mental health resources for students in the district and said when the district was brainstorming ideas on how to keep students engaged the career exploration project was mentioned. Carter said in her experience, by the eighth grade students will start thinking about whether they will make it in high school or what they may want to do in their life for a career. She said the district wanted to look at a broad scope of career opportunities for students because they may not know what possibilities exist in the community. The districts goal for the first year of the project is to give at least 65% of students experience in a field they find interesting. Carter said the district plans on expanding the project in the future by adding seventh and eighth grade over the next two years. She added that she has yet to meet a student who is excited and ready for every school day with the same amount of enthusiasm because it is human nature for students to think about what they will do in the future. Sarah Graham, another facilitator involved in the project from Youth Connections, said an additional goal of the project is to enrich education for students by giving them options they find interesting. Graham said plans for the project are to work collectively with the career technical education courses offered in the school district, so students can have a "stacked" resume by graduation from high school. Through the PNA surveys, she said something that has been low over the past couple of years was community attachment. She said she wants this to change through this project. Youth Connections is an organization aimed at helping youth across Montana find their interests and grow in the community. Graham said the coalition portion of the organization was made to add a community element to the organization through advocacy and giving youth proper resources. Anyone wishing to get in touch with the coalition or participate can contact Graham at her email: ctclewisclark@swmtprevent.org. The Montana Public Service Commission is an obscure elected state agency, but one of the most important. Its purpose is to protect the utility/water rate paying public from unfair pricing, in connection to protecting our environment/health. The biggest utility, NorthWestern Energy, affects the most Montanans. The PSC has routinely ignored residential ratepayer interests, giving NorthWestern Energy freedom to buy/build/charge for soon to be obsolete fossil fuel plants. The PSC has five members, each making over $110,000 per year. Presently all those members express devotion to the extension of fossil fuel burning until the last gasp, in lockstep with NorthWestern Energys policies to do the same. A 28% rate increase compared to 2022 with highest rates falling on residential payers was enacted this fall, even after numerous eloquent residential testimonials from across the state expressed the hardships this massive increase means for many. Without discussion the commission gave NorthWestern Energy the increase, making ours the highest in the region. On Feb. 20, MPSC met again to hear NorthWestern Energys desire for another 9.6% increase to cover its $11,000,000 miscalculation of past methane gas use. The Montana Consumer Protection Council advocated for a dis-allowance of costs that should not be rate payer responsibility. The PSC members sided with NorthWestern Energy with comments like would this case be before us if the $11,000,000 was the other direction? and I will promote the need for lots more gas well drilling to my constituents. It is imperative that Montanans scrutinize PSC elected officials and their actions. At this point there appear to be three open four-year seats on the commission for 2024. Jennifer Fielder is running again, without competition in District 4. She was a state legislator and a strong proponent of selling public lands. Tony ODonnell is termed out in District 2. Kirk Bushman, Republican from Billings, is running. In District 3 James Brown, an advocate for dark money as recorded in the Montana documentary Dark Money, is running for state auditor. Running to replace him is one independent, Rob Elwood (Harlowton), and two Republicans, Suzzann Nordwick (Butte), and Jeff Welborn (Dillon). Randy Pinocci (District 1) was going to run for Rosendales House seat but he has been charged with a felony. He still has two years left on his commission seat. In 2022 he and Tony ODonnell sent a statement on PSC letterhead championing coal-fired power and warning of imminent energy blackouts for Montana Dakota Utilities, which was dismissed by MDU. Annie Bukacek (District 5) is a doctor from Kalispell who was a Flathead County Health Board member advocating against vaccination. She quit the health board after creating controversy in Kalispell to run for the PSC and used campaign funds to buy such materials as The Moral Case for Fossil Fuels. There is no case for fossil fuels. Their expense grows as the coal market crashes and Montana gas is shipped overseas. In the last cold spell, part of Colstrip was shut down for repairs (inexplicably). In spite of that, our heat stayed on with other sources, including alternatives. There is indication that gas is unreliable in extreme cold, not the steady reliable source that is touted. NorthWestern Energy needs to stop dumping public money along with public lands and public health into the black hole of already antiquated fossil energy. Instead the focus should be to build more sustainable projects like the solar project outside of Dillon, increasing battery storage potential, extending the electric grid to coordinate with other states and eventually the country, sharing energy spikes and losses despite weather conditions. Most important for our immediate future, Montanans need to elect people to the Public Service Commission that truly represent our interests and who challenge NorthWestern Energy to plan a better future with us for all of us. DECATUR A convicted drug dealer caught in Decatur with more drugs and armed with an illegally-owned gun was sent to prison for eight years on Wednesday. Douglas R. Critchfield, 36, took a plea deal negotiated by defense attorney Paul Chiligiris that saw him admit to possession of a stolen firearm. Macon County Circuit Court Presiding Judge Thomas Griffith then dismissed further charges of dealing in cannabis and being an armed habitual criminal as part of the plea agreement. A sworn affidavit from Decatur police said Critchfield was arrested on July 24 of 2022 after his vehicle had been pulled over for a traffic violation. The traffic stop was carried out by members of the departments Community Action Team which particularly targets gun and drug offenses. Critchfield was found to be armed with a .40 caliber handgun, fitted with an extended 27-round magazine, the weapon having been reported stolen in Decatur. And the defendant, who has multiple previous convictions out of Piatt County for drug dealing, also had more than $1,400 stuffed in his pockets. Cops got a search warrant to raid Critchfields home in the 1500 block of East Lawrence Street and seized two more magazines for the gun along with two pounds of cannabis, two digital scales and a box of sandwich baggies typically used for packaging street sales of drugs, according to the affidavit. Critchfield is quoted as telling the arresting officers that the cannabis belonged to him but he denied ownership of the handgun. Piatt County court records show he was sentenced to 4 years in prison in 2018 after pleading guilty to dealing in cocaine. 2023 mugshots from the Herald & Review Lourash Hirstein Phillip Gehrken Joseph A. Williams Jetrevius O. Jarrett Edwards King-Woods Wilson Derrickson Colby J. Park SPRINGFIELD While Gov. J.B. Pritzker says his budget proposal for fiscal 2025 includes "record funding" for human services, critics feel that the plan does not do enough for workers who serve individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. "The governor's budget once again fails to fully fund what is actually necessary to do right by our developmentally disabled friends and family here in the state of Illinois," said state Sen. Chapin Rose, R-Mahomet. Following the release of Pritzker's proposed budget on Wednesday, the Illinois Association of Rehabilitation Facilities issued a statement expressing concern that the proposal does not include any increases in wage rates for direct-support professionals. "Disability service providers throughout Illinois continue to face serious pressures and obstacles to attracting DSP workers to provide services, including additional increases in the minimum wage this year and next to $15 an hour on January 1, 2025," association officials said. "Regrettably, the proposed budget's lack of a DSP wage rate increase represents a significant step backwards in our ability to provide competitive wages and benefits for frontline staff." The Illinois Department of Human Services currently reimburses providers at rates of $19.50 per hour statewide and $22.43 per hour in the Chicago metro area, said Rachel Otwell, its director of communications. "The proposed budget maintains current DSP wages and includes $100 million to annualize the $2.50-an-hour wage increase effective Jan. 1," she said. IARF President and CEO Joshua Evans said it is his agency's understanding that this proposed $100 million would preserve the current wage rates, which increased in January, but not increase them further in FY25. According to a summary from the governor's office, the proposed budget includes over $2.4 billion for services for individuals with developmental disabilities in support of the Ligas consent decree and represents "a nearly $116 million general funds increase for these services." Pritzker's proposal would also preserve over 2 million statewide service hours for direct-support professionals at group homes. Advocates and lawmakers had previously opposed a proposal by the Pritzker administration that would have cut 2.5 million service hours for those employees starting on April 1, according to Rose. The governor's office later announced that implementation of the changes would be paused until the end of the current fiscal year. IARF officials said that they appreciate Pritzker's decision not to include the proposed cuts to hours in his plan. However, they remain concerned that the administration is "simultaneously seeking to exit the Ligas consent decree and proposing to increase state revenues" while also not proposing to raise wage rates. According to the Illinois Department of Human Services, the consent decree was approved in 2011 after the Ligas v. Hamos class-action lawsuit was filed in 2005 on behalf of individuals with developmental disabilities who sought "placement in community-based settings and receipt of community-based services." "The tenets of the decree will assist the DDD (Division of Developmental Disabilities) in expanding its community-based system to meet the growing demand for those services, while continuing to honor an individual's choice in deciding on the types of services and settings he or she prefers in order to live a personally fulfilling and productive life," the IDHS website states. According to the budget summary, Pritzker's proposal includes a little over $30 million for continued compliance with the decree, including $13.6 million to annualize FY24 placements and $16.5 million for 630 new placements. The state has filed a motion to vacate the Ligas consent decree, and this motion is currently being briefed before the court, Otwell said. "We do not see a path to exiting the consent decree, of which the state has been out of compliance since 2017, without minimally achieving full funding of the Guidehouse rate study, which indicated higher wages and benefits for front-line staff as its top priority," IARF officials said. The association added that it will work alongside state Rep. Michelle Mussman, D-Springfield, and state Sen. Karina Villa, D-Springfield, to pursue a $3-an-hour increase in wages for direct-support professionals. "Our concern with the introduced budget is that if there isn't an increased wage rate that we are going to lose ground on purchasing power for recruitment and retention of DSPs effective next January, because right now, we're currently 139 percent of the statewide minimum wage," Evans said. "If there's no increase, if this proposed budget goes forward, that brings us back down to 130 percent because the statewide minimum wage is going up." Statewide advocacy coalition They Deserve More has called for the same increase, stating that the Guidehouse study recommended that the state's wage reimbursement for direct-support professionals should be at least 150 percent of minimum wage. Additionally, Rose claimed the state is currently $500 million behind in terms of funds it should have spent since the study was issued, and the proposed budget will increase that gap to at least $630 million. He said that his figures represent what should have been spent if the state was fully funding the study's recommendations from the start. On the other hand, Otwell said, "The State has funded roughly $475 million in Guidehouse Rate Study recommendations as of Jan. 1, 2024. The total funding estimate for implementation of all rate study recommendations is $750 million. IDHS created a timeline for implementation and, to date, has met and exceeded the timeline expectations, with three years left to implement all recommendations." She added that Pritzker has continuously introduced and passed budgets with record investments in home- and community-based providers, and wage reimbursements have risen by over 60 percent under his administration. In discussing next steps, Rose said that there will be budget hearings over the next six weeks. Then, in May, the General Assembly is expected pass a budget on to the governor for him to sign. Ten years into Russias long war against Ukraine, far too many Americans are falling prey to a destructive idea. They needlessly believe that Ukraines defeat is unavoidable. These Americans have lost their bearings. Defeat is never inevitable so long as a nation is willing to fight. George Washington proved this when he crossed the Delaware River. His army refused to quit and America prevailed. In 2024, the United States can enable Ukraine to win by making three crucial changes that Russian President Vladimir Putin will detest. But first, lets bust some myths. Outgunned and outnumbered armies routinely overcome larger opponents. The Taliban outlasted Russia and the United States in Afghanistan. Ho Chi Minh defeated America and France in Vietnam. In his darkest hour, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill declared never, never, never to Adolf Hitler. Henry V ended the Hundred Years War at Agincourt. And the list goes on. Putin insists he has studied history but demands that we ignore one of its most important lessons. Smaller armies regularly win long wars when they refuse to surrender and the Ukrainians have the home-field advantage in this fight. Another myth is Russias inexhaustible pool of manpower. Neither Russia nor Ukraine have yet to fully mobilize their populations, as England and France did during World War I and the United States during World War II. Kyiv may take this course soon, but it will only harden its populations resolve. Ukrainians know if they stop fighting, they face violent national extermination. They are highly motivated as a result. Meanwhile, Putin fears fully mobilizing his people. He has steadfastly avoided this step despite Russias catastrophic losses. Instead, the Kremlin has replaced its casualties in Ukraine with the countrys provincial poor, its psychopaths and its prisoners during a previous, small-scale recruiting drive. Some Russians are sounding off. They do not want their husbands and sons to die in Putins Ukrainian meatgrinder. Russian polls confirm this view among the wider population. Total mobilization in Russia could imperil Putins rule. So Putin is betting on Western weakness. His strategy anticipates that befuddled Western leaders will tire of the war and appease him. We can and must prove Putin wrong. Heres how: Define victory for US The United States must provide a clear and compelling definition of victory in Ukraine that advances our national interests. The requirements of this victory include the Russian military ceasing to kill Ukrainians, departing Ukrainian territory and not threatening the existence of the country in the future. The Biden administration hasn't explained what victory should look like to the American public. It is an astonishing dereliction. But such a threefold victory is possible for Ukraine. We should say that. Apply strict sanctio ns We also must strangle the Russian war machine. Americas rhetoric on Russian sanctions is very different than reality. Moscow is exploiting the economic and oil loopholes that we created for them. We need to close the pipeline of money that is flooding into the Kremlins coffers. That means ending exemptions such as the G-7s "oil price cap" debacle and applying a maximum pressure campaign on Iran and Russia. Send arms faster Finally, Congress must approve funding to keep Ukraine in the fight including robust training for its soldiers. Meanwhile, the White House must end its maddening policy of too little, too late arms releases to Kyiv. The administration waited nearly a year and eight months to deliver 31 Abrams main battle tanks to Ukraine. The first deliveries of F-16 fighters will not arrive until this summer. America continues to deny Ukraine access to precision strike capabilities such as the 300 km range ATACMS missile. This is despite repeated pleas by Republican and Democratic senators to do so. Russia will not stop with Ukraine. If we fail to enable Ukraines victory today, we invite endless conflict in Europe tomorrow. Ukrainians have demonstrated their willingness to die for their freedom. By making these three critical changes, Ukraine can and will win. Nation advances policy mix in efforts to attract FDI 08:51, February 29, 2024 By Wang Keju ( China Daily China will continue working toward the swift implementation and effectiveness of the policy package aimed at enhancing the investment climate for foreign businesses and attracting more foreign investment, the Ministry of Commerce said on Wednesday. The policy mix, rolled out in August by the State Council, China's Cabinet, after pooling feedback and concerns facing foreign companies in terms of the country's business environment, has witnessed significant progress in the delivery of most of the initiatives, the ministry said in a statement. Throughout last year, the country saw a significant increase in the number of newly established foreign-invested enterprises. Data released by the ministry showed that 53,766 companies were set up nationwide in 2023, representing a year-on-year growth of 39.7 percent. Going forward, the ministry will work closely with related departments and localities to solicit feedback and recommendations from foreign companies, conduct comprehensive assessment of policy execution and enhance their sense of gain, the ministry added. Representatives from nine foreign business associations in China, including the American Chamber of Commerce in China, the National Committee on United States-China Relations, and the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China attended the meeting, as well as more than 60 representatives from foreign companies operating in China. The attendees expressed appreciation for the Chinese government's efforts to foster a more enabling business environment, stating that many measures have directly benefited enterprises and yielded positive results. These initiatives have been widely welcomed by foreign businesses, further anchoring their expectations and bolstering their confidence in investing in China. The resounding sentiment among foreign businesses echoes with the latest data. According to a poll released by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade in late January, more than 90 percent of foreign businesses consider the Chinese market to be attractive, and over 80 percent expressed satisfaction with China's business environment in 2023. The survey conducted by the country's top foreign trade and investment promotion agency also showed that nearly 70 percent of polled enterprises are upbeat on the Chinese market's prospects over the next five years. Days prior to the ministry's statement, a State Council Executive Meeting initiated research on policy measures aimed at enhancing the country's ability to further attract and leverage foreign investment. Noting that China will put the stability and growth of foreign investment high on its economic agenda this year, Friday's meeting emphasized the need to channel more efforts toward expanding market access, fostering a fair competitive climate, and facilitating innovative factors. Meanwhile, more forceful measures will be employed to forge a world-class, market-oriented business environment governed by a sound legal framework, in order to bolster the confidence of foreign investors in expanding their presence in China and improve the overall quality of the investment and trade environment, the meeting said. (Web editor: Tian Yi, Liang Jun) It seems elementary, but its an important fact to remember when were aiming to produce high-quality milk and maintain udder health: The way pathogens infect the udder is through the teat end. Paul Virkler, D.V.M., of Quality Milk Production Services, touched on multiple areas that affect teat-end health during a Cornell Cooperative Extension webinar. Starting in the barn, he emphasized that poor bedding management leads to dirty cows, dirty udders, and dirty legs. Many types of bedding can work if they keep the stall clean and dry. When there isnt sufficient bedding to soak up manure, urine, and milk, were raising the chances of mastitis, said Virkler. He encouraged attendees to have someone on the farm review stall bedding levels regularly. It may be a good idea to switch that person up to have a fresh perspective; just ensure the whole team is communicating about what the bedding goals are. Sufficient bedding, dry stalls, and clean alleyways matter for dry, prefresh, and fresh cows, too, Virkler reminded. These cows should be treated as well as the lactating herd. In addition to bedding, he noted that stall cleanliness is often impacted by poor cow position. When cows lay too far forward, more manure stays in the bed instead of the alleyway. Then, you are relying on the person scraping stalls to always do a great job of removing that contamination from what the udder will be in contact with. Virkler said more farms are using what he called brisket pipes, pieces of PVC that are gentler and less bulky than brisket boards, to avoid inhibiting lying time. But we do want to position cows better, he urged. He noted that adjusting the neck rail does not solve this problem. It will position cows when theyre standing, but cows often scoot forward after laying down. Lowering the neck rail will actually cause more perching, Virkler said. In the parlor The teat end experiences the most manipulation in the parlor. We must do everything we can to keep the teat end happy, and a big part of that is the milking routine, Virkler noted. Achieve five to 10 seconds of stimulation time and 90 to 180 seconds of lag time to encourage sufficient milk letdown. Poorly adjusted machines will also cause damage. Talk with your dealer about your goals for milking speed and cow comfort to find the right liner, he encouraged. Then, follow the ideal vacuum and pulsation rates for that liner. Virkler said the most common mistake in milking equipment is not the wrong liner but the wrong system for the liner you have. A final point of emphasis in the parlor is how cows are dried off. Right after dry-off and right after calving are the most susceptible times for a cow to contract mastitis, Virkler said, so we must handle the teats with care when we administer dry cow treatment and/or teat sealant. From an independent evaluation his team did of employees drying cows off, Virkler said there is a lot of room for improvement in ensuring the environment is sterile, the cow is prepared, the product is administered correctly, and employees are trained and monitored well. They developed a free, open access training platform available in English and Spanish to help farm workers improve their dry-off technique. Good teat care in the parlor is a valuable place to start improving teat-end health because the most important variable is often the people, Virkler concluded. To comment, email your remarks to intel@hoards.com. (c) Hoard's Dairyman Intel 2024 February 22, 2024 Community breakfast The first Saturday monthly community breakfast will be held at Cold Springs Global Methodist, 2550 Cold Springs Road, Concord, from 7-10 a.m. Saturday, March 2. The cost is a donation to help support the community. Soup and Sandwich Lunch Mt. Mitchell Global Methodist Church will be holding a Soup and Sandwich Lunch on Saturday, March 2, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Free with donation.) The church is located at 6001 Old Salisbury-Concord Road, Kannapolis. For more information, call 704-933-0155. Calvary Lenten retreats A second Lenten Retreat will be held at Calvary Lutheran Church from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, March 23. All are welcome to attend this first of two Lenten Retreats as we learn about incorporating healing actions into our lives. Calvary Lutheran Church is at 950 Bradley St., Concord. Refreshments will be served. New GriefShare program A GriefShare program will be hosted by Cold Springs Global Methodist on Sundays through April 21, from 3:30-5 p.m. for those dealing with life stresses following the loss of a loved one. For more information and to register, go to griefshare.org/findagroup or call the church office at 704-782-1811. Oak Grove starting GriefShare program GriefShare Support Group spring sessions will be on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Oak Grove Baptist Church, room 23, through May 11. Register at GriefShare.org, use ZIP code 28075. The church is located at 200 Sims Parkway, Harrisburg. For more information, call 704-455-2763. Fishers of Men BBQ Fishers of Men BBQ will be held at Rodgers Park Baptist Church on Saturday, March 9, from 10:30 a.m. until sold out. Prices are whole pork rack for $22, pork rack plate for $15, beef rib plate for $18, and chicken quarter plate for $8. All plates come with homemade potato salad. Smoked beans, soda and slice cake (based on availability). The church is located at 309 E 24th St., Kannapolis. Mt. Mitchell hot dog sale Mt. Mitchell Global Methodist Church will be holding a hot dog sale on Wednesday, March 20, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The church is located at 6001 Old Salisbury-Concord Road, Kannapolis. For more information, call 704-933-0155. Apocalyptic Bible study James Fore hosts Uncovering Apocalyptic weekly Bible study every Monday at 1:30 p.m. in the parlor at Calvary Lutheran Church, Concord. All are welcome. How Great Thou Art drawing class James Fore leads a weekly drawing class, How Great Thou Art, every Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. in the fellowship hall at Calvary Lutheran Church, Concord. All are welcome. Bring paper and pencil. Call the church office at 704-782-6923 for more details. Fresh produce and more The Bulb Market at Grace Lutheran Church is open every Friday from 3-4 p.m. with fresh produce for the community. Cabarrus Rowan Community Health Center will be offering primary care and basic health screenings on-site at the church on the second Friday of each month. Grace Lutheran is at 58 Chestnut Drive, Concord. Sportscenter weekly Bible study Join Calvary Lutheran Church for its Sportscenter weekly Bible study. Pastor Debbie Frye hosts the study every Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. at the Sportscenter, 233 Country Club Drive NE, Concord. Centering Prayer weekly via Zoom This Centering Prayer Group meets every Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. via Zoom. All are welcome. For the Zoom link, check the Calvary Lutheran Church Facebook page or website http://www.clconcord.org, or call the church office at 704-782-6923. My wife and I voted early and were appalled at how few had voted less than a week before the March 5 primary. Most informed observers agree this will be a low turnout election. In the last presidential primary (2020), 31.9 percent of North Carolina voters cast ballots but dont be surprised if this years final percentage is in the mid to upper 20s. Candidates dont have money to get out the vote but, even if they did, voters are weary of politics. Who will vote? The die-hard stalwarts in both parties, MAGA white males and folks over 60. Millennials are tuned out. Blacks and Latinos are turned off and college graduates just arent interested. In addition to a low turnout, I predict there will be a half-dozen or more contests where no candidate gets the requisite 30 percent plus one vote to claim victory and a second primary will be needed May 14. No one can explain why so many Republicans decided to run but there are more highly contested races on the GOP side. Presidential nominees are preordained, so lets skip to statewide races, beginning with the gubernatorial primary. Republicans have a decision to make. Would they rather continue to fight culture wars or win elections? Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson will never be governor! He will win the gubernatorial nomination but, in so doing, will assure that Democrat Josh Stein becomes governor. If Republicans wanted to win the office, they would select Dale Folwell, a good treasurer and the only Republican with a real chance in November. Democrat Josh Stein has been preparing to run for governor since 2016. He has a war chest loaded with cash and, while he represents the liberal faction of his party, will coast to the nomination. Mike Morgan is a solid challenger who has made some good points in his campaign but entered the fray too late. Ten candidates are running for the Republican lieutenant governors nomination. Its been 16 years since Bev Perdue used that office as a steppingstone to become governor. Before that, a young Jim Hunt made the transition 48 years ago. If its not a meaningful job or a steppingstone, why are so many running for this office? In the GOP gaggle are former state Sen. Deanna Ballard, Rep. Jeffrey Elmore, Hal Weatherman, former chief of staff to Lt. Gov. Forest, and perennial candidate Jim ONeill. In the almost certain runoff, Ballard has the most media exposure and should prevail. Its unfair to tag Rachel Hunt with the Hunt legacy label. She is a competent and savvy state senator and should easily win the Democrats lieutenant governor primary. When Beth Wood resigned as state auditor, Democrat Jessica Holmes was named to fill out her term and is the only Democrat running. Six Republicans are contesting the nomination, but the two most prominent include former State Sen. Jeff Tarte and former UNC Board of Trustees chair Dave Boliek Jr. Traditional wisdom says Tarte would win but Boliek has spent more than a million dollars on social and nontraditional media. We call this one a toss-up. Congressman Dan Bishop will win the GOP attorney generals uncontested nomination. Three Democrats are seeking the nomination. Congressman Jeff Jackson, one of the young stars in their stable, will win. Another toss-up is for state treasurer. Democrat Wesley Harris has spent a bundle on TV, Gabe Esparza has more related experience and got the endorsement of our two largest newspapers. The Republican primary is also competitive. A.J. Daoud has run for office before and is challenged by Rachel Johnson and Brad Briner. Daoud and Briner will be the top two, but we put both parties outcome in the toss-up category. The insurance commissioners contest is worth watching. Incumbent Republican Mike Causey is standing for re-election, but he has run afoul of legislative leadership and has been the subject to News and Observer scrutiny. His opponent is Bob Brawley, long considered a maverick. Give the nod to Causey because the firefighters stand solidly behind him. Incumbent Steve Troxler easily wins the Republican renomination to agriculture commissioner. Incumbent GOP Superintendent of Public Instruction Catherine Truitt coasts to renomination and Democrats will pick Mo Green. In the vacant labor commissioners race, Republican Rep. Jon Hardister will likely win over OSHA attorney Luke Farley. The three Republicans seeking the secretary of state nomination are not well known. Whoever wins will face a popular vote-getter, Democrat Elaine Marshall in November. In the one Supreme Court seat being contested current Democrat Justice Allison Riggs will prevail over Lora Cubbage. Incumbent Court of Appeals Judge Hunter Murphy gets the nod for seat 15. Space doesnt permit in-depth discussions about all 14 congressional races, but the contests in the 1st, 6th, 8th, 10th and 13th districts are interesting. Three will likely have runoffs. Help prove the political pundits wrong about the low turnout by voting. We deserve to have elections decided by many voices, not just a few. All Peoples Church of Jesus Christ Worship at 11 a.m. Sunday at American Legion Post 172. Pastor: Prophet Roland Jordan delivers the message. Ann Street United Methodist Church 335 Ann St., Concord. Pastor: Rev. Randy L. Wall. In person and Facebook Live worship at 11 a.m. Sermon: A Word of Trust. Scripture: Luke 23:44-49. Bethpage United Methodist Church 109 Fellowship Ave. at West C Street, Kannapolis. 704-932-5296. Pastor: Rev. McKenzie Sefa. Christian Education at 9 a.m. Worship at 10 a.m. Bogers Chapel United Methodist Church 1775 Flowes Store Road E., Concord. Pastor: Eric Shaver. Sunday school at 9 a.m. Worship service at 10 a.m. (in person or on Facebook). Holy Communion Sunday. Childrens Message by Sharon Holmes. Opening Reading: Passage from The Lives We Actually Have, For the Courage to do Something Difficult. Sermon: When to Take a Stand. Scripture: John 2:13-22. Calvary Lutheran Church 950 Bradley St., Concord. 704-782-6923. Pastor: Rev. Debbie Frye. In-person worship at 8:30 a.m. (Casual Worship) and 11 a.m. (Traditional Worship with Childrens Church). Coffee/Cookie Social from 9:30-11 a.m. Sunday school for all ages at 9:45 a.m. Childrens Area and Nursery available at all times. All services livestreamed and available anytime on the Calvary Lutheran Concord YouTube channel easy access through our website at www.clconcord.org or church app Calvary Lutheran ChurchNC. All are welcome. Sermon Series: For the Healing of the World. Sermon Theme: Invitation to Embrace Gods Foolishness and Weakness. Center United Methodist Church 1119 Union St. S., Concord. Pastor: Rev. Brian Crady. Sunday school for In Betweens and young adults at 9 a.m. Worship at 10 a.m. Nursery is provided during the worship service. Website is www.centerumcconcord.org. Sermon: The Message of the Cross. Scripture: 1st Corinthians 1:18-25. Cold Springs Global Methodist Church 2550 Cold Springs Road, Concord. Pastor: Rev. Cliff Wall. Worship at 10 a.m. on Sundays. Visit online at https://youtube.com/@coldspringschurchconcord. Crossroads Church 220 George W. Liles Parkway, Concord. Pastor: Lowell McNaney. Live worship streamed on Facebook, Crossroads Concord Church app or mycrossroads.co website at 9:30 a.m. and 11:11 a.m. Crown Pointe Baptist Church 703 Tennessee St., Kannapolis. Pastor: Rev. Doug Crawley. Sunday school at 9 a.m. Worship at 10 a.m. in the sanctuary, or view online at our Facebook page. Series: Love Has a Name. Sermon: Love Starts with a Name (Week One). Scripture: Luke 19:1-10 ESV. Eastside Missionary Baptist Church 199 Elgin Drive, Concord. Pastor: Rev. Stephen Burrow. In person services: Sunday school at 9:30 a.m. Worship services at 10:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Recorded worship services and other information at EastsideMissionaryBaptist.org. You will be welcomed. Practice social distancing. Epworth United Methodist Church 1030 Burrage Road NE, Concord. Pastor: Rev. Dennis Marshall. Sunday school at 9 a.m., followed by worship at 10 a.m. We welcome all to join us in person, or you may livestream or watch the recorded service at our website at www.epworthnc.com. First Presbyterian Church 201 Vance St., Kannapolis. 704-938-4623. Pastor: Eddie Spencer. Coffee fellowship at 9:30 a.m. Sunday school at 10 a.m. Worship service at 11 a.m. in person and also livestreamed on YouTube. www.firstpresb.org. Forest Hill United Methodist Church 265 Union St. N., Concord. Senior pastor: Rev. Mandy Jones. Associate pastor: Rev. Wes Judy. We are open for in-person worship. Contemporary worship at 9 a.m. Sunday school/small groups at 10 a.m. Traditional worship at 11 a.m. Both the contemporary and the traditional worship services will also be livestreamed at foresthillumc.org or facebook.com/foresthillumc, in case you dont feel like being here in person. Grace Church of Concord A Global Methodist Community 28-B Branchview Drive NE, Concord. Lead pastor: Michael Dominick. Worshipping every Sunday at 10 a.m. Sermon: At the High Priests House. Scripture: Mark 14:53-65. Series: Places of the Passion. Topic: At the High Priests house, Jesus made a witness at His first trial. We are delighted to invite you on a special journey with us during this Lenton season, as we explore the profound significance of the journey toward Easter Sunday, through Paster Mikes sermon series, Places of the Passion. To learn more about Grace Church, visit us at www.graceconcord.org where you will find links to our Sunday morning livestream and more. Harmony Church Concord 101 White St. NW, Concord. Pastor: Rev. Thad Brown. Our Sunday school begins at 10 a.m. followed by our worship service at 11 a.m. Service of Holy Communion will be celebrated. Sermon: The Battle Plan. Scripture: Luke 16:13, Ephesians 6:13, Ephesians 6:14-18, Luke 16:16-17, Exodus 20:3. We welcome everyone to come worship with us! Our service is broadcast live on Facebook.com/HarmonyUnitedMethodistChurch. For more information, you can call 704-791-2883 or 704-467-0179. Jackson Park United Methodist Church 715 Mable Ave., Kannapolis. Pastor: Laurie Knoespel. Adult Sunday school at 9:30 a.m. Worship at 10:30 a.m. Nursery will be provided during worship service. Kirkwood Presbyterian Church 900 Klondale Ave., Kannapolis. Pastor: Rev. Dennis B. Craft. Worship at 11 a.m. in church sanctuary on Sundays. No mask restrictions. McGill Baptist Church 5300 Poplar Tent Road, Concord, in-person services. Pastor: Rev. Steve Ayers. McGill will stream a worship service Sunday at 10 a.m. on www.facebook.com/mcgillbaptistchurch/ and on YouTube. The services will be live and also available on recording afterward. Third Sunday in Lent. Sermon: Being Wise. Scripture: Psalm 19, 1 Corinthians 1:18-25, John 2:13-22. Midway United Methodist Church 108 Bethpage Road, Kannapolis. Pastor: Rev. Craig Allen. Come join us on Sunday morning at 9 a.m. for Sunday school and 10:30 a.m. for worship. Our service is also livestreamed on the web at midwayunitedmethodistchurch.org or facebook.com/midwayUMC. Third Sunday of Lent. Special worship activities: communion. Worship theme: Why we do what we do in worship (Jn 2:17). Sermon: Is a little zeal so bad? First Reading: Psalm 19. Second Reading: John 2:13-22. Suggested Hymns: TFWS 2040, Awesome God, UMH 261, Lord of the Dance. Mt. Mitchell Global Methodist Church 6001 Old Salisbury-Concord Road, Kannapolis. Pastor: Joel Locklear. Office phone: 704-933-0155. Office hours: Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday school at 9:45 a.m. (Adult and children classes.) Worship at 11 a.m. in person or on Facebook. Nursery for children up to 5 years old. Sermon: I Will Raise It Up. Scripture: John 2:13-22. Multiply Church Concord 150 Warren C. Coleman Blvd. N., Concord. Pastor: Rev. Douglas Witherup. 8:30 a.m. service held at 280 Concord Parkway S., Suite 15, Concord. Services at 150 Warren C. Coleman Blvd. N., are worship and sermon at 9:30 a.m. and worship and sermon at 11:15 a.m. New Gilead Reformed Church 2400 Old Salisbury-Concord Road. 10 a.m. Sunday school followed by 11 a.m. worship in the sanctuary or worship live on YouTube. We hope that you can connect with us online if you cant be with us in person. Oak Grove Baptist Church 200 Sims Parkway, Harrisburg. Pastor: Rev. Franklin D. Watkins. 10 a.m. In-person worship service. Also available on Facebook Live and YouTube Live. Sermon: Jesus Christ Is the Author of My Faith! Scripture: Hebrews 9:11-15 and 12:2. Rodgers Park Baptist Church 309 E 24th St., Kannapolis. Weekly message from KJV Bible, by Pastor Joel Ervin. Sunday school at 9:45 a.m. Worship at 10:45 a.m. Facebook Live at 11 a.m. Second Presbyterian Church 1578 Dale Earnhardt Blvd., Kannapolis. Pastor Sue Black, minister. Assistant minister: Rev. Aaron Price. Sunday school at 10 a.m. Worship at 11 a.m. Sermon: Who Do You Say I Am? Scripture: Matthew 16:13-27. St. Johns Reformed Church 901 N. Main St., Kannapolis. Pastor: Rev. Chris King. Sunday school for all ages at 9 a.m. Worship service at 10:30 a.m. Website: www.ourstjohns.org. Email/phone: ourstjohns@gmail.com / 704-932-3656. Sermon: The Vanity of Justice. Scripture: Ecclesiastes 8. Trinity United Church of Christ 38 Church St., Concord. Pastor: Rev. Nathan King. Worship at 11 a.m., in person or on Facebook (live or watch later). Website: commachurch.com. Youre invited! The national Girl Scouts organization apologized for a regional councils legal threat against a St. Louis troop raising money for children in Gaza. Nawal Abuhamdeh, of St. Louis, started a bracelet-making fundraiser with her troop in mid-January. The regional council sent her emails that the activity violated their policies and to remove all Girl Scout branding from their online flyer or face legal action. The local troop decided to disband from the Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri. Bonnie Barczykowski, chief executive officer for Girl Scouts of the USA, responded to a letter sent by the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which asked for an internal investigation of the incident. The council also asked that troops be allowed to raise funds for the worsening humanitarian crisis facing the children of Gaza since the war with Israel began. We are disappointed and disheartened by what recently transpired. We sincerely regret any hurt caused, Barczykowski said. She added that the national organization had not approved the language threatening legal action against the St. Louis troop sent in an email by the Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri. GSUSA will be working alongside our council partners to review this incident and make the necessary adjustments to prevent it from happening in the future. We realize we missed an opportunity to champion our troops while they make a difference, she wrote. The girls have restarted their independent fundraiser, braceletsForPalestine.bigcartel.com. Since their story made national headlines, they have raised $10,000 for the Palestine Childrens Relief Fund, Abuhamdeh said. Her daughter, Mariyah Abdelbaset, 10, said she was initially discouraged when they had been told to stop, especially because she had seen other Girl Scout fundraisers for war victims in Ukraine and Israel. I feel like it was unfair that that the Girl Scouts encouraged doing something right for Ukraine but not something right for Gaza, Mariyah said. The United Nations has called Gaza a graveyard for children, with about 12,000 children killed in the aftermath of Israels military response to Hamass attack on Oct. 7. Edward Ahmed Mitchell, Council on American-Islamic Relations national deputy director, said the group welcomes the Girl Scouts apology as a positive first step. He wants to continue the conversation about allowing Girl Scout troops to raise money for Gaza as the humanitarian crisis becomes even more dire. Abuhamdeh said her former troop had wanted to do something good for a situation that has caused them grief and heartbreak. She told them that their decision to disband and continue their fundraiser is having an impact beyond what they could have imagined. Now, we are going to help so many people, she said. Service delivery partner DQA has collaborated with indigenous company Dickerson Digital and Microsoft to launch Australias first indigenous sovereign cloud. DQA said the sovereign cloud, powered by Microsoft Azure and integrated with Azure Orbital, will provide certainty for customers within the public and private sectors requiring higher levels of security and availability. The project follows the recent investment of Microsoft and the Federal Government of $5 billion in Australias cloud computing industries and comes off the back of the recent partnership announcement between DQA and Dickerson Digital. Dickerson Digitals impressive track record of high-value outcomes achieved for private and government organisations give us the perfect ally in developing this critical infrastructure that will truly make meaningful change in Australias cloud capabilities and inject this benefit into remote communities, said DQA CEO Steve Melville. The project will upscale organisations ability to leverage cloud services. The sovereignty of the solution allows customers to manage data and conduct secure operations in compliance with local laws and to be protected from foreign access. Dickerson Digital also collaborated with its indigenous partner Gambarra Jaha, who is on track to secure the largest single capital raising by an Indigenous-owned organisation in Australian history, to build and operate the sovereign cloud data centres. The projects full vision includes 22 data centres across Australia, two in New Zealand, and two in Tonga. DQA claimed the solution has already a pipeline of customers from the public and private sectors. Air Canada has been ordered to compensate a passenger who was misinformed by the customer assistance chatbot on their website, after initially denying responsibility. A grieving Air Canada customer was advised by a chatbot he could buy a full-price ticket and submit a request within 90 days for a part refund for bereavement purposes. However, the airline claimed the chatbot on its own website was mistaken, and that they had no obligation or responsibility to honour its claims. However, Air Canada failed to persuade the Civil Resolution Tribunal and has been ordered to reimburse the customer. That customer was Jake Moffatt, whose grandmother passed away on Remembrance Day (November 11) 2022. That same day Moffatt visited Air Canada's website to purchase return airfare tickets to Toronto to support his grieving family. Like nearly any website today, he was greeted by a support chatbot. Asking about bereavement rates, the chatbot explicitly stated, "If you need to travel immediately or have already travelled and would like to submit your ticket for a reduced bereavement rate, kindly do so within 90 days of the date your ticket was issued by completing our Ticket Refund Application form." With this assurance, Moffat purchased a full fare of $1,630.36. However, on return and after attempting to receive a partial refund based on bereavement rates he was refused by Air Canada. The airline stated it did not, in fact, offer any such partial refund on travel that had been completed. It pointed Moffatt to a policy listed elsewhere on their website that stated this. Moffatt referred Air Canada to the chatbot transcript. A representative from the airline conceded the chatbot had uttered "misleading words" but still denied any obligation to refund Moffatt, on the basis it had a stated policy in a different section of its website. The representative did, however, say they would use Moffatt's feedback to better train the chatbot. Moffatt was unimpressed and launched legal action against Air Canada in the Canadian Civil Resolution Tribunal (CRT). Air Canada argued in its defence that it cannot be held liable for the information provided by its agents, servants, or representatives, which includes chatbots as well as human operators. Further, Air Canada argued the chatbot was a separate legal entity, which is responsible for its own actions. If that argument makes you do a double-take, you're not alone. CRT member Christophers Rivers stated, "this is a remarkable submission." Air Canada additionally argued the correct policy details were available on their website, albeit in a different section to the chatbot. The CRT released its decision this month, and ordered Air Canada to refund Moffatt $812, which covered the difference between the full fare he paid, and the reduced bereavement rate along with interest and CRT fees. The Tribunal was unimpressed by Air Canada's case, and found the airline provided no credible support for its assertion it cannot be liable for the information provided in its name. "While a chatbot has an interactive component, it is still just a part of Air Canada's website. It should be obvious to Air Canada that it is responsible for all the information on its website. It makes no difference whether the information comes from a static page or a chatbot," Rivers said. And with respect to the policy document located elsewhere, Rivers stated, "there is no reason why Mr Moffatt should know that one section of Air Canada's webpage is accurate, and another is not." It's a sombre lesson to organisations of all sizes around the world; with artificial intelligence the hot topic of 2024, it's imperative to embrace responsible AI. Otherwise, if your chatbot is prone to hallucinations you might find yourself in the same plight of Air Canada. "I find Air Canada did not take reasonable care to ensure its chatbot was accurate," Rivers said. The matter falls under "negligent misrepresentation". Rivers said, which he clarified by saying, "Negligent misrepresentation can arise when a seller does not exercise reasonable care to ensure its representations are accurate and not misleading." "I find Mr. Moffatt has made out their claim of negligent misrepresentation and is entitled to damages," Rivers said in his decision. Monash University is commissioning state-of-the-art Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations across its campuses, marking a significant step towards fostering sustainability and supporting eco-friendly transportation options. Monash says the charging infrastructure will not only be accessible to university staff and students but are also open to the general public, further raising awareness of the convenience of low-emission transport. As a leading institution committed to environmental responsibility, Monash University is continuing to innovate in its efforts to reduce its carbon footprint. With the increasing adoption of EVs, the university recognises the need for accessible charging infrastructure to support the transition towards cleaner and greener transportation alternatives, notes the university. Electric vehicle sales in Australia are increasing rapidly (8.3 per cent in 2023 compared to 2 per cent in 2022), and the demand for public charging infrastructure is also increasing. By charging their EVs at Monashs newly installed charging stations, staff, students and the general public can take advantage of the plentiful solar power on the grid, making it a green and cost-effective option, said Associate Professor Roger Dargaville, Director (Interim) of the Monash Energy Institute. Key features of the EV charging stations include: Universal Access: The charging stations are open to Monash University staff, students, and the general public, fostering a collaborative and inclusive approach to sustainable transportation. Cutting-edge Technology: Equipped with the latest charging technology, the stations offer fast and efficient charging for electric vehicles, ensuring a seamless experience for users. Strategic Locations: The charging stations are strategically placed across the campus, providing convenient access for electric vehicle owners without compromising on the aesthetics and functionality of the university environment. Promoting Sustainability: By encouraging the use of electric vehicles, Monash University is contributing to a sustainable future, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting environmentally friendly transportation options. As a university committed to sustainability, we are thrilled to offer EV charging stations that are not only accessible to our university community but also extend a warm welcome to the wider public. This initiative aligns with our ongoing efforts to create a more sustainable and environmentally conscious campus, said Peter Marshall AM, Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice-President at Monash University. The project was facilitated in part by a grant from the Victorian Government's Zero Emissions Vehicles Commercial Sector Innovation Fund (CSIF). This program aims to accelerate the adoption of zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) technology in commercial settings, and Monash University is proud to be part of this initiative. ENGIE Australia & New Zealand will oversee the supply, installation, and commissioning of the charging hardware while providing comprehensive operations and maintenance support. Monash University says it is firmly committed to addressing the critical issue of climate change by striving to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. We have created a comprehensive charging network to service the diverse needs of the University and wider community as we continue our transition towards Net Zero, said Vanessa Graham, Net Zero Manager at Monash University. Moreover, Monashs dedication to sustainability goes beyond these charging stations. By 2024 and beyond, Monash will transition their entire fleet to electric vehicles across all campuses. This is expected to result in a significant reduction of 677 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions annually, aligning with the universitys environmental goals. Learn more about EV charging and read the FAQs on the Monash University electric vehicle chargers webpage. WatchGuard Technologies, a global leader in unified cybersecurity, has boosted its Australian channel partner relationship management team with the appointment of Zayed Alji as Partner Relationship Manager, testament to the companys commitment to bolstering customer experience with a network of expert channel partners. Based in Melbourne, Alji will be responsible for managing and nurturing relationships with strategic partners in Victoria and Tasmania to drive mutual success through technical guidance, sales support, account management and marketing enablement offered through the WatchGuardONE channel partner program which is designed to help partners reduce costs, improve efficiency, and win business. Alji joins WatchGuard Technologies with two decades of IT industry experience in both Australia and across the Middle East. He was previously Channel Account Manager ANZ at Checkmarx where he was responsible for identifying key market opportunities and implementing collaborative selling strategies to drive end-customer sales via channel partners. Prior, he worked in the United Arab Emirates in several roles, including as Regional Sales Manager for the Gulf for cybersecurity risk advisory company, SecureLink, and also as Territory Manager for the UAE, Oman and Pakistan at StarLink. He was also previously pivotal in growing Global Security Networks business in the Gulf as Regional Sales Manager during which time he led complex high value engagements and delivered strategic transformational cybersecurity outcomes to customers in the military, law enforcement and critical infrastructure sectors. "We see strong channel engagement as an integral part of WatchGuards ongoing success and Zayeds appointment in this newly created role will amplify our resources to regional channel partners in Victoria and Tasmania to ensure they remain customer focused and equipped to offer clear differentiation and skills specialisation in key market segments, said Anthony Daniel, Regional Director Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands, WatchGuard Technologies. Zayeds appointment will also help us develop and drive relationships as part of our 100 per cent partner focused business. This in turn will enhance our customer and market value while helping to grow and strengthen the WatchGuard position in the channel as a clear leader in unified cybersecurity solutions. Indeed, this year, we will continue to provide partners with an extension of our Unified Security Platform with ongoing innovation tapping into the capabilities of technologies, including XDR, zero trust identity infrastructure, and advanced reporting. WatchGuard recently announced it had been recognised as a Cybersecurity Channel Champion in the 2023 Canalys Global Cybersecurity Leadership Matrix. The annual report assesses vendor performance in the channel over the last 12 months based on partner feedback, vendor surveys, Canalys shipment estimates, and analyst insight. The recognition marks the second consecutive year that WatchGuard achieved Champion status in the Canalys report. CHARLESTON WEIU Kids Day on the campus of Eastern Illinois University will be held from 10 a.m.-noon Saturday, March 9, inside Buzzard Hall, 1920 9th St, Charleston. WEIU, a PBS affiliate station, will showcase PBS Kids characters Daniel Tiger and Katerina Kittycat as the main character attractions. Arts and crafts like princess wand and knight shield making activities, face painting, and games/prizes will be available to children. There will also be a live Hit-Mix 88.9 WEIU broadcast, in addition to event music that will lead to a couple of dance contests with the children. Several businesses, groups, and organizations will take part in this free event including: True Force Martial Arts, Child Care Resource and Referral, Dance Life, SBLHC Healthy Kids Car Healthy Hero, Cub Scout Pack 41, Girl Scouts, Mid-Illinois Big Brothers Big Sisters, Mattoon Area Family YMCA, Douglas-Hart Nature Center, Mattoon Public Library, Charleston Parks & Recreation Department, HOPE of East Central Illinois, Phoenix Elite, Bunches of Treasures Art Studio, Fit-2-Serve, Lincoln Log Cabin, Children's Advocacy Center, EIU Sky Watch Weather, Camp New Hope, Charleston Fire Department, Charleston Police Department, Urban Butterfly Initiative, EIU Chemistry Dept., EIU World & Language Cultures, EIU Police Department, Birth to Five Illinois, EIU College of Education, EIU Music Department, Head Start, Project Help, Charleston Carnegie Public Library and an appearance from Billy the Panther. For more information contact Kean Armstrong at ksarmstrong@eiu.edu or 217-581-7193. MATTOON The Illinois State Police has reported that a driver was airlifted for treatment of injuries suffered in a crash involving two commercial vehicles Wednesday afternoon on Illinois 121. State Police Troop 7, based in Pesotum, reported in a press release that the collision occurred at approximately 1:22 p.m. on Illinois 121 at Dole Road, on the northwest side of Mattoon. The release stated that one driver was flown to a regional hospital for treatment of injuries and the other driver reported no injuries on scene. Additional information has not been released yet as the state police continue their investigation and complete the crash report. Illinois 121 and Dole Road were closed to traffic for approximately a mile in all directions from the intersection as crews removed wreckage from the scene. This intersection is west of the Rural King corporate office and distribution center. Best and worst states to drive in Best and worst states to drive in 10 worst states to drive in 10 best states to drive in Going deeper: Congestion, cost, infrastructure, safety and weather rankings SPRINGFIELD The Simon Wiesenthal Center's Mobile Museum of Tolerance and the Illinois Commission on Discrimination and Hate Crimes announced a statewide essay contest for students on fighting hate and intolerance. The contest, titled "Your Voice: Changing the World, One Speech at a Time," will take place this spring for students from sixth through 12th grades and will ask students to write a speech in response to a quote from Simon Wiesenthal, a German Nazi death camp survivor. The quote from Wiesenthal writes, "The history of man is the history of crimes, and history can repeat. So information is a defense against repetition." As time passes, we forget the immense pain our ancestors have suffered through at the hands of zealots who destroyed lives and created misery, said Alison Pure-Slovin, director of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in the Midwest region. The goal of the MMOT and our work in schools and communities across the state is to help people recognize the threats around them and take meaningful steps to stop them. We had many powerful submissions in last years contest and are excited to see the creativity and deep personal conviction driving this years participants. Submissions should be three minutes long or 450 words or less, and talk about how this quote applies to them and ways people must be proactive to address intolerance, hate and bigotry. Applicants must submit their speech in a Microsoft Word document by March 22 at mmot@wiesenthal.com. Entries must include the applicant's name, age, school, and contact details. Five finalists from each category, which includes grades six through eight and grades nine through 12 will be chosen March 29 to compete virtually on April 14 by performing their speech in a video submission. Visit mmot.com to learn more about the essay contest and museum. Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist capped fiscal 2023 with significant increases in both core revenue and investment income, the not-for-profit healthcare system reported Wednesday. The quarterly financial filing combines reports for N.C. Baptist Hospital, Wake Forest University Health Sciences and Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center and all their affiliates. As typical, the system provided no comment on the fiscal performance. Baptist reported $238.4 million in excess revenue over expenses for fiscal 2024, up from a $222.9 million loss in fiscal 2022. In a not-for-profit organization, excess revenue is analogous to profit in a for-profit organization. The primary difference between the two fiscal years is Baptist reporting just under $106 million in investment income in fiscal 2023, compared with a $198.9 million loss in fiscal 2022. Not-for-profit health care systems, such as Atrium, Baptist, Cone Health and Novant Health Inc., depend on investment income to increase their bottom lines. In terms of core revenue and expenses, Baptist reported a 19.4% jump in patient service revenue to $4.04 billion, as well as an 8.4% increase in other revenue to $1.01 billion. Meanwhile, Baptist had a 12.9% uptick in operating expenses to $4.9 billion. The primary expense factors were: personnel costs rising 8.4% to $2.81 billion; 14.4% climb in supplies to $1.18 billion; and purchased and other services typically travel nurse expenses going up 33.9% to $716.6 million. Baptists utilization report showed: a 7.2% year-over-year jump in outpatient visits to 2.06 million; a 5% increase in emergency department visits to 219,383; an 8.8% gain in inpatient admissions to 64,750; and a 4% climb in total operating-room cases to 63,169. The Baptist report is included within the fourth-quarter filing on the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Boards website, www.emma.msrb.org. EMMA reports are aimed primarily at bondholders and ratings agencies, and they typically are submitted about 10 to 11 weeks after the quarter ended. The Baptist report typically includes the same financial performance update for its two parent companies, but Wednesdays report did not. Advocate Health the nations third-largest not-for-profit health care system debuted in December 2022 representing the completed merger of Atrium Health of Charlotte and Advocate Aurora of Chicago and Milwaukee. The system is based in Charlotte with former Atrium chief executive Eugene Woods serving as co-chief executive. Advocate issued its first combined quarterly report in May. Atrium acquired Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center Forsyth Countys largest employer on Oct. 9, 2020. Baptist remains under the Atrium umbrella from an organizational structure. The fiscal 2023 reports for Advocate Health and Atrium have not been posted on the Emma website as of Thursday. The latest in a series of commercial real estate purchases of Walgreens properties in the Triad involves a Winston-Salem location purchased for $5.2 million, according to a Forsyth County Register of Deeds filing. The 1.98-acre tract is at 1712 S. Stratford Road across from Hanes Mall. It contains a 14,736-square-foot building. The parent company is the seller of the property. The buyer is an affiliate of Orion Buying Corp. and Orion Real Estate Group of Miami. Another set of Orion affiliates spent $3.75 million to purchase a Walgreens location at 3703 Lawndale Drive in Greensboro. That sale was posted Monday. Since March 2021, several Walgreens properties in the Triad have been sold to a variety of different companies. The Daily Minute is the Journal Star's morning news briefing where you can get the latest news in about a minute each weekday. Previous Daily Minute videos are archived here. Good morning, Lincoln. Here's what you should know today. Cyberattack affecting Nebraska hospitals A cyberattack last week on a UnitedHealthGroup subsidiary is apparently causing problems for numerous hospitals across Nebraska. The Nebraska Hospital Association said Wednesday in a news release that a majority of the state's hospitals utilize Change Healthcare, one of the largest technology companies in the U.S., for financial and clinical authorizations. According to the Nebraska Hospital Association, hospitals that use Change Healthcare may be experiencing issues with prior authorizations for drugs, surgeries and other medical procedures; insurance verification for hospital stays; cost estimates; and patient billing. Bryan Health in Lincoln is among hospitals not affected by the attack. School psychologists access bill advances The Nebraska Legislatures Education Committee advanced a bill that aims to reimburse school districts who contract with licensed psychologists for mental and behavioral health services. The bill from Sen. Lynne Walz of Fremont would allow school districts to recoup the costs of working with those providers at rates set by the Nebraska Department of Education. School psychologists said the measure would give districts the ability to expand access to school psychologists amid a shortage of those professionals across the state. Billy Idol coming to Lincoln And, Billy Idol will play Pinewood Bowl on May 16. The spiky-haired 80s British rocker with the snarl, known for his hits such as Dancing with Myself, White Wedding and Rebel Yell, will be making his Lincoln debut at the Pioneers Park Amphitheatre. Idols tour will promote a new album, his first since 2014s Kings & Queens of the Underground. Idols concert will be one of four presented in a week at the bowl. The others will be Cake, performing on May 13; Willie Nelson & Family on May 15 and NEEDTOBREATHE on May 18. Thats it for Thursday, Feb. 29. Stay in the know with Lincolns longest-standing news source at JournalStar.com and well see you back here tomorrow. Top Journal Star photos for February 2024 Nebraska's top election official will mail letters to about 35,000 state voters who may not have valid photo IDs ahead of the May 14 primary election, which will mark the first in Nebraska requiring a photo ID to cast a ballot. Secretary of State Bob Evnen's office is sending the letters to the 3% of Nebraska's registered voters who might not have a state drivers license or DMV-issued ID, his office said in a news release Thursday. About 97% of registered voters in Nebraska already have a drivers license or state ID, Even's office said, citing information from county election offices and the Nebraska DMV. Were trying to reach voters who may not be aware of the new voter ID law and may not be prepared," Evnen said in the news release. "Our office wants to ensure every voter is informed and ready. State voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot initiative in November 2022 amending the state constitution to require valid photo identification to vote in state elections and authorizing the Legislature to determine how the requirement should be carried out. Voters have numerous options for what IDs they're allowed to present at the ballot box in May, including a Nebraska-issued drivers license or state identification card; U.S. passports; military IDs; tribal IDs; IDs issued by local governments in Nebraska, such as schools, counties or cities; and IDs issued by public or private colleges and universities in Nebraska. A hospital, assisted-living facility or nursing home record, also known as a face sheet, can be used as well. The ID can be expired, but it must show the voters name and photo. Voters cannot use birth certificates, Medicare/Medicaid cards, out-of-state drivers licenses, out-of-state college IDs, Social Security cards, store membership cards, utility bills, bank statements or voter acknowledgment cards. Voters who don't have an acceptable form of ID can get a free state ID from the Nebraska DMV and can use the temporary photo ID receipts from the DMV to vote if they dont receive their ID in the mail before the primary, Evnen's office said. Individuals seeking a free state ID must present certain documents, such as a birth certificate, which can be obtained for free from the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services for Nebraska-born residents obtaining a certificate for voter ID purposes. Voters must provide their ID when requesting an early ballot to be mailed to them, which can include writing their drivers license or state ID card number on the application, attaching a photocopy of another acceptable ID to the application or attaching a reasonable impediment certification form. Those voting in counties or precincts with all-mail balloting have ballots sent to them automatically and must submit their ID information when returning their ballot. Top Journal Star photos for February 2024 A bill that aims to make it easier for people to obtain occupational licenses became one of the first bills to pass the Nebraska Legislature in 2024. Lawmakers voted 42-1 to pass the bill (LB16) Thursday and send it to Gov. Jim Pillen. There was no discussion in its final round of floor debate, but the bill has received widespread support from state senators in previous rounds. LB16 was originally introduced last year by former Sen. Tom Briese, who has since resigned from the Legislature to take up the post of state treasurer. Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln, who was a co-sponsor of the bill last year, took ownership of the bill and made it her priority bill for this session. The bill includes multiple proposals to ease regulations on obtaining individual work licenses in Nebraska in an attempt to help the states ongoing labor shortage. This is about removing needless red tape, Conrad said in an earlier floor debate. Among other things, LB16 would make it easier for the states licensing boards to issue licenses to people with licenses or experience in other states. It also clarifies which criminal offenses would exclude someone from getting a license. The bill says licensing boards can still deny licenses to people with criminal records if the crime directly conflicts with the work they are seeking, or if they could pose a threat to public safety. Prior to the session, lawmakers pinned workforce development as one of the top priorities for the year. LB16 has been seen as one way to help address statewide labor shortages. Multiple supporters of LB16 spoke on the bills provisions that would help released prisoners obtain licenses, agreeing with Conrads argument that helping former prisoners find steady jobs could reduce recidivism. Meet the Nebraska state senators making laws in 2024 NORTH PLATTE The Bettys Way Fire in central Nebraska was 82% contained at midday Wednesday after burning a home and damaging another in a wind-whipped race across Lincoln and Custer counties Monday amid red flag warnings and unseasonably warm temperatures. Winds quieted Wednesday and cooler temperatures again helped to keep the blaze at bay. A light snowfall during the noon hour Tuesday also helped tamp down the fire. Mondays wildfire not only impacted those in its path, but also affected events and gatherings across the region. Kirt and LaRae Thompson, who live 5 miles north of Brady, were planning to hold their annual Standing Milliron Ranch bull sale on Tuesday. But when smoke on the horizon and word of the fire came their way, there was no hesitation in postponing the event. First, we were concerned about fire danger on Tuesday as the wind was supposed to start blowing from the north and if they were unable to get the fire under control, we would have been in trouble, LaRae said. It would have blown it right to our place. Second, some of their customers are neighbors and all had their plates full dealing with the aftermath of the fire. The Thompsons wanted to be available to help if needed. We took a drive up to our north pasture to see if it was still intact, to stop by and check on some neighbors and see what the neighborhood was dealing with. It looks like a moonscape in some areas. Such a sad situation. We are praying for moisture to bring back the green on the hills this spring, she said. By Wednesday things had settled down, and the Thompsons are planning to go ahead with their sale of yearling Balancer bulls and some 2-year-olds Thursday. In addition, they sell USDA-inspected beef from their home-raised calves; although those wont be auctioned off, LaRae said inquiries are welcome. Red flag fire days are no joke, she said. Just a small thing can lead to something monumental and possibly deadly. More than 50 fire departments have assisted North Platte Fire & Rescue personnel, who were first on the scene just after 10:30 a.m. Monday, about 3 miles northeast of North Platte on Bettys Way, a small road just off Twin Lakes Road. Winds steady at 35 mph and gusting over 50 mph, coupled with a high in the 70s Monday, fueled the fire across open ranchland to the east. By noon that day, authorities had evacuated homes from Rolling Hills to Maxwell Road. Areas north of Brady and Gothenburg were also evacuated Monday afternoon, as was the Custer County community of Callaway. Most were able to return by Monday night. A separate blaze in Logan County led to an evacuation of Stapleton. Gov. Jim Pillen declared a disaster Monday night, prompting assistance from Nebraska National Guard personnel, which included a pair of Blackhawk helicopters. The Nebraska State Patrol also provided aerial assistance. Temperatures plummeted overnight Monday, but the winds persisted. Finally during the noon hour on Tuesday, fire crews were granted some relief when a snow squall hit Lincoln County and surrounding areas. About 60 people continued to monitor the fire at various locations Wednesday, NEMA said. The focus continued to be on the east edge of the fire in Custer County west of Nebraska 47. Heavy timber continued to burn and put off smoke just southwest of the junction of Nebraska 47 and Nebraska 40, the release said. Southwest of that near the Lincoln-Custer county border, crews were working to increase the depth of the fire perimeter and check for other hot spots. In other areas, crews were circling the perimeter and checking containment lines, NEMA said. Top Journal Star photos for February 2024 Jim Pillen, in his time as Nebraska's governor, has insisted that the state is committed to its children. It's a refrain Pillen invoked last legislative session, for example, when pitching transformational reform to the state's education aid formula and tax credits for private school scholarships. Senators jumped on board with those ideas, passing legislation to get those things done although the private school scholarship tax credits are headed to the ballot. It would only make sense, then, if the state indeed cares for its children, to give serious consideration to a child tax credit proposal or at least, some aspects of it that would not only fit into Pillen's theme of the state's commitment to its children, but provide substantive, tangible relief to a large swath of the taxpayer base. Under LB1324, introduced by state Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln, Nebraska would provide tax credits of $1,000 for every child age 6 or less, with caveats built in based on income, which advocates say could bring thousands of young children out of poverty. Fiscal projections show such a plan would reduce state tax revenues by nearly $126 million in the fiscal year starting July 1, 2025, when the credit would be fully implemented, a price tag the Legislature's Revenue Committee balked at. While that indeed is a significant drop, senators acknowledged the obvious need for such relief, confirming that some form of a child tax credit even if not the full version of LB1324 should be part of the equation when talking about tax cuts and tax shifts, another priority for Pillen this session. While the price tag might be lofty, the dividends can actually save money. One cost-benefit study showed that each $1,000 in cash allowance such as child tax credits given to families yielded more than $5,600 in other benefits. Data from the U.S. Census Bureau backs this up: Child poverty dropped to a low of 5.2% in 2021, when the credits were in effect. It's no surprise, then, that further expansion of the credits is receiving broad support at the federal level and in other states. In Nebraska, child tax credits have also drawn broad, bipartisan support. OpenSky Policy Institute, the left-leaning tax policy think tank, said Conrad's proposal could help 154,000 young children in 98,500 Nebraska families, while the Nebraska Catholic Conference also signaled its support. If the state, then, wants to show it is truly committed to its children and make substantive tax reform in the process it should jump on board with the idea of some form of a child tax credit, too. Top Journal Star photos for February 2024 RACINE While there are many Black-owned organizations and businesses in Racine to celebrate and support during Black History Month, it is important to recognize that the city does not have the best reputation for the Black community. Racine was ranked as the second-worst city for Black Americans in the United States, according to a 24/7 Wall St. study published in June 2023, comparing the median income, unemployment and homeownership rates between the white and Black populations. The Black median annual household income is $25,751, just 36.5% of the white median household income of $70,589. Black Racine residents are also more than four times as likely to live below the poverty line as white residents. With these statistics in mind, The Journal Times spoke to a few Black business owners to learn about their businesses and hear their thoughts on leading by example in Racine. Lorna Revere Lorna Revere opened her womens clothing boutique Lornacopia, 310 Sixth St., 14 years ago. At Lornacopia, she sells a mix of new and pre-owned clothing. While some people come in to shop from the rack, Revere also styles customers who need to be dressed for a special event or just need some help adding pieces to their wardrobe. But for Revere, the community is more important to her than the clothes. Revere is from Ohio but has called many cities worldwide home because of her previous career as a flight attendant. When asked about Racine being the second-worst city for Black Americans in the U.S., Revere said she was disappointed to discover how segregated the city is. When I moved to Racine, I didnt know if I could stay there. I told my sister, Oh my God, its so segregated. I just wasnt used to that, Revere said. I could not understand the unemployment numbers with Black Americans. I asked my sister (who lives in Racine), Why are so many Black Americans not working and also, why are so many younger Black Americans not at school? In addition to the segregation within the community, Revere said that it breaks her heart to see so many incarcerated Black men, who want to change their lives around, but dont have an avenue to do so. Theyre in jail for that many years for that crime and youre going to keep them in jail when they could be outside, she said. They want to be outside. They can get a job. They are educated, highly educated, and even the ones that arent want to come out and take care of their families. If they dont have a family, they want to be a productive member of society. Theyve paid their dues. Must you keep so many Black men incarcerated? The system has got to change. One of the most striking things Revere has noticed about Racine is the lack of hope from young minorities. We try to conversate with people, get to know them, ask about their day, what they do and if theyre younger people, what would they like to do, what they would like to become, she said. Fourteen years later, I still do the same thing. I engage people, and the one factor that still rings out in my mind is the lack of hope. Theres a lack of hope in Racine for minorities. Revere said she frequently hears I want to be a nurse or I would love to own a home from young people, but it always leads back to I cant do it because of a lack of hope. Revere thinks its crucial for people to support Black-owned businesses. These businesses need to stay in business so that they give hope to other minorities, she said. Weve got to breathe hope into our community that you can do it too. I feel like you cant just have a business and not try to encourage other Black people to want to do the same. You got there help somebody else get there. Emerson Holliday Emerson Holliday opened Dragon Pit BBQ during the pandemic in the summer of 2020. At 1501 Washington Ave., Dragon Pit BBQ is known for its smoked meats and comfort foods like biscuits and gravy. Nearly everything is homemade, even the BBQ rubs and sauces. During the summer, Holliday goes mobile, hosting pop-ups with a food truck at festivals, farmers markets and other events. Through the Racine Unified School District, Holliday hosts a shadowing program for high school students who are interested in getting into the restaurant business. He talks to them about entrepreneurship and the resources available to start their own restaurants. Holliday said that while its important to support Black-owned businesses, its more important for minorities to see him and other Black business owners as an example so they can picture themselves as business owners, too. If you see one business succeeding, you want to do it, too. As a Black business owner, if Im doing good, then everybodys doing good, he said. Im doing good for my community. Im helping kids see better ventures and become entrepreneurs. Deontrae Mayfield Deontrae Mayfield runs The Main Project & Cafe, 1014 State St. The Main Project became an official nonprofit organization in December 2020, but Mayfield has been leading community efforts since 2013. Some of the work he does includes food drives, reading programs, coat drives, Christmas giveaways and Thanksgiving baskets. Mayfield wants to make sure young people have a good household. We work with a lot of kids, and the problem we were running into is a lot of the kids that we deal with their parents are in and out of jail, he said. So we can have a child eight hours a day, working with them, but if they have to go back to a household thats broken, its counterproductive. To help fix these households, and to keep people out of jail, Mayfield started a diversion program called Project Restoration. This six-month program is designed to help people improve their lives for themselves and their families. The program is customized to each individual and catered to what participants want to accomplish. One 19-year-old is working toward a GED and is in an apprenticeship program to get a job in the trades, Mayfield said. My whole thing for the program is: Dont wait until you get out of the program to try and fix your life. If you get an opportunity to fix your life and not go to jail, then I want to be that program for you, Mayfield said. Mayfield can relate to those in the program he spent 13 years in prison for selling drugs. When he was released, he helped in the community under a program, also called Project Restoration, where he would restore furniture to sell at Goodwill prices, build kids up and offer year-round lawn care or other housework. Yolanda Coleman Yolanda Coleman started Be Plush Collective, 300 Main St., to help women start their own businesses. Be Plush Collective is for entrepreneurs who dont necessarily have the money to start a business from the ground up, but need a foundation. Coleman is one of five business owners in the collective. She shares the space with Tracey Riley of Honey Bees Bling Hive; Joyce Cook of JCs Boutique; Janela Smith of Sheabrojaes Natural Expression; and Michelle Harris of Della Mar Chris Bakery. All the women at the collective have faced struggles, but they also have built their businesses despite the obstacles. Coleman, Cook, Harris and Smith are cancer survivors, and Riley is a disabled veteran who has overcome domestic abuse and homelessness. Coleman opened Be Plush Collective two years ago, but she also owned Plush Clothing, 409 Main St., which catered to the full-figure woman, with sizes that went from 0x to 6x. Plush Clothing opened May 1, 2019, and Coleman closed the store in August 2023. At the collective, Coleman sells Be Plush, which is XS-XL, and Plush Clothing, 0x-6x. In April, Coleman plans to include four new spots for people whod like to join the collective and launch their businesses. What Ive learned is Racine can be very cliquey and picky when it comes to Black businesses, even in the downtown area, she said. Its a little discouraging at times, but also, its cool when people actually find out that youre here and youre a Black business and theyre like, Oh my God. I didnt know you guys were down here. Update: In it's final official ruling, the National Weather Service reported that Madison just tied its biggest ever temperature swing within 24 hours. Madison's official reporting station at the Dane County Regional Airport saw a high of 70 at 1:28 p.m. Tuesday, crushing the old record of 58 for Feb. 27 set in 1976, according to the Weather Service. And at 6:53 a.m. Wednesday, the airport reported it was just 11 degrees with a wind chill of 12 below for a stunning swing of 59 degrees. "It's definitely the greatest we've seen in 24 hours" for Madison, Aiden Kuroski, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Sullivan, told the State Journal on Wednesday morning. But later on Wednesday, the Weather Service reported in a post on X that the 59-degree swing actually tied the exact same 59-degree swing from 70 to 11 on Nov. 11, 1911. Madison and Milwaukee experienced one of the greatest 24-hour temperature changes in recorded history on February 27th into the 28th. This temperature swing occurred in roughly 16 hours for both sites. #wiwx #swiwx pic.twitter.com/RN6fLq2mGJ NWS Milwaukee (@NWSMilwaukee) February 28, 2024 Madison's next largest swing in a 24-hour period was 53 degrees on both April 2, 1981 (81 to 28) and Jan. 18-19, 1996 (53 to zero), Kuroski said. Also of note was the day-to-day fluctuation of 57 degrees that happened on April 22-23, 1980, when Madison went from a high of 94 on April 22 to a low of 37 on April 23. Kuroski said he believed those 1980 extremes were more than 24 hours apart. Milwaukee also set a record high Tuesday of 74, breaking the old record for Feb. 27 of 65 set in 1976, and Milwaukee had fallen to 16 at 8:52 a.m. Wednesday, Kuroski said. That may have broken its 24-hour record swing, the Weather Service said On Nov. 11, 1911, Milwaukee in 24 hours went from 73 to either 13 or 20, a swing of either 60 degrees or 53, with the uncertainty stemming from the uncertainty of hourly values more than a century ago, the Weather Service said. Temperatures careening from the 70s Tuesday to the teens Wednesday in southern Wisconsin could mark the biggest one-day temperature fluctuation in the region's history, the National Weather Service said. Unofficially, the day-to-day record fluctuation was April 22-23, 1980 when Madison went from a high of 94 on April 22 to a low of 37 on April 23, a swing of 57 degrees. The final salvo of Wisconsin's warmest winter ever is forecast to see temperatures drop to a low of 16 degrees early Wednesday after giving Madison a taste of summer-like weather in the afternoon. The temperature in Madison hit 70 degrees, and in Milwaukee it reached 73 degrees, according to the Weather Service. Erratic temperatures raise the risk of hazardous weather hitting the area Tuesday evening, said Aidan Kuroski, a meteorologist with the Weather Service. Only two and a half weeks ago, Wisconsin's first February tornado ripped through Rock County and caused about $2.44 million in property damage. Read more: A severe storm could hit southeastern Wisconsin Tuesday night and storms are possible throughout southern Wisconsin, according to the Weather Service. Modeling Tuesday afternoon showed the area at risk of a storm moving more toward the south, Kuroski said. "But there's still potential there," Kuroski said. By 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday, temperatures had already dropped to 50 degrees. Madison is expected to see rain and snow before 1 a.m. on Wednesday, according to the Weather Service. Less than half an inch of snow is possible. Wind gusts could get as high as 35 mph. On Wednesday, Madisonians can expect a high of 25, with strong winds continuing, hitting 35 mph again during the day and 25 mph at night. Photos: Tornadoes sweep through southern Wisconsin 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 KEARNEY A number of respiratory cases in the seven-county Two Rivers Public Health Department service area including two fatal cases of influenza have commanded attention from public health officials. Thats according to epidemiologist Aravind Menon, who briefed the Buffalo County Board of Commissioners on the situation Tuesday. Its been a very heavy flu season. Its worse than normal on a 10-year or 50-year average, Menon told the county board. There have been other concerns raised about the spread of a dangerous spreading illness, he said. Health departments across the United States have been closely monitoring measles. Currently, the Centers for Disease Control has reported 35 measles cases in 15 jurisdictions: Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York City, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington. Measles is a killer of children, Menon said. If theres a case out in the public there might be 1,000 cases out there. Menon reported that Two Rivers has launched a program to help young families live healthier lives. Menon said the Two Rivers program is affiliated with Healthy Families America and it utilizes a research-based home-visiting program. So far Two Rivers has conducted 40 home visits and is serving 11 families. Six of those families involve prenatal visits and five involve visits after the babies were born. You need to have education and to go in and really meet the families, said Menon. He said 45% of the families served are first-time parents. The focus of the Healthy Families Nebraska home visitation program is: Enhancing child welfare, health and development; Promoting child well being; Preventing child abuse and neglect through family-focused and empathic support provided in the home. More information about Two Rivers services is available at the health departments website: www.trphd.ne.gov. KEARNEY The average family wastes $2,300 a year on groceries they bought, then threw away. Nearly 38% of food goes unsold or uneaten. Combine those facts provided by Autumn Taddicken of Saving Grace Perishable Food Rescue with studies showing that food costs climbed 23.5% between February 2020 and May 2021 alone, and its not surprising that the Buffalo County Community Partners is taking aim at food insecurity. BCCP and the Center for Rural Affairs held the first of two public sessions on food insecurity last Thursday at the Kearney Public Library. A second session is scheduled there March 14. Statistics from Taddicken, one of three speakers, were especially troubling. She is operations product manager at Saving Grace, which regularly picks up surplus food from food vendors, restaurants, supermarkets and elsewhere and delivers it to nearly 40 community organizations in Omaha and Council Bluffs, Iowa that help feed the hungry. We focus on wasted food. Its a social and environmental problem, she said. In 2022 alone, Nebraska had 574,000 tons of surplus food. Maybe 3% of that surplus food is rescued for food donations, but more than half of it went to a landfill or down the drain, she said. Of that wasted food, 87% is produce, meat, seafood, dairy products, eggs and prepared meals. This is the most nutritious food, and its often lacking for people who suffer food insecurity, she said. Taddicken said that during the Olympic swim trials in Omaha two years ago, Levy of Omaha sent over lunches and snack boxes for the competitors, but none of it got eaten. They learned that swimmers dont eat before swim trials. They had 500 pounds of food, cut-up ham and cheese and grapes, and no place to take it, she said. They donated that to Saving Grace. Taddicken said food doesnt break down in a landfill. Instead, it releases methane gas, the most potent greenhouse gas. The food in landfill emissions equals the emissions of 287,719 passenger vehicles for a year and wastes 110 million gallons of water, she said. Wasted food is a solvable problem. We dont have a food production problem. We have a food distribution problem. If one part of a community has so much food, and food has so much value, yet others dont have enough to eat, we have an equity problem, Taddicken added. Disturbing data Deborah Solie, a project associate at the Center for Rural Affairs, served as facilitator of the session. She said 6% of Buffalo County youth reported going hungry at some point in the past month because there wasnt enough food at home. She said 10% of people overall lack adequate access to food, and 41.2% of Buffalo County children qualify for free and reduced lunch programs. Nebraska has the highest rate in the country of people who work but still live in poverty, she added. In Buffalo County, a person working a minimum wage job would have to work 70 hours a week to afford a two-bedroom home, she said. Also speaking was Kyla Martin, administrator/community services at the Community Action Partnership of Mid-Nebraska, which offers free biweekly mobile food pantries throughout Buffalo County. Martin told the crowd that Mids 22 mobile pantry events held in 2023 gave away free 105,240 pounds of food to 8,422 people. Much of the food for mobile food pantries comes from the Foodbank of the Heartland in Omaha. Surplus food also comes from retailers like Walmart and supermarkets and other places. Our community needs to enhance the capacity to offer fresh fruits and vegetables 24/7 through distribution to farmers markets, food pantries and mobile pantries, she said. She praised the Kearney Area Farmers Market for providing healthy food and aiding the farmers who grow it. The market keeps more food dollars in the community, too, she added. The economic impact of the market and SNAP is critical, she said. In 2021, the economic impact of SNAP and Double Up Food Bucks at the Kearney Farmers Market was $422. By 2022, that figure had soared to $2,241. SNAP is the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Double-Up Food Bucks, for SNAP program participants with electronic benefit transfer cards, allow people to get double the fruits and vegetables they pay for. Random thoughts About 25 people attended the meeting, some from the public and others from nonprofit groups that deal with public health, assistance and similar issues, such as the Salvation Army, Two Rivers Public Health Department and the South Central Nebraska Area Agency on Agency. There is ample food, Dick Cochran, founder and president of Hot Meals U.S.A., said. Its getting it to those who need it that is the problem. Kearney-based Hot Meals serves victims and first responders after natural disasters. Taddicken echoed Cochrans assessment. She said one of the biggest problems is simply finding a place to take the leftover food. Some shelters in Omaha do have capacity to take leftovers, but one of the challenges is finding the right place to take food on a timely basis. Many dont have the means to do this. Martin said she will sometimes get a call at 3:30 p.m. on Friday offering two pallets of oranges, but the volunteers are gone, and she has no way to get it. There has to be some way to divert food waste from the landfill, she said. Greg Clark, director of operations at Hot Meals U.S.A., said the organization is working hard to help solve some of these problems. Since last year, Hot Meals has been working on plans to build a structure where food can be kept and organized for quick delivery when disasters strike. Were not a food pantry, but in the future, if truck drivers have to dump food, we will have the capacity to take it, he said. If there is excess food floating around and they dont know where to put it, we want to be the next piece of the puzzle, he added. Kenosha Countys highway division director has been tapped to lead Dane Countys highway department. Clement Abongwa, who has been with Kenosha County the last eight years, will serve the states second-largest county as commissioner for the Department of Highway and Transportation. He will continue in his position with Kenosha County through April 19. I have worked closely with Clement for several years, going back to my previous role in the Legislature, Kenosha County Executive Samantha Kerkman said Thursday. He has been an outstanding leader for Kenosha County with his immense knowledge and steadfast advocacy for infrastructure development, which is vital to economic development. He will be missed, but we wish him well in his new role. Among the projects completed under Abongwas leadership, Kerkman noted the 2020-21 expansion of Highway S the largest county trunk highway project in Kenosha Countys history and improvements to Highway H that enabled the development of the Kroger fulfillment center in Pleasant Prairie. A native of Cameroon, Abongwa earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering and a Master of Science in Structural Engineering from Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, Nigeria. He joined Kenosha County as assistant director of highways in 2015 before being promoted to highway director/commissioner in 2017. Before working for Kenosha County, Abongwa was a construction supervisor with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation and a civil engineer for the City of Kenosha. My whole professional life in Wisconsin, Ive been in Kenosha County, starting with the city and then going to the DOT, where I managed several major projects in the area, Abongwa said. It has been a wonderful place to work, and Im proud of what weve accomplished together. Kerkman praised Abongwa for cultivating productive relationships with the municipalities within the county. Somers Village President George Stoner also commended him. Clement has been a phenomenal friend of mine, and to the village and the county, Stoner said. I dont know how were going to be able to replace him because hes been so great. Hes going to really be missed. County Public Works Director Shelly Billingsley said it has been a pleasure working with Abongwa. He is very passionate about the county and the impact a well-designed, safe and maintained highway system can have on residents, Billingsley said. I wish him well on his future endeavors and hope that we work together again in the future in his new role. During the countys Public Works Committee meeting earlier this week, Abongwa said the main reason hes leaving is because of the commute. It cuts down two hours to 15 minutes, he said Monday night. Abongwa has lived in Dane County for several years while commuting to Kenosha County. In a Dane County online post he said he was humbled and excited for the opportunity to serve the community where he lives. His new role as commissioner is pending final approval by the Dane County Board. He said he was thankful to Kenosha County Board supervisors for their support. All of you have been so nice to me and it made me who I am today, he said. And if I did well in PW (public works) it was because of what I learned here. So, I just wanted to say `thank you and Ill always be available even when Im working there. Committee Chair Mark Nordigian said, while Abongwas imminent departure would be bittersweet, its good for you and your family. Kerkman said the process for hiring Abongwas successor will begin soon. Photos: A year in photos of On Wisconsin Grooming the snowmobile trail Grooming the snowmobile trail Outdoor Curling in Monona Outdoor Curling in Monona Outdoor Curling in Monona Outdoor Curling in Monona Driftless Traditional Tannery Driftless Traditional Tannery Driftless Traditional Tannery 2021-03-04-TestPhoto06-03052021132158 2021-03-04-TestPhoto05-03052021132158 Toy Train Barn Museum Walker's Clothing & Shoes Walker's Clothing & Shoes Walker's Clothing & Shoes Nate Carroll Groovy Wood Studio Groovy Wood Studio Groovy Wood Studio Winter has arrived in northern Wisconsin Fish Lake Fish Lake Fish Lake Fish Lake Dane County Farmers' Market Dane County Farmers Market Dane County Farmers Market Paddle & Portage Paddle & Portage Paddle & Portage Paddle & Portage Dugout canoe Dugout canoe Dugout canoe 081221_Boscobel_14kw-08132021133742 081221_Boscobel_12kw-08132021133742 081221_Boscobel_10kw-08132021133742 081221_Boscobel_02kw-08132021133742 Boscobel Menominee River Menominee River Menominee River Menominee River Menominee River U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum J's Black Walnuts J's Black Walnuts J's Black Walnuts J's Black Walnuts Dr. Evermor Dr. Evermor Dr. Evermor Dr. Evermor Locomotive Restoration Locomotive Restoration Locomotive Restoration Guns to Garden Tools Guns to Garden Tools Guns to Garden Tools Guns to Garden Tools A Country Christmas at the Driftless Historium A Country Christmas at the Driftless Historium A Country Christmas at the Driftless Historium A Country Christmas at the Driftless Historium Rustic Roads 11-10142021145004 Rustic Roads Rustic Roads 05-10142021145004 Rustic Roads 10-10142021145004 Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine in Endeavor Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine in Endeavor Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine in Endeavor Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine in Endeavor Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine in Endeavor Salt Freighter Salt Freighter Salt Freighter Salt Freighter Wisconsin's scenic highways are a major component of its allure. But these highways also serve as a testimony to a sobering fact: thousands of truck accidents take place every year in Wisconsin a strong indication of the need for heightened awareness and skilled legal advice. In this situation, Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC, a personal injury firm based in Chicago, can be of assistance, providing knowledge and hope in this intricate area of the law. The Importance of Swift Legal Action Time is critical in the aftermath of a truck accident. Under Wisconsin law, impacted parties have a certain amount of time referred to as the statute of limitations in which to file a lawsuit. This time frame is three years from the date of the incident for claims involving personal injury, wrongful death, and product responsibility. The statute of limitations for property damage claims is six years. Wisconsin truck accidents can take many different forms. They are impacted by a number of variables, such as the kind of vehicle involved, the individuals at blame, and the particulars of the collision. For example, in 2022, the state experienced 73 fatalities from large truck wrecks, highlighting the serious consequences of these incidents. Determining Liability Determining liability in truck accidents can be complex. It's not always the driver who is at fault; the trucking company, vehicle manufacturers, and even government entities can also be held accountable. According to Wisconsin's comparative negligence law, a plaintiff's amount of compensation is determined by how much of the occurrence they were to blame for. This means that making a strong case supported by credible evidence is essential to having your claim accepted. If you ever find yourself in these kinds of situations, it is best to contact a Wisconsin truck accident attorney to learn more. The Financial Implications of Truck Accidents in Wisconsin One of the most pressing questions for victims of truck accidents is the potential compensation that can be recovered. It's crucial to understand that the compensation in truck accident cases is not standardized; it varies significantly based on multiple factors. The severity of the injuries, the nature of the damages, and the negotiation dynamics between the involved parties are just some of the elements that influence the settlement amount. The journey to a fair settlement is navigated through a thorough evaluation of the incurred losses. The extent of injuries, often severe in such accidents, plays a significant role in determining the compensation. Moreover, the level of insurance coverage and the ability to present concrete evidence and compelling eyewitness testimonies can significantly sway the settlement amount. Beyond the Legal Battle While the rising trend in truck accident claims in Wisconsin highlights a concerning issue, it also underscores the importance of expert legal intervention. Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC, one of the top injury firms in the state, have demonstrated their prowess in securing substantial settlements for their clients. Notable settlements include $18.5 million for a client with permanent injuries from a head-on collision with a semi-truck, $14.1 million for the family of a motorcyclist fatally injured due to a truck's hasty maneuver, and $5.75 million for a truck driver who suffered severe injuries while on duty. If you or a loved one has been involved in a truck accident in Wisconsin, it's important to contact a Wisconsin truck accident attorney as soon as possible. Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC are your dedicated partners in this fight, offering their legal expertise and a compassionate understanding of what you're going through. Reach out to them today for a consultation and take the first step towards turning your ordeal into a story of justice and recovery. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. Lee Enterprises newsroom and editorial were not involved in the creation of this content. Gov. Tony Evers new statewide legislative maps have split the city of La Crosse into three separate Assembly districts, evening out partisan makeup of each and potentially setting up competitive races for all three seats. The districts representing the city La Crosse include the 94th, 95th and 96th districts, presently represented by Steve Doyle, D-Onalaska; Jill Billings, D-La Crosse; and Loren Oldenburg, R-Viroqua, respectively. They have undergone significant changes via a new and unusual mid-decade redistricting law. The maps are drawn across the state, and it causes some things to be moved from one place to another, Evers said Tuesday. In this case, I am guessing it also has to do with some of the growth in population south and north of the city. The new maps will be in place for the upcoming 2024 election cycle for state government positions. While representatives may have remained the same for some constituents, that is not true for all. Despite serving the people within their old districts for their political careers up this point, UW-L political science professor Anthony Chergosky said Billings and Oldenburg have significant changes in their constituencies. Loren Oldenburg, 96th Assembly District Oldenburg, the only Republican representative of the La Crosse area, now has arguably the most difficult district to win as it is now the most Democratic of the three. In the 2020 election, President Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump by nearly 11 percent of the vote in the district, according to Daves Redistricting. The new 96th includes southern La Crosse, Shelby, Viroqua, La Farge, Greenwood and more, with the district losing rural areas including Crawford and Monroe counties. Its always disappointing when you lose areas that youve represented in the past, Oldenburg said. You create relationships while you do this job, and they will be represented by other people, and theyll do very well at that. But, you are also disappointed leaving them. You kind of feel like youre leaving them behind. Until now, Oldenburg has not represented the city of La Crosse or La Crosse County. Despite this, Oldenburg said he will campaign to represent his new area as well as he did in the past if reelected. I still plan on running for the 96th district and representing the people, no matter what side of the aisle or what their views are, said Oldenburg. When I get elected to represent the 96th, I represent everyone, no matter Republican or Democrat. Oldenburg says that his work to secure funding for workforce apprenticeship programs and farmland preservation bills are some of his major accomplishments, and he hopes to do more work relating to those issues going forward. He adds that he would like to learn more and dive into urban issues that he has not looked at prior. Jill Billings, 95th Assembly District Until now, the 95th Assembly District represented essentially the entirety of La Crosse and French Island which, for a long time, was a Democrat stronghold. While it will still favors Democrats, the new maps have made the 95th district look vastly different. My district will certainly be less Democratic because all the Democrats arent packed into the 95th Assembly District, Billings said. I will still be out knocking on doors like I always have. Its just an opportunity to meet new people and new businesses, but a lot of my new district is familiar to me. Ive knocked on a lot of doors in Sparta and the surrounding towns, just helping out other candidates. The district still represents northern La Crosse and French Island, but has expanded much farther east, now including places such as Bangor, Sparta, Cashton and Norwalk. Although the changes make the 95th less Democratic-leaning, Billings said it will make elected officials more accountable and representative to their voters. In a state that is a pretty purple divided state, that in the Legislature, Republicans would have two-thirds of the vote in the Senate and almost two-thirds of the votes in the Assembly, said Billings. That tells you there is something wrong with our maps. The new 95th district makeup trends strongly in favor of Democrats, with Biden defeating Trump by over 8 percent of the vote in 2020, according to Daves Redistricting. Billings hopes the changes will give Democrats a chance to gain a majority in the Legislature, so they can pass policy that has not been possible in years due to their status in the minority. Some of the issues she hopes to address are K-12 funding, the Universities of Wisconsin system, reproductive rights, health care and more. Steve Doyle, 94th Assembly District The district with the least change in the area is the 94th, currently held by Doyle. Before the redistricting, the district was almost evenly split in terms of party loyalty among voters and considered one of the most competitive in the state. In the redrawn map, the 94th district favored Biden by nine votes out of about 35,000 cast, according to Daves Redistricting. Arguably this makes it even more competitive, although still leaning slightly in the Democrats favor. My district has always been a 50/50 district, and under the new maps its still a 50/50 district, Doyle said. I like the fact that there are more districts throughout the state that are not necessarily 50/50, but closer to 50/50 because I think youll get better representation. Doyle prides himself as being the self-proclaimed Mr. Bipartisan because he has always represented an evenly split district, and he wants his policy agenda to match that. That doesnt mean I always vote with one side or the other side, Doyle said. It means that I am open to listening to both sides of an argument. Doyle said he is constantly working across the aisle proposing bills to Republicans that do not have his name on them because he says he cares more about passing good public policy than having his name on the bill. I think that whether a representative is in a 50/50 district or one that is strongly Democratic or strongly Republican, the voters should insist on working together, said Doyle. That is what has been wrong in Wisconsin the system has been broken. There has been a disincentive to cooperate. Now, under these new maps that include more evenly split districts, Doyle said he hopes voters will tell their representatives they need to work together to serve their constituents, or they will be out of a job. The International Owl Center has big plans for a new home to host its owls and programming and is ready to show off its plans as it hosts the International Festival of Owls this weekend in Houston. The center seeks build a new $17.3 million facility on the north side of town. It will be in and adjacent to the citys Trailhead Park. The facility is planned to be about nine times the size of the centers current facility in downtown Houston. One of the biggest improvements is proposed walk-through aviaries. Its a design that nobody has done in the United States before, said International Owl Center executive director Karla Bloem. Open aviaries Bloem said she was cautious about the idea of walk-through aviaries with raptors when she first heard about them, as she worried about the safety of visitors. But the design does not call for people to walk directly through the middle of the aviaries. Instead, they would walk on the side of them and view the owls through large, open viewing windows. The design of the aviaries is possible because of the owls natural instincts to not want to go where the people are. The concept for the aviaries was pioneered in Germany's Bavarian National Forest by zoologist Wolfgang Scherzinger, whom the International Owl Center consulted with when planning its aviaries. On-site housing The new facility would allow for owls to live on-site at the center, which is not currently possible. Bloem said having to keep owls off-site causes challenges for the center, including owls that refuse to make the trip to the center from where they are kept. New owls also tend to become more comfortable with Bloem than with other staff because they are around her more often off-site. Bloem said this can lead to owls in training not allowing other staff to handle them and they often end up focusing specifically on her. Retired owls will remain off-site. If you go What: International Festival of Owls When: Friday-Sunday Where: Houston Website: www.festivalofowls.com Expanded owl capacity The new facility will also allow for more owls to call the center home, as the maximum capacity would be about 28, Bloem said. Currently, the owl center has eight owls, some of which are retired or are not currently working at the center. Bloem said staff is also excited for smaller improvements that will come with the new building, like more bathrooms. The new space will also allow for the center to be open seven days a week. Space for programs will be expanded from one room to two, allowing groups and the general public to visit at the same time. The center's present facility is closed to the public during group tours. Along with the program spaces, the main building will include a rotating exhibit of owl art from children around the world, a gift shop, cultural and biological displays and a prep room for food and specimens. The center is just starting fundraising for the project. Once the funds are raised, Bloem said the final construction drawings will be completed and building will start. The center expects construction to take about a year once started. Increased tourism The new facility will meet the needs of the owl center, Bloem said, while also improving the center as an attraction and allowing for many more visitors. Nearby businesses may benefit from additional tourists as well. "The more people coming to town, the more business opportunities there are," Bloem said. JT's Corner Bar & Grill in Houston, located across the street from the current home of the International Owl Center, is one of the businesses in town that often benefits from the center and its visitors. The bars owner, Luke Meyer, said he often sees people walk into the bar with admission stickers from the center. Owl Fest is obviously big for us, Meyer said. We plan for it. Meyer said the community likely stands to gain from improvements at the owl center. I think a nicer, more up-to-date facility is going to do them a lot of good, Meyer said. Barista's Coffee House, located near both the current owl center and the future one, also experiences the positive impact of the owl center on its business. One of the coffee house's owners, Chelsey Vix, said they get a lot of business from people who come to visit the owl center year-round, but it especially increases during the annual International Festival of Owls. Vix said she's excited for the new owl center facility and looks forward to it. She believes it will bring even more business into the coffee house. International Festival of Owls People will have the chance to learn more about the project this weekend during the center's annual International Festival of Owls. Plans for the project will be on display and a presentation offered about the project. During the festival, visitors are able to see live owl programs, live owls on display each day, nest box building, pellet dissection, speakers, bus trips, the World Owl Hall of Fame award presentation, face painting and more. With warm weather forecast this weekend, Bloem said that potentially 3,000 people from throughout the country could visit the region to participate in the festivities in Houston. "It's bringing significant tourism revenue to the area at a time when we don't normally have much tourism going on," Bloem said. In the continuing effort to combat the climate crisis, one method is far more controversial than most of the others. Going by the term geoengineering, this is the deliberate large-scale manipulation of an environmental process that affects the earth's climate, in an attempt to counteract the effects of global warming. Although other forms of geoengineering have been proposed, the one most commonly advocated is dispersal of particulate matter into the atmosphere to block some of the suns rays. A frequently suggested particulate is sulfur dioxide (SO2) gas. Although SO2 is colorless, it has a familiar odor: rotten eggs. But its not the unpleasant odor that makes using SO2 so controversial. Two major drawbacks to putting SO2 in the atmosphere are fear that this may damage to the ozone layer, and that when water is mixed with SO2 it produces sulfuric acid. This sulfuric acid yields acid rain falling to earth. Both of these consequences were significant environmental concerns in the recent past. The discovery of an ozone hole above the South Pole in the early 1980s led to a worldwide reduction in the use of chlorofluorocarbons found in aerosols and refrigerants. Acid rain was problematic because it caused deforestation and created acid lakes, especially in the north. Until recently, environmentalists strenuously objected to injecting SO2 into the atmosphere. However, the climate crisis is forcing many of them to consider what was once unthinkable. The best remedy remains reducing the output of greenhouse gases in the first place. David Bange La Crosse This article appears in the March 1, 2024 issue of Executive Intelligence Review. March 16, 2013 GRASPING THE FUTURE! A New System Among Nations [Print version of this article] Editors Note: This article first appeared in EIR Vol. 40, No. 12, March 22, 2013, pp. 4-16. It is part of a 2013 four-article series, the other three being: Nicholas of Cusa, Kepler & Shakespeare, Vol. 40, No. 25, June 21, 2013, pp. 4-19; Contemporary Pseudo-Morality, Vol. 40, No. 40; and Art, Science & Sense-Perception, Vol. 40, No. 42. An ugly era for the United States had begun in fact, with the election of Harry S Truman as Vice-President. That is to say, that, as a candidate, Truman was clearly suited to await the early removal of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Truman did not actually invent evil; he merely wore the shoes. In large part, the blame for this evil which Truman represented, was well suited to the schemes of Winston Churchill. For example, it had been the British empires Churchill, who had contrived to postpone a potential Allied landing for victory in Europe for the equivalent of the greater part of a year, at the least. As for Truman himself, he was, essentially, a Wall Street maven. All leading factors for consideration taken into account, once Harry S Truman had replaced the deceased President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in office, everything which had been right about the United States, went, suddenly, shockingly wrong at an accelerating rate, and into very bad, new directions. The prompt insight stated by O.S.S.s William Donovan, as he had left President Roosevelts office for the last time, was soon borne out: Its all over! Sadly, for as long as the British empire has still lived on since that time, our United States had often fallen prey to a next U.S. President, each time for reasons which had been already experienced all too many times, earlier. The replacement of President Franklin Roosevelt, by Harry S Truman, had come, for me, and also many others of both our higher and lower ranks, like a fall into the torment of some Satans pit. One lives on, despite almost everything. Even the election of an excellent leader such as President Dwight D. Eisenhower (for two terms), had not been sufficient to undo the wrecking already done to our United States during the Truman years. It would be the election of President John F. Kennedy which, for a memorable, seemingly mere moment, returned us toward what had been the intended strategic legacy of a Franklin Roosevelt, as so of a Douglas MacArthur, and also of a Dwight Eisenhower. The wonderful, but uncompleted intentions of our Presidency under President Kennedy, while they lasted, were ruined to a large degree, not only by the assassinations of both of the two Kennedy brothers, but, even uglier, by the effect of the official suppressions, still today, of the truth about those two murders. In the meantime, my own sense of my obligation to a personal mission of a future duty in the course of history, had begun for me, at the same moment when I had received, in India, the announcement of the death of President Franklin Roosevelt. Chapter 1 The Thermonuclear Challenge I was among those who were delivered from California, to Bombay, aboard what had been intended, earlier, to have been a luxury-cruise Matson liner, but had been completed, instead, as a high-speed, stoutly armed troop-ship, the Admiral Benson. I was shipped, thus, across the Pacific, by way of Melbourne, to Bombay, and, thence, by rail, from Bombay, across India, to a Bengal military camp in Kanchrapara. It was in Kanchrapara that the news of President Roosevelts death was delivered freshly to those of us who were located, temporarily, in Indias encampment there. It was then, and there, that my assent to what had been proposed to me as a quiet, dusk meeting for a few soldiers, brought me, in effect, to what would be remembered later as my first, later validated inkling of a foresight into what would become my own future. Their question presented to me by my fellow-soldiers, in that evening there, was, simply, and explicitly, What is going to become of us, now? My reply was literally remembered by me to the present day: I dont know, I had replied. We have lived under a great President, and the new President is a very little man. I am worried about our future now; but, we will continue through whatever comes for us, because we must. I was speaking as much to myself, as to them. My own remarks, exactly so spoken, had had the peculiarly indelible effect of a freshly spoken oath, for me. My brief reply to my associates question there, then during my first visit to Kanchrapara, was a very modest event; but, between then, and, thereafter, when I had, still later, departed Calcutta for a return to our post-war United States, in the Spring of 1946, on the U.S.S. General Hershey, my personal outlook on life had already acquired, more and more, the quality of a prescience of something prophetic: that effect came on, as in lurches, step, by step, and beyond, over the decades which had then followed, and continues in a like fashion, still today. What has it all meant? I have now lived for more than ninety years: obviously, seventy of those years as an adult. The passing decades, had come on, still, as if in intervals. That had been the case since the fateful first notice of the death of Franklin Roosevelt, in April 12, 1945. This had come on as a pattern in an experience continued throughout the continuing years of our worlds entry into the successively ever deeper realm of, first, nuclear, and, then, in Autumn 1946 a prospect of a now-threatened state of thermonuclear warfare. Since those times, now about sixty-seven years ago, up to the present moment of my writing here, the history of the planet has been shaped, for me, by what was, in fact, at first, President Trumans and Winston Churchills unnecessary resort to nuclear warfare, a warfare which led, as if almost immediately, into a permanent state of preparations for the future continuing state of threatened nuclear warfare, under President Harry S Truman, both since then and beyond, up through the present date. With Trumans accession to the Vice-Presidency, and, then, the death of President Franklin Roosevelt, we had then soon entered into the chronic proximity of a thermonuclear end game, the same which menaces mankind still today. It is the system which presently reigns over the planet as a wholeunless we might succeed in willfully changing that, now: we in our United States, most emphatically. An improvement would not be met by a merely simple sort of change; it would now be, presently, an extremely radical, and hopefully profound and sudden change for the better: it must be nothing less than a hope-filled change in the destiny of mankind. That must still become our efficiently adopted intention now: it is a change which must now occur before it were too late to change what had been continued as the seeming endlessness of perpetual war since the death of President Franklin Roosevelt. Once society had actually launched a first use of nuclear weapons in war, as Winston Churchill and his American stooge, Harry S Truman, had done, the worlds commitment to an entire, global era of domination by a theme of thermonuclear warfare, had begunsomehow, and somewhere beyond this immediately present moment. Therefore, there is an intervening history which must be considered betwixt then and now. Douglas MacArthurs Outlook At the beginning of our republics actual crafting of nuclear weaponrys development: from the opinion where I had sat, had been the pledged intention, to avoid any unnecessary presentation, or deployment of such weapons. The opinion in fact of General Douglas MacArthur, in ending the war with Japan, then, and related roles performed by him later, was that the nuclear bombardment of Japan had been unnecessary, and, in fact, a useless violation perpetrated against humanity. The evidence since that time, had already verified General MacArthurs judgment against that use of nuclear weaponry: Japan had already been defeated before Hiroshima, in all but name: the use of nuclear weapons then, had never been justified at that time. The actual motive for the nuclear attacks on Japan, had nothing to do with Japan as such. The Churchill gangs launching of a threat of war against the Soviet Union, was virtually an intended act of treason against our United States; the proper intent of unavoidable warfare, especially nuclear and related warfare, is to seek an appropriate, and, hopefully, a durably crafted peace. The bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, were a nuclear threat-message to the Soviet Union and other future targets over the course of decades to come. View full size Department of the Navy That intention of good will for the cause of humanity, which I have just described as the case for the intentions of General Douglas MacArthur, was never the kind of intention of a Roman or British empire: an empire whose essential roots had been planted, and had persisted as the likeness of the legacy of the horridly evil, ancient Rome and its still persisting New Venetian expression. The Seventeenth Centurys launching of a New Venetian Partys so-called British empire had always been the adversary of the birth of our United States in fact, an adversary whose very model and nature had been propagated, and defended, as by the evil legacies of ancient Rome, earlier. We who were actually patriots of our United States, had sought peace with the British empire, but never submission; nor had we been confident that the British empire would willingly repudiate its wicked waysin fact, to the present day of Tony Blair, it actually never did. Our republics inherently existential quality of strategic policy, had been, simply stated: war-avoidance, if possible. We had been created as a new republic, not to become entangled in quarrels with the wars of the nations of old Europe, but to create a new world. This we had even applied to what had been our own most vicious traitors, such as the British spy and rampant murderer Aaron Burr, a killer who had given us the British-created President Andrew Jackson whom Burr had given to the United States, a Jackson thus associated with what was intended to become the British-created Confederacy. All of that evil had been directed under British bankers planted among us, all associated with the legacy of the vicious traitor Aaron Burr and the British banking systems agents who gathered, like vultures, around what would become known as the British-created swindlers on Wall Street and kindred locations. A presently new condition for mankinds habits has been therefore required, now as then; but, now in the context of mankinds dedication to applications and development of thermonuclear technologies, and beyond. We must not seek thermonuclear warfare as such; however, if the use of thermonuclear warfare were prevented, bold, new, thermonuclear advancement of creative peacetime technologies must come somewhat freely into play for peaceful outcomes within our Solar system, instead. This latter outcome, if it occurs, will have the hopeful characteristics of mankinds reign over relatively nearby regions of the Solar system, and beyond. There, an entirely new destiny of mankind awaits our arrival. The evidence of the options for a qualitatively distinct, improved, new order in human conditions, already exists, at least implicitly so. It will be sufficient for us, now, to act upon the prompting of those premises now. The principle on which that improved outlook for mankind must be premised, was already defined, implicitly, since the beginning of mans dependency, not on the flames of an Old Europe, but on the progressive use of fire, a continuing dependency which is the essentially natural distinction of man from beasts, as this has been the case since such instances as primitive mans creative use of the controlled flames of a fireside. The time has long passed, since a time when mankinds required conditions of life did not include the prerequisites of what might be identified as increasing reliance upon an emphasis on artificial preconditions for mankinds mastery over what had been long since the artificial circumstances of managed climates. When our attention is focused upon the requirement of creative thermonuclear preconditions, rather than thermonuclear weaponry as such, attention is quickly turned toward matters belonging to the same general classification as an urgently needed defense of mankinds role in nearby Solar space, and beyond. Therefore, our laymen, and our foreign neighbors, should be informed, that threats to mankind from asteroids and comets, typify this category of urgent requirements for the defense of mankinds existence. Consequently, the difference between the present time, and the errors of the past, lies, essentially, in the presently awaiting, next stage of thermonuclear development within the societies of mankind. This prospect is located not so much in thermonuclear technology as such; it lies in the nature of the steering of those technologies applications to the inter-planetary and further domains of mankinds control over relevant developments of mankinds increasingly extended role within, and beyond nearby Solar space. The definition lies not in particulars, but, rather, in the broad scope and qualitative implications of the applications. That means, speaking broadly, and also practically, that we now require a policy of upward leaps in the application of the relative scales of energy-flux density engaged. The considerations respecting the need and search for peaceful progress of mankind as a species, which I have now placed before us, here, must be attributed, less to the nature of science as such, than to the degree to which science had been essentially, heretofore suppressed, in one or another degree. In the main, progress had been suppressed under the long reigns of what are properly identified as those oligarchical systems traced from the ascent of that putatively oligarchical form of rule attributed to the evil doctrine expressed in the tracing of the principle of evil from the legendary Olympian Zeus, through the reigns of ancient Rome and such depraved successors as William of Oranges New-Venetian, and presently British, actually global forms of pro-genocidal, imperial systems now. Presently, the explicitly and emphatically stated, genocidal intention of the British empire of Queen Elizabeth II, has been clearly and repeatedly stated, as by her, to rapidly reduce the human population, from about seven billions living persons, to about one billion, or perhaps less, speedily. That must be recognized as a span of mass-murderous intentions which has been a recurring feature of what has been associated with the depraved Mediterranean oligarchical cultures of more than about three thousand years, and also longer, presently. Therefore, the following point bearing on what were better identified as a Brutish tradition, is to be emphasized as crucial. The current system of the British empire and its European and other lackey-cultures, must be recognized for its recurring moral degeneracy, as contrasted with those nobler cultures which have willfully increased their rates of energy-flux-density characteristics, those characteristics as distinct from oligarchical (e.g., degenerate) cultures which had tended to dominate extended regions of populations for spans as long as millennia, as since the emergence of the specific variety of maritime culture associated with the inherently evil figure of an Olympian Zeus. The monstrousness of the oligarchical tradition which the implicitly global, presently British imperial system, continues to perpetuate to the present date, is now combined with radical population control, and with the division of the human population between, on the one side, a limited portion of anti-humanity oligarchs, all matched against virtual mass-extinctions intended for the ranks of the common folk also sometimes known as the underlings. Thus, there is nothing actually new in Queen Elizabeths presently ongoing determination to bring about her avowed early extinction of six billions from among the present level of approximately seven billions of the total human population: a policy of practice which the British monarchy has already set underway in concert with the now-launched second Administration of President Barack Obama, as through aid of a prescribed program of massive cut-backs, such as programs of sequestration. The New Prospect Now Before Us! For an indication of presently practical considerations, we might presently estimate the expected useful survival of the Solar system to be brought to an end for us, long before two billions years ahead. Consequently, when that fact is taken into account, we must look forward in terms of leaps into the prospects for future generations as measured in the order of four human generations born per century. That measure, demands, in turn, a certain estimated, rising rate of creativity per capita, per generation, and per century, as the progress of successive generations is to be measured in generations counted out in increased rates of energy-flux densities. If, as we have been forewarned, the Sun has about two billions years before actually blowing up, that does not signify that we have two billions years for dalliance along the way. Nonetheless, if that yardstick which I have proposed for measuring human progress applies, then, there should be adequate leg-room available between now and the time when a dying Sun turns very nasty for us. In that case, the prospects for the human species need not be a matter of desperation, provided that we eradicate the present tendency for oligarchical dilly-dallying of the type to be expected from the reign of the presently, extremely decadent, British imperial system. Nonetheless, despite what fools such as the British empire may have produced, we dare not permit the continuation of the oligarchical system, such as that of the British empire-in-fact presently. However, we must take certain precautions, as much on our part, as theirs, on precisely that account. On the Reign of Metaphor As I have emphasized during the course of my related writings delivered over, approximately, the course of the recent two years, the human species is closely nearing a stage of its fresh developments, when science must abandon what has been a naked sort of customary devotion to the means represented as mere sense perception. As I have stressed recently, the dubious practice of relying on sense-perceptual measurements for defining the measure of physical principles, must be now superseded by notions of essential increase of energy-flux density of population, per capita unit of productivity, and of rising energy-flux density of action. As I have included these considerations among my recently published writings, the presumption that evidence with the characteristics of mere sense-perception corresponds to a real action in physical space-time as such, is a belief which must be urgently superseded by a notion derived from an appropriately deep insight into the actual meaning of the subject of Classical Metaphor. I mean that metaphor as expressed in the shadow-form of the Classical stagebut only for what may be identified as the Classical stageas in the case for the recognition that the action moved by the playwright, director, and actors on stage, embodies the reality of the effective action, rather than abstract and fixed measures of lapsed physical time. In other words, the emphasis must be placed on a notion of effective action measured in the language of a physically actual quality of true metaphor, instead of per unit of clock-space space-time. The distinctions which I have just proposed here, are the reality of the action as, primarily, an experience of the human mind, rather than a sense-perceptual event in what is usually considered as the mere clock-space-time of sense-perception as such. So, I have recently presented my view of the realization of the chorus principle of metaphor employed by the inherently future-oriented poet William Shakespeare for his King Henry V. That view points toward the reality of an experienced future physical space-time, that as we must proceed in considering action within the lapsed, relative space-time of the near regions, or broader scope of actions within the realm of the Solar system. Chapter 2 Eratosthenes! Let Us Build the Future for . . . Much of the ignorance shown by mankind this far, even putatively learned mankind, can be traced, at least in large degree, to what have been considered as some long-standing venerable and durable, but silly habits. The general assault on that tradition, respecting the subjects of measurement, features the work of the engineer Archimedes and the great Alexandrian Librarys Eratosthenes. Eratosthenes measure of the Earth by the Sun, was, in terms of strictness of scientific practice, the greatest achievement in refinement of physical principles up to that time. The most important successor of Eratosthenes on this account, was the school of Cardinal Nicholas of Cusa, a Cusa whose discoveries had been crucial in leading Christopher Columbus to his discovery of the Americasas if for us. FIGURE 1 Eratosthenes Method for Measuring the Size of the Earth View full size View full size Engraving after Gustave Courtois Another, related great leap in discovery within the bounds of that exact-same process, was that by a great student of Nicholas of Cusa, the discovery of the principle of the system of Solar astronomy by Johannes Kepler, as respecting his stated principle of vicarious hypothesis. The crucial discovery came through the medium of Classical artistic composition and its performance, in the domains of Classical composition in the truly Classical arts of such as music, painting, poetry, and drama. The principle of vicarious hypothesis is found as a complement in metaphor. I had recently emphasized the connection to the drama of Shakespeare to that connection. As I shall show here, the results of exploring this realm can be stunningand wonderfully usefulfor mankind today. Unless the British empire prevents this. In a long, and originally, often obscured tradition, the human species has become apparently accustomed, but mistakenly, to employ a notion of time and space based on the premises of what had been mere sense-perception. The folly of continuing that originally crude tradition of mankind, had reached a critical stage of practice, at a juncture occurring during a time in which scientists have often based definitions of universal physical principles, mistakenly, as depending upon mere human sense-perception. A notable challenge to the persistence of that simplistic practice, presented itself at the point at which universal physical principles respecting universal physical space outside planet Earth, were defined on the basis of human sense-perception attributed to processes within the bounds of planet Earth: the future of mankind now demands primary emphasis on the use of the practice of defining experimental principles which must be applied, more emphatically, to regions of our Solar system beyond the realm of Earth. Insofar as some among us have been apparently enabled to see aspects of the work of such as Nicholas of Cusa and his inspiration, as to be seen in the work of Johannes Keplers vicarious hypothesis, and, also, the related principle of metaphor, and, to see still beyond that merely apparent limit: we are, thus, confronted with the actuality of the need for discovering an efficiently defined foresight into the future of our mankind, as within, first, looking at Earth from the space enclosing the relatively nearby regions of our Solar System. My own experience of life since my adolescence, has been filled, increasingly, with an insistent, virtual knocking-at-the-door for such an outlook. Considering my age, and the conditions that go with that, I have adopted no personal prospects for travel beyond residence on Earth. Nonetheless, for me, there is nothing alien to me in an outlook which features actually scientific outlooks for Solar, or even Galactic missions alike: nearby Solar space in mankinds evident destiny as a species is also a matter of presently urgent priorities. In the experience of mankind, the slave dwells within the bounds of an apparently pre-assigned course of life; whereas, essentially, the free creative human individual, is naturally impelled to recreate the future of his or her society, but, perpetually, always at an higher level; he, or she, like a good mother, adopts the making of a really foreseeable future for society as such, as being his, or her essential profession. Yet, there are people who are ostensibly freed, even influential in society, but whose soul remains chiefly locked within a tradition of the descent from slaves. That issue of true freedom, is the subject to be elaborated during the remainder of the present chapter of my report. Recreating the Actual Future So far, we have had the modern history dated since the births of such as those of the heirs of Dante Alighieri (1265-1321), and of Renaissance geniuses such as Filippo Brunelleschi (1378-1446), Cardinal Nicholas of Cusa (1401-1464), and the latters followers in the process of launching the creation of the best in modern European science. That, then new-born tradition was partly inspired by, but did not begin with the followers of Dante Alighieri; it was already inherent in the Christianity of the Apostles, as reflected also in the work of Philo of Alexandria (ca. 20BC 50AD). The fact of that matter is, that the monstrously dark age created by the now preceding Twentieth Century and its wicked oligarchical outcomes, had required the actuality of a Fifteenth-Century rebirth of the civilization of the so-called Golden Renaissance: a fresh outlook across the great waters, on the future of mankind, a fresh devotion and outlook which has been indispensable for the continued existence of civilization presently. So, to sum up that brief lesson, the outcome to-be-desired from our presently tortured, new century of mankind, requires the recapture of the same quality of inspiration traced to the roots of such as Filippo Brunelleschi and Cardinal Nicholas of Cusa, thence, to both the Christopher Columbus who was inspired to great missions by devotion to his adopted mission of Nicholas of Cusa, and to the same great mission of progress by Cusa which had inspired the magnificent scientific achievements of Johannes Kepler, and also those of the United States of Benjamin Franklin. For both of these, the great mission is to resist the evil of what is presently known by the witting as the British empire still today. My point of emphasis here and now, while also implicitly theological, is located by me in what I write here, from a viewpoint in the subject of an urgently needed redemption of the pledge to the mission adopted during Europes Fifteenth Century, to the principle of modern physical science traced from, most notably, Cardinal Nicholas of Cusas De Docta Ignorantia. The contrary cultural current, has been that of the same, ancient evil typified by the virtually Satanic imagery of the Olympian Zeus, his attributed devotions, his oligarchical habits, and those among his traditions spawned as if of his own past evil times. The New Dark Age of a genocide intent on reducing the human population from seven to approximately one billion human individuals, which the Queen of England has demanded for the people of this planet now, is that darkest of all modern evils known to the existence of mankind in known world history this far. This is not to be treated as a matter of religion as such. It is, rather, the urgently needed rejection of something inherently Satanic, which must be repudiated in a more practical, and also more profound way, as we must despise the evil of that Olympian Zeus which was the evil worshiped by those who demanded the death of Socrates, and the evil of the Satanic Emperor Nero. The Prospect Before Us Now The present epochs notion of a Prospect Before Us, that since the Peace of Westphalia, was put forward, according to the best information which I recall as having been delivered to me in its time, as a musical theme from the impact of the Peace of Westphalia on the culture of England, in particular. Both the music, and the stated theme, are properly appreciated for that reason, as having existed up to the presently dismal times of the wretched Tony Blair. The proposed return to the evil which had reigned prior to the Westphalian peace, would be the worst imaginable evil, the truly Satanic, which could be done only by those among the most evil of men, such as, for example, the British Empires Tony Blair, or Blairs ostensible under-study, Barack, the Queens own Barack Obama. That Blair is truly an ideal modern man of evil, as the policies of genocide presented by the British Empires Elizabeth II have shown in the extreme nature of her schemes for reducing the human population of this planet from approximately seven billions, to approximately one billion persons. It is a prospect fit to bring shudders to the thoughts of even a Satan. The fact of the matter is, that, from a physical-science standpoint, the Queens scheme, when presented as practice, means not a mere reduction of the human species, but that species self-extinction virtually in its entirety. Why should the Queen be so shameless as to espouse such an evil publicly? The Principle of Life As Such The generality of known forms of life, is marked out in fact by what some reference as natural selection. What that term means, in being passed from ear to mouth and mouth to ear, varies; nonetheless, certain of the implications of such a stated policy are efficiently clear for our meeting our present duties respecting this topic for discussion. In terms of what is identified as a principle of energy-flux density, sets of species which drop down on the relative scale of evolution in its total representation, go extinct. In the matter of the case of policy at hand, the Queens stated policy means the self-inflicted extermination of the human species. I would emphasize that the Queen is not telling the truth about this matter why should shesince it is not in her particular interest to encourage opposition to that which she views as her interest to destroy billions of present human beings? Her publicly stated interest, as she, herself, has repeatedly defined it, is genocide: the reduction of the human species, from about seven billions persons, to about one, and that, now, as rapidly as possible. The relevant evidence on that account, is that the actual policy which the Queen is peddling to the stupefied credulous, is by no means new to the experience of the human species overall. Mass extinctions of entire social categories, are, like cannibalism, recurring expressions of utter depravity, of unfitness to exist, as in the related case of the practices of ritual mass murder by the Roman empire in the imperial Roman arena. No Nero was ever actually fit to live on its own account; it has always been intrinsically an expression of depravity per se. Essentially, the point is, that the Roman empire and its like, were systemically unfit to continue to have existed, under any conditions. More to the underlying point: the universe itself is driven toward higher orders of energy-flux density. The continued existence of our human species depends upon our meeting the effect of that challenge of development from relative backwardness, as in opposition to higher energy-flux densities of organization. In fact, the appropriate conclusion, is that the British empire has been, morally and otherwise, unfit to exist. That is, speaking practically, a law of life. If that empire is not terminated, then, it were likely that humanity itself would threaten its own continued existence. That much on this subject, should be recognized as clear. Chapter 3 An Interlude: Where Do the Nations Go Now? The great moment of opportunity for the trans-Atlantic world, came with the election of the United States President Ronald Reagan. Between the election of President Reagan (November, 1980) and the inauguration of a British-tied, relatively new Soviet head of state, Yuri Andropov (November, 1982), was a great moment in history, an interval during which an agreement among the United States, leading nations of western and central Europe, and the Soviet Union, was on the verge of the feasible realization of a great renaissance in the history of mankind. As events have demonstrated, the installation of a British monarchy-tied Yuri Andropov in the Soviet Union, led, as if inexorably, into the British-empire-directed collapse of not only the Soviet Union, but the entire system of both western and eastern continental Europe, and, then, passed into the presently looming threat of the early extinction of mankind. As a result of Andropovs own blocking-out of what has turned out to have been the last chance for a constructive agreement between the United States and that Soviet Union, an agreement which depended, in significant part, on my own initiatives and the crucially leading role of President Ronald Reagans agreement to lead, the former Soviet Union was not only virtually dumped into an irreparable physical-economic collapse, but into a wide-scale state of collapse and relative misery. The net effect of that action by Andropov and his accomplices, has become the fact that the entirety of the planet presently hovers at the brink of a threatened thermonuclear extinction. The Soviet Union is now long dead, killed in fact mostly by its own failure to meet the urgently needed, available solution represented by the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI). What, therefore, is the next comparable mistake to be avoided, among the northern trans-Atlantic nations, most emphatically? More nations are destroyed by their own folly, than by their ostensibly external adversaries. I had worked with some considerable significance, for the relatively successful emergence of a state of readiness for bringing together the collaboration of most among the leading nations of the planet, over the interval of 1975-1983, to bring together the prospective means of agreement needed to bring about the avoidance of general thermonuclear conflict. The agreement of President Ronald Reagan to this intention in his March 1983 televised address had been a great hope for the world. Among the other effects of the opposition to the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), has been the virtual extinction of the sovereignties of thes nations of Europe under the inherently tragic so-called Euro system, and a state of economic despair among the present population of the trans-Atlantic region of the planet which has been now plunged into a state of general economic and cultural disintegration of the trans-Atlantic worldin particular. Many from around the world, especially those in relatively high places, would have very good reason to feel a sense of shame about their own role in their own national history, on this account, this far. The leading theme for the present moments of crisis, is If, by a miracle, civilization actually survives, . . . even during the short term. . . I have done my duty on this account, and, you? How many among you are guilty of what you had not done when you had had the relevant opportunity to take relevant action? If most among you, continue either to do, or not to do, when you might do, or have done, civilization as we have known it, is nearly finished as trends stand now. The effect could now readily become thermonuclear. However, let us proceed as intended, not forgetting what I have just emphasized. Given, the fact, that the global society as we have known it generally over the course of recent generations, has been an awful failure. Which were the worst, the crimes of commission, or omission, could be debated, probably without any resulting sort of useful outcome for mankind generally. What, therefore, is the change in relations within and among nations, which must be understood and supported as relevant and sweeping changes in the systems of policies and policy-making among nations? Look back to the Dec. 2, 1971 Queens College debate between me and leading Keynesian economist Abba Lerner. He lost, and the fact and manner of Lerners self-disgrace on that occasion, has had significant repercussions internationally, to the present day. That debate was both a consequence and continuing factor in what became the SDI up through the present date, even internationally. Interlude: The Case of Abba Lerner If any partisans of the December 2nd, 1971 Queens College debate had thought, as had Professor Sidney Hook, that I had caused the defeat of Hooks adopted champion, that I had defeated Professor Abba Lerner in that debate, they were greatly mistaken. The essential fact is, that it was Lerners own foolishness which had defeated him. Indeed, at the close of the debate, that point had been made very clear. The official conquering hero who had been brought on stage from England for the occasion, Lerner, had demolished himselfon the Queens College stage. In fact, the entire Wall Street gang has continued to do the same to itself, and to the virtual entirety of the U.S. population, and that of Europe, too, ever since. I was, in effect, hindering their efforts at self-destruction, not only that of themselves, but society generally. The fallacy of the Queens College rooters for Abba Lerner had made not merely a crucial mistake of judgment, but a colossal one. I recall a World War II-vintage witticism, which runs approximately as follows. The subject of that tale was situated during the U.S.A. of World War II vintage. Men had repeatedly left a high-security site with filled wheelbarrows of sand, and carried it off the premises. Where was the profit? The scheme was stealing wheelbarrows. All day, day after day, British and kindred economists are conducting a routine; they are carrying out virtual sand as a form of income, but losing the wheelbarrows in which the sand was carried. The Queen of Englands notion of a margin of profit, lies in the process of destroying the physical economy. That is otherwise better known as the sickly-green policy of a form of profit based on the destruction of vast quantities of looted wealth, thereby, ultimately eliminating most of the human population, some way down the line. That was very much the same policy which I witnessed in the advent of the great U.S. financial collapse of the 1954-1958 recession, and, the effects of going to a looting of the U.S. economy by the fruitless, unnecessary war covered over by the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and his brother Robert. Similarly, thus, in the debate at Queens College of Dec. 2, 1971, I was winning the victory in a contest for higher net rates of physical productivity, while Abba Lerner was carrying out the wheelbarrows. Which was whose definition of measurable net profit? In a once-famous debate among rival Islamic scholars, the end-game issue turned out to be, for the moment, who would gain the victory of the destruction of the destruction. The same old contest appears to be in progress in certain quarters of statecraft and economy generally, under Queen Elizabeth II presently. Whose, therefore, would be the victory in such a silly design of contest? The Paradox of Actually Being Human There are, effectively, two, respectively contradictory definitions of a human identity relative to all animal species. One, the popular, but essentially failed opinion, attempts to measure the nature of human identity by a humanoid definition of animal sense-perception. The alternative is proof of practice of the effects caused by the actually noetic capabilities demonstrated as being the cognitive powers of the human mind. The actually human behaviorisms absent from the non-human domain include the discovery of universal physical principles and, also, several most relevant categories of human Classical modes of artistic composition. The latter include truly Classical, but not Romantic, nor still lower forms of musical composition, the Classical as most clearly represented by the work of Johann Sebastian Bach, but also by Classical drama as merely typified, with a certain excellence, by Shakespeare, as well as Classical composition of visual art, and so on. The relatively most efficient approach to distinguishing Classical artistic composition, from virtual human noise, is located essentially in the notions of Classical artistic composition: anything which is proffered as a substitute for Classical artistic compositionor for Classical physical-scientific discoveries such as those of Nicholas of Cusa, Johannes Kepler, and so on, is, essentially, trash. These definitions which I have roughly outlined in this chapter so far, distinguish the specific kinds of noetic functions unique to Classical science and artistic composition. Focus, for the moment, on the cases of validated discoveries of universal physical principles and Classical artistic composition. Physical-scientific discoveries such as those effected by Cusa, or, later Max Planck and Albert Einstein, Kepler, Leibniz, et al., are functionally interactive with Classical artistic drama. The hallmarks for these stipulated categories of both physical-scientific principles and Classical artistic principles of composition and physical-scientific discoveries, all have the common characteristic of being categorically outside the simply defined domain of sense-perception otherwise. In another published location, I have emphasized attention to the function of Chorus as that principle was elaborated in Shakespeares Henry the Fifth. The qualities to be emphasized in taking up the matter of the distinctions which I have thus asserted, can be described usefully as being the categories of both physical science and Classical artistic composition which share a commonly exclusive authority in distinction from that of mere sense-perception otherwise defined. The simplest illustration of what is at issue here, is the quality of insight expressed by the discovery of a principle of Classical artistic composition, or a similar expression of a scientific principle of the type which can not be adduced as a product of sense-perception as such. The same is true for all actually Classical musical composition, and for the discovery of an efficient quality of a universal physical principle which is not definable by nominalist deduction. Some discussion of this set of distinctions, is now timely. Universal Physical Principles Those of us who share at least some degree of insight into the experiences of Classical artistic composition and also direct apprehension of universal physical principles, should have discovered, by now, that the mental act of discovery of a universal physical principle in physical, as in Classical artistic composition, is located outside the apprehensions of sense-perception as such. No reductionist, therefore, could actually be a competent Classical artist, or an original discoverer of a principle of physical science. The most efficient approach to an attempted recognition of those standards is, probably, the work of Johannes Kepler in the discovery of the principle of vicarious hypothesis and the latters ties to the concept of metaphor. The two latter concepts, when competently treated, are essentially equivalent categorically. What that means, in practice, is that sense-perceptions are not the means for direct knowledge of human experience. Respecting the notion of applicable concepts of principle, as distinct from mere opinion, most human beings, this far in known history, are locked, in respect to the use of sense-perception, into a surrogate for actuality. Actually relative degrees of mental development of the human individual, are expressed not by an assumed experience from sense-perception as such; but, directly the opposite. The quality of human intelligence, as that is most conveniently expressed by the combination of scientific and Classical-artistic experience, is in inverse proportion of relative weight of practical authority, to the much less intelligent case of the merely practical man. A beast-versus-human priority of relative values. It is important, to point attention to the relative degrees of genius, especially in contrast to the trash-like mentality of the so-called man of practical opinion. This can be fairly well measured in a study of the relevant cultural trends from the high-point of the great ecumenical sessions centered on the Council of Florence during the life-time of Cardinal Nicholas of Cusa, and the increasing rates of bestialization in the passing from Europes and North Americas Classical artistry and scientific motives during the Eighteenth Century in Europe and North America. The steep descent from the bestiality of a Franz Liszt and Richard Wagner, relative to a Bach, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, et al., was outdone by the trends of generally increased bestiality in the Twentieth Century since the death of President Franklin Roosevelt and his immediate circles. The assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, and that of his brother, Robert, were tolerated crimes which present the leading forces of reigning influence in our society as being driven by a trend toward deep-going proof of a deep bestiality surging within the ranks of the Wall Street-centered elites, and the manifestly accelerating rates of moral and intellectual degeneration in the population generally, in the trans-Atlantic region, in particular, since we tolerated the murders of John and Robert Kennedy, for example. From 1971 on, it was manifestly an accelerating rate of plunge into relative decadence and outright degeneracy. The Cultural Yardstick So far in this chapter, I have treated the case of the human individual in a cultural context. Examine the moral and intellectual qualities of any subject human individual, as properly measured in the relative emphasis, in their mental-emotional life, on a self-conception premised on a scientific-Classical cultural identity as against the moral and intellectual inferiority of emphasis on relative belief in the practical mans simplistic devotion to the intrinsically depraved reliance on sense-certainty. On the one side, the up-side, there have been trends of culture in societies, which tend to lead in one of the two, alternate choices of direction, or the opposite. When the history of the cultures of mankind, is properly considered in light of the point which I have presented and illustrated here, we have touched, at the least, on the distinction between the relative depravity of trends in so-called popular opinion, as against the periods of great and rich experience of the noetic characteristics of Classical-artistic development of the individual human mind. The simple fact of proof of the point at issue here, is that people who prefer the trends of popular trends of late, are morally and intellectually inferior as a practical matter of fact. The Matter of Judgment Let us, therefore, reconsider the proper choice of definition of Intelligence Quotient. Morality, and human intelligence, are to be measured in the relative weight of reliance on the interdependent principle of vicarious hypothesis and metaphor, in contrast to the relative weight of sense-perception. Vicarious hypothesis and metaphor, as combined in practice, determine relative human sanity and practical levels of intelligence, that of both the individual personality, and of the generality of the ideology of the society. To the extent that human society were progressive in its direction of development, vicarious hypothesis and metaphor, when properly combined, tend to become victorious. If not, mankind were probably on the way to extinction. Any contrary opinion is foolish sham, and leads toward the worst probable outcome, that of the same general bestiality which we in the United States have experienced as a trend since the cover up of the assassinations of both President John F. Kennedy and his brother, Robert. In the meanwhile, physical science, notably mankinds progress toward higher relative concentrations of the application of vicarious hypothesis and metaphor, would tend to reduce the percentile of the human population under the corrupting influence of belief in mere sense-certainties, which lowers the I.Q. of each relevant society which has failed to displace customary belief in sense-perception for the advantage of the principles of vicarious hypothesis and metaphor. Therefore, for example, your attitude towards Max Planck and Albert Einstein, against the depraved Bertrand Russell, may now be measuring your fitness to be regarded as actually a human individual. That is not a matter of mere opinion; it is a matter of those qualities which actually distinguish the intellectual life of the actually human personality, from the pathetic superstitions of worship of the pleasures and pains of vulgar sense-perception. This article appears in the March 1, 2024 issue of Executive Intelligence Review. International Peace Coalition Meeting Only Through Development Will Mankind Defeat the Structures of Sin [Print version of this article] The opposite of destruction is love. And what more loving could you do than to create the conditions for every living human being on the planet to fulfill the potential of their life! Feb. 24The 38th meeting of the International Peace Coalition (IPC), convened on Feb. 23, was a demonstration of why this deliberative body is uniquely suited to address and solve the crises threatening to plunge mankind into a prolonged new dark age or even thermonuclear Armageddon. Whereas most forum discussions on the issues of Gaza, Ukraine, or any other conflictbe it mainstream or alternative mediaare reduced to explanations of why one side is good and the other evil, much of the IPC meeting was devoted to deliberation over the true definition of good and evil from a philosophical standpoint. This proved very fruitful in helping participants to reach a higher-level understanding of why the Oasis Plan proposal of Lyndon LaRouche and general economic development per se are so crucial to the survival of the human race. Schiller Institute founder and initiator of the IPC Helga Zepp-LaRouche opened the proceedings by focusing on the incredible rift taking place between the Global South and the tiny minority of the Global North, over particularly the conflict in Gaza. Exemplary of this rift is the recently concluded G20 meeting in Brazil, where the U.S. and other Western countries refused to sign a common declaration because both Brazil and South Africa insisted that it include language denouncing Israels perpetration of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. Another highlight of this rift is the ongoing hearings at the World Court, where one nation after another has condemned Israel for its actions against the Palestinians. H.E. Ma Xinmin, legal advisor to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, called Palestine a litmus test for the collective conscience of humanity. Zepp-LaRouche continued by pointing out the insanity of Western leaders, who, despite the impossibility of Ukraine winning the war, are demanding that more long-range weapons be sent to the Zelensky regime for striking deep inside Russian territory. These leaders seem incapable of thinking about the consequences of their actions; that this could lead to World War Three! Because the strategic situation is so dangerous, it requires that the IPC mobilize that much harder to offer solutions to an otherwise seemingly unsolvable conflict. The way to free Palestine is the Oasis Plan because it would transform the entirety of Southwest Asia into a prosperous economic hub between Asia, Africa, and Europea solution of optimism in the best interests of Israel, Palestine and all their neighboring countries. A similar approach is needed for Ukraine. Only a new paradigm of cooperation on economic development is capable of ending the cycle of violence. The next speakers, Alan Rivera and Gerardo Castilleja Chavez of the Schiller Institute in Mexico, recounted a recent intervention they made at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, where they went from classroom to classroom briefing students and professors on the Oasis Plan. One professor even allowed them to show the Oasis Plan video. They then attended a campus ceasefire rally where they encountered a group of old American lefties repeating the same empty-headed anti-imperialist slogans from 40-years past with no comprehension of how to overturn the system to which they are opposed. Dr. Mohammad Toor, Chairman of the Pakistani American Congress, stressed the necessity of peace through economic development. Weak countries must develop themselves, so they do not fall prey to stronger nations. There are enough resources on the planet so that every nation can develop and become prosperous. A university professor in Michigan spoke of the fear that permeates campuses, particularly concerning the Gaza issue. Despite a very large Arab and Muslim student body in the state, students and faculty alike feel they cannot express their emotions and feelingsthey cant advocate for what they feel is right. A large number of the students are Palestinian or have friends that are Palestinian, many of whom have lost family members in Gaza. To help people overcome this fear, the professor is organizing an arts and cultural event with the belief that, under conditions of oppression, the only way to speak up is through the arts. The next speaker, Jack Gilroy of Veterans for Peace, reported on an initiative to deliver a document that outlines the crimes committed by Israel and the U.S. in Gaza to every State Department office in the U.S. The document warns State Department officials that they are complicit in criminal activitythe murder of thousands of people in Gazaand could be prosecuted for these offenses. During the discussion period, a profound dialogue was initiated by Father Harry Bury on the nature of good and evil. He challenged two fundamental beliefs that he views as obstacles to bringing about the objective of peace through development: The first is that there are evil people in the world. Father Bury believes that this is false; that there are good people that do evil things because they dont know any better. These people must be educated to know what is good. The second belief is that the best way to prevent evil is through punishment. This is proven wrong by a worldwide recidivism rate of 8085%. Justice is not vengeance; justice is not getting even; justice is restoring the evil doer according to Bury. Zepp-LaRouche, although agreeing in principle that people are fundamentally good, had one point of disagreement: Given that the human species is endowed by the Creator with Free Will, why is it that some people are quite capable of comprehending that what they are doing is evil but they do it anyway? Why have they decided to be on the side of Satan? The Michigan professor offered the idea that evil is the absence of empathy, the inability to see others as equal with oneself, mentioning the book, Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil, by Hannah Arendt. Zepp-LaRouche fully concurred on the question of empathy, explaining that Friedrich Schiller who wrote extensively on developing empathy, believed that only through aesthetic educationeducation rooted in noble and sublime conceptsare people elevated to the level of Reason. Dennis Small of the Schiller Institute pointed out that to defeat evil one must put the City of London/Wall Street financial system through a complete bankruptcy reorganization, because that entire system is evilwhat Pope John Paul II called the structures of sinand creates the circumstances for evil policies to be carried out. As long as that system prevails, it will obstruct the potential to bring about the Good in people. While the Boycott-Divest-Sanction (BDS) movement is fineif you really want to go after the root of the problem, you must take on the financial system. Helga Zepp-LaRouche concluded the meeting by expressing her profound belief that poverty is the greatest violation of human rights you can imaginechildren growing up hungry with no education are being robbed of their humanity. The only way to solve the crises of Gaza and Ukraine is through a discussion of how to develop these impoverished regions, something which is eminently doable. In history past, the areas of Central and Southwest Asia were developed: Baghdad was the greatest city in the world; Afghanistan was the land of a thousand cities; Syria was part of the Silk Road. If we connect this great tradition of the past with a vision for the future, if that becomes the motivation of all the people involved, I think we can bring this to a much more beautiful epoch in history. This editorial appears in the March 1, 2024 issue of Executive Intelligence Review. [Print version of this editorial] EDITORIAL World Court of Conscience: Oasis Plan Development for Peace Feb. 23The beginning of the coming week marks the deadline for Israel to comply with the Jan. 26 directive of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the World Court. The sixth and last point of the ICJs instruction was that Israel shall submit a report to the Court on all measures taken to give effect to this Order within one month as from the date of this Order. That month ends Feb. 26, by which time, the State of Israel was ordered to report back on its improvement in the five areas of relieving the conditions of Palestinians in Gaza and stopping the IDF assault. It will be no surprise if Israel formally snubs the Court, by refusing to provide a report. The world has watched in horror as Israel has intensified every one of its attacks in Gazafrom shelling to food cut-off, water cut-off, medical cut-offwhose overall status the Court deemed a month ago was plausible as genocide. Informally, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday provided his reply to the Court and the world. He released a statement of his principles on Gaza post-war governance to the Knesset, and publicly. The one-page document lists actions such as demilitarization, rule by Israel-approved local officials, and rebuilding only by friends of Israel. Netanyahu states that the aid agency UNRWA is forever banned from the region. In sum, his planmade very publicis massive destruction and total control. The United States has aided and abetted Netanyahu at every turn, by continuing to send in arms, and on Feb. 20, by vetoingfor the third timea proposed UN Security Council resolution for a ceasefire in Gaza. There are fierce denunciations of Israel and the United States. After the United States sole Security Council veto this week, an Egyptian spokesman called the U.S. veto a disgraceful action in the history of the West. Chinese Legal Advisor and representative at the ICJ Ma Xinmin said that what is happening in Gaza is a litmus test for the collective conscience of humanity. He spoke Feb. 22 at The Hague, where the World Court is taking testimony all week, and will speak on Feb. 26, in its review of Israels conduct in the Palestinian territories since 1967. This was mandated by the UN General Assembly, which issued the directive to the Court in December 2022. It is dramatically clear that there are profound shifts in world opinions. The G20 Foreign Ministers meeting in Brazil could come to no consensus for a concluding declaration Feb. 22nd. Meanwhile, the dire situation in Gaza is unspeakable. Yesterday, a joint statement was issued by all the major humanitarian relief agencies, through their Inter-Agency Standing Committee, warning against a pending Israeli invasion of Rafah. As the Director of the World Health Organization Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Feb. 21, Gaza has become a death zone. A week from today, UNRWA will shut down entirely. It has been the main relief agency for Palestinians throughout the entire region, since 1949, including refugees in neighboring and third countries, until the U.S. and over a dozen other nations cut funding to UNRWA on Jan. 30. What can be done in this terrible context? Activists from many nations discussed this today at the 38th weekly meeting of the International Peace Coalition, at which its initiator, Helga Zepp-LaRouche, leader of the Schiller Institute, said emphatically, that our job is to provide the solution of optimism. This means providing the reality of how all can act in the best interests of all. Go out everywhere with the Oasis Plan, as the means to free Palestine, and bring development and peace. There are two notable developments today, Feb 23. In Germany, a criminal complaint has been filed with the Federal Prosecutor, calling for pressing charges of complicity in genocide against Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, Economy Minister Robert Habeck and Finance Minister Christian Lindner, for acts including supplying arms to Israel. Secondly, there is an international initiative in this same spirit. It is reported that the Arab Group in the UN General Assembly is considering filing a resolution whose text calls for an arms boycott against Israel. Ambassador of the State of Palestine to the United Nations Riyad Mansour spoke of this on Feb. 22 to reporters saying, that the draft being prepared will include practical matters, among which is the call for countries not to sell weapons to Israel or supply it with ammunition, and also to deal with the settlers and not give them travel visas to any country. Zepp-LaRouche, in concluding remarks, called for a chorus of demands and discussions for the Oasis Plan approach. Without that, the deteriorating situationon many frontswill see millions of migrants, desperation, and likelihood of explosion into World War III. Instead, if we provide a solution orientation, the Oasis Plan can truly give inspiration for hope in the immediate, desperate Gaza area, and in the greater region. It once was the land, from the Trans-Jordan, through the Fertile Crescent, through to Afghanistan, of A Thousand Cities. This is the perspective of development for peace. Public school districts in Nebraska could hire clergy to perform the same duties as school counselors under a bill presented at the Legislature on Tuesday. The proposal (LB1065) from Sen. Loren Lippincott of Central City would allow school boards to adopt policies that would allow them to hire chaplains who would not be required to obtain a teaching certificate in either a volunteer or paid role. Lippincott told the Education Committee that allowing school districts to hire chaplains would help alleviate some of the teacher and staff shortages experienced around the state, and he said it would benefit both students and teachers. Chaplains are used in many places already in society like the military, hospitals and correctional facilities, as well as mental health facilities, Lippincott said. If chaplains are entrusted with our firefighters and law enforcement, I think they can be useful in our schools. Lippincotts bill, which has 12 co-sponsors, is based on a law passed in Texas last year that gives school boards until March 1 to decide whether or not to allow unlicensed chaplains to serve as counselors either as staff members or volunteers. The law has generated controversy across the Lone Star State, including among clergy who signed a letter asking school districts to not hire clergy, indicating they were not qualified for the job and that their presence would get in the way of parents and guardians influencing their childs spiritual journey. But backers of Lippincotts proposal, like Caroline Epp, said they believed putting religious clergy in schools would have a positive effect by giving school-aged children and faculty an opportunity to interact with someone who knows God. We have pushed God out of our country, especially out of our education, said Epp, who added that it had resulted in mental health problems, drug and alcohol abuse, teen pregnancy and other societal ills. Giving school children access to clergy would allow them to know there is hope in their lives. Sherry Jones, a member of the State Board of Education who testified in an individual capacity, said hiring clergy was an outside the box solution that would help address the shortage of school counselors and social workers and help tackle a mental health crisis. Having trained and screened chaplains available in our schools seems like a practical, hope-filled solution or option at least, Jones said. School counselors, education groups, and civil rights organizations panned the idea, however, saying clergy were not trained to perform the wide-ranging duties of a school counselor, and questioning whether allowing districts to hire religious leaders would violate students rights. Malinda Jean Baptiste, a high school counselor in Lincoln Public Schools and assistant executive director of the Nebraska School Counselor Association, told senators that in addition to student success, counselors helped them explore possible careers and develop interpersonal skills like conflict resolution and coping. They also help those students prepare for college by helping them through the admissions process, finding scholarship opportunities and involving parents in those discussions, she said. We support each and every student, meeting them where they are at and building skills, Baptiste said. Chaplains or other individuals without school counselor credentials are not positioned to have this level of impact on school safety and provide the necessary support for all students. Chaplains are responsible for the spiritual care of individuals, she added, which does not encompass all that counselors are asked to do in school districts across the state. Members of the committee asked Baptiste if there was an opportunity for chaplains to have a role in school districts, even if to provide students an extra person to talk to. She said students often come to the counselor because they want to speak to someone in a non-religious context. Other school counselors such as Suzanne Scott said Lippincotts bill diminishes and depreciates the work school counselors do in schools by allowing chaplains who have not been trained and certified to perform the same roles. Aryn Huck, a community organizer for Out Nebraska, said the bill doesnt address what sort of training would be required for chaplains before they can work in a school district, and Grant Friedman of the ACLU of Nebraska said putting chaplains in schools could result in religious coercion and indoctrination of students. Kurth Brashear of Seward told the committee he values the role ordained clergy play in the church and in society, but I dont know one who would claim he could fill the duties of a full-time school counselor as they exist today. School counselors are professionally trained to develop programs that advance students academic, career and social-emotional skills, as well as serve as a sounding board for students who dont know who else to turn to, Brashear said. They also work with parents seeking help in addressing the challenges their children face. To believe a person trained in theology can bring the same experience and skills to a student betrays a lack of understanding and awareness of school counseling today, Brashear said. Lippincott, who told the committee Indiana, Oklahoma and Florida are all considering similar legislation this year, said the option of school districts being able to hire a chaplain seems like a pretty reasonable idea to me and said resistance came from school counselors protecting your own territory. The first step to loving somebody is listening, he said. Pastors know how to listen. The committee did not take any action on LB1065 on Tuesday. Top Journal Star photos for February 2024 The Nebraska Army National Guard joined in a nationwide aviation safety stand-down this week after the recent crashes of two Guard helicopters in other states. The National Guard Bureau in Arlington, Virginia, grounded all of its helicopters nationwide Monday and ordered all units to review safety policies and procedures. Maj. Scott Ingalsbe, a Nebraska National Guard spokesman, said in an email that all of the states Army National Guard air crew members will take a day of refresher training and discuss recent accidents, a month after an incident involving one of its own helicopters. He said the training will include an exam covering emergency procedures and classes in aircrew coordination, weather, and operations in degraded environments. Most will take the training this weekend, during monthly Guard drills. Ingalsbe said Maj. Gen. Craig Strong, Nebraskas adjutant general, authorized the emergency use of two National Guard UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters to aid in firefighting efforts against a wildfire near North Platte that as of Tuesday had scorched more than 71,000 acres. In ordering the stand-down this week, the National Guard Bureau cited two crashes involving AH-64D Apache helicopters: one in Utah Feb. 12, and one in Mississippi on Friday. Two Army National Guard pilots, Chief Warrant Officer 4 Bryan Zemek and Chief Warrant Officer 4 Derek Abbott, died in the Mississippi crash. Though it was not cited in the stand-down order, the Nebraska Guard experienced its own recent mishap when a CH-47F Chinook helicopter made an emergency landing Jan. 31 at the Guards Greenlief Training Site near Hastings. The Grand Island-based crew was on a two-hour flight to practice low-level night flying maneuvers at the time of the incident, Ingalsbe said. None of the four crew members was hurt. One of the helicopters rear rotor blades apparently contacted the ground, Ingalsbe said in an email, causing visible damage to the rotor and one engine, and likely damage to the gearbox and transmission. No damage estimate has been released, but it is believed to exceed the $2.5 million threshold to classify the incident as a Class A mishap. That is a very easy threshold to meet with the CH-47F, Ingalsbe said. Investigators from the U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center at Fort Novosel, Alabama the headquarters of Army aviation have released the Chinook for recovery by the Nebraska National Guard. There is a plan to remove the blades, engines, and defuel the aircraft. Once that is done, it will be loaded by crane onto a truck, Ingalsbe said. He said that could happen as early as next week, weather permitting. Zong Qinghou [File photo: Xinhua] Bouquets of flowers have piled up in front of building No 160 at the headquarters of Hangzhou Wahaha Group, China's leading beverage maker, in tribute to its founder and chairman, Zong Qinghou, who passed away on Sunday at the age of 79. A memorial service was held for Zong in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, on Tuesday. Earlier, past and present employees as well as visitors paid their respects to the business leader at the gray, six-story building, where Zong, once China's richest man, conducted his daily work. Among the bouquets were a pair of black cotton shoes, Zong's signature footwear, which reflected his simple and frugal lifestyle, along with a container of Wahaha AD Milk, a favorite drink of generations of consumers, especially in their childhood. Leaders of private enterprises sent their regards. Geely Chairman Li Shufu praised Zong as a pioneer of innovation and entrepreneurship in the private sector who was representative of modern Zhejiang merchants and their hardworking spirit. "You have opened up new territories for the rise and development of China's food and beverage industry, and you are a model for the first generation of Zhejiang businesspeople," Li wrote. Lei Jun, founder and CEO of the technology giant Xiaomi Corp, hailed Zong as a true legend, citing his book on marketing in 2002 as a source of inspiration for over two decades. Zhou Hongyi, founder of the cybersecurity company 360 Security Group, lauded Zong's marketing theories on selling beverages as words of wisdom for his own entrepreneurial journey. "I hope his spirit can continue to encourage more Chinese entrepreneurs to work together," Zhou said. In 2012, Zong claimed the top spot on the Forbes List for the Chinese mainland with a fortune of $10 billion. In 2020, he was named on the Hurun list as the richest man on the Chinese mainland. By March 2023, Zong ranked 121st on the 2023 Hurun Global Rich List with a wealth of $15 billion. Despite his huge fortune, Zong led a modest life and diligently worked from 7:00 am to 11:00 pm. He slept in a bedroom located in the same building as his office and was known for his calm and soft-spoken demeanor. He preferred simple meals like porridge and noodles from the company canteen. The tycoon often traveled alone on business trips carrying a single suitcase and once went second-class on a bullet train, chatting to and befriending other passengers. Tough start Born in 1945, Zong's early years were shaped by hard work at salt mines and tea farms in Zhoushan, Zhejiang. He once said the 15 years of menial labor had built his character and resilience. Zong returned to Hangzhou in 1978, and in 1987, he took over a school shop and began selling sodas and ice creams. At about the same time he founded the Wahaha Group and teamed up with a nutrition expert at a local hospital to develop the company's first product, a nutritional drink for children. The drink proved successful and led to the company's first major expansion. In 1991, with support from the Hangzhou government, the company acquired an indebted State-owned enterprise, the Hangzhou Canned Food Product Co. Zong initially encountered opposition from the workers but won them over by explaining to them Wahaha's founding, how it operated and the benefits it would bring them. Three months later, the cannery began turning a profit. Wahaha's early success was largely attributed to its sales system and vast distribution network. In 1994, when the country's credit system was still evolving, Wahaha began to foster strong financial links between producers and distributors. The company's idea involved the upfront guarantee of money from the distributors to the producers, with the products delivered at a later date. This ensured a steady cash flow for the producers and fostered their loyalty to the distributors. The money guarantee was usually the equivalent of 10 percent of estimated annual sales and was refunded with interest at year's end by the producers. This innovative risk-sharing model became a case study at many business schools. Famous brand At its peak, Wahaha boasted more than 7,000 distributors, over 100,000 wholesalers and 5 million sales outlets across China. "Wahaha is one of the few private enterprises in China that has been active in the consumer market since the beginning of the market economy and it is still developing rapidly," said Jason Yu, general manager of Kantar Worldpanel China, a market research firm. "It is also one of the few Chinese brands with strong penetration, ensuring mutual benefits for the brand and distributors," he said. Wahaha's sales model allows it to penetrate millions of retail outlets in China, including in rural areas. This wide distribution network is unmatched by many international giants and domestic companies, giving Wahaha an edge in maintaining steady revenue flows in the era of the internet, Yu said. In 1996, the company extended its portfolio to include bottled water, which solidified its market presence. In 2013, the company made 78.2 billion yuan ($10.8 billion) in revenue, still the highest annual revenue recorded for China's beverage market. "So far, no domestic beverage producer has surpassed that record," said Zhu Danpeng, a food and drink sector analyst. Although consumers have more choices today, and many new brands achieve rapid breakthroughs using e-commerce, Wahaha has successfully maintained substantial revenue, Yu said. Over the decades, Wahaha has also had many successful product innovations, such as Nutri-Express and AD Milk, which met the needs of consumers at the time and reflected Zong's profound insight into the domestic consumer market, Yu said. The U.S. Army is slashing the size of its force by about 24,000, or almost 5%, and restructuring to be better able to fight the next major war, as the service struggles with recruiting shortfalls that made it impossible to bring in enough soldiers to fill all the jobs. The cuts will mainly be in already-empty posts not actual soldiers including in jobs related to counterinsurgency that swelled during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars but are not needed as much today. About 3,000 of the cuts would come from Army special operations forces. At the same time, however, the plan will add about 7,500 troops in other critical missions, including air-defense and counter-drone units and five new task forces around the world with enhanced cyber, intelligence and long-range strike capabilities. Army Secretary Christine Wormuth said she and Gen. Randy George, the Army chief, worked to thin out the number of places where they had empty or excess slots. Were moving away from counterterrorism and counterinsurgency. We want to be postured for large-scale combat operations, Wormuth told reporters yesterday [Macau time]. So we looked at where were there pieces of force structure that were probably more associated with counterinsurgency, for example, that we dont need anymore. George added that Army leaders did a lot of analysis to choose the places to cut. The things that we want to not have in our formation are actually things that we dont think are going to make us successful on the battlefield going forward, he said. According to an Army document, the service is significantly overstructured and there arent enough soldiers to fill existing units. The cuts, it said, are spaces not faces and the Army will not be asking soldiers to leave the force. Instead, the decision reflects the reality that for years the Army hasnt been able to fill thousands of empty posts. While the Army as its currently structured can have up to 494,000 soldiers, the total number of active-duty soldiers right now is about 445,000. Under the new plan, the goal is to bring in enough troops over the next five years to reach a level of 470,000. The planned overhaul comes after two decades of war in Iraq and Afghanistan that forced the Army to quickly and dramatically expand in order to fill the brigades sent to the battlefront. That included a massive counterinsurgency mission to battle al-Qaida, the Taliban and the Islamic State group. Over time the militarys focus has shifted to great power competition from adversaries such as China and Russia, and threats from Iran and North Korea. And the war in Ukraine has shown the need for greater emphasis on air-defense systems and high-tech abilities both to use and counter airborne and sea-based drones. Army leaders said they looked carefully across the board at all the services job specialties in search of places to trim. And they examined the ongoing effort to modernize the Army, with new high-tech weapons, to determine where additional forces should be focused. According to the plan, the Army will cut about 10,000 spaces for engineers and similar jobs that were tied to counter-insurgency missions. An additional 2,700 cuts will come from units that dont deploy often and can be trimmed, and 6,500 will come from various training and other posts. There also will be about 10,000 posts cut from cavalry squadrons, Stryker brigade combat teams, infantry brigade combat teams and security force assistance brigades, which are used to train foreign forces. The changes represent a significant shift for the Army to prepare for large-scale combat operations against more sophisticated enemies. But they also underscore the steep recruiting challenges that all of the military services are facing. In the last fiscal year, which ended Sept. 30, the Navy, Army and Air Force all failed to meet their recruitment goals, while the Marine Corps and the tiny Space Force met their targets. The Army brought in a bit more than 50,000 recruits, falling well short of the publicly stated stretch goal of 65,000. The previous fiscal year, the Army also missed its enlistment goal by 15,000. That year the goal was 60,000. In response, the service launched a sweeping overhaul of its recruiting last fall to focus more on young people who have spent time in college or are job hunting early in their careers. And it is forming a new professional force of recruiters, rather than relying on soldiers randomly assigned to the task. In discussing the changes at the time, Wormuth acknowledged that the service hasnt been recruiting well for many more years than one would think from just looking at the headlines in the last 18 months. The service, she said, hasnt met its annual goal for new enlistment contracts since 2014. LOLITA C. BALDOR, WASHINGTON, MDT/AP Friends and families are advised to work together to prevent phone and internet scams, Secretary for Security Wong Sio Chak said yesterday at a press conference on crime numbers and related data from 2023. In response to questions about the rising number of cases and victims despite the governments efforts to improve education and awareness on scams, Wong emphasized the need for collective vigilance among friends and family. He suggested the slogan, A smart person makes a shrewd family, to improve fraud detection and awareness. He said most victims were older adults, and that fraud prevention publicity efforts witnessed by the younger generations should be shared with their older family members. More recent trends reveal many people with higher educational backgrounds are falling victim to fraud. Wong believed this was attributable to the victims mindsets, many of whom are overly confident and do not abide by the warnings as they believe they will not become victims. He cited an example of a victim who liaised with a scammer in a fake online romance for an entire year, transferring over MOP2 million to the scammer, before being alerted by friends that it might be a scam. Wong reiterated that law-enforcement authorities would never request fund transfers. He was also questioned about sex offences, after telling the press some cases involved non-resident suspects or violators. The question was whether tourists had provided sex services during their stay in Macau. While some cases did concern sex services, Wong said he did not consider the provision of sex services the same as sex offences or violations. Sex services can be distinguished from criminal offences, he said. Most of these cases, he said, rose to the level of law-enforcement as there were irregularities during the process. Some of these cases were reported as rape, but police were required to further investigate and determine whether this related to a dispute on pricing or whether the act amounted to genuine rape. Sex violations, meanwhile, are criminal offences, Wong concluded. Wong was also asked for an update on the discovery of two deceased elderly residents who lived together, following questions that were also directed at Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Elsie Ao Ieong Tuesday. He described the matter as a tragedy and explained that the security forces usual practices involve notifying and passing on the necessary information to the Social Welfare Bureau (IAS). He added that after the discovery of the case, special meetings were held with the Public Security Police Force (PSP), Judiciary Police (PJ) and the IAS. Reiterating Ao Ieongs comments, Wong said that technological solutions were crucial to preventing such incidents. He echoed Ao Ieong in saying that friends and families should stay alert and monitor the health conditions of their older relatives and friends. [Society] has a responsibility to care for its older adults and the chronically ill, Wong said. The security official said that the initial disclosure by the police made it very clear that the case was not criminal in nature. The cause of death of the two residents was attributed to the fact that they were unable to receive immediate medical assistance. On domestic violence, Wong said there were 15 cases in 2023, 11 in 2022 and 17 in 2019. Crimes increase 38% At the press conference, Wong said that last year, the security forces opened 13,487 investigation files, a 37.6% rise year-on-year. When compared to 2019, however, there was a drop of 691 files, amounting to 49%. Wong said that despite the number of crimes last year surpassing those in 2022 and approaching 2019 levels, there were significantly fewer violent crimes but more phone scams and blackmailing. Incidences of robbery, rape, theft and property appropriation, at varied locations and times, are also comparable to 2019 levels. The security official said crime prevention is the responsibility of society at large, and that cultivating awareness among residents is extremely important. He also expects the security forces will be busy this year, with the imminent Chief Executive Election and the 25th Anniversary of the Special Administrative Region. Nonetheless, the forces will constantly assess the variety of security risks and remain vigilant against any threats, so as to adjust their planning and ensure all major activities and celebrations run smoothly. The Permanent Secretariat of Forum Macao is focused on the preparation of the Sixth Ministerial Conference of the Forum Macao, and consequently on the active promotion of the implementation of the Action Plan for Economic and Commercial Cooperation, stated Ji Xianzheng, the secretary-general of the institution, during a lunch with the Portuguese and English media yesterday. According to Ji Xianzheng, the Forum will continue to expand cooperation platforms, enrich the content and dissemination of the mechanism, and promote exchange and cooperation among all participating parties in the fields of economy, trade, culture and other areas. This will be facilitated through conferences, exhibitions and seminars, and reciprocal visits to the mainland China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (PSCs). The year 2024 will mark the 25th anniversary of Macaus return to the motherland. In this context, the Permanent Secretariat will continue to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the Portuguese-speaking countries to support Macau in its role as a bridge between China and the PSCs, Ji said. More specifically, this will involve supporting the MSAR in its economic diversification in a 1+4 format and its integration into the national development context, to enrich the new practice of One Country, Two Systems in Macau. The 20-year cultivation of Forum Macao has laid a solid foundation for China, the PSCs and Macau. Involving 10 countries and 11 parties, it has contributed to seeking common development and building a community with a shared future, said Ji Xianzheng. Bilateral relations between China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries are steadily growing and developing. In 2023, the volume of bilateral trade reached $220.9 billion, achieving a new historical peak, he said. PC Analysis The Greater Bay Area (GBA) in China, encompassing nine cities in Guangdong province along with Hong Kong and Macau, has emerged as a significant investment destination, known for its technological innovation, finance, and trade. This regions appeal to foreign investors is bolstered by its strategic location in Asia, supportive government policies, and robust economic growth. Advanced manufacturing, leveraging information, automation, computation, software, sensing, and networking, stands out as a key area with substantial potential for investment. This shift towards high-tech production signifies Chinas evolving industrial base, moving away from traditional low-cost manufacturing towards more sophisticated, technology-driven processes. The GBAs strategic position, close to major international markets, alongside its strong industrial foundation, makes it a prime location for companies looking to establish or expand their manufacturing operations. The Chinese governments active promotion of advanced manufacturing, particularly in robotics, electric vehicles, and high-tech materials, underscores the regions commitment to innovation and technological advancement. This focus is further exemplified by initiatives like the 14th Five-Year Plan, which aims to foster the growth of the manufacturing sector, according to a recent report by consulting firm Acclime, specialized on greater China. Financial services and technology are other domains where the GBA excels, with Hong Kong maintaining its role as a global financial hub and Shenzhen emerging as a leading center for technology and innovation. The blend of finance and technology in the GBA creates opportunities for investment in digital banking, blockchain, and financial infrastructure development. Shenzhen, often likened to Chinas Silicon Valley, plays a pivotal role in the regions technology landscape, attracting global tech giants and startups alike. Real estate and infrastructure development within the GBA also offer promising investment prospects. Despite challenges in the real estate sector, it remains a fundamental part of the economy. Infrastructure projects, including high-speed railways, airports, and cross-border connectivity initiatives, provide opportunities for foreign investment in the regions transportation and logistics networks. The ongoing demand for commercial and residential properties, fueled by urbanization and economic growth, highlights the sectors potential for foreign capital. The GBAs integration with global markets and its role as a driver of Chinas economic growth enhance its attractiveness as an investment destination. The Chinese governments dedication to transforming the region into an economic powerhouse, through preferential tax treatments and improved market access, further boosts its appeal. The signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) has also played a significant role in supporting Chinas economy and expanding trade with other signatory countries. Infrastructure and connectivity initiatives, such as the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge and the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link, have significantly improved regional integration. Future projects aim to enhance intercity connectivity and facilitate economic integration, creating a conducive environment for foreign investment across multiple industries. Economic projections for the GBA are optimistic, with a predicted 5% GDP growth in 2024. Factors such as urbanization, technological innovation, and inter-city collaboration are expected to drive robust growth, positioning the GBA as a premier investment destination. Guangdongs status as Chinas wealthiest province underscores the regions economic potential. According to the latest data available, the utilized Foreign Direct Investment in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area amounted to USD165.85 billion in 2022. This figure covers the entire region, encompassing all the cities within the GBA, indicating a substantial level of FDI in the area. Therefore, according to Acclimes report, the GBA presents a compelling case for foreign investment, offering a fertile ground for businesses and investors seeking to capitalize on the regions dynamic economic prospects. Industrial complementary integration and development In recent years, Guangdong has continuously improved its market-oriented and law-based international business environment, and joined hands with Hong Kong and Macau to build the GBA into a world-class Bay Area, according to the 2024 Special Report on the State of Business in South China released by AmCham South China this week. Its series of efforts have also been recognized by foreign companies investing in this region. 75% of the companies surveyed consider the overall business environment in South China as excellent or good, the report claims. Based on the analysis in the report, more than half of the companies consider the growing local market as the primary reason for establishing a presence in South China, followed by transportation and logistics advantages and proximity to Hong Kong and Macau special administrative regions and Taiwan Province. The GBA is the future of Chinas economy with promising prospects. Major cities in the GBA have now been able to enjoy complementary advantages, Harley Seyedin, President of the AmCham South China said. William Huang, EY China South Managing Partner, told GDToday that compared with the New York Bay Area, San Francisco Bay Area, and Tokyo Bay Area, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area features the most remarkable advantages in industrial complementary integration and development. In recent years, with the construction of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Macao Sci-tech Innovation Corridor, the high-end elements of innovation continue to gather, and the integration of industry, university, and research is also constantly strengthening. Cities such as Dongguan and Foshan are developing intelligent manufacturing, enabling the manufacturing industry in this region to gradually realize overall transformation and upgrading. MDT/Agencies Hengqins introduction of second-tier closed customs control, effective tomorrow, aims to streamline the flow of people, goods, capital, and information between Macau and Hengqin. Professor Chen Guokai of the Zhuhai UM Science & Technology Research Institute views this as a pivotal move to reduce import taxes, thereby boosting research funding. He notes a significant reduction in travel time to Hengqin from the University of Macau, from thirty minutes to approximately six, enhancing accessibility and convenience. Chen believes these measures are foundational for attracting international talent from Macau to Hengqin, contributing to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Areas development. He highlights the importance of favorable platforms and collaborative projects supported by the government and private sector to integrate talent across Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau, reflecting positively on Guangdongs efforts in this arena. Related Eight lawmakers took the opportunity to express opinions and suggestions to develop local tourism before the agenda of yesterdays Legislative Assembly (AL) session. Zheng Anting, Ma Chi Seng, Leong Sun Iok, Leong Hong Sai, Ho Ion Sang, Song Pek Kei, Che Sai Wang, and Angela Leong all delivered separate spoken inquiries to the government, focusing on two topics: how to diversify tourism routes and enable visitors to travel to lesser-known areas of the city, and how to improve these visitors experience while traveling in Macau. Beyond the focus of government authorities on improving visitor numbers, the lawmakers noted the necessity of evaluating the experiences of the recent influx of visitors to guarantee a quality experience in Macau. Zheng noted the need to evaluate the results of the pedestrianization of the Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro in 2023, and recent visitor experiences at Taipa old village. The government must evaluate the experiences of the last two years, especially regarding noise control, hygiene in community neighborhoods, and good traffic management, to improve the organization of similar activities during upcoming festive seasons and provide citizens and tourists with a better walking experience, the lawmaker said. The lawmaker also called on the government to create and extend the tourism itinerary to the six big areas currently the subject of various development projects by the gaming concessionaires, and improve public transportation and complementary facilities to link these new areas to others that attract a large number of tourists. In a more unconventional proposal, Zheng also said, Macau should take advantage of the possibilities to develop various coastal tourism projects, such as the creation of a Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Island for luxury tourism. He explained that this should be an island with exclusive access to yachts and helicopters. Recreational boats and helicopters can be used to boost the development of island tourism and foster multi-destination coastal tourism. This can promote high-quality coastal tourism and accelerate tourism to maritime, island and coastal attractions, which will attract more visitors with a higher appetite for spending. Tourism capacity is also a concern Lawmakers Leong Sun Iok and Leong Hong Sai shared similar concerns in addition to their concern for the local tourism capacity. Leong Sun Iok noted the great agglomeration of tourists seen in the most attractive tourist areas, and observed that significant time is still required before the six gaming concessionaires projects will be ready. The lawmaker wants the government to take further actions to avoid the crowding in just a few points and the diversion of some tourists to other areas, that due to being less known, do not receive many visits. He also expressed concerns over the low capacity of local indoor facilities such as arenas and theaters, as well as the problems identified in the recent use of Taipa Stadium. Leong Sun Iok noted that according to government officials, the Macao East Asian Games Dome is an ideal place for large-scale events, expressing hopes that this space can be better utilized than in the past. Leong Hong Sai focused on overcrowding and the incapacity of certain infrastructures such as taxis and the crowd control measures. He noted that besides forcing the tourists to detour unnecessarily, the crowd control measures divert visitors from the stores they wish to visit and reduce their propensity to spend, which is contrary to the purpose of attracting more tourists to Macau. The lawmaker noted that the government needs to improve signage and information to the public, particularly to tourists. There is also a need to define plans for tour bus parking in community neighborhoods and optimize pedestrian routes to popular places, while facilitating the commute for local residents. Another aspect noted by the lawmaker is the lack of bins in the streets and popular tourist areas, as well as the need to increase the frequency of emptying and replacing bins. He called for the installation of temporary and mobile toilets in peak periods and for more rigorous cleaning of such facilities. Lawmaker Ho Ion Sang also noted the need to revise the number of hotel rooms available in budget hotels. Ho noted that while both budget hotels as well as the more luxury units are at almost full capacity during the holiday season, the number of rooms available at cheaper options is low. Similarly, the growth in rooms available is slow, and as such Ho called on the government to incentivize investors to raise the offerings from budget hotels to cope with the needs of different types of tourists. Lawmaker Song, expressing concerns on the quality of transport services, reiterated a previously-shared idea about creating special bus routes and tourism buses to facilitate crowd management during holidays and weekends. She also proposed that the government create special guides about community neighborhoods where visitors are detoured to inform tourists about the particularities of each neighborhood, including available food and shopping options. Jockey Club land to provide a solution Ho Ion Sang also addressed the capacity of the local venues, proposing that the land plot where the Macau Jockey Club is currently situated could be used to develop tourism and sporting projects to more effectively use public assets and reap the social and economic benefits of such a large space. Without specifically mentioning the Jockey Club, lawmaker Song noted the need for the government to make good use of idle and unused lands to increase tourism elements in community neighborhoods, for example, by building recreational facilities or shopping centers to reduce the imbalance in the development of tourism resources and foster Macaus tourism market. The imbalance between the highly visited areas and those that do not receive many tourists was also mentioned by lawmakers Che and Angela Leong. However, neither made any concrete proposals about how to improve the dynamic of these community neighborhoods and attract tourists to them. Starting in March, the Macao Union Hospital will begin offering selected specialized examination services to patients referred by the Health Bureau. The hospital will include specialized outpatient services from May. During the trial-operations phase, individuals seeking access to these services at the hospital will require a referral from a medical professional on behalf of the SSM. The hospital will also collaborate with Conde S. Januario Hospital to prioritize cases requiring specialized treatment or facing longer waiting times. Related With commitment to vitalizing Macaus gastronomic scene and solidifying the citys position as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy, MGM will inject excitement into the city by welcoming a globally respected French pastry master, Meilleur Ouvrier de France (M.O.F.) Angelo Musa to Macau for the first time, to deliver a limited three-day CHOCOLART pop-up series at MGM COTAI from March 7 to 9. The series encompasses demo sessions for local pastry aficionados-entrepreneurs, whisky-pairing session, exclusive afternoon tea set, award-winning pastry, as well as the highlight of a six-hands dinner with award-winning chefs at MGM, which epitomizes innovation and East-Meets-West culture. Being crowned with the most prestigious titles, including the World Pastry Cup (Coupe du Monde de la Patisserie) in 2003 and the coveted title of Craftsman of France (Meilleur Ouvrier de France) in 2007, MOF Angelo Musa is an avant-garde pastry master and author who loves to pervade creativity to reveal a synergy of ingredients, textures and unique flavors in his creations, all executed in the pursuit of perfection. In 2019, with over three decades of industry experience, he was being named as the Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters (Chevalier de lordre des Arts et des Lettres) by the French Minister of Culture for his contribution to the industry. Throughout the series in Macau, MOF Musa brings along chocolate ingredients from Chocolaterie de lOpera, a French chocolate expert with nearly 90 years of experience, to Macau for the showcase. CHOCOLART Six-hands Degustation Dinner On the night of March 8, MOF Musa will be joined by Executive Sous Chef Homan Tsui of Black Pearl One-Diamond Restaurant Imperial Court, and Chef de Cuisine Sihui Pan of contemporary dining hot spot Aji. The trio will present a one-night-only dining experience that features an unconventional cacao-inspired menu, curated to exemplify the intriguing blend of East-Meets-West flavorsand respective culinary essence. The 8-course menu will highlight seven types of single-origin chocolate that reveals the true flavor of cocoa beans and harmonious blend of refined artistry. Bringing with the expertise of Lingnan cuisine, Chef Homan will recreate classic Lingnan dishes such as Braised Wagyu Beef Cheek with 20-years aged tangerine peel, Pan-fried Scallop with XO Sauce and more with a fine twist of cacao added to strike an interesting balance on the palate. Meanwhile, the scrumptious cold plates from Chef Pan are perfectly complemented by a velvety surprise from a specially selected white chocolate. The menu will be wrapped up with two chocolate desserts from Chef Musa for perfect ending. The six-hands dinner is priced at MOP 1,888* per person and MOP 2,488* per person with wine pairing. CHOCOLART Masterpiece Afternoon Tea and Pastries Chocolate enthusiasts cant miss the chance to sample Chef Musas winning dessert for the World Pastry Cup, beautifully named after a swallowtail butterfly family in French as Papilio. The dark-chocolate glazed Papilio marries chocolate sponge and chocolate cremeux with tropical touch of coconut, passion fruit, mango caramel and almond crunch. Equally enticing is Chef Musas special afternoon tea set, featuring six different types of sweets and five savory canapes crafted by chocolate as the core ingredient. Chef Musas award-winning pastry and tea set will be available at Anytime from March 9 until April 30, priced from MOP 68* for the pastry and MOP 888* for an afternoon tea experience for two guests. Chocolatier Master Classes Whats more, during Chef Musas stay, he will be joining hands with MGM to present two different kinds of workshop. The CHOCOLART The Perfect Pairing Workshop on March 8 at Grill 58 is designed for gourmands with sweet-tooth at MOP 488* per guest. The workshop will feature five different chocolate pastries to pair with five different whisky. For enquiry and reservation, please call (853) 8806 3888. *Subject to 10% service charge As Hong Kong moves toward enacting a new national security law, four years after the enforcement of a similar law that all but wiped out dissent and vocal pro-democracy media in the semi-autonomous Chinese city, concerns are spreading among the citys international business and media communities. Critics say the legislation will make Hong Kongs legal system increasingly similar to that of mainland China, but the government argues it will affect only a small minority of disloyal residents. Businesses and journalists fear that broad provisions on state secrets could criminalize their day to day work. The Basic Law, the citys mini-constitution, requires it to pass a home-grown national security law. But previous efforts to pass such a law were defeated. However, following a year of massive pro-democracy protest that rocked the city in 2019, Chinas rulers took harsh measures to restore control and security. Under Beijings 2020 National Security Law, many of the citys leading activists were arrested and others fled abroad. Several vocal media outlets were shuttered. Large protests have been absent in the city in the post-pandemic era. That law targeted politically active Hongkongers, but businesses and journalists are worried that the local law could bring more mainland-style surveillance and censorship to Hong Kong. The citys many companies are concerned about how the new law could affect handling economic data or exclusive research, said George Chen, Hong Kong-based managing director for American policy consulting firm The Asia Group. A public consultation document proposed criminal prosecution for unlawfully disclosing state secrets, echoing the broad definition of secrets used in mainland China, which covers economic, social and technological developments among other areas. Last year, Chinese authorities raided the offices of consulting firm Capvision and corporate due diligence firm Mintz Group in mainland China as part of an ongoing crackdown on foreign businesses that handle sensitive economic data. An employee of a Japanese drug maker was also detained on spying charges. In response to questions from The Associated Press, the government said in an email that the legislation targets an extremely small minority of people who endanger national security, insisting that normal business people, individuals, organizations and the media sector will not unwittingly violate the law. It added that countries including Britain, the U.S. and Canada also have state secrets laws that cover sensitive information beyond traditional security fields, provided its unauthorized disclosure could jeopardize national security. Its not clear when the government will table a bill in the legislature. A one-month public comment period ended yesterday, and the government has said it intends to pass the law this year. With the legislature packed with Beijing loyalists following an electoral overhaul, its expected to pass easily. Johannes Hack, the president of the German Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, told The Associated Press that the new law could change how people see the citys status in China. For decades, Beijing allowed the city to maintain rule of law and civil liberties under a policy called one country, two systems. The new definition of state secrets, he said in an email, may increase the perception that the one country aspect of Hong Kongs special status is more in focus than the two systems. For Hong Kong to present a distinctive business advantage vis-a-vis the mainland, the two systems part is however quite important. Hong Kong in our view should be different in fact and feeling, Hack said. The costs for businesses to comply with the quite broad definition of state secrets may also lead to investment being channeled elsewhere, he added. The European Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong said it will study the consultation with great interest, while the American Chamber of Commerce said it was still soliciting members views. Journalists, too, fear the implications of the new law. A leading group for media professionals, Hong Kong Journalists Association, said in a submission to the government that all members who took part in a survey this month felt the new law would negatively affect press freedom, with 90% saying the effect would be significant. The association said the broad and vague definition of state secrets would make it challenging for journalists to make sound judgement on what could constitute a threat to national security, and that could deter the press from reporting. The group also expressed concern over a proposal to treat colluding with foreign forces to issue a misleading statement that could endanger national security either intentionally or through negligence, as espionage. It feared that foreign public media services, such as the BBC or Voice of America, and their employees could be classified as external forces. Two local news outlets known for critical coverage of the government, Apple Daily and Stand News, were already forced to shut down following the 2020 law, and senior management including Apple Daily publisher Jimmy Lai have been prosecuted. Over the past month, the government briefed diplomats, business leaders and professional groups in a bid to allay their concerns. The officials often referred to the chaotic 2019 street protests to need for the new law. Hong Kong leader John Lee previously said that the majority of the opinions submitted during the consultation period were in support of the new law. Its hard to know how the ordinary people feel about the law in the citys present political climate. Secretary for Security Chris Tang has staunchly defended the proposed legislation, rejecting claims that parts of the law target media. Michael Davis, professor of law and international affairs at O. P. Jindal Global University in India, said that ambiguities in the laws text could spread fear beyond whats explicitly banned. When laws are vague, he said, the public may not know what is prohibited until someone is prosecuted. The consultation document signaled that the Hong Kong government intends to adopt almost completely the far-reaching national security concepts used in mainland China, he said. Officials have pledged to add more precise definitions of the elements and penalties of the offences to the final bill, and said they would consider adding a public interest defense. MDT/AP Hundreds of entrepreneurs, experts and scholars gathered recently at the Yabuli Ski Resort in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, and discussed the new opportunities provided to China's manufacturing industry by "new productive forces," such as digital technology and artificial intelligence (AI). "As a manufacturing center and an innovation powerhouse, China boasts the world's most complete supply chain system and a wealth of talent," said Zhao Bingdi, president of Panasonic (China) Co., Ltd., at the manufacturing forum of the 24th annual meeting of China Entrepreneurs Forum. Zhao said the company views China as the most important market, and wishes to identify more opportunities for competition and cooperation with Chinese companies. Zhou Yuxiang, co-founder and CEO of Blacklake, a Shanghai-based technology company, believes that China's complete industrial chain can turn flexible delivery into a new advantage for China's manufacturing industry. Zhou said that after visiting more than 90 manufacturing enterprises, he found that some suffer from overcapacity while many non-standard customization needs in the market have not been realized. Zhou said that improving the speed of product delivery and flexible delivery capacity is critical in the face of rapid changes in market demand and trends. This can be achieved by integrating a well-developed industrial chain system and new productive forces, including AI and digital technology. According to Ye Jun, president of DingTalk, Alibaba's workplace messaging app, AI will usher in a new era of technological change and development. Ye said that AI plus collaborative office can not only deal efficiently with repetitive affairs, but also bring in-depth reshaping in human-computer interaction, batch decomposition and planning of tasks, and task execution. He added that the market needs enterprises to constantly touch the "ceiling" of AI large-scale models, and also calls for more small or dedicated models of industries to increase certainty for the execution of specific tasks. "Tool-type systems like TV, automobiles, and Dingtalk are particularly suitable for small and medium-sized models, of which the output featured certainty. We see great potential for AI in this area," Ye said. In 2001, a group of Chinese entrepreneurs founded the Yabuli China Entrepreneurs Forum in Heilongjiang. Today, the forum has developed into one of the most influential platforms for entrepreneurs in the country. In addition to a series of entrepreneur forums, the signing ceremony of cooperation projects was also held during this year's annual meeting. The projects focus on key areas, such as the digital economy, bioeconomy, snow-and-ice economy, new energy, high-end equipment, aerospace and new materials. A total of 125 projects were signed, with a total contract value of about 94 billion yuan (about 13.23 billion U.S. dollars). The Trade Union Bill, currently under examination at a parliamentary committee, has recommended excluding non-local workers from establishing their own trade unions. The proposal is a result of new restrictions added to the bill following suggestions from the committee. As per the proposed bill, the formation of a trade union must involve at least seven employees, all of whom must all be at least 18 years of age and Macau residents. The requirement that the founding members are local residents is a new addition. However, the bill maintains existing provisions allowing non-local workers to join existing trade unions. During a recent press conference, committee president and lawmaker Chan Chak Mo said that government officials would be invited to provide further clarification on the amendment. Concerns were raised by a committee member about potential national security risks posed by allowing non-local workers to participate in trade unions. The committee member noted that participation in a trade union may have implications for international politics, and may therefore pose regional and national security risks. As such, it was suggested that non-local workers be fully prohibited from forming or joining trade unions. Other proposals in the bill place restrictions on members of local trade unions participating in international trade unions or bodies. Approval to participate in international trade unions must be obtained from the unions general assemblies, and the Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL) must be notified within 30 days. Participation in non-trade unions by local trade unions, meanwhile, must be approved by both the unions general assemblies and the Chief Executive. The bill also proposes that associations will not be permitted to refer to themselves as trade unions unless registered under the forthcoming law. Existing trade unions, on the other hand, must register under the forthcoming law to retain their names. The committee is concerned with ensuring a seamless transition. The Shenzhen Futian Fashion Event, held at Milans prestigious Palazzo Reale during the Fall/Winter 2024/2025 Milan Fashion Week, marked a significant moment for Chinese fashion on the global stage. Showcasing the creativity and market potential of Shenzhens fashion industry, brands like KAVON, NEXY.CO, and CHLOSIO presented their latest collections. NEXY.CO drew inspiration from the legendary Chinese heroine, Mulan, embodying resilience and elegance, while KAVONs founder, Mary Ho, celebrated the heritage and wisdom of Chinese women. CHLOSIO aimed to portray the confidence and independence of modern Chinese women. Supported by the Futian District Government and organized in collaboration with the International Fashion Strategic Committee and the Italian National Chamber of Fashion, this event underscored the innovative and high-quality trajectory of Shenzhens Futian brands in the fashion industry. Related * Vigilance corps Security chief calls for community vigilance to combat phone scams as crimes increase 38% * Gaming | Galaxy revenues hit HKD36 billion last year * Same, same | Migrant workers banned from forming trade unions * The number of MICE events rose by 138.8% compared to previous year, albeit from a low base reaching some 1,140 events * Lawmakers seek improved tourism experience, beyond numbers * New version of Taiwan history book published DOWNLOAD PDF Thursday, February 29, 2024 edition no. 4434 A jury will have to decide whether the adopted daughter of a Madison couple murdered in 2020 by the daughters boyfriend was involved in their deaths and should be disinherited from her parents estates, a Dane County judge ruled Wednesday. The order was issued by Circuit Judge Diane Schlipper, who is deciding a petition brought in May 2022 by the estates of UW Health Dr. Beth Potter and her husband, Robin Carre, to disinherit Miriam Carre, contending she participated in the homicides. The couple was shot execution-style by Khari Sanford in the UW-Madison Arboretum on March 30, 2020. Carre was never charged with a crime in the case, and she testified for the prosecution at Sanfords trial. Sanford was convicted of two counts of first-degree intentional homicide and sentenced in September 2022 to life in prison without the possibility of release. Citing Wisconsins slayer statute, which generally bars those who murder a person from collecting money from that persons estate, James Stanger, the personal representative for the Potter and Carre estates, sought to stop Miriam Carre from inheriting anything from the estates. In September, attorneys for Carre filed a motion seeking the dismissal of the estates slayer statute petition, contending she had nothing to do with her parents deaths, and even if she did, the statute only applies to the person who directly committed the crime. But Schlipper said enough factual questions remain to let a jury decide the issue. The court denies Miriams motion for summary judgment because a reasonable jury could believe that Miriam conspired in the killing of Robin and Beth, Schlipper wrote in her 13-page decision. In other words, a genuine factual dispute exists as to whether Miriam was the killer of Robin and Beth. The matter must be scheduled for trial to determine Miriams involvement, and intent, if any, in the murder of Robin and Beth, she added. In her ruling, Schlipper wrote that Carres attorneys have to show that no material issues of fact existed for a trial and that by law she is entitled to judgment. Her lawyers argued that there is no dispute the slayer statute doesnt apply because Carre never intended to kill her parents. There was no dispute that Sanford killed Beth Potter and Robin Carre. What remained was the question of whether Carre was involved as a party to the crime, a provision under Wisconsin law that makes those who intentionally aid and abet a crime as liable as the person who committed it. Carres lawyers argued there isnt any evidence she was present at the time or knew about the murders. Lawyers for the estates argued that a reasonable jury could disagree about whether Carre intentionally aided and abetted Sanford. Schlipper wrote that at this stage in the case, all inferences have to be drawn in the light most favorable to the estates. One of Sanfords friends, Schlipper wrote, told police he overheard Miriam Carre and Sanford talk about how they could get bands of money from Carre and Potter. A reasonable jury could infer Miriam and Sanfords method for getting that money was, as would ultimately take place, the murder of Beth and Robin, she wrote. Dane County Deputy District Attorney William Brown said in deposition testimony for the probate case last year that he was convinced by data downloaded from Miriam Carres phone, along with his interviews with Sanford co-defendant Alijah Larrue and with Carre, that she was not involved in the homicides. Certainly there was some thought there early on that she was involved, and I think I dissuaded myself of that fact over time, Brown said. TWO RIVERS, Wis. (AP) The FBI has offered a reward of up to $15,000 in the case of a 3-year-old Wisconsin boy who vanished last week, a police chief said Tuesday. Elijah Vue was last seen Feb. 20 at a residence in Two Rivers, where prosecutors said his mother had sent him to stay with a man now charged with child neglect. Searches by police and residents have so far not located Elijah. The FBI on Tuesday provided a reward of up to $15,000 for information leading to the location and return of the boy or to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for his disappearance, Two Rivers Police Chief Ben Meinnert said at a news conference. The FBI reward is in addition to a Manitowoc County Crime Stoppers reward of $1,000 established Saturday, Meinnert said. Elijah's mother and a man her son was staying with were formally charged with child neglect Monday in connection with the boy's disappearance. His mother, Katrina Baur, 31, of Wisconsin Dells was charged in Manitowoc County with one felony count of party-to-a-crime child neglect and two misdemeanor counts of resisting or obstructing an officer. She was being held on a $15,000 cash bond. The man Elijah had been staying with, Jesse Vang, 39, of Two Rivers, was formally charged with one felony count of party-to-a-crime child neglect. He was being held on a $20,000 cash bond. Baur and Vang both appeared for their initial court appearances Monday afternoon, at which time preliminary hearings were set for March 7, according to court records. Manitowoc County District Attorney Jacalyn LaBre said Friday that Baur had sent Elijah to stay with Vang for disciplinary purposes and that Baur wasnt in Two Rivers, located about 30 miles (48 kilometers) southeast of Green Bay, when Elijah disappeared. Baur told police she had left Elijah with Vang on Feb. 12 because she wanted him to teach her son to be a man," and she had intended to pick him up on Feb. 23, a criminal complaint said. Vang called police on Feb. 20 and reported Elijah missing, telling police he had taken a nap that morning and brought Elijah in the bedroom with him, but when he awoke about three hours later he was gone, the complaint states. Vang told police he was in a relationship with Bauer and had been trying to help with her son's bad behaviors, according to the complaint. Vice President Kamala Harris will travel to Madison on Wednesday to continue fighting for workers, advancing economic opportunity, and building a strong economy for all Americans, the White House announced Thursday. The trip will be Harris second of the year to the state and sixth since being sworn into office. The increased attention placed on Wisconsin by President Joe Biden and his administration underscores the states considerable role in the upcoming presidential election. Former President Donald Trump, who lost his reelection run to Biden in 2020, is the GOP front-runner. While in Madison, Harris plans to tout the Biden administrations ongoing commitment to expanding registered apprenticeship programs and creating good-paying union jobs, according to a statement. Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su will join Harris in Madison. In addition to Harris upcoming visit, first lady Jill Biden announced she will visit four battleground states, including Wisconsin, in early March to celebrate Womens History Month. According to a statement, Jill Biden will meet with women to discuss whats at stake for them this election and the pivotal role they will play in reelecting President Biden and Vice President Harris. Women put Joe in the White House four years ago, and women will do it again, Jill Biden said in a statement. In our communities, women are the organizers, the planners, the mobilizers. We get things done. Thats exactly why were launching Women for Biden-Harris now because when women organize, we win. Additional details on both trips were not immediately available. A Marquette Law School Poll released in early February found both Trump and Biden receiving support from 49% of registered voters in the state, with 2% saying they had not yet decided. The results mark a slight shift from Marquettes November poll, which found Biden holding 50% support among registered Wisconsin voters to Trumps 48%, well within that polls margin of error. Today in history: Feb. 29 1916: Dinah Shore THURSDAYMONDAY School of Rock Join the Magic Valley Dilettantes, who have been performing in the Magic Valley since 1959, in partnership with the CSI Theater Department as they bring Andrew Lloyd Webbers School of Rock musical to life. Production is held at 7:30 p.m. each night except Sunday at the CSI Fine Arts Theatre, with 2 p.m. matinees on Saturday and Sunday. Get tickets at tickets.csi.edu. Text 208-308-8964 with questions. THROUGH MARCH 29 Art Exhibit The Full Moon Gallery, 195 River Vista Place in Twin Falls, presents the dual exhibitions of Thaw and Gobs & Blobs: Artistic Expressions. FRIDAY Casino Night A casino night will be held at 6 p.m. at the Rupert Elks Club. Check-in at 6 p.m. and games including blackjack and poker start at 6:30 p.m. Buy-in is $35. There will be live music and proceeds go to support community projects. Live Music Aaron Golay will perform from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Redhawk Gastropub, 330 Canyon Crest Drive in Twin Falls. Wedding Dress Pop-up Over 1,000 new, used, and sample wedding dresses starting at $50 will be sold from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Burley Inn & Convention Center. Fitting rooms available. More details available at www.dressexpressmt.com. Live Music Gary and Cindy Braun will perform from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Twin Falls Sandwich Co., 128 Main Ave. N. Trivia Night Trivia Night will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. at Flights Hagerman Tasting Room, 260 S State St. in Hagerman. Teams of up to four and individuals can compete for Flight gift cards. Must be at least 21+ to enter. SATURDAY Read Across America Day Kids, drop by the Twin Falls Public Library from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and celebrate Read Across America Day. Kids can complete fun games and activities representing different locations from all across the United States, and win a prize. Hypnosis Show Join Austin Singley for an evening of laughter at 10 p.m. the Orpheum Theatre in Twin Falls for his Comedy Hypnosis After Dark Show. Must be 21+. Concert TOAST The Ultimate Bread Experience is coming to Twin Falls at 7 p.m. at the John Roper Auditorium. TOAST is the #1 touring tribute to the music of 70s soft rock group, Bread, and the music of David Gates. TOAST presents a feel-good show that includes all of Breads top hits. A portion of the proceeds will benefit The American Legion of Twin Falls and School District No. 411. Purchase tickets at https://toastband.ticketspice.com/toast-in-twin-falls-id. Live Music Jordan Shaw will perform from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Redhawk Gastropub, 330 Canyon Crest Drive, Twin Falls. Bingo Fundraiser The Minidoka County 4-H Teen Association is having a bingo fundraiser at 1 p.m. inside the McGregor Center at the Minidoka County Fairgrounds. All ages are welcome. There will be 10 games played. The cost for the 3 game card is $10 and the 6 game card is $20. Many area businesses have donated items or gift cards as prizes. There will be a potato bar, raffle, lots of grab bags, and plenty of refreshments. For more information, contact Jeni Bywater at 436-7184 or jbywater@uidaho.edu. Sausage Supper Knights of Columbus will hold a sausage supper from 5 to 8 p.m. at St. Nicholas Catholic Church, 802 F Street in Rupert. Live Music Cliftonite Acoustics will perform from 8 to 11 p.m. at Wicks Steak Place, 18 East Main St., Declo. Listen to covers ranging from various country music artists like Tyler Childers, Colter Wall and Johnny Cash. Karaoke Meet at the Snake River Grill, 611 Frogs Landing in Hagerman, from 8 p.m. to 1 p.m. for all-ages karaoke. Lyrics on three big screens and lots of microphones. WEDNESDAY Owyhee Canyonlands Presentation John Robison, Idaho Conservation Leagues public lands director, will provide an overview of the Owyhee Canyonlands at 6:30 p.m. at the Twin Falls Public Library. Hell describe the character of different river stretches, and offer logistics advice for planning your own adventures. John will also describe the Owyhee Initiatives collaborative approach to crafting these protections. MARCH 7 Hiring Event Up to 30 employers will be in attendance at a hiring event 4 to 6 p.m. at the Twin Falls Reformed Church, 1631 Grandview Drive N., to provide general information about their industry and recruit for current job openings. Job seekers are encouraged to bring their resume and be prepared for on-site interviews. This event is free and open to the public. MARCH 9 Furrball Fundraiser The annual fundraiser for the Twin Falls Animal Shelter is from 6 to 10 a.m. at the Canyon Crest Event Center. Presented by Wills Toyota and Rustic Ridge Landscape & Irrigation. Enjoy a night of music, dancing, and food. There will be a large selection of raffle baskets and silent dessert auctions. All proceeds go to the Twin Falls Animal Shelters medical care fund, providing for vaccinations, spaying/neutering, bloodwork, foster care, and animal nutrition. Purchase tickets for $60 each online or in person at the Twin Falls Animal Shelter. Every business, interest group, civic organization, legal group, education entity, government agency and living-and-breathing human being in the Gem State should take heed of the chronic shortage of experienced and competent lawyers seeking to be district judges. It has become harder each year to recruit good candidates for district court positions because of a variety of factors low pay, high stress, burnout and the prospect of having to gain the office through a contested election. The situation will only get worse if Senate Bill 1347 is approved by the Legislature this session. For those who may not know how Idahos court system is organized, there are three components. Magistrate courts, which currently have 101 magistrate judges, handle civil trials where up to $10,000 is at stake, plus domestic, traffic, estate, misdemeanor and a variety of other cases. District courts, with 49 district judges, handle the full range of felony and higher-stake civil trials. The appellate courts, with a total of 9 judges, handle and decide appeals from the two trial court components. Candidates for magistrate judge are thoroughly vetted and appointed by regional magistrate commissions. Lawyers seeking positions on the district and appellate court are vetted by the Idaho Judicial Council, which sends a list of the best candidates to the Governor, who appoints from the list. These largely non-political appointment mechanisms have made Idahos court system one of the best in the nation. Former Governor Otter reported on numerous occasions that he regularly received praise from other state governors about the high quality of Idahos judiciary. Former Idaho Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger Burdick also received accolades from his counterparts in other states for the recognized excellence of Idaho judges. To keep an excellent judiciary up and running, lawyers must be incentivized to step forward and apply for judicial positions. Most will take a pay cut of more than 50% from what they can make in private law practice for the privilege of serving as a judge. I did and I do not regret it. But, if it appears to potential applicants that the burdens of the job substantially outweigh the privilege of being able to perform public service, few would be willing to step forward. That is where Idaho is with district court positions. Appellate positions the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals still have enough well-qualified applicants to fill court vacancies, despite the bargain basement compensation package. The same applies to the magistrate courts. The district courts simply dont have enough competent, seasoned applicants to fill and replenish their ranks. That poses a serious danger to the ability of the district courts to do their work, and to the public that depends on those courts to decide cases quickly and competently. Magistrate judge openings often get at least twice as many applicants as district judge openings because they are assured of a merit-based appointment process, the pay disparity is not substantial and magistrate judges do not have to face the prospect of an election contest. On the other hand, district judges presently have a merit-based selection process that the sponsor of Senate Bill 1347 wants to largely disable by requiring district and appellate openings to be filled through contested elections. The sponsor wants to eliminate a retirement benefit that was put in place in 2000 as a recruitment incentive for district and appellate judges, even though she would leave in place a similar recruitment incentive that was adopted for magistrate judges in 2006. Lawyers could be excused for not wanting to apply for a district court position under such uncertainty as to job benefits and whether the benefits would be subject to future revision during their service. The failure of the Legislature to give all Idaho judges the 7% cost-of-living increase that all other state employees received in 2022 did not go unnoticed by those lawyers. But there is yet another significant consideration for district courts the workload. District judges have the highest-pressure job in Idahos court system. They deal with heavy-duty felonies, like the Daybell and Kohberger murder cases, as well as complicated and high-dollar civil disputes that are litigated to the nth degree by deep-pocket parties. Handling the everyday work of managing a complex case and responding to the incessant demands of the lawyers involved takes long hours nights and weekends, which leads to stress and burnout. Who would want to take a pay cut of more than 50% for that kind of miserable job? Legislators should be considering measures to make all court positions more attractive to a broader range of competent, seasoned lawyers. Special emphasis should be placed on getting more applicants for district court positions, because that is where the recruitment problem has reached crisis proportions. Pursuing measures designed to discourage accomplished lawyers from applying for district court positions, where they are needed the most, does not make sense. The Stand up for Courts group, composed of Butch Otter, Patti Anne Lodge, Denton Darrington, Phil Reberger and a host of other concerned citizens, is urging that Senate Bill 1347 be stopped in its tracks in the Senate Judiciary and Rules Committee to help preserve Idahos excellent judiciary. - Advertisement - Members of the Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI) expressed interest to invest in Philippine manufacturing and the supply chain sectors. The delegation led by OCCI chairman Shingo Torii paid a courtesy call to Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual on Feb. 19, 2024 to broaden the partnership on industrial parts manufacturing, pharmaceutical, medical, glass and consumer electronic products. The Philippine government stands ready to provide unwavering support, ensuring the growth of your businesses within our borders and facilitating access to key markets not only domestically but also across the region and the globe, said Pascual. Prior to the visit, OCCI signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) and launched the ASEAN-Japan Business Promotion Platform in the Philippines. The business platform will foster economic partnerships with ASEAN countries, including the Philippines, arising from the recognition of the increasing necessity for reciprocal collaboration between ASEAN and Japan in various business domains such as trade, investment and technical cooperation. - Advertisement - The delegation also underscored the importance of prioritizing discussions on the expanding startup sector in the Philippines. Pascual said noted the significant interest by Japanese firms to invest in the Philippines with the governments economic policies. He said these companies are planning to expand their operations and bring in supply chain participants to complete the ecosystem for the manufacturing of Japanese products. We are optimistic about the future with our Japanese partners participating in the industrialization process. Id like to reaffirm the commitment of the government for an inclusive business environment, particularly for foreign investments, he said. Trade Undersecretary Ana Carolina Sanchez said the Philippines is looking forward to engaging more small and medium enterprises from Japan. Established in August 1878, OCCI is one of the three major economic organizations representing the Osaka-Kansai region, with 31,475 member companies, organizations and associations. - Advertisement - The Supreme Court (SC) has fined former National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) spokesperson Lorraine Marie Badoy-Partosa P30,000 for indirect contempt after she publicly attacked Manila trial court Judge Marlo Magdoza-Malagar on social media. Associate Justice Marvic Leonen wrote the 51-page en banc decision, which found Badoy guilty of red-tagging. She accused Malagar of bias for dismissing a government petition to declare the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, New Peoples Army, as terrorist organizations. For her vitriolic statements and outright threats against Judge Magdoza-Malagar and the Judiciary, respondent is found guilty of indirect contempt and is fined P30,000.00 with a warning that repeating the same or similar acts will lead to a more severe penalty, the SC ruled. The court also cited concerns that Badoys posts incited violence, highlighting comments from her followers expressing anger towards the judge. The decision noted that past experiences show the potential for social media incitement, especially from influential figures. Badoys controversial social media posts in September 2022 led various organizations from the legal community to issue official statements, denouncing her malicious and dangerous utterances on social media. - Advertisement - The controversy prompted the high tribunal to act instantly on the matter by issuing a warning against those who continue to incite violence through social media and other means which endanger the lives of judges and their families. The court emphasized that while freedom of expression allows criticism of courts and judges, it must be done in properly respectful terms and through legitimate channels. Badoys words and actions, the court said, crossed the line. In this case, this Court wields its contempt power due to the harmful, vicious, and unnecessary manner in which respondent launched her criticism, evident in the immediate after effects her statements had on the public, the SC said. Editors Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline SC finds Badoy guilty of indirect contempt for red-tagging judge. Taiwan high school graduates will be able to sign up for the recruitment of higher education institutions on the Chinese mainland from March 1 this year, according to a mainland spokesperson. Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, made the remarks at a press conference Wednesday, where she introduced three approaches for Taiwan students to submit their applications. First, they can sign up for a joint exam for mainland universities to admit overseas Chinese, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan students from March 1 to 15. They can submit their applications at the website www.eeagd.edu.cn/lzks/. Second, they can use the grades they achieved in Taiwan's major college entrance exams to apply for mainland universities. Third, they can participate in exclusive admission programs for Taiwan students by Jinan University, Huaqiao University and eight universities in Fujian Province. For Taiwan compatriots looking to study for master's or doctor's degrees at mainland universities, they can visit a specific website (www.gatzs.com.cn) to learn about and apply for the post-graduate entrance exam for Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan applicants, Zhu added. - Advertisement - Paris, FrancePressed by parents to pose in videos with make-up and skincare products, pre-teen girls dubbed Sephora Kids have taken TikTok by storm in a trend that some specialists brand a danger to childrens mental and physical health. American girls between the ages of eight and 12 are gaining thousands of followers on the video platform by modeling their make-up purchases. The trend focuses particularly on products from the French high-street brand Sephora, championed by reality TV star Kim Kardashians daughter, North West. Gushing over pots of moisturizer or begging their parents to buy them anti-wrinkle cream, they pose in front of the mirror with their hair tied back, aping popular grown-up make-up tutorials. Skin specialists warned that some of the products used in the kids videos contain ingredients not suited to young skin, such as retinol. - Advertisement - Many of the skin influencers sometimes are more trusted than real physicians, US dermatologist Danilo Del Campo told Agence France Presse (AFP). This has led to an increase in consultations related to skin reactions and concerns resulting from the misuse of these products, he warned. Most parents do not realize there are any risks. Parroting famous beauty influencers, the Sephora kids review products from high-end lines, such as moisturizers costing nearly 70 euros ($76). How can these little girls spend like, my salary, really, in skincare? said one Sephora salesperson in the United States, in a TikTok video. Self-esteem issues Del Campo warned young skin can be damaged by unsuitable ingredients. He has also seen self-esteem issues among his child patients who feel the need to correct perceived flaws that may not actually exist. Employees at Sephora have complained about the behaviour of young customers in stores with videos showing make-up counters in disarray with spilt products. Sephora, which is part of the LVMH luxury group, did not respond to requests to comment from AFP. Michael Stora, a psychoanalyst specializing in online behaviour, said the girls in the videos are not playing with dolls as you might expect at their agethey are the dolls. Some mothers in the videos defend the trend as just a gamebut Stora accused parents of the fetishization of their offspring. Solene Delecourt, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley who specializes in social inequality, also believes the videos can contribute to a very stereotypical representation of girls and women online. These are not women but little girls, and they are already subject to this intense social pressure, she said. Delecourt released a study in the Nature journal this month, which said that online images amplify gender bias, particularly against women. And in recent months, TikTok and other social media platforms have come under fire over the impact of videos on young people. In January, tech giants faced a grilling before the US Senate Judiciary Committee after being accused of not doing enough to thwart online dangers for children, including sexual predators and teen suicide. - Advertisement - Palestinian Territories The Hamas-run health ministry said Thursday more than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since the war between the militant group and Israel began nearly five months ago. While mediators say a truce deal between Israel and Hamas could be just days away, aid agencies have sounded the alarm of a looming famine in Gazas north. Children have died due to malnutrition, dehydration and widespread famine at Gaza Citys Al-Shifa hospital, said the health ministry, whose spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra has called for immediate action from international organizations to prevent more of these deaths. Citing the deteriorating conditions in Gaza, USAID head Samantha Power said Israel needed to open more crossings so that vitally needed humanitarian assistance can be dramatically surged. This is a matter of life and death, Power said in a video posted on social media platform X. - Advertisement - The latest overall toll for Palestinians killed in the war came after at least 79 people died overnight across the war-torn Gaza Strip, the health ministry said Thursday. Mediators from Egypt, Qatar and the United States have been seeking a six-week pause in the war sparked by Hamass Oct. 7 attack on Israel, which in response vowed to eliminate the Palestinian Islamist group that rules in Gaza. Negotiators are hoping a truce can begin by the start of Ramadan, the holy Muslim month that kicks off March 10 or 11, depending on the lunar calendar. The proposals reportedly include the release of some Israeli hostages held in Gaza in exchange for several hundred Palestinian detainees held by Israel. Short of the complete withdrawal Hamas has called for, a source from the group said the deal might see Israeli forces leave cities and populated areas, allowing the return of some displaced Palestinians and humanitarian relief. US President Joe Biden is pushing all of us to try to get this agreement over the finish line, said his secretary of state, Antony Blinken. The crucial southern Gaza city of Rafah is the main entry point for aid crossing the border from neighboring Egypt. But the World Food Program said no humanitarian group had been able to deliver aid to the north for more than a month, accusing Israel of blocking access. Neighbouring Jordan has coordinated efforts to air-drop supplies over southern Gaza. If nothing changes, a famine is imminent in northern Gaza, the World Food Programmes deputy executive director Carl Skau said. Israeli officials have denied blocking supplies, and the army on Wednesday said 50 trucks carrying humanitarian aid had made it to northern Gaza in recent days. The war was triggered by an unprecedented Hamas attack on southern Israel that resulted in the deaths of around 1,160 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official Israeli figures. Militants also took about 250 hostages, 130 of whom remain in Gaza, including 31 presumed dead, according to Israel. Israels retaliatory military campaign in Gaza has left hundreds of thousands displaced, with nearly 1.5 million people now packed in Rafah. In a sign of growing desperation among Gazans over living conditions, a rare protest was held Wednesday by residents over the soaring prices of commodities. Everyone is suffering inside these tents, said Amal Zaghbar, who was displaced and sheltering in a makeshift camp. Were dying slowly. Israel has repeatedly threatened a ground offensive on Rafah, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying a truce would only delay it, as such an operation was needed for total victory over Hamas. Egypt which borders Rafah says an assault on the overcrowded city would have catastrophic repercussions. While Israels plans for post-war Gaza exclude any mention of the Palestinian Authority, its top ally the United States and other powers have called for a revitalised PA, which governs the occupied West Bank, to take charge of the territory. Palestinian foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki said a technocratic government without Gazas rulers Hamas was needed to stop this insane war and facilitate relief operations and reconstruction. His government, based in the West Bank, resigned this week, with prime minister Mohammad Shtayyeh citing the need for change after the war ends. A government that includes Hamas longtime rivals of president Mahmud Abbass Fatah party, which controls the PA would be boycotted by a number of countries, Maliki told a news conference in Geneva. On Thursday, Palestinian factions including Hamas and Fatah were expected to arrive in Moscow for a meeting at Russias invitation. The central goal is how to unite the Palestinian ranks, Mustafa Barghouti of the Palestinian National Initiative a civilian political party told Qatar state TV from Moscow. In Israel, Netanyahu has come under increasing pressure to bring the hostages home. Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant insisted the government was making every effort. A group of 150 Israelis started a four-day march from Reim, near the Gaza border, to Jerusalem, calling for the government to reach a deal. No one should be left behind, said Ronen Neutra, father of captive Omer Neutra, an Israeli soldier who is also a US citizen. AFP - Advertisement - The Metro Manila Council passed a resolution suspending the collection of amusement taxes for the screenings of local films in the National Capital Region for the next three years in support of and to promote the Filipino film industry. The resolution stated that the imposition of an amusement tax on Filipino films adds a financial burden to local film producers, potentially affecting the sustainability of the Filipino film industry. Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chief and Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) chairperson Don Artes said the MMC resolution will be adapted by each local government unit in NCR to likewise help the movie industry. The MMC, which is composed of the mayors in Metro Manila, is the governing board and the policy-making body of the MMDA. In support of the resolution, they will amend their respective local revenue codes to waive the amusement tax for Filipino movies exhibited in Metro Manila from January 8 to December 24 of every year for the next three years, Artes said. - Advertisement - During the MMC meeting held Wednesday, the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) through film director Jose Javier Reyes, said that the state of the Philippine film industry is dismal and has declined significantly. He noted that during the pandemic, streaming platforms, content piracy, and heavy taxation on film productions were challenges that the industry has been facing in recent years. A producer needs to pay three types of taxes for each film including 10 percent amusement taxes together with other taxes such as Value Added Tax and Income Tax, making us the most heavily-taxed movie industry in the world, he explained, emphasizing that the three-year moratorium of amusement tax will mean survival for the industry. Local movie industry players voiced this concern to Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benjamin Abalos, Jr. during the screening of the inaugural Manila International Film Festival held early last month. In a roundtable discussion, Abalos presented ease of doing business initiatives in the country to the producers, filmmakers, actresses, and actors, and emphasized support of the DILG in supporting and bringing back the glory of Philippine cinema. The DILG is in full support to reinvigorate the Filipino filmmaking industry and help them by bringing back the local moviegoers into watching in cinemas again, he said. The moratorium on the imposition of amusement taxes excludes the period of the MMFF, which is from December 25 of every year until January 7 of the following year. Amusement taxes during the said period are waived by LGUs of Metro Manila in favor and in support of MMFF beneficiaries such as the Movie Workers Welfare Foundation (Mowelfund), the Film Academy of the Philippines, the Motion Picture Anti-Film Piracy Council, the Optical Media Board, and the FDCP. The move is also to encourage the production and exhibition of quality Filipino films by providing relief and assistance to filmmakers and producers, the resolution stated. - Advertisement - China vowed there will be no let-up in its efforts to protect what it insisted was its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights in the West Philippine Sea after President Marcos told members of the Australian parliament that Beijings recent actions in the area were worrisome. Chinas position on the South China Sea is consistent and clear, Chinese foreign affairs ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said. We express grave concern over the Philippines recent activities in the South China Sea that infringe on Chinas sovereignty and will continue to take necessary measures to firmly safeguard our territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, and keep the South China Sea peaceful and stable, she added. President Marcos, in a speech in Canberra, raised concern over the deployment of Chinese Navy boats in the West Philippine Sea. Its worrisome because there are two elements to that: one is thatpreviously only Chinas Coast Guard was moving in our area. Now, also its Navy and fishing boats, Mr. Marcos said. - Advertisement - So, the situation is changing, he added (see banner story Editors). To protect Filipino fishermen, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) vessels started holding rotational deployment in Bajo de Masinloc this February. Tensions between Manila and Beijing increased recently as the two countries traded accusations such as alleged intrusion, shadowing, blocking, and performing dangerous maneuvers. China claims most of the South China Sea, parts of which are also claimed by the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam, and Indonesia. In 2016, an international arbitration tribunal in The Hague said Chinas claims had no legal basis, a decision Beijing has rejected. Meanwhile, the countrys ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel Romualdez said he considered the West Philippine Sea and not Taiwan as the real flashpoint for an armed conflict in Asia. Romualdez expressed deep concern that tensions over the recent monthsbetween the Philippines and China are more alarming than the possibility of the Asian power invading Taiwan. The real problem and the real flashpoint, which is why Im telling you how critical it is for us, the real flashpoint is in the West Philippine Sea, Romualdez told reporters. He said the heightened tensions between China and Taiwan was a key concern, but a Chinese takeover was a calculated risk. Romualdez said he believes that Chinese President Xi Jinping is not going to make a move unless he is absolutely sure that he canmilitarily take over Taiwan. Deterrence is the only way to stop them from going into that kind of situation, Romualdez said. Romualdez said the unpredictable situation in the West Philippine Seais keeping him awake at night as it does President Marcos and other Philippine officials. All of these skirmishes that are happening there, there can be one major accident and either one of our countries the US or the Philippines can invoke the MDT and when we do, a commitment made by the US or the commitment we made will happen and then all hell breaks loose, he said. Diplomacy is still the best option to pursue rather than engage in any conflict. Thats what we are working hard on. We want to avoid having to find a situation where we will have to call each other saying we want to invoke the Mutual Defense Treaty, you have to defend us because the Chinese are already on our shores. We hope it will never happen. - Advertisement - Bello says The crisis of the US empire is real, but its trajectory of decline is likely to be a protracted and uneven one In a recent symposium at the University of the Philippines Center for Integrative and Development Studies (UP-CIDS) in Diliman, Walden Bello, internationally renowned development expert, presented a paper, Is the US Empire unraveling? where he argued: The crisis of the US empire is real, but its trajectory of decline is likely to be a protracted and uneven one. For this column, however, we will focus on what he said about the US-China rivalry in this part of the world. Washington wants to keep focused on China, and increasingly its rhetoric contains few references to promoting values like democracy and human rights and has come across as simply keeping from Beijing from becoming Number One, despite the fact that Beijing has explicitly disclaimed seeking to be Number One and has shown by its behavior that it does not seek to step into the role of the US as global hegemon While the US military posture is forward defense, Chinas posture remains strategic defensive, as even the Pentagon admits. Though China has raised its military spending and might be in the process of re-orienting its force posture, - Advertisement - Beijing is not engaged in an arms race with the US, which continues to spend three times more than China over the last few years. Chinas strategic nuclear arsenal remains puny in comparison to that of the US. It has only one overseas base (in Djibouti) compared to the scores of US military bases and military installations in Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, and Guam, in addition to the Seventh Fleet Having focused for so long on a defensive strategy reliant on A2/AD (Anti-Access/Area Denial) weaponry, Chinas offensive capabilities are limited, with its naval offensive punch being provided by three aircraft carriers with a Soviet-era design that are in technological terms light-years away from those of the US. The main site of confrontation between an aggressive US and a defensive China is the Asia-Pacific region, and in particular the South China Sea. First, Washington has been rattling its saber about responding to a Chinese invasion of TaiwanTrue, Beijing reserves the option of military action to take over Taiwan, but, seriously, it would be crazy to resort to this option since the US could wipe out most of the Chinese Navy offensive capabilities 24 hours after hostilities begin. Second, Washingtons declared intent in obtaining more military bases in the Philippines is to support Taiwan in the event of an invasion by China. The reality is that defending Taiwan against a non-existent Chinese threat of military takeover is the rhetorical rationale for the real goal of building up the Philippines as a springboard from which to contain China. Third, Chinas motivations for its actions in the South China Sea are primarily defensive, that is, to expand its defense perimeter against US attack from American bases in the Western Pacific and the Seventh Fleeta reality that even the Pentagon admits when it notes that Beijings main activity in the maritime formations it possesses or had seized from the Philippines is installing anti-missile and anti-ship missiles in order to shoot down incoming missiles aimed at Chinas industrial infrastructure in southeastern China. Where Beijing has committed a massive blunder is that in pursuit of a defensive goal, it has acted unilaterally to claim 90 per cent of the South China Sea or West Philippine Sea. It chose an illegal shortcut, whereas it could have patiently negotiated with its Southeast Asian neighbors that border the South China Sea to collectively demilitarize the area and keep out the Americans. Beijing has only itself to blame for having come across as a big bully, but it is not too late to rectify its relations with ASEAN (I proposed several years ago) a phased demilitarization and neutralization of the South China Sea in return for the withdrawal of US bases from the Western Pacific and the abrogation of military agreements with the United States Vietnam has its own conflicts with China but it has a foreign policy, the famous Four Noes, that the Philippines could emulatethat is, the country will not join military alliances, not side with one country against another, not give other countries permission to set up military bases or use its territory to carry out military activities against other countries, and not use forceor threaten to use forcein international relations. (Email: ernhil@yahoo.com) - Advertisement - Misters of Filipinas Lloyd Edwardson Figueras is now competing in the inaugural Mister Teenager Universe 2024 pageant, held in Bali, Indonesia, from Feb. 26 to March 2. Figueras, Mister Laoag 2023, is a Bachelor of Science in Nursing student at Kolehiyo ng Lungsod ng Dasmarinas. He is also a model, radio broadcasting journalist, and tourism ambassador for his hometown of Laoag City. Mister Teenager Universe, a world youth competition alongside Miss Teenager Universe, aims to promote the positive impact of youth on the global tourism economy of each participating country. With 30 countries participating, the competition goes beyond just beauty. Aspirants will participate in various sessions, including International Diplomacy, a Fashion Parade, Personality Interviews, and a Cultural Night, where Figueras will showcase a national costume designed by Amor Albano. The top three winners will receive cash prizes and bachelors degree scholarships from the organization. - Advertisement - Feeling incredibly blessed and overwhelmed with gratitude, Figueras said. I couldnt have done it without PEPPS unwavering support. I take pride in my hometown, Laoag City, and will continue to inspire other Laoaguenos to pursue their dreams. Following the historic back-to-back win of reigning king RJ de Vera in Man Hot Star International, Lloyd becomes the second Misters of Filipinas King to compete abroad among this years batch of winners. Celebrating its 11th year, Prime Event Productions Philippines Foundation Inc. (PEPPS) is proud to be the longest-running and leading male pageant in the Philippines. * * * The Miss Philippines 2023 winners appointed Empire Philippines The Miss Philippines queens, who were crowned in October last year, were given their respective titles during the recent The Appointment ceremony held at Hilton Manila in Pasay. Alethea Ambrosio, winner of the inaugural Miss Philippines 2023, was named Miss Supranational Philippines 2024. Blessa Ericha Figueroa was given the title Miss Philippines Asia Pacific International 2024, while Chantal Elise Schmidt was named Miss Eco International Philippines 2024. Appointed Miss Aura Philippines 2024 was Isabelle delos Santos while the Miss Eco Teen Philippines 2024 title went to Hanna Uyan. On the male side, Brandon Espiritu, winner of the inaugural Mister Pilipinas Worldwide 2023, was appointed Mister Pilipinas Supranational 2024. The rest of the appointments were Dom Corilla, Mister Pilipinas Global 2024; Justine Ong, Mister Pilipinas International Ambassador 2024; Emerson Gomez, Mister Pilipinas Cosmopolitan 2024; Anthony Cunningham, Mister Pilipinas Man of the Year 2024; and Jordan San Juan, Mister Pilipinas Manhunt Supermodel 2024. Mika Gadsden is well versed in the electoral process, having run for mayor, served as a polling precinct clerk and worked as a political activist over the past decade. But Gadsden said even she was having a hard time determining which congressional district she is slated to vote in later this year in South Carolina's Charleston County. Her confusion stems from a process known as gerrymandering, in which political parties in power manipulate the boundaries of voting districts to gain an electoral upper hand. The process can amount to an "assault on democracy," Gadsden said. The effects of gerrymandering are neither new nor uncommon, but with Democrats and Republicans currently splitting control of Congress by the narrowest of margins, experts say a small number of pending redistricting battles and newly released maps could help determine which party holds the levers of power in the U.S. House of Representatives after this year's elections. The states where the stakes are highest include: South Carolina, where the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to decide soon whether to allow a new congressional map to stand. New York, where the state Legislature rejected this week the latest congressional map drawn by a bipartisan commission and adopted a new one. Wisconsin, where a recent lawsuit could lead to the redrawing of congressional maps. Louisiana, where a new map released in late January creates an additional majority-Black congressional district. North Carolina, where redistricting has been the subject of Supreme Court rulings and ongoing lower-court fights. South Carolinas electoral maps redrawn in 2021 moved Gadsden and some 30,000 other Black voters out of a competitive district and into one that has been in Democratic hands for four decades. The process, she said, has sown seeds of confusion" and really does demoralize a lot of people who find their vote will carry less weight. SC maps 'really an assault on democracy,' voter says What we see is that the powers that be have pretty much picked the winners for people, Gadsden said. Its so undemocratic. Its really an assault on democracy in general. The practice of moving electoral district boundaries to promote certain outcomes, such as increasing the odds that a certain party wins or reducing the voting power of particular groups of voters, is not a new part of our election system. Politicians have employed the tactic for centuries, and voting rights activists have been trying to combat it for about as long. The back and forth has left courts to determine when such redistricting crosses a legal line. After South Carolinas governor signed the new maps into law, the state NAACP and a local voter sued, alleging that the new state map is an example of illegal gerrymandering that discriminates against those voters based on the color of their skin. With that case now in the hands of the Supreme Court, the implications for Gadsden and the other voters in Charleston could be significant. Should the court decide the gerrymander was illegal, those Black voters will go back to casting their ballots for a seat that a Democrat held as recently as 2021, when Republican Rep. Nancy Mace won election. Decisions in a few cases could have nationwide effect And with Republicans holding a razor-thin majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, experts say the ramifications of that court decision and a handful of other pending cases that allege illegal gerrymanders could be felt nationwide. There are going to be some places where Democrats pick up a seat or two or, maybe in New York, three or four, said Paul M. Smith, senior vice president of the nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center and a lawyer who has argued multiple landmark gerrymandering cases before the Supreme court. In North Carolina, when the new Supreme Court there had the map redrawn, the Democrats lost two or three or four seats. So it may end up having a net effect thats fairly modest across the country, Smith said. But given how closely divided the House is, we might very well find that a decision or two here were decisive, because whichever party is in control next time might be in control (of the House) by about two seats. Candidates choose their voters when maps redrawn Mitchell D. Brown, senior counsel for voting rights for the Southern Coalition for Social Justice, puts the problem of gerrymandering plainly. It occurs, he said, when legislators are choosing their voters, and voters are not choosing their legislators. Our democracy is supposed to be of the people, by the people and for the people, Brown said. But right now its of the elected officials, by the elected officials and for the elected officials. The anti-democratic effects of gerrymandering, Brown and other experts argue, are wide-ranging. When individual voters see the power of their vote weaken as they are packed by party, race or other factors into districts designed to reliably elect candidates of a certain party, Brown said it tends to dampen voter interest in elections where outcomes seem preordained. Voters also can be undermined by a gerrymandering tactic known as cracking, which involves splitting up groups of voters and assigning them to electoral districts that are safe for the party they dont belong to. However gerrymandering is implemented, Brown said, the result is it makes it harder for voters to hold politicians accountable at the ballot box. And when officials are less accountable to their constituents, he said, the effects are felt far beyond the polling precinct. The practical effect is theres less representation, Brown said. When gerrymandering is based on race, he added, the needs of the Black community are not met because you have elected officials that dont speak to the experience of the Black community. The creation of safe seats can also exacerbate partisan polarization and push people to the extremes, politically, said Smith, of the Campaign Legal Center, because politicians have to focus primarily on winning primaries, not general elections. And that, Smith said, pushes people toward the extreme right or the extreme left. Wonky shapes lead to shift in political power While the problems with gerrymandering are easy to see, the practice is difficult to stop, according to Smith, who has spent decades trying to do so. Despite repeated attempts to get the Supreme Court to find it illegal when an electoral map is designed to guarantee one party wins most of the seats, even if they dont get most of the votes, Smith said the court determined in 2019 that such partisan gerrymandering is a political question thats too complicated for the federal courts to deal with. And so, he said, you cant go to federal court and challenge partisan gerrymandering. But the U.S. Supreme Court has affirmed the rights of state courts to combat partisan gerrymandering in maps drawn by state legislatures. Last year, the court ruled that the North Carolina courts can regulate redistricting to ensure it accords with the state constitution. North Carolina has really been ground zero for the redistricting and gerrymandering conversations nationwide, said Chris Cooper, a political science professor at Western Carolina University. The Supreme Court ruling leaves the partisan gerrymandering fight at a state level. In North Carolina, that allowed a new conservative state supreme court majority to reverse a previous ruling, allowing Republican-leaning redistricting maps to be implemented for the 2024 election, Cooper said. The court also ruled that political gerrymandering was not a question for state courts. The fight over gerrymandering in North Carolina is nothing new but has increased in the past decade, Cooper said. Since 2010, the state has seen seven congressional district voting maps enacted, four of which were used in elections. Texas maps reflect 'unbridled gerrymandering,' professor says The change in gerrymandering after 2010 was seen in Texas as well, Rice University political science professor Mark Jones said. The states 2021 voting maps reflected unbridled gerrymandering in a way that hadn't been the case in 2005 and 2011, Jones said. Congressional districts in Texas pack Democrats together, twisting and turning to form wonky shapes that span miles. In Texas, the redistricting has all but ensured a Republican hold in the state, Jones said. While gerrymandering might not always play a significant role in elections, in a year like 2024, when the election is close, a handful of seats could affect control, Jones said. Gerrymandering takes some of the question out of elections, leaving some voters feeling disenfranchised, Jones said. The near-constant changes in North Carolina also make it difficult for voters to know who represents them at a state and national level, Cooper said. Despite challenges, Cooper says, it's unlikely anything will change in North Carolina. The latest maps in North Carolina, allowed by the state Supreme Court, are still being challenged in court, Cooper said. The most recent lawsuit, filed in December, alleges racial gerrymandering, the first case to do so for the current maps, he said. The stakes are too large for people to not at least try to overturn these maps, Cooper said. Both parties are challenging the maps. Its very clear they know the maps mean power. Its a convenient fiction but a fiction to say the people still get the final say. Courts can intervene if race main motive vs. politics While state courts have become the main battleground over partisan gerrymandering, the U.S. Supreme Court has found that federal courts can get involved in race-based gerrymandering. Thats based in part on the Constitutions Equal Protection Clause, which says states cannot undermine citizens rights, and in part on the Voting Rights Act, a 1965 law designed to ensure all citizens have an equal opportunity to participate in elections. But to pursue cases under those provisions, a court has to determine, first, whether race was the predominant motive in the minds of the people drawing the lines, Smith said. That can be tricky, especially when race seems to be used as a proxy for party, as often occurs with Black voters, who tend overwhelmingly to vote for Democrats. Brown said the difficulty in making distinctions between race and party means Black voters dont have the same protections. All the legislature has to do is say, Hey, we didnt do this for racial reasons. We did this for partisan reasons, Brown said. Courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court, have heard several cases that hinge on such determinations. While many of its decisions were widely viewed as undermining legal protections for Black voters, the court surprised observers last year when it upheld a key piece of the Voting Rights Act that requires states to create opportunities for voters of color to elect candidates of their choice when theyre faced with massive racially polarized voting, like in the South, Smith said. The effect of that decision will be felt in this years congressional election, because the ruling resulted in the drawing of a second Black-majority district in Alabama. That district is expected to elect a Democrat to Congress. Decision helps cause of 'racial justice' in districting It also means there will be continued efforts to create majority-Black, majority-Latino districts in situations where, if you dont, the majority white population will control all the districts, Smith said. So that was a very positive decision for those who believe in racial justice in districting. Brown said such protections are crucial, because, he argues, race is a factor even when legislators profess not to be considering it. To believe that a legislature can draw a race-blind map is farcical, Brown said. These people know where the Black voters are, where white voters are, where Latino voters are. To say something is race blind, you can draw your district by memory, and you know how to gerrymander. Race is always going to undergird what the legislature does, which is going to affect minority voters. The South Carolina case currently pending in the U.S. Supreme Court hinges on whether the justices find politics or race influenced the district maps. If justices rule the new electoral maps were drawn to advance a partisan advantage, the changes will be allowed to stand. If the high court determines legislators were motivated by a desire to pack Black voters in a single safe district, the court could order maps to be redrawn. Clyburn case complicates gerrymandering discussion This distinction between race and politics has been further clouded by the findings that Rep. Jim Clyburn, the Black Democrat who has represented the states 6th Congressional District since 1993, worked with Republicans to move Black voters into his district in order to shore up his chances of reelection. ProPublica examined Clyburns role in depth. A three-judge panel that found the new lines represented a racial gerrymander also described the congressmans staffs role in helping Republicans alter his district. While a Republican who led the redistricting effort said he received a map from the staff of Congressman James Clyburn and (that) he incorporated the Clyburn staff proposals into the final plan, he also acknowledged making dramatic changes to the staffs recommendations, court documents say. Clyburns office has strongly denied that he participated in the states gerrymandering, but experts have long described an unholy alliance between Black Democratic lawmakers and Republican lawmakers to draw maps that create safe seats for the former at the expense of a broader advantage for the former. Is there a fair solution to drawing districts? While theres no doubt legislators from both parties work behind the scenes to draw maps to their advantage, Smith said there isn't an obvious way to draw them objectively and fairly. The challenge lies, in part, in how people tend to congregate geographically by party, which leads to what Smith calls unintentional gerrymandering. One of the things that is true of the way our country is set up is that Democrats tend to cluster themselves in cities, he said. And so if you draw maps without thinking of partisanship at all just draw squares or whatever you end up with more Republican seats than Democratic seats, even if its a 50-50 state, because the Democrats pack themselves into a smaller number of districts with really, really high percentages of Democrats. So although he said Republicans have been in a better position to do more gerrymandering, Smith said he doesnt think they are more prone to it than Democrats. As courts tangle over whether to allow legislators to move electoral lines and decide who elects whom, a growing number of states have taken such decisions out of their hands altogether through the formation of redistricting commissions. Samuel Wang, a Princeton University professor who leads the Princeton Gerrymandering Project, said court victories and citizens initiatives have led to a sharp decline in the practice over the past decade. You look at the congressional level the degree of gerrymandering in the U.S. House of Representatives compared to 10 years ago the distortion is less than half what it was in 2012, he said. So things are getting better. But issues remain. While the movement to create independent commissions is spreading across the country, Smith believes theres a natural limit on how far that can go because in about half the states, at least, in order to get a constitutional amendment on the ballot, it has to be passed twice by the legislature. And they dont pass it. Are independent commissions better at drawing maps? Though experts say commissions tend to make better maps than politicians, some have struggled, including in New York. New York voters changed the state constitution to take redistricting out of the hands of the state legislature and into an independent commission. But the commission deadlocked on its first attempt, which gave the job of redistricting back to legislators. That Democrat-controlled body then drew its own maps, which were signed into law, promptly challenged in court and invalidated. The state Supreme Court then appointed a special master to draw yet another new map, which was used for a 2022 election that saw Republicans make important gains in New Yorks congressional races. But Democrats have been fighting to allow the Independent Redistricting Commission to have another chance at redrawing the maps, and in December, the state Supreme Court ruled in their favor. When that new map was released this month, little was different from the one used in 2022. Had the state Legislature approved that map, Republicans would have been expected to maintain their gains. But on Feb. 26, Democrats rejected the map. Two days later, the state Legislature adopted a slightly different map designed to help Democrats pick up seats in a small number of key battleground U.S. House districts without drawing further court challenges. Congress seen as unlikely to act on redistricting rules Ultimately, Smith and others say, comprehensive change to the nations redistricting rules would have to come from the U.S. Congress itself. But that, Smith said, is unlikely anytime soon. Congress is the place where a lot of the problems with our democracy could get fixed, Smith said. Its just, youve gotta get a majority in both houses and a filibuster-proof majority at that who really want to fix them, and thats not easy. We dont have that now. That leaves voters like Gadsden, in Charleston, waiting for court decisions and new maps that will decide where they vote, influence who wins their local elections and help determine who controls a bitterly divided Congress. Gadsden views the situation as an alarming part of a larger assault on peoples access to their own democracy. It seems like the old guard within the establishment really has worked hard to maintain a level of power that doesnt serve the voter at all, she said. It really does not serve the voter. It also does not serve democracy, Wang said. It is possible through legislative jiggery-pokery to gain an advantage that could never be gotten through any amount of campaigning, Wang said. So at the level of national power, it actually could be quite consequential. Election advantages due to district mapping The Li Ka Shing Foundation has provided a significant gift to Stanford University for a multidisciplinary initiative aimed at supporting resilience and well-being among aspiring entrepreneurs. The goal of the Stanford Initiative for Entrepreneurs Resilience and Well-Being (SIER) is to understand and promote the traits that define successful entrepreneurs, especially in health science and technology. New learning programs will support not only participants entrepreneurial success, but also their mental health and well-being as they tackle difficult leadership roles. Of particular interest is understanding how and why women and people from underrepresented communities are challenged as entrepreneurs. In addition, the Li Ka Shing Foundation is providing generous support to advance the work of two pioneering Stanford bioengineers. Together, the gifts for SIER and the faculty members total $15 million. The foundation is named for Hong Kong entrepreneur and global philanthropist Li Ka-shing, a longtime friend to Stanford who made the foundational gift for the construction of the Li Ka Shing Center for Learning and Knowledge, which opened in 2010 and is today the heart of the medical school. We are deeply grateful to Li Ka-shing for his historic and ongoing support to advance innovation and improve teaching, the student experience, and health care at Stanford, said Stanford University President Richard Saller. His contributions provide profound benefits to so many in our own community and well beyond. Li said, This new initiative at Stanford seeks to unlock critical pathways for transformative technologies to scale and benefit the world at large, and I am especially pleased this gift reaffirms my lifetime pursuit in support of the good of science, where innovations become inspiring novel solutions in the hands of successful entrepreneurs. Helping a wider spectrum of entrepreneurs Silicon Valley, and Stanford University, are well known as training grounds for many of the nations most successful innovators. Nonetheless, just as with the startup process, many entrepreneurs fail to launch at various stages of the innovation journey. SIER is designed to shed light on the entrepreneurs. By expanding the work of the Stanford Byers Center for Biodesign and the Stanford Technology Ventures Program, SIER will enable researchers to examine the reasons some entrepreneurs are resilient and ultimately achieve their goals, while others are unsuccessful. SIER participants will be guided by faculty and staff from the Stanford University School of Medicine, School of Engineering and the Graduate School of Business, as well as industry mentors. Alan Yeung, MD, the Li Ka Shing Professor in Cardiology and emeritus chief of the division of cardiovascular medicine, serves on SIERs initial governance committee. The potential for this initiative is really exciting. Societies, businesses and science itself thrive when more individuals with varied backgrounds are able to become successful entrepreneurs and bring different ideas to bear on problem solving and innovation, Yeung said. If SIER is successful in developing strategies that can help a wider spectrum of entrepreneurs to succeed, we will share our ideas broadly with other programs worldwide. Advancing game-changing innovations in health science In addition to helping prepare the next generation of innovators, gifts from the Li Ka Shing Foundation are supporting the work of Stanford bioengineers Michael Fischbach and Stanley Qi. Michael Fischbach, PhD, a professor of bioengineering, is the Liu (Liao) Family Professor and directs the Stanford Microbiome Therapies Initiative (MITI), a partnership between Sarafan ChEM-H and the Department of Bioengineering with the goal of understanding and manipulating microbes that live on and inside humans to develop new therapeutics. Funding from the Li Ka Shing Foundation will help enable Fischbach and his team to prototype new therapies that employ skin bacteria as topical treatments for a range of immune-related diseases. Stanley Qi, PhD, is an associate professor of bioengineering and an institute scholar in Stanfords Sarafan ChEM-H. Previous support from the Li Ka Shing Foundation has helped Qis team pursue advances in the groundbreaking genome engineering technology known as CRISPR. These have included the development of a mini CRISPR system, whose smaller size makes it easier to deliver to patients and execute gene therapy treatment for addressing diverse ailments, including muscular dystrophy, liver diseases and blindness. Support from the Li Ka Shing Foundation is set now to advance synthetic neuroscience research in Qis lab. This will enable the development of innovative technologies focused on the safe and efficient delivery of therapeutic molecules for genetic and epigenetic editing in the brain. This research has the potential to offer new gene therapy strategies to tackle a variety of formidable neurological genetic diseases that have been beyond the scope of treatment due to technological limitations. Michael Fischbach and Stanley Qi are both making extraordinary contributions in bioengineering and neurobiology, with the possibility of huge benefits for human health, said Lloyd Minor, MD, the Carl and Elizabeth Naumann Professor for the Dean of the School of Medicine and vice president for medical affairs at Stanford University. We so appreciate everyone at the Li Ka Shing Foundation for their profound dedication to funding visionary work like theirs, as well as initiatives like SIER that provide such meaningful opportunities for our students. The Stanford Initiative for Entrepreneurs Resilience and Well-Being is the most recent of many ways that the Li Ka Shing Foundation advances education, innovation and patient care at Stanford University. The foundation supports a wide range of projects, including medical research, international fellowships, surgical training, faculty support, an endowed professorship and the purchase of life-saving therapeutic equipment. Since the discovery of significant natural gas reserves off Mozambiques northern coast in 2010, hopes have been high for the countrys economic prosperity. Projections from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in 2016 anticipated substantial revenue from liquid natural gas (LNG) exports, predicting a total of $500 billion by 2045 and an average real GDP growth rate of around 24% from 2021 to 2025. However, despite these expectations, Mozambiques economic development has stagnated. Rates of extreme poverty have persisted, particularly in regions like Cabo Delgado, where LNG facilities are being constructed. While optimism regarding the potential of natural gas to boost the economy remains, similar hopes in other African nations have often led to disappointment. Concerns about Mozambiques LNG projects have been raised, particularly regarding their design and potential revenue risks. The structure of the deals suggests that significant revenue for Mozambique will be delayed until the mid-2030s and 2040s, heavily dependent on the global LNG market, which may diminish due to climate change commitments. Moreover, the involvement of foreign companies in the projects, coupled with tax avoidance strategies, raises questions about the actual benefits accruing to Mozambique. Uncertainties about long-term demand for LNG, volatile market conditions, and ongoing armed conflict in Cabo Delgado further complicate the outlook for Mozambiques LNG aspirations. Considering these challenges, Mozambique must reconsider its reliance on LNG for economic development. There is a pressing need for a comprehensive reassessment of existing projects, prioritizing alternative initiatives that promote long-term sustainability and address socio-economic issues. Thorough analyses are required to identify the most viable opportunities for the countrys future development. 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: Air travel can be miserable for people with disabilities, particularly if an airline mishandles, damages or loses their wheelchair in transit. Now, the Biden Administration has proposed tough new standards for how airlines treat and accommodate people in wheelchairs. The proposed rules would make mishandling wheelchairs an automatic violation of the Air Carrier Access Act, allowing federal regulators to more easily hold airlines accountable when a person's wheelchair is damaged. The rules would also mandate better training and improved practices to ensure that disabled passengers receive safe, dignified and prompt assistance at airports. "There are millions of Americans with disabilities who do not travel by plane because of inadequate airline practices and inadequate government regulation, but now we are setting out to change that," U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in an announcement outlining the proposed rule. "This new rule would change the way airlines operate to ensure that travelers using wheelchairs can travel safely and with dignity," Buttigieg added. An estimated 5.5 million Americans use a wheelchair, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) said. In 2023, 11,527 wheelchairs and scooters were lost, delayed, damaged or stolen by airlines. Among its provisions, the new rule would require airlines to: Immediately notify passengers of their options if their wheelchair has been mishandled Repair or replace damaged wheelchairs Return a lost wheelchair to the passenger's final destination within 24 hours, by whatever means possible Make loaner wheelchairs available that fit the needs of the passenger Promptly assist disabled passengers through the airport terminal and on or off the plane Conduct annual hands-on training for employees and contractors who physically assist disabled passengers or handle their wheelchair Provide safe and dignified assistance to all passengers with disabilities The rule also calls for improved performance standards for on-board wheelchairs on twin-aisle aircraft and small aircraft, consistent with existing standards on single-aisle airplanes. The DOT will take comments on the proposed rule for the next 60 days, following its publication in the Federal Register. This new proposal follows a rule finalized last September that requires new single-aisle airplanes to be designed with handicapped-accessible bathrooms. Back then, the DOT also announced an agreement with United Airlines that would require industry-leading actions to improve customer service for wheelchair-bound passengers. A new feature on United's website will help passengers find flights on airplanes better able to safely store and transport a wheelchair. United will also refund the fare difference if a more expensive flight is needed to accommodate a specific wheelchair size. The United agreement was prompted by an incident in which a passenger died after her customized wheelchair was damaged during a cross-country flight. Engracia Figueroa, 51, died after her $30,000 specialized wheelchair broke in the cargo hold during a United flight home to Los Angeles from Washington, D.C. Figueroa had to sit in a broken manual wheelchair for nearly five hours at the L.A. airport while United sorted out what had happened, according to Hand in Hand, the domestic employers' advocacy group she represented. Figueroa developed a pressure sore while she waited at the airport, and the sore was made worse by the loaner chair she had to use while she fought with United to replace her broken chair, Hand in Hand said in a statement at the time. "The sore became infected and the infection eventually reached her hip bone, requiring emergency surgery to remove the infected bone and tissue," Hand in Hand said. Figueroa died Oct. 31, 2021, three months after the July flight in which her wheelchair was broken. United also agreed to launch a trial program to explore whether medical wheelchairs or other types of chairs can be used to safely accommodate passengers whose personal wheelchairs break during a flight. More information: The U.S. Department of Transportation has more about traveling with a disability. Copyright 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved. You are here: China File photo shows the scenery of Dalishu Village of Fengcheng City, northeast China's Liaoning Province. [Photo/Xinhua] China has made remarkable progress in improving the living environment in rural areas, the country's agricultural ministry said on Wednesday. The country stepped up efforts to strengthen the weak links in public infrastructure in 2023, and over 95 percent of villages have launched clean-up campaigns, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. In 2023, over 73 percent of China's rural households had access to sanitary toilets, while the rural residential sewage treatment rate reached over 40 percent. In the meantime, over 90 percent of villages in China are serviced by household waste disposal solutions, said the ministry. Further efforts will be made in 2024 to fulfil the practical demands of rural residents and provide inclusive public services, it said. 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: According to the advocacy group Autism Speaks, one in every 36 U.S. children has an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Early diagnosis is crucial to helping to treat the condition, but how is a diagnosis done? The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has an updated review of what's involved in diagnosing autism in kids. "Diagnosing autism spectrum disorder [ASD] can be difficult because there is no medical test, like a blood test, to diagnose the disorder," the agency noted. "Doctors look at the child's developmental history and behavior to make a diagnosis." At what age can a diagnosis be made? According to the CDC, the time at which a child receives a diagnosis varies. Sometimes an ASD can be detected as young as 18 months, or even before, but only by the age of 2 can a diagnosis by a trained professional be considered reliable. Unfortunately, in many cases a diagnosis of autism may not come till later in childhood. Some people are unaware that they have an ASD until they are diagnosed as an adult. Ideally, a reliable diagnosis should take place in childhood, when therapies are most effective, the CDC said. Monitoring development As children grow, conversations between parents and health care providers that center on kids' skills and abilities should be encouraged, the CDC said. Tracking your child's developmenthow soon they reach typical developmental milestones, for exampleis key. These age-linked milestones include skills observed in playing, learning, speaking, behaving and moving. Everyone can be part of the "developmental monitoring" processparents, grandparents, daycare workers and teachers, can all give feedback on how a child is progressing. The CDC has links to pages that can helpLearn the Signs, Act Early, which includes guidance on developmental milestones. "If you notice that your child is not meeting milestones, talk with your doctor or nurse about your concerns and ask about developmental screening," the CDC advises. Well-child visits to pediatricians, family doctors and nurses may also include routine developmental monitoring, including questions as to whether your child is meeting milestones. Be sure to also inform providers about any family history of autism, learning disorders, intellectual disability or attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Screening for developmental issues and autism The American Academy of Pediatrics advises that developmental and behavioral screening occur for all children during regular well-child visits at these ages: 9 months 18 months 30 months When it comes to ASD screening specifically, those should occur at 18 months and 2 years of age, according to AAP recommendations. Screening can also happen at other times, should a caregiver or a doctor be concerned that a child might have autism, or if a child is at high risk for an ASD (for example, the child has a sibling or other family member with ASD). Don't wait for the provider to offer a developmental screening test for your child. If one is not not conducted at the recommended ages, "you can ask that it be done," the CDC said. In a typical ASD screening, parents will be asked questions about "language, movement and thinking skills, as a well as behaviors and emotions," the CDC said. Brief developmental screenings do not provide a diagnosis of an ASD, but they could point out that a proper autism screening is needed. That screening "is a more in-depth look at a child's development and is usually done by a trained specialist such as a developmental pediatrician, child psychologist, speech-language pathologist, occupational therapist or other specialist," the CDC said. At that point, a specialist may give the child a structured test, and ask more questions of parents and caregivers. "A diagnosis of ASD now includes several conditions that used to be diagnosed separately; autistic disorder, pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), and Asperger syndrome," the CDC noted. "Your doctor or other health care provider can help you understand and navigate the diagnostic process." What next? A formal evaluation of your child might indicate that early therapeutic interventions for an ASD might be necessary. As well, the specialist might recommend genetic counseling and testing for your child, the CDC said. Copyright 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved. 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: Association of Global Cognitive Scores with SARS-CoV-2 Variant Period, Illness Duration, and Hospitalization. Credit: New England Journal of Medicine (2024). DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2311330 COVID-19 may have an impact on people's cognitive and memory abilities that lasts a year or more after infection, according to a new study by Imperial College London researchers. The study, published today (Feb. 29) in the New England Journal of Medicine, reveals small deficits in the performance of cognitive and memory tasks in people who had recovered from COVID-19 compared with those who had not had COVID-19. This includes people who had long duration symptoms (i.e., Long COVID) that had eventually resolved. The results also show that the cognitive deficits were larger for people who were hospitalized, who had ongoing long duration symptoms, or who were infected with earlier variants of the virus. The Imperial-led study, called REACT Long COVID, enrolled more than 140,000 participants, who undertook at least one cognitive task, with many having experienced COVID-19 at various levels of severity and persistence. Participants in the study were asked to perform an innovative online cognitive assessment on the Cognitron platform, which comprises tasks that can detect subtle changes in different aspects of their brain function, such as memory, reasoning, executive function, attention and impulsivity. The large scale of the study and the sensitivity of the computerized tests allowed factors that explained cognitive deficits post-COVID to be examined in very fine detail while controlling for population variables such as age, demographics and pre-existing medical conditions. The study revealed small deficits that were still detectable a year or more after infection, even in people who had short duration illness. They were larger for people who had symptoms lasting 12 weeks or more (consistent with Long COVID), those who had been to hospital for their illness or those who were infected with one of the early variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. However, people who had longer lasting symptoms that had resolved by the time they did the cognitive assessment showed small deficits that were similar in size to those of people who had a shorter duration illness. The results showed that COVID-19 was associated with deficits in multiple areas of cognition, most notably in memory, such as the ability to remember pictures of objects that were viewed a few minutes earlier. The researchers believe this may be due to problems forming new memories rather than accelerated forgetting. People also showed small deficits in some tasks testing executive and reasoning abilities, such as those that require spatial planning or verbal reasoning. First author of the study Professor Adam Hampshire, from the Department of Brain Sciences at Imperial College London, said, "The potential long-term effects of COVID-19 on cognitive function have been a concern for the public, health care professionals, and policymakers, but until now it has been difficult to objectively measure them in a large population sample. "By using our online platform to measure multiple aspects of cognition and memory at large scale, we were able to detect small but measurable deficits in cognitive task performance. We also found that people were likely affected in different ways depending on factors such as illness duration, virus variant and hospitalization." Professor Paul Elliott, senior author and Director of the REACT program, from the School of Public Health at Imperial College London, said, "It is reassuring that people with persistent symptoms after COVID-19, that had resolved, may expect to experience some improvement in their cognitive functions to similar levels as those who experienced short illness. "Furthermore, the cognitive impact of COVID-19 appears to have reduced since the early stages of the pandemic, with fewer people having persistent illness, and cognition being less affected among those that were infected during the time when omicron was the dominant strain. However, given the large numbers of people who were infected, it will be important to continue to monitor the long-term clinical and cognitive consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic." More information: Adam Hampshire et al, Cognition and Memory after Covid-19 in a Large Community Sample, New England Journal of Medicine (2024). DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2311330 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 A medication for high cholesterol can drastically cut "forever chemicals" (PFAS)associated with an increased risk of cancer and banned in Europein the blood, researchers said Thursday. But the drug was not suitable for widespread and prolonged use because of its side effects and more research was needed to explore its possible impact on certain chronic health conditions. A clinical trial with cholestyramine led to a reduction 20 times greater than the normal result without intervention, Morten Lindhardt, a doctor involved in a clinical trial, told AFP. "The effect of treatment was actually a decrease in the plasma of 63 percent," said Lindhardt, who is based at Holbaek hospital. Researchers say the results are promising for treating people who have been exposed to high doses of the "forever chemicals", so called because they tend to accumulate and stay in the body. But Lindhart added of the new treatment: "I don't think you should take this medication permanently because there are side effects." It could nevertheless alleviate the "feeling of being poisoned" that people with high levels of pollutants could feel, he added. PFAS (Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), refer to a family of some 4,000 chemical compounds. They can reduce the immune response from vaccination, hit cholesterol levels, and have also been linked to cancers or obesity. Side effects risk Some residents of the town of Korsor in central Denmark, were exposed to high levels of one of them; perfluoroctane sulfonic acid (PFOS). It was present in a foam used to extinguish fires at a local firefighting training facility. This community, where the measured PFOS levels are well above normal levels, was chosen for the clinical trial on 45 residents. Despite the small sample size, Lindhardt argued that the effect of the treatment was beyond dispute. Nevertheless, widespread treatment for everyone with elevated PFAS levels was out of the question, he added. "The risk of side effects is way too big," he explained. "If you went on to treat everybody, it will be a disaster." But one potential use could be for women of child bearing age, to limit the transmission of the chemicals to their children. "It could break the chain of delivering these chemicals to the next generation," Lindhart said. Lindhart argued for caution, even though the effects of the drug were documented in terms of their effect on PFAS levels in the blood. The impact on the kidney or on immune deficiencies was not studied, he 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: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain US officials announced Thursday an agreement with Endo Health Solutions (EHSI) to settle civil and criminal claims over the mislabeling of its pain reliever drug Opana, which has contributed to the opioid epidemic. Under a proposed criminal agreement, Endo, an affiliate of Ireland-based Endo International, agreed to plead guilty in US court to a one-count misdemeanor on introducing mislabeled drugs into interstate commerce, the Department of Justice said in a news release. "Companies that profit from the opioid abuse epidemic by misrepresenting the safety of their opioid products and using reckless marketing tactics to increase sales threaten the health and safety of Americans," said deputy assistant attorney general Brian Boynton. In the criminal plea, Endo Health Solutions admitted that in 2012 and 2013 the company's sales representatives touted the purported abuse deterrence of Opana ER despite lack of clinical data supporting the claim. The civil settlement resolves allegations that Endo from 2011 to 2017 marketed Opana to health care providers that it knew were prescribing Opana for non-medically accepted problems, the Justice Department press release said. The criminal claim against EHSI included a fine of $1.1 billion and $450 million in criminal forfeiture. There was also a civil claim of $475.6 million. Under the agreement reached Thursday, EHSI will pay the government nearly $465 million over 10 years. "To be clear, the settlement agreements filed today resolve all of the government's claims, with EHSI's payment obligation not to exceed $464.9 million," a company spokesman said. Endo noted that the civil agreement "does not include any admission of liability or wrongdoing by EHSI," according to a company statement. "The Company remains committed to operating with integrity and maintaining a culture of compliance and ethics," Endo said. More than 700,000 people have died of opioid overdoses between 1999 and 2022, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 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: Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Human safety trials of a novel antibiotic treatment for Lyme disease developed by Northeastern professor Kim Lewis are scheduled to start this spring in Australia, with results anticipated by fall. So far the therapeutic agent, an antibiotic known as hygromycin A, has not been toxic in animals and has cleared Lyme in mice, he says. Existing standard treatments for Lyme disease, doxycycline and amoxicillin, have proved far from silver bullets for the nearly half-million people stricken by the tick-borne illness in the U.S. each year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 5% to 10% of Lyme patients have persistent symptoms after early treatment, while the Global Lyme Alliance says that as many as 2 million Americans could suffer post-treatment disability. Lewis says that hygromycin A is different from the broad spectrum antibiotics in that it specifically targets spirochetes including Borrelia burgdorferi, the spiral-shaped bacterium that transmits Lyme disease through the bite of a deer tick. The expectation is not only that hygromycin A will prove more effective in curing Lyme disease in the early, acute stage but that it could also mop up residual pathogens that may persist in some patients with chronic disease, Lewis says. He suspects many cases of chronic Lyme symptoms are caused by changes to patients' microbiomes due to the use of broad spectrum antibiotics. With hygromycin's specific targeting of spirochetes, Lewis says that is less likely to lead to chronic disease. "What we're testing for now is a treatment for acute Lyme that will be more effective and won't wreck the microbiome and will hopefully lead to fewer chronic cases," he says. People with chronic, long-term or persistent Lyme call it a life-changing experience, leaving them with arthritis, cardiac problems, fatigue, brain fog, depression and anxiety. Made by a bacterium found in the soil, hygromycin A has been a known but overlooked antimicrobial since 1953, Lewis says. "Nobody really cared about this compound because it's very weak against regular bacteria. What we discovered is that it is indeed very weak against regular pathogens but exceptionally potent against spirochetes." Lewis' team has licensed the compound to Flightpath, a biotech company focused on Lyme disease that is conducting the phase 1 trial scheduled to start in April. Flightpath is leading the clinical development effort. "A safety trial simply asks the question, 'Is it safe for healthy people to take this drug,'" Lewis says. If it passes toxicity screenings, it can advance to phase 2 to determine effective dosing ranges "and see if it cures acute Lyme disease," he says. Success at that stage would lead to a clinical trial involving a larger group of patients, with the possible end result of requesting FDA approval for the treatment via a new drug application. Even if approved, human efficacy trials probably wouldn't start until 2025, Lewis says. That hasn't stopped the Global Lyme Alliance, which helped fund Lewis' Lyme drug discovery program, from expressing excitement over the prospect of seeing hygromycin A in doctors' hands. In a statement on Instagram in February, the alliance quoted Flightpath CEO Matt Tindall saying that reaching this stage is a "landmark achievement for Lyme patients." If the trials make it to phase 2, researchers will reach out to Lyme specialists at places such as Johns Hopkins and Massachusetts General Hospital to recruit Lyme patients for the study, Lewis says. Most projects that researchers in academia and industry toil on for years "do not get to the point when we feel, based on extensive animal studies, that the compound has sufficient efficacy and safety features that we can now introduce it into humans," Lewis says. "We are at that point with hygromycin A. That is, of course, encouraging," he says. This story is republished courtesy of Northeastern Global News news.northeastern.edu. 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: New research finds that the 2022 mpox outbreak among gay and bisexual men began to slow down after just a few monthseven though just 8% of high-risk people had received the mpox vaccine. That suggests that it was changes in gay and bisexual men's sexual behaviors, not the vaccine, that caused the outbreak to subside, researchers concluded. "Once the mpox epidemic was recognized, behavioral modification in the men-who-have-sex-with-men community resulted in a sharp decline in [the rate of transmission] in North America ahead of vaccination rollout in the U.S.," concluded a team led by Miguel Paredes, an epidemiologist at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle. Paredes' team published its findings Feb. 29 in the journal Cell. According to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the 2022 outbreak of mpox (formerly called monkeypox) in the United States involved 31,698 known cases and 56 deaths. Globally, the outbreak involved almost 93,500 cases. Mpox is spread largely through skin-to-skin contact, and the outbreak in Europe and the United States was largely localized to men who have sex with men. Cases were first detected in May of 2022, and the outbreak peaked in August. A vaccine against the disease had already been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2019 and was rolled out to at-risk people once the outbreak was recognized. In the new analysis, Paredes' team used sophisticated computer modeling to track the origin and spread of mpox variants throughout the United States over the course of the outbreak. They noted that once people within the gay community had been alerted to the danger, many quickly altered their behavior to engage sexually with fewer partners. In August, just a few months after first being reported in the population, the spread of mpox began to slow, even though vaccines had not yet reached most of those at risk. "Mpox transmission in North America began declining before more than 10% of high-risk individuals in the U.S. had vaccine-induced immunity," Paredes' team noted. Speaking to The New York Times, Paredes said this supports the notion that public health messaging can "be really powerful to control epidemics, even as we're waiting for things like vaccines to come." The study also found that cases were spreading within high-risk communities long before they were officially reported by public health authorities. That highlights the importance of staying alert to emerging diseases. Doing so helps stop outbreaks and epidemics early, according to evolutionary biologist Trevor Bedford. "If we can catch emerging pathogens earlier on, like even weeks, it will make a big difference in terms of changing the course of these epidemics," Bedford told the Times. He runs the lab at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center where Paredes works. Virginia Pitzer is an epidemiologist at the Yale School of Public Health. Reviewing the findings, she stressed that vaccines still have a crucial role to play in curbing the spread of disease. Even though gay men's actions may have slowed mpox in the short-term, it's not clear that without a vaccine, behavioral change could have kept the disease away for good. "As we've seen with COVID, the behavioral change only lasts so long," she said. Copyright 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved. 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 review has concluded that hospitals that are privatized typically deliver worse quality care after converting from public ownership. The study, led by University of Oxford researchers, has been published today in The Lancet Public Health. Lead author Dr. Benjamin Goodair, postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Social Policy and Intervention at the University of Oxford, said, "This review challenges the justifications for health care privatization and concludes that the scientific support for health care privatization is weak. Overall, hospital privatization may reduce costs, but does so at expense of quality of care." The researchers carried out a meta-analysis based on evidence from 13 longitudinal studies, covering a range of high-income countries. Each study assessed quality of health care measures for patients before and after health service privatization, at either the hospital or regional level. The studies included measured indicators of care quality which included staffing levels, patient mix by insurance type, the number of services provided, workload for doctors, and health outcomes for patients such as avoidable hospitalizations. Credit: University of Oxford Increases in privatization generally corresponded with worse quality of care, with no studies included in the review finding unequivocally positive effects on health outcomes. Additionally, hospitals converting from public to private ownership status tended to make higher profits. This was mainly achieved by reducing staff levels and reducing the proportion of patients with limited health insurance coverage. Privatization generally corresponded with fewer cleaning staff employed per patient, and higher rates of patient infections, and in some studies, higher levels of hospital privatization corresponded with higher rates of avoidable deaths. However, in some cases (e.g., Croatia), privatization led to some benefits for patient access, through more precise appointments and new means of care delivery, such as out-of-hours telephone calls. According to the researchers, the results challenge the theory that privatization can improve the quality of health care through increased market competition, and by enabling a more flexible and patient-centered approach. Further research is now needed into the effects of privatization on other aspects of health care, including community, primary, and ambulance services. Co-author Professor Aaron Reeves, from the Department of Social Policy and Intervention at the University of Oxford, said, "Health-care systems are under pressure from aging populations, constrained budgets, and the reverberations of the COVID-19 pandemic and governments might look to privatization as a single, simple solution to pressures. There is a risk, however, that seeking short-term reductions can come at the expense of long-term outcomes, since outsourcing services to the private sector does not seem to deliver both better care and cheaper care." The countries included in the analysis were Canada, Croatia, England, Germany, Italy, South Korea, Sweden, and the U.S. More information: The effect of health-care privatisation on the quality of care, The Lancet Public Health (2024). DOI: 10.1016/S2468-2667(24)00003-3 Journal information: The Lancet Public Health 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: Normal blood cells next to a sickle-blood cell, colored scanning electron microscope image. Credit: Wikipedia/Illustration from Anatomy & Physiology UdeM's Stephanie Forte and co-researchers in Canada and Brazil have shown how people with sickle cell disease or sickle cell trait have a higher chance of dying from COVID-19 than the general population. Patients with sickle cell disease and carriers of the sickle cell trait, often considered benign, face higher rates of death and hospitalization if they contract COVID-19, a new Canada-Brazil study suggests. Led by Universite de Montreal assistant medical professor Dr. Stephanie Forte, the meta-analysis is published in eClinicalMedicine. "There are an estimated 1,500 to 1,800 people with sickle cell disease in Quebec," said Forte, a hematologist and researcher at the UdeM-affiliated CHUM Research Center. "Although it is not frequently talked about, it is the most common rare disease in Canada." Across the country, this hereditary chronic illness affects nearly 6,000 people, mostly of African, Caribbean, Indian or the Middle Eastern origin. It is characterized by rigid red blood cells that lead to blockages in the blood vessels, depriving muscles and organs of oxygen and causing severe recurring pain or sequelae in various organs. To date, there is no approved treatment specifically for sickle cell disease in Canada. Hydroxyurea, an oral chemotherapy drug, has been used safely for over 40 years as a preventive treatment that reduces the number of episodes, protects organs and prolongs life expectancy. Hydroxyurea makes red blood cells rounder and more flexible by increasing a protective form of hemoglobin, hemoglobin F. This hemoglobin is also called fetal hemoglobin because newborn babies have it. To alleviate episodes of severe pain, patients resort to pain-relief medications, emergency care and hospitalization. Some patients with more severe disease depend on regular blood transfusions. "Carriers of the sickle cell trait have only one of the altered, recessive genes from their parents and don't develop sickle cell disease," said Forte. "Nevertheless, this group is at risk and should be monitored and prioritized when it comes to public health measures, like vaccination." These people are also more susceptible than the general public to renal complications following a COVID-19 infection. Lessons from 2009 It was no coincidence that Forte and her colleagues decided to evaluate the impacts of SARS-CoV-2 on people with sickle cell disease. Back in 2009, during the H1N1 flu pandemic, medical teams had concluded that, globally, patients with sickle cell disease had a higher risk of developing acute chest syndrome or of being admitted into intensive care. In 2020, while on a foreign fellowship at the Henri-Mondor Hospital in Creteil, France, Forte witnessed the setting up of the French register of people with both sickle cell disease and COVID-19. "When I returned to Quebec, at the height of the pandemic, I launched our own Quebec register, with Dr. Thai Hoa Tran's team at the CHU Sainte-Justine research center," she recalled. "All of the Quebec sickle cell disease centers collaborated on this project." In 2022, the initiative to study the link between sickle cell disease, sickle cell trait and COVID-19 came from Isabella Michelon, a Brazilian medical student at the Catholic University of Pelotas. For one of her epidemiology courses, Michelon contacted international teams who were conducting research on sickle cell disease and COVID-19. Forte's team answered her call. With Michelon as the first author, a large-scale effort was undertaken to collect and analyze 22 studies in a meta-analysis, including nearly 1,900 people with sickle cell disease, 8,700 people with the sickle cell trait and more than 1.65 million control patients. 'Wonderful recognition' Forte is the medical lead of the CHUM's Comprehensive Red Blood Cell Disorders Center (SANGRE). The center was recently selected by the American Society of Hematology to receive mentorship and support over two years as part of the Sickle Cell Disease Centers Workshops. "It's a wonderful recognition," said Forte. "By being a part of this network of excellence, we are able to compare our performance to other establishments and to benefit from workshops on best practices in our field. At the CHUM, our top priority is to work to provide better relief for our patients suffering from severe pain." She is grateful to the patients who are a part of the register, and additionally, for their donations to the blood biobank, which to date comprises 300 samples and which was established in collaboration with her mentor, UdeM professor Guillaume Lettre, a researcher at the Montreal Heart Institute. In 2006, Lettre discovered that the severity of sickle cell disease was linked to variations in the BCL11A gene. BCL11A plays a role in silencing the expression of the fetal hemoglobin after birth. His fundamental research work led to the first experimental treatment for the disease, developed by an American pharmaceutical company, to inactivate the BCL11A gene. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently approved this gene therapy, which is based on CRISPR-Cas9, molecular scissors that inactivate BCL11A. Though expensive, the treatment marks a significant advance for people with sickle cell disease. More information: Isabella Michelon et al, COVID-19 outcomes in patients with sickle cell disease and sickle cell trait compared with individuals without sickle cell disease or trait: a systematic review and meta-analysis, eClinicalMedicine (2023). DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2023.102330 Journal information: EClinicalMedicine Provided by University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre Learn everything there is to know about hair transplants in Turkey, as the cost may be far lower than in the US. At Smile Hair Clinic, get great deals on bundles. Smile Hair Clinic has great hair transplant prices in Turkey. Making the decision to have a hair transplant while you're experiencing hair loss is a big decision. Finding a transplant facility that can help you achieve your goals is essential once you've made the brave and determined decision to face hair loss head-on. Although there are many respectable clinics all over the world, only few are able to provide the same high caliber of services as hair transplant clinics in Turkey. You can get high-quality hair transplant surgery in Turkey from facilities that offer modern hair treatments, the highest number of grafts feasible during transplants, and skilled surgeons and medical professionals. Find out what to expect, what a hair transplant in Turkey entails, and why Istanbul is a popular place for medical travel Istanbul, Turkey has grown to be a very popular destination for medical tourists seeking hair transplant surgeries for two main reasons. The first is the standard of medical care, and the second is the significant amount of money the government spends on medical travel. Some of the most highly recognized hospitals in the world are located in Turkey. Their state-of-the-art equipment, attentive approach to patient care, and highly skilled medical team offer good care to anyone seeking medical attention or cosmetic procedures. Members of the medical community must demonstrate mastery of their profession in order to receive and keep their licenses, which is earned after years of demanding training. Medical facilities, whether public or private, are subject to strict regulations and must adhere to the highest standards to continue operating. Medical travelers confidently get services in Turkey. It also doesn't hurt that the Turkish government has made every effort to facilitate medical tourism. Travelers to Turkey for cosmetic or medical procedures might benefit from cheaper airfare as well as an easier and more seamless visa application process. How to locate the ideal clinic for your requirements Turkey has strict regulations governing the medical sector, but you should still use caution while selecting an Istanbul hair transplant center. Choosing a random clinic might not have any negative effects on you, but a novice surgeon could make blunders that result in less-than-ideal outcomes. As a result, you'll need to search for a respectable facility and highly skilled surgeons. Smile Hair Clinic, which is situated in the center of Istanbul, is a popular choice among patients seeking quality care. Since its founding in 2018, Smile Hair Clinic has gained fame all around the world and was included in a BBC documentary series on healthcare tourism. Dr. Gokay Bilgin and Mehmet Erdogan, two renowned surgeons, formed it. The two surgeons prioritize the health and happiness of their patients above everything else, and they have already completed more than 8,000 successful hair transplant treatments. Every procedure is entirely tailored to the requirements of the patient and produces outcomes that are remarkably natural-looking. The cost disparity between hair transplants in the US and Turkey The Smile Hair Clinic's staff's professionalism and knowledge draw in many medical tourists, but it also helps that the facility has surprisingly low prices. A hair transplant procedure in the US might easily cost up to $15,000, depending on the precise quantity of transplanted hair grafts required. You would have to pay the full cost out of pocket for cosmetic procedures like this since insurance companies normally dont cover them. In contrast, the typical cost of a hair transplant in Turkey is about $3,000; at Smile Hair Clinic, complex procedures like FUE hair transplants start at about $2,500 and go up to about $7,200 for manual FUE. The precise cost of a hair transplant will depend on a number of factors, including the degree of hair loss, the state of the donor area, the quantity of hair grafts required, and the particular technique (such as FUE). There is no need for such a large price disparity given the high caliber of care provided; Turkish clinics are known for their proficiency. Instead, the cheaper prices appear to be only a reflection of Turkey's cheaper cost of living in comparison to the US. In addition, the weakening of the Turkish lira has made hair loss treatments considerably more accessible. Packages that include everything at the Smile Hair Clinic Although hair transplants in Turkey are already far less expensive than in the US, Smile Hair Clinic further lowers the cost of hair transplants by providing medical tourists with all-inclusive packages. Upon scheduling a hair transplant, the following will be covered by the estimated price: the highest quantity of hair transplants; pre- and post-operative medications; local anesthetic; transfers from the airport to the clinic and your accommodation in Istanbul; lodging at a four- or five-star establishment; a translator who speaks the language you know; online services for aftercare. If you compare this to having your transplant done in the US, you could still save a lot of money. The only additional cost you will incur is airfare. Cutting-edge transplant procedures as a hair loss treatment The FUE hair transplant technique has been refined by the doctors at Smile Hair Clinic. FUE, or Follicular Unit Extraction, is the best hair loss treatment available. In a FUE hair transplant, the surgeon makes incisions in the recipient area to prepare it, removes individual hair follicles from the donor area, and then implants the follicles into the incisions. To help ensure natural results, each follicle is placed at a precise and proper angle. Hair transplants for the head, beard, mustache, and eyebrows are all performed using this technique and are offered at the clinic. Due to the minimally invasive nature of the procedure, recovery from even the most rigorous surgerywhich can take up to eight hoursis for some patients quick and easy. Many can resume work and regular daily activities in a few days and start to see fresh hair growth in a few weeks. Concluding remarks Making the decision to schedule a hair transplant in a foreign nation is significant. Nonetheless, getting your hair transplant in Turkey can be an excellent choice because of the cutting-edge hair transplant procedures offered by Turkish facilities like the Smile Hair Clinic, as well as the reasonable costs and top-notch services. This content is provided for informational purposes only by the contributor and is not a substitute for professional medical advice or treatment. Please consult your healthcare provider for medical advice. This provided content was produced by Lee Enterprises. The news and editorial departments had no role in its creation or display. A group project with more than five people that involves almost non-stop movement might sound like a recipe for conflict, but the members of Bare Bait Dance get along so well that their finished product feels harmonious. How do you choreograph a full piece with 11 different impulses and ideas and values and tastes and music and costuming? said Joy French, artistic director of the professional contemporary dance company. For their new show, she handed over the choreographers chair, confident since they contribute so much when shes leading the way. I like a creative process that has contributions from them a lot, French said. I don't walk in pretending like I know every moment. The nonprofit troupes latest concert, A Small Shift in an Uncomfortable Place, which runs March 1-16 at the Westside Theater, includes an extended, 40-minute work created by the company members. Its rounded out by an improvised introduction, and a short trio for their apprentice dancers, choreographed by dancer Mac Black. Finally, theres a guest spot with a Seattle guest, Rachael Lincoln, that makes use of the Westside Theaters circus-grade aerial harnesses to confront media oversaturation. Team choreography Coming after several years of change, French feels like they have a strong group. Theyd slimmed down to six during the early part of the pandemic, but now have as many as ever, with 10 company members, one guest and three apprentices. They started out several months ago by having two dancers present ideas theyd been working on, which they talked out and formed into a whole. What's really kind of magical is they've done a really good job of figuring out how to blend their styles, or if it doesn't blend, maybe that's part of the magic of the piece, too, she said. Amber Moon Peterson is one of the more experienced dancers. She performed in her native New Mexico, along with stints in California, and Helenas Cohesion Dance Project before settling here. She said that dancers roles vary by the project. Sometimes shes happy to embody someone elses vision. Other times, they need to bring their voice to a project. These days, it is very important to be able to run with an idea, and create on your own, even if somebody else's technically choreographing. A lot of times you're asked to generate movement as a part of that process, Peterson said. The music throughout segues from electronic beats to Bach and Max Richter and Grace Davidsons somnambulant Sleep collaboration. The movements begin with a sort of earthy, animalistic theme, with all the dancers walking on all fours. Its a move that often happens in practice but rarely on stage, Peterson said, describing it as a primal bear crawl. By the end, theyve worked into a humorous routine with dress-up formalities and exaggerated movements, set to baroque music. At one point, they carry around a dancer whos gone rigid as a doll. Petersons contribution takes the form of a duet between Tiki Preston and Hannah Dusek that occurs while the remainder of the dancers form a cluster of poses at a distance. Shed been craving a duet work, one with ideas around intimacy and confirmation. I wanted it to feel tender, but tense, she said. At times, they lean on each other, or cradle each others heads. Other times theyre pushing back on each other. It occurs very slowly, too, a feature they wanted to explore. There's something about duration, where you give your audience time to digest and settle into an idea, she said. They can start asking themselves questions, and regardless of whether the answer is positive or negative, it points toward a successful piece of art, she said. Information overload Guest collaborator Lincoln, an assistant professor of dance at the University of Washington, came to Missoula during one of the years cold snaps to develop a new 10-minute work that takes advantage of the aerial harnesses in the theater, which has been home for the citys circus arts community for some time. She last came to Missoula in 2016, working with Bare Bait and students at the University of Montana. Coincidentally, both trips fell on heated election years, and her theme this go-round relates to media oversaturation. My rate of consumption is very high, she said, adding she's noticed the way she cycles in and out and how it affects her sense of connection. I wanted some physical realization of that, she said. Using copies of newspapers as props, the dancers demonstrate the internal whirlwind. The papers get performatively read, talked back to, sighed at, balled up, then smoothed out and re-read. At the end of her piece, the group grounds up the papers into a hamster pile that they build up, enclosing a single dancer. Three of the dancers strap into the harnesses and employ them for sweeping, swinging motions, sometimes with duet partners who are untethered. Lincoln has experimented with low-fly harnesses and the idea of vertical dance, several times before, but not more than a few feet off the ground. Bare Baits theater gave her another chance to weave it into her style, which often includes props and narratives. It was a fast process, with only five or six days here. After returning to Seattle, shes been able to watch videos and provide more notes and changes. She too said its a really collaborative effort. She gave the dancers things to work on that they shaped. The final result would not have happened with any other people than the people that were there, she said. If you go All performances are in the Westside Theater. Advance tickets are $32 general or $25 student, senior and military at barebaitdance.org. They go up by $4 at the door. Friday-Saturday, March 1-2, 7:30 p.m. Sunday, March 3, 6 p.m. Friday, March 8, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 9-10, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday, March 10, 2 p.m. Friday, March 15, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 16, 7:30 p.m. Photos: Bare Bait Dance's "A Small Shift in an Uncomfortable Place"